|
Excuse Me But, What Exactly Is Americana? |
| I've been
asked this question a lot recently and given that I've usually verbally
meandered for a while (there's a less polite but more succinct term for
this) and then found myself saying 'I'll make you a compilation,' I
thought it was perhaps time to try and find a less time consuming
definition. The problem is...well it is a difficult thing to
define. Perhaps we should start by saying what it isn't. It isn't
Country; well not entirely, and definitely not in a Kenny Rogers, Tammy
Wynette stand by your rhinestones kind of way. And it's not
Bluegrass but Bluegrass definitely comes into it; and it's not Blues
either although you might argue that Eric Bibb plays Americana in a way
that Eric Clapton doesn't. What about Folk? Well yes it's
certainly a folk music based genre; Americana bands could play a folk
festival – but not many folk bands would sit comfortably at an
Americana festival. Not getting much clearer is it?
Perhaps the best explanation is that offered by Ryan Adams, although not in answer to this particular question. It was in an interview with Bob Harris when the susurrus one mentioned Ryan's previous country album. Adams disagreed that he had written a country album and offered the explanation that what Bob Harris had heard as a country album was simply down to the instruments used on that album and that if different instruments had been used he wouldn't have thought of it as such. So it's all a question of instrumentation then? I think the truth of that statement has been hidden by its blinding obviousness. Hit a chord on a Strat, it's rock; hit the same one on a Tele, it's blues; a pedal steel, it's country, etc. So Americana is a question of instrumentation? Well yes, to a great extent. So what are the instruments? Well, unhelpfully, all sorts really. Guitars of course, with resonators to the fore, mandolins, banjos and fiddles. But then I love the melodeon on Deren Smith's 'Dogtown Mines,' and the Saxophone on Kieran Kane's 'Why Can't You?' But they're folk and jazz instruments aren't they? Well, they're generally considered so I guess. So maybe even the best explanation falls so way short of being definitive. It's probably safe to say that Americana is a broad church of acoustic based music but if that still isn't good enough for you then help will be at hand in the spring when on April 15th a new Americana Music Club opens at the Anchor, Stratford St Mary on the Suffolk/Essex border. Playing on the third Thursday of every month Break On The Border will offer Americana in all its Bluesy, Countryish, Cajun'd, Bluegrassing variations. Why don't you go along and decide for yourself what Americana is. It'll sure save me some CDs. And if you're an artist whose music fits into this loose definition then the organisers would love to hear from you as 20 – 30 minute floorspots are on offer as well as longer sets. Call Steve on 07769 632 292. The rest of this article will be online soon |