The Phoenix Rises

Jessi Colter releases Out of the Ashes—and embarks on a new life journey.

By Wendy Newcomer, GACTV.com

Apr. 18, 2006—When Waylon Jennings died in 2002, he left behind a devoted wife, Jessi Colter—an original artist in her own right who arrived on the music scene in 1970 with her first album, A Country Star Is Born. That aptly-titled debut foreshadowed her now-classic 1975 country and pop smash, "I’m Not Lisa." Throughout the next 30 years, Jessi never stopped writing—but she often put aside her solo recording career to tour and record with Waylon.

Calling from her ranch in Phoenix, Ariz., Jessi recently talked to GACTV.com about her new album, Out of the Ashes, which she recorded with legendary producer Don Was. The 12-song project is a moving musical portrait portraying the next chapter in the life of an artist who grieved the loss of her husband and partner and then moved forward to embrace new life experiences.

GACTV.com: Except for a couple of children’s music CDs in the ‘90s, it’s been 20 years since your last album. How is the business different now?
Jessi Colter: I came into the industry at a time when I had freedom. I always did have freedom. This is just another great body of work that was so exciting to do. All in all, it’s a work of evolution. I never stopped recording. I worked up until the last six months of Waylon’s life with him, continuously. I have things in my library that are unreleased, but it just wasn’t time for a brand new producer [back then].

So even though I haven’t been in the marketplace alone, with an album I recorded with my name on it, I have been part of...I’m doing the same thing I’ve always done, but of course with a great, different perspective. I’m at a very exciting time in my life. As great a price as I paid in order to find this, I have found that my purpose and my creativity is working just as powerfully, if not more, than it ever has.

GACTV.com: Describe your recording process this time.
JC: I began writing and then began hanging out with Shooter [Jessi’s son with Waylon] and with the rockers on the streets of L.A. Even though I’d heard the great rock classics, Shooter would just feed me things, give me more [music] to concentrate on. I started with [the Rolling Stones’] Exile on Main Street, just listening to the passion that comes as you discover. And that’s where I was, mentally. I began with the understanding of how very important music was to me, and always has been.

Going through Waylon’s loss, I had to re-establish myself with life. Part of it was when I was listening to Ben Harper on his The Will to Live album. I went through three copies of that, just listening. I realized how important it was to express your emotions. It was like a whole new revival for me.

As I searched and as we began to put the album together, I played Don my song 'You Took Me By Surprise.' He said, ‘Give me 10 of those songs and we’ll record.’ As we began to go through my songs, he loved all of them. I had 22 of them when we began weeding out what we would and wouldn’t use.

GACTV.com: How did you come to work with Don Was?
JC: We met when he came to a Highwaymen concert. And of course, later he did a great album on them. And he did an album with Waylon, too. Waylon loved working with him so much. Don just gets out of the way of the song. He’s a catalyst to make things happen. So I knew his sensitivity, but I had no hopes or guarantee that he would be interested. I just wanted him to give me a reading on what I was writing.

GACTV.com: When I name these song titles from Out of the Ashes, what memories do they spark?

"Starman"
JC: I began writing that when Shooter and I were up in California with Waylon’s cousins. The ocean was nearby and it was kind of haunting. The environment was "hungover." Fog rolls in and it almost reminds you of Ireland, in a way. But I remember it began in the evening, with Shooter just making some chords and then I finished it within a day or two of being there. I was observing some relationships in which some people are out there, appearing to offer all that they are, and yet their goal really is to conquer and to count how many they can win.

Shooter and I had a conversation about these kinds of people. This man in this song was that. I wrote some from memory, some from artistic license, and some from present living.

"Velvet & Steel"
JC: I started writing that a few years back. Some relationships you can’t quite identify. I’ve never been single, to speak of. I was married young and then I went right from that relationship to Waylon. But in watching what was going on in the marketplace of singles, I would see the guys. They’ve got this total comfort at being single. And the girls know that something’s going on between them, but the guys are trying to act like, ‘This isn’t that serious.’ But the girls know better. These guys are too happy being single, and it’s too much of a great challenge for a girl. It just drives you up a tree.

"The Phoenix Rises"
JC: Not too many months after Waylon passed away, I went camping with my nephew, who is a great outdoorsman. We went to this little spot that’s internationally known for fly fishing. It’s called Lees Ferry at the base of the Grand Canyon Dam in Arizona. My sister-in-law had told me there was an emerald green river. Well, I had been dreaming in emerald green a lot. I was told by my archeology friend that in the Egyptian religion, emerald green means new beginnings.
So when she told me about this river I thought, ‘As much as I don’t feel like I can take any trips, I’ve gotta go on this.’ I knew I had to take a vacation or the depression would just pull me down. So I went, and the copper cliffs and the emerald green river and the bright blue sky...I don’t think there’s any place where the stars seem so many and so bright.

That image stayed in my mind when I sat down to write that song. I’d been reading about the myth of the Phoenix several times...going through its own funeral pyre to emerge and have a rebirth. The whole thing just fascinated me. So I sat down and the pieces came together. It’s a true song about trying to begin all over.

GACTV.com: Because your life with Waylon is so interesting to fans, there’s a temptation to read between the lines of this record for insight into your relationship with him.
JC: You know, I want people to make it theirs. Whatever works for them. But this was strictly my journey without Waylon, although he will always be part of me. He would’ve gotten such a kick out of the song 'You Can Pick ’Em.' He would’ve liked all of them. He was a great inspiration, when I would play him things. He always was inspired by my writing. But this had nothing to do with being reflective. This was about trying to discover my ground. Trying to relate to the opposite sex. Trying to discover myself.

GACTV.com: What did you discover about yourself?
JC: Well there’s still a lot I don’t know! (laughs) I’m learning a lot. It’s a whole new time in my life.

GACTV.com: I hear you’re already compiling songs for your next record.
JC: Yeah, it’s true. In fact, yesterday I was just writing for it. Shooter will be producing an album on me within the year, which I’m very excited about. I trust him. He’s so musically gifted. And then there’s another project with Lenny Kaye, who wrote Waylon’s book. He’s a great producer and he plays with Patti Smith. He wants to make an album of me doing psalms out of King David’s Psalms. I have a classical writer I’m writing with for that one, a great composer. And we have that practically finished.

So this year, as I’m working this album and loving doing that, I will be in the process of creating more. It’s something I’m driven to do. I’m a desperate writer. I’m happy in music.