Americana Gazette August - September 2012

MERICANA GAZETT E A August / September 2012

FEATURE STORY JD SIMO Old Time Pickin' Parlor - Richie Owens Doc Watson Nell Robinson Warner Hodges, Joe Blanton & The Boys Deborah Whittington Hodges Sarah Lou Richards Mare Wakefield The Trishas Davis Raines Eric Erdman Etta Britt Webb Wilder Banjo - The Diva of Fox Hollow Maurice Tani The Dang-Its Yahara Guitars Stella Parton Larry's Country Diner Chris Head Beth Kille CD Reviews and much, much more!

AMERICANA GAZETTE Greetings: What can I say – It’s HOT! It’s summer in Wisconsin. For a “cool time” I just want to invite you to attend this Guitar Clinic being held in Madison, Wisconsin on August 25th, 2012.

Warner E. Hodges and Joe Blanton of The Bluefields out of Nashville will be the presenters. There will be some story telling and some performances by these two talented guitar pickers! Check them out! They will also be performing at Schwoegler’s Sugar River Lanes in Belleville, WI this evening – August 25th!

Till next issue, Joyce Ziehli Publisher

PUBLISHER Joyce Ziehli • jziehli@advisorymgt.com

Anne Sullivan

SENIOR EDITOR Andy Ziehli • aziehli@advisorymgt.com

Bobby Westfall

STAFF WRITERS/PHOTOS Celia Carr

Rosemary Ziehli

Travis Cooper

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ric Genthe • rgenthe@charter.net

Litt Dubay

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Welcome to

Americana Gazette TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHERE TO LOOK Pickin’ Parlor 4 5 Doc Watson 6 Nell Robinson 7 Litt DuBay 8 J.D. Simo 9 Deborah Whittington Hodges 11 Vanishing America 11 B-Side 12 Sarah Lou Richards 12 Mare Wakefield 13 The Trishas 14 Davis Raines 16 Up North 17 Etta Britt 18 Webb Wilder 19 Tony DiPofi CD Release 19 Bob’s Guitar Corner 20 Robert’s Ramblings 21 New Music 22 Pet Note - Banjo 23 Beth Kille 23 Chris Head 24 Maurice Tani 25 How Ya Doin?

26 The Dang-its 27 Yahara Guitars 27 Rick Recalls 28 My View of Americana Music 29 Larry’s Country Diner 30 Stella Parton 32 - 34 CD Reviews

101 6th Avenue • New Glarus, WI 53574 608-527-4300 Hours: Monday-Saturday 9:30-5:00 Sunday 10:30-5:00

The Americana Gazette is printed by: The Print Center • Brodhead, Wi. 53520 AMERICANA GAZETTE % Andy & Joyce Ziehli P.O. BOX 208 • Belleville, WI. 53508 OFFICE: 608-424-6300 Andy Cell: 608-558-8131 Joyce Cell: 608-558-8132 w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

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New Scenes From The Old Time Pickin’Parlor I caught up with Richie Owens recently, who I interviewed in the December/January issue to discuss his newest venture which is to bring back the Old Time Pickin Parlor.

It began in 1971, where fans and pickers of bluegrass and traditional music, amateur and professional alike would jam, tell stories and hang out in a downtown music store.

Any given day, you could find master pickers like dobro player Tut Taylor, multi-instrumentalists Norman Blake and Charlie Collins. Neil Young, Dylan, Clapton, Clarence White, Sam Bush, John Hartford, fiddler Vassar Clements Leon Russell and the list goes on, were just some of the artists who would pass through.

Through a couple tries to bring it back and different locations, Richie believes the timing was right to bring it to the Marathon building in downtown Nashville. "The revitalization of the downtown area and a renewed interest in Americana/Bluegrass to Blues music combined to jumpstart the new location." "It just sort of clicked," Owens says. “With Antique Archeology (American Pickers/History Channel) to Popcorn Sutton's Moonshine Distillery at Marathon Village, it was a perfect fit."

I spoke with Richie to get the scoop on the store and some details about his new record in the works.

Travis- Hey Richie, can you tell us a little about the special kind of instruments that you'll have in the new store?

Richie- Well, we want to cater more to the Americana type artist in Nashville, because most of the stores in town don't sell these.They're more like 'box' stores.There you'd get more of your standard acoustic guitars, electrics, electric bass etc. Not to say they won't have a mandolin, banjo or a resonator. But they can be limited to what they carry. Especially with the accessories that go with them. Such as different kinds of picks, strings, slides, special capos or pickups. Even down to the straps.We are going to try to have the largest selection of that stuff under one roof.

Travis- And since some of the builders of these instruments are smaller companies, I'm sure you'll have a better connection to get in and carry some of their product.

Richie- That's correct.And it’s not just a store, we're actually a musical and artist showroom. Besides being a performer, I’ve worked with a lot of these companies over the years and dealt with artist relations. Because of the relationships built over the years, these manufacturers want me to keep helping them and they know I'm connected with a lot of other artists. I've done product development for a lot of resonator guitars to mandolins. So I have a lot of people asking me what kind of things I use...what kind of pickups, amplifier, slides, strings. One of the things we are doing for the manufacturers is educating folks on their product. For pickups, we’ll be doing stuff for Fishman and Lace.

Travis-And what will the regular store hours be?

Richie- 10am-6pm Travis- Let's talk a little about the new record you have in the works.

Richie-Well,I moved my studio back to my home.After the Nashville flood, I was very lucky to move into the Vanderbilt area,and after we moved in we found out it was the home of George D.‘Judge’ Hay. He was the founder of The Grand Ole' Opry radio show. He was the man who hired all the talent. He renamed some of the bands for example,The Crazy Tennesseans became Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys. It was his baby. So it was really cool to move into a house like this, because I'm such a history buff for Nashville and its music history, that I really wanted to record this next record that I'm doing in this house. For whatever reason, most of the stuff I've been writing have been story songs, about Tennessee. And me growing up here. It’s really all coming together…the store, the house and the record.

Travis- Will this record be a little more acoustic than the last? Or more electric?

Richie-I think this one is going to be a little more rootsy. Just the way I’ve been writing. More songs with the resonator guitar. Not every song will be plug up and get growly with it. I’ve been playing more claw hammer banjo and mandolin. I’ve been writing a lot with Bob Ocker, who’s been playing with me for years. So more roosty with more thought of the history of Tennessee.

Travis- Will it still be the same line up as the last record?

Richie- I think we might have a few different players on this. But I’m not really sure about all that yet. Right now, Bob and I are still working on it.

Travis- Will the shop be doing installs and repairs as well?

Travis- Any date in mind for it’s release?

Richie- Absolutely. Some of my repair guys have been doing it for 30 years. I do it myself as well, but my time is pretty limited. But with my knowledge of it, I'm gonna make sure we have some of the best guys in town to do that kind of work.

Richie-We’re looking at this September.

Travis-And with the store being a music venue as well, how often will featured artists be coming to play here?

Richie- I think we’re on course for what we wanted.We’ve got a lot of great artists and people coming by and enjoying themselves. It’s a great hangout. It’s about keeping American roots music moving forward, and keeping a foot firmly planted in the past.

Richie- We're actually working on a pilot for a television show to be filmed here called The Old Time Pickin' Parlor. Geared towards Roots and Americana music.We're going to stay on the eclectic side of things.To feature some of the artists who might be slipping through the cracks. So yes, besides the TV show, we will have featured artists playing here often. Like how it was at the original Old Time Pickin' Parlor.

Travis- Thanks Richie. I hope this store and your next record will be a huge success.

(Check out richieowens.com for the latest info on his music and ventures.)

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Travis- Any other hopes or goals for the store?

Story by:Travis Cooper Photos are courtesy of Sue Buckles. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

In Memory of an American IconDoc Watson This year has been a very bad year for losing American legends. For music, stage and screen - Earl Scruggs, Dick Clark, Levon Helm, Doug Dillard, Donald Duck Dunn and Andy Griffith. Each taking their instruments, music and talents to new heights.And on May 29th we lost Doc Watson. His music and influence is woven deep in the fabric of traditional American music touching some of the biggest stars in many styles of music, to the lowliest struggling musician. With Doc, you knew that you were listening to someone who truly understood the hard times, struggles, poverty, blindness and loss.

Yet all that was juxtaposed with a deep joy of a person with a God-given gift for the music itself, sure. But perhaps even more for the person he was and the life he led, despite all the adversities.

He was born Arthel Lane Watson on March 3, 1923 in Deep Gap, North Carolina. It was an eye infection that made him lose his sight before the age of 1. He came from a musical family with hymns and church music being very influential early on, and that music would remain important his whole life. He would marry his wife, Rosa Lee, in 1947 and have two children Eddy Merle and Nancy Ellen. His son Merle, who was no doubt a fantastic multi-instrumentalist in his own right, would tour with his father from 1972 to 1985,when Merle lost his life in a tractor accident.Which is sadly and safe to say, Doc never fully recovered from. Each year, Merelfest, a roots music festival, is held in the hills of Wilkessboro, North Carolina as a tribute to him.

I was blessed to see Doc three different times in concert.Twice back in Madison,Wisconsin, which were great. But in 2004, I was living in Nashville for a time, testing the vibe of the city and trying to find my own musical place, if there was one. I wasn't able to find a job at the time that could support my musical ambitions. I was just about completely broke, and figured it was time to go back home to Wisconsin and regroup. But before I was about to leave, I had heard that Doc was going to be at the Ryman as part of the Bluegrass Nights series. I knew that even if it meant skipping meals or whatever it took, I knew I had to see my hero there, at the Mother Church.As the chance may never come again.And for me, as I would find out later, wouldn't present itself again. So I scraped together the little of what I had left and took my seat in the hard church pew.And for the length of that show, I sat spellbound with chills I thought may never go Doc Watson and Travis Cooper away.The show could've lasted all night for all I cared. It's just the feeling you get when you're seeing and hearing the real thing.

After the show, I met up with a street busker/musician friend of mine named Gabe Zander.There between the Ryman and the Broadway honky- tonks, Gabe had me play his guitar while we were, surprisingly, the only ones waiting for Doc to come out. Doc had tipped Gabe earlier in the day and wanted to see if Doc would sign the bill. I sat and picked every Doc tune I knew. Finally Doc, his grandson Richard and Jack Lawrence emerged, talked for a bit and took some pics with us.With meeting Doc, you w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

just knew you were in the presence of greatness. Simple, humble and strong.And I couldn't help but stand in awe.

Doc's music came at an important time in my life. I had gotten sick of the drama of trying hold a band together.Through artists like him, some of the old blues guys like Mississippi John Hurt, songsmiths like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt to newer artists like Chris Whitley at the time, all taught me that the songs you write and perform better be strong when it’s just you and a single instrument. Stripped down the most simple form, but ultimately making it musical.And Doc set a very high bar for me to try and reach as far as getting as much music and sound as possible from that instrument. But it goes way beyond that. It goes back to the person he was. He was someone you could truly look up to. For all his adversities, there was joy.A man who left behind a beautiful legacy.And that heavenly band just keep getting better all the time.

For further reading on Doc’s life, I would highly recommend the book ‘Blind But Now I See’The Biography of Music Legend Doc Watson by Kent Gustavson ,PhD. Story by: Travis Cooper Photo of Doc Watson by Shay Sparks Photo of Travis with Doc supplied by Travis.

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Nell Robinson – A Name You Need to Become Familiar With Hilary Perkins – aka Nell Robinson is an amazing singer/songwriter and below is a little bio on how she became Nell Robinson taken from her website nellrobinsonmusic.com.

NELL ROBINSON was my grandmother and when I decided to sing and perform, I wanted to honor her and feel a connection to my southern roots, so I sing under her name. I named my debut album, “Nell Robinson in Loango”, after a small town near my family's farm located “On the Brooklyn Road” (the name of my second album where I also featured field recordings of my uncles and mother telling stories from the 1930s down on the farm). My father had a long career in the Air Force,so we moved around a lot,and my southern kinfolk,the farm and other parts of Alabama felt more like home than anywhere else. My mother and my aunt and uncles attended school in Red Level and I have very fond memories of walking the creeks in the piney shade, buying bottled Coke and boiled peanuts at the country store in Loango. My paternal grandmother was Thelma Bates and I also have a dedication to her on “Loango”.When I think of these women (and my grandfathers too), the love and history I have been able to enjoy with my extended family -- I knew most of a slew of great-aunts and uncles -- I feel nostalgic for a time I wasn't even present for.

I caught up with Nell Robinson for a visit in between regional tours, and here’s what she had to share.

AM:What did your life look like before you created Nell Robinson Music in 2007?

NR: I was an activist and professional fundraiser, for causes near and dear to my heart. Then a combination of things happened, and some of the things I’d been terrified of doing all of a sudden seemed interesting. My husband and I were about to celebrate an anniversary, and I was wondering what gift to give him, so I took some singing lessons and sang a song (which was terrifying and intoxicating). He was completely surprised. It was Randy Travis' “Forever and Ever Amen”. I'm a mother, my beautiful daughter Cass is now twenty and away from home. When she became a teenager, I realized I was going to have a hole in my heart when she grew up and left home, and I needed something to fill that hole.

AM:What were these causes near and dear to your heart?

NR: Mostly educational issues, scholarships. I was a scholarship kid working three jobs and struggling, so it’s important to me to raise money to help other people get to go to college.Also Environmental programs,some political causes,ending US military aid to El Salvador,which involved a national coffee boycott. I’m really passionate about libraries and concerned about raising awareness for their importance in our communities. Since my brother-in-law volunteered to go to Iraq 4 years ago I have been very active raising funds and doing a special benefit show for veterans healthcare. The show is called Soldier Stories, we were just featured at the Kennedy Center.

AM: How did your style develop?

NR: I got a lot of encouragement from my vocal teacher (Cary Sheldon). I asked her

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“How will I know how I’m supposed to sound?”And she said,“when you sound like you." My vocal studies helped me sound like me. If I catch myself being singerey, I don’t like it. I love Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash. Also my style developed from doing what I love and believe in. For instance, I heard a song by the DeZurik sisters (a sister’s act from the 1930s) and it nearly blew my head off. I took a year to break down one song, syllable by syllable. Cary and I both became obsessed with the barnyard sounds and the sweet intricate yodeling and decided to revive the DeZuriks music. We call ourselves the Henriettas. We found out that the sisters were from Minnesota, so we sent Garrison Keillor our demo CD and he called me in my car while I was driving home from my studio. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. It was total serendipity, as he’d been a fan of the DeZurik sisters forever, but could never get them on his show. He’s very funny and also very serious. When I was on his show, he asked if I'd like to sing another song and I said,Well I wrote this funny little blues song called “Woe is Me”. He listened to it (it's about running from your troubles and then finally giving them over to the Lord). When he listened to it he looked at me with this stern look and said“That's not funny!” I think he really takes his religion seriously. Garrison sang the voice of God in the song.

All the Prairie Home folks are just as nice as they sound.

AM:Tell me about your favorite appearances.

NR: Oh, gosh, besides Prairie Home Companion, my duo partner Jim Nunally and I played the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival with our "AllStar Band" (John Reischman & the Jaybirds). The festival was founded

by Warren Hellman.When I think about that day I am really touched.

Warren came to music late in life like I did; his band was the Wronglers, but he really was a captain of industry. He was very kind to me. Last Fall he was very ill. He was dying in fact and my set at HSB was the last set on the last day of his last festival. It was sunset at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, thousands of people there, and he came onstage with us and sat in a rocking chair beaming at me. It was like I was on Warren’s front porch playing with friends for friends. He died later that Fall.What a sweet soul, I hope he's yucking it up and playing his banjo in the afterlife!

I also loved playing the Kennedy Center Millennium stage with my Soldiers Story show, we faced a huge bust of John Kennedy. It was me, Jim Nunally, Keith Little, Joe Craven and Marshall Wilborn. As we drove in I was moved by the monuments and statues of people who have made this country great. continued on page 25

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Litt DuBay’s

Rant!

by Litt DuBay

Blues music that does not make me cry or miss the South, Country music that does not make me wanna go home, New Country music and all the singer s that are named Brett,Todd,Alex, Justin, Amanda, Courtney, Carrie, or any other Soap Opera Name from the late 80’s and early 90’s instead of Johnny, Merle, Lefty, Kitty, Loretta, Connie, Stonewall,Webb, or authentic Country names who think by name dropping a Country Music Icon’s name in a song and wearing a Cowboy Hat or fringe vest, that they are real Country themselves, television shows about reality that are fake, people who think that they are my friends because I clicked a button and Face book and said they were, guys trying to pick up the Mrs. on Face book, not enough rain, those embarrassing age spots, tooth whitener, boxer briefs that turn into speedos, underwear whiter than my teeth, depends that don’t come in my size and I have to tape three together to make one, News Anchors who don’t respond to threats, cops who hate donuts, one legged pirate impersonators, parrot mimes, community theater that won’t put on Behind the Green Door for a summer production, Magic Mike and his all too perfect dancing machine body that is airbrushed to perfection and mine isn’t, and lastly I hate whiners like me!

Litt Dubay

Litt Dubay here, Holy mother of God is it hot out! It’s so hot I saw Ziehli from a side view and I could actually see around him, he had sweat off so much weight! Small woodland creatures were following him around for the shade! Representatives from third World Countries were collecting water from his sweat to irrigate crops!

You know that “Most interesting man in the world” on those TV commercials. The one Bigfoot took a picture of him, that guy. I hate him! He’s really a fake you know. He’s not the most interesting guy in the world, Ziehli is! No really think about it. He’s the biggest guitar player in Green County, probably Wisconsin.

Some folks think he’s funny (some folks), he’s as suave as you get up here in the Nort Country, he’s held lots of interesting jobs like Turkey inseminator, industrial waste handler, school bus driver, drunk, bartender, test pilot, tunnel rat, gun runner, cheese guarder,guitar roadie,author,advisor to three presidents,a Mensa member in good standing, and a chef. He comes from royal blood, married an heiress, sits on the board of 25 charities and 15 major corporations, and is a clown impersonator.

Ziehli got in trouble again with the Facebook cops for friending too many people at one time. It seems that if you friend 10 or more people at once it is against the Facebook laws. Bad Ziehli!

Well enough about him and more about me. Not much has pissed me off lately. The meds are finally working or I’m just getting mellower in my old age. Tony DiPofi has just released his new CD with some moll’s legs on the front cover and a sinister looking gangster that resembles Tony’s kid Rocco. I sure hope that it was not funded by the M.O.B. (Make or Break) records, or we all might receive an offer we can’t refuse, buy it. In Reality it is a fine record and congrats to Tony for releasing it!

I found a new love or should I say four new loves - the Trishas!

This four piece all ladies group is out of this world! They all sing, play, and write their own songs. More talent than you can even imagine. These girls rock and I can’t wait to see them live.

Trishas if you are reading this I like you way more than Ziehli does, and I’m not married! Look me up, I’m in the book!

Joyce Ziehli went a whole month without maiming herself or falling in a hole! Way to go Joyce!

Things I hate this summer: Summer, that most interesting guy, Squash, fake boobs, people who can’t read messages I send them and follow them to the T, Justin Cruise and Tom Beeber, Golf on TV,Golf Live,Golf in general,same for Tennis and Soccer,dead smelly animals in the middle of the road that I did not see and ran over, continual ads in my email for penis enhancement products, my wife flagging those ads and forwarding them to me with a note saying “thought this might interest you”, Miller’s attitude towards me, Rap music that does not get me up and grooving, w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

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J.D. Simo

Nashville and beyond Super Picker!

They only come around once in while like Haley’s Comet. Those six string guitar slingers that are beyond description. The ones that make you want to throw your guitar away and give up. The kind of pickers that other top players either sing their praise or talk in low whispers about because they are worried about their own careers because of the “new kid” in town. Warner E. Hodges calls J.D. a player! The fans of the Don Kelly Band at Roberts on Broadway call him unbelievable, and I call him a one of a kind picker! Whatever you call J.D. Simo you must also call him a gentleman. For all the talent, honors, and acclimates that have been bestowed on him, J.D. Simo remains a good guy without an ego. A true God of the electric guitar!

J.D. Simo was born in Chicago and lived there until he was about 11 years old when his family moved to Phoenix. There J.D. played in garage bands and later in local bars where his parents had to take him to be able to play. At 15 he went on the road and has never looked back. Five years ago he was thinking about moving to Austin after seven years grinding it out with one night stands across America. A friend of his said he should give Nashville a try first; there were more opportunities for a guitar player like J.D. in Nashville.

Struggling and starving the first year in town, J.D. made up his mind to leave when an offer came in a few days before he was ready to leave and the rest is history. Besides being the lead guitar player in Don Kelly’s house band, J.D. keeps busy playing sessions and fronting his own band, Simo. A gentleman in the truest way. I talked to J.D. about his life and music.

AG: How are you today?

JD: I’m doing very well, thank you. Thank you too for having me be a part of the Americana Gazette.

AG:Why did you choose to play the guitar?

JD: Well, that’s a good question. I got my first guitar when I was four. It’s hard to remember back then why I wanted one. I was obsessed with Elvis. That just flipped my switch. I guess the guitar was part of the whole Elvis thing. I remember wanting to play the drums and the bass. I remember hearing the Beatles and wanting to play music. I guess it was a combination of things. The guitar was the most successful thing and coolest thing. It for sure was the most accessible thing to get.

Nobody in my family is a musician. They are all athletes on both sides, so it wasn’t like there were guitars laying around for me to pick up and play. I sought it out and asked my folks for it. It was just the result of being knocked out by Elvis and the rest of the music that was around me that I heard.

AG: You were born in Chicago?

continued on page 31

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DEBORAH WHITTINGTON HODGES I have been very blessed in my life to have so many friends locally and all over the world, and Deb Hodges from Nashville,TN is one of my dearest, closest friends.

Deb is one of the nicest, busiest women I know and an extreme multi-tasker, wearing the hats of wife to Warner E. Hodges, mother of three beautiful children, doting grandma of a precious granddaughter, loving helpful daughter-in-law to Ms.Blanche Hodges,sister,aunt,friend to many of us, band manager of Jason and The Scorchers, tour management, website manager, social networker, contract negotiator, transportation lady/air flight planner, beverage supplier,merchandise guru for the band(s), bring me a towel gal and anything else that falls under this job description and helping hand for Dan Baird and Homemade Sin. I’m getting tired out just typing all these job functions. If you need anything, Deb will get it for you or get it done for you. And it will be done efficiently and in a timely manner. That’s my friend and my mentor, Deb Hodges.

I met Deb a few years ago when Dan Baird and Homemade Sin came to play in Madison,WI one summer. We seemed to hit it off very well and have kept a very close friendship ever since. With some persuasion and a promise of more delicious chocolates from Chocolate Temptations out of Monroe, Deb agreed to give me an interview.

Joyce: Deb, how did this career choice come about?

Deb: Well, when I first met Warner I didn’t even know he played the guitar. (we both laugh as we all know Warner Hodges is the “guitar playing God”) I somehow started doing the merchandise for Jason and the Scorchers. They had always had merchandising companies before.

I’d work budgets that paid for the merchandise and my expenses and any profit left over was for the band, we’d end up doing surprisingly good with it. I did this for a couple of

Deb Hodges, Sweet Mamma J & Stacie Collins

years. Jeff Johnson’s wife (Jeff was in the band) was doing the management at this time, all the booking and taking care of this, that and the other. When Jeff left the band, this all kind of fell in my lap and I have been doing this management for Jason and the Scorchers ever since.

That was in about 1995/1996. They haven’t been on the road the whole time. Jason does his solo thing, Farmer Jason, and Warner is out with Dan Baird and Homemade Sin and now the Bluefields are gearing up, the other members have their own other projects. But it is a full time job! I believe in them, that’s why I do it.

I also get to see some fantastic shows.

Joyce: This is a hard business these days.

Deb: Yea, it’s not like any other business. You have to really love it.

The people that I care about really love it so I do my best. They enjoy playing so I try to be there for them.

Joyce: How has this business changed from 17 years ago when you first started?

Deb with her Granddaughter, Winter

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Deb: The economy is rough, club owners are having a hard time making it. People are just not going out like they used to, and getting the promo out to them so they know you’re playing is totally challenging, money is-

sues, blah, blah, blah. The bar business has changed radically. We used to depend on a guarantee, now we have to depend on the guarantee and merchandise. It is really a lot of guesswork and what ifs? We have been fortunate to have some great fans, venue folks and wonderful friends. I’ve been honored to have made some extraordinary personal friends from being out there.

Joyce: Deb. Let’s talk about ordering/selling merchandise for the bands? How do you know what will sell?

Deb: We do the designs in various different ways. Sometimes we work with artists, if there are record labels involved, they may provide design ideas. Jeff and I were brainstorming ideas for a shirt once,he made a comment that“we’re just a bunch of hillbillies”, I responded with “hillbillies from hell” we decided that’s what went on the back of the t-shirt “the original hillbillies from hell”, (we laugh) folks seemed to like it,that sold a lot of shirts.

You just never really know what’s going to work, the best stuff seems to just come out of the air. We basically stick to t-shirts these days (cds of course), if we were on the road all the time we’d probably add other things.

Carrying all this stuff around is difficult, impossible if you’re flying and you can’t make a profit if you have a lot of dough tied up in inventory. I wish cash wasn’t a problem, wouldn’t that be great.

Joyce: Deb, I have watched you at work, endless hours trying to set up tours,make hotel reservations,air flights, coordinate everyone’s schedules, etc. The hours spent on this are countless.

Deb: I couldn’t even begin to tell you how much time is spent on setting up these tours. Sometimes it is a regular nightmare. All these guys have other bands and juggling their schedules is difficult. We do have agents in Europe to help get things started. There are different territories everyone wanting Friday or Saturday of course, and a lot of back and forth emails to get things going. I have hundreds of emails before I even get started bookcontinued on page 10

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hodges... continued from page 9

Joyce: In the perfect world, what would make your job easier? Besides being able to clone yourself so there are a couple more of you?

Deb: (laughing) Yes, 3 (maybe 4) of me would be helpful. It is a challenge. Knowing how to get folks out would be good, these days trying to figure out where fans are getting their concert information is mind boggling. Not a lot read paper anymore, mostly Internet, but where on the Internet?? I often hear“when are you coming to …?”when we had just been there weeks before and I know it had press. A magic fix on the economy would be nice.

Joyce: Deb, thank you for talking with me and I hope that this will give others a better understanding of all the work that goes on long before the bands ever set foot on stage to perform. Deb you are a wonder woman and we thank you for all you do so that their fans (including myself) may enjoy wonderful concerts! You are the reason and responsible for all this and I personally thank you!

Deb: Thanks Joyce and the Americana Gazette for being so supportive of not just us but all music. Life is good, support music. Go out and see a show, it can be a lot of fun.

It is possible to feel 20 again, even if it’s only for a couple of hours. There are a lot of great performers and music out there – get out and enjoy it.

Please check out Jason and the Scorchers and Dan Baird and Homemade Sin, and The Bluefields at the following links; http://jasonandthescorchers.com/home.cfm http://www.facebook.com/JasonandtheScorchers http://danbairdandhomemadesin.com/ http://www.facebook.com/danbairdandhomemadesin http://thebluefields.com/home.cfm http://www.facebook.com/TheBluefields Story by: Joyce Ziehli Photos supplied by: Deb Hodges Photo of Sweet Mamma J, Stacie Collins and Deb courtesy of Bryan Williams.

Deb and Warner

ing travel. It’s insane. Airlines are not always dependable, with them I keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best and it usually works out. The baggage thing has become a nightmare, an extremely experienced travelling musician just let me know the other day he was in the first week of an European tour and had already been hit with over $1000 in extra baggage charges, and he travels light and uses a lot of trains, one of the nightmares I have, you’re just at the mercy of the airlines, ever changing fine print.

Wow, I talk about money a lot, no matter how much they enjoy performing someone has to watch the money, I guess that’s my main focus. I used to really enjoy the challenge, gotten a bit older, it was actually a rush making it all work, and work smoothly, knowing what they need and making sure they have it. . . it’s still a wonderful thing when it all comes together and I’m fortunate to work with some great guys and real pros, including some great record company folks, agents and promoters.

Joyce: To all of us sitting on the other side of the stage, the shows seem to come off flawless, without a glitch and I know you are 99% behind this. I don’t think fans realize how much time, expense, and stress is involved with doing this job. I admire you for the wonderful job you do and I know your band guys appreciate all you do. I have heard them, Dan,Warner, Keith, Mauro, Jason,Al and Pontus all comment on this. You are really appreciated!!!!

Deb: Thank you Joyce. Maybe giving me more credit than deserved.The bands I work with are incredible and pull off some crazy stuff. There is a lot of anxiety that goes along with this job, my end is to take care of as much of the details and crap so they can have fun without the worries. Sometimes we are coming off an 8 hour drive with only 3 hours of sleep. Then these guys have to get up there and do amazing shows, and they do because that’s what it’s all about. I want the night to go off with no worries and be able to enjoy it just like everyone else.

Joyce: Well,you do a fine job at it. Any problems with club owners wanting to not hold up to their side of the bargain?

Deb: I haven’t had any at this point. You just have to be careful what you do.

Joyce: Any words of advice to someone wanting to choose this path for their career?

Deb: Don’t think I chose this, I kinda fell into it. You must make lists (Deb and I laugh as I am always making lists because of my OCD – inside joke), I end up with so many scratch notes I need lists to keep up with lists, it’s a never ending job – so best advice, believe in it and love it or do something else.

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w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

AMERICANA THAT IS

VANISHING One of my most recent book sales purchases was a book called Going, Going, Gone

by Susan Jonas & Marilyn Nissenson. It was a book discard from a library and the publication date is 1994.The subjects are things that used to be important in our American lifestyle but are no more. I was quite taken with the fact that so many of them are things that I could relate to at some time in my life.

The game of marbles used to be a big thing. Kids all over America knew how to play marbles.There were even National Marbles Tournaments.The game called Ringer was the most game played. A circle was scratched in the dirt, marbles were placed in the center, and kids took turns trying to knock the marbles out of the center. Their favorite marble was called a Shooter and was used when they knuckled down to knock the other players marbles out of the ring. They sometimes spit on their shooter for luck and if they were lucky they would go home with a bag of captured marbles. Marbles is one of the oldest games in time dating back to 3000BC. Abe Lincoln played with marbles made by his father. They were shaped in clay and baked in a bullet mold. Marble playing began to decline in the 1950’s. Organized games like Little League and summer recreation programs began.TV started making its mark on the world around this time.

One thing that I really miss are gas station attendants. I have never pumped my own gas. I’ve been fortunate that some member of the family will take my car to the station and do it for me. It used to be so easy to drive up and have someone pump your gas, clean your windshield and then take the money for the gas and service provided and you never had to get out of the car to do this. One of these days I know I will have to have a lesson in pumping my own gas. I guess I will just have to remember what side of the car the gas tank is on.

Paper Boys are another part of America that has vanished. No longer do young boys earn extra money by delivering the daily paper.The boy was usually someone in your neighborhood in his early teens. I remember that our paper boy’s name was Benny Valenza, and every Friday night after school he would come to our house and my mother always had to pay for the week’s delivery of the paper. One quarter was what he always collected.Today it costs us $71.00 for 13 weeks of the paper. Our older boy had a paper route. It became a family affair. It was the morning paper.When it rained grandpa had to help him with the route.People were not always ready to pay up either at the end of the week. One time he and his friend, who also delivered the paper, came upon a robbery in progress.The police questioned them about what they had seen and who they had seen. It was quite an exciting time for them for awhile. He never made much money and getting up at 4:30 in the morning got to be old stuff and so he gave it up. I was thankful for that. Some famous members in the International Newspaper Carrier Hall of Fame are:Warren Buffet, Dwight Eisenhower,Walt Disney, John Glenn,Wayne Gretzky, and John Wayne. Just look what they did with their lives.

Carbon paper, typewriters, and rotary phones are all things of the past.They have been replaced by copiers, computers and cell phones. Phones have certainly come a long way. Every day it seems there is another new feature on cell phones.When Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, spoke the words “Watson come in here I need you.” to his assistant in the next room, nothing would ever be the same again. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

One of these days,I will have to get a cell phone.I have never felt the need for one and the land line is just fine for me.

One thing you rarely see anymore is a woman wearing a REAL fur coat. Historians say that fur was man’s first status symbol.Only a Neanderthal village chief was allowed to wear cave bear fur. A 1920’s newspaper advertisement states that genuine baby sealskin will appeal to every woman. Between World War l and World War II young “career” girls bought inexpensive jackets of rabbit, muskrat, and moleskin. After World War II the mink coat became the international status symbol. In about 1987 animal right activists and the recession started the trend to shy away from real fur. In 1991 fashion models refused to walk down the runways in fur.

Protesters dressed only in flesh colored underwear, carried signs saying“We’d rather go naked than wear real fur.”The fur industry never fully recovered even though they fought back.

The industry blamed the recession and mild weather but anti fur organizations claimed it was because of their constant pressure that the industry did not survive. Now that I think of it in the back of my coat closet I have a rabbit fur jacket. I wonder what kind of reaction I would get today if I decided to wear it?

Among other things mentioned in this book that have gone by the wayside so to speak are, white gloves, the navy blue suit that everyone had to have for a job interview, the milk man, penmanship, (who really knows how to write anymore) hotel keys, the draft, and wedding night virgins. These are all things that in their time were important to our lifestyles in America.These are a part of Americana.

In my 76 years of living it is still a comfort to know that we still have Oreo cookies with ice cold milk, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white squishy bread. That’s my idea of Americana!

Written by: Rosemary Ziehli

B-Side Gooood morning/noon/afternoon/evening/I have lost track of time because I am a time traveler! I’m unusually excited for it to be summer.There are going to be llamas at my house,which is extraordinarily exciting! I’m strangely looking forward to weeding, which gives me serious cause to question my sanity, but I suppose these are the things high school does to you.

I find it quite interesting the way songs carry memories with them. It’s the sort of thing that catches you totally unaware, and (generally) makes you incredibly nostalgic. For me, whenever I hear Crocodile Rock it reminds me of watching The Muppet Show as a small child (the episode had Elton John in it.And some singing crocodiles.

It made me happy). Don’t Stop Believin’ makes me think of middle school, in which that song was very popular.I hate Journey – I especially hate that song,but it somehow makes me grin whenever I hear it.Anything that I identify as Lady Gaga reminds me of band camp (that sweet, sweet torture). Homeward Bound makes me extremely nostalgic, to that point where you’re terribly sad,but it’s also terribly nice to remember the thing that’s making you so sad.There’s also this whole slew of songs that I like to write to, so when I hear them, I get the urge to dust off the NaNo. Totally unrelated, but POTTERMORE! Finally.Well, a teensy bit related, because there’s background noise (!). Done with the nerd burst.

I really, really, really wish I could play the bagpipes. I sometimes daydream about finding a set lying on the side of the road or something like that and then persuading my band teacher to let me play them in the band. Oooh how I wish.A lot of people would really hate me, but I think it would be SO fun.

Adieu.

Written by: Celia Carr

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SARAH LOU RICHARDS. . .

SOME NEW MUSIC TO CHECK OUT

Imagine high summer in the late eighties. Sarah Lou Richards' young brother crawls into the front seat of his Great Aunt's lime-green Lincoln Continental and asks:“Is this Oz?” Sarah Lou's memory of her brother exploring inspired the title for her first collection of work. Emerald City is named for being brave, dreaming big and chasing something.

For Sarah Lou, that something is being able to share her music with people who are touched by it. Her latest CD, Ruby Red Shoes marks the next mile down that road, carrying inspiration with her far from home.

Ruby Red Shoes is an urban folk album;it incorporates the songs from Emerald City and adds five more.The new songs, particularly A Friend In Need and Darling Marissa- have a raw acoustic quality that is particularly moving; Sarah Lou's powerful voice does justice to the songs' thoughtful lyrics.

Sarah Lou was born in Hudson,Wisconsin but moved to Connecticut with her family when she was nine years old. She won a scholarship to study Music Education at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire. While Sarah Lou loved introducing kids to music, the rigors of the job left little time for her art.After a while she decided to leave the security of her teaching job and chase her dream. She moved to Nashville,TN. The way to Ruby Red Shoes was not easy. Sarah Lou worked several jobs, including being a nanny and in a restaurant, in order to make ends meet between gigs. Remarkably, it was through her restaurant job that she met her producer Henry Paul.

Their meeting couldn't have happened at a better time.

There are a lot of very talented people in Nashville- so many that any reasonable musician will eventually ask themselves:“Why would I make it with all this competition?”

Sarah Lou is no exception and she made a pact with herself- if in one years' time she didn't achieve some success, then she would consider going back to school. She made that decision in Fall 2009 and the following spring, a matter of weeks before she would need to apply to a Master's degree programs, she met her producer Henry.

Henry's wife was the general manager of the restaurant where Sarah Lou works. He heard Emerald Shoes at a party and was interested in producing Sarah Lou's first fulllength CD, so he came by the restaurant the next week and they've been working together since.Their collaboration had a big impact on Sarah Lou's creative style. She and her step-brother Ryan Van Arkel felt out the songs on Emerald Shoes as they went.

Working with Henry is a different thing entirely. Henry is a seasoned musician with an engineering background and a more methodical creating style.

Living and working in Nashville provides some amazing opportunities to get to know other musicians.The guitar player for Ruby Red Shoes, Billy Crain, worked with Charlie Daniels Band and the Allman Brothers. But it's not just meeting other musicians that make creating worthwhile for Sarah Lou- it's also about meeting the regular people who are touched by her music.At a recent concert in Washington D.C. one fan knew every word to her songs.As scary as it was to take the plunge into a music career, the appreciation of her fans is reassurance that she made the right choice.

Sarah Lou released a new single on May 18th Wishing Well ; the music video is available on YouTube along with the previously released Case of the 22 Year Old Boy. Check out Sarah Lou Richards at www.sarahlourichards.com Written by:Andrea Nolen Photos supplied by: Sarah Lou Richards

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MARE WAKEFIELD. . .

MEANT TO BE

Mare Wakefield's new album Meant To Be has lyrics as beautiful as its melodies.The daughter of an English teacher, Mare pays attention to the poetry of her work. Melody is important but words give a song meaning. Her clear, steady voice that stands out against the instrumentation and sparkles in Dear J. and Celestial Blue.While the musical style of the album is definitely folk pop, there are a variety of influences including blues (Wicked) and country (Always Valentine).

Every facet of Mare's life contributes to her artistry. She was already regionally famous when she received a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Mare brought emotion and musical intuition,but Berklee helped her develop songcraft.

She met her husband Nomad Ovunc on the first day of classes and they have been working together since.Typically, Mare will bring a piece to Nomad once it is 90% done, then Nomad's expertise with song arranging, melody suggestions and rhythm will give her raw emotion a polished finish. His instrumental know-how can be heard in the horn and string facets of Wicked.The couple creates together, whether it's on the road or at home in Nashville,TN. Nashville's artistic community helped inspire Meant To Be. It's easy and inexpensive to collaborate with artists there; the city has a wide variety of musical influences to draw on. Mare is a regular at the Nashville Song Salon, which is a group of touring indie singer/songwriters including Amy Speace and Melissa Greener.The group meets Monday nights to be an informal audience for new work and to provide each other with feedback.The Salon was a great sounding board for Meant To Be's lyric element.

Meant To Be is an album with a lot of emotional impact, climaxing with the final track Dear J.The song is deeply personal. It is a letter written to an early love, J.J., who Mare met when she was a teenager and had run away to Mexico.The relationship continued when she returned home and he went back to the Netherlands.The pair wanted to meet in Europe, but plans never gelled and the two drifted apart. Recently, Mare heard that J.J. had lost a leg in an accident. She wrote him a letter but had no way of sending it to him, she kept rewriting it, and after a few weeks the letter turned into a song.

Eventually they did reconnect: J.J. is currently biking from Wales to Scotland to raise money for amputees who have returned from war.

Songwriting is a lifestyle for Mare, but her initial spark of inspiration often comes at times when she isn't distracted by day-to-day life. Sometimes, she dreams of melodies or they come to her during mediation. Showers can work well too: Mare struggled with the lyrics for a song that she is co-writing with her friend Kelly Fitzgerald. She wanted to include “Kona Coffee” as part of the imagery, but things just weren't falling into place. Finally Kelly panned the idea: it would sound too much like a coffee commercial. Deflated, Mare took a step back, went to the gym, then in the shower: Whoosh! A better chorus idea came. It is important to pay attention to those times of semi-consciousness because they are a wellspring for new ideas.The coffee song is in the works, but not yet recorded.

Mare and Nomad are on the cusp of a coast-to-coast tour beginning Labor Day Weekend in Plymouth,Vermont at the Plymouth Folk and Blues Festival. To get a full concert schedule, sample tunes, or buy their work, visit www.marewakefield.com. http://www.marewakefield.com http://www.facebook.com/marewakefieldmusic http://www.twitter.com/marewakefield http://www.reverbnation.com/marewakefield Written by:Andrea Nolen Picture by: Mark Mosrie w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

The Trishas they’re that good!

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Savannah Welch of the Trishas about the band and their new CD that is being released on August 7, 2012 High,Wide, and Handsome. It was a lovely conversation with a lovely young lady about today’s music and just how four super talented women make some of the best music you will ever hear!

It’s not very often in today’s musical offerings that when I hear the first few notes of a new band that I am completely blown away and stop what I am doing to see who the act is, but that happened with the Trishas. I was surfing You Tube and watching videos of bands and caught the mini-movie of Kevin Welch’s Patch of Blue Sky. There was a segment that Welch talked about bringing in his daughter’s band to help out on the song.

I could not believe my ears with the harmonies these ladies produced! I checked out more videos on the Trishas and was completely floored! Then I read that they had an EP that was coming out and I eagerly awaited the download date and I was instantly hooked on these four lovely ladies and the music that they were playing. The Trishas are not a “fluff” chick band. On the contrary, they are a songwriting machine! Their songs are on par with great writers like Welch, Hubbard, Ely, L.Williams, Carpenter, and Ketchum. Smart intelligent lyrics, fantastic melodies, and hooks from hell; these ladies got game! Besides the fact they can write like champions they can sing and play just as well. Their vocals are the best in the business today as a collective or individually.

No pitch correction here, just honest to goodness talent.

The Trishas started out as a collective “group” for one short song set at a tribute to Kevin Welch. Welch was being honored as a top songwriter by his peers at a festival in Colorado. Savannah Welch was asked to sing one of her dad’s songs at this event and according to her “refused, resisted, avoided the suggestion to sing at least a few times” because she "knew the tribute was going to be pretty damn emotional" and she was just too intimidated to do it by herself (she had sang in public only once before). Liz Foster was working for a music agency and was asked to put something together for the event and she asked Savannah and Kelley Mickwee to join her. They then asked Jamie Wilson to come on board and the four of them got together to practice three songs for the event. After performing two songs, offers instantly came in for the“new” act to play shows. Savannah told me that “we sorta turned them down. We weren't a group. We all had our own things going on already and none of us wanted to be in an all-girl band. The trouble was that it wouldn't go away. So we went ahead & scrambled a set of songs together and did those first couple of shows just for the hell of it. It didn't really go well. Actually we sucked, but there was enough encouragement from our w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

friends and some industry so we decided to work on it, & play as a side project essentially, until it wasn't fun anymore.” Worked it did and The Trishas were off and running, playing shows around Austin andTexas in general. They kept writing and working up new material. They quickly recorded an EP or mini-CD of five songs “They call us The Trishas” to sell at shows and as downloads to their fans. Jamie was expecting at the time and six weeks after the birth of her daughter Joanie,The Trishas hit the road with baby to play festivals and shows across the Southwest and Southeast.

Flash forward 2 ½ years... A new CD recorded, hundreds of shows under their belts, a new baby to join them (Savannah’s) and The Trishas are hitting the road again to promote the new CD and bring in new fans to their Texas style of Americana music. I had the opportunity to talk to Savannah Welch about The Trishas and being on the road with babies. It was a lovely conversation with an intelligent, talented young woman.

AG: Savannah how are you and are you ready for a truly professional interview?

Welch: (laughs) I’m fine and I am, yes! Just put the baby down for a nap & got myself a cup of tea.

AG: Really this is going to be a very easy interview.

Welch: Cool. I’m parked in front of our itinerary in case you ask me where I'm gonna be & when. (more laughs) AG: Are any of the ladies in The Trishas from Texas?

Welch: Yea. Jamie and Liz are both from Texas. Kelley and I are from Tennessee.

AG: Cary Baker sent me your new album a week ago and I have not taken it out of my CD player in my truck since I got it. It is one of the top five CD’s I have ever heard!

It’s that good! Joyce and I cannot believe the quality of the songs and vocals on High, Wide, & Handsome. You ladies hit a grand slam home run here!

Welch: Wow.Thank you so much. It's cool to hear you say that...this is actually the first objective feedback I've heard.You know, that's not family or close friends. Really nice of you.

AG: You got together to sing at a tribute for your dad. Had any of you ever sang together before?

Welch: No, not really. Jamie and Kelley maybe had once or twice.They knew each continued on page 35

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Davis Raines: One of Nashville’s Finest The last time I saw Davis Raines perform, back in early May, he didn’t open with material from his new CD, “Santa Maria Hotel.” It’s an album of original country songs with the old-fashioned flavor of Johnny Cash,Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Sr. Raines knew there would be time enough for all that – for pursuing the commercial possibilities of the most radio-friendly record he has made.But his audience for this particular event was a convention of college professors in Nashville,so he picked from his most topical songs – the kind that have caused some of his peers to regard him as the finest songwriter in Nashville.

He opened his set with “Going to Montgomery,” the title cut from his third CD, confronting a time-honored theme in the South: the ambivalence that many of us feel toward a place we love.

Rock me in the cradle where the moss hangs off the trees Where it’s hard and hot and hateful Where it’s soft and cool and sweet In 2004, one of his frequent songwriting partners, Pamela Jackson, who, like Raines, is a native Alabamian,came to him with the first two verses.Two lines into it,Raines knew he was hooked:“I’m going to Montgomery to march with Martin Luther King. I’m gonna shake these demons from me where I hear Hank Senior sing.” He pondered the lines and then suggested:“What if we make it‘walk’instead of‘march?’”It would set the song in a less specific time, and so they began to go through it that way, word-by-word, line-by-line, changing some things, leaving others, and adding enough to fill out the song. Raines says this is how they work, like craftsmen building a chair or guitar. But their raw materials are real life and, sometimes, the raw underside of human emotion.

Raines has seen his share of that. He was born in Lee County,Alabama, where his father died when he was seven and his mother moved the family to a part of the state where the pulpwood forests give way to cotton. His stepfather, he says, was a “big rough son of a bitch,” a prison guard who didn’t waste a lot of time on sentiment. Somehow, it seemed a natural thing for Davis to follow his stepfather’s path, and after four years at Auburn University-Montgomery, where he earned a degree in criminal justice, he, too, went to work in Alabama’s prisons.

Soon he was running a death row unit and life didn’t get any harder than that.He came to know the inmates well, knew the heinous things they had done, but understood also that they were human beings.“I don’t know that I was ever for capital punishment,” he says.“I don’t know what gives us the right to say who lives and who dies.

And they had the electric chair back then.They had to hit John Louis Evans three times before pronouncing him dead.” Raines left the prison system in 1991 after a dispute with his warden, and following a year in graduate school, studying the Romantic poets, he set about becoming a songwriter.He was fascinated by the Romantics – how Byron’s anti-hero motif was there in the music of Waylon Jennings – and he saw immediately how the poets’ method of composition could apply to writing songs. Somehow it left him feeling better, more at ease with his choice – so rash and unexpected on its face – to walk away from his “real job” and redefine himself as an artist.

He moved to Nashville in 1993, thirty-five years old with music in his heart. Inevitably, however, there were memories he couldn’t shake – memories that continued to shape his songs.There had been, for example, an inmate by the name of Willie Gaskey, whose job once a week was slaughtering pigs at the prison abattoir. It fell to Davis to oversee this work, to immerse himself in the blood and stench and the ear-splitting squeals on the killing floor. For his album,“Going to Montgomery,” released in 2007, a long time after that experience was behind him, Raines wrote a song called “Slaughterhouse.” It was not specifically the story of Willie Gaskey,not of a prisoner doing what he was told, but rather of a man who has to have a job and is doing what he must to survive.

It ain’t no sin to work and still be poor But when you’re doing this, friend, I ain’t so sure

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Not long ago, I was talking to Raines about that song and a few others like it, and I asked how he came by his powers of empathy. It was one of those reporter’s questions that’s a little too direct, like something out of Barbara Walters’ playbook, offending the subject’s inclination to modesty. Raines, however, took it more or less in stride, though he thought for a minute before he replied.“Anything that’s good about me,”he finally declared,“I got from my mama.”Whatever the source, his empathy interwoven with his craftsmanship is the gift that ultimately sets him apart, even among his most gifted peers. Jon Byrd, an Alabamaborn songwriter recently labeled a “genius” by Maverick magazine in England, calls Raines “the greatest songwriter in Nashville.”Which raises the question in some people’s minds, why isn’t he better known? It’s not that he hasn’t had his whiffs of success. Every CD he has made has been critically praised, beginning in 1998 with his debut album, “Big Shiny Cars,” which featured a string of hardedged songs –“Working Homicide,”“Hell for Breakfast,” and “Last Hard Man in Elmore County.” He continued to deepen his musical identity with “Parts Unknown” in 2003 and “Going to Montgomery” in 2007, and more and more as time has passed, other artists have recorded his songs. In 2003, he and his friend, the Texas songwriter Walt Wilkins, contributed a cut called “Poetry” to Pat Green’s Grammy-nominated CD,“Wave on Wave,” and the two of them co-wrote “Someone Somewhere Tonight,” recorded in equally moving versions by Pam Tillis and Kenny Rogers.The latter song is a reflection on hard w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

times – lost love, bad choices, and broken hearts – and thus the need to hold onto what’s good. … someone somewhere Is holdin' on to a bottle Pourin' one more an' hopin' that God will Get them through till the dawn So, baby, lie down here beside me An' let's lie real still An' tell me you love me And you always will…

Against the backdrop of those successes, Raines has now released his fourth CD,“Santa Maria Hotel,”with such an intelligent sense of tradition that country radio may not play it. But if it’s not formulaic enough for the top forty market, it’s perfect, I think, for Americana with its Texas outlaw title song and another cut,“Daylight on the Brazos,” that could have been written for Waylon Jennings.There are other echoes as well.A couple of hard-edged prison ballads,“Elijah Caldwell,” written by Raines, and “All Because of Mary,” written by Pamela Jackson, call up memories of Johnny Cash, and the honkytonking “All the Things Being Lonely Makes You Do” sounds like a cross between Billy Joe Shaver and Hank Williams Sr. My favorite cut is the ballad,“Call,” easily the most beautiful song on the record, filled with the kind of multi-layered emotion that, to me at least, channels Merle Haggard at his heart-breaking best. Not that Raines has copied anybody. He has always admired the country music giants and the great Americana writers like Guy Clark and Kris Kristofferson. In the end, however, his music is utterly and completely his own, influenced certainly by the work of other artists, but rooted in the realities of life – particularly his own early life in Alabama.

“Willie Morris, the great Mississippi author,talks about the burden of memory,”he says.

“The great majority of everything I write is fueled by memories of Alabama.” Some of it is simply the hard beauty of the land, the cotton fields and streams of Spanish moss in the trees, and the summer storms blowing in off the Gulf. But part of it, too, is a sense of heritage – the rich and troubled history of his place and the complicated people it has produced. As Raines understands it, he has taken all of that with him to Nashville, where he revels in the company of his songwriting friends – people like Jon Byrd,Walt Wilkins, and Pamela Jackson, all of them lured by the hope of success, but even more by a love of the art.“Much of the songwriter's life,” says Raines,“is hoping that lightning will strike at any minute, and that’s the case with the new CD. But the odds are you’re never going to hit the big lick, so it has to be about the songs – about doing what we do in this community of artists. I don’t know how Paris was in the ‘20s, but this is pretty cool.”

Written by: Frye Gaillard Photos supplied.

Eric Erdman ***** My Brother’s Keepers Independent Release Rock/Americana For nearly twenty years, Eric Erdman has been a mainstay of the coastal rock scene in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, performing often with the popular bar band, Ugli Stick, which recently returned from a European tour of United States military bases.

Now,this summer,Erdman has returned to his songwriting roots,releasing his first solo CD, featuring twelve songs co-written with his older brother,Wendell.The result is a fine Americana album with songs that are clever and funny and poignant.All are delivered in Erdman’s strong, evocative baritone voice, which has been compared by some to James Taylor, but reminds me more of Jim Croce.Whatever, it is clear to anyone who listens that Erdman is a talent to be reckoned with.

It all begins with the songs, and those began with lyrical snippets from old notebooks that Wendell and Eric had kept through the years. Recently, they spent a little time poring through the notebooks together, deciding which of these dusty song fragments were keepers and which were not. Some required a little more work before they were ready for primetime listening, and the two brothers found satisfaction in the process.

Wendell, now an Alabama doctor, has never lost his love of making music, and Eric, the music professional, still admires his older brother’s skill.“I’m amazed by how good a songwriter he is, considering it’s a hobby for him,” Eric told the Mobile Register.

Together,as this album makes clear,the two of them make a remarkable team.The song that has gotten the most airplay is a deftly crafted Americana ballad called “Bird on a Powerline,” telling the story of a man too shy to even approach the woman of his dreams.“Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right” is a witty and wicked proposition in which the singer tells a girl with whom he has recently had a fight: If two wrongs don’t make a right Come home with me tonight We’ll find out how many do Musically, the CD reflects the ear and the touch of producer Rick Hirsch, a founding member of the southern rock group,Wet Willie. Hirsch’s Studio H2O in Mobile is beginning to emerge as a destination for promising artists, and Eric Erdman has added a substantial piece to that legacy.

By: Frye Gaillard

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UP NORTH vorite place to camp or to fish or to hunt or to just relax by or on a cool lake. Deer hunters have flocked UP NORTH every November for generations.

Serious fishermen return yearly. Many people return as often as possible to their favorite little resort town.Tourism is one of Wisconsin’s biggest sources of income.

While out-of-staters make up much of the group of tourists, native Badgers love to vacation UP NORTH. In my family we heard about going UP NORTH for many years before we tried it. My parents farmed, and farmers in those days did not go on vacation. If they did, they would have to take their dairy cows with them. Most farmers did not want strangers in charge of their milking herd, but when the oldest child was deemed responsible enough,then the parents might brave a few days away from the farm,and they would head UP NORTH.

You going UP NORTH this summer? Guess it is a bit cooler UP NORTH. Wonder how the fishing is this summer UP NORTH. Man, I wish I was on the lake UP NORTH. What is this UP NORTH stuff you ask? Well, if you look at a map of Wisconsin you can draw a line west to east about two thirds up from the Illinois border, and you have the region us natives call UP NORTH. Actually many people pronounce it without the H as in UP NORT. That region of Wisconsin is mainly acres and acres of forests sprinkled generously with lakes and streams of various sizes. It once was a big lumbering region, but today it is an area frequented by tourists. You will find many types of lodging, shops catering to tourists, shops for the hunters and fishermen that love to come UP NORTH, and those souvenir shops full of postcards and remembrances no one keeps once they get them or once they bring them home. And don’t forget another really great feature of this region (at least in my opinion) SUPPER CLUBS. Tucked away on the shores of the many lakes are these delightful eating spots called supper clubs. The menus are full of many wonderful choices, including the Friday fish fry,and those menus usually contain a list of choices to please everyone. Somehow the food at these places is special, and when the large quantity of food arrives at your table, you soon find your appetite has grown and you can devour everything.

Many still offer salad (cole slaw is very popular), soup, bread sticks, and some sort of lazy Susan or some kind of display of carrot and celery sticks, cheese spread, radishes, pickled this and that, and corn relish. The choices will vary from supper club to supper club, and it is amazing what those places can feature in the first course. Some places will have loaves of bread or homemade biscuits or even cinnamon rolls. The steaks or chops will be sizzling when they come to your table. The baked potato will be huge or the pile of French fries will be mammoth. My experience is that you pass on the dessert round because you are so filled from all the earlier course items.

How do you find these supper clubs? They are often hidden away, so it seems, on a remote country road on the edge of a lake. You find them by asking.

Ask at the shops or camp grounds or at your place of lodging. Ask a local where they go to eat, and the chances are you will be guided to one of these special supper clubs.

Who goes UP NORTH? Many families have gone to the same spot UP NORTH for years and years. Many have family handed down cottages, many have a fa-

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My dad’s idea of a vacation was to get into the car and drive for three or four days in that region called UP NORTH. Day one for them was to head toward Lake Michigan and spend one night on the shore in a small cheap motel hearing the sound of the waves against the rocks. Day two would mean they headed for the Eagle River area, and they would spend a night somewhere in or near Eagle River. They would arrive in the late afternoon, find a cheap place to sleep, hurriedly visit a few of those souvenir shops, eat, and return to their room. Day three would start early as they had a long drive scheduled for that vacation day. They would head for Lake Superior usually in the region of Superior, Wisconsin. Again they could go to bed hearing the waves. That would be the last night of sleeping away from home,for early the next morning they took off to drive along the Mississippi River until it was necessary to turn southeast and come home. My dad was proud. He would brag about the number of miles he had driven by going UP NORTH. My mother would be peeved and tired of the long periods of riding and not stopping. She wanted to stop and see things, and he wanted to put on miles.

As time went on,and it was best my dad was no longer driving UP NORTH, I would take my two personal days granted by my teacher’s contract, to take them UP NORTH during the fall color season, which is another popular reason for going UP NORTH. The first time that I took them I tried to recreate for them their usual summer route, but after that I would simply go directly to the Eagle River area and drive around looking at the colored leaves.

After supper and before sunset, I would take them on back roads so they could look for deer. At that time, the deer population in our part of the state was very small, so for us spotting a deer was a big deal.We would generally stay UP NORTH for parts of three days, and then we would return home. It was always a satisfying time, and it was remembered with fondness during the long winter months.

Today going UP NORTH is still very special. We have been going up to Bayfield, which is about as far north as you can go and still be in Wisconsin, around Father’s Day each year. We choose that time because it is before the peak tourist season, and the lupines are in bloom at that time. Roadsides and fields in the area are filled with those tall brightly colored spring flowers called lupines. But the main reason for going to Bayfield is that it feels so good just being there. It and the lake seem to call us to visit. Bayfield is a small town that can handle thousands of tourists. It can lodge them, feed them, and entertain them with ease. We have stayed on the shores over looking Lake Superior, and we have stayed in the woods near the lake. Both are equally satisfying.

It is a long drive there taking a good part of a whole day to get there, but for us the effort is worth it. It has become our favorite place UP NORTH, and it is cooler. This year while the temperatures were 90 at home we had temps reaching 72 degrees. In recent years we have tried a few days during the fall in Door County, which to us is a different type of UP NORTH. We have a good time during those fall outings just as we have with our June time in Bayfield. So are you going UP NORTH this year?

Written by: Bob Hoffman w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

Etta Britt Releases her debut Album with Wrinkled Records “Out of the Shadows” I happened across the name Etta Britt on Facebook; we have many mutual friends and I contacted her and asked if she would be so kind to grant me an interview. Lance Cowan from LC Media had sent me her new CD and I absolutely loved it and knew we must talk. Etta has been around the music scene since 1979and has developed a reputation as a singer’s singer,an in-demand session vocalist and performer. Etta has shared her voice with known artists such as Delbert McClinton, Englebert Humperdinck, Marty Stuart,and many others.But on her debut for Wrinkled Records,Out of the Shadows, Britt is finally stepping into the spotlight.Produced by husband and respected guitarist Bob Britt, Out of the Shadows features songs by writers Paul Thorn, Lari White, Harlan Howard, Glen Clark, Gary Nicholson, John Berry, Michael McDonald, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Billy Burnette and Larry Henley, as well as a duet with McClinton. But the highlight of the album may well be the songs written by Britt herself. Here are a couple of quotes from her website, one from Delbert McClinton and one from my buddy, Dan Baird: "Singing with Etta makes me feel like I'm fifty again. She sings her ass off! " — Delbert McClinton “Etta Britt - big voice.Will throw that thang down hard! But she might have impressed me the most on one of those ‘oh Hell, the-audience-forgot-to-show-up-to-the-gig’ nights we all have. Most singers/players just mail it in. Fifteen folks out there (that includes a bartender and a waitress), and half way through the opening of the first song Etta and I make eye contact.We both grin. I was sayin' "_ _ _ _- it, let's rock". She was sayin' the same thing, maybe just a little nicer. Maybe not. I kinda think "not". So we did — rock that is.And we did not let up on that gas pedal till the set was over. I'm damn proud of that gig, and her.That's me some Etta Britt.” — Dan Baird Etta and I talked for quite awhile about everything from horses, chickens, food, our mutual friends,Tae Kwon Do and yes, we did eventually discuss music! So I will try to share that part of the interview with you folks.

Joyce: Hi Etta. What are you up to?

Etta: I’m sitting in my back yard, looking at the chickens and horses and enjoying the farm today. It has cooled down a little here in Nashville and I’m going fishing later on.

Joyce: Sure sounds like you are having a better day than me. (we both laugh) Tell me and our readers a little bit about your background and how you got to this point in your music career?

Etta: I’m 55 years old. I’ve been around for a long time. I started singing as a teenager.

I was about 22 years old when I got an opportunity to audition for a country group called Dave & Sugar. My Dad was a truck driver, and Sue Powell’s (one of the other members) Dad was also a truck driver for same company and they talked frequently.

Always bragging on their daughters to each other. One time her Dad mentioned that one of the members of Dave & Sugar would be leaving. My Dad mentioned it to me and I said “I don’t want to do country music.” Dad said,“why don’t you listen to them, it’s really kind of different. It’s a trio,a man and two women and they have a really good sound”. So I went out and bought an album, checked them out and they were a pretty big group at the time on RCA records. Long story short, I made my way to Atlanta to see them in concert. They were playing there with the Oak Ridge Boys. I made my way back stage and met Dave Rowland. I told him I was a singer and would like to audition. Surprisingly enough, he called me and invited me to Nashville to do an audition.

I drove to Louisville to Sue’s sister’s house as she had auditioned, and I stayed overnight. The next day when I went to leave, my car battery had died, so her Dad drove me the rest of the way to Nashville. I had about $12.00 in my pocket. Dave & Sugar were staying at the Hyatt Regency at the time and he had a suite with a grand piano set up. I came in and was about the 64th girl to audition. I learned both girls’ parts as I didn’t know which part I would be doing. I learned all the songs. I was prepared. Dave asked me to stay over as he liked my sound and would like to take me into the studio the next day to see how I sounded on a record. I just stood there kind of dumb founded. Sue’s father had to go back to Louisville and I had $12.00 to my name.

I kind of looked over and Sue got behind Dave’s back and she nodded “yes”. So I said “Sure”. I had no idea where I was going to stay, what I was going to eat, etc. Sue snuck w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

out in the hallway with me and said “you can stay in my room, but don’t tell Dave.” I accepted.The next day, I took a cab to RCA records and recorded with them and later on, took a bus back to Louisville with about 2.00 left in my pocket.The car had been charged so I drove back to Lexington where I was living at the time. About two weeks later Dave called to give me the job. That got me to Dallas where they were based. One day I was 22 singing in a night club, working in a liquor store during the day and then three weeks later I’m at the American Music Awards handing out an award. What a whirlwind. Six months after that Dave moved the works to Nashville and that’s how I got here.

Six years later, the group disbanded. I wanted to meet new people so I went to the Bluebird Café to see my friend,Vickie Carrico perform which lead me to some great musicians and I started singing with a lot of these folks. I made some demo tapes and was trying to get a deal with no luck. In 1989, I married Bob Britt, who produced the record. My wonderful husband and I had two children, now 21 and 23. There we were, 2 musicians, 2 children and NO money. I waited tables and did lots of different jobs. I waited tables, cleaned houses, and when we bought our second home and I got interested in Real Estate so I got my license and sold houses for the past 12 years until retiring my license this past December to devote my 100% of my time to my music. I sold some houses, and also started a small baking business called “Sweet Melissa’s”, but music was still my passion. I wasn’t happy. Selling Real Estate was a good job but that was what it was for me, a job. I only wanted to do music.

Bob and I performed at a writer’s night and Sandy Knox and Katie Gillon were there.

Sandy asked me to send her some of the songs I’d had sung that night and invited me to lunch shortly after so I kind of figured something was up. I was thinking she wanted to pitch some of my songs to other artists.At the end of lunch she informed me that she had an alterior motive. She told me she was starting a Record Label and wanted me to be one of the first artists they signed. I was absolutely floored. I thought after all these years, it’s gonna happen!! I’m 53 years old, my daughters are grown and I’m gonna do a record! Wow!! Next thing I know, I am out touring with Delbert McClinton and Paul Thorn, Delbert even sang a duet on my new CD. Life is good!

Joyce: My gosh, this could be a movie.

Etta: Who would play me? (we both laugh) We released the CD“Out of the Shadows” in April. I was so excited. We did have a little discussion about the name of the CD. There is no song on it titled,“Out of the Shadows”, but I explained that I had been standing in the back ground,watching my friends out in the spotlight,now this was my time and my chance at it. They agreed and said,“let’s do it!” I have a booking agent now and hope to be touring soon.

Joyce: Wow Etta. I wish you the best of luck in your future and hope to meet you in September during the Americana Music Conference. Thank you so much for the interview – I loved talking with you.

Etta: Thank you Joyce and we will do lunch in Nashville. Please checkout Etta Britt at HYPERLINK "http://www.ettabritt.com" www.ettabritt.com and do pick up a copy of her new CD “Out of the Shadows”. You can purchase her cd at www.wrinkledrecords.com, amazon.com, itunes. You will love it!!!!

Story by: Joyce Ziehli Photos supplied. Information supplied by Lance Cowan and Etta’s website.

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WEBB WILDER

abilly than "cock rock" but, I'm not content to be "that Rockabilly guy," so it all goes in the mix and comes out like it comes out.

AG:Who are your musical influences and heroes?

WW: Too many too mention but, The Beatles, The Stones, B.B. King, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard,The Who, Sam Cooke,The Everly Brothers, Badfinger,The Small Faces, the Faces, Johnny Burnette &the Rock and Roll Trio,Howlin' Wolf,Booker T.& the MGs,Rockpile,the FabulousThunderbirds and many, many more. The Byrds were a big thing for me early on. Who could forgetThe Band!?!?

NRBQ, the Lovin' Spoonful. I just hate leaving important people out like Freddie King who was absolutely great. If ya don't have a long list, ya need to go back and do some more listening'!

AG: What's the atmosphere like in Nashville these days for music that's not country or bluegrass?

Webb Wilder is an evangelist for real Rock “n’ Roll.

As a singer, guitarist, bandleader, Film actor, songwriter and humorist, He may be roots-rock’s only true Renaissance man.

WW: Well, I think it's good. The money has kind of been sucked out of a lot of the music business and the economy in general but, music is alive and well. I think Rock and Roll will see more and more of a comeback although, I hate to use that word for it 'cause it's never gone away. There have always been extremely bright and talented people of all stripes here. It's just that the highly visible thing is the country music industry. By virtue of it being here and the many ripples stemming from it, whoever the most talented (or ambitious!) person is in anybody's given home town might well have moved here. That's been going on forever. No matter what scene develops where (and it's always good when one does!) the three major entertainment business centers in the country have been LA, New York & Nashville.

AG:You've been doing this a long time, making recordings, touring, who’s your fan base?

WW:Well, all sorts of people. I was probably the most heavily promoted during the major label years of my career (Island, BMG). That was awhile back so you kind of get the 40 year olds and up on that but, we are seeing all ages at the shows. Webb Fest, our annual event, held every fall in Bowling Green, KY brings whole families out which is nice.

AG:What's the secret to your success, and what advise do have for other younger musicians/actors in the business?

WW: Do it 'cause ya’ love it 'cause it'll probably break yer’ heart either way. If it does, it helps if ya’love to play! Then again,if you're really meant to do it and you don't,that'll eat you up. Delbert McClinton once told me,” I never give advice 'cause it makes you an accomplice!"

AG:What's on the horizon for Webb Wilder?

AG: So Webb, how did you get into music and film?

WW:I don't know how to answer the music part of the question. I was just always into music. I was in the 4th grade when the Beatles spearheaded the British Invasion. I was the only kid in my class (that I know of) who already had records and opinions about music. My aunt said I sang before I talked. I kinda blame it all on watching too much television! As far as film, same story is true. As far as being IN films goes, I always kind of had a "back burner" desire to something on film or TV although it was never as strong a compulsion as the music thing. Around 1980 or so,my friend,Bobby Field was working in the office of public relations at the University of Mississippi in Hattiesburg which is our hometown. He had a film student for an assistant as his job involved media: filming football games, recording public a service announcements, etc. The student, Steve Mims, needed a senior project. Somehow, "Webb Wilder, Pvt. Eye: The Saucer's Reign" came out of that "perfect storm," if you will.

AG:You were in Austin for awhile, what was your experience like there?

WW: I was in a band from Hattiesburg called The Everready Brothers (later shortened to Everready) that moved out there in January of 1976. It was great...like one big art colony underpinned by a great Texas cultural heritage with sort of a hippy flavor. Lots of bands playin' all kinds of pure and hybridized music for no reason other than they wanted to. Lots of music that was not square. Lots of roots music. Great time and I learned a lot. It was the first year Antone's had opened on 6th Street which was nothing like it is now. Both of the Vaughan brothers were playing in clubs and hadn't even made records yet. All the great Bluesmen passed through Antone's. Saw Asleep At The Wheel with what was pretty much the original line up rollin' like a freight train at a club called Castle Creek. Incredible, groovy time and place.

AG:Your music is Rock and Roll, but there is a definite twang in there as well.Talk about that a little.

WW:Well, I think everything I play is Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll has emanated from a number of geographic as well as musical places so, some of it has a twang to it. I didn’t grow up as a practitioner of any strict musical form or discipline. I'm not one of those people who knows how to play Bluegrass properly or anything. The “Classic Rock” era (as it is now called) was a time during which the “album as art form” was really a big deal.This would be the fire in which my musical soul was forged.The Beatles, the Stones,The Who,The Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds,The Small Faces,The Faces and many more all dabbled in different Roots "bags" to write and cover many types of songs all of which "rounded out" their albums and repertoires. It all came out reflecting these influences as well as the artists’ individual personalities, strengths, limitations, nuances, styles, etc. I'm a guy from Mississippi who has a voice better suited for Rock-

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WW: More gigs, more recordings, more listening, more writing, more travelling, changing strings, losing sleep, fast food at interstate exits and I hope it all continues 'cause I love to play.We're busy right now. Sometimes I haven't been the guy who got the albums made and out there with quite the regularity I would like to but, no WHINE should be served before it's time!

AG:Thanks for your time Webb!

Article by: Bobby Westfall Photos supplied.

Saturday,August 4th, 2012 - The Ellington Playhouse (website) 421 Rivermont Avenue Lynchburg,VA 24504 (map) (434) 845-2162 Email: info@theellington.org Friday,August 10th, 2012 - Cincinnati Blues Festival (website) Taking place in Sawyer Point Park (website) 704 East Pete Rose Way Cincinnati, OH (map) Saturday,August 11th, 2012 - Callahan's Music Hall (website) 2105 South Boulevard Auburn Hills, MI 48326 (map) (248) 858-9508 Wednesday and Thursday, September 5th and 6th, 2012 - Potawatomi Bingo Casino (website) Appearing at Potawatomi's Fire Pit Bar and Grill 1721 West Canal Street Milwaukee,WI 53233-2662 (map) (262) 645-6888 Webb is coming back to Milwaukee in September.This time for a two-fer, twice! That is,Webb + Tom Comet, doing that unplugged duo thing, appearing on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 9pm.

Saturday, October 6th, 2012 - Webb Fest 2012 Taking place at The Warehouse at Mt.Victor (website) 2539 Mt.Victor Lane Bowling Green, KY 42103 (map) (270) 904-6677 w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

Why Not Check Out Some New Music? ♪♪♪♪♪

Dreadful News from a Recently Refurbished Garage Tony DiPofi Independent Release Blues/Blues Rock

The Big Man on the Harp has just released a new CD filled with original compositions that shakes the foundation of what local Blues Aficionado’s call Blues Rock. Tony DiPofi who plays Harp and sings with The Rain Dogs and Electric Blue in Green County has assembled some of the tastiest tunes this side of Chicago and North of Texas.

A Five star event the CD rocks and sways with brilliant playing by local musicians Marc Barnaby,Tim Haak, Jimmy Voegeli, Patrick Bodell, Eric Madsen, Randy Schneebeerger, Lindsey Fueling, Ed Jarosz, and DiPofi himself, with some of the best lyrics and stories you’ll find. Each cut is unique, impressive, and pushed the meter to a red line event.

Dreadful News from a Recently Refurbished Garage is a total package of music and entertainment with a complete foldout lyrics sheet and news stories to go with each cut. Check out Dreadful News from a Recently Refurbished Garage at the retailers listed above or get one from Tony himself.

Tony DiPofi’s N w Blues CD

Dreadful News From A Recently Refurbished Garage Tony DiPofi’s N w Blues CD available at :

Andy Ziehli

Dreadful News From A Recently Refurbished Garage Strictly Discs Monroe Street , Madison WI av ilable at : Hometown Pharmacy New Glarus, Wi Strictly Discs Monroe Street , Madison WI A rt & Soul Tattoo and Gallery, New Glarus, WI Hometown Pharmacy New Glarus, Wi Glarnerladen Collectibles, New Glarus, WI A rt & Soul Tattoo and Gallery, New Glarus, WI A tion Guitars, Belleville, WI Gl rn rladen Collectibles, New Glarus, WI A tion Guitars, Belleville, WI

Bob’s Guitar Corner #5

Bob's Guitar Corner # 5

Bob Westfall Now that you are getting comfortable with the pick lets add the left hand into the equation. Scales are probably one of the best things you can start with and they are the basis for understanding how melodies, harmony, and chords work.

Gtr.

Gtr.

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Guitar

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Guitar

T A B

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G Major

C Major

   

A Minor

 

                    3

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E Minor

            0

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A Minor is the Relative minor of C Major. What that means is that they share the same Key Signature.

Notice that there are no sharps or flats in C and A Minor, and that F is sharp (#) in G and E minor.

Remember to play these backwards as well (descending) and alternate your picking with down-up strokes.

Notice that the C scale lays right over a C chord in first position. When you can understand scales and how they work you can start to understand the rest of music theory and not be in the dark about it! for lessons or contact email to bobbywestfall@hotmail.com Keep on Pickin' 19

Robert’s Ramblings

older than she is, and he is a constant fly in the ointment. He seems to especially bug Gina because he “appears to know everything” and is not shy to share “his knowledge in every situation”. She is pretty high strung, and you as a viewer find it difficult to think she is Clint Eastwood’s wife. Now there is another element in this family. Gina has brought back from South Africa a male musical group (the Overtones) that she is managing and trying to develop into a big musical act in America. She knows very little about managing musical groups, so that makes for another interesting sub-plot.

Now throw in that mix some personal issues among the members of the group with some members making special rules for two members of the musical group. Also, it has been discovered that they will need to change their name because there already is a successful group in America called the Overtones. I watched the first episode as a lark and became hooked. I found out it is fun to be nosey and peek into the lives of famous people. Clint is rarely at home, and thus, he really isn’t part of this turmoil, confusion, crisis after crisis, or whatever. If he does come home and appear in a show, he seems to calm it all down, and he is less stressed or emotional about the simple things everyone in that house frets about.

While on vacation in cool Bayfield during those all night rains, I finished a book that was very popular a few years ago,A RELIABLE WIFE. It is being made into a movie as you read this. The book takes place in the long harsh winter of 1907 in Northern Wisconsin. A man from a northern Wisconsin town places an ad in the Chicago newspapers for “a reliable wife”. Basically there are only a handful of characters, but each is vividly written. You will not forget them: the man wanting the wife, the woman answering the ad, a son of the man from his first marriage, and the house keeping couple. The special feature of this book is that just when you think you have things figured out there is a big twist or a new connection mentioned for the first time that makes the plot thicken even more. I could not put this book down, and I am anxious for the movie. The author of the book is Robert Goolrick.

The hot weather has driven me to the movies, and here is my recent viewings with a general grading: MOONRISE KINGDOM an A+,THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL an A,TED a vulgar B, PEOPLE LIKE US a B+, MONSIEUR LAZHAR a C+,THE KID WITH THE BIKE a B-, BERNIE a surprisingly solid B, and at home I watched the second season of DOWNTON ABBEY, and it is extremely entertaining and earns a solid A+. But it was MOONRISE KINGDOM that easily became my favorite movie that I have viewed this year.

The rabbits on Skyline continue to multiply. Need I say more? At least they do not destroy the bird feeders or climb up the trees and scold me knowing they are easily out of my reach.

Written by: Bob Hoffman

Need we ramble on about all this heat and lack of rain? Have all systems failed us like washing the car,washing windows,planning picnics, hanging out the drapes, rain dances, and a thorough soaking of your trees via the garden hose? If only we had a way to pull the jet stream the way it would be beneficial to us,and by us I mean our farmer friends that have so much at stake in what they have already invested in money and time with little chance of return this year. Our lawns and gardens are small potatoes to that.

For the second summer in a row the GLEE PROJECT is perhaps the best summer show on television. This competition show on Oxygen Tuesdays at 9 PM is full of challenging moments for the final contestants trying to win a spot on the fall season of GLEE. Last year’s show was a big hit and produced multiple winners and gave four contestants parts of several episodes. The winners of last summer’s project were an Irish singer Damian McGinty and a dreadlocked Samuel Larsen; each signed to appear in seven episodes of GLEE. The judges decided to award two other finalists,Lindsay Peace and Alex Newell, a contract for each to appear in two episodes of the popular hit show. So far this year I do not have a personal favorite as the front runner. Last year I was rooting for McGinty, for I felt it would be a natural fit to write him in as an exchange student, which is what they did do. If you like competition shows, then look for this show which will probably be already out as a re-run when this is published.

Have you ever imagined what the daily life of a famous Hollywood personality would be like? If you could peek into the life of Clint Eastwood, what would expect to see or learn about him and his family? Well, you can actually do that by joining me in watching MRS. EASTWOOD AND COMPANY Sunday nights at 9 (our time) on E! network on cable. I think you will be as surprised as I was to learn they live in a household full of turmoil,stress,crisis-after-crisis,and constant upheaval. Also their residence houses many pets including PIGS. Mrs. Gina Eastwood has agreed to allow the filming of their home and activities on a new reality show. People are constantly coming and going in the Eastwood household. Mrs. Eastwood (Gina) has one daughter (Morgan) with Clint, and another daughter of Clint’s (Francesca) spends a lot of time at Clint’s home near Carmel in the Monterey area. An Asian maid rounds out the household and often shows the most common sense of any one in the house. Gina’s brother and family seem to be at the Eastwood home a lot.

Francesca comes up from L.A. with her photography artist boy friend, who is a bit

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New & Blues Music – Things To Check Out! RELATIVE HUNGER Marybeth Mattson Releases First CD:Relative Hunger EGG HARBOR, WI. Marybeth Mattson, daughter of local singer/songwriter Jeanne Kuhns,releases her first album of a music blend of a certain folk sensibility with the energy of pop, and a little country-rock flavor. Her lyrics reflect a poetic upbringing; her songs, deliberately tangential at times, contain both truth and imagination.

For more information visit marybethmattson.com.

AMERICAN MADE • BoDeans The BoDeans released new CD – American Made. It's their rootsiest, most personal - and catchy - set to date.

"I've always thought of the BoDeans as a truly American band," says Kurt Neumann, the founder, primary writer and frontman of the veteran Milwaukee-based group. "We were blue-collar kids straight out of the heartland-how could we be anything else?‘Roots rock' was a label I fought when I was younger, but I came to realize that if by ‘roots' you meant blues,rock, country and soul all slammed together into one sound, then I'd say yes-that is the sound of American-made music."

Neumann fully embraces that notion on American Made,the BoDeans' eleventh album.

Its dozen songs are laced through with strands of indigenous roots elements-Heartland hoedown folk ("American," with guest Jake Owen spinning out the guitar solo), Celtic-rooted mountain music ("Walk Through This World," "Flyaway"), zydeco ("Everything You Wanted"), Southern roadhouse soul ("Don't Bring Me Down"), Chicago blues ("Shake the Fever") and 100-proof roots rock ("All the World").These tracks are played with heartfelt emotion as well as jaw-dropping skillfulness by the band-Neumann on vocals and guitars, original member Michael Ramos (Patty Griffin, John Mellencamp) on keyboards and accordion, longtime BoDeans bassist Ryan Bowman and new member Warren Hood, a fiddle/violin virtuoso from Austin. http://www.bodeans.com http://www.facebook.com/bodeans http://www.twitter.com/bodeans DEL RIO, TEXAS REVISITED UNPLUGGED AND LONESOME Radney Foster celebrates 20th Anniversary of acclaimed album Del Rio,TX 1959 with new acoustic version Del Rio,Texas Revisited: Unplugged and Lonesome In Stores August 14, 2012,Available for pre-order now at radneyfoster.com To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of his acclaimed album Del Rio,TX, 1959, singersongwriter Radney Foster will release Del Rio,Texas, Revisited: Unplugged and Lonesome on his own Devil's River Records on 8/14/2012.

NIGHT SONGS MARK BATES DELIVERS STUNNING SOPHOMORE EFFORT Young Los Angeles Based Singer/Songwriter Revives Music Career with Night Songs/Produced by Erik Liljestrand.

"Most of the songs on this record are about holding on to something, even if it means being left behind," Bates says."I've felt that way a lot in my life.Stubbornly grasping onto those memories and dreams can fill you with hope or fill you with madness. I think this album has equal parts of both and I think most of us fight that battle at one point or another in our lives."

BACK IN THE SADDLE New Album From Bigger Picture A Career Defining Record for Chris Cagle BACK IN THE SADDLE highlights Cagle’s commitment to making music that sticks. Produced alongside ACM and CMA award winner Keith Stegall, the 11-song compilation indeed includes stories about women and whiskey, but this time with a different inference, intention and inflection.

BACK IN THE SADDLE exposes and embraces reflection, resolve and a lifestyle that’s true to self.The album is his homecoming – a rekindling of his creative flame and a roaring reminder of his rock-infused country roots.

“WE CAN’T MAKE IT HERE” JAMES McMURTRY RELEASES NEW VERSION OF ACCLAIMED “WE CAN’T MAKE IT HERE”FEATURING JOAN BAEZ AND STEVE EARLE In response to the monumental Occupy Movement, “America’s Fiercest Songwriter” James McMurtry has joined forces with Steve Earle and Joan Baez to record a new version of McMurtry’s poignant “We Can’t Make It Here.” Originally released in 2005 (ChildishThings),"We Can’t Make It Here" won the Americana Music Association’s award for “Song of the Year” in 2006.

Critically acclaimed, it’s been cited among The Nation’s "Best Protest Songs Ever”; one of the“25 Best Songs of the 2000s”in Rolling Stone magazine; and declared“a triumph — the anthem of the 99%,” by Bob Lefsetz.

Produced by renowned Louisiana musician and producer C.C.Adcock (Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Li'l Band O' Gold, Doyle Bramhall), the new version of the song is featured as part of the forthcoming release Occupy This Album: a compilation of music by, for and inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement and the 99%. Released

by Music for Occupy through Razor & Tie distribution, the four-disc physical and 99track digital compilation is available now at this link.

Proceeds received will go directly to the Occupy Wall Street movement, which began in the financial district of New York on Sept. 17, 2011.The movement can now be found in 951 cities in 83 countries on five continents. More information is available at www.musicforoccupy.org THE DEVIL YOU KNOW • RICKIE LEE JONES Rickie Lee Jones has teamed with (longtime fan) Ben Harper for her upcoming album The Devil You Know. Produced by Harper, Jones calls the project a "simple, surprising" album of covers. The release date is August 28, 2012 on Concord Records.

ALIVE AT BRUSHY MOUNTAIN • MARK COLLIE & HIS RECKLESS COMPANIONS Mark Collie plays red-hot traditional country in the outlaw vein.

Once at odds, the “outlaw country” label now represents an unstructured alliance of “real” country against present-day pop country. The enthusiastically positive response from this socially and ethnically varied crowd may testify to the appeal of “real” country music. But is also — and maybe more resoundingly — points to the fact that the appeal of good music played well can transcend personal preference. For this 2001 show at the now-shuttered Tennessee penitentiary, Collie’s Reckless Companions include bassist Willie Weeks, utility player Tommy Burroughs and guitarist David Grissom, the ace in an already razor-sharp assemblage. On guest vocalist Kelly Willis’ performance of Damon Bramblett’s “Heaven Bound,” Grissom and Burroughs combine for a headturning, multi-layered guitar and mandolin break. Another guest is the late Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, who offers a sweetly powerful guitar and vocal turn on his own “Someday My Luck Will Change." But frontman Collie’s got the goods as a performer and songwriter; he and the crowd form a sure connection, especially on the deathrow-themed“On The Day I Die,”an original power ballad with Grissom and Burroughs on their game, as usual, Collie plays an almost-obligatory “Folsom Prison Blues,” but goes for broke in tribute to the prison recordings of Johnny Cash, which inspired Collie to do likewise. Closing with “Gospel Train,” a powerful number sung by the prison choir, the album proves that even before an audience with such a widely varied demographic, it’s wise to do what Collie does here — just be the best you can be.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS • ETTA BRITT

Night Songs was produced by the multitalented Eric Liljestrand, who first heard Bates' demos in the summer of 2011."I was immediately struck by two things:his honesty and his economy," says Liljestrand, who has won a Grammy Award as engineer / mixer, and was co-producer of the Lucinda Williams albums,Blessed and Little Honey.About Bates, he says: "He can convey an enormous amount with very few words." Liljestrand cites as an example the opening line from Bates' song "Rosie": "Charlene became afraid, so she left, and I just stayed." Liljestrand says, "I'm immediately hooked:What's the story?

What happened?"

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After years as a backing vocalist for other artists including Marty Stuart and Billy Joe Shaver, Etta Britt steps into the spotlight for her first solo album, the aptly titled Out of the Shadows. Britt, the wife of session guitarist Bob Britt who produced her CD, displays a bluesy wail on“Dog Wants In,”a philosophical tale of romantic discord. She rides a rhythm and blues groove on “High,” recalling the early ‘70s hits of Al Green. Britt and the McCrary Sisters add a gospel flavor to songwriter Harlan Howard’s country classic “The Chockin’ Kind.” Delbert McClinton joins Britt for some musical fireworks on the horn-powered “Leap Of Faith,” an earlier hit for McClinton as a solo artist. “Quiet House,”one of four songs written or co-written by Britt, was inspired by her role as a mother whose daughters have grown up and moved away.

It’s a tender song about changing roles in a family and shows Britt’s depth as a songwriter and performer.

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A PET NOTE

BANJO THE DIVA OF FOX HOLLOW

Banjo visiting with young bluegrass child prodigy Isaac Moore

A few years back I had the pleasure of being a guest at the Tom T. and Ms. Dixie Hall residence in Tennessee. The Americana Gazette was doing an interview with Tom T. and I had the pleasure of meeting him,his lovely wife,Ms.Dixie and the rest of their wonderful staff. We all have become great friends ever since and Andy and I try to visit as often as we can when we are inTennessee. But on this trip I also had the pleasure of meeting their Basset Hound, Banjo the Diva!

Now Banjo came into the Hall family when she was about three years old. She arrived soaking wet, trembling in the back of a pickup truck during a nasty thunder shower. Banjo didn’t realize how lucky she was this day. You see, Banjo had spent her first three years tethered under a house because her previous owners said “she smelled like a dog and the kids didn’t want to play with her anymore, and her constant howling annoyed the neighbors.” Wouldn’t you howl too if you spent your whole life tied up, no one played or paid any attention to you? How sad? But then,The Halls to the rescue! And life has never been better or sweeter.

First on the agenda for Banjo was a trip to the Veterinarian’s as she was full of bladder stones and needed some immediate surgery. This was pretty scary as Banjo was deathly afraid of anyone or anything that made a noise, moved or didn’t move! The surgery went well,Banjo adapted quite well and the next few years were spent getting as much love as possible from The Halls and their extended “work” family there in the studio.

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Banjo now spends her days enjoying music;bluegrass seems to be a favorite of hers. She hangs out at the studio, mostly with Tom T. and enjoys some delicious yogurt and bottled water. (No more bladder stones for her, one surgery was enough.) When Banjo goes for a ride, which she loves to do, she just hops into her own low-slung limo and off they go. No she doesn’t drive……..yet! Banjo also enjoys an extra dog bed which houses her toys. They refer to this as “her bus and band”.

Banjo is indeed the superstar of Fox Hollow and the only time she has been known to howl was once in her sleep, maybe having a dream about one of the other Fox Hollow critters,such as one of the friendly cats, the wild turkeys, the beautiful peacocks or the new friendly fox that just moved in! She is a very gracious host to all the visiting musicians. Banjo has the life………………………………………..

Dreams do come true, visit Banjo at www.facebook.com/banjohall Information and photos of peacock supplied by: Ms. Dixie Hall Photo of Ms. Dixie and Tom T. Hall taken by Terry Herd.

Photo of Banjo and Banjo with Isaac Moore taken by Becky Lawrence.

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AG: You just made a video too. What song was it for and when will be it be viewed?

Kille: It’s for I can’t love you anymore. It’s not done yet. We still have a couple of more hours of shooting to do. It was shot by John Murray with the help of Dennis Hemp.

Jonathon Little directed and co-produced it. Julia McConahay did the makeup and my niece Lexi ran the sound board. When it’s finished it will be on You Tube and my website.

AG: When is your album due out?

Kille: November 3rd is the official release date. I’m starting a Kickstarter campaign soon so that the folks that contribute will get an early special copy hopefully by the Americana Music Conference in September.

AG: So this will be your first trip to the Americana Music Conference, are you excited?

Kille: Yes I am. I’m attending to meet and network with other songwriters and industry folks. I’m sure Joyce will show me the ropes.

AG: What are your plans for shows this fall?

Kille: It’s funny that you asked that. I’ve been so busy this summer with Girls Rock Camp and playing jobs I need to spend some more mom time at home. I will be going out and promoting the CD, but I also need to spend more time with Gus and Tony. I hope later in the year and early next spring to promote heavier and branch out into different cities to play. The Kickstarter project will hopefully allow me more pre-sales and coverage so I won’t have to tour quite as much. We’ll have to see how things turn out.

AG: So what do you see yourself doing in the next 5 years?

Kille: Still writing and recording. I would like to do a children’s album, a piano ballad’s album would be cool too. I want to keep teaching and would like to expand that to the web. Be a good mom and wife and have fun!

AG: Let’s talk a minute about Girls and Ladies Rock Camps.

Beth Kille Best of Class It’s always great to catch-up with an old friend and band mate, but when you can combine work and pleasure it’s utterly fantastic! I’ve known Beth Kille for over 12 years.

Played in a band with her,wrote songs with her,ran songwriters get-togethers with her, and watched her grow into one of the best songwriters Wisconsin has to offer. She is a marvelous person and talent that never seems to run out of energy. Balancing the duties of being a mom to 16 month old Gus and a wife to Tony, Beth still finds time to write and perform, help run Girls and Ladies Rock Camps, attend songwriters groups, and keep house (so guys don’t complain that you can’t get anything done because you’re too busy)!

Beth Kille grew up in Marinette,Wisconsin playing in the High School Band. She attended the University of Wisconsin where she played in the Marching Band and was the University’s Second Female Drum Major. She got her Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy and helped to put her husband and drummer Tony through Med School. During this time she picked up the guitar and started writing songs. Today she is a full-time mom and a full-time musician. She is an inspiration to Joyce and me both as a person and a songwriter/performer. She fronted the Indie Rock Band Clear Blue Betty for over 5 years. She has won 15 MAMA’s (Madison Area Music Awards), and is part of the Nashville Songwriters Association.

Beth is one of my favorite songwriters! I was lucky enough to see her when she first started and watch how she has become the top songwriter in the Madison area. She is multi-talented playing multiple instruments and has a terrific voice. Her songs are incredible in depth, structure, hooks, and arrangements. Besides performing she also produces other artists. To say that she is multi-talented is an understatement. She is the best of the best!

Beth and I got together on the hottest day of the year over glasses of ice coffee and talked about what she has been up to and what the future holds.

AG: So Beth tell me about your new album?

Kille: My new album is going to be called Dust. It is all songs that I have written since 2004 but never recorded. I have been playing them out for years and people have been asking for them so I decided now was the right time to release them. The only songs that I had cut before is Rome that was on Clear Blue Betty’s first record, and End of the line and I can’t love you anymore off of my first solo CD. The arrangements are different on most of the songs. I used a full band to record it except the one cover tune; I cut Angel from Montgomery which I did with just an acoustic guitar. It’s a really fun collection of songs and very diverse.

Kille: Girls Rock Camp is for girls 8 -18 who want to learn to play an instrument and perform on stage. It’s a blast. We take these young girls who have never touched an instrument, teach them some chords let them write a song record it and then play a concert on a big stage! It’s wild and fun. It teaches girls cooperation, it brings out their self-esteem, and they get to be performers and they get a taste of what that’s like.

It is so much fun to be a part of. Ladies Rock does the same thing only with women 18 -100! It’s three days of fun and super stress release for the campers. We have had women in their 60’s take part. It is very empowering to them. They get to do something that is way out of their comfort zones!

AG: So what advice would you give to a young woman in her 20’s that sees all you have accomplished to help her down this path?

Kille: I think the main thing is to surround yourself with good people who are better than you at whatever you want to do. Be open to feedback, find as many opportunities as you can to apply your craft, don’t let disappointments stop you because there will be plenty of them, and don’t be afraid to stand up and fall on your face because it will happen. Having a great support group of friends and other musicians really helps.

Don’t be afraid of honest criticism about your music. Use that information to get better. Mostly go out and try it. Don’t be afraid to get up in front of people and perform.

Written by:Andy Ziehli Photo by: John Murray

Chris Head and the Honchos, Milwaukee Americana

AG: Who’s playing on the album with you?

Tres Hombres, compadres! “All for one and one for all” is an illuminating description of the comradery and musical gumbo that Chris Head and the Honchos are and create, a mix of Country, Folk, Pop, Roots Rock, and anything else they can stir into the pot of Americana music. Leader and visionary songwriter Chris Head, who grew up in Tennessee, writes the material, and Honchos Tim Ungrodt on bass and vocals with Rizal Iskandarsjach on drums and percussion play some of the best toe-tappin’ bar music this side of Lake Michigan.

Kille: Tony’s playing the drums,Chris Wagner on every string instrument you can think of [plus accordion, Mike Tully on lead guitar, Brian Schiro on electric bass, Tom McGirr on standup bass, Leroy Deuster is playing pedal steel, John Peik is playing banjo, and Jessi Lynn is singing background.]

I first became aware of these guys when I was sent a copy of their last CD,HardTruths.

After listening and becoming an instant fan, I reviewed it and gave it five notes (my highest marks). The CD rocks with well written and played Americana songs. Head’s writing and singing style reminds me of Radney Foster, while the Honchos are one of continued on page 35

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Meet Maurice Tani

was simpler on the one hand, to having to do almost everything myself.The positive side is that I’ve got the wheel, steering it where I want to go…that would be perfect if all I had to do was write the songs, rehearse the band and show up for the gigs, but any leader of a working band knows there is a lot more business in the music business than music. I’ve also got to make all the decisions, do the booking, promotion, schedule rehearsals, travel logistics, etc. etc. assemble the right people for the right gig, write the bios and press releases, update the website, handle Face book, mail the cds, do posters and handbills… a lot of that stuff is a huge pain in the ass but it has to be done.

AM: Posters and handbills, who is the graphic artist genius behind that effort? I look at your show posters and think about heading west to become a‘Deora-head’for the summer, you guys look so cool.

MT: I wish I had someone to do those for me, but I have to do them myself. I actually enjoy that work but it's time consuming.

AM:YOU did that graphic design? How did you come to know how to do that?

MT: I was an art and photography major in college but didn't pursue it professionally.

Instead, I began playing music for a living. It did, however, eventually afford me the opportunity to make a crucial change of direction in my musical career.

In 1989, the day before the massive Loma Prieta earthquake hit, I was injured in an accident in an art warehouse, my legs crushed under a 3000 pound glass sculpture.The doctors used the medical term “smithereens” to describe the severity of the injury to my right leg, but they managed to put it back together with a lot of metal that I carry with me to this day.Though my dream of a basketball career was over, I made a reasonable, if long, recovery.The warehouse's insurance company was required to offer me retraining and I took some computer classes in graphic design. I knew nothing about computers at the time.My art background was fully old-school.As soon as I found the first versions of Photoshop and Illustrator, I realized they were the remedy for everything I disliked about art and photography back in school. Digital tools spoke to me instantly.At the time I was doing rather well with a large dance band.The money was good.The travel was easy and it was fun to sing with a horn section and back up singers.The flip side was that I was not very satisfied with the balance of art to craft.

Worse, I wasn't writing and it was too much travel to maintain a side project. So through the '90s .com bubble, I gradually built a graphic design business, primarily focused on motorsport -a childhood passion of mine. By the end of 1999 I was in a position to pay my bills without the band.I quit my“day job”with the band and went back to writing and playing my own music.While not a path I would recommend, I have to credit the art accident with positioning me so that I could afford to go back to playing my own music.And yeah, I design my own posters.

AM: So other than touring and producing your own music, are there other musical disciplines that take up your time, teaching, writing?

MT: I don’t teach, there’s enough competition as it is. I’m a very slow writer. My songs come achingly slow, and it’s a very solitary process, the lines coming in little dribs and drabs. Most of it comes in the middle of the night or walking -seldom with a guitar in hand.The major part of my process occurs in my head and then on paper.The guitar only enters into the equation after the basics of the song are already fairly complete I know a lot of writers who are far more prolific than I am and have multiple songs in the works at any given moment. I know people that can do the writing-bycommittee thing where they get together for a couple hours once a week and crank it out with a couple other writers. I'm not that guy. If I knew how to summon inspiration, I would, but for me it's often a waiting game, working on one song at a time. I stay with it until it is finished, and it’s not finished until I like it.That means a single song will clog the pipe until I have finally wrestled it to the ground.

AM:Who do you listen to when you aren’t trying to write?

AM: So it’s 2003, 9 years back, and 77 El Deora isn’t quite born yet, what did the burdens of Maurice Tani look like then?

MT:Well, in 2003 my band at the time, a four-piece original honky tonk outfit called Calamity & Main was coming to the end of its service life and I’d just met Jenn Courtney. She and I had been hired to front a classic country band, which lasted less than a year, but we’d found a good rapport and vocal blend. I knew a good thing when I saw it. When the project ended I grabbed her and ran.That was the beginning of 77 El Deora.

AM: Once you did, what got better for you?

MT: Not so much“better”but new and different. Having Jenn as a muse and vocal sparring partner offered me an opportunity to write material from a new perspective and for a female voice. C&M had been a four-piece, testosterone-soaked/guitar-driven, two songwriter, double front man setup.A good band and a lot of fun, but subtlety was not our strong suit. Not that I yearned for an outlet for my sensitive side but once I started working with Jenn, it occurred to me that having a female voice to write for allowed me to address subject matter from a perspective that had seemed off limits to me previously. A woman can say things in song that a man can’t.And Jenn’s not a frail, girlish voice. She had a strong presence to back the words up.

AM:And what got worse?

MT: I went from a band that was a 4-guy, pretty much democratic operation, which

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MT: I like all kinds of stuff but for casual listening, these days it's usually in the car and usually something twangy, though not necessarily country. I listen to plenty of classic country, especially the California Buck/Merle School, California country-rock, Outlaw Waylon/Willie stuff, a lot of George Jones, Roger Miller etc., etc.There are certainly newer country artists I like, but they also seem to come from similar roots: Robbie Fulks, KD Lang, Brad Paisley, Dwight Yoakum, Mike Stinson.. I don't care for a lot of modern commercial country and I'm especially disgusted by the pandering,“us vs. them”,“we're the real deal” stuff that too common on the charts. I’m really enjoying the Marty Stuart television show. Great band and blend of country music styles. Personally, I could do without some of the religious material, but the truth is, while I have little interest in the lyrical content, I love the sound of gospel music in all its forms.

Craft-wise, I’ve certainly been influenced by singer/songwriters out of the pop genre: Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor.All very distinctive, if underrated guitar players, I might add AM: So that would cover musical influences, who would you say are your influences on clever?

MT: I suppose I have some of my father’s sense of humor but I suspect clever is as much environmental as genetic. I tend to like dry humor, dark humor. I think most of us have our taste pretty set between the time we hit puberty and when we lose our virginity. Most casual listeners seem most comfortable with the styles of music they were listening to back then.I don't have data points to back this up but I think the ever advancing oldies station/tribute band target demographics tend to bear this idea out.

When I was that age, maybe 14, there was an older kid in the next block. He was about 17 and was definitely the coolest guy I had ever met.He had his license,drove his folk's continued on page 28

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nell... continued from page 6

AM:What about your rise?

NR: I guess you know I sang in my car for 25 years! I'd say this is my mid-life crisis, this new life in music. The San Francisco Bay area has lots of gifted musicians, people are down to earth in this genre, they’re accessible. I met Laurie Lewis when I went to a neighborhood jam. I sat behind a potted plant, mortified that someone might speak to me. She sang with such passion and beauty. Later I googled her and I asked for a lesson. The next year she and Jim Nunally co-produced my first album. I was on fire, growing and learning, doing the album; it was a master class in singing. It’s humbling, you focus, you get intimate with every note. The first time I sang with Jim we worked out “I Walk the Line”. Jim performs with John Reischman & The Jaybirds and they backed me on a couple of tracks. They are a great band! Something magical happened singing with them, and they offered to back me on tour. I was so frightened in the studio! I asked for feedback, and Trisha Gagnon, the Jaybird’s bass player said“just keep on singing it like you are." I feel like a sponge, I soak up what I can. I am getting to know myself through music. My path has been forged by basically overcoming fears and trying to be brave, working hard, taking chances and knowing who I am - and saying yes, I think that's important. If someone opens a door for me, I don't hesitate, I run through it before it gets shut.

AM:Tell me about the yodeling; does anybody else in the family yodel?

So, How Ya Doin?

Got everything? Wallet? Chap Stick? Sunglasses? It’s the usual banter heard in our kitchen before we depart for most places. Up early I will often have a few cups of coffee in me before Bob is finished getting himself ready for the day. I really enjoy the quiet early morning hours. This summer it has been especially nice to sit out on our lower deck with my morning coffee just to get a break from the much appreciated air conditioning in the house.

Our departure this morning is for our favorite meal of the day, breakfast. We both really enjoy eating breakfast out. Today we are pointing my Rav 4 south to the town of Monroe,WI. I am eager as we are headed to Café Claudeen on 17th Avenue right on the beautiful downtown square. Over the past months we have become friendly with co-owner Ryan Wilson, who greets and takes orders in the early hours of the morning.

I have the oatmeal on my mind and am eager for the 20 minute drive to be complete.

Little did I know that this morning’s meal would be food both for my body and soul.

After opening the door and finding our booth, Ryan, a tall soft-spoken handsome man, came to our table to say hello. As he approached I asked him,“So, how ya doin?” Ryan paused for just a moment. His response literally changed my life. “Ecstatic with the joy of living!” was his response to that often offered phrase. I sat there stunned as the vibrations of his comment made its way from my eardrums to my heart. Then my heart just opened and a smile blossomed on my face. What a wonderful answer! I repeated the phrase all during our breakfast. My wonderful oatmeal tasted amazing that morning. What moved me so much was a combination of the care with which Ryan’s words were chosen and his internal decision to express himself in such a way as to set up his entire day to be,“ecstatic with the joy of living”. This man knew something about living life that I was ready to understand myself. The ancient and personally loved phrase “When the student is ready,the teacher will appear,”was playing itself out perfectly,and before breakfast even!

So folks, how ya doin?

On my long daily morning walks I spend time observing my thoughts. I don’t try to control or direct my thoughts; more just observe what is popping into my frame of mind as I move my body. This can be an enlightening experience. I have come to discover that the content of what I find myself thinking about and more importantly how I feel about it all is the launching pad from which my day is created. I used to think that my thoughts were larger than me,and I was more an observer of them not the creator of them. Heck, I did not really think about thinking about what I was thinking about, (did you follow that?) those thoughts were just, there! Or so I thought.

I have come to realize that my thoughts are truly my creations. My brain is wired to think and ask questions. I used to believe that my emotional responses came from a place beyond my control. I like this, I do not like that. Why? I just do/don’t, I figured.

While I am in no way knowledgeable in the field of psychology, I have observed, by my conscious decision to do so,that I have much more control of how my life feels and looks than I ever thought possible. So, my answer to the question “how am I doing” is very important. My response, either to another but much more importantly to myself, truly points to the outcome of any given moment, and my words are only half of the equation. How I feel is the real deal. How I feel is at the core of my creative process, meaning it is the clay with which I am shaping my life.

There are countless books and opinions about this subject, and I know why, because it is important! It is important because this is not something taught to us in our educational systems. We are mostly taught to respond to what we observe rather than create within ourselves how we want to feel. If I care more about how I feel than I do about how you feel about me, then I rarely am disappointed in you because I am not looking to you to make me feel good. I have taken care of that on my own. Sure we all have good and bad feelings within us. Both are important as without the contrast between them how I would I ever know what I prefer? I do have a choice about how

NR: Gosh no.Though I have learned that little Grandma played the banjo and danced and sang, and that one of my great-uncles could sing like Hank Snow! My mother has a beautiful voice, but I only ever heard her sing in church. No, my family are regular folks, we listened to a lot of different kinds of music growing up. And we were raised telling stories. I never felt I was good at it, the story telling that is, but it's an important part of my southern roots. My music has become my way to continue the story telling.

AM:Are you the songwriter in your albums?

NR:The first two have a mix of originals and traditional covers. But I am working on a new duo album with Jim Nunally, with mostly our originals, just a couple really special covers, one by Dolly and another by George Jones. Jim and I have been writing scads of songs, our perspectives compliment one another and keep things from getting too sweet or too edgy.

AM:Other than the memories of picking blueberries and shelling peas,what would you say your grandmothers left you with that’s most lasting?

NR: I am just naturally for the underdog, I root for the underdog, and they influenced me in that way.You know, family and taking care of each other,when someone’s in need you step in and help out.

They got involved. The family stories have become more and more important to me as I get older.They remind us where we come from. Also, sewing, quilting, knitting, all things my grandmother taught me. I have a quilt worked on by my great grandmother, my grandmother and my mother, it's a treasure.

AM:What do you wish everyone in the world knew about you?

NR: I don't know, I am just living my life the best I can. I’ve carried forward my devotion to causes into music. I’m so excited about what’s happening with my Soldiers Story show. The show brings authentic viewpoints from soldiers, Revolutionary War to present, including historical letters and stories from my and the other musicians' families; it’s a program that’s healing regardless of political stance.

There are a teeny tiny number of people bearing the brunt of the wars while we can go on with our daily lives. It's been a meat-grinder for some families. Everyone is touched by a veteran; we are surrounded by them and their families. It’s important that we make them visible and that we take good care of them. We can't forget about them. I can't tell you the number of people, from old veterans to pacifists to young soldiers just back from Iraq who have thanked us for the show and said it was a healing experience.

Many of them have stories they share with me, and some of those get into the show.

AM: What are some future goals for Nell Robinson? More CD’s coming out soon, touring…?

NR: Yes! I am very excited about the new duo album with Jim,“House & Garden”. We have some big plans for promoting that music. It's in the mixing stage now. It's very spare - just two voices and a guitar (a virtuoso guitar really, that's the third voice). No additives! We have also been invited to be filmed as part of a music series going up on national public television in 2013. The first half of the show will be me and Jim with our new music and then the Soldier Stories show. We are getting ready to record an album for Soldier Stories and are talking with some amazing producers about that. I've got more ideas than I have time...really, who would have thunk it?! 51 years old and feeling the best I have in my whole life.

Learn more about Nell at nellrobinsonmusic.com Story by:Anne Miller Photos and bio info. supplied by Tanya Pinkerton, Publicist & Owner of Bay Area Entertainment Listings Photo credits: Mike Melnyk

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The Dang-Its What’s in a name? Shakespeare asked his audiences four centuries ago, attempting to draw attention both to the evocative power of words and the constraints they place on us. More so than many contemporary artists,the five musicians that call themselves The Dang-Its share the Bard’s awareness of the double-edged nature of names.

realizing that if he was going to make a living at music, he was going to have to diversify his skills. Diversify he did;today about 40% of the group’s songs are originals,some of which were recorded inThe Dang-It’s 2006 album“Our Way,with considerably more to be featured on their upcoming release,“A Lick of Sense.”

From the unlikely origin of their name to their struggle to define the band’s genre, this cadre of Wisconsin musicians has for 15 years left a distinctive mark on the region’s Americana culture. Press any one of them for a description of the music they perform, they each answer differently— then equivocate.“Honky-Tonk,”bassist Pete Olig throws out;“Country,” founder Tom Waselchuk offers. “Western Swing,” Rick Nass, the band’s pedal steel guitarist, states confidently. It’s hard to distill one out of their myriad responses partly because of the images these labels evoke—and because this eclectic band moves fluidly from bluegrass to jazz to folk to classic country throughout their concerts.

Rick, a commercial artist for over 35 years, uses his synth pedal steel to mimic an amazing array of instruments, shouldering the group’s playlist into the orchestral. He credits the partnership he’s shared with Tom for many years and the creative freedom accompanying it for the band’s continual evolution and growth of its musicians, which have contributed significantly to the band’s success. “Tom can play anything,” Rick attests, and sets the bar high but with room for innovation.

Founded in 1998 by Tom, a Madison musician-songwriter, and Prairie du Sac artist Rick Nass,The Dang-Its have a venerable history as an ensemble. Like the post-World War I swing bands,The Dang-Its feature two lead vocalists— a dapper Tom and the dynamic Jami Lampkins - backed by a trio of musicians. The group christened themselves The Dang-Its when, after an unproductive session brainstorming for a name,Tom’s wife Dana stubbed her toe on a bedpost one morning and exclaimed “dang-it, that hurts!”

Struck by the whimsical quality of the word--which suits this troupe well--Tom and his bandmates donned their new moniker.

The band is rounded out by percussionist Mark Luhring, a graduate of UW-Madison’s School of Music whose credits include performing with Milwaukee’s popular Swing Nouveau, and Pete Olig, a well-established local electric bass guitarist who grew up playing stand-up bass at Madison West High School. Jami, a native of Las Vegas, joined the team in 2010 fresh from Nashville, replacing long-time vocalist Kristy Larson and later, Sheila Voss.

Covering music festivals and arts venues from Minnesota to Michigan,The Dang-Its have earned a well-deserved reputation as a class act, burnished by the quality of their musicianship, their intricate arrangements and lively performances.The Dang-Its’ fans have long enjoyed the band’s gypsy image and wide repertoire, from roots rock (“Daddy’s Cadillac”) to the rousing blues of Del McCoury. Simultaneously embracing and stylistically defying the label “country,” they play music more in line with Austin than Nashville--Lyle Lovett and Nancy Griffiths with a healthy dose of Louisiana (Lucinda Williams) and Chicago (John Prine) thrown in.

Tom, the only band member earning a living as a full-time musician, is the group’s manager and visionary. He picked up guitar at fourteen and took time off from college to perform with a variety of professional groups in the Madison and Green Bay areas. In 1978, he founded the well-known bluegrass band Stone Oak and shortly thereafter began studying jazz, influenced by the music of Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass and Django Reinhardt. “I’m a lifelong learner,”Tom says earnestly;“I want to try anything I can.”

The band members’ talent is evident in their approach to their work as well as their performances. Nass works the pedal steel unlike anyone I’ve seen, finessing the guitar’s voice into intimate conversation with the vocalists and other instruments. The ring of Olig’s electric bass flirts with calypso as often as it lays down rock and blues riffs. Luhring produces an equally diverse array of rhythm at the drums, moving lightly from swing into a loping trot for the “CowCow Boogie,” one of the band’s signature songs.

One enjoyable strength of The Dang-Its is the diversity of songs they perform and the accompanying challenges they give themselves in doing so.The sultry blues rundowns of Keb Mo’s “France” are given fresh touches of jazz percussion and accordion. The band’s interpretation of Gillian Welch’s“Wichita”sparkles with tight harmonies over an impeccably rendered guitar lead and the croon of pedal steel.

Jami’s addition has presented new opportunities for the band. She’s been singing and playing stand-up bass and banjo since she was twelve with her family band--and writing songs since she was a teen.“I wanted to be Patsy Cline,” she laughs—and has the voice to do so, though Patsy didn’t show the virtuoso skills Jami demonstrates. After college, Jami left for Nashville to launch her music career, competing for USA Network’s Nashville Star, and taking 11th place. Mentored by Gail Davies, an award-winning singer-songwriter, Jami spent a year playing lower Broadway, eventually realizing she’d learned enough from Nashville.

After researching Madison’s music scene and playing a few gigs“up north,”she decided to move her music career to Wisconsin.

Once in Madison, Jami signed up for swing guitar lessons with Tom—though after one session Tom confessed he didn’t think he could offer her anything she didn’t already know.That’s far from the truth,Jami claims;Tom’s been an avid co-writer and has helped her expand stylistically. In turn, Jami brings her own powerful persona to The DangIts on stage. “She’s brought everyone along with her fearlessness,” Rick says with admiration. “She’s willing to try anything.”

Each of these musicians has enjoyed a substantial musical career on their own, yet there’s a unique quality to The Dang-Its to which they’re all drawn. “The group makes me think differently,” Pete reflects,“Tom is a great arranger and the whole band is really conscious of what’s being played—it’s made me a better performer.” Each shows

The Dang-Its were created when, twenty years ago,Tom got serious about songwriting, continued on page 34

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Yahara Guitars

RICK RECALLS PAY- DIRT This is the second installment in our Rick Remembers (Pay-dirt) series.

I think I have some great tunes that will tickle your auditory nerve. I hope you find them interesting, fun, and maybe even a little inspirational. So fire up your youtube-a-tron, let’s begin.

Luthier Makes Beautiful Music In Spring Green I was recently having a phone conversation with a singer/songwriter friend of mine when he said something that amazed me.“I’m selling both of my Collings guitars so I can buy another Yahara.”“A what?’’ I said.“ A Yahara guitar.There’s a guy named Brian Fuller in Spring Green WI. making acoustic guitars, and he made a custom one for me. It’s really great, best sounding guitar I ever played!” It sounded like a subject for an article to me. So I went to the Yahara website, saw some beautiful guitars, read his bio and learned that Yahara meant “Catfish” in the Ojibwa language. I called him on the phone and the following day I was sitting at his dining room table interviewing him for the Americana Gazette.

RH: My friend told me that the guitar you built for him is incredible.The best sounding guitar he ever played.

BF: He’s a wonderful client.Working with him was a great exercise in what I love best about building acoustic guitars. Creating a personal relationship, listening to a customer’s needs, finding that “thing” that the client wants, and doing my best to build it into their guitar.

RH: Did you start out building acoustic guitars?

BF: No, my first guitar was electric and had two separate instruments on it.A set of drone strings with its own electronics, and a five string, three and a half octave bass neck for the main. It was experimental. But I was young and my client wanted something wacky and wild so we went for it. It actually turned out really well.After that I turned my attention to building acoustic guitars, which has been my main focus for the last ten years.

RH:Tell me about your guitars.

BF:This is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.The challenge is to make a living that will support a family.To that end I’ve developed a line of four models of acoustic guitars, the Brule, Erin, Dreadnought, and the Rio Grande or the Jumbo.Any one of these models can be modified to give the client what he wants. It’s all about the client’s needs.

LORRIE COLLINS (JUST FOR YOU) was one half of the brother/sister duoTHE COLLINS KIDS. She nails this 50’s rockabilly tune with a super vocal performance and a little of that 50’s nice girl/naughty girl THANG thrown in for good measure. Either this is pretty sexy or I’m just getting old. Probably both are true.

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON (BYE BYE BIRD) LIVE IN EUROPE. I think this live performance is absolutely magical and this piece of film from the sixties captures every nuance of this master’s genius. The voice, his vocal phrasing, and incredible harp performance were all captured.You can see every hand, finger, and mouth movement as he works his harp including the harp-in-the-mouth chittlin’circuit shtick at the end. Simple and pure, just the way I like it.This guy invented cool.

MARCI LEE and JOHNNY OTIS (CASTING MY SPELL ON YOU) I’ve always been a sucker for that Bo Diddley beat and I think this is just one fine record.The pseudo voodoo lyrics are too much.

This songs been done, and is still being done by a lot of people, most notably in my opinion, by Jeff Beck and Imelda May. Hey, can ten-thousand musicians be wrong?

And speaking of BO DIDDLEY, how ‘bout (DEAREST DARLING,) one of my all time favorite tunes.

Latin beat, tinkling blues piano, maracas, and one of his most powerful vocals. This tune is in my top twenty desert island list.

RH:Where do you get your wood?

BF: I get my wood from a variety of sources. I’ve recently found an excellent supplier here in Wisconsin, that has started to sell to smaller builders. It depends on the project.When I’m building guitars one at a time, that’s a specific thing, so the woods tend to be pretty unique. I buy those woods before the build, and let them season in the shop for a time while I’m gearing up.As far as production models are concerned, I wanted to have a good selection on hand.

DICKY LEE (NEVERENDING SONG OF LOVE) I’ve always loved this song. Listen to it once and you’ll sing it the rest of the day.And to me that is certainly one definition of great songwriting. Delany and Bonnie have a great version of this.

RH: How many builders are there now in the U.S. and, are they supportive of one another?

BF: Oh, I have no idea how many there are now.This is truly the golden age of guitar building.The luthier community is very supportive. New ideas and information circulate freely. Everyone is in it together and as a result acoustic guitars just keep getting better. It’s about helping out your brother instead of pushing down the other guy just to make a buck. I love it.

RH: May I play one of your guitars?

BF: Let’s go.

We went into a small room he uses to demo his guitars.Two of his electrics were exotic and beautiful, calling to me from their stands. But before I could reach for one, Brian handed me one of his acoustic models. I won’t tell you which model it was, but after a few minutes of playing I stopped and said,“my friend was right.This is the best sounding acoustic guitar I have ever played”.And I meant it.

Check out Brian Fuller’s website, yaharaguitars.com., to learn more about him and his guitars.And if you get an opportunity, make an appointment to play one.You will be glad that you did.

Written by: Rick Harris Photo supplied. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

DALE HAWKINS (DAREDEVIL) I can’t get enough of these guitar instrumentals. Built on a simple guitar riff with a pumpin’ piano. Simple wins again. And……….if your evening needs a little spicing up check out HAWKIN’S (TEENAGE DOLLY).The guy in this YouTube video has some messed up priorities for sure.

IAN and SYLVIA (WE SAIL) This fine tune is from the GREAT SPECKLED BIRD album. It’s an LP and song that holds great personal meaning for me.

When I first heard the song in 1970 I wrote a short passage taken from the lyrics onto the head of my banjo. It read,“the name of our ship is the new beginning and our sails are of a hopeful color, how can we sink when we can fly”. It’s still not a bad lyric for a troubled time.

Written by: Rick Harris

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My View of Americana Music Dan Baird & Warner E. Hodges

Patty Griffin

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Stars on the Water El Camino She’s a Waitress

Rodney Crowell Elizabeth Cook Five Chinese Brothers

The last thing that really hooks me to Americana Music and songs is the character of the performers. They are believable, hardworking, nice people. They take the time to connect with their fans and really appreciate them. They believe what they write and sing, and they are not afraid to speak out on social issues they believe in. Mostly though Americana artists and fans are respectful of each other. Something “big time” music tends not to be. Being a traveling Americana musician is a tough life. Much harder that being a cover band. The miles between shows and the sometime limited sized crowds that they play for can be very discouraging, yet Americana artists continue this life and path because the music is so strong in them they have no choice but to do so. I have talked to many artists over the last four years and the one thread that comes through time and time again is that they would not and could not do anything else at this time in their lives. They believe in what they are doing is important. This is what character is all about!

Lastly I want to talk about innovation in Americana music. Though the instrumentation in today’s music tends to be computer generated at times Americana music and musicians use real instruments in new and innovative ways. Different sounds from the standard way musicians use guitars,fiddles, banjo’,etc. Mixing styles and creating new rhythms and rhymes. Americana musicians tend to take the time to learn their instruments and not use them as stage props. It may be a fiddle but in the hands of masters like Carrie Rodriquez, Sara Watkins, or Fats Kaplin the fiddle becomes a new instrument. The same with percussion instruments on stage. A single bass drum or a tambourine on a bass drum pedal can make a statement in the right song. Innovation in song structure and the use of voicing and harmonies in Americana music is unlike anything today. Though not new in songs the way they are used and phrased is what makes it innovative.

Americana music is truly today the last remaining music form that encompasses the art of storytelling and fine playing. As I mentioned earlier mini-novels set to music is the best way to describe Americana Music today. Like a Faulkner short story telling the hidden truths and whispered rumors of the American landscape Americana Music is the truest representation of fine art in America today.

Written by:Andy Ziehli

Tim Carroll & Jim Gray

Tommy Womack & Will Kimbrough

In today’s music world there are basically two kinds of musical acts, the originals and the copycats. Now that can be said just about everything in American society today.

In music though it happens there seems to be a larger share of copycats. Every time someone has a hit, every record label runs out to find or puts together a group that is just like the “big thing,” and hopes to catch some of the fire of that act for their own.

Just look at your local Craigslist for musicians. Most of the ads are for cover and tribute bands. Innovation and originality are very hard things to find in today’s top music acts and airplay. That’s why I really like Americana Music and the acts that fall into that roots music style. Now I’m not saying that Americana music is all that original or innovative all the time, but boy there are sure a lot more acts that are than anywhere else in music today.

First Americana Music goes back to the well where it redefines,refilters and refines the things that first attracted me to music, great vocals, instrumentation, song structure, and character. Vocals don’t have to be “pretty”but they need to be believable. I don’t care what you say, but putting a Cowboy hat on a pretty boy’s head does not make him a believable singer like they do on Music Row. Pitch correction is a necessary evil in today’s recording studios because record labels sign artists on looks first, singing talent is way down the list. Slightly out of pitch and gravely voices singing great songs are still a treat to hear. Americana has that along with some of the very best vocals you’ll ever hear like the Trisha’s, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris,The Civil Wars, Rosanne Cash,Townes Van Earl, Eric Brace,The Good Intentions,Avett Brothers, Elizabeth Cook, Dan Baird and the list goes on. The thing about these folk’s vocals is that they are believable. They sound the same singing in your living room as they do on the CD or concert stage. They are the real deal!

Instrumentation in Americana music is the best of the best. You have pickers like Fats Kaplin,Warner E. Hodges, Kenny Vaughan,The Avett and Punch Brothers, Lloyd Green, Tim Carroll, Bones Hillman, Paul Griffith,Will Kimbrough, Dustin Welch, Kevin Gordon, Marty Stuart, and many others who are masters of their instruments. They may not all be the fastest or flashiest players, but they are masters of style, texture, and tone.They find new and innovative ways to bring forth the 12 notes that they are limited with to create whole new sounds and melodies. Even the simple rhythm guitar strumming that fills the stage like players Emmylou Harris,Steve Earl,and Jamie Wilson play speaks volumes of the talent that Americana music has. The chords alone strummed on an acoustic guitar sounds like a full band in the right song.

This brings us to song structure. Americana songs are well crafted works of art. They are stories that everyone can connect too. You can picture in your mind’s eye and in your heart the characters and what they are going through. Like fine mini-novels Americana songs are a tapestry of life and dreams today. For an example here are five great Americana songs that you can listen to and will instantly be able to form a picture in your mind of what is going on in the song.

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Tear Stained Eye Mother of Invention

Son Volt The Trisha’s

tani... continued from page 24

glossy black Dodge 440 convertible to school, had a girlfriend that I thought was the sexiest woman I had ever been near,was in a band and owned a gold metalflake Fender Jaguar and a Super Reverb amp. He wasn't really a tough guy but something of a bad boy in the neighborhood and so I downplayed my relationship with him to my parents, but for some reason, he took a liking to me and let me hang around. He taught me some guitar chords and would practice his leads while I played rhythm.He'd let me tag along to his band practices and helped me with countless social/cultural skills.Things like how to not look like an idiot around girls and what was hip.Essentially street skills.

Stuff you generally have to find out the hard way as a kid.To this day, I still think just about everything he showed me is still cool. I know I still love the sound of Fender guitars and amps.

AM: So how’d a nice guy like you get so noir?

MT:What interests me is tension and release. One of my favorite things about country (and folk-based) music is that, among modern pop music genres, it uses linear lyrical form.You can scramble the verse order in many pop songs and the song still works because each verse can stand alone and take you back to a recurring hook. But in a linear format, verses often progressively illuminate more of the idea the writer is trying to get across. Rearrange the verses, and you’ll give the plot away.Take a song like “He Stopped Loving Her Today”. By the time you get to the end of the song, the title means something unexpected. It's like striptease -a slow reveal that holds my attention. It can be dramatic or funny,romantic or even abstract but it's that tension and release as story line develops and the listener has to wonder where it is leading.Tension.That’s what interests me.

AM:What do you think most people in the world need to know that they don’t seem to?

MT: Hmm. Deep question for a guitar player. Here's what I think:We're all in this together. Life on every scale consists of larger and smaller units , cells, organs, individuals, families, species, ecosystems... and in general they all function individually in support of the greater whole. Cells working together make organs function. Organs make the body function. It's an interdependent system that goes all the way up to the planet's ecosystem. I don't see any reason why we should assume our role as humans would be any different than that of the cells that make us up or the larger systems we make up.We are the universe contemplating itself.We are no more individual than our own cells are from each other. If there is a common purpose to every unit of life, it is to support the larger unit to which we belong.We're here to grease the wheels. Our highest role should be to support each other for the good of everyone.That role manifests in countless ways every day, from acts of unusual heroics to simple, common acts of excellence and kindness. Doing the right thing does count.

You don’t often find generous and cool together in the same guy, but if you met Maurice Tani, you’d find them together in him.

Story by:Anne Miller Photos supplied. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

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Stella Parton How many of you folks have heard of Stella Parton? Well, if you haven’t you need to check her out at www.stellaparton.com. Stella is a singer, songwriter, actress, author and motivational speaker – yes, the lady wears many hats and is a very talented lady.

At the age of five, Stella learned her first song and was debuted on radio and television by the time she was nine. She always loved to entertain an audience. When I had the chance to visit with her, I was intrigued by her story and her accomplishments in life.

Stella is a real compassionate person and a real inspiration to women as you will find out as you read through my interview.

Joyce: Well said. Anything you want fans to know about you or any question you wished someone would ask you in an interview?

Stella: Well, I am really much more shy than people realize. And without the fans, we wouldn’t have a career and I am grateful for them!! And as far as any question I wished a reporter would ask, I can’t think of any. There are some questions that I wish they would stop asking. (we laugh)

Joyce: Good morning Stella. What’s the weather like in Nashville today?

Joyce: Thank you for talking with me Stella. Good luck in your future endeavors. Anything good I can send you from Wisconsin? Cheese, sausage, honey, chocolate?

Stella: Hello Joyce. It is 88 degrees with cumulus clouds. Beautiful day.

Stella: I do love my chocolate.Thank you Joyce.

Joyce: Let’s talk a little about your career.

Joyce: Well, chocolate it is then!!!

Stella: Well, I can’t really remember anything but singing. We started out singing in church. We also sang at home. Dad’s people and Mother’s people were all musicians and so relatives came around and we’d swap around the guitar and sing some songs, some church limericks and some old folks songs. That’s just what everybody did.

Check out Stella Parton at www.stellaparton.com Story by: Joyce Ziehli Photos supplied.

Joyce: Just part of your normal life then?

SONGS Stella: Yea, we called it making up songs since we were little kids. Seemed like the normal thing to do and it just went on from there.

Joyce: Stella, do you play any instruments?

Stella: I play guitar, string instruments – mountain instruments mostly. The dulcimer, auto harp, banjo and mandolin. I’m not a great musician, but I have been able to play rhythm enough to write songs.

Joyce: How many CD’s have you recorded to date?

Stella: I have 26 CD’s out. You can get 16 of them from CD Baby. I have been recording since I was a young girl and I try to put out an album every couple of years.

Joyce: Tell me about being a motivational speaker and an author.

Stella: Last June I put out my book,“Tell It Sister,Tell It”-- an inspirational memoir which is available on Amazon.com and the audio version will be available on CD Baby soon.

I speak often at Women’s conferences and have been doing this for a long time. I do a lot of work with women and children’s shelters. I saw quite a need for this and I have experience in this, so I thought why not? I really enjoy it and I feel like I bring hope to other people. I go all over the world to do this.

Joyce: What are some future goals that you might have?

Stella: I want to keep touring, writing books and writing and performing. I have a film coming out soon. I want to keep on being creative and keep my career alive. I am also working on a new album and another book.

Joyce: What about hobbies, a bucket list? Anything interesting on that?

Stella: I like to hike. I just got back from a trip where I hiked the Medicine Trail and water falls until I couldn’t fight the bugs off any more. I do plan to do a jump from an airplane this summer. I want to keep on performing and bringing my messages of hope to the women and children.

Joyce: Good luck on that. I think your work with women and children’s shelters is wonderful. Any message or words of advice to new young artists?

Stella: Thanks Joyce. Practice, practice, practice. Believe in yourself and take whatever opportunities are available. Don’t wait for another to come along, as it might not.

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Ragged Angel (Gospel) I Want To Hold You In My Dreams Ode To Olivia You've Crossed My Mind I’m Not That Good At Goodbye Standard Lie Number One Undercover Lovers Steady As The Rain I'll Miss You Cross My Heart Legs Up In The Holler Smooth Talker Amazing Grace (Gospel) Virtuous Woman Tell It Sister Tell It

Try Him You'll Like Him (Gospel) It's Not Funny Anymore The Mood I'm In Neon Woman (duet with Carmol Taylor) The Danger Of A Stranger Four Little Letters Stormy Weather Room At The Top Of The Stairs Young Love I Don't Miss You Like I Used To Picture In A Frame I Draw From The Well (Gospel) Keep On The Firing Line (Gospel) This Little Light Of Mine Medley (Gospel) Family Ties

AWARDS Alabama Country and Gospel Music Hall of Fame Entertainer of the Year 2006 Alabama Country and Gospel Music Hall of Fame Album of the Year 2006 American Old-Time Country Music Hall of Fame 2006 (Inductee) CCMA Female Vocalist 2004 CCMA Mainstream Country Artist 2003/Nomination CCMA Mainstream Country Artist 2002 CCMA Video Of The Year 2002/Nomination Songwriter Of The Year 2002/Nomination CCMA Mainstream Country Artist 2001/Nomination Summerfest Country Female Vocalist & Entertainer 2001 Tennessee Democratic Chairman’s Award 2001 ICMAG Bluegrass Award 2001/Nomination I Want To Hold You In My Dreams Tonight (ASCAP AWARD)/Songwriter It's Not Funny Anymore (ASCAP AWARD)/Recording Artist Stormy Weather (ASCAP AWARD)/Recording Artist New Artist Of The Year (RECORD WORLD)/Nomination Most Promising International Act (GBCM AWARD) Most Promising Female Vocalist (ACM AWARD)/Nomination Finalist For New Female Vocalist (MUSIC CITY NEWS AWARD)/Nomination Finalist for Top Female Vocalist (MUSIC CITY NEWS AWARD)/Nomination

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simo... continued from page 8

JD: Yes I was. It was a great place to grow up in. Lots of culture and cool ethnic neighborhoods. You had no choice but to absorb everything you were exposed to.

I left Chicago when my father retried. He had always wanted to move the family out west so when I was 11 years old we moved to Phoenix. My father was 50 years old when I was born. It was his second family so I had siblings that were much older than me and had grown up in the 60’s and 70’s.

AG: Did you start playing in bands in Phoenix?

JD: I did. Before that I would put on little concerts and shows for the family and close friends, but in Phoenix I got into bands that played out and made money. I was obsessed with performing at an early age, but at 11 how does one go about doing it.

I just started sitting in with people and my folks were kind enough to take me places I could do that. Eventually I put together a little band in my early teens and started getting my own gigs. I think I was about 12 or 13 when I did that. It was about that time that I knew that being a guitar player was what I wanted to do the rest of my life. Once you get paid really well the first time you really think hard about it and say “wow” I could do this forever! After that it did not take too long for me to become disenchanted in anything else. That led to a very common story of dropping out of High School and hitting the road. I didn’t even make it through the first semester of my sophomore year. I went on the road and played in a bunch of bands including one of my own. I just lived in a van from age 15 until I was 20. I was a Gypsy.

AG: How did you end up in Nashville?

JD: I just hit the wall. I was having a lot of fun but not really getting anywhere. I knew I had to get to a place where I at least had a chance of starting a career that went somewhere. It was either Austin or Nashville. Austin was the best place I had ever played in and I was really leaning on moving there. A friend of mine said Nashville had more opportunities so I came here. It was heartbreaking and tough at first, but I was soon able to make a living playing here so it was the right choice. The darkest period of my life was the first eight or nine months I was here. I was starving here. I had no money and I was soon to be homeless when a break came through. So I didn’t have to leave and things worked out fine.

AG: Had you ever played Classic Country before you came to Nashville?

JD: No not at all. Not even close. That’s not to say I was not a fan of it. I’m a fan of many types of music and listen to a whole bunch of different stuff continually. There are definitely kinds of music I prefer over others. What it comes down to is emotional content. If something is expressing emotion to me I’m all for it. I have a very low threshold for lightweight art in general especially music. If it does not have substance to it what good is it? Having said that I was a fan of Classic Country. I had been exposed to it in my travels and enjoyed it.

searching for. I had found the grail! Over the months after that the band really took shape. We all write together and create everything for the show together. We are a team and friends!

AG: So what is the future holding for Simo?

JD: We have a bunch of bookings coming up. We are ready to make another record.

The first one we made is available for sale. It was made at the inception of the band and we are in such a different place right now I can’t wait to get going on the new one. It is a good introduction to Simo. We have just demoed so many new songs and keep writing songs that we need to push this new effort to the forefront and get it recorded.

AG: Warner Hodges speaks quite highly of you and your band.

JD: Warner and Deb are great people. They along with Dan Baird have been such a great help to me with my career and just living here in Nashville. They are truly the best. I always get such positive energy whenever I’m around them.

AG: Let’s get to the Guitar Techie part of the interview.What’s your favorite guitar and amp combo?

JD: That’s pretty easy. I’ve got my 1962 ES 335 that is my baby. I sleep with it next to my bed at night. It’s the first thing I do when I get up, I play it. I’m not usually attached to things, but this guitar has me hooked! For an amp an old Marshall. I have the access to so many cool different amps through my friends that getting the perfect amp and bottom is fairly easy for me. My favorite one is on loan to me. It is a 1967 100 watt head. My guitar and this amp together are out of this world. For a bottom I have this old 69 basket weave cabinet and a straight cab to go with it.

That’s all I need. I’m not a pedal guy or an amp switching guy. Just the basics are all I need. I use the volume and tone knobs to get my sound. If you got a good guitar and amp you can make it sing the way you want it too. It just takes time and practice trying different settings. It’s not the instrument, amp, or effects that make the music, it’s you. They are just tools.

AG: What was your first electric guitar?

JD: I still have it. It’s a little travel guitar. I don’t know the brand. It’s white and has one pickup and a volume knob. I got it when I was five or six. A regular electric guitar was bigger than me!

AG: I’ve got some names of great guitar players here. Let me get your first thoughts on them.

JD: Go ahead!

AG: Tommy Bolin JD: Reckless AG: James Burton JD: Tele

AG: There is a huge difference in what you do with Don Kelly and your band Simo.

How do you as an artist make that switch?

AG: Joe Walsh JD: Crazy

JD: That’s a really good question. I don’t really make a switch. Let me say this. Right now I don’t make a switch. In the past I did. In my musical evolution I have learned to treat them the same. I use different equipment in the two bands, but my mind set and playing is the same. Styles and techniques are different, but goals and mindset again is the same. The music is different and that requires different tools. My goal for both of them is the same, is to emote. I don’t really think about it anymore. I dress the same. I come to each gig with the same amount of preparedness. That’s just me being me.

AG:Warner Hodges

AG: So tell me how Simo came about.

JD: Bad Ass

JD: That’s a long story so I’ll condense it for you. Ever since I moved to Nashville I didn’t have the idea to become a sideman. I wanted to have my own band and music. I had my eye on artistry. Ever since I moved here I tried a million different things to be my own boss and play my music. Nothing seemed to work out or last.

It has been a long experimental process. I gave up trying to put something together. I said that if something is to happen it will and let it be at that. Right around that time I got a Facebook message from Frank Swart about getting together. It just said “do you want to get together?” I had been a fan of his for years, so I was excited that he wanted to play. He booked this gig at a little club with Adam Abrashoff the drummer. We did not rehearse, have a song list, or discuss what we were going to play. We just showed up and jammed for three hours straight free form. I thought I’d jammed in the past, but I never experienced that in the past. I never experienced the art of it before. We in the band call it “letting go of the rope.” We played in 20 different keys and time signatures, we played loud and quite, fast and slow, and everything you could imagine. When we finished I had a religious experience. It was like someone went inside me and flipped a switch. I knew this is what I was

AG: Porter Mclister

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AG: Luther Perkins JD: Boom Shika AG: Clarence White JD: Innovator AG: Roy Nichols JD: Stranger

JD: Funky AG:Tim Carroll JD:Very Funky AG: JD Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me. It was a pleasure and a gas!

JD: Thank you and the same back at ya!

Story by: Andy Ziehli Photos supplied by JD.

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CD Review

Jason Heath and the Greedy Souls ♪♪♪♪♪ Packed for Exile • Still Small Recordings • Americana

Wow! Packed for Exile is a treat! Not your Daddy’s Americana at all; no it’s a cross between Mumford and Son, Five Chinese Brothers and John Cougar. I love the accordion and the great arrangements on Packed for Exile. This is a fun CD to listen to filled with excellently crafted songs and arrangements.

I can’t get over how many fantastically good CD’s I have heard this year and Packed for Exile is right up there with the very best of them. It’s nice to hear songs that are earthy and poppy at the same time. This is a CD that you could pop in your player at any time and instantly feel better after one song. California Wine is a great example of a well-crafted and arranged song. So is Sacred Geometry.Truth Rag is a nice changeup to the common fare we all get deluged with on the radio today. Simple instrumentation and vocals, that’s all you need. I love this CD! The CD has 14 songs to it and all of them are great songs. Jason and the boys should be very proud of this CD! I would love to see them live. Guys don’t change what you do for anything. You’re original and that is very cool! Go out and buy this CD. You will not regret it!

Review by:Andy Ziehli

Jon Dee Graham ♪♪♪♪♪ Garage Sale • Top Hat Recorders Jon Dee Graham’s motto could well be,“Be Brave”. It seems to both suit him as a person, and is also what he conveys in his music and performances.The phrase/point comes across loud and clear in the legendary Austin singer/songwriter/guitarists newest release, ‘Garage Sale’.

Don’t let the title or the cover art sway you.This is neither a collection of demos or of previously released songs (as the title might infer), nor a one-off bootleg (as the plaintive cover art could suggest). It is a collection of new songs, (with the exception of ‘O Dearest One’,revisited as a duet with Erin Ivey),recorded at various intervals atTop Hat Recorders.Done so with a cast of friends collectively called‘The Panda Collective’(various Panda’s at various times), the disc sometimes tackles familiar themes, both musically and (especially) lyrically in the JDG cannon.

Which is not to say that Graham ever plays it safe or by formula. In fact,‘Garage Sale’ may well be his most musically adventurous album to date.Take “Unafraid”, the opening track, which starts off with a prominent ‘churchy’ organ riff, a surprise given Jon Dee’s guitar hero status.The gospel tinged piano featured in “Bobby Dunbar”, (in fact the use of“up-front”mixed keyboards throughout).Or the electronic mayhem that cascades throughout the album closer “Radio UXTMAL (Vencermo’s)”. Each song crafted to give a desired effect.

And it has always been the songs that have been Graham’s forte.A true songsmith-a massive hook here, a stunning chorus there, he invests each song with a combination of lyrical imagery and promise, and a musical dexterity-sometimes muscular and hard, sometimes brittle and poignant-that allows the listener into his world.The sonic surprises, coupled with Grahams wolfish’ (Howlin’ variety), vocals, and lyrics that eventually lead to promise and hope, give each song an edginess that has always been a JDG hallmark.And the 11 songs on ‘Garage Sale’ run this gamut.The glorious hopeful pop of “Just Like That” and “Orphans Song” to the blasting rock of “Where Were Yr Friends” to the dark, mood density of “Collapse”, and even a lap steel instrumental (think “Sleepwalk”),“#19”. It is this combination of styles and the authority displayed on them, which makes “Garage Sale” such a joy to hear with each listen.

The front cover of the album proclaims “Great Stuff!” with an arrow pointing you to check out what’s inside.And it’s true.The album closer-the low rider funk of the afore mentioned“Radio UXTMAL (Venceremo’s)”- might well be the most atypical thing Graham has recorded.You can almost envision Jon Dee cruising with the top down, stereo blaring, heading into the horizon. And the last glimpse you have is of the “Be Brave” bumper sticker on the back of his ride.

Rachel Burge ♪♪♪♪♪ Don’t You Worry About Me • Independent Release Bluegrass Rachel Burge is one fine Bluegrass mandolin picker and singer! I first met Rachel at Tom T. and Miss Dixie Hall’s recording studio last fall. She was there working on a Daughters of Bluegrass recording session. I was impressed then and I’m really impressed after hearing Don’t You Worry About Me! Rachel’s voice is clear and mellow so it really shines on these 12 recordings of which she wrote seven of them.

Don’t You Worry About Me is filled with classic style Bluegrass songs like you would hear at festivals and gatherings throughout the South, not the highbred city bluegrass way too many of us are exposed to through TV and bar bands. This CD is the real McCoy! I enjoy real Bluegrass and this CD satisfies that itch in every way. Rachel’s voice is a wonderful experience to listen to. It’s not harsh or shrilly, it’s perfect. Her songwriting ability is top-notch as is her wonderful mandolin playing.

The songs on this CD are a wonderful mix of Rachel’s own songs and a couple of traditional songs like East Tennessee Blues and Stephan Fosters Hard Times Come Again No More. My favorite cuts are the Gospel Tinged Get On My Knees, Cost For Loving You (love the chord changes), Sorrowful Angels, Nothing’s Changed, Daybreak in Dixie (great picking here), and Rainy Days.

This is a wonderfully crafted CD filled with excellent songs. Rachel Burge is worth searching out to see and hear. It’s great to see that young musicians are still out there learning to master instruments and write and record honest true music today. No studio tricks here, just honest to God music, that’s played and sung the way music should be. Go buy this CD if you love music, not just Bluegrass but honest to goodness music.

You won’t be sorry!

Review by:Andy Ziehli Photo by:Alexandra Debar

Rob Baird ♪♪♪♪♪ I swear it’s the truth • Carnival Recording Company Texas Americana Rob Baird is aTexas songwriter performer who is the real deal! This guy can write, sing, and play! He wrote or co-wrote eight of the tracks on I swear it’s the truth. His style is reminiscent of Charlie Robison. It’s gritty and real in your face music. His voice is gravely and hard edged. I like this guy and this CD! The songs on I swear it’s the truth are mini movies put to music. You can shut your eyes and become the characters in his songs,which I like. No fancy gimmicks or whitewashing the truth here. Texas is a magical place or it seems to us northerners when it comes to fantastically great songwriters and musicians. It’s Oz and Baird is a great representation of the traditions and the future of Texas musicians.

My favorite songs on the CD are Dreams and Gasoline, Along the Way, Same Damn Thing, Black and Blue, hell I love all of them! There is not a bad song here. As a“critic” of recorded music I look for depth in the writing, the hook, honesty, and that special thing that makes me want to listen to a CD over and over again. I swear it’s the truth has all of those points and more. It’s well recorded and the arrangements scream talent.

Rob Baird should and deserves a long and successful career if he keeps creating fantastic music like he has here. I swear it’s the last time is a winner! One of the best I’ve heard this year. Rock on Rob! Review by:Andy Ziehli SETH WALKER ♪♪♪♪♪ TIME CAN CHANGE • ROE RECORDS There are many roads in Americana music,pop,rock,soul and country, just to name a few. Judging from his new CD, any road Seth Walker takes is colored blue, and that’s alright with me.This guy’s delivery is smooth as ice and twice as cool.And I know I’ve said it before, but……………this stripped down sound thing just keeps on workin’. Hey, if you’ve got good tunes and a good band and a good voice, no worries! Right?

My favorite song is “In The Mean Time”, a classic soul ballad. Great tune and his performance is so…………..right! This CD is lean as a bean, blue and clean. No screamin’ guitars or thunder drums.The tunes don’t pound at the door.They slip under it, like smoke after midnight.Seth Walker has it together.Tasty,tasty,tasty.If you like your Americana blue, this CD is for you.

Review by: Rick Harris

For more info/purchasing go to www.jondeegraham.com Review by: Mark Gerking

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The Trishas ♪♪♪♪♪ “High, Wide, & Handsome” • The Trishas Music Americana I heard this CD was going to be released in August, but I could not wait. Having boughtTheTrishas EP and downloaded it when it came out in 2010, I was instantly hooked. High,Wide, and Handsome is one of the top five CD’s I have ever heard! Let me repeat that High, Wide, and Handsome is one of the top five CD’s I have ever heard! You could not get this CD away from me with a gun!

The Trishas are a four piece band out of Austin,Texas. Jamie Wilson, Kelly Mickwee, Liz Foster, and Savannah Welch are four of the most talented songwriters this side of anywhere. All of them play instruments and all sing. There is not a loafer in the bunch! You will never hear harmonies like these ladies sing. The closest music I can compare is Emmylou Harris, Fayssoux McLean, and Rodney Crowell on the early Emmylou Records.

These ladies are that good!

The CD is 14 songs long and there is not a bad one in the bunch. They are mini novels, heartfelt ballads,ballsy bar songs,and the best Americana you’ll ever hear. With the help of co-writers John Eddie,Evan Felkner,Natalie Hemby,Bruce Robison,Jason Eady,Brandy Zdan, Dustin and Kevin Welch, Owen Temple, Stephen Simmons, and Jim Lauderdale the Trishas have set the bar very high. My favorite songs on the CD are Mother of Invention, Strangers,Liars & Fools,Over ForgivingYou and Rainin Inside.Each song on this CD is filled with great lyrics, character, melody, and some top notch guitar playing by Kenny Vaughan.

As you can see I can’t say enough good things about High,Wide, and Handsome. The Trishas have set a mark that other Americana acts will have to strive to equal. With the late summer touring season upon us make sure you go out and see the Trishas live, but first order this CD right now!!! If there is one shred of dignity left on Music Row somebody sign these gals and give them the ability to reach the masses. If four beautiful women who can sing and play like these ladies don’t deserve a shot at the brass ring, nobody does!

Sleepy Driver ♪♪♪♪♪ In a low dark light • Black Bell • Americana/Rock Sleepy Driver is a top notch band from Canada, New Brunswick to be exact. Led by multi-talented Peter Hicks,Sleepy Driver rocks and rolls utterly fantastic songs on In a low Light. The mature themes and song structures shows the true talent of these fine musicians.

I was hooked on Sleepy Driver the first time I heard them on their Debut CD released a couple of years ago. They’ve upped their game here.

In a low light is a rockier CD than their previous release, but that’s okay. Sometimes you just gotta rock! Hicks wrote all the songs on the CD. He is a very accomplished writer and producer. The songs are solid and catchy. Lot’s of cool hooks here, both instrumentally and verbally. Silver backed dog is a great example of Hick’s writing style that is different yet familiar in the way he connects all the dots. Great instrumentation and story with a quirky title. Not what one would expect from the title. Tractor Trailer is another example of this. He said her name is a sad sad song that does not have sad sad music. Hicks is a master at this. Sending a message not in a subtle way,but in a way that draws you in to his characters and you can sympathize with them. Down Down Down is my favorite cut on this CD. It’s a rocking song that made me tap my foot from start to finish. I especially loved the cool piano lead. Great sound, a cross between a dirty Wurly and a funky Rhodes!

All the members of Sleepy Driver are top notch world class musicians. Ethan YoungLai Guitar, Mike Hateway Bass, John Heinstein Keys, and Barry Hughes Drums are some of Canada’s best. It’s too bad we can’t get them to come down here and play some shows, I know they would Rock! Hey Nashville let them in!

Sleepy Driver and In a low dark light are fine examples of the great music being made today by guys and gals who are not “young and sellable”. These guys can and will sell big-time numbers with the addition of In a low dark light to their catalog. Go find this CD and buy it! I order you too. There’s more to Canada than Celine Dion. Sleepy Driver might and should be their next big export!

Review by: Andy Ziehli

Review by:Andy Ziehli Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys ♪♪♪♪♪ Back at the Quonset Hut • Ramseur Records • Country

The Hard Road Trio: Monticello ♪♪♪♪♪ Desert Night Music Produced by: James McLaughlin and the Hard Road Trio

Chuck Mead is one of the true prevailors of authentic Country Music today. He lives and breathes the real thing! His past band BR-549 were true Country pickers unlike the flavor of the day CMT/Top 40 Country musicians. Mead is a fine picker and singer and it really shows on Back to the Quonset Hut. For those of you who don’t know what the Quonset Hut was, it was Owen Bradley’s recording studio in the late 50’s and early 60’s where Country Music history was made.

This CD is a tribute to that time and great music.

Monticello is a superbly plucky bluegrass collection. Steve Smith's mandolin along with guest Nate Lee's fiddle and guest Bill Evan's banjo are the foundation of these great Americana songs.This "collective voice" of three song-writers (Smith, Saunders and Luna) and thirty years of performing truly captures a sound raw and alive. Vocals from Chris Saunders and Anne Luna on this record almost flirt with an indigo-girls-esque set of harmonies, but build a sweeter tension in the melodies. Then the tension subsides with a smattering of all instrumental tunes thrown in for good measure.

This CD has everything from Roy Acuff tunes to Del Reeves truck driving songs. Each wonderfully redone in the original’s footprint with Mead’s accents and skills added in.

The steel guitars whine and the electric picking sings just like in the heyday of Country Music in Nashville.

The album titled for the town in New Mexico in which it was recorded leaves me feeling the hot dry landscape of New Mexico. Favorites are sure to be "Best of Intentions", "Family Secrets" and mine: "My Walden". This trio has done a great job of blending their roots of jazz, country and modern chamber music in a crisp, solid offering I'll go to again and again!

My favorite cuts are Wabash Cannonball,Hey Joe,Apartment # 9,Sittin andThinken,and Girl on the Billboard. Mead had other “purists” playing on this CD with him. Bassist Mark Miller, Martin Lynds on drums, Carco Clave on pedal steel, Chris Scruggs on lap steel and guitar, and Wes Langlosis on guitar. All fine pickers who also love the old pure country music.

This CD is a fantastic addition to any collection,especially if you miss the old songs and the way they sounded through your old AM radio. The recordings are excellent, the sound superb. Chuck Mead did a mighty fine job 0n this CD. He’s great in concert too!

I’ve seen him play a couple of times in Nashville and he is one fine picker and singer.

So listen to the cows come home and then turn it up for them too. Back at the Quonset Hut is a masterpiece in style and grace. My hat’s off to you Chuck Mead! One of the really good guys!

Review by:Andy Ziehli Todd Fritsch - Up Here In The Saddle ♪♪♪♪♪ Saddle Up Records • Produced by Butch Baker Up Here In The Saddle beckons every boy and every girl in every honky tonk in any town, USA.This collection of tracks written by the likes of Kent Blazy, Dean Dillon and Scott Emerick and artfully produced by Butch Baker plays like the top of the country charts.

Fritsch is a true entertainer- beckoning me off my stool with boot tip-a-tappin'-fore-I-even hit the dance floor.This album makes a country music fan out of anybody.

Todd Fritsch claims it was a "true honor" to sing the title track duet with Dean Dillon seconded only by the delight it is to hear them sing it. "My kind of Crowd" and "Calls I haven't made" are both bound to be hits, and all the songs make you dance or make you think.This contemporary collection of country greats is an outstanding 5th effort from Todd Fritsch. Download this album quick and put it in every shuffle in the pod!

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Review by:Anne Miller Jimbo Mathus ♪♪♪♪♪ Blue Light • Style: Blues-Americana Big Legal Mess Records This CD is filled with some fine country-blues from Jimbo Mathus, a grass-roots Mississippi musician who has spent some time in Gold Record territory. Back in the 1990’s Mathus was the lead singer and driving force behind the Squirrel Nut Zippers, a North Carolinabased southern jazz band that played the second inauguration of President Bill Clinton, the Prairie Home Companion radio show, and won a Gold Record in 1997 for the album,“Hot.” By the end of the 1990s, however, the Zippers were beginning to run their course, and Mathus returned to Mississippi and opened a recording studio in Clarksdale, his hometown. Clarksdale is also, of course – and not coincidently – home of the Delta Blues Museum, celebrating the heart of Mississippi music.

Mathus was raised on that music, the blues with a healthy dose of gospel and country, and everything he plays – even his jazz with the Squirrel Nut Zippers – has been stamped by a kind of hard-edged fusion.That is certainly true of his recently released CD,“Blue Light,” which is Mathus at his best. My favorite cut is “Burn the Honky Tonk,” which sounds like a mixture of Robert Johnson and Hank Williams Sr., as he blasts his way through the wail of a steel guitar:“Oh dark angel of the night, please take me home.”This is down-home lonesome music with a toughness that always comes with the blues, and Mathus delivers it all with an energy that’s rooted in rock ‘n’ roll, as if the ghost of Elvis is in there somewhere. If you’ve never listened to Mathus before, this CD is a good place to start. I’d be hard-pressed to name another performer with a deeper understanding of the roots and soul of Americana music.

There are only six songs here and I wish there were more, but this is good stuff. If you like the blues, or for that matter, if you like country or rock ‘n’ roll, it’s all here and all mixed together in a sound that is vintage Jimbo Mathus.

Review by: Frye Gaillard

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Andrew Leahey and the Homestead ♪♪♪♪♪ Produced by Travis Tucker, Evan Bateman, Phil Heesen and Andrew Leahey Recorded at RVA studios, Richmond, VA The Homestead's self-titled debut album is a bunch of really big songs. Recorded at a former movie palace in Virginia called "The Grotto". This record is loaded with songs that beautifully channel the largess of film- each one might be from a sound track of one of those don't-holdback-feels-good-when-you-win movies. Leahey, who spent time at Julliard, in music journalism in Michigan and lands in Nashville, brings a rich blend of songs so layered and complete... almost all of them firmly grounded in Kerry Hutcherson's pedal steel.

The record is a mix of alternative country and heartland rock and roll with a sprinkling of influence from Ryan Adams and the Cardinals to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

For the recording incarnation of the Homestead, Leahey was joined by drummer Matt Morton (David Schultz and the Skyline), bass player Robbie King (the Trillions), Phil Heesen on guitar and Ben Wilson on piano (all- Exebelle and the Rusted Cavalcade).

The Homestead's line up is an "evolving thing".The three days these musicians spent laying down these tracks amounts to songs with a ton of thought and a load of thorough that must be the result of Leahey's classical training. No detail left undone amongst these songs. Great listen.

Review by: Anne Miller Bap Kennedy ♪♪♪♪ The Sailor’s Revenge • Country/folk/soul I was first introduced to Belfast’s Bap Kennedy and his music in the late 90’s via Domestic Blues, when and where Steve Earle was both producing (‘Domestic Blues’) and dancing on his coffee table. An album I still love to this day. Sadly, for a variety of reasons, I had lost track of Kennedy since then. So I was happy to see a new album by Kennedy that didn’t go under my radar.

‘The Sailor’s Revenge’ is a mature country/soul/folk stew. Given his Irish heritage and previous musical endeavors, this comes as no surprise.The songs are mid-tempo, yet majestic and hypnotic, with Kennedy’s semi-rasp vocals at the fore. His voice gives the lyrics-a sea as metaphor story line of love, both lost and found, a power and intensity that is often astonishing, and always alluring. Heart felt, and sometimes heart wrenching, every song eventually grabs you, both lyrically and melodically. No small accomplishment. Stand out tracks such as“Shimnavale”,“Jimmy Sanchez”,“Maybe I Will”and “Please Return to Jesus” all offer strong glimpses into Kennedy’s heart and soul.

“Just above my heart, there’s a small tattoo.

Please return to Jesus, thank you”... ...Kennedy laments in“Please Return to Jesus”. It’s a simple, yet powerful statement. Of both purpose and hope, both large themes found throughout ‘The Sailor’s Revenge’.

First-rate musicianship is abundant within the musical walls of this disc-Jerry Douglas, James Walbourne, Guy Fletcher, Glenn Worf and John McCusker are among those playing. With special mention to Michael McGoldrick, on flutes, pipes and whistle-which add and enhance, adding a transcendent quality to the music without ever being over the top. Producer Mark Knopfler also needs to be commended, his tasteful touches on a variety of guitars only add to the textures of the songs-never overpowering or distracting, and the sound clean and clear no matter the number of instruments used.

A Nashville via Ireland sound,and lyrics that maintain the listeners interest,‘The Sailor’s Revenge’ both satisfies and bears repeated listening (and guarantees you will want to check out Bap Kennedy’s past catalog).A 2012 must-hear.

Review by: Mark Gerking

Chris Smither Hundred Dollar Valentine • Blues Chris Smither’s press release called this his 12th album, cosmic blues. I call it a jumpin’ text book on writing relevant, contemporary blues.All the blue’s, bells, whistles, and goodies are here. Beautifully played too. But what really strikes me are the lyrics that are built on this solid, true blue frame work.This is like fine carpentry.

Some carpenters build ranch style houses. And that’s ok. But, this songwriter builds painted ladies.These songs are real,living,breathing,blues.As current as your morning newspaper, but, without the commercialism of despair.

Chris Smither isn’t just good, he’s important.

Review by: Rick Harris

dang... continued from page 26

appreciation for what the others bring to their music. Pete has perfect pitch, according to Nass;“when we play casinos he can tell what note the slot machine is singing.”

If they need a Miles Davis trumpet,Rick nurtures the sound out of the pedal steel. Jami ignites the stage with her lightning picking in originals like “Razzle,” her nimble performance and clarion voice add spark to standards like“Walking After Midnight.” Mark’s experienced ear undergirds The Dang-Its’Western Swing numbers; another of their signature pieces is an instrumental Western Medley inspired by composer Ennio Morricone.

As I watch The Dang-Its take the stage at Cambridge’s Veteran’s Park,Tom dons a straw skimmer, flicks his bolo tie into place and greets the audience with smile. His manager demeanor gone, he transforms into a showman, entertaining the crowd with narratives about the songs--interspersed with a pun or two. Jami’s expressive rendition of Ring of Fire, delivered with equal parts humor and finesse, rides the edginess of Rick’s pedal steel and rouses the crowd.

Two toddlers from opposite ends of the lawn, having circled each other wobbily, suddenly wiggle into dance as The Dang-Its launch into an original gospel number, “Crossing Over.” “Close to Me,” co-written by Tom and Jami, is a compelling listen. It’s a complex song, with a structure that reminds me of the Eagles, with harmonies interlacing around powerful lyrics. It’s on The Dang-Its’ next album, I’m pleased to see, due out at the end of July.

Collectively,The Dang-Its aspire to continue performing and growing their creative skills for at least another decade. The writing partnership between Jami and Tom is fueling an explosion of new material with an already apparent broader scope of musical exploration.

Considerable thought goes into performing music that respects history, demonstrates fresh and skillful instrumentation,and that carries broad appeal across audiences young and old.The Dang-Its accomplish this in exemplary fashion, each musician committed to honing their skills and to working in concert with one another to achieve the band’s vision. That vision, characterized by excellence in execution and a mutual respect among themselves,fosters creativity and translates into an authenticity in performance that simultaneously puts audiences at ease and kicks open the door to let the energy in. www.dang-its.com Written by:Anne Gravel Sullivan

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I focus upon either feeling however. Mamby pamby or Pollyanna two often used expressions describing someone who is a “glass half full” kind of person. Optimist is the oft used word and while it rolls off the tongue easier than “observer of the ongoing flow of Well Being” does, I prefer the latter. It just is a little more specific.

I have more control over my baseline happiness than I ever dreamed. I am full of catch phrases today,but they seem so full of truth. Junk in,junk out is kind of what I am going for here. What am I talking about with those around me: How much abundance is in my life? How wonderful my partner is? How amazing my body is and all the things that it does without any attention from me? Consider the fantastic perfection with which the planets stay in alignment with each other allowing me the pleasure of my daily life experience here on earth, how about that!

I feel very good when I consider and allow myself the benefit of the huge quantity of well being that is all around me. Our planet has been here a long time. If you are willing to consider that you and I are part of that long lived ongoing nature, than the current“crisis”can have a little bit of our attention, but just like the animals know so well, Well Being is really the order of the day. If it were not, we would not have made it this far, this well. I am not suggesting that if you are having difficulty in an area of life that you should feel good about it. Contrast in our lives can feel bad,you bet. However,how long I focus on the problem is the key to how quickly I can learn and grow from the bad feeling experience.

If in my first moments of the day I find something to appreciate, anything, (how good the pillow beneath my very bald head feels can be a place to start) I begin the process of deliberately looking for things that feel good to me. Spending just a few moments doing that simple exercise each morning is the best investment of my time. I am the only one who can do that for me. If I start my day feeling good, I create momentum.

Just like a snowball rolling down a hill, I will attract all kinds of things that will feel just as good and then increasingly better and better.

So try something like what Ryan offered to me on for size today,take control of the outcome in your day by paying attention to your answer to the question, So, how ya doin?

Remember,the answer is yours to create. You can say anything you want to in response to that four word question. My friend Ryan changed my life that morning with his response,“Ecstatic with the joy of living.” I finally found someone brave enough to speak what I have repressed, that life is so very very good!

Written by – Jim Smith a.k.a. Mamby Pamby, Pollyanna

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chris head... continued from page 23

trishas... continued from page 13

the best rhythm sections in Wisconsin Americana today. The music these three men create is one of substance and style. As I quote myself here,“I recommend this CD to everyone,especially if you like that dreamy 60’s vibe of the Byrds,Beatles,and early Foster & Lloyd. The Pop feeling of Head’s songs rings true to his roots. He’s not a plagiarist of the past. He’s a student and he has learned his lessons well! Hats off to Chris Head & the Honchos on Hard Truths! One of my favorite CD’s I have listened to in the past 6 months.”

other from playing the same circuit with their other bands. But Liz had just moved down to Austin from Dallas where she'd been in a Motown review band, and I had only been sorta singing backup in my brother's band. So it was definitely a first time thing for us to sing together, or with any 3 other girls for that matter. We got together about three or four times, out at my dad's cabin actually, to practice before the big night.

I recently got to sit down and talk to Chris and the Honchos and had a wonderful interview. Besides being one of the best bands Wisconsin has to offer, they are just plain old nice guys.

AG: How long have you three been together as a band?

CH: Since January 2009, about three years ago.

AG: How did it go the first times you practiced?

Welch: (laughing) I think we rehearsed that more than any of us had ever rehearsed before. Four part harmony isn't easy.We sat down and figured out what part we were each going to sing and gave it a try. It took something like three times through before we all hit our mark at the same time.It was pretty incredible when it happened though.

I think we surprised ourselves.

AG: How did the show go?

AG: Do you just primarily play the Milwaukee area?

CH: Pretty much. We’ve gotten to Madison a couple of times, but we generally play within driving distance of Milwaukee, where we live. We did play Chicago one time.

AG: Do you play mostly bars, or do you also play festivals?

CH: Anything from back yards to festivals. Wherever they’ll have us!

AG: So what was your inspiration to get together and form a band?

CH: I had been playing some solo stuff around town, doing the singer/songwriter thing. I recorded a solo CD at home and sold it at shows. The CD was layered with guitars and other instruments.The trouble was that when I did live shows I could not recreate the sounds on the CD. I got a hold of Riz and Tim, we started practicing, and here we are today.

AG: Had the other guys been playing around Milwaukee?

CH: Yea, I will let them fill you in on that.

Honchos: Tim here. I played trombone in school and then transferred over to the bass.

I moved to Dallas for about 20 years, where I backed up a lot of singer/songwriters. I played at SXSW a few times, and then I retired. I moved back here to the Milwaukee area, and these were the first guys I found after I decided to get back into it.

Riz here. I had played with a lot of singer/songwriters over the years. I started out in Madison playing in a lot of different groups,JamesTate’s Blues Band for one. I quit playing about eight years and then Chris brought me out of retirement and here I am. Chris is my 401k (everyone laughs)!

AG: How do you decide what songs you are going to play? Is it a democracy or dictatorship? (They all laugh) Honchos: We’ll let the dictator answer that! Both of us have played with singer/songwriters before, so we kinda know our roles. We are old enough and have played long enough to know what to play and when to play it. Our egos are not huge, and we are happy being the band. Chris is very generous with the arrangements and lets us figure out our own parts. We get to do pretty much what we want in adding our parts, and we are very thankful to Chris for letting us play that way.

AG: Is there a lot of competition in Milwaukee for band jobs, or do you all get along and help each other out?

CH: We’ve met and shared the stage and gigs with a lot of great musicians in Milwaukee who have all been very gracious to us. I can’t speak for all bands, but the folks we have dealt with have been fantastic to work with. They’ve been very supportive of us.

There are pockets of bands that work together a lot, so I can’t speak for them.

Welch:We sang two of the three songs and by the end of it, everyone but us were crying. I didn't dare look at my dad, although he told me later that his tears were the saltiest of all. It was really, really unexpected.We got a gig offer as soon as we got off stage, & another one soon after. None of us necessarily wanted to be in a“chick band" so we politely turned them down. After a couple months of peer pressure, we caved & decided to do a little show during SXSW 2009. Our now booking agent, Clint Wiley, was at that show and I think he said to Jamie afterwards “well that sucked, but there's potential”. Apparently he saw some promise eventually and started working with us later that year.

AG: How do you determine which songs are going to be Trishas’ songs and who gets to sing them?

Welch: It goes through a brutal process and committee of ears. Kidding. Sorta. We take turns bringing songs to the table. We've done this since the beginning. We really work hard at keeping it diplomatic through the whole process. We keep it balanced. It’s not so much about who wrote it and bringing in each of our own songs, it’s about picking the best songs. Many times someone will say“I want to do that song that Jamie and Kel wrote, or I love that old one of Lizzie's” not necessarily the songs that we wrote ourselves. We pitch each other’s songs a lot. Certainly, if one of us has a song we're proud of we present it. We send it to the other girls and give them a little background...see if they work vocally and instrumentally for us...then work it up or put it in our back pocket for later. We also try to keep a balance in the sets we play as far as who is singing lead on what.

AG: How do you decide who sings lead?

Welch: It depends on who brings it in I guess. Most of the time, whoever brings in the song usually takes the lead. There are times though when one of us will say so-and-so should sing lead on this song. A good example is Strangers on the new record. Kelley and Jamie wrote that with John Eddie. They brought it in but asked me to sing it. I guess it really just depends on the song.

AG: So now there are two little ones to go on the road with you guys. Does that make it tough?

Welch: (BIG sigh) Well...Yes but No. It is tough,burning the candle at all ends,definitely more planning & logistics, strategizing, etc...but we make it work just like anything else.We take along "road nannies", family, friends...we don’t stay out for longer than 2 or 3 weeks...try to play more baby-friendly venues.You know...you make adjustments.

The girls are great.We're supportive of each other's efforts to have a career in music & family too.

AG: Do you have a lot of jobs booked for this year?

Welch: So far, they're keeping us pretty busy, yea. Hopefully the new record will bring in some new opportunities & a chance to play some new places. We need to get up to your area and the northeast part of the United States still.

Honchos: Being older and family guys we don’t get to hang out in the bars and see a lot of shows like we did when we were younger. We are kinda on the outside because of that.The bands we have worked with are great.

AG: We would love to have you ladies up here! If you were going to give advice to young women who wanted to do what The Trishas are doing, what would you tell them?

AG: So what’s in the future for you guys?

Welch: Tough one, because I still feel like such a student. But I guess I would tell them to believe in themselves and don’t be afraid to try. I was really intimated growing up around so much incredible talent so I held back and did not play or sing in front of people. I felt like I had to be really good right away, & have something undeniably worthy of being listened to, or else not do it at all. Work hard, practice, all that...but mostly, just get out there and start somewhere. Don’t be afraid to learn in front of people, & don't be intimated by others...learn from them.

CH: I’ve been writing some new songs,and we have been working them into the show.

Our set list is a lot of material from Hard Truths with some new songs and a few covers. We hope to get back into the studio soon and start recording the new songs. We have about a CD and a half of material written and worked up.

AG: What kind of advice would you give to young guys starting out, since you are all such seasoned musicians now?

(They all laugh) CH: I need the advice not to give it! Keep your ego in check and work together to create something collectively. Let everyone in the band be who they are and not try to make someone be someone or something they are not. Work democratically to create something good and lasting. Practice your instruments as much as you can.

Written by:Andy Ziehli w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

I’m lucky because I have three other people that I share the stage with who are true professionals.We might push or challenge each other, but we don't judge one another.

There's support everywhere...you just have to find it.

AG: Savannah, thanks so much for the interview and good luck to The Trishas.

Welch: Thanks,Andy. Hope to see you soon. www.thetrishas.com Written by: Andy Ziehli Photo supplied.

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