• Jack Ingram Ponders Life's Lessons on 'THIS IS IT'
• NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Jason Isbell
• NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Sarah Johns
• NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Angela Hacker
• NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Rissi Palmer
• NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Halfway to Hazard

Jack Ingram Ponders Life's Lessons on 'THIS IS IT'
By Holly Gleason

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

"This world is tough and we all know it," said Texas firebrand Jack Ingram, unapologetically. "Music is my touchstone. For me, songs that turned a line never made me cry, but songs about people's lives ."

His voice, raspy from throwing his whole soul at what he sings and then talking about it to anyone who'll listen, drifted off. He didn't need to complete the thought. It was, after all, obvious.

The truth is that with his first No. 1 for last year's "Wherever You Are," stints opening for Brooks & Dunn, Sheryl Crow and Brad Paisley, his upset win of the CMT "Wide Open Video of the Year" for the Top 10 single "Love You," anointment from Mediabase as Most Played New Artist of 2006, and This Is It, his breakout Big Machine Records album, debuting in the Top 5, whatever Ingram is doing seems to be working.

It's hard to believe it began with a friend's father's copy of Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger, which Ingram heard when he was just 17. "That was all we listened to for two straight weeks," he remembered. "Very simple but very, very real - and the more you listen, the more that stuff cuts through all the circumstances, right to the basic emotion."

Distilling the essences of life has been Ingram's standard since he signed with Rising Tide in 1996 and later with Sony/Lucky Dog Records, which in 1999 released his album Hey You featuring the snarling "Mustang Burn" as well as "Biloxi," a jagged song of reckoning from an abandoned teenage son to a returning father. But this once brash young man, now a tawny-haired guitar slinger, is seeking broader truths.

It's not so much that he's mellowed. Rather, he's lived and, in living, seems to have found a deeper place from which to write and record.

"The thing I experienced when I heard Red Headed Stranger, or Born to Run, or Guy Clark for the first time is that sense of immediacy, the realness of it," he explained. "I want people to experience that when they hear my records."

Certainly his more recent hit single, "Measure of a Man," moves beyond the bitterness of "Biloxi" toward resolution as the song's hero realizes that wisdom can be achieved by striking out on his own, putting his faith in another and knowing there are many paths and truths on the way to adulthood. It also proves that growing up and settling down don't necessarily mean giving up one's edge.

Always a Texas maverick, Ingram drew from Nashville's top session players for This Is It, a move akin to burning the Lone Star flag in certain circles back home. "How do you go in there without walking over the line?" he remembered thinking. "These are the best players in the world, but what I want is their emotion. If I could get them to feel it, then I knew I was going to be fine."

Whether embracing the complicated, sexually tangled triangle of the Oklahoma band Hinder's "Lips of an Angel" or the raving kiss-off "Love You" (which means anything but), Ingram found ways to incinerate a dozen songs about a fully engaged life. It's not preaching, nor is it empty swagger; it is, simply, the view from where Ingram stands.

"I first saw Jack when Rising Tide brought a bunch of us out to a showcase in Arizona," said Lon Helton, Country Aircheck publisher and host of "Westwood One's CMT Country Countdown USA." "And you could tell then, it wasn't a matter of if but when. He always knew how to connect with people. It was just a matter of getting him on a label where they understood what he did and had the time to devote to getting it across to the audience."

Until then and to this day, Ingram has roamed between what's considered mainstream Country and the roots high ground that artists such as Crow inhabit.

"Sheryl's audience reacted exactly like mine did for the 10 years previous to this current step," Ingram said. "Her audience buys Johnny Cash's American Recordings, and I think when they saw us, they were connecting with that part of what we do. They recognize the roots of my music from the most basic places."

And also the most personal places: This Is It includes "Ava Adele," a pretty ballad that seems like the ultimate love song to a woman with the power to bewitch. In a way, that's true, since Ingram wrote it about his daughter.

"I know," he said, laughing over the fact that even angry young men can embrace sentimental realities. "It's funny coming from the guy who wrote 'Biloxi,' the guy who used to make fun of those kinds of themes. But I think I'm talking a lot about commitment and being there for your people. That is pretty universal, whether you're blue collar, white collar or no collar."

That willingness to evolve, to embrace life's deeper moments, intensifies what Ingram does.

That seems to be true for Ingram, whose career has unwound over pretty extreme peaks and valleys. There were times, especially in the wake of his Sony/Lucky Dog deal evaporating, when he had to walk on faith, believing there was something worth pursuing just around the bend.

"Every time the transmission blew, the engine broke down or the gig sucked, there'd be two people who got it," he recalled, speaking with the vehemence that informs so much of his music. "Two out of the five folks some nights - and those people kept me coming back, playing music, believing in the dream.

"I saw so many folks who were on the radio who didn't care like that, selling millions of records - and they didn't mean it. Sitting outside my mechanic's office, I remember thinking, 'I am not going to be that guy.' For the most part, it was passion, remembering those two people. But that kept me playing when there was no reason.

"And I knew I was right," he insisted, recognizing now that his hope wasn't grounded in illusion. Then he laughed and admitted, with a rakish turn in his voice, "That's where the spite comes in. If it kills me, I'm gonna prove I'm right."

On the Web: http://www.jackingram.net/

Jack Ingram; Big Machine Records; Photo: David McClister
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Jack Ingram; Big Machine Records; Photo: David McClister
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Jack Ingram; Big Machine Records; Photo: David McClister
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NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Jason Isbell
By Bob Doerschuk

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

There are already plenty of Jason Isbell fans who have come to appreciate his writing, singing and playing within a three-guitar attack during his run with Southern rock mainstay Drive-By Truckers. These listeners will hear something different in his solo debut on New West Records, Sirens of the Ditch: 11 original songs written by Isbell that add up to a more personal sound, with a wider range of emotion and a subtle sense of exhilaration that comes from striking out on your own.

This last quality is evident from the first seconds of the opening track and single, "Brand New Kind of Actress," with its no-nonsense drum beat and grungy guitar hook. His voice, rough and dusty as a Country road winding outside his hometown of Muscle Shoals, ties the diverse elements of the album together and brings each lyric to life, whether through reciting a mournful paean for young lives lost in "Dress Blues" or evoking classic R&B balladry on "Hurricanes and Hand Grenades."

Raised in a musical family in one of America's most musical towns, Isbell grew up in a community that was used to seeing Duane Allman, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and other giants pull up to FAME Studios, also where Isbell recorded his album, to lay tracks with David Hood and Spooner Oldham, local guys who happened to be members of one of the hottest studio rhythm sections on Earth. They're among the artists who appear on Sirens of the Ditch too - a gesture that says as much about the endurance of soulful music in northern Alabama as it does about Isbell's right to a place within that tradition.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
"Neil Young. He always seems to do exactly what he wants."

What book is on your nightstand?
"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, by Crystal Devon (Warren Zevon bio)."

What song do you wish you had written?
"'Room at the Top,' by Tom Petty. I'm glad I didn't have to go through what he was dealing with when he wrote it, though. That's usually the case with my favorites."

What phrase do you find yourself saying over and over again?
"Stop apologizing."

What mode of transportation do you prefer?
"Prevost XLIIs with a Ducati in the trailer."

On the Web: http://www.jasonisbell.com/

Jason Isbell; New West Records; Photo: Trent McGinn & Hilary Wash
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NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Sarah Johns
By Bob Doerschuk

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Like the sound of her music, the story of Sarah Johns is classic. Raised in a fly-speck Kentucky town, with a father so strict that she was punished when caught listening to a Faith Hill album, Johns learned to raise her head and sing in church before mastering the art of telling life's sad and joyful tales by singing a Country song.

Johns didn't start performing until after she'd enrolled at the University of Kentucky at Lexington, but a long residency at Regatta's seafood restaurant sharpened her skills to the point that she felt good about quitting school, bidding her boyfriend adieu and heading down to Nashville to build a career from scratch.

Eventually she won an invitation from Toby Keith's manager, who had caught her act back at Regatta, to do two songs on one of his client's tours. She chose a pair of originals, the rollicking "When Do I Get to Be a Woman" and the kiss-off anthem "The One in the Middle," probably the rowdiest celebration of a particular finger set to music in recent years.

The response she earned led straight to a record deal with BNA Records and a debut album, Big Love in a Small Town, produced by Joe Scaife and loaded with both of those barn-burners plus nine more songs that include a wickedly funny ode to love at first sight ("He Hates Me") and power ballads ("Touch Me" and "Baby My Heart") that add raw physical spice into her formula for romance. All of these bear her co-writing credit and reflect the promise that Johns has lots more to say with her pen, her voice, her country-bred charisma and maybe that middle digit every now and then.

IN HER OWN WORDS
What CD is on your stereo?
"George Jones' My Very Special Guests. I warm up my voice singing along with this album."

Who is your dream duet partner?
"Loretta Lynn, because I'm as feisty as she is."

What's your pet peeve?
"People who don't give 100 percent."

What word or phrase do you find yourself saying over and over again?
"What city are we in?"

Do you have a lucky charm?
"A horseshoe ring that my father gave to my mom on the day I was born - oh, and a push-up bra."
On the Web: http://www.sarahjohns.com/

Sarah Johns; BNA Records; Photo: Russ Harrington
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NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Angela Hacker
By Bob Doerschuk

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Battling to the top on this year's "Nashville Star," Alabama-born Angela Hacker emerged as a prototype for the modern Country chanteuse: Her voice was raw, switching from tenderness to gut-wrench passion on a dime. Onstage she radiated charisma yet resembled the girl next door. She seemed ready to take on the world, including her brother Zac; they were the last two contestants standing, but when Angela emerged as the winner, no one could miss the love and pride that each harbored for the other.

The dust had barely settled before Hacker's debut, produced by Nathan Chapman and Tracy Gershon, hit the display racks. The Winner Is Angela Hacker: Nashville Star Season 5 is the culmination of a story dating back to childhood appearances at talent shows and festivals. She and Zac grew up on a diet of live Country rock, courtesy of their father's band. By age 13 she was leading her own group and well on her way to a young life spent selling cars, waitressing and doing whatever day work had to be done to allow her to play the bar circuit at night.

Hungry for a more fulfilling creative life, she began writing with James LeBlanc - two of their songs can be heard on the album - before signing a publishing deal with Rick Hall Music and auditioning for "Nashville Star." Her performances, all the way to her showdown with Zac, tempered a gig-toughened professionalism with the grit one picks up on the rougher roads through life, not to mention a rich residue of soul that comes from paying dues around her hometown of Muscle Shoals.

Her gutsy personality comes into full view through the decision to follow Aretha Franklin and Barbara Mandrell to the well of "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" - and to bring it back with a taste of something that's already all her own. Forget "Season 5," Hacker is obviously a winner for many seasons to come.

IN HER OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
"The Outlaws: Merle, Willie, Waylon and Kris."

What CD is on your stereo?
"A compilation of originals by me and other writers I know, studying songs for my next album."

Who is your dream duet partner?
"My brother Zac and James LeBlanc."

What song do you wish you had written?
"'I Hope You Dance.'"

On the Web: http://www.angelahackeronline.net/

Angela Hacker; Warner Bros. Nashville; Photo: Glen Rose
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NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Rissi Palmer
By Bob Doerschuk

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

When Rissi Palmer invites all the women in the house to "clap your hands . show the world you're a Country girl," she's doing more than delivering a show-stopping vocal over a stomping, fiddle-lashed groove. She's actually practicing what she preaches.

That's the main reason why the world didn't get the chance to know her first as an R&B superstar. That opportunity beckoned when legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis invited her into their stable of big-time clients, which at that time included Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson.

But as a finalist in "Star Search" in 2003, the glitzy talent hunt phenomenon of the 1980s and early '90s that CBS-TV had revived, she found her true path, thanks to a few simple words from celebrity judge Naomi Judd: Awarding Palmer the maximum score of five stars, the Country legend said, "There are only two kinds of music, good and bad - and Rissi is good."

That's made clear on her self-titled debut featuring nine songs written or co-written by Palmer. The swaying romanticism of "Hold Onto Me," thoughtful introspection of "Anybody Out There" and irresistible strut of "Country Girl" testify to Palmer's refined, soulful singing. But her writing chops are just as evident, making it no surprise that one of her songs, "Faith," was included in the soundtrack for the Miramax film "The Woodsman" in 2004.

For all the travels she's taken, creatively and personally, from the talent shows of her teenage years in St. Louis to the publishing deal she signed with Song Planet in Nashville at age 20, she presents her message with the assurance you'd expect from a down-home Country girl on her way to the big time.

IN HER OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
"I admire Dolly Parton and Barbra Streisand. They both have had amazing careers, succeeding in music and film, and in Dolly's case, songwriting. And they still do it today. They have longevity, and that's what I want."

Which song would you secretly like to cover?
"'Sweet Lorraine' by Patty Griffin. That song gave me chills the first time I heard it."

What is your pet peeve? 
"People who won't let you over in traffic."

What CD is on your stereo?
"I have a six-CD disc changer: Mindy Smith, Patty Griffin, Sugarland, Craig Morgan, Robin Thicke and me."

What actor would portray you in a biopic about your life?
"Someone with really curly hair."

What moment in your life would you relive if you could? 
"Any time spent with my mother."

Do you have a lucky charm?
"My yorkie, Jeremiah."

Which mode of transportation do you prefer - planes, trains or automobiles?
"I love the loud engine of my Mustang."

Who is your dream duet partner?
"Vince Gill or Jamie O'Neal."

On the Web: http://www.rissipalmer.com/

Rissi Palmer; 17.20 Entertainment; Photo: Jimmy Bruch
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NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Halfway to Hazard
By Bob Doerschuk

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Long journeys start with a single step. For David Tolliver and Chad Warrix, the urge to explore began with the occasional short trip to Hazard, whose movie theater and fast-food stands beckoned to those from even smaller Kentucky towns not far away.

From there they made their ways to Nashville. Warrix came first, to study at Belmont University. Tolliver lingered for a while, working a restaurant job to pay for classes at Hazard Community College and the University of Kentucky at Lexington. Purely on impulse, he hung up the apron one night in 1998 and headed for Music City, right around the time that Tolliver secured his music industry degree. Fate, played here by the manager of Warrix's band, brought them together.

Working a regular Tuesday night gig at Nashville's 3rd & Lindsley, they honed a tough Country sound, with a gritty rock inflection and harmonies that cut sweet and strong at the same time. Their following grew to include influential A&R scouts, but when Tim McGraw took note, the die was cast and they settled at StyleSonic/Mercury Nashville.

With McGraw and Byron Gallimore producing, their self-titled debut benefits from both a high-profile blessing and sure-fire studio sensibility. But the focus is on the artists, whose raw, fist-pumping delivery suggests how The Who's Roger Daltrey might have rocked it had he cut his teeth in dixie. Bass and drums add muscle to the duo synchronicity at the heart of their music. As for their songs, all but two of which were written by Tolliver and Warrix, suffice it to say that "Country 'Til the Day We Die" might match Skynyrd at the peak of their defiance, passion and pride.

And for anyone tempted to follow in their footsteps, "Welcome to Nashville" closes the album by delivering this twist of ironic wisdom to a body-slam beat: Halfway to Hazard just might be as far as you need to go to follow your dream.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
TOLLIVER: "Garth Brooks."
WARRIX: "Led Zeppelin, George Jones."

What song would you secretly love to cover?
TOLLIVER: "'Big Bottoms' by Spinal Tap."
WARRIX: "'Bohemian Rhapsody.'"

What book is on your nightstand?
TOLLIVER and WARRIX: "The Bible."

What CD is on your stereo?
TOLLIVER and WARRIX: "Let It Go, by Tim McGraw."

Who is your dream duet partner?
TOLLIVER: "Shakira."
WARRIX: "Paul Rodgers or Tina Turner." 

What moment in your life would you relive if you could?
TOLLIVER: "The birth of my daughter. It made me feel a different level of love and now I see how much my parents love me."
WARRIX: "Any moment that contains my family, guitars and motorcycles."

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?
TOLLIVER: "Living the Dream."
WARRIX: "How to Survive the Music Business with Balance."

What song do you wish you had written?
TOLLIVER: "'The Dance' by Garth Brooks."
WARRIX: "'Pink Houses' by John Mellencamp."

On the Web: http://www.halfwaytohazard.com/

Halfway to Hazard; Mercury/StyleSonic; Photo: John Victor Rothstein
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