Steve Gillette Album: "Texas and Tennessee" Redwing Records #5404 (1998) Rating: (5 Paws)

Steve Gillette is one of the best songwriters in the country. He has a way with a story and tune that draws you in and helps you to understand the characters in the story. He is also one of the best finger-style guitar players in folk music today. His singing is particularly strong on this album, as well.

Most of the songs on this album are collaborations with other fine writers, but one of the most interesting songs on this new album is Steve’s own view of the assassination of the President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The song is called Two Men In The Building. If you lived through that period of history, you will understand the emotions expressed and potential that the song is true.

Another of the particularly strong sings is Railroad Written All Over Him, about a man who sits at home with his wife, and tell her that he is home to stay, but she is afraid anyway: Steve wrote this song with one of his regular collaborators, Charles John Quarto.

Steve weaves these stories together in a way that touches your heart and makes you want to get to know all these people. If there is a standard by which to measure contemporary folk songs, it may be Steve Gillette and his collaborators. They seem to hit the nail on the head just about every time they write something down on paper.

It amazes me that year after year Steve can come up with songs and recordings that are so good. If you are going to limit yourself to just a few CDs in the next couple of years, make this one of them.