Playlist

It's been way too long. Hal Ketchum's first stateside CD in five years reminds us what an intelligent, thoughtful and creative artist he is. Blending country with jazz, rockabilly with R&B and then throwing in a few tropical rhythms even, Father Time is that rare record that you can admire and also enjoy for its sheer musicality. Consisting mostly of songs from his own pen, with the one exception of a cover of Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl," the disc showcases his soulful voice as well as his guitar and banjo picking. Standouts abound but pay close attention to "Invisible," "Millionaire's Wife" and "Sparrow."

Photo: Father Time cover courtesy of cduniverse.com.

It was 7 o'clock on a Thursday night, but that didn't stop a near-capacity crowd from filling McDavid Studio in downtown Fort Worth. These were just the kind of folks who normally would have hunkered down at home to watch the vice-presidential debate. (Granted, more than a few were catching it later on Tivo.) But they had come to hear John Gorka, who has a loyal following indeed. And why not? Few acoustic musicians -- few songwriters, period -- are as gifted as this guy. Whether it was anti-war songs ("Let Them In" and "Writing in the Margins") or hearbreak ballads ("I Saw a Stranger With Your Hair" and "Love Is Our Cross to Bear"), John Gorka delivered as he always does. But one of the best things about hearing this bearded Minnesotan (who was born in New Jersey and educated in Pennsylvania) is his humor, whether it's delivered on stage in numerous witty asides or in lyrics. Take "People My Age," for instance: "People my age," he sang, "have started looking gross." Way too many laughs of recognition for that one.
(McDavid Studio, by the way, has emerged as one very cool venue.)
Photo: John Gorka

Organizers of Austin City Limits Music Festival are finally acknowledging that heatstroke is something best avoided: After moving the fest from mid September to late September this year, they're moving it again for 2009, to Oct. 2-4.