It's country music sung with the sublety of jazz.

12 MP3 Songs
COUNTRY: Country Pop, COUNTRY: Modern Country



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Bio & Album Profile for 'New Way Out'
Written by Edward Morris
Senior writer for Country Music Television


There are singers who interpret songs as if theyâre performing them on an award show- all very assertive and oratorical. Of course, thereâs absolutely nothing wrong with this approach. Itâs produced a wealth of show-stopping tunes. But itâs not Tara LaâDellâs way. Listen to any of her renditions on New Way Out and youâll feel youâve drifted into a private conversation, one in which sheâs sharing her joys, dreams and anxieties only with you. Itâs country music sung with the subtlety of jazz.

What youâre less likely to detect in LaâDellâs voice is the fact that sheâs a down-to-earth Georgia girl who grew up belting out gospel music in her home church. Thatâs one story. The other is how she invaded Nashville from New York.

LaâDell was born and raised in Rome, Georgia, where her father still pastors a church and her mother plays piano. âFrom the time I was around eight,â she recalls, âI sang with my parents. We performed at our home church- as well as many others peppered in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. I grew up surrounded by traditional Southern gospel, bluegrass gospel and even a little sacred harp. As a child, I always looked forward to our Churchâs âhomecomingâ or dinner on the ground. That was the day you ate wonderful home cooked food topped off with all-day singing.â

Before he became a minister, LaâDellâs father was a choir director, âhe could get everyone in the entire Church to sing their best every time.â Her mother, she proudly asserts, can âplay the keys off a piano and sing with anybody. I put her right up there with Vestal Goodman. Growing up with parents like that was a real treat. They will always be not only my first but most precious inspirations.â

There were ample musical influences beyond the church, LaâDell says, chief among them Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Patsy Cline, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt and Wynonna. When her sister married a man from New Jersey, LaâDell fell under the sway of such eminent Garden Staters as Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen.

âI have an affinity for sad songs,â LaâDell admits. âI donât know why. Itâs just in my body. I can listen to Hank Williams Sr. forever. That guy . . . he just tears your guts out. I like artists who try to connect.â

LaâDellâs prime inspiration, however, was none of the above. âI remember like it was yesterday,â she begins. âI was driving down the road and this song came on. It was Vince Gill singing âWhen I Call Your Name.â I couldnât believe it. It was pure perfection. I thought to myself, âThatâs it! Thatâs the voice.â It was the exact style I loved. Heâs got that R&B in there, and heâs got that beautiful tenor. To me, thereâs nobody else playing in the same ballpark.â

Even though Gill rocked her world, LaâDell never visualized herself having a career in music . She rarely performed outside of churches and private circles, and when it came time for college, she put her music behind her. âThere were a couple of reasons for this,â she says. âFirst, I didnât know anybody in the business, and I felt sure I needed to. Then, my mom was going through some major surgeries. So I stayed close to home.â

There followed a brief marriage that, sadly, ended in divorce. âAfter that, I needed a change in my life,â LaâDell says. âSo I moved to Manhattan. In New York, you either win or you get eaten. And I won. I had a successful career, met and married my soul mate and had a great time soaking up the whole scene. I encountered the kind of diversity and culture you can't find anywhere else.â

Making an album was the last thing LaâDell had on her mind the morning she waved goodbye to her husband, Christian, as he departed for a business meeting in Washington, D.C. Later that day, he was on the golf course when a playing partner asked what his wife did. Christian explained that she worked with him in the familyâs financial services business. He went on to say that she was âa great singerâ and that heâd often tried to convince her to record an album. âSo,â says LaâDell, picking up the story, âthe guy told him he knew someone in Nashville that heâd like to introduce me to. Christian came home and said, âI want you to do this. Itâs now or never.â And I said I would.â

That âsomeone in Nashvilleâ was producer and music publisher Terry Choate, a man who had helped guide the careers of Tanya Tucker, Anne Murray, T. Graham Brown and Garth Brooks, among many others. As head of the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Choate had also distinguished himself as a songwriterâs advocate.

Choate recently was involved with production on a gospel album for Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers which was nominated for a Grammy. When speaking with Choate as to how he decided to get involved with LaâDellâs project he explained his decision making process. âWhen Iâm considering whether or not to produce a particular artist, I listen for two things. First, a voice that is unique and second, singing that is emotionally believable. Taraâs pure voice emerges from the speakers in a subtle and refreshing way and her delivery of a lyric comes from within. Sheâs not trying to dazzle you with vocal acrobatics and licks or force any issue, she simply wants to share with you what she feels when she sings and have you believe her. The most amazing part of the process for me was the way we were instantly drawn to the same songs. We both couldnât wait to record these songs. My job was to surround her with the best musicians, engineers, and arrangers and then let her sing on âboth sides of the roadâ and just guide her away from the ditches !! Recording Tara was a true and special pleasure.â


When LaâDell phoned him, Choate asked her to send him a recorded sample of her singing. Since she had none, she flew to Nashville and sang to him in person. âIt was just me and him and the four walls,â LaâDell remembers. âI probably sang seven or eight songsâall unaccompaniedâand he just went, âWow!ââ Choate agreed to produce an album for her, but he warned her that if she âlaid an eggâ in the studio, heâd stop the project.

The next step was finding songs for LaâDell to consider. She told him she liked âmelodious musicâ and reminded him of her penchant for sad tunes. Only one of the songs Choate and LaâDell picked had a chart history. It was the title cut, âNew Way Out,â a Randy Sharp tune that went Top 20 for Karen Brooks in 1982.

True to LaâDellâs request, several of the songs she wound up recording have a distinctly wistful edge. The title cut, for example, wonders if thereâs a gentler way to break up a relationship. âBetter Off With My Broken Heartâ concludes that itâs best not to give a lover whoâs wounded you once a chance to do it twice. âGoing Down In Historyâ concedes how difficult it is to sweep an old lover out of your mind. âI Will Be O. K.â surveys the difficulty of swimming upstream against a rejection. âThere Must Be A Highwayâ searches for a route that leads away from day-to-day domestic routine.

But there is cheerier fare, too. âOnly Alwaysâ and âFor Your Loveâ pledge eternal devotion.âThirstâ is a flat out declaration of attraction and need. âLovinâ One Woman Wellâ observes how true love focuses a manâs attention (and sharpens his amatory skills). âThe Will Of The Windâ advises a calm surrender to forces larger than you. âSoul Deepâ expresses a profound contentment with the state of oneâs love.

The final cut, âWho Did You Love?,â is tinged with gospel as it asks âJudgment Dayâ question, âWho did you give more to than you took from?â But itâs very much a here-and-now song as well in suggesting a universal standard to live by.

Listeners will find in Choateâs deft production and LaâDellâs agile vocals a treasury of rich melodies and finely nuanced emotions.

Rather than âshopâ New Way Out to major labels, LaâDell has chosen to release it on her own imprint, CastleLion Entertainment in association with The MAGNET Music Group. In doing so, she aims to build a level of attention and sales that will attract a major to pick it up. LaâDell left her job with the family business last January to focus her concentration on recording and marketing the debut album, and she and her husband will move to Nashville this coming January to oversee the project. The album will be released Oct. 1.

As LaâDell was completing New Way Out, Choate surprised her by taking her backstage at the Grand Ole Opry to meet her idol. Vince Gill was feeling under the weather that evening, she remembers, but he still brought many in the crowd to tears when he sat alone on stage with his guitar and sang âGo Rest High On That Mountainâ

After the performance, Choate ushered LaâDell over to meet Gill just as he was walking offstage. âThe guy was unbelievable,â she marvels. âThere he was sick and everybody trying to talk to himâand he took the time to stop and have a conversation with me. Once I could form words, I told him how much heâd inspired me. He proceeded to lean against the wall as if he had nothing else to do, and Iâll bet we talked for 15 minutes. He could see I was nervous, so he said, âThatâs OK, honey. Iâm just a hillbilly from Oklahoma.â

And that was all a hillbilly from Georgia needed to hear.


CHECK OUT TARA'S WEBSITE www.TaraLadell.com OR HER MYSPACE PAGE at link: http://www.myspace.com/taraladell

MUSICIANSHIP INFORMATION FOR 'NEW WAY OUT':

Below is a list of the musicians and harmony singers that Terry Choate enlisted for Tara's album, 'New Way Out'. They're some of the best in the music industry and Tara was honored to have them play and sing for her debut album. After their name is the instrument they played for Tara's album followed up by a list of some of the other artists they've played or sang harmony for.

Eddie Bayers- Drums & Percussion.
Credits Include: John Denver, Ricky Scaggs, George Strait, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Glenn Campbell, The Judds, Alabama, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett, Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, Patty Loveless, Alan Jackson, Conway Twitty, Willie Nelson, Sara Evans, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Jr., George Jones, Toby Keith, Marty Stuart, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, Trisha Yearwood, Clint Black, Linda Davis, Elton John, Wynonna Judd, Julio Iglesias, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Billy Currington, Peter Cetera, & The Beach Boys,

Craig Nelson- Bass.
Credits Include: The Judds, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Patty Loveless, Charlotte Church, Trisha Yearwood, James Taylor, Little Big Town, Gaither Vocal Band, Amy Grant, & JoDee Messina.

Dirk Johnson- Piano, Keyboards & B3 Organ.
Credits Include: Keith Whitley, Alan Jackson, Gaither Vocal Band, Bill Anderson, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, & Florida Boys.

Kirk âJelly Rollâ Johnson- Harmonica.
Credits include: Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, Trisha Yearwood, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Etta James, Lee Ann Womack, The Judds, Gaither Vocal Band, Travis Tritt, & Gary Allen.

Mike Johnson- Pedal Steel Guitar.
Credits Include: Bill Anderson, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Trick Pony, Shannon Brown, & Aaron Tippin.

Paul Leim- Drums & Percussion.
Credits Include: Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, The Monkees, Amy Grant, Wayne Newton, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Whitney Houston, Reba McEntire, JoDee Messina, Montgomery Gentry, Barry Manilow, Randy Travis, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, Hank Williams, Jr., Glen Campbell, Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney, David Foster, Kenny Chesney, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Neil Diamond, Ricky Skaggs, Linda Davis, & Lyle Lovett.

Tommy Harden- Drums & Percussion.
Credits Include: Reba McEntire, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers.

Larry Paxton- Bass.
Credits Include: Alabama, George Strait, Tom Jones, Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Chet Atkins, Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, Ricky Skaggs, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty, Wayne Newton, Roy Clark, George Jones, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Kris Kristofferson, & Martina McBride

Curtis Young- Harmony vocals.
Credits Include: George Strait, Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Garth Brooks, Ricky Scaggs, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, Clint Black, Lee Ann Womack, Tammy Wynette, JoDee Messina, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams, Jr., Glenn Campbell, Tim McGraw, Merle Haggard, Kenny Chesney, Patty Loveless, Neil Diamond, Keith Urban, Sara Evans, Brooks & Dunn, Willie Nelson, & Toby Keith.

Cindy Walker- Harmony vocals.
Credits Include: Randy Travis, George Jones, Ronnie Milsap, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Clint Black, JoDeeMessina, Kenny Chesney, Lorrie Morgan ,& Gregg Allman.

Kris Wilkinson- Violin,Viola, & String Arrangements.
Credits include: Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Glen Campbell, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Michael McDonald, Jewel, Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Marty Stuart, Keith Urban, Randy Travis, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Martina McBride, Big & Rich, & Trace Adkins.

John Willis- Acoustic Rhythm Guitar, Gut string guitar, & electric guitar.
Credits Include: Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Jewel, Brooks & Dunn, Billy Currington, George Jones, Jo Dee Messina, Ronnie Milsap, Gary Allan, Blake Shelton, Van Zant, Wynonna Judd, Le Ann Rimes, John Rich, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Toby Keith, Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, Gretchen Wilson, Gaither Vocal Band, Aaron Neville, Clay Walker, Alabama, & Blackwood Brothers.

Dennis Wilson- Harmony vocals.
Credits Include: Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Brooks & Dunn, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Hank Williams, Jr., Garth Brooks, Marty Stuart, Clint Black, Martina McBride, Emmylou Harris, Conway Twitty, Shania Twain, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Trisha Yearwood, Neil Diamond, Ricky Scaggs, LeAnn Rimes, Vince Gill, Sara Evans, George Strait, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Chicago, Lee Ann Womack, Blake Shelton, Glen Campbell, & Trace Adkins.

Lisa Silver- Harmony vocals.
Credits Include: Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, Ronnie Milsap, Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Jr., Glen Campbell, Marty Stuart, Trisha Yearwood, Tom T. Hall, Don Williams, Ray Charles, Lee Ann Womack, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, & George Jones.