Sunday, January 31, 2010

How Rounder Records went from minor to major

Started by three students with $125, the record label is still quirkily independent, despite being home to huge talent

By Tim Cooper

In 1970, with the likes of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath topping the charts, three American friends embarked on a very different musical mission. Inspired by radical campus politics and the folk revival, the university students Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton formed their own record label in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their aim? To preserve their country’s musical heritage. “None of us was in it for the money,” says Irwin, who still runs Rounder Records with his two original partners. “We were basically just music fans,” Nowlin adds. “It was a hobby,” Leighton sums up.
Clubbing together $125, they pressed just 500 albums by their first two signings — one a long-forgotten banjo player called George Pegram, the other a new group of students, the Spark Gap Wonder Boys, who played “old-time” music and, curiously, included the son of Alistair “Letter from America” Cooke. “We didn’t know anything about the record business, so we made it up as we went along,” says Nowlin, who persuaded a local shop, Discount Records, to sell five copies of each album, and set up stalls at local bluegrass concerts to shift the rest. “We had a one-page contract, and somehow we knew that 25 cents an album was the standard royalty rate. We paid 50 cents because we didn’t want to be accused of being rapacious record-company owners. Read more.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

RFD-TV


Sure, barn cats and meat goats may seem to have a limited audience, but consider that while NBC and the other urban-inflected networks have been squandering their birth rights, RFD-TV has slowly become an empire, with viewers watching weekly in 13 million homes. Last year, RFD-TV recorded $25 million in gross revenues.
The farm suddenly looks like an aspirational place to be. And while it’s technologically hard to watch RFD-TV in New York City without a satellite or fiber-optic service, it’s nearly impossible to resist the channel’s spell once you get a look. Its show “Ag Lifestyles,” which has segments like “Horse-Theft Awareness and Prevention,” underscores the agribusiness bottom line while giving beguiling tours of working farms. Programs on rodeo, sleigh horses, quilts, beekeeping, coal trains, Lakota culture and pork-chop casseroles make up the lifestyle programming, while serious presentations on “Cattlemen to Cattlemen” and “Ag-PHD” (my favorite) supply the John Deere set with profit-increasing ideas about seed-bed prep, calf sheltering, apple packing and new traits in soybeans. Complete article

Sad news - Pinecastle Records shutting down

Sad news indeed. Pincastle records is shutting down as of February first. Over the last 20 years Pinecastle has been a leader in the bluegrass recording business, giving many artists their first national exposure. During that time Tom Riggs, the founder of Pinecastle, has been a leader in the bluegrass community, until his health problems caused him to cut back his activity. A letter from Tom's son Curt follows.

"Given recent events related to my father’s health and the current business environment, we find it necessary to cease operation of Pinecastle Records effective February 1, 2010.
Artists and distributors will be able to purchase Pinecastle product through Music Shed, the retail/wholesale outlet started by my father and myself more than 22 years ago. Music Shed will continue to operate from our current location in Columbus, NC and can be reached at 828-894-2446.
We will soon begin exploring how to best preserve the vast catalog Tom, the artists and talented staff of Pinecastle have amassed over the 20-year history of the label.
Tom will be settling in to a skilled nursing facility, close to our family, and in the near future we hope to visit with our many old friends at shows and festivals."

Friday, January 29, 2010

WinterSong Songwriter Workshop Set For Feb. 20

Chattanoogan.com: posted January 28, 2010

The WinterSong Songwriter Workshop will be held in Chattanooga Feb. 20 at Barking Legs Theatre.

WinterSong 2010 will offer songwriters and songwriters to be, the opportunity to network, hone their craft and receive feedback from experienced professional songwriters.

Workshop instructors include Louisa Branscomb, Kathy Reed, Earl Brackin, and Thomas Brown. The topics addressed in this workshop will cover the art and craft of songwriting, the business aspects of songwriting, and creative exercises. Participants will also have an opportunity to receive feedback on their compositions.

In addition to the songwriter workshop, there will be concerts by guest songwriters at 7 p.m. Performers include Louisa Branscomb, whose Grammy cut, Steel Rails, is the longest running #1 song on the bluegrass charts, Atlanta singer/song writer Kathy Reed, as well as Earl Brackin, David Crawford, Martha Ann Brooks and Noah Collins. The two-hour evening performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Participants can register on-line, purchase tickets on-line, or by U.S. mail.
Read on...

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Bluegrass All Star Jam in Bristol, TriCities

TOM NETHERLAND SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER
Published: January 28, 2010

Tune ’em up, guys and gals. Fasten in tight. And make way for the Bluegrass All Star Jam.
Slated to sizzle at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol, Tenn., on Jan. 30 for two shows, featured musicians include Grasstowne members Alan Bibey, Uncle Phil Leadbetter and Steve Gulley.
“It’s entirely different than what we do every week,” Gulley said. “You look at it and say, ‘Man, this is going to be cool.’ ”
It’s also a first. The show will launch a new series of concerts at the Paramount presented under the auspices of the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance. Subsequent shows will feature Darrell Scott on Feb. 13 and Riders in the Sky on March 27.
Look at those slated to perform during the jam show. In addition to the aforementioned, expect to see such bluegrass luminaries as Dale Ann Bradley, Tim Stafford, Missy Raines and Don Rigsby.
“People will see the best of the best,” said Larry Gorley, who booked the musicians. “Terry Baucom, he’s called the duke of drive. Kenny Smith turns heads on his Martin guitar. Dale Ann Bradley will knock your socks off.”
As in years past during the “Pickin’ at the Paramount” shows, musicians will work in numerous conglomerations. Each musician will have at least two songs to perform out front. Altogether, music director Mike Bub will try to craft a show that’s equal parts sense and spark. Read more...

Traditional Ties, 01/31/10, Playlist


Contact info for new adds:
Josh Williams - http://www.joshwilliamsmusic.com/ - http://www.pinecastle.com/
Border Ride - http://borderride.com/

Air Time
Artist Name
Song Title
Album Name
Label
Duration
10:00 PM
Kenny Baker
Jerusalem Ridge (Theme)
Plays Bill Monroe
County
2:00
10:02 PM
Josh Williams
Lonesome Feeling
Down Home
Pinecastle
3:12
10:07 PM
Border Ride
Fireball
Hangin' Around
Border Ride
1:53
10:11 PM
Big Country Bluegrass
High Alleghenies
Open for Business
Mountain Roads
2:59
10:12 PM
Sawmill Road
I Found Another Darlin'
Fire on the Kettle
SMR
2;53
10:14 PM
Gibson Brothers
What Can I Do
Ring the Bell
Compass
3:55
10:19 PM
Blue Shades
Maggie Mae
Chasing Dreams
Blue Shades
5:16
10:24 PM
Chris Jones
Cloud of Dust
Cloud of Dust
GSM
2:57
10:27 PM
Josh Williams
Kodal 1955
Down Home
Pinecastle
3:28
10:32 PM
Border Ride
Drifting to Far from the Shore
Hangin' Around
Border Bide
4:19
10:36 PM
Special Consensus
What a Beautiful Day
Signs
Pinecastle
2:55
10:39 PM
Dale Ann Bradley
Heaven
Don't Turn Your Back
Compass
3:51
10:45 PM
Joe Mullins
Heaven's Green Fields
Rambler's Call
Joe Mullens
3:12
10:46 PM
Russell Moore
The Eastern Gate
Russell Moore & lllrd Tyme Out
Rural Rhythm
2:42
10:47 PM
Larry Stephenson
You'll See Jesus
20th Anniversarry
Pinecastle
3:00
10:52 PM
Billy Boone Smith
They Called It a Church
Five Flat Rocks
Muddy Sunshine
3:42
10:56 PM
Doyle Lawson
Eternity Has Two
Help Is On the Way
Horizon
3:19
11:00 PM
True Bluegrass
With Care from Someone (Theme)
True Bluegrass 1979
True Bluegrass
2:00
11:02 PM
Josh Williams
We'll Burn That Bridge
Down Home
Pinecastle
3:00
11:06 PM
Josh Williams
Cherokee Shuffle
Down Home
Pinecastle
3:41
11:11 PM
Josh Williams
Down Home
Down Home
Pinecastle
4:20
11:15 PM
Josh Williams
Stealin' Away
Down Home
Pinecastle
2:23
11:19 PM
Border Ride
All the Way to Texas
Hangin' Around
Border Bide
4:12
11:23 PM
Chris Warner
Lickity Split
Goin' to the Dance
Patuxent
2:33
11:26 PM
David Via
Big Hit Song
All Night Long
David Via
2:56
11:29 PM
The Manhattan Valley Ramblers
My Baby's Gone
Ballads and Barnburners
CSR
2:58
11:32 PM
Border Ride
Nashville Skyline Rag
Hangin' Around
Border Bide
2:51
11:35 PM
Jounior Sisk
The Man in Red Camels
Blue Side of the Blue Ridge
Rebel
3:02
11:38 PM
Steep Canyon Rangers
Have Mercy
Deep in the Shade
Rebel
3:12
11:41 PM
Southern Rail
Mr. Beaford's Barn
On the Road From Appomattox
Railway
4:50
11:47 PM
Border Ride
Further in the Hole
Hangin' Around
Border Bide
2:51
11:53 PM
Jeanette Williams
Thank You for Caring
Thank You for Caring
Blue Circle
3:11
11:56 PM
Allegheny Blue
Born in Dixie
Greenbrier River
MBG
2:53
11:57 PM
Border Ride
East Tennessee Blues
Hangin' Around
Border Ride
2:22

JOHN TROUT, WYEP FM, PITTSBURGH, PA. tties91@hotmail.com

'TRADITIONAL TIES'- NEW RELEASE BLUEGRASS WITH FEATURES. 91.3 WYEP, http://www.wyep.org/ 10:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S.) Sundays. Streaming Audio

1608 JEFFERSON ST, LATROBE PA, 15650 -2940

Link to Traditional Ties web pages: http://wyep.org/traditionalties

Monday, January 25, 2010

Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Festival 2010 Lineup


At long last the lineup is set for the 2010 Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Festival. Fan favorites from previous years are returning and new bands have been selected all with the intention of providing a well rounded first class family event.

As always, both the Friday evening and Saturday lineups will be filled with top-notch national, regional and local bluegrass performers. GREAT music will be provided by:

+ Jeanette Williams (Award-winning vocalist and festival favorite from Virginia!)
+ Special Consensus (On their 35th Anniversary Tour!)
+ Hard Ryde (Award-winning band from Canada!)
+ Lonesome Highway (Great band from West Virginia, here for two days)
+ Buck & Company (Fine traditional sounds from West Virginia)
+ Poverty Hollow (You asked to hear 'em again, they're back)
+ Blue Shades (Great music from these local favorites)
+ Mon River Ramblers (Hot young band from Pittsburgh, making their debut with us)

When - June 18 & 19, 2010.
Where - Rt 271, Waterford, five miles north of Ligonier PA.
Sponsor - Ligonier Township Vol. Fire Company #1, Station 44.

Field camping available beginning June 16. Full course meals available beginning Thursday evening.

See festival web site for complete details, check back often for updates.

Bios of the bands will be posted here as the event draws closer.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Mount Airy opens Andy Griffith Museum in time to celebrate 50 years of the show


Sunday, January 24, 2010
By Virginia Linn, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For 15 years, memorabilia relating to Andy Griffith and his role in the fictitious Mayberry have been displayed in various locations in Mount Airy, N.C., the small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains where the actor and singer was born 83 years ago.
Now a permanent museum has opened that expects to welcome huge crowds this year as the town celebrates the 50th anniversary of the debut of "The Andy Griffith Show" in 1960.
Mount Airy was the inspiration for the folksy town of Mayberry, the focus of this sitcom that ran for eight seasons and the later "Mayberry RFD." More...

Friday, January 22, 2010

Del McCoury taking bluegrass to Bonnaroo and beyond


By Don Thrasher, Contributing writer

Del McCoury is one of the true stars of bluegrass, but he refuses to be pigeonholed.
The 70-year-old native of York, Pa., has managed to take his music to a wider audience by embracing contemporary songs and interesting performance opportunities. And he’s achieved all this while sticking to what he does best: good-old fashioned hillbilly music.
McCoury, who will perform at a Cityfolk-sponsored concert at The Masonic Center in Dayton on Saturday, Jan. 23, took time recently for a brief Q&A.
Q: How is everything?
A: “Things are great. I feel good and still feel like singing, but I’m 70 now. You never know when I might retire. You know how it is when you get old, you have no guarantees.”
Q: What’s it like playing bluegrass at Bonnaroo?
A: It’s great. We were the first bluegrass band to play Bonnaroo. I didn’t know if anybody there would want to listen to bluegrass and there was a big crowd for us. It kind of surprised me.”
Q: You’ve covered contemporary songs, but you’ve remained true to your bluegrass roots. What keeps you devoted to that sound? Read on...

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Dailey & Vincent Welcome Christian Davis on Bass Vocals, Guitar‏



NASHVILLE, TENN. (January 21, 2010)—Dailey & Vincent are proud to welcome the multi-talented Christian Davis on bass vocals and guitar. Davis will perform his first shows with the band this weekend: January 22 at the Shepherdsville Music Palace in Shepherdsville, KY; January 23 at Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, VA; and January 24 at Appomattox High School in Appomattox, VA.

“Christian has such an incredibly warm and resonant voice,” says Darrin Vincent. “We’re thrilled that he’s decided to join us and excited about what he’ll add to our sound.”

Christian began to sing at age three, and throughout his childhood he learned to play various instruments. He began singing professionally in 1998 while attending Liberty University, as bass vocalist with The Sounds of Liberty, traveling to many churches and venues around the country. Later that year Dr. Jerry Falwell, with Christian's persuasion, formed the Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet, which Christian began as the original bass singer. He has since sung with other quartets such as the Old Friends Quartet (while George Younce was ill), Christian Brothers Quartet and Mercy’s Mark. In addition to his music career, Christian served as the Assistant Director of Recruiting for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in 2006. Christian and his wife, Sophia, are the proud parents of Shelby, Richard and Anneliese.

Rounding out Dailey & Vincent’s lineup are Jeff Parker on mandolin and vocals; Joe Dean, Jr. on banjo, guitar and vocals; and Jesse Stockman on fiddle. For more information visit http://www.daileyvincent.com/.

Bluegrass lovers will have their pick of pickers


BY SUSAN SCAFFIDI, Contributing writer Wednesday, Jan 20 2010 05:15 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Jan 20 2010 05:15 PM

For many people, "bluegrass music" means the theme to "The Beverly Hillbillies," the soundtrack to "Bonnie and Clyde" and the banjo-guitar duel in "Deliverance." But bluegrass music is catching on with a wider -- and younger -- audience, as evidenced by an increasing number of bluegrass concerts hitting the Kern County market.
The organizer of a recent 48-hour bluegrass jam session at the DoubleTree Hotel said the event drew more than 300 "pickers" from all over the state, including a lot of youngsters who have caught onto the music.
"We had several (performers) up from the age of 9 through the teen years," said promoter Gary Young. "They were just phenomenal."
The International Bluegrass Music Association also cites the triple-platinum sales of the soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou" as increasing performer and audience interest in the music. Young also credits the touring efforts of established performers such as Ricky Skaggs, along with a new generation of players.
"There are some younger groups that are bringing the music back alive on college campuses," Young said.
"And it's paying off. We're seeing a lot more people playing the music and staying with the music."
A veteran of the mission to spread the bluegrass gospel is Greg Cahill, founder of the band Special Consensus, which will headline Young's next concert on Monday. Cahill, who started his band in 1975, estimates he has performed bluegrass music for a million schoolchildren around the United States.
"The whole purpose is to introduce young people to the music," Cahill said. "We introduce them to the music, the harmony the instruments." Read more...

Traditional Ties, 01/24/10, Playlist







Contact info for new adds:
Larry Stephenson - http://www.larrystephensonband.com/ - http://www.pinecastle.com/
Blue Highway - http://www.bluehighwayband.com/ - http://rounder.com/

Air Time
Artist Name
Song Title
Album Name
Label
Duration

10:00 PM
Kenny Baker
Jerusalem Ridge (Theme)
Plays Bill Monroe
County
2:00
10:02 PM
Larry Stephenson
Teardrop Town
20th Anniversary
Pinecastle
2:25
10:06 PM
Blue Highway
Cold and Lowdown Lonesome Blues
Some Day
Rounder
3:55
10:11 PM
Dirty River
Graveyard Train
Good Old Boys
Dirty River
3:30
10:14 PM
Rusell Moore
Hard Rock Mountain Prison
Russell Moore & lllrd Tyme Out
Rural Rhythm
2:36
10:17 PM
Chris Warner
These Blues Are Chasing Me
Goin' to the Dance
Patuxent
2:46
10:20 PM
David Via
Mama Said
All Night Long
David Via
3:12
10:23 PM
Grasstowne
Laura Lie
The Other Side of Towne
Pinecastle
3:45
10:27 PM
Jesse Baker
Suwannee River Hoedown
Yessir
Patuxent
3:06
10:31 PM
Larry Stephenson
You'll See Jesus
20th Anniversary
Pinecastle
3:00
10:34 PM
Blue Highway
Wondrous Love
Some Day
Rounder
3:25
10:37 PM
Darren Beachly
Over in the Gloryland
Sad Songs and Sunday Morning
Mastershield
3:11
10:40 PM
Wheeler
Thanks to You
Bluegrass Gospel
Mountain Roads
4:01
10:46 PM
Blue Highway
Some Day
Some Day
Rounder
1:59
10:48 PM
Claire Lynch
Face to Face
Whatcha Gonna Do
Rounder
3:55
10:52 PM
Constant Change
The Hand Reached Down
Hills of Home
Papa Leo
3:09
10:55 PM
Carolina Road
You Gotta Belive
Why Don't You Give the Jesus a Try
Blue Circle
3:25
11:00 PM
True Bluegrass
With Care from Someone (Theme)
True Bluegrass 1979
True Bluegrass
2:00
11:02 PM
Larry Stephenson
Talk to Me Lonesome Heart
20th Anniversary
Pinecastle
2:51
11:05 PM
Larry Stephenson
Shelly's Winter Love
20th Anniversarry
Pinecastle
3:03
11:10 PM
Larry Stephenson
The Bluebirds Singing for Me
20th Anniversary
Pinecastle
2:46
11:14 PM
Larry Stephenson
Give This Message to Your Heart
20th Anniverary
Pinecastle
2:53
11:17 PM
Blue Highway
Monrobro
Some Day
Rounder
3:11
11:20 PM
Mountain Therapy
My Heart Never Lies
Looking Back
Mountain Therapy
2;41
11:23 PM
Dede Wyland
Devoted to You
Keep the Light On
Patuxent
3:15
11:26 PM
Jim Lauderdale
I Took a Likng to You
Could We Get Any Closer
Sky Crunch
2:34
11:30 PM
Blue Highway
Bleeding for a Little Peace of Mind
Some Day
Rounder
5:17
11:36 PM
Johnny Williams
Last Day of Galax
Last Day of Galax
Mountain Roads
5:00
11:41 PM
Grass Cats
A Good Way to Get the Blues
A Good Way to Get the Blues
New Time
3:08
11:44 PM
Wayne Taylor
Dancin' With Judy
Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa
Raincoe
2:14
11:48 PM
Blue Highway
Sycamore Hollow
Some Day
Rounder
412
11:52 PM
Allegheny Drifters
Little Pink
Can't Wait
Allegheny Drifters
2:16
11:54 PM
Del McCoury
I Remember You
Family Circle
McMcoury Music
2:27
11:57 PM
Lonesome River band
Struttin' to Ferrum
No Turning Back
Rural Rhythm
2:38




JOHN TROUT, WYEP FM, PITTSBURGH, PA. tties91@hotmail.com




'TRADITIONAL TIES'- NEW RELEASE BLUEGRASS WITH FEATURES. 91.3 WYEP, http://www.wyep.org/ 10:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S.) Sundays. Streaming Audio




1608 JEFFERSON ST, LATROBE PA, 15650 -2940




Link to Traditional Ties web pages: http://wyep.org/traditionalties

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver record DVD live in Franklin


By Bibeka Shrestha • Staff Writer

Audience members knew from the start that this concert would be different.
Instead of beginning the Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver show by bringing out the legendary bluegrass band, concertgoers were given an acting lesson of sorts.

They were instructed to give a thunderous round of applause with cheering and whistling, as if the band already had come out on stage.

After that, it was a more tepid round of applause, then a standing ovation, then a warm and fuzzy moment of looking up at the stage adoringly with a hint of a smile and head nods.
All the while, the stage sat empty in front of a church backdrop.

But the jam-packed audience at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts had no problem performing theatrics. They had not only signed up for a gospel bluegrass concert, but also a live DVD recording (audience reactions are typically recorded in advance).

As the crowd tapped their toes and sang along with Lawson and his band throughout the night, a camera swung over their heads and along the aisles. Read on...

Bluegrass First Class



This year’s Bluegrass First Class will be one for the Ages!

On February 12-14, 2010 the finest bluegrass acts in the country will be at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Asheville, NC. The entire hotel will be set aside for the multi-day spectacular. A quiet wing of the hotel will also be available for guests who wish to relax in a quiet atmosphere. If you can only go to one festival this year, we hope your choice will be Bluegrass First Class.

We have 1-Day passes and 2-Day passes available (while they last). All 2-Day ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase limited reserved seats (limited quantities available). As always, there will still be many great non-reserved seats available as well.

Why Bluegrass First Class?
If you could only go to one...
You and your friends will be up close and personal with the stars of bluegrass music.
Every ticket is a VIP All Access Pass for the afternoon and evening performances with different sets of music each time.
Great national acts and a few surprises - they always play their best at Bluegrass First Class.
The entire hotel is reserved for bluegrass fans, there will be jamin' and pickin' in the hotel rooms, hallway, and meeting rooms around the clock
There are a few "quiet floors" with no jamming for those who like quiet nights.
For tickets please visit http://www.bluegrassfirstclass.com/ or call Milton Harkey at 828-275-8650

Accomodations:
Crowne Plaza Resort - 1 Resort Dr, Ashevile NC - 828-254-3211. $99.00/night Single or King
Holiday Inn - 42 Tunnel Rd, Asheville NC - 828-225-5550. 79.00/night Single or King
Blue Ridge Motor Lodge - 60 Tunnel Rd, Ashevile NC 828-254-0805. $54/night Double, $50/night Single
*Occupancy up to 4 people for the same price.
This year we have gone all out to provide you with the top names in bluegrass music. This event belongs to the fans, pickers, singers, and listeners of bluegrass music - I hope that you will accept my personal invitation to attend.

Milton Harkey
Bluegrass First Class
(828) 275-8650

Purchase Tickets Now

Book Excerpt: True Adventures With the King of Bluegrass


Jimmy Martin Profile Written by Tom Piazza Reissued in Paperback
January 19, 2010

Jimmy MartinEditor's note: In this excerpt from True Adventures With the King of Bluegrass, author Tom Piazza has already convinced Jimmy Martin -- one of the most colorful characters in bluegrass history -- to be interviewed for an Oxford American magazine profile. But first, with a promised bottle of bourbon in tow, Piazza tags along with Martin in the singer's temperamental blue limo, then gives the reader an indelible image of Martin's home in Hermitage, Tenn. A decade after appearing in book form, True Adventures With the King of Bluegrass was published in paperback earlier this year.I grabbed my stuff and approached the limo, the tinted driver's-side window rolled down halfway, and there was Jimmy Martin looking up at me, unsmiling, suspicion in his red and slightly watery eyes, his head as big as a large ham and very jowly, with long grey sideburns and thin grey hair combed back and left a little bit long by the collar of his black nylon windbreaker."Leave your bags in your car," he said. "I gotta do an errand here; you can come with me."By the time I climbed into his passenger seat, Martin was trying to maneuver the limo into a five-point U-turn so that he could get it out of his driveway. He worked the gear shift, which was on the steering column, with dogged concentration and without saying a word. The hood was as big as a queen-sized bed. On the first leg of the turn the limo stalled, and Martin cursed and restarted it with effort. The car stalled twice more before he got through the turn; at one point he spun the wheels and they splattered mud all over my car, which was about twenty feet behind the limo. Finally, the turn was completed and we coasted down the driveway with the engine gurgling uncertainly, and out onto the road.
Read more...

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

CHARLIE DANIELS SUFFERS A MILD STROKE WHILE SNOWMOBILING



(NASHVILLE, TN – January 19, 2010) Legendary recording artist Charlie Daniels suffered a mild stroke while snowmobiling in Colorado on Friday, Jan. 15th. He was treated at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, CO then airlifted to Swedish Medical Center in Denver, CO. Daniels was released from Swedish Medical Center on Sunday, Jan. 17th and returned to his home in Colorado, where he has been on vacation since Dec. 27th. There are no plans to cancel any concert dates. Charlie is doing well and looking forward to beginning The Charlie Daniels Band 2010 concert dates on Feb. 27th in Ft. Pierce, FL and Feb. 28th in Brooksville, FL.Charlie and his family appreciate and are grateful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers during this time.

For more information, please visit http://www.charliedaniels.com/.

Monday, January 18, 2010

When roots take hold - Rounder Records


Rob Adams

Published on 18 Jan 2010

It’s easy to see why Robert Plant would want to be on Rounder Records. Plant, whose partnership with bluegrass sweetheart Alison Krauss recently gave the Massachusetts-based label a transatlantic smash album, Raisin’ Sand, may have been used to limos and Learjets with his legendary band Led Zeppelin.
But as a blues fan with a deep reverence for his heroes, he’d have appreciated becoming latter-day labelmates with musicians such as Johnny Shines and Robert Lockwood Jr, and working with a company whose dedication to documenting America’s musical roots has led to it being dubbed the ­Smithsonian of the music industry.
Rounder reaches its 40th anniversary this year, and a special Celtic Connections concert is part of the celebrations. It may have grown into a business with publishing and ­merchandise divisions, as well as a catalogue of more than 3000 albums, but the label’s founders, who are still hands-on with the company, have never lost their enthusiasm. They went into the music business as complete novices, and still speak with considerable pride of early releases that cost a few hundred dollars to record, press up and print, and which were then distributed from the back of their cars.
“The reason we got into this was that we were music enthusiasts, although we also liked the idea of being folklorists preserving this great music on records,” says Marian Leighton Levy, one of the three ­original partners.
“To say that we knew nothing about what we were getting into would be an understatement, but there was a real gap in the music business back then. The ­musicians who had come up with the folk revival – Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and others – had moved on. But there were still musicians playing the real roots of the music – blues, bluegrass, old-time fiddle players – who were being neglected.”
Rounder’s first release, featuring a 76-year-old banjo player, George Pegram, came from a tape that already existed, which they secured for just $250. Friends who were graphic designers and were prepared to work for almost nothing added ­artwork, and the three founders, who lived communally and on means that would remain modest for some time to come, set out to sell enough copies to cover their costs and maybe help towards another album. More...

Saturday, January 16, 2010

More Saturday Band photos from the Ice Jam










From the top: Poverty Hollow, Mid Life Crisis, Allegheny Drifters.

Saturday Band Photos from the Ice Jam











From top: Border Ride, Lonesome Heart, 3 + 1, Done Inn String Band.

Get ready for bluegrass - contest February 27


Source: The Rogersville Review
By Joel SpearsFeatures EditorROGERSVILLE - Having grown to become one of the region's anticipated bluegrass music events, the East Tennessee Young Bluegrass Musician's Contest is preparing for its seventh annual lineup. Entries are being accepted for the competition, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m. at Hawkins Elementary School. Founder and organizer Randy Ball of the Ball Sisters Band said the contest since inception has grown to include more than 40 contestants from Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. "The Young Bluegrass Musician's Contest brings several families into Rogersville," he said. "We've already had a call from a family in Georgia about entering this year." While the event has proven to be an economic boost for Rogersville, Ball also said the music is where the heart of the contest lies. "Music is an activity that can involve the whole family," he said. "In many families it's passed down from generation to generation. Music also encourages discipline because you have to practice if you want to improve." Ball also said it is always a plus to see children who enter the contest building friendships with others who have an interest in music.Some of those he said have gone on to play professionally. Last year Randy and his wife Donna Ball teamed up with the Rogersville Heritage Association (RHA) and extend the experience to members of the Heritage Lites Leadership Program in the form of a scholarship fund. Heritage Lites is a youth service organization sponsored by RHA whose mission is "to build character and leadership qualities in youth by emphasizing volunteer service, integrity, and pride of accomplishment." Angie Proffitt, RHA executive director, said, "The Young Bluegrass Musician's Contest is a great way to display such an important part of our heritage. And the funds from this event benefit the Heritage Lites Scholarship Fund to help young people who are such important parts of our community." Read more...

Friday, January 15, 2010

Ice Jam Photos - Friday






























Here are some of the Friday night bands, not all are represented, but I just can't be there for every show. Sorry!!

From the Top:
M & M Express, Full Steam Ahead, Church Street Blues The Stevens Family, Bits & Pieces, Dale Barnhart & Friends, and The Mon River Ramblers

The Grascals to Have RV Park Named in Their Honor


FRANKLIN, TN - On January 16th, The Grascals will take part in the grand celebration of the new country music destination Country Crossing in Dothan, Alabama. The band will perform a FREE concert in the Country Crossing Party Pavilion at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
On Sunday, January 17th, The Grascals will also take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony at the newly named The Grascals Bluegrass Hollow RV Park, just outside of Dothan. The ceremony will commence at approximately 12:45p.m. and is FREE to the public. "This is really a great honor for us," says band member and guitarist Jamie Johnson. "We grew up going to RV parks and bluegrass festivals as kids and these places are a part of the lifeblood of live bluegrass music. To have an RV park named after us is something we don't take for granted and that we are so excited about!" he adds.
The Grascals will bring bluegrass music to Alabama this weekend, and along with 19 other artists with a combined 120 million record sales and 66 No. 1 hits, they will perform over the course of three days at one venue – all free to the public.

For more information on these special events, or directions to the facility, please visit http://www.countrycrossing.net/

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Bluegrass for a Winter’s Night: Steep Canyon Rangers debut on the East End



Though the East End of Long Island is certainly not known as a hotbed of bluegrass music, for the past several years, the Shelter Island Recreation Department has created something of a grassroots bluegrass scene by sponsoring an annual concert in January featuring some of the hottest folk music bands in the business today.
This year is no exception.
On Saturday, January 16, the Steep Canyon Rangers, a five piece band out of Asheville, North Carolina take the stage at Shelter Island School for a 7:30 p.m. concert. This is the first time the Steep Canyon Rangers, or simply the Rangers as they are known, have played the East End. Despite national acclaim, several original albums (the latest, “Deep In The Shade” came out in October) and a hectic touring schedule, this is a band that was born 10 years ago not through music, but rather friendship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Three of us were students — the bass player Charlie [Humphrey III], the banjo player Graham [Sharp], and myself,” explains Woody Platt, guitarist and lead vocalist for the Rangers. “We met as freshmen and developed a friendship before we were into music.”
While Platt played casually as a college student, he was no where near the point that he might have considered a career as a musician.
“I had always liked to play a few chords on guitar and sing songs,” says Platt. “Our banjo player was a sax player who got interested in banjo in college and the bass player played a bit in high school. They both got me into it. The whole band thing didn’t happen until our senior year. We went to bars to play. We weren’t that good, but had lots of friends.”
“The music came out of the friendship,” adds Platt. “None of us were music majors, it was just a hobby. We graduated, not with music degrees, but in history, international studies and I was interdisciplinary studies. We were having so much fun.”
Though they stuck it out and got those college degrees, the founding members of Steep Canyon Rangers have been so successful with their music they haven’t had to put them to much use in the years since graduation — unless you consider international studies handy for a bluegrass group on tour, say, in Germany with comedian Steve Martin. And that’s exactly what happened last summer when the Rangers spent seven weeks on tour in Europe with Martin, who is, himself, a banjo aficionado and talented player. They also performed with him at Carnegie Hall and on the David Letterman Show. Platt recalls how casually the initial hook-up with Martin came about.
“That was cool, and a random thing,” explains Platt, whose brother happens to be friends with Martin’s wife. “They came to the North Carolina mountains for vacation and they invited me and a couple guys over just to play. We had a great little informal jam and dinner. Then we hosted a bluegrass festival in Brevard and invited Steve Martin to be a surprise guest and it grew from there. We played Joe’s Pub in New York and Martin joined us there and when he went on tour, he invited us along.”
More here.

Traditional Ties, 01/17/10, Playlist


Contact info for new adds:


Jesse Baker - http://pxrec.com/

Air Time
Artist Name
Song Title
Album Name
Label
Duration
10:00 PM
Kenny Baker
Jerusalem Ridge (Theme)
Plays Bill Monroe
County
2:00
10:00 PM
Dirty River
Ragged Mile
Graveyard Train
Dirty River
3:22
10:07 PM
Jesse Baker
Boston Boy
Yessir
Patuxent
2:46
10:10 PM
David Via
Boone's Mill
All Night Long
Via
3;01
10:13 PM
Butler-Wade
Back Home Again
Haulin' Grass
Blue Circle
3:45
10:17 PM
Tommy Webb
Good Day to Run
Heartland
Rural Rhythm
3:06
10:20 PM
Mike Jackson
Honey Run
When We Goin' Back
Red Oak
3:05
10:24 PM
Doyle Lawson
Johnny and Sally
Lonely Street
Rounder
3:06
10:27 PM
Darren Beachley
Love You Don't Know
CD Single
Patuxent
4:08
10:32 PM
Dirty River
Old Crossroads
Graveyard Train
Dirty River
3:13
10:36 PM
Greenbrier
The Back of the Book
The Back of the Book
Greenbrier
2:08
10:38 PM
Remington Ryde
Where You Gonna Hide
The Ryde
Green Valley
2:46
10:40 PM
Aldridge-Justice
Wafaring Stranger
I'll Go With You
Pinecastle
3:50
10:45 PM
Larry Sparks
A King for Me
I Just Want to Thank You Lord
Rural Rhythm
3:55
10:49 PM
Barry Scott
O What a Day
In God's Time
Rebel
2:41
10:52 PM
Dailey & Vincent
O To Be Like You
Singing from the Heart
Rounder
3:06
10:55 PM
Jesse Baker
Jesus Savior Pilot Me
Yessir
Patuxent
3:55
11:00 PM
True Bluegrass
With Care from Someone (Theme)
True Bluegrass 1979
True Bluegrass
2:00
11:02 PM
Dirty River
Graveyard Train
Graveyard Train
Dirty River
3:30
11:06 PM
Dirty River
Backroads
Graveyard Train
Dirty River
3:27
11:10 PM
Dirty River
Addicted to Love
Graveyard Train
Dirty River
2:56
11:14 PM
Dirty River
Mr. Sapceman
Graveyard Train
Dirty River
3:48
11:18 PM
Jesse Baker
Follow the Leader
Yessir
Patuxent
2:00
11:20 PM
Chris Warner
Goin' to the Dance
Goin' to the Dance
Patuxent
3:17
11:24 PM
Del McCoury
Sweet Appalachia
Family Circle
McMcoury Music
3:41
11:28 PM
Grasstowne
Big Big Heartaches
The Other Side of Towne
Pinecastle
2:27
11:31 PM
Jesse Baker
San Antonio Rose
Yessir
Patuxent
3:34
11:35 PM
Lonesome Highway
Memories Force Me Back
The Highway Called
Lonesome Highway
3:42
11:38 PM
M. M. Murphey
Lost River
Buckaroo Blue Grass
Rural Rhythm
3:16
11:42 PM
Butler-Wade
Shorty Is Forty
Haulin' Grass
Blue Circle
2:34
11:46 PM
Jesse Baker
Yessir
Yessir
Patuxent
2;24
11:48 PM
Lonesome River Band
One Little Teardrop
No Turning Back
Rural Rhythm
3:26
11:51 PM
Claire Lynch
My Florida Sunshine
whatcha You Gonna Do
Rounder
3:00
11:54 PM
Sam Bush
Whisper My Name
Circles Around Me
Sugar Hill
2:24
11:57 PM
Jesse Baker
Farewell Blues
Yessir
Patuxent
2:55

JOHN TROUT, WYEP FM, PITTSBURGH, PA. tties91@hotmail.com 'TRADITIONAL TIES'- NEW RELEASE BLUEGRASS WITH FEATURES. 91.3 WYEP, http://www.wyep.org/ 10:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S.) Sundays. Streaming Audio 1608 JEFFERSON ST, LATROBE PA, 15650 -2940 Link to Traditional Ties web pages: http://wyep.org/traditionalties

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Martin Guitar Introduces the D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition

January 13, 2010
It is hard to believe Del McCoury just celebrated 50 years of playing bluegrass. The legend of traditional bluegrass with his Del McCoury Band continues to record and tour almost nonstop, and remains both one of its most popular artists and one whose music transcends the genre.
McCoury was already bluegrass royalty in 2002 when C.F. Martin created the D-28 Del McCoury Limited Edition guitar of which a respectable 115 instruments were sold in his honor, achieving a new level of success with music both timeless and groundbreaking.
True to its inspiration, the Martin D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition features exceptional premium tonewoods. The Adirondack spruce top and scalloped braces are crafted with early '40s-era placement, to produce a powerful, balanced tone. Back and sides are genuine mahogany, which imparts midrange "punch" and clarity. The genuine mahogany neck features a rounded, full thickness "V" profile and 1930's style heel.
The body appointments are pure, traditional Style 18: classic Old Style 18 rosette, Style 18 five-element black/white fine line top purfling, Delmar tortoise-brown top, side and back binding, Delmar tortoise-brown end piece, Style 18 back strip, and classic beveled and polished Delmar tortoise color pickguard. Only time can produce the rich patina of the top on Del's '47, but aging toner gives the D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition a good start in that direction. The neck's polished headplate is Madagascar rosewood and the Golden Era® C.F. Martin decal and nickel Waverly™ tuners with oval buttons closely replicate the vintage original. The unbound black ebony fingerboard features Old Style 18 abalone pearl position markers and is matched by the black ebony heelcap. The belly bridge likewise is black ebony. Both the vintage-style angled nut and compensated saddle are crafted from genuine bone. Ebony bridge pins and end pin are topped with abalone pearl dot inlays.
To approximate the color of the classic 1940s D-18, the mahogany on the D-18 Del McCoury Custom Edition is stained dark prior to finishing. Martin's flawless polished gloss lacquer finish completes this instrument's classic look. Delivered in a Geib style hardshell case, each Martin D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition guitar features two interior labels; a Del McCoury 50th Anniversary label and a Custom Edition label personally signed by Del McCoury and numbered in sequence with the edition total. In honor of his 50 years in music, only 50 of the D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition will be produced. Authorized C.F. Martin dealers will take orders (including orders for left-handed instruments at no additional charge) for the D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition until the edition is fully subscribed. The names of participating Martin dealers then will be posted on the Martin website: http://www.martinguitar.com/ .

January Ice Jam Lineup


The January Ice Jam at the Butler Daays in is this weekend(15,16.)

Full festival details can be found on the Ice Jam web site.

The schedule follows -As always subject to change.

Friday:
7:00 - M & M Express
7:30 - Full Steam Ahead
8:00 - Church Street Blues
8:30 - The Stevens Family
9:00 - Bits 'n Pieces
9:30 - Stillhouse Pickers
10:00 - Mon River Ramblers
10:30 - Grover & The Nighthawks
11:00 - Shelf Life

Saturday:
1:00 - Done Inn String Band
1:30 - 3 + 1
2:00 - Timber Ridge
2:30 - Lonesome Heart
3:00 - Border Ride
3:30 - Full Steam Ahead
4:00 - The Allegheny Drifters
4:30 - Roadapple Ridge
5:00 - The Barn Hill Spring Band
5:30 - NA Fiddlers
6:00 - Well Strung
6:30 - The Stevens Family
7:00 - The Vagabonds
7:30 - Grover & The Nighthawks
8:00 - Mid Life Crisis
8:30 - Bits 'n Pieces
9:00 - Poverty Hollow
9:30 - Lonesome Heart
10:00 - The Allegheny Drifters
10:30 - Roadapple Ridge
11:00 - The Rearicks

Monday, January 11, 2010

ETSU’s chief of bluegrass music heads back to the Bluegrass State


By David McGee Staff Writer / Bristol Herald Courier Published: January 11, 2010

Longtime friends Raymond McLain and Daniel Boner started new jobs last week, but instead of working down the hall from each other they are some 200 miles apart.
McLain, the former director of East Tennessee State University’s bluegrass, old-time and country music program, began work Jan. 4 as director of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky.
Boner – who studied under McLain, joined the ETSU faculty in 2006 and served as assistant director – has taken the reins of the Johnson City program as interim director.
A Kentucky native, McLain said the time was right to move on.
“There were a lot of personal reasons to come home,” McLain said in a phone interview. “My mother has Alzheimer’s and this is a good deal closer to her. And my son and his wife recently told me I was going to be a grandfather.”
The Kentucky college’s traditional music program provided the impetus for his move.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to come to this program. It’s really growing and is similar in many ways to ETSU. And I’m overwhelmed with the support it has,” McLain said.
In Johnson City, Boner will oversee the program McLain leaves behind, but without the guidance of founder Jack Tottle, who formally retired in December.
Read on...

Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Festival Goes International

e




It's the 8th annual...
LAUREL HIGHLANDS BLUEGRASS MUSIC FESTIVAL!
June 18-19, 2010 - Route 271, Waterford, Just 5 Miles North of Ligonier, PA

This is the first of several posts for The 2110 Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Featival, check the web site for more details.

With Hard Ryde, this year our festival goes "international!" We were lucky enough to snag this award-winning, six-piece band from Canada. It would take several paragraphs to list all the individual and band awards this group has amassed, both in Canada and the States. They're that good. Of their latest CD, Bluegrass Unlimited says their "precise instrumental chops complement their fine harmonies" and calls them "first rate." We're eager to present them to you.
Doug DeBour (guitar and vocals) is at the helm of the band and has reached Hall-of-Fame status with the Central Canadian Bluegrass Association for his vocals and guitar playing. Will Meadows (mandolin and vocals) and Chris Ricker (fiddle) are both award winners and seasoned veterans of the bluegrass scene. Rich Koop (bass) was the Central Canadian "Bass Player of the Year" for 2007 and nominated again in 2008, while hard-driving banjoist D'Arcy Campbell took "Banjo Player of the Year" honors in 2008. Described as an "instrumental genius" and "acoustic enigma," guitarist Marc Roy is a regular face on the bluegrass scene in both the U.S. and Canada. He was named "Guitar Player of the Year" in 2007 and has recorded with several artists.

Missouri's Governor and First Lady - Fans of Rhonda Vincent & The Rage


Rhonda Vincent & The Rage performed Saturday night, January 9, 2010, in St Louis, Missouri for a private performance before Missouri's Governor Jay Nixon and First Lady at the Missouri Governor's Conference on Agriculture.
The full bluegrass performance by the 5-time Grammy Nominee was the finale of the four day conference. Rhonda and husband Herb Sandker met with the Governor and First Lady before joining them for dinner. Following the dinner, the Governor made a very heartfelt presentation concerning the agricultural needs in Missouri; and celebrating the strides made by Missouri farmers. "I was so impressed by the Governor's enthusiasm, as shown by his growing the first garden at the Jefferson City Governor's mansion" Rhonda said as she traveled to her Kirksville, Missouri home, "And the first lady is bringing back the pie baking contest at the 2010 Missouri State Fair!"
A tribute to long-time Missouri Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond followed the Governor's presentation, then Rhonda & The Rage took the stage to close out the evening.
A mix of bluegrass favorites and special requests were played; as the Governor and First Lady danced, joined by many others in attendance. Rhonda & The Rage performed the Martha White Theme, and mentioned joining the First Lady for the pie baking contest.
Bluegrass continues to expand throughout Missouri, up the steps, and through the doors of our State Capitol.

Rhonda Vincent and The Rage

Sunday, January 10, 2010

The Grascals stay true to bluegrass heart


By Peggy Ussery Published: January 10, 2010

Bluegrass music and RV parks kind of go hand in hand.
Fans of bluegrass travel from festival to festival in recreational vehicles and camp as long as there’s good music. So when the RV park at Country Crossing in Dothan was named after bluegrass group The Grascals, it was perfect fit, guitarist Terry Eldredge said.
“It’s just a cool thing,” Eldredge said. “We grew up going to RV parks and bluegrass festivals. That’s the life of our music.”
The collaboration came about when Kirt Webster, who handles public relations for both Country Crossing and The Grascals, suggested the partnership. The Grascals will open Saturday’s performances for Country Crossing’s grand opening at 3:30 p.m. They’re also expected to play each day in the Worley Bird Saloon.
The Grascals have been at the top of bluegrass music since they came on the scene in 2004. Today, the six-piece band is made up of guitarists Eldredge and Jamie Johnson, bassist Terry Smith, mandolin player Danny Roberts, banjo player Kristin Scott Benson and Jeremy Abshire on fiddle. The band has seen some changes in musicians — different fiddle and banjo players — but they haven’t slowed down. They’ve been nominated for a Grammy, a Dove award and a number of bluegrass awards. They’ve been recognized as the top bluegrass entertainers by the International Bluegrass Music Association and has received song and instrumental awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America.
It was a quick rise to the top thanks to a very well-connected friend. Full story...

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Bluegrass is more than 
a job for Rhonda Vincent


By Andrew McGinn, Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD


Rhonda Vincent never left her patch of Missouri.


She did, however, finally leave Greentop (pop. 412) for the county seat, Kirksville (pop. 17,304).
You might bump into her at Walmart. Might run into her in the chip aisle at the Hy-Vee.
That’s fine and all if you want to stick around and plan stuff like class reunions, but is Kirksville, Mo., really any place for a monarch?
“You’re 100 miles from a mall,” her royal highness revealed this week. “You go back in time when you go there.”
And that is why, for the anointed queen of bluegrass, Kirksville is to Vincent I what Buckingham Palace is to Elizabeth II.
It’s good to be queen — but Vincent, the bluegrass star who plays Kuss Auditorium on Jan. 16 with her band, The Rage, isn’t about to get all highfalutin about it.
“To me, it’s a way of life that’s evolved into a career,” she said. “I would be doing this no matter what.”
The truth is, she’s good.
She’s more than that, actually.
A decade ago, the Wall Street Journal deemed her the “new queen of bluegrass,” and mountain music entered into a new, Vincentonian era.
The Kraussian era was at an end.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Darrin and Brooke Aldridge - New Release January 19


The highly anticipated sophomore project from bluegrass music's sweethearts, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, will be released on Mountain Home Records, a division of Crossroads Music and in stores January 19th. The self-titled CD, produced by Nashville veteran Jerry Salley features 12 tracks showcasing this rising duo of beautiful young newlyweds singing and playing a rich combination of bluegrass and bluegrass gospel music.

Audiences in every venue have been stunned by the conviction, commitment, and depth of performances by Darin and Brooke Aldridge. Presenting songs of faith in God and love of each other, their conection with their audiences is extraordinary. Brooke's voice is powerful and emotional with Darin's harmony work tightly matched and phrased as only family can do. Compared to a female and male version of the Everly Brothers, Darin and Brooke bring a freshness to traditional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel. It is old but new; still bluegrass but also contemporary acoustic music with perfect instrumentation.

Track Listing:
1. I Thought I'd Seen It All
2. Sweetest Waste of Time
3. Corn
4. Let's Not Go There
5. Something Out of Nothing
6. Hero of Mine
7. I'm Building on the Rock of Ages
8. It Moves Me
9. Remind Me Again
10. Moses
11. Light From Heaven
12. The Last Thing on His Mind

Mountain Heart veers off bluegrass's well-worn path


While firmly planted in its bluegrass roots, Mountain Heart likes to veer off the beaten path

by walter tunis Contributing Music Writer

The latest Mountain Heart lineup features Aaron Ramsey, left, Barry Abernathy, Josh Shilling, Clay Jones, Jason Moore and Jim VanCleve.

Mountain Heart

7 p.m. Jan. 9 at Meadowgreen Park Music Hall, 303 Bluegrass Lane, Clay City. $15. (606) 663-9008. www.kyfriends.com.
During the past decade, we have come to know Mountain Heart as an industrious bluegrass brigade full of familiar faces (including longtime Renfro Valley singer Steve Gulley and one-time Alison Krauss mandolinist Adam Steffey, both of whom have left the band), a feverish sense of traditionalism and a willingness to veer into uncharted musical territory.
So imagine the sense of surprise that came from viewing a 2009 performance clip on YouTube of today's Mountain Heart lineup, which adds — dare we say it — keyboards to its string band sound for a cover of Stevie Wonder's Superstition.
A sellout? Not by what the video revealed, although the true test won't come until we see a full performance of Mountain Heart's unexpected stylistic expansion. And son of a gun, we're in luck. The band plays this weekend as part of the Meadowgreen Park Music Hall's annual autumn-to-spring concert series in Clay City.
Actually, if you've heard Mountain Heart's fine 2007 concert album, Road That Never Ends, the stylistic leaps between the traditional and the contemporary seem natural. Cut after singer/guitarist/keyboardist Josh Shilling replaced Gulley but before Jason Moore took over for Steffey, Road That Never Ends cements Mountain Heart's tireless picking ingenuity on the warp speed Devil's Courthouse, a tune originally penned by fiddler Jim Van Cleve for his splendid 2006 solo recording, No Apologies. Ditto for the jubilant vocal inspirations propelling the a cappella Gospel Train.

More...

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Barry Scott & Second Wind Welcome Daniel Salyer



Barry Scott & Second Wind are excited to announce the addition of Daniel Salyer to the band. Daniel will play guitar and sing tenor and lead vocals with the Grammy nominated group beginning immediately. Barry Scott will continue as primary lead vocalist and reprise his role as bass player.

Salyer, a native of Clintwood, VA began his music career at the age of 11 when he joined his grandparents gospel group, The Sounds Of Glory. After travelling all over the southeast, he began playing guitar and performed with several local bands before attending East Tennessee State University where he graduated in 2004 with a degree in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering. Daniel honed his music skills throughout college as a studio musician and songwriter. His writing credits include cuts on projects by Mark Newton, Sammy Shelor and Linda Lay as well as a cut on the upcoming release by Junior Sisk. Daniel now resides in Bluff City, TN with his wife Rachel and two sons, Peyton and Logan.

Barry Scott & Second Wind are enjoying the success of their debut album on Rebel Records, In God's Time, which is nominated for a Grammy in the Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album category. In addition, the band is nominated for a SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America) award in the category of Best Gospel Group (Contemporary).

The group is enjoying a busy touring schedule with dates coming up this month in Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia before attending the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA on January 31st and the SPBGMA Awards in Nashville, TN on February 7th.

For more information and touring updates, visit http://www.barryscottonline.com.

Traditional Ties, 01/10/10, Playlist




Contact info for new adds:Jerry Burler & John Wade - http://bluecirclerecords.com/ - http://www.jerrybutleronline.com/

Air Time
Artist Name
Song Title
Album Name
Label
Duration

10:00 PM
Kenny Baker
Jerusalem Ridge (Theme)
Plays Bill Monroe
County
2:00
10:02 PM
Jerry Butler-John Wade
Movin' On
Hullin' Grass
Blue Circle
2:49
10:06 PM
David Via
Mama Said
All Night Long
Via
3:12
10:09 PM
Lou Reid
Picture Me There
My Own Set of Rules
Rural Rythm
3:25
10:13 PM
Lost and Found
Waltz Medley
Love Lost and Found
Rural Rhythm
4:45
10:18 PM
Steve Martin
Daddy Played the Banjo
The Crow
Rounder
3:19
10:22 PM
Darren Beachley
Red Rockin' Chair
Sad Songs and Sunday Mornings
Mastershield
1:53
10:24 PM
Butler-Wade
Shorty Is Forty
Haukin' Grass
Blue Circle
3:02
10:27 PM
Cullen Galyean
Midnight Ramble
Born Into bluegrass
Mountain Roads
1:50
10:30 PM
David Via
Rock of Ages
All Night Long
Via
3:39
10:33 PM
Dailey & Vincent
Moses Smote the Water
Singing from the Heart
Rounder
2:50
10:36 PM
Rhonda Vincent
When I Travel My Last Mile
Destination Life
Rounder
3:30
10:40 PM
NewFound Road
I Am the Man Thomas
Same Old Place
Rounder
2:59
10:44 PM
Audie Blaylock
Goodbye
Audie Blaylock and Red Line
Rural Rhythm
3:14
10:47 PM
Nothin' Fancy
House of Gold
Lord Bless This House
Pinecastle
3:16
10:50 PM
Richard D. Henry
How Long Has It Been
A Long Way from Home
Henry
3:20
10:54 PM
Paul Williams
Sinner Don't Wait
What a Journey
Rebel
4:18
11:00 PM
True Bluegrass
With Care from Someone (Theme)
True Bluegrass 1979
True Bluegrass
2:00
11:02 PM
Butler-Wade
The Road I'm On
Haulin' Grass
Blue Circle
3:48
11:06 PM
Butler-Wade
Worth the Ride
Haulin' Grass
Blue Circle
3:10
11:10 PM
Butler-Wade
Be Glad
Haukin' Grass
Blue Circle
3:11
11:14 PM
Butler-Wade
Daddy's Girl
Haulin' Grass
Blue Circle
3:55
11:19 PM
David Via
Every Loss Has a Gain
All Night Long
Via
2:48
11:22 PM
Buddy Merrium
Spirit of Rosine
Back Roads Mandolin
Lily Pad
2:59
11:25 PM
Wayne Taylor
I'm Gonna Be
Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa
Raincoe
3:04
11:27 PM
Dan Tyminski
Making Hay
Wheels
Rounder
3:57
11:36 PM
Grass Cats
Saturday Night Company
A Good Way to Get the Blues
New Time
3:31
11:39 PM
Mickey Harris
Farewell Party
Dog House Blues
MJH
3:40
11:43 PM
Bill Yates & Friends
The Old Pine Tree
Country Gentlemen Tribute V2
Mastershield
3:04
11:47 PM
David Via
Big Hit Song
All Night Long
Via
2:56
11:50 PM
Brandon Rickman
Always Have, Always Will
Young Man Old Soul
Rural Rhythm
3:55
11:54 PM
Northwest Territory
Watchiin' the Clock
Good Old Boys
Northwest Territory
2:46
11:57 PM
Adam Steffey
Deep Rough
One More from the Road
Sugar Hill
2:57


JOHN TROUT, WYEP FM, PITTSBURGH, PA. tties91@hotmail.com 'TRADITIONAL TIES'- NEW RELEASE BLUEGRASS WITH FEATURES. 91.3 WYEP, http://www.wyep.org/ 10:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S.) Sundays. Streaming Audio 1608 JEFFERSON ST, LATROBE PA, 15650 -2940


Link to Traditional Ties web pages: http://wyep.org/traditionalties

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Dailey & Vincent Bring Award-Winning Bluegrass Sound to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store with "Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers"‏


Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers honors legendary country music group


LEBANON, Tenn. (January 6, 2010)— When a beloved musical group decides it’s time to retire, that doesn’t mean their music becomes a thing of the past. Just ask Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent, who, as the award-winning duo Dailey & Vincent, have recorded a new CD containing 12 of the legendary Statler Brothers’ most-loved songs. This album, Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers, features exciting and authentic bluegrass interpretations of songs from the Statlers’ repertoire and will be available exclusively at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® on February 1st.

Dailey & Vincent are uniquely qualified for this project. As the reigning International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Entertainers of the Year, they have previously recorded their versions of some Statler songs and include a few in their live show. In 2008, they performed at the medallion ceremony marking the Statlers’ official induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame®. Dailey & Vincent’s self-titled debut on Rounder Records included their version of the Statlers’ hit “More Than a Name on a Wall,” which topped the Sirius bluegrass chart in 2008. Their Brothers From Different Mothers CD included “Years Ago” and “There is You” from the Statlers’ catalog, along with a special guest appearance by Statler Harold Reid in his alter ego of Lester “Roadhog” Moran on “Head Hung Down,” which spent two months at #1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited song chart.“The Statler Brothers are my childhood heroes,” says Dailey. “My daddy bought me a Statler Brothers record in 1983, and I went to bed every night listening to that record. I knew every word to every song. We’re delighted to work with Cracker Barrel on this project because we pull our bus into a Cracker Barrel every weekend; that’s where we have breakfast and lunch.”

“The Statlers have given so much to America through their music,” adds Vincent. “Some of those lyrics are just so powerful, like 'The Class of ’57.' It’s all about America. It’s an honor to record these classic songs and share them with Cracker Barrel’s guests.”
The Statler Brothers themselves are enthusiastic supporters of Dailey & Vincent and the album. “Jamie and Darrin have used their magic touch to honor us and our music,” says Statler Don Reid. “This CD is one great tribute from two great friends. Dailey and Vincent - they are what good music and friendship is about today.” The Statler Brothers have made an indelible contribution to the American music landscape, from the day they hit the road with Johnny Cash in 1964 until their retirement in 2002. They are one of only six acts to be inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, writing and recording iconic songs about small-town life, love, faith, and days gone by.
Dailey & Vincent have taken the bluegrass world by storm since they launched their career as a duo in 2007. Jamie Dailey was formerly the lead singer and guitarist for Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; until the end of 2007, Darrin Vincent was guitar and mandolin player and harmony vocalist with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

In addition to being named Entertainer of the Year, Dailey & Vincent received 2009 IBMA awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year, for “On the Other Side.” In 2008 they took home seven IBMA awards, becoming the first act in the history of the IBMA awards to be named Entertainer of the Year and Emerging Artist in the same year. The feat was all the more impressive because they had released their debut album just a few months earlier. The New York Times has called them “the most celebrated new bluegrass act of the last few years.” The Wall Street Journal began a recent feature on Dailey & Vincent (“A Bluegrass Duo Reigns Again”) with, “A new dynasty may be taking shape in bluegrass music.” More information on Dailey & Vincent is available at http://www.daileyvincent.com./

“Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers is a great opportunity for Cracker Barrel’s guests to hear from one of the country’s top bluegrass acts with music that is familiar and loved,” says Cracker Barrel’s Vice President of Marketing, Peter Keiser. “Jamie and Darrin have years of performing and recording experience, and they have earned a great deal of notice as well as a number of significant awards in the short time they have been recording together. This CD will provide Cracker Barrel’s guests with a good taste of nostalgia for the Statler Brothers as well as a sampling of what’s to come with Dailey & Vincent.”Songs included on Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers are: “Flowers on the Wall” -“The Class of ’57” -“Hello Mary Lou”- “Too Much on My Heart”-“Susan When She Tried”-“I’ll Go To My Grave Loving You”- “Elizabeth”-“Bed of Rose’s” -“Do You Know You Are My Sunshine?”-“Brave Apostles Twelve-"-“My Only Love”-“Thank You World,"
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