It’s Turntable Tuesday because life is too short not to listen to great music! This week on Turntable Tuesday I have a brand new vinyl copy hot off the presses from the May 2, 2021 digital release from Tall Paul and Kristie Bobal. I want to tell you all about this album this week as I share my podcast interview with this husband and wife Nashville, Tennessee based duo. So crank up your speakers and tune into the podcast this week to hear all about this great new collection of 11 songs featuring some of the best session players in Nashville. Turn that TV off! It’s time for some new music!
f you would like to listen to my companion podcast you can listen here or subscribe for free on any of the streaming services you use. My podcast is easily searchable on any streaming service where you get your podcasts by searching “Andrew Talbert.” Look for the World Wide Music Media logo. I’ll talk to you on your mobile device!
As I write this I really don’t remember the first year I saw Tall Paul https://tallpaul.com/ play music but it was a long time ago and I believe it was in Orange Beach, Alabama. By then he was way into a lifelong career of performing and recording mostly in the college town Knoxville and music city…Nashville Tennessee. I do remember the night almost 20 years ago I first saw Kristie sing on a stage. It was in Key West, Florida and she walked on to the stage and belted out Phil Everly’s 1960 release “When Will I Be Loved” which was the track made popular by Linda Ronstadt in 1974. As she sang I was standing a few feet away in the tropical heat and I stopped what I was doing on that Fall evening to listen and watch. My initial thought was “damn that girl can sing.” From that point forward I have seen this duo perform in several states and I always have fun watching them play. One of my favorite afternoons was back in 2011 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina at Merlefest when I was working on the stage there and Paul came out to play some songs. I vividly remember him playing his original tune “High Wire” to the huge crowd out in front. I have so many great memories from that festival and working as a stage hand from working on the Doobie Brothers gig, Little Feat, Lyle Lovett, Robert Plant, the Zac Brown Band, Jim Lauderdale, Dierks Bentley, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Elvis Costello, and so many others over a four day period. In fact one of the musicians on that stage with Robert Plant and the Band of Joy played on this record with Tall Paul and Kristie. More on that during the podcast. I soon gave that gig up after two years to work full time on the Meeting of the Minds festival in Key West in 2012 and it was not long before I developed a concept called the “Beachside Album Hour.” The idea was to play an entire Jimmy Buffett album from beginning to end with as many of the original and current members as we could get to Key West. Given this took some serious organization to chart all the songs and do some rehearsal with people from all over the country for a one-off performance in Key West a core band was required. There was also some serious planning and communication in advance to make sure everything was in place to make this work. To pull this off a person with musical skills and band leadership skills was required. Paul was one of two people I would trust to execute this project over seven years. The other being singer-songwriter John Frinzi. There were several albums played through the years on his watch including “Volcano,” “You Had to Be There” and “License to Chill.” They were seven great projects and there is nothing like seeing the talent of the Coral Reefer Band and alumni on the stage making this magic happen. They were a challenge for the artists and great fun for the audience. All that said that was just some of the years of seeing these two perform. They are great talents with deep skills and awesome connections in Nashville.
I want to mention the musicians on these tracks as they are all stellar talents and most have or are currently working with the best in the business in Nashville. We will talk more about these artists on the companion podcast episode but here is a summary:
Bryan Sutton – Acoustic Guitars (Grammy winner and nine-time International Bluegrass Association Guitar Player of the Year, Ricky Scaggs, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Brad Pasiley, Taylor Swift)
Byron House – Acoustic & Electric Bass (Sam Bush, Jesse Winchester, Travis Tritt, Wynonna, Linda Ronstadt, Jim Lauderdale, Robert Plant’s Band of Joy, Nickel Creek, Dixie Chicks)
Jeff Taylor – Keyboards (The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, George Strait, many others)
Josh Hunt – Drums, Percussion (Alison Krauss and Union Station, Member of the Jerry Douglas band)
Brent Truitt – Mandolin, Baritone & Electric Guitars, Harmony Vocals (The Steeldrivers, Chris Stapleton, Poco, Jerry Douglas, Lorrie Morgan, many others)
Stuart Duncan – Fiddle (Dolly Parton, Guy Clark, Mark Knopfler/Emmy Lou Harris Tour, Yo-Yo Ma, Diana Krall)
David Grier – Electric Guitars– (Three-time International Bluegrass Association Guitar Player of the Year, David Grisman Quintet, has played on four Grammy-winning albums)
Randy Kohrs – Lap Steel Guitar, Harmony Vocals– (Hank III, Patty Loveless, Dolly Parton, John Fogerty, Jim Lauderdale)
Russ Pahl – Pedal Steel Guitar (Luke Bryan, Marcus King, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd)
Eric Darken – Percussion (Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, Peter Frampton’s latest album, Mac McAnally, Kenny Chesney, Bob Seger, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, and a long list of others)
John Patti – Steel Pans (shared stages with Jerry Jeff Walker, Les Paul, and many of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band)
Mike Casteel – Trumpet (Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Wayne Newton, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Nashville Ballet, The Nashville Symphony, City of Prague Philharmonic)
Paul Bobal – Lead & Harmony Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Kristie Bobal – Lead & Harmony Vocals, Whistling
Produced by Brent Truitt & Paul Bobal
Engineered & Mixed by Brent Truitt in The Cave, Nashville, TN
Mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering
That is most of the details this week! Be sure to tune into the companion podcast for an interview with Tall Paul and Kristie. “Cheers My Friend.” Don’t forget to pickup your copy of this great vinyl! https://www.whiskeyandwinemusic.com/
https://tallpaulkristiebobal.bandcamp.com/album/whiskey-wine-2
Until next time I’ll see you, down the road.