Americana Rhythm Music Magazine Issue #91

August 2021 Americana Rhythm is published six times a year. All correspondence should be sent to PO Box 45, Bridgewater VA, 22812 or CONTRIBUTORS email to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copies of Americana Ed Tutwiler Rhythm are made available free at various pick up locations within Wayne Erbsen the publication’s region. Subscriptions are available inside the United Donna Ulisse States (only) for $24 US currency made payable by check or Mike Aiken money order sent to, Subscriptions at PO Box 45, Bridgewater, Andrew McKnight VA, 22812. Foreign subscription requests should be sent to Dan Walsh greg@americanarhythm.com. Copyright 2021. All rights reRebecca Frazier served. Reproduction of any content, artwork or photographs DISTRIBUTION is strictly prohibited without permission of the publisher or origi- North River Publishing Integrated Music Media nal owner. All advertising material subject to approval.

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A Sailing We Will Go The summer touring season is upon us again and the landscape is still pretty bleak. Everybody in the live music, festival and touring industries is doing his/her best to figure it out and stay alive in 2021. A few are carrying on and trying to have ‘normal’ in-person fests while many are going the virtual route, and still others have postponed until 2022. So the question for Amy and me is, how do we keep moving?

Our answer may be unique but here it is; perhaps it will inspire you to chart an unusual course.

121 Year Old Scooner

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First; a little background. Many of you know that we have lived and traveled on sailboats for the last 30 or so years, having based in the US, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean for periods of time. These experiences and travels have lent themselves to my songwriting and musical style. For the last ten years most of our touring has been by bus and plane in the US and Europe. But with gigs in short supply we decided to take the summer of 2021 and go sailing. We have a week of music/cruise aboard the threemasted schooner, Victory Chimes.

This 121 year old girl sails out of Rockland, Maine on July 11th. We will give two unplugged shows on deck during the week and be available to give songwriting workshops and talk about music and sailing the rest of the time.

This gave us a destination. With this date and looking at the charts (nautical, not musical) we decided to sail there.

This is not a light undertaking and we need to do a fair amount of preparation to our boat, Ocean Girl.

Rigging, sails, engine and safety equipment all needed to be serviced, updated and/or replaced. Many thanks out to Travis at Mack Sails in Stuart, Florida.

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Ok then, what to bring to play shows?

Normally I set up with guitars and a mandolin, Amy with a four-piece kit, congas and percussion. Well, all that won’t fit on the boat! So after much thought it got paired down to one acoustic, one resonator and a mando for me, and a snare, conga head, percussion and kick pedal for Amy. It’s TBD what the kick pedal will hit but she will make it work…maybe on her Bodhran? Yes, she is also bringing a Bodhran … and bones.

Working With Space With what to bring decided, the question became where do we store the instruments and lash them down to take the motion at sea. Ocean Girl is a 42’, cutter-rigged, offshore, double-ended sailboat. Space can be tight and we will have guests along the way. There are no guarantees we will be in only good weather for this sail. After making some custom strapping and fittings we fit most of it in and under the V-berth with stands strapped under the cockpit.

We are sailing from Norfolk, Virginia to Maine. Average speed will be about 5 knots so this will take some time. A week of gigs will now turn into a summer of adventure. Sailing, anchoring and navigating - the things songs are written from! This is starting to feel good!

The question does come up – are you sailors or musicians; and the answer is ‘yes’ to both. We will need to keep promoting and keep in touch with fans with limited connectivity. Ever try to find WiFi in Maine, or at sea? Good luck.

In the last article we talked about how we had been successfully streaming a monthly show and it helped to maintain and build a fan base. We don’t want to lose this and will need

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to figure a way to keep it going in some form this summer. Enter, our newsletter, the Just Now News. It goes out monthly and we share it on social media. In it we spoke of the sail north and ports we plan to visit along the way, as well as streaming shows we hope to do. What I did not count on was the support of fans along the way. Within 48 hours we had response from yacht clubs and marinas offering to provide us with a

solid internet connection and location to stream from as well as offers for shows along the way. I really did not expect this to turn into a tour by sailboat. But hey, I will gladly take it.

It looks like we will have a summer of being with our friends and fans after all. I guess the moral of this article is to be open to opportunities and make the most of every situation.

Follow us as this sea story unfolds.

MikeAikenMusic.com

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Cajun Fiddles and Creole Dances Not too long ago our publisher was in contact with Mr. Howard Wolfing who is the media consultant for the Arnaudville, Louisiana’s Nouveau Electric Records studio (NER). The NER studio is a Louisiana label set up

by Mr. Louis Michot in 2018 for preserving through recording the experimental and traditional music inspired by the language and people of South Louisiana.

Mr. Louis Michot is singer/fiddler for the Grammy wining group, Lost Bayou Ramblers. Though the NER releases are not exclusively fracophone the work does prioritize work in. Louisiana French. Their aim is to, in their words, “Bridge the gap between tradition and evolution by introducing new creative visions to the centuries-old instrumentation and expressive vocabularies of the region.”

Mr. Wolfing was telling us of a unique recording that the studio just released; the title of which is Creole House Dance. What is unique about this recording is

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that it features a 101 year-old, Creole fiddler whose name is Willie Durisseau (1918-2019). The recording features two tracks, each comprising three small songs (some of which represent a pre-WWII Creole fiddle style that has never previously been recorded.)

By Edward Tutwiler developed. They brought with them their stock of western French folk songs, and they found that same musical tradition among the resident colonial

I must admit the my exposure to Louisana French folk music has been limited to listening to recordings made by the Lost Bayou Ramblers as well as several live festival performances by The Red Stick Ramblers.

Before we go much further, I find that we need to better understand a few terms associated with the Louisiana French culture as applied to their music and those terms are Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco.

As is historically known, Acadians arrived in Louisiana during the mid-18th century after being exiled from Nova Scotia. These Acadians became known as Cajuns for the culture they

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French Creoles. The French Creoles natives were a blend of French, Spanish and African folks born in the West Indies or parts of French or Spanish America.

These peoples were thus naturalized in their new region rather than in a previous home country. Presently, in Louisiana,

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Creole generally means a person or people of mixed colonial French, African American and Native American ancestry.

Cajun Is A Blend

Cajun music is a blend of the cultural ingredients found in south Louisiana. Plus, Native American Indians contributed a layered wailing style of singing.

Black Creoles contributed new rhythm styles and percussion techniques as well as adding improved singing and blues influences. The Spanish influence contributed the guitar and also some unique tunes while the violin, which was a popular new instrument in France during the 17th century when the French left for the New World, continued to dominate the instrumental tradition of the music of south Louisiana. Anglo-American immigrants also contributed some new fiddle tunes and dances (reels, jigs, and hoedowns) while singers translated the English songs into French. Thus, by the turn of the 20th century, all these different ingredients had jelled into a musical art form now known as Cajun music.

By the early 19 th Century, German-Jewish merchants began

importing diatonic accordions from Austria to south Louisiana.

Both Cajun and black Creole musicians began experimenting with the accordion and developed techniques which served as a basis for Cajun music and Zydeco.

Early recordings of the late 1920’s featured the accordion, fiddle, and guitar, and a high-pitched singing style necessary to pierce through the noise of dance halls.

While Cajun music and Zydeco music are closely related and parallel music forms, Cajun music is the music of the white Cajuns of south Louisiana, while Zydeco is the music of the black Creoles of the same region. Both of these cultures share common origins and influences with much overlap in the repertoire and style of art form. Nevertheless, each culture is independently proud and therefore carefully preserve the musical identity of its own culture.

What is this Zydeco

This art form is variously known as , zydeco, zarico, zodico, zologo,and even zukey jump by folks in the musical world to describe Louisiana’s black French Creole music. The spelling

Zydeco was first used in print in the early 1960s. Today, it is the most widespread label, and most record companies favor it. Some musicologists suggest that the term, as well as the tradition, may have African origins. I do not think it is a leap to surmise that Zydeco can be traced to the music of enslaved African people from the 19th century.

As to instrumentation, an instrument unique to Zydeco is a form of washboard called the frottoir or scrub board (a vest made of corrugated aluminum, and played by the musician working metallic scratch devices or spoons up and down the length of the vest). Another instrument used in both Zydeco and Cajun music is the accordion.

Zydeco music makes use of the piano or button accordion while Cajun music is played on the diatonic accordion often called a squeeze box. Cajun musicians also use the fiddle and steel guitar more often than do those playing Zydeco music.

What is Cajun fiddle music you might then ask? It is a part of the fiddle playing tradition that began with early settlers from as

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far back as the 1600’s who found that the small viol family of instruments were both portable and rugged. Records indicate influence from Irish fiddle styles as well as Scottish and traditional classical violin playing. Local variations developed differently in the Northern and Southern colonies. Louisiana Cajun fiddle derived from the local music of southwest as well as sharing repertoire from the French Canadian traditions. It is one of the few North American folk music traditions rooted in French origin. Cajun, fiddle-led music is of course rooted in the French ballads of those displaced French speaking Canadians and is symbolic of the music of Louisiana. Students of this fiddling style suggest that blues fiddle playing has been directly influential in the development of Cajun fiddling, as has music from the New Orleans music scene, and possibly even by fiddling traditions from the bluegrass fiddle tradition from early American ballads.

The House Dance

This part of the story is of two parts as well. There is the Cajun continued on page 16

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time experimenting with making sounds in my bedroom,” he says.

Guitarist Grant Gordy Guitarist Grant Gordy’s improvisational style comes across as wild and free; as untamed and ruggedly elemental as his native Oregon’s coastal bluffs; with rhythmic Pacific tides and waves beating passionately on the shore.

In conversation, Gordy’s manner is centered and comfortable, revealing a soft-spoken artist who is deeply contemplative and surprisingly analytical about his own playing. Gordy’s musical evolution—which has spanned almost two decades of recording, touring, and even working as a full-time member of the legendary David Grisman Quintet— embodies a unique brand of artistry within the American soundscape. In the past year alone, he’s released two albums in distinctly American improvisational genres, jazz and bluegrass.

Developing guitar skills in two different, yet related, musical genres is akin to learning to speak two Romance languages fluently—say, French and Italian—and it’s become a part of Gordy’s creative working flow to establish footholds comfortably in both bluegrass and jazz worlds as a native speaker. A Brooklyn resident since 2013, Gordy’s become a regular in the storied New York jazz scene; he relates that “the best compliment I get at a jazz club is when people ask about my background; when I tell them that I play a lot of bluegrass, and they say ‘Oh, I never would have known,’ I’m like YES! I want to be able to speak this language.”

And speak it, he definitely does, as evidenced by his 2020 jazz trio album, “Interpreter,” on which he plays electric guitar.

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Yet Gordy freely confides that in the bluegrass world, he’s more “comfortable.” The traditional bluegrass standard “Blackberry Blossom” was his first guitar tune, as taught to him by his father, who gifted him a guitar for his thirteenth birthday. Describing his atypical

adolescence, he relates that he spent a lot of time alone with his guitar. “At that age I was really into Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, like many American guitarists,” he says. “For some of us, guitar is something we do alongside debate team and field hockey. For me, guitar was the only thing. I was a non-athletic kid, not particularly social. I was a hippie. I went to three different high schools and then dropped out altogether, and then we moved to the desert in New Mexico.” Gordy’s sense of social isolation was assuaged by playing guitar. “I spent a lot of

Eventually he moved with his father to Colorado’s Front Range, where he discovered a healthy music community and was exposed to different genres, like jazz, classic country, and even traditional Bulgarian styles. With his new wider palette of tastes and skills, he was invited to work with jazz and honky tonk professionals in Colorado. As his network grew, he eventually connected with David Grisman and joined Grisman’s quintet (DGQ) in 2008, an international touring unit with whom he worked for over six years.

While working in the DGQ, Gordy released his debut guitar album, “Grant Gordy,” which put him on

the map as a unique composer and creative interpreter of classic bluegrass, gypsy jazz, and American traditional music. Shortly thereafter, Gordy relocated to Brooklyn and cultivated relationships in the jazz world there, all the while touring in the bluegrass world. He explains, “I was becoming more interested in bebop and more modern jazz, and I was finding a little less overlap with string music, though borders are becoming more porous now.”

Gordy’s affinity for risk and the experimental nature of his

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improvisation delights his listeners, who often find humor in his approach. “I have a really high tolerance for atonality and chromaticism and stuff, and sometimes it is funny,” he says. He focuses on listening, and he advises others to do the same. “I’d say working on ears is always the number one thing.” He encourages others to train themselves to identify chord tones by ear. “You can never do too much drilling. I think that will set you up so well to translate what you’re hearing to what you can play,” he explains.

Gordy has remained busy teaching and practicing throughout the quarantine, and this spring he released a traditional folk album aptly titled “Bluegrass and the Abstract Truth” alongside string music stalwarts Alex Hargreaves, Joe Walsh, and Greg Garrison.

During the “intense” lockdown situation in New York, he’s found he’s had to focus on separating his analytical nature from his joy of playing in live situations. “If this is a playing situation, then it’s not about me; it’s about what are we creating together. How much is analyzing going to shut me down from hearing what we’re all creating—and even just hearing what the other people are doing—if I’m so worried and so in my head?” He explains that his goal is not to impress others, but to impart “something deeper:” “Music is endlessly fascinating and beautiful, and it can express so much. It can express things that language can’t even express. It feels like that’s the ultimate goal, even if it’s instrumental music.”

And while Gordy has spent years cultivating an international presence on his own terms, he never seems to lose his sense of purpose. “The reason I do music is because it’s fun. It’s engaging. It’s this beautiful fascinating thing—the deeper you go, the deeper it gets, especially playing improvised music. You’re literally conjuring art out of nothing. It’s always new, it’s always fresh. How could I not feel delight at that all the time? I’ve never lost that spark, and I don’t think I ever will.”

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all, and I drank in the gratefulness like I had dragged my thirsty body through the Sahara Desert and found my first sip of cool water. Yes, it was that great. Also, the feeling of actually getting to make a bank deposit was incredible. Imagine; all that happiness and money too. We are off to the races now as our schedule is slowly filling in, and we are once again able to teach some workshops to boot. I have never missed working so much in my life.

I Am A Survivor

I did it! I survived getting Covid 19 and have lived to tell about it! I also got my vaccine shots and am now somewhat protected, or all the way protected, or have just incurred two new holes in my right arm ... whatever the effect may be, I’m feeling good about it. I felt like I needed to make others feel good about being around me, sigh ... lol.

I’ll just state for the record; it’s a crazier world right now, and I’m trying to survive it like all the other good folks walking around not knowing the right next move.

Another thing I have survived so far; not going to the poor house ... yet! I

Something I Took For Granted

believe I referred to our empty, pitiful tour schedule in my last article. My husband Rick and I make our living touring around the country playing bluegrass. We also write and teach songwriting. Of course we had lots of time to enjoy writing new songs in the year long Covid lockdown, but earning money was not going to happen for us for 14 months. Here is a little streak of light at the end of the tunnel; we performed for a live audience for the first time this past May and it was GLORIOUS. The crowd was as cheerful as we were when we plucked that first note. I almost bust out crying with the sheer joy of it

Something else I am thankful to have endured is the mask wearing. I never felt like I could draw a deep enough breath to satisfy my lungs when I wore a mask, so I always developed a slight headache. I was a walking advertisement of misery when I was decked out in the blue breathing fighters. I found this cool plastic face shield that I now sport with much pride when I feel the need to don a mask. I can breathe easier and smile at folks. I miss seeing faces so very much. The simple act of a smile from a passing stranger was something I took for granted, but I promise I don’t anymore. When I see someone in my fancy plastic shield, I grin from

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ear to ear, giving away all the happiness I feel today!

And lastly, I survived the blues! By giving into the fact that we were not going anywhere, making any money, buying stuff, entertaining friends, seeing family; all the things I never gave a thought to before this strange Covid event, I actually saved my sanity. Yes, I accepted the inevitable and embraced the calm, quiet life that one would experience on a desert island. The good news is, we had our guitars and love to sing just to pass the time. God granted us many beautiful days and nights, enough toilet paper and the fact that my husband and I enjoy each other’s company after all these years. Oh, and our culinary skills ticked up a bunch of notches as we tried creating new, exciting ways to use potatoes ... lol! What person wouldn’t love a year off to enjoy all the simple things that life has to offer. So yes, I’m a survivor ... for now.

Donna was the winner of

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Nordic Americana

By Mette Kirkegaard

[From the dusty, rusty trails of American roads the first steps were taken for the creation of a new music style, the Nordic Americana folk genre. Based on a trip through half of America – the four track EP Dry Wood was shaped. When Danish solo performer and songwriter, Mette Kirkegaard, went on her first trip to New York, she named her music New Folk, following the trails of Cohen, Dylan and Baez, and her voice was described as containing “a Scandinavian touch.” Later these ideals transformed, and a new genre was coined, Nordic Americana, in a studio in Berlin. This is Mette’s story in her words.]

The genre uses nature, landscapes, and traveling, as part

of the music vocabulary to understand the love themes in its song lyrics. It is said in traditional folklore storytelling that certain nature spots have a story to tell, and will affect people who go

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there; Like how it happens when one passes the mysterious Medicine Wheel in Wyoming.

This and other tales are inspiration for the music genre.

Nordic Americana came to see its light in a studio in Berlin, after I traveled through the US on a road trip.

I took the Amtrak train from New York to Arizona, then drove from Flagstaff, AZ, up through Utah, The Canyons, to Seattle, then back through Idao, Wyoming, South Dakota, and the Badlands, then back NYC. I think I saw half of America in just five weeks. It changed my whole perspective on the American people, and city life with its conceptualized culture, to nature and how it contains the concept of living life with nature as the culture with its imagery and poetry.

German producer, Brio Taliaferro, who would help me put my album together, said “Nordic Americana is something we created in the studio. I thought the term sounded cooler than ‘Scandinavian Americana’. The term Nordic is used quite a lot for Scandinavian music. There is a genre called Nordic Folk. Mixing unrelated continued on page 23

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August 2021

Thanks to our partnership with ReverbNation (www.reverbnation.com) we are honored to give you a peak at a few of the nation’s hardest working indie artists. Each month we select one entry to showcase for you here. Enjoy!

THIS MONTH’S FEATURE:

By Greg Tutwiler

The Revenue Man

opposed to having other artists record the songs. I had released an album a few years back under my given name, Glenn Brown, but the vibe was very different than this.”

He chose to release this project under a different name for a number of reasons. “The first being, I am a junior,” he said. “Having the same name as my father, I wanted to avoid any confusion, and didn’t want anything positive to be associated with his name.”

FEATURE ARTISTS Nashville’s Glen Brown – aka The Revenue Man – got a little later start in life when it comes to his contributions to the Americana music scene. His debut album, 25 Years Behind, might be late to the game, but you wouldn’t know it by listening to it. He pours his years of a life well traveled into each song on this new project. Glenn understands that songwriting is all about perspective, and he gives it to you unfiltered, and straight from the heart.

Cow Punk

In keeping with perspective, Glen created two different perspectives for his 25 Years Behind project. In addition to the original album, he produced a five song version recorded at Nashville’s legendary Sun Studios. “I play solo acoustic shows as well as full band shows,” Glen said recently. “I wanted to give people a taste of both sounds, and these songs are strong enough to hold up to that.”

Glen was initially playing post punk pop that had influences in the cow punk sub-genre (think BoDeans, Jason and The Scorcher, Gin Blossoms, etc.). “As I progressed, I was drawn to the Alt-Country / Americana genre,” he said. “Although I still listen to a wide variety of music, songs by artists like John Prine and Jason Isbeland brought me to where I am today.”

Glen was classically trained to play the cello, so it was a bit of a transition to migrate to a more traditional roots instrument. “I’m older,” he said, “So it’s odd. My musical journey has taken a weird path. From the cello, I transitioned to playing bass guitar. It’s also lot easier to get female attention playing bass guitar on current music than playing cello written by dead white guys,” he quipped.

When asked if he has been able to pursue music full time, Glen said that while he enjoys his music being in the top 5% of streams on Spotify, it’s still not enough alone to pay the bills. “Living in Nashville isn’t easy to stay local and make money playing live,” he added. So he has a professional studio in his house. “I supplement my income by doing voice over work, singing demos, and producing songs for

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other artists. The pandemic was brutal. Most of my income used to come from live performances, so I had to adjust by taking a lot of work I would have passed on last year.”

Glen says when it comes to writing songs, “it’s from a place of personal experience, and that usually involves a good bit of pain.

Some songs can be difficult to play live as they stir up bad memories,” he said. “Like the title track of my album, 25 Years Behind; it’s about my father. He was abusive, and was justly imprisoned for it, and ended up dying in there.”

25 Years Behind “This was a collection of songs I was initially shopping around to have other artists record,” Glen said. “The demos turned out so well that I decided to release them myself as, The Revenue Man, as

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The acoustic version of the album was rerecorded at Sun Studios in Memphis, TN. “Recording at Sun was as close to a religious experience as I am going to get,” he exclaimed. “Standing in the same place as Johnny Cash, singing through the same mic Bono used ... What a rush!

Also; the fact that the recording was all direct, with no overdubs, adds real honesty to the songs I think.”

Things Are Looking Up Glen is now back to playing live again, currently performing solo acoustic shows about five times a month. “The full band shows are really more of a showcase only, at this point,” he said. We’re doing about 10 a year right now. But we’re looking to combine with other similar acts for multiple billing / opening slots on regional and local tours. The band is really itching to get back on the road.”

Glen already has another record in the can as well. Where The Bones Are Buried will be out in December,” he told us. “It will continue the theme and feel of the first record. All the recording has been completed and mixing will start soon.”

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Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Track Dogs Although the group’s name is derived from the claustrophobic darkness of New York City’s subway tunnels, Track Dogs is actually an expansive, truly Tr a n s - A t l a n t i c quartet, which has generated some acclaimed, genre-bending music.

Made up of two Irishmen, an Englishman and an American, all of whom call Madrid, Spain their home, the band came together in 2011 to make a unique brand of music: a dynamic fusion of many styles, including folk, Latin, Americana and bluegrass.

The band’s percussionist and expatriate American, Robbie Jones, found himself in the Madrid after embarking on a quest to master the cajon, first in Peru, then in Spain, where he studied flamenco music and ended up providing accompaniment for dance classes. As he worked day jobs teaching English and as an editor, Robbie gravitated away from flamenco toward folk music. “It kind of all happened through and Irish pub, as these things do,” Robbie recounts, “where one guy, Dave, our bass player was a bartender...The other two guys worked at an English academy across the street and that was their ‘watering hole’...”

“The very first time we all were in one room at the same time and actually met each other was at our first rehearsal,” Robbie says. “I remember, that day Garrett saying, ‘This is no longer a singersongwriter with musicians; this feels like a band.

So, from the very first rehearsal, we knew we had something.”

The first gig apparently went over well: “...We got called a second time. The same venue said, ‘Hey, you know, we liked that, why don’t you do that concert again?’ So we got together again.”

They began gigging and the band’s sound developed organically, evolving from an “acoustic support system” for Garrett’s vocals to the multi-part harmonies they now layer over their tight instrumental performances.

Ron McNeill Many songwriters find success as other artists use their material, and never gain the attention of the listening public as individuals, either by design or when circumstances keep them from attaining that exposure. Such is not the case for Ron A. McNeill, a country/roots rock/Americana singer-songwriter who has had more than 60 of his songs recorded, with chart appearances in his native Canada and in Australia. For the first time, on his debut album, Waiting on the Day, Ron is able to tell his stories as both a songwriter and performer. He takes listeners on a journey through past struggles to redemption, and his heartfelt vocals resonate with an outlaw country vibe.

Born into a large musical family in Minto, New Brunswick, close to Canada’s eastern seaboard, Ron’s musical journey began with his family’s own band. He imbibed gospel, classic country, and oldtime rock and roll, all of which have influenced his later songwriting. His dad’s stint with a country rock band during the 1970s also exposed him to the powerful connections music can create, leaving him with a desire to create some of his own.

“I started writing in my teens, but the first real song came around 2000,” Ron remembers. “Then my fourth song, ‘Halfway to Nashville,’ was picked up and recorded by Justin Ament, a Canadian Idol contestant.” The track would rise to number 78 on the Canadian country charts. By his late twenties, as he took his writing more and more seriously, he began to enjoy professional success.

“Track Dogs new album, Fire on the Rails, delivers just as much pleasure as their live shows.”

When Ron finally decided to step into the musical spotlight, he had an address book full of contacts in Nashville to help him get it done right. He was poised to enter the studio in Nashville, with a bevy of Music City’s best at his disposal, when COVID travel restrictions locked the border up tight. Despite the challenges presented by a pandemic, Waiting on the Day, took shape, ending the wait for Ron’s many fans who wanted to hear him present his songs, his way.

To find out more, visit www.trackdogsmusic.com

To find out more, visit www.edroman.net

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Karl Mullen As a maker of music, creator of art, and cultivator of countless musical careers via his talent as a booking agent, Karl Mullen has been making his creative mark for more than six decades now. And even after all that time, his latest effort, F EAR LES S, has been hailed as his best solo music to date.

Karl’s musical journey started at the kitchen table in his native Dublin, Ireland, where he heard the voice of his mother, a professional singer.

In 1976, at age 20, he emigrated from Dublin to Pittsburgh and ended up starting the avant garde/ punk band Carsickness, which would prove to be influential on many others during the punk era.

After spending the 1980s playing music, booking bands in Pittsburgh, and making experimental visual art, Karl and the collective of fellow musicians that had been Carsickness re-emerged as the Celtic rock band, Ploughman’s Lunch. The band’s 1993 debut garnered a Grammy nomination for its title track, “Whiskey in the Fields,” and they went on to play through the ‘90s, into the new century.

The 2000s saw Karl focusing on endeavors other than performing music. After spending some time in Philadelphia as a booking agent for World Cafe Live and a brief stint painting in an O Street Studio in Washington DC, Karl moved to the Berkshires of Massachusetts, where he was inevitably drawn back into making music.

“When COVID hit, just found myself alone, in the bedroom, with no audience—nothing. And I came up with a new way of writing songs that I hadn’t done before.” The ultimate result was his introspective new record, F EAR LES S. His new approach to writing was influenced by his recording gear and location, as Karl explains in this Americana Rhythm interview: “With headphones on and using a condenser mic, it’s really, really intimate.

While the album is currently available for download on Bandcamp and elsewhere, Karl will be adding a few more tracks to a late-August 2021 vinyl release.

To find out more, visit www.karlmullen.bandcamp.com

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August 2021

Rockabilly Roots and Slim Jim Phantom Rockabilly music is one of the earliest forms of rock and roll, dating back to the early 1950s. It is a blending of styles that some suggest originated in the southern part of the United States during the post World War II era.

Country, rhythm and blues, western swing, boogie-woogie, jump and electric blues, and even bluegrass music influence this mostly upbeat genre. The term “rockabilly” is a descriptive term acknowledging the combination of rock and roll music with “hillbilly” – a slang term often attributed to country music in the 1940s and 1950s. Initial artists bringing attention to the early form included Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley, all fueled

by Sam Phillips and the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis, TN. Although the style was overshadowed in the late 50s and early 60s by the British invasion and its influence on rock music,

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it never completely vanished, maintaining a seriously dedicated fan base. During the 1970s and 1980s, the genre enjoyed a brief resurgence to the spotlight, fueled by the emergence of a new band on the New York music scene, The Stray Cats – a three piece homage (still performing today) to the classic rockabilly sound, led but guitarist/lead vocalist Brian Setzer, percussionist Slim Jim Phantom, and bassist, Lee Rocker. They took the airwaves by storm with hits like, “Rock This Town,” and “Stray Cat Strut.” Even the band Queen got in on the explosion with their 1980 hit, “Crazy Little Think Called Love.”

Rockabilly songs often show up as cover tunes with Bluegrass and Americana roots bands as part of their stage performances. While fans might not recognize these tunes as classic rockabilly hits, their toe tapping and ranchos cheers when they recognize the song after the first few licks make

it clear that rockabilly music is still influencing musical art still today.

The Stray Cat Influence Slim Jim Phantom took a few minutes recently to share his thoughts on the craft that has so heavily influenced his life for the

last four decades. “This was 40 years ago now. Brian, Lee, and myself all lived in New York and were playing various different kinds of music when we

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By Greg Tutwiler

uncovered rockabilly music, hiding in plain sight as we listened to various British and American bands; checking the credits on their records, we discovered it led back to musicians like Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, and Chuck Berry. It affected our lives immediately in a very positive way,” he said.

“Three guys from the same school, one is drummer, one a bass player, one a guitar player; we found this music that we loved, and we changed our appearances overnight. We changed our whole musical world. We were all musicians, but we we’re still very young at this point – 18 years old. It just took on an all encompassing role in our lives. And 40 years later, I can say the same feeling that I had then, I still have now for this music, and look, and lifestyle,” Slim Jim said.

August 2021

40 years later, the Stray Cats are still keeping the rockabilly vibes alive. In 2019, they released a brand new album of new material to celebrate the 40th year of the Stray Cats. It went to number three on the Billboard charts. I asked Slim Jim why he thought this music still has the appeal it does today. “They’re great songs.

It’s a great look, good musicianship, and a young audience who is interested in getting to their roots,” he said.

“Sometimes they’re uninterested in the current fare so they go look deeper, or they like something currently, and they dig a little bit deeper to see where it came from.

They find out that all the people that they like are ultimately affected by the early hillbilly music, and the early mid blues music, which resulted in rockabilly. The kids do their research, and they arrive at this.

And it becomes a whole lifestyle for them too. They just liked the song, which isn’t a requirement, but a lot of these kids go in it the way that we did, and that’s why when the stray cats play, it’s bigger than ever. 20,000 come out to see us.”

It’s unlikely that rockabilly music will ever go away. It seems to have found its place in the music landscape and is on solid ground, perhaps even growing its base.

It’s showing up even more in traditional forms like Bluegrass music. Consider acts like The Kody Norris Show (See AR cover story in issue #85). While they are considered traditional bluegrass, you can hear early styling’s of rockabilly in several of the songs they perform. Add a little percussion and you’d have an instant rockabilly band.

Recently, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting rockabilly music was created. The Rockabilly Artists Alliance is dedicated to preserving the legacy and lasting cultural influence of Rockabilly music. They have plans for a Hall of Fame Museum to recognize the music makers and the personalities; those who pioneered the music and those who perpetuate the sound and culture today.

“Rockabilly has never lost its edge,” Jeff Cole, Executive Director of the RAA said. “We want to shine a welldeserved light on this great music and culture. It’s fun and vibrant and just plain cool.”

the online contest will pit songs entered against one another in a multi-week contest. It’s the biggest online rockabilly original song competition ever. The submission period ended on June 21, 2021. Next, a selection committee will choose 16 finalists for a single-elimination bracket tournament. The competition will then be open to public fan voting to determine the winners of the head-to-head battles.

To that end, the RAA has launched The Rockabilly Rumble Original Song Contest. It’s a global song competition featuring unsigned artists and songwriters worldwide.

And the winning song will be awarded a studio session with Slim Jim Phantom.

Billed as “an epic search for the world’s best new rockabilly song,”

“Bluegrass Music Is Part Of Rockabilly” “I completely agree with that,” Slim Jim said. “Bluegrass music is part of rockabilly and rockabilly, then becomes part of bluegrass music. For example Elvis Presley, famously, the A side of the first single that he released on Sun Records was, “That’s all right, Mama.” The B side of that was Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon Of Kentucky,” which of course was Monroe’s most famous bluegrass song ever. That was the birth of rockabilly,” Slim Jim said

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Living legend and guitar master, James Burton; versatile, multi-award-winning singer/ songwriter Lorrie Morgan; and a popular singer from Broadway to Vegas and beyond, Bucky Heard of the new Righteous Brothers, are also judges along with Slim Jim Phantom.

The grand prize includes a recording session, produced by Slim Jim Phantom, to record and master the winning song. Full competition rules and regulations are available on The Rockabilly Rumble Original Song Contest website, www.therockabillyrumble.com

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August 2021

Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Cory Keefe Cory Keefe my seem like a “new” artist, with his debut album, I’ll Keep It Country, just out in April 2021. He did, however, grow up around music, and performed professionally after high school around his native Florida Gulf Coast stomping grounds. But he really “got serious” about it only three years ago. With his twin brother Dustin as his partner in rhyme, he has been honing his performance and songwriting skills, while releasing a debut full of great songs by good friends. “I guess we just got lucky and got some good friends that just happen to be good writers,” Cory says. The album is poised for success, having been produced by Nashville hitmaker Buddy Hyatt.

Cory’s style, which filters classic country sounds through a contemporary lens, has garnered him the “neotraditional” designation. When asked his perspective on that label, Cory says “I kind of take it as being traditional—showing my roots—but it’s still modern...” He mentions Luke Combs as prime example of the movement, and he has been grouped with the likes of Cody Johnson, Aaron Watson, and Jon Pardi as well.

As he looks toward connecting with the growing base of fans gravitating toward his classic-butmodern vibe, Cory sees music festivals as a key avenue. “I really like festivals...where the people come for the music.”

One of Cory’s biggest goals is to get his original songs out there on his next album. He cites Kevin Denney as a songwriting role model. “He’s a heck of a songwriter and an even better singer,” says Cory. “When I look at him, that’s where I want to be.”

When he’s not wowing audiences with his country chops, Cory works as an electrician, and enjoys softball, bowling, racing, and basically anything competitive. Cory Keefe is eager though, for the touring world to open back up for live music and touring once again.

To find out more, visit www.corykeefemusic.com

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GF Morgan A multi-instrumentalist journeyman whose work spans four decades, GF Morgan (a.k.a. “Jeff”) has built a career spanning Texas honky tonks like Austin’s legendary Hole in the Wall and New York’s prestigious Lincoln Center stage.

His love for Celtic music began early, but only later became his driving musical passion. “It’s always been something that’s been in my life,” says Morgan.

“When the Clancy Brothers came over from Ireland, my father brought home their albums...and I played them so many times, the needle went straight through to the other side...”

In the late 1970s, after cutting his musical teeth on American folk and rock, Morgan began focusing on Celtic music as half of the duo, Morgan & Foulk, which opened for many national acts including Tommy Makem, Tom Paxton and New Riders of the Purple Sage.

Taking the Celtic sound even further, Morgan formed the band Renegade, with their first album, A Lark in the Morning, being released in 1991 to wide acclaim in both the US and Irish press, and earning performance spots at numerous festivals including Lincoln Center’s “Out of Doors.”

Morgan’s current release, Driftwood, is the result of decades of immersion in the music of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This deep experience helps him bring a fresh perspective to the traditional. About the old songs he says, “Coming up with new versions of them is particularly challenging, because so many people have the old versions in their heads. But you have to be careful, because with other songwriters writing in the traditional vernacular, it’s really easy to hear something and think ‘Ah, that’s been around hundreds of years,’ when in fact it was written five years ago. So one has to tread carefully and do diligent research on everything.”

Driftwood is available for download or streaming on Bandcamp, Spotify, Pandora and iTunes. Physical copies, which include notes on the songs and musicians, can be found at Amazon Music.

To find out more, visit www.gfmorganballads.com

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Grace Pettis Grace Pettis was drawn to songwriting at an early age. Although her father, acclaimed songwriter Pierce Pettis, didn’t pressure her to be a songwriter like he was, the apple certainly didn’t fall far from the tree. Grace says “I can’t actually remember a time before I was writing songs. It’s just something I’ve always done.”

With this organic beginning as a writer, Grace’s decision to pursue songwriting and performing as a vocation was more a natural progression than a single decisive moment. “I spend so much of my time writing songs,” she says, “that for me the question wasn’t ‘Do I want to do this for a living?’ Rather it was ,‘How can I spend the maximum amount of time doing this?’

Grace certainly maximized her efforts in “doing this,” going on to win some of the nation’s most prestigious songwriting contests, including NPR’s Mountain Stage New Song Contest, and receiving grants from the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation. Her songs have been recorded by other esteemed artists, including Sara Hickman and Ruthie Foster. Her independent releases, Grace Pettis (2009), Two Birds (2012), and the acoustic EP Blue Star in a Red Sky (2018), have garnered extensive praise in the music media. She also holds down duties as a member (along with Rebecca Loebe and BettySoo) of the Americana/folk-pop trio Nobody’s Girl.

Recently, one issue that had been smoldering for Grace for a while finally caught fire. After chatting with Mary Bragg about the struggle of women to achieve greater representation in the music world (beyond just lending a female voice to music created and recorded mostly by men) an idea that had been percolating in her mind — to create an album with a completely female production team — finally came to fruition. The result was her new release, Working Woman.

Produced by Mary Bragg, and mixed by Grammy® award winner Shani Ghandi, the record also features an all-female band, along with female co-writers, engineers, and even the photographer and graphic designer.

To find out more, visit www.gracepettis.com

August 2021

Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Hugh Phillips It’s Been A Long Time is the title of the debut album

by Hugh Phillips, and the addition of one word to that phrase might describe the singer-songwriter’s arrival as an artist: It’s been a long time coming. In 2016, after a lengthy career as a Toyota auto technician, including 11 years as the owner of his own repair shop, Hugh decided to make a dramatic change of direction and commit to pursuing music full time. A life-long love of making music, along with a growing attraction to Americana music in all its forms, brought him to the crossroads, where he finally asked himself the question, “If it’s not now, then when?”

As a boy, Hugh was introduced to making music by way of a steady diet of classical music instruction, initiated by his mom, herself a musician. Although he appreciates everything he learned about music back then, classical didn’t quite grab his soul the same way that bluegrass, country and other Americana styles have helped him “contemplate the human condition,” as he puts it.

During his teen years, his mom’s piano-playing boyfriend had a formative influence on Hugh’s later musical direction. “He and my mom would play classical stuff together, but then he taught me a bunch of blues stuff and taught me about blues, the call-and-answer idea and things like that, but as for making the jump to professional music-making later in life, Hugh points to the RockyGrass Academy as providing the fuel that ignited his passion to get out and really perform. He describes this week-long bluegrass music summer camp as “super intense,” providing the opportunity to learn from, and play alongside many greats in the genre, especially around the campfire in the evenings.

The first major signpost on Hugh’s new road as a musician is his debut album, It’s Been A Long Time.

Made up completely of Hugh’s original songs, the record features many colors from the American roots music spectrum. As he has been described elsewhere, Hugh is a “modern country bluegrass man” embedded in the folk/Americana scene, with a lifetime’s worth of musical exploration influencing his songs.

To find out more, visit www.hughphillipsmusic.com

Jason McDaniels Australia’s Jason McDaniel knows a thing or two about hitting the road and really living life. Since his start as a pro musician in 1995 he has perfected a “rowdy” concoction of country, rock and blues, influenced by the likes of Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, ZZ Top and Dire Straits, as well as the greats of Australia’s home-grown country music like Slim Dusty and John Williamson.

According to Jason, his new album, Honky Tonk Life, is about “...celebrating good times, good music, good whiskey, and living life to the full.” A long time in coming, his second album only arrived after decades of touring with the popular band Montana and writing hundreds of songs since his debut record, 1995’s Man in the Black Hat. Although he performed many of his songs live with the band, getting them down on tape was another matter: “We never got around to recording them. We were actually that busy on the road doing shows, we never had time to get back to the studio.”

But with the emergence of a world-wide pandemic, Jason finally found himself off the road, with nothing but time. “I had no excuse. I had all the time in the world to be able to sit and write, so that was when it really happened.” With the strong encouragement of his daughter, he seized the opportunity to create a new collection of songs that would be an encouragement to listeners in the midst of the challenging situation at hand. “Everyone in the world was not having fun, so I thought, well, let’s try and write some songs about having good times…”

Although the music is rooted in classic, analog sound, its actual production made use of cutting-edge technology. Along with the vocals, Jason recorded demos in Australia, which studio pros in the US transformed into the album’s backing tracks. They used Zoom meetings in lieu of in-studio listening sessions to finalize the songs. “It was like I was there,” Jason says.

Highlighting Honky Tonk Life is the first single, “Peer Pressure Breakdown,” which tells the story of a hardworking truck driver who gives into “peer pressure,” or the allure of, as the Aussies call it, “chucking a sickie” and spending the day fishing.

To find out more, visit www.jasonmcdaniel.com.au

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Steve Wilson Like so many musicians, Steve Wilson’s family taught him to love music at an early age. He initially tried out the instrument he would later know so well—the banjo—at age 12, but, like many a young player, didn’t stick with it. The difference for Steve was that his first brief banjo experience became only the first step on a long and winding road to mastering not only banjo playing but also creating the instruments themselves.

As an adult, he developed his luthier side first, taking his skills in fine woodcrafting to Nashville for a job at Gibson, and quickly working his way into the Custom Art Shop, where he designed and built custom art pieces.

Many of these were special orders for what became a long, distinguished list of players. He learned from the best builders, and this experience left a permanent imprint on him.

Later, Steve honed his craft in bluegrass music.

Back in Nashville in the late 1990s, after serving in the military and becoming a family man, he rediscovered the banjo and began really building his skills as a musician. [In the podcast interview he recounts a humorous story of how he got motivated to take his playing to the next level check out Americana Music Profiles podcast.]

Steve eventually moved back to Upstate NY to raise his children closer to their extended family.

It was during this time that Steve also discovered his love for recording music. He engineered and produced his first bluegrass project for a band he was in during the winter of 2012. He’s been hooked ever since.

With the kids grown, Steve and his wife, Melanie, have settled in South Carolina. These days Steve is happily playing banjo for the band Deeper Shade of Blue, and is also looking forward to the release of an album featuring some of his original songs and involving a large number of the musicians he has worked with over the years. Look for “Six Degrees of Separation” in June 2021. You can check out the single “Midnight on the Highway” at Steve’s website.

To find out more, visit www.wilsonbanjo.com

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August 2021

Cajun and Creole gatherings primiarly frequented by the white Cajuns of south Louisiana, and the Zydeco favored by the black Creoles from the same community.

which distracts a troubled soul.

One can only assume that there are sometimes dark undertones to Zydeco gatherings as well as there are to Cajun dance halls.

Cajuns love to dance. They often gathered in the front yard while the band played on the front porch. Cajun dance halls, known as salles de danse were live music venues encompsing dancing, courtship, and community building exercises. During the 18th. and 19th. centuries, the dance halls were rustic ballrooms that resembled wooden warehouses, with a hardwood dance floor and benches lining the walls.

These halls offered entertainment and refreshments to patrons.

Before the advent of electricity, acoustic performances by fiddlers (and later, accordion-based ensembles) provided entertainment by the light of kerosene lanterns. Early on, the Salle de Danse was a family affair but in more recent years, these dance halls offered alcohol and amplified dance music and thus took on a darker tone accompanied often by violence. Once as widespread as local churches, Cajun dance halls now are more or less a relic of the past.

What about that 101 year old Cajun Fiddler and his lost but found tunes we teased you about at the beginning? Here is the rest of the story: Willie Durisseau was a Cajun fiddle player at the Creole house dances of the 1930s. Mr. Durisseau who, along with his brother, Jimmy, and wife, Irma, were featured performers at these events in and around their native, Lebeau, Louisiana.

Segregation of the races was the norm of the day and the south Louisiana meaning of Zydeco expanded to refer to black Creole dances as a social event and dance styles as well as the music associated with them.

Creoles go to a Zydeco to dance the Zydeco to Zydeco music played by Zydeco musicians.

Community musicians are described as Zydeco kings, queens, and princes. Community dance events, which provide the primary opportunity for courtship, are announced as Zydecos. The word Zydeco also refers to hard times and, by association, to the music that helped folks to endure them. In black American tradition, this music is also called the blues be it a lament which relieves a troubled soul, or a jumping blues

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Willie Durisseau

Mr. Louis Michot is singer/fiddler for the Grammy wining group, Lost Bayou Ramblers as well as a record producer. In the spring of 2019, he sat down with Willie and Irma Durisseau to pick their collective memories about life on the road so to speak and to record Mr. Durisseau playing his fiddle for an outsider for the first time in many years. Mr. Michot wrote an article in 2020 for the Louisiana Folklife Program following those interviews held in April and May 2019 These interviews were supported by a grant to Louisiana Folk Roots from the Louisiana Division of the Arts.

What follows are excerpts from that interview.

August 2021

As Willie and Irma recounted their memories of the Creole house dances of the 1930s, Durisseau would pick up his fiddle and coax his fingers to recall the songs he and his late brother, Jimmy Durisseau, played at the house dances. The musicians at that time performed exclusively on fiddle and guitar, but with no accordion.

Michot wrote, “In a time when we look back to recordings to give us a glimpse of the roots of Louisiana French music, we sometimes overlook the deepest wells of information and experience in our own region that being the elders who played at and attended the bals de maison (house dances). I was fortunate to be introduced to Willie and Irma Durisseau in 2019, who attended many house dances in their native Lebeau, Louisiana, throughout the 1930s.”

Willie Durisseau was born on February 20, 1918 in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. He began as a Creole fiddler in Lebeau, where he and his brother, Jimmie, first played upon fiddles constructed from cigar boxes. They played house dances in the 1930s and were usually joined by one or more of their cousins. All of the boys played fiddle and guitar but none played the accordion.

Apparently this was to always be because both Willie and Irma insisted they never had an accordion at their house dances.

Willie and Irma met at a house dance and married in August of 1940. Irma stated that they played at and frequented house dances in 1938 and 1939, but that by 1940 much of the community moved to Beaumont, Texas for work.

Wille joined the US Army during World War II thus ending the house dance playing. Irma said they played a few small house dances after the war, but that these social gatherings soon faded as the community was not as strong as before the war and of course times changed. Willie put down the fiddle to raise his family and work in construction the remainder of his adult life.

Brand New Fiddle “In 2017, a family member bought Mr. Durisseau a new fiddle, and at the age of 99 he used this instrument to recall some of the melodies from the house dance days from over 80 years in the past. As difficult as it is to believe, Willie could still play the fiddle at 101 years old for Mr. Michot to record. Admittedly, Willie was only able to carry a tune for about a minute at a time, and could perform only a few tunes in the space of an hour.

Nevertheless, Michot said, “His clarity and authenticity of the melodies flowed from his fingers like gold. Willie Durisseau’s music was like a precious time capsule that was buried in his mind for almost a century. While many musicians modernize, and change their repertoire as the trends change, Willie held on to the music of his youth and accessed it like a rare gem to share with his family. Mr. Durisseau’s ability to tap into those nights at the bals de maison is what makes his music truly priceless.”

Quite a story, huh? Willie Durisseau passed away on December 17, 2019—the same year of the interview and recording session. His passing marked the end of an era as he was the last surviving authentic Creole house dance fiddle player known in Louisiana.

Mithot insists that it is impossible to magnify the importance of Willie Durisseau’s resurfacing. His existence as Creole fiddle playing elder cannot be overstated. The reason for saying this is the fact that the Creole fiddle gave way to the Zydeco accordion and thus became a very rare sight and sound in latter day Louisiana folk derived music. Mithot stated, “Mr. Durisseau’s presence and memories quickly became an abundant source of inspiration for Creole culture, as very few practitioners of this art still exist.”

In 2018, the historic Hotel Cazan in Mamou, LA started The Willie Durisseau First Annual Fiddle contest in his honor. In 2019, Willie Durisseau was honored by Louisiana Folk Roots with the Keeper of the Flame award. At that event, he gave what may have been his only public performance in the past 80 years

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August 2021

Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Richard Lynch For almost four decades, Richard Lynch has been cultivating the legacy of greats like George Strait, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and the list goes on. He has a deep appreciation of the power of inherited tradition, as his passion for music dates back to his earliest days, when his dad, country musician Woody Lynch, gave him his first chance to sing for a large audience at age 13. From then, Richard always had a “drive and a direction to make a dollar at it,” and the seed of a future full-time music career was planted in fertile soil. It really began bearing fruit during the 1980s and ‘90s when “you could play six or seven nights a week, because the music was so prevalent,” as Richard recalls.

Along with his dedication to the craft of country music, Richard has taken the notion of country to another level. “I grew up on a farm and I always had an appreciation for it,” Richard remembers. “And I knew at a young age I wanted to have my own farm. As I got older I was lucky enough to fulfill that dream.” With his wife, Donna, he runs the Keepin’ It Country Farm in Waynesville, OH, a working farm on which they have constructed a one-of-a-kind barn-style structure for country music events aimed at giving back to the community by specifically supporting veterans. Many leading traditional country artists have performed at these benefit events.

Although Richard has firmly planted his career in the field of classic country music, he has a modern grasp of the tools of the music trade. Take, for example, his YouTube channel, Traditionally Lynch TV, a presentation of the best moments from the events held at Keepin’ It Country Farm.

Richard has compiled a long list of country hits and chart-toppers on both domestic and international sales and radio airplay charts, and is a proud member of the Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame and the Independent Country Music Hall of Fame.

His latest album, My Guitar Drips Country, which is his fifth full-length effort, features 12 songs written or co-written by Richard, including his touching tribute to the late Doug Supernaw.

To find out more, visit www.richardlynchband.com

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John McDonough John McDonough spent most of his last 30 years in Austin, Texas as a part-time musician/full-time psychotherapist in one of the most intensely creative cities in the world. Nine years ago he committed himself to the full-time music life. During that time he has written and recorded five CDs (including his latest, Second Chances), played over 500 gigs, performed in eleven major music festivals, several times appeared and performed on local and national radio, and embarked on successful tours through the United States. Recently has relocated to Chicago (for family and new musical opportunities).

But along the way, he staked a claim to his very own piece of country music territory with a unique combination of compelling acoustic guitar playing, passionate vocals, and personal lyrics.

John is comfortable with the classification of singer-songwriter.

He has drawn comparisons to Elton John and Harry Chapin for his vocal style and abilities, while his emotional storytelling has been compared with that of James Blunt and Damien Rice. At the inevitable comparison to Jame Taylor he responds, “It’s always frustrating and hard to try to pigeonhole yourself, but when I do have to, I always say I’m a singer-songwriter at heart...and James Taylor is one of my favorites; “Fire and Rain” was the reason I learned to play guitar…” At about age 12, John realized he wanted to be able to play along with himself as he sang the songs he loved (often very loudly, with his stereo cranked, as he recalls), and began guitar lessons. His college years saw him intensifying his focus on the instrument and producing his first original songs.

Haymakers For more than 15 years Dustin Arbuckle and Tom Page have made music together in the Wichita, Kansas area, beginning with a one-gig country outfit that connected them subsequently as a duo, with Dustin on harmonica and Tom on guitar.

After about six years, they felt the need to push the boundaries of what they were doing. “We hit a point where we wanted to try and do something different,” says Dustin, “to give ourselves the ability to...explore some more musical territory and allow each of us to play up some musical strengths that we have a little bit more.” So they called up some friends to join their musical hayride: Ted Farha and Dennis Hardin on various mandolins, Caleb Drummond on upright bass for live performances and for recording, Mark Foley, principal bassist with the Wichita Symphony and professor at Wichita State University. Organically, over time, the group developed into what is now the band at full force.

As for the Haymakers’ sound, they start with the classic string band idea of a well-oiled acoustic music machine, pile on traditional folk, Americana, mountain music, and western swing, and finally heap on lush multi-part harmonies. Their original tunes come from within the band and from a wide range of collaborators.

There’s also a healthy amount of improvising. “The conversation between instruments...that’s something we all find really exciting,” Tom says.

“We like to improvise, and some of our songs really lend themselves well to that.” Dustin adds, “We enjoy walking that tightrope and letting it get a little weird from time to time. I wouldn’t call us a jam band, but were not afraid to go there.”

Although he has spent a lot of his gigging time giving people the familiar tunes they want to hear, his CDs feature only his originals. His most recent effort, Second Chances, is comprised of previously released songs, reimagined in a minimalistic, “unplugged” setting, limited to two acoustic guitars, two vocals and a small string section. This acoustic collection includes some songs that John felt would benefit from updated arrangements, based on a dramatic improvement in his guitar playing in recent years, along with other previously electric guitarbased tracks.

The band has managed to capture the essence of what they do with a live album, recorded at Art Church in Malvern, Iowa. The converted church provided the perfect space for the Haymakers’ unique configuration to resonate in. “The first time we played there, we pretty much fell in love with the room and decided we wanted to come back and record a live show there,” says Dustin. “It ended up being a magical night; the crowd was great, everything clicked, and we’re so happy with what we got out of the evening we felt we had to release it.”

To find out more, visit www.johnmcdonoughlive.com

To find out more, visit www.haymakers316.com

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August 2021

Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

The Dinallos The Dinallos—the husband and wife team of Michael Dinallo and Juliet Simmons Dinallo—have quite a story to tell. Currently, they are making roots music that is gaining attention throughout the Americana music world, featuring an exciting blend of classic country, blues, gospel and rock & roll. The story of how they ended up on that musical road together is just as compelling as the stories they tell through their songs. You can hear those songs on their recently released self-titled album, and hear their story in this Americana Rhythm interview.

Juliet Simmons Dinallo grew up in Maine and came of age as a musician in Boston, where she studied at Berklee College of Music. She later moved to Nashville, gathering a wealth of experience there that influenced her songwriting, singing and performing style.

Michael Dinallo, a formidable songwriter, producer and guitarist, grew up in Ohio and moved to Boston to attend Berklee as well.

He led the Bostonbased Radio Kings, and produced Nightfall, a gold and platinum album by the Norwegian star, William Hut, among many other credits. His guitar provides a solid foundation and powerful focal point for everything he does.

Michael and Juliet’s current collaboration marks their first release as an official group, after years of working together. Juliet explains that, “It kind of unfolded on its own…” Both were working on their own projects when Michael helped unstick one of Juliet’s tracks, “Lemonade,” which she initially thought would be a bluegrass tune.

The album, titled simply The Dinallos, brings together older and newer songs that Michael and Juliet have each written. The collection reveals the wide range of influences the couple has absorbed over the years, through songs that each emphasize different aspects of American roots music. Michael says, “As time goes on, things become less driven by genres...Sometimes when you write a song, the song dictates how it’s gonna sound.”

To find out more, visit www.thedinallos.com

Izzie’s Caravan Just call him Izzie. After a youth spent playing in bands, and the early 2000s playing and recording with his current Caravan comrades under a different name, the driving force behind his blues rock Caravan is experiencing a musical renaissance many former rockers can only dream about.

In their previous incarnation, Izzie and company gave it all they had, attempting to carry the torch of rock and roll forward into the new century. Unfortunately, they found themselves out of sync with the direction music was taking at the time. “I guess the music landscape had really changed back then as well,” Izzie recalls. “We had the spirit of old school rock and roll, but that was on the outs…” Ultimately, after putting so much energy into the struggle, Izzie found himself extremely disillusioned about music. So much so that he didn’t play at all for a decade.

Luckily, Izzie got plugged back into the music after a number of key encounters, and came to the point of fully restarting the music career that had been on a very long hiatus. He says “It was like that little kid inside woke up, and I was like, ‘I think it’s time to do this, man...It’s been the love of my life.’” The band leader was also fortunate that his previous bandmates were keen to jump back on board and set out on a new path with the Caravan.

Starting as “that little kid,” Izzie gathered blues and rock influences from many places over the years, from the classic blues of Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James and Muddy Waters, to the rocking blues of Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and early Aerosmith, to the stripped down rock of John Fogerty, Tom Petty and others. Izzie recalls Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing,” playing from his audiophile dad’s stereo, as the song that first attracted him to the electric guitar. “I was like, wow...What is this guy doing?”

Back together since 2019, the group released a number of successful EPs, and has landed a bunch of singles on international streaming and download charts. Their latest release due out as a full album in June 2021 is called Blow the Lid, and is the result of remote but prolific song creation during the pandemic.

To find out more, visit www.izziescaravan.com

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

Matt Westin Matt Westin found his voice and career direction in some truly unexpected places. He was born and raised in a blue-collar, middle class suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and ended up studying at a prestigious institution in that neck of the woods, Carnegie Mellon University, with a career in engineering on his horizon. While there, however, he began to find music, for which he had a lifelong love but had never pursued, becoming a needed escape. An excellent student, he came away with multiple engineering degrees and followed the designated path into that profession.

But his engineering career only lasted about six years: “I was just miserable, living in a cubicle,” Matt remembers. “Even after all these years I still have nightmares about it.”

Initially, Matt pursued his passion for acting, and ended up in Los Angeles for a brief time. Music remained more of a hobby for him.

Even though he had already built a solid foundation for a future career in music. While at university, Matt had put in serious effort building his vocal chops.

His leading influences included Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra. The following decade saw him honing that voice in Pittsburgh’s clubs and bars. The more he sang the more his desire to take his performing full-time grew.

As joyful as music was for Matt, it turned out to be a dark time in his life that brought him to fully embrace the calling to share his gift with the wider world. In April 2016, after a bravely fought battle with leukemia, Matt’s father succumbed to complications from chemotherapy. Having the heart of a true family man, Matt’s personal devastation led to a serious struggle with the reality of his father’s death. After months of depression, Matt decided to honor his father’s memory by finally pursuing his music career, which his father had always encouraged him to do.

The result was his debut album, Legacy, released in 2018. The world-class country release was produced by Bryan Cole and was later dubbed the IMEA Country Album of the Year. .

To find out more, visit www.mattwestin.com

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August 2021

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www.AmericanaRhythm.com

August 2021

By Wayne Erbsen

Roving Gambler I’ve always felt a strange allure for songs about ne’erdo-wells, rounders, ramblers, rascals and good for nothin’ bums. The character depicted in the song “Roving Gambler” was apparently a smooth talking, vest wearing, watchbob jangling, wax mustached dandy who specialized in raking in the poker chips and fast-talking the ladies. The song was first collected in America by Frank C. Brown in 1915. It was a descendant of 19th century British broadside ballads such as “The Roving Journeyman” and “The Roving Irishman.” The song has been collected under such titles as “The Guerrilla Boy,” “The Gambling Man,” “The Journeyman,’ “The Blue-Coat Man,” “The Roaming Gambler,” “The Buckskin Shirt,”and “The Rustlin’ Gambler.” It was first recorded on April 22, 1924 by Samantha Bumgarner as “The Gamblin’ Man-

Two Step.” Over the years the song was recorded by Kelly Harrell, Land Norris and Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers. Vernon Dalhart wins the cake by recording “Rovin’ Gamber” no less than eight times, each under a different alias for as many record companies.

“Roving Gambler” can be found in my book, The Rural Roots of Bluegrass.

By the way, if this song leads you down into a smoky den of iniquity you might need to bone up on some select vocabulary words. Here is some slang from the lips of poker playing gamblers to keep handy in your vest pocket next to your single-shot Derringer pistol.

Poker Lingo Boat: full house (aka “full boat”): Three of one card, two of another.

Broadway: Ace-high straight.

Buck: A wager of hundred dollars.

Bug: A joker Carpet Joint: A luxury gambling casino.

Croupier: Dealer Dead Man Hand: A hand of two pairs, aces and eights.

It is supposedly the hand Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was murdered in Deadwood, South Dakota on August 2, 1876.

Dime Bet: A one thousand dollar wager.

Duck: A deuce, a 2.

First Base: The chair at the dealer’s left.

George: A gambler who tips the dealer.

Grease: Bribe offered to someone.

Half Dollar Bet: A single bet of $50.

Hole Card: The dealer’s unseen card.

Juice: Commission taken by the casinos.

Kicker: A high ranking card which doesn’t contribute to flush or straight in poker.

Low Roller: A gambler who wagers small bets.

Mechanic: A cheating dealer.

Muck: Fold.

Nickel: $500 wager.

Open:- The player who bets first.

Paint:- Any Jack, Queen, or King.

Pigeon: An uneducated, naive, or unsophisticated gambler.

Pocket Cards: The cards which are dealt face down in a poker game.

Quads: Four of a kind.

Sawbuck: Ten dollars.

Sawdust Joint: A low-life gambling establishment.

Scared Money: The amount of money that players do not want to lose.

Shark: A good player who acts like a newbie.

Silver Mining: Checking for forgotten coins in slot machines.

Skin: A dollar.

Skin Game: A game having two or more collusion cheaters.

Skinning the Hand: A cheater’s technique to get rid of extra cards.

Skoon: A dollar.

Tap Out: Losing all the bankroll while gambling.

Ticket : A card.

Wild Royal Flush: A Royal Flush that makes use of a wild card.

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

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August 2021

Music From The National Scene

Music From Your Neighbors

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elcome to the summertime edition of SPINS for 2021. Get out and support LIVE music! Wow, are we impressed as always, with this issue’s collection of SPINS. Artists are turning out good music everywhere, and we’re still here to tell you about it! Check these out, and please tell them we sent you. Support your favorite musician so they can keep making their music!

Turner Cody and The Soldiers of Love

Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass

The High Hawks The High Hawks

Happy Again

Friends In High Places www.turnercody.com

Bluegrass Troubadour

www.billandthebelles.com

www.shootoutmusic.com

www.https://www.ivpr.co/thehigh-hawks

Turner Cody has been at his brand of alternative folkAmericana for 20 years. His Woody Guthrie/Hank Williams/Townes Van Zandt vibe and poetic songcraft make this one to watch

Leaning on a legacy of over six decades, Danny Paisley’s soulful voice and powerful range make him the favorite of many. He is IBMA’s reigning Male Vocalist of the Year.

You’ll dig this new record

This is the debut album from the High Hawks - a gathering of friends from Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Hard Working Americans, and more. The gathering of influences like that are hard to ignore. This is good stuff

Music full of life, humor, tongue-and-cheek explorations of love and loss; Bill and the Belles new collection, Happy Again, features 11 new original tunes penned by founding member, Kris Truelsen.

Asleep At The Wheel Better Times

Sons of the Never Wrong

Paul Thorn

Larry Sparks

Dale Watson

Never Too Late To Call

Ministry In Song

www.asleepatthewheel.com

Undertaker’s Songbook www.sonsoftheneverwrong.com

www.paulthorn.com

www.larrysparks.com

The Memphians www.dalewatson.com

Got one you want us to consider? send it to: Uncle Woody The Spin Doctor PO Box 45 Bridgewater, VA 22812

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of this iconic Texas swing band fronted by the legendary Ray Benson. Asleep At The Wheel is Americana music at it’s core. Their stage performances are energetic, and their southern cowboy groove is highly infectious

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Bill & the Belles

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Another legendary band - this time in the folk arena - Sons of the Never Wrong launch their 30th anniversary with a new record, Undertaker’s Songbook. This 15 song collection is the ninth album from the celebrated folk trio

The native Mississippi singersongwriter, guitar slinger, son of a preacher, Paul Thorn, brings us a new collection of his gritty, soul felt music. Although just a touch more on the mellow side from his usual edgy licks, Never Too Late To Call does not disapoint

Larry Sparks is one of the few remaining active musicians from the early days of bluegrass. He joined the Stanley Brothers in 1964, and stepped in to play guitar when Carter Stanley died in 1966. It’s been a legendary career ever since.

His latest is a true testament

Dale Watson is a country music traditionalist. His music harkens back to the 60s when Country and Western was the mainstay. And he’s good at it! His latest, The Memphian, is the first instrument-only compilation he’s ever recorded

Jenny Shawhan

Rising Appalachia

Steven Graves

Tenth Mountain Division

Swift Silver

Don’t Be Afraid

Leylines

All Alone

Butte La Rose

Swift Silver

www.jennyshawhan.com

www.risingappalachia.com

www.stevengravesmusiccom

www.tmdtunes.com

www.swiftsilvermusic.com

Jenny Shawhan’s latest CD, Don’t Be Afraid, is a collection that exemplifies self-empowerment, love, and selfcare. Her positive life outlook shows up in each of her heartfelt songs. The Indianna born singer-songwriter feels like she’s finally hit her stride

Sisters Leah and Chloe Smith are the founding braintrust behind Rising Appalachia, began over two decades ago. Their southern roots sound has been beautifully shaped by a cadre of global music influences. Leylines is their latest - captivating

13 original songs make up the lated CD from folk-pop, singer-songwriter, Steven Graves. Their Muscle Shoals type sound combined with Steven’s lyrics make for a hppy vibe, perfect for the postpandemic world. All Alone is Steven’s seventh CD

Colorado based Tenth Mountain Division is molding the sounds of the mountain into bold new directions with their latest CD, Butte La Rose. Their high-energy, electro-acoustic sound create a fun energy that makes you want to get up and dance

Anna Kline and John Looney are the voices and master minds behind Swift Silver. It’s been said to exemplify, “the drawling tremlo of rhythm and blues, the redemptive strains of Southern Gospel, and the twang of the rural soul.” Keep an eye on this duet for 2021

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You can send new Americana CD releases for consideration to PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812 / greg@americanarhythm.com

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www.AmericanaRhythm.com

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August 2021

Nordic Americana continued from page 8 styles is the coolest thing since the invention of music. Without this, we wouldn’t have half the styles around today, not even rock and roll,” he said. (Brio Taliaferro is known for his work with Sugarebabes, “Easy,” James Blunt, and the Moby remix, Dico a.o.) “So when we recorded the Dry Wood EP, I thought we needed a description for this new style,” Brio said.

Nordic Americana is based more on the lyrics, than dancing. The storytelling is essential, however I adapted the concept of bringing spontaneous dance into my performances.

Americana, as defined by the Americana Music Association (AMA), is “contemporary music that incorporates elements of various mostly acoustic American roots music styles, including country, roots rock, folk, gospel and bluegrass, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from

the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band.”

Old traditional Folk music often is based on oral singing with no notes or sheet music, and only acoustic instruments. It is the same tradition for Nordic Americana. It is based on the spontaneous aesthetic interpretation of music. Growing up with the concept of a tradition in Denmark with community songs called, Højskolesange and Psalms, my mother would hear Joan Baez along with British ballads. Our young girl ears would tune in to the melodically sung verses and go along on the journey with her.

The intonation in English is softer than the Danish pronunciation, where hard consonants dominate the music tapestry. Danish songs also often seem to be less painful emotionally. Thoughts are not so painfully and deeply expressed,

but rather have a more poetic nerve than does the mellow British or bluesy American genre.

Less Rooted Traditionally, Americana music is normally deeply rooted in the American soulful history, from slaves in the cotton fields singing about a hard life, and later those bluesy tones ended up in a New York jazz club in Harlem. The impressions from a city life is combined with the longing for nature as the medicine for true happiness, revelations and realization as ones true purpose, based on a purified soul. Danish songs have traditionally been more rooted in a societal, we-gotogether, concept.

Where roots and blues music in Americana has expressed the deepest pain and culture for the individual under various hard conditions for a long time; as an example, only since the 1970s, has the Danish society developed the idea of the Feminist movement, whereby female Danish singers were popularized as singer-

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songwriters. Trille was one the of the first to sing sad political themes that could remind one of the Americana style. She sang of the painful sadness of a single mother, factory worker living a miserable life, poor alcoholic, on a hamster wheel.

Politically Charged The Danish songwriters didn’t become political and emotional until the 1980s. In the new millennium though, Danish tradfolk (traditional folk) is having a revival. Danish songwriters and orchestras have begun to reexplore the Nordic Folk genre: the old folk tradition. Folk bands play at events where people still dance to their folk songs. Old folk songs have been reinvented. Not so many align with the English language, but now its coming back with many singing in Dutch. By once again mixing new ideas with old styles, we have coined a new flavor with my music we lovingly call Nordic Americana

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Listen to Mette’s interview with us on Americana Music Profiles podcast!

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