Given yesterday’s ode to Christmas from the bountiful Bahamas, it seems apropos to follow with this fantastic song and video from one of the Best New (to us anyway) Artists of the year and best acts we heard at this year’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Parker Millsap.  Before HSB we had heard word of Millsap from reliable sources and knew something was up when The Porch meadow at HSB was filled with a rapt audience prior to his set.  Turns out it was for very justified reasons.  Millsap (with superb bandmates Michael Rose on bass and fiddler Daniel Foulks) totally tore the trees off the park.

Millsap (no relation to Ronnie) is from tiny Purcell, Oklahoma and has taken the music world by storm with his great story-telling songs, gifted voice (at times similar to, but better than Jack White, if you can imagine), and spry guitar-playing.  Millsap’s eponymous debut album was released early this year and garnered him resounding critical acclaim.  His debut album and songs, the wisdom in which belie his young age, are now being featured prominently on the Best of 2014 lists.

To get a feel for Millsap, first check out his official video (his first) for Truck Stop Gospel, which is making many of the Best Video and Best Songs lists.  We love everything about it.  Though he has other songs to the contrary on the subject, we were relieved to see that this version doesn’t feature the deceitful, double-talking preacher trope.  There’s something for everybody in the video (aficionados will note the ESV and Message translations).  Afterwards watch vignettes of Millsap and his fantastic backers live, including Truck Stop Gospel performed at the Opry, the mind-blowing You Gotta Move, and the older, heart-rending Homeless and confessional Palisade (hang in especially for Foulks’ song-closing violin on this one).

Keep an eye and ear on this lad.  We expect HUGE things from him in the future.