NashvilleHype!

As you know I just returned from a short vacation in Florida where I got to see my two friends Rachel Farley and Aaron Tippin in concert.

First of all, if you’ve not gone to your local Cracker Barrel and picked up Aaron’s new cd “He Believed” you definately should.

Second, if you’ve not ever had a chance to see Aaron in concert, or it’s been a while, you should definately make plans when he comes to a city near you. 

Rachel had come to Nashville because she had a writing appointment with Rissi Palmer and was set to also meet her producer Keith Thomas.  It was a monday, which was a perfect night to go see our friend Ashlee Hewitt perform on Nashville Star - so we met at Opry Mills.  While getting caught up on all the goings on, Rachel happened to mention she was going to be in Florida at the same time I was - opening for Aaron.

Aaron puts on a great show - it’s a high energy show that touches on every emotion, and has a few surprises in store as well.

You know I’ve been friends with Aaron for 15 years or more and one of the reasons we get along so well is because he has the biggest heart - he constantly is giving to others - not only his time, but also gifts.  One of the surprises during the show (and I’m not going to give it away here, you’ll have to go see for yourself) is one of the gifts he gives away at each show — over 600 times he’s given a gift to this organization and that alone is worth the price of admission.

But then you add in the fact you know almost EVERY song he sings (Aaron has had SO many hits) and you have yourself a great show and a good time.

I had called Aaron to tell him to take good care of Rachel who was opening his show, but I failed to mention that I was actually coming down to see the show myself (my ‘vacation’ was actually to go see my sister and family, it just happened to turn out that this concert was happening) — so after the fireworks I thought I’d go over and talk with Aaron for a little bit.

Aaron had a line longer than the stage itself!  It wrapped around and zigged and zagged.  He met with EVERYONE of his fans that wanted to meet.  He took pictures, signed autographs, and as time allowed, had conversations.  Seems like his ‘meet and greet’ line took longer than his actual show.  THAT should tell you something about what kind of person he is - and has always been.

As my neices and I waited around back we watched as the line finally dwindled down - and as Aaron was set to leave, we watched him sign another dozen or so autographs (and take as many pictures) - on the way back to the bus!

Aaron Tippin is a star - as a person.  I’m thrilled that his new album is doing so well.  You can’t go wrong with Aaron Tippin.  Seriously.  Buy his music, go to his shows - you’ll have the time of your life.

Pictures below:

Rachel Farley on Stage

Rachel Farley again

The Hardest Working Man in Music - Aaron Tippin

Aaron Tippin

And last, my beautiful neices Loren and Melissa (Loren is going to be a SuperStar! - not in country music, in acting, singing, dancing - Disney style!)

CD: Two Men with the Blues

Release: July 8, 2008

 
I’m sitting here listening to my new favorite cd!  This album is AWESOME!  I mean, after the last review I had to give Willie for his ill-conceived “Moment of Forever” cd, which was horrible on so many levels, I wasn’t sure I wanted to even crack this one open - but man, am I glad I ever did!

This album was recorded live Jan. 12th and 13th, 2007 at the Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at the Lincoln Center - and it’s a performance that you just WISH you could’ve been there to see live.  This is the only kindof reason to spend any money going to a live show anymore.  If it’s this good.

Wynton is spot on in his playing and Willie sounds interested in what he’s singing.  The players backing them are superb in every way and it’s just FUN to listen to.  It’s SWINGING, Rocking, Jazzy, Country, and Blues at it’s best. 

Standards like “Bright Lights, Big City”, “Caldonia”, and “Georgia on my Mind” are included.  “Caldonia” is ROCKING and I swear I could place it on repeat and listen to it over and over all night.  This is just fantastic music.  The best collaboration in Years!

Congrats to the staff at Blue Note Records for getting this to market.  I hope it’s a HUGE hit and everyone buys it.  Nothing you buy this year is going to compare.  Seriously.  This might be the Record of the Year.

As an aside, several weeks ago I received Willie Nelson’s new novel - A Tale Out Of Luck, which won’t be released until September 2008. So stay tuned to NashvilleHype! as I will be reviewing this book before it’s release.

“I should also mention that he sat at the merch table after the set, signing photos, cds and dvds, chatting with the fans, and demonstrating how country music is done, old-school.”

The quote above comes from a friend of mine I’ve known for probably 10 years or more - Todd Everett - speaking about a show he attended a few nights ago starring Little Jimmy Dickens.

Todd is about as knowledgeable on country music, and music in general, as anyone who ever lived.  His resume includes stints working for many major publications.  Todd has

“worked in, and written about, the entertainment industry from Hollywood for more than 30 years. In addition to staff positions at The Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, I have worked on staff or freelanced for numerous record labels. I reviewed theater in a regional edition of The Los Angeles Times for approximately ten years.

I have edited two magazines: Ampersand and Record Review, and have written for the internationally syndicated radio programs “Earth News” and “American Top 40.”

I have written liner notes for dozens of albums, and produced reissues by acts including John Stewart, Rick Nelson, and Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks.” 

As you can see, he’s a real professional.

On his blog Todd describes the show he attended and I wrote to him to ask if I could post a little of it here, as it says something I’ve been telling artist on NashvilleHype! for a really long time (actually, since the beginning).

But first, for those who don’t know about Little Jimmy Dickens and are wondering - here’s a little bio information from wikipedia:

James Cecil Dickens (born December 19, 1920) is an American country music singer from Bolt, West Virginia. A regular at the Grand Ole Opry for almost sixty years, Dickens is famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size, 4′11″, and his rhinestone-studded outfits.

Dickens’ musical career began in the late 1930s, when he began performing on a local radio station while attending West Virginia University. He soon quit school to pursue a full-time music career, and travelled the country performing on various local radio stations under the name “Jimmy the Kid.”

In 1948 Dickens was heard performing on a radio station in Saginaw, Michigan, by Roy Acuff, who introduced him to Art Satherley at Columbia Records and officials from the Grand Ole Opry. Dickens signed with Columbia in September and joined the Grand Ole Opry in August. Around this time he began using the nickname “Little Jimmy Dickens,” a name inspired by his height of 4 feet 11 inches.

Dickens recorded many novelty songs for Columbia around this time, including “Country Boy,” “A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed” and “I’m Little But I’m Loud.” His song “Take an Old Cold Tater (And Wait)” inspired Hank Williams to nickname him “Tater.”

In 1950 he formed the Country Boys with musicians Jabbo Arrington, Grady Moore and Bob Moore. In 1957 he left the Grand Ole Opry to tour with the Philip Morris Country Music Show.

In 1962 Dickens released “The Violet and the Rose,” his first top ten single in twelve years. During 1964 he became the first country artist to circle the globe while on tour, and also made numerous TV appearances including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Around this time he released his biggest hit, “May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose,” reaching number one in the country charts and number fifteen in the pop charts.

In the late 1960s he left Columbia for Decca Records, before moving again to United Artists in 1971. That same year he married his wife, Mona, and in 1975 he returned to the Grand Ole Opry. In 1983 Dickens was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Recently Dickens has made appearances in a number of music videos by fellow country musician and West Virginia native Brad Paisley. He has also been featured on several of Paisley’s albums in bonus comedy tracks along with other Opry mainstays such as George Jones and Bill Anderson. They are collectively referred to as the Kung-Pao Buckaroos.

But why care about a man who’s 87 years old and hasn’t a a ‘hit’ on the radio in a hundred years (or 1970, whichever is closer)?  That quote above should give a small indication.

“Dickens comes from the old tradition where it isn’t enough to be a singer, you have to be an entertainer, as well”

“All dolled up in his glittering Nudie suit (“Mighty Mouse in his pajamas,” is how he put it), eighty seven-year-old Dickens took the stages with the enthusiasm of a man half his age or less; spinning his acoustic guitar, and striking an immediate rapport with the audience. As one point early on, he stopped the action and struck a pose so a woman in the audience could take a picture.”

I’ve preached, and I apologize once again, about the importance of being an entertainer - taking time and good care of your fans, never taking yourself too seriously, remembering that there’s plenty of time in life to have a career, enjoying yourself (and making sure your fans are as well - even if you’re not singing! ie. making that connection) … these older artists, they’ve lived it - they know what it’s all about.

Take a look at Todd’s Blog - read the whole review.  It might help you more than you know.

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I received Willie’s new cd several weeks ago before it’s release and just never had time to even open the package.   What I hate is, now that I have, I should have stuck with the dream about how good the album was going to be.  Sometimes it’s better to leave the package closed and live with the dream than to open the package and realize the reality.

I just spent a few minutes looking around at other blogs, hoping that maybe, just maybe, my mind is still cluttered - maybe my ears aren’t too good this morning.  Unfortunately, that’s not the case.  I probably couldn’t review it any better than the fine folks over at the9513, they seem to hit every point pretty well — even from the opening track, which as they even say, reminded me of a musical U2 outtake. (For a different take on the album, look here.)

To me, the biggest problem with this album is, Willie seems detached in his vocal.  Not stoned as the joke would go, just detached.  It’s the production and I understand that, but I was really hoping for great emotion in the vocal, but each song sounded more and more like a guy standing in the recording booth looking at a piece of paper and someone yelling, “do it again Willie!, that one wasn’t on”… the album just seems robbed of what could be great material.  And some of the material is really great.  Wait, I do remember once while listening Willie started confident and strong… “Louisiana”, which was written in 1974 by the great Randy Newman.  Maybe that song lived up to it potential during the first few lines, but like everything on this album, the tempo takes over and it sounds rushed.  Slowed down and depressed, like the song was written, that song would’ve been a stand-out track.  Instead it almost starts to sound like the big, balladry pop song no-one really likes.

I had made the comment on the old NashvilleHype! that I was in Herky William’s office over at ASCAP when he said he needed to play a track real fast (Herky used to be in A&R and he was checking the mix) which was “Gravedigger”by Willie from this album.  It spoke volumes to me that this was the lead track off this album, but after giving it a good listen, I realize why now - there’s almost nothing left to interest people - other than a name.

And of course, I, like all America, love Willie. 

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