Shawn Camp "The Grandpa That I Know"

Marty Fitzpatrick and I got the opportunity to work together after a two year absence, to host the Folk Alley webcast of the Americana Honors & Awards Show from The Ryman Auditorium a couple of weeks back. It felt like old times, as he was the Music Director, and I was the Program Director at X Country on XM. But in an even earlier incarnation, Marty and I used to meet every week to produce the syndicated show "This Week In Americana," which I hosted and he produced. We got together at his studio in Nashville to construct the one hour weekly show. Marty and I are both from New York originally, but heard the muse calling, and we both wound up gravitating to Nashville. Marty says proudly that Shawn Camp was one of the first friends he made as a newcomer to town. That's hitting the ball out of the park! During our tenure at XM, we loved having a home for Shawn, as he is somewhat of an unsung hero.

Sixteen years ago, Shawn Camp recorded his second CD, having had a first blush of success with his self titled debut. Back in those days the conventional wisdom was that you had to deliver a similar sounding record. The label wanted him to retool album number two in the image of the first, taking off the fiddles and dobros in favor of electric guitars. He didn't, and the album got shunted away to the "no zip sorting bin." Last year, Warner Music Nashville President John Esposito happened into an impromptu guitar pull with Shawn Camp. Afterwards, he facilitated the vault being unlocked, and the dust being blown off, and the issuing at last of the newly renamed CD 1994. Shawn comments, "This is an unchanged snapshot of that moment 16 years ago." The album contains A-list collaborations with Bill Monroe, Jerry Douglas, Patty Loveless, and his earliest tete-a-tete with Guy Clark in "Stop, Look And Listen." Speaking of snapshots, that is what Marty Fitzpatrick is doing these days...he's a professional photographer.

Photo Credit: Marty FitzpatrickWhen Shawn visited us during the Americana Music Festival, he shared this song, which will be on the "new" album being released tomorrow. "The Grandpa That I Know." Amen.

- Jessie Scott

Samantha Murphy "Ring of Fire"

I lived in Nashville for almost five years as we were on the cusp of the 2000's, and in a way, I will always consider it home. Love the city, love the vibe, love the creative community most especially. I met Samantha Murphy during my time there, and I still have the CD demo she gave me back then. Funny how it all comes around again on the guitar. Samantha is The Highway Girl, and she likes to use her tour bus, traveling to find music discovery. Hmmm, am I sensing a synergy? We know there is just something so seductive about a tour bus and music!

Samantha is an indie artist, a tech futurist, a video host and executive producer all rolled in one. As she was preparing to do a new album, she wanted to use a cover song, that is one written by someone else. She reached out to a website to take care of the necessary licensing that has to be put in place. Rights issues are a huge concern in the music industry, especially because of all the digital delivery that now goes directly to the audience without the label and record stores that used to populate the landscape. So she used Limelight and the folks there have put up an educational video, explaining the process as to how the necessary mechanical license was procured for the song "Ring of Fire," written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore. You will find it on her upcoming release, which was produced by Ray Kennedy. A mighty sweet version! Samantha reached out to us, to let us know what she's up to, and has kindly allowed us to post her official video for the song here for you!

- Jessie Scott

Hans Rotenberry "Blew It"

A rule to live by: It is always important to allow some sunlight in, to allow for some random act to occur that you haven't planned. I button us down pretty tight with artists when we are on location, but when Theresa K came by and asked if we had room, I was able to figure out a mutually agreeable time. Then she came back to our Sweet Suite at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown, bringing Hans Rotenberry, a mysterious looking cat with thick hair and dark glasses, you know, the ones where you have no idea whether the person is even looking at you. Theresa and he were companionably talking and hanging in the back of our room, and I ventured over to say hi...not sure who was hiding behind the Foster Grants, and still not able to get a read if he was happy or unhappy to be in the space. Whatever. Eye contact always helps in the ability to gage someone's interest or acceptance, but he was still a total mystery.

It turns out that back when I was programming Nashville's Lightning 100, in the 90's, I got to play his band, The Shazam, on the radio. This year's Americana Festival marked the first live collaboration between The Shazam's guiding light Hans Rotenberry and the man who produced their first four albums, Nashville's legendary producer Brad Jones. The two long-time friends performed and shared lead vocals. Their collaboration results in a unique pop meets Americana sound that surprised the audience on that Saturday night, September 11th, at the Mercy Lounge. We were hanging backstage, and the sunglasses were off. We had a blast with Hans, so much fun getting to know him. When we were recording him, the craft of his songs was a revelation. They come from another place, and were engaging and fresh. It was yet another of those moments where you are thinking, how did we not meet before? The Shazam were a progenitor of the indie spirit that is becoming the way the new music biz functions today, as they released five albums on their own, without the aid of a label, starting in the mid 90's.

Here is Hans, solo acoustic, with a great tune called "Blew It," from The Shazam's first album. Of course, this version was recorded during the Music Fog Sessions at the 2010 Americana Music Festival.

- Jessie Scott