Old School Texas Singer songwriters...

I know, you want the scoop on the latest thing. I give it to you when I can. At the Conroe Americana Festival we recently attended we saw a couple performers, Gurf Morlix and Eric Taylor who have left their mark on the Texas music scene.  Both singer were at the Red Brick Tavern. It was a listening room atmosphere. 

Here's Gurf. Not really a Texan but he got here as quick as he could to perform with Blaze Foley, play in Lucinda William's Band and produce Ray Wylie, Robert Earl, Lucinda and more. Really great show of good songs accompanied by porch board foot tapping rhythm and a couple of really great sounding parlor type guitars.  

I really have a jones for one of these small parlor type guitars but I need another guitar like a hole in the heard and as big as I am would look like a baboon trying to delicately hold it. Ann Kelly has a new one and sometimes she lets me tune it. It's cool in a Howlin Wolf eats 50 bream at a backyard Memphis fish fry kind of way. 

A few nights later we caught Eric Taylor. He's a Texas guy and from the old Houston Townes Van Zant music scene. In addition to performing he teachs songwriting at workshops around the world. His tunes have been recorded by Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith. 

I have seen Eric before maybe 20 plus years ago at the Camp Street Cafe and know him to be a bit of a quirky performer with many stories to tell. He was forthcoming with his experiences with Townes, Bob Dylan and George W. Bush.   

As I say this was a listening room and Eric promised he would not get any louder. Songs were good but age and miles on the road takes his toll and his voice and mobility seemed a bit frail. Hopefully I'll be able to have some one write that about me one day.  He got up to go pee once during the set and had his wife play a couple of songs. I won't do that. My wife won't let me have the guitar back when I return.  

After the show Eric took a table by us and stuck around for a bit of the next band, The Cordovas. After the pee break from which he returned he was sipping what looked to be a White Russian. I know, I'm the butt head who quite drinking so now I'm counting your trips to the bar kind of guy but after his set he had three more. Usually the sign of a guy who don't eat having drinks with milk or tomato juice mixers.  

By the way Gurf mentioned his heart attack he had last year. Check out these old school Texas Master while you can.