Jeannie Seely. Photo: MusicRow
Grammy winning country legend Jeannie Seely commemorated her past while she celebrated the future at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night (Sept. 17). The show marked her 55th anniversary as a cast member. Not only that, Seely is now officially the artist who has appeared on the Opry more times than anyone in history. Her 5,226 performances mark her as the all-time record holder in the show’s 97-year history.
“I’m just enjoying every minute of it,” she said to a wildly enthusiastic audience. “I didn’t come here 55 years ago to impress you. I came here to entertain you, and I hope I still can.”
She could. Seely charmed the crowd with the rockabilly romp “Rock-a-Bye Boogie,” her Grammy-winning 1966 torch-song hit “Don’t Touch Me” and 2017’s “Who Needs You,” almost certainly the first song sung on the Opry with a weed-smoking lyric (“It is legal in some states,” she reminded the audience. “Anybody here from Colorado?”).
Opry executives Dan Rogers and Gina Keltner presented her with a commemorative plaque. “This lady is very, very special,” said Rogers. “She is beloved by the staff, her fellow artists and fans like you around the world.”
Seely always refers to Rogers as her “Boss.” As a gag, Rogers prepared an “employee evaluation” review for her. “Attendance? A+ Commitment? A+ Talent? A+ Follows the rules? Needs improvement.”
Pictured (L-R): Gina Keltner/Talent Director Grand Ole Opry, Seely, Dan Rogers/Vice President and Executive Producer, Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry
Backstage, she recalled that her first performance on the Opry was May 28, 1966. “I remember feeling every emotion you’ve ever known, from sheer terror to extreme excitement,” she reflected. “I had never been to the Opry until I was on it.
“Ernest Tubb was extremely generous to me. He said, ‘Miss Jeannie, you’re going to be fine on the Opry. Just remember: It’s not your show. It’s not about you. You’re part of something bigger.’
Jeannie Seely. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry
“I never come here [and not] learn something,” Seely continued. “The commitment to the Opry has always been very important to me… This night doesn’t make me feel old; it makes me feel grateful.”
Jeannie Seely was the first Pennsylvanian to become an Opry member. She was the first to record a live album at the Opry House (1978). She broke ground when she wore mini skirts on the Opry’s stage, paving the way for women to wear whatever they choose. She was the first woman allowed to host a segment of the Opry. Until then, only male stars were selected to be segment hosts.
“The changes weren’t for me,” she commented. “They were for all of us. They were for the show. There weren’t many women [in the cast] when I came here — Loretta, Jean Shepard, Wilma Lee Cooper, Connie Smith. But they made it look like we weren’t as important to the show [as men]. You’re ignoring half the people who come to the show, who listen, who buy the tickets.”
Tubb also gave her career a boost when he invited Seely to appear on his “Midnight Jamboree.” This was a live show and WSM broadcast that followed the Saturday night Opry from 1947 until May 7, 2022. The Jamboree was regarded as a showcase for newly minted country recording artists. It was also a promotion for the Ernest Tubb Record Shop’s famed mail-order business that made country records available to fans worldwide. When the record shop folded last spring, so did the show. Jeannie Seely brought the venerable Jamboree back on Saturday night. And she plans to keep it going again as a weekly show from the Texas Troubadour Theater on Music Valley Drive near the Opry complex. Her guests on the comeback broadcast were Sunny Sweeney, Mark Wills, Moore & Moore, Dallas Wayne and the new duo Diane Berry & Joe Wade Smith.
Seely has long made it a habit to introduce newcomers at the Opry. “Somebody held it together for years so I could be here,” she explained. “I need to do that for others.” So she continued her tradition on Saturday night by introducing Chapel Hart. She left champagne in the trio’s dressing room, along with a welcoming note.
“We’re putting them on as the closing act of the segment,” said Rogers backstage. “We’ve never had a debut Opry act close a segment before. We’ll see how it goes.” He needn’t have worried. Nobody could have followed Chapel Hart’s performance. Backstage, cameras captured the trio holding hands and praying in the hallway before their performance. A steady stream of well-wishers crowded the women’s dressing room.
Chapel Hart’s Danica Hart, Jeannie Seely, Chapel Hart’s Trea Swindle and Chapel Hart’s Devynn Hart. Photo: 90 East Photography/Bill McClintic
When Seely announced them on stage, the crowd erupted in excitement. Chapel Hart has been competing on national TV on America’s Got Talent and has clearly already won country lovers’ hearts.
The act’s Opry set created pandemonium. The crowd shouted encouragement, offered several standing ovations and shook the hall with cheers. It was the most enthusiastically embraced Opry debut in memory.
Sweeney, Wills, Alex Williams, Everette, the Opry Square Dancers and new Opry cast members Charlie McCoy (inducted in July) and Don Schlitz (inducted in August) were the other stars on Saturday night’s Opry show. McCoy and Schlitz are also members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Pictured (L-R) Gene Ward, Jeannie Seely. Photo: MusicRow
But the night belonged to Jeannie Seely. In addition to her regular Grand Ole Opry appearances, she has been hosting her weekly “Sundays With Seely” show on the Willie’s Roadhouse channel of SiriusXM since 2018. She and Brenda Lee co-host the annual SOURCE Awards in Music City. But what she’s most excited about is ramping up her songwriting activity. “Like I Could,” which Seely cowrote with Erin Enderlin and Bobby Tomberlin, became a No. 1 bluegrass hit for Rhonda Vincent last year. The Opry performance champ has also been co-writing with Buddy Cannon, Gary Burr, Victoria Shaw and Bill Anderson.
Her advice to aspiring Opry performers? “People won’t remember what you say. But they’ll remember how you made them feel. All you gotta do is make them feel good.”
Jeannie Seely. Photo: MusicRow
Tracy Lawrence’s Mission:Possible Turkey Fry & Benefit Concert Set For Nov. 22
/by Lorie HollabaughTracy Lawrence. Photo: Jon Paul Bruno
Tracy Lawrence will be frying up turkeys again this Thanksgiving to help the homeless across Middle Tennessee at his 17th annual Mission:Possible Turkey Fry & Benefit Concert at the Wildhorse Saloon on Nov. 22.
Since its inception, Mission:Possible has fried over 8,000 turkeys, provided more than 90,000 meals to the homeless across Middle Tennessee, and raised over $600,000 to Nashville Rescue Mission.
“Over the last 17 years we have served about 64,000 meals and touched countless people’s lives. When we first started frying a few turkeys, I never thought we’d fry more than a dozen or two, let alone be raising hundreds of thousands of dollars while doing it,” Lawrence reflects. “I’m proud of how this event has grown and I’m thankful to have others in the community willing to participate to make it what it is today.”
In 2021, the annual Thanksgiving week concert raised $175,000–the largest sum raised through the Turkey Fry event to date.
Following the success of the Turkey Fry & Benefit Concert series, Mission:Possible launched an annual Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament in 2020. The springtime fundraiser has raised more than $800,000 towards various Middle Tennessee homeless charities in just two short years.
Weekly Register: Kane Brown Earns Top Debut On Country Charts
/by Lydia FarthingKane Brown makes the top debuts on both the top country albums and streaming songs charts this week. His new album, Different Man, comes in at the No. 2 spot, collecting 46K in total consumption (20K album only/29 million song streams).
Similarly, “Thank God” from the album, which features Brown’s wife Katelyn, debuts at No. 4 on the top country streaming songs chart. The track earned 8.9 million first-week streams, according to Luminate data.
Morgan Wallen‘s “You Proof” remains strong atop the country streaming songs chart for an eighth consecutive week, nabbing another 13 million streams this week. Zach Bryan‘s “Something In The Orange” rises to No. 2 with 11 million streams, while Luke Combs‘ “The Kind Of Love We Make” falls to No. 3 with 9.4 million streams. Bailey Zimmerman‘s “Rock And A Hard Place” seals the top five songs with 8.5 million streams this week.
Wallen also keeps his spot at the peak of the country albums chart. Dangerous: The Double Album adds 50K in total consumption this week (4.4K album only/57 million song streams). Bryan’s American Heartbreak falls one spot to No. 3, claiming 25K in total consumption. Combs takes up the final two spots: Growin’ Up notches fourth with 17K and This One’s For You takes fifth with 16K in total consumption.
Jeannie Seely Marks Opry Milestones
/by Robert K OermannJeannie Seely. Photo: MusicRow
Grammy winning country legend Jeannie Seely commemorated her past while she celebrated the future at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night (Sept. 17). The show marked her 55th anniversary as a cast member. Not only that, Seely is now officially the artist who has appeared on the Opry more times than anyone in history. Her 5,226 performances mark her as the all-time record holder in the show’s 97-year history.
“I’m just enjoying every minute of it,” she said to a wildly enthusiastic audience. “I didn’t come here 55 years ago to impress you. I came here to entertain you, and I hope I still can.”
She could. Seely charmed the crowd with the rockabilly romp “Rock-a-Bye Boogie,” her Grammy-winning 1966 torch-song hit “Don’t Touch Me” and 2017’s “Who Needs You,” almost certainly the first song sung on the Opry with a weed-smoking lyric (“It is legal in some states,” she reminded the audience. “Anybody here from Colorado?”).
Opry executives Dan Rogers and Gina Keltner presented her with a commemorative plaque. “This lady is very, very special,” said Rogers. “She is beloved by the staff, her fellow artists and fans like you around the world.”
Seely always refers to Rogers as her “Boss.” As a gag, Rogers prepared an “employee evaluation” review for her. “Attendance? A+ Commitment? A+ Talent? A+ Follows the rules? Needs improvement.”
Pictured (L-R): Gina Keltner/Talent Director Grand Ole Opry, Seely, Dan Rogers/Vice President and Executive Producer, Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry
Backstage, she recalled that her first performance on the Opry was May 28, 1966. “I remember feeling every emotion you’ve ever known, from sheer terror to extreme excitement,” she reflected. “I had never been to the Opry until I was on it.
“Ernest Tubb was extremely generous to me. He said, ‘Miss Jeannie, you’re going to be fine on the Opry. Just remember: It’s not your show. It’s not about you. You’re part of something bigger.’
Jeannie Seely. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry
“I never come here [and not] learn something,” Seely continued. “The commitment to the Opry has always been very important to me… This night doesn’t make me feel old; it makes me feel grateful.”
Jeannie Seely was the first Pennsylvanian to become an Opry member. She was the first to record a live album at the Opry House (1978). She broke ground when she wore mini skirts on the Opry’s stage, paving the way for women to wear whatever they choose. She was the first woman allowed to host a segment of the Opry. Until then, only male stars were selected to be segment hosts.
“The changes weren’t for me,” she commented. “They were for all of us. They were for the show. There weren’t many women [in the cast] when I came here — Loretta, Jean Shepard, Wilma Lee Cooper, Connie Smith. But they made it look like we weren’t as important to the show [as men]. You’re ignoring half the people who come to the show, who listen, who buy the tickets.”
Tubb also gave her career a boost when he invited Seely to appear on his “Midnight Jamboree.” This was a live show and WSM broadcast that followed the Saturday night Opry from 1947 until May 7, 2022. The Jamboree was regarded as a showcase for newly minted country recording artists. It was also a promotion for the Ernest Tubb Record Shop’s famed mail-order business that made country records available to fans worldwide. When the record shop folded last spring, so did the show. Jeannie Seely brought the venerable Jamboree back on Saturday night. And she plans to keep it going again as a weekly show from the Texas Troubadour Theater on Music Valley Drive near the Opry complex. Her guests on the comeback broadcast were Sunny Sweeney, Mark Wills, Moore & Moore, Dallas Wayne and the new duo Diane Berry & Joe Wade Smith.
Seely has long made it a habit to introduce newcomers at the Opry. “Somebody held it together for years so I could be here,” she explained. “I need to do that for others.” So she continued her tradition on Saturday night by introducing Chapel Hart. She left champagne in the trio’s dressing room, along with a welcoming note.
“We’re putting them on as the closing act of the segment,” said Rogers backstage. “We’ve never had a debut Opry act close a segment before. We’ll see how it goes.” He needn’t have worried. Nobody could have followed Chapel Hart’s performance. Backstage, cameras captured the trio holding hands and praying in the hallway before their performance. A steady stream of well-wishers crowded the women’s dressing room.
Chapel Hart’s Danica Hart, Jeannie Seely, Chapel Hart’s Trea Swindle and Chapel Hart’s Devynn Hart. Photo: 90 East Photography/Bill McClintic
When Seely announced them on stage, the crowd erupted in excitement. Chapel Hart has been competing on national TV on America’s Got Talent and has clearly already won country lovers’ hearts.
The act’s Opry set created pandemonium. The crowd shouted encouragement, offered several standing ovations and shook the hall with cheers. It was the most enthusiastically embraced Opry debut in memory.
Sweeney, Wills, Alex Williams, Everette, the Opry Square Dancers and new Opry cast members Charlie McCoy (inducted in July) and Don Schlitz (inducted in August) were the other stars on Saturday night’s Opry show. McCoy and Schlitz are also members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Pictured (L-R) Gene Ward, Jeannie Seely. Photo: MusicRow
But the night belonged to Jeannie Seely. In addition to her regular Grand Ole Opry appearances, she has been hosting her weekly “Sundays With Seely” show on the Willie’s Roadhouse channel of SiriusXM since 2018. She and Brenda Lee co-host the annual SOURCE Awards in Music City. But what she’s most excited about is ramping up her songwriting activity. “Like I Could,” which Seely cowrote with Erin Enderlin and Bobby Tomberlin, became a No. 1 bluegrass hit for Rhonda Vincent last year. The Opry performance champ has also been co-writing with Buddy Cannon, Gary Burr, Victoria Shaw and Bill Anderson.
Her advice to aspiring Opry performers? “People won’t remember what you say. But they’ll remember how you made them feel. All you gotta do is make them feel good.”
Jeannie Seely. Photo: MusicRow
Parker McCollum Returns To Nashville’s Ascend Ampitheater After Stormed Out Show
/by Liza AndersonParker McCollum. Photo: Chris Kleinmeier
Rising country music star Parker McCollum gives his all each night for the fans who have supported him and his career from the start, always striving to show up to every venue and leave it all on stage.
When his first show at Nashville’s Ascend Ampitheater in May hit a string of unforeseen obstacles–unfriendly weather, delays for fans and tough decisions–McCollum knew he had to come back to the outdoor venue and give the kind of performance he could be proud of, one that his fans deserve.
This weekend, he did just that. The singer-songwriter provided free tickets for those fans who attended his previous performance, and put on a night both he and the crowd certainly won’t forget.
Pictured (L-R): Conner Smith, Catie Offerman and Parker McCollum. Photo: Chris Kleinmeier
MCA Nashville artist Catie Offerman, who recently made her Grand Ole Opry debut, and The Valory Music Co. rising singer-songwriter Conner Smith kicked off the show, pumping up the audience with their positive energy and incredible performances.
McCollum took the stage later, simultaneously taking every opportunity to express his appreciation for his fans and their support. He sang his heart out with performances of “Like A Cowboy,” “Meet You in the Middle” and his latest single “Handle On You.” Per the crowd’s request, he also performed “Hell of a Year” off of his 2017 album Probably Wrong, as well as two new songs, “Stone” and “Speed.”
“I just wanted to take responsibility for not delivering on such a big night here in Nashville. I wanted to come make it right and give everybody the opportunity to see the show for everything that it is,” McCollum shared with the audience. “I’m just glad to be back and glad it worked out to give Nashville and the fans our best. That’s what it’s all about.”
McCollum recently scored his first CMA Award nomination for Best New Artist, following honors such as 2022 ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year and 2022 CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year.
For a full list of McCollum’s upcoming tour dates, click here.
Hitmaker Jordan Schmidt Inks Publishing Deal With Endurance Music Group
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (L-R): Attorney T.D. Ruth, daschent’s Dane Schmidt, EMG’s Mark Ahlberg, Schmidt, EMG’s Lauren Funk, and EMG’s Michael Martin. Photo: Ed Rode
Endurance Music Group (EMG) has signed hit songwriter and producer Jordan Schmidt to an exclusive global publishing agreement. The company has also acquired a significant stake in his existing catalog.
Originally hailing from Duluth, Minnesota, Schmidt got his start as a rock/alternative producer in Minneapolis, where he worked with bands such as All Time Low, Metro Station, Motion City Soundtrack, and Quietdrive. He moved to Nashville in 2012, where he made the leap from producer to full-time songwriter, catching the attention of Florida Georgia Line, who signed him to a publishing deal with Tree Vibez Music.
Schmidt’s chart-toppers include Kane Brown’s “Like I Love Country Music” and the 5x Platinum “What Ifs” (feat. Lauren Alaina), the ACM and CMA Single of the Year and Grammy Award-nominated “God’s Country” (Blake Shelton), Mitchell Tenpenny’s “Drunk Me,” and Jason Aldean’s “You Make It Easy” and “Lights Come On.” The deal includes hundreds of songs written by Schmidt, including recent and upcoming releases by Brown, fellow EMG songwriter Jimmie Allen, Cole Swindell, Nelly, Ernest, and others, as well as cuts that he produced on albums from Tenpenny, Tyler Hubbard, The Band Camino, and more.
Schmidt’s songs have been recorded by Morgan Wallen, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Dustin Lynch, Chris Lane, Granger Smith, Chase Rice, Ingrid Andress, Billy Currington, LoCash, One Ok Rock, Mickey Guyton, Adam Doleac, Hunter Hayes, Blanco Brown, Caylee Hammack, Noah Cyrus, and more.
Schmidt and his fiancée, songwriter and artist Renee Blair, recently co-wrote the currently climbing single, “Wait in the Truck,” by Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson.
“I’m excited to call Endurance home,” Schmidt shares. “From our first meeting, I could tell they are people who understand songwriters and want to have a positive impact on their careers. I can’t wait to get the ball rolling with their incredible team, freak some of them out with my drunken antics at the next company holiday party, and I hope to add to all the great things already happening at Endurance!”
EMG President Michael Martin notes, “On behalf of everyone at Endurance, I want to give Jordan a heartfelt welcome to the team. His talent in the writer’s room and his skill as a producer have set the tone for his continued impact on country music. He is a tremendous addition to our creative family, and by joining forces we’ll have endless opportunities (and a lot of fun) on this new journey together.”
“I’ve been friends with Jordan and his brother Dane for years, and I am so excited to finally have the opportunity to be on their team! Jordan has proven himself as a hit songwriter and producer time and time again,” EMG Senior Creative Director Lauren Funk adds. “We are thrilled to have him join the Endurance family, and we know the success he has already had is only the beginning.”
Reba To Release ‘Ultimate Christmas Collection’ In October
/by Lorie HollabaughReba McEntire is getting in the holiday spirit a little early with the release of her new album, Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection, on Oct. 14.
The collection is comprised of favorites from her previous Christmas releases, along with the track “I Needed Christmas,” featured in the Lifetime movie Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune. Songs on the album include standards such as “Away In A Manger,” “O Holy Night,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful,” as well as “Jingle Bell Rock,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” and more.
“I’m excited to share this newly packaged collection of my all-time favorite Christmas songs,” McEntire says. “It was so hard to narrow down to just twelve songs, but I hope my fans enjoy this journey through time!”
Limited edition holiday merch, including a sweatshirt, ornament, mug and lithograph will be available around the new release, and fans can also pre-order Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection as a limited white vinyl, set to release Nov. 4.
McEntire’s fall arena tour, “Reba: Live in Concert,” will kick off Oct. 13 in Lafayette, Louisiana. For a full list of dates, click here.
Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection Track List:
1. Away In A Manager – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
2. O Holy Night – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
3. White Christmas – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
4. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) – from 1987 Merry Christmas To You
5. Up On The Housetop – from 1999 Secret of Giving
6. I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus – from 1999 Secret of Giving
7. Mary, Did You Know? – from 1999 Secret of Giving
8. O Come All Ye Faithful – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
9. Jingle Bell Rock – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
10. Winter Wonderland – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
11. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – from 2018 My Kind Of Christmas
12. I Needed Christmas – from 2021 Christmas In Tune
Dalton Dover Signs With Sony Music Publishing Nashville & Droptine Publishing
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, back row): Dale Bobo, Anna Weisband, Tom Luteran, Charly Salvatore, Bruce Phillips, and Josh Van Valkenburg; (L-R, fron row): Brian O’Neil, Rusty Gaston, Dalton Dover, Jim Catino, and Kenley Flynn. Photo: Sarah Elizabeth
Dalton Dover has signed a global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Jim Catino‘s newly-formed Droptine Music Publishing.
A native of Aragon, Georgia, Dover appeared on Season 16 of The Voice, where he earned a chair turn from Blake Shelton. Since then, he has continued to build a fan base on TikTok, garnering millions of views with his popular #CatchMeOffGuard series of cover song mashups. The series has earned praise from fellow artists, including Jimmie Allen, Luke Combs, Kidd G and Kameron Marlowe.
Dover’s “You Got A Small Town” and “Baby I Am” helped the 23-year-old earn a spot on Spotify’s Hot Country 2022 Artists to Watch, along with a spotlight as Billboard’s February’s Country Rookie of the Month and a nod for MusicRow‘s 2022 Discovery Artist of the Year. He is set to release his new song, “Damn Good Life,” on Sept. 23.
“From the moment you hear Dalton’s voice, there’s no doubt he was born to do this. We couldn’t be more excited about the music he is creating and the future ahead of him,” notes Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston.
“I am so honored to be working with such an amazing talent,” adds Catino. “Dalton has an exciting future that is off to a huge start. Thanks to Matt McVaney for bringing Dalton to me and producing this project. I’m also thankful for Rusty Gaston and all the support from his amazing team at Sony Music Publishing.”
“To say I’m excited to sign with Sony Music Publishing is an understatement,” shares Dover. “I’m thrilled, but also motivated to continue growing, and I am so grateful to Droptine and Sony for betting on me.”
Droptine Music and Sony Publishing Nashville also have partnerships with writers Tommy Karlas, Alex Maxwell and Russell Sutton.
Big & Rich’s Big Kenny Launches Online Auction Of Unique Items
/by LB CantrellKenny & Christiev Alphin
Big & Rich’s Big Kenny Alphin and his wife Christiev have partnered with the online auction platform Everything But The House to launch an auction of unique items for a limited time. The sale is live Sept. 16 through Sept. 25.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit Tunnel to Towers, a non-profit that helps provide mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building custom-designed smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
The sale includes unique household items, furniture, art, guitars and other instruments, women’s clothing, and some of Big Kenny’s stage-wear–including a few of his signature top hats. There are over 850 pieces in the sale. Click here to view the online auction.
Easy Eye Sound, Spotify, Luck Presents Team Up For First Annual East Nashville Community Fish Fry
/by Lydia FarthingThe First Annual East Nashville Community Fish Fry. Photo: Kate Liddy
Luck Presents partnered with Spotify and Nashville label and studio Easy Eye Sound on Thursday (Sept. 15) for the first annual East Nashville Community Fish Fry.
The First Annual East Nashville Community Fish Fry. Photo: Larry Niehues
A special community event held as part of this year’s AmericanaFest, the fish fry featured performances by Hank Williams, Jr., Nikki Lane, Early James, Robert Finley, Brit Taylor, Libby, Nat Myers, and Jon Muq. The night was capped off by a surprise performance from The Black Keys, whose Dan Auerbach owns Easy Eye Sound.
The first edition of the event consisted of all day complimentary food from Nashville’s Red Perch as well as pizzas made by celebrity chef Sean Brock for his charity The Sean Brock Foundation. Kustom Thrills was also present with their tattoo stand, featuring free tattoos from local artist Kyle Frary.
The day included auctions for artist-signed guitars and posters that benefitted the Luck Family Foundation, Luck Presents’ own charity that provides financial grant assistance and other resources to artists, organizations and programs in need.
DISClaimer Single Reviews: The War & Treaty Share ‘The Sound Of Pure Love’
/by Robert K OermannIt’s Americana music week in Nashville, and the genre’s stars are shining brightly.
None are brighter than The War & Treaty, who easily nail down this week’s Disc of the Day award.
Not that there wasn’t plenty of competition. Check out the sounds of Daniel Tashian, Larkin Poe, the Dirt Band and Jake Blount, for starters. Rootsy tunes are where it’s at.
JIM LAUDERDALE / “That Kind of Life (That Kind of Day)”
Writers: Jim Lauderdale; Producers: Jim Lauderdale/Jay Weaver; Label: Sky Crunch
–The kick-off track of Lauderdale’s new Game Changer album (his 35th), is a rollicking, lively, Telecaster-driven, Bakersfield-nodding toe tapper that has a built-in smile. Drawling, uplifting and totally country.
MARGO PRICE / “Been to the Mountain”
Writers: Margo Price/Jeremy Ivey; Producer: Jonathan Wilson; Label: Loma Vista
–This is Price’s moment. Her memoir Maybe We’ll Make It will be published Oct. 4. She has a new Sonos Radio podcast titled Runaway Horses. She’s been elected to the board of Farm Aid. Her new album is previewed by this stirring single/video. She wails in an echo chamber, backed by a grinding rock riff, about persevering through tough times. Haunting.
DANIEL TASHIAN / “Night After Night”
Writers: Daniel Tashian/Paul Kennerley; Producer: Daniel Tashian; Label: Big Yellow Dog
–Rockabilly nirvana. Acclaimed producer Tashian returns to record making of his own with this slab of retro energy. The project’s title tune channels Buddy Holly, The Everlys and Carl Perkins in an absolutely irresistible stew of stinging guitars, relentless rhythm and in-the-pocket vocal comfort. Better than a cup of morning coffee and more bracing than a ride in a convertible. Essential listening. Tashian’s AmericanaFest showcase is Saturday at noon at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he headlines at The Basement next Wednesday night.
AMANDA SHIRES / “Hawk for the Dove”
Writers: Amanda Shires/Lawrence Rothman; Producer: Lawrence Rothman; Label: ATO
–The new Take It Like a Man collection by Shires leads off with this dramatic track. Her distinctive, penetrating voice leads the listener into a dark, electronic soundscape of keening guitars and thudding percussion. A wary romance of uncertain fate.
NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND / “Girl From the North Country”
Writer: Bob Dylan; Producers: Ray Kennedy/Jeff Hanna; Label: MRI
–The revived and reconfigured Dirt Band rises to new heights on its Dirt Does Dylan album. This classic gets a loving, gorgeous, crystalline remake with rippling guitars, sighing fiddle, mandolin droplets and heart-in-throat vocals. Arguably a founding act of the Americana genre, the legendary group will showcase its Dylan tunes as well as old favorites at The Ryman on Saturday night.
JOY OLADOKUN / “Purple Haze”
Writers: Joy Oladokun/Dr. Luke; Producer: Dr. Luke; Label: Amigo/Verve Forecast/Republic
–The simple beauty of folk music shines on this current single by this gifted performer. Her liquid alto and perfectly strummed acoustic guitar convey a hopeful message of survival and eventual emotional prosperity. Even though the end of the world might be nigh.
THE WAR & TREATY / “That’s How Love Is Made”
Writers: Michael Trotter Jr./Tanya Trotter/Dave Barnes; Producer: Dave Cobb; Label: Mercury
–This Nashville couple is as good as it gets. There are no finer singers, nor more emotional interpreters in our world. Their soul-ripping voices can make the angels in Heaven weep for joy. This smoldering, electrifying outing stopped the show at the AMA Awards on Wednesday. Its single/video is a stunning, ecstatic, breath-taking experience. This is the sound of Pure Love that shatters and defies every musical category.
JAKE BLOUNT & DEMEANOR / “The Downward Road”
Writers: Brian Slattery/Jake Blount/Traditional; Producers: Jake Blount/Brian Slattery; Label: Smithsonian Folkways
–This fascinating artist’s album The New Faith drops a week from today. Blount is a banjo player, musicologist, journalist and scholar who fuses percussion loops with old-time fiddle and Demeanor’s rapping on this preview track. Audio layered and folky hooky, it somehow manages to be old-time country and contemporary bopping at the same time. Really cool.
LARKIN POE / “Georgia Off My Mind”
Writers: Rebecca Lovell/Tyler Bryant; Producers: Larkin Poe/Tyler Bryant; Label: Tricki-Woo
–This guitar-wielding Nashville sister duo, Rebecca and Megan Lovell, have a new album called Blood Harmony coming in November. In the meantime, we have this dynamite advance single. It totally rocks, in a bluesy, twangy kinda way. The lyric name-checks Georgia institutions like Coca-Cola, Ray Charles and peaches as items in the rearview mirror as they head to Music City to pursue dreams. The ridiculously catchy track bubbles and boils. Yowza!
TOMMY McLAIN / “The Greatest Show on Hurt”
Writers: Tommy McClain/Nick Lowe; Producer: C.C. Adcock; Label: Yep Roc
–This swamp-pop pioneer had hits in the ‘60s. He’s 82 years old now and releasing his first album in 40 years. This slowly paced ditty has a woozy, lackadaisical charm as he relates his circus-themed heartbreak. His Americana showcase is at Riverside Revival tonight at 9 p.m.
VALERIE JUNE / “Look at Miss Ohio”
Writer: Gillian Welch/David Rawlings; Producer: A June Tunes Music Production; Label: Fantasy
–June’s new Under Cover is a collection of covers of tunes by Dylan, Joe South, John Lennon, Nick Drake and others. Her rendition of this Gillian Welch song features a drawled double-tracked vocal, moaning guitar and echoey atmosphere. Languid and dreamy.
TODD SNIDER / “Big Finish”
Writer: Todd Snider; Producer: Todd Snider/Eric McConnell; Label: TS
–I’ve always been a big fan of this clever guy. The troubadour opens his shows with this wryly humorous, self-aware, solo folky-blues tune. You’ll find it on his live album, due next Friday. The album-release show is at the Ryman on Saturday, Sept. 24. You won’t find a better one-man band. Prepare to be wildly entertained.