Dar Williams intended to pursue theater. Instead, it was her hobby — playing the guitar — that bloomed into a career now entering its 15th year.
After moving to Boston, Williams launched herself into the its folk scene with regular coffeehouse performances and recorded demo tapes. She captured the attention of Joan Baez, who decided to bring Williams on tour and record. Since then, Williams has released a long and celebrated list of albums full of nuanced folk narratives. On her latest double album, Many Great Companions, she explores old and new by revisiting her earlier works and topping them with new ones.
Allison Moorer is another songwriting powerhouse who was raised on a musical diet of George Jones, Tammy Wynette and other country legends. The younger sister to Shelby Lynn, Moorer had her big break with the ballad "A Soft Place To Fall," which was featured on The Horse Whisperer in 1998.
Moorer's latest is the pop-influenced Crows, a 14-track collection that departs from her usual country sound. The result is a masterful mix of influences and ambiance, from cool jazz to Brit-pop.
In this segment from World Cafe, hear Williams and Moorer perform on the Cayamo Cruise, an annual cruise featuring some of the world's best roots and folk musicians.
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