Kenny Chesney's new album leads ET charge up musical charts

East Tennesseans are all over the charts these days. From country superstar Kenny Chesney , who is expected to top album sales this week, to bluegrass group Wildfire, whose Knoxville member Phil Leadbetter has been topping bluegrass charts with a track from his solo album "Slide Effects," to 10 Years, who are heating up rock charts. Here are some quick takes at some of the year's best Knoxville-related releases.

Country & bluegrass

Kenny Chesney took a steady climb up commercially and artistically until 2005's awful side trip "Be As You Are." However, "The Road and the Radio" (BNA) returns Chesney to his ascent to commercial country's pinnacle. As has become his formula, Chesney splits time between upbeat feel-good numbers ("Summertime," "Beer In Mexico") and thoughtful ballads ("Who You'd Be Today" and the title cut) and makes another stab at Jimmy Buffett-ness with "Tequila Loves Me" -- a better track than anything on "Be As You Are."

"Those Were the Days" (Sugar Hill/Blue Eye) finds Dolly Parton revisiting vintage 1960s and '70s songs, often with guests that include everyone from Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) on guitar to Porter Wagoner on harmony vocals. Most of the tracks work well, including the dobro-laden Keith Urban duet "Until the Twelfth of Never," Islam's "Where Do the Children Play?" and banjo-fueled "Both Sides Now" (with harmony vocals by Judy Collins and Rhonda Vincent).

Bluegrass group Wildfire, featuring Knoxville dobro master Leadbetter, improves with each album. "Rattle the Chains" (Pinecastle) is the band's best to date. Leadbetter (who was just awarded Dobro player of the Year and earned Best Instrumental Album of the Year for his solo album "Slide Effects") is only one of the winning elements in the group. Mandolinist Darrell Webb, banjoist Barry Crabtree and guitarist Robert Hale have a particularly sweet blend.

Former Pine Mountain Railroad member Jimbo Whaley provides many of the high points to the soundtrack album of "Bell Witch: The Movie" (Penny Jar). With other East Tennessee guests on board (including "Marshal" Andy Smalls and several fine pickers), the soundtrack is well worth a listen even if the film never gains a wide release.

Old-fashioned hardcore bluegrass enthusiasts will find plenty to love in "No Trespassing" (Pinnacle) by the Pick 'n' Grin Bluegrass Band. The disc features local pickers who could've easily gone on to bluegrass fame. Bud Brewster, Larry Mathis and Scott Houston, Glenn Inman, Tom Brantley, Tami Brewster, Johnny West and Vic Graves are on hand to crank out the tunes. And they're especially effective on Louvin Brothers covers.

Rock

Knoxville rock band 10 Years is starting to make a national impact with the album "The Autumn Effect" (Universal). The group's biggest asset is the dramatic contrast between the brooding hard rock of the instrumentalists and the sweet-sounding vocals of singer Jesse Hasek. The juxtaposition makes songs (including the fine "Cast It Out") all the more powerful.

Knoxville's hard rock band the American Plague pulls out the stops on "God Bless ... the American Plague" (www.americanplague. com). The Plague combines the energy of early punk, raging metal guitar chops and straight-ahead melodic rock 'n' roll.

For "The Howlin' Hill Project," Knoxvillian Doug Thomas and his songwriting partner Gary McCoy snagged legendary Band members Levon Helm and Garth Hudson. Helm's distinctive backing vocals and drumming and Hudson's organ work shine on the 11 original numbers.

The Big Tease uses early 1980s power pop as a touchstone on the disc "Beautiful Addiction" (www.bigteaseband.com). However, far from sounding nostalgic, the Big Tease simply seems to have taken some good songwriting lessons missed by the current crop of pop-rockers. Lead singer Chase Pattison has an ingratiating voice, the instrumentalists are tight and the production qualities on the disc are excellent.

Folk

One of the sweetest discs of the year is "To Fan the Flames of Discontent: The Living Songs of Joe Hill & the Wobblies" (www.bridges-puentes.org) by Jack Herranen & the Ninth Ward Conspiracy. Herranen and company wrote new tunes to vintage union songs. Highlights include "Dollar Alarm Clock" (a tune any modern worker could relate to) and "My Last Will," in which Herranen sets the executed labor organizer's last will and testament to music.

© 2005, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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