TNS Video History- Dwight Yoakam- “Fast As You”

Dwight Yoakam sings “Fast As You” from back in 1993…

Shooter Jennings Teams With Stephen King for Next Album Titled Black Ribbons

On March 2, 2010, macabre maestro Stephen King and outlaw scruff Shooter Jennings will release Black Ribbons, a 70-minute concept creepfest inspired by paranoia and, presumably, a big batch of pot brownies.According to a frothy press release, King "provides the voice of Will O’ The Wisp, a late-night talk radio host who is in the last hour of his final broadcast before the airwaves are overtaken by government-approved and regulated transmissions. With nothing left to lose, the radio host lets loose with a series of rants, punctuating his diatribes with 14 selections from Jennings. It all sounds interesting, especially considering the wide range of Shooter's musical tastes- which can range from traditional country to all-out rock and roll.

Interview With The Wrecker's Jessica Harp Over At The 9513

Jessica Harp enters the next chapter in her career after a wildly successful debut album, a project released in 2006 with her best friend and then pop-star Michelle Branch under the band name the Wreckers (shortened from The Cass County Homewreckers, given to the girls by Branch’s husband). The duo’s first and only album, Stand Still, Look Pretty, included the Billboard number one single (and now radio mainstay) “Leave The Pieces,” and the pair would go on to win a CMA for Best Vocal Duo Of The Year and a GRAMMY For Best Duo or Group Performance.

Now Jessica has had a hit of her own with "Boy Like Me" and she has another one going up the charts called "A Woman Needs." I had a chance to talk to Harp about her career both as a solo artist as well as part of the Wreckers. There's a snippet below and you can read the balance of the interview HERE.

"I would say that for anyone who listened to me when I was in The Wreckers, I think The Wreckers sort of had a folk-country influence to it, this record is definitely straight up more modern country. What I really love about the record is that Jerry Flowers produced my record and he’s an up and coming producer. A lot of people don’t know this, but there are about five producers in Nashville that are incredible producers but they do everything you hear on the radio. I loved having someone with a fresh set of ears produce my record because while it’s very much modern country, it sounds very fresh to me."

CD Reviews- Emma Jacob- 2232 Miles

The Background:
Emma Mae Jacob grew up in Costa Mesa, Calif., and as a child, she enjoyed listening to Aretha Franklin and Patsy Cline. She took vocal lessons from the legendary Seth Riggs- she once ran into Ray Charles at a lesson- and earned a spot as first soprano in the Pacific Symphony Children's Choir. At age 11, she sang a Franklin song, "You're All I Need to Get By," on Showtime at the Apollo and received a standing ovation. The family was living in Colfax, Calif., when Jacob and her parents took over the ownership of a local theatre owned by Jacob's grandfather. Music producer Paul Worley heard her perform there and encouraged her to move to Nashville. Worley also pitched a song that would become the teenager's first single, "What If We Fly," included on her debut album, Breaking All the Rules, in 2008. Her new digital album on the Black River Music Group label is titled 2,232 Miles. The album represents the distance between Emma Jacob’s hometown in California and Nashville, Tennessee

The Review:
Dolly Parton once said that “country music is ordinary stories told by extraordinary people.” For young Emma Jacob, she has half of this equation nailed. She has the pipes for the job- Jacob is a very talented vocalist. Anyone who has seen her perform live (as I have on multiple occasions) knows that she has a big strong voice that has a Rebecca Lynn Howard type of sassy inflection. The part she is missing on the album, however, is the story part. Her label-mate, Sarah Darling came out with an album in 2009 that was full of great storytelling of personal and revealing prose that gave some insight into her own soul. On 2,232 Miles, Jacob is more the performer instead of the songwriter/storyteller. And as a perfomer, she does terrific. But it sure would be nice to have both sides of that coin. ”Julianna” is the lead single from the album and easily the one big exception to the comments above. It’s a story of woman empowerment that has a strong protagonist in a story of esteem, personal validation and the ability to feel beautiful. “Julianna, you don’t have to do that to be loved, Julianna, Oh I wish you knew you were enough.” The Rachel Proctor penned “Didn’t I” also turns the camera inwards on a song about love lost- but not too personally. It seems a little more about hitting notes than revealing her soul. And on an album with a title that represents her journey from Northern California girl to Nashville star potential, that’s the story I want to hear in some of the songs. What she has created is a showcase for her vocals and some fun uptempo dance numbers like “Sunday Paper”- a fun blow-off song of all the places her man should put his apology including billboards, informercials and the newspaper. Overall, it’s a good album that has signs of lots of potential from Jacob. She’s worked extensively with longtime and celebrated Nashville songwriter Karen Staley and hopefully, with more time with great songwriters like her and more life experience in Music City, we’ll hear more of Jacob in her music.

Sounds Like:
Sass Jordan and Rebecca Lynn Howard

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
Julianna
Wrong
Sunday Paper

The Verdict:
Two & A Half Stars Out Of Five

CD Reviews- Harper Simon- Harper Simon

The Background:
Right from the album’s opening reworking of a traditional gospel in “All To God” through the album’s exquisitely romantic closing song “Berkeley Girl,” Harper Simon represents a seamless yet wide-ranging whole. This is also a profoundly musical and poetic song cycle that reflects a deep love and abiding respect for the musical traditions of the past, yet one that nonetheless seems very much about making great music in the present tense. Simon recorded his new album in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles with the help of an altogether impressive and decidedly eclectic and multi-generational group of musical collaborators, including famed producer Bob Johnston, an all-star group of veteran first-call Nashville session players, an impressive group of contemporary young singer-songwriters and friends, and yes, even Harper’s own father, the legendary Paul Simon.

The Review:
Fair or not, the vocal comparisons between Harper and his father, Paul, are evident as soon as he opens his mouth. It’s really uncanny how similar his voice is with the layered echo-like lyrics- sounding a little like singing from the bottom of a well. Part folk, part country, many of the songs are obviously very heavily influenced by the humor and lyrical style of Simon and Garfunkel- albeit Simon and Garfunkel with a steel guitar. On the surface, that might seem like a strange or bitter combination- at once not original and original at the same time. The album transcends all of that with a uniqueness that is all its own. The finest track on the album is “Tennessee,” an autobiographical song telling his own story of being from New York but having a mom from Tennessee. It’s funny and introspective at the same time and the steel guitar is a welcome sound. “Shooting Star” is an outstanding story of the trials and tribulations of making it big with lyrics such as “Someday you’ll find out who you are.” He claims some social responsibility about the plight of the Navajo on “Cactus Flower Rag” and has a beautiful lyrical prose about how there are more “wishes than stars” on “Wishes And Stars.” (Another famous son, Sean Lennon plays on this latter song.) The negatives are minor: the album is rather short (barely 30 minutes long) and the artwork for the CD might be some of the blandest and uninspired I’ve ever seen. In this day and age, it’s difficult to have a sound that is unique- probably even more so when you’re in the shadow of a legendary performer like Harper’s father. But he uses that shadow incredibly well, even lengthens it out some, making it a Simon family legacy instead of just a Paul Simon legacy.

Sounds Like:
His father

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
Tennessee
Wishes And Stars
Shooting Star
The Shine

The Verdict:
Three & A Half Stars Out Of Five

CD Reviews- Phil Vassar- Traveling Circus

The Background
Phil Vassar made his name as a chart-topping songwriter before landing a record deal and becoming a hitmaking artist in his own right. After college, Vassar moved to Nashville, learned to play piano, and sang his original material in clubs. One club patron and fan brought Vassar's demo tape to his father, crooner Engelbert Humperdinck, and Humperdinck wound up recording "Once in a While," a song Vassar had co-written with a bartender friend, in 1996. Vassar's songwriting career blossomed from there, as he landed a publishing contract with EMI and penned hits for Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo"), Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"), Tim McGraw ("For a Little While"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye Bye," "I'm Alright"), and BlackHawk ("Postmarked Birmingham"). He signed a record deal of his own with Arista in 1998 and was named ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999. His self-titled debut album was released in 2000, and the lead single, "Carlene," shot into the country Top Five; its follow-up, "Just Another Day in Paradise," went all the way to number one. "Six-Pack Summer" also reached the Top Ten, and yet another single from the album, "That's When I Love You," became Vassar's third Top Five hit in early 2002. Phil Vassar was certified gold for sales of half a million copies, and its follow-up, American Child, was released later in 2002. The title track gave Vassar yet another Top Five single. Prayer of a Common Man appeared in 2008 from Universal South.

The Review
I hope to refine music, study it, try to find some area that I can unlock. I don't quite know how to explain it but it's there. These can't be the only notes in the world, there's got to be other notes some place, in some dimension, between the cracks on the piano keys- Marvin Gaye
Now releasing his sixth album, Traveling Circus, Phil Vassar approaches his uniquely piano-based style of country music from his own school of thought. For Vassar, country music means relying on the black and white keys that have provided a niche as country’s piano man. Though pop music has its share of ivory ticklers including Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Elton John, Vassar joins Ronnie Milsap as one of the few elites who still uses the piano so prominently. Vassar has a more hands on approach to this project whereby he produced all the tracks here himself and relied on his road band to get a change of pace to what’s happening on Nashville radio right now. It’s without surprise then the songs that are the strongest on Traveling Circus let the piano shine through on ballads without the over-production that can sometimes bog down the up-tempos. The first star is "She's on the Way." It celebrates the amazing feelings of becoming a father to a daughter. With a new daughter who just turned a year, this reviewer found the lyrics touching and profound- and very easily relatable to Vassar’s own shoes (who has daughters of his own.) It’s emotive, raw and heartfelt- great combinations in a song. Another strong song is the melancholic piano driven ballad "A Year From Now,” a powerful testament that we all believe that time will heal our pains. Again, Vassar pulls from experience from his own divorce and delivers a performance that is as believable as it is emotional. an ode to the transcendence of time that will heal our deepest pains. Misses? The Kenny Chesney co-write with Vassar, "I Will Remember You," won’t be remembered long and the somewhat strange, "Bobbi With an I," is (while catchy) a tune about a cross-dressing weightlifter. It missed as the first single released to radio and becomes a testament to the fact that fans look to hear themselves in a song. But the best song on the album is also the last. “Where Have All The Piano’s Gone?” has Vassar asking Nashville for more artists like himself- artists that inspire the listener with tunes based from playing those same piano keys. It’s a terrific tune with historic musical relevance and an autobiographical side to it that relates well to the listener. Overall, it’s an above-average album worthy of being in any country music lover’s collection.

Sounds Like
Randy Housers Voice With Ronnie Milsap’s Piano Playing & Songwriting

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
John Wayne
She’s On Her Way
Where Have All The Pianos Gone?
A Year From Now

The Verdict:
Three & A Half Stars Out Of Five

New Music Video From Eli Young Band- "Guinevere"

Up & Coming New Nashville- Jenna Zablocki (With Exclusive Interview)

Jenna Zablocki was born and raised in beautiful Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. Her love affair with the arts began at an early age when, at 5 years old, she started toying with her grandmother’s piano. For the next eleven years she studied classical composers, played for family and friends, recitals, choirs, competitions, and for pure enjoyment. During these formative years, she also realized her love of singing and acting. The first moment she stepped on stage, performing in a school production, Jenna knew she had found her calling. Even her piano teacher realized that it was time to let go of her prized student after witnessing Jenna’s 5-oactave range and stage presence.

After years of studying and performing opera, musicals, and theater in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and New York, Jenna landed on the left coast to pursue her lifelong love of films after being discovered by a casting director at JFK airport. Never letting go of her love for music, she started writing and recording songs, and recently completed her first album titled Powerful Stuff, due out in January, 2010.

Her looks have been compared to that “Old Hollywood” style glamour of Grace Kelly, but her sound is definitely new and her personality is fresh and inspiring. The discipline of her theater background has given her a strong work ethic and the determination to succeed. Jenna has the ability to tap into every emotion whether on stage or screen. One recent co-star even described her as “the best young actress he has ever had the pleasure of working with.” Jenna believes that you have to take what life throws at you, with a smile and a positive outlook. She is sweet, funny, passionate, talented, and entertaining. You can visit her website HERE.



That Nashville Sound- What brought you to music in the first place?

Jenna Zablocki- I was raised around music from a very young age. My mother always had music playing in the house (many different genres) that she would sing along to, and my grandmother had a piano. I played the piano during my early years, but as much as I loved it I new I didn't want to be a pianist. I started singing when I was 11 and I knew that that's what I wanted to do. But early on, I was singing classical pieces - songs in German and French, arias in Italian, etc. I then put my focus into show tunes, before finally putting it into country music and recording. It's been a long road traveled, but I guess I'm now well-rounded.

TNS- Describe your music- what's the mission behind the music?

JZ- I want to sing music that everyone can relate to it. Young or old, no matter what race or religion you are, whether it's a song about new love, being hurt in the past, or finding inner strength, it's universal. I hope that after hearing my song "Daddy's Little Girl", parents will think more seriously about how broken homes do affect the children. I hope that after hearing "In Valentine", women in abused relationships will find their inner strength to get away from that negativity.

TNS- What might people be surprised to find out about you?

JZ- I am very down to earth. I love camping and don't mind getting dirty. I'd rather go to a sports bar to play pool - wearing jeans and flip flops, than to get all dolled up and go to a fancy nightclub.

TNS- What kind of music are you listening to? What's in your iPod?

JZ- I have everything from Mozart to Metallica in my iPod, but usually I'm listening to country. Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, George Strait... or John Denver. I miss him.

TNS- If you had a crystal ball and looked forward five years, what do you see for yourself?

JZ- Peace of mind, a happy heart, healthy family and friends, and a stable career in the music industry.

Shania Twain Part Of Olympic Flame Lighting

Shania Twain said Saturday it was a pleasure to carry the official Olympic torch into her Canadian hometown of Timmins, Ontario.

The Canwest News Service reported Twain was the final individual to carry the torch on Day 64 of the Olympic symbol's 106-day journey across Canada that began Oct. 30 in Victoria, British Columbia.

"I think this is so fantastic," Twain said of those who braved numbing cold to watch the torch come to Timmins. "What it shows is the spirit of the people from the north to be standing out there on the road for all these hours in the freezing cold; all of you, it really does show your spirit."

Twain said wind chills down to minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit Saturday only made her feel more at home.

"It just feels really beautiful to be back up north in the cold," she said. "It wouldn't be Timmins ... you know, 40 below with the wind chill!"

Canwest said the Olympic torch is expected to arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Feb. 12 for the 2010 Olympic Games.

TNS Video History- John Berry- "You're Love Amazes Me"

John Berry from the old CBS special "On The Road". Live at TPAC in Nashville.