Paul Franklin and Vince Gill
10 years after the two musicians came together to release Bakersfield, their tribute album to heroes Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and their bands, multi-talented singer-songwriter Vince Gill and lauded steel guitar wizard Paul Franklin have come back together to honor another musical giant and his band, Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys.
Price, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, was an essential figure in country music in the 1950s and ’60s. He impacted the genre with hits such as “Crazy Arms,” “City Lights,” “Heartaches by the Number,” “I Won’t Mention It Again” and “For the Good Times.”
Six years following Price’s death in 2013, Gill and Franklin began recording tracks for the album. Both of them had recorded with the legend before. In 2002, Gill sang harmony on “What If We Say Goodbye” for Price’s album, Time, as well as on “Heartaches By the Number” for 2007’s Last of the Breed. Gill and Franklin both worked on Price’s Beauty Is: The Final Sessions in 2013. Franklin also recorded with Barbara Mandrell when Price joined her in 1990 for a version of “Crazy Arms.”
“He was a real gentleman,” Franklin tells MusicRow. “We both got to play on his last record. He was having his health issues, but he was so courteous. He was such a nice man.”
Gill says, “It’s rare for someone to keep their voice until the end of their life. He was still singing like Ray Price until the end. It was magical.”
Gill points out that Price had a unique gift for phrasing in his vocal delivery, which is one of many of Price’s attributes that have inspired the Hall of Fame singer. “He sang like no one else. That’s what people yearn for these days, to hear a singer and know who it is right away,” he shares.
For the track list, Gill and Franklin wanted to expand their material deeper than Price’s hits to reimagine. In fact, Sweet Memories includes some songs that the two heard for the first time in the searching process. They had help from one of country music’s most vibrant minds, former Grand Ole Opry announcer, WSM disc jockey and music scholar Eddie Stubbs.
“We landed on the possibility of not doing the obvious choices,” Gill says. “People may ask why we didn’t do certain songs, but it was because they’ve been done. Why wouldn’t you dig a little deeper?”
“Eddie has one of the deepest wells in town. He kept bringing songs, I learned so much about Ray Price,” Franklin says.
With Stubbs informing the tune selection, Gill and Franklin reimagined Price’s “One More Time” (originally recorded in 1960), “I’d Fight the World” (1966), “You Wouldn’t Know Love” (1970), “Walkin’ Slow (And Thinking ‘Bout Her)” (1962), “The Same Two Lips” (1967), “Weary Blues from Waitin’” (1951), “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)” (1958), “Sweet Memories” (1971), “Danny Boy” (1967), “Your Old Love Letters” (1965) and “Healing Hands of Time” (1966).
In addition to bringing lesser-known Price songs out of the history books, it was special to the men that they were able to highlight the work of such songwriters as Hank Williams, Mel Tillis, Hank Cochran, Joe Allison, Dave Kirby, Bobby Bare, Marty Robbins, Wayne Walker, Mickey Newbury, Willie Nelson, Lance Guynes, Fred Weatherly and Price, himself.
“Back then, you might release three albums in a year because they basically sold their product from the stage. So you had young Roger Miller, Mel Tillis, Willie Nelson, Harlan Howard, Hank Cochran and all these iconic writers writing so many songs,” Franklin says. “In that whole library of his discography, therein lies incredible songwriting.”
When it came to the recording of the project, it was important that the men did not do sound-alike records, which is something Gill learned when making a record with Rodney Crowell. The two were covering Buck Owens‘ “Above And Beyond,” and stuck close to the original recording.
“Buck heard it and said, ‘You didn’t change one note.’ We did it pretty verbatim. They’re both worthy, but what are you going to prove doing a note-for-note adaptation of something somebody’s already done?
“I don’t sound like Ray Price,” he adds. “I can emulate him, and I did in small doses. I think that’s just right, to take the spirit of it but don’t overkill it.”
Gill points out that something that he learned from making this record is Price’s mastery of editing himself.
“He was so patient and reserved as a singer. Even though he could go up and bust that high note, he didn’t do it nine times in the song—he did it once. He was patient,” Gill says. “As a young musician, I learned a valuable lesson. I played a solo on something and [the engineer] said, ‘That was nice. Now play me half of what you know.’
“That’s what everybody who is worth their weight do: they edit themselves. You gather yourself with musicians that know what not to do. Everybody gets to have that freedom to be sparse and patient,” Gill says. “Ray was not in a hurry to show you how great he could sing.”
Ultimately, Gill and Franklin hope that their selections of Price’s extensive catalog shines a lot on the vibrancy of country music in the ’50s and ’60s.
“If a young musician hears Vince or me on a record and love it, hopefully they dig in deeper and they’ll hear us talking about all these greats,” Franklin says.
“The beautiful thing about our musical history is that you can keep tracing it back further and further. Country music has been recorded now for close to 100 years, and it’s evolved quite a bit,” Gill shares. “It’s healthy that it changes. If it was the same thing over and over, it would wear thin.”
Click here to listen to Gill and Franklin’s Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys.
Vince Gill & Paul Franklin Honor Ray Price On ‘Sweet Memories’ Album [Interview]
/by LB CantrellPaul Franklin and Vince Gill
10 years after the two musicians came together to release Bakersfield, their tribute album to heroes Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and their bands, multi-talented singer-songwriter Vince Gill and lauded steel guitar wizard Paul Franklin have come back together to honor another musical giant and his band, Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys.
Price, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, was an essential figure in country music in the 1950s and ’60s. He impacted the genre with hits such as “Crazy Arms,” “City Lights,” “Heartaches by the Number,” “I Won’t Mention It Again” and “For the Good Times.”
Six years following Price’s death in 2013, Gill and Franklin began recording tracks for the album. Both of them had recorded with the legend before. In 2002, Gill sang harmony on “What If We Say Goodbye” for Price’s album, Time, as well as on “Heartaches By the Number” for 2007’s Last of the Breed. Gill and Franklin both worked on Price’s Beauty Is: The Final Sessions in 2013. Franklin also recorded with Barbara Mandrell when Price joined her in 1990 for a version of “Crazy Arms.”
“He was a real gentleman,” Franklin tells MusicRow. “We both got to play on his last record. He was having his health issues, but he was so courteous. He was such a nice man.”
Gill says, “It’s rare for someone to keep their voice until the end of their life. He was still singing like Ray Price until the end. It was magical.”
Gill points out that Price had a unique gift for phrasing in his vocal delivery, which is one of many of Price’s attributes that have inspired the Hall of Fame singer. “He sang like no one else. That’s what people yearn for these days, to hear a singer and know who it is right away,” he shares.
For the track list, Gill and Franklin wanted to expand their material deeper than Price’s hits to reimagine. In fact, Sweet Memories includes some songs that the two heard for the first time in the searching process. They had help from one of country music’s most vibrant minds, former Grand Ole Opry announcer, WSM disc jockey and music scholar Eddie Stubbs.
“We landed on the possibility of not doing the obvious choices,” Gill says. “People may ask why we didn’t do certain songs, but it was because they’ve been done. Why wouldn’t you dig a little deeper?”
“Eddie has one of the deepest wells in town. He kept bringing songs, I learned so much about Ray Price,” Franklin says.
With Stubbs informing the tune selection, Gill and Franklin reimagined Price’s “One More Time” (originally recorded in 1960), “I’d Fight the World” (1966), “You Wouldn’t Know Love” (1970), “Walkin’ Slow (And Thinking ‘Bout Her)” (1962), “The Same Two Lips” (1967), “Weary Blues from Waitin’” (1951), “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)” (1958), “Sweet Memories” (1971), “Danny Boy” (1967), “Your Old Love Letters” (1965) and “Healing Hands of Time” (1966).
In addition to bringing lesser-known Price songs out of the history books, it was special to the men that they were able to highlight the work of such songwriters as Hank Williams, Mel Tillis, Hank Cochran, Joe Allison, Dave Kirby, Bobby Bare, Marty Robbins, Wayne Walker, Mickey Newbury, Willie Nelson, Lance Guynes, Fred Weatherly and Price, himself.
“Back then, you might release three albums in a year because they basically sold their product from the stage. So you had young Roger Miller, Mel Tillis, Willie Nelson, Harlan Howard, Hank Cochran and all these iconic writers writing so many songs,” Franklin says. “In that whole library of his discography, therein lies incredible songwriting.”
When it came to the recording of the project, it was important that the men did not do sound-alike records, which is something Gill learned when making a record with Rodney Crowell. The two were covering Buck Owens‘ “Above And Beyond,” and stuck close to the original recording.
“Buck heard it and said, ‘You didn’t change one note.’ We did it pretty verbatim. They’re both worthy, but what are you going to prove doing a note-for-note adaptation of something somebody’s already done?
“I don’t sound like Ray Price,” he adds. “I can emulate him, and I did in small doses. I think that’s just right, to take the spirit of it but don’t overkill it.”
Gill points out that something that he learned from making this record is Price’s mastery of editing himself.
“He was so patient and reserved as a singer. Even though he could go up and bust that high note, he didn’t do it nine times in the song—he did it once. He was patient,” Gill says. “As a young musician, I learned a valuable lesson. I played a solo on something and [the engineer] said, ‘That was nice. Now play me half of what you know.’
“That’s what everybody who is worth their weight do: they edit themselves. You gather yourself with musicians that know what not to do. Everybody gets to have that freedom to be sparse and patient,” Gill says. “Ray was not in a hurry to show you how great he could sing.”
Ultimately, Gill and Franklin hope that their selections of Price’s extensive catalog shines a lot on the vibrancy of country music in the ’50s and ’60s.
“If a young musician hears Vince or me on a record and love it, hopefully they dig in deeper and they’ll hear us talking about all these greats,” Franklin says.
“The beautiful thing about our musical history is that you can keep tracing it back further and further. Country music has been recorded now for close to 100 years, and it’s evolved quite a bit,” Gill shares. “It’s healthy that it changes. If it was the same thing over and over, it would wear thin.”
Click here to listen to Gill and Franklin’s Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys.
Industry Ink: Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Bowen Invitational, ACM
/by Caela GriffinAshley McBryde Celebrates Upcoming Album Release
Pictured (L-R): Anna Pittman (VP Artist Development, WMN); Tim Foisset (SVP Commercial Partnerships, WMN); Shane Tarleton (EVP Artist Development, WMN); John Peets (Q Prime); Ashley McBryde; Cris Lacy (Co-Chair & Co-President, WMN); Ben Kline (Co-Chair & Co-President, WMN); Kristen Williams (SVP Radio, WMN); Torie Mason (SVP Strategic Marketing & Analytics, WMN). Photo: Hayley Gjertsen
Ashley McBryde gathered with friends and industry members to celebrate her upcoming album The Devil I Know (due out Sept. 8) at Nashville’s Analog at Hutton Hotel on Wednesday night (Aug. 30).
Performing the album in its entirety, McBryde entertained the packed room with engaging behind-the-scenes stories about each song. Warner Music Nashville Co-Chair & Co-President Cris Lacy welcomed the crowd, describing McBryde as “absolutely essential in our format.”
Scotty McCreery Performs at Memorial Stadium for ‘Volleyball Day in Nebraska’
Pictured: Scotty McCreery with University of Nebraska Ladies Volleyball Team and Coach John Cook. Courtesy of University of Nebraska.
Triple Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery performed a concert following the University of Nebraska Ladies Volleyball Team’s winning match against Omaha at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska on Aug. 30.
The event set a new world record for the highest attendance at a women’s sporting event with 92,003 fans in attendance and was designated “Volleyball Day in Nebraska.”
“That was something I will never forget,” said McCreery after coming off stage. “It’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of, and they were fantastic. Hearing 92,003 people sing along and watching them dance and enjoy themselves is something I will never forget. Congrats to the Nebraska Volleyball Team on their win and setting the new world record. Those ladies are amazing athletes and it was exciting to watch their games. I thank them for having me be a part of the event!”
Randy Rogers, Williams Clark Green, More Attend Wade Bowen Invitational Raising Nearly $1 Million
Pictured (L-R): Wade Bowen, Jamey Johnson. Photo: Andrew Quinn.
Wade Bowen hosted his annual two-day, invite-only golf tournament, Bowen Invitational in San Antonio, Texas, raising nearly $1 million for the Bowen Family Foundation on Aug. 27 and 28. Guests at the event included Robert Earl Keen, Randy Rogers, William Clark Green, Jamey Johnson, Heather Morgan, William Beckmann and more.
The Bowen Family Foundationwas started by Wade and his family to support worthy causes in and around Texas that directly affects families in the community all year round. To-date, the organization has raised more than $6 million.
In true Wade fashion, the Bowen Invitational was a lot of golf, with a little bit of music too. A major highlight of the weekend was an impromptu, one-of-a-kind jam session on Sunday night (Aug. 27) with Rogers, Morgan, Green, Johnson, Beckmann and Bowen.
Monday evening featured a spectacular performance from Keen in what was a full circle moment for Bowen. This year’s live auction featured a George Strait autographed guitar and Vegas show tickets, Sunday passes to the 2024 Masters and a private acoustic performance from Bowen. The live auction alone raised more than $600, 000 for the Bowen Family Foundation.
ACM Celebrates Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary with OnRamp Showcase
ACM will celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop at a special celebration show, “Music City Hip Hop,” on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Presented by its much-heralded OnRamp program, the event will feature live performances by four members of the OnRamp inaugural class: Roz Malone, Daisha McBrirde, Qualls, and Kendall Warner aka “Ken-Say.”
The show will be at The Basement in Nashville at 7:00 p.m. and tickets are on sale now.
OnRamp is a partnership with the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) focused on improving inclusivity and equity within Music City and aiming to empower the next generation of leaders in the early stages of their careers by granting access to informational panels, professional development opportunities, 360º mentorship, industry exposure, and other opportunities.
Additionally, through the program, each participant receives a monthly stipend for one year. Half of the inaugural class are artists; the other half come from across the industry and range from attorneys to audio engineers, publicists to business managers.
Mark Your Calendar—September 2023
/by Liza AndersonSingle/Track Release Dates:
September 1
Colt Ford & Krizz Kaliko/Big Yeah/Average Joes Entertainment
Riley Green/Damn Country Music/BMLG Records
Parmalee/Boyfriend/Stoney Creek Records
Kylie Morgan/Making It Up As I Go/EMI Records Nashville
Austin & Colin/Guilt Tippin’/BMG/BBR Music Group
September 5
Jelly Roll/Save Me (with Lainey Wilson)/Stoney Creek Records
Pat Boone & Crystal Gayle/You and I/The Gold Label
September 6
Wyatt Putman/Back Road Country Music (feat. Frank Foster)
September 8
Josh Mirenda/In A Beer/Average Joes Entertainment
Adam Warner/Boots in the Bed/ONErpm
Levi Hummon/Rock Bottom (feat. Sam Tinnesz)
Skip Ewing/Road Dog
September 14
Julia Cole/Be The Whiskey
September 15
Wade Bowen/Lovin’ Not Leavin’/Thirty Tigers
EmiSunshine and The Rain/The Boy I Never Loved/Little Blackbird Records
Matt Jordan/Steel Away the Night/ONErpm
September 18
Lauren Alaina/Thicc As Thieves/Big Loud Records
Old Dominion/Can’t Break Up Now (with Megan Moroney)/Columbia Nashville
Ty Gregory/Easy Loving You/Ole Buster Music
American Blonde/A Man Like You
September 25
Neon Union/This Side of the Dirt/Red Street Records
Luke Kelly/Front Porch Swing/General Records
September 29
Sam Grow/Had It For A While/Average Joes Entertainment
Album/EP Release Dates:
September 1
Larry Fleet/Earned It/Big Loud Records
Brandon Davis/Life’s Too Short
September 8
Ashley McBryde/The Devil I Know/Warner Music Nashville
Josh Turner/Greatest Hits/MCA Nashville
Tyler Childers/Rustin’ In The Rain/Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records
Jon Langston/Heart On Ice/32 Bridge Entertainment/EMI Records Nashville
Reyna Roberts/Bad Girl Bible: Vol. 1/EMPIRE Nashville
Allison Russell/The Returner/Fantasy Records
Steep Canyon Rangers/Morning Shift
Pat Boone/Country Jubilee/The Gold Label
September 15
Willie Nelson/Bluegrass/Legacy Recordings
Dan + Shay/Bigger Houses/Warner Music Nashville
Brothers Osborne/Brothers Osborne/EMI Records Nashville
Travis Tritt/Country Chapel/Gaither Music Group
Alex Hall/Side Effect Of The Heart/Monument Records
Stephen Wilson Jr./Søn Of Dad/Big Loud Records
Tyler Booth/Keep It Real/Sony Music Nashville
Walker Montgomery/Work To Do/Clear Creek Productions
Voth/Memories Of You
Jim Lauderdale & The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys/The Long And Lonesome Letting Go
September 22
Carrie Underwood/Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition)/Capitol Records Nashville
Colbie Caillat/Along The Way/Blue Jean Baby Records
Parmalee/For You 2/Stoney Creek Records
Charles Wesley Godwin/Family Ties/Big Loud Records
Ben Goldsmith/The World Between My Ears/Sony Music Nashville
Brent Cobb/Southern Star/Ol’ Buddy Records/Thirty Tigers
Riley Clemmons/Church Pew/Capitol Christian Music Group
Buddy & Julie Miller/In The Throes/New West Records
Emily Ann Roberts/Can’t Hide Country
The Dryes/Raisin’ Beers & Hallelujahs
September 29
Thomas Rhett/20 Number Ones/The Valory Music Co.
Jason Isbell/Southeastern 10th Anniversary Edition/Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers
Boy Named Banjo/Dusk/Mercury Nashville
Tony Jackson/I’ve Got Songs To Sing/Bob Frank Distribution (BFD)/Audium Nashville
Charlotte Morris/Wild Child
Jade Eagleson/Do It Anyway
Industry Events:
September 12
MusicRow Awards (Online)
September 19 – 23
AmericanaFest
September 20
Americana Honors & Awards
September 23 – 24
Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival
September 26
Nashville Songwriter Awards
September 26 – 30
IBMA World of Bluegrass
September 28
People’s Choice Country Awards
Eric Church Wraps Two Nights As Country Music Hall Of Fame’s Artist-In-Residence
/by Lorie HollabaughEric Church performs as Artist-in-Residence at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Eric Church wrapped a two-night stand as the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2023 artist-in-residence Aug. 30.
Accompanied by his nine-piece band with a trio of backing vocalists, Church performed sold-out shows on Aug. 29 and 30 in the museum’s CMA Theater offering a chronological, retrospective journey through his life and career.
The shows featured many of Church’s biggest hits as well as unreleased new music in a setlist representing his career milestones and life events, from the earliest days of carving his own path and chart-topping success, to personal trials including his brother’s death and his own medical emergency in 2017. Song performances chronicling the two-decade journey were interspersed with video and audio commentary, including news headlines, album and concert reviews, personal voicemails and even Church’s own words.
Pictured (L-R): Brandon Schneeberger, Museum CEO Kyle Young, Vince Gill, Robert Oermann, Eric Church, VP of Museum Services Michael Gray, John Peets, Museum Board Chair Mary Ann McCready and Marshall Alexander. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Journalist and country music historian Robert K. Oermann welcomed Church to the stage each night to complete a “full circle” moment, harkening back to 2006 when Oermann introduced Church at his debut album showcase at the museum. Church was also joined by a special guest for both performances, with Country Music Hall of Fame member and past museum artist-in-residence Vince Gill taking the stage to perform a stirring, solo rendition of his song “Go Rest High on that Mountain” in honor of Church’s late brother, Brandon.
The show will air in its entirety during a special on Church’s Outsiders Radio channel on the SXM App. The special, “Eric Church LIVE! From the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,” will premiere on Monday, Sept. 4, at 8 p.m. ET. Replays will air Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 5 p.m. ET; Friday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. ET; and Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. ET.
The artist-in-residence shows were produced by Church’s longtime manager, John Peets, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit museum’s educational mission.
Austin & Colin Ink With BMG/BBR Music Group
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Mac & Cheese Media’s Sean Webster, BMG/Marathon Talent’s Peter Strickland, BMG’s Jon Loba, Colin Cooper, Austin Bever, BMG’s Chris Oglesby, Katie Kerkhover, Chris Poole and Marathon Talent’s Craig Campbell
Comedy/music duo Austin & Colin has signed with BMG/BBR Music Group.
The signing announcement coincides with the release of “Guilt Tippin’,” their new anthem tackling the excessive guilt of inappropriate tipping in a post-Covid world, out now.
Friends from Cincinnati, Austin & Colin began their careers in Nashville after attending Lipscomb University and Belmont University. Drawing inspiration from Lonely Island, Bo Burnham and Weird Al Yankovic, they satirize life’s quirks through catchy and anthemic jams blending EDM beats with electric guitars, spicy synth melodies, and hilariously relatable lyrics.
The duo have built a reputation for their comedic chemistry, delivering side-splitting sketches and satirical commentary. With a passion for laughter and a knack for capturing the absurdities of everyday life, they have amassed a dedicated fanbase with over six million views on their “Welcome To Nashville” series and collaborations with Jake Owen, Walker Hayes and Ryan Hurd.
“We are thrilled to unleash the incredibly creative breakout comedic and music duo Austin & Colin to the world. This song [‘Guilt Tippin”] is just the beginning of a new chapter at BMG,” says Peter Strickland, General Manager, BMG. “Personally, I’m still waiting on my team jacket.”
“We’re thrilled to be joining the BMG family and can’t wait to work with their talented team to take our music to the next level!,” says Austin & Colin. “It’s a dream come true that the wonderful people at BMG believe in our wild vision to bring joy and laughter to the world, and we cannot wait to reach new heights together.”
Kelsea Ballerini To Perform At 2023 Video Music Awards
/by Liza AndersonKelsea Ballerini. Photo: Daniel Prakopcyk
Kelsea Ballerini will celebrate her 30th birthday by taking the MTV/Video Music Awards (VMA) stage for the first time on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The multi-Platinum country star plans to treat fans to a world premiere performance of the expanded version of her latest critically-acclaimed EP Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (For Good).
This has been a record-breaking year so far for Ballerini, who just wrapped three sold-out legs of her headlining “Heartfirst Tour” as well as a successful trio of coast-to-coast fan screenings for the EPs short film, which she wrote and co-directed.
Other acts slated to perform at the event include Anitta, Doja Cat, Tomorrow x Together and Lil Wayne, who will return to the VMA stage for the first time in over a decade.
Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That In A Small Town’ Tops MusicRow Radio Chart
/by LB CantrellJason Aldean‘s “Try That In A Small Town” is the No. 1 song on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart after 15 weeks on the chart.
Last month, the controversial song topped the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, marking Aldean’s first Hot 100 No. 1. Written by Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Tully Kennedy and Kurt Allison, “Try That In A Small Town” notched the largest digital sales week for a country song since Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” featuring Nelly, released in July of 2013.
“Try That In A Small Town” currently sits at No. 12 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 9 on the Mediabase chart.
Click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Gibson Promotes Mat Koehler To Vice President Of Product
/by Caela GriffinMat Koehler. Credit: Gibson
Gibson has promoted Mat Koehler to the role of Vice President of Product at Gibson Brands, reporting to President & CEO Cesar Gueikian.
In his new role, Koehler will continue leading the Product Development team, expanding his responsibility across Instruments and Sound, two key pillars of Gibson’s global brand strategy and business organization.
“Mat has been instrumental in the evolution of Gibson’s portfolio architecture and is successfully leading the way across research, design and development for all Gibson Brands,” says Gueikian. “He is an extraordinary custodian of our iconic past, and he will continue to innovate, empowering musicians and music lovers with new and exciting products as a steward of our future.”
“I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Vice President of Product at Gibson Brands,” says Koehler. “I am excited to lead our exceptional team as we embark on this new chapter, shaping the future of our industry. Together, we will continue to inspire and deliver unparalleled value with instruments and sound.”
Wisconsin-born Koehler has been leading research, design and development creating new product introductions for Gibson, Custom Shop, Acoustics, the Murphy Lab, Epiphone and Kramer. This new position adds the responsibility of leading research, design and product development for amplifiers, effects and pro-audio, across all brands including Mesa Boogie, Maestro and KRK.
Koehler started as a product specialist for Gibson Custom Shop and Gibson Memphis, and became the Custom Shop Product Manager in 2018 as well as Head of Product Development the following year. His passion for guitar history has led him to be considered one of the top vintage guitar experts in the world, and also enables his work maintaining and recovering Gibson archive assets.
Whiskey Jam Pulls Up Stakes To Head To Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row
/by Lorie HollabaughWhiskey Jam, Nashville’s weekly original music series that has hosted over 875 live shows and thousands of performances, is moving to the heart of downtown Nashville at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row at 400 Broadway this month.
From its humble plywood stage in a bar just off of Nashville’s Music Row, the show has been a home for the artist and songwriting community for nearly 13 years, hosting shows by then-emerging artists including Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Old Dominion, Sam Hunt, Morgan Wallen and Bentley. Beginning Sept. 18, Whiskey Jam’s regular Monday and Thursday events will take place at the new location.
“Whiskey Row is the perfect new home for Whiskey Jam,” says Ward Guenther, Whiskey Jam Founder. “Their commitment to quality and variety aligns with our own values, allowing us to provide a truly unique experience for artists & fans alike. The downtown area has always been the epicenter of our city when it comes to energy, excitement, and most importantly, music. So we’re honored to bring our event into the heart of Nashville.”
“When we started construction on Whiskey Row seven years ago, my first call was to Ward because I knew he would be able to help us establish a music program that’s representative of the most authentic parts of Nashville, which was really important to me,” shares Bentley. “This feels like a natural evolution in our relationship. I’m proud to know that my bar will be home base for artists and fans who want to hear original music of all kinds.”
Whiskey Jam’s 10th anniversary celebration sold out the Ryman Auditorium without announcing a single performer, and the event’s early support of today’s superstars has led to collaborations this year with Combs to provide the “Whiskey Jam x Bootlegger” Tailgate Party at all of his North American stadium shows. Whiskey Jam also presented the opening slots on Old Dominion’s “No Bad Vibes” Tour, which featured up-and-comers like Frank Ray, Kassi Ashton and Greylan James.
Jim Lauderdale Teams Up With The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys For New Project
/by Lorie HollabaughJim Lauderdale and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys are set to release The Long And Lonesome Letting Go, a new 12-song bluegrass LP on Sept. 15.
The project includes all-new Lauderdale co-writes, with half of the tracks penned with the band’s guitarist Josh Rinkel. Other co-writers contributing to the collection include Becky Buller, Joe Newberry, Jimmy Ritchey, Logan Ledger and Alex Leach.
Lauderdale and The Po Ramblin’ Boys have shared the album’s lead-off track, “Long And Lonesome Letting Go,” a co-write with multi-instrumentalist, Bob Minner. Also joining the already-stacked lineup is Bluegrass Hall of Famer Del McCoury.
“I felt like that song ought to kick off the record, and somebody in Po’ Ramblin’ Boys said, ‘You know, Del would sound great on this,'” says Lauderdale. “Of course! So we reached out and luckily he was available. It didn’t feel right to just have him on the chorus, so he and I switch off a few lines in the verses. I’d never gotten to record with Del before, so that was a real treat.”
Lauderdale and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys will head to this year’s IBMA World Of Bluegrass conference in Raleigh, North Carolina in late September, performing The Long And Lonesome Letting Go tunes as well as separate sets of their own original songs.
The Long And Lonesome Letting Go Track Listing:
1. “Long And Lonesome Letting Go”
2. “She’s On A Different Train”
3. “I’m Only So Good At Being Good”
4. “You Fell Off The Face Of The Earth”
5. “Last Resort”
6. “Ghost Of A Rose”
7. “Darkness Is The Other Side of Light”
8. “If I Could Only Get My Heart To See”
9. “That Was When We Were Together”
10. “A Better Place”
11. “She’s The Light”
12. “Drop The Hammer Down”