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| Women In The Round
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (CONTACT INFO TO FOLLOW)
*********************************************************************************** Before Jewel pouted her way into the national
spotlight, before Shania blended techno-pop glamour with Nashville twang, and some time
after Dolly started having to remind people she was blessed with a great voice,
too…there were Women In The Round. The appearance by this occasional troupe of
singer/songwriters is one of the gems that should not be overlooked among the array of
stars to be found at Chattanooga’s Riverbend Festival. Women In The Round, made up of Ashley
Cleveland, Karen Staley, and Tricia Walker, will bring their mix of well-crafted music,
passionate delivery, genuine camaraderie, and (if the mood is right) hysterical laughter
to the AmSouth Bank Stage on Thursday, June 12, beginning at 8:30 pm. “In the round” refers to a fairly
recently-instituted Nashville tradition in which songwriters set their chairs in a circle
in the middle of the room, and take turns performing their songs as they face one
another. This enhances a sense of mutual support and cooperation…or congenial
competition, depending on the temperament of each artist. In some cases, it also
adds extra temptation to try to make fellow songwriters crack up during performances, the
results of which can be as entertaining as the songs themselves. Though the AmSouth Bank Stage will most likely
require the conventional in-line stage setup (as most “in the round”
performances do, in spite of the term), the other elements of the experience should remain
intact. It promises to be an unforgettable evening for all the attendees who find
their way down underneath the Walnut Street Bridge to the spot that has become a favorite
for many at Riverbend. After their Riverbend performance, Women In The
Round will return to their “home turf” of Nashville, with a show at the Bluebird
Café on Friday, June 13 that will include a fourth member for the evening, Amy
Grant. Other notable scheduled performances include the Sundance Arts Series in
Sundance, Utah (August 2003), and a Valentines weekend series where the three will
accompany the Nashville Ballet (February 2004). Ashley
Cleveland
Of the three, Ashley Cleveland is the most
likely to consider Chattanooga “home territory,” since much of her upbringing
took place in Knoxville, and some in California. While a student at the University
of Tennessee, Cleveland developed her performing skills at clubs on the Strip, often
singing with fellow student Pam Tillis. After relocating to Nashville as a
professional songwriter, her phenomenal voice, an edgy and soulful combination at once
reminiscent of Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin, became a high-demand item. She kept
busy as a vocalist both in the studio and on tour. She can be heard on albums by
John Hiatt, Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris, Amy Grant, Reba McIntire and a host of
others. Her 1991 debut solo album with Atlantic Records
was named “One of the Most Overlooked Albums of the Year” by the trade
publication Billboard. Cleveland went on to sign with Reunion Records, a
contemporary Christian label, and garnered numerous Dove Awards and nominations for solo
and collaborative efforts. She eventually won two Grammy Awards for Best Gospel Rock
Album, for Lesson of Love (1996) and You Are There (1998). Her latest
work, Second Skin, interweaves themes of hope and suffering, from someone who has
known her share of both. Cleveland’s penchant for making overtly spiritual
statements from a very down-to-earth perspective make her tough to pigeonhole into
“mainstream” or “Christian” marketing schemes, which is one reason
this album is independently released. On the other hand, her brutal honesty about
her faith and her struggles give her music a depth not often found in any arena, and give
her performances a sense of intimacy and freedom that are equally rare. Tricia
Walker
Riverbend will not be Tricia Walker’s
first performance in the area; last October she performed a benefit concert at Chattanooga
State for Friends of Chattanooga Animal Services (FOCAS), a division of the Chattanooga
Police Department. Walker’s musical development was
influenced as much by the turbulence of life in the 60’s as by the R & B, Gospel
and swing she listened to while growing up in Mississippi. She says the programming
of WDIA in Memphis and WLAC in Nashville provided late-night inspiration for her--in
secret, while her parents were asleep. Walker pursued a more formal education in
music at Delta State University. A move to Nashville and a staff writer deal with
Gospel music company Word, Inc. led to her songs being recorded by Debby Boone, the
Imperials, and Kathy Troccoli. From there she signed with Polygram and enjoyed
continued success, with cuts by artists including Faith Hill and Patty Loveless.
Alison Krauss won a Grammy for her performance of Walker’s “Looking In The Eyes
Of Love.” In addition to her success as a songwriter, the
versatile Walker has found outlets for her other music-related skills. She was a
co-founder of Crossfield Music, a publishing and production company where she served as
Creative Director. Her instrumental skills earned her a spot backing Opry star
Connie Smith for six years, and she was touring keyboard player and vocalist with Paul
Overstreet and Shania Twain. She continues to pursue a solo career in addition to
the now-legendary Women In The Round performances, and has been a New Folk winner at the
prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival. Karen
Staley
For the last 20 years or so, Karen Staley has
been honing a sterling reputation in Nashville and beyond as a first-rate singer and
songwriter. She is originally from western Pennsylvania and moved to Music City
after a brief stint with a record label in Los Angeles. Along with the usual
bread-and-butter studio work, she toured with Faith Hill as backup vocalist in 1996 and
performed solo during Hill’s costume changes during concerts. Her tour resume
also includes Reba McEntire, the Judds, and Gospel artist Russ Taff. In 1998 Staley
released a solo album called Fearless, on Warner Brothers. On stage, her
robust alto voice and her sharp wit bring to mind Mary Chapin Carpenter. Staley’s early songwriting credits include
“Lonely Days, Lonely Nights” and “Wicked Ways,” both recorded by Patty
Loveless. Staley was a co-writer on Faith Hill’s “Take Me As I Am”
and “Let’s Go To Vegas.” She co-wrote Confederate Railroad’s
first single, “She Took It Like A Man,” with Danny Mayo and Paul Nelson.
The smash single “The Keeper of the Stars” (by Staley, Mayo and Dickey Lee)
became a signature ballad for Tracy Byrd. Voted Song of the Year by the Academy of
Country Music, it was the fifth biggest selling piece of sheet music in 1995 and remains
one of the most popular American wedding songs to date. Other artists that have
recorded Staley’s songs include Dolly Parton, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Terri Clark,
Kathy Mattea, and recently, Trick Pony. CONTACT
INFORMATION: Ashley Cleveland
Karen Staley Riverbend Festival Bluebird Café Nashville Ballet |