Tommy Emmanuel "Timberlake Road"

1975 found me in New York, on the radio at groundbreaking country station WHN. Having left the rock and roll world behind, I started hanging out in New York’s country venues, where I promptly fell back in love with all the flavors; country rock, honky-tonk, close harmonies, western swing. The shuffles, the anthem, the waltzes, and the joy and the sorrow of it all. This past Monday night I was brought back to that place by John Lilly, who played my concert series, The School Night Sessions, at Threadgill’s. He brought an unbelievable group with him: Bill Kirchen on guitar, Tommy Detamore on pedal steel, Bobby Flores on fiddle, Ric Ramirez on upright bass, Floyd Domino on keys, Tom Lewis on drums, and Brennan Leigh doing harmony and percussion. She actually opened the show, too, along with Noel McKay. It was a magical night with a dream band to celebrate the release of John Lilly’s new CD Cold Comfort. Well worth picking up a copy for its well written, and beautifully executed songs. Makes me so glad I get to do what I do.

There is majesty in music. When the opportunity arises for its elegance to wash over us, to connect with us cerebrally, physically and psychically, that’s the trifecta of human communication. Music Fog has been so lucky to be in the room to capture lightning in a bottle. BTW, we are still in need of your help to make our Music Fog Marathon during SXSW® music week a reality this March. Time is running out on our campaign to raise $15,000 to cover travel, streaming costs, and all event production expenses. If you like what we do, please pledge what you can, and share the Kickstarter campaign with the other roots music lovers you know. At risk are hours of live music streaming, months worth of our fan-favorite videos that would be produced from these performances, and potentially the overall daily Music Fog experience---we need to have sessions in order to share with you each day!

Heading back to Nashville for today’s video. We filmed Tommy Emmanuel at our traveling recording studio during the 2010 Americana Fest. Tommy hung out and watched us work before it was his turn. Love, Love, love what he brings, with fingers flying and palpable joy. Here is “Timberlake Road” from the album Only.

- Jessie Scott

Bonnie Bishop "Lucky Ones"

Valentine’s Day requires advanced notice, if you are to do it justice. This is a head’s up that you have a week to get it done, whatever ‘it’ is. I am just doing my civic duty. I am not in love, bah humbug. What’s on the list? Candy, liquor, flowers, diamonds, dinner out, champagne...have at it. His and her spa days for treatments, ooh, and massages, or a weekend getaway at a lux hotel. The main thing, though, is that you have to plan ahead for this stuff. You have been forewarned. Of course, for my money, things always go better with music. The fine folks at Thirty Tigers have the right idea, releasing a love song album today called Hearts Across Texas a week before Cupid shoots his arrow. It features the likes of the Josh Abbott Band, Kevin Fowler, Casey Donahew Band, Aaron Watson, a previously unreleased cover of “Leather and Lace” by Elizabeth Cook and Aaron Watson, plus a brand new song from Jack Ingram called "Miss You."

It also contains a Bonnie Bishop tune called “Lucky Ones,” and since we recorded a session with her doing that song, at the MusicFest 2010 in Steamboat Springs, we just couldn’t help but bring that to you again. Bonnie will be hitting the road at the end of the month, and coming down to Texas for a while. She is going to play my School Night Sessions concert series at Threadgill’s WHQ on March 5th, and here are the rest of her dates.

From the Fog Bank (archives), this is a beauty; Bonnie Bishop with keyboard wizard Michael Webb.

- Jessie Scott

Cindy Bullens "Good At Being Gone"

I was bayside in Corpus Christi on Saturday, and there was a storm looming on the horizon. Low hanging clouds sat just atop the swaying palm trees, the smell of beach and humidity was heavy in the air. Beach towns hold a special fascination for me. I guess I am just wired that way, having been a surfer as a teenager at Gilgo Beach in New York. The nubby plants, the houses with their pastel colors; things just feel different when there is water near. It doesn't much matter where, whether here or out of the country, or north or south, the beach prevails with its particular light. It is its own province.

Since it was a gray and foreboding kind of day, it spoke of winter walks on the sand on the New England shore. That’s where Cindy Bullens is from, Maine, actually. I am certain she has spent hours combing the beach for inspiration and the soothing effect it has on one’s soul. Cindy is part of the group The Refugees, along with Wendy Waldman and Deborah Holland, and they have just released the album Three. We previously filmed them way back in 2009, at Folk Alliance, aboard the Music Fog bus.

As we are doing our Kickstarter fundraising to get the Foggers to Austin in March, for the Spring Marathon at Threadgill’s, we take you back to Nashville for a tune that Cindy recorded for us during a different marathon, the Americana Fest in 2010. “Good At Being Gone,” came out on her album of the same year, Howling Trains and Barking Dogs.

- Jessie Scott

PS: Music Fog is only at about 30% of our Kickstarter goal, with just 9 days left to raise the money for our excursion, production and streaming costs. If you're not familiar with Kickstarter projects, the funds are only collected if the entire goal has been met. Fall short and the entire project is dead in the water; it's all-or-nothing funding. So, please help if you can, share with everyone you know that loves roots music!