Rachel Brown & The Beatnik Playboys

Cleveland's local music scene is off to a fine start for 2013. That'll coincide well with the numerous grand openings scheduled for the city this year. It should be a grand year for local music if Rachel Brown's new release, Just Look My Way, is any indication.

The northeast Ohio native holds a masters degree in music from the University of Akron and teaches in the Elyria school district. By night she can usually be found behind a piano playing the kind of joyful honky tonk, country and gospel-tinged music usually found further south.

Just Look My Way is the singer/songwriter's first attempt at recording with a full band. We can only hope there will be more. She's joined by an enviable group of musicians including her backing band The Beatnik Playboys.

Special guests on the album are abundant. Paul Kovac and Al Moss, with whom she performs in the band Hillbilly Idol, lend a hand. The Numbers Band's Jack Kidney stopped by the session to play harmonica. Other musicians helping out include Chris Hanna, Bob Corlett and Jeff Rice.
The title track finds Brown in a duet with Brent Kirby, a pairing I've had the pleasure of seeing numerous times. Nate Jones also sings on the album.

Though surrounded with all this talent, what can be heard front and center is Rachel's sweet voice and piano playing. Again, here we have an album by a local musician that can easily be placed along side any national act. Give a listen for yourself here on Spotify and then share it with your friends. That's an easy way for us Clevelanders to help spread the word of the talent we have here.

And then you'll want to pick up a copy of the actual CD. You'll be able to do so at Rachel's CD release party held at The Beachland Ballroom, Saturday February 22nd. She's also doing a special night of music along with Brent Kirby at Nighttown on Saturday January 26th. That show, with its setting made for critical listening, will be a real treat. You can order tickets simply by emailing Nighttown.

In the dead of winter Rachel Brown's music is finding its way onto my music system with regularity. To me it sounds like a harbinger of spring and the start of a special year for the Cleveland music scene.
- John Hannibal

Cleveland's local music scene is off to a fine start for 2013. That'll coincide well with the numerous grand openings scheduled for the city this year. It should be a grand year for local music if Rachel Brown's new release, Just Look My Way, is any indication.

The northeast Ohio native holds a masters degree in music from the University of Akron and teaches in the Elyria school district. By night she can usually be found behind a piano playing the kind of joyful honky tonk, country and gospel-tinged music usually found further south.

Just Look My Way is the singer/songwriter's first attempt at recording with a full band. We can only hope there will be more. She's joined by an enviable group of musicians including her backing band The Beatnik Playboys.

Special guests on the album are abundant. Paul Kovac and Al Moss, with whom she performs in the band Hillbilly Idol, lend a hand. The Numbers Band's Jack Kidney stopped by the session to play harmonica. Other musicians helping out include Chris Hanna, Bob Corlett and Jeff Rice.
The title track finds Brown in a duet with Brent Kirby, a pairing I've had the pleasure of seeing numerous times. Nate Jones also sings on the album.

Though surrounded with all this talent, what can be heard front and center is Rachel's sweet voice and piano playing. Again, here we have an album by a local musician that can easily be placed along side any national act. Give a listen for yourself here on Spotify and then share it with your friends. That's an easy way for us Clevelanders to help spread the word of the talent we have here.

And then you'll want to pick up a copy of the actual CD. You'll be able to do so at Rachel's CD release party held at The Beachland Ballroom, Saturday February 22nd. She's also doing a special night of music along with Brent Kirby at Nighttown on Saturday January 26th. That show, with its setting made for critical listening, will be a real treat. You can order tickets simply by emailing Nighttown.

In the dead of winter Rachel Brown's music is finding its way onto my music system with regularity. To me it sounds like a harbinger of spring and the start of a special year for the Cleveland music scene.
- John Hannibal

You don't have to travel to New York, Chicago, Austin, or Nashville to hear top flight entertainment. It's right here in your backyard of Northeast Ohio. Our home-grown singer/songwriters performing original music have been gaining a loyal following over the past several years with some lauded major national exposure. The quality of their work has been that good. So who is the next local favorite you need to seek out?
Rachel Brown has a voice that will make you think you're not in Cleveland anymore. By day, the Medina native teaches music and choir at an Elyria middle school. But the dream of performer has never left her since she first played professionally at age 14. This girl can sing the blues, sultry jazz, and traditional country & western music which can all be heard on her new CD Just Look My Way.

The new album is just her second in the last five years. Instead of another solo piano effort, Ms. Brown surrounded herself with musicians she has either played with or admired to create a "dream project". The stellar line-up starts with her backing band of Bill Watson (bass), Roy King (drums), and Dave Huddelston (guitar) that are the Beatnick Playboys. A who's who of talent including Denny Jones (fiddle), Al Moss (pedal steel), Paul Kovac (mandolin/banjo), Jack Kidney (harmonica), Jeff Rice (sax), Chris Hanna (organ), and Bob Corlett (accordion) all lend a hand. Brent Kirby and Nate Jones offer some beautiful vocals harmonies, and acoustic guitar.
Brown wrote twelve of the album's thirteen tracks which were engineered by Paul Hamann at Suma Recording Studio. Some of album's highlights include "Adam and Helen", a song dedicated to Rachel's parents. Growing up listening to old-tyme country music like George Jones and Meryl Haggard was a huge influence on Brown's musical styling. So in that vein, this song paints a simple story about her Mom and Dad meeting, falling in love, and their persevering relationship. Brown loves singing duets, so she couldn't pass up the opportunity to recorded "Just Look My Way" with Kirby and "When I'm With You" with Jones. Brown's rich voice fills the room with the lovely torch song "Just Words" and has your toe tapping along with "You're Not A Dream". But what is really amazing is that every song is a winner on Rachel Brown's album. She is Cleveland's next shining star and worthy of some national exposure. It's that good.
Rachel Brown will be performing a special show on the Yamaha grand piano at Cleveland's premier jazz club Nighttown with The Beatnik Playboys and Brent Kirby on January 26th at 8:30 PM. The official CD Release Party will take place in the intimate Beachland Tavern on Friday, February 22nd with many of the above mentioned players taking part in the festivities. To keep up with Rachel Brown's busy performance schedule around town and hear a sampling of her music, check out www.rachelandthebeatnikplayboys.com. - Jay Minkin for No Depression

ELYRIA — A local junior high school music teacher is making an international name for herself as a musician thanks in part to the Internet.
Rachel Wearsch, a choir and general music teacher at Eastern Heights Junior High School in Elyria, has been playing one instrument or another since she was 6. She loves introducing music to her students, but these days she is busy marketing herself and her own music on the Internet.
“It’s some folk music mixed with country and blues. It’s pretty eclectic,� Wearsch said. “It’s all songs I wrote.�

PROVIDED
Rachel Wearsch
Wearsch got her master’s degree in music education from the University of Akron and has been teaching seventh- and eighth-graders for seven years.
And within the last few months, she created a Web site — www.rachelandthebeatnikplayboys.com — where she showcases her work and sells her CD, titled “Life of Love.�
As if that weren’t enough, Wearsch also is married, with two children and two step-children.
“I grew up in a very musical family,� she said. “I was surrounded by it. My parents had a farm in Medina, and my dad decided our barn needed to be the music barn. I started studying classical piano at age 6. We had musicians over all the time for jam sessions. Music has always been a huge part of my life.�
Wearsch’s parents, avid country music fans, introduced her to a variety of music and musicians. In addition to the piano, Wearsch also plays bass, mandolin and guitar, and is studying the lap steel.
“I sing and play, and I started playing professionally at age 12,� she said. “That was a full-time job for me then, in addition to school. I played with different bands at festivals and in clubs. I was young, but my parents were very strict and were always with me. It was a lot of fun.�
Wearsch has opened locally for some high-profile names, including Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Clint Black and The Judds.
Do her students know they are learning from a local celebrity?
“Not really,� Wearsch said. “Maybe a little, but I try to keep that very separate. I love my teaching job. I’m so lucky to be able to do something that I love.�
After she set up her Web site, Wearsch started getting international recognition.
“I’ve gotten a good response,� she said. “Quite a few public radio stations and a few Internet stations are playing my songs. I love looking at comments from people in Germany and Ireland who’ve downloaded my music. I’m getting to talk to people from all over the world. It makes the world a smaller place for me.�
What was it like opening for Emmylou Harris — one of her favorite artists? “It was a thrill,� Wearsch said.
Wearsch said she loves that she gets to share her love of music, which was so much a part of her childhood, with her students.
“Teaching is totally different from performing, but it’s very rewarding,� she said. “I was a shy child, and singing and performing was a way of expressing myself and my feelings.
“For my students, I want them to have that same experience. I want music for them to be a way to express themselves in a positive way. It’s very cool.�
Fan quotes posted on her Web site indicate her listeners feel the same way. There’s everything from “the voice of a country angel� to the rather concise “you freakin’ rock!�
Fans can purchase songs or her CD on her Web site, or sites including MP3.com, payplay.fm, cdbaby.com, itunes.com and others.
- Chronicle Telegram

10/16/07
CMJ Radio 200 - Top 30 - WSCA-LP 106.1FM

1 NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Challengers Matador
2 JOHN VANDERSLICE Emerald City Barsuk
3 DAN BLAKESLEE Lincoln Street Roughs Peapod Recordings
4 EVERYBODYFIELDS Nothing Is Okay Ramseur
5 DEVENDRA BANHART Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon XL-Beggars
6 GO TEAM! Proof Of Youth Subpop
7 BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS Lifeline Virgin
8 MOTHER & THE ADDICTS Science Fiction Illustrated Chemikal Underground
9 AUDREY RYAN Dishes And Pills Folkwit
10 RACHEL WEARSCH Life Of Love
11 VARIOUS ARTISTS Guilt By Association Engine Room
12 JENS LEKMAN Night Falls Over Kortedala Secretly Canadian
13 CAVE SINGERS Invitation Songs
14 PELLE CARLBERG In A Nutsell Twentyseven
15 IRON & WINE The Shepherd's Dog Subpop
16 ROBERT POLLARD Coast To Coast Carpet Of Love/Standard Gargoyle Decisions Merge
17 MANNEQUIN MEN Fresh Rot Flameshovel
18 CASS MCCOMBS Dropping The Writ Domino
19 FIERY FURNACES Widow City Thrill Jockey
20 SHOUT OUT LOUDS Our Ill Wills Merge
21 MORNING RECORDINGS The Welcome Kinetic Loose Thread
22 WOODEN SHJIPS - s/t Holy Mountain
23 JOSE GONZALEZ In Our Nature Mute
24 EARLIMART Mentor Tormentor Majordomo
25 OLD TIME RELIJUN Catharsis In Crisis K
26 SEA WOLF Leaves In The River Dangerbird
27 THE GOOD LIFE Help Wanted Nights Saddle Creek
28 FIRE ENGINES Hungry Beat Acute
29 VHS OR BETA Bring On The Comets Astralwerks
30 LEWIS TAYLOR The Lost Album Hacktone
- CMJ Radio

SingerUniverse Best Vocalist Of The Month Competition
March 2008
Alyse Black
Rachel Wearsch
Stars Go Dim
Kim Adams and the House Cats
- Singer Universe

€œLife of Loveâ€? by Rachel Wearsch is best described as a delightfully refreshing country/folk album. The style is contemporary and the music is memorable. Listeners will surely remember these tunes and more importantly, be able to relate to the emotions expressed through these poetic lyrics. This CD is a strong reflection of the heavy emotional atmospheres of love and heartbreak that are trademarks of great country tunes. The sax solo on “Just Go Onâ€? gives a fine touch to a well-performed piece. The piano intro on “You Gave Me Your Loveâ€? and the sensuous presentation of its graceful lyrics simply touches the soul. The toe-tapping up-beat in Count On Me Baby will get your blood pumping and make you want to get up and dance. This is a very innovative and creative work of art. What's more, this collection is nicely polished with professional production. It is sure to be a worthwhile addition to you collection of country . - Radioindy

May 28, 2008

Americana singer/songwriter Rachel Wearsch launches new solo release designed to embrace her traditional roots. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl.

As cliche as the old adage may seem, there is a reason it that it has stuck through the ages. Rachel Wearsch is living proof that it is impossible out run the past. And when the past produces something as remarkable as Wearsch's self-released debut, Life of Love, it becomes a little clearer as to why the world should be thankful for honky tonks and pick-up trucks.

Who She Is
Having studied and performed on piano since before she was in junior high, Wearsch boasts classical training and over two decades of live performing experience. She has opened for many prominent musicians, including Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn, also brushing shoulders with more contemporary artists such as Clint Black and Toby Keith. Wearsch, hailing from Small Town, USA,was raised by musically-oriented parents who molded her into the versatile virtuoso that she is today. Returning after decade spent running from her modest roots, Wearsch embraces her southern tendencies and plucking abilities to storm the nation with a release so powerfully heartfelt and honest that it will steal the breath of Country critics from all over.

The Scoop
Life of Love was written, performed, and mastered by Wearsch alone. After experimenting with various musical genres, ranging from bar blues bands to a 1950’s cover group, she has finally come full circle back to the place where she started. Growing up with George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash has allowed Wearsch to mesh the traditional Country/Western background with vibrant bluegrass, a healthy dose of old-fashioned blues and her own classical piano training to launch a uniquely refreshing album that could only be labeled as pure Americana.

Highlights
Someday is a delightedly simple tune bursting with fresh mandolin and buoyant tambourine that swears Someday, you're gonna be mine. Wearschs vocals breezily lilt along its brazen crescendos and transfer effortlessly into the more melancholy Just Go On, which features a slow steel guitar and drawling saxophone that just asks for a bottle of wine and a good cry. The title track,Life of Love,while uplifting with its jaunty melodies, offers a more realistic view on little Miss Perfect, who may be The center of attention when she drinks her wine; but inevitably she will be Always searching for the love of her life.Heart on the Run? features a wonderful acoustic intro, and then launches into a piano-driven jog about needing some temporary comfort. Purely stripped and sweet,Stay With Me is an excellent exhibition of Wearschs upper vocal range that brings to mind the early Sunday mornings spent with a cherished one.

Last Thoughts
While no stranger to recording, Rachel Wearschs solo attempt earns much-deserved merit for being extremely smooth and seamless; highly unusual for an album recorded in a basement. While it may take several spins to really get under your skin, Life of Love is a sure-fire product that will take a loving spot in the hearts of many devoted Folk, Country, and Bluegrass - Suite101.com

Great Lakes Songwriting Competition -
September 29, 2008

Rachel's song "When it Comes to You" won an honorable mention in this year's Great Lakes Songwriting Competition - online