The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris Tribute

On January 10, 2015, a group of great performers came together at Washington, DC’s DAR Constitution Hall to honor Emmylou Harris. To celebrate Harris’s work, Rounder is releasing DVD and CD versions of The Life & Songs of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration, created and produced by Blackbird Presents.

The performers on the DVD and CD feature many of my favorite artists. The package includes music by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Sheryl Crow, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Patty Griffin, Chris Hillman, Iron & Wine, Alison Krauss, Kris Kristofferson, Daniel Lanois, Martina McBride, Buddy Miller, Conor Oberst, Mavis Staples, Sara Watkins, Lee Ann Womack, and Lucinda Williams.

Of course, the celebration would not be complete without Emmylou Harris. She performs “Boulder to Birmingham,” a song she co-wrote about Gram Parsons after he passed away. The song originally appeared on Harris’s 1975 album Pieces of the Sky.

Below, Harris performs “Boulder to Birmingham” at the celebration concert with a little help from her friends. She begins singing the song alone before the others join her onstage. It is not much of a stretch to see the symbolism in the arrangement, considering how Harris must have felt so alone after Parson’s death. But her fans and colleagues, who in many ways are children of Gram Parsons, remind her that she is not alone. It is a beautiful song, and this performance is a nice arrangement.

The Life & Songs Of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration will be released in various forms on November 11, 2016.

What is your favorite Emmylou Harris song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Happy Birthday Sara Watkins!

    Young In All the Wrong Ways

    Sara Watkins, who celebrates a birthday on June 8, has established herself as a great fiddle player, singer, and cornerstone of the roots music scene. She was one of the founders of bluegrass group Nickel Creek in 1989, and she has gone on to a solo career as well as her recent projects as part of Watkins Family Hour.

    Below is Watkins’s video for “You and Me,” a highlight from her 2012 solo album Sun Midnight Sun. In the song, the singer recalls a past relationship, looking back on her memories: “I remember you/ I remember me / Wish I knew you now / Like I knew you then.” Check it out.

    Below is some of her more recent work with Watkins Family Hour. Out of some regular jam sessions, Sara Watkins formed the group along with friends that included her brother Sean Watkins, who is also a Nickel Creek alum.

    In the video below, Watkins Family Hour performs at an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. The songs in the video are: “Steal Your Heart Away,” “In The Pines,” and “Hop High.”

    Watkins Family Hour released its first CD, called Watkins Family Hour, in July 2015.

    Finally, look for Watkins’s upcoming solo album Young In All The Wrong Ways, which will be released July 1, 2016. Below is the video for “Move Me” from the album.

    What is your favorite song featuring Sara Watkins? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris
  • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)