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“18 South” Returns to the RenCen for Soulful Americana Music

24 Apr 2012 | No Comments | in Art Night City Lights, EngageKPT Blog

Cultural Arts Division and Engage Kingsport present ’18 South’ in concert at the Kingsport Renaissance Center on Thursday, April 26, 2012.  The concert is at 7:00 PM and reserved seats are $12 each.  Call 423-392-8417

18 South’s music is created by a wide array of influences. The organic and earthy quality of their sound rings with overtones of Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz and Gospel that lends itself perfectly to their stripped down acoustic approach that is truly “Americana”. The Band members resume’s read like a Encyclopedia of Musical History and once you see them live you’ll know why they are individually some the most well respected musicians on the scene today. Larry Atamanuik [Drums] and Mike Bub [Doghouse Bass] hold down a deep and unmovable groove behind Jimmi Wallace’s rich vocals and slamming New Orleans Style Piano that in turn gives Guthrie Trapp the opportunity to freely express his fluid and versatile guitar soloing style.  Along with Jon Randall’s mournful high tenor vocals and solid rhythm guitar playing the band provides a perfect venue for Jessi Alexander to nail the audience to the wall with her Smokey and heart wrenching vocals.

18 South was born on the front porch and dining room of a house on the quiet Nashville Street, 18 Ave. South. The band is a coming together of six musicians whose one common desire is to create a band defined by nothing other than it’s music. 18 South’s music reflects the divergent musicianship and experiences of its individual members. Meet 18 South.,,,, Texas native Jon Randall Stewart got his start playing bluegrass around the Dallas area. Having moved to Nashville over 20 years ago, he has become one Music City’s top session players, singers and producers. A Grammy and CMA award winner, Jon’s career has run the gamut of touring the world with Emmylou Harris and Sam Bush, to releasing several major label albums, to writing the smash hit ‘Whiskey Lullaby’ with country legend and Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson. In 18 South, Jon brings all of his talents to the front, his pure tenor lead and harmony voice, distinctive acoustic guitar and mandolin and his songwriting.

Half way between Memphis and Nashville, Jessi Alexander was raised in Jackson, Tennessee. The argument could be made that Jackson lies at the crossroads of American Roots music and her style represents the best of both towns. Jessi made the country charts with the critically acclaimed Sony/BMG album, ‘Honeysuckle Sweet’. Additionally, she has become an in demand session vocalist and songwriter. Her song ‘The Climb’, co-written with John Mabe and recorded by Miley Cyrus, had a run of 15 weeks at 1 on the Billboard Pop Chart. Jessi brings to 18 South not only great songs but, she delivers them with a voice, as one might imagine, country and bluesy drenched in southern soul. Keyboardist Jimmi Wallace is a road veteran as well as an ace studio player. He is equally at home on Piano and B-3 Organ. Additionally, Jimmi is a soulful vocalist and songwriter. He spent years touring with Kenny Wayne Shepard as well as Cole Deggs and The Lonesome. Jimmi’s playing is a definite refection of his Louisiana roots.18 South performs several of Jimmi’s compositions including one from a series of songs he is currently writing based on the characters of the Peanuts comic strip and animations. Guthrie Trapp came to Nashville from the north Gulf Coast in and around Pensacola, Florida. Guthrie is one of the most in demand guitarists in Nashville with the ability not only play many different acoustic and electric styles but is at ease in any genre of music from Bluegrass to the Blues, Rock, Jazz and Country. Having toured with a virtual who’s who of Nashville artists, the last few years have seen Guthrie continuing to perform with Patty Loveless on her Mountain Soul II tour as well as the challenging dynamics and genre bending sounds of the Jerry Douglas Band. Larry Atamanuik is the official groove master of 18 South. Cutting his teeth in the Toronto club scene as a teen, Larry first reached the national spotlight as a member of the seminal rock band Seatrain. A drummer sensitive to the dynamics of acoustic instruments, Larry has been the first-call for many Nashville artists including Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, Alison Krauss and Union Station and the Alison Brown Quintet. Bassist Mike Bub is a 20-year veteran of the music scene in Nashville Moving to Music City in 1989, Mike has had the rare opportunity to work and record with many of bluegrass music’s first generation artists in addition to spending 13 years with the renowned Del McCoury Band. The past few years have seen Mike stretching his boundaries on the upright bass having toured with the likes of Vince Gill, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Tim O’Brien, Shawn Camp and Danny Barnes.

18 South  ‘Run On’