TRY TO BE READY Malcolm Holcombe
Oct 29, 2009
"We gotta get out there with a hoe": the Appalachian twanger keeps the burners going.
BY ANDY TENNILLE
"It certainly doesn't begin with me," Malcolm Holcombe says. "It starts someplace bigger than me, you know? Take that however you like. That's up for grabs there. "
Despite having released five LPs and an EP-including 2007's fantastic Gamblin' House- that have earned him reams of critical praise, Malcolm Holcombe deflects credit for the Appalachian folk blues music he's played for the better part of the last twenty years. But when acknowledging the inspiration behind For The Mission Baby, his latest release on Echo Mountain Records, Holcombe is quick to pay credit where credit is due.
"I watched that damn helicopter take off from the Capitol, you can bet your sweet bippy on that," he says, of former President George W. Bush's exit from office last January. "There are some people that don't watch television or listen to the radio. I've been through that phase, but I think it's my responsibility with a family to pay attention. Maybe I can muster up some songs weighty enough to surpass my breathe along the way."
The 12 songs Holcombe assembled for For The Mission Baby deal with greed, poverty, corruption and war, modern day fables filtered through his Everyman sensibilities. On "Doncha Miss That Water," Holcombe references Hurricane Katrina, with New Orleans native Mary Gauthier providing beautiful vocal accompaniment. ("Her soul just bled all over that tune," he says.) Perhaps the biggest influence on For The Mission Baby are the contributions from multi-instrumentalist Tim O'Brien, whose diverse talents Holcombe foresaw when writing for the album.
"I thought his playing would be very in keeping with the songs, but I didn't know Tim," he recalls. "I asked Ray [Kennedy, the album's producer] if he thought Tim might like to pick and sing some on this and he told me to give him a call. Next thing I know, Tim's knocking on the door with a slew of instruments. His spirit is as much a part of these songs as anything else was at their birth."
For the second record in a row, Holcombe worked with Grammy-winning Kennedy (Steve Earle, Waylon Jennings, David Allen Coe), whose recording approach is conducive to Holcombe's relaxed, down-home demeanor.
"Ray's got the patience of Job and is totally consumed with bringing out the best in the songs," he says. "We both like keeping all the burners going on the stove.e' He's a pa The good Lord will give us the rain and the sunshine, but man, we gotta get out there with a hoe. When it comes, I try to be ready."
Upcoming concerts for Holcombe include:
Oct 30 2009 12:00P
WDVX Blue Plate Special Knoxville, Tennessee
Nov 7 2009 8:00P
Time Warp Tea Room Knoxville, Tennessee
Nov 13 2009 8:00P
FBISC- @ Pirate's Cove Elberta, Alabama
Nov 14 2009 4:00P
FBISC @ Pirate's Cove Elberta, Alabama
Nov 21 2009 8:00P
Ashland Coffee and Tea Ashland, Virginia
Nov 25 2009 7:00P
Tennessee Shines live from The Bijou Knoxville, Tennessee
Nov 27 2009 10:00P
The Nu-Way Lounge Spartanburg, South Carolina
Nov 28 2009 8:00P
The Sentient Bean Savannah, Georgia
Nov 30 2009 9:30P
White Water Tavern Little Rock, Arkansas
Dec 2 2009 8:00P
The Blue Door Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Dec 3 2009 8:00P
AllGood Cafe Dallas, Texas
Dec 5 2009 9:00P
ListeningRoom at NiaMoves Houston, Texas
Dec 6 2009 8:00P
Continental Club Gallery Austin, Texas
Dec 10 2009 8:00P
641 RPM Boone, North Carolina
Dec 18 2009 8:00P
The Blue Moose Morgantown, West Virginia
Dec 19 2009 8:30P
The Garage Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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