Volume MMVI • Number 2 • April-June 2006 - Nashville Musicians ...

April-June 2006 The Nashville Musician 19
platinum-selling “Modern Day Drifter,” but it
seemed to satisfy the radio crowd.
Didn’t want to miss outspoken Nashville
radio personality Gerry House’s interview with
hitmaker Kenny Rogers. A few seasons back,
Kenny re-signed with Capitol where he enjoyed
million sellers such as “Lady.” With a
new single “I Can’t Unlove You” on the charts,
he was in good spirits.
Back in 1999, after forming his own indie
label DreamCatchers, Rogers achieved a
comeback #1, “Buy Me a Rose” (featuring
Alison Krauss and Billy Dean). Following a
five-year run and less successful chartings,
Rogers sold DreamCatchers: “I have this
theory I will never spend my personal money
on my career.”
Nor did he shy away from personal questions
about cosmetic surgeries or liposuctions:
“You tell people and nobody cares. You try to
hide it and they make a big thing out of it.”
Kenny acknowledged, too, that he sold his Los
Angeles estate, which he had purchased for
$3.5 million, to billionaire oilman Marvin
Davis for a whopping $22 million.
Admittedly, his fast food chicken venture
was not too successful, but he emphasized that
he was doing quite well with another investment
in Atlanta: “I have a design company
that’s a real thrill to me. At this point, I’m getting
more money from my music, but I’m rapidly
doing better with my design business.”
Have the earlier successes of “The Gambler”
TV movies prompted discussion of a
“Gambler VI?”
“Yes,” replied Rogers. 67. “But they’re
gonna have to put me in a wheelchair and roll
me down the street, if they don’t hurry up and
do it!”
CRS’s Music City Jam time was co-sponsored
by the Academy of Country Music and
United Stations Radio Network.
The multi-talented Keith Urban wowed attendees
with his pickin’ and singin’ prowess,
plus his superb selection in guest artists. While
most were rubberneckin’ for sightings of
Keith’s movie star sweetheart (who wasn’t
there) Nicole Kidman, another native Australian,
he flirted goodnaturedly with blonde
bombshell Dolly Parton.
After opening with his 2002 hit “Raining
On Sunday,” co-written by Radney Foster and
Darrell Brown, Keith hushed the folk with
“Let’s do different things tonight,” as he began
playing parts of a tune that sounded suspiciously
familiar, adding, “The missing ingredient
is a chick singer,” whereupon Miss
Dolly burst on stage singing “Jolene.”
About midway through the number, she
stepped vocally on a musician’s solo riff,
shouting, “Leave it to me to screw somebody
up! Ah, that’s all right, it’s my song . . . you
want to start again or me just keep on singin’,”
ignoring her own query, she continued to belt
out the vocal lines. Afterwards, as she and
Urban laughed at her faux pas, she added, “I
do apologize to your dobro player. I didn’t
know what kind of run we were gonna do.”
The couple rocked the house collaborating
on the festive “Two Doors Down,” and then
Dolly told the assemblage a reporter, noting
she and hubby (Carl Dean) would mark their
40th wedding anniversary May 30, wondered,
“How do you keep the spark going?”
“Easy,” giggled Dolly. “I just pretend he’s
Miranda Lambert performs at CRS.
Jason Aldean plays for CRS crowd.
Keith Urban . . . Now there’s not a thing you
nor your long-legged girlfriend can do about
it! It’s just my fantasy.”
“Who says I’d want to do anything about
it,” grinned Urban. “God! I love my job.”
Before playing his 2004 #1 “Days Go By,”
Keith explained originally he didn’t have a
second verse to record, after he and Monty
Powell started writing it together.
“I called Monty to ask where’s the second
verse? He said, ‘There is no second verse,’ and
I said, ‘Well, we’re in the studio recording it.’
It was on a Sunday and he came right over.
Literally while the band’s treading water, playing,
(we) wrote the second verse. That was a
magic moment . . .
“This next song I also wrote with Monty,
and it had a second verse, thank God, so we
recorded it: ‘Tonight I Wanna Cry’,” added
Urban, setting aside his guitar to play keyboards
for the emotional ballad, his current
radio hit.
Texan Pat Green’s swagger and raucous
style complemented the Urban style nicely, as
they covered Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory
Days” or shared a musical adventure in “Wave
On Wave,” singing “I’m just lookin’ for a
happy endin’/All I’m lookin’ for is you . . .”
“We’ve been having a great time out on the
road,” Keith assured one and all.
His “But For the Grace of God” was a welcome
respite from the rockin’ and rollin’ - and
it was Urban’s premier Billboard number one
(Feb. 24, 2001).
Keith’s final guest was the boot scootin’
big-voiced half of Brooks & Dunn, Ronnie,
who was aided and abetted by Urban on “Brand
New Man.” Then Keith became just another
bandmember as Dunn stilled the crowd with
his powerful rendition of “Believe,” following
which Urban dropped to his knees in tribute
to a master vocalist. Those who weren’t
already on their feet, rose to render a rapturous
response for such an entertaining evening.
Too bad the New Faces finale wasn’t quite
so satisfying. The Class of ’06 even boasted
independent label artists, a deserved bow to
the hard-earned success of such companies as
Broken Bow and Equity.
Broken Bow’s Jason Aldean, who broke
through with the Top 10 “Hicktown” last year,
and Equity’s quartet Little Big Town resurfacing
after departing Sony/Monument, via their
Top 10 “Boondocks.” Sharing the stage with
them on this milestone occasion were Keith
Anderson, Jeff Bates and Brady Seals' Hot
Apple Pie.
Handling the so-called comedy between
sets was burly T. Bubba Bechtol, whose tedious
fat jokes fell flat. Music promoter Charlie
Monk’s monologue fared better, though some
of his biting commentary on other Music Row
suits, flew over the heads of most visiting radio
folk, who just didn’t know all those targeted.
If pushed to select the best of the New Faces
performance-wise, we would probably give the
edge to Hot Apple Pie for their soulful sound
and dynamic delivery.
Midway into the New Faces program, an
incredulous Susan Collier, a veteran public
relations agent seated at our press table, turned
to ask, “Are you into this?” Meanwhile, coun-
try music historian and webmaster Barry
McCloud mused that he had wondered if he’d
ever live to see the day the country genre embraced
heavy metal: “Well, it’s here!”
Indeed, Macon, Ga. native Jason Aldean
at first appeared to be paying homage to hometown
legends The Allman Brothers, with his
rockin’ performance. “Amarillo Sky,” from
the pen of Big & Rich (plus Rodney Clawson
and Bart Pursley), gave Jason a chance to tone
it down somewhat with this melodic entry.
Aldean’s self-titled debut album had recently
been certified Gold.
Speaking directly to the radio programmers,
Aldean stated, “Thanks to you guys, I
now have a hit-and-a-half. Here’s the new
single called ‘Why’ (at CRS time shooting into
the R&R Top 20).”
The muscular Keith Anderson of Arista,
who can boogie with the best of ’em, just
came off the back-to-back releases “Pickin’
Wildflowers” and the provocative “XXL.” His
album’s title offers something of a warning to
listeners: “Three Chord Country & American
Rock & Roll.” Keith’s now pinning his hopes
on the rapidly-rising “Every Time I Hear Your
Name.”
RCA’s Jeff Bates, slightly reminiscent of
a younger Conway Twitty, had his first Top
10 three years ago, “The Love Song,” which
he helped write. Last year, Jeff had a Top 20
with the sensuous “Long Slow Kisses,” but
its follow-up “Good People” bottomed out at
#46. At age 42. he needs another hit bad, and
on its way is “No Shame.” Dressed in a maroon
silk shirt, Bates expended a lot of energy
on a cover of Billy (Crash) Craddock’s
#1 “Rub It In.” (Unfortunately, Bates suffered
a broken tailbone in a later post-show fall.)
The hard-driving Hot Apple Pie founded
by Brady Seals (ex-leader of Little Texas),
who’s nearly 37, also features Spanky
Matekja, guitar; Trey Landry, drums; and
Keith Horne, bass. The humorous video preceding
their appearance played heavily on last
year’s “Hillbillies” single success. Obviously,
their promising single with its hip-hop vibe
got caught up in the firestorm following Toby
Keith’s departure from DreamWorks, which
was scuttled and Pie moved over to UMG’s
MCA label. The R&B-flavored “Easy Does
It” showcases the band’s exquisite musical
harmony, while “The Shape I’m In” sounds
more like “a bluegrass uprising.” No doubt a
lot’s riding on their upbeat current release
“We’re Makin’ Up.”
Georgia’s Little Big Town’s comprised of
the youthful Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads,
Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook with their
distinctive four-part harmonies. After their
first chartings at Monument - “Don’t Waste
My Time” and “Everything Changes” -
tanked in 2002, the group sought greener
pastures.
“Boondocks” gave them the breakthrough
country radio hit they were seeking,
though they actually come across more
of a pop act. Karen laughingly recalled a
club gig shortly after that success, where
fans were queing up for autographs, “And
I overheard a gal saying, ‘I’m not getting in
that line. They only got one damn song . . .’
Well, here’s our one damn song!”
Eric Church is Capitol’s bright new hope.
Dierks Bentley gives CRS his best shot!
Kenny Rogers at CRS-37.
. . . announcing ACM nominees
(Continued from page 17)
and their last Billboard charting was “Sell a
Lot of Beer” (#51, 2003) for 429 Records.
Here are the 2006 ACM nominations as
announced March 8 by Carrie Underwood,
reality talent show winner, and Rascal Flatts.
Entertainer of the Year: Brooks & Dunn,
Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts and
Keith Urban. Best Female Vocalist: Sara
Evans, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood,
Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack; Best
Male Vocalist: Dierks Bentley, Kenny
Chesney, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Keith
Urban; Vocal Group: Alabama, Little Big
Town, Lonestar, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland; and
Vocal Duo: Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn,
Montgomery Gentry, VanZant and the Warren
Brothers.
Vying for New Female Vocalist: Miranda
Lambert, Julie Roberts, Carrie Underwood;
New Male Vocalist: Jason Aldean, Billy
Currington, Craig Morgan; New Duo/Group:
Big & Rich, Little Big Town, Sugarland.
Best Album: “Feels Like Today,” Rascal
Flatts; “There’s More Where That Came
From,” Lee AnnWomack; “Time Well
Wasted,” Brad Paisley; “Tough All Over,”
Gary Allan; “Twice the Speed of Life,”
Sugarland.
Best Single: “Alcohol,” Brad Paisley;
“Baby Girl,” Sugarland; “Believe,” Brooks &
Dunn; “Best I Ever Had,” Gary Allan; “Jesus
Take the Wheel,” Carrie Underwood.
Best Song: “Baby Girl,” Kristian Bush,
Kristen Hall, Jennifer Nettles; “Believe,” Craig
Wiseman, Ronnie Dunn; “Jesus Take the
Wheel,” Brett James, Hillary Lindsey, Gordon
Sampson; “Skin (Sarabeth),” Joe Henry, Doug
Johnson; “When I Get Where I’m Going,”
Rivers Rutherford, George Teren.
Best Video: “As Good As I Once Was,”
Michael Solomon, director, Mark Kalbfeld,
producer (Toby Keith, artist); “Believe,”
Deaton Flanigen, director, Steve Lamar, producer
(Brooks & Dunn, artist); “I May Hate
Myself In the Morning,” Trey Fanjoy, director,
Ivy Dane, producer (Lee Ann Womack,
artist); “Kerosene,” Trey Fanjoy, director,
Holly Millar, producer (Miranda Lambert, artist);
“When I Get Where I’m Going,” Jim
Shea, director, Peter Tilden-Mark Kalbfeld,
producers (Dolly Parton-Brad Paisley, artists).
Vocal Event: “I Play Chicken With the
Train,” Cowboy Troy and Big & Rich; “Like
We Never Loved At All,” Faith Hill and Tim
McGraw; “When I Get Where I’m Going,”
Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley; and “Who Says
You Can’t Go Home,” Jon Bon Jovi and Jennifer
Nettles. - Walt Trott