New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Guitar slinger-songwriter Mark Robinson will host a series of old-school-style revue shows at East Nashville's The 5 Spot every
Thursday in
September - shining a big spotlight on classic groove and soul tunes performed with a line-up of A-List guests (who will also do some of their original songs). Showtime is 6:00 pm (5:00 on
September 22 during AMA). Cover is $5 at the door; AMA wristbands get in free on 9/22. (Complete guest list follows.)
Musician-producer Robinson's inspiration for the series came from the 1940s and '50s R&B revue shows he was introduced to by his father (a former big band trombone player). Then, when Robinson took up the guitar himself in his early teens, he became fascinated with an album by Johnny Otis — The Johnny Otis Show Live at Monterey — a recording of a traditional R&B revue show, with Johnny's band backing up great soul and R&B singers and instrumentalists, with Johnny Otis as the Master of Ceremonies. It made a lasting impression.
A few years ago Robinson realized his decades-long impresario dream and unveiled The Mark Robinson Showband and Rhythm Revue, with a top-notch band backing up some of Nashville's most talented artists, playing several gigs in Nashville and Indiana. This upcoming 5 Spot residency will feature a whole new set of Revue shows — with Robinson's band backing up the guest artists, who will all play some classic blues and soul, along with their original music. The Showband core rhythm section features
Daniel Seymour (David Olney, Tommy Womack) on bass and Rick Schell (Pure Prairie League, Pinmonkey) on drums, augmented by special guest musicians. (Robinson will play guitar in the band accompanying all the guests, as well as doing a set of his own, performing classic blues and soul and rocking originals.)
Mark Robinson was voted "Best Roots/Americana Guitar Player" in The Alternate Root's 2nd Annual Reader's Choice Awards, and his two blues-rock-roots albums (Quit Your Job—Play Guitar and Have Axe—Will Groove) were named to multiple "Top 10" and "
Best Of" lists. He has played with stalwarts of the rock-roots scene such as Tommy Womack and has produced albums for Americana/alt-country standouts
David Olney, Mark Huff, Ray Cashman, Davis Raines, and Tiffany Huggins Grant.
The Mark Robinson Showband
September residency's guests include some of Nashville's best songwriters, singers and performers:
Thursday,
September 1 6:00pm
ROCKING ROOTS GUITAR with Ted Drozdowski (Scissormen), Nick Kane (The Mavericks) and Richie Owens (Richie Owens & The Farm Bureau)
Thursday,
September 8 6:00pm
TOUGH TROUBADOURS with Mark Huff (latest album: Down River) and Webb Wilder ("The Last of the Full-Grown Men")
BLUE COUNTRY with Tiffany Huggins Grant (Jonquil Child) and Davis Raines (Songwriter: Top 10 Country Hit "Someone, Somewhere Tonight" by Kellie Pickler)
Thursday,
September 22 5:00-7:00pm — Special AMA Early Show!
ROCKING POETS SOCIETY with RB Morris (Singer-songwriter who has been called the "Poet Laureate of East Tennessee") and
David Olney (Americana songwriter grandmaster) (AMA-creds get in FREE)
Thursday,
September 29 6:00pm
SHOWBAND DELUXE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS: Top Nashville vocalists Vickie Carrico and Jonell Mosser, along with Mark T. Jordon (keys) and Ben Graves (sax).
ALL SHOWS AT:
The 5 Spot
1006 Forrest Avenue, East Nashville
Every
Thursday in September, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (except early AMA show starts at 5:00 on
September 22)
Cover $5 (AMA wristbands get in free on 9/22)
