Check out Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore knocking out a few tunes from their Texicali album.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore – TexiCali
Behind blistering blues licks, TexiCali doubles as a roadtrip across Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s beloved home states and the memories within, honoring shared musical influences, friends gone too soon and all they’ve endured along the way. These folk heroes have now evolved their unbreakable bond into a fully-fledged musical and songwriting partnership.
TexiCali continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore).
Its 11 songs also connect their shared fondness for a broad range of American music forms. On their own, both have been prominent artists for decades. A philosophical songwriter with a captivating, almost mystical voice, Gilmore co-founded influential Lubbock group the Flatlanders in the early 1970s. Alvin first drew attention as a firebrand guitarist and budding young songwriter with Los Angeles roots-rockers the Blasters in the early 1980s.
They’re both quick to credit the musicians who joined them in the studio as crucial to the sound and spirit of the album. On Downey To Lubbock, they recorded primarily in Los Angeles with a crew that included ringers such as the late Don Heffington on drums and Van Dyke Parks on accordion. This time, though, Alvin’s longtime rhythm section of drummer Lisa Pankratz and bassist Brad Fordham played a larger role, along with guitarist Chris Miller and keyboardist Bukka Allen.
“After the time we spent touring, Jimmie and I became members of this band,” Alvin says. “The band can play just about anything, which the album shows off.”
TexiCali also found Alvin and Gilmore increasingly focusing on original songs. Among them are “Trying To Be Free,” which Gilmore wrote more than 50 years ago; “Southwest Chief,” a collaboration between Alvin and the late Bill Morrissey; and “Death of the Last Stripper,” which Alvin wrote with Terry Allen and his wife Jo Harvey Allen.
Get a copy of Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore's TexiCali album right here. Watch their recent KEXP performance below. Catch Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore on tour with the Guilty Ones at The Sportsmen's Tavern in Buffalo on October 25 since they're not playing Toronto on the current swing. See a list of their upcoming tour dates below and follow this link: davealvin.net/tour for tickets.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore on tour
10/22 - New York, NY - Grammy Museum at WNYC Greene Space
10/23 - Homer, NY - Center for the Arts of Homer *
10/25 - Buffalo, NY - Sportsmens Tavern *
10/26 - Pittsburg, PA - City Winery Pittsburgh *
10/27 - Charleston, WV - Mountain Stage Radio Show
Singer/songwriter Dave Alvin – who just released TexiCali album with Jimmie Dale Gilmore – will be fêted at the Ryman Sept. 18
Writes Dave Alvin...
“I’m shocked and honored by this news today. At the Ash Grove, I saw one of Rev. Gary Davis’ last performances when I was 15 years old, and I can’t believe I’m being mentioned in the same sentence as him.“ – Dave Alvin
Thank you, Americana Music Association for all your support!
AMA Announces 2024 Lifetime Achievement Honorees
The Americana Music Association has just announced this year’s Lifetime Achievement Honorees for its 23rd Annual Americana Honors & Awards show on Wednesday, September 18. This group of top-honor recipients includes Dave Alvin, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Dwight Yoakam and Don Was. This year’s honorees will be celebrated during the prestigious ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium.
Dave Alvin. From the kinetic fury of The Blasters with his brother Phil to a decades-long solo career replete with songs from the moving to the mystical, Dave Alvin has made good on his claim that he makes “both kinds of folk music – quiet and loud.” As a songwriter, poet, and producer, Alvin helped the West Coast roots and country music scene of the 1980s and 1990s become legendary. His leather jacket and famous red neck bandana tell that story as part of a major exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Downey, California, native won a Grammy for his 2000 traditional folk album, Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land. Dave Alvin's new TexiCali album recorded with Jimmie Dale Gilmore is out now. Get a copy right here. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" below.
The Blind Boys of Alabama revolutionized Black gospel music in the 1940s and 1950s with an ecstatic performance style, charismatic audience engagement, and a break from the a cappella tradition – a grooving rhythm section. Established in Talladega, Alabama, in 1939, the group adapted to their times while never crossing over into pop. Several generations of singers and leaders inspired and preserved their approach, chiefly Clarence Fountain, George Scott, Sam Butler, and Jimmy Carter. They were signed by Peter Gabriel and produced by Booker T. Jones. They toured with Tom Petty and recorded with Lou Reed. They’ve won five Grammy Awards, performed at the White House three times, and earned numerous other honours.
Rev. Gary Davis was a pioneer of the Piedmont blues tradition, singing both sacred and secular songs with a ragtime feeling and intricate guitar counterpoint. He left his South Carolina home to entertain working people in the tobacco markets of Durham, North Carolina. Later in New York, his career blossomed again as a fixture in the folk revival of the 1960s. His songs and interpretations influenced the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, Jorma Kaukonen and legions of others. Davis is the recipient of the Legacy Award presented in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM).
Shelby Lynne has steered a fiercely independent path to become one of the most respected singers and songwriting artists in American music, through her immaculate reconception of country soul. The Alabama native was working with producer Billy Sherrill and recording for Epic Records by age 21. Her breakout album I Am Shelby Lynne helped secure a Best New Artist Grammy in 2001, and her Dusty Springfield homage Just A Little Lovin’ is regarded as a classic. Her many collaborations have included timeless recordings and performances with her younger sister, Allison Moorer.
Dwight Yoakam‘s electrifying songwriting, impeccable style, and singular voice have made him one of the most revolutionary and influential country recording artists of all time. Rooted in Eastern Kentucky bluegrass and old-time music, Yoakam moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. What followed was a string of historic albums in the 1980s and ’90s that revitalized and expanded the Bakersfield and honky-tonk country traditions, earning him multiple GRAMMY Awards. His cowpunk cool blended traditional country with a modern rock sensibility, and his broad appeal transcended the core country audience, paving the way for the alt-country movement that would later evolve into Americana.
Don Was has been the longstanding bass player in the Americana Honors and Awards house band, but of course he is so much more. Indeed his career stretches the words eclectic and accomplishedinto new territory. He grew up in Detroit on blues, rock and jazz and established the pop/rock band Was (Not Was) in the 1980s. As a producer, he went supernova with major collaborations with Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson and more. Since 2012 he’s been president of the historic jazz label Blue Note Records. He’s earned five Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year.
The Americana Honors & Awards ceremony serves as the hallmark event of the association’s annual AMERICANAFEST, taking place September 17-21 in Nashville.
“This year’s Lifetime Achievement honourees represent multiple facets of American roots music. It is a privilege to recognize and celebrate the incredible careers of these artists. We look forward to another exceptional night at the Ryman Auditorium,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association and Foundation.
In addition to these Lifetime Achievement Awards, the association will honour distinguished members of the music community with six member-voted awards. View this year’s nominees here.
For more than two decades, the prestigious ceremony has celebrated pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers while featuring unforgettable moments in musical history, including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash’s last live performance together, as well as offering show-stopping appearances by k.d. lang, Van Morrison, Mavis Staples, Bob Weir, Buddy Guy, George Strait, Don Henley, the late John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes, Solomon Burke, Rosanne Cash, the late Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Irma Thomas, Levon Helm, Robert Plant and many more.
Tickets to the Americana Honors & Awards will go on sale to Silver Passholders on June 26, and association members, Festival Passholders, and the general public at a later date. AMERICANAFEST passes are on sale here. For more information on the association and AMERICANAFEST, please visit www.americanamusic.org.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore just put out their new TexiCali record today. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" below.
Here's the scoop...
Behind blistering blues licks, TexiCali doubles as a roadtrip across Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s beloved home states and the memories within, honoring shared musical influences, friends gone too soon and all they’ve endured along the way. These folk heroes have now evolved their unbreakable bond into a fully-fledged musical and songwriting partnership.
TexiCali continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore). Its 11 songs also connect their shared fondness for a broad range of American music forms. On their own, both have been prominent artists for decades. A philosophical songwriter with a captivating, almost mystical voice, Gilmore co-founded influential Lubbock group the Flatlanders in the early 1970s. Alvin first drew attention as a firebrand guitarist and budding young songwriter with Los Angeles roots-rockers the Blasters in the early 1980s.
They’re both quick to credit the musicians who joined them in the studio as crucial to the sound and spirit of the album. On Downey To Lubbock, they recorded primarily in Los Angeles with a crew that included ringers such as the late Don Heffington on drums and Van Dyke Parks on accordion. This time, though, Alvin’s longtime rhythm section of drummer Lisa Pankratz and bassist Brad Fordham played a larger role, along with guitarist Chris Miller and keyboardist Bukka Allen.
“After the time we spent touring, Jimmie and I became members of this band,” Alvin says. “The band can play just about anything, which the album shows off.”
TexiCali also found Alvin and Gilmore increasingly focusing on original songs. Among them are “Trying To Be Free,” which Gilmore wrote more than 50 years ago; “Southwest Chief,” a collaboration between Alvin and the late Bill Morrissey; and “Death of the Last Stripper,” which Alvin wrote with Terry Allen and his wife Jo Harvey Allen.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore's new album TexiCali is out today (June 21st) via Yep Roc Records – get a copy right here. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" along with an audio clip of "Southwest Chief" following the track listing below.
