Thursday, December 13, 2001

2001 a banner year for Americana, tributes

Certainly one of the most amazing developments of the year in the music world was the phenomenal darkhorse success of the soundtrack to the terrific Coen brothers film, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?." Although thoroughly snubbed by mainstream "country" radio, this luminous, T-Bone Burnett-produced collection of hard-core country, hillbilly, gospel and chain-gang hollers has sold more than three million copies (and counting), dominated the country charts, earned a Grammy, goosed sales of the video, led to a "live" performance and re-recording of the material and spawned dozens of similarly worthy projects.

The relevance and responsiveness to listeners of corporate radio has long been put to question, but I think "O Brother ..." has delivered the final answer with a sturdy boot to Big Radio's butt. The Nash-Vegas machine is still intent on manufacturing easily-replicated ear-candy "performed" by skinny models with pierced navels and washboard abs, but there's a heck of a lot of people out here who aren't buying in.

Real music really played by real people - now, that's the ticket. Way to go, people!

Along these same lines, the "tribute" album (wherein various artists either replicate or put their own spin on the work of a selected band or musician) is a great idea in theory; in practice, the concept has been a bit over-worked - to put it mildly - in the past few years.

This year, though, some truly excellent sets dedicated to worthy artists by worthy artists have hit the racks. The best of these that I've heard are:

"Poet: A Tribute To Townes Van Zandt" (FreeFalls) with Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Billy Joe Shaver, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Willie Nelson and more saluting the late, great Texas bard. (www.freefalls.com)

"Avalon Blues: A Tribute To The Music Of Mississippi John Hurt" (Vanguard) includes illuminating renditions of the great bluesman's work by Bruce Cockburn, John Hiatt, Taj Mahal, Geoff Muldaur, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams, Peter Case & Dave Alvin, Ben Harper and Chris Smither.

"Hank Williams: Timeless" (Lost Highway) toasts the country giant with covers by Bob Dylan, Keb' Mo', Beck, Tom Petty, Keith Richards, Emmylou (again), Lucinda (again), Ryan Adams, Mark Knopfler, Sheryl Crow and Johnny Cash.

"Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy Of Sun Records" (Sire) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the great Memphis label. Somewhat uneven, but more than half - the entries by Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck & Chryssie Hynde, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Van Morrison & Carl Perkins, Bryan Ferry, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton & The Impressions - is fabulous.

"If I Had A Song: The Songs Of Pete Seeger, Vol. 2" (Appleseed) salutes this beloved American treasure with beautiful performances by Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer, Jackson Browne & Joan Baez, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg & Eliza Carthy, John Wesley Harding, Eric Andersen, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Arlo Guthrie, Dar Williams and more.

That's all I have space/time for - good listening, and let me know what you liked to hear this year.

Well, the seasonal mass exodus is well under way, as students trundle to their homelands to swap dirty laundry for shiny high-tech gizmos and snappy new threads, but if there are fewer choices to make in the live music arena, there are still plenty of great things going on.

Tonight, The Trollies rock out at The Mill, Mike & Amy Finders cast a spell on Lou Henri, and Over The Rhine returns to The Green Room with Kim Taylor opening ($10 tix available at The Green Room, Record Collector and Sal's).

On Friday, Adagio wigs out with the mighty Jack Norton & Ben Weaver, Gabe's hosts a benny for Sal's (check "Shows To See"), The Sanctuary presents OddBar Trio, The Green Room sizzles with Rival and Clean Living, Martini's shimmies with Ashanti, and Lou Henri chills with Becca Sutlive. At The Mill, Annie Savage & Stacy Webster will perform free between 6 and 8 p.m., then The Steve Dostal Trio takes over at 9 ($3 cover).

Saturday kicks off with a CD-release party for The Tornadoes' "Blowin' Into Town" at Sal's Music Emporium at 6 p.m. (free admission, beverages and vittles, natch). Later, Johnny Kilowatt paints Martini's blue, Dave Zollo drops the hammer on The Sanctuary, The Mike & Amy Finders Band w/Al Murphy high-step into The Mill, Oink Henderson & The Squealers wallow in Shakespeare's trough (no cover, free rubber piglets!), Troubled Hubble, Little Joe Gould and Johnny Socko gang up on The Green Room, and Nolan & Tuttle take over Rock's Roadhouse.

Up in Cedar Rapids, The Dick Watson Trio illuminates The Lighthouse, and Greg Brown, The Mayflies and The Kelly Pardekooper Band celebrate the M.U.S.E. cd release ("Shows To See").

Northside Book Market will host a free Sunday matinee by The Bridget Kearney Jazz Carnies Four beginning at 2 p.m. At 7 p.m., The Mill welcomes Greg Brown with all-star amigos Bo Ramsey and Dave Zollo (call 351-9529 for ticket availability).

On Tuesday, sam knutson & SHAME TRAIN blow into George's Buffet ("Shows To See") and, on Wednesday, The Green Room will host yet another Sal's benefit (artists TBA).

Jim Musser's Music Beat column appears in Info to GO! every Thursday. You can reach him by writing to 1100 Arthur St. B5, Iowa City, Iowa 52240-6606, calling 354-6123, or sending e-mail to jmussa@aol.com.

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