Tag: Johnny Cash

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Johnny Cash: Forever Words – Available Friday April 6

Johnny Cash’s legend lives on in a unique collaboration project, Johnny Cash: The Music, Forever Words. 

The album co-produced by Johnny and June Carter Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, features music chosen from Johnny Cash’s handwritten letters, poems, and documents discovered after the deaths of his parents.

The album showcases Rosanne Cash, Johnny Cash’s eldest daughter, who interpreted her Dad’s “The Walking Wounded,” marking just the second time that she has collaborated on a record with her half-brother John Carter Cash.

Filmed by David McClister at Johnny Cash’s childhood home in Dyess, Arkansas (part of the Dyess Colony Heritage Site and Museum).

“Determining the artist for each song was truly a matter of the heart,” John Carter Cash said in a statement. “I picked the artists who are most connected with my father, who had a personal story that was connected with Dad. It became an exciting endeavor to go through these works, to put them together and present them to different people who could finish them in a way that I believed that Dad would have wanted.”

Johnny Cash: Forever Words
1. Forever/I Still Miss Someone – Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson
2. To June This Morning – Ruston Kelly and Kacey Musgraves
3. Gold All Over the Ground – Brad Paisley
4. You Never Knew My Mind – Chris Cornell
5. The Captain’s Daughter – Alison Krauss and Union Station
6. Jellico Coal Man – T. Bone Burnett
7. The Walking Wounded – Rosanne Cash
8. Them Double Blues – John Mellencamp
9. Body on Body – Jewel
10. I’ll Still Love You – Elvis Costello
11. June’s Sundown – Carlene Carter
12. He Bore It All – Daily and Vincent
13. Chinky Pin Hill – I’m With Her
14. Goin’, Goin’, Gone – Robert Glasper featuring Ro James, and Anu Sun
15. What Would I Dreamer Do? – The Jayhawks
16. Spirit Rider – Jamey Johnson

Johnny Cash: Forever Words is the musical companion to the best-selling “Forever Words: The Unknown Poems,” a volume of Cash’s unpublished writing edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon and curated by John Carter Cash and Steve Berkowitz.

 

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American Masters – The Highway Men: Friends Till The End

From left to right Kris Kristofferson, Johnny ...
From left to right Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, who formed the country music supergroup, The Highwaymen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Public television continues to be one of the best avenues of American music specials.

Frequently referred to as “the Mount Rushmore of country music,” The Highwaymen – Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson – were American country music’s first bona fide supergroup, an epic quartet comprised of the outlaw country genre’s pioneering stars. An essential musical and cultural influence, the Grammy-winning group was active from 1985 – 1995: recording three albums, touring the world and acting in the movie Stagecoach (1986). American Masters – The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End, premiering nationwide Friday, May 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings) as part of the 30th anniversary season of THIRTEEN’s American Masters series, explores how these men came together and the fruits of their historic collaboration.

The Highwaymen Live – American Outlaws, a new 3 CD/1 DVD or Blu-ray box set of concert performances — including the complete Nassau Coliseum concert film seen in the American Masters documentary — will be available May 20 fromColumbia/Legacy, along with a new single-disc compilation CD, The Very Best of The Highwaymen. The Highwaymen: Live At Nassau Coliseum (a special broadcast edit of the concert film featured on The Highwaymen Live – American Outlaws) is part of special programming premiering on PBS stations as part of June Pledge 2016.

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Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City

Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, Tennessee

March 27, 2015 – December 31, 2016

Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City, presented by Citi highlights Dylan’s relationship with Cash. The two cemented their friendship at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival and were reunited in Nashville, in February 1969. Dylan had recorded most of Nashville Skyline when he went into the studio with Cash. They cut more than a dozen duets in two days. One, “Girl from the North Country,” appeared on Nashville Skyline, and Cash wrote Grammy-winning liner notes for the album.

A companion book to the exhibit Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City looks at the Nashville music scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time of great cultural vitality for Music City. This publication matches the Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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“Bobfest”, Bob Dylan – 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration Deluxe Edition

Madison Square Garden proves once again why it is the “World’s Most Famous Arena”. Twenty-two years ago on October 16, 1992, New York City’s hottest concert ticket was the assemblage of musical friends at Madison Square Garden to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s first Columbia Records album.

Columbia Records and Legacy Recording, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Bob Dylan – The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration – Deluxe Edition in three configurations (2CD, 2DVD, Blu-ray Disc) on Tuesday, March 4, 2014.

It is so heartwarming to see George Harrison performing in the spot with Dylan that gave us The Concert for Bangladesh. I also see that the late Richie Havens sings “Just Like A Woman”. There is a version of “It Ain’t Me Babe” by June Carter Cash/Johnny Cash. The Band appears and does “When I Paint My Masterpiece“. Plus so many other great artists played Dylan classics that night. This is a righteous, must have music video 🙂

For the song listing of artists performing and more, go here: http://www.bobdylan.com/us/news/bob-dylan-30th-anniversary-concert-celebration-deluxe-edition-released-first-time-dvd-blu-ray

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Johnny Cash – Out Among The Stars

Legacy Recordings and John Carter Cash have made an important discovery in the Sony Music Archive vault. Out Among The Stars, a remarkable new album comprised of 12 recently discovered Johnny Cash studio recordings.

The tracks on Out Among The Stars were originally recorded in Nashville, Tennessee at Columbia Studios in 1981 and 1111 Sound Studios in 1984 and produced by Billy Sherrill, the architect of the “countrypolitan” sound who was heading A&R at CBS Records Nashville at the time.

On these songs—which include duets with June Carter Cash and Waylon Jennings—Johnny worked with an expanded ensemble featuring a young Marty Stuart on guitar and mandolin and Nashville A-Team members Jerry Kennedy (guitar), Pete Drake (steel guitar), Hargus “Pig” Robbins (piano) and Henry Strzelecki (bass).

The recordings, which have never been released in any form, are not demos, outtakes or alternate versions. They remained in the vaults during the years Columbia Records released Johnny Cash’s last albums for the label and were subsequently forgotten.

Johnny Cash – Out Among The Stars, Track Listing

1. Out Among The Stars
2. Baby Ride Easy – duet with June Carter Cash
3. She Used To Love Me A Lot
4. After All
5. I’m Movin’ On – Duet with Waylon Jennings
6. If I Told You Who It Was
7. Call Your Mother (Written by Johnny Cash)
8. I Drove Her Out Of My Mind
9. Tennessee
10. Rock and Roll Shoes
11. Don’t You Think It’s Come Our Time – Duet with June Carter Cash
12. I Came To Believe (Written by Johnny Cash)

Countrypolitan

In the early 1960s, the Nashville sound began to be challenged by the rival Bakersfield sound.[2] Nashville’s pop song structure became more pronounced and it morphed into what was called countrypolitan. Countrypolitan was aimed straight at mainstream markets and it sold well throughout the later 1960s into the early 1970s. Among the architects of this sound were producers Billy Sherrill (who was instrumental in shaping Tammy Wynette‘s early career) and Glenn Sutton. Artists who typified the countrypolitan sound initially included Wynette, Glen Campbell (who recorded in Hollywood and not Nashville), Lynn Anderson, Charlie Rich, and Charley Pride.[3]

The Bakersfield sound, and later Outlaw Country, dominated country music among aficionados while countrypolitan reigned on the pop charts.[3]

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Rosanne Cash, The River & The Thread, Blue Note Records

Blue Note Records continues to extend the panorama of their artist portfolio by signing, “Americana” artist Rosanne Cash to the label. I view this signing as a healthy sign that Blue Note Records is widening their artistic purpose as they diversify from their historic role as a “venerable jazz label”.

I first reflected upon the jam band initiative that Blue Note Records was embracing in  July.  I wrote about the significance of the Elvis Costello and The Roots collaboration, Wise Up Ghost, as well as new recordings from Robert Randolph Family Band and Gov’t. Mule forging a new Blue Note product line.

The second phase of Blue Note Record’s distribution strategy is Americana music with Rosanne Cash’s collaboration recording, The River & The Thread leading the way.

Courtesy of Blue Note Records and Rosanne Cash 2013

The River & The Thread, Rosanne Cash’s first album in more than four years, will be released on January 14, 2014 by Blue Note Records. Cash wrote the album’s 11 original songs with her longtime collaborator (and husband) John Leventhal, who also served as producer, arranger and guitarist.

The River & The Thread is sweeping in its breadth, capturing a unique, multi-generational cast of characters – from a Civil War soldier off to fight in Virginia to a New Deal-era farmer in Arkansas to a contemporary Mobile, AL couple. While Cash and Leventhal found inspiration in the many musical styles associated with the South – swampy Delta blues, gospel, Appalachian folk, country and rock, to name a few – this is a completely contemporary collection. Cash’s crystalline voice and Leventhal’s compelling guitar work are at the heart of the album, and they bring in more instrumentation to suit the tone of each particular song – from the delicate orchestral passages of “Night School,” (which nods to Stephen Foster, who also had a deep affection for the South) to the ghostly keyboards of album closer “Money Road.”

She was joined in the studio by a cast of friends and fellow musicians who also have a deep affection for and/or roots in the South, including Cory Chisel, Rodney Crowell (who also co-wrote one song), Amy Helm, Kris Kristofferson, Allison Moorer, John Prine, Derek Trucks, John Paul White (The Civil Wars), Tony Joe White and Gabe Witcher (The Punch Brothers.)

Rosanne Cash and her band will preview some of the new material from The River & The Thread tonight  (Sept. 19) at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley as part of the Americana Music Festival.

Rosanne Cash – The River & The Thread – Track Listing

1.      A Feather’s Not A Bird
2.      The Sunken Lands
3.      Etta’s Tune
4.      Modern Blue
5.      Tell Heaven
6.      The Long Way Home
7.      World Of Strange Design
8.      Night School
9.      50,000 Watts
10.    When The Master Calls The Roll
11.    Money Road

I love when multifaceted artists like Rosanne Cash (singer-songwriter, writer and author) take on research pursuits that add to their core values and strengths. On December 5, Cash will begin a three-day residency at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Events will include a concert, a round robin with Leventhal, Crowell, Cory Chisel and Amy Helm and a conversation with Natasha Trethewey, U.S. Poet Laureate. For additional details, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2013/13-141.html.

I’d love for us to attend this event.

December 5 through 7, 2013, Rosanne Cash Residency

“The Long Way Home: Songs of Travel and Longing”

Rosanne Cash is a major advocate of the arts. She has appeared twice at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in nearby New Haven, CT. We especially love her appearance on the PBS-TV advertisement for the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. She has performed 13 acoustic Cash concerts at the Rubin Museum of Art since 2004.

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LIFE Unseen and Unheard, Johnny Cash 10 Years On

LIFE Unseen: Johnny Cash: An Illustrated Biography With Rare and Never-Before-Seen Photographs

A new book is available today from the Editors of Life that will feature rare and never-before-seen photos of Cash from the Sony archives (just how deep is this vault?) and interviews with Cash and his family, including June Carter Cash, and new reminiscences by his children Rosanne Cash and John Carter Cash.

A companion recording that serves as a tie-in with the book, LIFE Unheard: Johnny Cash, will also be released featuring solo acoustic recordings cut at the House of Cash studio and live concerts taped at the Newport Folk Festival and the White House. It also includes a previously unreleased studio version of Ben Dewberry’s Final Run, and Movin’ Up, recorded for Cash’s 1981 made-for-TV movie, The Pride of Jesse Hallam.

I played this recording via Spotify and my iPhone today. Its a pleasant set of songs. I loved what I heard and I think you will too. Give a listen. 🙂

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LIFE Unseen and Unheard, Johnny Cash 10 Years On

LIFE Unseen: Johnny Cash: An Illustrated Biography With Rare and Never-Before-Seen Photographs

A new book is available today from the Editors of Life that will feature rare and never-before-seen photos of Cash from the Sony archives (just how deep is this vault?) and interviews with Cash and his family, including June Carter Cash, and new reminiscences by his children Rosanne Cash and John Carter Cash.

A companion recording that serves as a tie-in with the book, LIFE Unheard: Johnny Cash, will also be released featuring solo acoustic recordings cut at the House of Cash studio and live concerts taped at the Newport Folk Festival and the White House. It also includes a previously unreleased studio version of Ben Dewberry’s Final Run, and Movin’ Up, recorded for Cash’s 1981 made-for-TV movie, The Pride of Jesse Hallam.

I played this recording via Spotify and my iPhone today. Its a pleasant set of songs. I loved what I heard and I think you will too. Give a listen. 🙂

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Music Journalism A-Z – Lenny Kaye

Lenny-KayeLenny Kaye

Many people know Lenny Kaye as a guitarist and composer with the Patti Smith Group.  I have seen him play with Patti Smith four or five times in the past few years. I love his style and his gentle enthusiasm.

Lenny Kaye is lesser known but greatly respected as a music journalist. He has a powerful writing command  that makes him one of America’s leading music analysts and interpreters.

Lenny began by writing reviews for Jazz and Pop magazine. He later branched out to foundation rock magazines like Fusion, Crawdaddy and Rolling Stone. He next became the music editor for Cavalier, a gentlemen’s magazine.where he authored a monthly column until 1975.

He then decided to become a free-lance writer where he would a wrote for hire with a range of publications that included Melody Maker and CREEM. Again he served in an editor role for music monthly magazines like Rock Scene and Hit Parader through the seventies.

Lenny Kaye is the co-author of  the autobiography, Waylon, The Life Story of Waylon Jennings written with the late Waylon Jennings.

Lenny Kaye has written with an authoritative sense about several defining periods in the history of music.

One literature work that represents his history/analysis writing skills is You Call It Madness: The Sensuous Song of the Croon. This book  highlights the age of crooning in early 1930s New York City. The book centers on Russ Columbo, known as Bing Crosby’s rival. Lenny Kaye as a Columbo enthusiast offers the reader a scrapbook research title accompanied by many rare photographs and memorabilia from his own collection.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Nuggets about the first psychedelic era which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Lenny Kaye wrote the liner notes and helped assemble the collection with Jac Holzman of Elektra Records fame. I purchased that edition for Lenny Kaye to autograph for me someday in the future 😉

Nuggets

You can find monthly writing contributions from Lenny Kaye at e-Music where he writes for them today. Here are some of his 2012 writing efforts.

Delve into the catalog of Jamie Records and their associated labels, covering everything from Duane Eddy to the Fantastic Johnny C.
Visit Nico at her resting place and think of how she remains with us still and evermore.
Celebrate Johnny Cash and his walk o’ the line.
Muse on the life and art of Chet Baker, he of the mournful trumpet and romantic song.
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Rosanne Cash Headlines Final Evening of Festival

The International Festival of Arts and Ideas closes out tomorrow night on the New Haven Green with a headliner concert from Rosanne Cash and her band. Its been a fantastic festival this year.

Rosanne Cash will highlight music from her recording, The List. The List is a deeply personal album: a peaen to her father, Johnny Cash. The selections and the album’s title derive from the list of 100 Essential Country Songs that her father had compiled for her and instructed her to learn when she joined his road show after high school graduation.

The American songwriter says The List is “imbued with tremendous life force.”

It bodes being a wonderful evening under the stars in New Haven with one our nation’s gifted singer/songwriters, Rosanne Cash. 🙂

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