Ani Defranco Lyrics

Not even lightning can keep Greg Brown from making music

To say that Greg Brown has a deep voice is something of an understatement. He has the deepest voice. When he leaves you a voicemail telling you to call him back you cower. You believe for a second you've done something wrong. You sweat a bit as you dial the numbers to hear that voice pick up on the other end. It's intimidating, that voice. But the man himself is very charming, with a great sense of humor. It would be scary to think of what that voice might sound like if you cross him...;

Brown, who is playing the Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth on Wednesday, July 20, is the revered folk troubadour who has been plugging and plucking away for more than four decades. The dexterity showcased in his song writing is matched by few, and his words have been quoted by many and shared on stage by the likes of Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson, Carlos Santana, Ani DiFranco, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Iris Dement (his wife), and Joan Baez (to name a few). He's recorded and released more than two dozen albums, including his latest, "Freak Flag," which came out this May.

Last year, Brown contributed his signature flair to the talented up-and-coming folk singer Anais Mitchell's "Hadestown" album, which is noted as a "folk opera."

"I met Anais through Ani (DiFranco, whose Righteous Babe Records imprint is home to Mitchell's work)," said Brown from his home in Iowa. "She came over to my house and asked me to take part in the "Hadestown" project, which came as something of a shock to me. It's a brilliant piece of work. She asked me to play the part of Hades, Lord of the Underworld, King of Hell, which for me, was not very difficult to make happen (laughs deeply)."

Oh, that voice.

This year, it's all about "Freak Flag," which was no easy feat to finish and get out to his listeners.

"The music business is in complete disarray," said Brown. "Quite frankly, I'd lost interest in recording and thought that part of my career had come to a close. However, all things come around, and — upon a little coaxing and a degree of rest — I thought it would be fun to put this one together. I felt like I might be able to hit people on some level during these hard times in which we're living.

I recorded it once and lost it all in a lightning storm — yes, technology has its limitations. I kind of thought, 'well, maybe God is telling me to shut-up (laughs).' So I went home. Then, after wrapping my head around it, we gave it a second go-round and came up with what you're hearing.

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