Reclaiming some musical/spiritual influences...

For about as long as I can remember I have LOVED a certain sound when playing/listening to music. I am knocked out by Springsteen's blend of rock and soul, I adored the Grateful Dead's fusion of country/rock/jazz and acid, same with the Allman Brothers and I have been deeply touched by the Beatles' use of pop/early girl group harmonies with their little richard meets carl perkins guitar work.

But the sound I want to create comes from... Pentangle - the Band - Joni Mitchell/Tom Rush - Neil Young in his Harvest days - the Byrds - and Eric Anderson during his Blue River phase. Tom Rush made it sound something like this back in the 70s...

There is just a certain groove - very mellow with a touch of blues mixed with an acoustic bass played with acoustic guitars - that I love. And the acoustic guitars have to play with a combo of blues/rock along with Celtic sounds and jazz and a whole lotta country. It just knocks me out every time... dig Pentangle doing their version of "Sally Go Round the Roses."

There are a few contemporary folk doing this kind of music: certainly the Cowboy Junkies get it right a lot of the time, Rosanne Cash does a bang-up job and watching Elvis Costello's show gives me a healthy dose of it, too. I think brother Tom Waits makes it happen from time to time and certainly Carrie Newcomer makes me smile. Lucinda Williams has the magic for me and early CSN&Y grabbed the spirit, too. And let's not forget Hank Jr. or the Buffalo Springfield.

I remember seeing a young Kris Kristofferson back in 1971 with a kick-ass band in a sweaty gym in North Carolina - and OMG did he make it happen for me. A lot of time Johnny Cash made me shout and shake my booty and God knows Sheryl Crow did her homework.

So I guess more than most I am in-freakin' LOVE with hardass, outlaw country music! (No wonder my wife says I play everything in 6/8, hmmmmm!) Listen to that girl sing and that boy play his gitttar... damn!