Gabe Dixon

Since the acclaimed release of On A Rolling Ball , the major label debut album from The Gabe Dixon Band, the band’s keyboardist/vocalist/composer and namesake, Gabe Dixon, has kept busy spending time behind the keyboards for artists as varied as Paul McCartney, Alison Krauss, and Loggins & Messina; co-writing with Grammy Song Of The Year award winners Dan Wilson (Dixie Chicks “Not Ready To Make Nice”) and Wayne Kirkpatrick (Eric Clapton’s “Change The World”); paring down his band to a muscular three piece; and refining a sound that embraces the directness of pop, the energy of rock and the sex of soul while staying true to a jazz-inspired improvisational spirit.

Live At World Café , a six-song EP, features Dixon originals and a slow-burning, show-stopping rendition of the Jimi Hendrix classic “Hey Joe.” Co-writing on four of the originals was split equally between noted tunesmiths Wayne Kirkpatrick (“Ever After You” & “Shallow”) and ex-Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson (“Five More Hours” & “All Will Be Well”), who also mixed the EP.

The EP’s emotional centerpiece, “All Will Be Well,” has been featured in both ABC’s “What About Brian” and NBC’s “Conviction” and was picked by the listeners of Nashville’s tastemaker radio station Lightning 100 as their Song Of 2006. In the great tradition of bands like The Police and Cream, The Gabe Dixon Band forges ahead as a trio with a sound that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Jeremy Lister

Growing up in the middle of Mississippi — surrounded by cow fields and oversized trucks — may not seem like the ideal surroundings for an aspiring musician. But coming from a family with deep roots in music, it proved to be a breeding ground of creativity for Warner Bros. recording artist Jeremy Lister. In 2003, after years of touring in the Southeast, he came to Nashville to record a few tracks. He immersed himself in Music City’s nightlife and music scene and decided to make it home. In 2007 Lister was signed to Warner Bros. Records.

Lister’s songs, “ Idaho” and “Inside Out” have been featured on the hit television show “E.R.” His first major-label endeavor, a four-song EP, will be released this fall. In addition to Jeremy’s passion for music, he is also a huge fan of hot sauce.

Carey Ott

Originally from the Chicago area, Carey Ott spent years as the front man for the Windy City-based band Torben Floor that toured the local Chicago scene. Ott has been described as, “a man who works in the shops of melody but isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty…reminiscient of Ray Davies, Joni Mitchell and Elvis Costello.” Ott is willing to throw out the rules of pop songwriting in order to get the effect he wants. Ott’s new album, Lucid Dream , hit stores January 23, 2006, with much anticipation and delivered on showcasing intriguing songwriting and great music. Not only did iTunes choose Lucid Dream as one of the top Folk CDs of 2006, they also labeled Ott as one of the “Buzz Artists” of SXSW 2006. Lucid Dream was the No. 1 album at eMusic.com and the Top 5 record for the entire month of October that year. Produced by revered artist/producer Ray Kennedy (Ron Sexsmith, John Mellencamp, Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams), Lucid Dream has had great success.

Carey Ott has also enjoyed tremendous success with song placement in the world of film and TV. The No. 1 TV show in America, ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” has twice featured “I Wouldn’t Do That To You.” The same song also appeared on the season finale of the widely popular ABC show, “Kyle XY.”

Cortney Tidwell

Consider the facts: a grandfather who performed at The Grand Ole Opry and recorded successfully for Decca Records in the 1950s; a mother, a former Miss Nashville runner-up and also a regular performer at The Grand Ole Opry, whose own recording career soared in the 1970s; a father who still works on Nashville’s Music Row, having started his career as an A&R for Chart Records, founded in turn by his father.

Cortney resisted the lure of music for as long as she could, but finally gave in during her early twenties when she began singing in a cover band, before forming a punk duo.

It was when she started recording at home, however, that the music took on a life of its own. Now her gigs are becoming the thing of legend in Nashville as she sings from behind keyboards, guitar or drums, sometimes even singing, drumming and playing the omnichord at the same time.

It was following one of these concerts that she ended up signing her record deal with Ever Records. Cortney’s debut mini album was released in the UK in March 2006. Her debut full-length album, Don’t Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up, was recorded in 2005 in Nashville, and features guest appearances from Kurt Wagner and William Tyler of Lambchop, Jonathan Marx (a former founding member of Lambchop) and Ryan Norris of Nashville electronic act Hands Off Cuba.