My old man got me hooked on the Marty Stuart Show on Saturday nights on RFD TV.  There's something about Saturday nights that make me want to be at home, doing what I always do on Saturday nights.  Usually that involves listening to records, hanging out with the kids, then having a couple glasses of wine after we put the kids to bed.  My dad is usually doing the same thing, so my mother tells me.

Watching the end credits last week, I noticed the song playing over the credits as sounding familiar, it sounded alot like Bob Dylan's "Things Have Chaged" from the movie Wonder Boys.  It won an academy award, & is generally viewed as one of his greatest songs of the past 20 years.  I googled Things Have Changed and Marty Stuart, and a song popped up called "Observations of a Crow", off his 1999 album The Pilgrim. 

http://youtu.be/HcNxM1p9khI

 After doing some more research, it came to my surprise (only because I thought I knew just about everyone who's ever played with Dylan) that Stuart sat in on a Bob Dylan show in September, 1999 in Nashville.  The late, great writer Paul Williams writes this about the performance:


From Paul Williams: "I notice there's an extra person on stage playing mandolin. I take a good look through my binoculars: Marty Stuart. I've always wanted to see Bob with a real bluegrass band and throwing Marty into the mix transformed Bob's band into just that. Bob was talking to Marty in between songs all night long, as much as I've ever seen him verbally communicate with anyone on stage.
" ‘Tangled Up In Blue' finished off the acoustic set and as many times as I've heard this song, I don't know if I've ever heard it quite so beautifully rendered. Bob was genuinely inspired by Marty's presence and he pulled out his harp and played it better than I've heard him play it in a long, long time. He and Marty were standing right next to each other, trading off and it was quite a moment. Marty's mandolin added so much to the sound of the band, making them sound even tighter and more rhythmic than usual.
"This was the first time I'd seen anyone sit in the while night and, as great as those other folks were, this was definitely the finest overall contribution I've ever seen anyone make in a walk-on role. It was night and day seeing Bob with Paul Simon and then with Marty Stuart. It was obvious whose company Bob preferred, which is not to put down Simon, who the large crowd seemed to enjoy, as it is to say how much he seemed to immensely enjoy Marty's presence on stage. I know I did. I would love to see him join the band or at least make the trip down to Memphis on Saturday. All in all, I'd have to say that this was quite possibly the best Dylan concert I've ever seen and I've seen some great ones. Last night was pure magic."


Bob Dylan is certainly no stranger to country music, he's been playing Hank Williams and other more obscure country songs since he's been putting music to tape.  His friendship with Johnny Cash has lasted since the early '60s, and he's played with Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatts, and Charlie Daniels.  His 1969 album "Nashville Skyline" started what was known as "Country Rock".  In 1999, though, Dylan's concerts began to feature a nightly bluegrass cover to open the show, as well as many covers of Johnny Cash songs, & he began sporting country western suits every night.  Some of his moves while playing guitar were reminiscent of ones you might see on The Marty Stuart every Saturday night.  Who knew RFD TV was so influential? 

http://youtu.be/6PPxVYuO8Ic

 http://youtu.be/L9EKqQWPjyo

 Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Blue Moon of Kentucky-The Stanley Brothers

Not Fade Away-Buddy Holly

Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates-Sufjan Stevens

A Good Year for the Roses-George Jones

If We Make it Through December-Merle Haggard

Happy Monday, friends...

 

Any day now I'll be a father again.  Before we had Lillian, I always pictured myself having a son.  Now I have a hard time imagining myself being a father of a son.  I wonder what it will be like if he's really into football or hunting or stuff I know little about.  I'm not sure how well a growing young man will do around here being interested in folk music, jazz, poetry or politics.  I really appreciate my ol' man's approach to our interests as kids.  He was never overbearing, he didn't tell me I was doing something wrong, he let me figure things out on my own, but he put the time in to play with me & help me.  He didn't yell from the stands, & he never questioned my coaches. 

I'll never forget one time after a basketball game, he told me I was the most talented player on the team.  I always thought that strange, when I was in 8th grade & especially now, because I clearly wasn't the most talented player on the team.  I wasn't sure if he was trying to boost my self esteem, or what he was doing, but it was clearly uncharacteristic of him to do any kind of ranking of abilities.  I appreciated the gesture, though.  

Maybe he'll be athletic and get good grades like his mother.  I hope I can teach him to stand up for what is right.  I hope he has a thirst for learning.  My ol' man never gave me any speeches about how a real man acts, I'm not sure if that was intentional or not.  I think I got the message from his actions, though, that a true measure of a man isn't how much money he makes or how far he can hit a golf ball, but rather how much he shows others the love of Jesus. 

Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Moody's Mood for Love-King Pleasure

Series of Dreams-Bob Dylan

Vito's Ordination Song-Sufjan Stevens



Someday Sparrow-Laura Cantrell



Different Days-Jason Isbell




Happy Sunday, friends.

andrew