IBMA 2008 – Live – Monday

The GPS directed us from our campground out near the massive outlet mall Opry Mills and the new home of the Grand Old Opry into downtown Nashville. The Renaissance Center Hotel and the Nashville Convention Center share a large plot surrounded by structural evidence that music and God have enriched downtown Nashville. We found a convenient parking garage and walked to the Convention Center to pick up our credentials. We’re used to checking out a new festival site, but this setting is large and everywhere we turned we saw faces we recognized, people we knew directly or by reputation, and lots of hustle and bustle. Very quickly, the International Bluegrass Music Association changed from being a faceless entity devoted to the enhancement and development of bluegrass music into a living, breathing organism.

Sharon McGraw (editor of BU) and Mr. and Mrs. Tom Gray

Elderly Instruments Booth

1924 Gibson Loar - $225,000

We wandered down two flights of stairs to the exhibition area. Elderly Instruments, Martin and Gibson, Huber Banjos and Deering, Andrea Roberts’ and Jim Roe’s booking agencies, Bluegrass Unlimited and Bluegrass Now, as well as a couple of dozen other exhibitors were set up. Meeting and greeting, even on this rather slow Monday opening, was in full swing. We chatted with John Lawless and Brance Gillihan of The Bluegrass Blog, the giant of on-line chroniclers of the industry, saw Kyle Cantrell of XM radio and Ned Luberecki of Sirius radio, soon to be colleagues rather than competitors, and visited briefly with Eddie Adcock who is recovering from having a device implanted in his brain to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. We visited with Jim Van Cleve of Mountain Heart, Bryan Simpson of Cadillac Sky, Valerie Smith, Sharon McGraw, editor of Bluegrass Unlimited and many more people. In other words, we were enmeshed in the day-to-day activities of a business convention. Make no mistake about it, bluegrass music is a business. The business environment of the industry is changing due to changes in the economy, technology, and taste. Those who participate in it see the changes happening and know they must respond, and they don’t agree on what the solutions are. More about the exhibition area later with more and better pictures.

John Lawless, Brance Gilahan, Kyle Cantrell

Rick Lang & Larry Cordle

Jim Van Cleve

Carl Jackson, Dreema & Larry Stevenson

Dinner time arrived and we all trooped up to the Grand Ballroom for one of those typical banquet meals of dry steak and cool mashed potatoes along with apple pie tarts. Meanwhile, at the podium introductions were taking place. Greg Cahill, President of IBMA, and Mary Daub, promoter of Grey Fox and a long-time (and powerful former member) of the Board spoke briefly and then the evenings keynote speaker, Roger H. Brown, President of Berklee College of Music, was introduced. Berklee may be the only music school in the country that takes a serious interest in not only teaching its students how to perform, it also makes a serious commitment to assuring they will know how to make a living in music. It’s on the cutting edge of the music itself and the technology that presents the music.

Roger H. Brown, President, Berklee College of Music

Roger Brown and Mary Daub

Brown spoke about the state of the music industry at the time the Bill Monroe emerged as the true genius he was. The music industry, along with the rest of the country, was damped down by World War II and labor unrest; music was moribund. At this time, two parallel movements emerged to put new energy and life into American music. In Harlem, musicians like Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane were breaking free from the strictures of the bland, lifelessness of the time’s jazz and BeBop emerged. At almost the same time, Bill Monroe added Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt to his band, and a new music fusing elements of rural and popular music became bluegrass. Brown pointed out that if one were to draw a circle with a radius of sixty miles around Charlotte, it would encompass the birthplaces of Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Thelonius Monk, and Coltrane. The similarity of that moment and the present circumstances of the music industry were clear to anyone who wanted to hear them. Roger Brown then challenged the movers and shakers of a troubled industry to rise to the challenges presented by the current situation. He noted, without a hint of irony that the arc or the careers of these men, and many others, were successful enough to sustain careers, but not so successful as to destroy them the way many rockers and country musicians have been affected. He especially emphasized the importance of inculcating bluegrass performance in the schools. Finally, he laid on the table the assurance that bluegrass music will be experiencing change and urged everyone there to rise to the challenge.

Dixie Bee Liners

Eric Gibson

Lee Gibson and Mike Barber

The Steeldrivers

After his speech, which was warmly received, the first of four days of official showcases began. Each day, six bands will perform for roughly half an hour. Showcases provide an opportunity for emerging bands or ones making advances in their music to give brief performances for a rather large audience of professionals. The bands performing for the first showcase seemed chosen to exemplify to substance of Roger Brown’s keynote address. Each one was clearly rooted in bluegrass while presenting their music with a difference in tone, an edge, that showed a change in tone and emphasis reflecting contemporary roots and acoustic music. The official showcase bands suggested in their performances that honoring the traditions of the founders and growing the music in new and interesting directions are not incompatible goals. The six bands (Dixie Bee Liners, Cumberland Gap Connection, Dapple Grays, Widow Maker, The Gibson Brothers, and The Steeldrivers) came from different parts of the country as well as from Canada. Each showed distinctive sounds and styles while all were acoustic, using traditional instruments and vocal patterns. The showcase presented a sense of hope and future orientation.

"After Hours" Showcases

Runaway Freight

Ruth & Max Bloomquist

Charlie Sizemore

Each night at IBMA there are also “After Hours” showcases. After hours means beginning around 11:00 PM and continuing until two in the morning. These showcases, presented in meeting rooms of the Convention Center, are presented by bluegrass associations, manufacturers, recording companies, and regional groups. Performances last between fifteen minutes and half an hour and present five or six bands during the period. On Monday night there were twelve “After Hours” showcases featuring around sixty bands. Attendees drifted from showcase to showcase dropping in to support familiar bands, hear new ones, and conduct the business of networking and opening opportunities. Never forget, IBMA is a business conference for its first four days, and business is being done. More tomorrow.

Terry Baucom & Benny Greene

Denton Farmpark BGF - Saturday with Pics

After two days of drizzle and rain, Saturday began with fog that lifted by noon starting time. Later in the day the sun actually came out for a while; the afternoon and evening were warm and pleasant, the music, especially from the three featured bands, sublime. The day began with two regional bands playing almost solely Gospel bluegrass.

Touch of Blue

Revonda Roberts & Harvest Wind

Grasstowne

Grasstowne and its members have been nominated for four' IBMA awards this year - Emerging Artist of the Year, , Dobro Player of the Year (Phil Leadbetter), Song of the Year (Steve Gulley with Tim Stafford - "Through the Window of a Train), and Instrumental Album of the year for Jason Davis' album "Steppin' Out"+. Unfortunately, Alan Bibey has again been ignored for the mandolin player award consideration. This band, though less than two years out of the box, has established a reputation for musical excellence while creating their own signature sound growing out of the merging of three established stylists with two young, charging sidemen. Jason Davis, on banjo, though still only 20 years old, is showing signs of emerging as one of the current crop of very fine young banjo players. Gulley, Leadbetter, and Bibey have each been long recognized as top stylists in the field. Jayme Booher, a longtime member of his family band, has recently added his solid baritone voice to his fine bass beat. On Saturday Grasstowne was very well received by the knowledgeable audience at Denton.

Steve Gulley

Alan Bibey

Phil Leadbetter

Jayme Booher

Jason Davis

Gulley & Bibey

Booher & Davis

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Mike Cleveland has established himself as one of the very finest fiddle players in bluegrass. Five time IBMA fiddle player of the year, Cleveland is nominated for a sixth consecutive award this year. In addition, Flamekeeper has been nominated for Instrumental Group of the Year. Cleveland's powerful, exciting fiddle playing is ably suported by Todd Rakestraw's strong voice and rhythm guitar, a very fine banjo player whose name I missed (someone - please help me here), and the seemingly ageless and always excellent Marshal Wilborn. Jesse Brock, one of the young mando tigers, is filled with energy and interesting licks while moving about the stage. Michael's "Lee Highway Blues" is one of the bluegrass classics.

Michael Cleveland

Todd Rakestraw

Marshall Wilborn

Jesse Brock

Blue Highway

Blue Highway has been together as a touring band with no substitutions for fifteen years. This must be some kind of record. Consider that well over 100 people played for Bill Monroe as Bluegrass Boys. The band has had a storied career performing a great deal of their own material written by Wayne Taylor, Tim Stafford, and Shawn Lane. Each member of the band has received wide recognition. This year Blue Highway has recieved nominations for six IBMA awards including song of the year, album of the year, instrumental group of the year, and instrument nominations for Rob Ickes on Dobro and Tim Stafford on guitar. Their album "Through the Window of a Train" (see my review here) has a reflective tone about it that suggests that these men are gaining a larger perspective on the world they write about as they mature. Even though Blue Highway has a storied past, their future remains bright and exciting.

Jason Burleson

Shawn Lane

Wayne Taylor

Tim Stafford

Rob Ickes

This and That

Bobby Franklin (emcee)

Two Dobros and a Guitar

Supper by Vernon and Norma Jean McLendon - Thanks!

Darrell's Banjos - Vintage Instruments

Doug Stuart (emcee)

Brown Loflin - Farmpark owner & Festival Promoter

It was a great festival, but I'm tired now.

Farmpark BGF - Denton, NC - Friday

Friday at Denton was warmer and the wind had died down, but it drizzled and rained nearly all day. Despite the weather, the wonderful music shed at Denton Farmpark shielded us from the damp and provided a haven for the enjoyment of first class traditional bluegrass music. From top to bottom, the lineup was solid with something to offer everyone there. The Loughlin family have built a first class exhibition space from what started out years ago as a place folks came to take airplane rides. Management here is hardly visible, yet the families commitment and spirit pervade the entire event.

Carolina Sonshine
Dennis Cash
Danny Stanley
Tom Langdon

Wayne Ratley

Hobo Joe

Carolina Sonshine began life, insofar as I understand, as primarily a Gospel bluegrass band and has broadened its appeal by offering a balance of secular music and traditional baggy pants comedy. Their covers of Country Gentlemen songs like Matterhorn and Two Little Boys sung by Danny Stanley, whose voice bears a remarkable resemblance to Charlie Waller's, are excellent.
Their Gospel music is heart felt and effective. The band has, over the past few years, widened its range and gained fans.

Buck & Company

Buck McCumbers

Lance Gainer

Jeff Somerville

Danny Murray

Ramie Bennett

Buck & Company, so far at this festival, is the surprise act, for me. Hailing from West Virginia, this band is strong at each instrument, plays and sings well, and uses a good variety of original material written by Buck and bluegrass standards. With three lead singers sharing the vocal chores and strong flat picking and Dobro input, this band is interesting and enjoyable. I'm looking forward to seeing them again. Buck's songs about his parents and rural life in his home are particularly arresting.

Al Batten & The Bluegrass Reunion

Al Batten

Johnny Ridge

Mike Aldridge

Dave Turnage

Jimmy Cameron

Al Batten & The Bluegrass Reunion is a regional North Carolina band providing top notch entertainment of a sort exceeding many bands with much larger national reputations. When Irene sees them play, the word she invariably uses for them is "Fun." Batten's personality, relaxed, funny, perhaps a little outrageous, shines through even when he takes his excellent banjo picking to the rear of the group. Johnny Ridge is perhaps the foremost traditional fiddler playing bluegrass today. A huge man who dwarfs his fiddle, he steps to the microphone, foot stomping, and sets a tone of unrestrained joy. Mike Aldridge on mandolin is a solid performer. David Turnage at rhythm guitar, harmony vocals, and an ocaissional solo is a strong presence. Jimmy Cameron, who has also played mandolin with the group, does a fine job on bass. But finally, it's Al Batten's sunny personality, solid banjo play, and wide knowledge of bluegrass gained from thirty-six years of bandsmandship, that make him stand out. This is a band promoters outside of North Carolina should give careful consideration to. Look for him at YeeHaw Junction in Florida this February.

The James King Band

James King

Kevin Prater

Chris Hill

Tom Timberlake

Eric Christopher

There isn't much to add about the legendary James King that others haven't already said, and said better than I can. James singing of "plumb pitiful" songs about death, loss, the end of an era, and the end of happiness capture sadness at its best. His singing comes from so deep inside that it isn't unusual for him to tear up as he sings. Selected traditional male vocalist of the year seven times by SPBGMA, King deserves every one of his awards. This weekend he seemed in a particularly jovial mood. His band and his audience picked up his mood and went with it as he sang his classics like "Bed by the Window," "Echo Mountain," and "Thirty Years of Farming" with strength and conviction. His long-time sidekick Kevin Prater on mandolin provided excellent vocal and instrumental support on mandolin. Chris Hill on banjo is clean, quick, and funny. Tom Timberlake on bass and Eric Christopher on fiddle supply the sort of instrumental support that consistently makes King look good. King was cleared eyed and with the audience through two very good sets before heading out to Kentucky for the next date. This is one of the hardest touring bands in the business.

Steep Canyon Rangers

Graham Sharp, Mike Guggino, Woody Platt

Woody Platt

Graham Sharp

Mike Guggino

Nicky Sanders

Charles Humphrey III

The Steep Canyon Rangers, with their feet firmly planted in both traditional bluegrass and more progressive modern territory, stand as one of the most important young bands in the music. Their energy, precision, innovation, and sound set a high standard, and they have received a lot of well-deserved recognition for a young band. Graham Sharp and Charles Humphrey both write interesting and thoughtful songs for the group. Their new song "Shades of Gray" is a wonderful evocation of the lack of clear divisions in our contemporary society. If Johnny Ridge is one of the best traditional fiddlers today, Nicky Sanders opens new ground for contemporary fiddlers, bringing his classical training and creative ear to news ways of playing that fiddler's national anthem "Orange Blossom Special" as well as adding funny and interesting vehicle sounds to Sharp's "Feeling a Little Bit Like Dale," a NACAR rouser. Mike Guggino on mandolin also sings well and brings a quieter steadiness to the group. The ability of the Rangers to evoke wildly enthusiastic responses from young contemporary music fans and little old ladies is unparalled.

Perhaps the reaction of the audience at the Farmpark Bluegrass Festival can best be personified in the "young" couple sitting just in front of us. They've only been married three years, having found each other recently. It's their first bluegrass festival, and they've stayed and enjoyed every performer through the first two days. Their joy in each other and the music is infectious. Here they are:

Farmpark BGF - Denton, NC - Thursday

Denton Farmpark

One of the Best Music Sheds Available

Thursday was chilly, windy, and threatened rain all day. Relatively few people showed up, but the small crowd hung in well and was rewarded with some great music. While the air was chilled, the crowd warmly enthusiastic. The day opened with a solid performance by a local bluegrass band called Movin' on Bluegrass.

Movin' On Bluegrass

J.C. Rowland
Howard Honeycutt
Rick Blackwelder

Charles Honeycutt

This band is a solid and competent cover band, read - it plays mostly bluegrass standards. Musicianship is good and harmony singing pleasant to listen to. Bass player Blackwelder is a high quality picker who plays more bass solos than is common in many bluegrass bands. They were a good opening act.

The Circuit Riders

Greg Corbett

Jaret Carter
Billy Gee

Greg Luck

Darin Aldridge

The Circuit Riders are the remnants of the last band that traveled with Charlie Waller and the Country Gentlemen. Their program performs a number of Country Gentlemen songs, but does not rely up it for their sound or their core. They play classic bluegrass standards and lots of Gospel bluegrass with enthusiasm and very high skill. Greg Luck has a fine lead voice and plays both rhythm and lead guitar very well. Aldridge is one of the rising young mandolin stars, a master of traditional bluegrass mandolin. Jaret Carter's Dobro work is tasteful and restrained while providing power and depth to the band's overall sound. Billy Gee lays down a powerful bass line and his bass solos are wonderful. This is a rising band deserving greater national attention.

The Grass Cats

Steven Martin

Lloyd Herring

Chris Hill

Russell Johnson

Tim Woodall

The last time I saw the Grass Cats I thought they were a bit flat and not well positioned in the lineup. On Thursday at Denton they were at the top of their game - energetic, musical, lively, and very entertaining. This is an experienced band that shows it in every element of their performance.

Lost & Found

Scott Napier

Ronald Smith

Scottie Johnson

Alan Mills

When Dempsey Young, a storied mandolinist and singer, died in 2006, many thought it would be impossible to continue without him. Under the leadership of Allan Mills, the band has continued to tour and offers good value playing bluegrass music mostly from their huge catalog of songs dating back to the early 1970's. A highly traditional band that emphasizes their connection to the Crooked Road in southern Virginia, Lost & Found, with new mandolinist Scott Napier doing a fine job, keeps on keeping on.

Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers

Carl Berggren

Josh MacMurray

D. Sparks

Mike Fagin

Larry Sparks

After nearly fifty years on the road as a performing bluegrass musician, Larry Sparks still has one of the great voices in bluegrass music and a huge catalog of recorded music to draw upon. On Thursday evening he played a high proportion of Gospel music in line with his most recent recording being a Gospel collection. He also spent a good deal of time giving testimony to his faith. His band is well suited to supporting his fine voice with all solid musicians none of whom seems to feel a need to out shine their leader. Sparks provides a link to the earliest days of bluegrass. An accomplished flat picker as well as a great singer, his show is one that everyone interested in both the past and the present of bluegrass should appreciate.

It's hard to write extensive notes on the bands and their music as I sit in our snug trailer looking out on a raw rain and listening to members of both political parties seemingly place the election and their own posturing opinions above trying to find a solution for the good of the country. Perhaps, going back to good music and the people who appreciate their work will help lift my spirits this afternoon.

Tales from Q School by John Feinstein - Book Review

John Feinstein’s Tales from Q School: Inside Golf’s Fifth Major is another golf book from his prolific keyboard. Author of twenty-three books, five of them focused on golf, Feinstein has been a pioneer in providing inside pictures of major events. Several of his books recount the experience of a team through an entire season. His golf books emphasize personal stories and inspirational inside looks at the effects this demanding game has upon those who seek to play it at the highest levels. His book Caddy for Life details the heart rending story of Bruce Edwards' courageous battle against Lew Gehrig’s disease. In Tales from Q School Feinstein takes on a particularly difficult task because of the scope of the event and the lack of reliable stars whose experience he can recount.

Q(ualifying) school is the PGA Tour’s series of three annual fall tournaments to determine which new golfers will be added to the group who are already exempt from qualifying for next year’s season on the tour. At a cost of $4500, around 1000 golfers from a wide range of golf backgrounds view over a couple of months and fourteen rounds of golf for 30 (now 25) of the precious tour cards making them exempt for the coming season. Some of the competitors are former tour winners, even winners of majors like the Masters Tournament, while many more are recent college graduates hoping to qualify for the PGA Tour or the Nationwide Tour and work their way into the big time. Every player has a story, and one of Feinstein’s great talents is the ability to capture these stories and humanize the men who live them.

Feinstein had to overcome several problems in seeking to make this a truly gripping story. First, the first and second stages of Q school are spread out across the country, from California to Florida. It’s impossible to cover fully the entire event. Second, with a few exceptions, most of the players are relative unknowns. Finally, finding an individual to focus on for all three stages is virtually impossible. Feinstein solves these problems in an interesting and thoughtful fashion. By emphasizing the incredible pressure of the event, the amount riding on each shot, and the contrast between life on the PGA Tour and that provided by the Nationwide Tour and the even smaller mini-tours, he develops the tension and importance of the event. Then he can use individual stories (his Tales) to illustrate the pressure, the stakes, the heartache, the triumph. As the tournaments progress, some players move up and into greater prominence. Others fail to meet their goals and tell of the sense of loss in having to spend another year chasing their dream or deciding to go home and give up their goal of life on the PGA Tour.

A continuing theme in Tales from Q School is the quality of player forced to qualify. Only 150 players are exempt from qualifying for all PGA Tour events. Everyone else must be invited to an event or play in a subsidiary tour like the Nationwide. Golfers on the PGA tour are simply the best there are…anywhere. Each year they must compete against everyone else to stay in the top 150 on the money list or go through the grueling experience of Q school once again. A very few players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Justin Leonard have jumped directly from college to the Tour by winning a PGA Tour event while still in college. Nearly everyone else has had to attend Q school at least once. Many others have had to return one or more times during their careers.

In the end, Feinstein’s book is fascinating because it provides intriguing life stories of the individuals who have come to pursue a career as professional golfers. Often pictured as one dimensional automatons, the golfers in this book immerge as complex, often driven, sometimes truly thoughtful, and almost always deeply committed people. Golfers will be able to connect to these athletes because they know precisely how difficult golf can be and what hard work it takes to begin to master the sport. Non golfers will gain empathy and insight into a sport they may have stereotyped as a rich man’s pastime filled with often spoiled and self-indulgent men who refuse to grow up. In either case, Tales from Q School makes interesting reading. The book is available on-line, from your local independent book store or chain outlet.

Laurel Lakes Fall Festival - Salemburg, NC - Review

Laurel Lakes Music Park is a very pleasant venue for bluegrass festivals. The grounds are quite spacious with a campground offering full hookups, plenty of space for rough camping, a full service restaurant, two small lakes for fisherman to dip a line to their heart’s content, a spacious stage, good sound, and plenty of shade. Promoter Nancy Canady, according to a note on her festival program, had to absorb a significant financial loss on her July festival, necessitating making severe cuts in her announced lineup for September if she were to continue promoting bluegrass at Laurel Lakes. In order to allow her festival to continue, she was forced to offer reduced fees and to reach cancellation agreements with bands preferring not to work for less than their customary fees. The predicament left her with a weakened schedule, which was further damaged by at least two bands not being able to make their commitments for Thursday evening.

Carolina Connection

Charlie Carlisle (emcee)

All that having been said, there was plenty of good music available on Friday and Saturday, with three top national bands, an emerging national family band, and two rising regional groups who performed well. While I’m not a good judge of crowd sizes, I’d estimate that no more than 300 or so people showed up for the weekend. I’ll try to examine some of the reasons I think the promotions at Laurel Lakes aren’t working well at the end of this review. Meanwhile, let’s look at the music.

Ashley Davis

Several pickup bands and local groups appeared. The Drifting River Band stood out among these as a solid bluegrass/country group. Within this group, young Ashley Davis, a seventeen year old fiddler impressed. She performed well with several groups on stage and will soon be joining Sweet Potato Pie, a (pardon the expression) bluegrass girl-band. It was also a pleasure to see Gina Britt performing on banjo with Nancy Canady’s house band, that also included her husband Tim Tew on Dobro, as well as Lorraine Jordan and John Wade from Carolina Road. Emcee Charlie Carlisle, who told corny jokes, sang, and played creditable mandolin acquitted himself well.

Band to Watch: We had seen Remington Ryde a couple of times over the past few years and recognized them as a competent if not very exciting band. At Laurel Lakes they showed themselves ready to step up into the next rank of regional bands seeking broader attention. The addition of Billy Lee Cox at banjo and a greater attention to their entertainment values and generation of high levels of energy have made a terrific difference. Their instrumentals are driving and solidly musical. They play a good selection of familiar standards and their own compositions with dash and verve. Danny Stewart on mandolin is strong and funny. Ryan Frankhauser sings well and plays solid rhythm guitar, while Wally Yoder contributes a solid beat at bass. Don’t let the Pennsylvania Dutch names fool you; this is a bluegrass band worth watching.

Remington Ryde

Ryan Frankhauser

Billy Lee Cox

Danny Stewart

Wally Yoder

The Wells Family seems poised to take several steps upward, too. Their schedule indicates that they’ve made a move from performing mostly in churches and very local settings to bookings at bluegrass festivals such as Graves Mountain, the Nothin’ Fancy Festival, and are scheduled to appear at the Palatka Fall Festival in Palatka, FL in October. The band consisting of parents Gary (who was not at Laurel Lakes) and Debi and their three very attractive daughters offers a pleasing mix of bluegrass, Gospel, and country sounds that are as pleasing to the ear as the band is to the eye. Lead singer Jade Wells has a bluesy, earthy voice. The two other sisters blend well; their harmonies are quite solid.

The Wells Family

Debi

Jade

Sarah

Eden

Pine Mountain Railroad presents solid, traditional bluegrass. This season they’re touring in support of their Gospel CD “Pickin’Praisin’ and Singin’” which is charting very well. At Laurel Lakes they sang a broad selection of songs from this CD as well as other pieces from their catalog. Jerry Cox, singing some leads and playing rhythm guitar, has added an exciting R&B tone to Pine Mountain Railroad’s sound and Dale Thomas on banjo is quite good, although all business in his performance. Cody Shuler, singing lead and playing a solid mandolin, is clearly in charge. Matt Flake on fiddle performs well and Bill McBee on bass takes on some of the hosting duties, too. Pine Mountain Railroad has been receiving a good deal of attention and delivers good value to fans.

Cody Shuler

Jerry Cox

Bill McBee

Matt Flake

Dale Thomas

Randy Waller remains something of an enigma in his role of flame keeper for his father’s legacy with the immortal Country Gentlemen. His band ably covers many Country Gentlemen classics without ever trying to sound precisely like the historic band. Their versions of Matterhorn, Two Little Boys, Rebel Soldier and many others are excellent. Randy’s voice is a mellow baritone with deep timbre and strong support. When he takes his own performance seriously, he can be truly excellent, but one never knows which Randy Waller is likely to show up, the singer or the clown. This week we mostly had the singer and a good performance. Dave Kirk on mandolin is quite good. Adam Poindexter is currently playing bass with the band, but will soon move to banjo as Mark Delaney will be joining the new Wayne Taylor band Appaloosa. This looks like a good move for Mark, who is an excellent and creative banjo player.

Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen
Randy Waller

Dave Kirk

Mark Delaney

Adam Poindexter

Saturday presented a strong day’s music. The Doerfel Family continues to develop as the oldest five of the ten Doerfel kids find their own way to express bluegrass music. Lead singer Kim’s mature, dusky voice is excellent for blues and her smile is always magical. TJ on banjo has continued to develop as an extremely interesting and increasingly effective banjo player. Red headed Ben (12) on lead guitar provides humor and lightning fast flat picking. I’m not terribly taken with the younger children’s too cute appearance on the stage, but I’m certain many fans like it a lot, and the kiddies are less intrusive as the older siblings performance develops.

Kim Doerfel

Eddy, TJ, Joey Doerfel

Ben Doerfel

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road can always be counted on to provide the best in Monroe style traditional bluegrass leavened with the humor and grace of Jerry Butler’s singing, Josh Goforth’s fiddle and guitar playing, and Benny Greene’s fine banjo work. This was the first time we had had a chance to see John Wade on bass since he’s joined the band. John makes a fine contribution and is one of two James King alumni serving with distinction in Lorraine’s fine band. They sang a number of songs from their current Gospel CD “Why Don’t You Give Jesus a Try” as well as always popular songs like “Carolina Road,” “Run Little Fox,” and “That Was Before I Met You.” This band can always be counted on for a satisfying performance, and Lorrain Jordan is one of the most loyal friends a promoter could have.

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road

Lorraine Jordan

Lorraine & Jerry Butler

Josh Goforth

Ben Green

John Wade

Sammy Shelor and the Lonesome River Band closed the show with their patented driving bluegrass with a hint of rock sensibility always lurking. Their new CD “No Turning Back” has been released, and LRB sang a number of songs from it. It’s the first CD that this latest iteration of LRB has released, and they’re one of the strongest aggregations of the band since the earliest days with Ronnie Bowman and Kenny Smith. Brandon Rickman is a superb sing/songwriter whose compositions move and amuse. His ability to change strings on the fly without missing a beat or losing concentration is a wonder to behold. Does he break those strings on purpose? Andy Ball on mandolin has improved greatly as both a picker and singer. His tenor voice and close harmonies are always excellent. Mike Anglin on bass, often seems to be somewhere out in space, bouncing to his own groove. His beat helps drive the band in almost every song. Mike Hartgrove's thoughtful and tasteful fiddle is always there adding just the right note to the mix. There’s little new to say about Sammy Shelor. Four-time IBMA banjo player of the year, his drive and bounce practically define the words. His play grabs attention without seeming to be showy or overdone. The electricity of a Shelor performance is always a joy to behold.

Sammy Shelor

Brandon Rickman

Mike Hartgrove

Andy Ball

Mike Anglin

Laurel Lakes Bluegrass Festival and Promoter Nancy Canady may stand as emblematic of what happens when too much hope and idealism run into the realities of undertaking a business venture. Nancy is a nice person whose heart is in the right place. She loves bluegrass music and has passion for supporting wounded troops returning from the war. In the end, however, promoting a bluegrass festival is a business venture. The successful bluegrass promoter has to have a set of skills and observe a series of principles in order to assure that the event is a success for everyone involved – fans, bands, vendors, and the promoter all need to come away from an event whole if the event is to prosper and thrive.

We attend more festivals than most people are lucky enough to get to. We go to some of the largest and most successful; festivals like Merlefest, Palatka, MACC, and Strawberry Park. We also go to small festivals that appear to be growing and developing, festivals like Jenny Brook, Mountain Song Festival, and Otis Mtn. What seems to characterize these thriving events?

1. Attention to detail. 2. Knowledge of the local and regional market. 3. Clear goals for the festival. 4. Willingness to respond to local conditions. 5. A clear awareness of the audience. 6. Clear and up-to-date communication.

Unlike some people who attend festivals, we make our decisions weeks, or even months before the event. Reliability in communicating the lineup is essential for us in helping to make such decisions. Festivals not taking advantage of the Internet as a means of communication are making a serious mistake. Distribution of flyers at other bluegrass festivals is insufficient. Most bands seem to be at some level of awareness of this factor, although all are not equally far along. Promoters, especially, need to provide accurate and up-to-date information about their event. Not doing so creates a less than honest picture on which fans are asked to make decisions. In our distressed economy, where economic choices are ever more necessary, such communication increases in importance. In many ways the music and the audience are facing change in the future. Let’s be sure we’re communicating with the audience in ways that help them make better and better informed decisions. That’s bound to result in better attendance and more enthusiasm at the events.

The Rebel Soldier

Denton Farmpark BGF - Denton, NC - Preview

Even if there weren’t going to be a lot of very good bluegrass music played at Denton Farmpark next week, a trip to this venue would be worth the effort. The addition of a bunch of good regional and national bands makes this festival a “must” in the Fall bluegrass season. The Denton Farmpark Bluegrass Festival runs from September 25 – 27^th outside Denton and convenient to most of the major population centers of North Carolina. The major headliners will be Blue Highway, nominated for six IBMA awards, Grasstowne (4 nominations), Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper with two nominations, and the Steep Canyon Rangers, also with two nominations. Other major bands include James King, the Circuit Riders, and Lost & Found.

The Denton Farmpark alone is worth the price of admission. Open only three days a year for events including two bluegrass festivals and the Threshers Reunion, Denton Farmpark contains a very interesting of late 19^th century and early 20^th century rural farm and town buildings as well as a vast and interesting collection of farm vehicles and implements. Oh, there’s a train, too. The main stage is a large tin roofed building with a strong rake allowing very good sight lines. The wooden benches are hard, so it well-behooves attendees to bring cushions along.

Bands new to us at this year’s fall Farmpark Festival include Movin’ on Bluegrass, which won this year’s RenoFest band championship, Buck & Company, hailing from Parkersburg, WV, and A Touch of Blue. Al Batten & the Bluegrass Reunion is a regional favorite that can be counted on for driving traditional bluegrass and solid entertainment. Carolina Sonshine, based in southeastern North Carolina and Loris, South Carolina, has extended its reach and continues to develop its combination of Gospel bluegrass, traditional covers, especially of the Country Gentlemen because of Danny Stanley’s fine baritone voice, and amusing skit comedy harkening back to the early days of bluegrass music. The Circuit Riders have also developed as a high level band with widening national attention. Composed of members of the last band that traveled with Charlie Waller, this band was highly visible at Merlefest in April and has a recording contract with Pinecastle. They’re worth keeping a close eye on as they extend their reach.

Al Batten

Johnny Ridge (Al Batten)

Dennis Cash, Danny Stanley, Tom Langdon (Carolina Sonshine)

The large touring bands ranger from very traditional ones like Larry Sparks to Blue Highway, one of the finest bands touring today, who provide music that pushes the boundaries of traditional bluegrass without ever indicating a lapse in taste. Grasstowne, too, nominated for Emerging Artist of the Year at IBMA as well as two individual instrument nominations to Jason Davis on banjo and Phil Leadbetter on Dobro and a Song of the Year nominations, has found a sound uniquely their own which includes nods to classic tunes, more modern bluegrass sounds, and some attention to classic country songs and artists. The Steep Canyon Rangers combine high energy with good songs, mostly composed by members of the band. They’ve exploded on the bluegrass scene since their emergence a few years ago, and show no signs of going away. They’re one of those bands you don’t want to miss. The James King Band has been improved recently with the return of Chris Hill on banjo and the addition of Tom Timberlake on bass. King’s soulful singing along with Kevin Prater’s strong tenor and solid mandolin work assure audiences as good dose of dark and dreary bluegrass songs. King’s classics like “Bed by the Window, Echo Mountain, and Forty Years of Farming always please when he plays them. Finally, Michael Cleveland, along with his band Flamekeeper, has once again shown himself to be among the finest fiddlers anywhere. His great joy at making music shines through. Jesse Brock on mandolin is one of the best and Todd Rakestraw’s lead singing is excellent. Marshall Wilborn on bass continues at the top of the list of fine beat keepers.

Here’s a selection of pictures from past appearances of some of these performers:

Larry Sparks

Blue Highway
Jason Burleson

Rob Ickes

Wayne Taylor

Shawn Lane

Tim Stafford

James King

Kevin Prater & James King

Lorraine Jordan (Carolina Road)

Josh Goforth (Carolina Road)

Lorrain Jordan, Benny Greene, Jerry Butler (Carolina Road)

Grasstowne
Alan Bibey

Phil Leadbetter

Steve Gulley

Jason Davis

Jason Davis

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Mike Cleveland

Todd Rakestraw and Jesse Brock

Marshall Wilborn

Steep Canyon Rangers
Woody Platt

Mike Guggino

Graham Sharp

Charles Humphrey

Nicky Sanders

The Circuit Riders

Jaret Carter

Billy Gee

Darin Aldridge

Greg Corbett

Greg Luck

The Denton Farmpark is a very large facility and there will be plenty of camping spaces available. Tickets at the gate cost $75.00 for the three day weekend. Please be sure to look me up while we're there.

Mountain Song Festival in Brevard, NC - Review

Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium - Brevard Music Center

Saturday’s third annual Mountain Song Festival held at the Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium on the campus of the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC stands as another example of the well run, thoughtfully programmed music festival’s power to attract significant audiences to hear an eclectic range of contemporary and traditional bluegrass music. Hosted by the Steep Canyon Rangers and promoted by Ranger Woody Platt and his partner John Felty, the event, according to an early count reported from the stage by Parker Platt, director of The Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County (the festival’s beneficiary), attracted over 2100 attendees. Tickets for this one day festival cost $40, only slightly less than many festivals charge for a three or four day event. The festival featured four high powered acts, all associated with bluegrass music, but perhaps not pure traditional bluegrass according to some people’s lights. Nevertheless, the Rangers, Cherryholmes, Tim O’Brien, and the Sam Bush Band as well as special guest Steve Martin raised the rough and kept the house rockin’ from early afternoon until well into the evening.

Parker Platt

The Wittington-Pfohl Auditorium is an 1800 seat open air, covered auditorium featuring state of the art sound and light, comfortable seats with good sight lines, and a spacious stage designed to handle every kind of performance from grand opera to soloists. The home of a world famed music school during the summer, the Brevard Music Center, hidden away on the edge of Brevard and bordering the Pisgah National Forest, provides an ideal venue for a one day event. Although there is no on-campus camping, there are nearby campgrounds that would make the music center a good site for longer events, too. Food, prepared and served from a covered porch, ranged from simple hot dogs through barbecue and ribs to elaborate platters of more varied salads and wraps. Instrument vendors as well as craftspeople and the WNCW, the regional NPR station, offered a variety of interesting distractions. The Boys and Girls Club sponsored a booth with activities for children such as face painting, a corn-hole board, hula hoops, and a small exercise course, all designed to interest and intrigue little ones. There is ample lawn seating for people preferring staying fully outdoors to the comfortable theater style seats in the auditorium. In other words, there was plenty going on to keep the diverse and enthusiastic audience, ranging in age from newborns to very seasoned seniors busy and amused for a full day. The event was truly festive.

Martin Anderson (emcee)

The Steep Canyon Rangers led off with a high energy set of more-or-less traditional bluegrass greeted to huge enthusiasm by this home town crowd. A new song by bassist Charles Humphries not even yet named dealt with the ways in which society has become so complicated that black and white responses to gray issues no longer satisfy. This song should be sung everywhere right up until the election and beyond as it views the world in shades of gray. In their second set, the Rangers were joined by comedian, writer, actor, musician Steve Martin on banjo who played “The Crow” from his new banjo CD as well as singing an amusing song called “Late for School.” The band was then joined by Cia and Molly Kate Cherryholmes and Tim O’Brien for a rousing version of Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Fiddler Nicky Sanders, who had earlier impressed with his very fine Orange Blossom Special, came through again on FMB. Seeing Ranger Graham Sharp lined up with Martin and Cia Cherryholmes for the famous Scruggs composition was a real treat, and the audience roared.

Steep Canyon Rangers

Mike Guggino

Martin Anderson and Charles Humphrey (Bass)

Woody Platt

Molly Kate Cherryholmes, Nicky Sanders, Tim O'Brien

Steve Martin with the Rangers

Steve Martin

There were a lot of people in the crowd who surprised too. We were delighted to see Mike Bub, over from Nashville just to hang out, along with his family. Donica Christiansen from Sugar Hill Records was there with her boyfriend, who was running the magnificent sound provided at this event. Also, I noticed a bunch of business cards lying about from mysterious blogger Dr. Tommy Bibey whose fiction blog is worth reading and who’s also pushing the presidential campaign of Sam Bush and his running mate Tim O’Brien. I looked all over for him, but a note on my blog suggests he had other fish to fry on Saturday. One of these days….

Meredith and Mike Bub with Son

The Cherryholmes family, who bill themselves as presenting “bluegrass on steroids” showcased a lot of material from their new Cherryholmes III album. This band has continued to improve and evolve over the years we’ve been watching them. Yesterday several elements of their performance stood out for me. First, they just plain seemed to be enjoying what they were doing. There was a verve, an element of genuine enthusiasm, I haven’t always felt in their shows. Each family member seemed more comfortable in their skin and with their role in the band. Molly Kate, still only fourteen years old, has continued to grow as a fiddler and her singing, until recently mostly relegated harmony parts, has matured enough for her to do a better than creditable job as a soloist on a song she wrote. Cia’s voice has continued to mature into one of the most recognizable and reliable voice in bluegrass, and her banjo picking is truly fine. Skip’s flat picking on guitar, and B.J. on mandolin and fiddle are fast, accurate, and sometimes stunning. Strains of Stefan Grappelli, Celtic influences, a hint of rock sensibility, and carefully choreographed movement ending with a family Irish clogging demo all contribute to a very satisfying performance. Their schedule now includes many more arts centers, concert halls, and music festivals than merely bluegrass events, attesting to their broad appeal.

Sandy Leigh Cherryholms & Steve Martin

Jere

Cia

Skip

B.J. and Molly Kate

Tim O’Brien, who has stood astride the world of bluegrass and folk music for more than thirty years, appeared solo in support of his new CD Chameleon. While musically and culturally very different, Tim, standing alone on this huge stage and holding a large audience rapt with attention, reminded me of nothing less than Pete Seeger in his ability to entertain and stimulate thought in his audience while introducing them to new and interesting music. Since the heyday of Hot Rize in the 1970’s, Tim’s work has surprised and delighted audiences everywhere. With a somewhat sly grin flitting across his face, he picks several guitars, the mandolin, and plays fiddle with equal skill, always choosing the right instrument to fit the lyrics and the sentiment of each song. Sometimes plaintive, sometimes humorous, sometimes piercing the heart and mind, his performances never fail to move.

Tim O'Brien & Steep Canyon Rangers

Tim O'Brien

Saving the Sam Bush Band for a single long set to close the day shows the promoters’ programming savvy and good sense. Sam was there at the dawn of bluegrass festivals at Fincastle, VA on Labor Day weekend in 1965. As founder of the New Grass Revival in the 1970’s, he helped move traditional bluegrass into the rock and roll era. His influence on music, especially in his role at both Telluride and Merlefest, is legendary. Today, with a band filled with talent and incendiary inventiveness, he continues to grow and develop. At the same time, his music, while always paying due deference to Bill Monroe, John Hartford, and other early innovators, continues to move in its own direction. His insistence on putting talented drummer Chris Brown on stage alienates many defenders of the traditional. Giving him the big canvas of a long, concluding set allows him to paint the musical picture he want for the crowds who stay to hear him. Nevertheless his music, loud and jam-band oriented, isn’t for everyone. Closing the evening allows those who object to his volume, the drums, or his sound can leave after a successful day. The more adventurous can stay to listen and to marvel at his continued innovativeness after more than forty years of performing. Opening with Mr. Monroe’s “Uncle Pen” and closing with an encore of a ramped up version of “Cripple Creek,” Bush’s set was high energy and lively. As always, Scott Vestal on various banjos, many of his own design, is a banjo wizard going his own way. Stephen Mougin, a Massachusetts native, is a wonderful guitarists who, it seems to me, sang more than I’ve heard him in the past, and with passion and conviction. Byron House on every kind of bass, just astounds. I offered our friend Marta a hatchet to take to her own bass after hearing House. She, of course, declined the offer. Brown, on drums, is tasteful and restrained, adding to the music without ever dominating.

Sam Bush

Scott Vestal

Chris Brown

Stephen Mougin

Byron House

The Mountain Song Festival demonstrates there’s a large, vital, and varied audience for a music festival presenting a range of kinds of music. While the audience for pure, traditional bluegrass festivals may be dwindling, festivals including healthy dose of traditional music accompanied by some of its many cousins can entertain and involve audiences of young and old, black and white, privileged and more needy brought together by the allure of fine music. Next year’s Mountain Song Festival promises another stellar lineup. Hold this weekend for next year.

Laurel Lakes Fall Festival - Salemburg, NC - Preview

Laurel Lakes Family Campground in Salemburg, NC will present its 6^th Annual Fall Bluegrass Festival on the weekend of September 18 – 20. We have never attended any of the events promoted by Nancy Canady at Laurel Lakes Campground, but musicians I’ve talked to say it’s a good venue and well-run. I’ve included several pictures Nancy sent me to give a sense of the environment there. Thursday will feature local and regional bands with a pretty strong contingent of bluegrass gospel bands. Friday will feature Pine Mountain Railroad, The Wells Family, and Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen, as well as a couple of local bands. Saturday’s lineup is quite strong, with the Lonesome River Band, the Doerfel Family, Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, and New York regional favorite Remington Ryde.

Laurel Lakes is a full service campground providing water and electric as well as some rather pricey sewer sites. There is a dump station on the premises. Three day tickets are $45.00 at the gate with day prices varying depending on the day. Also offered are premium “Gold Circle” seating at a slight premium. It remains to be seen what the sight lines and general seating offer to decide whether the premium seats are worthwhile. Laurel Lakes is located in south eastern North Carolina near Fayetteville. It is convenient to a huge bluegrass audience.

Pine Mountain Railroad

Like many other bands these days, Pine Mountain Railroad has put lead singer and mandolinist Cody Shuler’s name up front. Their new Gospel CD has been getting plenty of interest. They’ve added a dynamic voice in Jerry Cole, who’s also a pretty good flat picker. They can be relied on for a solid, entertaining performance.

Cody Shuler

Bill McBee

Jerry Cole

Matt Flake

Dale Thomas

Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen

Randy Waller suffers from being the heir to one of the great names in bluegrass history. By taking the name Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen he both acknowledges his heritage and assumes a burden he tries to wear with grace. Waller’s own voice is a terrific instrument, and the band is enjoyable. They play a mix of Country Gentlemen standards and newer material with enthusiasm and strength. At a festival a year or so ago, Randy showed me his copy of Carl Fleischauer and Neil V. Rosenberg’s wonderful book Bluegrass Odyssey, which he had had autographed by every still living musician from the era portrayed in it. Waller’s excitement and enthusiasm for this volume helped me to see him in a new light.

Randy Waller

Dave Kirk

Mark Delaney
Adam Poindexter (Photo by Dave Roye*)

The Doerfel Family

I’ve been suspicious of family bands. I grew especially suspicious when I first saw this band, featuring nine or ten children on stage along with their parents. I particularly didn’t like the idea of enticing kids to perform by waving dollar bills in front of them. The Doerfel Family originated in western New York several years ago, but soon moved to Florida, spending much of their time on the road. Despite almost terminal cuteness, they have consistently improved in their musicality. The parent’s decision to spend almost no time on the stage and consistent improvement among the teenaged members of the band has yielded increasingly impressive results. It’s been about eight months since we’ve seen them perform, and I’m looking forward to see where they’ve gone and how they’ve improved.

Kim, Eddy, Ben, and T.J. Doerfel

T.J.

Lorraine Jordan & the Carolina Road Band

This Monroe style traditional bluegrass band consistently delivers first rate bluegrass music in an enjoyable and entertaining program with enough breadth to please almost everyone. In recent years Lorraine Jordan has drawn together the best band she has ever had. The addition of Jerry Butler a couple of years ago brought a mellow, country style bluegrass voice and a lightness of humor to the band that was just what it needed. We haven’t seen Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road since John Wade became their bass player, but his previous work with James Kind suggests he brings strong bass playing along with a very fine baritone voice to the mix. Josh Goforth, a multi-instrumental wizard, blends his light tenor and very strong flat picking to the band’s mix. Bennie Greene is always solid on banjo. This band has versatility and strength while never straying far from its traditional bluegrass roots.

Lorraine Jordan

Jerry Butler

Josh Goforth

Bennie Greene

The Lonesome River Band

Under the direction of the great Sammy Shelor, The Lonesome River Band delivers consistently high output, high energy, rock tinged bluegrass music that often brings down the house. Shelor, four time winner of IBMA’s banjo player of the year award, is a powerful presence on the stage moving to support each member of his high powered band. How many instrumentalists have been honored by having a style of playing named after them like Shelor has? Brandon Rickman’s song writing and lead singing are first rate, and Andy Ball contributes significantly with voice and his mandolin picking. Mike Anglin is one of the best on electric bass and sings first rate harmony. Mike Hartgrove, recently returned on fiddle, is always strong. LRB can be counted on to provide heart pounding bluegrass music at any venue where they appear.

Sammy Shelor

Brandon Rickman

Andy Ball

Mike Anglin

Mike Hartgrove

Remington Ryde, a very good regional band from Pennsylvania will appear on Saturday. Having never seen The Wells Family, I haven’t anything to say about them. Their web site provides some insight into their work where there are several clips you can listen to. Other local or regional bands include Harvest Wind, Carolina Connection, Shades of Grace, and others. Be prepared for lots of Gospel bluegrass.

While there have been significant changes in the lineup from what was published in their flier, this festival still offers several bands worth coming out to hear. Nevertheless, advertised national bands Jr. Sisk and Rambler’s Choice, Special Consensus, and the Circuit Riders no longer appear on the schedule. Carolina Sonshine, an ambitions Gospel and secular band with increasing national visibility and regional band Constant Change were also previously announced but are not appearing. The original lineup remains available on line in the flier announcing this festival. For some thoughts on the importance of an Internet presence to the successful marketing of bluegrass music, see my essay on the web site of the California Bluegrass Association here next Friday. Many festivals reserve the right to change their lineup, but this disclaimer doesn’t appear on the flier, and the changes here are too major to ignore. However, The Sixth Annual Fall Festival at Laurel Lakes Campground promises a strong weekend of first rate bluegrass and should be considered by all bluegrass fans who can get to it. Too many small festivals are losing support to events that feature only headline bands. A good selection of local and regional bands is necessary to continue the growth and popularity of bluegrass as a genre and festivals as a means of presenting the music. This festival deserves continued support.

*Dave Roye Photo used by permission

Phestival Photo Pheast - Part III - Summer 2008

Here's another selection of pictures from this summer's festivals. I've posted our fall festival schedule on a number of forums, and we're currently headed toward Brevard, NC for next weekend's Mountain Song Festival. Meanwhile, here's some more.

Keith Garrett - Blue Moon Rising (Podunk)

Jim Hurst - Claire Lynch Band (Podunk)

The Dan Tyminski Band - Jenny Brook

Jon Weissberger & Pete Wernick (Podunk)

Jr. Sisk (MACC)

Danny Roberts - Grascals (MACC)

Carol Young - Greencards (Otis Mtn.)

Jake Stargell - Greencards (Otis Mtn.)

Harley Allen (MACC)

Russell Moore - IIIrd Tyme Out (MACC)

Jesse Cobb - Infamous Stringdusters (Podunk)
Larry Cordle (MACC)

Larry Sparks (MACC)

Larry Stephenson (MACC)

Sammy Shelor (MACC)

James King - Longview (MACC)

Wayne Taylor (MACC)

Alan Bibey (MACC)

Dailey & Vincent sing "More Than a Name on the Wall"
(MACC)

Clay Hess - Mountain Heart (MACC)

Peter Rowan (Strawberry Park)

Cody Shuler - Pine Mountain Railroad (MACC)

Rhonda Vincent (Strawberry Park)

Smokey Greene (Jenny Brook)

Noam Pikelny - Double Banjo Spectacular (Strawberry Park)

There's this set. We're heading out, so it's probably the last summer summation I'll do. I hope you've enjoyed them.

Bluegrass Time by Phil Zimmerman - Book Review

Phil Zimmerman’s new book Bluegrass Time presents a photographic view of the festival scene during the 1970’s and 1980’s in stunning black and white photographs. This sixty-four page soft cover book dominated by Bill Monroe and his influence on bluegrass music is published by the Grenwell-Chiholm Printing Company in Ownesboro, KY. In pictures and text it reveals a world now nearly lost in the mists of time and memory.

Bill Monroe

The forward by Rhonda Vincent establishes a backward looking view from a seasoned performer at the early days of bluegrass festivals and the Introduction by Fred Bartenstein, an old friend of Phil’s and former editor of Muleskinner News magazine, establishes a context for the world of bluegrass as it developed in the late 1960’s and into the seventies. In his introduction, Bartenstein urges readers to look carefully at the pictures with an eye to seeing the remarkable convergence of cultures taking place in the early festivals. There, hippies and rural southern musicians who grew up on farms shared their love of the music despite political and cultural differences which look like chasms today. He also urges careful readers to look at the fringes of the pictures to see the women who in later years would begin to exert the impact we fully see in today’s lineups.

David Grisman, Sam Bush , Peter Rowan

Phil Zimmerman has been involved in the bluegrass festival scene since the first festival organized by Carlton Haney in Fincastle, VA over Labor Day weekend in 1965. Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, the Stanley Brothers, the Osborne Brothers, Don Reno, Red Smiley…and the list goes on. They were all there, the icons of the first generation of bluegrass musicians, now, sadly, mostly gone. Also there were those who would carry on the tradition – Pete Wernick and Sam Bush, who talk about their experience there at jam camps and workshops. The grand finale at Fincastle, organized by Haney and narrated by Monroe established a tradition of on-stage jamming and coverage of the history of bluegrass music that dominated early festivals and, sadly, hardly exists today.

As I paged through this marvelous collection, I was repeatedly struck by the diversity the early festivals offered up. There was a huge range of music with John Prine, Steve Goodman, and Don McClean appearing on the same bill as The Lily Brothers, the Stonemans, Charlie Monroe, Red Alan, and Del McCoury. The Culpepper-Warrenton Bluegrass Festival in Warrenton, VA in 1973 had it all. Today, our music seems to need to fit into narrow niches of tonal and content purity that seemingly were unknown then.

Frank Wakefield and Peter Rowan

In his Preface, Phil Zimmerman comments that as both a performing musician and a photographer, he often had to choose between picking and taking pictures. Often he chose, with no apologies, the former, meaning that many pictures were left untaken. The photographs in this book, are selected from a larger exhibition held at the International Bluegrass Music Museum which opened on June 26, 2008 in Owensboro, KY. Pictures have been selected from a series of festivals held between 1972 and 1984, mostly in the northeast. The photographs, mostly in sharp, contrasty black and white, evoke a world that probably no longer exists. Phil’s commentary ranges from history to personal reminiscence. He writes a capsule profile of the Stanley Brothers under a picture of Ralph with Keith Whitley. In another picture he shows the fourteen year old Marty Stuart and quotes Stuart saying, “That was the weekend Lester Flatt offerd me a job…” His pictures of John Hartford are particularly haunting.

John Hartford

The personality and image of Bill Monroe dominate this book. From the magnificent cover picture capturing the “father of bluegrass music” in the midst of a solo, to pictures of him leading the audience in song, and in a description of Monroe’s complex relationship to his instrument and the company that made it, Monroe emerges as the complex and intriguing genius we have come to understand him to be. Zimmerman also deepens the reader’s understanding of bluegrass music through offering big insights in small tidbits. For instance, Bela Fleck has been nominated for Grammy awards in more categories than any other musician. The young Peter Rowan, a joyfully evil looking Sonny Osborne, shaggy Sam Bush and David Grisman, and almost maniacal looking Frank Wakefield are all caught in revealing shots. The photographs and text of this fine book constitute a collection of bluegrass memorabilia essential for anyone with an interest in or memory of the early days of bluegrass festivals.

Bluegrass Time by Phil Zimmerman can be obtained directly from the author here for $25.00 plus shipping. Don’t miss it. All photographs in this review copyright Phil Zimmerman, used by permission.

Mountain Song Festival in Brevard, NC - Preview

The Steep Canyon Rangers will host The Mountain Song Festival to be held on Saturday, September 13^th at the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC. Boasting as strong and interesting a line-up as a one day event could offer, this festival can be said to be without headliners as every performer on the bill is a headliner. In order of appearance, the festival features The Steep Canyon Rangers, Cherryholmes, Tim O’Brien, and Sam Bush. Except for Bush, each band will perform twice. The Sam Bush Band will close the day with a ninety minute set beginning at 8:30 PM. Tickets cost $40.00 and can be purchased at a number of outlets as well as on-line. For more information click here.

The Whttington-Pfohl Auditorium at the Brevard Music Center is an 1800 seat open air, covered auditorium that is also the host of a wide range of other musical activities in the summer. Located on 140 acres of in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the center contains 145 buildings used for lodging, practice, and rehersal purposes. The auditorium has lawn seating as well plenty of first come, first served seating. According to the center’s web site, sound and light are state of the art. There is no camping on the festival grounds; dogs and alcohol are prohibited. There is plenty of camping available in the region.

Steep Canyon Rangers

Woody Platt

Charles Humphrey

Mike Guginno

Graham Sharp

Nicky Sanders

As host band, The Steep Canyon Rangers will open the program. Nominated for two IBMA awards this year (Album of the Year, Gospel Performance of the Year) this band, formed at the University of North Carolina in 2001 was named International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Emerging Artist of the Year in 2006. Their youth, energy, and ambition belie their commitment to acoustic bluegrass music with a contemporary twist. They are an extremely engaging aggregation of professionalism and enthusiasm.

Cherryholmes

Sandy Lee

Jere

Cia Leigh

Skip

B.J.

Molly Kate

Cherryholmes, too, have emerged as one of the leading bands in bluegrass and Americana music since their formation as a band in 1999. Their story is well known. After the tragic death of one of their children, Jere and Sandy Lee Cherryholmes removed themselves and their family to the desert in Arizona. Looking for an activity to help hold the family together in the face of their grief, they chose music. A music teacher, she introduced the family to bluegrass instruments and they began attending and appearing at local festivals in Arizona and California. People with experience and clout began to notice them and they quickly emerged as a rising band. Named IBMA Entertainer of the Year in 2005. Cia Cherryholmes on Banjo was named SPBGMA Banjo Player of the Year for the past three years, and the band was named Entertaining Group of the Year in the same years. Their entertaining mix of traditional bluegrass, Celtic airs, and new sounds with a hint of rock sensibility compliments their energy to create a highly entertaining band. Recently they have appeared more in concert settings, colleges, and large auditoriums than at festivals, bringing their unique brand of music to a wider and more diverse audience.

Tim O'Brien

Tim O’Brien has long been one of the most popular and revered figures in bluegrass, folk, roots, and Americana music. Beginning his career with the ground breaking bluegrass group Hot Rize over thirty years ago, O’Brien has forged a now legendary career. Currently touring in support of his solo album Chameleon, O’Brien won a Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy award in 2005 for Fiddler’s Green. He also has won two IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, and Hot Rize was the first recipient of IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1990. A look at his discography suggests the range of interests his life has followed. Few performers have the presence and stature to carry a solo performance before the vast audience at Merlefest. On a rainy Saturday afternoon, after appearing all over the festival, O’Brien not only appeared, but triumphed. Tim O’Brien is one of those “Don’t Miss” performers who comes around all to frequently.

Sam Bush Band

Scott Vestal

Byron House

Stephen Mougin

The Sam Bush Band will close the Mountain Song Festival with a long set beginning at 8:30 P.M. Bush has been a groundbreaker in bluegrass music for over thirty-five years. As founder of the New Grass Revival in 1971, he brought the sounds and sensibility of rock music into bluegrass, changing its core and direction forever while always paying due respect to the fathers of bluegrass music. With John Cowan’s magnificent tenor voice and bass stylings, Bela Fleck on banjo, and Pat Flynn on guitar this group still sets the standard for what is now called “progressive” bluegrass. The list of ground breaking musicians with whom Bush has performed in many styles of music is truly astounding: Mark O’Conner, Jerry Douglas, Lyle Lovett, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, EmmyLou Harris, and more. Despite the fact that Bush often plays an electrified mandolin and appears with a drummer in his band, he was chosen as IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year in 2007, an event he also hosted. The list of artists on whose albums Bush has appeared constitutes a who’s who of contemporary bluegrass and country performers. His present band, featuring Scott Vestal on banjo, Byron House on bass, Stephen Mougin on guitar, and Chris Brown on drums doesn’t have a hole in it. Each member is a top musician as a soloist and contributes to the distinctive ensemble sound of this band.

The Brevard Music Center is within a comfortable drive of Atlanta, Knoxville, and the Greensboro/High Point area. The festival is probably without peer considering both the lineup and the location. Tickets are still available.