Eclectic blend of lyric driven country blues from the heartland. Nebraska Roots Music.

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COUNTRY: Bakersfield Sound, BLUES: Country Blues



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Mostly Cowboy
Joe Watsonâs barrooming crooning Continued

by Jesse D. Stanek

Local picker Joe Watson wears many different hats. First and foremost he wears the cap of Americana-roots singer/songwriter, but he also finds time to don a poetâs cap, a novelistâs fedora (he has published one novel, Raincrow) and even a poofy rasta cap (he plays with local reggae outfit Rhythm Collective). With more than 30 years of playing music locally Watson is no stranger to area stages, but is now releasing just his second solo effort, Continued. His first album, the beautifully raw Fenceposts, was released Sept. 11, 2001.

âWhen you have enough songs to do something and the opportunity presents itself, then something just clicks,â Watson offered from his Benson-area home. âAt that point you know it is time to get back in the studio.â

Watson has developed a unique sound, fine-honed with decades of barroom crooning, early morning writing and a healthy appetite for a plethora of musical genres. Watsonâs music could easily be considered âAmericana acoustic,â but his penchant for danceable grooves sets aside his solo work from most of his somber yet lyrically rich compatriots.

While Fenceposts was recorded low-fi style in Watsonâs study and features Watsonâs acoustic, blues-folk style with little accompaniment, Continued finds the bard settling on a sound and feel more unique. Instead of blasé cowboy coffee house chords Watson seems to have developed more of a rollicking, good-time groove on the new material.

Continued will stand out from its open-mic brethren because of its great lyrics and musicianship, and will rest even further from the pack due to Watsonâs persona. His cadence is easy, almost as if some older relative is leading the family reunion into a drawn-out, goofy joke. Combined with his thoughtful, if not complicated lyrics, Watson comes across like a wizened sage of the stage. The song âBad Voodoo/Monkey Boyâ is a perfect example of Watsonâs range, set to a reggae skank but with perfect blues vocals and even some Native American flute courtesy of Omaha musician Michael Murphy.

While there is little that could surprise, disappoint or even fluster a veteran like Watson, when he speaks local music happenings he canât hide the hint of excitement riding behind his carefully crafted words. âThere [are] a lot of exciting things happening musically in Benson with Mickâs and The Waiting Room,â he said. âAnd now with Slowdown things are just going to get better. As long as I can remember Omaha has always had exceptional musicians and songwriters. But where before the thought was you had to leave Omaha to make it, you donât really have to do that anymore.â ,

Joe Watson celebrates the release of Continued Saturday, June 30 at Mickâs Music and Bar, 5918 Maple St. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and costs $5. Southpaw Bluegrass Band will play after Watson.
27 Jun 2007