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Lots of talent in these No Hit Wonders

By Devin GrantDevin Grant can be reached at chucktowncritic@yahoo.com.

They're going to let Paris Hilton record another album.

If one needed a single sentence to sum up exactly what is wrong with the music business these days, then there it is.

If you need any further evidence as to why the major label record companies are in trouble these days, then look no further than Joe West, JP Williams, Sabrina and James Casto. No, these folks aren't personally part of the problem. As a matter of fact, they could be part of the solution. These musicians are in a group that calls itself the No Hit Wonders. The name is a bit misleading, because all of these musicians are successful to a certain degree. But in a world where "American Idol" rules the roost, all four of these artists remain relatively unknown.

Fortunately, the advent of the Internet has made personal promotion relatively easy. After Casto was introduced to Williams, Sabrina and West on separate occasions, the four musicians joined forces to get their music heard in the ultra-competitive music industry in Nashville.

The Lowcountry got a taste of the No Hit Wonders Friday night during a performance at the Village Playhouse in Mount Pleasant.

The show was a benefit for the Mikel Foundation, which is devoted to raising funds for genetic research. The structure of Friday night's show was similar to that of songwriters Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Joe Ely and Guy Clark when those musicians played the North Charleston Performing Arts Center earlier this year. Each artist performed one of his or her own songs, and then stepped aside to let the next person in the group do likewise. What really made Friday night's show enjoyable was the fact that none of the songwriters assembled had a sound or style that mirrored any of the others.

Joe West, was dressed in jeans, boots and a cowboy hat, a look he described as "Urkel meets Haggard." West showed off his love of country music with songs such as "Me Without You" and "The Real Deal." "The Real Deal" was particularly good, and the song just cries out for a mainstream country artist to record it.

Williams, who has been blind since the age of ten, has an incredible vocal range, and was able to hit some sweet high notes. He has a chance to demonstrate his gift during songs such as "Tongue Tied" and "I Don't Mind." Like West, Williams could easily have his songs recorded by any current country star, and I would venture to say that with his good looks and incredible voice, Williams himself could become a star.

Sabrina has more of an adult contemporary or folk sound, but she still had no problem keeping up with the guys. Sabrina plays guitar beautifully, and her songs, with titles such as "The Box" and "What Are You Waiting For," are soulful and packed with substance. She even performed an instrumental in a style she dubbed "soulgrass."

Casto's musical style is probably the most far removed from the rest of the No Hit Wonders. Playing keyboards and percussion instead of the guitars sported by Sabrina, West and Williams.

With a rock style that is reminiscent of Billy Joel or Joe Jackson, Casto performed songs such as "Lost" (which reminded me of Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis"), "Two Inches Deep" and "Courageous."

Casto was joined by saxophone player Matt Blanchard on his songs, and even let Blanchard perform one of his own original compositions, "Orange Hair, Orange Sun."

I will admit that I had never heard of any of these musicians prior to attending Friday night's show, and after seeing them perform I am a fan of each and every player.

Usually when one attends a showcase-style performance such as this, there is one or two artists that really stand out.

That wasn't the case with the One Hit Wonders.

Each song was as good as the last, and again I consider the current state of the music business and wonder why these folks aren't rich and famous. I suppose Paris Hilton needs the money; or at least the attention.

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