T Bone Burnett
T Bone Burnett went shopping for a few guitars and found a new solo album along the way.
Among a laundry list of credits, the songwriter-artist-producer is known for once touring with Bob Dylan, shepherding the trendsetting O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and uniting the unlikely duo of Alison Krauss and Robert Plant for a run of acclaimed recordings. He’s one of the most sought-after storytellers in roots music and has released several solo albums, but not since 2008’s Tooth of Crime. However, he returned April 19 with The Other Side, a stirring collection of new songs.
He birthed the album — for which he handed over production duties to Colin Linden — in part after buying a trio of bucket-list guitars: a 1932 Gibson L5, a ’49 Gibson Southern Jumbo and a ’59 Ephiphone Texan. With new toys in hand, Burnett began to play. His purchase turned out to be the world’s gain.
“Every time I would pick one up, another song would come out,” Burnett says.
This week, he’ll bring out his magical guitars — because it must be magic, right? — for a three-show run billed as a tour of the city. His first set of headlining gigs in roughly 20 years, the trio of dates kicks off Friday at The Franklin Theatre before heading to The Blue Room at Third Man Records on May 9 and wrapping May 10 at the CMA Theater inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
“I love these songs,” Burnett says. “And I want other people to do them. And I want to get them circulating. I thought it might be fun to go do it. Colin talked about it, and there are a lot of good gigs right in the neighborhood that we can play.”
With a room full of new guitars, Burnett began writing The Other Side after Ringo Starr reached out asking if he’d pen a tune for an upcoming project. In a nod to Starr’s longtime love of cowboy music, Burnett channeled a Gene Autry influence for what became “Come Back,” a standout number anchored by a subtle twang and Burnett’s soft-spoken, intimate storytelling. (And yes, Burnett notes, Starr still cut the song, whose release date is TBA.)
From there, Burnett dug into a handful of ideas — like the spellbinding standout “Waiting for You,” featuring widely loved indie duo Lucius, and “Sometimes I Wonder,” a collaboration with inventive rock singer Weyes Blood that Burnett describes as a callback to Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and other early rock ’n’ roll stars he discovered when he was a boy in Texas.
After finishing “Come Back” on his L5, Burnett had a thought: “I really love writing for other people — imagining what they would sound good doing,” he recalls. “So I just started writing for other people, and pretty soon I had six or eight songs.”
The album continues with songs like “Everything and Nothing,” a co-write with singer-songwriter Gary Nicholson that at times questions mortality, and “(I’m Gonna Get Over This) Some Day,” a collaboration with Rosanne Cash that marks the duo’s first recording together.
“I love Rosanne,” Burnett says. “When I was thinking of harmony on that song, I knew that she would know exactly what to do and have exactly the right tone, which she did.”
As for what can be expected when Burnett steps onstage in Nashville? A few guitars, of course, and more than a few songs.
“I plan to play the album start to finish, and then take a break and play some old songs, some other stuff. I’m very excited about it.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story mentions that special guests are planned for the concerts; that is not correct.
