The Franklin Theatre Songwriters Series: CJ Field, Dan Smalley, and Trent Willmon

Whether it is a small indoor venue in New York City or larger outdoor audiences in Florida and Georgia. He has played them all. His talents have landed him in the company and admiration of blues guitar greats Fred Scribner (midnight slim) and Little Sammy Davis. Levon Helm, Billy Joe Shaver, Michael Allman and Shooter Jennings are among some of the artists who C.J. has spent time with and influenced his career. One night in 2009 while being introduced to a crowd at Levon Helm’s “Midnight Ramble”, Fred Scribner (midnight Slim) shook his head and said “folk’s, you’re about to see the next Elvis Presley”. C.J’s brand of songwriting is truly his own. His honest lyrics are a journey for every listener and a reminder as to why we refer to our songwriters as artists. His ballads are deeply melancholic and introspective, delivered from his real life perspective growing up the youngest of a big family in a small town. His hard hitting electric brand of country has you screaming at your best friends and leaving behind you the best memories of your life. Whichever the outcome, the bottom line is you leave a C.J. Field performance deeply touched. For C.J., to embody this has taken a faithful two years of his life… This ambition is now complete… It is his first album ever recorded… And it is befittingly named…, Modern Day Cash.

Dan Smalley may just now be making a name for himself, but he already sings with the voice of experience. And he’s got the bullet scars to prove it. The Alaska native who came of age in Shreveport, Louisiana, sings his confessional, soul-baring songs with deep conviction. Smalley expresses a fresh take on Country music that knows tradition, inspired by the greats of the genre and infused with the swampy sounds of his roots, the Gospel of hardwood church pews and the impassioned delivery of R&B. Artists like Merle Haggard, Ray Charles, Al Green and Willie Nelson provided a musical roadmap for Smalley to follow, and the against-the-grain success of Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson drew him to Nashville. There, he began working with producer Keith Stegall, known for his award-winning work with the likes of Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band. Ashley McBryde and Dillon Carmichael already have picked up on Smalley’s writing ability, including his songs on their recent albums, and joins her on the road for select dates this Spring. Smalley has also joined bills alongside Nelson, Tim McGraw, Justin Moore, and Dwight Yoakam. IF I’M BEING HONEST, Smalley’s debut EP out March 20 via Big Machine Records, draws candidly on his life story to deliver compelling tales of persistence, love and redemption.

Trent Willmon is an American country music artist, songwriter, and producer. Active since 1998 as a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Willmon was signed to Columbia Records in 2004. He released two albums for the label and charted six singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts before exiting Columbia in 2006. A third album, Broken In, was released on the independent Compadre label in February 2008.