One of my favorite singers/songwriter these days is Tom Russell. Although most strongly identified with the Texas Country music tradition, his music also incorporates elements of folk, Tex-Mex, and the cowboy music of the American West.
From his website: “Russell was born in Los Angeles in 1953 and now makes his home on a 2.68 acre ”badland farm” on the border of El Paso-Juarez. He graduated from the University of California with a Master´s Degree in Criminology and taught school in Nigeria during the Biafran war, before re-locating to Vancouver to begin his musical career singing Hank Williams´ songs in skid row bars.”
He’s published 26 albums, 3 books and is a painter in his spare time.
His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Doug Sahm, Nancy Griffith, Joe Ely, Iris Dement, Ian Tyson, KD Lang, Suzy Bogguss, Ramblin´ Jack Elliott, Jeff Walker, Dave Van Ronk and other great artists.
His new album to be released next week on September 15th is Blood and Candle Smoke and is “a collection of powerful observations and deliberations, takes his work to another level entirely.”
My wife Kathy and I have been privileged to see him perform in person several times in California and here in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tom has a great stage presence and you feel like he’s talking and singing to you personally.
You can get more information at his website tomrussell.com.
If you have problems seeing the video below click HERE.
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Been a TR fan since hearing “Tonight We Ride” on the good ole BBC. I make sure I see him EVERY time he trots over here to the UK. Next visit, January 2010.