Classic Releases from AL Wood and Bill Grant & Delia Bell Get the Digital Treatment

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Sing A Bluegrass Song and Rollin Hit Digital Retailers March 22nd  This month Rebel Records is pleased to unearth two excellent, but less well-known LPs as part of its campaign to digitally reissue classic albums.  Sing A Bluegrass Song by Al Wood & The Smokey Ridge Boys and Rollin by Bill Grant & Delia Bell hit digital retailers on March 22nd.

<> <> <> Al Wood came from the musically rich area along the North Carolina-Virginia border in Surry County, North Carolina, and along with his brother Odell formed The Smokey Ridge Boys in the 1960s.  The band made a big impact on the fiddlers’ convention circuit gaining recognition as one of the finest traditional bluegrass acts in the region.  After a few 45rpm singles on various labels, Wood signed a contract with Rebel and put out two solid LPs for the label.   Sing A Bluegrass Song was the first and features Odell Wood on bass, Dewey Farmer on mandolin, Lester Deaton on guitar, and Al Wood on banjo and lead vocals.

<> <> <> Bill Grant was one of the most influential figures in bluegrass west of the Mississippi in the 1970s and 80s.  In addition to a successful songwriting and performing career Bill organized the August Hugo Oklahoma Bluegrass Festival – one of the largest and earliest bluegrass festivals.  Along with his singing partner Delia Bell the duo had a prolific recording career producing upwards of ten LPs on several labels including several on their own Oklahoma-based label Kiamichi Records.  Bell was a strong early female voice in bluegrass music, and her composition “Roses In The Snow” would go on to become the title track to Emmylou Harris’s renowned 1980 release.  Released in 1981, Rollin was the second of two albums the duo recorded for Rebel and features Grant on mandolin and vocals, Bell on guitar and vocals, Benny Martin on fiddle, Joe Stuart on lead guitar, Gordon Reid on banjo, and Joe Pointer on bass.  Josh Graves produced the album and lends his dobro talent into the mix.  Stay tuned - Releases from Larry Sparks and Bill Harrell are on deck to be reissued.

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Rebel Records To Resume Issuing Classic Releases for Digital Download‏

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




Select recordings from County Records to be featured as well


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

The campaign starts off with a bang October 19th with the release of two Ralph Stanley albums: Old Country Church (1972) and Lonesome and Blue (1987). Old Country Church features Dr. Ralph in what many bluegrass fans consider his best-ever lineup: Roy Lee Centers on guitar and lead vocals, Curly Ray Cline on fiddle, Keith Whitley on lead guitar, Ricky Skaggs on mandolin and Jack Cooke on bass. The album was Ralph's second gospel release for Rebel Records following his seminal Cry From the Cross LP. While Old Country Church did not yield as many hits as its predecessor, it is still filled with gems such as the upbeat classic "Honey in the Rock" as well as two a cappella hymns: "Village Church Yard" and "When I Get Home."

Lonesome and Blue is a secular album and features Ralph with his mid-1980s lineup: Charlie Sizemore on guitar and lead vocals, Junior Blankenship on lead guitar and the durable Curly Ray Cline and Jack Cooke on fiddle and bass, respectively. Having gone nearly a decade without a personnel change and with nine albums to their credit, Ralph and The Clinch Mountain Boys were a well-oiled machine by the time this record was released in early 1987. In what would be his last recording with the band, Charlie Sizemore is in peak form on lead vocals. Notable tracks include two Randall Hylton-penned numbers, the oft-requested "Room at the Top of the Stairs" and "It's a Hot Night in August," "Old Richmond Prison" (now a latter day standard for Ralph) and remakes of Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and the title track, a Stanley Brothers classic originally cut for Mercury.

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

Junior Sisk ready to release new CD

Note the CD which is the subject of this article will be featured on this Sunday's (5/30) Traditional Ties. http://wyep.org/. 10:00 PM EDT, 91.3 Pittsburgh PA.

By MORRIS STEPHENSON - Staff Writer

Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice new CD "Heartaches and Dreams" will be released Tuesday, June 8.

Rebel Records and Sisk have already huddled and selected the first three selections to be promoted from the CD, following the title song.

"Heartaches and Dreams" was written several years ago by Harry Sisk Sr., and Junior said he just changed a few words.

"I've been carrying around the song for four or five years and have never sung it during a show, nor has it ever been recorded," the younger Sisk said this week. "I selected it as the title song for several reasons. My mother died Dec. 11, 2009, and that represented the heartaches. Then last fall, me and the band got to perform in the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and that's always been a dream of mine."

"Then another dream came true when our 'Blue Side of the Blue Ridge' CD was named album of the year by the Society for the Preservation of Blue Grass Music of America (SPBGMA) at their national convention in Nashville in February," he added.

The songs selected for singles are "Train Without a Track" by Tom T. and Dixie Hall, "Working Hard Ain't Hardly Working" by Daniel Sawyer and "Guns, Coins and Jewelry" by band member and uncle Tim Massey and Rick Pardue. Read more.

NEWS FROM REBEL RECORDS

Big Country Bluegrass signs on


New Junior Sisk project to be released June 8th


Rebel Artists appearing on Bluegrass Junction's "Track-By-Track"


Brad Folk joins David Davis & The Warrior River Boys
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Rebel Records is proud to announce the recent signing of traditional bluegrass masters Big Country Bluegrass. The band just finished recording their label debut which is expected to be released in early Fall.
Band leader Tommy Sells formed the group with his wife Teresa in the late 1980's in the area surrounding Galax, Virginia, long known as a hotbed for bluegrass and old-time music. In the ensuing decades they patiently worked their way from competition circuit to festival mainstages, releasing several albums along the way. Today Big Country Bluegrass maintains a reputation as one of the few bands that captures "the feel, spirit and sound of the originals in their prime" (Bluegrass Unlimited, Dec. 2007). The band's current lineup features Tommy on mandolin, Teresa on guitar and vocals, Lynnwood Lunsford on banjo and vocals, Johnny Williams on guitar and vocals, Alan Mastin on bass and Jeff Michael on fiddle and the majority of lead vocals.
The band has a busy schedule ahead of them this summer, performing at a number of major festivals across the eastern half of the U.S. including Bean Blossom, Gettysburg, Delaware Valley and the Rhythm & Roots Reunion.
For more information and tour dates, please visit http://www.bigcountrybluegrass.com/

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After scoring big in 2009 with Blue Side of the Blue Ridge, a widely lauded album that announced the rebirth of his band Ramblers Choice, Junior Sisk's second Rebel Records release, Heartaches and Dreams, hits stores June 8th.
From the rattling Tom T. & Dixie Hall-penned opener (and first single) "Train Without A Track" to the closing remake of a Bill Monroe gospel classic, “Let The Light Shine Down,” Heartaches and Dreams rolls with some of the hardest-edged, most soulful bluegrass being made today. Nine of the CD's 12 songs are originals, with fresh compositions from both Junior and cousin Tim Massey as well as new contributions by fellow colleagues working in the same traditional vein like Bill Castle, Matt Jones and Daniel Salyer. The band also resurrects a gem from recent IBMA Hall of Famers the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers as well as one from the rich catalog of the McPeak Brothers.
Heartaches and Dreams was recorded at Wes Easter's Eastwood Studio in Cana, Virginia and marks the debut of Ramblers Choice's newest member - mandolin player Jason Tomlin. Jason also provides tenor vocals on many of the songs.

For more on Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, please visit http://www.juniorsiskandramblerschoice.com/
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Several Rebel artists will be sitting down with Sirius-XM's Kyle Cantrell on his Track-By-Track program this Spring. First out of the gate is Joe Mullins, who will be discussing songs from his debut Rebel release Rambler's Call. The show will air on Bluegrass Junction (Sirius channel 65 or XM channel 14) on Wednesday, May 5th at 9:00am EST with rebroadcasts on Thursday, May 6th at 9:00pm EST and Sunday, May 9th at 11:00am EST.
Don Rigsby and Junior Sisk also have visits planned to discuss their new and upcoming projects, so stay tuned...

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David Davis & The Warrior River Boys are excited to announce that Bradford Lee Folk has taken over the guitar duties in the band. Many bluegrass fans will remember Brad as the frontman for Open Road, one of the pioneering groups in the explosion of young string bands during the past decade. Brad retired from the stage for a few years, running a successful music club in Colorado while he was away. However, he soon caught the bluegrass bug again and jumped at the chance to play with David, one of his musical heroes.
"David's music really moves me, it always has. Trust me, when people get a listen to this group things are really gonna happen, there's no doubt in my mind!"
David is excited to have Brad in the fold as well: "I never got the chance to work with Open Road, but I certainly appreciated Brad and all of Open Road’s recorded music and their commitment to furthering real music to bluegrass audiences. Brad’s addition fits like a glove. He brings a ton of talent and positive energy, on and off stage! A kindred spirit!"

JOE MULLINS RETURNS TO REBEL RECORDS WITH NEW BAND

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (March 3, 2009)--Rebel Records of Virginia is proud to announce the addition of Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers to its roster of premier Bluegrass artists. The band's first project for the label--entitled simply Rambler's Call--is set for release March 30 and contains a fine mixture of old and new material performed in the rock-solid traditional style that Mullins has always been known for.

A native of southwestern Ohio and son of legendary Bluegrass DJ, fiddler and pioneer Paul "Moon" Mullins, Joe is no stranger to Rebel having founded the popular Traditional Grass, a band which recorded four very well received albums for the label in the early 1990s. This "new" group has been together since 2006 and has developed a classic Bluegrass blend. It includes four solid and experienced musicians who are fully at home with Joe and present a highly dynamic sound: Adam McIntosh on guitar and vocals, Evan McGregor on fiddle, Mike Terry on mandolin and vocals and Tim Kidd on bass.

As Joe states, "we are right at home with Rebel! My friendship and association with this label and most of the artists on its roster goes back two decades."

Mullins took leave from full time traveling in 1995 when he purchased WBZI Radio in Xenia, Ohio and has since built up a small network of radio stations in the central Ohio area. He hosts a daily two hour program of Bluegrass and Gospel music each weekday afternoon and recently received nominations for Broadcaster of the Year, Promoter of the Year and Radio Station of the Year at the 2010 SPBGMA Music Awards. In addition to his career in radio, Mullins has recorded and performed with the supergroup Longview and has won awards for his banjo work on Rebel's Knee Deep In Bluegrass collection and as part of Ricky Skaggs' Celebration Of Life project which won IBMA's prestigious award for Album of the Year in 2006.

Mullins & The Radio Ramblers are already hard at work on their next Rebel recording, a Bluegrass gospel album that Joe has wanted to do for a long time. "The CD will include both classic and original gospel songs and will feature several special guests--many of them my heroes--like Doyle Lawson, Ralph Stanley, Rhonda Vincent, Larry Sparks and Paul Williams." Tentatively titled Hymns From The Hills, the project is projected for a late Fall release.

Rambler's Call (Rebel 1833) is distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA) based in New York City.

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For more information on Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, please visit www.radioramblers.com

For questions and booking inquiries, please contact info@radioramblers.com

REBEL RECORDS ARTISTS WRAP-UP A VERY BUSY 2009

As we approach the New Year, REBEL RECORDS and its artists have much to celebrate and much to look forward to in 2010 which is, in fact, REBEL'S 50th ANNIVERSARY as the leading label devoted exclusively to Bluegrass Music!
Rebel is extremely proud of the GRAMMY® nomination that BARRY SCOTT & SECOND WIND have earned for their debut album In God's Time. The nomination was in the category of Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album. Barry & Second Wind are currently working on a new secular project for release this Spring.
JUNIOR SISK & RAMBLERS CHOICE have just completed work on their second Rebel recording, also scheduled for release this Spring. The group's first album Blue Side of the Blue Ridge continues to be one of the most played records on Bluegrass radio, and the group is looking forward to a very busy schedule in 2010.
The STEEP CANYON RANGERS are currently in Germany headlining the inaugural Bluegrass Jamboree tour, a travelling road show that finds them performing 16 shows in 16 different German cities over a two-and-a-half week period. They are coming off a very successful tour with comedian/banjo player STEVE MARTIN that played major market venues all across the USA, Canada and London, England. One of the highlights was a New York City show at Carnegie Hall with fellow Rebel recording artist RALPH STANLEY also on the bill.
In other Rangers news, the band's newest release Deep In The Shade debuted as the #1 album in the magazine BLUEGRASS MUSIC PROFILES' radio play chart for December. Two tracks from the CD - "Have Mercy" (#17) and "There Ain't No Easy Street" (#30) - made their debut in BMP's Top 30 Singles Chart as well.
February 2010 will see the release of fine new Gospel albums by both DON RIGSBY (The Voice of God) and PAUL WILLIAMS (Just a Little Closer Home). For Rigsby and his band MIDNIGHT CALL, the album will be his second for Rebel but his first solo Gospel project in over 10 years. It includes a guest vocal appearance by noted-blues artist Rory Block. Williams' record will be his 10th for Rebel and a very strong follow-up to his most successful recording to date What A Journey, which included the much-requested "I Went Down A Beggar But Came Up A Millionaire."

Rebel to Release - DRIVE-TIME BLUEGRASS

Presenting: DRIVE-TIME BLUEGRASS

May 6th is the release date for the newest addition to Rebel Records' popular budget-line series. Drive-Time Bluegrass speaks to both the recurring theme of travel, or "rambling" in Bluegrass music and the hard-driving sounds listeners have come to associate with the genre. Accordingly, the collection will feature high-energy, travel-themed music from many of the top names in the field including artists like Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury, The Seldom Scene, The Country Gentlemen, Blue Highway, and many others.

Steep Canyon Rangers Set To Record New Release

Band Signs New Contract With Rebel, Heading to the Studio in Late February.

Having recently finalized a new contract with Rebel Records, The Steep Canyon Rangers are set to begin recording their fourth album for the label next month. The new record - targeted for a late Summer/early Fall release - promises to continue the Rangers' journey into the traditional yet innovative brand of acoustic music that has come to define them.
The band has high expectations for the upcoming project: "We are real excited about our growth since the last record. Being a recording artist is different than being a performing artist, and each time we go to the studio we learn a little more about what works and what doesn't," explains guitarist and lead singer Woody Platt.

Topping their last album will be no easy feat. Under the guidance of producer Ronnie Bowman and engineer Wyatt Rice, Lovin' Pretty Women saw the band truly hit their creative stride. In the months following its August 2007 release, the album secured top spots on the Billboard, Bluegrass Unlimited, and XM Radio bluegrass charts. The record also earned IBMA nominations for "Album of the Year" and "Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year" (for their vocal masterpiece "Be Still Moses").

Following in the success of Lovin' Pretty Women, the group will once again be working with Bowman and Rice. Tracking will begin in late February at Bowman's Fox Chase Studio in Goodlettesville, Tennessee.

The band's continued growth and development inside the studio has mirrored an ever-burgeoning tour schedule, thanks in part to a fruitful collaboration with premier roots-music booking agency Keith Case & Associates and famed artist manager Don Light. Their 2009 calendar includes a number of high-profile dates in North America and Europe. In addition, this September the band will be organizing and hosting their annual Mountain Song Festival in Brevard, North Carolina. The Festival's proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County (for additional information, visit http://www.mountainsongfestival.com/).

For more on the Steep Canyon Rangers and their tour schedule, please visit http://www.steepcanyon.com/

To see video of the band performing with Steve Martin at last year's Mountain Song Festival click here.

Rebel to Release Love Lost and Found

Lost and Found

With a legacy now stretching back over three decades, Lost & Found are among the most resilient and beloved bands in bluegrass. Their newest recording, poignantly titled Love, Lost and Found will be released March 24th on Rebel Records. It is the band's eleventh album over a nearly 30-year partnership with the label and their first release since the untimely passing of Dempsey Young. Seven of the thirteen tracks feature Young's last studio performances, while the band's newest member Scott Napier plays mandolin on the remaining six. The first single off the record, "That's What Country Folks Do," has been shipped to radio stations and should be hitting airwaves soon.

For more information about Lost & Found on the web, visit: http://e2ma.net/go/1642318181/1489594/54750290/goto:http://www.myspace.com/lostandfoundbluegrass or http://e2ma.net/go/1642318181/1489594/54750289/goto:http://www.lostandfoundbluegrass.com

The first single from Love Lost and Found, "That's What Country Folks Do," will be introduced on Traditional Ties February first.

Spring Creek Heads to Studio

Expected Springtime Release for their Rebel Records Debut

Spring Creek has begun recording their yet-to-be-named third album at Notably Fine Audio in Denver, Colorado, with Nashville songwriter and sideman Jeff White (Vince Gill, Alison Krauss) producing.
The album will feature guest musicians Michael Cleveland (IBMA six-time Fiddle Player of the Year) and Grammy-award winner Sally Van Meter, among others, and will be released in Spring 2009 through Rebel Records. The band was just signed to Rebel this September, and this record will be their first for the label.
"We've been more nervous going into this session than with our two previous records," says bassist Jessica Smith. "But we're confident that Jeff [White] will help us create an outstanding CD for Rebel.""We've been going through our song list with a fine-toothed comb," agrees banjo player Chris Elliott. "This is going to be a national release and every single song needs to reflect that."The album will feature 12 songs, evenly split between originals and covers. Two notable cuts include "In Despair" made popular by Bill Monroe in the 1950s and "Lonesome Town," a Ricky Nelson number the band first heard off of a recording by early 80's pioneering newgrass group Spectrum (featuring a young Bela Fleck).