Jonathan Smith

Classic Americana Albums: Tom Waits “Closing Time”

July 19, 2023 Jonathan Smith 1

A drunk props himself up at one end of a seedy bar; a down-and-out stumbles across a dirty city street in search of somewhere safe in an unfriendly city; a working girl looks blankly at the […]

Cowboy Junkies “Such Ferocious Beauty”

June 13, 2023 Jonathan Smith 0

Subdued, mystical palette from Canadian titans of Americana. It is now 35 years since the release of ‘The Trinity Sessions’, a record which even now stands as a pillar in the formation of Americana music. The […]

Dom Flemons “Traveling Wildfire”

May 31, 2023 Jonathan Smith 0

Subtle variations on solo album from Carolina Chocolate Drops co-founder. Having recorded four albums with Grammy award-winning trio The Carolina Chocolate Drops, ‘Traveling Wildfire’ is the fifth solo effort by Dom Flemons. His much-lauded role as […]

Cover Art Rough & Tumble "Only This Far"

The Rough & Tumble “Only This Far”

May 11, 2023 Jonathan Smith 0

Rawness meets polish on this striking acoustic songwriting outing. The Rough & Tumble are a duo comprising spousal bandmates Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler. Plying their musical trade travelling the roads of America in a motorhome, […]

The First Time: Jonathan Smith – The Pogues, Cornwall Coliseum, St Austell, 1990

May 4, 2023 Jonathan Smith 0

My love for music kicked in around 1978, and yet it was another 12 years before my first ‘big’ gig experience. This was mainly due to a combination of growing up in West Cornwall, and having […]