So, did'ja watch the cool eight part series, Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns? It is a masterwork about the genre, going back about 100 years. In Part 7 they explored the history of Gram Parsons, who loved country music but was a child of the 60’s as well, so he thought to marry the two. Cosmic American Music was the moniker he used. It was nothing short of the precursor for what would later be called Americana Music. Gram Parsons was one of Americana's progenitors. BTW, I got to narrate the Radio Companion to the series, check that out here.
So there is a really cool rolling party that’s been going on since the summer called The Cosmic Honky Tonk Revue, of course with a nod to Gram. It is all about our buddies Chuck Mead, Jim Lauderdale, and Jason Ringenberg teaming up. They play The Caverns in Pelham, TN on December 7th. How cool is that - Cosmic and Subterranean at the same time! We visit with Chuck today, from the session we did at the start of the year. His new album Close To Home with His Grassy Knoll Boys came out in June. From it, here is a solo electric version of “I’m Not The Man For The Job” filmed by the Music Foggers during a private recording session in Nashville.
- Jessie Scott