Rodney Crowell has always been known as a singer, songwriter, producer, and performer; not necessarily in that order. In fact, it seemed for a while that he was destined to be known as a songwriter who would write hits for other entertainers (“Shame On The Moon” for Bob Seger, “Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This” for Waylon Jennings, “Leavin’ Louisiana In The Broad Daylight” for The Oak Ridge Boys).

Songwriters who pen both lyrics and melodies can paint images with their creative phrases and tell the listeners exactly what they want them to feel and envision. However, for instrumentalists such as Gerald Albright, the music is the sole vehicle for communicating his message effectively as the artist/songwriter’s talents earned him a Grammy nomination this year for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.

What do you do when you’re 19 and have done it all? You stop. You take stock.

Alaska is not exactly the ideal place from which to launch a recording career, but that’s exactly what singer/songwriter Hobo Jim has done. The far northern wilderness has been a valuable creative resource for him in much the same way it inspired some of the best work of novelist Jack London and poet Robert Service.