Pictured: Jason Isbell, Buddy Miller, Sturgill Simpson and The Milk Carton Kids. Photo: Getty Images for Americana Music
BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 469
Clocking in at over three hours in length, the 2014 Americana Music Honors & Awards show was a rich pageant of sounds.
Staged at the Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday (9/17), the event featured one musical monument after another. Grand slam winner Jason Isbell (Artist, Album and Song of the Year) was soul drenched on a searing, scorching, slow-burn performance of “Cover Me Up.”
After Lifetime Performance Achievement winner Taj Mahal rolled charismatically through “Statesboro Blues,” the audience erupted in an ovation. The crowd’s sustained standing cheers for Lifetime Songwriting winner Loretta Lynn went on so long that she could barely leave the stage after singing “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller perform. Photo: Getty Images
Lifetime Instrumentalist honoree Flaco Jimenez teamed up with Ry Cooder on the lovely, lilting waltz “Ingrato Amor.” Group of the Year winners The Milk Carton Kids performed their transfixing, hushed ballad “Snake Eyes” accompanied by their rippling twin acoustic guitars.
The President’s Award went to Jimmie Rodgers. Marty Stuart & The Fabulous Superlatives saluted him by giving a rockabilly kick to “No Hard Time Blues.” Emerging Artist winner Sturgill Simpson was at his country-rocking best on “Life of Sin.”
Other highlights included Rodney Crowell’s prayer-like ballad “God I’m Missing You,” Parker Millsap’s intense tenor vocal on “Truckstop Gospel,” Rosanne Cash’s swampy “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” The Devil Makes Three’s rollicking “Hand Out Now,” Valerie June’s saucy “You Can’t Be Told,” Cassandra Wilson’s sultry “I Want To Be Loved,” Patty Griffin & Robert Plant’s hypnotic “Ohio” and Robert Ellis’s breezy yet downbeat “Only Lies.”
“What a night, huh?” said the Americana Music Association’s Jed Hilly. “I think I have the best job in the world…This night is about great music.”
Show emcee Jim Lauderdale and his pal of 34 years, Buddy Miller, kicked the evening off with a rocking rendition of Bo Diddley’s “You Can’t Judge a Book By the Cover.” Buddy, who led the house band, later won the Instrumentalist of the Year award.
The evening’s big winner Jason Isbell shows off his three honors backstage. Photo: Getty Images
Kacey Musgraves and Angaleena Presley presented Loretta’s award. “We all owe a huge debt to the women who came before us,” said Kacey. “We might cry giving this award.” Added Angaleena, “Fifty-four years ago today, she graced this stage for the first time….On behalf of every woman who ever sang or wrote a country song, we present this award to Loretta Lynn.”
“When they told me I was gonna get this award, I said, ‘You’ve got the wrong one,’” said Loretta. “I was so proud when I found out they were right.” Her bus was outside the Ryman, loaded and ready to take her to a concert in Iowa.
Following Hooray for the Riff Raff’s performance of “The Body Electric,” Vince Gill and Carlene Carter presented Buddy Miller with his honor. “I can’t tell you how foolish I feel accepting an award from Vince Gill and being on the same stage with Ry Cooder,” said Buddy. “I don’t deserve this, but thank you.”
Keb’ Mo’ was clearly thrilled to be honoring Taj Mahal. “I can’t believe I get to do this,” he said. “He was ‘world music’ before there was such a thing.”
“You can’t imagine how good this does my heart,” said Taj. “This is a Big One for me.”
Jason Isbell’s first trip to the podium was for “Cover Me Up” as Song of the Year. “I wrote this song for my wife [fellow performer Amanda Shires],” said Jason. “It’s probably the hardest song I ever had to write. Do the things that scare ya: That’s the good stuff.”
The laconic folk rock of Hard Working Americans was followed by the Appalachian moan of Sarah Jarosz. “What a thrill it is to be part of this magical evening,” Sarah commented. Next up was the blue-eyed soul band from Birmingham, St. Paul & The Broken Bones.
Loretta Lynn and Angaleena Presley on the Americana Music Awards & Honors red carpet. Photo: Getty Images.
Marty Stuart carried Jimmie Rodgers’s iconic railroad lantern onto the stage. It was given to him by the late Hank Snow. Marty promised the crowd that Jimmie’s honor will have a place of honor. “This award will live in the Jimmie Rodgers Museum in Meridian, Mississippi,” he said. “Go and visit.”
Jason Isbell returned to collect his Artist of the Year trophy. “Anybody who bought the record or came to a show, thank you for that,” he said. “It’s been a great year.” He also pointed out that the show was occurring on Hank Williams’s birthday.
When his Southeastern won the Album honor, he brought producer Dave Cobb to the stage. “I think the folks who are in this room make the best music in Nashville, which is to say, the best music in the world,” said Jason. “And I’m very proud to be a member of that family.”
Jackson Browne was given the Spirit of Americana Free Speech in Music Award. He said, “It’s part of the American character to say what you believe.” Then he did just that in song.
The show’s finale was Johnny Cash’s “Get Rhythm,” led by Rosanne Cash and Ry Cooder and featuring the Broken Bones, Jason Isbell, Jim Lauderdale and more joining in celebration.
The evening’s award presenters included Lucinda Williams, Elizabeth Cook, Shovels & Rope, J.D. Souther, Joe Henry, Emmylou Harris, John Paul White, Paul Thorn, Amy Ray and Josh Ritter. Joining Buddy and Ry in the house band were Brady Blade, Don Was, Joachim Cooder, Tim Lauer and The McCrary Sisters.
Hurray for the Riff Raff performs. Photo: Getty Images
Wednesday’s Ryman event was the centerpiece of the annual Americana convention. It has a record-setting 1,900 registrants this year. Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, the AMA currently boasts more than 2,000 members. That is nearly double the number it had two years ago.
Among them, presumably, are such Ryman attendees as Tim Fink, Erika Wollam-Nichols, Sheila Lawrence, Katharine Richardson, Holly George-Warren, Michael McCall, Al Moss, Geoff Himes, Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White, John Lomax III, Craig Hayes, Don Cusic, Bill Wence, Suzy Bogguss & Doug Crider, Brian Mansfield, Michelle Goble, Kathy Russ, Jay Orr and Byron Hill.
The show was streamed live on NPRmusic.org and carried on Sirius/XM’s Outlaw radio channel. It will be edited to become an episode of Austin City Limits on PBS on Nov. 22.
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