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By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer 6:25 PM Thursday, January 28, 2010

FAIRFIELD — Singer/songwriter J.D. Souther will come to town on Feb. 6 with himself on guitar and Chris Walters on piano — and that’s pretty much the only thing certain about the show, which kicks off this year’s Sojourner Concert Series.

Asked what would be in his set list that Saturday, Souther responded, “There is no set list.”

“If you come to see a show of mine, you’re going to hear songs you would expect to hear. I never know what I’m going to play because it’s never the same way twice. To keep the blood really pumping for me, I have to do it differently every night,” he explained.

That established, “songs you would expect to hear” might include one of the hits he co-wrote with the Eagles, such as “Heartache Tonight” or “New Kid in Town,” or songs he wrote for Linda Ronstadt, like “Faithless Love” or “Prisoner in Disguise.” Souther is also apt to play songs from his first studio album in 25 years, a six-song digital-only EP called “If the World Was You.” That can be purchased through Souther’s Web site, www.jdsouther.net.

Souther has written for numerous other well known artists, including India Arie, Brooks & Dunn, Jimmy Buffet, Glen Campbell, Roy Orbison, Bernadette Peters, Brian Wilson and Warren Zevon.

The Sojourner series is known for its “storytellers” format, in which the musicians not only perform, but tell stories about how their songs came to be.

“I’ll make up stories for the tunes. It’s much more fun that way,” he joked, not wanting to give away too much detail about the show.

For Souther, making music is an organic process that can’t be encapsulated or explained easily.

“I don’t think you can ever evaluate your own piece of the puzzle,” he said of his collaborations with the Eagles and Ronstadt, among many others. “I agree with Duke Ellington. There are only two kinds of music. Good music and bad music.”

But Souther always listens to the same two artists before he performs: George Jones and Miles Davis.

“Can there be anything easier to understand than George Jones’ voice or Miles Davis’ trumpet? I really love the clarity of it. They remind me not to put in too many ingredients,” he said.

The Sojourner concert series has raised between $80,000 and $90,000 for Sojourner Recovery Services, said John Keuffer, Sojourner’s director of development. The agency offers programs to help people overcome drug and alcohol dependency.

At press time, Keuffer said the Souther show was close to being sold out. To purchase tickets online, visit www.fairfield-city.org or call (513) 867-5348.

Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Fairfield Community Arts Center. Box office hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.