About the Show
Music City Roots
A weekly concert and live radio show presented from The Loveless Cafe Barn in Nashville, TN.
A great live music showcase with prized bluegrass by Jeff Black, Gareth Laffely, Front Country and Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers.
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Jeff Black
“Nothing short of brilliant. Top to bottom, this stuff is special. Black is an artist of substance.”
-Billboard Magazine
After critically acclaimed commercial releases on label homes, fan favorite independent releases on his own Lotos Nile Music imprint, song placement on numerous independent films, thirty plus years of celebrated live performing and songs covered by artists as diverse as Alison Krauss, Waylon Jennings, Sam Bush, Blackhawk, Jerry Douglas, and Dierks Bentley, Jeff continues to solidify his reputation as a creative force in the roots genres. Continuing to evolve as a writer, performer and recording artist, Black has never before expressed so much of the creative process on his own terms, deepening his work and leaving the listener with some of Black’s most fully formed and resonant music of his career.
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Gareth Laffely
Four-time Indian Summer Music Award nominated Gareth Laffely, known as Gareth, is an exceptionally gifted 16-year-old singer/songwriter, Native American flutist and multi-instrumentalist of Mi’kmaq/Cree descent from Gallatin, Tennessee. Remarkably talented well beyond his years, Gareth has been touching lives and moving souls by tugging at heartstrings of many all over the world. He has shown a unique, rare, and undeniable innate ability to bring others joy through his music. Whether expressing an emotion or simply conveying an important message for change, Gareth has faced sensitive issues head-on to great aplomb and challenges teens everywhere to get involved with a cause to help make their community a better place. He takes an anti-bully message into schools across the country, raising awareness while performing. He is an advocate for cancer as well, raising awareness for early detection and performing at benefits. Gareth donates proceeds from his song, “Move On”, to cancer and works with hospice patients whenever possible.
– “It’s important to be a positive role model. A change can start with one small act. Make a difference in your community. Anything is possible…you just have to dare to dream.”
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Front Country
Formed in 2011 as a collective of the Bay Area’s finest young acoustic talent, Adam Roszkiewicz, Jacob Groopman, Jordan Klein, Leif Karlstrom, Melody Walker and Zach Sharpe joined forces to play a monthly gig with friends in San Francisco’s Mission District. They quickly found a musical rapport that was open to challenging arrangements, unique covers and original songwriting. Since then they have continued to expand their repertoire and push the boundaries of bluegrass on the national scene. In 2012 they won the Rockygrass band competition in Colorado and followed up in 2013 with a win at Telluride becoming the third band in history to win both contests. Also in 2013 lead singer Melody Walker won the Chris Austin Songwriting competition at Merlefest and mandolinist Adam Roszkiewicz was nominated for Grammy for his work with the Modern Mandolin Quartet on their album “Americana”.
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Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers
“IBMA Emerging Artists Of The Year 2012″
These days you never know if the ringing in Joe Mullins’ ears is that of his banjo or a phone call requesting a performance by his new band, the Radio Ramblers. Mullins owns and operates Classic Country Radio, a network of three southwest Ohio radio stations featuring Classic Country, Bluegrass and Gospel music. The Radio Ramblers, a collaboration of veteran Bluegrass musicians who have worked with one another during former musical endeavors, formed in 2006 for the primary purpose of performing at Classic Country Radio promotions. However, due to the level of their professionalism and talent, the requests for performances by the Radio Ramblers has grown, thus expanding their schedule to include shows at area music venues, benefits, and festivals. It cannot be left unacknowledged that camaraderie and inherent passion for Bluegrass music within this band has had a profound impact on the quality of their stage presence and ultimate demand. The Radio Ramblers have become a welcomed addition to the southwest Ohio Bluegrass music scene.
