Tag: Tin Pan South

One more night for Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville

 in Americana Music

By Ken Paulson

There’s still one night left in the annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville and the Saturday night line-up is strong. Attendance appears to have been vibrant this week, as

we learned whenever  we tried to scope out venues with a little more breathing room. Nashville has grown and so has the festival.

Abby Andrews

Abby Andrews at Tin Pan South on Friday

Among the most notable shows on the final night:

Desmond Child, one of the most successful songwriters of the past 40 years ( “Livin’ on a Prayer”,[“Dude (Looks Like a Lady), ” and “Livin’ la Vida Loca”) is joined by Victoria Shaw, Jimmy Nichols and the Bass Brothers at 6:30 p.m. at the Local

Rivers Rutherford hosts a show at the Hard Rock Cafe at 6:30, along with Travis Hill and a guest to be named later.

Brian Lee, Ferras, Ilsey and Meghan Kabbir will perform at the Listening Room Cafe at 6:30.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Tom Douglas is joined by Sarah Buxton and a special guest at the Listening Room Cafe at 9:30 p.m.

Two more Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famers – Paul Overstreet and Mark D. Sanders – are joined by Jamie Floyd and Rachel Thibodeau at the Station Inn at 9:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival Begins April 3

 in Festivals, Nashville music, Songwriters

 

By Ken Paulson

One of our favorite musical events of the year in Nashville is the annual Tin Pan South Festival, a celebration of songwriting in the world capital of that art. It begins this year on Tuesday, April 3 and continues through Saturday, April 7.

 

We’ve been attending since 1997 and have never been disappointed in the depth and range of talent. Some songwriters are also performers, but others at the festival simply do their best to deliver their songs with passion, conduction and often humor.

 

The format at each Tin Pan South show consists or three or four songwriters alternating songs, along with a generous sampling of banter.

 

While the talent level has remained consistent over the years, Nashville’s growth means your best bet is to settle on a single venue and stay for the evening. Early on, we would make a point of hitting at least two venues per night. Life in Nashville is not that simple anymore and parking is not that cheap.

 

The festival performers at Tin Pan South –  presented by the Nashville Songwriters Association International – range from the highly accomplished to the highly promising.

This year’s Tin Pan South artists include Keb’ Mo’, Robert Earl Keen, Lori McKenna, Radney Foster, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members Paul Overstreet, Bob DePiero, Tom Douglas, Matraca Berg and Jeffrey Steele, and emerging artists Emily West, Sean McConnell, the Darlins, Sara Beck and Sarah Buxton. And that only scratches the surface.

You’ll find the full roster and more details on the Tin Pan South site.

Celebration of songwriting at Tin Pan South

 in Americana Music, Festivals, Nashville music, Songwriters

By Ken Paulson

Wayland Holyfield and Dickey Lee

Wayland Holyfield and Dickey Lee

The Tin Pan South songwriters festival in Nashville this week offered up five nights of remarkable performances by some of the country’s best songwriters, but an early show on Thursday at the Station Inn featuring three veteran performers and writers was among the most memorable.

I’ve just finished reading The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory, a book by John Seabrook that documents how today’s songs are engineered rather than created. There’s a new hook every few seconds because the formula demands it. Every generation complains that “all these new songs sound the same.” This time they’re right.

That’s why the performance at the Station Inn was so special. Buzz Cason, Dickey Lee and Wayland Holyfield have had hits spanning five decades, fueled by inspiration, happenstance and creativity.

Buzz Cason

Buzz Cason

Cason’s “Soldier of love” was covered by the Beatles during the BBC sessions and his “Everlasting Love” has become a pop standard. But he explained that his professional breakthrough came just by mimicking the goofy doo-wop vocals of Jan and Dean, and then submitting the songs to the duo. The result: “Tennessee” and the Top 25 single “Popsicle.”

 Dickey Lee had a successful career as a recording artist and performed “I Saw Linda Yesterday,” his hit from 1963.  But the emotional stakes of that song were trumped by his biggest hit, “She Thinks I Still Care,” a classic in the hands of George Jones. Lee said the song was inspired by a girl who broke his heart.

Holyfield played “Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer,” his first hit as a songwriter and a big record for Johnny Russell. But the highlight of  his performance was “You’re My Best Friend,” a Don Williams hit that Holyfield dedicated to his wife.

And so it goes. The hits of the past were inspired by lost love. Found love. And an impulse to get Jan and Dean to record your songs.

No algorithms. No product. Just art, creativity and fun.

Tin Pan South 2016 preview

 in Americana Music, Festivals, Nashville music, Songwriters

By Ken Paulson

Mac Davis and Bobby Braddock at Tin Pain South 2011

Mac Davis and Bobby Braddock at Tin Pan South 2011

Tin Pan South, one of Nashville’s best -and most economical – music festivals begins Tuesday, April 9, the first of  five nights of songwriter showcases.

This annual event brings together songwriting legends (Bobby Bare, Mac Davis, Bill Anderson) and songwriters dominating the charts today (Luke Laird, Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna, Jessi Alexander.) It features legacy artists (Dickie Lee, Buzz Cason) and current stars (Will Hoge, Kacey Musgraves.)

The songwriters rounds encompass a wide range of themes – “A Little Chick on Pick Action” anyone? – but the overall quality is always high. Some shows that we found particularly intriguing:

Tuesday, April 5, 6pm | $20 Bluebird Cafe
Bill Anderson, Bobby Bare, Buddy Cannon, special guests

Tuesday, April 5, 6pm | $20 The Country

Jessi Alexander, Cary Barlowe, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Thompson

Tuesday, April 5, 9pm | $15 Whiskey Rhythm Saloon
Keith Burns, Jim Peterik, Collin Raye, Joie Scott, special guest

Wednesday, April 6, 9pm | $15 Station Inn
Chuck Cannon, Lari White, Lee Roy Parnell

Wednesday, April 6, 9pm | $20 Bluebird Cafe
Mac Davis, Scotty Emerick, Leslie Satcher, Special Guest

Thursday, April 7, 6pm | $20 Listening Room
Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird, Lori McKenna, Special Guest

Thursday, April 7, 6pm | $10 Station Inn
Buzz Cason, Wayland Holyfield, Dickey Lee

Thursday, April 7, 9pm | $15 Douglas Corner
Bekka Bramlett, Billy Burnette, Bruce Gaitsch, Dennis Morgan

Thursday, April 7, 6pm | $15 Bluebird Cafe

Pat Alger, Don Henry, Livingston Taylor, Jon Vezner

Friday, April 8, 6:30pm | $20 3rd and Lindsley
Granville Automatic (Elizabeth Elkins & Vanessa Olivarez),
Travis Meadows, Angaleena Presley

Friday, April 8, 6:30pm | $15 Listening Room
Jeff Cohen, James T. Slater, Kim Richey

Saturday, April 9, 6:30pm | $15 Station Inn
Marti Dodson, Will Hoge, Tony Lane, Jason Mizelle, Special Guest

Saturday, April 9, 6:30pm | $20 3rd and Lindsley
A Benefit for Bonaparte’s Retreat
Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack, Colin Linden, Brandon Young, special guest, hosted by Emmylou Harris

Saturday, April 9, 9:30pm | $25 3rd and Lindsley
Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne

The full schedule can be found on the Nashville Songwriters Association website.

Tin Pan South: Cleveland, Lloyd, Ragsdale and Coleman

 in Festivals, Nashville music, Songwriters
Ashley Cleveland performs during Tin Pan South

Ashley Cleveland performs during Tin Pan South

Ashley Cleveland, Bill Lloyd, Suzi Ragsdale and Dave Coleman were clearly enjoying themselves Friday night at Douglas Corner as part of the Tin Pan South songwriters festival in Nashville.

Unlike other rounds where songwriters might be teamed thematically or shows in which songwriters come out for a rare performance, these were all friends and active performers, eager to play off each other and to share new material.

Three-time Grammy Ashley Cleveland stood to deliver songs from her upcoming Beauty on the Curve, Coleman showcased songs from his band’s new Escalator, Ragsdale debuted “The Ending” from a musical in the works, and Lloyd shared “Happiness,” a cool pop song that channels Burt Bacharach.

Follow Sun209 on Twitter at @Sun209com.

 

Tin Pan South: Classics revisited

 in Festivals, Nashville music, Songwriters
Dickey Lee at Tin Pan South

Dickey Lee at Tin Pan South

The show was labeled “Classics to Current,” and “classics” was not an overstatement. This Tin Pan South show at Douglas Corner in Nashville featured Alex Harvey, who wrote “Delta Dawn” and “Reuben James”, “Buzz Cason, whose “Soldier of Love” was recorded by the Beatles in their BBC sessions, Dickey Lee of “Patches” fame and Austin Cunningham.

But it was Lee who set the tone for the evening, noting that the song he was about to do had been a hit for George Jones and Elvis Presley and then opened the show with his “She Thinks I Still Care.” Follow that.

Follow Sun209 on Twitter at @Sun209com.

 

Best bets: 2014 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival

 in Americana Music, Festivals, Nashville music, Songwriters

tin pan 2014By Ken Paulson

Tin Pan South, the world-class songwriters festival based in Nashville,  begins this Tuesday in Nashville,  and as usual, the line-up of talent is rich and diverse. It’s a particularly well-curated festival, so there are no lame rounds. That said, these shows caught our eye:

Tuesday,  March 25

Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne at the at the Listening Room Café,  6 p.m.

Brandy Clark’s 12 Stories is one of the best albums of the past year, fueled by striking and down-to-earth songwriting. Her songs have been recorded by Band Perry, Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert.  Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne teamed with Musgraves for her hit “Merry Go ‘Round” and won a 2014 Grammy.

Critter Fuqua, Chance McCoy, Chuck Mead and Holly Williams at the Station Inn,  9 p.m.

BR5-49 veteran Chuck Mead has a terrific new album called Free State Serenade, Critter Fuqua and Chance McCoy are members of the Old Crow Medicine Show and Holly Williams is the very talented granddaughter of Hank Williams, who released the fine album The Highway  last year.

Wednesday, March 26

Jessi Alexander, Josh Kear and Striking Matches at the Hard Rock Café, 6 p.m.

We admred Jessi Alexander as an artist, but she’s really hit her stride as a country songwriter, including the much-honored “I Drive Your Truck.’ Josh Kear has had similar success, including writing the monster Lady Antebellum hit “Need You Now,  and Striking Matches is an engaging duo whose songs have shown up on the Nashville TV show.

Thursday, March 27

Jim Lauderdale and friends at the Station Inn, 6 p.m.

This minimalist listing is all you need to know. Lauderdale, an icon of Americana, works and plays with some of the best in the business.

Friday, March 28

Buzz Cason, Austin Cunningham, Alex Harvey and Dickey Lee at Douglas Corner, 6:30pm
There’s some pop and country  history here, with Dickey Lee, who recorded “Patches,” Buzz Cason, who wrote “Soldier of Love,” Alex Harvey, who wrote “ Delta Dawn”  and Austin Cunningham. And it’s not all oldies from the veterans. Cason has a brand-new new album called Troubadour Heart.

Later at the same club at 9:30 you’ll find 3-time Grammy winner Ashley Cleveland, Dave Coleman, Suzi Ragsdale and Bill Lloyd, power pop and country artist and songwriter, and occasional contributor to Sun209. We’ve had the privilege to work with all four, and they’ll deliver a great show.

Saturday, March 29

 Sony Curtis, Mac Davis and Hugh Prestwood at the Bluebird Café at 6:30 p.m.

One of our favorite past Tin Pan South shows featured former Cricket Sonny Curtis, Mac Davis. Jim Weatherly and Bobby Braddock.   This year’s round looks just as promising, with Hugh Prestwood joining David and Curtis.

Curtis is one of our favorites, a rock pioneer who grew up with Buddy Holly, and went on to write songs ranging from “I Fought the Law” to “Love is All Around,” the theme to the Mary Tyler Moore show. I don’t think anyone else can claim they’ve been covered by the Everly Brothers, the Clash and Joan Jett.

Of course, this is all just a start. This is a festival that also features Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Marcus Hummon, Leigh Nash, Kevin Welch, Kim Richey, Bob DiPiero, Shannon Wright, Gary Talley, Dave Barnes, John Oates, Craig Carothers, Larry Weiss, Phillip Coleman, Tony Arata, T. Graham Brown, Brett James, Rivers Rutherford, Jeffrey Steele, Tom Douglas, Eric Brace, Peter Cooper, Tim Easton, Bill Anderson, Steve Bogard, the Stellas, Amy Speace, Jason White, Leslie Satcher, Larry Gatlin, Tommy Lee James, Erin Enderlin, Jack Sundrud, Karen Staley, Luke Laird, Lee Roy Parnell, Sarah Buxton, Kate York, Sherrie Austin, James Otto, the Kinleys and many more.

Full details can be found at Tin Pan South’s website.

Follow Sun209 on Twitter at @Sun209com.

Tin Pan South set for March 25-29 in Nashville

 in Festivals, Nashville music, Songwriters

tin pan 2014Tin Pan South, a wide-ranging and always rewarding songwriters festival,  has just announced its 2014 line-up. The festival, which features both songwriting legends and upcoming writers,  will run from March 25 through March 29 in Nashville.

The approximately 100 performing songwriters include Joe Don Rooney, Vince Gill,  Teddy Gentry,  Amy Grant and Jamie O’Neal, plus Songwriters Hall of Fame members Pat Alger, Mac Davis and Sonny Curtis.
We’re also pleased to see so many of our Nashville-based favorites in the mix, including Bill Lloyd, Sherrie Austin,  Jessi Alexander,  Jason White,   Barry Dean, Will Hoge, Tom Douglas,  Eric Brace, Jim Lauderdale, Bob DiPiero, Karen Staley  and Marcus Hummon.
For full details, visit Tin Pan South’s online home.
Follow Sun209 on Twitter at @Sun209com.

The voices and venues of Tin Pan South

 in Nashville music, Reviews
Sara Buxton at Douglas Corner

Sara Buxton at Douglas Corner

Americana Music News — We saw the diversity of Tin Pan South tonight at two 6 p.m. shows  in distinctly different venues.

J.D. Souther hosted an evening at Douglas Corner, where the room was dark and the audience was hushed and almost reverential. The club was packed and the sign outside said the room was at capacity (which happened with some disappointing regularity this week.)

Across town, the irreverent foursome of Don Henry, Karen Staley, Jerry Vandiver and Jack Sundrud held court at the much brighter Commodore Grille at the West End Holiday  Inn. Henry sang about a guitar tossed into a tree after a spat, Staley described her “Thyroid Condition” with a nod to Hank Williams Jr. and Vandiver delivered  the pun-plentiful “Athens Grease.”

It was all good.

 

Don Henry. Karen Staley and Jack Sundrud

Don Henry. Karen Staley and Jack Sundrud

 

Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @Sun209com.

 

Tin Pan South Festival: Jimmy Webb, Jack Tempchin and Felix Cavaliere

 in Nashville music, Reviews

Jimmy Webb

By Ken Paulson

–Tin Pan South is a weeklong festival in Nashville featuring fine songwriters and engaging songs, but there was no question that the event’s epicenter was at 3rd and Lindsley tonight, as pop and rock songwriting royalty performed.

Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals took the stage first, and he remains in astonishingly fine voice. He began with “It’s A Beautiful Morning” and closed with a rousing “People Got to Be Free,” filling his set with radio classics and a fine new song that inspired an audience sing-along.
Jack Tempchin’s hit list is not as deep, but he was very entertaining, reminiscing about the best year of the ‘60s (1972) and playing his Eagles cuts “Already Gone” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” plus the Johnny Rivers hit “Slow Dancin’”

The finale – and maybe the festival – belonged to Jimmy Webb. He began his set with “Highwayman” and closed with “McArthur Park,” told a very funny story about the inspiration for “The Worst That Could Happen,” saluted Vince Gill with “Oklahoma Nights,” and recalled praying as a 14-year-old that Glen Campbell would one day record one of his songs before launching into “Wichita Lineman.” Webb is certainly one of the top ten composers in pop music history, along with Goffin and King, Lennon and McCartney, Mann and Weil and Bacharach and David. Tonight’s performance was a reminder of Jimmy Webb’s singular talent.

Tin Pan South: Peter Yarrow, Roger Cook, Larry Weiss, Michael McDermott

 in Americana Music, Nashville music

Peter Yarrow and Roger Cook

One of the opening shows on opening night of Tin Pan South in Nashville featured three songwriters with some of the best copyrights in popular music.  Roger Cook, Peter Yarrow, Larry Weiss and Michael McDermott showcased their catalogs at the Listening Room Café.

McDermott acknowledged that he was the poorest of the four and the only one without a monster hit.  A little self-deprecation is helpful when you’re sandwiched between Peter Yarrow doing his “Puff the Magic Dragon” and  the always entertaining Roger Cook performing a ukulele version of his Hollies hit “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress.)” Still, McDermott proved to be the most dynamic performer.

Weiss kept the crowd waiting for something familiar until late in the set, finally performing a mini-medley of “Bend Me Shape Me” (a hit for the American Breed) and “Help Me Girl,” an underrated 1966 single from Eric Burdon and the Animals. Weiss saved “Rhinestone Cowboy” for a crowd-pleasing finale.

Tin Pan South Festival: Opening night preview

 in Americana Music

You’ll find great music in Nashville’s clubs all this week as they host the annual Tin Pan South Festival, a celebration of songwriters. Venues all over town feature singers and songwriters, typically in the round in groups of four. The performances are short on flash and high in talent.

The 2012 festival kicks off tonight. Among the evening’s highlights:

6 p.m.

Belcourt Taps and Tapas: Sally Barris, Don Henry and Tom Kimmel are all accomplished songwriters, but collectively they’re known as the Waymores, a vibrant new trio with an album due for release.  Plus guest Dana Cooper.

Listening Room Café – Roger Cook (“Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” and many more), Peter Yarrow of Peter,  Paul and Mary,  and Michael McDermott are joined by Larry Weiss, who wrote “Rhinestone Cowboy” for Glen Campbell and  “Bend Me Shape Me” for the American Breed.

9 p.m.

Commodore Grill – Walter Egan, Mary Gauthier, Ed Pettersen and Jim Photoglo span multiple decades and genres. Egan enjoyed rock stardom with “Magnet and Steel,” Photoglo has had huge success as a country writer and Gauthier writes compelling and often heartbreaking songs.

Eat at Loew’s Vanderbilt: Sherrie Austin, Steve Bogard, Lindsay Ell and Rob Hatch are a great line-up, but the special draw here is the appearance of Elliot Lurie, who wrote and sang the 1972 pop classic “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” for his band the Looking Glass.

Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival sets 2012 line-up

 in Reviews

Tin Pan South, the pre-emiment songwriters festival, has just released its line-up for the 2012 event scheduled for March 27-31. It’s a wide-ranging collection of talent, spead over ten venues. Attendees can pay cover at the door or buy a weeklong pass that offers preferred access.
Many of this year’s performers are songwriters who have also had successful recording careers, including Ray Wylie Hubbard, Walter Egan, T. Graham Brown, Lari White, Michael Johnson, Peter Yarrow, Sam Bush, Mark Hudson, Felix Cavaliere, Radney Foster, Darrell Scott, Buddy Miller, Lee Roy Parnell, John Oates, Jim Lauderdale, Dickey Lee, Buzz Cason, Shawn Mullins, Jim Peterik, Al Anderson, Shawn Camp and the Wrights.
You’ll find details on the schedule and tickets at the Tin Pan South site. For coverage of past Tin Pan South events, go here.

(Follow Sun209and the festival at sun209com on Twitter.)

A side of Jason and the Scorchers at Tin Pan South

 in Americana Music

In a week full of performances on acoustic guitars, Tin Pan South took a turn for the loud with a group of folks best known for rock and blues. Craig Krampf, Bill Cuomo, Dave Pomeroy, Jonell Mosser, Dan Baird, Paris Delane, Kenny Greenberg and Ashley Cleveland played an amazing array of songs, including one of Craig’s from “Flashdance.” I’ve never seen Jason and the Scorchers live, so it was a treat to hear the band do a couple of their songs. Scorchers guitarist Warner Hodges, seen above with Ashley and Kenny, clearly had a good time.

In a week full of performances on acoustic guitars, Tin Pan South took a turn for the loud with a group of folks best known for rock and blues. Craig Krampf, Bill Cuomo, Dave Pomeroy, Jonell Mosser, Dan Baird, Paris Delane, Kenny Greenberg and Ashley Cleveland played an amazing array of songs, including one of Craig’s from “Flashdance.” I’ve never seen Jason and the Scorchers live, so it was a treat to hear the band do a couple of their songs. Scorchers guitarist Warner Hodges, seen above with Ashley and Kenny, clearly had a good time.

A Righteous Tin Pan South

 in Festivals, Nashville music, Songwriters

Tin Pan South is a celebration of songwriting put together by the Nashville Songwriters Association International. The annual festival is remarkable for its scope and depth of talent, and occasionally you can even have a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member drop by. Righteous Brother Bill Medley performed in the round at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville with Steve Dorff, Bill LaBounty and Bobby Tomberlin. I had no idea he had written “Little Latin Lupe Lu” (the live Springsteen version is better known to many) and he had a good time mocking his own lyrics. Bobby Hatfield, the other Brother, died in 2003. Medley did his own stirring version of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” to close the night.

Tin Pan South is a celebration of songwriting put together by the Nashville Songwriters Association International. The annual festival is remarkable for its scope and depth of talent, and occasionally you can even have a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member drop by. Righteous Brother Bill Medley performed in the round at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville with Steve Dorff, Bill LaBounty and Bobby Tomberlin. I had no idea he had written “Little Latin Lupe Lu” (the live Springsteen version is better known to many) and he had a good time mocking his own lyrics. Bobby Hatfield, the other Brother, died in 2003. Medley did his own stirring version of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” to close the night.