Shawn Camp "Building The Fire"

There was a wonderful piece on 60 Minutes a couple of Sunday's back, about a singer/songwriter named Rodriguez. He made two albums decades ago that didn't hit, and then fell into obscurity. Somehow his music found traction in South Africa.

He didn't know that in South Africa, he had cult status. His music was ubiquitous, he was the voice of a generation...but Rodriguez didn't know anything about it. The legend sprang up that he had committed suicide, but, Steve Segerman who owns a record store in Cape Town, decided to go hunting for him in Dearborn, MI. Rodriguez has now toured South Africa, and the US as well. His music is now on the sales charts in the US, too. At the age of 70 he is the subject of a documentary that is being hailed as an Oscar contender, Searching For Sugar Man. The 60 Minutes segment reminds us all of the value of poets and musicians, and is especially poignant in light of so many talented folks who labor in obscurity. I don't know what it will take to turn the trend around so that music is important to more people again. If we lose the opportunity for it to be a significant part of our communication, our society will be the poorer for its loss.

We have a video from Shawn Camp to bring you today, but before we do, here is a question. Are you hip to the new band he is in, The World Famous Headliners? They are Big Al Anderson, Michael Rhodes, Pat McLaughlin and Greg Morrow....yeah buddy, it don't get no better than that! Their songwriting, sideman and solo projects are the stuff of musical who's who. The self-titled album just came out a few months ago. Worthy stuff indeed, it simply makes me crazy that more folks don't know about this music, and these artists. It is where the good stuff lives. Shawn Camp came to play forthe Music Fog cameras two years ago at Americana Fest 2010. This year at the Americana Honors & Awards, as co-producer with Tamara Saviano, they picked up Album Of The Year for the Guy Clark Tribute, This One's For Him. Today's song is not from any of the above mentioned projects, instead it is an as yet unreleased song, "Building The Fire."

-Jessie Scott

The Rolling Stones Tour Announced

The Rolling Stones announced yesterday that they'll be playing four shows before the year is out:  Two in London on November 25 & 29, and then two in Newark, New Jersey, at the Prudential Center, on December 13 & 15.

Tickets for London go on sale on October 19 at 9am British time and the New Jersey tickets go on sale on October 26 at noon eastern (with pre-sales taking place on the 20th). Word is that the Stones will likely extend their "tour" into 2013, visiting the Far East and/or Australia early in the year before heading back to America and Europe. They are rehearsing in Paris, tuning up on classics like "Let It Bleed," "Lady Jane," "The Last Time," "I Wanna Be Your Man" and the Otis Redding nugget "Dock Of The Bay." They are working up two new numbers, "Doom and Gloom" and "One More Shot," which will appear on next month's greatest hits package, "Grrr!"

Me, I am loving "Doom and Gloom," check it out!

-Jessie Scott

Jon Dee Graham "Beautifully Broken"

There are touch stones that make you stop and take note, even when one is in pain. This weekend up in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the colors co-mingled to glorious effect. This morning, I am up with the sunrise, heading into NYC for meetings. The streets of New. york are a contact sport, ready or not here I come. Over the last two weeks, I have been physical in a way that just doesn't exist in most cities. In New York, you walk, you take the stairs, you carry bags. Every night I feel like hamburger meat, but I am seeing results already; tighter, lighter, more energy. And, it is woven seamlessly into your life, plus it's free! 

Whatever your addictions, your bad habits, use this day to start a new cycle. It starts by simply mustering up the will to change. Get off the couch, come into the sunshine. Don't think you can't. Jon Dee Graham is here to tell you that you can, having dealt with addiction himself. He sings about it here, "Beautifully Broken," filmed during the 2011 Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill's WHQ in Austin.

-Jessie Scott