Prolific singer-songwriter, Jesse Colin Young, and his contributions to music are forever woven into the fabric of the American Dream, where the fundamental elements of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are rooted in song gifts bestowed by him to all of us.
Many, like award-winning author, J.R. Potter, take on more artistic hobbies or career ambitions, as it’s their nature to create art, sometimes seemingly from whole cloth. Jamie and his life and musical duet partner in the Crooked Angels, Amy, are well-known in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC area for their well-crafted songs and other well-chosen music of others that prompt audience’s to hum along and smile.
Early on Vashti Bunyan was introduced to Rolling Stones manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, who recognized her musical talents, and who worked to help her make her first single, “Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind” (Jagger-Richards), with the B-Side a song penned by her, “I Want To Be Alone.” She would later record her hauntingly beautiful “Train Song.” (Columbia – 1966).
Guitarist Clay Melton’s roots lie in the worked lands of Louisiana and Texas where traditional and rock blues grew with the making of the old Chitlin’ Circuit with the likes of BB King, Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, as well as newcomers, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan
A stampede of both music legends and one hit wonders have risen from Austin’s music clubs and corner bars to reach national fame and stardom. This long list of pickers, singers and others includes Janis Joplin, the 13th Floor Elevators, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Fred and His Playboy Band, as well as Texas blues brothers Edgar and Johnny Winter, just to name a few.
Laura Lee is on her own inimitable journey, that demands financial assets in hand to get to the first big milestone, their debut album. Laura Lee is now working on her third album. Enter crowd sourcing platforms where friends, family and fans support songwriters’ dreams by donating bucks to help those talented folks realize their dreams.
Rocker, singer-songwriter, award winning author, music workshop leader and more, Debra Devi, hits all cylinders with her hi-test drive that’s made her talents highly sought after for on-stage performances and presentations. And her ASCAP award winning book, The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu (foreword by Dr. John) is an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award winner, that has grabbed the attention and accolades of some of the best blues masters of our day.
Today, Steve Earle has earned his own icon status, not only by writing his own songs and performing to thousands, but by deep digging into the entangled roots of more contemporary music, studying the wherefore and why of musical traditions of songs and styles beyond American shores. Like the generation before him, his own journey is part of both a land mass of musical traditions, and a migration of his own songs for future generations.
You’ve got to hand it to Ben Brookes Belcher, the man works hard rolling out some of the coolest country songs we’ve heard in a long time. Belcher nails down some fancy guitar licks while singing a mix of gritty hard tack down home spins to some of the sweetest heart wrenching ballads.
As a follow-up to our Tal Nacarrato interview, here’s PART 2! We found Tal’s insights into performing, practicing, lessons learned to keep focused very helpful and one of our interviews that’s helpful to return to periodically to remind us of how to raise our games as musicians and on-stage performers.
Classically trained, Naccarato clearly knows his way around the fretboard as illustrated on his new album, Ten and Two Blues, to be released on April 27th 2022, as well as on his last three albums, Hot House Flowers, Piedmont Black & Blue, and Dreamflower Sessions…
