Book Recommendation: True To The Roots

Did you get an Amazon gift card for Christmas that's already burning a hole in the pocket of your worn out Levi's? If you are a fan of Americana music, I recommend you consider using the gift card to buy Monte Dutton's True To The Roots: Americana Music Revealed.

By day, Dutton's beat is the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. In his spare time, he is a big fan of old school country music artists such as Charlie Pride, Roger Miller, Buck Owens and Faron Young and new school Americana.

The book was published in 2006; however, its still very much relevant as we head into 2010. Dutton spent many nights traveling the honky-tonks of America, watching performances, and interviewing many artists for the book. Included in its chapters are stories about and interviews with such artists as Stoney LaRue, Reckless Kelly, Jack Ingram, Slaid Cleaves (man, I love his song Horseshoe Lounge), Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Tom Russell, James McMurtry, Buddy Miller, and guitar-maker Vince Pawless.

Preview the book if you'd like at Google Books.

TMC