Americana Music

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Will Kimbrough "Nobody From Nowhere"

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Foobar on Gallatin Road in Nashville is a classic dive bar. Cigarette smoke hung in the air. Hipsters, hippies and cowpunks occupied the stools. I was happily ensconsed on one myself surveying the scene in East Nashville as I waited for for Tim Carroll, Josh Hedley, and then the mercurial Greg Garing to play. He has returned to Nashville, bringing his particular genius to the stage. How did I get here? I take my lead from hints delivered by others, scavenger hunt style when I am in a town like this one. I only plan the bare minimum of meetings and events, then trust the universe to guide me through. Also, in the audience were Elizabeth Cook and Justin Townes Earle. There was the electricity of a spectacle, with people hanging on every note, knowing they were witnessing a one of a kind night.

That is how it is in East Nashville, which is enjoying quite the renaissance. It feels right being on this side of town. That is where Will Kimbrough resides, as well. A year ago, during Americana Fest in Nashville 2010, Will came to visit us on the last day of our shoot. He was joined by Fred Eltringham, Tim Mark, and Lisa Oliver Grey, who btw, she has a brand new album out!  Will offers a Holiday Greeting here as he notes that he will always remember 2011 as the year he started playing as one of Emmylou’s Red Dirt Boys. Mighty fine. Today we've got a song that Will recorded with Tommy Womack under the moniker of DADDY, on their album For A Second Time. Here's “Nobody from Nowhere,” from our Americana Fest 2010 Music Fog Marathon. PS, If the song is familiar, that’s because you might have heard Jimmy Buffett’s version!

- Jessie Scott

For a Second Time - Daddy

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Brian Wright "Mrs. Rosenthal"

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On Wednesday I arrived in Nashville midday, and proceeded to make the rounds. And EVERYWHERE I went, I ran into friends. For a time as I was driving, I started getting melancholy for the days when I lived in this town. Seeing ghosts on the corners, in the neighborhoods, on the streets. But then, walking into the haunts, there were actually humans that I knew, and it was wonderful being welcomed back. My evening ended at the Station Inn in Nashville, which usually plays home to stringed instruments. This Wednesday, it was the rousing gospel of The McCrary Sisters.  And lots of folks in the house: Brigitte DeMeyer, Marshall Chapman, Lisa Grey, Eric Brace.

And all day, I have been wondering what I would write about Brian Wright, as we had planned to put up another video from his SXSW set from March at Threadgill’s. Low and behold, Brian Wright was at the gig too. I asked him to tell me a bit about the song “Mrs. Rosenthal.” He said, ”I wrote the song about a woman who showed me how things worked in life.” I said, “Kinda like Mrs. Robinson?” and he said, “The names were changed to protect the guilty, but Rosenthal Road was where I grew up.” And that is all we need to know. Brian’s album, House On Fire, came out earlier this year, and has landed on several ‘best of the year’ lists. Kudos to Brian. Here is the Music Fog recording of “Mrs. Rosenthal.”

- Jessie Scott

Mrs. Rosenthal - Bluebird

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The Trishas "Clockwork"

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I stopped by the Victory Grill on Tuesday evening for a blues jam, in a spot that has been, as they say, “nourishing the soul since 1945.” It was part of the Chitlin’ Circuit during the day, a place where African Americans could play. It was a home away from home in the 50s to the likes of Ike & Tina Turner, James Brown, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown, W. C. Clark. It is a juke joint listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  It is vibey and cool inside. The blues jam had lots of ebb and flow, black and white and soul and shuffle. If you are visiting Austin, you might stop by; it is on the East Side across I-35.

What is it about east side of many towns? They seem to be the rundown side, maybe it’s because that’s the way the wind blows.  The Trishas have headed east from Austin, and there is a tantalizing quiz of sorts on their Facebook page.  I can’t put the clues together, maybe you can. Could it be a new album or a tour? Well I guess we will know soon enough. In the meantime, let’s revisit MusicFest at Steamboat Springs 2011, as the Trishas came to our studio, and played the song “Clockwork” for us.

- Jessie Scott