Buddy Miller

In 1962, Doc Watson and some of his musician neighbors set out from their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the journey of a lifetime, to perform at the Ash Grove folk club in Los Angeles. "I remember the first trip we did," Watson said in a 2008 interview. "We borrowed a little station wagon from the late Clarence Ashley's son and drove to California and back, and I remember thinking, 'Lord, what a big old country this is.' I was a mountaineer, just a country boy. I'd never been nowhere like that before.

Once there was a great tradition in country music of male harmony singing, one that's nearly disappeared in recent decades. The Everly Brothers, the Louvin Brothers and the Monroe Brothers were among the standouts of sibling harmony acts, while Johnnie & Jack and a few others proved conclusively that singers didn't have to be family to sound like they were. That's part of the inspiration behind “Buddy and Jim,” the new collaboration between two of Americana music's most respected singers and songwriters -- and longtime friends-- Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale coming out Tuesday.

Once there was a great tradition in country music of male harmony singing, one that's nearly disappeared in recent decades. The Everly Brothers, the Louvin Brothers and the Monroe Brothers were among the standouts of sibling harmony acts, while Johnnie & Jack and a few others proved conclusively that singers didn't have to be family to sound like they were. That's part of the inspiration behind “Buddy and Jim,” the new collaboration between two of Americana music's most respected singers and songwriters -- and longtime friends-- Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale coming out Tuesday.

In 1962, Doc Watson and some of his musician neighbors set out from their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the journey of a lifetime, to perform at the Ash Grove folk club in Los Angeles. "I remember the first trip we did," Watson said in a 2008 interview. "We borrowed a little station wagon from the late Clarence Ashley's son and drove to California and back, and I remember thinking, 'Lord, what a big old country this is.' I was a mountaineer, just a country boy. I'd never been nowhere like that before.

Musician and producer Buddy Miller successfully underwent heart surgery Friday after complaining that he didn't feel well after a performance in Baltimore the previous night. He remains hospitalized but is expected to be released soon. Miller, whose latest album with his wife, Julie, "Written in Chalk," comes out next week, is hoping to make scheduled performances in mid-March for the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, his publicist said.

MUSIC Emmylou Harris The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter rolls into town with a new album, "Hard Bargain," for which she co-wrote nearly all the heartfelt, ruminative songs. Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller also perform. Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. $35-$65. (323) 665-5857. Greektheatrela.com . Thurston Moore The Sonic Youth frontman had an excellent album of acoustic-centered songs, "Demolished Thoughts," out earlier this year, and it underlined the writing beneath his band's volley of feedback (with an added production assist from Beck)

Julie Miller sits down in a food court at Newark Airport while her musical and marital partner, Buddy Miller, checks them into their flight to Nashville. Minutes earlier, Buddy had to stand firm to fend off a $300 overcharge on the rental car they'd used for a series of East Coast dates that had ended the night before at the Bottom Line in New York. "Driving ourselves around was thrilling at 20," says Julie, a 43-year-old who's quick with a laugh. "But at this stage, 'Let's go home.'

Emmylou Harris picks pickers the way a Wall Street Midas picks stocks. For more than 20 years, the acclaimed country singer's recording and touring bands have reflected her stylistic diversity and her knack for attracting blue-chip talent. Harris has employed bluegrass aces--among them Sam Bush and Al Perkins of her early-'90s band, the Nash Ramblers--and twangy roots-rock guitar heroes, including James Burton and Albert Lee.

Not long into her concert Wednesday night at the Greek Theatre, just as the sun was dipping below the horizon, Shawn Colvin sang a lovely version of Robbie Robertson's "Twilight," in which the narrator makes a pretty solid case that "twilight is the loneliest time of day."

Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's critically acclaimed collaboration "Raising Sand" took top honors at the annual Americana Music Assn. awards Thursday in Nashville. The collection was named album of the year and Krauss and Plant also were chosen as duo of the year. Drummer and singer Levon Helm was recognized as artist of the year. Other awards went to Buddy Miller (instrumentalist), Mike Farris (new artist) and Hayes Carll (song, "She Left Me for Jesus," written with Brian Keane)

MUSIC Emmylou Harris The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter rolls into town with a new album, "Hard Bargain," for which she co-wrote nearly all the heartfelt, ruminative songs. Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller also perform. Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. $35-$65. (323) 665-5857. Greektheatrela.com . Thurston Moore The Sonic Youth frontman had an excellent album of acoustic-centered songs, "Demolished Thoughts," out earlier this year, and it underlined the writing beneath his band's volley of feedback (with an added production assist from Beck)

Not long into her concert Wednesday night at the Greek Theatre, just as the sun was dipping below the horizon, Shawn Colvin sang a lovely version of Robbie Robertson's "Twilight," in which the narrator makes a pretty solid case that "twilight is the loneliest time of day."

Musician and producer Buddy Miller successfully underwent heart surgery Friday after complaining that he didn't feel well after a performance in Baltimore the previous night. He remains hospitalized but is expected to be released soon. Miller, whose latest album with his wife, Julie, "Written in Chalk," comes out next week, is hoping to make scheduled performances in mid-March for the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, his publicist said.

Julie Miller sits down in a food court at Newark Airport while her musical and marital partner, Buddy Miller, checks them into their flight to Nashville. Minutes earlier, Buddy had to stand firm to fend off a $300 overcharge on the rental car they'd used for a series of East Coast dates that had ended the night before at the Bottom Line in New York. "Driving ourselves around was thrilling at 20," says Julie, a 43-year-old who's quick with a laugh. "But at this stage, 'Let's go home.'

Emmylou Harris picks pickers the way a Wall Street Midas picks stocks. For more than 20 years, the acclaimed country singer's recording and touring bands have reflected her stylistic diversity and her knack for attracting blue-chip talent. Harris has employed bluegrass aces--among them Sam Bush and Al Perkins of her early-'90s band, the Nash Ramblers--and twangy roots-rock guitar heroes, including James Burton and Albert Lee.

Although grudgingly respectful by the end, Randy Lewis' critique of Emmylou Harris' concert ("Emmylou Harris Plays Safe," Oct. 9) dwelt largely on what he saw as Harris' lack of "edge" and courage, as evidenced by her artistic decision not to replay her brand-new album straight through (a la Neil Young's recent "Greendale" tour). What disturbs me is Lewis' very narrow sense of what counts as "risk" and "edge." In fact, the decisions Harris made for the evening -- including the one to open with the astonishing and resolutely non-alternative country sound of her guitarist, Buddy Miller -- could not possibly have been more radical.

Tori Amos, "Strange Little Girls," Atlantic Bis, "Return to Central," spinART Curve, "The Gift," Hip-O Donna De Lory, "Bliss," Secret Road Records Macy Gray, "The Id," Epic Handsome Family, "Twilight," Carrot Top Records Richie Hawtin, "DE9: Closer to the Edit," NovaMute Live, "V," MCA Martina McBride, "Greatest Hits," RCA Buddy & Julie Miller, "Buddy & Julie Miller," High Tone Ol' Dirty Bastard, "The Dirty Story," Elektra Phish, "Live Phish," Elektra Remy Zero, "The Golden Hum," Elektra Marc