Jefferson Ross
Jefferson Ross figures rather prominently in the inception of The 1861 Project. As producer Thomm Jutz explains,
…the artist we thought we were writing these songs for changed his mind – as
artists often do – and put the concept on hold.
So here I was with two Civil War songs, a long fascination with the subject (as with
all things Southern) and a writing appointment the next day with Jefferson Ross
from Savannah, Georgia.
At the time I was reading a book called “The Children Of Pride” that my good friend
and frequent co-writer John Brannen had recommended to me.
Jefferson showed up on a brutally hot summer day in Nashville and we wrote “The
Children of Pride.” With a third song in the works, my producer’s mind slowly
started to kick into gear and I had a notion that I was on to something. Why not
make a Civil War record? Why not do it myself? Hang on a second…Why not get all
my friends involved and have them sing on it too, and then try to get some famous
friends and maybe some friends of famous friends involved?
And that’s pretty much how we have come to having a completed CD with 17 tracks (plus two bonus tracks available online for people who actually purchase the CD). You can listen to (or download) Jefferson Ross sing the song he co-wrote with Thomm from this audio player:
You are also welcome to listen to “The 1861 Project” in its entirety with this streaming audio player:
The CD will be release on July 19, but you can use the “Order Now” button in the player to pre-order the CD, the digital download, or both.
For more information, including our upcoming tour dates, enter your e-mail address — and download the first song from the album – The Turning of A Field– with vocals by Nashville icon John Anderson: