Award Winning Songwriter and Renowned Side Man Vince Melamed Releases Debut Album (Nashville, TN) Vince Melamed covered a lot of territory as a side man and session player with artists like Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Bobby Womack, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Frey, Rodney Crowell, J.D. Souther and as a Coral Reefer with Jimmy Buffett. Melamed has finally settled in to record and release his debut solo album, WHAT MATTERS MOST, on Adroit Records. The CD will be released June 23, 2009, spotlighting a collection of songs that represent the artist as writer and performer. While revisiting some of his signature hits for artists like Trisha Yearwood and Phil Vassar, Melamed lays in material that charts new territory for this seasoned artist. "I had been writing in L.A. whenever I was off the road and enjoyed some success," says Melamed (cuts with Cher, Tina Turner, Phoebe Snow). "When I came to Nashville to work with Rosanne Cash, I found a community of other L.A. transplants who convinced me that this was the place to be if I wanted to get serious about songwriting. I agreed. I listened, wrote and co-wrote and was fortunate to find a niche in this community of highly supportive and creative music people.” So in 1986, Melamed packed up everything and moved to Music City. His approach – both musically and lyrically – and his deeply seeded Southern California music roots and R&B influences generated interest among artists and A&R executives alike. Success soon followed with a flood of songs recorded by Trisha Yearwood (Walkaway Joe), John Anderson (Hillbilly Hollywood), Jill Sobule (Too Cool to Fall in Love), Boy Howdy (She'd Give Anything), Restless Heart (Tell Me What You Dream), Ty Herndon (What Mattered Most), Gerald Levert (I'd Give Anything) and most recently, Phil Vassar (I'll Take That as a Yes). Melamed's new effort, WHAT MATTERS MOST, incorporates some of his country hits, but with a different twist. "I'm basically a rock-'n'-roll guy, and Jim Tract at Adroit gets that," he says. "He brought in some great musicians for the sessions." What transpired will surprise country fans and delight anyone who likes a great song. With master session men Pat Buchanan (Faith Hill) on guitar, Fred Eltringham on drums (Wallflowers, Dixie Chicks), and Harry Stinson (Marty Stuart, Lyle Lovett), the CD is infused with an alternative sound that is contemporary and fresh. WHAT MATTERS MOST also includes some of Melamed's favorite compositions that never made it to the radio. I'll Leave the Light On, written with Billy Mann, is hard-core blues. One Little Stone, co-written with long-time collaborators Gary Burr, Bob DiPiero and Jim Photoglo, is a Band-inspired tune that will take listeners back to that house at Big Pink. “There was never a tense moment producing this record,” laughs Jim Tract, president of Adroit Records. “We had a great depth of material -- very stimulating stuff that brought out this fantastic level of creativity. The musicians had fun and began thinking and acting like a band, and I think it shows in the tracks." "Vince Melamed represents Adroit’s commitment to present quality songs for an audience of discerning music lovers. His creativity and character exemplify the standards that we adhere to at Adroit,” concludes Tract. The album will be available from www.AdroitRecords.com, several download sites, and select retailers. Adroit Records (www.AdroitRecords.com) was founded on the premise that music lovers should have an opportunity to experience a broader spectrum of music. Adroit is dedicated to the songwriter, and the label's releases include a songwriter compilation series, Words & Music Nashville. What Matters Most is Adroit's debut release by an individual songwriter