Samantha Lane - honest eloquence through music

I have known Samantha since our days together in college, and I always knew that when she headed to California, she would find fame in movies, music and/or art. Someone with this much talent, brains, and beauty is a rare find. This first solo effort from Samantha really highlights all three facets of Samantha's best attributes:

1. Talent - Samantha skillfully wrote all of the tunes on this album and deftly sings and performs them with feeling and grace.

2. Brains - Samantha found the best musicians to back her up, the best production to put out an increadibly professional sounding and looking recording, and even assembled a beautiful Web site -
http://www.SamanthaLane.com/

3. Beauty - Samantha's music will make you smile. Great beauty makes you appreciate that you are alive, and this album will make you feel happy that you are able to experience great beauty.

Here is the review I wrote when the album was first released:

Samantha Lane's first full-length release, "Find A Way" is filled to the brim with sophisticated but truly honest lyrics and the power of a purely soulful voice. All of the songs are originally written and drawn from the intimacy of everyday life and skillfully performed with grace by Samantha and her talented band. It is easy to root for Samantha as you journey with her through the full spectrum of human emotions and back again. This album will keep you humming, toe tapping, dancing, and certainly thinking even after your speakers turn off.

Samantha won Honorable Mention for the song “Mother Mary” in the 2007 CMT Nashville Songwriter’s Association International Contest! Keep up the great work Samantha!

If you have not heard Samantha's first solo album, you should definitely check it out at:
http://www.SamanthaLane.com/


(photo courtesy of SamanthaLane.com)


photo by Joy Peters
(courtesy of SamanthaLane.com)

Help neglected kids create beautiful music!

A friend just told me about a great new charity based here in Atlanta called Let There Be Music. The mission is to provide children that have been abused, negelected, or abandoned an opportunity to learn to play music. This worthy group believes the gift of music gives all people a powerful means for expression and building self confidence, and I agree whole heartedly with them. I encourage you to support this charity by donating an instrument (I am giving them an old coronet of mine), teaching music lessons, or sponsoring a child. You can find out more about this worthy cause or leave them a message of support here:

http://www.LetThereBeMusic.org/

Ward Williams of Jump, Little Children - first solo album

An old friend friend of mine (from our days at the same junior high school in Winston-Salem, NC) graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts as a cello major. He went on join the popular Charleston, SC band - Jump, Little Children. Jump released seven highly popular albums and consistently sold out medium sized venues around the southeast and beyond from the mid 1990s to 2005. The band mates have gone their separate ways, and most of them have been working on solo projects. Ward Williams (cello and guitar) moved to Brooklyn, NY, and released his first solo album - Ward Williams.


I have to say that when I first heard Ward's first solo album, I thought it was more of the pop-tinged style that made Jump so popular with the teenage and college set, but once you "peel the layers of the onion" you find a much richer musical experience. Ward's album has a variety of different styles from straight up pop to country to folk. Ward has proven with this release that he is versatile, and his real musicianship shines through. I particularly like the use of his signature instrument - the cello on most of the tunes.

I encourage you to check out the album yourself at: http://www.wardwilliams.net/


You can also buy the album or listen to clips here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/wardwilliams


Here is a photo of Ward from his Web site: