It’s beginning to look a lot like you-know-what.
And so, on this day, I am crowning Nashville’s king and queen of Christmas 2016. They are Chris Young and Jennifer Nettles, who have this year’s finest new Music Row holiday albums. They sing their faces off on It Must Be Christmas and To Celebrate Christmas, respectively. Buy them both, and your tree trimming party will be a smash.
Those two share the Disc of the Day award. Because we have no newcomers here, there is no DisCovery Award this week.
TRISHA YEARWOOD/Santa Baby
Writers: Joan Javits/Tony Springer/Phil Springer; Producer: Mark Miller; Publishers: Tamir (ASCAP); Pearl (track)
– Christmas Together is the first duet album by Garth and Trisha. It is a Target exclusive. While he has his moments on it (”Ugly Christmas Sweater”), her solo performances steal the show. She brings just the right kittenish, mercenary purr to this perennially entertaining delight. “Hard Candy Christmas” and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” are also Trisha standouts. He has a duet with James Taylor on a Thanksgiving tune.
KACEY MUSGRAVES/Mele Kalikimaka
Writer: R. Alex Anderson; Producers: Kacey Musgraves, Misa Arriaga & Kyle Ryan; Publishers: none listed; Mercury (track)
– A Very Kacey Christmas is a blast from start to finish. Where else can you find cha-cha, reggae, western-swing and Hawaiian arrangements on one holiday collection? Her star collaborators include Leon Bridges (”Present Without a Bow”), Willie Nelson (the weed-themed “A Willie Nice Christmas”) and, most notably The Quebe Sisters on this Hawaiian tune as well as on “Let It Snow.” Heartily recommended.
BRETT ELDREDGE & MEGHAN TRAINOR/Baby It’s Cold Outside
Writers: Frank Loesser; Producers: Jay Newland/Rob Mounsey; Publisher: Frank, ASCAP; Warner Bros.
– Brett went to New York to record his Glow holiday collection, which is full of brassy, old-school pop charts. His imitation of Harry Connick Jr. is spot-on in the vocal department. So if that’s what you’re looking for this season, climb aboard. But if you are seeking a country Christmas album by a country singer, this is not it. Also, he and Trainor both lack the wit and wink that should be in this performance.
REBA/Winter Wonderland
Writers: Felix Bernard/Richard Smith; Producers: Reba/Doug Sizemore; Publishers: WB, ASCAP; Nash Icon (track)
– Reba’s My Kind of Christmas is a Cracker Barrel exclusive. This collection throws you a bit of a curve ball. There is no band. It is just a singer and a pianist. And, surprise, it works. When the singer is as ornamented as Reba and the piano player is as creative and inventive as Catherine Marx, you enjoy every note. It starts with this standard and adds 10 more very, very familiar tunes.
CHRIS YOUNG & ALAN JACKSON/There’s a New Kid in Town
Writers: Don Cook/Curly Putman/Keith Whitley; Producers: Corey Crowder/Chris Young; Publishers: none listed, ASCAP/BMI; RCA (track)
– Chris’s It Must Be Christmas is THE essential holiday country collection to own this year. Boyz II Men join him on “Silent Night.” Brad Paisley duets on “The First Noel.” Alan Jackson is his partner on this modern Nashville Christmas classic, which I never tire of hearing. Other stunners include a fantastic new seasonal song called “Under the Weather” and a ferociously rocking treatment of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” This man is a singer’s singer, and you need this music in your life. What a gift.
JENNIFER NETTLES & IDINIA MENZEL/Little Drummer Boy
Writers: Katharine K. Davis/Henry Onorati/Harry Simeone; Producer: Julian Raymond; Publishers: EMI/International Korwin/EMI Mills/Sony-ATV; Big Machine (track)
– Jennifer’s To Celebrate Christmas is a triumph. This lady inhabits the holiday repertoire like few others can. She totally rocks “Go Tell It On the Mountain,” offers a completely unexpected delight with “Celebrate Me Home” and brings fellow vocal goddess Andra Day along with her on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Whether it’s “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Circle of Love” or “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” these are performances that will pin your ears back. She doesn’t really have the pipes for “O Holy Night,” but more than makes up for that misstep via this collaboration with Idina Menzel. It is, simply, the best version of this standard ever.
RASCAL FLATTS/Deck The Halls
Writers: traditional; Producers: Jay DeMarcus/Rascal Flatts; Publisher: public domain; Big Machine (track)
– I’m all for creative arrangements. But here and in several other places on the CD The Greatest Gift of All, the group takes leave of traditional melody and goes off into aural parts unknown. At a slender 10 tracks, this is the briefest of this year’s Nashville holiday offerings.
AMY GRANT/Tennessee Christmas
Writers: none listed; Producers: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Capitol CMG
– Judging by my informal survey of local retailers, Amy’s new Christmas album is the hit of the season. It seems to be sold out everywhere and is hard to find. With reason: Tennessee Christmas is a lovely record. The arrangements twinkle like holiday lights. Her vocals are luminous. The repertoire is a wintery wonderland. One nice touch is the fact that she interjects spoken-word passages about her fondest holiday memories.
SELAH/Rose of Bethlehem
Writers: Lowell Alexander; Producers: Jason Kyle Saetveit, Todd Smith, Allan Hall & Nicol Sponberg; Publishers: Birdwing/EMI, ASCAP; Curb (track)
– File this one under “arty.” Selah is a CCM vocal trio with a penchant for elaborately arranged performances. No one is a hair-raising singer, but when they combine their voices, magic happens. Dolly Parton guests on her own tune “Once Upon a Christmas,” pop singer Plumb drops by for “Mary Sweet Mary” and the Annie Moses Band appears on a medley. This title tune is typical of the CD’s tone. The record gets bonus points for being dominated by newer songs, rather than standards. It is also l-o-n-n-n-ng, at 15 tracks.
LORETTA LYNN/White Christmas Blue
Writers: Lynn/Shawn Camp; Producers: Patsy Lynn Russell/John Carter Cash; Publishers: Sure Fire/Scamporee/International Dog, BMI; Legacy (track)
– Loretta Lynn and Shawn Camp win the award for the best new country Christmas song of 2016, and he harmonizes with the legend on its catchy choruses. It is the title tune and standout track of her new LP, which is available on vinyl. The other groovy tunes are her self-penned “To Heck With Old Santa Claus” and “Country Christmas.” But both of these were on her 1966 Christmas album, as were “Blue Christmas,” “Away in a Manger” and “Frosty the Snowman,” all of which are reprised here. More original material would have helped this project, since my thoughts drifted when she sang overly familiar standards. One other highlight is her reading of Clement Moore’s classic 1822 poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
Taylor Swift Teams With ACM To Pledge Combined $200K For Dolly Telethon
/by Eric T. ParkerTaylor Swift receives Milestone Award at 50th Annual ACM Awards. Photo: Courtesy of ACM
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the organization’s charitable arm, ACM Lifting Lives, have pledged $100,000 in advance of Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund telethon, airing Tues., Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. ET on Great American Country (GAC). Taylor Swift has pledged to match the California organizations’ donation, bringing the total amount to $200,000.
All monies raised during the telethon will go to the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, established by Parton to assist families affected by the recent, devastating Gatlinburg fires in Sevier County, Tennessee.
“The Academy and ACM Lifting Lives are honored to contribute in a meaningful way to Dolly’s heroic efforts to help the people of her hometown – and when Taylor heard what we were planning, she offered to match our gift, which gives it that much more impact,” said Tiffany Moon, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the Academy. “We are so grateful to Taylor for her support to the Academy’s charitable efforts through the years, and for helping us and Dolly Parton assist families in need at a time of crisis.”
The My People Fund has already pledged to provide $1,000 each month to Sevier County families whose primary residence (renters and homeowners) is uninhabitable or were completely destroyed in the recent Smoky Mountain wildfires. A pre-application for those affected is available at dollywoodfoundation.org.
Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the My People Fund may visit dollywoodfoundation.org. Contributions may also be made via mail to: My People Fund, c/o Dollywood Foundation, 111 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.
Chris Stapleton, Amy Grant Among Eight Added To Dolly Parton Gatlinburg Telethon
/by Jessica NicholsonChris Stapleton, Chris Young, Big & Rich, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, LOCASH, Chris Janson and Montgomery Gentry are just a few of the new names added to Dolly Parton‘s telethon Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund. Reba, Kenny Rogers and Alison Krauss were previously announced.
The event is set for Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. ET. Three new broadcast partners have also been added, including AXS TV, RFD, and The Heartland Network. In addition, USAToday.com and USA Today National Networks to live stream the telethon on their affiliate newspaper websites. Smoky Mountains Rise also will be simulcast across multiple radio chains, including iHeart Media’s digital and select on-air platforms, Cumulus Media’s NASH Nights LIVE, TuneIn’s Country Roads channel, and several other platforms which are set to be announced shortly.
The nationally-broadcast, three-hour telethon seeks to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, established by Parton, The Dollywood Company and Parton’s dinner theaters in the wake of last week’s wildfires in the entertainment icon’s home area of Sevier County, Tennessee. All of the artists are donating their performances to help the effort.
“I’m truly honored that these artists are giving their time and energy to help us raise money for everyone affected by the wildfires,” Parton said. “I’ve got so many great friends in the industry, and I’m so proud that they were so ready to step up and help me help my people in the Smoky Mountains through this telethon and the My People Fund.”
The My People Fund will provide $1,000 each month to Sevier County families whose homes are uninhabitable or were completely destroyed in the recent Smoky Mountain wildfires. Any family who lost their primary residence (renters and homeowners) due to the wildfires in Sevier County will be eligible. A pre-application for those affected is available at dollywoodfoundation.org.
During the telethon, viewers will be asked to call 1-866-CARE MORE to donate to the My People Fund.
Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the My People Fund may visit dollywoodfoundation.org. For those wishing to send donations via mail, those contributions should be sent to: My People Fund, c/o Dollywood Foundation, 111 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.
Nashville Agent Shari Lewin Named Partner At WME
/by Jessica NicholsonShari Lewin. Photo: Jake Harsh
WME agent Shari Lewin, who joined WME’s Nashville office in 2011, has been named as partner, it was announced this week.
Lewin focuses on endorsement deals and brand partnership opportunities for the agency’s entire country roster.
In 2016, Lewin was responsible for landing a television campaign for Brad Paisley to be featured in Nationwide’s “Song for Every Side” campaign. She also designed and executed a 360-deal with Field & Stream naming Jason Aldean the first celebrity spokesperson for the private label hunting / fishing brand sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
She secured Nitto Tires as the presenting sponsor and Budweiser as an additional sponsor of Florida Georgia Line’s Dig Your Roots Tour, and she secured Bayer as the title sponsor for Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour for the second year in a row.
She is also a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
DISClaimer: Have Yourself A Merry, Music-Filled Christmas
/by Robert K OermannIt’s beginning to look a lot like you-know-what.
And so, on this day, I am crowning Nashville’s king and queen of Christmas 2016. They are Chris Young and Jennifer Nettles, who have this year’s finest new Music Row holiday albums. They sing their faces off on It Must Be Christmas and To Celebrate Christmas, respectively. Buy them both, and your tree trimming party will be a smash.
Those two share the Disc of the Day award. Because we have no newcomers here, there is no DisCovery Award this week.
TRISHA YEARWOOD/Santa Baby
Writers: Joan Javits/Tony Springer/Phil Springer; Producer: Mark Miller; Publishers: Tamir (ASCAP); Pearl (track)
– Christmas Together is the first duet album by Garth and Trisha. It is a Target exclusive. While he has his moments on it (”Ugly Christmas Sweater”), her solo performances steal the show. She brings just the right kittenish, mercenary purr to this perennially entertaining delight. “Hard Candy Christmas” and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” are also Trisha standouts. He has a duet with James Taylor on a Thanksgiving tune.
KACEY MUSGRAVES/Mele Kalikimaka
Writer: R. Alex Anderson; Producers: Kacey Musgraves, Misa Arriaga & Kyle Ryan; Publishers: none listed; Mercury (track)
– A Very Kacey Christmas is a blast from start to finish. Where else can you find cha-cha, reggae, western-swing and Hawaiian arrangements on one holiday collection? Her star collaborators include Leon Bridges (”Present Without a Bow”), Willie Nelson (the weed-themed “A Willie Nice Christmas”) and, most notably The Quebe Sisters on this Hawaiian tune as well as on “Let It Snow.” Heartily recommended.
BRETT ELDREDGE & MEGHAN TRAINOR/Baby It’s Cold Outside
Writers: Frank Loesser; Producers: Jay Newland/Rob Mounsey; Publisher: Frank, ASCAP; Warner Bros.
– Brett went to New York to record his Glow holiday collection, which is full of brassy, old-school pop charts. His imitation of Harry Connick Jr. is spot-on in the vocal department. So if that’s what you’re looking for this season, climb aboard. But if you are seeking a country Christmas album by a country singer, this is not it. Also, he and Trainor both lack the wit and wink that should be in this performance.
REBA/Winter Wonderland
Writers: Felix Bernard/Richard Smith; Producers: Reba/Doug Sizemore; Publishers: WB, ASCAP; Nash Icon (track)
– Reba’s My Kind of Christmas is a Cracker Barrel exclusive. This collection throws you a bit of a curve ball. There is no band. It is just a singer and a pianist. And, surprise, it works. When the singer is as ornamented as Reba and the piano player is as creative and inventive as Catherine Marx, you enjoy every note. It starts with this standard and adds 10 more very, very familiar tunes.
CHRIS YOUNG & ALAN JACKSON/There’s a New Kid in Town
Writers: Don Cook/Curly Putman/Keith Whitley; Producers: Corey Crowder/Chris Young; Publishers: none listed, ASCAP/BMI; RCA (track)
– Chris’s It Must Be Christmas is THE essential holiday country collection to own this year. Boyz II Men join him on “Silent Night.” Brad Paisley duets on “The First Noel.” Alan Jackson is his partner on this modern Nashville Christmas classic, which I never tire of hearing. Other stunners include a fantastic new seasonal song called “Under the Weather” and a ferociously rocking treatment of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” This man is a singer’s singer, and you need this music in your life. What a gift.
JENNIFER NETTLES & IDINIA MENZEL/Little Drummer Boy
Writers: Katharine K. Davis/Henry Onorati/Harry Simeone; Producer: Julian Raymond; Publishers: EMI/International Korwin/EMI Mills/Sony-ATV; Big Machine (track)
– Jennifer’s To Celebrate Christmas is a triumph. This lady inhabits the holiday repertoire like few others can. She totally rocks “Go Tell It On the Mountain,” offers a completely unexpected delight with “Celebrate Me Home” and brings fellow vocal goddess Andra Day along with her on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Whether it’s “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Circle of Love” or “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” these are performances that will pin your ears back. She doesn’t really have the pipes for “O Holy Night,” but more than makes up for that misstep via this collaboration with Idina Menzel. It is, simply, the best version of this standard ever.
RASCAL FLATTS/Deck The Halls
Writers: traditional; Producers: Jay DeMarcus/Rascal Flatts; Publisher: public domain; Big Machine (track)
– I’m all for creative arrangements. But here and in several other places on the CD The Greatest Gift of All, the group takes leave of traditional melody and goes off into aural parts unknown. At a slender 10 tracks, this is the briefest of this year’s Nashville holiday offerings.
AMY GRANT/Tennessee Christmas
Writers: none listed; Producers: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Capitol CMG
– Judging by my informal survey of local retailers, Amy’s new Christmas album is the hit of the season. It seems to be sold out everywhere and is hard to find. With reason: Tennessee Christmas is a lovely record. The arrangements twinkle like holiday lights. Her vocals are luminous. The repertoire is a wintery wonderland. One nice touch is the fact that she interjects spoken-word passages about her fondest holiday memories.
SELAH/Rose of Bethlehem
Writers: Lowell Alexander; Producers: Jason Kyle Saetveit, Todd Smith, Allan Hall & Nicol Sponberg; Publishers: Birdwing/EMI, ASCAP; Curb (track)
– File this one under “arty.” Selah is a CCM vocal trio with a penchant for elaborately arranged performances. No one is a hair-raising singer, but when they combine their voices, magic happens. Dolly Parton guests on her own tune “Once Upon a Christmas,” pop singer Plumb drops by for “Mary Sweet Mary” and the Annie Moses Band appears on a medley. This title tune is typical of the CD’s tone. The record gets bonus points for being dominated by newer songs, rather than standards. It is also l-o-n-n-n-ng, at 15 tracks.
LORETTA LYNN/White Christmas Blue
Writers: Lynn/Shawn Camp; Producers: Patsy Lynn Russell/John Carter Cash; Publishers: Sure Fire/Scamporee/International Dog, BMI; Legacy (track)
– Loretta Lynn and Shawn Camp win the award for the best new country Christmas song of 2016, and he harmonizes with the legend on its catchy choruses. It is the title tune and standout track of her new LP, which is available on vinyl. The other groovy tunes are her self-penned “To Heck With Old Santa Claus” and “Country Christmas.” But both of these were on her 1966 Christmas album, as were “Blue Christmas,” “Away in a Manger” and “Frosty the Snowman,” all of which are reprised here. More original material would have helped this project, since my thoughts drifted when she sang overly familiar standards. One other highlight is her reading of Clement Moore’s classic 1822 poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
ASCAP Launches Redesigned Website, “Member Access” Portal
/by Jessica NicholsonPerforming rights organization ASCAP has launched its newly-redesigned website, including its dedicated “Member Access” portal.
The site provides a unified online experience across desktops, mobile devices and other platforms so that ASCAP members can easily conduct their business globally, 24/7. Within the new Member Access, members will find improved self-service options, more information-at-a-glance, a simplified process for reporting performances, the ability to contact ASCAP with a single tap and more.
These improvements follow the launch of ASCAP’s redesigned music repertory database, ACE.
“The changes we are making to ASCAP.com and Member Access demonstrate that ASCAP is committed to giving our members the best services possible,” said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. “The new design and interface are fresh and intuitive. The development of these state-of-the-art digital tools by our new digital team, led by Chief Strategy and Digital Officer Alice Kim, is part of a cross-departmental initiative to make our interactions with members more seamless and effective. They are the early results of our continued strategic focus on technology and innovation for the benefit of our songwriter, composer and music publisher members, aimed at making ASCAP the most progressive organization for performance rights management.”
For more, visit ascap.com.
Garth Brooks Lines Up Major Donation For St. Jude
/by Sarah SkatesA light-hearted phone call with iHeartMedia personality Bobby Bones during the St. Jude Radiothon last week sparked the fundraising initiative. Upon hearing that the radiothon raised over $1.3 million in a single day, Brooks was inspired by the generosity of the show’s listeners.
“Just when I thought the Radiothon couldn’t exceed any more expectations, this happens,” said Bobby Bones. “I half-jokingly suggested that Garth sign up to donate $20 a month during the broadcast, but I never expected him to go above and beyond like this. St Jude is a really important cause for so many people, and it’s very humbling that we’re able to help inspire these acts of kindness.”
“After talking with Bobby on the show last week, I was stunned when I heard just how much money the show had raised in one day,” said Garth Brooks. “It really motivated me to get involved and see how I could try and help such an amazing cause. Hats off to Bobby and his team for putting together an inspirational broadcast that is really making a difference to a lot of people’s lives.”
Brooks currently has top three titles on BuzzAngle’s Country Album Chart, with his recently released projects The Ultimate Collection, Christmas Together and Gunslinger.
Warner/Chappell Music and Sea Gayle Sign Kelley Lovelace
/by Sarah Skates(L-R): Ryan Beuschel (Warner/Chappell), Christina Wiltshire (Sea Gayle), Kelley Lovelace, Ben Vaughn (Warner/Chappell) and Sea Gayle’s Jake Gear, Mike Owens, Chris DuBois, and Brad Paisley in Paisley’s home bar, Ye Olde Potion Room Pub.
Warner/Chappell Music and Sea Gayle Music have signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with Grammy-nominated songwriter Kelley Lovelace. Lovelace’s work has been recorded by Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Sheryl Crow, and many others. He has 23 Top 10 hits to his credit, including 16 No. 1s (eight of which were recorded by Paisley). Warner/Chappell and Sea Gayle will also represent a significant part of Lovelace’s back catalog.
“Signing with Warner/Chappell and Sea Gayle is truly the best of both worlds for me—I couldn’t have dreamed up a more perfect partnership,” said Lovelace. “I have had such incredible enthusiasm and motivation from both companies that it’s actually causing me to dig a little deeper and write a little more. I think my best songs are the ones I will be a part of in the future. I haven’t been this optimistic in a long, long time. Feels like I just moved to town.”
“There is a very short list of songwriters that have earned the success that Kelley has achieved,” said Chris DuBois, Co-Owner, Sea Gayle Music. “He has as much talent in the writer room as anyone I have ever known and I speak for everyone at Sea Gayle when I say how proud and honored we are to welcome him to this partnership between Sea Gayle and Warner/Chappell.”
Ben Vaughn, Executive Vice President, Warner/Chappell Nashville, added, “In an ever-evolving industry, one thing that does not change is the importance of a great idea. Kelley Lovelace has proven, time and time again, that his craftsmanship and wordsmithing is among the elites in the songwriting profession. On behalf of the entire WCM team, it is a great pleasure that we enter into this new partnership with our friends Kelley Lovelace and Sea Gayle.”
Lovelace is the recipient of MusicRow magazine’s Song of the Year award for “He Didn’t Have To Be,” which was co-written and recorded by Paisley. Lovelace has been nominated for country song of the year by all of the major awards shows, including the Grammys, CMA Awards and ACM Awards. Lovelace is represented by attorney Chip Petree.
NMPA, YouTube Reach Agreement to Distribute Unclaimed Royalties
/by Jessica NicholsonThe National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), on behalf of music publishers and songwriters, and YouTube have negotiated an agreement to distribute royalties for musical works used in videos on YouTube where ownership was previously unknown.
The agreement addresses the challenges around identifying ownership of musical works, and it will help solve the problem of attribution so that music publishers and songwriters can not only be paid for works viewed on YouTube in the past where ownership was previously unknown, but also be paid for those identified works moving forward.
Music publishers will have the ability to opt into this agreement during the opt-in period, which opens on Dec. 12, 2016 and will remain open through Feb. 28, 2017.
Following the opt-in period, YouTube will provide participating publishers with a list of songs YouTube may have been unable to obtain proper ownership information for. This will allow participating publishers to claim ownership in those songs and receive accrued royalties from the period between August 1, 2012 through December 31, 2015.
The claiming window will be 3 months long. After the claiming window, participating publishers will receive claimed accrued royalties. Any accrued royalties that remain unclaimed will be distributed to participating publishers based on each publisher’s market share and on revenue paid for known usage on YouTube during the initial accrual period. The agreement, however, will not affect the rights of any publisher or songwriter who does not choose to participate.
This process will be repeated for future 12-month usage periods beginning on January 1, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2019.
“We appreciate YouTube’s willingness to work with us on behalf of the industry to help pay out millions of dollars in previously unclaimed royalties to publishers and songwriters,” NMPA President and CEO David Israelite said regarding the agreement. “It is essential that we work with digital services like YouTube – the most popular digital platform for music discovery – to fix the challenge of incomplete ownership information to ensure royalties are no longer unmatched and music owners are paid accurately by the platforms that rely on their work.”
“The revenue earned by the music industry on YouTube continues to grow significantly year over year, and we’re committed to making sure that publishers are paid for the usage of their works on our platform,” said Tamara Hrivnak, Head of Music Partnerships, Americas for YouTube and Google Play. “We are excited to partner with the NMPA to address the industry-wide challenges associated with identifying publishing ownership on digital platforms.”
2017 Alive At The Bluebird Series Includes Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, Jason Isbell
/by Sarah SkatesThe concert series has raised more than $900,000 for Alive Hospice over the years. By the end of the 2017 series, that total is expected to exceed $1 million.
Alive At The Bluebird runs the month of January and includes 32 concerts. Select dates go on sale Friday, Dec. 9 at 8 a.m. CST.
Among the concert highlights:
Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Buddy Miller; Saturday, Jan. 7 at 9:30 p.m.; $65
Jeff Black, Sam Bush, John Oates; Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 9:30 p.m.; $65
Gary Burr, Michael McDonald, Jim Photoglo, Mike Reid; Friday, Jan. 20 at 9:30 p.m.; $75
Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Don Schlitz; Wednesday, Jan 18 at 9:00p.m.; $100
A full calendar of shows, marked A Benefit for Alive Hospice, is available at www.bluebirdcafe.com.
Emmylou Harris, Rufus & Martha Wainwright Present Nashville Noel Nights
/by Sarah SkatesSpecial guests include Alison Krauss, Chris Stills, Jamey Johnson, Venus and the Moon, Kennedy Rose and Karen Elson.
First performed in 2005, the show is part concert and part family reunion, often enlisting friends as guest stars. Brother and sister Martha and Rufus are the children of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and the late Kate McGarrigle. The Christmas show features three generations of the Wainwright and McGarrigle families: Loudon, Jane McGarrigle, Sloan Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche.
This year Nashville Noel Nights will benefit the Kate McGarrigle Foundation and the Epilepsy Foundation of Tennessee. Tickets and details here.