Road Trip Music : Texas

Texas. From the Gulf Coast at Galveston to border at El Paso, from windswept landscapes of the Permian Basin to the Riverwalk in San Antonio, from the hill country of Austin to the cattle country of Amarillo, Texas is a state filled with music and with the names and lives of towns, cities, musicians, and places that resonate through music’s past and present. Willie Nelson, Flaco Jimenez, The Flatlanders, Bob Wills, Lee An Womack, Johnny Gimble, Carolyn Hester, Alejandro Escovedo, Albert & Gage, The Dixie Chicks, George Straight, Clint Black, Robert Earl Keen, and Buddy Holly are but a few of the musicians who have called Texas home. Here is a soundtrack as the Great American Road Trip Music travels through Texas.





Guy Clark is a songwriter's songwriter, and even a Texas songwriter's songwriter. Even if you’ve never heard his name, you’ve heard his music through the many pop, country, and folk artists who have covered his songs. For this trip, take a listen to one of his recent albums, Some Days The Song Writes You

Terri Hendrix well knows how to build a song, and how to cover one too. She was once awarded a scholarship to study opera, but decided to pass that by in order to go deeper into creating her own music. She draws on folk, blues, jazz, and country, seasoned with social justice at times and flavored with humor too. You can hear her latest adventures with this on Cry Till You Laugh.



Kelly Willis is a storyteller, both in what she chooses to sing and in how she sings it. Love and its challenges is her most frequent subject matter. Love seen from both dark and light sides, and more than anything, love seen as part of life’s journey and never ending quest for understanding. She has a voice which can handle the bluest country rock and also turn quietly gentle when it’s right to do so. Take a listen to her voice and song choices on What I Deserve

Bruce Robison is another one of those musicians whose music you may know better than you know his name. The Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill are among those who’ve taken Robison’s music to the top of the charts. For this trip, reach into his back catalogue for an album which among other things includes his version of the song Travelin’ Soldier. The album is called Long Way Home From Anywhere.

Tish Hinojosa brings her experiences as a first generation Mexican American to her work. She was born in San Antonio. You’ll hear more of her work as the road trip travels to New Mexico, but while we are in Texas, listen to Frontejas.

photographs of Kelly Willis and Tish Hinojosa copyright Kerry Dexter

you may also wish to see
Music Road: ten songs
Austin City Limits: 35 Years in Photographs
Texas honky tonks and Donegal fiddles
more music from the road trip

This is part of The Great American Road Trip, in which I originally partnered up with A Traveler’s Library to add musical ideas to the book and film suggestions for journeys through the regions of the United States which you’d find there. The Library is closed now, but I think you will still find the journeys through music interesting.
For more about the road trip (and a look at some great road songs) see Great American Road Trip: Music begins


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Remembering Amy Farris

Amy Farris was a jack of all instruments, teacher of many, fine arranger and committed Texan, though she lived the last years of her life in California. Word comes that she has died. Recently she had been touring with Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women, and several years ago put out an interesting and eclectic solo album called Anyway.

Here she is playing with Kelly Willis

I remember Amy best from her days in Austin, playing fiddle with Tish Hinojosa as dancers swirled across the floor at The Broken Spoke, being what Bruce Robison jokingly called the musical quarter back for Bruce and his wife Kelly Willis at the Cactus so many nights, backing up Kelly on a hot summer evening outdoors at Stubbs’ with the scent of Texas barbecue in the air, playing a Christmas season concert with Bruce and Kelly at Hyde Park Methodist Church with holiday decorations and evergreens for backdrop.

Playing fiddle in the heavenly choir now, Amy. Not forgotten you.


you may also want to see
Tish Hinojosa: Our Little Planet

listening to Christmas

Photographing music, continued

light and shadow, and music

you may also want to see

Music Road: Reflections: five of the best
Music Road: creative practice: music in silence

-->If you'd like to support my creative work,
here is a way to do that, through PayPal. Note that you do not have to have a PayPal account to do this.Thank you.