Strawberry Park 2010 - Returns and Old Favorites

 Kid's Academy

 All weekend at Strawberry Park we looked anxiously at the sky and watched the radar on our computers as rain, heavy thunderstorms, and even tornado watches circulated around the site in Preston, CT.  Except for a pretty good storm early Saturday morning and two brief moments of very light rain, the festival basked under mixed clouds and sunshine with warm evenings allowing us to sit comfortably for the exciting evening performances and giving jammers the chance to continue their picking late into the morning hours up on the ball field.  Today's post will look at bands who have graced the Strawberry Park stage over a period of years and who keep their fans returning for more.

The Gibson Brothers

 New England and New York have long been the personal province of the Gibson Brothers, whose national acclaim of recent years is no surprise to their long time fans.  With their most recent CD "Ring the Bell" having joined their four previous releases at the top of the Bluegrass Unlimited charts, their consistent record of placing modern song writing and contemporary sounds within the context of traditional bluegrass and country music remains un-matched in the past decade or more.  Noted for their tight brother harmonies and soulful songs of lost love and the joys of simple life, the Gibson Brothers are a band whose stage performances, if anything, exceed their recordings in immediacy and impact.  Their songwriting workshop suggested clearly that upcoming songs they've written will continue to match or exceed the quality of their current crop.  Don't miss this band at a festival near you and be sure to complete your collection of their CD's.  There are no holes in the band as Clayton Campbell on fiddle, Mike Barber on bass, and Joe Walsh on mandolin are each masters of their instrument who do everything necessary to highlight the songs.

Eric Gibson

Leigh Gibson

 Mike Barber

Clayton Campbell

Joe Walsh

The Gibson Brothers

Peter Rowan

While I must continue to confess that I'm not a huge Peter Rowan fan, I must say his performance at Strawberry Park this year showed him in a new and much more positive light for me.  Both in his solo afternoon set and in his evening set backed by members of the Farewell Drifters and Kimber Ludiker of Della Mae, he showed himself to be a consummate performer.  Especially in the evening set, playing with a group not fully familiar with his work, he was charming, supportive, relaxed, and tuneful, turning what was essentially a jam of old Bill Monroe material and his own compositions into a class for his young band and a pleasure for his audience. 

Peter Rowan with Farewell Drifters

Peter Rowan

Kenny & Amanda Smith

Kenny & Amanda Smith have been steadily strengthening their performance over the past several years.  Kenny has long been established as one of the premier flat pickers in the guitar world.  His fast, clean, inventive picking never ranges too far from the melody, but plumbs its depths and discovers new subtleties to expose.  Amanda's clear and direct singing represents an ideal for a bluegrass voice.  She deserves serious consideration for Female Vocalist of the Year at IBMA this year.  They've surrounded themselves with young and enthusiastic side men who serve to complement them well.  

Kenny Smith

Amanda Smith

Zach McLamb

Trent Callicut

Spencer Strickland

The Greencards

The Greencards brought a new level of maturity to their fourth year at Strawberry Park while welcoming two new musicians to join the well-established original pairing of Carol Young and Kym Warner who came to the U.S. from Australia some eleven years ago and settled in Austin.  Young, whose voice caresses a song while playing a deep and sensuous bass at the same time, manages to be sexy and sultry without being sexual, a great trick.  Partner Kym Warner, who once seemed more frenetic than substantial, has brought his mandolin work to new heights of virtuosity, emotion, and maturity.  Carl Miner on guitar puts more meaning between his notes than many guitarists find in the notes himself.  New fiddler Tyler Andal draws marvelous tone from his full-throated fiddle while also finding a deep growl somewhere within it for his throaty chop.  The relatively small group staying for the Greencards' closing performance were treated to a long set that displayed the level of commitment this group always brings, as strong a performance as you would expect before a thousand fans with the added benefit of an unusual level of intimacy.  The Greencards never completely forsake their bluegrass roots while soaring into the realms of Americana music with comfort so great it welcomes all who wish to come with them. 

Carol Young

Kym Warner

Carl Miner

Tyler Andel

The Boston Boys

This fusion band composed of present and former students at Berklee College of Music in Boston presents a sound that is sometimes pleasing and melodic while at other moments seems more noisy than musical.  Using non-traditional instrumentation for this setting (twin saxaphones, full drum kit) they bring energy and inventiveness to their performances.

Eric Robertson

Dry Branch Fire Squad

Dry Branch Fire Squad played Strawberry Park for the thirty-first consecutive year.  The deeply experienced band combines traditional bluegrass gospel and Monroe style picking with leader Ron Thomason's topical humor in a program that has pleased and amused bluegrass audiences for a generation.  Thomason's pointed message sometimes hits with such swiftness that viewers aren't certain they've been skewered before he's on to the next comment.  His sidemen, professionals to the end, manage to appear surprised and amused while hearing his tales for the umpteenth time.  Fans have favorite bits Thomason has used for years that they insist on hearing, and Thomason obliges while still striving to keep his riffs fresh and on target.  His singing is filled with emotion and genuineness; the band is a treat for old fans and new converts.

Ron Thomason

Brian Aldridge

Danny Russell

Tom Boyd

Kim Cyr - Emcee

Jim Beaver and Glenn Huffer (emcees)

The highly professional emcee work done by Jim Beaver, Glenn Huffer, Kim Cyr, and Lisa Husted deserves special recognition.  It's rare that four emcees are so successful at keeping the focus on the music and the festival without calling attention to themselves.  Sound by Cobra Sound was of extremely high quality.  It's not unusual for a sound company to receive kudos from the stage; bands hardly dare do otherwise, but this band was universally acclaimed back stage as well.  They know what each kind of music on the Strawberry Park stage is supposed to sound like and achieve precisely the correct mix.

 Strawberry Park Bluegrass Academy for Kids

Each year Tim St. Jean and his wife Vickie Baker direct the Strawberry Park Bluegrass Academy for kids, giving young and enthusiastic pickers a chance to learn more about making music and a an opportunity to perform from the main stage on Sunday.  This  year's performance was augmented by the event of moving the Travelin' People's Mandolin to its new carrier, who will pass it along to someone new in about a month.  

Here's a link to a more extensive set of photos from the Kid's Academy.  Help yourself to any of these you wish:

http://picasaweb.google.com/KeeneValleyGuy/StrawberryParkBluegrassAcademyForKids2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCKzJzMXn5eTNVA#

Vendors Row

Strawberry Park 2010 - Debuts

Strawberry Park for me this year turned into more a matter of impressions and important personal experiences than a structured effort to experience and report on a fine bluegrass festival.  Our friend Dr. Tom Bibey made his first trip to a northeastern bluegrass festival to see Darin & Brooke Aldridge on their first visit north, too.  Dr. B has been one of Darin's mentors for years, introducing Irene and me to these fine young people.  On Saturday night we were up until nearly 1:00 A.M. trying to find their guest trailer and get them settled.  Meanwhile, the proof copy of  Dr. B's new book, The Mandolin Case, arrived in the Strawberry Park office, leading to huge excitement for all of us who've been involved in this project.  At the same time, Irene and I had carried the Traveling People's Mandolin with us to Strawberry Park and worked with Tim St. Jean, Director of the Kid's Academy to find the next person to carry it on its journey.  Oh...and there were many musical highlights, too.  With so much happening, I suspect my much delayed posts about Strawberry Park will take a few days to roll out and will be much more scattered and impressionistic that usual.  Thanks for your indulgence. Today, I'm going to highlight the seven bands making their Strawberry Park debuts.  In the next entry, I think I'll take on the old favorites, and then I want to try to put it all into perspective.

Strawberry Park Debuts

Festival promoter Buck Bieber does a fine job of bringing new bands to Strawberry Park and mixing them with others who have come for years and are favorites of the the crowd here.  This year seven bands made their first appearances at Strawberry Park.  Some are new and still relatively un-heralded, while others stand as some of the top draws in bluegrass and country music.  I wrote about Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice on Thursday.  You should continue to keep an eye on this band, which was nominated at IBMA last year as emerging band and should be the front runner this year. 

Dailey & Vincent

   

When Jamie Dailey of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver joined forces with Darrin Vincent from the Ricky Skaggs band Kentucky Thunder, many people were willing to forecast their imminent downfall.  Instead, this duo with the support of an evolving and exciting band has won top awards at IBMA for the first two years of its existence and fills tents and auditoriums around the country with cheering crowds.  Their recent album, Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers, released by Cracker Barrel Country Stores has been a huge success while signaling their continuing willingness to take big risks.  By adding Christian Davis, a classic southern gospel bass singer, to their mix, they have reached out to new audiences without sacrificing the bluegrass crowd from which they emerged.  There's no need to hype this band, they're doing it themselves to great effect. Suffice it to say they always give their all, bring excitement to their performances, and leave audiences on their feet begging for more.

Christian Davis

 

Darrell Web (subbing for Jeff Parker)

Joe Dean, Jr.

Jesse Stockman

Darrin Vincent

Jamie Dailey

Jamming with the Shaws

Red Molly

This three woman acoustic band featuring a somewhat unusual instrumental mix (Dobro, guitar, bass) and tightly woven close harmonies presented a fine Amphitheatre debut performance on Saturday morning.  Red Molly features covers well-tailored to their sound (Darrell Scott's "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive") as well as a selection of their own material, they made a sound transition from the Folk Stage to the main stage.  They also contributed another harmony workshop and had a Folk Stage performance.  As an aside, Red Molly takes an unusual and important step in merchandising their CD's by placing a basket on their merch table and inviting people who to pay what they think the music is worth while noting that the average CD sells at festivals for $15.00.  The basket looked comfortably full while Red Molly was able to make an artistic and political statement while challenging the traditional way of selling product. 

Laurie MacAllister

Abbie Gardner

Carolann Solebello 

Kid's Academy Rehearsal with Dr. Tom Bibey

Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa

Wayne Taylor spent many years fronting Country Current, the U.S. Navy Bluegrass Band, before retiring a couple of years ago and taking his own band on the road after a brief stint with Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie.  Taylor has long been recognized for his superb voice, great song writing, and strong flat picking.  It's a rare thing for a lead singer to be as good a flat picker as Wayne.  He's surrounded himself with a very strong band.  Emory Lester is well recognized as one of the masters of the mandolin.  His play, harmony singing, and personality shine through in this band.  Keene Hyatt on bass comes to this band with a background in jazz, but has made the transition to bluegrass bass in a wonderful manner, bringing the complex language of jazz to the stage with good taste and restraint, making a very solid addition.  Young Lee Marcus on banjo has quickly integrated himself into Appaloosa.  Making his first foray away from his native region, Lee was wide eyed and  open eyed at the same time, taking everything in.  He quickly made himself popular at Strawberry Park, both on and off stage.  Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa are a rising band who already have a strong catalog of songs as well as clear and thoughtful leadership.  Despite a poor placement in the lineup, they brought the increasing after-supper crowd to its feet and earned their encore.  They deserve strong consideration by promoters as a band that will please audiences with their program. 

Wayne Tayler

Emory Lester

Keen Hyatt

Lee Marcus

The Trio (Emory Lester, Wayne Taylor, Lee Marcus

The People's Mandolin Moves On

Tim St. Jean, Irene Lehmann, Isabelle Hague

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives

We had seen Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives at least two other times, both in their electric manifestation.  I didn't know quite what to expect at Strawberry Park or exactly how it would be received.  Stuart and his acoustic band, with their wonderfully ironic name, hitting the stage with energy, commitment, and their deep experience, hit the audience right in the solar plexus, raising cheers of recognition, enthusiastic sing-alongs, and thoughtful listening for their entire program.  Stuart's roots are deep in bluegrass.  The band on stage at Strawberry Park was all acoustic with an unobtrusive snare drum played with brushes hung around Handsome Harry Stinson's neck.  Cousin Kenny Vaughn's look screams out rock and roll guitarist with country mix.  His picking shows he can do anything that's asked of him.  His solos are fast and clean, and his backup to Stuart only served the band, and he sings, too.  Preacher Paul Martin on bass and vocals has had a wide ranging career in country music, and brings his vibrant personality and powerful bass licks to the band.  Read Marty Stuart's bio for yourself.  He's done it all, seen high and low, and come out a winner on the far side.  He's a genuine phenomenon as a singer, mandolin player, guitarist, and personality.  The show evoked the strongest response of the weekend, as a Saturday closer ought to.

Marty Stuart

Preacher Paul Martin

Handsome Harry Stinson

Cousin Kenny Vaughn

Marty

 

Darin & Brooke Aldridge

Following Dry Branch Fire Squad and bringing little name or vocal recognition with them to Strawberry Park, Darin & Brooke Aldridge grabbed the audience with their first song and maintained interest turning into enthusiasm and a growing realization that this was a band to take hold of and watch carefully.  As their set progressed, musicians waiting back stage to perform, came to the front to see whose voice they were hearing for the first time.  Making their first appearance in the northeast, Darin & Brooke have rapidly expanded their repertoire from a mostly gospel band playing in churches in their region to recognition as an emerging national band with a unique sound comprised of bluegrass/country and gospel music that has a nearly universal appeal.  Danny Russell, bass player for DBFS and a deeply experience side man, said, "Listen to that.  She sounds just like Reba...only better!"  That's pretty high praise.  Sunday morning's a bad time to play at almost any bluegrass festival.  Darin & Brooke turned their slot into a triumph.  They deserve to return into a strong Saturday position as well as a repeat of their Sunday program.  

Darin Aldridge

Brooke Justice Aldridge

Eddie Biggerstaff

Perry Woodie

Chris Bryant

Josh Greene

Darin & Brooke

 

Rockin' Acoustic Circus

This band carries with it an unfortunate name for such a fine group.  Rockin' Acoustic Circus makes great music and will only get better, but it doesn't rock and  isn't a circus.  The name leads people to expect something other than they deliver. During their set I heard very solid traditional bluegrass, folk tinged bluegrass originals, an excellent nod to the Newgrass Revival heritage they carry with them, and the sounds of Beethhoven on mandolin and violin turn into a rousing bluegrass finale.  With the exception of Rick Morton, the band's obvious yet retiring leader, this band consists of young musicians, none of whom is over seventeen.  Eric Dysert on lead vocals and fiddle has a remarkably clear and mature voice for a seventeen year old.  Emma Hardin, playing her composite cello, has been influenced by the young cellists who are changing the sound of bluegrass, but brings her own sensibility to the material, as well as a good voice.  Her brother Zac Hardin on bass, at fifteen the youngest member of the band, shows jazz licks to complement his strong bass beat.  Carson Clemshire on banjo played a wonderful Bela Fleck solo in the final piece. Sterling Abernathy on mandolin has a clear a tone and as quick fingers as any mandolin picker.  Rick Morton wrote a considerable amount of the original material for this band as well as providing a fine guitar anchor and voice.  This band very much deserves watching.  They'll be appearing at ROMP in Owensboro, KY on June 26 and at  Grey Fox next month.

Rick Morton

Eric Dysart

Carson Clemshire

Emma Hardin

Zac Hardin

Sterling Abernathy

Saturday Bingo at Strawberry Park

This year Strawberry Park presented an interesting and varied group of debut performances.  Come back in a day or so for an account of more established bands at this very fine festival.