Jon Dee Graham : On The Mend

Looks like a happy ending is in the cards for this near tragedy

Jon Dee Graham is recovering at University Medical Center at Brackenridge after a car wreck Friday night. He was listed in fair condition, according to Seton Hospital officials. Graham was driving home from Dallas when he fell asleep at the wheel, his family said Sunday. Here is the full statement posted on his MySpace page Sunday.

“Hello. We are surprised how quickly news travels. News of Jon Dee’s
accident has aready even been on the radio. A lot of people are really
wanting to know what happened. Jon Dee was on his way home from a gig in
Dallas late Friday night and sadly, fell asleep at the wheel. His oldest
son had just arrived from New York, and Jon Dee wanted to make it home
before breakfast.

Over the decades, he’s driven thousands of miles after
a gig,and to and from gigs, so, it was a surprise for him to suddenly
have his car spinning and derailing. Somehow, even as busy as I-35 can
be he was the only person and car involved in the accident. He was in
intensive care and is improving. He will be in the hospital for several
more days, at least.

Thank you for concerns from all friends and fans.
Jon Dee is happiest when is playing live and he will be on with the
shows when he recovers. He is pretty banged up, with broken bones,
injured insides, etc. Evidently, driving a Volvo really did save his
life. The Volvo died, thank God Jon Dee didn’t. Thank you for your
blessings, prayers, support and good thoughts of healing.

Warmly,

Jon Dee’s family”

TOM RUSSELL : New Website Announcement

Our friend, and traveling troubadour Tom Russell, has launched his new web site. It's new, improved, and ready for the world at large. This will be the best way for you to see if he's on his way to your town with his guitar and guitarist Michael Martin. You can now access his blog, Facebook and MySpace pages from here to. Pretty much one stop shopping for all things Tom.

Also, get ready for a new two CD career spanning compilation from Shout Factory coming this fall. Final tracks are still being discussed, but there is talk of a few rare tracks that none of us have heard.

Along Comes Mary

Random musings on a Summer Day….

Songs about women were first written within minutes of the first instruments being tooled. Women named Mary have been the beneficiary of some great ones since that time. With no proof I would offer up that it is the most common woman’s name in history. My cousin who’s been married a few times even has two ex’s named Mary. Like I said, this is unscientific, but I stand by it.

Anyway, below is a selective, but compelling list of five songs that use the name of Mary in the title and a few that use a variation of the name. Feel free to submit yours to us. Titles are alphabetical for simplicity’s sake.

Arms Of Mary - Sutherland Brothers If you’ve never heard this, then you’ve never experienced what a girl named Mary could mean to one person. This is perfection from first note to last. The only other song that comes close in this department is “Walk Away Renee.” This one just stops time and allows you to search your psyche for your own “Mary.”

Hello, Mary Lou - Rick Nelson An ode to teenage love that while sounding quaint, never seems overwrought. Rick gives us a gentle reading that recalls the girl a few houses down who seems to notice everyone but our narrator.

Mary In The Morning - Al Martino In his pre “Godfather” days Al offered a credible version of this one for the masses. Elvis Presley though did one for the ages. Check out his soulful reading of it on “That’s The Way It Is.”

Mary, Mary - Monkees Although Mike Nesmith wrote it, Mickey does the vocal honors on this one. It’s a nice slab of pop from the late sixties. Also check out the Paul Butterfield Band’s version for a different perspective.

The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix Experience This one arrives like some drugged induced dream with its imagery and stop and start musical passages, then it seems to just float around the room long after it ends.

Some Variations…

Maria - (West Side Story) This one has had its share of covers over the years, but Johnny Mathis delivers its most soulful version. After all of these years seeing the names of Sondheim and Bernstein under the title brings thoughts of seeing McCartney and Dylan together as co-writers.

Marie, Marie - Blasters Early eighties rockabilly that smolders from start to finish. Vocalist Phil Alvin uses the words of brother Dave to woo a local girl for a night on the town. It pulls together all of the urgency of living for the moment, not the times. This is one of those songs that you just can’t play loud enough.

So Long, Marianne - Leonard Cohen With a parable known only to Cohen he weaves his spell around yet another lost love.

Stock Tip

CAPPital Idea

One of our favorite retro country rockers, Brian Capps is offering easily the best deal currently in music. For a limited time you can purchase his three discs of all country covers in one package. All thirty tracks were produced by Lou Whitney and play like a roadhouse jukebox that never takes a break. One disc is entirely covers of Johnny Cash no less. These may not last until our next mailer so we wanted to make sure that our blog subscribers get first shot at them. Not sold in stores and not sold separately.

I Dreamed I Was Flying...

American Tune

Many's the time I've been mistaken And many times confused
Yes, and I've often felt forsaken And certainly misused
Oh, but I'm all right, I'm all right I'm just weary to my bones
Still, you don't expect to be Bright and bon vivant
So far away from home, so far away from home

And I don't know a soul who's not been battered
I don't have a friend who feels at ease
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered or driven to its knees
but it's all right, it's all right for we lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road we're traveling on
I wonder what's gone wrong I can't help it, I wonder what's gone wrong

And I dreamed I was dying
I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high up above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying

We come on the ship they call the Mayflower
We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age's most uncertain hours and sing an American tune
Oh, and it's alright, it's all right, it's all right
You can't be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day
And I'm trying to get some rest
That's all I'm trying to get some rest

(Paul Simon)

Happy Fourth Of July from Village Records

THE PILGRIM: CHAPTER 72

BIRTHDAY BOY, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

Today our favorite pilgrim turns seventy two. That's right, seventy two. Hard to believe that he's been around this long considering the hard living and loving of those early days. He must be related to Jerry Lee Lewis. He's left his mark just about anywhere that music is played and has written some of the most enduring modern day standards. Standards about life on the road, wasted days and wasted nights, lovers and friends, pretty much everything but a classic car song when you get right down to it.

Unlike a lot of songwriters you always got the impression that he was the protagonist in nearly all of his songs. While others wrote in the abstract he stuck to everyday life and the struggles from getting out of bed on a Sunday morning to drinking it all away on a Saturday evening. What he lacked in vocal prowess he more than made up for by telling a story that you would never forget. Reminds me of a young kid from Hibbing Minnesota with a limited vocal range that managed to get his point across a few times.

Anyway Kris, it's your day. We'll have a round for you tonight because when it's all said and done "the going up is worth the coming down."

New Live Steve Young CD

This new Steve Young CD was left at our doorstep this morning, completely unexpected, but here it is. It was recorded live late in 2006 at the Pioneer Pavillion, Mill Creek Park, Youngstown, Ohio. It will be featured in the next mailer, however it is available for purchase now for early bird shoppers.

LISTEN

Ragtime Blues Guitar (Steve Young)
Little Birdie (trad.)
Coal Tattoo (Billy Ed Wheeler)
The White Trash Song (Steve Young)
Tobacco Road (John D Loudermilk)
Seven Bridges Road (Steve Young)
Silverlake (Steve Young)
Lonesome, Orn'ry & Mean (Steve Young)
Ballad Of William Seyamore (Benet/Young)
Peyote Chant (trad.)
Coyote My Little Brother (Peter LaFarge)
Useful Girl (Richard Dobson)
I'm A One Woman Man (T. Franks/Johnny Horton)
Hoboin' (trad.)
East Virginia (trad.)

SURF'S UP

Like George Harrison before him, the quieter Beach Boy came up with possibly the best solo album of any group members. Dennis Wilson’s “Pacific Ocean Blue” sent white caps through the Beach Boys community. Brian eventually debuted with a really nice one but has mostly been adrift since then. Carl who many expected to run away with it couldn’t seem to overcome the production of the times he recorded his in. Bruce Johnston paddled out a few hundred feet, but never went into open water, while Mike and Al chose to stay on shore and forgo solo careers.

This elaborate two disc reissue finally arrived on our shores yesterday and was it ever worth all those years waiting on the dock. The first thing you notice is that it totally belies its 1977 year of origin. It almost seems like an album out of time. It has the West Coast vibe you might expect, but it remains a more personal statement from the handsome surfer behind the drums.

The biggest surprise though is that the second disc offers the never before released follow up album “Bambu.” I have to say in many ways it may be an even stronger album. One of the reasons is that it is a bit more organic and ever so slightly less polished. In short you get two revealing musical experiences in a single package. And what a package it is, elaborate and with tons of info on the sessions, a forty plus page booklet, essays and more.

He died just after Christmas in 1983 at the age of 39. Swallowed by the waters off of the California coast that had been his second home. Fitting, but way too soon. I can’t help but imagine the character of the Jimmy Buffett song “A Pirate Looks At Forty” when I think of him.

Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call,

Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall.

You've seen it all, you've seen it all.

Watch the men who rode you,

Switch from sails to steam.

And in your belly you hold the treasurethat few have ever seen,

Most of them dreams, most of them dreams.

Yes, I am a pirate two hundred years too late.

The cannons don't thunder there's nothin' to plunder

I'm an over forty victim of fate

Arriving too late, arriving too late.

I've done a bit of smugglin'I've run my share of grass.

I made enough money to buy Miami,

But I pissed it away so fast,

Never meant to last, never meant to last.

I have been drunk now for over two weeks,

I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks,

But I've got to stop wishin',Got to go fishin',

I'm down to rock bottom again.

Just a few friends, just a few friends.

I go for younger women, lived with several awhile

And though I ran away, they'll come back one day.

And still could manage a smile

It just takes awhile, just takes awhile.

Mother, mother ocean, after all these years I've found

My occupational hazard being my occupations just not around.

I feel like I've drowned,

Gonna head uptown.

(J. Buffett)

Stock Tips

The new Scott Kempner CD, Saving Grace, (originally due the 10th) has been delayed slightly. It is now scheduled for release on 24 June. Sixteen years between albums and they still have a few bugs to work out apparently. Give it a listen, it will be worth the wait. In related news we've learned that the Del-Lords recordings will be coming back in print and given the deluxe treatment later this year.

All orders for Emmylou Harris were shipped on time and I am sure many of you are already enjoying that one. One listen and you'll realize that she has made the right album at the right time in her incredible career. The return of Brian Ahern to the producers chair is the icing on the cake. (She was scheduled to appear at the Wakarusa Festival here but unfortunately her show was rained out.)

We just received the new one from Texas honky tonker, Jim Stringer and his AM Band. It is called Triskaidekaphilia and all I can say is that it is an Instant Party in a jewel box. It's modern retro at its finest. Ten new originals and three well chosen covers including Duane Eddy's "Rebel Rouser" to kick off the disc. In stock and shipping now if you can't wait for the July mailer.

Signature Sounds

Way down the road we see plenty to look forward to from Signature Sounds. This small but mighty label has had one of the most consistent rosters in folk music and every year they seem to bring us another new artist to add to the "must have" list. Plus they are a pleasure to work with.

August 6th will bring us the release of the Sacred Shakers' new self-titled album. (For the uninitiated, the Sacred Shakers is Eilen Jewell's Gospel band! Need we say more?)

Then, on September 2nd, we'll see the release of Mark Erelli's seventh Signature album, Delivered. Mark worked with Zack Hickman (of Josh Ritter's band) for this album, and it's a beauty.

Looking ahead to Fall... We'll get a new Winterpills album in late September/early October.

And, last but not least, Richard Shindell! His new album will be out in late October/early November.

Bo, Chess, and Riffs

We were celebrating the life and music of Bo Diddley the other day. As you might have guessed we did raise a few in his honor. We also dragged out a whole slew of discs with tracks that "borrowed" his trademark Bo Diddley Beat. They run the gamut from Springsteen, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, U2, and on and on.

As we were scrutinizing the riffs of every song recorded in the last fifty years we stumbled upon these two tracks between trips to the liquor store. Although this is not a qualifier for the "Bo Diddley Beat" playlist it is still kind of interesting as the common riff no doubt has its origins with some other unacknowledged Chess label artist. Give it a spin and see what you think. Just for fun.


LISTEN

Another Sleepy, Dusty Delta Day...

Ode To Billy Joe

I can never let June 3rd pass without stopping to think about this song and the impact it had on me and music in general forty one years ago. I'm not sure there had ever been anything like it before and very few since. Probably only Merle Haggard's "Kern River" could compare to its imagery and stunning sense of sudden loss. I'm not sure Bobbie Gentry ever swam Kern River, but she certainly understands why Merle will never do it again.

This link will take you to my defunct personal blog, and an essay I wrote for the song last year at this time.