Dave Mason earned his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction as a founding member of Traffic. It was well-deserved, yet it’s only a fraction of his contribution to rock history. You can find his fingerprints on records by Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney—a first-call contributor to some of the […]
Odd Marshall – Seconds
I’m not really a believer in fate. I just feel like people can make rational choices that end up steering them down a new path. Having said that, I’ve certainly seen examples where the Universe just keeps knocking someone back on track. The musician Odd Marshall seems to be one of those. An obsession with […]
Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band – Time
Taj Mahal just keeps doing great music. This master, at 83, continues to show that he, like his namesake building, is a wonder of the world. To say that Taj Mahal has been around for a long time is an understatement. He was raised in Massachusetts in a musical household and gained an appreciation not […]
Andy Thomas on Working Construction and His Approach to Tour Meals
Honky Tonk & Roller Andy Thomas shares memories of working at a coffee shop and a near tour van catastrophe.
Monday Morning Video – Ted Hawkins
Ted Hawkins had a story as singular as his voice — you can read about it here. What the words can’t quite capture is what happens when he opens his mouth to sing. This clip, from an Irish television program in 1988, is a welcome reminder of his graceful talent. His voice and music endure.
Hank Alrich – Broken River
It’s well known that the Armadillo World Headquarters was at ground-zero for the Austin music scene in the early 70’s. Gary P. Nunn once noted, “It’s been said that our music was the catalyst that brought the shit-kickers and the hippies together at the Armadillo.” Presumably one of those hippies was Hank Alrich, a California […]
Adam Gaffney Song Premiere – Product of Another Sad Song
You’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “but for the grace of God, there go I.” For St. Louis native Adam Gaffney, sometimes God’s grace wasn’t around and so he went down a few harmful paths. He has a new album coming out next month, Product of Another Sad Song, and it’s centered around some of […]
Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart & Guy Davis – Fight On! True Blues Vol.2
A niece once pronounced to me that all the great blues musicians are dead. Alvin Youngblood Hart, Guy Davis and Corey Harris show that’s not true, as they are among the best blues masters of my own generation. With Fight On! True Blues Vol. 2, these masters have created an acoustic blues timepiece that is […]
Tim Nielsen of Drivin N Cryin on Pop-up Gigs and Merch Sales
Tim Nielsen of southern rock stalwarts Drivin N Cryin talks about how he keeps busy, what sustains the band financially, and what the band’s drummer eats most nights while on tour.
Ben Musser Song Premiere – Sentimental Fever
Like all things artistic, it’s hard to predict where one’s musical muse is going to be. A lot of musicians find a move into some beautiful surroundings provides the necessary inspiration–there’s nothing like Mother Nature to open your mind to the wonders of life. Wyoming resident Ben Musser found the opposite. After spending years in […]