I’m trying to cheer myself up. A spark of good news is Jason’s new album is out on July 17th.
He’s doing a big US tour that currently goes through to August. Maybe we can hope for UK dates towards the end of the year.
Meanwhile Dave Cobb, Jason’s producer has been working with the guy in the video – Chris Stapleton. I think this song, Traveller, the title of his debut album sounds might fine.
He’s terrific. My buddy and I spend a few days in Nashville 3 years ago straight after our last visit to Merlefest. We tried to get into the Station Inn to see The Timejumpers but the queue was crazy on a seriously hot afternoon so we went down to Roberts Western World where we saw great live music, so much so that we went back the following night. On our 3rd & last night we saw that The Station Inn was staging a benefit for East Tennessee tornado victims, organised and hosted by somebody called Chris Stapleton. On the grounds that we’d never heard of him, we reckoned we could get in without a big queue. We were a bit surprised to see that there was a line, an hour before doors opening. We joined up and got talking to the 20-something dude in front
“Are you familiar within this guy” we asked
“Chris Stapleton?” says he, “Best singer in the world”
Really?” I replied, somewhat sceptically. “In what genre?”
“Any genre you want” replies dude. “You name it, he can sing it”
And you know what? He wasn’t so far wrong. Chris looked like a mountain man, and sang with a mountain man’s roar. He had more than a hint of Levon Helm in his heyday. He got a load of Nashville singer-songwriters to come and do spots, including some who sang songs that we’d heard on the radio during our road trip, seeing as how they’d written them
Chris got his wife Morgane up to sing a few and together they did a slow version of You Are My Sunshine that just made my hair stand up. The following day, before driving back to Charlotte Airport we took a stroll around Music Row and passed a publishing house with a big roadside banner congratulating Chris Stapleton on his recent #1 song in the country charts
Not too long after that I read that Adele had become a fan of him and his former band The Steel Drivers, and had recorded one of their songs co-written by Chris. I think it’s on the deluxe version of her fab waxing 19
That’s really encouraging and I have to admit I feel slightly envious of you too.
And the first from Jason’s new album
http://www.npr.org/2015/05/06/404659725/songs-we-love-jason-isbell-24-frames
Sounds very promising indeed for the rest of the new album.
That sounds really good, which perversely is slightly worrying.
Things I really like on first listen often fade in my affections after not too long a time (REM’s Automatic For the People is one that immediately springs to mind). I hope that turns out not to be the case here.
And thanks for the tip on Chris Stapleton – marvelous stuff – listening to the album now
See? See? That’s exactly why I love this place. Jump onto a post because it has one of my fave singers in the title, turns out that it takes me to Nashville, via a fantastic reply from Vince. Press Play on the video and 30 seconds into the song, I’m on Spotify playing the album. It’s bloody gorgeous. Thanks Carl. And Vince, that’s one of the best replies we’ve ever had. Having seen Bob Harris’s wonderful documentary about Nashville, I was right there with you. Thanks.
I was right there too. Fantastic reply from Vince and great post from Carl. Looking forward to the new Isbell album but now Chris is on the radar too. This site never ceases to amaze me.
Carl – you ha a strangely pessimistic way of thinking. I presume you have heard this also – a recent ep release
No that is new for me (at least in that version, I have the Warren Zevon version).
As I said, it’s a perverse way of looking at things, but it has turned out to be correct so many times. It doesn’ nave to be though.
Fuckaduck – never heard of Chris S before, man that’s good!!!
Well I’m pleased that people enjoyed my Chris Stapleton story. I’ve put my video of Chris & Morgane singing You are my Sunshine on my Youtube channel. He is made more human by playing a bum note at around 38 seconds
https://youtu.be/I8hlCSCvqHM
Also the banner outside of his publisher’s office on Music Row
I’ll try that again. The banner outside Chris Stapleton’s publisher’s office on Music Row
About thirty years ago my Dad said, “Bloody hell, they don’t call him Strait for nothing”
He wasn’t being complimentary.
If you ever get to go to Nashville, don’t miss Roberts Western World in the Honkytonk quarter of Broadway. It’s everything you’d expect from a top notch honkytonk, and more. We got there at around 6 on a Monday evening in early May 2012, got a handy table just beside the dance floor, and came out at 2am having watched 2 excellent bands each playing a 4 hour set. The following night we went to a gig at the Ryman, mainly so we could say we’d seen a gig at The Ryman. It was Feist and she was very good, considering we didn’t really know her material. On the way out we detoured back into Roberts and spent a couple of hours watching the Harry Fontana Trio who played splendid rockabilly to an enthusiastic audience. There was (and as far as I know, still is) no cover charge and the bands subsist from the tips jar thats comes round fairly regularly. Here are 2 of the vids I took on my phone
John English and the Western Swingers who still play there every Monday evening
https://youtu.be/lgk0oFEJj44
and Harry Fontana. This vid shows his drummer taking turn as front man while Harry does some tub-thumping. All 3 of them could play a mean rockabilly guitar solo
https://youtu.be/FC0E5RtgvnQ
I would like to make an official statement about this album:
After living with it for a few months now, I declare Jason Isbell has done what was thought to be nigh on impossible and bettered Southeastern.
Well done that man.
I hope he and Amanda are enjoying parenthood.
I agree Carl but it took my a while to get to that conclusion – initial hearing suggested otherwise whereas Southeastern was instant. After a few listens the songs revealed themselves in different ways and really started to grow on me.