“A band ought to have a sound all of its own.  It ought to have a personality.” – Glenn Miller

Alton Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa on March 1, 1904. But it was in North Platte, Nebraska, several years later that Glenn actually got his musical start when, one day, his father brought home a mandolin. Glenn promptly traded it for an old battered horn, which he practiced every chance he got. In fact his mother worried, “It got to where Pop and I used to wonder if he’d ever amount to anything.”

In 1923, Miller entered the University of Colorado, although he spent more time traveling to auditions and playing where and whenever he could. After flunking three of his five courses one semester, Glenn dropped out to concentrate on his career as a professional musician.

He toured with several orchestras and ended up in Los Angeles where he landed a spot in Ben Pollack’s group, a band that included a guy named Benny Goodman. Here, Miller also got the chance to write some arrangements. Arriving in New York City, he soon sent for, and married his college sweetheart, Helen Burger in 1928, and for the next three years, earned his living as a free-lance trombonist and arranger.

Miller played and recorded with the likes of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey (who on several of their records, featured an up-and-coming singer by the name of Bing Crosby), Gene Krupa, Eddie Condon and Coleman Hawkins. In addition, during that time, Glenn cut 18 sides for Goodman, and also worked for radio studio conductors like Victor Young, Carl Fenton and Jacques Renard. In 1934, Miller became the musical director of the Dorsey Band, and later went on to organize The Ray Noble Orchestra, which included such players as Charlie Spivak, Peewee Erwin, Bud Freeman, Johnny Mince, George Van Eps and Delmar Kaplan, among others.

In April 1935, Glenn Miller recorded, for the first time, under his own name. Using six horns, a rhythm section and a string quartet, he recorded “Moonlight on the Ganges” and “A Blues Serenade” for Columbia. But selling only a few hundred records, he continued his position with the Noble Orchestra.

In 1937, Glenn Miller stepped out to form his own band. There were a few recordings — one for Decca and one for Brunswick — a couple of week-long stints in New Orleans and Dallas, and many one-nighters, but it was not to be. Though the group would play one more date several days later in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Glenn gave his men their final notice on New Year’s Eve at the Valencia Ballroom in York, Pennsylvania. Broke, depressed and having no idea what he was going to do, he returned to New York City.

It is said that Miller could never remember precisely the moment he decided to emphasize his new reed section sound. But it was during this disheartening interim, that he realized the unique sound — produced by the clarinet holding the melodic line while the tenor sax plays the same note, and supported harmonically by three other saxophones — just might be the individual and easily recognizable style that would set his band apart from all the rest.

Formed in March 1938, the second Glenn Miller Orchestra — which would later include the likes of Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, Ray Eberle, Paul Tanner, Johnny Best, Hal McIntyre, and Al Klinck — soon began breaking attendance records all up and down the East Coast. At the New York State Fair in Syracuse it attracted the largest dancing crowd in the city’s history. The next night it topped Guy Lombardo’s all-time record at the Hershey Park Ballroom in Pennsylvania. The Orchestra was invited by ASCAP to perform at Carnegie Hall with three of the greatest bands ever — Paul Whiteman, Fred Waring and Benny Goodman — and created more of a stir than any of them.

There were record-breaking recordings, as well, such as “Tuxedo Junction”, which sold 115,000 copies in the first week. “In the Mood”, and “Pennsylvania 6-5000?, all appearing on the RCA Victor Bluebird label. In early 1940, Down Beat Magazine announced that Miller had topped all other bands in its Sweet Band Poll, and capping off this seemingly sudden rise to the top, there was, of course, Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” radio series for Chesterfield cigarettes which aired three times a week over CBS.  In 1941, it was off to Hollywood where the band worked on its first movie, “Sun Valley Serenade”, which introduced the song — and soon-to-be million selling record –”Chattanooga Choo Choo”, and featured the Modernaires and the Nicholas Brothers. Then came “Orchestra Wives”. But the war was starting to take its toll on many of the big bands as musicians, and the rest of country’s young men, began receiving draft notices.

On October 7, 1942, Alton Glenn Miller reported for induction into the Army and was immediately assigned to the Army Specialist Corps. His appointment as a Captain came after many months of convincing the military higher-ups that he could modernize the army band and ultimately improve the morale of the men. His training complete, he was transferred into the Army Air Corps, where he ultimately organized the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. Miller’s goal of entertaining the fighting troops took another year to be realized, but in late 1943 he and the band were shipped out to England.

There, in less than one year, the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band engaged in over 800 performances. Of these, 500 were broadcasts heard by millions. There were more than 300 personal appearances including concerts and dances, with a gross attendance of over 600,000. But Glenn was not to participate in the final six months of these activities.

In the Fall of 1944, the band was scheduled to be sent on a six-week tour of Europe and would be stationed in Paris during that time. Miller decided to go ahead, in order to make the proper arrangements for the group’s arrival. And so, on December 15th, Glenn Miller boarded a transport plane to Paris, never to be seen again.

In his book “Glenn Miller & His Orchestra”, George Simon wrote this about the man. “His favorite author was Damon Runyon. His favorite book was the Bible. Spencer Tracy and Olivia de Havilland were his favorite movie actor and actress. His big loves were trout fishing, playing baseball, listening to good music, sleep and money. His pet hates were bad swing, early-morning telephone calls (he liked to sleep from 4 a.m. to noon), and the phrase ‘goodbye now’. His favorite quotation, one he stated, was not from the Bible, nor from Runyon, but from Duke Ellington: ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing If it Ain’t Got that Swing!’

Ruthie Foster

Ruthie Foster’s ninth studio album represents a new high water mark for the veteran blues artist—a collection of songs possessing pure power, like a tidal wave of musical generosity. Healing Time finds Foster pushing her boundaries as a singer and songwriter more than ever before, creating a truly live-sounding atmosphere with the help of her band, who sound refreshingly loose and lived-in throughout these 12 songs. We’ve all been in need of some healing in recent times, and Foster’s latest provides a guide for how to move through the world with equal parts compassion and resolve.

Healing Time is the latest jewel in Foster’s accomplished career, which includes multiple Grammy nominations and collaborations with fellow luminaries like Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. For her latest, Foster contributed more to the writing process than she had on any of her previous albums, effectively refining her own songcraft in the process. “With this album, I dug deep and tried to go for the best way to write,” she explains. “This album says a lot about the period we were making it in, and how I wanted to find my way out of it.”

Work on the album began in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as Foster enlisted previous collaborators like Gary Nicholson and Grace Pettis to pitch in during the writing process—as well as every member of her band. “I wanted my band involved in the entire process of this album,” she explains, and they also played a large role in recreating the sound that Foster had become drawn to after spending time with her vinyl collection.  “I was aiming to keep these songs sounding like they came from that era, which says a lot about where I am in my life, too.”

Veteran producer Mark Howard (Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams) came in to bring new ideas to Foster’s table as recording began at Studio 71 West in Austin, TX, New Orleans’ famed Esplanade Studios, and Blue Rock Studio in Wimberley, TX. “Mark’s ability to turn a song's arrangement upside down was intriguing and sometimes challenging for me,” she states. “It was a lot to wrap my head around, but he made me think outside of the box I didn’t even know I was in.”

Producer Dan Barrett, who also worked with Foster on 2017’s Joy Comes Back, then took the helm at Black Pumas co-bandleader Adrian Quesada’s famed Electric Deluxe studio in Austin. Along with several Black Pumas members, Barrett brought in a collection of Austin’s finest backing musicians, like Glenn Fukunaga (The Chicks, Shawn Colvin). “With Dan onboard we were able to find the glue to these songs sonically, and he brilliantly melded my familiar Texas blues-Americana sound with what Mark pulled out of me in New Orleans,” Foster says. “This combination gave these songs a breath of fresh air, and it all came together very organically.”

Healing Time’s title—as well as its burst-of-sunshine title track, which features pedal steel legend Robert Randolph—is a reference not only to the trials many have faced over the last several years, but also the necessity of what Foster does as an artist. “I hear fans tell me that the music we make is very spiritually healing,” she says. “The experience of dealing with my own grief after losing a band member a year before the pandemic while navigating around zoom school with my daughter and trying to figure out what to do with myself was tough but necessary. When I look at it as a whole it was all very healing for me which is pretty much how I try to live my life. There’s always time for healing, if you give it time.”

Healing Time is ultimately a work that explores such extremes as being human often brings to the surface, reminding listeners that even when we feel like we’re at the top, we’re ultimately still finding our way—a beautiful reflection of the essence of living itself.

The Wandering Hearts

The Wandering Hearts achieved their second consecutive #1 on the UK official Americana Chart as they built on the breakthrough success of their Wild Silence debut with 2021’s self-titled second album, recorded between Woodstock and Omaha with producers Simone Felice, David Baron and Mike Mogis.

Arriving to a second wave of critical acclaim and again championed by Bob Harris at BBC Radio 2 (who previously awarded them his Breakthrough Artist at the UK Americana Awards), the album cemented the trio's reputation as one of the leading lights in British Folk-Americana  - as underlined by their further nomination for Album Of The Year at the UK Americana Awards 2022, alongside Yola and The Staves.

The only British act to debut at both the iconic Ryman Theatre and The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in the same week, The Wandering Hearts have shared stages and tours across the UK and US with artists such as the late greats Tom Petty, John Prine and Justin Townes Earle, and Margo Price, Lukas Nelson, Robert Plant and Eagles. 

Signed to Chrysalis Records for their third album, the band have had a busy 2023 with stand out performances at SXSW in Austin, Black Deer Festival, and a forthcoming Americanafest show in Nashville, as well as extensively supporting and performing on stage alongside Jack Savoretti on his summer tour.

The release of their EP ‘Hesperus’ in May, followed by their addition of ‘Voices’ to the much lauded Nick Drake anthology ‘The Endless Coloured Ways’ in July (alongside Bombay Bicycle Club, Feist, Aurora, Emile Sande, Self Esteem and more), all hint at a flavour of their forthcoming album (due 2024). The new material puts sharp focus on their world-renowned three-part harmonies to explore their Folk-Rock influences, blending flavours that bring to mind Simon & Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac and contemporaries like Milk Carton Kids and First Aid Kit.

Complete Free Concert Series: https://www.tixr.com/groups/harvesterfreeseries

Agents Of Good Roots

Founded in 1993 in Richmond, Virginia, Agents of Good Roots toured the United States from 1995 through 2001. Since then, band members have found success in music performance, the recording industry, academia, and medicine. In October 2017, they reunited for a memorial show for their tour manager and spiritual advisor, Jeff Peskin. Since then, they have played to fans old and new, at newer intimate venues and on the LOCKN’ Festival stage. The band loves playing for fans again, and they play as often as their schedule allows.

Isaac Hadden Organ Trio

Isaac Hadden Organ Trio is a heavy-hitting, improvisational, cosmic groove ensemble,
carving out a distinct voice in the world of funk, jazz, rock, and R&B. The group performs
intricate yet accessible original music and fresh arrangements of classic tunes. Bridging the
gap between deep improvisation and airtight songcraft, the group strives to transport
listeners to places outside themselves. IHOT serves up powerful dynamic music guaranteed
to rock the mind, body, and soul.

A Note From Sam-- The music that my father David Grisman and his close friend, Jerry Garcia, made in the early 90s (in the house that I grew up in) is not only some of the most timeless acoustic music ever recorded, it also triggers my oldest and fondest musical memories. What I find most inspiring about this material is the way their camaraderie and their love and joy for the music, simply oozes out of each recording. It is also impressive how deeply they get beneath their favorite songs—whether they are originals, covers or traditional/old time tunes—and how expertly that material was curated.

My goal in starting Sam Grisman Project is to build a platform for my friends and me to showcase our genuine passion and appreciation for the legacy of Dawg and Jerry’s music. By playing some of their beloved repertoire and sharing the original music that our own collective has to offer, we will also show the impact that this music has had on our own individual musical voices. Ultimately, there is nothing that makes me happier than playing great songs with my best friends and my hope is to share that happiness with audiences all over!”

VIP Experience tickets available as an add-on or by calling the Box Office at (540)484-8277

VIP Experience includes:

Exclusive Meet & Greet with Morgan Wade

Personal Photograph with Morgan Wade

(1) printed lyric card, signed by Morgan Wade

(1) Commemorative VIP laminate

Concert ticket not included (ticket must be purchased seperately to attend)

These are per person (each person must purchase their own VIP Experience to attend) - limited availability

Morgan Wade was feeling the urge to simplify after a period of relentless touring and intensemedia scrutiny during the last couple of years. Every time she sat down with her guitar, newsongs just started pouring out.“They were just coming to me left andright,”Wade says. TheVirginia-born singer-songwriter made a choice toreturnto the basics for her new albumObsessed, asolo-written,stripped-down14-track collection produced by her touringguitarist Clint Wells that showcases Wade at her rawest andmost vulnerable.“I really wantedto get back to doing what I used to do,”she says.“Just make this whatever I wanted it to be.”Wade’s third album and follow-up to2023’sPsychopath,Obsessedputs the focus on Wade’sstorytelling abilities and singularvoice. She writeswith incredible forceabout the ache forhome and theemotion of being reunited with loved ones, of feeling dangerously preoccupiedwith someone, and of being in situations that society might consider outside the norm. OnObsessed, Wade also does a thorough examination and inventory of her journey as a person,not sparing any ugly details when she’s been the one at fault. It’s a fearless look into the lifeof one of country music’s most exciting talents, arriving right as she’s hitting herstride

VIP Experience tickets available as an add-on or by calling the Box Office at (540)484-8277

VIP Experience includes:

Exclusive Meet & Greet with Morgan Wade

Personal Photograph with Morgan Wade

(1) printed lyric card, signed by Morgan Wade

(1) Commemorative VIP laminate

Concert ticket not included (ticket must be purchased seperately to attend) 

These are per person (each person must purchase their own VIP Experience to attend) - limited availability

Morgan Wade was feeling the urge to simplify after a period of relentless touring and intensemedia scrutiny during the last couple of years. Every time she sat down with her guitar, newsongs just started pouring out.“They were just coming to me left andright,”Wade says. TheVirginia-born singer-songwriter made a choice toreturnto the basics for her new albumObsessed, asolo-written,stripped-down14-track collection produced by her touringguitarist Clint Wells that showcases Wade at her rawest andmost vulnerable.“I really wantedto get back to doing what I used to do,”she says.“Just make this whatever I wanted it to be.”Wade’s third album and follow-up to2023’sPsychopath,Obsessedputs the focus on Wade’sstorytelling abilities and singularvoice. She writeswith incredible forceabout the ache forhome and theemotion of being reunited with loved ones, of feeling dangerously preoccupiedwith someone, and of being in situations that society might consider outside the norm. OnObsessed, Wade also does a thorough examination and inventory of her journey as a person,not sparing any ugly details when she’s been the one at fault. It’s a fearless look into the lifeof one of country music’s most exciting talents, arriving right as she’s hitting herstride

Trombone Shorty‘s new album opens with a dirge, but if you think the beloved bandleader, singer, songwriter and horn-blower born Troy Andrews came here to mourn, you got it all wrong. That bit of beautiful New Orleans soul—”Laveau Dirge No. 1,” named after one of the city’s most famous voodoo queens—shows off our host’s roots before Parking Lot Symphony branches out wildly, wonderfully, funkily across 12 diverse cuts. True to its title, this album contains multitudes of sound—from brass band blare and deep-groove funk, to bluesy beauty and hip-hop/pop swagger—and plenty of emotion all anchored, of course, by stellar playing and the idea that, even in the toughest of times, as Andrews says, “Music brings unity.”

As for why it’s taken Andrews so long to follow 2013’s Raphael Saadiq-produced Say That to Say This, the man simply says, “I didn’t realize so much time passed. Some artists don’t work until they put a record out but I never stopped going.” Truly. In the last four years, Andrews banked his fifth White House gig; backed Macklemore and Madonna at the Grammys; played on albums by She & Him, Zac Brown, Dierks Bentley, and Mark Ronson; opened tours for Daryl Hall & John Oates and Red Hot Chili Peppers; appeared in Foo Fighters’ Sonic Highways documentary series; voiced the iconic sound of the adult characters in The Peanuts Movie; inherited the esteemed annual fest-closing set at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in the tradition of Crescent City greats like the Neville Brothers and Professor Longhair; and released Trombone Shorty, a children’s book about his life that was named a Caldecott Honor Book in 2016.

Adding to that legacy, his Blue Note Records debut Parking Lot Symphony finds Andrews teamed with Grammy-nominated producer Chris Seefried (Andra Day, Fitz and the Tantrums) and an unexpected array of cowriters and players including members of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Meters, Better Than Ezra, and Dumpstaphunk. Considering Andrews’ relentless schedule, it’s all the more surprising that this LP began with him in a room, all alone, back in New Orleans.

“I had two weeks at home so I went to the studio and set up the ‘playground,'” he recalls. “I had everything in a circle: tuba, trombone, trumpet, keyboard, Fender Rhodes, Wurly, B3 organ, guitar, bass, drums—and me buried in the middle.” He recorded an album’s worth of ideas and then, well, walked away for a year. Not because he was too busy, but because he wanted to hit the road and see how the music changed on him. When Andrews came back with a full band, the songs came to life.

Take the album’s two covers, a pair of NOLA deep cuts: there’s “Here Comes the Girls,” a 1970 Allen Toussaint song originally recorded by Ernie K-Doe that here (with Ivan Neville on piano) sounds bawdy and regal, like something from a current Bruno Mars album; and The Meters’ lovesick “It Ain’t No Use,” which swirls a vintage R&B vibe with resonant choir vocals and upbeat guitar from The Meters’ Leo Nocentelli himself to transport the listener to the center of the jumpingest jazz-soul concert hall that never was.

The story there is almost too good. The session band—guitarist Pete Murano, sax men Dan Oestreicher and BK Jackson, and drummer Joey Peebles with Dumpstaphunk’s Tony Hall in for Orleans Avenue bassist Mike Bass-Bailey—were in the studio to lay down “It Ain’t No Use.” Hall even had the vintage acoustic he bought from Nocentelli years ago, which was used on the original Meters session. On the way to the bathroom, Andrews saw Nocentelli coming out of a different tracking room: it was meant to be.

But that’s not unusual for a man raised in one of the Tremé’s most musical families. Andrews got his name when he picked up his instrument at four (“My parents pushed me toward trombone because they didn’t need another trumpet player,” he laughs). By eight, he led his own band in parades, halls and even bars: “They’d have to lock the door so the police couldn’t come in.” Promoters would try to hand money to his older cousins, but they’d kindly redirect them to the boy. In his teens, Andrews played shows abroad with the Neville Brothers. Fresh out of high school (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) he joined Lenny Kravitz’ band.

Across that time, three Trombone Shorty albums and many collaborations since, Andrews nurtured a voracious appetite for all types of music—a phenomenon on fluid display with Parking Lot Symphony. On “Familiar,” co-written by Aloe Blacc, they practically mint a new genre (trap-funk?) while Andrews channels his inner R. Kelly to spit game at an old flame. Meanwhile, the instrumental “Tripped Out Slim” (the nickname of a family friend who recently passed) bends echoes of the Pink Panther theme into something fit for James Brown to strut to. And if you listen closely to “Where It At?,” written with Better Than Ezra’s Kevin Griffin, you may even hear a little Y2K pop. “I know it wasn’t cool to listen to *NSYNC or Britney Spears in high school,” says Andrews, “but those bass lines and melodies are funky.” They pair astonishingly well with all the Earth, Wind & Fire that bubbles beneath these songs.

It’s worth noting that Andrews’ vocals sound better than ever (he credits Seefried for that), because Parking Lot Symphony might be the man’s most heartfelt offering yet. The breezy title track, which Andrews wrote with Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros), is as much about walking the Tremé, being uplifted by the music that seems to seep from every surface, as it is about moving on from a broken heart. And the shuffling, bluesy “No Good Time” reminds us, with a world-weary smile, that “nobody never learned nothin’ from no good time.”

But Andrews is clear that this isn’t some kind of breakup record. “It’s a life record,” he says, “about prevailing no matter what type of roadblock is in front of you.” That message is clearest on “Dirty Water,” where over an easy groove, Andrews adopts a soft falsetto to address just about anyone going through it—personal, political, whatever. “There’s a lot of hope turning to doubt,” he coos. “I’ve got something to say to them / You don’t know what you’re talking about / When you believe in love, it all works out.” Amen. Now let the horns play us out.

WEBSITE: https://www.tromboneshorty.com/home

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/tromboneshorty/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TromboneShorty/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/tromboneshorty

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1DegAgTezNs-ySbH4Xr8Rw

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/37ZvFp654tY74Z1D2TLOGR?si=aRwZ4eWKSu6IL-g-9GaLbg&nd=1

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/trombone-shorty/258779315

Mac McAnally
Once in a Lifetime

For his new album, Once in a Lifetime, Mac McAnally is indeed doing something he’s never done before. To reflect the intimacy of his concerts, he arranged most of the material around guitar and percussion – yet he acknowledges that several of its tracks outgrew that simple set-up. And while many of the songs are new, he chose to include a few originals dating back to the early 2000s that seemed like a good fit.

So, with 12 songs pulled from different decades and musical directions, what ultimately ties all these tracks together? Simply put, it is McAnally’s ability to see the silver lining, a perspective he’s carried on his journey from being a shy, small-town kid from Mississippi, to working as a teenage studio musician in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to becoming one of Nashville’s most respected (and self-effacing) singer-songwriters. Once in a Lifetime captures every aspect of his musical vision.

“I generally write whatever comes to me,” he says. “I’m not somebody who sits down and says, ‘I need to write a hit song,’ or this or that kind of song. I just follow whatever floats through my head.”

While writing “Alive and in Between,” McAnally drew upon childhood memories of Belmont, Mississippi, where his father was a school administrator and his mother played piano in the Baptist church. The song emerged from an art project, where novels were given to songwriters and visual artists, who would then create a piece based on their response to the book. In McAnally’s case, Harrison Scott Key’s memoir, The World’s Largest Man, sparked vivid snapshots from his own youth. McAnally translated those images into verses, then added a cool guitar riff he’s been using for years while tuning or changing strings.

“The author came from the same part of the country as me and it woke up a bunch of stuff about my childhood – what it was like hanging with my dad, going to the drugstore, talking about football, politics, and religion,” he says. “That opened up that part of my brain that I haven’t been down into for a while.”

One of the most uplifting songs on Once in a Lifetime is “Almost All Good,” where he’s aware of challenging times but doesn’t let them cloud his vision. Propelled by Eric Darken’s percussion, McAnally accompanies himself on guitar – with the lively rhythms adding a joyful spirit to the track. And this is not mere strumming, as McAnally has won a record-setting 10 trophies as Musician of the Year from the Country Music Association.

“All the way back to the beginning, my songwriting has been built around my guitar-playing because I’m not a very confident singer,” he says. “I was always trying to make a guitar part sound like a whole arrangement. There’s usually a bass part as a counterpoint in the main guitar part – but I’m not a fancy guitar player. I don’t take a lot of solos. Part of what’s allowed me to work so long in the business is that of all the bands I was in, I’ve never really wanted a solo. I would sit and play rhythm forever.”

McAnally notes that he typically sees three kinds of people at his shows: Those who have followed his career since his 1977 debut album; those who recognize him as the guitarist in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band; and those who remember his notable credits in country music. The latter category is particularly impressive, with songs cut by Alabama (“Old Flame”), Kenny Chesney (“Back Where I Come From”), Sawyer Brown (“All These Years”), Shenandoah (“Two Dozen Roses”) and many others.

Undoubtedly, Once in a Lifetime will satisfy all of those fans. “First Sign of Trouble” and “That’s Why They Call It Falling” are as quirky and quick-witted as the ‘70s output that made fans of Jimmy Buffett, Randy Newman, and John Prine (all of whom became friends and mentors). “Just Like It Matters” has that lonesome, real-life storytelling of classic country, while “Just Right” keeps the island vibe alive. In fact, it was written and recorded in Key West while Buffett was making his record; the Coral Reefer Band joined in the session, too.

“I’m interested in all kinds of music,” he says. “There’s obviously some Buffett influence on a few of the things and I’ve been playing country music and gospel music all my life, so there’s that influence, too.”

As for the title track, its cheerful message and buoyant melody wouldn’t be out of place on today’s country radio. McAnally and Nashville singer-songwriter Drake White composed it shortly after bumping into each other at a local breakfast spot. They casually chatted about getting together to write. Asked if he was enjoying himself these days, McAnally replied, “Yeah, every day. Every day is once in a lifetime.” White immediately replied, “We need to get together to write THAT!” White lends his vocal to the inspiring track, too.

Turning conversations into song is one of McAnally’s greatest gifts, one that led to his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007. Two of the songs from Once in a Lifetime come from that era. He co-wrote “Good Guys Win” for the 2006 film, Hoot, and felt like its optimistic tone needed to be heard in this divided time. In addition, the bluegrass-flavored “Brand New Broken Heart” comes from a 2007 demo session of a tune he recorded with his fellow studio musicians, but never got around to pitching.

However, a couple of tracks come from an even earlier time. Co-written and recorded by Jimmy Buffett in 1989, “Changing Channels” is one of the album’s most poetic moments – and a cut that McAnally’s fans have been requesting for decades. Meanwhile, he covers “Norwegian Wood” with just percussion, vocals and octave mandolin, in a sincere homage to the Beatles. “It’s just me celebrating how great they are,” he says.

The thoughtful lyrics of “The Better Part of Living” – and Once in a Lifetime as a whole – can perhaps be traced back to a phrase McAnally remembers from his childhood, when his mother would tell him to “make some use of yourself” on his way out the door. McAnally still adheres to that philosophy today. Asked about the experience of listening to these assorted songs that have now become an album, he modestly replies, “I see a guy trying to be a good representation of a human being. I hope there’s something in what I do that in some way can make someone else’s life a little bit better, too. That’s really what I’m shooting for.”

$1 from each ticket goes to Ben Folds' charity, Keys For Kids

Keys for Kids is a charitable initiative established by Ben Folds in partnership with the North Carolina Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Foundation. Its purpose is to provide young people in North Carolina who express an interest in learning to play piano but have limited opportunity the access to appropriate lessons and instrument at little or no cost.

Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation.

He's created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records.

He tours as a pop artist, while also performing with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras, and currently serving as the first ever Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.

A New York Times Best Selling author and podcast host, frequently guest stars in film and TV, and recently earned an Emmy nomination for his composition of a new theme song for a popular Peanuts TV special.

An advocate for the arts, he serves on the Board of the Arts Action Fund, Planet Word and the Nashville Symphony, and has launched a music education initiative for kids in his home state of North Carolina.

To follow Folds, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/BenFolds

http://www.twitter.com/BenFolds

www.instagram.com/ActualBenFolds

www.bandsintown.com/BenFolds

About Steve Earle:
Steve Earle is one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation. A protege of legendary songwriters
Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, he quickly became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being
recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and countless others.
1986 saw the release of his record, Guitar Town, which shot to number one on the country charts and is now
regarded as a classic of the Americana genre. Subsequent releases like The Revolution Starts...Now (2004),
Washington Square Serenade (2007), and TOWNES (2009) received consecutive GRAMMY® Awards. Restlessly
creative across artistic disciplines, Earle has published both a novel and collection of short stories; produced albums
for other artists such as Joan Baez and Lucinda Williams, and acted in films, television (including David Simon’s
acclaimed The Wire), and on the stage. In 2009, Earle appeared in the off-Broadway play Samara, for which he also
wrote a score that The New York Times described as “exquisitely subliminal.” Earle wrote music for and appeared in
Coal Country, a riveting Public Theater play that dives into the most-deadly mining disaster in U.S. history, for
which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Mr. Earle was recently inducted into the Nashville Songwriters
Hall of Fame.

The Oak Ridge Boys Celebrate 50th Anniversary Milestone With Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, & Richard Sterban

“Rooted in gospel…Positive in perspective…Bringing joy…Bringing excitement…And, whether singing songs of faith, love songs, or the national anthem at hundreds of sporting events or the giddy-ups that precede the oom papas and the mow-mows….Bringing harmony…To a world that’s rife with dissonance” – Jody Williams at Induction of The Oak Ridge Boys into the Country Music Hall of Fame, October 25, 2015 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – GRAMMY® Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members, The Oak Ridge Boys are officially celebrating their 50th Anniversary this October. With this celebration, The Oak Ridge Boys are announcing their American Made: Farewell Tour! The group, Duane Allen(1966), Joe Bonsall (1973), William Lee Golden (1965), and Richard Sterban (1972) are excited to celebrate both milestones with fans with the announcement of this tour.

“We are doing a farewell tour because we owe it to our fans to say goodbye,” shares William Lee Golden. “They have always been there for us through the good times and the bad. I will always be thankful to every person who came out to a show, bought a t-shirt, played our music, and overall, loved us enough to spend their hard-earned money whenever they could. This tour is for you!”

“I want to thank God for 50 years of singing with three of my best friends and for the fans who have been there for us,” shares Richard Sterban. “This is a celebration and we hope to see you there.”

Designated as America’s national anthem singers by the MENC (National Association for Music Educators), The Oak Ridge Boys released their #1 hit single, “American Made” in February 1983. Their love for God and country remains true to this day, and with this being the 40th Anniversary of the single, it seemed fitting to incorporate “American Made” into their farewell.

The Oak Ridge Boys have received four Academy of Country Music, two American Music, five Billboard, four Country Music Association, five Grammy, and twelve Gospel Music Association Dove awards, just to name a few. They are members of the Grand Ole Opry, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. They have achieved seventeen #1 hits including “Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight,” “Bobbie Sue,” “Trying To Love Two Women,” “(I’m Settin’) Fancy Free,” “American Made,” and the unforgettable “Elvira.” With an astounding thirty-seven Top 20 country hits, with twelve gold, three platinum, and one double-platinum album, The Oak Ridge Boys have made their mark in every facet of the gospel, pop, and country music industry.

“For all of my career I have always been a planner, sometimes planning 2 or 3 years in advance, what we will do, where we will go, and when we record,” expresses Duane Allen. “As we celebrate 50 years of being together, just as you see us, we will, also, begin our American Made: Farewell Tour. I don’t know how long the tour will last, but we hope to return to as many parts of the country as we can. Thank you so much for these 50 years. For me, it’s 57 1/2 years. I have given you the best part of my life and you have rewarded me with a wonderful career. Thank you, our dear fans. Thanks to God for His divine guidance. Thank you to our wonderful organization. Thank you to all the supporting companies who represent us. And thank you to our families.”

In the early seventies, The Oak Ridge Boys continued to expand their cutting-edge style. After the addition of Richard Sterban in 1972 and Joe Bonsall in 1973, the Oaks were forever changed with a new direction, a new sound, and a new path. Their career stands alone with its legacy, its style, and its continued contributions to gospel and country music.

“I was 25 years old in 1973 when I joined The Oak Ridge Boys,” shares Joe Bonsall. “I am 75 years old in 2023 and I am STILL an Oak Ridge Boy. It has been and still IS an amazing ride.”

The Oak Ridge Boys Celebrate 50th Anniversary Milestone With Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, & Richard Sterban

“Rooted in gospel…Positive in perspective…Bringing joy…Bringing excitement…And, whether singing songs of faith, love songs, or the national anthem at hundreds of sporting events or the giddy-ups that precede the oom papas and the mow-mows….Bringing harmony…To a world that’s rife with dissonance” – Jody Williams at Induction of The Oak Ridge Boys into the Country Music Hall of Fame, October 25, 2015 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – GRAMMY® Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members, The Oak Ridge Boys are officially celebrating their 50th Anniversary this October. With this celebration, The Oak Ridge Boys are announcing their American Made: Farewell Tour! The group, Duane Allen(1966), Joe Bonsall (1973), William Lee Golden (1965), and Richard Sterban (1972) are excited to celebrate both milestones with fans with the announcement of this tour.

“We are doing a farewell tour because we owe it to our fans to say goodbye,” shares William Lee Golden. “They have always been there for us through the good times and the bad. I will always be thankful to every person who came out to a show, bought a t-shirt, played our music, and overall, loved us enough to spend their hard-earned money whenever they could. This tour is for you!”

“I want to thank God for 50 years of singing with three of my best friends and for the fans who have been there for us,” shares Richard Sterban. “This is a celebration and we hope to see you there.”

Designated as America’s national anthem singers by the MENC (National Association for Music Educators), The Oak Ridge Boys released their #1 hit single, “American Made” in February 1983. Their love for God and country remains true to this day, and with this being the 40th Anniversary of the single, it seemed fitting to incorporate “American Made” into their farewell.

The Oak Ridge Boys have received four Academy of Country Music, two American Music, five Billboard, four Country Music Association, five Grammy, and twelve Gospel Music Association Dove awards, just to name a few. They are members of the Grand Ole Opry, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. They have achieved seventeen #1 hits including “Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight,” “Bobbie Sue,” “Trying To Love Two Women,” “(I’m Settin’) Fancy Free,” “American Made,” and the unforgettable “Elvira.” With an astounding thirty-seven Top 20 country hits, with twelve gold, three platinum, and one double-platinum album, The Oak Ridge Boys have made their mark in every facet of the gospel, pop, and country music industry.

“For all of my career I have always been a planner, sometimes planning 2 or 3 years in advance, what we will do, where we will go, and when we record,” expresses Duane Allen. “As we celebrate 50 years of being together, just as you see us, we will, also, begin our American Made: Farewell Tour. I don’t know how long the tour will last, but we hope to return to as many parts of the country as we can. Thank you so much for these 50 years. For me, it’s 57 1/2 years. I have given you the best part of my life and you have rewarded me with a wonderful career. Thank you, our dear fans. Thanks to God for His divine guidance. Thank you to our wonderful organization. Thank you to all the supporting companies who represent us. And thank you to our families.”

In the early seventies, The Oak Ridge Boys continued to expand their cutting-edge style. After the addition of Richard Sterban in 1972 and Joe Bonsall in 1973, the Oaks were forever changed with a new direction, a new sound, and a new path. Their career stands alone with its legacy, its style, and its continued contributions to gospel and country music.

“I was 25 years old in 1973 when I joined The Oak Ridge Boys,” shares Joe Bonsall. “I am 75 years old in 2023 and I am STILL an Oak Ridge Boy. It has been and still IS an amazing ride.”

Performing "The Wall" in it's entirety

The Machine has forged a 30+ year reputation of extending the musical legacy of Pink Floyd. The New York-based quartet performs a diverse mix of The Floyd’s extensive 16-album repertoire, complete with faithful renditions of popular hits as well as obscure gems.

With stellar musicianship and passionate delivery, The Machine explores collective improvisation rivaling that of an early 1970’s Pink Floyd, while their use of expanded theatrical elements and elaborate stage displays and lighting continues The Floyd spirit of the 1980’s. The band is also known for recreating entire albums as a part of their show, accepting requests from fans, and for taking an A – Z approach in which one song is played for every letter of the alphabet. 

The Machine has sold out theaters, premier showcase rooms and casinos across North America, Europe and Asia, performed at renowned music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Riverbend, and Gathering of the Vibes, and shared the stage with full symphony orchestras, including the Atlanta, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Charlotte and San Diego Symphonies, as well as the Buffalo Philharmonic.

The band features founding member Tahrah Cohen (drums), longtime bandmates Scott Chasolen (keys, vocals) and Ryan Ball (guitar, vocals), and newest member Chris DeAngelis (bass, lead vocals). The band continues on to celebrate the music of Pink Floyd and to honor the life of Joe Pascarell, who co-founded the band with Tahrah in 1988.

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers — Spirit Trail: 25th Anniversary Tour

Based out of Williamsburg, VA, Hornsby first rose to national prominence with The Way It Is, his 1986 Grammy-winning debut album with The Range. The title track became the most-played song on American radio in 1987 while Tupac Shakur’s timeless song “Changes” builds on “The Way It Is” and set the stage for many subsequent versions of the track. In 1991 Hornsby collaborated with Bonnie Raitt, playing on her iconic hit “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”
Additionally, Hornsby was a part-time member of the Grateful Dead from September 1990 to March 1992, performing over 100 concerts in America and Europe. The 13-time Grammy nominee has also solidified his status as a highly sought-after collaborator. Hornsby’s own 23 albums have sold over 11 million copies worldwide, and he has appeared on over 100 records including releases with Bob Dylan, Don Henley, the Grateful Dead, Stevie Nicks, Ricky Skaggs, Bob Seger, Chaka Khan, Bon Iver, Brandon Flowers, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Mavis Staples, Willie Nelson and more. His most recent studio album, ‘Flicted, was released in May ‘22.

Everclear

Everclear, one of the leading alternative rock bands to emerge from the ‘90s, celebrated their 30th Anniversary in 2022, and founder, vocalist and guitarist Art Alexakis has made it clear that he has no plans to slow down. Since forming in 1992, Everclear has enjoyed a lengthy career by any measure, spanning 11 studio releases, including four that have been certified Gold or Platinum, selling over 6 million records, and achieving 12 Top 40 Hit Singles on Mainstream Rock, Alternative, and Adult Top 40 radio, including “Santa Monica,” “Father of Mine,” “I Will Buy You A New Life,” “Wonderful” and “Everything To Everyone,” as well as numerous videos, thousands of shows, and various other accolades, including a 1998 Grammy nomination.

Marcy Playground

90’s alternative rockers Marcy Playground celebrated their 20 year veterancy in the music industry in 2017. That year marked the anniversary of their 1997 self-titled debut album, which included the hit single “Sex and Candy”. In celebration of the anniversary, Slow Down Sounds released the album on vinyl for the first time ever. The album went platinum back in 1997, selling 1.4 million copies, while the radio classic “Sex and Candy” spent a then record 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.

Jimmie's Chicken Shack

Jimmie's Chicken Shack is an American alternative rock band from Annapolis, Maryland. They are best known for their single "High". In 1996 they signed to Elton John's Rocket Records and released two major-label albums, Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope and Bring Your Own Stereo. Both LPs enjoyed minor chart, radio, and MTV success and produced their best known hits "High" and "Do Right." After years of squabbling with their label and finally being set free from their contract, the band subsequently released two more albums independently, Re.Present and Fail on Cue

“DESTINATION SOULTOWN”

FEATURING THE SENSATIONAL SOUL CRUISERS

Under the tutelage of legendary Jersey Shore saxophonist Screamin’ Steve Barlotta, The Sensational Soul Cruisers bring to you their Destination Soultown Show. This Concert focuses on iconic Classic Soul & Motown music from the period of time generally between the birth of Motown in 1960 to the release of Michael Jackson’s all-time selling Thriller Album in 1983.

Joined by 11 performers including a horn section, keyboardists, 4 vocalists and an incredible Rock & Soul rhythm section, the  Destination Soultown Experience recreates a note for note and absolutely live choreographed duplication of these classic tunes, from the early pioneers of Motown, Stax Records, Carolina Beach Music and The Sound of Philadelphia. Sprinkled throughout the show you will hear the sounds of artists like : Four Tops, Temptations, Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, Sly and the Family Stone, The Spinners, Earth Wind & Fire, Edwin Starr, Sam & Dave, Carl Carton, Otis Redding, The Delfonics, Marvin Gaye, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, The Manhattans, Barry White, The Commodores, The Stylistics with many more soulful gems and surprises! The show touches on the crème de la crème of this vast catalogue from the Doo-Wop sounds of the Flamingos “I only have eyes for you” to very danceable “Ladies Night” by Kool and the Gang. With their multimedia video backdrop this show transcends generations making it one to be loved by all.