Darrell Scott - Another Great Songwriter

There are only a handful of songwriters that I can truly say inspire me with almost everything they do. The name that first springs to mind for me is Guy Clark. Guy has been with me now for a long long time. I bought my first Guy Clark album when I was in my early teens and have everything he has recorded since then. There are others of course that tug at the heartstrings over and over again. John Hiatt's raw power, Randy Newman's comedic and often dark outlook on life, America and its people are just two more examples of writers who constantly impress me. Back home in Ireland Paul Brady and the incredibly underrated Jimmy McCarthy hit the mark with every new offering.

As the years go by others join the list of people that can cut you with the turn of a phrase and make you smile within a verse or two. Jim Lauderdale is one of those. Drew de Man (who is mentioned at greater length in another report on this site this week.) is another. Then of course there is Darrell Scott.

Darrell, for me is fast becoming another Guy Clark. Not that his songs or style are similar but in the sense that everything he does is pure gold. You all know Darrell Scott songs. You may not realize they are his though. The Dixie Chicks have given him a couple of hits with Long Time Gone and the beautiful Heartbreak Town. Travis Tritt did a rousing and true to the original version of Great Day to be Alive and Sara Evans took Born to Fly to number one. Then in quick succession Brad Paisley and Patty Loveless both recorded excellent versions of the truly haunting You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive.

He has recently re-recorded all the songs from his first album which his record company didn't release 12 years ago. Darrell has his own label now. He launched Full Flight Records to take control of his own work and this album is a way of bringing some of his early songs to a public much more aware of the man and his talent.

The album is called Theater of the Unheard and is a lovely collection played with great feeling by some well known names in the business. Kenny Malone on drums, Danny Thompson on bass and Dan Dugmore on pedal steel form the backbone of the band with Rodney Crowell, Stuart Duncan and Tim O'Brien among a plethora of buddies adding to the project.

On top of all this great songwriting Darrell is a very accomplished musician and a great singer. I am glad to say his first gig in 2004 is here in Atlanta . The show is being staged by T-Dawg Productions and is taking place in Eddies Attic in Decatur one of the few real listening venues left in the South. I intend to be at the front of the queue for that show. It is a limited size venue but a wonderful place to hear the man and his songs in an intimate atmosphere.

For those of you who can't make it to this show there are others dotted throughout the year.

Here are the dates through February

For more dates and news on Darrell head to his website

http://www.darrellscott.com