Jason Isbell’s top influences are Jackson Browne and David Linley’s “Running on Empty,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “I Know A Little” and Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer”, from the album ZUMA (which has been in the space news of late as a mysterious, highly classified, beyond Top Secret MIC satellite payload, interestingly enough).
From Jason Isbell: My Musical Life in Five Riffs | Guitar Player
“CORTEZ THE KILLER,” NEIL YOUNGAnd here is Jason Isbell covering Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer” with Dawes on Cayamo 2013 cruise. (Thanks Jim! excellent.)
“When I started coming up with melodies and chord changes on my own, this song kept coming back to me, because of the tension and release created when you hold that D note from one chord to the next. It creates this kind of cool suspension.”
Also, see Jason Isbell covers Neil Young on Fresh Air.
Saw Isbell do a really tight version of "Cortez The Killer" leaving a Caribbean island (Tortola?) about five years back with the Dawes backing him up. It was on the pool deck of the ship and it was incredible. The song from that show is on Youtube in rather stunning quality and one thing to remember is that Richard Thompson was on the side of the stage watching it all as was most of the Cayamo 2013 cruise line-up.
ReplyDeleteSearch: "Jason Isbell & Dawes - 2013 Cayamo Music Cruise - "Cortez the Killer" - January 15, 2013"
Later in the set, as a side note, Richard Thompson was convinced to came up to join the Dawes on "Calvery Cross" which when it finished I looked back to see all my children wide eyed at what they had witnessed. That is also on Youtube somewhere from 2013 on the Cayamo cruise.
Search: "Dawes and Richard Thompson - Calvary Cross - Cayamo 2013"
Great memory for a dad to have...I like to think I'm staying on shore to make room for more people to encounter Cayamo as it is now so tough to get your foot in the door but for a while I worked for cruise money as did my wife.
There is something to having a festival on the water where you are not grounded for days at a time that brings a dreamy atmosphere to the whole thing.
Thanks so much Jim. HNY!
ReplyDeleteJust located video and embedded above. A very nice Cortez. Must have been magnificent out there on the high seas.
Maybe we'll make Cayamo someday.
BTW, we caught Jason & 400 Unit w/ Amanda this summer at an outdoor shed and it was blazin'. Jason and Amanda are definitely a couple to keep our eyes on in the years ahead.
have a great '18!