AmericanaFest: Northern Lights Songwriters Take the Stage with the Help of Brandi Carlile

By Wil Comstock, MCAU Contributing Writer

Wednesday (Sept. 10), Embassy Suites Hotel:

Racing downtown after a meeting, I was sure I would be at the end of a long line waiting to get into the show. You can imagine my amazement when there were only about 20 people ahead of me. 

Surveying those in line, I was surprised to find I was standing next to songwriter extraordinaire, Lisa Aschmann.  Lisa quite literally wrote the book on songwriting, and Hal Leonard published it! It was nice to catch up and fellowship with my friend as we waited for the performers to emerge.

Have you ever been to the Bluebird and seen an exceptional “in the round” or “in the row”?  This is that show on steroids with a whole lot of heart!  Brandi Carlile has a way of building community; she introduces musicians to one another, they become friends, they write together, and they play on each other’s albums.  As Brandi said, “This is what it’s all about, right here on this stage, this is why I do what I do.”

What a joy to watch them cheering each other on. Such was the case when Fancy Hagood performed his new song, “I’m Just a Fool for Your Love.” Brandi watched with her mouth open like a proud older sister.  Killer song. Fancy also played “Dead Set on You” and “Lonely as I Do.” This guy has really grown as a writer and singer over the last few years.

What can I say about Chauntee and Monique Ross (aka SistaStrings)? Adjectives fail me. They are virtuoso instrumentalists, singers, and songwriters. They can play classical, jazz, soul and rock. The result of years of practice and nurturing parents. They had a standing ovation on their first song, “One or a Thousand Times.”  

The beautiful “How Do You Sleep at Night” written with Brandi Clark and Sean McConnell brought me to tears. Crowd favorite “Goodbye” brought the house down again with its funky jazz rhythms and searing vocals. When is their long-awaited album finally going to come out?

Veteran Sean McConnell has written with everyone on the stage. You can tell he’s grappled with the hard questions and wrestled with his demons as you listen to his lyrics. He immediately touches a familiar nerve. He performed two songs from his new album “Skin,” the haunting “Southside of Forever” and “Take it Easy Darlin’” on which SistaStrings add violin, cello and vocals. Sean uses some alternate tunings to get a unique and fresh sound. McConnell had everyone signing on his soulful anthem, “Shine Your Light on Me.” I can’t wait to purchase his new album!

    There were several surprise guests. Brandi Clark came out and introduced a new song she wrote (the folklike “Land of the Free”) after watching the Dylan biopick, “A Complete Unknown.”

 

Monique Ross introduced her daughter, Daelynn, who accompanied herself on guitar to a lovely song that she wrote. This family has talent!

The last surprise guest was the Carlile Family Band with Brandi’s brother, Jay, and his children, JayJ and Caroline. Caroline fronted the group, playing guitar as they harmonized to a number she wrote. These guys can sing; guess it runs in the family!

Carlile gave us a preview of her upcoming album, “Returning to Myself,” with the honest and vulnerable “Turning.” I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album, which will be released on October 24. Everyone on stage joined in on “Letter to my Past” featuring SistaStrings, who added the icing on the cake with their instruments and voices.  

Brandi used to babysit her niece, Caroline (Carlile Family Band), before she became popular. It was hard for her once she started regularly touring; she missed her niece. One birthday, Brandi received a homemade card from 5-year-old Caroline. On the cover she drew an amp and a guitar, and when you opened it, a recording played the child’s voice saying,“I love you, Brandi.” She still has the card!  This was the inspiration for “Caroline, I’m on My Way Back Home to You.” So sweet!  

Nashville’s Theater Bug, a kids theater troop, had the chance to sing for Carlile this week. They learned and sang Carlile’s song, “Wherever is Your Heart.” This was the song that closed the show, with everyone on the stage and in the theater harmonizing as they looked at each other around the room. It can’t get any better than this!  

Footnote: Brandi and Fancy Hagood just performed a benefit concert for Theater Bug at Riverside Revival. The more they give, the more they seem to receive. I sure loved this afternoon’s event.

 

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AmericanaFest Attendees Treated to Out-of-This-World Harmonies

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

Downtown Presbyterian

6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14

         Parking at the Anchor on Third Avenue South, I headed on foot to Downtown Presbyterian to catch Joe Henry and the first 20 minutes of Shelby Lynne and Alison Moorer.  Downtown Presbyterian was built in 1848 and is one of the finest examples of Egyptian Revival architecture in the United States.  Walking into the building is like walking into an Egyptian Temple.

         Joe Henry is a wry storyteller. His narratives are intimate and genuine. He is a maverick who seems to operate in his own plane.  He is about to release his 14th studio album "Stream" in October.  Joe performed several new songs from the album including “Climb” and “Believer.”  The most poignant moment came when Henry introduced his only piano song “This Was My Country.”  He said it was July 4, 2005, and America was involved in a war he didn’t believe in.  He had no reason to celebrate the holiday.  He had to fly out of LA that afternoon, and as he does on most flights, he started to work on a song.  But all that came out was rage.  He stayed with it and eventually saw a ray of hope. It was then that the music started to come. “This was God’s country, this frightful and this angry land... But if it’s his will, the worst of it might still somehow make me a better man.”

         Like many, I had never seen sisters Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer perform together.  They recently released their first duet album "Not Dark Yet" comprised of favorite cover songs.  They drew on these cuts for their performance.  I only stayed for the first 20 minutes but was fortunate to catch the sister’s incredible harmonies on the Louvin Brother’s “Every Time You Leave” and the Bob Dylan penned “Not Dark Yet.”

The Anchor

7:30 p.m.

         I was one of the 4 million people who were introduced to Dustbowl Revival on Facebook when their “Never Had to Go” video featuring Dick Van Dyke went viral.  I caught them two years ago at City Winery and was happy to see that they were playing AmericanaFest this year.  This eight-piece Americana swing band from Venice, California, rocks!  Starting in 2007 when guitarist Zach Lupetin placed an ad on Craigslist hoping to form a group inspired by brass and string bands, the band has moved from an acoustic sound to funky soul and roots-infused rock. I for one am loving it!  “If You Could See Me Now” is a prime example of the new sound, a real crowd pleaser.  The band returned to their roots for their last two numbers coming down from the stage and playing without amplification in the middle of the audience.

         At this point I wanted to head across town, but MCAU Editor Chuck Whiting wanted to stay at the Anchor… I’m glad we did!

The Anchor

8:30 p.m.

         The Steel Wheels hail from Harrisonburg, Virginia. All of the members were born into Mennonite families and grew up on bluegrass and mountain music.  They formed as a string band in 2004, later weaving  Americana into their music.  Trent Wagler is on lead vocals, guitar and banjo;  Jay Lapp plays mandolin and National Steel guitar, Eric Brubaker is on fiddle; and Brian Dickel is on bass.  They all sing delightful background harmonies, are fine musicians, and pen their own songs. This band is tight. What a great find and surprise!

The Anchor

9:30 p.m. 

         Next up after working through some technical difficulties was the Boston group Darlingside.  I had read about their great harmonies. They exceeded all expectation.  NPR describes them as “Exquisitely arranged, literary minded, baroque folk-pop." I couldn’t agree more.  The band is comprised of Dave Senft on bass; Don Mitchell playing guitar and banjo; Auyon Mukharji on classical violin and mandolin; and Harris Paseltiner on guitar and cello.  They gathered around a single microphone, blending their richly textured voices into glorious harmonies that breathed life into their lyrics.   My favorite number was “The God of Loss,” just incredible.  Go see this band when they play in your area.

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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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'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 Awards: Seeing Buffy Sainte-Marie Perform on Stage for the First Time

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

            It’s not like me to get places early, yet here I am in my seat and observing.  What could be more Americana than the Ryman Auditorium? The stage is set for the Americana Music Awards. Soon Buddy Miller will be leading the all-star band, and Jim Lauderdale will emcee the show. Tonight I am biased, biased and not ashamed. The girl I have listened to since eighth grade, and that was a long time ago, will accept a lifetime achievement award.  I cannot wait to see her. I had tickets to see her in Philly in the spring, but she canceled. This will be my first time... first times are always unforgettable.  Tonight I will breath a little of the same air as Buffy Sainte-Marie. 

Buffy Sainte Marie speaks at Middle Tennessee State University (Photo by Chuck Whiting)

            Robert Randolph kicked, and I do mean kicked off the show with his red steel guitar. He was soon joined by The McCrary Sisters and The Fairfield Four with a hair-raising performance of “Rock My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham”. They brought the house down!

            Highlights of the award show for me were seeing Don Henley graciously accept the Trailblazer Lifetime Achievement Award.  We were all pleased to hear a cut from his new album, Cass County “Pray for Rain”.  Acts that were new to me were Shakey Graves singing “Dearly Departed”. This guy has a new fan in me.  Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops) and Hubby Jenkins gave unforgettable performance mixing roots, blues and operatic styles. I had never heard anything quite like this before. If I had to pick a new favorite, it would be The Lone Bellow. This trio with accompanying horns and strings reminded me of the classic first time performance Ricky Martin gave on the Grammys years ago.  They were that good.

            Keb Mo walked onstage with his guitar slung over his shoulder and told us this would have been BB King’s 90^th birthday. He and Lucille, BB’s guitar, gave a tribute to the last of the great Delta blues men... an incredible tribute and performance.

            Blacklisted by the Johnson and Nixon administrations and here tonight for the Lifetime “Spirit of Americana Free Speech Award”, I rise to my feet as Buffy Sainte-Marie takes the stage.  She explained that her blacklisting was not because of her protest songs but because she was outspoken about the Vietnam War and the outrageous treatment of Native Americans by a government that was still plotting to take their land. Everyone left the stage as she stood alone and performed “Universal Soldier”. I was in tears.

Wil Comstock with Buffy Sainte-Marie (Photo by Chuck Whiting)

***

            From MCAU Editor Chuck Whiting: Buffy Sainte-Marie visited Middle Tennessee State University the following afternoon to speak to students in the College of Entertainment and Media. Here are a few highlights:

            * Write "dumb" (simple) to make your songs understandable to everyone.

            * "Play, play, play... Never turn down a gig."

            * Some students gasped when the youthful Buffy told her audience she is 74 years old. "Age doesn't matter," she told them. "For me, every day is better."

            * Always copyright your work. Buffy lost the publishing for her classic song "Universal Soldier" when she accepted a $1 publishing offer on a napkin by an unscrupulous shark. She later bought the publishing back for $25,000.

            * Despite her success, very few Americans know who Buffy Sainte-Marie is (which makes it easier for her to roam freely in the United States without being recognized).

          To learn more about the Americana Music Festival, visit www.AmericanaMusic.org. Visit Buffy Sainte-Marie's website at www.buffysainte-marie.com. 

Outdoor Songwriting Adventures Lead Chakra Bleu to Success

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 2015) – Some songwriters pen songs in their living rooms, others in the cozy writing rooms at ASCAP and BMI. 

            But for pop/rock/Americana artist Chakra Bleu of Spokane, Wash., successful songwriting wouldn't be possible without solo excursions into the great outdoors. Her "songwriting adventures" as she calls them are a way to bring "wonder, awe and gratitude" into every song she writes.

            On July 31 (Friday), the artist will take her guitar, notebook and pencils to the mountainous Spokane region for what she hopes will be her most inspiring writing sabbatical yet. She will spend almost three weeks alone at a cabin in the rural inland Northwest, writing melodies and crafting lyrics with daily breaks for hiking, roller blading and meditation. This fall, she will do the same thing near Asheville, N.C., in Pisgah National Forest.

Chaka Bleu on one of her 'Songwriting Adventures".

            "The utter peace, adventure and wonderment of the great outdoors calls to my heart and inspires me on so many levels," said Bleu, whose latest single "All of Me" has topped New Music Weekly's Top 40 Indie Chart for five consecutive weeks. "I focus completely and solely on writing songs or melodies at those times. Both cabin locations are close to a lot of mountains and natural water, be it a lake, streams and river, and have access to hiking trails and greenways."

            Chakra starts each sabbatical morning with a meditation (her songwriting multi-vitamin) to clear her mind and free up her creative spirit. She eats fresh organic yogurt while reviewing a new lyric or melody she wrote the night before. She then takes a four to five-mile walk with pen and paper in hand, thinking of ways to expand and/or build on her ideas. 

            The tunesmith plans to write up to a dozen full song melodies during her Washington sabbatical, recording rough versions with a small, portable tape recorder. She will play the melodies back again and again in Nashville before penning lyrics during her October songwriting adventure in North Carolina. 

            "While playing back a melody, I tune into my feelings, asking myself what the song might be about," the artist added. "Before long, I start getting ideas for a particular direction. Sometimes, I just start hearing lyrics, perhaps part of a phrase. Then I start the process of building a story."

            That's just what happened with her latest hit song "All of Me", which currently sits at number one on NMW's Top 40 Indie Chart, number two on NMW's mainstream Top 40 Chart, and number seven on NMW's Hot 100 Chart. The music was written at a lakeside cabin in Washington. She added the lyrics while on a songwriting adventure near Asheville five months later. The melodic theme under the words "I want to know" was inspired from a Chickadee songbird that she heard while on a camping trip in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee. 

            To watch the "All of Me" video, visit https://youtu.be/OLvBUksVBKc.

            Bleu noted that her song, "Sunflower of My Dreams", was written after she roller bladed through a field of Washington sunflowers. 

            "The sunflowers evoked a feeling of joy and happiness in me," Bleu continued with a smile, noting that the song is featured on her fifth album, "You're The One". "I noticed how they were all facing the direction of the sun. Once back at the cabin, I researched the symbology of the sunflower. The next morning, I started hearing the beginnings of a beautiful melody in my head, which I started writing down immediately. I finished the rest of the melody once back in Nashville, whereby I wrote the lyrics several months later in the Blue Ridge Mountains."

Chakra Bleu rests during a mountain climb.

            Other songs created during her writing adventures include "Footprints in the Sand", "Hidden Mirror", "Retreat to the Center", "Believe in Me", and "You're What's Missing".

            Bleu will take a short break from writing on Aug. 10 to appear on the "Good Day Spokane" talk show, airing live on Fox 28-TV. 

            The artist's passion for hiking, climbing and camping in the great outdoors isn't limited to her two annual songwriting adventures. She set out on her first backpacking trip into the Cumberland Mountains shortly after moving to Nashville in the 1990s. She knew she was addicted soon after she hit the primitive camping trails toting a backpack, cooking gear and flashlights -- although a bad thunderstorm, red ants, ticks and chiggers gave her a few second thoughts. 

            "The desire to know how to backpack more efficiently led me to take some classes at REI," Bleu added. "From then on, I've been backpacking in places near Nashville such as Savage Gulf, Fall Creek Falls, Virgin Falls, Frozen Head, Pickett State Park, and Big South Fork."

            Bleu also has taken numerous hiking and climbing adventures in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Washington and other states in the Northwest. During a recent trip to Montana and Idaho, she joined friends for a rugged outdoor adventure that included climbing a three-pitched granite rock called "Cruel Shoes", riding bikes up and down steep mountain roads for miles, and hiking cliff-hanging trails thousands of feet above sea level. She ended her trip by hiking to a mountain-fed lake on Jenny Lake Trail in the Grand Tetons. 

            The artist says her backwoods jaunts in the South are just as exciting, although with a few annoyances.

            "You can expect to get a few hitch-hikers, namely ticks and chiggers, and see a copperhead snake or two on the trail or swimming in the water with you," she laughed. "I've been grateful not to encounter a wild boar or angry momma bear. Yet, I hang my food at night and depend on my dog's nose and ears to give me fair warning of uninvited critters coming into my camp."

Chakra Bleu enjoys a creative songwriting hike.

            Although Chakra doesn't believe her songwriting adventures are for everyone, she encourages creative types to get outdoors. She's run into a few of her peers during day hikes near Nashville, including Percy/Edwin Warner parks, Radner Lake Trail, Long Hunter State Park, and Montgomery Bell State Park.

            "The delicacies of nature are divine and wondrous," said Bleu, who also sidelines as a visual artist. "I actually get into looking at the details of a petal of a wildflower, counting its petals and looking at its unique shape, color and texture."

            Born and raised in Spokane, Wash., Bleu grew up with a passion for music and the outdoors. She started writing songs in middle school and performing with jazz choirs and grunge, rock and country bands in high school and college. On weekends, she headed to the mountains for hiking and camping. After college, she lugged her guitar and synthesizer to Paris, where she taught English at the French/American Language Academy for a year. She spent the next two years back home in Washington working in secondary education. But a trip to Nashville changed her life. Successful performances at the Bluebird Cafe and other venues convinced her to move to Music City to pursue a professional career as a singer-songwriter. 

            Bleu's music accomplishments have been substantial since then. Her recent single, "The Shadow", quickly climbed various NMW charts, reaching number four on Top 40, number four on Hot 100 A/C, number five on Top 40 Internet, and number one on Indie Top 40 (where it remained for six consecutive weeks). Her sixth album, "Souvenir", generated five top-40 hit singles on various charts, with the song "Addicted to You" receiving "Spotlight" recognition in Cashbox Magazine. Other hit singles from previous albums include "When I Hold Your Hand" and "Hopelessly in Love".

            According to Dave Carew, a writer for the blog Underground Nashville, Bleu is "hands down one of the most original and distinctive pop/rock/Americana artists ever to grace the underground Nashville music scene. Inspired by everything from the styling of bands like Heart and the Cowboy Junkies, to transcendent New Age thought, she has forged, over the past decade, some of the most uplifting, eclectic, thought-provoking, and empowering music ever created in Music City USA."

            For more information about Chakra Bleu or to hear her music, visit www.ChakraBleu.com. To book the artist for an upcoming event, send an e-mail message to 1746Records@chakrableu.com.