Americana Music Association Hosts Cross County Lines

 All photos by Erika Goldring

It’s not every day that new artists get to have a back-up singer as esteemed as Alison Krauss. But that’s what happened at Saturday night’s (June 1) Cross County Lines event, put on by the Americana Music Association, Nissan and AEG/TMG.
Hosts Krauss and Jerry Douglas gathered friends Amos Lee, Angel Snow, Sarah Jarosz and Teddy Thompson for the sold out event at The Factory at Franklin. (The AMA offices also relocated to The Factory in recent months). The night of music was a benefit for the organization and a preview of the Cross County Lines Festival, set to debut in Franklin in the spring of 2014.
“We are out of the red for the first time in the history of the organization,” announced AMA proud papa Jed Hilly as he welcomed the crowd.
Krauss and Douglas began the concert with “I Hear Music Up Above,” and the rolling instrumental “We Hide and Seek.” The house band was comprised of all-star players Gabe Dixon, Shannon Forrest, Bryan Sutton, Andy Leftwich and Viktor Krauss.
After the opening songs, Krauss retreated to the back of the stage for a majority of the show, sitting with the special guests and often joining in on harmony vocals. It was a great way for her to share the spotlight with the rising singers, but fans expecting to hear more of Krauss’ enchanting soprano might have been disappointed. Toward the end of the night she returned to center stage for her chestnut, “Ghost In This House.”

It probably goes without saying that Bob Dylan is a major influence on the artists who took turns at the mic that evening, but proof came when two acts offered their unique twists on Dylan classics. Krauss turned in “I Believe In You,” and Jarosz enticed with “Ring Them Bells.” Douglas quipped that Jarosz has “more degrees than a thermometer,” and saluted her recent graduation from the New England Conservatory of Music. Her take on “Annabel Lee” was hauntingly beautiful.
Most of the artists performed three songs each, including established hitmaker Amos Lee who thrilled the audience with “Windows Are Rolled Down.” He recalled meeting Krauss and Douglas through the BBC Scotland television show Transatlantic Sessions, which is curated by Douglas. That’s also how Douglas met Teddy Thompson and recruited him for Saturday night’s show.
Douglas noted that Angel Snow was “at the top of the list” when he and Krauss were selecting guests for Cross County Lines. The talented songwriter has opened for Krauss and crew on several occasions. Her set included “These Days,” a song she wrote with Viktor Krauss, which was recorded by Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Rounding out the line up were Shawn Colvin, who made her latest album in Nashville with producer Buddy Miller, and musician Dixon, who sang his recognizable hit “All Will Be Well.”