Coming off a 2012 that found the great country folk singer and spiritualist Iris Dement releasing a masterpiece of an album Sing The Delta, which, in retrospect I may have may have underestimated a touch and could well stand as one of the top 5 albums of the year, any news of her playing locally is good news. Even at City Winery, a club in a downtown no man's land, and even on a Sunday, a date I promised myself I'd stop going out on.
Sing The Delta is her first album in 8 years but it is 8 years that has found her reputation widen and deeper, in the Alt Country stakes I put nobody above her in 2012. Neither of the Earles, nor Rosanne nor Hiatt, not even John Prine. That voice has an ache that Lucinda WIlliams also has but Iris has better songs.
I don't know why I dilly dallied buying a ticker. For the small inconvenience it is worth it to see the great woman again. the gig is at City Winery, Sunday January 13th, 2013, 8pm. A handful of tickets left, it should be a sell out. Go to citywinery.com