featuring some beautiful cello by engineer and co-producer David Henry.
Will Kimbrough is an excellent player, singer and producer, and his talents are on full display on “Sideshow Love.”
Category: Nashville music
Folk musical “Hangtown Dancehall” debuts in Nashville
Hangtown Dancehall, an ambitious re-visiting of the tale of “Sweet Betsy from Pike” debuted tonight at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville with an all-star cast of artists. The musical, subtitled “A tale of the California Goldrush,” is the creation of Eric Brace (Last Train Home) and Karl Straub, based on a story by Brace.
Interview: Kim Richey on “Thorn in my Heart”
By Ken Paulson Kim Richey has been all over the Americana Music Festival and it’s been great to see her showcase her fine new album Thorn in My Heart. Here’s a quick interview on the new album and her return to Nashville: listen to ‘Kim Richey’ on Audioboo
Eric Brace song inspires a NASA video
We’re fans of Eric Brace and were glad to hear the news that one of his songs inspired a NASA video and tribute to Neil Armstrong. In Eric’s words: I’m extraordinarily honored and proud that the folks at NASA heard my song “Tranquility Base” and are using it to help commemorate the first anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s death (Sunday). The…
Review: Tim Easton’s “Not Cool”
Someone once said, “Geography is destiny,” and that certainly seems true of “Not Cool,” the new CD from much-traveled singer-songwriter Tim Easton
The Roys’ spirited bluegrass at CMA Festival in Nashville
Bluegrass duo the Roys were all over the CMA Festival in Nashville this week and we caught them in a makeshift concert hall adjacent to the Nashville Visitors’ Center.
Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas to preview “Cross County Lines”
The Americana Music Association is staging a concert June 1 in Franklin, Tennessee, hosted by Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas. Joining them at Liberty Hall at the Factory will be Amos Lee, Sarah Jarosz, Shawn Colvin, Angel Snow and Teddy Thompson.
The voices and venues of Tin Pan South
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…
Reissue: Kenny O’Dell’s “Beautiful People”
By Ken Paulson —I met Kenny O’Dell at a press conference announcing the new Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame earlier this year, and mentioned how much I had enjoyed his Beautiful People album, released in 1967. O’Dell, who is a member of the Hall of Fame, was gracious and seemed surprised that anyone remembered the pop album he recorded before…
Review: Beth Nielsen Chapman’s “The Mighty Sky”
By Ken Paulson — It’s the rare children’s album that delights adults as much as kids , but that’s certainly the case with The Mighty Sky, a new album from Beth Nielsen Chapman. The album offers lessons in astronomy through a wide array of pop songs written by Chapman, Annie Roboff and Rocky Alvey, giving parents the chance to play…
Holly Williams to play the Belcourt Theatre Feb. 12
Americana Music News — One of the most pleasant surprises on the 2012 Cayamo cruise was Holly Williams. She proved to be a self-assured performer with impressive material. We saw her again at the 30A Songwriters Festival two weeks ago. Now fresh off an appearance on the Tonight Show, the granddaughter of Hank Williams (yes, that one), is performing at…
Steeldrivers plan two Nashville dates
Americana Music News — The SteelDrivers will be home in Nashville for two shows in February, showcasing their new album, Hammer Down. The band will appear on Feb. 6 on the Music City Roots show beginning at 7 p.m. at Loveless Cafe and again at the Station Inn on Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. You’ll find the Sun209 review of…
A very Wooten Christmas in Nashville
Joseph Wooten, keyboard player for the Steve Miller band and a solo artist, invited his brothers for a reunion and Christmas party in Nashville on Dec. 21. Soul classics prevailed, plus the funkiest version of Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song” ever performed. Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @Sun209com.
Americana music looms large at Grammy nominations show
By Ken Paulson Nashville – For a genre that sometimes struggles to establish itself, Americana Music was very visible at tonight’s Grammy Nominations Concert at Bridgestone Arena. Guest presenters the Lumineers were nominated along with the Alabama Shakes for the Grammy award as best new artist. Mumford & Sons’ Babel was nominated as best album of the year. Throw in…
Review: Brittany Spriggs’ “Brand New”
By Paul T. Mueller–Brand New is billed as the debut album of Nashville singer Brittany Spriggs. At five tracks some would call it an EP, but maybe that’s just semantics. Either way it’s fair to call it a radio-friendly first outing for an up-and-coming country artist. Country by the current Nashville definition, that is – glossy pop with a bit…
Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul in Nashville Oct. 26
Americana Music News — Eileen Ivers, an extraordinary violinist best known for her performances with Riverdance, comes to Nashville on Friday, Oct. 26, for a concert at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s James K. Polk Theater. It should be a good fit. Just as Nashville has outgrown its country music roots, Ivers has moved past her reputation as a Celtic…
Nashville Songwriters induct Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tony Arata, Kim Williams, Larry Henley
Americana Music News —Tonight the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tony Arata, Kim Williams and Larry Henley at a ceremony in Nashville. Carpenter, who played the Ryman Auditorium Friday night, is being recognized for a body of work that includes “I Feel Lucky,” “Down at the Twist and Shout” and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her.”…
Freedom Sings concert set for Bluebird Cafe in Nashville
By Ken Paulson Americana artists loom large at this year’s Freedom Sings concert at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. Gretchen Peters, Kim Richey, Bill Lloyd, Ashley Cleveland, Danny Flowers, Don Henry, Jonell Mosser and Jason White are among Americana-linked performers scheduled for the Oct. 3 event. (Disclosure: I help plan and host this fund-raiser each year.) Here’s some background from the…
Concert review: Martina McBride at the Ryman
By Ken Paulson — Eleven is the title of Martina McBride’s latest album, and those digits began the onscreen countdown for her performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville tonight. That bit of stagecraft foreshadowed a generous two-hour set spanning most of her hits and a surprising number of covers. Martina told the audience from the outset that this would…
Concert review: Nick Lowe both classic and current
By Ken Paulson —Nick Lowe has been a regular in Music City in the last year or so, opening for Wilco at the Ryman Auditorium and being feted at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Still, it was a real treat to see him deliver a decades-spanning acoustic set at the Mercy Lounge Saturday night. The 64-year-old Lowe has aged…