CMT Blog: Patty Griffin

You may not have heard of Armie Hammer, the young actor who portrays Billy Graham in Billy: The Early Years, but you’ve certainly heard of the country singers who contributed to the new film. Brooks & Dunn, Sara Evans, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley and Josh Turner are spotlighted on the soundtrack, along with several contemporary Christian and bluegrass artists. And there’s no mistaking the octave-jumping voice of Roy Orbison, who was a longtime Nashville resident. The film doesn’t come out nationally until Friday, but already, Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, isn’t altogether satisfied with it.

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Alan Jackson has written a melody to a poem written by Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth Graham, and recorded it for the soundtrack for the upcoming biopic, Billy: The Early Years. Jackson first saw the poem in Billy Graham’s autobiography and set it to music - but he’s not the one singing “Ruth’s Prayer” on the soundtrack. That honor goes to Patty Griffin, an estimable songwriter in her own right. And both of those musicians have other credits on the album, too.

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I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve spent at home with a bottle of red wine and a Patty Griffin album. Back in the day, that was my favorite way to cope with all the angst. Thank goodness I’m out of the woods now, but I thought about those rougher times last night when I was at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, Calif., where she was performing at their small amphitheater. If you love her like I do, you’ll be overjoyed to know that she’s got a handful of new songs - and she said she’s been listening to a lot of country music these days, including George Strait, Tom T. Hall and Lefty Frizzell.

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You know that moment on a road trip when the other person totally opens up and starts talking about stuff that you’d never bring up otherwise? That’s kind of how I feel about Catherine MacLellan’s album, Church Bell Blues. She’s an excellent road trip companion, even if she’s just a voice coming out of the stereo. I found myself really listening to what she was saying - or should I say, singing about - and I never minded hearing those same stories again and again. Like my favorite songwriters, her own bad decisions aren’t off limits. As Shawn Colvin once wrote, “Friends say, ‘Well, you know, you got a song out of it.’”

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It doesn’t get much better than hearing live bluegrass, sitting under the sun, camping out, and maybe hitting up a nearby river for a dip. If work commitments and travel expenses didn’t exist, here’s how I’d spend July.

Grey Fox Bluegrass — (July 17-20 in Oak Hill, N.Y.) How I wish I could go this year! Hot Rize will be performing, celebrating a 30-year anniversary. I could really go for some “Coleen Malone” right about now. And for you hardcore Hot Rize fans, there will even be a set by Red Knuckles & The Trailblazers. Seeing Bryan Sutton dressed in true Trailblazer attire while playing some intense bluegrass is an incredible sighting, let me tell ya. All-girl old-time string band Uncle Earl will also make one of their few appearances of 2008 here, and so will the Infamous Stringdusters.

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Last year a good friend of mine took a trip on a cruise ship, and he still claims it was the greatest vacation he’s ever taken. I was tempted to join him at the time, but a run of gigs was booked and that put an end to that fantasy. Well, now that dream will become reality in February/March 2009, because The Greencards have been booked on the Cayamo Cruise, ‘A Journey Through Song’ — a cruise liner packed with incredible artists like Lyle Lovett, Patty Griffin, Joe Ely and others… and I’ll be there in my shorts getting some sun on these English-white legs!

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More and more, the success of music producers is governed by whether or not they own a studio. Some of my favorite producers in Nashville operate starkly and simply in very modest environments, but from the sound of the records you would never guess. For example, Neilson Hubbard is a producer in East Nashville (the hip part of town in case you didn’t know) who built a small studio in his back garden and has produced some great records including Kate York’s Sadly Love and Matthew Perryman Jones’s Throwing Punches In the Dark. You wouldn’t know these records came out of a studio roughly the same size as the average American living room.

One of my favorite records of all time, Patty Griffin’s Thousand Kisses, comes from such a humble place it is almost unbelievable. The producer, Doug Lancio, recorded this in his basement and when I visited him for the first time I couldn’t believe how comfortable it felt. He has all the expensive gear, but other than that it feels like you’re in someone’s living room. Just listen to the opening track of Patty’s record and you can feel the intimacy of Doug’s home. You can’t manufacture that in a high fidelity studio.

The producer of a record should be like the skipper of a ship - not always hands-on, but making decisions that are the difference between life and death. In these days of declining sales and falling budgets, record companies are turning to producers who own their own studio to bring the record in under budget. In other words, you might be a great skipper, but you ain’t going far if you don’t own your own ship.

When I was in Atlanta last month, I made it a point to stop by the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. It’s hard to explain, but I feel like it’s important to check in every once in a while. I wasn’t alive when the civil rights movement was burgeoning, but I don’t want to forget the sacrifices and the protests led by a very brave man, killed because he stood up for his beliefs.

One of the most empowering songs I’ve ever heard is called “Up to the Mountain” by Patty Griffin. In it, she explores the burdens we all encounter, the resolve it takes to get through, and the rewards that make it all worth it. So far, it’s been recorded at least three times – by Solomon Burke, Kelly Clarkson and Griffin herself. All three versions will take your breath away. I am grateful to have heard all three performers sing these live, and every time, the whole room went completely silent. You’d think it was a real protest song from the 1960s, and what I wouldn’t give to hear Mavis Staples belt this one out. Griffin says she was inspired to write the song after discovering a speech given by King in Memphis in 1968, titled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”

I am particularly moved by this passage from King’s speech:

“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!”

Dr. King and his wife are laid to rest in a concrete tomb in the middle of a reflecting pool in downtown Atlanta. He was born just up the street and preached at the nearby historic Ebenezer Baptist Church before taking his message across the South. Shotgun homes that were standing in the 1960s have avoided the fate of developers, and if it weren’t for the massive new Ebenezer Baptist Church, the area would look largely untouched by time. But in a way, it’s also incredibly important to recognize that times have certainly changed.

All year long, I listen to every CD that comes my way – so you don’t have to! Anyway, here’s a list of songs I couldn’t get enough of in 2007, and the reasons why.

1. “Missing You,” Alison Krauss & John Waite – Something about the way he sings the line “You don’t know how desperate I’ve become…”

2. “The Story,” Brandi Carlile – You know that part where she kind of screams? I love that.

3. “Hard Edges,” Chris Knight – A little girl’s dreams of becoming a dancer come true, sort of.

4. “Talking in Your Sleep,” Crystal Gayle – I was late to find this classic. Even when he’s asleep, he can’t say the right thing.

5. “In a Perfect World,” Gene Watson – With so many things going wrong for him, you’ll feel better about your own life.

6. “Falling Slowly,” Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – My favorite song from my favorite scene in my favorite movie, Once.

7. “Love is a Battlefield,” Jann Arden – I was always too busy finger-snapping on Pat Benatar’s version to realize what a heavy, intense lyric this has.

8. “Pistol Packin’ Mama,” John Prine & Mac Wiseman – Cracks me up every time, and I get a kick out of whoever’s wailing in the background.

9. “Right Moves,” Josh Ritter – I was giving a friend a ride home one night and she said, “Who is this? I like it!” Me too. A great groove.

10. “Your Next Lover,” Lori McKenna – “She puts her pocketbook down and smiles at you” … and you know this isn’t going to turn out well.

11. “Let the Music Get Down in Your Soul,” Marc Broussard – It’s a remake but advice like this never goes out of style.

12. “The Calling,” Mary Chapin Carpenter – Some things you just don’t have control over. It’s OK to embrace those things.

13. “People Change,” Nick Lowe – He’s right, of course, but only a randy chap like Nick can tell a story like this.

14. “Someone Somewhere Tonight”, Pam Tillis – She’s still got it. A fine reminder that the great circle of life goes on.

15. “Heavenly Day,” Patty Griffin – An upbeat love song about her dog!

16. “Because of You,” Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson – My friend cries every time she hears this because it reminds her of her dad.

17. “Follow the Lights,” Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Such words of encouragement are always welcome.

18. “Fallen,” Storyhill – They sing, “This year the winter will not break me,” and I always think, “Me neither, I hope.”

19. “If You Leave Me Now,” Suzy Bogguss – With her pristine voice, this Chicago oldie sounds like a whole new song.

20. “Don’t Ask Me to Be Friends” (bonus track), Teddy Thompson – If you really don’t want to be friends after a breakup, please don’t pretend otherwise.

21. “This is Me You’re Talking To,” Trisha Yearwood – It’s inevitable that you’ll run into old flames in Nashville. What can I say? This song gets it just right.

What a week! I have been in Nashville for about 12 days. We have the CMA parties tonight, and then I’m on the plane and back in Texas by 3 tomorrow. Mexican food, here I come. Hehehe!!

Seriously, though, I have had such a great time. I played the Ryman Auditorium TWICE in a 48-hour period. That was a breathtaking experience. We played at the Americana Music Honors on Thursday night and at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday! The AMA show had so many people on the bill that I had “back”-stage fright. As I was getting ready to go on, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs and Rodney Crowell were standing right beside me. I got to hang with some of my old friends that I haven’t seen in a while and I got the ultimate chance to gherm too. The girls from Uncle Earl and my Memphis friend, Amy Lavere, were all there…. Gurf Morlix, Bruce Hornsby, Old Crow Medicine Show, Todd Snider, Patty Griffin, Jim Lauderdale, The Greencards, Darrell Scott, Elizabeth Cook, Tim Carroll, Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, Verlon Thompson and Guy Clark, and the list goes on…. Buddy Miller, one of the best songwriters, singers, and guitar players in the world played guitar and sang harmonies with me. I KNOW!! It was totally awesome! Here are some photos from the ceremony.

There were showcases all over town, and some of the shows I’ve seen a million times, but with others, I was completely blown away! There’s a guy that plays bass with Shooter Jennings named Ted Russell Kamp. He’s ROCK AND ROLL, baby!! Anyone that knows me knows that I pretty much only listen to country, but I got every CD he has made, and was sitting there with my jaw on the floor during his entire set. He was unbelievable!

This has been a long, long week, but it’s been a great time!! Saturday night, on the Opry (yes, as in the Grand Ole), I was singing an old country song, and I look over and Vince Gill is in the wings on stage left, looking at me, and Ralph Stanley was in the wings on stage right. Talk about nervous. I was about to DIE! They turned the whole performance into a Porter Wagoner tribute, so at the end of the show, everyone (Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Patty Loveless) went out on stage and sang “Go Rest High on that Mountain” for Porter. It was a beautiful sight and sound. I had chill bumps pretty much the entire night!

I’m sending out good wishes to my labelmate, Taylor Swift for tonight’s CMA awards show! She’s nominated for the Horizon Award, and I’m betting zero to nothing that she’s taking home the grand prize. GO GIRL!

Guacamole and queso are calling my name!!