About five years ago during SXSW, I set up shop in a parked tour bus off 6th street in Austin, and invited a bunch of folks to come play for us. We recorded a cast of characters that year: Tommy Ramone, Chip Taylor, Elizabeth Cook and Tim Carroll, J.J. Grey of Mofro, to name just a few. One of my favorite moments was when Dale Watson came to the bus door, and asked if he could bring his band. When I said yes, he stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled to summon the guys, who started running up the street with their instruments. They piled onto the bus and we were entertained by seven of them. The bus sounded like we somehow had been transported to the 1940s. It was magical. And of course, Dale was perfect, frilly shirt, hair coifed. It was episodes like this that made me want to start videotaping the proceedings.
Dale Watson and The Texas Two have a new album coming out today, The Sun Sessions. What an amazing idea. Take one of the most righteous purveyors of retro country, and hook him up at Sun Studios in Memphis, and then record lo-fi. By the way, Dale has a couple of residencies in Austin; at The Continental Club, and at the beloved dive bar, Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon, the home of Chicken Sh*t Bingo on Sunday nights. Willie loves him, Hank 3 calls him ‘the savior of country music,’ and today we bring you one of the songs from the new Dale Watson CD. Here is “My Baby Makes Me Gravy.”
- Jessie Scott
