Ravinia 2021 - Issue 3

PATRICK SHEEHAN John Hiatt and Jerry Douglas outside the RCA Victor studios in Nashville, where they recorded Leftover Feelings last fall Stolen Moments & Leftover Feelings John Hiatt listens to old voices in his collaborative career’s new chapter By James Turano JOHN HIAT T ’s diversely rich, re- spected, and rowdy vocation has been a series of perfectly turned phrases with some perfectly good guitar. And now he’s adding some insightful, lingering “leftover feelings.” Hiatt’s may not be a name you immediately recognize, but he’s always been there. “I like to sneak up from behind,” Hiatt says slyly. You’ve certainly heard many of the songs he’s written during an acclaimed career that includes nine Grammy nomi- nations and the highest praise from peers and fans alike. His path to prominence during the past five decades has been steady but splintered, filled with stops, starts, and several serendipitous detours that have included pop, rock, country, folk, blues, and even ’80s new wave. These fortuitous diversions enabled Hiatt to work with an eclectic group of musicians, from slide guitar rebel Ry Cooder to wandering wordsmith Nick Lowe and many other notables in between. In the process, Hiatt has established a distinct canon highlight- ed by albums like Bring the Family , Slow Turning , Perfectly Good Guitar , Stolen Moments , and Same Old Man , with songs like “Have a Little Faith In Me,” “Slow Turning,” “Paper Thin,” “Memphis in the Meantime,” “She Don’t Love Nobody,” “Across The Borderline,” and “Tennessee Plates” scattered across them. Hiatt, a Ravinia regular since the early 2000s (including appearances with his singer/songwriter daughter Lilly), returns on August 24 with The Jerry Douglas Band. The two will present their latest, rustic alliance, Leftover Feelings , which adds yet another unique chapter to both artists’ vast musical ventures. RAVINIA MAGAZINE • AUGUST 18 – SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 6