The Americana Music Award Nominees were released today, and read by none other than Emmy Lou Harris and Todd Snider this morning at the W.O. Smith School of Music. Leading the way in this talented group of nominees for 2010 are Dave Rawlings, who is nominated in 4 of the 6 named categories, along with Oscar winner Ryan Bingham in 3 categories. Hayes Carll and Ray Wylie Hubbard are also nominated in more than one category as well. When I first studied this list, several questions came to mind. First of all, since when is Hayes Carll, Ryan Bingham, and Corb Lund considered “New & Emerging Artists?” While each is well deserving of any award nomination they may achieve, their presence on the Americana music scene is anything but new and emerging. They are the virtual cream of the crop! Secondly, I find it interesting that the Hayes Carll/Ray Wylie Hubbard song “Drunken Poets Dream” is up for Song of the Year. After all, Hayes released this song on his own record, plus won Song of the Year in 2008 for “She Left Me For Jesus” from that same record. Guess that speaks volumes for Hayes and his “Trouble In Mind” record. The omission of a few great artists irritates me as well. Scott Miller, Jason Eady, and Malcomb Holcomb each released material deserving award recognition. If the New & Emerging Artist category is any reflection on where the selection process is now, perhaps we will see these three in the category in a few years. It seems the selection committee is playing a bit of catch up. The awards show takes place in the midst of the 11th annual Americana Festival and Conference, slated for Sept. 8–11 and based at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown hotel. The festival includes more than 100 music showcases at numerous Nashville venues. Given the choices below…here are my own selections: ALBUM OF THE YEAR – A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment – Ray Wylie Hubbard ARTIST OF THE YEAR – Ryan Bingham DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR – Band of Heathens (this should be a definite IMO) INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR – Dave Rawlings NEW & EMERGING ARTIST – Hayes Carll SONG OF THE YEAR – The Weary Kind – Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

The 2010 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards nominees

ALBUM OF THE YEAR The List, by Rosanne Cash A Friend of a Friend, by Dave Rawlings Machine Downtown Church, by Patty Griffin A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There is no C), by Ray Wylie Hubbard ARTIST OF THE YEAR Ryan Bingham Patty Griffin Levon Helm — tie Steve Earle — tie Ray Wylie Hubbard DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR The Avett Brothers Carolina Chocolate Drops Band of Heathens Dave Rawlings Machine INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR Buddy Miller Dave Rawlings Will Kimbrough Sam Bush NEW & EMERGING ARTIST Sarah Jarosz Ryan Bingham Hayes Carll — tie Corb Lund Joe Pug SONG OF THE YEAR “The Weary Kind," written by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett, performed by Ryan Bingham "Drunken Poets Dream," written by Hayes Carll and Ray Wylie Hubbard, performed by Ray Wylie Hubbard "Ruby," written by Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch, performed by Dave Rawlings Machine "I and Love and You," written and performed by The Avett Brothers

Ray Wylie Hubbard has found a formula that works ... and if it ain’t broke there’s no need to fix it. Teaming up once again with his guitar playing buddy and long time producer Gurf Morlix, Hubbard has created an album that is full of boozy, barefooted, grind your hips rhythm and blues. Joined by the core group of Morlix on guitar, Rick Richards on drums, and George Reiff on bass, Ray Wylie Hubbard serves up these eleven tracks with grit, grease, and growling grace. "Snake Farm" is a study in man, god, and the devil as only Ray Wylie Hubbard can deliver ... The title track kicks off the record with a swagger and a hiss and that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Snake Farm" rolls and rumbles and as Hubbard sings the chorus you get the picture of what’s in store for you, the merry listener: "snake farm, it just sounds nasty / snake farm, it pretty much is / snake farm, it’s a reptile house / snake farm ...oooooooghhhhh". What follows is god smoking cigarettes, the devil drinkin’ whiskey, and the band gettin’ down and dirty. These are the sounds we’ve come to expect from Ray Wylie Hubbard ... tunes like "The Way of the Fallen" and "Wild Gods of Mexico" that are filled with dark images of religion and faith, as well as songs of hard fought experience like those found in "Old Guitar" and "Heartaches and Grease". In "Old Guitar" Hubbard pays homage to those blues masters that came before and paved the way and to the hours spent pounding on the old wood and wire ... "give a boy a guitar he’s going to play until his fingers bleed / got to raise him up right on muddy, lightning, hooker, and reed". And in "Heartaches and Grease" we get a sample of what it takes to be a Texas singer songwriter from the Ray Wylie Hubbard pont of view: "The young pups they ask me what make my kind / shameless women and pork rinds / desirable lips keep telling me lies / biscuits and bacon and fried pies".Great songs are found throughout the album’s eleven tracks but I think Hubbard saves the best for last ... the rock n roll tribute of "Live and Die Rock and Roll" and a sweet, deep blues rendering of an older RWH classic "Resurrection". "Live and Die Rock N Roll" has a stomping groove and finds Hubbard paying tribute to all the greats from the Stones and Dylan, to MC5 and the Ramones, Muddy Waters and Hendrix. Rock references abound and it’s all set to the tune of "a stratocasater heart and a hi’watt soul / it’s live and die rock n roll". The album closes as Ray Wylie is joined by up-and-coming blues artist Ruthie Foster as the two together breathe new soul into the tune "Resurrection", which first appeared on Hubbard’s 1997 release "Dangerous Spirits" (Philo). Other guest artists on this great new album include Peter Rowan on mandolin on one track and the great Texas harmonica player Ray Bonneville on three cuts.Ray Wylie Hubbard still is best known for his 1970’s outlaw country classic "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother" but with each new release that comes from this song writing master, we begin to celebrate not only the individual songs but the body of work as well. The well-told story is that Robert Johnson met the devil at the crossroads and sold his soul for the blues. That story could apply to Ray Wylie Hubbard, except that in the modern re-telling, the devil may get the man’s soul, but Hubbard would walk away with at least twenty bucks from the fiery one’s pocket ... the devil would definitely want to listen to this new album while driving down the dark, blue highway and Ray ain’t givin’ em away for free.

Ray Wylie Hubbard by Don Henry Ford, Jr.I knew one song Ray Wylie Hubbard wrote and sang long before I knew anything about the man. Up against the wall Red-neck Mother became an anthem of sorts for those in my circle—that of hard drinking, blue collar cowboys and rednecks. And actually the voice that made the song popular was not his own, but rather that of Jerry Jeff Walker who covered the tune on this album and live shows around the land.{mosimage}But sometimes what appears to be a blessing, and is in fact at some level, can also be a curse. Ray Wylie not only sang this song, but he tried to live it as well. And it almost killed him.Like an actor that is identified with a particular role, Ray was trapped in a world of late nights, smoky bars and a booze and drug-blurred vision of the world. If and when he tried to depart from this scene, the public outcry for this rebellious anthem lured him back like a moth to the light that burns the wings and eventually kills.There are probably many that helped Ray overcome self-destructive behavior, but I would say there are probably three, aside from himself, that play the largest role in his decision to rehabilitate. Stevie Ray Vaughn, a Texas blues phenomenon, also lived the life of a hard partying singer, but at some point decided to quit the booze and the drugs. A few years before his untimely death, Vaughn sat down with Ray Wylie for some serious talks. Stevie Ray would die shortly thereafter in a helicopter accident, but a piece of his spirit lives on today in the body and the music of Ray.Then there's Judy. Judy saw her share of the rough side of town as well. But down deep she is a wonderful and an intelligent person and Ray met his soul mate in her, a woman not only good-looking but also intensely loyal to him and smart enough to compliment his intelligence. You see, beneath that rough exterior lies the mind of a genius. An honest to God genius.Judy multiplies the essence of the man. It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul. One look into the eyes of Judy Hubbard reveals brilliant light. If I don't miss my guess, it was the miraculous beauty of Judy's rehabilitation that finally turned Ray Wylie around, or at least reinforced his decision to stay on that path.{mosimage}Their union produced the third and perhaps most important reason Ray has for staying sober and doing what's right in this world, a wonderful young man by the name of Lucas. You can't spend five minutes in Ray's presence without this boy's name coming up. He's crazy about the kid.Once Ray sobered up, he had to come to grips with a scary fact. He was a musician that didn't know how to play music. The song that made him famous was a simple tune that involved only a few chords and lyrics a child could write. So Ray went to work, and at forty, he decided to take guitar lessons. The result is a sight to behold. Since that day he has become a master of the craft.Ray also began a spiritual journey, which led him not to traditional churches but to The Source. Wisdom and knowledge was poured out upon him and he began to use his songs as a medium to teach others and to spread life lessons. I myself have been a recipient of a few of these kernels of knowledge and wisdom and remain deeply grateful to this day.Ray not only produced good music, but also became an advocate of sober living for other musicians. His example is living proof that the source of creativity is not the dope you use, to the contrary, most who use it do what they do in spite of it.A couple of years ago, he and Mattson Rainer from KNBT radio in New Braunfels began producing a program which airs on Tuesday nights at seven called, Roots and Branches of Americana. The show is a live broadcast featuring Ray and touring performers that come his way. Ray talks with each guest between songs, usually unaccompanied acoustical versions, complete with any errors a live unrehearsed program creates. Reminds of a throwback to what radio must have been like a hundred years ago.Not only has this program seen some of the best performers around the Americana scene, people like Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, James McMurtry, and Slaid Cleaves, but also a bevy of young and talented newcomers, with fresh voices and fresh ideas: people like Bleu Edmonson, Guy Forsyth, and Cody Canada from Cross Canadian Ragweed.This contact has proved beneficial not only for these budding artists, but for their older mentor as well. Some of them have gone on to cover Ray Wylie's song, thereby introducing him to a new generation, similar to what happened in the case of Johnny Cash. And it has resulted in collaborative efforts soon to be revealed when Ray Wylie releases his next album.Ray's most recent cd, Delirium Tremolos, features a few of his own titles and the songs of others he likes and covers. From my perspective the highlights include, Driving Wheel, Dallas after Midnight, and McMurtry's Choctaw Bingo. The album is great, but for some reason I suspect his best is yet to come.I know for a fact he as hard at it, every night, channeling the spirits of what is good and right and just into words and carefully crafted songs for the rest of us. We haven't heard the last of Mr. Ray Wylie Hubbard.For those denied the privilege, go see Ray perform and then buy his albums. There's not a bad one in the bunch. Visit Ray Wylie's website here: http://www.raywylie.com/Click here to pick up Ray's latest CD--------------------About the Author - Don Henry Ford, Jr.When Don's not writing books he lends out his talent to Americana Roots to put together great articles like this. You can pick up Don's latest book Contrabando: Confessions of a Drug Smuggling Cowby at your local bookstore or online at Cinco Puntos Press.