I saw Tom Russell and Andrew Hardin here in Fort Worth a short time ago and I was most impressed. I cannot believe I've lived in Texas as long as I have and not seen Tom Russell, but... I am a working folksinger and while watching Andy play (and, yes, he is mesmerizing)
I became acutely aware that he had the finest acoustic/electric sound I have ever heard. I approached him after the first set and we chatted a bit. I told him how good I thought he was and that I was further blown away by the fact that he was getting that sound out of a $600 mahogany Takamine. He laughted and insisted that it was not
mahogany, but plywood. He was running the thing through a Baggs D/I that contained a processor. The sound was simply awesome - full, strong, all-encompassing yet not overpowering - easy on the ears.
My work-horses are both Takamine - a Santa Fe and a 2001 LTD - both very nice, but they cannot hold a candle to Hardin's mahogany sound.

I approached Tom Russell after the final set and we, too, chatted a bit. I told him that I had worked with Michael Smith several years ago and as much as I admire and respect Michael - Tom Russell is second to no one. This guy works a great pen. He had one line from a song that he announced as new that just blew me away; it was,
"Don't throw your dreams away, they may save your life some day."
That is just a powerful line just standing on it's own away from a story or any connecting lyric.

I've just worked up one of Tom's tunes called "Bluewing," and I've got two more in the works. Of course, I've been doin' "Navaho Rug" for years - gotta do "Navaho Rug" in Texas. I'd surely like to do more Tom Russell songs but I'm also in the midst of working up a James Keelaghan tune, and a Dave Mallett tune, and another Nanci Griffith tune, and an old Chuck Pyle tune, and another Stan Rogers
tune, and, oh hell, there's just too many great songs out there - I
gotta' head on and get back to work - enjoy Tom Russell y'all.