I recently heard folk-blues singer-songwriter Ernest Troost’s new album “O Love” and loved it. I found myself drawn into the world of old screen doors and broken hearts being mended through the only thing that can heal, love. The only song from the album on YouTube is “Close” but please check out this album. The title track “O Love” is my favorite.
Tennessee. So much history in terms of music and civil rights. The last time I’d been through was about 8 years ago as my sister and I drove cross-country, only staying in Nashville one night. This past weekend, I was in Middle Tennessee for a long weekend to explore some great music and explore the culture and history of the area. I not only roamed Nashville, but also spent some time in historic Franklin, part of Williamson County, which is about 30 minutes from Nashville.
On Saturday, I had dinner at a cute Irish Pub called McCreary’s with my new friend Leah who lives in Franklin. Leah is not only an amazingly creative and compassionate person, but a fabulous writer. She writes a poetic and inspiring blog you should follow called Edges Like Sea Glass where she shares her perspective on life and creativity. She also is a contributor to the Women You Should Know website, which is a collection of women’s writings on all interesting topics that matter to women.
Later we headed off to the main event of the evening, “Cross-County Lines,” a show put on by The Americana Music Association, hosted by Jerry Douglas and Alison Krauss in Franklin’s Liberty Theater at The Factory, featuring a ridiculously skilled all-star house band and a series of rotating übertalented guests including Amos Lee, Sarah Jarosz, Shawn Colvin, Teddy Thompson, and Angel Snow. The house band included Gabe Dixon on keys, Viktor Krauss on upright bass, Bryan Sutton on guitar, Andy Leftwich on fiddle and mandolin, and Shannon Forrest on drums. Look up any one of these artists and expect musical perfection.
Jerry Douglas is an ambassador of Americana, Country, and Roots Rock music as he hosts a BBC Scotland show called “Transatlantic Sessions,” which format he used to model Saturday evening’s show after. (more…)
One of my favorite musicians/bands is North Florida’s JJ Grey & Mofro. They were first MOFRO and now they go by JJ Grey & Mofro, but regardless I’ve been following since their first album, Blackwater. My sister played them for me and I fell deeply in love at first sound. I listened to that album on repeat for days and then went out bought my own copy and have bought every album since. I love the band’s vibe, mixing up Southern rock, straight up funk, and a raw groove. It’s just plain sexy.
Photo by Melanie Martinez (c) 2009 in Austin, Texas.
JJ Grey is more than a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and soulful vocalist. He is a storyteller, a folk philosopher, and a cultural historian. He sings with such passion about the beauty of the simple things in life and his homeland, the country in Northern Florida, on the outskirts of Jacksonsville. If you are a fan of great music, go see them live – you will thank me later.
The title song from their second album, Lochloosa:
Many of JJ’s songs have a mystical quality, interweaving mysterious stories about relationships and people’s lives while connecting with the magic of the natural world. This is “Dewdrops,” from Orange Blossoms:
“Air” from the first album, Blackwater:
Links and Resources:
Blackwater by MOFRO
Lochloosa by MOFRO
Country Ghetto by JJ Grey & Mofro
Orange Blossoms by JJ Grey & Mofro
Mofro Official Website
Hey folks – thanks for stopping by! Lots of trouble in the world, as there always is and I’m sure we’ve all got our own. Let’s take a few minutes to forget our worries or better yet – wallow for a while and cry the blues – I know that always makes me feel better!
When it comes to the blues, I’m a sucker for the slide guitar, whether acoustic, electric, dobro, lap, or pedal steel. It emulates the human voice and the bending notes of blues harmonica players and for me takes guitar playing to that soul level.
Here is Mississippi Fred McDowell who played in the style of North Mississippi, which has a hypnotic kind of droning sound that distinguishes it from other blues styles that use more chord changes. I like this video because it’s gives me of that real down home feel of the blues.
There are so many that I want to talk about but I’ll start with Derek Trucks. What can I say about this guy that hasn’t been said? He’s been called one of the best slide guitarists alive. Deeply rooted in the southern blues tradition, the prodigious nephew of Butch Trucks, Derek was touring with the Allman Brothers by 11 years old. Here’s a sample of him playing a solo at an Eric Clapton show:
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