Music City Roots

I got to meet country singer and songwriter Cody Jinks on Wednesday, and I am pleased to report that, as his album title asserts, he is Not The Devil. While his merch is full of flaming skulls and his web site depicts him as the black-bearded former death metal artist turned honky tonker that he is, the man himself is an open, smiling and considerate guy. He hung out after the show greeting and meeting with his fans and taking pictures as long as any artist I can remember. At the same time, he had a fire behind his eyes and about a million miles under his rings and tattoos, and our on stage conversation felt far too short. It was just one highlight of a flavorful night of music. Somebody must have brought some salt. And indeed it wasn’t just Old Salt Union who did so. Peter Case showed world weary wisdom. Jesse Kramer radiated. Colin Hay showed the power of reinvention. I can still taste it now.

An extraordinary night of music with a travelin’ kind of vibe began with a foreign visitor who traffics in global sounds. Piers Faccini has one of the most imaginative musical minds I know in his ability to layer (and he was explicit about this in our interview) British folk tradition, Delta and Hill Country Mississippi blues and North African sounds.

The Mulligan Brothers presented the most straightforwardly Americana/roots set of the night with a quartet featuring acoustic guitar, fiddle, electric bass and drums.

In truth, the guys in Greyhounds didn’t really need my help to put on a spectacular set of shoe sliding soul anthems. Trube kicked things off with the wiry twang of his vintage guitar before Ferrell took the lead voice on “A War Is On For Your Mind,” the hot political take from their current album. Ineffable chemistry and a taste for what’s cool is what makes this band tick.

It’s never a surprise when the Travelin’ McCourys put on a great set, but my god, I was pinned to the wall by the power of the band this time both musically and vocally.

The Kentucky Headhunters brought new songs from a new album and sounded no less feisty and committed than they did when they scored radio hits in the late 80s. They are eternal Southern rockers who know how to get the most out of classic solid body electric guitars. Hymn For Her swung through in their Airstream to rock our stage, with some twists. Wayne and Lucy’s daughter, who was just a babe when we first met her, is now old enough to sing “Sioux City Sue” with swing. And the duo offered a new 60s pop feeling with a song called “Milkweed” that I just flipped over. The Farmer & Adele brought classic country and western music to the stage with finesse and stagecraft. The Buckleys, a family band of all teens from Australia opened the night with brightness and innate talent.

Kelsey Waldon is a charming and heart-rending at the same time. With a twinkle in her eye she can pierce you with melancholy or shiv a rival with icy cool worthy of Loretta Lynn. The latter was more the feeling of opening song “False King” with a hook I love: “You can’t place a crown on the head of a clown and hope he turns out to be a king.” Kind of reminded me of current events. There were curtains of gorgeous steel guitar from Brett Resnick, notably the solo on set closer “All By Myself.” Also sweet was Walson’s slow rocking take on Bill Monroe’s “Travelin’ Down This Lonesome Road.” She knows lonesome and she showed it.

Under the circumstances, The Coal Men felt more like comfort food, with their gorgeous tones and tight roots rocking structures. Dave Coleman writes pop songs with the story quotient of country songs, so we got “Stones River” about old friends/mentors and a wintry outdoor setting. And “Willy Jett” is a portrait of the demise of a semi-loveable loser. Dave encouraged us to think of it like a little movie, and it was. More story in my favorite song on the new Pushed To The Side album in “The Singer From Louisville,” which channels a piece of Tommy Womack fiction that is drawn from hard experience. Guest host Peter Cooper worked with the Coal Men and other artists to pull together a really nice take on Dave Dudley’s “Six Days On The Road,” which hasn’t been a Nashville Jam in years. Great call and a great job.

What’s on tap, as we like to say? Well how about John Oates, our yes-we-did-just-drop-that-name superstar buddy who’s done more to parlay his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stature into the growth and enrichment of Americana music than anybody this side of Springsteen. It was a lot to get our heads around back in the early 2000s when the mustachioed songwriter of “Maneater” and “Kiss On My List” turned back to his folk music roots and began collaborating with lifer/masters like Sam Bush and Vince Gill. But the results have been superb, led by an honest voice that clearly understands the nature of great songs. Oates grew up loving roots music, and he shared an anecdote about that recently in a songwriter showcase interview. He talked about spending time as a teenager with Mississippi John Hurt when he’d come through Philadelphia to play clubs and the city’s famous folk festival. You can tell he was paying attention.

What a wonderful scene took shape at Roots on Wednesday night, with old friends of the show and assorted music mavens on hand, mingling while truly listening, the way a good Nashvillian does. But this was a night with abundant local talent, a veritable showcase of the new acoustic and bluegrass master pickers who’ve moved to Music City where, as Kyle Tuttle said in the interview, they find enough work to put a living together and deep support for their ambitions. We surely were glad to play our part in supporting our city’s awesome bluegrass situation (to borrow a phrase) and we were delighted to see so many turn out to support the show.

Bill Lloyd pulled a quick change of personnel plan on Wednesday when his electric band’s regular bassist had a baby arrive in the family. The drummerless trio of Bill, Jim Hoke on steel and Hags Haggerty on bass eased nicely through a mix of originals and covers, which is Bill’s way. “In A Perfect World” was light and danceable. “Coconut Grove” had breezy jazz chords. And the highlight was a dynamic take on the “Across The Universe,” a reminder of just what a remarkable melody that song has. Its mantra chorus, “Nothing’s gonna change my world” felt particularly calming under the circumstances.

Full Review HERE.

Now friends, you may think that your Roots correspondent was wishing that Game 7 of this epic World Series hadn’t fallen on a show day. But I’m not so sure. A charming and exciting lineup made this historic night even more beautiful and memorable. It was a fusion of two of my favorite things – music and baseball – and as I followed the action on my phone, our talented artists calmed my trembling nerves.

Ben DeBerry, the guitar-slinging dude half of The Danberrys, brought his old and loved copy of String Wizards to the show so that John McEuen, the man who made it in 1991, could sign it. Not only did Ben get that autograph backstage at this week’s MCR, he got a spontaneous invitation to join John on stage for a blues jam during his set. That’s how it goes in Roots world, where as I mentioned in my preview for this week, acolytes become teachers and pass it on, whether by way of stories from the road, instrumental tips or performance opportunities. It’s the Americana way.

There were plenty of string wizards on hand on Wednesday night, but John also has an album called Acoustic Traveller and that felt like an appropriate take on the show as well, as it featured no drums or electric instruments at all. But travelers for sure.