MyJoog Blog: Chris Smither

Showing posts with label Chris Smither. Show all posts

Friday, October 11, 2013

Chris Smither - 2013 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

Here's a clip of Chris Smither at the 2013 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. If you are unfamiliar with Smither he is an excellent blues guitarist and songwriter. His latest CD, Hundred Dollar Valentine is worth a listen.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion -> One Month Out and Counting

Here is your one month reminder that the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion is coming up quickly - September 20th-22nd in Bristol VA\TN to be precise. This is always our favorite music festival, well organized, great musicians, great venues, and quality beer. Want to see Lucinda Williams on the main street stage, check. Want to see Scotty Melton in a small bar, check. Want to see American Aquarium in a rockn' beer bar, check. Like to camp out at one stage for the entire day? Then checkout Scythian, Chatham County Line, Paul Thorn, Shovels and Rope, Hayes Carll, and Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis all on the State Street Stage. Like a historic venue? Then nothing beats Jim Lauderdale or Chris Smither at The Paramount Center for the Arts. Got the idea? Plus, tickets are a complete bargain - a weekend pass is only $50; that's correct - $50 until September 1st. Then it rises to $70. Here is the total lineup but to help organize your schedule I would suggest the Bristol Mobile App - it makes festival life so much easier. And to make your road trip more enjoyable - theCompass mobile app will find wineries and breweries along your trip route. Cheers.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Judges Announced for Merlefest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest

Passing along this press release regarding one of our favorite music festivals: Merlest

JUDGES ANNOUNCED FOR CHRIS AUSTIN SONGWRITING CONTEST
Deadline to Enter is February 19, 2013

WILKESBORO, N.C. (January 22, 2013)—Distinguished songwriters Matraca Berg, Lynda Dawson and Chris Smither will be among the judges that determine the winners of MerleFest 2013’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Now in its 21st year, the contest is an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring writers to have their original songs heard and judged by a panel of music industry professionals, under the direction of this year’s volunteer contest chairperson, Grammy®-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale. MerleFest takes place from April 25-28, 2013.

Berg, Dawson and Smither bring an impressive body of critical and chart success to the judges’ table for this year’s contest:

Renowned singer-songwriter Matraca Berg, inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008, penned her first No. 1 single at age 18 and received her first Grammy nomination at age 22. Berg has written major hits for Reba McEntire (“The Last One To Know”), Linda Ronstadt (“Walk On”), Trisha Yearwood (“Wrong Side of Memphis,” “XXX’s and OOO’s/An American Girl,” “Everybody Knows”), Deana Carter (“Strawberry Wine,” “We Danced Anyway”), Martina McBride (“Wild Angels,” “Cry on the Shoulder of the Road”), Faith Hill, Patty Loveless, Suzy Bogguss, Gretchen Wilson and many others. “Strawberry Wine,” Deana Carter’s breakthrough hit, won CMA “Song of the Year” honors. Berg, along with Carter, wrote 2011’s platinum-selling “You and Tequila,” a duet by Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter that scored two Grammy nominations and was one of the top country songs of that year. A respected artist in her own right, Berg’s critically-acclaimed The Dreaming Fields was released in 2011; Rolling Stone said of the project that “the melodies and hooks remain as irresistible as ever… This is the sound of a writer who seems more concerned with making tradition her own than with who might follow her.”

Lynda Dawson is the lead singer, guitar player and songwriter for Raleigh, N.C.-based bluegrass and Americana outfit The Kickin Grass Band. Her true-to-life songwriting, distinct vocals and tasteful guitar have been a hallmark of the band’s Americana and rootsy sound since their start in 2002. Dawson has been described by PopMatters as writing “distinctive originals…with an ear for a catchy melody as well as interesting turns of phrase,” and by Nashville Public Radio as a “truly gifted songwriter who writes intelligently crafted lyrics married to unforgettable melodies.” In addition to being a mainstay of the band’s four albums, including the 2012 release Walk With Me, her songs have been recorded by Valerie Smith and Becky Buller, aired on nationally syndicated PBS’s Song of the Mountains and NPR’s CarTalk, and licensed for various North Carolina-based projects. She teaches songwriting camps and workshops for kids and adults and was a featured songwriter at the International Bluegrass Music Association Songwriter Showcase in both 2007 and 2012.

Having distilled his own signature sound of blues and folk for over 40 years, Chris Smither is truly an American original. A profound songwriter, Chris has drawn deeply from such diverse influences as the blues, American folk music, and modern poets and philosophers during his lengthy career. From his early days as a New Orleans transplant in the Boston folk scene to his reemergence in the 1990s as one of America’s most distinctive acoustic performers, Chris Smither continues to hone his characteristic sound. Smither’s songs have been covered by artists such as Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Diana Krall. Reviewers praise his dazzling guitar work, gravelly voice and songwriting: “With a weary, well-traveled voice and a serenely intricate finger-picking style, Mr. Smither turns the blues into songs that accept hard-won lessons and try to make peace with fate” (New York Times); “Smither’s roots are as blue as they come” (Rolling Stone); “The masterful combination of pure folk songwriting and intricate guitar blues are tangible signs of the singer-songwriter's vigorous genius” (Wired). His 2012 release, the exquisite Hundred Dollar Valentine, is his first recording to feature all Smither-penned, original songs.

Contest entries for the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest are accepted via two methods: U.S. Mail (P.O. Box 121855, Nashville, TN 37212) and Sonicbids (www.sonicbids.com/chrisaustinsongwritingcontest). The deadline for submissions is February 19, 2013.

The first round of the CASC competition takes place in Nashville, Tenn., and is narrowed down to 12 finalists representing four categories: bluegrass, country, general and gospel/inspirational. Finalists are then invited to the final round of the competition, which takes place during MerleFest on the campus of Wilkes Community College.

Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest help support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception the scholarship has awarded over $36,000 to 75 deserving students.

To learn more details about the contest, visit www.merlefest.org/ChrisAustinSongwritingContest.

MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the late Eddy Merle Watson, son of American music legend Doc Watson who passed away May 29, 2012. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles. The festival hosts over 90 artists, performing on 14 stages during the course of the four-day event. The annual event has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.

About Chris Austin:
Chris Austin, from Boone, North Carolina, worked as a sideman for Ricky Skaggs for three years, singing and playing guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle. During that time he was discovered by executives at Warner Bros. Nashville, who offered him a recording contract. While releasing singles including “Blues Stay Away From Me,” “I Know There’s a Heart in There Somewhere” and “Out of Step,” Austin also developed his songwriting skills, as evidenced in “Same Ol’ Love,” recorded by Skaggs in 1991. On March 16, 1991, Austin’s life was cut tragically short when the private plane carrying him and six other members of Reba McEntire’s band, as well as her tour manager, crashed in the mountains near San Diego. Pete Fisher, then of Warnersongs and currently general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, and Kari Estrin, then MerleFest consultant and Pickin’ for Merle video associate producer, initiated the songwriting contest to honor Austin’s memory.

Monday, October 12, 2009

CD Reviews - Chris Smither, Caroline Herring, Hollis Brown, Ed Snodderly, Rome In A Day

We have a good selection of different styles of music for installment of CD reviews.

The first is Time Stands Still by bluesman Chris Smither and to be blunt, this is perhaps the blues CD of the year. It is that good. Smither is the blues equivalent to Guy Clark - from the songwriting, to the raspy voice, and the minimalist approach to playing: foot tapping and a guitar. The CD starts with the seducing "Don't Call Me Stranger" and continues with classic finger picking and a soul sound with "Time Stands Still". Most people just trying to survive in this economy can relate to "Surprise, Surprise" and as a relatively new parent "I Don't Know" speaks directly to me. "Call Yourself" contains the great line "I have a suspicion that the world is on a mission - to show me just how little I can do" and "Old Man Down" is a classic blues tune. The CD includes three covers: Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"; Mark Knopfler's "Madame Geneva's"; and "Miner's Blues" written by Frank Hutchison. The last may be my favorite track. Basically, Time Stands Still is outstanding - we recommend for anyone but particularly for any blues or Americana music enthusiast. In addition, Smither has scheduled an intensive a national tour in support of the album. Go see him live.

The next CD is from singer songwriter Caroline Herring - Golden Apples of the Sun. We had never heard Herring's previous work before receiving the CD, so a little research returned that many critics have compared Herring's voice to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, This being rather large shoes to fill, she nails it. Besides her voice, we primarily liked the minimalist production inherit to this compilation, just Herring's vocals and acoustic guitar. The CD starts with nice pickin' and songwriting in "Tales of the Islander". "A Turn Upon the Hill" shows why she is compared to Baez and Mitchell; but make sure you listen to the entire collection to hear other comparable songs via "Song of the Wandering Aengus" and "The Great Unknown". Most of the material are originals, however she includes a few covers. "True Colors" is easily the best of these - barely recognizable from Cindi Lauper's version. She converts this pop song to a true folk song - nicely done. Another interesting cover is the classic "Long Black Veil" - the first time I've heard performed by a female - which inverts the song's context - but she makes the song believable. On the other hand, "See See Rider" felt gimmicky and not believable. Despite our thoughts on this song, this CD was a real treat. We will be following Ms. Herring much closer.

Now for something completely different, we requested the self titled CD from Hollis Brown after missing one their shows due to a scheduling conflict. Over the past few months we have gradually heard more about this Queens based rock band and wanted to know what the "buzz" was all about. And after hearing the CD, its is evident that this truly is a rock band. The CD starts instantly with "Show Love" - a classic guitar hook that gets your head rockin'; but for a real jam continue to "Rock on Water". Get ready to dance to the line: "To walk on water you need to be ready to drown" - a poke at hypocritical politicians. These first two songs brought me back to a late 60's and 70's classic rock sound that I can't seem to find nowadays. The band turnd to a more bluesy sound for "Carolina, Carolina" - harp included - which is my favorite tune. They get Tom Petty-ish with "Completed Fool"; venture into country ballads with "No More Nights"; and get funky in "Bring It Down". And "Don't Wanna Miss You" reminds me of something special - just can't determine it now. That's the best part of this CD, no two songs are the same. Right now Hollis Brown is known primarily in the NYC area - that won't last long.

The only CD we purchased at the 2009 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion was from local artist Ed Snodderly, Brier Visions. To us, Snodderly reflected the musical heritage of the region and we knew we were in good company seeing TO listening near us. He had delayed his departure in order to watch Snodderly's set. Initially I purchased this CD in order to support a local artist, but also because it contained two songs we enjoyed during his performance: The title track and "Crying Boy". The first describes Appalachia as told in the tradition of AP carter. The second is similar to Smither's "I Don't Know" - this time as a parent trying to talk sense into a child. But the CD also contains other excellent songs we heard that day - "Basket of Singing Birds"; "Working in the New Mine"; "Farther Than Your Eyes Can See"; and "Dog Gone". The softer "Second Story" reminds me of the late John Hartford and is my favorite track. Throughout the CD I enjoyed the clever songwriting and Snodderly demonstrating his musical prowess by transitioning between the guitar, lap steel, and banjo. This collection is probably not for everyone - but anybody that loves roots, blues, bluegrass or traditional old time music - this CD is for you. Oh, and as an added incentive, Missy Raines plays bass on several songs.

The final review is from a CD we received during the Dewey Beach Music Conference 2009, "From Hereafter" by Washington D.C. based Rome In A Day. The sound produced by the band is "harder" than what we normally select, so we listened a couple times to this CD in order to give fair treatment. The good news is this is not simply noise - the sound that dominated during many sessions at the Dewey festival. Instead, the CD is laced with distinctive notes and harmonies; and actually, the songs with the most harmonies were our favorites. Lead guitarist Ali DiPippo compliments frontman James Stevens during these songs - particularly in "Into The Sun". These harmonies are by design, considering that Stevens performed in an a capella group while in college. However, the main focus of the band's music is "edgy" guitar work and this style is most evident in "The Siren" and "Breathing Now", and "Undone". Ironically, their most popular song, "Kiss, Disaster", was our least favorite - it actually seemed too predictable as compared to the other songs. Obviously, people can have completely different tastes. For those who crave this style of music - thinking directly of my college aged nephew - this CD is worth a look. For us, we're glad for a chance meeting with Stevens, otherwise we would have avoided this CD. We aren't total converts yet, but we my try to sneak out of the house Halloween will be setting our calendar to their show at Iota.