In 1995,
Mark Olson left
the Jayhawks after a stormy ten years of mounting success and ventured out on his own to continue pursuing his vision of honest, earthy
americana music.
The Jayhawks pushed on without
Olson, and helmed by new chief songwriter
Gary Louris, the band headed off into more
pop-oriented territory. Rather than shop for a new label and do it all over again,
Olson decided on a more independent route: to simply make the music he wanted to make and sell it himself. With the help of his wife,
Victoria Williams (a successful singer/songwriter herself), and his longtime friend and fiddler
Mike "Razz" Russel, he set up his own living room studio in rural Joshua Tree, CA, and recorded The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers in 1997. The album was warmly received by the
alt-country elite and warranted considerable press in the y'allternative-centric magazine
No Depression. The trio had so much fun with the first album they recorded Pacific Coast Rambler in early 1999 and Zola & the Tulip Tree later in the year. The partially autobiographical My Own Jo Ellen was released by the
roots rock-friendly Hightone Records in late 2000, and December's Child followed in 2002. Along with his solo albums he also recorded with
the Creekdippers, releasing Political Manifest in 2004. For
Olson's 2007 solo album, the lavishly packaged The Salvation Blues, he reunited with former
Jayhawks bandmate
Gary Louris on three songs. The reunion gelled, and the two released Ready for the Flood as a duo in 2009. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
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Red links represent a CD that is not currently available.
Ready for the Flood [Bonus Tracks]
December's Child