Reedy's Dream Music Releases 'Maybe She Lied' Video Featuring Scott Coner and Tanya Tucker

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 2016) – Reedy's Dream Music has released a new music video for the hit song "Maybe She Lied", a duet featuring country artist Scott Coner and singing legend Tanya Tucker.

            Coner says he was inspired to write the song on his Takamine guitar after a very good friend went home from work and found his wife gone with all of her belongings. Coner and Tucker later recorded an emotionally charged rendition of the song at CTM Studios in Nashville. The tune hit number one in the United Kingdom shortly after its release.

            "My friend never saw it coming, and it shocked the daylights out of him when it happened," said Coner, who has worked with other country legends such as T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. "Working with Tanya, even being in the same room with Tanya, is an honor. Her voice is stronger than anything I have ever heard, and she attacked the song like a seasoned pro. She truly is a beautiful person."

            To download the "Maybe She Lied" music video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook artist page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or You Tube channel at https://youtu.be/i8cKZ0OllCo.

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            The "Maybe She Lied" music video reveals the heartache of a love affair gone wrong. Once together, now apart, the man and woman look back and yearn for what could have been. A crew from Cynnamae Media Productions shot the video on the Coner family farm in Nancy, Ky. The house and farm is where Scott's grandparents raised eight kids and the same place where he spent countless hours roaming the fields and thinking about his future. The video was directed by his wife, Cyndi Coner. She also appears with Scott in the video.

            "Everything in the video means something to me," Coner added. "The trees that I stand by are where I used to play as a kid. The porch scene is where I sat with my grandpa and grandma on many an occasion, and the hay and tobacco barns both make an appearance. Cyndi holding an umbrella is my favorite part of the song. I love the colors and beauty she brought to everything."

 

            Coner co-produced the song with sound engineer Logan Schlegal. A Floyd Cramer piano style was used throughout the song to help give it a classic country feel. Coner and Tucker worked with some of Music Row's top session musicians.

            "Of course, Tanya Tucker did an amazing job," Coner continued. "When I left the studio after the mix, I knew we had a strong track. Mark Mosely is a friend and producer here in town that helped bring Tanya to the table. I don't think I can ever thank him enough for that."

            Scott Coner has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com, www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer. Follow Coner at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer. "Maybe She Lied" and other song selections can be downloaded on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/scott-coner/id333235738.

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'Tunesmithing' to Celebrate the Season on Dec. 16 With Special Holiday Show

         NASHVILLE -- "Tunesmithing" will celebrate the season with a special holiday show from 7-9:30 p.m. Dec. 16 (Wednesday) at WXYZ Restaurant/Bar at the Aloft Nashville Hotel, 1719 West End Ave. (near Music Row).

          Attendees will enjoy original songs and/or stories by Kelley Cline, Michael Elley, Karen Elley, Frank Fileccia, Dar Frantz, Dwight Liles, Claudia Nygaard, Candy Paull, Angel Pontier, Steve Trinward, Brian Wright, and Chuck Whiting.

Claudia Nygaard (Photo by Brenda Ladd)

          Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicist Chuck Whiting will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase is sponsored by Whiting Publicity and Promotions, Music City Arts Network, and Shine Time Records and Books.

          * This year's holiday "Tunesmithing" will support singer-songwriter Diane King and Lymphoma Research at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

          The monthly show was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters, as well as artists of all kinds. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for artists at all levels.

          For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com. 

Gail McDaniel to Teach Watercolor Painting Course Near Atlanta in January 2016

            ATLANTA, Ga. (December 2015) -- Gail McDaniel, an acclaimed watercolorist who has served as an associate member and demonstrating artist/instructor for the prestigious Winsor & Newton Creative Artist Network in London, will celebrate 2016 by teaching an eight-week watercolor painting course near Atlanta.

            The watercolor painting course will be offered to beginning, intermediate and advanced artists on Wednesday afternoons starting Jan. 6 at Griffin First United Methodist Church, 1401 Maple Drive in the Atlanta suburb of Griffin, Ga. Sessions will occur from 1-4 p.m. on Jan. 6, 13, 20 and 27; and Feb. 3, 10, 17 and 24. Tuition is $165 for all eight, three-hour sessions.

            The artist/instructor will provide insights on composition, perspective, value, color theory and application. She also will demonstrate some of the techniques that have helped make her an award-winning artist, including abstract under paintings, disappearing purples, painting on Masa Paper, white on white, monotype paintings, let it flow, texturize your paintings, portraits, reflective surfaces, and wax-resist Batik. The course is structured to serve artists at all skill levels, from the very raw beginner to the most advanced. McDaniel will close each session with individual critiques.

            Because space is limited for the classes, reservations are required. Payments by check are accepted. For more information or to register, contact the artist by phone at (678) 603-1502 or send an inquiry to gail@gailmcdanielart.com. Individuals can learn more about the artist/instructor and view her artwork at http://www.GailMcDanielArt.com.

            Before moving to Georgia, McDaniel spent more than 20 years working as a professional watercolorist and art instructor in Franklin, Tenn. During that time, she taught more than 1,300 students in classes and workshops around the world. A number of her former students have developed into professional artists with exhibitions and commissions.

            "Some people come to find out if they can paint in watercolor," said the artist, who painted the invitation cover for "A Little Night of Music" starring country superstar LeAnn Rimes. "Like me, others love the look of watercolor paintings and want to learn the medium. Many come for the change of pace and the new, wonderful, relaxing challenge it brings. The intermediate and advanced students come to me to grow in the medium."

            Over the years, McDaniel has seen the positive change that comes over many people when they spend three hours with her creatively thinking from the right side of their brain.

            "It's truly a night-and-day change, not to mention the fun they have," McDaniel added. "Many who come to me with no art background find they really have a true talent for painting. Some of them never had the slightest notion they had any talent. It's such an outstanding reward for them and a source of real pleasure for me."

            A good example is Phyllis Tatum, a watercolorist who studied with McDaniel for 14 years in Middle Tennessee. She and her fellow students were thrilled when she won four blue ribbons and a red ribbon at the Tennessee State Fair. Her crowing achievement came later when she won the fair's "Best of Show", a rare occurrence in watercolor circles.

            McDaniel fondly remembers receiving a thank you note from former student Suzy Foy of Estes Park, Colo., who wrote, "My whole life I have dreamt about being an artist... I never believed I could live that dream, one painting at a time. Because of my workshops, mentoring and support (from McDaniel), it is happening."

            "One of the obvious results of classes is the togetherness that comes upon the group," McDaniel noted. "Friendships develop, and with that interest in each other's lives and the happenings and events in their world. The group watches children grow up, grandchildren being born, and members die. The group celebrates the joys together, as well as the sad times, giving special support. Sometimes, our paintings reflect those experiences."

            The classes near Atlanta should be no exception. McDaniel will demonstrate the techniques, shortcuts and concepts that she has developed or learned by doing, reading or studying with others. She plans to show her students everything she knows, holding nothing back. Her goal is to inspire them without making them feel overwhelmed.

Photo of Gail McDaniel by Ken McDaniel

            During her career, McDaniel has trained artists from 36 different states (including Alaska and Hawaii), the District of Columbia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines and South Korea. She has taught 11 workshops at historic Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, a landmark where the late Georgia O’Keefe lived and painted. She also served as a member of the arts faculty of Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art.

            In 2002, she and her husband, Ken, launched the "Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Awards", raising almost $90,000 for the visual arts in Middle Tennessee public schools. The fundraising effort earned Gail and Ken a nomination in the "volunteer innovator" category of the 2009 Mary Catherine Strobel Award. In 2012, the artist was named the PENCIL Foundation's "Volunteer of the Year".

            Before leaving Tennessee, she received an award for "Excellence in Community Service" from the Travelers Rest Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was inducted into the Cave City, Ky., Hall of Fame and named (as an eighth generation Kentuckian) to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels as one of  "Kentucky's ambassadors of good will and fellowship around the world."

            In 2001, she was invited by directors of the "Art in Provence" program to conduct an eight-day watercolor workshop in Dieulefit, France. She studied under 38 noted art instructors to help build her reputation as one of the South's top artists/instructors. -- even accepting a commission to paint a family landmark for former Kentucky Gov. Louie B. Nunn.

            For more information about Gail McDaniel or to see her work, visit www.GailMcDanielArt.com.

'Tunesmithing' to Celebrate Music in Film, Television and Theatre on Nov. 18

          NASHVILLE -- "Tunesmithing" will celebrate music in film, television and theatre with a show from 7-9:30 p.m. Nov. 18 (Wednesday) at WXYZ Restaurant/Bar at the Aloft Nashville Hotel, 1719 West End Ave. (near Music Row).

          Attendees will enjoy original songs and compositions by professional singer/songwriter Lisa Aschmann (hundreds of songs for movies and TV shows); professional singer/songwriter Everette Brown ("Summer Avenue"/PBS documentary series "Beyond the Parkway"); songwriter/composer/playwright Valerie Connelly ("Fearless, The Golden Love Musical"); songwriter/composer/instrumentalist Mark Horwitz (performed in the Broadway show "Beatlemania"); singer/songwriter/producer Bruce Michael Miller (four songs in the movie "Halloween Party"); and songwriter/composer/instrumentalist Bob Teague (guitarist for the four-piece instrumental group 'Quartessence').

           Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicist Chuck Whiting will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Network, and Shine Time Records and Books. The monthly show was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters, as well as artists of all kinds. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for artists at all levels.

          For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases 'Sweet Mary' Single

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 2015) – Country/Southern Rock artist Scott Coner has released the new single "Sweet Mary", cover of the popular tune by the legendary Rhode Island rock band Wadsworth Mansion.

            The simple, catchy, hook-oriented tune is now available at iTunes and other online retailers. Coner, who has worked with legendary artists such as T. Graham Brown, Tanya Tucker and Charlie Daniels, was joined in the studio this time by Christopher Cross's background vocalist Marcia Ramirez.

            "I discovered 'Sweet Mary' in a stack of 45rpm records as a young kid in Nancy, Ky.," said Scott, who plans to release a new EP in early 2016. "My dad's little sister Janice had a small record player and a stack of music she had left behind after she got married. I spent a lot of time there as a kid, and 'Sweet Mary' kind of attached itself to me."

            To download Scott Coner's "Sweet Mary" single at iTunes, visit https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/sweet-mary-single/id1052955133?app=itunes. An accompanying "Sweet Mary music video can be viewed on You Tube at https://youtu.be/YTEesJ2amtA.

            For Wadsworth Mansion, the original version of "Sweet Mary" was a "one-hit wonder". It quickly climbed into the top-10 on various charts, then essentially disappeared. Various misfortunes, including flooded equipment, forced the popular Providence, Rhode Island, rock band to break up in 1972. The legendary group was largely forgotten until a local TV feature story aired in 2014. Steve Jablecki, who penned the song, died of unknown causes in 2005.

            "The song was written about a soldier in Vietnam that got a letter from his wife or girlfriend," Scott added. "She says in the letter that she 'has a stomach full of love' and he needs to get home to his family. I understand that Steve wrote it on a piano and pitched it around New York. I have been told that he actually hitchhiked from Rhode Island to New York to do the vocal cut."

            To get approval for his video and single covers, Coner had to track down members of the Jablecki family. Sons Matt and Marc quickly endorsed the project, with Matt saying, "It's something dad would have been just so excited by."

            For the recording and video, Coner wanted a laid-back, garage band kind of feel. Joining him at Nashville's Java Jive for the daylong session earlier this fall were Ramirez, guitarist/background vocalist Matt Morgeson, guitarist Jake Widenhofer, bass player John Davis, and drummer/percussionist Bryan Tewell. Studio engineer Logan Schlegel co-produced.

            Scott says he especially enjoyed singing the "doo-wops" with Ramirez, which took him back to childhood times. His wife, Cyndi, shot a music video during the session to create a playful, feel-good production for all ages. The video has been downloaded almost 150,000 times on his Facebook artist page at http://www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic.

            "I came into the studio with a beat I wanted to start the song with," Scott continued. "I didn't want too much B-3 on the song because I wanted a bar chord rhythm. The original bass line was cool, so I didn't want to deviate too far from that. I felt like the original cut kind of tipped its hat to The Kinks both musically, as well as vocally. I wanted to carry the song away from that direction just a little with a warmer bottom and vocally change the dynamic with myself and Marcia doing the whole song."

            The video opens with Scott reminiscing in his music room at home while listening to the original 45rpm Wadsworth Mansion single. It then fades into his upbeat studio performance.

            Scott says he hopes the single and video will give listeners the opportunity to experience a little of the joy and excitement he had when he discovered it on his grandparents' farm as a young boy.

            "I think the song was different from anything else I had been subjected to at that early stage of my life," he said. "I don't remember ever hearing it on the radio. I only heard it at the farm in Kentucky. Maybe that was the reason I loved it so much."

            A self-proclaimed family man, Scott Coner lives with his wife and two daughters on rural farmland near Franklin, Ind. He has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

Kiser+Vogrin Design Wins Four State Design Awards from American Society of Landscape Architects

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 2015) – When landscape architects Dwight Kiser and Gary Vogrin joined forces to found Kiser+Vogrin Design in 2010, they had no idea they would soon be designing the sites of some of the largest construction projects in Middle Tennessee history.

            KVD landscape architects were soon tapped to develop master plans for City Park, Ovation and Capitol View. In just five years, this fast-growing Franklin, Tenn., firm has become one of the most respected companies in the Southeast for its landscape architecture, urban design, and land planning.

            The eight-member KVD staff felt a great sense of pride when they were recently honored for those projects, winning four awards from the Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

            "We're thrilled to have reached a point in the history of KVD where our projects have been recognized for excellence by peers in the field of landscape architecture," Kiser said with a smile.

The KVD team celebrates after winning four awards from the Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. (L-R) Gary Vogrin, Diane King, Dwight Kiser, Jeff Rosiak, Johnson Bullard, Kennon Lorick, Katie Rudowsky, and Chris Wood. (Photo by Yates Bateman)

            During an awards dinner at the Cordelle in downtown Nashville, KVD was honored for its work on

            * City Park (Built Environment/Commercial), a sprawling suburban office park that is being transformed into a much-needed town center in Brentwood, Tenn.

            * Ovation (Planning and Analysis/Mixed Use; Natural Resource Conservation/Sustainable Design), a 147-acre property in Franklin described as the "most comprehensive mixed-use community in Middle Tennessee."

            * Capitol View (Planning and Analysis/Mixed Use), a 34-acre mixed-use development currently under construction on a brownfield site in the North Gulch adjacent to Nashville's urban core.

        “We have spent a tremendous amount of time and effort working on assembling the right people and building a culture where we can all be creative but work hard to serve the needs of our clients,” said Jeff Rosiak, principal for KVD. “None of this would have been possible without the collaborative efforts of our clients, architects, engineers and others in the Nashville community.”

            For City Park, KVD’s architects created the design for a dynamic streetscape flanked by a robust mix of restaurants, retail vendors, and open spaces. The plan features a new boutique hotel that surrounds the historic Mooreland Mansion on three sides.

City Park

            “Ovation and Capitol View are universally considered favorite projects by our staff,” said Vogrin, who serves as KVD vice president.

            Ovation features a thoughtful blend of residential, office, retail and entertainment uses in a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces. The project will transform the McEwen/Carothers Parkway corridor into one of the most environmentally and economically sustainable public gathering areas in the region.

            “The attraction to the Ovation project starts with its magnitude,” Kiser added. “With an estimated $770 million construction budget, Ovation has been described as a downtown for the Cool Springs area of Franklin.”

Ovation

            KVD’s conceptual master plan for Capitol View includes residential, retail, office and green space on an urban brownfield site. The firm's detailed site design includes a brick paver-clad "festival street" with three large plazas, a park, rain gardens, pedestrian pathways, and biking trails connecting to the Gulch and to the Nashville Greenway System. The project boasts nearly 280,000 square feet of retail space, more than 1 million square feet of office space, 120 hotel rooms, and 1,200 residential units.

            “Festival Street, in particular, is an amazing space where true landscape architecture was applied to an urban streetscape,” Vogrin continued. “The streetscape and corner park are still in design development, but it is anticipated to have a small performance stage and a kiosk that may contain trail maps and serve as a trailhead to the Nashville Greenway system.”

Capitol View

            Kiser+Vogrin Design continues to play a major role in Middle Tennessee’s unprecedented growth. The firm recently expanded into music event-related design by developing the layout for Franklin’s inaugural Pilgrimage Festival. In late October, the firm’s architects will unveil the preservation plans for the historic Carter House in Franklin. KVD is also continuing to work on the 600-acre Berry Farms, a project that includes office, retail and residential connected by a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

            “This is our fifth anniversary, and we have a lot to be excited about,” Vogrin said. “Our staff has a broad range of expertise. Our roots are in large-scale residential master planning. We also have parks and recreation experts and a growing portfolio of historic preservation.”

            Other KVD team members include Project Manager/Landscape Architect Chris Wood, Chief Financial Officer Diane King, Project Manager/ Landscape Designer Johnson Bullard, Landscape Designer Katie Rudowsky, and Landscape Designer Kennon Lorick.

            “We’re proud to be a part of the evolution of Middle Tennessee,” Vogrin noted. “Just 10 to 15 years ago, the vast majority of development was on the outskirts of Nashville.  Residents were content to commute to a sleepy downtown. Now more people are moving to the city every day. We have a dense and thriving downtown residential market and a palpable sense of energy throughout the city.”

            Founded in 2010, Kiser+Vogrin Design is a landscape architecture, urban design and land planning firm located in the Cool Springs area of Franklin, Tenn. Founders Dwight Kiser and Gary Vogrin have been successfully designing, entitling and building projects in Middle Tennessee since 1996. KVD strives to consistently provide innovative and sustainable project solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of clients in real estate development, construction, historic preservation, amusement, city government, parks and recreation, and related fields. Services include development feasibility and carrying capacity analysis, land use planning, site master planning, zoning and site entitlement, design guidelines and development books, grading and drainage concepts, landscape design, storm water solutions, and green infrastructure implementation. The firm's work spans all facets of residential, mixed use, commercial, retail, office, resort, and recreational planning and design.

            "What makes Kiser Vogrin's designs stand out is that they balance practicality and affordability to the design, yet deliver something that will stand out above the competition," said client David Wilson of Fifth Lane Real Estate in Franklin.

            To learn more about Kiser+Vogrin Design, visit www.KiserVogrin.com. You can contact a KVD representative directly at (615) 813-0862 or kvd@kiservogrin.com.

TSU Professor Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton Honors Father with 'Daddy's Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League'

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

          NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 2015) -- Tennessee State University Associate Professor Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton's mother challenged her with the sacred task of preserving the memory of her father, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame member Henry Kimbro. Shortly before her death, Cuban-born Erbia C. Mendoza-Kimbro gave Harriet an old scrapbook filled with articles, pictures and other items from Henry's career as a star in the Negro Baseball League.

            "No one in my family ever saw it with the exception of my mother," Harriet said with a smile. "When she placed it in my hand, she told me to do something with it. 'You know what to do,' she told me. The look she had on her face at that time was, 'I trust you.'"

            Harriet's efforts to honor her father started in 2003 with a challenging but successful campaign to have her father inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Now she is about to honor his life again with release of the new book, "Daddy's Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter's Perspective." She will celebrate with family members and friends during a special exhibition, storytelling and book signing at the Robert Churchwell Museum Magnet Elementary School Library from 2-3:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 (Saturday). Admission is free.

            "It was a great joy to write this book because, through the process, I became good friends with other Negro League heroes such as Butch McCord, Jim Zapp, Shannon Jones, and Sydney Bunch, who knew and worked with my dad," Harriet added. "My siblings also contributed. The toughest part of the book was the chapter on my mom. I had a connection with her that most family members were not aware of. This book has given me such a peace with my mother's wish."

            Attendees of the school event will enjoy a special exhibition honoring players in the Negro Baseball Leagues. Several items on display were donated by Harriet, the McCord family, and others. 

            Her heartfelt family tribute honors a legendary outfielder once dubbed the "Black Ty Cobb" of the NBL. According to The New York Times, Henry played mostly with the Baltimore Elite Giants. The Negro Leagues were disbanded in the 1960s when African-American players began joining Major League Baseball. After Henry's death in 1999, Erbia gave Harriet the tattered, 60-year-old scrapbook her father had assembled during his life.

            The book includes insights on Henry's Nashville upbringing, controversial off-the-field shenanigans, baseball stardom in Latin America, marriage to Erbia, role as the father of five children, and induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

 

            "My favorite story was when my father gave me a left-handed glove," noted Harriet, who wanted to show the humble side of a man who loved his wife and children. "I don't think he knew what an impact he had on a little girl's confidence, someone who loved learning how to play baseball alongside her brother. I look back and see a man ahead of his time in terms of gender equality, and I truly appreciate that."

            The professor also recounts other stories, both funny and sad, about her son's temporary disappearance at a hotel before the 1993 Baseball All-Star Game and her father's awkward courting of Erbia during visits to Cuba.

            "During their dates, he had to take her chaperones along with them and pay their tabs," Harriet laughed. "He would always smile or laugh when telling that story. He truly loved my mother."

            Harriet drew more quiet when talking emotionally about her mother, whose touching story is recounted halfway through the book. 

            "My mother was the foundation of our family," she said. "She was a very loving, caring and supportive person to her children. I can't remember anytime she wasn't there to see us participate, compete or complete an endeavor. For me, my mother was my first teacher. I was also my father's child in many ways because I inherited many of his ways both good and bad, but she made me more of a lady, too."

            Harriet also uses the book to recognize some of the individuals who helped Henry Kimbro succeed. She said her efforts to have her father posthumously inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of fame would not have been possible without the lobbying support of former Negro American League Manager Buck O'Neil, Canadian Major League Baseball star Larry Walker, former Nashville Sounds owner Larry Schmittou, and former Nashville Councilman Ronnie Greer. 

            "Daddy's Scrapbook" includes a host of pictures, including Henry's baseball days, family snapshots, and post-career activities in the latter part of his life. The last photo of Henry on Page 125 shows him waving a baseball cap at fans while being recognized at the 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Baltimore. 

            "Before the game began, 24 surviving Negro League Baseball players were paraded onto the field wearing replicas of their team uniforms," Harriet remembered. "It was blistering that day, and I worried about the effects of the heat on those guys. As each player was introduced, a giant picture of them was shown on the scoreboard while the announcer described their accomplishments as a player. When it was my father's time, he stood up straight with a huge grin and tilted his Baltimore Elite Giants hat to the crowd. The crowd, I felt, gave him the loudest response because he had played for Baltimore, and he relished this, his finest hour."

            During her athletic career, Hamilton served as head coach in various sports and athletic director of Fisk University. The author also chaired the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Committee and served on the ABA-USA Committee that selected the 1984 USA Olympic Gold Medal Women's Basketball Team. She has received awards from the Women's Sports Foundation; the National Association of Girls and Women in Sports (the Dr. Nell C. Jackson Award); and the Temple University League for Entrepreneurial Women (Hall of Fame inductee). 

            "Daddy's Scrapbook", which retails for $14.95, is available at Amazon.com and other major online retailers. For more information about the book, call (615) 963-5581 or send an e-mail inquiry to harrioo@hotmail.com.

 

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases Music Video Cover of Wadsworth Mansion's 1971 Rock Hit 'Sweet Mary'

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 2015) – Country/Americana artist Scott Coner is honoring the late singer/songwriter/musician Steve Jablecki by releasing a music video cover of Wadsworth Mansion's 1971 rock hit "Sweet Mary".

            The simple, catchy, hook-oriented tune was released on You Tube and Facebook on Oct. 6. A "Sweet Mary" single will be released at iTunes and other online retailers later this month. Coner, who has worked with legendary artists such as T. Graham Brown, Tanya Tucker and Charlie Daniels, was joined in this studio this time by Christopher Cross's background vocalist Marcia Ramirez.

            "I discovered 'Sweet Mary' in a stack of 45rpm records as a young kid in Nancy, Ky.," said Scott, who plans to release a new EP in early 2016. "My dad's little sister Janice had a small record player and a stack of music she had left behind after she got married. I spent a lot of time there as a kid, and 'Sweet Mary' kind of attached itself to me."

            To watch the video, visit https://youtu.be/YTEesJ2amtA .

Scott Coner (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

            For Wadsworth Mansion, the original version of "Sweet Mary" was a "one-hit wonder". It quickly climbed into the top-10 on various charts, then essentially disappeared. Various misfortunes, including flooded equipment, forced the popular Providence, Rhode Island, rock band to break up in 1972. The legendary group was largely forgotten until a local TV feature story aired in 2014. Jablecki died of unknown causes in 2005.

            "The song was written about a soldier in Vietnam that got a letter from his wife or girlfriend," Scott added. "She says in the letter that she 'has a stomach full of love' and he needs to get home to his family. I understand that Steve wrote it on a piano and pitched it around New York. I have been told that he actually hitchhiked from Rhode Island to New York to do the vocal cut.

            To get approval for his video and single covers, Coner had to track down members of the Jablecki family. Sons Matt and Marc quickly endorsed the project, with Matt saying "it's something (his) dad would have been just so excited by."

Photo provided by the Steve Jablecki family.

            For the recording and video, Coner wanted a laid-back, garage band kind of feel. Joining him at Nashville's Java Jive for the daylong session on Sept. 15 were Ramirez, guitarist/background vocalist Matt Morgeson, guitarist Jake Widenhofer, bass player John Davis, and drummer/percussionist Bryan Tewell. Studio engineer Logan Schlegel co-produced.

            Scott's wife, Cyndi, shot the video during the session to create a playful, feel-good production for all ages. The video opens with Scott reminiscing in his music room at home while listening to the original 45rpm Wadsworth Mansion single. The video then fades into his upbeat studio performance. Scott says he especially enjoyed singing the "doo-wops" with Ramirez, which took him back to childhood times.

            "I came into the studio with a beat I wanted to start the song with," Scott continued. "I didn't want too much B-3 on the song because I wanted a bar chord rhythm. The original bass line was cool, so I didn't want to deviate too far from that. I felt like the original cut kind of tipped its hat to The Kinks both musically, as well as vocally. I wanted to carry the song away from that direction just a little with a warmer bottom and vocally change the dynamic with myself and Marcia doing the whole song."

            Scott says he hopes the video and single will give listeners the opportunity to experience a little of the joy and excitement he had when he discovered it on his grandparents' farm as a young boy.

            "I think the song was different from anything else I had been subjected to at that early stage of my life," he said. "I don't remember ever hearing it on the radio. I only heard it at the farm in Kentucky. Maybe that was the reason I loved it so much."

"Sweet Mary" single.

            A self-proclaimed family man, Scott Coner lives with his wife and two daughters on rural farmland near Franklin, Ind. He has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com or www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer.

Wadsworth Mansion in 1971 (Photo provided by the Steve Jablecki family).

'Tunesmithing' to Celebrate Songs and Poems on Oct. 21

     NASHVILLE -- "Tunesmithing" will celebrate songs and poems with a special show from 7-9:30 p.m. Oct. 21 (Wednesday) at WXYZ Restaurant/Bar at the Aloft Nashville Hotel, 1719 West End Ave. (near Music Row).

     Attendees will enjoy original songs and poems by poet Butterfly, poet Forest Crawford, singer-songwriter/poet Jamie Collins, singer-songwriter Gordon Ellis, songwriter/musician Mark Horwitz, singer-songwriter Linda Louise, singer-songwriter Antoinette Olesen, and singer-songwriter Bill Warrington.

Antoinette Olesen

     Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicist Chuck Whiting will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books.

     The monthly show was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters, as well as artists of all kinds. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for artists at all levels.

     For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

Alison Brown to Celebrate Release of New Album 'The Song of the Banjo' on Oct. 7

            NASHVILLE -- With her new album, "The Song of the Banjo" (officially out Oct. 9 on Compass Records), GRAMMY Award-winning musician-composer-producer-entrepreneur Alison Brown plants another flag in her ongoing journey of sonic exploration.

            Alison Brown will perform at the City Winery on Oct. 7. Tickets, which range from $15 and $25, are available by calling (615) 324-1010. Along with her Compass Records co-founder, husband, bassist and co-producer Garry West, Brown has assembled an all-star cast for the album including Indigo Girls, Keb’ Mo’, Colin Hay, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, as well as some of acoustic music’s most adventurous session players, including legendary drummer Steve Gadd, fiddler Stuart Duncan, Dobro player Rob Ickes, upright bassist Todd Phillips and, on guitar and bouzouki, Irish phenom John Doyle.

            Of the 12 tracks on "The Song of the Banjo", seven are Brown originals, including the melodic, pop-flavored title piece that opens the set, as well the gravity-defying piano/banjo duet, “Musette for the Last Fret.” Then there are her trademark compositions written in Cinemascope - grandly sweeping melodies like “Long Time Gone” and the Celtic-tinged "Airish." "The Moon in Molly’s Eyes" brings in bossa nova, with lush strings by Andrea Zonn. “Stuff Happens,” written by Brown and West, turned into an accidental tribute to Gadd’s old band of studio aces, Stuff, which set the bar for ‘70s pop-funk-jazz fusion. 

            Brown’s choices for cover songs are even more surprising, from her bouncy take on Orleans’ soft-rocker “Dance With Me” to Cyndi Lauper’s hauntingly beautiful “Time After Time” to 1980’s instrumental chart-topper Chuck Mangione’s “Feel So Good,” featuring Shimabukuro’s tenor uke and the drumming of Gadd, a boyhood friend of Mangione. In Brown’s masterful hands, all three sound as if they were written for the banjo. “Time After Time” is particularly stunning. “It just lays out so beautifully on the banjo,” she says, “and I figure if it was good enough for Miles Davis, it’s good enough for me.” Brown’s unique cover versions work two very different kinds of magic, revitalizing these rock and pop classics while stripping away stereotypes of what a banjo can or can’t do. “Familiar music allows folks to understand an instrument that they may not be overly familiar with. The banjo is complex, with melodic ideas normally surrounded by rapid fire arpeggiated chords, but when you play a familiar tune it allows the audience to more clearly hear the voice of the instrument, and to understand how the playing style is integrated into, and around, the melody.”

          Brown and West keep those surprises coming, as Colin Hay wryly sings Dionne Warwick’s 1970 Bacharach/David hit, “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” accompanied by Brown on her custom-built wooden banjola. Keb’ Mo’s Americana-soul version of Marvin Gaye’s seminal “What’s Going On” is another unexpected pleasure. The bonus track, recorded after the album was finished and rush-released as a free-standing single, will be available on the CD’s Deluxe Edition. Along with Keb’s warm vocals, the song features instrumental sparks between Duncan and Brown, as well as an explosive piano solo by Joe Davidian. But it’s Brown’s understated backup and exploratory solo on low banjo that quietly steals the show.

            For those who came of age in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Brown’s re-invention of these familiar songs makes them sound brand new. For younger listeners hearing them for the first time, her versions may well set the new standard. That’s all part of the alternative banjo universe that Alison Brown occupies so beautifully on "The Song of the Banjo:, reaching into the past as she looks to the future, creating an album for people who didn’t know how much they liked the banjo, while giving banjo fans new reasons to love the instrument.

            “It’s amazing to me how much the banjo changed in the 20th Century,” Brown says. “And here we are in the dawn of the 21st; who knows where it may go?”

For one answer to that question, look no further than The Song of the Banjo.

            To learn more about the CD and Brown's new CD, visit http://www.CompassRecords.com.

'Fourth Annual Gospel Brunch' Brings Joy of the Lord to Americana Music Fest

(Editor's Note: City Winery hosted the "Fourth Annual Gospel Brunch" on Sept. 20 to help wrap up the Americana Music Fest. Here is an overview by MCAU contributing writer Wil Comstock.

 

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

            I arrived with the faithful 50 minutes early, full of anticipation and an empty stomach. Chicken and waffles with piping hot coffee is on the menu. This is going to be good. The McCrary Sisters, who rocked the house at the Awards Show, are scheduled to perform. Everyone is smiling and full of the Joy of the Lord.

            Church begins with The McCrary Sisters. “Hallelujah” sweet heartfelt vocals reaching up from the well and serving up living water. Deborah wrote “Let It Go” while she was recovering from a double stoke. With Ann on vocals, we are encouraged to let it all go and let God take over. The house band, who I believe were the McCrary’s own band, were all tasteful and incredible musicians. 

            Surprise guest Bonnie Bishop treated us to “Ain’t Goin Back” with The McCrary’s on background vocals. She reminds me of Bonnie Raitt, certainly someone to watch out for.

            Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer took the stage with her husband on accompanying guitar. My favorite was the autobiographical “Tell Me Now Tennessee”, the struggle of leaving home and loved ones in Texas to move to Tennessee to pursue her dream.

            Ruby Amanfu knocked me out with “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand”...  Killer song and killer vocals, it doesn’t get better than this.

            Jonathan Tyler wrapped up the service with his modern Southern rock sound with songs like “Holy Smoke” and  “Working on a Building”.  After the latter he said,  “We play to the edges and fringes of society... The bars are our church”.

            Everyone took the stage and exchanged vocal lines on “I’ll Fly Away” as the parishioners clapped hands and joined in. There was no doubt we had been to church!

            To learn more about the Americana Music Fest, visit http://www.AmericanaMusic.org.

Americana Music Fest: Henry Diltz and Pattie Boyd Charm and Inspire During 'Behind the Lens'

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE -- Some people are meant to be famous. They have a remarkable gift (something they love to do) and make themselves available for cool things to happen -- without pushing the envelope too hard. Photographer Henry Diltz is one of those people. It's almost as if he stepped out of the shower one day into rock 'n' roll legend. Of course, it wasn't as simple as all that. He just happened to be at the right place at the right time. When opportunity knocked, he said "yes".

            Diltz shared his incredible and remarkably fun stories during a show-and-tell "Behind the Lens" audiovisual presentation on Sept. 13 at Nashville City Winery during the Americana MusicFest. Before going on, I have to say that Jed Hilly and his staff have done a terrific job putting together one of the best conferences and festivals in recent memory. The "Behind The Lens" event proves that the AMF has grown up and then some.

Henry Diltz and his famous "Morrison Hotel" photo (Photo by Chuck Whiting)

            The photographer perched on a stool to the right of a large screen, sharing fascinating stories in sync with the passing frames.

            "I'm an observer," said Diltz, looking up at a photo of a beautiful girl in high heels pumping gas. "I also was a fan of cannabis".  His down-to-earth, good-natured talk drew applause and laughter from the audience.

            There were photos of Buffalo Springfield, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Michael Jackson, The Turtles, Jimmy Webb, Graham Nash, Blondie, George Harrison, and other superstars of the '60s and '70s.

            Diltz more or less got his start with a surprise album shoot for the Hollies. His notoriety grew when he was hired to shoot the Monkees for Tiger Beat. Other projects for the Partridge Family (David Cassidy), Linda Ronstadt (Stone Poneys), and Cream (Eric Clapton) followed. During the '70s, musicians were seeking him out for album covers, as well as hang time (as they still do). They enjoyed the company of a man who was somewhat like them. He could write and play songs, and he enjoyed smoking a little weed. He didn't force them into unnatural poses.

            All of his photos were amazing, but three stood out to me especially.

            * Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash looking so much in love during their tender romance in the late '60s. (Diltz spent a lot of time with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.)

            * An accidental shot of James Taylor leaning on a post in his early days. The shot was used as the cover for his second album, "Sweet Baby James".

            * The cover shot for the Doors' "Morrison Hotel". Diltz took the shot through a window into the lobby of a run-down hotel. But getting the photo wasn't easy. The hotel clerk ordered the band to leave when they began posing on a couch in front of the window. They obeyed but quickly returned (at Diltz's urging) after the employee left the room. The photo is one of the favorite items in his collection.

            What inspires me most about Henry Diltz is that he knew, hung out with, and made art with some of the greatest acts that ever took the rock 'n' roll stage. Yet, he's about as relaxed and charming as anyone you might meet. Don't push too hard, and let things happen naturally. Perhaps that's the answer for those of us who aspire to bless others with our artistic talents.

***

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

            I couldn’t have been more excited about seeing Pattie Boyd. I was not disappointed. Model, actress, first wife of George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Sister-in-law of Mick Fleetwood and photographer extraordinaire.

            Pattie started her presentation by showing us her modeling photos.  She graced the cover of Vogue many times. Pattie explained that in those days the models did their own makeup and had to carry several outfits and wigs.  She noted, “Today they have all of that done for them, and they make an absorbent amount of money."  

Pattie Boyd talks photography at City Winery Nashville (Photo by Chuck Whiting)

            One day she went on a modeling interview. Later that day she received a call from her agent saying she got the role in the new Beatles film, "A Hard Day’s Night".  She said at the time, “But I can’t act.” How did I get that?"  Her agent said it was the interview she had gone on earlier in the day.  Pattie went to the wrong interview!   She did take the small part and met the Beatles during her train scene.  George Harrison asked her out.  On their first date, Brian Epstein accompanied them. While dating and later marrying Harrison, she continued to pursue her modeling career.  At the same time, she started taking up photography. George was a natural subject.  We saw lots of wonderful photos of George and Pattie with George. 

            While the Beatles were in Australia, Pattie and her sister Jenny, also a model, went to a Transcendental Meditation meeting  in London. She told George and the other Beatles about her experience when they returned. Paul learned that the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was going to be in London in two weeks. The Maharishi invited the Beatles to visit him in the foothills of the Himalayas. Pattie documented this time in India with stunning photos of the Beatles, their wives, and Donovan.  It was during this time that most of the "White Album" was written. Pattie explained that this was the last time she saw George totally relaxed and at peace.  

            Eric Clapton and George became friends and toured with Delaney and Bonnie. We were treated to lots of great photos of Eric and George. Around this time, George wrote "Something" for Pattie. Eric had a crush on Pattie, who at the time rebuffed his advances. Later, when she and Harrison divorced, she starting dating and later married Clapton, who wrote "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight" for her.   Eventually, Eric and Pattie divorced, but she continued to take photos for magazines and later have exhibitions of her photography shown around the world.

            For more information about the Americana Music Festival, visit www.AmericanaMusic.org.