BTW: Longing for the good ol' days of country duets, like George Jones and Tammy Wynette? No look further than Jesse Dayton and Brennen Leigh, who have created a honky-tonk marriage made in heaven.
"Our goal for this record was simple: make a real country duets record, like the ones I grew up on as a kid in Beaumont, Texas - George and Tammy, Conway and Loretta, Johnny and June," Dayton tells P&P, "and to turn on a new group of people who may have never heard some of these classsic records onto a country music tradition that has all but been thrown in the trash by contemporary Nashville.
"There really hasn't been a duets record like this made in a long, long time. John Prine's duets record was great, but he's not really a 'singer' per se and, sure, other great vocalists may put one duet on their record from time to time, but not a WHOLE record of duets. When I sang with Brennen for the first time, I knew we could do something that hasn't been done in a while ... make a real 'singers' record for people who like their country music real and edgy."
So how did Dayton come across Leigh? These two Texans didn't meet in their home state - they met at a country music festival in France.
"I was headlining that night and she was there playing an earlier slot on a different day," Dayton says. "There were literally 20,000 people there. I was backstage singing and she walked in like an angel and started singing harmonies with me on an old George Jones song. I asked her if she wanted to sit in with me that night and she said 'Does the band know any George and Tammy?' I told her we'd do it with just my acoustic ... long story short, the place went nuts over the duets we did that night and I immediately dropped what I was working on and started working on the duets record back in Austin.
"No offense, but I usually can't stand chick singers .... you could fill the Astrodome with pretty girls that do a passable version of 'Crazy' by Patsy Cline, but you couldn't fill the batters box with girls that are an multi-instrumentalist. Brennen plays lead guitar, fiddle, mandolin and was raised on country and bluegrass music - a schooled songwriter and a singer so pure it's undeniable. Guess it was fate that we met that night in France?"
"Back Home" (producers: Steve Mac, Jörgen Elofsson, Quiz Larossi; first single: "Home"; Hear/see here)
(U.K. - Sony BMG, Nov. 26, 2007)
Renee Zawawi
"L-E-G-E-N-D-S" (producers: Michael Guerriero, Rich Lessier; Hear/read here)
(Sapiens, LLC, Nov. 27, 2007)
BTW: When Zawawi was a young child in Philadelphia, she was abducted and taken overseas. She won't go into details, but one track off her new album - "The Wind Was Her Only Music" - addresses the loneliness she felt and her reliance on music to get her through the ordeal.
"It is a deeply personal song," she tells P&P. "I had decided that secrets are fun, but sometimes, sharing them with others can be more meaningful. I've discovered that others can learn and benefit from my own past experiences. The title of the song came about because I had sung all my life without having access to music. It either wasn't available or wasn't allowed. My voice was my only instrument."
Zawawi says there is a dual concept behind the song.
"In many Middle Eastern cultures, women hide behind veils," she says. "In Western culture, our veils are not made of fabric; they are instead an emotional shield keeping people out and our emotions inside. I wanted listeners to understand that these women that wear veils are no different than us, but they have a different belief system because that's what they were taught. Don't stereotype them for what they believe and how they live as they are no different than you and I. The woman behind a veil could be the most loving mother of her children or the most courageous leader of her people. People must never forget the truism that it isn't what we wear on the outside it is what we are on the inside that matters.
"Veils can also be an expression of ancient and contemporary beauty which is why this song talks about most sensual and exotic womanly dance ever known - belly dancing. It is movement of body and mind, dancing at night when it is dark and you are searching for a light. Ironically, our dancer disappears during the day. Even though the sun was shining brightly, she could not be seen. Not even the most brilliant light can penetrate the walls we construct from our own veils."
For "L-E-G-E-N-D-S," Zawawi aims to take listeners on a trip around the world, sharing her experiences.
"The inspiration for the album started with my own desire to answer questions about my life and my identity," she says. "I am American-born, yet far from a stereotypical American girl. In 'One Time In Italy,' I wanted to explore a new world. I found Florence, Italy, to be one of the most romantic, loving and artistic cities imaginable. The song is pure art and fantasy where the ideal man, represented by Michelangelo's sculpture of David, comes to life and falls in love with me! I am encouraging my audience to have some fun and explore a new world whether it is across the street, across the globe or just in their dreams.
"The pain of my separation from my mother was the motivation for the song 'Mah.' I searched for her my entire life and didn't find her until it was too late. She had passed away just prior to our reunion. ...' 'Children of the World' is a direct result of my own experiences of being abducted and the goal to raise funds to help children who are the victims of similar circumstances. I translated the chorus into several languages so I can speak to those children in their native tongue."
"thisisme then: The Best of Common" (enhanced; spans 1992-1997, featuring collaborations with Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Cee-Lo, etc., with four music videos)
"By the People, For the People" (live recordings, rarities, demos, plus two new tracks - "Dull Boy" and a cover of The Police's "King of Pain"; Hear here; Read here)
"FutureSex/LoveSounds [CD/DVD Deluxe Edition]" (2006 album; includes his duet with Beyoncé, "Until the End of Time," and new versions of "Sexyback" and "Sexy Ladies"; the DVD contains music videos and live performances)
(Jive, Nov. 27, 2007)
Various artists
"At Last the 1948 Show" (soundtrack to the BBC comedy series, 1967-68; starring the Goodies' Tim Brooke-Taylor, Monty Python's Graham Chapman, John Cleese and Eric Idle and Marty Feldman; Read here)
"The Judy Garland Christmas Show [DVD]" (broadcast on Dec. 22, 1963, featuring her children Lorna and Joey Luft and Liza Minnelli and guests Jack Jones and Mel Tormé)
"Elvis: The Blue Suede Collection [DVD]" (10 discs, containing the films "Jailhouse Rock," "Viva Las Vegas," "It Happened at the World's Fair," "Kissin' Cousins," "Girl Happy," "Live a Little, Love a Little," "Elvis: That's the Way It Is," "This Is Elvis")
Go next to Dec. 4, 2007