Take a meander down Fulton Seashore Street at any time of the day and also you’ll hear the water whooshing alongside the myriad piers and you’ll give ear to the screeching of herons in flight. However when John Macy’s recording studio is occupied, in the event you pay attention intently, you would possibly hear one thing else — a strum, a drum beat, a low baritone crooning a tune so soulful, it harmonizes with nature’s tune. Calling himself the Director of Mayhem at Coastal Bend Music, Macy, a metal guitarist and musical producer who performed in Michael Murphey’s band, launched the Rockport Songwriter Pageant in 2022. Now in its fourth yr, the occasion attracts legendary and rising musicians to Rockport, Man Clark’s hometown, for some tuneful interchange and musical camaraderie.
“He’s a type of who is aware of that life is only a leap of religion.”
— From Man Clark’s tune, “The Cape”
Showcasing the profundity of Texas music and songwriting, the competition provides a layer of artistry to a fishing village already identified for its visible arts tradition, intelligent retailers, revitalized downtown and new $9 million Rockport Middle for the Arts. Scheduled this yr for November 5-9, the favored fete opens on Man Clark’s precise birthday as a fundraiser for the Man Clark Basis.
Hosted on Wednesday by Tamara Saviano, with a particular solo efficiency by Texas icon Rodney Crowell, the melodious gathering continues by Sunday with a variety of Texas music superstars in attendance. Search for the likes of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Shawn Camp and Verlon Thompson, Jay Boy Adams, Beat Root Revival, Barbara Nesbitt, Paack, The Resentments, Keith Sykes, Richard Leigh, Michael O’Connor, George Ensle and others on stage.
In addition to listening to one of the best in Texas music, attendees may also have the chance to sail on a lunchtime, musical boat cruise or two, take songwriting workshops and hobnob with Texas music royalty. Don’t miss Saturday morning’s screening of the Man Clark documentary “With out Getting Killed or Caught” with author/director Tamara Saviano internet hosting and doing a Q&A afterward.
Inform us about you.
I grew up in Lubbock (my Dad had a folkie coffeehouse there within the ’60s the place many Texas artists performed), however my household moved to Boston simply earlier than my senior yr of highschool. I found the recording studio proper after I graduated from highschool and began enjoying metal guitar shortly after that in 1972. On the finish of 1975, Michael Martin Murphey invited me to maneuver to Colorado and be a part of his band, which led to dwelling there for over 4 many years. Throughout my tenure there, I owned a number of recording studios and labored on gold, platinum and Grammy-winning information from artists Gladys Knight to Gary Morris and Los Lobos to the Nitty Gritty Dust Band.
Inform us how your expertise helped launch this competition.
Being a studio-oriented musician has given me the chance to work with many artists through the years and develop relationships and a status that makes it simpler to attach with the artists we need to herald. I additionally did stints on metal guitar with Texas artists Michael Martin Murphey and Gary Morris.
What ought to guests count on from the competition expertise? Are you able to describe it?
This can be a very intimate competition held at The Harbor Tent in Fulton. The tent is true on Fulton Harbor, and you’ll see shrimp boats docked proper behind the stage! The competition is capped at 300 individuals, so everybody has an awesome seat and the stage, sound and lights are glorious. There may be fantastic meals subsequent door at Charlotte Plummers, The Inn at Fulton Harbor is true throughout the road and Duck Blind Espresso is subsequent door, so that you by no means have to depart!
This competition is your brainchild. We all know Man Clark hailed from Rockport, however in any other case — why Rockport/Fulton?
My spouse spent her summers on Port Aransas and began bringing me down there within the late ’70s, and we all the time wished to get a spot there. By the point we had been ready to take a look at doing that, Port A had grown a lot that we actually didn’t really feel that was the place for us. A buddy steered us to Rockport, and we fell in love with it instantly, and slightly than being our getaway, it turned house to us.
However what was the music scene like and the way has it developed?
When my associates requested what sort of music scene Rockport had — I obtained apprehensive, I rapidly discovered that there wasn’t one, so I needed to go create my very own. It has grown to extra than simply doing the competition. My Coastal Bend Music manufacturing firm is now primarily based right here, together with a full residential-based, recording facility and artist-oriented report label. The studio is true on the water with a pool. We will host author retreats and workshops — and extra. Coastal Bend Information has launched new initiatives this yr by Shake Russell, Jeff Plankenhorn, Libby Kock and Michael O’Connor, Gabriel Rhodes, George Ensle and Jules Taylor. We’ve obtained many extra within the hopper.
What impressed you to make this occur? How did you get the thought?
One of many individuals I met early-on after arriving in Rockport was famous South Texas artist Steve Russell. We turned instantaneous associates. Steve, a Rockport native, grew up with Man Clark. Steve was a founding father of the Rockport Artwork Colony which developed into the Rockport Artwork Middle, which had been destroyed in Hurricane Harvey and was elevating cash to rebuild. Collectively, we conceptualized a joint challenge the place I’d get a number of Texas artists to do acoustic variations of a few of Man’s songs for a CD, and Steve would do a portray of every for a fundraising exhibition. We wound the exhibition up with a few performances from longtime Man collaborator’s Shawn Camp and Verlon Thompson and raised over $40,000 for the Artwork Middle that week.
Inform us extra.
I made a decision to provide the primary Rockport Songwriter Pageant by Coastal Bend Music, a two day occasion in 2022 and connected with Craig Griffin to do it on the tent at Charlotte Plummer’s. The subsequent yr Craig and I began the Rockport Songwriter Affiliation that we grew right into a non-profit group that not solely produces the competition and listening room reveals, however different help applications for Texas songwriters. We’ve grown rapidly. We’ve obtained tourism professional Sandy Jumper on our Board of Administrators, together with Joe Ables of the Saxon Pub and Dalis Allen of the Kerrville Folks Pageant and The Southwest Regional Folks Alliance on our advisory board. In our purpose of serving to nurture and promote songwriting, one in all our most enjoyable applications is the Rockport Tune Forged, the place we take peer nominated, youthful, Texas songwriters, pair them with a producer, and put them into the Coastal Bend Music recording studio to make a full report together with a full CD bundle without charge to the artist. We’ve actually gotten some nice donor help from the Rockport/Fulton neighborhood for this and different applications.
What’s particular about Texas music? What makes it completely different?
Texas songwriters are quite a bit like Texas itself — very distinctive. They appear to have a depth of soul and imaginative and prescient captured by the likes of Man Clark and Townes Van Zandt that proceed to encourage generations of songwriters in all places. There may be additionally a no compromise perspective down right here to make songwriters and artists make their artwork so particular.
How does Man Clark’s presence play a job?
I believe the songwriters really feel honored performing in Man Clark’s hometown and absorbing a few of his legacy right here. We’re additionally honoring Man subsequent yr with a memorial on the competition web site, together with a life dimension bronze statue created by his lifelong buddy Steve Russell.
Will the competition develop?
We actually don’t need to develop in loads of methods. To go greater could be to lose the intimate vibe that everybody loves about this competition, and that’s what makes it so particular. We’re increasing with our inaugural Rockport Blues Pageant coming in February, and different one off reveals at The Harbor Tent.
Able to go?
Tickets promote out quick. Please examine our web sites and join our mailing lists at:
www.rockportsongwriterassociation.com
www.coastalbendmusic.com
