Nashville, TN: Today, February 28 2012, Music City Roots celebrates the release of Roots Moments: Special Live Cuts From Season One, a selection of 11 outstanding performances from the inaugural season of Nashville’s celebrated weekly broadcast. The album, distributed by Compass Records, is a souvenir of and a calling card for a show that has earned the deep respect of artists and the praise of Nashville music fans and critics.
Launched in October of 2009 as a throwback live radio show and new-era webcast, Music City Roots has become a trusted curator of new and established talent in contemporary folk and Americana music. TheRoots Moments series distills the experience into keepsake recordings worthy of collecting and repeated listening.
“The tremendous artists who grace our stage week after week are a gift to lovers of musical authenticity and integrity the world over, and we’re proud to release what we hope to be the first of many such collections of excellent and diverse artistry,” says MCR co-founder John Walker. “We feel like we’re part of a very important movement in roots and Americana music and the music business in general. We hope this CD makes some history of its own.”
Like the show itself, the album begins with a solo performance by musical host Jim Lauderdale, the multi-Grammy Award winning songwriter and artist. What follows feels like an unbroken experience, with songs by 18 South, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Nanci Griffith, Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade, Scott Miller, Caitlin Rose, Charlie Louvin, The Black Lillies and Mike Farris with the McCrary Sisters. The final cut is one of the greatest-ever Loveless Jams, the show-closing ensemble number named for the show’s host venue, the Loveless Cafe Barn. Here, iconic bluegrass musician Sam Bush leads “Up On Cripple Creek” with Lauderdale, Farris and more.
The liner notes by show Interview Guy and Senior Producer Craig Havighurst can be found at www.musiccityroots.com, along with the story of the show and a huge archive of performance video and audio. Browse around and find out what made Nashville Mayor Karl Dean say “if you’re coming to Nashville, you need to come here and see this show” and what made legendary musician Jerry Douglas say “this is what I imagine the Grand Ole Opry was like when it first started.” It’s not a specific genre of music, but it is a special vibe and atmosphere of respect and love of Nashville’s remarkable legacy. You can hear it in these performances.
A portion of the proceeds from the album will be donated to Music City Roots promotional partners The Nature Conservancy, which stands up for biodiversity on a show that stands up for musical diversity.
