REVIEWS:
JOHNNY CASH
•
DOL LY PA R T ON
•
DIERKS BENTLEY
•
TIM RUSHLOW
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF AFM LOCAL 257 OCTOBER– DECEMBER 2016
charlie
WORSHAM
on t he verge
Live scales update
Save the date
Membership Meeting Nov. 7 OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 1
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Protect your hard work and your assets. Schedule your free consultation today! BettyAnn Murphy | 615-871-4767 | bamurphy@horizoninsgroup.net tmurphy@horizoninsgroup.net | http://www.horizoninsgroup.net 2 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
CONTENTS Official Journal of the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257 | OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2016
4
6
7 8
ANNOUNCEMENTS Details on the next membership meeting scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7, which will include a vote on the Local 257 annual dues structure for 2017, and two important bylaw amendments that also deal with annual dues. The agenda will include reports from the president and secretary-treasurer and other discussions. STATE OF THE LOCAL President Dave Pomeroy talks about one of the most important reasons to work under a union contract — new paychecks for new uses. Plus details on the upcoming membership drive, and how we can best move forward together. NEW GROOVES Secretary-Treasurer Vince Santoro discusses changes membership has made to the Funeral Benefit which will go into effect in January 2017. HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE The notable comings and goings of Nashville Musicians Association members.
10 NEWS Cumberland Heights opens a treatment facility on
16
CHARLIE WORSHAM
Music Row, a look at the newly-revised Miscellaneous Scale and Wages sheet, assorted music award winners and more.
12 16
GALLERY The musician community comes together to support brothers Bob and Tom Britt with sold-out benefit shows; Local 257 marches proud in the Labor Day parade, and we celebrate a variety of honors received by members. COVER STORY: CHARLIE WORSHAM We’ve been cheering him on since his excellent 2013 release Rubberband. Now the talented and affable multi-instrumentalist/songwriter sits down with Warren Denney to discuss the path that led him to Nashville, and the process behind his sophomore album that’s on the horizon.
20
DOLLY PARTON
20 REVIEWS We listened to CDs from Tim Rushlow, Dierks Bentley, and Dolly Parton; and reviewed a previously unreleased book of poetry by Johnny Cash.
24 SYMPHONY NOTES Laura Ross writes about the ICSOM
(International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians) conference, which included orchestra reports, strategy sessions and much more.
26 JAZZ & BLUES A roundup of shows, festivals, and other happenings in the jazz and blues community.
27 FINAL NOTES We bid farewell to Ralph Stanley, Scotty
Moore, Wayne Jackson, Rufus Long, Robert Mason, Clyde Brooks, and Peter Michaud.
32 MEMBER STATUS 34 DO NOT WORK FOR LIST
27
RALPH STANLEY
OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 3
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Next General Membership Meeting Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 OFFICIAL QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE NASHVILLE MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION AFM LOCAL 257
PUBLISHER EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Dave Pomeroy Vince Santoro Kathy Osborne Leslie Barr Austin Bealmear Warren Denney Hank Moka Roy Montana Kathy Osborne Dave Pomeroy Vince Santoro Laura Ross Steve Wayne
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Donn Jones Dave Pomeroy Laura Ross Bob Seaman Anthony Scarlati Vince Santoro ART DIRECTION Lisa Dunn Design WEB ADMINISTRATOR Kathy Osborne AD SALES Leslie Barr 615-244-9514 LOCAL 257 OFFICERS PRESIDENT Dave Pomeroy SECRETARY-TREASURER Vince Santoro EXECUTIVE BOARD Jimmy Capps Beth Gottlieb Mark Johnson Andy Reiss Laura Ross Tom Wild Jonathan Yudkin HEARING BOARD Michelle Voan Capps Tiger Fitzhugh Teresa Hargrove Kent Goodson Dave Moody Kathy Shepard John Terrence TRUSTEES Bruce Radek Biff Watson SERGEANT-AT-ARMS Steve Tveit NASHVILLE SYMPHONY STEWARD Laura Ross OFFICE MANAGER Anita Winstead ELECTRONIC MEDIA SERVICES DIRECTOR ASSISTANT DATA ENTRY RECORDING DEPT. ASSISTANT
Steve Tveit Teri Barnett Christina Mitchell Georgia Heckman
DIRECTOR, LIVE/TOURING DEPT. Leslie Barr AND PENSION ADMINISTRATOR MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR/RECEPTION Laura Birdwell MPTF COORDINATOR/RECEPTION Sarah Bartolino @ 2016 Nashville Musicians Association P.O. Box 120399, Nashville TN 37212 All rights reserved. nashvillemusicians.org
4 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
The next Local 257 General Membership meeting will be Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. The rehearsal hall will be open at 1 p.m. The agenda will include a vote to approve the 2017 dues schedule and two related bylaw amendments, as well as officer reports and discussion. Please plan to attend, and get involved in the business of your local. Regular Members 2017 Dues Breakdown (must be approved by membership at Nov. 7 meeting) $153.00………………Local Dues 66.00………………AFM Per Capita 66.00………………Funeral Benefit Assessment 3.00………………Emergency Relief Fund 3.00………………Emergency Relief Fund (voluntary) 2.00………………AFM Tempo Fund (voluntary) $293.00………………Total 2017 Dues Regular Members (including $5 voluntary) Life Members 2017 Dues Breakdown (must be approved by membership at Nov. 7 meeting) $51.00………………Local Dues (33 percent of regular local dues) 52.50………………AFM Life Member Per Capita 66.00………………Funeral Benefit Assessment 3.00………………Emergency Relief Fund 3.00………………Emergency Relief Fund (voluntary) 2.00………………AFM Tempo Fund (voluntary) $177.50………………Total 2017 Dues Life Members (including $5 voluntary) Respectfully submitted by Vince Santoro and Dave Pomeroy Executive Board recommendation: Favorable Bylaw Amendment Proposal No.1 – Life Member Annual Dues Whereas, More than 25 percent of Local 257 members are Life Members, and our maturing membership will cause this percentage to increase further in the future; and Whereas, Under the current Annual dues structure, Life Members, many of whom are still working, pay 75% less Local Dues than Regular members, which has caused an increasing cash flow problem for the Local; and Whereas, Raising this percentage will still provide very significant savings to Life members versus Regular members; therefore be it Resolved, that the maximum percentage of Annual Local Dues paid by Life members be raised from 25 percent to 50 percent of the amount paid by Regular members. (New language in bold) Section 1D. Life Membership: Members who have had membership in good standing in the Federation for an accumulated period of no less than thirty-five (35) years and have reached the age of sixty-five (65) years shall automatically become life members. They shall pay a the portion of Annual dues known as Federation Per Capita dues currently in effect. They shall also pay no more than twenty-five percent (25%) fifty percent (50%) of the Local’s regular periodic dues, with the exact amount to be determined annually by the Local 257 Executive Board, and plus all assessments in excess of said Federation Per Capita dues. Life members shall pay work dues on any engagements they might play and shall be subject to all bylaws of this Local and the Federation. Respectfully submitted by Vince Santoro and Dave Pomeroy Executive Board recommendation: Favorable
ANNOUNCEMENTS BYLAW AMENDEMENT PROPOSAL No. 2 BI-ANNUAL PAYMENT PLAN Whereas, The Bi-Annual payment plan has been a help to members who have trouble paying the entire amount of Local 257 dues before the January 31 suspension deadline; and Whereas, some members are having trouble budgeting annual dues in January; therefore be it
Nashville Musicians Association AFM Local 257, AFL-CIO Minutes of the Executive Board Meeting July 11, 2016 PRESENT:
Vince Santoro(VS), Dave Pomeroy(DP), Tom Wild(TW), Andre Reiss(AR), Jonathan Yudkin(JY), Jim Brown(JB via FaceTime), Laura Ross(LR). ABSENT:
Resolved, that the Bi-Annual convenience fee of $25 be reduced to $20 payable as follows: $10 with the initial payment, due by Jan. 31 and $10 with the second payment, due by June 30. (new language in bold)
Jimmy Capps(JC), Beth Gottlieb(BG).
Section 3B. Members may elect to pay their dues bi-annually. A Bi-Annual Payment Option must be requested, in writing or by email, prior to January 31. One half of the annual dues amount must be paid by January 31. A convenience fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) ($10) shall be added to the first payment, and $10 to the second payment. The balance must be paid in full by June 30, or the member shall be expelled. The Bi-Annual Payment Option will be applicable for the current membership period (calendar year) and will require renewal for each subsequent membership period. New members joining after June 30 will not be eligible to pay their dues on the Bi-Annual Payment Option for that year.
Minutes from June 9, 2016 were distributed. MSC to approve as amended. AR, LR.
Respectfully submitted by Vince Santoro and Dave Pomeroy Executive Board recommendation: Favorable
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
President Pomeroy called the meeting to order at 9:50 a.m. MINUTES:
PRESIDENT’S REPORT:
The following issues were discussed: 1) AFM Convention showed positive results. 2) Miscellaneous and Steady Engagement Wage Scale and Price List unanimously approved at Special Meeting held July 8, 2016. TREASURER’S REPORT:
Santoro distributed financial reports and fund balances. He reported the following: 1) Discussion with trustee Bruce Radek of a proposed bylaw change to the Funeral Benefit Fund structure that will allow the fund to be sustainable based on an average yearly death rate. 2) Making transfers into the Funeral Benefit Fund from the regular account causes a shortfall in office operating funds, which means withdrawals from our Vanguard savings becomes unavoidable, and we cannot continue to drain our savings. AGENDA:
A long discussion ensued regarding a proposed reduction of the Funeral Benefit Fund payout. Proposal will be finalized and submitted for board’s approval online. MSC to approve secretary-treasurer report. TW, JY MSC to accept new member applications. AR, TW. Motion to adjourn. TW, LR. Meeting adjourned at 10:42 a.m.
TNM
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STATE OF THE LOCAL
BY DAVE POMEROY
In
“Our mission is to support musicians — to always make a difference to our members, and to the creative community as a whole.”
these times of great conflict in our country, culture, and throughout the world, it is all too easy to focus on the negative aspects of any given subject. A wise man once said, “it’s much easier to throw stones than to catch them.” In other words, we have plenty of problems, what we need these days are more solutions. For centuries, music has always helped bring people together, find common ground and bridge the gaps between us. Now more than ever, musicians can prove that our desire to make the world a better place is more powerful than the actions of those who want to take advantage of us, or the inaction of those who aren’t willing to evolve. Life is a series of choices. When I made the decision to run for president of Local 257, I knew that it would impact my life to some degree, but the reality is that the demands on my time and energy are far more than I ever could have imagined. This is a job that really has no beginning or end, so it’s been up to me to find a sense of balance in my life. It hasn’t been easy, but the one thing I have found is that the joy and healing power of playing music is still strong enough to take my mind off whatever issue is currently driving me crazy. Change is never easy. My world is completely different than it used to be, but I take comfort and courage that by working together for positive change we make a difference, both here in Nashville and elsewhere. The revolution that started here in Nashville at Local 257 in 2008 manifested itself on a larger scale with the election of Team Unity at the 2010 AFM Convention. Six years later, this has resulted in a much stronger, unified and proactive union. 6 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
Our mission is to support musicians — to always make a difference to our members, and the creative community as a whole. One of our most essential functions is to create realistic standards for wages and working conditions. Every AFM contract has a pension component, and provides protection for the work you create, which allows us to collect payments for records such as Patsy Cline’s “Back In Baby’s Arms.” It was recorded 53 years ago, and Mazda has been using it in a new series of commercials. As long as that work is generating income, you will be compensated. Without an AFM contract, that will never happen. Even when musicians make the choice to work non-union and give away their intellectual property, the wages they do make are based on our scales, but without any pension or protection for future reuse of this music. The standards we set are the only thing that prevents a wage-race to the bottom, which many employers would love to see. Without our help, musicians are too often left out in the cold while others enjoy and profit from the fruits of your labors. We try to make it simple to file a union contract, and if you need assistance we’re here for you. On another note, there are numerous musicians in our community who work side by side with Local 257 members, but are not AFM members. Many of these people come and pick up checks regularly, and they do not pay work dues, or even the modest nonmember service fees we respectfully ask for. In most cases, all these non-members need is a friendly nudge from a friend, colleague or someone they respect, urging them join the AFM team. We hope that we can all work together to get these musicians to understand that we are already working for them
and the right thing to do is to join up. We will be starting a membership drive in December going through March 2017, and will be waiving all initiation fees, a savings of $165 per new member. We hope that you all will help us in this effort. Your involvement and support of our collective efforts are what keep us relevant. Our members are our future, and by standing together, we can help make it one you look forward to. TNM
Violinist Solie Fott picks up a re-use check from Mazda for Patsy Cline's "Back In Baby's Arms," recorded in September 1962.
Next General Membership Meeting Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 1:30 p.m.
NEW GROOVES
“It has been impressive to see everyone work together to bring the Funeral Benefit Fund up to date. I commend our president, the entire staff, and all members for their input and help in bringing about this change.”
O
ur third quarter membership meeting Aug. 22 was well attended. We reached a quorum at 30 members and folks kept arriving until we had 52 members ready to jump into the subject of a proposed bylaw change to our Funeral Benefit Fund. Discussion began after the president read through the proposal, supported with eight pages of reference material that documented the history of the fund and the bylaw changes, which helped to illustrate the trajectory of the fund and how it has been utilized over the last several decades. My impression was that the vast majority of the members who were present understood that drastic measures were timely to reform the fund’s structure. It was clear that we needed to stop offering more than the local can afford to pay out in benefits. The discussion was very civil. Once the group had heard some older members describe how crushing a strict 50-percent cut in benefits would be to those who had stayed loyal to the local for more than 50 years, the idea of creating a new tier for members with 50-plus years of membership was agreeable to everyone. So, following Robert’s Rules of Order, we amended the proposal to add a tier of 50-plus years of membership to the structure defined in the proposal. These members’ beneficiaries would receive an additional $1000.
date. This was then discussed in depth and amended to reflect more equitable amounts. Here is how the structure of the Funeral Benefit Fund now exists and will take effect Jan. 1, 2017: Section 2A. Member’s benefit, upon death, will be determined by length of active continuous membership in Local 257, and shall be in the following amounts. Subsequent changes to these amounts may be proposed by the Fiduciary Trustees of the Fund, but are subject to approval by the membership. 0-4 years $500 5-9 years $1000 10-14 years $1500 15-19 years $2500 20-49 years $4000 50 + years $5000 Section 2B. Members joining after July 1, 2015, will be vested in the Funeral Benefit Fund after a period of five (5) years of continuous membership and their benefit will increase as follows: 0-4 years vesting period 5-9 years $500 10-14 years $1000 15-19 years $1500 20+ years $2000
“Dave and I — with your help — are ready to make a big push for new members, which would be a tremendous lift to our bottom line.” Also, it was brought to the attention of the officers and those in attendance that the proposed ratio of reductions in the fund structure for members who joined after July 1, 2015 was not in step with what was proposed for members who joined before that
This change — which we all have participated in bringing about — was necessary. I feel good about the solutions we reached as a group. Now I’m confident that this fund, which is not a life insurance policy, can endure and it should never again become such a burden
BY VINCE SANTORO
to the local’s ability to do the business it is intended to do. Our fourth quarter membership meeting, to be held Nov. 7, 2016, will be important because we must now shift our attention from the Funeral Benefit to approving the annual dues for 2017. We are not totally out of the woods yet, but this coming year for the first time in decades, we won’t be robbing Peter to pay Paul in trying to fund an out-of-whack Funeral Benefit Fund! That alone gives us a chance to focus on other Local 257 business. Since I took this job as secretarytreasurer here at Local 257, worrying about the Funeral Benefit Fund and its structure has kept me up at night. I am hoping that now I can get some sleep, and also want you to know that Dave and I — with your help — are ready to make a big push for new members, which would also be a tremendous lift to our bottom line. There are many non-members working under our agreements and with your help, we can bring them into the fold. We will petition the federation to allow us to offer prospective members affiliation without initiation fees for the first quarter of 2017. During that time a new member can join at a much lower cost to him or her. If the past is any indication, our local can expect a good response to this initiative. We normally gain new members at a rate of 12-15 per month but with a concerted effort through this membership drive that total could increase substantially. As a target, we’d like to get membership up by at least 200, which we would consider to be a successful effort. It has been impressive to see everyone work together to bring the Funeral Benefit Fund up to date. I commend our president, the entire staff, and all members for their input and help in bringing about this change. TNM OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 7
HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE
Chris Thile, Paul Kowert, Chris Eldridge
Merv Shiner
Shiner exhibit at Martin Guitar Museum
MERV SHINER
Life member Merv Shiner, singer of the holiday classic “Peter Cottontail,” was honored with a display at the Martin Guitar Museum in Nazareth, Penn., last September. The 95-year-old guitarist cut the Eastertime standard in 1950, on the advice of Country Music Hall of Fame producer Paul Cohen, who said it would “make him a star.” The song was written by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins, who also composed “Frosty the Snowman.” Over the next several decades Shiner continued to record and write; he also worked as a concert producer. He toured the country and played at a variety of venues. He moved to Florida in the 1970s and retired in 1997; however, he continues to perform in concert. “That rabbit has followed me all these years,” Shiner said, “and it’s been a good rabbit.”
CHRIS THILE
Longtime host of A Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keillor, gave the reins over to mandolinist Chris Thile this fall when he retired from the beloved public radio program. Thile, a member of the celebrated Punch Brothers band, will bring along a 8 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
Ricky Skaggs
couple of band members to join the show’s house band — Guitarist Chris Eldridge and bassist Paul Kowert. Thile will host a 30-week season of the program, which will continue in the same format as a live music and variety show that features unique musical performances and comedy. A Prairie Home Companion is the only live music and variety show aired nationwide today, and has been a staple of Saturday night entertainment for a legion of fans for decades. The show will continue to broadcast live from St. Paul, Minn., as well as from venues around the country.
RICKY SKAGGS
Ricky Skaggs will receive the esteemed ASCAP Founders Award, the first bluegrass artist to be so honored. ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and
Publishers) represents artists, singers, songwriters and publishers. ASCAP President Paul Williams said “For more than four decades Ricky Skaggs has been a musical force in bluegrass and country music. His incredible gifts as a musician combined with his boundless creativity and energy continue to fuel a passion for American roots music around the world.” Other artists who have received the award include Alan Jackson, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks, and Tom Petty. The presentation wil be made during the annual ASCAP Country Music Awards, to be held Oct. 31 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
KIX BROOKS AND HUNTER HAYES
Louisiana natives Kix Brooks and Hunter Hayes were in the lineup for the Acadiana Strong concert, held Sept. 4 to raise funds for flood relief in the stricken area. The event was organized by Wayne Toups, and also included auction items from Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, and Chris Stapleton. The sold-out show in Opelousas, La., provided over $100,000 to Rise Up, the Acadiana Disaster Response Fund at the Community Foundation of Acadiana. Brooks, who is a member of the Country Music Association’s board of directors, also arranged for $30,000 in grants to be made available to school music programs that suffered damage in the floods, according to concert promoter Chris Foreman.
HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE
JIM LAUDERDALE BETH NEILSEN CHAPMAN
Beth Neilsen Chapman was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Oct. 9 in Nashville at the Music City Center. Other inductees included Bob Morrison, Aaron Barker, and the late Townes Van Zandt. Chapman, also a recording artist in the adult contemporary genre, scored big with songs like “This Kiss,” recorded by Faith Hill, Tanya Tucker’s “Strong Enough to Bend,” Willie Nelson’s “Nothing I Can Do About It Now,” as well as “Five Minutes,” recorded by Lorrie Morgan and Martina McBride’s “Happy Girl.”
Beth Nielson Chapman
Jim Lauderdale was honored with the Americana Music Association’s Wagonmaster Award at a ceremony held during the organization’s 15th annual awards show at Ryman Auditorium Sept. 21. The lifetime achievement award is reserved for artists who have made the most valuable contributions to the roots music genre, and is named for country music icon Porter Wagoner. Lauderdale has released nearly 30 albums since his debut in 1991, and has written and/or recorded with a range of roots music artists like Ralph Stanley, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Robert Hunter, Patty Loveless, Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, and Buddy Miller. He has written 14 songs for George Strait, who presented the award. The long list includes “Twang,” “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” and “We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This.” Lauderdale, who has hosted the show since its inception, has won two Grammys and was also the recipient of the first Americana TNM Artist of the Year award.
Jim Lauderdale
Advertising in The Nashville Musician is a cost–effective way to reach professional musicians, high-profile artists and music business executives. Kix Brooks
Hunter Hayes OCTOBER–DECEMBER OCTOBER–DECEMBER2016 201699
NEWS
AWARDS ROUNDUP
news
LIVE MISCELLANEOUS WAGE AND SCALE
Over 50 members attended a special meeting July 8 to amend and update the Local 257 Miscellaneous Wage and Scale rate sheet for live performance. This rate sheet is part of our bylaws, so any changes must be approved by the membership. In all categories, the scales were rounded up to higher numbers and in some cases larger adjustments were made. After a healthy discussion, significant changes were made to the scales for musical theater/Broadway shows, which had not been raised since 2007 and had fallen well below the rates in similar cities. The language and scale numbers that reflect a 15-percent discount offered to employers who withhold taxes has caused much confusion over the years. This language and the associated scale numbers were moved to Appendix A at the end of the document. This should fix any lingering ambiguity about this discount, and help ensure that only employers who deserve to get this break do so. Language changes to clarify and update doubling parameters, and keep the Metro Parks large-band concerts affordable were added to the document. All of these changes result in a much more user-friendly document than before. Thanks to all who participated in this process. To view the whole document visit nashvillemusicians.org and click on the Live Music tab.
10 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
Chris Stapleton won Country Album of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards held May 22 in Las Vegas, and Taylor Swift was awarded Touring Artist of the Year. At the CMT Music Awards, Blake Shelton was recognized as Social Superstar, Stapleton won Breakthrough Video for “Fire Away,” and Little Big Town took the Group/Duo Video award for “Girl Crush.” And just like every year, it was a big night for local members at the June 29th Music Row Awards. Every All-Star Musician award at the event went to a member of Local 257: Shannon Forrest, drums; Charles Judge, keyboards; Paul Franklin, steel; Ilya Toshinsky, guitar; Jimmie Lee Sloas, bass; Stuart Duncan and Larry Franklin tied for fiddle. Producer of the Year went to Dave Cobb, and the Breakthrough Group award went to Old Dominion (Matthew Ramsey, Brad Tursi, Trevor Rosen, Geoff Sprung and Whit Sellers).
MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum has announced its 2016 inductees. Local 257 members include Ricky Skaggs, Allen Reynolds, Mark Miller, Jerry Reed, and the G-Men, (Chris Leuzinger, Bobby Wood, Milton Sledge, Mark Casstevens, Bruce Bouton, Rob Hajacos, and the late Mike Chapman) who will be inducted along with Garth Brooks as members of his band. Others who will be honored include Lou Bradley, Don Felder, Ron “Snake” Reynolds, Sigma Sound Studio Rhythm Section, and Joe Tarsia. The ceremony and concert will take place Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.
CUMBERLAND HEIGHTS ON MUSIC ROW
Cumberland Heights has opened a new Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) on Music Row. A ribbon-cutting was held for the facility Aug. 9. The center offers alternatives to inpatient treatment for those who seek daytime and evening counseling so they can continue with school or work. George Boedecker, co-creator of the footwear known as “Crocs,” also created the foundation that purchased and renovated the Music Row building at 1619 17th Ave. South, making this new IOP possible. The foundation also supports Nashville Rescue Mission and the Tennessee Special Olympics. Boedecker, who is also a songwriter, has a home in Nashville and business interests including co-ownership in the Acme Feed and Seed venue downtown. “The mission of The Boedecker Foundation is to provide critical resources to nonprofit organizations that inspire positive change within diverse communities around the world,” said Boedecker. “It is such an honor and a privilege to be partnering with Cumberland Heights and their Intensive Outpatient Therapy Services at this location. We look forward to a longlasting and impactful relationship.’
NEWS The facility is Cumberland Heights’ tenth outpatient center in Tennessee and the first in downtown Nashville. For more information visit musicrowtreatment.com.
KEN BURNS’ “COUNTRY MUSIC”
Award-winning film-maker Ken Burns is working on a new film called Country Music, a multi-part documentary written and produced by Dayton Duncan. Crew members are currently in Nashville archiving photos and amassing information for the series, and representatives from the film company have reached out to the Local 257 membership for help. They would like to gather home movies from musicians for possible use in the film, specifically from the 1950s through the mid 1990s. They are particularly interested in behind-the-scenes footage from concert tours, studio sessions, or other musical events. Contributors whose footage is used with receive a DVD of the series, and will be
< Hank Williams and the Cowboy Drifters with Minnie Pearl
named in the credits. All submitted media must be a DVD or digital format copy, and will not be returned. If your submission is selected, Florentine Films will contact you about getting access to the original footage. Clearly mark the disc with your name, address, phone number and email, and include a brief description of the contents.
Send submissions to: CM Home Movies c/o Florentine Films PO Box 613 Walpole, NY 03608 Or if submitting electronically, email cmhomemovies@florentinefilms.com. TNM
NEW LOCATION 2616 Grandv iew Avenue Nashville, TN 37211 615.750.5726
a m p r e p a i r. c o m
OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 11
GALLERY
1.
1. VINCE GILL and his band, with guest CHARLIE WORSHAM, perform as part of the celebration of
Gillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 25 years of membership in the Grand Ole Opry. 2. Steel guitarist DAN GALYSH celebrates receiving
his 25-year pin from Local 257. 3. Guitarist and producer JAMES PRENDERGAST
receives his AFM life member pin. 2.
12 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
3.
GALLERY
1. Famed guitarist RICHARD BENNETT
was honored July 30 with a Nashville Cats event at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Bill Lloyd and Richard Bennett 1.
2. JOSH ZARBO, NELL LEVIN, VINCE SANTORO, DAVE POMEROY and MICHAEL AUGUST represent the AFM at
a Labor Day parade organized by the Central Labor Council of Middle Tennessee.
2
OCTOBERâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;DECEMBER 2016 13
GALLERY
Photo: Anthony Scarlati
The local music community — including a host of Local 257 members — came out in droves for guitarists and brothers Bob Britt and Tom Britt at sold out benefit concerts in May and September. Both are fighting cancer. Please keep them in your thoughts. Photo: Anthony Scarlati
Robin Lee, Bob and Tom Britt Photo: Anthony Scarlati
Etta and Bob Britt
Lee Roy Parnell, James Pennebaker, Steve Mackey Photo: Bob Seaman
Bob Britt and Lynn Williams at Tomstock
Photo: Bob Seaman
Pete Wasner, James Pennebaker, Tom Britt < Pete Wasner, James Pennebaker, Vince Gill, John Cowan, Lynn Williams, Jonell Mosser, Paul Ossola, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Jeff White
4.
Photo: Bob Seaman
14 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
TNM
MUSIC HISTORY MADE HERE E V E RY S U N D AY
E VERY SAT URDAY
SONGWRITER SESSIONS
INSTRUMENT DEMONSTRATIONS
UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER 22 • Songwriter Session: Bill Anderson OCTOBER 29 • Interview & Performance: Charlie Daniels NOVEMBER 5 • Interview: Alabama DECEMBER 3 • Songwriter Session: Kristian Bush DECEMBER 10 & 11 • Tour and Concert: A Legendary Holiday at Historic RCA Studio B Separate ticket required LIVE STREAM & WATCH ON-DEMAND SELECT PROGRAMS ON COUNTRYMUSICHALLOFFAME.ORG/STREAMING PROGRAM FUNDERS:
Museum programs are funded in part by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. Technology Partners: Cisco; NewTek; Personal Computer Systems, Inc.; and Promethean.
PROGRAMS INCLUDED WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION. PROGRAM PASS OR ADVANCE SEATING RESERVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.
STEP INSIDE The Sound
@CountryMusicHOF • #CMHOF
222 5th Ave. South • Nashville, TN • 615.416.2001 • CountryMusicHallofFame.org The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, Inc., a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964.
OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 15
follow your heart charlie
WORSHAM by Warren Denney
16 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
On a humid August night, a crowd at Nashville's Basement East sang along as Charlie Worsham played songs from his debut album Rubberband, armed with only an acoustic guitar and a rhythm section. He was raising money for his Follow Your Heart scholarship fund, in partnership with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, to provide support for youths in his hometown of Grenada, Miss. pursuing the arts. It was the conclusion of Every Damn Monday, a five-week Worsham residency, and the crowd hung on every word as he told the story behind each song — evidence that he has been embraced by Nashville in a way not often extended to the many artists flooding here every day. It feels like he belongs here, and in that moment like all of Nashville is headed in the right direction. — EDITOR’S NOTE
harlie Worsham and his dog, Peggy Sue, recently sat outdoors at Mitchell’s Delicatessen in East Nashville as he answered questions about his career. And, if the world did not know Worsham as a bright star on a rising trajectory, the pair might be taken for just another laid-back boy and his dog. Peggy Sue sat beneath the table, keeping it together. “We just finished her training,” Worsham said. “Hope this is cool.” Of course, it is cool, but like Don Johnson’s character in the 1975 cult classic movie, A Boy and His Dog, directed by L.Q. Jones, there is a heavier side to Worsham’s story. His debut album, Rubberband, released in 2013 on Warner Music, with cameo appearances by Vince Gill and Marty Stuart, was a critical smash, if not a chart-buster. It did peak at No. 12 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart that year, and the single “Could It Be” reached No. 28. In head-spinning fashion, he was compared to everyone from Gill to Keith Urban. But, there was an air of mystery — not illusion — but a misunderstanding of who Worsham is. He is no stranger to hard work or the real life of a musician, and his talent is undeniable. Worsham has been at it since his high school years in Grenada, Miss., in which he played regular club gigs in a band, and competed in contests around the South. His father, a banker, was a drummer in his own local band, and his mother played piano and gave lessons. They are a music-loving family. Worsham’s own defining musicianship and allAmerican looks pegged him for a star-making journey. “I could clean up back then,” he said, laughing. “To be in high school and make fourhundred bucks on a weekend. That’s the best possible world I could be in. I was playing bars — underage — but it was never [a bad scene]. My sweet parents, they got it. They really got it. It was the only place I could get that experience. I was in a band with guys who were twice my age. They had families, and they’d look after me. It was all about playing.” Grenada’s proximity to Memphis, and to Nashville, helped to shape his musical sensibility, along with the exposure to his father’s band as a child. “[Ultimately, I was] learning to play electric guitar to B.B. King,” Worsham said. “Sun, Stax, and Muscle Shoals were a part of that too. Everything that came from that — the Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, Southern rock. “And, one of my earliest memories was my dad … and I’d tag along to a couple of gigs, and I remember the band coming out to our house to rehearse. I was drawn to how much fun these guys were having together, and to the sense of community that they were enjoying — the hang time. I remember hearing the band playing, and how loud they were and how powerful that was, and my dad being the drummer and him letting me sit in his lap and bang on the continued on page 18 drums. Primal. OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 17
continued from page 17
“My mom got me into piano lessons when I was really young, and that carried through my high school years,” he said. “I’m grateful for that. It laid a great groundwork.” This is how the world began to appear to Worsham. There was music in the house. There were records. It all made sense to him that he would grow up this way. And, there were trips to Nashville. “We made a trip to Nashville and I was begging for a guitar,” he said. “We’d always go to Gruhn’s Guitar; we’d always go to the Opry; we’d always go to Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop. I was begging for a guitar, but we saw Mike Snider play at the Opry … and we drove home with me begging for a banjo. They found a Sears & Roebuck under somebody’s bed. I got into bluegrass and started taking lessons — which meant a lot more trips to Nashville.” Young Worsham’s talent began to open doors. He would woodshed with his instrument, just as he enjoys today. “When I was twelve, I was playing a lot of bluegrass competitions,” he said. “I went to Smithville, Tenn., for the Junior National Championship and I won the contest. Not much national about it and I won it, anyway. Mike Snider [was there] and I did the whole thing. It had always been a dream of mine to play the Opry, and he so graciously invited me to play it with him as his guest, and boy, that set my world on fire.” Worsham’s trips to Nashville became more frequent. He was growing in his tastes and sensibilities, and in his appreciation for different players. His life at home was centered around that growth, though he was never pushed. “I was still loving the guitar — I was loving the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles, through my dad and his record collection,” Worsham said. “And, my mom, too. It was the ‘70s, and they loved George Strait and they were Vince Gill fans. They took me to see Vince maybe a dozen times, and I wanted to play guitar like Vince Gill. I wanted to be Vince Gill. I wanted to play electric like him, I wanted the yellow Stratocaster, the red Stratocaster, the blonde Telecaster. He’s my musical North Star. “I eventually got around to getting a guitar, a birthday gift from my grandparents — an acoustic. Then, maybe a year later, we were up in Nashville and I had saved five hundred bucks, and we went to Gruhn’s 18 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
downtown and found a Telecaster I really wanted for $600. So, I went out into the street and played banjo for tips and made the rest of the money I needed. I [got home and] plugged into a little Peavey PA system and I’d play Lynyrd Skynyrd records, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and B.B. King — and Vince.” Worsham would never look back. His passion would lead him to paying gigs, and to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, all while becoming a more rounded performer and a young, seasoned pro, reaping the benefits of an unlikely relationship. “The singing and writing just evolved,” he said. “I was always head down, playing. Then, in high school, a couple of things happened — I was playing bar gigs … and they wanted me to sing a few of the songs to give the other guys a break or whatever – and so I’d do that.” The other thing? Just the fortunate presence of Norbert Putnam, the legendary producer and musician. “He married a Grenada, Miss., girl and set up a little studio there,” Worsham said. “He became a mentor of mine. And, he all but gave me some really great recording gear and taught me how to use it. I started recording a lot at the house. “I ran out of instrumentals to record, and I ran out of cover songs to record, so I started writing. I made some money actually writing jingles. Then I went up to Boston to Berklee to school, I really took the writing seriously – that’s when it kicked into high gear.” Following school, Worsham moved to Nashville for good. He was a member of the reality band KingBilly for three years, and a session musician. In 2011 he joined AFM Local 257. “I was able to pay the bills for a while there playing sessions,” he said. Worsham ultimately signed with Warner Bros. after initially working on Rubberband with Arturo Buenahora, who had taken interest in developing him as an artist. “There was never an ‘aha’ moment, it all just kind of snowballed,” Worsham said. “I always felt like this is what I was meant
to do, and what I want to do. I credit that to having parents who did the most beautiful job of supporting it — not pushing me past my own passion for it, supporting me and letting me know it was always an option. I never had to say to myself ‘how am I going to sit down at the dinner table and convince my family? Every step of the way it just kind of led to this.” What “this” is today is in some ways a comeback. Worsham has recently completed a second album for Warner Music, yet to be titled, due out next year. It is rollicking and full of life, kin to Rubberband, but maybe more cohesive, bigger, and badder. The funny thing about Worsham is that for all the comparisons to the greats, he is distinctive and identifiable in his own skin, and a separate beast from the countless bro’-studs released from the Music City stables today. That separation is his strength, and was nearly an early undoing. “For me it all goes back to being at the end of the first album, and on tour, being onstage most nights confused and really angry. I wasn’t getting joy from music like I always had, and that was really scary to me. “I was having to follow Sam Hunt when he was exploding, and I played for a lot of audiences that didn’t seem to care. It was almost like a life or death thing for me. “You know, it was scary to be in the office of a label chief and have them talk about their plan, knowing how much money they’re spending on you … now, that’s not how Warner operates – they’re very music-driven, artist-driven and supportive. But, I felt that I had to fit in and that’s how it would all succeed.” Worsham took a timeout. The label expressed interest in his future, but everyone agreed he needed to reset as an artist. He began working on himself, and began to look for a new personal energy. “I had time off,” Worsham said. “Warner said ‘hey, you have this time off — go
“There was never an ‘aha’ moment, it all just kind of snowballed,” Worsham said. “I always felt like this is what I was meant to do, and what I wanted to do.”
make Charlie music.’ Which was the best thing they could have said. They didn’t say ‘we need you to cut these songs, or we need you to listen to these songs, or get with these guys.’ “So I started hanging out with Frank Liddell and Cris Lacy, every couple of weeks, bringing them what I wrote. It took a little over a year, but we had an album of songs. And, when it came time to cut the record — Frank had made me wait until we had the whole record written — we went into Southern Ground and spent six days and had the whole bones of the album. The first record was like multiple-exposure shots — this record is definitely singleexposure. I love how it manifested that in the sound.” Though a release date has not been announced, Worsham feels like he’s finally on track. He is preparing for an outdoor gig on the same bill as Vince Gill and the Time Jumpers and Patty Loveless, and gearing up for a European tour. “I’ve done a lot of personal work,” he said. “One of the benefits of the time off has been the opportunity to look at what’s underneath. I’m keeping myself creative. Keeping my chops. Being the best artist for my team that I can be. “Today, I think of myself first as a student of songwriting. That’s what I spend the most time practicing — the first thing I gravitate toward.” And, his relationship with Gill has grown. And, Worsham’s career is definitely on course if Gill is the North Star. “I don’t know how the future will manifest,” he said. “But, as long as I’m listening to my heart, anything is possible.”
Charlie’s Gear In all my years of playing live, I feel like I’m just now learning what it means to be able to “trust” my gear, especially the instruments themselves. I play a Martin M-36 acoustic guitar, equipped with two pickups. The LR Baggs Mini-Anthem plugs into an LR Baggs Session DI. Simultaneously, I run an old Georg L’s soundhole pickup through my pedalboard and amps. I bought John Osborne’s (of Brothers Osborne) ‘70s Stratocaster from him a few years ago, and I love that guitar. It was John’s first electric, and it means a lot to me he’d be willing to let me “buy” it from him — although a man’s first electric will always be his and John can have the guitar back anytime. I also half-stole, half-inherited a Heritage 535 hollow body electric guitar, loaded with pickups from a 1980 Gibson Explorer I broke on stage (by accident, but it definitely shattered). I had Chris Plank of Plank Sound give her an overhaul. A matte black refinish, Bigsby install, the Explorer pickups — she’s a beast now.
I play through stereo Morgan M50 amplifiers - they are 1X12 open-back combos that have bass, mid, treble, and volume. No master volume. Sort of a blackface Fender with no frills vibe. As far as pedals go, I’m constantly switching things in and out. A couple pedals never leave the board, though. Peterson tuner, Strymon Brigadier delay, JHS Colour Box, useful for a variety of stuff (fuzz to acoustic boost/distortion to EQ). The more gigs I play, the more I find Barry O’Neal’s XTS Custom Pedals in the signal chain. The Winford Drive is hands down the most tone-drenched, versatile, musical sounding drive I’ve ever heard. I also keep two custom-modded Boss EQs on the board, one for my Strat and one for my Martin. Newest addition to the board is XTS’s new compressor, the Edgefield. Game changer.
“I don’t know how the future will manifest,” he said. “But, as long as I’m listening to my heart, anything is possible.”
TNM
OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 19 OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 19
REVIEWS
TIM RUSHLOW
& HIS BIG BAND
20 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
Tim Rushlow & His Big Band Live, CD & DVD/Classic Christmas Row Entertainment
Over the past few years Tim Rushlow, former lead singer of the successful country band Little Texas, has successfully reinvented himself with a new musical direction. Starting with 2014’s Classic Christmas and continuing with the new LIVE double CD/DVD package, Rushlow has donned a new persona as a jazz crooner fronting a big band. Both projects were excellently produced by Local 257 member Jimmy Ritchey, and feature Rushlow’s smooth vocals against lush arrangements played with swinging precision by many of Nashville’s finest players. The Christmas CD features a variety of upbeat holiday tunes such as “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” with punchy horns and sweeping string arrangements by Steve Mauldin providing a fresh twist. The band features pianist/ session leader Jason Webb, Scott Williamson on drums, guitarist Pat Bergeson, and many other great players. On a more serious note, the patriotic “A Soldier’s Gift” features Brandford Marsalis’ sweet sax, “O Holy Night” shows off Rushlow’s vocal range, and “What Do I Do With The Blue,” a bittersweet original co-written by Rushlow, Ritchey and Don Poythress, has echoes of classic Rat Pack-style swing. The album closes with a tender version of the Hammerstein/Rodgers chestnut “Edelweiss,” with his daughter Bailey providing sweet vocal counterpoint. This album is a cool addition to any Christmas music collection. The LIVE CD/DVD package, which is also currently airing on WNPT (Nashville Public Television) as a fundraising special, digs deeper into the roots of Rushlow’s musical transformation. Nods to Bobby Darin, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley as well as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin give the listener a broader perspective on Rushlow’s influences and artistic evolution. The DVD format allows him to introduce the tunes — and himself — to the listener, and provides a personal touch that enhances the passion and enthusiasm he exhibits onstage. In particular, his analysis of the lyric to “The Lady Is A Tramp” gives the Sinatra standard an unexpectedly deeper meaning. The high energy arrangements feature the horns to great effect. Soloists include saxophonist Sam Levine, and Steve Patrick on trumpet. The sections contain Nashville jazz stalwarts such as Jeff Coffin and Doug Moffet on sax, trombonists Roger Bissell and Roy Agee, and trumpeter Mike Haynes. The tight rhythm section includes Paul Liem on drums, Stephen Kummer on piano, and Chip Henderson on guitar. Tunes include classics like “Beyond The Sea,” “Luck Be a Lady,” and “That’s Life,” and other more unusual choices such as “Plenty of Money and You” and “The Coffee Song,” which bring his tongue-in-cheek humor to the fore. The Little Texas hit “What Might Have Been” is recast as a piano-driven ballad featuring a live string section including Katelyn Westergard and Lindsey Smith-Trostle. Rushlow has risen to the challenge of broadening his musical horizons, and has pulled it off with the help of some excellent collaborators. He is obviously having a great time pursuing his new direction, and the results speak for themselves. — Roy Montana
REVIEWS
Johnny Cash
Forever Words: The Unknown Poems Blue Rider Press In the foreward to Forever Words Johnny Cash’s son John Carter writes: “If you think you ‘know’ John R. Cash, think again. There are many layers, so much beneath the surface.” Diving into this deceptively small book is like finding an amazing, previously undiscovered lake, with depths unplumbed. You can’t just stick a toe in, you have to jump. And what you find when you do is a tapestry of complex human emotion. The poems are not arranged chronologically, and the effect this has on the reader is hard to describe, other than to say that the book — like life — does not unfold in an orderly fashion. Cash was a scholarly man, something that is not widely known. He studied philosophy, religion, and history. He was an ordained minister. His poems feel ancient and modern, all at once. In some he easily falls into the rhythms we equate with Celts and Native Americans. In others he sounds like a Beat poet — a Kerouac peer — and indeed he was. The most phenomenal thing about the work here is that he is so real and accessible, even without music. You feel his anguish, his elation; his loves and hates are equally strong and in your face. Some-
times, in the same poem. Without music the words are stark, alone, and gut strong. From “Dark and Bloody Ground”: “Oh how I’ve missed you/Oh how I’ve cried/I’d like to lay you down by my side/And love you just once before I die/And I would be gentle and I would never hurt you.” And in the following verse: “I took my nine pound hammer/Swung it hard and spun him around/Kicked him in the temple watched him falling to the ground...Hell hath no fury like the blues/When a man’s got on his killing shoes/In the dark and bloody ground. And don’t think that his well-documented humor doesn’t make an appearance. It does, over and over, sometimes in the middle of his heartbreaks. In “Hey, Baby, Wake Up”: If the sky should fall today/We could go outside and catch doves/And everything will be OK/Shake a leg and come on now/I need my biscuit buttered, Babe/Hey hey. Cash has the unique ability to become more enigmatic, even as he reveals more about himself. In “Don’t Make a Movie About Me,” Cash cautions against dragging Old Hickory Lake, because of the numerous items that he wants to remain “forty feet in the Cumberland mud.” Although the list is sometimes funny — the lake holds “a dozen pairs of boots that made a dozen corns” — Cash’s wishes are serious: “There is no sin cleaner than the dirtiest/ So there’s a lot about me that I don’t want missed/If it’s days or years or whatever will be/Don’t make a movie ‘bout me.” This book does not solve the mystery of who Johnny Cash really is; it brings as many new questions along with some enlightenment. But for anyone who digs this
eternal, iconic artist, Forever Words will be thrilling, like any newfound piece to a complicated puzzle. In his own words: You tell me that I must perish Like the flowers that I cherish Nothing remaining of my name Nothing remembered of my fame But the trees that I planted Still are young The songs I sang Will still be sung. — “Forever”
— Kathy Osborne continued on page 22
OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 21
REVIEWS continued from page 21
“Simple and beautiful melodies and lyrics permeate the entire span of the project.”
Dierks Bentley
Black Capitol Records Nashville I know it’s really hard for an artist and/or producer to envision how an album is going to turn out. But from the sound of things, Dierks Bentley and Ross Copperman are 22 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN 22 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
Dolly Parton
Pure & Simple Dolly Records/RCA Nashville Pure & Simple is Dolly Parton’s 43rd studio recording. Sales the first week topped 20,000 units, which propelled the album to No. 1 status on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. This is the first time Parton achieved this feat in the 25-year history of SoundScan. Over her illustrious career she has sold over 100 million records worldwide. It goes without saying that she is both an iconic performer and songwriter. Parton joined Local 257 in 1967 and is now a life member. I have to admit the title track is probably my favorite of the collection. It’s an easy listen — a mid-tempo song with an arrangement that incorporates the title. Out of the 10 songs on the album, half are ballads and the rest are mid-tempo and up. Simple and beautiful melodies and lyrics permeate the entire span of the project. Local 257 members Jimmy Mattingly (fiddle) , Tom Hoey (drums/percussion), Paul Franklin (steel), Kevin Grantt (bass), Richard Dennison (piano), Steve Mackey (bass), Kent Wells (guitar) and Steve Turner (drums) are just a few of the musicians who performed throughout. They all did a great job capturing the essence of Parton’s true artistry. Another song of note — no pun intended — is “Outside Your Door.” I’m pretty sure she wrote this song about me – she’s been stalking me for years! I really enjoyed the sparse arrangements she utilizes on some of the songs. It’s refreshing to hear the spaces that allow the vocal and lyrics to breathe. The song that rounds out the record is called “Forever Love.” It’s a ballad with acoustic guitar and features a string quartet arranged by our own David Davidson. The entire album is a great listen and testament to one of the brightest stars Nashville ever produced. If it’s been awhile since you’ve listened to a Dolly record here’s your chance to redeem yourself. — Steve Wayne
probably saying, “Yep, just like we pictured it!” whenever they talk about Bentley’s new record, Black. There’s a tasty dose of everything you’d want here. From prairie-dog country to hiphop influences, Bentley brings the goods. Black actually changes shades quite deftly and Bentley handles the pace well and even
shows some fine vocal versatility. The skippy drum patterns are effective touches that imbue a newness to songs that can handle the treatment. Black’s mixes are anything but tame, with ambience and gated effects leaping out. At times Bentley’s vocal soulfully spits out a stream of rhythmic street lingo that I’m sure his audiences will soon be chanting along with. I was. AFM Local 257 members are all over the record including Bentley himself. Charlie Worsham, Bryan Sutton, Tony Lucido, Craig Wright and Lee Hendricks join stalwarts like Russ Pahl, Jerry Douglas, Dan Dugmore and Jonathan Yudkin to build some very cool tracks while Roy Agee steps up to the mike as “Trombone Shorty.” The title song, “Black,” distills a romantic encounter down to a feeling of being progressively surrounded by darkness. When he reaches nirvana, everything else goes black. I think I know what he’s talking about! Storylines throughout the record vary somewhat but the themes that country music lovers still relate to are easily found without any pussy-footin’ around. Black has a bright future. TNM — Hank Moka
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OCTOBERâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;DECEMBER 2016 23
SYMPHONY NOTES
BY LAURA ROSS
T
“Sometimes I am shocked at how careless some musicians tend to be when it comes to protecting their ears, yet they’re so protective of their hands. Doesn’t make any sense to me. Music is all about listening.”
here is this inside joke that if you don’t clearly enunciate Nashville Symphony, people will think you’re saying National Symphony. This was important when Brad Mansell and I traveled to Washington, D.C. in August for the 54th ICSOM conference. It was hosted by ICSOM’s resident orchestras of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — National Symphony Orchestra (the other NSO), Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Washington National Opera — and their local, Local 161-710.
ICSOM bids farewell to Chairman Bruce Ridge
Brad and I participated in a volunteer service again this year with other delegates and Local 161-710’s president, bassist Ed Malaga. We performed and served dinner at the Central Union Mission near the Capitol building. It’s a treat to perform with friends from different orchestras, and to perform for an appreciative audience. One gentleman came up afterward to thank us and told us he grew up in Clarksville, Tenn. We told him he wouldn’t recognize Nashville these days! Brad reported about the Nashville Symphony negotiations during the Negotiating Orchestras Workshop that evening. The session was moderated by ICSOM President George Brown from the Utah Symphony, and our attorney during the previous negotiations, Kevin Case, who is also current ICSOM Counsel. The conference began the next morning with welcoming remarks and addresses by ICSOM’s chairman and president. This year’s address by Chairman Bruce Ridge from the North Carolina Symphony was particularly poignant as it was his final speech after 10 years as ICSOM’s leader. Bruce’s mission was to address negative publicity, filled with doom and gloom scenarios about the death of classical music. Instead, Bruce visited orchestras around the country and preached the good news about increased funding, ticket sales, audience attendance, etc., as well as pointing out the important things our orchestras do within their communities. He actively promoted musician 24 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
participation by “breaking the fourth wall” as musicians met and welcomed donors and audience members face to face, so they could get to know us as more than as just performers on stage.
Orchestras reports, strategy sessions, upcoming conferences and more
There were expanded reports on orchestras that faced or continue to face difficult negotiations, including the Fort Worth Symphony that has been negotiating for more than 14 months. They went on strike Sept. 8 because management threatened to implement cuts musicians rejected Sept 4. We also heard from orchestra members from Australia, The Netherlands and England, as they shared how their orchestras are run and
financed. There were presentations from AFM Government Affairs Director Alfonso Pollard, AFM President Ray Hair, and a panel discussion with AFM Symphonic Services Division (SSD) that included a wonderful standing ovation for Nathan Kahn, one-time principal bassist of the Nashville Symphony, who will retire from the AFM after more than 28 years of service. There were various reports, and we heard from the executive officers from the National Symphony, Washington Opera and Kennedy Center. Public relations guru Randy Whatley’s presentation and breakout session dealt with engaging with donors, Kevin Case gave an informative presentation on bullying in the workplace, and we welcomed the General Secretary of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) Benoît Machuel who spoke about the upcoming FIM Orchestra Conference in Montreal, Quebec in May 2017. In addition to Randy Whatley’s breakout session, there were also smaller discussions with Kevin Case and Federal Mediator Javier Ramirez, and with AFM-SSD Electronic Media Director Debbie Newmark.
John Acosta (new IEB member and Local 47 president) and ICSOM Delegates – Ann Marie Brink (Dallas Symphony), Marisa Bushman (San Antonio Symphony), Warren Powell (Florida Orchestra), Brad Mansell
SYMPHONY NOTES
Conference highlights included a concert by musicians of the National Symphony and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, followed by a reception. John Beder shared results of a survey on performance anxiety that was completed last fall, and we viewed the first 20 minutes of his documentary Composed. The film is filled with interviews by conductors Leonard Slatkin and Christoph Eschenbach, professional musicians from major symphony orchestras, and university students, who discuss their own performance anxieties and how they address them. The completed film will be available for exhibition on college campuses beginning in October after its debut at Boston University, one of the film’s major sponsors. I am pleased that Brad Mansell is actively working to see it exhibited in Nashville, because it is an important topic for any musician preparing to work, or actively working in our field.
Sounding off on amplification issues
Two afternoon sessions were important to me. Many of my colleagues across the country are finding that, as is occurring in Nashville, we are beginning to perform many more pops programs with artists using amplification to such an extent that the orchestra cannot be heard. Worse yet, the sound engineers traveling with these artists are setting levels that can damage hearing and adversely affect people physically. We invited two groups to present; I moderated the first with two sound engineers – Mac Whitley, chief sound engineer at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and D.C. Valentine, a sound engineer at the Kennedy Center. Whitley’s wife, Nashville Symphony violist Melinda (Mindy) Whitley, accompanied him to Washington D.C. for the day. The second presentation was by Dr. Heather Malyuk, whose employer Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation is focusing on musicians. It revealed interesting information about the average symphony instrument decibel levels, types of hearing loss, and what to ask about when having a yearly hearing exam. There was also information on the use of earplugs and in-ear monitors, and
problems and options for musicians choosing hearing aids, because most are designed to hear speech rather than extreme highs and lows in music. The second presenter was Wendy Cheng, founder of the Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss (AAMHL), who spoke about cochlear implants and the use of assistive listening devices. Brad Mansell said, “This was an exceptional conference for me because we had some wonderful presentations on issues that we deal with every day in our industry. Mac Whitley and D.C. Valentine did a great job of explaining the issue of sound levels to all of us who are playing more and more concerts with amplification. Their expertise in dealing with various groups that we all work with in our concert halls gave us a lot to take back to our orchestras and managements. I was also very excited about the film Composed by John Beder. The issues
around performance anxiety plague professionals and students alike and I have already been in discussions with the Blair School of Music about bringing the film to Nashville.” Mindy Whitley added, “I thought the new info about the importance of wearing two earplugs, never just one, and why was really important. That really stuck with me in addition to the physical issues for guest bands with their own hearing issues versus ours.” It was an important discussion and I think this quote by recording artist Tal Wikenfeld, who has worked with Prince, Jackson Browne, Todd Rundgren and The Who, sums it up pretty well: “Sometimes I am shocked at how careless some musicians tend to be when it comes to protecting their ears, yet they’re so protective of their hands. Doesn’t make any sense to me. Music is all about listening.” This is what we fight for when we ask that sound levels be turned down. TNM
EXPERIENCE THE Magic of Music L I V E AT T H E S C H E R M E R H O R N
PROKOFIEV’S FIFTH
RESPIGHI'S PINES OF ROME
BEETHOVEN'S SECOND
October 28 & 29
THE RITE OF SPRING
MOZART & RACHMANINOFF
MOZART & TCHAIKOVSKY
RAVEL'S BOLÉRO
AN AMERICAN REQUIEM
RACHMANINOFF'S RHAPSODY
GUERRERO CONDUCTS BERNSTEIN
COPLAND'S THIRD
October 7 & 8
February 10 & 11
BRAHMS’ SECOND
February 23 to 25
November 4 & 5
March 16 to 18
November 17 to 19
April 14 & 15
April 27 to 29
May 12 & 13
June 1 to 3
March 31 & April 1
THE PLANETS — AN HD ODYSSEY
Mention promo code AFM for 10% off Aegis Sciences Classical Series tickets!
January 12 to 15
AEGIS
SCIENCES FOUNDATION EST. 2013
615.687.6400 • NashvilleSymphony.org OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 25
JAZZ & BLUES BEAT
T BY AUSTIN BEALMEAR
ime to winterize the jalopy and rummage the attic for the old Halloween decorations. Not too many major jazz and blues activities to report, partly because several took place during the same week in October, just before this issue hit the streets. That gives me the opportunity for a short review of some dedicated nonprofit organizations that work hard to keep jazz and blues alive in Music City, USA. Consider membership in these groups. They deserve support from professional musicians for the gigs they create, the publicity they generate, and the education they offer.
Nonprofits need your support
Nashville Blues Society is the more active of our two blues support groups. They have a mission statement and an active website. Current local blues shows and jams appear on a list where musicians can enter their own gigs. There’s a weekly email newsletter, and fundraising events. The organization has a Blues in the Schools program, and participates in the Annual International Blues Challenge, a talent search in affiliation with the Blues Foundation in Memphis. Peruse their extensive artist section with photos and bios at www.nashvillebluessociety.org Tennessee Jazz & Blues Society was founded in 1972 as a statewide organization to support music and musicians — professional and student. Activities include sponsored concerts, benefit performances, film nights, big band dinner dances, radio programs, a newsletter, and an extensive website with articles, videos, and gig listings. Currently their monthly concert programs include the Great Albums Series and Sessions at Steinway. Check out their mission statement and activities at www.jazzblues.org The Nashville Jazz Workshop was founded in 1998 by Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer, with a mission to provide world-class music education by professional musicians to players and non-players of all ages. Since finding a permanent location in Germantown in 2000, their activities have grown steadily to include music workshops on many subjects, and regular performances by students and professionals. The organization also has community events at places like Frist Center for the Arts. They have recordings, videos, art exhibits, a major annual fundraising event — Jazzmania, held Oct. 22 — and an extensive website and email presence. They support other jazz events around town. They have become a kind of community center for jazz and enjoy a large and loyal following. You’ll find them at www.nashvillejazz.org
There are more — like Music City Blues, Nashville Jazz Orchestra and the W. O. Smith School — that I’ll profile next quarter.
Noteworthy shows
This fall the Schermerhorn Symphony Center continues to bring big names to Nashville, starting with the seemingly ageless Tony Bennett playing Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 29 at 8:00 p.m. Bennett’s classic jazz quartet backing usually includes Mike Renzi, piano, Gary Sargent, guitar, Marshall Wood, bass, and Harold Jones, drums. The ubiquitous Wynton Marsalis brings the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in for a program of seasonal favorites billed as “Big Band Holidays” Dec. 9 at 8:00 p.m. Guest vocalist Catherine Russell is the daughter of swing pioneer bandleader Luis Russell and Carline Ray, who sang with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. www.nashvillesymphony.org The City Winery offers an interesting combination in November. On the 10th at 8:00 p m., singer/songwriter Madeleine Peyroux will offer her latest eclectic collection of songs. After getting her start as a Paris street singer in the 1990s, Peyroux is one of the few artists to successfully work the jazzier side of pop music. Following her on the 11th at 8:00 p.m, Nashville’s own singing cowboys Riders in the Sky will work their entertaining mix of wit and western music, in the grand tradition of Gene Autry, the Sons of the Pioneers, and hundreds of other swinging cow punchers that rode the range through a century of Hollywood movies.
Regular jazz and blues offerings
There’s still great jazz and blues in the clubs and cafes every week. Sometimes, it’s just hard to find. Like the Cafe DbyD in Grace’s Plaza, above the shops at 4009 Hillsboro Pk. This Jamaican/American restaurant offers jazz every Thursday night, 6-9:00 p.m. by vocalist/bassist Jim Ferguson, with Denis Solee on assorted reeds, and usually a guitarist. The music is quietly swinging and totally captivating — great standards rendered with grace, wit and invention. Dalt’s at 38 White Bridge Rd. is the current home for an institution that’s been under the radar for 24 years, the Nashville Sunday Jazz Band. Denis Solee and a revolving sextet of Music City’s finest players bring a classic book of Dixieland and swing tunes, the “good ole’ good ones” as Louis used to say. Every Sunday from 5-8:00 p.m. the band plays red hot or low-down, while their loyal fans cheer, wave their hankies, and generally carry on in the grand New Orleans tradition.
Local radio format changes
Just as we went to press, radio station WMOT suddenly became WMOT-FM/Roots Radio 89.5, announcing a format change to all Americana music. And, the 24/7 all jazz format was revived at 92.3FM (Murfreesboro), 104.9FM (Brentwood), and WMOT HD2. Details next quarter. TNM
Denis Solee 26 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
Madeleine Peyroux
FINAL NOTES
RALPH STANLEY
Feb. 25, 1927 — June 23, 2016
L-R: Dewey Brown, Jimmy Cameron, Ralph Stanley, Nathan Stanley
Iconic artist Ralph Stanley was not overly fond of the term bluegrass. “Old-time mountain style, that’s what I like to call it,” he said in a 2001 interview.
B
ut Stanley’s feelings notwithstanding, few would fail to think of him as one of the founding fathers of the genre. Stanley, 89, died June 23, 2016 at his home in Sandy Ridge, Va., not far from where he was born, and lived his entire life. Long considered one of the purest of traditional country musicians, he was taught how to play clawhammer banjo at an early age by his mother, who — along with all 11 of her siblings — played as well. “She played gatherings around the neighborhood, like bean stringin’s. She tuned it up for me and played this tune, “Shout Little Luly,” and I tried to play it like she did. But I think I developed my own style,” Stanley said. Ralph Edmond Stanley was born Feb. 25, 1927 in McClure, Va., the son of Lee and Lucy Stanley. He has said that his father didn’t play an instrument, but would sing church
songs around the house — and also songs like “Man of Constant Sorrow,” and “Pretty Polly.” In 1936 he moved to Dickenson, Va., where he graduated high school in 1945. Within weeks he was drafted into the Army. He immediately began performing with his brother Carter after his military service. They formed the Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946, drawing heavily on the musical traditions of the area. The band soon began playing on local radio, first on Norton’s WNVA, and then moving to Bristol, Va., station WCYB, where they worked for a dozen years. During this time Stanley developed a different style — a rolling three-finger style picked close to the bridge. The new playing technique featured fast, forward continuous rolls led by the index finger, instead of the thumb, as in Earl Scruggs’ style. The brothers began writing their own material in 1947, and Columbia Records signed them as The Stanley Brothers.
The Stanley Brothers joined the eclectic roster of King Records in the late ‘50s, where they recorded next to James Brown and his band. After Stanley’s brother Carter died in 1966, he decided to go it alone, and eventually reformed The Clinch Mountain Boys. Band members included Larry Sparks, Roy Lee Centers and Charlie Sizemore. After meeting Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley when the two opened for him, Stanley added them both to the band “to give them a chance.” Eventually his son, Ralph Stanley II, took over as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the band. Stanley continued to have high visibility throughout the decades; his work was featured in the 2000 film Oh Brother Where Art Thou?” in which he sings “O Death.” The performance won the 2002 Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. “That put the icing on the cake for me,” Stanley said. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Lincoln Memorial University in 1976, and in 1985 he was the first artist to be presented with the Traditional American Music Award by the National Endowment for the Humanities. continued on page 28 OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 27
FINAL NOTES continued from page 27
He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1992, and in 2000 he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He received the Living Legend Award in 2000 from the Library of Congress, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2006. Stanley’s autobiography Man of Constant Sorrow was published in 2009, and he was featured on the soundtrack for the Nick Cave film Lawless in 2012. He continued to tour through 2014 at festivals around the country. In a 2009 interview Stanley said “I started out the way I was raised, in the oldtime mountain style, and I’ve never wavered from it. I’ve always stuck to my roots. I think that means a whole lot to the audience — people know exactly what to expect.” Survivors include his wife, Jimmie; two sons, Ralph II and Tim; two daughters, Lisa Stanley Marshall and Tonya Armes Stanley; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Funeral services were held June 28 at the Hills of Home Park, near Coeburn, Va., where Stanley had hosted an annual bluegrass festival.
SCOTTY MOORE Dec. 27, 1931 — June 28, 2016 Scotty Moore joined his bassist friend Bill Black at Sun Studios in 1954 to provide backup for an auditioning singer named Elvis Presley. When the three launched into a spontaneous performance of “That’s All Right,” the results were strong enough to convince studio owner Sam Phillips to release the tune as a single. The resulting musical tsunami changed the world and rock & roll was born. Winfield Scott Moore,III, 84, died June 28, 2016 in Nashville. He was a life member of AFM Local 257 who joined in September 1964. Many claim that he invented the role of the rock & roll guitarist, and that really isn’t an exaggeration. Keith Richards once said “All I wanted to do in the world was to be able to play and sound like that. Everyone else wanted to be Elvis, I wanted to be Scotty.” Born Dec. 27, 1931, on a farm near Gadsden, Tenn., Moore was the son of Mattie Priscilla Hefley and Winfield Scott Moore, Jr. Music ran in the family; three brothers played guitar and his father played banjo and fiddle. He began playing guitar when he was eight, ultimately developing a style 28 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
that included jazz, country and blues. At 16 he joined the Navy — he lied about his age — and served in the Pacific. Afterwards he worked at his brother’s dry-cleaning shop and organized the Starlite Wranglers, who recorded at Sun. Moore said Phillips’ secretary was the first person to mention Presley. “So Sam said ‘Call this guy up and get him to come over to your house and see what you think of him.’ So he came to my house on the Fourth of July. It was kind of a pre-audition.” After the fateful recording of “That’s All Right,” Moore, Black and drummer D.J. Fontana formed the Blue Moon Boys, and backed Presley for the next decade. Moore’s hard-driving guitar became an inseparable part of songs like “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Hound Dog,” among many others. A Gibson player, Moore described his technique as “just a combination of several different styles rolled into one. I was a big fan of Merle Travis, of Chet Atkins with his thumb and finger styles, and a lot of blues players.” During Presley’s time in the Army, Moore worked at the Memphis label Fernwood Records. With the Scotty Moore Trio, he cut the instrumental “Have Guitar, Will Travel.” After Presley returned, Moore played on the 1960 record Elvis Is Back, and appeared regularly on other recordings for the star until the 1967 release How Great Thou Art. After Presley began increasing his movie work, Moore became a production manager for Phillips in Memphis, where he made a solo record in 1964, The Guitar That Changed the World. Shortly afterward, he moved to Nashville and founded the studio Music City Recorders, and started Belle Meade Records. His last work with Presley was on his 1968 comeback TV special. Over the next decades Moore concentrated on engineering and production, working with Ringo Starr and Joe Simon, among others. He played on records for Carl Perkins and on a 1997 tribute album for Presley called All The Kings
Men. He wrote a memoir entitled That’s Alright, Elvis, co-written with James Dickerson in 1998. In 2000 Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2015 — Keith Richards accepted the award on his behalf. Moore worked with an extraordinary number of artists over the course of his career. Paul McCartney said “I was lucky enough to record with him and D.J. Fontana for a Sun Records tribute record that Ahmet Ertegun put together, and Scotty’s quiet manner and subtle sense of humour made the occasion very special for a fan like me. I saw him a few more times and spoke to him on the phone and he never ceased to be the hero he had been in my youth.”
“All I wanted to do in the world was to be able to play and sound like that. Everyone else wanted to be Elvis, I wanted to be Scotty.” — Keith Richards
FINAL NOTES Peter Guralnick, who wrote the definitive Presley biography Last Train to Memphis, said Moore “remained to the end a deeply thoughtful, deeply modest man with a twinkling manner and a dry sense of humor, whose intentions were to celebrate the moment…and always maintain the kind of informal convivialities that make life worth living.” In addition to his parents, Moore was preceded in death by his longtime partner, Gail Pollock. Survivors include five children, Donald, Linda, Andrea, Vikki and Tasha; three brothers and one sister; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren; and three great-great grandchildren. A private funeral service was held in Humboldt, Tenn. A public memorial service will be held in Nashville at a future date.
WAYNE JACKSON Nov. 24, 1941 — June 21, 2016
Wayne Lamar Jackson, famed trumpet player and one-half of the mega-successful Grammy Award-winning Memphis Horns, died June 21, 2016 at the age of 74. The duo played on an amazing list of top R&B records for Otis Redding (“Dock of the Bay”), Sam & Dave (“Soul Man”), and many others, and was considered at the time to be the most in-demand horn section in the world. Artists the Memphis Horns backed over the years include Elvis Presley, James Taylor, U2, Neil Diamond, Al Green, Jimmy Buffett, the Doobie Brothers and Joe Cocker, just to name a few. Together they played on 80 gold
“You got to remember too, that it wasn’t the usual thing for a black guy (Andrew Love) and white guy to be hanging out, running together like that. But we did. We were sorta welded at the hip. We loved each other, and loved the way we sounded.” — Wayne Jackson and platinum albums and 52 No. 1 records during the course of their career. Born in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 24, 1941, Jackson was raised across the Mississippi in West Memphis, Ark. His first instrument was the guitar, but when he was 11 his mother bought him a trumpet and he never looked back. Jackson started playing in Memphis clubs, and was already a member of Stax Records’ studio band the Mar-Keys while still in high school. The renowned band included Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Booker T. Jones, Isaac Hayes and ultimately Andrew Love, who would become Jackson’s partner in the Memphis Horns. Jackson, an AFM life member, joined Local 71 in Memphis, Tenn., in 1958, and the Nashville Musicians Association in 1997. In 1965 the Stax/Mar-Keys band lost its tenor sax player when Packy Axton left the label. “We didn’t have a tenor player, and they weren’t just hanging around, you had to know where to go get one,” Jackson said in a 2012 interview. “Somebody told me there was a good saxophone player at the Manhattan Club. I went out there and I saw Andrew; he knocked me out.” Jackson and Love were born days apart, and shared similar stories of how they started in music (both received instruments from their mothers). Their sound together was a perfect match, and the two quickly grew to be close friends. “You got to remember too, that it wasn’t the usual thing for a black guy and white guy to be hanging
out, running together like that,” Jackson said. “But we did. We were sorta welded at the hip. We loved each other, and loved the way we sounded.” In 2008 Jackson and Love were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. In 2012 the duo received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding artistic significance in music. Love died a few weeks later at the age of 70. In an essay on the Grammy website Booker T. Jones wrote “If you’ve ever heard the brilliant unison horns that play the starting phrases on records such as “Knock On Wood,” or “In the Midnight Hour,” then you’ve experienced the excitement the Memphis Horns can stir when opening a song.” Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Amy; one son, Duane Jackson; three daughters, Carla Lee, Jennifer Jackson, and Brittany Harris; one brother, Bruce Jackson; and one sister, Sara Leaptrot. Funeral services were held June 28 at Grace St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tenn., with burial in Elmwood Cemetery.
CLYDE BROOKS Jan. 16, 1948 — July 31, 2016
Life member Clyde Scott Brooks, 68, died July 31, 2016. He was a drummer and producer who joined the local in September 1974. One of Brooks’ close friends, guitarist Chris Leuzinger said “Clyde was one of the kindest guys I’ve ever known and I loved his sense of humor. He always had integrity in both his business and personal life. He was a fine session drummer with a wonderful pocket and he always lifted the session vibe with his great attitude and good arrangement ideas. As a producer he inspired his artists to be the very best they could be, and allowed his musicians the room to be creative. He unselfishly helped and mentored a lot of people continued on page 30 OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 29
Robert Finlay Mason
FINAL NOTES continued from page 29
whether it benefited him or not, and he will be greatly missed.” Brooks was born Jan. 16, 1948 in Milwaukee, Wisc., and grew up in Waukesha, Wisc. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. His professional career began in Chicago, Ill., where he worked as a busy session player on drums and percussion. In 1976 he made the move to Nashville, where he continued to work a multitude of sessions with an assortment of artists. In 1990 he changed hats and began to produce records for both major and independent labels in a variety of genres until his retirement in 2014. Shortly before his passing, he wrote his own obituary, which included the following: “He was brought up to show integrity and character in personal and business matters, and he possessed a great sense of humor.” He was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his wife, Sarah Gates. Brooks requested cremation; there was no funeral service. Arrangements have not yet been made for a memorial.
RUFUS ALBERT LONG Feb. 13, 1929 — Aug. 15, 2016
Rufus Albert long
Woodwind player Rufus Albert Long, 87, died Aug. 15, 2016. He was a life member of AFM Local 257 who joined Feb. 28, 1949. Over the course of his career he worked as a high school band director and also performed with the Nashville Symphony, as well as working numerous sessions, and running a dance band. Long was born Feb. 13, 1929 in Hendersonville, Tenn., to Albert W. and Helen C. Ragsdale Long. He first played clarinet, then added saxophone and flute later on. He graduated from Isaac Litton High School in 30 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
1947; afterwards he attended Peabody College where he obtained a master’s degree in Education. His first teaching position was in Jasper, Ala., at Walker County High School. He married Mary Hannah Gillespie in 1951, and returned to Nashville after receiving notice from the draft board. He joined the U.S. Air Force, and became a conductor in the 504 Air Force Band. He transferred to Washington, D.C., where he became a member of the famous “Airmen of Note” as a flutist. After his military service, Long started teaching in Nashville, first as an elementary teacher and then as the director of the East High School band. He also became first flutist with the Nashville Symphony and began working sessions. He went on to work as band director at Hillwood, Hendersonville, Beech, and Brentwood high schools. After Long retired from teaching he played gigs at Opryland. He and his wife moved to Florida in 1993, where he continued playing at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater. Eventually the couple moved back to Nashville, where Long taught privately and played out with several dance bands. Long was inducted into the Middle Tennessee Bandmaster Hall of Fame in 2016. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Mary; one brother, Julian Luck; and one sister, Helen Corinne Whitney. Survivors include his wife Evelyn Aldred Long; one son, Gilbert Anderson Long; one daughter, Vicki Long Jordan; four grandchildren; one stepson, William Hughes Aldred; and four nieces. Funeral services were private. The family has requested that donations be made to the charity of choice.
ROBERT FINLAY MASON Nov. 29, 1942 — July 26, 2016 Cellist Robert Finlay “Bob” Mason, 73, died July 26, 2016. He was a life member of the AFM who joined Local 257 in April 1983. Mason worked as a session player in Nashville, but over the course of his musical career he also taught and played in an assortment of performance settings. Mason was born Nov. 29, 1942 in Coatbridge, Scotland to John and Jessie Mason. He began playing cello at 11, and was awarded a scholarship to the Royal
Scottish Academy of Music three years later. While attending he performed for the BBC, and was honored with recital and chamber music awards. He taught in Scotland schools, and also played with the Scottish National Orchestra. In 1963 Mason moved to the United States, where he had two sons — Finlay and David — with his then-wife, Mary. He taught cello and chamber music; he also performed with the Adair Trio and the Southern Arts Quartet. Mason then moved west to play in the Sacramento Symphony and also with show bands in Reno and Tahoe, Nev., prior to his move to Nashville in 1983. He married fellow cellist Margaret Coppin, and worked on a large variety of sessions, from records with k.d. lang (Shadowland), to Garth Brooks (“The Dance”), Train (Drops of Jupiter) and more eclectic records like a Grateful Dead tribute album. He lived in Nashville until retirement, when he moved to northern California. Mason was remembered by loved ones not only for his cello playing, but for his passion for life in general. His wife, Margaret,
“Bob loved a clever joke. He loved to paint. He loved to cook. He would light up with childish delight over any type of artistic creation. He loved cars. He loved dogs. He loved books.He was excited by an inventive mind.” — Margaret Mason
FINAL NOTES said that he “loved a clever joke, especially the feeling of creating one…He loved to paint. He loved to cook. He would light up with childish delight over any type of artistic creation. He loved cars. He loved dogs. He loved books for their woven worlds within, but also for the paper and the sound of a turning page…He was excited by an inventive mind.” In addition to his parents, Mason was preceded in death by one brother, John. Survivors include his wife Margaret; three sons, Ian, Finlay and David; one daughter, Ann; one sister, Jessie Conaway; one brother, Bill; three grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
PETER T.G. MICHAUD (MITCHELL) Mar. 14, 1942 — July 24, 2016 Peter T.G. Michaud (Mitchell), 74, of Buda, Texas, died July 24, 2016. He was a longtime member of the Nashville Musicians Association and Ernest Tubb’s last guitar player in the Texas Troubadours. Born March 14, 1942, in Toronto, Ontario, he attended St. Michael’s Choir School. Mitchell was living in Fort Worth, Texas, when he got the gig with Tubb and moved to Nashville, where he performed with Tubb on the Grand Ole Opry for over a decade, as well as touring nationally.
Pete Mitchell
Mitchell moved back to Texas in 1999 after marrying his wife Paula, who lived in Austin. He continued to play around the area with various local acts including the Troubadillos, James Hand, James White and others. Survivors include his wife; and two sons, Greg and Jesse. Funeral services were held July 29 at the First Baptist Church in Buda, Texas, with the Rev. Buddy Johnson officiating. Interment followed at the Barton Cemetery in Buda. TNM
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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
Clyde Scott Brooks
01/16/1948
09/27/1974
07/31/2016
Y
Hubert D Hester
08/13/1951
04/10/1973
08/30/2016
Y
Kacey Jones
04/27/1950
10/29/1996
05/17/2016
N
Victor Howard Jordan
10/19/1938
12/16/1964
08/25/2016
Y
Rufus Albert Long
02/13/19290
02/28/1949
08/14/2016
Y
Robert Finlay Mason
11/29/1942
04/07/1983
07/26/2016
Y
Peter T G Michaud
03/14/1942
05/23/2000
07/24/2016
Y
Samuel A Oliva
06/18/1949
07/26/1979
09/14/2016
Y
Dale Sledd
04/23/1937
09/17/1965
08/21/2016
Y
Gerard F Vinett
07/04/1930
07/31/1978
09/21/2016
Y
COLE & GARRETT Funeral Home and Cremation Services CRESTVIEW Funeral Home, Memory Gardens & Cremation HARPETH HILLS Memory Gardens, Funeral Home & Cremation Center HENDERSONVILLE Memory Gardens, Funeral Home & Cremation Center JOELTON HILLS Memory Gardens SPRINGFIELD Memorial Gardens, Funeral Home & Cremation Center SUMNER Memorial Ga Gardens WEST HARPETH Funeral Home & Crematory
Floyd R Young
02/02/1936
11/01/1974
09/22/2016
Y
AFamilyLegacy.com
Life Member
OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 31
MEMBER STATUS
NEW MEMBERS Bradley K Arnold (Brad Arnold) VOC DRM White Hat Management P.O. Box 896 Pine Brook, NJ 07058 Michael J August GTR 1611 Forrest Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 Cell (615) 418-9715 Jenny Bifano (Jenny Amador) VLN VLA 223 Prince Royal Drive Corte Madera, CA 94925 Cell (831) 596-9700 Justin Charles Biltonen BAS GTR 45 Vantage Way Unit 2404 Nashville, TN 37228 Cell (828) 775-5042 Alyssa B. Bonagura DLC BJO GTR MDN PIA DRM 1703 Old Hillsboro Road Franklin, TN 37069 Cell (615) 405-0259 Thomas M Britt DBR GTR STL 3109 Oxford St-3226 Nashville, TN 37216 Cell (615) 945-8951 Matthew J Buckner GTR 3682 Meadowwood Drive Murfreesboro, TN 37128 Cell (812) 498-0627
32 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
Carly Campbell (Cash Crawford) VOC 1060 Hudson Ave Richmond, BC V7B1J8 Cell (615) 290-8667 William M Chrisawn DRM 2035 Rogers Lane Lebanon, TN 37087 Hm (615) 513-3509 Miller Zach Crowell (Zach Crowell) PIA GTR BAS BJO VOC 54 Music Square East Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37203 Hm (615) 953-2100 Mathew Ryan Crowning (Matt Crowning) DRM MPR TMP 713 E Woodlands Trl Nashville, TN 37211 Cell (561) 317-3855 Daniel Wayne Eubanks (Dan Eubanks) BAS DRM GTR VOC 2627 River Meade Way Nashville, TN 37214 Cell (615) 403-8562 Zachery Fowler BAS GTR PIA KEY 1115 Sugar Creek Circle Nashville, TN 37214 Cell (505) 681-6497 Blake Emanuel Hardman GTR BAS DRM 365 Glenrose Ave Nashville, TN 37021 Cell (615) 491-1985
Christopher L Henderson GTR White Hat Management P.O. Box 896 Pine Brook, NJ 07058 Scott Matthew Huff GTR TPT BAS COM 107 Cedar Springs Trail Hendersonville, TN 37075 Hm (615) 497-1470 Claire Malia Indie Nunn CEL 756 Georgetown Drive Nashville, TN 37205 Cell (615) 497-3755 Benjamin Kaufman VLN GTR MDN 5417 Ashlawn Drive Nashville, TN 37211 Cell (317) 946-8862 Bernella Levin (Nell Levin) FDL PIA 1611 Forrest Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 Cell (615) 579-0451 Charles Joseph Myers (Charles Myers) GTR BAS MDN BJO 705 Estes Road Nashville, TN 37215 Cell (615) 457-4214 Jovan Raynaldo Quallo SAX FLT CLA 308 Plus Park Boulevard B2 Nashville, TN 37217 Cell (615) 500-9504 Chester Allen Roberts, III (Chet Roberts) GTR PIA VOC 108 Brant Lane Hendersonville, TN 37075 Cell (615) 289-2623
Sylvia Samis VLN 523 Avondale Park Blvd Nashville, TN 37221 Cell (513) 349-5320 Hm (615) 953-7206 Joshua Allen Scalf TBN BTB EUP TBA VOC 1419 River Rock Blvd Murfreesboro, TN 37128 Hm (850) 774-7034 Douglas C Showalter GTR VOC BAS KEY 1830 S Plate St Kokomo, IN 46902 Cell (323) 810-3427 Jimmy B Stewart DBR FDL GTR BJO MDN VLA P.O. Box 148811 Nashville, TN 37214 Cell (615) 886-0084 Greg David Upchurch DRM GTR 130 Coarsey Blvd Hendersonville, TN 37075 Cell (818) 694-4734 Grace McGrath Wegener VOC GTR 119 Rosebank Ave Nashville, TN 37206 Hm (847) 644-1069 RESIGNED Margrethe Bjoerklund Kenny Wayne Hoye
TNM
LOCAL 257
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MONDAY, NOV. 7, 2016 | 1:30 P.M. REHEARSAL HALL OPENS | 1 P.M.
The agenda will include a vote to approve the 2017 dues schedule and two related bylaw amendments, as well as officer reports and discussion. Please plan to attend, and get involved in the business of your local.
LOCAL 257 MEMBERS: Please check to see that your
FUNERAL FUND BENEFICIARY is listed correctly, and up to date. We can't stress the importance of this enough.
YOUR LOVED ONES ARE COUNTING ON YOU.
HOLIDAY CLOSURES Veteran’s Day Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 Thanksgiving Wednesday Nov. 23 at noon, Thursday Nov. 24, and Friday Nov. 25, 2016 Christmas and New Year’s Day Friday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Jan. 2, 2017 Martin Luther King Day Monday. Jan. 23, 2017
Take a moment and ask the front desk to verify your funeral benefit beneficiary information. Please also check to see that we have your correct email address. OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2016 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 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 RecordingMusicians.com - Alan and Cathy Umstead are soliciting and contracting non-union recording work through this website and elsewhere. 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. The following 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 – 2007 CeCe Winans project) Terry K. Johnson/ 1720 Entertainment (unpaid contracts/unauthorized sales - Jamie O’Neal project) 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) 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
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 Tim McDonald 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 Trent Wilmon The Collective
TNM
34 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
OCTOBERâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;DECEMBER 2016 35
Nashville Musicians Association PO Box 120399 Nashville, TN 37212-0399 —Address Service Requested—
Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Nashville, TN Permit No. 648
R E A L E S TAT E .
IT’S NOT JUST
BUSINESS,
IT’S PERSONAL.
M I K E H AY N E S
REALTOR, e-PRO, ABR, SRES
Allow me the honor of serving you in your next Real Estate endeavor, no matter how large or small. §
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SALES
§
NASHVILLE REALTOR FOR OVER 10 YEARS
§
LOCAL 257 MEMBER FOR OVER 30 YEARS
LET’S GET YOU IN A HOME! 615.969.7744 36 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN cell | 615.358.9010 office
Proud Affiliate of The Realty Association
www.NashvilleAbode.com MHAYNES@REALTRACS.COM