DAVE'S DIARY - 19/12/07 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 3 - SERIES 9

GREENCARDS HEADLINE NU COUNTRY TV

Expatriate Anglo-Australian bluegrass band Greencards joins Keith Urban as finalists in the 50th Grammy Awards at the Staples Centre in L.A. on February 10. So it's fitting the trio headlines Nu Country TV at 8 p m - this Saturday - December 22 - on C 31 on the eve of their return to Australia for their latest tour. Heather Rutherford hosts the show - the penultimate program of 2007.

The Greencards have made the finals of the instrumental section for Mucky Duck - an instrumental penned by Kym Warner who hails from Adelaide.

Warner's song is from their third album Viridian that debuted at #1 on the Billboard bluegrass chart.

Greencards also won the Americana Music Association's 2006 emerging artist award.
"What an incredible honour to be recognised by our peers, we cannot believe it" Kym Warner said of the Grammy finals coup.

"When I first wrote this tune I was merely hoping it would be something my band mates would want to play but a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental definitely exceeds my expectations and it's a great way to end the year."

The Greencards - also featuring Warner's bassist and singing spouse Carol Young from Dorrigo due east of Coffs Harbour - perform their original tune Waiting On The Night on Nu Country.

The Greencards head north to the Woodford folk festival from December 29-January 1 before gigs on the Central Coast and Basement in Sydney.

CLICK HERE for a Greencards CD review from the Diary on May 19, 2007.
CLICK HERE for a Greencards feature from the Diary on August 5, 2005

DAVIDSON BROTHERS PREVIEW RED HILL FEST

Gippsland born Davidson Brothers - Hamish and Lachlan - perform a video for their song Raised On The Road this week. The boys hail from Yinnar, population 531 and Aboriginal word for Woman that was first settled in 1874 and is best known for dairying and beef cattle. Raised On The Road is the title track of the third CD by the boys who also performed at Nu Country TV Arts Centre concert on January 30, 2005. The duo returned to the U.S. for the annual Bill Monroe bluegrass festival this year and is among the headliners at the 20th Red Hill Country Music Festival on Sunday January 13. Other artists on the show include Nicki Gillis, Black Hill Ramblers, Prairie Oysters and many more.

CLICK HERE for a Davidson Brothers feature from the Diary on January 12, 2005.
CLICK HERE for a Davidson Brothers CD review from the Diary on June 4, 2007.

SARA STORER GOLDEN GUITARS TIP

Multiple Golden Guitar winner Sara Storer returns with the video for her new single Land Cries Out.

The explosive single is from her fourth album Silver Skies and has made the Golden Guitar finals of best heritage song, APRA song of the year and best single.

Sara also performed her social comment tune on rural suicide on her recent tour with Beccy Cole and Gina Jeffreys.

The trio also made the finals of the Golden Guitars for best vocal collaboration with their song - Galleries Of Pink Galahs - on ABC Music.

Sara, born in Wemen in the Sunraysia, now lives on the NSW Central Coast, and is touring nationally in February with U.S. star Suzanne Vega.

The Land Cries out has its roots in a conversation with Sara's mother at their farm way out west near Dubbo, Warren and Gulargambone.

CLICK HERE for a feature on Sara from the Diary on October 29, 2007.

GEORGE JONES RETURN

Texan born legend George Jones returns with a video for Cold Hard Truth - a song originally recorded by the writer Jamie O'Hara who made his name with Kieran Kane in The O'Kanes. It's a stone country song that salutes the soul and roots of the genre. George celebrated his 76th birthday last year with a tribute concert DVD featuring the cream of country music at the Roy Acuff Theatre in Nashville. Jones, four times wed and survivor of battles with the booze and cocaine, celebrated 50 years of recording and performing last year. And, unlike his tempestuous past, George once dubbed "no show Jones" turned up to perform and prove time has not eroded his vocal vibrance.

George Jones Ranch in Franklin, Tennessee, hosts a university course in music that has featured Australian students.

The Possum was recently subject of a surprise party at Logan's Roadhouse Restaurant on Baker's Bridge Road near his home.

Guests included Alison Krauss, John Waite, Dierks Bentley, Trace Adkins, Sonny James, Tom T and Dixie Hall, Buddy Cannon, Billy Sherrill, Mark Chesnutt, Joe Diffie, Norro Wilson, Buddy Jewell, Evelyn Shriver, Two Foot Fred, Hargus Pig Robbins and members of the Oak Ridge Boys.

CLICK HERE for a George Jones feature from the Diary on February 25, 2006.

DANIELLE PECK FINDS LOVE

North Carolina born singer Danielle Peck once had trouble with true love. That was before making a video for her single Finding A Good Man with a cast of good old gals. Danielle, 28, has since found and lost a straight shooter - Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett. Texan singer Tracy Byrd is friends with Danielle and Josh and helped set up a blind date for them in Boston. The daughter of a U.S. Marine recently sang the American national anthem for the Cleveland Indians as they did battle with the Red Sox. Finding A Good Man is from the Ohio-raised singer's debut disc on which she co-wrote eight of the 11 songs. She previously released several singles on DreamWorks Nashville, but an album was shelved. Her latest clip is for new single Bad For Me - a song penned by expatriate Australian singer Sherrie Austin.

Further info - http://www.daniellepeck.com

PAT PAYNE FALLS IN LOVE

Oklahoma singer Pat Payne returns with a video for his new single Fall In Love With Murray County.

Pat sings of his fondness of a county in his home state.

He recorded his new album in paradise - Willie Nelson's studio near Austin in Texas.

Payne, three-time entertainer of the year on Oklahoma Opry, also wrote the theme song for TV show On The Road.

He also recruited veteran actor Lee Majors for a previous video clip from one of his five independent albums.

Further info - http://www.patpayne.net

TAMWORTH TRAIN SPONSOR

Nu Country has a new sponsor for Series #9 - The Tamworth Country Music Country Train that leaves Geelong and Southern Cross stations at dawn on January 19 for the NSW country music capital.

Headlining entertainment is Oklahoma raised stone country legend Becky Hobbs and Nashville comedienne, producer and singer-songwriter Kacey Jones.

We have new video clips by Becky and vintage footage of by Jones who hosted Nu Country TV from an Austin motel room during the Mickey Newbury festival in June of 2006.

Kacey recorded the Newbury tribute disc San Francisco Mabel Joy - the video clip, directed by New Mexico country star Stacy Dean Campbell, features singing actors Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Payne.

We'll reprise it in Series #9.

Kacey and Becky sing for their supper on the train - cool home for passengers during Tamworth festival.

Nashville singer Julie Taylor performs on the train with local artists including Grant Luhrs, Connie Anderson, J R Williams, Ian Muir, Rick Bartlett, Hank Sasaki, June Harrison and Bec Hance.

We're hosting a concert for Becky and Kacey after they return to Melbourne on January 31.

Full details - www.tamworthcountrymusictrain.com.au

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