Nanci Griffith’s Other Voices. A book by Nanci Griffith and Joe Jackson

In 1998 I co-write this book Nanci Griffith’s Other Voices, which is subtitled, A Personall History of Folk Music, with American singer/songwriter Nanci Griffith. It was published by Three Rivers Press, New York

The blurb says ‘Nanci Griffiths distinct blend of pop, rockabilly and folk has made her one of the most respected, popular and lover singer-songwriters working today. Having released fourteen of her own critically-acclaimed albums as well as recording countless guest appearances on other artists’ albums and contributing to film scores, Nanci crates music that has taken root all over the world – her melodies and lyrics resonating wherever they are heard. The Grammy award-winning album, Other Voices, Other Rooms – one of the most successful albums of contemporary folk music ever – marked a watershed moment in Nanci Griffith’s career. Not only is it her sole album of cover songs, but it is also a seamless blend of tradition, collaboration and innovation.The follow up album, Other Voices, Too: A Trip Back To Bountiful, continues that tradition of passing on other writers’ work and presenting folk music as a vital force in today’s music.
Go behind the scenes with Nanci Griffith and listen in on a very special conversation with Joe Jackson, an acclaimed music journalist, as they explore the roots and inspiration for Nanci’s extraordinary career and trace the history of the folk music movement.
The book is a guide to Nanci’s trip back to bountiful – to the place where inspiration springs freely. With more than one-hundred behind-the-scenes photographs and candid interviews with Nanci and her collaborators, including John Lomax 111, Emmylous Harris, Dave Van Ronk, Pete Seeger, Odetta and members of the Blue Moon Orchestra and many, many others, this book offers a rare glimpse into the artistic heart and soul of one of this country’s greatest musical treasures: Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith on Joe Jackson, from preface to this book: ‘I am grateful for the collaboration on the text for this book with my friend, journalist Joe Jackson. Joe writes regularly for — and The Irish Times, out of Dublin, Ireland, and for many publications worldwide. He is the rare music journalist who actually listens to music. His knowledge as a musicologist has been treasured and invaluable to this project. His contribution to the text is deeply appreciated as well as the time he took out of working on his own book to come to America and work with me and to interview all the artists quoted here.
Like DJ’s of a generation ago, music journalists who are also great writers are few and far between these days. I hope that contemporary music will always maintain writers like Joe Jackson in Ireland and the UK and America’s own Steve Morse who writes full time for the Boston Globe. Without these writers and their rare peers we might never see another book like Folk Songs of North America, from an archivist the like of its writer, Alan Lomax