Popular CMA Songwriters Series Continues At Joe's Pub In New York City

BOB DIPIERIO

songwriters shows were truly some of the best performances we have had on our stage in over eight years."

"One of our goals when we brought the 2005 CMA Awards to NYC was to build a foundation that would enable the Country Music industry to continue a presence in New York and expose advertisers, media representatives and consumers to Country Music," said Rick Murray, CMA Vice President of Strategic Marketing. "The excitement generated from the management at Joe's Pub and the response from the New York community directly impacted our decision to continue the series throughout 2006, and hopefully beyond."

Each night features three to four songwriters from Nashville, who line up on stage and take turns telling the stories behind their hits and then performing the song, often with added harmony from the other songwriters. In addition to the artists and songwriters, there is always the possibility of special guest appearance by additional Country artists, who may be in town.

Songwriter and CMA Board of Directors member Bob DiPiero once again assisted in identifying and securing songwriters for the series.

"The CMA is the friend of the songwriter and with their help, I have been able to get the very best songwriter/artists Nashville has to offer to sing their songs and tell their stories at the Joe's Pub series," DiPiero said. "I'm honored to be part of such a very special series that will help keep alive the Nashville/New York City music connection."

Songwriters* scheduled to appear include:

SATURDAY, JULY 15 - 6:30 and 9:30 PM/ET

- Bob DiPiero ("Blue Clear Sky," "Take Me As I Am," "Cumberland Road")

- Tony Mullins ("How Forever Feels," Something's Gotta Give," "Me And My Gang")

- Rivers Rutherford ("Ain't Nothing 'Bout You," "Real Good Man," "When I Get Where I'm Going," "When the Lights Go Down")

- Jeffery Steele ("Gone," "These Days," "What Hurts the Most")

- Jon Randall ("Whiskey Lullaby," "No Southern Comfort")

TUESDAY, AUG. 29 - 6:30 and 9:30 PM/ET

- Lori McKenna ("Fireflies," "Stealing Kisses")

- Jo Dee Messina ("It Gets Better," "Life is Good," "Love is Not Enough")

- Jamie O'Neal ("There Is No Arizona," "When I Think About Angels," "Somebody's Hero")

Popular CMA Songwriters Series Continues At Joe's Pub In New York City

By Wendy Pearl

What began as a way to introduce some of Nashville's finest songwriters to New York City in advance of the CMA Awards in 2005 is being extended into 2006 as the CMA Songwriters Series returns to Joe's Pub for four nights of concerts spanning five months.

"These are exactly the sort of inroads we were hoping to make when we launched the Songwriter Series last year," said CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese. "Hosting the CMA Awards in New York generated enormous interest and support for the format and the songwriters are the foundation of that success. What we discovered was that New Yorkers are a willing and enthusiastic audience for our music in its most basic form - unplugged and intimately delivered by the singer/songwriters who created it."

The talented and successful writers and recording artists taking part in these shows have had numerous, chart-topping hits and contributed on a wide scale to the popularity of Country Music. The CMA Songwriter Series is taking place over four nights at Joe's Pub (July 15, Aug. 29 and Sept. 23, with a final show scheduled for Nov. 18).

"Our mission is to bring eclectic programming to the masses, which for years has included some of the best Country artists working today," said Kevin Abbott, General Manager of Joe's Pub. "With the help of CMA, we are broadening our audience and creating a home for Country Music in New York City. The

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 - 6:30 and 9:30 PM/ET

- Gary Burr ("Empty," "Before Your Love," "A Thousand Times A Day")

- Don Henry ("Whole Lotta Holes," "Beautiful Fool," "Don't Let's Talk About Lisa")

- Victoria Shaw ("The River," "Nobody Wants to be Lonely," "I Love The Way You Love Me")

SATURDAY, NOV. 18 - 6:30 and 9:30 PM/ET

TBD

*Schedule subject to change.

"With the history of these events, the cool venue and the great audience we attract, everyone we have approached so far has jumped at the chance to participate in the showcases," DiPiero said. "The Nashville songwriters' bench is so deep that the main trouble is not having enough time and space to showcase other exceptional talent. NYC will be seeing the very best of the best, make no mistake about that."

"Music has always been an enormous part of my life," Messina said. "It's not just something I do, it's part of who I am. Songwriting to me is my refuge, a safe place to me where I can go to spell out my emotions, especially when dealing with tough situations. It helps me to gain perspective. You could say that songwriting gives me emotional freedom."

"I love playing NYC and I love playing Joe's Pub," Rutherford said. "It's a great room

and the audiences there are starving for real songs."

"So many New Yorkers have been fans of our stories for so long, but there have not been many outlets to hear them," Steele said. "I really fell like New York or LA or Chicago are all just a million small towns strung together with the same kinds of people dealing with the same kinds of things, and that's what we write about everyday. Things big and small - that's what Country Music is."

Tickets for July 15, Sept. 23 and Nov. 18 cost $20. Tickets for Aug. 29 cost $30. For information about Joe's Pub, visit joespub.com or call (212) 539-8778. The CMA Songwriters Series official sponsors for July 15, Sept. 23 and Nov. 18 include ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and American Airlines, the official airline of the 2006 CMA Awards. The Aug. 29 date, which leads into the Aug. 30 announcement of the final nominees for "The 40th Annual CMA Awards," is presented by CMA.

Jessica Hutton from Long Island, N.Y., an aspiring songwriter, attended the Series, which was a sell-out in 2005. She found the stories the writers told so inspiring that she jotted them down on a napkin by candlelight. "This is like my sanctuary," Hutton said. "We don't get a whole lot of Country Music in Manhattan, so I am glad they decided to do this."

PHOTO CAPTIONS/CREDITS:

Jeffrey Steele performs at the CMA Songwriters Series and Joe's Pub in NYC on Nov. 13, 2005. Photographer: Marc Andrew Deley/FilmMagic.com

Ri vers Rutherford performs at the CMA Songwriters Series at Joe's Pub in NYC on Nov. 9, 2005. Photographer: Marc Andrew Deley/FilmMagic.com

Bob DiPiero at the CMA Songwriters Series at Joe's Pub in NYC on Nov. 13, 2005. Photographer: Marc Andrew Deley/FilmMagic.com

JEFFREY STEELE

RIVERS RUTHERFORD