Tonight we present a co-bill featuring Carrie Rodriguez and Jim Lauderdale. Carrie Rodriguez is a Mexican-American singer-songwriter who sings and plays the fiddle, mandobird and tenor guitar. Two-time Grammy award winner Jim Lauderdale is a multi-talented performer and international recording artist.

Carrie Rodriguez’s journey from teenage violin student to touring the world with the likes of Chip Taylor (famed songwriter of “Wild Thing”), Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, has resulted in a prodigious output of recordings — eight albums in as many years — for the young musi­cian; with the new album (Love & Circumstance), Carrie relies on others to handle the songwriting duties, she provides the interpretations. Rodriguez’ professional career was launched in 2001 after a show at South by Southwest introduced her to Taylor, with whom she has recorded four full albums and an EP.

Her musical development started much earlier, however, and at the hands of an equally seasoned songwriting veteran, her father David Rodriquez. “My dad gave me a Leonard Cohen record for my ninth birthday! I hated it. But of course I rediscovered it at thirteen and loved it.” By fifteen Rodriguez and her dad were touring the Netherlands together; chops were being honed. Rodriguez’ maternal side of the family also influenced her musical upbringing. Not only was her mother a fanatical opera enthusiast, her great-aunt, Eva Garza, was a popular Latin recording artist in the 50s, and it was from Garza that Rodriguez first heard “La Punalada Trapera,” which soon became a mainstay in her live set.

Having family friends including Lyle Lovett, who invited Rodriguez to sit in with his band when she was at college, also helped her develop as a performer. Those who have been following Carrie Rodriguez throughout her career will find Love & Circumstance an exciting addition to her oeuvre, new fans will get a glimpse of the rising star’s influences; both will revel in the sterling musicianship and heartfelt interpretations of new and classic songs. “This is a really important record for me,” says Rodriguez, “not just because it gave me the chance to go back to my roots, but also because it celebrates my family.” And for those who need a more intimate experience with Carrie Rodri­guez, you’ll find her where she started, live and on the road.

. . .

Jim Lauderdale’s roots stem from the Carolinas, yet his career has taken him all over the United States and abroad. Jim won “Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year” at the first “Honors and Awards Show” held by the Americana Music Association in 2002. Subsequently, he hosted this same show for the last eight years. He is among Nashville’s “A” list of songwriters, with songs recorded by artists such as Patty Loveless, George Jones, The Dixie Chicks, Solomon Burke, Mark Chesnutt, Dave Edmunds, John Mayall, Kathy Mattea, Lee Ann Womack, Gary Allan, Blake Shelton, Vince Gill, and George Strait. He also contributed several songs to the successful soundtrack of the George Strait film Pure Country.

Not content to just write hits for the stars, he’s toured with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rhonda Vincent and Elvis Costello, among others. Jim’s musical influences include the legendary Dr. Ralph Stanley and George Jones. These influences and his unique sense of melody and lyric help forge a sound that is truly his own. He is a two-time Grammy winner, winning his first in 2002 with Dr. Ralph Stanley for Lost in the Lonesome Pines. His next one came for his second “solo” bluegrass album, The Bluegrass Diaries. His current release, Patchwork River, is his second collaboration with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, and is currently climbing the Americana radio charts.

• If there was such a genre called “post-Americana,” I think Carrie Rodriguez would be the poster child. In fact, she may have invented the genre without meaning to or knowing it. For those non-music geeks, the label “post” usually refers to indie rock that is darker, has crunchy guitar riffs and typically lots of angst. Ian Morales / Austin Vida
• “Fiddle” and “deadly” don’t usually appear in the same sentence together — unless you’re talking about Carrie Rodriguez. Austin-born and bred and ready to take on the world. She closed out the night with some attitude on stage. . . . she brought the crowd to their knees with her songs of love and regret, and a bit of vengeance. Jason Claypool / Denver Post