Rodney Crowell "The Rise and Fall of Intelligent Design"

Day Three at the Americana Festival was a blur. We didn't even get outside the walls of the hotel, which by the way is the newly renovated Sheraton Nashville Downtown. Everyone here has made us feel so welcome. From the folks in the front office to those at the front desk, to the people bringing stuff to our room. Everyone has a smile, a kind word, and a can do attitude. You know, I didn't even tell you who all we had up to the Sweet Sheraton Suite on Wednesday! Defibulators, Tommy Emmanuel, Frazey Ford, Rodney Crowell, Corb Lund, Sunset Slim, Hayes Carll, Mary Gauthier, Jon Langford, Exene Cervenka, and Chip Taylor. Then yesterday it was Mike Farris, Amy Speace, The John Henrys, Peter Case, Sarah Jarosz, The Infamous Stringdusters, Over The Rhine, The Coal Porters, Cindy Bullens, Darrell Scott, Paul Thorn, David Jacobs-Strain and Danny Barnes. Wow! Plus, it was cool that we saw more than a few folks yesterday play one of the beautiful Gibson guitars in our studio, a Hummingbird and Songwriter Deluxe Standard on the acoustic front, and a Les Paul Studio and an SG Standard from the electric realm. Huge thanks to our friends at Gibson for providing them.

We are loving what we have been capturing, and can't wait to bring it to you! We have a video from day two for you now. It is the inimitable Rodney Crowell, a Cadillac of a songwriter, a crooner of the first order. When he was writing the songs for the album Sex & Gasoline, it was through the prism of watching his daughters grapple with what it means to be a female in this society. A brave and honest exploration into understanding, at the same time that he understands what the emotional landscape is of being a man. I love reading Rodney's articulate lyrics. He has a book coming out, a memoir, in 2011, and I can't wait to read that too. And you know I love to listen to him as well. Here's Rodney Crowell with "The Rise and Fall of Intelligent Design." More is coming from the abovementioned artist sessions in the coming days and weeks...you bet!

- Jessie Scott

Hayes Carll "Wild As a Turkey"

What a day, what a day...day two of the Americana Music Festival! Last night, the 2010 Americana Honors & Awards Show took place at the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium, and I got to host a webcast of the festivities for Folk Alley and NPR Music. It will be available on those sites starting today for you to hear the whole show, so check it out if you didn't listen live last night. Thanks to the folks a Folk Alley, Linda and Al, for asking me to host! I brought Marty Fitzpatrick, former X Country Music Director with me, and it was like old times as we got to use the same broadcast booth as when we anchored this show in the past, live on XM. Felt real good being back on the mic...I have to say.

There were some pretty intense presenters, as Robert Plant gave Buddy Miller his Instrumentalist of the Year Award, and Jack White gave the Lifetime Performance Award to Wanda Jackson. Great to be able to celebrate legends like her and John Mellencamp, at the same time as we acknowledge this year's winners. Rosanne Cash won Album of the Year for her CD The List. Ryan Bingham picked up two, for Artist of the Year, and for Song of the Year for "The Weary Kind." The Avett Brothers got the Duo or Group Award, and the New and Emerging Artist of the Year winner was Hayes Carll, who came to see us in the Sweet Suite yesterday, before the awards show, and he brought the band. We felt it only fitting to put this up for you, as we are basking in the afterglow! This week will make you feel "Wild As a Turkey!"

- Jessie Scott

Raul Malo "Lucky One"

Day One, yesterday, of the Americana Music Association Festival in Nashville and there is just no way to see everybody and do it all, but we are having a blast! We are camped out at convention headquarters, the newly renovated Sheraton Nashville Downtown. They had the ribbon cutting and grand re-opening ceremony just before the festival offically got underway. The rooms are beautiful! Simple, elegant. The pillows, oh yeah, are a thing to behold. Ensconcing and utterly luxurious. What better preparation for the busy days ahead, than laying your head in clouds of down at the end of the day. We kicked it off early, starting with an able assist from Eric Brace, who helped us on our round of errands. This included a stop at the Gibson Showroom, to pick up beautiful guitars and solid amps. We thank the Gibson folks for providing them to us!

Couple of things: there is a special guest for the Honors and Awards Show at the Ryman Auditorium. We can't tell you who it is exactly, but he is a rock icon, and his latest project makes a "joyful" noise! Tickets are still available at the box office, and all I can say is if you are in Nashville, or close, YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS SHOW. Really! If you can't get here, listen to the live stream on Folk Alley starting at 6:30pm CT today, but the special guest won't be broadcast...you have to be at the Ryman for that part! The second thing I wanted to mention is that another roots luminary is here, as there is a book signing with Rosanne Cash to celebrate the release of her memoir, Composed, in the second floor atrium at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown on Friday, September 10th, from Noon to 1pm.

Yesterday in our studio, which is set up in a sweet suite at the Sheraton, we had visits from Myk Gordon, Frontier Ruckus, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Shawn Camp, Marshall Chapman, Hans Rotenberry, John Brannen and Raul Malo. Just a half day for us! Only kidding. We started at 7am and wrapped at 7:30pm, grabbed a bite to eat, then sequestered ourselves to the production suite for video editing, mastering, uploading and writing. We thought it fitting to bring you a tune from Raul, actually one that he also did for us at last year's Americana Festival. This year we have a different rendering, as he brought Michael Guerra on accordion. "Lucky One," from the album of the same name. Not to worry, this is just the first of the videos from the 2010 Americana Music Festival. We have just begun to rock.

- Jessie Scott