'Tunesmithing' to Feature Pam Belford, Mike O'Quinn and Tay Barton on Feb. 18

          NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 2014) -- The monthly "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase will spotlight eight professional and emerging songwriters from 8-10:30 p.m. Feb. 18 (Tuesday) at The Row Kitchen & Pub, 110 Lyle Ave. (near Music Row).

          Taking the stage for the "Professional Songwriters Segment" at 8 p.m. will be Tay Barton (finalist/Disney's "Next Big Thing"); hit singer-songwriter Pam Belford (wrote "If I Know Me" by George Strait); and singer-songwriter Mike O'Quinn (touring pianist/singer/songwriter who has accompanied the Allman Brothers Band, Poco and Restless Heart).

Pam Belford

  

          The "Emerging Songwriters Segment" at 9:30 p.m. will feature Global Songwriters Connection members Kyle Brooks, Danika Holmes, Rachel Hutcheson, Chad Parker and Alex Saad. 

          Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicists Chuck Whiting and Scott Johnson will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. 

          "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books. "Tunesmithing" was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for tunesmiths at all levels.

Tay Barton

          For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

Mike O'Quinn

'Tunesmithing' to Feature Claudia Nygaard, Les Kerr and A.C. Helms on Jan. 21

     NASHVILLE -- The monthly "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase will spotlight eight professional and emerging songwriters from 8-10:30 p.m. Jan. 21 (Tuesday) at The Row Kitchen & Pub, 110 Lyle Ave. (near Music Row).

Claudia Nygaard

     Taking the stage for the "Professional Songwriters Segment" at 8 p.m. will be country/contemporary Christian singer-songwriter A.C. Helms (noted Nashville recording session vocalist); hillbilly blues/Caribbean/Rock 'n' Roll singer-songwriter/author Les Kerr ("The Americana Boogie" and "The Tennessee Book"); and hit Americana/Roots/folk singer-songwriter/storyteller Claudia Nygaard ("Let The Storm Roll In"/climbed to number one on the Cashbox Roots Music Country Chart).

Les Kerr

     The "Emerging Songwriters Segment" at 9:30 p.m. will feature Global Songwriters Connection members Erskin Anavitarte, Gary Chapman, Melissa Miller, Debbie Pascarella and Sarah Spencer.Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicists Chuck Whiting and Scott Johnson will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books.

     "Tunesmithing" was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for tunesmiths at all levels. For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

A.C. Helms

'Tunesmithing' to Feature Amy Allen, Lisa Aschmann and M Callahan on Dec. 17

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (December 2013) -- The monthly "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase will spotlight seven professional and emerging songwriters from 8-10:30 p.m. Dec. 17 (Tuesday) at The Row Kitchen & Pub, 110 Lyle Ave. (near Music Row).

Amy Allen

     Taking the stage for the "Professional Songwriters Segment" at 8 p.m. will be country/pop/Americana artist Amy Allen (the Top 15 country hit "Someday Is Today"), songwriter/singer/author Lisa Aschmann (cuts by Art Garfunkel, Diamond Rio and many others), and the country-pop singer/songwriter/actor M Callahan (lead role in "One Kiss Cafe" at the Country Music Hall of Fame). 

     The "Emerging Songwriters Segment" at 9:30 p.m. will feature Mark Burke, Taylor Giese, Lexi Larsen, Erin McLendon and Jordyn Pepper.

M Callahan

     Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicists Chuck Whiting and Scott Johnson will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books.

Lisa Aschmann

     "Tunesmithing" was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for tunesmiths at all levels. 

     For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

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'Tunesmithing' to Feature Professional and Emerging Songwriters on Nov. 19

'Tunesmithing'

Monthly Songwriters Showcase

Featuring Professional Songwriters

The House, Sean & Laurie O'Shea, and J.Karen Thomas

With Emerging Tunesmiths

Summer Collins, Brooke McBride, Benjamin Bogue Pranger,

 Machaela Sullivan, and Baylor Wilson

Nov. 19 (Tuesday), 8-10:30 p.m.

Professional Songwriters Segment: 8-9:30 p.m.

Emerging Songwriters Segment: 9:30-10:30 p.m.

The Row Kitchen & Pub, 110 Lyle Ave. (near Music Row)

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 2013) -- The monthly "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase will spotlight 11 professional and emerging songwriters from 8-10:30 p.m. Nov. 19 (Tuesday) at The Row Kitchen & Pub, 110 Lyle Ave. (near Music Row). Taking the stage for the "Professional Songwriters Segment" at 8 p.m. will be the country/pop/R&B trio The House, the pop/country/inspirational duo Sean & Laurie O'Shea (music director at the Center for Spiritual Living Nashville), and the internationally known singer and actress J.Karen Thomas (portrays Audrey in ABC-TV's "Nashville"). The "Emerging Songwriters Segment" at 9:30 p.m. will feature Summer Collins, Brooke McBride, Benjamin Bogue Pranger, Machaela Sullivan, and Baylor Wilson. Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicist Chuck Whiting and comedian Paulina Combow will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books. Other upcoming shows include Dec. 17 (Amy Allen, Lisa Aschmann, and M Callahan). "Tunesmithing" was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for tunesmiths at all levels. For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

'Tunesmithing' to Return on Oct. 15 with 'Kick-Off Show' at The Row Kitchen & Pub

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 2013) -- The monthly "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase will return on Oct. 15 (Tuesday) to The Row Kitchen & Pub with a "kick-off show" starring Orleans co-founder Lance Hoppen, the hit Americana duo Nancy Moran & Fett, and internationally known World Music artist Laura Powers.

            "Tunesmithing", which is celebrating its 11th year, will occur the third Tuesday of each month with a hit/professional songwriters segment from 8-9:30 p.m., followed by an emerging songwriters segment from 9:30-10:30 p.m.  The Row Kitchen & Pub is located at 110 Lyle Ave. at the former site of Longhorn's (near Music Row).

(Photo: Lance Hoppen)

           Performing on Oct. 15 will be

            * Hit/Professional Songwriters Segment (8-9:30 p.m.): Lance Hoppen, Nancy Moran & Fett, and Laura Powers.

            * Emerging Songwriters Segment (9:30-10:30 p.m.): Tay Barton, The House, Brad Howard, Jaime Nelson, and Tommy Turner.

            Admission is free. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicist Chuck Whiting and comedian Paulina Combow will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books. Other upcoming shows include Nov. 19 (Amy Allen) and Dec. 17 (Lisa Aschmann).

           "Tunesmithing" was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for tunesmiths at all levels. 

(Photo: Nancy Moran)

           "We have a wonderful lineup of songwriters for our return show," said show founder Chuck Whiting of Whiting Publicity and Promotions. "It's very exciting to have The Row Kitchen & Pub hosting each month. The building where the venue is located has been a gathering place for songwriters for many years."

            For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

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'Tunesmithing' to Celebrate 10th Anniversary on May 30, 2013

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 2013) -- "Tunesmithing" will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a special show from 7-10 p.m. May 30 (Thursday) at the Best Western Music Row, 1407 Division St. in Nashville. 

           Performers will include singer-songwriters Amy Allen, Lisa Aschmann, Everette Brown, Wil Comstock, Bryan Cumming, Leslie Ellis, Dar Frantz, Casey Kelly, Diane King, Denny Martin, Crystal Miller, Mirka, Steve Morley, Laurie O'Shea, Sean O'Shea, Candy Paull, Rick Perry, Laura Powers, Betsy Warren, Brian Wright and Chuck Whiting. Poet Butterfly will read selections from her new book, "Grandma Butterfly's Dirty Dishes". Comedian Paulina Combow and publicist Chuck Whiting will emcee the show.

(Photo: Singer-songwriter Amy Allen)

          Admission is free. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books.

           "Tunesmithing" was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters. The monthly show features an "open mic" and 25-minute solo sets that enable songwriters to share more of their songs. An emphasis is placed on mentoring, career growth and networking. 

           "We have a wonderful lineup of songwriters for the anniversary show," said show founder Chuck Whiting. "Most of the performers have performed on various 'Tunesmithing' stages over the past 10 years. We plan to return to a regular monthly schedule at a new venue sometime this summer."

(Photo: Songwriters celebrate after the "Tunesmithing" anniversary show in 2012.)

           For more information about the event, call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com .

          Learn about more career-changing opportunities at http://www.MusicCityArtsUpdate.com .

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'Tunesmithing' to Celebrate Ninth Anniversary on Oct. 3

     NASHVILLE -- "Tunesmithing" will celebrate its ninth anniversary from 7-10 p.m. Oct. 3 (Wednesday) at the Best Western Music Row, 1407 Division St. in Nashville.

     The special show will help kick off the "Independent Music Fest".  Performers will include singer-songwriters Amy Allen, Lisa Aschmann, Joel Atkins, Meredith Blis, Everette Brown, Butterfly, Wil Comstock, Bryan Cumming, Ashley Helms, Lance Hoppen, Les Kerr, Mirka, Nancy Moran & Fett, Max Niederle, Candy Paull, Cornelius "Popcorn" Robertson, Michael Snellenberg, Steve Trinward, Betsy Warren, and Chuck Whiting.

     Comedian Paulina Combow will emcee the show.  Admission is free. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Books & Music.

     For more information about the event, call (615) 242-9857, write Tunesmithing@Earthlink.net , or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com .

(Photo: Lance Hoppen)

'Independent Music Fest' to Spotlight 150 Artists and Songwriters

By Chuck Whiting            

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 2012) -- More than 150 performing artists and songwriters from around the world will visit Nashville's Music Row from Oct. 5-7 (Friday-Sunday) for the "Independent Music Fest".

            Performers and songwriters will take the stage along Demonbreun and Division streets from noon-midnight Friday-Sunday at entertainment venues such as Red Rooster and the Music Row Best Western Lounge.

            The Best Western also will host music industry information tables, networking areas, and training sessions from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday.  Attendees can receive hands-on advice, critiques and training on topics such as stage presence, the craft of songwriting, recording techniques, publishing, song plugging, contracts, product development, audio podcast development, video production, management, and publicity.  

            The annual "Indie Music Masquerade Gala" will feature costumed dancing from 7 p.m.-midnight on   Oct. 6 (Saturday) in the Music Row Best Western Lounge.  

            Songwriters can introduce their new songs by performing at two special "open mic" stages located between Demonbreun and Division streets.

            "The 'Independent Music Fest' is a wonderful career-building opportunity for artists and songwriters at all levels," said Cornelius "Popcorn" Robertson, founder and coordinator of the festival. "More than 60 community volunteers will donate their time and resources to make this possible.  Shows are open to the public."

            Musical performers will include Billy Arr, Lisa Aschmann, Phil Brown, Jerry Foster, Bobby Keel, Bobby Pizzaz, Denny Sroakin, and Tony Stampley.

            Music industry mentors, exhibitors and sponsors include Kim Copeland Productions, Crowe Entertainment, producer Ron Eckerman (author of the new book "Turn It Up"), Indie Connect, Mind Coup, Musik and Film, Nashville Music Guide, National Media Group, Out of the Box Records, Radio Free Nashville 107.1 LPFM, music industry attorney David Ray, SAE Institute, Tennessee Songwriters Association, Top Notch Entertainment, Treasure Isle Recording, Tri Star Entertainment, and Whiting Publicity & Promotions.

            Festival registration is $150 for three days, $110 for two days, and $60 for one day.  The general public can enjoy three days of live music with a $20 armband.  To register or for more information about the "Independent Music Fest", visit http://www.independentmusicfest.org, send an email inquiry to popcorn@IndependentMusicFest.org, or call (615) 424-1491. 

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'Tunesmithing' to Spotlight Songwriters on Aug. 15

NASHVILLE -- "Tunesmithing Off Music Row" will spotlight professional and emerging songwriters with a show from 7-10 p.m. Aug. 15 (Wednesday) at Taps, 2117 Belcourt Ave. in Hillsboro Village. 


Taking the stage from 7-10 p.m. will be singer-songwriters Gordon Ellis, Brad Howard, Hope Nix, Nicole Scott, and Kristen Voorhies.  Comedian Paulina Combow will emcee the show.  Admission is free. 


"Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Books & Music.  For more information about the event, call (615) 242-9857, write Tunesmithing@Earthlink.net, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com .

'Tunesmithing' to Feature Casey Kelly on July 18

   "Tunesmithing Off Music Row" will spotlight 10 professional and emerging songwriters with performances from 7-10 p.m. July 18 (Wednesday) at Taps, 2117 Belcourt Ave. in Hillsboro Village. 

   Taking the stage for professional songwriter spotlights from 8-10 p.m. will be singer-songwriters Casey Kelly ("Cowboy Rides Away"/George Strait), LORENA 2 (Diane King and Crystal Miller), Mike Mitchell, and Susan Shann.  An opening guests segment from 7-8 p.m. will feature songwriters Marie Ann Bell, Butterfly, Meghan Saletta, My Little Austrian Friends, and Stacia Watkins.  


   Publicist-educator-author- songwriter Chuck Whitingand comedian Paulina Combow will emcee the show.  Admission is free. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Books & Music.  


   For more information about the event, call (615) 242-9857, write Tunesmithing@Earthlink.net, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com .

Bayou Blues & Jazz Artists to Take Stage on June 20

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 2012) -- "Tunesmithing Off Music Row" will spotlight nine professional and emerging songwriters with a special Bayou Blues and Jazz Night from 7-10 p.m. June 20 (Wednesday) at Taps, 2117 Belcourt Ave. in Hillsboro Village. 

Taking the stage for professional songwriter spotlights from 8-10 p.m. will be singer-songwriters Bryan Cumming (Grammy nominee/"Fab Fan Memories" by The WannaBeatles); Ted Drozdowski (DVD/CD "BIG SHOES: Walking and Talking the Blues"/number five on XM/Sirius Radio's "B.B. King's Bluesville"); Les Kerr ("Mackinac Blues"/NPR's "All Things Considered"); and Mark Robinson ("Quit Your Job -- Play Guitar" CD).  

(Photo: Ted Drozdowski)

An opening guests segment from 7-8 p.m. will feature songwriters Zophia Amey, Julie Delgado, Rocky Dimmick, Haley Georgia, and Kristen Voorhies.  

Publicist-educator-author- songwriter Chuck Whiting and comedian Paulina Combow will emcee the show.  Admission is free. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Books & Music.  

For more information about the event, call (615) 242-9857, write Tunesmithing@Earthlink.net, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com .

'Tunesmithing' Spotlight: Bryan Cumming

Singer-songwriter Bryan Cumming will be one of four blues and jazz artists to perform at "Tunesmithing Off Music Row" on June 20 (Wednesday). The show will occur from 7-10 p.m. at Taps in Hillsboro Village.  Following is more information about Bryan.

Bryan Cumming was raised in Georgia in a musical family, playing Dixieland jazz and singing harmony on Beatles songs. In L.A. from 1976-1988, he worked with a variety of artists, including David Soul, Maria Muldaur, and four years as lead guitarist for ShaNaNa. As a member of Billy Vera & the Beaters, he played on the #1 single "At This Moment."

After moving to Nashville, he toured and recorded with K.T. Oslin and Cleve Francis, while continuing to produce songwriters and independent artists at Studio 23 (www.studio23nashville.com).

As a member of popular Nashville Beatles tribute band The WannaBeatles, he was nominated for a Grammy in 2012, co-producing "Fab Fan Memories - The Beatles Bond." 

'Tunesmithing' Spotlight: Ted Drozdowski

Singer-songwriter Ted Drozdowski will be one of four blues and jazz artists to perform at "Tunesmithing Off Music Row" on June 20 (Wednesday). The show will occur from 7-10 p.m. at Taps in Hillsboro Village.  Following is more information about Ted.

Give Scissormen’s Ted Drozdowski and Matt Snow a guitar, a drum kit and an audience and they will do something you don’t expect — from summoning the ghosts of the Mississippi Delta and hill country to casting a psychedelic trance to standing on top of your table and using every glass, knife, fork, cell phone and dinner plate to play six-string slide and percussion.

Scissormen’s incomparable energy and playful spirit are captured for the 

first time in BIG SHOES: Walking and Talking the Blues, a two-disc set featuring acclaimed roots music documentary film maker Robert Mugge’s movie starring the band and a live audio disc recorded during the February 2010 filming at the historic Key Palace Theater in snowy Red Key, Indiana.

The 90-minute feature is a blend of concert film, road movie, blues history and state-of-the-genre report by the director of such classics as Gospel According to Al Green, Saxophone Colossus (starring Sonny Rollins), Deep Blues and New Orleans Musicians in Exile. BIG SHOES: Walking and Talking the Blues debuted at the 2010 Starz Denver Film Festival and has screened aboard the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, at the Gasparilla Film Festival in Tampa and at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

The BIG SHOES CD is Scissormen’s fifth album. Among the new songs debuted in the disc’s 15 tracks are the movie’s theme song “Big Shoes,” which Scissormen frontman Drozdowski describes as a “blues protest number.” The tune is also a musical journey, starting with basic country blues licks and traveling to a place were the sounds of Africa, the late Junior Kimbrough and Pink Floyd are equally at home. Another new entry is “R.L. Burnside,” a true story of a night Drozdowski spent with the musical mentor who inspired him to found the band 10 years ago, performed as an electric country blues. And there’s “Delta Train,” a ghost story set to a riveting Mississippi stomp.

Both the film and the album feature original Scissormen drummer R.L. Hulsman and were made during a tour that reunited him and Drozdowski. Berklee College of Music graduate Matt Snow joined Scissormen full-time in November 2010, relocating to the band’s Nashville home base to purse his love of Mississippi grooves and to join Drozdowski in forging a shared vision of deeply rooted contemporary American music.

Drozdowski has been on the American blues scene for 30 years. He began writing about the music in the early 1980s, while living in Boston, Massachusetts, and received the Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Journalism in 1998. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Musician and dozens of other publications. He has also consulted on film projects including 2000’s “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues” PBS-TV series.

All the while he was also an active musician, mostly playing rock and improvised music, notably with the obscure-but-inventive alternative-rock era bands Vision Thing and Devil Gods. Along the way he developed a stunning and unique command of slide guitar playing that straddles the provinces of Elmore James and the late jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock, another of Drozdowski’s mentors. He toured and made a live album with beat poet and activist John Sinclair, and co-wrote songs with Ronnie Earl that the blues guitar virtuoso cut with Irma Thomas and Kim Wilson. More recently, Drozdowski produced Peter Parcek 3’s 2010 The Mathematics of Love, which received a Blues Music Awards nomination for Best Debut Album.

“I deeply loved blues all that time,” Drozdowski says, “but I believe an artist has to bring something of their own to the table and I just couldn’t find my own voice in trying to play Chicago, Texas or the other prevalent styles. When I started traveling to north Mississippi in the early ’90s and won the friendship of R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and Jessie Mae Hemphill, slowly a door started to open. As a player, R.L. eventually had to almost shove me through it, but when he did I started to grasp that this was what I was supposed to do with my life.

“What’s wild is that I made my first trip to Junior’s juke joint to hear him and R.L. — who weren’t touring much yet — after seeing Robert Mugge’s film Deep Blues, where their performances blew my mind. So now, being in BIG SHOES: Walking and Talking the Blues brings me full circle. And blows my mind!”

The film also captures what Drozdowski sees as an important part of his and the band’s mission — to reconnect the blues to the present by incorporating contemporary musical elements in Scissormen’s sound and to inform audiences about the music’s historic artists and important roots and ’shoots while entertaining the hell out the broad demographic of fans who’ve seen Scissormen perform anywhere from clubs, coffee shops and theaters to the stages of the Bonnaroo, Cognac Blues Passions and Memphis in May music festivals.

“Like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Son House, Junior, R.L., Jessie Mae and all the other artists who inspire me, I believe in keeping my feet planted firmly in tradition and keeping my eyes on the future,” Drozdowski says. “Like they believed, and like I sing in ‘Big Shoes,’ ‘the blues ain’t dipped in amber.’ It’s a vital, contemporary art form brimming with power, passion and beauty.”

'Tunesmithing' Spotlight: Mark Robinson

Singer-songwriter Mark Robinson will be one of four blues and jazz artists to perform at "Tunesmithing Off Music Row" on June 20 (Wednesday). The show will occur from 7-10 p.m. at Taps in Hillsboro Village.  Following is more information about Mark.

The story of Mark Robinson is the story of his CD, "Quit Your Job – Play Guitar". After college, Mark moved to Chicago and had the chance to play with some American blues legends, including Lonnie Brooks, Jimmy Johnson, Koko Taylor and Son Seals. When he returned to Bloomington to take a job, he continued to perform with acclaimed Americana acts including Carrie Newcomer, Tom Roznowski, and Bob Cheevers and soul blues artist Tad Robinson.

In 2004, Mark quit his job to play guitar in Nashville. It was the right move. In Music City, Mark has played and recorded with a variety of artists.  He’s also produced and engineered CDs for some of them in his studio. 

Living music full time not only allowed Mark’s playing to reach new heights, it also resulted in a songwriting explosion, singly and with acclaimed co-writers such as Davis Raines and Randy Handley. Mark wrote songs in all genres, especially Americana and blues—and he continued to stretch artistically. The songs on his first solo CD are blues/country-infused, guitar-based roots music. But though he takes his inspiration from many, Mark Robinson is not an imitator. Every song bears his highly personal musical stamp.   

'Tunesmithing' Spotlight: Les Kerr

Singer-songwriter Les Kerr will be one of four blues and jazz artists to perform at "Tunesmithing Off Music Row" on June 20 (Wednesday). The show will occur from 7-10 p.m. at Taps in Hillsboro Village.  Following is more information about Les Kerr.

Mississippi Gulf Coast native Les Kerr combines blues, Gulf Coast and New Orleans influences to create the music he calls “Hillbilly Blues Caribbean Rock & Roll.” A Nashville resident since 1987, Kerr has hosted twenty-one annual Mardi Gras concerts at the Bluebird Café He created and hosts “Original Blues” concerts at the venue, as well, featuring songwriters who focus on blues music.  

His original song Mackinac Blues was included in NPR’s All Songs Considered and Kerr participated in the 2011 Mississippi Songwriters Festival. A three-time Music City Blues Society award nominee, Kerr was nominated for the organization’s Male Vocalist of the Year, Entertainer of the Year and CD of the Year awards.  He was called by OffBeat Magazine of New Orleans, “…a bluesy Johnny Cash,” in a review of his Red Blues CD. 

Lyrics of two of Kerr’s songs, Below the Level of the Sea and New Orleans in the Spring, were included in the New Orleans poetry anthology, Maple Leaf Rag IV.

Highlands of Tennessee, co-written by Kerr and Bryan Cumming, was adopted as the official theme song of the city of Cookeville, Tennessee.

Kerr’s six CDs include his latest, New Orleans Set. As leader of Les Kerr & The Bayou Band, Kerr has performed at Nashville’s Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival, Franklin Jazz Festival, the Southern Festival of Books, and Nashville’s official  July 4 Celebration at Riverfront Park.  He also tours with his band and as a solo performer.  While based in Nashville, Kerr performs periodically in New Orleans, other Gulf Coast locations and throughout the U.S.

Recently, Kerr and his band appeared in Civil War Songs and Stories, a music documentary aired on PBS TV stations nationwide.

'Tunesmithing' to Celebrate Bayou Blues and Jazz on June 20

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 2012) -- "Tunesmithing Off Music Row" will spotlight nine professional and emerging songwriters with a special Bayou Blues and Jazz Night from 7-10 p.m. June 20 (Wednesday) at Taps, 2117 Belcourt Ave. in Hillsboro Village. 

Taking the stage for professional songwriter spotlights from 8-10 p.m. will be singer-songwriters Bryan Cumming (Grammy nominee/"Fab Fan Memories" by The WannaBeatles); Ted Drozdowski (DVD/CD "BIG SHOES: Walking and Talking the Blues"/number five on XM/Sirius Radio's "B.B. King's Bluesville"); Les Kerr ("Mackinac Blues"/NPR's "All Things Considered"); and Mark Robinson ("Quit Your Job -- Play Guitar" CD).  

(Photo: Les Kerr)

An opening guests segment from 7-8 p.m. will feature songwriters Zophia Amey, Julie Delgado, Rocky Dimmick, Haley Georgia, and Kristen Voorhies.  

Publicist-educator-author- songwriter Chuck Whiting and comedian Paulina Combow will emcee the show.  Admission is free. "Tunesmithing" is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Books & Music.  

For more information about the event, call (615) 242-9857, write Tunesmithing@Earthlink.net, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com .