Just about 24 hours after, and half a country away from, the glamour of the Grammys in Los Angeles, Asleep At The Wheel frontman Ray Benson shed his western swing image for a small-scale performance to an audience of 40-odd people. Benson shared a low-key program of American standards from Louis Armstrong to Hoagy Carmichael [...]

Stephen Bruton has played with, written songs for, or produced albums for Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Elvis Costello, Delbert McClinton, Alejandro Escovedo and others. He strolled into Poor David’s Pub in Dallas just before 10pm on this night with keyboard player Nick Connolly, glanced at the 30 or so people in his congregation, [...]

Willis Alan Ramsey looked perplexed, deciding how to deal politely with one fool on a stool who obviously loves his music but wouldn’t shut up and listen. Ramsey’s performance is quiet and introspective, mixing classics with new material. On this night, a lone drunk loudly and continually requested half a dozen old songs as Ramsey [...]

In years to come, anyone who stumbles into Talpa Cemetery in West Texas may see a small memorial stone engraved with the titles of four songs that, in their oblique way, tell Roxy Gordon’s story. The songs are Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, the Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll”, Jimmy [...]