Alison Krauss Carries on with Her ‘Incredible Gift’
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D12 » Friday, October 13, 2017 THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE NIGHTLIFE Top album releases • Oct. 13, 2017 Robert Plant, ‘Carry Fire’ • Ex-Zeppelin frontman (at right) delivers an eclectic mix of blues, tribal rhythms, melodies and big riffs. P!nk, ‘Beautiful Trauma’ • Pop star’s seventh album alternates personal and political, big arena anthems and heartfelt ballads. William Patrick Corgan, ‘Ogilala’ • Solo effort by the Smashing Pumpkin better known as Billy features lush, sparse arrangements. St. Vincent, ‘Masseduction’ • Annie Clark’s precise, futuristic electropop mines the issues of control, fame, passion and mortality. STEVE GRIFFIN | Tribune file photo — Eric Walden Alison Krauss carries on with her ‘incredible gift’ Concert preview • The vocalist with more Upon making the decision to record, Krauss reached out Alison Krauss Grammy wins than any other woman visits to acclaimed producer Buddy Usana on Saturday with a new album in hand. Cannon (best-known as Ken- With David Gray ny Chesney’s go-to guy) to P When • Saturday, By ERIC WALDEN ‘You go in there and you don’t helm it. The two had worked 7:30 p.m. The Salt Lake Tribune wanna work’ or ‘You don’t together before in spurts, Where • Usana Amphi- wanna sing.’ And I’m like, ‘Yes when she’d added backing vo- theatre, 5150 Upper Ridge Alison Krauss is calling I do!’ I said, ‘I do want to sing!’ cals or violin-playing to oth- Road, West Valley City from her tour bus on a Satur- He goes, ‘No. Not for the origi- er projects he was overseeing, Tickets • $30-$65; Smith’s day afternoon, and straight- nal reason you always loved to.’ but they hadn’t collaborated Tix away starts off the conversa- And he says, ‘You really got- on anything of hers before. tion by apologizing, noting she ta clean your desk off. You’re Their partnership proved as it. And I don’t have it. My slept in a bit late and is tired doing too much other stuff.’ successful as she’d hoped. job is to do what I do. Every- and so “I don’t sound very Meaning, you can’t be pres- “Having Buddy produce that body’s job is to be themselves. good!” ent. And really, he couldn’t was a real blast for me. He is So, no. I love and I’ve grown Of course, Alison Krauss is have been more right on,” so fascinating to me,” she said. up with songwriters. And I probably the only person who Krauss said. “Because anytime “You can’t second-guess him. I love the process that they go might ever dare suggest that when you can’t be present in always try to find out why — through, and it’s fascinating Alison Krauss doesn’t sound that moment, it is contrived. ‘Why did you like that pass?’ to watch, and there’s patterns very good. When I’d go in there to sing, ‘Why did you like that track?’ with it. It’s completely inspired Non-songwriting singers if I was thinking about, ‘OK, — and everything is just in- work. … But I’m no poet, and I don’t become 27-time Gram- I only have two hours here to stinctual, he doesn’t have an wouldn’t pretend to be. That’s my winners without immacu- get this done, and then I got- explanation, it’s just, ‘That’s not my place.” lately, impeccably pristine vo- ta go do this, I gotta go there,’ just it. That’s just the right Besides — with a voice like cal ability, after all. you can’t be present in that one.’ And it’s really interest- hers, asking for songwriting The thing is, during the moment to sing, and you can’t ing to watch him work in that ability on top of it would just recording of her new album, have the real emotions that go environment.” be greedy. “Windy City,” released this along with the words you’re Her own intrigue in observ- “I’m grateful to get to do past February, Krauss’ voice singing. I wasn’t present. So Courtesy photo ing other people’s talents be- something that I love to do. actually was in rough shape. then it’s almost like you’re fak- Alison Krauss released “Windy City,” her first solo album since came a frequent topic of con- I’ve met some incredible peo- Ahead of this Saturday’s ing. And I couldn’t keep any- 1999, in February. The album was delayed as Krauss overcame versation. She has a specific ple along the way, I still get headlining performance at thing that didn’t feel authentic. dysphonia, which caused her voicebox to shut down. affinity for watching songwrit- to play with those incredi- Usana Amphitheatre in West So it would kinda shut down — ers at work — no surprise giv- ble people. I’m traveling right Valley City, the Illinois-born my voice would shut down. I’d en that she’s made a career out now with friends of 30 years — singer and violin-playing prod- lose my voice.” she’s done plenty of work since solo album in so long, she said of interpreting other people’s my closest friends. It’s been an igy recalled how, in the studio, So, it was almost as much then — including several re- it was as simple as not having handiwork. amazing job,” Krauss said. “To a case of dysphonia would ran- a mental issue as a physical cords with frequent collabo- wanted to. While not being a songwrit- think that I could do this for a domly cause her voicebox to problem, then? rators Union Station, some ac- “It’s a pretty obvious thing er herself certainly hasn’t hurt living … I was telling my son lock up. “It was a mental issue that claimed performances on the when you know you’re led to her career, perhaps it does something about this, ‘That Except that, as she learned caused a physical problem! “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” do something,” Krauss said. make her lament that it’s not you could possibly get to do in subsequent sessions with Yeah,” she agreed. “It’s pretty soundtrack, which was credit- “When you have an inspired a stronger component of her something because you like renowned vocal coach Ron interesting, really, when you ed with giving bluegrass music thought, you know it’s time. repertoire? it, and you get to finish it, and Browning, it really wasn’t ran- think about it. Not handy, not more mainstream appeal, and, And I hadn’t had that. I hadn’t “Oh, no — I don’t wish it. I hand it in, to your liking, it’s dom at all. handy! Oh, it was a drag.” of course, “Raising Sand,” her had that ’til now.” don’t pretend strength where an incredible gift just to get “The first thing he said, he By getting that all sorted award-winning duet album Whatever difficulties there I don’t have it. I know where to do that.’” goes, ‘You got too much on out, Krauss was able to finish with ex-Led Zeppelin singer were singing on the album, not to dip my toe,” she said your mind.’ And I thought, up “Windy City,” her first solo Robert Plant. producing it proved blessedly earnestly. “I admire it so [email protected] ‘Well, yeah, but …’ And he goes, album since 1999. Of course, As for why she hadn’t had a drama-free, at least. much in the people who have Twitter: @esotericwalden HOT TICKETS p.m.; George S. and Dolores Doré Visigoth trying to turn their fantasy- Eccles Theater, 131 Main, Salt Lake Compiled by Ana Daraban Cit; $40-$100; artsaltlake.org ‘RIVER.SWAMP.CAVE.MOUNTAIN’ • themed metal into reality on the road STAGE Plan-B Theater Company; Saturday, 11 a.m.; Rose Wagner Performing ‘Hello, Dolly!’ • Tonight and Satur- Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Local Sounds • Salt Lake lyrics lend themselves to the realm of day, 7:30; Saturday, 3 p.m.; plays Lake City; $5 Visigoth sorcery and swords found in fantasy lit- through Nov. 18; Hale Center The- ‘Peridida’ • Tonight and Saturday, City-based band brings its erature. He sees this as a perfect fit for ater, 25 W. 400 North, Orem; $22- 7:30; Saturday, 2 p.m.; plays through “heroic-sounding music” to With Deathblow, Necrowolf, metal music. $24 ($6 less for children); halethe- Oct. 28; Salt Lake Community Col- The Loading Dock tonight. P Tomb of Belial and Silence of “There are a lot of ways to use fan- ater.org lege Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State, the Mortuary tasy themes to communicate emo- ‘The Addams Family’ • Sandy Arts Salt Lake City; $20; GrandTheatre- When • Tonight, 6:30 tional or philosophical ideas,” he said. Guild; tonight and Saturday, 7:30; Company.com By AUTUMN THATCHER Where • The Loading Dock, 445 S. “This kind of heavy metal is served bet- plays through Oct. 21; Mount Jor- ‘Marie Antoinette’ • Tonight and Special to The Tribune 400 West, Salt Lake City ter by an appeal to the epic dissociation dan Middle School, 9351 S. Moun- Saturday, 8; Sunday, 4 p.m.; plays Tickets • $12; ticketfly.com with the mundane because it’s hero- taineer Lane, Sandy; $8; smithstix. through Oct. 29; Good Company Swords, sorcery, battles and epic ic-sounding music. You have big pow- com Theatre, 260 Historic 25th St., Og- journeys are at the helm of Salt Lake- er chord riffs, the pounding drums. I ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ • den; $17; features adult language based heavy metal band Visigoth’s mu- the addition of Jamison Palmer (gui- like to use fantasy even if the subtext Utah Shakespeare Festival; tonight, and themes, recommended for au- sic.