06.29.06 (MusicPortal.com) Bluegrass favorites CHATHAM COUNTY LINE are currently on tour in support of their current release from Yep Roc Records, "Speed Of The Whippoorwill." It is through touring that the band has perfected their blend of instrumental prowess, harmonic singing, and original composition. Evident is a sense of self-awareness in their musical vision, as the band are not afraid to follow a raucous 12-bar fingernail chipper with a beautiful lilting ballad. It's that combination of songs for the drinking man and songs for the thinking man that drives the originality of this four piece acoustic band. 06/30 Benton Harbor, MI [The Livery] • 07/01 Chicago, IL [Chicago Country Music Festival - Taste Stage] • 07/02 Berwyn, IL [Fitzgerald's American Music Festival] • 07/06 Denver, CO [Bluebird Theater] • 07/08 Winter Park, CO [Hideaway Park] (Winter Park Folk Festival) • 07/09 Aspen, CO [Aspen Mountain Bluegrass Sundays] • 07/13 Ancramdale, NY [Rothvoss Farm] (Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival) • 07/14 Ancramdale, NY [Rothvoss Farm] (Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival) • 07/14 New York City, [NY Pier 17 - South Street Seaport] (Seaport Music Festival) • 07/15 Glen Moore, PA [Wagenseller Park] (Community Bluegrass Concert) • 07/16 Clinton, NJ [Black Potatoe Music Festival] • 07/21 Ashland, VA [Ashland Coffee & Tea] • 07/26 Northampton, MA [Iron Horse] • 07/27 Ellsworth, ME [The Grand Auditorium] • 07/28 Cornish, ME [Ossipee Valley Bluegrass And Acoustic Music Festival] • 07/29 Cornish, ME [Ossipee Valley Bluegrass And Acoustic Music Festival] • 08/10 Atlanta, GA [Red Light Cafe] • 08/11 Thomson, GA [Gardens At Watson-Brown] • 08/12 St. Simons Island, GA [Rafters] • 08/18 Norfolk, VA [Taphouse] • 08/19 Garner, NC [Lake Benson Park] • 09/08 Bowling Green, OH [Black Swamp Arts Festival] • 09/09 Bowling Green, OH [Black Swamp Arts Festival] • 09/15 Carrboro, NC [Cat's Cradle] • 09/16 Bristol, TN [Rhythm And Roots Reunion] • 10/04 Cincinnati, OH [Tall Stacks Music] (Arts & Heritage Festival) • 10/07 San Francisco, CA [Golden Gate Park] (Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival) • 10/13 Apex, NC [Old Train Depot - Chamber Of Commerce] (Concerts At The Depot) • 10/14 Charlotte, NC [Dana Auditorium @ Queens University Of Charlotte]
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06.28.06 (MusicPortal.com) Lost Highway Records has just released "Tim O'Reagan," the self-titled solo debut from the long-time member of The Jayhawks. The new offering showcases the many sides of the multi-talented TIM O'REAGAN, which are seeing the light of day for the first time as he steps out from around the drum kit and moves into the spotlight. "Tim O'Reagan" features 11 songs written by and mostly performed by O'Reagan. While he handles much of the guitar, bass, drums and keyboards, the album was made with the help of some good friends - Jayhawks Gary Louris, Mark Olson, Marc Perlman, Karen Grotberg, Son Volt bassist Jim Boquist and even his mom and dad, who add some violin and whistle to the mix. The album opens with the infectiously catchy 'These Things' and follows with the melodious 'Black & Blue.' The sweeping 'Highway Flowers' is beautiful acknowledgement to the roadside memorials we see too often, while 'Play Thing' features classic Monkees/Beatles-esque Pop. Not bad for a guy who used to hear music in terms of locking the kick drum to the bass line. But judging from Tim O'Reagan, something deeper was stirring even as he was breaking into music on the R&B circuit in Kansas City. Eventually he and his friend Todd Newman put a band together called the Leatherwoods and headed to the Twin Cities. They cut one album, "Topeka Oratorio," (co-produced by Paul Westerberg), with O'Reagan quickly finding a foothold in the lively scene that centered on Minneapolis. After four years of playing with the Leatherwoods and others there, Joe Henry recruited him for shows and sessions. Then in 1996, O'Reagan joined The Jayhawks. For more than ten years, that band built its success on a foundation of wisely crafted original material. Their standards, in other words, were high, which made it especially impressive that they would include 'Bottomless Cup' on O'Reagan's first CD with the band, "Sound Of Lies." He started singing around that same time too, all of which got him thinking about doing a project of original music, on his own. "I got a rehearsal space lined up," he remembers. "I got a little more time in my schedule. I got married to a great woman with great health insurance ... and that's what allowed me to finally get to work on this."
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06.22.06 (MusicPortal.com) Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter TONY LUCCA will release his new album, "Canyon Songs," through Rock Ridge Music on August 8th. As a musical preface to that, a digital-only EP, "Through The Cracks," was released earlier his month and is currently available through all standard digital distribution portals. Lucca signed to Rock Ridge Music recently and is eager to get his music out via the label. "I'm really excited to be working with [label principals] Tom Derr and Jason Spiewak," says Lucca. "I think these guys have seen enough from all sides of the circus, and they know what it takes to succeed. They respect me as an artist and believe in what I know I'm capable of doing. There's a real down-to-earth approach at work here and that's as important as anything to me at this stage of my career." Says Spiewak: "I've been a fan of Tony Lucca's for a long time, and have been listening to 'Canyon Songs' since he sent me the unmastered demos. We believe in Tony and look forward to great things working with him." Lucca, who some may remember from his stint in the Mickey Mouse Club in the 90s, has not only managed to stand out as an original artist in defiance of a single genre classification, he's done it diligently writing and performing for ten years, honing his craft and cultivating an enthusiastic following every step of the way, all on his own. With only the internet and constant touring, Lucca sold a total of 10,000 records in just a few short years. After garnering an L.A. Music Award in 2001 for "Best Male Singer/Songwriter" based on his songs and live performances, Lucca created a substantial buzz with industry insiders and has performed with multi-platinum recording stars like *NSync and Marc Anthony, as well as having toured and shared the stage with a diverse array of other artists such as Macy Gray, Johnny Lang, and the late Chris Whitley. Written and recorded almost entirely in the canyons of the Hollywood Hills earlier this year, "Canyon Songs" -- Tony Lucca's fourth full-length studio effort -- is a collection of carefully crafted, poetically soulful songs that pay homage to the unforgettable singer/songwriter spirit of Laurel Canyon that thrived in the late sixties and seventies. From the Eagles-esque 'Darlin' I' to the Joni Mitchell-tinged 'Songbird,' Tony Lucca displays his clear dedication to the craft of songwriting on "Canyon Songs." Look for Lucca on the road this Summer and Fall.
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06.19.06 (AP) As a young Beatle, PAUL McCARTNEY wondered what it would be like to be 64. On Sunday he found out. But far from the enduring love he described when, as a teenager, he wrote The Beatles' classic 'When I'm Sixty-Four,' McCartney finds his life in turmoil after he and second wife Heather Mills decided to separate after a four-year marriage. The separation is being played out in the full glare of publicity as intense as anything McCartney experienced during his days as a member of the world's most famous rock group. Mills, 38, has been the subject of a torrent of tabloid allegations about her past life and has pledged to sue one British newspaper. "One of the worst aspects of going through what Heather and I are currently going through is the malicious spreading of rumors and made-up facts that is happening in some areas of the media," McCartney said in a recent message on his Web site. McCartney's spirits may be at a low ebb but he remains a national institution in Britain and adored by millions of fans around the world. Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper said McCartney's daughters Stella and Mary planned to celebrate his 64th birthday by throwing a barbecue for close friends and family on Sunday at his estate at Peasmarsh, East Sussex, in southern England. In contrast to the frugal old age he foresaw in 'When I'm Sixty-Four,' taking holidays "if it's not too dear," McCartney is one of Britain's wealthiest people. Legal experts say he could lose up to a quarter of his 825 million pound ($1.53 billion) fortune in a divorce settlement. Liverpool-born McCartney recorded "When I'm Sixty-Four" as a tribute to his father Jim -- who turned 64 in 1966. He wrote the song as a teenager but it was not released until the Beatles' legendary album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." McCartney's beloved first wife Linda died of breast cancer in 1998. He married Mills, a former model turned charity campaigner against land mines and seal hunting, in 2002. McCartney, who has three adult children from his first marriage, became a father again at 61 when Mills gave birth to Beatrice in 2003. He also adopted Linda's daughter from her first marriage. He has three grandchildren, although none bear the names of those in the song: Vera, Chuck and Dave.
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06.09.06 (AP) Rock stars, Country stars and even songwriters have their own halls of fame. Now their backing musicians are getting into the act, too. The Musicians Hall Of Fame And Museum opened Friday in Nashville, Tennessee - honoring those who have played and recorded with stars of all stripes, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Stevie Wonder to Hank Williams. Located in an old warehouse just south of the city's honky-tonk district, the hall is the brainchild of Joe Chambers, a Nashville songwriter and guitar store owner. Chambers said the musicians who help create some of the most memorable recordings in popular music often get overlooked. "I think the public hasn't been given the information or the opportunity to know who is playing on a lot of those records," Chambers said. They certainly have it now. Instruments, photos, movies, recordings and other artifacts tell the story of session players and touring musicians, whether in Detroit, New York, Memphis, Los Angeles, Nashville or Muscle Shoals, Ala. That weepy steel guitar on Bob Dylan's 'Lay Lady Lay'? The late session ace Pete Drake. The funky beat on Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Give It Away'? The band's drummer Chad Smith, who has worked with many other acts in the studio. The alternating bass line on Hank Williams' 'Your Cheatin' Heart'? Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance. The list goes on and on. There are displays dedicated to legendary producers such as Owen Bradley (Patsy Cline's 'Crazy,' Loretta Lynn's 'Coal Miner's Daughter') and Billy Sherrill (Tammy Wynette's 'Stand By Your Man,' Charlie Rich's 'Behind Closed Doors') and to the studios where many of these classic song were recorded. "It means a lot obviously to the families and to anyone who stood in the shadow for so long," Chamber said of the opening. "The way the museum is set up, everyone from grandparents to their grandkids can come and find somebody they're interested in." Several new members will be inducted into the hall each year, with other musicians - rather than industry executives - voting on the nominees. Besides the museum, the 30,000-square-foot complex also includes a performance hall where a jam session was scheduled for Friday evening and a screening theater where a film with Jimi Hendrix was playing. A fully operational recording studio is in the works. A music school associated with the museum is already open, as well as a gift shop. A promotional video features remarks by performers such as Neil Young and Garth Brooks, with Young perhaps putting it best: "You can see the hood ornament on the car if you go to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but if you want to look at the engine and see what's making it go, then you go to the Musicians Hall Of Fame & Museum."

06.05.06 (VNU Media) NELLY FURTADO's 'Promiscuous' single, produced by Timbaland, is making an impact on radio, retail and the digital world. For the week ending May 25th, the single's third week on radio, it charted in eight of the top 10 mainstream top 40 markets and at No. 9 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Pop 100 Airplay charts. At Apple's iTunes Music Store, 'Promiscuous' is the most downloaded song at press time. "She's one of those artists that bridges the gaps between urban and rock music; she's very pop-oriented, yet has a rhythmic feel," says Tracy Austin, program director of KRBE Houston, which is spinning 'Promiscuous.' "And we ran out of Gwen Stefani to play, and I think this will pick up where that left off." 'Promiscuous' and its video feature Furtado with a new urban sound and sexier image, something that isn't sitting well with all her fans. Much has been written, especially in the blogosphere, about Furtado selling out to a more accessible sound, while the video has been criticized for hitting the lowest common denominator. "The video is indicative of the vibe we wanted to create with the song. It's a club track, and we took the opportunity to make a club video," says Chris Smith, Furtado's manager. The sound on "Loose" was a direction Furtado says she long planned. "I knew this record would have to explore my urban sound a little more because I had been promising the fans that for a long time." According to the artist and her manager, Furtado's urban sound was strongly supported from the highest levels at her record-label group: Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine. In recent years, Interscope has been most successful with such urban artists as Eminem and 50 Cent and artists with an urban influence, like Gwen Stefani. "Jimmy originally suggested me and Timbaland should work together," Furtado says. "He really pushed me and helped push my boundaries." The sound of "Loose" took direction after Furtado took Iovine's suggestion and met with Timbaland in Miami last year during a recording session that was expected to produce two songs. But drawing inspiration from the collaboration with Timbaland, the city and the other artists recording at the Hit Factory studio, Furtado emerged with 10 tracks, which make up the bulk of the new record. "When you're recording at the Hit Factory in Miami, it's extremely exhilarating," Furtado says. "(Timbaland's) in one studio, Scott Storch in another, Cash Money and Lil Wayne upstairs. It was really stimulating."
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06.01.06 (AP) ROCIO JURADO, a singer and actress who was a beloved figure in Spain and Latin America over a career spanning more than four decades, died Thursday in Madrid, Spain after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61. Jurado's death was announced by her brother and agent, Amador Mohedano, outside Madrid. Jurado was hospitalized in Madrid after returning to Spain in late March after two months of cancer treatment in Houston. She was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004. A feisty Andalusian women with feline eyes and flowing reddish hair, Jurado was known fondly as "la mas grande de Espana" - Spain's greatest. She recorded more than 30 records, performed on both sides of the Atlantic and appeared in nearly a dozen films - her first as a teenager. In 1985, she performed at the White House for then-president Ronald Reagan. Jurado - her full name was Maria del Rocio Trinidad Mohedano Jurado - was known for a powerful voice that blended traditional Spanish styles of Flamenco, Folk and romantic ballads. While living in Argentina, she performed in a play entitled "La Zapatera Prodigiosa," based on work by Federico Garcia Lorca. After teaming up with composer Manuel Alejandro, she became a huge hit on the Latin music scene and acclaimed throughout the United States. Her overseas concerts include shows at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Madison Square Garden in New York and Beethoven Hall in Bonn, Germany. She won a slew of awards over the course of her career, including album of the year in Spain in 1980 and 1985 and various other honors in Venezuela, Mexico and the United States. In early April, shortly after Jurado was hospitalized in Madrid, the Spanish government approved a decree awarding her a "Gold Medal for Merit in Work," hailing her as "one of the best voices in our country" and a star in both music and film. It noted she had five platinum records and about 30 gold records, and said she was "one of the most brilliant folk singers of the last 50 years." Jurado was first married to a world-champion boxer, then to a well-known bullfighter, jetting back and forth from her mansion in Madrid and ranch in Seville. A street, plaza, statue and golf course have been named after her in her hometown of Chipiona in Cadiz province, where she will be buried. Her body is to lay in wake at a Madrid cultural center for an unspecified period before being sent to Chipiona.

[Folk News: May 2006]
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