Linda Stout

I am not usually taken hostage by CDs, only sometimes. I have been listening a lot -- a lot -- to EastMountainSouth. The first song is a Stephen Foster song, Hard Times, the rest, fine originals, I think. (I have my grandmother's old yellowed Stephen Foster songbook. They are some very good songs, but I'd have to adjust some lyrics to perform them, used to do an up jazzy version of Oh Susanna.) EastMountainSouth is a duo (www.PeterBradleyAdams.com and Kat Maslich) with such a gorgeous vocal blend, the harmonies so beautiful, with a pop-folk feel, and the CD is produced the way I like them, great soulful, but economical (not overblown) vocals up front, great production, tasteful. I would call this Appalachian rock. I love it. I want to buy it for everyone I know. I'm not sure, but I can't tell if they're still together. It's the harmonies that get me. I can only find tour dates, however, for Peter Bradley Adams. Alas...I'd like to see them together, but he has a great voice, so I'll try to go see him. Ricky Lee Jones is coming to the Grassroots Festival near me. I got to play at that festival 2 years ago when a fiddler didn't want to do one of his sets. So I played solo for 90 minutes in the Cabaret while Rusted Root was on the outfield stage. Back to Ricky Lee Jones -- my experience is with Pop Pop, her spare, jazz CD, another I've listened to again and again. On the radio, I like World Cafe and E-Town. The quirky jazzy songwriter Nellie McKay is on as I write this. I know I am supposed to like her. I'm impressed and amused, but not sure I'm moved. She just said, "Oh, gosh, yeah..." with this weird old radio accent and sounds like the reincarnation of some old 50s star. Not impossible. That or too many old records or movies. This is a rerun of E-Town. I've heard it before. But good for her, a very young vegan and something of an '40s-type anachronism having fun with music. My music is a mix of vintage and new, too, so I can relate, but my music is not anything like hers, however jazzy. "Baby don't you hear me at all," she sings, and other lyrics have a punky political edge packaged in the irony of some late '40s sounding melody, and a ba-dump, bada bada bada, bump, bada bada rhythm. I am moved by Cliff Eberhardt's lyrics, melodies, singing and playing and have been listening to him. I understand the interest in standards he brings to his music. He does Bye Bye Blackbird. His songs, The Land of the Free (on Borders), and White Lightning (on The Long Road) I particularly like. Again, I think it's the harmonies on the recordings that pull me in. I like The Long Road, too, have played around with it on guitar. I recently had some fleeting interest in John Mayer, Daughters, have played sort of like that, so was interested. I don't like his bridge that doesn't seem to give boys room for vulnerability, but like the song, his playing and singing and the sad but all-too-common message. The singer's love interest can't connect because her father disappeared on her. A few years ago, I was listening a lot to Dido and Everything But the Girl. Pop music. I love the bass lines in Amplified Heart and bought a bass just to play those bass lines (I do not consider myself a bassist, just toy with it), particularly love the song, Get Me..."Do you get me,/Do you ever get me?" I don't actually even get all the lyrics, but I get the feeling. The female singer Tracey Thorn's voice just gets me. I should mention my cousin Ward Stout (plays on Blue Blue Water on my CD) put out his fine first CD in the last year. He released it after years of playing with bluegrass and country pop artists (Weary Heart, Tracy Lawrence in past, Aaron Tippin, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, others). His CD is bluegrass, some swing, varied and well-done, all instrumental except my uncle calling a square dance on one tune. My college roommate Sue Giles put out her first, too, an excellent jazz CD. So I've listened to them and felt proud of them. Sue is just such a great performer, lively, cute, fun, was scatting the menu at one of her last regular gigs. And I've listened again and again to Alison Krauss, what a sweet voice, nice mixes with her voice up front. She doesn't have a strong voice, but it's just so darn lovely, subdued and soulful. And again, nice harmonies. Bluegrass singers know that, even when they start doing pop.