May 13, 2012 / The Boston Globe

Chris Smither: Folk/blues musician and voracious re-reader

Chris Smither has had the well-sanded, world-weary voice of an old blues man since the New Orleans transplant first landed on Boston’s folk scene in the 1960s. This summer he comes out with his 12th studio record, Hundred Dollar Valentine, which locals can get a preview of at his May 19 show at Arlington’s Regent Theatre.

BOOKS: What are you reading currently?

SMITHER: I just read Donna Leon’s last one, “Drawing Conclusions,” another one of her mysteries set in Venice…

Read the full article

Troubadour Blues is a journey into the world of well-traveled singer-songwriters like Peter Case, Mary Gauthier, Chris Smither, Dave Alvin, Slaid Cleaves and many more. This 95-minute documentary, produced over a 10-year period by filmmaker Tom Weber, provides a revealing look at the heartbreaks and joys of these modern-day wandering minstrels. The film contains live performances of 40 brilliantly crafted songs by these assorted artists, as well as informal moments and interviews in which the artists reflect on audiences, songwriting, the music business, and life.

Order now

This past summer, Chris took a break from writing songs for his new studio record (hint!) and strapped on and plugged in an arch top jazz guitar. He invited some very fine musicians (Billy Conway of Morphine, Smither vocal favorite Anita Suhanin, and Johnny Sciascia & Jerry Miller from Eilen Jewell’s band) to the studio. With long-time producer David Goodrich at the helm, they rocked the house. Chris put the Smither spin on some Rock & Roll classics, including “Take Out Some Insurance” and “You Can’t Catch Me” – reaching back to some of his earliest sound/musical influences. Take a ride with Chris on his sure-to-make-you-grin road trip. Available online and at Chris Smither concerts only.

Buy the new rock ‘n roll EP (for only $10)!

Chris’s recent appearance on the syndicated radio program Mountain Stage aired around the country on October 7.  It will soon be posted at on the Mountain Stage website and archived for continued access.

Photo courtesy of Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage

We’re excited to announce the release of a brand new live Smither album, LOST AND FOUND, available NOW!

Over the years, like most touring musicians, Chris has collected countless tapes, CDs, DATS, etc. of his live concerts. Often these recordings can be a bit rough, but Chris struck gold one afternoon when he came upon a box of CDs and DATS from concerts performed between 1993-2003. Upon listening, he discovered recordings of some real gems from his catalog; the sound quality and performances were outstanding.  This new collection of 14 songs, Lost and Found, joins Another Way to Find You and Live As I’ll Ever Be in Chris’ catalog of live recordings. Here’s a chance to hear live versions of “Train Home”, “Hey Hey Hey”,” Time to Go Home”, “Lola”, and ten other Chris Smither favorites.

This CD will NOT be available in stores. It is for fans only, and only available online.

Hear full-length MP3s and order LOST AND FOUND today!

Did you miss it?  Chris was recently featured in the New York Times’ Frequent Flier profile.  Read it online.

See Chris on the Australian TV program Arts Gateway: Here

Read an article written by Chris, on how to fly with your guitar, in this month’s issue of Acoustic Guitar.