Buddy & Julie Miller Return w/LP, Tour

Written in Chalk due March 3 from New West.

By Blurt Staff

This info just slipped over the BLURT transom, and indeed, here are few songwriting partnerships in music today that are as consistently compelling as the dynamic between Buddy and Julie Miller.

The husband-and-wife duo have been writing and making music together since they first met and married over 20 years ago. Some of the efforts resulted in solo records for Buddy (five); others ended up albums by Julie (six). Written in Chalk, due out on New West Records on March 3, 2009, is only the second collaboration credited to both Millers following eight years after 2001's Buddy & Julie Miller.

Guests on Written in Chalk include Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Regina and Ann McCrary and Larry Campbell.  The record was recorded at the couple's home studio in Nashville, TN.  Written In Chalk will also be available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl.

Julie wrote nine of the twelve tracks on this extraordinary record. Her songs are emotional, even gut-wrenching at times, but all with underlying hints of love and of her faith.  The most touching song on the album is "Don't Say Goodbye" a beautiful, poignant ballad that features Patty Griffin on backing vocals.  Her lyrics often evoke a deep sadness evident in "A Long, Long Time" with the muted trumpet crying as Julie sings.  The record is balanced out with Buddy contributing to the country-rock duet "Gasoline and Matches" and Dee Ervin's bluesy, "One Part, Two Part" which Buddy sings with Regina and Ann McCrary.  Robert Plant supplies vocals on "What You Gonna Do, Leroy" a swampy stomp written by Mel Tillis and originally performed by Lefty Frizzell.

 Named "Artist of the Decade" by No Depression magazine, and instrumentalist of the year by the Americana Music Association for the past several years, Buddy Miller is one of the more highly sought after guitarists and has played with such greats as Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Williams, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Jim Lauderdale, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Buddy's songs have been cut by such artists as The Dixie Chicks, LeeAnn Womack, Jim Lauderdale and Emmylou Harris, among others. As a producer, his resume is just as impressive; he produced Emmylou Harris's live album Spyboy, Solomon Burke's Grammy® nominated Nashville and Allison Moorer's covers record Mockingbird.

 Julie received her first real attention with the release of Buddy Miller's 1995 HighTone debut, Your Love And Other Lies, for which she co-wrote several songs and sang on three. Her songwriting soon attracted the attention of Emmylou Harris, who recorded Julie's "All My Tears," as did jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott.  Emmylou Harris, as well as Steve Earle and Karen Perris of Innocence Mission, guested on Miller's album Blue Pony, which generated reams of critical praise and brought Julie's talents to center stage.

Check out www.buddyandjulie.com  for more information.

 Written In Chalk track List & credits:

 1 "Ellis County"

(Julie Miller)

Brady Blade - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

Larry Campbell - Fiddle

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Buddy And Julie Miller - Vocals

2 "Gasoline And Matches"

(Julie And Buddy Miller)

Bryan Owings - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

Buddy And Julie Miller - Vocals

3 "Don't Say Goodbye"

(Julie Miller)

Patty Griffin - Vocal

John Deaderick - Piano

4 "What You Gonna Do, Leroy"

(Mel Tillis)

Jay Belerose - Drums

Dennis Crouch - Bass

Stuart Duncan - Fiddle

Gurf Morlix - Lap Steel

Robert Plant - Vocal

5 "A Long, Long Time"

(Julie Miller)

Matt Rollings - Piano

Brady Blade - Drums

Byron House - Bass

Kami Lyle - Trumpet

6 "One Part, Two Part"

(Dee Ervin)

Brady Blade - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Russ Pahl - Steel Guitar

Regina And Ann Mccrary - Vocals

7 "Chalk"

(Julie Miller)

Brady Blade - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Patty Griffin - Vocal

8 "Everytime We Say Goodbye"

(Julie Miller)

John Deaderick - Piano

9 "Hush, Sorrow"

(Julie Miller)

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Larry Campbell - Mandolin

Russ Pahl - Steel Guitar

Regina  Mccrary - Vocal

10 "Smooth"

(Julie Miller)

Bryan Owings - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

Buddy And Julie Miller - Vocals

11 "June"

(Julie Miller)

Buddy And Julie Miller - Vocals

12 "The Selfishness In Man"

(Leon Payne)

Brady Blade - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Russ Pahl - Steel Guitar

Emmylou Harris - Vocal

Tour Dates:

Feb 3 2009      8:00P

            The Birchmere             Alexandria, Virginia

Feb 4 2009      8:00P

            The Birchmere             Alexandria, Virginia

Feb 5 2009      8:00P

            Whitaker Center at the Forum            Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Feb 6 2009      8:00P

            The Keswick   Glenside, Pennsylvania

Feb 8 2009      8:00P

            Music Hall       Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Feb 9 2009      8:00P

            State Theatre   Ithaca, New York

Feb 10 2009    8:00P

            The Warner Theater    Torrington, Connecticut

Feb 19 2009    8:00P

            Meyershoff Symphony Hall   Baltimore, Maryland

Feb 20 2009    8:00P

            Beacon Theatre           New York City, New York

Feb 21 2009    8:00P

            Bardavon 1869 Opera House             Kingston, New York

Feb 22 2009    8:00P

            The Orpheum Boston, Massachusetts