Andy M. Stewart has passed

It was announced this week that Andy M. Stewart has died in Scotland. The Herald Scotland has the background of his career and passing.

Here's a musical treasure trove he and his mates created:

"When I Go" - Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer

Imagine having the following as your initial musical exposure to Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. Wow.

Call it one of my cherished musical memories -- such a way with words and music and it was wonderfully followed up by so many more compelling creations.

Dave, you and your music are so missed. Thank you so much for the beauty you gave to us.

Catching up with Catie Curtis

Jeff Niesel profiles Catie Curtis with a solid, in-depth look at her life and music career.

John Runsey's top picks for 2015

John Rumsey of KVMR in Nevada City and his "Four Strong Winds" show offers his top picks for 2015:

Another incredible year of high quality recordings

1.  Andy and Judy, Follow Your Dreams, Cherry Bridge Records
2.  Barwick and Siegfried, The Trestle, FGM Records
3.  Tom Russell, The Rose of Roscrae , Proper Records
4.  Greg Blake, Songs of Heart and Home, Self Produced
5.  Steve Spurgin, Solo Flight, Blue Night Records
6.  Rita Hosking, Frankie and the No-Go Road, Self Produced
7.  Boxcar Lillies, Knockout Rose, Self Produced
8.  Pharis & Jason Romero, A Wanderer I’ll Stay, Lula Records
9.  Honey dewdrops,  Tangled Country, Self Produced
10.  Dave Gunning, The Lift , Self Produced

...along with other favorites from the year including John McCutcheon, Avery Hill, Gene & Gayla Mills,  David Llywellen & Ida Kristin...

Best of 2015 English, Irish, Scottish, celtic (you name it) releases

Moving across the pond, here's Martin Chilton with his selections as the best 2015 folk releases. Count 65.

Another folk Top 10 list

Emily Woodbury and Charity Nebbe offer up a "Best of Folk Tree 2015" which features 10 releases from this year.

Folk Alley's 10 Favorite Artists of 2015

"Folk Alley's 10 Favorite Albums Of 2015" features a relatively lesser known compilation of artists which is great for exploring new voices and sounds.

"I’m With Her, Three Americana Virtuosos"

Jon Pareles' "I’m With Her, Three Americana Virtuosos" reviews a recent concert featuring Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and mandolin and Aoife O’Donovan performing together.

 

Tim O'Brien's "Pompadour"

Hal Horowitz reviews "Pompadour," the new release from Tim O'Brien.

American Songwriter's Top 50 albums of 2015

American Songwriter present its top 50 releases of 2015 -- definitely not all folk, Americana genre selections.

Rosalie Sorrels tribute release

"Friends Of Idaho Folksinger Rosalie Sorrels Raising Money For Tribute Album"

Rich Warren's Favorites of 2015

(I hope this reproduces properly as I did not format it as cleanly as I do my playlists.)

Favorites of 2015

First, an explanatory note:

I refrain from calling these "The Best of 2015" because the following list is but one listener's biased opinion. I have culled these from the many good recordings that crossed my CD player this year. I'm sure I forgot to include several notable recordings. They say the CD is waning, yet all told, I estimate The Midnight Special received at least 1000 new recordings, and I listened to about 500 new recordings, of which about 250 made it into the WFMT library, and about 150 received airplay. I do not include reissues and most compilations among these favorites, although there is a major exception this year. As the cut-off date is November 25, some of the newest recordings will not be considered until next year.

Sometimes the mediocrity completely overwhelms me, while at other times I marvel at the creativity and brilliance. There are ten favorites this year. It boiled down to being exceptionally discriminating or a list of 25. I probably could have halved these or doubled the number yet again. There was ample good music, but only these ten grabbed me. While I thought about these choices long and hard for several weeks, if not most of the year, had I made the list a day earlier or a day later it might have been slightly different.

If a good friend visited from out-of-town with only an hour or two to spare, and asked me to play my favorites from 2015, I would play the following. Actually, I have purchased quantities of several of them to give to friends for the holidays.

By way of explanation, I have annotated the CDs on the list, arranged alphabetically.

Matthew Byrne: Hearts & Heroes  self 79444-00525 (matthewbyrne.net)

Matthew Byrne, a young newcomer, hails from remote Newfoundland. The CD is a mixture of traditional and traditional-sounding songs, and a couple of exceptionally beautiful instruments showing of his guitar virtuosity. His interpretations show a respect for and intelligence about the music that makes this album special.

Dave Gunning: Lift  Wee House of Music 2015 (davegunning.com)

One of the many top notch singer-songwriters from Canada, another artist from the Maritimes, in this case, Nova Scotia, Gunning collaborates with a wide range of co-writers to sing about an array of topics and subjects that keep this album exceptionally entertaining, from songs with political overtones to old-fashioned love songs cleverly expressed. Gunning also is a fine singer and guitarist and this album will hold your attention from first to last track.

Lori Lieberman: Ready for the Storm  Drive On 11511-14 (lorilieberman.com)

Lori Lieberman's voices remains as gorgeous and expressive as it was 40 years ago, but now is even more nuanced and knowing as it expresses some exceptionally good lyrics and memorable melodies. Although most of the songs are broken-hearted love songs, there are few quite interesting vows and explorations that keep the CD interesting throughout. "Three Days" literally is a heart-stopper. Lieberman co-wrote most of the songs, so each has a slightly different flavor and feel. The production is simple and appropriate, never masking her superb voice.

Jim Malcolm: The Corncrake  self 80992-14431 (jimmalcolm.com)

Jim Malcolm is now the dean of performing Scottish folk singers. Unlike many Scots singers, he spends most of his time at home in rural Scotland. His obvious affinity for the music gives this album authenticity, but he never buries the lyrics beneath an exaggerated Scots burr, although the dialect remains intact. As usual, he's chosen mostly traditional and traditional sounding songs to share. Beyond the material, his truly lovely voice proves that traditional singers can be enjoyed for their beauty as well as for keeping the great songs alive. Malcolm was once the lead singer of the popular group Old Blind Dogs and that band has never been quite as good since he left. Meanwhile, he's impressively grown as a solo artist.

Tom Paxton: Redemption Road  Pax 010 (tompaxton.com)

Tom Paxton creates one amazing album after another. He's been at it for over 50 years. Not all of are equal brilliance, but a good Tom Paxton album surpasses most other singer-songwriters with ease. It's uncertain if this will be Paxton's last album of new material, but he ties up a few loose ends with songs about aging and retiring, as well as one exceptional love song, "Central Square." His sense of humor remains intact with a pair of humorous songs. No Paxton album would be complete without some humor. He also retains his political edge. In other words, this is the full Paxton buffet. However, he ends with "The Parting Glass," perhaps a message to his fans that he is leaving. Thus, this album is worth savoring as an example of the genius who has given us so many great songs.

John Roberts & Debra Cowan: Ballads Long and Short  Golden Hind 111 (goldenhind.com / debracowan.com)

Put together two of the most serious and humorous traditional singers of our time and be prepared for an album that honestly brings to life traditional music with a knowledge of the genre rare in our time. They compliment the traditional songs a few contemporary traditional sounding songs, including one with a definite wink and a nod. John Roberts a long time practitioner of the art of traditional music finally found a new singing partner worth his mettle in Debra Cowan, who possesses a most pleasing voice and love of the music. It's not merely that they do justice to the material on this CD; it's obvious that they enjoy it.

Elaine Romanelli: The Hour Before  self 88295-24554 (elaineromanelli.com)

In an era of singer-songwriters with dubious production values, Elaine Romanelli shines like a super nova with just her and her grand pianos. Her utterly haunting performance leads down the mirrored corridors of lost love with highly original reflections and melodies that tug and pull emotions. While normally producers gum up recordings, in this case Si Kahn, mostly known for his labor and political songs, brings Romanelli to her full glory via sparseness. Of all the singer-songwriter recordings received this year, this one most unnerved me with its simultaneous simplicity and complexity.

Tom Russell: The Rose of Roscrae - A Ballad of the West  Frontera 9 (tomrussell.com)

Tom Russell operates on Daniel Burnham's edict: "Make no small plans, they have no magic to stir men's blood." Picking up where The Man From God Knows Where left off over a decade ago, this magic rollicking, rambling two CD epic includes a score of guest performers, both living, recorded especially for this album and deceased from various audio archives. Thus, the album includes Walt Whitman and Lead Belly along with Maura O'Connell, Guy Clark and Eliza Gilkyson and even the Swiss Yodel Choir of Bern and the Norwegian Wind Ensemble. It ranges from rock to nearly acoustic, with bits of spoken poetry and narration. The original songs are Tom Russell instant classics. This is a mind bending journey through American history and the Irish diaspora best enjoyed with a sip of single- barrel aged bourbon.

Happy Traum:  Just for the Love of It Lark's Nest 00261-42584 (happytraum.com)

The title of the album sums it up. Happy Traum, the preeminent guitarist who started during the folk boom and accompanied many great artists, along with several albums with his late brother Artie, sat back, took stock and with a deep, subtle passion recorded an album of his favorite traditional and contemporary songs and instrumentals. Although well on in years, his fingers still do their dance on the guitar as agilely as in his youth and he sings with the experience only years provide. Many older artists attempt to go back and mine gold, but Traum succeeds. He's accompanied by many talented artists including John Sebastian on harmonica; Abby Newton, cello; Martin Simpson, guitar and David Amram, the one-man orchestra.

Joy of Living - A Tribute to Ewan MacColl
Damien Dempsey, Martin Carthy, The Unthanks, Seth Lakeman, Marry Waterson, Jack Steadman & Jamie MacColl, Dick Gaughan, Eliza Carthy, Chaim Tannenbaum, Steve Earle, Jarvis Cocker, Paul Buchanan, Paul Brady, Norma Waterson, Karine Polwart, Martin Simpson, Christy Moore, Billy Bragg, Rufus & Martha Wainwright, Kathryn Williams, David Gray
Compass 748572 (compassrecords.com)
The contributors to the 21-tracks of this two-CD set read like a who's who of contemporary British folk, along with some surprises such as the Wainwrights and Steve Earle. The songs were selected by Ewan's children from his marriage with Peggy, Neill, Calum and Kitty. They included well known songs, some of which have slipped into the folk tradition, and some of Ewan's lesser known songs. If you're not familiar with Ewan MacColl, a Renaissance man, actor, writer, and singer, this is a fascinating introduction. For Ewan's fans this is a confirmation of the artistry and validity of his work. He would have been much more famous in the U.S., save for his politics that kept him out of this country for a decade or more. MacColl ranks high in the pantheon of traditional and contemporary folk artists and should never be forgotten. This set does him justice.

Rich Warren
The Midnight Special & Folkstage
www.midnightspecial.org
98.7 FM WFMT Radio & nationally syndicated
5400 N. St. Louis Ave. Chicago, IL 60625

Tim Grimm -- one the most unappreciated artists around

Here are a handful of examples:

"Holding Up The World"



"So It Goes"




"Heart So Full"



"King Of The Folksingers"



"Anne In Amsterdam"



"Family History"



"80 Acres"



"Joseph Cross"

Kate Molleson/The Guardian give five fingers up for the Irish band Lynched.

Here's more.

A June 2014 interview.

Hayes Carll

Hayes Carll seems to still be an unknown in the Americana music field although deserving of the recognition other excellent artists receive.

One example:



Jamie was a barmaid at the Underground Longrail
Seems like every Friday evenin’
She’d find herself in Jail
Not a friend this side of Houston
With the time to throw her bail
But she’ll be fine, she’ll be fine

Spent a lifetime walkin’
Through the walls of a broken home
Not a man round here still standin’
For the girl to call her own.
Every time she tried to hold him
She just ended up alone
But there’s still time, there’s still time

Davey drove a taxi
Through the streets of Boston town
Like the billboards up above him
The world just wore him down
Only soul he’d ever cared for
Was the one he’d never found
But He’ll be fine, He’ll be fine

Broken Half of Winter, with a wind chill ten below
Davey sittin’ in his kitchen laughin ‘bout
How the world had done him so
Then the postman burst his bubble
With a letter from below
And now it’s time, now it’s time

Chorus
And there’s a lot of people runnin’ round
Not quite sure which way to go
But as for me I believe I finally found
It’s just easy come and easy go

Jamie grabbed a bottle, threw her apron on the bar
Packed her whole world in a suitcase
And tossed it in the car
Woke up in Texarkana
Wondrin’ how she’d got this far
And on her own, on her own

Stranger at the motel let Jamie stay for free
She was gone before the daybreak
On her ways to Tennessee
Lookin’ to make the whole world over
Into a place she wants to be
But not alone, not alone

Davey left his taxi
In the bottom of a Beantown lake
He said this whole world’s full of chances
And this is one I gotta take
So he caught the line to Nashville
To finally find his break
And make a home, make a home

As the train flew out of Boston
His whole world passed him by
He said I spent a lifetime runnin’
And now’s the time to try
If I can’t find someone to hold me
My dreams will surely die
And I’ll be gone, I’ll be gone

Repeat Chorus

When Davey hit the pavement
The sky was almost gray
He lit a smoke off of the sidewalk
To drive the storm away
And when Jamie turned the corner
With the world upon her brow
Davey said I must be dreamin’
How could this happen now
And then she walked right towards him
Looked him right up in the eye
Davey reached out for forever
And Jamie walked on by

Repeat Chorus

Looking for older release suggestions?

Jim Vorel with "10 More Obscure Folk Albums to Add to Your Collection"

New Dave Rawlings Machine release

Marissa R. Moss -- "Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch dish on the writing of Nashville Obsolete"

Top 15 "folk-rooted or folk-branched albums of 2015"

Here are Mike Regenstreif's choices for top 15 releases of the year, with a bent towards the blues.

New release, newish artist

"Folk Singer Cashavelly Morrison Releases Debut Album"

Cashavelly Morrison

A book on the genesis of a number of American folk songs

“Hear My Sad Story” by Richard Polenberg provides the backgroundof a number of familiar American folk songs.

American Songwriter’s Top 50 Albums of 2015

Here are the top albums of 2015 per American Songwriter.

Some excerpts:

47. Iris Dement: The Trackless Woods

For her first record since her 2012 return to form Sing The Delta, Iris Dement looked to the words of the mid-20th century poet Anna Akhmatova. With Akhmatova’s poetry providing all the lyrics, Iris Dement zeroed in on the other half of the singer-songwriter label, stretching and challenging her Arkansas drawl in a series of operatic torch-songs and elegant parlor ballads. The result, The Trackless Woods, is the finest vocal performance of DeMent’s career, a haunting 18-song exploration of loss, faith and freedom that, despite its far-flung lyrical source, still feels like one of DeMent’s most personal statements. That’s partially due to the ease with which DeMent makes Akhmatova’s poetry her own, from the gut-bucket delta country of “Listening to Singing” to the broken-down Merle Haggard wisdom of “Last Toast.” DeMent has been singing about her conflicted relationship with Middle America for over 20 years, but assuming a brand new perspective for the first time (in this case, Akhmatova’s poetry) has let her see it anew.

and

37. Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris: The Traveling Kind

This legendary duo had worked together sporadically throughout their careers before making it official with the 2013’s stellar duet set Old Yellow Moon. The Traveling Kind is more of the same simpatico excellence. Crowell’s world-weary croon and Harris’ yearning trill weave around each other beautifully on the wistful title track, a reflection on music, aging and old friends. And it goes without saying that they caress the heartbreak ballads “You Can’t Say We Didn’t Try” and “No Memories Hanging Around” with loving care. Each gets a chance to stand out as well: Crowell on the Hank Williams-flavored “Just Pleasing You;” Harris on the tear-jerker “Her Hair Was Red.” There’s not a clunker in this batch of 11 songs, in part because the material, either self-penned or gathered from other songwriters, is impeccable, and in part because the pair can rescue even a potentially maudlin track like “Higher Mountains” with the truth embedded in their voices. The zydeco-flavored “La Danse De La Joie” is their encore, a feisty sendoff for a fabulous set.

and

20. Josh Ritter: Sermon on the Rocks

Josh Ritter was one step ahead of his audience when he began work on his followup to Beast in its Tracks, his sparse, vulnerable 2013 breakup album which had immediately become one of the most beloved records in his catalogue. The result, this year’s Sermon on the Rocks, is a wild departure and unpredicted artistic reinvention that nonetheless feels necessary and inevitable the second it begins with the sinister bouncy hop of “Birds of the Meadow.” Ritter brings his trademark word-cramming gothic storytelling to folk dramas like “Henrietta, Indiana” and electronic showstoppers like “Homecoming.” Elsewhere, he experiments with hip-hop cadence (“Getting Ready to Get Down”) and writes yet another classic ode to being a young man in need of a girlfriend (“Where the Night Goes”). Sermon on the Rocks isn’t so much a wild left turn for Ritter so much as it is prime evidence that the Idaho singer-songwriter’s bag of tricks is much bigger than anyone could have ever expected.

and

5. James McMurtry: Complicated Game

Once you get past his typically bleak view of life, few singer-songwriters capture the gritty realism of blue collar Americans with the picturesque, faithful and poetic sensitivity of James McMurtry. Whether it’s the detailed descriptions of backwoods meth cookers and gamblers in “Choctaw Bingo” or the effects of Bush-era economic policies on the still relevant “We Can’t Make it Here Anymore” (both from previous albums) McMurtry uses his hangdog voice and earthy wordplay to craft songs like a reporter relating the lives of the poor and underclass from the front lines. The once prolific singer-songwriter has slowed of late, with Complicated Game his first release in seven years. But the rich fiber of his storytelling has seldom sounded so personal and real. There’s plenty of musky JJ Cale shuffle in “Forgotten Coast,” and a subtle bluegrass undercoating to the downbeat “Ain’t Got a Place,” all of which helps make James McMurtry one of Americana’s most honest and powerfully intimate artists. His songs aren’t pretty or frilly but they reflect the shadowy edges of his subjects with dusky and unflinching truth.

Bob Dylan's hot hand

David Remnick of The New Yorker ruminates on Bob Dylan's so-called Golden Period.

Chuck Pyle has passed

The creator of his musical genre, Chuck Pyle has died. Here's more.

His site.

Digging into Gillian Welch's "Look at Miss Ohio"

From Jim Beviglia: LYRIC OF THE WEEK: Gillian Welch, “Look At Miss Ohio”

Gordon Lightfoot on one of his greatest hits

"Gordon Lightfoot explains why he wrote 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'"

Enya is back

Buzzfeed's Anne Helen Pererson profiles Enya, the mysterious musical success:

"Enya does not tour, and never has toured. She submits to minimal press. She takes up to seven years between albums. Yet she has sold a total of 80 million records, and is one of a dwindling group whose records people are willing to buy..."

She also has a new release.

Remembering Terence Martin

Saw this recently:

"Dear folk djs,
It will be 4 years since the passing of brilliant singer/songwriter Terence Martin on Nov 7, 2011. Please consider playing a song or two and help to keep Terence's music alive! I know many of you are fans and have supported his music. Unfortunately his website has been taken down, but please contact me offline if you'd like more information about Terence or to make a request for any of his music. Thank you always for your support!
Best, 
Barbara

Barbara Roehrer
Acoustic Music Agency
broehrer@optonline.net
201-573-0718"

so,

Here is his obituary followed by one of his most endearing songs.

"The Way It Didn't Go"

where is the life the life we might have led

it started on the corner where we never met

I nearly turned to you you nearly turned to me

at the intersection of what is and what could be

what would have happened we'll never know

that's the way it didn't go

I saw a child who might have had our name

he passed me in a crowd just the other day

he spoke some words but none of them were clear

our shadows nearly touched as he disappeared

did he have your eyes?

I'll never know  

That's the way it didn't go

i'm not myself today & you're not who you are

we're one lane over riding in that car

they read a map but they don't recognize the road

and if they think about us they don't let it show

where did they turn?

We'll never know 

That's the way it didn't go

the door you didn't walk through

the girl you didn't talk to

the light you didn't run that day

the call you didn't answer

the unrequited dancer

you met her glance and turned away

put it down lightly

you know how things can break

I can't forget the love we didn't make

the sun that didn't rise

through the window that's not there

the way it didn't fall

on your face and on your hair

what did you dream? 

I'll never know

That's the way it didn't go

What might have been?

We'll never know

That's the way it didn't go 

James McMurtry's "Ruby and Carlos"

This is one of James McMurtry's many classics, a six and a half minute seemingly book-length song detailing a doomed relationship.

 

“Ruby And Carlos”

Ruby said “You’re gettin’ us in a world of hurt.
Down below the Mason-Dumbass line the food gets worse.
I can’t go back to Tennessee
that NASCAR country’s not for me.
Go on, if you think you must.”

Carlos packed his drums up in the dark of night
Ruby’s standing just outside the front porch light
chain-smoking Camel straights
the sky off to the east got gray
And he rolled off in a cloud of dust.

And the gray colt knickered at the gate
She said “You’re right its getting late.
You and me got work to do
we can’t be burning daylight too.”
She took down the long lead rope
and stayed off that slippery slope

The aspen trees were turning gold up top
The talk was buzzin ’round the beauty shop
“Wasn’t he barely half her age.
Well that’s just how they do now days.
We should all had been so lucky.”

By spring she’d had the run of the free born men
Ruby turned 50 in a sheep camp tent
her body still could rock all night
but her heart was closed and locked up tight

Potato fields all muddy and brown
the gossip long since quieted down

And after one more Coggins test
Pouring coffee for the county vet
Pictures on the ice box door
of Carlos in the first Gulf War
Black-eyed brown and youthful face
smiling back from a Saudi base

And then Carlos on the big bay mare
Heavier now and longer hair
Looking past the saddle shed
From way on back inside his head

And the old vet said, “One day, Rube,
that colt will break an egg in you.
Now and then one comes along
you just can’t ride.” And he went on home.

And the storm door didn’t catch
It blew back hard as she struck a match
But she cupped it just in time
And she sent that ash tray flyin’

And holding back the flood
Just don’t do no good
You can’t unclench your teeth
To howl the way you should
So you curl your lips around
The taste, the tears, and the hollow sound
That no one owns but you
No one owns but you.

Carlos took the road gig and he saw it through
He rode the tour bus while the singer flew
Managed out of music row
Carlos never saw the studio
Session guys had that all sewn up.

He looks out the window and it starts to sleet
Laying on a friend’s couch on Nevada Street
Lately he’s been staying high
Sick all winter and they don’t know why
They don’t know why or they just won’t say
They don’t talk much down at the V.A.

And Ruby’s in his thoughts sometimes
What thoughts can get out past the wine
He feels her fingers on his brow
And right then he misses how
She looked in that gray morning light
She never shaved like they all do now
He sees it all behind his eyes
and his hands go searching but they come up dry

And half way in that wakin’ dream
Carlos lets the land line ring
He never guessed it was Ruby calling
The pin in her hip from the gray colt falling
Figure eight in a lazy lope
Stumbled on that slippery slope

And holding back the flood
Just don’t do no good
You can’t unclench your teeth
To howl the way you should
So you curl your lips around
The taste, the tears, and the hollow sound
That no one owns but you
No one owns but you.

"The best songwriters can create a great song from even the most inconspicuous origins. Case in point: “Ruby And Carlos,” an instant classic from James McMurtry’s 2008 album Just Us Kids. McMurtry told Kentucky’s WNKU during an in-studio performance of the song that he wrote it after a chance comment by a member of his touring crew: “That all started ‘cause we were driving South. You know how some Waffle Houses work pretty well and others are totally dysfunctional? We hit one of the dysfunctional ones and Tim, the sound man, comin’ out the door, he said, ‘I guess we must have crossed the Mason-Dumbass Line.’ So I had to figure out a song to put that in.” Thus, “Ruby And Carlos” was born, a love story told after the dissolution of the relationship. Yet the song becomes bigger than the relationship or even these two broken lives; it represents the distance that often gapes between American dreams and the realities that befall those who dare to dream them. Ruby is the pragmatic one of the pair. Unable to stop Carlos from pursuing his doomed hopes of musical stardom, she stays at home and ekes out her measly existence, suffering the town gossip that comes along with dating a younger man. Yet her love for her wayward ex is evident in the pictures that she faithfully keeps in the hope of his return. Meanwhile, Carlos quickly finds out that his drums won’t be of any use to him, since the best he can do is be a roadie. Even that falls through when he gets ill, another former soldier who becomes a casualty after departing the battlefield: “Sick all winter and they don’t know why/Don’t know why or just won’t say/They don’t talk too much down at the VA.” As he lies in a fog of drugs and alcohol, his thoughts turn to Ruby and the passion they shared, but it’s no good now: “He sees it all behind his eyes/His hands go searching but they come up dry.” His stupor is so enveloping that doesn’t even hear Ruby’s desperate phone call. What McMurtry displays in this song is how, if the details are right, the emotions don’t need to be spelled out for the audience; they’ll come to the surface naturally. All of Ruby’s pent-up frustrations are evident in her futilely throwing an ashtray across the room; Carlos’ true standing in the world is clear from his lonely ride on the tour bus “while the singer flew.” In the chorus, McMurtry empathizes with all of those people out there struggling just like his protagonists: “You can’t unclench your teeth/ To howl the way you should/So you curl your lips around/The taste of tears and a hollow sound/That no one owns but you.” That Waffle House stop turned out to be a pretty productive one for James McMurtry. Maybe, in an alternate world more benevolent than this one, “Ruby And Carlos” found their way back together and had a cup of coffee there."

A new Ewan MacColl tribute release

"Ewan MacColl, Dogmatist of British Folk, Gets a Tribute Album"

Leon Bibb has passed

"Leon Bibb, at 93; folk singer became civil rights voice"

Kristofferson & Prine

Here's the link to a fascinating and informative article about John Prine and Kris Kristofferson who are currently teaming up in concerts but first met decades ago.

"I Can't Wait"

Just love this song:



Someday we’ll roll away the stone that we’ve carried for so long
All our burdens will be gone, and I can’t wait
We will find our way to an understanding of all views
No prayer shall be refused, I can’t wait

It seems we’ve gone too far now we don’t know where we are
I believe we’ll find a guiding star, but I can’t wait
If faith is the final place where all fears have been erased
And the locks have fallen from the gates, I can’t wait.

Someday we’ll roll away the stone that we’ve carried for so long
All our burdens will be gone, and I can’t wait
We will find our way to an understanding of all views
No prayer shall be refused, I can’t wait

A timely song from Steve Earle

Missed this from earlier in September - a new song from Steve Earle:

Josh Ritter's latest

As he's readying to drop a new release, here's a Josh Ritter update.

Mama got a look at you and got a little worried
Papa got a look at you and got a little worried
Pastor got a look and said, "Ya'll had better hurry"
Send her off to a little bible college in Missouri
And now you come back sayin' you know a little bit about
Everything they ever seemed to hope you'd never figure out
Eve ate the apple 'cause the apple was sweet
What kinda god would ever keep a girl
From getting what she needs?
And I'm getting ready to get down
Getting ready to get down
Getting ready to get down

Now people cross the street when you walk in their direction
Talk between their teeth throwin' epithets
And the doctor thinks a devil musta got you by your senses
But to live the way you please doesn't sound like possession
Four long years studyin' the Bible
Infidels, jezebels, salomes, and delilahs
Back off the bus in your own home town
Sayin' you didn't like me then probably won't like me now
But I'm getting ready to get down
Getting ready to get down
Getting ready to get down

The men of the country club
The ladies of the 'xilliary
Talkin' 'bout love
Like it's apple pie and libery
To really be a saint
You gotta really be a virgin
Dry as a page of the
King James Version
No ohh la la's, no oh yesses yesses
No I can't waits I got to see you againses
Turn your other cheek and take no chances
Jesus hates your high school dances

They said your soul needed savin' so they sent you off to bible school
But you know a little more than they were sure was in the golden rule
Be good to everybody, be a strength to the weak
A joy to the joyful, the laughter in the grief
And give your love freely to whoever that you please
Don't let nobody tell you 'bout who you oughta be
And when you get damned in the popular opinion
It's just another damn of the damns you're not giving
I'm getting ready to get down
Getting ready to get down
Getting ready to get down

Mama got a look at you and got a little worried
Papa got a look at you and got a little worried
Pastor got a look and said, "Ya'll had better hurry"
Send her off to a little bible college in Missouri
And now you come back sayin' you know a little bit about
Everything they ever seemed to hope you'd never figure out
The Red Sea, the Dead Sea, the Sermon on the Mount
If you wanna see a miracle watch me get down
Cause I'm getting ready to get down
Getting ready to get down
Getting ready to get down

The latest on Iris Dement

Jonathan Bernstein talks with Iris Dement, about the genesis of her latest release and some of the songs.

Always loved this oldie (sorry about the video):

Dan Bern's Dylan moment

Dan Bern writes "Bob Dylan called me a “scurrilous little wretch with a hard-on for comedy”

I guess the ol' song-and-dance man was offended.

Springsteen and "The Ghost of Tom Joad"

"Celebrating Bruce Springsteen’s dark folk masterpiece
20 years of The Ghost Of Tom Joad"
by Peter Hart

A great deal of Springsteen background is offered here.



Men walkin' 'long the railroad tracks 
Goin' someplace there's no goin' back 
Highway patrol choppers comin' up over the ridge 

Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge 
Shelter line stretchin' 'round the corner 
Welcome to the new world order 
Families sleepin' in their cars in the Southwest 
No home no job no peace no rest 

The highway is alive tonight 
But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes 
I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light 
Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad 

He pulls a prayer book out of his sleeping bag 
Preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag 
Waitin' for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last 
In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass 
Got a one-way ticket to the promised land 
You got a hole in your belly and gun in your hand 
Sleeping on a pillow of solid rock 
Bathin' in the city aqueduct 

The highway is alive tonight 
Where it's headed everybody knows 
I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light 
Waitin' on the ghost of Tom Joad 

Now Tom said "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy 
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries 
Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air 
Look for me Mom I'll be there 
Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand 
Or decent job or a helpin' hand 
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free 
Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me." 

Well the highway is alive tonight 
But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes 
I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light 
With the ghost of old Tom Joad

Andrew McKnight

Here's an informative feature on Virginia-based folk singer Andrew McKnight.

More on Townes Van Zandt

American Icons: Townes Van Zandt

A review of Patty Griffin's latest release

Hal Horowitz reviews Patty Griffin's new release "Servant of Love."

Movement music

Salamishah Tillet writes about the re-emergence of the protest song as a result of so many of the deaths, murders, arrests and other racist acts headlining so much of the news.

What's especially interesting is no mention of the folk angle. There are plenty of contributions emerging from so many artists who are simply unknown to the general public with airplay solely on folk music shows or podcasts.

Audrey Auld has passed

Paul Liberatore/Marin Independent Journal covers the passing of Audrey Auld.

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot

Rick Moore digs into the background surrounding Gordon Lightfoot's famous song "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

The ultimate discussion of Bob Dylan's music

Scott Timberg on "Critics and musicians take on 50 years of Dylan, album by album"

The latest on Meg Baird

Duncan Cooper writes "The Quiet Evolution Of Meg Baird, One Of Folk Music's Strongest Voices"

A heritage of hate, murder and abuse is nothing to celebrate

Inspired (or rather as a result of) recent events:

'Take Down Your Flag,' by Peter Mulvey

Why the 'Take Down Your Flag' songwriter was willing to be rude after Charleston shooting

Singer Peter Mulvey rallies peers with Confederate flag protest

Sorry for the tardiness in getting to this

Garnet Rogers on the late Bill Morrissey -- it begins with:

BILL MORRISSEY – A TRIBUTE…

"First posted on my Facebook page, July 26, 2011. ...have been thinking, as most of my friends have, about Bill Morrissey, these last few days. I met him in May of '83. My brother Stan and I were playing Payne Hall at Harvard, and Bill was the opener. We had heard of him, being the seasoned New England circuit veterans we were, but knew nothing about his music, or what kind of guy he was. He and his bass player, Grieg, sort of shambled in, and set their cases down and we began the wary business of trying to figure out what kind of nightmarish opener we were being lumbered with this time. We were hitting light speed around then, career wise, it being about a month before Stan's death, and any other act on the bill was seen as either an amateurish intrusion, or, if they were good, someone to be overwhelmed and stomped. Stan in particular, had a very competitive streak, and this little unassuming guy was being touted to us as a "great songwriter" and a potential next big thing. Of all the nerve. We were however, prepared to be friendly within the limits of our band culture which frowned on outsiders, and we broke open a case of beer, and got out the guitars..."

Hit this link for the payoff.

"All That Is' - Garnet Rogers

Just one of Garnet Rogers' best:

"Who can tell when in love you'll finally fall? 
Some live in vain and never love at all 
But as lightning strikes or as a small insistent voice 
Of we are blessed we will hear and heed the call 

Give your love and never count the cost 
Lose your heart and never call it lost 
May your love be your shelter to the ending of your days 
Love is all that is, all that ever was 

May your love grow strong and always kind 
May your hearts grow forever more entwined 
In the brightest day or the stillness of the night 
May it be each others hand you seek and find 

Never more to be alone 
Ever closer you have grown 
Forever now may no distance come between 
And in each other's loving hearts you find a home"

"Family" - Pierce Pettis

One of Pierce Pettis' best:

"Can you fix this
Its a broken heart
It was fine
Can you fix this
Its a broken heart
It was fine
Then it just fell apart
It was mine
But now I give it to you
Cause you can fix it
You know what to do

Let your love cover me
Like a pair of angel wings
You are my family
You are my family

We stood outside
In the summer rain
Different people
With a common pain
A simple box
In that hard red clay
Where we left him
To always remain

[CHORUS]

The child who played
With the moon and stars
Waves a snatch of hay
In a common barn
In the lonely house
Of Adam's fall
Lies a child
Just a child that's all ... crying

[CHORUS]"

Could not find a Pettis video but Dar Williams does a superb version:

John Prine has so many touching songs -- here's one of his best

"Hello In There" would move an Easter Island stone head but tops is "Sam Stone." The line: "There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes" cannot be topped. Uttered by a child and just so much like a youngster would directly say.



Sam Stone came home,
To his wife and family
After serving in the conflict overseas.
And the time that he served,
Had shattered all his nerves,
And left a little shrapnel in his knee.
But the morphine eased the pain,
And the grass grew round his brain,
And gave him all the confidence he lacked,
With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back.

[Chorus:]
There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes,
Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose.
Little pitchers have big ears,
Don't stop to count the years,
Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.
Mmm....

Sam Stone's welcome home
Didn't last too long.
He went to work when he'd spent his last dime
And Sammy took to stealing
When he got that empty feeling
For a hundred dollar habit without overtime.
And the gold rolled through his veins
Like a thousand railroad trains,
And eased his mind in the hours that he chose,
While the kids ran around wearin' other peoples' clothes...

[Chorus]

Sam Stone was alone
When he popped his last balloon
Climbing walls while sitting in a chair
Well, he played his last request
While the room smelled just like death
With an overdose hovering in the air
But life had lost its fun
And there was nothing to be done
But trade his house that he bought on the G. I. Bill
For a flag draped casket on a local heroes' hill.

[Chorus]

++++++++  

Two of Kristofferson's songs

Jim Beviglia zeroes in on Kris Kristofferson's lyrics in the song "The Pilgrim, Chapter 33."

Nothing is forced. all rings true.

Here's another one that is also a Kristofferson classic:

A review of Tom Russell's latest release

Mike Regenstreif reviews Tom Russell's latest release "The Rose Of Roscrae" A Ballad of the West."

A review of John McCutcheon's latest release

Mike Regenstreif reviews John McCutcheon's latest release "Joe Hill's Last Will."

A Christy Moore Q-and-A

Chris Jones/Belfast Telegraph serves up an interview with Christy Moore.

Ronnie Gilbert passes

Ronnie Gilbert, Bold-Voiced Singer With the Weavers, Is Dead at 88

Jean Ritchie passes

Jean Ritchie, Lyrical Voice of Appalachia, Dies at 92

The 2015 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners

2015 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners

* Tom Meny (Buda, TX)

* Amy Kucharik (Somerville, MA)

* Wes Collins (Chapel Hill, NC)

* David Berkeley (Santa Fe, NM)

* Anna Tivel (Portland, OR)

* Becky Warren (Nashville, TN)

Harris & Crowell back at it

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have co-released a second album -The Traveling Kind.

A different angle on Dylan

Josh Kurp posits Why Bob Dylan Has Always Been More Of A Punk Than Folkie.

New music from Jimmy LaFave

Jimmy LaFave has a new release out -- The Night Tribe.

Art Thieme passes

Art Thieme has died -- Sing Out! offers this in his memory.

Introducing Hannah Shira Naiman

Here's a name that will be new to many - Hannah Shira Naiman.

The Milk Carton Kids

The Milk Carton Kids are out with a recent release and generating favorable publicity - Link and Link and Link.

The latest with Emmylou Harris

Martin Farrer interviews Emmylou Harris.

Guy Carawan passes

Guy Carawan has passed.

The New York Times and The Nation cover his life.

Buffy St. Marie with a new release

Ann Powers writes about the first release in decades from Buffy St. Marie.

What's on Thea Gilmore's mind?

Thea Gilmore has a few things to share. The UK folksinger isn't bashful.

Dar Williams on what a folk musician's life is like now

Dar Williams writes that greater touring isn't the answer for a sustainable folk music career. Now the actual purchase of new releases, yes, that certainly would help. She has a new release titled "Emerald" out.

Iris Dement with new offering

David Jasper writes about Iris DeMent and the periods of drought between her music releases.

Todd Snider branches out (or as he might say twigs out)

John Adamian profiles Todd Snider who also is now an author.

James McMurtry - "Complicated Game"

Geoffrey Himes delves into the musical bent and also the new release of James McMurtry, including this line: "...he has to be considered one of the most realistic chroniclers of rural American life in this new century in any medium..." 

Who's performing at Kerrville 2015

Some of the performers scheduled to beat the upcoming Kerrville Folk Festival (May 21 - June 7) have been announced. LINK

More on John McCutcheon

Jeff Niesel talked with John McCutcheon who recounts his back story.

The Folk Alliance get-together in KC

Timothy Finn on the recent Folk Alliance held in Kansas City.

* Day One

* Day Two

* Day Three

* Day Four

* Strength of Strings

Laura Marling's latest

Colin Joyce writes about Laura Marling, her musical exile and new release.

Joni Mitchell as herself

New York Magazine presents Joni Mitchell portraying herself.

It's Old Crow Medicine Show's "Remedy" as Best Folk Album

"Old Crow Medicine Show Take Home Best Folk Album at the 2015 Grammy Awards"

More Townes Van Zandt

Jim Beviglia offers his "Top 20 Townes Van Zandt Songs" including performances. How does one choose?

A vote for the Punch Brothers

Brittney McKenna takes a stand: "Mumford & Sons Aren't the Voice of Modern Folk Music — Punch Brothers Are"

Dylan speaketh

Bob Dylan is kicking butts and taking names. Or it could have been Vincent Price.

The transcript.