The MusicFest 2011 - Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

View from our studio at the Steamboat Grand HotelThe 2011 MusicFest at Steamboat is getting to be a rear view mirror memory, as we savor the sweetness of the snow, the serenity of Steamboat and the magic of the music, with everyone just having the best of all possible times. We are breaking down the set and packing up our equipment. We filmed 27 artists in all on this trip, and we offer huge hugs and kisses to the Steamboat Grand staff, the Steamboat Resort people, all the managers, crew and artists.

We can't tell you how much this means to us to share in the community that John and Robin and the rest of the Dickson Productions folks have created. We are eternally grateful for the opportunity to advance our mission. Music Fog was formed just before the MusicFest 2009, when Beans, Aaron, Ben, Chris, and I lost our jobs due the merger of XM and Sirius satellite radio. We took our severance money and invested in ourselves, and in the concept of being able to go direct to you on the web with no gatekeepers. The goal was twofold: to continue to showcase the kind of music I was programming on my channel, X Country on XM, as well as to showcase the production skills of Aaron and Beans. For two years we have criss crossed the country attending events where many musicians congregate. We set an impossibly packed schedule for ourselves on site. We are lucky if we sleep for four hours a night, but as archivists, we know we are capturing these once in a lifetime moments in the same way that John and Alan Lomax captured their era. Only we are including the pictures. We are a for hire production company, and we love getting out on the road and proving we can make it look good and sound good, with a little ingenuity, wherever we set up our studio. So we thank YOU for watching our videos, reading our articles, and sharing us with your friends that love this real deal music too. The faster we grow, the better we serve to be a megaphone for the music which deserves to find a larger audience. Because it is just that good.

Whenever we have a kitchen on premises, we feed the artists that come in to play for us. This year, I made Green Chile Stew, Beans did eight pounds of Mystery Brisket, Aaron cooked Pork Chile Verde, and Denise did a Beef Bourguignon. Sheila hit the slopes between takes, and we all ate and drank. As Paul Thorn said on his EPK, "How do we travel? We travel WELL!" Speaking of Paul Thorn, that is our next trip! We will be heading down to Muscle Shoals to produce his live webcast on Saturday January 29th!

So long from Steamboat...'till next year!

- Jessie Scott

Kevin & Dustin Welch w/ Kelley Mickwee "Highland Mary"

OMG what a day! We are intrepidly reporting from MusicFest 2011 at Steamboat Springs. Day three of filming, in order of appearance in the Music Fog studio at the Steamboat Grand today: Randy Rogers, Charlie Robison, Sons of Bill, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Uncle Lucius, Willy & Cody Braun from Reckless Kelly, Roger Creager and Paul Overstreet. Our tally for the three days of recording is 25 amazing artists, and we have captured lots of cool songs from each. It appears we might even have captured five brand new songs that have never been recorded, and two that were actually named during their recording session. We have been asking all the artists that came by what they thought about the MusicFest. Everyone talked about how great it is to be able to spend time with one another, share music and good times. That seems to be a mantra 'round these parts.

We had Kevin and Dustin Welch in the studio here, with Kelley Mickwee singing backup, on the song "Highland Mary." This collaboration embodies the spirit of MusicFest. It is just beautiful having them play together; father, son and Trisha member.

- Jessie Scott

Highland Mary - Kane Welch Kaplin

Dirty River Boys "Union Painter"

Steamboat Day 3. Beans got up at 8 am today and slow roasted brisket in the studio kitchen. We were seduced by the aroma all day, and we finally got to eat by the end of the night with the Zack Walther Band. They were our final recording of the day. We also had visits from Jason Eady, Wade Bowen, Kevin and Dustin Welch, The Trishas, Will Kimbrough, Radney Foster, Micky Braun, and Luke Olson. Yes, it's all coming your way...you'll be able to "Get Down with the Get Down, Right On!" That's our new slogan on this trip, which Beans and Aaron heard on the radio on the way out to Oklahoma City to meet us girls. God Bless AM radio, great remnants of sound from other eras, in this case, the sounds of soul.

We had an amazing day, and once again I was struck by the level of songwriting; these are the best of our generation. Fun, serious, wholly awesome. Yesterday we had a Music Fog debut performance from El Paso's Dirty River Boys, Nino Cooper, Marco Gutierrez, and Travis Stearns. We loved it! This is also their first year at the MusicFest, so there are plenty of new eyes and ears on them---hope you're one of those sets. More video from Steamboat to come...

- Jessie Scott

Union Painter - Long Cold Fall - EP