Merry Christmas from all of us at the Chattanooga Market!

.

.

.

.

.

.

]]> http://www.chattanoogamarket.com/2008/12/merry-christmas/feed/ 0 http://www.chattanoogamarket.com/2008/12/on-stage-126-eric-brace-and-peter-cooper/ http://www.chattanoogamarket.com/2008/12/on-stage-126-eric-brace-and-peter-cooper/#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:00:33 +0000 admin http://www.chattanoogamarket.com/?p=619 Eric Brace is frontman and principal songwriter for the acclaimed roots-rock band Last Train Home, and half of the Eric Brace & Peter Cooper duo. For more than a decade, LTH has toured the country and racked up great reviews for its seven CDs and its recent live DVD.
Initially from Washington D.C., where he was the nightlife columnist and arts reporter for The Washington Post, Eric is now a proud resident of East Nashville, where he and his band moved in 2004. Since relocating to Music City USA, Last Train Home has continued to impress, appearing on the CBS’s “Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” the syndicated public radio program “Mountain Stage,” and on stage opening for the likes of Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.
Besides his own compositions, Eric has written songs with some of Nashville’s finest, such as Jim Lauderdale and Walter Egan. He recently formed the Red Beet Records label, releasing two compilation CDs of music from East Nashville as well as Peter Cooper’s debut “Mission Door.”

Peter Cooper is a senior music writer and critic for the Nashville daily, The Tennessean. Together, they blend their styles and their voices to create a unique release, “You Don’t Have to Like Them Both,” a blend of original compositions and songs by of Kris Kristofferson, Todd Snider, Jim Lauderdale, and David Olney. It also features the stellar musicianship of legendary pedal steel player Lloyd Green as part of the core band that included great Nashville musicians, Dave Roe, Jen Gunderman, and Paul Griffith.

The Sweet Georgia Sound is a 20-member ensemble that has played in the Chattanooga area since 1994. SGS plays a variety of listening, dance, and ballroom dance music that includes classic and modern big band, swing, Latin, and waltz tunes.

In the Chattanooga area, Sweet Georgia Sound has earned the respect of accomplished ballroom dancers. However, Sweet Georgia Sound is also known for its ability and willingness to customize the musical program to meet the needs and preferences of its audience. Songs are selected and tempos are adjusted in order to accommodate the dancing abilities of those in attendance.

The Sweet Georgia Sound has played for listening audiences, as well as for weddings, picnics, military reunions, and major charity events.

The band, under different names, has been featured at Riverbend, Downtown Chattanooga Rhythm and Noon Concert Series, SwingFest, the Saturday Concert Series at the Chattanooga Public Library and other venues for many years.

Originally formed by musically inclined employees of Unum Group, the ensemble now is a stand-alone group made up of talented musicians from the region. The band is under the direction of Jim Ransom, a long-time music educator.

As a professional musician working in a competitive industry, Tim Thompson has learned to play his strengths in more than one area of the business. Not only is he considered a guitar virtuoso and talented singer/songwriter, he’s also a much sought after and very busy independent producer and session player. Thompson is a popular performer and is seen playing often at Nashville’s famous Bluebird Cafe. He has been featured twice in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine in the last two years as well as Taylor Guitar’s Wood And Steel, and also had his arrangement and performance of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” used in the movie, Casper’s Haunted Christmas along with artists Ricky Van Shelton and Deana Carter. Thompson has contributed several articles to Mel Bay and Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, and also released a jazz guitar DVD for Mel Bay. While in Nashville, Tim wrote for a publishing company for three years.

Tim is currently engineering and performing on a Chet Atkins Tribute Album featuring Mark Knopfler, Brent Mason, Richard Smith, Charlie McCoy, Paul Franklin, Pat Bergeson and Doug Jerningan.

Thompson’s endorsements include the following companies; Aphex, Elixir, Taylor Guitars, Batson Guitars, Peavey, Creation Audio Labs, Visual Sound, Fred Kelly Picks, Neck Up, G 7th and George L.

Tim is also available for songwriting workshops, guitar clinics and in-store performances.

Larry has been a guest artist with Alasdair Fraser, Michael Manring, and Ken Bonfield, and participates in Ken Bonfield’s Artistry of the Guitar program. He has been teaching the guitar for the past 25 years.

Tori Sparks calls Nashville home, but spends most of her time on the road in the U.S. and Europe. Called “a knockout” by the Village Voice, her dynamic live show is equal parts soulful singing and zany stand-up-style humor.

Tori’s latest album “Under This Yellow Sun” was produced by indie rock veteran David Henry (R.E.M., Ben Folds, Josh Rouse, Cowboy Junkies), and features players such as Steve Bowman (Counting Crows), Aaron Sands (Jars of Clay), and John Deaderick (Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams). The album has been praised by Relix, All Music Guide, Performing Songwriter, Creative Loafing, XM Radio, and countless others for its depth and diversity.”Under This Yellow Sun” was recently licensed to MTV, Lifetime, and Oxygen Networks for use in their 2008 television programming. Tori’s single “Cold War” is included on the Universal Music France double-disc compilation, released internationally in March 2008, which has sold 25,000+ copies to date. “Cold War” is also featured on the Paste Magazine New Music Sampler for June 2008.

Please see www.torisparks.com or www.myspace.com/torisparks for more information.

Once a Seattle resident, Treva Blomquist is now a Nashville local and has quickly risen to the top of an endless pool of talent that inundates Music City. Treva’s ability to seamlessly weave a tapestry of folk and soul, dye it indigo blue, and adorn it with the occasional sparkling sequin of pop has earned her considerable recognition among artists and critics alike. Her songwriting is rock solid and mature, often earning favorable comparisons to Patty Griffin and Mindy Smith. Treva is comfortable and compelling performing as a solo act, in front of a small string section, or shaking the walls of any rock venue in town with her band, The Suits.

Although Treva’s brilliant songwriting and impressive guitar chops distinguish her from other artists in her genre, it is her voice that places her in a league of her own. Treva’s range is wide and her timbre is as focused and as pure as a trumpet, and just as powerful. But it is the integrity and authenticity embedded within her lyrics and the passion and soul conveyed through her voice that are truly the most inspiring. Treva possesses a rare talent that is often sought after but rarely obtained.

Treva spent the latter part of 2007 in the Compass Sound Studio and is now putting the finishing touches on the upcoming EP, “As It Should Be.” The follow up to her 2006 acoustic album “Plain Vanilla Me” finds the folk soprano collaborating with her dapper band, The Suits. The album also features Dan Hochhalter (Gretchen Wilson) on fiddle, Ronda Armstrong on cello, Kenny Hudson on Pedal Steel, and backing vocals by Eric Paslay and Jeremy Lister.

When Blu was 12, she purchased a new guitar with money she had saved from making and selling her own jewelry. She then took formal lessons for about a year. Before long, she began to write her own songs, but was too shy to share them, even with her parents. During her mid-teen years, while living in Milton, Florida, Sadie would attend hootenannies held at an antique store near her house on weekends. While most teenagers preferred to socialize within their own age group, Sadie spent her spare time learning and sharpening her craft with people decades her elder.

After much encouragement from her parents, Sadie recorded a few of her self penned songs alone in her garage. The four song demo began to circulate and talk of Sadie Blu’s music began to spread around town. Reluctantly, the shy 17 year old agreed to play her first public performance at the local River Walk Festival on the 4th of July of 2007. Soon, there after, Unity Artist Management , based out of Atlanta, picked Blu up.

To Blu’s surprise, opportunities kept pouring in. She was asked to play live on the Blue Plate Special, a radio broadcast from the University of West Florida. By that November she had played famous venues such as Eddie’s Attic, in Atlanta, GA. (noted for acts such as John Mayor, Sheryl Crow, and Sugarland to name a few). Drawing so much attention, Pensacola News Journal published a write up on Blu’s rise, followed by L.A. based magazines and cyberspace publications.

Still moving forward, Sadie Blu is now collaborating with other many other talented musicians.