Shawn Camp "Dying for Someone to Live For"

Back in 1975, I started working at a legendary New York City radio station, WHN. It was country, it was on the AM dial, and it became a destination for music that couldn’t be heard anywhere else in the city. I did the evening show there for six years, six nights a week. On one quiet Saturday night in 1979, I was spinning George Jones and Conway Twitty and Glen Campbell and Don Williams, when the request line rang. Well actually, it lighted up, as phones don’t ring in studios. I have always enjoyed finding out what people were up to and taking requests. (A footnote: this is not always the case, for many jocks would put the phones on hold the minute they came in to work, and never answered them.) I punched into a call, and the voice on the other end identified herself as Loretta Lynn. She said she was in a sound stage in New York recording a Crisco® commercial, and that they had done several takes, but hadn’t gotten it right yet. She asked to take a break to speak to a friendly voice. She figured she would find one at the country station so there she was. We chatted companionably for several minutes. I was tickled to talk to her, she was legend even then. The impact she has had on popular music is immeasurable, especially in giving voice to female empowerment.

Loretta Lynn celebrated 50 years in the entertainment business in November. She has had a storied career, and is still immersed. If you haven’t heard her Van Lear Rose CD, produced by Jack White in 2004, you owe it to yourself to get your hands (or ears) on it.

Today’s Music Fog tune is a co-write, Loretta with Shawn Camp. The song is called “Dying For Someone To Live For,” an old school “twist of a phrase” country title if ever I have heard one. The two of them have been writing together for over a year. What a lucky boy Shawn is, not to mention how totally worthy. He is an exceptional troubadour, writer, and instrumentalist. Here is the Music Fog recording of it, a solo acoustic performance from Shawn, filmed last September during Nashville’s Americana Fest.

- Jessie Scott

Buddy Miller "Why Baby Why"

I had an interesting conversation a few days ago that referenced what we like to call the 'country gets integrity' period, back when Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakam, New Grass Revival, The Mavericks, Steve Earle and more were being signed to label deals. At the time, adults were discovering Country music, and listening to country radio in droves. It made for a very healthy population spike in the ratings. My friend was wondering if that could ever happen again. I certainly would hope that to be true, as there are a garden of delights to be found in the Americana world. I am certain that could bring a passionate and robust mainstream audience to a radio station in a major market somewhere, hell, in ANY major market. I'd bet my boots on it, the music is just that good.

Buddy Miller is another Americana MVP, whose work spans the musical aspects from gospel, to rocking and edgy, to straight ahead Country, to downright soulful; as he is doing on his brand new CD The Majestic Silver Strings, which hits the street today. Buddy pairs with Greg Leisz, Marc Ribot, and Bill Frisell for this haunting and reverent look back. With textures that bring a hint of the British Isles, to folk that predates county, to the Les Paul fueled, to the gospel tinged, there is even a bit of gothic Tom Waits styling. There is so much ground to explore on this album, with contributions from lots of stellar guests, including Shawn Colvin, Ann McCrary, Patty Griffin, Lee Ann Womack, Emmylou Harris, and Julie Miller. We bring you the Darrell Edwards/George Jones composition, "Why Baby Why."

- Jessie Scott

Darrell Scott "River Take Me"

Monday morning, and I don’t want to break the reverie of the weekend. Not that I actually have a job to report to. Jobs are hard to find, as we all know. So you gotta do what you can. For me, that means making the decision to be self-disciplined every day. I never did like having to punch a clock much, but I do have the utmost respect for people who do what they must, because that is the only way their families will thrive. It is impossible to believe that there just aren’t enough jobs to go around anymore. I would love to see the 10% or 9% of America’s unemployed get back to work, but don’t get me started!

“The river can drown you or wash you clean.” So writes Darrell Scott, of a man out of work, with the rain coming down. His lyrics carry you through all kinds of emotions, just in this one song. It is a thing of wonder to be able to write the way Darrell does. Not to mention to be able to sing and play the way he does, too. There are a smattering of solo tour dates coming, and then more ahead with Band Of Joy. They are all a thing of beauty, and I encourage you to catch this remarkable troubadour in action. Here is a taste, Darrell Scott with one of the songs from his album Theater Of The Unheard. It is the Music Fog version of “River Take Me,” recorded in September at the Americana Fest in Nashville.

- Jessie Scott