Tag Archives: Chris Hillman

Pieces of Stephen Stills




One of the most talented musicians and songwriters of the late 1960s and early ’70s, Stephen Stills is also a confounding one.

manassas-piecesIt’s hard to think of an artist who had a better streak of songwriting from 1966-73 while playing with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills & Nash and CSN & Young, followed by a stunning first solo album, an almost-as-good second and a year-and-a-half with the eclectic rock-country-Latin mix of Manassas.

Then decades of ups and downs, a few hints to rival past triumphs but mostly downs. Unfulfilled promise? Perhaps that’s a little harsh. Stills did give us a wealth of creativity during that roughly seven-year span.

Since 2007, Stills has released three albums from his vault, most recordings about 40 years old. And all three are better than anything he’s produced since. First Just Roll Tape, an extraordinary demo of songs he dashed off following a Judy Collins session in New York, several to appear on the first CS&N album.

Then Demos, in a similar vein, from CS&N, with his contributions undoubtedly the highlights. And now Pieces, early Manassas tapes, with some solo work and early jams with members of The Flying Burrito Brothers mixed in, a collection so good it makes one wonder why it’s taken so long for this material to see the light of day.

The group Manassas grew out of Stills’ frustration with CSN&Y and his contacting ultimate rock ‘n roll sidekick Chris Hillman (Byrds, Burritos) to get together and jam in Miami with members of the Burritos post-Gram Parsons.

The tracks from these sessions are mostly at the tail end of Pieces, Panhandle Rag, which shows off Byron Berline on fiddle and Hillman’s blazing mandolin, Uncle Pen — a Bill Monro tune on which Berline takes the vocals — Do You Remember The Americans and Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music), a Burritos live staple. Continue reading Pieces of Stephen Stills

Hillman, Pedersen perfect sidekicks




Chris Hillman became a country star as leader of The Desert Rose Band in the 1980s. Before that he had a reputation as being the ultimate sidekick.

chris-hillman-herb-pedersen-in-concert-1-smallFirst to Roger McGuinn and David Crosby in The Byrds, then to Gram Parsons in the seminal country-rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers and to Stephen Stills in Manassas. Now he has his own sidekick. Or rather Hillman and Herb Pedersen are sidekicks for each other.

They’ve been playing together since Desert Rose and are on tour as a duo with Hillman mostly on mandolin and Pedersen acoustic guitar. At their stop Thursday at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Mass., they displayed consumate muscianship as they ran through a set of each other’s songs, Byrds tunes and classic country numbers.

What really sets this pair apart, though, is their beautiful vocal blend. Their voices mesh so well it’s like hearing one voice in perfect harmony. Pedersen has long been known as an excellent harmony singer, going back to Emmylou Harris’ breakthrough country hit in 1974 If I Could Ever Win Your Love, which Hillman and Pedersen performed second in their set.

Hillman and Pedersen have a wonderful rapport on stage and play it fast and loose, as Hillman said early in the set, they have a list of songs but don’t follow a setlist and play what they want to play. Continue reading Hillman, Pedersen perfect sidekicks