DUANE EDDY - Nashville Musicians Association

REVIEWS: DENNIS TAYLOR • ALIAS • LARRY CORDLE • TEEA GOANS • SARAH DARLING 

Official Journal of AFM Local 257 

January - March 2011 

DUANE 

EDDY 

STILL 

TWANGIN’ 

AFTER 

ALL 

THESE 

YEARS 

Nonprofit 

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PAID 

Nashville, TN 

Permit No. 648 

Nashville Association of Musicians #257 

11 Music Circle North 

Nashville, TN 37203-0011 

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Official Journal of the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257 

January - March, 2011 

2 Announcments 

Date of the next membership meeting, past minutes, and more. 

4 State of the Local 

2011 finds the music business at a crossroads. President Dave 

Pomeroy outlines the choices facing working musicians. 

5 New Grooves 

Secretary-Treasurer Craig Krampf lays out the goals for AFM Local 

257 in the coming year 

6 News 

Rob Ickes wins U.S. artist fellowship, SESAC honors AFM 257 

members, and a report on the new pension trustees. 

8 Message from the new Membership Coordinator 

Neil Thorsbakken discusses ways he can assist 257 members. 

8 RMA corner 

9 Heard on the Grapevine 

The notable comings and goings of Local 257 members. 

10 Community Outreach 

11 Inside the Guitar Laboratory 

Mad guitar scientist Steve Wariner returns with another instrumental 

album that showcases his six-string wizardry. 

13 The Nashville Musician interview: Keith Thomas 

The man with more Top 40 hits than any other Nashville producer/ 

writer in the past two decades discusses his platinum-plated career. 

15 Gallery 

16 Still twangin’ after all these years 

Set to drop a new album in April, original Guitar God Duane Eddy 

looks to the past —and the future. 

19 Record Reviews 

A stunning posthumous release from Dennis Taylor, plus new discs 

from Larry Cordle, ALIAS Group, Sarah Darling, and more. 

22 Flashback 

Bob Dylan’s 1966 Blonde On Blonde sessions changed the face of 

Music City forever. 

25 Symphony Notes 

27 Jazz & Blues Beat 

28 Live Reviews 

NSO’s New Year’s Eve performance and An American Christmas Carol. 

29 RMA Corner 

28 Final Notes 

We bid a final farewell to six of our members. 

30 Member Status 

32 Do Not Work For 

The Nashville Musician January - March 2011 

Contents 

Steve Wariner takes the reader 

insde his new mind-warping collection 

of instrumentals called 

Guitar Laboratory. Page 11. 

Duane Eddy, the guitarist worshipped 

by guitar gods, reflects on 

a long and storied career that is 

still going strong after half a century. 

Story begins on page 16. 

Dennis Taylor’s Steppin’ Up leads 

a standout group of new albums. 

Reviews begin on page 19. 

1

Official Quarterly Journal of the 

Nashville Musicians Association 

AFM Local 257 

Publisher: Dave Pomeroy 

Editor: Craig Krampf 

Associate Publisher: Daryl Sanders 

Managing Editor: Kathy Osborne 

Contributing writers: Austin Bealmear, Bruce 

Bouton, Warren Denney, Laura Ross, Kathy 

Shepard, Ron Wynn 

Contributing photographers: Mickey Dobo, 

Joe Hardwick, Craig Krampf, Jim McGuire, Dave 

Pomeroy, Rusty Russell, Caryn Wariner 

Art Direction: Daddy D Design 

Web Administrator: Kathy Osborne 

Sales: Anita Winstead 

Local 257 Officers 

President: Dave Pomeroy 

Secretary-Treasurer: Craig Krampf 

Executive Board 

Bruce Bouton, Jimmy Capps 

Duncan Mullins, Bobby Ogdin, Andy Reiss, 

Laura Ross, Denis Solee 

Alternates: Tim Smith, Tom Wild 

Hearing Board 

William “Tiger” Fitzhugh, Kathy Shepard, Mike 

Douchette, Michele Voan Capps, Teresa Hargrove, 

John Terrence, Jonathan Yudkin 

Trustees 

Ron Keller, Biff Watson 

Sargeant At Arms 

Tom Wild 

Nashville Symphony Steward 

Laura Ross 

Office Manager: Anita Winstead 

Live Engagement Services 

Supervisor: Kathy Shepard 

Assistant: Laura Ross 

Electronic Media Services 

Director: Juanita Copeland 

Assistant: Teri Barnett 

Data Entry: Mandy Arostegui 

Recording Dept. Assistant: Kelly Spears 

Membership Coordinator: Neil Thorsbakken 

Reception: Janet Butler 

© 2011 The Nashville Musicians Association. 

P.O. Box 120399, Nashville TN 37212 

All rights reserved. 

Next General Membership meeting, March 14 

The next Local 257 General Membership meeting will be held on Monday, March 14, 2011. Doors 

will open at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting will start promptly at 6 p.m. Agenda items include the following 

bylaw proposal and the formation of committees for Education, Community Outreach, Legislation, 

Club and Road Musicians, and Technology. Other important business also will be discussed. 

Whereas, Local 257 Bylaws require that salary increases for President and Secretary-Treasurer be 

addressed at the first membership meeting of each year; and 

Whereas, consideration of those salary increases has been waived by the President and Secretary- 

Treasurer for a number of years, citing efforts to save the local money, especially in financially difficult 

times; and 

Whereas, it is the concern of the Executive Board that salaries not be allowed to languish too long 

without increases to attract potential officers who would be required to either heavily curtail or 

completely stop performing to serve in office; and 

Whereas, Officer salaries do not include overtime payments or other inducements, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Executive Board of Local 257 recommend increasing the salary of President by 2 % 

beginning April 1, 2011, thereby increasing the annual salary to $61,080.21; and, be it further 

Resolved, That the salary of Secretary-Treasurer be increased by 4.5 % beginning April 1, 2011, thereby 

increasing the salary to $50,061.82. 

Respectfully submitted, Laura Ross, Bruce Bouton, Bobby Ogdin, Jimmy Capps, Denis Solee, Andre 

Reiss, Duncan Mullins, Tom Wild, Tim Smith, Executive Board Members and Alternates 

Local 257 Executive Board Recommendation: Favorable 

Minutes of the Executive Board meeting, Nov. 19, 2010 

The Minutes of The Executive Board Meeting 

Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257 

Date: Nov. 19, 2010, Time: 9 a.m. 

President Dave Pomeroy called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. 

Present: President Dave Pomeroy, Secretary/Treasurer Craig Krampf, Bruce Bouton (BB), Laura Ross (LR), Duncan 

Mullins (DM), Jimmy Capps ( JC), Bobby Ogdin (BO), and alternate Tim Smith (TS). 

Reading of the Minutes 

Copies of the minutes of the last Executive Board meeting of Sept. 13, 2010 were distributed beforehand via email and 

read at the meeting. MSC to approve minutes: BB and LR. 

President’s Report 

Pomeroy reported on The Wilburn Brothers Show with board discussion following. Pomeroy gave an update on a 

situation that still exists with The Wilburn Brothers, Jim Owens and the RFD Network. MSC to authorize Pomeroy 

to work out the situation as he deems appropriate: LR and BB. JC called attention to the fact that RFD has started to 

rerun The Crook and Chase Show and The Music City News Awards show. 

The Nashville Musicians Association Flood Relief Fund has stopped taking applications for the time being. The 

committee will soon begin reviewing old applications with the hopes of being able to grant the remaining monies and 

future donations to deserving applicants. 

An update on the office personnel and the various departments of the local. The changes made during the last year have 

led to better efficiency, increased performance and more positive results for our members, i.e. getting our members paid 

on long outstanding contracts. 

An update on American Income Life. Pomeroy said that we will gather more information about the company’s services. 

Until then this item remains tabled. 

Treasurer’s Report 

Copies of the financial statements were distributed. Krampf led the board through the various aspects of the financials. 

A discussion took place. MSC to approve the treasurer’s report: BB and DM. 

A discussion took place regarding members with the largest outstanding work dues balances. 

Bruce Bouton spoke about Frost Specialty and Fireman’s Fund Insurance and the great job they have done in working 

with musicians who suffered losses in the flood. He asked the board’s permission for Robert Frost, president of Frost 

Specialty, to come and speak to the board about the possibility of working more closely with Local 257. Frost Specialty 

has started musical instrument insurance. The consensus of the board was favorable. 

New member applications were reviewed. MSC to approve new members: LR and BB. 

The date of the next Executive Board meeting was set for Friday, Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. 

There was no other business. 

Pomeroy asked for a motion to adjourn. MSC to adjourn: BO and JC. Meeting adjourned at 10:53 a.m. 

Respectfully submitted: Craig Krampf, Secretary/Treasurer 

2 January - March 2011 

The Nashville Musician

Minutes of the Membership meeting, June 7, 2010 

The Minutes of The Membership Meeting of June 7, 2010 

The Nashville Musicians Association, , AFM Local 257, AFL-CIO 

Attendees: 

Chuck Bradley, Steve Bryant, Bradley Mansell, Bill Poe, Denis Solee, Tom Wild, Bobby Ogdin, Andy Ballard, Ted 

Tretiak, Phil Arnold, James DeLoech, Jerry McPherson, Ron Keller, Linda Davis, Laura Ross, John Terrence, Dave 

Hoffner, Tyler Smith, Teresa Hargrove, Brian Miller, Gerald Miller, Dave Martin, David Balph, Travis Wetzel, Lance 

Martin, Bruce Bouton, Phil Roselle, Dewayne Pigg, Billy Linneman, Harold Bradley, Jonathan Yudkin, Dave Pomeroy 

and Craig Krampf 

Meeting called to order at 6:20 p.m. by President Dave Pomeroy. 

Roll Call of Officers: President Dave Pomeroy, Secretary/Treasurer Craig Krampf. Executive Board: Denis Solee, Tom 

Wild, Laura Ross, Bobby Ogdin. 

Hearing Board: John Terrence, Jonathan Yudkin. 

Parliamentarian: Ron Keller. 

Secretary Report 

Minutes of the last membership meeting of March 8, 2010 were distributed to all in attendance. Everyone was given 

time to look over the minutes. Pomeroy asked if there were any corrections. There were none. Minutes were approved as 

read and will appear in the newspaper. 

President’s Report 

1. Pomeroy talked about the passing of Otto Bash. He related that Bash served our union for many years in various 

capacities, the last as our current Sergeant-at-Arms. Bradley shared a few humorous antidotes about Bash. Pomeroy 

called for a moment of silence. 

2. Pomeroy asked if there were any objections to appointing Wild as the interim Sergeant-at Arms. There were none. 

Wild accepted the position. 

3. Pomeroy gave the details of the establishment of the Local 257 Flood Relief Fund. It has been set up as a separate entity, 

with a Board of Directors and bylaws. Local 257 attorney Jan Jennings was instrumental in insuring that everything 

was set up in the proper legal manner. There is a board-approved application and a procedure in place for the approval 

process. Donations have come in from all over the world. We have also received many instrument and gear donations 

from various manufacturers. 

4. Pomeroy stated that once again, through the generosity of NAMM, Local 257 members will be eligible for free passes 

to the upcoming NAMM show. NAMM has also arranged for a booth for Local 257. Donations for the Flood Relief 

Fund will be accepted at the booth. 

5. Pomeroy reported on a long-standing situation with an employer who owed Local 257 members money. Several false 

stories have been circulated and Pomeroy wanted the membership to hear the truth. This employer recently paid his 

debt in full to the local. 

6. Pomeroy gave an update on the Single Song Overdub scale and said it has been approved and is ready to be put into 

use. 

Treasurer’s Report 

Copies of the financials were distributed to all in attendance. Krampf led the attendees through the various categories. 

Motion to approve the Treasurer’s report by Ross. Second by Terrence. 

Correspondence 

President Pomeroy reported that there was no correspondence. 

Pomeroy said the remainder of the meeting would be devoted to going through resolutions and recommendations submitted 

to the AFM, which come up for approval at the upcoming AFM International Convention. Local 257 delegates 

Pomeroy, Krampf, Ross and Bruce Bouton, welcomed the input of the membership. Bradley suggested that Ross, who 

has been a delegate several times, give a briefing on how the whole convention process works. Ross proceeded to give 

a complete rundown of the convention process including descriptions and work of the different committees, and the 

various methods of voting. Pomeroy asked AFM International Executive Board members Bradley and Linneman to add 

their input and describe the rationale of the IEB’s recommendations. 

Pomeroy led a discussion on the IEB’s recommendations as well as other convention resolutions submitted by various 

player conferences, locals and individual AFM members. Bradley and Linneman were called upon to add their opinions. 

Discussion took place on each resolution and recommendation. The membership asked questions and individuals gave 

their recommendations on voting. 

There was no other business. President Pomeroy thanked everyone for being in attendance. 

Motion to adjourn by Ogdin. Second by Tom Wild 

Meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m. 

Respectfully submitted: Craig Krampf, Secretary/Treasurer 

Member Directory Update 

The AFM 257 Directory is available on our website, (www.nashvillemusicians.org) 

where it is updated at least once every month. You may view or print this directory 

by navigating to “Directory” and choosing “Members Only Directory.” Scroll to the 

bottom of the page and select “Download AFM 257 Membership Directory” Please 

note that the private directory is password protected. If you require the password, 

please call the local or write kathyo@afm257.org. If you would like a printed copy of 

the directory, please call Local 257 and we will be happy to print one for you. 


Announcements 

Free hearing and health 

Screenings at WellFEST 

Hearing loss is a prevalent problem for 

professional musicians, causing loss of work 

as well as the usual difficulty of dealing with 

a physical disability. 

Musicians who suspect hearing loss, or 

who wish to learn how to help prevent it, are 

invited to attend the Third Annual WellFEST 

scheduled for April 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 

p.m. at the Main Library Conference Center 

of the Nashville Public Library. 

Free screenings for hearing loss as well as 

a variety of other health-related areas will be 

offered at the seminar, which will focus this 

year on hearing loss in musicians and first 

responders, including fire fighters, EMT’s, 

law enforcement officers, veterans, and people 

currently active in the armed services. 

Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, a 

partner for the event, will offer hearing 

checks, hearing conservation information, 

hearing aids and assistive technologies, 

musician hearing devices, and head and neck 

cancer screenings. 

Two other Vanderbilt facilities, also 

partners for the event, will hold free 

screenings. The Dayani Center will provide 

fitness tests such as strength, flexibility, waist 

circumference, and body fat assessments, and 

the Coalition for Healthy Aging will provide 

screenings for blood pressure, glucose, bone 

scans, vision, and glaucoma. 

Seminars include how to adjust to 

hearing loss in a hearing world, a discussion 

of lifestyle-related disease and a cooking 

demonstration from Whole Foods. 

Information booths, including one hosted 

by event partner Local 257, and screenings 

will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

Organizers of the WellFEST are Bridges 

(formerly the League for the Deaf & Hard 

of Hearing) and the Library Services for the 

Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Nashville Public 

Library. For more info call 615.248.8828 or 

visit www.hearingbridges.org. 

Free 257 Web Profile 

At nashvillemusicians.org, you can set up a 

profile page with sound and video clips, bio, 

and other information. You can also advertise 

gigs, pay your annual dues, and read message 

boards and blogs, as well as the latest Local 

257 news. 

For more information, 

call 615-244-9514, ext. 225, 

or email kathyo@afm257.org. 

3

State of the Local 

By Dave Pomeroy 

Last year saw many challenges and 

changes for Nashville and the music 

community. I am proud of the way so 

many people helped each other and glad we 

could help so many people with our flood 

relief fund. 

Thanks again to everyone who contributed 

and donated gear to those who were affected. 

We can all take pride knowing that we have 

come together as a city like never before. 

Please keep former Local 257 secretarytreasurer 

Billy Linneman in your thoughts 

and prayers as he continues to recover from a 

series of medical issues. Our best to you, Billy. 

Local 257 is a very diverse group. From 

symphony and road musicians to artists, 

songwriters, teachers, studio players, retirees, 

and students, everyone has a unique story. 

New members are joining, former members 

are returning, and we feel the energy growing. 

The response to our increased communication 

and outreach is encouraging, but your active 

participation is absolutely essential for us to 

be effective in helping you. 

I believe that 2011 brings us to a 

crossroads. We can work together, or we 

can drift towards an “everyone for themself ” 

mentality and run the risk of destroying what 

has taken over 100 years to build. We must all 

recognize that short-term choices have longterm 

consequences. 

We are only as strong as our collective 

belief in ourselves and our willingness to look 

out for each other. This is what “solidarity” 

means. It’s not about politics. It’s about 

communicating and doing what’s best for all 

of us going forward. 

The challenges musicians face are more 

complex now, but not impossible. We must 

learn from each other and find workable 

solutions. It’s not easy, but it must be done, 

and we must do it together, and discuss 

problems openly and honestly. 

We work hard to help members and try 

to fix things when they go wrong. It took 

the entire 2009 NFL season to get Tim 

McGraw’s band paid for the NFL openingnight 

kickoff concert. No paperwork was 

signed at the concert, but once we became 

aware of the problem, we went after the NFL 

— and won. This year, Taylor Swift played 

the opening and the NFL did the right thing 

and paid promptly — because they knew we 

were paying attention. 

Luke Bryan and his band did a non-union 

reality TV show and it took months to sort it 

all out and get the band what they deserved. It 

took a long time, but we did it. In each case, a 

bandleader came forward, took responsibility 

and worked with us to solve the problem. 

A few years ago, a well-known producer 

came to town and paid everyone a “day 

rate” for a film soundtrack. When the 

paperwork was filed, it was misrepresented 

as a record, and because no player brought 

it to our attention at the time, it was never 

questioned. 

What happened? They missed out on 

many thousands of residual dollars, and got 

a few hundred dollars in new use payments 

instead. The next time the same producer 

came to town, the union got involved, made 

sure it was filed properly, and those players, 

who worked for the same day rate as before, 

have received well over $50,000 in residuals 

so far. Yes, it pays to pay attention. 

We are committed to having every 

member’s back, and being there when 

problems arise. But we need your help, and 

your willingness to stand together, so that 

our strength and ability to fight for you is 

never diminished. 

Another subject needs to see the light of 

day: non-union session work, also known 

as “dark dates” or “scab” sessions. Nashville 

has always had a high level of union versus 

non-union work, perhaps the highest of 

any recording center. Back in the day, this 

was due to influential producers like Owen 

Bradley and Chet Atkins, who made sure 

things got done right. 

We still have great relationships with 

the vast majority of our employers, but the 

music business today is a much different 

environment, and you need to take steps 

to protect yourself. We can help you learn 

what to say to a potential employer when 

the subject of union contracts arises. The 

paperwork is not difficult and we can walk 

you through it. We are here to help you, not 

hinder you. 

It’s not hard to figure out that there is 

more and more work being done off the 

card. With the rise of home recording, it is 

easier than ever to work under the table and 

“get away” with it. However, think about this: 

What are you really “getting away” with? 

You are most likely making less than scale, 

with no overtime or doubling payments. 

You’re giving up your pension contributions, 

as well as losing any realistic chance of a 

new use or re-use payment if the song goes 

into a movie, television show, or advertising 

jingle. Finally, you will get no credit from the 

Special Payments fund, either. 

It’s really not such a good deal, is it? 

If even a modest percentage of the nonunion 

sessions that happen every day were 

done on the card, it would have a huge 

impact. If you take the seemingly “easy” 

route and bypass the union, the problems 

only get worse. Please remember that we 

have different contracts and rates for nearly 

any situation, including independent records 

and joint band ventures. 

Keeping your work under a contract 

protects your intellectual property, and 

totally transforms what we can do for you if 

there is an issue getting paid. 

On a similar note, I would also like to 

remind you that the Single Song Overdub 

‘I believe that 2011 brings us to a crossroads.’ 

Scale is available for those of you who are 

doing overdub and home recording work 

for independent artists and labels. For 

more information, see SSOS Overview and 

Guidelines on the website, or ask the Local 

257 Recording Department for help. 

So I am asking you, our members, to keep 

all this in mind. There is much to gain if we 

stick together. The alternative is to let our 

collective bargaining power disappear, and 

watch our union die. 

We can help you help yourself, but it’s up to 

you to take that first step. The atmosphere in 

our office is upbeat and everyone is focused 

on continuing to improve our services for 

you. Talk to us. That’s what we’re here for. 

Now, more than ever, people from all 

over the world are looking to Nashville for 

leadership in the future direction of the 

music and entertainment business. We have 

a unique opportunity to show the world 

that Music City is a place where the work 

of musicians is respected and they are paid 

fairly. This dream that can be our reality – 

but only if we stick together and “do the right 

thing.” The choice is yours. 

Dave Pomeroy is president of AFM Local 257. 

You can reach him at dave@afm257.org. 



By Craig Krampf 

Greetings my Fellow Brother and 

Sister Musicians. Michelangelo 

said “The greater danger for most of 

us lies not in setting our aim too high and 

falling short; but in setting our aim too low, 

and achieving our mark.” 

It is only natural to meet a new year with 

plans, resolutions and new ideas about what 

we want to accomplish. I have some personal 

goals set for myself, and Dave and I have 

many ideas and plans for our union. Will we 

accomplish success? It is possible, as long as 

we give full effort to our high goals. We want 

you to know we will work hard and will need 

your help. This is our union and we are all in 

this together. 

The Goal of the AFM 

I hope you have followed news about the 

AFM during the past year. The election of 

Ray Hair as our AFM president, and so 

many new AFM IEB members — including 

our own Local 257 president — has given 

me the most hope I have had for the future 

of the AFM in a very long while. The reign 

of exclusion is over. All AFM members, no 

matter the field of expertise, have a voice that 

will be heard by our IEB and acted upon. It is 

what our union is supposed to be. We are all 

brother and sisters who have been brought 

together by this incredible, very unique 

profession. 

Many people have commented on AFM 

Secretary-Treasurer Sam Folio’s column in 

the January, 2011 edition of The International 

Musician. Some feel the column has an 

element of bleakness because it addresses 

many of the AFM’s financial problems. I 

see it as a positive step towards fixing wrong 

policies and business decisions made in years 

past. To me, Sam’s column is a reality check, 

and that is always necessary to implement 

positive change. I believe Sam’s statement, 

“Let’s be a union, and if it can be organized, 

let’s do it,” is a great goal for the AFM. 

The Financial Goal 

Finances have been our priority at Local 257 

since we took office. We have had an ongoing 

mission to reduce costs and improve service 

to members. We will save more than $4,000 

by not spending money on a mass printing of 

the Local 257 Directory, so we have put this 

on hold for now. We will be happy to print 

a directory for any member who wants one. 

However, please remember that the online 

private directory on our website is updated 

at least once a month and is also printable. 

Go to www.nashvillemusicians.org and click 

on “directory” for access. We will continue 

cost-cutting efforts this year and hope to be 

able to pass along more positive news about 

our financial condition next quarter. 

A Goal for The Emergency Relief Fund 

We want to say thank you to all who have 

given the voluntary $2 contribution to the 

Emergency Relief Fund (ERF). The ERF 

has come to the aid of many musicians going 

through hard times and is something very 

special our local offers. In January the IRS 

granted The Nashville Musicians Association 

Flood Relief Fund 501c3 classification, 

which allows contributors to be able to claim 

their donation as a tax deduction. My hope is 

that this year the ERF will also attain 501c3 

tax classification. The legal process to attain 

the 501c3 status for the ERF is now in the 

beginning stages. Hopefully, attaining this 

tax status will encourage larger and more 

frequent donations to the ERF. 

The Goal for New Membership 

We have taken big positive steps and our 

number of new members has grown over the 

last two years. We will continue to spread 

the word about the benefits of being a union 

musician, and we need your help. Whenever 

possible, talk with non-union musicians and 

explain why you are a member and what the 

benefits mean to you. 

Make the point that there is strength in 

numbers and if we stand in solidarity, we all 

gain much more than if we have an everyman-for-himself 

mentality. If we don’t stand 

together, wages will fall and musicians will be 

taken advantage of. Our union has worked 

for over a hundred years to make sure this 

won’t happen. Help spread the union word. 

These personal interactions are key to success 

with gaining new members. 

Communication and explanation are 

important elements with any relationship. 

We get to interact frequently with nonunion 

musicians; young road musicians, 

musicians playing live gigs such as The 

Opry, and even the occasional non-union 

musician on a recording session. Instead of 


New Grooves 

the old-fashioned threats, we explain all the 

positive reasons for being a union musician. 

We tell non-members that the union is in 

the business of helping musicians. The new 

methods are working — negative perceptions 

are being changed! Our goal is to improve on 

the last two year’s number of new members. 

The Goal to Inform 

So many phone calls and emails are 

devoted to the same questions. Our job is 

to help you in any way that we can, and we 

will gladly take the time to help answer your 

questions. But in the interest of trying to 

inform, I will devote the rest of my column 

to two of these topics. 

Life Membership 

There are two requirements in the AFM 

Bylaws. First, members have continuous 

membership in good standing with the AFM 

for a period of thirty-five years. Second, 

members must have reached the age of sixtyfive. 

Members meeting both requirements 

shall automatically become Life Members. 

You don’t have to be a member with thirtyfive 

years of good standing membership of 

Local 257. 

Membership in any local is also counted, 

as long as it has been continuous membership 

in the AFM. In most cases, our records only 

go back until when you joined our local and 

so, please let us know if Life Membership 

hasn’t kicked in for you when you meet the 

requirements. We will then check with the 

AFM New York office. 

The Pension Fund 

As a rule, the pension fund will not 

release any information about an individual’s 

pension, except to that person. Please contact 

the American Federation of Musicians and 

Employers Pension Fund (AFM-EPF) at 

afm-epf.org or write to American Federation 

of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund, 

One Penn Plaza - Suite 3115, New York, NY 

10119. You may also call 800-833-8065, Ext. 

1311 

Epilogue 

One of our union musician brothers, Les 

Brown, the famous bandleader, said, “Your 

goals are the road maps that guide you and 

show you what is possible for your life.” 

My wish is for you to aim high and to have 

success in reaching your goals and what is 

possible this year. My wish for our Local 257 

is for the same. May we meet the future with 

hope, faith, love and peace. 

Craig Krampf is secretary-treasurer of AFM 

Local 257. You can reach him at craig@ 

afm257.org. 

5

News 

Rob Ickes 

Jim 

Lauderdale 

SESAC honors Lauderdale 

Local 257 member Jim Lauderdale was 

honored by SESAC with the organization’s 

Inspiration Award at a Nov. 8 event held in 

Nashville. 

The singer-songwriter was honored for 

his genre-bending music, which includes 

collaborations with Elvis Costello, Ralph 

Stanley, Willie Nelson and many others. 

Local 257 members who received 

Americana 

Performance 

A c t i v i t y 

a w a r d s 

i n c l u d e 

Lauderdale, 

Beth Nielsen 

Chapman, 

Kevin Welch, 

and Nanci 

Griffith. 

S E S A C 

is the only 

Beth Nielsen Chapman 

Ickes named United States Artist fellow 

performance rights organization that 

recognizes the Americana format with 

Acclaimed dobro player Rob Ickes 

was selected as a 2010 United States 

Artist fellow in a ceremony held 

Dec. 7 at the Lincoln Center in New York 

City. 

Ickes, a member of Local 257, will 

receive a $50,000 grant as part of the 

program designed to award 50 artists each 

year across the country in disciplines that 

include music, theater arts, visual arts, dance, 

literature, media, crafts and traditional arts, 

and architectural design. 

The first artist with bluegrass roots to 

the scene today. He won the International 

Bluegrass Music Association’s Dobro Player 

of the year award for the twelfth time in 

2010, which made him the most awarded 

instrumentalist in the history of the IBMA. 

He is also a member of Three Ring Circle, 

a progressive bluegrass trio, with fiddle and 

mandolin player Andy Leftwich and bassist 

Dave Pomeroy. Along with releases by Blue 

Highway and Three Ring Circle, Ickes has 

also recorded four solo releases, the most 

recent of which is a dobro and piano-jazz 

album, Road Works (ResoRevolution). 

Performance Activity awards. 

Country Performance Activity awards 

were given to several Local 257 members, 

including Monty Powell, Gary Burr and 

Kim Tribble. 

AFM traveling members Bob Dylan, Ray 

Wylie Hubbard and Fred Eaglesmith were 

also presented Americana Performance 

Activity awards. 

SESAC was founded in 1930 and is the 

second oldest performing rights organization 

in the United States. 

— Staff report 

become a United States Fellow, Ickes said United States Artists was formed by the 

he plans to use the award to continue to Ford Foundation in 2005 with $22 million 

explore “the vast musical potential that the in seed funding from The Ford, Rockefeller, 

dobro has to offer,” and to raise the visibility Rasmuson and Prudential Foundations, 

of the instrument. 

with a mission “to invest in America’s finest 

Ickes is a founding member of the band artists and illuminate the value of artists to 

Blue Highway, and is recognized as one society.” 

of the most innovative dobro players on 




New AFM Pension 

Trustees energized 

Last year’s economic recession and its 

long-term effects have impacted lives, 

the workplace and the American Federation 

of Musicians and Employers Pension 

Fund (AFM-EPF). 

One of AFM President Ray Hair’s first 

actions was to name new AFM-EPF Union 

Trustees, and to increase the number of 

trustees from seven to eight. Just a few years 

ago the number was as high as nine, with the 

same number of employer trustees. Violinist 

Laura Ross, Local 257 Executive Board 

member and union steward for the Nashville 

Symphony, was appointed one of three 

rank-and-file trustees along with ICSOM 

president and member of the Kansas City 

Symphony, Brian Rood, and reappointed 

Local 47 member and recording representative 

Phil Yao. 

Other new trustees are Local 802 (NYC) 

president Tino Gagliardi and Local 47 (Los 

Angeles) president Vince Trombetta, who 

also serve as newly elected AFM International 

Executive Board members. Local 10- 

208 (Chicago) president Gary Matts was reappointed 

and Hair appointed former trustee 

Bill Moriarity to serve again. “Moriarity is an 

incredible resource regarding the fund and 

he is deeply committed to the participants,” 

Ross said. “His presence adds a great deal to 

the discussion and to our education.” 

When Hair appointed the AFM Trustees 

in August, the size of the board increased to 

16; eight AFM and eight Employer Trustees. 

Bill Thomas, chief financial officer of the 

New York Philharmonic, was appointed to 

fill an existing vacancy and he is the first to 

represent orchestra employers. Filling the 

eighth Employer Trustee position is Robert 

Johnson from the Walt Disney Company. 

“I am honored by the appointment and 

can relate that every trustee is working diligently 

to address both the health of the fund 

and the concerns of participants,” said Ross. 

Trustees receive and study quarterly notebooks 

with information, trust documents 

and reports, and received a one-day orientation 

session after appointment. The first 

regular trustee meetings were held in late 

August through early September. 

In early November, at the second set of 

trustee meetings, an extra day of education 

was added to cover investments, asset allocation, 

actuarial assumptions and historical 

background on the fund. “During these 

meetings it became clear that although the 

health of the fund has improved since 2008, 

it still has a long way to go. We all agree we 

must bring the fund back to health so we can 

then address the multiplier, a key concern of 

participants,” said Ross. 

The multiplier is especially important to 

musicians who are just beginning their orchestral, 

recording and performing careers. 

To help address these challenges, the trustees 

have created a new committee to look at 

every aspect of the fund, from plan design 

on up. The committee convened in mid- 

December, and will soon bring its ideas back 

to the full Board of Trustees for further discussion. 

Committee members include Bill 

Thomas and Investment Committee members 

Yao (AFM cochair), Moriarity, Rood, 

and Chris Brockmeyer (employer cochair). 

Following the November Board of Trustees’ 

meetings, Rood, Gagliardi and Ross were 

able to take advantage of a vital education 

opportunity. The AFM-EPF is a member of 

the International Foundation of Employee 

Benefit Plans (IFEBP). This group offers 

education, workshops and training programs 

for pension and health and welfare benefit 

fund trustees, as well as others. At the IF- 

EBP’s annual conference there were more 

than 200 education sessions, including programs 

designed specifically for new trustees. 


“Initially, we hesitated about attending 

this important conference because it was 

in Hawaii,” said Ross. “However, following 

conversations with colleagues and organizations 

we represent, we decided this would 

give us the ability to make more educated 

and informed decisions as fiduciaries and as 

trustees.” 

Regarding travel expenses, the IFEPB 

chooses the locations, usually in cities that 

make for successful conferences. They keep 

costs low by negotiating hotel rates, and include 

many meals as part of the program. 

“In fact, the negotiated hotel rate was significantly 

less than a New York hotel and 

the 10-hour flight(s) in economy class were 

a little more than double the cost of a plane 

ticket to New York where pension meetings 

are held,” Ross added. “Just as the ICSOM 

Governing Board has an adopted set of detailed 

travel and reimbursement guidelines, 

so too does the AFM-EPF.” 

At the conference trustees attended sessions 

on varied topics, including labor law 

requirements, one of which featured a session 

with the Assistant Secretary of Labor. 

Other sessions concerned investments and 

asset allocation, actuarial modeling, communication, 

multi-employer and Taft-Hartley 

plans. Attendees also studied the Financial 

Accounting Standards Board (FASB) 

changes regarding transparency in reporting, 

administration, withdrawal liability, dealing 

with funding shortfalls, and a whole host of 

health and welfare issues. 

Ross was also assigned by Hair to two 

AFM-EPF committees – the Administration 

and Communication Committees. If 

members have any specific questions, they 

should be sent to Laura Ross (email lar2vln@ 

afm257.org) as Local 257’s representative of 

the Communication Committee. 

For further information on the AFM Pension 

Fund, visit www.afm-epf.org. 


7

Greetings from the 

New Membership 

Coordinator 

Hello Local 257 members! My name 

is Neil Thorsbakken and I’m the 

new Membership Coordinator 

here at the Nashville Musicians Association. 

I wanted to take some time to introduce 

myself and give you a little insight into what 

I hope to accomplish here at the union. 

Originally from Oshkosh, Wisc., I 

relocated to Tennessee in 2004 when I 

attended Middle Tennessee State University 

in Murfreesboro. I graduated in 2008 with a 

B.S. in Recording Industry and a minor in 

Management and Marketing. 

While an undergraduate, I was active in 

my Grammy U program, Chi Alpha Epsilon 

Honors Society and also helped start and 

form a Sigma Pi fraternity, serving as the 

founding vice president and Interfraternity 

Council (IFC) judicial representative. 

After graduation I went to work for Sigma 

Pi Fraternity 

International 

in Brentwood, 

Tenn., where I 

served for two 

and a half years 

as the Senior 

Educational 

L e a d e r s h i p 

Consultant for 

the Midwest 

region and 

S e n i o r 

Recruitment 

Consultant. 

Thorsbakken 

During my tenure I traveled to over 45 

schools across the country and assisted 

undergraduate and alumni members on 

everything from recruitment and new 

member education to philanthropic events, 

finances and public relations. 

I began work with AFM Local 257 in 

October 2010, and I am looking to improve 

communications and public relations with 

our union and its members. Along with 

assisting our front desk and answering your 

phone calls I am in the process of updating 

our membership directory and need your 

help in some areas. I need updated contact 

information, especially correct emails. We 

like to send out information regarding union 

progress and issues but have been getting 

a large number of emails returned. We 

can keep any of your contact information 

confidential, including email to others and 

will only use it for our records regarding your 

accounts. 

Also please check the website, as it has 

RMA Corner 

By Bruce Bouton 

Happy New Year to Nashville 

musicians and musicians 

everywhere. Here’s hoping that 

2011 is a prosperous year for everyone. 

As we head into the second decade 

of the century we are faced with many 

challenges to our livelihoods as recording 

musicians. While record sales are down 

worldwide, there is still a recording 

industry, and there are still companies 

making money utilizing the talents of the 

studio musician. 

Unfortunately the economic reality 

is making it much more difficult to deal 

with many of these companies when it 

comes to compensating musicians fairly. 

In the age of “free,” some of this attitude 

has filtered over to the industry. 

In addition, because of the exclusion 

of the RMA by the last administration, 

some bad deals were made. 

That’s the bad news. The good news 

is the fact that we now have an AFM 

president and an IEB that welcome 

and encourage RMA involvement in all 

recording issues and is working hard to 

repair the collateral damage from the 

past. 

In addition, President Ray Hair 

has reactivated the EMSD oversight 

been redesigned with many more features 

including the Members Only section, where 

musicians can make their own profile and 

post shows and information about their 

bands and other side projects, for the public 

as well as other members to view. 

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter 

and Facebook. On Twitter or Facebook 

you can search for “Nashville Musicians 

Association,” or click on the Facebook and 

Twitter logos on the bottom of the home 

page of the Local 257 website, located at 

www.nashvillemusicians.org. 

committee. Currently serving on 

the committee are Marc Sazer, Neil 

Stubenhaus, Bill Foster and myself. 

We now have an extremely functional 

working relationship between the RMA 

and the federation. 

Here comes the pitch. I’m hoping that 

I can encourage everyone to renew his 

or her membership in the local RMA 

chapter. Your membership ensures a 

strong, active voice when it comes to the 

issues concerning recording musicians. 

For example, your membership dollars 

paid to send RMA Treasurer Tom Wild 

to the phono negotiations in NY. RMA 

dollars also paid for David and Monissa 

Angel to go to Washington and help 

lobby Congress for performance rights. 

Most importantly, a strong RMA 

chapter shows that we do mean business 

and must be taken seriously when it comes 

to our profession. 

I would also encourage folks to step up 

and get involved. Our chapter is due for 

an election in the next month or so. Please 

consider running for the board. 

I will announce a general membership 

meeting in the next couple of weeks. 

Please try to attend. 

On another note, I would encourage 

everyone to try and keep everything 

signatory. It’s the only way to make sure 

your work is protected. 

[Editor’s Note: RMA Nashville President 

Bouton was appointed as the rank and 

file trustee for the AFM/AFTRA fund 

in January. “I am honored to have been 

given this appointment by our president. 

The fund is growing every year and could 

become a substantial addition to recording 

musicians’ income,” Bouton said.] 

Bruce Bouton is president of the Nashville 

chapter of the RMA. You can reach him at 

Bout54@aol.com. 

When I’m not at the union, I enjoy playing 

golf, basketball and being around music as 

much as possible. I am an avid Wisconsin 

sports fan and enjoy traveling to see my 

teams whenever they are nearby. 

If you have any questions, thoughts or 

concerns please feel free to contact me at 

615-244-9514, email at neil@afm257.org 

or stop in and say hi! I look forward to 

working with all of you and making 2011 

another great year for the Nashville music 

community. n 



Neil Young 

at Mercy 

Lounge 

Neil Young hosts Ben Keith tribute 

On Nov. 16, 2010, a memorial service for Local 257 Life member 

Ben Keith, who passed away on July 26 in California, was held at 

the Mercy Lounge. In attendance were many of Ben’s friends, family 

and musical associates. Neil Young, whose long association with 

Keith began with the Harvest album in 1972, served as unofficial 

master of ceremonies, and spoke eloquently about Ben as a friend and 

fellow musician. Other speakers included Ben’s daughter Heidi and 

his two granddaughters, plus Karl Himmel, Bobby Bare Sr., Chad 

Cromwell, Rick Rojas, and Local 257 President, Dave Pomeroy. Also 

in attendance were Doug Dillard, Mayor Karl Dean and Ben’s family. 

It was a beautiful night of remembrance for a wonderful musician 

and great person. He will be missed. 

Buck White receives fiddling award 

Got an item for the Grapevine? 

Send your news and notes to 

Managing Editor Kathy Osborne. 

kathyo@afm257.org 

Photo by Craig Krampf 

Opry star Buck White recently won the Dr. Perry F. Harris award, 

presented by the Grand Master Fiddling Championship, Inc. The 

award is given to a musician who is considered to have had a lasting 

impact on the fiddling art form, and is given each year as part of the 

September event, during the International Bluegrass Music Awards, 

held in Nashville. White, a 30-year member of Local 257, is known 

for mandolin and piano playing, as well as the fiddle. 


Heard on the Grapevine 

Taylor places songs on soap 

Kate Taylor, a new member of Local 257, 

recently got the news that 10 songs she wrote 

and coproduced would be used on the soap 

opera The Young and the Restless. “Twelve years 

of baby steps here, now it is time for some giant 

leaps and I’m ready to fly,” Taylor said. 

Two shows on tap for Music City Baroque 

Music City Baroque will present Singers, Strings and Sackbuts, a 

concert of German Baroque music, Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m., 

at Belmont Heights Baptist Church. The non-profit group, which 

emphasizes historical instruments, will also perform a concert of 

Baroque chamber music for sopranos, strings and winds on Sunday, 

April 3, at 3 p.m. in Memorial Chapel at Fisk University. All admission 

for concerts is $10, $5 for students and seniors. For more information 

go to www.musiccitybaroque.org. 

257 member develops ‘green’ 

guitar polish 

Local 257 member Tyler Unger has developed a 

series of guitar care products that are effective and 

also are environmentally friendly. Professor Green’s 

guitar products are all natural and are being used 

at Gruhn Guitars in Nashville. The guitar polish, 

fretboard conditioner and other products are 

available at www.professorgreens.com. 

New Michael Spriggs release on Echoes top 10 

Sonic Venue, the new album by AFM 257’s Michael Spriggs, has 

landed in the Top 10 on NPR’s Echoes chart, besting well-known 

artists such as Brian Eno, Trent Reznor and Daft Punk. 

Nashville Unlimited Christmas benefits homeless 

The 11th “Nashville Unlimited Christmas” concert was held on 

Dec. 15, 2010 at Christ Church Cathedral. Dave Pomeroy organizes 

and hosts this annual benefit show, which raised nearly $5000 

for the Room In The Inn homeless program despite a winter ice 

storm. Performers included Vinnie Vidivici, Three Ring Circle, The 

Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, Mike Farris, The McCrary Sisters, 

Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, and the Duffy Jackson “Little Big 

Band” including (l-r below) Local 257 members Jackson, Ike Harris, 

George Tidwell, Kevin Madill, Denis Solee, and Kenny Anderson. 

Photo by Mickey Dobo 

9

Community Outreach 

Clockwise from top left: Guitarists Vince Gill and John Jorgenson pose with 

founders of Nash2o at the downtown kickoff event for the organization last September. 

The non-profit flood relief group accepted donated flood-damaged instruments 

from celebrities and sold them to raise money for MusicCares Nashville 

Flood Relief Fund, the Fireman’s Fund National Philanthropic Program, and 

AFM Local 257’s own Nashville Musicians Association Flood Relief Fund. Auctions 

were held online from September until January. Pictured (l-r) are Nash2o 

cofounder Bruce Bouton, Gill, Jorgenson, cofounders Joe Glaser and George Gruhn 

(Photo by Dobo). • Professional musicians added a little bit of show biz to Nashville 

Metro School’s annual Career Day Expo in November. Over 4,000 tenth 

graders came to Sommet Center to learn about career choices, and were greeted 

with music from (l-r) Dave Pomeroy (bass), Jonell Mosser (vocals), Tom Britt 

(guitar) and Craig Krampf (drums). • Sheri O’Neal of ReTune Nashville presented 

Pomeroy with a check for $6,000 for the Nashville Musicians Association 

Flood Relief Fund. ReTune Nashville is a non-profit organization that provides 

help for uninsured musicians through the sale of artwork created from flood-damaged 

instruments and gear. • Santa takes an interview break during Local 257’s 

second annual Caroling On The Row event in December, which raised over $300 

for Nashville’s Key Alliance, a non-profit fundraising arm of the Metropolitan 

Homelessness Commission. • Bill Lloyd presents a check for the flood relief fund 

from his group, The Long Players. Pictured are Krampf, Lloyd, and Pomeroy. 



Inside the 

Guitar 

Laboratory: 

The Monster 

Sounds of 

Steve Wariner 

By Warren Denney 

Sometimes, things are better 

left unspoken. Words can 

often get in the way of real 

emotion. It certainly seems that 

way with Steve Wariner these days. 

Fresh off the heels of the instrumental 

Grammy award-winning effort My Tribute 

To Chet Atkins in 2009, Wariner has once 

more let his guitar do the talking — this time 

with Guitar Laboratory, released in February 

on his own SelecTone Records label. 

It is an astonishing effort just in the musical 

ground it covers alone — not to mention 

the virtuosity with which Wariner moves 

between styles. Be it the rollicking ‘chicken 

pickin’ on the opening track “Tele Kinesis,” 

or the classical acoustic approach on “Crafty,” 

Wariner moves deftly behind the tone and 

the chords that hold it all, offering the 

listener a world which only he could create. 

One night in the middle of producing 

Guitar Laboratory, a friend dropped in on 

Wariner in his studio — affectionately known 

as Twangri La — and upon seeing all the 

guitars, cables, amps, assorted mics and pedals 

strewn about, said “Man, what are you, some 

sort of mad scientist up here?” It was then that 

the true concept of the record clarified itself. 

“I wanted to represent most every 

kind of style that I love,” Wariner, an 

AFM 257 member since 1973, said 

recently. “People like Jerry Reed, James 

Burton, my dad, my Uncle Jimmy, and, 

of course, Chet. It’s just showing what I 

am. It really exposes my whole life really.” 

And, in this laboratory, Wariner cooked 

up 13 songs, as he explored style, texture 

and tone, laying them down in a way that 

effortlessly pulls the listener into this 

sonic and emotional realm. You’ll find 

jazz, funk, country, swing, rock & roll, 

and everything in between on this record. 

Wariner is award-laden — 14 No. 1 

singles, three gold records, four Grammys, 

four CMAs, one ACM, and perhaps the 

most important one: c.g.p. or Certified 

Guitar Player, bestowed upon just four 

players by Atkins himself. He is comfortable 

in his skin on this record, and it shows. 

“I’m in a place now that’s certainly different 

than I was even 10 years ago,” he said. “I’m 

making music now and doing my thing. I’m 

doing this because it’s where I am. I’m hoping 

we sell some of these but it was a record that 

had to be made anyhow. I think you can tell 

when a record is coming from that place.” 

It is certainly one in which there is 

room to wander. Guitar Laboratory does 

not feel compressed or forced, a mere 

construction of chops. It has space. 

“We’ve showcased a lot of different styles,” 

Wariner said. “I was preaching and saying 


Photo by Joe Hardwick 

from the start when the players would come 

in that I wasn’t going to be afraid to let a little 

space go by. Some records feel like they have to 

fill up every little thing — every little space.” 

The insanely versatile Wariner plays upright 

bass, lap steel, resonator guitar, acoustic guitar, 

steel string, classical guitar, pedal steel, and 

“a lot of electrics” on Laboratory. The record 

afforded Wariner the opportunity to pull 

out some old acquaintances, such as his ’58 

Gretsch reissue Country Gentleman heard 

on the lilting “Kentuckiana” (with analog 

tape echo), and the 1954 0018 Martin used 

on the acoustic leads in “Goody 2 Shoes,” 

a track on which he played everything. The 

booklet accompanying the album outlines 

much of the “laboratory” equipment used on 

the tracks (and the thought behind them). 

This is an effort infused with musicianship 

of the highest order, and also a record that 

pays respects to the foundation on which 

a modern Nashville was laid. One of the 

record’s finest moments is the rendition of 

“Sugarfoot Rag,” the Hank Garland classic, 

which features Texas Troubador Leon Rhodes. 

Another is the Wariner-penned “Pals,” which 

features the great thumb-style picking of 

Paul Yandell, who began his career with the 

Louvin Brothers, played with Jerry Reed, and 

like his buddy Steve, later became a member 

of Chet’s band. Wariner joined them in 1977. 

11

“I mean Leon Rhodes is a Texas 

Troubador, man,” Wariner said. “It’s 

awesome to me to get him out there to 

play. And, to have my friend Paul on there 

is an honor. Paul Yandell is the greatest 

— and an unknown treasure for many.” 

Wariner credits Yandell with bringing him 

to Chet’s attention, who signed him to RCA, 

and under whom he grew into stardom. 

Key players on Laboratory include the 

legendary Joey Miskulin on accordian, 

David Hungate and Michael Rhodes on 

bass, Aubrey Haynie on fiddle, John Jarvis 

on keys, John Gardner, Ron Gannaway and 

Greg Morrow on drums, and Barry Green 

on an otherworldly trombone. The feeling of 

a certain kinship pervades throughout, and 

the record includes significant contributions 

from his two sons, Ryan and Ross. 

It is the younger son, Ross, who laid out 

the concept for the melancholy track “I 

Will Never Forget You ( Je Ne T’oulbierai 

Jamais)” and contributes piano on the piece, 

and Ryan who came up with the rocking riffs 

that drive the track “Sting Ray.” Between 

Ryan and his father, the two play seven 

guitars and utilize four amps for the song 

that memorializes not only a time period, 

but Wariner’s own ’66 Corvette, as well. 

“I wanted my sons to be involved only if 

they wanted to,” he said. “I wanted them 

to earn it and work for it. They each went 

and did their homework and came back 

and contributed. I was thrilled. Both their 

participations are from such different 

places. They are musicians. It’s in the blood.” 

And, while Guitar Laboratory is rooted in 

Wariner’s current perspective, it is a record 

that carries with it a certain nostalgia. 

One can certainly hear shades of Reed, 

Burton, Chet, Buck Owens — as well as 

the likes of bluesman Roy Buchanan and 

the English finger-picking great Albert Lee. 

Wariner was raised by parents Roy and 

Ilene in Noblesville, Ind., except for a short 

stint when the family moved to Louisville, 

Ky. His father was a musician, as was his 

uncle Jimmy Warriner, and he began to play 

at an early age. He played in his father’s bands 

growing up, and was ultimately “discovered” 

at age 17 by Dottie West when she played 

the Nashville Country Club in Indianapolis. 

A few months later, Wariner was her bass 

player and on a bus headed for Reno, Nev. 

“I jumped on the bus ... I couldn’t 

even read a chart,” he recalled, laughing. 

“I learned it real quick, though. I 

was so green it was unbelievable.” 

He rode that bus with Dottie for three 

years. And, before landing with Chet, he 

would play bass with rocking country star 

Bob Luman’s band. This is what Wariner 

brings to the table — history and innovation. 

The critical success of My Tribute 

To Chet Atkins, and the mind space in 

which it placed Wariner, contributed 

heavily to the impetus of this record. 

“This project really started the minute I 

finished the Chet record,” Wariner said. “And, 

so many people loved the booklet and what 

I had to say about the Chet project that the 

concept definitely carried over. I had as many 

people liking the booklet as much as the music 

on that record. People really like it when you 

talk about the cuts and how the songs happen. 

“I’ll tell you, it took some discipline as a 

songwriter — which I take very seriously 

— to fight the temptation of putting 

some vocals down on this record. But, 

coming on the heels of the Chet record, 

I’m in a guitar mode and a player mode 

right now so I wanted to keep it going.” 

It is difficult to produce an instrumental 

record that speaks well throughout — one 

that communicates a story or emotion 

consistently. Guitar Laboratory does 

that. From the dream-like Hawaiian vibe 

on “Waikiki ‘79,” to the jazzy comfort 

of friendship heard on “Phyllis and 

Ramona,” and within the excellent country 

picking found on “Up The Red Hill,” 

Wariner has found a way to make this 

record live. There are the mind’s eye tales 

of traveling, lost love, found love, gentle 

rains, and slamming asphalt drives here. 

“How lucky am I to have toured with 

Chet and been in the studio with him,” 

Wariner said. “Who did the instrumental 

better than Chet Atkins? Getting across 

that emotion without saying anything. He 

was the king of it as far as I’m concerned. 

He was just brilliant. There are others, 

too, who let their instruments talk for 

them. That was my goal with this record. 

“I came here in 1973 as a young 

teenager to become a player, a 

musician,” he said. “That’s why I came 

here. This album is my roots, really.” n 

Wariner’s sons, keyboardist Ross and guitarist Ryan, joined the mad guitar scientist in the laboratory. (Photos by Caryn Wariner) 



The Nashville Musician interview: 

Keith Thomas 

In a city known for hit records, no one 

in the last 20 years has had more Top 

40 hits than longtime AFM 257 member 

Keith Thomas. 

As a producer and/or writer,Thomas 

has made double-digit trips to the Top 

40, including two No. 1s, and five Top 

10 singles. He has earned more than 10 

Grammy nominations and taken home 

four gramophone trophies. Recordings he 

produced have even garnered a pair of 

Academy Award nominations, and earned 

one Oscar victory. Sales for albums featuring 

his work total in the tens of millions. 

Thomas has plied his studio magic for 

some of the biggest names in the worlds 

of pop and R&B, including Gladys 

Knight, Luther Vandross, Amy Grant, 

Vanessa Williams, James Ingram, Whitney 

Houston, Selena, Mandy Moore, Michael 

Bolton, 98º and Brian McKnight. 

The son of a minister, Thomas began 

playing guitar in church when he was 

seven years old and made his first recording 

at the age of nine. He took up drums when 

he was 10, and piano in his teens. He came 

to Nashville in his early 20s after signing 

with Ronnie Milsap’s publishing company 

as their first staff writer. He moved from 

there to Word Records, where he was hired 

as a staff producer and writer. During his 

tenure there, he had more than 25 No. 1 

hits on the Christian charts. 

After seven years, he left Word and started 

his own production company. He began 

working with Bebe and Cece Winans and 

helped launch them to stardom. His success 

with them gave him an entree into the 

R&B world, which led to his platinumplated 

work with Vanessa Williams, 

Whitney Houston, and others. 

Around the same time, Thomas purchased 

Bennett House Studios in Franklin, Tenn., 

and began working with Amy Grant as a 

producer and writer. Their collaboration 

yielded five Top 40 hits, including “Baby, 

Baby,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s 

Hot 100. 

More recently, Thomas’ production 

company has evolved into a full-service 

artist development company, and has placed 

several young artists with major labels. In 

addition, he has been tapped to write the 

score for an upcoming film by directorwriter 

Barry Morrow (Rain Man) called 

Bridge to Jabez. 

In January, Thomas sat down at the Local 

257 offices with Publisher Dave Pomeroy 

and Associate Publisher Daryl Sanders to 

discuss his stellar career and to share his 

thoughts on the changing landscape of the 

music industry. 

Pomeroy: You were a pioneer in that era 

where sequencing and programming became 

so prevalent. Looking back, I’m curious 

how you feel about real versus programmed, 

organic versus something that is more 

calculated in terms of one person? Do you 

mix it up these days? What are your thoughts 

on the whole 

p r o g r a m m i n g 

thing and how it’s 

changed as the 

gear and the music 

scene has evolved, 

and does it seem 

to be coming back 

to a more organic 

process? 

Thomas: I think 

the shift back to 

being more organic 

is because there’s 

almost this genieorgan 

mentality to 

making music right 

now. People want to 

hear real musicians 

again. 

Back in the 

day, we had to 

create sounds. I 

can remember, 

especially on one of 

the Winans’ records, 

spending four days 

just getting the bass 

sound. Even drum 

sounds, whenever 

we did a live session, 

our first day was all 

about drums. You 

set up, you get the 


drum sound, the second day you’re ready to 

record, because it took that long. 

Now, you just buy the libraries. And if 

you’re gonna program, you add some live stuff 

with that, but you can be up and running in 

no time. For me, the drag-and-drop stuff 

that’s going on right now is way cool, and 

it’s part of what’s happening in pop music, 

and I get it. But I am gravitating back to live 

playing. Or at least mixing them up. There 

are days when I go, “I could never sequence 

again and be completely happy.” 

Sanders: Do you ever mix live drums with 

programmed drums? 

Thomas: Absolutely. We’ll do a live kit, and 

depending on the direction, …we’ll tighten 

it up, layer sounds or even sound replace, but 

still keep the live performance. I most always 

will now substitute sounds for kicks and 

snares, and stuff, just because we have that 

13

capability. It’s very easy to do. 

But yeah, you know I love the live aspect 

of it. The thing about the programming 

is it gives you the opportunity to do some 

crazy stuff that you just don’t get on a live 

session, especially when you’re on the clock, 

because experimenting with sounds can take 

hours! Being able to mix the two keeps it 

interesting. 

The thing about live is I love that a person 

has to be a musician. The biggest thing I have 

about today’s music is that because everything 

is so easy now, anybody can produce a record 

now by just drag and drop. Buy Logic or 

ProTools, and if you can assemble sounds, or 

whatever, you can pretty much make a record 

now, because you have all the loops. There 

are videos on YouTube of kids exposing the 

sounds on hit records found in Garage Band. 

I can hear them saying, “Hey, I can do this.” 

Pomeroy: Right, but it was much more 

difficult back then, because you had to 

almost crawl inside the machines to try to 

make them do what you wanted them to do. 

Thomas: Oh, yeah, especially just having 

sample space. Your machine would only hold 

a certain amount of samples, and you had to 

deal with that. You had to create the sounds, 

and that’s what took most of my studio 

time, creating sounds. 

Pomeroy: How long ago did you sell Bennett 

House? 

Thomas: I think it was 2003. 

Pomeroy: Do you miss having a place like 

that at your disposal? 

Thomas: I have a great setup at the house 

now, I’ve got two rooms there and it’s very 

comfortable. But the room sounds at the 

Bennett House, the console, the SSL console, 

I definitely miss that. 

And even that — mixing in the box right 

now is limiting. As a matter of fact, one of 

the songs we mixed on Bebe’s latest project, I 

went to L.A. and mixed with Dave Pensado, 

and he’s mixing on an SSL out there, and 

I’m going. “Wow, I miss this.” ’Cause it just 

sounds completely different. But budgets 

now don’t allow it — at least some of the 

ones I’m working on. 

Sanders: What are some of the recent 

changes you’ve seen in the music industry? 

Thomas: When I go into a situation, like an 

A&R meeting, these days, it’s not about the 

song as much as it is about the record. They 

say, “Whose got the record?” 

Back in the day, we would look for songs, 

we would make sure the song was great. And 

at that point, either I would produce it or 

we’d look for someone to produce the record 

who was qualified. 

Now, if you write the song, or you program 

the song, you are automatically considered 

the producer, and that’s the record. And a 

lot of times, I feel like songs don’t get cut 

because guys can’t hear past the production. 

They can’t hear the song in there. 

I used to prefer to have a guitar-vocal, a 

piano-vocal demo. That would allow me to 

take the song and make it what I felt like it 

needed to be. But now it’s more about what 

happens at the initial programming or the 

writing of the song, and that’s what you get. 

And to me, in many ways, that is why the 

life of the song is so short these days. It’s so 

disposable. 

Pomeroy: That’s a great point. ... To shift 

gears a little bit, looking at the industry, 

piracy is now finally coming on the radar. 

I wondered what your thoughts are about 

what’s going on with sales. There’s no 

question there is a lot of stealing going on. 

have no idea, first of all, how to deal with 

money, or any of this. They don’t have a clue 

how to deal with the fame and success, of 

what to expect, of what’s coming next. They 

don’t know how to comport themselves with 

the media. Even from imaging, we do all of 

that at my company. It’s pretty shocking from 

where we take them to where they end up. 

Although we don’t have an artist on the 

charts right now, I’ve done this over the last 

30 years with different artists, but not really 

had the credit for it. I’ve done a lot of that 

work internally as I was working on records. 

And my track record for identifying artists, I 

have to tell you, I’m really proud of it. 

Pomeroy: Do you see anything on the 

horizon that makes you excited about where 

these things could go? Do you see Nashville 

as continuing to thrive and be strong? 

Thomas: Yeah. I’ll tell you one of the most 

exciting things I have seen [recently] is 

that Rob Cavallo replaced Tom Whalley 

[as chairman of Warner Bros. Records]. To 

me, having a creative person in that position 

‘Once you have that first hit, then you’re a genius, everybody 

wants you to write a song for them.’ — Keith Thomas 

Have you got any thoughts on how piracy 

has affected you, how it affects the way you 

do business? Obviously, budgets are smaller 

because sales are down. 

Thomas: No question, yeah. It’s almost 

getting to the point where it doesn’t make 

sense to make the music because the 

investment, you know you’re not going to 

get it back, unless you have that hit. Like for 

myself, I’m a small company, I don’t have the 

staff to go out and make it happen the way 

a label does. 

If I want to have a hit right now, I’ve got to 

do one of two things. I’ve got to either write 

with the artist or the producer, and get it cut 

that way. Or I’ve got to find the artist, and get 

the artist signed, or have an infrastructure in 

place that will allow me to get that artist out 

in front of everybody else. 

It’s much like having that first hit. Once 

you have that first hit, then you’re a genius, 

everybody wants you to write a song for 

them. It’s the same thing for me, I’ve been 

making the transition from producer to 

manager and until you have that first artist 

blow up, no one takes you seriously, but I 

believe the new “label” must be engaged in 

all aspects of an artist’s career and for me it 

starts with artist development. 

Pomeroy: Right, actual A&R (laughs). 

Thomas: Yeah. And I believe that a lot of 

the guys, especially the ones I speak with at 

the major labels now, don’t understand that 

component. 

These kids are just thrown out there, they 

is key, I’ve been waiting for that for a long 

time. Because many of the gatekeepers 

making decisions have never written a song 

or produced a hit record. 

Having Rob Cavallo come in and be the 

head guy over at Warner Bros. I think is 

going to turn that company upside down. 

I’ve heard the word is, if you see something 

in Nashville that is worthy of being signed 

pop, then sign it. I love that, because to me 

that’s the way it should have been all along. 

Sanders: You have had much success in the 

major-label system, and now, it seems we are 

seeing the death of that system. How has the 

digital revolution affected you and what do 

you see as the opportunities going forward? 

Thomas: Well, the digital revolution is 

a double-edged sword, but the reality is, 

people are stealing music and don’t seem to 

understand the impact it has, not only on 

the artists, but those behind the scenes like 

writers, producers and the musicians. My 

focus for the past five years has been trying 

to create a brand, trying to develop artists 

who I feel are viable, who can sustain — not 

just have a hit, because anybody can have a 

hit, I believe, you know what I’m saying? 

Pomeroy: Absolutely, these days a cat or a 

dog could probably have a hit (laughs). 

Thomas: Yeah, I’m talking about artists 

who can thrive and have careers for 15-20 

years. A lot of people are doubting that can 

happen these days, but I believe real artists 

can survive. n 

14 The Nashville Musician 

January - March 2011


Gallery 

Counterclockwise from top right: member Danny Rader and son Benjamin 

stopped by the union over the holiday season. • President Dave 

Pomeroy and Secretary-Treasurer Craig Krampf presented legendary 

session guitarist, bandleader and studio owner Wayne Moss with his 

50-year pin. Kudos to Wayne. • Jordanaire Bill Walker congratulated 

by Kathy Osborne after becoming the first lifetime member to pay his 

dues online at the Local 257 website. (For more information on this 

new feature or other members-only website services write kathyo@ 

afm257.org or call the local.) • Earl Sinks received his 50-year and 

Lifetime Member pins from Pomeroy and Krampf before a memorial 

event honoring steel guitarist Ben Keith. Earl’s illustrious career 

includes being lead singer-guitarist for the Crickets, as well as work 

with Mel Tillis, Faron Young, Charlie Pride and a host of others. 

Sinks has also had success as a producer, songwriter, and as an actor 

on TV (Route 66, Cheyenne) and in the films such as Girl From 

Tobacco Row. • Acclaimed keyboardist-arranger Dennis Burnside 

finally receives his 25-year pin from Krampf. Dennis actually joined 

Local 257 in 1972. Congrats Dennis on your long-overdue award. 

15

DUANE EDDY 

Still twangin’ after all these years 


In the summer of 1957 in 

Phoenix, Ariz., a young man and 

a guitar found each other, and 

the world of music has never been 

the same. The wide-open spaces of 

the Southwest must have influenced 

his music, because Duane Eddy 

created a huge sound that became 

the “Twang” heard ’round the world. 

Photo by Jim McGuire

Eddy’s single “Rebel Rouser” was the 

soundtrack to the summer of 1958, and 

he became rock & roll’s first instrumental 

guitar hero. He teamed up with producer 

and cowriter Lee Hazlewood for an 

unprecedented string of instrumental hit 

records in the ’50’s and ’60’s. 

He created a minimal yet powerful style by 

playing slinky, memorable melodies on the 

low strings of his Gretsch 6120 hollow body 

guitar, using its vibrato arm to great effect. 

And after all these years, he’s still twangin’. 

Last year, Eddy was contacted by acclaimed 

British singer-guitarist-producer Richard 

Hawley after his manager by chance met one 

of Eddy’s relatives. Hawley, who is a member 

of the multi-platinum rock band Pulp, was 

interested in collaborating with the original 

guitar god, and Eddy agreed. 

It was a dream come true for Hawley, who 

was introduced to Eddy’s music as a child by 

his father. “When I was about six or seven, 

my dad gave me an EP on London American 

Records with the purple label called Yep by 

Duane Eddy,” he told BBC radio. “It had a 

track on it called “Three-30-Blues,” and my 

dad said, ‘If you get even halfway near as 

good as that you’ll be okay, son.” 

Their collaboration started with a tour of 

England, and Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker 

joined them for one of the shows. After the 

tour ended, Eddy, Hawley and his band 

wrote and recorded 18 new songs, and the 

result is Road Trip, his first album since the 

1994 Curb release, Ghostrider. 

“It was surreal,” Hawley said. “We wrote 

18 pieces of music in 11 days, and it was like 

a real speed, sort of blast through. I wanted to 

cover a lot of bases from his early career, his 

later career and beyond that, a more modern 

approach to things. 

“We went into the studio with literally no 

preconceptions. ... And we pulled the rabbit 

out of the hat.” 

Road Trip will hit the stores in April of 

this year, and Eddy is very excited about the 

project. “This new album revisits the best of 

some of what I’ve done in the past, and has 

some new directions, too,” he said. 

“Working with Richard and his band felt 

like I was working with the Beatles. Everyone 

was so creative and so into contributing to 

the project. It was a blast.” 

More than 50 years after changing the 

music world with the primal twang of “Rebel 

Rouser,” Duane Eddy remains soft-spoken, 

humble, and restlessly creative in his pursuit 

of the perfect big note. “I have always tried 

to pick songs that I liked and that I thought 

would last. You can’t ruin a good song, and I 

have always said that rock & roll should have 

a sense of humor,” said Eddy. 

Words to live by, courtesy of a true legend 

whose legacy was built, with help from 

Hazlewood and coproducer Lester Sill, on 

records that were a cutting edge combination 

of big guitars, pounding drums, wailing sax, 

smooth background vocals and an assortment 

of whoops, hollers, and handclaps. 

By the time Eddy’s memorable remake of 

Henry Mancini’s “Peter Gunn” hit the charts 

for the first time in 1960, his influence had 

spread far and wide to guitarists everywhere, 

from George Harrison to John Fogerty and 

countless others. Eddy’s thunderous twang 

was also a major influence 

on The Who bassist 

John Entwhistle’s 

memorable melodic 

bass lines. 

Originally inspired 

by singing cowboys 

Gene Autry and Roy 

Rogers, Eddy first 

picked up the guitar 

at the age of five. 

By the time 

his dad, who 

Eddy says was 

simply “tired 

of being 

cold and 

shoveling 

snow,” 

decided to 

move the 

f a m i l y 

f r o m 

upstate 

N e w 

Y o r k 

to the 

w a r m e r 

climes of 

Arizona, he 

was already 

hooked on music. 

By his mid teens 

he was listening to Merle Travis, Les 

Paul and Chet Atkins, and was playing 

a variety of gigs around the Coolidge, Ariz., 

area. Nearby, the modest-sized Phoenix 

boxing ring, ironically named “Madison 

Square Garden,” also doubled as a dance 

hall on weekends. In 1955, Eddy joined the 

venue’s house band, the Sunset Riders, who 

would open the show, watch the headliner, 

and then play a few sets of dance music after 

the main act’s show. 

Visiting country stars like Hank 

Thompson, Ernest Tubb, and Hank Locklin, 

would come through town to perform at 

the venue. The Sunset Riders would cover 

everything from Wilburn Brothers tunes to 

Red Foley, plus the top Country & Western 

tunes of the day. “They were long nights, but 


Eddy, 

circa 

1958 

we learned a lot for the buck and quarter we 

got paid!” said Eddy, laughing. 

At this point Eddy was playing a 1954 

gold top Les Paul, his first “real” guitar, but he 

was still searching for that magic instrument. 

He found it in the summer of 1957 when 

he walked into Ziggie’s Music, windowshopping 

for a guitar with a vibrato arm. 

First, he played a Gretsch White Falcon. 

He liked it, but it was “a little gaudy and 

definitely too expensive.” So he asked what 

else there might be, and when Ziggie pulled 

the 6120 Chet Atkins model out of its case, 

Eddy had found his muse. “The neck on it 

was the sweetest I’d ever played,” he said. 

Eddy had no money for a down payment, 

so he traded in his Les Paul for $65. Since 

he was only 17, his dad had to sign the note 

so Duane could take his dream guitar 

home. He soon honed his chops on the 

Gretsch’s vibrato arm, and an iconic 

style was born. 

A few years earlier, in 1954, 

through a mutual friend, he had met 

Lee Hazlewood, a local disc jockey 

in Coolidge, Ariz., who was a recent 

graduate from Columbia Broadcasting 

School. They hit it off right away. 

Hazlewood was ambitious and ready to 

make a mark in the music business, and soon 

landed a better job as a DJ in Phoenix. Eddy 

remembers the two of them listening to the 

first Elvis Presley release and Hazlewood 

accurately predicting that he would “be 

huge.” 

The success of Presley inspired Eddy to 

take the country and swing they were already 

playing and add a stronger rhythmic approach. 

“Basically, we were playing rockabilly, it just 

didn’t have a name yet. Our piano player 

played in that flamboyant Nazarene Church 

style, just like Jerry Lee Lewis, who we hadn’t 

even heard yet,” Eddy said. 

Hazlewood had some initial success in 

1956 as a producer with a song he wrote for 

an singer named Sanford Clark, and moved 

to L.A. to work for Dot Records, but couldn’t 

come up with a follow-up hit. He returned 

to Phoenix and urged Eddy to come up with 

an instrumental they could record, and in 

November 1957, Eddy wrote “Movin’ and 

Groovin,’” a funky, insistent 12-bar blues 

tune with sax later overdubbed in L.A. by 

the great Plas Johnson. 

A few months later, Eddy’s second single 

“Rebel Rouser,” written and recorded in one 

day at Floyd Ramsey’s studio, took off like a 

rocket and Eddy’s career was in full flight. 

Eddy remembers that time as being 

“fantastic” and “kind of a blur.” Early 

television and radio shows were problematic 

at best, especially sound-wise. “They hadn’t 

really worked with electric instruments, and 

17

you just knew it was going to sound bad, but our first call. He was a great guy whose style Hazlewood to pursue a career as a “legit” 

there wasn’t much you could do to make it was already fully formed, but he maybe producer, leaving Eddy to produce his next 

better,” Eddy said with a laugh. 

played a little too much. He told me later few hits himself. In 1962, Guild created 

His early albums for independent Jamie he learned how to take a breath and not try the first Duane Eddy model, which was the 

Records, for whom he recorded until 1962 to play everything he knew at once while he first signature guitar model of the rock era. 

when he moved to RCA, covered a lot of was working with me.” 

Duane recently reunited with Gretsch for 

stylistic ground. But they always kept Eddy’s Gear, guitars and studio technology have the definitive Duane Eddy 6120 signature 

twang at the forefront, with the sax most always been integral to Eddy’s approach model, to be introduced at the 2011 Frankfurt 

often serving as the musical foil to the guitar. to making music. His first amplifier, a Music Messe. 

Eddy saw their approach as simply “amping Magnatone, was hot-rodded by a local After living in Lake Tahoe, Nev., for 10 

up the country and swing we were already electrician with additional power and new years, Eddy moved to Nashville in 1985 for a 

playing.” 

speakers, including a tweeter. 

number of reasons. “People started calling me 

Jimmy Simmons played slap bass and Before he had even recorded any of his a recluse, I guess because I was living out in 

there was also a tic-tac bass for click. There records, he helped Hazlewood and Ramsey Tahoe, and I suddenly realized that everyone 

were often three or four acoustic rhythm find a way to get some reverb for the studio. in my phone book was in Nashville!” Eddy 

guitars, and backup vocal groups complete They searched the local Salt River junkyard, said. 

with handclaps, whoops and hollers. looking for the perfect size and shape water High-level collaborations have been a 

In 1959, on his third album, 

steady feature of Eddy’s career. 

The Twang’s The Thang, Eddy 

In 1986 he roared back to 

incorporated the Danelectro six- 

prominence with Art of Noise’s 

string bass into his sonic arsenal 

version of “Peter Gunn,” which 

for the first time. Tuned an octave 

won a Grammy. Not long after, 

down from a regular guitar, it was 

Eddy met producer Jeff Lynne 

an instrument he felt was “invented 

(ELO, Traveling Wilburys, 

for me” and used it extensively on 

Tom Petty) at the Montreux 

that album. 

Rock Festival, who immediately 

The record also featured 

offered to produce some sides 

Hazlewood’s whimsical liner notes 

after he was done with a George 

describing the mood of each track 

Harrison project. 

in great detail. This album is also 

“A few days later,” Eddy 

notable for the full credit given 

said, “Jeff called to say that 

his band and all session musicians 

he mentioned to George that 

and vocalists, which was unusual 

we had talked about working 

for the era. 

together, and George offered to 

The Rebels at that time included 

put his album, [Cloud Nine] on 

two young musicians who were 

hold. So I flew over to England 

later to make a huge mark in Eddy and The Rebels in England in 1960. (L-R): Larry to George’s place, Friar Park, 

the Los Angeles studio scene as 

members of the famed Wrecking 

Knechtel, Jimmy Troxel, Eddy, Dave Campbell and Jim Horn. 

and cut a few sides with Jeff and 

George, and Jim Horn as well.” 

Crew; keyboardist/bassist Larry Knechtel tank that would give them the reverb they Other collaborators on that album are Paul 

and saxophone legend Jim Horn, both of needed to complement the tape echo they McCartney, who recorded the “Rockestra 

whom later moved to Nashville and joined already had. After much testing of various Theme” with Eddy, The Art of Noise, (who 

Local 257. 

shapes and sizes, they found a 2000 gallon recorded their track in Nashville) and Ry 

“Jim Horn was recommended to me tank that “had that resonant tone we wanted,” Cooder. 

in March of 1959 by Steve Douglas, the Eddy said. 

”The use of “Rebel Rouser” in the famous 

original sax player in the Rebels. Jim was They hauled it back to the studio, built a “Run, Forrest, Run!” scene from the movie 

young and was probably most influenced by mount for it so it could resonate freely, put a Forrest Gump also continued to fuel Eddy’s 

jazz at the time. Our first gig with Jim was speaker at one end and a microphone at the high-profile status. It led directly to film 

in New York City, playing some shows at the other. “Pretty soon we were piping all kinds of composer Hans Zimmer calling Eddy in 

Brooklyn Fox, and while we were there, Jim stuff through that tank!” Eddy said. He also 1996 to ask him to be the musical voice of 

got together to woodshed with King Curtis, notes that because the tank was outside, they John Travolta’s villain for the soundtrack of 

who told him to switch to a bigger reed and had to chase birds off of it every morning, the movie Broken Arrow. Some of the same 

showed him how to ‘growl,’ which took his and every siren that went by the studio could guitar themes from Broken Arrow were used 

playing and sound to a whole other place,” ruin an otherwise perfect take. 

again in the very popular Scream 2. 

Eddy said. 

The track for Eddy’s hit “Ramrod” was In recent years, Eddy has continued 

Just a few months later, Horn played on recorded in the key of A, but Hazlewood sped writing, signed a publishing deal with 

Eddy’s “Shazam,” the first of countless hit up the tape to B flat when he overdubbed Warner/Chappell, and is still recording and 

records he played on and he never looked the sax, and he liked it so much he sped it playing shows, including a memorable career 

back. 

up again to the key of B. John Fogerty, when retrospective at the Rock and Roll Hall of 

Of Knechtel, later famous for his piano meeting Duane years later, was amazed to Fame in Cleveland in 2003. 

work on “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and learn it was really in the key of A, as he had With typical humility and understatement, 

bass on The Byrd’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” learned it in B from the record. 

Eddy said, “I am always surprised and 

Eddy said, “In August of 1959, we finally The innovative Danelectro made another pleased that people are still interested in me 

were making enough money to hire a piano appearance on “Because They’re Young.” The and my music. It’s a heck of a lot better than 

player. Jim recommended Larry, and he was success of the string-laden hit prompted the alternative!” n 



DENNIS TAYLOR’S 

CROWN 

JEWEL 

Saxophonist’s legacy 

secure with posthumous 

release, Steppin’ Up 

By Ron Wynn 

Last October, Nashville’s music 

community was shocked and saddened 

by the passing of saxophonist Dennis 

Taylor, shortly before the release of his first 

solo album, Steppin’ Up. 

Taylor was well known and highly respected 

for his versatility, passion and skill, and 

beloved for his warm, supportive personality 

and kind spirit. A gifted player able to work 

effectively in a variety of contexts, he’d most 

recently found a home playing in Delbert 

McClinton’s band. But over the past 30 

years he’d worked with a host of artists, from 

Gatemouth Brown and Buckwheat Zydeco 

to Michelle Shocked, The Hacienda Brothers 

and Mike Farris. 

Besides his instrumental talents, Taylor 

was also a world class authority on saxophone 

history and technique. He’d written four 

instructional volumes and been a teacher in 

both the Northeast and South, most recently 

at the W.O. Smith school in Nashville. 

Steppin’ Up (Kizybosh) stands as Taylor’s 

crown jewel, a masterful presentation of 

the genres and concepts he treasured and 

mastered. Inspired by a similarly titled 1990 

Hank Crawford/Jimmy McGriff disc, it 

includes soul/jazz, gutbucket blues, honking 

tenor R&B, even tunes influenced by gospel 

and brass bands. But most importantly 

the album exemplifies superb execution, 

consistent excitement and individual 

brilliance. 

Besides Taylor, the other principal is 

Hammond B-3 stylist Kevin McKendree, 

whose flexibility is ideal for the multiple 

directions and paths Taylor explores. 

McKendree and Taylor worked together for 

over 15 years and established the type of intramusical 

connection integral to establishing a 

successful musical vision. McKendree also 

coproduced the disc, which was recorded 

at the Rock House in Franklin, as well as 

recording and mixing it. 

This involvement can be heard in several 

areas that aren’t always as tightly measured 

on jazz dates, particularly those not done by 

major labels. 

Taylor’s sax 

is perfectly 

f r a m e d 

within every 

arrangement, 

and the drum 

backing is 

pristine, so 

clear you can 

really hear 

how attuned 

to Taylor’s 

solos the 

percussionists 

were, and how 

much or little 

they buttress 

particular 

solos and 

transitional 

segments. 

There’s also a 

spontaneity 

within the numbers that make the tunes 

almost seem like each one was a first take, 

a looseness and edge that sustains them 

through repeated listenings. 

He doesn’t overwork or underplay the 

organ’s bass pedal/rhythmic underpinning 

function, yet he also easily executes elegant 

or funky phrases, and is effective doing lead 

or complimentary passages. The duo work 

with three excellent drummers, one-time 

Weather Report stalwart Chester Thompson, 

Kenneth Blevins and Lynn Williams. Each 

offers crisp, lean beats and steady, engaging 

and reliable support. 

Rather than craft a basic blues and ballads 

work, the session spotlights Taylor’s range. 

The varied 14-track menu includes six 

originals. One of the best of the covers is a 

shimmering version of Isaac Hayes’ “Cafe 

Regio” from the Shaft soundtrack, which 

Taylor plays with a declarative flair. His 

rendition of The Beatles’ “And I Love Her” is 

a slower, evocative exposition, while Dr. 

John’s “I Walk On Gilded Splinters” neatly 

alternates between his experimental and 

soulful side. Taylor delivers an array of upper 

register flurries and effects, while giving ample 

space to McKendree’s splendid counterpoint, 

harmonizing and assistance. His take on Fats 

Domino’s “Josephine” is a rich, joyous salute 

to Crescent City energy and freedom. 

Two other stirring reconfigurations also 

add distinction to the project. Taylor recruited 

McClinton for a guest vocalist spot on “Since 

I Fell For You,” a tune he’d never done before 

and his take is both unique and enticing. 

He brings a earthy feel to the number that 

reinforces the lyric’s theme of longing and 


Reviews 

Photo by Rusty Russell 

desire, but adds a bit more urgency and a little 

less lust into his take, reaffirming the storyline 

while also solidifying his alternative approach 

to the performance. Taylor’s animated tenor 

adds an appropriate tinge of angst and hurt 

to the vocal. 

By contrast the adaptation of Percy 

Mayfield’s “The River’s Invitation” blends 

a searing sax and equally assertive organ 

combination in a piercing and memorable 

performance that updates without radically 

altering one of the legendary composer’s 

lesser known but just as arresting pieces. 

The originals also span the gamut, from 

the frenzied sections and jutting rhythms 

of “The Gospel Truth,” to the quick-hitting 

fervor of “Here’s The Deal” and sweltering 

mid-tempo groove of “Back At The Teddy 

Bear Lounge,” the piece that wraps the set. 

Like “Lee’s Lick,” the torrid opening number, 

Taylor’s sax glides and soars on the finale 

while establishing a prominent melody, then 

extending into a powerful, evocative solo, 

before giving way to McKendree’s inspired 

bursts. Another virtue Taylor championed 

was discipline, and there’s no excess or 

unnecessary exaggeration or mannerisms in 

any of his statements. His tone is uniformly 

impressive in its huge thick sound, and his 

playing never wavers or falters. 

Steppin’ Up should delight fans in every 

genre, whether their preference is hard bop, 

steamy tunes or lighter, more commercial 

fare. It will certainly be among the year’s jazz 

highlights, and is a standout release that’s 

highly representative of the excellence Dennis 

Taylor brought nightly to every situation 

throughout a sterling career. n 

19

Reviews cont. 

Larry Cordle 

Pud Marcum’s Hangin’ 

MightyCord Records 

Over the past 20 years, Larry Cordle has 

been one of the most consistent artists and 

songwriters working in the bluegrass and 

country genres. 

Since he first came on the scene as the 

writer of Ricky Skagg’s classic “Highway 40 

Blues,” Cordle has had songs recorded by a 

Who’s Who of top artists, (Trisha Yearwood, 

Kathy Mattea, George Strait, Alan Jackson, 

Del McCoury), including the classic “Murder 

on Music Row.” 

Despite this enviable success as a writer, 

you really haven’t experienced “The Mighty 

Cord,” as he is known to friends and fans, 

until you hear him sing his songs himself. 

Cordle’s voice, like his writing, can 

effortlessly go from hardcore country to 

evocative ballads and up-tempo bluegrass, 

and this variety combined with his finelycrafted 

songs makes his latest self-produced 

solo project a great listen. 

Pud Marcum’s Hangin’ is the first release 

on Larry’s own MightyCord Records, and it 

strips down his typical sound, with acoustic 

guitars carrying most of the rhythmic load. 

Cordle’s soulful lead vocals are enhanced 

with sweet harmony from a variety of 

great background and duet singers. The 

instrumental colors range from triple fiddles 

to piano and steel guitar, and are well matched 

with the thematic content of each tune. 

The songs range from very dark to 

extremely humorous, and certainly the 

number of fatalities throughout the record 

rank among the highest of any album in 

recent memory! The opening track, “Justice 

For Willy,” details a not so bereaved widow’s 

comeuppance for doing in her spouse. “Hello, 

My Name Is Coal” is a haunting ballad told 

from the perspective of the ore itself. It 

features longtime Cordle collaborator Jenee 

Fleenor, as cowriter, duet vocalist, and fiddle 

player, and she excels at all three. 

The title track features Del McCoury 

on guest vocals and details the last public 

hanging in Lawrence County, Ky., where 

Cordle and childhood friend Skaggs grew 

up. 

Topical songs like “America Where Have 

You Gone,” get to the nerve of working class 

issues and concerns. The heaviness of some 

songs is counterbalanced by breezy tunes like 

“Uncle Bob Got Religon,” and “Shade Tree 

Mechanic,” both of which have comedic 

themes and some hilarious ad libs. 

The playing is topnotch throughout, 

and includes Steve Thomas on a variety of 

instruments as well as engineering, Randy 

Kohrs, (dobro and engineering) Jay Weaver, 

Mike Anglin and Elio Giordano on bass, 

Fleener and Aubrey Haynie, (fiddle), and 

Buck White on piano. Background singers 

include Ronnie Bowman, Carl Jackson, and 

Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys. If 

you like songs that actually mean something, 

and your country and bluegrass to be real as 

it gets, look no further. — Roy Montana 

Sarah Darling 

Angels and Devils 

Black River Entertainment 

In a town full of up-and-coming singersongwriters 

it takes the right sound and 

the right lyrics to stand apart. However, 

having an angelic voice doesn’t hurt 

either, and on her second album, Sarah 

Darling combines all of these elements. 

The 27 year old matures nicely through 

her double disk, shifting between 

soothing ballads and up-tempo rockers. 

Cowriting all nine original songs, her 

songwriting skills are best on tracks such as “I 

Found in You,” cowritten with Jonathan Cain 

of Journey, and “Something To Do With Your 

Hands,”where she playfully asks for the man 

to take notice and ‘do, do, do, do’ something. 

The Melissa Etheridge rocker “Angels and 

Devils” co-produced by Local 257 members 

Jimmy Nichols and Adam Schoenfeld, show 

off her dark side with haunting piano and 

guitar riffs and prove that Darling can make an 

all-to-familiar tale sound fresh and original. 

Closing out the album, Darling 

shines on a cover of U2’s “With or 

Without You,” demonstrating that 

sooner than later she’ll be taking center 

stage in Nashville. — Neil Thorsbakken 

Teea Goans 

The Way I Remember It 

Crosswind Records 

Newcomer Teea Goans sings like she’s from 

an earlier generation of country singers, and 

her debut album, The Way I Remember It, 

holds true to the classic country tradition 

without sounding like an imitation. 

Tastefully produced by Terry Choate for 

Crosswind Records, this 11-song collection 

combines timeless traditional country with 

a few contemporary touches. Her voice is 

pure and clear with plenty of soulful inflections, 

and is slightly reminiscent of Lee Ann 

Womack or Suzy Bogguss, with a little Connie 

Smith thrown in for good measure. 

The band is superb, and represents some 

of the finest musicians in Music City, who 

sound completely comfortable yet deliver the 

quiet urgency that these emotional songs require. 

Time Jumper Joe Spivey, who also is 

credited as associate producer, does a great 

job on fiddle, acoustic guitar, and mandolin 

while leading the band, which includes Aubrey 

Haynie and Kenny Sears on fiddles, the 

always solid John Gardner on drums, and 

Matt McKenzie and Larry Paxton on bass 

guitar. Paul Franklin and Mike Johnson take 

turns breaking hearts with their steel guitars, 

and James Mitchell plays electric guitar with 

taste and style. 

The excellent song selection runs from 

numbers by old school Nashville tunesmiths 

like Red Lane, Joe Allen, and Sonny Throckmorton, 

to the thought-provoking “Letter 

From God” by Angela Kaset and Rob Crosby, 

with a couple of classics by Willie Nelson 



and Merle Haggard thrown in. There also is 

an unusual remake of Ernest Tubb’s “Walkin’ 

The Floor Over You,” which features legendary 

guitarist Leon Rhodes, a veteran of Tubb’s 

band, playing the solo, giving it an authentic 

Texas vibe. Her duet with Dan Tyminski on 

the country shuffle “Made For Loving You” 

is an inspired pairing of two fine voices. 

Throughout the album, Goans sings with 

total confidence and ease, and has perhaps 

the most important quality of any country 

singer — believability. This record reminds 

the listener that country music is always more 

than the latest trends. When it’s done right, 

it is still an art form that resonates deep into 

the soul. — Roy Montana 

Due West 

Forget the Miles 


The boys of Due West (Tim Gates, Brad 

Hull and Matt Lopez) have seen their share 

of songs covered by the likes of Lady Antebellum, 

Bucky Covington and the Gaither 

brothers. On their latest EP Forget the Miles, 

they decide to move their blend of vocals and 

storytelling to the forefront. 

The lead single, “I Get That All the Time,” 

coasts along with smooth harmonies and 

built-in deep family lyrics, and helped the 

video climb to No. 3 on the Great American 

Country (GAC) Top 20 Countdown last 

year. The follow-up single “When the Smoke 

Clears” is a soaring ballad complemented by 

orchestration performed by Local 257 members. 

The tune is a cry to hang in, and be 

strong through thick and thin. 

The best songs, however, come from the 

more upbeat and honky-tonk styles of “22 

Hours A Day” and “Bible and the Belt,” 

both surefire dance tunes. The group’s threepart 

harmonies are their signature mark and 

any fan of singer-driven music should make 

room on their shelf for this talented trio. 

— Neil Thorsbakken 

ALIAS 

Hilos (Threads) 

Naxos 

The ALIAS Chamber Ensemble’s new release 

Hilos on Naxos American Classics features 

works by composer Gabriela Lena Frank, 

whose multicultural heritage is reflected in 

the diversity of her musical influences. 

ALIAS was founded in 2002 by Local 

257 member violinist Zeneba Bowers. Cellist 

Matt Walker currently serves as executive 

director, and the collective’s musicians on this 

project include clarinetist Lee Levine, violist 

Chris Farrell, violinist Alison Gooding, and 

percussionists Todd Kemp and Christopher 

Norton. Frank’s four compositions feature 

different combinations of these players and 

the results take the listener on a most rewarding 

musical journey. 

“Hilos (Threads),” which begins the album, 

is a new work written especially for 

Alias, and immediately sets the tone for the 

whole project with its dramatic opening sequence 

which features seamless interplay 

between Bowers, Levine, and Walker, along 

with the composer’s aggressive, startling piano 

work. Frank’s inspiration in writing this 

piece is the colorful textiles of Peru. Its eight 

movements run the gamut of human emotion, 

and the players all rise to the occasion. 

The interweaving textures alternately soothe 

and sparkle, and each player has the spolight 

on occasion. Levine’s nimble clarinet, in particular, 

handles some very demanding parts 

with aplomb. 

The duet for two marimbas, “Danza de 

los Saqsampillos,” conjures up exotic South 

American street scenes and Andean mountain 

jungles. The melodic and rhythmic execution 

of this demanding material by percussionists 

Todd and Norton is excellent 

throughout. Walker is featured with Frank on 

the cello/piano duo “Adagio para Amantani,” 

and his performance is a tour de force of the 

tonal and rhythmic possibilities of the cello. 

It starts with a languid feel, and gradually 


builds to an intense peak before dissolving 

into a peaceful ending. The final piece “Quijotadas,” 

is a five movement string quartet 

piece inspired by Cervantes’ immortal character 

Don Quixote. It has the most traditional 

instrumentation on the album but the 

challenging music and varied textures once 

again show the wide emotional range that is 

possible when a composer’s concept and the 

musicians’ interpretation become one. 

The impeccable sound of the album, recorded 

at Blair School of Music’s Turner 

concert hall and engineered by Gary Hedden, 

only serves to enhance the dynamics 

of the ALIAS Ensemble. This album is a 

fantastic example of the diversity, talent and 

vision of Nashville’s classical music community, 

and congratulations go to all concerned 

for a world-class effort. — Dave Pomeroy 

Jeff Bates 

One Day Closer 


Sometimes the hardest stories to tell are 

the ones that are closest to your heart, 

but when the memories begin to surface, 

those stories are the ones that get you 

through it all. Jeff Bates’ newest EP One 

Day Closer contains six songs with the 

emotional punch of a full-length record. 

After dealing with the death of both of his 

parents, Bates leaned on his Mississippi roots 

and his belief in God to guide him through 

the tough times. “Living Stones” has an uptempo 

message that reminds the listener that 

the people we surround ourselves with are 

gifts that shouldn’t be taken for granted. “If 

You Could See Me Now” begins with Bates’ 

harrowing baritone over strings and a piano 

and ends with a reminder that even though 

someone may be gone, it’s only temporary. 

One Day Closer is an album that feels 

like it poured out of Bates, and he’s 

struck a universal chord that should find 

easy passage into the listener’s heart. 

— Neil Thorsbakken 

21

Flashback 

Blonde Bombshell 

Dylan came to town and the face of 

Music City was forever changed 

By Daryl Sanders 

At the time, none of the nine 

members of Local 257 who played 

with Bob Dylan on the Blonde 

On Blonde sessions in 1966 thought they 

were working on a record that would rank 

among the greatest of all time. In fact, 

some of them barely knew who Dylan was. 

As surprising as it may seem now, to multiinstrumentalist 

Charlie McCoy, drummer 

Kenneth Buttrey, guitarists Wayne Moss, 

Jerry Kennedy and Mac Gayden, pianists 

Hargus “Pig” Robbins and Bill Aikins, bassist 

Henry Strzelecki, and trombonist Wayne 

Butler, the dates were largely, as McCoy 

put it, just “another group of sessions.” 

But 45 years later, there can be no denying 

the significance of Dylan’s first Nashville 

sessions. They not only yielded what is 

considered his greatest record, a first-ever 

studio double album of material — including 

three Top 40 singles: “Rainy Day Women 

#12 & 35” (No. 2), “I Want You” 

(No. 20) and “Just Like A Woman” 

(No. 33) — but they also had a 

profound impact on Music City. 

“That’s when the door really 

opened,” McCoy said of Dylan’s 

first sessions in Music City. 

“Nashville had a reputation of just 

a country music center, although 

they had been cutting pop 

records in Nashville since they 

started cutting records. Still, in 

the folk-rock world, I don’t think 

anyone ever considered Nashville. 

“But the fact that Dylan came 

here, it sent a message around the 

folk-rock world that ‘hey, it’s okay 

to go [to Nashville]. These guys 

can do this.’ And it was after he 

came, that all the others came — 

Joan Baez, Buffy St. Marie, The 

Byrds, Leonard Cohen, Peter, 

Paul & Mary, The Manhattan 

Transfer, Dan Fogelberg 

— they descended on us.” 

Dylan may never have come to 

Nashville if not for a trip to New 

York for the world’s fair McCoy 

made with his wife in early August 

of the previous year. One afternoon 

while they were there, producer Bob Johnston 

invited McCoy to stop by and meet Dylan 

at the Columbia studios where they 

were working on Highway 61 Revisited. 

As it turned out, Dylan knew 

of McCoy through one of the rock 

singles he cut for Monument Records 

(“Harpoon Man”). After introductions 

were made, Dylan said, “I’m getting ready 

to do this song, why don’t you sit in?” 

McCoy had none of his instruments 

with him, but that didn’t deter 

Dylan, who said, “There’s an acoustic 

guitar over there, just grab that.” 

Dylan was recording “Desolation 

Row” that day, and in typical Nashville 

fashion, McCoy knocked out the nowfamous, 

improvised accompanying 

guitar part in less than a half hour. 

According to McCoy, after he left the 

session, Johnston, who had been trying 

to convince 

Dylan to record in 

Music City, said, “Now you see how easy that 

was? That’s how it would be in Nashville.” 

Dylan returned to the studio with 

members of The Band (then called The 

Hawks) in October of ’65 to begin work 

on his next album, but after six session 

dates between early October and late 

January of ’66, he had recorded only one 

song that would make the album, “One 

of Us Must Know (Sooner of Later).” 

As Dylan would explain more than a 

decade later, he was seeking “that thin, that 

wild mercury sound ... metallic and bright 

gold,” an elusive combination of organ, guitar 

and harmonica which failed to materialize at 

the New York sessions. Dissatisfied with the 

results, Dylan decided to give Nashville a try. 

Johnston tapped McCoy to lead Dylan’s 

Nashville sessions, and gave him a list 

of musicians he wanted to use, a list that 

included most of the aforementioned Local 

257 members, plus guitarist/bassist Joe South, 

who was living in Nashville at the time, but 

affiliated with the Atlanta local. The 13 songs 

recorded in Nashville on Blonde On Blonde 

were tracked in marathon sessions conducted 

at Columbia Nashville Studio A over two 

sets of dates: Feb. 14-17 and March 7-10. 

Besides Dylan, there were five musicians 

who appeared on all the sessions: McCoy, 

Buttrey, Moss, South and Al Kooper, who 

joined Dylan from New York, and who is the 

only musician who appeared on all 14 tracks. 

Robbins played on all but one session — 

the first afternoon, Bill Aikins was at the 

piano, while Strezlecki joined the sessions 

on the final day in February and appeared on 

all the sessions in March. Guitarist Robbie 

Robertson of The Band came to Nashville 

in March and played on all those sessions. 

Kennedy, Gayden and Butler all 

appeared on one session, with the latter two 

uncredited due to a clerical oversight, which 

isn’t surprising considering the album was 

22 The Nashville Musician 

January - March 2011

one of the first to include musician credits. 

The sessions featured live performances 

of the songs with all the musicians playing 

together in the studio with practically 

no overdubbing. Strelecki said, “A lot of 

producers get in the way, and Bob Johnston 

didn’t do that. He let us do what we could do, 

... and he captured it, captured it really well.” 

Although memories have faded over 

time, particularly when it comes to specific 

songs, there are several which have stuck 

with the musicians through the years. 

Without exception, the Nashville 

musicians, all veterans of the tightly 

run session environment in Music City, 

were surprised, to put it mildly, that 

they often didn’t hit a single lick for an 

entire three-hour session, while they 

waited for Dylan to finish writing a song. 

Recalling the opening afternoon session 

on Feb. 14, Aikins said, “It was one of the 

most unusual dates I ever worked. I think I 

was on ‘Visions of Johanna,’ that’s the song 

I remember. Initially, we were called in and 

Charlie [McCoy] introduced us to Bob 

Dylan, ... then he went to the piano — I can 

remember him sitting at the piano in deep, 

deep, meditative thought, and he had the 

Bible with him, and he was, I guess, creating, 

writing. So, we were just on hold as musicians, 

on the payroll now, on a master session, 

and we were just hanging out. After I don’t 

know how long, but it was hours, they said, 

‘Bob’s ready to put down this song down.’ 

Then we started working on the material.” 

Kennedy, who was booked for the 

evening session that day due to his daytime 

commitments as a producer and label head, 

recalls that when he arrived at Studio 

A, Dylan “was not ready to record yet, 

and was over in the corner working on 

the song we did on that particular date.” 

The musicians waited even longer to begin 

recording the 11-minute epic, “Sad Eyed Lady 

of the Lowlands.” As Moss remembered it, 

“[Dylan] said, ‘I’ve got to work on some lyrics 

here for a little bit, y’all just take a break.’ We 

took a break and three hours later we signed 

a card, and took another break. That session 

started at two o’clock in the [afternoon] and 

at 8:30 the next morning, we went home.” 

According to Kooper, at one session 

that ran into the wee hours, Moss 

quipped, “Boy, that hour of sleep I 

got last night is getting pretty lonely.” 

While the musicians were hanging out, 

they passed the time playing ping pong, 

messing around with a Ouija board, even 

trying to catch up on their sleep, as Gayden 

remembered doing on the floor of the studio 

on the first night of sessions in March. 

Robbins said the length of the songs was 

something that stood out for him. “Back in the 

‘60s, we were doing 2:20 songs, or 2:45 or 2:50 

— that was a long song, you know. We rolled 

in there and did some that were seven or eight 

minutes — that was quite different for me.” 

Of all the sessions, the one in which 

“Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” was recorded 

is the best remembered, for a variety of 

reasons, most notably for its infamous 

chorus, “Everybody must get stoned.” 

“I remember recording that because it 

was very funny,” Kooper said. “Bob wanted 

everyone to scream and shout, so we did that. 

“Bob laughed on the record, which is very 

unusual.” 

Dylan wanted the song to have the sloppy 

feel of a Salvation Army band, no easy task 

for the world-class musicians assembled, 

even if it was the middle of the night. Buttrey 

disassembled his drum kit so he could strike 

the kick drum like a marching band bass 

drum. Moss played Strzelecki’s bass, and 

the bassist was on the floor playing the foot 

‘We took a break and three hours later we signed a 

card, and took another break.’ — Wayne Moss 

pedals of Kooper’s organ with his hands. 

McCoy was playing trumpet, and Dylan 

asked if he knew a slide trombone player, 

which is what led to Butler being roused from 

his sleep to come and make an appearance 

on one of the best albums of all-time. 

“He got there in like 45 minutes and they 

called him at two or three in the morning,” 

Kooper remembered. “And he was cleanshaven 

and had a suit on. He played one or two 

takes of that song, then thanked everybody 

and went back home. It was pretty funny.” 

For Kooper, he especially remembers “I 

Want You,” a song they recorded on Dylan’s 

final night in Nashville. “When we finally 

did ‘I Want You,’ I had these parts that I gave 

everybody because I had this arrangement of 

it,” the organist said. “Right at [the end of the 

chorus], Wayne [Moss] played a sixteenth 

note run and I’d never heard anybody play 

that fast before. So I stopped, we were just 

running it over, and said, ‘Can you play that 

each time?’ and he said, ‘Sure.’ I said, ‘Boy, 

that would be great, Wayne.’ And I was just 

thinking to myself, ‘Boy, they can’t do this in 

New York.’ I couldn’t believe he played that.” 

Kooper, who returned to Music City to 

record his first solo album two years later, 

gave Johnston a lot of credit for encouraging 

Dylan to record in Nashville. “It was a great 

idea, and I am thankful to him for that.” n 


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23

Live Reviews 

NSO celebrates 

New Year’s Eve with 

Grand reopening 


The Nashville Symphony rang in 2011 

in the best possible fashion — a sold 

out concert featuring special guest 

Itzhak Perlman — and best of all, the exhilaration 

of finally returning home to the 

Schermerhorn Symphony Center, more than 

six months after the Nashville flood devastated 

the building. 

Nashville Symphony Orchestra (NSO) 

Executive Director Alan Valentine spoke eloquently 

before the concert, and thanked all 

of those who helped in the massive recovery 

effort leading up to the New Year’s Eve gala. 

The collective mood of the audience was 

enthusiastic and everyone’s high expectations 

were more than exceeded as the NSO and 

Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero were obviously 

inspired to be once again filling Laura 

Turner Concert Hall with beautiful music. 

The program was varied and included works 

by Leonard Bernstein, Leroy Anderson, and 

Fritz Kreisler, along with more traditional 

selections of Johann Strauss (Senior and 

Junior) and the opening “Overture to Light 

Cavalry” by Franz Von Suppe. 

Local 257 members lift 

An American Christmas Carol 

By Kathy Shepherd 

Since Charles Dickens’ A Christmas 

Carol was first published in 1843, the 

story has been retold in dozens of ways, 

and performed on stage, screen and TV. 

Author-lyricist Scott Logsdon has been 

developing his idea for a country music version 

of the Dickens classic for nine years. 

He originally planned on working with 

one composer for the lyrics he had written, 

but he ended up collaborating with several. 

Writing credits for An American Christmas 

Carol go to Local 257 members Billy Kirsch, 

J. Fred Knobloch and Pam Rose; along with 

Rand Bishop, Kent Blazy, Roxie Dean, Tim 

Finn, and Billy Kirsch. Band members for 

the performance included Knobloch on guitar, 

Benjamin Van Diepen on keyboards, and 

Loretta Brank on fiddle. 

The show was performed as a reading, 

with live musical accompaniment. The staging 

and the strong cast kept my mind off of 

the fact that it was a reading, even though 

S p e c i a l 

guest Itzhak 

Perlman, 

who donated 

a portion 

of his fee to 

help with the 

Symphony ’s 

flood recovery 

efforts, was 

obviously in 

an ebullient 

and playful 

mood and his 

playing was 

as dynamic 

and emotional 

as ever. His incredible command of the bow 

produced a seemingly effortless tone that 

filled the room, and his take on Dvorak’s 

“Romance in F Minor for Violin and Orchestra,” 

one of his signature pieces, had a 

wide emotional range and was in turn both 

lyrical and intense. His performance of John 

Williams’ “Theme from Schindler’s List,” 

which was written for Perlman himself, was 

especially haunting and beautiful. 

Throughout the concert, the NSO, who 

were recently nominated for five Grammies, 

sounded wonderful with the joy of a true 

homecoming evident in their performance. 

Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero was passionate, 

animated and occasionally humorous in 

Itzhak Perlman rang in the new year with the Nashville Symphony. 

the actors had scripts in their hands. However, 

it was a bit confusing at times, because 

most of the actors played dual roles and there 

were no costume changes. 

The intimate and comfortable Boiler 

Room Theater in Franklin, Tenn., where 

three shows were staged in December, is an 

excellent venue for this type of performance. 

Larry Tobias played Ebenezer Scrugg, 

Logsdon’s version of Scrooge. Tobias, who 

performed in the national tour of Stand by 

Your Man and various productions of Ring 

of Fire, was quite believable as the disgruntled 

and hateful Scrugg. 

During his visit with the Ghost of Christmas 

Past, Scrugg is taken to scenes of his 

boyhood, which stir the old man’s gentle 

side, and remind him of a more innocent 

time. During this portion of the show Tobias 

beautifully performed my favorite song 

of the show, “I Don’t Remember.” (Logsdon/ 

Knobloch) The bittersweet ballad captures 

the feelings of the lonely, pushed-aside small 

boy inside Scrugg, the old man. That particular 

part of Dickens’s play always affected me 

the most, and Logsdon’s version gave me the 

same feeling. 

When Dickens was a child, his own child- 

his exchanges with the audience. The champagne 

reception afterwards was a nice touch 

and helped ring in the new year in style. 

The resilience of the symphony and its musicians 

was severely tested by the aftermath 

of the May flood. Despite the increased demands 

of hastily arranged logistics, rescheduled 

recording sessions, and performances in 

a wide variety of venues, the musicians did 

themselves and the city proud. Congratulations 

are due as well to everyone involved for 

their herculean efforts in restoring this great 

concert hall and keeping the Nashville Symphony 

alive and vital through very challenging 

times. n 

hood was lonely and humiliating. In 1824, 

his father was sent to the Marshalsea, a prison 

on the south bank of the Thames in London. 

Dickens was 12 years old at the time, 

and was forced to take lodging nearby, leave 

school, sell his books, and work in a blacking 

factory. When his father got out of prison a 

few months later, Dickens was forced to continue 

to work in the factory. It has been said 

that he both loved and demonized his father, 

and that this psychological conflict created 

the character, Scrooge. 

The show’s 20 songs ranged from ballads 

like “I Can’t Afford To Live And Not Love 

You,” to the hoedown-styled “A Time To 

Dance,” (both written by Logsdon/Knobloch). 

The script kept mostly to the original 

play with a few additions. 

This is a story that can’t be overdone, 

whether the leading character is called 

Scrooge, or Scrugg or the Grinch. Congratulations 

to Scott Logsdon, and to all the 

writers, actors and musicians involved with 

this project. 

Kathy Shepherd is director of Live Engagement 

Sevices for AFM Local 257. You can reach her 

at kathy@afm257.org. 



By Laura Ross 

There’s no place like home! Dorothy 

said it, and I can tell you every single 

member of the Nashville Symphony 

Orchestra and staff agrees 100 percent with 

that sentiment. The musicians’ instrument 

and clothes lockers are filling back up, and 

despite some glitches we are beginning to 

return to normalcy. 

These days we work alongside those 

overseeing the final restoration of our 

building. In fact, the entire lounge and 

kitchen areas are still filled with desks, filing 

cabinets, and copiers. Sometimes we find 

blueprints laid out on our instrument lockers, 

moved elsewhere after we arrive. 

Then there is that sound. … How 

wonderful it was on Dec. 31, as we began 

our first rehearsal in Laura Turner Hall after 

eight months away. Before the flood, the 

last notes heard in the hall were the finals of 

our principal oboe audition on May 2. The 

first heard again were a trumpet fanfare in 

the opening of Franz Von Suppé’s Overture 

to Light Cavalry. Once again we can play 

so softly — as we did in Leroy Anderson’s 

“Plink, Plank, Plunk!” — that we need barely 

touch the string for a pizzicato to be heard. 

concert and mingle with the musicians. 

The concert raised nearly $100,000 for 

the Nashville Symphony and additional 

funds were raised to benefit the Pleasant 

View Volunteer Fire Department and the 

Williamson County Rescue Squad. Ben was 

great to work with, and his special guest, 

Ethan Bortnick, blew everyone away with 

a performance featuring Mozart’s “Turkish 

Dance” and “Good Golly Miss Molly” – and 

he’s only nine years old! 

Itzhak Perlman added star power to 

our reopening gala by performing the 

Dvorak Romance, John Williams’ “Theme 

from Schindler’s List,” and three Fritz 

Kreisler works – Liebesfreud, Liebesleid and 

Tambourin Chinois. Only days before the 

event did anyone realize New Year’s Eve fell 

on a Friday night, which is a time Perlman 

traditionally refuses to work because it is the 

Sabbath. However, knowing the importance 

of the event, he left his entire family who 

had gathered for the holidays in Florida and 

flew in for the afternoon and evening. We are 

very grateful for the luster he added with his 

presence. 

We also have many to thank in the 

performance venue department. Last 

summer Vanderbilt came to our aid those 

first few weeks, as did TPAC. However, 

when it began to appear that we were in for 

a pretty extended “tour” around the city, we 

could be found at TPAC’s Jackson Hall, Polk 

Auditorium or War Memorial Auditorium, 

and many times we were found on the 

campus of David Lipscomb University. 

The NSO has many friends 

From the moment word of the flood 

became known, numerous people offered 

whatever assistance they could. Many of 

those were the folks originally responsible for 

designing and building the Schermerhorn 

Symphony Center. These fine people not 

only worked to restore our building, but also 

were the underwriters for our reopening 

concert on Dec. 31, 2010. 

The Nov. 27 Ben Folds benefit concert 

for the Nashville Symphony at TPAC’s 

Andrew Jackson Hall was a sell out! Many 

people cut Thanksgiving vacations short to 

donate their time; along with Ben, his crew 

and nearly everyone else involved. Special 

thanks to Local 257 members who donated 

time and talent as subs and extras that 

evening – your support is very important 

and means a lot. We also had company on 

stage – one couple paid $800 to sit between 

the first and second violins during the 


Symphony Notes 

Lipscomb was very supportive and provided 

two different venues for events, which 

undoubtedly inconvenienced the basketball 

teams in particular. Additionally, the 

university provided student and staff guides 

around the campus to direct our patrons to 

concerts. During our final Classical Series 

concerts they also provided hot chocolate 

and hot cider to an appreciative audience on 

those cold evenings. 

Two other groups deserve our thanks 

– the NSO staff that did miraculous work 

these past eight months, and our audiences 

that followed us around town. We are blessed 

to have such support. 

So What’s Next? 

We’ve done it again! We received multiple 

Grammy nominations for our recording of 

Michael Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony 

and Deus Ex Machina ( a piano concerto 

featuring Terrence Wilson) in the categories 

of Best Classical Album, Best Orchestral 

Performance and Best Instrumental Soloist 

Performance (with Orchestra). Daugherty’s 

Deus Ex Machina also was nominated for 

Best Classical Contemporary Composition. 

The album has also been nominated 

for Best Engineered Album, Classical. 

Both Blanton Alspaugh, producer of the 

Daugherty compositions, and Tim Handley 

(producer of the recently released Piazzolla) 

were nominated for Producer of the Year, 

Classical. 

In January, Nicholas McGegan returned to 

conduct our first Classical Series concerts in 

Ben Folds’ sellout show at Jackson Hall raised almost $100,000 for the Nashville Symphony. 

25

Symphony Notes cont. 

the hall. To mark the occasion, the Thursday 

evening concert was broadcast live on 

National Public Radio affiliates nationwide. 

The concert included Mendelssohn’s Fair 

Melusine Overture, Mozart’s Concerto No. 22 

in E-flat major for Piano and Orchestra and 

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. 

It was a pleasure to work again with 

McGegan, who conducted The Messiah in 

December 2008. Robert Levin, the piano 

soloist, is a recognized Mozart scholar, and 

during the Friday and Saturday evening 

performances he began the second half of 

the concert by randomly choosing tunes 

submitted by orchestra and audience members 

and performing them spontaneously in 

the style of Mozart, as Mozart himself 

would have done. Levin also improvised his 

cadenzas on the spot during rehearsals and 

each evening, and we never heard the same 

cadenza twice. 

The second violin section is pleased that 

Jessica Blackwell, who has been filling a 

vacancy during Keiko Nagayoshi’s leave 

of absence, has been offered a permanent 

position in the orchestra following Keiko’s 

resignation in December. Jessica has been a 

wonderful addition to our section. 

The orchestra will be filling other vacancies 

A message 

from our 

Maestro 

�� 

�� 

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CLASSICAL SERIES 

JAZZ SERIES 

POPS SERIES 

in the next few months – first up is a second 

attempt to hire a new principal oboe — with 

no rain this time, we hope. A few weeks later 

we will audition for a new position in the 

orchestra, third percussion. In June we will 

SUNTRUST CLASSICAL SERIES 

February 17-19 

March 10-12 

March 24-26 

April 7-9 

April 21-23 

May 12-14 

June 2-4 

BANK OF AMERICA POPS SERIES 

February 24-26 

March 31, April 1-2 

May 5-7 

May 26-28 

ADAMS AND REESE JAZZ SERIES 

February 4 

March 18 

THE ANN & MONROE CARELL 

FAMILY TRUST PIED PIPER SERIES 

February 26 

May 7 

February 11 & 12 

March 6 

March 7 

March 14 

April 14 

PIED PIPER SERIES 

Holst’s The Planets 

Slatkin Conducts Glass 

Prokofiev’s Fifth 

Rachmaninoff & Bruckner 

Dvo v 

rák’s Eighth 

Olga Kern Returns 

Giancarlo Conducts Mahler’s Second 

Broadway Rocks! 

The Sound of Philadelphia 

Michael Cavanaugh Sings 

The Music of Billy Joel 

Lorrie Morgan 

Kurt Elling 

Al Di Meola 

The Listener 

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! 

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Valentine’s with Gladys Knight 

Voices of Spring 

Camerata Ireland 

Ladysmith Black Mambazo 

Guitar Orchestra of Barcelona 

Nashville Symphony programs are funded in part 

by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, 

the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National 

Endowment for the Arts. 

Tickets at 615.687.6400 or NashvilleSymphony.org 

Violinist Chee-Yun Kim and vocalist Lorrie Morgan are among the featured artists who 

will be performing with the Nashville Symphony Orchestrta in the upcoming months. 

hold auditions for section viola. 

We have some wonderful talent joining 

us the next few months — vocalists Michael 

Cavanaugh and Lorrie Morgan, conductor 

Mario Venzago, and violinist Chee-Yun 

Kim. We celebrate the return of others 

— violinists Stefan Jackiw and Robert 

McDuffie, conductors Leonard Slatkin and 

Günther Herbig, and pianist Olga Kern. 

Our recording project, which began last 

summer will be completed in March, when 

Christopher Lamb performs Schwantner’s 

Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, a work 

Lamb commissioned. The other works on 

the recording include the second Ford Made 

in America composition; Joan Tower’s Made 

In America was the first. 

As I reviewed the repertoire for the next 

few months some of the nicknames of works 

made me wonder if the Artistic Planning 

Committee knew something a year ago the 

rest of us didn’t — the Nielsen Symphony 

scheduled for late January is called “The 

Inextinguishable,” and our season closer 

is the “Resurrection” Symphony No. 2 by 

Gustav Mahler. This last, conducted by 

Giancarlo Guerrero, will feature mezzosoprano 

Frederica von Stade and soprano 

Janice Chandler-Eteme, the original 

performers at the Gala opening concert of 

the Schermerhorn in September 2006. 

The organ console has been rebuilt, and 

although we’re still looking for pianos, it’s 

good to be home. 

Laura Ross is the Nashville Symphony Union 

Steward. You can reach her at lar2vln@ 

afm257.org. 



By Austin Bealmear 

Nashville pianist and composer Bruce 

Dudley has released Mostly Monk, 

(Bruce Dudley Records) a lush and 

swinging new album featuring his exceptional 

writing skills, this time combining a jazz 

quartet with a string quartet. 

Dudley is joined on Mostly Monk by the 

strings of David Davidson, David Angell, 

Chris Farrell, Sari Reist, Matt Slocum, and 

Matt Walker with Don Aliquo (sax), Jim 

Ferguson and Roger Spencer (bass) and Jim 

White (drums). 

Highlights include Monk’s “Ask Me Now,” 

“Four in One,” “Played Twice,” “Pannonica,” 

“Think of One,” “Monk’s Dream,” and 

“Little Rootie Tootie.” While most attempts 

at adding strings to jazz sound like elevator 

music, Dudley’s unlikely choice of 

a string quartet to enhance Monk’s 

quirky melodies and angular rhythms 

works on every level. So many cats 

just play Monk tunes, and totally 

miss Monk’s personality. Dudley’s 

writing illuminates all the uniqueness 

in Monk’s music; the impressionistic 

harmonic surprise, the charming oldworld 

melancholy, and the bouncy 

swing of the early stride pianists. 

Listening to this record, you’ll see 

Monk dancing to his own rhythms, 

as he often did. 

Also outstanding is the original 

composition “Tango d’ Orfero” 

inspired by another legend, nuevo 

tango master Astor Piazzolla, and 

featuring Aliquo and the double 

quartet imagining the underworld 

journey of Orpheus through multiple 

moods, time meters, and harmonic 

modes. Classics by Billy Strayhorn, 

Jimmy Rowles, and Ornette Coleman 

are also given the string treatment. 

The record took several years to 

complete, while Dudley was working 

on his doctorate. Various tracks were 

The Nashville Musician 

recorded at the East Nashville Center for the 

Creative Arts — which is now defunct, David 

Davidson’s Little Big Sound studio, and the 

Nashville Jazz Workshop (NJW). Mixing 

was done at Wildwood Recording. A concert 

and release party is planned for March 11 at 

NJW. More information and sample tracks 

are available at www.brucedudley.com 

Taylor remembered by final album 

While still saddened by the October 

2010 loss of saxophonist Dennis Taylor, a 

good friend to many of us, I was uplifted 

by a recent call from the wonderful Karen 

Leipziger telling me of the Feb. 8 release 

of a solo album Dennis had finished just 

before his passing. She told me, “I met 

Dennis through a mutual friend in 1985 in 

Boston and he had this dream of recording 

an organ trio album as long as I’ve known 

him.” Steppin’ Up was the fulfillment of that 

dream. 

Taylor was a true MVP sideman in the 

world of contemporary blues-roots and 

jazz. He worked many years with Clarence 

“Gatemouth” Brown, Buckwheat Zydeco, 

Shelby Lynne, and Duke Robillard; and had 

been on the road with Delbert McClinton 

since 2008. He was also the author and 

producer of six instructional saxophone 

books for the Hal Leonard Corporation. 

Steppin’ Up was coproduced by Taylor 

and keyboard player Kevin McKendree, and 

Bruce Dudley will perform music from his new album 

Mostly Monk at Nashville Jazz Workshop on March 11. 


Jazz & Blues Beat 

Jazz & Blues Calendar 

March 1 - 6: Ella – The Musical, TPAC 

Polk Theater, 8 p.m. 

March 11: Brazilian Jazz with Luciana 

Souza and Romero Lubambo, TPAC, 

8 p.m. 

March 11: Mostly Monk, Bruce Dudley 

Double Quartet, Nashville Jazz 

Workshop, 8 p.m. 

March 14: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 

Schermerhorn Center, 7 p.m. 

March 18: Al Dimeola, World Sinfonia, 

Schermerhorn Center, 8 p.m. 

April 15: Nashville Jazz Orchestra 

Fifth Annual Writer’s Night featuring 

new arrangements of classic standards 

and a special guest, Ingram Hall, Blair 

School of Music, 8 p.m. 

April 17: Bill Evans Life and Music, 

Bruce Dudley Trio, Frist Center, 3 p.m. 

recorded and mixed at The Rock House, 

McKendree’s studio in Franklin, Tenn. 

“Dennis approached me about making this 

recording not too long after he joined me in 

Delbert McClinton’s band. I had worked with 

him on various projects, and we found we had 

a lot in common. One was the love of the way 

tenor saxophone and Hammond B3 sound 

together. So Dennis challenged himself and 

me to make this recording — just ourselves 

and three of our favorite drummers: Lynn 

Williams (Delbert McClinton), Kenneth 

Blevins ( John Hiatt), and Chester 

Thompson (Weather Report, Frank 

Zappa, Genesis),” McKendree said. 

“He didn’t want it to be the ‘typical 

organ trio’ record,” McKendree 

continued. “He wanted to include 

a variety of songs; some from New 

Orleans, a place he had lived and 

loved, some from the great Ray 

Charles and Percy Mayfield, and even 

a Beatles tune. He asked Delbert to 

choose a song that he had always 

wanted to sing, but never had. Delbert 

chose ‘Since I Fell for You.’ Finally 

and best of all, he wrote several of 

his own instrumentals that reveal the 

true blue soul of Dennis Taylor.” 

There will be an official release/ 

listening party for the album on 

Sunday, Feb. 27 from 3-5 p.m. at 

the Bluebird Cafe. For more on the 

release, contact Karen Leipziger (KL 

Productions) by phone (615-297- 

4452) or email (klpzgr@earthlink. 

net). 

Austin Bealmear is a member of AFM 

257. He can be reached at austinbel@ 

earthlink.net. 

27

Final Notes 

The Louvin Brothers in their heyday: Ira and Charlie (right). 

Charlie Louvin 

1927-2011 

Local 257 Lifetime member and 

Charlie Louvin died January 26, 2011, 

in Wartrace, Tenn., of pancreatic 

cancer. Louvin, 83, was a member of the 

Grand Ole Opry since 1955, the same year 

he joined AFM Local 257. He was elected 

to the Country Music Hall of Fame with 

brother Ira in 2001, and is also a member of 

the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and 

the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. 

Born Charles Ezell Loudermilk in 

Henager, Ala., he grew up poor, but in a 

house filled with music. He and his older 

brother Ira changed their professional names 

to Louvin in 1947 and first came to national 

fame in the late ‘40s with recordings of gospel 

favorites that featured unique “brotherly” 

harmonies. They eventually were convinced 

to try their hand at country music and 

became a sensation in the early ‘50s leading 

to the brothers joining the Grand Ole Opry 

in 1955. 

Constant touring and the changing music 

scene contributed to the Louvin Brothers’ 

breakup in 1963 and Charlie carried on as a 

solo act, hitting big with “See The Big Man 

Cry,” written by Ed Bruce in 1965. Sadly, the 

same year saw his brother Ira and Ira’s wife 

tragically killed in a car accident. 

The Louvin’s harmony heavily influenced 

The Everly Brothers, and in turn the Beatles 

and many others. In 1968, The Byrds recorded 

Charlie’s song “The Christian Life” on the 

landmark country-rock album Sweethearts 

of the Rodeo and sparked a renewed interest 

in the musical legacy of the Louvin Brothers 

that has lasted over the years. 

Emmylou Harris’ cover of “If I Could 

Only Win Your Love” brought an awareness 

of Charlie Louvin to a whole new audience. 

Successive generations of singers and 

musicians, such as Lucinda Williams and 

Jack White, have all been influenced by the 

Louvin Brothers music. 

Though he never found another vocal 

partner that could replace the once in a 

lifetime partnership he shared with Ira, 

Louvin was a hard working man who wrote 

songs, recorded and performed shows right 

up until the end. True North Records released 

Louvin’s final album The Battles Rage On, 

produced by longtime musical associate 

Mitchell Brown. His last live appearance 

was in December 2010 on RFD’s The Marty 

Stuart Show. He was passionate, honest, and 

soulful. He was outspoken at times, but no 

one could doubt the sincerity of his love for 

God, his family, and country music. 

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, 

Betty Louvin; three sons, Sonny Louvin, 

Ken Louvin, and Glenn Louvin; three sisters, 

Flo Lauderdale, Aileen Parker, and Gerri 

McDonald, and five grandchildren. 

Funeral services were held Sunday, Jan. 

30, at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home, with 

burial following at Harpeth Hills Memory 

Gardens. The service was fittingly packed to 

the rafters, and among the many heartfelt 

speakers was WSM’s Eddie Stubbs, who 

gave a memorable eulogy that captured the 

complex spirit of Charlie Louvin perfectly. 

Louvin is now buried next to his brother Ira, 

reunited at last. n 

Avery Coomes 

1915-2011 

Avery Coomes, age 95, died Jan. 17, 

2011. Coomes was a bass player, and 

a lifetime member of Local 257. The 

Kentucky native joined the union in 1959. 

A longtime resident of Nashville, Coomes 

was employed by AVCO as a production 

engineer and process scheduler. He was a 

thirty-second degree Mason and Shriner, 

and was also a member of the Order of the 

Elks. He attended Judson Baptist Church. 

Coomes was preceded in death by his 

father, Lee, and his mother, Nora Idele 

Tetrick Thompson; his wife of fifty years, 

Eloise Edna Becker Coomes, and his second 

wife of more than fifteen years, Linnie Mai 

Harris Coomes. Survivors include his son, 

Colonel Wayne A. Coomes, USMC-Ret., 

and his daughter, Nancy Rieves; three stepchildren, 

Ray Harris, Gail Neely, and Annette 

Cox; four grandchildren, Lisa Greenwood, 

Wayne Arthur Coomes, Jr., Robin Lane, and 

Rick Rieves; and five great-grandchildren. 

Graveside services were held Jan. 19 at 

Woodlawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, 

memorial contributions may be made to the 

Judson Baptist Church Building Fund, 4900 

Franklin Road, Nashville, Tenn., 37220. n 

William Hoffman 

1927-2011 

Lifetime AFM 257 member William 

Hoffman died Jan. 10, 2011. The 

Williamson-County native and 

World War II veteran played sax, clarinet 

and trumpet. Hoffman joined Local 257 in 

1973. 

Hoffman, who moved to Bradenton, Fla. 

in 1985, was also a member of American 

Legion Post 24, and of Our Lady Queen of 

Martyrs Catholic Church, in Sarasota, Fla. 

He was preceded in death by a son, William 

E. Hoffman, Jr. Survivors include his wife of 

62 years, Pattie Ann Mulvihill Hoffman of 

Bradenton, a daughter, Margaret Hoffman 

Skene of Macon, Ga., one son, Patrick Stephen 

Hoffman of Bradenton, a daughter-in-law 

Sherrie B. Hoffman, of Brentwood, Tenn., 

four granddaughters; Melissa Hildebrand of 

Atlanta, Ga., Lauren Marasa, of Columbia, 

S.C., Lindsey and Rachel Hoffman, both of 

Brentwood, and two sisters; Nada Ann Clark 

of Oakland, Calif., and Barbara Jean Farless 

of Hendersonville, Tenn. 

Private graveside services were held at 

Sarasota National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers 

the family asks that donations be made to St. 

Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the 

American Heart Foundation.n 



John Thomas Crain 

1951-2011 

Southern rock legend and Local 257 

member John Thomas “Tommy” Crain 

passed away in his sleep on Jan. 13 in 

Franklin, Tenn. Crain was 59 years old. 

Although he played most stringed 

instruments including pedal steel and banjo, 

Crain was primarily a guitarist and is best 

known for his work as a member of the 

Charlie Daniels Band. He was the group’s 

lead guitarist from 1975 to 1989. During 

that time, he recorded 20 albums and cowrote 

more than 60 of the band’s songs, including 

the Grammy-winning “The Devil Went 

Down To Georgia.” The man bandmates 

called “Wild Man” also was lead vocalist on 

several of the group’s recordings, including 

“Blind Man” and “Cumberland Mountain 

Number Nine.” 

On his website, Daniels wrote: “Tommy 

Crain will always be a part of the CDB 

family and his music will always be a part of 

the CDB sound. We have lost a good friend 

and the world has lost a unique, creative and 

precious human being. We send our deepest 

condolences to the family of our brother 

Tommy Crain. You were special, buddy. 

We’re gonna miss you.” 

Prior to hooking up with Daniels, Crain 

performed in several local rock bands 

including Lemonade Charade, Flat Creek 

Band (with his brother Billy), and Buckeye, 

which opened for the Charlie Daniels 

Band at the first Volunteer Jam in 1974. He 

met Daniels that night, which led to him 

joining CDB a year later. Since leaving the 

Daniels band, Crain has fronted an Atlantabased 

outfit called Tommy Crain and the 

Crosstown Allstars. 

Joe Webb Forrester 

1919-2011 

Bass and guitar player Joe Webb Forrester, 

91, died Jan. 16, 2011. The lifetime 

member of AFM 257 was born 

in Vernon, Tenn., and was also an World War 

II Army veteran who participated in the D- 

Day landing on Utah Beach. 

Forrester moved to Nashville in 1935, 

where he embarked on a show business career 

that included appearances on the Grand 

Ole Opry, KVOO in Tulsa, Okla., and on radio 

in Tuscola, Ill. After he returned from the 

war he played with Bill Monroe, Gene Autry, 

Art Davis, and Georgia Slim Rutland’s Texas 

Roundup. Following his performance career, 

he became a letter carrier in Nashville, and 

retired from East Station in 1978. 


Crain was preceded in death by his 

daughter, Ella Helen Crain, and survived 

by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas 

Crain (Helen), his wife, Melissa Williams 

Crain, his daughter, Ann Crain McDuffee, 

his grandson, Hunter McDuffee (the joy 

of his life), his brother Billy Crain (Sandy), 

his sister Sherry Crain Arledge ( James) and 

many nieces and nephews. 

A celebration of Crain’s life was held for 

family and friends on Jan. 21 at Soundcheck 

Nashville. Visitation began at 4 p.m., 

testimonials and a musical tribute followed 

at 5 p.m. Donations can be made in in honor 

of Tommy Crain to the Nashville chapter of 

Musicians On Call, 1313 21st Ave., Oxford 

House, Suite 1002, Nashville, TN 37232. n 

Forrester was also a member of the Masonic 

Lodge. 

Forrester was preceded in death by his first 

wife, Bertha Mae, and his second wife, Edna 

Louise, as well as his son, William Stanford. 

He was also preceded in death by his three 

brothers; Clyde, Clayton and Howard Forrester. 

Survivors include his son, Joe Stephen, 

and daughter, Luanna Lee (Harold) Moore, 

of Florida. Other survivors include two 

stepdaughters, Sandra (Charles) Wood and 

Connie Duffy; five grandchildren; and four 

great-grandchildren. 

Brethern of the Jerre Baxter-Edgefield 

Masonic Lodge held a ceremony Monday, 

Jan. 17, and funeral services were held at 

Spring Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery, 

Tuesday, Jan. 18. n 


Dennis Taylor 

1953-2010 

Local 257 member Dennis Adelord 

Taylor, 56, died suddenly of a massive 

heart attack in Greenville, Texas, on 

Oct. 17, 2010, while on tour with the Delbert 

McClinton Band. Taylor was a saxophone 

player, known for session work and live 

performances, and was born Nov. 13, 1953, 

in Barton, Vt. 

He graduated from Johnson State College 

in Johnson, Vt., and also attended Berklee 

School of Music in Boston, Mass. 

Taylor played with the Vermont Jazz 

Ensemble, and taught saxophone at Johnson 

State College before moving to New Orleans, 

where he began touring with the Gatemouth 

Brown Band, and also played with local jazz 

and blues groups. In 1985, he moved to 

Boston where he freelanced at local clubs, 

and in 1989 he and his wife, Karen Leipziger, 

moved to Nashville. 

During his career, Taylor played with 

Buckwheat Zydeco, Michelle Shocked, Duke 

Robillard, and Shelby Lynn, and toured with 

Kenny Rogers’ Christmas Show and Brenda 

Lee. For the last two and a half years, Taylor 

played with Delbert McClinton. 

Taylor volunteered weekly at the W.O. 

Smith School of Music for 17 years, where he 

taught saxophone. He also had many private 

students, and was known for his love of 

teaching. Taylor also wrote six instructional 

books for saxophone for the Hal Leonard 

Publishing Company. 

A memorial service was held Oct. 21 at 

the W.O. Smith School, where friends, 

family and fellow band members shared their 

stories about Taylor. On Nov. 7, a musical 

tribute was held at B.B. King’s in Nashville. 

Musicians who played with Taylor in bands 

or on records performed at the service, which 

ended with “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” 

by all the horn players, in honor of his lifelong 

love of the Boston Red Sox. 

Mr. Taylor had just fulfilled his dream 

of recording his own solo record, which is 

reviewed on Page 19 in this magazine. 

Suvivors include his wife of 22 years, Karen 

Leipziger; his parents, Ad and Lois Taylor, 

of Barton, Vt.; two sisters, Kathy Trecartin 

of Central Point, Ore., Patricia Taylor of 

Orleans, Vt.; and his brother Daniel Taylor 

of St. Paul, Minn. 

There will be a graveside service at 

Westlook Cemetery in Glover, Vt., in the 

spring. 

Donations in his memory may be made to: 

Dennis Taylor Memorial Fund, W.O. Smith 

School of Music, 1125 8th Avenue South, 

Nashville, Tenn., 37203. n 

29

Member Status 

New Members 

Dean Alexander 

Allen Chris C 

(Chris Allen) 

GTR 

179 N. 85 E 

Orem, UT 84057 

Wk-(615)-322-9700 ext. 105 

Alexander A. Arzamastsev 

DRM 

2504 Cox Mill Road 

Hopkinsville, KY 42240 

Hm-(270)-886-6488 

Christopher Coleman 

GTR KEY PRC TPT 

1620 Linden Avenue 

Nashville, TN 37212 

Kelly E. Cornell 

FHN 

411 Rudolph Avenue 


Hm-(816)-392-2189 

Melvin Clifford Downs, III 

(Cliff Downs) 

GTR PIA PRG 

1815 Farmington Drive 

Franklin, TN 37069 

Hm-(615)-790-2137 Wk- 

(615)-791-6048 

Joe Weldon Ferris 

DBB PIA 

1300 N 5th Street 


Hm-(617)-320-8155 

Anthony Caleb Followill 

(Caleb Followill) 

VOC GTR 

PO Box 340020 


Wk-(615)-329-9902 

Michael Dale Gardner 

DRM 

758 Indian Creek Road 

Hurtland, TN 37345 

Hm-(931)-469-7090 

Carl James Gatti 

TBN BTB GTR BAS PIA 

2159 Bynum Avenue 


Hm-(281)-455-2097 

Harter James Michael 

(Michael Harter) 

GTR 

2820 Erica Place 


Wk-(615)-292-7440 

Leslie Harter 

PIA GTR 



Wk-(615)-292-7440 

Harter William P 

(Scott Harter) 

GTR BZK MDN 



Hm-(615)-292-7440 

Stacy B Hogan 

PIA 

133 Shihmen Court 

Antioch, TN 37013 

Hm-(615)-335-5463 

James B. Johnston 

(Flatt Rock) 

BAS RG 

1101 Edgehill Avenue Apt. 

212 


Shaunna Larkin 

FDL MDN 

PO Box 149241 


Jason Allen Lauver 

GTR BAS DRM KEY 

95 Blackburn Ave 


Gary Darin Lyons 

(Darin Lyons) 

BAS GTR 

800 Carolyn Lane 

Gallatin, TN 37066 

Hm-(615)-451-2337 Wk- 

(615)-230-3000 

Stacy Alan Mitchhart 

GTR VOC BAS 

1074 Willoughby Station Blvd 

Mount Juliet, TN 37122 

Adam Nagel 

BAS 

4400 Cadillac Avenue 


Hm-(615)-336-2341 

Bruce T Pearson 

GTR VOC 

502 B Lancaster Avenue 


Benjamin Franklin Polk 

BTB TBN 

324 Gatewood Avenue 

Bowling Green, KY 42101 

Brent Rader 

KEY DRM BAS GTR 

305 Parrish Court 

Mt. Juliet, TN 37122 

Wk-(615)-428-0205 

Jason Stout 

KEY GTR 

2802 Comanche Trail 

Thompsons Station, TN 

37179 

Hm-(615)-517-1561 

Stephen M Taylor 

DRM VOC 

713 Riverview Drive 


Hm-(615)-636-9114 

Paul Thurmond 

HPC ORG 

2979 Old Walton Circle 

Cookeville, TN 38506 

Hm-(931)-537-2856 

Derek Wayne Wolfford 

DRM PRC 

2820 St Edwards Drive 


Hm-(615)-333-2058 

Charlie Worsham 

GTR BJO MDN 

5845 Nolensville Rd Unit 324 


Nir Zidkyahu 

(Nir Z) 

DRM PRO PRC 

244 Westeria Drive 


Hm-(615)-807-1361 

Resigned 

Samantha Joelle Adams 

Andrew R. Ballard 

James Charles Butler 

John J Cicatelli 

Allan E Cox 

Richard Andrew Dill 

Jessica Guinn Dunnavant 

Carol J Fisher 

Richard Brian Free 

Mary Veronica Gauthier 

Daniel A Grindstaff 

Pattie Elizabeth Hopkins 

Ryan Lee Kamm 

Randy Dean Lewis 

Warren Nelson Lynch 

Karla Major 

Sam C McFerrin 

Linda Patterson 

Jan Marie Paulson 

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 Date Joined Died Life Member 

Avery Coomes 3/26/19 12/19/1959 1/17/2011 Yes 

John Thomas Crain Jr. 1/16/1951 3/15/1994 1/13/2011 

Ralph N. Davis 3/15/1930 3/21/1960 10/29/2010 Yes 

Joe W. Forrester 3/21/1919 1/20/1951 1/16/2011 Yes 

William E. Hoffman 6/8/1927 1/25/1973 1/10/2011 Yes 

Charlie E. Louvin Sr. 7/7/1927 2/24/1955 1/26/2011 Yes 

Dennis Taylor 11/13/1953 2/17/2009 10/17/2010 

Tyson James Rogers 

Thomas O Rutledge 

Lydia Salnikova 

Keith Sorrels 

John Walter Spoto 

J. Michael Higgins Tilton 

Michael Lee Young 

Application revoked 

Maxwell G Abrams 

Katy Seale 

Terry Dale Bayless 

Mark Derek Crum 

Douglas Lee Frasure 

Nioshi Malachi Jackson 

Suspended 

Jerry Bob Abbott 

Brennan William Aerts 

Timothy Wayne Akers 

Stephen Arnold 

Kelly Back 

Roger D Ball 

John N Balut 

Russell Barenberg 

Ken A Barken 

Stephen H Bassett 

Robert Thaddeus Beaty 

Leon Stanley Beaver 

Chris Beckerdite 

Eddie Clayton Bedford 

David Anton Beigert 

Tigar Lee Bell 

Phillip Reece Benefield, II 

Justin David 

Eric Bikales 

John Douglas Billings 

Emelyne Marie Bingham 

Paul Carrol Binkley 

Scott Binkley 

Lee Covington Bogan 

John C Bohlinger 

Charlie Anthony Borchert 

Jimmy Bowen 

Richard Allen Boyer 

David G. Brainard 

Jerry Bridges 

Stephen R Brooks 

Anthony Dean Brown 

Jonathan Edward Brown 

Trey E Bruce 

Samuel Edward Buchanan 

Chris Buck 

Curtis E Burch, Jr 

Lauren Robin Burnette 

Joel David Byerley 

Steven Jacob Caldwell 

Jimmy Ivan Cameron 

Branden Campbell 

Joeie Dale Canaday, Jr 

Johnny Lee Carpenter 

Richard E Carpenter 

Channing Joseph Carroll 

John D. Carter 

Joshua S Carter 

Walter C Carter, Jr 

Zachary E Carter 

Steven Richard Chapman 

Timothy H Cierpke 

Vincent R Ciesielski 

Micheal Dean Clair 

Derek Coburn Cline 

George C Cocchini 

David Ross Cohen 

Christopher Coleman 

Peter T. Colombo 

Matthew M Combs 

Steven Louis Cook 

William C Cook, Jr 

Thomas Luther Cooper, Jr 

Gary Scott Cohen 

Gene Cotton 

Smith Curry 

John Paul Daniel 

Lance Dary 

Costo I Davis 

William Carlos Davis 

John Shelby Deaderick 

Robert G Dean 

Gerald Bruce Dees 

Alfred V Delory 

John Lane Denson 

William Moody Denton, III 

Douglas Flint Dillard 

Marty Ray Dillingham 



Suspended cont. 

Richard C Domenico 

Bradley Dring 

Scott A Ducaj 

Stephan Ralph Dudash 

David Scott Dunseath 

Robert H Durham 

John Anthony Elefante 

William E Ellis 

Troy Anthony Engle 

Mark Lee Fain 

Steven Frank Farella 

Steven M Farris 

Zachary W. Farro 

Darin Lee Favorite 

Clayton Mitchell Feibusch 

Terry Lee Feller 

Michael Ray Ferguson 

Donald Emry Fishel 

Patrick H Flynn 

Shannon Otis Forrest 

Lester James Fortune 

Alexander M Freeman 

Brian B Fullen 

Judd W. Fuller 

Seth Daniel Gangwer 

Carl James Gatti 

Mark A Gillespie 

Gilles Alelard Godard 

Kurt Gregory Goebel 

Dennis Wade Goodwin 

Eddie Gossien 

Benjamin Lain Graves 

Burkett Graves, Jr 

Clarence E Greene 

David Alan Grier 

Daniel Lenwood Groah 

Gregory Michael Hagan 

Joan Bell Hager 

Benion L. Haggard 

Timothy Doyle Hall 

Joseph Halterman, Jr 

John Eric Hammond 

Jeff Hanna 

Larry Thomas Harden 

Joseph N Harris 

Donald Francis Harvey 

Sam James Hawksley 

Tracy Matthew Heaston 

Steven Neil Heller 

Jesse Charles Henceroth 

Roy Michael Henceroth 

Steve B Herrman 

Owen T Hewitt, Jr 

Russell Hicks 

Rodney L Hill 

Brian William Hinchliffe 

John Charles Hinchey 

Warner E Hodges 

Stacy B Hogan 

Eric H Holt 

Mark Edward Hornsby 

Jason Howard Anderson 

Bobby G Huff 

David L Huff 


Michael Kevin Hughes 

William T Hullett 

Noah Joseph Hungate 

David Huntsinger 

James E Hurst 

Peter J Huttlinger 

Jim T Hyatt 

Jeffery Don Hyde 

Jim C Isbell 

Charles L Jacobs 

Christopher Pierre Janson 

Kenneth R Janson 

Greg Jennings 

Billy D Johnson 

James B. Johnston 

Dina M Johnson 

Dirk Johnson 

Gail Rudisill Johnson 

James Edward Johnson 

Mark F Johnson 

Joseph Daniel Justice, III 

Eric Albert Kambestad 

Glenn D Keener 

Kyle Thomas Kelley 

Allison Kerr 

Lucas Alan Ketner 

Thomas M Killen 

Walter R King 

Donald Matthew Kinman 

Eric Hale Kinny 

Frank M Kirchner 

Ray Kirkland 

Tom Kirk 

David R. Kiviniemi 

T Jeff Knight 

Craig Dwayne Koons 

Warren Clay Krasner 

Ryan Todd Lafferty 

Harley R. Lamoureux 

Keith H Landry 

Ricky D Land 

Marvin Lanier 

Jason Allen Lauver 

Jordan D Lawhead 

Steve E Ledford 

Matthew Ryder Lee 

Sonny Lemaire 

Cody Eugene Leppo 

Bryan Eric Lewis 

Jackson L. Lewis 

Michael B Lindley 

Solomon William Littlefield 

Clifford Edward Long 

Gary Lee Lunn 

Gary Darin Lyons 

Thomas Scott Macdonald 

Philip K Madeira 

Robert W Mahon 

Tommy T. Maras 

Joshua Ryburn Martin 

Susan Elizabeth Martinez 

Tony Scott Martin 

Anthony J Marvelli 

Lisa Marie McCallum 

George McClure 

Jeremy Fowler McCoy 

Randy Lyn McCormick 

Steven McEwan 

Patrick William McGrath 

Luke Wilson McKnight 

Jerry A McPherson 

Miles McPhereson 

Jeremy Douglas Medkiff 

Kristy Jo Mellons 

Scot Quinn Merry 

Mark Andrew Miller 

William B. Miller 

Frank Moniz 

Daryl Mosley 

Adam Nagel 

Phillip L Naish 

Jerry Joseph Navarro 

David Clark Neal 

Heidi Kay Newfield 

Michael James Nielsen 

Deborah D Nims 

James T Nixon 

John S Noreen 

David M Northrup 

David A Nuding 

Brian Keith Nutter 

Mark Oliverius 

John Darren Osborn 

Lynn Owsley 

Sean G Paddock 

Michael Todd Parks 

Andy Peake 

Bruce T Pearson 

Steve M Peffer 

Karen J Pendley-Kuykendall 

Stu Phillips 

Kenneth Lamar Preuitt, Jr 

George Puckett 

Murray William Pulver 

Holly C Rang 

Kevin A Rapillo 

Chris Michael Raspante 

Tom V. Ray 

Phil W Redmond 

Richard (Buck) Reid 

Van E Rentz 

Leigh G Reynolds 

John Mathew Richardson 

Membership Suspension 

The Nashville Musicians Association’s Annual Dues for 2011 are 

$245 for regular members and $148.50 for Lifetime members. A 

Lifetime member must be 65 years of age and have 35 years of continuous 

membership in the AFM. Local 257 Bylaws state that a 

member shall stand suspended if Annual Dues are not paid in full by 

January 31 and a $10 late fee is charged. If a member’s Annual Dues 

are not paid in full by April 1, that member will be considered expelled, 

and an additional $25 Reinstatement fee applies. If membership 

is allowed to lapse more than one year, members will lose their 

Funeral Benefit credit and other benefits. 


David Ray Robbins 

Larry H Rolando 

Charles Lloyd Rose 

Pamela Rose 

Aidan Rene’ Rowe 

Gary Sadker 

Phillip Dreher Sanders 

Kevin Rene Antoine Sciou 

Debbie Michelle Scott 

Richard Alan Scruggs 

Jamison Taylor Sevits 

Andrew Charles Sheridan 

Michael John Shimshack 

Herb Shucher 

Kristina P Siemer 

Jeffrey D Simo 

Daryle Bruce Singletary 

Les Singer 

Gene Sisk 

Matthew P Slocum 

Dave Eric Smith 

D. Scott Smith 

Gary Joe Smith 

Randal Dewayne Smith 

Tyler B. Smith 

Edward L Smoak, Jr 

Jimmie Rodgers Snow 

Jason Paul Southard 

Doug Spangler 

E Blaine Sprouse 

Michael Stergis 

Alan Stoker 

Danny D Stonestreet 

Jason Stout 

Nathan P Strasser 

Ronald Lee Sunderland, Jr 

Barry Tamburin 

Jerry W Tate 

Stephen M Taylor 

Steve Taylor 

Bobby W Terry, Jr 

James F Thistle, II 

Mark F Thompson 

Tia Faye Thomason 

James R Threet 

Jonathan Marc Trebing 

Richard R Tunney 

Robby O Turner 

William Steven Turner 

William B Verdier 

Gerard F Vinett 

Raymond von Rotz 

Bil Thomas Vorndick 

Michael Scott Waldron 

George Larry Wallace 

Stephen J Walsh 

Kevin A Ward 

Bruce Waterman 

Jay D Weaver 

Michael Scott Webb 

William Chadwick Webb 

Donald Lloyd White 

Mark Wayne Whitehead 

Erich William Wigdahl 

Dan Edward Williams 

Justin G Williamson 

Kevin Brent Williams 

Mark Towner Williams 

Albert E Wilson 

Harvey E Wilson, Jr 

Nathan Edward Wright 

Peggy Sue Wright 

Derek Bryson Wyatt 

Martin S Young 

John Michael Zovath 

Next Membership Meeting 

Monday, March 14, 2011 

George Cooper Rehearsal Hall 

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. 

Meeting starts at 6 p.m. 

31

Do Not Work For 

Top of the Offenders List 

Chasin’ Records (bounced checks) 

Eric Legg (multiple unpaid contracts, pension) 

Positive Movement/Tommy Sims (unpaid 

contracts – CeCe Winans project) 

Terry K. Johnson/ 1720 Entertainment (unpaid 

contracts/unauthorized sales - Jamie O’Neal 

project) 

Revelator/Gregg Brown (bounced checks) 

River County Band/SVC Entertainment (unpaid 

demo conversion/pension) 

ANA Records/Bruce Allen Wallace (pension) 

Accurate Strategies, Inc. (unpaid contracts) 

Adagio Music/Sam Ocampo (unpaid contract) 

Add A Player.com (pension) 

Travis Allen Productions (pension) 

Audio RX (unpaid pension) 

(multiple unpaid contracts) 

Big Three Entertainment (three unpaid contracts) 

Blue Canyon Music/G. Randolph Compton 

(pension) 

Bottled Lightning/Woody Bradshaw (unpaid 

contracts) 

Bull Rush/Cowboy Troy (unpaid demo upgrade) 

Casa Vega/Ray Vega (unpaid contracts) 

Cat Creek Publishing (unpaid contract) 

Century Music/Art Ward (unpaid contracts) 

Chez Musical/Sanchez Harley (unpaid contracts) 

Jimmy Collins (pension) 

Compass Productions - Alan Phillips and David 

Schneiderman (unpaid contracts) 

Conrheita Lee Flang/Chris Sevier (pension) 

Coyote Ugly/Jeff Myers (pension) 

Daddio Prod./Jim Pierce (unpaid contract) 

Data Aquisition Corp./Eric Prestidge (pension) 

Michael Davey Productions (unpaid pension) 

Derrin Heroldt (pension) 

Jessy Dixon Ministries (pension) 

Summer Dunaway (unpaid contract) 

Earthtone Pub./Roy English (unpaid contract) 

Earworks/Jeff Teague (unpaid contracts, pension) 

Ferguson Music (unpaid pension) 

FJH Enterprises (pension) 

Field Ent. Group/Joe Field (unpaid contract) 

First Tribe Media (pension) 

Jimmy Fohn Music (pension) 

Rebecca Frederick (pension) 

Golden Vine Prod. (unpaid contract) 

Goofy Footed (pension) 

Gospocentric (pension) 

Josh Gracin/Beautiful Monkey/JAB Country 

Tony Graham (pension) 

Jeffrey Green/Cahernzcole House (pension) 

Randy Hatchett (pension) 

Highland Music Publishing (pension) 

Greg Holland (unpaid contract) 

Tommy Holland (unpaid pension) 

Home Records/David Vowell (unpaid contracts) 

Honey Tree Prod. (pension) 

Hot Skillet/Lee Gibson (unpaid contract/sigs) 

Howard Music Group (pension) 

Engelbert Humperdinck (pension) 

Mark Hybner (unpaid contract) 

In Light Records/Rick Lloyd (pension) 

Kyle Jacobs (unpaid contract) 

Paul Jenkins (pension) 

Katana Prod./“Dada” Mills (unpaid contracts) 

Kenny Lamb (unpaid contracts) 

King Craft, Inc./Michael King (unpaid contracts) 

Ginger Lewis (unpaid contract) 

Little Red Hen Records/Arjana Olson (pension) 

Line Drive Music (unpaid contract) 

Lyrically Correct Music Group/Jeff Vice (unpaid 

contract) 

MC Productions/Mark Cheney (unpaid contract) 

MCK Publishing/Rusty Tabor (unpaid contract) 

Malaco (pension) 

Joseph McClelland (pension) 

Tim McDonald (pension) 

Mark McGuinn (unpaid contract) 

Marty McIntosh (unpaid contract) 

Miss Ivy Records/Bekka Bramlett (unpaid 

upgrades) 

MS Ent./Michael Scott (unpaid contract) 

Matchbox Ent./Dwight Baker (unpaid contract) 

Pete Martinez (pension) 

Maverick Management Group (pension) 

Dean Miller (unpaid pension and contracts) 

Missionary Music (pension) 

Mootown Ent./Elbert West (unpaid contracts) 

Jason Morales (pension/demo signature) 

Morris Publishing Group (unpaid contracts) 

Multi-Media (unpaid contract) 

Joe Meyers (pension) 

MPCA Recordings/John Titta (unpaid contract) 

Jeff Nystrom/Ultrasound (unpaid contracts) 

O Street Mansion (pension) 

On The Green/Kevin Beamish (unpaid contracts) 

One Shot Management (unpaid contract) 

OTB Publishing (pension/demo signature) 

Anthony Paul Company (unpaid contract) 

Reach Ministries (pension) 

Quarterback/G Force Music (unpaid contracts) 

RLS Records/Ronald Stone (unpaid contract) 

Region One Records (unpaid contract) 

RichDor Music/Keith Brown (unpaid contract) 

Robbins Nashville (unpaid contract) 

Ronnie Palmer (pension) 

Round Robin/Jim Pierce (unpaid contract) 

Corey Roomey Ent. South (upaid pension) 

Roxanne Entertainment (unpaid contract) 

Rust Records/Michelle Metzger (unpaid 

contracts and pension) 

Shaunna Songs/Shaunna Bolton (unpaid 

contract) 

Shauna Lynn (unpaid contract) 

Shy Blakeman (unpaid contract) 

Singing Honey Tree (unpaid contract) 

Jason Singleton Productions (unpaid pension) 

Sleepy Town/David Lowe (unpaid contract) 

Small Time Productions, Inc./Randy Boudreaux 

(unpaid contract) 

Barry Preston Smith (pension) 

Song Garden Music Group(unpaid pension) 

Songwriters Collective (unpaid contract) 

Sound Kitchen (unpaid pension) 

Sound Resources Prod./Zach Runquist (unpaid 

contracts/pension) 

Spangle 3/Brien Fisher (unpaid contract/pension) 

Mark Spiro (unpaid contract) 

Steal Hearts Music, Inc. (pension) 

Sterling Production Mgmt/Traci Sterling Bishir 

(unpaid contracts/pension) 

Nathan Thompson (pension) 

Tin Ear (pension/demo signature) 

Triumphant Quartet (pension) 

Adam Tucker (unpaid contract) 

Mike Ward Music (pension/demo signature) 

Roy Webb (pension) 

Write It Lefty/Billy Davis (pension) 

Michael Whalen (pension) 

We 3 Kings (unpaid contract) 

Eddie Wenrick (unpaid conract) 

Mike Willis Music (unpaid pension) 

YGT 40/Lawrence B. Gotliebs (pension) 

AFM Non-Signatory List 

Barry Smith (Demo) 

Com Source Media (limited pressing) 

Coyote Ugly/Jeff Myers (Demo) 

Danielle Lauderdale (Demo) 

Elite III Records (demo signature) 


FJH Enterprises (phono/limited pressing) 

Gene Evaro (demo signature) 

Generator Music (demo signature) 

Ginger Lewis (demo signature) 

Honey Tree Prod. (demo signature) 

Hope Productions (demo signature) 

Jeffrey Green/Cahernzcole House (limited 

pressing) 

Jessy Dixon Ministries (phono) 

Jimmy Collins (Demo) 

Jimmy Fohn Music (demo signature) 

Journey Records (limited pressing) 

Malaco (demo signature) 

Maverick Management Group (phono/demo 

signature) 

Nashville Midnight Oil (demo signature) 

Nathan Thompson (limited pressing) 

PSM (limited pressing) 

Randy Hatchett (demo signature) 

Rick Henry (limited pressing) 

Robert David Stacy (demo signature) 

Ronnie Palmer (demo signature) 

Stage 7 Prod./Jerry Medkiff (limited pressing) 

Triumphant Quartet (phono) 

Allianz (demo signature) 

Blue Desert Music Group (phono) 

Caribbean Country Management (demo 

signature) 

Chariscourt, Ltd. (phono) 

Conrheita Lee Flang/Chris Sevier (demo 

signature) 

Data Acquisition Corp./Eric Prestidge (demo 

signature) 

Engelbert Humperdinck (demo signature) 

First Tribe Media (phono) 

Heritage Records/Lew Curatolo (demo 

signature) 

Joe Meyers (phono) 

KJ Entertainment (limited pressing) 

Labeless Records/Coy Ray/RPB Prod. (phono) 

MS Ent./Michael Scott (limited pressing) 

Matachack James (limited pressing) 

Michael Sykes Productions (demo signature/ 

limited pressing) 

Peter Good (demo signature) 

Pitchmaster/Carroll Posey (demo signature) 

Quarterback/G Force Music (phono) 

Region One Records (limited pressing) 

Sawyer Brown (limited pressing) 

Shy Blakeman (limited pressing) 

The Pitchmaster (demo signature) 

Title tunes (demo signature) 

Travis Allen Productions (limited pressing) 

Domination Records LLC (Limited Pressing) 

Kurt A..Koble (Limited Pressing) 

Point To Point LLC (limited pressing) 

Wade Spencer Ministries, Inc. (phono) 

Wowboy Music Group (demo signature) 

YTG 40/Lawrence B. Gottliebs (demo signature) 

Christopher Mortland (limited pressing) 

Cottageworks/Betsy Foster (limited pressing) 

44 West/Mike Welch (limited pressing) 

Francis X. Sullivan 

Jason Kerr Ministries - Don Goodman 

J. Carlos (limited pressing) 

Lance Productions (limited pressing) 

One G Productions (limited pressing) 

Peer Music (limited pressing) 

Roxanne Entertainment 

Taylor Productions (limited pressing) 

TBN, Paul Crouch (phono/video) 

Campfire Records 

Chapel Music Group 

MTL Limited 

LaToya Jackson & Jack Gordon 

Westwood One 

Worldwide Agency 

32 The Nashville Musician


is your BACKSTAGE pass to what’s happening 

with the world-class musicians in Music City. 

Only 

$15 * 

per year 

for AFM members 

$20 for nonmembers 

* free to Local 257 members 

In each issue, you will get music news, concert reviews, record reviews, 

musician profiles and features, jazz & blues beat, symphony notes, 

session flashbacks, milestones & awards, and much, much more. 

For more information and to subscribe, visit 

www.nashvillemusicians.org 

The Nashville Musician is the official quarterly journal of the Nashville Association of Musicians, AFM Local 257

DUANE EDDY - Nashville Musicians Association

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