Rosanne Cash debuts new songs

Rosanne Cash
LOS ANGELES -- Rosanne Cash, the songwriter, is back.

The Grammy-winning artist, who hasn't released original material since 2006, debuted several new songs Monday to about 120 TV critics at the Beverly Hilton.

The album, "The River and the Thread," was mastered just hours before the performance, which also featured her husband/producer John Leventhal. "Thread," which will be released in January, features numbers about the South and were inspired by recent work she did in Arkansas to preserve historic housing.

Cash was in rich voice and humor. She shared the fact that "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" was inspired by the fact that she had lost a Grammy. "I'm over it now," she cracked. Cash is part of an new PBS documentary, "Nashville 2.0."

Here's a set list:

1) "Dreams Are Not My Home"

2) "50,000 Watts of Common Pratyer" (new song)

4) "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" ("that song has gotten sweeter as its aged. Just like me.")

5) "Edda's Tune" (new song)

6) "House On the Lake"

7) "Ode to Billie Joe"

8) "Modern Blue" (new song)