Recently DD (DivaDevotee) suggested I might want to write a bit about "acoustic" music for this blog. Flattering as that suggestion was, it was also a daunting one.
I mean, where to start about a scene which runs from traditional bluegrass harmony singing like this...
Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless - Daniel Prayed
Through top notch instrumentals:
Peter Rowan, Tony Rice - Shady Grove
Through people blending in other musical roots, sometimes even from China:
Abigail Washburn - Bring Me My Queen
To teenage singer/songwriter/multi instrumentalists who, besides producing their own material, deliver such emotionally powerful performances like these:
Sarah Jarosz- Simple Twist of Fate
Ruby Jane - Summertime
And that's not even getting into the wider scene of Americana, a mostly acoustic blend of all kinds of American Roots music. Ranging from:
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant- Gone,gone,gone
through...
Brandi Carlile- Dreams
through...
Shelby Lynne- Johnny Met June
to...
The Civil Wars- From this Valley
All of these are of course picks from amongst my own favourite artists and because this is officially a blog about Divas, I tried to focus on female ones at that. But I do want to just throw the names of such male artists like Steve Earle,Justin Townes Earle, Darell Scott, Amos Lee out there.
Well, I hope this piece might inspire some to also discover and explore a whole big music scene seldom played or mentioned in mainstream media.
I for one, found great pleasure in discovering this world filled with people dedicated to music. pure, honest, from the heart, skilful and always performed live.
Opie
