Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis - Dreamin'

What a family the Robisons of Bandera, Texas are. Super talented, and they all have their own vector. Charlie Robison is a consummate performer, and when I got the chance to see him again this summer at White Water Amphitheater in New Braunfels, I was again taken with the depth and breadth of his most memorable set list. And once again I was singing along. Robyn Ludwick is the younger sister to the Robison brothers, and has an incredible new album coming out that was produced by Gurf Morlix and as you can well imagine, it is smoky, sultry and powerful. Brother Bruce Robison is doing it his way, and that's a mighty good thing. He is the storied writer of songs that were mega mainstream hits, like "Angry All The Time," "Wrapped," and "Travelin' Soldier." And Bruce is married to Kelly Willis, with whom he duets from time to time.

Bruce has readied a new album called You and Me that will be coming out later this month, but he will be putting videos up on his YouTube channel. This is very cool; Bruce is making “Song of the Month” downloads available for free on his website. Bruce expounds on the game plan, “My feeling is now, that everybody’s on their own. There’s no labels, there’s hardly any management. It’s like the 50's again; we don’t know how it’s all going to shake out. But I’m really excited about the future, and finding new ways to get the music directly to the fans. And I’m having fun doing it.” Bruce Robison has a new band, as well as a new attitude. New members include Joey Shuffield from the Austin pop-rock band Fastball, and Brian Becken and Bruce Hughes from the South Austin Jug Band. Exciting stuff, with Bruce's impeccable songwriting blending with acoustic flavor and pop chops. And the divine voice of Kelly Willis. Here they are together on a song Bruce co-wrote with Fastball's Miles Zuniga, "Dreamin," which features video of them in the studio working on the album. Oh, and here is a head's up, Bruce and Kelly's holiday show is always a treat!

- Jessie Scott

Paul Thorn "It's a Great Day to Whup Somebody's Ass"

What a weekend of music in Austin, as Denise and I headed to the Asleep At The Wheel 40th Anniversary Concert at The Long Center on Friday night. We were singing and dancing in our chairs to "Miles And Miles Of Texas," "Bump Bounce Boogie," "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie," "Roly Poly," "Route 66," and on and on, for an evening's worth of magnificent Western Swing. What a band! Multiple players for each instrument, as The Wheel brought back past members to share the stage with current ones. Leon Rausch guested, and then Willie Nelson took center stage with Brother Ray and reprised songs from his great American songbook, and then there was Willie and The Wheel stuff. It was an amazing night, and they videoed it, too, so here's hoping we'll see it in the not too distant future. Afterwards, I headed to Emo's for Ha Ha Tonka, and they were FAB! Edgy but tuneful, with really interesting time signatures. Inventive, articulate, and fun.

Saturday night was the dedication of the patio at the Saxon Pub to the late Stephen Bruton, and then a set from Malford Milliigan, who was so obviously touched by Stephen's music. Rockin' and soulful.

Then, last night at Threadgill's, there was a tribute to Gram Parsons, who would have celebrated a birthday last Friday, so Patterson Barrett saluted him with help from members of Stonehoney and The Mother Truckers, Michael Fracasso, Freddie Steady Krc and Cam King, Idgy Vaughn and lots of others.

I feel so lucky that I get to immerse myself in the music. It is such a treasure, and such a motivator for me. I guess the only thing is that I miss having a radio station to play this sumptuous smorgasbord. Wish I could be sticking it all in your ear! Here is another of my most favorites, Paul Thorn. From the sublime to the ridiculous, and this one is from the latter category. He never put this song on an album, but during one of the sessions he did for X Country at XM, with a twinkle in his eye, he played it for us. I had never heard it before, and when he was done singing, he said the phones would go nuts. And they did. He didn't really want to sing it for the Music Fog cameras, because it perpetuates an unfortunate stereotype, but I begged him. So, it seems appropriate to celebrate our 500th video with this exclusive tune, "It's A Great Day To Whup Somebody's Ass." Amen.

- Jessie Scott

7 Walkers

In light of the election this week, which seemingly favors self interest over the greater good of negotiation and collaboration, let's take a minute to revisit the Grateful Dead's "all for one and one for all" spirit of cooperation. Aside from the taping that they allowed their fans to do, which served to create a tribal audience sharing shows with each other, they branded their merchandise with an incredible eye. They created a series of logos that were unmistakable icons. They virtually invented viral marketing, and all this happened before the advent of the internet. Plus, they took care of their co-workers with health care, insurance, retirement, and college plans for their offspring; a very enlightened way to profit share. At its height, the Grateful Dead employed 80 people, and they all stayed on the payroll between tours. And for as hippy dippy as they appeared, they had a board of directors with rotating CEOs. All of their papers, letters from fans, and other documents and artifacts will be on display, as The Grateful Dead Archive is opening at the University of California Santa Cruz. That might just call for another trip out west!

7 Walkers is the new project from an amazing aggregation of seemingly disparate musical influences: solid as a rock Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, swampy voodoo guitarist Papa Mali, George Porter Jr. from the Meters and Matt Hubbard of Fastball and Willie Nelson's band. No Depression notes, "7 Walkers self-titled debut is the best studio album featuring a member of the Grateful Dead since American Beauty was released in 1970…it’s an album of instant classics that will have enduring appeal..." Bill Kreutzman's mother was raised in the Cresent City, and Shreveport's Papa Mali made frequent trips there growing up, so this album is a self-proclaimed "open love letter" to the city of New Orleans. It features some newly penned tunes from Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan lyricist) that were co-written with the band, and there is also a guest performance by Willie Nelson on "King Cotton Blues." Listen for some kickin' instrumentals, too. The end result is a funky collection that melds into a unique collaboration. Make sure you check their website for tour dates. Meanwhile, here is a promo video on the making of the album.

- Jessie Scott