Sugarcane Jane - Organic Music at its Finest


Congratulate us! We've just given birth to a new band, WILLIE SUGARCAPPS!!! Tuesday, February 19. 2013 It's unbelievable how this all came about. It all started at Cathe Steele's lovely venue, The Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm in Silverhill, Alabama. She puts these wonderful rounds together amidst old cedar trees, bonfires, and a front porch stage that has all the ingredients needed for some serious mojo to happen. And it did, BIG TIME! Willie Sugarcapps took flight there, consisting of Will Kimbrough, Anthony Crawford, Savana Lee Crawford, Grayson Capps, and Corky Hughes. If you don't already know these cats, you should! They've all been around the block quite a few times, working with industry greats, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Steve Winwood, Sheryl Crow, Jimmy Buffett. A few rounds of shows with these fellas is all it took to realize we had something pretty dang amazing. And not just the music. These are great guys with loads of talent without the huge ego. Lots of plans in the works, everyone's minds working overtime. Shows being added left and right, far and wide, including LuLu's Lulupalooza in Gulf Shores, ALand the Americana Music Festival in Nashville, TN. We hope to have a record and a fully stocked merch box in the very near future. Check us out and spread the word.... something BIG is happenin' here. And it's as organic as you can get. Gulf coast bama boys and girl gonna bring some sweet country blues, folk rock stomp n roll to da USA! Love our life and looking forward to what's around the bend. (Photo right - The Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm. MCE Photography) Follow the journey, it's gonna be sweet!!!!!!! www.facebook.com/williesugarcapps www.twitter.com/wsugarcapps www.reverbnation.com/williesugarcapps WEBSITE COMING SOON! www.williesugarcapps.com

2nd Tuesday moves to 3rd Tuesday at Moe's BBQ in Mobile, AL Tuesday, February 19, 2013 Spotlighting the iconic local sounds of Mobile, 92ZEW’s free show/simulcast this month will feature Sugarcane Jane. Due to Mardi Gras, this month’s 2nd Tuesday is moved to the third Tuesday, February 19, 7pm at Moe’s Original BBQ, downtown Mobile.As always the show is free and simulcast live on 92.1FM and online at http://92zew.net/wordpress/listen-live/. Sugarcane Jane is the songwriting team of Savannah and Anthony Crawford. Mystically sweet organic harmonies of the duo rivals many of today’s top music makers. Fans of Lumineers, Avett Brothers, etc. should make it a point to get a taste of Sugarcane Jane’s sound.

Watch Sugarcane Jane on CMT's Sweet Home Alabama Airing Fri, Mar 16, 2012 - Ep. 309 8:00PM CST on CMT 9:00PM ET/PT on CMT 11:00PM ET/PT on CMT Faced with making the most heart-wrenching decisions yet, Paige calls upon her best friends to come to Alabama to interview the remaining suitors. After a long night at the honky tonk bar, strong opinions are formed. The remaining suitors pour their hearts out to Paige in hopes of moving the relationship forward. In an emotional elimination, more of the bachelors are sent home heartbroken.

Sugarcane Jane hits its stride, branching out from Baldwin County Thursday, June 30, 2011 The first thing you notice about Sugarcane Jane is probably the amazing harmonies. Or maybe it’s the energy, or the originality. Or the sheer talent. Or maybe, all of the above. Sugarcane Jane, in case you don’t know, is a high-energy acoustic duo, sometimes with backing musicians, that blends the talents of husband and wife Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee Crawford. The band is based in Baldwin County, playing often at Lulu’s in Gulf Shores, but lately has been branching out toward Fairhope, Mobile, Biloxi and other places in the region. (They also opened for country star Randy Travis at the Saenger Theatre in 2009.) If you’re a fan of bluegrass or other acoustic roots music and enjoy tight harmonies such as the Everly Brothers, Alison Krauss & Union Station or Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, this is a highly professional act that you’ll want to check out. They call it 'mutt music' because it's a mixture of styles Savana sings and plays guitar while Anthony, a talented multi-instrumentalist who has toured with Neil Young, Steve Winwood and others over the years, plays primarily guitar, including some truly stunning solos, but also picks up other stringed instruments as they are called for. Lately, the group has been augmented with mandolin and percussion. View full size Sugarcane Jane, comprised of Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee, performs May 17, 2009, at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama, before headliner Randy Travis takes the stage. The Baldwin County, Alabama-based band is branching out as it hits its stride. (Lyle W. Ratliff/Special to the Press-Register) “I call it ‘mutt music,’ ’cause it’s a mixture of things,” Anthony Crawford said. Sugarcane Jane performs mostly original material as well as some cleverly re-arranged Neil Young pieces, and can often surprise audiences with well-chosen cover songs such as “California Dreamin’,” “Ode to Billie Joe” or “House of the Rising Sun,” always showcasing their sibling-like harmonies. The 2 met in Nashville several years ago, and Anthony produced a Savana Lee solo CD called “Redbird,” for which he wrote most of the songs. They played a few shows together as a duo and realized there was magic there, he said. “The energy was so strong, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. She had lived for 7 years in Nashville, chasing a career in music, but wanted to return home to the Gulf Coast area. He is a native of Birmingham but wanted to be closer to his parents, who have lived in Daphne for many years. “Sugarcane Jane is the pinnacle of my musical career,” he said. “There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that I’m meant to be down here for this time in my life.” Making life sweeter for the couple is their nearly year-old daughter, Loretta. The three live near Savana’s parents in Loxley, and Anthony has a studio on the property, called Admiral Bean Studio, where he is producing projects for others and where they are working on their fourth Sugarcane Jane CD release. Oh, and about the name: “Savana was telling me a story about how her grandfather used to cut up slices of sugarcane and feed it to the kids in the neighborhood. I just thought it was a nice image. Later, we were riding in the car and said, “Sugarcane Jane” — that would be a good name for the band! We don’t want to call it ‘Anthony and Savana’ or anything like that.” Author Jim Hannaford is a longtime journalist who performs music in the area as Jimmy Lee Hannaford.

Sugarcane Jane making tidal waves along the Gulf Coast Friday, May 14, 2010 A few months ago, we introduced Sugarcane Jane, the singer/songwriter duo that has been steadily carving a name out for itself while earning a legion of fans all over Pleasure Island. From Tipseas Steam Shack in Orange Beach to venues in Gulf Shores, this dynamic duo is making quite a splash.. Sugarcane Jane is the collective effort of Savana Lee and Anthony Crawford. The pair met each other in a Nashville, Tenn. recording studio ten years ago. It was during that chance encounter that pure music magic would be born. As Lee explains the name, Sugarcane Jane stems from a conversation about how her grandfather used to cut and give out sugarcane to the local children on Halloween. Somehow, the Jane part just seemed to fit. Lee recalls a road trip the two were on when the words came out of nowhere. Crawford calls Birmingham, Ala., his native soil, while Lee hails from the rural area of Loxley. Both had lit out from their respective homes in search of musical fame and inspiration. Where? Nashville, of course. After seven years of cutting her teeth in the musical landscape that is uniquely Nashville, Lee said she arrived at the conclusion that home is where her heart lived, "and so I packed it up and headed back south and now I reside in the same area I was raised, Loxley, Alabama." And the music landscape has only witnessed a revitalization since their relocation. The two will perform on the heels of their recent appearance at two major venues in the last few weeks ago. And they've stayed busy night after night. "We have been extremely busy lately, but we're not complaining. Of course, we just had our big shows, Bayfest in Mobile and the Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, which went great," Lee said. "We released our new album at the Shrimp Festival, titled 'Alright With Me.' The CD has a very organic acoustic sound that truly represents our live performances." Part of Crawford's claim to fame is his close association with musical icon Neil Young, with whom he's toured. As Lee explains, that experience with Young now comes into play when it comes to Sugarcane Jane. "One thing Anthony learned from Neil Young is to not try to perfect a recording because in doing that, you can easily lose the groove of the song," she explained. "Vacating the box of Nashville standards, we opted to keep the new CD simple and real." The CD contains some SCJ favorites, songs that are steadily becoming area standards such as "There is a Time," signature cuts such as "Sugar and Pedigree" and some new numbers including the title track, "Alright With Me," which Lee says "is one of those songs that just feels great to sing. The message could easily be our personal mottos. "And then there is 'Home Nights' which is a personal favorite of mine." On "Home Nights," Crawford flexes his mandolin muscles. "Anthony breaks out the banjo on 'Butterfly,' " Lee says. "It's a song that is so cleverly written, it makes me chuckle when I sing 'I got myself an attitude I can't blame it on genetic code/my mama tried to send me send me off in the right direction but I took that other road.' " Indeed, it's that kind of clever writing that makes "Alright With Me" a superb collection of numbers from this quickly rising duo. SCJ's appearance at LuLu's should be a real treat for fans familiar with Lee and Crawford and for those that have never sat before the magic of this duo. "We have no idea what works or doesn't work for us," Lee says. "It's always just a guess, but as long as we are able to continue making a living doing what we love, we feel we have won the game. It's a process that hopefully will keep us busy for many more years to come. We both moved out of Nashville wanting to be closer to our parents and found a lot of peace and serenity down here on the coast. We can't imagine anywhere else we'd rather be." ~Brian Kelly, Pensacola News Journal

Music Just Doesn’t Get Any Sweeter by Eric Leatherwood, http://sunajjanus.blogspot.com/ Monday, February 15, 2010 If you ever happen to find yourself on Fish River in Daphne, Alabama on a sleepy weekend afternoon, try to find your way to the picnic tables at Big Daddy’s. you’ll always find great food and a good time, but – if you’re lucky, you might just get to listen to one of the south’s best kept musical secrets– Sugarcane Jane . Whether singing their original works (like Louisiana, Butterfly, and Sugar) or putting their down home sound on familiar classics (ranging from an incredibly playful and fun Hot Rod Lincoln to a spontaneous rendition of Roger Miller’s Dang Me or a dreamily mellow and psychedelic Midnight Rider), Sugarcane Jane’s appeal cuts across generations and appeals to a wide audience. Alabama’s own Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee continue to work their musical alchemy creating sweet sounds that are assessable and easy, while at the same time intuitive and distinctly their own. if it’s your first time to hear Sugarcane Jane, you’ll find yourself saying, “wow. now, who are these guys? they’re good.” If your familiar with their work, you’ll overhear such comments and smile knowingly as you remember the exact time and place you first stumbled onto the band. Either way – when Sugarcane Jane plays, heads bob, feet tap, smiles spread, and hearts beat just a little faster. You’ll either fall in love with the band, or fall in love with the band again. It just can’t be helped. So - if you’ve got a sweet tooth for great music and are ever in South Alabama around Fairhope, Daphne, or Gulf Shores, don’t hesitate to give Sugarcane Jane a listen. If you wait too long, the secret will have passed you by.

Sweet and Very Hot (these days) - Sugarcane Jane Friday, October 23, 2009 ~by Brian Kelly, Pensacola News Journal A few months ago, we introduced Sugarcane Jane, the singer/songwriter duo that has been steadily carving a name out for itself while earning a legion of fans all over Pleasure Island. From Tipseas Steam Shack in Orange Beach to venues in Gulf Shores, this dynamic duo is making quite a splash. And they'll appear at LuLu's at Homeport Marina on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Sugarcane Jane is the collective effort of Savanna Lee and Anthony Crawford. The pair met each other in a Nashville, Tenn., recording studio eight years ago. It was during that chance encounter that pure music magic would be born. As Lee explains the name, Sugarcane Jane stems from a conversation about how her grandfather used to cut and give out sugarcane to the local children on Halloween. Somehow, the Jane part just seemed to fit. Lee recalls a road trip the two were on when the words came out of nowhere. Crawford calls Birmingham, Ala., his native soil, while Lee hails from the rural area of Loxley. Both had lit out from their respective homes in search of musical fame and inspiration. Where? Nashville, of course. After seven years of cutting her teeth in the musical landscape that is uniquely Nashville, Lee said she arrived at the conclusion that home is where her heart lived, "and so I packed it up and headed back south and now I reside in the Orange Beach area." And the music landscape has only witnessed a revitalization since their relocation. The two will perform on the heels of their recent appearance at two major venues in the last few weeks ago. And they've stayed busy night after night. "We have been extremely busy lately, but we're not complaining. Of course, we just had our big shows, Bayfest in Mobile and the Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, which went great," Lee said. "We released our new album at the Shrimp Festival, titled 'Alright With Me.' The CD has a very organic acoustic sound that truly represents our live performances." Part of Crawford's claim to fame is his close association with musical icon Neil Young, with whom he's toured. As Lee explains, that experience with Young now comes into play when it comes to Sugarcane Jane. "One thing Anthony learned from Neil Young is to not try to perfect a recording because in doing that, you can easily lose the groove of the song," she explained. "Vacating the box of Nashville standards, we opted to keep the new CD simple and real." The CD contains some SCJ favorites, songs that are steadily becoming area standards such as "There is a Time," signature cuts such as "Sugar and Pedigree" and some new numbers including the title track, "Alright With Me," which Lee says "is one of those songs that just feels great to sing. The message could easily be our personal mottos. "And then there is 'Home Nights' which is a personal favorite of mine." On "Home Nights," Crawford flexes his mandolin muscles. He also breaks out his banjo prowess on another cut. "Anthony breaks out the banjo on 'Butterfly,' " Lee says. "It's a song that is so cleverly written, it makes me chuckle when I sing 'I got myself an attitude I can't blame it on genetic code/my mama tried to send me send me off in the right direction but I took that other road.' " Indeed, it's that kind of clever writing that makes "Alright With Me" a superb collection of numbers from this quickly rising duo. SCJ's appearance at LuLu's should be a real treat for fans familiar with Lee and Crawford and for those that have never sat before the magic of this duo. "We have no idea what works or doesn't work for us," Lee says. "It's always just a guess, but we figure that persistence wins out in the long run so we just try to keep coming up with new ideas and testing them out. It's a process that hopefully will keep us busy for many more years to come. It's the secret of life we think; to be doing what you love to do in your own hometown, close to family and friends. We both moved out of Nashville wanting to be closer to our parents and found a lot of peace and serenity down here in Orange Beach. We can't imagine anywhere else we'd rather be." http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910230324

The Sugar Does Indeed Taste So Fine.... Monday, September 28, 2009 "This story is a testimonial from someone we met at the L.A. Songwriters Festival in Fairhope, AL. We feel honored that he has taken the time and energy to write these words and so we thought we would share them with you. His name is E.L Wood and I’ve attached his blogspot at the bottom of the page if you would like to keep up with him. He is an eloquent writer and a great person. Here is his story." ~Sugarcane Jane Last weekend, my father-in-law and I went to the local American Legion in search of adult beverages and the possibility of live music. And I must say, we hit the jackpot on both counts. There just so happened to be a songwriters’ sing around in progress, and on stage we were privileged to hear a regional group called Sugarcane Jane. In short, they were fantastic. The group is made up of Anthony Srawford and Savana Lee. Crawford is one of the best guitarists I have ever witnessed in person. He has toured with Neil Young, played with Roy Acuff, and his songs have been sung by Kenny Rogers, Lorrie Morgan, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His voice is like the love child resulting from a tender affair between the intonations of Neil Young and the haunting tenors of Del McCoury. Savana, a Loxley, Alabama girl, was great as well. Her voice and harmonies ranged from gentle and Krauss-like to passionate shades of Loretta Lynn. The chemistry between Lee and Crawford was a thing of beauty to witness. After the show, I bought four of the cd’s they had available and immediately went to their web site to find future locations/dates where these two will be playing. My father-in-law and I have enjoyed lots of local gigs across the southeast over the past ten years. We’ve seen some good acts here and there. Enough that we’ve developed a question between ourselves: How good do you have to be? Implying that the music business must be tough, because while some of these talented folks aren’t hitting it big, American Idol et al is cranking consumption for the masses that just ain’t all that. Something tells me Sugarcane Jane just might be good enough. If you’re lucky enough to catch them live, you’ll see and hear what I mean. http://sunajjanus.blogspot.com/

Sugarcane Jane & Five Is Red Album Reviews Monday, August 24, 2009 by Keith Glass From the EDGES, Country Music Capital News June 2009 Sugarcane Jane is the name of a new duo pairing, Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee. Crawford has been on the perimeter of a solo career and a sideman for the stars longer than maybe even he cares to remember. He is testimony that mere prodigious talent is not always sufficient to elevate you to stardom but it should keep you working. A few months back I reviewed a recent solo album he made for Lee, writing all the songs and playing a lot of the instruments. On their duo debut this is pared down to an approximation of what they would sound like live. More than an audition tape it is a work showcasing nine excellent songs that are rootsy and idiosyncratic. Some sound like the acoustic work of constant Crawford employer NEIL YOUNG. 'Self To The Dark' for example has nifty rhythm changes and a catchy swing based melody. Crawford leads the way but Lee is an excellent harmony singer and attractive counterpoint to the seasoned male. This is a duo with a lot to offer not quite like anything else out there. See www.sugarcanejane.com. Finally Anthony Crawford has a new solo album called 'Five Is Red'. The first track is a more electric, full band version of a song mentioned above, 'Self To The Dark'. Crawford employs the group EVEREST to be his CRAZY HORSE most effectively and the NEIL YOUNG comparisons don't end there. Exposed solo his voice has the same high quiver that obviously blends well with his tour boss. Like Neil, elements of country, rock, and rhythm & blues meld into a new whole. No doubt this album will sit well with anyone looking for a similar mix but Crawford is no puppet. His songs are succinct and do not suffer by any comparisons. The trashing 'WIndow Down', the loping acoustic based 'Blue Ribbon Shine', the modal 'Halifax Midnight Sun' all impress and I could go on and on. Adult music available at www.anthonycrawford.com.

Sugarcane Jane visits Callaghan’s Irish Social Club Tuesday, August 11, 2009 Comprised of Alabama natives Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee, Sugarcane Jane made quite an impression on the Port City when they opened for Randy Travis back in May. Crawford is a seasoned musician in his own right. In the past, he has shared the stage with Roy Acuff at the Grand Ol’ Opry. Crawford has also spent many days on the road backing rock icon Neil Young. In addition to performing, Crawford has also proven himself to be an extremely gifted songwriter. Artists such as Lorrie Morgan, Kenny Rogers and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are just a few of the artists who have performed his songs. When Lee recruited Crawford to produce her debut solo effort “Redbird,” the two felt a musical connection that seemed almost star-crossed, and Sugarcane Jane was born. Sugarcane Jane’s homespun acoustic sound is organic music at its finest. These two reveal their musical passion and soul through their powerful harmonies. Together, they conjure up spirits from the early days of country music and make them slaves to their musical whims. Sugarcane Jane released their self-titled debut in July. In addition, they have also released “Live at the Saenger” for all those who were moved by their performance. http://www.lagniappemobile.com/articles/2495-sugarcane-jane-visits-callaghans