Extra Jimmies !
AT A TIME WHEN MANY ARTISTS ARE CALLING into question the validity of the album format, Jimmie Vaughan remains a staunch advocate of long-form recordings. “I still love albums,” the veteran blues guitarist states. “I know there are changes in the way records are being delivered, but that’s just progress. Albums are still important, and I don’t see that changing. You give me a well-played, well-recorded album, and it’s like I’ve got a new friend. I’ll listen to that thing forever.”
Even so, Vaughan admits the process of recording albums can be stressful and exhausting, but he’s come up with a workaround to keep the experience fresh. “I just pretend we’re cutting some 45s,” he says. “That’s how they did them in the old days — you go in and cut a couple of tunes, and everybody has a great time. So I’ll do two songs, maybe three, and then we’ll take a break. I do that every few weeks, and that cuts down on the stress factor. I’ve sat in studios for weeks and weeks, and I’ve seen spirits drag. Keep it short, keep it fun — in the end you’ll have a great album.”
Which is more or less how Vaughan went about recording his new album, , working with members of his long-standing “A team” (drummer George Rains, guitarist Billy Pitman, bassist Ronnie James, keyboardist Mike Flanigan, and sax players Doug James and Greg and followed with 2011’s on which the guitarist (who handles the lion’s share of vocals but sometimes steps back and lets guests Georgia Bram-hall and Emily Gimble take over) digs deep to uncover rare gems from artists that he holds dear.
