By Jim Dyar

Thursday, February 7, 2008

It's actually an excellent dilemma to have. I've recently discovered three fine albums of American roots music. And my iPod must be wondering if I've forgotten the hundreds of other albums I apparently have on there.

Lucinda Williams' "West," Merle Haggard's "The Bluegrass Sessions," and Levon Helm's "Dirt Farmer" are all singular expressions created by collections of musicians with true vision.

It's also a dilemma to try to define these recordings. "American roots" is a nice broad description, but what does that mean exactly? Are they country? Bluegrass? Blues? Folk?

They're all those things, actually. They're collections of songs by uncompromising artists who draw from a wide array of musical influence and express themselves with a completely individualistic stamp. Here's a quick overview of the albums:

On Williams' "West," there are 13 new songs that explore the emotional scars (and sometimes joys) of relationships. Williams has always done this in her raw way, but here she's at the height of her powers.

Lyrically, she's as strong as anyone in the game. On the tune "Mama You Sweet" she writes:

And tears hand me a shovel/

Saying break beneath the crust/

That binds earthly skin/

And buries all the trust/

Somehow trust was caught/

Between the cracks on my lips/

And the scars in my heart/

And this burden on my hips/

Williams spent a good portion of her songwriting life guarding and refining a limited number of tunes. She was actually broke at age 40 when Mary Chapin Carpenter recorded her tune "Passionate Kisses." Once she was finally discovered, people like Emmylou Harris and Tom Petty started diving into her catalog and finding the gold nuggets.

Williams' gems on "West" are filled with so much honesty, emotion and individuality. The album proves her songwriting chops are as solid as ever. Her voice remains a perfectly weathered, wonderfully captivating instrument.

I sometimes wonder if there's anything but broken lovers and pain in her world. But she writes what is real for her and that translates into songs that are gritty and memorable.

Haggard's "Bluegrass Sessions" is a fruitful collaboration with ace players like Marty Stuart, Rob Ickes and Carl Jackson.

The album is worth it for Stuart's mandolin and Ickes' dobro playing alone. But sweet elements like Alison Krauss' harmony vocal on "Mama's Hungry Eyes," and Scott Joss's twin fiddle with Aubrey Haynie on "Big City" and "Mama's Prayers," certainly don't hurt.

Mixed in with some of Hag's classics are an assortment of new tunes which are about as good as anything he's ever written. In addition to "Mama's Prayers," the new jewels include "Learning to Live with Myself," "Wouldn't That be Something," "What Happened?" and "Pray."

"Pray" is a simple gospel tune that completely blows my mind. The instrumentation mixed with Haggard's amazing voice make it an instant classic.

It's easy to underestimate our famous Shasta County neighbor, but read Stuart's liner notes to get an idea for the respect he still commands. And keep in mind, Stuart is an absolute monster talent. Make no mistake, Hag still cares about the craft as much as ever.

Finally, Levon Helm's "Dirt Farmer," produced by wizard instrumentalist Larry Campbell, is simply a record I can't get enough of.

It's the first solo work by Helm in 25 years. (An Arkansas farm boy, he was the lone American in The Band, its drummer and soulful singer behind such tunes as "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Weight," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."

This album is defined by his singular voice (nearly as strong as ever in his recovery from throat cancer), brilliantly sparse acoustic instrumentation, and goose-bump-inducing harmony vocals by people like Teresa Williams (Campbell's wife), Amy Helm (Levon's daughter) and Buddy and Julie Miller (the sublime songwriting tandem whose "Wide River to Cross" appears on the record).

There are five traditional tunes on the record, including sensational versions of "False Hearted Lover Blues" and "Poor Old Dirt Farmer." Other gems include Steve Earle's "The Mountain," J.B. Lenoir's "Feelin' Good," and Paul Kennerley's "Got Me a Woman" and "A Train Robbery."

What a pleasurable return for Helm and gem of a creation by Campbell, a former Bob Dylan sideman who is currently touring with Phil Lesh and Friends.

...

Speaking of Dylan, the North State Songwriters Group will present a concert of the icon's music starting at 7 p.m. Saturday at Little Filly's Pizza, 22047 Palo Way in Palo Cedro. The songwriters will be playing Dylan tunes and their own songs.