Larry Groce interviews Ricky McKinnie Backstage at Mountain Stage
This week’s broadcast of Mountain Stage features the
legendary Blind Boys of Alabama, Bell X-1, Marti Jones & Don Dixon,
Amy LaVere, and Tristen; recorded live at the West
Virginia University Creative
Arts Center.
After singing quartet-style gospel together for more than 65
years, The Blind Boys of Alabama need little introduction. They recently
released Take the High Road, their first ever album of country tunes, featuring
collaborations with Hank Williams Jr., Vince Gill and others. Their rousing, soulful
performance brought -- and kept -- this Mountain Stage audience on its feet for nearly their entire set.
You can catch a preview of the Blind Boys exciting Mountain Stage appearance right now, via our Song Of The Week: Jesus Built a Bridge to Heaven.
Bell X1, Backstage at Mountain Stage
Second only to U2 as Ireland’s
most popular rock band, sophisticated indie rockers Bell X1 evoke early Radiohead, Coldplay and the Talking Heads. With two guitar
players pulling double duty on keyboards and laptop computers, Bell X1
creates melodic rock that is layered and complex, but completely
uncluttered. Their most recent record is Bloodless Coup.
Marti Jones and Don Dixon, Backstage at Mountain Stage
After hearing husband and wife duo Marti Jones and Don Dixon,
you will understand why they’ve earned a reputation as the first family of
jangle-pop. Dixon has produced
bands ranging from R.E.M. and the Smithereens to James McMurtry, and spent much
of the last two years playing bass in Mary Chapin Carpenter’s touring band.
Marti
Jones' (who is also an accomplished painter) music career began with the
Ohio-based band Color Me Gone, and has continued with a string of solo releases
and a tour with singer-songwriter Amy Rigby in 2005. The duo’s album of duets
is called Living Stereo.
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Brian Blauser Amy LaVere performs live on Mountain Stage |
Singer/songwriter and upright bassist Amy LaVere was born near
the Texas and Louisiana
border, and moved 13 times before she finished high school in Detroit.
After stops in Louisiana and Nashville,
LaVere settled in Memphis, where
she began to perform as a solo artist.
She played with pioneering rockabilly femme
Wanda Jackson in Walk the Line and appeared in the film Black Snake
Moan. Her forthcoming record Stranger
Me (available July 19) was produced by Craig Silvey, who also produced
Arcade Fire’s Grammy winning release The Suburbs.
Tristen, Backstage at Mountain Stage