Oh yum. Being out in California recently was just delicious. The air, the low humidity, the colors of sky and flowers, the towering mountains. It is all overwhelming to the senses. I have that awareness every time I visit, that it simply is the promised land, well, the way it looks anyway. A friend from California asked me a few days ago ‘what I am doing in the desert’ it gave me pause for a moment as I reflected on the lush California landscape, and compared that to the drought and convection oven heat we are dealing with day after day. Yes, Texas is that hot. It feels biblical here.

Photo Credit: Steve Circeo

Several years ago, I made the acquaintance of the music of Jackson Parten. I remember a night under the stars, when I met his family sitting on the deck at Momo’s here in Austin during SXSW®. They handed me his CD, I listened and liked it, and went on to play him on the radio at XM. There was another random encounter earlier this year; I had been down at the Lone Star Music store in New Braunfels, and he was playing an in-store performance that evening. I was happy to extend an invite to him to come play for us during our annual Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s. He came solo, and played us a brand new tune, “Here in California."

- Jessie Scott