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I have devoted much of my life to jazz, but over the past few years, I have been going back and listening to the music that made me want to be a singer long before I ever even heard of jazz. In my house, we listened to a lot of C&W, the radio, Elvis, and hymns. The first singer I ever pretended to be (singing into my hairbrush) was Dolly Parton.

Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):
Dolly Parton
Porter Wagoner
Johnny Cash
Hank Williams
Patsy Cline
Loretta Lynn
Willie Nelson
Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys
Dick Curless
Merle Haggard
Alan Jackson
George Strait
Reba McEntire
Jim Reeves
George Jones
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts

...many others.

Sometimes (as George Strait sings) I need a little twang. And like Charlie Parker, I like to listen to the stories.

I never thought I would, but now I really do. Particularly the older stuff. At some point I got a Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys box set, and it was a bit of an eye opener. Combined with listening to lots of early jazz, blues, and folk, I realized that all the branches go back to the same tree. Or something like that.

I don't know that genre at all well, Scott. I'm sort a C&W moldy fig. I listen to commercial country in my car sometimes. Some of it I really like, but it sounds more like pop/rock with a southern accent and fiddles.

I like the old stuff best. Probably because that's the stuff I heard in utero.

I'm a moldy country fig, too. Gimme some Hank or Porter or Johnny Cash. Of course, in my area (couple miles up from the on-ramp to the highway to the foothills of the front porch of darkest Appalachia), real "old" country is very fricking old indeed. Start with a fiddle and a hymn book. Bluegrass mountain music.

Absolutely love instrumental bluegrass. Flatpick 'n fiddles. Tony Rice's Bluegrass Guitar Collection saves my life weekly.

I like a lot of the artists people have mentioned. That said, when I'm driving and pick up commercial country stations, much of it makes me wretch. Some of it is the farthest thing from "roots music".

I hear that, thelil! I enjoy much of it, but things like "Honky Tonk Ba Donka Donk?

It's "murder on Music Row".

Also must mention Charley Pride. We played his music a lot....on 8-track!!!

Been getting into some of that myself lately. Dolan and I have discussed some alt-country stuff, too.

Recent playlist includes:
Jim Lauderdale/Buddy Miller (together and separately)
Marty Stuart
Rodney Crowell (albums since 2001)
James McMurtry
Lucinda Williams
Drive-By Truckers
Dave Alvin
Sadies
Steve Earle

I got your back on that list, Cookie. Most of my favorites are there.

Scott Dolan wrote:

BFrank wrote:Been getting into some of that myself lately. Dolan and I have discussed some alt-country stuff, too.

Recent playlist includes:
Jim Lauderdale/Buddy Miller (together and separately)
Marty Stuart
Rodney Crowell (albums since 2001)
James McMurtry
Lucinda Williams
Drive-By Truckers
Dave Alvin
Sadies
Steve Earle

Joe Ely!

Need to get some Ely, for sure!

and (or at least, I didn't see)

Jimmie Rodgers
Lefty Frizzell

is John Hartford fitting here?

Scott Dolan wrote:Live At Antone's is a great place to start.

OK - good to know!

steve(thelil) wrote:I like a lot of the artists people have mentioned. That said, when I'm driving and pick up commercial country stations, much of it makes me wretch. Some of it is the farthest thing from "roots music".

This is where I'm at too.

Even the 'classic' stuff it's pretty much small doses only for me.

Now this on the other hand is another story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoQiZujWKQI

Ask me and I'd say no, but looking at Cookie's list, yeah I love a lot of that stuff. Trouble is, the genre has become completely vanilla and style-conscious. But the old guys, well, let's just say I'm well aware that a lot of my favorite rock artists are fans of folks like Hank Williams, Don Williams, Johnny Cash, etc., and I'm one who always likes to check out those who influenced those who have influenced me. And of course folks like John Prine, whom I love, are like fringes on the jacket of country music. I have a particular affection for Merle Haggard and Jerry Jeff Walker for the pure strength of their songwriting.

Scott Dolan wrote:Hmmm...

I'm not sure you can call any of the vanilla garbage that comes out of Nashville today "Country & Western".

And Alt. Country, by and large, is anything but vanilla.

I'm talking the stuff you'd see on CMT. I caught a Jason Isbell tune yesterday that I liked a lot.

Into the Old School stuff and not what passes for it during my lifetime.

Lovin' this thread! Lots of great suggestions. I definitely plan to check out some of the alt country stuff.

Love the Dregs, but I see them as more twangy fusion.

that's why I mentioned the Dregs would kinds_sorta fit

"vanilla and style conscious"? hmmm ..maybe Nashville..but whoever wrote this is probably doing the same thing to country that people do to jazz "oh its just rinky dink music". Like the Blues and Jazz, whats called country is a broad church. I'd suggest that the marketers like to sell a godly product but with flawed sinful performers, giving the market what it wants. Country can sizzle at its best or be big hat bad at its worse. The lyrics are filled with broken hearts, bad dreams, bad luck and floozies who will steal your heart , wallet or your car while dancing for ten cents at the honky tonk.

Country has blandness, as Jazz has smooth Jazz but for the first half of the last century it chronicled the poor whites pain whether Jimmie Rodgers or Hank Williams. Like all long term genres at times it appears a pastiche of itself but the spirit of country shows through, the lone man/womans struggle against the pain of the world.

hand me my nudies suit im going out now

I´m a big fan of Townes Van Zandt and I love Guy Clark´s first album "Old No 1" from 1975!!!
The Flatlanders (Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore) are also favorites of mine!
...... and Gillian Welch (with David Rawlings) of course!!!

....... and check out Larry Jon Wilson for some funky country!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7mflplo6x8

The only s.k. band I could ever tolerate was Bob Wills.