The Night Tribe

Even before he named his first band back in Oklahoma, Austin singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave knew he belonged to that special fraternity of shadowy creatures who move to rhythms dictated by darkness: the 24-hour diner waitress, the late-shift radio DJs, the cops, the taxi drivers … the musicians. His night tribe. A few versions of Jimmy LaFave & the Night Tribe have existed over the years.

Explaining the term's origin, LaFave says, "In Oklahoma, you hear the word tribe a lot because of all the different Indian tribes, and I thought, 'What tribe of people am I part of ?' It was always the night people." After reactivating the Night Tribe name for a recent European tour, he decided he wanted to do something thematic with it. "And that is when I write most of my songs," he adds. "Almost all the songs on the record were written at nighttime, driving."

The result is a thoughtful, finely nuanced album that expresses the world through the eyes and voice of a tribesman traveling the roads of earth - from the splendor of a Colorado pine forest to the soulful vibe of Memphis to the loves and losses of fellow travelers.