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Event
Jason Eady at The Law Office
On his last two albums, Jason Eady earned major acclaim for his ahead-of-the-curve take on classic country, a bold departure from his earlier excursions into blues-infused Americana. Now with his sixth album, the Mississippi-bred singer/guitarist merges his distinct sensibilities into a stripped-down, roots-oriented sound that starkly showcases the gritty elegance of his songwriting.
The follow-up to 2014s critically praised Daylight/Darkan album that belongs on a shelf next to Dwight Yoakams Buenos Noches from a Lonely Room, Joe Elys Letter to Laredo, and yes, even Willie Nelsons Phases and Stages, according to AllMusicEadys latest finds the Fort Worth, Texas-based artist again teaming up with producer Kevin Welch. Now longtime collaborators (with their past efforts including 2012s AM Country Heaven, a top 40 debut on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart), Eady and Welch worked closely in crafting the albums acoustic-driven yet lushly textured aesthetic. At the beginning I told everyone I wanted to make a record where, if the power went out, we could still sit down and play all the songs the exact same way, says Eady, who points out that steel guitar is the only electric instrument featured on the album.
Despite its subtle approach, the album radiates a warm vitality thats got much to do with Eadys gift for nuanced yet unaffected slice-of-life storytelling. Ive always been drawn to writing thats got a simplicity to it, where youre digging deep into real day-to-day life, he notes. Here, that means touching on such matters as turning 40 (on the reflective, soul-stirring 40 Years), his daughters growing up and going off to college (on the sweetly heartbreaking Not Too Loud), and the everyday struggle to embrace the messy parts of life instead of trying to get the point where youve somehow fixed all your problems (on Rain, a joyfully determined anthem featuring SteelDrivers fiddler Tammy Rogers). Throughout the album, Eadys soulfully rugged voice blends in beautiful harmonies with his wife, singer/songwriter Courtney Patton. And on No Genie in This Bottle, the legendary Vince Gill lends his singular vocals to what Eady refers to as a good old country drinking song.
In each track, Eady reveals a sharp sense of songcraft hes honed since childhood. Even back in my early days of getting into music, I always cared more about the writers than the singers, says Eady, who grew up in Jackson. Id look up whod written a certain song, and then go seek out more songs from that writer. At age 14the same year he started writing his own materialEady began performing in local bars and showing his natural grasp of everything from soul and R&B to blues and country. After some time in the Air Force, he moved to Fort Worth and started playing open mic nights, where he quickly built up a devoted following. By 2005, Eady had made his debut with the independently released From Underneath The Old.
For Eadywho names Merle Haggard, Guy Clark, and Willie Nelson among his main inspirationsinstilling each song with so much graceful honesty proved to be his greatest achievement and thrill in creating the new album. When you first get started making music, your ideas are grandiose and more about the big picture. But the longer Ive done this, the more Ive realized that the real joy comes from the process rather than the end goal, he says. Now its about getting better and finding more of myself with every album. So instead of writing what I think people want to hear, Im writing what I want to write and trusting thatas long as its coming from an honest placeitll hopefully mean something to the people listening too.
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LocationThe Law Office Pub & Music Hall (View)
226 S. Bridge St.
Yorkville, IL 60560
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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