Dubbed the reigning "Queen of Country in Memphis" by Memphis Magazine’s City Guide, and the "Princess of Twang" by Memphis' daily paper the Commercial Appeal, Nancy Apple inexplicably reminds her audiences how special it is to be in the presence of such individuality. From classic country tunes to memorable ballads and honey-flavored cheatin’ songs, Nancy rocks-and-rolls with a twist that is twangled up in the blues. It’s genuine y’alterna-honk that is outside the lines and far from ordinary.
Nancy plays drums, guitar, harmonica and dabbles on the accordion and concertina. She has been nominated more than a dozen times for a Premier Player Award in Memphis in the songwriting, Female Vocalist and Community Service categories, and was a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition in 2002 and 2003. She has appeared in numerous movies and videos with the likes of Harvey Keitel, Linda Gail Lewis and Bridget Fonda, has been endorsed by Gibson Guitars, played drums in The Hellcats and with bluesman great Willie Cobbs. She did a stint as the Tennessee Triple Threat with Duane Jarvis and Phil Lee, and is currently working on a duo record with Rob McNurlin. Nancy has sung backup with Todd Snider, Dan Baird, Keith Sykes, Mark Lindsay, Reba Russell, Barbara Blue, Jay Ruffin and Cory Branan. Nancy is also known as The Cadillac Cowgirl, and has been a deejay on WEVL in Memphis doing a Monday afternoon drive show (CarTunes) since 1996.
Her journey to the present has been as eclectic as she is. Born and raised a Navy brat, Nancy Apple’s immense talent became clear at a very early age — she went from crawling to dancing to Fats Domino.
Take note of Nancy Apple. She is the real deal, she plays your heart strings and leaves you feeling energized, encouraged, refreshed. And she still likes to dance to Fats Domino.
Click here to visit Nancy's official website.
Click here to view her upcoming shows and listen to a few tunes.
Gann Brewer, 2008
Gann Brewer has been traveling the world since he graduated from college, playing tunes by John Prine, Woody Guthrie and sharing the songs he learned from Ramblin’ Jack records on every street corner he could. He has paid some serious “Buskin’” dues on the sidewalks and coffeeshops of Israel, New Zealand, Vietnam, Ireland, Holland and more, as well as the bungalows and pirate bars of the Virgin Islands and Thailand. In 2007 he met Nancy Apple in Memphis and recorded the songs that have become Gann’s Ringo Records debut. He lives the life of a troubadour, with a vocal style that reminds fans of early Todd Snider or a sober Townes Van Zandt, but yet uniquely his own.
Gann Brewer's MySpace page
Website
Blues woman SANDY CARROLL shines on her first collaboration with her Grammy Award winning husband and producer JIM GAINES. When the multitalented pair decided to make a record together, the plan was to do something different. Instead, they are intruducting audiences to a truly original new musical style — Delta Techno. Imagine if Sade went to Al Green's church with Bonnie Raitt, then the two headed over to Raifords near Beale Street that night to hang out with Little Feat. Those who "get it" will love it, and those who don't will love it too.
Songwriter and piano player Sandy Carroll has had tunes covered by legends (Luther Allison, Albert King, Jim Dickinson) — and Jim Gaines has worked with a few himself (Santana, John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins). Together they are lethal. The press is sure to welcome not only the marriage of musical genius, but Jim's first ever songwriting and musician credits (drums, bass).
Sandy started playing professionally at age 15 and continued working steadily in clubs during her undergraduate and graduate collegiate years. Turning full-time professional, she was on the road for four years where, she says, she earned "her doctorate in street music."
In 1984, she recorded and released "If You Got It" and "Memphis in May" produced by Jim Dickinson. She left Memphis for San Francisco to write and record for three years and then moved to Missouri to write music for an animated movie for kids, all the while performing at regional clubs, state fairs and festivals. She also released a single "You Are Not Forgotten" to call attention to missing POWs.
In 1989 Albert King recorded "If You Got It" and in 1990 Sandy returned to Memphis where she released her first CD "Southern Woman." With this recording Sandy was invited to tour the United Kingdom both as a solo performer and with an English band for over a month. One interesting gig was writing "Mad Dog Boogie," a football theme song used for the Memphis Mad Dog team.
During 1997, the great Luther Allison recorded "Just As I Am" and "It's A Blues Thing" on his last album, Reckless, which was nominated for a Grammy. Also during 1997, Sandy recorded and released "Memphis Rain" on the Inside Sounds label.
Starting a new millennium, Sandy again appeared at concerts, clubs and festivals. Artists recording her songs included don McMinn, Anna Popovich (from Yugoslavia), Ellis Hooks, Barbara Blue and Reba Russell.
She released "Just As I Am" - on a compilation CD entitled "Goin' Down South.." Whe also duets ona McCarty-Hite CD & contributed piano to other records by Memphis artists.
Sandy enjoys doing both solo and band gigs. "The Intimacy of a solo show is a quiet nurturing and the groove of a band is the rockin' feast. The studio is where the ingredients mix together..."
Rob McNurlin has collaborated with Ringo Records owner Nancy Apple on "River Road or Rail," an old-school traditionalist style record of new country folk songs.
Raised in Eastern Kentucky, Rob got his musical start from church hymns, the Johnny Cash Show, a harmonica from his grandmother, his parents records and a guitar he got for Christmas when he was nine.
Soon he had learned hundreds of folk, hillbilly-blues and Gospel tunes, and later began writing his own songs, inspired by the records he loved; Cash, Dylan, Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams.
He has released four CDs on his own Buffalo Skinner label, including "Cowboy Boot Heel," recorded at Johnny Cash's Cabin Studio, and produced by John Carter Cash. The critically acclaimed release included a duet with Rob's friend and folk legend Ramblin' Jack Elliott. "Lonesome Valley Again" reached # 26 on the FAR charts and # 55 on the Americana chart, remaining in the top 100 over two months.
Rob has toured with Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Hot Tuna, and his songs have been covered by Ronnie Elliott among others and used in two award winning documentaries.
"More than many practitioners, he grasps the fundamental truth of real folk music; that it only looks simple. McNurlin knows better. The old is new in his capable hands, and dead voices rise to pass their tales on to the living. It's all here; wisdom, folly, love, hope, the beckoning road." — Jerome Clark, amazon.com
Rob's personal home pages and record label
Born and raised in the Mississippi delta, Ruffin has received critical acclaim for his contributions on Nancy Apple’s Outside the Lines and Shoulda Lied About That — staging him to step into the spotlight with his new record, Skeleton Key.
On this release, Ruffin’s talents as a front man and songwriter are showcased, but don’t toss this southern boy in the back of the truck with the current crop of singer/songwriters — this ain’t folk music, and it ain’t country music either. Skeleton Key cracks open new horizons for Ruffin. Experimenting with tones, instruments and players, the result is as rockin’ as the Ramones, as thought-provoking as Steve Earle and as jangly as the Continental Drifters, without compromising Ruffin’s own style or falling into pastiche.
Having shared the stage together for 10 years, Ruffin co-produced Skeleton Key with the help of longtime friend, next door neighbor and label owner Nancy Apple, who also contributed vocals. Recorded in Memphis at JT Studios (owned by former Neville Brother’s Band keyboard player Jonathan Treeby), JT engineered and played organ. Other guests of note include blues star Reba Russell and Delta bassist Barry Bays (Mohead, Shawn Lane).
Jay Ruffin has put together an all-girl back-up band to hit the highway with him in support of Skeleton Key. Look for Jay Ruffin and the Luv Muffins on the road. If you know of a club in your town and want to help put on a show, please e-mail info@ringorecords.net or call Ringo Records at 901.213.9726.
