LOOTING THE BINS WITH… JASON ISBELL
Aug 28, 2008
Browsing America's record stores with musicians - famous and infamous.
BY ANDY TENNILLE
"I'm gonna make you walk behind me and carry that thing like Buddy Guy's brother unwrapping his guitar cord behind him," Jason Isbell says with a laugh, gesturing to the digital recorder-and-lapel-mic contraption I'm fiddling with as we wander into San Francisco's Amoeba Music. "You'll just have to follow in my wake."
If anyone's qualified to relate the difficulty of following a tough act, it's Isbell, the talented 29-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist from Greenhill, Alabama who left the Drive-By Truckers in April 2007 to pursue a solo career after three tremendous albums and five years with the band.
Although fans questioned his decision to part with the wildly popular Athens, Georgia rockers, Isbell quietly went about his business, forming a new band - the 400 Unit (bassist Jimbo Hart, guitarist Browan Lollar, keysman Derry deBorja and drummer Mike Dillon) - to tour behind Sirens of the Ditch, a fantastic, 11-song studio debut released in July 2007 on New West Records that quickly topped many critics' annual album-of-the-year lists.
"The majority of that record was done over several years and some of the songs dated back to the time when I joined the Truckers," Isbell explains. "These guys I'm playing with now really didn't play on that one, which is why I'm excited about getting the next one out."
Just as with Sirens of the Ditch, FAME Studios is playing host to the recording sessions for Isbell's forthcoming sophomore effort, which he hopes to release in early 2009. The legendary, Muscle Shoals, AL studio - where the likes of Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Solomon Burke journeyed to record - has seen its share of spectacular sessions since it opened in the early ‘60s.
"Here's another great, great soul record from down at FAME," he says, holding up Candi Staton's 1969 debut I'm Just A Prisoner. "It's real good, but then she got married, became Candi Staton Sprewell and started making religious records. She's a real Ann Peebles-style soul singer and probably could have been on Hi Records before she went the religious route, but this one is an incredible record."
Soul music - beyond the classic Atlantic tracks cut in his backyard at FAME under the watchful eye of the dearly departed Jerry Wexler - has been a defining influence on Isbell since he was a young boy. You can hear it on a song like "Hurricanes and Hand Grenades" off his most recent release: Isbell's channeling of Ray Charles and The Band's Richard Manuel is almost uncanny.
"I've always loved Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes," Isbell says of the ‘70s Philly soul outfit. "Their biggest hit was "If You Don't Know Me By Now," but they had a lot of great songs. Most people outside Philadelphia couldn't name anyone in the band except for Teddy Pendergrass. He was the most famous one of the bunch. But they were together for like 30 years and made some really good music."
Certain albums often serve as cultural barometers and shed insight into the mind of the listener. Bringing It All Back Home or Highway 61 Revisited? Lady Soul or Aretha Now? The Bends or Ok Computer? For me, one of the best indications of someone's musical taste is to ask which of the five albums Stevie Wonder released in the ‘70s is their favorite.
"Now that's a good question," Isbell replies, rubbing his chin. "It might be Innervisions. That might be my particular favorite, ‘cause it's probably the one I've listened to the most out of those. I think it's got the best songs on it. But you can't go wrong with any of them, really. Music of My Mind, Talking Book...even Secret Life of Plants. They're all pretty incredible records. Stevie never gets old for me."
As big an influence as soul music has played in his life, Isbell is quick to point out that great songwriting has always been the focus for him as a musician.
"I listen to Nick Drake a lot, ‘cause I like the texture of his music," he says. "Pink Moon is hard to beat. Bryter Layter is really cool too. It's really sad music. He's a great songwriter and a really good guitar player. His tone is really unique: it sounds like his guitar strings are way off the neck."
Talk of the sanctity of song stirs a memory in Isbell, who excuses himself to search for an album by Iain Matthews of Fairport Convention.
"Check this one out right here," he says, handing me Matthews' 1972 country-folk album Journeys from Gospel Oak. "It's an ok record with three or four songs that are pretty good. Some of it is just bad, like the ‘Tribute to Hank Williams.' But this song "Polly" is one of the most brilliant songs I know. It's just gorgeous."
Despite his penchant for older music ("It's hard to buy vinyl on the road without it getting damaged. I'm still waiting on that fiberglass-graphite blend of vinyl that doesn't warp in the van."), Isbell says that's he does draw inspiration from a few of his contemporaries.
"I listen to a lot of Ray LaMontagne. I like his two records a whole lot. In fact, I might be one of the few people out there that thinks his second record was better than his first," he says. "Fionn Regan is a cool little Irish fella on Lost Highway. I saw him for the first time out here in San Francisco when he opened up for us at Café du Nord. He's a real talented songwriter. Kinda weird, but his record is really good."
"I don't like Alicia Keys," Isbell says, spotting the sultry soulstress' newest release, 2007's As I Am. "Her new songs sound so run-of-the-mill to me and her old stuff that was supposed to be so good was just over-sung. All these melismatic singers who do the vocal acrobatics just drive me crazy. Joss Stone's the same way. I like for people to just belt it out. I dig Amy Winehouse, but she just can't seem to get to the gigs. It's not like you have to be sober when you show up. Trust me: you can play drunk if you want to. You just have to be there and play..."
"And not get caught smoking crack on video with Pete Doherty," I offer.
"Yeah," Isbell says with a crooked grin. "Funny story: I met that guy once. I lit a cigarette for him and then realized that I was in danger of being photographed hanging out with Pete Doherty, so I took off. Just split."
[Photo Credit: Andy Tennille]
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