The I-10 Chronicles
Various Artists
Back Porch Records (Virgin) 48991
released 2000
available on amazon
This is an eclectic collection of artists and songs that is loosely (very loosely) tied together by the Interstate Highway I-10. The interstate stretches clear across the country from Jacksonville, Florida to Santa Monica, California. This collection is supposed to be the music found along that road. Actually it skips some areas of the country that are very fertile musically, such as the New Orleans to Houston stretch, home to funk, jazz, Cajun and Zydeco, and of course Blues and Swamp music. It does include something I have a hard time fitting into this compendium, in any sense, either musically or geographically, “Yipi”. It is partially a collection of the cross-pollination of music of the borderland, the melding of the American folk song and the Mexican folk tradition. Aside from those reservations about the title, this is a fantastic collection of artists doing great work on an exceedingly diverse collection of songs, with some startling combinations. Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris sing backup vocals to Bill Hearne (on different songs), Bill Hearne playing with David Hidalgo and Sergio Gonzales, and a great version of “Carmilita” sung by Adam Duritz with David Hidalgo playing Dobro. Should it sound odd on the printed page, do not be put off by that. It is tight, exciting music, done with many wonderful surprises and twists and turns. It includes a wonderful version of Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’” with Willie Nelson doing lead vocal, songs by Guy Clarke, Warren Zevon, and Peter Green to name only a few of the outstanding collection of writers. This is as eclectic as can be and a great mix that holds up very well. One of the most wonderful things in this collection is that there are several lesser-known artists showcased with a very good result. Eclectic and diverse it makes for an out standing collection of music. Do not miss this one.
Songs, times, writers, and musicians
1 L.A. Freeway – 4:41 – Guy Clark
lead vocal and acoustic guitar – Bill Hearne
piano and backing vocals – Bonnie Hearne
backing vocals – Emmylou Harris
electric guitar – Randy Jacobs
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
2 Carmelita – 3:41 – Warren Zevon
lead vocals – Adam Duritz
Dobro – David Hidalgo
electric guitar – Randy Jacobs
slide guitar – David Immergluck
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
percussion – Kevin Ricard
3 Everybody’s Talkin’ – 4:39 – Fred Neil
lead vocals and guitar solo – Willie Nelson
harp – Mickey Raphael
guitar – Randy Jacobs
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
percussion – Kevin Ricard
4 Saint Valentine – 4:17 – Joe Ely
lead vocals – Joe Ely
mandolin – David Immergluck
accordion – Flaco Jimenez
acoustic guitar – Randy Jacobs
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
percussion – Lenny Castro
5 He Don’t Care About Me – 2:33 – Bruce Robinson
lead vocals – Sarah Nicole
piano – Bonnie Hearne
backing vocal and acoustic solo – Bill Hearne
accordion – Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis
mandolin - David Immergluck
electric guitar – Randy Jacobs
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
6 Smack Dab In The Middle – 3:36 –Charles Calhoun
lead vocal – Joe Ely
harp – Charlie Musselwhite
accordion – Flaco Jimenez
electric guitar – Randy Jacobs
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
percussion – Lenny Castro
7 New Mexico Rain – 3:59 – Michael Hearne
lead vocals and acoustic guitar – Bill Hearne
requinto jarocho – David Hildalgo
reed harp – Mickey Raphael
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
percussion – Kevin Ricard
8 Black Magic Woman – 3:26 – Peter Green
vocals and harp – Charlie Musselwhite
acoustic guitar – Eliades Ochoa
accordion – Flaco Jimenez
trumpet – Anibal Cesar Avila
electric guitar – Randy Jacobs
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
percussion – Lenny Castro
9 El Guateque De Don Tomas – 2:49 – Angel Villavisencio
lead vocals – Eliades Ochoa
vocals and trumpet - Anibal Cesar Avila
bass – Nathan Brown
percussion – Lenny Castro
10 Across The Borderline – 4:29 – Ry Cooder
lead vocals – Meredith Marshall
accordion – Flaco Jimenez
mandolin – David Immergluck
acoustic guitar – Randy Jacobs
bass – Nathan Brown
drums – Sergio Gonzales
percussion – Lenny Castro
11 Eighteen Inches of Rain – 3:25 – Ian Tyson
lead vocals, acoustic guitar and solo guitar – Bill Hearne
backing vocals – Bonnie Hearne and Willie Nelson
acoustic guitar solo – Willie Nelson
bass – Nathan Brown
percussion – Kevin Ricard
12 Yipi – 3:48 – Rose Moore
lead vocals – Cherokee Rose
acoustic guitar, banjo, and mandolin – David Immergluck
bass – Nathan Brown
percussion – Lenny Castro