Bruce Robison's stellar series The Next Waltz is back with a new episode featuring Jack Ingram. In the episode, Ingram sings his new single "Why I Left Atlanta," and we're excited to exclusively premiere the performance today.
The Next Waltz is a place for great players to make great music. Musicians gather in a room, rehearse the song and record it all together straight to analog tape, preserving the old-school (and endangered) method of country music recording. You can see some of the process in the music video.
In it, Ingram sings "Why I Left Atlanta," which Jason Eady wrote and included on his recent eponymous release. In Ingram's version, he waits a just a beat to bring the whole band in. Ingram's distinct vocal cuts through the beautiful mix of guitars, mandolin and dobro.
And while Eady's version is a highlight of his phenomenal record, Ingram definitely makes the song his own. By the time the fiddle and organ swell in, well, it's just a whole new song.
"When I got this song from Jason, I just thought it was country as hell," Ingram tells Wide Open Country. "With this huge catchy chorus like the songs we love from George Strait and Alan Jackson from 80s and 90s."
Fans can download the song today on iTunes. Check out the video of the performance below.
Bruce Robison and Jack Ingram go way back. In fact, the two have worked together for over two decades. Ingram also joined Bruce and Charlie Robison on the show earlier in the year for The Next Waltz's "cover challenge." They sang the 1952 classic "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)."
Robison built the studio that houses The Next Waltz sessions out in Lockhart, Texas. Lovingly called "The Bunker," Robison made it the kind of place that feels like a retreat while capturing the vibe of the family living room.
READ MORE: Bruce Robison Talks New Album, The Next Waltz and Chasing That Sound in His Head
You can also see more behind the scenes footage when The Next Waltz releases a short film around the song. The film gives viewers a chance to peer behind the curtains and watch Robison work with Ingram and their collection of talented studio musicians. That video goes live on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m.
