As 2014 winds down, Im looking back at a Very Good Year. Two of my daughters, Carrie and Hannah, got married, both to very fine young men. Both weddings were extraordinarily happy events-- every moment of each one was so pure and achingly sweet, and both had a beautiful young woman at the center dressed in white, surrounded by so much love. Carrie and Dan, Hannah and Jimmy: they stretched our hearts wide. Another moving family event was in early December, when I met many of my mothers extended family--her cousins and second cousins-- for the first time. I performed in New Braunfels, TX and a dozen Libertos came over from San Antonio to see me. It was exciting and very emotional. I wish my mother had been there to see the reunion. Speaking of reunions, in July, I visited the The Kingdom of Fife in Scotland where the Cash family originated. I have been there many times, but couldnt resist the opportunity to make a little diversion to the area again on the day after my concert in Perth, Scotland. I feel deeply connected to that part of the world. The Cash name is still scattered everywhere-- on streets and signposts-- and the sense of time travel is powerful. Going back in time a few centuries can make you feel very safe, if thats what youre looking for. My record The River and The Thread was released in January and we have gone full steam since then. When we released it, I felt it was the best work John and I had ever done, and I still feel that way. We made an 18 month commitment to work hard to get the record out to the world and perform the songs live. (That 18 months goes on until May, 2015 but no, Im not away from home for an 18 month stretch. I AM raising a teenager!) It was a physically grueling but deeply satisfying year: I toured in so many states and countries and was humbled at every single stop by the open-hearted and enthusiastic people who came out to the shows. Also, I have the great privilege of working with some of the most gifted musicians in the world (starting with my husband) and I dont take that for granted. I did what seems like a million radio and television shows this year and one of the best was CBS Sunday Morning, which was shown in January. We filmed in Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi on two brutally cold days, but it ended up being a very warm-hearted piece. cbsnews/videos/rosanne-cash-the-road-home/ https://itunes.apple/us/album/the-river-the-thread-deluxe/id775159775 One concert that was a real high was at the Barbican in London in April. There was a tube strike that night, and we thought wed lose half the audience to transportation woes, but we had a fantastic crowd. It was my and Johns wedding anniversary, and the evening was infused with that undefinable thing that happens when the stars line up and everyone is in tune. telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/live-music-reviews/10800768/Rosanne-Cash-Barbican-London-review.html Our four nights at San Francisco Jazz earlier that month was also an amazing experience, as was Outdoors at Lincoln Center in August. There are too many spectacular moments and audiences and towns to mention. Im very grateful to my band, manager, agent, tour manager, crew, Blue Note Records team, all the promoters and presenters, flight attendants, hotel maids, waiters, drivers and especially my babysitter Bryn (although my son Jake would chafe at the word babysitter) who made it all happen. As I said, its not over, and I hope to see some of you in Parker and Fort Collins, CO on January 9th and 10th, or in Cincinnati, with the Cincinnati orchestra, in a special show with other artists called American Originals, at the end of January. rosannecash/tour/ (One of the most fun live performances the band and I did was filmed in the backstage halls of the Carolina Theater in Durham, NC for Couch By Couchwest. One take, one microphone, one camera. Mr. L could hardly keep his countenance.) couchbycouchwest/rosanne-cash-the-threads-a-feathers-not-a-bird/ I testified in Congress in June on behalf of the Americana Music Association on artists rights, and joined the board of an advocacy organization, Content Creators Coalition. I am determined to do my part to see that the next generation of musicians can survive in the digital age and receive fair compensation for their work, as every person in this society is entitled to receive. americansongwriter/2014/06/songwriter-u-rosanne-cash-testifies-congress-defense-artists-rights/ (You can join the C3 mailing list here: c3action.org) I performed at the Americana Festival in Nashville in September, and I was so delighted to sing with the great Ry Cooder, and see so many friends. I ended up with the top slot on the Americana Music airplay chart for the year, which is a total thrill. americanamusic.org/americana-music-association-announces-top-10-top-100-albums-2014 I won the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award for the Performing Arts in October, and that was an enormous thrill. My friend T Bone Burnett came to Washington D.C. to present it to me, and my daughter Chelsea came to see me receive it. It was quite a night. (T Bone and I were also together in June, when we presented the PEN Lyric award to dear friend Kris Kristofferson.) smithsonianmag/innovation/rosanne-cash-discovering-new-artistic-terrain-180953047/ I guested on several records this year, including a duet with Todd Snider on the new Hard Working Americans record, and Caitriona OLearys The Wexford Carols. The album of The Wexford Carols was produced by my friend Joe Henry and it was a joy to go to the wilds of Ireland with him and a group of incredible musicians and sing these ancient songs. (You can check it out here: caitrionaoleary) I also wrote an essay for Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York. Check it out here: pages.simonandschuster/nevercansaygoodbye And I contributed an interview to Worn Stories: wornstories Im ending the year with three Grammy nominations for the record. My children are all safe and well, I have my health and my Mr. L, I love my work, Im not burnt out (an occupational hazard), I have wonderful opportunities and Im signed to one of the great old record labels in the world, Blue Note Records. https://facebook/bluenote I feel myself to be a very fortunate woman. I have some really exciting things coming up in 2015. Stay tuned for a couple of announcements early in the year. I wish you all a happy, healthy, sane-in-your-life-but-mad-in-your-art year. Peace and Love Rosanne
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:36:51 +0000