Different Voices One Message
Joanne Cash and her duet partner Kevin Max share the stage at Fuel in Nashville, photo by Andy Argyrakis
by Christa A. Banister
While the artists’ stylistic approaches couldn’t be more diverse (more on that in a minute), there is undoubtedly a common purpose for all those who participate in Gospel Music Week: to make quality music that has a greater message for the world at large.
Of course, how these artists go about accomplishing this definitely spans the spectrum creatively. Kicking off the day interview-wise was a Q&A with singer/songwriter Francesca Barttistelli. While the name may not seem familiar now, chances are you’ll be familiar with her work in the not-so-distant future as her debut hits stores this summer. Hoping to create pop music that’ll “give people something happy to listen to first thing in the morning,” the 22-year-old plays piano and guitar and co-writes all of her songs that address a variety of issues from identity to societal expectations to being brave enough to pursue your dreams.
Then after a quick detour to a coffee shop that didn’t exist for my next appointment, which only underscores the craziness of this week’s schedule, next up was Shawn McDonald. Much like the chilled, laid-back grooves of his music, McDonald is an easy chat. In addition to discussing the finer points of his latest album, Roots, McDonald couldn’t help but slip into the role of a proud father as he happily talked about his one-year-old son, Cohen, “who’s helped him to re-appreciate life’s simple joys.”
And then for something completely different, I caught up with Children 18:3, a Minnesota-based punk band with a look (link to band’s MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/children183) all its own. Proving, however, that you can’t judge a band by its eyeliner, this brothers and sister act is surprisingly tame in the interview setting.
Wrapping up the interview highlights of the day (we’ll save my chat with Jake Smith for another time), I ended the day by catching up with Bebo Norman. Also a new father to one-year-old Smith, Norman is proud to say he’s walking and has plenty of pictures on his iPhone to prove it. Musically speaking, Norman’s working on his second album for BEC, a project he says is as close as he’s going to get to a rock album. Now for those acquainted with his previous work, that may come as quite a surprise. But Norman says the shift in sound is representative of the weightier themes he’s writing about these days. Look for a single in May (at press time) and the full project in September.
Evening showcase wrap-up
It’s been said that in Nashville “it all begins with a song,” and there was certainly no shortage of them during a variety of showcases on Monday night of Gospel Music Week.
Proving yet again that it doesn’t take a record label to get your music heard by the masses, the Indie artist showcase at Global Café showcased some of the brightest emerging talent. With diversity reigning supreme some of the news highlights were the smooth, soulful vocals of Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter Brian Bates, the Rascal Flatts meets The Eagles country pop of CO3 and piano/pop songstress Kristy Nordoff.
Then over at Nashville night club Fuel, “The Dog and Pony” show featured some superb performances from a veritable smorgasbord of artists that included Kevin Max, Joanne Cash, Martha Munizzi, The Washington Projects and more.
Relatively new to the scene, Canton Jones is a phenomenal performer who has a unique ability to amuse the crowd with his light-hearted sense of humor while managing to lead them in a true praise & worship experience. Canton performed with Mr. Del (formerly of mainstream rap group 3-6 Mafia), Lisa McClendon and Ramona Jones, and the four of them together were quite a combo. “We call ourselves ‘gumbo’,” says McClendon. “Canton represents…well, everything. I represent soul, and Ramona represents jazz and soul.” Kevin Max also sang three-part harmony with Ms. Cash and Chris Sligh (of American Idol fame) on “Run on For a Long Time (God’s Gonna Cut You Down)”, and one of Larry Norman’s songs with the particularly haunting lyric in light of his recent passing: “time to leave the planet.”
Keeping the high-octane vibe alive the Wildhorse was more rock ’n’ roll than country with Switchfoot, Third Day and a surprise performance from Jars of Clay. Open the show, Jars was at its most rockin’ with a set-list of newer material including a standout new track “Love is the Protest.” Then with a set that was rock without their usual Southern touch, Third Day delivered a taut, guitar-heavy set in one of the first performances without Brad Avery. Rounding out the line-up on keyboards was industry vet, Scotty Wilbanks, which added an unexpected, pleasing texture. Rounding things out nicely on the “Habitat for Humanity” show was Switchfoot who engaged the crowd with their polished pop/rock anthems that have become favorites for Christian and mainstream music listeners alike. After spending some much time touring, Jon Foreman and Co. were still in fine form, delivering a set that kept the audience cheering for the duration of the evening.
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--With reporting by Melissa Riddle and Jenny Bennett in Nashville
