It took a minute for Jim James to warm up to the unusual narrative format of VH1’s Storytellers last night, but after describing My Morning Jacket’s early days on “Golden,” he bravely proceeded to reveal heartfelt accounts of the inspiration behind a number of their notable tunes. Standouts included a gut-wrenching tribute before “Dondante,” in which James broke down discussing the loss of his late friend, a Roy Orbison, Shannon Hoon, and Marvin Gaye-honoring intro to “The Way That He Sings,” and “One Big Holiday,” which was inspired by the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” That clip is above, while VH1 posted the rest of the show online here.
Ethan Johns, Featured, Jon Brion, Laura Marling, Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams