Jon Byrd’s Brand New Full-length Release: All Your Mistakes available NOW!
https://jonbyrd1.bandcamp.com/album/all-your-mistakes
“ME & PAUL” EVERY WEDNESDAY 6-8PM @Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge
102 E Palestine Ave., Madison, TN 37115 ~ In Person & ONLINE!
NO DEPRESSION ~ Amos Perrine / 9. Jon Byrd – All Your Mistakes… Joined by Paul Niehaus on pedal steel, Byrd takes me back to the honky-tonks my parents took me to as a kid. Without irony or a hint of nostalgia, this album is what used to be called country music. https://www.nodepression.com/through-the-lens-the-best-of-everything-in-2023/
My responses to a Nashville Scene request on the state of country music in 2023: Who was your favorite country artist who flew under the radar in 2023? —- Jon Byrd, a regular at Dee’s and many under the radar clubs in Nashville, who continues to play “what used to be called country music.” Amos Perrine : https://www.facebook.com/amos.perrine
LONESOME HIGHWAY – Best Of The Year List / STEPHEN RAPID December 15, 2023 BEST TRADITIONAL COUNTRY THEMED ALBUMS ~ Jon Byrd: All Your Mistakes Longleaf Pine Records ~ Review by Stephen Rapid — It is a pleasure to hear again the mature life-worn voice of Jon Byrd back with a full-length album. He is again accompanied by his comrade and pedal steel maestro Paul Niehaus. The album was produced with depth and skill by Joe V. McMahan, who has brought more than a hint of earlier times with the assembled players and the use of arranged strings which add an additional layer to the material, they were performed and recorded by Chris Carmichael. Alongside the above-mentioned you can add the skills of bassist Chris Donahue, percussionist Bryan Owings, Steve Conn’s keyboards and Andrea Zone on fiddle as well as McMahan own contributions on acoustic and electric guitar. Zonn also joins Shannon Wright and Amelia White on harmony vocals. Byrd adds his acoustic guitar but also self-deprecatingly describes himself as the “worst person in the band.” A comment which belies the fact the obvious focal point here is Byrd’s vocal contribution as the backing behind it. But the end results made him feel like “a million dollars.”
Golden Colorado is first up, a track written by Byrd and singer/songwriter Stephen Simmons, a song about the gold rush. There is a sense of pessimism at the heart of the relationship dissolution detailed in an openly descriptive way in (It Won’t Be Long) And I’ll Be Hating You, written by the legendary Johnny Paycheck with Aubrey Mayhew and Billy Merrin. That is also the subject matter in Why Must You Think Of Leaving about a liaison that asks that question of a partner he believes is really of the opposite viewpoint. It is a subtle soundscape with Niehaus’ steel adding to that overall mood. It was co-written with Shannon Wright and a version also appeared on his recent EP ME & PAUL. Byrd shares the writing on several of the tracks as well as including a number of songs written by others including (Now And Then) A Fool Such As I, Tom Paxton’s Woman Sensuous Woman, Ian Tyson’s Four Strong Winds. All are fitting to his vocal essence and the overall arrangements which standout throughout.
Miss Kitty’s Place is a reminiscence of the return to a location that in the past had offered some late-night solace but now, on return, a lot of things have been long closed and gone. I’ll Be Her Only One is a love song that is a wish to return to a happier and earlier time when he will again be the sole object of her desire. The interplay between the pedal steel and violin gives the backbone to the delivery. The old standard (Now And Then) A Fool Such As I closes out the album and is a throwback to his recent and regular performances with just himself and Niehaus, who plays in the older Hawaiian steel guitar style. It is a sparse but effective rendition that captures the spirit of the song’s sense of resignation.
Byrd and his team mates have produced the best album of his career with ALL YOUR MISTAKES. It’s an album that undoubtedly will be enjoyed by punters at his regular live shows in Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge, those who are acquainted with his previous work, or those who are interested in country-styled songs with use an arranged string section. https://www.lonesomehighway.com/features-1/2023/12/15/lonesome-highway-best-of-the-year-list
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LONESOME HIGHWAY – Best Of The Year List / EILÍS BOLAND ~ FAVOURITE ALBUMS: JON BYRD – ALL YOUR MISTAKES
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AMERICANA HIGHWAYS October 18, 2023 ~ John Apice Reviews Jon Byrd’s All Your Mistakes: This singer flirts with the country & western genre but never fully sinks his teeth into the western. That would result in a more cliched, corny traditional dip which Byrd avoids. His performance is more of a deep & delicious showcase with music largely forgotten by younger singers today. Jon Byrd (vocals/acoustic guitar) has a sincere vocal. It skates through rather simple but loyal melodies. A little George Jones here, a little John Denver there & lots of Jimmie Dale Gilmore tones. What makes the music magnetic is its lack of similarity to the current crop of country themes of George Strait, Garth Brooks, or Clint Black. Instead, Byrd spices it up with a just below-the-surface outlaw creed & sparkling instrumentation. Example: Johnny Paycheck’s song “It Won’t Be Long, and I’ll Be Hating You” uses clever turns of phrases without trying to be cute.
Produced by Joe V. McMahan (electric/acoustic guitars) Jon’s distinctive voice embellishes 10-tracks on his 5th CD All Your Mistakes (Drops Oct 20-Longleaf Pine Records). It’s not always wit & twisted tales of typical country kindling that burn. “Why Must You Think of Leaving,” co-written with Shannon Wright is a potent ballad. An entirely different weave from average country ballads & therein lies the skills of Mr. Byrd.
Despite performing in a straight aimed country manner Jon Byrd manages the extremity of the song. It never gets too down in the mud & manure but bristles with spirit. They become absorbing (“City People”) & it’s not easy to take tried & true music & reshape it. But Byrd does. “I’ll Be Her Only One,” is a page torn from the Willie Nelson vocal book but it’s not an imitation — just a feeling. The beautifully rendered pedal steel (Paul Niehaus) song “Woman, Sensuous Woman,” was written by Gary Paxton (he worked with Skip Battin as Skip & Flip & had hits with “Cherry Pie,” & “Betty Jean”). Skip went on to be a member of The Byrds & Paxton started a record label Gar-Pax that issued Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s massive novelty hit “Monster Mash.” There isn’t much added to the old Ian Tyson folk song “Four Strong Winds” or the old Elvis hit “(Now & Then) There’s a Fool Such As I.” The more traditionally rendered country tunes seem more appropriate for Byrd.
Highlights – “Golden Colorado,” “It Won’t Be Long, and I’ll Be Hating You,” “Why Must You Think of Leaving,” “City People” & “Woman, Sensuous Woman.” Musicians – Shannon Wright & Amelia White (harmony vocals), Andrea Zonn (harmony vocals/fiddle), Steve Conn (acoustic/electric pianos), Chris Donohue (bass), Bryan Owings (drums) & Chris Carmichael (strings arranged/performed). https://americanahighways.org/2023/10/18/review-jon-byrd-all-your-mistakes/
The 37-minute CD @ Bandcamp & https://jonbyrd.com/ Enjoy our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: Jon Byrd “Junior and Lloyd”
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ALTERNATE ROOT December 9, 2023 by Lee Zimmerman ~ Jon Byrd: All Your Mistakes on Longleaf Pine Records Jon Byrd is a true heartland hero. Born in South Alabama, he became a pivotal part of the so-called ‘Redneck Underground’ in the 1990’s when he first made his name as a valued sideman. After moving to Nashville, he established himself as a prolific singer/songwriter who eventually managed to accumulate an impressive individual catalog. His music leans to classic Americana — all heartfelt songs imbued with pedal steel guitar, genuine emotion, and material that culls the lessons learned from storied forebears and imbued into his own efforts. His new album, All Your Mistakes, is no exception. A series of emotionally resilient story songs, it possesses a true connection with real people and unblemished circumstance. For example, Johnny Paycheck’s “(It Won’t Be Long) And I’ll Be Hating You” comes across as easily the bitterest break-up song in recent memory. On the other hand, Byrd’s own “Why Must You Think of Leaving” is a plea for reconciliation, sung from the perspective of a man who’s making one final desperate attempt to convince his lover not to abandon him forever.
Jon Byrd is nothing if not a determined down-home troubadour, and when he sings the praises of “Miss Kitty’s Place”, “Golden Colorado”, and “These Days”, the sentiments are not only sincere, but also decidedly delivered. Jon Byrd’s attachment to the places of his past is obvious, and there’s no separating the singer from the song. For its part, “City People” is a true testament to those erstwhile environs where honesty and integrity exist side by side. Other songs convey a similar kind of conviction. “I’ll Be Her Only One” is a powerful homage to dedication and devotion in equal measure. So too, Jon Byrd’s cover of the late Ian Tyson classic “Four Strong Winds” is infused with the abject affection for the wide-open spaces of the far western wilderness Tyson originally imagined. While it may seem overly effusive to call All Your Mistakes Byrd’s ultimate masterpiece, it is, at very least, an affecting set of songs flush with both passion and purpose. Credit Jon Byrd with sharing songs that are as rich as they are reverent. (by Lee Zimmerman) http://www.thealternateroot.com/all-reviews/jon-byrd-from-the-album-all-your-mistakes
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THROUGH THE LENS: Six Overlooked Roots Music Releases of 2023 by Amos Perrine ~ Jon Byrd – All Your Mistakes Many times I have heard Byrd say that what he plays used to be called country music. Joined by Paul Niehaus on pedal steel, he takes me back to the honky-tonks my parents took me to as a child. Not that Byrd is a throwback or nostalgic. On this, his fifth album, he expands on his previous work to include strings, especially noteworthy on “Golden Colorado” and “Why Must You Think of Leaving,” making those melancholic songs even more heartbreaking. After all, isn’t that what country music is all about?
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COUNTRY STANDARD TIME ~ Jon Byrd : All Your Mistakes (Longleaf Pine, 2023)Reviewed by Jim Hynes — Singer-songwriter Jon Byrd, an authentic country music survivor, is practically legendary in East Nashville, but nowhere near a household name anywhere else. Perhaps this fine effort, his fifth full-length, “All Your Mistakes” will begin to change that. He’s made several strong strategic moves in that direction by tapping Joe V. McMahan, whose credits include gems from Kevin Gordon and the sister team of Allison Moorer and Shelby Lynn.
His rhythm section boasts bassist Chris Donohue and drummer Bryan Owings for Emmylou Harris’ Red Dirt Boys. He has retained his main man, pedal steeliest Paul Niehaus, and welcomed keyboardist Steve Conn and harmony vocalists Shannon Wright, Amelia White and Andrea Zonn (also on fiddle). Chris Carmichael adds string arrangements. This lineup is as “can’t miss” as it gets in the Americana/country world. Nonetheless, Byrd is clearly the star here whether singing his own well-crafted co-written songs or interpreting the likes of Billy Sherrill, Johnny Paycheck, Gary Paxton, and Ian Tyson. Kicking off with “Golden Colorado,” co-written with Stephen Simmons, Byrd delivers a melancholy (driven by both Niehaus and the strings), visually evocative tune about loneliness (“the mountains are cold/ in the wintertime with no one to hold’) during the glory days of the goldrush.
Sherrill’s “These Days” is awash in strings, but Byrd brings out the raw heartache arguably better than the original. The tonality changes abruptly in the incisive and bitter Paycheck tune “(It Won’t Be Long) And I’ll Be Hating You.” He puts a similar spin on the subject in a quieter, brooding, clever wordplay way in his co-write with Shannon Wright, “Why Must You Think of Leaving.” “Miss Kitty’s Place,” again with Simmons, is a honky tonker about when nostalgia just doesn’t live up to its billing while “City People” with Nate Roden and Wright is about that ‘third sense’ that those people have. His co-write with Kevin Gordon, “I’ll Be Her Only One” is a strong feature for the interplay between Niehaus and Zonn as he sings about longing for an earlier stage of the relationship. His cover of Gary Paxton’s “Woman, Sensuous Woman” is in the same vein and pure country. Two more covers close it out with stellar production and poignancy – Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds” and Bill Trader’s “(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such As I,” made famous by Elvis Presley. As Byrd says, this is “What they used to call country music.” Thankfully we have advocates of Byrd’s ilk left. https://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/cdreview.asp?xid=7716
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Rock ‘n’ Roll Truth: Robert Kinsler’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Truth Blog & the home of The MUSIC WORTH BUYING Artist: Jon Byrd Title: All Your Mistakes (Longleaf Pine Records) You might like if you enjoy: Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings — Tell me more: Jon Byrd writes and records “what they used to call country music.” Fans of authentic country will be able to hear the Birmingham, Alabama native’s fifth full-length album All Your Mistakes when it is released on Oct. 20. Armed with his strong baritone vocals and acoustic guitar work, the album also features the talents of pedal steel guitar player Paul Niehaus, guitarist Joe V. McMahan, drummer Bryan Owings and bassist Chris Donahue;harmony vocals are provided by Shannon Wright, Amelia White and Andrea Zonn. –Robert Kinsler, Rockwrite : lhttps://rockwrite.blogspot.com/2023/10/fall-2023-new-music-roundup.html
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KG MUSIC PRESS: PRESS RELEASE https://kgmusicpress.com/campaigns/883699
JON BYRD RELEASES ALL YOUR MISTAKES (OCTOBER 20,2023)
Byrd Dips His Toes Into Co-Writes And Covers For His 5th Full-Length Release Purchase at Bandcamp ORhttps://jonbyrd.com/ Follow: Instagram | Threads | Twitter
Produced by Joe V. McMahan / Recorded & Engineered @Wow & Flutter Studio, Nashville, TN
So delighted to have dear and talented friends help make this record a reality. Pedal Steel Maestro Paul Niehaus is the star of so many of these songs. Shannon Wright, Amelia White, & Andrea Zonn bring wondrous and haunting harmonies + Andrea’s world-class fiddle transform some tunes!. Steve Conn lays down the most tasteful, supportive, substantive piano & electric keys one could desire. And Chris Carmichael… my first time using strings and string arrangements and I’m over the moon about what Chris contributed to the fullness and substance of the recording. I’ve saved mentioning the glue of the project for last: Producer, engineer, mixer, guitarist (acoustic AND so many great electric guitar parts!) and the quintessential rhythm section: Chris Donohue and Bryan Owings… Here’s a clue: I askied Chris to bring his upright bass and he only played upright on Colorado. It just sounds like he played it on many more songs. That’s how he finesses his electric bass. And Bryan brought his drums… and mallet skills. So it’s clear he’s a percussionist.
I tell young folks all the time: “You want to be the worst person in the band.” Here’s how I know this record is as good as any I’ve made: my friends make me sound like a million dollars.
Enjoy,
jb
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PRAISE:
“Byrd and his team mates have produced the best album of his career with ALL YOUR MISTAKES.”–Stephen Rapid, Lonesome Highways
“His performance is more of a deep & delicious showcase with music largely forgotten by younger singers today. Jon Byrd (vocals/acoustic guitar) has a sincere vocal.” – John Apice, Americana Highways
“Singer-songwriter Jon Byrd, an authentic country music survivor, is practically legendary in East Nashville, but nowhere near a household name anywhere else. Perhaps this fine effort, his fifth full-length, “All Your Mistakes” will begin to change that.” – Jim Hynes, Country Standard Time
“Fans of authentic country will be able to hear the Birmingham, Alabama native’s fifth full-length album All Your Mistakes when it is released on Oct. 20. Armed with his strong baritone vocals and acoustic guitar work…”–Robert Kinsler, Rockwrite
Nashville, TN— The witty Jon Byrd describes what he plays as “What they used to call Country Music.” He’s known for his voice, songwriting and his song selection and stories. His latest album, All Your Mistakes is his 5th full Studio album (he also has recorded an EP) and was produced by Joe V. McMahan. Co-written songs account for almost half of the tracks on All Your Mistakes, while cover songs account for the other half. Byrd has been teaming up with songwriters he has long admired for this ten-song cycle.
His long-time friend and collaborator, Paul Niehaus, is once again on Pedal Steel Guitar, along with his producer, McMahan, on Electric and Acoustic guitars, Chris Donahue on Bass and Bryan Owings on Drums. Shannon Wright, Amelia White and Andrea Zone all join on harmony vocals while Andrea adds fiddle to three tracks. Strings were arranged, performed and recorded by Chris Carmichael.
The addition of string arrangements for the very first time was a monumental shift for Byrd: from subtly intense quartet arrangements on “Golden Colorado” & “Why Must You Think of Leaving” to the ‘Billy Sherrill’ treatment on “These Days.” According to Byrd, When he sat his partner down to listen, headphones on, she finished by removing the headphones and pronouncing: “Okay. So you now have to get a job so you can pay Chris Carmichael to play strings on every song you ever write and record from now on.’– I think she meant it as a compliment”.
Byrd and Niehaus started performing around Nashville five years ago. A natural result of all the gigs played was his last record, Me and Paul, a 5-song EP of two originals and three cover songs.”Paul Niehaus continues to amaze. So knowledgeable, and yet still so curious and caring about my songs and his contributions. He has stunning moments on this (new) record.” Byrd admits that he’s only ever made records with friends. “I wasn’t friends with Bryan Owings. Acquaintances, not friends. As we were recording I discovered he came to Nashville playing with Will and the Bushmen, who I’d done shows with in the 80s. Small damn music world.”
The achingly sentimental “Golden Colorado” and the twangy “Miss Kitty’s Place” were both co-writes with Stephen Simmons. “Why Must You Think of Leaving” was written with his long-time friend and songwriter, Shannon Wright. “I had the guitar riff, and most of the verses and chorus but it wasn’t a song until Shannon shaped it into a story arc and flow. That’s what your songwriter friends do for you,” quips Byrd.
Nashville songwriter, rocker, and Byrd’s great friend Kevin Gordon brought “I’ll Be Her Only One” to him in it’s infancy. “He said he thought it might be some kind of country song,” mused Byrd. “It sure is now. Plus, he left it to me to rhyme ’Tchoupitoulas’!”
Byrd covers the old Johnny Paycheck classic, “(It Won’t Be Long) And I’ll Be Hating You” which he describes as “a little quicker and a lot more hateful–I like to keep things balanced.” “City People” was written by a longtime friend Mats Roden (with Stephanie Truelove Wright), who Byrd toured with in the mid 80s bringing, “Southern jangle-pop” to CBGB’s.
“Woman, Sensuous Woman” by Gary Paxton was chosen by Byrd for its “perfect representation of so much traditional country music: Pitiful Dude Music. If there’s only Blues and Zip-a-dee-doo-dah per Van Zandt, this is a monumental subcategory of the Blues.”
The last two songs, “Four Strong Winds” (Ian Tyson) and “(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such As I” (Bill Trader) are a direct result of years of Byrd and Niehaus playing for their dear music lovers at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge in Nashville. “When I do finally admit to playing Country Music, there’s always one smartass that asks: ‘Oh yeah? What country?’ To which I always respond: ‘Well, we do a LOT of Canada.’ These are two examples. The last of which, “A Fool Such As I” is an homage to the EP Me & Paul… the stripped down nature of which was a direct product of the restrictions of the pandemic.”
In contrast to Me & Paul, All Your Mistakes was fleshed out with a full band and full production. Byrd attributes the album’s freshness to the added strings, his co-writers and Joe V.’s production.
When asked how he got where he is today, Byrd cracks,”An old used car I bought with movie song-placement money. And all my people.”The “Infinite Thanks to Friends of Longleaf Pine Records” on the record cover is a thank you to Byrd’s fans. “They give me dollars and they show up in-person and online. They truly sustained me during the pandemic.”
As far as what he wants people to know about this album, “Whatever they want to know… as long as they understand this: you can ask where, how, when, what, who, but do NOT ask me why.” All Your Mistakes Releases October 20th
