NSN Ben Cyllus; Paris DeLane

This week we welcomed a new friend from here in Nashville and an old friend from Chicago. Ben Cyllus comes to us in Nashville by way of Detroit. He also spent a few years in Texas before moving here. Ben, who grew up in Michigan, returned there to record his independently-released debut "Cinnamon Matinee." Joined by songwriting partner John Howard on guitar, Pete Ballard on steel, Mark Sentle on drums, and due to an injury, filling in on this night on bass was Allen Bennet who has written with Ben. The set:

Caught In The Rain
Should've Been
Cry Later
What's In A Name
Rhinestone
Main Street (Bob Seger cover)
Maybe The Moon
Come Along
Right Girl
Traffic

Our old friend from Chicago and the band Sonia Dada, Paris DeLane held court in the second half of our show. Looking dapper in all-black, he serenaded us with his astonishing voice. Several songs were from his first solo album "The Learning Tree" and some apparently from the upcoming one he's working on now. The set:

Worlds On Fire
You're Lookin' Good
Rainfall
A Patch Of Blue
Beautiful
Ready Ready
The Ballet Of The Bulls

NSN Bekka Bramlett; Shemekia Copeland 4-19-09

On this night, we got long overdue return visits to NSN by two fantastic second-generation musical artists who are both dynamic singers, Nashville's own Bekka Bramlett and New York's Shemekia Copeland. Bekka was first up, sharing her birthday with us! Bekka is the daughter of of the legendary Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett. Momma Bonnie was in the audience, and before the night was over, on stage, too. Bekka grew up in a home where Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix and other rock royalty might turn up anytime as house guests. Since she was 17, she's been making records, writing songs, and touring worldwide with some of the biggest names in music history. In the 90's she spent several years as a member of Fleetwood Mac. She's one of the most respected and in-demand singers in Nashville. Her set:

Love's In Need
Cry Baby
Skeletons
Everybody
Superstar (with Bonnie Bramlett)
I Can See Clearly Now
Never Ending Song Of Love

The last song was a tribute to Bekka's late father Delaney Bramlett, a cover of the great Delaney & Bonnie hit from the 70's. The stage was covered with special guests and friends joining in, including once again, Bonnie.

The second half of the show was given to the daughter of the late Texas blues guitar legend Johnny Clyde Copeland. Shemekia Copeland is a blues-rock force to be reckoned with herself. She's opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined the Chicago Blues Festival and other festivals around the world. She released her first album when she was 19. The critics raved and they've been raving ever since. Earlier this year, Shemekia released her fifth album, "Never Going Back," and her set was sprinkled with a generous helping of songs from it:

Sounds Like The Devil
Dirty Water
I'm A Wild Woman
Salt In My Wounds
Born A Penny
Never Going Back To Memphis
Big Brand New Religion
Who Stole My Radio
Ghetto Child
It's 2AM

NSN Jason Eskridge; Darnell Levine 4-5-09

This week we got into some of the soulful side of Nashville music with two of it's top purveyors, Jason Eskridge and Darnell Levine. Jason was first. He's served as a studio vocalist for Lyle Lovett, Jonny Lang (who was in the audience), Marc Broussard and many others. He's toured across the country and abroad and recently released his second studio project, which is a new six-song EP. The set:

Time
Everybody...Nobody
Get Together
Home
All That Is You
Love Grows Old
Shower The People (James Taylor cover)
Jav's Song
The Music

Jason stuck around as backing vocalist for Darnell Levine. Some call Darnell's music soul, some say jazz, some say inspirational, but whatever you call it, it's all just good music. He's also just released an EP which is his second studio recording. It's called "Journal Entries." The set:

Shrink Me Up
Monique
Nothing Like Friends *
High And Dry
Red Yellow Green
So Nice To Be Loved
Use What We Got

That's all we had time for on air, but they weren't done, and after the broadcast, the 3rd & Lindsley audience got treated to:

Breakthrough
What A Difference A Day Makes
Superstition (an extended jam on the Stevie Wonder song that included Jonny Lang and morphed into...) Thank You (for Letting Me By Myself Again), the old Sly Stone classic.

NSN Lynne Timmes; Tom Hemby Band 3-29-09

This week another two great talents from Nashville. First at 8 was Lynne Timmes. (It's pronounced like "Timmy's"). Based both here (a house in Spring Hill) and in New York, she's had her music featured on several network TV shows and she was involved in every step of making her debut album "Human," writing, producing, mixing, mastering and performing. Lynne's set:

Not The Girl Next Door
Human
So Serious
I Must Be Crazy
Storyboard
Once And For All
Perfect Day
Summer's Gone
Can't Wait
What's The Matter

Her band was Keith Carlock on drums, David Santos on bass, Michael Whttaker on keys and Tom Hemby on guitar.

At 9, it was time for The Tom Hemby Band. Tom's been in Nashville since 1978, been an active touring musician and an award-winning (Grammys and Doves) guitarist, producer and songwriter for a who's who list of artists. While waitng on bass player Adam Nitti to arrive from a delayed flight, they launched into a ten minute jam on an old Jeff Beck song (with David Santos sitting in) before getting into their own set of extended jams. On the air, there was only time for three more on the setlist:

Greasy G
Afro Funk
Puddin'

Adam arrived in time for Greasy G, and Keith Carlock stayed on drums and Michael Whttaker on keys. Post-broadcast, after a short break, the jamming went on into the night. One of those shows where you had to be there.

NSN Chuck Cannon; Lari White 3-22-09

On this night it was two of Nashville's finest songwriters who just so happen to be husband and wife. First up at 8 was Chuck Cannon. A Nashvillian since 1984, he's written numberous number ones and collected many BMI "Million Air" Awards. He played a bunch of songs from his new CD "Love & Money," which he and wife Lari co-produced. Chuck's set:

Poison
Money
Loose Change
Money Don't Matter
Bet Yo Mama
Messes
Boyfriend (a new, unreleased song)
Strange *

At 9, Lari White took over. She's been in Nashville since graduating from the University of Miami. She's been a major-label recording artist, gold award winner, Grammy winner, hit songwriter and record producer. "Green Eyed Soul" is her latest CD. Her set:

Right Here Right Now
Let's Keep It Together
We Got It Goin' On
Nothin But Love
Eden Before The Fall
High
Who's To Blame (a new, unreleased song)
Loved Right
One More Time