Arlington Priest

After three years of persistent performing and several unsuccessful tries, Decatur acoustic scene regulars Jill and Rhett McAllister have finally released a full-length studio album. Joined by a team of talented players, the duo's songs resonate with the warm strum of gentle, intelligent Americana that doesn't pander to current trends. Eschewing unnecessary country plunk, it stands as a delicate example of modern, defiantly independent folk rock. Producer Will Robertson wisely jumps right into the mix, adding bass, piano, organ, guitar, mandolin and even tambourine, building a nice and easy-swaying framework for the Arlington Priest one-two punch. The dual vocals of the married McAllisters, with their rich, varied textures of timbre, inform the songs with a gauzy, vaguely retro flavor, tinting each delicate memory play like a sun-faded photograph. 4 (out of 5) stars

Arlington Priest's CD release party is at Eddie's Attic on Sat., Sept. 9.
- Lee Valentine Smith

THE MARRYING KIND: The Atlanta husband-and-wife team celebrates the release of a sparkling new CD called "The Memory of Your Company." A sweet and worldly melancholy runs through this rootsy batch of beautiful tunes and even more beautiful harmonies. The voices of Rhett and Jill McAllister achieve a distinctive blend, but the female half of the duo is especially impressive when she takes the lead. She's forceful on the rocking "Almost Home" and delivers the title track with quiet intensity. It's an album of simple, satisfying pleasures. - Shane Harrison

Rhett and Jill McAllister of husband-and-wife Atlanta folk duo (now folk band) Arlington Priest call upon some impressive names -- including Russell Cook of the talented bluegrass trio Little Country Giants, pedal steel pro Mark Van Allen and singer-songwriter-guitarist Clay Cook -- to flesh out their debut studio release. And so "The Memory of Your Company" is a bright, professional effort. Accessible, clutter-free arrangements (the college-radio-friendly "Almost Home") and a strong sense of dynamics (like the way Ned Henry's violin sounds like a sweeping string section on "Petersburg") make for a confident, full-sounding record.

But the dynamic that really drives "Memory" is the complementary one between the principals themselves. Indeed, there are moments -- wispy, sneeze-and-you'll-miss-them flashes -- when the McAllisters almost conjure echoes of Richard and Linda Thompson. For singer-guitarist Rhett, that's not much of a stretch; his stately tenor often recalls Richard Thompson's sense of pained elegance, especially on "Long Day" or "Solomon," when he asks, "Should all things perish for the games we play?"

Jill, meanwhile, sings with a charismatic warmth, largely avoiding the affectation that hobbles so many female rock and country singers; while some lines flutter over several notes, threatening an attack of "American Idol" melisma, she also shows admirable restraint in the service of the organically soaring melodies that drive "The Stone," "Dustin," and "Almost Home." (Not everyone, after all, can belt like Jennifer Nettles and pull it off.) The tradeoff between vocalists keeps things from becoming stale, adding another agreeable layer to this assured debut. 3 stars (out of 4)
- Kevin Moreau

“They seem to be at ease with their inner cores and their ability to craft songs of haunting beauty. Harmonies are the duo’s true strength – adding emotional resonance and dynamics to their work. Truly, their music is engaging and quite heartfelt…prepare to be moved by their captivating performances.” – Southeastern Performer

“The songwriting is searching, intimate and almost confessional…All the songs are melodically intriguing and captivating. Their harmonies glide together seemingly effortlessly…write down their name and drop it in CD listeners’ conversation so you can say ‘I told you about them way back when.’ This duo has a bright future ahead.” – The Muse’s Muse

“This engaging duo, whose gently, lilting harmonies echo the two musicians' offstage romance, exudes a truly heartfelt charisma together.” Gregory Nicoll, Creative Loafing

"(Arlington) Priest's lovely harmonies carry their stirring roots strum..." Hal Horowitz, Creative Loafing
- Various Publications

The first thing to say about ‘The Memory of Your Company’ is that it is a cracking debut. The husband-and-wife duo that comprise Arlington Priest have spent three years honing their harmonies and it has paid off in spades. This debut is bursting with variety and maturity and contains some absolute gems. Rhett and Jill McAllister have contrasting voices but they meld beautifully across a variety of styles – country, americana, folk and even a touch of zydeco. With superb backing a variety of musicians including producer Will Robertson, the sound is rich which is just as well because Jill matches Neko Case in terms of lung power. Yet she is more than capable of drawing back and supporting Rhett’s more cautious tones to great effect.

The highlights include the plaintive and honest opener ‘Long Day,’ the expansive ‘Mexico’ and the anthemic ‘The Stone’. These are very strong songs that are executed with perfection as the McAllisters vocal intimacy grabs the listener. Gentler ballads such as ‘Sarah,’ ‘Petersburg’ and ‘Tonight’ are heartfelt and balance the livelier numbers. ‘With Me,’ a hidden track, suggests a sound that Portishead may have produced if they had been from the Dirty South.

The only fault I can see with this release is the band’s name and that’s only because google throws up a bunch of news articles about abuse in the Catholic Church when typing in ‘Arlington Priest.’ Otherwise this is a brilliant debut that exhibits exceptional harmonies that is well worth tracking down.
(9 out of 10 rating) - Americana UK

Jill McAllister knew that her musical calling wasn't toward Broadway when she would go to show auditions in New York.

She and her husband, Rhett, had moved to New York to explore their options. Both got involved in off-Broadway musical theater and local cabaret shows, and Jill McAllister even worked for a while on a cruise ship, performing in the onboard shows.

It was just a paycheck, however.

"It was weird, because I would go to show auditions and other people would be talking about what show they were going to next or what they were going to audition for next, and I was like, 'I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know any of this stuff; I'm just trying to sing it,'" McAllister told The Daily Times this week.

Eventually, McAllister quit her job slinging drinks and performing at a Big Apple piano bar, and she and her husband packed up and headed back South. Originally from Greensboro, N.C., they settled Decatur, Ga., and turned their focus toward Americana.

Three years later, they're turning heads as the husband-wife duo Arlington Priest, having just released the album "The Memory of Your Company" in September and mounting a tour that includes a stop Saturday night at New Knoxville Brewing Co. in the Old City. It's been a roundabout journey of sorts — back to their roots, both geographical and musical.

"We both grew up listening to the Eagles, Billy Joel, Elton John — we were kids of the '80s when piano rock and that California country-rock sound was in," Jill McAllister said. "We both sort of grew up on that, and even though we went to school for classical music and theater, we came back around. And even then, Rhett was always writing songs and always playing, so he never let go of that."

Prior to their move to New York, the two met when Rhett performed with a rock band in the Greensboro area. As a fan, Jill would often get up and sit in with the band on a few songs.

"We were a pretty awful band in most ways," Rhett told The Daily Times this week, chuckling at the memory. "We were all over the place, playing jazz and funk and singer-songwriter stuff, but we had a pretty good time."

In New York, while Jill focused on the theater scene, McAllister slowly made headway on the city's folk circuit. He played numerous open-mic singer-songwriter nights, making connections and becoming more and more interested in the music of Tom Petty and David Wilcox. After one particularly stressful cruise, Jill returned and threw in the towel on her theater aspirations.

"I wanted to settle down and get married, and that cruise ship was my last theater job," she said. "I didn't want to be in that world any more. I actually stopped singing for a while and just became the backup singer for Rhett's stuff."

Friends and fans, however, noted the sweet sound of the couple's harmonies and encouraged them to collaborate as partners. Slowly, they morphed into Arlington Priest, touring regionally and building a grassroots following that led to a sold-out show at the famous Decatur nightclub Eddie's Attic.

When the time came to record an album, the pair had a collection of songs that hum with an ethereal vibrancy, built on simple melodies and acoustic guitar, lifted skyward on the interplay of their voices — Rhett's husky timber, reminiscent of Bruce Cockburn, and Jill's clear alto that calls to mind Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls.

"I'm not sure where my voice comes from in that regard," Rhett McAllister said. "I grew up singing a lot of classical music, but when I started singing folk and singer-songwriter stuff, my voice didn't sound anything at all like classical singing. I got into sort of a gritty Americana sound for a while, listening to people like Steve Earle, and someone once described my singing as 'blue collar.'

"I've always been attracted to voices that were distinctive and pleasing, to those musicians who you always know who they are when they're singing. What we do really started out as me being the primary songwriter, but Jill had such a background and love of songs, she was my editor starting out. She would push me toward these places, and she would start adding a lot more lyrically. She would add a phrase or a bridge, then sing some melodies or chords, then jot some lyrics down, and we have a really weird co-writing thing going now.

"We know when to leave each other alone in the process and when to come in and do it jointly," he added.

With "The Memory of Your Company" earning critical acclaim, the duo hopes to continue its lush exploration of Southern soundscapes. Their music is very much rooted in the land from which they come and inspired by the people that inhabit it, and that's unlikely to change.

"The record has really helped us a lot and filled out the sounds we heard in our heads," Rhett McAllister said. "People tend to push us into the folk corner, but we don't really feel like that's where the music lays. Right now, we're still trying to find our niche." - Steve Wildsmith

- The Maryville Daily Times

Dogwood Festival (Atlanta, GA 2006)
Atlantis Music Conference (Atlanta, GA 2003 - 2006)
Midwest Music Summit (Indianapolis, IN 2005, 2006)
Dewey Beach Music Conference (Dewey Beach, DE, 2006)
Durham Urban Ministries Concert Series (Durham, NC 2006)
First Friday Folk Series (Savanah, GA 2006)
Wednesdays at Woodruff (Atlanta, GA 2006)
Rhythm and Roots Reunion Festival (Bristol, TN 2005)
Roanoke Festival of The Arts (Roanoke, VA 2005)
Writer’s Block Live Concert Series (Knoxville, TN 2005)
The Fiddler’s Green (Atlanta, GA 2005)
Candler Park Festival (Atlanta, GA 2004 & 2005)
Grant Park Summer Shade Festival (Atlanta, GA 2005)
Decatur Blue Sky Concerts (Decatur, GA 2005)
Kanuga Winterlight Festival (Kanuga, NC 2004)
Relay for Life (Cartersville, GA 2005)
Broadway Atlanta & Atlanta Braves Benefit (Atlanta, GA 2005)
Durham Urban Ministries Benefit Concert Series
(Chapel Hill, NC 2006)
First Friday Folk Series (Savannah, GA 2006) - updated 11/2006

Husband-and-wife team Rhett and Jill McAllister have been performing their brand of tender, singer/songwriter-style Americana as Arlington Priest for three years now. "The Memory of Your Company" is the duo's first studio CD, wherein they're joined by select guests including Clay Cook, Mark Van Allen and Russell Cook of The Little Country Giants. The tunes are rich and varied, and Jill's robust pipes provide a colorful contrast to her mate's lonesome, workingman's voice. At their well-attended release show last month at Eddie's Attic, they debuted their new full band lineup which included a pair of ex-Tender Idols. - Jeff Clark

With their 2006 release, "The Memory of Your Company," husband and wife duo Rhett and Jill McAllister claim their spot among the singer/songwriter crowd with lyrics that tap into life experiences everyone can relate to and harmonies that convey how couples support each other in a thousand subtle ways.

Track 1, “Long Day,” sets the couple in both singer/songwriter and Americana territory. The lyrics are front and center with pedal steel and banjola adding mood around the edges. It's a mournful song about weariness that gets an inner energy from Jill's supporting harmonies.

On track 4, “Mexico,” Jill's vocals demonstrate a mastery of voice that's rare among the singer/songwriter set. It's strong, beautiful, and at peace. Rhett's backing vocals add warmth in the same way that Jill's do on “Long Day.”

I'm a sucker for traveling songs, so track 5, “Almost Home” felt good to me and it showcases the couple's talent for finding the harmonies that dig deep into your soul. Track 6, “Sarah,” features lead vocals from Rhett that hits the sweet spot between conversational and melodical making the song feel confessional and sincere without being weepy.

But the standout track, which seems to have been a late addition to the CD, is “With Me.” It's a haunting arrangement built around an ancient sounding piano that brings out the best of the couple musically, lyrically, and vocally and reminds me of some of Roseanne Cash's best work. - Calvin Powers

Good Day Atlanta - Fox TV Atlanta, GA

RADIO STATIONS
Barrow, AK, KBRW , 680 AM; 91.9 FM
Valdez, AK, KCHU, 770 AM
Galena, AK, KIYU, 910 AM
Anchorage, AK, KNBA , 90.3 FM
Talkeetna, AK, KTNA , 88.5 FM
Fairbanks, AK, KUAC, 89.9 FM
Glennallen, AK, KXGA-FM , 90.5 FM
Nome Public Radio / McCarthy, AK, KXKM , 89.7 FM
Bethel , AK, KYUK , 640 AM
Auburn, AL, WQNR, 99.9 FM
Tucson, AZ, KXCI, 91.3 FM
CSU Stanislaus Turlock, CA, KCSS, 91.9 FM
Rohnert Park, CA, KRCB, 91.1 FM
Santa Cruz, CA, KUSP, 88.9 FM
Nevada City, CA, KVMR, 89.5 FM
Santa Cruz, CA, KZSC, 88.1 FM
Carbondale, CO, KDNK, 90.5 FM
Fort Collins, CO, KRFC, 88.9 FM
Uncompahgre Valley; Surface Creek; San Miguel Valley, CO, KVMT , 89.1 FM
Paonia, CO, KVNF, 90.9 FM
University of Hartford West Hartford, CT, WHUH, 91.3 FM
Port Charlotte , FL, WBCG , 98.9 FM
Atlanta, GA, WRFG, 89.3 FM
Carbondale, IL, WDBX, 91.1 FM
Champaign, IL, WEFT, 90.1 FM
Louisville, KY, WFPK, 91.9 FM
Whitley City, KY, WHAY, 98.3 FM
Worcester , MA, WICN, 90.5 FM
U-MASS Amherst, MA , WMUA , 91.1 FM
Salisbury University Salisbury, MD, WSCL, 89.5 FM
Salisbury University Ocean City, MD, WSDL, 90.7 FM
East Orland; Bangor, ME, WERU, 89.9 FM; 102.9 FM
Bates College Lewiston, ME, WRBC, 91.5 FM
Henry Ford Community College Dearborn, MI , WHFR / HFCC, 89.3 FM
Grand Rapids; Brainerd; Bemidji, MN, KAXE, 91.7 FM; 89.5 FM; 105.3 FM
St Paul , MN, KCMP - Minnesota Public Radio, 89.3 FM
Rochester, MN, KMSE, 88.7 FM
University of Southern MS Hattiesburg, MS, WUSM, 88.5 FM
New Bern, NC, Public Radio East, 90.3 FM
Atlantic Beach, NC, WBJD, 91.5 FM
Kinston / Goldsboro, NC, WKNS, 90.3 FM
Gaston College Dallas, NC, WSGE, 91.7 FM
Wanchese, NC, WVOD, 99.1 FM
New Bern , NC, WZNB, 88.5 FM
Syracuse University Syracuse , NY, WAER , 88.1 FM
Fordham University Bronx, NY, WFUV, 90.7 FM
University of Rochester Rochester, NY, WRUR , 88.5 FM
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY, WVKR, 91.3 FM
Cincinnati, OH, Clear Channel, WTCR
Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH, WBGU, 88.1 FM
New Philadelphia , OH, WKRJ, 91.5 FM
Wooster, OH, WKRW, 89.3 FM
Kent State University Kent, OH, WKSU, 89.7 FM
Thompson, OH, WKSV, 89.1 FM
Norwalk, OH, WNRK, 90.7 FM
Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, WRUW, 91.1 FM
Portland; Columbia Gorge; and the Willamette Valley, OR, KBOO, 90.7 FM; 92.7 FM; 100.7 FM
Eugene, OR, KRVM, 91.9 FM
Penn State University Lemont; Dubois; Huntingdon; Treasure Lake; Bradford; Clearfield; and Altoona, PA, WPSU, 91.5 FM; 90.1 FM; 91.5 FM; 92.1 FM;92.3 FM; 95.1 FM; 100.9 FM; 104.7 FM;106.7 FM
McElhattan, PA, WQBR, 99.9 FM
Shippensburg University Shippensburg, PA, WSYC, 88.7 FM
Pittsburgh, PA, WYEP, 91.3 FM
Eastern Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN, WETS, 89.5 FM
Knoxville, TN, WIVK, 107.7 FM
College Station, TX, KEOS, 89.1 FM
Moab, UT, KZMU, 90.1 FM / 106.7 FM
Hot Springs, VA, WCHG, 107.1 FM
Heathsville, VA, WCNV, 89.1 FM
Richmond, VA, WCVE, 88.9 FM
Chester, VA, WRIR, 97.3 FM
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA, WTJU, 91.1 FM
Monterey , VA, WVLS, 89.7 FM
Virginia Beach, VA, WYOU, 100.9 FM
Bellevue, WA, KBCS, 91.3 FM
Madison, WI, WORT, 89.9 FM
Huntington; Ashland, KY; Ironton; OH, WV, WTCR, 1420 AM
Dunmore, WV, WVMR , 89.7 FM


INTERNET RADIO

FolkAlley.com
Talkeetna, AK, Whole Wheat Radio
San Rafael, CA, Radioio-Country
Brooklyn, NY, Radio Crystal Blue
Brooklyn, NY, Harris Radio
Columbus , OH, Online Folk Festival
San Antonio, TX, AmericanaRoots.com
Pandora.com .. www.pandora.com
Hound Dog Radio http://www.hounddogradio.net
Golden Flash (Westerlo, Belgium) .. www.goldenflash.be




PODCASTS

The Miller Tells her Tale (UK)..
An 80 minute, weekly podcast available via itunes (search for Karen Miller, or Americana - The Miller Tells Her Tale) or via www.themillertellshertale.co.uk.
TapRoot Radio - taprootradio.com/2006/10/music-spotlight-arlington-priest-open.html
Deke Radio - live365.com/stations/dekeradio - none