Songs of Jimmie Rodgers - Tribute

 (20 customer reviews)

Jimmie Rodgers (not to be confused with the similarly-named folk/pop singer of the late fifties and early sixties) died in 1933, but his music still has a significant following. The rock and country singers that participated in this album provide proof of that. Several of Jimmie's famous songs are here, but there are also some less obvious selections.Of the country singers, I particularly enjoyed Iris DeMent (Hobo Bill's last ride), Willie Nelson (Peach picking time in Georgia), Alison Krauss (Any old time) and Dwight Yoakam (T for Texas). Among the rock singers, my favorites were Bono (Dreaming with tears in my eyes) and John Mellencamp (Gambling bar room blues). Actually, most of the tracks are brilliant.All these singers do the songs in their own style, so your own favorite tracks are likely to depend on your opinion of their other music. If you enjoy Jimmie's music, you will enjoy this providing you can accept the diverse styles. If you only like country, you may find...Read more

This Jimmie Rodgers tribute collection is a great example of how such albums should be done. All the performers here exhibit respect for the material. Yes, they imprint the songs with their personal styles, but never at the expense of the music itself, as happens so often in other "tributes". Standouts for this listener are Dylan's "Blue Eyed Jane", a demonstration of the his greatness as an interpreter: beautifully phrased singing, deeply immersed in its idiom; Dwight Yoakam's "T For Texas" is an astonishingly powerful and brilliantly vocalized performance; Van Morrison on "Mule Skinner Blues" sounds at the top of his form, as though the track were recorded in 1970; David Ball, a relative newcomer, sounds born to sing "Miss the Mississippi". But, truly, it would be hard to single anyone out as the best.This wonderful collection went nearly unnoticed at its release. It will richly reward anyone who hears it now.

Singers featured:David Ball
Dickie Betts
Bono
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Iris Dement
Bob Dylan
Steve Earle
Jerry Garcia
Alison Krauss
John Mellencamp
Van Morrison
Willie Nelson
Aaron Neville
Dwight YoakamI first heard Jummie Rodgers sing as a teenager, when I found an old shellac and celluloid 78 RPM record in a house we had just moved into, in the late 'thirties (before the second world war.) It had Jimmie Rodgers Blue Yodel, Opus no 3, on one side and Opus no. 5 on the other. The record has since been lost of course, but I learned the songs well enough to play them on the guitar, and sing the lyrics. Great stuff!This is a tribute collection of a few of Jimmy Rodgers' songs, sung by other singers pretty much in his style. I've often said that many singers sing better than he did, play the guitar better, and yodel better, so--what was it he had that makes him so revered (by those who know of him.) He...Read more