The San Diego Troubadour
  

Highway Song

The Transcendental Blues of Chris Smither

Picture this if you will: you're walking peacefully through the serene place known as Walden's Forest by the pond made famous by Henry David Thoreau. You can smell the virgin scent of the Northern Oak Pine Trees; the deep green of the trees is stunning as they reach high toward the endless sky.... Slowly you come across two country-blues musicians - Jesse Fuller and Mississippi John Hurt - exchanging acoustic blues licks, drinking Jack Daniels, and singing words that ring with meaning. But the words come from the great Transcendentalists of the 19th century and the the Zen masters. Not far beyond that, you see a man listening attentively, guitar in hand, to their music and their interaction. He listens so he can take his new insights into the world along with those beautiful blues-licks. His songs are stunning in their wisdom and just plain toe-tapping and head spinning in the guitar playing that takes the music of Mississippi John and Jesse Fuller places they never could have imagined.

You've just encountered the music of Chris Smither, a veteran of the world of singer-songwriters for the last 40 years. He was there in the beginning during the early 70's with those heady record contracts signed by the likes of James Taylor and Carol King, ushering in a new generation of artists who would often use folk and blues to point us deeper into personal experience, introspection, and appreciation in our lives.

Chris Smither was brought into national recognition with the Bonnie Raitt classic hit song "Love You Like a Man," which has been covered by many female jazz singers including Diana Krall.

During the time when Dylan was a mystery-ghost during his recovery period from his motorcycle accident, those who bore the mark of his influence began to find their own voices, which often varied far from the Dylan motif.  It's significant that Chris' albums have included many adventurous Dylan covers, such as "Desolation Row," "Visions of Johanna," and, on his latest album Time Stands Still, "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry." Like the Big Pink/Basement Tapes days of Dylan and the Band, Chris Smithers brings a modern lyrical acoustic style to an antique form. Time Stands Still stands among the best of a long string of award-winning albums that have been described by most critics as his best upon release. Such is the consistency and constant evolution of this distinctive artist. The new album is a continuation of his legacy with an engaging folk-blues based, complex finger picking and lyric-driven songs that bite with the kind of wisdom gained from a life of, what he calls "small revelations." His insightful lyrics are influenced by the Transcendentalists as well as Zen Buddhism. Like the Soto Zen tradition, he mirrors the enlightenment available to us all in those ordinary miracles he describes in these gem-like songs which, like most songs in the American tradition, deal with heartbreak, redemption, appreciation, and the irony of those happy accidents we all experience in everyday life.

In his 40 years on the road, Chris has taken a solitary path. He has rarely played with a band, serving only as an accompanist on occasion. However, his songwriting has been generous in its flow of wisdom and shared revelations. Beneath his rough bluesy voice is the same kind of light and serenity one might discover on a walk by Walden's Pond.

Early last month I had the opportunity to engage in a phone conversation with Chris. We laughed as I sat in the shade of a tree in a city park while he stayed indoors within the warm shelter of his Massachusetts home. What follows demonstrates the generosity and quiet wisdom of the man.

San Diego Troubadour: So, let's start with current events. What are you up to these days.

Chris Smither: Well, let's see...I released a new album, Time Stands Still, a few weeks ago. I've been touring, but I'm on hiatus right now. I'll start up again soon. I'll be in Austin [and also in San Diego] in February.

SDT: How do you like the scene there?

CS: It's great. So much music. The only problem with Austin is it's in Texas. As soon as you leave it can get pretty different.

SDT: Where else will you be touring?

CS: In March we're headed for Australia.

SDT: You have a good following there?

CS: Well, with each new album that's released, I get a good crowd. So, I keep going back after a new release, as long as they keep coming.

SDT: Is it true that Australians are really into roots music?

CS: Well, you know, there's a saying, "Australians are just Americans in training." [laughs]

SDT: Tell me about your beginnings. How you got to here.

CS: [laughs] I've wondered that myself. Let's see. Well, my first instrument was a ukulele. When I got a guitar, later when I was older, I'd listen to blues records like Mississippi John Hurt. I learned from listening to them and then got a style of my own based on his style of finger picking.

SDT: Do you consider your music blues?

CS: Well, yeah, it starts there, but then I take it out where it's hard to describe or categorize. I wouldn't call it pure blues though. You'll always hear those influences coming through. I try to bring something new to the lyrics.

SDT: Yeah, your lyrics are unique.

CS: I come up with what I'm thinking about at the time. I've heard some people say [that] some of my lyrics are dark. But, really, if you listen I always try to leave things on a positive note.

SDT: I noticed you like to do unusual covers. A lot of Dylan songs but not the usual Dylan covers.

CS: Yeah, I find, if I do something by Bob, I want to be able to bring something of my own to it. So I find songs like this - I don't if anyone has ever covered "Desolation Row."

SDT: It occurred to me, as I look over your albums over the last few years, you're covering mostly Dylan songs from Highway 61 Revisited. Do you want to cover the whole album?

CS: [laughs] It seems that way. But, I also did "Visions of Johanna." The newest one on Time Stands Still is "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry." I think I brought something new to that one. You know one thing about playing Bob's songs is they are so strong, they stand the test of time. They can take a lot of abuse - even Bob these days [laughs]. The songs even take abuse from Bob. 

SDT: One of the songs you covered, which stands out for me personally, is Richie Furay's song from The Buffalo Springfield album, "Kind Woman." Richie mentions your cover in his biography. I think it pleased him.

CS: Wow. It's great to hear that about Richie. I remember I heard that song in 1968 and just thought, here's this gorgeous song. I've got to play it. I started covering it in concert and got lots of compliments on it. What album was it on? Oh yeah, it was This Train. While I was recording it, I needed another song to fill out the set and I played "Kind Woman." Man, I've made more women cry with that one! [laughs]

SDT: Your lyrics really have a spiritual feel to them. Tell me your thoughts on spirituality and music.

CS: Let's see ... music is spiritual. It calls you to the moment. The moment is all we have and the music really brings you to the present. But, I'm not a theist.

SDT: A lot of what you write sounds like it's influenced by Zen.

CS: Yes. I've hung around with Zen Buddhists. I suppose I've picked up a lot from them. One thing I can say, I'm glad I didn't die 30 years ago. I would've missed so much. So many things I've learned during that time. It seems to me that everyday life has been filled with small revelations. That's really what my life has been - a series of small revelations.

SDT: It's what I call ordinary miracles.

CS: Yes.

SDT: I noticed on your website that you've done some prose writing.

CS: Yes. That's been very different than songwriting. With a song, you gotta hold its hand. You work to get it done from start to finish. But, I started writing a short story for this book called Amplified. The editors just have a real love of this kind of music. So they asked some songwriters to write. It's short stories from people like Mary Gauthier. The good thing was I had a deadline. Otherwise, I could've gone on and on. I don't know if I would ever started it without that deadline. But, once I started, it took on a life of its own. I felt like I was trying to keep up with it. It was really different than writing a song. I'm glad I did it. 

SDT: Well, I'm looking forward seeing you at Acoustic Music San Diego. It's been a pleasure.

See Chris Smither in concert Friday, February 12, 7:30pm, Acoustic Music San Diego, 4650 Mansfield Street in Normal Heights. www.acousticmusicsandiego.com



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