In order to get you all primed and ready for KXT Presents My Morning Jacket on Saturday night, we thought we’d walk you through some of our favorite collaborations from rock god/My Morning Jacket front man, Jim James.
Monsters of Folk (band)
Who It Is: Jim James, Connor Oberst, Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes), M. Ward (She & Him)
What They Did: Combined their respective folk-forces to create a self-titled album back in 2009.
Why We Love It: It’s a dreamy, echo-laden fellowship that clearly values these musicians’ differences as much as their similarities. In the words of Michael Hill, Monsters of Folk is “a study in contrasts as well as in camaraderie.”
The New Basement Tapes (band)
Who It Is: Jim James, Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons), Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops)
What They Did: Brought to life Bob Dylan’s legendary album The Basement Tapes, which was written and recorded in 1967 and released in 1975. With producer T-Bone Burnett at the helm, the group released Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes in 2014, accompanied by a documentary featured on Showtime.
Why We Love it: Some of the most talented songwriters of our time turn (previously) long-lost Bob Dylan lyrics into pure brilliance. We’re suckers for a supergroup as much as the next fan, but when it comes to The New Basement Tapes, we simply swoon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsYSxkbgW-M
New Multitudes (album)
Who It Is: Yim Yames – a.k.a. Jim James, Jay Farrar (Son Volt), Will Johnson (Centro-matic), Anders Parker (Varnaline)
What They Did: Created a Woody Guthrie tribute album called New Multitudes back in 2012.
Why We Love It: A dream team of Americana kingpins paying an epic compliment to the life and legacy of Woody Guthrie — what’s not to love?
That’s It! (album)
Who It Is: Jim James, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ben Jaffe (Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
What They Did: Produced the Preservation Hall Jazz Band‘s first album of original music since the group’s inception over 50 years ago.
Why We Love It: New Orleans jazz titans team up with a rock legacy to create an historic album that shows Preservation Hall’s future is going to be just as monumental as its past.
(By the way, to those lucky few who got to sit in this legendary venue and see Jim James with Preservation Hall Jazz Band — we are forever jealous.)
Z (album)
Who It Is: My Morning Jacket, Andrew Bird, M. Ward
What They Did: Bird offered up his famous string/whistling skills on “Gideon,” “Into the Woods,” and “It Beats 4 U.” Ward comes in on “Into the Woods” with vocals and guitar.
Why We Love It: OK, OK. This is more contribution than collaboration. But how could we not draw attention to the iconic sounds of Andrew Bird and M. Ward on My Morning Jacket’s pivotal album, Z? All around, it’s just an A+ alliance.
Got a favorite Jim James side-project? Send us your thoughts at @kxtradio!
Click here for tickets to KXT Presents My Morning Jacket at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie.
