Editor Jason Howard Publishes A FEW HONEST WORDS, Profiling Kentucky Musicians

Lexington, KY-Most people think of Kentucky music in terms of three genres: folk, country, and bluegrass. However, as new artists contribute to the ever growing corpus of Kentucky music, it is becoming clear that Kentucky's legacy extends beyond these traditional forms. From the flatlands of Western Kentucky to the mountains of Appalachia, Kentucky is home to a diverse group of musicians who share in their love and appreciation for the state that serves as the inspiration for their work.

In A Few Honest Words: The Kentucky Roots of Popular Music, now available in paperback, Jason Howard explores how Kentucky's landscape, culture, and traditions have influenced its most notable contemporary roots musicians, ranging from household names such as Naomi Judd, Joan Osborne, and Loretta Lynn to emerging local artists who have spent most of their careers playing in bars and coffee shops. Kentucky musicians are often stereotyped, but Howard demonstrates their diversity by profiling artists from a variety of regions and genres, including country, folk, rock, blues, jazz, gospel, rap, and bluegrass.

Through intimate, face-to-face interviews that recount their everyday lives and experiences in music, Howard creates richly textured profiles of a unique group of musicians. Interviews with traditional musicians such as Dwight Yoakam and Naomi Judd will appeal to readers who have long followed the Kentucky music tradition, while profiles of artists such as Nappy Roots, the Watson Twins, and Jim James and his band My Morning Jacket give insight into more contemporary movements. From Ben Solle's admission that he took up the cello in school because he "could make fart noises" with it, to "Bluegrass Music Queen" Dale Ann Bradley talking about honing her skills at Renfro Valley, Howard shows what motivates these artists and provides insight into their craft. Together, the profiles deliver a cross-section of Kentucky music that highlights the diversity of the state's musical identity.

Howard also advocates for a broader view of American roots music in general, arguing that the music need not be rural in aesthetic or origin. By including a mixture of known and unknown names, a variety of genres and generations, and a mix of rural and urban performers, Howard reveals the broad nature of American roots music. Focusing on modern Kentucky musicians who now live everywhere from Manhattan and Los Angeles to Nashville and small towns across the Commonwealth, Howard shows how the Bluegrass State has taken up residence in the hearts and songs of an eclectic group of musicians.

Kentucky inspired Stephen Foster, America's first professional songwriter, and gave birth to Bill Monroe, Lionel Hampton, Rosemary Clooney, and scores of headlining artists in every genre of music. A Few Honest Words documents the contemporary musicians who are bringing that heritage into the twenty-first century. Howard helps to place Kentucky music in a national context and spotlights various lesser-known artists who deserve recognition for their contributions to the musical tradition of the Commonwealth.

Jason Howard, editor of Appalachian Heritage Magazine at Berea College, is coauthor of Something's Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal. His features, essays, and reviews have appeared in such publications as the Nation, Sojourners, Paste, No Depression, and the Louisville Review, and his commentary has been featured on NPR.

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