Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
--This Memphis duo showcases Jed Zimmerman's songwriting and vocalist Kelley Mickwee's lovely, languid singing. The debut Jed and Kelley CD is totally charming, front to back. Whether she's singing lead and he's harmonizing or vice versa, the blend is always spot-on. The two covers are Ray Price's "I'll Be There" (recorded in a rainstorm) and this dreamy Keith Sykes title tune. Americana programmers will also fall for these two. It looks like they're touring out west all summer. I sure hope they book a Nashville date some time. Because I think they're right up there in the league of Buddy and Julie Miller, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris or Robin & Linda Williams.
- Robert K. Oermann
"Lose to Win" named "Best Country Record In A Blues/Rock/ Rap Town" for 2005. - Commercial Appeal
Collierville country duo Jed & Kelley (singer-songwriter Jed Zimmerman and second vocalist Kelley Mickwee) make an impressive bow with Lose to Win. Produced by local tune titan Keith Sykes at his Woodshed studio, the 11-track debut is a strong showcase for the twosome, who flaunt an attractive Americana vibe not unlike Buddy and Julie Miller (though Kelley's vocal sweet spot is closer in kin to Dixie Chick Natalie Maines). Sykes, who once gave a career boost to Todd Snider, gets the best out of his current clients, pairing them with such session pros as RiverBluff Clan members Richard Ford and Tommy Burroughs, Pawtuckets alumni Kevin Cubbins and Mark Stuart, and Eric Lewis, whose David Lindley-esque lap steel playing turns the tune "Texas New Mexico Line" into a riff-laden gem. Another highlight comes in a cover of the Sykes song "Lavender Blue," so radio-friendly it's likely to give Jed & Kelley deserved entree into Music City.". - Bill Ellis
Record-store bins are filling up with local releases: Collierville country-rock duo Jed & Kelley are celebrating the release of their debut CD, Lose To Win, at the P&H Café on February 4th. Keith Sykes produced the album, which features a rollicking version of his own "Lavender Blue," a heartrending cover of Ray Price's "I'll Be There," and nine of Jed Zimmerman's originals, at his Woodshed Studio. Think Buddy and Julie Miller: Jed & Kelley's harmonies are that good".
- Andria Lisle
Discography
Debut release (independent)
"Lose to Win"
Getting airplay with "Lavender Blue" and "Texas New Mexico Line"
#22 on Roots Country Charts
#27 X-Country/XM Radio Charts
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The hole in the walls, the dives, the smoky bars cradled deep in the gut of the city. It is here that the neon lights shine on some of the most talented acts in the Memphis music community. Roots of blues, country, folk, rock and bluegrass tangle up these taverns. If you know where to look, its all here. It is also here that Jed Zimmerman and Kelley Mickwee developed their craft as a duo. Zimmerman, the songwriter, writes with an internal style that seems to relate to us all. Simple and straight ahead, the songs get across without gimmicks. Kelley, with her clear and soulful voice, cuts to the heart of the song. Together, they deliver something real and timeless. Townes Van Zant once wrote, “to the sing for the sake of the song”, and that is exactly for what this duo strives. Zimmerman, owning every Dylan record and one time or another, cites Peter Rowan and Gordon Lightfoot as definite influences. Kelley grew up listening to Emmylou, Dolly Parton and Bonnie Raitt albums and seems to be cut from the Patty Griffin and Natalie Maines cloth. Their debut record, “Lose to Win”, was recorded last fall at the Woodshed Studio in Memphis, TN. They have only just begun to make their mark on the Americana music scene, touring constantly since the records release in February ’05. Produced and Engineered by legendary Keith Sykes, the recordings seem to capture the essence of the duo: original, honest songs with hand-in-glove harmonies. After years of playing in country rock bands on the local scene, Jed and Kelley have taken their stripped down, acoustic show on the road. Trading in everything they could sell for an RV, they turned to the highway in search for a place among those who have inspired them. Gram and Emmylou, Conway and Loretta, Buddy and Julie Miller...partnerships that are both unique and undeniable.
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