Friday, January 28, 2011

Announcing new web site for indie bluegrass & acoustic musicians

by Bob Faris
DIYbluegrassbiz.com

While there are many websites that offer tips and tactics to promote
independent music there hasn't been a site that specializes in do-it-
yourself (DIY) strategies for the indie bluegrass artist or band - until
now. Most musicians spend years honing their music and stage
craft only to realize they need to develop a completely different skill
set in order to meet the challenge of bringing their music to an

audience.
DIYbluegrassbiz.com has been conceived as the online artist
development resource for independent bluegrass & acoustic
musicians or bands. Here you’ll find information appropriate to all
levels of the music industry. Whether you are a novice or an
experienced performer, you will discover the DIY applications &
resources that will allow your dreams to soar.
Find out what you need to develop for a successful career.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper Welcome Charlie Cushman


Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper is proud to announce the addition of banjo master Charlie Cushman to the band. Cushman will take on full-time banjo duties with the IBMA's 4-time Instrumental Group of the Year effective immediately.






When speaking of the cream of the crop banjo players in present day, Charlie Cushman is a household name among the most elite. Raised on the 5-string banjo from a very early age, Cushman cut his teeth on the music of Don Reno and Earl Scruggs and over the years has become one of the most respected musicians of his time. At age 14 he was a regular performer on The Carl Tipton Show, where he also learned guitar and upright bass. In the early 1980's, Cushman received his first real taste of life on the road as a full-time musician while working with James Monroe and the Midnight Ramblers, Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys and country music icon Mel Tillis and the Statesiders. He then stayed closer to home while working full-time for Nashville's music-themed park, Opryland USA the last half of that decade. In 1990, Cushman began working with fellow banjo player, comedian Mike Snider, where he stayed for 14 years playing bass and then moving to guitar. During that tenure, Cushman found himself performing on the Grand Ole Opry regularly in addition to road dates. The last few years have found him staying very busy as an in-demand session player having recorded on projects for prominent artists such as Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, Rhonda Vincent, Tim O'Brien and Vince Gill, a relationship that eventually led to an unprecedented tour with Gill in support of his Grammy winning project These Days.


Over the years, Michael Cleveland and Charlie Cushman have shared the stage many times. Cushman was Cleveland's banjo player of choice for his solo project Let'er Go Boys. The admiration between these two artists is heartwarming. "I first met Charlie in 1999 when we played with Jeff White at the Station Inn," states Cleveland. "I knew after that gig that I'd played with one of the best. To have Charlie join the band is a dream come true." Charlie Cushman is equally excited. "I’m so proud and honored to finally get to work with Michael and his band and I’m glad that this opportunity has finally lined up for us." Cushman continues, "We have a spark with each other musically and I’m more excited about this than anything else I've done in quite a while."


This musical pairing will have definitely come full circle when this new configuration of Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper offers their first public performance on the very stage the two first performed together, the world famous Station Inn in Nashville, TN on Friday, February 18th. The multi-award winning group will be performing some new music from the band's upcoming Rounder Records CD, Fired Up, due for release in early spring. Michael Cleveland sums it up best, "It is going to be a blast to play and learn from one of the true professionals in the business! I feel like everything is finally coming together the way I've always hoped."


For more information on Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, please visit http://flamekeeperband.com/.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Traditional Ties, 01/30/11, Playlist

Contact info for new add:



Wildfire - http://www.wildfireband.com/  - http://lonesomeday.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

Wildfire

Daddy Loved Trains

Crash Course in the Blues

Lonesome Day

3:18



10:07 PM

Lost & Found

That's What Country Folks Do

Down on Sawmill Road

Rebel

3:20



10:10 PM

No One You Know

Looking for a Sign

Calm Before the Storm

Mountain Fever

3:16



10:13 PM

Bartley Brothers

She's Gone

Hit the Road

Rural Rhythm

3:25



10:20 PM

Cumberland Gap Connection

Mountain Man

CD Single

Kindred

3:48



10:24 PM

Ashlee Blankenship

Deep River

CD Single

Mountain Fever

2:48



10:27 PM

Lonesome Highway

Gravel Yard

The Highway Called

Lonesome Highway

2:47



10:30 PM

Steve Martin

Blue River Waltz

The Crow

Rounder

2:18



10:36 PM

Mac Martin

When I Reach that City

Venango

Copper Creek

2:49



10:37 PM

Wildfire

when He Reached Down His hand to Me

Crash Course in the Blues

Lonesome Day

2:49



10:39 PM

Russell Moore

The Eastern Gate

Russell Moore and Thitd Tyme Out

Rural Rhythm

2:42



10:42 PM

Blue Moon Rising

Living Water

Strange New World

Rural Rhythm

3:01



10:46 PM

Larry Sparks

Bible Ben

I Just Want to Thank You Lord

Rural Rhythm

2;48



10:49 PM

Peter Rowan

God's Own Child

Legacy

Compass

3:25



10:52 PM

Don Rigsby

One Prayer Away

The Voice of God

Rebel

2:29



10:55 PM

Crowe-Lawson-Williams

Lord I'm Coming Home

Old Friends Get Together

Mountain Home

3:28



10:58 PM

Various

Amazing Grace

Living on the Hallelujah Side

Doobie Shea

1:27



11:00 PM

True Bluegrass

With Care from Someone (Theme)

True Bluegrass 1979

True Bluegrass

2;00



11:02 PM

Wildfire

Crash Course in the Blues

Crash Course in the Blues

Lonesome Day

3:56



11:07 PM

Wildfire

Lies That You Told

Crash Course in the Blues in the lues

Lonesome Day

3:18



11:10 PM

Wildfire

I Want to Know Your Name

Crash Course in the Blues

Lonesome Day

4:34



11:15 PM

Wildfire

Paint the Town

Crash Course in the Blues

Lonesome Day

2:22



11:20 PM

Bill Monroe

Blue Moon of Kentucky

Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys

JSP

3:02



11:23 PM

Travers Chandler

Mandolin Tango

State of Depression

Patuxent

1:59



11:26 PM

Big Country Bluegrass

Boys in Hats and Ties

The Boys in Hats and Ties

Rebel

2:30



11:28 PM

Rhonda Vincent

Back on My Mind

Taken

Upper Management

3;06



11:33 PM

Joe Mullens

Farmer's Blues

Rambler's Call

Rebel

3:41



11:37 PM

Boxcars

Log Cabin in the Lane

The Boxcars

Mountain Home

3:16



11:40 PM

Remington Ryde

Grandpa Was My Guide

Grandpa Was My Guide

Green Valley

3:48



11:44 PM

Lonesome River Band

Rolling in My Sweet Baby's Arms

The All-Star Jam

Rural Rhythm

3:48



11:49 PM

David Grindstaff

Taking a Slow Train

Here & Now

Mountain Fever

3:10



11:52 PM

Bobby Osborne

Memories

Memories

Rural Rhythm

3:37



11:55 PM

Roys

Coal Minin' Man

CD Single

Rural Rhythm

2:00



11:57 PM

Rich in Tradition

Prillman's Switch

Black Mountain Special

Mountain Roads

2:41



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

404 PINELLA DR., LATROBE PA, 15650 - 5534



'TRADITIONAL TIES' - Now in our 26th year.



Link to Traditional Ties web pages:

http://wyep.org/traditionalties

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Where are those promised pictures?

I know I promised more pictures from the January Ice Jam, but I wimped out.

I chose to set and watch most of the shows, instead of jumping up and down to get stage pictures, or roaming the halls to get jam pictures. It has something to do with old age I think.

Actually, paying attention to the music did reinforce my belief that the quality of musicians and bands has improved in recent years.

A post or two on some of the young Pittsburgh area bands will be coming.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Old Friends Jamming




I didn't get around as much as I had hoped tonight but I do have these two pictures of long time friends jamming.
More pictures tommorow.



Ice Jam to Kickoff at 7:00PM

The January Ice jam is almost ready to get started. The band Various Others, new to the Ice Jam, but with some familiar faces stopped in around 3pm to help with the sound check.



The flag still needs to go up behind the stage and all will be ready.

FYI - There's much less snow in the Butler area then we had when we left home (Latrobe) this morning.

I will be posting pictures from  time to time this weekend, mostly of the jamming. I am not going to try to present a stage picture of every band, it's just to  hard to keep up with a new band every 30 minutes.

Check out the Ice Jam web site for complete information including pictures from previous years.

The band schedule can be found here.

Banjo virtuoso Jessie Baker joins Sierra Hull & Highway 111

Bluegrass band Sierra Hull & Highway 111 has added banjo player Jessie Baker to the group. Jessie, formerly with Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, is looking forward to working with Sierra Hull. "I'm really excited to be playing witjessie bakerh such a talented group of musicians and singers. I've been a fan of Sierra's since I saw her onstage with Ricky Skaggs playing 'Boston Boy' at my first IBMA FanFest in Louisville, KY. I'm looking forward to being a part of Highway 111," he said.

A native of Martinsville, Indiana, Jessie started playing music at the age of eleven. Still a teenager at the age of 19, Jessie has already had what can be described as a stellar career. He has performed with several bands, including Wildfire; The Wildwood Valley Boys; The Karl Shiflett and Big Country Show; and with his own family band, The Baker Boys. He has appeared with Marty Raybon and Full Circle; David Peterson & 1946; Avery County; Melvin Goins and Windy Mountain; and Ronnie Stoneman.

Sierra Hull & Highway 111 have been working together since December 2008. The band consists of Sierra Hull, mandolin; Jacob Eller, upright bass; Clay Hess, guitar; and Christian Ward on fiddle. According to Sierra, "This is the first time that we've hired a new band member. Since the departure of our good friend Cory Walker late last summer, Ron Block has been kind enough to fill in for us. This has given us the opportunity to take our time looking for the right banjo player. It was important to find the right fit, both musically and personally. We held auditions in Nashville and were really excited when Jessie expressed interest in joining. We've all been big fans of his playing and singing for a long time with one of our favorite bands, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. We know that Jessie is capable of so much and will bring a lot to the band." With the March 8 release of Sierra's Rounder Records recording, Daybreak, and the fact that she is graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston this spring,the band has a busy touring schedule for 2011. Sierra added, "The guys and I are thrilled to have Jessie with us and look forward to getting on the road!"

For more information about Sierra Hull & Highway 111, visit Sierra's web site at www.sierrahull.com. For booking information, contact Keith Case & Associates at 615.327.4646.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Ice Jam This Weekend

The January Ice Jam is this weekend at the Days Inn, Butler PA. Some of the best regional bands will be donating their time and talent for this annual benefit.

In addition to to the stage show as shown below, jamming will take place through out the hotel all weekend.

Complete details are available on the Ice Jam web site









Friday, January 21, 2011

Published schedule subject to change



7:00 pm – Midnight Drive

7:30 pm – Various Others



8:00 pm – Bits ‘n Pieces



8:30 pm – Wildwood Express



9:00 pm – Starlight Bluegrass Band



9:30 pm – Stillhouse Pickers



10:00 pm – The Stevens Family



10:30 pm – The Vagabonds



11:00 pm – Shelf Life String Band







Saturday, January 22



1:00 pm – Done Inn String Band



1:30 pm – NA Fiddlers



2:00 pm – Road Apple Ridge



2:30 pm – Border Ride



3:00 pm – Home Cooking



3:30 pm – Allegheny Drifters



4:00 pm – Spazzgrass



4:30 pm – The Stevens Family



5:00 pm – Well Strung



5:30 pm – M & M Express



6:00 pm – The Springtime Barn Hill Band



6:30 pm – Mid Life Crisis



7:00 pm – Northwest Territory



7:30 pm – Grover & The Nighthawks



8:00 pm – Lonesome Heart



8:30 pm – Full Steam Ahead



9:00 pm – Hidden Drive



9:30 pm – Mon River Ramblers



10:00 pm – Bits ‘n Pieces



10:30 pm – No Strings Attached



11:00 pm – Laurie Shea & Paradise Ranch

Grascals and Cracker Barrel Celebrate Number One

Exclusive CD "The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin" also lands on five other charts including Country, Heatseekers, and Billboard Top 200

LEBANON, Tenn.,  -- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and The Grascals are pleased to celebrate the #1 debut of The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart (issue date January 29, 2011). The album also entered the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at #26, the Heatseekers chart at #2, the Independent chart at #15, the Billboard 200 at #113, and the Top Current Billboard 200 at #108.



The album has 13 country music songs. The Grascals bring their own bluegrass style to the tunes and bring the different tracks to life with eight of their friends, including Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels and Dolly Parton. The track, "I Am Strong," was written by Grascals band member Jamie Johnson and his wife Susanne Mumpower-Johnson along with Jenee Fleenor after The Grascals visited the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® and were inspired by the stories and power of the children being treated there. "I Am Strong" is powerful in its message and in its artistic vision and brings together vocals from all of the artists who also appear separately with The Grascals on other tracks on this CD. In honor of the children and this song, Cracker Barrel is donating a percentage of the proceeds. The CD is now available exclusively at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and online at crackerbarrel.com.



"This is just icing on the cake ... like Cracker Barrel gravy on the biscuit!" said bass player Terry Smith. He added, "The relationship has been so great thus far. Hopefully the sales and great partnership will continue in kind. Also, I wish Friday fish fry was seven days a week!"



"This is something we've looked forward to for so long," said mandolin player Danny Roberts. He added, "It's doing so well, so quickly. The added bonus of it benefiting St. Jude makes it all the better."



"This is a great achievement and we congratulate The Grascals," said Chris Ciavarra, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Cracker Barrel. "We are very pleased to see the strength of this CD's debut and think that it speaks to the quality of the music, the authenticity of the musicians, and it shows what a good fit this is with our guests."



The Grascals, fresh off of a year packed with over 150 shows, are in the running for 10 of the 37th Annual SPBGMA Awards including Instrumental Group of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Bluegrass Band of the Year, and Entertaining Group of the Year. In addition, the Grascals' new video, "I Am Strong" featuring Dolly Parton, premiered in mid-December on AOL.



The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin is the latest in Cracker Barrel's exclusive music program, which features numerous projects. In November of 2010, Cracker Barrel released Smokey Robinson's Now & Then which features six of his current songs and live versions of six of his classics that were recorded last year. It debuted at #19 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart and has been nominated for Outstanding Album in the 2011 NAACP IMAGE AWARDS. September saw the release of the self-titled Rodney Atkins, which includes four #1 hits, and also the release of Mandy Barnett's Winter Wonderland, which offers up all the authentic sounds of the holiday traditions so many of us cherish. In July, the company released Craig Morgan's That's Why-Collector's Edition, and in May the release of Wynonna's Love Heals debuted at #7 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart. February's release of Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass Albums chart, where it spent nine weeks in the top position and 18 weeks overall in one of the three top positions since its release on February 1st. Releases in 2009 included November's Songs of Love and Heartache by Alan Jackson, September's release of an exclusive new version of The Foundation by the Zac Brown Band, August's George Jones' release of A Collection Of My Best Recollection, May's release of Montgomery Gentry's For Our Heroes, which debuted at #5 on Billboard Magazine's Top Country Albums chart, and March's release of Dolly Parton's Collector's Edition of Backwoods Barbie, which debuted at #9 on that chart. Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs with Bill Gaither, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans, and Charlie Daniels.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Traditional Ties, 01/23/11, Playlist


Contact info for new add:
Lost & Found - http://www.rebelrecords.com/ - http://www.lostandfoundbluegrass.com /





Air Time

Artist Name

Song Title

Album Name

Label

Duration



10:00 PM

Kenny Baker

Jerusalem Ridge (theme)

Plays Bill Monroe

County

3:00



10:03 PM

Travers Chandler

Let Me Fall

State of Depression

Patuxent

2:11



10:06 PM

David Grindataff

Let Me Show You how I Feel

Here & Now

Mountain Fever

4:46



10:11 PM

Bobby Osborne

Rocky Top

Memories

Rural Rhythm

3:01



10:14 PM

Adam Steffey

Warm Kentucky Sunshine

One More for the Road

Shugar Hill

3:49



10:19 PM

Remington Ryde

Itty Bitty Teenis Weenie Kinda Broken Heart

Grandpa Was My Guide

Green Valley

3:07



10:22 PM

Gulley - Stafford

On a Day Like This

Doogwood Winter

Rural Rhythm

2:42



10:25 PM

Hagar's Mountain Boys

Wasting Away

Forever Yours

Mountain Fever

2:41



10:27 PM

Travers Chandler

Lonesome Smokey

State of Depression

Patuxent

4:06



10:32 PM

Billy Boone Smith

Justified

Five Flat Rocks

Muddy Sunshine

2:49



10:35 PM

Donna Ulisse

Holy Waters

Holy Waters

Hadley

3:30



10:38 PM

RidgeRunners

Whisper Among the Throng

Take Just a Minute for Him

Blue Circle

3:05



10:41 PM

Dailey & Vincent

Moses Smote the Water

Singing from the Heart

Rounder

2;50



10:45 PM

Ned Crisp

Take Me Instead

Taking the back Roads Home

Blue Circle

3:02



10:48 PM

Paul Williams

The Best Time of My Life

Just a Little Closer Home

Rebel

3:16



10:51 PM

Cana Ramblers

In the Garden

No Expectations

Cana Ramblers

4:18



10:55 PM

Gary Waldrep

I Will Rise and Shine Again

Road Leading Home

Blue Circle

3:38



11:00 PM

True Bluegrass

With Care from Someone (theme)

True Bluegrass 1979

True Bluegrass

2:00



11:02 PM

Travers Chandler

Cotton Farmer

State of Depression

Patuxent

2:33



11:07 PM

Travers Chandler

Nobody Cares for Me

State of Depression

Patuxant

2;48



11:10 PM

Travers Chandler

Have You Come to Say Goodbye

State of Depression

Patuxent

1:58



11:11 PM

Travers Chandler

Mandolin Tango

State of Depression

Patuxent

1:59



11:15 PM

Bill Monroe

It's Mighty Dark to Travel

Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys

JSP

2:50



11:19 PM

Junior Sisk

Train Without a Track

Heartaches and Dreams

Rebel

2;39



11:21 PM

High Ground

Old Love Letters

Bristol Station

Stone Fever

3;20



11:25 PM

Brand new Strings

Rainy Nights and Memories

No Strings Attached

Rural Rhythm

3:42



11:28 PM

Claire Lynch

My Florida Sunshine

Wharcha Gonna Do

Rounder

3:00



11:32 PM

Chapmans

Love's Gonna Live Here

Grown Up

Compass

2:58



11:35 PM

Del McCoury

Sweet Appalachia

Family Circle

McCoury Music

3:41



11:39 PM

Bryan Sutton

Church Street Blues

Almost Live

Sugar Hill

3;39



11:42 PM

Kathy Kallick

My House

Between the Hollow and the Hig Rrise

Live Oak

3;03



11:47 PM

Sam Bush

Diamond Joe

Circles Around Me

Sugar Hill

3:39



11:51 PM

Boxcars

Never Played the Opry

The Boxcars

Mountain Home

4:34



11:55 PM

Jordan Tice

Sophia

Long Story

Patuxant

4:31



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

404 PINELLA DR., LATROBE PA, 15650 - 5534



'TRADITIONAL TIES' - Now in our 26th year.



Link to Traditional Ties web pages:

http://wyep.org/traditionaltie s

Monday, January 17, 2011

TV Alert: FX’s JUSTIFIED

Cumberland River Band’s Original Songs to be featured on upcoming episode of FX Network’s TV Show JUSTIFIED











The Cumberland River Band’s music is reflective of their deep roots in the Harlan County, Kentucky hills, so it was no surprise the producers of the FX Network’s TV show, JUSTIFIED tapped their original song, “Justified” for an upcoming show. You can hear the band performing the tune when it is featured on “Season 2, Episode 4” airing soon.



Last July, The Cumberland River Band was invited to perform for the writers and producers of JUSTIFIED who were in Harlan gathering information for their upcoming season. With only 24 hours notice, the band got together and wrote “Justified” as a gift to the show. At their performance, they received a standing ovation from the writers and producers, including multi-award winning writer and producer, GRAHAM YOST.



Since that time, the show has added three more of the band’s original songs (“Ridge Runner”, “My Dad”, “Kentucky Mountain Home”) to the TV series. All four songs can be heard on the band’s debut album, ROCK ISLAND EXPRESS released in September 2010.



FX’s JUSTIFIED is set in Harlan, Kentucky and was just named as one of the TOP 10 TV SHOWS of 2010 by USA TODAY. The main character, Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, is played byTIMOTHY OLYPHANT (A Perfect Getaway, Deadwood, Live Free or Die Hard) who returns to his hometown of Harlan after working in Miami, Florida. JUSTIFIED’s website features music from past episodes including: BRAD PAISLEY’S “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” written by DARRELL SCOTT;“Brass Swamp Blues” by EVAN OLSON; and the show’s theme song, “Long Hard Times to Come,” a unique mix of bluegrass and rap performed by GANGSTAGRASS.



The Cumberland River Band is currently recording their second album. This new project is being produced by STEVE GULLEY (Grasstowne) and is scheduled for release later this year. It will include a collection of heart felt songs and haunting ballads written by the band and their family members taken from their life experiences and campfire stories from Harlan County, Kentucky. For more information on The Cumberland River Band, please visit their website..



FX’s JUSTIFIED’s second season kicks off Wednesday, February 9, 2011. Check your local listings and visit their official website for more information.



Saturday, January 15, 2011

WinterSong Songwriter Workshop to be held in Chattanooga February 19th.

WinterSong 2011 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, and Earl Brackin. The topics addressed in this workshop will cover the art and craft of songwriting, 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 area songwriters at 7:00 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, and many others. The two-hour evening performance will begin at 7:00 p.m. You may register on-line, purchase tickets on-line, or by U.S. mail.


WinterSong 2011 will be held at the Barking LegsTheater, in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Saturday February 19, 2011, from 10:00 – 4:00 p.m. Barking Legs Theater is located at 1307 Dodds Avenue in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The cost of the WinterSong Workshop is $55.00 per participant, $45.00 to members of SEBA, NSAI, and the Bluegrass Songwriters Association.

Make your plans now to attend this exciting workshop conducted by award winning professional songwriters. WinterSong Workshop 2011 is limited to the first 30 people so be sure to register today! Additional information is available at wintersongworkshop.com or by mail - WinterSong, PO Box 375, Tunnel Hill, GA 30755.


The event is sponsored by Sassy Goat Milk Soap, Folk School of Chattanooga, Bigham’s Discount Music, Mountain Music, Hamilton Fiddles, http://worldwidebluegrass.com/, Musician Training Center.


Contact: Thomas Brown Workshop Coordinator wintersongworkshop@gmail.com//


http://wintersongworkshop.com/

Friday, January 14, 2011

THE GRASCALS Cook Up A Little "Comfort Food" With CMT's Hazel Smith & Take A Bite Out of the Big Apple

Nashville, TN (January 14, 2011) -- THE GRASCALS cook up a little Southern "comfort food" with CMT's Hazel Smith and then take a bite out of the Big Apple as they sweep the country on a media blitz supporting their newest CD, THE GRASCALS & FRIENDS - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin.


THE GRASCALS join Hazel to cook up marvelously juicy Pork Tenderloin Medallions, delicious Green Bean Casserole, yummy Corn Casserole, Salad and Amy's Very Cherry Cake, and chat about their latest project. Smith is the mother of THE GRASCALS' bassist, Terry Smith, and you can catch CMT's Southern Fried Flicks With Hazel Smith on January 15 at 6 p.m. ET. The movie is Deliverance and the program repeats January 16 at 2 p.m. ET. Info @ www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/Southern_Fried_Flicks/series.jhtml

Note: Hazel Smith is the mother of Terry Smith and songwriter Billy Boone Smith.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Traditional Ties, 01/16/11, Playlist

Contact info for new add:



Travers Chandler - http://www.pxrec.com/







Air Time

Artist Name

Song Title

Album Name

Label

Duration



10:00 PM

Kenny Baker

Jerusalem Ridge (theme)

Plays Bill Monroe

County

3:00



10:03 PM

Travers Chandler

Let Me Fall

State of Depression

Patuxent

2:11



10:06 PM

David Grindataff

Let Me Show You how I Feel

Here & Now

Mountain Fever

4:46



10:11 PM

Bobby Osborne

Rocky Top

Memories

Rural Rhythm

3:01



10:14 PM

Adam Steffey

Warm Kentucky Sunshine

One More for the Road

Shugar Hill

3:49



10:19 PM

Remington Ryde

Itty Bitty Teenis Weenie Kinda Broken Heart

Grandpa Was My Guide

Green Valley

3:07



10:22 PM

Gulley - Stafford

On a Day Like This

Doogwood Winter

Rural Rhythm

2:42



10:25 PM

Hagar's Mountain Boys

Wasting Away

Forever Yours

Mountain Fever

2:41



10:27 PM

Travers Chandler

Lonesome Smokey

State of Depression

Patuxent

4:06



10:32 PM

Billy Boone Smith

Justified

Five Flat Rocks

Muddy Sunshine

2:49



10:35 PM

Donna Ulisse

Holy Waters

Holy Waters

Hadley

3:30



10:38 PM

RidgeRunners

Whisper Among the Throng

Take Just a Minute for Him

Blue Circle

3:05



10:41 PM

Dailey & Vincent

Moses Smote the Water

Singing from the Heart

Rounder

2;50



10:45 PM

Ned Crisp

Take Me Instead

Taking the back Roads Home

Blue Circle

3:02



10:48 PM

Paul Williams

The Best Time of My Life

Just a Little Closer Home

Rebel

3:16



10:51 PM

Cana Ramblers

In the Garden

No Expectations

Cana Ramblers

4:18



10:55 PM

Gary Waldrep

I Will Rise and Shine Again

Road Leading Home

Blue Circle

3:38



11:00 PM

True Bluegrass

With Care from Someone (theme)

True Bluegrass 1979

True Bluegrass

2:00



11:02 PM

Travers Chandler

Cotton Farmer

State of Depression

Patuxent

2:33



11:07 PM

Travers Chandler

Nobody Cares for Me

State of Depression

Patuxant

2;48



11:10 PM

Travers Chandler

Have You Come to Say Goodbye

State of Depression

Patuxent

1:58



11:11 PM

Travers Chandler

Mandolin Tango

State of Depression

Patuxent

1:59



11:15 PM

Bill Monroe

It's Mighty Dark to Travel

Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys

JSP

2:50



11:19 PM

Junior Sisk

Train Without a Track

Heartaches and Dreams

Rebel

2;39



11:21 PM

High Ground

Old Love Letters

Bristol Station

Stone Fever

3;20



11:25 PM

Brand new Strings

Rainy Nights and Memories

No Strings Attached

Rural Rhythm

3:42



11:28 PM

Claire Lynch

My Florida Sunshine

Wharcha Gonna Do

Rounder

3:00



11:32 PM

Chapmans

Love's Gonna Live Here

Grown Up

Compass

2:58



11:35 PM

Del McCoury

Sweet Appalachia

Family Circle

McCoury Music

3:41



11:39 PM

Bryan Sutton

Church Street Blues

Almost Live

Sugar Hill

3;39



11:42 PM

Kathy Kallick

My House

Between the Hollow and the Hig Rrise

Live Oak

3;03



11:47 PM

Sam Bush

Diamond Joe

Circles Around Me

Sugar Hill

3:39



11:51 PM

Boxcars

Never Played the Opry

The Boxcars

Mountain Home

4:34



11:55 PM

Jordan Tice

Sophia

Long Story

Patuxant

4:31



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

404 PINELLA DR., LATROBE PA, 15650 - 5534



'TRADITIONAL TIES' - Now in our 26th year.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

YOU CAN HELP - BLUEGRASS EVENTS SURVEY



To IBMA members, non-members and friends of the bluegrass community:



The IBMA Board would like your help by sharing your opinions on a number of topics important to our future.



Click here to participate in the survey (21 questions):

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FUTUREIBMAEVENTS


Your responses will be anonymous.



We are undertaking a major self-evaluation, deliberating how to improve at every level in our main job – “helping bluegrass” - and delivering more value to members. Your candid and thoughtful opinions on 21 questions in this survey are encouraged and should only take 10 minutes. Your responses are anonymous and will be compiled with others from around the world.



This is the first of a series of surveys to understand how the organization and our World of Bluegrass week can be of most value to people in bluegrass.

We need input on what to change, what not to change, what is important to you and what is less important. Answers will be carefully tabulated, and the results will be shared with our leadership and summarized for our members and other interested parties.



Whether you are a current or former member of IBMA or have never been a member -- if you care about bluegrass we want to hear from you.

Your opinions matter and we appreciate you taking just a few moments to help.



Thank you!



Stan Zdonik

IBMA President and Board Chairperson





Please respond to all 21 questions by January 18, 2011

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FUTUREIBMAEVENTS

Rhonda Vincent Invited to the Wyoming Capitol‏


Cheyenne, Wyoming -- Rhonda Vincent & The Rage received a standing ovation before the House of Representatives in Cheyenne, Wyoming on Tuesday, January 11, 2011. The "Queen of Bluegrass" and her band "The Rage" were invited to perform after Speaker of the House "Ed Buchanan" discovered their music while listening to a special feature of their #1 album "Taken" on SIRIUS XM Radio's "Bluegrass Junction".




Speaker Buchanan immediately went to Rhonda's web site, www.rhondavincent.com and noticed their tour schedule would take them through Wyoming. He called their management company and arranged the special surprise for the first meeting in 2011 for the Wyoming House of Representatives.



Rhonda & The Rage, "The Most Awarded Band In Bluegrass Music", was greeted with an enthusiastic standing ovation by the members of the house. They performed several new songs from their #1 album "Taken"; along with Your Cheatin' Heart/Hank Williams, Crazy Love/Poco, Just When I Needed You Most/Randy Van Warner, and their accapella "Fishers of Men". Fiddler Hunter Berry, an 8-time Fiddle Player of the Year, received his own standing ovation after playing his original fiddle tune "Wow Baby".



They sang their rendition of "The Martha White Theme", as Rhonda joyously spoke of Martha White and her 10 year relationship with the flour company; and how Martha White is the longest continuous running sponsor of The Grand Ole Opry. http://www.http//marthawhite.com



After the performance, Rhonda shared copies of her CD "Taken", along with band photos of their Martha White tour bus.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

IBMA 2011 - A Message from Stan Zdonik‏, President


IBMA 2011


A Year of Renewal

From Stan Zdonik



Happy New Year!



2010 was a historic year for IBMA as we celebrated the achievements of our first 25 years of service to our music. The year itself saw a number of accomplishments as well – from sharing information, building relationships and hearing what’s new at the World of Bluegrass, to another amazing IBMA Awards Show broadcast, to an active Trust Fund that made over $70,000 in grants to bluegrass pros in need. IBMA’s first series of web based seminars (webinars) became a reality. We fostered millions of positive media impressions for our music, worked with dozens of event producers and new broadcasters to get more music in front of fans, and we made some inroads with retailers and corporate partners. On top of all that, our members (you) logged thousands of calls to IBMA for a long list of services and information, and you volunteered on more than 30 committees working together to grow our music.



At the World of Bluegrass events a few months ago, I was asked to be the board chairperson and president and am deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve in that role this coming year. I also was given the podium during the week to outline some of the challenges ahead for bluegrass in general and IBMA in particular.



Effective leadership implies a relationship between those with the responsibility for providing direction and those interested in and capable of making those goals a reality and both roles are critical to one another. In short, the Board and I cannot do it alone and would like to invite each of you to participate as we work together to build an even stronger organization in the coming year.



Here is an outline of some of the priorities in front of us.



We’re Listening!



As leaders, we’re sometimes criticized for not understanding what’s important to our constituents and I want to pledge here that your input will be welcomed and listened to by the board and staff. We need more than ever to understand the issues critical to our members and which confront the bluegrass and the broader entertainment world. I think that it is important as well to try to keep you informed about what the board is up to, so that the conversation can be two-way.



Members must also recognize that IBMA represents a diverse set of perspectives. Despite this, we must develop a consensus on what our priorities should be, so that we can work together to use our assets to their best advantage.



You’ll be seeing more surveys and questions coming from IBMA in 2011 and I encourage you to let your ideas be known through those forums and in any other way convenient to you.



We have also created an easy way for you to share ideas for how we might make IBMA more responsive to your needs. We created an e-mail address ( ibmasuggestions@gmail.com) for you to send specific suggestions. A suggestion should say what problem it’s solving and how you think we should go about solving it. We promise to consider each and every suggestion, so give it a try. The suggestion box is open.



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



Finding Resources



It’s no secret that institutions of all shapes and sizes have been greatly impacted by the downturn in the economy. The music business has been especially hard hit, and IBMA has not been immune to these cycles. Further, we may have relied too heavily on past successes as a guide for decisions on where resources would come from.



We no longer have that luxury and though we’re currently able to pay expenses, we’ve trimmed them just short of damaging our ability to provide benefits to you and engage in projects that promote and open new doors for our music.



It’s time to look into creative ways to finance our efforts to achieve our mission by leveraging the talents of the members of IBMA. In the short term, we’re hoping to organize several special events among artists and other constituencies with an interest in supporting IBMA. We are looking into new models for providing benefits (example: see Bluegrass Nation info in the recent issue of our newsletter) as we also examine in what form existing programs, events and initiatives will continue.

You can contribute and we need your help!



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



Growing Membership



Our professional membership has remained fairly stable over the past few years, but we need to involve more people, companies and organizations in our ranks. On the surface, this may sound like a plea for more dues income and frankly, it is in part. But more importantly, the larger our membership base, the stronger we are as a voice for our community and the more effective we can be as we try to achieve our individual and collective goals. If we’re going to “work together” for our music….we need others to work with.

To that end, we want to grow our membership by a very reasonable goal of 250 new professional members by the end of the World of Bluegrass events in 2011. You can help in at least two ways. First, by sharing the value of being an IBMA member with your peers and encouraging them to join and second, by simply renewing your own membership when the time comes.

And once we’re ready to commit fully to develop the Bluegrass Nation project, we’ll entirely revamp our non-professional membership category and have the opportunity to engage thousands more as participants in the broader bluegrass community.



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



An Invigorated World of Bluegrass



What are your expectations of our annual convention, the IBMA Awards and Bluegrass Fan Fest?

That question is central to how we will plan events this year and as noted earlier, you’ll be seeing a survey very soon that invites your input. We are contractually committed to hosting the events in Nashville through 2012, but we begin planning now for 2013 which includes everything from site selection, the dates and the configuration of activities. Your input will be critical in helping to shape the future of World of Bluegrass.



I hear from attendees regularly about how much they enjoy the events, and it’s appreciated. But there are also folks who are less satisfied with their experience or who haven’t attended for a variety reasons. We need to make the convention more valuable to them. Thus, it’s important for us to constantly redesign our events, and we have several member-led committees working feverishly to do just that.



Expect to see an invigorated World of Bluegrass experience in 2011 as we focus on two primary goals. First, we don’t want to just meet your expectations, we will exceed them and I’ll ask you after the events if you’re able to say as much. Of course, as stated above, we are extremely interested in your input on what you would like to see. Second, we’re planning for a sold out IBMA Awards Show and expect attendance to grow at the conference (up 13%) and the festival (up 10%).



Again, you can help by planning now to attend and encouraging others to do the same.





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



Benefits of Value to You





The list of services available to members has always been impressive and I want that to continue. But I’m not sure some of our benefits are of value to every member and understanding the right mix of benefits for most members is a question we’re going to explore in greater detail in 2011. Again, we’d love to hear from you on this.



For example, we’ve long offered consumer research data that can help identify prospective sponsors and guide management decisions in a variety of situations. These services have been provided free to members, and they are fairly expensive. But if they are not widely used, the board has to question their relevance and whether or not there are more important priorities.



Maybe we just haven’t explained the benefits of membership in the right way or maybe there are other benefits that members would find more meaningful. We will begin anew in 2011 to seek out answers to these questions and to plan accordingly.



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



Evaluating IBMA Itself



We just celebrated our organization’s 25th anniversary, and I believe it’s natural that we would have built a framework of policies, procedures, committees and what I’ll refer to here as the architecture of IBMA during that time. It’s essential to have that kind of structure to guide our work together and to build it on values like integrity, positive relationships, and professionalism which we hold important in our work with one another.



You elect a board to shape such things and I know from my experience serving that my colleagues take their posts seriously. As individual issues arise, we look for the right answer and also the structure and resources it takes to address it.



Frankly, time doesn’t always permit a broader examination of the entire structure through which IBMA operates, but it’s time to do so. So I’ll be asking our board, committees and staff to embark on a year-long examination of everything from our mission and purpose to our values, priorities, committee structures, policies and procedures.



It’s an ongoing process, so don’t expect one large seismic shift in how we operate, and there will be some things we’ve long done that will not change. But I expect there will be changes…some minor and some major.





In summary, the Board and I will be listening very closely to you as we go through a renewal of this organization, its services and events. And again, I invite you to become even more active as we work together and address some important issues this coming year. IBMA will be stronger as a result and, most importantly, so will our ability to strengthen bluegrass music!



Happy New Year and THANK YOU for your involvement,



Stan Zdonik

IBMA President & Board Chairperson









Monday, January 10, 2011

CRACKER BARREL HAS A TIGER BY THE TAIL

Exclusive CD "The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin"
features eight great country artists and a rich blend of styles






LEBANON, Tenn. (January 10, 2011) Cracker Barrel Old Country Store really does have "A Tiger by the Tail," along with twelve other country classics, on the newest CD in its exclusive music program. The Grascals, reigning 2010 Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) Bluegrass Band of the Year, teamed up with eight of their famous friends, including Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, Dolly Parton, Tom T. Hall, The Oak Ridge Boys, Joe Nichols, and Darryl Worley, to create the crossover album. The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin CD hits the shelves exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations today.









The Grascals, fresh off of a year packed with over 150 shows, are in the running for 10 of the 37th Annual SPBGMA Awards including Instrumental Group of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Bluegrass Band of the Year and Entertaining Group of the Year. In spite of their packed schedule, they took time to visit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during their travels, and to write a bonus track "I Am Strong" for the album. All of the artists who sang separately with The Grascals on the CD joined their vocals together on the "I Am Strong" bonus track. In addition, The Grascals' new video, "I Am Strong" featuring Dolly Parton premiered in mid-December on AOL. Because of The Grascals caring spirit, Cracker Barrel is donating a percentage of the proceeds from the CD to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.



"The Grascals never cease to amaze me with their talent, creativity and first-class performances," said Gracie Muldoon, founder of WorldWideBluegrass.com. "However, it is no surprise, that their hearts are as big as they are - with their contribution to St. Jude and sick children with the release of "I Am Strong." It shows the world that the representatives of Bluegrass music have hearts as big as their basses, as big as their talents. The heart of The Grascals is there beating along with their music as they share their love for humanity of the weakest, no, make that the "strongest" members, the beautiful children."



"The Grascals are steeped in bluegrass tradition and at the same time are in touch with their contemporary audiences, bringing authenticity as well as freshness to the music," said Chris Ciavarra, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Cracker Barrel. "We are pleased to be able to offer our guests this unique CD as the latest album in our exclusive music program."



The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin is the latest in Cracker Barrel's exclusive music program, which features numerous projects. In November of 2010, Cracker Barrel released Smokey Robinson's Now & Then which features six of his current songs and live versions of six of his classics that were recorded last year. It debuted at #19 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. September saw the release of the self-titled Rodney Atkins, which includes four #1 hits, and also released Mandy Barnett's Winter Wonderland, which offers up all the authentic sounds of the holiday traditions so many of us cherish. In July, the company released Craig Morgan's That's Why-Collector's Edition, and in May the release of Wynonna's Love Heals debuted at #7 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart. February's release of Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass Albums chart, where it spent nine weeks in the top position and 18 weeks overall in one of the three top positions since its release on February 1st. Releases in 2009 included November's Songs of Love and Heartache by Alan Jackson, September's release of an exclusive new version of The Foundation by the Zac Brown Band, August's George Jones' release of A Collection Of My Best Recollection, May's release of Montgomery Gentry's For Our Heroes, which debuted at #5 on Billboard Magazine's Top Country Albums chart, and March's release of Dolly Parton's Collector's Edition of Backwoods Barbie, which debuted at #9 on that chart. Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs with Bill Gaither, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans and Charlie Daniels.



Tracks on The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin:

1. Tiger By The Tail (with Brad Paisley)

2. Folsom Prison Blues (with Dierks Bentley)

3. Pain of Lovin' You (with Dolly Parton)

4. I Am Strong (with Dolly Parton)

5. Louisiana Saturday Night

6. The Year That Clayton Delaney Died (with Tom T. Hall)

7. White Lightning (with Darryl Worley)

8. The Devil Went Down To Georgia (with Charlie Daniels)

9. Leavin' Louisiana In Broad Daylight (with The Oak Ridge Boys)

10. Mr. Bojangles (with Joe Nichols)

11. Born To Boogie / All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over Tonight (Hank Williams Jr. Medley)

12. Cracker Barrel Swing (Instrumental)

13. I Am Strong (Bonus Track) Featuring guest appearances by Dolly Parton, The Oak Ridge
Boys, Darryl Worley, Charlie Daniels, Terri Clark, Randy Owen, Steven Seagal, Tom T.
Hall, Joe Nichols and Ansley McLaurin



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 597 company-owned locations in 42 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 http://crackerbarrel.com/.

Allegheny Ridgerunners grow bluegrass audience

By Jenna Spinelle - For the CDT


After making their public debut in 2010, the Allegheny Ridgerunners hope to capitalize on the burgeoning bluegrass scene in State College.



The group was pieced together over the past few years and first performed together at Cafe 210 West in State College in Februay.

 
“It’s pretty cool to be a bluegrass band that plays downtown,” said Will Hancock, the group’s guitar player and a professor of bioengineering at Penn State. “There’s really a critical mass forming right now and a lot of great venues where bands like us can play locally.”



The band’s members — Hancock, bassist Celia Millington-Wyckoff, fiddle player Kurt Kroeker and banjo player Keith Miska — met through other local musicians and were united by a common desire to play bluegrass music. Kroeker, trained as a classical violin player, had never played bluegrass before but said his family members and former teachers are now coming to him to perform at gigs.



“Bluegrass is different from classical music because we learn everything by ear and don’t read music


Read more in The Centre Daily Times

Friday, January 7, 2011

Digital Exclusive Release of Two Classic County Records Albums January 18th




The Coon Creek Girls and Kenny Baker & Joe Greene are the Latest to Receive the Digital Treatment




In the fourth installment of our campaign to make classic releases available for download comes two stellar albums from Rebel’s sister label County Records. High Country by Kenny Baker & Joe Greene and Lily May, Rosie & Susie by The Coon Creek Girls will be available for purchase through all major digital retailers including iTunes Music Store on January 18th.





These albums were recorded in the 1960s at a time when the newest generation of bluegrass and old-time fans was re-discovering the older masters, many of whom had become relatively inactive in music. This was the case for both Kenny Baker and The Coon Creek Girls prior to when these releases debuted in 1968. Fiddler Kenny Baker had been a Blue Grass Boy with Bill Monroe from 1956 to 1958 and then again from 1961 to 1963 but had returned to his original profession of coal mining by the time he was invited to perform at a bluegrass festival in Fincastle, VA in fall of 1966. It was there that County Records president Dave Freeman witnessed Baker in an informal jam session with the then relatively unknown young fiddler Joe Greene. He was so impressed with their twin fiddling that he signed them in what would be the first of several albums Baker would record for Rebel and County Records. High Country showcases Baker and Greene at the pinnacle of the twin fiddling tradition, with the former on melody line and the latter carrying the harmony parts. Since its initial release the title track has gained widespread recognition and become a twin fiddling standard.





Female country singers are now commonplace but this was not the case in the late 20s and 30s when the music of the rural south was first becoming a business. Even rarer then were all-girl string bands, yet the few that did exist were so good that one wonders why more such bands weren’t formed. One of the best was The Coon Creek Girls, led by Kentucky-born singer, fiddler, and banjo player Lily May Ledford. They played on the Renfro Valley Barn Dance radio program, albeit with a few personnel changes, from its beginning in Cincinnati in 1937 until 1957. The band members had since gone on to raise families and work other jobs, but reunited on several occasions in the 1960s during the folk revival. Lily May, Rosie, & Susie was recorded during this era and derives its title from the recording’s lineup: Lily May Ledford accompanied by her sisters Rosie and Susie. Tracks such as “Banjo Picking Girl” feature excellent full string band arrangements and harmony vocals, but perhaps most memorable are numbers such as “Red Rocking Chair,” “East Virginia Blues,” and “Pretty Polly” where Lily May appears alone singing and accompanying herself on banjo. Lily May, Rosie, & Susie marks the first time a full length Coon Creek Girls album has been made available for digital download, an event not to be underestimated given the group’s profound influence on later string bands and country singers.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Cadillac Sky goes on indefinite hiatus

Looks like the boys from Cadillac Sky are taking a break... or breaking up?

Here's an excerpt from them...

"After long hours of thought and with heavy but grateful hearts, we've decided to make the following announcement: starting in January of 2011 we will be going on an indefinite hiatus. We’ve made some personal and collective choices that have driven the decision, but we're all in agreement that it’s time for us to step back from Cadillac Sky. This band has been an incredible journey for us. We’ve each been blessed to make music that we love for people that we love even more. We’ve played in some of the greatest places a band could aspire to perform, stretched ourselves creatively, and through it all have been supported by YOU. You've let us crash on your floors, fed us at ridiculous hours of the morning, traveled miles to see us play and shared your stories and honesty with us. You’re not just fans – you’re our friends, and you’re the greatest friends any band could hope for. Know that none of this would have been possible without you. The door may be closing for now, but we’ll still be making music and adding our individual involvement to many different and new projects. We’ll keep you up-to-date on what we’re doing and what’s going on. New chapters are beginning to unfold and we look forward to you joining us; you are why we make music. Sincerely, humbly, and with unabated love, Ross, Matt, Panda, David, and Levi Cadillac Sky"

I wish them much luck on their personal journeys. David Mayfield is a friend and was the recording engineer on Mountain Therapy's "Looking Back" project. He is a BIG ball of energy and has lots of talent. I'm sure life on the road is tough... but knowing Dave, I'm also sure it was ultimate fun while it lasted!

TC

Traditional Ties, Playlist, 01/09/11


Contact info for new add:


David Grindstaff - http://www.mountainfever.com/








Air Time

Artist Name

Song Title

Album Name

abel

Duration



10:00 PM

Kenny Baker

Jerusalem Ridge (theme)

Plays Bill Monroe

County

2:00



10:02 PM

David Grindataff

Memories of an Angel

Here & Now

Mountain Fever

3:44



10:07 PM

Bobby Osborne

Memories

Memories

Rural Rhythm

3:38



10:11 PM

Jin & Valerie Gabehart

It's My Turn

It's My Turn

JVG

3:25



10:16 PM

Audie Blaylock

Talk to Your Heart

Cryin' Heart Blues

Rural Rhythm

3:48



10:19 PM

Dailey & Vincent

Hello Mary Lou, Goodbye Heart

Sing the Statler Brothers

Cracker Barrel

2:23



10:21 PM

Rich in Tradition

Weather's Got to Change

Black Mountain Special

Mountain Roads

2:48



10:24 PM

Ruth & Max Bloomquist

Same Old Grind

Turn Back a Page

Ruby

3:08



10:27 PM

Steve Martin

Hoedown At Alice's

The Crow

Rounder

3:21



10:31 PM

David Grindstaff

A Place Prepared for You

Here & Now

Mountain Fever

2:23



10:33 PM

Tommy Webb

River of Jordan

Heartland

Rural Rhythm

2:20



10:35 PM

Crowe-Lawson-Williams

Lord I'm Coming Home

Old Friends Get Together

Mountain Home

3:28



10:39 PM

Peter Rowan

Turn the Other Cheek

Legacy

Compass

3:46



10:45 PM

Bill Monroe

Crying Holy to the Lord

Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys

JSP

2:25



10:47 PM

Bartley Brothers

Just Call on Him

Hit the Road

Rural Rhythm

2:39



10:50 PM

Lou Reid

God's Plan

Sounds Like Heaven to Me

Rural Rhythm

3:20



10:53 PM

Sweet Potato Pie

This Too Will Pass

Jounery Called Life

Mountain Fever

4:17



10:58 PM

Sweet Potato Pie

My Lord What a Morning

Journey Called Life

Mountain Fever

1:28



11:00 PM

True Bluegrass

With Care from Someome (Theme)

True Bluegrass 1979

True Bluegrass

3:00



11:03 PM

David Grindstaff

Taking a Slow Train

Here & Now

Mountain Fever

3:10



11:07 PM

David Grindataff

I'll Never Let Her Go

Here & Now

Mountain Home

4:19



11:13 PM

Dacid Grindstaff

Another Lonely Day

Here & Now

Mountain Fever

2:54



11:18 PM

David Grindstaff

If You Got Something to Say

Here & Now

Mountain Fever

2:52



11:22 PM

Rural Rhythm All-Stars

Ground Speed

The All-Star Jam

Rural Rhythm

2:57



11:25 PM

Infamous Stringdusters

I'll Be Alright

Things That Fly

Sugar Hill

3:21



11:28 PM

Darrell Webb

Gonna Be Movin'

Bloodline

Rural Rhythm

2:53



11:31 PM

Jerry Butler

A Stranger iin My Own Home Town

CD Single

Blue Circle

3:11



11:36 PM

Ashlee Blankenship

Deep River

CD Single

Mountain Fever

2:48



11:39 PM

Balsam Range

Runnin' Through My Heart

Trains I Missed

Mountain Home

3:29



11:42 PM

Steep Canyon Rangers

Mourning Dove

Deep in the Shade

Rebel

2:34



11:44 PM

Darrin and Brooke Aldridge

Let's Not Go There

Darin and Brooke Aldridge

Mountain Home

3:35



11:49 PM

Lonesome Highway

Do You Ever Miss Me

The Highway Called

Lonesome Highway

2;53



11:52 PM

Sidetrack

Diamond Joe

Rowdy to Reverent

Bluegrass Widow

2:37



11:55 PM

Bill Emerson

Old Coal Town

Southern

Rural Rhythm

2:57



11:57 PM

Joe Mullens

Charlotte Breakdown

Rambler's Call

Rebel

2:31







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

404 PINELLA DR., LATROBE PA, 15650 - 5534



'TRADITIONAL TIES' - Now in our 26th Year.


Link to Traditional Ties web pages:

http://wyep.org/traditionalties

Monday, January 3, 2011

A video inspired by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ... take a look!!! I Am Strong ... are you?‏




MUSIC COMMUNITY GATHERS TO SUPPORT THE GRASCALS & DOLLY PARTON IN RAISING AWARENESS FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER.



Nashville, TN – In a rare occasion of combined efforts, Nashville’s music community is gathering is support of “I AM STRONG,” a song drawing awareness to the childhood cancer epidemic.



Two versions of “I AM STRONG” have been recorded. Version 1 includes award-winning, Grammy-nominated group, The Grascals, with special guest Dolly Parton. Version 2 includes The Grascals, Dolly Parton, Randy Owen, Joe Nichols, Darryl Worley, Terri Clark, Charlie Daniels, Tom T. Hall, The Oak Ridge Boys and Steven Seagal.



A music video was directed by cancer survivor David Corlew of d. corlew films and is already gaining much notoriety at AOL.com, TheBoot.com and Yahoo.com. Starting January 4th, Clear Channel Digital and Citadel Digital will be hosting the video on the homepage of all their country radio station websites. Steve Baker of Visual Image Marketing is handling promotion of the video to video outlets both online and broadcast.



Country radio stations can start downloading “I AM STRONG,” today (January 3, 2011) via PlayMPE or AirplayDirect.



The song will also be on compilations CDX and PowerSource/HMG. FreePromoNetwork.com will be hosting promotional contesting for stations. Radio promoters Jerry Duncan of Jerry Duncan Promotions, Airplay Specialists Radio Promotion, Paul Loggins of Paul Loggins Promotions, Corey Duke of FreePromoNetwork.com and Bruce Reiner of Dolly Records have all volunteered their time and efforts.



iHeartRadio begins streaming the album, The Grascals & Friends, on which the song “I AM STRONG” appears on January 4th.



About “I AM STRONG” and its origin:

"I AM STRONG," was written by Grascals’ band member Jamie Johnson and his wife Susanne Mumpower-Johnson along with Jenee Fleenor after The Grascals visited the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® in Memphis and were inspired by the stories and power of the children being treated there. "I Am Strong" is powerful in its message and artistic vision and brings together vocals from all of the artists who also appear separately with The Grascals on other tracks on this CD.



In honor of the children and this song, Cracker Barrel is donating a percentage of the proceeds from this CD to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The album, The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin, has 13 country music songs on it that you have probably heard before, but most likely not like this. The Grascals bring their own bluegrass style to the tunes and bring the different tracks to life with eight of their friends, including Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels and Dolly Parton. The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin will be available on January 10th, 2011, exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations.