You may have noticed little in the way of country music discussed here; eventually I may write about Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt or even the Glaser Brothers, not to mention the 'acid cowboy' stylings of the New Riders of the Purple Sage or Old & In the Way. But for the most part, what most people think of as 'country' leaves me cold; the Eagles have a lot to answer for. When it comes to bluegrass and old-time music, though, I'm your fan. Norman Blake has worked with Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, and performs his own version of contemporary Southern old-time. Norman's voice takes some getting used to: nasal and not all that interested in hitting the notes, eventually you may come to find it endearing -- and his guitar playing is fast, fascinating and seemingly effortless. I treasure his albums with Tony Rice, another master picker, but I listen to "Whiskey Before Breakfast" most often. This is real back porch music, with humor, history and a touch of regret.
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