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Notes from AMA Conference #1
NASHVILLE. There was only one daytime party on Thursday, the official start of the Americana Music Association conference (which should bill itself as “SXSW without the crowds”), so I ended up going to more panels on one day than I have at SXSW in the past ten years. This is a one-ring circus, with only 60 showcase slots for three nights (compared to 2,000 at SXSW), so I ended up at the “Freedom Sings” presentation, a scripted, multi-media, musical journey towards understanding the First Ammendment. Sounds brutal, but it was anything but. After 90 minutes of (occasionally windy) narration by veteran newsman Gene Policinski, interspersed with songs and medleys sung by Bill Lloyd, Jonell Mosser, Don Henry and others, the audience of about 100 leapt to its feet without a thought.
“Freedom Sings,” which grew up of sessions at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville nine years ago, has never been to SXSW. But since South By’s panelist coordinator Andy Flynn is up here scouting, maybe we’ll see “Freedom Sings” in Austin in March. It’s truly powerful.
- That one daytime party was co-hosted by Justice Records, whose band nelo played last. Seating near the front at the Second Fiddle club were Bob Roux of Live Nation and producer Steve Fischell, who seemed to be getting into the band’s melodic vibe. Two new songs, “The Note” and “Breakthrough” especially played to singer Reid Umstattd’s fluid phrasing. Even in search of an identity, nelo was a fresh breath after all the bad country and rock heard up and down Broadway. Lotsa potential there.
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