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For upcoming Gigs please follow this link... E. R. Shorts 1963 - 2003 ER Shorts passed on peacefully to be w/ his Lord last week. ER couldn't help it... he loved God and was always greatful and thankful for His graciousness. ER gave us his own glorious expression of that on our vol #2 CD. ER was excited about contributing another song on our forthcoming compilation. All of us involved w/ the GAA project loved ER. Many appreciated the "treasure" that dwelt in him as one of us "earthen vessels"... so flawed, chipped, cracked and imperfectly balanced. He wasn't one of those well polished gold or silver vessels that's set on a shelf often admired, rarely used. He was pure 100% clay, often used to show "the excellency of the power of God". We're thankful for the time we had with ER! We'll miss him. He is now & forever with the lover of his soul! The Gospel According to Austin Project GAA Vol #4 "Turn Your Radio On!" GOOD MUSIC & FINE SINGING (10/01/03) – Rated 9 (out of 10) Leigh and her band do a good job of keeping things moving while still leaving plenty of room for the spiritual message of the songs. The Gillian Welch cut, "Red Clay Halo," is especially suited to Leigh's confident phrasing and fast moving interpretation. Shaver's "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal" fits in perfectly with the idea of evolving spirituality and the persistence of hope shown in the traditional tracks, and it would fit right in on any Country station's play list, as well. Leigh and her backing band (led by her brother, Seth Hulbert, on bass and vocals) show they can handle the slower side of things on "Angel Band" and "River of Jordan," and there are some fine harmonies from Hulbert and banjo player Lonnie Key on many of the fourteen tracks. The disc was recorded live at a show Leigh and her band did at the studios of radio station KUT in Austin, Texas. The intimacy and energy of a live performance are well represented on the disc. This adds to the band's sound, and should leave listeners thinking they really ought to be in the audience themselves next time this talented group plays. Leigh has a distinctive alto with which she conveys that range between pain and hope that Kelly Willis and Caroline Herring do so well. Leigh is a bit younger and a bit rawer than those two accomplished musicians, but fans of both women will certainly find a lot to like here, as will those who enjoy Gospel that engages day-to-day life beyond Sunday mornings, and those who like just plain good music and fine singing. Kerry Dexter is a senior contributing editor at FolkWax GAA Vol #4 "Turn Your Radio On!" San Antonio Express-NewsJUST COUNTRY; Leigh claims old classics as her ownby JOHN GOODSPEED 11/21/03 Friday Weekender 18H While most young women barely out of their teens are listening to the latest Top 40 country, hip-hop or rock rage, Brennen Leigh gets her music fix from the 1920s. "My favorite is old-time string music, like the Carter Family," she said. "I'm really into the 1920s string band stuff. I just love it." That's obvious when she sings, as she will at 8 tonight at Scenic Loop Cafe. Her voice has a quality that makes it seem like the material was written for her, plucking the heartstrings while her top-shelf band picks the gut strings, including Leigh on mandolin. While her song selection features a dose of the real old stuff, she also sings an eclectic mix of classics and obscure tunes, from Jimmie Rodgers to Steve Earle, with Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Bob Wills, the Louvin Brothers and a few of her own in between. Leigh 's interpretations don't exactly follow the originals - or the genres, for that matter. She makes the songs her own. Adding icing on the cake are harmonies with her brother, guitarist Seth Hulbert, with lead vocals occasionally coming from other band members. "I can't really describe my music," Leigh said. "We play so much different stuff. "Sometimes, when we play a dance hall, we add a drummer and play with a country band, like Haggard and Hank Williams. Most of the time we're like a four-piece bluegrass band. But both ways, we play lots of Western swing songs, Bob Wills, Jimmie Rodgers, Carter Family." Making Leigh 's musical journey more remarkable is where it began - in Moorhead, Minn., just across the Red River of the North from Fargo, N.D. "There's no country-music scene up there," Leigh said. "There are a lot more places that are welcoming to our genre in Texas." So she and her brother moved to San Marcos just over a year ago, and she finally settled into North Austin. They had been playing at home for about five years before deciding Texas was a better fit. It exceeded her expectations. They had no problem finding gigs, building a fan base and winning praise - including the Best in Texas Music magazine talent contest at the Comfort Music Festival last spring. "I've met so many incredible people here," Leigh said. "I never thought I would meet so many who are into the same thing I am, and there are so many more places to play than what I thought." She and her brother got hooked on vintage music from her parent's music collection. But she couldn't just switch on radio to hear more. "It's like getting into opera or foreign films," she said. "When you fall in love with something obscure, you want to find out more about it. But you have to go out and find it." She credits the growing recognition of her kind of roots music to several things, including the popularity of musicians such as Alison Krauss, the soundtrack of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and younger generations making a discovery. "I think the kids think it's hip," Leigh said. "It's cool to like your great grandpa's music." Leigh 's 2002 debut album, "lonesome, wild & blue," is available at www.mytexasmusic.com and www.barkingdogrecords.com. No long hair December 2001 Roughstock Review - CD Reviews From The World Of Country Music by Dan MacIntosh The Gospel According To Austin Vol #1 (Self Released) - Various Artists (rated 3.5 out of 5) The gospel, at least according to the music scene in Austin, TX, is quit a varied spiritual spectrum. And this disc sure covers a lot of Texas musical acreage. Austin is known worldwide for its eclecticism, so it should come as no surprise to find such a plethora of great talent on this disc. Country musicians are represented well here, and include Larry Gatlin singing "Hey You," yodeling Don Walser on "Heavenly Band" and Billy Joe & Eddie Shaver on the autobiographical "You Just Can't Beat Jesus Christ." There's also some mighty fine black gospel, most strikingly with "Touch the Hem of His Garment" by the soulful Malford Milligan & Stephen Bruton and "Search Me Lord" by Bells of Joy. It even gets bilingual on the Spanish/English interpretation of "One Day at a Time" by Rumen Ramos, and goes cowboy traditional on "Wayfaring Stranger" by The Kyle Family. With its combination of great musicianship and old time religion, it all adds up to a pleasingly inspirational mix. Texas Blues Magazine
– Joni Kelton CD Reviews: December 2001 “Malford Milligan
& Friends – Gospel According to Austin vol #2” texasbluesmagazine.com Funny thing happened on the way to publishing
this magazine.., this CD arrived around the beginning of September. I opened it
September 12. Boy, somebody must of known I needed a good dose of kick-butt
gospel” right about then... on top of that, I would soon go halfway across the
U.S. for a funeral for a very close relative. Facing a 24-hour drive, which CD
do you think I let spin time and time again? I didn’t all of a sudden “get
religion”, I just found this CD really comforting and uplifting... This CD is absolutely terrific. It not just the great hand-clappin’,
foot-stompin’ gospel that will have you replaying this CD over and over. The fact is, this is a star-studded production by Malford
Milligan: his friends are nothing less than A-list Texas players: contributions
by Steve James on twelve string slide; one of my favorite harp guys Rob Roy
Parnell; good ol’ BR Morse on upright & electric bass; Phil Farjardo on
drums - that’s
just the first two songs! The list goes on... Riley Osborn, Earl Ball, Donna
Hightower, and The Gospelaires appear on track eleven, a KUT live cut. I’ve Never
Been to Seminary - now if they performed that
in church, I’d definitely go morel You ain’t gonna find that rhythm in no
hymnal I’ve ever seen... I’m Too Close hit home — to close — for all the trouble in the world in September. A song I recognized, Everything
Is Gonna Be Alright - gets a welcomed new remake, and sounds great. This CD was superbly produced - and
may I say not over-produced (thank you) by Malford Milligan, and he’s on a
mission. The purpose of this project
is, according to Milligan: to “raise funds for non-profits that benefit
musicians to expose our rich gospel heritage, reminding ourselves of the
foundation it laid for the current Austin [and Texas] music we enjoy; and to
help preserve ‘roots Gospel music’ by getting it into the street where it can
be appreciated by the masses (50% of profits go back into this GAA project to help produce more of this
type of music)”. “We call it ‘kick-butt Gospel’ because it gives folks a
liftin’ & the devil a kickin’.”
That ain’t no lie - we
could all use a little lift right now, so go get this CD and crank it up, and
sing along and dance and forget your troubles for awhile. Do you get the idea I love Ma/ford Milligan ~ Friends: The Gospel According To Austin? Then my job here is done. Southwest Blues,
November 2001 www.southwestblues.com Review of Malford Milligan & Friends - the Gospel
According to Austin vol #2 by
Rev. Bill Fountain In these
uncertain times of trouble and mass hysteria, it is nice to hear a little bit
of love and joy in the mix of tunes churning out of the player. If you are looking to get your praise on and
hear some top-notch blues infused gospel, look no further than The Gospel According to Austin vol #2 from Malford Milligan. This
elegantly inspiring CD of traditional, unfiltered, gospel music is like an
answer to a prayer. Milligan and
company turn out some of the most honest spiritual jubilation heard in quite some
time. On audio display, one can hear
echoes of fantastic country blues, R&B, gospel, folk and deep roots music
throughout the 11 glory filled tracks. The
goals of this CD are to raise some money for non-profits that benefit musicians
and to help preserve Roots Gospel Music for the masses. The album is a celebration of faith and a
testament to the talent of the individuals performing on the tracks. I can’t say enough good things about the
quality of this work. Milligan
has worked with Storyville, Double Trouble (or Triple Trouble as I like to
include Reese Winans in there), Eric Johnson and Funky London. He is a vocal force to be reckoned
with. Couple him with some of the
excellent musicians on hand for this CD and you have an unbeatable combination. Check
out the cool 12-string guitar from Steve James on “Dark Was the Night” or the
righteous B3 styling of Riley Osborn on “I’m Too Close.” Stephen Bruton turns in some excellent
guitar and vocals on “Hem of His Garment” while the Gospelaires lend their
superb voices to “Stand the Test In The Judgment.” One track after another bears witness to some fantastic tunes and
heartfelt delivery. Just what the
doctor ordered. My favorite track on the album is “God Is Able.” A brilliant, uplifting tune that really shines. A nice touch of hope and redemption in the midst of a world focused on doom and gloom. Southwest
Blues, P. O. Box 710475, Dallas, Tx 75371-0475, (214) 887-1188, (512) 450-0809 The Omaha Reader
-- B.J. Huchtemann 10/3/01 (www.thereader.com) Malford
Milligan & Friends - The Gospel
According to Austin 2 (Independent) The extraordinary soul singer Malford Milligan, seen in
Omaha as part of Double Trouble’s performance at June’s Indigenous Jam, fronts
this equally extraordinary project. The Gospel
According to Austin 2 is obviously the second of a series. But while the first disc celebrated
contributions from a variety of Austin musicians, the second disc glitters
around Milligan’s remarkable and soulful vocalizing. Milligan can be heard on
Double Trouble’s Been a Long Time CD
and he was also the lead singer for the Austin-based super-group Storyville.
The independent Austin producers helming The
Gospel According to Austin project have ambitious goals, aside from
preserving and promoting the tradition of what they call “roots Gospel music.”
Their goals and accomplishments include donating proceeds from the recordings
to non-profit organizations benefiting musicians and funding a Gospel music
venue in the self-proclaimed “live music capital of the world.” The backing musicians on Volume 2 consist of very few
names that will be familiar to those outside the Austin music scene, but fans
of Milligan’s work and fans of old-style country-blues Gospel music will revel
in the traditional tunes set down here for posterity. Despite the traditional Gospel roots, some of the arrangements
reach into more contemporary sounds. Tracks like “I’ve Never Been To Seminary”
and “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” feature electric guitar and an aggressive
rhythm section that should appeal to fans of Storyville, the Arc Angels and
Double Trouble. And the gospel lyrics offer some intangible reassurance that
can’t help but lift your spirits, if the music alone doesn’t do it. As proof that the founders behind the project are
committed to the work, they include a bonus track from the Gospelaires, a group
formed from Austin musicians residing at the city’s Salvation Army shelter. The
producers of Gospel 2 are currently
working on a full-length CD featuring this new group. If you can’t find Gospel 2 in local stores, you may order
directly from the producers at www.GospelAccording2Austin.com or by calling
512-261-6322. From
Greenbelt.uk.org -- Music Reviews:
“Malford Milligan &
Friends - The Gospel According to Austin vol #2”
Austin,
Texas is a city about music. Especially live music, of the kind that celebrates
spontaneous emotion and skilful musicianship. Naturally there is a major local Gospel
tradition, but the music has seldom been heard outside churches and the
periodic 'Gospel brunches' that are a feature of Austin's bar life. Enter
"the 'Gospel According to Austin' Project - introducing kick-butt Gospel
from Austin to the world". The 'Gospel According to Austin' Project is a celebration of 'Roots Gospel' music of all types - that old, rural, gritty, sweaty, movin', shakin', broken, joyful, spontaneous, spiritual Gospel music. It is a non-profit entity whose purposes include: ·
Raising
funds to directly benefit musicians. ·
Exposing
America's rich gospel music heritage and the foundation it laid for all
American music. ·
Helping
to preserve 'roots gospel music' by getting it into the street where it can be played,
recorded, and appreciated by the masses. The
Project's latest CD “Gospel According to Austin' vol #2” features Austin's top
secular vocalist Malford Milligan - oh what a voice. The MP3/Real Audio
downloads on the website will tell you what you need to know. This isn't slick
showbiz R'n'B pop Gospel. It's raw bluesy rock'n'roll Gospel, the sound of
material poverty and spiritual riches. It'll warm and break your heart. By Steve Collins on
Wednesday September 26 @ 08:11AM
www.greenbelt.uk.org/insight The
Austin Chronicle August 17, 2001 CD reviews: One doesn't have to be a spiritual being to enjoy The Gospel According to Austin Vol. 2, but even non-believers will be moved by its joyful sound. 3.5 stars (out of 5) -Jim Caligiuri (www.auschron.com)
"The Gospel According to Austin, TX" (vol #1) Fans of the eclectic sound track of O Brother Where Art Thou should investigate "the Gospel According to Austin". This is gospel music for those who wouldn't necessarily darken the door of a church or turn to a minister for guidance - but who feel the power of the flashing lightning and stormy night in Guy Forsyth's rendering of The Master's Call, and who know the weary place of hope from which Ruben Ramos sings (in both English and Spanish) One Day at a Time. Blues singer Johnny Nicolas offers a deep soul version of john the Revelator, and country swing master Don Walser invites The Heavenly Band to the honky tonk, while ace guitarist Stephen Bruton backs up Malford Milligan on Touch the Hem of His Garment. Lisa Tingle, Larry Gatlin, and many other fine hill country musicians add their view of faith based music outside the church walls on this unique project.
Austin may be famous for a lot of different kinds of music, but gospel doesn't generally spring to mind. The sixteen songs on this disc take in secular as well as religious artists, and there are both gems and clunkers to be found here. The soulful Malford Milligan teams up with Stephen Bruton to kick things off with Sam Cooke's "Touch the Hem of His Garment", draped in tasteful tremolo guitar, followed by Billy Joe Shaver original "You Just Can't Beat Jesus Christ", delivered in typically plainspoken Shaver style. Gadabout bluesman Guy Forsyth plays some evocative musical saw on "Master's Call", and perennial Bells of Joy lay it down with a solid backbeat on "Search Me Lord". The disc also takes in a variety of styles outside of traditional gospel arrangements, such as Ruben Ramos' conjunto reading of the 70's chesnut "One Day at a Time" and Don Wlaser's yodeling-cowboy original "Heavenly Band", backed by Floyd Domino on piano and longtime compadres Howard Kalish on fiddle and Scott Walls on steel. Things come to a screeching halt, however, on Larry Gatlin's bombastic "Hey You", which blasts away with an overbearing backup band that would be more at home on a 3a.m. preacher feature complete with a horribly overdecorated set and a televangelist in a pastel suit. It's as out-of-place as a white Cadillac limo in the parking lot of a country church, amid dusty pickup trucks and dented Buicks. (Gatlin does call Austin home these days, occasionally performing at the swank Riverbend Baptist Church.) Another oddity is Randy Phillips' "Mighty God" with a church band playing a '70s R&B groove (complete with wah-wah rhythm guitar), but a bland, plain-vanilla vocal chorus laid over the top. Despite a couple of misplaced selections, most of this anthology has the same quite dignity as the frame-building Texas church captured in soft focus on the disc's cover. Even the staunchest nonbeliever may revel in Lisa Tingle's "Amazing Grace".
If The Gospel According to Austin, TX is any indication, the Texas State Capital is first and foremost Catholic. In its laudable, all-inclusive musical nature, this 16-track collection of local acts singing the praises of Christianity is blind to race, creed, and color. In terms of harmony, however - quality, consistency, and overall flow - Gospel is strictly Ray Charles: sight-free. Beginning with this overly long service with storied soulman Malford Milligan and guitar journeyman Stephen Bruton on Sam Cooke's immortal "Touch the Hem of His Garment," Gospel starts off strong, segueing twangfully into Billy Joe Shaver's "You just Can't Beat Jesus Christ", taken from his 1998 LP Victory. The Bells of Joy lend their glorious Eastside legacy next with "Search Me Lord", from their recent Second Time Around, followed by fellow East Austin legend Ruben Ramos' scabrous Tejano take on Kris Kristofferson's "One Day at a Time", and if that transition is just a tad raw, more so is Johnny Nicolas's Son House rewrite "John the Revelator" giving way to Don Walser's "Heavenly Band". Although Don Walser is God (or at least a close personal friend), this particular take on the 50-year-old country original does not seem to have been "the one", and while following a hard-core folk song probably seemed like a good idea on parchment, on Gospel, it hitches. Guy Forsyth's masterful duet with his singing saw on "Masters Call" is quickly swept asunder by Austin's Gospel Stars, who like the Bells of Joy, summon such a traditional fervor that it raises the question of why you're not listening to a Peacock gospel classic instead. Lisa Tingle's "Amazing Grace" is quite ordinary, as is local "hidden treasure" the Kyle Family's "Wayfaring Stranger". Larry Gatlin's Nashvillian "Hey You" might be the album track that most tests your faith. The Gospel According to Austin, TX - not the last Word. (**)
Music is often a guide to, and expression of, spiritual exploration...Adventurous in a different direction is The Gospel According to Austin, TX, a set of religiously oriented songs set in a style far outside the world of contemporary praise music. "Kick-butt Gospel" it says on the label, and the CD delivers, offering sixteen tracks from a variety of well known and lesser known hill country musicians. Country star Larry Gatlin sppears on Hey You, while Stephen Bruton, who has written songs for and played with Bonnie Raitt and Kris Kristofferson, adds guitar behind gospel singer Malford Milligan's Touch the Hem of His Garment. Blues rocker Johnny Nicolas offers a full out version of John the Revelator which is sure to have you stamping you feet and singing along, while Tejano great Ruben Ramos, gives Spanish a twist to the standard One Day at a Time. Milton Caroll, Don Walser, and Billy Joe Shaver are among the other fine singers who add their voices to this unusual project. This CD can be ordered at www.milesofmusic.com, www.texasmusicroundup.com, www.lonestarmusic.com, local music stores. | ||||||||||||||
