DUE SEPTEMBER 4, 2015, GORDON'S SPLIT ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC RECORD IMMERSED IN SOUTHERN CULTURE
Songwriter Kevin Gordon fills his newest album, 'Long Gone Time,' with
the sounds and stories of the American South, pulling heavily from his
own upbringing in Louisiana — as well as his acclaimed collection of
folk art — for inspiration.
Called a "juke-joint professor emeritus" by Rolling Stone, Gordon has
spent the past twenty years making swampy, bluesy music that bridges the
gap between old and new, with one foot planted in his influences and
the other inching toward something new. At the same time, he's also
boosted his connection to the culture through his work as a folk art
collector.
For Gordon, those two passions — making music and collecting folk art — have gone hand in hand. Released September 4th,
'Long Gone Time" continues his immersion in southern culture. The album
was produced by Joe V. McMahan, features guitar by Bo Ramsey, and was
recorded live, with Gordon splitting the album into an even mix of
acoustic tracks and full-band performances.
Gordon has served as curator of the Nashville-based Gordon Gallery for
years. Three months before the release of 'Long Gone Time,' he also
staged an art show at the nearby Riverwood Mansion in Nashville. The
exhibit, which was previewed in an article by 'Nashville Arts,' included
selections from his folk art collection, as well as live performances
from Gordon himself. "[I was reading] a survey of folk art from the
South from 1930 to 1980, and I was fascinated. There were short
biographies of all the artists, and I just got eaten up," Gordon says in
the article, adding that he began cultivating personal relationships
with a few of the folk artists who made appearances in the book.
Although folk art has always been a strong muse for the Americana/rock
& roll songwriter, Gordon's own has inspired other artists, too,
with musicians like Levon Helm, Keith Richards, Todd Snider, and Irma
Thomas all recording his songs. Last week, NPR World Cafe broadcasted
“GTO” and “Crowville” from the new album on its national show. Listen to
it here.
Showing posts with label folk art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label folk art. Show all posts
Monday, July 27, 2015
Thursday, November 10, 2011
SONGWRITER KEVIN GORDON BRINGS AFRICAN-AMERICAN QUILTER TO LIFE WITH "PECOLIA'S STAR" FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM 'GLORYLAND' (FEB 14 / CROWVILLE MEDIA)
GORDON ALSO CURATES THE GORDON GALLERY IN NASHVILLE, TN
When master songwriter Kevin Gordon read folklorist and University of North Carolina professor William Ferris' book "Local Color," he was particularly struck by the oral history of Yazoo City, MS quilter Pecolia Warner. "Things she says in there about creativity, art and the spirit, really got to me," he says.
Warner was born in 1901 in Rose Hill, MS, only some 250 miles from Gordon's birthplace in northern Louisiana.
Gordon chose to tell her story in the first person in his song "Pecolia's Star," named for her favorite quilting design, in some cases using her words and phrases for his lyrics. He draws out the metaphors of a quilt in creating community, tying together kinship bonds, and the comfort of faith for a woman who faced economic struggles as a sharecropper.
"I was raised up in the fields, hard work
Was just like breathing
Knowing nothing else
Wanting nothing more
Like morning brings the day, summer sun
Brought the cool of the evening
I’d watch the women sew and sing
Behind an old screen door…
Yes, I’ve been on that hill, a long time
I don’t never want for nothing, or nowhere
Stay right here with my people
Just give me Mississippi
You can have all the rest
As long as I can see, I’ll be
Trying to thread that needle
With my mind on the Maker
Working to do my best"
"Pecolia's Star" isn't Gordon's only interaction with folk art. He also curates the Gordon Gallery in Nashville, TN, focusing on folk and outsider artists. Gordon says, "I found this work, with its immediacy, inventiveness, and singular power, being made outside of an academy or career track, to be a source of renewal and revelation after two years of graduate study in poetry at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop."
The Bug Music artist – the southern rock and roll songwriter who has been covered by Keith Richards, Levon Helm, and Irma Thomas and who has recorded a duet with Lucinda Williams – will release 'Gloryland' (February 14 / Crowville Media), his first new album in 7 years.
Of Gordon's music, Buddy Miller said, "It reminds me of why I love music. I get transported to a beautiful, strange, familiar place. It's where the best music comes from. Deep and soulful." No Depression has called Gordon's music “dirty and beautiful." All Music Guide said, "Kevin Gordon has earned the reputation as a storytelling leader." Entertainment Weekly said, "He evokes the scorching guitar intensity of Springsteen."
When master songwriter Kevin Gordon read folklorist and University of North Carolina professor William Ferris' book "Local Color," he was particularly struck by the oral history of Yazoo City, MS quilter Pecolia Warner. "Things she says in there about creativity, art and the spirit, really got to me," he says.
Warner was born in 1901 in Rose Hill, MS, only some 250 miles from Gordon's birthplace in northern Louisiana.
Gordon chose to tell her story in the first person in his song "Pecolia's Star," named for her favorite quilting design, in some cases using her words and phrases for his lyrics. He draws out the metaphors of a quilt in creating community, tying together kinship bonds, and the comfort of faith for a woman who faced economic struggles as a sharecropper.
"I was raised up in the fields, hard work
Was just like breathing
Knowing nothing else
Wanting nothing more
Like morning brings the day, summer sun
Brought the cool of the evening
I’d watch the women sew and sing
Behind an old screen door…
Yes, I’ve been on that hill, a long time
I don’t never want for nothing, or nowhere
Stay right here with my people
Just give me Mississippi
You can have all the rest
As long as I can see, I’ll be
Trying to thread that needle
With my mind on the Maker
Working to do my best"
"Pecolia's Star" isn't Gordon's only interaction with folk art. He also curates the Gordon Gallery in Nashville, TN, focusing on folk and outsider artists. Gordon says, "I found this work, with its immediacy, inventiveness, and singular power, being made outside of an academy or career track, to be a source of renewal and revelation after two years of graduate study in poetry at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop."
The Bug Music artist – the southern rock and roll songwriter who has been covered by Keith Richards, Levon Helm, and Irma Thomas and who has recorded a duet with Lucinda Williams – will release 'Gloryland' (February 14 / Crowville Media), his first new album in 7 years.
Of Gordon's music, Buddy Miller said, "It reminds me of why I love music. I get transported to a beautiful, strange, familiar place. It's where the best music comes from. Deep and soulful." No Depression has called Gordon's music “dirty and beautiful." All Music Guide said, "Kevin Gordon has earned the reputation as a storytelling leader." Entertainment Weekly said, "He evokes the scorching guitar intensity of Springsteen."
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