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Norma Jean Bell is probably best known as a legend of Detroit house, largely thanks to her mid-Nineties club classic “I’m the Baddest Bitch (In the Room).” But the singer, songwriter, and ace saxophonist had been making music for decades at that point, working as a touring and studio pro with everyone from Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention to Stevie Wonder.

Around 1980, Bell was eying a solo career, and a demo she made wound up in the hands of Earl McGrath, the then-president of Rolling Stones Records.

When Wilco invited Neal Francis to join them onstage at their Sky Blue Sky destination festival in Mexico this past January, they asked the Chicago piano-rocker what song of theirs he’d like to play.

It was a tough question for the longtime Wilco fan, but eventually Francis landed on “Theologians,” with some help from his girlfriend.

“I liked that choice because it has a great piano part, and the lyrics really resonate with me as someone who continues to contemplate spirituality,” Francis said in a statement.

Francis went further...

The 2020 edition of the Luck Reunion has announced its lineup. Lucinda Williams, Orville Peck, Margo Price, and perennial Luck headliner Willie Nelson are all set to perform at the daylong festival held on Nelson’s Luck Ranch outside of Austin.

Slated for March 19th, the Luck Reunion brings together left-of-center artists who are both preserving and progressing American music. Luck is also defined by frequent collaboration and a sense of intimacy, especially for the lucky few who pack the ranch’s “Chapel Stage.” This year, the Haden Triplets, Sierra Ferrell,...