Unadorned magic

Music is magic, says singer/songwriter John Hiatt, matter-of-factly. He oughta know.
Almost three decades into a career that includes 15 albums recorded for six different labels, a well-publicized bout with alcoholism and depression, a rejuvenation with 1987’s rousing Bring the Family disc, Grammy nominations, songs covered by dozens of diverse artists — Iggy Pop, Mitch Ryder, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan — and a stint last season as host of TV’s most eclectic music show, “Sessions at W.54th,” John Hiatt knows when magic is in the music. The hard part is convincing ornery record labels, which is where he recently drew the line.
Bounced off Capitol after a short (even by Hiatt’s standards) two-album deal, the Midwesterner found himself at an unusual crossroads. With a bulging resume, hundreds of thousands of albums sold and a dedicated fan base amassed through almost 30 years of captivating performances, the rugged Hiatt wasn’t ready to quit. But his graying following isn’t exactly what the “TRL”-oriented record companies are scrambling after these days. So he retrenched, regrouped and, using his own money, recorded Crossing Muddy Waters, his first totally acoustic album.
Finding a distributor was problematic, so Hiatt looked to the Internet, hooked up with Emusic and decided to leave the bricks-and-mortar world of record stores behind. Eventually the long-established Vanguard label — home to a rich history of roots performers — got involved, but only on a limited basis. “I’m an independent now,” Hiatt states proudly between cigarette drags. “I make individual deals for each record and I don’t owe any company another if I don’t want to give them one. [Vanguard] have rights to the album for five years, but I own the record, which is the first time that’s ever happened. It’s a very liberating feeling.”
Clearly no longer a supporter of the corporate structure that helped bankroll his career thus far, Hiatt realizes the pop music climate has altered radically in this era of consolidation and Napster, and he’s ready to change with the weather. “The larger corporations are going in a certain direction, which leaves the door open for smaller, more entrepreneurial types to step up to the plate and fill the vacuum. Artists that sell in the 250,000 to 500,000 range, like me, major labels could care less about us. They either hit a home run or it’s an out. There’s no middle anymore. For them to make money, it’s gotta sell double platinum. The small labels would love to have you, though. So it has opened up a lot of opportunities.”
The concept for his “back to roots” album wasn’t born out of any ideas about how to market Hiatt’s music in changing times. Rather, it grew from the old-fashioned camaraderie generated when playing with fellow musicians/multi-instrumentalists Davey Faragher and David Immergluck, his backing band for the new blues/folk-infused disc. “I get a batch of songs, then I get a bunch of musicians together and that becomes the idea,” he casually explains.
In fact, the album was recorded entirely live, with the participants seated together in a circle feeding off each other’s nuances, energy and riffs. The sounds of guitar, bass, mandolin and “a little bit of stompin’” (no traditional drum kit was used) bring an earthy, log cabin quality and comfy richness to the most consistent and lyrically vibrant set of melodies Hiatt has penned in almost a decade. The trio visualized every song as they were working out their parts, creating together the magic Hiatt describes.
“We had a central theme,” he says. “We imagined a group of old fuckers sitting out on the back porch playing this music and one of their wives was inside — she’s kind of a thin-lipped Presbyterian woman — who would occasionally join them on pump organ and play the devil’s music for a bit. It helps me because I’m a visual kind of guy. I like seeing pictures.”
Pictures play an even more integral part in Hiatt’s next project. He’s finished work on the soundtrack to an upcoming live-action Disney flick called The Country Bears, an assignment so bizarre it sounds like a snide Hiatt joke. “It’s about a band of bears from the ’70s who were very influential. They mixed country, old-fashioned hill-style music with rock ‘n’ roll and came up with their own sound. They’re actual bears but they live amongst human beings. I’m one of the bears’ singing voices for two tunes that I wrote.” He also penned other songs for the film, one that will be performed by Don Henley and Sheryl Crow.
As Hiatt closes in on 50, he doesn’t foresee a time when he’ll quit playing live, ending the musical magic that can only emerge to “set you free” on stage, with or without a band. “I have this burning desire to go out and play. As long as there’s a place to perform, whether it’s a theater or a little bar, I still have a need to make that connection.”
But age is certainly a factor. “Time,” he muses, “becomes more valuable as you have less of it.”
John Hiatt performs an acoustic show at the Roxy, Sat., March 10. Showtime is 9 p.m. Tickets are $25.