AmericanaFest: An Unforgettable Night at the Hutton with T Bone Burnett and Jobi Riccio

Thursday Evening: T Bone Burnett and Jobi Riccio at Analog Hutton

By MCAU Correspondent Wil Comstock

When T Bone finished his latest album “On The Other Side,” he invited AMA executive director Jed Hilly to come over for a listen. Jed was so impressed he asked Burnett to play the whole album through at Americanafest. 

T Bone began by having us turn off our phones. He wanted to take us back to another time.  Introducing guitarist and co-producer Colin Linden, he began with the album’s first song, “He Came Down.”  A song about a hero who just could be the Messiah. He brought up bass player extraordinaire Dennis Crouch before launching into the Everly Brothers-sounding “(I'm Gonna Get Over This) Some Day .“  

Mandolin and violin player David Mansfield was the last musician on stage. The two have known each other for more than 50 years, playing together in Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue.  Burnett said when his friend Bobby Neuwirth died a couple of years ago, he was inspired to write a bridge for one of the songs Bobby had written. He felt Bobby was in the room with him.  The result was the island ballad “Hawaiian Blue Song.” 

Each morning Burnett walks to the end of his property in West Nashville and watches the sun rise. He said that at first, it’s purple and then turns orange and yellow.  “First Light of Day” was written for his wife, Callie, the light of his life. 

He told of meeting Olivia Harrison and mentioning he would like to write a song in the style of her husband George Harrison. Olivia said he should include the words “little darling” in the lyrics.  T Bone did just that on the album’s closer, “Little Darling.”  

For this collection, Burnett said he switched from writing in his head to his heart.  The album seems to be about a couple’s journey to “The Other Side.”

Jed Hilly took the stage to say, ” I know a lot of you go from venue to venue at AmericanaFest, but the place to be is right here. There is a buzz all over about our next artist, Jobi Riccio.

Riccio began with the lovely “Summer” as she fingerpicked and drew us in with her mellow voice.  Highlights of mine were “Whiplash,” the title cut from last year’s album. A song about moving through your late teens into adulthood as a queer person. And “For Me It’s You,” a familiar riff with Jobi’s signature poetry on this unrequited love song. Riccio hails from Colorado and makes Nashville home now. She takes the pain we all face in life, wears it on her sleeve, and finds her own way of expressing it.  She’s my new favorite!

 

AmericanaFest 2023: An Enjoyable Evening of Bluegrass and More at the Hutton

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

AmericanaFest 2023: 

Evening Show on Sept. 21

Analog at The Hutton Hotel 

     The founding members of Steep Canyon Rangers met at UNC Chapel Hill.  They played for fun never intending to become a professional bluegrass band.  Once college ended, they didn’t have any individual game plans, so they moved in together, wrote songs, and kept on practicing and gigging.  This eventually led to a four-album deal with Rebel Records in 2004.  

     With each album release their popularity grew.  In 2008 long time supporter and friend Ann Stringfield invited them to a dinner party.  They brought their instruments and ended up playing in the backyard with Ann’s future husband, Steve Martin.  The Rangers toured as Martin’s backup band in 2009 supporting his album “The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo.”  In 2011, they collaborated with Martin on their joint CD“Rare Bird Alert,” which also featured Paul McCartney.  The CD debuted at number one on the bluegrass chart and secured their place in Bluegrass history.

     Thursday evening’s show consisted mostly of songs from their early September release “Morning Shift.”  They dived off with “Jump in the Deep End” and immediately had the audience tapping their feet and nodding their heads.  They traded off on lead vocals within the same song reminding me of the early Beatles. Their musicianship is impeccable, and their harmonies soul satisfying. I especially liked “Second in Line,” “Harvest Queen,” and the hymnlike “Above my Burdens.”

 

     Phillip Bowen first came to fame on America’s Got Talent, where he surprised the judges and audience with his deft skills on the violin.   Bowen chose not to use the violin on his set at the Analog, possibly because he was sandwiched between two bluegrass acts with fiddles.  I wish he had. His playing is exciting and anything but bluegrass, but it would have been a welcome break between his self-penned songs on guitar and vocals.  Phillip lost the audience by the fourth song.  Some were looking at their cell phones while others were gathering at the bar.  This West Virginia native would benefit from co-writing here in Nashville.  Most of his songs just didn’t cut it for this discerning crowd.

     Grammy Award winning fiddler Michael Cleveland had us in the palm of his hand after the first few bars of “Orange Blossom Special.”  He and his band The Flamekeepers kept us entertained with the upbeat “Sunny Days” and the high lonesome sound of “The Blues Are Close at Hand.” Maybe I’m not too observant, but in researching Cleveland, I read that he was blind at birth and as a child lost 80% of his hearing in one ear from an infection.  I was so caught up in the music, I did not notice his disability. I’m thinking this is as it should be.  Thank you, Michael!

     Dan Tyminski is a seasoned professional. He is part of Alison Krauss’ band Union Station, as well as an artist in his own right. He didn’t bring a band, but he didn’t need to… just Dan and his acoustic singing from the depths of his soul and alternately making us laugh.  He kicked off with “Huckleberry,” drawing us in with each line.  He joked that he used to save his next song for last.  But most people left after the first couple of songs and were disappointed that he never did his most popular number. 

     After his stirring rendition of “Man of Constant Sorrow,” Tyminski shared a funny story. When he told his wife he was going to do a voiceover for the film “Brother Where Art Thou,” she asked him what a “voiceover” was.  When he told her she would see George Clooney while hearing her singer husband’s voice, her response was, “That’s my fantasy!” 

     Tyminski said he had a hard time after Tony Rice died in 2020. He and friend Josh Williams were mourning Rice when they came up with “One More Time Before You Go” in tribute to Tony.  He closed his set with the title cut from his new album, “God Fearing Heathen.” A well written, honest look at his life and hope for the future.  I left the Analog feeling like I had just consumed a delectable meal!

 

Text by Wil Comstock.

Photos by Chuck Whiting

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Indigo Girls, Compass Records, and Awards Show Highlight Day Two of Americana Fest

Chuck’s Diary: Day Two of Americana Fest 2022

Instagram and Facebook: @Chuck.Whiting and @MusicCityArts 

 “We don’t write songs together… We arrange together.” Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. (A fascinating interview with one of America’s legendary pop duos… hotdogs and ice cream on Nashville’s Music Row… live musical performances and parties at the Hutton and City Winery. Wednesday was a full day of activities at the Americana Music Fest. The Indigo Girls told their life/career stories during a special morning panel discussion at the Westin. They were later honored as recipients of the AMA’s 2022 Free Speech Award. Around noonish, we took in a series of performances at Compass Records, including the wonderful Chastity Brown and the duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley (the best musicianship I’ve heard in a good while). Compass always serves up complimentary hotdogs, chips and beer. Later, we took in a series of Texas-style showcases at the Hutton hosted by State Fair Records. We were especially impressed with Nathan Mongol Wells, whose songs were brought to vivid life by tight players. We arrived at City Winery just in time for the 10th Anniversary Happy Hour and a performance by the vibrant Kyshona. We missed the toast, but still enjoyed a glass of champagne with a delicious piece of chocolate cake. This year, we decided to stay at City Winery for the Official Viewing Party of the 21st Annual Americana Honors and Awards. I’m so glad we did. I always see someone I know. This time it was Lisa Aschmann (who seems to be at several events at once). She introduced us to two fellow singer-songwriters, whom we ended up spending the evening with. Speaking of the awards show, one can’t go wrong watching performances and banter by the likes of the Fairfield Four, Brandi Carlile, Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, Allison Russell, the Indigo Girls, War and Treaty, the McCrary Sisters, and more. Robert Plant made a special appearance to honor fellow musician and friend Buddy Miller. The show was emotional at times, with the honorees giving heartfelt acceptance speeches. Americana Fest is just getting started… More music tonight!) #ChuckWhiting #ChucksDiary #IndigoGirls #AmericanaFest #Americana #AmericanaMusicFest #Music #Art #Arts #Nashville #MusicCityArts 9-15-22