Happy Chinese New Year! Today we usher in the Year of the Black Water Dragon, actually the only legendary animal among the signs in Chinese Astrology.   At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, write poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. Just in case you needed a reason to celebrate today, there you have it.

I predict this is going to be a big year for Jimmy LaFave. It would have been the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie, and as Jimmy is a premier interpreter of Woody, I know he will be especially busy. Coming up later this week on January 28th is Walking Woody’s Road, with Jimmy teaming up with Eliza Gilkyson, Slaid Cleaves, and Terri Hendrix. Look for this show to tour through the year. We dig into a Jimmy LaFave self-penned tune today from the Music Fog Spring Marathon during SXSW 2011 at Threadgill’s. Jimmy is accompanied by Jeff Plankenhorn, Glenn Schuetz, Chip Dolan, and Bobby Kallus in this song of love, “River Road.”

- Jessie Scott