Holly Williams - Born and raised in Nashville, Holly
Williams’ lineage is bonafide country royalty: her father is Hank Jr. and her
grandfather is Hank Sr. Now 31, Williams has carved out a considerable niche
for herself. In addition to a pair of major label releases - 2004's “The
Ones We Never Knew” and 2009's “Here With Me” - Williams owns a successful
woman’s boutique in Nashville and writes a lifestyle blog called “The Afternoon
Off.” Her new, self-financed/released CD is titled “The Highway,” and features
cameos by Dierks Bentley, Jakob Dylan, Jackson Browne and Gwyneth
Paltrow.
Missy Raines &
the New Hip - Bass virtuoso - and
WV native - Missy Raines is one of the most highly decorated bass players in
bluegrass music. Raines began touring professionally as a teenager and has
performed and recorded with bluegrass acts including Josh Graves, Kenny Baker and
Jesse McReynolds. A seven-time IBMA “Bass Player of the Year,” Raines is a
former member of the Grammy-nominated Claire Lynch Band and an acclaimed duo
with guitarist Jim Hurst. On her new release, “New Frontier,” she explores a
new and adventurous sonic direction, singing lead on a set that ranges from
Americana to newgrass.
Gary Nicholson - One of Nashville's most prolific
and highly regarded songwriters, Texas native Gary Nicholson has been a
presence on the country charts for more than three decades. While he’s known as
a country songwriter, Nicholson’s songs have been recorded by artists in nearly
every genre: George Strait, Ringo Starr, Garth Brooks, Robert Plant, B.B. King,
Fleetwood Mac, Gregg Allman, The Judds, Buddy Guy, Neil Diamond, Patty Griffin,
Bonnie Raitt, Del McCoury, The Neville Brothers, Vince Gill, Delbert McClinton,
Etta James, John Prine, Keb' Mo' and Toby Keith - to name a few. His songs have
appeared in the movies “Crazy Heart,” “Major League,” “City of Hope,” “Message
in a Bottle” and “Where the Heart Is.” Nicholson, also a guitarist, singer and
Grammy-winning producer, has won 26 ASCAP songwriting awards, a nomination to
the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recent induction into the Texas
Songwriters Hall of Fame. His “Texas Songbook” album features cameos from a
cast of Texas musicians including Joe Ely, Delbert McClinton, Marcia Ball, and
Asleep at The Wheel’s Ray Benson.
Sam Baker - The music of Texas singer/songwriter
Sam Baker is shaped by the day in 1986 when a terrorist bomb exploded on a
train he was on in Peru. Gravely injured, he subsequently had 18 corrective
surgeries over the next decade. Baker had to completely relearn how to play the
guitar and singing was extremely difficult because of his severe hearing loss.
Yet it was these challenges that led him to develop his uniquely hushed and
quietly powerful performance style. Baker self-released three critically
acclaimed albums he calls his “Mercy Trilogy.” His current release is titled,
“Say Grace.”
Charlie Faye - In addition to her music, Austin
singer/songwriter Charlie Faye is known as a community activist and for her
novel approach to touring and performing. In 2010, Faye made her home in 10
different cities in 10 months across the U.S., from Portland, OR, to New York.
In each place, she put together a band of local musicians, played shows, and
wrote and recorded a new song. The resulting album, “Travels With Charlie,”
reached No. 7 on the Americana Radio Chart. Her efforts to save a musicians'
enclave of cottages in South Austin was documented in front page story in The
Austin American-Statesman. Her latest release is titled “You Were Fine, You
Weren't Even Lonely.” When touring solo, she plugs her guitar into an old
phonograph, and plays along with the album’s rhythm tracks that she had pressed
on vinyl.