Americana Gazette October/November 2011 Issue by Americana Gazette / Sugar River Productions

MERICANA GAZETT E A October / November 2011

Mary Ann Werner - Red Beet Records Peter Cooper Whitney Mann Jon Byrd Tommy Womack Tom Spaulding Cjaye Le Rose Mary Chapin Carpenter The Bluefields Will Kimbrough Delta Reign Jackie DeShannon Whiskey Farm Greg's Guitar Shop The Train - Jonathon Little Blackwater Gin Tom Foley CD Reviews Amy Speace's June Carter Cash - Pet Note

AMERICANA GAZETTE Greetings: In a number of magazines and newspapers, there are sometimes letters to the editor. Well, I wanted to share this letter with you that I received from a nice gentleman from the McFarland Wisconsin area. This 81 year old gentleman wrote me after the June/July issue of the Americana Gazette was published. He picked up a copy at Country Corners and wrote to tell me how much he enjoyed it. I mailed him the Aug/Sept. issue and received this nice response back. I just find it very rewarding that our little publication is bringing joy to some people and I wanted to share his letter with you. I would always be interested in hearing any comments our readers may like to share.

PUBLISHER Joyce Ziehli • jziehli@advisorymgt.com

Bobby Westfall

SENIOR EDITOR Andy Ziehli • aziehli@advisorymgt.com

Rosemary Ziehli

STAFF WRITERS/PHOTOS

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ric Genthe • rgenthe@charter.net

Celia Carr

Thank you Mr. Anderson for making my day!

Americana Gazette Advertising Rates Litt Dubay

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Till next issue, Joyce Ziehli Publisher

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Welcome to

Americana Gazette

Phil Lee

TABLE OF CONTENTS WHERE TO LOOK 4 Litt DuBay’s Slant 5

Women In The Round Mary Ann Werner

Peter Cooper

Tom Spaulding

Mary Chapin Carpenter

The Train

10 CD Reviews 11 Comic Books 11 Jon Byrd 12 A Pet Note 13 Tommy Womack 14 Whitney Mann 15 Greg Ginter 16 Cjaye Lerose 18 Black Water Gin 19 Tom Foley 20 Will Kimbrough

This October and November, spend an Intimate Evening with the Mighty King of Love -- Phil Lee -- one man, one guitar and a bag of great songs about love and death, misplaced faith, discarded spaceships, hard times and the funny side of all that. Guaranteed to please! If this idea appeals to you, come out to one or more of these shows, and if you can't make it, let us know. If you're not too far oﬀ the beaten path, Phil Lee will be glad to pop by your house and play a few tunes. It won't cost you an arm and a leg either

22 John Denver

TOUR SCHEDULE -- Oct. & Nov. 2011

22 Suzy Bogguss

Oct. 22: Oct. 27: Oct. 29: Oct. 30:

Hillbilly Haiku House Concert • Lebanon, TN Evening Muse • Charlotte, NC Alien Carnival House Concert • Columbia, SC Second Line House Concert • Gilbert, SC

Nov. 3 Nov. 5: Nov. 6: Nov. 10: Nov. 11: Nov. 12: Nov. 17: AL Nov. 18:

European Street Cafe • Jacksonville, FL Luna Star Cafe • North Miami, FL South Tampa House Concert • Tampa, FL Sloppy Pelican • St. Pete's Beach, FL Downtown • Fort Myers, FL Gram's Place • Tampa, FL Moonlight on the Mountain • Birmingham,

23 No Words Please 23 Not the Sharpest Knife 24 The Whiskey Farm 25 Robert’s Ramblings 26 Delta Reign 28 Jackie DeShannon 29 The Bluefields

Old 27 Grill • Fairhope, AL

For more info, go to http://phillee1.com/ and click on "Shows." w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

Litt DuBay’s

Rant! by Litt DuBay

Litt Dubay here! I hope you had a great summer and did not sweat yourself to death like someone I know (Ziehli)! Though I have to say that the Fat Boy has lost almost 50 pounds of ugly weight without decapitating himself! The Ziehli’s made yet another trip to Nashville over Labor Day Weekend to hang out with the rich and famous. Seems that the Hodges (Warner & Deb) took them out for Sushi. Andy said that the menu looked like the fishing lure section of a Bass Pro Shop catalog. There were 10 of them eating together and everyone but Joyce and Andy ordered Sushi. Warner was giving Andy a hard time about not widening his horizons and trying something new. Andy informed Warner that“we have sushi in Wisconsin, only we roll it in a beer batter, deep fry it, and serve it with fries and coleslaw, and eat it on Friday nights!” Andy told me that he did have a beef rice bowl that was very very good and it was cooked! I read about a man who said his life was a tape loop. What a dumb ass! Doesn’t he know that the world is digitally formatted! I see the President is challenging congress to raise taxes to help pay for his programs. Good for him! Congress needs to get off their high horse and stop protecting those carpet bagging rich bastards that keep taking all the money and causing this economic downward spiral! It’s time for a middle class revolution! We need to send a strong message to congress and our state houses. Term limits 12 years that’s it!!! Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out! Well enough about politics let’s talk about sports. It’s Football Season! The school board and administration in Belleville has cut back on expenses and continues to put the screws to teachers and staff. When did teachers and educational staff become the bad guys in this economic downturn? Why did it become fashionable to make education a bad thing? It’s not just in Belleville but the whole state of Wisconsin. This happened about 30 years ago in Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge came into power. They started getting rid of the educated people and relocating (?) them to the country. Now I’m not saying that this is happening here, but if we continue down this path we won’t have anyone going into education and we will“be in the country”because we will lose the educational edge and that will only cause us to descend further into this economic downturn we are all facing.

Back in 1993, American Heritage magazine featured Puempel's as an example of rare authen#c taverns in the U.S., a modern relic profiled as one of our country's "most impressive historic survivors." The comforts, charm, and atmosphere that appealed to se$lers and travelers back in 1893 has been infused with the energy and integrity of over a century of patrons from all walks of life. The ambience of old-world Swiss tradi#on, a commi$ment to local foods and drink blends, and the contemporary energy of the local community and its visitors, allows Puempel's Olde Tavern to thrive as a throwback to a simpler #me. Puempel's was established in 1893. The first owners were Joe and Berta, who also operated the building as a railroad worker's boarding house and served meals to their patrons. In 1935, their son, O$o, became the second owner of the establishment. Upon O$o's re#rement at the age of 88, Chuck and Lessia Bigler bought Puempel's and con#nue to run it as a tavern and restaurant, while passionately maintaining its integrity and welcoming atmosphere. You are always welcome at Puempel's. We hope you'll come visit us! bigler@puempels.com (608) 527-2045 18 6th Ave | New Glarus, WI 53574

Saw Lady Ga Ga for the first time on TV a week ago (so I don’t get out much). What the hell is that! I can’t figure if Cher and Liberace had a love child, or if it was a medical experiment at a Rodeo drive salon gone bad. Holy crap is she weird. I thought Marilyn Manson took the cake, but this lady is even stranger. I could not tell if she was coming or going! One thing for sure is that she must be allergic to clothing because she sure seems to wear little and likes to take it off on screen! Thanks! Litt Dubay

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do you usually travel along with them?

Joyce: Tell us a little bit about Red Beet Records and your duties there.

MARY ANN WERNER LET ME INTRODUCE... I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Ann Werner a few years back when Peter Cooper brought Eric Brace and Mary Ann came up to Wisconsin to play for Andy’s Birthday Party. And since that day we have become great friends and I look to Mary Ann as a mentor. She is intelligent, talented, friendly, helpful, organized, compassionate and cute to name a few things,and I am proud to call her my friend! Now as the saying goes,“Behind every good man, there is a woman”. Mary Ann is just that! Mary Ann lives in Nashville with her husband, Eric Brace and Kitty Brace. (Featured Kitty Brace as the Pet Note in the Aug/Sept issue of the Americana Gazette). She and Eric are owners of Red Beet Records. Before that, she was Vice President and Counsel at The Washington Post and has a law degree from the George Washington University Law School.Well this successful woman is Mary Ann Werner and here is her story.

Mary Ann: Eric and I started Red Beet Records in 2006, mostly because we needed a label home for Eric’s music, which involved his band Last Train Home, some more bluegrassy music he was making as “The Skylighters” and eventually his duo work with Peter Cooper. But Red Beet was also conceived as a vehicle to celebrate and promote the music being created here in our neighborhood of East Nashville. After we moved here, we were amazed at the amount of really great music East Nashville was home to, and we wanted to get the word out about it…people like Phil Lee, Jon Byrd, Kevin Gordon, our pal Peter Cooper, Elizabeth Cook, and so many others. We just wanted to spread the word, and we took that as Red Beet Record’s mission, issuing three compilations of East Nashville music so far with another in the works. Eric takes care of the music side of things, and I handle most of the business side of things – marketing, promotion, contracts, accounting – pretty much everything an independent label needs to keep itself running. Joyce: Lots of things have changed over the years. Is it hard being a woman in this business in this day and age?

Joyce: Hello Mary Ann. How are you and Eric doing?

Mary Ann: Well, I’ve only been in the music business for 5 years, so I can’t speak to what it was like historically. And when you’re running a small indie label like I am, you work for yourself,so those issues don’t arise. People used to ask me that question about being a woman lawyer, and frankly I don’t think it mattered a bit in my career. Of course,I worked for some pretty great people, so that probably made it easier for me. By and large, in the professional world, I think the focus on gender is an anachronism.

Mary Ann:We’re doing great. We’re just back off the road from a tour out west and are busy promoting our latest record.

Joyce: If a woman wants to start a business like this in the music industry, what words of advice would you offer?

Joyce: Well, let’s get right down to this interview. You are one of the most amazing women I know. I would like you to share some of your knowledge with our readers. You are a very successful lawyer and a well known name in the Americana music industry. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Maybe where you grew up, why you decided to go to law school and most of all how you got into the music industry, a successful owner of Red Beet Records.

Mary Ann: Make sure that the music you’re promoting is music you love. And make sure you have enough funding to get you through the rough patches. That’s advice I’d give to anyone, not just a woman.

Mary Ann: Well, I grew up in western Pennsylvania, a small farm town about 50 miles from Pittsburgh. After moving around a bit, from Pittsburgh to Wilmington North Carolina and Charleston South Carolina, and after working awhile as a secretary at a law firm, I decided to go to law school myself, and moved to Washington DC. After law school, I was lucky enough to get an internship at The Washington Post in the legal department and ended up staying there for my entire legal career. It was a great job, really interesting issues and terrific people. I was lucky. I was also lucky to meet my husband, Eric Brace,there. He was a nightlife columnist and eventually moved to Nashville to pursue music full time. Before long, I quit my job at the newspaper and moved to Nashville too. Some of our friends have said we quit the two best jobs in Washington, but we’re glad we did. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

Joyce: How has being a woman lawyer affected your life and what doors has it opened up for you? Mary Ann: I’m not sure how to answer that. I suppose it gave me the confidence to take a risk and try something new when the opportunity arose. Joyce: Let’s talk about that handsome husband of yours, Eric Brace. How did the two of you meet?

Mary Ann: I go as often as I can. When it’s Last Train Home and the van is full of guys, I might skip that trip, but Eric and I love to travel together,so we’re on the road a lot. Joyce: Mary Ann do you have a role when the band plays? Do you handle the merchandise end of this? You seem to wear many different hats. Mary Ann: Oh, sure, I’ll sell merch and otherwise try to keep things running smoothly. And sometimes, I’ll help pack up at the end of the night if it means we can get out of the club a little earlier. But when the music’s being made, I’m mostly just a fan. I’m lucky that after all the shows I’ve heard, I still love being there. I find it inspiring and just plain fun. Joyce: You guys have been super busy with the remaking and release of the newTomT.Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow CD. What was this experience like for you? Mary Ann: Oh wow, that was one of the experiences of a lifetime.I got to meet and have come to be friends with the likes of Tom T. Hall and Dixie, Bobby Bare and his wife Jeanne,Duane Eddy and his wife Deed,Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller…these are people one admires from afar, so getting to know them has been precious. And I feel like I was present at the creation of some really special music. I’m so proud of that record. It’s gotten great reviews and was recently featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, which is a big deal for us. It’s nice to see Eric and Peter and everyone who was involved in the record getting the recognition they deserve. Joyce: What are some of your future goals or items on your “bucket list”? Mary Ann: Oh,Eric and I have some places on the list we want to travel to – many places actually – which we’ll eventually accomplish by scheduling gigs around them. Professionally I want to see Red Beet continue to grow and to continue to be recognized as a label that puts out the highest quality of music. I think we’re on that path. Joyce: Mary Ann, when you aren’t busy running here and there, what do you do to relax? Hobbies? How do you have fun? Mary Ann: I’m always relaxed, Joyce. But I love drawing and oil painting and have a studio here at the house that I would like to spend more time in than I do. Maybe I’ll put that on my bucket list. Joyce: Well, I will let you get back to the grind. I hope to see you in October when I come to Nashville to the Americana Music Conference. In the meantime, thank you so much for taking the time for this interview. I know when our women readers see this article, you will be a great inspiration to many of them, as you have been to me. Thank you my friend.

Mary Ann: I didn’t really know Eric when we were at The Post because he wasn’t one of those journalists who cause problems and therefore get to know the lawyers really well. But I’d always followed music, so when I heard through the grapevine that he was leaving The Post to move to Nashville and play music full-time, I emailed him and asked what was up. We went out for a drink to talk about that, and yada yada yada, I now live in Nashville.

Mary Ann: Thanks, Joyce. I have to correct one thing you said though – what I’m getting back to is definitely not a “grind”!

Joyce: When your husband plays out with “Last Train Home”or with Peter Cooper,Phil Lee and/orTom Mason,

Story by: Joyce Ziehli Photos supplied by Mary Ann

For more information on Red Beet Records, go to www.redbeetrecords.com or contact Mary Ann at maryann@redbeetrecords.com or drop them a line at: Red Beet Records, PO BOX 68417 NASHVILLE,TN 37206

PETER COOPER

songwriter musician journalist friend

It’s time we revisit Peter Cooper and see what’s been happening with him in East Nashville...

If any of you readers have been with us since our first issue of the Americana Gazette was published 3 years ago, you will recognize the name Peter Cooper. Peter Cooper was our feature story and his handsome picture was our first cover photo. As the years have passed, we have tried to include information on Peter’s career to all of you, including his CD release parties,reviews on his CD’s,the birth of his first baby boy (along with photos of Packer and Badger clothes I send to Peter for his baby Baker), etc. Besides being a very talented songwriter and musician, Peter Cooper is a very dear friend of mine. I value Peter’s friendship and his expertise in the music industry. Peter is probably one of the main reasons Andy and I are doing this publication, and Peter has been my ticket to some of the great interviews I have scored. Peter is a much respected journalist and musician,so I thought it only right that we update you on what has been going on in his life. Peter, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! So here you go,“The Update on Mr. Peter Cooper”!! Joyce: Peter Cooper, one of the busiest men I know in Nashville. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to talk with me. Peter:Always great to talk with you. I wish I was up there in Wisconsin right now, for the prettiest time of the year. Joyce: Well, a lot has happened since we started this publication 3 years ago and you were our main feature story. You have had a few CD releases, had a baby, and wrote some great articles for the Nashville Tennessean. Can you kind of give our readers a little synopsis of your past projects? Peter:That first story came out when I had just released Mission Door,my debut album. It's been a whirlwind since then, but the best kind of whirlwind. Since then, I've continued with a solo career but I've also been performing as a duo with my good friend, Eric Brace. Eric and I have released two duo albums, one called You Don't Have To Like Them Both and one called Master Sessions. I also made a "solo" album that's a collaboration with pedal steel guitar great Lloyd Green,and I called that oneThe Lloyd Green album. Lloyd played on more than 100 No. 1 country hits, and he's my favorite musician. I've been touring around, playing songs from all those albums, often with Eric Brace. Since the beginning of the Americana Gazette, I've gotten to tour with John Prine and Nanci Griffith and to play all over the world. Some of my favorite gigs have been opening for Don Williams at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, singing "Paradise" onstage with John Prine in New England, playing on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska and playing Puempel's in New Glarus, where the bartender can make dollar bills stick to the ceiling. I'm well-traveled, but I'd never seen that until I came to Puempel's.

Joyce: Your most recent project has been the remaking of Tom T. Hall’s,“The Songs of Fox Hollow”. Andy and I were able to attend the debut at the Country Music Hall of Fame for Tom T’s 75th Birthday party. It was great. I love the CD. Tell me what it was like working with all these fabulous musicians,Tom.T. & Ms. Dixie and their staff, and how this project came about? Peter:That's a dear, dear project to me.When my wife was pregnant with our son, she was concerned about little stuff like decorating the nursery, figuring out day care and such. I was more concerned with the important issues, like what would be the first song he'd hear. I decided I wanted him to hear Tom T. Hall's "I Love" before he heard any other music (and he did,right there in the hospital).Then I got to thinking thatTom T.'s Songs of Fox Hollow album, which I wore out as a kid and which had "I Love" and "I Care" and "Sneaky Snake" on it, had kind of fallen out of the popular discussion. We've got purple dinosaurs and talking trains now, and all that's well and good, but I wanted people to remember what I think of as the best children's album of all time. I knew that Tom T. had a recording studio at his home, Fox Hollow, and I asked him and his wife and creative partner, Miss Dixie, if they would be averse to the notion of me and my friends coming to Fox Hollow to re-record the songs from the Songs of Fox Hollow album.They said that'd be fine, Eric Brace said he'd co-produce and Eric and his wife, Mary Ann, said they'd partner with the Country Music Foundation to release the album. I called Bobby Bare, Patty Griffin, Duane Eddy, Buddy Miller, Elizabeth Cook,Tim Carroll, Jim Lauderdale and a bunch of other people who I like and respect and listen to all the time, and they said they'd like to participate. So we all headed to Fox Hollow, had a ball and made a record in a few days. I sang lead on a track and played guitar and sang harmony on a bunch of it.As far as what it was like... well, the easiest job in the world is producing, if you're producing people who sing great and play great and have great ideas and great joy about what they're doing. My idea of production is telling the engineer to hit the "record" button just before Patty Griffin sings and to hit the "stop" button when she's done, and then wiping a tear away and saying, "Let's go listen to that." Joyce: How is the songwriting coming? Are you working on a new Peter Cooper CD? Peter: I'm working on the songs for a new CD, yes, and I'm anxious to get back in the studio. I have a little office near Music Row and go there most days to sit and play guitar and write.The other day, I had my pal Jon Byrd come by and visit, and we wrote a song called "If Texas Is So Great,What Are You Doing Here?" By the way, if you haven't heard Jon's new album, Down At The Well Of Wishes, it's a stunner. Some people gripe about the "state of modern country music," and then they do something ridiculous,like not listen to the new Jon Byrd album. One of the great things about living in Nashville is being inspired by the people you see and hear everyday. It's such a vibrant time in continued on page 21

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Tom Spaulding, Guitar Man To a lot of you “old timers” around Southern Wisconsin, the name Tom Spaulding will bring back memories of the big guy running the combo department at Ward Brodt in the early 90’s. Tom was and is a musician’s musician. He could talk the talk and back it up with extremely incredible playing and knowledge. He was one of the good guys when it came to buying gear from him. He was fair and honest to deal with. He was one hell of a lead guitar player on local country bands back in the“Boot Scootin’”days in Madison. Tom and I played the same Boot Scootin’ clubs for years for all the local line dancers. He branched out and played Western Swing music too. He left Madison for Nashville in the late 90’s and got work as a guitar tech. After working his way up the ladder with sidemen and at studios he started getting work with the superstars of Country and Rock Music like Keith Urban,Aerosmith,Wynonna, Hall & Oates, and John Fogerty. Tom is married to the very talented Donna Beasley. She is a singer/songwriter in Nashville and one of my favorite indie artists. They write and record together. I talked with Tom on a sunny Sunday morning in August and we talked about playing,Nashville, and his new gigs in Music City. AG: You left Madison in the 90’s to move to Nashville. What caused this big move? Spaulding: I was working at Ward Brodt and ended up being the purchasing agent for the combo department so I was in contact with all kinds of industry reps. I used to call Gibson down in Nashville all the time to place orders. One day I just asked the guy at the other end of the phone if there were any jobs open there. He said“I’m moving over to the Custom Shop, so my job is going to be open.Why don’t you put in an application?”, so I did. I flew down for an interview and they hired me.Two weeks later I moved to Nashville. AG: You grew up in Mauston. Did you play in bands up there as a kid? Spaulding: I was in High School and had bands. I started playing because my brother had a guitar sitting around so I learned on that. A couple of friends of mine found instruments and we put together a band. We played High School dances and stuff. Played a little while in bands while at college in LaCrosse and then I moved to Madison. I started playing there and then I was hired at Ward Brodt and started selling for them and playing with local bands.

guitar tech for many years. When her guitar player got the gig with John Fogerty, after a year he got a hold of me and I went to work for them. After that I did work for Hall & Oates, and then Aerosmith. I toured the world with them. It was great. They were my boyhood heroes, so to work with them was fantastic! AG: Is it hard being a guitar tech on the road? Spaulding: Well if you get with the right people it’s kinda like being on a big camping trip. It’s a bunch of guys sleeping on a bus traveling around and eating back stage. You are all working the same hours. It’s like being in the military. Everything is all planned out, time schedules, meals everything. Once you get in the routine of it it’s pretty easy to follow. It’s not really difficult, but there is pressure especially when you are “the guy’s” guy. Fogerty does not change his guitars or pedals himself so I had to do that so you have to make sure you have everything ready and everything is always working. There’s no substituting anything. It’s almost like a factory job. Once you learn the routine it goes pretty smoothly. AG: Do most artists want their strings changed every night? Spaulding: Mostly yes. Some people don’t like the sound of fresh strings, bass players usually don’t want new strings every gig. Some don’t want to change at all until they start having intonation problems. The thing about changing every day is really not about tone as much as it is about string breakage. If you’re John Fogerty you don’t want a broken string in the middle of a lead you are playing. If a star breaks a string in the middle of a song the song is done. If a sideman does, they can just keep playing. AG: How did you learn to be a guitar tech? Spaulding: It started being from Wisconsin and a small town. There was not a lot of guys who could fix guitars so you had to learn to fix them yourself. You read Guitar Player Magazine and John Carruthers had a monthly column on repairs so I would read them. Dan Erlewine had some good columns I learned from too. I was always interested in everything about guitars so I took the time to study every part of them and learned by doing. I’m no luthier, I’m just a good repair guy that understands what others want out of their guitars. I’m more a first responder. I can get you through the gig!

AG: You still play in Nashville too?

AG: Do the artists ever ask you about new equipment and do you make recommendations to them?

Spaulding: Yes,I do. After I left Gibson, I played with The Lynn’s who are Loretta Lynn’s twin daughters. They had a band and a record deal with Warner Brothers. I played with Elizabeth Cook a few times when she started out, too.After that I got into guitar teching. I figured out that it was a lot more stable of an occupation being the guy that tuned the guitars and got the stage ready than being the guitar player. You can always work for whoever is hot when you’re a good guitar tech, and not so much when you are a guitar player in a town full of good guitar players.

Spaulding: Sometimes I do. It usually has to do with tone or compression settings and sounds. They expect you to be up on that. You have to be on top of the current markets and toys. If an artist is not able to find the info on their own or is disconnected from what’s new it’s up to me to get them up to speed. If they are more “old school” in their sound and tone those artists generally don’t look to make changes to their rigs. If they are more modern and inquisitive they want what’s new and hot. It really depends on the artist.

I started out withTrishaYearwood and I did a tour with the Mavericks. I was Wynonna’s

AG: Let’s talk about Tom Spaulding the musician, songwriter, and producer. continued on page 21

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What’s MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER up to these days?

The Train roars down the tracks!

Hey all you Americana music lovers there is a new place to hear your favorite Americana tunes. It’s “The Train” on AccuRadio.com. The train is the brainchild of veteran radio broadcasters Jonathan Little and Dave Sholin. These two radio masterminds have come up with a hit format and radio station on line. The Train features a deep Americana playlist with music by artists like the Gourds,Avett Brothers, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Whiskytown, Guy Clark and hundreds of other greats and soon to be greats. The Americana Gazette talked to Little two years ago when The Train was still in pre-production. We caught up with Little and he filled us in on what has been going on and how The Train is getting set to make its way to Terrestrial radio stations. I was able to interview Mary Chapin Carpenter!!!! This has been a very personal goal for me since we started the Americana Gazette and one I can now mark off my bucket list. My husband,Andy and I have always been great fans of Mary Chapin Carpenter. We have attended several of her concerts when she has performed in the Madison or Milwaukee area. Last time she and her band played at Ho-Chunk in Milwaukee, we enjoyed dinner with our dear friend,John Jennings,long time member of her band. I was even fortunate enough to meet her last year at the Americana Music Conference in Nashville. Meeting her and talking with Rosanne Cash in the same day last year – no wonder I sometimes experience sleep apnea! In the past, I have put in little articles or CD release information on Mary Chapin Carpenter, but for those of you who have no idea on what she is all about, here is a little background info from her website: Carpenter was born in Princeton, N.J. in 1958 and lived in Japan from 1969 to 1971 before moving to Washington, D.C. Carpenter’s early musical loves included The Mamas & the Papas,Woody Guthrie,The Beatles and Judy Collins. Carpenter grew up playing the guitar and between college years at Brown University she would play local bars and clubs in the Washington, DC area. After graduating from Brown in 1981,Carpenter continued playing and being a part of Washington’s music scene,where she met guitarist John Jennings,who would become her co- producer and long-time collaborator.Within a few years, she recorded a demo tape that led to a deal with Columbia Records where she spent nearly 20 years and sold over 13 million albums. continued on page 9

AG: Jonathan how are you these days? Little: Very good and very busy! With only a small marketing budget it takes a serious grassroots effort to get new listeners on The Train. We’re even handing out and mailing out business cards inviting people to ride The Train at www.thetrain.us or at www.accuradiocom. AG: How has the launch of the Train been going in its first month up and running? Little: We’re doing quite well as one of 500 AccuRadio streaming channels. We were ranked in the 50’s when we launched. We’re now consistently ranked between #41 and #39. Our goal is to be Top 20 by the end of the year,Top 10 by mid-2012. If things go as planned, we should have a strong enough fan base that we can put our 24/7 fully hosted programming on terrestrial radio in 2012. AG: I love how you can go through and skip songs and pick artists on your station. Little: Yes that’s a great feature. As like to say,“You’re the conductor when you ride The Train.”You can skip a song whenever you choose and even ban an artist you’d prefer not to hear in your personal mix. It’s a great tool for Americana fans who’d like to be their own music director. This feature allows us to track listener choices which is additional research for our music team.

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with me today. MCC: It was my pleasure. Bye Joyce.

In 2006, Carpenter signed with Rounder Records and released her first album “The Calling”in 2007. It garnered her her 15th Grammy nomination. She also released a holiday album for Rounder in 2008,“Come Darkness, Come Light”.

For more information on Mary Chapin Carpenter checkout her website at www.marychapincarpenter.com

Recently, Carpenter was honored with The Americana Association’s esteemed“Spirit of Americana Free Speech in Music Award”,which recognizes artists who have used their work to raise awareness and promote free speech.Past recipients include Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Judy Collins and Joan Baez, among others.

Story by: Joyce Ziehli Photos supplied.

Mary Chapin Carpenter offers a snapshot of her life on her latest release, the critically acclaimed The Age of Miracles, which she calls a personal exploration of regret and resilience. While writing,Carpenter looked inward to try to answer the unavoidable question: “What now?”The outcome is a collection of songs that blends personal tales of discovery and experience with more distant and imagined stories of one’s purpose and relationship to the universe.

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The Age of Miracles is the twelfth studio album from five-time Grammy award-winning Carpenter, including one Grammy-winning and two Grammy-nominated albums. By combining folk, country, acoustic, rock and blues, Carpenter has proven herself to be an artist for whom the conventional boundaries of the music business disappear; she has always professed a love for all kinds of music, and those influences come together in songs that speak to the most personal of life’s details as well as to the most universal. JZ: Hi Mary Chapin. How are you doing today? MCC: Hi Joyce. I’m doing fine. JZ: Mary Chapin are you working on any new projects or are you out touring promoting your last CD? MCC: Well, you could say I’m still in the promotion of “The Age of Miracles”. In my down time,which I don’t have a lot of right now,I’m finishing up the writing for a new record that I’m going to start recording in January. Between writing and touring, that’s taking up most of my time. The CD will probably come out around June 2012. JZ: Does being on the road still have the same allure these days as it did at first? MCC: It’s always great to be with my band mates, I feel very close to everyone. You do it long enough you really appreciate that fellowship,that kinship. In that regard, it’s just as fulfilling as it was when I first started 20 years ago. So I feel very fortunate to still be able to tour and it’s something I look forward to. JZ:You have always been an avid dog lover. You used to have Golden Retrievers. In fact one time when you were playing in Madison, one of them came out to participate in a song. (I think the dog heard your voice from back stage and decided to make a surprise visit.) Do you still have dogs?

AG: How does an artist get his or her songs on the playlist of The Train? Little: When it comes to new music,artists submit music to The Train for consideration. We listen to all submissions and determine what fits our definition of Americana Radio – The Train. Listeners have the opportunity to post suggestions at the AccuRadio’s Facebook wall. Listening who board The Train at www.thetrain.us are invited to join our Listener Advisory Board to provide input on the music we’re playing and offer suggestions on other Americana songs and artists. AG: Does it cost anything to listen to The Train? Little: Nope.The Train ride is free! The channel has the potential to carry four commercials per hour, 15-30 seconds long, just one in each of four breaks. That’s our primary means of generating Train revenue, although we have web ad options at AccuRadio and at TheTrain.us. AG: Once you go terrestrial will there be DJ’s? Little: Andy, you mean radio personalities don’t you? (We both laugh)! Yes, of course. We are lining up an air team of high caliber radio talents who have a heartfelt passion for Americana music.The music is “the star of the show.” The Train Air Team will enhance the train ride with relevant information. We’re building The Train fan base with the help of AccuRadio. We’re looking for those FM stations that are ready to make a switch to Americana Radio,which you and I know is a unique and highly appealing format. Americana fans are the most faithful and loyal listeners going. They stick with an artist and support them. Americana music is really taking off all over the world. There are Americana charts in Europe, Australia, South America, and the US. We predict Americana will soon be a serious competitor in the terrestrial world, consistently delivering Top 10, even Top 5 ratings and providing advertisers an upscale active audience. Americana Radio –The Train is its very own economic stimulus package. AG: How was reaction the first day you launched The Train programming?

MCC: I have continued to be a lover of dogs. I have 3 Golden Retrievers at the moment plus 2 other dogs. I have quite a menagerie at home.

Little: We were delighted with the response we got. We received emails and posts from around the world saying how much people loved The Train, and how glad they were that someone had finally produced a radio show with the wide range of artists we’re playing. We received an email from a sailor on an island in the Mediterranean who complimented us on the launch. Listeners from Australia, Russia,Thailand, Germany, The Netherlands, and the US were all in touch with us.

JZ: Do they tour with you?

AG: Are you wired to the new smart phones and the apps?

MCC: (laughs) I don’t have enough room in the bus for all of them!

Little: Totally! You can download the AccuRadio phone app at the App Store. Once you’re at the AccuRadio home page, you select Americana from the genres list and there’s The Train. The fidelity and stereo separation are impressive when listening on a smart phone.

JZ: Mary Chapin you usually write by yourself. What are your inspirations, life experiences, and do you co-write with anyone? MCC: Sure, that is part of it. I write about life experiences and I tend to write most of the time at home. Co-writing is still kind of a mystery to me. I haven’t done a lot of it. It is interesting and I can always learn from someone else. I write at home where I can have long stretches of quiet time. I usually don’t succeed at writing while I’m on the road. JZ: One of my favorite Mary Chapin Carpenter’s songs is “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her”. What’s the story on this song? MCC: A long time ago, I was sitting with my good friend Don Schlitz. I think he probably remembers this day better than me. It is right off the old Geritol commercials. I heard a story on the radio about a man leaving his wife and she had been running the household, raising the kids, but didn’t really “have any marketable job skills”. (Remember this was several years ago.) That’s pretty much where this song came from. JZ: Any hobbies you enjoy? MCC: I lead a pretty quiet life. I like to hang out with my friends and family, go to the gym, read and I love to cook.

AG: I’m very impressed with the variety and depth of the music played. Little: We are wide and deep and the playlist is growing. This is unique programming. We’re bringing disenfranchised radio listeners back to radio. They’re discovering a radio station that plays the type of music they want to hear and which likely had been missing in their part of the world. Americana Music is such a great genre of story songs and exceptional acoustic arrangements. It has a deep history from Hank Williams and Bob Wills to Rosanne Cash and Wilco. The Train provides a compelling listening experience in large part because of the wide variety of styles and artists.John Prine,Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffith, Robert Earl Keen, John Hiatt, and a couple dozen more are core artists as we define Americana radio with The Train. The Train is filling a void and breaking new ground for artists who deserve to be heard everyday. AG: Jonathan, thanks so much for your time. I’m a big fan of The Train and listen every day. I am so impressed with the song selection and the artist roster. I wish you luck and I will see you in Nashville at the Americana Music Conference. Little: Both Dave Sholin and I will be there! Story by:Andy Ziehli

JZ: Well, Mary Chapin good luck on your future CD and thank you so much for talking w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

CD Review

ballads to up-tempo foot stomping music. They show a writer with depth and conviction to her craft. Hardyman’s style is homespun with that devilish edge that makes you sit up and listen when you hear her sing. Her live shows are fantastic excursions into a history of Americana Music. Whether playing with ace guitar player Doug Sies or her whole band Sies, Mark Gruenenfelder, Kyle Scott, Jim Smith, and Dewey Sies, Hardyman is a treat to hear and see. All these songs are staples of the live show. My favorite cuts on the CD are Rag Doll, I Turn Cold (a song that could be a top hit for any of Nashville’s current crop of female vocalists), Neverland, Battleground,You can go now, and Scars (another top 10 song). Her voice is a wonder to behold and is sure to bring excitement and joy to everyone who buys this CD or hears her live. This is a great CD with top quality songs that everyone should have in their collection. It is a fantastic collection of songs that show Hardyman’s command of word and melody. As I said in the first paragraph you’d better get out and see and hear her soon, because someone is going to take her back to Nashville and make her a star! Review by:Andy Ziehli

Slaid Cleaves ♪♪♪♪ Sorrow & Smoke Live at The Horseshoe Lounge Produced by: Slaid Cleaves Music Road Records

Alberta Hunter ♪♪♪♪♪ Downhearted Blues/Live at the Cookery She came from Memphis to Chicago about 94 years ago with the dream of being a singer, and now 27 years after her passing, she has a newly rereleased album. Downhearted Blues was originally released in 2001,but has just been re-released with re-mastered sound and new liner notes. This was my first experience with Alberta Hunter and I like where the music took me. It took me to that smoky dark jazz club of times long passed, be it in New York or in Paris or somewhere just as terribly predictable, that’s where I went when I closed my eyes. The album opens fast and strong with My Castle’s Rockin’, the band feeling loose bouncy and the leading lady at the helm, taking command of the night. Next she then dives into the heart breaking, The Love I Have for You and makes a heavy hush fall over the crowd at the Cookery. Hunter found her first success in the music business back in the 1920s and 1930s, but in 1954 she chose to make a radical career change and went to nursing school, and worked as a nurse until the early sixties. She then decided to return to the music business and experienced a second spell of success. This album was recorded in her later tour in the business in the early 1980s, but her voice is strong and steady and full of character. “I’m gonna sing you some real blues this time. People take a beautiful ballet, they sing it slowly, and they tell you they’re singing the blues. Don’t believe them. I’m gonna sing you some blues, so help me”This saucy boldness is heard throughout the show, be it with the audience or urging the band on to “play it”. The song Old Fashioned Love was introduced with “They don’t write songs like this anymore.This is a beautiful song”and so I listened closely and she was of course right. It was a beautiful song and maybe they don’t write songs like that anymore.Where have all the beautiful love songs gone?The ones that make us heave a sign from our chest each time that gripping chorus line comes round.The ones that make us stare off into space while our thoughts rush like water through our minds. Alberta’s version of Georgia on my Mind sounded especially sweet and by this time in the concert I’m just letting the music buzz in my ears, the rapidly falling and rising scales, the crowd noises, and those vocals… oh those vocals. This album has made a fan of me with its old fashioned feeling. It slows down the wind a bit.The sun looks a little brighter. This album was a wonderful way to be introduced to a legend whose legend does indeed live and what a brilliant representation of her music and talent. Review by: Rob Kosmeder

Brianna Hardyman ♪♪♪♪♪ A LITTLE GRIT & A WHOLE LOTTA SOUL Independent Country/Americana Brianna Hardyman is one of those special talents that only come around every so often, and you need to catch her before she’s gone. What I mean is you’d better go see her while you can around Wisconsin because she’s headed for the big time real soon!

Tamed the giant, pulled out the thorn and made himself a loyal friend. That's what Slaid Cleaves done did with his latest offering. In 1991 Slaid Cleaves moved to Austin, Texas from Portland, Maine, and by his own admission, spent some years driving past The Horseshoe Lounge before he finally "worked up the courage to go inside". This CD was recorded there live in two sessions during April and June of 2010. It's a live and mostly acoustic 2-disc set with some accordion, harmonica and trumpet help from Oliver Steck. It comes complete with just enough narrative from Slaid to help along the stories and make you feel like you can smell the smell in The Horseshoe. Slaid's a great songwriter and he keeps you rapt in his tales so you don't notice the backsides of whoever might be coming and going past you while he sings. Steck's punctuation of the songs with trumpet and accordion and harmonica here and there lends even more clean and crisp. Some of the easiest listening with harmonies that matter. Great craft from Slaid- he did good here. Review by Anne Miller Read more from Anne at her website: takeascavengerhunt.com

Wagons ♪♪♪1/2 Rumble, Shake, and Tumble Thirty Tigers Records The Wagons are a five piece band out of Australia that it is kinda Rock a Billy kinda Alt-Country, kinda Indie, that’s what makes this CD so interesting. It’s a cross of all three and yet it has its own distinct genera. It got my attention quickly! The songs are recorded sparsely with very little studio hoodoo voodoo. Henry Wagons wrote all of the songs except Willie Nelson that was written by Anto Mac, Dominic Bourke, and Henry Wagons. There is a unique sound and flavor to Wagon’s songwriting style. Save Me is the most commercially written song on the CD. It has the tempo and vibe to be a radio song. Willie Nelson is an interesting song that played in the right club could become a bar room standard. If there is a downfall to this CD it is that it tends to be on the dark side with its tones, textures, and spaghetti western feel. It’s not a bad CD, just kind of different. If you like edgy dark music then you will love Rumble, Shake, & Tumble, if not I’d stay away from this and see what Wagons comes up with the next time. Review by:Andy Ziehli

This CD is a collection of songs Brianna cut when she lived in Nashville and one she cut here in Wisconsin. Hardyman wrote or co-wrote all the 12 of the songs here and they show a wide influence both in style and substance. The songs range from slow

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THE ADVENTURE OF COMIC BOOKS JON BYRD A package of Graham crackers, a jar of marshmallow fluff, and a stack of comic books to read, that is what I considered a good way to spend a rainy afternoon. Just to be able to sit, eat and read is truly a good time. At least that is what I used to think when I was a good deal younger. I grew up in a big house in the city.The house belonged to my aunt and uncle. It had two flats.They lived in the lower flat with their family of five kids. I lived in the upper flat with my mom, dad, and brother. We all seemed to get along and this was a good thing.We lived there during the duration of World War II. Housing was hard to come by in those days. On most days we made our own fun but when it rained I liked nothing better than to find a place of my own and read.The comic books were a blessing.Another cousin on the other side of town seemed to be fortunate to buy any comic and as many comics that he liked. He was an only child.When he finished with them he would pass them onto the cousins who lived downstairs from me.They were stored in a big box in a closet and my aunt allowed me to help myself for reading material whenever I wanted to. I couldn’t keep them but I could read them. So on a rainy day I would borrow a halfdozen or so comics, raid the cracker box of grahams, spread the crackers with fluff and go in my room and read. I had an embarrassing situation from reading and digesting what I read in the comics. I was in the fourth grade and we were studying the moon and the planets. I made the continued on page 17

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ANOTHER GREAT SINGER/SONGWRITER FROM NASHVILLE I have heard Jon Byrd’s name mentioned many times and finally had the honor of meeting him at the Tom T. Hall 75th Birthday Celebration at the Country Music Hall of Fame. What a talented songwriter and musician he is. His bio reflects that he grew up in the piney woods of south Alabama, just one county over from the birthplace of legendary country artist Hank Williams. When Jon was eight years old, his dad was diagnosed with TB and began singing Jimmie Rogers' song "TB Blues" all around the house.That same year Jon saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and his obsession with the musical tension between country and rock was born.  After touring nationally in the 1980s, Byrd became a central figure in Atlanta's storied Redneck Underground movement as lead guitarist for the seminal 90’s country band Slim Chance and the Convicts (Letters to Mama 1993, and Twang Peeks ,1996). He also formed the hard country band the Ratchet Set as a musical outlet for his love of old trucking songs and two chord honky-tonk gems. In 1998, Byrd helped country traditionalist Greta Lee record her first full-length CD “This Ain’t Over Yet” and in 2001, he co-produced and handled lead guitar duties on her follow-up“You Must Be Present To Win”. That same year, Byrd relocated to Nashville,Tennessee where he quickly made a name for himself in Music City as a singularly authentic country singer and Telecaster slinger recording with such fine country and alternative country artists as the soulful Davis Raines, Buck Jones, Stephen Simmons, and the list goes on. In late 2004, Byrd created his own musical project Byrd’s Auto Parts to showcase his singing and songwriting.Since then his playing,singing,and songwriting have been feacontinued on page 33

A PET NOTE

JUNE CARTER CASH

THE FOUR LEGGED BLUETICK COONHOUND

Well hello there to all you Americana Gazette readers. My name is June Carter Cash. Oh, by the way I’m a Bluetick Coonhound. My mother,Maybelle Carter and I were adopted from a Washington DC Animal Shelter by Nashville Singer/Songwriter Amy Speace. Amy found us through HoundFinders.com. (Our original names were Thelma and Louise. I think June Carter Cash is more appropriate for me, especially since I’m living in Nashville, the Country Music Capital of the World.) Amy enjoyed introducing us back then as The Carter Family,especially when we were living in Jersey City,NJ. Sadly, my mother, Maybelle Carter passed away a few years back. I am 11 or 12 years old, a purebred, not quite sure on my birth date. A lady never really gives her true age away. Everyone knows that. Anyway, my previous owner was a hunter from West Virginia. Me and Maybelle were real gun-shy at the time,which is why we ended up in that shelter in DC. This was a good thing; otherwise Amy would have never found me. Boy to this day, I still cower in the closet when we get one of those bad Southern thunderstorms.

Amy Speace is an American singer-songwriter from Baltimore, Maryland, who is a former Shakespearean actress notable for her critically acclaimed music. National Public Radio described her voice as "velvety and achy" and compared her to Lucinda Williams. The singer was based in Jersey City, N.J. but has moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Her music is receiving positive critical attention. Speace's song, "Weight Of The World", has been covered by singer Judy Collins on her 2010 album "Paradise" Her albums are entitled Land Like A Bird, Into The New (EP), The Killer In Me, Songs for Bright Street, and Fable. Check out more on Amy at www.amyspeace.com

Story by: Joyce Ziehli Information and photos provided by: Amy Speace

Life is great. I spend most of my day sleeping on the bed or stretching out over the couch, sometimes I even venture out onto the porch for some bird watching. At least I have outgrown my pillow stealing days, which I used to do back in my younger years. Sometimes I did get a little naughty. When Amy is home writing or playing guitar, I lay underneath her feet enjoying the sweet music. When Amy plays through the tremolo pedal,I join in and sing along. (Amy says I howl along,honestly it is singing!) I went on tour twice with Amy. I really didn’t like it that much. I prefer to be a home dog. Close to my bed and couch. I love riding in the car though, and recently ventured out to a house concert with Amy in St. Louis. She was playing for about 50 people and I wandered over and lay down at her feet,with my snout on her tuning pedal. I was just trying to behave and stay out of the way. Picture this in your head. I was real cute and I think I stole the show! When its 5:00 P.M., I get my second wind and am very adamant about my daily walk. We take a stroll around the East Nashville neighborhood so I can check out the other critters, neighborhood smells, maybe have a passerby give me a pet or two and make sure all is well before I settle down for the night. I truly am blessed. What more could you ask for? I’m a Bluetick Coonhound living the good life in East Nashville with my best friend,Amy Speace!

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TOMMY WOMACK

Singer-Songwriter Alt.Country Hero Published Author

Ever since we started the Americana Gazette, Peter Cooper said to me, “You should interview Tommy Womack. He’s an interesting guy. He’ll talk to you.” OK, Peter I finally listened to you and did it. And yes he is a very interesting gentleman and he was indeed willing to talk with me. Here is my dilemma. How do I introduce you to Tommy Womack? What better way than to have him introduce himself. (Taken from his website www.tommywomack.com) My name is Tommy Glynn Womack. Skot Willis once said I was the craziest person he’d ever met who had his life together.Todd Snider says I’m the only person he’s ever met in Nashville who’s crazier than he is. So I must be crazy, I guess. I can’t tell. Crazy for most folks must just be what normal feels like for me. I make records, I write. I play shows.And being an artist of, shall we say, minor repute. More Facts! I live in Nashville,Tennessee, USA with my wife Beth, two cats, Pete & Shelley, and our beautiful boy Nathan. From 1985 through 1992 I played in a band called Government Cheese. From 1992 through 1994 I played in a band called the bis-quits. In 1995, my book Cheese Chronicles:The True Story of a Rock and Roll Band You’ve Never Heard Of" was published. I have two "hobbies". Firstly, I like to keep read about, and speculate on, the Historical Jesus, the real guy, who he really was, what he really said, etc. reading stuff by J.D. Crossan,A. N.Wilson and John Shelby Spong regarding such.That’s because I spent the first twenty-odd years of my life so deep in the Bible belt I didn’t even know there was one. Jesus was on every wall of my house and oftentimes twice. I don’t live much like that now, but needless to say it leaves its residual notions to be worked through in one’s mind. Secondly, I boast a reasonably well-honed facility for classic-era New York Mafia Genealogy: the Gambinos, the Genoveses, the Bonannos, the Lucheeses and the Columbos. I like keeping up with those guys, you know, scanning the papers, keeping up with who’s in charge, who’s been arrested, who’s been killed, etc. I don’t know why, but I do so love to keep up with such matters. I can probably name you all the leaders of the Gambino Crime Family in order since its inception, from Albert Anastasia onward, and most of the other families as well, for that matter. The Cheese Chronicles was my first published book. It has become a cult classic.This is good.We will be going doing a Third Printing later this year.And, yes,THE audio book as read by the author is pending! Cheese Chronicles:TheTrue Story of a Rock & Roll BandYou’ve Never Heard Of (1995) AND…here are my writings of another sort, out as an illustrated Children’s book in 2010: Jack the Bunny:A Children’s Story. Records - my upcoming full-length record NOW WHAT! is completed and we are looking forward to a January release date.The production team of John Deaderick and I, who brought you my last solo opus, 2007’s award-winning THERE, I SAID IT!, were back at the producing helm this time as well. As the title suggests,NOW WHAT! takes the story of the previous record and carries it forward. 2007’s THERE, I SAID IT! was the story of an aging rocker coming to grips with his failed dreams as a musician, the irony being that that record gave me the very career I’ve always sought. Hence…NOW WHAT! is all about what happens when your dream comes true - getting back out on the road, balancing that with home and family, and tip-toeing through the minefields of temptations that rock and roll road life has to offer. NOW WHAT! has standout tracks that have already become standards in the Tommy Womack stage repertoire – “On & Off the Wagon”,“Play That Cheap Trick, Cheap Trick Play”, and the drop-dead spoken word piece “90 Miles and Hour Down a Dead-End Street.” Drummers Paul Griffith and Fenner Caster make appearances, as do long-time

Womack stalwarts Dan Seymour on bass and Lisa Gray on vocals.Two interesting tidbits are the first appearances of horns on a TW record (Jim Hoke on sax and Bill Huber on trombone and tuba), and I played all the guitars on this record (which the exception of a pedal steel part Jim played).For years I’ve always hired my über-talented plankspanking friends to do all the hot-doggery.This time I decided to play them all myself, and a fair amount of the bass as well. John Deaderick handled all the keys: the ones you play and the ones you use to get into the studio too. Hope to see you at a show, and if you can’t make one of mine, please go see somebody else’s.We all need your help. Tommy Womack Now that you are well informed on Mr.Tommy Womack. Here’s a little how my conversation went with this talented guy: Joyce: Hello Tommy. Are you in Nashville and if so how is your weather today? Tommy: Yup, I’m in Nashville and it is a lot better than it has been, not quite so scorching. Just in the 80’s. It’s been brutal here the last few weeks. Joyce: Tommy, let’s talk about your background. How did you end up in the music business? How did it all begin for you? Tommy: I always wanted to be in a band from the age of 13 when I discovered KISS. I continued on page 34

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Whitney Mann Need I say

anything else?

I had the pleasure of a visit with Whitney Mann and Kyle Jacobson and the experience was like a warm breezy summer evening, which it happened to be that night, but had it not been, I would have lingered in the glow just the same. If you've heard Whitney sing, you probably have some sensory memory of where you were when you first heard her, or maybe what it smelled like or felt like at the bar or venue when you saw her. If you've heard Whitney sing, then you've felt that resonant connecting of the dots inside you that her sound evokes. It's like an ahhhhhh, a familiar and welcome relief when you sit down at the end of a long day. Uncomplicated. If you first get introduced to Whitney Mann from a visual sensory memory, that photo of a simple farm girl in the red and white gingham checked dress, or the beautiful sunset photography on her website, whitneymannmusic.com, you are beckoned by the same simplicity, the dots connect, you click the play button, and her voice resonates through you.

AM:What did you study at the U of M? WM: I was an English major, but worked with Kyle as a photojournalist in Rockford, Illinois. AM: Do you work outside of the music? WM: I work for a local software company and I love it! There have been nights when I can't wait to get to sleep because the sooner I do, the sooner I get to wake up and go to work. AM:What about you, Kyle, what do you do by day? KJ: I work in technology distribution.

Whitney's bio is refreshingly ordinary. She grew up on a farm in Michigan with two brothers and parents she likes. She attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and went to work in Rockford where she met Kyle. She sang in the kitchen with her Dad from the time she was little and took piano lessons. Their friends joke that if there's a great and sordid VH-1 behind the music story of Whitney Mann, it hasn't happened yet.

THE MUSIC... AM: So speaking of work, if you could tour more, would you? If you could make touring and recording all there was, would you? WM:We choose gigs carefully. Playing a lot can stink after awhile, there are times, you sleep in the car, and we have a cat at home.

So how does this true Americana music style singer/song-writer, who takes influence from her idol, Loretta Lynn, and ends up so early in her musical career opening for her idol and the likes of Willie Nelson, land those brushes with greatness? There's no against-all-odds,beat-out-the-front-runner,win-the-lottery kind of tale to tell about Whitney's career. Rave reviews of her music have her emerging as the next country music star, and when I asked Kyle and her about what it's like to be perceived that way, they almost answered in unison:Whitney can just sing a song and play the notes,it's just normal, it's part of their life. Extra-ordinary.

WM: Overture Hall, we opened for Ray LaMontagne.

A LITTLE HISTORY... AM:Which came first? Singing, or song-writing?

KJ:Yeah, they called us two days before the show, and the next thing we knew, there we were.That's how it can go, sometimes you get a call and it's fast.

WM: Singing. Ever since I was little- three or four years old, I was always making noise singing.

AM:What was it like to open for Willie Nelson?

AM: So you come from this small town in Michigan, how did you end up here? WM: Kyle and I moved here when Kyle took a job with WKOW, and it's a lot like Ann Arbor, where I went to school. We love it here.

AM: How many gigs a month is too many? KJ: Maybe 4. AM:What's the best place you've ever played?

WM:Opening for Willie Nelson was amazing. On a big stage,it's like walking on air,like an out of body experience.It's awesome playing a big venue like that,but then,our next small show would bring us back to reality and be a tiny little bar, and suddenly we are reminded of what it means to be musicians just playing out in Wisconsin. continued on page 34

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Greg Ginter’s

Guitar Shop of Wisconsin When you walk into Greg Ginter’s Guitar Shop of Wisconsin LLC on Madison’s east side at 2215 Atwood Avenue, you realize this is a place for musicians.The walls are packed with electric guitars and basses on one side and acoustic guitars on the other. Amps are wall to wall with a path down each side.This is more than a store, it’s a Musician’s Nirvana. AG: I’m delighted to talk with Greg Ginter, owner of Guitar Shop of Wisconsin LLC. Greg how long has your shop been here? GG: I bought this building in 1994 and immediately hung my guitars up on the wall. But I continued to work until 1996. So the store really opened in early 1996.

a week.And Sid Williams who works for me is the best guitar tech I’ve ever met in my life! As electric guitars go, he’s done more Floyd Rose set-ups than Floyd Rose.We’re all authorized Fender technicians as well as Peavey, SWR and the list goes on and on. AG: Being down the block from the Barrymore Theater and next door to the Harmony Bar does that bring you any business? GG: I sold two amplifiers on Saturday to some performers who were playing at the Harmony that night. Guitar players are drawn to vintage guitar stores like mosquitoes to the light.They pull in at the Barrymore at two in the afternoon on their tour bus and they walk right down here. I’ve sold to Julian Lennon, Bob Dylan, Cheap Trick, Bruce Cockburn, you name it.

AG: How did you get into buying and selling guitars? GG:Well, when I was in high school I got hooked up with a band called Tassle where I grew up,in Dickeyville,WI.I was their roadie.That was in 1975,and I’ve been a roadie ever since.The reason the store came about is in the late 1980’s I was a salesman at American TV with Sam Platner, the lead singer from the Wizenhiemers. He asked me if I would be their roadie and guitar tech. So I started working for them and they needed strings, accessories and repairs. So in 1990 I got a Gibson strings and accessories dealership. So that’s when I really got into the guitar business.While I was still working at American TV and living in a big house on the west side, I had one room completely filled with music gear. I actually bought Michael St. John’s guitar. He used to be the music editor and writer for the Wisconsin State Journal. His sister worked at American TV as well. He had actually passed away and his guitar was sitting in the buyer’s office and I bought it from his sister. It was a gold ES 335. So ever since then I’ve just been buying, selling, and collecting guitars. It seems like guitar players always want to trade all the time.Then it just started snowballing and all of a sudden I had 30 guitars. So in 1994 I was driving down Atwood Avenue when I saw a big For Rent sign in the front of this old store. I thought hey, I could move out of that house and into this store and it will be great. So after about a year of living there I did not want to go to work anymore. So I quit American TV and opened the Guitar Shop with 30 guitars and 2 amplifiers. (Laughs) So that’s how the store started and has grown into what it is today. AG: Does the Guitar Shop also offer guitar and amp repairs? GG:Yes, I believe we’re Madison’s last amp repair center.As far as the Marshall amps and the Fender Twin Reverbs, people bring them here.We repair about 50 amplifiers w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

AG:You sell electrics,acoustics,amplifiers,strings and accessories.Is there anything that you specialize in? GG:We sell a lot of used electric and vintage guitars. I still sell a fair amount of midline acoustics which are a performance grade. I’ve found that you can’t buy enough acoustic guitars to supply the market. So I formed an alliance with the CORT Guitar Company, which has been around for a long time, from Chicago IL. That’s been good especially for the beginning student guitar and I sell a lot of them. My biggest customer is the Madison School District. AG: Greg, you’re known locally by musicians as a guy who bends over backwards to help the local pros.What’s that about? GG:Well,I’ve always been a roadie and guitar tech and my job is to take care of the people and the performance. I’m talent support and I take care of the Artist and the community. AG:What kind of inventory do you have in the store right now? GG: I have over 300 used guitars, some new ones and over 250 used amplifiers.They are all serviced by my three amp technicians that I use and are ready to go.There’s everything for the live concert venue, amps for small clubs and the beginner who is just playing at home. I try to cover everybody. The majority of my business comes from the performing musician, but I’ve never turned away a beginner. continued on page 17

Looking for Some Good “BATH TUB SQUEAKY CLEAN” Music? check out…

DATE WITH THE TUB – CJAYE LEROSE One day in the mail I received this CD (covered with a pretty little gal in a pink dress) in the mail from Kates Robinson of Absolute Publicity featuring CJaye LeRose. It was entitled, “Date With The Tub”. I found this to be quite an interesting title so I shoved it in my CD player and gave it a listen.What a voice out of such a petite little thing! Meanwhile Kates set up a short interview for me with CJaye. Before we get into that though, here is a little background information I received from CJaye LeRose’s website and from Kates of Absolute Publicity.

With an endearing sense of humor and can-do attitude, it’s no wonder that her online following quickly grew, and soon caught the attention of those in the Houston music scene.A local independent artist development executive introduced the young singer to influential Austin producer Dwight Baker who recognized her raw potential and agreed to produce ten tracks for her debut CD.“CJaye is so talented. It was a great experience going in the studio with her. It seemed like the natural progression for this artist. She is just waiting to happen,” said Baker who has worked with such diverse artists as Heart, Kelly Clarkson, Enrique Iglesias and Bleu Edmondson.

It’s not every day that an unsigned country artist garners major support from SiriusXM Satellite Radio, but social media starlet CJaye LeRose has managed to break the mold. On July 12th SiriusXM's The Highway premiered the music video to LeRose's single "The Porch." This premiere marks a first ever for the satellite radio channel, and coincides with the iTune's release of her debut album, Date With The Tub.

Early this year, CJaye took a leap of faith and relocated to Nashville. Since arriving on the scene, she has been spending her time writing with noted Nashville songwriters, including Roxie Dean (“When IThink About Angels”by Jamie O’Neal) and Bonnie Baker (“Ordinary Life” by Chad Brock), as well as performing at local songwriter night venues. “This is where I belong! I absolutely love Nashville, and I’m here to stay!” proclaims LeRose. She recently went into the studio with up and coming Nashville producer Brandon Hood to cut three additional songs for her debut CD.“When I got here, I started hearing all of these incredible songs at songwriter’s nights,”states CJaye. “I am such a fan of songwriters, and I knew immediately that I wanted to include some of those songs on my CD.”

Growing up in a north Houston suburb with her parents, and younger sister and brother,CJaye came by her love of country music honestly.“No one in my family played an instrument or sang, but my mom loved country music, and we watched the video channels constantly.I was obsessed with ShaniaTwain and Deana Carter,and I honestly believed that George Strait was the same ‘George from Texas’ who called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home!” confesses the southern-twanged songstress. ” Although the dream of a music career took root in those early years, it wasn’t until she was a freshman at Texas Tech University that she wrote her first song,“Date with the Tub,” a tongue-in-cheek reminder to men everywhere that they need to pay attention to the women in their lives.This song is indicative of CJaye’s songwriting style – reallife subject matter wrapped in wit and charm. In “The Porch,” the lead track from her debut CD due out early second quarter, the singer, with a generous wink and nod, offers her beau the man-time he wants by suggesting that he spend a“night out with the big, bright stars” … on the porch.“I love my man, I swear!” laughs the girl-next-door with the model good looks.“But what woman hasn’t wanted to hide the remote on occasion?!”

I caught up with CJaye as she was enroute back to Texas for a visit. As she traveled the highway, we chatted a little bit about her and her music. Joyce: Good morning CJaye. I read you grew up in Houston and that your family really wasn’t into the music industry. How did you get involved to become a singer/songwriter? CJaye: Yes, nobody in my family is musical. I think they all thought I was nuts when I wanted to be a singer/songwriter. I remember my Grandparents taking me to Branson, Missouri when I was little. We’d go to a show called “Country Tonite” . They had these little kid singers, and I want to be just like them. I think that is where wanting to be a singer for me got its start. Joyce: Do you play any instruments?

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greg... continued from page 15

CJaye: Yea, I play the guitar. I started playing guitar when I was 16 years old. Joyce: How did you start writing songs?

AG:What about little old ladies wanting their first guitar?

CJaye: I posted cover tunes on You Tube, then people started requesting to hear songs, so I started writing.

GG:You’ve seen them in here! (Laughs)

Joyce: Do you write by yourself or prefer to co-write? CJaye: I like to do both. I wrote by myself until I came to Nashville and saw how many amazing writers there are. I went to my first songwriter’s night and I loved it. There is so much talent here and so much fun to write with others. Joyce: CJaye have you been playing out in Nashville? CJaye: I’ve been doing songwriter’s in the round mainly to meet other songwriters and to give them a chance to hear my songs. Joyce: Let’s discuss your new CD,“Date With The Tub”. Did you write “Down In My Grave”? That too is a very interesting song title. Tell me about the song. CJaye: I did write this with my producer. My producer came up with the hook line. It does sound kind of gory, but as he explained it is about not getting any rest until you have chased all your dreams and done all you want to do. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing what you want. Joyce: What about the title song,“Date With The Tub”? CJaye: I actually wrote this while sitting in my bath tub. I was kind of just singing joking around and kind of liked how it sounded. I was attending Texas Tech at the time. It is the first song I wrote and I wrote like 5 versions of it until it came out the way I wanted. Joyce: It’s a nice “clean” song then. (we both laugh) Songs in the works for a second CD? CJaye: Actually I made this CD two years ago. I have all kinds of songs and am ready to make another CD. That’s what people tell me, by the time you get the first one done, you are ready for another.

AG:What’s the thing you like most about selling guitars? GG:Well, I’ve had a lot of jobs in my life and mainly sales jobs.Whether you’re selling a vacation to somebody or a stereo, it brings gratification because I really like to find out about my customers and then help them get into the right product.And because I’ve been selling guitars for so long I really feel like I’ve got a good background with my customers and I understand their needs and wants. I get to help them pick an instrument out that really should be a fun part of their life, and it enriches them and allows them to explore their musical talent. I really like interacting with the customers. I’ve got a Bachelors Degree in Public Relations. So it’s right in my field and helping to promote the local musicians and keep the ball rolling out there in the real world. AG: Can you ship to any where in the world? GG:Yes, most of my customers I ship to are in the US and Canada, though I have developed some good International customers over the years. AG: Have you sold a lot of vintage guitars? GG:Yes, I’ve sold over 15,000 used guitars. I keep all the tags, even the bass I sold to Bob Dylan. AG:What’s in the future for the Guitar Shop? GG: I’m just going to continue to run the store and keep the service department the way it is and continue with excellent customer service and keep trying to take care of my peers in the community.That’s my job. AG: Got a website? GG: Yes, but it needs work. You can find the hours and location there. It is guitarshopofwisconsin.com Story & Photos by: Bobby Westfall

Joyce: I read that you are really involved in pet adoption and are donating proceeds to this cause.

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CJaye: I actually started my You Tube Channel to get out the“adopt your dogs’ message. ”I’ve written a song called ‘Mutt In a Cage’ that I hope will encourage people to adopt their pets, and we’re currently trying to find the right pet-centered partner organization. My goal is to have all of the proceeds from the sale of this song go toward promoting pet adoption and helping defray the cost of spaying and neutering pets. I actually went to a local pet shelter and left with 5 puppies that day.

remark to the class that I knew what the moon was made of. It was made of green cheese.“ Whoever told you that?”was what my teacher wanted to know. I told her that I had read it in a comic book about Mary Jane and Sniffles, who was Mary Jane’s pet mouse. He had been to the moon and made that discovery. I sure got laughed at after making that comment. It has stuck with me to this day. None the less I still like reading comic books.

What do you do for hobbies?

Comic books originated in Switzerland in 1827 by a man whose name was Rudolph Topfer.The earliest known comic book is known to be a book called “The Adventures of Obadiah Duck.”It was written by Rudolph Topfer and published in the United States in1842. It was a forty page book made up of picture panels and the text or story appeared underneath the picture.

CJaye: I love playing with my dogs. I live close to a golf course, so at night I let my dogs run free out there. We all have a great time. I also buy old guitars from pawn shops and decoupage them. So decorating guitars and playing with my dogs!

In 1895 “Yellow Kid” is said to be the first comic strip. It was created by Richard Outcault. He was said to be the first artist to use the balloon, an outlined space on the page where the characters spoke was written.

Joyce: I read that you would love to open for Brad Paisley. If you could perform with anyone, who would that be? (Besides Brad Paisley of course.)

From Random History I learned that there were different stages of Comic book history. 1930-1950 was dubbed the GOLDEN AGE OF COMICS.This was the introduction of the super hero genre.The introduction of Superman in 1938 set the pace. Soon after there was Batman, Wonder Woman (one of my favorites) Captain America,The Flash,The Green Lantern and Captain Marvel.

Joyce: Good for you and good luck with this. There are a lot of dogs that need good homes. It’s nice to hear someone so passionate about a cause.

CJaye: ShaniaTwain and George Strait. My Mom has the biggest crush on George Strait. Joyce: Yes,he isn’t bad to look at. He has aged very nicely. Well, CJaye I know you have another interview coming up so I will let you go. Good luck to you and thanks for your time.

Most comic book publishers took on World War II as an issue for their super heroes. With ending of the war the Golden Age died out and characters such as Captain America and Plastic Man were cancelled.

CJaye: Thank you Joyce for talking with me. For more information on CJaye LeRose, visit www.cjayelerose.com. Story by: Joyce Ziehli

The next stage of comic book life was called The Silver Age. It lasted from 1956-1971 After World War II comic s lost their readership. It seems this was due in part by the introduction of Television. In the start of the 1960’s characters such as the Hulk and Spiderman were introduced and readership again picked up. Social issues made up the story line such as the Viet Nam War and contests between good and evil.

Photos supplied. Though different in form through the Bronze Age 1917-1980, the Iron Age, 1980-1987, and from 1987 to the present, comic books have prevailed. Now books are being written for collectors and we have the graphic novel.There are different forms to choose continued on page 33

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Black Water Gin taking the next step!

Blackwater Gin is a high energy Country Rock Band out of Dodgeville,WI. We did a story on them way back in 2008 when we started the magazine. A lot has happened to them in the past three years so we thought that an update was due!

other guys I was playing with interested. I grew up with Chris, so when he asked me to come fill in and help out I jumped at the chance and then they asked me to stay fulltime which is great!

The band has worked hard and taken on many challenges the past three years including adding a new bass player Jack Dowling. They have gone from playing local bars and clubs to opening for national touring acts including, David Allan Coe, Miranda Lambert, and Joe Nichols.They are now playing casinos in Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin with upcoming dates as far away as Oklahoma. Their music has also evolved into a more Southern Red Dirt Rock. Chief songwriter Ethan Cox has been busy adding more songs to the bands repertoire and they are getting ready to find a studio and start recording a CD this winter.

AG: Do you guys have a lot of work lined up for the next six-months?

I talked to Ethan, Julie, Chris, and Jack about what has been taking place for Blackwater Gin and where the band was headed in 2012 and beyond.

BWG: It slows down a little in the winter months which is okay. We’ve got a lot of work to finish with original songs and learning some new covers. We want to get a CD recorded and out by spring. We have played the last twelve Saturdays in a row so a break would be nice. We use to play 120 shows a year, but have cut back this year. We have been playing bigger shows which tend to work out for us better. We still like playing the clubs and bars but with big shows we don’t have to worry about lights, the stages,and sound so we can concentrate on the show more. We are planning on doing more casino shows in the future and getting into more festivals next spring and summer. We have stepped up to the next level this year so the jobs are fewer but the rewards are greater. We are concentrating on our songwriting and working out new original songs for recording and the live show. We like to go see other acts to see what everyone is up to! In the summer the time to do that just seems to slip by so winter time is the time we can catch up with everyone else.

AG: So since the last time we talked you guys have upped your game. BWG: We have been playing casinos a lot lately in Wisconsin,Iowa, and recently in Escanaba Michigan. They are great gigs. We are treated really well, have fantastic crowds, and the staff at the casinos are super to work with! They are part of the Northern Lights chain of Casino’s.

AG: You’ve got a new website now. Tell me about it. BWG: It’s at blackwatergin.com. It’s more interactive and has lots of pictures and video on it. We keep looking at ways to improve it. We are on MySpace and Face book. We twitter and blog. The whole Social Media thing! You have to do all of these to get the word out about yourselves. We need to work on using it better for shows, but it has proven to be quite an asset to us.

AG: You have also been playing some big outdoor concerts this summer. BWG: We got to play the Star Spangled Concert in Richland Center this year. We got to open for the Bellamy Brothers. Joe Nichols and Miranda Lambert played after them so it was pretty cool. We also opened for David Allan Coe which was pretty wild! He still can belt out a song! We’ve played the Lands’ End summer concert series, we did the Harley Ride concert for the Diabetes Foundation, and Riley Fest this summer. Our bar jobs have cut down some which is okay. If you keep playing the same clubs over and over you lose your crowds. Playing a bar or club two or three times a year is much better than playing it once a month. We’ve played Urban Theater a couple of times in the past year. We are in syndication right after the Andy Griffith Show! Our music has moved away from the Country Music we were playing to an almost Southern Rock/Country sound which suits us better. We like to play the more driving up-tempo material! We are really concentrating on writing more. We need to add more originals to our set. We do about eight now but would like to get it up to about 15 -20 original songs per night. AG: Tell me about your new bass player. BWG: We love him! (Jack then tells me) I got hooked on music when I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. The next week I was talking guitar lessons. I have been playing in bands for the last 30 years around Wisconsin and in Oklahoma. I play guitar, bass, and keys. I lived in Oklahoma for seven years and then moved back to Dodgeville and bought the Carpet store in town. For the last 10 years I have been in a Classic Rock Band. I always wanted to play the kind of music BWG plays, but never could get the

AG: Anything else you’d like our readers to know? BWG: We really are going to concentrate on the original aspect of our sound and personalities. Bands like Mighty Short Bus who we love to go see really got it going musically and showmanship wise. We love to watch those guys! We plan on upping our game even more in 2012 and work harder on our shows and music. Now that we have the Bass player slot filled with someone of Jack’s caliber we can push a little harder and take another step in our development. It takes about five years of working together to start really making headway and we are at the point next year. When we started it was Julie, Chris, and Ethan on the porch just trying to learn songs? Julie was learning how to play lead guitar and we were just trying to get a few songs down. Now we are playing big shows with hundreds of people at them. We are all better on our instruments and much more confident in our ability to play and put on a show. We’ve got fantastic fans and a wonderful support network. We are very lucky! BWG is going to get better and keep playing great music for people who want to come out and have a good time! AG: What more could you ask for? BWG: That’s what it’s all about. Having a good time!!! Andy Ziehli w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

a mixer and did not know how to operate it. So I taught myself how to mix sound. That was in Milwaukee for a band called “Second Look”, with the late Paul Clark. From there I designed and built the band PA system. I even made some of the amp speakers for the guitar players. Originally one of the band members had mounted a speaker on the end of a pickle bucket, (laughter) and that was the monitor. So they were open to new ideas about sound.

Tom Foley -

AG: Did that lead to doing sound for Willy Porter? TF:Yes, eventually.That was such a great experience because not only is Willy such a great talent,but he’s one of the nicest guys in the music business. AG:When did you start making instruments?

Artisan, Designer, Guitar Builder, & Woodworker Extraordinaire

TF:Although I had acquired most of the tools for making instruments I put that off for a really long time. It was something I thought was just too intimidating to try and teach myself. I was used to building things for strength and functionality. But to build something that the wood itself makes the sound,that was something else.Then throughout the years I started meeting instrument makers and I thought, hey,I could do this.So the first bunch was barely playable.Then they started getting a little better and I thought about making a go at it. So I put the furniture making on hold and started making instruments. Now I can see why people get addicted to making instruments. There’s just something about that level of craftsmanship, and you’re making a really cool product. It’s also tool making because you’re in the middle of a project and a tool is just not working right and you have to improve it. So you end up spending half the day on that tool. Not because you wanted this tool to do your next step, but, because it just became a project in itself for a specific purpose. And musical instruments are just really high grade tools. So I guess I like the tool making aspect of it.

Late one rainy Friday afternoon in Madison, WI I had the pleasure to sit down with Tom Foley to talk about his life of woodworking, custom furniture building, wood carving, guitar building, and designer and builder of the Orbital Workbench. AG: So Tom how did you get into building things with wood? TF: I’ve always enjoyed building things.When you’re a little kid you build plastic models. Or your dad has a workbench in the basement and you take a block of 2x4 and pound a nail into and look, I’ve got a walkie – talkie. Pound a couple more nails in and you’ve got knobs for tuning and volume.

AG:You’ve made some electric guitars that are carved to look like crocodiles.Talk about that a little. TF: For building instruments I realized I may not have the right temperament to do it full time because I don’t like building things exactly the same way twice.This is a problem if you want to go into production.As a result most of my guitars are completely different from the last one.As long as you have a neck and the bridge is in the right place, anything else is up for grabs. AG:Tom, after building so many different things, and instruments, you decided to re-design a workbench for wood carvers and instrument builders.

AG: Did your dad do woodworking? TF: He was a structural engineer and civil engineer for Milwaukee County at the Airport. He started out as a draftsman, and ended up an engineer. He got into Marquette Engineering School on the GI Bill after WWII. AG: So you must have inherited some of those genes? TF:Sure,but my mom was more of a hands on builder than my dad.She sewed and knitted, and was the mother of seven children on a civil service paycheck. So she had to make clothes for kids and know how to fix things. So she was very talented as well. AG:You’ve designed and built so many different projects involving wood. Cabinets, Custom furniture,The Backpacker Fretless Bass, Jewelry cases, and you even built a boat.What were the first things you were commissioned for? TF: My first commissioned work was a bookcase for albums. One of my roommates had a huge album collection that was all in milk crates and boxes. So I built him a bookcase that was designed to hold albums.That was seen by other people and I got more work from that. I had very few tools back then. AG: How did you get more experience; did you go to school for wood working? TF:Yes, I went to UW Stout. I took all their woodworking courses.They trained people to be Woodshop teachers.Which is not really big in school any more from what I understand, shop class, etc. A lot of schools don’t even have an Industrial Arts Department any more.That’s why people don’t make anything in this country anymore! AG: So then at some point you started getting commissioned to make other things? TF:Yes, I need to rewind a little bit from here. In high school I saw an ad in the back of Rolling Stone. It said “Build your own speakers.” It was a company out of Seattle called Speaker Labs.They built the woofers, the tweeters, the midrange, and the electronics. They would sell you a cabinet, or, the plans to build your own. I thought that was great because I could get these great speakers that I could never afford for relatively cheap. That was my sophomore year in high school. In fact after 30 years I still have those speakers, and they still sound great.That led me to my first sound engineering gig. My brother was the roommate of a guy in a band and he brought him over to hear my speakers I had built and he was so floored he hired me on the spot to do sound for his band.At the time I knew nothing about electronics or mixing consoles. He had bought w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

TF:Yes, I just felt that bending over the standard flat rectangle workbench was too hard on the back and neck.And that had limited a lot of my jobs over the years. I decided I just can’t physically do that. So I was looking for a way of making a workbench more comfortable. I’ve seen workbenches that adjust in height, some that tilt, usually in only one direction. I’ve seen some that rotated. But I’d never seen it all in the same package. Usually those benches were a really simple affair as well.The vise on it was not very good, and it could not hold things from four points. Like a European workbench can. Which usually has four points and four bench dogs. So I decided to mount the bench on a sphere, connected to a pole, and be able to tilt it in any direction at about 45 degrees. This way the bench can hold the work and tilt to the carver. AG: How long does it take to make one? TF:Well, I’m just making them one at a time right now. It would be nice to have the space to go into production, but just not right now. I would say the wait for one is about one to two months depending on what model you want. AG:What’s in the future for Tom Foley? TF: I’ve put the instrument making on hold, though I have an arch top guitar I’m finishing up a model after a Bennedetto, 16 inches instead 17. Something about the combination of violin and guitar making that’s really fascinating. I’d like to develop my workbench even further. I see all kinds of improvements and variations that could be made. One is for people who are disabled. So the bench could be accessible to someone in a wheelchair. People who might have been wood workers, or wood carvers but can no longer work at a standard workbench. I can make it with an open frame so you could wheel right up under it and have the work tilt right to you.And it’s small enough that you can work 360 degrees around it. It’s not really the kind of workbench you push up against the wall, although you definitely could. Its size allows you to pull it out into the room and you can work all the way around it. Which is really an advantage when you are carving something that’s difficult? Folks who are interested in my work benches can see my different models on the website which is at planetzebulon.net AG:Tom thanks for sitting down with me. Great stuff! TF:Thank You. Story & Photos by: Bobby Westfall

Will

Kimbrough, The Busiest Guy In Nashville

Growing up in Mobile Alabama,Will Kimbrough only wanted to be one thing,and that was a guitar player. Talking his parents into buying him an electric guitar at age 12 started Kimbrough on a musical and lifelong path of music and what a path it has been so far. Besides fronting his own band Will & the Bushman for many years,Kimbrough has been the go to guy in Americana music for the past 15 years. Playing lead guitar for Todd Snider and producing Snider’s best album East Nashville Skyline, Lead guitar player for Jimmy Buffet’s Coral Reefer Band, Rodney Crowell’s Lead picker, and the lead guitar player for Emmylou Harris’s Red Dirt Band. Kimbrough has had to step in and fill some mighty big shoes playing with these folks. He has taken over the guitar spots of Stuart Smith and Buddy Miller, two guys who are no slouches when it comes to picking. What makes Kimbrough such a natural choice as a guitar player is that he is so adaptable to any style, and he brings a journeyman work ethic to each project. He learns his parts, shows up on time, does not have an ego, and plays for the song. Besides being a top sideman, Kimbrough has his own career as a songwriter, soloist, and coband leader with Tommy Womack in DADDY one of Nashville’s best bands. He plays on countless friends CD’s, produces others work, writes songs, has his own You Tube weekly video called Will Kimbrough’s Lick Of The Day, and keeps his wife and two daughters entertained with his stories and playing. He still has time to send friend Paul Griffith pictures of his dinner nightly! A very busy guy indeed! Kimbrough has released eight CD’s of his own (Americanitis one of my favorites) and is currently working on putting together his next solo release. Although he is got to be one of Nashville’s busiest guys he took time out on a Tuesday morning to talk to me about his career and music. AG: Will have you ever seen the Americana Gazette before? Kimbrough: Yes I have. Paul Griffith gets me a copy and shares it with me. He loves you guys! AG: You’re a busy guy. Kimbrough: Yes I am. I have been very fortunate in the last 15 years to stay busy with good work. I’ve been able to play for and learn from some of the best. AG: You also have your own band DADDY and your solo career to keep you busy. Kimbrough: Yes I have those too. I have been playing a few solo jobs this summer in between tours with Emmylou. We have one more tour this fall and then I have a little time off to finish up some of my work. AG: How did you get the idea to do the You Tube shows with your guitar lessons? Kimbrough: To be honest my manager Mary Sack suggested after I made my last solo record Wings and the DADDY second album had come out a little earlier that I should do something on You Tube. We had some DADDY promos on You Tube and they were well received. So we decided to do something a little bit different so we focused it on guitar playing. We have been doing it for 17 months so far with only two weeks off from making a post. It’s really fun to do. You’ve seen them and can tell that the production value is not very high, but continued on page 30

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peter... continued from page 6

this town, with people like Jon, Kevin Gordon, Phil Lee and Todd Snider writing and singing remarkable stuff, and I get to be one of the first people to witness it when they knock one out of the park. Joyce: Peter, you and Eric Brace are doing something weekly called “Stage It” via the Internet. Please tell our readers about this and how they can catch your show. Peter: I've always been a little shy about the latest technological whatzits, but Stage It makes perfect sense to me. Here's the deal: Eric and I play a show most weeks from Eric's dining room,and other weeks from whatever four-star hotel we're in on the road, and anyone can tune in to the show via the website, www.stageit.com. People pay a (very) small cover charge,and then they can watch the show, make requests, comment on Eric's ridiculous clothes, etc.We play for about 50 minutes, and we're using a digital video camera and studio-quality microphones.We try to make every show different and special, by playing songs we haven't played before, telling stories we haven't told before or having special guests on.The shows aren't archived: It's all in real time, and then it's gone. I love Stage It as a performer, and also as a fan. I never miss legendary songwriter Don Schlitz's shows on Stage It.To sign up to see shows, people can visit www.stageit.com.All the info (and it's not a lot, it's pretty simple) is there. Joyce: Any future projects in the thought process or maybe already in the works you could share with us? What can we expect to hear about Peter Cooper in the future? Peter: Joyce, I'm trying my best to write songs that mean something to me, and then to elevate them by bringing in the greatest musicians in the world to help me record them in a way that will mean something to someone else.And then I jump in a van or on an airplane and I arrive at a club or a theater and I do a sound check, have something to eat and go play the songs for people who are unfailingly kind about the whole thing.Tough life, I know. Joyce: Let’s talk a little about the man, Peter Cooper. How has been being a daddy and having Baker changed your life and music career? Peter: It has made me more attentive, which is probably the most valuable tool in a songwriter's kit.You can do lots of different things with a baby, but one thing you can't do is be inattentive.That carries over into other areas. I'm better at taking note now. Also, I don't ever complain anymore about getting tired on the road, because home is much more tiring. I go on tour to get some rest, these days. Joyce: Besides being a Packers Fan, that is just a given in your household, do you think Baker will have a career in the music industry. Last time I was at your house, the little guy was playing a mean piano. Peter: I don't even know that there'll be a music industry by the time Baker grows up. He is drawn to music, he claps for Tom T. Hall songs and he runs into the room if he hears someone strum a guitar. But it's certainly possible to fully embrace music without having to make a living from it. I'll support him in anything he wants to do, other than playing for the Bears. Joyce: We can’t forget to mention the rest of the family, your lovely wife Charlotte and my two little miniature dachshund buddies, Russell and Loretta. How is everyone doing? Peter, share with us again why you have miniature dachshunds instead of a regular size? Peter: Miniature dachshunds are for people for whom regular dachshunds are, clearly, too much dog. Everyone's doing fine, and I'm very proud that the dachshunds have finally taught the baby to bark at the mailman. Because I frickin' hate the mailman. Joyce: Will you be heading to some Green Bay Packer games this Fall? What else do you like to do for fun or relaxation? Peter: I'm going to the Packers vs. Denver game, for sure, and hopefully at least one more.And I'm going to see the Badgers play Nebraska. Mostly, what I do for fun and relaxation is the same thing I do for work and profit, which is listening to music and playing songs. But I also drink whiskey and watch The Daily Show. Joyce: Will you be going on any big tours in 2012 or be playing over in Europe again? Peter: Eric Brace and I are heading to Europe over Thanksgiving of 2011. I hear Thanksgiving is a big holiday over there.I'm hoping we'll play some big tours in 2012.Last time I was onstage with John Prine, he said, "We'll do this again," so I figure that means we'll do that again. Because Prine don't lie. By the way, I heard something about Prine from his bass player, David Jacques, that I think I should relate here. Jacques said people always ask him about what Prine's really like, and Jacques said he always tells those people the same thing, which is the true thing: He's exactly the guy you hope he is, and he's exactly the guy you see onstage.I can vouch for that,and I could say the same thing about Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Bare,Tom T. Hall, Emmylou Harris and a bunch of others. People say you should never meet your heroes, 'cause they'll disappoint you. But people are wrong in that regard. Joyce: Before I let you go, please feel free to share any other interesting information on what’s happening with you and of course please tell our readers where they can w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

find out more information on you and how to purchase your CD’s. Peter: Please don't check tmz.com, because all of that stuff about me on there is full of lies and distortion. I'd prefer they go to www.petercoopermusic.com or www.redbeetrecords.com. And I'm happy for folks to email me at peter@petercoopermusic.com with any questions, comments or requests. No complaints, please. I can't take the criticism. Joyce: Thank you my friend for giving me this update. Our readers are always interested in what is going on with you. You have lots of fans here in Wisconsin and they will be glad to see this article. See you at the Conference. Peter:Thank you, Joyce. I love Wisconsin, and also love the Americana Music Conference, where I'll be doing a couple of shows. I appreciate what you and Andy are doing to keep roots music at the forefront in Wisconsin.And I'd be remiss if I didn't say howdy to my brothers at Elks Lodge #299 in Sheboygan. I hate to brag, but I'm the only Nashville-based member of that organization.All best to you, and I'm looking forward to getting back up to the Badger State to play some songs and talk with folks. Story by: Joyce Ziehli Photos supplied. tom... continued from page 7

Spaulding: Well, even back in my high school band days I was writing songs. I wanted to be Peter Frampton the guitar player, but I knew I had to have songs to play, so I started writing songs. They were not any good, but I started to learn what worked and what didn’t. I spent a lot of time listening to music and trying to figure out why that guitar sounded the way it did on the records and why was this instrument so far back in the mix and learned from that. I started studying the sonic space of records and why things were played or not played at certain parts in the songs. I’m not a big jammer on the guitar. I like to play parts that fit, not just wail away. I like to come with cool little parts that fit the song, licks that have staying power and not just solos. That’s my style I guess. AG: You produced your wife Donna Beasley’s CD which is an excellent album and one of my favorite CD’s to listen to. I listen to it all the time. Was it difficult producing your wife? Spaulding: Yeah, at times it was. Not because she is a difficult person, but because we were both so close to the project all the time. I know what she’s capable of so I wasn’t always easy on her in the studio. When we met we found out that we had the exact same record collections so it was easy to get along musically. We had similar tastes and our references were the same. That made producing her easier than working with an artist that you don’t have the same background or tastes in music. The bad part about working together if there is one is that you know what buttons to push for each other, so that can make it interesting at times. AG: Boy do I know that! Spaulding: We’ve never had an issue or problem working together,things are good! I’m no great producer but I know what I like, so the second record is going to be better than the first. We are making a record we can listen to forever and be happy with all of it. We strive to do what is right for the song. That’s the best way to make records. AG: Have you ever thought of doing a record yourself? Spaulding: Yeah, I have about two dozen songs I have written, instrumentals mostly. Someday I’ll get to that. It will be digital only so if people want it they can download the songs they want. AG: You live in East Nashville. How did you end up over there? Spaulding: I was living in an apartment in a suburb of Nashville. The Wynonna gig had been going for about five years and one of the crew guy’s wife was a realtor. She said she could get musicians bank loans to buy houses. She said “it’s not like Wisconsin where bankers freak out if you don’t work 12 months straight nor have a steady income. The banks here understand that and work with musicians to get houses.” So about seven years ago we looked around and found a house we could afford on guitar techs wages so we moved in. AG: You and I have mutual friends in the industry and everyone says you are the best! They all say that you are a standup guy! You are well loved in Nashville! Tell me about your D’Addario gig. Spaulding: That’s nice to hear. I have a pretty good job! My job is to be Santa Claus and give away stuff to D'Addario artists. I can contribute to making a tour profitable by helping out with supplies and gear. It’s the great part of my job. I’m coming from their point of view and their perspective; I was a small town guitar player and had continued on page 33

John Denver ~ Rocky Mountain

High

Revisit this Americana Classic!

Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in December of 1943, John Denver’s early years were filled with movement. His father, a military man, was often transferred from base to base, young sensitive John was often distressed by the constant changes. He found it difficult to always be the new kid in school. Fortunately he was given a guitar by his grandmother at age 11. In college John had learned to play well enough to be making the rounds of the local stages in Texas. John sang in with the “Alpine Trio” while attending engineering school. 1963 found John dropping out of college, moving to Los Angeles to play under ground folk clubs there. In 1965 he joined“The MitchellTrio”(formerly“The Chad MitchellTrio”). In 1969 Denver set out on his own wanting to establish himself and his solo career.

to people who never thought they would enjoy it. There is some serious playing on this record as well. Another reason to revisit this classic record. If you enjoy acoustic guitar driven (and I mean driven) records it does not get much better than“Rocky Mountain High”. Fierce, fearless playing abounds on this effort. A wide range of topics as well, from love songs (For Baby, For Bobbie), to accidental death and suicide of the lover (Darcy Farrow) Denver sings everything like his life depended upon it. He covers Lennon & McCartney (Mother Nature’s Son) and John Prine, too (Paradise), making the songs completely his own. Side 1 closes with “Prisoners” (Denver). I don’t know where he got this song, but it may be his best composition. The track opens with low string acoustic guitar picking and a descending melody counters it and with shakers and drums kicking in the song just rocks. A song about loneliness and isolation from both inside and outside of a prison wall. The rhythm tracks (acoustic guitar) sound like a locomotive chugging full speed right toward you, then flying past you with all the steam and sound carrying you with it. Powerful stuff.

In 1966 Denver released a self made album of songs he had often performed in his live shows. One song on that release was “Babe I Hate To Go” later renamed “Leaving On A Jet Plane”The song found its way to folk stars Peter, Paul & Mary and their version went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1969 John now recording for RCA released“Rhymes & Reasons”. RCA did not actively support the release so John took off across the Midwest on his own tour playing anyplace that would have him. His ability to mention that he had penned “Leaving On A Jet Plane” helped Denver get occasional interviews on local radio stations. His guitar always in hand he would play a song or two live on the air. This grass roots level style of “touring” helped Denver build a strong fan base and sell enough copies of his debut release (at the shows) that RCA decided to take a chance and extend his contract. Denver’s next 4 albums for RCA “Take Me To Tomorrow”,“Who’s Garden Was This”, “Poems Prayers & Promises”, and “Aerie” found the artist exploring the styles of the folk scene at that time. He covered other artists and sprinkled his own or co-written songs on these efforts. He had some success with 2 tracks from the “Poems Prayers Promises” Lp,“Sunshine On My Shoulders” & “Take Me Home Country Roads”. Then something happened. September 15, 1972, Denver released “Rocky Mountain High”. Hooking up with his great supporting players Richard Kniss ~ bass, Mike Taylor ~ guitar, Eric Weisberg ~ banjo & pedal steel (with others) Denver came into his own. The opening track and album title“Rocky Mountain High”starts out with acoustic guitar picking and a triangle keeping time. Denver sings “He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he’d never been before”. The early days of moving with his family and his own shy personality had allowed Denver to become a serious songwriter. The story told in this classic song allowed this then young man (me) to find hope in my own uneasy life. The “Rocky Mountain High” album is a true Americana classic. This is an important record. It not only set the stage to introduce John Denver to a much wider audience (it went double platinum),but it also brought both the singer/songwriter and folk~pop

The album closes with the wonderful “Season Suite” divided into:Summer,Fall,Winter,Late Winter ~ Early Spring & Spring we get to see, feel and experience it all as Denver does. I feel the temperature rise and fall, see the leaves green then colored, the silence and beauty of a snowfall and the comfort of the fireplace warming. This suite is a perfect match of lyric and music. Love, loss, leaving and apology for it are all over Denver’s songwriting. I love it that most of the time he pretty much says; sorry but I’m going anyway. He is on a mission to do, be and experience everything he can from life. It is what I have always admired about John Denver. John went on to record another 15 studio albums plus a double live album and a few Holiday records. We all know the blond hair, the round glasses, the big grin and the plethora of great songs this man wrote. The image of Denver often overshadows his passion for music and milking every experience for all it was worth. This man loved living life even with restlessness as a constant companion. I love “Rocky Mountain High” so much because it’s far from perfect. The singing is right on the edge of Denver’s range and is pitchy at times. There is an amazing timing error in the lead guitar picking in “Late Winter ~ Early Spring” and they allowed it to remain on the recording. This record is a true Americana classic, and it deserves to be revisited and enjoyed again by those of us who know it is as such and should be introduced to those who do not. Story by Jim Smith w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

Shhh… No Words Please! Windham Hill Records The Original “Chill Out” Record Label

When the temperature outside flirts with the 40 degree mark at night and the leaves are showing off their best colors hidden all summer long underneath coats of green, I find myself introspective. I take long walks in the afternoon soaking in every detail of the summer that is winding down. I often find myself reflecting on all of the things I have learned over the past 3 months. It seems everything around me is doing the same thing. The corn has stopped growing.The last hay crop has been cut and rowed and then baled into a variety of shapes ready to feed hungry mouths all winter long. Caterpillars are everywhere and the ongoing discussion of the width of the stripe on its back equaling the severity of the winter on its way is the topic of most conversations. Everyone has their opinion, and we never agree. Here in Wisconsin the sun stays in the southern quadrant of the sky no longer able to keep my shadow directly below me when the clock strikes noon. The sky is bluer than ever and the ground is drying out. Fall is on its way. A time of transition, reflection and appreciation for me. I find myself year after year reaching for a group of old friends. Of course, they are my records but these are unique and special records. Windham Hill Records began in 1976 as an independent record label created by William Ackerman and his then wife Anne Robinson. What set this label apart was its quality. From the very beginning the focus was on quality vs. quantity.With groundbreaking sound quality (mostly solo instrument recordings in the beginning) and inspired graphics on the album covers consistent in style among all the records released to create brand identity, and new at the time sampler offerings, Windham Hill Records quickly became a well respected and trusted place to find quality music even if you never heard of the artist. One could assume that if they were on Windham Hill Records you could purchase the album and know that the baseline would be a quality and style you would appreciate. You may not love it but you would never hate it. You will know some of the artists that are on Windham Hill Records: George Winston, Michael Hedges, Nightnoise, Jim Brickman, Liz Story, and Alex de Grassi, just to name a few. What started off as solo recordings of guitar and piano quickly grew to a unique offering of ensemble recordings, often with many of the Windham Hill family of artists playing on each other’s recordings. There is something very special about Windham Hill records. They speak to the soul. Sure, they are now known as a“New Age”label but their mission was something more organic. And you can hear it in the music. The early records all had the same “sound” to them. Each album recorded and mixed on the best equipment available, these acoustic instruments were presented in almost “reach out and touch them” quality. The performances were as much about the space between the notes as it was the melody of what was being played. Windham Hill records seemed to breathe. To this day they still sound wonderful, and I have yet to hear another record company match this labels ability to create a sonic texture so alive. When I am out for my walks these days I have removed my running play list from my I-Pod and replaced it with my Windham Hill Chill play list. I jokingly said to John Miller, the owner of the Fat Cat Coffee Works in New Glarus,WI the other day, when I am out for my walks it feels like I am moving through a PBS special! The music so perfectly supports the amazing things I am seeing with my eyes and all the scents floating in the air that I can not help but be moved. I feel something connecting me with everything around me. It is the time of year I feel the closest to nature. It is the time of year my heart opens the widest to my spiritual self. I know I have a steady and always inspiring companion in the music from Windham Hill Records. The label has ceased to be, and there are no new recordings but there is an amazing catalogue of music to choose from. I would suggest checking the web (Google Windham Hill) to find a variety of places to check out the artists and styles of music they play. With new products no longer being produced used record and CD stores are a great place to begin your search. continued on page 27

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Not the Sharpest Knife in the Drawer Okay, so what are you thinking? Did the title bring forth some special images or memories? Did you think to yourself,“What in the world is this about?” Did you conjure up images of some of your own friends or relatives or neighbors or co-workers? Well, you can put all that aside. I am talking about exactly what the title says,“Not the sharpest knife in the drawer”. In my case this not-the-sharpest-knife-in-the-drawer is exactly eleven inches long, a tarnished gray color with a very faded almost grimy non-wood handle. My family has had this knife as long as I can remember. I have only a guess to its origin, but I do not have a memory of a time when we did not have this not-the-sharpest-knife-in-the-drawer “butcher” knife. It was always called a butcher knife even though it was never sharp enough to cut raw meat. Today the tip is blunt, and the blade full of nicks and worn down edges. I am sure this knife has been used to tighten screws on many occasions, and I am equally sure it has been used to pry things open. But as long as I can remember it has been the knife used to peel things, and it can cut vegetables and fruit into pieces,but as I mentioned above it can not cut raw meat.It is good to slice cooked cold meatloaf or cold roast beef for sandwiches, and then when the sandwich is made, it can cut the sandwich into whatever sized sections you want: straight cuts or diagonal. It may hold a record for potato peeling. My mother used it for the zillion potatoes she peeled in her lifetime, and I now use it the same way. Indeed this knife is used many times daily. It is often not found in the drawer, but you will find it drying in the sink. Nearby are two racks of newly purchased high quality sets of knives. They are all specialists. My not-the-sharpest-knife-in-the-drawer is our favorite knife used for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack times. It is the favorite, and it loves its importance in our house. It was mentioned above that this knife’s origin is unknown. My guess is that my dad at one of his favorite haunts, a farm or household auction, bid on and got it in a box of mixed things. At auctions there is always a container or two of things dumped together. There will be a couple of things people really want in that box, but most of the stuff in those boxes is really “junk”. Of course, junk to you might be someone’s treasure. I suspect my knife was one of the treasures found in a box my dad bought. Because the handle is not wood, I am guessing it came to our family in the 1950’s. This knife suffered a great deal of humiliation some years ago. My then newly high school graduate nephew got a summer job selling knives. He was representing a very famous brand of knives. He was to call on people in their homes and demonstrate the prowess of those famous knives to the householder. After he made his appointment to call upon his uncle (me), the time came for his arrival. It was soon obvious he was well trained and his well rehearsed sale’s pitch began. “Would you please bring me the knife you use the most?” Well, that was easy. I proudly produced my favorite well-used knife. My nephew took one look at the knife and began to laugh almost uncontrollably. I am sure he had images of a vast sale. At that point I am not sure who was more mortified: me or the knife. My nephew produced a piece of cord. “Oh, no, not cord. That is one thing my knife is not good at cutting.” Of course, his demonstration quickly showed the frailty of MY KNIFE. His brand name knife sliced the cord as though it was a stick of room temperature butter. It was all downhill for my knife and myself from then on. I don’t remember much more of the sale’s pitch, but I soon was signing my name to a purchase order for a boxed set of four knives with a scissors that could cut anything as a premium. My nephew packed up his stuff and left, and the sale’s receipt and my shamed knife remained behind on the kitchen table. I stared at my faithful friend for a few seconds, took a deep sigh, and put that knife, gently of course, back in the drawer. Would I have to toss it when the order came in the mail some days hence continued on page 27

The Whiskey Farm,

a Wisconsin Export The Whiskey Farm is a fantastic Americana Band out of Madison,WI. Made up of journeymen and women musicians and fronted by songwriter Jason Horowitz,The Whiskey Farm is making quite a name for itself around Southern Wisconsin. Concentrating on original music, they are gathering an impressive following and garnering quite a bit of positive press. The members of The Whiskey Farm come from all over the U.S., but now make the Madison area their home. Jason Horowitz is a singer/songwriter from Milwaukee. He started writing songs and playing guitar when he was a counselor at Camp Minikani, and his songs still have a hint of campfire in them. He began performing publicly while in college in Massachusetts, then returned home to Wisconsin and played the coffee shop circuit in Madison and Milwaukee. He then moved to Nashville and released his first studio album,Every SingleThing,in 2003.After a move to Saint Paul,he fronted the folk rock band Cabin 18. He moved to Madison in 2008.

vided by Jen Wilfrid and Chantelle Thomas. Wilfrid also plays percussion, and she and Brett own the farm in Cross Plains from which the band derived their name. Thomas sang with multiple bands across the country before moving to Madison in 2009. The multitalented Clark Stacer has served in the U.S. Navy, played bass and sang in innumerable bands (including Loam and the Truckee Brothers), toured as the bass player and backup vocalist in the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, worked as a Post-production Audio Engineer, narrated 26 episodes of “Haulin’ House” (airs on HGTV/DIY), and currently lives in Madison,WI. Drummer Matt Brown came from the Chicago improvisational rock and roll music scene. He played there for a number of years in the early 2000's and also managed a cancer research lab at the University of Chicago. Seeking a more laid back lifestyle, he moved with his family to the greener pastures of Madison in 2007.

Brett Wilfrid grew up in New Jersey, and began playing guitar immediately after his parents said he was not allowed to.He began performing in college in Maine with such little-known groups as The Registrar’s In-Laws, Sir Frock and the Board, and The Meddling Kids. He draws much of his songwriting inspiration from his days as a bouncer in Norway, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, and his current life as an elementary school principal.

I talked with lead vocalist Jason Horowitz about the band and where they are headed. AG: How long have you been playing and making music?

Three part harmonies are a hallmark of The Whiskey Farm’s sound, and they are pro-

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Horowitz: I started playing when I was about 18 years old. It has been a while now (laughs).

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Robert’s Ramblings

Since the last issue of theAMERICANA GAZETTE the two country mice out here in ExeterTownship have been to the Big Apple,America’s big city. It is quite a contrast to wake up out here among all the green and lush pine trees with hardly a person in sight to find yourself elbow-toelbow with a mass of humanity by lunch time that same day. It was an easy pair of flights,a smooth ride into Manhattan from the airport,and a very friendly and helpful hotel staff that got us out by noon onto the streets of NYC. It was indeed wall-to-wall people,but we found everyone friendly and polite and willing to help.The hotel concierge got us booked onto a “concierge selected” tour of the city, and with his help tickets to a Broadway play on the Saturday night we were there. The six hour city tour by bus and boat gave us a good overview of attractions. The boat took us close to the Statue of Liberty,and the bus took us to various sections of the city, and the tour also included a view of the work at the World Trade Center. We walked a lot on each day that we were there. Saturday morning was spent in Central Park--a very busy park with people all over the place. On Sunday we walked to the new High Line Park built on abandoned elevated train tracks. This newest park of NYC has been planted with flowers and trees and shrubs with the tracks kept in place. It has a wading pond to help your sore feet feel better,and benches are located throughout for sitting and viewing. There are shops and rest rooms and food stands. It was a very special time being in a park above the streets with the Statue of Liberty and the Harbor in the background. We ate at a couple of the city’s famous delis where they seem to serve much more food than you can eat. We found Byrant Park within two blocks of our hotel,The Roosevelt, and most nights we joined hundreds of city residents enjoying the cool breezes of a park within all the canyons formed by skyscrapers. They even have free movies one night a week all summer long. Chess boards were all occupied by some serious chess players of all ages and all nationalities. On Friday night we walked into the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, and we had dinner in a bar/restaurant where we joined the happy hour crowd. It was fun to sit and listen to those rich NYC accents and hear them summarize their week at work. It was obvious they were regulars. And a trip to a big city is never complete if you don’t spend time in the hotel lobby. People watching is fantastic in such places. You learn and observe much from the sidelines as the hundreds of people come and go through the lobby.

According to most standards a trip to NewYork City is NOT complete if you don’t do a Broadway play. To be honest most of the plays on Broadway at present are plays we have already seen in Madison throughout the years. There are not many new shows available. But that helpful concierge got us tickets for Saturday night to the new SPIDERMAN MUSICAL. The music is by Bono and the Edge from U2. I went to the show not expecting to like it much. I have not been a fan of the SPIDERMAN movies, but I left the theater full of admiration and satisfaction having seen a very entertaining special show. The music is great,but it is all the technical mechanical aspects of the musical that make you feel spellbound. There is almost a constant twirling and flying above your head by Spiderman himself. At the play’s end you discover that there were actually at least six different actors doing all those stunts. To set up the story the stage becomes a comic book with turning pages,and most exits from the stage are done through the floor of the stage. I suspect this will be a very difficult show to tour. It will be too expensive to set up over and over again as the show moves week-by-week city-by-city. This was a very special night at the theater. And a bit of advice, stay away from Broadway andTime’s Square on Saturday nights,for in talking about the traffic later with natives,they all said that no native NewYorker would ever go to that area on almost any night of the year. The sidewalks and streets are full of thousands of people trying to move about. Vehicle traffic is at a stand still for blocks. I can only imagine the patience needed to be driving in that mass. And Saturday night on our hill in Exeter,well,if we see a half dozen of cars or trucks the entire evening,we think congestion. And like all of you,I suspect,we found NYC a fun place to visit but give us home.

I want to tip my hat to Monroe’s radio station WEKZ for their loyal support of two of their radio shows that have been on that station for a very long time. I am talking of the six day a week Swiss Program and the Sunday OldTimer’s Show. I know from my family that three generations have listened to the Swiss Program. The hostess Martha has been there for as

KRISTI ROSE & FATS KAPLIN Husband & Wife Duo---Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin, have long been recognized as artists of distinctive note.Kristi Rose as a powerful and evocative singer and writer.Fats Kaplin as a composer and master multi-instrumentalist, who,over several decades,has played with hundreds of artists.Together they are mesmerizing performers of a highly eclectic musical genre. Kristi Rose, center stage, sings in a voice that“gives cry to the heavens” of all the heartbreak and joy that life is. Fats accompanies her on traditional folk and world instruments.Though they remain firmly rooted in theAmericana world,their stage presence evokes memories of the flamenco performances of Sevilla or the cabarets of 1920‘s Berlin.They reside in a world where rural and urban collide.Their very particular slant is shaped by their individual backgrounds. She is from a farm in far Southern Illinois, an area historically known as “Little Egypt” that has a dark,hard scrabble past.He was raised on theWestside of Manhattan,a working class cultural melting pot where music and life reverberated through the air shaft and into his psyche. Their numerous albums include the classic “This Is Pulp Country!” ---“Kristi Rose- Live In Holland”, ---- Fats’“The Fatman Cometh” ---“World of Wonder-Downunder”---numerous EPs and their most recent, an album for the Christmas Season in 2010,“I Wonder As I Wander”. A new full length CD is anticipated for early 2012.As a duo, Kristi Rose & Fats have played venues ranging from major festivals and clubs in the U.S., Canada and Europe to intimate House Concerts and Listening Rooms.You can find out more about them at their website www.pulpcountry.com

long as I can remember,and she was recently interviewed about her long time job,and she had wonderful tales to relate about the years, and her enthusiasm continues to this day in hosting the show. The Sunday Old Timer’s Show has had the misfortune that two of the show’s hosts have died, but to the station management’s credit,they continue on with this show. Both of these shows are true Americana. Good work,WEKZ. If you never have attended a play at theAmerican Player’s Theater in Spring Green, it is a shame you did not go see this year’s production ofTHE CRITIC. This play features the very strength of this company’s cast. Almost the entire company is featured in this play. While the first act may seem to drag, but you soon realize it is vital to set you up for what is to follow including a wonderful parody of a female singing group followed by the wildest fast-moving second act full of constant motion and tons of laughter while it manages to poke fun of a lot of things in the process. Finally I am putting into writing for all to see that I went to see the 3D movie of GLEETHE CONCERT. I waited until the last week of the run hoping that the teens had already been there, and I picked a school day hoping no school choral group was to be there on a field trip. As I walked to the ticket counter I told the woman, “Please don’t laugh but I want a ticket to GLEE THE CONCERT.” She laughed and told me that when she saw me walk in she said to her fellow employee,“Well, he isn’t here for GLEE.” But she then told me she had seen it twice and loved it,and she gave me some tips on things to watch for and to not leave when the credits roll at the end because there is an encore. She was correct! It was a fun afternoon featuring each of the cast members in one of the past season’s production numbers. Also this summer there was a special reality show featuring the search for a new cast member for the television version of GLEE. It was very interesting seeing the competition, and I personally thought the final decision (s) was perfect. They did not pick just one winner out of the final four, but they found a way to write all four into some episodes of the show. I have fond memories of my high school glee club days,but we never had big production numbers like this show features. I am jealous of that which brings me to mind enough rambling for this edition. Story by Bob Hoffman

“We’re Bluegrass, But…” The Blue Gill Restaurant, nestled in the marsh near the headwaters of Mobile Bay, has seen its share of marquis performers.From Leon Russell to the southern rock band Wet Willie, fine musicians have beaten a path to this deep southern venue, and word has spread along the Gulf Coast that if you want to hear good music,this is the place.Some nights it’s blues,some nights rock‘n’roll,and on this particular September evening,the “delta bluegrass” sound of Delta Reign floats on a languid, late summer breeze. All along the coast – and more and more, all across the South – this four-piece band has developed a large and loyal following with its mixture of traditional bluegrass, and an innovative of blend western swing, jazz and the blues.The band owes its core personality to founders Pat and Benita Murphy, a husband-wife team who have played bluegrass for most of their lives. But they have recently added fiddler George Mason and bass player Joshua Faul to the mix,and the result has been,what one of their fellow musicians has called,“a tasty gumbo of southern tradition.” Mason is a thirty-something Arkansas native who has played bluegrass fiddle ever since he was eight. But he has made a few enriching detours through some other genres as well.Working for a while out of Branson,MO,he played in the country bands ofTommy Overstreet and the Gatlin Brothers,as well as such diverse and unexpected artists as Bobby Vinton,Patti Page,the Osmonds, and the Lawrence Welk Orchestra.

western swing rhythms. One of our former guitar players, Norman Jeter, had some swing rhythms that he liked to play, and it’s the kind of thing that’s not unknown to bluegrass. Earl Scruggs, you know, was a great innovator. He was the creator, really, of the style of rhythm that I play on the banjo, and he would often do this swing-sounding thing. So it’s a rhythm that’s a part of our tradition. Benita:We like to call our music Delta Bluegrass because we pick up all sorts of influences from our place, this great river delta that’s the heart of where we live. When most people hear the word delta, they think of the Mississippi Delta, but here in Alabama we live on the second largest river delta in the United States. Growing up in this area where all the different waterways come together,we find the music influences are kind of like that – all coming together in this place. Frye: So you and Pat are both from this area? Benita:We both grew up in Mobile, but we’ve moved around a lot. Pat:At one point we lived in a fish camp on an island in Louisiana. Benita:And at one point we lived in Maryland. But we came home.

“George is a musical genius,” says Benita Murphy.“We can’t believe how lucky we are to have him.” Mason seems equally thrilled to be with Delta Reign, at ease with their folksy bluegrass roots, and with their willingness to try something new.“Some jobs are just jobs,” he says.“This is like getting paid to have fun.” Joshua Faul, the fourth member of the group, is a 23-year-old Mississippian who played electric bass in jazz, rock,and r&b bands before learning the stand-up bass to play with Delta Reign.The rest of the “delta bluegrass” sound is built around Pat Murphy’s banjo and harmony vocals, Benita’s lead vocals and rhythm guitar, and Mason’s high tenor harmonies and occasional leads. Delta Reign recently released “Home,” their first CD with the current personnel, featuring new songs written by Benita, one by Mason, as well as a couple of traditionals and a Doc Watson standard.The title cut,“Coming Home,” sums up their feelings about the Gulf Coast, and their love of the music rooted in their place. I’m comin’ home, I’ll see my family and my friends It’s been so long since I’ve been gone I see that sun sinkin’ low up ahead on Mobile Bay Lord, it sure feels good to get back home On a recent late summer day, just before their appearance at the Blue Gill, I sat down with Pat and Benita at their home in Mobile,and talked about the music of Delta Reign. Frye:You guys have become quite a fixture on the Americana/bluegrass circuit along the Gulf Coast. How often are you playing these days? Benita: Most every weekend, two or three times.We’re staying pretty busy. Pat:We’re right at the point almost of doing this full time.The other musicians in the band – Benita, George, Josh – are full-time. I’m still hanging on to a day job. Frye: Give me a short history of Delta Reign. How did the band come into being? Benita: In 2004, I had taken ten or twelve years off from music to be with my son, but I started back right around the time that Hurricane Ivan hit the Gulf Coast.The winds of change just seemed to be in the air, and Pat and I decided to start our own band.

Frye:You wrote a song about that sort of thing. Benita:Yeah, that’s right. It’s called “Comin’ Home.” It’s the first song on the new CD. Frye: Before we talk about the CD, let’s talk for a minute about musical influences. What kind of music did you listen to growing up? Pat: I started playing guitar when I was 16. Back then, I was listening to Hendrix, the Who, Cream; people like that. Benita:Yeah, I’m an old hippie. Pat: One day I remember they used to have a little stage at Brookley Field, the air base here in Mobile,and our band played there,but all of a sudden I just got tired of it.I went to a pawn shop and got a banjo,and as soon as I started playing with my fingers,instead of with a pick, it just started me down a path of acoustic music and bluegrass. Benita: But this is not a big bluegrass area.We chose to stay here and plow the ground. We have to create new fans for bluegrass. Pat: Benita has to keep saying,‘we’re bluegrass, but…’ We always try to broaden the base, but we’re traditional in a lot of ways too. We want to connect with traditional fans; that’s important to us. Frye: On your new CD, which is called ‘Home’ you play some traditional stuff and a song by Doc Watson, but you also play your own original material.Talk about the songwriting part of it. Pat:Well, I kind of help with the arrangements, but Benita is the songwriter. Benita: I’ve been writing songs for a while, but it’s only in the last couple of years that I have begun to say,‘aha!’ when it comes to the lyrics. George Mason, our fiddle player, is also a good songwriter. He wrote “Love Hurts” on this CD. (laughs) I had to dumb down the chords before I could play it. Frye: Seems like George has added a lot to the band.

Pat: Bluegrass is the well that our music comes out of, but with other things added, like

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AG: How did you get the band together? Horowitz: The band came together by a series of happy accidents. I moved to Madison about three years ago, and my neighbor was a bass player who was getting together with these folks who live on a farm outside of town, and he asked me to come along and jam one night. Brett and Jen own the farm, and we clicked right away and started to get together more and more. Our current bass player Clark is the husband of a woman I worked with, and Matt is the husband of a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in 10 years who I ran into at a garage sale. Chantelle came to us through a work connection as well. It was just good luck I suppose, and having great friends.

Horowitz: You know, the recording process went about as smoothly as I could have hoped for. By the time we went in we had been playing these songs for a long time and they were not evolving so much anymore. We looked for a very clean authentic sound, so there were not a lot of effects or overdubs on the CD. We really got what we wanted out of those sessions. AG: What’s your website? Horowitz: It’s www.thewhiskeyfarm.com. You can listen to the whole album when you are there, so you get truth in advertising that way. You can also buy the album at our website, on CD Baby, ITunes, and at our shows.

AG: How often do you play out a month?

AG: One more question: The Mandolin was quite prevalent in your CD. Was that a conscious choice and if so is it going to be part of your trademark sound?

Horowitz: This month (August) we have four gigs, but usually we only play out a couple of times a month. We would like to play out more regionally but are concentrating on the local scene now. We are building a fan base and hope to expand it over time. We play mostly taverns and small festivals. We have been lucky enough to play great local venues like the High Noon, the Frequency, and the Brink Lounge.

Horowitz: Brett is such a master musician - he adds a lot to every song. The mando is definitely a big part of our sound. We are branching out though with banjo, dual guitars, and even a little electric guitar in our new songs. We love the way we sound right now, but we are always looking for new sounds and ways to express our music.

AG: The album is fantastic. Five notes in our CD reviews last month! How did it come about?

AG: Is there anything you want people to know about you? Horowitz: We are really very nice and friendly people. You should come out and see us sometime!

Horowitz: It evolved organically. We spent time putting together and working on a group of songs that fit really well together. We had been playing them out for a while and the time was right to get them down on a CD. We really wanted to share them with people in a different way than at a live venue, so an album was the logical next step.

Story by: Andy Ziehli Photos supplied.

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AG: Had you personally ever recorded before? forth? Horowitz: I had recorded before. I put out a CD while I was living in Nashville. It was a solo project using studio musicians. This was the first time I had ever recorded with a band, though, and it was great! AG: How long were you in Nashville? Horowitz: I was there about five years. I was going to Grad School and playing music part-time. AG: What are the plans for The Whiskey Farm for the next six months or so? Horowitz: We really want to get this album out and around for folks to pick up. And we want to play live for as many people as we can. We are playing in Milwaukee this month and are making arrangements to play in Chicago and the Twin Cities soon. We just want to step out and gain a larger following. AG: Have you been accepted playing Americana Music in the area instead of being a Top 40, Oldies/Cover band? As you know Madison can be kind of fickle in who and what they get behind musically. Generally all original bands have a much harder time getting jobs and making headway here in the local clubs. Horowitz: I suppose Madison can be a little fickle in their musical taste. For the number of bars,clubs,and restaurants in this town there are not that many that cater to original music. But there are a few great ones, and we have been received quite well so far. There are people out there that really want to hear things they have not heard before and they make it a point to search out artists and bands that play original music. We have connected well with this crowd, and hopefully this crowd will continue to grow. AG: Do play any covers in your show? Horowitz: Very rarely. AG: What kind of stuff do you listen to when you are listening to music? Horowitz: Boy, I listen to a lot of different kinds of stuff. I do really enjoy Americana Music like Wilco, Brandy Carlile, Brett Dennen,Willy Porter, Martin Sexton, Josh Rouse, and Joe Pug. Just to name a few…

The order came as predicted,and I cleared a spot on the counter for the wooden block that would house those four knives. The scissors was placed in a special spot. I soon learned it would and could cut almost anything. I use that scissors on a daily basis to this very day. Routine soon took over and whenever I was to slice or peel, I simply retrieved my old knife by-passing the shinny new knives. Oh, there are occasions when I will use them, but it is that old not-the-sharpest-knife-in-the-drawer that gets the most use. It knows its importance and proudly does what I expect of it. It shows no shame whatsoever on those rare occasions that I by-pass it for one of the“new knives”. I am sure it is almost smug in its attitude, for this very year we purchased another set of well known brand of knives. We now have two wooden blocks holding the rival famous knives. They are used at special times, but the old loyal knife is still used the most. And that brings to mind the pink cereal bowl. This out-of-place little bowl is also used daily,in fact,it is probably used three or four times a day. Back in the 1950’s stores often offered premiums based on how much you spent in the store. One such premium featured colorful lightweight plastic dishware. My mother selected a variety of items in various pastel colors. All that remains from that collection is our pink cereal bowl. It holds either a hot or cold breakfast cereal, a bowl of fruit or vegetables for lunch and supper, and it is perfect for evening snacks or the best vessel possible for a dish of ice cream or a sundae of some kind or other. Some evenings there is almost a fight over who gets to use it. The usual pattern has Jim snacking before I do, so it is not uncommon for me to rinse it out after he has used it, and then I use it for my snack or in some cases snacks---as in plural. And thus if you as a reader have made it to this point, the real point to this article is to remind you of some very special items you and your family hung onto well beyond their normal life time. Somehow there is much comfort in those old items. Memories are so strong that we can not part with them. So use your similar items as often and as much as you want and do so with pride. My not-the-sharpest-knife-in-the-drawer has been right in front of the computer screen throughout this creation. It has been a new inspiration for me. But now is the time to return it to his place of honor, the second drawer to the right of the kitchen sink. No doubt in an hour when I prepare a lunch for myself, I will use it once again. Then I will wash it and dry it, so it is available at supper time. I will be peeling potatoes for supper, and that knife is just sharp enough for that. Story by Bob Hoffman

AG: Can you give me some background on the other members? Horowitz: Absolutely. First off,I feel like we have the best rhythm section in town. Matt and Clark learn songs instantly, they can play any style, and they bring a new dimension to our songs. Brett is a seasoned musician with lots of experience and a ton of talent. And every member of the band is a songwriter. Everyone sings, and this makes for a very dynamic process. Everyone adds something special to the songs. AG: When you were recording, do you find the process easy and that it all flowed or was it a difficult task to undertake? w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

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If you have been looking for some music (I choose selections without any vocals) to use in your times when you have had enough of words and simply want the melody of music performed with passion and heart to fill your ears, start with Windham Hill Records. My guess is you will quickly want to explore the entire catalogue and you will find, like me, your favorite albums for your favorite moments. Story by Jim Smith

Jackie DeShannon

Sheer Elegance As I said in my review of Jackie DeShannon’s new CD, When you walk in the room, there are two women from the 60’s I’m still in love with, Shelly Fabre and Jackie DeShannon. When Joyce asked if I would like to do this interview I almost knocked her down running to the computer and emailing Cary Baker to set it up. I cannot say enough about how much I love Jackie and this CD, and to get to talk to her, well just made my week! Jackie DeShannon is one of the true woman pioneers of Rock & Roll. She is an award winning songwriter and vocalist. She worked at Liberty Records in the 60’s with Phil Spector, she has written countless hit songs including Needles & Pins (with Sonny Bono) When you walk in the room, Put a little love in your heart, and Bette Davis eyes just to name a few. She opened for the Beatles on their very first American tour. The Byrds cut one of her songs for their first record too. She sang the Grammy award winning What the world needs now is love by Hal David & Burt Bacharach and has been very busy raising money for charities including the Seeing Eye Foundation. She also worked with Jimmy Page, Van Morrison, and John Bettis. This year she was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

We talked at length about her life and career and her new CD. AG: Jackie how are you today? DeShannon: I’m good. AG: What have you been up to lately? DeShannon: Well I’ve been following those baby eaglets in Iowa on the internet. Two of the three are currently missing and everyone is wondering where they went! I have also been busy with the new CD and my charity work. I am singing for Hal David’s 90th

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THE BLUEFIELDS ROCK STARS 101 IN ACTION:

Dan Baird on Bass Steve Gorman on Drums Audley Freed on Guitar Joe Blanton on Lead Vocals Warner E. Hodges on Guitar

When I say Rock Stars in action 101, I mean if you missed the debut show of the Bluefields on September 1st at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville,TN, you missed the Rock Star Show of the year!! Made up of rock musicians,Warner E. Hodges on lead guitar and vocals (Jason and the Scorchers, Dan Baird and Homemade Sin), Dan Baird on bass, guitars and vocals (Georgia Satellites, Dan Baird and Homemade Sin) and Joe Blanton on lead vocals and guitar (Royal Court of China)! With special guests Steve Gorman on drums and Audley Freed on guitar. What an amazing night of music and we were able to attend! Music pumping through the sound system, lights dimmed in the room, people standing at the bar turning their heads towards the stage and some even standing on the floor directly in front of the stage, all in anticipation of waiting for these gentlemen to appear and make the sweet music that they do. As Cinnamon Girl by NeilYoung started through the PA system the lights came up and the Bluefields roared into their first song of a very impressive two set non-stop Rock & Roll Blitzkrieg! The Bluefields performed all the songs which are going to appear on their new CD and several Rock & Roll Classics done Bluefield style! The seasoned musicians did not miss a move and it was an incredible visual as well as audio experience and performance! Warner E. Hodges stormed the stage with a Gibson 1275 cherry red double neck guitar switching between necks as the first song sailed through the Mercy Lounge. All through the evening Hodges switched between Les Paul’s,Telecasters, and even his father’s Gretsch to add texture and sonic layers to the songs of the Bluefields. Taking lead vocals on a tune or two and even playing the Mandolin, Hodges showed why he is one of the Top 3 guitar players in the world, hands down.Taking a backseat to no one Lead Vocalist Joe Blanton sang with style and power. His R&R moves and voice showed that he is the voice of R&R in Nashville. Switching to Bass for this venture Dan Baird showed why he is one of the most sought after Rockers in the World. Besides being the damn best Front Man I have ever seen (sorry Mick) Baird showed how a true professional can be just as happy laying back holding down the fort playing bass and letting others shine. Baird’s bass playing was solid and roots strong! He shared lead vocals with Blanton and sang all the harmony parts. Helping out keeping the beat and pounding the drums was Steve Gorman. If you are unfamiliar with Steve you should know that he is the drummer in the Black Crowes and a much demand session player. Gorman played flawlessly as he kept everyone in time and on schedule throughout the evening. Gorman’s ability to change up and play all styles was a true asset to the night’s musical journey. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

Rounding this tight five piece band was Audley Freed on guitar. Sharing the leads with Hodges, Freed was a fantastic addition to this ensemble. His technically perfect playing filled all the right spots. Though not as flashy as a player as Hodges, Freed’s style truly complimented the Bluefield’s song list. The evening flew by very quickly and the crowd never let up in their appreciation for the Bluefields. This is a Rock & Roll Band to be reckoned with. This ain’t no watered down wimpy Pop Rock crap! This was down and dirty guitar blazing, bass thumping, drums pounding, vocal ringing Rock & Roll performed by men who know how to put on a show and write great Rock & Roll songs! You can check out the Bluefield’s on their website at www.bluefelds.com and on YouTube, where you can see snippets of the show and some very well put together promos. We had a blast at the show and we want to thank the Bluefields for inviting us and letting us be part of their inaugural show. Look for the CD to be released around year end. If you love the great Rock & Roll most of us (old Folks) grew up with, you’ll love the Bluefields, and for you “youngsters” out there who want to be rock stars check these guys out too! You’ll never find a better example of what Rock & Roll is supposed to be! Period! Rock and Roll 101! Please be on the lookout for more Bluefield’s Shows and the release of their new CD!! It will be a must for your CD collection!!! More information is available on their website, www.thebluefields Story by:Andy and Joyce Ziehli Photos by: Warren Rudolph

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that’s what makes them cool I guess. That’s what seems to be going on in that world right now, just providing a vehicle with constant content. I have some endorsement deals with string, guitar, and amp companies and it is a great way to tell the world about their products I use and it makes them happy too. It’s really fun to do! AG: What are you up to right now as a project? Kimbrough: Well I’m in the process of building a home recording studio so that I can work on my music here and not have to haul all my gear from one place to another. I’m writing for my next CD trying to put together a group of songs that fit well together. I have a bunch of songs finished but they are all over the place as far as style goes so picking the ones that will fit together on a CD is a project in itself. I’m playing at the Americana Music Conference this October, and I’ve got my own shows to play.

them on my four track cassette. After about six months the phone rang and I was asked to come and play guitar forTodd Snider’s first record tour to replace Eddie Shaver who was going back to play with his dad. So I went out on the road with Todd. That has lasted since 1994. After that the phone rang more I kept working. Todd and I are writing songs now for my record and his new one too. After the five year run of straight touring a friend of mine at EMI asked me“why aren’t you making a record yourself?” I said I was making a living so it had not crossed my mind to do so. So we got together and made my first solo record at the EMI studios at night after everyone went home. I put it out in 2000 and started playing more gigs of my own. I kept getting jobs and here it is 2011 and I’m still able to do it. My dreams have come true. It’s a little different than you imagine it to be when it happens. Part of it is the way you imagined especially when you get to play with people like Emmylou where you walk on stage and a couple thousand people cheer. You get this cool hero’s welcome and that’s the kind of stuff you dream about when you are a kid playing. It happens to me on a smaller level and it’s great! AG: When you play with Emmylou does she do any of the old songs from the Hot Band days, and if so do you play those licks like James Burton or Albert Lee? Kimbrough: One of these days is carved in stone! Songs like Luxury Liner I do the intro but kind of make it my own at the solo. Those guys (Burton & Lee) they play up in the stratosphere and being able to copy what they do is tough. I give it my best and everyone seems happy with that. Most of but not all of these song, we play in a different key than they were recorded all those years ago.

AG: That’s a pretty full plate! Kimbrough: Yes it is but, I like to stay busy. AG: How did you get started as a musician? Kimbrough: At age 10 I started out playing violin at school. At age 11 I started taking piano lessons and playing alto sax in the middle school band. I decided I wanted to play guitar, but it had to be an electric guitar. My parents said they would buy me an acoustic guitar, but they gave in and got me for my 12th birthday this $20.00 electric guitar and a $10.00 amp which was a pretty nice birthday present for 1976, and within six months I was playing dances with my band at Skate World in Mobile, Alabama. I’m a band addict. Since age 12 I have always had a gig and that has always been the way I make a living to this day, and I’m 47 so that’s a long time! It’s been 17 years since I even thought about doing something different with my life. Every time I thought about going back to school someone would call up and offer me a great gig and I would say yes. AG:What was it like when you move to Nashville? Kimbrough: I moved to Nashville and we had a band house. It was a band house for many years. I still had my name on the lease even after I had moved out. Many musicians lived there over the years. In fact I should write an article about that house and all the folks who lived there! Before East Nashville became the hipster place to live it was the only place young musicians could afford to live. I owned a house early after I arrived and sold it so I had money to concentrate on my career for a year or so. I picked up more work and was able to by another house after a few years again in East Nashville. AG: Who was your first “big time” professional gig with? Kimbrough: Well I had my own band signed to EMI when I was 23 years old called Will and the Bushmen. Actually the drummer playing with Emmylou right now Brian Owings was the drummer in my band. We drove our van up to New York in the late 80’s many times to showcase for the music industry heads at two in the morning at clubs like CBGB’s and they would come in and listen to your short 20 -30 minute set and tell you no (laughs). After a while we got signed to EMI. We recorded at Levon Helm’s barn in Woodstock. We went on tour with tour support from the label and kept playing. They did not want to release our second record because the label had changed to a Pop label so we shopped it around. We had been together as a band for about eight years at that point. At the ripe old age of 26 I had had it with the music business, but not music so I formed the Bis-quits. It got interest from labels but no one bit. I had been in a very democratic band life for 2/3 of my life and I was tired of it so I came home off the road, sold my house, and went “solo”. I just wrote songs and recorded

AG: When you approach doing an album of your own do you plan it all out, or do you wing it in the studio? Kimbrough: Here’s what I do these days. I now have the ability to record at home so I start there. I have been going to local studios and getting the drums,bass,and scratch guitar and vocals down and then doing overdubs at home. With the new studio I’ll be able to record everything here. I usually go over to Eric McConnell’s and cut those beginning tracks to analog. AG:You produced Todd’s East Nashville Skyline album. It is one of my top 10 favorite albums. What was it like stepping into the producer’s chair? Kimbrough: Well it was fun and a lot of work. We did not have much money to work with, so I got the musicians to play for cheap. We cut it at Eric McConnell’s studio on his eight track reel to reel and kept it very simple. I listened to what Todd wanted, the textures, sounds, instrumentation and basically let the musicians play the way they wanted to, to achieve the sound we wanted. It was a great experience and a lot of fun to do. Todd knows what he wants his records to sound like. He tells you to get that sound like an old Jerry Jeff Walker guitar sound, or a Stones song. He had great songs and was ready to record. He was working through the morning period of losing his friend Skip Lutz shortly before the project began. There was a different feel with this CD, but a good feeling. AG: So what’s next for the busy Will Kimbrough? Kimbrough: Finishing up songs as I said for my next CD. Writing with Todd to finish his next project. I’ve got some solo gigs coming up this fall. Another tour with Emmylou, playing a gig in New York with Rodney, and some DADDY shows, I have a couple of producing projects coming up. The Americana Conference and awards show. Just more of the same. I do plan to spend some more time with my family this fall too! Story by:Andy Ziehli Photos supplied.

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birthday party next month and doing a lot of songwriting again. AG: Love your new CD,the arrangements are simple and pure, it is just fantastic. DeShannon: Thank you so much. I tried to do something that I had never done before. I wanted to create a softer mix of these songs. I had never recorded Heart in hand myself I had written it for Brenda Lee. I wanted to do something that was more “hey I’m dropping by your house tonight for a cup of coffee or glass of wine and I’ll play you some of my songs” type of feel. A much more laid back type of vibe. AG: That’s the thing I got out of listening to it. It was very intimate and very soft. An excellent CD to kick back and just enjoy! DeShannon: They kind of have taken on a new life being recorded acoustically. I did not want to do what a lot of singers do when they rerecord their catalogs and try to recreate something that can’t be recreated. The first time I recorded these guys like Leon Russell, James Burton, Glen Campbell, Hal Blaine, Ronnie Tutt, and the rest of the wrecking crew, we cut theses tracks and they can’t be duplicated. Those guys are a true history lesson in American music. They came from all over the U.S. and brought with them their own styles and skills that have never and will never be duplicated. They were and are masters and deserve so much credit for making so many singers stars and sound so good! So I went with an entirely different feel and some different arrangements for a new sounding record. I wanted the songs to sound comfortable. AG: My band has played your songs forever, Put a little love in your heart, Needles & Pins, and When you walk in the room have been on our song lists. I have also got to tell you that when I started buying CD’s from cassettes and LP’s your greatest hits were in the first five CD’s I bought. (Okay I’m gushing but I can’t help it. I’m talking to Jackie DeShannon!) DeShannon: Well thank you so much! You’re such a doll! I have never been able to buy back my masters but with the help of Jim Pierson I have been able to put out all my LP’s on CD’s now so people can get them. Each CD has eight bonus cuts on them. They start at the beginning of my career and move forward. All the art work is intact. I feel like I have a whole new career. I played a show in England this year and the people and fans knew the words to all my songs. They knew who produced them, who played on them, everything. If the fans in England like you, they really like you and that is just wonderful! I had such a great time when I was there. With the new technology today and the way people can see and hear you, you have to be truthful and honest because boy can they pick up on anything less in a hurry. That’s not to say that you could be dishonest in the past, it just means that people today can instantly hear and see you and report on what they see and hear. There is no lag time in making or breaking an artist today. AG: You left Illinois at a very young age to start your music career. Was that scary? DeShannon: It was very scary! I was doing a lot of shows for DJ’s around Chicago. They were the go to guys if you wanted to perform at sock hops or dances back then. They would play your record on their shows if you would go to theses dances and lip sink your songs for the kids. That’s what we did back then. Eddie Cochran sees me doing this at one of the shows he was doing and said “you are a California Girl. You should be out their performing”. So I talked it over with my folks and they agreed that I could move to Los Angeles to try w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

to make it in the music business. Eddie said it was okay so it was okay with them. He was so talented and nice to work with. AG: You worked with Jack Nitzsche out in LA didn’t you? DeShannon: Jack and I were very close friends and worked together forever. He was so talented and easy to work with. I really miss him a lot. We used to get together and just listen to music. We had the same tastes. He knew how to pick a song for you. He was always right on. He never gets the credit he deserves from making all these great records in the 60’s at Liberty and Western studios. He did all the up-front work for Phil Spector. He got everything ready and arranged and Phil would drop and record the session. He was a true superstar! AG: My first knowledge of Jack was on NeilYoung’s Harvest album. DeShannon: Jack did do a lot of work with Neil. He also arranged all those Ronette records. Those arrangements were just as important as the music recorded and the lyrics. He always had me sing background on those records when I was around. They were so much fun to make.They would not have been the same without his arrangements. AG:There is quite a discussion on You Tube about your song It’s Love Baby.

TV was hot back in the 60’s in LA and there were a lot of music show like Shindig and Hullabaloo were you could go on and sing. That was great. American Bandstand was huge. Dick Clark had moved the show to LA and we all wanted to be on it. I was so happy when Glen Campbell got his ownTV show. I was on that show a lot and the Johnny Cash Show a lot. They were both great people to be around. AG: Did you ever go on one of those bus caravan music tours? DeShannon: (Laughs) Oh my yes. We all had too. If Dick played your song and you got to appear on American Bandstand you had to do one of those tours. It was expected. I did two or three of them. They were a blast! We were all friends back then and hung out together. AG:

Did you ever

play the Troubadour? DeShannon:Yes a few times. It was a great venue to play. Anyone who was anyone would be in the bar area. I played a couple of shows with Van Morrison there. AG: So after all this time what makes you still want to make and record music? You have accomplished so much already. DeShannon: I still love to write and sing. My family still likes me to make music as do my friends. As I said earlier with the release of my catalog again I am getting new life and younger people are getting to hear my music. It’s still fun and we should do what is still fun to us.

DeShannon: Well that I have not seen! AG: Jackie what are you most proud of in your career? AG: It seems that no one can figure out who is playing lead guitar on that track. They are arguing that it is Glen Campbell, James Burton, or Don Peake. DeShannon: Let’s go on there and check this out! When I was in town it was always Glen, James, or Tommy Tedesco. Don Peake also played on a lot of my records. Wow that’s pretty impressive. Now you got me going! (We both listen to the song all the way through). I’ll tell you it is all three of them playing! They would switch off between guitar parts. AG: When you started songwriting and getting cuts by other people was that a shock for you? Most of the songs in the 60’s came out of New York and the Brill Building. DeShannon: Well we had the same thing here in LA. Liberty Records was trying to build their publishing company so we had writers pitching songs to artists on both coasts and in England. That’s how Needles and Pins got cut by the Searchers. I was encouraged to stay off the road and just write songs. At many times I would want to have the song myself to record, but the plan always was to get whoever was in the top ten to record these songs. Except for the songs Brenda Lee cut I wrote those especially for her. She was one of my favorite singers. It was a very big shock to get a song cut and to hear your song on the radio. We all loved radio so much back then it was an honor to have someone like your songs well enough to record them. When I first heard myself singing one of my songs I was speechless, I could not believe I was on the radio.

DeShannon: I’m most proud of my kids and family, my faith and spirituality,and my friendships. Music wise I’m most proud of Put a little love in your heart charting and being such a big hit for me. It was such a wonderful experience and I am most proud of that song. You know I was there when John Lennon finished Nowhere Man, I taught George Harrison the intro to When I walk in the room, I got to be part of Wall of Sound and the watch the Wrecking Crew making music every day. I was there when hit songs were being tossed around as ideas and got to witness them become classics. My life has been fantastic and I am truly blessed. I am also proud of the fact that my songs are getting a new life with this CD and the release of my catalog. That a whole new generation can experience them and old friends can come back to them. It’s a long ways for a young girl singing at Sock Hops to LA Recording studios and I have been very lucky and blessed to have been able to do that. AG: Jackie thank you so much for your time and as I said earlier it has been an honor to talk to you. DeShannon: No thank you for the painless wonderful interview. It has been my pleasure! Story by:Andy Ziehli Photos supplied.

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Candye Kane with Laura Chavez ♪♪♪♪♪ Sister Vagabond Delta Grove Records Blues This CD is very interesting in many ways. Especially that it is an old style Blues record by two women who appear to look more Goth than blues. It has a swampy type of R&B feel to it, almost Louisiana Blues. Candye Kane is an excellent vocalist with a tremendous range to her voice. She almost had that Wanda Jackson tone and growl to her voice. Laura Chavez plays the guitar like she is being chased by the same hell hounds that tortured Robert Johnson, Freddie King, and Howling Wolf. Her style is pure and tasteful. It is actually some of the best blues guitar work I have heard in a while,no Stevie Ray Vaughn clone here just pure unadulterated blues guitar clean and mean. Nine of the thirteen songs were written by Kane and Chavez. Their strength lies in creating new textures with old standard patterns. My favorite cuts on the CD are Love Insurance, Sweet Nothins, Walkin Talkin Haunted House, and Have a Nice Day (a very cool Zydeco number). The other songs on this CD are excellent and to be honest there is not a bad song on this CD. The Johnny Guitar Watson I Love to Love You is a classic and wonderfully reproduced here. This CD is a great addition to any collection if you love the real Blues and R&B. It also would be a great start to listen to this style of music if you have ever been wanting to start but were afraid or did not know where to begin. Candye Kane & Laura Chavez are pros and it shows on this CD! It’s cool, swampy, down and dirty the way this music should be played! I’m a new fan and I’ll be searching the web for more music by this fantastically talented duo. Review by:Andy Ziehli

Eddie Vedder Ukulele Songs ♪♪♪♪ Just about four years ago Eddie Vedder,the lead-vocalist for the grunge band Pearl Jam, released his first solo album, Into the Wild. This record was made up of the songs that director Sean Penn had asked Vedder to compose for his film of the same title. The singer was given a music-less copy of the movie and created all the songs from there, letting most of the sounds settle in the folk genre with hints of rock n’roll scattered throughout. His newest album Ukulele Songs takes a step to the softer side, but keeps the energy and beauty flowing right along and just like the title suggests, there is quite a bit of ukulele playing, but Vedder makes the instrument work for him and molds it to fit his song writing demands, not the uke making him release an album of Hawaiian folk songs.The first song that really popped to me was the second track Sleeping By Myself. It was most definitely a song that made me stop and listen attentively. The intimacy of this compilation of music is amazing. With the solo uke playing, it almost seems like he could be sitting with you and performing just for you. It isn’t a music that is composed and layered beyond all recognition, it is a lone instrument and player channeling directly to you, no huge wall of sound backing them up. So, maybe with a more direct approach the listener has a more direct experience. The record overall is very peaceful and warm with solo ukulele throughout most

of the record with a few extra strings thrown in here and there. Tonight You Belong to Me, found later on the record, is a beautifully done Billy Rose cover with guest artist Cat Power helping out on the vocals. Its cuteness is almost too much to bear. Vedder definitely has a style of songwriting that has come with him to his newest record, and not only his voice, but his writing style have become very recognizable. Vedder’s main band Pearl Jam released a new album about three years ago and continues to perform, but for those who would like something a little softer then grunge, Ukulele Songs is a great album. Review by: Rob Kosmeder

Jackie DeShannon ♪♪♪♪♪ When You Walk In The Room Rockbeat Records Okay there are two women from the 1960’s that I am still in love with Shelly Fabraes and Jackie DeShannon. They are 10’s on my scale!!! DeShannon has a new CD project out of all her big hits. Her voice is stronger and matured to fine wine or 100 year old Bourbon Status! The arrangements on this CD are simple and pure. The kind of arrangements that make a superb voice sound even finer. It’s hard to believe the time that has passed since these songs were blaring out of AM radios and kids were dancing to them at High School Dances and on beaches across the U.S. The CD starts off with the title cut When You Walk In To The Room, a big hit for Pam Tillis 15 years ago. My favorite song is the second cut Put a little love in your heart one of the best songs ever written. DeShannon’s voice and the great arrangement bring the song to life again. Needles and Pins a staple for Rock & Roll Bands all over the world to cover is fantastically played. You can hear the heartache in DeShannon’s voice as she sings the song. I’m just blown away by this CD!!! DeShannon started out as a songwriter and evolved into a wonderful performer in the 60’s. She won a Grammy for best female vocalist for What the world needs Now is Love, opened for the Beatles on their first U.S. tour, sang on Shindig, and performed and wrote with the royalty of R&R. This CD is a collection of all of these songs. DeShannon shows here why she deserves to be recognized as one of the top R&R songwriters of all time. Her lyrics and melodies are par with all her contemporizes including,Lennon & McCartney,Van Morrison,Joe South, and Carol King. You must add this CD to your collection. It is a timeless recording of timeless material. It’s the kind of CD you can through into the CD player or add to your IPod and drift off into Rock & Roll Heaven and never want to return. Review by:Andy Ziehli

The Good Intentions ♪♪♪♪♪ Someone Else’s Time Boronda Record Americana /Folk/Bluegrass The Good Intentions are a fantastic band out of England that has got the Americana thing down pat! Husband and wife team Peter Davies and Gabi Monk along with friend Francesco Roskell make up the Good Intentions. This is their second CD and it is a wonderful sophomore presentation. You can

tell how good an artist or band is by their second album. They have their whole life to write songs for their first effort and a much much shorter time for their second. The Good Intentions have raised the bar for second albums. This album is much more Bluegrass flavored than their first, which is not a bad thing. England seems to be going thru a Bluegrass awakening in the last few years. This album fits right in with that movement and a whole lot more. The authentic instrumentation and old timey feeling of this CD harkens back to a simpler time. You can imagine yourself sitting on a grand porch on a cool summer’s evening drinking sweet tea smelling the flowers in bloom, and hearing the evening’s summer creatures emerging from their hot day’s rest to bring the night alive with their voices and songs. There is not a bad song on this CD!!! They are all fantastically written and played. Peter Davies wrote all of these songs and deserves to be mentioned as a songwriter in the same breath as, Phil Lee, John Prine, and Kevin Welch as top Americana writers today. Davies has caught the elusive “element” that makes a writer a step above his peers. His simplicity in choosing chord progressions and melodies really makes these songs come alive. Gabi’s harmonies are as wonderful as Emmylou Harris’s on the Gram Parson albums of the early 70’s. My favorite songs on the album are Everybody Loves a Drinking Man, Coal Miner’s Lament, Send the Devil Back to Hell, and the Sound of Time Passing. All are wonderfully written and orchestrated. Hat’s off to Rick Shea for the absolutely beautiful mandolin parts on this project. Roskell and Eric Brace add fantastic harmonies on the songs which give them that added textures so often forgotten in today’s music. Hat’s off to the Good Intentions!!! They hit a homerun here!!! Hopefully this CD will give them the exposure they deserve both in Europe and in America!!! Please make every effort to find this and their last CD and add them to your collection. It is great to see wonderfully nice people get the credit they deserve for the hard work they put into their craft. Davies, Monk, and Roskill along with the name The Good Intentions should become a household word in the Americana and music world. They have earned it! Review by:Andy Ziehli

Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin ♪♪♪♪♪ Gin (EP) Pulp Country Records Americana Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin are two of my favorite musicians and people in the world. They are talented, smart, funny, and true performers. They write great songs, Kristi has one of the best voices in music period, and Fats is the man when it comes to playing anything with strings. I dig the man and his way with strings!!! This EP is a short run project to let their fans know that a new CD is on the way after the first of the year. A wee taste of great things to come!!! These five songs recorded at their Maloney Road Studio shows a new style and texture to their music. More electric guitar played very stylistic by Fats. For past fans of the duo’s music there still is the fantastic acoustic playing here,it’s just expanded on. Kristi’s voice is superb and her range is beautifully textured and mixed with Fat’s unbelievably fantastic playing. The songs are all dramatically colorful in their story context. It is a wonderful EP to give their fans a chance to hear what they have been up to. They only printed w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

100 copies of the EP so getting your hands on one might prove elusive. Maybe with a little coaxing we could get them to print a few more. All these songs will be on their forthcoming full length CD in early 2012. If you love Kristi and Fats as much as I do get a hold of Gin! Keep watching the pages of the Americana Gazette for updates on their CD project and make sure to check out their fall schedule and go out and see them. It is a treat all around!!! Review by:Andy Ziehli

Paladino ♪♪♪ Paladino Like a cannonball flying out of the mouth of the cannon, Paladino’s music exploded from my car’s factory speakers and gave me a momentary case of“the stares”. I had to shake my head just to get caught up to the song and register what had just happened. The drums kept attacking with that quick punk beat while Jonathan Harkham’s low country vocals mixed in and out of the swirling lead guitar and unrelenting rhythms. The song Lonely Mountain was a bundle of dynamite at the mouth of the mine. I think it was a great choice for opening the album, although it caused momentary confusion. Luckily they slow you back down, but the pace isn’t sluggish for too long. Back to the fiery tempo that I had finally grown accustom to. The music vibrates with vast desert vibes, sensations made from the sand, heat and openness. Pop the clutch into overdrive and lay the top down,let the vibrations soak into your skin. Placed throughout the album are pretty little songs to slow you down from the speed-like rush (a wonderful version of Claude “Curly” Putman’s Green Green Grass of Home) and let the mind sit at idle for a minute or two. The band, even though only being less than a year old, runs smooth and clean, even at the high speeds they tend to coast at. Most of the album is a high paced, lots of energy romp, so be ready for a workout when throwing this album into your stereo. At some points during the album, Harkham’s voice seems to get lost amongst all the chaos, but the band may have been going for just that, so who am I to say? All I know is that this album is a fast-paced adventure into some strange and twisted western dream, swelling and swirling with the heat and the wind and ready to engulf anyone caught unawares. Review by: Rob Kosmeder

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worked in a music store. I’ve played and toured. I know what they need and want and I try my darndest to help them out. Since my past experience has been so diverse, I can talk at different “levels” about music gear. I can talk management style with business folks, I can talk player lingo with players, and I can talk tech talk with the tech guys. That really helps in my business. I tend to see the whole picture at once. The job fits my personality so I tend to do well at it on all sides. AG: What’s the weirdest thing that ever happened to you on tour? Spaulding: I guess the weirdest and best together was on a Keith Urban tour. All the guys who teched for the band would jam at sound check to get levels before the band came on.We would play a “Whole Lotta Rosie” at sound check. Keith heard us and had the tech guys come out w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

and play at the Buffalo show which was the last show of the tour. They videoed it and we are on You Tube. It’s called“Keith Urban Crew ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’”on deluxereverb channel. That was pretty cool to play in front of all those people.

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from. Interestingly the comic books that were at one time considered to be corrupting the youth and inciting them to violence are now available in bookstores and libraries alike.

AG: Do you ever get back to Wisconsin?

While comics today are primarily all about “Super Heroes” I remember the Disney characters such as Donald Duck, Huey, Dewy, and Louie and Uncle Scrooge.There was also Little LuLu,Mary Jane and Sniffles,Mutt and Jeff, and who can forget Archie, Veronica, and Jug Head. There were a lot more but these are all favorites of mine.

Spaulding: I’ve been back to Madison when Wynonna played there.I’ve been to Summer Fest a couple of times. I get back to see my folks a couple of times a year. Hopefully again this fall. Donna and I are talking about coming up there and doing a few jobs. I know she has talked to you about that.

Spaulding:We’re trying to get something in September or October lined up.

As time passes I still recall those rainy afternoons when I was a passenger along with Sniffles the mouse on a trip to the moon.Who knows since we have put a man on the moon and they think they may have found water maybe they will also discover as Sniffles did that there is a part of the moon that is made of green cheese.

AG: Tom good luck and we’ll see you in the fall.

Written by: Rosemary Ziehli

AG: We are excited to have you two come up and play.

Spaulding: See you then! I ran into Tom at the Mercy Lounge on September 2nd at the Sound check for the Bluefield’s show. We laughed and talked about playing and gear. It was great to see him again! Story by: Andy Ziehli Photos supplied.

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tured on many projects including Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, and a duet with Amelia White on her CD Motorcycle Dreams. His own songs and performances appear on three Red Beet Records compilations. In the Fall of 2010 Jon celebrated a cut on the new Eric Brace and Peter Cooper recording Master Sessions.This year Jon can be heard singing on Country Music Hall of Famer TOM T. HALL's I LOVE:Tom T. Hall's songs of Fox Hollow (Red Beet Records) along side Eric and Peter, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Jim Lauderdale, Elizabeth Cook, Duane Eddy, and Bobby Bare.

This CD is full of wonderfully well written and recorded songs done with style and class. Byrd’s voice is gruff and heartwarming to hear. It’s like an old friend that you never tire from hearing from. The musicianship on this CD is fantastic. Cleanly played, no tricks, just pure appreciation for the songs being performed. My favorite cuts on the CD are Alabama Asphalt,A Fond Farewell,Another Day Gone,and Easy to be Free. Byrd’s songwriting is par with other Americana stars like Prine, Snider, Crowell, and Ketchum. This CD should be part of your collection period!!! It is a fine representation of one of the best songwriters and stylists today. Byrd has paid his dues long enough and Down the Well of Wishes should help to bring him a larger audience. Besides this CD check out Byrd’s past work and you won’t be disappointed. His Freightliner Fever is one of my favorite songs!!!

Jon Byrd’s new full-length recording Down At The Well Of Wishes be released in October 2011. Here is Andy’s review of this CD: Jon Byrd ♪♪♪♪♪ Down at the well of Wishes Longleaf Pine Records Jon Byrd is one of those artists everyone should know about,but few do. Byrd is a superbly talented songwriter and musician who deserves bigger and better things. Hopefully this CD will be the stone that breaks the glass that surrounds East Nashville and the world finds out about Jon Byrd!

Buy this CD!!!! That’s an order!!!!

FAT CAT Story by: Joyce Ziehli Photos supplied.

COFFEE WORKS

Enjoy some coffee and a great piece of homemade pie! 606 RAILROAD STREET NEW GLARUS, WI. 53574 33

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don’t know how true this is for kids now, but when I was a kid, being in a band was like being a social icon. People who told the truth and laid it on the line, that was what a person in a band represented. It wasn’t a popular politician, teacher or even a preacher that were our favorite people. I wanted to be one of those guys. I didn’t start writing songs until I had a band. Until I had a band, it was like typing without paper in the roller. It took me awhile to get fairly proficient about it. My first band was Government Cheese. When that band formed I started writing songs. Over time, I learned more and I’m just so blessed that I’m still able to do it today. Joyce: Were you in this band, Government Cheese back where you grew up in Kentucky? Tommy: Yes, I was. I was in my early 20’s. Joyce: What happened after Government Cheese ended? Tommy: My wife and I moved to Nashville almost exactly the same week that Government Cheese played their last gig. So it was a clean slate and start when we moved to town. Grimey, who now runs the record store with the same name was an old friend of mine. We knew each other when we lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky and he took me under his wing and got me in a jam session with Will Kimbrough,who plays with Emmylou Harris. He played with Rodney Crowell,Todd Snider, and made several solo records of his own as well. Grimey got the two of us in this jam session and that turned into a band called the bis-quits. We were together for two years. It was a great band and we did a great record on John Prine’s Oh Boy Label. That went from 1992 – 1994. Then we broke up. I spent a couple of years working at a book store and finishing a book I wrote about my Government Cheese experiences. That book was called “Cheese Chronicles”. This book sort of made me more famous than any of my records had to that point. It’s a bit of a classic if I say so myself. I’ve gotten a whole lot of great feed back from rock and rollers, famous and not famous,readers of all types. It’s a pretty funny book,easy to read. It’s made me a lot of friends. It came out in

1996, the same time I got an offer to go in the studio with Producer Brad Jones who wanted to cut some demos on me for a spec,meaning if we got a record deal, he’d get a piece of the publishing, other than that no money up front for me. And those demos turned into my first record, “Positively Na Na”. That was on the Checkered Past Label out of Chicago. “Positively Na Na” came out in 1998,the same week my first born child was born. Joyce: Great timing!! Tommy: You could say it was a dual release. (we laugh) I am grateful now that I didn’t have a booking agent. I was kind of new back in the business then. I never had been a solo artist. I didn’t have a lot of gigs to support this record, but I did get some good press on it and got a little bit of notoriety. I’m glad now, cause I got to stay home with my boy. I was a stay at home Dad for several years. Me and him got real tight and still are to this day. He just turned 13 years old a couple of months ago. I had a succession of solo records happen. The next two were on the Side Burn Label – Stubborn and Circus Town. I put out a live record, live at XM Radio Studio with the Tommy Womack Band. It was kind of a hard rock version of my greatest hits up to that point. I took a break from things when my wife lost her job. I had to get a full time job with benefits. I sort of became the bread winner in 2003. About the same time I got invited to play Bass in Todd Snider’s band. He was reforming Todd Snider and the Nervous Wrecks. His old Bass player couldn’t do it and I had no experience playing Bass, but I was Todd’s friend, so I got the job. It was the first time I played Bass in front of 3,000 people and I was scared to death. That started several years of affiliation. I opened some gigs for Todd and I’ve been pretty associated with Todd ever since. Even though we rarely see each other these days. People ask me “How’s Todd doing?” I say,‘I don’t know. I hope he’s doing fine!” (we laugh) In 2007,Will Kimbrough formed a band that we’d been dreaming about for awhile that’s called DADDY. Dave Jacques on Bass (John Prine’s Bass player); John Deaderick on keyboards, (was with Dixie Chicks, Patty Griffin,

right now with Alison Krauss) and Paul Griffith, one of the greatest drummers in the world. Those three on backup instruments and me and Will on guitars and songwriting, and DADDY put out its first record in 2005. In 2007 my solo record“There I Said It”came out. It was kind of a concept record about being all washed up as a musician. I was working the job from hell, which I got out of a couple of years ago. It was a hostile environment, but I wrote my songs during my lunch hours. I wrote for my own sanity sake as I felt I was washed up as a musician. I was writing honest songs about myself, “There I Said It”. I wrote about all my fears, dying poor, depression, tribulations and people responded. They really embraced my record. I won several awards on this and it really made things happen for me. In 2008, I published my second book, “The Lavender Boys & Elsie”, a fictional collection of letters documenting the Civil War’s only all-gay Confederate regiment, grisly murders at home, a well-accessorized Christmas Show and the real reason for Pickett’s Charge. (We had to take a time out for Tommy to check on his roast beef he was reheating up in the microwave – yum) Joyce: You are getting ready to release a follow up record to this, “Now What” in January 2012? Tell me about this. Tommy: This is the sequel to “There I Said It”. It picks up on the story where I left off. This record gave me my career back. I thought now what do I do – thus “Now What”. Joyce: Well Tommy I will let you go now and eat your roast beef. I will catch up with you at the Americana Music Conference in October. I know you are performing. I look forward to hearing your new CD. I think they are sending me a copy as we speak. Good luck and be sure to check out Tommy Womack at www.tommywomack.com . Tommy: Thank you Joyce. I will talk to you soon. Story by: Joyce Ziehli Photos by Gregg Roth.

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AM: How about the whole band, if you could tour all the time, would they want to? KJ:We always say we'll weigh it. Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines are full time musicians, they both teach and they're pretty sought after. They've played with Blake Thomas and Josh Harty.

exactly what we want to record, and then the song gets improved from there. On The Western Sky, Chris and Mary helped make it exactly what it should have been. Like we took 'All I want' in, and it was kind of ho-hum, and with their help, now it's a winner. It was re-born. AM: It's clear you two have a partnership on so many levels, how does that work?

AM: How did this band get together? KJ: It's kind of been a rotating cast, but we really respect the musicianship of Chris and Mary and so we hire them to play on the new CD,The Western Sky. AM:Would you rather play live or be recording, or isn't it that simple? WM:When we play a song out, and our friends tell us we should record it, that's when we take it to the studio. But they are very different. I've had to work at loosening up on stage. You have to work at the banter on stage. There was a point where I turned a corner with it and it became easier, now I think I'm pretty hilarious up there. AM:What's the process like as a song-writer? Do you have a time and place to write?

WM: Kyle is the manager and organizer He compelled the second CD. He found a publicist to help launch the project. AM: So here you stand, by all critical acclaim, on the way to stardom, and do you have any advice for up-and-comers? WM: Don't be an A-hole in general, not in life or on stage, be honest. KJ:I've tried to share what I've learned with people,like about promoters and the business. There are people whose music we might like, but we might not like them as individuals because of pretention or arrogance.We try to avoid being that way. When you just help people, better things come of it.

WM:Where ever it happens is where I write songs, lyrics happen in my head in the car, or in the shower...

AM: So, back to the partnership, have you always shared the same musical interests?

AM: Is it music and lyrics by Whitney Mann?

WM: Kyle had a taste for punk rock growing up, but I grew up listening to country music on the radio, and I'm classically trained on the piano.

WM: It is, I write music and lyrics together as a unit. I like writing songs, that's my favorite part.

AM: Kyle, do you miss that sound? KJ: I still listen to my old CDs.

AM: That's a rare gift, most people can only do one or the other well. AM: How did music start for you? WM: I've heard that. I might be simple on the outside, but inside my head there's like this rolodex of songs happening all the time.

KJ: I took bass-lessons and had a high school band, we had like, one practice.

AM: So how does a song make the cut?

AM:And you play bass in the band now...

WM:The songs that need work don't really get finished.A song has to compel me. Kyle acts as my editor sometimes, too. When we take a song into the studio, we'll bring in

KJ: Right.

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them. AM:And what don't you want the whole world to know about you?

AM: So the partnership does work on so many levels, bandmates, business partners, writing partners, sweethearts...

WM:Well I don't want them to know it. (Her smile tells me so.)

WM:Actually we are getting married next week!

AM:Where do we get to see you play next?

AM: Congratulations! Will you be married in Michigan?

WM:The next show is a Barn Dance in Brooklyn,WI on October 15, October 21st, in Marshfield,WI at the Wildwood Station and one more at the end of October to look out for!

WM: No, here, this is our home now. AM:What are you listening to lately? KJ:We've been streaming WSM- Nashville to hear old country gospel hymns on Sundays and some Justin Townes Earl... WM: I've been working on a new song idea with some gospel influence, I like the sound of Loretta Lynn and Patti Griffin's gospel albums. That's my roots, I grew up with my Mom playing piano in Church every Sunday. AM: So when you are working on a song, do you just sit down with the guitar, and out it comes? WM: Lately, I've been trying to write on the piano, but I hit a road block. It's hard for me to play something other than classical on the piano. OTHER THAN THE MUSIC- THE MACRO AM:What do you like to spend time doing that's not about the music?

When our visit concluded, Kyle sweetly took a picture of Whitney and me with my camera, and then they posed for one together for me. I'll keep those to show my grandkids someday.Whitney and Kyle sent the photos in this spread before they even had the chance to review this article. The photos they picked illustrate so eloquently what I've tried to,and I'm so grateful for the help:Whitney by herself at the piano in that simple gingham dress;Whitney and Kyle on stage- Whitney singing as Kyle looks on strumming that bass;Whitney and Kyle on stage- Kyle singing as Whitney looks on with her guitar. These images truly testify to my experience with Whitney and Kyle,and I believe the spirit in which they not only graciously granted this interview, but conduct themselves by, this respect for everyone and everything. She's normal, from simple roots. They love their parents, they do the right things because better things come of that. They are unassuming and uncomplicated at the core.When you meet them, all of that resonates like Whitney's voice. By Anne Miller - Read more from Anne at her website: takeascavengerhunt.com

WM: Photography. AM: How did that start for you? WM: It started in college when I worked as a photojournalist for a local cable access channel. AM:There is some beautiful photography on your website. What are your favorite subjects? WM: Sunsets, for sure.Anything close up. I like playing around with a macro-focus. When I was in high school, I spent a summer at the North Carolina School of Arts in an acting program. I had a teacher there who told a story about a friend who always wore a camera around his neck but never took any pictures.When my teacher asked him about it, he said that he wore it as a reminder to stop and really look at things. I've always liked that story. AM:What are you fanatical about? WM: Biking. (That's bicycling.) I just rode in the Centurian race, which was a 25-miler. I took first place in the female 25-29 age group and 10th in females overall! AM:That's awesome! How many miles do you put on in a week?

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Benita:Yes, he has. George was raised in Harrison,Ark. He’s a good ole country boy and musical genius. He started early on playing the fiddle, and he’s really amazing. He’s played for Patti Page,forTommy Overstreet,for the Lawrence Welk Orchestra;he writes for symphonies, but he’s also played with a lot of country acts. Pat: He’s the most humble, unassuming guy, but then you learn that he’s a fifth degree black belt,and he learned it from one of Elvis’bodyguards.Musically,he helps us ratchet it up.You either got to try to get to his level or you don’t play. Benita: He’s done nothing but music his whole life. He could be out on the road with anybody, but he lives in the Gulfport, Mississippi area now, and he wanted to be at home more with his family. Before he joined our band we had seen film of him playing jazz and all this way out stuff. But he came over to our house and we jammed together for about two hours, and he just lit it up. Frye:Talk a little about Joshua Faul,the other member of the group.What does he bring to the musical table?

SPEED ROUND: AM: Is there anything that scares you?

Benita: Well, Joshua is our bass player. We met him through George who had played some jazz gigs with him. He’s a genius. He has perfect pitch. He’s a quiet, reserved, 23year-old kid who had never played an upright bass, had never played bluegrass, before we got together. But we started going through some songs, and the stinker just stood up there…

WM: No.

Pat: …and wore it out.

AM: Do you open presents Christmas Eve, or Christmas morning?

Frye:Sounds like you’ve found the right musical chemistry for the group.Where do you see yourselves going from here?

WM: Not as many as I'd like to, but I try to get out a couple times a week. It's hard to do that around a playing schedule.

WM: Morning. AM:What possession are you never without? WM:Well, it used to be my camera, until I lost it when we were at Red Rocks a while back, now it's gone, along with all of my pictures of Red Rocks. AM: Does your guitar have a name? WM: No. AM:What's the best place on Earth you've ever been? WM: Benton Harbor, Michigan.There are a lot of pretty houses.

Benita:Well, like we said, we decided to stay here and make our music work, and then branch out from here. I want to be an ambassador for our delta, for the Gulf Coast. We’re starting to get a little bit of airplay; we’re doing some festivals and we want to do more of that.We’re doing a big trade show and conference in Nashville. Pat:We’d like to get over to Europe. Benita:And to the West Coast. Pat:We know we’re different from what’s out there. But as one writer said, ours doesn’t make traditionalists “squirm.”

AM: So no vices, no gossip, no tragedies, do you at least have a favorite YouTube video?

Benita:These guys in the band are willing to take the risks with us… But we’re also about community.There are musicians of all different genres down here on the coast, and we want to be a part of that.This is home. It’s a good place to be.

WM:There's a video of a woman describing a robbery attempt and there is someone who auto-tunes the news and makes songs out of the interviews. Our favorite is "The Backing Up Song". Check it out. It's funny.

For more information on this group check out their website at: wwwdeltareign.com Story by: Frye Gaillard

AND THE WHITNEY... AM:What do you want the whole world to know about you?

Photo supplied.

WM & KJ: We want the whole world to know that they should support their favorite local and touring musicians. Going to see a performance is the best way to support w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t