Various artists
Pastures of Plenty: An Austin Celebration of Woody Guthrie (DejaDisc) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
The cream of the much-ballyhooed Austin singer-songwriter scene gathers each year to pay tribute to seminal folksinger Woody Guthrie by singing his songs at a special concert. Recorded live at the third such gathering this past July, this 17-song collection features selections by a dozen artists and shows how enduring Guthrie’s music is, whether it’s such familiar fare as “This Land Is Your Land” or lesser-known gems like “Dead Or Alive.” Among the highlights are Steve Young’s take on Guthrie’s warning to California-bound Okies, “Do Re Mi”; Christine Albert’s lovely version of “Pastures of Plenty”; Rich Brotherton’s stark “The Sinking of the Reuben James,” inspired by Woody’s experience during World War II; David Halley’s update of “Pretty Boy Floyd”; and Jimmy LaFave’s passionate version of “Oklahoma Hills.”
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