Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Musician:  GRACE PETTIS Video Premiere:  “I TAKE CARE OF ME NOW”      DOWN TO THE LETTER WITH AMERICANA’S WORKING WOMAN GRACE PETTIS   by Rodeo Marie Hanson An American juvenile cinéma vérité, reminiscent of 1985’s The Breakfast Club, unfolds within every school’s granite and brick corridors, monochromatic carpeted classrooms and institutionalized cafeterias. In this microcosm,... 

JOHN OATES – with Web-Exclusive Interview Musician:  JOHN OATES Video:  “Pushin’ a Rock”       THE GOOD ROAD OF SONGS, STORIES AND SMILES WITH MUSTACHIOED MYSTERY MAN JOHN OATES   John Oates’ mustachioed face and black curly ringlets of hair have graced bounteous album sleeves and music videos. The guitarist, singer and songwriter’s soft-spoken voice, humble attitude and laid-back demeanor permeated his dialogue with M Music... 

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Musician: DANA COOPER Video: “Bluebird” DANA COOPER IN TOP FORM WITH NEW ALBUM I CAN FACE THE TRUTH Like meeting an old friend for the first time, Dana Cooper’s latest release, I Can Face the Truth, rewards the homesick heart and will make you declare, ‘Finally! They actually do make them like they used to.’ Full of friendly surprises, new and nostalgic, you will find yourself wanting to lean... 

Musician:  JONI MITCHELL Video:  “River”   JONI MITCHELL PREMIERES FIRST OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR “RIVER” – 50th ANNIVERSARY Mitchell’s Song Comes to Life with Watercolor Painting in New Animated Video Just in time for Christmas, the debut of Joni Mitchell’s first official music video for “River.” It’s her wistful contribution to the Christmas songbook, taken from her landmark 1971 album Blue. Director Matvey Rezanov and... 

Musician: SCOTT MULVAHILL Video: “I Don’t Need Her Love” SCOTT MULVAHILL FEATURED AT BLUE ROCK’S COOL NIGHTS 21 FINAL TWO NIGHTS—THIS THURSDAY & FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16-17 Scott Mulvahill, along with Liz Longley and Billy Crockett, will be featured at Christmas at Blue Rock for the final Cool Nights 21 livestreaming concert series—this Thursday and Friday, December 16-17. Scott Mulvahill has left his unique mark on the intersecting... 

Musician: LIZ LONGLEY Video: “A Little Magic”  LIZ LONGLEY FEATURED AT BLUE ROCK’S COOL NIGHTS 21 FINAL TWO NIGHTS—THIS THURSDAY & FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16-17 Liz Longley, along with Scott Mulvahill and Billy Crockett, will be featured at Christmas at Blue Rock for the final Cool Nights 21 livestreaming concert series—this Thursday and Friday, December 16-17. Award-winning singer and songwriter Liz Longley has recorded multiple albums,... 

Musician: ELIZA GILKYSON Video: “At the Foot of the Mountain” ELIZA GILKYSON FEATURED AT BLUE ROCK’S COOL NIGHTS 21 THIS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Eliza Gilkyson will be featured at Blue Rock aLive! Cool Nights 21 livestreaming concert series—this Thursday, November 18. She will be joined by the incredibly talented Mike Hardwick, who has played guitar on all her records. Gilkyson’s latest release Songs from the River Wind is what she calls... 

Musician: WILLY PORTER Video: “Angry Words” WILLY PORTER FEATURED AT BLUE ROCK’S COOL NIGHTS 21 THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28 Willy Porter will be featured at Blue Rock aLive! Cool Nights 21 livestreaming concert series—this Thursday, October 28. His music spans over two decades, 11 albums and multiple continents with a journey defined by an inquisitive love for humanity and the language that describes what we all hold to be true. Porter’s... 

  Musician: NOBODY’S GIRL Video: “Waterline”  NOBODY’S GIRL KICKS OFF BLUE ROCK’S COOL NIGHTS 21 THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21 Nobody’s Girl (Grace Pettis, Rebecca Loebe, BettySoo) will be featured at the Blue Rock aLive! Cool Nights 21 live streaming concert series—this Thursday, October 21. You can buy a Season Pass for only $105—and have a seat in the house by sending in your headshot. They will place the large headshot on a... 

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Artist:  PIERCE PETTIS Video:  “The Adventures of Me (and This Old Guitar)” PIERCE PETTIS & GRACE PETTIS AT BLUE ROCK ALIVE! COOL NIGHTS 2020 THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10  Pierce Pettis’ songs have been recorded by Susan Ashton, Dar Williams, Garth Brooks and Art Garfunkel. He was a member of the Fast Folk movement in 1980s New York. He released one independent solo album before signing with... 

Artist: KIM RICHEY Video: “Wreck Your Wheels” KIM RICHEY GLIMMERS AND SHINES AT BLUE ROCK ALIVE! COOL NIGHTS 2020 Kim Richey will be featured at the Blue Rock aLive! Cool Nights 2020 virtual concert series this Thursday, November 12. The series is “for the songs, for the artists, for all of us.” You can buy a Season Pass for only $105—and have a seat in the house by sending in your headshot. They will place it on a seat, so you will literally... 

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Artist:  KATIE BOECK Video:  “Making Some Room” KATIE BOECK RELEASES EMOTIONALLY INTUITIVE “MAKING SOME ROOM”    Katie Boeck has careened through several musical careers in the past decade. Shortly after graduating from UCLA with a degree in Musical Theater, Boeck formed a band and began playing open mic nights on Sunset Boulevard and LA’s West Side. This led to a surreal gig as the lead... 

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Artist:  MOLLY TUTTLE Video:  “She’s a Rainbow” (The Rolling Stones) MOLLY TUTTLE ALBUM RELEASE CONCERT STREAMING AT INSTRUMENTHEAD LIVE TONIGHT Award-Winning Guitarist-Songwriter to Preview New Record with Intimate, Unplugged Performance via acclaimed music Photographer Michael Weintrob’s New Virtual Concert Platform Molly Tuttle, one of the brightest guitarists and songwriters, will perform... 

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Artist: CARRIE RODRIGUEZ Video: “I Dreamed I Was Lola Beltrán” from the album Lola  CARRIE RODRIGUEZ FEATURED AT BLUE ROCK ALIVE! VIRTUAL SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Carrie Rodriguez will be the featured artist this Thursday (August 6) at Blue Rock aLIVE!—a unique virtual summer concert series—featuring iconic Austin-based artists every Thursday this summer. Blue Rock is a good example of innovation,... 

LESLIE ANN JONES TO RECEIVE THE NAMM TEC HALL OF FAME AWARD  Leslie Ann Jones is a renowned recording engineer and pioneering producer and mixer who helped redefine the craft of engineering in the 1970s and 80s. She is well known for her long list of successful and award-winning projects. Starting her career at ABC Recording Studios in Los Angeles in 1975, she moved to Northern California in 1978 and joined David Rubinson and Fred Catero at The... 

Photo credit Jim OKeefe SONG PREMIERE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  KARRIN ALLYSON Exclusive Song Premiere:  “NOBODY SAID LOVE WAS EASY” From the new album: SOME OF THAT SUNSHINE FIVE-TIME GRAMMY NOMINATED KARRIN ALLYSON EXCLUSIVE SONG PREMIERE “NOBODY SAID LOVE WAS EASY” KARRIN ALLYSON CELEBRATES HER ALL-ORIGINAL RECORDING, SOME OF THAT SUNSHINE, OUT AUGUST 3 The diverse, groovy and reflective collection of Karrin Allyson’s... 

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Musician:  PAULA COLE Video:  “God Bless the Child” Songwriters:  Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr. GRAMMY WINNER PAULA COLE ON HER NEW ALBUM, BALLADS, AND HER UPCOMING TOUR God Bless The Child – Paula Cole 2017 from AIA on Vimeo. Grammy winner, Lilith Fair star Paula Cole re-emerges with a stunning new album and a fresh perspective. Turning 50 in April 2018, Cole is reflective and grateful,... 

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Musician:  TIM O’BRIEN Performers:  Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius Songwriter:  Bill Withers  Tim O’Brien is a well-respected Grammy Award-winning musician and songwriter who can weave a tale with his intricate style of playing a wide variety of instruments, including guitars, fiddles and mandolins. Where the River Meets the Road, released in the spring of 2017, celebrates the music of O’Brien’s... 

Photo credit; GMD Three VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  SETH GLIER Video:  “Sunshine” Seth Glier’s video “Sunshine” from new studio album Birds Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Seth Glier’s studio album Birds is out now. The collection of insightful and well-crafted songs includes standout tracks “Sunshine,” “Water on Fire,” and the timely socially-conscious cover “For What It’s Worth.” To celebrate... 

TRACK PREMIERE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  SARAH AROESTE Track Premiere:  “La Ketubá De La Ley”   A Ladino/English song celebrating the holiday of Shavuot, from the new Sarah Aroeste album Together/Endjuntos Sarah Aroeste releases the first-ever, all-original bilingual Ladino/English Holiday album, Together/Endjuntos today. She has created an eclectic collection that combines elements of Bhaṅgṛā, rap, cabaret, merengue... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  BONEY JAMES Video:  “Honestly” featuring Avery*Sunshine SAXOPHONIST AND COMPOSER BONEY JAMES’ HONESTLY REFLECTS MUSIC’S POWER TO TRANSPORT Four-time Grammy Nominee Celebrates 25 Years with September 1, 2017 Release Featuring Vocalists Avery*Sunshine and Eric Roberson Boney James released his 16th album on September 1, 2017, titled Honestly—25 years after his debut recording, Trust.... 

Photo credit: Max Crace VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  ERIC JOHNSON Video:  “Cliffs of Dover” ERIC JOHNSON Hurricane Harvey Relief Benefit Show & Live Webcast this Thursday, Sept 7, at 8:30 PM EDT with special guest Arielle https://www.concertwindow.com/bluerock In a feature on M Music & Musician magazine’s November 2014 issue we wrote: “Eric Johnson is a stone rocker—a shredding wiz whose music incorporates... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  ARIELLE Video:  “Magick Again” Eric Johnson Hurricane Harvey Relief Benefit Show & Live Webcast this Thursday, Sept 7, at 8:30 PM EDT with special guest Arielle https://www.concertwindow.com/bluerock Queen’s Brian May says Arielle is a singer-songwriter and a guitarist whose “small body holds an amazingly big heart and amazingly mature passion. Her musicianship is a clear indication... 

SONG PREMIERE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  SARAH McGOWAN Exclusive Song Premiere:  “Riding in Cars with Men” Women’s Safety and Vulnerability Are the Focus of Sarah McGowan’s Dark Dream Pop Track “Riding in Cars With Men” A Potentially Dangerous Encounter Inspires a Compelling Song, as a Young Artist Hopes to Spark a Conversation About Consent Indie pop/rock artist Sarah McGowan is no stranger to praise. Over the last... 

Sweetwater’s GearFest 2017 Draws Record Crowds and Sales Free Music and Pro Audio Trade Show Continues to Grow GearFest completely takes over the Sweetwater campus with parking, camping sites, gear tents, a performance pavilion, the retail store, and the massive interior of the Sweetwater building. Sweetwater Sound announced that GearFest 2017 was a bigger success than ever, breaking every record established by previous GearFest events. Launched... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  PETER ERSKINE Band: DR. UM Song: “Eleven Eleven” Recorded at Sweetwater Studios Critically acclaimed and celebrated drummer Peter Erskine has played the drums since the age of four and is known for his versatility and love of working in different musical genres. He has appeared on over 600 albums and film scores, and has won two Grammy Awards, as well as an honorary doctorate from the Berklee... 

VIDEO PREMIERE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician: DOM KELLY Music Video: “12” (featuring Emily Saliers) Dancer: Erika Leeds Directed by: Zak Washburn DOM KELLY’S MOODY, ELEGANT VIDEO “12” EXPLORES THE UNSPOKEN JOURNEY OF STRUGGLE, HEARTACHE AND ULTIMATELY—FINDING HOME WITHIN THE FIRE As the drummer, vocalist and co-founding member of the power-pop band A Fragile Tomorrow, Dom Kelly has released 5 critically-acclaimed studio albums... 

Photo credit: David Norbu HOMETOWN: Wilmington, Del. INFLUENCES: Joni Mitchell, Aimee Mann, Norah Jones ALBUM: Leap, out now WEBSITE: ivavoice.com An early brush with fame—performing alongside noted opera company Opera Delaware when she was just 9 years old—led IVA to New York, where she bounced from Juilliard to the Manhattan School of Music to Princeton University before receiving a Fulbright scholarship to study Scandinavian classical music... 

Photo Credit: Michael Chu VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:JOE GOODKIN Music Video: “Charlie and Roger” Video Director: Nick Ferrario JOE GOODKIN’S RECORD OF LOSS IS THE SECOND EP IN A TRINITY—LIFE, LOSS, LOVE Joe Goodkin is a Chicago-based singer-songwriter who wants to be known as “a sincere indie folk rock artist and musical storyteller who makes esoteric and difficult topics accessible.” He has made a name for... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician: CURTIS STIGERS Music Video: One More for the Road 50 years ago, magic was made on the stage of the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, when the timeless cool of Frank Sinatra met the robust swing of the Count Basie Orchestra. Sinatra at the Sands has remained a beloved classic ever since, the perfect marriage of old-school pop and big band jazz. Singer, songwriter and saxophonist Curtis Stigers has... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Artist:  ROBBY HECHT Song: “Soon I Was Sleeping” Duet with Rose Cousins Directed by Ryan Newman ROBBY HECHT Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David How did the idea of “Soon I Was Sleeping” come to you? I actually wrote this song over the course of about six years. I had the “put that bottle of whiskey right where she used to kiss me” hook for... 

VIDEO FEATURE OF THE DAY Artist: TOM PRASADA-RAO Song: “Sleeping Beauty” Website: TomPrasadaRao.com How did the idea of “Sleeping Beauty” come to you? I wrote this song for my ex mother-in-law. She found the love of her life later in life, and she transformed from someone who stayed in her bathrobe all day, to someone who closed down the VFW hall every night. It was a beautiful sight to see. But soon after they got married, they got the call... 

JONI MITCHELL One of music’s greatest singer-songwriters creates an inspired box set Joni Mitchell is an eight-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who’s influenced everyone from Courtney Love to Taylor Swift. So it’s only fitting that her new box set has been crafted with care. It isn’t her first retrospective, but Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, a Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced is something special. The 53 tracks on these four... 

Julie Kathryn HOMETOWN: Lake Placid, N.Y. INFLUENCES: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash ALBUM: Black Trees, out now WEBSITE: juliekathryn.com Julie Kathryn studied classical piano, guitar and songwriting. But by the time she graduated high school she’d chosen an entirely different career path: social work. Kathryn received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s from Columbia University. But the pull of... 

STEPH MACPHERSON HOMETOWN: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada INFLUENCES: Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell                                              ALBUM: Bells & Whistles, out now WEBSITE: stephmacpherson.com As a child in British Columbia, Steph Macpherson entertained family and friends by singing along with pop divas Madonna and Tiffany and Disney movies like The Little Mermaid. Soon she began taking piano... 

KREE WOODS HOMETOWN: Memphis, Tenn. INFLUENCES: Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin, John Mayer ALBUM: Talking Underwater, out now WEBSITE: kreewoods.com After graduating from Auburn University with a degree in musical theater, Kree Woods was headed to New York City. That is, until a meeting in Nashville with Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer John Jaszcz. Sensing her potential, he convinced her to reconsider and record a few tracks. Her self-titled... 

SPENCER DAY HOMETOWN: East Layton, Utah INFUENCES: Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, Paul Simon ALBUM: The Mystery of You, out now WEBSITE: spencerday.com Modern jazz singer and pianist Spencer Day learned the power of music during his troubled childhood. He grew up in a strict Mormon household in small-town Utah, and his parents divorced when he was young. His mother, a classical opera singer turned teacher, encouraged his love of music as a means of... 

GRACE POTTER She and her Nocturnals look a little more glam, but they’re grittier than ever   By Russell Hall  Back in 2010, fans of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals had a couple of big changes to deal with. First there were two new members, bass player Catherine Popper and guitarist Benny Yurco. But for listeners who had been following the band since it first hit the jam-band circuit in the early 2000s, the second change might have been even... 

FOLK FORWARD – ESSENTIAL FOLK DUST BOWL BALLADS (1940)  WOODY GUTHRIE  In a whirl of autobiography and activism, Guthrie reinvents American song. The Oklahoma native recorded this 1940 gem in two days, laying the groundwork for thousands of guitar-strumming followers. These are dusty, hard-bitten ballads that somehow gleam and soar more than 70 years after their creation. THE FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN (1963)  BOB DYLAN The folk bard’s... 

  FOLK FORWARD How a sound born of tradition is thriving in the modern day   By Peter Cooper It’s the other “F” word. And like its more obscene counterpart, it means different things to different people in different contexts. In the 1950s, it was sweater-vested political subversives. Later, it was shape-shifting musical revolutionaries and introspective singer-songwriters. It has been used to describe troubadours who specialize in journalistic... 

PAT METHENY The jazz guitarist’s new instrument might look funny—but it’s no joke No other jazz guitarist of the past four decades has done as much as Pat Metheny to broaden the definition of the instrument and expand its possibilities. Metheny reached out to listeners outside of the jazz mainstream with early releases like 1975’s Bright Size Life and 1980’s As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls, and he’s maintained a huge audience...