Cody Canada & The Departed "Better Get Right"

You know I love being on the road. Usually, I have a day between trips, but I didn’t this time as I left Colorado and flew out directly to Nashville. I am proud to continue to sit on the board of The Americana Music Association, and we have our yearly planning meetings in early January. So here I sit, after a sumptuous dinner at Randy Rayburn’s Sunset Grill. I am staying at a hotel I have never been to before; The Maxwell House…yes, THAT Maxwell House. The brand was named after the hotel in 1892. This is a music themed hotel, and there are glorious Hatch Prints and other memorabilia everywhere you look. The South is such an interweaving of cultures. Of course, I am not in the original building, which burned down on Christmas Day in 1961.

I am, quite frankly, basking in the afterglow of MusicFest at Steamboat Springs. There was quality time with so many people, fun, philosophical, and interesting conversations. It was so good to see The Ragweed reunion (man those songs are burned into my brain), and then a smoking set from The Departed in the ballroom of The Steamboat Grand. I got some hang time with Cody and Seth - that was especially cool. They are taking the Mid-Western route back home, and are playing tonight in North Platte NE. It seems fitting to bring you a gospel infused tune today that Music Fog filmed during last year’s MusicFest. “Better Get Right.” Hell yeah.

-Jessie Scott

The Little Willies "Jolene" (Norah Jones)

Love, love, love that so many talented artists are alive and well in this roots music world we call Americana. You know that Norah Jones has a soft place in her heart for it, as was first evidenced with the emergence of her stellar band The Little Willies in 2006 with their self-titled CD. Luminaries all, Lee Alexander (bass), Jim Campilongo (guitar), Norah Jones (piano, vocals), Richard Julian (guitar, vocals) and Dan Rieser (drums) have put out a brand new CD as of Tuesday called For The Good Times. On it, they honor songwriting titans, among them, Dolly Parton with their cover of the song “Jolene.” There are so many wonderful versions of this song, that I wish I could aggregate them back to back on the radio. It still gives me chills after all these years. Honorable mentions are versions from Mindy Smith, The Stone Coyotes, and Rhonda Vincent.

So many times when the big machine is behind a release, we wind up with commercials at the front of the video. You are welcome to seek these videos out. Here's the song, audio only.

And here is a short film about the making of the new album.

-Jessie Scott

Deadman "Take Up Your Mat and Walk"

MusicFest at Steamboat Springs 2012 is now just a memory. It is such a wonderful communal experience, being wrapped in the warmth of each other and this glorious Americana Red Dirt and Texas music. This year, I heard a new slogan; instead of people saying "Happy New Year," they were saying "Happy Steamboat!" It has become its own holiday. There are so many fine people to thank, I'll just get right to it. John and Robin Dickson from Dickson Productions throw the best party ever. Thanks also to Liz, Judy, Amy, and Matt in the office. Kudos to the production coordinator Adam Odor and stage manager Joel Schoepf; Jeff Garbaz' and his video team at Garbaz Video Screens, which is where the MusicFest webcast feed originated. Vince Kapchinski and his crew at Backstage Sound and Lighting. Brian Smith for his unerring ability to get things done. Everyone at Steamboat Resorts was so nice - a huge thanks to them too. It is hard to leave. I say that every year.

Today's tune speaks of faith and of healing. It comes from the Austin group Deadman, with a reference, of course, to John 5:8. We filmed Deadman during our Music Fog Spring Marathon last year at Threadgill's. They are one happening band, let me tell you. The band toured in Europe again, and there were two releases, Live at The Saxon Pub and Take Up Your Mat and Walk. The latter hasn't been released in the States yet, but Deadman is working on making that so. The band will be heading to Germany in February and then revisiting Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and more in late April. Here with, the Music Fog version of "Take Up Your Mat and Walk." Sure is good for what ails you!

-Jessie Scott