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With support from Merrill Lynch - ARH Group presents:

Bobby Hamrick

Musical Postcards from the Edge By PHIL SWEETLAND Music+Radio Contributor, The New York Times NASHVILLE – Bobby Hamrick is truly a musical man of the world and like Paul Simon 40 years earlier, a trip to England changed his musical life. "I'd say that growing up in America but coming of age in Englandmade for a more diversified sound in some ways, but also reinforced elements that influenced American music, such as Celtic stylings," Hamrick said before heading out from Nashville this summer for another adventure, this time to Japan. "Of course, contemporary singer/songwriters are very popular in the UK, so that influenced me as well."

Hamrick, the singer and songwriter and Belmont University product, found his musical home across the Pond: "I feel like England, and especially London," he tells us, "is a place where East meets West in a lot of ways. There are so many ethnic groups in London that it has influenced a lot of the culture, the food, and the music too. Since the British have loved American music for decades, I fit right in." London, which is likely the earth's leading ethnic Melting Pot these days, also exposed Hamrick to what is now called World Music - and this impacted his writing and singing too. "I take pride in the eclecticism of the album," he says. "It has been a source of both criticism and praise. People wonder if I'm confused about who I am. My life does not conform to a stereotype, and so I have no interest in pulling myself into a mold."

His music, remarkably mature and developed work for a guy in his early 20s, shows the same iconoclasm. That's why it's so strong, and so refreshing in a cookie-cutter Nashville. This is where Bobby is at his best. He is a terrific observer of countless musical styles, and fuses them into his own writing and performing – and producing. Many artists loathe the road, because the inconvenience and countless hassles of modern travel cramp their style. Bobby is the exact opposite. His musical antennae shift into overdrive when he goes abroad or even around the States – and after every voyage he returns home with fresh ideas for songs, arrangements, and production. Yet his time in Music City - a name which few remember came not from Country but from Gospel, via the Fisk Jubilee Singers's European tours in the 1860s and 1870s - has also had a positive impact on Bobby Hamrick's work.

One of his Nashville blessings has come from working with Gospel singer Todd Suttles. Suttles is both a Gospel singer and a strength coach at nearby Vanderbilt University. Soon, Bobby became Todd's guitar player at shows; the two guys quickly influenced each other's music. Hamrick's passion for a variety of instruments also found a musical direction in Nashville. "One of the biggest influences the Nashville scene has had on me is the usage of a variety of acoustic instruments," Hamrick says. "I especially love the Bluegrass instruments - guitar, mandolin, Dobro, fiddle, banjo, upright bass - they all have their own voice, and I love that. I tried to employ a lot of these on my album." So do yourself a favor: Listen to the Entire Album. Now.

Bobby Hamrick on MySpace

For more information visit: www.savannahsmusic.com