Americana Music Fest: Garrison Star, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and The Brother Brothers Rock Nashville

Americana Music Fest

City Winery and Mercy Lounge, Friday (Sept. 24, 2021)

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

 

NASHVILLE — I had heard of Garrison Starr, but I had never heard her sing. What a powerful voice full of soul and raw sincerity. She’s also a great storyteller! 

She told us that she grew up in Mississippi and went to an evangelical high school. But she was tired of hiding her sexuality and decided in the mid-90s she could no longer live in the deep South. So she moved to LA! The first person she saw was a guy with very long hair, wearing a pink bikini, riding a bicycle!  She told herself, “Hey, I’m going to be alright.” She then sang us her love song to LA, “Downtown Hollywood.”

 

Starr said she grew up surrounded by music in the church but felt so much hate and prejudice there. She got to the point where she didn’t want to have anything to do with it. Then a few years ago, she realized she wasn’t going to let them take Gospel away from her. Garrison started writing and co-writing Gospel-influenced songs again. One of the first ones she wrote was “On My Way to Forgiveness.”

 

Starr brought out Chris Pierce to join her on the swamp gospel “Bones.” Teaching us the lyrics to the chorus first and encouraging us to sing along, “Ain't no chain gonna hold you down, Ain't no grave gonna hold you now, Yesterday done came and gone, Ain't it time to bury them bones.”  

She then brought out Sean McConnell, and the three of them harmonized on “The Train that’s Bound for Glory,” a song written for her grandfather. She closed duetting with McConnell on the soaring ballad “Nothing Without You,” which brought everyone to their feet.  

Next up was Beth Nielson Chapman. I knew something good was up when I noticed a full band, two background singers, and a trumpet player coming on the stage at various times to do a sound check. Previously I had only seen Chapman on guitar and keyboard. Tonight was different! She announced that she and the band would be playing as many songs as they could from her upcoming album “Crazy Town.”  The tracks were completed just five days before the pandemic hit Nashville.

 

When Chapman launched into the upbeat “All Around the World,” I knew I was really in for a special treat. You could feel the energy from the stage. Beth said Keb’ Mo’ called her up one day and said, “I need you over here to help me finish a song. The result was “Put a Woman in Charge,” a fun, yet serious song about the mess that men have made of things. All of the songs were stellar. My favorite was “Welcome to Heaven,” a song she wrote with Kimmie Rhodes and Mindy Smith dedicated to John Prine. Having gone through cancer himself, Prine heard Chapman had been diagnosed.  He gave her a call and said, “I heard you got Cancer.” She said, “Yes.”  He ended up coming over and spending the afternoon with her.  A true friend.

 

After Chapman’s set, I walked over to Cannery Row to hear The Brother Brothers at Mercy Lounge. Identical twins David and Adam Moss are originally from Peoria, Ill., and formerly based in Brooklyn, N.Y. They now live in Nashville. Their sound is timeless, reminding me of the Everly Brothers and Simon and Garfunkel. Their humor brought up memories of the Smother’s Brothers.

 

The brothers, Adam Moss on violin and David Moss on guitar, opened with “Colorado,” a song for a friend who was bound to break his girl’s heart. Their lyrics are simple and fresh, often laced with scenes from nature. Their “Ocean’s Daughter” is a cry for the environment we are destroying.  

David borrowed Adam’s guitar and Adam picked up the cello for the haunting “Banjo Song.” The singer asks the banjo player why he doesn’t play anymore. “It’s just no fun” was the answer, having lost his drive to entertain himself and others. 

David introduced “Frankie,” saying this is a song about real estate. The lyrics are about a bartender talking to a customer about how much has changed since the gentrification of the neighborhood. The old crowd is gone. They couldn’t afford to stay in their homes when the taxes were raised. This reminded me of what is going on in Nashville right now. 

The Moss brothers closed with the mournful Peter Rowan classic “Angel Island” about a gold prospector who leaves his Chinese bride on the island while he is gone for years chasing his dream of becoming rich.  One day he returns to find her gone.  

Looking around the room, I could see the honesty and sincerity of The Brother Brothers was felt by everyone in the room.  I hope to get the chance to see them again, soon!

 

 

Chuck Whiting’s Daily Diary 9-24-21 - Beth Nielsen Chapman

Chuck Whiting’s Daily Diary 9-24-21

The Americana Music Fest: Beth Nielsen Chapman 

 “Only the ones who believe ever see what they dream, ever dream what comes true.” — Beth Nielsen Chapman (I have Alabama roots, so taking in an extraordinary show by Beth Nielsen Chapman was extra special (sorry for the cliché). Beth Nielsen Chapman used her Americana appearance as an opportunity to provide a preview of her upcoming album. Her audience (me among them) was not disappointed. The artist has the uncanny ability to express deeply moving emotion on ballads, then rock fans to energetic ecstasy. Well, that might seem over the top. But I really did have a great time. “My co-writer Keb Mo said I needed a woman on this one,” she told us, launching into the playful and infectious “Put a Woman in Charge.” Beth celebrated the life and contributions of the late John Prine with “Walk in Heaven,” recalling how Prine, a cancer survivor, spent an afternoon with her in 2000 after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The former Alabamian walked to a grand piano at the back of the stage to play one of her favorite new songs, “With Time.” There’s a lot more I could write here, but the bass line is that Beth Nielsen Chapman has the chops. The artist is musically gifted in so many ways, and she has excellent taste in material, co-writers, and supporting musicians. Her trumpet player (whose name both she and I forgot) was killer. I was disappointed to hear that her new album will not be released till 2022. Otherwise, I would have bought a CD on my way out. Oh well… something to look forward to. Check out my story to hear clips of a BNC song.) #ChuckWhiting #BethNielsenChapman #Americana #AmericanaFest #Music #CityWinery #LiveShows #Nashville #Tennessee #Festivals #Art #Arts #MusicCityArts 

Follow Chuck Whiting on Instagram or Facebook @Chuck.Whiting or @MusicCityArts

Americana Music Fest Spotlights Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls, Raye Zaragoza, and Keifer Sutherland

Americana Music Fest 2021

 

City Winery, Thursday (Sept. 23)

 

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

 

                  NASHVILLE -- I love harmony, so I was excited to see Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls, who all sing.  With Muller on Keyboards and lead vocals, Missy Soltero on percussion and lead vocals, Martha McDonald on violin, and John Wooley on guitar, we hear a throwback to the California sound of the '60s.  Lots of energy and harmony exude from this band. 

                  The numbers that grabbed me were “Just Trying to Find My Way” and “This Ain’t Me.”  The former is about trying to get through the craziness of today’s world. Muller said there used to be three major news networks, and they all pretty much said the same thing.  Today we have cable and a ton of networks and they are all saying something different!

 

                  In researching the band, I learned that Pete is a hedge fund manager and quantitative trader with Morgan Stanley. He also graduated with honors from Princeton in math!

 

                  There was a buzz going around about Raye Zaragoza, so I ran upstairs to the lounge to catch her set. I am so glad I did!  Zaragoza’s mother came to America as an adopted immigrant from Japan at 3 years old. Her father grew up in California and is of Mexican and Native American descent.  Raye grew up in New York City in studio apartment.

                  Without an introduction, she walked onto the stage with her guitar and opened with “I’m a Rebel Soul.”  She explained her last album was about identities, so she knew she had to write a song about her mother, and came up with “Change Your Name.”  Raye’s grandmother told her mother this before her mother left Japan.  Before she went on her first big tour, she was nervous. She took that nervous energy and turned it into “Warrior," singing “I don’t want to be nervous anymore, I’m a warrior."

 

                  Zaragoza talked about what it was like to grow up as a brown-skinned girl who looked different from the girls in the magazines, TV and  movies. From this she segued into “American Dream.” I read that Raye’s influences were Carol King, Joni Mitchel, Joan Baez, and Buffy Saint Marie.  She embodies all of them with kindness, poise and grace.

 

                  It was time to go downstairs to hear Kiefer Sutherland, a name familiar to us all.  This was my first time hearing Sutherland sing. He has a pleasing Dylan-type of voice without the rough edges. He accompanied himself on guitar and brought along a pedal steel player and a guitarist who also did background vocals.  Both fine musicians.

                  Kiefer opened with the fun “Tonight’s Rodeo,” followed by “Can’t Stay Away." He spoke of being in the studio recording the latter.  His friends were chiding and asking what girl was the song about. Sutherland didn’t answer.  His friends disappeared, and he was in the control room with his 13-year-old daughter.  She gave him a funny look and told him she knew what it was about. He said, “Okay, what’s it about?”  She answered, “That stupid bar across the street." Sutherland said none of his friends could figure that out, but here my daughter did! 

 

                  Kiefer discovered Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash as an adult.  He said Cash gave prisoners dignity by writing about prison, adding, “The first thing they take away from you in prison is your dignity.  I’ve never been to prison, but I’ve been to jail a few times so I ought to know!” “Shirley Jean” is Sutherland’s homage to Cash about a man in prison.

 

                  He closed the set with a number about one of his tours, saying, “It rained every single day, so I wrote a song about it called 'Chasing the Rain.'  I checked the Weather app to make sure it was still clear outside!"

 

 

Chuck Whiting’s Daily Diary 9-23-21 - Keifer Sutherland Plays Nashville

At City Winery during the 2021 Americana Music Fest… 

“My whole mood or sense can change by virtue of the music that I'm listening to. It really does affect me on a visceral and emotional level.” — Keifer Sutherland (Keifer Sutherland is an entertaining musician and an adept songwriter in the Americana (some say country) genre. And, of course, he’s a proven movie and TV actor. He proved his range beyond acting during an enjoyable performance Thursday night at City Winery in Nashville. Keifer, the son of Canadian acting legend Donald Sutherland, initially made his fame as an actor in a number of movies and the popular Fox drama “24,” for which he won an Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Awards, and two Satellite Awards. And while that notoriety plays into his automatic exposure as a music artist, I found myself impressed by his hook ideas and keen ability to weave reality into meaningful lyrics and stories. He has a passion for songwriting, and it surprisingly shows. He’s the first actor who has impressed me musically in a good while. Accompanied by steel guitar, he took the audience on an emotional journey of grit, love, longing, hurt, forgiveness and healing. Overcoming mistakes served as a central theme for most of the songs he played. He revealed his love and appreciation for Cash and Jennings with “Shirley Jean,” a song about a Death Row inmate’s parting letter to a girlfriend on the eve of his execution. Keifer owned up to his own mistakes with “County Jail Gate,” a tune about his 48-hour stay in the Los Angeles Country Jail on drunken driving charges. The actor showed openness and humility, admitting that he’d made mistakes and believed in forgiveness. Other songs on the Keifer playlist included the forthcoming country/Americana single, “Bloor Street.” “I just heard my song playing on the radio here in Nashville today,” he said to applause. “It’s rare for an artist to ever have that opportunity.” Keifer announced that he will tour the United Kingdom and other European countries after his new album is released in January. One of the reasons I love the Americana Fest is because you never know who you’re going to see or hear. Unlike the more predictable and glitzy, tuxedoed CMA Fest, the AF features music from every rooted walk of life. Keifer Sutherland’s City Winery appearance was laid back and less polished, like a living room strum and tell, which made it even more authentic and enjoyable. It broadened my respect for him as an artist.) #ChuckWhiting #KeiferSutherland #AmericanaFest #Americana #Music #Nashville #Country #Folk #Jazz #Blues #RandB #RootsMusic #LiveShows #CityWinery #NashvilleCityWinery #Art #Arts #MusicCityArts 

(Text and photos Copyright 2021 By Chuck Whiting)

Follow me on Instagram @Chuck.Whiting or @MusicCityArts 

Americana Fest — M.E.M. Presents: The Pure Memphis Happy Hour at InDo

Thursday (Sept. 23), 4-7pm.  

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

NASHVILLE — Happy Hour kicked off with Mama Honey, a rock, punk blues band rooted in the ‘60s hard rock tradition.  If you love that era of rock, you will LOVE Mama Honey!  Tamar Love on guitar and lead vocals, Fields Falcone on bass, and David McNinch on drums will rock you to heaven.  A highlight for me was the gritty “Tell Me You Want Me.”

Southern Avenue came on next, named after a street in Memphis, a five-piece blues and soul band.  Group leader Guitarist Ori Naftaly, an Israeli, moved to Memphis in 2013.  He met lead singer dynamo Tierinii Jackson, who introduced him to her sister, drummer Tikyra.  And the nucleus of the band was formed later adding Jeremy Powell on keyboards and Evan Sarver on bass. 

This band will blow you away!  Great harmonies and superb musicians who will not disappoint!  My favorites were “My Hearts Got to Have It,” the crowd pleaser “Don’t Give Up,” and the slow-burning “We’re Gonna Make it.” (my favorite!)

Jeremy Stanfill grew up listening to the greats on Stax Records. His dad was part of the Memphis garage band movement. Jeremy started his first band at age 8.  At 14 he formed Crippled Nation, which was touted to be the next big thing out of Memphis. Later he formed the promising Streetside Symphony. But fame always seemed to elude him.  His lyrics lean towards missed opportunity, heartbreak, and self doubt.  But, I saw a lot of smiles around the room when he played “My Shoes.”

After Stanfill, I headed over to City Winery to get a good seat for the evening show.

You can follow Music City Arts on Instagram and Facebook @MusicCityArts. 

Chuck Whiting's Daily Diary 9-22-21 - Why I Love The Americana Music Fest

Chuck Whiting's Daily Diary:

 

Why I love the Americana Music Fest

 

Sept. 22, 2021

 

 

“There are always generic terms like 'Americana', but there are no boundaries as to where it can go.” — Robert Plant (Americana music — American roots music — comes from all kinds of people… Black, White, Latin, country, urban, Southern, Western, farmer, teacher, student, truck driver, Uber driver, preacher, choir leader, mechanic, waitress, artist, gay, straight, male, female, mother, father, low income, middle class, eccentric, eclectic, you name it … That’s what makes it authentic. Americana music and accompanied down-to-earth stories creep into your bones and rev up your soul. You might hear rhythm and blues, country, jazz and/or a combination of all three… or perhaps something else. Whatever it is, you’ll yearn to groove. Of all the events in Nashville, the Americana Music Fest is my favorite. It kicked off Wednesday night with a number of touching moments at the annual Americana Awards Show at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Highlights included a humble acceptance speech by the legendary blues artist Keb Mo (Lifetime Achievement Award), a performance of “Highwomen” by the trio the Highwomen, a performance by the Fisk Jubilee Singers (Legacy Americana Award), and a hilarious homage to The Mavericks by producer Tony Brown (Trailblazer Award). Brandi Carlile, who won Artist of the Year, awed the crowd with several breathtaking performances. The show reserved special moments to remember some of the artists we lost during the past year, including Nancy Griffith, Tom T. Hall, and John Prine. Special guests included Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, who closed the show with a duet. It was an outstanding kickoff for what looks to be another unforgettable festival. The pandemic be damned (although all safety measures taken.) I plan to share a few highlights with photos each day.) #ChuckWhiting #RobertPlant #AmericanaMusicFestival #AmericanaMusic #Americana #Music #RootsMusic #Country #Blues #Jazz #RandB #Soul #Latin #Nashville #MusicCityArts #BrandiCarlile #Highwomen #FiskJubileeSingers #KebMo #EmmylouHarris #RodneyCrowell #AmericanaFest 

 

Writing and original photos (montage) by Chuck Whiting (Copyright 2021)

 

Chuck Whiting is a writer, songwriter, photographer and educator.

 

You can follow Chuck on Instagram @Chuck.Whiting or @MusicCityArts

Brandi Carlile Wins Artist of the Year, Wows Crowd at Americana Honors & Awards Show

 

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

 

                  NASHVILLE -- The 20th annual Americana Honors & Awards Show took place at the Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday (Sept. 22).  The top award, Artist of the Year, went to Brandi Carlile.

 

                  Accepting the award she said, “To be artist of the year after a year like we have all had as a community, there’s a weight to it, I know it’s profound. I don't take it for granted because it was hard to be an artist this year -- a year full of love and loss and debilitating empathy. People died, and people were born, and we were just trying to love each other."

 

                  Carlile also won this award in 2019.  She performed the poignant  “Right On Time” from her upcoming album, "In These Silent Days."

 

                  Tributes in song were given to those that left us in the last year.  The house band with Aaron Lee Tasjan on lead vocals rendered  “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin'” in memory of Rolling Stone’s drummer Charlie Watts.  Aoife O’Donovan and Joe Henry performed “Gulf Coast Highway” in honor of Nanci Griffith.  Buddy Miller gave a fitting tribute to Tom T. Hall with “How I got to Memphis.” The show closed with Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell performing “Let it Be Me” and “Bye Bye Love,” remembering Don Everly.

 

 

                  Song of the Year was awarded to John Prine for “I’ve Seen Everything.” It was accepted by his wife Fiona and their three sons.  Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, and Margo Price gave a stunning rendition of this, the last original song Prine recorded.

 

                  Charlie Crockett won for Emerging Artist, humbly commenting that he’s made 10 albums, but he’s only now being recognized.  His performance of the rootsy “Are We Lonesome Yet” is sure to win over new fans.

 

                  The Legacy of Americana Award, presented in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music, went to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.  They were joined by the soulful Leon Timbo singing the hand-clapping, foot-stomping gospel number “I Believe."

 

                  One of the cultural roots influences was the Mavericks giving a stunning Spanish performance of “La Sitiera,” backed by a string quartet, horns and accordion. 

 

                  One of the evening’s highlights was the lovely Valerie June singing “Call Me a Fool” backed by Stax legendary artist Carla Thomas.  Thomas picked up the Americana Inspiration Award and sang one of her early hits, “Baby." Carla has worked tirelessly with Artists In The Schools, a youth-focused non-profit along with being an inspiration to many.

 

                  Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association, summed up the evening best saying, “Given today’s uncertain times, there is no greater assurance that the power of music brings people together to uplift their spirits when they need it the most. I’m beyond proud of our artists and community for reminding me again why this is my favorite night of the year, every year.”

 

                  Follow Music City Arts on Instagram and Facebook @MusicCityArts.