Post by Doug on Jan 17, 2006 9:53:12 GMT -5
Before the Myrtle Beach concert on 1/15...See www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/entertainment/13616282.htm
A legend of bluegrass
Jerry Douglas talks about life in music
By Kristi Singer
For The Sun News
Who the heck is Jerry Douglas? Some ticket holders to the sold-out Alison Krauss & Union Station show Sunday at The Palace Theatre may be wondering why the show is billed as Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas.
So who is this Douglas guy?
Well, he's been called the "Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Parker of acoustic music" and was awarded the Country Music Association's Musician of the Year award in 2005. He's won nine Grammy Awards and is nominated for an additional four this year.
Douglas has played on more than 1,500 albums, including releases by Garth Brooks, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Reba McEntire and the late Ray Charles. His multifaceted musicianship has earned him memberships in groups such as the Whites, J.D. Crowe & the New South, the Country Gentlemen, Strength in Numbers and of course Alison Krauss & Union Station.
"I doubt that there is a dobro guitar player alive in the bluegrass world who hasn't been influenced by him," said Dan Hays, executive director of the International Bluegrass Music Association. "That may sound like an overstatement, but I'm confident in saying that he's one of the most notable dobro players in the world."
"Jerry also has played a unique role of not only influencing bluegrass music, but music in general," Hays said. "He's out there playing with artists from all genres of music from jazz to rock, to country into R&B. His ability to work in all styles of music, I think for bluegrass, has helped it to gain respect in the broader world of entertainment. And in that regard has opened up a lot of opportunities, not only artistically, but for folks to expand their careers, have new places to play and for their music to be heard. He's a great ambassador."
Kicks! had the chance to speak with Douglas this week in a phone interview from his Nashville, Tenn., home.
Question | So why is the show billed as Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas?
Answer | When I joined AKUS I had my own solo career going, so I think it involved bringing all the audiences together, to piggyback my audience onto the already existing one of AKUS. It also keeps me out of the anonymity of when you join a group you sort of disappear into the fabric of it. And that's fine, I'm a band member in every way. It's just to keep my solo career alive at the same time. It's pretty commonly done and also they wanted to do it because they all kind of came up listening to me in different bands. It's a lot of words to put on a marquee, but everyone understands it.
Q | When did you officially join Union Station?
A | '98. This is my eighth year in the band. It's flown by - it doesn't seem that long at all. Everything's happened so fast for the band. They say strike while the iron is hot, and the iron's been hot for a long time. We're the happiest bunch of people I've ever worked with - the crew, the band, everybody. It's a really great situation. Everybody's happy all the time. You don't see anyone with sour faces walking around. Everybody's happy doing what they're doing.
Q | How did you first come to join AKUS?
A | I've known Alison since she was 14. I produced one of her first big records, and I've played on most of the records through the years. I played on her first record, produced her second record and then worked on all the band records up to when I joined, except there's one I didn't play on. The compilation CD, I'm on most of the cuts on that. So, when Adam Steppy, who played mandolin in the band, when he decided to quit they didn't know what they were going to do. They thought they would try something different and tour for the summer, then figure out what they were going to do after that. So they called me to see if I would go out for the summer. I was doing lots of sessions at the time here in Nashville, but I agreed to go out and do the summer and about halfway through the summer they all ganged up around me and asked me if I would stay and make it official.
Q | They ganged up on you?
A | It really did look that way. We were on the bus and they all looked at me at the same time. I didn't know what was going to happen! I didn't think they were going to fire me, I just didn't know what they were up to. It was a really a nice situation. I've been completely happy, and I'm a band guy - I love being in this band.
Q | Which do you enjoy more - your solo career or being a part of AKUS?
A | I like having both worlds. I'm really enjoying this band, and I think that's what I enjoy the most. It's an all around good situation. It's a tight organization, everyone does what they're supposed to do, and it runs really smooth. There's a lot of security in that.
Everything goes off like it's supposed to. And it makes the music better. All we have to think about is playing and that's what it's supposed to be like. Going out and doing my solo stuff is not always as predictable. Having a solo career is like being on vacation, and coming back to the band is like coming home.
Q | What material will be played on this upcoming tour with AKUS?
A | We're still touring the current record, "Lonely Runs Both Ways," so a major portion of the songs will be from that record. But it will be a mixed bag of all the records we've had in the past and all the accessible songs people know off the radio. We'll give people what they want to hear and give them a really good shot of real bluegrass at the same time.
Q | The Myrtle Beach show is the first date of this tour. How do you feel about it selling out?
A | The business has its ups and downs. Last year was a pretty tough year as a whole for everybody on the tour circuit. The biggest bands weren't selling out. We were selling out and then there was a slow period where surprisingly we weren't selling out, but no one was. The whole country was in a funk and one of the last things to go is entertainment and musical shows. That's one of the last things to feel it, but we were feeling it. But it looks like the prognosis is good for 2006 - when you can start a year off with a sold-out show, that's a pretty good sign.
Q | You're up for a few Grammy Awards this year. What are you nominated for?
A | I just did my Grammy ballot this morning. The band is up for Album (of the Year) and the song "Restless" is up for Song of the Year in the Country category. I've got two songs in the country instrumental category, one from my solo album and one from the AKUS album that are in competition with each other. So, I'm up for four. One of them I'm not gonna get for sure because I'm competing [against] myself for it.
Q | You've already won nine Grammys. Are these just more "notches in the belt?"
A | Oh no, that's not why we do it at all. The awards - they're just someone else's idea. They're just icing on the cake. You don't make records with a Grammy in mind. That's one of the last things I'm thinking about. But it's really nice to go out to L.A., New York or wherever they're having the awards. Especially this year, James Taylor is the Person of the Year for the Grammys. He's a guy I've worked with a lot in the past - he's been on one of my records, and I've been on his records. So it's an especially nice year at the Grammys with him being the King of the Grammys this year.
Q | What are some of the highlights off your most recent solo album, "The Best Kept Secret?"
A | When I do solo records, it's material that's really outside of what I would do with Alison and the band. I think its more of a rock CD than a country CD. John Fogerty's on it, Derek Trucks from the Allman Brothers Band, Alison sang on it. It's just all over the place, all different kinds of music on one record. It's just whatever's rattling around in my head - I got to write these tunes that won't leave me alone. So I write these tunes then I decide to cast them, I cast these things like movies.
You just get the right players for the right songs and go in and record it, try to get as close to it on tape to what you were hearing in your mind all the way through before you ever get to the studios. That's the whole idea.
Q | You've played quite an influential role in the evolution of bluegrass music. What do you feel your greatest contribution has been?
A | I think the instrument that I play isn't really always a household name. I feel that along with making contributions to bluegrass, my main contribution has been furthering this instrument and letting people know what it is. The longer I'm out there, the less I have to explain what it is and that's how I gauge any kind of success I'm having.
Q | What is it about the dobro that drew you in?
A | It's just like a voice. It's a guitar, but it sounds different, it's a pretty lonesome sounding instrument. And it's so vocal. It sounds so much like a human voice. You can add notes against a voice and it sounds like there's another voice there. I think that's what drew me to it in the first place.
Q | Any final words?
A | Let's see how many people we can squeeze into the auditorium.
Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
When | 8 p.m. Sunday
Where | The Palace Theatre at Broadway at the Beach, 1420 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach
Tickets | Sold out
A legend of bluegrass
Jerry Douglas talks about life in music
By Kristi Singer
For The Sun News
Who the heck is Jerry Douglas? Some ticket holders to the sold-out Alison Krauss & Union Station show Sunday at The Palace Theatre may be wondering why the show is billed as Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas.
So who is this Douglas guy?
Well, he's been called the "Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Parker of acoustic music" and was awarded the Country Music Association's Musician of the Year award in 2005. He's won nine Grammy Awards and is nominated for an additional four this year.
Douglas has played on more than 1,500 albums, including releases by Garth Brooks, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Reba McEntire and the late Ray Charles. His multifaceted musicianship has earned him memberships in groups such as the Whites, J.D. Crowe & the New South, the Country Gentlemen, Strength in Numbers and of course Alison Krauss & Union Station.
"I doubt that there is a dobro guitar player alive in the bluegrass world who hasn't been influenced by him," said Dan Hays, executive director of the International Bluegrass Music Association. "That may sound like an overstatement, but I'm confident in saying that he's one of the most notable dobro players in the world."
"Jerry also has played a unique role of not only influencing bluegrass music, but music in general," Hays said. "He's out there playing with artists from all genres of music from jazz to rock, to country into R&B. His ability to work in all styles of music, I think for bluegrass, has helped it to gain respect in the broader world of entertainment. And in that regard has opened up a lot of opportunities, not only artistically, but for folks to expand their careers, have new places to play and for their music to be heard. He's a great ambassador."
Kicks! had the chance to speak with Douglas this week in a phone interview from his Nashville, Tenn., home.
Question | So why is the show billed as Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas?
Answer | When I joined AKUS I had my own solo career going, so I think it involved bringing all the audiences together, to piggyback my audience onto the already existing one of AKUS. It also keeps me out of the anonymity of when you join a group you sort of disappear into the fabric of it. And that's fine, I'm a band member in every way. It's just to keep my solo career alive at the same time. It's pretty commonly done and also they wanted to do it because they all kind of came up listening to me in different bands. It's a lot of words to put on a marquee, but everyone understands it.
Q | When did you officially join Union Station?
A | '98. This is my eighth year in the band. It's flown by - it doesn't seem that long at all. Everything's happened so fast for the band. They say strike while the iron is hot, and the iron's been hot for a long time. We're the happiest bunch of people I've ever worked with - the crew, the band, everybody. It's a really great situation. Everybody's happy all the time. You don't see anyone with sour faces walking around. Everybody's happy doing what they're doing.
Q | How did you first come to join AKUS?
A | I've known Alison since she was 14. I produced one of her first big records, and I've played on most of the records through the years. I played on her first record, produced her second record and then worked on all the band records up to when I joined, except there's one I didn't play on. The compilation CD, I'm on most of the cuts on that. So, when Adam Steppy, who played mandolin in the band, when he decided to quit they didn't know what they were going to do. They thought they would try something different and tour for the summer, then figure out what they were going to do after that. So they called me to see if I would go out for the summer. I was doing lots of sessions at the time here in Nashville, but I agreed to go out and do the summer and about halfway through the summer they all ganged up around me and asked me if I would stay and make it official.
Q | They ganged up on you?
A | It really did look that way. We were on the bus and they all looked at me at the same time. I didn't know what was going to happen! I didn't think they were going to fire me, I just didn't know what they were up to. It was a really a nice situation. I've been completely happy, and I'm a band guy - I love being in this band.
Q | Which do you enjoy more - your solo career or being a part of AKUS?
A | I like having both worlds. I'm really enjoying this band, and I think that's what I enjoy the most. It's an all around good situation. It's a tight organization, everyone does what they're supposed to do, and it runs really smooth. There's a lot of security in that.
Everything goes off like it's supposed to. And it makes the music better. All we have to think about is playing and that's what it's supposed to be like. Going out and doing my solo stuff is not always as predictable. Having a solo career is like being on vacation, and coming back to the band is like coming home.
Q | What material will be played on this upcoming tour with AKUS?
A | We're still touring the current record, "Lonely Runs Both Ways," so a major portion of the songs will be from that record. But it will be a mixed bag of all the records we've had in the past and all the accessible songs people know off the radio. We'll give people what they want to hear and give them a really good shot of real bluegrass at the same time.
Q | The Myrtle Beach show is the first date of this tour. How do you feel about it selling out?
A | The business has its ups and downs. Last year was a pretty tough year as a whole for everybody on the tour circuit. The biggest bands weren't selling out. We were selling out and then there was a slow period where surprisingly we weren't selling out, but no one was. The whole country was in a funk and one of the last things to go is entertainment and musical shows. That's one of the last things to feel it, but we were feeling it. But it looks like the prognosis is good for 2006 - when you can start a year off with a sold-out show, that's a pretty good sign.
Q | You're up for a few Grammy Awards this year. What are you nominated for?
A | I just did my Grammy ballot this morning. The band is up for Album (of the Year) and the song "Restless" is up for Song of the Year in the Country category. I've got two songs in the country instrumental category, one from my solo album and one from the AKUS album that are in competition with each other. So, I'm up for four. One of them I'm not gonna get for sure because I'm competing [against] myself for it.
Q | You've already won nine Grammys. Are these just more "notches in the belt?"
A | Oh no, that's not why we do it at all. The awards - they're just someone else's idea. They're just icing on the cake. You don't make records with a Grammy in mind. That's one of the last things I'm thinking about. But it's really nice to go out to L.A., New York or wherever they're having the awards. Especially this year, James Taylor is the Person of the Year for the Grammys. He's a guy I've worked with a lot in the past - he's been on one of my records, and I've been on his records. So it's an especially nice year at the Grammys with him being the King of the Grammys this year.
Q | What are some of the highlights off your most recent solo album, "The Best Kept Secret?"
A | When I do solo records, it's material that's really outside of what I would do with Alison and the band. I think its more of a rock CD than a country CD. John Fogerty's on it, Derek Trucks from the Allman Brothers Band, Alison sang on it. It's just all over the place, all different kinds of music on one record. It's just whatever's rattling around in my head - I got to write these tunes that won't leave me alone. So I write these tunes then I decide to cast them, I cast these things like movies.
You just get the right players for the right songs and go in and record it, try to get as close to it on tape to what you were hearing in your mind all the way through before you ever get to the studios. That's the whole idea.
Q | You've played quite an influential role in the evolution of bluegrass music. What do you feel your greatest contribution has been?
A | I think the instrument that I play isn't really always a household name. I feel that along with making contributions to bluegrass, my main contribution has been furthering this instrument and letting people know what it is. The longer I'm out there, the less I have to explain what it is and that's how I gauge any kind of success I'm having.
Q | What is it about the dobro that drew you in?
A | It's just like a voice. It's a guitar, but it sounds different, it's a pretty lonesome sounding instrument. And it's so vocal. It sounds so much like a human voice. You can add notes against a voice and it sounds like there's another voice there. I think that's what drew me to it in the first place.
Q | Any final words?
A | Let's see how many people we can squeeze into the auditorium.
Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
When | 8 p.m. Sunday
Where | The Palace Theatre at Broadway at the Beach, 1420 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach
Tickets | Sold out
