OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF AFM LOCAL 257 JULY – SEPT 2021
NASHVILLE JAZZ WORKSHOP RETURNS
Interview with founders Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer
ANNOUNCEMENTS Details on the upcoming member meeting Aug. 5 at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom, minutes and more.
STATE OF THE LOCAL Dave Pomeroy discusses negotiations and keeping a positive attitude through challenges.
IN THE POCKET Secretary-Treasurer Vince Santoro talks about how Local 257 got through the pandemic crisis, and the steps toward full reopening.
NEWS Details on the latest SoundExchange payouts, and details on extended deadlines for annual dues and other COVID-19 variances established by the AFM International Executive Board.
The comings and goings of Local 257 members.
GALLERY We recognize member milestones as well as other events and honors.
Warren Denney interviews NJW founders Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer about the organization’s history, the upcoming reopening, and how Zoom classes brought them through the worst of the pandemic.
A timely and thoughtful new album from Jim Lauderdale, a fascinating book on Dolly Parton that focuses on the icon’s songwriting, and a great new retrospective album of classics from the Memphis Boys.
SYMPHONY NOTES Bassist Kevin Jablonski gives an update on the Musicians of the Nashville Symphony.
JAZZ & BLUES Austin Belmear offers an update on local jazz and blues and continues his deep dive into rare vinyl.
We bid farewell to JT Gray, Curtis McPeake, Jerry Smith, Buster Phillips, Stan Beaver, and David Neal.
NJW REOPENS: INTERVIEW WITH ROGER SPENCER & LORI MECHEM
JIM
OFFICIAL QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE NASHVILLE MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION AFM LOCAL 257
PUBLISHER EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
The next Local 257 General Membership Meeting will be held virtually Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, by Zoom teleconference at 5:30 p.m. On the agenda are officer reports and discussions on a number of important issues. If you need instructions on how to join the virtual meeting with Zoom or by phone, please call the local at 615-244-9514.
ART DIRECTION WEB ADMINISTRATOR AD SALES
LOCAL 257 OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
SECRETARY-TREASURER
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Dave Pomeroy
Vince Santoro
Kathy Osborne
Leslie Barr
Austin Bealmear
Warren Denney
Kevin Jablonski
Olson Johnson
Kathy Osborne
Dave Pomeroy
Vince Santoro
Steve Tveit
Rick Diamond
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
EXECUTIVE BOARD ALTERNATES
HEARING BOARD
Rich Eckhardt
Casey Brefka
Michele Voan Capps
Tiger Fitzhugh
Teresa Hargrove
Kent Goodson
Sarah Martin McConnell
Dave Moody
Paul Ossola
TRUSTEES
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY STEWARD OFFICE MANAGER
ELECTRONIC MEDIA SERVICES DIRECTOR ASSISTANT RECORDING/ELECTRONIC MEDIA
DIRECTOR, LIVE/TOURING DEPT. PENSION ADMINISTRATOR AND MPTF COORDINATOR
MEMBERSHIP
ADMINISTRATIVE AND RECORDING ASSISTANTS
Bruce Radek
Biff Watson
Steve Tveit
Kevin Jablonski
Laura Birdwell
Steve Tveit
Christina Mitchell
Paige Conners
Teri Barnett
Leslie Barr
Sarah Weiss
Dalaina Kimbro
Savannah Ritchie
Heather Smalley
@ 2021 Nashville Musicians Association P.O. Box 120399, Nashville TN 37212 All rights reserved. nashvillemusicians.org
Nashville Musicians Association | AFM Local 257, AFL-CIO
Minutes of the Local 257 Executive Board Zoom meeting April 12, 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) alt.
ABSENT: Casey Brefka(CB) alt.
President Pomeroy called the meeting to order at 2:44 p.m.
MINUTES: Minutes from Dec. 16, 2020 and Feb. 16, 2021 were distributed. The meeting minutes from the March 2, 2021 Executive Board special meeting were approved online.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: The following issues were briefly discussed:
1. Symphony negotiations are continuing.
2. Grand Ole Opry negotiations are due to begin and will include radio, cable TV, and streaming, in addition to live scale.
3. SRLA negotiations are temporarily on hold.
4. RFD lawsuit for $200,000 plus late fees will go forward.
5. Taxis are back on lower Broadway clogging up loading zones.
SECRETARY-TREASURER’S REPORT: Secretary-Treasurer Santoro distributed financial reports and fund balances.
MSC to approve secretary-treasurer report. JY, TW
1. 2Q 2021 AFM Pandemic Waiver Form was discussed.
2. Reopening the rehearsal hall was discussed.
MSC to approve filing 2Q 2021 Pandemic Waiver via email. LR, AP. MSC to approve minutes of Dec. 16 EB mtg as amended. JK, RE. MSC to approve minutes of Feb. 16, 2020 EB mtg. LR, RE. MSC to approve new member applications. TW, JY.
MSC to adjourn. LR, BW. Meeting adjourned at 3:52 p.m.
HOLIDAYS
MONDAY, SEPT. 6 – LABOR DAY
MONDAY, OCT. 11 – COLUMBUS DAY
Nashville Musicians Association | AFM
Local 257, AFL-CIO
Minutes of the Local 257 Executive Board special Zoom meeting May 6, 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), Casey Brefka(CB) alt
ABSENT: Rich Eckhardt(RE) alt
AGENDA: Contribution to Leadership Music and Nashville Chamber of Commerce dues
Pomeroy called meeting to order at 1:06 p.m.
President Pomeroy and Secretary-Treasurer Santoro advised the board about a few issues that came up since the last meeting.
These included:
1. The office is now operating at full capacity.
2. Three staff members have moved to Medicare which gives significant savings to the local.
3. Negotiations for Opry/CMT/SRLA are ongoing.
4. General Jackson may resume operations soon.
5. An additional roof drain was installed.
6. The IRS has finally acknowledged the Flood Fund’s name change.
MSC to contribute $500 to Leadership Nashville. DP, LR
A number of board members also agreed to make an additional voluntary contribution totaling $500.
MSC Local will pay $500 dues to the Nashville Chamber of Commerce for one more year accompanied by a letter signed by the EB stating concern about conflicting agendas regarding issues of importance to our members, such as right-to-work legislation. JK, BW.
MSC to adjourn. BW, CB. Meeting adjourned at 2:01 p.m.
Nashville Musicians Association
AFM Local 257, AFL-CIO
Minutes of the 2nd quarter Zoom membership meeting May 13, 2021
PRESENT: Jeff Dayton, Nick Bruno, Byron House, Andrew Dickson, Scott Ducaj, Bill Walker, Deborah Loach, Nell Levin, Steve Nathan, Michael August, Lee Wineland, Richard Wineland, Eric Freely, Roy Vogt, Shelton Bissell.
EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESENT: Jonathan Yudkin, Tom Wild, Steven Sheehan, Rich Eckhardt (alt), Casey Brefka (alt)
HEARING BOARD PRESENT: Teresa Hargrove, Kent Goodson, Tiger Fitzhugh, John Root, Paul Ossola, Jerry Kimbrough, Sarah Martin McConnell
PARLIAMENTARIAN: Bill Wiggins
OFFICERS PRESENT: President Dave Pomeroy, Secretary-Treasurer Vince Santoro, Sergeantat-Arms Steve Tveit
President Pomeroy called the meeting to order at 5:36 p.m.
Minutes from Feb. 25, 2021 membership meeting.
MSC to approve Feb. 25 membership meeting minutes. Jeff Dayton, Casey Brefka.
Note: The minutes originally approved and printed inadvertently omitted several names of members who were in attendance at the Zoom meeting. The minutes were re-submitted by Vince Santoro to those in attendance and the amended minutes were approved.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT:
1. Local 257 plans to reopen with masks requirement on May 25.
2. Symphony and Opry negotiations are in progress.
3. Streaming contracts have been coming in steadily but there are many variables that we’re trying to simplify to be more efficient.
4. Downtown Nashville will completely open May 14.
5. Government stimulus package will enable the AFM-EPF (Pension Fund) to avoid insolvency; Trustees have announced that MPRA reductions will not be necessary and will withdraw the MPRA application.
6. Putting recording and live work on the card remains the best way to keep our pension fund healthy.
7. There is an ongoing attempt to include right-to-work laws in the Tennessee Constitution. Pomeroy has testified against this in front of the Tennessee Senate.
8. The executive board has approved payment of contributions and dues to Leadership Music and the Nashville Chamber of Commerce.
9. Local 257’s lawsuit against RFD-TV for unpaid reruns is moving forward in the courts. We anticipate a successful resolution as they are in clear violation of our contract.
SECRETARY-TREASURER REPORT:
1. An application by Local 257 to the Payroll Protection Plan 2.0 has been accepted; we have received $88K toward payroll expenses.
2. IRS has finally approved the charitable status of our Crisis Assistance Fund (previously the Flood Fund).
3. Our phone service contract will be terminated Aug. 1; we will bundle phone and internet with Comcast.
4. The building will reopen to the public on June 2; masks will be required by all persons entering the building. Masks will be provided at the door for those without one.
MSC to approve Secretary-Treasurer report. Rich Eckhardt, Paul Ossola
Music Performance Trust Fund with Live Department Director Leslie Barr Barr reported that MPTF will pay 100 percent within the Local 257 allocation of funds, of musician's wages for certain types of community concerts through July 31. After July 31, the cosponsor will be required to pay 50 percent of the musician's wages.
MSC to adjourn. Jeff Dayton, Sarah Martin McConnell Meeting adjourned at 6:47 p.m.
BY DAVE POMEROY
The complexity of navigating all the different areas of the music industry during these unprecedented times is a constant challenge, but one that we welcome. Much of the evolving technology is helpful to musicians, and to our continuing quest to make sure they are paid fairly. As I have said many times, just because musicians love what they do, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be paid for it! Home recording, which we finally were able to make legal in Davidson County in 2020 just after the pandemic began, helped many Nashville musicians get through the pandemic. The Single Song Overdub Scale and the various AFM streaming agreements have been used to great effect as well. Touring and club musicians were hit the hardest by the pandemic and we are doing all we can to keep everyone working. The AFM’s Music Performance Trust Fund stepped up to fund gigs for musicians who had been unable to perform in “normal” venues. We were able to pay out more than $50K in wages to musicians when they needed it the most, for streaming and live performances including Juneteenth, Make Music Day, and July 4th.
Multitasking and mutual respect
It is certainly interesting, and a bit of a challenge as well, when numerous things that have been going on for various lengths of time somehow reach the critical final stage simultaneously. The past month that was certainly the case, as multiple negotiations and agreement renewals, including with the Nashville Symphony, Grand Ole Opry, General Jackson showboat and others, are all heading for the finish line as we go to press. Every contract has its own unique parameters, but in all cases, the perspective of the musicians who do the work guides our decision-making process. The vast majority of our negotiations are mutually respect-
Our membership is growing and diversifying, which is very satisfying to see. We have always been known for all kinds of music, not just one genre.
ful, and sometimes even friendly, but there are exceptions when the true motives of the people you are negotiating with become very clear, despite their words to the contrary. This is nothing new — there will always be those who simply don’t understand how hard musicians have to work just to make a decent living. However, it is especially frustrating to observe this behavior and attitude coming from the very people who profit directly from the work of musicians. Thankfully, that is not always the case. Nashville became known as Music City because of this unique community of creators and business people who learned how to work together, instead of against each other. That is the attitude for which I will continue to advocate — in the most peaceful, friendly, but persistent way possible.
New perspectives on old challenges
As we continue to try and return to whatever “normal” is, it is becoming apparent that many things will never be the same, yet some universal truths and principles will remain, perhaps with a renewed importance and meaning. As we relearn what it feels like to be mingling with other people in a wide variety of environments, the art of how we treat each other is very important. Many things we used to take for granted are now under scrutiny as we begin sharing spaces with other people, both strangers and those we may know but not have seen in a long time. Music has always played a pivotal role in our culture, and is a powerful force for unity and for change. These are both things we need in the world right now, and we are proud to play our part in promoting a positive attitude.
I took on this job 13 years ago because I had experienced life-changing opportunities and benefits since becoming an AFM member for more than 40 years, and I wanted to pay it forward. I wanted to make sure that
future generations of musicians who come to Nashville with a dream would have similar opportunities to those I received. Music City is a place where you can be paid fairly for what you do, although in some situations you must be willing to start that conversation with those who haven’t gotten the memo about “how we do things around here.” Intimidation, harassment, and obstruction are not the way to fix our problems, and as long as I am president of this local, that will never be our approach.
Summer NAMM
Speaking of community, Summer NAMM returned to Nashville this year, in a reduced form due to the present circumstances, but regardless, it felt great to get together with our friends, colleagues and collaborators in the musical instrument manufacturing industry once again. Our AFM 257 booth was bustling with activity and our members were able to get in free without an affiliation through a gear company. Over the past decade, this has been a very popular membership benefit, and we appreciate our wonderful relationship with NAMM. We hope to get more involved next year with their educational initiatives and community programs, and keep this relationship growing.
America is a melting pot of many cultures, and so is Music City. Our membership is growing and diversifying, which is very satisfying to see. We have always been known for all kinds of music, not just one genre. Please feel free to send anyone our way who wants to be part of something special. As AFM Local 257 approaches the 120th anniversary of our founding in 1902, I am proud to say that by working together in the Nashville Way, we now find ourselves at the cutting edge of the music business. The respect we generate for those we represent from those they work for, will always win the day. Thanks for being a part of this amazing community of musicians.
Work dues are the fuel we run on. That's how we keep the lights on.
Like the resilient cicada, AFM Local 257 is beginning to emerge from 15 months of COVID-19 restrictions. We’ve opened our doors to the public with the understanding that unvaccinated folks can either wear a mask in the building or do business in the same way as during the pandemic. We have unvaccinated employees and those individuals are wearing masks at all times while in the local.
But, even with those caveats — we are open! I, for one, am thrilled to simply be able to say those words!
It has been tough, not only concerning so much chaos healthwise. But also, to find how our “supply chains,” as in the entities upon which we rely, were thrown so out of whack that we had a year’s worth of trouble because of our dependence on timely service from many of them.
One still in disarray is the U.S. postal service where mailings that normally took three days at the most became a real crapshoot and could take months to arrive.
Another is the IRS, which thankfully gave individuals a break of 30 days to file for 2020, but we have other, more serious filings with them that they must administer. We file 990s, 1041s and 5500s that keep all our relationships flowing, and these simply seemed to get lost once we sent them. The Department of Labor needs an LM-2 yearly and their deadlines, although not set in stone, have been grossly exceeded. I was told that in the depths of the pandemic the IRS had two semi-tractor trailers parked outside its offices chock full of returns yet to be touched by agents.
The slow-moving IRS was a problem because we changed the name of our 2010 Flood Fund to Nashville Musicians Association Crisis Assistance Fund and this had to be confirmed both with the Tennessee Secretary of State and the IRS before we could get charitable status at PayPal for donations.
The state confirmed us way back in spring of 2020. We faxed the paperwork to the IRS in the summer, but it took until May of 2021 to finally get their blessing.
Through all of this upheaval we were still able put our effort into helping membership as best we could in notifying them of any financial aid and food distribution events/services that came to our attention. We also monitored the plethora of issues our members ran into when filing for unemployment insurance. Some members asked us to represent them on appeals that UI agents set up so we could vouch for their situation. These mostly stemmed from an application for benefits that was erroneously worded with no option for AFM affiliation. We were mostly successful in helping the UI agents understand that musicians don’t look for work the way, say, a salesperson might.
As we finally begin to be hopeful for a return to normalcy in our day-to-day operations we also know that we were aided ourselves when the recording activity took a dip and live music completely stopped. We weren’t eligible for the first payroll protection plan, or PPP, because it wasn’t extended to 501c(5)s, which is our nonprofit category. But our CPA Ron Stewart applied for the ERC, or Employee Retention Credit, and I applied for the PPP 2.0 in March 2021 which was extended to 501c(5)s. Without those two forgivable loans we’d have been in much worse shape.
Now that we are getting back on our feet, hopefully as you are, we need to remember how we historically keep the lights on and the staff productive. Work dues are the fuel we run on and during the Nashville Symphony’s furlough, we had none of their work dues which, in normal times, come in like clockwork.
Members and nonmembers alike sometimes have to be reminded to do their
part in this. We have folks in both camps who run up balances without acknowledging how it affects our bottom line. This being a Right to Work (for less) state we can only ask for what are termed “service charges” from nonmembers, while we expect members to pay their balances off. It’s gratifying to find that some nonmembers get it, but some members seem not to.
In any member’s case of nonpayment, we can choose to utilize the hearing board for that purpose, but our honest hope is for people to do the right thing. We’ll even make doing the right thing easier for an expelled member with a balance of unpaid charges to rejoin by trying to find an fair resolution, if they’ll just make the call and show a willingness to play by the rules. And as for members who have high balances, we’ll always work with them to “get good” with us when they show that same willingness.
Thursday, Aug. 5 5:30 p.m. on Zoom
BY VINCE SANTORO
ROYALTY DISTRIBUTION NEARS
1
BILLION
IN 2020
SoundExchange has announced a distribution of nearly $947 million in performance royalties to creators during the fiscal year 2020. The payments reflect a $39 million increase from 2019 and allowed SoundExchange to mark a new milestone — nearly $8 billion in collected money for creators since the company was established in 2003.
At the onset of the pandemic, SoundExchange pledged to provide uninterrupted monthly royalty payments despite the ongoing COVID-19 related challenges.
“Music was among the industries hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michael Huppe, SoundExchange president and CEO. “With venues shuttered and touring revenue effectively nonexistent, digital royalties represented the lifeblood and primary income source for a large segment of the music industry.”
At the onset of the pandemic, SoundExchange pledged to provide uninterrupted monthly royalty payments despite the ongoing COVID-19 related challenges.
The AFM has had a long partnership with SoundExchange which has boosted the collection of royalties owed to musicians. In 2012 AFM and SAG-AFTRA signed four multilateral reciprocal agreements for collection of sound recordings royalties with Cyprus (ASTERAS), Germany (GVL), Japan (CPRA/Geidankyo) and Sweden (SAMI) foreign artist societies. This allowed SoundExchange to be able to collect digital performance royalties on behalf of its featured recording artist members and both unions. The agreements also allow for The AFM/SAG-AFTRA Fund to collect digital royalties for nonfeatured artists from the four territories. The signing of these agreements with SoundExchange and SAG-AFTRA demonstrates the continued dedication of the AFM to obtain foreign royalties on behalf of American recording artists for sound recordings performed through digital radio worldwide. The AFM/SAG-AFTRA Fund paid out more than $70 Million in 2021.
SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of more than 250,000 recording artists and master rights owner accounts. It distributes royalties to creator groups, advocates for fair pay across platforms, and creates systems that improve how the industry operates. To make sure your information is accurate, or to find out if SoundExchange has money for you, visit soundexchange.com.
REINSTATEMENT FEE EXTENSION AND REMOTE MEETING VARIANCES granted by AFM International Executive Board
In July the AFM International Executive Board (IEB) voted to extend several variances granted to locals to address issues related to COVID-19. Included in the variances are an extension of the ability for the locals to hold quarterly membership meetings by teleconference, and a waiver of reinstatement fees until Oct. 1, 2021.
These new variances are supplements to actions the IEB took earlier in the pandemic — one of which was the extension of the date members are expelled for non-payment of annual dues, from the normal date of April 1 to the new date for this year of July 1, 2021.
The $25 reinstatement fee is usually charged to members who have been expelled from the local in order to rejoin in good standing. This year, all members expelled in July will be able to rejoin with only a $10 late fee and no reinstatement fee, if they do so before Oct. 1. Members who wish to get back in good standing after Oct. 1 may be charged the reinstatement fee.
If you have questions about reinstatement or other issues, please call the local at 615-244-9514.
EXPELLED MEMBERS MAY REINSTATE BY OCT. 1, 2021 WITH $10 LATE FEE ONLY.
CALL THE LOCAL 615-244-9514 FOR MORE INFORMATION
JOHN PRINE TO BE CELEBRATED WITH "YOU’VE GOT GOLD"
The songs of the late John Prine will be celebrated with You’ve Got Gold — a weeklong series of events and concerts planned for October in different locations around Nashville. Each show will include a unique surprise lineup of artists performing and celebrating Prine’s life and music.
Shows already scheduled will take place Oct. 6 and 7 at the Ryman Auditorium, Oct. 8 at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, and Oct. 9 at the Basement East. The week will culminate on Oct. 10 — which would have been Prine’s 75th birthday.
Proceeds will benefit the Hello In There Foundation — a newly created 501(c)3 established by the Prine family to honor the iconic artist’s memory. The charity aims to identify and collaborate with individuals and communities where people of all ages are marginalized, discriminated against, or otherwise forgotten by society.
YOU'VE GOT GOLD
Oct. 6 and 7
Ryman Auditorium
Oct. 8
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Oct. 9
Basement East
Oct. 10
Prine’s 75th birthday Venue TBA
TRICIA YEARWOOD
Trisha Yearwood joined some federal dignitaries as well as members of the U.S. Congress and Senate to discuss the importance of music education June 8 during the annual National School Boards Association’s Advocacy Institute. The meeting was held virtually with key policy makers and other advocates including Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO/CMA Foundation president.
Attendees included U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, U.S. House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott and U.S. Senators Charles Grassley and Susan Collins.
“My mom was a third-grade teacher, so I’ve always understood the importance of a good education,” said Yearwood. “She and my dad also encouraged me to participate in talent shows and music events held by my school, church, and community. It was that early exposure to music, along with support from my parents and friends, that made me into who I am. I’m an advocate for music education today because I want every child in our country to have the same opportunities I did.”
“Working with an artist like Trisha and incredible partners like NSBA, the CMA Foundation works to ensure that music is a part of every student’s education. For us, it’s not just about lifting up the next generation of musicians, but leveraging the impact that music has on students’ lives,” said Trahern.
The NSBA’s Advocacy Institute strives to improve educational outcomes and ensure that every student has access to a quality education.
DOYLE LAWSON AND BARRY BALES
Local 257 members Doyle Lawson and Barry Bales were honored by the state of Tennessee on June 10 in Kingsport at an event where the two bluegrass musicians’ Tennessee Music Pathway historical markers were unveiled. The markers are presented by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and celebrate locations in the state that represent significant innovations to a musical genre by contributions through an artist’s career success, pioneering influence, or other qualifications.
Mandolinist Lawson and his band Quicksilver have been entertaining bluegrass fans since 1979 both on the road, and with more than three dozen albums. Lawson’s career spans six decades — he’s worked with a plethora of bluegrass artists from Jimmy Martin to J.D. Crowe and Tony Rice, to name a few. He was the 2006 recipient of the U.S. National Heritage Fellowship, awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, and has received six Grammy nominations and many IBMA awards. In 2012, he was inducted into the IBMA Hall of Fame.
“What a day this has been! My heartfelt thanks to all of you who made this such a humbling but enjoyable day!” Lawson said.
Bales came to national prominence playing bass for Alison Krauss & Union Station. He is now in addition a first-call bassist, producer, and songwriter. He is also the owner of Bales Farm in Mosheim, Tennessee, where with his wife Aliceson, he raises livestock on land that has been in his family since 1886.
“What an amazing honor! It’s always special when anybody takes notice of your work, but to be recognized this way by my hometown and my state is simply over the top. I was thrilled to be included in this list of honorees – especially to be in the same group as one of my all-time heroes, Doyle Lawson,” Bales said.
The marker installation is part of an ongoing project for the Tennessee Tourism Department to celebrate artists across the state. Other markers on the Music Pathway honor Local 257 members including banjo player Charlie Cushman and the late Bill Monroe, as well as the venue Station Inn. Go to tnvacation.com/Tennessee-music-pathways/all for a full map and list of marker locations. The project is ongoing and nominations for future markers are still being accepted by the state tourism department.
Make Music Day
Local 257 and the Music Performance Trust Fund showcased several bands at music venue The Local (photos 1-3) Other members played in a variety of informal settings in Nashville neighborhoods. (photo 4)
1. RYAN MIDDAGH QUINTET: JERRY KIMBROUGH (guitar), MARC WIDENHOFER (drums), RYAN MIDDAGH (sax), CHRIS CROCE (bass), and JEFF COFFIN (flute).
2. MELODY GUY BAND: MIKE DALY on steel, singer-songwriter-guitarist MELODY GUY, drummer RICK LONOW, bassist TOM COMET, and band leader MICHAEL WEBB on keys.
3. JOHN ENGLAND & THE WESTERN SWINGERS with steel player TOMMY HANNUM , fiddler PAUL KRAMER , guitarist JOHN ENGLAND and DAVID SPICHER on bass.
4. Drummer JOHN ROOT and singer-guitarist KAYLA WASS put on a front porch Make Music Nashville event. Pictured l-r are TIM TEAGUE (guitar) with Local 257 members Root, Wass and bassist EDDIE LANGE . Root said neighbors gathered on the driveway, dancing and singing along in the true spirit of Make Music Day, which is held globally every year on the summer solstice — June 21.
LIFE MEMBER
1. Multi-instrumentalist ROBERT ARTHUR shows off his 25-year pin and one of his favorite guitars — a Taylor 714.
2. Bassist LEON WATSON celebrates a double honor — a life member and a 50-year pin — with Dave Pomeroy and Vince Santoro.
3. Percussionist STEVE HOLLAND poses at the kit with his brand new life member AFM pin.
4. Bluegrass banjo player, bassist, comedian and master of ceremonies BLAKE WILLIAMS celebrates receiving his 50-year pin from Local 257.
SUMMER
at the Music City Center
N A MM 2021
Franklin on the Fourth
Music City Big Band, led by CASEY BREFKA, was one of the six musical groups that performed in historic downtown Franklin on July 4. All musicians were paid Local 257 live scale through our partnership with the Music Performance Trust Fund.
(l-r) KEN SANDERS, JONATHAN YUDKIN , CASEY BREFKA , LESLIE BARR and JOHN ARRUCCI at the Local 257 NAMM Booth.
Publicist KATE RICHARDSON , DAVE POMEROY, and Martin Guitar new CEO THOMAS RIPSAM
(l-r) KYLE ETGES, CASEY BREFKA , and EMMANUEL ECHEM
NASHVILLE JAZZ WORKSHOP GRAND OPENING
Saturday, July 24, 2021
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 10:00 a.m.
Musical Performance by the Midtown Jazz Quartet
TOURS
Saturday, July 24 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sunday, July 25 from 2-4 p.m.
NASHVILLE JAZZ WORKSHOP
NASHVILLE JAZZ WORKSHOP
The Nashville Jazz Workshop does not want to be the city’s best-kept secret any longer.
And, as caretakers of the art form and history, and as those who teach it to others, Nashville Jazz Workshop (NJW) understands what it means to work beneath the surface — unsung though vital. That work is highly regarded by educators around the world, and now NJW hopes to take the next step to gain a greater awareness at home and throughout the broader music community.
Founded in 1998 as the Nashville Jazz Institute by Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer, the workshop provides a journeyman/apprentice approach to jazz education for students of all ages and different levels of musicianship. It publicly celebrates its move to 1012 Buchanan Street in the burgeoning Buchanan Arts District July 25 after two decades at its location in East Germantown. The location not only serves as a space for teaching, but as a much-needed venue for public performances. Its listening room, the Cave, is meant to be the literal heart of the building.
“That’s been the problem in the past,” Mechem said, sitting with Spencer in the performance space of the new location. She is the workshop’s director of education and founder, and Spencer is the artistic director and founder. “We’ve always been titled, ‘The best-kept secret.’ Well, hell, I don't want to be a secret anymore. And we were, because you had to know how to get back there to that place [the East Germantown location]. Now we’re on the bus line actually, which is fabulous.”
Music always seems to find its way, and to flourish — often against great odds. Though the move was due to forces beyond the workshop’s control, the new location is completely intentional. The hope is that it will not only continue its mission — vibrantly — here, but will provide connective tissue within the surrounding community and help to restore some of the scene that once defined North Nashville, primarily along Jefferson Street — a scene so rich and important to the city’s music history.
“And, North Nashville — Jefferson Street, Buchanan — is the legacy,” Spencer said recently, as he and Mechem sat in the performance space of the new location. “The music is here, so we always want to be part of that.”
“And, this whole area is now called the Buchanan Arts District,” Mechem said. “And so, when we first started coming over here, and took a look at this place, it was a Spiritual Living church. And I walked in the door, and I was like ‘Okay. This is feeling really good.’”
Sitting in the space allows for imagination. When Mechem plays piano, the room feels very alive.
“There’s good spirit,” she said. “We wanted to be in this area. We just really felt very lucky to be here. And, because it is a historic area, and we needed to be in the community, the Black community, a little more — this was perfect.”
The official Grand Opening is July 24 with the official ribbon cutting ceremony taking place that Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Walk-through tours will be conducted between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with light refreshments. There will be a short musical performance by the Midtown Jazz Quartet, and visitors can meet the staff. The workshop will offer tours again, Sunday, July 25 from 2-4 p.m. for those who can’t make the Saturday event.
NJW — though well-known by educators — has never been fully embraced by Nashville's musician community, and Spencer believes the workshop needs to better communicate its benefits to all musicians.
"I think it's just maybe we haven't presented it properly," Spencer said. " Instead of telling them they can come take a class, I'm trying to figure how to get their heads wrapped around a place where they can come and share that music with others. And maybe learn a little more about it. There's a spectrum there, and we do have the high-end stuff and play really intricate, progressive music. I'm sure a lot of them would enjoy participating in ... Where else you going to play Mingus?"
Mechem takes it one step further.
“Because we all have holes in our learning — all of us,” she said. “And, it’s important that we fill those holes. To me, teaching these classes has made me a better player. Taking classes with other teachers, which I have, has made me a better player and better teacher, so it’s like Oscar Peterson said, ‘You know if I wasn't learning every day, might as well put me under the ground.’”
Of course, there’s never a straight line. Music can be like water, finding its own entry points. Spencer and Mechem, both professional musicians, understand how players might balk at paying to play and learn.
“We do charge to be in the classes,” Spencer said. “So, I'm sure a lot of pros who would love to be over here playing some Cannonball Adderley, or Coltrane, or Mingus, or Ellington, think, ‘I’m a pro, I’ve been doing this for years, I don’t need to pay somebody to teach me this stuff.’ That's not what the pay is about. The pay is tuning the piano, keeping the doors open, keeping the air conditioning going. It’s a community, we're trying to share things.”
Everything about the Nashville Jazz Workshop is ambitious, from its stated mission to expand and enrich people’s lives through education and performance, to the day-to-day work, the unseen work, to keep the endeavor alive.
“People have said that we are the community center for jazz,” Mechem said. “So many have played here, there’s a lot of history here. A lot of history. Not in this place, yet, but I just know the people that we have brought through so far, when they step into this room — actually, when they come in the front lobby, they’re taken. ‘Oh, this feels good.’”
For the workshop to have survived and thrived, the infrastructure and vision had to be there. Mechem and Spencer have been the driving force — and the face — for so long, it is noteworthy to feel change in the air. If not change, a certain transition, which was already underway prior to the demands of the pandemic. The Nashville Jazz Workshop is a nonprofit organization, and subsisting through COVID-19 times has been a major, intensive piece of work. The recent physical move is monumental in itself. And, living up to its own standard is daunting, in fact.
“When COVID-19 hit, we pivoted quickly to online teaching and that has pretty much saved us,” Spencer said. “What we were thinking at the time with online was to record yourself teaching a class, and sell admission to that. When COVID-19 hit, everybody discovered Zoom real quickly. So now it’s real time teaching online.”
The workshop’s online presence has far exceeded expectations.
“It did so well [during shutdown]” Mechem said. “It had been something we talked about five years ago, in a planning session we did. All the millennials were telling us to take our stuff online. I didn’t even want to hear about it.
“And we hit with it, especially when we started doing the master classes, just the one-offs. That’s where we started to excel even more, so we’ve reached over fourteen countries so far, and over forty states. It’s a thing that now, interestingly enough, because I do all the education stuff, where we had in-person classes, I think we’re going to pivot the other way, where the online classes are going to outweigh the live classes now. It’s interesting to me that it’s gone the other way. People say they love being home in pajamas and having a glass of wine and taking the class. It’s awesome.”
Survival also depends on how the business is managed. Mechem and Spencer had long run every aspect of the workshop, but in 2018, Executive Director Eric Dilts was brought on, and according to both, has provided a steadying influence over operations.
His expertise in finance and development, and his background in music business, managing copyrights, production and licensing, has proven to be the right perspective at the right time. The three are the workshop’s full-time staff. The permanent part-time staff includes Development Director Rob Gordon, Communications Director Larry Seeman, Office Manager Roz Thompson, and Accountant Rebecca Sayre. Other support roles are contracted out, and teachers, of course, are contracted for classes and performances.
"The Nashville Jazz Workshop was a perfect fit for me when I came on board in 2018. It feels like home. And my management background in the music industry, the financial industry, and economic development gave me the perfect tool kit to help the Workshop get through the relocation and the pandemic," Dilts said.
“It’s getting to that point where Roger and I both know we need young people in here,” Mechem said. “There’s certain things he knows how to do, and there’s certain things I know how to do. But, adding Eric was so needed. He’s starting to add the community to us. He’s fine-tuning us and putting us in the position to take the next step. Honestly, without him, we would’ve shut our doors.”
Of course, at the heart of the matter is the educational charge. The Nashville Jazz Workshop is an enrichment program.
“People don’t have to sign up for a four-year degree program and audition and pay that kind of tuition,” Spencer said. “We have people who show up and take a class, and we never see them again. Or we have people show up and take a class and we don’t see them for six months — and they come back and take another class. We have people who are here for every session. That’s why we call it a workshop. Exactly why we chose the name.
“From time to time, our board of directors has brought up the issue of the accreditation, and when we explain the hoops you have to jump through, and all that’s involved with what universities go through — they agree. Our faculty comes from MTSU, Belmont — I teach at Blair. And, Ryan Middagh at Blair, head of the jazz department, is a big supporter of what we’re doing. All those people play here, and they send their students over here for specific things.”
The workshop offers classes geared to vocalists, instrumentalists, or all musicians and enthusiasts. Several classes are offered for each path of study, and follow through Fundamentals courses, the Great American Songbook, and the Jazz Performer. Students are presented with certificates of completion as they move through the workshop. There are also special programs, such as Jazz AM for kids, and Jazz on the Move.
“The Jazz Performer is for those who have done all the classes, and more,” Mechem said. “So, it’s like the doctorate — undergraduate, masters, doctorate. And, we just formed a partnership with the Nashville Youth Jazz Ensemble,” Mechem said. “When we’re ready, they’ll pretty much be in residence here. This will basically be their rehearsal space for their Sunday rehearsals.
“And, we’ve always done a summer camp, except for the past two years, and we’re thinking how to redefine those. We’ve started a new program for kids from [ages] two to ten — Jazz AM. It’s a puppet show — a jazz puppet show. We just did Louis Armstrong at Hadley Park. The kids just went crazy. This is a free program for families in North Nashville — we’re reaching out.”
And, the workshop always has an eye on evolution, trying to stay relevant as it develops new classes and ideas. Mechem and Spencer want to push the boundaries of interaction with the city. Jazz on the Move, a free concert for the community, is usually held at the Frist Art Museum, but the workshop is planning to move into other locations in the city — staying true to the program’s name.
JAZZMANIA , THE NJW ANNUAL FUNDRAISER, WILL BE HELD OCT. 23 AS A LIVESTREAM EVENT ON YOUTUBE.
JAZZMANIA WILL BE PRECEDED ON OCT. 22 BY ANOTHER SPONSOR/DONOR EVENT. GO TO nashvillejazz.org FOR DETAILS.
Perhaps most importantly, the performance venue at the new location — the Cave — will energize not only enthusiasts, but will serve the community and the city in an even greater way going forward. If all goes well, performances will begin in August.
“We’re ambitious with everything that’s going on here,” Spencer said. “Performances are definitely a strong part of our plan. We’re going to try to do six or eight nights a month, so we need to get up and go with it. It is especially ambitious, and we’re trying to set ourselves apart from being a jazz club — we wanted more of a concert vibe. It’s a sit-and-listen, and enjoy the performance type of space.
“We’re looking at going forward just one set a night on each of those nights. An hour or a little longer, and done. We’re sensing that people are ready, and we think it’s going to be really good. That’s why we’re aiming for that number of performances, or more if the market will bear.”
The hope, and expectation, is that these performances will generate interest and good will, and open hearts to an idea that honors music in a city built on music. For Mechem and Spencer, the move to Buchanan has unlimited possibilities.
“We have partnerships with the Country Music Hall of Fame [and Museum], and the [Nashville] Symphony, and the Frist,” Mechem said. “So now, we’ve regrouped some and we’re positioned in this area, and we want to extend our reach a little bit more. And, really do different kinds of classes. Do different kinds of music …
“This feels like home. It’s like when I first walked in. I have crystals all over my house, and I walked in, and there’s crystals here. This is great. There’s chakra posters. I’m home.”
Musical Director Roger Spencer and Executive Director Eric Dilts
JIM LAUDERDALE
Hope Yep Roc
Hope begins with “The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through it,” an uplifting sentiment that sets the lyrical tone for the whole album, perfectly complimented by the edgy guitar of Chris Scruggs, Jim Hoke’s shimmering electric piano, and a stomping R&B groove. “Sister Horizon” has a ‘70s Byrds/ Neil Young swaying acoustic vibe and the sweet sentiment is echoed perfectly by Kenny Vaughn’s guitar work.
“The Brighter Side of Lonely” is a song of empathy with a positive outcome waiting on the other side of the journey. Russ Pahl’s
jimlauderdale
Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and bon vivant Jim Lauderdale is an effortlessly enigmatic musical force of nature whose career is defined by a multitude of twists and turns only he could have pulled off. In addition to his many cuts by other artists, his catalog of 34 albums includes collaborations with Ralph Stanley, Buddy Miller, and many more. His prolific output is only matched by the authenticity of his approach to each project. Produced with longtime collaborator, bassist and AFM 257 member Jay Weaver, Lauderdale’s latest album, the appropriately titled Hope, is a beautifully crafted message of positivity and encouragement that works on a number of levels and bears repeated listening.
soulful electric guitar fills dance with Lauderdale’s sincere vocal and the shimmering vocals of Frank and Lillie Mae Rische, who are featured on BGVs for most of the album. There is a similar message of redemption in “Mushrooms are Growing After the Rain,” a most unusual lyrical metaphor, but one that makes perfect sense for this journey of life we all go through in our own way.
“Memory” is an elegant tribute to those gone before us, expressing gratitude for lessons learned, with an emotional yet calm vocal from Lauderdale. On the intensely intimate “Breathe Real Slow,” the ghost of Guy Clark hovers in the background as Lauderdale speaks and sings from the heart about
the need to slow down and experience the moment you are in, something of which we all need a reminder.
Midway through, the album takes a bit of a turn, with a trio of tunes leaning towards a ‘60s psychedelic-ish feel. “Don’t You Dream Anymore” and “We Fade In, We Fade Out” echo the late-period Beatles sound, with a timeless message of keeping yourself open to wherever life takes you.
The gentle guitar-driven “It’s Almost More Than All the Joy” completes the trilogy, and Weaver’s bass drives those tracks in a McCartney-esque way.
Next, the album heads to New Orleans with “Here’s to Hoping.” Hoke’s clarinet, flute
and saxes trade licks with Scruggs’ funky electric guitar over a second line groove. The lyric directly addresses the pandemic and everyone’s need to find their own way to coping and coming out of hiding, and the timing of this positive message couldn’t be more appropriate. “When Searching For Answers” summons up a classic ‘60s Muscle Shoals R&B ballad-feel that unexpectedly goes into a swing vibe before an ending that leaves the listener wanting more. Appropriately, the album closes with “Joyful Noise,” a gospel rave-up, with piano, drums and especially Weaver’s driving bass pushing the band, while bluegrasstinged background vocals ride high over the driving rhythms.
Listening to this album as a whole is highly recommended. The songs flow from one to another seamlessly. Not just musically, but also in the positive lyrical message of encouragement that constantly evolves throughout the record, tying it all together. We need to be not only aware of ourselves, but how we fit into the world. With Hope, Jim Lauderdale offers just the right perspective and message, and it couldn’t be more appropriate for these times.
— Roy Montana
Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and bon vivant Jim Lauderdale is an effortlessly enigmatic musical force of nature.
LYDIA R. HAMESSLEY
Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton University of Illinois Press
AFM 257 life member Dolly Parton is known for many things, including hit records, TV, movies, theme parks, and more — not to mention her long legacy of charitable and community efforts. Her iconic image, style and personality have made her a household name for decades, but a lesser-known fact is that she is also one of the most prolific songwriters in music history. Unlikely Angel, named after one of her lesser-known songs, is a very thoughtful and insightful book focusing exclusively on Parton’s creative side, which many of her fans may be aware of in passing, but which often gets overlooked.
Parton’s world-class skills as a songwriter have never been the subject of such a precise and unique analysis as this. From the beginning, author Lydia Hamessley is honest with the reader about her journey from being a fan to a writer during the long and painstaking evolution of the book. The fact that Parton’s longtime producer, Steve Buckingham, and Parton herself were both directly involved in the content gives it an authenticity that’s not available any other way.
Longtime AFM 257 member Buckingham’s eloquent forward sets up the reader for an insightful journey into the creative side of an American icon who has defied the odds in so many ways for so long. It is clear from the beginning that while this book may be written by a fan of Parton’s music, it is far from just another starryeyed tribute, and contains many valuable insights into Parton’s work.
The book’s focus on songwriting allows Parton’s larger-than-life personality and public image to fade into the background and let the introspective, artistic side of her incredible skill set come out to great effect. A biographical introduction leads to a big-picture description of Parton’s musical career, and then the fun begins. Each chapter covers various aspects of the icon’s songwriting, creative processes, and musical concepts.
Hamessley breaks down the roots of Parton’s songs in various ways, including her East Tennessee heritage — Appalachian and Irish — as well as other musical and lyrical influences. The author describes how Parton has used her unique voice to enlighten the world and give a voice to those without one. The iconic “Coat of Many Colors” is just one excellent example of the layered complexity of Parton’s seemingly simple lyrics and music. In particular, the chapters “Songs of Love,” “Songs of Tragedy,” and “Songs about Women’s Lives,” are very thorough and informative. Parton’s own insights, mostly in first person quotes, provide an immediacy and perspective unavailable elsewhere. “Songs of Inspiration” wraps up the book beautifully, followed by an extensive list of song titles and several addendums with even more detailed analysis of Parton’s methodologies.
Everything presented is researched very well, and this a book that is worthy of its subject’s phenomenal career as a songwriter like no other. Hats off to Hamessley for shining a light on the less familiar but perhaps most important aspects of the timeless artistry of Dolly Parton.
— Dave Pomeroy
THE MEMPHIS BOYS
The Memphis Boys – Expanded and Remastered MARKAL Music LLC
This album is a wonderful flashback to one of the greatest groups of studio musicians of all time, The Memphis Boys – Reggie Young (guitar), Bobby Wood and Bobby Emmons (keyboards), Mike Leach (bass), and Gene Crisman (drums). They first came to prominence in the Memphis recording scene of the early 1960s, and eventually all of them made their way to Nashville and became members of Local 257. Individually and collectively, they played on many classic hit records in Memphis, Nashville, and New York City, that have stood the test of time. Just a few of these are “Natural Woman” (Aretha Franklin), “Drift Away” (Dobie Gray), “Sweet Caroline” (Neil Diamond), “Cry Like A Baby” (The Box Tops), and “The Dance” (Garth Brooks), just to name a few. Sadly, in the 30 years since this record was recorded, Young, Emmons, and Leach have all passed away, and we sure miss them.
This record is a gem of hook-filled, melodic instrumental tunes that take the listener through a variety of moods and sounds with a relaxed groove from start to finish. The old musician adage “It’s not what you play, it’s what you don’t play,” applies to these guys in a big way. The album’s opening track, “Mallwalkin’,” kicks things off with a funky Booker T. & the M.G.’s vibe along with Emmons and Young trading licks on B3 and guitar. “Streets of Soul” features Young’s signature melodic Telecaster playing over electric piano and Crisman’s simple, effortless groove along with Leach’s solid bass. “Lost in a Fog” rises and falls in funky fashion and Wood’s cascading piano leads the way. Crisman and Leach lay down a swampy stomp groove on “Who’s Watching Who” that unfolds into a hooky chorus and a smooth series of synth textures, B3 stabs, and Young’s melodic lead guitar soars over the top.
The atmospheric vibe of “Hard to Let Go” features a moody melody, and once again, the space between the parts demonstrates how well these great players listen to each other and always put the song first. “Callin’ Your Bluff” picks up the tempo and attitude, and the cool chord changes open up space for Young to bend those strings as only he could do. “Delta Rain” has an elegant vibe spotlighting Wood and Emmons on piano and organ. “Dinah Might” has a quirky synth figure and slippery guitar, over a slamming snare from Crisman and a great groove from Leach, and the band’s unison licks are tight as it gets. Happily, this updated version of the album includes six bonus tracks, cut at the same time as the others but never before released.
This record is a gem of hook-filled, melodic instrumental tunes that take the listener through a variety of moods and sounds with a relaxed groove from start to finish.
Highlights include “Missing You” which opens with a Weather Report “Birdland” vibe and evolves into a power ballad with Wood’s soulful piano and Young’s evocative guitar at the fore. “Struttin’” has a slow shuffle feel and cool chord changes. “On our Own” gets down with a ‘70s funk groove and an insistent melody that stays with you, and “Boys at Work” continues that vibe. “Reunion of Souls” bounces along courtesy of Emmons’ B3 and Young’s trademark muted guitar lines. “Emmonism” closes the record with its namesake’s B3 leading the way. This album is a wonderful final chapter of the legacy of five of the finest musicians to ever walk into a recording studio. Thanks to coproducers Allen Reynolds and Mark Miller for producing the original album, finding the extra tunes many years later, and sharing them with the world.
— Roy Montana
BY KEVIN JABLONSKI
EThe Nashville Symphony also resumed its traditional role on July 4 by performing live in synchronization to the massive fireworks show downtown.
veryone I talk to these days seems to ask me about the Nashville Symphony and what the prospects are for next season and returning to orchestral performances. Many have seen the Symphony’s public announcement of the 2021-22 season, which offers a full lineup of concerts and all the variety of programs one would expect to see in a typical year. Even though it is jam-packed, the season is built to be flexible, gradually scaling up in size from smaller groups in the fall to the full orchestra in the spring while allowing for adjustments if needed. The national landscape has changed drastically over the past few months, and all the momentum around us is now pointing toward a full reopening, so it seems ever more likely that a robust return to symphony concerts is not only possible, but inevitable.
There is no doubt that everyone is eager to return to the stage of the Schermerhorn, but there are still some pieces that need to fall into place before the new season can begin in earnest. The musicians are currently still working under the short-term agreement that began back in January, which provides a weekly stipend in exchange for the musicians engaging in various activities, both with and without our instruments. But this agreement is set to expire on July 31, and it would not be able to accommodate a full season of work anyway. The musicians and Local 257 are currently negotiating with Symphony management to establish a successor agreement, and we hope these negotiations will be completed soon.
Earlier this year, the musicians had many meetings over several months with Symphony staff and HCA (the Symphony’s health and safety partner) to finalize a safety plan to allow in-person work to safely resume. In May, the musicians ratified this comprehensive plan, which allowed some
events to take shape in the Schermerhorn shortly thereafter.
The main initiative the Symphony launched was a free summer chamber music series, which began in late May and continued roughly every week through June. Ensembles ranged in size from a viola duo to a string sextet, and small in-person audiences were permitted to attend. These events tested the Symphony’s new protocols, which included social distancing, touchless ticketing, and requiring masks while inside. Many attendees were patrons and subscribers, but a limited number of tickets were made available to the public as well.
The Nashville Symphony also resumed its traditional role on July 4 by performing live in synchronization to the massive fireworks show downtown. The annual event was of course cancelled last year due to COVID-19, so this year’s festivities served as another sign of Nashville’s continuing resurgence of activity. It also showed the musicians’ eagerness and enthusiasm to play for our community again as the city gathered in celebration.
Away from downtown, the Play On concert series at St. George’s Episcopal Church continued monthly through the early part of this year, and it culminated with a rousing final concert in May. You may remember that this series started while the musicians were on furlough back in September, and the Musicians of the Nashville Symphony have continued to
coordinate these programs on their own all the way to the end. But we could not have done any of it without St. George’s generosity, so we can’t thank them enough for supporting us this past year. Due to easing restrictions and improving conditions, we were able to perform with our largest ensemble of the series in May, totaling 17 string musicians on stage.
To make this last concert even more meaningful, we had a special guest violinist, Kevin Case, come in from out of town to perform as a soloist alongside Jun Iwasaki in Bach’s Concerto for two violins in D minor We first became acquainted with Kevin when he began serving as our attorney and assisting in our negotiations with the Symphony in 2016. He has a nationally esteemed reputation in the industry and works with many orchestral musicians and locals around the country, helping to negotiate their contracts. But he has an impressive résumé as a violinist as well, having served as concertmaster with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Orchestra, and the Dallas Opera. Despite his demanding workload as an attorney, Kevin continues to perform regularly, especially in the realm of early music, so we were thrilled and grateful to have him here in Nashville playing with us. Local 257 and the musicians will continue to work closely with Kevin over the summer in his legal capacity, as we negotiate a new agreement for next season and beyond.
While our music scene appears to be finally shaking itself awake from the plague-induced coma, there's good news and bad. Some venues are back, and some artists are reviving their careers. But Douglas Corner is gone, B.B. King's is still closed, and Exit/In is fighting for survival. I don't know why reporters keep calling it a rock club. Its initial popularity came from its dedicated eclecticism, hosting the best in just about everything, including jazz and blues. I hope a deal can be made.
The live scene
The Nashville Jazz Workshop is planning its long-awaited grand reopening at 1012 Buchanan Street with a ribbon cutting event on July 24 that is open to the public. And this summer the Nashville Jazz Workshop added something else new. Jazz AM is a free Saturday morning live interactive performance for kids with musicians, puppets, and activities. Each 10 a.m. event will be different — introducing kids to key developments in jazz history. It is held once a month through December at their new location. For a schedule, go to nashvillejazz.org
Jazz can be heard in North Nashville every Monday night at The Local Distro, a combination grocery, restaurant and bar at 614 Garfield St. The venue has a strong connection to Tennessee State University; the owner and the two musicians running "Monday Night Jazz" are TSU grads, and the players are mostly TSU music students. Music ranges from standards to R&B classics. Doors open for dinner at 7 p.m., and the music goes from about 8 – 10 p.m. Go to thelocaldistro.com for information.
City Winery is back to a full schedule. For some time now legendary songwriter JD Souther has been touring as a trio with Nashville jazz (and more) pianist Chris Walters. They come in for two shows at the Winery on Saturday, July 31 at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Veteran fusion/world music guitar slinger Al Di Meola
appears July 23 at 8 p.m.; a young vocalist named Emmaline expands the definition of jazz on August 23 at 7 p.m.; and Robert Glasper takes his jazz piano in many directions in 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. shows on Sept. 21. Go to citywinery.com for information.
Rudy's Jazz Room has added Thursday nights back to its regular weekend schedule. And the Franklin Theatre has rebooked cancelled acts, like the Glenn Miller Orchestra, which will play its swing classics on September 3 at 8 p.m. Go to franklintheatre. com for information.
Kid-friendly Cumberland Park, located on the east side of the river next to Nissan Stadium, has outdoor urban jazz for the whole family. Jazz on the Cumberland offers local acts on select Sundays once a month through October. Evening shows are 5:30 – 8 p.m. Go to victorchatman.com/jazz-on-thecumberland to find out more.
Metro's Big Band Dances were quietly moved to Cumberland Park this summer, Friday nights at 7 p.m. You can find the schedule on the organization’s Facebook page. Search on Facebook for Centennial Park Big Band Dance.
History
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) opened to the public at the end of January. Located in the urban complex known as Fifth + Broadway, the 56,000 square foot facility is dedicated to preserving and celebrating more than 50 music genres and styles that were created or influenced by African-Americans, including spirituals, blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, and hip hop. Using artifacts, memorabilia, clothing and state-of-the-art technology, each of
BY AUSTIN BEALMEAR
the galleries narrates a different perspective on this history, and how it changed the world.
The NMAAM performance hall screens films, hosts lectures, and stages concerts from local to international artists. Classrooms connect to a library that houses a vital repository of digitally mastered AfricanAmerican music, and a cafe and store offer food and merchandise. Information on all activities and tickets can be found on their website at nmaam.org
Recordings
`Here are some more Music City gems to look for at the local used music outlets. For big band swing fans there was Doctors vs. Lawyers from the mid-60s. This record features a band of mostly doctors on one side (the Music City Medics led by Dr. "Dutch" McMillan) and mostly lawyers on the other (the Public Offenders led by Dick Dorney) battling on behalf of Planned Parenthood. A little more modern take on the genre was provided by arranger Chris McDonald on two albums of Big Band Christmas Swing (Green Hill) and by the Nashville Big Band Jazz Ensemble's Big Band Christmas Vol. 1/2 on DTS.
In 1966, a 23-year-old Gary Burton came back to record Tennessee Firebird (RCA) a combination of jazz, rock, and country that mixed local studio veterans like Buddy Emmons, Buddy Spicher, and Charlie McCoy with serious modern jazzers like Roy Haynes. A worthy attempt at "fusion" before others would try, it did not initially appeal to critics or fans, and has been out of print for a long time.
Best for old blues are compilations like Rare Blues & Soul from Nashville : 1960s (Vol. 1/2 on Superbird) including tracks from Earl Gaines and Roscoe Shelton, or Night Train to Nashville on two CDs (Lost Highway) featuring tracks from 1945 – 1970 —a companion to the fabulous 2004 exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
See you out there —but don't throw away your mask.
Emmaline Al Di Meola
The National Museum of African American Music
Earl “JT” Gray
March 7, 1946 — March 20, 2021
Bluegrass guitarist, bassist, and owner of the world-famous music venue Station Inn, Earl “JT” Gray, 75, died March 20, 2021. He was a life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 on July 11, 1972.
Gray was born March 7, 1946, in Corinth, Mississippi, to the late Earl Guy and Lorena Voyles Gray. After first moving to Chicago, he relocated to Nashville in 1971 to pursue his love for music. He played with the Misty Mountain Boys, and worked at Randy Wood’s Ole Time Pickin’ Parlor when he first came to town. He appeared in Robert Altman’s 1975 movie Nashville when the director filmed on location at the venue. In 1976 he formed his own band, The Nashville Skyline. In 1979 he toured for two years with Jimmy Martin as a member of the Sunny Mountain Boys. He bought the Station Inn in 1981 and began to build the venue’s reputation as a relaxed and welcoming place to hear unfailingly great bluegrass music.
It wasn’t easy, and for many years after he bought the club, Gray worked as a tour bus driver to keep the lights on. But by the mid-1980s, the quirky but intimate venue
“JT loved bluegrass music, gospel music and traditional country music and was determined to give all of us of a like mind a wonderful place to play."
— Larry Cordle
was already attracting top names, and selling out shows. Over the years, with Gray’s care, the Station Inn became the very definition of that under-the-radar type establishment that manages to produce with uncanny regularity unforgettable impromptu jams, walk-ons, and a ubiquitous small-town friendliness.
The Time Jumpers had a weekly 13-year residency, and there were many other longtime regular performers including Peter Rowan, Doyle and Debbie, The Sidemen, and many others. In 2003 Gray was given the Distinguished Achievement Award by the IBMA. In 2004 the venue was the subject of the documentary entitled The Station Inn –True Life Bluegrass
Ultimately the venerable establishment became known internationally among informed music-lovers as a Nashville mustsee icon, with a regular audience that always seemed equal parts reverent tourists from around the globe, local players, and other music business pros. In 2005 Gray founded Station Inn Records, and released his own album, It’s About Time. The album was a collection of traditional country and bluegrass tunes, and featured many top Nashville recording musicians. Gray continued to play with his own band and also recorded and played live with many other artists.
Gray created an environment at the club that nurtured many careers, including Dierks Bentley, the Whites, Alison Krauss, and Vince Gill. Superstars of the genre regularly stopped by to jam. At Jim Rooney’s Irregulars gigs it was normal to spot any number of artists in the crowd, like John Prine, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, and Roland White, all of whom would step up for a song or two. Bluegrass artist and songwriter Larry Cordle talked about the precious and unique environment Gray nurtured at the club.
“I met my friend JT Gray circa 1987. I may have met him previously but what I’m talking about is really beginning to know him. Our friendship grew and I began to see his vision for the club that he put every ounce of energy he had into. JT loved bluegrass music, gospel music and traditional country music and was determined to give all of us of a like mind a wonderful place to play. The Station Inn didn’t become the listening room it is today by accident. He was on a mission.
“Over the years I did label showcases, album release parties, songwriter gigs, breaking in new band member gigs — in short — every kind of music gig imaginable. We had a lot of good laughs and once in a great while I could coax him into singing “The Angels Are Singing” with me. He was
a strong tenor singer and a fine bass player. JT supported me my entire career. I hope he knew just how much I appreciated him staying the course through some hard times I know, to give us our very own clubhouse, where all our favorite musicians and friends met for many special good times over the years. I’m going to miss you, old friend but I know you are safe in the arms of Jesus now and slappin’ that bass in the greatest band of all time, with all your other friends who have gone on before. RIP my friend — until we meet again,” Cordle said.
Over the decades Gray has received a host of awards and recognitions. In 2020 he was inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Less than a week before his death, Gray appeared live on a remote segment of the 2021 Grammy Awards as an honored venue owner, and presented the award for Best Country Album.
Bassist Mike Bub talked about how much Gray and Station Inn have meant to local musicians.
"JT Gray was truly the best friend bluegrass musicians and bluegrass music had in Nashville. JT created an opportunity zone for bluegrass musicians in Nashville. As a new resident, it’s the first place you go to network and have an opportunity to play music, both on stage and in a jam situation. JT always staffed the bar with folks related to the music — it’s a real family oriented grassroots venue that just happens to be where some of the greatest musicians in the genre live and congregate. JT was generous in ways that differed from any other club as he was a lifelong bluegrass musician — and that benefitted so many over the last four decades," Bub said.
Gray became a Shriner in 1971 and was a member of the Al Menah Temple in Nashville.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Paul Edward Gray, Sr. Survivors include two brothers, Loyel D. L. Gray and Harold Gray; three sisters, Glenda Fowler, Judy Scillion, and Helen Harville; and a host of other family and friends. Graveside services were held March 27 at Center Hill Community Cemetery in Counce, Tennessee, with Brother Paul Childers officiating. A celebration of life was held May 16 at the Station Inn with numerous performances and remembrances of Gray.
William Curtis McPeake
Oct. 9, 1927 — Feb. 20, 2021
Nashville Musicians Association life member William Curtis McPeake, 93, died Feb. 20, 2021. He was known for his artistry on bluegrass banjo, his development of the 10-string banjo, his vast knowledge of vintage instruments. He worked on hundreds of recordings as well as a plethora of live band gigs over his 70-year career. In addition to banjo, he played guitar, dobro, steel guitar, mandolin, jaw harp and hambone. He joined Local 257 May 5, 1959.
McPeake was born Oct. 9, 1927 in Scotts Hill, Tennessee to the late William Albert and Addie Gertrude Flowers McPeake. He spent his boyhood years on the family farm. His father played banjo and fiddle, and McPeake began to play the guitar at the age of six. When he was nine his father bought him his first guitar, and the two were soon playing for friends and family. He drew inspiration from music he heard on the radio, and by the age of 14 he was playing shows on WTJS in Jackson, Tennessee. He had by this time added steel guitar and mandolin to his repertoire, and he began playing professionally in the ‘40s with the Rhodes Brothers.
McPeake didn’t take up banjo until he was 18 and heard Earl Scruggs play. It probably wasn’t the first time and certainly not the last time, that the famed banjo player sparked another musician’s interest in the instrument. McPeake shifted to banjo, his group became a full-on bluegrass band and they quickly gained a sponsor and a weekly broadcast on WXDL in Lexington, Tennessee. By 1945 he was performing six days a week as Curtis McPeake and the Rocky Valley Boys.
In 1956 Scruggs had an automobile accident and McPeake was hired by Lester Flatt to step in as a sub, a role which continued when Scruggs would occasionally be absent, through 1968. These opportunities created additional regional exposure for McPeake. He also played with Bill Monroe in 1960 and 1961, and was featured on Monroe’s Mr. Bluegrass and Bluegrass Ramble albums of that era. McPeake also performed with Monroe for a charity gig to help elderly musicians that took place at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1961 — at which time McPeake was said to have received a standing ovation for his performance of “Cripple Creek.”
After his work with Monroe, McPeake played with Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, and then went on to become the first staff banjo player for the Grand Ole Opry, a role he continued to fill until 1969. It was during this time that he invented the 10-string banjo. Similar to the 12-string guitar, the banjo used pairs of strings, which resulted in a sound similar to two banjos playing together; the second strings could be tuned together, in octaves, or in other intervals.
In addition to his own bands, he also found time to perform with Benny Williams in the Tennessee River Boys; with Bill Grammer, Ray Edenton, Tommy Hill and Roy Huskey, Jr.,
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in The Bluegrass Hillbillies; and with Josh Graves, Benny Martin, Larry Morton, and Chuck Sanders in The Nashville Pickers.
He later toured for 18 years with Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass, where he performed on a variety of TV shows, and at venues around the world. After his tenure with Davis, he took over the Natchez Grass band which he renamed The Natchez Express. He continued to contribute his talents on records by a host of artists including George Jones and Melba Montgomery, Chubby Wise, the Willis Brothers, C.W. McCall, and many others. The prolific musician was also a successful songwriter who had several cuts including “Dixieland for Me” recorded by George Jones and Melba Montgomery in 1964.
McPeake played on a dozen records with several bluegrass bands. His solo discography includes the 1963 release Bluegrass Banjo Pickin’, Dueling Banjos in 1973, and The View From McPeake in 2000.
He was honored with the Uncle Dave Macon Trailblazer Award in 2010, and the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award in 2018. McPeake continued to perform into his ‘90s, and in 2018 released The Good Things (Outweigh the Bad) with guitarist Andy May. The pair appeared at a Country Music Hall of Fame Musician Spotlight event in February 2019 to perform tracks from the record and answer audience questions.
McPeake was a 50-year Mason, and a 50-year member of the Al Menah Shrine Temple in Nashville.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Alma McPeake; and one brother, Hoover McPeake. Survivors include his wife of 72 years, Wilma Dean Western McPeake; one daughter, Towanna McPeake-Coward; and two granddaughters.
Services were held Feb. 25 at Bond Memorial Chapel, in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, with Bro. Danny Tomlinson officiating, and on Feb. 27 at Pafford Funeral Home in Scotts Hill, Tennessee. Interment followed at Crowell Chapel Cemetery in Middleburg, Tennessee.
Jerry Smith Oct. 25, 1933 — June 6, 2021
Songwriter, publisher, producer, and recording artist Jerry Smith, 87, died June 6, 2021. He was a keyboardist, and a life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 May 3, 1962.
Smith was born Oct. 25, 1933, in Bude, Mississippi, to the late Tom Garrett and Nellie Marie Mullins Smith. He spent his early years in Bude, and then Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He served in the U.S. Air Force, and was loaned to the Army for his skills as a transcriber, which were utilized for the Korean War Armistice Agreement. After his service he married, and moved to Nashville in 1961 to begin pursuing a career in music.
He quickly garnered respect as a session player, and by 1963 also had cowritten a hit song with producer Bill Justis — "Down at Papa Joe's" recorded by the Dixiebelles. He and Justis also provided the accompaniment for the song. The two continued to work as the duo Cornbread and Jerry on a number of other records, including the 1961 Liberty single “Lil’ Ole Me.” Film director John Waters name-checked Cornbread and Jerry in 2014 in his book Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America, by including the act’s single “Loco Moto” (the B-side of “Lil’ Ole Me”) as part of his suggested road trip playlist.
Smith released the album Truck Stop for ABC Records in 1969. He composed the title track, which became his first Top 100 single. That success led to his appearance on American Bandstand and Lawrence Welk. He went on to chart with three other instrumentals, including “Sweet n’ Sassy,” and “Papa Joe’s Thing” both in 1969, and the Decca single “Drivin’ Home” in 1970 — which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance that year.
In 1973 Ranwood Records released Jerry Smith and his Pianos. Smith also appeared on several other albums for Ranwood performing as the Magic Organ. He continued to release instrumental records, and appeared on a variety of other compilation records. Smith had a lengthy career as a session keyboardist, appearing on tracks for many artists including Jerry Reed and Merle Haggard.
Smith loved the ocean, and after his retirement spent five years sailing around the world with his wife Gayle — covering 30,000 miles in the process. Over the years he was a member of Inglewood Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee and Ashland City First Baptist Church, in Ashland City, Tennessee.
In addition to his parents, Smith was preceded in death by his wife, Gayle; one brother, Walter A. Smith; and one sister, Tommie Rhea Smith. Survivors include two daughters, Jeannie Torres, and Kahne Vaughan; two sons, Stacy Smith and David Smith; nine grandchildren; and thirteen great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life was conducted June 10, with Rev. Nathan Washburn officiating. Burial was June 11 in Middle Tennessee State Veteran's Cemetery in Nashville. The family requests that memorials be made to grammy.com/musicares or the Annie Armstrong Foundation anniearmstrong.com
Charles Furman “Buster” Phillips, Jr.
June 23, 1947 - May 26, 2021
Longtime Nashville Musicians Association member Charles Furman “Buster” Phillips, Jr., 74, died May 26, 2021. He was a drummer who joined Local 257 Nov. 7, 1977.
He was born June 23, 1947, and playing professionally by the age of 16. He would go on to tour and record well into the 2000s. Over his career he played on a host of records including albums for Ronnie Milsap, Leon Russell, Levon Helm, Louise Mandrell, Sylvia, The Whigs, Steve Young, David Allan Coe, Phil Driscoll, and many other artists.
In addition to drumming, Phillips had many interests, including carpentry, fishing, and mechanics. His son Buster wrote colorfully about his father in an online obituary.
“[Buster] was a jack of all trades and a master of one. He was a father, a cut-up, a gardener and a shaky heart with a kind soul. He was a doer of puzzles, a maker of things, a collector of pictures, model trains and stories. He was a renegade, a nuisance, a burden and a blessing. He was a cat with ten lives and he was almost indestructible. More than anything he was a drummer, and a damn good one.”
Phillips was preceded in death by his son, Charles Furman Phillips, III. Survivors include one daughter, Paula Teal; and one son, Buster Phillips.
There was no public service. The family asked that anyone who wished to honor Phillips’ memory should “put on an old record you forgot you loved and turn it up a little louder than usual.”
"He was a renegade, a nuisance, a burden and a blessing. He was a cat with ten lives and he was almost indestructible. More than anything he was a drummer, and a damn good one."
Stan Beaver March 30, 1949 — Jan. 2, 2021
Life member Stan Beaver, 71, died Jan. 2, 2021. He was an artist, singer, guitarist, sound engineer, TV show host, and actor. Beaver joined AFM Local 257 August 2, 1967 and was life member of the Nashville Musicians Association.
He was born March 30, 1949, in Ducktown, Tennessee. His musical career started when he appeared on his father’s television show in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of five. The young performer sang “River of Memory.” In 1963 he notched a hit record with “I Got a Rocket in My Pocket,” and later went on to work as a sound engineer for many artists including Emmylou Harris, The Righteous Brothers, Carl Perkins, and Ray Charles. He was also a studio engineer for Tom T. Hall at Toybox in Brentwood, Tennessee, for three years.
His 1963 hit was re-released on a German compilation titled Rocket Ship in 1997, and on May 8, 2000, he was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The original recording has now become a collector’s item. A longtime member of the Cleveland, Tennessee, community, Beaver lent his talents over the years to local events such as the Apple Festival.
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Beaver also had several film credits including J.D. And The Salt Kid with Slim Pickens, Elvis with Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley, and The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia with Dennis Quaid. Following in his father’s footsteps, he also hosted a TV show in Chattanooga, Tennessee for four years. Additionally, Beaver owned his own recording studio and record label.
Survivors include his wife, Flora; one daughter, Rachel Beaver; and one son, Joel Beaver. A memorial service was held Jan. 9 at Bowman Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church with burial following in Turtletown, Tennessee.
David C. Neal
May 11, 1962 — March 10, 2021
Multi-instrumentalist David C. Neal, 58, died March 10, 2021. In addition to playing keyboards, guitar, and bass, he was a vocalist and entrepreneur. Neal joined Local 257 March 15, 2005.
He was born May 11, 1962 to the late Everett E. Senior and Nancy Keibler Neal. He was the owner and founder of Commercial Carpet Care in Somerset, Pennsylvania, and also worked as a state park officer at Prince Gallitzin and Laurel Hill State Parks in Pennsylvania. Neal was a commissioned Kentucky Colonel, and a member of the House of Prayer in Somerset, where he served as a board member. Friends remembered his musicianship as part of a gospel quartet called The Enlighteners, and his ability to play many stringed instruments.
Neal loved wildlife, hunting, guns, and law enforcement, and was known as a generous and loving person who never met a stranger.
In addition to his parents, Neal was preceded in death by one sister, Pamela Kaye Neal. Survivors include his wife of nearly 37 years, Denise Knieriem Neal; one daughter, Krystle Neal; two sons, Christopher Neal and Bradley Neal; two sisters, Brenda Gibson and Marjorie Neal; two brothers, Everett E. Neal Jr. and Daniel Neal; two grandchildren; one stepbrother, Carl Taylor; one stepsister, Sheila Miller; and many nieces and nephews. Other survivors include numerous church family and friends.
Funeral services were held March 20 at the First Apostolic Church in Somerset, with Pastor Jason Upton and Elder Daniel Neal Sr., officiating. Interment followed immediately at St. John’s Cemetery in Somerset, Pennsylvania.
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.
NEW MEMBERS
Lydia P Bain
Morgan R Beers
Rachel Crick
Sunny Dada
Lindsay Ell
Laura Epling
Michael Todd Foley
David Nathaniel Girard
Melody Guy
Kimberly Hain
Styles Haury
Mark G Huhta
Calvin Johnson
Robin McDuffie
Michael P McGuffey
Josh Morrison
Robert Persaud
Giovanni Rodriguez
Lilah Senibaldi
Joe Shirk
Stefan Superti
James Andrew Tooke
Daniel S White
Mark Wayne Whitehead
REINSTATED
Joe P Allen
Vernon M Arnold
David Mark Baldwin
Rahsaan Jelani Barber
Carly Campbell
Tylan Thomas Campbell
David V Challenger
Brian K Christianson
Scott A Coney
Stephen F Earle
Kyle P Etges
Mark Lee Fain
Mike Feagan
Arnold Samuel Gottlieb
Edward Greene
William P Gregg
Larry Thomas Harden
David Lee Hicks
Bobby G Huff
James E Hurst
Thomas David Hurst
Sonya Isaacs
Ron Kirby
Adam Gerard Lester
William Claude Marshall, III
Randy Lyn McCormick
James Fletcher Medlin
Merlin Gene Grigsby
Duane Norman
Dewey Lindon Oldham
Michael J. Payne
Kevin M Post
Colin D Poulton
Rich Ripani
Alan Stoker
Pamela Y Tillis
Guthrie Trapp
Daniel Lewis Vaughan
Richard F Vito
Dennis M Wage
William Robert Wilson
Xiao-Fan Zhang
EXPELLED
Wayne Edgar Addleman
Michael Douglas Adduci
Brad C Albin
Kristopher Neil Allen
Jennifer Destiny Ansell
Randy Allan Archer
John N Balut
Mary Elizabeth Barnes
Kevin Bate
Tigar Lee Bell
Jeff Berlin
Travis Bettis
Kenneth Edwin Blevins
Karl Boudreaux
Richard Allen Boyer
Steven Lukas Bracewell
Jerry Bruno
Brent Matthew Burke
Ethan Burks
Bennett Burnside
Andrew J Childs
Bruce A Christensen
Darrick Jerry Cline
Garrett Allan Cline
Ralph Stephen Cox
James Terry Crisp
Miller Zach Crowell
Megan Davies
Rachael Davis
Christopher B Deaton
Daniel J Delaney
Thomas Anthony Delrossi
Simon Dumas
Michael M Durham
Phillip Brian Eads
Marc Alan Earp
Glen Wyatt Earp
Greylan James Egan
Robert M Etherington
David Fisher
Jerry Allen Flowers
Radu V Georgescu
George Goetschel
Gary Gold
Mike Guggino
Max Gunther
Wylie Galt Gustafson
Benjamin Matthew Hall
Jamie Harford
Don Erwin Hart
Jordan Harvey
Brandon Michael Hays
Chip Henderson
Jonathan Chadwick Holland
Porter Carlton Howell
Carnine Ioanna
Chad Michael Jervis
Brent Johnson
Archie P Jordan
Miyuki Kanaba
Josh Kerr
Gabe Lamog
Keith H Landry
Andrew Leab
Stephen Lewis
John Duke Lippincott
Mills M Logan
Austin Luther
Donald Robert Marple
Christopher Ryan Marquart
Paul M Marshall
Lonnie Melvin Tillis, Jr
Caleb Ashton Miller
Carl Edward Miner
Denver E Moles, Jr
Joshua Moore
Susan Bronwyn Mullen
Marisa Munoz
John Henry Myers
Scott D Neubert
Hubert Payne
Andrew Powell Peebles
Peter Michaelson Pisarczyk
Woody Platt
Paul Rippee
Melissa A Romero
Steve Romero
Kenneth Dean Sams
Nicholas Sanders
Isaac Andrew Senty
Susan Beth Shann
Graham Sharp
Danne Sheets, Jr
Herb Shucher
Henry T Slaughter
Joe Benjamin Smart
David C Spires
Elizabeth Stewart
Paul Thurmond
Alexander Lowell Tipping
Samuel C Tritico
Jonathan Tuckness
Jackson R Turner
Jennifer J Turner
Todd Hall Waldecker
Christopher Walters
Quentin L Ware, Jr
William Michael Wescott
James H West, II
Jeff T White
Michael James Whitman
DECEMBER 31, 2020
NASHVILLE MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION REVENUE & EXPENSES
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020
REVENUES
WHAT DO KEITH URBAN
TAYLOR
JIMMY
CHRIS
LARRY
DAN + SHAY
ALISON KRAUSS AND THE MUSICIANS OF THE NASHVILLE SYPHONY HAVE IN COMMON?
THEY
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
RFD-TV – We have filed a Federal lawsuit against RFD-TV for non-payment of rerun payments to musicians for the Marty Stuart Show and Ray Stevens’ Caba-Ray for the year 2019 and 2020. We have every expectation that we will win this legal challenge and obtain payments with late fees added.
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
Next Membership Meeting
Thursday, Aug. 5 5:30 p.m. on Zoom
HOLIDAYS
MONDAY, SEPT. 6 – LABOR DAY
MONDAY, OCT. 11 – COLUMBUS DAY
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
