Saturday, April 30, 2011

Back onstage: Lynn Morris reuniting with band at bluegrass festival

By Jessica Wiant -- jwiant@nvdaily.com/

 WINCHESTER --Pioneering the way for female bluegrass musicians, meeting the love of her life, advocating for animals, surviving a stroke: Lynn Morris' story has many chapters. At this year's Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, in the midst of the usual carnival food, parades, celebrities and attractions, for Morris, the page is turning once more.

Morris, along with members of her former band, will return to the stage -- like she hasn't done since her stroke in 2003 -- at Sunday's 22nd Annual Apple Blossom Bluegrass Festival.

It's been a long road to get there.  Full story here.

Mountain Home Music Label Tops the Charts With Dual #1s From The Boxcars and Balsam Range

ARDEN, N.C., -- Mountain Home Music, a division of Crossroads Entertainment & Marketing, Inc., celebrates the very rare occurrence of garnering two #1 Bluegrass chart toppers in the same month.

Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, which publishes the definitive radio airplay charts for Bluegrass music, has announced their May 2011 charts.

Trains I Missed by Balsam Range tops the BU Singles Airplay Chart for the month, while The Boxcars' self-titled CD takes the #1 slot on the Album Airplay Chart.

Live video performances of each band plus a supergroup performance of both bands together are available for streaming and download at http://livebluegrassconcerts.com/

Balsam Range and The Boxcars are distributed by Crossroads Distribution, Select-O Hits and Syntax Distribution. The albums are available in CD and digital formats.

Media Contact:

Ty Gilpin
Crossroads
828-684-3066 x320
ty.gilpin@crossroadsmusic.com/
http://crossroadsmusic.com/

About Balsam Range:

Balsam Range is a five-member bluegrass group from Haywood County, North Carolina. Their members are fiddler and tenor singer Buddy Melton, veteran mandolin player Darren Nicholson, acclaimed guitarist Caleb Smith, bassist and Southern Gospel Hall of Fame member Tim Surrett, and banjo player and Grammy® Award-winner Marc Pruett. Balsam Range burst onto the bluegrass scene in 2007 and has steadily compiled an impressive list of radio hits and appearances at prestigious venues.

About The Boxcars:

The Boxcars launched in 2010, making waves with IBMA award-winning instrumentalists, accomplished vocalists, and a quickly filled schedule, including dates at many of the largest Bluegrass festivals. Their members -- Adam Steffey, Ron Stewart, John R. Bowman, Keith Garrett, and Harold Nixon -- created the band after stints in several prestigious groups, including Alison Krauss and Union Station, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, the Isaacs, and J.D. Crowe and the New South.

About Mountain Home:

Mountain Home, a division of Crossroads Entertainment & Marketing, Inc., is one of the top Bluegrass labels in the business, representing such artists as Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Boxcars, Balsam Range, and Darin and Brooke Aldridge. Established in 1993, Crossroads is a market leader in the Bluegrass, Southern Gospel, and Performance Track fields

MERLEFEST 2011, PRESENTED BY LOWE’S, ANNOUNCES INSTRUMENT CONTEST WINNERS

WILKESBORO, N.C. (April 29, 2011)—MerleFest 2011, presented by Lowe’s, held the Doc Watson Guitar Championship on Thursday, April 28 and the Merle Watson Bluegrass Banjo Contest on Friday, April 29.

Ashe County Picker Tops MerleFest Guitar Contest

For Eric Hardin of Warrensville, NC, winning the 2011 MerleFest Guitar Contest was a little bittersweet.

“I’m ecstatic about winning,” said Hardin. “I’ve been doing this contest for eight years, and I have finally won. I do hate, though, that I won’t get to play in it next year.” Like other previous champions, he will serve as a judge and will be retired as a contestant. After the judges announced their decision, Hardin received his first prize, a Boucher Alencia Goose guitar (retail value $4,500), presented by John Kelley of Musiquip as well as gift certificates from Jackson’s Music and John Pearse Strings.

Hardin chose “Whiskey For Breakfast,” “Steel Guitar Rag,” and “Lonesome Fiddle Blues” to perform for the panel of judges.

This was not the first major win for Eric Hardin at MerleFest. He won the 2004 National Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kansas, then returned home to take the top prize on the five string at MerleFest in 2006. He has also been a consistent top finisher in the National Guitar Championship.



Young Pickers Dominate at MerleFest Banjo Contest

Youth dominated at the MerleFest Banjo Contest Friday morning at the Austin Stage – but “the old man” of the finalists took home a brand-new Deering Eagle banjo and gift certificates from Jackson’s Music and John Pearse Strings.

Of course, Weston Stewart of Anderson, Ala., is just 21 – but was older than the other two finalists, 16-year-old Tanner Norris of Monroe, N.C., who took second (and won a hardshell banjo case given by Frontier Energy and gift certificates from Jackson’s Music and John Pearse Strings), and Alex Edwards, 18, of Salisbury, N.C., who finished third (and won gift certificates from Jackson’s Music and John Pearse Strings).


“I wasn’t expecting to win,” Stewart told the crowd after the announcement of the judges’ decision. “I just want to say this is a wonderfully organized event, and there were so many great pickers taking part.” In answer to a question by Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick, who was one of the judges, Stewart said he was not currently part of a band. “Attention band leaders,” Wernick said, “you want to talk to this young man.”


Janet Deering, co-founder of Deering Banjo, presented Stewart with his first prize, an Eagle banjo made by the company she and her husband lead. The banjo is valued at $2,400.


Now in its 24th year, MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College Endowment Corporation and a celebration of “traditional plus” music.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Traditional Ties, 05/01/11, Playlist‏

Contact info for new adds:
Alison Krauss - http://alisonkrauss.com/ - http://www.rounder.com/
Terry Baucom - http://www.terrybaucom.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
Alison Krauss
Paper Airplane
Paper Airplane
Rounder
3:37

10:09 PM
Terry Baucom
Do You Wrong Kind of Girl
In a Groove
JB&B
2:51

10:12 PM
James Reams
In the Corner at the Table by the Jukebox
One Foot in the Honky Tonl
Mountain Redbird
3:41

10:15 PM
Frank Solivan
Driftin' Apart
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Fiddlemon
3:20

10:20 PM
Mountain Therapy
Cry Cry Darlin'
Focused
Mountain Therapy
2:29

10:22 PM
Josh Slone
Long Legged Woman
Josh Slone & Coal Town
Rural Rhythm
2:49

10:25 PM
Bill Monroe
Rocky Road Blues
Can't You Hear Me Callin'
Columbia Legacy
2:34

10:28 PM
Terry Baucom
In a Groove
In a Groove
JB&B
2:44

10:32 PM
Terry Baucom
Mine Eyes Shall Be on Cannan's Land
In a Groove
JB&B
3:38

10:36 PM
Doyle Lawson
Precious Memories
Drive Time
Mountain Home
5:23

10:41 PM
Hillman - Pedersen
Going Up Home
At Edwards Barn
Rounder
3:11

10:44 PM
Gibson Brothers
He Can Be Found
Help My Brother
Compass
2:43

10:47 PM
RidgeRunners
I Am the Man
Take Just a Minute for Him
Blue Circle
2:49

10:50 PM
Edgar Loudermilk
The Power Up Above
Roads Traveled
Mountain Fever
1:56

10:52 PM
Lou Reid
Carry Me
Sounds Like Heaven to Me
Rural Rhythm
3;03

10:55 PM
Mike Scott
Take Me Lord and Use Me
Take Me Lord and Use Me
Rural Rhythm
4:21

11:00 PM
True Bluegrass
Jerusalem Ridge (theme)
True Bluegrass 1979
True Bluegrass
2:00

11:02 PM
Alison Krauss
Miles to Go
Paper Airplane
Rounder
2;54

11:06 PM
Alison Krauss
Dust Bowl Children
Paper Airplane
Rounder
3:07

11:09 PM
Alison Krauss
My Love Follows You Where You Go
Paper Airplane
Rounder
4:04

11:14 PM
Alison Krauss
On the Outside Looking In
Paper Airplane
Rounder
3:36

11:19 PM
Terry Baucom
Steeping Stones
In a Groove
JB&B
2;40

11:22 PM
Michael Cleveland
Maine Line
Fired Up
Rounder
3;21

11:25 PM
Junior Sisk
Humble Man
Heartaches and Dreams
Rebel
3:13

11:28 PM
Shannon Slaughter
The Working Man
The Sideman Steps Out
Elite Circuit
3;15

11:33 PM
Terry Baucom
I Wish You Knew
In a Groove
JB&B
3;14

11:36 PM
Larry Sparks
Back Road
Almost Home
Rounder
4:06

11:40 PM
Darrell Webb
Gonna Be Movin'
Darrell Webb Band
Rural Rhythm
2:53

11:43 PM
Blue Moon Rising
Ain't No Way
Strange New World
Rural Rhythm
3;08

11:48 PM
Terry Baucom
The Next Last Time
In a Groove
JB&B
2:33

11:51 PM
Bobby Osborne
Rocky Top
Memories
Rural Rhythm
3:06

11:54 PM
Grasstowne
I Don't Worry About You Anymore
Kickin' Up Dust
Rural Rhythm
2;54

11:56 PM
Mike Scott
Road to Columbus
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Rural Rhythm
3;:10

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

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Hazel Dickens, Obit and Arrangements

Hazel J. Dickens

By TOM BONE Bluefield Daily Telegraph


WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hazel J. Dickens, 75, of Washington, DC, died Friday, April 22, 2011 at the Washington Home Community Hospice in Washington, D.C. Born in Montcalm, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Hillary N. and Sarah J. Simpkins Dickens. Hazel was an award winning song writer and recording artist in Bluegrass and Folk Music. She was an activist for coal miner's rights writing and recording many coal mining songs. She also appeared in several films including It's Hard To Tell The Singer From The Song, Matewan and Songcatcher. She also contributed to the sound track of Harlan County, Coal Mining Women, Matewan and Black Lung. Hazel has received numerous awards through the years. She was the first woman to receive the International Bluegrass Music Association Award, honored by the Smithsonian Institution, received the 2001 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment of The Arts and was inducted into the West Virginia Hall of Fame in 2007. She just received the second Washington Monument Award ever given at the 2011 D.C. Bluegrass Festival. Her songs, honors and awards would be hard to list here as would be the list of people whose lives she touched with her talent and her character.

In addition to her parents, five brothers, John Dickens, Guy Dickens, Dan Dickens, Arnold Dickens and Thurman Dickens; along with four sisters, Velvie Woolwine, Beulah Cardwell Roberts, Dovie A. Bailey and Sally Dickens preceded her in death.

Survivors include one brother, Robert Dickens of Baltimore, Md.; several special nieces and nephews; and special friends, Ken Irwin of Rounder Records and Nancy Rowland of Washington, DC.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, 2011, at the George W. Seaver Chapel of Seaver Funeral Home in Princeton with family and friends sharing memories. Burial will follow in Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Princeton. Friends may call at Seaver Funeral Home in Princeton from 1:00 p.m. to the service hour on Tuesday. Online condolences may be made at www.seaverfuneralservice.com

Friday, April 22, 2011

Hazel Dickens Passes

Bluegrass pioneer singer and songwriter, Hazel Dickens, passed away Thursday April 21. In the words of Bluegrass historian and performer Bob Artis, "Sad news; there was never a more passionate
singer nor better songwriter in all of traditional music".


Amen!

The You Tube videos below, provide a brief bio of this elegant lady.
Some of my favorite memories are of her appearances at the Elizabeth Moose Lodge.



Thursday, April 21, 2011

Dailey & Vincent win GMA Dove Award‏


Dailey & Vincent won their first GMA Dove Award, for Bluegrass Album
of the Year, during the 42nd Annual Dove Awards ceremony held
yesterday at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. The award recognizes their
all a cappella gospel collection on Rounder Records, "Singing From the
Heart," which has raised funds for the Tennessee Bible College in
Cookeville, Tennessee. The awards show will air on gmc this Sunday,
April 24 (Easter) at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Traditional Ties. 04/24/11, Playlist


Contact info for new adds:
James Reams - http://jamesreams.com/
Doyle Lawson - http://doylelawson.com/ - http://crossroadsmusic.com/
Hillman, Pedersen - http://www.rounder.com/


Air Time
Artist Name
Song Title
Album Name
Label
Duration

10:00 PM
Kenny Baker
Jerusalem Ridge (theme)
Plays Bill Monroe
County
2:00

10:02 PM
James Reams
Going Home
One Foot in the Honky Tonk
Mountain Redbird
2:05

10:07 PM
Doyle Lawson
Country Store
Drive Time
Mountain Home
2:52

10:11 PM
Hillman - Pedersen
If I Could Only Win Your Love
At Edwards Barn
Rounder
3:11

10:14 PM
Grasstowne
Blue Rocking Chair
Kickin' Up Dust
Rural Rhythm
3:28

10:18 PM
Michael Cleveland
Big Wide Strum
Fired Up
Rounder
3:29

10:21 PM
Bill Monroe
Travilin' This Lonesome Road
Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys
JSP
3:12

10:24 PM
Boxcars
You Can Take Your Time
The Boxcars
Mountain Home
3:24

10:28 PM
Doyle Lawson
The Greenbrier Hop
Drive Time
Mountain Home
3:21

10:33 PM
Patent Pending
Barabbas
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning
Ourlet
2:58

10:36 PM
Mountain Therapy
Blood Stained Trail
Natural Blend
Rosewood
3:15

10:39 PM
Hillman - Pedersen
Our Savior's Hands
At Edwards Barn
Rounder
4:23

10:44 PM
Seldom Scene
Were You There
Baptizing
Rebel
3:14

10:47 PM
Curchmen
Man in the Middle
The Tie That Binds
Mountain Home
2:35

10:50 PM
Bill Harrell
He Took Your Place
After the Sunrise
Rebel
3;25

10:53 PM
Rarely Herd
Search Inside an Empty Tomb
What About Him
Pinecastle
4:23

10:56 PM
Blue Moon Rising
He Arose
On the Rise
Lonesome Day
3;30

11:00 PM
True Bluegrass
With Care from Someone (theme)
True Bluegrass 1979
True Bluegrass
2:00

11:02 PM
James Reams
Almost Hear the Blues
One Foot in the Honky Tonk
Mountain Redbird
3:54

11:06 PM
James Reams
Bailing Again
One Foot in the Honky Tonk
Mountain Redbird
3:04

11:10 PM
James Reams
I Can't Settle Down
One Foot in the Honky Tonl
Mountain Redbird
2:02

11:13 PM
James Reams
In the Corner at the Table by the Juke Box
One Foot in the .Honky Tonk
Mountain Redbird
3:45

11:17 PM
Doyle Lawson
Precious Memories
Drive Time
Mountain Home
5:23

11:23 PM
Hillman - Pedersen
Wheels
At Edwards Barn
Rounder
3:13

11:26 PM
Jim & Valerie Gebehart
It's My Turn
It's My Turn
JVG
3:21

11:29 PM
Full Ateam Ahead
Lost Indian
Music from the Hearth
FSA
3:13

11:33 PM
Doyle Lawson
Gone Long Gone
Drive Time
Mountain Home
2:36

11:36 PM
Claire Lynch
My Flordia Sunshine
Whatcha Gonna Do
Rounder
3:09

11:39 PM
Lonesome River Band
Record Time Machine
Still Learning
Rounder
2:57

11:41 PM
No One You Know
Looking for a Sign
Calm Before the Storm
Mountain Fever
3;16

11:45 PM
Hillman - Pedersen
Wait a Minute
At Edwards Barn
Rounder
5:09

11:51 PM
Balsam Range
Callin' Caroline
Trains I Missed
Mountain Home
2:51

11:53 PM
Rodney Dillard
There Is a Time
I Wish Life Was Like Mayberry
Rural Rhythm
3:35

11:57 PM
Steve Martin
Rare Bird Alert
Rare Bird Alert
Rounder
2:39

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

Friday, April 15, 2011

JASON WOOD, MANDOLIN PLAYER, JOINS AUDIE BLAYLOCK AND REDLINE



Audie Blaylock & Redline welcome mandolin player, Jason Wood, from Statesville, NC. Having been brought up in a family filled with music, Jason developed a strong love of Traditional Bluegrass Music. Jason began playing guitar at the age of 7, then began playing mandolin in June of 2008 and was hired in 2009 by a North Carolina band, Constant Change, filming Song of The Mountains with legendary Curly Seckler. Jason has performed numerous venues with his Grandfather, renowned songwriter, banjoist and vocalist, A.L. Wood.


Singing has always been an important part of Jason's life. Jason grew up singing in church and has also performed at various churches with his family. While young in age, Jason has a very deep respect and knowledge for Traditional Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel Music. His major influences are Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs and The Osborne Brothers. Jason gives 100% credit to God for his talents. He also credits his Father, Mike Wood, for showing him everything he knows about music.

Jason also proudly plays an Altman Mandolin.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Traditional Ties, 04/17/11, Playlist‏


Contact info for new adds:
Micahel Cleveland -
http://www.rounder.com/ - http://www.flamekeeperband.com/
Grasstowne - http://ruralrhythm.com/web/ - http://www.grasstowne.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
Michael Cleveland
Dixie Special
Fired Up
Rounder
2:25

10:06 PM
Grasstowne
I Don't worry About You Anymore
Kickin' Up Dust
Rural Rhythm
2:54

10:10 PM
Larry Sparks
Gunfighter's Revenge
Almost Home
Rounder
3:59

10:14 PM
Roys
Nothin' I Can Do About It Now
Lonesome Whistle
Rural Rhythm
2:46

10:17 PM
Alison Krauss
Paper Airplane
Paper Airplane
Rounder
3:37

10:20 PM
Shannon Slaughter
The Working Man
The Sideman Steps Out
Elite Circuit
3:15

10:24 PM
Russell Moore
If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again
CD Single
Rural Rhythm
2:58

10:28 PM
Grasstowne
Up In the Wheelhouse
Kickin' Up Dust
Rural Rhythm
2:17

10:33 PM
Michael Cleveland
Bigger hands Than Mine
Fired Up
Rounder
3:20

10:36 PM
Grasstowne
Old Time Way
Kickin' Up Dust
Rural Rhythm
2:54

10:39 PM
Dailey and Vincent
Near the Cross
Singing from the Heart
Rounder
2:55

10:42 PM
Mountain Therapy
Help Is on the Way
Focused
Mountain Therapy
3:23

10:47 PM
Country Gentlemen
Palms of Victory
Calling My Children Home
Rebel
3:34

10:50 PM
Isaacs
Man on the Mule
Bridges
Horizon
2:47

10:53 PM
Bluegrass Cardinals
Wash the Feet of Jesus
The Shining Path
Sugar Hill
2:31

10:56 PM
Maineline
Purple Robe
Harvest Time
Mainline
2:30

11:00 PM
True Bluegrass
With Care from Someone (theme)
True Bluegrass 1979
True Bluegrass
2:00

11:02 PM
Michael Cleveland
I've Got the Railroad Blues
Fired Up
Rounder
2:25

11:06 PM
Michael Cleveland
Maine Line
Fired Up
Rounder
3:21

11:11 PM
Michael Cleveland
Slowly
Fired Up
Rounder
2:41

11:14 PM
Michael Cleveland
Monster Truck
Fired Up
Rural Rhythm
2:40

11:18 PM
Grasstowne
Kickin' Up Dust
Kickin' Up Dust
Rural Rhythm
3:12

11:21 PM
Expedition Show
Sparta Flash
The Expedition Show
Mountain Fever
2:25

11:23 PM
Larry Cordle
Pud Marcum's Hangin'
Pud Marcum's Hangin'
MightyCord
3:42

11:27 PM
Well Strung
Take Another Trip Around the Sun
No Mercy
WS
3:34

11:32 PM
Bill Monroe
Blue Yodel #4
Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys
JSP
3:06

11:34 PM
Junior Sisk
Train Without a Track
Heartaches and Dreams
Rebel
2:39

11:36 PM
Grasstowne
Somewhere Between Givin' in and Givin' Up
Kickin' Up Dust
Rural Rhythm
3:22

11:42 PM
Wildfire
Crash Course in the Blues
Crash Course in the Blues
Lonesome Day
3:56

11:49 PM
Grasstowne
Waves of Sorrow
Kickin' Up Dust
Rural Rhythm
2:35

11:50 PM
Darrell Webb Band
Big Black Train
Darrell Webb Band
Rural Rhythm
2:43

11:52 PM
Bartley Brothers
Loneliness Moved In
Hit the Road
Rural Rhythm
2:35

11:56 PM
Michael Cleveland
Goin' Up Dry Branch
Fired Up
Rounder
3:19

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, April 11, 2011

The Grascals Talk "The Talk" - Debut On Popular CBS Show Tuesday, April 12

Performance Follows Appearances at Country Thunder & Actor Steven Seagal's Birthday Bash

The Grascals & Friends CD coverNashville, TN (April 11, 2011) -- Bluegrass icons, The Grascals, will make their debut on CBS TV's The Talk on Tuesday, April 12 when they perform their current single, "I Am Strong," from their CD, THE GRASCALS & FRIENDS - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin.


The band's appearance on The Talk (airs 2 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. PT/CT) follows an April 10 performance at Arizona's Country Thunder festival, and a private performance for their friend, actor Steven Seagal, at his annual birthday bash in Scottsdale.

The Talk
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 (CBS, 2 p.m. ET; 1 p.m. PT/CT) / "I Am Strong"
The Grascals released the chart-topping Grascals & Friends on BluGrascal Records in conjunction with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® in January of this year. The fast-selling disc has held the BILLBOARD Bluegrass Album Chart's #1 position for seven weeks since its release. The CD is available exclusively at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and online at www.crackerbarrel.com. The group's most-recent release,
DANCE TIL YOUR STOCKINGS ARE HOT AND RAVELIN' - A Tribute To The Music Of The Andy Griffith Show was issued digitally March 29, 2011 on BluGrascal Records / Saguaro Road Records in partnership with Time Life.
Be sure to visit The Grascals www.grascals.com for additional information and details on their upcoming appearances, see video and hear clips from all their CDs.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Bluegrass Museum's summer festival to feature GRAMMY-winners

by Gabrielle Gray, International Bluegrass Music Museum

The International Bluegrass Music Museum's ROMP Bluegrass Roots and Branches Festival will be held June 23-25, 2011 at Yellow Creek Park just outside Owensboro, Ky. Headlining the event are Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Emmylou Harris, Trampled By Turtles, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile.

Adult 3-day passes to this annual fundraising event are on sale in advance for $70 each. Museum members receive a $20 discount. Student 3-day passes are available for $55; active military and senior passes are $60. Three-day passes are sold in advance only. Single-day tickets are $25 and are available both in advance and at the gate. Dry tent camping at Yellow Creek Park is free for 3-day pass holders. For tickets, go to www.bluegrassmuseum.org or call 270-926-7891.

In addition to the artists listed above, the festival line-up includes bluegrass heavy hitters Tony Rice performing with Mountain Heart, The Infamous Stringdusters, Pete & Joan Wernick, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Kenny & Amanda Smith, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, GRAMMY-nominee Sarah Jarosz, IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Josh Williams, The 23 String Band, The Professors of Bluegrass , Loose Cannon Bluegrass Band, Bawn in the Mash, King's Highway, and the Museum's own student brigade, the Kentucky BlueGrass AllStars. Showcase bands are yet to be announced.

Museum Director Gabrielle Gray says that ROMP 2011 will undoubtedly be its biggest year to date. The expanded program is part of IBMM's year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass Music, who was born and grew to manhood in nearby Ohio County, Ky. The program will feature a wide variety of bluegrass and bluegrass-related genres including old time, Americana and jamgrass.

"We booked non-traditional acts to illustrate the wide range of influence bluegrass music and Bill Monroe have had-and increasingly continue to have-on today's music culture. We are so fortunate to have these artists coming to the heartland of bluegrass to perform for us," Gray says.

For the first time ROMP festival vendors will focus on local cuisine, with food provided by area chefs. "I think festivals-goers from around the country and the world are going to be impressed with the variety and quality of specialty food items. And of course, we will have local barbeque, for which Western Kentucky is world-famous," Gray says.

In addition to the musical line-up, this year's festival will feature Museum exhibits and a film festival of the Museum's documentaries on the lives of first generation bluegrass musicians. New to ROMP 2011 are late-night jams. "This year at ROMP we'll be having all-night jams around a bonfire after the main stage shuts down each night. It's a great way to make new friends-jamming 'til the sun comes up," Gray says.

For more information see the IBMM's web site at www.bluegrassmuseum.org or call 270-926-7891.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Traditional Ties, 04/10/11, Playlist

Contact info for new adds:

Larry Sparks -
http://www.larrysparks.com/ - http://www.rounder.com/
The Roys - http://ruralrhythm.com/web/ - http://www.theroysonline.com/


Air Time
Artist Name
Song Title
Album Name
Label
Duration

10:00 PM
Kenny Baker
Jerusalem Ridge (theme)
Plays Bill Monroe
County
2:00

10:02 PM
Larry Sparks
Almost Home
Almost Home
Rounder
3:20

10:07 PM
Roys
Coal Mining Man
Lonesome Whistle
Rural Rhythm
3:06

10:10 PM
Steve Martin
You
Rare Bird Alert
Rounder
4:21

10:14 PM
Bobby Osborne
Bring Back Yesterday
Memories
Rounder
3:47

10:18 PM
Blue Moon Rising
Second Best
Strange New World
Rural Rhythm
4:03

10:22 PM
Rodney Dillard
Ebo Walker
I Wish Life Was Like Mayberry
Rural Rhythm
2:08

10:24 PM
Frank Solivan
Ominous Anonymos
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Fiddlemon
3:40

10:28 PM
Josh Slone
Virginia Bound
Josh Sloan and Coal Town
Rural Rhythm
2:13

10:31 PM
Larry Sparks
Sombody Touched Me
Almost Home
Rounder
3:17

10:34 PM
Lonesome River Band
Forty Days in the Desert
Still Learning
Rural Rhythm
4:22

10:38 PM
Balsam Range
The Touch
Trains I Missed
Mountain Home
3:40

10:42 PM
No One You Know
Just Over the Blue
Calm Before the Storm
Mountain Fever
3:06

10:46 PM
Roys
That's What Makes It Love
Lonesome Whistle
Rural Rhythm
4:04

10:50 PM
Audie Blaylock
Get in Line Brother
The All-Star Jam
Rural Rhythm
2:27

10:53 PM
Crowe - Lawson - Williams
Stormy Waters
Old Friends Get Together
Mountain Home
3;28

10:56 PM
Donna Ulisse
Who Will Sing for Me
Holy Waters
Hadley
3:12

11:00 PM
True Bluegrass
With Care from Someone (theme)
True Bluegrass 1979
True Bluegrass
2:31

11:04 PM
Larry Sparks
Blue Mountain Melody
Almost Home
Rounder
3:25

11:08 PM
Larry Sparks
Lines on the Highway
Almost Home
Rounder
3:13

11:13 PM
Larry Sparks
Bring 'em on Back
Almost home
Rounder
3:19

11:17 PM
Larry Sparks
Momma
Almost Home
Rounder
3:17

11:21 PM
Alison Krauss
Paper Airplane
Paper Airplane
Rounder
3:37

11:26 PM
Roys
Lonesome Whistle
Lonesome Whistle
Rural Rhythm
3;17

11:29 PM
Bill Monroe
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys
JSP
2:49

11:34 PM
Mike Scott
Uncle Pen
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Rural Rhythm
2:50

11:38 PM
Claire Lynch
Barbed Wire Boys
Whatcha Gonna Do
Rounder
3:36

11:44 PM
Roys
Everything I Ever Wanted
Lonesome Whistle
Rural Rhythm
3:34

11:45 PM
Boxcars
The Hard Way
The Boxcars
Mountain Home
3:06

11:48 PM
Roys
My Oh My How Time Flies
Lonesome Whistle
Rural Rhythm
2:24

11:51 PM
Full Steam Ahead
Sittin' on Top of the World
Music from the Hearth
FSA
2:55

11:54 PM
Mountain Therapy
Midnight On the Highway
Focused
Mountain Therapy
2:55

11:57 PM
Blue Shades
Catawba
Chasing Dreams
Blue Shades
2:39

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

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Cumberland River on Justified 4/6

FIVE songs by Cumberland River included on Wed, April 6 Epiode of FX Network’s hit TV drama JUSTIFIED
Band’s upcoming 2011 album set for release on Rural Rhythm Records

 
Last week FX Productions and Sony Pictures Television announced they have ordered 13 new episodes for a third season of FX Network’s critically acclaimed hit drama, JUSTIFIED starring TIMOTHY OLYPHANT. The show is averaging 3.9 million total viewers on the first run of Season Two with a multi-run weekly average of 7.2 million total viewers. That is certainly good news for Harlan, Kentucky band, CUMBERLAND RIVER who has 5 songs featured on the Wednesday, April 6, 2011 episode. The band includes the talents of: JAMES DEAN, JOSEPH JONES, DUSTIN MIDDLETON, JAMIE STEWART and ANDY BUCKNER. Viewer’s got a taste of CUMBERLAND RIVER’S music in the opening scene of the March 2, 2011 episode, “For Blood or Money” when an instrumental version of their original song “Justified” was featured. Viewers will now get a full dose of their music on Wednesday's episode, “Brother’s Keeper” when you will hear the band performing five of their orginal songs including: "Friend I’m Fine"; "Let the Moonshine Flow, "Wild Berries," "My Dad," and "Ridge Runner.” All six songs appear on CUMBERLAND RIVER's debut album, ROCK ISLAND EXPRESS released last year. Series creator and producer, GRAHAM YOST has received critical acclaim for the series including last Thursday’s announcement of JUSITIFIED’s Peabody Award bestowed by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. These awards recognize excellence in electronic media and will be presented at a ceremony in New York in May. RURAL RHYTHM RECORDS also announced today they will be releasing CUMBERLAND RIVER’s highly anticipated new album later this year. The band has been busy in the studio with album producer and, acclaimed singer-songwriter STEVE GULLEY recording their new album. “They are real mountain men with a story to tell and a unique, special way of telling it. If you’re looking for pure, honest music full of unabashed emotion, look no further. You’ve found it! Cumberland River is raw emotion personified,” said GULLEY. “Justified” was recently re-recorded and now available for digital purchase a special pre-album promotion. The song is also available to RADIO via AirplayDirect.com. Rural Rhythm will soon be announcing more details of this upcoming album.

For more information on CUMBERLAND RIVER, please visit their new website at Cumberland-River.com and for media and booking inquiries, please contact Hope River Entertainment.

For more information on FX's JUSTIFIED, please visit fxnetworks.com

For more information on Rural Rhythm Records, please visit RuralRhythm.com

Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Announces Finalists for 2011‏



WILKESBORO, N.C. (April 5, 2011)—Finalists have been selected for the 19h annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by MerleFest 2011. The festival is scheduled for April 28-May 1, on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.


Writers of the following twelve songs, selected from over 1,053 entries, will compete on the Austin Stage at MerleFest on Friday, April 29:


Bluegrass

Tonya Lowman - "Heartwrenching Lovesick Memories" (Lenoir, N.C.)
David Grindstaff,
Benjamin Poteat and David Snider - "The Working Man" (Marion, N.C.)
Ashleigh Caudill - "Row By Row" (Asheville, N.C.)


Country

Mickey Clark - "Bakersfield Wine" (Louiville, Ky.)
Lera Lynn - "Bobby, Baby" (Athens, Ga.)
Thom Case - "The Smart Thing" (Brentwood, Tenn.)


Gospel/Inspirational

Johnny Tanner - "Wake Up John" (Florence, S.C.)
Tony Feathers - "On The Rock Where Moses Stood" (Gray, Tenn.)
Rachel Harrington - "He Started Building My Mansion In Heaven Today" (Seattle, Wash.)


General

Joseph LeMay - "River In My Heart" (Dyersburg, Tenn.)
The Honeycutters
(Amanda Anne Platt) - "Little Bird" (Asheville, N.C.)

Driftwood Fire (Charlotte D. Formichella and Lynn Scharf) - "The Salty Sea" (Ft. Collins, Colo.)


Each of the twelve finalists will enjoy admission and lodging for four nights at MerleFest, and will receive a mentoring session with Grammy®-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale. In addition, the first place winners will receive a performance slot on the Cabin Stage on Friday of the festival.


The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest is a unique opportunity for aspiring writers to have their original songs heard and judged by a panel of Nashville music industry professionals, under the direction of this year’s volunteer contest chairperson Jim Lauderdale. Judging is based on a song’s originality, lyrics, melody and overall commercial potential.


This year’s on-site judges are Wyatt Durrett, Corb Lund and Molly Nagel. Durrette is a respected songwriter whose credits include “Chicken Fried,” the wildly successful number one hit by Grammy Award winning Zac Brown Band. Lund, Alberta’s acclaimed alternative country star, has been named Roots Artist of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association for the last five years running and was again nominated this year. Nagel is the newly-appointed general manager of the Asheville-based innovative marketing company Music Allies; previously she spent 12 years in publicity and artist development for venerated roots indie Sugar Hill Records.


The following were judges for the first round of competition during which the finalists were selected: Donica Christenson - Sugar Hill Records; Tim Dubois - ASCAP Nashville; Sara Johnson - creative director, Bug Music; Casey Kelly - songwriter/vice president, Songwriters Guild; Joe Limardi - program director, WSM; Shannon McCombs - producer/writer/host; Megan McNair - publicist/editor, Music City News Media; Nathan Nicholson - independent song plugger/publisher; Caine O'Rear - editor/co-publisher, American Songwriter Magazine; Victoria Shaw - singer/songwriter and producer; Joyce Symans - membership administrator, Americana Music Association; Joe West - songwriter/producer.


Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception the scholarship has awarded over $35,000 to 71 deserving students. The 2010-2011 Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship recipients are Mary R. Griffith and Thomas Noah Russell. Previous winners of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest include Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, Michael Reno Harrell, Adrienne Young, Martha Scanlan, David Via and Johnny Williams.


About Chris Austin:

Chris Austin, from Boone, North Carolina, worked as a sideman for Ricky Skaggs for three years, singing and playing guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle. During that time he was discovered by executives at Warner Bros. Nashville, who offered him a recording contract. While releasing singles including “Blues Stay Away From Me,” “I Know There’s a Heart in There Somewhere” and “Out of Step,” Austin also developed his songwriting skills, as

evidenced in “Same Ol’ Love,” recorded by Skaggs in 1991. On March 16, 1991, Austin’s life was cut tragically short when the private plane carrying him and six other members of Reba McEntire’s band, as well as her tour manager, crashed in the mountains near San Diego. Pete Fisher, then of Warnersongs and currently general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, and Kari Estrin, then MerleFest consultant and Pickin’ for Merle video associate producer, initiated the songwriting contest to honor Austin’s memory.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

ATTN, RECORD LABELS & ARTISTS: Is Your Album Eligible for This Year's Awards?

All professional members of IBMA will receive the first ballot for the
International Bluegrass Music Awards in late May. A reference list of recordings
reported to have been released during the eligibility period for this year’s
awards, will be available at www.ibma.org or mailed upon request.



  
IBMA compiles this information
for members who may not be familiar or have access to actual release dates of
the recordings. Once again, we are requesting the help of record companies,
artists and producer members in compiling the list.


To include a project on the
reference list send the following information in writing for each recording:

  • Recording Title
  • Featured Artist/Group
  • Record Label
  • Catalog Number
  • Commercial Release date (month/day/year recording was first made
    available to consumers).

To be eligible for the 2011
International Bluegrass Music Awards to be presented on September 29, 2011, in
Nashville, Tennessee, a recording project must have had
its first commercial release between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011.

Since IBMA will establish the
Eligible Recordings List before the first ballots are printed and mailed, your
information must be received at the IBMA office in Nashville no later than May
1, 2011.
Even if you have sent IBMA information on
recordings during the past year for review in the newsletter, please supply this
specific information again, since prior info may not have established an exact
release date
.

Classic shows on RBI

From IBMA's Nancy Cardwell:

INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC MUSEUM’S INTERNET RADIO TO AIR “BLUEGRASS MUSIC TREASURES”


The International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM) has been broadcasting bluegrass
music on their Internet Radio station, Radio Bluegrass International (RBI),
which airs 24/7 on the museum’s website http://bluegrassmuseum.org. They are announcing the
addition of a new show called “Nick’s Tape Treasures,” which will present recordings of live
concerts and festivals, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. The two-hour show will
air Saturdays at 11:00 A.M. and 11:00 P.M. Eastern on RBI starting on April 2,
2011.

The show was developed by veteran bluegrass music broadcaster, Nick Barr, from
Albany NY. He currently hosts a show, “WAMC Bluegrass Time,” over WAMC
Northeast Public Radio, a 22-station public radio network headquartered in
Albany NY. He has hosted WAMC Bluegrass Time for over 10 years, and he has over
25 years of experience in presenting bluegrass music on both public and
commercial radio.

Nick made the tapes while attending the concerts and festivals from the mid-‘60s
to around 1980. In 2008 he donated the original reel-to-reel tapes to IBMM,
along with a digital copy of hundreds of CDs. The process required a transfer
of the original tapes to CD, and then further work to arrange the tapes into
sequential order and then into a timed format to air on RBI.

“These recordings represent a major historical record of bluegrass music during
the period that it went from an obscure regional music to one known worldwide,”
Nick said. “I was pleased to be able to provide these tapes to the IBMM for
their use. It took many hours on my part to get this project onto RBI, but it
is well worth it, knowing that people all over the world will be able to listen
to them.”

The show will start with a series of house concerts held in the basement of a
home in Montvale, NJ from 1969 to 1973. Another series will spotlight concerts
which Nick produced in the Albany NY area from 1974 to 1976. A number of
bluegrass festivals from that era will be broadcast on future shows. Many of
the top names in bluegrass at the time are included on these tapes, but there
are also lesser-known groups featured, showing the diversity of the music.

“I am grateful to Nick, a Lifetime Gold Member and strong supporter of the
Museum, for making these tapes available to us” said Gabrielle Gray, IBMM
Executive Director. “RBI is the perfect outlet for these recordings. They are
totally unique and have tremendous historical value.”

“Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music, was born on September 13, 1911, and
the world is celebrating his centennial this year. As the exact date nears, I
will be featuring music by Bill exclusively,” Nick said. “Of course any
bluegrass music from that era came directly or indirectly from Bill Monroe, so
it is fitting that we make this music available now.”

More info: http://www.bluegrassmuseum.org,- http://www.nickbarr.net