One trip to Austin, TX long ago and far away, I went to KHYI’s Texas Music Revolution on the Sunday after SXSW was over. It was amazing driving to the event, which takes place on the historic Southfork Ranch with its famous façade that you might recall was used as the home of J.R and the rest of The Ewings in the TV show Dallas.
Evidently there is a new season coming-news to me, for sure! But I digress. I had driven with friends from Austin, and they weren’t going back that night. Somehow, Chip Dolan, who was playing at the time with Jack Ingram, got pressed into service to ferry me back to Austin in the middle of the night. I wound up taking a spin with Mark David Manders on his retro tour bus, and had disappeared from the back stage area. A lesser friend would have just left my tardy butt there, but not Chip. He waited for me, and then we drove all night. Might have been 4 am by the time we got back to Austin. Hell, it might have been even later. All I know is I got back in time to make my plane, and I am eternally grateful to Chip for his gentlemanly grace.
We were up at Cherokee Creek Music Festival in May, and Chip was there. He brought us his keyboard and left it for our use all day. I am telling you, he is one of the good ones. Though he records on his own, he is also a much sought after session guy and band member. Some of the people he has gigged with include Bruce Robison, Charlie Robison, Kelly Willis, The Mavericks, Tish Hinojosa, Greg Trooper, Eliza Gilkyson, Jimmy LaFave, Sara Hickman, Slaid Cleaves, Shelley King, and the list goes on and on. I was so happy we were able to have him come play for the Music Fog cameras. Check out the song “Nobody Knows,” from Chip Dolan back in May.
-Jessie Scott