Upcoming from Jason Isbell & Natalie Merchant

An HBO special and a new album and tour.

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books and now writer/director of award-winning films, including this one coming to PBS stations in May. He was also a longtime editor of the legendary Crawdaddy.

Surprised to learn over the weekend of upcoming HBO special on my favorite current songwriter Jason Isbell. Apparently it records struggles around his most recent album (now a couple of years on) and with his talented and opinionated wife Amanda Shires and perhaps with continuing to stay off booze and drugs. Here’s the trailer:

One of the best, rocking songs from that 2021 album:

Also new is first video for upcoming Natalie Merchant “comeback” album also due in April. She’s also launching her biggest tour in many years.

Here is the message from her record company:

Nonesuch Records will release Natalie Merchant’s Keep Your Courage, her tenth solo studio album and first of new material since 2014’s self-titled record, on April 14, 2023. An eclectic album, produced by Merchant, it features two duets sung with vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis (Resistance Revival Chorus), contributions from the Celtic folk group Lúnasa and Syrian virtuoso clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, and horn arrangements by jazz trombonist Steve Davis. There are lush orchestrations throughout by seven composers including: Gabriel Kahane, Stephen Barber, Colin Jacobson, and Megan Gould. Keep Your Courage comprises nine original songs by Merchant as well as an interpretation of “Hunting the Wren” by Ian Lynch of the Irish band Lankum. The vinyl LP edition of Keep Your Courage includes four bonus tracks from earlier albums, previously unreleased on vinyl.

Golden oldie, with Michael Stipe…

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