Artist Updates: “If Trees Could Sing,” Luke Bryan, Lee Ann Womack, Jim Ed Brown

Reba

The Nature Conservatory, in partnership with Metro Parks Nashville, has launched “If Trees Could Sing” at Nashville’s Centennial Park. The project features videos of 18 musicians, including Reba, Suzy Boggus, Rodney Atkins, Will Hoge, Jim Lauderdale, Big Kenny, Jerry Douglas, Kim Richey and Ben Folds, talking about their favorite trees.

Trees at Centennial Park have been outfitted with signs, each with an artist’s photo and a QR code, which, when scanned with a smart phone, will allow visitors to view a video of the artist speaking about that specific tree.

Artists and trees include:

• Rodney Atkins and the Eastern redbud
• Big Kenny highlights the benefits of trees
• Suzy Bogguss and the flowering dogwood
• Jerry Douglas and the red maple
• Mike Farris and the Eastern red cedar
• The Fisk Jubilee Singers and the bald cypress
• Ben Folds and the sweetgum
• Giancarlo Guerrero of the Nashville Symphony and the green ash
• Will Hoge and the willow oak
• Taylor Hicks and the sweetbay magnolia
• Jim Lauderdale and the sugarberry
• Reba McEntire and the pin oak
• Tim O’Brien and the chinkapin oak
• Kim Richey and the sycamore
• Jason Ringenberg and the hackberry
• Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show and the osage orange
• Webb Wilder and the blue spruce
• Victor Wooten and the black walnut

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Luke Bryan will feature Cole Swindell, The Peach Pickers (Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip), Chancie Neal, and DJ Rock during his upcoming Farm Tour, which will visit eight cities in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, beginning in October.

Farm Tour 2014 Dates

Oct. 1, Knoxville, Tenn., Maple Lane Farms
Oct. 2, Auburn, Ala., Ingram Farms
Oct. 3, Tallahassee, Fla., Cross Creek Place
Oct. 4, Gainesville, Fla., Whitehurst Cattle Farm
Oct. 8, Statesboro, Ga., Perry Field
Oct. 9, Athens, Ga., Meldon Farm
Oct. 10, Columbia, S.C., Culler Farms
Oct. 11, Macon, Ga., Midway at Central City Park
(dates & cities subject to change)

 • • •

Lee Ann Womack and John Legend. Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images

Lee Ann Womack and John Legend taped an episode of CMT Crossroads in Nashville this week. CMT Crossroads: John Legend and Lee Ann Womack premieres Friday, Sept. 26 at 10 p.m. ET on CMT.

They were joined onstage by musicians Mac McAnally, Glenn Worf, Jedd Hughes, and Jim Hoke. Womack and Legend performed songs including Legend’s “All of Me,” and “Green Light,” and Womack’s “I May Hate Myself In The Morning” and “I Hope You Dance.”

They also played Legend’s current single “You and I (Nobody In The World)” and Womack’s title track from her upcoming album The Way I’m Livin,’ which releases next week.

• • •

Jim Ed Brown will release his first solo recording in 30 years, with the release of In Style Again, his debut project for Plowboy Records. The project, which is slated for release next year, will include duets with Vince Gill and The Whites, as well as a track with the reunited group The Browns.

“I love new music.” Brown said. “I guess the whole world does. It’s always good to hear a new song. I love what I do. People have always been great to me. They have accepted me into their homes and lives. It’s unreal what radio and television has done for me. I am a very blessed man.”