Joel Rafael "Ramblin' Reckless Hobo"

Southern California-based singer-songwriter Joel Rafael is considered one of the foremost interpreters of the music of Woody Guthrie. Joel's acclaimed compilations of Guthrie's songs were reissued almost a year ago, bundled as one package, The Songs Of Woody Guthrie, Vol 1 & 2. He does original stuff too, with his 2008 self penned CD, Thirteen Stories High, which included the protest song "This Is My Country." It featured David Crosby and Graham Nash on background vocals. Another version made it into the Barry Levinson documentary film, Poliwood, an in-depth look at the Democratic and Republican national conventions, filmed during the 2008 U.S. Presidential election year, as David Crosby and Graham Nash performed it at the Democratic event in Denver.

Joel Rafael has been baptized in the holy spirit of folk, so it was no wonder that we encountered him at this summer's Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma, as he has appeared there every year since its inception in 1998. The song "Ramblin' Reckless Hobo" is a cautionary tale, the hobo being a time honored symbol of the great depression, and of folk music itself. Walk the wrong path, and no good will come of it. The lyrics were written by Woody Guthrie, and were entrusted to Joel by Woody's daughter Nora Guthrie, who directs the Woody Guthrie Archives, overseeing the use of her father's legacy of written and illustrated works. Joel Rafael put music to the lyrics. He is presently working on a traveling troubadour documentary. We can't wait to see it, as his has been a very special path to walk.

Here is Joel in the Thompson's Loft, with the WoodyFest all star band that came to visit us after the last day's Pancake Breakfast (I bought a T-Shirt!) at WoodyFest last month.

- Jessie Scott

David Olney & Sergio Webb "Covington Girl"

I have been on a tear through the countryside. You just don't know where it will take you! Sometime last weekend, I jumped a plane and flew out to see the subdudes at Rancho Nicasio, just north of San Francisco, which is the perfect venue to see this most engaging band. The boughs were swaying in the breeze, the girls were swinging in perpetual motion - all arms and groove and attitude, and then the guys even got down by getting up out of their chairs to dance. By the end of the show, everyone was on their feet, it was like being at a revival. There was rapture on people's faces. Kids were standing on tables and their dad's shoulders to see what was causing the vibe to levitate to the skies. Pure energy. Music like this is love. There is a big event that shines a light on Americana music coming up out here, too; the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, a free concert, October 1, 2 & 3 in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. It is celebrating the 10th anniversary, and the line-up was just announced a couple of weeks ago. I am happy to report that the subdudes are on the list.

Photo Credit: Stacie HuckebaLet me add that it is quite the honor to be asked to play at this prestigious festival. David Olney and Sergio Webb will be there this year too! David's music is so cinematic. Rich with detail and intensity. His songs have been recorded by Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Del McCoury, Lonnie Brooks, James King, Slaid Cleaves, Dale Ann Bradley, Tom Rozum, Ann Rabson, Kieran Kane/Kevin Welch/Fats Kaplin, Tim O’Brien and others. He has released more than 20 albums over four decades, including six live recordings. David's most recent CD, Dutchman’s Curve was released in April 2010. In addition, he is an author, with a short story published in “Amplified.” And David has become synonymous with Classic Poetry as his performances stop time. The train robbery song "Covington Girl" comes from the new CD; here delivered with the weaving in of Sergio Webb's engaging guitar. The song first appeared on Sergio's 2009 CD Bolivar Blues. We filmed this at Folk Alliance in Memphis this past February, aboard the Music Fog bus.

- Jessie Scott

  David Olney - Covington Girl

  Sergio Webb - Covington Girl

Guy Forsyth "Things That Matter"

I called the cops a few nights ago; there was a domestic altercation next door. It raged for three hours until 4 am. Maybe even more disturbing than the yelling, is that the cops never came. One would hope they would have if they thought it was a more dangerous scenario, and not just two people having a set-to against each other. It set me to wondering how love turns to hate. Whether substance induced, jealousy inspired, or as a response to issues of dominance; how the passion gets diverted and turns inwardly destructive. As Muddy Waters said "...everybody's fighting about the same thing." I had a conversation with Barbara Jo from KGSR the other night, about why the blues is still evocative. We ran into each other at Jenni Finlay's 4th Anniversary Bash at Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, and we were talking about the ability the blues has to heal, to soothe, to articulate feelings, even through its sometime heaviness. It is with interest that I watch so many marquee artists, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant, Sheryl Crow, and Cyndi Lauper, just to name a few, embracing earlier musical forms like the Blues, Folk, Bluegrass, and R&B. It says something to me about them, moving back to that music which is eternal.

Guy Forsyth came to visit us at Threadgill's this past March. He graced us with a couple of as yet unreleased tunes. "Things That Matter," a country blues tune, is one of them. As usual, Guy nails the simple, yet sublime, sentiment; the real golden rule. It speaks to perspective. Both the music and the message are stripped down to what's important. It is a beacon of simplicity to illuminate the way.

Guy is doing some dates in Texas before heading to Europe at the end of the month. You can see his full schedule in the tour dates section on his incredible website! And though I hate to be the first to mention Christmas, I am hoping that the magnificent holiday show Guy does with Carolyn Wonderland comes to a venue near you at the end of the year. It is a must see. So is this. "Things That Matter," a tune which he dedicates to the late Stephen Bruton.

- Jessie Scott