This summer I saw Rodney Crowell for the fourth time, and the second time with his new singing partner Emmylou Harris. It is ten years since I saw him the first and also the second time. Today, August 7th is his 65 year birthday. (Picture above: Rodney Crowell at the Antone’s in Austin, 2013)
Richard Thompson has been named one of the best guitarists in the music world, and also the one with the most characteristic sound. It is not that he plays everything very fast or loud, but more that his style is so personally unique and with influences from an eclectic range of sources.
A musician’s musician is someone who every other musician and artists wants to play with, but who isn’t always known to the general audience. Buddy Miller is a musician’s musician, but fortunately he has been acknowledged and gained more popularity during the years. Jim Lauderdale is a great singer songwriter who has written songs for artists like Vince Gill, Patty Loveless and other artists, but who also has got more and more recognition for his own work the later years. Now the two have released a CD together, and they played Antone’s during SXSW.
In the 70’s, Rodney Crowell was a member of Emmylou Harris’ band, The Hot Band, playing rhythm guitar and sung duets with her. He also wrote Blueberry Wine that she sung on her first LP, Pieces of the Sky. Crowell quit in 1977 to pursue his own solo career, but Harris still recorded his songs. Recently they released the duet CD, Old Yellow Moon. During SXSW they performed songs from the CD and also older songs at the Antone’s in Austin.
Antone’s is the Austin Home of the Blues. Last night they had a free concert with Ray Wylie Hubbard and Billy Joe Shaver. Both artists are true and tested Texans (even if they are born elsewhere), and this is quite evident in their songs. Ray Wylie is the most pronounced, and he also comes forward as the master of words, and Billy Joe also gave his best performance afterwards. (Picture above: Billy Joe Shaver)
There are many excellent female musicians in Texas, and on Thursday March 22nd, some of these were gathered at Antone’s to celebrate the birthdays of Marcia Ball, Nancy Kaplan and Nancy Fly. The concert was also done in the spirit of Etta James.
Carolyn Wonderland is a well known and celebrated artist in Austin, Texas. She moved from her hometown Houston to Austin 13 years ago, and has built a gradually bigger and bigger reputation. Saturday March 10th she played at Antone’s, Austin’s famous blues venue, and it was a great pleasure to see her and her trio on stage once again.
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