Country Music
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December 5 – “Even Jesus has Got the Blues”
December 5th’s song is “Even Jesus God the Blues” by Gabe Lee. I’ve been trying to catch Gabe Lee performing, but I’ve only seen him once. He sings some painfully beautiful songs, and this is one of the best. Easter morning, Tennesseeshe come draggin round the bend,hooked on OP40, barely aliveShe come heartbroke and looking Continue reading
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December 1 – “December Day”
Each day, for the month of the December, I am going to post a reflection on a song that has meant something to me this year. First, “December Day” by Willie Nelson. I’m working my way through Willie’s Catalog with the intent of teaching a class in rural ministry and country music next fall. It Continue reading
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Holy Week Thoughts
I’m pretty sure I post something during Holy Week each year. When I think about this week, I am often just tired. I think we do too much. The pomp and circumstance keep building and the payout is the same. Regardless, this Holy Week Holy Week, I’m reflecting on things that are happening in my Continue reading
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Bless this Land
Bless this land to which we’re boundBy gravity of joyful soundFeed the hearth and feed the herdHope must stand on every word -Emily Scott Robinson “Men and Moons” This song lyric spoke to me as it closed out the concert I attended last Friday. Emily Scott Robinson wrote the song “Men and Moons” as an Continue reading
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Rural recognizes Rural
(This post originally appeared on my Facebook – facebook.com/j.lemastersmith on February 16, 2023) A friend and I went to a concert last night. It was a smaller venue, but it was a sold out crowd. The opener was from Oklahoma, and the main performer, Charles Wesley Godwin was from West Virginia. The feeling I got Continue reading
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My Picks #1 – Charles Wesley Godwin: Seneca
Every five albums I plan to add in a bonus album. These will likely be albums that may never make it on a 100 Greatest Albums list (or at least this kind of list). Still, they are albums that mean something to me and my exploration of faith and music. First up is Charles Wesley Continue reading
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96 – Hank Thompson: A Six Pack To Go
Well. It’s been a while, but I’m back with an album reflection. This time, let’s dive into Hank Thompson’s “A Six Pack To Go.” I don’t fully know why, but this album delights me. Maybe it’s the sort of innocence he brings to drinking, or that it’s an entire album dedicated to drinking, good times, Continue reading
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97 – The Flatlanders: More a Legend than a Band
Now we’re getting into new music territory for me. The Flatlanders’ More an Legend than a Band is a weird and sort of mystical album for me. It is full of songs about life, loss, and a mix of hopelessness and hope that both teeter on the edge. I’d never heard of this group, but Continue reading
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98 – Keith Urban: Golden Road
I have to admit, I’m not a big Keith Urban fan. I’ll listen to his songs on the radio, but I don’t search out his music when given the chance. I enjoy him for what he is, pop country, somewhat innovative, and a non-US country singer. But, since he was on the list, I wanted Continue reading
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99 – Kitty Wells: Country Hit Parade
To go from early 2000s beach country to an absolute legend with Kitty Wells’ legendary Country Hit Parade is, at first, a little jarring. The classic sounds of steel and twang are much more present in her iconic songs. Yet, the reality is, Chesney is in the same lineage, and you can see it in Continue reading
Jonathan LeMaster-Smith 