She grew up listening to “big, black cd’s.” Anyone born in the last 15 years might not know anything about 45s, “A” sides, flip sides, or the Big Daddy of the “black cd” bunch, known as “extended disco versions.” For her, it was a buffet…a feast for the ears. She feels fortunate to have been fed jazz and big band music from her father, gospel from her mother, and from her older brothers came funk, soul, R&B, a little pop, and more jazz. "I learned to identify vocalists, great songs, great songwriters, stylists, the BE from the BOP, and the HIP from the HOP. Some might argue that that’s not training, but it’s the kind of stuff you can’t really grasp from books...   "...like the gospel that I got—right off Mama’s lap. The hymns, the hums, and melodic moans from church are steamed into your fabric. Simmered into your soul. The ear-oma wafts over you like the scent of supper, and it stays with you. Powerful. No school for that. I can just barely remember my first live performance—in front of hundreds at one of our church’s largest annual gatherings. I was about 4 years old and couldn’t have known much about rhythm, pitch, or tone, but I did know that Mama had told me to sing, and she was at the piano. When Mama plays—somebody’s going to sing, everybody MIGHT sing, but this time it was me." That’s how it began…and it continues. "I’ve brought to the table my own tastes which include some smooth, some classical, and some cool. These are my herbs and spices that I toss into the stew to make my own blend. "I’m the sum of all of those parts. The soup, if you will, has soul, blues, gospel, jazz, pop, classical...It's hard to tell what all is in there, but it’s all good." Marinate in it.

“I was crying so hard, trying to pack and tears were falling into my suitcase.   ‘A broken heart from every angle, I pack my suitcase full of tears, How do we get Untangled? Where do we go from here?’   and the song “Untangled” was born. I write from my heart, my relationships and experiences.”  - Jaime Kyle     Before Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert, there was Jaime Kyle. Jaime was the first female rock artist to be signed to a major record deal out of Nashville. Her albums “The Passionate Kind” (Atco/Atlantic), “Back from Hollywood” (Now and Then, England) and “The Best of My Heart” (Frontiers, Italy and Nippon Crown, Japan) were critically acclaimed on Album Rock Radio. Throughout Europe she was dubbed “The Goddess of Hard Rock.”   “It was difficult breaking through. There weren’t many female producers and engineers, maybe a couple, and I was one of them.” Jaime learned to be scrappy and creative. When she was missing a musician for a Nashville session, she scoped out local bar bands and hired a bass player on the spot for a midnight session. The chain of events led to Nancy Wilson of Heart recording Jaime’s song “Stranded.” The word “no” was never an option. When a record executive listened to a demo tape of “Wild One” and threw it down the hall, Jaime didn’t miss a beat. She picked up the broken tape, fixed it, and the demo found its way to Faith Hill. The rest is history.    Jaime writes for herself, but that doesn’t stop industry greats from covering her music. Faith Hill recorded “Wild One” which Jaime co-wrote and it made chart history as a debut artist remaining at number 1 for four weeks. “Wild One” was inspired by Jaime’s childhood experiences in rural Kentucky where imagination was her best friend and music her escape:      “She has future plans And dreams at night, They tell her life is hard, She says that’s all right.”     In addition to Faith Hill, “Wild One” has been covered by Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Maddie and Tae, Runaway June on the Academy of Country Music Awards, Lauren Alaina on American Idol, and recently by Rebecca Howell on the hit show “The Voice”. Faith also recorded Jaime's “Bed of Roses.” Additionally, Jaime’s songs have been covered by Michael English “Heaven to Earth,” Levon “With My Eyes Closed,” Baton Rouge “The Storm,” Howard Leese of Bad Company “The Vine,” (sung by Jimi Jamison of Survivor), Jo Dee Messina “Let It Go,” Lee Greenwood “Beautiful Lies,” Joe Lynn Turner “In Your Eyes” and many more. Jaime also co-wrote and performed the duet “Who I Am,” a song which won multiple cinematic awards for the film “Forget Me Not” and she co-wrote, performed, and produced “That Night of Nights” from the movie “The Least of These: A Christmas Story,” which has become a sought-after holiday classic.   From singing tours in the U.S. and Europe to writing and recording sessions in Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles, Jaime Kyle continues to garner respect. “Everything I’ve gotten in this business is from the merit of the songs. The place where poetry, melody, and emotion meet are where you’ll find me and my music.”  

Bio Listen to Jonell Mosser just once in concert and you’ll be an instant believer. She sings with all-out passion and heart. No frills. No games. Just a soulful intensity that makes you realize you’re in the presence of the real thing, not some manufactured, corporate-approved diva of the sort littering the landscape these days.  By STEVE MORSE, former staff writer at the Boston Globe for nearly 30 years, who has also written for Billboard and served on the nominating committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jonell is as honest as they come, both in her personal life and in her music. Her voice is stunning in its raw power, scope, and ability to take you places where you’ve never been. In addition to her four official album releases, she will be releasing a new album this year.   Jonell's Music Journey Past Jonell started singing at a young age, rising to do jazz standards in piano bars in her childhood home of Louisville. Her dad, a retired Air Force Master Sargent, had died of a heart attack when she was 3, so she was brought up by her mother, Joy, who loved jazz. “I listened to all the big band stuff,” Jonell recalls. “I loved Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday. She bought me 45s and albums from the time I was 5 or 6. Later on, my brother had great records by Jethro Tull, Al Green and Dobie Gray.” And what about Janis Joplin, to whom she has been compared? “I didn’t like her at first. Janis seemed unattainable. And on the other side, Aretha Franklin seemed unattainable. So I was drawn more to men’s voices, like when I heard Otis Redding for the first time. And James Taylor, of course. I adored him and Jackson Browne and Dan Fogelberg. And then I found Lowell George and Little Feat.” She also loved Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt {whom she first met in Bowling Green around 1978 or ’79} and her debut album was a 1996 compilation of Townes covers called “Around Townes.” Solo Projects Her second album was “So Like Joy” in 2000, a smart, sophisticated batch of songs that Jonell wrote with John Hall (of Orleans fame) and Johanna Hall. They have been major believers in her. The disc included the high-arcing ballad “Do You Love Me” and the stylish title track, about letting go of regret. It is a connoisseur’s record. Next up was “Enough Rope,” a 2001 album that Allmusic.com proclaimed had “enough class, muscle and tough grace to stand out from the pack.” Then a lull followed as Jonell turned to raising her sons, before her “powerful “Trust Yourself” CD came out. The title track was a Dylan song given new heft by Jonell, while other stand outs were three co-writes with the Halls, and a sax-laced soul version of Harlan Howard’s “The Chokin’ Kind.” And perhaps the most intriguing project she’s been involved with in the last few years or so is being one of the Freedom Singers, who perform under the auspices of the First Amendment Center headed by former USA Today editor Ken Paulson. They feature songs that were once banned or censored, such as George M. Cohan’s “You’re a Grand Old Rag” (later changed to “Grand Old Flag”) and the controversial Billie Holiday tune, “Strange Fruit. ”It adds up to a highly unique career with no end in sight. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in this business, but I feel successful as a human being,” says Jonell. I play and sing every day” “I’ve gotten to sing with Mavis Staples. I’ve gotten to sing with Levon Helm, and with Sam Moore, Bruce Cockburn, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. I’ve gotten to meet and play music with so many great people, most of whom I feel I can call my friends” “That means everything to me” Now it could be Jonell’s moment to grab the spotlight. “I feel a tidal wave coming,” she says hopefully. “I just don’t want to get buried by it. I want to ride it.

Mike Reid received his degree in music from Penn State University in 1970. But that achievement was considerably overshadowed by his reputation on the football field. At Penn State he was an All-America selection and won the Outland Trophy as the country's outstanding collegiate lineman. He was the first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals that year and at the end of his first season in the NFL, was named Defensive Rookie Of The Year.  Reid's success continued when he was voted NFL All-Pro in 1972 and '73. In spite of these honors, Reid decided he would rather play music than football for a living. He retired from the Bengals and in 1980, moved to Nashville to pursue song writing. Since 1983 when Mike Reid scored his first number one country hit song "Inside" by Ronnie Milsap, he has composed more than 30 top ten country and pop hits. Twenty-one of those records have gone all the way to number one on the charts. He has been the recipient of ASCAPS' "Songwriter of the Year" award and one of the many songs that Milsap recorded, "Stranger In My House", has earned a Grammy award.    In addition to Milsap, Reid has had his songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Anita Baker, Bette Midler, Prince, George Michael, Nancy Wilson, Etta James, Kenny Rogers, Ann Murray, Wynonna Judd, Alabama, Joe Cocker, Tanya Tucker, Willie Nelson, Collin Raye and Tim McGraw. Among the songs that Mike has composed are "I Can't Make You Love Me" (Raitt, Michael and Prince), "My Strongest Weakness" and "To Be Loved By You" (Judd), "In This Life" (Raye and Midler), "Sometimes I Wonder Why" (Baker), "Forever's As Far As I'll Go" (Alabama) and "Everywhere" (McGraw). In 1992, Reid composed the score for "Quilts", a modern dance piece created by Andrew Krichels and Donna Rizzo of The Tennessee Dance Theatre. Following the premiere, Reid, Krichels and Rizzo received The Governor's Award for the Arts in Tennessee for their work on "Quilts."  In addition, Reid was commissioned by the Kandinsky Trio of Roanoke, Virginia to write a piece for piano trio and storyteller. The piece, entitled "The Cantankerous Blacksmith," premiered in the fall of 1995 and continues to be part of the Kandinsky's touring repertoire. Reid has collaborated with librettist Sarah Schlesinger on a one-act opera commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera Guild and Opera Memphis that explores the myth of celebrity in contemporary American sports.    The opera, entitled "Different Fields", received its premiere in New York City at the New Victory Theatre on Broadway.  "Different Fields" has since been produced in Memphis and Nashville and by The Cincinnati Opera. Reid and Schlesinger's musical entitled "The Ballad of Little Jo" received a 1998 Richard Rodgers Foundation Award and its first production in September 2000 at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater won the Joseph Jefferson award for Best New Musical. It has also been produced at the Bridewell Theater in London. Currently it is in development at The Public Theater in New York City. Reid's composition "Eye of The Blackbird", a setting for piano trio and soprano of Wallace Stevens' poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird", was given its world premiere in Roanoke, Virginia by the Kandinsky Trio and soprano Elizabeth Weigle.    Shortly thereafter, the group performed the piece at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. His latest work, a setting of the Billy Collins poem “The Night House” for piano trio and soprano received its premier pearformance by The Kandinsky trio and Miss Weigle in December of 2007.  Presently, Mike divides his time between Nashville and New York City with his wife and their children. He is currently at work writing songs as well as composing the score for the musical "Casanova Returns" slated for a workshop in Australia in 2010.

“One of the best singer-songwriters of our time” – Pop Culture Classics Maia Sharp’s 10th solo album, Tomboy is the sound of shifting perspective. Released on Sept. 12, it’s an ultra authentic Americana-adjacent record steeped in quiet gratitude, internal celebration, and a complete embrace of true self. Like all of Sharp’s solo work, Tomboy resonates profoundly by being so real, so personal, and so eloquently written. Tomboy finds multi-instrumentalist Sharp revisiting her famously compelling songcraft and relatable lyricism with a more rhythmic and playful approach – like the tingling joy of stepping into the unknown, secure in the belief that, whatever happens, all will be okay. It’s also her first serious hands-on foray into digital sound, a new fascination with her OP-1 Field mini synth lacing Sharp’s traditionally organic instrumentation with fresh sonic nuances and nooks. Raised in Los Angeles and lately based in Nashville, Sharp is the daughter of anthropologist Sharon Bays and Grammy-winning songwriter Randy Sharp (Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt etc.). Initially influenced by Bonnie Raitt, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon, and her dad, Maia’s 30-year career has included writing songs for the likes of Trisha Yearwood (including recent single “The Wall Or The Way Over”), Keb’ Mo’ and Taj Mahal (including recent single “Junkyard Dog”), Cher, Raitt, and Art Garfunkel, while simultaneously earning a sizeable cult following and consistent critical acclaim for her own releases.  Sharp’s 2021 album Mercy Rising rose from the aftermath of a two-decade marriage, while 2023’s Reckless Thoughts looked back at that chapter from the other side, absorbing lessons learned and exploring her subsequent move to Tennessee. Tomboy retains her signature poetic, confessional lyricism, expertly crafted songs, and a supple, finely grained timbre described by Ink 19 magazine as “like a snuggly hug from a close friend.” This time, Sharp’s songs come from a period of, overall, perhaps unexpected contentment: relishing her nurturing creative community in Nashville; navigating single life in the age of dating apps; and very consciously appreciating her lot. The latter sentiment has been significantly shaped by Sharp’s long involvement with Songwriting with Soldiers, a non-profit that pairs veterans, first responders and law enforcement with pro songwriters to create music about whichever part of their experience they choose to share. “The work I’ve had the privilege of doing with Songwriting with Soldiers has put me in a space that you can come back from anything,” mulled Sharp. “And the things that I thought ranked as a problem just don’t qualify as a problem anymore in the real scheme of things.” In contrast to prior albums where Sharp liked to get all the musicians involved in the same room to track the songs before bringing them back to her studio, this time she shut herself away until the tunes were almost fully formed. Noticing that the first few she wrote like this were rhythm-forward pieces propelled by groove, Sharp ran with this approach for the entire album. Only she didn’t want traditional kick-and-snare drums involved. Instead, she generated hard-to-define percussive sounds on found objects and using her new favorite synth, and challenged percussionist Eric Darken (Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood etc.) to delve deep into his vast collection of global and improvised instruments. “He went to town,” Sharp recalled. “For each song he’d send me somewhere between ten and twenty tracks named things like ‘broom rattle,’ ‘hubcap,’ and ‘coffee bag’ – and it was always so cool!” This bold approach permeates Tomboy’s ten tracks, giving the album and aura all its own and moods that sway between here-and-now introspection and semi-celebratory nostalgia without ever resorting to crutches of big beats or bombast. Self-produced at her home studio, with Sharp handling many of the instruments, Tomboy is also embroidered by talents from her circle: co-writers, featured artists, and contributing players including steel guitar from her dad on “Only Lucky,” electric guitar by Joshua Grange (Sheryl Crow, k.d. lang etc.); and stacked harmonies from the Grammy-nominated Garrison Starr on a crystalline rendition of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”   First single “Tomboy” grew out of Sharp and co-writer Emily Kopp jokingly trading photos from their “tomboy” childhoods – an idea that carries over into the song’s lovingly nostalgic video (a second video will be created around photos submitted by fans). “‘Tomboy’ is looking back on being a tomboy my whole life and, fairly recently, coming to a place where I can completely celebrate it,” Sharp explained. “There are these moments where I look at my young self and think, ‘what a fearless little sh*t I was’ and also, ‘wow, what a scared little sh*t I was.’ It oscillated until I fully accepted that this is who I am, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Move on.” With Sharp not in a relationship, she drew upon co-writer Emily West’s early-stage love affair at the time as inspiration for wonderfully delicate second single “Is That What Love Does,” an exquisite, multi-faceted vocal performance exploring the condition of deep human connection with rare candor and insight. Third single “Only Lucky” channels core Tomboy themes of appreciation for where you find yourself and embracing perspective shift (Sharp uses the example of being frustrated in a traffic jam only to realize that its cause is a fatal accident, immediately putting trivial pouting in its place.) Following Tomboy’s release show at L.A.’s intimate Hotel Café on Sept. 12, Sharp’s touring behind the album will include Sisters Folk Festival in Oregon later that month, and a Nashville show for the city’s Lightning 100 radio station, Nashville Sunday Nights at Third & Lindsley, featuring the musicians who performed on Tomboy, on Oct. 5. Videos are being created for all of the album’s singles alongside shorter visualizers for every track. “I always want somebody to feel the kind of connection to my music that I feel when I’m listening to music I love,” Sharp concluded. “I just have to put my real self out there and hope that someone connects with it.”