MEET THE STORYTELLERS
TIM JACKSON
Tim Jackson is a five decade veteran musician, songwriter, and performer who’s persistence for walking his own path led to a life filled with extraordinary people, twists of fate, and stories that inspired a body of musical work both wide-ranging and characteristically Tim, including writing one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s 2016 Best Songs of the Year.
Tim is only getting started with 2017 bringing the release of his new album Heartstrings and the upcoming Storyteller’s Tour presented by First Note Entertainment, which will bring decades of stories and song to intimate audiences across the country.
LINDSEY THOMPSON
Lindsey Thompson is a singer/songwriter from the gulf coast of Florida. Growing up in a home that was constantly filled with music, she learned to appreciate many different types of artists and songwriters at an early age. Lindsey began playing the piano at age 7, and by age 12, was starting to write and sing songs of her own. Recently, she had the opportunity to record her first album entitled “Inside Out” at The Sound Emporium In Nashville. Her ethereal vocals, haunting melodies, and honest lyrics, create a captivating ambiance for the listener, and are the common thread throughout her writing and performance style. Lindsey has co-written on albums like Will Thompson’s “Turn It Up”, Eric Erdman’s “It’s Not Like You Don’t Know Me”, and has just released a brand new album with artist/songwriter,Tim Jackson entitled “And Then The Rain”.
ERIC ERDMAN
If it’s true that an artist’s job is to captivate us for however long they have asked for our attention no one has looked away from Eric Erdman since he first took the stage to front a band. Maybe that is because there is nothing between Eric and his audience, between Eric and the world. He lets it all in and what comes back is a poet’s soul in a troubadour’s voice. Face to face with the crowds, singing of the challenges facing the youth, the country, and the heartbroken have fueled four albums, constant gigging that included three international USO tours, and only seared in Eric’s need to write about what he sees, what he feels. He’s penned a theme song for a nationally televised show, produced every genre from big band to country because you can’t pigeonhole a true artist. You can’t slow them down. He hears what a song should sound like before it’s really a song. Actor Bruce Greenwood speaks of Eric’s inspiration that makes the musicians on his projects “as emotionally involved” as he is, his guitar work, “stunning and specific” pulling the listener “inside the song”. His new record gives us something to think about and something to feel. While that’s not unusual from an Eric Erdman project it does seem to have brought together everything he does and knows well, offering us even deeper insight into ourselves and others and Eric.
MATT LOVELL
Matt Lovell is an American songwriter who has been a fixture in Nashville’s songwriting community for many years. Having grown up in the area, Matt’s musical taste and instincts were informed by the long-standing traditions of this artistic milieu. Matt found his father’s guitar at a young age and has been telling stories and documenting his every day life in songs ever since through the medium of songwriting.
With a buttery voice and a sound that seems to float outside of time, Matt brings a soulfulness and a deep earnestly as he delivers each of his songs.
Among his early influences were greats like Roy Orbison, Bill Withers, and Bonnie Raitt, paired with artists like Lauryn Hill and David Gray—the stuff of popular music during the days of his boyhood. His music couldn’t help but be informed by his gospel heritage and the musical influence of his grandfather, who played in bands and quartets his whole life.
Matt met producer Matt Odmark (of the Grammy Award-winning band Jars of Clay) in Nashville in late 2015 and began work on his debut record the following year. During the last three years, Lovell and Odmark have curated a collection of Matt’s songs that tells a true story of Matt’s experiences, perspective and hopes.
In January of 2017, Matt took a bullet when he was at the receiving end of an attempted carjacking. In the months that followed, Matt took a step away from playing shows, but continued to write as he recovered from the incident. He used this time to heal, and determined that a pause was in order when it came to the release of his forthcoming album.
His album will be released this summer, preceded by the first of several singles—a duet with Leigh Nash, of Sixpence None the Richer—in late May.
MANDY COOK-KREMPER
MANDY COOK-KREMPER
Mandy forged her musical niche by pulling classical vocal training, and the influential Jazz and R&B of her childhood together. She was raised listening to greats like Sade, Nat King Cole, and Peggy Lee. On her own, she discovered Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley, and Ani DiFranco. Discovering her own style on guitar produced a nuanced, bass-driven playing style that now ranges from beautifully minimalist, to swampy, to jazzy and complex. She can create a whole atmosphere to live and listen within, with simply her gut string guitar and her voice.
In the early-spring of 2013 she recorded her first solo release- a 12-Song, acoustic album, captured by a single microphone. It stands as a brave and intimate sampling of her artistry, and a true representation of her live sound. It meanders through a stylistic spectrum of Gypsy Jazz, Retro-Soul, Bossa Nova, Indie Folk.
Mandy's sophomore release, "See", was a step away from the sparse acoustic sound. It welcomed a fuller sound with decorations of Rhodes, B3, upright bass, or electric guitar licks on many tracks, but leaves ample room always for the voice and the song to stand foreground.
"One of the striking things about Cook is how totally unreliant she is of effects, orchestration, studio gadgetry, or frills of any sort. Few singers have her ability to totally captivate an audience to the point of musical thralldom without sonic legerdemain or aural fireworks using nothing but her unadorned voice, and “See” demonstrates this thoroughly." -The Independent
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JACQUE JORDAN
There is a smoky and carefree nature to Jacque Jordan’s brand of folk indie; her newest EP The L.J. contains five tracks that Jordan has honed over the last several months to best show her style. As an Atlanta native who calls Nashville home, Jordan embodies the warmth of a southern autumn night and the passion of a songwriter searching for the right words to use to paint a picture of her present moment!
ABE PARTRIDGE
People have said that Abe Partridge sounds older than his chronological age, and there’s a very good reason for that – he’s packed a lot of living into his 37 years.
Those experiences, ranging from the earthy to the surreal, the spiritual light to the depths of depression, come together with gripping intensity on Partridge’s second full-length album, Cotton Fields and Blood for Days. Over the course of ten songs, this troubadour draws listeners in with a combination of southern gothic storytelling and a dark humor reminiscent of the late Townes Van Zandt – delivered in a gravelly tone that conjures up images of Tom Waits in his barstool warming days.
Partridge may have a gift for communing with ghosts, but he’s not consumed by them. Listening to him unspool tales like “Prison Tattoos” and “Out of Alabama Blues,” it’s impossible to ignore his knack for separating the wheat from the chaff, the gold from the muck as he ponders the further reaches of the region where he’s spent so much of his life.
DUKE BARDWELL
TCB Band | Duke Bardwell | (Bass Guitar)
Duke Bardwell was born in Baton Rouge Louisiana in 1943. He came from a family of nine and all were named after universities. Duke started to play ukelele at the age of five when his mother bought him one but he tried out playing piano too, finding that he preferred the ukulele. It wasn't long before he mastered the guitar followed by the trumpet.
Duke was blessed with a good singing voice too and complemented with his musical talents, he found himself in some of the best R&B bands in Baton Rouge in the 60's. While still at school he played at weekends in a band. From there he joined The Dixie Crystals.
Eventually Duke formed a band of his own calling them The Greek Fountains, a rock band combining R&B into their act. Not long after getting the band together they released their first single Countin' The Steps. Joined by Butch Hornsby and Big Luther Kent they made an album called The Greek Fountains Riverfront Band Take Requests.
Duke found himself and his band playing concerts with The Animals, The Dave Clark Five, Paul Revere and The Raiders and Sonny and Cher. Duke also worked with Tom Rush, Kenny Loggins, Emmylou Harris and more.
Duke moved to Los Angeles and played bass and sang with friend Casey Kelly as a duo, opening for Loggins And Messina. A friend of Duke's who knew Jose Feliciano called him to come over to play and sing for Jose's wife who looked after Jose's business for him. They used him as a bass player on sessions with Jose. One day the drummer who was to be there for this particular session couldn't do it and Duke found out that the stand in was going to be Ronnie Tutt. After the session Duke spoke with Ronnie about Elvis as to what he was like as a person. They talked about Elvis for a while before parting company. Not long after this recording session, Jose had a party and asked Duke to play bass along with Steve Cropper and Jose on guitars. The drummer was Ronnie Tutt, much to Duke's delight. A few weeks later Duke received a call from Ronnie to say Emory Gordy was leaving the band and he was going to put a word in for him about the possibilities of replacing him. Ronnie thought Duke fit for the job because he was. 'a simple but funky feel-good player'. Duke was elated. He flew to the RCA studios in Los Angeles for the audition and in January 1974, got the job as bass player. It was a dream come true, working for Elvis Presley! Duke sat in on the recording of Elvis' album, Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis and for part of the Today album. Duke covered all of the 1974 shows and the first part of the 75 Vegas engagement. He remained with The TCB Banduntil Jerry Scheff's return in April 1975.
After leaving The TCB Band, Duke remained in California for a short while before starting up another band. He eventually took himself back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana and continued to write and work with local bands throughout the 80's. Eventually he moved to Florida with his second wife and started a restaurant business with some friends. This lasted for twelve years before he returned to what he loved best.
After going back to the music business he met Washboard Jackson And His Action Contraption and this meeting resulted in the formation of Duke's band Hubba Hubba.
Together, they released an album called Angel Wings and still performs with the band today.
