The Press Room
Press Release
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NEWS RELEASE
‘Songwriter Musician’ Takes You Inside Nashville's Music Scene
NASHVILLE (August 20, 2024) - An uncommonly intimate storytelling retrospective, Songwriter Musician documents three decades of Nashville's stars, songwriters and session greats at decisive, unguarded moments in their careers.
Conceived and compiled by veteran Nashville photographer Ed Rode, the photo documentary book comes out August 20, 2024. Additionally, an accompanying exhibition will open August 31 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, TN-VA, and run through the end of the year.
Inside its pages, a teenaged Taylor Swift spins and smiles, beaming and bracing as superstardom barrels her way. “I Fall to Pieces” songwriter Hank Cochran stretches back on a well-worn hammock, in the exact spot where he searches the sky for timeless hits. Michael Rhodes wraps his arms around his favorite bass, a tool that’s anchored sessions for greats from Johnny Cash to Elton John.
The subjects span generations and genres, but each portrait precisely captures the individual, their humanity and their artistry. And Rode’s accompanying personal stories and biographies place each moment, and each subject, into the broader story of Music City.
"When I started this photographic journey, I realized quickly that I was witnessing musical moments few people get to experience,” Rode says. “It felt important to capture and collect them for generations to come. To me, this book is a window into the soul of Nashville's music community."
The project — a tour through Nashville's creative core, framed by Rode's lens — took root in 1990, inspired and encouraged by legendary guitarist, producer and label executive Chet Atkins. Rode, then working as a photojournalist for the daily Nashville Banner, met Atkins on assignment and struck up a friendship. He told Atkins about a hopeful but blurry vision for a far-reaching, pointedly personal documentary project.
“This is a town of songwriters and session musicians," Rode remembers Atkins telling him. "Go photograph them because they’re usually in the background. People out there hear their work, but don’t know who they are.”
Atkins opened doors, introducing Rode to other legends who'd built Music Row's bedrock, from Harlan Howard and Curly Putman to "Cowboy" Jack Clement. Rode marked the moments, and the vision for Songwriter Musician came into focus.
"One of the greatest figures in country music helped me forge partnerships and foster friendships," Rode says. "What Chet Atkins contributed to Nashville's story is incalculable. What he contributed to this project is just as immeasurable."
In 2024, Songwriter Musician makes its debut with an accompanying exhibition at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, TN-VA, opening August 31. Further events and photo exhibitions will follow. Songwriter Musician is also available at EdRode.com
"Some of the faces in this book may be unfamiliar beyond Music Row. Some are among the most celebrated musicians in the world," Rode says. "Every one of them added their own color and contrast to Nashville’s music community. I hope this book brings it all into view — from the humanity behind the superstars to the history-changing contributions of people behind the scenes."
About Ed Rode
Ed Rode is a nationally recognized photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee. His three-decade career in visual storytelling encompasses music, architecture, travel and corporate photography. His work has appeared in numerous national publications; in exhibits from the Nashville International Airport to the legendary Bluebird Cafe—whose tradition of spotlighting songwriter portraits was initiated by Rode; in documentary books helmed by Rolling Stone; and on album covers for artists including Willie Nelson and Peter Frampton. Rode has a master’s degree in photo communications from Ohio University and is a full-time instructor in the Journalism and Visual Communications Department at Murray State University.
Songwriter Musician is available at EdRode.com
Contact
Chris Sommerdyke
Ed Rode Photography, LLC
chris@edrode.com
616-822-4015###
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Ed Rode
Author + Photographer
Ed Rode Photography, LLC
photorode@gmail.com
615-300-5678
Chris Sommerdyke
Project Manager
Ed Rode Photography, LLC
chris@edrode.com
616-822-4015
The Project
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The Photographer
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Chet Atkins, pgs. 6–7
