Thursday, September 30, 2010

2010 IBMA Award Winners



THE RECIPIENTS



of the 2010 INTERNATIONAL


BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARDS



BLUEGRASS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES



John Hartford

Louise Scruggs


ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Dailey & Vincent



VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR



Dailey & Vincent



INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR



Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper




MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR



Russell Moore



FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Claire Lynch




SONG OF THE YEAR



"Ring The Bell", The Gibson Brothers (artists), Chet O'Keefe (songwriter)



ALBUM OF THE YEAR



Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers; Dailey & Vincent (artists & producers); Cracker Barrel/Rounder





RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR



"Give This Message To Your Heart", Larry Stephenson featuring Dailey & Vincent (artists), Ben Surratt & Larry Stephenson (producers), Whysper Dream



INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR



"Durang's Hornpipe" by Adam Steffey (artist), Barry Bales & Gary Paczosa (producers)



GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR



"Ring The Bell", The Gibson Brothers (artists & producers), Chet O'Keefe (songwriter), Compass Records



EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR



Josh Williams Band





INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR


BANJO - Kristin Scott Benson



BASS - Marshall Wilborn



FIDDLE - Michael Cleveland



DOBRO - Rob Ickes



GUITAR - Josh Williams



MANDOLIN - Adam Steffey





Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients



Benjamin "Tex" Logan

Sherry Boyd

Lynn Morris

Richard Weize

Pete Wernick



Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year:



Kyle Cantrell; Sirius XM Satellite Radio



Print Media Person of the Year:



Eddie Dean & Dr. Ralph Stanley, authors of Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times (Gotham Books)




Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project:



Dr. Ted Olson (writer), Appalachia Music from Home, Various Artists, Lonesome Records (label)



Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project:



Julie Craig, Cracker Barrel (designer); Dailey & Vincent; Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers; Cracker Barrel/Rounder (label)




Bluegrass Event of the Year Award:



14th Annual Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival; East Hartford, CT

**UPDATE** Dailey & Vincent In Frostburg, MD Advance Tickets

Update to prior post...

Advance ticket sales for the 8:00 PM Dailey & Vincent concert in Frostburg, MD at the Palace Theatre on November 13 will go on sale after October 1st.

The Roots Music Series will present bluegrass legends Dailey & Vincent (and their band) in concert at the Palace Theatre in Downtown Frostburg's Arts & Entertainment District. Local bluegrass band, Black Diamond, will be the opening act. Tickets for the Dailey & Vincent concert will be $25/person ($20 for Allegany Arts Council members and FSU students). Advance tickets will be available after October 1 from the Allegany Arts Council, the Book Center, and Main Street Books. Advance tickets may be purchased by telephone with a Visa or MasterCard by calling the Allegany Arts Council at 301-777-ARTS (2787) during normal business hours. If the concert has not been sold out in advance, tickets will also be available at the Palace Theatre box office beginning at 7:30PM on the night of the performance.

Details about this concert, directions and additional information can be found by visiting the Allegany Arts Council's website HERE.

TC

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Sam Bush ponders state of bluegrass ahead of IBMA awards

by Peter Cooper

As co-founder of New Grass Revival in the early ’70s, Sam Bush became a revelatory force in the progressive bluegrass movement — also dubbed “newgrass” — occasionally drawing the ire of traditionalists but ultimately inspiring generations of open-minded players.




His rhythm “chop” on the mandolin — rooted in the playing of Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe and the Seldom Scene’s John Duffey — is a fixture both in the bluegrass world and on recordings by Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Garth Brooks and Dierks Bentley.



His recent solo album, Circles Around Me, is up for the top album prize at Thursday night’s International Bluegrass Music Association awards show, and Bush is also nominated for mandolin player of the year, song of the year (for “The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle,” penned with Guy Clark and Verlon Thompson), instrumental group of the year (with his Sam Bush Band) and best instrumental recorded performance (“Blue Mountain”).



At his Nashville home, Bush, 58, offered his thoughts on a life in music and on the state of contemporary bluegrass.



At the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass conference (Sept. 27-Oct. 3), you’ve been charged with giving a keynote address.



“Yes, and Bill Monroe is one of the subjects. We’re coming into the 100th anniversary of Bill Monroe’s birth year, and I don’t know of any other form of music where the origins can be traced to one person. I’m known as ‘the newgrass guy,’ but you have to know how to play bluegrass to make newgrass. It all comes from Bill.”


Did you crave Monroe’s approval?
Get the answer and more in The Tennesseean

Traditional Ties, 10/03

There will be no advance playlist this week because IT IS A WYEP MEMBERSHIP NIGHT. However there still will be lots of NEW BLUEGTASS played, one cut each from four new releases that will be featured or highlighted in the next two weeks, they are from Rhonda Vincent, The Boxcars, Balsam Range and Wayne Taylor. Also new, will be several singles from the pens of Tom T. and Dixie Hall from upcoming releases.





A quick response to help us meet our goals and challenges will allow the maximum amount of music to be played. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.



The playlist will be available live on line as the program airs at http://wyep.org/playlist/index.php



Full distribution, through the usual outlets, will occur on Monday 10/04.





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



'TRADITIONAL TIES' - 25 YEARS IN 2010



Link to Traditional Ties web pages:

http://wyep.org/traditionalties/

Monday, September 27, 2010

Steve Martin delivers musical book that just might motivate your kids in the morning

By MERRIE LEININGER


McClatchy-Tribune

"Late for School"


By Steve Martin, illustrated by C.F. Payne
Grand Central Publishing, $17.99
Getting the kids up and out the door in the morning might sometimes seem like the most difficult part of your day. Thankfully, Steve Martin is here to help...
...He has put all his talents to use in the children's book, "Late for School," which comes with a CD of a song. There's two versions, one with just banjo music - so you can sing along, karaoke-style - and one with him singing the lines of the book. The story is about a boy doing everything he can to avoid being late for school after being warned that the next time would result in serious consequences. Full story at KansasCity.Com

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Improvising, in Truest Sense of the Word

By JON CARAMANICA



 The most important member of Rhonda Vincent’s touring troupe on Thursday night turned out not to be her fiddle player or her bassist but her bus driver. Sometime during the afternoon, while the band was already in Manhattan, he got into an accident in the Lincoln Tunnel. The instruments, the stage outfits, the merchandise: none of it made it to Joe’s Pub by showtime.


And so Ms. Vincent and her band, the Rage, took the stage anyway, instruments on loan for everyone except Ms. Vincent, whose hands looked agitated not wrapped around her mandolin.


This made for a night that was less a concert than a metamorphosis, the band shifting through phases from flustered and making do to slick and professional as, over the course of the evening, fortune swung back its way.


In the beginning its members were game improvisers. Mickey Harris strummed an electric bass instead of his usual upright. And being instrumentless had some advantages for Ms. Vincent: it left her hand free to make a cute gun-shooting motion during “In the Garden by the Fountain,” a sinister new song — on record, it’s a duet with Dolly Parton, whom Ms. Vincent has clearly studied — about how to deal with a reluctant lover: “Then I reached inside my pocket/What happened next I can never tell.” The full story, a must read, in the N Y Times

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Celebrate Fall Harvest on America’s Favorite Farm

Bob Evans 40th Annual Farm Festival Scheduled for October 8-10 in Rio Grande, Ohio



Columbus, Ohio -  Bob Evans lived by the motto: “Treat strangers like friends and friends like family.” At this year’s 40th annual Bob Evans Farm Festival, set for October 8-10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Bob Evans Homestead in Rio Grande, Ohio, that philosophy continues to come to life.



Since its inception in 1971 as a harvest celebration, the Bob Evans Farm Festival has grown from a small, local gathering to a celebrated event attended by more than 30,000 people from 19 different states each year. “It’s become something of a pilgrimage for some guests,” says Ray McKinniss, manager of Bob Evans Farm. “Friends and family come from every direction, near and far, to see where it all began and join in the festivities.”



Farm Festival offers a wide array of entertaining attractions and interactive activities to bring the family together. Attendees can unplug from today’s busy world and have some real hands-on fun by learning how to milk a cow, shear a sheep or get tutorials from a blacksmith or soap maker. Kids and parents alike can suit up for the potato sack races, join the pie-eating contest, or join the cow chip toss (yes, they’re real cow chips!).



Families can also watch in wonder as cloggers perform “Appalachian tap dancing,” lumberjacks demonstrate log rolling and sawing skills or kick back and “set awhile” to the sounds of real American bluegrass, gospel and country music. Look for seven-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Rhonda Vincent & The Rage to headline Sunday afternoon.



On-site primitive camping provides accommodation right where the action happens, allowing festivalgoers to get their day started bright and early after an evening spent, quite literally, down on the farm.



“It’s an opportunity for families to spend quality time together while enjoying the simple pleasures of life in the country,” says McKinniss.



With so many activities, Bob Evans Farm Festival is the perfect place to work up an appetite. Guests can sample the mouthwatering tastes of local farmers offering kettle corn, apple cider, maple products, jams, jellies, gourmet food mixes and much more or even try a cup of hot bean soup made on-site by the famous “Bean Team” in authentic iron kettles over an open fire. And of course, there is plenty of delicious Bob Evans sausage to enjoy at the food tent or take home.



“The value can’t be beat,” explains McKinniss. “An entire family of four can enjoy the whole day with us for less than $40 including admission and meals. You can’t find a day’s worth of good family fun for that price many places anymore.”



The 40th Annual Farm Festival is also an opportunity for family and friends to explore and discover the history of Bob Evans Farms, Inc. The Homestead museum, located in the house where Bob and Jewell Evans lived for more than 20 years, offers a visual tour through the life of Mr. Evans and his dream that grew to become an iconic brand. You can also visit the first Bob Evans restaurant, located right in front of the Homestead, which started as a 12-stool diner in 1962 called “The Sausage Shop.”



For more information about this year’s Farm Festival, including a full list of activities, directions entertainment schedule, visit http://www.bobevans.com/farmfestival.

Rebel Records To Resume Issuing Classic Releases for Digital Download‏



Campaign Kicks Off with Two Ralph Stanley LPs Oct. 19th




Select recordings from County Records to be featured as well


This fall Rebel Records recommences its efforts to make its extensive catalog of yet-to-be reissued recordings available for digital download. The label will be releasing two albums per month for purchase through major online retailers including iTunes and Amazon.com. Releases from both Rebel Records and its sister label County Records will be counted in the campaign and will include classics from artists such as Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury and Kenny Baker among many others. Radio DJ's that receive releases from Rebel via digital download will be sent all these recordings as per usual. Unfortunately, as no physical CD's will be manufactured, DJ's serviced by mail will not receive them.



The campaign starts off with a bang October 19th with the release of two Ralph Stanley albums: Old Country Church (1972) and Lonesome and Blue (1987). Old Country Church features Dr. Ralph in what many bluegrass fans consider his best-ever lineup: Roy Lee Centers on guitar and lead vocals, Curly Ray Cline on fiddle, Keith Whitley on lead guitar, Ricky Skaggs on mandolin and Jack Cooke on bass. The album was Ralph's second gospel release for Rebel Records following his seminal Cry From the Cross LP. While Old Country Church did not yield as many hits as its predecessor, it is still filled with gems such as the upbeat classic "Honey in the Rock" as well as two a cappella hymns: "Village Church Yard" and "When I Get Home."
Lonesome and Blue is a secular album and features Ralph with his mid-1980s lineup: Charlie Sizemore on guitar and lead vocals, Junior Blankenship on lead guitar and the durable Curly Ray Cline and Jack Cooke on fiddle and bass, respectively. Having gone nearly a decade without a personnel change and with nine albums to their credit, Ralph and The Clinch Mountain Boys were a well-oiled machine by the time this record was released in early 1987. In what would be his last recording with the band, Charlie Sizemore is in peak form on lead vocals. Notable tracks include two Randall Hylton-penned numbers, the oft-requested "Room at the Top of the Stairs" and "It's a Hot Night in August," "Old Richmond Prison" (now a latter day standard for Ralph) and remakes of Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and the title track, a Stanley Brothers classic originally cut for Mercury.

Stay tuned - upcoming digital exclusive releases include Del McCoury's self-titled first recording for Rebel and Bluegrass Memories, a late 1980s release from Dave Evans.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

DVD - Jubilee: Best Of Renfro Valley Bluegrass Festival


Jubilee, produced by Kentucky Educational Television, (KET) is one of our country’s best at televising bluegrass. In existence since 1996 the show is locally aired each week in KY but is often made available to PBS stations nationwide.

This DVD features artists Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Grasstowne, Dale Ann Bradley, the Grascals, Ronnie Reno & the Reno Tradition, and a few regional acts including Burchett, Morgan & 5ivespeed, the All American Bluegrass Band, Fast Lane, and the Cumberland Gap Connection from a 2008 performance at the Renfro Valley Bluegrass Festival.

This show is somewhat dated but a great snapshot of these bands in prime form none the less.

Video snipits from the same show can be viewed on KET's website HERE

Order from: KET Duplication Services, 600 Cooper Dr., Lexington, KY 40502, e-mail: shop@ket.org

(859) 258-7000

(800) 432-0951

Bluegrass quintet Steep Canyon Rangers are wild and eco-conscious guys

Green and Blue
by T. Ballard Lesemann



 
As any traveling band will attest, life on the road can be a grueling routine of lousy fast food and gas station cuisine. The daily mission of getting from one city to the next safely and on time can make it hard to stay green. But that doesn't stop the Steep Canyon Rangers from trying. Singer/guitarist Woody Platt and his band decided to be eco-conscious early in their musical career.



"It's a challenge to go green when you're on the road," says Platt. "All the water bottles are pushed onto you at the festivals and clubs. One thing we did early on was getting a vehicle with a refrigerator in it, which allowed us to pack food from home in reusable containers and cut out the fast food. It's a great thing for our bodies, too.


"One frustrating challenge that we've noticed is recycling on the road," Platt says. "Very few gas stations have recycling bins. A Steep Canyon Rangers mission down the road might be to go out on our route and encourage recycling."


Recently, Platt and his bandmates — mandolinist Mike Guggino, banjo player Graham Sharp, fiddler Nicky Sanders, and bassist Charles Humphrey — hosted a green event of their own, the Mountain Song Festival in their hometown of Brevard, N.C. The show featured the likes of Doc Watson, David Holt, the Jerry Douglas Band, the Kruger Brothers, Darrell Scott, and others in the bluegrass and roots world.


"We compost all of our materials, and we have a really intensive recycling committee that's on site," says Platt of Mountain Song Festival.  More in The Charleston City Paper

Traditional Ties, 09/26/10, Playlist

Contact info for new adds:


Ken Mellons - http://kenmellons.net/


Peter Rowan - http://compassrecords.com/ - http://www.peter-rowan.com/bluegrass.html








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

Ken Mellons

Rural Route

Rural Route

Jukebox Junkie

3:11



10:06 PM

Peter Rowan

The Family Demon

Legacy

Compass

3:19



10:10 PM

Blue Moon Rising

Time to Be Moving On

Strange New World

Rural Rhythm

2:15



10:12 PM

Balsam Range

Trains I Missed

Trains I Missed

Mountain Home

3:43



10:17 PM

Gulley-Stafford

Just Another Setting Sun

Dogwood Winter

Rural Rhythm

4:00



10:21 PM

Cana Ramblers

Heartaches and Teardrops

No Expentations

Cana Ramblers

3:30



10:25 PM

Bartley Brothers

Loneliness Moved In

Hit and Run

Rural Rhythm

2:34



10:28 PM

Peter Rowan

Lord Hamilton's Yearling

Legacy

Compass

3:37



10:34 PM

Ken Mellons

King of All Kings

Rural Route

Jukebox Junkie

2:37



10:36 PM

Lou Reid

Kinf of All Kings

Sounds Like Heaven to Me

Rural Rhythm

3:00



10:40 PM

Darin & Brooke Aldridge

Light from Heaven

Darin & Brooke Aldridge

Mountain Home

3:05



10:43 PM

Consession 23

All Prayed Up

Wandering Steps

Concession 23

2:50



10:47 PM

Peter Rowan

Turn the Other Cheek

Legacy

Compass

3:46



10:50 PM

Boxcars

In God's Hands

CD Single

Mountain Home

3:57



10:54 PM

Special Consensus

Land Up in the Air

35

Compass

1:54



10:56 PM

Doyle Lawson

Light on My Feet, Ready to Fly

Light on My Feet, Ready to Fly

Horizon

2:37



11:00 PM

True Bluegrass

With Care from Someome (Theme)

True Bluegrass 1979

True Bluegrass

2:00



11:02 PM

Ken Mellons

Memory Remover

Rural Route

Jukebox Junkie

3:17



11:07 PM

Ken Mellons

I'm Just a House

Rural Route

Jukebox Junkie

4:03



11:12 PM

Ken Mellons

Tennessee

Rural Route

Jukebox Junkie

3:01



11:16 PM

Ken Mellons

A Cold One Can't Cure

Rural Route

Jukebox Junkie

3:12



11:20 PM

Peter Rowan

The Raven

Legacy

Compass

3:22



11:23 PM

No One You Know

One Tear

Calm Before the Storm

Mountain Fever

2;30



11:25 PM

Hagar's Mountain Boys

Shot Man Blies

Forever Yours

Mountain Fever

3:10



11:29 PM

Tim Martin

Popsicle Polka

Bluegrass Fiddle

Patuxant

3:16



11:33 PM

Peter Rowan

Don't Ask Me Why

Legacy

Compass

3:09



11:36 PM

High Ground

Blue ridge Mountain Gal

Bristol Station

High Ground

3:24



11:39 PM

Volume 5

Ride Ruby Ride

Down in a Cell

Mountain Fever

2:34



11:41 PM

Del McCoury

Sweet Appalachia

Family Circle

McCoury Music

3:41



11:42 PM

Brand New Strings

Law of the Land

No Strings Attached

Rural Rhythm

3:42



11:50 PM

Kathy Kallick

Cindy

Between the Hollow and the Hig Rrise

Live Oak

3:20



11:53 PM

Lonesome River Band

Record Time Machine

Still Learning

Rural Rhythm

2:55



11:57 PM

Adam Steffey

Deep Rough

One More for 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



'TRADITIONAL TIES' - 25 YEARS IN 2010



Link to Traditional Ties web pages:

http://wyep.org/traditionalties/

Monday, September 20, 2010

Tennessee Titans Host The Grascals

Nashville, TN-- Two-time IBMA Entertainers of the Year THE GRASCALS performed the National Anthem during the Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers pre-game ceremonies yesterday. They are the first vocal bluegrass group ever to appear at the stadium in this capacity. "We are so proud to be from right here in Nashville, and we've worked most every stage here, from our start at the Station Inn all the way to the world-famous Grand Ole Opry," says THE GRASCALS' Jamie Johnson. "It was a huge honor to sing the National Anthem for our favorite NFL team.” After singing, they met the Titans Cheerleaders and enjoyed the game as guests of the team.



From Left to Right: Terry Eldredge, Jamie Johnson, Jeremy Abshire, Kristin Scott Benson, Danny Roberts and Terry Smith
(Photo Courtesy of so much MOORE media)

Fortunately for us STEELER fans, even the Grascals couldn't help the Titans yesterday,

Sunday, September 19, 2010

2010 Walnut Valley Festival winners UPDATED

By James Jordan


Last Updated Sep 20, 2010, Published Sep 19, 2010

Read more at Suite101: 2010 Walnut Valley Festival winners http://www.suite101.com/content/2010-walnut-valley-festival-winners-a287743#ixzz106wdqHnC
National Flat Pick champion, National Bluegrass Banjo champion, were two of eight champions crowned at the 2010 Walnut Valley Festival.



The 2010 Walnut Valley Music Festival ended Sunday, September 19, 2010, with champions declared for National Flat Pick Guitar and National Bluegrass Banjo and other events. In all, eight champions were named in national and international competitions from the 39th edition of the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.

Acoustic music fans also enjoyed four days of music during the 39th Walnut Valley Festival, ranging from bluegrass to blues and many stops in between.
2020 National Flatpick Guitar Championhip

Jason Shaw of Lincoln Nebraska is the 2010 National Flatpick Guitar Champion. This was his third natinoal championship, having won the event in 1993 and 2004. He also placed third in 2003, and has placed in the Old Time Fiddle contest. He is the second person to win this prestigious event three times. The last time it happened was 1986 when Steve Kaufman won his third title. Shaw received $2,000 in cash, a trophy and his choice of three custom made guitars, in addition to several other music-related prizes.


Other three-peat winners include Gary Davis in banjo, Jeff Pritchard and the late Randy Howard in fiddle and the late Dave Peters in mandolin.


Second place was awarded to Allen Shadd of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, and third place went to Andrew Hatfield of Peoria, Illinois.


2010 National Bluegrass Banjo Champinship
More at suite101.com

Friday, September 17, 2010

International Bluegrass Music Awards to Feature Stellar Cast




International Bluegrass Music Awards

Nashville, Tenn. - The bluegrass world is set to gather on September 30 for the 2010 International Bluegrass Music Awards, recognizing the year's most outstanding accomplishments in 17 categories and honoring two pioneers for their groundbreaking influence. The star-studded evening will feature a stellar cast of performers and exciting collaborations to delight audiences and celebrate bluegrass worldwide.



Fans can look forward to a dozen performances including reigning Entertainers of the Year Dailey & Vincent; the father of newgrass Sam Bush; bluegrass songbird Claire Lynch; powerhouse vocalist Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out; the legendary Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; and nine-time Entertainers of the Year, The Del McCoury Band.



That alone could satisfy the appetite of even the hungriest of fans, but the IBMA Awards are known for delivering some special collaborations. Two gentlemen who between them hold eight Guitar Player of the Year trophies, Josh Williams and Tony Rice, will perform together. Awards show hosts, Grand Ole Opry stars Sharon & Cheryl White and genre-bending Dobro stylist Jerry Douglas, will team up with four-time Female and Male Vocalists of the Year Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski. The man who has dominated the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart all summer, Dierks Bentley, will perform with a band of nominees and past recipients, while Blue Highway will include guest Darrell Scott in their part of the show.



The evening will also feature musical tributes to Hall of Fame inductees John Hartford and Louise Scruggs, including a performance by Earl Scruggs with his sons, Gary and Randy.



Whether enjoying the show live at the historic Ryman Auditorium or tuning in via radio, fans will also enjoy award presentations by their favorite stars and the anticipation of hearing who walks away with the most coveted awards in bluegrass music.



The 21st International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central on September 30, will be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction, Channel 14) and syndicated to more than 300 U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks thanks to the sponsorship of Martha White, GHS Strings, Sugar Hill Records, Deering Banjos, Compass Records and the International Bluegrass Music Museum. Program directors and station managers may sign up to be affiliates online at http://www.ibma.org/.



Tickets are available at the Ryman Auditorium box office at (615) 889-3060.



The International Bluegrass Music Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), which serves as the trade association for the bluegrass music industry. The IBMA Awards Show is the centerpiece of the World of Bluegrass week, including the industry's Business Conference and Bluegrass Fan Fest, which will take place September 27 - October 3 in Nashville.



Additional information:

http://ibma.org/



---------------------------

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Grascals Set to Perform National Anthem At the Titans / Steelers Game





Nashville, TN (September 16, 2010) -- Two-time IBMA Entertainers of the Year THE GRASCALS are set to perform the National Anthem during the Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers pre-game ceremonies this Sunday. They are the first vocal bluegrass group ever to appear at the stadium in this capacity.


Fans can watch the game, starting at 1 p.m. Eastern / 12:00 p.m. Central, on Nashville's WTVF TV (Channel 5/CBS). "We are so proud to be from right here in Nashville, and we've worked most every stage here, from our start at the Station Inn all the way to the world-famous Grand Ole Opry," says THE GRASCALS' co-founder Jamie Johnson. "It will be a huge honor to sing the National Anthem for our favorite NFL team. Go Titans!!"

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Steve Martin Creates Bluegrass Prize

Compiled by Dave Itzkoff


Published: September 15, 2010

. Hey, kids: Steve Martin wants to give you $50,000! There’s just one catch: You’re going to have to be really good at bluegrass music. Mr. Martin, the actor, comedian and polymath, has established the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. The award, which he described on Wednesday as “a mini-MacArthur” grant, will give $50,000 annually to “an individual or group for outstanding accomplishment in the field of five-string banjo or bluegrass music.” More in the New York Times

Traditional Ties, 09/19/10, Playlist

Contact info for new adds:


No One You Know - http://nooneyouknowband.com/fr_intro.cfm - http://www.mountainfever.com/


Special Consensus - http://www.specialc.com/ - http://compassrecords.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

No One You Know

The Gambler

Calm Before the Storm

Mountain Fever

2:43



10:07 PM

Special Consensus

Used to These Old Blues

35

Compass

3:16



10:11 PM

Gulley-Stafford

You Hurt Me All Over Again

Doogwood Winter

Rural Rhythm

3:58



10:15 PM

Bartley Brothers

Cold Dark Ground

Hit the Road

Rural Rhythm

2:58



10:19 PM

Balsam Range

Trains I Missed

Trains I Missed

Mountain Home

3:43



10:22 PM

Darren Beachley

Last Ride

Take Off

Patuxent

3:01



10:25 PM

Sidetrack

Highway of Sorrow

Rowdy to Reverent

Bluegrass Widow

2:21



10:28 PM

Special Consensus

Danny's Dance

35

Compass

2:56



10:33 PM

No One You Know

Just Over the Blue

Calm Before the Storm

Mountain Fever

3;06



10:36 PM

Boxcars

In God's Hands

CD Single

Mountain Home

3:57



10:40 PM

Gary Waldrep

Trust and Pray

Road Leading Home

Blue Circle

2:39



10:42 PM

Sweet Potato Pie

My Lord What a Morning

Journey Called Life

Mountain Fever

1:28



10:45 PM

Special Consensus

Land Up in the Air

35

Compass

1:54



10:47 PM

Donna Ulisse

Who Will Sing for Me

Holy Waters

Hadley

3:12



10:50 PM

Nothin' Fancy

Peace in the Valley

Lord Bless This House

Pinecastle

3:43



10:54 PM

Crowe-Lawson-Williams

Stormy Waters

Old Friends Get Together

Mountain Home

3:28



11:00 PM

True Bluegrass

With Care from Someone (Theme)

True Bluegrass 1979

True Bluegrass

2:00



11:02 PM

No One You Know

Looking for a Sign

Calm Before the Storm

Mountain Fever

3:16



11:05 PM

No One You Know

Ashes of Love

Calm Before the Storm

Mountain Fever

2:40



11:09 PM

No One You Know

West Virginia in My Rearview

Calm Before the Storm

Mountain Fever

4:47



11:14 PM

No One You Know

Calm Before the Storm

Calm Before the Storm

Mountain Fever

3:06



11:20 PM

Special Consensus

Fourteen Carat Mind

35

Compass

2:57



11:23 PM

Chris Warner

Brennie's Dream

Goin' to the Dance

Patuxent

2:57



11:26 PM

Grascals

Son of a Sawmill Man

The Famous Lefty Flynn's

Rounder

2:33



11:29 PM

Bryon Sutton

Church Street Blues

Almost Live

Sugar Hill

3:39



11:35 PM

Special Consensus

Have I Loved You Too Late

35

Compass

2:39



11:38 PM

Gibson Brothers

Jericho

Ring the Bell

Compass

2:42



11:40 PM

Carolina Road

Carolina Hurricane

Carolina Hurricane

Blue Circle

2:06



11:42 PM

Rich in Tradition

Prillaman's Switch

Black Mountain Special

Mountain Roads

2:41



11:46 PM

Special Consensus

Silver Dew on the Bluegrass Tonight

35

Compass

2:22



11:49 PM

Larry Stephenson

Shelly's Winter Love

20th Anniversary

Whysper Dream

3:07



11:52 PM

Ned Crisp & Bottomline

Taking the Back Roads Home

Taking the Back Roads Home

Blue Circle

2:46



11:54 PM

Wildfire

Roadside Tavern

CD Single

Lonesome Day

2:45



11:57 PM

Jody King

Carpal Tunnel Breakdown

Another Day

After 5

2:50

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



'TRADITIONAL TIES' - 25 YEARS IN 2010



Link to Traditional Ties web pages:

http://wyep.org/traditionalties/

Monday, September 13, 2010

Cracker Barrel Shares Behind-the-Scenes Insights



Exclusive CD nominated for "Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project"

LEBANON, Tenn., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store ® -- There's more to planning the packaging of a new CD than you might imagine, and that's why the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) gives an award for "Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project" each year. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is pleased and proud to be one of three nominees for this year's packaging award. Cracker Barrel was nominated for its exclusive offering, Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard magazine Top Bluegrass Chart in February 2010, and then spent nine weeks in the top position. The CD itself is nominated for "Album of the Year," and artists Dailey & Vincent, the reigning International Bluegrass Music Association two-time Entertainers of the Year, are also the lead 2010 IBMA award nominees, receiving ten nominations, including Entertainer of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year.
"When we first started planning the design of this album cover, we were not thinking about awards," said Cracker Barrel Marketing Manager Julie Craig, who managed all aspects of the packaging. "We wanted to focus on what the design elements were that would make people see how special this CD is," she added, pointing out that since the CD would be available only at Cracker Barrel locations, it had to fit in with the look and feel of an old country store while also complementing the authentic sounds of artists Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent. "I worked closely with the talented team at The Buntin Group to make sure that the art design would be as authentic, genuine and real as the music on the disc is," said Craig.
That attention to detail is what made the difference, according to Buntin Group Creative Director Tom Cocke, who said, "The challenge for any designer in Nashville is to come up with something original. Lots of CDs are designed in Nashville, so part of the process is to make sure it doesn't look like a cover that's been done before." Cocke says this project shows that good design supports the overall integrity of the artist and music.
Graphic Designer Devan Todd said that he wanted to keep the album art simple without too many flourishes or embellishments. "I've always liked the LPs from the 50s and the 60s and wanted to go with some monochromatic and muted colors because I thought that would work well with the style of the music and for Cracker Barrel," said Todd.
And, of course, the design has to communicate, according to Account Supervisor Becky Hensley. "With this project, we knew we had to quickly appeal to anyone looking at the packaging and its relationship with Cracker Barrel and with authentic bluegrass music. Cracker Barrel is known for its good country cookin', of course, but its exclusive music program is becoming more and more popular, in part because all the details point to authenticity," she said.
"We don't know whether we will win Best Graphic Design," said Cracker Barrel's Julie Craig, "but you know what? It may be a cliche, but it really is an honor to be nominated. Our team is thrilled!"
The International Bluegrass Music Association awards are September 30, 2010. Best of luck to artists Dailey & Vincent with their ten nominations!
About Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store provides a friendly home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants. Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that's surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America's country heritage…all at a fair price. The restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n' dumplins as well as its signature biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 595 company-owned locations in 41 states. Every Cracker Barrel unit is open seven days a week with hours Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. For more information, visit: CrackerBarrel.com

Friday, September 10, 2010

Hot Rize on Mountain Stage - Ticket Info

Hot Rize will be part of a Mountain Stage taping in Morgantown WV, November 7, ticket info is below.



November 7 at 7 pm


WVU Creative Arts Center - Morgantown, WV

Doors 6:30pm Show 7:00pm

Advance Tickets $15.00

At the Door $20.00

Available ONLY CAC Box Office,

304 293 SHOW


Tickets from Ticketmaster


Hot Rize
Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers
Stan Ridgway

Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys Converge In Kentucky

Owensboro, Ky., is home to the International Bluegrass Museum and the site of the Blue Grass Boys' musical reunion.



"It's just like you going to a family reunion. I mean, we're all in the same family," Guy Stevenson says. "We was all taught by the same teacher."


Stevenson played with the Blue Grass Boys in 1973. Over the years, there were countless incarnations of the group that backed up Bill Monroe's singing and mandolin-picking. Between its formation at the start of WWII and Monroe's death in 1996, about 175 Blue Grass Boys wore the band's signature Stetson hats. This summer, the International Bluegrass Museum's annual ROMP Festival hosted a reunion for 29 of them. Before ROMP, many of those had never shared a stage together.


Monroe's band included some of the best bluegrass pickers, but not everyone was well-known when they first joined the group. Some couldn't even really play the instruments they were hired to play. Scottie Baugus, for instance, was 29 when Monroe tapped him to sing and play guitar. He had never before worked as a professional musician.


Once he was hired, Baugus says things were stressful — the band hardly ever rehearsed. At his first show, he got to see the set list only 20 minutes before stepping on stage. Luckily, he already knew all the songs from Monroe's recordings. Fiddler Wayne Jerrolds joined the band in 1988; his first gig was the next night at the Grand Ole Opry.


"Man, I got in there about to have a heart attack, 'cause I always wanted to do it," Jerrolds says. "And I thought, 'This is my big chance and I'm gonna blow it; I'll freeze.' But I made it through it. I had to take about three Xanax, or I couldn't have made it, to tell you the truth."


The Father Of Bluegrass?
Some Blue Grass Boys are less... Full NPR story,

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Traditional Ties, 09/12/10, Playlist

Traditional Ties special feature: The entire second hour will be a ROMP concert by Mac Martin & the Dixie Travelers recorded in Owensboro KY, this past June, when Mac was honored as one of the pioneers of Bluegrass Music.








Air Time

Artist Name

Song Title

Album Name

Label

Duration



10:00 PM

Kenny Baker

Jerusalem Ridge (Theme)

Plays Bill Monroe

County

2:00



10:03 PM

Balsam Range

Trains I Missed

Trains I Missed

Mountain Home

3:43



10:07 PM

Bartley Brothers

Hit the Road

Hir the Road

Rural Rhythm

2:12



10:10 PM

Gulley -Stafford

On a Day Like This

Dogwood Winter

Rural rhythm

2:43



10:13 PM

High Ground

A Gibson and a Beat Up Chevrolet

Bristol Station

High Ground

3:07



10:17 PM

Blue Moon Rising

Time to Be Moving On

Strange New World

Rural Rhythm

2:18



10:19 PM

Darren Beachley

Jenny

Take Off

Patuxent

4:59



10:24 PM

No One You Know

Looking for a Sign

Looking for a Sign

Mountain Fever

2:51



10:27 PM

Marty Stuart

Hard Working Man

Ghost Train

Sugar Hill

3:04



10:31 PM

Balasm Range

The Touch

Trains I Missed

Mountain Home

3:34



10:34 PM

Lou Reid

God's Front Porch

Sounds Like Heaven to Me

Rural Rhythm

3:00



10:37 PM

Lonesome River Band

Forty Days in the Desert

Still Learning

Rural Rhythm

4:20



10:41 PM

Larry Stephenson

You'll See Jesus

20 th Anniversary

Whysper Drean

3:00



10:45 PM

Box Cars

In God's Hands

Advance Single

Mountain Home

3:57



10:49 PM

Volume Five

Sailing On

Down In a Cell

Mountain Fever

3:25



10:52 PM

Gibson Brothers

Ring the Bell

Ring the Bell

Compass

3:46



10:56 PM

Dailey & Vincent

Hide Me Rock of Ages

Singing from the Heart

Rounder

2:39



11:00 PM

True Bluegrass

With Care from Someone (Theme)

True Bluegrass 1979

True Bluegrass

1:00



11:01 PM

Mac Martin

Live Concert

ROMP

ROMP

58:18







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

'TRADITIONAL TIES' - 25 YEARS IN 2010



Link to Traditional Ties web pages:

http://wyep.org/traditionalties

Monday, September 6, 2010

Iowa man hopes to sell custom instruments

By JOSH NELSON


ASSOCIATED PRESS


NEW HARTFORD, Iowa — Weekdays are spent on the road. Weekends are spent at home, usually in a small workshop in the basement.
The room is covered wall-to-wall with evidence of the trade — bodies, backs, bridges, pick guards — everything waiting to be assembled.
The shop is Steve Hinde’s escape.
“This is a nice place to come and relax,” he says.
Hinde, 49, has steadily carved out a name under the brand Hinde Custom Instruments. He’s one of just a few craftsmen in Iowa who make mandolins, though he has also built acoustic and electric guitars, a resonator guitar and a fiddle.
The work is equally hobby and business.
Across from his workbench are two finished mandolins and a mandola — a larger version of the mandolin. A nearby closet is cluttered with more instrument pieces and the first guitar he made eight years ago.

...Those lucky enough to get a custom guitar or mandolin appreciate the instruments.
“It was the first mandolin I ever saw that I was ever able to sit down and enjoy playing,” Rick Farris says.
He plays in the well-known bluegrass band Special Consensus.

Eddie Farris, Rick’s brother, also plays a Hinde guitar in bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder band.

The Farris brothers met Hinde years ago at a bluegrass festival in Newton. Hinde later gave Rick Farris one of the first mandolins he made.More

Gibson Brothers nab four award nominations

By Suzanne Moore, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.



Sept. 06--BRAINARDSVILLE -- Appropriately enough, the Gibson Brothers got the news via radio.
Somewhere on the road between Green Bay, Wis., and Gettysburg, Pa., the homegrown bluegrass band had Sirius XM tuned in to hear the final nominations for the 2010 International Bluegrass Association Awards.
They're among five nominees each for Album of the Year ("Ring the Bell"), Song of the Year (title track "Ring the Bell), Vocal Group of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year.
"We had a van full of smiling faces," said Eric Gibson.
He and brother, Leigh, had had high hopes for the Chet O'Keefe gospel song they'd heard first in a barroom in Muncie, Ind.
"I just had to have it," Eric said. "I knew if we got a good recording of it, it would be a song that would really help our career."
He chuckled. "For once, I was right."
ANOTHER HIT
The trajectory of the band's most recent album and its title track might have given him a hint. In December 2009, they both hit No. 1 on the December 2009 Albums Chart of Bluegrass Unlimited's National Bluegrass Survey.
"Farm of Yesterday" from that CD, written by Eric and Leigh, made a slower but steady climb to reach No. 1 this month.
"It's been on the charts for 13 months -- that's not something you usually see," Eric said.
That song is one that's especially close to the brothers' hearts, as it puts to music cherished memories of growing up on the family farm in Ellenburg.
"I thought that song might be too personal to grab a bunch of people's attention," Eric said.
He was wrong about that.
"Everywhere we go, it's requested. And people come up after and tell us their stories.
"That's a reward in itself."
MAGAZINE COVER
It has been a good year, one of heavy touring for the bluegrass duo and the rest of the band: Mike Barber on bass, Clayton Campbell on fiddle and Joe Walsh on mandolin.


"I think the awards nominations are a direct result of the touring we've done the last couple of years," Eric said. "We've really hammered it."


In April, the Gibsons made the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited, an accomplishment also fueled by "Ring the Bell," for it was the band's fifth consecutive album to hit No. 1.
"It's richly deserved but still an astonishing achievement for a band that keeps such an even-keeled -- and humble -- attitude toward the music business," writes Chris Stuart in the cover story.


GERMAN GIG
In the spring, the Gibsons took their guitars, banjos, bass and mandolin to Oldenburg, Germany -- their first show across the pond. Full story.

Banjo Pioneer Still Pickin'

John Pirro, Staff Writer



NEWTOWN -- He's performed and recorded with musical giants ranging from Doc Watson and Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan and Guy Lombardo.


Several of his students went on to play with some of the best-known folk music groups of the 1950s and 1960s.


More than six decades after he first picked up the instrument, bluegrass banjo pioneer Roger Sprung, of Newtown, still displays the sense of humor that has made him an audience favorite at festivals and concerts where he continues to perform, along with the musicianship that twice during the 1970s earned him the title of "World Champion Five-String Banjo Player" in North Carolina and Virginia competitions.


Jazz and pop singer Kay Starr, who Sprung has also accompanied, used to say that the banjo was "a happy instrument," and Sprung, who last month celebrated his 80th birthday, is definitely a happy banjo player.

"I have a joke for everything," Sprung said.


Born and raised in Manhattan, Sprung, the son of a lawyer, started playing the piano at the age of seven, and developed a fondness for boogie woogie.


But that vanished in 1947, when his older brother took him to Washington Square Park to hear the folk musicians playing there.


"That was the end of the piano," he said.


He learned how to play the guitar, then the banjo, and within a few years, quit his job as a specifications writer for a radio tower company to devote full-time to playing and teaching music.


"I found out I could make twice as much money teaching music,' he said.


Among those who took lessons from Sprung were John Stewart of the Kingston Trio, Erik Darling of the Weavers and the Rooftop Singers, and Chad Mitchell of the Chad Mitchell Trio.


Beginning in 1950, Sprung began making yearly pilgrimages to the South, where he met with bluegrass musicians and developed the style that came to be known as progressive bluegrass. Full story.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

An Afternoon with Beaver Creek

Darlene and I were privileged to send some time with old friends today. The Beaver Creek Band was appearing at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds, as part of the Arts & Crafts Colonial Festival.




I was great to renew our longstanding friendship of almost 30 years.



The will be playing there again tomorrow (Labor Day) with three early afternoon shows if you miss them as much as we do, you'll want to check them out.



The accompanying photo is not mine and is not from today, but it is the band as it is currently constituted.
 
Scott Pearson, Jim Metz, Rich Ord, Mary Ord, Randy Ord

New Music from Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford

By Keith Lawrence
Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

STEVE GULLEY AND TIM STAFFORD, "Dogwood Winter," Rural Rhythm. 14 tracks.


Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford have been writing songs together for years. In 2008, their "Through The Window of A Train" was named song of the year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.


Both have made their marks separately as singers and musicians.


Gulley, a member of Grasstowne, honed his skills with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and Mountain Heart.


Stafford, a member of Blue Highway, worked in Dusty Miller and Alison Krauss & Union Station before helping launch Blue Highway in 1994.
But after years of writing together for other people, the two decided to record an album of 14 of their favorite songs.


It's not strictly a bluegrass album - there's a piano on "Nebraska Sky" and percussion on both "Nebraska Sky" and "Torches."


So call it "countrygrass" - a description that fits a lot of bluegrass albums these days.


It's definitely a singer-songwriter album with lots of well-crafted lyrics.


The title cut is about pioneers who find hard times and death "in the land of milk and honey where the dogwood blossoms bloom."


"Nebraska Sky" is a letter to a mother from her soldier son, which promises "someday soon, I'll be coming home to stay."

"Just Another Setting Sun" is about the death of gunfighter/gambler John Henry "Doc" Holliday as told by his common-law wife "Big Nose Kate" Elder.


"Sixteen Cents" tells the story of a dead hobo who has only 16 cents in his pockets.More.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Celebrity Concert with Sam Bush

As a part of the Tribute to Grandpa Jones weekend, the Ozark Folk Center is very proud to announce that Sam Bush will be headlining the evening performance on Friday, September 3, 2010.




Grammy Award winning multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush doesn't seem old enough to be a musical legend. And he's not. But he is. Alternately known as the King of Telluride and the King of Newgrass, Bush has been honored by the Americana Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association.

"It's overwhelming and humbling," Bush says of his lifetime achievement award from the AMA. "It goes along with the title cut of my new album, Circles Around Me, which basically says, how in the hell did we get this far? In my brain I'm still 17, but I look in the mirror and I'm 57."
But honors are not what drive him. "I didn't get into music to win awards," he says. "I'm just now starting to get somewhere. I love to play and the older I get the more I love it. And I love new things." Among those new things are the growing group of mandolin players that identify Bush as their musical role model in much the same way he idolized Bill Monroe and Jethro Burns. "If I've been cited as an influence, then I'm really flattered because I still have my influences that I look up to," Bush says. "I'm glad that I'm in there somewhere."
He's being humble, of course. Bush has helped to expand the horizons of bluegrass music; fusing it with jazz, rock, blues, funk and other styles. He's the co-founder of the genre-bending New Grass Revival and an in-demand musician who has played with everyone from Emmylou Harris and Bela Fleck to Charlie Haden, Lyle Lovett and Garth Brooks. And though Bush is best known for jaw-dropping skills on the mandolin, he is also a three time national junior fiddle champion and Grammy award winning vocalist.

"In the acoustic world, I've been pretty lucky to play with almost every one of my heroes. I've gotten to play with Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, I've been to the mountain," says Bush with a smile.More

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Milestones pile up for Kentucky banjo legend

Milestones pile up for Kentucky banjo legend

By Walter Tunis Contributing Music Writer



J.D. Crowe turned 73 last week, but he keeps a busy schedule with tour dates and his festival.



With a career that has run a full half-century, from 1950s work with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys to the newest edition of his own band New South, it's safe to say that J.D. Crowe has seen and heard it all when it comes to bluegrass music.



"Oh yeah," said the Grammy-winning Lexington/Nicholasville banjo great. "I really have."



But as the bluegrass festival that bears his name prepares to celebrate its 10th edition this weekend, many milestones from Crowe's remarkable career are about to converge.



At the festival, he will host performances by longtime musical mates Doyle Lawson and Bobby Osborne. But there also will be sets by celebrated younger acts, notably The Grascals, that are redefining the string-music strategies of bluegrass in much the same way that Crowe did during the '70s.



Meanwhile, there is the matter of the present-day New South, which recently recruited two new members.



That's a pretty fair amount of time traveling for Crowe, who turned 73 last week.


"It just takes a while to get things like this rolling," Crowe said of his festival. "I've always said if you can hang on for five years, you're pretty good. We're up in attendance about 22 percent over the last two years. So we're real pleased with that, especially in this economy." Full story.



 









Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/02/1417594/milestones-pile-up-for-kentucky.html#ixzz0yPT9QenT

57th Annual Farmers & Threshermans Jubilee To Feature Bluegrass

The 57th annual New Centerville Rural & Volunteer Fire Company's Farmer's & Threshermans Jubilee will once again feature bluegrass music as part of their entertainment lineup.

Friday, September, 10th will feature Poverty Hollow on the main stage in Museum Hall. Performance times are: 7:00, 8:00 & 9:15 PM

Saturday, September, 11 features The Big River Boys who classify themselves as: "a country/bluegrass duo specializing in real down home, beer drinking, foot stompin', trailer rockin' country music." at 6:30, 7:30 & 9:00 PM.

Sunday will feature the Allegheny Drifters on the main stage at Museum Hall at 12:30, 2:00 & 3:00 PM.

The Victory Express will also perform Sunday at 3:00, 4:00 & 5:00 PM in the Threshing Area.


The Farmers & Threshermans Jubilee is located in New Centerville, PA on Route 281 just 9 miles from Somerset's exit 110 of the PA Turnpike.

Working steam engines, hit & miss engines, antique cider press, sawmill, flour mill, feed grinder and truck & tractor pulls are some of the other activities to enjoy over the 5 day event.

Visit the Jubilee website at: NCRVC

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Andy Griffith, Doc Watson to enter hall of fame


By Joe Marusak

jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Wednesday, Sep. 01, 2010

KANNAPOLIS


Actor-gospel recording artist Andy Griffith, bluegrass great Doc Watson and country singer George Hamilton IV will be among 13 artists inducted into the N.C. Music Hall of Fame on Oct 7.


The ceremony will be at 7 p.m. in the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building at the North Carolina Research Campus.


Most of the inductees and/or their families are scheduled to attend, and several artists to be named will perform, Hall of Fame Chairman Bill Kopald said.


Inductees also include recording artist Maurice Williams, country artists Donna Fargo and Arthur Smith, bluegrass musician Curly Seckler, jazz pianist and composer Dr. Billy Taylor, gospel recording artist Shirley Caesar and composer, guitarist and soloist Don Schlitz .More.

/andy-griffith-doc-watson-to-enter.html#ixzz0yKmp0pLa

No Traditional Ties on 9/5

Traditional Ties, and all the other weekend programming on WYEP, will be preempted this coming weekend.

WYEP will be presenting the 913 top songs of the decade as voted by listeners. This will start Friday evening and continue through Labor Day,

We will return on 9/12 with a very special Traditional Ties, presenting Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers, recorded at the International Bluegrass Music Museum's River of Music Party this past June. Special guest Curly Seckler will join Mac for two songs.

Mac, a Pittsburgh native was honored as a Bluegrass pioneer and  as one of the first generation Bluegrass Music artists. .This presentation will take the entire second hour of the show,



During the first hour single selections from several new releases will be presented, These releases will get our usuall feature or highlight treatment in a upcoming shows.

Please help to spread the word, and tune in at 91.3 FM Pittsburgh PA, of on Line at Http://wyep.org/
10:00pm  EDT

Frostburg State University Presents the 5th Annual Appalachian Festival September 17th & 18th



The FSU Appalachian Festival takes place on the Frostburg State University campus September 17th & 18th.

At its heart, Frostburg State University’s Appalachian Festival is a celebration of regionalism. It is a celebration of the region’s natural landscape, history, culture, food, musical and artistic traditions—all of those aspects that make this section of Appalachia unique. The cultural traditions demonstrated at the FSU Appalachian Festival are living traditions that continue to be practiced here. Many traditions have been passed down from one generation to the next for three generations or more. Despite the changes introduced through new technology, what remains stable in these artist expressions is their connection to community, culture, and place.

Through its music and dance performances, historical, cultural, and environmental presentations, hands-on traditional arts workshops, and numerous children’s activities, the FSU Appalachian Festival provides participants and attendees with an opportunity to share regional knowledge and become engaged in perpetuating long-standing traditions. Together, the exhibitions, discussions, workshops, lectures, and performances highlighted at the FSU Appalachian Festival provide Mountain Maryland and the contiguous region with a rich sense of place.

Music will be performed throughout the event on several stages. Mountain Therapy will perform Saturday at 1:20 PM and again at 4:40 PM on the Compton Stage at FSU. Additional performance information can be found here

Saturday to end with a Capstone Concert featuring David Holt and Laura Boosinger! Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt is a musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer, dedicated to performing and preserving traditional American music and stories. Holt plays ten acoustic instruments and has released numerous recordings of traditional mountain music and southern folktales.

Laura Boosinger, most known for her banjo playing, offers old-time mountain ballads, and has released four solo albums, along with one with George Shuffler. Her albums, including Most of All and Let Me Linger, feature traditional songs such as "Cannonball," "Peace Precious Peace" and "I'm S-A-V-E-D" and "Down in the Valley." Boosinger features a variety of traditional stringed instruments, including old-time banjo, guitar, Appalachian dulcimer and fingerstyle Autoharp.

To learn more, please check : www.frostburg.edu/events/afestival