Well fellas, did I see a great one last night!
Kelly Willis, Brennen Leigh, and Melissa Carper, doing a set as a trio on the stage at Mississippi Studios in Portland Oregon. Kelly and Brennen playing acoustic guitars, Melissa an upright bass almost as big as herself, and all three singing solo and in perfect 3-part harmony. And I mean per-fect!
I’ve been a fan of Kelly for decades, and just recently discovered Brennen (her 2022 album Obsessed With The West is a Country Swing project, produced by Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel, who serve as her backing band. This Year’s Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet was produced by Chris Scruggs, and features a guest appearance by Marty Stuart on mandolin. Both are available on both LP and CD). Melissa I had not yet known about. All three have roots in the South and Midwest, and I believe crossed paths in---where else?---Austin Texas, Texas.
The set was the three of them each singing a song of their own composition, one after the other. Mississippi Studios is an excellent sounding room (capacity 250), as is the Studios’ sound system and the ears of the mixing engineer; not too loud, not too bright or boomy (though the bottom string of the bass was vibrating the walls of the room pretty strongly). Their was lots of humour, and great stories about the origins of each song. Plus, the sight of three chicks in cowboy hats and boots was pretty hot 😉 .
They are making their way across the U.S.A., so catch them if you can. Last night tickets were only twenty bucks, less than I paid for a double shot of Johnnie Walker Black!
