As the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards reaches its twang-filled conclusion in Gore this weekend, three Dunedin musicians who have connections to the event offer Shane Gilchrist some insight into their country music tastes.
John Egenes has been involved with the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards in Gore for several years, including judging the MLT New Zealand Songwriting Awards (not this year, though), and often performs as part of the band at the New Zealand Country Music Awards show, held during Gold Guitar week.
In country music parlance, the Dunedin-based American musician and academic is a "sideman''.
That means he plays alongside an artist, often a singer-songwriter, keeping out of the spotlight, be it on stage or in the studio.
A multi-instrumentalist, he lets his fingers do the talking.
"Musicians like me look at albums differently than most people,'' Egenes explains.
"To us, it's the sidemen who are important, not so much the artist. When I look at an album, I look to see who the pickers are, who is in the backing band. I study the liner notes, the credits on the songs.
"There are so many wonderful artists and songwriters that it's next to impossible for me to pick a single album as my favourite all-time country record.''
Hence he mentions three ...
THE BLUE VELVET BAND: SWEET MOMENTS WITH THE BLUE VELVET BAND (1969)
"A little known, but seminal country album from 1969, with my friend Jim Rooney along with a stellar cast: Richard Greene on fiddle, Bill Keith playing some of the tastiest banjo and pedal steel ever, Eric Weissberg (guitar), Andy Kulberg (bass), and Pat Rebillot (piano), Buddy Salzman (drums), and John Hammond Jr (harmonica). This might be my all time favourite country record.''
PAUL SIEBEL: WOODSMOKE AND ORANGES (1969)
"Another little-known album, but well known among sidemen like me. This album, and Sweet Moments, made me want to play pedal steel. Paul Siebel remains one of America's best songwriters of that (or any) era. This album was recorded in three days. It was recorded live, with no overdubs, because they didn't have any money to rent the gear any longer. A stellar cast of Richard Greene (fiddle), Clarence White (guitar), and David Bromberg (dobro). But it was Weldon Myrick who stole the show with his pedal-steel playing. Still some of the finest rides ever on that instrument, and it was all done off the cuff, improvised as they went.''
MERLE HAGGARD: SERVING 190 PROOF (1979)
"A classic Haggard album, featuring his longtime band, The Strangers. I consider Roy Nichols to be the father of modern country guitar. Norman Hamlet is one of the best pedal-steel players there is. Some of the best guitar playing you'll ever hear, with pickers like Roy Nichols, Grady Martin, James Burton, and Reggie Young. It also had Johnny Gimble (fiddle), and Buddy Emmons guesting on pedal steel. A superb example of country music that isn't dumbed down.''
Winner of various awards - including the New Zealand Gold Guitar in 2015 - Dunedin singer-songwriter Kelvin Cummings recalls a road trip in the US a couple of years back led to a musical epiphany.
"I was driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to experience the excitement that is on offer in California and Nevada.
"I found out pretty quickly that once you drove out of LA's city limits, the only radio stations you could tune in to were country-music based. It was here that I heard music from the Zac Brown Band, a group that would ultimately change my perceptions of country music forever.
"As I heard Keep Me In Mind - unbeknown to me, one of the group's big hits from a couple of years earlier - I found myself mesmerised by the fresh new sound of country music. This song gave me a renewed appreciation of contemporary country, which I frequently play at my shows.
"The album Zac Brown: Greatest Hits So Far is crammed with epic anthems, including Chicken Fried (famous in rural spots throughout many countries, including New Zealand), and is lathered in harmonies that would make any choir fall to its knees.
"The group is always looking to extend its sound and, because of this, it has had many world-famous musicians eager to co-write, record, and produce music with them. Among this list are Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Jimmy Buffett, Alan Jackson, Chris Cornell (Soundgarden/Audioslave), Eric Church and Avicii.''
Having won the Apra Best Country Song Award in 2010 (announced during Gold Guitars week) for his track 7.13, Dunedin singer-songwriter Matt Langley stumbled across musical gold while on a road trip through Central Otago.
"A few years ago I had the pleasure of accompanying Martin Phillipps [of The Chills] on a drive to Queenstown to do a show. As we drove through Central Otago we talked about music, writing and albums we loved. Some we connected on and some we didn't, but there was a diverse range of stuff that was getting tossed around on that drive.
"By the time we hit Alexandra we had decided to check out the record store and try to find some musical treasure old or new. I can't remember what Martin bought but I was thrilled to find a collection of Roy Acuff's Columbia recordings, Roy Acuff Columbia Classics (1936-1949).
"My favourite songs on this collection are Just To Ease My Worried Mind, Lonesome Old River Blues, Not A Word From Home and a bunch of others. They are songs of fear and death and they are songs of family, faith and redemption.
"They are a portal to another place and time that we might think of as long gone and far from familiar but when you think that these songs address car crashes (Wreck On The Highway), homesickness (Not A Word From Home) and the enduring and very human themes of mortality and love, then they resonate and are relevant.
"Given that this is music born of the Great Depression and made by people at the wrong end of that particular stick, it's no wonder that this music has enduring appeal. It might be more relevant now than ever.''
