| In January, 2004, I made a phone call that can still
be heard. I was working at the Olde Town Pickin' Parlor in Arvada, CO.
The owner, Kit Simon, bemoaned the loss of a songwriters circle. I thought
about who might be willing to host another songwriters circle. The first
name to pop into my mind was Jon
Chandler  ,
so I called him. The next day, Jon
came to the store and, by the time he left, the details for the format
and the date for the first show were nailed down.
When I left the Pickin' Parlor a few months later, there had been a
few very successful shows. The series went on to be televised on Douglas
County Cable DC8, PBS and Frontier Airlines. It started out with the
name "Pickin' in the Parlor," but changed it's name to "America's
Soul Live!" It is a concert series which takes place on the
third Tuesday of each month, at 7:30 p.m.
For two hours, singer/songwriter/author Jon Chandler welcomes two
guests to the stage for America’s Soul, a round-robin, Austin
City Limits-type acoustic concert showcasing regional and national
singer-songwriters. String wizard 
Ernie Martinez
 ,
fiddler extraordinaire Johnny Neill, and bass player/audio
producer Butch Hause (who collectively play with Chandler as Jon Chandler
& the Wichitones) are on hand, as well. ...
“I perform at a lot of festivals, and the highlights are always
after the main shows when writers and players get together in private
rooms or hotel lobbies to jam,” says Chandler. “We’ve
captured that spirit in this series.” Chandler invited singer/songwriters
Chris Daniels and Timothy P. Irvin to join him for the first show.
The intimate atmosphere and close proximity between the performers
and the audience were immediate selling points. The audience loved
the shows, the singers loved the shows, and the venue grew.
In 2005, Jess Stainbrook, Creative Director for Pacific East, approached
Chandler and Simon with the idea of videotaping each of the shows
and broadcasting them locally in the Denver metro area. The multi-camera
shoots are being edited into an 18-episode series titled America’s
Soul with Jon Chandler. According to Stainbrook, “We caught
one of the shows, and realized immediately it was a video project
waiting to happen. There’s a real need, in my mind, for quality
music programming on the local level. Jon and his guests provide wonderful
shows, and we’ve succeeded in capturing that spirit. We named
the series America’s Soul after one of Jon’s songs, and
it fits like a glove, particularly since the Pickin’ Parlor
is such a great place for Americana-style visuals as well as music.”
In addition to Jon and the Wichitones, a “who’s who”
of the Rocky Mountain region’s Americana singer/songwriters
have performed, or are slated to perform, on America’s Soul.
They include:
Chris Daniels – Leader of the Denver-based, internationally
popular Chris Daniels & the Kings.
Timothy P. Irvin – Fronts the legendary Timothy P. & Rural
Route III; lead singer for Flash Cadillac.
Acoustic Eidolon – Joe Scott (guitars) and Hannah Alkire (cello),
internationally acclaimed new age/celtic duo.
Jim Ratts – Renowned songwriter; member of the Wild Jimbos;
fronts Runaway Express.
Mary Huckins – Nationally recognized songbird, fronts Dakota
Blonde.
Milton Carroll – One of the original Austin-area Cosmic Cowboys
with Jerry Jeff Walker, et al.
John Magnie – Incredibly soulful founding member of the Subdudes.
Rebecca Folsom – A genuine chanteusse, one of Colorado’s
most popular singers.
Richard Dean – Exceptional writer; stints with Michael Murphy,
Lix Deluxe, Patsy DeCline.
Bill Barwick
– The Voice of the West; the cowboy singer’s cowboy singer.
Patty Clayton – A true troubador who travels the West singing
lovely songs of love and redemption.
Jim Salestrom – Nationally and internationally known acoustic
artist, carrying on John Denver’s tradition.
Celeste Krenz – Stunning songwriter and singer, now based in
Nashville.
Chuck Pyle – The Zen Cowboy, known throughout the world for
his intelligent songwriting.
— From America's
Soul Live! website
As an aspiring songwriter, I was delighted to plant the seed and watch
this series grow. I also aspired to be good enough some day to be on
the show.
Well, June, 2008, that happened! I was invited to join Jon,
Ernie,
Johnny, Butch, and guest Mack Bailey.
Thanks, Jon,
for a dream-come-true! Thanks,
Ernie,
Butch and Johnny, for being wonderful sidemen!
Thanks for visiting AcousticByLines.com!
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Thanks to Bill Patterson for the photos:
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