News Archives

Tom Kimmel Jan 2008 News

1. Greetings!
2. News: Artist-in-Residence honor at Vanderbilt + new trio & much more...
3. Drawing Board: Song consulting/coaching
4. Recommended: Heather Rigdon's debut album + Dana Cooper Ireland tour
5. Food for Thought: Abbie Hoffman on the 60's rings true today

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1. Greetings!

Greetings from a very bumpy flight from NYC home to Nashville. Played a couple of extraordinarily enjoyable shows this weekend in CT and NY, plus led a happening songwriting workshop. (Thanks to Eric Garrison.) Before driving to LaGuardia today I took the tour of Franklin Roosevelt's home and library in Hyde Park, NY. How inspiring! I pray that this year's presidential election will yield a leader with FDR's vision, compassion and authority!

I was touched by many things in Hyde Park, but nothing moved me more than watching the film of Roosevelt's third inaugural address (made at the advent of the second world war) in which he urged us all to acknowledge and support four fundamental freedoms to which he believed people "everywhere in the world" have an inherent right:

1. Freedom of speech and expression
2. Freedom of every person to worship in his own way
3. Freedom from want
4. Freedom from fear

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2. News

a. Music News

i. TK is Artist-in-Residence at Vanderbilt University!

It's a bit of a long story, but a concert and talk for a group of Vanderbilt faculty in 2006 set wheels in motion that led to my involvement in a program at Vanderbilt called "Music, Religion and the South." Sponsored by Vanderbilt's Center for the Study of Religion and Culture, the final chapter of this three year program is titled "God In Music City" and is focused on the heart and soul of music in Nashville. Big thanks to Allison Pingree at Vanderbilt for pulling me in, and to Greg Barz and John McClure of Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music for the camaraderie...

...and BTW congrats to Greg Barz on the Grammy nomination for his album "Singing for Life: Songs of Hope, Healing and HIV/AIDS in Uganda" (Smithsonian Folkways 2007).

ii. Anthology CD for Vanderbilt's "God In Music City"

Two of my songs are included in a 2 CD anthology album which is being released in conjunction the aforementioned Vandy endeavor. The album's called "God In Music City: The Sounds of Religion in Nashville, Tennessee." In addition to "Shallow Water" (from my Shallow Water album), the anthology features a new, previously unreleased song I wrote with Danny Flowers called "Ride Across the River." Harmonies are supplied by Kate Campbell and Pierce Pettis.

To read more about the album, listen to mp3 clips, purchase the CD or download the collection, visit:

www.limepulprecords.com

iii. New Agrarians: New trio with Pierce Pettis and Kate Campbell

Speaking of Kate and Pierce, when Pierce approached me a couple of years ago about joining forces with him and Kate to form a trio called the "New Agrarians" I was flattered, but I imagined it to be one of those intriguing ideas that would likely never take shape. Thankfully I was wrong! We've been rehearsing in earnest of late, and this week we make our Nashville debut with 2 nights at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe.

Sponsored by Vanderbilt and the folks behind "God in Music City," it should be a royal introduction. (During the coming months I'll be updating you with Agrarians news.)

www.piercepettis.com
www.katecampbell.com

iv. Podcasts

The final 3 podcast chapters from a show I performed last January with Michael Lille are now up at iTunes and available for FREE DOWNLOAD. Featured in each episode:

1. "Poetic Justice"
2. "My Cat" (poem) + Michael performing his great song "Life on the Run"
3. "Shallow Water"

www.frontporchhouseconcerts.com
www.michaellille.com

iv. Blog

After ignoring my modest blog for weeks and months I've added a couple of entries. Check them out at:

www.myspace.com/tomkimmelmusic

(Click on Blogs in the top menu and sign in.)

Topics: "More Thoughts On Blogging" and "Am I Really a Folk Artist? Part One"

v. Questions? Comments?

Check out my Comments board at www.myspace.com/tomkimmelmusic

(Click Comments under my photo, and let me know what's on your mind! I do catch up with the Comments and Mail periodically. Note that you can also post responses to my blog entries.)

b. Book News

i. AUDIO BOOK is officially available!

Many fans have shared with me some version of the following perspective: "We love your book, but what we really like is hearing you read the poems." And now you can (in the privacy of your own home or motor vehicle) hear an hour's worth of most-requested titles. The audio book CD features 32 readings from my collection of poems "The Sweetest & the Meanest."

To order, visit my website --- www.tomkimmel.com --- and click on the "CD Baby" link to purchase a CD for $15... or click on "Digstation" to download it for your iPod for $9.99. It'll also soon be available at iTunes and other online outlets.

("Digstation" is Disc Makers' online outlet.)

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3. Drawing Board

i. Consulting/coaching

While I've been teaching songwriting at retreats and workshops with increasing frequency, I'm now also beginning to offer individual song coaching sessions---in person in Nashville as well as on the road... and in the near future I plan to offer long distance sessions as well. Feedback on initial consultations has been so positive that it seems this could become a significant part of my work.

If you are interested in more information, please email Point Clear Creative Director Shauna Jamison at shauna@tomkimmel.com

ii. Movie/TV songs album

It's now looking like a late spring or early summer release. I'll keep you posted!

iii. Song book

My TK song book collaborator Jim Moran has a half dozen songs ready for print, and we'll be meeting soon to pick the next several tunes. When Jim's prepared that batch I'll again be open to requests for the final songs that'll complete the song book. (Jim's transcriptions will show chords and tab for guitar for all songs... exactly as I play them... plus vocal melody notation.)

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4. Recommended

i. Heather Rigdon's debut album "Young & Naive"

My long-time co-producer Cliff Goldmacher has teamed up with one of my favorite singers (and favorite people) to make a wonderful pop jazz vocal album called "Young and Naive." It's Heather's first release, and it's simply not to be missed! Heather's smoky alto is immediately addictive, and the song lineup is top notch, top to bottom.

Visit www.heatherrigdon.com and click on the song titles on the CD to listen to clips. You can buy and download the album at the site (via iTunes or Amazon.com's mp3 download service). I guarantee you'll love it.

ii. Dana Cooper leads tour of Ireland

World class singer/writer and good pal Dana Cooper is forever expanding his horizons, and soon he'll be leading a unique musical tour of Ireland. Participants will experience the heart and soul of the Irish land and people: breathtaking scenery by day and Ireland's best music and pubs in the evenings. The tour begins May 27 and concludes June 5, 2008, is limited to 20 participants, and reservations are currently being taken.

Check it out at www.danacoopermusic.com by clicking on the Ireland tour page. For further inquiries contact Dana at danaontour@aol.com.

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5. Food for Thought

As we move full steam ahead into this unique election year, I find these words of the late Abbie Hoffman to be inspiring, comforting and provocative. I say "inspiring and comforting" for obvious reasons, "provocative" because I believe that at present we are challenged to re-new our commitments to much of the good work begun during that great decade of change.

We are here to make a better world

No amount of rationalization or blaming can preempt the moment of choice each of us brings to our situation here on the planet.

The lesson of the '60s is that people who cared enough to do right could change history.

We didn't end racism but we ended legal segregation.

We ended the idea that you could send half-a-million soldiers around the world to fight a war people do not support.

We ended the idea that women are second-class citizens.

We made the environment an issue that couldn't be avoided.

The big battles that we won cannot be reversed.

We were young, self-righteous, reckless, hypocritical, brave, silly, headstrong and scared half to death.

And we were right.

--Abbie Hoffman