By Brent Thompson

Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer Dion has taken a career path similar to fellow stalwart Boz Scaggs by going to back to his love of the blues and no longer chasing radio hits. Dion’s latest, Blues With Friends [KTBA Records], could also be titled Blues With Legends given its stellar lineup of guest artists. Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison and Brian Setzer are but a few friends that stop in along the album’s 14 tracks. Shunning tired cover versions in lieu of original material, Blues With Friends only includes songs written or co-written by Dion. The material touches on several styles that meld together in a cohesive manner. As Dion himself says, “Great songs, great guitarists. What more do you need?”

By Brent Thompson

At this stage of his life, Jimmy Buffett doesn’t need to release new music in order to annually sell-out amphitheaters all over the country. But pop music’s most laid-back figure – who probably works much harder than any of us suspect – has consistently given us new songs throughout his career. His latest and 30th studio effort, Life On The Flip Side [Mailboat Records], is a 14-track collection that finds 11 of the songs written or co-written by Buffett. Equal parts tongue-in-cheek (“Cussin’ Island”), philosophical (“Oceans Of Time”), gritty (“The Devil I Know”) and self-congratulatory (“Mailbox Money”), Life On The Flip Side is another welcome entry into the singer’s Country-meets-Caribbean catalog. Along the way, Buffett is supported by guests including Lukas Nelson, Paul Brady, collaborator/fellow Alabama native Will Kimbrough and his ever-loyal Coral Reefer Band. If Buffett’s sound isn’t your thing, this album likely won’t convert you. But if his music is the soundtrack to your endless summer, Life On The Flip Side is a worthy addition to the fold.

By Brent Thompson

With an honest storytelling approach, searing guitar lines and crack backing band The 400 Unit, Jason Isbell has released a string of albums that have garnered deservedly positive reviews. And while the four-time Grammy winner could have released another collection of country-tinged, sobriety-centered tunes to the delight of critics and fans alike, Isbell instead takes a departure on his latest release, Reunions [Southeastern Records]. While keeping his partnership with producer Dave Cobb, Isbell opts for a more “produced” approach over the album’s 10 tracks. Politics (“Be Afraid”), Classic Rock (“Overseas”) and nostalgia (“Dreamsicle,” “Only Children”) are all sonically wrapped in a layered sound that can’t be heard on previous releases such as Southeastern and The Nashville Sound. Even rock icon David Crosby joins the fold, adding background vocals on opening track “What’ve I Done To Help.” A recent, must-read interview that Isbell gave The New York Times (written by David Peisner) offers insight to the personal and professional matters that plagued him during the album’s creation. Like Reunions itself, the article is a sobering reminder that Isbell – while seemingly sitting on top of the world – still faces the same doubts, fears and pressures as those listening to his songs.

Note: On Friday, May 15, Isbell and wife/collaborator Amanda Shires will celebrate the release of Reunions with a livestream acoustic performance on Fans.com. Showtime is 7 p.m. Central.

 

By Brent Thompson

Like most everyone else, Jack Sledge has seen his spring plans derailed. A slate of tour dates booked across the South – including a stop in Birmingham – must now be rescheduled. But while we won’t see the New Orleans-based Sledge live in the near future, we are fortunate to have his new EP, Notes of a Drifter, available to us. Offering a timeless musical sound that has drawn comparisons to Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and The Band, the singer/songwriter’s style rings fresh and familiar at the same time. Recently, Sledge spoke with us by phone from his New Orleans home.

Birmingham Stages: Jack, thanks for your time. How are you holding up during this unbelievable situation?

Jack Sledge: It’s pretty crazy. I’m a teacher and I send the kids emails – I’ve still got a job thank God. I teach music at a small school – I’m just sitting by the computer and sending videos.

Birmingham Stages: We are enjoying Notes of a Drifter. Are the songs on the EP older compositions, newer ones or a combination of both?

Sledge: Usually, there’s about a year lag on songs. Typically, I’ll have songs ready about a year before they’re released just because the recording takes a while. Drifter is probably from 2016.

Birmingham Stages: This is the second time you have lived in New Orleans. If you will, talk about your decision to return to the gulf coast.

Sledge: As a musician, there’s a lot more work not only in New Orleans but in the South. Believe it or not, you get paid better as a musician down here. There are more bars that have live music down here for some reason. That was part of it. Also, going to college down here, I have a lot of friends that play different instruments. I just have a network down here that I didn’t have in New York even though I’m from New York.

Birmingham Stages: I know that every region of the country has musical history, but there is something special about living in the South. The fact that New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Muscle Shoals and the Mississippi Delta are all within a few hours of each other is something that you can’t take for granted.

Sledge: Oh, yeah. My favorite music comes from here and I’ve always been drawn to it because of that. As a kid, my parents were obsessed with Elvis and we went to Tupelo and to Graceland – we did the whole Elvis pilgrimage in that area. So I was always drawn to it as a child.

Birmingham Stages: There will be a full-length album coming out later this year, correct?

Sledge: Yeah, it’s finished and the COVID-19 changed a lot of plans so we’ll see. I’ll probably put it out sooner because touring is going to be put on hold for a while.

Birmingham Stages: How do you feel about the state of music in the age of iTunes, Youtube, satellite radio and Spotify? Some artists tell me that it’s a great time given the ease of reaching listeners. Other artists say that the current model makes it difficult to be found among the crowd.

Sledge: I’m on both sides. Anybody can hear your music and connect with you and I think that’s great. But at the same time, it clutters the playing field. I guess I fall on the side of the gatekeeper argument – that there should be someone [to vet artists].

Birmingham Stages: How would you describe your writing process? Do you set aside certain times to write or wait until inspiration strikes?

Sledge: I guess I’m a little bit of both. Right now I’m writing every day because I’m working less. I try to be more disciplined about it than I used to. I used to do it when inspiration would strike, but in the last couple of years I’ve been more into drafting. I’ll write five drafts of the same song and work with it and not pressure myself into having this lightning-strike of inspiration.

Jack Sledge’s Notes of a Drifter is available at www.jacksledgemusic.com and across all digital formats. We will update readers when the rescheduled Birmingham show date is announced. 

By Brent Thompson

When a 13-time Grammy winner produces an artist’s debut album, you take notice. Such is the case for Logan Ledger – a Nashville-by-way-of California singer/songwriter – in pairing with T-Bone Burnett on his eponymously-titled debut release [Electro Magnetic/Rounder Records]. Performing his self-described “Country Noir,” Ledger offers up traditional country music with darkened tinges. Burnett’s production style is the proper fit for Ledger’s vision as highlighted on the album’s first two singles, “Starlight” and “Imagining Raindrops.” Across the album’s 11 tracks, Ledger is aided by a cast of musicians that have backed Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. On his debut, Logan accomplishes the difficult task of sounding reverent and relevant at the same time.

By Brent Thompson 

 

Though he has traveled the globe with the likes of Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders, we still consider Damon Johnson to be one of Birmingham’s own. The Alabama native – and current Nashville resident – first put his name in the national spotlight as Brother Cane’s frontman. Since then, he has been active as a sideman, songwriter and solo artist among numerous other projects. On Friday, March 13, the vocalist/guitarist will return to WorkPlay. Currently, Johnson is touring in support of his 2019 release Memoirs of an Uprising [Double Dragon Records]. The Ladies Of… (featuring James Hall) will open the 8 p.m. show. Advance show tickets are $20 – Meet & Greet/VIP tickets are $50 – and may be purchased at www.workplay.com.

By Brent Thompson

Five full-length albums into his recording career, John Moreland remains a consummate “songwriter’s songwriter,” possessing the ability to craft indelible lyrics in plainspoken fashion. His latest release, LP5 [Thirty Tigers/Old Omens], is an 11-track collection that finds Moreland enlisting the help of an outside producer (Matt Pence) for the first time. Pence’s previous credits include projects with Jason Isbell, Nikki Lane and Paul Cauthen. Later this month, Moreland embarks on a nationwide tour in support of LP5. On Tuesday, March 17, he will perform at Saturn. Recently, Moreland spoke with us by phone from his Tulsa, Okla. home.

Birmingham Stages: John, thanks for your time. If you will, tell us about the creation of LP5.

John Moreland: Most of [the songs] were pretty new when we started recording. “When My Fever Breaks” and I think maybe one or two others were older – or had parts from older songs that I kind of reworked – but I’d say 70% or so of the album was written in the last few months prior to recording it.

Birmingham Stages: Do songs still evolve even after you take them into the studio?

Moreland: It depends. On this album, we were recording at a really nice studio down in Denton, Texas working with a really good producer named Matt Pence. As far as how we are going to do everything, I don’t know and I want to leave that open. But as far as lyrics and the chord progressions and the structure of the songs, that stuff is pretty much done by the time I go in there.

Birmingham Stages: For the first time in your recording career, you brought in an outside producer for this album. How did you choose to work with Matt?

Moreland: I was just a really big fan of his and of his old band, Centro-Matic, and I really liked his drumming and the records that he had engineered – they always sounded really great. We didn’t know each other before we worked together. I knew we had mutual friends and I just thought that, musically, it would be a really good fit. When we got down there, it all kind of clicked and fell into place and he ended up producing the album.

Birmingham Stages: With several albums now in your catalog, how are you constructing your set lists for the current tour?

Moreland: That’s what we’re doing right now. We are having rehearsals and figuring out what we’re going to play and how we are going to play the new songs. Most of the time we can only play 20 of my songs, so it’s just picking out which 20 of those are going to be for this tour. I see bands and people request songs from 10 years ago and they’ll just bust it out and play the song, but I get wigged out if I don’t know exactly what’s going on in the set [laughs]. I like to feel like I have it planned out and know what’s going to happen.

Birmingham Stages: How does your writing process work? Do you typically write at home, on the road or wherever inspiration strikes?

Moreland: I definitely write a lot more at home. I don’t think I really write at all on the road, other than I’ll maybe think of a line or two and write it down. But as far as sitting down, working on music and putting it all together, I always do that at home. I used to be the kind of songwriter that didn’t really make myself do it that much – I just did it when I felt like it, but back then I felt like it all the time. Nowadays, it’s a little more like work. I have to show up for work every day, but it’s work that I really love. When I start making myself do it on a regular basis, inspiration starts to come a lot more frequently so it kind of fuels itself.

Birmingham Stages: When you are writing, do you typically start with a lyrical or musical idea first?

Moreland: There really isn’t a pattern – it can be anything. I never really sit down and write a whole song’s worth of lyrics without any music – I don’t really do that. Sometimes two or four lines come first and that starts the music from there and I’ll build from those lyrics. Sometimes I’ll have a whole musical composition with no lyrics and I’ll just write words to it.

Birmingham Stages: You are still based in your hometown of Tulsa. It seems that a lot of artists I interview have chosen – like you – to stay home in lieu of relocating to music industry hubs such as Nashville or Austin.

Moreland: It’s where I’m from and it’s where I can afford to live. It’s nice to come home from a tour and be in a place that really has nothing to do with the music industry at all. If I had to come home from tour and be in Nashville, I don’t think that would be good for me.

Birmingham Stages: Some artists applaud the musical climate in the era of iTunes, Youtube, satellite radio and other outlets that provide instant and worldwide access to listeners. Others say the current model makes it difficult for artists to be heard among the crowd. How do you feel about the current climate?

Moreland: I think it’s both and I’ve definitely felt both ways. Now that things are working out well for me, it’s a lot easier to say, “What a great time – anybody can take their phone out of their pocket and hear my music.” But when I was struggling to get noticed, it felt like, “There are just so many people out there. It does feel hard to get noticed.” But I think if you write songs that people are going to notice, then they’re going to notice it. You just have to make the best music you can and you can’t control anything else.

John Moreland will perform at Saturn on Tuesday, March 17. Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster will open the 8 p.m. show. Advance tickets to the 18+ show are $20 and can be purchased at www.saturnbirmingham.com. 

By Brent Thompson

Since 1972, George Winston’s music has provided musical solace to generations of listeners. Along the way, the Grammy-winning artist has sold 15 million albums. Though adept on guitar and harmonica, Winston is best known for landmark solo piano recordings including Autumn (1980), December (1982) and Summer (1991). His latest release, 2019’s Restless Wind [RCA/Dancing Cat Records], is an 11-track collection that blends original material with interpretations of songs by The Doors, Sam Cooke and Buffalo Springfield among others. On Wednesday, March 4, Winston will perform at The Lyric Theatre. Recently, he spoke with us by phone while en route to a performance in Austin, Texas.

Birmingham Stages: George, thanks for your time. Is it hard to believe that your recording career is closing in on 50 years.

George Winston: The albums just kind of happen from time to time. I notice that there are some songs coalescing together and feel like a certain theme. I wait for it and it gets completed when other songs emerge. I don’t push it – I just kind of observe it all.

Birmingham Stages: Restless Wind includes your interpretations of songs from a variety of artists including Gershwin, Buffalo Springfield, Sam Cooke and The Doors. How did you go about specifically selecting the material?

Winston: They just kind of seemed to work together. You go by feel and take a lot of time to do it, as much time as needed. If you rush it, it’s a recipe for “Why did I do it?” [laughs]

Birmingham Stages: When interpreting, is there a challenge to retaining the integrity of the song while placing your own stamp on the material?

Winston: There are basically three elements when you’re interpreting: The original song or wherever I heard it from, the instrument – be it guitar, piano or solo harmonica. Sometimes all the notes are there, but it sounds like a clever transcription – it doesn’t breathe or anything. The third element is what I want to do. When you’re interpreting, you become the composer. If you’re playing it, in a way it’s your song. You’re the one that has final say on everything. It’s those three things that go into it.

Birmingham Stages: With a large catalog of songs under your belt, how do you select material for your live performances these days?

Winston: I’ve got two shows – the summer show and the winter show. I just go by what I’m currently playing. Most of the songs I record are just for the record – I don’t play them live. Well, maybe 25 percent.

Birmingham Stages: You have witnessed a lot of changes in the music industry over the course of your career. How do you feel about the current climate in the era of iTunes, Youtube, streaming and satellite radio?

Winston: I never really think about the climate – I just think about the playing because things change all the time. Everything’s got advantages and disadvantages. If [I was] looking f0r a song, sometimes it used to take months. I sent letters to used record stores and now it takes 15 seconds. So, if I was going to play “Georgia On My Mind,” I can find 15 versions of it. So, it’s great to be able to get to those and study them. The music business has been fighting ever since it’s been in existence. Music and money were never meant to be married to each other – it’s not how music came out of the ground. It is what it is, but the bottom line is I always think about the music. I’m lucky because I don’t have big expenses – it’s just me and there’s no band and no crew so I’m lucky that way. I didn’t do that for economic reasons – it’s just what I do.

Birmingham Stages: How would you describe your writing process?

Winston: It’s a lot of trial and error. Something emerges and I’ll keep it around. I couldn’t try to compose something – it wouldn’t work. I have done soundtracks when I really liked the projects, but I already had all of the pieces. If I don’t already have the music, I refer people to folks who do that really well.

Birmingham Stages: It seems you have carved out a career on your own terms and that’s rare.

Winston: I always take a travel day between shows. I’ll make half the money and not hate my life. There’s nothing like wondering if you’re going to make the show or not. I don’t want to wonder if I’m going to make the show. I’ll do two in a row if they’re in the same town. Burning out is a long-term process. There are all these little things you can do to not burn out.

George Winston will perform at The Lyric Theatre on Wednesday, March 4. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show are $38 – $42 and can be purchased at www.lyricbham.com. Please bring a canned food donation to benefit Community Food Bank of Central Alabama – collection baskets will be placed at the theatre’s entrance.

 

 

By Brent Thompson

Though undeniable, Tommy Emmanuel’s guitar virtuosity isn’t the emphasis of his recordings and performances. Instead, he places songs and arrangements over his well-documented, dizzying fretboard skills. The 64-year-old Australian who became enamored with Chet Atkins during childhood – Emmanuel eventually befriended and collaborated with his musical hero on several occasions – has released more than 20 albums while garnering several Australian music honors and two Grammy nominations. His latest release, 2019’s Heart Songs [CGP Sounds/Cooking Vinyl Records], is a collaboration with guitarist and fellow Atkins enthusiast John Knowles. Over the disc’s 14 tracks, the duo offers fresh interpretations of modern standards including “How Deep Is Your Love” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me” alongside well-worn material by Hank Williams and Nat King Cole. On Saturday, March 7, Emmanuel will return to Birmingham for a performance at The Lyric Theatre. Recently, Emmanuel spoke with us by phone from Newark, N.J. while en route to Key West, Fla. for two performances.

Birmingham Stages: Tommy, thanks for your time. We are enjoying your collaboration with John Knowles, Heart Songs. How did you and John go about culling material for the album?

Tommy Emmanuel: Well, those arrangements didn’t just happen overnight – they evolved over years of getting together. John Knowles and I have known each other a long time and we were introduced by our hero, Chet Atkins. We just started working on songs each time I’d come back from being on tour. We’d get together and catch up and have coffee and we’d get our guitars out. Sometimes we’d sit in Starbucks and play and that was fun. The arrangements of these songs came together after playing them for a period of time and looking for new things all the time – we just enjoyed that process so much. Some of these songs – like “Cold, Cold Heart” and “How Deep Is Your Love” – they’ve been a big part of our lives for as long as we both can remember. Being the arrangers that we love to be, it’s a joy to have a melody that’s that good to work with.

Birmingham Stages: When you’re interpreting songs by other artists, is there a challenge in placing your own stamp on the material while retaining its original integrity?

Emmanuel: Well, exactly. It depends on the song. With songs like “How Deep Is Your Love” and “Somewhere” from West Side Story, basically I’m the singer and John is the orchestra and we kind of refer to it that way. We try to find ways of incorporating harmonies together and that’s the key part of being the arranger – making it seamless and it takes time to find and work out.

Birmingham Stages: I just wish I had been at the coffee shop when those sessions were taking place!

Emmanuel: [Laughs] There’s a coffee shop in Nashville called Sam & Zoe’s and they have a veranda area. We used to sit out there for hours on end playing and – as people are in Nashville – they’ve seen everything and didn’t take any notice.

Birmingham Stages: You lived in Nashville for many years. What prompted your relocation to San Jose, California?

Emmanuel: My wife got a job with Apple so she and our daughter, Rachel, and my mother in-law moved while I was away on tour. So when I came home to Nashville, I came home to an empty house [laughs]. We kind of knew it was coming and I had to find a way of getting everything done and selling the house on my own while the girls were all set up in California.

Birmingham Stages: How do songs stay fresh and relevant to you after you have performed them countless times?

Emmanuel: A good song is a good song and the arrangements of certain songs – like my Beatles songs or “Classical Gas” – those arrangements get changed all the time. I know that people love them and when I go into them people really light up. It’s really about that. It never gets old to me – it doesn’t matter how mama times I play it. Sometimes I do stuff with it that I never do on another night. I’m very much in the moment.

Birmingham Stages: Are you a gearhead? Do you frequent guitar stores when you’re on tour?

Emmanuel: I’ve never been a big gearhead. I have a few pedals, but they’re at home. The only gear I use onstage now is a tuner [laughs]. Other than that, I carry a preamp and an amplifier and really that’s it. I’m just looking for one good sound and that’s all I’m looking for. But when you tour as much as I do, I’ve got it down to a science. It’s three guitars, one guitar stand, the amp, the preamp and the tuner – that’s it. My biggest strength is my soundman and we know how to get a sound together. So I don’t rely on technology – I rely on him and the quality of my songs and that’s about it.

Birmingham Stages: You’ve been releasing albums for more than 30 years and the music industry has undergone many changes during that time. How would you sum up your career approach?

Emmanuel: Everything has to come from me. It has to be about the quality and integrity of what I do. It doesn’t matter how many times you hear it, if it’s good it’s good. I’m always trying to learn ways of being smarter about what I do, so it’s really about finding the right people. Too many guitar players are into themselves and they forget they’ve got to create a demand. How do you do that? You have to have something where people will want to rush out and buy a ticket and see. You learn how to do it from people that have already done it really well. It’s supply and demand – that’s the bottom line. I do it for all the right reasons because I love it. Something happens when I play the guitar and that’s good enough for me.

Code-R Productions presents: Tommy Emmanuel at The Lyric Theatre on Saturday, March 7. Tickets to the 8 p.m. show are $50.50 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.