Tag: James Taylor

22 Top Country Duos

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Country music was made for duets. Not only because those tight, tasty harmonies are a foundational aspect of the music, but also because country accomplishes heartbreak — and every other make and model of love song — better than almost any other genre. (Thought quite possibly better than all other genres.) It just makes sense to have two singers, one to play each role in a lost, soon-to-be-lost, or (rarely) divine, never-perishing romance. But the format isn’t restricted to lovers or their placeholders, it can just as seamlessly fit heroes and acolytes, parents and children, siblings, peers, fellow pot smokers, and on and on.

Take a scroll through these twenty-two country twosomes:

Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton

We couldn’t have this list without these two. They should be the start, middle, and end of any definitive list of country duos. So we’ll just make the easy choice and kick it all off with Kenny and Dolly — that extra intro about their friendship and the years they’ve known each other? Swoon.

Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty

After saying what we did about Kenny & Dolly we knew this pair needed to come next — so as to not rile anyone. Out of countless duets we could have chosen, how could any top “You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly?”

Willie Nelson & Ray Charles

For inexplicable reasons people tend to forget Ray Charles’ incredible forays into country. His collaborations with Willie are stunning for the extreme juxtaposition of their voices and styles — they feel and swing so distinctly and differently, but all while perfectly complementary. “Seven Spanish Angels” ranked a very close second to this number in our selection process.

Glen Campbell & John Hartford

The most-recorded song in the history of recording? It’s said “Gentle On My Mind” holds that honor. And goodness gracious of course it does. Here’s its writer and its popularizer and hitmaker together.

Lee Ann Womack & George Strait

Together, Lee Ann and George were beacons of the trad country duet form, especially in the ’90s and early 2000s. This one from the jewel in the crown of Lee Ann’s discography, Call Me Crazy, is crisply modern, but with decidedly timeless vocals.

George Jones & Tammy Wynette

A broken, country fairy tale of a love story, George and Tammy’s relationship was infamously fraught, but damn if that didn’t just make their duets ever more… ethereal. Which doesn’t justify that Tammy Wynette kinda pain, to be sure, but it does remind us that if country can do anything better than all other genres, it can be sad.

Reba McEntire & Linda Davis

One of the best country songs, duets, and music videos EVER MADE. Theatrical and epic and a little silly and downright catchy and Rob Reiner and… we could go on forever.

Tanya Tucker & Delbert McClinton

Tanya is back with a brand new album and its well-deserved level of attention has been helping to re-shine the spotlight on her expansive career. Forty top ten hits across three decades. Who does that? Here she duets with Delbert McClinton on their 1993 hit, “Tell Me About It.”

Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett

Hey, if this has to be stuck in our heads for the rest of the month, it should be stuck in yours, too. Fair’s fair. It’s only half past [whatever time it is], but we don’t care.

Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash

One of the most recognizable duos in the history of the genre, immortalized not only in their discography but in a film adaptation of their love as well, Walk the Line. We all know “Jackson” as familiarly as the ABC’s, so here’s a slightly lesser-known beaut. (Keep watching til the last verse for an adorable bit from June.)

Eric Church & Rhiannon Giddens

Country is at its best when it surprises us. This collaboration is certainly, on the surface, unexpected, but the message of the song isn’t the only way these two artists can relate to each other. Over the course of their careers they’ve both fought their way from the fringes to the centers of their respective scenes. More of this, please.

Dolly Parton & Porter Wagoner

Dolly got her start with Porter Wagoner on his television show in the 1960s. They can certainly be credited with pioneering, popularizing, and epitomizing the country duet format. One of her most famous hits, “I Will Always Love You,” was written for Porter as she lamented leaving their act to go totally solo. (We’re a little glad she did.) You can tell they sang this song just a few gajillion times together, give or take.

Pam Tillis & Mel Tillis

Father/daughter duos in country aren’t as common, but they certainly aren’t unheard of. Pam and Mel are a perfect example. (The Kendalls are another.)

Patty Loveless & Ralph Stanley

Patty Loveless received the first ever Ralph Stanley Mountain Music Memorial Legacy Award in 2017 at Ralph’s home festival, Hills of Home, in Wise County, Virginia. Patty and Ralph were longtime friends and collaborators during his lifetime and even through her mainstream country success she referenced bluegrass and Ralph as influences — and she cut a few bluegrass records as well.

Alison Krauss & James Taylor

It’s. Just. Too. Good. Like butter. Like a warm bubble bath. Like floating on a cloud. Two voices that were meant to intertwine.

Charley Pride & Glen Campbell

These two were made to sing Latin-inflected harmonies together, weren’t they? Charley Pride gets overlooked by these sorts of lists all too often. But dang if he didn’t crank out some stellar collaborations, too!

Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris

“Love Hurts” and boy, if Gram and Emmylou don’t make you believe it heart and soul and body and being. The definitive version of this Boudleaux Bryant song? Perhaps.

Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard

Icons being icons. And friends. And amazingly talented, ceaselessly musical comrades. You love to see it. (We could’ve/should’ve chosen “Pancho & Lefty.” We did not.)

Vince Gill & Amy Grant

There are quite a few reasons why the Ryman Auditorium basically hands this husband and wife duo the keys to the place each December. Basically all of those reasons are evident in this one. It’s fitting that this video came from one of those Christmas shows, too.

Dolly Parton & Sia

Dolly literally outdoes herself, re-recording “Here I Am” for the original soundtrack for her Netflix film, Dumplin’, after she first cut the Top 40 country single in 1971. Clearly she and Sia have much more in common than an affinity for wigs; their soaring, acrobatic voices seem so disparate in style and form until you hear them together. Listen on repeat for the best therapeutic results.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

[Insert entire Raising Sand album here, because how could we ever choose?] Lol jk, here’s “Killing the Blues.”

Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis

Cross-generational, meet-your-hero magic right here. Little did we know what was in store for Carrie Underwood then. But the way Randy looks at her up there, you can tell he knows she’s goin’ places.

BGS 5+5: Carl Anderson

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Carl Anderson
Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia
Latest album: You Can Call Me Carl (EP release, May 31)
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): BIG CARL

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I’m not sure I can point to any one artist as being my main influence. Growing up my mom would listen to folks like James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, and a handful of other singer-songwriters. At the same time I was also heavily influenced by what my sister was listening to and that was more along the lines of The Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, Weird Al, The Beatles. Some of it I was really moved by, other stuff not so much, but I took it all in nonetheless.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I had the opportunity to tour around the United Kingdom and Germany this past August with my friends, Sons of Bill. I would have to say my favorite recent memory of being on stage came during a performance in Munich. I remember really connecting with the audience that night and thinking how special it was that here we were, a couple of Virginia boys far from home playing songs that at one point didn’t exist. That night we got what anyone who does this can really ask for and that is an audience’s undivided attention.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I am influenced by all sorts of different art. I like to think of it as all being valuable source material. In the last few years I began painting on a semi-regular basic and have enjoyed learning about different painters throughout history and how they worked. I like that Mark Rothko kept traditional office hours while he worked on the Seagram Murals. I’ve taken to such a schedule with my writing and it has actually worked quite well for me.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I remember sitting around with my mom and sister when I was in middle school and listening to the first Nickel Creek record and being moved by the songs. I think it was in that moment that I knew I wanted to try and affect people like that. I had started learning a little guitar prior but hearing that music and getting goosebumps that put fuel on the fire. I was on the path from that point forward.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

I think my mission is simple. I want to try and write honest songs and be as earnest with people in my performances as I can. I am just a man who, like everyone else, is insecure and looking for love. I feel like I am able to share parts of myself with my music that are otherwise difficult to articulate.

MIXTAPE: Jared & the Mill’s Overnight Driving Playlist

Posted on by Editor

“Overnight drives are the lifeblood of developing into a touring band. Leaving the comfort of street lights and neighborhoods and going into the void to get to the next town in time for soundcheck is as thrilling and mysterious as it is exhausting and daunting. It’s a ritual we share with bands all over the country and it teaches us to identify as the road dogs we are. It’s a powerful sympathy that unites us with others like us. Looking out at the nothingness and knowing there are many hours left without comfort is isolating and forces us to look inward.

“After conversation about the show earlier that night or what we miss back home diminishes, we’re left with the stars, the dashboard, and the radio to keep us company as we try to stay awake through the hypnotic rhythm of yellow lines passing beneath us. These are some of the songs that keep us going as we pass through the voids in between towns, we hope you enjoy.” — Jared & the Mill

Gregory Alan Isakov – “Stable Song”

The sonic qualities of this song are absolutely perfect for lonely nights away from home, and the lyrics inspire wanderlust just enough that I forget my homesickness and reinvigorate my excitement for adventure. It’s a godsend on long overnight drives.

James Taylor – “Sweet Baby James”

I was raised on ‘60s/’70s singer-songwriter music for a lot of my childhood, and this song brought my worlds together when I realized its subject matter covers the spirit of chasing a dream away from home and into the void. I come from a cowboying family and really love the idea of the traveling musician being the last of the cowboys.

–Jared Kolesar (vocals, acoustic guitar)

Feist – “Graveyard”
Feist’s “Graveyard” is a slow build that’s always worth it. Lyrically I feel like it dances around the topic of death, the dead, our memories, and our relation to our past, and our past relatives. Great for a long pondering drive. What a wonderful and beautiful chance it is, to be alive and experiencing anything.

Ennio Morricone – “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Main Title”

If this song doesn’t make you want to trip back to your previous life, strap on your shooting irons, and gallop down a dry arroyo to avenge your lovers death, then I don’t know what will.

–Michael Carter (banjo, mandolin)

Glen Campbell – “Wichita Lineman”

Glen is an amazing guitarist and the glittery arrangement of this great Jimmy Webb song always makes me long for home.

Jackson Browne – “These Days”

Sometimes thoughts of regret can creep in on those late-night drives. This song has an awesome way of acknowledging past mistakes while moving on from them.

–Larry Gast III (electric guitar)

The Wallflowers – “One Headlight”

Pretty sure this song that was scientifically created to make you feel like you’re in a driving montage in a movie. Maybe one of the best rhythm section grooves in the history of Americana to boot.

Kacey Musgraves – “Space Cowboy”

Kacey makes a stronger case for modern country music with every record she puts out. This is a perfect song for looking out the van window into the darkness of night and wondering why you are the way that you are.

–Chuck Morriss III (bass)

Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”

Lots of times on overnight drives you wonder if you have chosen the right path, or if a standard 9-5 could be more fulfilling. This song is a good way to consider the possibilities of that life, while the driving acoustic guitar keeps you alert at the wheel after an arduous day.

Robert Ellis – “Elephant”

I love the intricate plucking rhythms in this song, while the lyrics tackle relationship complications of being in a touring band.

Josh Morin (drums)

Photo credit: Cole Cameron

BGS 5+5: Chase McBride

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Chase McBride
Hometown: San Francisco
Latest album: Pink Lemonade
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Montana Slim

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I grew up with James Taylor’s music omnipresent in my life. Whether my family was relaxing at home or taking long road trips through Montana, his voice was always somewhere in the background. I remember my Dad drumming along to “You’ve Got a Friend” on the steering wheel, and singing the high-harmony parts, which is probably where I picked up on vocal harmonizing. Even as my musical tastes have expanded, I still come back to his music, impressed by the purity of his arrangements and lyricism. His album, October Road, is one of my favorites, and amazing because it was a late-career offering. Playing the song “September Grass” brings me right back to my old blue Subaru station wagon, driving down a tree-lined street in autumn, or going to visit my high-school girlfriend. Those formative experiences inform the way I approach storytelling. Nostalgia is a potent ingredient, when used effectively.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I went to graduate school for painting, and have been in or around the fine art world for most of my adult life. Though I’m currently a “dormant” painter, my partner Heather Day is a working artist so I vicariously live through her studio practice. One of my favorite painters is the late Philip Guston, I just love the way he talks about his work, and brings life to his images through his explanations. If my well of inspiration runs dry, I like to take the bus down to the San Francisco MOMA and visit his works. I usually come away with a kernel of inspiration to set off exploring through sound.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

When I was very young, maybe 7 or 8, I remember rummaging through my parent’s CD collection and finding a Beethoven disc. I put it on my Dad’s stereo system, and laid back in his reclining Dad-chair. Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” came on, and it gave me a rush of emotion that I hadn’t felt before or since. I played that song on repeat for three days until my Dad made me turn it off. I think I wore the CD out. I couldn’t believe that sound had the ability to elicit such a strong emotional response and I knew that I wanted to try to do that myself. Two decades later I’m still trying.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

The studio is a sacred space for me. I take studio time very seriously, and do my best to devote my entire attention and focus to the process. For my new album, Pink Lemonade, the studio played a very important role. It was recorded with producer-extraordinaire Andrew Heringer (Milo Greene, Avid Dancer, Madi Diaz) at his Beachwood Canyon home studio, known as Mirror Wall. Andrew has such great energy, and is such a positive person to work with. He’s a yes-man, but he also knows when to guide the creative process or make a suggestion. For this album, after working out the rough bones of a song, we’d take a break in the early afternoon and walk up to the local deli at Beachwood Market for a sandwich. We used those short walks to check-in and clear our ears out. It’s important to step away from the studio every few hours to reset your ears and your creative impulses. Perspective is everything.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I’m going to throw a curveball here and divulge the fact that I’m a huge fan of ’90s hip-hop. Souls of Mischief, from across the bay in Oakland, are one of my favorite hip-hop groups. I would love to host a decadent meal for my close friends with fresh nigiri sushi, a bottle of Krug champagne and Souls of Mischief’s song “93 ‘Til Infinity” on repeat.

Photo credit: Nirav Patel

MIXTAPE: David Wilcox’s Character Study

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

I love songs that have interesting characters in them. One of my favorite questions to ask, when I’m investigating a lyric is, “Who is speaking to whom, and why?” I love it when a song contains a complex idea that changes the way I see the world. — David Wilcox

Paul Simon — “Train in the Distance”

The narrator watches a couple who have the best of intentions, as they try to make a relationship work, but the chorus keeps coming back with this haunting restlessness.

Susannah McCorkle — “The Waters of March”

I think my favorite song is probably the Susannah McCorkle version of “The Waters of March.” How can such a simple song communicate such complexity of how we miss the beauty that is all around us?

Joni Mitchell — “Paprika Plains”

This song contrasts the small scale pursuits of us humans with a giant desert landscape, communicated so beautifully with orchestral music.

James Taylor — “Sugar Trade”

I love the big view of the song “Sugar Trade” which was written by James Taylor and Jimmy Buffett. Start with a specific question about that guy in the boat, as you’re walking the beach. How deep do you want to go to understand the workings of the world?

Randy Newman — “Dixie Flyer”

The Randy Newman song “Dixie Flyer” describes his earliest memories in a way that explains why he has worked his whole life to sing about the issues of race and justice.

Donald Fagen — “The Goodbye Look”

Speaking of childhood memories, the Donald Fagen album The Nightfly is full of thoughts he had as a kid. There are some great characters in the song “The Goodbye Look.” He does a detailed character description of the man with the motor launch for hire — a skinny man with two-tone shoes.

Peter Case — “Blue Distance”

Peter Case made a record called Flying Saucer Blues that has lots of lovely characters. On that CD, there’s a song called “Blue Distance.” Indescribable longing frustratingly pursued in carnal relationships … Hey! My favorite theme.

Annie Gallup — “West Memphis Arkansas”

Another in this category is Annie Gallup’s song “West Memphis Arkansas.” We get the whole story, but the characters are described sparingly with the most meticulous details.

Justin Farren — “Little Blue Dirtbike”

It’s the details that describe the characters so beautifully, as he thinks about his grandfather’s adventures and the mutual shyness that kept them from ever talking.

Peter Mayer — “The Birthday Party”

Bravely communicating across our cultural and religious differences is the subject of this song. I like the version that’s on his live album.

Andy Gullahorn — “Holy Ground”

Andy Gullahorn has a song about Shane Claiborne that’s called “Holy Ground.” I learned how to play it and, after a few days of practice, I could sing it without being moved to tears.

XTC — “Harvest Festival”

The XTC album called Apple Venus is one of my favorite records of all time. Lots of beautiful characters. “Fruit Nut” is a great song, but my favorite for this mix would have to be the song “Harvest Festival.”

Ana Egge — “Dreamer”

Next is Ana Egge with her song “Dreamer” from the album Bright Shadow.

Robinson & Rohe — “The Longest Winter”

And for the last song on this mixtape, Jean Rohe and her husband Liam Robinson singing “The Longest Winter.”

Photo credit: Stuart Dahne

Cary Morin Picks His Piece

Posted on by Editor

“Let there be no question of who’s wrong and who’s right. There should be no compromise. We all stand up and fight in the dawn’s early light,” Cary Morin sings on “Dawn’s Early Light,” written in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe during last year’s protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

“A friend of mine was doing a show [at Standing Rock with the Indigo Girls] and she had asked me, just in passing, if I would write a song for the Standing Rock movement,” Morin explains. “I felt like there were a lot of people writing songs about that, at that time, and I wanted this one to be a little different and stand out a little bit, so it was really more concentrated on the activism, in general, and not so much Standing Rock, but just the whole idea of people coming together to promote clean water.”

“Dawn’s Early Light” is one of the poignant original songs featured on Morin’s latest album, Cradle to the Grave. In order to lend his perspective, Morin tapped into his experience growing up as a Crow tribal member near the Missouri River in Montana.

“When you think about roots music in America, it’s a culmination of so many things. It’s all the stuff blended together, much like the culture in this country is people from all over the world that end up here and create a unique situation,” Morin explains. “With my Native heritage, I could say that I’m really the only finger-style Crow guy on the entire planet. That’s unique. But we all can say that, to some degree. We all have unique things that make us who we are, and I’m really thankful to have grown up in the area that I did, surrounded by the people that I did.”

Morin came to the guitar by way of the piano, which he first began playing around the age of 10. When he picked up a guitar a couple years later, he was enamored. He played by ear, emulating the sounds he loved from his parents’ and brother’s record collection: Chet Atkins, James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Neil Young.

“I grew up in the ‘70s so, at that time, [there was] no Internet, there was very little TV, mostly radio. And the local music scene was really pretty folky and a lot of bluegrass, so I really grew up in the pursuit of flat-picking and [was influenced by] popular bluegrass bands at the time — David Bromberg, Norman Blake, Tony Rice,” says Morin. “I had really fantastic examples of what the music should be, but then I kind of mashed everything up into a combination of bluegrass and finger-style stuff, mostly from Leo Kottke, which turned into this thing that I do now.”

Morin moved to Colorado just out of high school and formed the Atoll, a world-beat band that he toured with for more than 20 years. “I played electric guitar [in the band], but I continued to mess around with the acoustic guitar,” he says. “Once I stopped doing [the band], my focus was really just acoustic guitar and a lot of practicing — just hours and hours of sitting around and playing. To this day, I try to play quite a lot. I’ve been introduced to open-D tuning by a friend of mine, and it took me about a year to get it going and figure out just the basics of it. But then, once I got it going, I just found it to be really fascinating, and I continue to learn new stuff all the time with that tuning. I just love the way it sounds. There’s a fullness and richness to it that I can’t seem to get out of standard tuning.”

Morin’s reconnection with the acoustic guitar led to the release of his most recent string of solo acoustic albums. Cradle to the Grave is the fourth in the series showcasing his adept fingerpicking style and warm, inviting vocals. An amalgamation of bluegrass, country, rock ’n’ roll, and blues, the album features eight original tunes and three cover songs: Willie Brown’s “Mississippi Blues” and, perhaps more surprisingly, Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and Phish’s “Back on the Train.”

“Phish is one of my favorite bands … I think that Trey’s playing has just really been inspiring and just the whole feel of the band and the approach they take. There’s so much freedom in what they do, and I used that as an example with my band, when I was rolling around playing clubs and festivals,” Morin explains. “A lot of times we’d play five songs without stopping. We’d just roll from tune to tune, and the whole point of that band was really dance music, just to provide an outlet for people to go out and have fun and dance.”

Morin uses the same ethos in his current performances touring behind his solo efforts.

“As a solo player, I can do whatever I want. I can play in whatever key. I can speed things up or slow it down, or just kind of make things up as I go along. And I really dig that freedom to just do whatever I want on stage,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll try stuff and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But when it does, it’s a great feeling, and then it’s gone forever.”

While solo spontaneity on stage leads to such ephemeral moments, Morin has a solidified team off-stage that serves as his backbone — and they’re not going anywhere. From recording to promotion, it’s an organic, family affair.

“What I like about these four records [is that] the recordings are all done live in the studio with no headphones. I’ll sit and play these songs, and just play and play and play them, and a friend of mine has recorded all these albums,” Morin explains. “We’ve gotten together, I think, a pretty successful team with Maple Street Music and [my wife] promoting the live shows and the recordings, and Rich [Werdes] recording them, and we have the same person that’s been mastering and mixing the CDs, too. It’s just like the perfect combination of people and I like to think that I promote one guy, one guitar. People still are interested in such a thing … I just really enjoy being able to stand on stage by myself being able to do what I do.”

Photo credit: Timothy Duffy

The Transatlantic Sessions Hop the Pond for MerleFest

Posted on by Editor

Named in honor of guitarist Eddy Merle Watson, the 30th anniversary of MerleFest is taking place on April 27-30 at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Flat-picking legend Doc Watson founded the annual four-day festival in memory of his son, highlighting music that embodied the “traditional plus” moniker he ascribed to the genres they played together. Every lineup since has included a range of styles from bluegrass, folk, and old-time to jazz, roots, and blues. Keeping in line with this multi-genre approach, a special collaborative production is making its U.S. debut on the MerleFest stage this year: The Transatlantic Sessions.

The Transatlantic Sessions began as a series of televised musical performances produced by the BBC that brought together accomplished UK and North American roots musicians to play music from Scotland, Ireland, England, and North America. Since its inception in 1995, a total of six sessions have been recorded in various locations in Scotland and subsequently released on CD and DVD. Under the direction of dobro extraordinaire Jerry Douglas and Scottish fiddler Aly Bain, the core group of musicians who comprise the Sessions’ “house band” took the Transatlantic Sessions on the road throughout Ireland and the UK, rotating special guests in and out along the way.

“We all have so much fun with each other that we’re all kind of like a family at this point, after doing this many shows,” says Jerry Douglas. “And I think we have about 250 songs filmed and recorded in the can, and it’s quite a legacy for me and for everybody involved.”

So when the organizers of MerleFest approached Douglas and asked if he had any ideas for a special set for the festival’s 30th anniversary, he immediately thought of the Transatlantic Sessions.

“I wanted to bring it over here because people would completely get it here, you know, because of all the Scottish people and the Irish people that have immigrated to this country and are such a big part of it and have a lot of that blood running through their veins,” Douglas says. “And a lot of old-time musicians, especially at MerleFest, that music there, that was created in Scotland. So it’s nice for the people who live in North Carolina. I mean, you have a Highlands in North Carolina that still has Scottish games. And so there’s a huge connection between this country and Scotland and Ireland.”

In addition to the house orchestra, the Transatlantic performance at MerleFest will also feature special guests James Taylor, Sarah Jarosz, Maura O’Connell, Declan O’Rourke, Karen Matheson, and Joe Newberry.

“It’s all about collaboration — this whole thing — so the American guests, I tell them, ‘Just think transatlantic.’ You want songs that these musicians can relate to or you can hear them playing some version of some song of yours,” Douglas explains. “It’s the transatlantic style. You rehearse for that and some of it you remember and some of it you wing, but it’s always in the same spirit and it always turns out just great — everybody’s smiling. It’s a smiley kind of music. And then the Celtic guys, Aly [Bain] and Phil [Cunningham], and the fiddles and the pipes and all of that, when all of that starts going, it’s like blood-boiling music; it’s like viking music. But we’ve all got a little bit of that in us somewhere and it just kind of brings it to the surface, and it’s just impossible not to smile and not to just have a really great time.”

Seminal Irish guitarist John Doyle has been part of the Transatlantic house orchestra since 2000.

“One of the most beautiful things about it is, you get people who are very, very high up in the musical world to come in and play … and you’ll see them kind of be tense because there are 14 people looking at them going, ‘Okay, what do you have for us?’ But by the end of the first day of rehearsals, it’s just great fun,” Doyle says. “We just have a great laugh and enjoy ourselves and it’s become something more than music. It’s a collaboration of ideas and a collaboration of souls, in a way, and that’s what we love about it and that’s why we keep coming back to it because there’s something undefined about it that we can all sit down together and play music from any culture because it really is true that music goes beyond boundaries. And that’s the beauty and the joy of it: We communicate through music.”

The Transatlantic Sessions will make its Stateside debut on the Watson Stage at MerleFest on Friday, April 28, with musicians from the band playing additional sets throughout the weekend. Tickets for MerleFest 2017 are on sale now and may be purchased at MerleFest.org or by calling 800.343.7857. An advance ticket discount runs through April 26, 2017. Gate pricing begins on the first day of the festival.

Photo credit: Louis DeCarlo

Undercover Angel: An Interview with Shawn Colvin

Posted on by Editor

Perhaps inspired by “Tiny Dancer,” Shawn Colvin originally wanted to be the seamstress for the band … not the leader of it. But she eventually got out front and sang a bunch of cover tunes until she found her own voice as a songwriter. Several decades later — and amidst six albums of originals — Colvin has never abandoned her love of the cover and has just released her second batch of interpretations, Uncovered. On it, she turns to some of her very favorite writers — Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Paul Simon, Neil Finn, and Stevie Wonder. As disparate as the originals may be, Colvin's tender touch turns them into a cohesive collection as she steps effortlessly into the songs, making them as much her own as any cover artist can.

I've waited a long time to discuss this with you: You were part of one of the best moments of my life. After one of your shows at McCabe's in 1991, Susanna Hoffs and I — along with a few other friends — went upstairs to say hi to you. And you were sitting there …

Was that when Joni [Mitchell] was there? Yeah, I remember that.

Yeah. It was Joni, and Larry Klein and David Baerwald. They split off to play guitars. But we just sat at Joni's feet as she told us stories and sang us songs. It was amazing.

I know. That was a great night. I have photos from that night.

Do you?

Yeah.

Oh wow. I remember we were sitting on the floor and you elbowed me, at one point, and mouthed something like, “Can you believe this?” But what you didn't realize was that you were part of the awe, as well, because we were all so in love with Steady On. It was like, “Holy crap, we're sitting here with Shawn and Joni?!”

Aw. No. I didn't know that. [Laughs] That was a pretty big deal for me, too.

Have you ever covered one of her songs … other than at that tribute concert so many years back?

Many times in my former life as being a bar singer, yeah. I did nothing but cover her songs. So I had to kind of get away from it a little bit because I was a good copy cat.

So is it kind of just too close to home for you now to put her on one of your records?

It would kind of be sacrilege. I don't know that I … I would do it. I just don't know that I could bring anything new to it.

Yeah. Even knowing that you started out in cover bands, the obvious question is … Why does one of the best songwriters of her generation — meaning you — make a covers record?

I made my living doing covers and I got pretty good at it. And I had some special ones. It's part of what I do. I like being a cover artist and trying to bring something different to stuff. I wouldn't do it if I was just doing wedding band duplicates. [Laughs] I enjoy it.

What's different about the creative rush or release you get from covering songs, from the rush of doing your own tunes?

Well, I don't cover a song unless I love it. There's some satisfaction there. And, like I said, if I can turn it around on its ear just a little bit — even if not seriously musically, then emotionally — that's creative about it for me. And the joy of singing the song is always a big deal.

I think you probably answered this with your glorious take on “Naïve Melody,” but is there any song you can't bum the hell out of?

[Laughs] No. I can bum the hell out of any song. On this record, I did “Baker Street” which I don't think people normally think of as a bummer song. But I managed to do it.

[Laughs] Oh, you totally did. Maybe you'll have to try Pharrell's “Happy” at some point, just to really prove that you can do it.

Yeah. You never know. [Laughs]

When you approach a cover song, is it more about letting the song into you or putting yourself into the song? Or is it dependent on the piece?

I'm not sure. I kind of learn the song as it originally is, at first. Well, there are some exceptions. Like “Naïve Melody,” I got the lyrics down and had to immediately change it. I didn't really learn it as it was, but most of the time I do. Then, it doesn't sound genuine because I'm just copying. So I try to find a mood or … I guess I try to find a way into it.

Is finding a connection with the storyteller or the character part of that, too?

Yes!

Or is just being a great song enough?

Yes. Definitely. I haven't really taken an inventory. But if there's not a main character or if it's not in first-person, then I guess I'm just capturing the mood. I did a … oh, no, that's first-person, too. I was going to say, I did a cover of Gnarls Barkley's “Crazy” and the reason I did it was because it was a very personal song, lyrically, I thought.

Yeah. I'd agree. Okay … We have to talk about Neil Finn for a minute.

Okay.

Why … how … what is it that makes him so great to you?

Well, that's like saying what makes … I don't know … what makes the Beatles great? He's just a special, special artist. Amazing songwriting. Just a great pop sensibility and also crosses over into folk and rock. A singer that's got that kind of … He's a New Zealander, but there are some similarities in the accents — it's certainly not American — of British, Australians, and New Zealanders, in my opinion. He's just sort of John Lennon-esque to me. The way the words are pronounced, even the way he sings. He's just a great pop singer and an amazing songwriter. And Crowded House was the perfect vehicle for it.

I was so glad to see you pull a tune from Together Alone because, as much as I love Woodface and the first record, I go back to Together Alone a whole lot.

That's what happened to me. After Woodface, I was almost reticent to buy Together Alone because I thought, “Well, it can't measure up.” [Laughs] And, then, I got so deeply into it that it became my favorite.

Mine, too. I wore myself out on Woodface, as I think a lot of people did. But there's something so satisfying about Together Alone.

Mm-hmm. It's a deep one. Yep.

Okay. Totally switching gears … There are two things I think you understand that a lot of artists don't: The first is the importance of a great producer. I still remember the first time I listened to A Few Small Repairs. I'd pulled into my carport coming home from Tower Records. “The Facts About Jimmy” came on and I just sat there, mesmerized, thinking, “This is everything I want. This is what music is supposed to sound like.”

Wow. Thank you.

Obviously, [John] Leventhal gets a lot of credit for that, down to his guitar riff. But do you feel like the art of the producer is something that's gotten lost in the GarageBand era?

Mmmm … You know what? I'm not as in touch as I should be. [Laughs] There's so much music out there and I'm not exposed to a lot of it. I'll admit it. Through my daughter, I hear stuff. I think there's some great songwriting out there. I don't know if the art of the producer is lost. I know a lot of people are prone to produce themselves. And I just don't have a desire to do that. I don't want to be that close to it. I like collaboration. John, specifically, is also a co-writer with me. So, oftentimes, that production is part of what I first heard when I would write the lyrics. Now, “The Facts About Jimmy” I wrote the lyrics independently of any music. Then I listened to some things that he had and I decided it would match up well with that piece.

Gotcha. The second, I think you have down pat, is the job security of being able to go out on the road and play thoroughly engaging solo shows.

Yeah. Thank you.

There are a lot of people who will go see you any time you come through their town. And I think that's another bit of lost art — engaging with the audience. Kind of Performance 101.

Yeah. It's what I cut my teeth on. I remember living in Carbondale, IL, and going to the arena — I don't even remember what the arena was called — and seeing Simon & Garfunkel with no band, James Taylor with no band …

In an arena …

In an arena. To me, at the heart of the writers that I loved who had production on their records, which was almost all of them — Joni, Jackson [Browne], James Taylor, Paul Simon … I always mention the same ones when there are so many. But at the heart of it was guitar and vocals. It took me a long time to realize, “Well, that's what I can do.” That's what I learned and that just seems to make sense, it seems to call to me. It seems to be what I'm good at.

Well, I've seen you do it everywhere from McCabe's to … what is that theatre in Northampton, right there on the main drag? The Calvin?

Right. Yeah, the Calvin.

Seems like you can hold a room, no matter how big or small.

Thank you. Yeah. [Laughs] I try.

Photo credit: Alexandra Valenti

LISTEN: Andrea Zonn, ‘Where the Water Meets the Sky’

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It's rare to find a player who can lay claim to being both a champion bluegrass fiddler and an accomplished classical violinist. Enter Andrea Zonn. Sharing stages with musical icons like James Taylor, Lyle Lovett, Trace Adkins, and Vince Gill has given Zonn myriad opportunities to showcase both sides of her abilities.

Occasionally, she also puts out a record of her own, as with the upcoming Rise. The album features those fellas and quite a few more, including Keb' Mo', Jerry Douglas, John Cowan, and Mac McAnally. While Zonn is surely the heart of Rise, bassist Willie Weeks and drummer Steve Gadd provide the backbone. Nowhere on the set is the love and camaraderie more evident than on “Where the Water Meets the Sky” which features Sam Bush.

"When I was preparing to record, Thomm Jutz and I set up a week’s worth of writing dates to see what we could come up with,” Zonn says. “Kim Richey came in on the first day, and we wrote this song. We spent the morning giggling and tossing ideas back and forth. Pretty soon, we were talking about loving someone in that unconditional way — the kind of love that can improve not only troubled times, but even makes the best days better, and the kind of love that transcends time and space.”

She continues, “When it came to the recording, it was great fun creating sort of an updated 'Shag' groove with Steve Gadd and Willie Weeks. Jim Oblon’s electric guitar parts are magical, and I simply had to have Sam Bush not only singing, but playing slide on his fantasticly unique National mandolin."

Rise drops on September 25 via Compass Records. And BGS Presents Andrea Zonn at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on December 4.

Photo credit: Anthony Scarlati