The Nashville Musician July - September

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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF AFM LOCAL 257 JULY– SEP TEMBER 2017

S

ARAH JAROSZ ...On Texas roots and simple truths

Local 257 scores

PARKING DEAL

for downtown musicians New and improved

SRLA SCALE

Membership meeting

AUG. 15

JULY – SEPT 2017 1

Pr ot ec to r st r ti A e Th

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BettyAnn and Tom Murphy, parents of three of the Kings of Leon

CONTENTS Official Journal of the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257 | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2017

4

6 7 8 10 12 14

ANNOUNCEMENTS Details on the next membership meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 15, as well as meeting minutes and an editorial from our health care liaison RJ Stillwell.

STATE OF THE LOCAL President Dave Pomeroy describes the true meaning of “The Nashville Way.” NEW GROOVES Secretary-Treasurer Vince Santoro talks about some of the many ways we make sure Local 257 runs smoothly and efficiently.

HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE The notable comings and goings of Nashville Musicians Association members.

NEWS A welcome update for the SRLA agreement, our musicians support Make Music Nashville, and good news for musicians who play and park downtown.

10

MAKE MUSIC NASHVILLE

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

COVER STORY: SARAH JAROSZ Warren Denney traces this troubadour’s journey — and finds the Texas roots that both inspire and inform her music.

20 REVIEWS We listened to CDs from Reggie Young, Jimmy Nalls, and Dave Pomeroy, read a book by John Oates, and took in a show featuring this stunning combo of players: Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer and Yo-Yo Ma.

26 SYMPHONY NOTES Laura Ross recounts the history of five retiring members of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

28 JAZZ & BLUES A roundup of shows, festivals, and other

14

SARAH JAROSZ

happenings in the jazz and blues community.

29 FINAL NOTES We bid farewell to Don Warden, Earl Sinks,

Ben Speer, Jim Hunt, Gil Wright, David “Doc” Livingston, and Donald Patten.

32 MEMBER STATUS 34 DO NOT WORK FOR LIST COVER PHOTO: SCOTT SIMONTACCHI

20

REGGIE YOUNG

JULY – SEPT 2017 3

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Next General Membership Meeting Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 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

HEARING BOARD

TRUSTEES

Dave Pomeroy Vince Santoro Kathy Osborne Leslie Barr Austin Bealmear Warren Denney Hank Moka Roy Montana Kathy Osborne Dave Pomeroy Vince Santoro Laura Ross Rick Diamond Tripp Dockerson Lisa Dunn Donn Jones Dave Pomeroy Laura Ross Vince Santoro John Root Lisa Dunn Design Kathy Osborne Leslie Barr 615-244-9514 Dave Pomeroy Vince Santoro Jimmy Capps Beth Gottlieb Mark Johnson Andy Reiss Laura Ross Tom Wild Jonathan Yudkin Michelle Voan Capps Tiger Fitzhugh Teresa Hargrove Kent Goodson Dave Moody Kathy Shepard John Terrence

Steve Tveit

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY STEWARD

Laura Ross

ELECTRONIC MEDIA SERVICES DIRECTOR ASSISTANT DATA ENTRY RECORDING DEPT. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, LIVE/TOURING DEPT. AND PENSION ADMINISTRATOR MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR/RECEPTION MPTF COORDINATOR/RECEPTION

Nashville Musicians Association AFM Local 257, AFL-CIO Minutes of the Executive Board Meeting Feb. 17, 2017 PRESENT: Vince Santoro(VS), Dave Pomeroy(DP), Andre Reiss(AR), Jonathan Yudkin(JY), Laura Ross(LR), Jimmy Capps(JC), Mark Johnson(MJ).

ABSENT: Beth Gottlieb(BG), Tom Wild(TW).

President Pomeroy called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m.

MINUTES: Minutes from Dec. 16, 2016 were distributed.

MSC to approve. JC, AR. PRESIDENT’S REPORT: The following issues were discussed: 1. Jim Owens suit settled.

2. Tommy Sims has resumed making payments for his outstanding debt.

3. Sound Recording Labor Agreement negotiations are complete with ratification due.

4. Membership drive is going well. Videos getting great response.

5. Opry negotiations ongoing and very close to completion.

6. Paige Connors is new on staff. Georgia Heckman has left staff to return to Washington.

7. Reinventing member jam as a musician/songwriter exercise under the supervision of John Mattick with a house band.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Santoro distributed financial reports and fund balances.

He reported the following: 1. Empire Roofing used a more radical/expensive temporary fix on the skylights that has held up admirably, giving us more time to research a more permanent solution.

2. The Stanley Security fire alarm setup must be updated with a new land-line as a communication path for monitoring.

MSC to approve secretary-treasurer report. AR, MJ. MSC to accept new member applications. JC, LR. Motion to adjourn. LR, JY. Meeting adjourned at 9:54 a.m.

Bruce Radek Biff Watson

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

OFFICE MANAGER

The next Local 257 General Membership meeting will be Tuesday, Aug. 15. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. and the meeting will start promptly at 2 p.m. There will be president and secretary-treasurer reports, and discussion of other important issues such as upcoming building equipment maintenance. Please make plans to attend and take part in the business of your union.

Anita Winstead

Steve Tveit Teri Barnett Christina Mitchell Paige Conners

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS

Leslie Barr Laura Birdwell Sarah Bartolino

@ 2017 Nashville Musicians Association P.O. Box 120399, Nashville TN 37212 All rights reserved. nashvillemusicians.org

4 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

AFM Local 257 will be closed Monday, Sept. 4 for Labor Day and Monday, Oct. 9 for Columbus Day.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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, or email kathyo@afm257.org

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Health care reform — what you need to know

Editor note: RJ Stillwell has been a longtime health care liaison for Local 257 members.

He is the CEO and founder of Sound Healthcare & Financial. The opinions expressed in this editorial are not official positions of AFM Local 257.

Washington, D.C. does not have our backs when it comes to health care. As Congress seeks to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), millions of Americans are at risk of losing health insurance. Under the proposed American Health Care Act (AHCA), which has passed the House of Representatives and, as of this writing, is being reworked by the Senate, an estimated 23 million people could lose health coverage over the next ten years (per the Congressional Budget Office). It’s important that our creative community understand why, how, and what you can do to stay covered in 2018.

Under a new “replacement” system, subsidies could be eliminated in exchange for “block grants” that are given based solely on age. There are also valid concerns of congressional changes to roll back the ACA’s mandate that insurance carriers no longer can turn people away for having certain pre-existing conditions. This would result in “high risk pools.” For those people insurance premiums could rise significantly.

The proposed legislation may or may not become law. If Congress fails to repeal and replace existing law, there will be regulatory changes forthcoming that do not require an act of Congress. This authority is granted to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The goal would be to stabilize the market through HHS regulations.

Thankfully our music community has a huge lifeline, which is Sound Healthcare: Nashville’s original health care advocacy organization created for the music industry in 2006, first for the CMA, and partnered with AFM Local 257 in 2009. Sound Healthcare helps Nashville’s musicians navigate the complicated health insurance market, assessing their needs and finding them the most comprehensive and affordable options available. For 2017’s enrollment alone, Sound Healthcare saved the AFM Local 257 membership over $1.4 million in premium and out-of-pocket costs after Blue Cross Blue Shield pulled out of Nashville’s individual market.

Sound Healthcare achieved this by creating a proprietary, exclusive Hybrid Plan that bypassed healthcare.gov altogether while still avoiding the ACA health care tax penalty for those showing self-employed income. Our Hybrid Plan consists of three essential elements: Comprehensive Major Medical, Preventive Wellness Services and Sound Healthcare benefits that include telemedicine, prescription, dental, vision and holistic benefits.

Sound Healthcare provides advocacy for our musicians, saving them valuable time,

money and energy. We achieve this by having our team research all aspects of current law, legislative deliberation, state-level programs, VIP resources and by having decades-old relationships with insurance carriers. Advocacy means creating a customized program of protection suited to your specific health care needs and budget.

So while you enjoy the summer, take some time to carefully note your financial projections for 2018, health history, medication needs and medical providers. Knowing these things are the key to making sure you get the best, most affordable coverage custom-tailored for you. We also specialize in Medicare supplement policies, dental and vision, life insurance and financial planning services. Sound Healthcare’s expertise is available to AFM Local 257 members Monday-Friday. Learn more at soundhealthcare. org. Email info@soundhealthcare.org or call 615-256-8667.

RJ Stillwell JULY – SEPT 2017 5

STATE OF THE LOCAL

BY DAVE POMEROY

“We are your first line of defense, but we cannot protect you if you don’t protect yourself. Let’s work together to make things better. It’s the Nashville Way.”

W

hat is “The Nashville Way”?

It’s more than a slogan printed on a T-shirt or painted on a brick wall. It carries different meanings to different people, but to me, it starts with a positive attitude and the basic principles of honesty, respect, and cooperation. This — not the media hype of the last decade — is how we became the “It City.”

Help a brother — or sister — out

It means being friendly to strangers. For example, try taking someone who’s never been to the Station Inn, the historic acoustic music venue in the Gulch, for the first time and watch what happens. Within a few minutes, I’ll bet they will feel right at home in a room full of people who will go out of their way to be nice.

Sometimes, it also means doing a little more than what you are required or expected to do. It’s opening a door or helping someone across the street, or looking someone in the eye when you meet them. It can also mean taking a little extra time and care in the studio on that final overdub to get it just right.

Going the extra mile takes many forms, but it can reap big benefits in the long run, and says a lot about the character of our city and community. That’s the Nashville Way.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

The Nashville Way also means mutual respect between employers and musicians.

This relationship goes back a long way, and began when Local 257 was founded in 1902. 115 years later, AFM Local 257 is still the only organization looking out for the interests of Nashville’s professional musicians.

Local 257 processed more than $11 million in scale wages in 2016, and over the past few years, we have become the third largest 6 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

AFM local in the United States. This did not happen by accident. Nashville is known as the place to come if you want to get paid fairly and treated like a professional. The magnetic pull of respect has drawn countless musicians to come here and take a shot, and become part of the Music City story.

When Elvis’ contract was sold by Sun to RCA Records, he began recording in Nashville, and the label hired Chet Atkins to run their Nashville operations. Soon after, Owen Bradley was hired to run Decca Records. Together with George Cooper, Local 257 president for 38 years, they made sure that studio musicians were treated fairly by always working under AFM recording contracts.

Word spread far and wide, and that is why so many great musicians have come here.

Doing the right thing by protecting your work is the Nashville Way. This is why we are still able to get musicians and their beneficiaries paid for New Uses of their work more than 50 years later, and will continue to do so.

Helping you today and tomorrow

For decades, Local 257 has negotiated, improved and enforced local contracts ranging from song publishing demos and Limited Pressing recording contracts to the Grand Ole Opry, TPAC and the Nashville Symphony. We do this to ensure musicians are paid fairly for what they do. The new Opry contract has significant pay raises, and for the first time ever, satellite radio and YouTube video payments.

We are active participants in AFM national negotiations, including SRLA phono negotiations, which recently concluded with major improvements across the board in wages, H&W and cartage, and for the first time ever, payment for onstage use of studio tracks, which Local 257 brought to the table and is now part of the contract. The increased pen-

sion rate of 12.81 percent will be a big help to the Fund, which is important to all of us.

We’re with you on the road and here in town

Touring musicians are Nashville’s roving ambassadors, and we do all we can to look out for them while they are on the road. Remember that playing a show and making an audio or visual recording of that show are two separate events, and you deserve to be paid accordingly. We have gotten many of our touring acts paid for streaming and satellite radio events that have slipped through the cracks, so keep us informed about anything of this nature you have coming up. That gives us much more leverage to get you paid properly.

We have been working with Metro on behalf of Lower Broadway club musicians for the past six years. We help players deal with loading zones, signage, bad taxi drivers, street closures, and more. We recently had a breakthrough by getting Premier Parking to give musicians $5 parking, which is the equivalent of a decent pay raise. Many of these musicians have seen the benefits of union membership and have joined up. As we have learned, today’s club musicians can be tomorrow’s session cats and rising stars.

That’s the Nashville Way. Nashville’s moment in the sun as America’s “It City” continues in full swing. AFM 257 members are not only musicians, but songwriters, producers, engineers, singers, arrangers, and entrepreneurs. Our creative community and our recording musicians are second to none. Unfortunately, there will always be people who try to take advantage of musicians. We are your first line of defense, but we cannot protect you if you don’t protect yourself. Let’s work together to make TNM things better. It’s the Nashville Way.

NEW GROOVES

“We deal with vendors whose bills not only come with regularity but rise with regularity.

Each bill must be eyed with healthy skepticism and a resolve to fight for every dollar.”

H

as anybody noticed the vast array of buckets and kitchen pots strewn about the lobby of our fine union building lately? If not, you probably dropped by on a sunny day. I’ll explain later.

We are family

It is harder and harder for me to save money in today’s economic climate. It’s not that I don’t make money. I’m just having a hard time hanging on to what does come in. The truth is that my wife and I could, I suppose, eat beans and rice — which is one of Dave Ramsey’s extreme paths to wealth — in order to build our savings. Not that beans and rice are bad every once in a while, but isn’t eating like that regularly kind of — extreme?

Well, Local 257’s day-to-day stuff mirrors your families’ stuff. This doesn’t mean that when I leave work I’ll drive to your house and ask, “What’s for dinner?” It simply means that when I get home I face the same kind of financial problem solving that I just left at 11 Music Circle North.

At home we try to live within our means by cutting expenses as much as we can without affecting our comfort and quality of life. Sometimes we just do the best we can — and deal with the fallout later. We pay the rent or mortgage, electric, gas, water, cable, phone and other monthly bills. We know the electric company could cut off our service if we fail to pay them.

So we don’t test that theory!

Fighting the good fight

Same thing is true at our local. We deal with vendors whose bills not only come with regularity but rise with regularity. Each bill must be eyed with healthy skepticism and a resolve to fight for every dollar.

I recently received the local’s property tax assessment, as I’m sure a lot of you did if you own your home. Ours has more than doubled since the previous assessment.

The building’s value falls in line with other Music Row properties and that location is the main reason why the assessment is so high. Having a higher value is nice and it means our property taxes go up — but more than double? I have appealed these assessments for my home in the past, so this year I did the same for the local. I can only hope the assessor gives us a break due to our nonprofit status — and my begging for mercy!

That’s just the most recent expense that has risen drastically for the local. We diligently check bills for phone, internet, trash pickup — you name it — in order to keep ‘em honest because let’s face it — they’ll bleed us if we let them! How we deal with finances today will dictate how confidently the next generation of officers and staff will be able to carry on quality service to our future membership.

We also want to help with YOUR bills by doing all we can to keep annual dues as low as possible. We always propose the annual dues schedule in the fall to the Local 257 Executive Board for the upcoming year. Then with the board’s approval, we present the schedule at the fourth quarter membership meeting. We also discuss with the board any expenditures we think are unavoidable.

Raindrops keep falling

Speaking of unavoidable, I can now explain the pots and pans in the lobby! We need a new skylight. Yes, skylights are problematic – especially one of this advanced age.

Everyone I’ve spoken with though, agrees that closing in the skylight is a bad idea.

BY VINCE SANTORO

This one has reached and surpassed its life expectancy. Since I came on as secretarytreasurer, the leaks have multiplied and worsened to the point that without action we stand to be unprepared for its complete failure. With that in mind, I’ve gathered several quotes for a permanent fix and will make a proposal to the Local 257 Executive Board as per our bylaws before presenting it to membership.

At your home, you make sure to get the crumbling gutters replaced so your average family of four can rest easy. Local 257 needs to replace this skylight so our family of 2200 TNM can stay dry.

Next General Membership Meeting 2 p.m.

Aug. 15, 2017

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JULY – SEPT 2017 7

HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE

Kathy Mattea Kelsea Ballerini with ACM campers

Brad Paisley

BRAD PAISLEY

Jay Patten band members Andy Reiss, Patten, Toni Sehulster, Will Barrow (l-r)

Brad Paisley is known not only for his long list of hit records but also for his sense of humor. And now he’s making a leap to some actual stand-up comedy with a new Netflix special — Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo. He’ll feature several comedians in the hour-long program, including Sarah Tiana, Jon Reep, Nate Bargatze and John Heffron; the show will also include appearances by David Hasselhoff and Reba McEntire.

The show was filmed in Nashville at Zanies earlier this year, and will air beginning Aug. 15.

KATHY MATTEA

Grammy-award winning artist Kathy Mattea has long been known for her work with charitable organizations, and has been an outspoken activist on a variety of issues including Appalachian mining practices and the AIDS crisis. For the last four years she has also hosted NPR Reports: Aging Matters. The program explores issues concerning the elderly — ­­ including health care, financial issues, and Alzheimer’s. “I have had firsthand experience with loving someone while they walk through the stages of Alzheimer’s. I’m honored to be part of NPT’s thoughtful and timely coverage of this and other issues surrounding our aging population,” Mattea said.

It is estimated that 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day in the United States; this trend is expected to continue for the next decade.

KELSEA BALLERINI

Local 257’s own Kelsea Ballerini and Dierks Bentley joined other songwriters, artists, and campers at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Lifting Lives Music Camp in June in a collaborative writing effort that culminated with a song being recorded and then performed on the Grand Ole Opry. “These guys get a whole 10-year experience compressed into five days,” Bentley said. The group came up with a tune called “I Love Big,” that Ballerini recorded and Chris Young performed at the Opry.

The eighth annual one-week camp hosted individuals with Williams syndrome — a genetic condition characterized by cardiovascular disease, 8 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

development delays, and a propensity to be musically gifted. Other camp activities included karaoke, meet-andgreets, and a visit to Seacrest Studios at Vanderbilt.

“I’m really excited,” Ballerini said. “I love when we get to do things that bring music back to what music is — that’s powerful, healing, and joyful.”

JAY PATTEN

Horn man Jay Patten helped the famed Bluebird Café celebrate its 35th anniversary at an event held June 7 in the intimate Green Hills listening room. Patten has gigged at the Bluebird regularly from the club’s inception — including literally the club’s first performance. He and his band, (Will Barrow on keys, Andy Reiss on guitar, Dave Nelson on drums, and bassist Toni Sehulster) were joined by a variety of special guests including Crystal Gayle — with whom Patten tours — plus singers Jonell Mosser, Vickie Carrico, Sheila Lawrence, and Bob White; and Local 257 members Jimmy Hall and Mike Loudermilk.

The versatile Patten first performed as a singer with the Glenn Miller Orchestra fresh out of Berklee College of Music. He went on to play on numerous records in a wide variety of genres, working in Los Angeles and Nashville studios — and he’s released five acclaimed solo albums, including his latest, Crystal Nights.

The Bluebird has long been a mecca for country music fans, and has grown in notoriety since the club’s regular appearances in the TV show Nashville. The venue is known for hosting singer-songwriter nights and a variety of other somewhat eclectic music — and also for its strictly enforced “No Talking During Performances” rule. TNM

JULY – SEPT 2017 9

NEWS

Yamil Conga and Alison Brazil perform at Make Music Nashville

on the sides and back, and also affixed to the instrument sheet music to “This Land is Your Land,” by Woody Guthrie.

Make Music Nashville brought together over 75 artists who performed at 20 venues. There were more than 500 instrument giveaways and 30 jam sessions across the city. Many Local 257 members were among those supporting the free-to-the-public endeavor. Just a few of the Local 257 members that performed included Andy Reiss, “Ranger” Doug Green, Alison Brazil, Yamil Conga, Shannon Williford, Dann Sherrill, Casey Lutton, Roy Vogt, and Bryan Cumming.

New SRLA agreement increases scale, cartage, pension, H&W — plus discounts for large ensembles

Donated Local 257 piano at Cumberland Park installation.

Make Music Nashville

Make Music Nashville is an all-inclusive festival with a mission to bring as many people together to make music as possible.

They hold a city-wide festival every June 21 — and as a lead-up to the event, the nonprofit organization introduced a new initiative called Pianos in the Park.

The group plans to install pianos in Nashville Metro Parks, and Local 257 was happy to provide the first upright. The old piano, a former resident of our rehearsal hall, had become difficult to tune, and was replaced with a baby grand, courtesy of the family of songwriter Tim Johnson. This allowed us to donate the old upright to this great cause.

The piano was decorated with paint and given a diversity theme; students at Tusculum Elementary left their painted handprints 10 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

The new SRLA (phono) contract negotiated with the major labels was overwhelmingly ratified by AFM members who work under that agreement. The long negotiations were definitely worth it, as we achieved significant raises in scale wages, H&W, cartage, and pension contributions. We settled a longstanding dispute over foreign streaming, which resulted in large settlement payments to the Pension Fund totaling $16.5 million over three years. AFM Local 257 President Dave Pomeroy, a member of the negotiating team for SRLA, commented on the new agreement. “I am proud of the fact that the formula Local 257 developed to pay for the use of studio tracks onstage is now, for the first time ever, part of the SRLA agreement. Thanks to everyone who worked on these important negotiations.”

Parking deal for downtown musicians

John Root

With the help of Metro Council member Jeff Syracuse, Local 257 has struck a deal with Premier Parking for members who work downtown to get discounted parking in the McKendree Garage on 6th and Commerce.

As downtown musicians well know, prices can go as high as $2530 a night, but the Local 257 parking pass will get you all night parking for $5. These are one-use coupons with a bar code, and we now have them at the front desk. Simply present the discount ticket when you leave the garage along with your entrance ticket, and your fee will be reduced to $5.

NEWS

“These passes will save Local 257 members who work downtown a lot of money.”

Local 257 members in good standing who work downtown can come by and pick up a maximum of five tickets weekly for the nights they are working. There will be a short form to fill out with a few questions about your gigs downtown, to keep up our end of the deal and make sure that these passes are actually going to working downtown musicians. We do want to emphasize that this is on the honor system, and we trust that our members understand that we run the risk of losing these privileges if we abuse them.

The explosion of Nashville tourism in the past several years has been an enormous boon for the city, but has brought with it some significant complications for musicians who must navigate the busy lower Broadway district to get to gigs. AFM Local 257 President Dave Pomeroy and Secretary-Treasurer Vince Santoro have worked

with downtown merchants, Metro police, club owners, the mayor’s office, taxi commissioner, Public Works, and musicians in an effort to find solutions to parking problems and other issues the players face.

“These passes will save Local 257 members who work downtown a lot of money, and have already brought in some new members as well. We have been told that some of the downtown clubs will also have these tickets soon, but if you would prefer not to deal with them on a daily basis, we can help you. This has been a long time coming, and I am very pleased that this concept has finally become a reality. We thank Metro Council member Jeff Syracuse and Premier Parking for working together with us to make this happen,” Pomeroy said. For more information about discounted parking tickets call the local at (615) 244-9514. TNM

Get ‘em while they’re hot!

NEW LOCATION 2616 Grandv iew Avenue Nashville, TN 37211 615.750.5726

a m p r e p a i r. c o m

JULY – SEPT 2017 11

GALLERY

1.

1. ANDREA ZONN (left)

was honored as a Nashville Cat at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum held June 17. THOM JUTZ (right) accompanied her during the performance portion of the event.

2. Drummer BUSTER PHILLIPS

at the kit with his 25-year pin.

4.

3. KEITH URBAN sang at

the opening of one of the Nashville Predators’ Stanley Cup playoff games.

4. Singer and guitarist KATHY CHIAVOLA proudly shows

2.

off her life member pin.

5. Steel guitarist GLENN RIEUF

poses with his life member pin and a big smile.

5.

3.

12 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

GALLERY

1.

2.

4.

1. Pictured (L-R): MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson and MusicRow Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians CHARLES JUDGE, JIMMIE LEE SLOAS, RUSSELL TERRELL, ILYA TOSHINSKIY with his son and daughter, MusicRow’s ERIC T. PARKER. Photo by Bev Moser 3.

2. Bassist ROGER YOUNG displays his life member pin.

3. AFM Local 257 life member SAM MCCLUNG blows “Taps” for Central Labor

Council’s Workers Memorial Day event Apr. 28.

4. Violinist and Branson, Mo., icon SHOJI TABUCHI shows off his 25-year pin. TNM

JULY – SEPT 2017 13

14 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN 14 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

by Warren Denney

J arah arosz S Sarah Jarosz tells her own story through the power of song, and in so doing, propels a collective one.

We are folk, telling our history in different ways. From the precocious beginnings of the young singer-songwriter who signed a deal with Sugar Hill while still in high school, to the Grammy-winning artist of today, Jarosz has managed to move the needle of folk music in modern times.

Though her musicianship is unassailable — the AFM Local 257 member is known for her skill on mandolin and banjo — she has always considered herself a singer first, and a songwriter third. The fact is, Jarosz possesses a balance to her work that lifts her above the fray, a balance that makes her music appealing in the broadest sense. It is an accessible music.

“The nature of coming from more of a folk or bluegrass background is different from other forms,” Jarosz said recently, as she prepared for a sound check in front of a show in Raleigh, N.C. She is now touring heavily in support

of the acclaimed Undercurrent, released in June 2016. “In classical music, for instance, you have something produced largely from a written tradition — as opposed to the oral tradition — you know as opposed to building songs based off of things you’ve heard before. It can be really specific in some songs you’ll hear, or in other songs if you go back to traditional tunes, or even in country songs.”

“My songwriting has mostly come from a personal perspective, and kind of telling my own story.”

continued on page 16

Photos by Scott Simontacchi JULY – SEPT 2017 15

continued from page 15

rising still

Jarosz’s star is rising still. This year Undercurrent earned Grammys for Best Folk Album and Best American Roots Performance with her song “House of Mercy,” and was named International Folk Album of the Year

by Folk Alliance International. There is an emotional starkness to this record that goes beyond the previous three, a plaintive power that holds the listener. And, it underscores her growth as a songwriter.

“So, you can call it modern folk music but it’s really just a continuation, too,” she said. “Like it always has been. Building off something that’s come before — I definitely attribute some part of me to the music I listen to and the music I absorb.”

There is that familiar DNA, the simple translation of living that can be found within the music, an almost literary longing, but with a twist that moves it into

16 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

the modern. Her sound and sensibility hold hipster appeal, in that her songs are in constant search of the real — something they yearn for — but she turns that search into something largely unexpected today. She delivers.

“I don’t totally consider myself a storyteller,” Jarosz said. “My songwriting has mostly come from a personal perspective, and kind of telling my own story. So many great songwriters are fantastic at telling other people’s stories, but to be honest, that’s not what I do.

“I think even when you’re telling your own story, you have to be able to be a good listener. Sometimes, with the hectic nature of life, it’s easy to be closed off from the day-to-day or to focus on your own thing.

I find when I’m writing songs, that’s when I’m able to open up a little more and just be a good listener — being more aware of the normal and what’s going on around me. To that storytelling element of my work, I’m an observer more than a storyteller.”

Combined with her musical approach, Jarosz’s songs become powerful observations. At one moment, the lyric might carry the day, at others it’s her magnetic playing, and still through another lens, her vocal forces the issue. While she is not cut from the same cloth as Dylan (though she covers him readily), or Woody, her songs speak to a certain politic and disaffection. Jarosz is not overtly waving a political complaint, but speaks more to the challenge of living today with pride and love. She wants to make the world better.

“Sarah represents the vitality of the modern folk era,” Aengus Finnan, the Executive Director of Folk Alliance International, said. “[She has] … reverence for tradition, and passion for the future.”

discovering simplicity

In point of fact, as she grew up in Texas, Jarosz had little realization of the deeper roots of folk music, or bluegrass, or where any of it might be headed. She did, however, have a notion of where she was going.

“When I was really young, I started getting into folk or bluegrass,” she said. “I started with people like Nickel Creek, and Gillian Welch, and Tim O’Brien. They all were huge influences on me. Then, I worked my way backwards.

“A lot of musicians come at it that way, like learning something from their contemporaries that might lead them to go back.

Those three were huge when I first started getting into playing mandolin and banjo and writing my own songs … but I had to learn. I went back, eventually.”

Her singing is a bit of a different matter. Jarosz’s voice carries a lightness and warmth that wraps around the matter of the song. No trickster, she delivers the lyric with clarity.

“I definitely think of myself as a singer,” she said. “I’ve been singing since I was two, and its something that’s always been a part of me before the instruments or anything else. It’s something where I always felt I get it and that it naturally came to me. I didn’t think twice about it. I consider it my innate musical quality.

“The mandolin began second to that, and then equal to it really. Songwriting kind of came third.”

Modern folk music in the hands of the wrong people can be repetitive, haunting without reason, and generally little more than an exercise in selfpity — or worse, an exercise in patronizing the past.

Jarosz easily navigates these waters because she is coming from a sincere and honest place. And, she has been on the journey for a long time. Her parents are lifelong music lovers and instilled that love in her from their home in Wimberly, Texas, a small town not too far removed from Austin.

“I loved growing up there,” Jarosz said. “My parents are still there — it’s a rural, very small town with, like, 2,000 people, but with a proximity to Austin. When I started getting into music seriously, my parents were constantly taking me into Austin to hear live music. They’re huge music lovers, and have been their whole lives.

“Because of them, and their love for music — it was always around — my dad was always playing records and my mom plays guitar, and has even written songs on the side, in her life. [I grew up thinking] oh, this is just something people do. It was natural for me to want to get into it.” continued on page 18

“I was aware of it, and now I’m rediscovering it [Texas music] as my inspiration.”

JULY – SEPT 2017 17

continued from page 17

She did get into it. Moving from songs in her head to songs on paper revealed a deep talent for music as a whole. She found the mandolin and began to grow, in the way that hungry children grow. She was barely ten years old.

“The discovery of the mandolin, and falling in love with it — that was it,” Jarosz, now 26, said. Even though I loved music always.

That was it – when I found it I really took the reins myself for the first time. [I was drawn to] certain things. Nickel Creek was such a great thing [to hear] as a kid. They played with an incredibly high level of musicality.

“I was singing all the time, and I took piano for a few years, but that was not what I was into.

It was straight to the mandolin for me.”

She also ultimately discovered the banjo, and approached it in the clawhammer style, drawing on older folk-influenced sources, including Bascom Lamar Lunsford.

As she developed, she found a balance between the three pillars of her music — playing, singing, songwriting.

Her first record, Song Up in Her Head, was released in 2009, and garnered high praise for its surprising depth and maturity.

That same year, she enrolled in the New England Conservatory of Music, where she would ultimately graduate with honors in 2013.

She was nominated for Best Emerging Artist in 2010 by the Americana Music Association. Along the way she somehow produced two strong follow-up efforts to her debut, Follow Me Down (2011) and Build Me Up From Bones (2013). Both received critical acclaim and were heavily nominated for

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18 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

“On this record more than before, I approached it with more simplicity. It’s going to be more powerful to be more simple.”

Grammys and Americana awards. All three of them were littered with great musicians, including Bela Fleck, Dan Tyminski, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Shawn Colvin, Darrell Scott, and others. She found herself (and still does) in the company of the Punch Brothers.

With Undercurrent, Jarosz weaves a stark, personal tale. For July and much of August she joins the Punch Brothers and her other musical compadres, I’m With Her, which include Sara Watkins, and Aoife O’Donovan, and Julian Lage, before finishing out the year in support of Undercurrent. The revue is being billed as the American Acoustic Tour.

“With the instant nature of our society, and now more than ever — I think a lot of people crave a realness that can’t come from a part of our culture,” she said. “On this record more than before, I did think about the simplicity — I approached the earlier ones with this open sort of boundless attitude. The process for all three of those records was to go in and record my part first, playing and singing. For insurance, we’d overdub endlessly and we would end up with this lush production — not on all of it, but on some of it, and with this record I thought more about the simplicity in the songwriting.

“I approached all of it with more simplicity. Like I don’t have to do a mandolin solo here, or there — it’s going to be more powerful to be more simple — and to record it as simple as possible. The four solo performances on the record are what anchor it. That comes from listening to different stuff and being drawn to people like Guy Clark. It’s funny, I’m discovering a lot of Texas music that I didn’t get into when I was young.”

Inspiration is where you find it, and it can often lead you home. Jarosz seems to be discovering simplicity as she evolves as an artist, and how her roots travel with her as she rambles.

“I was aware of it, and now I’m rediscovering it [Texas music] as my inspiration,” Jarosz said. “I’m really inspired by that. When I think about people’s roots — you hope to never lose that. It largely shapes and forms people’s sounds and identity as musicians, no matter where you go there is an element of it being genuine, and knowing where something comes from. ‑“It’s all related to being true to myself in making an impact. It’s all a part of everything.” TNM

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JULY – SEPT 2017 19

REVIEWS

REGGIE YOUNG

Forever Young | Ace Records Reggie Young is a humble man who just happens to be one of the most influential guitarists in the history of contemporary music. He has played on some of the greatest records of all time, from the Box Tops’ “Cry Like a Baby,” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” to Merle Haggard’s “That’s the Way Love Goes,” to name just a few. It’s impossible to think of the Dobie Gray hit “Drift Away” without Young’s iconic guitar intro, which perhaps should have earned him a songwriting credit.

It’s hard to believe, but Forever Young is Young’s first release under his own name, and this long overdue instrumental showcase is more than worth the wait. Recorded in Nashville and Muscle Shoals with an allstar cast of players, Young’s distinctive and timeless guitar stylings are front and center throughout. Most of the tracks were cut with the soulful trio of Clayton Ivey (electric pia20 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

no) David Hood (bass) and Chad Cromwell (drums) laying down a pulsing backdrop that allows Young the space and freedom to step out as the lead melodic voice.

Young’s signature sliding double-stop licks, melodic arpeggios and soulful string bending are tasteful yet unpredictable, and always right in the pocket. Catherine Styron Marx adds tasty additional keyboards on four songs and David Hungate plays bass on a couple of tunes as well, stepping out on “It’s About Time.” Engineered by Alan Shulman, Joe Bogan, and Robbie Turner, and mixed and mastered by Turner, the sounds are marvelous throughout.

The opening cut, “Coming Home to Leiper’s Fork,” hits a laid-back groove with Young trading licks with renowned saxophonist/flautist Jim Horn — who also arranged the horns, excellently played by Steve Herrman on trumpet and Charles Rose on trombone.

“Memphis Grease” is a funky horn-driven groove with Young’s guitar dancing over the top of Hood and Cromwell’s seductive playing, with some great fills by Herrman on the fade. “Soul Love” is an elegant midtempo masterpiece that takes several unexpected twists and turns, and “Seagrove Place” combines a sweet melody and tight arrangement reminiscent of classic Steely Dan, featuring Horn’s flute to great effect.

“Exit 209” features Young’s gravitydefying slides and bends, backed by Dennis Belfield (bass), Shannon Forrest (drums) and Mike Rojas (keys) all of whom are right on the money. The final track “Jennifer” opens with a beautiful intro and coda featuring the track’s namesake, Young’s soulmate and wife, cellist Jennifer Lynn Young, who plays on four cuts on the album, with sweeping B-3 fills courtesy of Jim “Moose” Brown.

This timeless ballad is a perfect closer to this awesome record.

Reggie Young is one of the few guitarists who is instantly recognizable by both playing and tone. He has transcended many trends and styles over his long career. Listening to this album, it’s occasionally reminiscent of a number of hugely popular guitar idols — but then you suddenly realize that those guitarists were all influenced by Young, and not the other way around. This album is a treasure for the ages. continued on page 22 — Roy Montana

PLAYLIST

PROGRAMS AT THE HALL

POETS AND PROPHETS: A SALUTE TO LEGENDARY SONGWRITERS August 5: Sharon Vaughn October 7: Gary Burr SATURDAYS: SONGWRITER SESSION August 12: Victoria Banks and Phil Barton August 26: Shawn Camp SUNDAYS: MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT August 27: Missy Raines • Bass October 1: Ryan Joseph • Fiddle NASHVILLE CATS: A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC CITY MUSICIANS September 9: Mac McAnally VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE FULL CALENDAR OF ARTISTS AND STORIES

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PROGRAM FUNDERS: Museum programs are funded in part by The Bonnaroo Works Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Epiphone, Fender, Jackson National Community Fund, Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, and Nashville Parent. Technology Partners: Cisco; NewTek; Personal Computer Systems, Inc.; and Promethean.

JULY – SEPT 2017 21

REVIEWS

Next General Membership Meeting Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 2 p.m.

Jimmy Nalls with various artists

The Jimmy Nalls Project JRaw Records

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ED. NOTE: At press time we learned that Local 257 member Jimmy Nalls passed away June 22. A full obituary will appear in the Oct-Dec. issue of The Nashville Musician. All proceeds from this record will go to his beneficiaries.

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Growing up in the Washington D.C. area, my early ‘70s rock band and I found the Georgetown club scene to be quite the playground where we, and many other groups like us, could make a living doing what we loved to do. I had modelled my drumming approach after another guy in town, Mike Zak — his style defined the path I wanted to follow.

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continued from page 20

“The guy was liquid sunshine.”

He had a new band called “D.C. Dog” and I went to catch them at a club called The Apple Pie on “M” Street. The band was comprised of Zak on drums, Elliot Jagoda on bass, Gary St. Claire on keys and vocals and a guy I’d not known, Jimmy Nalls, on guitar. The band tore it up and I was introduced to slide guitar played the way I’d never heard before!

The guy was liquid sunshine.

Fast forward to Nashville. Jimmy Nalls is here and he is fighting Parkinson’s disease with everything he’s got. Many of his friends and musical acquaintances have teamed up to produce a collection of songs that recall the searing spirit Nall’s music has always projected.

All seven tracks really bring the goods – the first two, “Natural Thing” and “Wood and Wire” are soulful and driving while “Steal continued on page 24

On

Tickets: 615.687.6400 | NashvilleSymphony.org JIMMY NALLS WITH DAVID PINKSTON 22 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

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REVIEWS continued from page 23

My Heart” utilizes a great acoustic guitar to provide a slinky, hip landscape. “I Miss the Road” struck a chord with me because Nalls is telling us how big a chunk of his life is out of reach for him now. It’s impossible for me to imagine his present journey but this lyric opens a window and pierces my heart.

The Jimmy Nalls Project sounds great and the playing reflects the love these folks have for him. Many AFM Local 257 members threw down alongside a star-studded cast of Nalls’ fans including Joe Bonamassa, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Warren Haynes, Jack Pearson and Chuck Leavell. Jimmy Hall, Dave Pomeroy, Kenny Greenberg, Ray Kennedy, Gary Nicholson, Lee Roy Parnell, Guthrie Trapp and Joe Glaser are just a few more of the scads of folks who donated their time and expertise as players, engineers or producers to bring this project to fruition.

The raw intensity of tone and tension gives me chills. It feels like the Jimmy Nalls I heard back in D.C., just as immediate and immense today as ever. If you treasure passionate music and want to support a meaningful cause, The Jimmy Nalls Project can help fill any hole in your soul. To buy the music, make a donation, or for more information, please visit jimmynallsproject.com.

— Hank Moka

John Oates with Chris Epting

Change of Seasons St. Martin’s Press John Oates has had an amazing life. That in itself isn’t unexpected. He’s half of Hall & Oates, a duo that basically ruled the charts for a couple of decades, and still draw huge crowds every time they tour. Hall & Oates have recorded 21 albums, which have sold more than 60 million units. That makes them the most successful duo in rock history. So of course, he’s had a lot of fascinating experiences. But it’s the charming, engaging style of storytelling in this book that holds your interest throughout Oates’ long, strange trip.

Each chapter is short, and brings up the curtain on another vignette. And each one is colorful to say the least. From his family’s celebration of his early musical talents, 24 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

live REVIEW

“It’s one of those great books that gives a sense of the development of ‘70s rock & roll — and particularly Philadelphia’s role in that event — through the eyes of an individual who was literally at ground zero. “

Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer and Yo-Yo Ma Schermerhorn Symphony Center

(l-r) Local 257 members Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer, along with Yo-Yo Ma (Local 802) wowed a sold-out crowd at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center April 26 with an amazing display of instrumental virtuosity. Touring in support of the group’s new Bach Trios album on Nonesuch Records, these three legendary instrumentalists have taken some of J.S. Bach’s most challenging works for keyboard and viola da gamba and rearranged them for the unique combination of mandolin, string bass, and cello. They were joined for the encore by fiddle master Stuart Duncan, who was part of the Grammy-winning Goat Rodeo Sessions project with the trio. to his first trip as a young hippie to Europe, to the collaboration which would bring him stardom and set the stage for the rest of his life’s endeavors, Change of Seasons is captivating, funny, and educational. There’s a lot of fascinating detail, from their first producer Arif Mardin’s facile orchestration of the studio sessions that created the path for Hall & Oates’ success, to their later chart-topping endeavors with a variety of talented sidemen and producers. It’s one of those great books that gives a sense of the development of ‘70s rock & roll — and particularly Philadelphia’s role in that event — through the eyes of an individual who was literally at ground zero.

20th century music history fans will add to their knowledge base with Oates’ book.

Racing fans will eat up all the detailed car and race track chatter. And anyone who wants a real picture of “the road” of a tour-

“It’s one of those great books that gives a sense of the development of ‘70s rock & roll.”

ing musician, with all its highs and lows, will be intrigued. But more than that, any reader who just digs a great story will certainly enjoy Change of Seasons. The requisite victories are here, along with great disappointments.

It’s a very real telling of life as a major-label artist — and it’s not all peaches and cream.

Oates has done an excellent job of conjuring up an entire era in the music business, from a truly personal angle. As a plus, he even includes a choice EP with rootsy-blues Oates tunes, and a cool version of “Maneater” done up bluegrass style with the Sam Bush Band.

At the start of Oates’ memoir he writes: This book is dedicated to my hometowns: New York, North Wales, Philadelphia, Woody Creek, and Nashville. Of those, Music City deserves a book of its own, but this is not it.

This is a “first things first” kind of book. The story of being embraced by the music community that is the heart of Nashville will impatiently have to wait until the next volume, mostly because it means so much to me.

If Change of Seasons is any indication, it’s going to be an excellent read.

TNM — Kathy Osborne

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JULY – SEPT 2017 25

SYMPHONY NOTES

F

BY LAURA ROSS

ive Nashville Symphony colleagues retire this season, with a combined tenure that exceeds 150 years. Two are from Tennessee – Nashvillian Ann Richards, and Susan K. Smith, who was born in Murfreesboro but moved to Florida at the age of two. Cassie Lee, born in Big Stone Gap, Va., grew up in Knoxville; Radu Georgescu was born in Bucharest, Romania; and Mary Helen Law was born in Oklahoma City but grew up in Stamford, Conn.

They began playing their first musical instrument between ages seven to ten. Georgescu began the violin at age seven; Richards took piano lessons at age seven but started the flute at 11; Law played the violin in elementary school and switched to viola in high school; Lee and Smith were 10 when they began playing clarinet and trombone.

At 14, Smith decided “that I wanted to play trombone in a professional orchestra”, and later “also decided that I wanted to teach trombone on the college level.” Law “grew up in a family of musicians, married a musician [former NSO Principal Trombone Lawrence Borden], and my daughter is a violist.” Richards’ father was a longtime member of Local 257 who “came to Nashville as a musician, playing big band, Dixieland and old standards.” Her father played clarinet, saxophone and violin; her mother played piano, and her brother played pipe organ and clarinet.

Master performers

Richards attended California State University – San Jose (BA-Music), studied for two years in Europe, followed by Northwestern University (MM-Flute Performance), and then followed her dream of becoming an orchestra musician when she “won the position of second flute (later retitled 2nd/assistant principal flute) in 1977, right out of grad school.”

Lee attended University of Tennessee (BS-Music Education), and Northwestern University (MM-Clarinet Performance). “I wanted to teach at a university and play in a local orchestra, if there was one.” Lee was invited to audition for the Nashville Symphony, then disinvited, and then invited again to audition; she won the position of second and E-flat clarinet in 1979 (later retitled 2nd and E-flat/ assistant principal clarinet.)

Section violist Law had multiple interests: piano and French horn in high school and voice, theater and dance in college, all while focusing on viola. She attended the Crane School of Music at SUNY-Potsdam (BME) and New England Conservatory (MM-Viola Performance), and The Juilliard School (one year of Professional Studies.) “I freelanced in New York City for six years where I played with five different orchestras along with various opera and choral gigs (and many other giglets) in 26 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

and around the NYC area,” Law said. Recording work in Boston helped pay for her master’s degree. “I also spent three summers in Mexico City playing in Filarmonica de las Americas. I met my husband in Mexico and joined him where we were members of the Filarmonica de UNAM in Mexico City before we were fortunate enough to both get jobs in the same orchestra (Nashville Symphony), which is always a challenge.”

Smith attended University of Kansas (BME) and the University of North Texas (MM). She worked in more than a dozen orchestras – including the South Bend Symphony performing with NSO violist Michelle Lackey-Collins’ father, and as a member of the Millar Brass Ensemble and Chicago Trombone Ensemble – all before winning the position of second trombone in 1994. “My position was eventually changed to assistant principal and I also played principal trombone for a total of more than four years.”

Georgescu received a master’s degree in violin interpretation and teaching from Ciprian Porumbescu Academy of Music in Bucharest, Romania, and performed with the Camerata Chamber Music Orchestra in Costanta, Romania, George Enescu Philharmonia (Bucharest, Romania) and the Royal Symphony in Seville, Spain, before winning a position with the Nashville Symphony in 1996. “I had always wanted to perform in an orchestra and to solo; it was family issues that brought me to Nashville, and when I got the position, it was with the intention to move back to Seville, Spain in two years,” Georgescu said.

The early NSO and changing times Richards and Lee joined the NSO when Michael Charry was music director, the orchestra was part-time and performed at War Memorial Auditorium until moving to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) in 1980-81. It was necessary to have other employment; Richards, who freelanced, taught, and played chamber music, said, “I liked the orchestra, the area and saw its growing potential. I also enjoyed being near my family.” “There was a specified salary of $3,800,” Lee said. “I began teaching at Blair in 1981 and it took eight years for me to save the money to buy a house. By then, I knew Nashville was where I wanted to be.”

Kenneth Schermerhorn was music director when Law, Smith, and

Georgescu joined the orchestra. Law considered moving on when the symphony wasn’t as well supported, but later decided it was a good fit.

“Management was looking to expand the size and season length of the orchestra, which was, at the time a very part-time gig with mostly evening rehearsals…to becoming an orchestra of mostly daytime rehearsals and more weeks in the season. They had hired Kenneth Schermerhorn as music director with the idea he could help grow the Nashville Symphony into a major orchestra. There were lots of growing pains over the years, along with a strike and a lockout, but a lot of those earlier goals have been achieved. It has been quite a ride,” Law said. Smith said that in 1994, “Most rehearsals were at several churches and the concerts were at TPAC. Usually there were two concerts a week. I also performed around 30 brass quartet concerts a year in the elementary schools are far away as Red Boiling Springs, Crossville and Shelbyville. I really learned my way around the area.” Georgescu joined the orchestra with a long contract in 1996. “It was like a part-time job. There were 170 services per season that were poorly paid,” he said. The orchestra later upgraded all part-time contracts to full-time.

Richards, Lee and Law joined the orchestra before the musicians’ eight-week strike in 1985 and eight-month lockout and Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy in 1988. Richards remembers “the city was growing so fast it seemed logical there should be a full-time orchestra; however, convincing fundraisers was not easy.” Lee said, “I bought my house in September 1987. The NSO went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 1988. Scary!” And Law, who was four months pregnant when the orchestra shut down said, “Our daughter was 16 months old when we heard on the six o’clock news that the symphony was shutting down. For those of us that came to the orchestra with the promising goals of working toward major orchestra status it was a really devastating development. Losing health insurance was also frightening. My son was due [nine days after health insurance ended] so we had to have his birth induced early so the medical bills would be paid. Long-term members have had to fight to get this job to the place we now enjoy.”

Past, present and future

During her 40-year tenure, Richards has been an orchestra representative on the NSA board and the Nashville Symphony League, and served as chair of the orchestra committee. She was selected to travel to Mendoza, Argentina to represent the NSO in an orchestra exchange program; she has won awards, received an arts grant, served as adjunct faculty for five colleges and universities, co-authored two popular books with her husband, assistant principal bassist, Glen Wanner, served on the board of Walk Bike Nashville. She has performed numerous solos on flute and tin whistle, performed twice with the NSO at Carnegie Hall, and her favorite memory was when “Luciano Pavarotti blew me a kiss in rehearsal after we performed a tricky flute/voice duet in one of his arias.” As she leaves the orchestra, Richards plans to “freelance, teach, organize chamber music concerts, spend time with my Native American Indian flutes, write and record music with my jazz guitarist son Marcus Wanner, and do volunteer work.”

During Lee’s 38 years in the NSO, she has also been a successful and highly respected member of Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music faculty as its clarinet instructor and as a member of the Blair Woodwind Quintet. While she stepped back from these duties a few years ago, Lee plans to teach at Blair for one more year and to “help a friend and neighbor renovate a beautiful old stone house he just purchased in my neighborhood.” Her favorite memory was the NSO’s

SYMPHONY NOTES first trip to Carnegie Hall in 2000.

For 35 years Law has enjoyed working with great conductors and good friends – Peter Oundjian and Enrique Diemecke – artists like Jessye Norman, Gil Shaham, Andre Watts, Van Cliburn, YoYo Ma, Elmar Oliveira, Fredericka von Stade, and big symphonic works of Richard Strauss, Wagner, Bruckner and Mahler. As a Suzuki violin and viola teacher for 35 years, Law said, “I have had a nice level of success and have had many students who have developed into fine people and musicians whether they have gone into music or other careers.” She and her husband have converted their second house into an Airbnb rental to make additional income, and she plans to get her Suzuki teacher trainer certification and to continue teaching.

She’ll go to the beach more often, and traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Women’s March on Jan. 21, 2017. Before she left she said, “I will try not to get arrested.”

After 23 years with the NSO, Smith says Mahler symphonies are still her favorites. Her most memorable concerts were our two Carnegie Hall performances, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center opening, and the Amy Grant tours in the late 1990s. “During my entire tenure with the NSO I have also been the instructor of trombone at APSU. I have always had a passion to teach and have had the privilege to work with many college trombone students. It has been a great joy to help these students realize their place in the professional world.” She is proud that many have become band directors, one is in a Navy Band, and another is principal trombone in The President’s Own Marine Band. “Next year I will continue to teach students at APSU, give master classes and I also look forward to having time to travel to visit my family and friends.

I definitely see more Clearwater Beach time in my future.”

“What happened with the NSO in the 20 years of my activity is way above my imagination,” Georgescu said. “From a part-time orchestra, it changed into a professional high-quality orchestra with a state of the art concert hall.” He played with orchestras in Cookeville and Murfreesboro, and as principal second violin in the orchestra in Bowling Green, Ky. “I will never forget Kenneth’s flying batons…always wanting to express more.”

Georgescu has moved near Taos, N.M. “By the time I was born, my family had moved to the city (Bucharest), but all my older siblings and cousins had been able to spend time in the country. Now it’s my turn,” he said. He looks forward to a simpler life with neighbors who pitch in to help each other. “I will keep on fishing and travel — my second big hobby — and number one on my list is driving to Alaska.”

Final thoughts

All five retirees say they will miss their orchestra colleagues and friends but are looking forward to what comes next.

Georgescu added, “I am so fortunate to be part of what I call the NSO miracle. I am confident that new generations and great conductors will carry on the legacy. Can’t see how any city in the nation can be more blessed.”

Lee expressed concern that musicians are expected to meet high standards and increased work levels, and that the orchestra has turned into a “revolving door orchestra” again with 50 percent turnover in the woodwind section the past two years due to retirements and departures for better paying jobs. “It has become harder and harder for me to hear ‘World Class Orchestra’ and ’11 Grammy Awards’ when the pay just doesn’t match up. My hope for this orchestra is that one day soon, the musicians will be paid what they are TNM worth,” she said.

JULY – SEPT 2017 27

JAZZ & BLUES BEAT

A

fter a few years at this, I have realized an odd fact. No one has ever challenged what gets the spotlight in this column — that I know of. In case you wonder, here’s the deal.

Some months tough choices have to be made, other months it’s hard to find anything happening I haven’t already plugged. I am always eager to hear from artists or Joey Alexander organizations that have something new. I research each inclusion; choices are based on what seems most interesting or significant, and do not represent events that I can vouch for the integrity or legitimacy of. Because of that I usually don’t mention ticket prices, sponsors, or charities. Best way to support? Go to the gigs, buy the CDs, spread the word.

Jazz, blues and more at Schermerhorn

Among other accolades, Steely Dan is a pop band that jazz fans could love. Singer, songwriter, keyboardist and Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen makes a rare appearance to perform hits from his solo career (beginning with the 1982 album The Nightfly) along with Steely Dan favorites. Expect a night of hip songs and smooth grooves. Donald Fagen and the Nightflyers will appear Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Buddy Guy is a pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side blues sound, a seven-time Grammy winner, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and at 81, still an electrifying performer. Buddy Guy performs Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m. Child prodigies don’t last long these days, but jazz pianist Joey Alexander may be the real deal. The teenage sensation makes his Nashville debut performing classic jazz tunes and original compositions with his trio on Oct. 13, 8:00 p.m. For more information visit www.nashvillesymphony.org

Festivals and fundraisers

The Music City Rhythm & Ribs Fest is a fundraiser to support charitable organizations that are faith-based and community-oriented.

The event advertises live regional and na28 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

BY AUSTIN BEALMEAR

Buddy Guy

Donald Fagen

per night, Sunday through Wednesday, and three artists per night Thursday through Saturday. For the club’s music calendar, etc. go to www.rudysjazzroom.com.

The Jazz At The Factory series continues with a tribute to Miles Davis featuring Brian T. Cornish, who plays both drums and woodwinds, at The Little Brick Theater Aug. 26 from 7-9:00 Freda Payne p.m. The event is produced by a Dr. Alvin McKinney — known as Dr. Alvin — who brings an interesting bio to say the least, tional music in the soul and smooth jazz vein, to his efforts as a jazz producer. Details at barbecue-style food, plus craft and merchanwww.eventbrite.com.

Some rootsy blues dise vendors. You’ll also find promotional and comes to City Winery in the persons of school giveaways, free dental screenings, and Tab Benoit Aug. 4, and Lee Roy Parnell contests. The event is Aug. 6, 3-8:30 p.m., at on Aug. 17. www.citywinery.com Cumberland Park in downtown Nashville. See Tired of the same old clubs and concerts? what you think at www.eventbrite.com.

Try a new and unique experience called the A two-hour drive to Madison, Ala., will Plaza Mariachi at 3955 Nolensville Rd. bring you to the 3rd Annual Women in A giant indoor space redesigned as an old Jazz Festival headlined by veteran vocalist Mexican streetscape, it combines busiFreda Payne Aug. 5 from 1-10:00 p.m. For nesses, retail stores with art, crafts, clothdetails and directions, go to www.eventbrite. ing, etc., a food court that features Hispanic, com. This year’s Jazzmania fundraiser for Mediterranean and Argentinian offerings, the Nashville Jazz Workshop is scheduled and concert-stage music. There are a wide for Oct. 14 at the Factory in Franklin. The variety of Latin-based sounds, with multiple show always features some of the finest muartists most days. As advertised, it is indeed sicians in Nashville, and this year will feature a family-oriented cultural experience. There is Kirk Whalum.---- For more information go to an international market with vendors for ice www.nashvillejazz.org cream, juice, beer and wine. There’s a playroom, and even acrobats performing in the Clubs and other local venues food court. The live music is piped into the Three years ago, NJO Director Jim Williamretail and restaurant areas, and even out to son was asked to start programming jazz at a landscaped seating areas in the parking lot. small basement-style room in the Gulch. The The music I saw was outstanding: San Ramusic was good, but the venue never got its fael — a Nashville favorite — and a kicking own act together. Finally, with new managerumba flamenco band called The Rumba ment, and a lot of help (including a successful Madre. Ever seen people dancing in a food Kickstarter campaign) Rudy’s Jazz Room court at a mall? And where else could you see at 809 Gleaves St. in the Gulch opened this flaming baton twirlers in between band sets? spring as a cozy New York-style jazz bar. MuCheck it out at www.plazamariachi.com TNM sic is seven nights a week, with two artists

FINAL NOTES

Donald Charles Warden

“If there was one person who left this world with a satisfied mind, it was Don Warden.”

– Dolly Parton

March 27, 1929 — March 12, 2017

D

onald Charles Warden, steel guitarist for Red Sovine, The Wilburn Brothers, and Porter Wagoner; and 43-year road manager for Dolly Parton, died March 12, 2017. The steel guitarist joined Local 257 in 1957. In addition to work on the road and in the studio, Warden played on multiple television shows including the Louisiana Hayride and the Porter Wagoner Show.

Warden was born March 27, 1929 in Mountain Grove, Mo., to Rev. Charlie and Eva Jane Warden. It was a musical family, and he played steel guitar in high school with a band he formed called the Rhythm Rangers. The group snagged an afternoon radio show on KWPM-AM in West Plains, Mo., which led to appearances on Louisiana Hayride. After he spent two years in intelligence service with the U.S. Army, he returned to his parent’s home for a visit, and met Wagoner at the nearby Springfield, Mo., radio station.

The two soon formed a trio along with

Speedy Hayworth. Warden played a Shot Jackson custom-designed steel guitar — the first stand-up Sho-Bud instrument. He started working on Wagoner’s TV show in 1960, and in 1967 met Dolly Parton there.

When Parton struck out on her own in 1974, Warden went with her. He would remain her road manager for more than 40 years. In a press release after Warden’s death Parton said, “He was like a father, a brother, a partner and one of my best friends. I feel like a piece of my heart is missing today. Certainly a big part of my life is gone.” In 1957 Warden became a member of the Grand Ole Opry as a part of the Porter Wagoner Trio. In 2008 he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.

Parton celebrated Warden’s life with an event held May 10 at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. A plaque honoring Warden was placed on the side of Parton’s bus, and an engraved star was placed in the walk leading to the bus. Warden, who was well known for handling a number of tasks, including

occasional bus repair, was remembered in remarks by Parton, who called him her “Mr. Everything.” She said “If there was one person who left this world with a satisfied mind, it was Don Warden.”

Warden was a 32nd degree Mason, a Shriner, and a lifelong member of the Church of God. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Lillie and Myrtie Warden; and five brothers, Lloyd, Floyd, Oscar, Clyde and Fred Warden. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Lois Ann Bybee Warden; one son, Charlie Warden, one sister, Reba Brown; and two grandchildren.

Funeral services were held March 16 at Christ Church with interment following at Christ Church Memorial Gardens. AFM Local 257 members were honorary pallbearers. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund, 1 Gaylord Drive, Nashville, TN, 37214; or Adoration Hospice, 545 Mainstream Drive, Suite 43, Nashville, TN, 37228. continued on page 30 JULY – SEPT 2017 29

FINAL NOTES

Earl Sinks

Earl Sinks Jan. 1, 1940 — May 13, 2017

AFM life member Earl Sinks, 77, died May 13 at his residence in Goodlettsville, Tenn.

He was a songwriter, guitarist and singer who also performed in films and TV shows over his long career. At the age of 12 he played with Bob Wills, and by the time he was 18 he was one of the lead singers for the Crickets, just prior to and following the death of Buddy Holly. He joined Local 257 in September 1960.

Sinks was born Jan. 1, 1940 in Whitharral, Texas, to William Earl and Vera Mae Johnson Sinks. His son Brandon said his father’s playing style developed in a unique way. He said the reason he was such a great rhythm guitar player was because he played washboard first, and transposed those chops into the steady timing necessary for solid rhythm guitar.

Along with Norro Wilson, Sinks and Bill Fernez recorded as the band the Omegas in 1958. Sinks and his friend Bob Montgomery — who was also a member of the Buddy Holly’s band — moved to Nashville in 1959 to become writers for the Acuff-Rose publishing company. After his work with the Crickets, Sinks went on to record with Decca Records, and several other labels including Capitol, United Artists, Warner Brothers and others. He recorded under several names such as Earl Richards, Sinx Mitchell and Earl “Snake” Richards.

Sinks had songs recorded by many artists including the Everly Brothers, Sue Thompson, the Newbeats, Brenda Lee, Roy Orbison and Mel Tillis. He also worked sessions as a guitarist and singer for Tillis, Del Reeves, Mel Street, Charley Pride and others.

In the mid-’60s filmmaker Ron Ormond cast Sinks in TV shows like Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, and Surfside Six. He also appeared in the Ormond movie Girl From Tobacco Road. Other movie appearances followed in White Lightning Road and That Tennessee Beat.

He worked as a producer in the ‘70s for artists like John Anderson, Faron Young, Joyce Cobb, Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagoner, Mark Dinning, Mel Street and several others.

Sinks was a veteran of the U.S. Army, and a member of Joelton First Baptist Church and the John B. Garrett Lodge.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Rita Faye Wilson Sinks; one son, Brandon Earl Sinks; one daughter, Renetta Sinks Moran; two sisters, Latrell Pritchett and Nita Palmer; and two grandchildren.

Funeral services were held May 18 at Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Greenbrier, Tenn., and burial followed in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to MusiCares, 1904 Wedgewood Ave., Nashville, TN 37212; or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 4825 Trousdale Dr., Suite 220, Nashville, TN 37220.

Ben Lacy Speer June 26, 1930 — April 7, 2017

Ben Lacy Speer, 86, died April 7, 2017. He was a vocalist and pianist for The Speer Family gospel group for over six decades, and was also a life member of the Nashville Musicians Association. After his retirement from The Speer Family he produced gospel records and was also the music director for the Gaither Homecoming video series. Speer joined Local 257 in February 1949.

Born June 26, 1930 in Double Springs,

William Guilford “Gil” Wright July 3, 1929 — April 30, 2017

Ben Lacy Speer 30 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

Ala., he was the youngest child of Lena and George Thomas Speer, who were both music instructors. The band they formed became an iconic name in gospel music; George was also a prolific songwriter, and Lena Speer was the first woman inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The Speer Family recorded over 60 albums during Ben’s tenure.

In 1950 he started a publishing company in Nashville; he also owned a studio where he produced records for the Florida Boys, Ivan Parker, The Weatherfords and others. In 1956 Speer and his brother Brock joined Gordon Stoker of the Jordanaires to sing on Elvis Presley’s tracks “I’m Counting on You,” and “I Was the One.” The trio also accompanied Presley on “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,” before the artist began to exclusively use the Jordanaires for backing vocals.

In the late ‘80s Speer became instrumental in the revival of the Stamps-Baxter School of Music, which offered instruction in theory, songwriting, and other music-related classes, with a focus on Southern Gospel genre. He worked as musical director for many Gaither Homecoming Family videos and appeared on the Homecoming event stage as well.

Speer was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1995. He became a member of the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Southern Gospel Piano Roll of Honor in 2002.

In addition to his parents, Speer was preceded in death by one daughter, Lisa Speer Mena Harris, one brother, Brock Speer; and one sister, Mary Tom Speer. Survivors include his wife, Rebekah Long Speer, two sons, Stephen and Darin Speer; one sister, Rosa Nell Speer Powell — who died May 16, 2017; several grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Funeral services were held April 11 at the First Church of the Nazarene, and burial followed at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Nashville, Tenn.

William Guilford “Gil” Wright, 87, died April 30, 2017. The over seven-decade life member of the Nashville Musicians Association was a vocalist who also played trumpet. He was a two-time Grammy winner who was awarded for his work with the Anita Kerr Singers. Wright joined Local 257 in July 1945.

Wright was born July 3, 1929. After

James Francis Hunt

serving in the military, he began his career in music. He worked on recording sessions with many artists including Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rosemary Clooney, Patsy Cline, Burl Ives, Eddie Arnold, Jim Reeves and a host of others. Wright also worked on Anita Kerr Singers albums including the 1963 release Tender Words.

Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Betty Thomason Wright; one daughter, Sharon W. Herndon; one son, Bill Wright; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A memorial service was held May 4 at Eastwood Christian Church. Donations may be made in his memory to Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257.

James Francis “Jim” Hunt April 16, 1943 — May 8, 2017

Drummer James Francis Hunt, Jr., 74, died May 8, 2017. He joined Local 257 in June 2006, and played with a variety of artists over his career, including Ernie Ashworth on the Grand Ole Opry when he was 18.

He was born April 16, 1943 in Nashville, Tenn., to Lula Mai Hunt and James Francis Hunt, Sr. He was first drawn to big band drummers from watching old movies, but initially played trumpet and baritone before he began drumming in his high school band.

Hunt said in an interview that he was playing in honky-tonks at the age of 14, where he would not even drink water “for fear that someone would think that I was drinking vodka or gin.” This cautious behavior, Hunt said, kept him on the good side of the club owners.

When Hunt was 16 he joined the Sam Hollingsworth Orchestra. He graduated from NYC University in 1963 and married Mary Clementine. Hunt served in the U.S. Army, where he was a second lieutenant; he also performed in the marching band.

After his appearance on the Opry the percussionist booked numerous gigs with the country artists of the time, and over his career toured widely both domestically and across the world. He also played with Tim Ledford and the Kimsey Mountain Highway Band.

Bass player Ty Campbell said “Jim was a dear friend, always had a smile, a joke, and was a great guy to be around. Always looked forward to Summer NAMM when we would get to hang out more. I’ll miss my dear friend but I know he is in heaven watching down on us now.”

Bassist Tom Richards said “Jim was the

consummate drummer and rhythm section member. With clock-like time and incredible feel, he became a favorite of so many in the Nashville and country music community. Having played with and befriended the likes of Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, and Amy Grant among others, you don’t get higher praise in country music than that.

“On a personal note, Jim was the kindest of gentlemen and the best of friends. He was the first to welcome me to Nashville, and we had an instant bond. I will cherish the hours we spent talking about music, family and life.“ Hunt was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Mary; one sister, Judy; one brother, Wayne; and three daughters, Patricia, Thamsey and Jamie.

Funeral services were held at Athens Church of Christ May 19. Condolences may be sent to www.serenityfunerals.com

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Dr. David Warren Livingston Jan. 10, 1925 — Feb. 18, 2017

Composer, professor, and multi-instrumentalist Dr. David Warren Livingston, 92, died Feb. 18, 2017. He was a life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined the local in July 1976. The career musician played clarinet, saxophone, and keyboards.

Livingston was born in Corbin, Ky., Jan. 10, 1925 and attended school in Harlan County. His first instrument was the clarinet, and by the time he was 16 he had his own dance band — and was awarded a full music scholarship at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky. He went on to receive his Master’s degree at W.K.U. and then pursued a Ph.D. in Composition and Music Theory in 1971. During Livingston’s military service he played in U.S. Army and Air Force jazz bands, and later in his career he formed his own group — the Gemini 15 Band, which performed locally and on five U.S.O. tours in Korea, Okinawa, Japan, the Philippines, Europe and the Caribbean.

In 1978 Billy Vaughn moved into the south central Kentucky area and soon after formed continued on page 32

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FINAL NOTES continued from page 31

Dr. David Warren Livingston

an orchestra. Livingston toured with the group — the Billy Vaughn Orchestra — in the U.S. and around the world for over a decade.

He was on the staff of W.K.U. as a professor and taught there 29 years. The Bowling Green community also benefited from Livingston’s expertise — he produced three musicals for Capitol Arts and Kentucky Theatre Under the Stars, and performed concerts throughout his career. His published compositions include Symphony No. 1, premiered by the Owensboro Symphony in 1976. His other compositions include Prelude and Fugue for Symphonic Band and many other pieces for solo instruments and small ensembles.

Bernard Plumlee, a journalist who interviewed Livingston in 2008 said “Doc’s

influence is still being felt and passed onto others…Bowling Green would not have been the same without “Doc” Livingston. Not the city, nor the people, nor the musicians who have cultivated their craft in this quaint little town. You have been a positive influence on us all, Doc. Thank you.”

Livingston was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Joyce; and his brother, Carl Blair Livingston. Survivors include one daughter, Pam Thurman; one son, Tim; three grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at JohnsonVaughn-Phelps Funeral Home Feb. 22 with burial in Fairview Cemetery in Bowling Green, Ky. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for contributions to Orchestra Kentucky.

Donald K. Patton Jan. 19, 1951 — April 11, 2017

Donald K. Patton, 66, died April 11, 2017.

He was a life member who joined the Nashville Musicians Association in April 1972. He played bass and guitar, and was also a singer.

In 1987 he worked as a vocalist on the Larnelle Harris album The Father Hath Provided.

Patton was born Jan. 19, 1951 to the late Kent and Edwina Watson Patton. He married his wife, Nila Goode Patton June 10, 1978, and was retired from the TVA. He was also a member of the Central Church of Christ.

In addition to his wife, survivors include one son, Samuel Patton; two daughters, Carla Veronese and Donna Patton; and six grandchildren.

Interment was conducted April 14 in TNM Sandlin Cemetery, Athens, Ala.

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

Irene Hitt Foster

04/07/1932

04/18/1964

06/11/2017

James F Hunt, Jr

04/26/1943

06/15/2006

05/08/2017

Donna J Jackson

11/29/1938

01/22/1992

06/10/2017

James A Nalls, III

05/31/1951

07/15/1986

06/22/2017

Alden J Nelson

06/04/1922

09/03/1953

06/22/2017

Y

Donald K Patton

01/19/1951

04/11/1972

04/11/2017

Y

Henry Earl Sinks

01/01/1940

09/24/1960

05/13/2017

Y

Ben Lacy Speer

06/26/1930

02/28/1949

04/07/2017

Y

William G Wright, Jr

07/03/1929

07/05/1945

04/30/2017

32 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

Life Member Y

Y

LOCAL AUDITION !

Giancarlo Guerrero, Music Director

VIOLA SUB LIST AUDITION

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6, 2017

@ Schermerhorn Symphony Center

2017-18 Aug.-Jan per service rate: $167.92 2017-18 Feb.-Jul. per service rate: $170.52 e-mail resume to: auditions@nashvillesymphony.org or

send 2 copies of one-page resume to: Audition Coordinator The Nashville Symphony One Symphony Place Nashville TN 37201-2031

for repertoire see: www.nashvillesymphony.org/auditions

LOCAL AUDITION !

Giancarlo Guerrero, Music Director

VIOLIN SUB LIST AUDITION

TUESDAY, OCT. 10, 2017

@ Schermerhorn Symphony Center

2017-18 Aug.-Jan per service rate: $167.92 2017-18 Feb.-Jul. per service rate: $170.52 e-mail resume to: auditions@nashvillesymphony.org or

send 2 copies of one-page resume to: Audition Coordinator The Nashville Symphony One Symphony Place Nashville TN 37201-2031

for repertoire see: www.nashvillesymphony.org/auditions

MEMBER STATUS NEW MEMBERS Olivia Bey GTR VOC olivia_bey@yahoo.com Cell (404) 438-6073 Gray Devio (Gary Desesa) VLN VLA VOC PIA BAS DRM GTR gray@graydevio.com Cell (516) 770-5530 Robin Guidicy (Jeffrey Guidicy) VOC GTR robinguidicy@yahoo.com Cell (786) 877-3510 Tara Hayes VOC UKE SAX tarahayes777@gmail.com Cell (772) 924-5440 Kathryn Lynn Hendricks (Kati Hendricks) VOC PIA UKE ACC DRM kati@katihendricksvoice.com Cell (954) 292-9617 Stephen Kent Hornbeak KEY GTR steve@326productions.com Cell (615) 429-4450 Craig Dwayne Koons BAS DRM GTR ckoons23@gmail.com Cell (812) 322-5399 Mike Vincent Miller (Mike Miller) PIA GTR MDN PRG VOC Jack Ruby PRC jack@therubygroupllc.com Cell (646) 204-2244 Samuel Draper Smith (Sam Smith) DRM PRC KEY sam@samsmyth.net Cell (615) 397-9944

Daniel Keyes Tashian (Royal Plumb Music) BAS GTR VOC royalplum@icloud.com Rozlyn Marie Turner FDL MDN rozlynturner3@gmail. com Cell (812) 675-1196 EXPELLED Steven M Byrom Steven Richard Chapman Scott A Coney Virginia Clare Johnson Archie P Jordan Keith H Landry Kenneth John Olson, III Eric R Paul Derrick Ryan Whiteside

LOCAL 257 MEMBERS: Please check to see that your

FUNERAL FUND BENEFICIARY is listed correctly, and up to date.

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YOUR LOVED ONES ARE COUNTING ON YOU. Take a moment and ask the front desk to verify your funeral benefit beneficiary information.

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JULY—SEPTEMBER APRIL–JUNE 2017 33

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 nonunion work.

When you work without protection of an AFM contract, you are being denied all of your intellectual property rights, as well as pension and health care contributions. Every nonunion session you do harms your AFM Pension.

TOP OFFENDERS LIST RecordingMusicians.com - Alan and Cathy Umstead are soliciting nonunion recording work through this website and elsewhere. Do not work for them under any circumstances without an AFM contract.

Steve Schnur, Worldwide Music Executive for the videogame company Electronic Arts, is commissioning and recording non-union sessions in Nashville for his company’s hugely successful franchises. EA declared $4.3 billion in net revenue in fiscal year 2015 and despite many promises made, he still refuses to work under AFM contracts or negotiate in good faith. We will continue to work towards resolution.

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

Positive Movement/Tommy Sims (multiple unpaid contracts from 2007 - making payments) Terry K. Johnson/ 1720 Entertainment (unpaid contracts/unauthorized sales - Jamie O’Neal project) Eric Legg & Tracey Legg (multiple unpaid contracts) Ed Sampson & Patrick Sampson (multiple unpaid contracts) Ray Vega/Casa Vega Quarterback/G Force/Doug Anderson Rust Records/Ken Cooper (unpaid contracts and pension) Revelator/Gregg Brown (multiple bounced checks/unpaid contracts) HonkyTone Records – Debbie Randle (multiple unpaid contracts/pension) UNPAID CONTRACTS AND PENSION Casa Vega/Ray Vega Knight Brothers/Harold, Dean, Danny & Curtis Knight RLS Records-Nashville/Ronald Stone Region One Records RichDor Music/Keith Brown River County Band/SVC Entertainment (unpaid demo conversion/pension) Robbins Nashville

Next General Membership Meeting Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 2 p.m.

34 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN

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UNPAID PENSION ONLY Comsource Media/Tommy Holland Conchita Leeflang/Chris Sevier Ricky D. Cook FJH Enterprises First Tribe Media Matthew Flinchum dba Resilient Jimmy Fohn Music Rebecca Frederick Goofy Footed Gospocentric Tony Graham Jeffrey Green/Cahernzcole House Randy Hatchett Highland Music Publishing In Light Records/Rick Lloyd Little Red Hen Records/Arjana Olson Maverick Management Group Mike Ward Music (pension/demo signature) Joseph McClelland Joe Meyers Missionary Music Jason Morales (pension/demo signature) O Street Mansion OTB Publishing (pension/demo signature) Tebey Ottoh Ride N High Records Ronnie Palmer Barry Preston Smith 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

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