SONGWRITERS IN SONOMA BEGINS THE NEW YEAR WITH A TRIO OF AWARD-WINNING SONGWRITERS
SONOMA, CA.—Meadowcroft Wines’ Songwriters in Sonoma music series kicks off its second year on Thursday, January 19 at 7 p.m. with three top Award-winning songwriters: Steve Seskin, Don Henry and Craig Carothers. The three writers are touring throughout Central California and the North Bay during the month of January. They will share their insights into successful songwriting as well as hilarious stories as they perform the hits they have written for artists such as Ray Charles, Peter Frampton, Peter, Paul & Mary, Kathy Mattea, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Trisha Yearwood and others. Songwriters in Sonoma is produced by Meadowcroft Wines (www.meadowcroftwines.com) and sponsored by MusicNomad.com (www.musicnomad.com). The monthly show is booked and hosted by Gerard Serafini, owner of Sonoma Valley Music store (www.sonomavalleymusic.com).
Tickets for this special show are $20 and include a glass of wine. The show takes place in the Meadowcroft Wines tasting room at 23574 Arnold Drive/Hwy 121 in the Cornerstone Sonoma community. In addition to a full menu of wine selections, cheese plates with Charcuterie will be available for purchase as well as a selection from Chef Darby’s Hot Pot. Reservations may be made by calling the tasting room at 707/934-4090 or on line at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Steve Seskin is one of the most successful writers in Nashville today, with songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Neal McCoy, John Michael Montgomery, Kenny Chesney, Collin Raye, Peter Frampton, Waylon Jennings, Alabama and Mark Wills, whose recording of the song “Don’ Laugh at Me” was a finalist for CMA Song of the Year in 1999 and has spurred an entire tolerance movement, launched by the Don’t Laugh at Me Project. Other Steve Seskin hits include: “I Think about You,” “Life’s A Dance,” “No Doubt about It,” “If You’ve Got Love” and “Grown Men Don’t Cry.”
Don Henry, originally from Morgan Hill, is known as a guy the other writers love to hear. He writes remarkable songs and he sings them with equally extraordinary tenderness, humor and sincerity. His songs have been recorded by Ray Charles, Conway Twitty, the Oak Ridge Boys, Lonestar, Bryan White, Gary Morris, Ray Kennedy and Kathy Mattea, among others. For co-writing Kathy Mattea’s critically acclaimed hit, “Where’ve You Been,” Don and Jon Vezner earned a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, as well as songwriting awards from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and the Nashville Songwriters Association International. In fact, “Where’ve You Been” was the first song to ever be so honored.
Craig Carothers has played nightclubs and concerts from Los Angeles to Stockholm for the last 20 years. He has shared the stage with more than 100 acts including Mose Allison, Karla Bonnoff, Bruce Cockburn, Ry Cooder, Donovan, John Hiatt, Leo Kottke, Michael McDonald, Leroy Parnell, Boz Skaggs and Richard Thompson. He received the Portland Music Association’s Crystal Award for both “Best Folk Act” and “Best Single.” Shortly thereafter, signing a publishing contract with Nashville based Crossfire Entertainment/Almo Irving Music. His songs have been recorded by Trisha Yearwood, Kathy Mattea, Lorrie Morgan and others.
“We are thrilled to have the caliber of songwriter that these talented men bring to the start of our second year of Songwriters in Sonoma,” said Tom Meadowcroft, winemaker and owner of Meadowcroft Wines. “The success achieved in our first year was quite incredible as we kick off year two with a stellar lineup of singer-songwriters.”
Meadowcroft Wines includes the Meadowcroft and Thomas Henry labels. The tasting room is located within the Cornerstone Sonoma (www.cornerstonesonoma.com) complex that features 24 world class gardens, a gourmet café, art galleries and cutting edge design shops all set among acres of vineyards.
Meadowcroft Wines is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The venue is available for private parties, private tastings, wine dinners and other events. With plenty of free parking at Cornerstone Sonoma, the area is a perfect setting for any type of event, both indoors or outdoors. For information or to make reservations, please call 707-934-4090.
MusicNomad.com (www.musicnomad.com) is where musicians go to find a home. Music Nomad is a musician’s advocate organization that strives to help make sense of the vast and fragmented music industry by researching, interviewing, reviewing and ranking thousands of companies within the music industry and filtering the ones that can truly be of help to musicians. MusicNomad.com is a free service and focuses on fighting for the independent musician.
Sonoma Valley Music (www.sonomavalleymusic.com) is Sonoma’s retail music store providing instruments, service, rentals and repairs. They also have support equipment such as sound systems and PA gear for shows and events. Their personal service is what sets Sonoma Valley Music apart from the rest.
