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Gillian Welch and her musical partner David Rawlings filled the Newport air with their gorgeous harmonies throughout this sunny Sunday-afternoon set. They cherry-picked from the whole
catalog, but fans were also treated to three brand-new songs. The duo paid the day's second tribute to Johnny Cash (the first was Brandi Carlile's revved-up "Folsom Prison
Blues") with a cover of the classic Johnny and June made famous, "Jackson." It's been five years since Welch released her last album, _Soul Journey_. That doesn't
mean the traditional folk and country singer hasn't been busy. She's recorded with Bright Eyes, Emmylou Harris and Del McCoury and performed at numerous festivals, including a live
concert tribute to Paul Simon. Welch first surfaced on the pop-cultural radar with her 1996 debut, _Revival_, which transported fans back to 1920s radio while maintaining a foot in the
present. Producer T-Bone Burnett kept the album's focus squarely on Welch and her musical partner, David Rawlings. She followed that album with more full-length releases, as well as
appearances on several soundtracks, including _Songcatcher_ and the chart-topping _O Brother, Where Art Thou?_ Both albums put Welch and Rawlings square in the middle of the traditional
American folk revival. Copyright 2008 WFUV