The Songwriter Series with host Steven McClintock is a new series of live shows featuring interviews and music from known and unknown songwriters. Get into the minds of the songwriters and explore their process and inspirations and see them perform live. The first show which debut on November 14, 2013 met with rave reviews and was seen around the world on the live stream. The event is streamed live on irocke.com so you can watch from anywhere in the world. See map & other info on the events page.

The  March 30, 2014 show will feature the following Songwriters… (click on name to see full bio).

[su_spoiler title=”John Jorgenson”]

Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist John Jorgenson is best known as a guitarist and founding member of the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters and as the “US Ambassador of Gypsy Jazz” with his acclaimed John Jorgenson Quintet, as well as his touring and recording work with Elton John, The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, and many others. He was named “Guitarist of the Year” 3 years consecutively by the ACM.

As a songwriter Jorgenson has contributed to Peter Frampton’s Grammy-winning “Fingerprints” CD and as well as having his instrumental “Back on Terra Firm” selected for the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics. He has had songs recorded by Carlene Carter and the Desert Rose Band, and collaborated with such legendary writers as JD Souther, Chris Hillman and Jeffrey Steel. Jorgenson’s compositions have been featured in many TV shows and films throughout the world.

This will be a rare opportunity to see the guitar virtuoso in a stripped-down acoustic setting, focusing of course on the songs themselves.

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[su_spoiler title=”Freebo”]

Freebo’s bio is best stated by several writers who have reviewed his most recent CD, the aptly named “Something to Believe”….

PAUL ZOLLO, Songwriters On Songwriting: “Freebo is more than a beloved musician, he’s an institution. Most famous for the funkified precision and fluid soul of his bass playing for Bonnie Raitt, he’s also a longtime beloved studio cat, a musician’s musician, sought out for his greatness in the studio by everyone from Ringo and Dr. John to CSN, Joe Walsh, Aaron Neville, Marie Muldaur and the late great Willie DeVille. But Freebo is more than one of LA’s best players, as those in the know have known for a long time: he’s also a richly gifted and distinctive songwriter whose own voice as a singer-songwriter hasn’t received the attention it’s been due. But the guy is a seriously good writer, as expressive in his writing as on a bass.” If anyone has written a more poignant song about homelessness than “When There’s No Place Like Home”, I haven’t heard it yet. Because it’s aiming high, to write a song about a subject so hopeless without being hopelessly maudlin or cliché, so most songwriters don’t even try. Freebo does it with easy grace, as simple and right as the beautifully understated arrangement. It’s a song of kindred spirit, and it’s a remarkable amalgam of influences, as if Harold Arlen collaborated with Pete Seeger, a timelessly tuneful chorus with lyric of folk wisdom and compassion.”

Walt Falconer, CoolAlbumOfTheDay.com: “Listening to Freebo is like riding on a cumulus cloud of peaceful awareness. His songs are at once uplifting, while also serving as mini socio-economic history lessons interspersed with beautifully spiritual melodic love songs in his own cosmic blend of country/blues/folk/rock/soul ear-pleasing genre defying music”.

Janet Goodman, Music News Nashville: “Freebo’s intimate and go-down-easy personable vocals can tie in light-hearted fare, social commentary, and spiritual quest with love-sweet-love, and make it sound seamless”.

Russ Paris, Folkworks.org: “Standing Ovation is an astounding song which encompasses a profound view of life. It is destined to become a classic”.

Come see Freebo for yourself, and listen to this Folk/Rock/Blues legend and award winning singer/songwriter. You won’t be disappointed…and please, feel free to write your own review!

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[su_spoiler title=”Cathy-Anne McClintock”]

Multi award-winning Folk Americana artist and vocal stylist Cathy-Anne along with her well-crafted, personal songs create a beautiful outcome that’s both edgy and hip while still strongly reflecting the bluegrass influences.

Cathy-Anne has been featured in Music Connection, Billboard, The Record, and Marquee magazine to name a few, largely because of her ever popular co-authored tune ‘I Wanna Live Like That’ .  It has been recorded and released, by a vast array of artists, about 50 times internationally, as well as featured on Disney and HBO, Showtime and Pax.

Nine time winner of British Columbia’s Best Bluegrass Group, Best Country Group and Best Country CD, she was also recently nominated for LA Music Awards Americana Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for 2010 and winner of Best Musical Group 2010. Voted Best 100 Unsigned Bands 2009 for Music Connection Magazine, Pick for Women’s Radio Artist of the Year 2009, Top Honors for “I Wanna Live Like That” in Indie 2010 and nominated in ICM Awards for Bluegrass Inspirational Artist 2010.

Her first solo CD, co-produced by Steven McClintock, features songs with Grammy Award winning Bluegrass/Folk legend, Tim O’Brien and Alan Doyle from renowned Canadian Celtic, rock group, Great Big Sea.  Grammy award winners, John Reischman, and Jim Nunally, join fellow Juno nominated ‘Jaybirds’ Trisha Gagnon (Cathy-Anne’s sister) and Nick Hornbuckle, lending their amazing musical talents to the project. Also offering up his talent is guitar wizard John Jorgenson formerly with The Hellacasters and Elton John Band.

The band is focused around Canadian, lead singer Cathy-Anne McClintock and is her vision. It is strongly influenced from her 10 year tenure with her multi award winning Canadian Bluegrass band, Tumbleweed.

Add to that the love for U2, Sting, the Stanley Brothers, Tim O’Brien, Alison Krauss, Larry Sparks Conway Twitty, Trisha Yearwood and the Beatles(to name a few!!) you come up with a great mix of material.  Cathy-Anne also has a feature performance in Ed Zwick’s film, ‘Leaving Normal’.

Strong songs with good lyric content performed by some of the top players in their genres and sweet, sweet vocals from Cathy-Anne, a perfect vehicle for her original and autobiographical tunes (sometimes!!).  Add that great harmonies, amazing arrangements and acoustic instrumentation definitely take you home.

Cathy-Anne is a mom of two beautiful kids that BOTH sing and love music and resides in Long Beach California.
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[su_spoiler title=”Emiko”]

A Sound. A Style. A State of Mind.

By age 12, Emiko had already “retired” from classical music to begin making her mark in pop music. Having played piano since she was two and half, Emiko was transforming from a classical piano prodigy to a rock ‘n’ roll starlet.

2014 is proving to be a record setting year for Emiko.  With a feature in the NAMM issue of Keyboard Magazine, the publication has said, “invoking Billy Preston as much as Billy Joel … Emiko is someone we expect to hear a lot more from in the coming months.”

With endorsement contracts from Hammond Organ and Kurzweil Keyboards under her belt as well signing on to be an international artist-in-residence at Club Med Resorts, Emiko’s year is rapidly filling up with tours, clinics, and rabid new fans!

A three-time featured performer of the Songwriters Hall of Fame New Writers Showcases, Emiko has graced the pages of Billboard Magazine, FM Sound, Music Connection, and other mainstream music publications. As an award winning songwriter with credits under her belt for SONY/ATV, as well as deal with Famous Records/Universal Music Group, she hit the studio with multiplatinum selling producer and remixer, Howie Beno (Daft Punk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Depeche Mode, Blondie, Tom Jones, etc) to tell the world about her whirlwind journey that started in November 2009, when she left New York for a 10-day tour of Japan.  With the help of her all star band (including Liberty DeVitto on drums, Neil Jason on bass, Mikey Alfero on guitar, and backing vocalist, Nikki Kimbrough), Emiko released, Moving the Universe …Part 1 in June of 2013.

This isn’t Emiko’s first rodeo — this release comes two years after 7 Steps Away, which was released by Famous Records/Universal Music Group.

 Her professional history to date is a versatile tapestry of performances and accolades – some highlights include headlining the 100th Anniversary National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC at the Sylvan Theater, the Steelbridge Song Festival with Jackson Browne, the Sun Valley Pavilion with Keb Mo’, Japan Music Week and The 2009 Special Olympic World Winter Games. 

Currently, Emiko makes her home between New York, London and Tokyo – “…really, home is wherever the music takes me!” she says.

Hitting the road to promote, Moving the Universe …Part 1, it can surely be said that Emiko is one step closer to her favorite saying, “If there’s life on Mars, they’ll buy my album!”

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[su_spoiler title=”Dale Laduke”]

Dale LaDuke is an award winning singer/songwriter based in LA.  He is a founder of several seminal country and folk groups in Southern California including his new group is the alternative pop/rock group “Domestic Violets”. On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/domesticvioletsmusic

They are cool.

2013 Finalist-John Lennon Songwriting Contest-Jazz Catagory.
“Lone Ranger” nominated for 2011″Song of the Year” – West Coast Songwriters.
“It’s About Us” Finalist for Best Song 2011-Durango Nashville.
“It’s About Us” Finalist for 2010 Song of the Year – Hollywood Music and Media Awards
“2009 Finalist Singer/Songwriter of the year – Independent Singer/Songwriter Awards
“2008” Finalist Singer/Songwriter of the year – Los Angeles Music Awards
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[su_spoiler title=”Kelly Fitzgerald”]

Kelly Fitzgerald is known for her soulful style, which is a blend of folk, blues and rock. Influenced by Billie Holiday, Ricky Lee Jones and Led Zeppelin, Kelly’s voice has been likened to Bonnie Raitt, with a contemporary comparison to Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow. The result is music that is smooth and gritty, honest and moving.

Kelly was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts where she performed in nightclubs with local bands while attending high school. Shortly after high school, she left Salem and began touring throughout the U.S., including Hawaii and the Caribbean, with long-time friend and songwriting partner, guitarist Brian Pothier. After years of touring, Kelly and Brian landed in Southern California in 1989, where they met drummer and collaborator Adam Roach.

Playing over 200 nights a year, Singer/Songwriter Kelly Fitzgerald has toured all over the world as a solo and ensemble performer. She and her band have shared stages with artists such as John Hiatt, Shelby Lynn, Nancy Griffith, Cheap Trick, Eddie Money, The Gin Blossoms, Vonda Shepard, The BoDeans and others.

Her much- anticipated album, “Be,” is her fifth release, following “That and Change,” “So Far,” “Halfway to Naked” and “Vesica Pisces.” Kelly also released a full length Christmas CD in November 2013 comprised of six original songs and six classic covers.

Based in L.A, Kelly travels to Nashville regularly to write and perform. She was chosen as one of the top 25 finalists in Nashville’s “Music City Songwriting Competition” for her song “I’m Done,” which appears on “That and Change.” Fitzgerald and writing partner Brian Pothier co-wrote and recorded the song “Thank You” with Christina Fulton, which premiered on MTV’s The Jersey Shore in Sept 2011.

While signed to an independent record label, Kelly and her band had the pleasure of recording the “Halfway to Naked” album with Grammy Award Winning producer Jack Douglas (John Lennon, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick). “It was a great experience working with Jack,” says Kelly. Jack responded by saying, “The songs are well crafted and the girl sings phenomenally.”

In April 2003, the single No Easy Way Out (written by Wayne Kramer) from the “Halfway To Naked” album won accolades for the band by earning the #2 spot for the most added spins just behind Lucinda William’s “Righteously” on the triple A charts.

The “Halfway to Naked” album earned Kelly and her band a nomination for Best Adult Contemporary artist by the LA Music Awards in 2003, which they won in 2000 for the same category. Kelly was also nominated for Best Female Vocalist. In 2005, she was nominated for Best Female Vocalist and Best Solo Performer at the Orange County Music Awards and in 2006 Kelly made the “Music Connection’s Hot 100 Unsigned Artists” list.

In May of 2007 Kelly received the “Comet Award” for emerging artist by L.A Women In Music. She won the 1st place prize in the 4th Annual GINA/LAWIM Singer Songwriter Contest for her song “Summer Rain,” which you can hear on “That and Change.”

Together with her band, Kelly has created a grass roots following across the U.S. and the world as they have traveled to Europe and Mexico and performed for the U.S. and NATO troops in Bosnia and throughout the Balkan Islands.   So far, Kelly is enjoying a lifelong career doing what she loves most: writing, performing and sharing her music with audiences around the world.

“Vocalist Kelly Fitzgerald sings with authority, painting pictures with her words; the players are tight and the arrangements nicely varied. Strong lyrics and a singer who knows how to deliver them…” —Music Connection Magazine

“There is something about Kelly Fitzgerald’s voice that is extraordinary. It’s warm and smooth as butter, with just enough rasp to make it sexy and real. ” —OC Metro

“Armed with an emotive and wonderful voice, Kelly Fitzgerald continues to make leaps as a songwriter as evidenced by her third and latest CD, So Far.” — Robert Kinsler, Dana Point News

“Her third and finest CD, titled So Far, is the culmination of all she is today. It’s a timeless, soulful recording steeped in the tradition of rock, country and acoustic blues, warm, loving embrace with a compelling personal voice dipped in a vat of life experience and humor.” —Music Connection Magazine

“Her powerful voice is confident on the new record, and the frequently bluesy accompaniment gives it a gospel feel” —Performing Songwriter

“Finally a clear poignant woman who doesn’t whine. Kelly Fitzgerald is not only tops on our play list but in my personal collection as well.” —Liz Mann, WLPW

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