Author Archives: Azlyrics

Alan Bibey & Grasstowne have announced a new agreement with Main Attraction Management to provide booking representation and artist management. The boutique bluegrass agency is owned by Joe Mullins, and run by Laura Mainer, agent.

Bibey will join other top artists like Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, Donna Ulisse, and Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass at Main Attraction.

Grasstowne features Alan on mandolin and lead vocal, Justin Jenkins on banjo, Zak McLamb on bass, Tony Watt on guitar, and Kati Penn on fiddle. The group has been performing together since 2006, and has included many veteran grassers during its time, but Alan feels confident that this current lineup is the strongest he has fielded to date. Their rhythm section is as good as it gets, and the addition of Penn has offered them a smooth trio sound to add to the power picking.

Bibey says that he wants to take advantage of the momentum they are picking up with their latest album, Hitchiking To California, the band’s first with Billy Blue Records. Alan has also been more prominent in the bluegrass world since being named the IBMA’s Mandolin Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. The album, and several of its tracks, have found themselves on our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart, and are in heavy rotation currently on SiriusXM.

For Bibey, this move to Main Attraction is all to the good.

“We are very excited about our new endeavor with Laura Mainer and Main Attraction Management. I was fortunate to work with Laura a decade ago and feel very blessed to get to work with her again. She is a top notch professional with a wonderful reputation, and deservedly so.”

And Mainer is delighted to welcome them to the fold.

“I am beyond honored to announce the addition of Alan Bibey & Grasstowne to Main Attraction Management’s roster. A decade ago, I started in the booking industry and cut my teeth working with Alan & Grasstowne. It is such a blessing our paths have circled us back and once again I’m taking and making calls for one of my favorite acts. Alan and his bunch are a team of true professionals, on top of being outstanding artists. Grateful to have this opportunity. I personally want to welcome them to the M.A.M. roster.”

For more information on Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, contact Laura Mainer through the Main Attraction web site.

“I’m living the dream,” 23-year-old Mason Via declared on his becoming the newest member of the Old Crow Medicine Show, in a phone interview this week. “Joining a band that I’ve listened to since I was a kid is wild.”

The Danbury, North Carolina, native moved to Nashville in early 2020. Hoping to establish a career in music, Via ran into a mountain of unforeseen obstacles. 

“The pandemic hit, the tornado hit…finally, for financial reasons, I had to move back home.”

Throughout all the challenges that 2020 afforded, Via kept following his dream. He auditioned for American Idol and made it into the top 40. 

“I was cut at the top 24 (in December 2020). The call for Old Crow Medicine Show came a month later in January 2021. Some of God’s greatest gifts come in unanswered prayers. I’ve always wanted to be in a bluegrass band, and then to get asked for something even bigger that I ever imagined, really is a dream come true!”

The young musician shared how it all came to be.

“Old Crow Medicine Show was looking for someone to audition. I unknowingly had a couple musical acquaintances refer me.”

Ketch Secor, fiddler and OCMS founding member, messaged Via on Instagram and suggested that he give him a call.

“We talked and Ketch asked some questions. He had spent some time in North Carolina, and wanted a young NC guy who had been to fiddlers’ conventions and festivals. He was looking for someone to sing and play guitar in the band.”

Via was invited to Nashville to audition.

“I listened to them in middle school. I learned their (Old Crow Medicine Show) repertoire. It felt larger than life to meet Ketch and the band.”

Their first meeting went well and everything just seemed to click.

“We just had an old time jam session. We sang an old Stanley Brothers’ a cappella, and some old country stuff like Louisiana Saturday Night. They said you’re doing good, come back tomorrow.”

He kept getting asked back. 

“We worked up two new songs of theirs together on one of the days. Ketch and I wrote a song. We hung out.”

Then Via returned to his native Tarheel State, but felt good about his audition.

“I got a call around the first of February that I needed to move to Nashville ASAP. They said, ‘Pack up your stuff, we need you.’”

So once again, Via made the move to Music City to follow his passion. This time, he had a set job waiting.

“Our first live show is on the Grand Ole Opry on May 11! How cool is that?!,” the emerging artist enthusiastically asserted. “Then we play in Florida on May 21 and Charleston on May 22. We will be touring all over the US throughout the remainder of the year.”

Via still has a couple of solo dates remaining on his agenda. April 23 and 24, he will open for the Infamous String Dusters, Sierra Hull and Justin Moses, and the Travelin’ McCourys at VanHoy Farms in Union Grove, NC. He will also be playing May 1 at the Stonefly Fest V featuring the Songs From the Road Band in Johnsonville, TN. The musical artist is slated to release his own recording of progressive bluegrass music later this year.

After those personal appearance dates, Via will devote his time and energies to the Old Crow Medicine Show, touring and recording with his longtime idols in their own unique musical style.

“We’ve got drums and pedal steel. It’s a little bit genre bending, but mainly Americana.”

Via is definitely elated to be a part of the Old Crow Medicine Show.

Affirming that dreaming big focuses on what you really want out of life, and forgetting about reasons why you can’t make it a reality, Via concluded, “It’s really boosted my self-confidence. It’s going to be a blast.”

Phil Zimmerman, New England bluegrass musician, photographer, and author of the 2008 photo book, Bluegrass Time, has died this morning. He was 76 years of age, and had been diagnosed with cancer last fall. 

Raised in the midwest, Phil heard the music of early hillbilly artists growing up on the radio he picked up on WLS in Chicago and WSM in Nashville. He started playing guitar and banjo while in high school, but his life was turned around when, in his senior year, a friend gave him a bluegrass record. From that moment on, he was a grasser.

After college in New York, he remained in the northeast. Proficient on banjo, guitar, and autoharp, Phil would mostly be seen playing mandolin and singing with a number of groups in New England. Among them were Last Fair Deal, North By Northeast, American Flyers, Heroes of Tradition, Traver Hollow, and Bluegrass Union. 

Phil had the heart of a teacher, earning his living teaching middle school English and language arts, as well as providing private instruction on banjo, mandolin, and guitar in Connecticut. He went on to design and teach college courses in photography, and mentored art students in college. Over the years he was also active in arts administration and public relations, and took over management of Music Camps North in 2016 following the death of Mike Holmes, founder of Banjo Camp North and Mandolin Camp North in Massachusetts.

Zimmerman had just recently made a generous donation of his vast collection of photographs and site recordings to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum. These include classic recordings made on reel-to-reel tape of live performances from the very first bluegrass festivals in the 1960s, as well of stage photos of pioneers like Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, The Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse, and more.

His wife, Marcia, has said that a small family service will be held at their home, after which Phil’s ashes will be spread in their back yard which he loved so well. They will host a celebration of life memorial when it is safe to meet in groups again later this year.

R.I.P., Phil Zimmerman.

Larry Sparks is a true legend in bluegrass music. An icon, a singer’s singer, a former Clinch Mountain Boy, and one of the most authentic figures our music has ever seen. So much so, that whenever there is word of new music from his direction, everyone sits up and takes heed.

And today is just such a day. Rebel Records has announced May 21 as the release date for the next Sparks album, an all-Gospel project called Ministry in Song. And with that announcement comes a new single from the record, a soulful Sparks rendering of the powerful Hank Williams number, House of Gold. The song is a classic, recorded by bluegrass artists from Bill Monroe to Seldom Scene, and now we have the indelible Sparks imprint on this timeless gem.

Larry delivers his version simply, accompanied by his guitar and a bass, supported by John Rigsby’s harmonica.

He says that House of Gold has a message for this generation, just as it did when Williams recorded it as a demo in 1949.

“Yes, it speaks. It says a lot. Hank told it like it was. I thought maybe I can tell it like it is, too. I think it will help some people find strength and optimism in this uncertain world we’re living in.”

Have a listen.

House of Gold from Larry Sparks is available now as a single wherever you stream or download music online. Pre-orders are enabled for Ministry in Song as well, which come with immediate downloads of House of Gold and two other tracks from the record.

Last month we shared the news that Tim White, sign painter, radio host, and MC of PBS television series Song of the Mountains, was about to embark on another ambitious project. To wit, a large hand-painted mural of The Easter Brothers in their home town of Mount Airy, NC.

The Easters provided us with some of the best in bluegrass Gospel over a fifty year career, and while only James remains with us, the music of The Easter Brothers lives on.

White started on his project in Mount Airy earlier this month, and completed the 18 x 14 foot painting in nine working days. Finishing touches went up today, and Tim was kind enough to share a number of photos of the mural in progress.

Well done!

In Nashville bluegrass circles, one of the most talked about young artists is fiddler Maddie Denton. She has made a name playing at contest and conventions, and with a number of bands in recent years like Zach Top & Modern Tradition and Theo and Brenna. Holding the 2016 Grand Master Fiddle Championship and 14 state fiddle titles, there is no doubt of her prowess on her chosen instrument, and these days she has the fiddle spot with The Dan Tyminski Band where her aggressive playing is a perfect complement to the several strong soloists in the group.

During the lost year of 2020, Maddie set to work recording with an eye towards a debut solo project of her own, including her original music and that of some of her friends. Today she celebrates her first release, a new single featuring a number of her Music City bluegrass buds. James Kee sings lead, Harry Clark plays mandolin, with Cory Walker on banjo, Gaven Largent on reso-guitar, and Geoff Saunders on bass. Maddie plays fiddle and sings harmony.

The track is a new song which Denton says comes from someone in her peer group.

“Hope You Hang Around is a great song written by my friend, and former East Nash Grass bandmate, Jason Owen. I am thrilled to be the first person to record this song, especially with the high caliber musicians that played on it with me. James, Harry, Jake, Cory, Gaven, and Geoff all have a unique musical tastes and ideas, which brought a lot of color to this recording. I am pumped to have some music out there with my name on it, and I can’t wait to release more music over the next few months!” 

It’s a hard driving grasser, full of fire and energy, that showcases just how much young bluegrass talent there is in Nashville, in a fitting story about finding love in a city with a largely transient population.

Hope You Hang Around is available now from the popular download and streaming sites online.

We can’t wait to hear more from this opening salvo for Maddie Denton.

Ralph Stanley II has announced a new member of The Clinch Mountain Boys. Young Caleb Shifflett from Orange, VA is joining the band to play second guitar and sing harmony.

And when we say young, that is just what he is. Ralph told us this afternoon that Caleb turned 19 just this Monday, a couple of days after his first show with the Boys this past weekend.

II says that he is glad to have Shifflett on his team, and expects him to add a lot to their music.

“Yes…  Caleb is joining us, and played his first show with us over in Bristol. We brought him down for a tryout in November, and I thought that he had a lot of talent and a great deal of potential. He sings tenor and baritone, and is a good lead singer as well. He looks up to the Stanley Brothers and Dad, but he fell right into the groove since he knew all my music as well. I think he’s going to freshen up the show… very versatile in his singing.

My guitar playing is based on the crosspicking style that has been associated with the Stanley sound from the start, and Caleb brings a new guitar style to the show.”

Stanley also mentioned that 2021 is a real landmark for the historic name he shares. It marks the 75th year that The Clinch Mountain Boys have been on the road.

“It was Dad and Carter from 1946 to 1966, then Dad from 1966 to 2016. I’ve been carrying it on since then.

We have another big anniversary next year, which will be the 50th for the Hills of Home Festival. We had to cancel for Memorial Day this year and last, but we have big plans for 2022.

We might do something at the park in August this year, on a smaller scale. We’d bring a couple of good bands in and offer camping for the week.”

Keep an eye on the Dr. Ralph Stanley Bluegrass Festival web site for more on a possible August event.

Shifflett, sounding a bit starstruck still, explained how this opportunity came to be.

“Randall Hibbitts, Ralph’s bass player, got in touch with me back in November and told me to contact Ralph. Randall told me Ralph was looking for a second guitar player, and he told me he had mentioned me. I called Ralph and he told me we would meet up at his house and he’d try me out, and here we are now! I’ve been to many Clinch Mountain Boys shows, but never imagined I’d be one! It truly is an honor.”

At his first show with Ralph in Bristol, Caleb had someone record this phone video of him singing a trio with Stanley and Hibbitts.

Sounds great!

We’ve had many occasions of late to comment on the maturity of the European bluegrass scene, and it’s having grown artistically to a point where the music rivals that of what we hear in the States. Our friends oversees may have smaller audiences, but they play the grass with the same verve and skill as anyone who’s stayed up all night at Galax.

And not only are the players top notch, so are the luthiers who make bluegrass instruments over there. If you know much of European history, you recognize that the various cultures that make up the region have centuries long traditions of fine handcrafting of musical instruments. The rise of these prominent builders gives pickers there a chance to own hand-made instruments of the highest quality, without having to have them shipped halfway around the world.

Today’s example comes from Sweden, with a group of bluegrass buddies getting together online to create music the only way they can during COVID-19 restrictions. Jens Koch and Erik Igelström, former members of G2, and their friend Max Tellving of Happy Heartaches, cut a version of Randall Hylton’s Cold Sheets of Rain virtually, capturing the tracking on video as well as audio.

Jens is on banjo, Erik on mandolin, and Max on guitar and bass. Not only are all three born and bred Swedes, both the guitar and mandolin they used are as well, made by Fredholm Guitars. Koch’s banjo is Czech made, from the shop of Jaroslav Prucha.

Here’s their video.

Well done, boys!

Jens tells us that he and Erik are collaborating on another long distance recording, this time intercontinentally, with Jake and Carter Eddy of West Virginia. Stuart Duncan is adding fiddle to these tracks.

Their version of Goodbye Liza Jane should be available as a single quite soon, so keep an eye out for that.

There are certain artists who could well afford to rest on their laurels, if in fact they chose to do so. Clearly Ray Stevens is one of those. Over a career that spans nearly 65 years, from the time his first songwriting efforts met with initial success, through to his signing with Mercury Records in 1961 and a series of songs that brought him both massive crossover hits and a reputation as a funnyman (Ahab the Arab, The Streak, and Gitarzan), as well as the serious songs that accompanied them to the top of the charts (Misty, Everything Is Beautiful, et. al.), Stevens has never remained idle. An astute entertainer, producer, songwriter, arranger, television host, studio owner, and entrepreneur — his 35,000 foot entertainment venue, the cleverly dubbed CabaRay Showroom hosted weekly concerts in pre-pandemic times — he still can be found as active as ever, even at age 82.

“I don’t know why,” he admits. “I’m a weird guy. Golf is great, but I’m not a golfer. I’m not very good at it. I don’t like to do something I’m not good at.”

That makes sense of course, but with plans for four new albums this year alone, he is clearly confident when it comes to his recording skills. As well he should be, considering the accolades he’s accumulated along the way. They include two Grammy Awards, nine Grammy nominations, inductions into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and the Christian Music Hall of Fame, a star on the Music City Walk of Fame, and any number of awards for his top selling music videos. Indeed, he’s sold some 40 million albums over the expanse of his career, a credit to his talents and savvy as an artist and performer.

“I really enjoy making records,” he allows. “I’ve had my own studio for a lot of years now, and I don’t rent it out. So I just get in there and have fun. Since I can’t get out on the road, I might as well get in the studio and make records.”

With two albums released so far this year — his latest, Melancholy Fescue (High Grass Bluegrass) marks his first excursion into the realms of bluegrass — he’s clearly having the fun he mentions. At the same time, he’s enjoying the opportunity to revisit certain standards while rebooting them in a bluegrass vein. At first, the choices might seem somewhat unlikely — after all, most folks would agree that songs such as Ruby Baby, Oh, Pretty Woman, In the Still of the Night, Unchained Melody, People, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, and Goin’ Out of my Head, don’t seem like the type of tunes that would lend themselves to bluegrass. Yet, when a banjo break takes the spotlight in place of an orchestral flourish midway through MacArthur Park, it’s clear that Stevens has scored yet another successful coup in a career that’s filled not only with successes, but also with surprises.   

“These are songs that I’ve wanted to do for quite some time,” Stevens says. “And this album is made up of songs you would never expect to be done in a bluegrass style. I put some big arrangements on it which is why I call it Melancholy Fescue (High Class Bluegrass).”

On the day he spoke with Bluegrass Today, Stevens had another triumph to share as well.

He announced that he had found out that very morning that he’s now become a great grandfather. Congratulations are offered but he hedges his response. “I’m way too young to be a great grandfather,” he insists. 

So too, when it’s noted that the new album marks his first bluegrass outing, he suggests that in fact it might be his second. It’s pointed out that his publicist confirmed it was his first.

“He knows more than I do,” Stevens concedes, adding, “To be a bluegrass picker, you’ve got to be really good.”

Happily, he had no problem lining up really good musicians. “There are a lot of talented players in Nashville,” he notes. “There’s a pretty big pool to choose from. Many of them are guys that I’ve known for many, many years. And there are some new guys too. My engineer is married to Missy Raines, who is certainly one of the best, so he knows a lot of bluegrass musicians, and he was able to help me get a good crew.”

Stevens said the idea for the album came prior to the selection of songs, and once they were selected, the interpretations came naturally. “I just went in there out of left field and chose the songs,” he recalls, “And like I said, nobody would expect to ever hear these particular songs done with a bluegrass band. But here they are. I am an arranger, and I did a lot of the arrangements. I had a lot of fun doing that. I used to make my living in the studios, and when I came to Nashville from Atlanta in 1962, it was to be a session musician.”

Although the album only includes twelve choices, Steven says he didn’t worry about narrowing down a selection. He says it’s likely he’ll use others for another bluegrass album in the future. “I wasn’t excluding any songs,” he insists. “I just didn’t get to them yet.”

Stevens admits that he’s prone to feeling somewhat nostalgic at times, no surprise considering his accomplishments. 

“I think everybody feels that way at some point,” he surmises. “The older you get, the more you reflect on the past. And, of course, I’m not to the point where I don’t look to the future also. But it’s fun to think back and remember some of the old songs.”

Of course, after more than six decades in the business, Stevens can clearly comment on the changes that the music business has undergone, especially as far as Music City is concerned. 

“Everything changes,” he concedes. “That’s a foregone conclusion. I like some of the changes, but I don’t like some of the others. That’s the way it is. There are too many brains out there thinking about music, and some of them you agree with and some you don’t.”

That said, asked his opinion of bluegrass in particular, and its remarkable rise in popularity it’s seen in recent years, he offers a simple response. “It’s good stuff, and people like it,” he nods. “Why do you like anything? The movies have popularized it to some degree by featuring that sound, especially a lot of big hit movies. I remember Bonnie and Clyde had a bluegrass background in it, and several other great movies have featured bluegrass as well. It’s just a natural thing that happened. It’s pretty American, and America has always been the starting point for a lot of different styles of music, just about every music genre you can think of. We sort of lead the pack, with the freedom to record and to put out so many records that other countries have also enjoyed.”

At the same time, Stevens seems somewhat modest when it comes to his own singing skills, a talent that’s evident even now on the new album.  

“I haven’t done anything,” he replies when asked if he has a warm-up regimen. “I just open my mouth and sing, and it feels good. I don’t practice. I just wake up in the morning and when time comes to sing, it’s okay. A lot of singers tend to over-rehearse. And they they practice so much that when the time comes to do the real thing, they’re just worn out. That’s my opinion anyway. I just walk up to the mic and do it. I don’t know. Maybe I’m lucky.”

He’s more than lucky, we expect. And he has other ambitions as well. He mentions that he hopes to take the bluegrass concept another step further, including merging a bluegrass band with a full symphony. “I think a symphony audience would certainly get a kick out of hearing some of the songs on this album done live with a bluegrass band standing in front of an orchestra,” he muses. “It would just be unexpected, a musical experience that most people have never even thought about. So maybe that will happen one day.”

Considering his seemingly boundless energy, it’s likely it will.

Like so many things in our lives these days, the calendar for MerleFest is a bit twisted this year. After canceling the 2020 festival, organizers have moved this year’s to the late summer with an eye towards remaining uncertainty about COVID-19 restrictions in the spring, so the rhythms of the big fundraising event in North Carolina are a bit off kilter.

The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, held each year during MerleFest, has announced that submissions for the 2021 competition are open today, and that they will accept entries through June 15, 2021. CASC has earned the reputation as the jewel in the crown of song contests in the realm of bluegrass and acoustic music. Jim Lauderdale will serve as the Contest Chairperson, with entries again broken into four categories: bluegrass, general, Gospel, and country.

Andrea Gimlin, coordinator of CASC, shared some of the many talented writers that the contest has helped bring too prominence.

“We are extremely proud of the career successes achieved by many CASC alumni. Among these are Gillian Welch (1993), David Via (1997, 2001), Johnny Williams (1998, 1999), Tift Merritt (2000), Becky Buller (2001), Michael Reno Harrell (2003), Adrienne Young (2003), Martha Scanlan (2003), Sam Quinn (2006) and Jeanette Williams (2007). More recent alumni include Lara Lynn (2011) and Gary Alan Ferguson (2014). Other recent discoveries from the contest are Melody Walker of Front Country and Joseph Terrell of Mipso. I encourage all songwriters to put the final touches on your masterpiece and submit it to the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest!”

Multiple entries are permitted, with a $30 fee for each submission. The winner in each category will receive a $1,000 cash prize, and a performance slot on the MerleFest stage.

Entries are judged by a panel of professional songwriters over the summer, and three finalists in each category will be selected prior to the festival, set to run September 16-19 in North Wilkesboro, NC. The finalists will be invited to perform their songs before the judges live on Friday, September 17, during MerleFest, with winners announced shortly thereafter.

Full contest details and an online application form can be found at the CASC web site.

Good luck everyone!

Prolific multi-instrumentalist Eli West is back with a new album of original songs and tunes, Tapered Point of Stone, due for release later this month. It conveys the joy and passion of bluegrass music, recorded just before COVID-19 restrictions brought everything to a close, but instead of the wicked abandon of the more jam-oriented artists of today, it reflects the precision and intention of a designer carving an image from rock.

We are delighted to preview a track today, one Eli wrote called Ginny’s Little Longhorn in fiddle tune form. It features West on mandolin, with Andrew Marlin on guitar, Christian Sedelmeyer on fiddle, and Clint Mullican on bass. He especially recalls cutting this one, as he had borrowed Marlin’s mandolin for the session, a Sullivan F5 model named Rocky.

And like all good fiddle tunes, there’s a story behind the name. Unfortunately, most of the whimsical tales behind the tunes of yore have been lost to time, but Eli is happy to share the inspiration for Ginny’s Little Longhorn.

“Dedicated to a few hours wisely spent playing Bingo at Ginny’s in Austin. Ginny herself brought in a chicken that then did its business on some lucky winner’s number. Seriously. Followed by hot dogs and cheap beer in the parking lot.”

Enjoy.

Tapered Point of Stone is scheduled for an April 23 release. Pre-saves and pre-orders are available now from many of the popular download and streaming sites online.

615 Hideaway Records has released a debut single to radio from their second album with Nick Chandler & Delivered. It’s one called Hello, written by Jonathan Edwards, which will serve as the title track later this spring.

This is the first recording with the current edition of the group, with Chandler on mandolin and lead vocals, Will Eller on banjo, Hudson Bosworth on guitar, and newest member Gary Trivette on bass.

Nick says that he is fond of Edwards music, which often had elements of bluegrass to it, and thinks this one is a fine choice for the new record.

“I have always been drawn to songs written by Jonathan Edwards, and after hearing this tune I knew it would be perfect for us. I love the lyrics, and I knew that Gary and I could sing harmony through the whole song to really make it pop. We are putting a lot of thought and care into this new album and we thought it would be appropriate to name the whole project Hello. Not just because it’s the name of the first single, but because it’s a Hello from all of us. This being our third album we hope that our music will be introduced to more and more folks. We sure hope that everyone enjoys Hello as much as we enjoyed recording it.”

Have a listen in this music video set against fan photos submitted after Chandler requested that couples send in their favorites of them together.

Radio programmers can download the track now from AirPlay Direct.

Mathis Haug and Benoit Nogaret are a pair of French guitarists with a special passion for American roots music. The two met along the French Mediterranean two decades ago, and discovered that they shared a love of Appalachian folk, old time, and bluegrass music.

Over the years they got together as often as they could. Benoit worked as a postman, and spent his off time building his guitar chops, while Mathis toured as a singer with his own groups, and others from France and Morroco. When first jamming as a duo, they were initially focusing on acoustic blues and rock, but once they learned that they both were crazy for bluegrass, that became their primary interest. Haug took lessons online from Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, and began a serious study of fiddle tunes on the guitar.

At one point the two friends noticed how many of their favorite songs and tunes had appeared on Doc Watson’s recordings, which led them to work on his arrangements of them. Speaking for both of them, Mathis says that this music is largely unknown to music lovers in their native land, something they would like to remedy.

“Pick a song at random from the immense repertoire of traditional American music, and you’re likely to hear a version of Doc’s. It was an obvious choice for us to revisit his songs, the pleasure of playing a familiar music, to open a dialogue with other musicians in the times of the internet and to make this legend known to a new generation.”

So he and Benoit have recorded an EP of Doc Watson classics, live with a single microphone, leading to the imminent release of Here’s To You Mr. Watson, with their two guitars and vocal treatments of six Watson favorites.

They captured the sessions on video as well, and have agreed to share this take of Little Sadie, many grassers’s most cherished of Doc’s, later immortalized by Tony Rice on his landmark Manzanita album.

Here’s To You Mr. Watson is set for release on April 30, but Little Sadie is available now as a single from the popular download and streaming sites. Look for the full album there as well on the 30th.

Turnberry Records and Management has announced the signing of bluegrass veteran, Chad Darou, to the label. This new agreement covers Chad’s next album, and Turnberry providing him artist representation and management services.

Darou, a Pennsylvania native, has been performing professionally in bluegrass most of his life, singing and playing either banjo, mandolin, or reso-guitar. His most recent album, Raising The Bar, was released in 2018.

Label head Keith Barnacastle says that they have high hopes for their association .

“Chad’s a phenomenal musician. He’s got a great harmony bass-baritone. We love what he does. We’re excited. Hopefully, we’ll have the first single out in May or June.”

A concept video of the track is also expected in short order.

Chad says that he is still putting the finishing touches on this next record, on which he plays all the instruments but fiddle. Wayne Taylor of Blue Highways also provides guest vocals.

He is likewise pleased to come on board with Turnberry.

“I am super excited to have been asked to sign on with Turnberry Records. Keith [Barnacastle] is a phenomenal businessman and has a great heart for the music.

Here’s the title track from his previous effort, to give a taste of Darou’s music.

Read this before it gets taken down. The truth is out there!

Virginia singer and songwriter Caleb Bailey has released a music video for one of the songs on his current album, Poplar & Pine.

It’s one he wrote and sings, an old time Gospel style waltz called The House of the Lord, about a small church building that has gone up for sale following the death of its pastor. Bailey is supported by Jason Barie on fiddle, Gaven Largent on reso-guitar, and Nick Goad on mandolin.

Caleb put together the video shoot himself, recruiting family and friends to play the roles on screen with David Fletcher handling the filming and editing. They did a fine job telling the story depicted in the song.

The House of the Lord is available now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Portuguese banjoist Andre Dal had been working for eight years on a solo banjo album, with an eye towards releasing it this year. Andre felt a certain sense of urgency as he has been suffering from a focal dystonia in his right hand, and wanted to capture his banjo music for posterity before it slips away… if it does.

We first became acquainted with Dal when his band, Stone Bones and Bad Spaghetti, was featured in our Bluegrass Beyond Borders column in 2018. They have been together for a dozen years now, pioneering the bluegrass sound in a country without much exposure to it, and with a proud and longstanding folk music culture of its own.

Andre tells us that the bluegrass scene in Portugal is essentially nothing. He hosts the nation’s sole recurring bluegrass jam, and is an aggressive and tireless promoter of the music, but with such a limited scene at home, he has the distinction of being the region’s primary artist. So much so that he calls his music Portugrass!

Given the paucity of professional players near his home, and the inability to travel in Europe over the past 12 months, much of the tracking for his album had to be done remotely. 16 different musicians from 10 countries participated on the project, something he might never have been able to accomplish otherwise.

We asked him to explain a bit about his background, and the upcoming record.

“I’ve been playing the 5-string banjo and bluegrass music for over 20 years. Over all these years, I’ve participated in many bluegrass festivals and concerts, where I was part of the audience, went to jams or played with my band, Stonebones & Bad Spaghetti. I’ve made many friends that I now consider my second family, my bluegrass family.

In 2010, I was diagnosed with focal dystonia and I was devastated. I learned that this disease can have a huge impact on my ability to play and I realized that other musicians stopped playing the banjo because of it. I started playing using other fingers and continued to practice and try not to give up.

Portugal is a country where bluegrass music is almost non-existent, and for years I have been trying to show the Portuguese public and musicians what bluegrass music is all about. Therefore, before the disease progressed too much, I decided to record an instrumental bluegrass album with some of my friends, who I have gotten to know, to present bluegrass music to Portugal.

The album was recorded individually across time and distance at each musician’s amateur home studios, except a couple of the musicians that recorded at other friend’s home studios. I assembled and edited all tracks. Jason Borisoff did the mixing and mastering and Hildebrando Soares did the art cover.

Beyond the Tagus River is the single and also the name of the album. My family comes from a rural part of south Portugal called Alentejo (wich literally means Beyond Tagus). I find a lot of similarities between this region of Portugal and the region where bluegrass music was born. People are country people, live from agriculture, and are very earth-related. Musically, even if musical styles of each region are very different, I can relate them together strongly. Beyond the Tagus River is, therefore, a bluegrass medium tempo tune with a very strong Alentejo feeling, as I see it.”

Here is a video he created for Beyond The Tagus River. Andre is supported by Meade Richter on fiddle, Olivier Uldry Guitarra on reso-guitar, Reuben Agnew on guitar, Jean-Michel Pache on mandolin, and Gil Pereira on bass.

Andre is accepting pre-orders for the album via the PPL crowdfunding site, and invites anyone interested in his music to check the campaign there, which runs through May 17.

Phil Zimmerman and one of his classic photos of David Grisman, Sam Bush, and Peter Rowan

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY has announced the acquisition of the complete collection of photographs and recordings from photographer and archivist Phil Zimmerman. A lifetime bluegrass performer, Phil had the good fortune in 1965 to attend the very first three-day bluegrass festival in Fincastle, VA, which cemented his fascination with bluegrass music, and capturing its pioneers for posterity.

Zimmerman has donated his life’s work to the Museum, where it will remain in its permanent collection. Many of the photos have appeared previously in his book, Bluegrass Time – A Musician’s Photographs of the Early Days of Bluegrass Festivals. Among the many pieces included in this collection are his reel-to-reel tapes from the Fincastle festival in ’65, plus other festivals from the late ’60s with live sets from Bill Monroe, The Osborne Brothers, The Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and Mother Maybelle Carter. He has likewise donated the audio equipment used to record these shows.

Hall of Fame Executive Director, Chris Joslin, welcomes this contribution with open arms.

“I have long been a fan of Phil Zimmerman’s work. Many of his photographs were featured in an exhibition here at the Hall of Fame in 2008. The collection of photographs featured in his book, Bluegrass Time, are iconic, and the book remains a popular item in our museum store with visitors to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Phil Zimmerman has an energy and passion for bluegrass music that reminds me why people are drawn to this music and to the community of bluegrass. His photography is compelling because he captured historical moments in bluegrass music that were also part of his personal story. Not only did he document people like Bill Monroe; he also played music with Bill Monroe and developed a friendship with him and many of the other artists he photographed. Phil Zimmerman’s photographs are important markers in the history of bluegrass music, and I am honored he trusts the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum with his collection and with his story.”

Living now in New England after being raised in the midwest, Phil has dedicated his life to this music. He plays and teaches banjo, mandolin, and guitar and served for several years as Director of Music Camps North in Massachusetts. A great many people have profited from his instructional efforts in the northeast, with both private and group lessons.

Zimmerman says that he can’t imagine a better home for these works.

“I’m proud of the historic bluegrass photographs I’ve taken, and original reel to reel recordings I’ve made of early bluegrass performances, and I’m delighted and honored that the prestigious Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum has offered my work a lifetime home as part of its permanent collection.”

There is no announcement yet from the Museum as to when items from Phil’s collection will be on display, though they have a number of exhibits that regularly rotate images from the early days of bluegrass.

Below are a few low resolution examples of his photographs.

Jason Davis is widely acclaimed as one of the finest young practitioners of the Earl Scruggs/J.D. Crowe style of banjo, a crowded field with many contenders. His crisp attack and super clean execution is what has earned him a spot touring with several top bluegrass groups, like Kenny & Amanda Smith, Junior Sisk, Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, Highland Travelers, and now The Dan Tyminski Band.

Davis is a quiet, unassuming man, never one to blow his own horn, but he is not only a world class picker, he is also a superb connoisseur of songs, something demonstrated over two previous albums with Mountain Fever Records. Both earlier projects featured his cracking banjo on new and classic instrumentals, as well as an excellent sampling of new and vintage songs – and singers.

Working now on a third such effort, we have a debut single today, Modern Day Jezebel, a new song from Daniel Salyer and Jeff McClellan. Sung by current bossman, Dan Tyminski, this track finds Davis in his wheelhouse on a mid-tempo modal number about a woman who chews up and spits out men for sport.

Jason and Dan are supported by other Tyminski Band members Adam Steffey on mandolin and Grace Davis on bass, with Jeff Partin providing reso-guitar.

It’s a good’n.

Mark Hodges, President of Mountain Fever, shares the confidence he has in Jason’s music.

“We’ve long stood behind Jason Davis’ solid style on the banjo, and his clear choices around bluegrass music and the players he surrounds himself with. He’s on a good road with the music he loves, and is always a pleasure to work with.”

Modern Day Jezebel is available now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find the track at AirPlay Direct.

From Baltimore, by way of Louisiana, comes singer/songwriter Miles Gannett, whose debut solo project, Meridian, is due this Friday.

Gannett is a tough artist to peg, as his original songs are as likely to be arranged for a bluegrass band as given an acid rock treatment. Folks in the Charm City are familiar with his work with Fractal Cat, a band he launched in 2011, which has been popular in Baltimore’s indie scene ever since. Miles began hanging with the region’s progressive grassers like Frank Solivan and members of Seldom Scene, and refined his interest and skill in that direction.

Meridian is likewise on the genre-bending side, but strongly leaning toward bluegrass and country. Some tracks include pedal steel and drums, but on this one we are sharing today, it’s a bluegrass vibe.

Spores on Grass examines a topic rarely explored in bluegrass songs… psychedelic drugs.

Miles explains how this tongue-in-cheek number came to be written.

“It has been theorized that the spiritual catalyst of the Eleusinian Mysteries of Ancient Greece was a psychedelic beer made from grains containing the fruiting bodies of the hallucinogenic ergot fungus, the same fungus from which Albert Hoffmann much later synthesized LSD. Various other events in history involving mass hallucinations and religious geneses have been attributed (or proposed to be attributed) to ergot and other psychedelic fungi and plants.

The musical inspiration for this song is a synthesis of HankWilliams’ I Saw the Light and The Clancy Brothers’ whiskey songs. I wanted to write an irreverent, psychedelic gospel bluegrass song that both celebrated psychedelics in history, and poked fun at ‘stoned ape’ historians who are quick to attribute every significant development in the evolution of human consciousness and spirituality to psychedelic drugs.

This song is special to me because it features Fred Travers and Ron Stewart of Seldom Scene, the band that originally got me into bluegrass!”

Enjoy.

Meridian will be available on April 16 wherever you stream or download music online. Pre-orders and pre-saves can be made now online.

It’s one thing to be labeled a prodigy. It’s quite another when that distinction is earned for more than one reason. Consider the case of Alex Leach. Having earned his musical accreditation at the tender age of 19, he was afforded the opportunity to perform with Ralph Stanley on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and later gained a steady gig with Stanley’s son, Ralph Stanley II. In addition, he scored success in another medium even earlier, when, at age 15, he was twice chosen “DJ of the Year” from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America in recognition of the radio program he still hosts on Knoxville Tennessee’s highly lauded independent music station, WDVX. Appearances on CMT, the BBC and ABC World Music Tonight added to his accolades.

He’s only 30 now, but he’s successfully built on those laurels by launching his own bluegrass outfit, The Alex Leach Band. Naturally then, their debut album reflects not only his experience and expertise, but also his skills as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and band leader. Produced by Jim Lauderdale — no slouch himself when it comes to a remarkable musical legacy — the aptly-titled I’m The Happiest When I’m Moving showcases a first-rate ensemble, one that includes his wife Miranda Leach sharing lead and harmony vocals, Joshua Gooding contributing mandolin and vocals, Brandon Masur on banjo, JT Coleman playing bass, and special guest John Rigsby pitching in on fiddle. 

It’s a rich combination of skills to be sure, one that reflects the group’s decidedly down-home sensibilities. Each of the songs convey a profoundly personal touch, whether it’s the love of Leach’s native East Tennessee as conveyed via the opening track, Take the Long Way Home, the humble homage to some storied musical influences cited in The Turntable, an encouragement to treat people with the same kindness and dignity one would expect from them on Golden Rule, or the unabashed love song that honors the Leachs’ wedding day, Take Me Back. There’s no way to fake such sweet sentiments, and in each instance, the sincerity shines through. So too, when Leach sings about remembrance and reflection on the mournful and melancholy October Fall, one can’t help but embrace that warm whiff of nostalgia.

Naturally then, I’m the Happiest When I’m Moving stays true to its title, proof positive that Leach has taken his talents to the next level. The rapid-fire instrumental James Russell Rag and the upbeat harmony-laden lament, I Can’t Love On This Way, offer evidence enough of his decidedly deft touch. However in a larger sense, it’s also evident that Leach and company have only just begun their journey, one that’s bound to bring them an abundance of accolades, all of which will clearly be well-deserved. Suffice it to say, the new album provides plenty of reason to describe this effort as a joyful move indeed.

Yves Aerts – photo © Ann Jansen

Belgian guitarist, Yves Aerts, died tragically in a boating accident in Sweden, where he had been living. He was 45 years of age.

A great lover of nature and the outdoors, Yves and his girlfriend were on a canoeing trip near their home in Upsala about ten days ago. When they did not return a neighbor alerted police. Teams conducting a search found the empty canoe, and a few hours later both of their bodies in the water. Police have not yet announced the results of their investigation, but is it presumed that both drowned or died from exposure to the water which was quite near freezing at the time.

Aerts was quite prominent in the European bluegrass scene, both as a creative and influential guitarist, and as a friend to all in the community. Friends and bandmates describe him as always ready to share his knowledge with other musicians, from beginners to other experienced professionals. Though the music world has been on hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions, he had been performing as a member of Belgium’s Sons of Navarone, one of Europe’s most popular and longstanding bands.

A number of his friends have shared comments with us about his life, as well as a last farewell. First, from Tony Watt, Boston-based guitarist and member of Alan Bibey & Grasstowne.

“I met Yves Aerts in 2010 when he came to the States from his home in Belgium to attend the Grey Fox and Ossipee festivals, both held in the northeast in July. We were introduced via email by Kevin Lynch, a great bluegrass musician who lived for years in Connecticut before moving to Holland. Yves (pronounced ‘Eve’) was looking to fill up a few days in the Boston area before heading to the festivals, and we offered to put him up at our place in Cambridge. He and I had a lot of similar influences and interests in bluegrass guitar, and we hit it off immediately. Yves was one of the best European flatpickers I’ve ever met, and it was great to get to hang out with him both in Boston, and also at the July festivals. I had always wanted to visit Belgium and see where my grandfather was shot down and smuggled out during WWII, and Yves said he would love to show me around whenever I could come. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to make it to Belgium yet, and Yves ended up moving to Sweden where he had lots of success in music and in life. I was heartbroken to learn that he recently passed away during a canoeing accident with his girlfriend. I reached out to some of his friends and they were kind enough to share these remembrances of Yves.”

Jef Van Peer is one of Aerts’ best friends. They had known each other since they were in high school together.

“September 1991: Never been much of an A-grade student, I arrived in another school a few days in the yet-started year. Hence my entry was quite ‘special’ and I almost immediately locked in with another guy who had no great career in high school either. His name was Yves Aerts, and it turned out he was living only a few miles from where I lived. He played the guitar and loved Paul Simon. I noodled on some keyboards back home so we decided to meet at his place. About that time, I discovered my Dad’s guitar in the attic with some chords, and started to get attracted to the guitar. Little did I know I had met one of the few guys who could make a guitar sound like no one else can. From that moment Yves grabbed me and never let go. Until last week. A huge chunk of me has left with him. My playing, my home sound system, my instruments, my friendship all got better because of Yves’ drive and passion to do things the way they should be done. His playing and his right hand are unmatched on this side of the planet. He could make that box ring and hum and he did that with all his heart. My heart now has a hole the size of you, buddy. I will miss you.”

Here are Yves and Jef singing a duet on Don Williams’ Don’t You Believe.

Patrik Lundgren is a well-known Swedish flatpicker who manages the very popular YouTube Channel Flatpick Nation.

“Yves Aerts was the most humble human I have ever met, and the strongest rhythm player I’ve ever heard. I met Yves first time in 2012 at the Torsaker Bluegrass festival in Sweden. He told me I couldn’t play bluegrass on a Martin OM-28, I needed a dread, he said. From that moment we have been great friends. Although Yves Aerts is from Belgium, he has a lot of musician friends here in Sweden. He has done a lot of workshops here, and countless shows with guys like Jens Koch and Erik Igelstrom from the band G2, to name just a few. I received the horrible news that my good friend passed away in a canoe accident here in Sweden. I will forever miss Yves’ bad sense of humor. Best guitar player and friend to ever live.”

Here Yves and Patrick trade licks on Big Sciota.

Yves’ passing is a great loss to the European bluegrass community, not to mention to his family and close friends.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced, pending conclusion of the police investigation. COVID restrictions will make travel difficult, and it is unsure whether he will be buried in Belgium or Sweden.

We share in the condolences being shared across Europe from those who loved Aerts personally, as well as his music.

R.I.P., Yves Aerts.

Veteran fiddler, Stephen Burwell, is the latest professional bluegrass musician to announce his engagement. The Texas native will be marrying Haley Rhea of Sevierville, TN.

Burwell, known for his time as a member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and more recently with Chosen Road, met his future bride-to-be last September at Doyle’s festival in Denton, NC. There to twin fiddle with Matt Flake and appear as a guest performer with Lawson’s band, Burwell noticed Rhea from the stage.

“It was love at first sight for me!” he expressed his feelings for Rhea.

“Haley is my wife’s sister,” Matt Flake interjected. “Our whole family was at the Denton festival and Stephen and I were on stage. He leaned over and said, ‘you see that girl sitting next to your wife?’ I said, ‘yea, that’s my sister-in-law.’ He said, ‘you’re gonna have to introduce me to her,’ and I said, ‘I already had that planned out.’”

With matchmaking in the works, things progressed quickly.

“I knew that I was going to ask her out,” Burwell admitted.

Rhea works as a hair and make-up stylist. Though not a picker, she is a big music supporter and enjoys bluegrass as well as other genres.

“We had our first date in October,” Burwell explained. “Everything has been great since that first date. She’s the sweetest thing.”

The professional musician soon knew that he had met his person. Burwell plotted his proposal with the aid of Haley’s sister, Betsy Flake.

“We arranged to have family pictures taken at a friend of Haley’s in the Smokies. It was beautiful. It worked out great because we already had a photographer there. I waited until Haley wasn’t looking, then Betsy handed me the ring. Thankfully, she said yes.”

Rhea shared, “Stephen is a huge blessing in my life, and I thank God for all the things big and small that came together and allowed me to meet him in Denton. He is truly an answered prayer. A prayer that God answered exceedingly above what I could have imagined. I absolutely could not be more excited to marry him!”

Burwell, who grew up in Seattle, was homeschooled. At age eight, his parents enrolled him for classical violin lessons at church. Once he was introduced to fiddle tunes, he was forever changed. Sold on bluegrass, he took fiddle lessons for four years from Washington instructor, Pete Martin. As he grew and became more proficient, he played in multiple bands, including Shannon Slaughter and County Claire before joining Quicksilver.

“I had met Eli Johnston at IBMA. When Doyle was looking for a fiddle player, Eli threw my name out and I got to audition.”

Burwell traveled with Lawson for more than five years. In May 2020, he stepped away from that position to focus on studio work in Nashville.

Now Burwell’s other big news is that he is returning to Quicksilver to play twin fiddles with Flake. Following Burwell and Rhea’s September wedding, Doyle with have twin fiddling brother-in-laws in his ensemble.

“I can’t wait to marry her,” Burwell concluded.

Rebel Records has released a third single for The Kody Norris Show, taken from the band’s upcoming album, All Suited Up. If you know Kody’s couture, you know that it’s a perfect name for a record, as he and his cohort are always dressed to the nines on stage. And we mean the nines, with technicolor style and sequins and fringe aplenty.

This new track is called Brand New Hit In Nashville, and tells of a poor working man who dreams of giving up a life of labor once he writes that giant hit song. An accompanying music video places Kody in the role of the narrator, and he shared a few words about the process.

“We filmed part of this in Nashville and the other half in our hometown of Mountain City, Tennessee, even incorporating an actual job site into the video! It was a blast having the band in a little bit different element from what we are used to. We are so excited to share the final product with our fans as it truly captures the spirit of the song!”

Like the song, written by Gary Sanders, the video is both clever and charming, all set to a driving bluegrass beat.

Along with Norris on guitar and lead vocal, the Show is his wife Mary Rahel Nalley-Norris on fiddle, Josiah Tyree on banjo, and Charlie Lowman on bass. The video was directed by Amy Richmond, with Scott Sanders handling the shooting and editing.

All Suited Up is set for an April 23 release on Rebel. Pre-orders are available now from many of the popular download and streaming sites online.