Pam Tillis Prepares to Cross The Pond for Ireland,UK Tour Run

Pam Tillis Prepares to Cross 'The Pond' for Ireland, UK Tour Run
Mar 26, 2009
(Nashville, TN) - Grammy Award winning Country music star Pam Tillis is prepping her band for a trip across the Atlantic with dates scattered throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom filling her April tour itinerary. With 14 dates scheduled throughout the region, Tillis will depart for Ireland later this month, giving her a little extra time to play tourist on the "The Emerald Isle." "I've looked forward to this tour for such a long, long time. I'm happy to learn there's an awareness and interest in my music in Ireland and the United Kingdom." Tillis notes. "Everyone I know that has had the chance to tour there came back totally smitten with the people and the landscape. It's also a personal pilgrimage for me as I have Scotch Irish ancestry and feel very drawn to the music. Quite simply, I just can't wait!" Tillis currently has a new project in the works in which she plans to release later this year. IRELAND / UNITED KINGDOM TOUR DATES: April 11, Coleraine, Ireland April 12, Letterkenny, Ireland April 13, Belfast, Ireland April 15, Armagh, Ireland April 16, Enniskillen, Ireland April 18, Tipperary, Ireland April 19, Dublin, Ireland April 21, Cookstown, Ireland April 23, BBC Radio (National Performance) April 24, Barrow-in-Furness, UK April 25, Bedford, UK April 26, Buxton, UK April 28, Basingstoke, UK April 29, Aberdare, UK ###
www.pamtillis.com

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers Host New Opry Country Classics Show

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Host New Opry Country Classics Show This Thursday
(Nashville, TN - March 24, 2009) - Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers host the debut of country's newest and coolest live concert series to hit Nashville in years with the launch of the Opry Country Classics concert series this Thursday March 26, 2009 at The Grand Ole Opry.
Presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, the debut kicks off with host Larry Gatlin at the mic. There have been many great voices in country music and one golden one: Larry Gatlin. His bell-like tones and soul-stirring vibrato are works of art in themselves, quite apart from the lyrics they illuminate. Of course, Gatlin is equally distinguished as a songwriter. Of the 42 songs he charted between 1973 and 1990, including 17 Top 10s and the Grammy-winning "All The Gold In California," he single-handedly wrote every one, an achievement unmatched by any other artist in popular music.
"One of the great joys of my life is being a member for the world famous Grand Ole Opry," says Gatlin. "I look forward to being one of the hosts on the new Opry Country Classics show!"[Rumored to be recording a new album for a major label in Nashville], Larry and the boys, known for such signature hits as "Houston," "Broken Lady" and "All The Gold In California" are sure to light up the Opry stage, while Country Music Hall of Famer Loretta Lynn and Lorrie Morgan promise nothing but the finest for country music fans looking for that classic sound and spirit performed live by the originators.
For tickets call 1-800-see-opry or visit opry.com.
###
_____________________________________________________________________
Media Contact:
THE PRESS OFFICE
Jim Della Croce, Owner / Publicist
o. 615.750.5938
c. 615.419.9989
f. 615.810.9492
e. mailto:thepathfinder@mindspring.com
1009 16th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/tools/refer.php?s=482265795&u=18980581&url=aHR0cDovL3d3dy50aGVwcmVzc29mZmljZS5jb20=&key=bab85808b87423bd05bf268d37face45
Publicity Support:ABSOLUTE PUBLICITY INC.
Don Murry Grubbs, Owner / Publicist
o. 615.275.8380
f. 615.810.9492
e. don@absolutepublicity.com
1009 16th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/tools/refer.php?s=482265795&u=18980583&url=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hYnNvbHV0ZXB1YmxpY2l0eS5jb20=&key=31a5f787d0be86cc25acfee2d5d25abaMAXIMUM PR!For the Entertainment Industry
The Press OfficeProudly Representing:John Anderson, Aaron Tippin, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Billy Dean, Leon Redbone, Thompson Ward, NASCAR's Chase Mattioli, The Liquid Fence CompanyAbsolute Publicity Inc.Proudly Representing:Pam Tillis, Alabama's Jeff Cook, 2008 Colgate Country Showdown Champions Nash Street, Bread's Robb Royer, The Finnigan Bros., Karissa

"Alison Krauss and Union Station, Live In Louisville"- Some Thoughts

Are we getting near the end of the Best bluegrass band in the Land, AKUS? Possibly, I reviewed her double live CD "Live in Louisville" quite awhile back, recently, I bought a nice universal Disc player by OppoDisc, nice player, so I could listen to CDs in higher definition sound and also watch music DVDs and SACDs. The DVD is from both of the shows at the Louisville Palace, quite a nice place for a concert. I never heard the band sound better, and Krauss sounded awesome, with the production of guitars sounding tonally incredible. They definitely enjoy playing together and they are all different. In case no one noticed, they have a drummer, can't think of the guys name, but I remember He played for Seatrain many years ago, a great crossover rock, bluegrass group. He just uses brushs most of the time.
Something you do not notice from listening to her sing and play, she has quite a sense of humor, since she is the spokesperson for the group, she has a very dry but funny way about her. Ron Block, lead guitar player and banjo player is quite good, but different than your average bluegrass picker, who mostly riffs off scales and fast note connections, Block stays near the melody, also has a nice voice, heard that he has recently put out a Christian CD. Tyminski's "Wheels" was a recent great success. There is something about Dan, when the band broke into "Man Of Constant Sorrow", The crowd went nuts. Very good version too. The group basically does all of their popular stuff, plus some of their individual cuts.
In closing, Jerry Douglas played a couple of songs, one by himself, There are many good Dobro players out there , but if you listen to Douglas's solo CDs you will know what I mean , this guy is the Josh Graves of the decade. Let us hope, that they continue on in their excellent ways.

"Heartbreaker's Hall Of Fame" - Sunny Sweeney - A Review

Sunny Sweeney is a very attractive young lady who has an exciting old time country record and a real good emotive country voice with a a set list of twelve very good songs by herself and some of country's best, including Jim Lauderdale. Sweeney has a way with a song and this Texas country soundin' band cooks with some great chickin' pickin' and plenty of great pedal steel and country fiddle.
Her songs range from rockabilly to hot Texas swing. I love the sound, her vocals are real country like the guitars and pedal steel. She really reminds me of nobody, but I love her sound. This disc will definitely get you moving. a lot of upbeat country rockers. Produced by Tommy Detamore and Tom Lewis, co-produced by Sunny Sweeney. Recorded, mixed, mastered by Tommy Detamore, who does more than an adequate job on this old timey masterpiece. "Lavender Blue" with Jim Lauderdale is a very good country love song. The CD starts out rockin' with a song called "Refresh My Memory" ,this song moves real well and is the sign of things to come, with an acoustic/ electric sound. She has such great control over her vocals, and the country accent is real, growing up in Eastern Texas. She was fronting her first band in 2004, doing what she says is the hardest she ever worked in her whole life, but loving it. Her Label "The Big Machine" is a good label for an artist like herself. She really sounds like the real thing, "If I Could" is a hot cooking song that is super fast and definitely sounds live with audience sound.
"16th Avenue" - This song ends the disc, she shows how she can sing a slow ballad. What a voice, nice harmonica here. A song about people following their dreams. Some more great country guitar. What else can I say , but Sweeney is a refreshing artist, and this whole album refreshed my memory. Check this out!!!

www.sunnysweeney.com --

Jeff Cooks Up Downtown Nashville As New Album Hits The Internet

JEFF 'COOKS' UP DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE AS NEW ALBUM HITS INTERNET CONSUMER MARKET
Alabama Co-Founder and Lead Guitarist Celebrates New Album Release in Heart of Music City, USA
(Nashville, TN - March 19, 2009) - After tearing the roof off The Billy Block Show last Tuesday night, Country Music Hall of Famer Jeff Cook decided he wasn't done 'pickin' on Music City, USA.
Cook and his entourage (Allstar Goodtime Band saxophonist Jim Nelson, 2008 Colgate Country Showdown Champions Nash Street and publicist Don Murry Grubbs) hit Nashville's lower Broadway hard, first making a stop at Legend's Corner. Much to the delight of fellow St. Patrick's day celebrators, Cook announced, "Well I'm not wearing green, but this will have to do," as he pulled his custom made lime-green Parker Fly guitar from its casing. Cook and Nelson took Legends' stage with a rockin' version of the Merle Haggard fan favorite, "Workin' Man's Blues."Legendary Tootsie's Orchid Lounge was the next stop on Cook's honky-tonk blitz. Cook and Nelson, joined on stage by Tootsie's own John Stone, filled the premises with onlookers as they plowed through Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Fishin In the Dark," Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" and Hank Jr.'s "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound." The former Alabama lead guitarist and fiddler then jumped on keys with a ‘funtryfied' rendition of the Jerry Lee Lewis classic, "Great Balls of Fire.""I couldn't think of a better way of celebrating my album release," says Cook of his St. Patrick's Day pub-crawl. "Now THAT was fun!"Cook and his Allstar Goodtime Band digitally released Ashes Won't Burn the same day.***High resolution photos available upon request(Photo Credit: Randi Radcliff) _____________________________________________________________
Publicity Contact:
ABSOLUTE PUBLICITY INC.Don Murry Grubbs, Publicisto. 615.275.8380f. 615.810.9492don@absolutepublicity.com1009 16th Ave SNashville, TN 37212www.absolutepublicity.com

American Roots Music Superstars Mix it Up _ _ _

American Roots Music Superstars Mix It Up With Uzbek Jam Band, Jadoo,
To Form CEDAR HILL REFUGEES
John Carter Cash and Jack Clift Produce Culturally Transcendent Pale Imperfect Diamond
Nashville, TN - Although globalization has become a popular buzzword and topic in the twenty-first century world of business, music remains delineated as influenced by Eastern or Western culture. With the release of Pale Imperfect Diamond, on May 19, 2009, listeners all over the world will get the unique opportunity to enjoy an attuned blend of Eastern and Western musical influences.
Pale Imperfect Diamond is an ambitious collection of roots music standards and original tracks recorded in cultural poles. Co-producer Jack Clift met with John Carter Cash and the idea to marry the musical styles with an album formed; the two producers were committed to unifying American folk ballads and traditional Uzbek instrumentation from the album’s inception. Jadoo, an American-Uzbek band Jack Clift co-founded while living in Uzbekistan, recorded Pale Imperfect Diamond’s base tracks in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The bones of the album were then taken to Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee where they were masterfully blended and complemented with American roots music instrumentation and vocals. The lustrous cast that assembled at Cash Cabin included The Peasall Sisters, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart and John Cowan. The collective of participants from both countries, including Jack Clift and Cash, became known as Cedar Hill Refugees.
Of Pale Imperfect Diamond’s thirteen tracks, seven are roots standards dating back to the twentieth century or earlier. The other five songs were written specifically for the record and include the title track, penned by Jack Clift, Jack Propps and John Carter Cash. “Pale Imperfect Diamond” and the other originals aim to capture the renegade spirit and vitality of both genres. Among the standards, an album standout is the re-imagined “Wildwood Flower,” a touchstone of the American folk catalogue made famous by the Carter family. The Cedar Hill Refugees’ version features Peasall Sisters vocals and closes with an Eastern jam that lasts over four minutes.
Jack Clift realizes the importance of the Cedar Hill Refugees collaboration to the greater world view. “Globalization is, obviously, not an entirely painless process,” Clift explains. “It’s just a joy and honor to be a part of something so passionately positive and showing that divergent cultures can not only work together but that the final result actually enhances the richest qualities of each.” Jack Clift is also candid about the legacy of Pale Imperfect Diamond. “Certainly this is something that would be a great relief to all if it could be carried into the greater scheme of socio-political interaction,” Clift states. “This has not been lost on the participants in these projects.”
Intrigued by the music of Uzbekistan, composer and producer Jack Clift began visiting the Central Asian country to learn more about the music though studio work with Jadoo, a group of musicians who improvise using traditional Uzbek music. Clift’s first trip took place in 2004 and, almost immediately, he began to identify the similarities between Uzbek music and the music of his youth; he likened it specifically to Appalachian mountain music that stirred his imagination. Rather than think the rhythms and tones a world away from one another, Clift noticed the parallel construction.
Although thousands of miles separated the Cedar Hill Refugees musicians during the recording of Pale Imperfect Diamond, the result is a beautiful testament to the boundless reach and power of music.
###

Bill Monroe Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival 8 Days

Bill Monroe Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival8 Days – Over 50 Bands Scheduled June 13-20, 2009Are you ready for the biggest bluegrass week of the year?The legends of bluegrass are rollin’ into town!
BEAN BLOSSOM, IN –Saturday, June 13, 2009 will mark the forty-third anniversary for the oldest, continuous running bluegrass festival in the world- the Bill Monroe Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. A local legacy for the state of Indiana, this annual event features the top names in bluegrass drawing thousands of people from all over the world to make the pilgrimage to the historical Bill Monroe Music Park & Campground in Bean Blossom, Indiana.Saturday, June 13th: Kick-off the festival with the great sounds of the The Grascals, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Larry Stephenson Band, Danny Paisley & Southern Grass, Tommy Brown & County Line Grass, Country Saloon Band from Russia and Bill Monroe’s son- James Monroe & The Midnight Ramblers. Music 11am-11pm.Sunday, June 14th: The Bean Blossom tradition continues as we worship and praise with Bill Monroe’s preacher- The Real Apostle Pastor Paul Baggett. Enjoy the sounds of bluegrass gospel from Paul Williams & Victory Trio, The Sullivan Family, Danny Paisley & Southern Grass, Harvest Wind, Tommy Brown & County Line Grass, Reel Tyme String Band and New Old Timers. Music 9am-6pm.Monday, June 15th: Start your week off with the hard driving bluegrass from Lonesome River Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, David Davis & Warrior River Boys, Monroe Crossing, Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show, Tim Graves & Cherokee, and New Old Timers. Music 11am-11pmTuesday, June 16th: Join us for another Bean Blossom tradition as we enjoy a hot bowl of Ham & Beans and Miss Dixie Halls’ famous cornbread at the annual Ham & Bean Supper. Kick back and enjoy the bluegrass sounds of: Randy Waller & Country Gentlemen, Kenny & Amanda Smith, Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad, Cadillac Sky, Wildfire, Karl Shiflet & Big Country Show, Bluegrass Parkway from Australia and Youth Boot Camp Band. Music 11am-11pmWednesday, June 17th: Get ready for the reigning IBMA Entertainer’s of the Year Dailey & Vincent are back in town! Other artists performing include: IIIrd Tyme Out, The Lewis Family, Special Consensus, Lizzy Long & Legacy, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, Wildwood Valley Boys and Lost River Risin’. Music 11am-11pm Thursday, June 18th: Enjoy the soulful sounds of bluegrass with Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers and the hard driving banjo of J.D. Crowe & The New South. Also performing are Charlie Sizemore Band, Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain, David Parmley & Continental Divide, Melvin Goins & Windy Mountain, Special Consensus, and Bluegrass Parkway from Australia. Music 11am-11pm Friday, June 19th: Bring your instruments and jam with the stars at the oldest of Bean Blossom traditions- the Bill Monroe Sunset Jam. On stage: Longview, Ralph Stanley II, J.D. Crowe & New South, James King Band, Ronnie Reno & Reno Tradition, Jesse McReynolds & Virginia Boys, Melvin Goins & Windy Mountain, Hard Ryde from Canada, Midnight Ramblers and New Old Timers. Music 11am-11pm Saturday, June 20th: This will be a night to remember featuring the Dan Tyminski Band, Dr.Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Bobby Osborne & Rocky Top Xpress, James King Band, Dixie Bee Liners, Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, Goldwing Express, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge and Summertown Road. Music 11am-MidnightAdvance Ticket Prices thru June 1st: $15-$30 for a single day admission; and $75-$150 for multi-day tickets. Juniors 13-16yrs SAVE $5 OFF per day; Children 12 and under are free. Included with your festival ticket is admission to Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Hall of Fame, Country Star Museum & Uncle Pen's Cabin self-guided tour; all music and instrument workshops and activities scheduled at the Artist Workshop Stage; access to all food concessions and merchants. Gates open at 7am. Parking is FREE and handicap accessible. Bring your lawn chairs; no large coolers or alcohol allowed in the concert area. No pets or smoking allowed in the concert area. On-site tent camping and self-contained RV camping is available. Youth Bluegrass Boot Camp will take place Sunday-Tuesday, June 14-16. Interested youth ages 6-18 years of age will be allowed to sign up prior to June 1st for the fun but structured camp. The Youth Bluegrass Booth Camp consists of professional instructors and will teach students in small group and one-on-one sessions-brand new through advanced. There will be over 15 hours of hands on instruction (banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar and bass) covering topics such as: basic instrument care and handling, vocals and harmonies, stage presence and working with microphones, songwriting, jam etiquette-you name it! Additional Admission charged: Youth Bluegrass Boot Camp (Single Child) $35. Youth Bluegrass Boot Camp (Multiple) $30For more information and directions call (800)414-4677 or visit www.BeanBlossom.com

Get Your Band Canned

GET YOUR BAND CANNED

NASHVILLE— Vietti Vinyl, an innovative program created by the makers of Vietti Chili, a popular product that has been enjoyed in American households for years, has launched its 2009 campaign to promote emerging and established musical talent through collectible product labels and other grassroots marketing initiatives. Vietti produces 150,000 to 200,000 cans of chili per label run and with distribution in more than 30 states, the power of your music and branding has unique potential to reach new audiences!
In 2007/2008, the Vietti brand featured musical entertainers such as The Grascals, the Warren Brothers, Heartland, Restless Heart, John Corbett, Riders in the Sky, Cherryholmes, Nashville Star winner Chris Young, Aly Sutton, Tom Hambridge, Lucy Angel, the Isaacs, the Povertyneck Hillbillies, Alecia Nugent, and Pat Flynn.
In addition to the can branding music fans are able to download the artist’s music right from the Vietti Vinyl website and actually track the traffic and downloads. This is a new way to build a fan base, gain recognition, brand an artists career in new markets and introduce the band to a whole new demographic!
All artists and bands wishing to be considered for this campaign should submit a press kit and music sample to:
Vietti Vinyl Music ProgramP.O. Box 23015Nashville, TN 37202(615) 777-6995 x30

The Oak Ridge Boys Set To Perform on SXSW

For immediate release
THE OAK RIDGE BOYS SET TO PERFORM ON SXSW LIVE MARCH 20TH AT 7PM CT/8PM ET ON DIRECTV’S THE 101® NETWORK

Nashville, TN – The Oak Ridge boys are making a special appearance this week at Austin, Texas’ trendsetting South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival. They will perform on SXSW Live, a live television broadcast airing exclusively on DIRECTV’s original entertainment channel, The 101® Network. Broadcasting live in HD and 5.1 surround sound, their performance will air Friday March 20th at 7pm CST / 8pm ET.

“For the third year in a row, DIRECTV customers will be able to experience SXSW Live with a front-row seat and an exclusive look into one of the premier music festivals in the world,” said Eric Shanks, executive vice president of Entertainment for DIRECTV.

The broadcast will originate from updated state-of-the-art venue – the Lonestar Lounge - constructed from the ground up in the Austin Convention Center to host the exclusive SXSW Live performances on DIRECTV.

SXSW Live is produced through a partnership with the SXSW Music and Media Conference, Blaze TV (www.blaze.tv ) and DIRECTV

For more information on the SXSW Music Conference, please visit: http://2009.sxsw.com/music

For more information on SXSW Live, please visit: www.sxswlive.com

About The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys have one of the most distinctive and recognizable sounds in the music industry. Their string of hits includes the pop chart-topper Elvira, as well as Bobbie Sue, Dream On, Thank God For Kids, American Made, I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes, Fancy Free, Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight and many others. They've scored 12 gold, three platinum, and one double platinum album, plus one double platinum single, and had more than a dozen national Number One singles and over 30 Top Ten hits.

The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of the Oak Ridge Boys have earned them Grammy, Dove, CMA, and ACM awards and garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades. The Oak Ridge Boys continue to tour extensively, performing over 160 concerts each year. Every time they step before an audience, the Oaks bring three decades of charted singles to bear on a stage show widely acknowledged as among the most exciting anywhere.

About DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTV - News), the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 17.6 million customers in the United States and is leading the HD revolution with more than 130 HD channels. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 265 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed national cable companies for eight years running) and superior technologies that include advanced DVR and HD-DVR services and the most state-of-the-art interactive sports packages available anywhere. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com.

About SXSW
South By Southwest (SXSW) Music and Media Conference, taking place March 18 - 22, 2009, features a legendary festival showcasing more than 1,800 musical acts of all genres from around the globe on over eighty stages in downtown Austin. By day, the Austin Convention Center comes alive with conference registrants doing business in the Trade Show and partaking of a full agenda of informative, provocative panel discussions featuring hundreds of speakers of international stature. In its 23rd year, SXSW remains an essential event on the music industry calendar.
For more information, access our website at http://sxsw.com/
###
For Further Information Please Contact:

Webster & Associates Public Relations 615-777-6995Jeremy Westby / jeremy@websterpr.comKirt Webster / kirt@websterpr.comThe Brokaw Company (310) 273-2060Sanford Brokaw / brokawc@aol.com
DirecTV Contacts:
Paki Newell, Lauren Kelcher Darris Gringeri
The Lippin Group DIRECTV
323-965-1990 212-205-0882
pnewell@lippingroup.com dagringeri@directv.com

"Cherryholmes III - Don't Believe" - A Review

Well, here we are at the third CD of this very talented group already. I loved their 1st CD very much, to me their second CD was a bit of a disappointment. Especially in the sound quality department.
Jere (Dad) was not happy with the sound quality of the second CD either and talked to label head Ricky Skaggs about it. Well, I guess the talk did something because this disc sounds great. From the talented production of Ben Isaacs to the HDCD mastering of Andrew Mendelsohn and friends at Georgetown Masters.
This is a well balanced mix of bluegrass and acoustic country music. The instruments sound rich and natural. Their self written songs are very good. Some subtle sound effects on some of the tracks are really neat, some nice tastefully used.
The whole mood of the disc is a bit on the dark side, the photography is really interesting. In the booklet with the lyrics, the centerfold is the 3 male Cherryholmes sitting on biker choppers with the women standing beside them in jeans and not how you would think this original family oriented group would look. The lightning bolts are back from the second CD, maybe they will be gone next time. The inside of the disc behind where the CD sits (jewel Case) is dark and moody, on the back of the jewelcase it is like fireworks and party time.
Very interesting upbeat cover of (Parsons, Hillman) "Devil in Disguise".
The CD has two short instrumentals and the first one "Sumatra" Has an Allman brothers like theme going on in the background. The second one "Mansker Spreel O Coughlins Reel" This let's their twin fiddles play some. The main instrumentalists of the group are Cia's banjo, Sandy's mandolin and Skip on guitar. But Skip is mainly the rhytmn player and leader of the group I have heard. I would like to see Skip playing lead guitar in the future. They should at least have someone like Bryan Sutton playing some bluegrass leads during the CD. (hint, hint) They do use Rob Ickes to play dobro a lot on this disc.

Just noticed something interesting ,the title "Don't Believe" does not have Mom "Sandy" on it. I think that possibly she did not the lyrics, so BJ puts his fiddle down and joins them on mandolin for this song and also the first instrumental.
"This is My Son" - Beautiful bluegrass ballad about a mom sending son off to war. It compares this to God's only son and what he does for us. Cia sings this one very much from the heart. Background vocals are not getting their Kudos here. I could have misread Cia's distress, but someone aint happy for this.
I have really enjoyed this review. I love bluegrass and this has more of a bluegarss twist than anything else. This group has grown since their first disc. Sidebar, I hate Discs and CDs, ok, had to get that out of my system. I am analog man the third. I record CDS I like on good Cassettes and frisby the sterile sounding DISCS. Was that a little too hard to get, I will say it again, Digital music stinks and is ruining the music business. There, (sorry Jere, had to say it). This is a creative album , musically even down to the artwork like on a LP. That stands for longplaying record. Vinyl. It's been a while since I sat and reviewed a CD on the first few listens because I like it so much, then typed it the same day. Not that I haven't been enjoying the music I review, cause I only review what I like. Well, it is getting early, like almost 4 in the morning.
Coming soon, new music by Mindy Smith and also The GreenCards. God Bless You til then.

www.cherryholmes.com

Carlene Carter Updates from Yep Roc

Check out Carlene Carter's latest record, Stronger

Order Stronger at the Yep Roc Web Shop and get the digital version FREE! The DRM-free MP3s will be available in your Stash right away.
"I couldn't let a day go by without writing a note about C.C.'s record. It is astounding." – Elvis Costello
"First album in more than a decade for the Carter Family scionette and rebel country star, after a succession of travails, so it's great to hear her again." –
USA Today
"A magnificent, and welcome, return." – Harp
"After a lifetime of highs and lows, Carlene Carter finds the key to survival at the core of her family tradition." – No Depression
"It may well stand as one of the best albums of this year." – Country Standard Time
"By fusing catchy choruses with downhome twang and sweet harmonies, Carter deftly straddles the fence between classic country and pop. Welcome her back." – Toronto Sun
"The emotional centerpiece is the title cut, which recalls her departed sister. Carter's stark, brave vocals are nothing short of stunning." – The Arizona Republic
"A meatier, juicier, more savory comeback than I Fell in Love was, this isn’t Carter coming back, this is our fair lady roaring back, in touch with the press on spirit that guided her mom and led her granny to invent country music... Betcha this is the comeback story of the year." – Midwest Record
"
Stronger proves she can still write and that her sometimes-throaty, always-seasoned country vocals can still sell a song." – Fort Worth Weekly
As part of country music royalty (the daughter of June Carter Cash and Carl Smith and step daughter to Johnny Cash) Carlene Carter has seen both the ups and downs of the music business and life. Inspired by her life experiences, Stronger is a raw but touching recollection of her life of the past few years. Years that included the wrenching sorrow of the sudden death of her stepfather, mother, sister and ex-lover, as well as the euphoria of falling in love with the cowboy of her dreams.

40th Celebration of Country Radio Seminar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jeff Walker - AristoMedia - 615.269.7071 - jwalker@aristomedia.comEd Salamon - CRB - 615.327.4487 - ed_salamon@crb.org
Nashville Gears Up For 40th Anniversary Celebration of Country Radio Seminar®
CRS-40 Begins Wednesday, March 4
(Nashville, TN - March 2, 2009) Mark your calendar this week to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Country Radio Seminar in downtown Nashville, the preeminent annual event for country music radio industry personnel. Who: Country music radio industry executives, artists and employees from all across the countryWhat: The 40th anniversary of Country Radio Seminar, the annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas within the country music industryWhen: Wednesday, March 4 through Friday, March 6, 2009Where: The Nashville Convention Center in downtown Nashville, Tenn.This year's CRS-40 boasts an impressive lineup of educational panels, talented speakers and performances from some of the hottest names in country music. "Although there is no denying that our nation's economy affects the country radio industry greatly, Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. feels that the 40th anniversary of CRS continues to offer exceptional value to our attendees. We have created a good balance of education, entertainment and networking opportunities, the importance of which cannot be overstated in our industry," says CRB Executive Director Ed Salamon.A streamlined agenda of panels, performers and events at this week's CRS-40 follows below.Tuesday, March 3:The Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame events unofficially mark the beginning of CRS each year. The Hall of Fame Cocktail Party begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evening. The Dinner and Induction Ceremony follows at 6 p.m. This year's 2009 inductees are Chuck Collier and Gerry House (DJ Hall of Fame) and Bob McKay and Moon Mullins (Radio Hall of Fame). Merle Haggard will receive the Career Achievement Award and Shelia Shipley Biddy will be presented the President's Award.Wednesday, March 4:Wednesday's events kick off at 9 a.m. with the Opening Ceremonies and Award Presentation. The keynote address, delivered by marketing expert Seth Godin, will follow at 10 a.m. in the Performance Hall, with the Motivational Speaker/Life Coach panel at 11:15 a.m. This year's speaker will be former No. 1 country artist Sylvia Hutton.New label Golden Music will sponsor Wednesday's luncheon, featuring performances by Benton Blount and Williams Riley. The previously scheduled morning Artist Radio Taping Session (sponsored by SESAC) will now be combined with the afternoon A.R.T.S. panel. As a result, the afternoon session will be extended by one hour (2:30 p.m. - 4:50 p.m.).Performers at ASCAP's KCRS Live! will include artists and songwriters Jimmy Wayne, Kelley Lovelace, Ashley Gorley and Jonathan Singleton. The popular Music City JamTM (7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. in the Performance Hall) will be hosted this year by Tim McGraw and sponsored by the Academy of Country Music. Additionally, two educational panels will be featured Wednesday afternoon: "Country Radio As Seen Through The PPM Lens," sponsored by Arbitron, and "Back to the Future: 1969-2049."Thursday, March 5:Designated as Music Industry Town Meeting Day, single day registration for Thursday's activities may be purchased on-site for $265. The day's agenda includes the return of the Tech Track and Small Market Track panels. Tech Track panels include "Spinning a Web" and "40 New Media Ideas." Small Market panels include "Come Hell or High Water: Disaster Preparedness," "You're a PD, Now What?" and "Champagne Production on a Beer Budget." Sixteen panels will be offered in all during the day between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday's events begin at 9 a.m. with The Country Music Association revealing the results of its 2008 Country Music Consumer Segmentation Study, conducted by Leo Burnett Co. and Starcom MediaVest Group. Sony Music Nashville's luncheon (noon - 1:50 p.m.) will feature performances by Miranda Lambert and Jake Owen. At 4:10 p.m. Bobby Pinson, Paul Overstreet, Josh Turner and Jamey Johnson will perform during WCRS Live! (sponsored by BMI and Country Aircheck).Friday, March 6:Friday is Radio Sales Day. Single day registration, including entrance to the New Faces of Country Music Show®, is available for $370 on-site. Friday's events will kick-off with the Managers' Breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by CRS-40's second research study, which will present findings from the Edison Research / CRB National Country P1 Study 2009 at 10 a.m. Panels during the day will focus on important topics that affect the Country Radio format, such as consumer habits, promotional and research ideas, voicetracking and tools to increase sales. Prominent sales panels include "20 Ideas Even a PD Would Love," "PPM! Selling the Country Format," "What's NTR Got To Do With It?" "Creative Closing" and "A Car Dealer Tells All About Advertising." More than a dozen panels will be offered during Friday's activities. Friday's luncheon, sponsored by Capitol Nashville, will feature performances from Darius Rucker and Little Big Town. Also during lunch, Operation Troop Aid, a non-profit charity organization, will send 500 care packages from CRS-40 to deployed U.S. troops. Packages will contain phone cards, MP3s, beef jerky, trail mix, hand wipes, hand sanitizer, cookies, candy, granola bars, toiletry items and thank you letters. At 4:10 p.m., Barbara Mandrell will interview Kix Brooks during the Life of a Legend series.

One of Country Radio Seminar's most popular events, The New Faces of Country Music Show and Dinner (sponsored by R&R and CMA) starts at 6:30 p.m. with performances from Lady Antebellum, James Otto, Kellie Pickler, Chuck Wicks and The Zac Brown Band. CRS-40 will then officially close with the unique 40th Anniversary Jam: A Musical Thanks to Radio, to be held at Cadillac Ranch and sponsored by DigitalRodeo.com. Artists will cover their favorite radio hits from the last 40 years, featuring performances by Emerson Drive, Andy Griggs, Julianne Hough, Jamie O'Neal, James Otto, Blake Shelton, Jimmy Wayne, Chuck Wicks, Mark Wills and Darryl Worley, among others.
A new CRS documentary can be seen during the three-day seminar at the Renaissance and Hilton hotels in downtown Nashville. The film, produced by Art Vuolo and titled WCRS-TV, chronicles various CRS highlights over the last 21 years.CRS-40 will be held March 4-6, 2009 at the Nashville Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. Detailed seminar information and a full agenda can be found online at www.CRB.org. On-site registration is still available for $699 and may be purchased at the Convention Center.About CRB:The Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. ® is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization founded in 1969 to bring radio broadcasters from around the world together with the Country Music Industry to ensure vitality and promote growth in the Country Radio format. More information may be obtained at: www.CRB.org or at the CRB office at 615-327-4487.About CRS:The Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas in the country music industry. Country Radio Seminar is a registered trademark of Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.
The AristoMedia GroupP.O. Box 22765 Nashville, TN 37202Phone: 615-269-7071 Fax: 615-269-0131 Email: publicity@aristomedia.com

"Sleepless Nights" - Patty Loveless - A review

This new album by Patty Loveless follows the road she has been on since "Mountain Soul", finding new mixes on the traditional mountain side of Patty's life. She had planned to do a CD for her older sister Dot and this was it. Her sister, she always considered to be a better singer and always kept her close by, then a few years back, she died. Her and Emory went thru 500 songs to get down to the 14 on the disc. On the road, she changed labels too, going with Saguaro Road Records. This is an interesting label, interested in rootsy singers, attracting the likes of Rebecca Lynn Howard and Joan Osborne, besides Patty.
Emory produced the disc, and went with half old school studio musicians and half contemporary types like Biff watson, Al Perkins, and Vince Gill on background vocals.
As for Old school ,there is Pig Robbins, Pete Finnie, Harold Bradley and Jedd Hughes. The result is what is called "traditional country soul", the records sub title.
"Sleepless Nights"(Bryant/Bryant) An awesome sweet ballad with Vince Gill, the title track. There is some really pretty pedal steel here.
"Crazy Arms"(Mooney/Seals) I love this song, heard Linda Ronstadt do a very similar version of it in '73. This is a timeless song.
"Color of the Blues" (Jones/Williams) has guitarist Guthrie Trapp ,a member of her road band for two years answering her vocals with some sweet understated blues guitar, great track. Patty sounds rejuvenated after going thru some trials of family deaths over the last couple of years.
"Cold, Cold Heart" (Hank Williams) Well, Patty closes this record up with a real classic and she is singing full of emotion with nothing to prove. That is a real comfort level.
Overall, this a gal that probably will not get a lot of radio play for these very well sung picks of songs that she loved when she was growing up, but we get to look a little deeper into the gal who helped make country music what it is today.

"Waking Up Laughing" - Martina Mcbride

The title of this record gives a good description of the vibe. The sound is refreshing, Martina with crisp acoustic guitars, mandolins, fiddles. All under the solo production of Mcbride.

Mcbride sounds refreshed, her songs are hot with a great balance of acoustic and electric instruments in one song. Her emotion is back. Timeless was a break for her, now she is vibrant, relevant, encouraging with the theme "Anyway" ,the hot single co-written by her and Brad Warren. She is blessed to have the best musicians Nashville has to offer, plus her own studio, so she admits, not having to rush this one. Her last original self titled disc "Martina" was great, a bit more on the traditional side. This is contemporary country that is probably the best new Nashville country CD this year.

The syncopated rhytmns and cohesiveness of each note is so sweet on the ears. Mcbride is a great producer. She really obsesses over each note, reverb type, emotion of an individual line. What a great voice, wow, the neatest song just came on, "Beautiful Again" ,lots of bluegrass influence, incredible background vocals. Another song by Mcbride and Warren.

"House Of A Thousand Dreams" - This is a really moving acoustic ballad that is loaded with great hooks and lyrics. Some accordion is in the background with great acoustic guitar and pedal steel going on.

"Loveland" is another intense slow ballad about getting married in a Vegas chapel, because the gal was pregnant. Brilliant song over all.

How cute, she has her daughter say goodbye after the last song. This is the strongest CD in any genre that I have heard in a long time. Not a bad or filler song here.

"Tryin' To Find A Reason" is a killer heartbreak ballad. The guitars are great, plus some very good mandolin and fiddle. The airy quality she gets out of the acoustic guitars would make another producer envious.

Martina has always tackled songs to address issues, encourage and here she is, back at it again. Thanks Martina, music needed to go up a couple of notches this year and you have more than done it.

http://www.martinamcbride.com

"Where I Am" - Tammy Cochran - a Review

This is Tammy Cochran's third CD and I'll say that it is her best. Produced by Mark Thompson and Anita Cochran, it is sonically what hi-resolution music is all about, great tones, no distortion, but most of all, twelve great tracks.

Each song has her print on it. She always wanted to have a part in the writing. I loved Cochran's "Life Happened" , what a song, very good CD too. Cochran is still a blond bombshell and has a country voice that is still more country than most. She really puts herself into these songs. Too bad that major labels were not interested, her songs are too real and I guess too different from their format. I had been waiting for a followup for a long time and this is well worth the wait. In her recent interview with DJ and CSO webmaster Jim Weaver, she is real excited about this project. The interview is still on the site.

Mike Johnson gives you that old pedal steel that weeps subtlety with Pete Finney helping out. Drummer Steve Turner is great. Lots of nice acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, violin(fiddle). What really impresses me is the electric guitar playing of Anita Cochran and Mark Thompson who also plays some great lap steel. These guys have unique playing that is different than your average Nashville sessions player. They get interesting tones and fire off some great melodic lines, not the same old rock stuff you are hearing on commercial country music today.

This CD has soul, Cochran's soul. She's the first artist on Straybranch records, where the disc is for sale, also from her website and CD baby, you won't find it in a store unfortunately, but it is very worth the buy.

This is stuff you can relate to, cerebral stuff, not beer drinking and cowboy songs. When I listen to this, Rosanne Cash, Joan Osborne comes to mind. Cochran has gone out in her own style with great lyrics, great hooks and great melodies.

Cochran really has a confident feel about her and the band rocks out, tight bass and just some beautiful cohesive music that is missing from most of today's country music. Patty Loveless's last album "Dreamin' My Dreams" does come to mind, a disc mostly ignored by the country community.

"As Soon As I'm Over You" is a bouncy, jazzy, bluesy piece that really takes off well with some great guitar work.

"Long Way Down" is a country rocker that rocks, incredible electric guitar playing, reminiscent of The Marshall Tucker Band.

"Nobody's Home" is a slow ballad about a big house that is nobody's home, a really moving song. "This beautiful house I own is nobody's home".

"Where I Am" - The title track of the disc is a beauty of a country gospel song about her battles. "I've had to go through the worst to get to the best I've ever been."

Well, think you get my drift. This is good real country music that has an eclectic appeal.

http://www.TammyCochranfans.com

Mindy Smith Updates

It took eight years for Mindy Smith to become an overnight sensation.

The world discovered her suddenly around ‘04; that’s when she started winning awards, appearing on national TV, inspiring critics and artists to sing her praises (and her songs), and riding the momentum of One Moment More, her Vanguard debut.

But when she wasn’t accepting Best New Artist honors from the Americana Music Association, sharing stages with the likes of Mavis Staples, Patty Griffin, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris, or winging across the ocean to recruit new fans in the U.K., she was often doing the same thing she’d done when she was new to Nashville.

She was, in other words, in a room with a guitar, closing a door and coaxing music up from somewhere down inside.

The songs of Long Island Shores, her new Vanguard release, come from that process, untainted by success and its distractions. What they reveal is an artist who is moving forward, which means digging inward as well as bridging out toward her colleagues in the mutual obeisance of co-writing.

The energies of Long Island Shores are as contradictory as the tides that wash the coast near Smithtown, where she was raised, on the northern side of the island. Beautiful to the ear, these songs are turbulent beneath the surface. The first single, “Out Loud,” breathes cautious hope over a breezy beat. “Please stay,” a playful love song, masks a deeper meditation on possessiveness and freedom. “You Know I Love You Baby” sets a hint of rage to a jazzy, toe-tap groove. Layers of meaning open to other layers, exposing these songs as complex in their simplicity. But then Mindy takes another turn on songs that bring one theme – the nestling comfort of “Tennessee,” the lazy pace of untroubled love on “What If the World Stops Turning?” – to a single blossom. “You Just Forgot,” transforms into something emotionally elusive, an intricate interweave of anger, pain, and ethereal detachment. Maybe Mindy didn’t conceive this one, but it’s hard to imagine anyone else singing it.

You can feel the presence of co-writers on some of these tracks: Beth Nielsen Chapman, Maia Sharp, John Scott Sherrill and the others, all of whom Mindy meets on some common ground of emotion and idea. And you can sense the privacy of those songs she wrote on her own, in which her convictions and doubts, her passions and humor, speak universally, through the poetry of her lyric and the beckoning in her voice.

All of this colors her words too, as she remembers how she felt after One Moment More changed her life. “It tripped me up,” she admits. “I felt like I needed to make a drastic musical change. I guess I wanted to be cooler, so I wound up wasting a lot of time until I realized I’m not cool after all.”

A laugh punctuates her speech; like her gestures, quick changes of expression, and sudden bursts of New York argot. Then we’re back to the story: “But I also came to allow myself more room to grow than I did on the first record. This one sounds more like me; nobody who hears it will be confused when they hear me playing these songs live, because I know they want to hear me tell the truth and be honest.”

Expectations were high for Long Island Shores, but none were higher than Mindy’s. “I’ve always had this need to keep improving,” she says. “I’m always under the gun to top my last song. I guess that comes from being a ‘professional songwriter’” – and here she wiggles her fingers, signaling quotation marks that also betray a self-deprecation that traces back to her first experiences with music.

She still remembers, for example, being confused and embarrassed, as the young adopted daughter of a minister and his musically gifted wife, over the looks she would get for singing out loud wherever she was, whenever the spirit seized her. “I had to learn how to not be excited about singing as I was walking through a mall,” she says. “My teachers hurt me a lot too, when I’d do it in class. That led to learning how to not love having music stuck in my head. I became very guarded. I wrestled with what to do with my life. I tried so many other avenues, but I kept having this desire to make music.”

Her mother’s death, her relocation to Knoxville with her father, and her move to Nashville in 1998, after giving college a whirl in Cincinnati, all hastened Mindy’s decision to pursue music without reservation. Recognition came locally first, beginning with first prize in the Tin Pan South writer’s contest of 2000, which prompted an invitation to join the writing staff at Yellow Dog Music the following year. 2003 led toward her appearance with Lee Ann Womack at South by Southwest and her electrifying rendition of “Jolene” on the Dolly Parton tribute CD, Just Because I’m a Woman. Though she was the only unsigned performer on that collection, Parton herself as an artist of special promise singled out Smith.

Even now, though, you get this sense from Mindy that she’s running everything she’s written through her head again – not just the new songs, but things she wrote years ago. Could she have done better on this one? Will she ever do better than she did on that one? She does know the answers, and she accepts that they point toward her continuing development in every aspect of music, from the writing and the singing to production as well.

That, of course, makes Long Island Shores a masterwork of intuitive artistry. The fact is, for all of her insistence that she’s still just tapping into her creative resources, the scary thing is that she may be right. And for all acclaim that’s come her way, and all of her drive to keep pushing ahead, Long Island Shores captures an artist who is at peace with where she is and where she has yet to go.

Joan Osborne News

Joan Osborne
to release “Pretty Little Stranger” on November 14th
Vanguard Records debut features guest performers such as Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Sonny Landreth & Rodney Crowell


Santa Monica, CA - Premier vocalist and songwriter, Joan Osborne, will be releasing her Vanguard Records debut, “Pretty Little Stranger” on November 14th.

Recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy winner, Steve Buckingham, “Pretty Little Stranger” highlights the soulful sound of Joan Osborne with elements of country blues and Americana. This 12 song collection features six original tunes written by Joan including the first single, “Who Divided”, “Shake That Devil”, “After Jane” and the title track and also compositions by Kris Kristofferson (“Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends”), Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter (“Brokedown Palace”) and Patty Griffin (“What You Are”).

Joan stated, “I would call this my version of a country record -- some of it very traditional, some less so. It tells feelings and stories in very simple language, and I wanted to focus on that simple way of communicating, rather than be flowery and poetic. I needed to get down to the bare bones and I feel like we did a good job of doing that.”

“Pretty Little Stranger” features some of music’s finest performers lending their talents including Vince Gill on “Time Won’t Tell,” Alison Krauss, “Holy Waters”, Sonny Landreth playing slide guitar on “Dead Roses” and Rodney Crowell providing harmony vocals on his own “When The Blue Hour Comes.”

Joan Osborne had one of the biggest releases of the mid-90’s with “Relish” and participated in the historic and successful Lilith Fair Tour. She has worked with a myriad of artists like Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Chieftains and Bonnie Raitt. She toured with The Dead in the summer of 2004 and recently finished a tour with Phil Lesh & Friends.

For more information contact Lucy Sabini @ Vanguard Records 310-829-9355x137/ lsabini@vanguardrecords.com or Lauren Gaffney @ 310-829-9355x158/lgaffney@vanguardrecords.com.

Mindy Smith News

MINDY SMITH’S LONG ISLAND SHORES SET FOR RELEASE OCT. 10Singer/songwriter’s sophomore album is a follow-up to her stellar debut
One Moment More

Los Angeles, CA—On the heels of her critically acclaimed Vanguard Records debut, singer-songwriter Mindy Smith is back with her highly anticipated sophomore CD, Long Island Shores, a nod to her family and her heritage growing up in Smithtown, New York. The album is scheduled for release on Oct. 10th.

Long Island Shores retains the raw, emotional intimacy of Mindy’s songs and haunting vocals but adds some sharp edges both musically and lyrically, broadening the landscape of Mindy’s storytelling. Mindy co-produced this record with Steve Buckingham and Lex Price along with additional production by Roger Moutenot.

Smith’s debut album, One Moment More, featured the hit single, “Come to Jesus,” which earned her critical accolades and went on to sell close to 300,000 copies. She recorded a version of “Jolene,” the first single on the much-praised Dolly Parton tribute album, Just Because I’m a Woman, which included contributions from Norah Jones, Sinead O’Connor, Melissa Etheridge and Alison Krauss. She made her national debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performed on Lifetime’s “Women Rock” Television Special, had a video in top rotation at CMT and was part of VH1’s “You Oughta Know” Program. She went on to perform on Conan O’Brien and was featured on National Public Radio. The album took on a life of its own with several songs being heard on national television shows such as HBO’s “Six Feet Under” and the WB’s “Smallville” and “Summerland”.

The press was effusive in its praise of the Nashville-based singer-songwriter, “One of the most buzzed-about albums of the new year,” raved USA Today, while Rolling Stone said simply, “Smith’s voice is marvelous.” Harp magazine called her “a contender if ever there was one,” while The New York Times enthused, “…excellent debut album.”

Mindy also co-wrote with John Scott Sherrill the current Alison Krauss single, “If I Didn’t Know Any Better.”

For more information on Mindy Smith contact Lucy Sabini, lsabini@vanguardrecords.com, 310-829-9355x137 or Lauren Gaffney, lgaffney@vanguardrecords.com, 310-829-9355x158.

www.vanguardrecords.com/publicity

The Chicks?

I reviewed the Chicks last CD which is basically a rootsy, alternative sound and disses the country scene. There are many very well done songs. Rick Rubin has produced a clinically, mistake free masterpiece. The disc has sold very well. The CD plays it safe sonically, very heavily produced and some, well, maybe too much venting about their past.
What I do not get is why their PR people want the songs on country radio so much. I was very surprised to see their album on the Country Billboard Charts. Country Music has ignored them for at least three years. "Not Ready To Make Nice", which attacks country music fans, was their first single attempt, which totally failed. Now they are promoting "Voices In My Head" as their next single. Better, but I think that something like "Bitter End" or "Favorite Year" would work because of the lyrical content. Usually music like this ends up on adult alternative AAA stations or college stations.
I have been listening to some earlier Chicks, more specifically "Wide Open Spaces", my favorite CD for four years and still on my top ten. Also, I have been listening to "Top of The World Tour " which is great, the Chicks are great live, had the pleasure of seeing them twice.
There is something so emotive and creative about all twelve songs on "Wide Open Spaces" , I have gone thru two or three discs. It is honky tonk country, a great country production and the great dobro, fiddle and banjo of the Chicks which is missing in their new disc. (Well, a little banjo deep in the mix.) Not heavily produced, even a live cut with their road band.
The live CD of "Top Of The World Tour" which only went Gold is a great two disc live performance. I remember the "Fly" tour, at that time, their fans were teenage girls. The whole venue in Philly stood up from song one to the end of the show. The great pedal steel, banjo fiddle and dobro. Missing in action here, replaced by orchestra and layers of hard rock guitars. What I really don't get is there are no instrumental solos to speak of, just power chords except for some John Mayer riffs.
Just switched from listening to "Taking The Long Way" to "Wide Open Spaces". Compared to Rubin's production, Chancey/Worley's production sounds like a demo. What a great country sound, this disc turned country music back to country again.
Well, you know there's a big tour coming up "Accidents and Accusations", the same basic band that did the last tour. There's some trouble selling tickets and I've heard some shows are being cancelled, especially in country music hotbeds.
Oh, for a simpler time, when they didn't have midgets on Country stages and country music was all about God, apple pie and broke down pickups. There's some great new indies and always great bluegrass. Brooks and Dunn still win duo of the year. Patty Loveless is at the top of her game, but her last CD was ignored. Vince Gill, I miss you, you were class.
Well, what do you think?

"Stand Still- Look Pretty" - The Wreckers - A Review

When I saw Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp with their beautiful Gibson acoustics and sparse backup band do "Leave The Pieces" on Leno, I was blown away. It was incredibly refreshingly good music. I had to hear more. So I got the disc and have been listening to it incessantly. A great recording with some great tunes.

Branch has been a name known artist for awhile, her friendship with blond beauty Jessica Harp who is a Nashville singer-songwriter is six years old. The combination is magical. They are just made to sing and play together. They also wrote all of the songs except for two. Patty Griffin gave them one. "One More Girl" , which is a slow edgy song about what most guys look for in women. A rock sounding song.

John Levanthal (Roseanne Cash) produced the whole CD except for two songs, one being the bouncy "Leave The Pieces" which was produced by Branch and John Shanks. This song has incredible harmonies and is a hit waiting to happen. Great, light weight slick production.

The song that caught my ear was "My, Oh My", produced by Paul Worley (Dixie Chicks and mega others Nashville acts). Worley brought in some great Nashville sessions players Stuart Duncan/fiddle and mandolin, Shannon Forrest/drums, Randy Kohrs/Dobro and Biff Watson/National guitar. Really love this upbeat country sounding sounding song, reminds me of early Dixie Chicks. Michelle Branch said that she would like Worley to produce a whole CD for her in the liner notes.

Levanthal does a great job of getting an audiophile organic sound in the mix, playing most of the instruments in the songs he produces. It's hard to tell from the liner notes whether the girls play their guitars or not, does not matter, great overall sound, mastered very well by Stephen Marcussen of Marcussen Mastering.

"Stand Still, Look Pretty" is a pretty, slow song about getting around in the music world as a woman. Their vocals say more than that, they sound so good.

"Cigarettes" sung by Harp is a great song about the road of life and finding true love. "Tennessee" is another very pretty song that Harp sings. Neither has a country accent or fakes one, which is refreshing.

Overall, I find this to be a refreshing change of pace in music this year, A CD of just great well recorded and performed music.


http://www.TheWreckers.com

"Room To Breathe" - Reba McEntire

Reba, TV Star, Broadway Performer, Country Singer. Reba came into the country music business in 1980 when a new breed of country singers were trying to bring traditional country music back to Nashville, in the Ninety's Reba joined the hosts of country singers turning to a country pop, more contemporary type music, even doing a CD of pop covers. Reba hasn't done a studio CD since 1999 with her "So Good Together" CD, which is a very good contemporary country piece of work.
Reba's new album is very eclectic, containing a wide variety of material. In Reba's words "This CD feels autobiographical to me because it has every type of music I've ever recorded. There is everything from hard-core country on one end, to contemporary on the other with bluegrass, gospel and jitterbug in the middle."
Simply a great production (though overdone at times with all the synth) by Reba, Buddy Lannon and Norro Wilson. Reba's vocals sound fresh and emotive and for the most part, a great selection of songs. It has a great tonal quality to it, very easy on the ears, very rich and natural instrument sounds. Kudos to Hank Williams (no relation) of Mastermix for a great mastering job. He's heading towards being one of the best and most sought after mastering engineers in Nashville, especially since the sad passing of "Golden Ears" Denny Purcell. Real great rustic tones on the acoustic instruments.
The standout traditional country song on the album is "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain", the first radio single. This song soars with it's great 3 part country harmony and the rich mix of fiddles, mandolin ,banjo and country instrumentation. This song is in a league of it's own and unfortunately, the only super traditional country song on the album. "Sky Full Of Angels" is a great acoustic Christian Country song with a real bouncy feel to it and some great background vocals, some nice dobro and a real nice rich texture to the music (One of my favorites).
"Somebody" is a great country ballad, done in a country fashion with some great mandolin and acoustic guitar- a song that has a good story to it that draws you in. "Once You've Learned To Be Lonely" is an incredibly beautiful, sad acoustic country song with the help of Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski. (Another Favorite) It has a message once again that draws you into the song. I wish that Alison Krauss's fiddle work was louder in the mix and also the backup vocals, you wouldn't recognize who the singers were unless you read the credits. Still a great song. "Moving Oleta" is a real heartbreaker that addresses the subject of an older husband dealing with moving his wife into a nursing home, this is just a great song sung with a ton of passion, great backup vocals (Another of this reviewers favorites.)
Another song that I like a lot is "He Gets That From Me", a song that deals with a wife telling about attributes her son gets from her and also from her husband, another heartbreak song with a message. Love the way the song winds up about the son saying he misses his dad and the wife, missing her ex-husband says He gets that from me. Great song with some great hooks.
The other six songs are mostly typical mid-tempo Reba type songs (one,a duet with Vince Gill) that are pretty good depending on your tastes. Overall, I found this album to be very refreshing, well done and shows that Reba is still very much in the business of making good music, in her busy life.
Copyright 2004
Visit Reba at: http://www.reba.com/

"Martina" - Martina

Martina's first self titled album "Martina", her eighth overall effort is quite an eclectic affair. Martina and her husband bought their own studio so that they could record without pressure and at their own pace. If you have only heard "This One's For The Girls", which sounds like a typical Martina type song, you can not judge this album, it has a bit of everything from Nashville country to acoustic, almost bluegrass music. Martina says " From a production standpoint, I really wanted it to be warm and to sound more like an old vinyl record as opposed to really clean, pristine and digital. " I would have to say that she really achieved this goal, the album has a really warm, realistic sound to it, lacking loads of special effects and the acoustic guitars have a real nice earthy sound to them. She keeps a nice balance of fiddle, pedal steel even on the more pop sounding songs giving the whole album a refreshing modern country sound using traditional country instruments. The Nashville String Machine is used tastefully without being overdone. A couple of the songs have a beautiful sparse feeling to them which is refreshing with Martina's strong, but confident sweet sounding soprano.
The album starts out with a great song "So Magical", which is a bit crossover, but just is a strong encouraging song full of great hooks which Martina brings to life. "She's a Butterfly" is a beautiful upbeat, country song which really pulls you in. The petite brunette has picked a great selection of songs in which the lyrical content is something you listen to, she really has a collection here of songs that either have a message or that you can relate to ,pull your heart out or that just down right lift your spirits.
"Wearing White" is one of my favorites, it's an acoustic country tune that has a very sparse arrangement, but the melody and acoustic guitar lines just make you wish the song was longer. It's a fast paced almost bluegrass tune about a gal with a not perfect past, but insists on wearing white at her wedding. Martina really sounds at home on this warm uplifting song. "Reluctant Daughter" is another one of my favorites. It is really close to a bluegrass gospel song with a modern touch and once again, a sparse recording with some great fiddle. It's about a lady pleading to make her relationship with the Lord closer (Great Song).
Another just great song is "God's Will", the title really fooled me, I thought it was going to be another gospel song about doing God's will, no it is about a boy named Will who is always referred to as Gods' Will. This is my absolute favorite. Will has a disability, he is first described as having braces on his legs and has trouble walking. (She met him on Halloween, dressed up as a sack of leaves, that's God's Will)-intro line, great story and melody, ends with the same line and then about another minute of quiet acoustic music going into variations of the songs melody. If this song doesn't really move you, nothing will, Martina really puts herself into the song and talks about how this person effects her life (He always prays at dinner time but never for himself--),another line, just a brilliant inspiring song. Martina closes the album with a live version of "Over The Rainbow", that is just plain awesome, sometimes you can just jump genres for fun and I just love this beautiful, emotive version of this classic song.
In closing I would say that a lot of work was put into making this album work, Martina has become one of the top ladies of country and this work showcases that.
Visit Martina at: www.martinamcbride.com.

"Easy" - Kelly Willis

"Delightful", "Refreshing" and "Emotive" would be words that I would use to describe this great new offering by Kelly Willis on Rykodisc. This album is produced by Kelly Willis and Gary Paczosa. Mastered by Doug Sax, one of America's best. Notable guests include Lloyd Maine's on different instruments, Bruce Robison (Kelly's Husband), Dan Tyminski and Alison Krauss. Kelly wrote 4 of the songs and co-wrote 2 of the songs. One song was penned by Bruce Robison.
This recording shimmers, one of the best acoustic recordings I've ever heard, sparse, but full sounding, very natural sounding. Credit a lot of this to Doug Sax who has done mastering for Alison Krauss and also did "Home" for the Dixie Chicks, a similar type album.
Kelly sings with confidence, emotion, a great bunch of songs, sounds very comfortable with the material. What sticks out is her beautiful twangy voice with kudos to 2 great acoustic guitarists Chuck Prophet and Mark Spencer. This CD should make all country music lovers happy, from traditionalists to Nashville Country. It is just great acoustic country music, which seems to be becoming more popular.
It is a short CD, only 36 minutes long, we all know a CD can hold a lot more, but I sort of liked the feeling the CD gave me, it left me wanting more, not a bad song to be found, not a wasted riff.
It's hard to find a favorite song for me, everything is so good. Really did like the original opener "If I left you", an upbeat ballad with a beautiful melody and awesome guitar parts. Also, another original stuck out" Not what I had in mind", original haunting ballad with Alison Krauss on background vocals. One more song I have to mention is "You can't take it with you", a blue grassy flavored song. Looking forward to more like this from Kelly.
Jim

"Lonely Runs Both Ways" - Alison Krauss and Union Station

I am writing this review as I listen to it for the first time. Just read the liner notes. Honestly, I have been looking forward to this CD for some time, big fan of AKUS. This is their first CD of new studio material in a couple of years. The disc is mastered by Doug Sax, my favorite mastering engineer. The album starts out with a beautiful ballad "Gravity". Great song, really blows me away. This is the richest sounding AKUS CD that I have ever heard. Very warm, great use of stereo field, crisp and rich sounding stringed instruments.
The second song "Restless" is a masterpiece of a love song with some great background vocals and Alison really using the full range of her beautiful voice. "Goodbye is All We have" is a beauty of a slow song with Alison at her best, great dobro by Jerry Douglas. There are some nice subtle special effects which give the song a newgrass sound. "Union House Branch" is a great bluegrass instrumental. (Written by Jerry Douglas) Almost sounds like strings in the background, but it is just Alison and the way it is recorded. "Wouldn't Be So Bad" (Gillian Welch) is another great slow ballad. Some angelic toned lead guitar by Ron Block. Great dobro and violin. This disc is a combo of traditional bluegrass and more modern sounding newgrass. All great music though. "Pastures Of Plenty" has the sparse bluegrass sound with Dan singing a Woody Guthrie song. Real nice banjo by Ron. Creative bass by Barry. This really is some great tight material. Alison has the best road band and studio band there ever was and they are the same folks. Very unusual in the music world today. no hired guns needed here. "Crazy As Me"- this is a really interesting song, what a melodic masterpiece. This band cooks in an audiophile's dream. This is a real special song with the band taking some new musical directions that are just out of this world, creative, some nice syncopated rhythms going on with the guitars. "Borderline" is a more traditional AKUS production. This is where the CD title comes from. Great harmonies, honestly, many songs that I like better on this fifteen song CD. "My Poor Old Heart" is another traditional sounding bluegrass song. I must say ,incredible use of stereo field in the mix. Forget SACD, HDCD, just record a great CD and leave the rest to Doug Sax.
The sound quality of this album is incredible. "Doesn't Have To BE This Way" is another beautiful ballad, more sparsely produced, great lyrics. This is written by RI Castleman who wrote many of the best songs on this disc. Jerry Douglas sounds incredible as he does throughout the CD. "I Don't Have To Live This Way" sang and written by Ron Block is a nice change of pace, upbeat acoustic country with that high lonesome sound. "If I didn't Know Any Better (John Sherrill and Mindy Smith) This has an acoustic country touch and you can definitely hear Mindy Smith's sound in the song. Nice special effects, incredible, this song just is a blow away. The disc ends with "A Living Prayer" (Ron Block) a very beautiful gospel tune, very sparse, just Alison singing with Dan and Ron playing acoustic guitars. She really hits the top of her range here, this is just a great ,beautiful encouraging song. Great melody. In closing, I would have to say that this is Alison's best album yet. Just a great collection and I absolutely love nine out of the fifteen songs.
Go visit Alison at www.Alisonkrauss.com

"The Notorious Cherry Bombs" - The Notorious Cherry Bombs

This album is probably the best album to come out of Nashville this year. The Cherry Bombs were Rodney Crowell's backup band in the Seventies. Everyone from that band is here except for Emory Gordy Jr. on bass replaced by sessions ace Michael Rhodes. The original drummer Larry Londin passed away in 1992, replaced by sessions drummer Eddie Bayer.

There is a nice variety of songs here from country to alt/country with a little fifties rock added in. There are two of the best lead guitarists around to enjoy in Vince Gill and Richard Bennett, each with their own style. Producer and head of Universal South Records Tony Brown, who once played with Elvis is back pounding the keys again. This band is in a groove, really enjoyable to listen to them interact. Hank Devito adds some great steel. There are some horns on some of the tunes.

When you have a label head in the band, you get the best of everything; recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville and mastered by Hank Williams of Mastermix. The sound is just perfect produced by the Cherry Bombs, but I would guess that Tony Brown and Vince Gill did most of the producing.

I doubt that the original Cherry Bombs would have sounded a lot like this pristine perfect recording, they probably had a rougher, more alt/country sound if they backed up Rodney Crowell. This album spotlights both Vince and Rodney equally on vocals and the recording is plain ear candy, not the raw recording sound that you hear on a lot of alt/country. But, this reviewer loves the product, full of great songs with equal song-writing credits to Crowell and Gill.

"Dangerous Curves" written by Crowell and sung by Crowell is a mid-tempo alt/country gem with Vince playin' some great guitar, a song about messing with temptation. "Forever Someday" is a classic Vince Gill love ballad in that beautiful high tenor with a more traditional backing. Great steel and piano. What would a record with Vince on it be like without one of his great ballads.
"On The Road To Ruin"- This song has a fifties rock sound with Tony Brown playing some killer piano and some awesome lead guitar work by Richard Bennett. Crowell and Vince sing so great together. I can't say enough about the great rhythm section of Bayers and on drums and Rhodes on bass; really gives the album some great lower end sound. "Heart Of a Jealous Man" has a darker sound with Vince singing in a lower range with a mid-tempo rock sound including some banjo; brilliant. This song seethes with emotion thru and thru. "Oklahoma Dust" is a great song, Vince has that chickaboom sound going and some great lyrics with some great imagery. The record starts out cookin' with "Let it Roll, Let it Ride" with Vince and Rodney sharing lead vocals. Upbeat Rocker with horns and Richard Bennett on some great lead guitar that brings the Blues Brothers to mind. Some awesome bass runs by Rhodes.
"If I Ever Break Your Heart" sung by Gill is a strong country rocker that has some great musical hooks, great Gill lead guitar that is a little more raw and bluesy than usual. Rodney sings the bridge. Brilliant production and textures and really nice backup vocal arrangements.
This leads to this reviewer's favorite song "Making Memories of Us", a Rodney Crowell song with Rodney singing lead on a delicate, emotive song about real love. Just a beautiful melody that explodes when Vince comes in on the chorus with his high lonesome harmony.

This album is plain just a great listen, some awesome production of the best musicians and songwriters that Nashville has to offer.
Go visit them at:
www.thenotoriouscherrybombs.com

"Finding Our Way" - The Mickeys

What do you get when you put together 27 year old twin gals with acoustic music that's the quality of a major label? You get the original sounding Mickeys, vocals that ring with bell like clarity and breathtaking harmonies. They have been singing together since the age of 4.
They formed the Mickeys in 2000 and have been living and playing the Nashville Clubs ever since. Their sound is nothing short of refreshing. Honestly, I have never been so impressed by a new album as this one. It's an acoustic sparsely recorded album that sounds very full, reminding me of an Alison Krauss and Union Station Recording. The guitars (John Albani and Kent Unruh) shimmer, the fiddles( Wanda Vick) and banjos (Wanda Vick) never sounded better. The acoustic guitar picking is great and sounds great. You can hear Country, Celtic and Bluegrass influences, but to me, it's just great acoustic country music. They have a national distribution deal set up, their own label, Riverbeat Music. It will be released on July 1, 2003.
The gals wrote 5 of the 11 songs. Their vocals have an original quality to them, that is indescribable. The gals produced the album with John Albani.
Although their beautiful vocals and harmonies are the centerpiece of this album, I can't say enough about the recording quality, musicians, real big label sound, mastered to perfection.
Every song is very good, I will mention my favorites of the 11 tracks. "Dixie Wire" (personal favorite) is a slow intense ballad, full of emotion. Other standouts include "Old Kentucky Wind" (great dobro by Wanda Vick), a mid-tempo bluegrass tune, "All I Ever Wanted Was You", an upbeat tune with great harmonies, "Smoke And Mirrors", an upbeat tune about being deceived, "Before You're Home", upbeat bluegrass tune( great fiddle-Wanda Vick, great acoustic guitar) and "My Way Again", an awesome mid-tempo tune with some banjo and great fiddle.
Go Visit The Mickeys at:
www.themickeys.net

"Show" - Allison Moorer

The Title of this package is very appropriate, what you get is a great show. You get a 15 song CD and a DVD including all 15 tracks and a bonus track. Recorded at 12th and Porter in Nashville to an overflow crowd, you really get the experience captured well, with the crowd involved and Allison bantering some. This was recorded 1/4/2003. Kudos to all involved, it's a super recording.
Sometimes, Allison and her band rock and then sometimes they go slow or acoustic on you, real good song selection, including most of her best material, all songs by her except a great cover of Neil Young's "Don't Cry No Tears".
Her older sister, Shelby Lynne joins her on three songs in a row, which is a real treat. Kid Rock even makes an appearance on the Closer "Bully Jones", which rocks a bit too much for me.
She really nails "Alabama Song" ,title track for her 1st album. The crowd really loves it, applauding in the song. "Soft Place To Fall", probably her most well known song, she lets her sultry, emotive voice pull you into the Show.
"Yessiree" from "Miss Fortune" (most recent album), is a great midtempo song with some great guitar. There is plenty of great guitar pickin' in this Show. "I'll Break Before I Bend" is a great statement song which says in a very straight forward way that she would rather sing and play songs that she likes rather than compromise and be popular. Her vocals could easily be tamed by Nashville's' country pop machine and make her a star, to which she says "No". After she finishes the song she says "That will probably be my first hit", (said in a tongue in cheek manner). Probably why she left Major Label, Universal South to go to a small indie label Sugar Hill, where she would have the freedom to pursue whatever she wants.
"Let Go" is a beautiful acoustic heartbreak ballad. Allison is a great lyricist, using some great ideas and imagery. "Steal The Sun" is a great song that has a jazzy feel about it about stealing the sun before tomorrow comes, great hooks and some unique guitar parts.
Now, we move into my favorite part of the show, three songs with Allison and sister; Shelby Lynne. They have some interesting banter in between songs. "Bring Me All Your Lovin" is a beautiful mid-tempo love song where they exchange verses and harmonize on the chorus which has a great musical hook. Nice acoustic guitars and pedal steel on this mellow song, great lead guitar break too.
The next song "Is Heaven Good Enough for You" is the next number that they sing together. I just learned the story behind the tune which gives me why it is so emotional and explains the story, Allison was raised by older sister Shelby because their mom was killed by their Dad. Both gals really give it up on this song and for me, it is the emotional high point of the Show. It is a slow, steamy ballad with some great guitar riffs and steel. It really sends chills up my spine and is my personal favorite song. Yes, Allison, Heaven is good enough for your ill fated mom.
The sisters end their little concert in a concert with "Going Down" which is a great upbeat song that they rock out, great electric lead guitar and vocals. (Also from Miss Fortune)
"Send Down An Angel" is a great emotive slow ballad asking for help to get thru an awkward relationship. Love the musical arrangement on this, mostly acoustical with some great pedal steel and lead guitar. Moorer's vocals are just so rich and emotive.
Sorry, I just told you almost everything. This is one of country's best singers singing at her best with a great backup band. Allison ventures from mainstream Nashville country and always has, that's why you don't hear her on country radio. If you haven't heard Allison, this would be a great introduction, cause she sings better live than in the studio, not taking anything away from her previous three CDs. Also, you would get a great sampling of her music.
copyright 2003
Visit Allison at: www.AllisonMoorer.com

"Unbroken Circle" - The Musical Heritage Of The Carter Family

The Carter Family truly was the tradition that brought us what today we call roots and Americana Music. John Carter Cash has produced a masterpiece that needs little promotion, this is just a great acoustic production. John wrote some great liner notes to go along with the great booklet in this collectors item. Fifteen great songs, fifteen great artists. This is easily one of the best lineups that I have ever seen on a tribute album. Most of the recording was done in the Cash Cabin Studio, on Johnny's property where He recorded til He died.

The only artist that seems out of place here is Sheryl Crow, though she does a great rendition of "No Depression In Heaven", Alison Krauss or Kelly Willis would have been a better fit. George Jones starts out with a kickin rendition of "Worried Man Blues" which really makes one wonder why none of these artists other than Crow get any major radio play.
Listening to this CD makes you wonder why there are not more recordings of this quality, it sounds like a record from the 70's, rich, clear, not a hint of distortion, easy on the ears. Wish I could answer that, but this really has a much warmer sound than your average clinical, over-amped CD.

As I said, this masterpiece needs no promotion, so I 'll just list the rest of the artists and their songs all written by AP Carter.
3. "On The Sea Of Galilee" - Emmy Lou Harris and the Peasall Sisters
4. "Engine One - Forty Three" - Johnny Cash
5. "Never Let The Devil Get The Upper Hand Of You" - Marty Stuart And The Superlatives
6. "Little Moses" - Janette and Joe Carter
7. "Black Jack David" - Norman and Nancy Blake with Tim Obrien
8. "Bear Creek Blues" - John Prine - this really cooks
9. "You Are My Flower" - Willie Nelson - just Willie and his guitar
10. "Single Girl - Married Girl" - Shawn Colvin with Earl and Randy Scruggs
11. "Will My Mother Know Me There?" - The Whites with Ricky Skaggs
12. "The Winding Stream" - Roseanne Cash - the acoustic texture of guitar and auto harp on this song is nothing less than audiophile
13. "Rambling Boy" - Del Coury Band
14. "Hold Fast To The Right" - June Carter Cash
15. "Gold Watch And Chain" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Kris Kristofferson - this track is really special

In closing, I give thanks to all involved with this great project, John Carter Cash, the good folk at Dualtone Records. You can preorder a copy at Dualtones' website, it is slated for release in mid August.
www.Dualtone.com

"Brand New Strings" - Ricky Skaggs

Ricky Skaggs, torchbearer for bluegrass music, has come out with his first CD with new music in quite some time. Skaggs has appeared on more than 250 recordings. Even has his own label now, "Skaggs Family Records".

Skagg's music on this album sounds as fresh as if it was his first recording. Ten great vocal songs and three instrumentals. Lots of Ricky's songs are Christian songs or talk about Christian subjects, it was refreshing to see on his song by song sheet, him explaining the importance of being a Christian today. "Love Does It Every time" is a beauty of a song about changed lives and answered prayers. He sounds great singing with his wife Sharon of the Whites.

There are are a wealth of great pickers on this album which ranges from mountain bluegrass to a bit more modern sounding newgrass. Sometimes his vocals are country sounding then sometimes more on the high lonesome side.
"Why Did I Wait So Long?" is a very inspirational gospel bluegrass song with some great harmonies and very strong vocals. It's a true story based on Lester Flatt's conversion to Christianity from a wheelchair and also how he demanded to be baptized in his wheelchair.

Skagg's voice is very pure, easy on the ears, yet emotive and honest. This recording is all acoustic, no drums, very little percussion, yet a very full sound, instrument tones are very realistic, not much post production needed.

This reviewers favorite is "Enjoy The Ride", a Christian song about forgiving yourself as the Lord as forgiven you. An aural treat for your ears and soul. This song really has radio potential. The song emphasizes the need to take one day at a time.
The title track "Brand New Strings" is a guitar pickers dream, great jammin' with all instruments. Great high lonesome harmonies. Story song about a guitar player who used to always play the blues then he switched to bluegrass, hence the lyrics "Johnny's got some brand new strings." Ironically there is a guitar player on this track named Johnny Hyland that Ricky was kinda looking for a song to highlight his talent , well it sure works on all cylinders.

There is an unknown quality about this CD that makes it one of the best CDs that I have heard all year. It is just a great simple emotive recording without all of the special effects that moves you in a special way. The instrumentals are all very good, each having it's own personality. I've highlighted the Christian songs, there are plenty of just great story songs and bluegrass songs that are very good.
Visit Ricky at: www.rickyskaggs.com

"One Step Ahead" - Rhonda Vincent

"One Step Ahead" is Rhonda Vincent's new album on Rounder Records which will be released on April 29,03.It is her 1st new release since "The Storm Still Rages" which was released two years ago, another album that I reviewed.
Rhonda and her backers have pulled out all the stops on this effort to deliver a very high quality CD, in many ways, time, studios and I'm sure in costs too. The production is a bit different on this new album, making it sound a bit more modern, perhaps a tince closer to an Alison Krauss type recording. The bass is definitely more out front in the mix, giving it more of a rhythmic beat in the sound. There is also a lot more time and tweaking done in the mastering process which is done by one of Nashville's best. The final product is a very highly polished, richly textured sound which shimmers. Also, there are many musicians involved, a different line up on almost each song. I guess one of the things that I like about this recording the most is the excellent acoustic guitar picking and the variety of pickers. Next, I'm going to give you a line up of Rhonda's back up help which will include most everybody involved in making this masterpiece.
First, I'll start off with the musician core. Fiddlers-Stuart Duncan, Ronnie Stewart, Luke Bulla, Molly Cherryholmes and Aubrey Haynie. Banjo pickers-Ronnie Stewart, Cody Kilby and Tom Adams. Acoustic guitars-Bryan Sutton, Aubrey Haynie, Cody Kilby and Darrin Vincent. Mandolin pickers-Aubrey Haynie, Cody Kilby, Rhonda Vincent and Sam Bush. Acoustic Bass-Darrin Vincent plays all tracks except one which was played by David Smith. Pedalbro-Mike Johnson and finally Wallet Box-Aaron Minick. Next I'm going to give the basics of the recording process.
The album is produced by Darrin Vincent and Rhonda Vincent. Original tracks recorded at Sound Control in Nashville. Engineer is Bill Vorndick. Additional recording done at Mountainside Audio Labs, Nashville and Watershed Studio, Nashville. Album mixed by Bill Vorndick. The album was mastered by Hank Williams of Master Mix, one of Nashville's best mastering engineers. When I 1st listened to the CD before I got the liner notes, I was thinking that it might have been mastered by Doug Sax, one of the best in the country( Alison Krauss, Kelly Willis). So, you see, lots of time and work were put into this project to give you this excellent sounding CD, approximately 35 minutes running time, but it seems a lot quicker than that. Now to the music.
There are a total of twelve cuts including a new Martha White promo at the end. I'm going to give the lowdown on my 5 favorite songs.
1."Missouri Moon"-by Jennifer Sutton-(my personal favorite) This song reminds me very much of an Alison Krauss ballad especially with the use of the pedalbro on this song, which basically sounds like a dobro. It has a very beautiful moving, haunting melody which Rhonda just sings so beautifully, this song really blows me away. The fiddle sounds like shedding tears.
2."Kentucky Borderline"-Rhonda co-wrote-This is the opener, it is a great upbeat bluegrass song, great vocals, awesome guitar break, real nice fiddle and fiddle break. I must mention too that the background vocalists are awesome on this album, I did not mention their names in the credits that I gave.
3."One Step Ahead Of The Blues"-Rhonda co-wrote-Great bluesy, bluegrass tune, I love the lyrics, upbeat.
4."Caught In The Crossfire"-Rhonda co-wrote-very cerebral bluegrass ballad, song about being from a broken family and the heartaches caused by this, another great guitar break
5."Ridin'The Redline"-Rhonda co-wrote-great upbeat bluegrass, more awesome guitar and mandolin pickin', great banjo break, this is a trucker song.
OK, I can't tell you everything, but also I really enjoyed "Fisher's Of Men", an acappella song reminiscent of "Let's Go Down To The River To Pray" from "Oh, Brother" and "Walkin' My Lord Up Calvary's Hill", another beautiful gospel tune. There is also a neat instrumental with an Irish flair called "Frankie Bell", which I find quite nice.
In closing, I just want to say how much that I enjoyed reviewing this CD and I think that it is a recording that could take Rhonda to a new height of popularity.
Jim
Go visit Rhonda at:
www.RhondaVincent.com

"Next Big Thing" - Vince Gill

Vince Gill, like a fine wine, just gets better with time. Vince is still making the same great country music and tear-jerker love songs that he was making ten years ago. Vince produced the album. The album was recorded by Justin Niebank at Ocean Way in Nashville and mastered by Doug Sax. Vince wrote or co-wrote every song (17 songs) on the album. He also plays lead guitar and sings back-up vocals. The sound quality of this recording is as good as anything I've ever heard, just a great production.
Vince starts out the album with the 1st single and title song "Next Big Thing" which is a comical stab at the music industry, where the labels are always looking for the next big thing. The 2nd single "Someday" is a beautiful slow love song about love coming some day.
There's a host of guest backup singers including his wife Amy Grant, Lee Ann Womack, Emmy Lou Harris, Dawn Sears and Kim Keyes. Long time pedal steel player John Hughey plays all of the pedal steel. Stuart Duncan does an awesome job with all of the fiddle work.
This album has a lot of emotional, mellow tunes in that high range that Vince Gill has owned. His vocals sound as good or better than ever.
"Whippoorwill River" is a great acoustic story song with some great acoustic lead guitar by Vince. "The Sun's Gonna Shine On You" is a Vince Gill upbeat country rocker with Vince takin' off on an awesome electric guitar break reminiscent of " One More Last Chance". "Young Man's Town" is a sad song about Nashville and it's infatuation with young artists. Vince sings this with no bitterness. Vince shows much maturity on this song which contains a line that says "sometimes you gotta stand back and watch 'em burn it to the ground, even though you built it, it's a young man's town." "Without You" is a great upbeat shuffle song. "This Old Guitar And Me" (a personal favorite) is an acoustic ballad about a man and his guitar and his travels thru life playing music, a really very touching song.
"These Broken Hearts" is another great sad love song that only Vince could sing and it is produced so beautifully. The Nashville String Machine fills in nicely in the background. "You Ain't Foolin' Nobody" is an acoustic bluegrass song with banjo and fiddle and Vince playing licks on his Fender. His guitar really just cries on this song.
Well, I can't tell you about every song, but he sings about every style of country song on this album that exists including some Irish and Zydeco influences. Out of seventeen songs, there is not a throwaway in the bunch, every song is a quality song. Vince Gill is a class act, that was built to last. He's every bit talented as a lyricist, as a singer and guitar picker. Never heard Vince better.
The sad thing is that most of this album won't receive the airplay it deserves, because it's too country. I think, that out of all Vince has recorded, this is his masterpiece.
Jim

Go visit Vince at: www.VinceGill.com