The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, Neil Young, Simon & Garfunkel, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Goose Creek Symphony, Emmylou Harris, various Bluegrass bands, and everything in between.
Comprised of Alabama natives Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee, Sugarcane Jane made quite an impression on the Port City when they opened for Randy Travis back in May. Crawford is a seasoned musician in his own right. In the past, he has shared the stage with Roy Acuff at the Grand Ol’ Opry. Crawford has also spent many days on the road backing rock icon Neil Young. In addition to performing, Crawford has also proven himself to be an extremely gifted songwriter. Artists such as Lorrie Morgan, Kenny Rogers and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are just a few of the artists who have performed his songs. When Lee recruited Crawford to produce her debut solo effort “Redbird,” the two felt a musical connection that seemed almost star-crossed, and Sugarcane Jane was born.
Sugarcane Jane’s homespun acoustic sound is organic music at its finest. These two reveal their musical passion and soul through their powerful harmonies. Together, they conjure up spirits from the early days of country music and make them slaves to their musical whims. Sugarcane Jane released their self-titled debut in July. In addition, they have also released “Live at the Saenger” for all those who were moved by their performance. ~Steve Centanni, Lagniappe
If you see one live gig this weekend, then it's got to be Sugarcane Jane, the duo that is taking Pleasure Island by storm — and this week this up-and-coming group will make two appearances. Sugarcane Jane is comprised of Savana Lee and Anthony Crawford, two veteran singer/songwriters who've come together through similar journeys.
Crawford crossed paths with Lee in a Nashville, Tenn., recording studio eight years ago. It was during that chance encounter that pure music magic would be born. As Lee explains the name of the pair stems from a conversation about how her grandfather used to cut and give out sugarcane to the local children on Halloween and somehow the Jane part just seemed to fit. Lee recalls a road trip the two were on when the words came out of nowhere.
"I remember telling the story to Anthony as we drove past my grandparents home in Loxley, Ala., and he just started singing this song off the cuff with the words 'Sugarcane Jane' in it. We knew right away we had something," Lee said.
Crawford calls Birmingham, Ala., his native soil, while Lee hails from the rural area of Loxley, but both had lit out from their respective homes in search of musical fame and inspiration. Where? Nashville, of course. After seven years of cutting her teeth in the musical landscape that is uniquely Nashville, Lee said she arrived at the conclusion that home is where her heart lived, "and so I packed it up and headed back south and now I reside in the Orange Beach area. Being near the beach brings peace to my soul."
Crawford, similarly uninspired with the Nashville scene, decided to return to his roots and to be closer to his parents, who reside in Daphne, Ala. Crawford has been touring most of his life with the likes of Steve Winwood, Dwight Yoakam, Steve Forbert, Nicolette Larson, Blackhawk and more recently American rock icon, Neil Young. Though he works with other musicians, Crawford said he's dedicated to making it work with Lee.
"My heart is true to the future of wherever the road may take us," he said. "Together, we deliver a what Savana calls a 'harmonious blend that sounds as if we were kin.' " With harmony and acoustic guitars as the driving force and original composition of their sound, Sugarcane Jane can lead an audience down various paths. Sugarcane Jane can belt out an impressive collection of old classics, too, vintage numbers from classic American iconic bands like; The Dillards, Bobby Gentry, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. Although they have more than 400 originals to choose from as well, which sound as if they've been singing them forever and you could easily hear any of them being played on the radio.
They are recording a new CD, as well as putting the final touches on their soon-to-be released DVD, Sugarcane Jane: Live at the Saenger Theater, a project that rose from a recent performance at Mobile's Saenger Theater where they opened for country and wester powerhouse, Randy Travis.
"We had a great night during that performance," Crawford said. "It was the kind of night one never forgets. All the stars were aligned and me and Savana were blessed."
~Brian Kelly, PNJ
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It’s been a long 9 months but our debut album was finally released this week and is available in download format at Rhapsody, Amazon, eMusic, iTunes and from our official website. I hope everyone will enjoy the tunes.
