Quick Q and A with Jim Lauderdale
 by Kathy S-B  ·  4 November 2010

Jim Laudedale’s music spans many genres and his musical resume is most impressive. Right on the heels of playing on David Letterman with Elvis Costello, Jim makes his me&thee debut and we couldn’t be more excited!

Jim’s website is full of great music to sample! Here’s a wonderful video of Jim playing “The King of Broken Hearts.”

Your songs have been recorded by the Dixie Chicks, Patty Loveless, Dave Edmunds, Solomon Burke, George Strait, and so many other greats in the music business. Have any of them recorded the song in a way that totally astounded you by its uniqueness — trans­form­ing it into something that you never would heave ever imagined?

Yes, I was so pleased with the way Elvis Costello recorded “I Lost you” for his new album. T-Bone Burnett produced and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out

Your newest CD, Patchwork River, is your second collaboration with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. How did you team up with him?

When I was going to make my first album with Ralph Stanley I tracked him down knowing that he and Jerry Garcia were big Ralph Stanley fans. We wrote a couple for that album and it’s been going ever since

Do you recall the first time you played the Grand Ole Opry? What was that? Had you ever envisioned yourself up on that stage?

It was always a dream of mine to play the Opry and it finally happened when I was a guest with Ralph Stanley after the first record came out. I got to sing with Ralph and the Clinch Mountain Boys. It was a very meaningful experience

Tell us about your involvement with the documentary, ” Awake My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp.” Can you briefly tell our readers about this special kind of music?

I was asked to narrate the doc and then also asked to sing a song for it. I teamed up with my friends, a great duo, Jenni & Billy. “Shape note” singing is a very old style of singing hymns acapella.

What’s up next for you? Any new projects in the works?

I have a bluegrass album that I wrote with Robert Hunter that we recorded in August. I have another album almost finished with the “Dream Players” feauring Gary Tallant, James Burton, Ron Tutt and Al Perkins.