Video: ‘They Call Me Hank,’ performed by Greg Trooper at MPAC
You could form a pretty interesting band with artists who have recorded songs by Greg Trooper : Vince Gill, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg and Robert Earl Keen, for starters.
Or you could just go straight to the source. That’s what Jim Monaghan of WDHA did on May 31, taping Greg performing and discussing his craft at the Starlight Room in Morristown for Jim’s Sunday morning show, All Mixed Up Live.
Greg, a native of Little Silver on the Jersey shore, played songs from his new CD, Upside-Down Town. The one included here, They Call Me Hank, won third place in the 2010 International Songwriting Competition, besting nearly 15,000 entries from 115 countries.
It’s a hard-luck song that suggests daily struggles not unlike those of Morristown’s homeless population and working poor.
You can catch Greg live at the Living Room in New York on June 14. And check Jim’s program on Sundays at 8 a.m. at 105.5 FM for his conversation with Greg. They have a fascinating discussion about songwriting and the art of “writing simple.” Three or four guitar chords really can speak volumes–in the right hands.
great clip – thanks for posting this