NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Launched on October 7, Duke Spirits teamed with a talented group of artists for its latest project, The Masters Music Series. Hosted by Runaway June’s Jennifer Wayne, The Masters Music Series is a live performance video series that unites an accomplished group of musicians and writers, showcasing and supporting both emerging and established artists through various programs and initiatives. The series will release two videos each week on Duke Spirits’ YouTube channel.
For the music-focused program, Executive Producer and Duke Spirits founder Chris Radomski and producer Austin Moody envisioned a sound that embodies the soul and pride of America, the same spirit personified by the legendary Duke, John Wayne. Combining their talents, passion for music, and ideals, this concept came to life inside Studio A at the iconic Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.
The full-circle moment is that Austin Moody is married to Jennifer Wayne, who just happens to be John Wayne’s granddaughter.
Radomski met John Wayne’s son, Ethan Wayne, several years back when he was making wine in Napa Valley. They had recently discovered archives from his father’s estate that had not been seen since the ’70s. They learned that Wayne had been working on perfecting his bourbon and tequila recipes.
He states, “We took the original notes, the bottles, and the archives and sort of reverse-engineered it.”
This led to Moody meeting up with Radomski in Aspen while he was doing a show. And even though Radomski is the producer of some of the finest spirits in America, he is passionate about music as well.
Moody reports, “He wanted to do a music series and the goal was to draw more attention to the Duke brand. He gave me full rein to do whatever I wanted.”
“Obviously I am a fan of John Wayne. I wanted to create something that I felt like he would sit back and listen to. As a man who valued quality and character, we had to make sure this sounded like we were making a record.”
That prompted Moody to compile a stellar backup band for the featured artists. He recruited Justin Weaver on guitar, Viktor Krauss on bass and Cactus Moser (Wynonna Judd’s husband) on drums, along with Josh Shilling and Jenee Fleenor – all sought-after staples of the Nashville music studios.
You add this band to the big artists who could “knock it out of the park” which makes the Duke Spirits The Music Masters Series something that will appeal to fans of all ages from all genres.
The Masters Music Series debuts with performance music videos from Eric Paslay, singing his hit “Friday Night,” and Paul McDonald, performing “New Lovers.” Artists featured in upcoming videos include Wynonna, Craig Campbell, The Dryes, Runaway June, Marcus Hummon, Jake Rose, Josh Shilling, Jennifer Wayne, Austin Moody, and more. Watch the official trailer here.
The YouTube videos are live tracks. They are not remixed in the studios. It’s what was happening at that moment. All artists are performing their original music, some new songs along with old favorites.
Moody explains, “The cool thing about this project is that we gave the artists the masters. They actually own the recordings. If they want to release this music to DSPs like Spotify or Apple Music, then they can. The recordings are so good, quality-wise, it sounds like we made a record. It was so good that I was shocked.”
“I am extremely proud and honored to work with such a talented and giving group of artists,” Radomski says. “We share common values and passions which are the foundation of America and represented by the soul of Duke Spirits. We hope The Masters Music Series will showcase great performances and provide a platform to support emerging artists.”
The Duke Spirits owner concludes, “We could have sponsored Coachella or Stagecoach, but I don’t see it as being as authentic.”
With The Music Masters Series, Radomski was happy to do something good to support these artists who have donated their time and talent to the cause. They will continue the series for a second season next year, all while supporting rising artists and various music charities.
You can view all the artists’ videos from Duke Spirits The Masters Music Series here.
Make sure and subscribe to the Duke Spirits YouTube channel to get all the latest videos as they are released.
Keep up with Duke Spirits: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Keep up with Moody: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and Twitter.
