The Three Girls and Their Buddy tour, making a stop at the House of Blues at 9 p.m. Friday, May 29, will almost be like hanging out with friends at a jam session.
That's if your friends happen to be "Girls" such as acclaimed singer-songwriters Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin and Patty Griffin, and their "Buddy," well-respected guitarist-songwriter-producer Buddy Miller.
The idea for the joint tour originated with the quartet's shared management team, but reflects many years of friendship and musical collaborations, according to Miller.
"I've probably known Shawn the longest, and I've been playing guitar with Emmylou off and on for 10 years," he says. "Patty, I know pretty well - I'm producing her next record. We all loved the idea, and it's so much fun to be out there."
The tour has been on hiatus for several months during which time Miller had to undergo an emergency triple bypass. He says he's fully recovered now.
Unlike most shows with multiple performers, there is no opener and no headliner. The four simply come out together and play.
"It's not at all the same show every night, but it's not strictly in the round, either, because we all sing on each other's songs and we know them," Miller explains. "In the round, you might get someone who doesn't know (the material). We knew each other's songs from the beginning. It feels a little more like a band."
Adds Griffin, by email: "From where I sit, which is one of the best seats in the house, I get inspired and entertained every night by everyone."
Incorporating the range of the various artists' music into one set poses a bit of a musical challenge for Miller, whose solo work and collaborations with his wife, Julie Miller, are based in American roots music. He also recently logged 18 months on the road with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant for their joint tour.
Although all three women are considered singer-songwriters, Harris' music is on the alt side of country. Colvin, whose biggest hit is the Grammy-winning "Sunny Came Home," has her pop moments, and Griffin's folk-rock style incorporates elements of jazz, R&B and gospel.
"I love all of their songs, and they're very different from each other - I just love listening to it," Miller says. "As a player, it's a little bit of a challenge in that it's all coming from a different place. To complement that, you have to look inside a bit in the playing department."
To Griffin, for whom Miller is producing a new gospel record, he's simply "one of the best musicians I know and one of the most solid, good-hearted, open-minded people I know. He also is a walking encyclopedia of traditional American music."
On his new record, "Written in Chalk" (New West), a highly personal collaboration with his wife, Miller faced one of his biggest creative challenges. The record morphed from a solo project for his wife to a solo record for him, before coming to fruition as a collaborative effort.
"The songs aren't necessarily about our relationship, but all of the songs are based on something personal," he says. "It was super difficult to make, but I'm glad we did this."
This ability to grasp the nuances of different genres - and blend them, where possible - makes Miller difficult to pigeonhole.
That's fine by him. He's just glad to be part of the musical conversation.
"Good music is just good music," he says. "I love it when you have a real dirty blues with a fiddle coming together. I like attempting to blur the lines, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't."
Three Girls and
Their Buddy with
Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and Buddy Miller
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday, May 29
WHERE: House of Blues, Showboat Casino-Hotel, Atlantic City
HOW MUCH: Tickets, priced at $42, $62, $82 and $92, are available at the HOB box office or Ticketmaster at 800-736-1420 or www.ticketmaster.com.
WEB SITES:
www.emmylouharris.net; www.pattygriffin.com; www.shawncolvin.com; www.buddyandjulie.com
Girls on Tour
Emmylou Harris
A prot�g� of the late iconic singer-songwriter Gram Parsons, Harris has forged a unique career, adding her crystalline voice to traditional country tunes and her own material. Her Grammy-winning 1995 album, "Wrecking Ball," produced by Daniel Lanois, was one of the first in the emerging alt-country genre.
Patty Griffin
This New England native first won attention for her distinctive soprano on Boston's coffeehouse circuit and has gone on to record several well-regarded solo albums, as well as collaborations with Harris and Buddy and Julie Miller. Interestingly, Griffin has been cited by "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson as one of her musical inspirations.
Shawn Colvin
Best known for her Grammy-winning single, "Sunny Came Home," the folk-pop artist plans to release a 15-song live session recorded during a three-day stand in San Francisco next month. Colvin's 2006 release, "These Four Walls," included Griffin as a guest vocalist.