Bonnie Bishop "River of Joy"

On this last day of the decade, I am hoping that today's events are a microcosm of what will be! I awakened to an email from the wonderful women of Tito's Vodka. We originally were supposed to hook up in Dallas for the cases to be loaded onto the Celebrity Coach for the trip up the hill to MusicFest at Steamboat. Then it was to be a meet later today, but then a change of venues and time brought me to a Starbucks at noon to see Megan. Accomplished!

I walked into the Starbucks just as the wrong drink had been made for someone, a Chai, yum! The barista asked if I wanted it. YUM! Then, I stopped to check my PO Box, and as I was walking up I heard laughter from behind the wall. Opened the box to find a hand sliding packages into it. I thanked her for the unexpected laughter, and bade her a Happy New Year.

For 2010, I wish you what this morning has brought me:  Good will, good luck, bounty and mirth.

Bonnie Bishop puts the sentiment beautifully  in the song "River of Joy." We can't wait to swim upstream with her at MusicFest!

-Jessie

Aaron Beavers "Country Just Ain't Country"

Man, where did this decade go? I am taking stock, thinking about the kaleidoscope of music I got turned onto these past ten years. And sometimes it just happens so randomly!

I had been hearing about the band Shurman since their Vanguard Records days. The amount of CDs that would wind up on my desk every week was overwhelming. And so I wasn't even able to LISTEN to it all in a timely fashion. And off I went to the Americana Music Festival and Conference a few years ago. Hanging out at Third and Lindsley, watching the amazing Stacie Collins blow harp, and someone said Jesse Dayton was about to go on at The Mercy. So I went outside with them, and tried to get into a taxi, which thankfully was a van, to make the short hop. When the door slid opened, it was sardine packed. Not even a sliver of seat for me, so I "stage dove" in across the laps, and rode "in style" to the next club. One of those laps belonged to Aaron Beavers, and I am happy to now count him as a dear friend.

Aaron moved to Austin from LA a few years ago. Shurman's music totally resonates here. The album Still Waiting For The Sunset is about to be re-released on January 26, but if you can't wait, the downloads have already been made available, with vinyl coming on January 12th. Looking forward, we bring you a stripped down version of one of my favs from the CD, "Country Just Ain't Country."

-Jessie

Chip Taylor "Yonkers NY"

The stories seem to just flow out of Chip like melting snow cascading down the range. His latest project, Yonkers NY, reveals some true family grit, and lends a vision of what it must have been like to grow up in Yonkers when he did. He performed the title track for us just after soundcheck when he and the band, including Kendel Carson, rolled into Alexandria, Virginia to play The Birchmere---a wonderful listening room.

Chip Taylor will be contributing to Americana in more ways than one now, too, as he's been elected to the Board of Directors at the Americana Music Association. Not bad for a good ol' boy from Yonkers, huh?

-Aaron