The Nashville Musician — April - June 2022

REVIEWS: ADAM SHOENFELD • PAT COIL • ROLAND WHITE • GERSHWIN COUNTRY

MEMBERSHIP MEETING M AY 2 6 , 2 0 2 2 ON ZOOM

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF AFM LOCAL 257 APRIL - JUNE 20 2 2

IN REAL TIME

CHESTER

THOMPSON

APRIL– JUNE 2022 1

2 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

CONTENTS Official Journal of the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257 | APRIL — JUNE 2022

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10 12 14 20

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25 26 33 34

ANNOUNCEMENTS Details on the upcoming member meeting May 26 on Zoom, minutes and more.

STATE OF THE LOCAL Dave Pomeroy talks about the relaunch of live music, our shifting demographic, a new General Jackson contract, and an impending right-to-work referendum.

IN THE POCKET Secretary-Treasurer Vince Santoro talks about the importance of union membership, and the finances of Local 257.

NEWS Local 257 has made great strides in helping musicians — even while dealing with a worldwide pandemic — and more musicians understand the value of solidarity every day. Learn more about what we’ve been up to over the past two years.

HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE The comings and goings of Local 257 members.

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CHESTER THOMPSON

GALLERY We recognize member milestones as well as other events and honors.

COVER STORY: CHESTER THOMPSON The one-ofa-kind drummer and educator shares his fascinating musical journey with Warren Denney — and it’s an amazing Curriculum Vitae that goes from A to Zappa.

REVIEWS Adam Shoenfeld’s solo debut finds him writing, producing and performing on this family-inspired project that runs a rock gamut while connecting with his audience up close and personal. Plus, world-class pianist Pat Coil reinvents jazz standards with his virtuoso trio; Gershwin gets updated with a host of duets by great Local 257 artists; and the inimitable Roland White story is told full voice in an in-depth new biography, poignantly being released as we say our last goodbyes to the bluegrass legend.

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ADAM SHOENFELD

SYMPHONY NOTES Bassist Kevin Jablonski shares the progress of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s current season as the players perform in a variety of ensembles, celebrate the organization’s 75th anniversary, and stay safe by continuing to follow performance health protocols.

JAZZ & BLUES Austin Bealmear offers an update on local jazz and blues.

FINAL NOTES We bid farewell to Gary Scruggs, Rose Lee Maphis, Ronnie Tutt, Stonewall Jackson, Billy Robinson, Coulter Paugh, Ernie Miller, Ted Stovall, and Gene “Pappy” Merritts.

MEMBER STATUS DO NOT WORK FOR LIST

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NASHVILLE SYMPHONY APRIL– JUNE 2022 3

ANNOUNCEMENTS

OFFICIAL QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE NASHVILLE MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION AFM LOCAL 257

PUBLISHER EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

ART DIRECTION WEB ADMINISTRATOR AD SALES LOCAL 257 OFFICERS PRESIDENT SECRETARY-TREASURER EXECUTIVE BOARD

EXECUTIVE BOARD ALTERNATES HEARING BOARD

TRUSTEES SERGEANT AT ARMS NASHVILLE SYMPHONY STEWARD OFFICE MANAGER ELECTRONIC MEDIA SERVICES DIRECTOR RECORDING/ELECTRONIC MEDIA

DIRECTOR, LIVE/TOURING DEPT. PENSION ADMINISTRATOR AND MPTF COORDINATOR

Dave Pomeroy Vince Santoro Kathy Osborne Leslie Barr Austin Bealmear Warren Denney Kevin Jablonski Roy Montana Kathy Osborne Dave Pomeroy Leslie Barr Tripp Dockerson Donn Jones Dave Pomeroy Vince Santoro Lisa Dunn Design Kathy Osborne Leslie Barr 615-244-9514

Dave Pomeroy Vince Santoro Jerry Kimbrough Alison Prestwood Biff Watson Laura Ross Steven Sheehan Tom Wild Jonathan Yudkin Rich Eckhardt Casey Brefka Michele Voan Capps Tiger Fitzhugh Teresa Hargrove Kent Goodson Sarah Martin McConnell Dave Moody Paul Ossola Bruce Radek Biff Watson Steve Tveit

Nashville Musicians Association | AFM Local 257, AFL-CIO Minutes of the Executive Board Zoom Meeting Oct. 1, 2021 PRESENT: Vince Santoro(VS), Dave Pomeroy(DP), Laura Ross(LR), Tom Wild(TW), Jonathan Yudkin(JY), Steven Sheehan(SS) , Alison Prestwood(AP), Biff Watson(BW), Jerry Kimbrough(JK), Rich Eckhardt(RE).

ABSENT: Casey Brefka.

President Pomeroy called the meeting to order at 8:36 a.m.

MINUTES: Minutes from Sept. 2, 2021, were distributed in advance and discussed.

MSC to approve Sept. 2 EB meeting minutes as amended JY, LR. PRESIDENT’S REPORT: The following issues were briefly discussed and approved: 1. With the help of the players and the AFM, we have been able to get the new Fox dramatic TV series Monarch. It will be on an AFM contract, ensuring payment and protection for years to come.

2. An informal committee has been meeting and conferring with AFM Legislative Director Alfonso Pollard to develop strategies to help pass the American Music Fairness Act, that is currently before Congress.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Secretary-Treasurer Santoro distributed financial reports and fund balances in advance.

MSC to approve Secretary-Treasurer report. LR, RE. 4Q 2021 Pandemic Waiver Form was discussed, filled out and sent to the Federation defining the COVID-19 related accommodations we are using regarding forgiveness of reinstatement fees, electronic meetings, and more.

MSC to approve. LR, BW. MSC to approve new member applications (9). TW, RE. The 2022 Annual Dues amount was discussed and proposed to be kept the same as 2021. MSC to approve 2022 Annual Dues amount. BW, AP. MSC to adjourn. LR, AP. Meeting adjourned at 9:59 a.m.

Kevin Jablonski Laura Slater

Heather Smalley Paige Conners Sarah Swensen Cassandra Tormes Leslie Barr

ADMINISTRATIVE AND RECORDING ASSISTANT

Savannah Ritchie

MEMBERSHIP

William Sansbury

@ 2022 Nashville Musicians Association P.O. Box 120399, Nashville TN 37212 All rights reserved. nashvillemusicians.org

4 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

The next General Membership Meeting of Local 257 will take place Thursday, May 26, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom by teleconference. All members will receive an email with instructions on how to attend with Zoom. On the agenda are reports from the president and secretary-treasurer and other important discussions. Make plans to attend now and stay involved in the business of your local. If you need instruction on how to attend by teleconference, please call the local at 615-244-9514 for assistance.

DO WE HAVE YOUR CURRENT

EMAIL ADDRESS?

Local 257 sends important advisories to members by email, including updates on our annual NAMM pass giveaway, and invitations to Local 257 events. Don't be left out of the loop! Notify the front desk of any changes to your contact information, including phone number, address and beneficiary.

Call 615-244-9514 to make sure we have your correct information.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Nashville Musicians Association AFM Local 257, AFL-CIO Minutes of the 4th Quarter Zoom Membership Meeting Nov. 4, 2021 PRESENT: Chris Carmichael, Seph Allen, Ellen Angelico, Mike Rinne, Jon Weaver, Lee Wineland, Richard Wineland, Nell Levin, Michael August, Maya Stone, Clare Yang, Luis Espaillat, Scott Metko, Steve Ebe, Lance Martin, Danny Strimer, Sunny Dada, Rattlesnake Annie, James Hunt, Chester Thompson, Jeffrey Clemens, John Root.

EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESENT: Jonathan Yudkin, Biff Watson, Rich Eckhardt(alt), Casey Brefka(alt).

HEARING BOARD PRESENT: Kent Goodson, Tiger Fitzhugh, Teresa Hargrove, Sarah Martin McConnell, Michele Capps.

PARLIAMENTARIAN: Bill Wiggins.

OFFICERS PRESENT: Dave Pomeroy, Vince Santoro, Steve Tveit (sergeant at arms).

President Pomeroy called meeting to order at 5:40 p.m.

Minutes from Aug. 5 2021 membership meeting were displayed and discussed.

MSC to approve minutes of Aug. 5, 2021 Zoom membership meeting. Rich Eckhardt, Biff Watson.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT: 1. Opry contract expired in May. Still in negotiations, and getting closer to an agreement. The 2017 revenue share deal we made for cable TV and YouTube has had a big positive impact on payments to many Opry musicians.

2. Monarch TV show is under an AFM contract, thanks to our collective effort.

3. Dave has filed assault charges on illegal taxi driver who threatened him.

4. CMA 50 Year Anniversary DVD box set is finally close to payout. Player identifications are almost complete for these back-end payments.

5. Local 257 is experiencing a surge of younger and diverse new members.

6. The Guidestar nonprofit listing site highlights our Crisis Assistance Fund.

7. As always, we are ready to listen to any and all communications and questions, and will continue to do all we can to help our members and all Nashville musicians.

SECRETARY-TREASURER’S REPORT: 1. Nashville Musicians Association Crisis Assistance Fund has received enough donations since its initial distribution to warrant another distribution to musicians in need soon.

2. COVID-19 numbers are lower and we are staying vigilant at the office in case there’s another uptick.

3. The Local 257 office has three new staff members.

Nashville Musicians Association AFM Local 257, AFL-CIO Minutes of the Executive Board Zoom Meeting Nov. 22, 2021 PRESENT: Vince Santoro(VS), Dave Pomeroy(DP), Laura Ross(LR), Tom Wild(TW), Jonathan Yudkin(JY), Steven Sheehan(SS) , Alison Prestwood(AP), Biff Watson(BW), Jerry Kimbrough(JK), Rich Eckhardt(RE).

ABSENT: Casey Brefka.

President Pomeroy called the meeting to order at 1:06 p.m.

MINUTES: Minutes from Oct. 1, 2021 were distributed in advance.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT: The following issues were briefly discussed and approved: 1. We can and should do more to effectively utilize our relationship with the Chamber of Commerce.

2. The American Music Fairness Act needs Republican support and possible cosponsors. The AMFA flier with QR code to sign the petition is now available.

3. The NMA Crisis Assistance Fund balance is enough to begin a second distribution. MSC to delay CAF distribution until new year. LR, SS. 4. Discussion re: 2022 membership drive and Giving Tuesday.

5. Changes in our employee lineup are going well. Heather Smalley is learning Steve’s role as Director Electronic Media Services, as he prepares to retire.

MSC to adjourn. RE, AP. Meeting adjourned at 2:16 p.m.

Pension Fund Questions?

For more information contact: Tanisha Figueroa TFigueroa@afmepf.org 212-284-1272 Gary Lubliner 212-284-1289 glubliner@afmepf.org

MSC to approve Secretary-Treasurer report. Kent Goodson, Tiger Fitzhugh.

Discussion on several topics.

1. Delinquent work dues and nonmember service fees.

2. Time card app and ideas to produce one via different methods like a membership challenge, Hands-On-Nashville.

3. Whether or not to continue Zooming post-COVID-19, magazine in print to membership.

MSC to adjourn. Chris Carmichael, Sarah Martin McConnell.

Meeting adjourned at 6:51 p.m.

HOLIDAYS MONDAY, MAY 30 | MEMORIAL DAY MONDAY, JUNE 20 | JUNETEENTH MONDAY, JULY 4 | INDEPENDENCE DAY TNM

APRIL– JUNE 2022 5

STATE OF THE LOCAL

“There will always be challenges on the road ahead that are best addressed with honesty, openness and fairness.”

As

BY DAVE POMEROY

we witness the long-awaited revitalization of live music and the continuing surge of new recording, streaming and television projects, we are grateful that we have made it through one of the most challenging periods in the history of the music industry. Once again, The Nashville Way, the organic system of mutual respect between employers and musicians that is the hallmark of the best of Music City, has shown the world that the music business can be a win-win when people treat each other how they would like to be treated.

That is how we got here, and we are constantly making adjustments and finding new ways to make sure musicians are paid and their intellectual property is protected. There will always be challenges on the road ahead that are best addressed with honesty, openness and fairness. Not everyone “gets it,” but we are making progress every day and will continue to fight for what is right in the most peaceful way possible.

Music has the power to bring people together and drive positive change in the world. We are proud to represent not only our members, but all Nashville musicians.

Membership drive

I am happy to report that our two-month membership drive in February and March brought in more than 50 new Local 257 members. The demographic shift towards a younger and more diverse membership that has been building for the past decade is manifesting itself in a big way, and is exciting to see. Even since the end of the drive, we are still seeing new members come in and join nearly every day. The rehearsal hall is pulsating with great music, from songwriters to big bands, and everything in between. As live music continues to come back to life, our members are showing the world that Nashville is about all kinds of music, and that we are on the cutting edge of the music business in many ways.

New contract updates

We have a new one-year contract with the General Jackson showboat, with a three percent raise across the board, following up on a six percent raise last year. The new riverboattheme show for this year is called “Rollin’ on the River,” and features an expanded band with a horn section. In addition, our new Grand Ole Opry agreement has been ratified and will result in raises for all three years of the contract. The back-end payments from our previous contract were an unprecedented $170,000, and as the Opry continues to expand its fan base via the internet and cable TV, those numbers will continue to go up. These two long running contracts have seen significant improvements in wages and working conditions, and we will continue to work on bringing more and more work under AFM contracts.

6 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

Right to work for less

There is a proposal on the ballot in the upcoming November election that would embed the already onerous right-to-work laws that currently exist in our state into the Tennessee state constitution, in order to make it that much harder to get rid of this unfair concept. This was proposed by a Memphis legislator who is stepping down after being caught with his hand in the cookie jar of his campaign finances, and is a ridiculously bad idea. The original legislation was passed in 1947, and is an obstacle that we deal with almost every day, as some people will use this to rip off workers, plain and simple. Others will use this to use our services without paying for them, while enjoying all the benefits of union contracts. This includes fair wages, payment for new uses of their work, and building and collecting an AFM pension that is sometimes bigger than their Social Security payments.

It may be technically legal to avoid being a union member and/or employ musicians without a union contract, but that doesn’t make it right. Ironically, the rise of Nashville as a worldwide music center happened in the decade after the original law was passed, because Owen Bradley and Chet Atkins stood up to the big record companies who came here to profit from “hillbilly music,” and insisted that musicians be treated with respect by working under an AFM contract.

This is how we can get musicians paid again and again for the use of their work, and Local 257 has become the third largest AFM local in the U.S. We will be asking all of you to let your voices be heard at the ballot box in November, and vote “No” to this unnecessary proposal, which makes no sense whatsoever, and will hurt all working Tennesseans.

Thanks in advance for your help with this and other issues, and for your participation in our union. We will always be stronger when we stand together and look out for one another.

TNM That’s the Nashville Way.

IN THE POCKET

HELP US HELP YOU

As

the weather turns to spring we look forward to rebirth, and Local 257 is no different. We hope to bring that energy to our membership and ask your help with keeping our numbers growing. The larger our membership, the better armed we are to help that very membership!

Some players you may know or play with may not be aware of the the many reasons they should be a union member here in Nashville.

We don’t necessarily assume that someone isn’t a member because they don’t WANT to be. From personal experience, I was in the dark myself until I went to New York City to perform on a TV show and was approached by someone asking to see my union card. This person, upon finding out that I was not union affiliated, told me that I needed to join if I had any hopes of performing again in a non-rightto-work state, such as New York. Reluctant to dig deeper into why, I simply joined and promptly became disinterested again.

If I had known someone I respected in these matters at the time, I would’ve listened closer to the obvious reasons that union membership makes sense. I’d also possibly become more informed as to the history of unions in this country — not necessarily pertaining to the music industry alone.

I am reading a book called Cold Millions by Jess Walter that is fiction, but based on true events in the Spokane, Oregon, area involving union activists during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Their life and death struggles with those who would kill them rather than accept paying a fair wage to the working class was horrific. A worthwhile read!

The book enlightened me to how learning about union membership can change minds and give pause to those who do not understand how employers at the time took and, in some cases, still take unfair advantage of workers’ labor. This corruption is still happening today, albeit more a back-room approach than the “skull-knocking” that was prevalent at the beginning of the 20th century.

When a chance arises, let cohorts and friends know the benefits of membership and explain that their nonmembership actually makes it harder for members in a state like Tennessee, due to our state’s right-to-work (for less) laws.

Our local has been in existence since 1902 and still does all it can to get musicians paid fairly and promptly. Here’s just a sampling from the impressive list of things we’ve accomplished just in the past two years: • Our Music Performance Trust Fund has paid our members more than $160,000 in cosponsored live and streaming gigs.

• Our Funeral Benefit Fund has paid beneficiaries of deceased members $250,000.

How well we serve our membership is directly impacted by how much attention we have to pay to nonmembers’ activities and those who would take advantage of our RTW status. Like any business, our bottom line determines our ability to do this.

During the first two years of the pandemic we were lucky to access aid from several government loans, one debt of which we recently have been forgiven. It takes a lot of time and paperwork

BY VINCE SANTORO to complete this type of transaction but the fact that we received $88,856.00 via the Payroll Protection Plan 2.0 made it worth the effort and kept our doors open at a perilous time. Note: Full 2021 financials will appear in the third quarter magazine.

When the pandemic began, we reconfigured our former Flood Fund 501(c)3 charitable arm into the renamed Crisis Assistance Fund. It is open to professional musicians whether or not they are members. This fund has already dispensed some $21,000 to people whose incomes were harshly impacted by COVID-19. This fund will be kept in operation as long as it is useful and that may be in perpetuity. Our effort to gather donations has been met with a community response that is very heartening and should continue.

Though I make it sound like we’re through with this pandemic I’d caution that anything can happen, and there’s word about another strain that is sure to make the jump to our shores. We’ll be keeping our eye on case numbers and be able to respond swiftly to keep our staff and membership as safe as possible. So far, area recording has survived throughout the most dangerous times of the virus. On the live music side, not so much. Many of our members whose livelihood depends on travel and live venues took a real hit but it’s starting to show life leading into the spring, which is great!

As things stand here, our rehearsal hall is operating and that bodes well for our members’ ability to use it, knowing how in normal times, that room is booked solid.

Here’s hoping members don’t keep their membership a secret and spread the word about joining Local 257. The more folks that add their voices the stronger we are! TNM

nashvillemusicians.org/join-nashville-musicians-association

APRIL– JUNE 2022 7

NEWS

YOUR UNION HARD AT WORK Local 257 celebrates 120 years of helping musicians AFM Local 257 concluded its successful two-month membership drive March 31, bringing dozens of professional musicians into the fold. Members who joined during the drive were able to do so without paying the normal $165 Federation and Local initiation fees. It’s worth noting, though, that this same discount will still apply when bands (two people or more) join together. That’s an ongoing feature, and it has helped many groups join more economically.

For more details contact our membership team.

If you have fellow musician friends or coworkers who wonder what Local 257 can do for them, you can send them to our website — nashvillemusicians.org — or rattle off a few items from this list of some of the things we’ve accomplished in the past two years: New members saxophonist Tim Kreis and bassist Jacob Jezioro.

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When the American Rescue Act was passed in 2020, we helped hundreds of freelance musicians navigate the Tennessee Unemployment system, which was not set up to deal with freelance musicians and independent contractors. This assistance and advice was given free to anyone who asked for help.

Musicians working under our AFM contracts have been paid more than $17 million in scale wages under our various AFM agreements, which include Demo, Limited Pressing, Master, TV, Film, Commercials, Streaming, and more. These payments include new contracts and wage scales we developed, such as the Single Song Overdub Scale and Tracks on Tour, which pays musicians for the use of their studio tracks live onstage.

In 2021, for the first time ever, the Grand Ole Opry paid 389 musicians $173,000 in back-end residual payments for additional airings of Opry performances on cable TV and YouTube, which we negotiated in our Opry contract.

We have paid more than $160,000 to musicians for Music Performance Trust Fund gigs and live streaming shows in various Nashville locations, including Cheekwood, Adventure Science Center, and Plaza Mariachi.

The AFM 257 Funeral Benefit Fund has paid more than $250,000 to the designated beneficiaries of members who passed away since the beginning the pandemic.

Our exclusive BlueCross BlueShield group health insurance plan with Sound Healthcare has provided coverage for more than 1,000 members and their families.

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Punch Brothers

NASHVILLE

MUSICIANS AFM LOCAL 257

120

NEWS

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After more than eight years of effort on our part, Metro Nashville government finally passed legislation in 2020 that permits home recording studios to be a legal home business. Musicians can now work in their homes without fear of being busted and fined for simply trying to make a living in a rapidly changing music industry. The legalization has now been made permanent.

Our downtown parking discounts with Premier Parking have saved musicians who work on Lower Broadway thousands of dollars in parking fees, and we continue to advocate for Lower Broadway musicians with the Taxi Commissioner and Metro government, and more.

The AFM/SAG-AFTRA Fund has paid out more than $125 million to musicians whose work is broadcast on noninteractive satellite radio stations such as Sirius XM and Pandora. A large percentage of that money is going to Nashville recording musicians who work under AFM contracts, which helps ensure that musicians are properly credited for all uses of their work.

We are lobbying Congress to pass the American Music Fairness Act, which would establish a performance royalty for artists and musicians on AM/FM radio, and correct a 70-year injustice. The U.S. is the only country that doesn’t pay these royalties except Iran and North Korea.

Over the past two years, our AFM 257 Emergency Relief Fund has paid out more than $22,000 to members who are having medical issues, and our AFM 257 Crisis Assistance Fund has paid $21,000 to both AFM members and nonmembers who have suffered hardships because of the pandemic.

Our fully equipped rehearsal hall, which is free for our members to use, has been re-opened. It is used for a variety of purposes, including workshops, seminars, and more. We also host an open AA meeting every Thursday at 6 p.m. for those who need support.

Musicians can now work in their homes without fear of being busted and fined for simply trying to make a living in a rapidly changing music industry.

Fred Newell and Jon Radford playing up a storm in Cooper Hall.

Gabe Dixon rehearses for an upcoming show with multi-instrumentalist Dustin Ransom on drums.

NEW “WELCOME TO THE AFM” VIDEO PREMIERES AFM Local 257 President Dave Pomeroy produced a “Welcome to the AFM” video for the federation that is viewable on the AFM website, and also our website at nashvillemusicians.org/join. You can also view it on our Nashville Musicians Association YouTube channel. It’s a great tool for new members and prospective members alike. Be sure and check it out, you may catch a glimpse of yourself or some of your friends. There are a host of cameos of great musicians from across the AFM Federation.

TNM

APRIL– JUNE 2022 9

HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE

KELSEA BALLERINI Kelsea Ballerini was honored with the Yellow Rose of Inspiration Award for her contributions to the songwriting community at an event held March 28 by the Song Suffragettes at the Listening Room Café in Nashville.

The evening celebrated the Song Suffragettes’ eighth anniversary. Frequent Ballerini collaborator Nicolle Galyon interviewed the award-winning entertainer — only the fourth woman to receive the award since the Song Suffragettes’ inception. Eleven other songwriters were featured in addition to a performance by Ballerini.

The multiplatinum songwriter also released a debut book of poetry entitled Feel Your Way Through, in November. “I’ve realized that some feelings can’t be turned into a song, so I’ve started writing poems. Just like my songs, they talk about what it’s like to be twenty-something trying to navigate a wildly beautiful and broken world,” Ballerini said.

The Song Suffragettes weekly event started as an effort to both empower women, and counter the large disparity between male and female artists heard on country radio — only 15 percent of songs aired are by women. Organizers say that events like the regular Listening Room gig help to get women heard, with tangible results — 50 members of the 300-strong Suffragettes have gotten publishing deals, and 25 have landed deals with record labels.

JASON COLEMAN Pianist Jason Coleman has followed in the footsteps of his famous grandfather, Floyd Cramer, by becoming an entertainer, and honoring the slip-note style Cramer made famous. But that isn’t the only avenue of expression the young musician has created. When the pandemic brought his tour to a temporary halt, Coleman started a YouTube show that quickly grew in popularity, garnering over 120,000 fans and more than 27 million video views on Facebook and YouTube.

Now, the Jason Coleman Show has become a part of the WSM lineup. The hourlong Sunday night show begins at 8 p.m. and features Coleman performing songs from Cramer’s extensive catalog, along with history and stories from behind the piano master’s music. It can also be heard at wsm.com or on the WSM app.

“When the pandemic brought life to a standstill back in March of 2020, I started performing online from home as a simple way to connect with people and keep sharing music while my touring career was put on hold,” Coleman said. ‘I never could have anticipated what these impromptu living room concerts would become.”

Coleman will be on hand when Cramer is honored at the Arkansas Country Music Awards June 6 at the Reynolds Performance Hall, on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway. “Arkansas is truly where it all began for Floyd Cramer,” Coleman said of his grandfather’s home state. “My grandmother Mary and all of the Cramer family are deeply honored by Grandad’s induction into the Arkansas Country Music Hall of Fame, and we’re thrilled to be on hand to take part in the celebration.”

For more information go to jasoncolemanmusic.com.

10 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

RONNIE MILSAP AFM Local 257 life member and legendary artist Ronnie Milsap will join the 2022 class of inductees to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in a ceremony this fall. Other nominees include Mavis Staples, Billy Lee Riley, J.M. Van Eaton, and Booker T. Jones.

“When you look at the history, this year’s inductees represent so many facets of what makes Memphis music so mighty, it’s an honor to be included. So many of them make music I listen to today …it reminds you what was created there will endure and shape music long after we’re gone. To be seen as part of that humbles me,” Milsap said.

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductees are chosen by a local and national nominating committee composed of nationally recognized authors, producers, historians and leaders in the music industry.

HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE

TOMMY WHITE AND PAUL YANDELL

Tommy White

Paul Yandell

Steel guitarist Tommy White and late guitarist Paul Yandell are among the 2022 inductees to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. Yandell was a life member of the Nashville Musicians Association, and White is a 35-year member.

Other inductees include Pete Goble, Norah Lee Allen, Marty Brown, and Carly Pearce.

Paul Yandell was born in Mayfield, Kentucky, and began his career in 1955 with the Louvin Brothers. He played with Kitty Wells from 19611970, and then joined Jerry Reed’s band. He started playing with Chet Atkins in 1975 and remained his bandleader for 25 years. He is one of only five people in the world to have been named a Certified Guitar Player (C. G. P.) by the legendary guitarist. Yandell was a sought-after session player — he played on records for George Strait, Jimmy C. Newman, The Everly Brothers, Dolly Parton, Steve Wariner, Atkins, and many more.

Tommy White, born in Louisville, Kentucky, has performed on the Grand Ole Opry since 1998. He began his career as a youngster playing at events, in clubs and touring with artists on the road. He produced his first record at the astounding age of 15 — Tommy White, 100 Proof Steel, Aged 15 Years. He’s toured with a long list of performers and played on records for a host of artists as well. His credits include work with The Whites, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Rodney Crowell, Marty Stuart, Waylon Jennings, Lionel Richie, Lady Gaga and many others. He became a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2013.

The ceremony will take place Oct. 28 in Renfro Valley, Kentucky. For more information TNM visit kentuckymusichalloffame.com

APRIL– JUNE 2022 11

GALLERY

Bloom

JAZZ CONCERT SERIES AT CHEEKWOOD s WILL BARROW’s Brazilian quartet, Tudo Bem, performed on March 27. Pictured here are 257 members GIOVANNI RODRIGUEZ (bass), and Barrow (keys and vocals). (not pictured CHRIS BROWN on drums.)

s 257 member, saxman EVAN COBB, along with members (l-r) PAT COIL on keys, and drummer CHESTER THOMPSON performed March 27.

Percussionist KIRBY SHELSTAD performed at Cheekwood during the Indian Holi festival March 26.

s BRUCE DUDLEY Quartet performed April 10. (257 members l-r) Dudley (keys), JIM FERGUSON (bass).

s Guitarist ANDY REISS and his quartet performed March 13. (l-r) ANDREW CARNEY on trumpet, BRAD ALBIN on bass and Reiss. (not pictured DANNY COOTS on drums.)

12 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

s YAMIL CONGA’s Nashville Latin All-Stars performed April 3. 257 members (l-r) ALISON BRAZIL (violin and vocals) and Conga (congas).

GALLERY

AFM

MEMBER s Life member ANN RICHARDS, retired NSO flutist, visited the local with her son, multi-instrumentalist MARCUS WANNER a new Local 257 member. His dad GLEN WANNER is an NSO bassist, and Richards is holding a photo of her father, woodwind specialist LARRY RICHARDS, who was also a life member of AFM Local 257. Ann and Marcus have cowritten orchestra music as well. This is keeping it all in the family!

PINS

1.

1. STEVE KENNEDY with his ‘75 Fender

Jazz Bass digging his 50-year AFM pin!

2. CHUCK MEAD points out his 25-year

pin with life member Roy Orbison over his shoulder. TNM

2.

LI

FE

MEM ER B

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C H Et hSo T E R mpson 14 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

A DRUMMER’S LIFE IN REAL TIME

by warren denney

When young Chester Thompson told his mother he would not be attending his graduation from junior college in Baltimore, she was disappointed. No one in the family had attended college, and Thompson was about to transfer to the University of Maryland to continue his pursuit of a degree in music.

Already an experienced drummer on the local scene in the early-70s, he was playing a broad range of gigs there — and throughout the South — and earning his bones in a small, but intense jazz scene in the city. Thompson was turning heads. A friend he had worked with, who managed some local groups, had moved to Los Angeles and become Frank Zappa’s tour manager — a fortuitous break for the emerging player. It was this friend who delivered a call that changed Thompson’s life forever, setting a young man who had grown up primarily in the projects, on a course that would make him a musical citizen of the world.

continued on page 16

APRIL– JUNE 2022 15

continued from page 15 Photo: Hans Kumpf

Chester Thompson, Arthur Barrow, Joan Baez (partially blocked), Frank Zappa 1978

“I had just heard that he was Zappa's tour manager, and out of the blue, I just heard from him, I got a call,” Thompson said recently, from his home in Nashville. “I was supposed to graduate, and my mother was pretty excited to go to this. I was going to go to the university, and get an apartment there, halfway between Baltimore and Washington, with their music scenes.

“I did a bunch of gigs that summer because I needed to save some money, and I applied for a job driving a school bus. I learned how to do that, but I was assigned to a route into a new neighborhood I’d never been in before … I had no idea where I was. I was terrified, and supposed to start the Monday morning after my graduation. I thought it would be a disaster. But, I got a phone call that Friday evening from my buddy in L.A., and he said he’d arranged an audition for me with Frank Zappa. The catch was I had to be on a plane Sunday.

He already had the ticket.

“So, my mom was disappointed. I said ‘Mom, here's the deal.

Why don't you go to the airport with me and call that my graduation, because I'm going to get this gig.’ I had no idea what I was in for.”

What Thompson was in for was a crash course in his trade — the trade that would take him on a lifelong trip, playing or recording with Zappa, Weather Report, Santana, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo,’ and a thirty-year stint with Genesis and Phil Collins. Of course, this doesn’t include the endless list of artists he’s collaborated with over the years.

But that Monday morning in September, 1973, found Thompson in Zappa’s rehearsal studio, wondering how those kids in Baltimore got to school. They did, of course, and more importantly, Zappa liked his playing. The young drummer, though having gigged for several years and basically living on his own since age eighteen, was now in Los Angeles, a heaving center for progressive living and progressive music, playing for a burgeoning, God’s-own, larger-than-life rock star.

This was a long way from Buck’s Bar and the formative jazz jam sessions back home. This was an immersion in musical complexity and American popular culture — California style.

“We started rehearsing that day,” Thompson said. “Fortunately, he liked my playing. The thing that prepared me for it — I was playing in an amazing band in Boston. I lived there for six months during the five years after high school. I had heard some Zappa’s music. But, I was playing with an incredible band in Boston with a keyboard player I knew from Baltimore.

16 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

“Gunther Schuller [a former president of the New England Conservatory], who is very well known in jazz circles, and known for his lectures on the history of jazz, would bring us in to open and play a few tunes. That’s how good this band was. Pretty intense stuff, and that just made me realize I needed to go deeper and gain a broader understanding of music, not just playing drums. That’s why I had decided to go back to school.”

The Zappa experience turned out to be an intense education on its own, and though it only lasted two years, it opened the world to Thompson, both musically and culturally.

“Frank invited the singer Napoleon Murphy Brock to audition the same day,” Thompson said. “He liked us both, and so rehearsal started that day. It was the bass player, Tom Fowler, George Duke — one of the most phenomenal keyboard players I’ve ever heard — and Frank. As soon as we got through the audition, we started learning tunes. Two days later, the rest of the band came in. It scared me half to death. It was two drummers. A guy named Ralph Humphrey who was very, very skilled. And when I heard that stuff, man, it was so advanced and complicated.”

He wondered what he had wrought upon himself, and doubted his ability to succeed — if just for a moment.

“Well, you do what you got to do,” he said. “My routine — we hit a month of rehearsals before the first tour, and it was my first introduction to a forty-hour week of rehearsals. Five days, eight hours a day, and no time wasted. Basically, the music was so complicated, I would do our rehearsal, take the music back to my hotel, go to bed around eleven o’clock after dinner, wake up at three in the morning, practice a good two hours, go back to sleep, get up, get breakfast on the way and do it all over again. Every day I had to do that to make that gig.”

Basically, the music was so complicated, I would do our rehearsal, take the music back to my hotel, go to bed around elelven o’clock after dinner, wake up at three in the morning, practice a good two hours, go back to sleep, get up, get breakfast on the way and do it all over again.

Thompson was coming of age musically, and within a snapshot in time like no other in America.

“A lot of it was very reflective of the times,” he said. “I mean, the mid- to late ‘60s were very formative years. My gigs then involved doing all the cover tunes — Curtis Mayfield was writing stuff that was really reflective. James Brown was starting to write things that were very race-conscious. So, I was playing all that music and it made me slightly militant, nothing heavy, but it's hard to grow up and see what you see in those years. I have strong memories of our little black and white TV — and on the news you got fire hoses and police setting dogs on the protesters and stuff, on the freedom marches, and all of that.”

Los Angeles was a scene like no other Thompson had experienced. His brain was switched on to music, and the times.

“When I get to California, things are quieting down a little bit in 1973,” he said. “But, I still remembered 1968 after Martin Luther King was killed, the city [Baltimore] erupted like so many others in the country. I mean, crazy times, riots and stuff. So, I get out there and it's like I show up for rehearsal and there's all these hippies, in my mind. It was a whole different scene.

“I mean, it was great. There’s people who didn't quite know what to make of him [Zappa]. They thought he was some drugged-out hippie or something, but the quickest way out of that band was to get caught doing drugs. He was completely anti-drugs. And, basically his biggest influences were Stravinsky and another classical composer named Edgar Varése. Those were his biggest influences, and he merged that world with rock. He was brilliant.”

A drummer is made of many things, mostly determination and leather. And, Thompson, though inspired and illuminated by his time in the Mothers of Invention, sensed a time to move to the next world.

“Weather Report goes back to Baltimore in a sense,” Thompson said. “I had crossed paths so many times with the bass player before Jaco [Pastorius] Alphonso Johnson. My friend who had gotten me the Zappa gig had put us together before he left Baltimore with a couple of groups … and we were all in Boston together. I got a call from him one night from a club in New York, and he said he was moving to L.A., that he’d gotten the gig with Weather Report.

“So, he's out doing that. I get the gig with Zappa so we're all in L.A., and he called me to come down and jam with the guys in Weather Report. Frank had canceled a tour, and he was honest about it — he wanted a month to learn how to use a film editing machine. He’s so methodical. We’d been on the road so much, and I didn’t really know anybody, so I couldn’t just fall into other gigs …

I didn’t want an audition, though. But, I took my drums and jammed with them.”

Weather Report had a drummer at the time, Woody Theus, a great player also known as Sonship. But, in that particular jam session, Thompson moved through the spontaneity in a way that Theus did not.

“My time in Boston allowed me to play,” he said. “It wasn’t a big deal. They were basically composing on the spot, and I kind of knew where to go with it. That seemed to trigger a decision. They wanted to be able to do anything they wanted to do. I did that one tour with them, and after playing that music, I knew I didn’t want to leave. Frank knew me well, and he was fine with it, so there was never any issue between us — he knew that was more in my wheelhouse.”

Thompson toured with Weather Report for a year, and was the drummer on the Black Market album. Then, through a series of

miscommunications, as he calls it, the band moved on without him.

The other members thought he and Johnson both were wanting to go their own way, and those assumptions got in the way of the future.

“Yeah — it’s crazy,” he said. “A little communication would’ve fixed it. It was probably time to change, though. Fences have been mended over the years. Not an issue. I’ve been in touch with Wayne [Shorter], and I’ve run into Joe [Zawinul] on several occasions.”

Fortunately, the session work opened up for Thompson. He toured Japan with the Pointer Sisters. The Wiz came through town, and he latched on briefly — long enough to meet his wife, Rosalind, who replaced the lead singer Dee Dee Bridgewater as Dorothy when Bridgewater left the production. And, just a couple of weeks before Thompson would leave as The Wiz headed to Chicago, he received another phone call that would send him into yet another stratosphere of modern rock. The call came from Phil Collins of Genesis.

I got the call, and it’s this little English voice ‘Hey, this is Phil Collins. Would you like to join Genesis?’

“He had called Alphonso Johnson, who he had met in L.A., and tracked me down,” Thompson said. “I got the call, and it’s this little English voice ‘Hey, this is Phil Collins. Would you like to join Genesis?’

I helped the production find a drummer in Chicago, and I flew to London to start rehearsals right away.”

His first gig with them was New Year’s Day, 1977, and he performed on every tour until 1992, when he stepped away to spend more time with his family. He toured a final time with the band again in 2007, accounting for a thirty-year association. Thompson moved to Nashville in 1993 during a hiatus, and Collins quit Genesis in 1994. continued on page 18 L-R Wayne Shorter, Alex Acuna, Jaco Pastorius, Joe Zawinul, Chester Thompson APRIL– JUNE 2022 17

continued from page 17

Bobby Vega, Jonas Hellborg, Leland Sklar, Steve Bailey, Chester Thompson and Abraham Laboriel, Sr.

He would do two major tours in 2004 and 2005 with him, and a few one-offs in between.

Thompson had come to Nashville because of the death of fellow drummer and close friend Larrie Londin, who had toured with Elvis and played with both Motown and country stars. The two had played clinics together for Pearl Drum Company, and though by Thompson’s account, they were polar opposites, they became very close. Londin had tried to convince Thompson earlier to move to Music City, but it hadn’t panned out. He was leery of the scene, and the thought of breaking into a new one lacked appeal.

Tragically, Londin suffered a heart attack, and ultimately died in 1992 at age forty-eight. Thompson came to Nashville for the funeral, and found himself attracted to the landscape first, then the city itself.

“I drove around, and you got to remember, L.A. might say there’s a river, but there’s no water in it,” he said. “And, I was missing seasons big time, and fall colors are my favorite thing in the world. That never happened there. I got back to L.A. and told my wife and son that I was thinking we could live here. They said they would come visit me if I wanted to move here. But, I actually wound up getting booked in a session for the first time, and we bought tickets.

“It turned out the session was postponed. It got rebooked, but we had all this time together, and there was snow on the ground, it was March, and some other friends were getting ready to move here.

They turned us on to their realtor, and we thought we’d just go out one day and ride around with him, which turned into several days …

We were here for one week, and by the time we left, we’d bought a house, and registered our son in school. We returned to L.A. and started packing. We all knew this was going to be home.

18 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

we were here for one week, and by the time we left, we’d bought a house, and registered our son in school. We returned to L.A. and started packing. We all knew this was going to be home.”

It was Nashville’s gain.

Thompson taught drums at Belmont for twenty years, stepping away only recently, and has been a fixture at the Nashville Jazz Workshop teaching classes. He was awarded the Sabian Lifetime Achievement Award at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in 2008, in recognition of the contributions of the most highly regarded leaders in percussion education.

The Chester Thompson Trio has released two records in his time here, Approved (2013) and Simpler Times (2015), the former on Joyful Noise charting at No. 6 on the JazzWeek Charts, and the latter self-released charting at No. 4. Most recently, he released Steppin’ from Sweetwater Music as part of their Recording Workshop Series.

Steppin’ features Thompson, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Joe Davidian on piano and keys, Rod McGaha on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Tony Carpenter on percussion.

From the Baltimore kid on the West Side who learned to play from a family friend, James Harris, to his first gig at thirteen, to his early jazz education at Buck’s Bar, the Uptown, and standout Colts’ wide receiver Lenny Moore’s club the Sportsmen’s Lounge, to the surreal experience of touring and playing with some of rock & roll’s biggest bands, Thompson has provided a backbone for countless musicians around the world, going on six decades.

He understands sacrifice and inspiration because he was once given a break.

“Our family friend way back then [Harris] played gigs and in between he drove a taxi,” Thompson said. “I had no idea he was out late driving a cab at night. But, he would get up and make us breakfast and we’d go at it. And, basically he taught me by teaching me how to play along with jazz albums. The stuff on the radio, I just knew what to do. I mean, I could hear it and I just knew. But, man, he taught me some things that I’ve carried to this day.

touring

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TNM

APRIL– JUNE 2022 19

REVIEWS

Birds Sing Adam All the Shoenfeld

Lozen Entertainment Group/Copperline

Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter Adam Shoenfeld’s first solo project is an adventurous musical journey with nods to various influences along the way. Playing most of the instruments, writing all of the songs but one, and coproducing in collaboration with his wife, Katie Cook, who also cowrote two of the songs, All the Birds Sing is Shoenfeld’s modern take on classic rock, and the end result is very satisfying on many levels.

“The Sky is Falling” sets the tone immediately with Jonathan Yudkin’s dramatic swirling flanged violins building into a multi-layered sonic tapestry with a dramatic lyric that lives up to its title. Shawn Fichter’s thundering drums and Shoenfeld’s melodic guitars dance with Yudkin’s layered strings and a variety of effects coming and going in the mix. “Gettin’ To Me” features a wall of squawking guitars and heavy power chords behind an insistent vocal, underpinned by the rock solid rhythm section of Brad Pemberton on drums and Steve Mackey on bass.

The title track is a Tom Petty-like acoustic guitar-driven ode to an irresistible force of nature, with Shoenfeld’s yearning vocals, bass, drums, and multiple guitars perfectly augmented by Billy Nobel’s retro keyboard sounds. “11,” written with Cook and Deano Brown, takes the classic Spinal Tap joke to a whole new level as a rocking love song. Shoenfeld’s crunchy guitars, keyboard strings and layered vocals give an “ELO meets Foo Fighters” vibe, along with Fichter’s drums and a host of clever post-production effects. “Son” is a tender ode to the complexity of fatherhood, with a chugging, insistent, feel supported by Jeff Marino’s drums. Shoenfeld’s melodic electric slide guitar lines are sweetly reminiscent of George Harrison and Lowell George.

Several songs, such as “Lose to Win,” cowritten with March Martin and Stan Karcz, “Pave Those Highways,” and “Her Song,” find Shoenfeld playing and singing every note, and 20 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

he deftly avoids the pitfall of sounding one dimensional. He plays each instrument as if he is a different musician — not an easy thing to do. The loose but tight backing vocals achieve that same perfect imperfection. He reaches a peak in a one-man-band approach, with his take on the Beatles classic “Norwegian Wood.” Rather than emulate the original arrangement, he makes it his own, by rocking it up with dramatic percussion and slide guitar. “Say A Word” elegantly closes the record with a brief but emotive life lesson and message of encouragement, with Mike Rojas’ electric piano and accordion deftly supporting Shoenfeld’s acoustic guitar and sincere vocal. This is a great debut from one of Nashville’s finest backup musicians, who is finally stepping into the spotlight on his own.

— Roy Montana

REVIEWS

Pat Coil

How Deep Is the Ocean Burton Avenue Records Pat Coil is a world class keyboardist, composer and educator, with an extensive multi-genre resume, including work with everyone from Woody Herman, Trisha Yearwood, to Tribal Tech and Michael McDonald. How Deep Is the Ocean is an exploration of the classic piano trio format featuring Coil’s original tunes and reinvented classics. With accompaniment by the inimitable Danny Gottlieb on drums, and young phenom Jacob Jezioro on acoustic bass, this album is living, breathing proof that jazz is alive and well. The project was produced

by Jack Jezzro and recorded and mixed by Brendan Harkin, both longtime Local 257 members, at Harkin’s Wildwood Studio, where many great Nashville jazz recordings have been made over the years. The excellent sound of this record is inviting, and the music is as inspiring and real as it gets.

These three virtuosos effortlessly trade roles supporting each other’s improvisational flights throughout the album. The title track, written by Irving Berlin, features ostinato piano/bass figures that serve as a launching pad for Coil’s melodic excursions, with exquisite cymbal work from Gottlieb, whose resume includes Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Eberhard Weber, and many other jazz greats. Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” gets a beautiful arrangement, demonstrating Coil’s uncanny ability to reharmonize familiar melodies, with a gentle swing from the rhythm section, giving it a fresh new sound that begs for repeated plays.

“Chelsea’s Dream,” a Coil original, has a lush intro that morphs into a gentle Latin inspired groove driven by Gottlieb’s insistent side stick, with Jezioro’s nimble solo dancing between the piano and drums.

“Cry Me A River” is given a beautiful treatment, with lots of space left between the notes, and the ebb and flow between

the trio is flawless. Coil’s elegant arrangement of “Prelude in E Minor” is simply beautiful, followed by “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers.” This sweet, yet sad, melodic ballad by Stevie Wonder was famously covered by Jeff Beck many years ago, but Coil’s version more than holds its own.

“Bye, Bye, Blackbird” is given a fresh treatment with Jezioro doubling Coil’s left-hand figures perfectly before launching into a sweetly melodic bass solo. The album draws to a close with Coil’s original, “Hope, Sweet, Hope” adding a gospel flavor to the proceedings, with Gottlieb’s brush work floating around Coil’s heartfelt melody and elegant chord changes. This album is a great example of musical teamwork in every way, and the results are timeless. More, please.

—Roy Montana

EDITOR’S NOTE: AFM life member Roland White died April 1, 2022. His obituary will appear in the next Nashville Musician magazine.

Mandolin Man: The Bluegrass Life of Roland White

by Bob Black University of Illinois Press

54-year AFM Local 257 member Roland White’s life and career is meticulously documented in this new biography written

by Bob Black, banjo player and fellow veteran of Bill Monroe’s band. Mandolin Man tells not only the story of the twists and turns of White’s long and winding career path, but also of the evolution of bluegrass music itself. His points of intersection with nearly every acoustic music icon are mind-boggling, and Black connects it all in fascinating detail with many first-person stories from and about dozens of iconic musicians.

Born in northern Maine into a musical family of French descent, Roland began playing mandolin at the age of six. The rest is history, and it is an incredible one.

Playing with his younger siblings as The Country Kids, he began his career in southern California, performing on local radio shows shortly after moving there in 1954. The group made its first TV appearance as The Country Boys that same year.

Bill Monroe’s early records were a big influence on the young mandolin player, and a visit to Nashville in 1959 cemented his desire for a life in music. In 1961 the Country Boys appeared on the The Andy Griffith Show, a major breakthrough. When he returned from a stint in the military in 1963, the band renamed themselves The Kentucky Colonels, one of many successful bands in which he played a part. He played with Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass, Country Gazette, and the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and for many years now, his own group — the Roland White Band.

His younger brother Clarence became one of the most important guitarists in acoustic music, and went on to switch to electric guitar. He invented the B-Bender [Telecaster] with Gene Parsons. Clarence made several albums with The Byrds and other artists that influenced countless country guitarists, including Marty Stuart, who owns and plays that original B-Bender guitar today. Shortly after reuniting with Roland in the New Kentucky Colonels, Clarence was tragically killed by a drunk driver. Roland was also injured in this tragic incident, which is retold in terrifying detail. This book has many memorable stories and insights into the life of one of the most modest virtuosos you could ever meet. Kudos to Bob Black for shining a light on a great musician and even better person, and thanks to Roland White for all the great music.

— Roy Montana continued on page 22 APRIL– JUNE 2022 21

REVIEWS continued from page 21

Michael Feinstein Gershwin Country Concord

As concept albums go, this is a most unexpected blending of styles, re-imagining the classic song catalog of George and Ira Gershwin. Vocalist extraordinaire Michael Feinstein, known for carrying on the American Songbook tradition, makes a huge stylistic leap toward Music City, and the results are exquisite.

The Gershwin catalog’s timeless lyrics and melodies make for great country and bluegrass music, with a fine selection of duet vocal partners on each song.

The guest vocalists include AFM Local 257 members Dolly Parton, Ronnie Milsap, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, and The Time Jumpers. Other duet partners include Rosanne Cash, Amy Grant, Mandy Barnett, Lee Ann Womack, and Liza Minnelli, who also serves as executive producer of the project, and sings a tender version of “Embraceable You” as the closing track. The album is coproduced by Feinstein and Local 257’s Kyle Lehning, whose extensive resume includes Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap, Dan Seals, Bobby Bare, Firefall and more.

The vocalists are accompanied by an A-list of Nashville musicians, including acoustic guitar wizard Bryan Sutton, accordion master Jeff Taylor, and versatile bassist Viktor Krauss, all of whom receive arrangement credits as well. Sam Bush and Aubrey Haynie (mandolin/fiddle), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Russ Pahl, Dan Dugmore and Paul Franklin (steel guitar), Brent Mason and Kerry Marx (electric guitar), Pat Coil (keys), Steve Brewster (drums), and Eric Darken (percussion), all add their distinctive musicianship to the mix. Feinstein and The Time Jumpers (Vince Gill-guitar and duet vocals, Doug Green and Andy Reiss-guitars, Brad Albin-bass, Billy Thomas-drums, Larry Franklin, Joe Spivey, Kenny Sears-fiddles, Paul Franklin-steel) deliver a fun, swinging version of “Fascinating Rhythm” as only they can. The excellent backing vocalists include Local 257 members Bergen White and Lisa Silver.

Highlights include “Our Love Is Here to Stay,” with Dolly Parton, and “I Got Rhythm,” featuring Brad Paisley, who trades ad-libs with Feinstein and plays

22 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

These iconic tunes have been reborn on this unique project, which once again demonstrates that Music City has musical magic you can’t find anywhere else! scorching guitar on a fresh take of this classic tune. “How Long Has This Been Going On?,” with Mandy Barnett, features a slippery solo string bass intro by Viktor Krauss, and Ronnie Milsap’s joyous vocal on “Oh Lady Be Good,” matches Feinstein note for note. “Someone to Watch Over Me,” with Alison Krauss, is simply gorgeous in every way. Gershwin Country takes the listener on a journey into the past with a whole new twist. These iconic tunes have been reborn on this unique project, which once again demonstrates that Music City has musical magic you can’t find anywhere else!

— Roy Montana TNM

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APRIL– JUNE 2022 23

SYMPHONY NOTES

BY KEVIN JABLONSKI

So

far, 2022 has been a tale of two storylines at the Nashville Symphony. It began with the exceptional challenges of the widespread COVID-19 Omicron variant outbreak, but once things settled down again, we’ve enjoyed a string of firsts for things we haven’t been able to do since the start of the pandemic, as we move back toward normal operations.

Omicron, weather, delay full return temporarily

When this season was originally planned, January was supposed to be our triumphal return to concerts with full orchestral forces and the anticipated elimination of most safety measures. But the Omicron variant threw a wrench in those plans. We kept the more ambitious programming we had envisioned, but we had to figure out a way to do everything with many safety layers still in place. We employed heavy amounts of testing for all musicians, we required the use of KN-95 masks or better for anyone backstage, and we continued to do as much distancing as we could onstage with the help of our stage extension.

Right off the bat during the first week of 2022, we ran into another obstacle as Nashville got hit with a significant snowstorm, which curtailed our rehearsal schedule and concert lineup that week. The following week, more inclement weather forced us to postpone our annual concert honoring Martin Luther King Jr., and his legacy, which ended up happening in March.

And then the week after that, the NSO sadly had to cancel its run of classical concerts featuring Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony due to COVID-19 quarantine and isolation protocols which prevented a large number of musicians from being able to play. So, January didn’t go terribly smoothly.

24 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

Symphony musicians move toward a new normal But February turned out to be a much more normal month, and as Omicron began to subside, our workplace rhythm felt more and more familiar. Orchestrations kept getting more expansive, and one of our programs included Shostakovich’s epic Symphony No. 5, which was the largest piece we’d performed yet. From week to week, we were constantly reevaluating our safety protocols, and we gradually began to ease up on some of the measures. The week of the Shostakovich was the first week where we eliminated extra distancing for all musicians on stage, so the orchestra returned to its normal seating configuration again at long last.

Through sheer coincidence, this also happened to be the week that Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, and the music of Shostakovich resonated with a relevance that moved us all deeply. Like most of the world, we were shocked and deeply saddened to see the news unfold about the horrors being inflicted upon the Ukrainian people. The following week, our concertmaster, Jun Iwasaki, made yellow and blue ribbons for the musicians to wear during our concerts in a show of support and solidarity, and we continue to send our heartfelt wishes for a peaceful resolution and a quick rebuilding process.

Auditions underway to address vacancies

In February, we held our first national auditions since March 2020. One audition was for principal trumpet and another was for our two librarian positions. We have many more vacancies to fill, so it’s good to see these auditions beginning again. Some of

these open positions have been waiting to be filled since before the pandemic, but many of them were due to the impact of the pandemic itself. The rebuilding process will take several years, since we can typically only fit four auditions into a season.

Studio sessions resume, and protocols are relaxed

In March, we continued our streak of firsts when we resumed doing some commercial recordings for the first time since February 2020. One of the first pieces we recorded was Brad Warnaar’s Cornet Concerto, which was the continuation of a project that began two years ago with Jennifer Higdon’s Low Brass Concerto. And we also started working on a new CD. It will be music by Nashville’s own Kip Winger; we started by recording his Symphony No. 1, “Atonement.” Both the Winger and the Warnaar pieces were commissioned by the Nashville Symphony, and they both received their world premiere on these concerts.

Throughout March, we continued to relax safety protocols as COVID-19 cases plummeted. Masks became optional for all musicians, and our testing protocols were significantly reduced as well. As we navigated changes to safety measures onstage, the protocols for audience members were also revised around the same time. The symphony no longer required any documentation to come to a concert, such as proof of vaccination or a negative test result. And the requirement to wear a mask at the Schermerhorn was also dropped, although people may still choose to wear them. Of course, we are still carefully monitoring the latest data, and if conditions worsen again, that may necessitate certain protocols to be reinstated. But we can only hope these measures will remain a thing of the past, and we can move TNM forward full speed ahead.

JAZZ & BLUES BEAT

BY AUSTIN BEALMEAR Nashville Sunday Jazz Band

“Ah, there’s good news tonight.” This famous media catchphrase, which opened Gabriel Heatter’s nightly radio news broadcast during World War II, is a good way to say that the jazz and blues scene seems to be reawakening for this summer. While jazz brunches and blues jams may never again be as popular as they were before the pandemic, there is plenty of activity to talk about, so let’s get started.

School scene

Middle Tenneessee State University has ended the semester, but the music school’s video archives feature some final concerts. There was a big band tribute to drummer Duffy Jackson with Chris Brown behind the kit on March 30, and April 2 was the Annual Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival featuring trumpeter Brian Lynch. Videos are usually posted for 30 days.

For info go to mtsu.edu/music Nashville Jazz Workshop reinstated its Jazz Cave concert series in their new location with the Lori Mechem Quartet on March 12. The performance is archived on NJW’s YouTube channel. Help your kids get hip to music with Jazz AM — the school’s Saturday morning concert series spotlighting the legends of jazz.

The next two are scheduled for June 4 and July 9 at 10 a.m. Sharpen your improvising skills by tuning into Joel Frahm’s online master class, Keep It Simple, Tell a Story, May 14 at noon. Buy a ticket and get the Zoom link. nashvillejazz.org At Scarritt Bennett Center, “Vespers and All That Jazz” serves spiritual conversation with a jazz trio every Sunday, 6:30-7:15 p.m. in Wightman Chapel. Afterward the recorded video is available on the center’s YouTube channel. For info go to scarrittbennett.org

Summer festivals

Musicians Corner at Centennial Park’s South West lawn is free and offers live music with Kidsville, food trucks, local artisans, and more through September. Most events are on Friday night or Saturday afternoon. musicianscornernashville.com/news.

J.U.M.P. produces the 22nd Annual Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival on July 23. Come to Fisk University campus to celebrate the history and vitality of the Jefferson Street community through its arts, music, and food culture. nashvillejazzandbluesfest.com

The “Jazz On The Cumberland” Concert Series will return once a month on select Sundays, from 5:30-8:00 p.m. These are free, family and pet friendly events in Cumberland Park on the river beside Nissan Stadium. victorchatman.com/jazz-on-the-cumberland.

Beachaven Winery near Clarksville has eliminated its 30-year-old “Jazz On The Lawn” series. This year there will be a variety of wine and outdoor music every weekend. Go to beachavenwinery.com for information.

Where the Harpeth River crosses 840, Arrington Vineyards offers wine with two bands (one jazz, one bluegrass) every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, plus food by Simply Living Life. Go to arringtonvineyards.com for information.

Local live venues

Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar survived the pandemic, while BB King’s did not. Blues can also be found at Papa Turney’s BBQ at the Nashville Shores Marina throughout the week with open blues jams on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Carol Ann’s Home Cookin’ Cafe on Murfreesboro Road serves soul food cafeteria style, with blues music and jams on weekends and other nights.

Another survivor is the Nashville Sunday Jazz Band serving Dixieland and swing music at Dalt’s American Grill every Sunday evening at 5 p.m. Always swinging, this is a Music City institution that deserves more attention. There is Monday night jazz at The Local Distro, a grocery-restaurant-bar in Germantown. Musicians are often from the Tenneessee State University jazz program. Doors open at 7 p.m.

CHAR, a classy steakhouse in Green Hills, now has a different solo jazz pianist playing every night, with trios playing one of the last jazz brunches every Sunday at 11 a.m. Out on Clarksville Pike, Joelton Hardware, Feed & Farmacy’s daily music schedule now includes a jazz trio on Tuesdays at 6 p.m.

On the radio

The Fisk University station, WFSK 88.1 (Jazzy 88) continues its mix of smooth jazz and community programs. In addition, renowned bassist Christian McBride hosts Jazz Night in America Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Cool Jazz Countdown airs Saturdays at 5 p.m., and Bluestime in the City is Sunday at 8 p.m. For info go to wfskfm.org After Vanderbilt sold its student radio station in 2011, a few of its staff organized a new station, and in 2016 WXNA 101.5 FM was born, a free-form listener-supported station as diverse and dynamic as Music City. Jazz and blues fans should enjoy Nashville Jumps Fridays from 8-10 a.m., The Future of Jazz on Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., Coolin’ on Saturday at midnight, and Swing Shift on Thursdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Go to wxnafm.org to find out more. Both stations are low power with limited range, but can easily be heard online at their websites.

See you out there (and bring a friend).

TNM APRIL– JUNE 2022 25

FINAL NOTES

Gary Eugene Scruggs May 18, 1949 — Dec. 1, 2021

S

ongwriter, producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Gary Eugene Scruggs, 72, died Dec. 1, 2021. The Grammy-winning performer was the eldest son of the bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, and a 54-year life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 Sept. 1, 1967.

He was born May 18, 1949, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Earl and Louise Certain Scruggs, and was immersed in music from that day forward. As a young child he learned to play guitar and bass, and at 17 he sang harmonies on the Flatt and Scruggs album Changin’ Times. After high school he graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in philosophy. He formed a band with his younger brother Randy; they released All the Way Home in 1970 and The Scruggs Brothers in 1972. His first composition at the age of 18 was “The Lowlands,” a haunting track from the second record that was memorably covered in later years by both the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and IIIrd Time Out. It was also sung by Vince Gill with the Nashville Symphony as the theme song in a film score by John McEuen for a 1987 movie called Man Outside that starred Levon Helm.

Gary and his brother Randy started a progressive country-rock band with their father in 1969 called The Earl Scruggs Revue. They toured extensively, and made many connections with musicians from different genres. In the early days 26 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

of the group, Gary urged Earl to attend a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band concert at Vanderbilt. Dirt Band member Jeff Hanna remembered what ensued in detail.

“When the Dirt Band played Vanderbilt University in the fall of 1970, Gary, then a Vandy student, arranged a meet and greet with our band and his family, which included his father Earl, his mother Louise, and brothers Randy and Steve. That meeting proved to be a life-changing experience for all of us and set us on a path that culminated with the album Will the Circle Be Unbroken. We’re forever grateful to Gary for that,” Hanna said.

The legendary 1972 recording captured both the iconic bluegrass legends of that era as well as the genre-fusing Earl Scruggs Revue and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. In addition to Earl Scruggs, legendary artists on the record include Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Mother Maybelle Carter, and Roy Acuff. The critically acclaimed album is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress.

A popular YouTube video from 1971 shows members of the Revue and the Byrds in 1971 at what appears to be the backstage area of a festival, playing Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” – with Gary singing the second verse.

After 15 years as part of the Revue, Scruggs toured with Waylon Jennings, playing acoustic guitar and singing backing vocals. He retired from the road in the ‘80s, but would produce multiple albums for Jennings over the next 20 years.

Scruggs had continuing success as a songwriter throughout his career. He had a No. 1 record with “Right Hand Man” for Eddy Raven in 1986, and also cowrote “I Got Mexico” for the artist in 1996. He cowrote “Country Road” with Dolly Parton for her 1991 Eagle When She Flies album. “Long Stretch of Lonesome” was a cowrite with Tony Arata for Patty Loveless in 1997. Scruggs wrote the title track “Speed of Life” for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 2009 release, and that same year cowrote “Daddy Played the Banjo” with Steve Martin for Martin’s Grammy-winning Best Bluegrass Album, The Crow.

Scruggs also had cuts with a host of other artists including Reba McEntire, the Fairfield Four, Garth Brooks, Emmylou Harris, Kevin Welch, Del McCoury, the Statler Brothers, Glen Campbell, and many more. He also played on sessions for artists from Bob Dylan and Bill Monroe to Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson.

Scruggs, along with other members of the Earl Scruggs Family and Friends group, won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 2001 for “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” He also received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album in 2008 for The Ultimate Collection/Live at the Ryman. In 2005 Scruggs and his father coauthored Earl Scruggs and the 5-string Banjo: Revised and Enhanced.

Scruggs was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers, Randy and Steve Scruggs. Survivors include two sons, Jesse and Jaime Scruggs; four grandchildren; and one niece, Lindsey Scruggs.

A celebration of life service was held Dec. 8 in the chapel of Spring Hill Funeral Home in Nashville. Burial followed in Spring Hill Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Country Music Hall of Fame or to the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, North Carolina.

FINAL NOTES

Rose Lee Maphis Dec. 29, 1922 — Oct. 26, 2021 Guitarist, songwriter, and singer Rose Lee Maphis, 98, died Oct. 26, 2021. She was considered one of the originators of the Bakersfield sound in the ‘50s and one of the best country rhythm guitarists of that era. She was both a solo artist and part of a duo with her late husband Joe Maphis — the two were known as “Mr. and Mrs. Country Music.” She was a 53-year life member who joined Local 257 Sept. 30, 1968.

Maphis was born Doris Helen Schetrompf, Dec. 29, 1922, in Hagerstown, Maryland, to Stanley and Margaret Helen Schetrompf. She grew up on a farm, where she listened to the Grand Ole Opry and began to express her musical talents very early. Her father hosted a picnic for a local radio station to showcase his daughter playing and singing, and it paid off — the station offered her a Saturday night spot.

A producer suggested she call herself “Rose of the Mountains” when she debuted on the Hagerstown radio station, because she was wearing a rose in her hair and singing “Carry Me Back to Virginia.”

Maphis soon joined an all-female quartet called the Saddle Sweethearts and began performing throughout the region, playing gigs on the same bill with Roy Acuff and Gene Autry. The group eventually became regulars in July 1948 on the Old Dominion Barn Dance, which was broadcast from WRVA in Richmond, Virginia.

It was here that she would meet her future husband, Joe Maphis, who was playing acoustic instruments and also performing comedy as Crazy Joe. A fortuitous friendship with Merle Travis resulted in an invitation for the couple to move to the West Coast and become part of the cast of the B-K Ranch Show.

After that show went off the air, the Maphis couple went on the road with Travis, and later joined the cast of the Town Hall Party, which started as a radio show but then transitioned to a three-hour Saturday night television program. Joe led the house band, and Rose Lee played rhythm, backing many stars of the era who played on the popular program. Barbara Mandrell debuted on a show with the couple, and later became a regular on Town Hall Party.

“When I was 11 years old, Joe and Rose Lee Maphis gave me my first job on their Las Vegas show. They were “Aunt” Rosie and “Uncle” Joe to me. My heart still feels sadness from Aunt Rosie’s passing. She was one of the kindest and most caring people I’ve known, and one of the best rhythm guitar players and country music singers. I admired, adored, and loved her,” Mandrell said.

After Town Hall Party left the air in 1961, Maphis and her husband moved to Bakersfield for several years, and then followed Merle Travis to Nashville.

The performing duo also became songwriting partners while living in California.

One song called “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, (and Loud, Loud Music)” became a hit record, and was one of the first tracks to include the particular style that would become known as the Bakersfield sound. A much more recent Bakersfield resident, Dwight Yoakam, covered the tune as recently as 2012. He was one of many who did — other artists who recorded the song include The Flying Burrito Brothers, Vern Gosdin, and Daryle Singletary. The couple released dozens of singles and albums as a duo and individually, ranging from tunes like the sassy “I’m Gonna Wear the Pants,” to the resolved “I Don’t Care.”

“My heart still feels sadness from Aunt Rosie’s passing. She was one of the kindest and most caring people I’ve known, and one of the best rhythm guitar players and country music singers. I admired, adored, and loved her.”

— Barbara Mandrell After Joe Maphis died in 1986 Rose Lee continued to perform occasionally, and also worked as a costumer at Opryland. During a special 2012 concert honoring the Bakersfield sound originators at the Country Music Hall of Fame, she performed “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke.” She worked well into her 90s — at the age of 91 became a volunteer greeter at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where many visitors were unaware of her identity, and that her own guitar and that of her husband were part of the permanent exhibits. In 2021 she attended a special event marking what would have been Joe Maphis’ 100th birthday, in his hometown of Cumberland, Maryland.

In addition to her parents and her husband, Maphis was preceded in death by one son, Dale Maphis; a stepdaughter, Carol Maphis Pederson; one great-grandchild, Matthew Sartorio; two brothers, Stan and Earl Schetrompf; and one sister, Marie Churchey. Survivors include one son, Jody Maphis; one daughter, Lorrie Harris; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; many nieces, nephews; and extended family and friends.

A celebration of life service was held at Hendersonville Funeral Home Nov. 4, officiated by Pastor Galen Davis. Burial followed at Hendersonville Memory Gardens. Memorial contributions in Maphis’s name can be made to the Opry Trust Fund at www.opry. com/opry-trust-fund or Aspire Health Tennessee at 22 Century Blvd., Suite 220, Nashville, TN, 37214. continued on page 28 APRIL– JUNE 2022 27

FINAL NOTES continued from page 27

Ronald E. Tutt, Sr.

“Ronnie was a powerful drummer and always precise.

A real gentleman to work with!”

— Glen Hardin

Ronald E. Tutt, Sr. March 12, 1938 — Oct. 16, 2021 Drummer Ronald E. Tutt, Sr., 83, died Oct. 16, 2021. He was part of Elvis Presley’s legendary TCB (Taking Care of Business) band from 1969 until the singer’s death in 1977. Tutt also drummed for Jerry Garcia and Neil Diamond, as well as many other luminaries — both live and in the studio. He was a 50-plus year member of the AFM who joined Local 257 in 1992, and Local 47 in 1969 shortly after becoming a member of Presley’s band.

He was born March 12, 1938, in Dallas, Texas, to the late Frank and Gypsy Tutt. His first creative endeavor was tap dancing, and he took lessons for eight years starting at the age of three. Tutt actually tap-danced on the first TV performance broadcast live in Dallas. He became prolific on a variety of musical instruments as a child, including ukulele, guitar, violin and trumpet, which he played in the school orchestra — but it wasn’t until the summer before his senior year in high school that he began to play drums. Tutt felt that the drums echoed his early attachment to rhythm, which he said in an interview was “more important to me than the melodic.”

It wasn’t long before Tutt had his first paying gig, in a Western swing band with the future-legendary players Leon Rhodes on electric guitar and Tommy Morrell on steel. The band went on to become the house band for a live radio broadcast called The Northside Jamboree; Tutt would then get acquainted with Scotty Moore and Bill Black.

After high school Tutt attended the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, but after a couple of years began drumming full time. He worked as a session musician in Dallas, and Memphis until he joined Elvis Presley’s band and moved to Los Angeles in 1969 following the singer’s “comeback” gig in Las Vegas. The first hit Tutt played on was the live version of “Suspicious Minds” recorded in Las Vegas.

He continued to work on studio sessions, and other hit records followed, including “Rock the Boat” by the Hughes Corporation, “Easy Come, Easy Go,” by Bobby Sherman, and “Piano Man,” by Billy Joel.

Tutt started working with Garcia in 1974, and played with him for four years. He still also performed with Presley until singer’s death.

28 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

Consummate piano player and TCB bandmate Glen Hardin talked about working with Tutt. “Ronnie was a powerful drummer and always precise. A real gentleman to work with! And I noticed that he was always right when we had musical discussions among ourselves,” Hardin said.

After the TCB band dissolved, he began to work with Diamond in the studio, and on the road — where he also sang background vocals. He remained with Diamond until 2018, when he began to work on a variety of projects for Elvis Costello, Los Lobos, and others. Over the course of his long career he played with a host of artists including the Carpenters, Ringo Starr, Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison, Stevie Nicks, The Beach Boys, and many more.

In addition to his work as a drummer, Tutt released solo albums and sang on commercial jingles and radio station IDs as well. It’s his bass solo vocal on the Johnny Rivers hit “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu.” Tutt was preceded in death by one son, Nathan Tutt. Survivors include his wife, Donna; seven daughters, Cindy Rutter, Tina Dempsey, Christine Edson, Terie Tutt, Rhonda Henderson, Elisia Notermann, and Rachael Dodson; two sons, Ron Jr. and Jared Tutt; 16 grandchildren; and eight grandchildren.

A celebration of life is planned for a future date. Donations may be made to musicares.org/donations.

Ronald E. Tutt, Sr. and Elvis Presley

FINAL NOTES

Stonewall Jackson Nov. 6, 1932 — Dec. 4, 2021 Country artist Stonewall Jackson, 89, died Dec. 4, 2021. He worked as a cast member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 60 years. He was a guitarist and 64-year life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined the local Nov. 5, 1956.

Jackson was born Nov. 6, 1932, in Tabor City, North Carolina, to Waymond David Jackson and Lulu Loraine Turner. His father, a railroad engineer, named his youngest son after the Confederate general he believed to be his ancestor. When Jackson was two, his father died, and his mother remarried, to a man who became abusive. To escape him, his mother moved the family to Moultrie in southern Georgia. Jackson grew up there, working on his uncle’s farm from an early age. In 1950 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and served on a submarine rescue vehicle. After he was discharged, he farmed briefly in Georgia before moving to Nashville in 1956.

He came to town like so many musicians and songwriters, intent on getting into the music business. Jackson went first to Acuff-Rose Publishing, hoping for a songwriter deal. Wesley Rose let him make a demo, and was impressed enough to send the young hopeful to the Grand Ole Opry for an audition. He passed it, and was the only artist ever signed to the Opry before having released a record, or even having a record deal, for that matter.

Opry star Ernest Tubb took him under his wing, and became a mentor to Jackson. He hired him for his touring show, and even bought him stage clothes. By 1958 Jackson was signed to Columbia Records, where he had his first hit with a song written by George Jones, “Life to Go,” which climbed to No. 2. His follow-up, “Waterloo,” went to No. 1 and stayed for five weeks — also crossing over to the Top 100 Singles chart on Billboard, where it peaked at No. 4.

He landed two more No. 1 records in 1964 with “Don’t Be Angry” and “BJ the DJ.” From 1958 to 1971 Jackson had 35 Top 40 hits. He was the first artist to release an album recorded live at the Grand Ole Opry, and his last charting single was a 1971 cover of Lobo’s “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.”

Jackson published his autobiography, From the Bottom Up, in 1991, in which he recounted both the details of his difficult childhood, as well as brighter milestones, including his successful career as one of the era’s true honkytonk, hard country artists. In 1996 he was presented with the Ernest Tubb Memorial Award for his contributions to country music. In 2008 he settled an age discrimination suit he filed against Gaylord Entertainment in 2006 after the organization reduced his Grand Ole Opry appearances. He would continue to perform on the program until 2010, and remained a member until his death.

Jackson was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2012. His last public performance was at the funeral of his friend George Jones in 2013. Jackson’s wife, Juanita Wair Jackson, who ran his publishing company and was also his personal manager, died in 2019.

In addition to his parents and his wife of 62 years, Juanita, Jackson was preceded in death by one grandchild. Survivors include one son, Stonewall “Turp” Jackson, Jr.; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at Woodbine Funeral Home — Hickory Chapel Dec. 9 and conducted by Stonewall Jackson, Jr., and Wendell Byrd. Honorary pallbearers were past and present members of the Grand Ole Opry family. Interment followed at the Wair Family Cemetery.

Stonewall Jackson

continued on page 30 APRIL– JUNE 2022 29

FINAL NOTES continued from page 29

Billy Robinson Aug. 6, 1931 — Oct. 15, 2021 Steel guitarist Billy Robinson, 90, died Oct. 15, 2021. As a teenager he joined the Red Foley band, and was the youngest musician to become a member of the house band for the Grand Ole Opry. Robinson was a 50-year member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 Oct. 2, 1948.

The Nashville native was born Aug. 6, 1931. When he was 10 his mother bought him a guitar, and in an interview, Robinson said he “made a steel out of it by raising the nut on the guitar,” and playing it with a bar. He said he learned to play by listening to recordings and the radio.

At the age of 12 he and a group of kids in his East Nashville neighborhood formed The Eagle Rangers, named for the Eagles Club where they played. The area was clearly thick with promising musicians, as other future notable members included fiddler Jerry Rivers, bassist Bob Moore, and Robinson’s brother Floyd. Robinson said his mother was always very encouraging, and even booked the Eagle Ranger gigs.

As a young teenager, Robinson started to get touring work on the weekends. He joined Foley in 1948, and began performing on the Prince Albert Show, then airing on WSM. That band was considered the staff band, and also worked as the Grand Ole Opry band for artists.

As a member of the Opry house band, Robinson backed up Little Jimmy Dickens, Webb Pierce, Faron Young, and Roy Acuff, among many others. He was in the band for the historic 1949 debut of Hank Williams, who received six encores at his performance. Robinson was also in the Opry band for the show’s first package tour of Europe in 1949 which included dates at military bases in Germany and Austria.

His success as a live musician was accompanied by recording work as well — his first session was a huge hit — George Morgan’s “Candy Kisses” in 1948. He also played on Red Foley’s million selling “Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy.” In the mid-50s Robinson was drafted, and played steel guitar for Army Special Services. After his discharge he attended art school and worked for the next forty years as a graphic designer and artist.

He was never far from music, however, and played on the weekends. He designed the logo for Sho-Bud steel guitars, and the aesthetics of the Sho-Bud Christmas Tree amp. After his retirement from the commercial art industry, he created a popular series of greeting 30 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

cards that featured Santa and his elves as musicians in a country band. He continued to play steel guitar, and loved to share stories of the early days of country music. In 1996 he was inducted into the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.

Fellow Steel Guitar Hall of Famer Lynn Owsley commented on Robinson’s passing.

“Billy wore so many different hats for me. He was my friend, and my partner, and my running buddy. He made a great contribution to country music, and he was one of my heroes. I met him in the ‘70s when he wasn’t playing, and I encouraged him to come back and get into playing again. He was such a pleasant person to spend time with.

He had a great sense of humor and I miss him dearly. I find myself reaching for the phone to call him and then remember he’s not there,” Owsley said.

“He made a great contribution to country music, and he was one of my heroes.” — Lynn Owsley In later years Robinson became a mentor to multi-instrumentalist Chris Scruggs, who talked about his relationship with the steel player.

“He recommitted himself to playing steel guitar without pedals (after years of using pedals) and became a master of pulling strings behind the bar to get the chord voicings a pedal player would mechanically achieve. I was fortunate enough to call Billy a good friend.

We played lots of jobs together, and due to his night vision issues, I would usually pick him up and drive him to our shows. We spent many, many, hours in the car talking about his recollections of growing up in Nashville in the ‘30s and ‘40s, and working with Opry stars in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Billy was the last of his kind. He was one of the last connections to the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940s, and he was the last legendary steel guitarist of the era before pedals redefined the instrument. But more importantly, he was a great man and a good friend. His smile and warmth will be missed by all who had the privilege to have known him.”

A memorial service for Robinson was held Oct. 26 at The Inn at Opryland.

Coulter Paugh, Jr. Dec. 11, 1936 — Nov. 28, 2021 Bassist and vocalist Coulter Paugh, Jr., age 84, died Nov. 28, 2021. He was part of the gospel group The Wayfarin Strangers, and joined Local 257 April 9, 1985.

Paugh was born Dec. 11, 1936, to Dorothy and Coulter Paugh, Sr. After graduation from Marion-Franklin High School, he served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. After his service he became a skilled carpenter, and established his own business, Paugh Interior Systems.

His family said he was well-loved by all who knew him.

FINAL NOTES He was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter, Sandra Buckta; several grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Blanch; one son, Coulter Paugh III; one daughter, Sharon Capocciama; two sisters, Jean Minutilli and Dorothy Lerum; two brothers, James and Carl Robert; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Services were held Dec. 3, 2021, at Newcomer-SW Chapel in Grove City, Ohio. Interment followed in Jefferson Township Cemetery.

Ernest “Ernie” J. Miller April 6, 1932 — Oct. 30, 2021 Bassist and singer Ernest “Ernie” J. Miller, 89, died Oct. 30, 2021. He was a 51-year member of the AFM who joined Local 164 in Grand Junction, Colorado, in 1962, and Local 257 on Jan. 2, 1970.

Miller was born April 6, 1932, in Topeka, Indiana, to John and Sylvia Miller. He was raised in the Amish tradition and had eight brothers and sisters. The family sang hymns together, and this early experience created the youngster’s love of music.

When he was 19, he opened a show for Hank Williams near his hometown and this event fired his resolve to pursue music professionally. He moved to Colorado, where he married Vesta (Dusty) Kearns in December 1953. The couple relocated to Nashville in 1968 and Miller soon found work as a bassist and singer. He played the Grand Ole Opry and toured in the United States and around the world with artists that included Stonewall Jackson, Billy Walker, and Little Jimmy Dickens.

Miller was a member of the Hermitage United Methodist Church for 40 years, where he was in the choir and praise band. He was generous with his time, and volunteered at Room in the Inn. Miller had several hobbies that included painting, horses, and playing golf. Family said he never knew a stranger, and was known for his love of family, and all people, as well as his sense of humor.

In addition to his parents, Miller was preceded in death by his wife, Dusty. Survivors include two sons, Gene and Kevin Miller; one daughter, Michelle Miller; and four grandsons.

Funeral services were held Nov. 9, 2021, with Hermitage Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Carl Theodore “Ted” Stovall, Jr. March 21, 1949 — Dec. 5, 2021 Carl Theodore “Ted” Stovall, Jr., 72, died Dec. 5, 2021. He was an arranger, songwriter, and keyboardist, who joined Local 257 July 2, 2002.

Stovall was born March 21, 1949, to Carl Theodore Stovall and Mary Louise Moore Stovall in Atlanta, Georgia. By the mid ‘70s he was playing synthesizer and arranging string and horn sections on records for artists like Johnny Nash, Rozetta Johnson, and Tamiko Jones. Stovall arranged strings for the huge 1976 hit “Moonlight Feels Right” by Starbuck. In the 2000s he contributed string arrangements to compilation albums like The ‘70s Anthology, Holding the Losing Hand: Hotlanta Soul, Vol. 3, and Delta Swamp Rock, Vol. 2: More Sounds from the South.

Stovall was a member of the Burt Baptist Church in Woodbury, Tennessee.

He was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his wife Shelby “Sam” Stovall; and one stepdaughter, Shelly McCarson.

Graveside services were conducted Dec. 7, 2021, at Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with Brother David Moody officiating. continued on page 32 APRIL– JUNE 2022 31

FINAL NOTES continued from page 31

Eugene “Pappy” Lester Merritts Jan. 15, 1929 — Dec. 18, 2021 Fiddle player and vocalist Eugene “Pappy” Lester Merritts, age 92, died Dec. 18, 2021. He was a 57-year life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 March 27, 1964. He also played bass, guitar, and harmonica.

He was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, and began to play music early in life — his first performance was at the age of 10 in a local one-room schoolhouse. He listened to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio and said he dreamed of one day playing with legends like Roy Acuff and Bill Monroe. “And the way it turned out, I did — an old country boy from way back in the sticks,” Merritts said in an interview.

As a teen, Merritts played guitar, harmonica and fiddle in local country bands. He graduated from Morrison Cove High School in Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, and then served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After his discharge he went on the road to pursue a career as a musician. He found work on the Wheeling Jamboree, and later on a TV show in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to Colorado, and joined a seven-piece Western swing band that performed at the Four Seasons Club. During his time there he met Webb Pierce, who told him he should move to Nashville, “where the music is.” Merritts did just that, and arrived in Music City in 1963.

After his arrival in Nashville he found work on a TV show called Country Junction, and had soon also added performances backing up an assortment of artists including Patsy Cline, Dottie West, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, and many others. By 1975 he joined the cast of a show at Opryland called Country Music USA, where his playing was regularly featured. As the elder musician on the show, castmates soon gave him his nickname “Pappy,” and the name stuck for his 24 years with the show, and beyond.

Over his long career, Merritts played many prestigious events, including for two presidents — Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon.

After Opryland closed in 1977, Merritts began working at Robert’s Western World, where he played with Brazilbilly and then Joe Manuel’s swing band. In 2001 he began a long

IN MEMORIAM The officers, staff and members of Local 257 extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of our members who have recently passed away. You are in our thoughts, hearts and prayers.

Name

Born

Joined

Died

Life Member

Gerald D Collins

01/18/1937

10/06/1964

04/01/2022

Y

Isham A Harris, III

07/14/1951

05/05/1971

03/30/2022

Y

Cecil A Hawkins

09/14/1933

03/24/1978

02/11/2022

Y

Marvin Lanier

05/06/1935

01/18/1975

03/07/2022

Y

Jack H Pruett, Jr

02/27/1956

03/08/1974

02/01/2022

Y

Hargus M Robbins

01/18/1938

08/29/1957

01/30/2022

Y

Roland White

04/23/1938

06/02/1967

04/01/2022

Y

Pappy Merritts and John England

“Gene told me he auditioned for Opryland, but was told that he was too old. The next year, they called him to play and he stayed for 24 years!” — John England tenure with John England and the Western Swingers, a band that formed after Manuel moved to Texas. Merritts continued to play with the Swingers until quarantine closed Robert’s in 2020. Throughout his time with the band he was a continuing source of joy and inspiration to both his bandmates and the multitude of happy audiences who were lucky enough to see him play.

Merritts was known not only for his amazing skill on the fiddle, but for his determination, and his charm.

“Gene told me he auditioned for Opryland the first year, but was told that he was too old. The next year, they called him to play, and he stayed for 24 years! I think it’s amazing that he and I started our band, when he was 72. Gene was such a smart, funny & charismatic person. Twice, I was pulled over for speeding with out-of-state plates, and Gene in the passenger’s seat. I got off with a warning, both times. People just loved him, and I’m a people, too,” England said.

Survivors include his fiancée Ann Morris; four sons, Joseph, Alan, Gary and Bruce Merritts; one sister, Virginia Kost; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

A celebration of life was held Dec. 23 at Hermitage Funeral Home. Entombment followed at Hermitage Memorial Gardens.

TNM

MEMBER STATUS

NEW MEMBERS Ashton A Angelle Zachariah Phillip Arnold Richard J Bascom, II Mary Grace Bender Hunter Roy Berry Christopher Bevacqua Ryan L Beydler Evan Bish Cremaine A Booker Nolan Trevor Brown Patrick Bubert Kim Harold Burns Andrew P Byrd Shawn P. Byrne Andrew D Carney Stefan Scott Chippeaux Evan T Clifton Jason Floyd Coleman Thomas Cooper Marco Antonio Da Luz Coelho Gary Don Davis Charles Alexander Stephan Diez Jessica N Dock Timothy E Galloway Jacob E Garner Kevin C. Gatzke Brandon Germain Richard M Glass Nicholas Gold Richard C Griffin Gregory Michael Hagan Jared Ethan Hauser Scott B Hearn David J Humbertson Carmine Ioanna James Tyler Jaeger Greg Jennings Emily Jerde Jacob Paul Jezioro, Jr Burleigh Johnson William Justineau

Charles Adam Knight Timothy William Kreis Pamela Lovelace Ryan B Madora Regina McCrary Martin Motnik Mark J. Oliverius John Pahmer Jeffrey Thomas Partin Mary Ann Rodgers Benjamin H Rud Allen Salmon Micah Todd Schweinsberg Daniel Harrison Segall Andres Filipe Silva David Silveira Jeff P Siptrott Aaron L Sparling Larry W Stewart Michael J Trice Omar H Uribe Marcus Wanner Justin Michael Weaver Michael James Whitman Scotty Wilbanks Andrew Whitten Wright Michael Younger EXPELLED Rebecca Michele Abrahams David Ryan Adams Lydia P Bain Denise Elaine Baker Michael T Baker Ken A Barken Morgan R Beers Brad Allen Bietry Steven E Bishir James M Blackmon Larry L Borden Richard Allen Boyer Jeffrey J Braun

Jon-Paul Bruno Thomas Luke Bryson Ashley Noel Campbell Kate Clark Pete Allen Coatney Carlo Colasacco Jonathan T. Crone Elaine Davidson Michael M Durham Tracy Bunting Ellis Michael English Darin Lee Favorite Clayton Mitchell Feibusch Frances Claire Fitzgerald Margaret Helen Fitzgerald Ryan Keith Follese Jody Frazier Robin McDuffie A Wayne Gray Eric Gunderson Larry Thomas Harden Tracy Matthew Heaston Shane Hicks Steven Wayne Hines Bobby G Huff Noah Joseph Hungate Jefferson A Jarvis Neal Johnson Tom Kirk David D Langley Mary Helen Law Adam Gerard Lester Christopher Marsh Lindsey Benjamin R Lloyd Roger Dale Martin Steve L. McCabe Mary Elizabeth McFarland William H Mercer, III Kevin Hugh Moore Mark E Nesler Tammy McKinney Nicholls Salvatore F Oliveri

Bancroft O’Quinn, Jr Nash Linden Miller Overstreet John Mark Painter Michael J. Payne Stephen Lewis Pennington Colleen I Phelps David Elliott Pinkston Kevin M Post Jennifer M Raudman Ernest Roy Reed Larry R Rolens David P Sartor Stephen Benjamin Schweidel Adam Shepherd Jose Sibaja Bradley N Smith Samuel Draper Smith William Patrick Smith David Strayer Mark F Thompson James Andrew Tooke Wilton A Treadway Jonathan Marc Trebing Erik Spencer Wallace Andy Witherington

APRIL– JUNE 2022 33

DO NOT WORK FOR

DO NOT WORK FOR The “Do Not Work For” list exists to warn our members, other musicians and the general public about employers who, according to our records, owe players money and/or pension, have failed to sign the appropriate AFM signatory documents required to make the appropriate pension contribution, or are soliciting union members to do non-union work. When you work without the protection of an AFM contract, you are being denied all of your intellectual property rights, as well as pension and health care contributions.

TOP OFFENDERS LIST Tommy Sims dba Positive Movement Sims failed to pay musicians for an album he produced in 2008 and remains in violation of a 2012 court judgement ordering him to pay more than $300K owed to musicians for that project. The first payment in 4 years was recently made, and we hope to eventually resolve this longstanding debt.

Nashville Music Scoring/Alan Umstead – solicitation and contracting non-union scoring sessions for TV, film and video games. Musicians who work for them are being denied appropriate wages and all intellectual property rights.

Electronic Arts/Steve Schnur – commissioning and promoting non-union videogame sessions and exploiting musicians' intellectual property for his own gain.

These are employers who owe musicians money and have thus far refused to fulfill their contractual and ethical obligations to Local 257 musicians.

• • • • • • • • • •

Terry K. Johnson/ 1720 Entertainment (unpaid contracts/unauthorized sales – Jamie O’Neal project) Ed Sampson (producer) & Patrick Sampson (artist) (multiple unpaid contracts/ unauthorized sales) Revelator/Gregg Brown (multiple bounced checks/unpaid contracts) Beautiful Monkey/JAB Country/Josh Gracin Eric Legg & Tracey Legg (multiple unpaid contracts) Ray Vega/Casa Vega Quarterback/G Force/Doug Anderson Rust Records/Ken Cooper (unpaid contracts and pension) HonkyTone Records – Debbie Randle (multiple unpaid contracts/pension) Jeanette Porrazzo

UNPAID CONTRACTS AND PENSION Knight Brothers/Harold, Dean, Danny & Curtis Knight River County Band/SVC Entertainment (unpaid demo conversion/pension) UNPAID PENSION ONLY Comsource Media/Tommy Holland Conchita Leeflang/Chris Sevier Ricky D. Cook FJH Enterprises Matthew Flinchum dba Resilient Jeffrey Green/Cahernzcole House Randy Hatchett Missionary Music Jason Morales (pension/demo signature) OTB Publishing (pension/demo signature) Tebey Ottoh Ride N High Records Jason Sturgeon Music AFM NON-SIGNATORY PHONO LIST We do not have signatory paperwork from the following employers — pension may have been paid in some cases, but cannot be credited to the proper musicians without a signatory agreement in place. If you can provide us with current contact info for these people, we will make sure you get your proper pension contribution for your work.

604 Records Heaven Productions Stonebridge Station Entertainment The Collective TNM

Next Membership Meeting

Thursday, May 26 5:30 p.m. on Zoom 34 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

HOLIDAYS MONDAY, MAY 30 | MEMORIAL DAY MONDAY, JUNE 20 | JUNETEENTH MONDAY, JULY 4 | INDEPENDENCE DAY

APRIL– JUNE 2022 35

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