Recieved this message on the My Space. It's from Jimmy Martin's former mandolin player.
"Hey Tom Thanks so much for The Death of Jimmy Martin song, and telling it like it is, he would love it. I had the honor of traveling many miles, and recording several sessions with Jimmy, and can assure you there will never be another like him. I remember playing the Opry with him when I first became a Sunny Mtn. Boy, and seeing him get three encores, and actually four but they wouldn't let us take the the fourth, because of the time limit. I can still see Jimmy standing at the end of the stage with both hands waving to the audience, with big tears streaming down his face. Jimmy knew how to entertain an audience, and would have been great for the Opry, but it just never happened. I just wanted to say THANKS for a great job. Hope you will add me to your friends list, and hope you will visit my website; www. ronnieprevette. com. If I can ever help you, just let me know. And THANKS AGAIN for a great job. Sincerely,Ronnie Prevette"
If you want a good take on Jimmy - look for the little book "A Night with Jimmy Martin" by Tom Paizzola (something like that). It's a wild ride. You can read it in a few hours. Jimmy gets drunk and goes backstage and chooses off half the Opry members, including Ricky Skaggs. The bastards. He was too real for 'em. Country music in the last twenty years has become strip-mall musac, sung by arch twits with faux country accents. Long live Jimmy Martin and passion.
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The book you mention was originally published in The Oxford American Magazine. In 1999 it was published in book form under the title TRUE ADVENTURES WITH THE KING OF BLUEGRASS by TOM PIAZZA with a foreword by MARTY STUART. The publisher was The Vanderbilt University Press in conjunction with the Country Music Foundation Press. ISBN 0-8265-1360-3
I agree with you. It's a wonderful read. So are your blogs. Keep 'em coming, Tom.
Peter O'Brien
TR . . . Thanks for name checks and tributary comment. New portals to enter. Regarding Jimmy and all the rest. Those with ears will hear and the pearls before . . .
my take on art:
" The true artist will always be outnumbered. Art must remain a minority, otherwise at best it is all air. At worst, a swarm of flies ".
Somewhere in New Mexico
-ST
"arch twits with faux country accents"
thanks Tom, that's priceless...
SUNDAY SERMONS
TR . . . I am listening to Bernie Taupin's " American Roots Music" a two hour long show on Sirius Disorder. He played your " When Sinatra Played Juarez" that was sandwhiched between Cash's singing Guy Clarks'
" Let Him Roll" and Sonny Boy Williamsons'
"Too Young To Die". You received more praise and commentary than all combined. I paraphrase:
" Tom Russell, a true Renaissance Man
and an evocative songwriter . . . one the best of the last two decades in [his] humble opinion."
I received my ear banging sermon from Jimmy Msrtins'
" I Like To Hear Em' Preach It "
Tom, you are joined in with some pretty tall company.
Leadbelly singing from his knife scarred throat . . .
" No Good Rider "
-ST your long line rider . . .
Waylaid in Wisconsin . . .
and ended up in Detroit
Correction out of respect for what should have been Jimmy "Martin". Sometimes this damned keyboard is like trying to hit a moving target.
Bernie gives us the closing sermon with The Abbyssinian Baptist Church Choir singing " You Can't Make Me Doubt Him " and I believe, yes . . . I do believe them. The album produced by John Hammond, Sr., no better imprimatur than that is needed. No false voices in his A&R stable.
Train whistles across Canada . . .
-ST en route to pick up a load for Walla Walla, Washington, but Chicago traffic first . . .
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