Portraits

Tony Joe White On Performing, The White Stripes, and <em>Shine</em>

Tony Joe White On Performing, The White Stripes, and Shine(2)

September 29, 2010

A young woman dances seductively in front of Tony Joe White at the Exit/In in Nashville, Tennessee. She extends her arm, snaps photos and videos on her cell phone just inches from his face. But the Swamp Fox doesn’t seem to mind. Tony Joe White’s music has a grinding, sexual heat, and his fans tend [...]

Tony Joe White On Performing, The White Stripes, and Shine

Raul Malo: The Liberated Songwriter

On Raul Malo’s upcoming album, out September 28 on Fantasy Records, he’s bringing with him a realization he’s come to over the years. “I think a lot of us pretend to be in the black or the white and live in absolute, but I don’t think life is that simple” Malo said. “Life is far [...]

It’s Hard To Write A Great Country Song: A Q&A With Marty Stuart

For country stalwart Marty Stuart’s 14th studio album, he returned to his roots, both figuratively and literally. Stuart aimed to bring back the traditional country music sound and style that’s delighted him since childhood, and picked the legendary RCA Studio B in Nashville, where he launched his career as a 13-year old mandolin player for [...]

Vance Gilbert: A Black Musician In A Folk World

“Less brisket, more chicken wing!” A Tuesday in early August, Vance Gilbert shows up to his workshop at the Lyons, Colorado Song School complaining about getting older and living half a life on the road. “Singing is an athletic event. I mean look at what you’re doing. You’re working this whole stage,” he shouts. Earlier, [...]