The Chattanooga Market

Alan Rhody is one of today’s more effective and respected solo acoustic artists in that great expanse known as the singer-songwriter.

“Boxcars Of Memories”, the latest of his eight album releases, showcases his “pull you in” story telling, his uncommon honesty and poetic tenderness, as well as his deepseeded kick-out-the-jams side. His emotive guitar playing and wise and rugged vocals also demonstrate why this collection is destined to further validate his already solid reputation. Whether singing the disc’s six new originals (including a co-write with Tom Russell) or the four covers by Paul Siebel, Bob Dylan, Freddie Pompeii and Kris Kristofferson, his singing, playing and message all shine.

In the Kentucky native’s thirty-year career, he’s played virtually every kind of venue, be it festival, listening room, concert hall, night club or workshop. Rhody or his music have also been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered as well as CBC and CTV Networks in Canada, AAA, Americana and satellite radio.

After an eight-year Canadian residency, plenty of road work and two singles on London Records he returned to the U.S. in 1977 and settled in Nashville. His original songs were immediately picked up by other artists in country, folk, and bluegrass as he continued to travel and perform. He put out his own debut album, Stop The Rain in 1981, introducing his music to new audiences across Canada and the southeastern and midwestern U.S.

Other albums of originals followed and in 2003 his Journey which features guests, John Prine, the late John Hartford and Irish songbird, Maura O’Connell drew great critical acclaim, introducing his music to a wider audience.

Though Rhody quickly established himself in Nashville for his songwriting (Kevin Welch, Oak Ridge Boys, Del McCoury, Lorrie Morgan, George Jones, etc.) by the late eighties he returned to his folk roots concentrating on solo touring and writing on a more personal level. A New Folk finalist at The Kerrville Folk Festival in 1993, he has since been a mainstage performer numerous times and a member of their songwriting faculty as well. Other festivals in recent years have included the The Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Summer Folk, Live From The Rock Folk & Blues Festival, The Kentucky Folk Festival, The Shelter Valley Folk Festival, Kentucky Homefront and The Trout Forest Music Festival.

Jennifer Daniels performs with a power that rivals Ani DiFranco, and combines it with angelic melodies and lyrical rhythms reminiscent of Dido or Sarah McLachlan. Her intense, raw passion captivates the audience while her humorous banter between songs endears them. Paste Magazine writes, “It is a rare gift that someone can express such depth and power in lyrics, and it is even more rare that the lyrical gift is accompanied by such an amazing musical talent.”

Daniels tours the country with Jeff Neal, whose touch on guitar and mandolin embellish her melodies with ethereal moods and textures. They perform frequently at The Bitter End in New York, and Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta where they won the prestigious Eddie’s Attic Shootout. Creative Loafing said that “her clear superiority in every ranked category – particularly vocal performance – were what clinched it for her. Whether throwing back her head to hold a magnificently sustained high note or expertly accompanying herself on a 12-string guitar, Daniels clearly outclassed the strongest competition.” This along with a cornucopia of awards has merited Jennifer opportunities to share the stage with GRAMMY award-winning artists like John Mayer and Indigo Girls.

Continue reading On Stage 8/15 – Jennifer Daniels

Michael’s professional music career began as a songwriter and guitarist in Nashville, TN. After years of moderate success, he left to pursue other interests. A personal and artistic re-birth eventually led him back to music.

Michael’s debut solo CD, “Sacred Nation,” received the 2003 Native American Music Award for Best Independent Recording. His follow-up, “They Come Dancing,” was nominated in 2004. “The Journey,” Michael’s third CD, received a 2006 Indian Summer Music Award, a 2006 Just Plain Folks Award nomination, and two 2007 Native American Music Award nominations.

The aptly named masterpiece, “Mystery,” is Michael’s latest work and it is as diverse thematically as it is musically. Covering topics from the environment and politics to the ecstasy and agony of life and relationships, “Mystery” will rock you with its power and move you to tears with its tenderness and poignancy.

In September 2008, it received two Indian Summer Music Awards – one for Best Pop Recording and one for Best Rock Recording.

Michael’s a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. An accomplished musician, writing great songs remains his sole desire and fuels his ambition.

Abi Tapia smiles big when she sings. She can’t help it – she’s having so much fun. But in the world of independent music, where it’s hip to be tortured, she sometimes feels like a Pollyanna.

Abi undoubtedly gets her optimism from her mom who was expelled from Catholic School for being pregnant with her, but called it “the best day of her life.” Abi’s first fifteen years were a blur of Southern towns and yearly uprooting as her mother chased work and higher education. But the constant moving was presented as a big adventure and instilled in Abi the idea that new places have potential for happiness, discovery and success. So she kept moving.

Following her nomadic childhood she attended college in Iowa, where she was a Sociology major at Grinnell College, and began her professional music career while living in Portland, Maine. But Abi found herself attracted to the sweet twang and straightforward approach of country music so she migrated to Austin, Texas in 2002, where she quickly rooted herself in the city’s thriving live music scene. With its blend of country sincerity, cosmopolitan snap and plethora of skilled pickers, she continued maturing and developing her own style. Along the way she picked up awards and recognition for her songwriting from The Wildflower Music Festival, Austin Songwriters Group and the Kerrville Folk Festival. Continue reading On Stage 8/8- Abi Tapia

From Nashville, TN, Dustin Overbeek is a singer/songwriter whose songs explore much further reaching boundaries. Growing up with influences ranging from James Taylor and Bob Dylan to Marvin Gaye and John Coltrane, the content in Dustin’s writing reflects introspection into the concerns of the human spirit. His first full length project, “Notions”, with John Kelly, contains many references to nature in the midst of joy and struggle. With a “roots” acoustic sound, Dustin’s intimate lyrics and raw style shine through. Dustin’s strong Christian belief comes through in his second full-length album, “Grounded”, produced by Gene Golden, quarter-century keyboard player for Kenny Rogers. Dustin’s third album entitled “One Step Closer” was released in the summer of 2005. This is Dustin’s first album with a full band all natural sound and certainly is his finest work to date. Dustin ventures back to the secular world and returns to his folk, storytelling roots. “One Step Closer” includes some of Nashville’s best studio players (Rob Hajacos on fiddle–Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, Sugarland and many others; Casey Dreissen on fiddle–Steve Earle, Bela Fleck, John Mayer and Tim O’Brien; Steve Smith on drums–Goose Creek Symphony; John Kelly on Guitar–John Kelly Band and Leftfield Jackson). Dustin’s music continues to mature both musically and lyrically. Keep your eyes wide open for this new talent!

Dustin’s latest influences have been the works of David Gray, Ellis Paul, Martin Sexton, Jeff Black, and Ben Harper.

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Jill King grew up in the tiny northern Alabama farming town of Arab, population 6,000. She began singing at age 3 in the church her grandfather helped to build. Her mother, Tobie, took her to pageants just about every weekend until she was 11. In 1984, she won the title of World’s Our Little Miss, the equivalent of Miss America for young girls.
In 1992, she left Arab for Vanderbilt University in Nashville to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English. Five years later, she landed a position as a songwriter for Gate to Gate Publishing.
She sang at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on lower Broadway in Nashville on Monday nights for more than a year and has opened shows for T. Graham Brown and Cledus T. Judd. In 2003, Blue Diamond Records issued her first album, with the single “One Mississippi.”