For his new album, accomplished singer-songwriter John Hiatt is partnering with an all-time great of the bluegrass and folk music world — none other than Jerry Douglas. Hiattâs raucous style and bluesy inclinations marry perfectly with the natural grit and soulful voice that Douglas pulls from the dobro.
Recorded in RCA Studio B in Nashville, Leftover Feelings returned Hiatt to his earliest days in town when he lived in a $15-a-week rented room on Music Row. âI was immediately taken back to 1970, when I got to Nashville. You canât not be aware of the records that were made there⌠Elvis, the Everly Brothers, Waylon Jennings doing âOnly Daddy Thatâll Walk the Line.’ But that history wasnât intimidating, because itâs such a comfortable place to make music.â
Their captured performances are truly spontaneous instances of creation and expression, not bogged down by the weight of calculation or correctness. For example, âMississippi Phone Boothâ struts completely on its own, with the same grease as classic blues records. Watch the new music video from John Hiatt with the Jerry Douglas Band below.
Photo credit: Patrick Sheehan