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Check out this month’s issue of Classic Drummer Magazine!
It is Volume 12, Issue 1. It has Doane Perry, drummer for Jethro Tull on the cover. Clifford Hughes’s article is located at the very back pages of the magazine.
Like Drums? Want to order a copy of Classic Drummer this month?
Go check them out at:
www.ClassicDrummer.com
Newly Painted Belton, Mo. Landmark Reads “Home of Tate Stevens, Live the Dream!”
BELTON, Mo. (April 15, 2013) – Syco/RCA Nashville recording artist Tate Stevens is experiencing a lot of firsts this year following his first place finish on FOX’s The X Factor, including landing a record deal, releasing new single “Power of a Love Song” to country radio, and his upcoming April 23 self-titled debut album release. Now Stevens can claim a new “first” as his hometown honors him with an impressive 160′ City of Belton water tower, freshly painted with “Home of Tate Stevens, Live the Dream!”
Stevens, a former blue collar road worker for the city, always displayed such appreciation for his small hometown while pursuing his life-long dream of becoming a country music star on The X Factor. Viewers were captivated by this unassuming Southern gentleman with the powerhouse vocals. Among those viewers was a contingent of Belton residents, who led the charge to raise 100% the funds for the water tower repainting and dedication.
“It’s moments like this that really make me smile,” shares Stevens. “The support I’ve felt from the community is incredible, and I hope I can continue to make them proud. I’m so incredibly humbled by this honor.”
Belton officials unveiled the landmark, located near Stevens’ home off Interstate 49 and M-58 Highway on Sunday, March 31 with the formal dedication, which Stevens will attend, scheduled for Monday, April 22, with media call-time at 10:30a.m. CDT. Stevens will perform a sold out show in Kansas City, Mo. at the Midland by AMC on Sunday, but fans can still purchase a limited number of tickets to his Monday night performance here. 
For a list of upcoming tour dates and latest happenings on Tate Stevens, visit www.tatestevensofficial.com.
George Beverly Shea
104 years old.
George Beverly Shea was a Canadian-born American gospel singer and hymn composer. Shea was often described as “America’s beloved Gospel singer” and was considered “the first international singing ‘star’ of the gospel world,” as a consequence of his solos at Billy Graham Crusades and his exposure on radio, records, and television.
Shea himself has said that he became a Christian at the age of five or six, but made a re-dedication to Christ when he was 18:
There were times when I needed to rededicate my life to the Lord Jesus. When I was 18, my dad was pastoring a church in Ottawa, and I was feeling not too spiritual. The church was having a “special effort,” as they called it, for a week. I remember that on Friday night Dad came down from the pulpit and tenderly placed his hand on my shoulder. He whispered, “I think tonight might be the night, son, when you come back to the Lord.” Whatever Dad did or said, I listened to him and respected him. And, yes, that was the night!
Shea accepted Christ again as his Saviour at the Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church in Ottawa, Canada.
During his career, Shea was nominated for ten Grammy Awards, winning on March 15, 1966, the 1965 Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording (Musical) for his album “Southland Favorites” (RCA LSP-3440) recorded with the Anita Kerr Quartet.
On February 12, 2011, Shea received the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.
Read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Beverly_Shea
Bucky Covington – Good Guys
Bucky Covington took the same path to country music that was taken by Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler , Scotty McCreery and Casey James. Bucky, like the others, started on the stage of American Idol. He finished in eighth place during season five.
The path he took, however, has not been a smooth one. Since Bucky released his first album back in 2007, he hit a few stumbling blocks. His single, “A Different World,” from the album of the same name, made it into the top 10 on the country charts. That album also gave us the singles “It’s Good to Be Us,” and “I’ll Walk.”
Things started out good for Bucky. He was recording for Lyric Street Records, and his debut album was produced by Mark Miller, lead singer for the band Sawyer Brown. But, before Bucky had a chance to get his second studio album on store shelves, Lyric Street Records closed their doors, leaving him without a label for several years.
Now on the roster of Entertainment One Music Group, he is recording for eOne Records, and released his sophomore album, “Good Guys,” this past September. His first single from the new CD, “I Wanna Be That Feeling,” didn’t do as well as the singer would have hoped, making it only to the number 57 spot on country music charts. There are a lot of really good songs on the new album, and hopefully, Bucky and his management team will find one that works for country radio.
The 12 songs on the “Good Guys” album are I Wanna Be That Feeling, I’m Alright, Hold a Woman, Drinkin’ Side of Country (a duet with Shooter Jennings), Only Got So Much Time, Mama Must Be Prayin’, Sail On, I Always Said You’d Be Back, Mexicoma, I Want My Life Back, Gotta Be Somebody, and A Father’s Love (The Only Way He Knew How).
The music on this album is a nice mix of 70s country music coupled with a contemporary radio-ready feel. This project for Bucky definitely puts the old with the new.
“I’m Alright” is slow, and it’s good – it tells a story. Bucky’s vocals seem to be just the right sound for this song. That one is followed by “Hold a Woman.” I’m not sure where that ‘raspy’ voice came from – this, too, is a great song for Bucky.
He pairs up with Shooter Jennings, son of legendary country Waylon Jennings, on the song “Drinkin’ Side of Country”. Kellie Pickler has a part in the music video for this song, which Bucky co-wrote with his brother/drummer, Rocky. “Drinkin’ Side of Country” sounds like so many of the songs we are hearing on country radio these days, so I’m really not sure why it didn’t the air time I feel it deserved.
“Only Got So Much Time” is pretty much the story of everyone’s life. It puts you in mind of songs like “You’re Gonna Miss This,” or “Don’t Miss your Life,” and even Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying.” While the words and thoughts are definitely different from those other songs, the message is simple….life is short, we only have so much time, use it wisely.
“Mamma Must Be Praying, the sixth song on the album, is a fast song with a familiar melody. When I first heard it, I knew it reminded me of something else, but I have no idea what. It’s not one of my favorite songs on this CD, but I don’t dislike it either.
For people who like a sad and depressing song every now and then, Bucky has one of those for you with “Sail On.” It’s a typical country break-up song, but it’s a pretty song. He follows that one with “I Always Said You’d Be Back,” which will get you back in a happy mood. What Bucky did her was follow the break-up song with a ‘you’re back’ song. This one is fun to listen to.
“Mexicoma” starts with the feel of a mariachi band, a little brass, a little fun… a little bit of ‘this makes me want to jump on a plane and take a vacation.’ It’s a good song, it’s everything you might expect from a ‘let’s go to Mexico, sit on the beach, and drink Tequila’ song. That brings us to “I Want My Life Back.” and we’re back to slow, a little bit depressing, a little sad… but one of my absolute favorites on this album.
The 11th song is called “Gotta Be Somebody,” and you might remember hearing this song before. It was the first official single released by Nickelback from their sixth album, Dark Horse, back in 2008. All I have to say about this is I believe Bucky’s version of the song is much better. It ended up being one of my favorites on the CD.
You can keep up with Bucky, and listen to some of his music, by visiting his web site http://buckycovington.com/. And, you can keep up with everything country by visiting ours at www.countryschatter.com. Follow us on Twitter, too, @countryschatter.
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Jessica Molaskey and Dave Frishberg – At The Algonquin
Artist Name = Jessica Molaskey and Dave Frishberg
Genre = Jazz
Title = At The Algonquin
Record Company = Arbors
Though singer Jessica Molaskey receives top billing on this CD, her presence is unnecessary except on “Who’s on First?,” which requires two singers, and “Excuse Me for Living,” which must be sung by a woman. Dave Frishberg generously included her at this engagement, as he featured Rebecca Kilgore at other sessions. The CD belongs to him: he either wrote or collaborated on all the songs, sings on most of them, and plays piano on all of them.
One knows what to expect from Frishberg’s most appealing work: witty narratives with hip lyrics and engaging rhymes sung with a nasal voice to the composer’s own accompaniment. The narratives are the star. “I’m Hip” gives hilarious examples of the singer’s hipness, such as watching arty French movies while wearing sunglasses. At the conclusion of this selection, Molaskey says appropriately of Frishberg, “If you’re not hip, I don’t know who is.” On “My Attorney Bernie,” possibly his most famous song, the lyrics characterize an attorney who, among other things, always orders expensive wine, finds it unacceptable, and returns it. “I Want to Be a Sideman” enumerates the joys of being a sideman, among which are sleeping on buses, smoking during intermissions, and drinking in hotel bars. “My New Celebrity Is You” (lyrics additional to those written by Johnny Mercer) is notable for rhyming names, such as Michael Feinstein, Aaron Weinstein, Gertrude Stein, Albert Einstein. “Can’t Take You Nowhere,” which uses the melody of Tiny Kahn’s “TNT” plus a chorus from “Tiny’s Blues,” relates the embarrassing behavior of a date
Jessica Molaskey and Dave Frishberg at the Algonquin – Arbors Records
or spouse: she drinks to excess, is cheap, overstays her welcome, and so forth. Yet the concluding words are ambiguous. In expressing sadness that the gauche one must leave, does the male imply deep love, or is he ironic?
I find Frishberg’s sentimental lyrics far less effective than the witty ones. They include “Do You Miss New York?,” a paean to the Apple, and “Listen Here,” a self-help lyric Frishberg wrote for Mary Tyler Moore. These ballads aspire to deep meaning but do not attain it.
During the 1930s, the Round Table—Robert Benchley, George S. Kaufman, Alexander Woollcott, and others—met frequently in New York at the Algonquin Hotel, where this CD was recorded in 2011. Another member was Dorothy Parker, about whom Frishberg wrote two of the songs heard here. The first, “Will You Die?,” questions, in a black humor manner, whether Parker will succeed at killing herself after three unsuccessful attempts. The disjunction between the meaning and the melody, which is jaunty, reinforces the humor. I wonder, though, about the advisability of performing such a song before an unsuspecting audience: a listener who knew a suicide would find nothing humorous about it. In the second Parker song, “Excuse Me for Living,” Molaskey sings of Parker’s sense of worthlessness. The lovely melody is as incongruous as the one to “Will You Die?”
Applause and laughter indicate that Frishberg and Molaskey delighted the Algonquin audience, though never more than on “My New Celebrity Is You.” The crowd erupts when Molaskey identifies Pizzarelli as a celebrity friend. She is married to the guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli who, with numerous friends, surely was responsible for the huzzah. One need not understand all the allusions on this or the other songs, though, to enjoy At the Algonquin.
Author = Benjamin Franklin V
Vernon Dalhart
Vernon Dalhart ( Marion Try Slaughter ) lived April 6, 1883 to September 14, 1948.
Vernon Dalhart was a popular American singer and songwriter of the early decades of the 20th century. He is a major influence in the field of country music.
Dalhart was born in Jefferson, Texas. He took his stage name from two towns, Vernon and Dalhart in Texas, between which he punched cattle in the 1890s.
From 1916 until 1923, using numerous pseudonyms, he made over 400 recordings of light classical music and early dance band vocals for various record labels.
Research by Billboard statistician Joel Whitburn determined “The Prisoner’s Song” to have been a No. 1 hit for 12 weeks in 1925-26. In 1998, “The Prisoner’s Song” was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award and the Recording Industry Association of America named it one of the Songs of the Century. It was the
desire of the Victor Talking Machine Company to duplicate the sales success of ‘Wreck/Prisoner’ that led them to contract with Ralph S. Peer to go to the southern mountains in the Summer of 1927 to facilitate ‘The Bristol Sessions’, arguably the single-most important recording event in the history of country music, where Jimmie Rodgers and the original Carter Family were first discovered, and after which, Peer’s royalty model would become the standard of the entire recorded music industry.
Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Dalhart
Easter Bunny
Sit back and enjoy yourself listening to this one hour Music Charts Magazine Easter weekend radio special.
Big Al will guide you though this Easter weekend with one solid hour of Easter trivia, stories and some good ole Easter music that we are sure that you’ll enjoy!
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Click the play button to listen to: “Music Charts Magazine 4 part Easter Weekend Radio Special” – with Big Al. |
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( The Big Al Bluegrass Show is brought to you by MusicChartsMagazine.com )
Sara Serpa . Ran Blake – Album – Aurora
Date = 28 March 2013
Artist Name = Sara Serpa and Ran Blake
Genre = Jazz
Title = Aurora
Record Company = Clean Feed
Review = The Portuguese singer Sara Serpa became active on the American jazz scene in 2008. That year, when she received a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory, she recorded with Greg Osby and led her initial session, released as Praia. Subsequently, she recorded a duet album, Camera Obscura, with pianist Ran Blake, and released her second CD as leader, Mobile. Recorded in Lisbon in May 2012, Aurora is another session with Blake.
Praising her originality, daringness, clarity of voice, and ability to sing as an instrumentalist, critics rave about Serpa. Without question, she is daring in her willingness to sing with Blake, one of the most idiosyncratic musicians, and her voice is clear. She is original at least in the sense that her voice is immediately identifiable. I cannot tell from the music on Auroa whether her singing resembles the playing of an instrumentalist, whatever this means. These qualities are positive and warrant praise. She also possesses another quality: uncertain intonation. She is not the first singer to have this problem: Anita O’Day comes immediately to mind, as does Chris Connor, a favorite of Blake. Yet these singers’ occasional inability to stay on pitch was not as frequent or severe as Serpa’s, and they had compensating qualities that Serpa lacks. Occasionally, she reminds me of Jo Stafford, as Darlene Edwards, parodying inferior singers. Does wavering intonation detract from Serpa’s singing? To me, it detracts because it distracts. This is not to say that in order to sing convincingly a singer need be formal and “correct” and must not take liberties. In the end, I believe that Serpa’s sometimes imperfect intonation (as on “Love Lament” and “Wende”) is worth enduring in order to enjoy her other qualities, the ability to convey meaning paramount among them.
As should be expected on a CD involving Blake, the selections reflect his interests, including movies, and his interpretations of familiar tunes are always fresh. On the current release, he chose “The Band Played On” because of its appearance in the movie Strangers on a Train; “Dr. Mabuse,” because it is played in Fritz Lang’s film of the same name. “Last Night When We Were Young,” the sole standard ballad, is moving in its deliberate tempo and nuance. “Cansaço” is a fado. Serpa does not sing on “Mahler Noir,” on which Blake, the composer, segues into “Dancing in the Dark.” Serpa sings “Strange Fruit” a cappella. Despite taking great liberties with it, she remains on key until intentionally wavering at the end, in the manner of Billie Holiday. One wonders, though, how meaningful the lyrics are to this Portuguese who has resided in the United States for only a few years.
In sum, the music of Serpa and Blake is more exploratory than polished, and this, to me, is a major positive. Individualists, the musicians take chances while striving for valid musical expression in an unexpected manner. They succeed in doing so.
Author = Benjamin Franklin V
Music Charts Magazine Jazz Reviews with Benjamin Franklin V
Easton Corbin – All Over The Road
Artist: Easton Corbin
Album: “All Over the Road“
Genre: Country Music
Easton Corbin’s sophomore album, “All Over the Road,” was released back in September, 2012. By this time, all of his fans know the songs “Lovin’ You is Fun” and the album’s title track, “All Over the Road.” These two songs were released as singles, and both did well both on radio, and on the country charts.
But there are nine additional songs on this new CD that Easton’s fans are going to want to know about. As you will see from the list of song titles and the writers for each song, Easton does more than sing on this new album. He had a hand in writing two of the songs.
The first and second tracks are his the two he’s already released, All Over the Road (Carson Chamberlain, Ashley Gorley, Wade Kriby); and Lovin’ You is Fun (Jim Beavers, Bob DiPiero). The nine that follow are That’s Gonna Leave a Memory (Tony Martin, Mark Nesler, Roger Springer); Hearts Drawn in the Sand (Michael White, Jason Saenz); Dance Real Slow (Carson Chamberlain, Ashley Gorley, Wade Kriby); A Thing for You (Easton Corbin, Carson Chamberlain, Tony Lane); Are You With Me (Tommy Lee James, Terry McBride, Shane McAnally); This Feels A Lot Like Love (Easton Corbin, Carson Chamberlain, Mark D. Sanders); Only A Girl (Carson Chamberlain, Wade Kirby, Will Nance); Tulsa, Texas Tony Lane, Mike Lane, David Lee); and I Think of You (Thom Shepherd, Jeff Silvey).
Since Easton first released “A Little More Country Than That,” back in 2009, people have been comparing his voice to George Strait. In fact, when hearing his debut single for the first time, a lot of folks thought it was actually an old George Strait song, and that George was singing it. While that is an easy comparison to make, you will hear a lot this new CD that is unmistakably Easton. “Only A Girl,” however, is the one on the new album that instantly reminds the listener of George.
“A Thing for You,” is one Easton had a hand in writing. It is one of my favorites on this album, with the kind of lyrics that make you want to listen, and not miss even one word. ‘Farmers farm and painters paint, God is good, and the devil ain’t… Summers hot and sidewalks crack, don’t ask me why it goes like that…” You’ve made your point, Easton, it just doesn’t get any more country than that.
“Are You With Me,” the albums sixth track, does slow things way down for listeners. I know country music fans pay a lot of attention to lyrics. I go to concerts, I hear them singing along. This is one I am sure they will play close attention to, and they will remember the words.
Things speed back up with “This Feels A Lot Like Love.” When that song starts, you are probably going to want to get out of your seat, start clapping your hands, and you will most likely want to sing along. It is the kind of song that works for Easton, and I believe it would make a good single.
The Florida native has a lot to say in this album. He has a good mix of strong ballads and more than likeable mid-tempo music. Whoever put the songs in order for the CD ended with “I Think of You.” This slow song with its romantic lyrics definitely made it the right song for the final spot on the album.
Even though is first single made it to No. 1 on the country music charts, he seems to have a more confident sound now than when his career first began. He has definitely found his place in country music, and it looks like he will be part of the industry for many years to come.
If you haven’t had an opportunity to see Easton in concert, you can keep up with his show schedule on his web site www.eastoncorbin.com. His web site will also point you in the direction of his facebook and Twitter account. Whenever you have time to catch up on country music news, visit us at www.countryschatter.com.
Author: Country of Country’s Chatter – www.CountrysChatter.com
Music Charts Magazine Album & Artist Reviews 2013
James Meadows – Keepin’ It Real
Great country music doesn’t only come out of Nashville. If you stop and look around, you just might find some of the best country music within an hour drive from home. Here in Northeast Tennessee, we didn’t have to go very far to find James Meadows. He recently released his second album, “Keepin’ It Real.” I first met James at the Washington County Fair, but never had the opportunity to see him perform until I caught one of his shows in Bristol, a few months ago.
The Abingdon, Va., resident is an ASCAP affiliated singer/songwriter and Nashville recording artist. While James was in college, he was involved with the ETSU Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music program. He played in many bands, featuring top notch talent from all over the world. He also played in many different band combinations, performing both bluegrass and country.
This very talented local artist brings great country music to Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia with live shows just about every weekend. While his shows are often acoustic performances, he also works with his full band, The Country Mile Drifters. James is a fun performer. He has a lot of energy, and knows how to work with his audience, making it impossible for anyone not to have a good time.
His new CD, “Keepin’ It Real” is now available at amazon.com. The 11 songs on the new album paint a very good picture of who James is, and exactly what he does. Joining other very talented songwriters, James wrote or co-wrote several of the songs on the CD. In addition to the original music, listeners will also hear his version of the Randy Travis classic, “Forever and Ever Amen.”
His live shows offer a variety of music from many different genres. When you see James on on stage, you can expect to hear Classic Country, New Top 40 Country, a little Southern Rock and Bluegrass, and some of his original music as well. Oh his album, “Keepin’ It Real,” however, James does just that. He keeps his songs ‘real’ country. His voice is very versatile, and he uses his talent to create a unique sound on every song he sings. Many times when listening to a new song on the radio, you might find yourself trying to figure out exactly who the artist sounds like. There isn’t any comparison with James. James Meadows sounds like James Meadows. He is who he is, and there is no attempt at wanting to sound like anyone else. He doesn’t need to. After you hear him sing for the first time, you will remember where that voice is coming from when the next James Meadows song is played.
The songs you’ll get on this album are Like A Radio, Somebody Up There Likes Me, I Get to, Forever and Ever Amen, All I Ever Wanted, Knock Knock, They Walk On Your Heart, Keepin’ It Real, Feelin’ Good, Sad Songs Make Me Smile, and People Need People.
There is something for everyone on this CD. “All I Ever Wanted” is for the romantics; “They Walk on Your Heart” will touch every parent; “I Get To” will make each of us think about what is really important in our life; “People Need People” pretty much tells us what we already know, about getting through every day with someone close by to help us; and “Somebody Up There Likes Me” wins the prize for the ‘catchy melody, sing-along with this one’ song out of the 11 on the new CD.
The first single release from the new album, “Like A Radio,” made the Music Row Charts and charted in the Top 80 in February, with the help of the promotional team from ATP Records in Nashville. James is currently gearing up to release another single from this album and he is songwriting again in preparation for another album that will be in the works over the next few months.
James has shows scheduled for Davinci’s in Abingdon, Va.; Louie’s in Glade Spring, Va.; The Country Club and State Line Bar and Grill, both located in Bristol; and Sportsman Marina in Abingdon. You can find out more about James, check all of his show dates, and listen to his music at jamesmeadows.net.
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Music Charts Magazine CD Reviews ( Country )