Nashville Songwriter Series: Schuyler, Arata, Knobloch, Jelly Roll
November 8, 2012Nashville Songwriter Series @ The MAC
This is going to be a special night. Thom Schuyler, Tony Arata, J. Fred Knobloch and Kirk “Jelly Roll” Johnson will be performing together here at the MAC. While they may not be well-known celebrities to most of America, chances are you have heard their work. They are all regular performers at the famed Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. It is going to prove to be a great evening!
Click on any of their names below to be taken to their individual websites.
Thom Schuyler’s songs have been recorded by more than 200 various artists including “16th Avenue” for Lacy J. Dalton, “Love Will Turn You Around” for Kenny Rogers, and “Long Line of Love” for Michael Martin Murphey.
He also headed RCA Records’ Nashville division from 1992 to 1995. In that role he signed singer Kenny Chesney, the band Lonestar and also had a significant role in launching the career of Martina McBride and Sara Evans. Schuyler continued to write songs for Almo-Irving Music, administered several music catalogs and recorded a few independent albums.
Tony Arata has been in Nashville writing hit songs for over 24 years. Garth Brooks has recorded no less than eight of Tony’s songs – including “The Dance” which spent three weeks at #1, was the most-performed song of 1990, and was nominated for CMA Song of the Year in 1991. Patty Loveless had a #1 hit with Tony’s “Here I Am”, and has also recorded six more of his tunes. Other artists to record Tony’s work have been Randy Travis, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Lee Roy Parnell, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire and Clay Walker.
J. Fred Knobloch has been involved with over 400 recordings as a songwriter, musician and singer by artists whose styles range from Country to R&B to Jazz and Pop with several of his tunes appearing in movies and on television. Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers, Faith Hill, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Delbert McClinton, The Dirt Band, Gregg Allman, Ruth Brown, John Anderson, Etta James and Levon Helms have all recorded his songs. His most recent chart successes were Faith Hill’s “If My Heart Had Wings” and George Strait’s “Meanwhile”.
A self-published songwriter for 13 years, he still works as a session musician and vocalist here in Nashville, as well as performing 30 to 40 dates a year on the road. J Fred is a past President of Leadership Music Board of Directors and a former 14 year member of the Board of Directors of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)—four years as Vice-President.
Kirk “Jelly Roll” Johnson’s distinctive, soulful style of harmonica has earned him critical acclaim, numerous awards, and a place among Nashville’s top session musicians. Since moving to Nashville in 1984, he has recorded with Trisha Yearwood, Kenny Rogers, Etta James, Guy Clark, Lee Ann Womack, Travis Tritt, Shania Twain, The Judds, Alan Jackson and many others. His unique sound has been heard on over 50 gold and platinum albums, including three Grammy winning albums by Randy Travis. In 1998, Jelly Roll won the Nashville Music Award for Best Wind Instrumentalist. After receiving nominations for 1998 and 2000, he won the best Specialty Instrument Award for 2003 and 2008 from the Academy of Country Music.
From the Stage @ the MAC support provided by American Electric Power Foundation
