James McMurtry, Dave Alvin, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Songs & Stories

We’re excited to present a very special Songs & Stories evening featuring two full sets: an acoustic “guitar pull” song swap followed by James and his band joined by Dave Alvin and Jimmy Dale! Albuquerque fans, we’re also presenting Songs & Stories at the KiMo on June 7!

JAMES MCMURTRY
The son of one of America’s most celebrated novelists, James McMurtry followed the family’s tradition: he’s a master storyteller who relates his tales in verse and music. Part of the Texas singer/songwriter community, McMurtry has a gift for character studies, documenting lives not in perfect balance, and offering political commentary on how the choices of the powerful impact the lives of ordinary folks. McMurtry’s vocals are dour and plainspoken, but give eloquent voice to the lives of his protagonists, and his artfully unadorned lyrics are often full of warmth and humanity, even in narratives full of chaos. McMurtry made a celebrated debut with 1989’s Too Long in the Wasteland, he hit a creative stride with 2005’s Childish Things and 2008’s Just Us Kids, and on 2021’s The Horses and the Hounds, the performances and production were every bit as compelling as McMurtry’s songs.

DAVE ALVIN
A singer, songwriter, and guitarist with a keen eye for the details of American life and a powerful and passionate performing style, Dave Alvin helped to kick-start the American roots rock scene in the early ’80s with the band the Blasters and has since gone on to a career as a solo performer, songwriter, producer, and sideman that’s been as well respected as it is eclectic. Born and raised in Downey, California, Dave Alvin and his brother Phil Alvin were avid music fans since childhood, immersing themselves in vintage blues, country, and rockabilly sounds.

JIMMIE DALE GILMORE
With a warm, warbling tenor voice and folksy, personable approach to both his music and his audiences, Jimmie Dale Gilmore is the archetype of a Texas singer/songwriter, with his eye for the dusty beauty of the Southwest meshing beautifully with the Zen cowboy demeanor that informs his music and his persona. Gilmore came out of the fruitful Lubbock, Texas, music scene of the ’70s, and his early work with Joe Ely and Butch Hancock as the Flatlanders was a crucial precursor to both the outlaw country and alt-country movements.