Marty Stuart Nashville, Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down Sugar Hill
For a few years during the early nineties, Marty Stuart was a prominent fixture of New Country. By then a veteran of 20-plus years in the business- first as a bluegrass sideman with Lester Flatt and Curly Seckler, then as part of Johnny Cash’s band, and finally out on his own- Stuart was never blessed with more than a passable voice: calling it ‘thin’ may be giving it more credit than it deserves. Rather, his career has been forged from flair, personality, and a deep-rooted understanding of and respect for the traditions of country music.
Despite his success during the country video heyday, Stuart never had a number one song or album and had only a single top 5 song of his own (1991’s “Tempted”) although he went to number 2 the same year with Travis Tritt and “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’.” Still, he hit the top 10 a half-dozen times, filled medium-sized venues, was (and is) a festival favourite, and had a few gold albums. Interestingly, Stuart consistently charted better in Canada than he did south of the border.
As his black pompadour faded with gray, so did the Marty Party. While his albums and songs performed increasingly poorly on the charts, Stuart’s critical acclaim didn’t suffer and his last few releases, notably 2010’2 Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions, have been among the most favourably reviewed of his thirty-year recording career.
Stuart celebrates forty years in Nashville with Tear the Woodpile Down, an album that goes a long way to prove his slightly exaggerated assertion that “Today, the most outlaw thing you can possibly do in Nashville, Tennessee is play country music.” While the industry may have lost its way, with no fewer than seventeen albums under his bedazzled belt, Stuart knows well what it takes to create country music- strong, sometimes sentimental, material, inventive musicianship, a bit of trouble in mind and just a dab o’ polish.
Along with his Fabulous Superlatives and a few guests, Stuart has created another outstanding album. Over a chugging rockabilly beat, honky tonk chords are punctuated by weeping steel guitar. Tear the Woodpile Down is less ambitious than some of his other albums, but with ‘classic country’ sounds serving as its unifying theme the disc soars.
On the title track, Stuart captures the mood of much of his country when he sings, “Taxpayer dollar ain’t worth a dime, governments got us in a bind.” While the album isn’t politically motivated, Stuart- who wrote the majority of its songs- touches on events and moods that should resonate with country music’s base.
“Truck Driver Blues” is essentially “Hillbilly Rock” reset in an 18-wheeler, and on “Going, Going, Gone” Stuart gets in touch with his inner Merle (and George, Stonewall and Buck).
“Sundown in Nashville” captures the loneliness and heartbreak of those trying to make it in “a country boy’s Hollywood.” The guitars of Kenny Vaughn and Paul Martin ring throughout most of the album’s ten songs. Both “A Matter of Time” and “The Lonely Kind” are more subtle, countrypolitan performances that find Stuart and his band at their best.
Connections to legends are apparent. Porter and Dolly’s 1968 hit “Holding on to Nothing” gets a stylish rendering. Lorrie Carter Bennett sings with Stuart on “A Song of Sadness” and Hank III drops by to close things out acoustically on his grandfather’s “Picture From Life’s Other Side.”
Too brief at just over 30 minutes, Tear the Woodpile Down brings with it promise that Marty Stuart is going to continue to make the music he wants to create no matter how far it takes him from the charts.
Originally published in the Red Deer Advocate, May 04, 2012
Calgary Folk Music Festival announces final marquee artist Gillian Welch
The Calgary Folk Music Festival announces the final addition to an already buzzed-about line up. Gillian Welch will perform Saturday July 28, in the timeslot left vacant by Sinead O’Connor’s sudden cancellation of her North American tour. Gillian Welch, performing with long-time collaborator David Rawlings, is the epitome of folk-country simplicity. She exudes pure harmony, with a sound that seems coaxed from the dusty floorboards of a clapboard recording studio high in the Tennessee mountains. A true voice of the American south, Welch is an inspiration to other songwriters, and has had her songs recorded by artists including Allison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Blind Pilot, and Jimmy Buffet. Gillian joins an already stellar line up of artists including Chris Isaak, Randy Newman, Dan Mangan, Charles Bradley, Serena Ryder, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel), Iron & Wine and Beirut. A list of all 68 artists performing at the 33rd annual festival is available here: http://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/artists <http://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/artists> Tickets for the Calgary Folk Music Festival are selling at an unprecedented rate! Early Bird 4-day passes sold out in under a week, and regular priced 4-day passes and single-day tickets are selling faster than ever before. The festival is now more than 60% sold, weeks ahead of previous years, and the festival anticipates all tickets will be snapped up before the end of June. Tickets are available online at http://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/tickets <http://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/tickets> or by phone at 403-233-0904.
Maria Dunn, Shannon Johnson, and Sharmila Mathur- GWG: Piece by Piece Snell Gallery, Red Deer
Last night, Maria Dunn, accompanied by a pair of musical companions, delighted a small gathering in the basement of the Red Deer Public Library.
Dunn, well-regarded as a singer-songwriter, is always a delight to hear live. Searching back in the memory, I believe the last time I experienced a live Dunn performance may have been eight years ago when she was first showcasing her Troublemakers: Working Albertans feature although I would be surprised if there hasn’t been a festival set in the intervening years; eight years seems like a long time for me to have gone between Dunn performances.
Searching for ‘something’ to do this weekend, I stumbled across a mention of this performance on the CKUA events page. Being somewhat connected to the Red Deer roots music scene I was both delighted and disappointed to hear of this little concert: delighted because my wife and I were almost certain to enjoy an evening of song from one of Alberta’s most consistent folk performers, but also disappointed that such an event almost passed by without notice.
Dunn is currently touring the province as part of the Alberta Federation of Labour’s Project 2012, a celebration of the AFL’s 100th anniversary. She is performing the Troublemakers show and- in select locations- GWG: Piece by Piece. It was this latter multi-dimensional, multi-media show that was featured on Saturday in Red Deer.
I was a bit nervous suggesting to my wife that we take in a performance built around the experiences of female labours within Edmonton’s GWG factory from 1911 to 2004. Considering our collective knowledge of the Great Western Garment Company consisted of wearing GWG denim jackets throughout our childhood and a faint recollection of a GWG advertising campaign featuring Wayne Gretzky- and even that could be a mental creation- I wasn’t sure exactly what we were in for as we strolled into the Snell Gallery.
If nothing else, Maria Dunn has built a reputation I trust. Her 2004 album We Were Good People brought to life a history of western Canada of which I was mostly ignorant, and the images captured within Troublemakers added so much to her already fully-nuanced stories of Canadians creating everyday history. Given my many experiences with Dunn and her music, I was happily willing to take a chance.
We weren’t disappointed once the show (which started late due to a double-booking of the facility, not the fault of the performers- amplified by a rather extended introduction) began. Dunn was joined by long-time collaborator Shannon Johnson (fiddle and vocals) and Sharmila Mathur (sitar, percussion, and vocals). Dunn and Johnson served as their own opening act, performing three (too few) songs from Dunn’s considerable repertoire.
Staying true to the labour theme of the evening, Dunn opened with a fiery rendition of her telling of “The Lingan Strike,” giving voice to the Scottish miners who, having travelled from their homeland to Cape Breton only to find that they were to serve as scabs, refused to go underground. One of Dunn’s early numbers, “Shoes of a Man,” allowed her to share family history, while the tale of desperate train-bound job seekers “How Do You Do, 1935?” concluded the all to brief opening set.
As solid a little appetizer this trio of performances was- and it was a very nice introduction to Dunn and her craft- the real magic began when she introduced GWG: Piece by Piece. Running at about an hour, this collection of film, interviews, images, and song- all composed by Dunn- in collaboration with filmmaker Don Bouzek and Catherine Cole, a writer whose recent book GWG: Piece by Piece serves as an illustrated history of GWG- was simply breathtaking.
Dunn’s ability to connect the reminiscent memories and phrases of the interviewed women who worked in the factory into a cohesive narrative is nothing short of impressive. As she did within We Were Good People, Dunn has illuminated the continuing history of Alberta, informing us of a story we didn’t know to appreciate; doing so in such an incredible manner that only the hardest didn’t have tears of appreciation cresting by its conclusion is only one measure of the success of Dunn’s vision.
Dunn tied the hardships faced by the factory workers- often the family’s only breadwinner in hard times, as often an example of the sacrifice made by the newly arrived as they built a life in Canada- to the dignity they achieved for themselves in performing labour that many other Alberta workers would never have considered for themselves.
In sharing the stories and insights of these women- some of whom traveled from rural areas to find work in the city, others immigrants from Italy, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Vietnam, China, Pakistan, and elsewhere- Dunn has created a memorable and dynamic collection of songs that will undoubtedly extend her renown as Alberta’s finest folk singer and writer. These songs are to be released on an album that is anticipated next month, Piece by Piece: The Songs.
I especially appreciated the contributions of Sharmila Mathur. The sounds of her sitar further informed the performance, bridging the international roots of many of the interviewed workers with their experiences in the Edmonton factory. She also contributed a brief vocal interlude that was more than a little moving. Shannon Johnson’s fiddle playing was of course stellar, and it was nice to hear some ‘old world’ sounds sneak into a song that had a definite Italian flavour. Together, they added texture to the immigrant experience of the GWG factory.
Maria Dunn and friends next bring the GWG: Piece by Piece production to Hinton and Grande Prairie May 25 and 26. Troublemakers has additional performances in June and August. www.MariaDunn.com should have the details. Additional information at http://www.gzpedmonton.org/projects/view/gwg-piece-by-piece
As an aside, as we left the theatre with a warm glow, we decided to extend our evening of music and went crosstown to catch a few songs from Dave McCann at The Hideout. With his Firehearts, Dave was in loud form performing his identifiable blend of Americana infused rock ‘n roll. Noisy, but still quite enjoyable. We had to leave before the band returned from an extended break (are breaks getting longer, or is it just me? This one seemed to have been 45 minutes before we finally left) because we’re old.
My review of The Boxcars new album is up at http://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/cdreview.asp?xid=4885. Happy listening, and as always- thanks for visiting Fervor Coulee. Donald
For those locally looking for roots music this weekend and next:
Tonight- May 4-, The Hub on Ross hosts a performance from finger-picking guitarist and fly-fishing expert Jim McLennan along with his spouse Lynda.
J.P. Riemens and Dan Walsh make their annual appearance at the Jeans Joint for a house concert tomorrow evening. A festive celebration in recognition of Cinco de Mayo, tickets are available from Andy at 403.357.4728.
Next weekend, Sean Burns (Friday) and Dave McCann (Saturday) are at the Hideout.
As well, tickets for Steve Earle’s Memorial Centre appearance June 15 are going fast; appearing solo and acoustic, this concert is a fundraiser for the Central Music Festival.
Announced earlier today. Artists featured include Fervor Coulee favourites Sam Baker, BARK, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Charles Bradley, Chatham County Line, Carrie Elkin, Joy Kills Sorrow, Leeroy Stagger, Danny Schmidt, Jimmy Lavave, and the very intriguing Cold Specks.
Release posted below:
At the 33rd annual Calgary Folk Music Festival, July 26-29 on Prince’s Island Park revel in the sights and sounds of musical exploration and community as 68 artists from 12 countries perform on 7 stages. It’s the city’s annual journey into the roots and evolution of the music we like to call folk, with an edge.
2012 marquee artists include: Chris Isaak and Beirut (Thursday), Jeff Mangum, Serena Ryder and Dan Mangan (Friday), Mary Chapin Carpenter (Saturday) and Iron & Wine and Randy Newman (Sunday). Expect dozens of musical discoveries, including:
Artists with long roots and independent music histories John Doe and Jon Langford share stages with relative newcomers Little Scream, Rural Alberta Advantage and local artists Reuben and the Dark.
A wide range of Latin sounds brought by Marc Ribot and Los Postizos Cubanos, Mercedes Peon, Alejandra Robles and Locarno.
Get your funk on with Blitz the Ambassador, Melvin Gibbs’ Elevated Identity, and Shad.
Celebrate the roots of the blues with Betty LaVette, Charles Bradley, Cold Specks and Shakura S’Aida.
Explore traditions with Lisa Knapp, Pokey Lafarge, Abigail Washburn and Shooglenifty.
Visit our talk tent to hear comedians, artist interviews and take in the multi-media Woody Guthrie tribute, Walking Woody’s Road.
Mainstage concerts take place each evening and on the twilight stage Friday and Saturday nights. On Saturday and Sunday 10:30 am – 5:30 pm and Friday 3:00 – 6:00 pm musicians collaborate in exquisite songwriter-in-the-round mash-ups on 6 stages.
The 7th annual Folk Boot Camp at the National Music Centre (July 24-26) offers an unparalleled opportunity to hone their craft alongside festival artists including songwriting (Sam Baker, Mark Berube and Jon Langford), guitar (Luke Doucet and Donna Gantis) and vocals (Shakura S’Aida). On July 25, catch the film Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus with its narrator, Jim White in attendance.
A limited number early bird passes, plus single-day tickets go on sale April 26. Call 403-233-0904 or visit calgaryfolkfest.com/tickets. See the full line-up of 68 artists at calgaryfolkfest.com/artists.
Did a bit of Googling today and decided to provide the links in one easy-t0-locate place: not complete, by any means-
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival: the granddaddy of them all- not the oldest, but certainly the biggest- August 9-12 featuring http://www.edmontonfolkfest.org/performers-2; more to be announced.
The Calgary Folk Music Festival: maybe my favourite music festival- July 26-29 featuring http://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/artists/
The Canmore Folk Music Festival: if you don’t count the cost of accommodations, the best deal of the bunch- August 4-6 featuring http://www.canmorefolkfestival.com/Festival-Lineup.html
Carstairs’ Mountain View Music Fest is going in a different direction, spreading their events over the course of the year: info at http://mvmf.ca/about-2/
Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Festival at Stony Plain- August 3-5: once upon a time, I considered Blueberry to be a fixture of my year. I’ve only attended a couple or three times in the past decade- for lots of reasons, some to due with my disinterest in much of mainstream bluegrass as well as just being dang busy- but the show is usually pretty good. This year’s lineup doesn’t have a ‘homerun’ artist perhaps- Rhonda’s music and act has gotten a bit stale, but some of the acts including Blue Highway and the Gibson Brothers are among the best in the business. Michael Martin Murphey- if he doesn’t try to pretend to be bluegrass- may be worth catching. http://www.blueberrybluegrass.com/
Central Music Festival in Red Deer, August 17-19. The little festival that just won’t quit, bless ‘em. With a focus on Alberta and regional acts, the fest doesn’t draw the big names but is trying to slowly grow. http://www.centralmusicfest.com/ They also have a fundraising concert with Steve Earle June 15.
South Country Fair, July 20-22. No info yet: http://www.scfair.ab.ca/
North Country Fair, June 22-24 http://www.lslncca.ca/current/Lineup.php
Received this note in my inbox today:
Live in Toronto : Free 24 Song Download Available Now! On Saturday, March 10, Steve played two sets at Hugh’s Room in Toronto , ON. Over the next eight days we will be making 24 recordings from this performance available as free downloads exclusively from
SteveForbert.com.
If you’ve been around a while you know the drill: Three new tracks will be added each day and only be available on SteveForbert.com for 24 hours before being removed to make room for the next recordings in the series. You can visit SteveForbert.com today to grab the first three recordings from the first set: “Thinkin’”, “Come With Me”, and “Hang On Again Till the Sun Shines (nyc)”. We’ll add tracks 4, 5, and 6 to the site on Sunday, April 22.
So grab the files while you can and enjoy the “show”!
There you go- free music on Record Store Day, a day which I can’t get excited about- living 150 km from the nearest record store will do that to you, I suppose.
Marty Stuart Nashville, Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down Sugar Hill
Donald Teplyske
