Review: Aldean Anchors Adventurous Collection
California-based Broken Bow Records arguably hasn’t yet done much for the Nashville community, but Wide Open, from its flagship artist Jason Aldean, scored impressive first week sales (109k) and is clearly boosting confidence in country’s fan connection. Radio is on board, too. Music Row named the Macon, Georgia native its Artist of the Year (Mid-Size Label ) for 2007 and 2008, based upon spins from the publication’s 110 Country Breakout chart reporters.
Aldean’s new set is loaded with smart lyrics swimming in a sea of rocking, rhythmic articulations. Title track “Wide Open” sets the stage with crunchy guitars, cutting like a special forces team equipped with platinum-tipped jack hammers breaking into a granite encased vault full of gold. The story follows a young waitress—slinging eggs and bacon with a college education—who chooses to believe in herself, and drive full bore into a world she barely understands. It’s a one act opera of hope from writers Neil Thrasher, Wendell Mobley and Jim Collins.
Thankfully Aldean’s stretchy baritone anchors and welds the “country” into this adventurous collection. His roots-based delivery remains centered whether singing about a man’s shortcoming, farm life, an ode to Nashville, a woman’s needs or life issues we all face. The fiddle walks around the tracks with heightened sensibilities (uncredited) and listeners will enjoy well placed keyboard, pedal steel and banjo cameos. But make no mistake, this stew is a six-string tour de force. Unlike some of today’s artists, carefully controlling their sound, playing by the rules—Aldean eschews safe to deliver a sonic sandwich that doesn’t disappoint. Producer Michael Knox has ripped it up on this third-times-a-charm outing, boldly presenting a more mature artist. Aldean’s ongoing challenge, which he has yet to master, will be to translate his evolving artistry to live performances as he endeavors to move his career from opening act to headliner status.
This life’s full of choices… says the singer on “Keep The Girl” as the listener jumps inside the mind of a lovelorn man who knows that, like a sword with a double edged blade whatever he chooses will cut either way (Aldean, Thrasher, Mobley).
Luckily, the decision for fans (Aldean’s Army) is way easy—get this disc and crank the volume Wide Open.
Reigning ACM and CMA Male Vocalist Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, welcomed their second child, a healthy baby boy today (4/17), at a Nashville area hospital. The Paisley’s firstborn son, William Huckleberry, aka “Huck” was born in February, 2007.
The 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards significantly increased its ratings for the second consecutive year. The show’s ratings were up 21% overall from 2008, drawing nearly 15 million viewers and earning the top spot for the night for the CBS Television Network during every hour of the April 5 telecast. The Awards brought in the largest audience since 1998, with about 3 million more viewers than last year. According to Nielsen Media Research, the Awards placed seventh for the entire week — behind American Idol and the series finale of ER.
Following the lead of country star Kix Brooks, Martina McBride has launched her own line of wines. McBride has teamed with Blackbird Vineyards Napa Valley to announce the debut of the 2006 Martina McBride “Signature Series” Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine. “I’ve been able to taste incredible wines while traveling the world on tour,” McBride said. “I’m thrilled to collaborate with Blackbird on this inaugural Signature Series.” A pre-release of the wine is being offered exclusively to members of McBride’s fan community who are of legal drinking age before the wine is made available to the public later this year.
MusicCityNetworks (MCN) will present the 2009 MCN Fan Club Concert Series June 10-13 at Nashville’s Rocketown. The annual concert series features performances from some of country music’s biggest performers, connecting fans with their favorite artists and with their fellow fans. This year’s line-up includes Bucky Covington, Emerson Drive, Montgomery Gentry, Josh Turner, Lady Antebellum, Sara Evans, and a special 2-for-1 with Tracy Byrd and Tracy Lawrence performing at the same event. Tickets are now available on the artists’ websites and include a catered meal, a lottery ticket for exclusive memorabilia, and a photo opportunity with the artist.
The Country Music Association will unveil key findings from its 2008 Country Music Consumer Segmentation Study during a free Town Hall meeting Tuesday, April 28 from 2:00-4:00 PM/CT in the Boone Crockett Room at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Nashville. The meeting is free and open to CMA members and their invited guests. The research project was the largest and most comprehensive look at the country music consumer in the CMA’s 50-year history. The Town Hall meeting will also include an opportunity to discuss “next steps” and ways to incorporate the findings into constituents’ individual business plans. The study offers information on media consumption including country record sales, radio and touring, as well as media usage and consumer analysis culled from a phase one sample of 7,000 individuals; a second sample of 1,850; and 10 focus groups from three regions of the country. In addition, findings from a followup study to determine the impact of the current economic crisis on the country consumer will be presented. The meeting will also include the introduction of an algorithm that CMA members can apply to their own consumer databases. The algorithm is a set of 14 screening questions that will enable the user to replicate the segmentation study in their own research vehicles to identify core and potential country consumers with a minimum of 75 percent accuracy, enabling members to use their marketing dollars effectively and efficiently.
Songwriter Paul Williams, whose long list of hits includes classic songs like “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Just An Old Fashioned Love Song” and “Rainy Days and Mondays,” was elected President and Chairman of the Board of ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) today (4/16) by the ASCAP Board of Directors at its meeting in Nashville. Williams’ election follows songwriter Marilyn Bergman’s decision to step down from the ASCAP Presidency effective today, although she will continue as an active Board Member). Songwriter Jimmy Webb has been elected writer Vice Chairman to replace Williams, who held that post for the prior two years. On the publisher side, the re-elected officers are: Irwin Robinson of Paramount Allegra Music as Vice Chairman; Kathy Spanberger of peermusic as Secretary; and James M. Kendrick of Schott Music Corporation/European American Music Corporation as Treasurer.
The Robert Johnson Blues Foundation has announced that Zakk Knight of Indianapolis, Indiana has been named winner of the 2009 New Generation Award Contest. Knight will receive a Gibson “Robert Johnson” edition guitar, a Robert Johnson harmonica, a certificate signed by Claud Johnson (son and heir of Robert Johnson) and an invitation to perform at the Robert Johnson Birthday Blast on May 9. The Birthday Party — the only event sanctioned by and benefiting the Robert Johnson Foundation — is a spring festival held annually at Chataugua Park in Crystal Springs, MS. This year’s show will run from 2 – 7 PM and is free and open to the public. The festival will feature several nationally recognized artists including Stevie J Blues Eruption, Mo Thomas, the Straitway Ministries Choir and other special guests. Also featured will be a special legacy tribute to Robert Johnson featuring his grandson Seven, along with the 2008 New Generation winner, Gabriel Lambrith. Knight’s winning entry can be viewed 
The Board of Directors of Leadership Music has announced that Garth Brooks, Jim Foglesong and Allen Reynolds have been selected as the 2009 recipients of the Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award. The three prominent country music figures, whose careers intertwined when Brooks signed to Capitol Records with Foglesong at the helm, and Reynolds produced his groundbreaking 
albums, will be honored at a gala tribute banquet on Sunday, August 23, at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville. The Dale Franklin Leadership Award, named for the first Executive Director of Leadership Music, was created in 2004 “to recognize music industry leaders who exemplify the highest quality of leadership and leading by example.” Brooks, Foglesong and Reynolds join previous Dale 
Franklin Award winners Tony Brown (2004), Gerry House (2005), Emmylou Harris (2006), Frances W. Preston (2007), and The Bradley Family; Owen (posthumously), Harold, Jerry, Connie and Patsy (2008).