musical HoUs
Emmylou Harris’ latest reveals natural talent
Luxury Liner by Emmylou Harris
Produced by Brian Ahern
Warner Bros. Records Inc.
copyright 1977
By MARK ROWE
Of the Emerald
The idion of progressive coun
try music, exemplified in the mas
culine gender by such as Jerry
Jeff, Willie Nelson and Waylon
Jennings, has a strong run for the
money in the feminine field, now,
between Linda Ronstadt and
Emmylou Harris. Luxury Liner is
the new album by Emmylou, it
shapes up to be a very competent,
enjoyable effort and a boost to the
career of this lady still new to the
national exposure scene in music.
It is impossible to talk about
progressive country music (or
“country rock” in the vulgar form)
in general and about Emmylou
Harris in particular without conjur
ing up the spectre once more of
the late Gram Parsons. Emmylou
had some of her first and some of
her finest performances in the last
limelight of Gram Parsons on his
1973 album Grievous Angel. It
marked his end and her begin
ning. Anyone who questions the
influence that Parsons had on
Emmylou Harris need look no
further than the list of songs and
writers on the back; Parsons au
thored two of the ten tracks, in
cluding the title tune, “Luxury
Liner.”
Gram Parsons and Emmylou
Harris complimented each other
well and by recording his songs
Emmylou succeeds in keeping his
influence alive in her own music.
Luxury Liner has the same flavor
as Grievous Angel; it is tempered
by the late man’s presence, and
by his absence as well.
Inherent in the country idiom is
the phenomenon of the outlaw,
the society in revolt. Emmylou
handles this theme particularly
well through writer Townes van
Zandt’s song “Pancho & Lefty,”
the story of a “bandit boss” who is
betrayed and slain;
“Well the poets tell how Pancho
fell
And Lefty’s Livin’ in a cheap
hotel
The desert’s quiet and
Cleveland’s cold
And so the story ends, we're
told.”
The song is an excellent ode not
only to the man, but a bitter com
mentary on the glory seekers in
law enforcement who claim they
could have had him anytime, but
instead chose to let it slide. “Out of
kindness, I suppose?” goes the
refrain.
Portland offers concerts
Boots Randolph,
F. Cramer tonight
Saxophonist Boots Randolph
and pianist Floyd Cramer, two of
the biggest names in country pop,
return to Portland for a concert at
the Civic Auditorium tonight at 8
p.m.
Randolph, a humorous show
man as well as a top-rated tenor
sax player, has appeared on
nearly every major TV talk and
variety show and has been host of
two of his own television specials.
Playing a combination of country
and western, blues, Dixieland jazz
and popular music, Randolph
creates a distinctive "Nashville
Sound" which has found an inter
national audience. He has had
hits with songs such as “Yakety
Sax,” “Cacklin' Sax,” “Little Big
Horn” and “Simple Simon.’’
Cramer, whose recording of
“Last Date” sold over two million
copies, is widely regarded as one
of the finest studio musicians in
the recording business. Using
what is called a “bent note” tech
nique, Cramer’s unique style has
profoundly influenced a whole
generation of pianists. Cramer
describes his technique as “a sort
of near-miss on the keyboard —
you hit one note and slide almost
simultaneously to another. The
result is a simple, clean and lone
some sound.”
Backed by the Boots Randolph
Orchestra, the two artists will per
form both individually and to
gether.
Tickets for the Northwest Re
leasing event are on sale at The
Ticket Place at Lipmans, First
Federal in Vancouver and the Au
ditorium.
Saturday night jazz
with The Crusaders
The Crusaders, an innovative
jazz group which has been around
for a good number of years is com
ing to Portland's Auditorium for a
concert Saturday at 8 p.m.
“When it comes to pumping out
jazz-funk be-bop rock, sliced over
slabs of R and B, and ocean
blues,” says Max Bell in the New
Musical Express, “The Crusaders
are simply the best, no competi
tion. There’s no one to touch
them.”
Unlike the majority of groups in
the music industry who are judged
by how much of a commercial hit
their current record is, The
Crusaders are respected for their
high quality musicianship. The
greatest tribute to their musical
genius occurred at a concert last
year in Los Angeles when Stevie
Wonder, Elton John and Eric
Clapton joined the Crusaders on
stage for the honor of jamming
with them.
The group blends the talents of
Nesbert "Stix” Hooper (drums),
Joe Sample (keyboards), Wilton
Felder (tenor sac), Larry Carlton
(guitar) and Robert “Pops" Pop
well (bass). Their most recent
ABC/Blue Thumb album, the two
record set The Best of The
Crusaders, features prime selec
tions from their previous
ABC/Blue Thumb records.
Singer Al Jarreau, whose latest
Reprise album is entitled We Got
By, joins the Crusaders on the bill
as special guest.
Tickets for the Northwest Re
leasing event are on sale at The
Ticket Place at Lipmans (down
town Portland), First Federal in
Vancouver and the Auditorium.
One of the curious coinci
dences in the careers of both
Emmylou and Linda Ronstadt is
that they both began to write their
own songs on their latest albums.
Emmylou co-authors the last song
on Luxury Liner, “Tulsa Queen,”
with guitarist Rodney Crowell. As
her only effort at songwriting on
this album it succeeds well.
In addition to the impressive
array of contributors song-wise,
Luxury boasts a lineup of music
dans guaranteed to draw praise.
Hank DeVito, second only to Pete
Kleinow on pedal steel; Brian
Ahern and Albert Lee play electric
guitars, albeit properly subdued
except for the usual crisp, short
solo; and Dolly Parton, the grand
old queen of country herself
makes an appearance on “When I
Stop Dreaming.” Emmylou, in ad
dition to handling the lead vocals
also plays acoustic guitar on many
of the tunes.
This leads of course to the cruy
of her talent. Emmylou has the
high country—(slightly) nasal
voice favored by those who sing
about the wife/husband who
cheats on them. It is, in short, a
natural. The rest may all turn to
solid rock tomorrow, but Emmylou
Harris' voice is pure country; from
the amphetamine-paced title track
to the slow and sultry “She,” her
voice is the essence of the mood
she seeks to capture.
Harris will be here to give concert
It isn t often that Eugene enjoys the entertain
ment of a Grammy award winner. Moreover, it is rare
to experience two Grammy award winners in one
evening.
Emmylou Harris, winner of the Best Country
Female Vocalist Grammy last month and The Amaz
ing Rhythm Aces, winner of the Best Country Vocal
Group will be in town April 29th. The show will begin
at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium building in the Fair
ground complex.
Tickets can only be purchased through mail
order which can be sent to Emmylou Harris Concert,
P.O. Box 5345, Eugene, Oregon 97405. A self ad
dressed stamped envelope with a check or money
order will be accepted. Tickets are $5.50 in advance
and $6.50 the day of the show.
The last time Harris was in town, she sold-out
two weeks in advance. Hence, an equally fast if not
faster sell-out may be expected this time around.
Harris’ show will include songs from her new # 1
Country Album, Luxury Liner. Harris was nominated
for Pop Vocalist of the year for the song “Here, There
and Everywhere,” which she will, of course, also be
singing at the concert.
The Amazing Rhythm Aces gained recognition
with their hit single “Third Rate Romance.” Their
second album featured the song “The End is Not In
Sight” which won them the Grammy. They are cur
rently releasing a new album. Harris’ band, The Hot
Band is considered one of the quality bands on tour
today. They were retained for their services on a
number of other artists albums last year. The musi
cians are: lead guitarist Albert Lee, Pedal Steel Hank
DeVito, on base is Emory Gordy, Glen D. Hardin on
Piano, Acoustic Guitar Rodney Crowell and John
Ware on drums.
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