Kappa Danielson
If I Let Go
Kappa's addictive vocals and soulful songwriting backed by some of Nashville's most respected musicians.
If I Let Go - The debut project of bluegrass based singer/songwriter Kappa Danielson pairs her smooth, emotional vocal style and soulful songwriting with some of Nashville's finest musicians. Produced by former Oak Ridge Boy lead guitarist Skip Mitchell, the CD contains 12 tracks, including 10 of Kappa's original songs, Red Roses from equally talented twin sister Kristi Starr as well as Kappa's much requested, one of a kind version of Simple Man.
Musicians involved in the project:
Skip Mitchell - Producer
BACKGROUND
Freelance Engineer 1987 - Present
Staff engineer/Superior Recording-Hendersonville, Tn. (1970-1974)
Touring audio mixer/The Oak Ridge Boys (1974-1976)
Guitarist/The Oak Ridge Boys (1976-1986)
Guitarist/William Lee Golden-The Goldens (1987-1994)
ENGINEERING CREDITS
615 Music
Almo Irving Publishing
BulMar Publishing
Chubby Checker
David Allan Coe
David Chamberland
E.M.I. Music Publishing
Flying Hands Music
Groove Addicts
Gwen McCrae
Highway 101
Jim Owens and Associates
Jo-El Sonnier
Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright
KSCS Radio/Dallas
Manhattan Production Music
March Music Publishing
Marty Stuart
Maypop Music
One Music
Polygram Music
Rusty Golden Music
Bobbe Seymour/Steel Guitar Nashville
Provident/Brentwood Music
The Oak Ridge Boys, CBS Records
TM/Century
TV / RADIO / THEATER
Summer of ’66 Theatrical Production Music & Cast Album
The Crook and Chase Radio Show
The Crook and Chase Television Show
This Week In Country Music/TNN
Today's Country/TNN
LIVE PERFORMANCES
Country at Carnegie/Carnegie Hall-New York, NY.
Landmark Hotel-Las Vegas, NV.
Las Vegas Hilton-Las Vegas, NV.
Merv Griffin Show
Mike Douglas Show
Roy Clark Show 1975-76
U.S. Department of State Cultural Exchange Tour of the Soviet Union/Roy
Clark Show 1976
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
With The Oak Ridge Boys
Country Music Association Award "Band of The Year" 1978
Country Music Association Award "Band of The Year" 1986
Grammy Award “Best Gospel Performance - Traditional" 1977
Music City News Award "Band of The Year" 1979
Skip Mitchell Audioworks skipmitch@aol.com
Rusty Golden - Additional Keyboards (Love Breathes)
Rusty Golden, musician, songwriter, performer and producer.
In 1984, Rusty along with his brother, Chris, and friend, Marc Speer, formed Golden Speer. CBS Records sent the group to Muscle Shoals Sound Studios to record some songs produced by Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section members, David Hood and Roger Hawkins. After many years of touring Rusty and Chris decided to form their own group, THE GOLDENS. The brothers recorded one album for Epic Records (produced by James Stroud) releasing two singles, “Put Us Together Again” and Rustys composition “Sorry Girls.” THE GOLDENS recorded “Rush For Gold” for Capitol Records which was produced by Blake Chancey ( Dixie Chicks, Montgomery Gentry & others). These projects yielded 5 Billboard chart singles and three music videos. While performing on mega-festivals, Rusty has shared the stage with many superstars including chiildhood hero Elton John, Guns N Roses, Don Henley, Garth Brooks, Miley Cyrus and Shania Twain. They were also featured in Hank Jr.s “Young Country” video.
In 1996-97, Rusty toured the USA, Australia and Jamaica with Curb/Island recording artists Dallas County Line. They opened shows for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama, Brooks and Dunn, Oak Ridge Boys and many more. As a songwriter, Rusty has exclusive song catalogs with Warner/Chappell, E.M.I. and Polygram (now Universal). He received his first gold record at age 24; his songs are played all over the world and have been recorded in different languages. He has promoted and hosted his own Songs On The Beach Show-which is part of the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, an annual event held in November-since 1994. Rusty also played piano on Marty Stuart’s critically acclaimed MCA album, “The Pilgrim.” Many music critics have hailed it the best Country album of 1999. Rusty was voted Best Keyboardist at the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame on October 5, 2002 at the prestigious FORTUNE Magazine Show.
http://www.rustygolden.com
Mike Schrimpf - Keyboards
Mike Schrimpf has been a professional musician (keyboards and harmonica), producer, arranger, songwriter, engineer, and studio owner for over 30 years. He has written and recorded many songs for major artists, TV and radio commercials, and soundtracks for films. "He's one of the best keyboard players that I've heard. That's why I hired him to be in my band." - Conway Twitty
His clients include:
Conway Twitty
Loretta Lynn
Steve Wariner
Joe Diffie
Jo-El Sonier
Del Reeves (Grand Ole' Opry)
George Jones
Janie Frickie
Ronnie McDowell
And many more....
Mike Schrimpf SMS Productions and Recording Studio
(615) 822-1856 www.smsrecording@comcast.net
Hoot Hester - Fiddle, Mandolin, Acoustic Guitar
Fiddle player Hoot Hester has played backup for a number of country music recording artists, among them Alabama, Hank Williams Jr., Conway Twitty, Randy Travis, Bill Monroe, and Ricky Van Shelton. He has also recorded with Manhattan Transfer and Ray Charles. Hester is a member of the Grand Old Opry's staff band, as well as the fiddler for a Nashville-based Western swing outfit called the Time Jumpers. He appears on the band's debut album, On the Air.
The musician's real name is Hubert Dwane Hester. He was born on a Kentucky farm and at the age of two he acquired the name Hoot. The nickname is derived from Hoot Gibson, a popular cowboy actor. As a child, Hester developed a love of music from his guitar and fiddle playing father and four uncles, as well as from his mother's piano playing. He learned first how to play the piano and by the time he was nine, he had picked up the fiddle as well. It wasn't long before he also developed skill on the guitar and mandolin. He and a couple of cousins formed a band to play bluegrass music.
Upon leaving high school, Hester found employment with the phone company while also performing with a Louisville group called the Bluegrass Alliance. Hester relocated to Nashville in 1973, where he started performing with the Whites. He moved on to gigs with artists such as Jerry Reid, Mel Tillis, and Donna Fargo. By 1980, he decided to work as a studio musician and soon he was also playing with steel guitar player Buddy Emmons and session guitarist Phil Baugh in Sound Factory. They went on to become the staff band on the television shows That Nashville Music and Nashville Alive. ~ Linda Seida, All Music Guide
Mark Beckett - Drums
Mark was born in Florence , Alabama just a stones throw across the river from R&B music mecca Muscle Shoals. He is the son of legendary keyboard player and record producer Barry Beckett.
In 1989 Mark realized he wanted to play drums after hearing Nashville session great Eddie Bayers. At the young age of fourteen, Mark received his first set of drums from his father, Barry and mentor Eddie. After school (when he didn’t skip) his mother would drive him to his father’s sessions. Mark would hang out in the studios and be a fly on the wall sitting behind Eddie with no headphones on, watching and listening. Later he realized that recording sessions would be what he wanted to do.
Most recently, Mark was part of the house band for the “Steve Cropper 50 Year Music Journey” show held at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Mark played with a who’s who of legendary music talent ranging from Mark Farner(Grand Funk Railroad), John Kay(Steppenwolf) to Randy Owen ( Alabama ), Delbert McClinton, Lee Roy Parnell to James Burton and the man himself, Steve Cropper. It was a packed house to benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation.
Mark is rapidly becoming a first call drummer in the Nashville music scene. His “laid back” feel and attitude is here to stay in the “ Music City .”
Dawn Sears - Backing Vocals
Listening to her parents' collection of classic country music, Dawn Sears formed her ideals early on of what truly is country music. By age 11 she had her first guitar; she sang "Satin Sheets" in a talent contest in Grand Forks, North Dakota VFW hall at age 14. She recalls, "I stopped in the middle of the song. I couldn't figure out how my voice was getting so loud." She shook off her nerves, though, started singing again and won the contest.
She never looked back . . . she was hooked. Winning more contests, she entered the local club scene in Minnesota, soon to move out on her own.
"I left home fresh out of school and was lucky enough to get a band gig on the road, I wasn't quite 18 yet, so my mom and dad had to sign a little piece of paper saying I wasn't a runaway and I wasn't being held captive," she recalls with a laugh.
"Looking back, now with a child of my own, I know that had to be one of the hardest things they ever did. But they were undoubtedly my biggest fans and they did everything they knew to do in order to help me achieve a dream I so desperately wanted. It proved to be a great education and experience. "Those dreams led to fronting her own band and touring the West and Midwest.
Dreams again are what led her to Nashville in 1987. "It wasn't the music that brought me to Nashville . . . it was Kenny Sears. Kenny and I met in Las Vegas in 1986. I was playing in the Sahara Lounge with my band and he was playing the showroom with Mel Tillis. I knew I had found my so-called 'knight in shining armor' from the first moment I saw him. I started visiting Kenny in Nashville and he'd put me back on the plane. I'd come to Nashville, he'd put me back on the plane. Finally, I quit leaving! We were married six months after we met and we're still together 15 years later!"
Dawn's first major break was on TNN's 'Nashville Now'. "Ralph (Emery) liked me enough to call me at work the next day and ask if I'd come and sing on his morning show. I didn't even know he had a morning show because I didn't get up that early! But I did about three shows and he asked if I'd like to be a regular. I did! I'll always be grateful to Ralph and the show".
This led to her first major recording contract with Warner Brothers Records in 1991. They released three well- received singles, most notably "Good Goodbye," but weren't able to break her nationally. Dawn gave serious thought to leaving music behind to attend college and begin med-school (another interest of hers), after having had a firsthand look at the realities of a major deal. "Before I had the chance to enroll in school," she says, "Vince Gill called and asked if I wanted to sing backup for him on the road.
He had sung background vocals on one of the songs I had recorded. He later called me to sing background vocals on
the song "Say Hello" for his I Still Believe in You album." His call is something that causes her to shake her head. "I was just so shocked that he was interested, that he even remembered who I was," she recalls. "It started a two-week trial period, and if that's all it had turned out to be, it would've been enough for me. But it turned into a long relationship that I'm very proud of." "I had never met anyone quite like Vince. He can sing absolutely anything and each performance is flawless. I'd been in awe of his talent, and a fan, long before we met. So the chance to work with someone of his caliber was, to me, the chance of a lifetime.
"That relationship has resulted in Vince singing background vocals on her 2002 release, and Dawn is a featured background vocalist on Vince's upcoming CD. By 1994, MCA, realizing her impeccable talent, signed her to their roster of artists. Looking forward to working with producer Tony Brown, Dawn was soon disappointed to find a shake-up at MCA in the works. They soon moved her over to DECCA, where a need to change producers was required by the label. And once again, the label couldn't break her nationally. After the release of three singles, Dawn said, "Thanks, but no thanks," and walked away from her lifelong dream.
Since then, Dawn has continued playing the music she loves as a solo artist and as a member of the Time Jumpers, and has also pursued her interest in medicine. She is now a licensed clinical aesthetician with her own clinical skin care practice in Nashville called 'Skinsation'. Dawn's life is full of love and life with her music, her second career, her husband Kenny and daughter Tess.
After hearing her latest self titled release, which she produced with the help of some of Nashville's finest musicians, it is a bit more clear why Dawn Sears couldn't conform to the standards of the major labels - her standards are higher.
For more information on Dawn Sears, visit http://www.dawnsears.com
Andy Reiss - Electric Guitar
Andy Reiss grew up in San Francisco, Calif., playing in a wide variety of bands all through high school. Finding himself in a starving rock and roll band after high school, when given the opportunity of joining a showband and going on the road, he jumped on it. It was the beginning of a dozen years of playing in a wide variety of bands, ranging from honky tonk bands in bars and casinos to playing show tunes in theaters. He moved to Nashville in 1981, where Andy’s career took on several new dimensions.
One of Andy’s first contacts was the legendary producer/steel guitarist Pete Drake, who helped Andy understand the inner workings of the Nashville studio scene. His first Nashville session was an album for Slim Pickens, an album that had such Nashville greats as Drake, Charlie McCoy, Bob Moore, Pete Wade, Pig Robbins, the Jordanaires...talk about an education!! This led to spending the next 20 years in the Nashville studios, playing on hundreds of records including two that won Grammy awards, BJ Thomas’ “Amazing Grace”, and the Reba McEntire/Linda Davis number one hit “Does He Love You”.
Andy proudly endorses CB Guitars- hand made by master builder Chris Bozung www.cbguitars.com
Heritage guitars- classic archtops built by the masters in Kalamazoo Michigan-www.heritageguitar.com
and LaBella strings- the best flat wounds made- the set on Andy's 1966 Gibson Barney Kessel model are OVER EIGHT YEARS OLD!!-www.labella.com
The rest of Andy's gear is vintage- the amplifiers he uses with the Time Jumpers rotate between a 1950 Fender Pro, a 1960 Fender Concert, a 1963 Vox AC-30, and a 1950 Gibson GA-75
Matt Despain - Resophonic Guitar
After college, Matt found himself gravitating to the pure acoustic sounds and harmonies of Bluegrass. After learning the guitar and banjo, Matt found a friend in longtime musical master Gene Wooten. Matt says that through his friendship with Gene, he not only learned from the master's musical styling, but also how to remain grounded in the basics of bluegrass Dobro. As Matt's abilities improved, he joined Bluegrass 101 in the fall of 2000. With Bluegrass 101, Matt gleaned his first experiences not only with live stage shows, but also with studio recording. In the spring of 2001, Matt became one of the founding members of Louis Louisville-based "Inquire Within Band." Here Matt found more versatility in his approach to the Dobro, and gained more experience in the recording studio. Matt has since toured with the Dean Osborne Band and Pine Mountain Railroad before working with Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top Express at the Grand Ole Opry for a couple of years.
Matt lives in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Matt plays Dobro and sings vocals for the band and uses Black Diamond Strings exclusively.
Matt joined J.D. Crowe and the New South in 2010
Bob Angello - Acoustic Guitar
Bob Angello, owner of Angello Sound Studio, came from a musical family - his parents were recording artists who had several Top 40 hits. The family owned a recording studio and Bob grew up learning as much as there was to know about recording and being a music business professional. He took over the recording studio in 1981 and soon after, moved the studio to Nashville, TN, the recording capital of the world. He opened the doors of his studio in Nashville in 1985. Bob has spent the last 25 years building his business, using a mix of technology, musicality and creativity to help his clients achieve their goals - professional quality at an affordable price. Bob is also an accomplished musician, playing electric, acoustic and steel guitar. He has traveled all over the world, performing at the White House, Carnegie Hall, and with the Boston and Atlanta Symphonies with nationally-recognized recording artists likeTom T. Hall, Suzy Bogguss, Chet Atkins, Jo Dee Messina, Pam Tillis, and Steve Wariner.
Angello Sound Studio
3014 Dell Dr.
Hermitage, TN 37076
(615) 383-0888
Bob@AngelloSoundStudio.com
Mike Chapman - Bass
Born in Athens, Alabama, Mike grew up playing all kinds of music. As a teenager he played guitar in rock bands, country bands, and soul bands. At the age of 20 he landed a job playing bass in a nightclub in Huntsville, AL and this is when he realized that bass was his instrument. A few years later he landed a road gig with Hank Williams, Jr. After a short stint with Bocephus, Mike decided to pursure his dream of being a studio musician. He lived in the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama for five years as he broke into the studio scene there. While working in the studios in Alabama, Mike starting getting calls to come to Nashville to record and eventually moved there and has lived in the Nashville area ever since.
Some of the artists that Mike has had the pleasure of playing bass for in the studio are:
Garth Brooks
Martina McBride
Trisha Yearwood
LeAnn Rimes
Brooks and Dunn
Huey Lewis
Blackhawk
Chris LeDoux
Joe Diffie
Sammy Kershaw
Hank Williams, Jr.
Paul Overstreet
Kathy Mattea
George Jones
Ray Price
Keith Whitley
Joe Stampley
....and many, many more
Mike has played bass on over 30 number 1 singles and the albums that he has played on have sold over 150 million copies.
If you'd like Mike to play bass on your project he can drive to any studio in the Nashville area or fly to any studio in the world. If you're out of town you can send him your digital tracks and he'll record the bass with protools and send the files back to you.
Along with being one of the most successful bass players in Nashville, Mike has also stayed busy as a producer. Mike produced the demos (with co-production help from Martina and her husband John) that led to Martina McBride getting her record deal with RCA.
Mike continues to produce projects on artists from all over the world.
If you are interested in doing a project with Mike (as a bass player or a producer) please contact him by email at:
mike@mikechapmanmusic.com
Kappa's Debut Cd Available Now
My first studio project ** If I Let Go ** is here!!! I'm very proud to say that the musicians who worked on this project are some of the best to be found and have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. The CD includes my much requested cover of Simple Man, ten of my own original songs and one of my favorites from singer/songwriter Kristi Starr.
Country: Country Folk