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.
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