INTERLUDE: Jessi Colter and Fellow Artists Geared-Up for Release of New Waylon Jennings Tribute Album, 'The Music Inside'

Before we return to the ongoing Jessi Colter blog-bio, now is the ideal time to let fans know that the Jessi & Shooter-spearheaded album 'The Music Inside' is due for digital release in late January and for wide release through various outlets on February 7, 2012. This set constitutes the second volume in an ambitious and superb Waylon Jennings tribute effort launched last year with Volume I. Produced by Scattertunes creator Witt Stewart, the project in each of its phases has brought together some of the best established and up-and-coming artists in the industry, all of whom prove passionate about honoring the late, great Waylon through powerfully personal interpretations of his biggest hits and favorite songs. From Mongomery Gentry, Hank Williams Jr., Alabama, Josh Thompson, Jewel, Dierks Bentley, Sunny Sweeney, and, of course, Jessi Colter and Shooter Jennings, the two collections form an astonishing and cohesive whole in terms of paying top-flight musical homage to Waylon. The new album can be preordered at Amazon, and those who wish to know more about the genesis of this groundbreaking effort are encouraged to follow this link to read about the very special involvement of Jessi and Shooter.

    Jessi, in particular, offers some tantalizing insights into the reasons she included her original song, 'Mama' on the newest recording. As many of her fans know, 'Mama' was one of the stunning tracks on Jessi's classic 1977 Capitol album, Mirriam. Perhaps one of the most criminally under-appreciated albums of the 1970s, Mirriam was Jessi's "new wine" after the massive successes of 1975 and 1976, a striking exploration of her spiritual roots, featuring ten hauntingly beautiful songs written and sung in the signature Jessi Colter style. In many ways, the record was a shimmering pinnacle, a piece of transcendent artistry for Jessi, but the label fought her tooth and nail on the project and, when it was released, Capitol did not even remotely give it the support that a work of such exquisite caliber (and a star of Colter's considerable stature, at the time) deserved. Ken Mansfield talked a bit about this in my recent discussion with him, and Waylon also spoke about his disappointment on Jessi's behalf, indicating that 'Mama' was one of his favorite songs. Jessi has broached the subject a couple of times and this interview (related to the release of the first tribute set) sheds significant new light on her own feelings about the Mirriam album. As someone who still considers Mirriam to be a masterpiece, a great and groundbreaking album that was also wonderfully ahead of its time, I can't wait to hear (and purchase) the new collection featuring Jessi's updated rendition of 'Mama' and all of the other stars shining bright in honor of Old Hoss.