Kris Kristofferson will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on November, 9th during the 38th Annual Country Music Association Awards.

Kristofferson's career has been one of songwriting's most pivotal, making him among the biggest entertainers of the 1970s and most influential performers for each generation of young artists that have followed. Best known for his musical work, his popularity and intelligence lead to a thriving film career. He's once again returned to his roots as a songwriter and musician as part of the prolific OhBoy family of artists along with John Prine, Janis Ian, and Todd Snider.

In a time when country music badly needs direction, it is a refreshing and deserved honor for one of my favorite and most admired songwriters. Few popular country musicians today understand the craft as Kristofferson does; even fewer have a hope of leaving a legacy as rich. While most radio-friendly music today steers toward the safe harbor of vanilla songwriting, Kristofferson has long stood firm in his beliefs by writing and playing music that is counter to the accepted American norms. In doing so he has shaped generations of aspiring artists and struggling poets in ways that only Gutherie and Dylan could imagine.

Kris has long been a hero of mine, his words and bravery stir my soul. Congratulations Kris!

I'm watching the debacle that is the MTV Video Music Awards. In this palace of wealth and fame there are perhaps 10 to 20 real rockers worthy of being honored. Most are part of this scene, like any mainstream genre today, due to their stellar good looks, fashion sense, or other facet that lends them to a marketer's wet dreams. Few really can rock it.

That had me thinking that while killer rock acts like Will Hoge and Tommy Womack are unsigned, these ass-clowns are reaping the rewards of those that came before. Will Hoge is one of the finest rockers out there today and I challenge anyone in music to put more into their show. Tommy Womack has paid for his rock dream several times over and still finds the balls to get up, turn it up, and make some people shake their cans.

Somone out there sign these guys and put them on stage to accept an award...

I just got done at the WFCF studios for this weekend's edition of "Good Morning Americana" with my pal JB. It was tons of fun and we got to play things normally ignored by mainstream radio.

Thanks to JB and Flagler Radio with a Reason for having me. Also, thanks to all the callers and emails for requests. I hope everyone had as much fun as we had putting the show together.

Don't forget to tune in on Saturday mornings from 10 am to Noon eastern time for JB and "Good Morning Americana" on WFCF 88.5 or online at http://radio.flagler.edu. He plays the best music you're going to find just about anywhere.

It's funny that our friends at CMT have a story today that country music sales are good.

Among the things trumpeted as the cause for celebration are two items worthy of deeper consideration. First, John Grady of Sony Nashville (and AMA panelist), thinks that Nashville has finally made a few records people want to hear. While that's true, it's sincerity is only a tiny kernel of the truth. There have been a few good albums such as Jimmy Buffett's License To Chill which aptly sounds like country and includes songs from good country songwriters, but for the most part the albums cited are pathetic pandering excuses for real music that have sold due to heavy marketing. For example, Big and Rich, while exciting to someone who has never seen MTV, is a pretty sad comparison to Merle Haggard--the original country badass. Gretchen Wilson's raw spirit and country pride is refreshing provided you've never once listened to Waylon Jennings or Tammy Wynette. Most of the crap promoted by Nashville finds success through heavy marketing. So rather than credit great art credit the marketing machine that is Nashville.

Second, the article cites the increased knowledge that downloading is bad for us as a reason more people buy albums. Now there's a whopper of a tale. First, it's not an educational item as much as it is fear and reasonable alternatives that have lead to downloading's decline. Apple and others have provided an inexpensive, reliable, and effective way to digitally distribute music online which is probably the single largest reason people are buying instead of downloading. Second, these folks are motivated by fear of being sued by the RIAA, an enormous industry-wide legal behemoth. Even if you're not guilty, imagine trying to fight a lawsuit with that monster. Further, it's incredibly doubtful that every study that shows downloading actually increases record sales is without merit. So let's not hide behind that excuse anymore.

Why are sales of country music up this year? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that buying music online is incredibly convenient offering consumers more choices of independent and mainstream artists. For once you really can get that new Carter Family Tribute today instead of waiting for it to show up weeks after it's release by simply going online and buying it--often for less than it would cost to order it. You see, it's all about choice. When given the chance to choose what music to listen to, people will decide on their own. If their choices are limited to Kenny Chesney, Brooks and Dunn, and Faith Hill they will pick one of those three. Instead, more educated consumers are reaching out and trying that old coot Buffett (even if he has some all-star help) and then find out that those songs are written by incredible musicians like Will Kimbrough, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark. Soon they own all kinds of underground country music--all thanks to some guy named Buffett who unlike most of Nashville stuck his neck out and listened to some artists who had been rejected by the mainstream.

Geez...where will this end?

The Americana Music Association announced the lineup for this years AMA Honors and Awards in Nashville on September 24, 2004. Among those scheduled to appear are this year's host, Jim Lauderdale, as well as Ray Wylie Hubbard and Slaid Cleaves, Mindy Smith, Jason Ringenberg (of Jason and the Scorchers fame), and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

This year's show is nestled into the 5th Americana Music Association Conference which will include showcases from Todd Snider, Adrienne Young, Junior Brown, Billy Joe Shaver, Bruce Robison, and BR549. Also appearing are Bernie Leadon, Tres Chicas, Kate Campbell, and Jay Farrar among other performers. Panelists include some of the industry's biggest names including Al Bunetta of OhBoy, Steve Fishell of Sugar Hill Records, and John Grady from Sony Nashville.

The stars are lining up and if you're in the business or love the music Nashville is the only place to be in late September.

PS: Vote Will Kimbrough for Instrumentalist of the Year

Lots of fun stuff brewing in the next month; the pile of new releases includes some album of the year candidates. This month however, there are several heavy hitters that really pile it on:

• Two great tribute albums hit the shelf this week. The Unbroken Circle features the most rejuvenated John Prine I've heard as well as a bevy of big names honoring the Carter Family. Beautiful Dreamer pays homage to Stephen Foster with the most varied lineup out there including Handsome Johnny Prine. I keep finding more I like about this one--especially Mavis Staple's effort. WOW!
• Steve Earle's fire is clearly raging on his newest release which I expect to raise both eyebrows and tempers. I love it however and think it's among his best ever.
• Todd Snider has climbed his way to #3 on the Americana Music chart. I think he may be able to climb to the top post the hard way. Also, I think his album has finally garnered him serious kudos for his songwriting

Today's Americana landscape is dotted with artists content to walk their own path, but few draw more ire than legendary tough-guy Steve Earle. Long known for his antics and outspoken nature, Earle has always eyed the direction of popular music and walked the other direction. Often that path has included diatribes with a political leaning that easily angers conservatives and leaves no question about Earle's philosophy.

The Revolution Starts Now is more of the same from Earle--unexpected, raw, and true to his nature. A classic blend of his early rocking Copperhead Road and his latter El Corazon with plenty of critical observations, a heartfelt thought or two, and a few smartass laughs, The Revolution Starts Now certainly lives up to Earle's hype and futhers his legend.

The sound doesn't stray far from his formula, but the material seems as fresh as the first Steve Earle album I heard. It's topical nature would typically put this controversial album in a timewarp in twenty years with songs like "Rich Man's War" which clearly is Earle's latest Iraq War protest, but in many ways this album will be quite contextual years from now. It could be a window into a time and place much like John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son" has been for the Vietnam War, albeit with a much more melancholy tone. Other tracks such as "I Thought You Should Know" display other sides to Earle's work, breathing life into characters that sink into your conscience. Still, the protest nature of this album really leaves me with a little grin especially on the lightening-rod "F the C.C." which takes aim at some of my favorite government dopes like the F.C.C. and the F.B.I.

Earle's relentless quest for a story to tell shines through even if you can't look past its politics and will stand as a must-have Earle record. Personally, after hearing the album I felt like playing it again at about twice the volume.

The Revolution Starts Now is available August 24, 2004 on Artemis Records.

It's hard to imagine country music without the Carter Family, one of the genre's most influential catalysts to popular acceptance and certainly one of the most heralded acts to ever play. They performed in one incarnation or another for the better part of the 20th century leaving an indelible mark upon all that followed. With the death of June Carter Cash last year, it appeared the last of the Carter Family had left us to our memories.

June wasn't the last of the Carters with intent upon keeping the circle unbroken so to speak however. Her son with Johnny Cash, John Carter Cash, has finally lived up to his legendary name by producing The Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage of the Carter Family. While he doesn't get headline a single track on the album, his loving treatment of his family's musical traditions and ability to gather such a fantastic lineup clearly show he has the same intuition about music his parents possessed.

The performers on this album also put their best efforts forward in tribute: John Prine, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Marty Stuart, and the Whites stand out as favorites. Prine's version of "Bear Creek Blues" provides a rolling backbeat to the otherwise traditional album with scratchy vocals and percussive guitars--it's quite a gem. George Jones shows his roots on "Worried Man Blues" which lends an air of sincerity only Jones can provide. Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives are, well, superlative on "Never Let The Devil Get The Upper Hand on You." The Whites with Ricky Skaggs come down from the mountain with "Will My Mother Know Me There?" I could go on forever about Kris Kristofferson, Norman Blake, and all the other performers, but wouldn’t you expect a tribute like this to garner the finest country music has to offer? Altogether, the only track that disappoints is Sheryl Crow's "No Depression" which is wonderful provided you've not heard the stellar version that alt-country heroes Uncle Tupelo did many years ago.

That said, the real star of the album is John Carter Cash who steps out of his family’s shadow to pay tribute to that legendary burden he carries. Perhaps this lasting contribution to the family legacy will earn him the respect he deserves.

The Unbroken Circle is available from my friends at Dualtone on August, 24, 2004.

Next Saturday, August 28, I'll be joining my good buddy J.B. on "Good Morning Americana" broadcast live on 88.5 WFCF in Saint Augustine, Florida from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM EST. J.B. plays some of the best in Americana every Saturday morning and always has a good time. You can also tune in online to listen to a streaming broadcast.

So I hope you tune in to listen to me embarrass myself on live radio and attempt to avoid the wrath of the F.C.C.

Charley blew by Sharkbitten World Headquarters Friday night with little fanfare or destruction but certainly did it's share of damage to quite a few of our colleagues, including our family in Florida's more southern regions. While we take a breather from the chainsaw and prepare for Earl or Danielle, let me offer our playlist of hurricane music:

1. "Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season" - Jimmy Buffett
2. "Like A Hurricane" - Neil Young
3. "Love Me Like A Hurricane" - Led Zeppelin
4. "Hurricane" - Bob Dylan
5. "Trouble On The Horizon" - Jimmy Buffett
6. "Savannah Fare You Well" - Hugh Prestwood
7. "Hurricane" - Mindy Smith
8. "Loving A Hurricane" - Suzy Bogguss
9. "Hurricane" - Lisa Loeb

Most of these songs are really loosely tied to the actual weather anomaly known as a hurricane but it fit the bill this weekend. Of course I know about Bette Midler, Joan Osbourne, and the Scorpions hurricane tunes but I can't say I'm a fan of those songs--include them in your mix if you wish. Till the next time, have fun and keep your socks up.

Hurricanes are bad for kids, old people, and sharks alike so this one is going to be looking for safer waters tonight as Charley passes by. That said, expect few updates over the weekend as I will either be rain-soaked, rum-soaked, or simply blown-away.

In the meantime kiddies I have a to-do list for those of you in dry areas:

1. Pre-order your copy of Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster
2. Put Bernie Leadon on your list of people to see this year
3. Pick up a Charlie Robison album because his new one is coming soon and it is damn good
4. Turn up Grey DeLisle's latest album--it's really haunting
5. Find the nearest Adrienne Young show and buy tickets for everyone you know
6. Listen to a classic Jimmy Buffett album like Living and Dying in 3/4 Time and then his latest, License to Chill and tell me he's not back on track
7. Think of Billy Joe Shaver on Monday. It's his 65th birthday and they're throwing a hell of a party for the guy. Billy you'll always be my hero.

These days the Americana Radio chart is rocking with great music:

• The Notorious Cherry Bombs have quickly risen to the top of the charts. It's the second year in a row that Rodney Crowell has found his way to the top.
• Todd Snider continues his rise as well landing OhBoy Records at #5!
• Another pet project of mine, Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster was the most added album of the week. Expect to see it join the Johnny Paycheck tribute on the chart next week.
• Jim Lauderdale, the Old 97s, and Steve Earle are all in the top 15.

Few songwriters truly create art that transcends an era let alone centuries to become part of the fabric of American tradition. Born on July 4, 1826, Stephen Collings Foster wrote not a single contribution to our collective experience but a library that includes "Oh! Susanna," "My Old Kentucky Home," and "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" among others. Stephen Foster's work is so ubiquitous that nearly every American today can at least hum one of his songs.

Foster struggled with alcohol and his own place in music while living and has faded from public memory since his death as a pauper at the age of thirty-seven, while his songs have taken on an almost mythic celebrity of their own. Before his death he sold his catalog of work for nearly nothing and then faded into obscurity.

American Roots Publishing, with a bevy of influential contributors, intends to change this with their August 24 release called Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster. Featuring the work of Raul Malo, BR-549, John Prine, Grey DeLisle, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Roger McGuinn and others, Beautiful Dreamer collects some of music's most stellar acts to help preserve the songwriter's sometimes surprising work. Executive producer Tamara Saviano said of the lineup, "I’m blown away by each of these performances and the soul that each artist put into their recording. Did I mention they all did this out of the goodness of their heart to help American Roots Publishing? There are no finer people on the planet than the folks who gave of themselves for this recording."

The album, produced by David Macias and Steve Fishell began with a wishlist and a dream but the musicians quickly got in on the act. Fishell said that Mavis Staples agreed to sing "Hard Times Come Again No More" and arrived quite prepared with her lyrics laminated. In almost a stroke of genius, she left those at the studio in tears with a performace Fishell calls, "a moment snatched from heaven." On "Willie We Have Missed You" Grey DeLisle incorporates vintage instruments, microphones, and recording gear to lend an authentic touch to a recording that perfect accompanies her haunting vocals. BR-549, well known for their live energy, translates their imaginative style into the equally vibrant "Don't Bet Money on the Shanghai." Beth Nielsen Chapman performs "In The Eye Abides The Heart" which is particulary inventive according to Macias: "It's not only incredibly beautiful, but I love that in recording a song that apparently has never been recorded before, we've brough to life a song that had been lost for many, many years." Likewise, not a single effort on the eighteen track masterpiece is without creativity and passion.

The album isn't singularly about these fantastic performances or strength in songwriting as it is about preserving American oral tradition. Foster's contributions to our society are numerous and American Roots Publishing is helping to remind us the value of regional and national art by releasing such an ambitious album. They intend to follow up with additional projects including an educational component that will highlight these influences.

So pick up Beautiful Dreamer on August 24 and relive part of our past and help out some absolutely fantastic people at American Roots Publishing.

David Simpkins is as Americana as the genre which he has contributed several indie discs and it shows on his latest: Long Short Story. His weathered voice and choice of instruments are worn like an old leather coat on his songwriting--something in which the album is firmly rooted.

For those that don't know Simpkins, he is a second-generation Americana artist whose musical journey has taken him through the eclectic backroads of several different genres. He is best known for his work with alt-rockers Visible Shivers whose run of near-fame ended and set David out into the Americana world at-large.

This disc, which oddly enough is this veteran's first solo effort, blends much of what he has learned over the years with hints of Neil Young's more recent work. Both artists' work echoes the voices of autumn--mellow and recognizant of the fact that life is brittle. Both artists have embraced these changes but still refuse to give into winter. Both artists take hints from the younger spring they see and manage to make their own reality better. And given these varied influences and thoughts David manages consistency only a true musical warrior can conjure even if in the fall of life.

While there are better albums in my opinion this year, few are as resoundingly mature and crisp. As Simpkins sings, I can tell you he certainly has my attention and hopes for a very long and productive autumn.

You already know about my new Pawless guitar that's nearing completion. I can't wait to actually play this thing. This gorgeous hunk of mesquite should soon be in my hands but it certainly doesn't complete the suite of gear needed to take the stage.

That said I've only added one new component--the LR Baggs iBEAM active acoustic pickup. That leaves an acoustic amplifier, microphone, and pedals that I may want to revive my live sound.

So, somone drop me a line and tell me what you're using and what you like and dislike about it.

Todd Snider's East Nashville Skyline is starting to turn heads. Aside from it's meteoric rise to #8 on the Americana Radio chart, USA Today gives the album 3 out of four stars:

And, he says, there's nothin' wrong with Nashville, where he lives, "that we can't fix in the mix." And when St. Peter sends him back from the Pearly Gates with a body full of broken bones, it's the most brutal joke of all — that, or a very painful second chance.

While it has quickly become my favorite Todd Snider album, it seems the rest of the world is catching on to this quite likable record.

I mentioned that Vince Pawless is building a new guitar for me and that he had built many for my heroes. One such guitar has a special history you should know.

Todd Snider has always played and Epiphone J-200. While a nice guitar, it was never worthy of recording and as such he rarely used it in a studio setting. It was however a mainstay on Snider's legendary tours, serving aptly since about 1995.

Todd's friends recently took up a collection to commission Vince to build a new jumbo for Todd outfitted unlike any other guitar. Intricate inlays and beautiful purfling aside, the guitar is simply built better than any mass-produced jumbo today. It was presented to Todd during his recent appearance at Tower Records celebrating his new release East Nashville Skyline.

After passing the hat, Todd's pals had collected an extra $1500 that they donated to the Kent Finlay Medical Fund to help one of Americana's most ardent supporters. Kent has run the famous Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, Texas for years. His work has shaped many famous acts including Snider's. Kent has cancer and as most bar owners has little insurance to help out. So the extra money should help keep both Kent and Cheatham Street on their feet.

Not to be outdone however, Todd has graciously donated his old Epiphone to be sold to add to the fund for Kent. While I don't know whether it will be auctioned or raffled, stay tuned to find out how you can take a shot at owning a genuine piece of Americana history.