Jason Isbell has traveled many miles of significance to become one of the most decorated Americana artists of his generation. The Alabama son first emerged by proving his mettle enough to sit at the songwriter’s table alongside Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley in the Drive-By Truckers, a laurel that most would gladly ride into the golden sunset. In the decade since he stepped out on his own, however, he’s not only survived but thrived in a solo career that’s garnered near-universal critical acclaim and even multiple Grammy wins. Isbell’s work is defined by frank reflection – on self, place and, lately, the times. His most recent album, 2017’s The Nashville Sound, abounds in themes of modern America’s reckoning. And with the spell of his unmistakable country soul, Isbell has managed to penetrate deeper than even his most fiery and punk contemporaries into one of the most honest, thoughtful and important voices of the new American South. Add in English folk-rock titan Richard Thompson and you’ve got an unbroken continuum of legend in one evening.
with Richard Thompson | 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 18 | Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave. | 844-513-2014 | drphillipscenter.org | $32.50-$60
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This article appears in Apr 18-23, 2018.
