Southern Americana

Jason Charles Miller has come full circle. Formerly the lead singer and front man for the metal band, Godhead, Miller finally returned to Southern Rock and Americana roots.

When the Virginia native was expanding his songwriting chops, he hooked up with great Nashville-based writers such as the late Randall Clay. One of their songs, "Uncountry," describes Miller's individual outlaw heritage.

Miller's latest project, "From The Wreckage - Part One," releases on March 5, featuring the single, "Better Late Than Never." You can catch Jason every Monday on his show, Miller's Music Mondays at Twitch.tv/jasoncharlesmiller.

Hank Williams is one of country music's most iconic names. Yet the award-winning Hank Williams who master engineered hits by top artists such as Glen Campbell, Etta James, George Strait, Charlie Daniels, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Lee Ann Womack, Hank Williams, Jr., Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Darius Rucker, and Michael W. Smith among others, is relatively unknown outside of Nashville's inner sanctum.

I caught up with this engineering genius in Florida. Hank discusses how songs are recorded, then perfected, and how making hits in Music City has changed.

Rendy Lovelady has spent decades managing artists and producing music events. His latest endeavor is the Gulf Coast Jam, held annually in Panama City Beach, Florida. This year's event featuring Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, and the legendary Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd is rescheduled for March 25-26, 2021. Listen as Rendy discusses the complexity of managing large concerts and artists.

John Berry recorded 20 songs that hit the country music charts in the 1990s and early 2000s, including three that captured the top spot on both Billboard and Radio & Records. During his successful climb, John endured the first of two major health scares in the mid-90s. The second came in January of 2019 when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. After 35 successful treatments, John returned to making music and memories for his many fans, and he's busier than ever. In this episode, we discuss his career, how he's handling being home in 2020, and his new podcast project about faith and family.

If an artist can weave a new and much-needed sound into country music, it might be Curt Chambers. The Philidelphia native developed his unique guitar and vocal sound growing up in the city's urban churches. In fact, Chambers wasn't permitted to listen to secular music until his teens. I literally stumbled upon Curt while researching new artists. A couple of weeks later, we sat down behind Moo Country boutique in Leiper's Fork, TN, to chat about his life and listen to him play acoustic versions of his new songs. It's obvious this Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter has a bright future and will leave his own mark on the country and Americana genre.

Deb Van Pelt, a certified wine sommelier at Belle Meade Winery in Nashville, TN, joined me for a wine tasting excursion in Leiper's Fork, TN. We tasted four wines paired with three dishes from 1892 Restaurant and one from Historic Puckett's restaurant and music venue. "Delicious" and "yum" are the first two words that come to mind.

Most everyone loves wine, especially me. And because there are so many varieties and types of vino, even the most experienced wine drinker can feel intimidated when staring down a restaurant wine list or visiting your local wine store.

Lucky for me, a few months ago, I was introduced to Deb. Not only does this longtime Louisville, Ky resident know her wine, but she's quite the bourbon expert too. But that's a story for another time.

For a couple of months, we talked about recording a podcast episode, and the obvious choice for pairing wine with outstanding food was 1892 Restaurant and Puckett's.

Three of our four dishes were prepared by Chef Dylan Morrison of 1892, and one by my good friend, musician, and the owner of Puckett's Robb Robinson. Here are the wines we tasted along with the food pairings:

• Emile Beyer Dry Reisling with a Grill Romaine Salad
• E. Guigal Cotes Du Rhone (French White) with Pan Seared Scallops
• Fratelli Ponte Barbera D'Asti with Spicy Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Squash
• Dry Creek Zinfandel with Puckett's Pulled Pork Barbecue

I've been attending wine tasting and events since 1992. Through all my experiences, I am constantly trying to learn about wine. To say the least, wine is an adventurous and exhaustive subject. Here are some basic "wine rules" Deb stressed are important:

Never, ever, ever use a stemless wine glass, even when drinking red wine. I always observed the rule to use a stemmed glass with white wine to avoid increasing the wine's temperature. The same rule also applies to reds.

The ideal serving temperature for red wine is between 58-68 degrees Fahrenheit. Red wine begins to "cook" at 80 degrees, so placing your hand on a glass of room temperature red will only hurt the wine's taste.

Both corks and screw caps are fine. Years ago, I either read or hear that when a sommelier or server opens a wine at your table, smelling and feeling the cork indicates that the wine is okay. Not true!

What does a well-preserved cork smell like? "Cork," says Deb. Then what you should do with the cork? Deb suggested spinning it around to see if you can make the cork land vertically. "It's a game all sommelier's play."

Deb also stressed the importance of learning the five "S's" of wine tasting; sight, swirl, smell, sip and savor.

I've always made a mistake when tasting wine with food is sipping the wine with food in my mouth. Food definitely changes the taste of wine. To fully savor a wine, Deb suggests employing the five S's.

After pouring the wine (in a stemless glass), observe the wine's color. Deb suggests swirling the wine often to enhance the flavor. First, smell the wine by tipping the glass at a 45-degree angle. Then, sip the wine, swirling it around your mouth before swallowing.

After you've tasted your wine, take a bite of your food, chew, then swallow. Then enjoy another sip of wine. The taste will be uniquely different.

There's so much to unpack in this episode. Grab a bottle of your favorite wine and hear Deb explain the finer points of enjoying wine.

However, Deb's most important advice for enjoying wine is not to be intimidated by all the rules. "If you enjoy a certain wine, then drink it."

If you enjoy this Southern Americana podcast episode or any previous episode, please give us a 5-star review on Apple. You can also listen to this podcast on Spotify, Libsyn, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

John Cowan is one of bluegrass, country, and rock's finest tenor vocalist. Fortunately for New Grass Revival, The Doobie Brothers, and many others, he's a damn fine bass guitarist too!

Cowan, along with other New Grass members, will be officially inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame on October 1 in a previously taped ceremony from the stage of the historic Ryman Auditorium. It's an honor he holds dear to his heart.

Born in Ohio, Cowan first developed his musical talent in Louisville, Kentucky, when he began playing cover tunes in local rock bands.

His first musical break came in the early 1970s when working at a car wash in Louisville and received a call from New Grass Revival member Sam Bush, inviting him to audition. He was offered a spot as the band's new bassist that very day.

Cowan returned to Louisville long enough to gather his belonging and quit his job. He immediately moved in with another member so the group could begin practicing. They soon discovered just how great a vocal range their new bass player added to the group.

"Callin' Baton Rouge," the highest-charting New Grass Revival tune, was later recorded by Garth Brooks, who also scored a top-five hit on the country charts years later. Cowan also added his tenor vocals to Brook's version.

When New Grass Revival disbanded around 1990, Cowan joined forces with Pat Simmons of The Doobie Brother's, Bill Lloyd of Foster & Lloyd, and Rusty Young of Poco to form The Sky Kings.

The Doobie Brother's decided to reunite in 1992 and needed a bass player. His bandmate and an original Doobie member, Pat Simmons, suggested Cowan would be a wonderful addition to the band.

A few years later, Cowan left the Doobie's to explore a solo career. The John Cowan Band still tours, giving audiences a taste of Cowan's expansive bluegrass vocals.

As great an instrumentalist and vocalist Cowan is, he still gets star-struck when he encountered close friends like Emmylou Harris or the late Leon Russell. "Both are two of the greatest artists I have ever been associated with."

With his soft gray hair and engaging smile, Cowan enjoys touring and looks forward to playing for live audiences. Besides playing with his own band, The Doobie Brothers 50th Anniversary Tour will hopefully happen in 2021. John Cowan will certainly remain a force in popular music for many years.

Please enjoy this episode with Hall of Famer John Cowan and leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Robert St. John is indeed a renaissance man, especially when restaurants and food are involved.

When I mentioned food during a recent visit to Southern Mississippi, two close friends immediately said I should interview Robert St. John. I felt terrible that I never heard of the man who has been named Mississippi Magainze's Best Chef, not once, but three times!

I finally caught up with him during his Florida vacation and scheduled a meeting in his office the following week. I came away convinced that St. John loves talking about food as much as he loves preparing it.

Raised by a school teacher mom in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, St. John didn't grow up dreaming of running a restaurant, much less owning several. It's doubtful he imagined authoring cookbooks, organizing food tours of Italy, or becoming one of the regions leading proponents of dining and shopping locally.

Like many of his friends, when St. John graduated from high school he left Hattiesburg for Starkville and Mississippi State University. However, his first attempt at college was short-lived.

Thankfully, this South Mississippian took the lemons given to him by life and proceeded to make lemonade.

Returning to his hometown, St. John took put his engaging, 19-year-old personality to work and found a restaurant job, learning important skills like customer service and how to prepare dishes that kept patrons returning.

Admittedly, St. John will tell you he's not a great chef. "My desire to cook came after I had to fire my chef on opening night," he stated with a wide grin. "I did learn to cook, but deep down I'm just a restauranteur who loves family, people, food, and my community."

Once St. John realized his true talent was the hospitality industry, he had to figure out how to make a respectable living serving food.

First, he decided to continue his college education in his hometown and enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi, even taking extra hours while holding down a full-time restaurant job.

At the ripe age of 26, St. John opened his flagship restaurant in 1987, the Purple Parrott Cafe.

Since then he's added other eateries to his collection including Crescent City Grill, Mahogany Bar, Branch Tabella, Ed's Burger Joint, The Midtowner, and Midtown Donut.

Unfortunately, St. John closed Purple Parrott in August of this year after a 32-year run. The coronavirus pandemic certainly didn't help, yet the other reasons were determined in part by access and style.

"In years past the Purple Parrot was one, if not the nicest restaurant in town," explained the weathered restauranteur. "People loved to dress up and eat at a white-cloth establishment. Today, they have access to more venues, including private clubs. We also live in a more casual society, and that also dictates where people dine."

That's how building a well-balanced restaurant portfolio comes into play. Crescent City Grill is an ideal venue for today's diner. They serve excellent food (the cajun dishes are wonderful) in a casual, yet tasteful atmosphere.

More importantly, St. John realizes that adapting to your customer's taste is key to surviving in the hospitality and restaurant industry.

A Tex-Mex eatery is opening soon. St. John also thinks the way customers order and receive take-out is changing and he's excited about some innovative concepts he hopes to roll out in the near term.

For now, this husband and dad is enjoying the fruits of his labor. St. John's plans also include future writing projects and a few more trips to Italy. In the meantime, he'll be thinking about even more ways to improve Hattiesburg and the state and region he loves so dearly.

Listen to the complete episode below, or on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Derrek Phillips grew up in the bay area of San Francisco, CA, in a home filled with music of all genres. Some of his earliest memories are playing percussion on whatever pot or pan he found in the kitchen to the records of Sly and the Family Stone, Metallica, and Digital Underground.

Derrek met his wife at a local bay-area high school band competition while she was playing trombone. His interest in playing all types of percussion allowed him to play in community orchestras, drum and bugle corps, including studying with the late, great, jazz drummer, Tony Williams.

His love for music took him east, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies from William Patterson University in New Jersey.

After years of honing his skills in and around the New York jazz scene, Derrek's dreams of continuing his professional music career led him to Nashville. He has played and toured with such acts as Bonnie Tyler, Dr. John, Alison Kraus, James Otto, Delbert McClinton, Charlie Hunter, The McCrary Sisters, and many others.

A two-time Grammy winner, his percussion skills can be heard on the "Nashville" TV show, along with soundtracks by Vanessa Williams and Michael McDonald.

In 2014, Derrek joined Hank Williams Jr.'s band and he currently plays and tours with country music sensation Brett Eldredge.

Derrek and I sat down one sunny summer day in 2020 on the porch of Moo Country in Leiper's Fork, TN. We discussed the influence his parents had on encouraging his musical ability and how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting professional tour musicians.

He's endorsed by Pearl Drums, Istanbul Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Alclair Audio ear monitors, Drum Dots, Stack Ring Percussion, and Vater Sticks. Sit back and enjoy this episode with one of country music's most energetic and talented drummers.

In the second of this two-part episode, I continue my discussion with country music singer-songwriter, Darryl Worley.

Darryl explains why he and his wife Kimberly decided to relocate from the Nashville area back to Hardin County, TN.

Family, as well as the opportunity for his daughter Savannah to grow up in an area where friends and neighbors support each other, was an essential factor. Darryl believes that allowing his wife and daughter to develop their own identity is important. Plus, being closer to Muscle Shoals, AL, and Wishbone Studios is another reason moving made sense.

Manny music insiders agree the Nashville recording scene has changed much since Darryl signed his first major record deal in the late 1990s.

Compared to many country music singer-songwriters that come out of Music City, Darryl's career hit the national scene when he was 35-years-old. Although he looks much younger than his actual age, the ability to intertwine the wisdom of a weathered performer into his songs is one reason fans gravitate to his unique style.

The 2003 release of "Have You Forgotten" solidified Darryl as a major country music artist. Yet with the song's phenomenal success of the hit song, came a downside. During an interview with NBC's Lester Holt soon after the song hit number one, Darryl was shocked when the journalist attacked him for writing and singing about lingering wounds most American's felt when New York City's twin towers fell.

Although the interview taught valuable lessons in dealing with aggressive journalists, he knew the words he and fellow veteran songwriter Walt Aldridge penned about the attack resonated with millions of patriotic Americans. And as Darryl explains, its the stories that matter in any hit song.

When listening to a Darryl Worley song, there's no doubt the music is pure country. Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Willie Nelson, and many others were strong influences on Darryl's singing and songwriting. While his fans may love the traditional country sound Darryl and other artists still perform, throughout the years, Nashville record executives altered the sound to appeal to a younger and more diverse audience.

"I realized early on that I wouldn't reach the Garth or Kenny level because I wasn't the prototypical star Nashville executives looked for," Darryl explained. But I knew who I was as an artist, and that's what's important to me."

While he appreciates the opportunities Nashville has given and still can provide his career, Darryl realizes that if he's going to fully tap into his creative potential, being centered and around the people and things most important to him is a top priority.

The future continues to shine for Darryl and his music. His "How Freedom Feels" project, along with the rerelease of his "Greatest Hits," and an upcoming album of Christian hymns, is forthcoming.

Who knows; his fans may get a genuine and unvarnished glimpse into Darryl's life in an upcoming book he's talking about writing and publishing soon.

Darryl Worley hasn't forgotten his roots, for they have made this talented singer-songwriter a native hero. And he plans to continue tapping into the vast amount of talent that lies within his soul.