The ‘Red Dirt Girl’ scubbed up pretty well. This photo: Simon Leak

What’s a year without an Emmylou Harris concert? A pretty lousy year I would suggest. But after last October’s joyous visit to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, I had some reservations as to whether this might prove to be an anti-climax. It’s true the open air atmosphere there could not be topped, and I do have a soft spot for the purity of her bluegrass Carolina Star line-up, but the touring band that Emmylou has assembled this year was a revelation. As you might expect for someone with her contacts and stature, they were assuredly gifted and yet had the generous sensibility to complement rather than compete with the most exquisite instrument on show - Emmylou’s peerless voice. With the history of several, shall we say, rumbustuous characters who have contributed to/graduated from Emmylou’s touring academy over the years I’m pretty sure this tough Southern belle could put anyone who happened to step out of line back in their place anyway. Maybe that’s another reason why she still sports cowboy boots beneath the shimmering cream glad rags that sparkled angelically from centre stage. To paraphrase the old standard, the rest of those angels were most definitely rejoicing in heaven last night, if a little further back than the upper balcony (but then they do get in for free don’t they). Continue Reading