T Bone is Back!

T Bone Burnett, that is. And he actually hasn't been gone at all and even earned a Grammy for "O' Brother Where Art Thou?" and has produced a huge number of albums.

But he hasn't cut a record of his own in almost fifteen years. Starting with Alpha Band and then solo, Burnett made some brilliant music but most of that is languishing on vinyl or eight-track tapes.

(Click to see T Bone Burnett's collection at Amazon.)

Until now! T Bone has two new releases.

Why are we fans still faithful after all these years?

T Bone Burnett is an American original.

He's southern but also progressive.

He's rooted in folk but creates new music.

He's Christian but not church music.

He's pop but goes for timeless.

He's down-to-earth but a poet at heart

Clerks at used record stores always treat you better if you say you're looking for a T Bone Burnett album.

Burnett is a musicians' musician. Your favorite musician is probably listening to T Bone Burnett right now. Doesn't that make you curious?

If, like nearly everybody, you missed this terrific musician in his earlier years, you can catch it on his retrospective, "Twenty Twenty."

Since T Bone Burnett was ahead of his time with progressive folk, most of this music sounds newly-cut.

His second album is The True False Identity is a collection of new work. I'm getting it for Father's Day but thanks Amazon's pre-view service, I'm listening to it on-line now. (Don't tell my wife. This is like sneaking a peek at Christmas presents.)

If you are new to T Bone Burnett, then I recommend you start with Twenty Twenty.

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(The Dual Disk has a video of T Bone Burnett on the other side.)

Michelle Shocked - Deep Natural

There are only a small handful of musicians from whom I buy all their CDs, without even listening to them first.

One of those is Michelle Shocked, a rockin' folk singer with a progressive conscience. When I got Deep Natural from Amazon.com, I was surprised that she is now a Christian. She isn't a "Christian Musician" but a musician who had a genuine Christian experience. I was also delighted to discover that her conversion to Christianity wasn't also a conversion away from progressive social conscience. If anything, her new religious sensibility creates a more credible framework to her prophetic voice.

I think my favorite on this CD is her reworking of Amazing Grace called, That's So Amazing. Amazing Grace must has been covered by thousands of singers over the years but, almost always, it's predictably standard... but not with Michelle Shocked. This version is completely original. I love that!

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Liberal Grace Listening Lounge

T Bone is Back!

Michelle Shocked - Deep Natural