Billy Bragg & Joe Henry Ride Train, Release Album Together

On Saturday -October 1st, 2016 – Billy Bragg and Joe Henry celebrated the unleashing of their first album recorded as a duo, Shine A Light, with a show at Society of Ethical Culture. Recently these two collaborated on Bragg’s excellent Tooth & Nail album of 2013 that Henry produced but they crossed paths initially almost thirty years ago. At that time and in subsequent years, they found they shared plenty of common musical ground; least of which was not a love for Woody Guthrie. In fact, when we were chatting before the show, Bragg compared the depth that he and Wilco were able to achieve in mining Guthrie’s work in on the Mermaid Avenue sessions to that in which he and Henry were able to accomplish with railroad-themed music on this project. He suggested, as a Englishman working with Americans on each, the contrast in perspectives was key to both.

Joe Henry’s extensive production credits include The River in Reverse by Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise by Bettye LaVette, and The Way of the World by Mose Allison just to name three of my faves. In addition to the over three dozen albums he has produced, he’s issued thirteen Joe Henry albums as well. The most recent being Invisible Hour from two years ago. He’s written songs with Rosanne Cash and Madonna. Atop the myriad skills that his resume implies, Bragg mentioned that Henry is also an outstanding arranger which helped elevate the renditions of these songs to something more personal than mere cover versions.

Henry noted the train and train song is part of our cultural mythology evoking loss and regret but also possibility. Both artists stressed that Shine A Light: Field Recordings From The Great American Railroad is not a nostalgia trip. Bragg said that they wanted to make it an immersive investigation into the railroad song in American history but also to reconnect people to the enduring viability of the railroad.

HERE is a link to a conversation (with performance) Billy Bragg and I had at WFUV in 2013.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have a way of bringing out the best in each other and that is the best of Americana music.  The pair drew upon their 40 year kinship and upped the ante on their Grammy winning album of 2 years ago by penning half a dozen songs together – teaming up with veteran songwriting ace Will Jennings and old believer and Nashville neighbor Corey Chisel for a pair each. With Joe Henry producing, Emmylou and Rodney add to their amazing bodies of work with gorgeous harmonies, memorable melodies, and the taste, wisdom, and chops that their experience affords… The new album is The Traveling Kind.

Bettye Lavette made me cry more than once during the opening show of her run at The Carlyle.  She is among the very highest echelon of vocalists – a masterful interpreter who fully inhabits each song she sings.  The show Wednesday January the 28th served as an album release party for her latest – Worthy, produced by Joe Henry – and was extra special as Ms. Lavette’s birthday, falling on the 29th. kicked in at midnight.

She is also fun as hell to hang out with!

Joe Henry has added an excellent new album to the innumerable amazing records he has created as a producer and recording artist.