Wyatt Easterling "Anymore"

I am trying to remember the exact moment that I met Wyatt Easterling. Hazy details: it was Nashville in the late 90's. There was a studio involved, and there was Paul Thorn music playing, as Wyatt produced his first A&M CD Hammer and Nail. Wyatt has had an incredible ride, as head of A&R for Atlantic Records, and then as Miles Copeland's partner for the Nashville division of Bugle Music Publishing and Firstars Management. As Director of Operations there he spear headed the Printemps de Troubadours songwriter's retreat held twice a year at the Chateau de Mourette in France, a lauded trip which is still going on today. Wyatt remains on the cutting edge as CEO of High Horse Records, stepping out to embrace the new model for record labels in these ever shifting times for the music biz.

In my mind, I am revisiting Folk Alliance in Memphis this past February. Watching the procession of artists come to our bus, seeming to gather more friends along the way, to bring them aboard for accompaniment as they walked through the lobby of the Memphis Marriott Hotel. The deal is, when we plan our shoots, we try to get as much info from the artists as possible so we are prepared. But some things have a life of their own, and this was one of those sessions. We were transfixed by the beauty of the harmonies and artistry when the Rhythm Angels and Wyatt Easterling came aboard. The Angels were up first, and then sat in on Wyatt's set. From his second album Where This River Goes, released in 2009, here is "Anymore."

- Jessie Scott

Rykarda Parasol "A Drinking Song"

Photo Credit: Pat Johnson StudiosI first got turned on to San Franciscan (by way of LA and Texas) Rykarda Parasol when a friend of mine, Dianna Arnspiger, who has become her manager, posted a video on Facebook and wanted to know what I thought of the song "Hannah Leah." I don't think I have ever seen a video when the singer is ice skating in and out of the stark light. Later, I watched a boho interview conducted with her wearing a sheet in bed, and then I got the Hold Back The Night CD and dug into a dark Texas tale, "Night on Red River." Tom Waits with a whiff of estrogen on the corner of Americana Road and Drama Street, Rykarda calls her music Rock Noir. She is elegant, intellectual, but with the hint of bad girl lurking behind the impeccable image. It is Andy Warhol wild-girl style, yet so restrained, so refined.

Rykarda is also known for establishing The Hive. The secret location art salon is home to lots of underground activity. Most events are by invitation, but some are open to the public. The Hive has featured literary readings, visual arts, music, and fashion. We got a taste back in March during SXSW, when she brought with her Jacob Lehrbaum for backup vocals and violin (he is Senior Product Line Manager for JavaFX at Sun Microsystems!) and they were spare and theatrical. Her latest CD is called For Blood And Wine, and from it is "A Drinking Song" recorded at Threadgill's WHQ in Austin, Texas.

- Jessie Scott

John Fullbright "All the Time In the World"

It was Saturday night, the last night of Cherokee Creek Music Festival , and we were sitting in the back lounge of the bus. We had been working on the videos we were about to put up on the Music Fog site, getting ahead for the guys to take the long drive back to DC. Earlier, Denise and I had gone to the after party, where Paul Thorn was singing Sam Cook's "Bring It On Home To Me" with Stonehoney and friends backing him. It was about 4am and we were about to call it a night when we heard a rustling sound outside the window of the bus. Then a plastic Jesus appeared against the darkness on the window sill. Beans asked in his gruffest voice "Who's there?" and a tiny one came back, "Jesus. Can I come up?" And John Fullbright, with his pocket Jesus, came aboard. He asked for a guitar, and wanted to sing for us, there in the quietude of the wee hours, in the still of the Cherokee, TX night. Can you imagine? But we had no guitar, and so an impromptu jam session was not to be. (Dang!) But the good news is that we had already recorded him earlier! So we used the time to engage in deep conversation and song writing stylings.

A word about John Fullbright. His music is a calling, rooted deep in his soul. He walks the path tentatively, scarcely believing that he is on it. I can't wait to see him get discovered by the world. His is a voice of the common man. Asking questions his town mate, Woody Guthrie, might have also asked. John is from Okemah, OK, too. Looking at him, well, if truth be told, he doesn't even look like he is old enough to know about any of this stuff. But don't let that fool you...he knows it well. His voice is a revelation. His playing is eye opening on every instrument that he touches; guitar, harmonica, piano and accordion. I can't wait for his album to come out, produced by Kevin Welch!

John slept on our bus the last night of Cherokee Creek Music Festival. In the morning he woke up and came to me with concern that he had lost Jesus. I told him Jesus was still in his bed, which He was. So John found Jesus again. And John, you are welcome anytime---we'll save you a bunk.

- Jessie Scott