Kenny Finds Grace…

I admit it. I’m a bit out of touch. I haven’t been keeping up with “the music” lately as I’ve just been trying to survive this cold, hard life. In my laziness, I’ve regressed to listening to the radio in the car on my long drives to Central Alabama.

Imagine my SHOCK when I flipped from the excruiating negativism of talk radio to the old comforts of country radio (I live in Alabama, after all…) to hear a new Kenny Chesney song featuring one, Grace Potter.

I listened. I absorbed. I liked. After all, “You and Tequila” surely got my attention…

So, I’m sure some Jam Band purists (and maybe my old pal, Killer Cortez) think Grace is a sell out for cutting a record with uber star, Kenny Chesney, but I can’t disagree more. First, it’s pretty cool that ole gabillionaire and super duper star, Kenny, happened to be exploring iTunes on his yacht in the islands and stumbled upon Grace Potter. And THEN, actually tracks her down and invites her to record a song with him…arguably the biggest Country star of the last decade.

Here’s a little background…

Kenny Chesney is a music guy. Thank goodness he listens to all kinds of music and that he reaches out to people he likes and makes good music with them. As for Grace, she stepped up to a fantastic opportunity and now a much broader audience is exposed to the goodness of Grace. I have to say that her performance on “You and Tequila” was very Alison Krause — and that is never bad.

While I know that Grace will never be “country”, but even country isn’t country. There’s room for all kind of music and it’s just so awesome to see two people from polar experiences come together a make sweet music…

For those who want more Grace, visit my buddy KC @ http://www.thisissomewhere.com

 

Everything’s NOT Black & White

  I’ve Been Watching You, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

 

The Angel of Grace

I heart Somebody.

Knowing of my aff-FECK-shun for Angel from Montgomery (explained here), as well as my Grace Potter fondness, he sent me a most righteous link to an older Grace performance of the Southern Woman’s Anthem.

Click here for Grace’s Angel. 

First, this version was nearly three years ago and done with Assembly of Dust in an obvious “small venue”, a/k/a Dive.  Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE THIS down & dirty, in your face, whiskey-tinged, no holds barred, live and ALIVE music.

In contrast to the great sorrowful version of Susan Tedeschi, Grace’s version is plucky, funky and borderline fun.  Although she’s gotten better and better concerning sound and performance, this shows her underlying passion for the music she’s singing and her obvious talent at the kun-NECK-shun with the audience.

A little Lagnaippe find from this performance is Assembly of Dust.  Here’s a little background on who they are:

And here’s a very nice cover of Champagne Supernova done at XM Studios:

Can I just go on record as saying this is what I love about the Internets?…The sharing of thoughts on music and recognizing that certain songs or certain artists are friends’ favorites and giving them a head’s up. 

Word of mouth and “recommendation marketing” are truly the most powerful forms of promotion and product acceptance.

Thanks, Somebody.

 

Grace of the Sun (Studio Sessions)

Somebody gave me a heads up that Grace Potter & The Nocturnals were kicking off artist sessions from the famed Sun Studios in Memphis, TN.

Now I’ve been to Sun Studios several times. It’s located at 706-710 Union Avenue, right in the heart of Memphis. It’s known as the birthplace of Rock & Roll, where Sam Phillips discovered the Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins, widely known as Phillips’ Million Dollar Quartet.

Here’s a recording of a jam session when all happened to be at the studio one day….you might recognize the tune.

But, I digress.

Sun Studios is a very simple place. It was never about the surroundings, acoustics or fancy mixers…it was (and is again) about the music.

I think it’s appropriate that Grace Potter kick off these sessions, as she is surely “about the music”. The sessions are designed to highlight up and coming talent, both known and not so well known. They will be featuring new artists each Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the blog, Live From Sun Studios. I’ve added it to the Blog Roll here, so make sure to check them out. If the upcoming sessions are as good as Grace’s inaugural contribution of Mystery Train, then we’re all in for a treat.

As for Grace, my friend John Furnari informs me that Grace’s train just keeps running. The young Ms. Potter is gaining wide acclaim, recently jamming with The Meters on JamCruise. It’s also just been announced that GPTN will be performing on the bill with Tom Petty, Radiohead, Ben Harper, Steve Winwood, Wilco, Jack Johnson, Drive-By Truckers, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Regina Spektor, Donovan Frankenreiter, and MANY more at Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Fransisco, August 22-24. All you West Coasters need to make this one a priority.

For all the latest on GPTN, make sure to stop by ThisisSomewhere.com. Somebody’s always glad to see you there.

 

Cortez the Killer

He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun
On the shore lay Montezuma
With his cocoa leaves and pearls
In his halls, he often wandered
With the secrets of the worlds
And his subjects gathered round him
Like the leaves around a tree
In their clothes of many colors
For the angry gods to see
And the women all were beautiful
And the men stood straight and strong
They offered life in sacrifice
So that others could go on
Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones
They carried them to the flatlands
And they died along the way
But they built up with their bare hands
What we still cant build today
And I know shes living there
And she loves me to this day
I still cant remember when
Or how I lost my way
Cortez, Cortez
He came dancing across the water
Cortez, Cortez
What a killer

Off Neil Young’s 1975 album, Zuma, Cortez the Killer is about the explorer Cortez and his confrontation with the Aztecs. To me, CTK is a metaphor that illustrates the finding of the thing you’ve been looking for the hardest and that you cherish as perfect or your heart’s desire and by finding it, you destroy it — realizing it was just a dream after all.

The original:

Neil Young

Two GREAT covers:

Warren Haynes and Dave Mattews

Grace Potter

 

Amazing Grace

Slow Ride (Foghat cover)

Who Knows

Take Me Down to the River (Nothin’ But the Water)

Lose Some Time

Ain’t No Time

 

What Could Have Been…

Grace was in Mobile on Monday night…but so was the worst weather in months. Tornadoes, 6 inches of rain, travel advisories. I so hope that she didn’t go on as I was supposed to be there.