Album Notes

Songwriters Larry Cordle, Carl Jackson and Jerry Salley have had songs recorded by Garth Brooks, Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, Alison Krauss, Diamond Rio, Gene Watson, Pam Tillis, The Osbourne Brothers, Johnny Paycheck, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Mel Tillis, George Jones, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Anderson, Glen Campbell , Nancy Sinatra, Dolly Parton, John Michael Montgomery, Travis Tritt and various other artists. Albums with their songs have been on over 75 millions records sold! Now they have released their first album together which straddle's the boundaries of bluegrass, country, folk and americana. All three of the principals here--Larry Cordle, Carl Jackson, and Jerry Salley--are well known in Nashville circles as successful songwriters (and in the case of Jackson, a reliable picker and harmony singer), but on Against the Grain, they band together to interpret (mostly) their own material. Most of Nashville's finest turn out to lend instrumental support, but the trio's terrific harmonies are what command your attention. There's considerable stylistic diversity here, with hardcore honky-tonk, catchy country-pop, lite-country ballads, hot-country rockers, and bluegrass all finding a place in the mix. In most spots, it's difficult to imagine any established Nashville star doing a better job than these three do themselves. -- Marc Greilsamer More About the Artist--Jerry Salley The 2003 "SESAC Country Music Songwriter of the Year", Jerry Salley, is originally from Chillicothe, Ohio, and has been writing and singing in Nashville since 1982. To date, he has had 300 songs recorded in his career, including the current Reba McEntire smash "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain". Other hits include "BREAKING NEW GROUND" (WILD ROSE/Universal Records), "I FELL IN THE WATER" (JOHN ANDERSON/BNA Records), "HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT" (WADE HAYES/DCK/Columbia Records), and ten (10) top twenty gospel songs. He has had songs recorded by Toby Keith, Patty Loveless, Brad Paisley, Joe Nichols, Darryl Worley, The Whites, Loretta Lynn and many others. He is a six-time Dove Award nominee, having won a prestigious Dove for the 1990 Inspirational Song Of The Year "HIS STRENGTH IS PERFECT", recorded by and co-written with STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN. Partial Discography: REBA McENTIRE ("I'M GONNA TAKE THAT MOUNTAIN" & "CLOSE TO CRAZY") TOBY KEITH ("I KNOW A WALL WHEN I SEE ONE") JOE NICHOLS ("YOU CAN'T BREAK THE FALL") BRAD PAISLEY ("THE BEST THING THAT I HAD GOIN'") DARRYL WORLEY ("IS IT JUST US" & "I BUILT THIS WALL") PATTY LOVELESS ("LOVE BUILDS THE BRIDGES") THE WHITES ("IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW BUT IT'S WHO YOU KNOW") NEAL McCOY ("THAT'S NOT HER") LORETTA LYNN ("HONKY-TONK LEAVE HIM ALONE" and "DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR") TRACY LAWRENCE ("IT'S GOT YOU ALL OVER IT") CECE WINANS ("HIS STRENGTH IS PERFECT") RHONDA VINCENT ("TROUBLE FREE" and "AN OLD MEMORY FOUND ITS WAY BACK HOME") THE OSBORNE BROTHERS ("YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO HOME") Numerous other nationally known country, gospel and bluegrass artists have also recorded Jerry's songs, including: JEFF & SHERI EASTER, TERRI GIBBS, KYLE PETTY, BARBARA FAIRCHILD, THE KINGSMEN, THE FLORIDA BOYS, THE MARTINS, DON RIGSBY, ROCK COUNTY,BRENT LAMB, WOODY LEE, GINA JEFFRIES, KAREN PECK, BRUCE CARROLL, MID-SOUTH, KELLY NELON-THOMPSON, THE NELONS, MARSHA THORNTON, MELBA MONTGOMERY, THE BISHOPS, THE WILBURNS, REBECCA LYNN HOWARD, WILCOX AND PARDOE, WENDY BAGWELL & THE SUNLITERS, DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER, THE SELDOM SCENE, MARGO SMITH, THE FOX BROTHERS, SUSI LUCHSINGER, VERN JACKSON, GARY STEWART, "THE WALTONS FAMILY CHRISTMAS ALBUM", "WRANGLER COWBOY CHRISTMAS", and many others. As an artist, Jerry has performed on numerous stage shows, including the honor of performing as a soloist many times on the world famous GRAND OLE OPRY. His television appearances include LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, REGIS AND KATHY LEE, NBC'S TODAY SHOW and several different TNN (THE NASHVILLE NETWORK) shows. In addition to his "SESAC Country Music Songwriter of the Year" award and Dove recognition from the Gospel Music Association, Jerry has received numerous awards from different associations for his songwriting accomplishments (NSAI, SESAC, GOSPEL VOICE MAGAZINE, etc.). Along with friends Carl Jackson and Larry Cordle, the trio (Cordle, Jackson & Salley) have recorded the song "You're Running Wild" on the new Louvin Brothers Tribute on Universal South Records, which features numerous country music stars singing songs made famous by the legendary duo.