Jim Lauderdale
The Other Sessions
Dualtone 1103-2

by Al Kunz

A few years ago some friends invited me to meet them at a local Houston club to see a singer/songwriter they said I'd like. His name was Jim Lauderdale and they told me he'd been covered by George Strait, among others.

That night I found my friends leaning against an isolated corner of the bar. It was one of the few open spots to be found. Cowboy hats were blocking my view of the stage and the noise level from the fans made it hard to judge the music. Finally after one too many run-ins with a psycho-bitch barmaid I decided to leave early, with no real clue about the music of Jim Lauderdale.

But this brief encounter put him on my radar. I began to notice the name everywhere, contributing songs for projects by artists such as Kelly Willis, Jesse Dayton, and Buddy Miller to Mark Chesnutt, Dave Edmunds, and The Dixie Chicks, he was obviously attracting attention all over the board. I also found myself checking CD credits to see who the guy singing great background and harmony vocals was. You guessed it, Jim Lauderdale kept popping up there too. Obviously this was a major artist that I needed to give another look, and I'm glad I did.

The Other Sessions consists of twelve tracks of pure, traditional country and honky tonk, with a dash of Dave Dudley and a touch of the Bakersfield Sound. Lauderdale manages to sound contemporary, yet still have a sound that Lefty Frizzell or the Hag would be proud to call their own. This is destined to be on a lot of best-of-the-year lists, it's already on mine.

The tracks on this release were recorded over a period of time, in some cases for demos to pitch the songs to other artists. Lauderdale says that his best recorded performances are often done as demos, so he's started assuming that every demo might end up on record. The lead track, "If I Were You", is a cry-in-your-beer country waltz, featuring the late Roy Huskey, Jr on bass and Tammy Rodgers playing her fiddle.

Hey girl, we've been friends for so long
And I've always been your shoulder when you cried
Now you're asking how to end your heartache
I'm telling you right now, take my advice

If I were you then I'd love me forever
And I'd be here in these arms where you belong
And I'd spend my life being happy
If I were you I'd hold me, from now on

Former George Jones and Charlie Louvin duet partner Melba Montgomery co-penned "Just to Get to You" and "I'd Follow You Anywhere". The later is a traditional country love ballad. The former is a gotta-get-back-to-you song on one level, and a how do I get you to notice me song on another.

I've been a train, running out of rail
There's no stopping now, I can't help myself
Picking up more steam, with every move
Just to get to you

Following my heart, where ever it takes me
Straight to where you are, that's where I want to be
Taking on the world, with the strength of two
Just to get to you

"What's On My Mind" was co-written with Leslie Satcher, who also contributes harmony vocals on this track. Satcher, a native of Paris, Texas, now a Nashville songwriter, recently released her own debut on Warner Brother's records.

I can't have this conversation
Without lots of reservations on the line
If there's a way to slip around it
Then I'm bound to get around it one more time

Honey you are so persuasive
but it makes me more evasive when you cry
You can label me elusive
But the facts are inconclusive at this time

"Merle World", co-written with prolific Nashville songster Kostas is followed by "You'll Know When It's Right", a collaboration between Lauderdale and Nashville's leading songwriter Harlan Howard.

I'm sorry that you couldn't love me
But I thank you for your time
And I'm sure there will come a moment
When you won't be on my mind

I hope I'll always be as honest
As you've always been to me
I just wish that you were feeling
That I was what you need

Someone once remarked that in most places you write a song, but in Nashville you co-write it. That's the case on this release, with Lauderdale co-writing eleven of the tracks using a variety of partners, the exception being "Oh My Goodness", which Lauderdale penned unassisted. He also went solo as a vocalist in "Diesel, Diesel, Diesel", which was previously released as a duet with co-writer Del Reeves on the Various Artists truck driver tribute Rig Rock Deluxe.

Diesel, Diesel, Diesel
Rollin' through the night
Cuttin' through the darkness
Can't see another light
Not any kind of turnoff
Not any exit signs
I ain't seen nothin' for a hundred miles

It's a time when a country album with steel guitars on every track like this one is considered alternative. With The Other Sessions Jim Lauderdale has given us what he describes as a "Hard Country" album, an "alternative" retro-country sound exploring traditional honky-tonk themes of vulnerability and heartbreak. The Other Sessions is available at leading retail outlets or the normal internet sources. You can also find out more about Lauderdale at www.jimlauderdale.com or hear song samples at www.dualtone.com

Contact Al Kunz at kunz-at-rockzilla.net

 
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