Ever since the idea of the Rootsy Approved series came up, David Olney was an obvious candidate. But for several reasons it took a couple of years before they could make this project come true. Mr. Olney is a busy man, always on tour somewhere in the world. Or in the studio recording. Or at home in Nashville writing songs or making his weekly You Never Know web video series. David Olney is a humble, hardworking man with an odd sense of humor. His reputation as a songwriter is solid. The late singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt put Olney on his short list of favorite writers, alongside Mozart, Lightnin Hopkins and Bob Dylan. And with endorsements from Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, you can t question David Olney s songwriting skills. What strikes me every time I see him, is the way his live show has been developing. From a rather traditional singer/songwriter to a brilliant performer and entertainer. The first disc here is David's brand new album of 16 tracks, Predicting The Past, and features guitar supremo Sergio Webb, Fats Kaplan on fiddle and peddle steel, keyboardist Jen Gunderman and vocalist Tomi Lunsford. Disc 2, Retrospective 2000-2012, features 17 tracks recorded by David so far this Century.