Galax Fire Department Memorial to Houston Caldwell
Saturday at HoustonFest was as delightful as Thursday was foul...warm, sunny, light breeze. It was a perfect day to wander the grounds and take in all aspects of this deeply involving festival. Orthophonic Joy was again the focus of the day, so I'll only present highlights that differentiate from Friday's program. It's enough to say that this major project should help tie today's generation of bluegrass, old-time, and country music to their antecedents in music history brought to life by the 1927 Bristol Sessions, the Big Bang of country music, and kept alive by those who care about tradition, history, now, and the future. These are the factors that make HoustonFest an important event.
Fiddlin' Carson Peters
Carson Peters is a remarkably mature eleven year old fiddler. He's poised and polished. Unlike many performers his age, he has a solid, in tune voice. He plays the fiddle with skill and enthusiasm while acting as his own emcee. He bears watching.
Carson Peters
Jamie Peters
At the Camp Houston Youth Stage
Maggie & Bill Anderson - Petting Zoo Wranglers
Cornhole - The National Sport of Bluegrass
Dale Morris - Emcee
Houston Drive
Houston's friends and former band-mates keeping his memory alive by making music together.
Courtney Rorrer
Stevie Barr
Jessie Gregory & Irl Hees
Vendors Row - Food, Crafts & Good Causes
The Clay Hess Band
The Clay Hess Band only gets better and better. Clay is one of the best guitar players and a very good singer. He has surrounded himself with excellent pickers, and uses them well to showcase their own,as well as his, many talents. A good candidate for this year's IBMA's Emerging Artist of the Year.
Clay Hess
Nick Keen
Irl Hees
Brennan Hess
Cory Walker
Eli Bishop & Will Carter - Backstage
Camp Houston Youth Stage
Jamming Everywhere
The Instrument Petting Zoo
Face Painting
Mountain Park Old Time Band
at the Firehouse Stage
Ashley & Shannon Campbell
Ashley & Shannon Campbell are Glen Campbell's children, now grown and touring on their own. Carl Jackson joined Glen Campbell's band when he was seventeen years old. Ashley is his God Daughter.
Ashley Campbell
Shannon & Ashley Campbell
Carl Jackson & Ashley Campbell
Local Crafts & Band Meet 'n' Greet
Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time
Larry Cordle has written more fine bluegrass and country songs than many performers can sing in a couple of sets. He's also a fine performer himself, delivering his own songs with feeling and conviction while his excellent guitar playing is too often overlooked. While his songs have been widely recognized, his own excellence as a performer is deserving, too. His band is filled with talent and supports him superbly.
Larry Cordle
Kim Gardner
Mike Anglin
David Harvey
Jody King
Mike Anglin & Val Storey
The Mighty Cord
Off on a Little Trip
Thanks to Captain Mike
The Parking Lot
The Audience
Firehouse Stage - Big White Tent
Camp Houston Youth Stage
Robin Arnold Gets Belted
Ben & Eric Marshall Band
on Firehouse Workshop Stage
Eric & Ben Marshall
Beth Lawrence
Stu Vincent - Emcee
Sierra Hull
Sierra Hull is traveling in new musical directions. It's exciting to watch, and where it's headed is anyone's guess. It's a certainty, however, that no-one can dismiss her as a talented Adam Steffey clone any longer. Currently she's touring for her new recording featuring Ethan Jodziewicz on bass, with Justin Moses in a support role. The music she's created is part jazz, part roots, and all Sierra. Her voice has matured into an instrument she uses with authority and subtlety. Her mandolin play is sublime. Paired with Jodziewicz, who owns the bass, her music is interesting, complex, and nuanced.
Sierra Hull and Ethan Jodziewicz
Ethan Jodziewicz
Justin Moses
Doyle Lawson Warming Up Backstage with Young Hopeful
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Doyle Lawson has been a leader and an innovator in bluegrass music for more than fifty years. He soldiers on, training young musicians and offering tight, meticulously rehearsed shows featuring lots of fine gospel music and classic bluegrass songs. A Hall of Famer, he truly belongs there.
Josh Swift
Dustin Pyrtle
Doyle Lawson & Eli Johnston
Joe Dean
Stephen Burwell
Opening Ceremonies & Scholarship Presentations
Galax Fire Department Honor Guard
HoustonFest Executive Director Debbie Robinson
Hayden Caldwell & Tess Caldwell
David Hankley - Chief of the Galax FD & Debbie Robinson
Houston Caldwell Scholarship Winners
Ralph D. Epperson Musical Heritage Award Presentation
Orthophonic Joy Showcase
The second day of Orthophonic Joy continued and extended the presentations begun on Friday evening. This important project, produced by Carl Jackson, recreates many of the songs presented in the original 1927 Bristol Sessions with contemporary country, bluegrass, and gospel musicians. It's a big project and deserved the big stage it was presented on.
Scott Freeman & Jimmy Edmonds
Corbin Hayslett
Val Storey
Jesse McReynolds, Garrett McReynolds, Carl Jackson & Corbin Hayslett
The Steep Canyon Rangers
Jesse McReynolds & Garrett McReynolds
Graham Sharpe & Ashley Campbell
Finale of Orthophonic Joy Showcase
In the Grandstand
Blue Highway
Blue Highway is a storied band. Over twenty years with the same band, multiple awards, frequent recordings, lots of innovation, a unique sound that's immediately recognizable signal a band that will surely leave a significant impact on bluegrass music.
Shawn Lane
Jason Burleson
Wayne Taylor
Rob Ickes
Tim Stafford
Cindy Baucom & Gerald Anderson with Raffle Guitar
I've seen lots of raffle guitars presented at festivals. Sometimes they are donated by guitar companies like Martin or Huss & Dalton to raise money for a good cause. More rarely, they are made by individual luthiers. This year, Gerald Anderson built a lovely instrument based on a Martin D18 with a HoustonFest design pick guard. It's rare, however, to see the winner of the raffle guitar be present to receive the instrument. I've never before seen a raffle guitar go someone who not only wanted to win it, but was already able to do so. Here Gerald presents the guitar to one of the young musicians who'd been at HoustonFest playing in bands and jamming. The joy and surprise on his face is enough reward for all of us who didn't win it ourselves.
Gerald Anderson Presents Guitar to Liam
The Steep Canyon Rangers
The Steep Canyon Rangers have received national attention through their touring as comedian and banjo player Steve Martin's backup band. The Martin tour has been mutually beneficial, as the Steeps have become increasingly well-known and Martin legitimized as a high quality bluegrass banjo player and composer. But there's a downside for The Steep Canyon Rangers in that they have not received sufficient attention for their development as a cutting edge band in their own right. They've become increasingly tight and thoughtful as a band. Nicky Sanders has emerged as perhaps the most precise and innovative of bluegrass fiddlers, bringing his classical training and personal magnetism to the band. The band has freed itself of reliance on stationary microphones, adding movement and excitement to their performances. The addition of percussionist Michael Ashworth has added exquisite taste and additional drive to the excitement. They've released six band albums as well as collaborations with Martin and, most recently, Edie Brickell. This is a band to see, hear, and savor for themselves. Their writing and performances have reached star quality without anyone else's aid.
Woody Platt
Charles C. Humphrey III
Mike Guggino
Graham Sharpe
Michael Ashworth
Nicky Sanders
Jonah Horton with Sharpe & Guggino
Graham Sharp, Mike Guggino &Woody Platt
HoustonFest Grand Finale
HoustonFest 2015 ended, literally with a bang. The festival was a huge success. The unveiling of Carl Jackson's Orthophonic Joy, Hall of Famers, Grammy Winners, and all those kids. There was also an audience open to a wider range of music than we encounter at most of the festivals we attend. Almost too much to digest. Save the first weekend of May each year for HoustonFest. Next year: May 6 & 7. We're making our camping reservation today!
Jesse McReynolds
Strange Visitor
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