James Taylor...but only within the last few years. I've always liked him, but his 'concert' demeanor is sooo cool. He's the master of a not so gentle put down ("Hey, thanks for yelling my name out while I was singing right there..."). Cat Stevens had a song, before he got saved and decided Salman Rushdie ought to be killed, called "How Can I Tell You?" That song does it for me every single time, although I only heard it once 'live'. And (someone isn't going to like this) Garth Brooks the way he SHOULD be heard. The man has a way with an acoustic, and no matter how sappy the words to The River may seem, when you hear that voice accompanied only by guitar singing "chose to brave the rapids, dare to dance the tides" or when he sings "Cowboy's Letter from Home" (why do you ride for your money...) there's nothing like it.
Guy Clark did a guest stint on Prairie HOme Companion this year, as did Ramblin' Jack Elliot.
Oh, and I totally love JoDee Messina.
That'll do for a start.
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