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Monthly Archives: November 2020

Blue Haze – Robert Hale with The 8th Wonder Band

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Azlyrics

Robert Hale can trace his career back to the tender age of nine when he gained his first performing experience, playing alongside his father on a weekly West Virginia television show that was broadcast on WOAY. That eventually led to an invitation to play on the Grand Ole Opry, courtesy of none other than the great Bill Monroe. In the years that followed, Hale made his mark alongside any number of other icons — Dolly Parton, J.D. Crowe, Eddie Adcock, LiveWire, Wildfire, and the Allstars of Bluegrass included — even as he was clearly coming into his own. 

With credentials like that, it’s little wonder that Hale was emboldened enough to attempt an EP consisting entirely of covers, most well engrained in the popular musical lexicon. Indeed, it takes considerable confidence to cover songs by the Beatles, the Rolling Sones, Jerry Jeff Walker, and the Animals, managing to make them your own while still retaining a certain familiarity factor in the process. Granted, Hale has had able assistance courtesy of a crack band that includes Missy Raines, Scott Vestal, Shawn Lane, and Chris Davis, but one still has to credit his own astute ability to interpret each of these offerings through a credible — and combustible — bluegrass motif.

As a result, hearing such songs as Help, It’s All Over Now, Riding the Storm Out, House of the Rising Sun, and Mr. Bojangles in this reimagined way doesn’t seem particularly jarring at all, especially since the original melodies still shine through. Granted, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin often add a new element in an otherwise unexpected way, but the upbeat exuberance and satisfying sentiment allow for some remarkable revelry all of their own. 

Naturally, any time one tampers with the template there is a substantial risk involved, especially if there’s an expectation that the original material can be bettered or, at very least, transformed, even if it’s only superficially. Therein lies the dilemma — how does an artist insert his or her own imprint on any timeless standard while avoiding any attempt to rival the original.

With that in mind, credit Hale and company with finding a perfect balance between reverence and originality. As a result, this Blue Haze shines ever-so-brightly in the process.

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Blue Haze | Leave a comment |

Dave Evans’ son Tracy elected as Pike County Sheriff

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Azlyrics

This article is a contribution from Rick Greene, bluegrass enthusiast, former newspaper editor, and one of the founders of the popular Sam Jam Bluegrass Festival in Piketon, OH. It had appeared previously in Southern Ohio Today, and Rick suggested that our readers might enjoy reading it as well. We heartily agree.

Sitting behind his desk in the Pike County Courthouse, Tracy Evans proudly points to a badge and other items that once belonged to his grandfather – Stephen A. McDonald, who was a member of the Columbus Police force for 27 years.

Evans, an investigator for Pike County Prosecutor Rob Junk, will not have his job for much longer. That’s because Pike County voters decided earlier this month that he was the man to take over the beleaguered Pike County Sheriff’s Office as the new sheriff.

And while law enforcement runs through his veins, it’s not the only thing. So too do the sounds of a ringing banjo, a driving mandolin, a lonesome fiddle, and other sounds that make up the heart and soul of bluegrass music.

He comes by both of his passions honestly, one through the family history of law enforcement, the other being the son of a bona fide bluegrass legend.

Evans’ path to the top post in the Pike County Sheriff’s Office is one filled with irony, struggle, perseverance, and tragedy.

This is his story.

Dave Evans was like that

From the time Evans’ father – Dave Evans – was young, he was known for his speed on the five-string banjo. He later became known for his songwriting and a deep, lonesome tenor voice that was soulful and easily distinguishable.

He became a member of bluegrass Hall of Famer Larry Sparks’ Lonesome Ramblers in 1972, and later started his own band in 1978, Dave Evans and River Bend. He recorded five albums with the respected Rebel Records in the 1970s and 1980s.

He has a laundry list of iconic bluegrass songs that are covered by today’s artists at bluegrass festivals. Among them are One Loaf of Bread, 99 Years, Pastures of Plenty, Gray in Your Hair, and Highway 52.

Following his death in 2017, Evans’ collection of music was remembered with respect throughout bluegrass music.

But there was one particular tribute that stood out among all the praise. It came from none other than 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, who said Evans has had a profound impact on her legendary career.

Krauss first saw Evans as a teenager. Following his death, she recalled how Evans was one of the artists who made her set her sights higher.

“You have things tied to your memories. I remember watching Larry Sparks and Ralph Stanley and the Goins Brothers and the Osborne Brothers when I first went to the Bean Blossom Festival (in Indiana). It was the first place where I saw Del McCoury play,” Krauss said shortly after Evans’ death. “It is the first time that you get to witness something from another world. It never leaves you, you know? It makes a mark on you, and then you can never be the same afterwards. It suddenly lifts all of your standards, and what you thought was great, to a whole other level. And, Dave Evans was like that.”

As his father continued his climb through the industry, Tracy Evans and his brother Todd enjoyed childhoods that included some of the best musicians and artists in the world.

From the time Tracy Evans was born in 1974, bluegrass was going to inevitably leave a mark on him. And it started on the day he was born.

“Larry Sparks actually paid the hospital bill from when I was born. I asked him years later if dad ever paid him back,” Evans said with a laugh. “He said that he did.”

Evans’ childhood was filled with encounters with a who’s who of bluegrass music – Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Jimmy Martin, Del McCoury, J.D. Crowe, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Jim McReynolds, and Jesse McReynolds, just to name a few.

“I got to shake hands with a lot of interesting people,” he said.

Evans and his brother Todd sometimes perform at regional bluegrass festivals. They are often invited on stage by some of today’s leading acts to play and sing songs made famous by their father. Tracy Evans said he was honored in September to perform on stage with Sparks, his father’s former bandmate, who is one of his musical idols.

A Different Breed

As Dave Evans was in the process of taking his place among the genre’s greats, a conflict with a neighbor of one of Tracy Evans’ friends changed the lives of the family.

Tracy Evans was in a group of boys riding motor bikes and the neighbor believed they were on his property, although Tracy Evans didn’t believe they were. The neighbor approached the boys as Dave Evans lurked nearby, not knowing the neighbor had a gun.

Tracy Evans said the neighbor made a remark about “blowing (my) head off” before a shot was fired into the air. The elder Evans intervened and what followed was a conflicting story that did result in Dave Evans getting a weapon and firing shots into the neighbor’s home.

Felonious assault charges followed and the resulting conviction in Pike County led to a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence from 1990-1996.

“My dad going to prison affected me mentally in some ways. I thought people would look down on me, but that wasn’t the case at all,” Evans said. “People didn’t understand that my dad was a different breed. He grew up in an environment where there are things you just don’t do to another man’s family. That was just the old way.”

Tracy Evans is a person who is quick to flash a smile and share a laugh. But when he talks about that fateful day, he becomes somber and tears occasionally well in his eyes.

“Dad took the law in his own hands, and while he knew it was wrong, he often said he couldn’t say he would have done things any differently,” Evans said. “He accepted it and always said he paid his debt to society.”

Next, Evans pauses and gathers himself as he tries to hold back the emotion and the tears.

“He did it because he loved me and he loved his family,” he said. “For that reason, it’s still part of the reason I loved him. It’s just who he was.”

A family of ironies

In late 1941, Stephen A. McDonald – Tracy Evans’ grandfather – was supposed to go to Hawaii for his duty in the service. An administrative error regarding his last name (McDonald versus MacDonald) resulted in a delay in his arrival.

Without the delay, McDonald would have been at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on Dec. 7.

Tracy Evans said without that delay, the family story could have been much different, or non-existent.

Evans graduated from Western High School and later became a certified electrician after studying at the Vern Riffe Joint Vocational School. His entry into law enforcement came in 1999 with the Waverly Police Department.

After making his way through the ranks there, he received an offer in 2009 from then-Pike County Sheriff Rich Henderson to come work at the county level.

He took the offer and began work for the county on December 7, the 68th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The other irony that isn’t lost on Tracy Evans is that in January he will become the sheriff in a county where his father was convicted 30 years ago. When asked about that juxtaposition, he said it is a lesson that a person’s past or a family’s past does not have to dictate someone’s future.

“I think that says that what your parents have done should not stop a person from following their own passions,” he said. “Things that happened in the past won’t stop people from respecting you or liking you for who you are.”

Evans’ current boss, Junk, said there are plenty of people who like Tracy Evans.

“All of the good upstanding officers are tickled to death to see him as sheriff,” Junk said. “(Former sheriffs) Rich Henderson and Jim Dixon, (longtime Waverly Fire Chief) Randy Armbruster, (Pike County Major Crimes Task Force member) Allen Smith. That is the caliber of people who support him.”

A good hometown sheriff

Evans is taking over a sheriff’s office that has had its share of controversy in recent years.

In September, former sheriff Charles Reader pled guilty to four felony counts for theft in office and tampering with records, and a misdemeanor charge of conflict of interest. He is expected to go on trial next year for other charges he faces.

Evans said the public’s confidence in the sheriff’s office is shaken, and his priority is to regain credibility.

“The sheriff’s office has suffered a great deal. The people – from my perspective in talking to them during the campaign – want a sheriff they can trust, is honest and fair,” Evans said. “We need to get the office’s integrity back, the way it was when Rich Henderson was sheriff.”

Evans said the parallels are not identical, but he likes the idea of a sheriff portrayed in The Andy Griffith Show, an approachable sheriff who is trusted and might occasionally be seen with a guitar in his hands.

“I’ve always tried to help people, whether it be with what I know, what I can do, or a song,” he said. “I want to be a good hometown sheriff that people can admire and have trust in.”

Dave Evans (center) with his sons, Tracy and Todd

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Dave Evans | Leave a comment |

Three 2021 Golden Guitar nominations for Kristy Cox

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Azlyrics

Australian bluegrass singer, Kristy Cox, has secured three nominations for the 2021 Golden Guitar Awards. Since 1973, these awards have honored the best in country and bluegrass music down under, with trophies presented during the Tamworth Country Music Festival each year.

Kristy received nods for:

  • Female Artist of the Year
  • Traditional Album of the Year for No Headlights
  • Bluegrass Recording of the Year for Finger Picking Good with Tommy Emmanuel

Other nominees in the Bluegrass Recording of the Year category include:

  • Cold Moon – Allison Forbes & The Weeping Willows
  • Breakfast – Charlie & Jensen
  • Darlin’ William’s Gone-  Pete Denahy
  • Wheels Won’t Roll – The Weeping Willows

In a typical year, the Country Music Festival sprawls across the city of Tamworth in New South Wales, running for ten days with a mix of free and ticketed events. People travel from all over Australia and beyond to spend time with the music and tour the region. The Golden Guitar Awards Show closes the festival, and is an important destination for musicians and fans across the continent.

The 2021 awards will be held via online streaming instead on Saturday, January 23, supported by Toyota and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Best of luck to all the 2021 nominees, with hopes for a live festival in ’22!

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Get your Del McCoury snowflake ornament for Christmas!

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Azlyrics

Thanksgiving weekend isn’t only the official start of the Christmas season, it’s also considered the time when Christmas shopping starts in earnest. With mega sales offered by a good many online and brick-and-mortar retailers, a lot of folks use this time to begin gift browsing for loved ones.

But remember, while you are scouring the internet and the malls for bargains, don’t forget your favorite grassers! Many of our top bluegrass artists are offering special sales on merchandise and recordings, or special holiday-themed items or music. This is also true for many instrument builders and music stores that specialize in acoustic music. So be sure to visit them when looking for Christmas gifts this year.

One great example is the new Del McCoury snowflake Christmas tree ornament, offered by McCoury Music. This wooden keepsake piece measures 3.5” in diameter, and is the second annual ornament offered on the site, which seems to be becoming an annual edition. Whether you have the 2019 ornament or not, who wouldn’t love to trim their tree with a little more Del?

They also have a Del Yeah mask on offer, and a Del McCoury for President t-shirt. See them all, along with all the recordings from the McCourys, on their web store.

Check the sites of all your faves for similar offers. Lonesome River Band has a set of new t-shirts. Or you could pick up a “flatpicker inside” onesie for the newborn on your list from Kenny Smith. Ricky Skaggs also has a set of ornaments with a mandolin, guitar, or fiddle in the middle. Don’t forget Tony Trischka’s banjo socks, or the mandolin socks from Sierra Hull. There are many more.

In addition to the new bluegrass Christmas CDs we will be sharing over the next few weeks, don’t forget the ones released in years past as a perfect introduction to our music for a friend or family member. Rhonda Vincent, Dailey & Vincent, Jerry Douglas, Larry Sparks, Doyle Lawson and many others have these for sale, plus the many compilations created by bluegrass labels over the years.

We all know how the music industry has suffered this year, and even with a vaccine on the way, 2021 is still an uncertainty for touring. Just remember the people whose music you love when doing holiday shopping. It will mean a great deal to them.

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My Remedy – Missy Armstrong

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Azlyrics

Missy Armstrong first came to the attention of the bluegrass world a few years back as the powerful lead vocalist behind several radio hits from Michigan-based band, Detour. Though she had taken some time off from performing recently, Armstrong recorded and released several singles for Melton & Miller Music last year that found a lot of love at radio. Those singles then led to an EP, My Remedy, released from Melton & Miller in August. Six well-written songs showcase Armstrong’s clear voice, set to a background of smooth contemporary grass.

Beth Husband and Milan Miller are the writers behind the majority of the album. The opening track, Creeping Round My Cabin, is one of the more traditional-sounding songs here, with strong banjo and mandolin from Terry Baucom and Seth Taylor, respectively. The number is a toe-tapper of a kiss-off song, with Armstrong telling a no-good man goodbye in no uncertain terms: “I used to be your fool, but I won’t be anymore.” Ain’t Going Down to the River has a similar vibe but a neat twist – the good-looking, evil-hearted man in the song is the infamous “Willie,” who has led so many poor girls to their deaths on the banks of the rivers from Knoxville to Ohio. It’s quite a cheerful-sounding song to ostensibly be about a serial killer (“He confessed every time but his daddy’s money set him free, and from everything I’ve heard he sounds a lot like you to me.”), but we all love a good murderer in bluegrass. It’s a cleverly-written number with a catchy, singable hook.

Also enjoyable is the atmospheric, country-tinged Broke Down in Arkansas, penned by Husband and Miller along with Cindy Baucom. Taylor’s mandolin and banjo from Noam Pikelny create a worried, weary sound as Armstrong’s narrator realizes that burning all her bridges as she left home probably wasn’t the best choice now that she’s “stranded on the shoulder by this highway headed west, wishing I had listened to the ones who knew me best.”

People Passing By is a thoughtful number that includes a co-writing credit for Armstrong. The softly rolling song ponders the unknowable nature of others’ worries and problems, and encourages listeners to “show a little grace” to the people in their lives. Cherished images of a childhood home dot the verses of My Remedy, figuratively serving as a cure for the weariness brought on by daily life. The gentle melody and stripped-down sound here fits Armstrong’s vocal style well. I Hear You Baby, from the pen of Mark Winchester, brings a brighter note to the EP, with a cheerful, bouncy melody and reassurances from one half of a couple to the other that even when no one else is listening, they are.

After listening to all six songs here, I felt a bit cheated. Where were the rest? Armstrong is an excellent singer and can easily switch back and forth from a grassier style to a softer, more country or folk-influenced sound. I’m ready for a full solo album from Armstrong, and after listening to this EP, I’m sure you will be, too.

For more information on Missy Armstrong and her new EP, visit Melton & Miller Music online.

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Everyone’s A Kid At Christmas video from Lindley Creek

Posted on November 27, 2020 by Azlyrics

Welcome to the official start to the Christmas season! Even though the traditional Christian Nativity observance has been from December 25 to January 6 – the 12 days of Christmas – the modern world has stretched this period out to include much of November. But on the day after Thanksgiving, it seems that most folks are ready to get into the spirit of the holiday season.

Lindley Creek, the highly talented and decidedly redheaded Greer family from the Ozark region, has a new Christmas single for 2020. It’s Everyone’s A Kid At Christmas, a sentiment with which most of us can find ourselves in agreement, especially if we are fortunate enough to spend our holidays with little ones. The Greers give it a sort of a ’50s vibe, enhanced by Katie Greer’s soulful and compelling vocal.

Speaking as the full band, Lindley Creek shared their thoughts about this song, and the new video premiering here today.

“Our family loves Christmas! As a matter of fact, we have been doing a full Christmas show for the past 8 years. (It’s an hour and a half of ALL Christmas music.) As many know, holiday music is some of the most challenging. Chord progressions and timing vary greatly from a typical bluegrass song! The ability to meld the two sounds is something we have taken very seriously, and hope that the listeners will sense our devotion to the nostalgia and tradition surrounding Christmas.

The song was penned by Barry Ricks and Tim Stafford who did a wonderful job capturing the feeling of a classic Christmas masterpiece. We worked with our producer, Jim VanCleve, to create what we hope will be a Bluegrass Christmas standard for years to come!

Creating music videos is a real passion for our band, so of course we wanted to make a memorable video for Everyone’s a Kid at Christmas! Katie had a vision of walking though a Christmas tree farm. It turned out so beautifully. We can’t wait for you to see it! There is also an appearance of Katie’s nieces, Kana and Kora, who portray the little girls in the video enjoying the Christmas Eve treats and Christmas morning gifts. We love the shot of the little girls dancing in the snow!

We want to thank the bluegrass community for welcoming our family. This first year has been such a blessing to us and we are so thankful to Bluegrass Today and everyone that plays a part in promoting the music we all love so much!”

Lindley Creek is Katie Greer on mandolin, Jase Greer on fiddle, Kathie Greer on guitar, and John Rob Greer (Dad) on bass.

Everyone’s A Kid At Christmas is available now from Pinecastle Records wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find the track at AirPlay Direct.

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Ask Sonny Anything… did you ever play clawhammer style?

Posted on November 27, 2020 by Azlyrics

Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

Well Chief, here you go! Welcome to your Tuesday drive through the pages of time. Enjoy the journey and have a safe and wonderful Holiday season my friend. I count it as such a blessing and privilege to be part of this thing you do every week.

Terry Herd

========

Sonny,

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I found myself thinking about you and Judy. In these pandemic times, many of us chose to forego the usual gathering of family and friends, but not our memories of past years – or our hopes and plans for future gatherings. I’m wondering if you could take us down memory lane and perhaps revisit one or more of your favorite bluegrass Thanksgiving memories?

Wendell T.

Wendell, sir…thank you for your time. Totally appreciated. Our Thanksgivings have almost always been just immediate family, which has grown over the past few years. It now consists of 11 fine folks. Daughter Karen, son Steve and his wife Jennifer, grandsons Joseph (Jessica), Matthew (Savannah), great grandson 10 year old Michael, and great grand daughter, Adalyn. Just wonderful, beautiful people.

We don’t go for the huge gatherings, with all kinds of turkey food. There is an abundance of food available, and they know they can all come at once, or just when their schedule’s permit. They have obligations too, we know that, and adjust accordingly. We are happy and thankful for their health and safety. Naturally, I wish we could see all of them more, but as I said, they have lives…we respect that and try very hard to not make any of them feel differently…how do we adjust? Simple…Christmas is just a few weeks away and they don’t show up in November, they can expect a thin December…See, that way, all the stuff (clean up) woik out!

November is a memorable month in that my Dad passed from this life on November 2, 39 years ago, on the 6th The Osborne Brothers became full time at WROL in Knoxville, JD Brock’s birthday is the 16th, Rocky Top and 20-20 Vision were recorded on the 22nd, Kennedy was murdered – we were obligated to play that night in Oxford PA…which we did. Thought there was no use going…no one would be there…wrong. We had a full house, all Amish kids. 

On the 23rd, 2003 Myrtle Beach, SC, I played my beloved Granada for the last time. My left shoulder came undone. Couldn’t be repaired 100%…I would guess, about 80%. The part that was gone was the part that made it possible to move my arm to the left. Going UP the neck was no problem, it wouldn’t come back down.

Memorable dates in November… 22nd we unloaded our families, (6 at the time) at my house…Bobby and I left for Dayton to pick up Benny Birchfield, and from there we headed for California. We three had Thanksgiving dinner in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I wonder if Benny remembers that…or Bobby for that matter. We were gone 23 days…and Judy, Steve, Karen, Pat, Robbie, and Wynn….why, they had a big time all crammed into my house at 219 Harbor Drive…all the furniture was in my garage…with the exception of the refrigerator. One thing good though, when we got back we had some money, when we left we didn’t, and if we didn’t…they didn’t.
s

—–

Sonny,

We all know you as a proficient 3-finger style banjo picker, but did you ever learn clawhammer? Are there any particular clawhammer style pickers that you enjoy listening to or have taken inspiration from? Finally, does the clawhammer style have a place in bluegrass music?

Drew from WV

Drew. From West, By God, Virginia. Home of old route 52. Before the W.VA turnpike. It was the most treacherous stretch of highway on the planet. Best you could do was average about 30 MPH. The real fun came in the winter and snow. Beautiful state though. You see the Smokeys and you’re impressed and then you go through West Virginia and you think, I golly, these h’yer is mountains. Then by chance you go to Colorado and they take your breath away. THESE ARE MOUNTAINS…and they are.

Drew wanted to know if I ever learned to play clawhammer style banjo. No, I did not. My Dad played pretty good, but I just couldn’t get it…One night at the Opry I asked Grandpa Jones to show me how…we got in a dressing room back there at the Ryman…he with his banjo, me with mine. He told me exactly how it was done. I tried my best to get that rhythm going but I just couldn’t do it. Paw had a pretty good temper…he found it whilst sitting there. He looked up at me right wild eyed and said, “A man that can do what you do with your fingers and can’t do this!” He jumped up and stormed out of the room. He didn’t speak to me for a solid year after that. I didn’t ask him anything else about clawhammer either.

My favorite players. I have two. Mike Seeger and Merle Travis. Mike (PAMS) Snyder here at the Opry is good, but he plays more melodic style. I know, it’s good but like melodic three finger style, it just hain’t my cuppa tea. Matter of fact a thimble full would be a gallon too much. Yet I love Béla, Jens, Tony…and others who seem to know what their million notes really mean to a song…… Does it have a place in the bluegrass world? Good thought. I guess I would have to say No. It’s too closely associated with old time music.

With the media as it is, everything is right out there and available, and folks are too knowledgeable. Man, Lincoln has a million songs on/in his phone, Dan Boner has a U87 and a U47 and 1967 Chrysler, Aynsley is playing so much like Shumate you think it’s him, and all I have is a 1934 five string Granada. Woe is me….oh woe is me!!! {;-O>
s

—–

Hello again Mr. Sonny. I would like to know how you and Vega collaborated together to come up with your Vega banjo, or if there’s any interesting stories behind any of that? God bless!

Jacob P.

Hey, Jacob. Hello again to you. Thank you for joining into my free for all. My deal with VEGA. It started with a letter from the owner, Mr. Bill Nelson. Asking in a roundabout way if I would be interested in the Vega Company building a Sonny O model. He stated that they had dealt with Earl and would like very much to build a banjo, The Sonny Osborne model, which I would design for Vega. (Funny, everyone calls it VAGA…he owned the Company, and he called it VEEGA.) Which I do to this day.

He briefly went over the business part of the de,,l and of course I agreed. They held up their end of the deal in that they changed everything I wanted changed. Four banjos later I held in my hands a genuine Vega Sonny Osborne Model five string banjo. During the process in 1965 they sent a Pro 2, 1966 Gold one of a kind, 1966 The Fat Banjo which I used for one song…The Kind of Woman I Wanted, 1967 the finished product. Sounded pretty good. But the Gold One of a Kind was, and is the best sounding Vega banjo ever made under the Vega name. I recorded Roll Muddy River with it…pretty good sound. Shortly after that, Nelson sold the company to Martin Guitar company, thus drawing an end to The Sonny Osborne model banjo.

I’m told there were 12 made. If you can find one it will be priced in the $15,000 range. That One of a Kind Gold banjo I would guestimate it would be nearing the $100k mark.
S

—–

Sonny:

It’s probably safe to say that every Scruggs style banjo player in the world would like to have an old Granada like Earl’s, and the one you own. In the 1950’s when you began these instruments would have only been twenty years old or less. At what point in your career did you become aware of these great instruments and start to desire one? Were luthiers converting tenors and plectrums to five strings back then. Were folks converting tube and plate instruments to one piece flange instruments back then? Were any manufacturers, like Gibson, endorsing any professional players back then or was it just you and your wallet?

Thanks,

Mike E

Mike… .thank you for participating, I’ve been waiting for this. I was 11 years old…Earl was 24 (JD was 12). I saw a picture of Earl, poor quality photo. The banjo he was holding was the 75 he traded to Don for the Granada. It looked like an X on the first fret. Well, laugh, if you will. A dumbass 11 year old kid who had just heard the name of Earl.

I had an RB100 and I wanted to be like that, so I got some white paint and what do you think I did with it. I painted me an X on that first fret. When I bought the 3 Aaron has, well hell, I thought it was an RB4. Information was not the same then as it is now. Those Gibson Masterpieces were 20 years old in 1954, about the time I realized the difference in tone. But up until then I was only interested in playing….every note and string in it’s place. Play Play Play…play til your fingers bleed then grit your teeth and go forward…and keep on playing, practicing.

I doubt I knew the word luthier. At the Opry David Akeman (String Bean) told me my banjo wasn’t “worth a shit!” I had an RB150. He gave me an address for a man named Shorty Fincher in Hallum, PA. He had a Gibson Mastertone for sale. I bought it, with my Dad’s help. $125.00…a 1929 Raised head RB3. That would be 1953. So, by April 1955 I was more into flat head….saw the 3 Aaron has and bought it.

I was not aware even then of people converting and changing tone rings..etc. I still don’t think it’s a necessity. If you have a good one, leave it alone. Gibson in the ’50s… I wasn’t aware of endorsements, converting plectrum or tenor to five string. I was not a tinkerer. I got it to sound good and just played…left it alone and played. GOOD SUBJECT. Thank you.
S

—–

Hi Sonny,

I was just curious if you remember a story you told on stage years ago at Bean Blossom? This particular story would have been back in the days when you still had to park your bus up by the front gate. Due to the distance back to the stage they would transport you, your instruments, and merchandise in a white work style van that was empty in the back. Without giving the story away, lets just say it was an interesting ride for you and Bobby from the bus back to the stage in that white van one day.

I still get a kick out of this particular story to this day because the way you told the story on stage at Bean Blossom. It created a mental image for me of this particular event as you described it. If you do in fact remember what I am talking about, you thought it was hilarious as well. I remember you could hardly tell the story because you got so tickled over it. Thank you for a moment of your time sir, wish you well!

Jason B.

Jason, I have not ignored your question. There were so many funny things if I tried to single one out we would be here a while. Send a private email to me at chiefbanjo@comcast.net and remind me, and I’ll jump right on it. Man, thank you for getting in here. I appreciate you.

Send me the email now and I’ll get on it this week.
s

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

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Giving thanks, bluegrass edition

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Azlyrics

I’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving in my own home. That means 64 holidays at my parents, my in-laws, a West Coast dinner out with an uncle, and a long weekend with my college girlfriends family in Pittsburgh.

That string will be broken tomorrow, when my wife and I dine alone, with the dog patrolling the perimeter of the table in case any food fumbles occur.

It would be easy, given the pandemic, to bemoan not being able to gather together with friends and loved ones, but what’s the use? Instead, we’ll celebrate the birth of a new tradition – Thanksgiving at OUR house. And we’ll look forward to continuing it next year, in the new place now being built in northeastern Pennsylvania, much closer to our families.

The same goes for bluegrass. I know that some bands, players, and venues didn’t survive the shutdown and the upending of an already shaky business model. I mourn those losses.

But 2020 also gave us much to be thankful for in the bluegrass world.

In no specific order, I’m especially grateful this year for:

IBMA. I was skeptical when the association announced plans for a virtual World of Bluegrass in place of the annual gathering in Raleigh. But Executive Director Paul Schiminger and his small but talented staff pulled it off, making it one of the best of the 11 annual gatherings I’ve been part of. 

With few technical glitches and lots of extra preparations, it would have been easy for an outsider to believe IBMA has been living in the digital space all along. The awards show was spectacular. An added bonus was being able to watch the workshops when I had the time. If there are two simultaneous sessions during an in-person World of Bluegrass, you’re out of luck for one of them.

That said, I’m eager to see a lot of old friends and make some new ones face-to-face next year in Raleigh.

MY FRIENDSHIP WITH STEVE GULLEY. During my second IBMA, in Nashville in 2011, Steve Gulley changed my life. As a panelist at a songwriting workshop, he scoffed at that notion that I was only a lyric writer, not a musician. He made me believe in myself and my limited guitar playing, to the point that I attended a song circle that night and wobbled through one of my creations. I met Dawn Kenney in that circle, and we’ve been writing together for years.

Steve and his wife Debbie demoed one of our songs. And Steve and I planned to write together. Those plans were cut short by Steve’s death this year, but he’ll always be in my heart for that little nudge he gave me.

THE PIONEERS. We owe so much to Bill Monroe, of course, but also to Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Ralph and Carter Stanley, and so many others from the first generation of bluegrass. They paved the way for every note that’s played in bluegrass today, even those that can’t be shoehorned into the traditional definition of the genre.

THE INNOVATORS. Sam Bush, John Cowan, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Béla Fleck, Missy Raines, Molly Tuttle, the Infamous Stringdusters, and others sometimes think way outside the bluegrass box. The result is some of the most refreshing and inventive music I listen to these days. Bluegrass, to me, is just like Thanksgiving, a feast of many tasty dishes.

THE LEGENDS. I never met Bill Monroe or heard him play, but I’ve been lucky enough to be able to see and hear some incredible Hall of Famers, and others who will be, play the music I love: Doyle Lawson, Del McCoury, Larry Sparks, Lynn Morris, Tom Gray, Dudley Connell, Dale Ann Bradley, Ricky Skaggs, Joe Mullins, Hazel Dickens, and many more. 

THE BANDS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF. While the folks in the previous three categories get nearly all of the attention, bluegrass is home to dozens and dozens of local and regional bands waiting for their big break. For many, that break will never come. But they play on, for the love of the music. One reason I’m eager to get back on the festival circuit, hopefully some time next year, is to discover some of these bands in jam circles and during the non-peak performance hours on stage. Their devotion to the music always sends me away feeling optimistic about the future of the genre.

THE DJs. As a songwriter, I’m obviously indebted to the radio personalities who play the songs I’ve written for others to perform. But I’m also grateful for some of them being traveling companions for many hours on the road in years past (and years to come). Some of them make a living at it. Some of them do it for little or no money. But they’re all important in keeping bluegrass alive and well, especially this year.

YOU. If you’re still reading, you either love bluegrass or need a new hobby to get you through the rest of the pandemic. I’ve been fortunate to write about music since 2010, first for The Bluegrass Blog and, since 2011, for its successor, Bluegrass Today. We’ve shared a lot of highs and lows, laughter and tears, and some fantastic music over those years. I’m grateful to all of you (and to my editor, John Lawless), and look forward to sharing more thoughts and music with you down the road.

Be safe, everyone. Hope to see you soon.

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Blue Christmas drops for Alan Bibey & Grasstowne

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Azlyrics

Despite the lack of touring opportunities, 2020 has been a good year for Alan Bibey & Grasstowne. Tracks for the band’s last album have seen success on the charts, and Alan won his second consecutive award from the IBMA for Mandolin Player of the Year.

They also signed with Billy Blue Records and recently secured the #1 spot on our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart for the first single with them, a remake of Hitchhiking To California.

Now, in honor of the impending holidays, Al and the band have released their first ever Christmas single, a grassified version of Elvis Presley’s 1957 hit, Blue Christmas. And on the eve of Thanksgiving, no one can complain that it’s too early for holiday songs!

Bibey recalls a painful memory regarding this number.

“When we were considering recording a Christmas song, Blue Christmas came to my mind first. It brings up great memories of me doing my best Elvis impersonation for my daughters when they were really small. That’s proof you’ll do anything for your kids, but it made that song special to me.”

The song was cut by the current Grasstowne, with Justin Jenkins on banjo, Tony Watt on guitar, Zak McLamb on bass. Ron Stewart plays fiddle.

Here ’tis…

The single for Blue Christmas is available now to radio through AirPlay Direct, and will be released for purchase on December 4 from all your favorite streaming and download sites.

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Bobby & Teddi Cyrus to Pinecastle Records, with new single

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Azlyrics

Pinecastle Records has announced the signing of husband-and-wife bluegrass duo, Bobby & Teddi Cyrus, to the label, with a debut project expected sometime next year.

And before you ask, yes… Bobby is a cousin to country hit heartthrob Billy Ray. But he credits his inspiration to his father, the late Bobby Glen Cyrus, for his pursuing a career in music. Growing up in eastern Kentucky, it was bluegrass that he fell in love with as a boy, and his desire to write and sing it was cemented when he met Tom T Hall, who served as an early mentor.

A first single is available now from their album, co-produced by Don Rigsby, who also plays mandolin. They were supported by Kenny Smith on guitar, Mark Fain on bass, and Justin Moses on fiddle, banjo, and reso-guitar.

The track they have chosen is My Wedding Day, written by Jimmy Sites and Jimmy Yeary, which features Bobby and Teddi in duet. It’s a Gospel waltz number with twin fiddles in an acoustic country vibe.

My Wedding Day is available now wherever you stream or download music online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

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Chicken Wire Empire – Live from Deutschland: Volume 2 sample video

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Azlyrics

Here’s some more bluegrass from Milwaukee, only in Germany. Did you follow that?

Chicken Wire Empire is an established group of modern grassers in The Cream City, who spent the fall of 2019 on tour in Germany with The Bluegrass Jamboree. Each year (except 2020), the Jamboree brings a package show featuring several North American bluegrass and/or old time bands to Germany and Switzerland, visiting several dozen cities over a four-week period. These shows are very well attended, and the groups who participate always report having had a wonderful time.

While overseas, the Empire was able to record all of their performances, and have been making the live shows available to their fans online. Just this week a second album from the Jamboree has been released, Live from Deutschland: Volume 2. Both are offered via bandcamp, and can be found through the popular streaming and download sites.

To give a taste of the music, the guys have shared this video shot November 24, 2019 at the Columbia-Theater in Berlin.

Chicken Wire Empire is Ernest Brusubardis on fiddle, Jordan Kroeger on bass, Ryan Ogburn on mandolin, Jon Peik on banjo, and Greg Brundage on guitar. The members come from both traditional and jamband bluegrass backgrounds, combining both approaches in a powerful live show. They were featured in the 2016 documentary film, All It Takes, directed by Ross Monagle, which was shown in several venues in Milwaukee.

You can keep up with the guys online.

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From The Side of the Road… Thanksgiving 2020 edition

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Azlyrics

Thanksgiving is upon us, and for some it’s a time for reflection on all we have to be thankful for. For most, if we’re honest, it’s a time for eating as much as humanly possible, saving no room for pumpkin pie, then eating a generous slice of it anyway (Whipped cream? Yes please!). Fortunately, it’s not a mutually exclusive choice: we can eat like it’s our last meal on earth, and still take a moment (while chewing) to be grateful for all we have.

In 2020, though, it’s a challenge, isn’t it? People are in general agreement that this is the worst year ever, at least going back to 1918, when there was simultaneously a pandemic and a brutal world war. 2020 was particularly hard on fans of live music and people who play live music for a living.

This year, I thought rather than dwell any more than necessary on this traumatic period in our lives, let’s turn the clock back to 2019 and list some of the things we were all complaining about at the time. What a bunch of spoiled whiners we turned out to be:

“Our tour dates are down this year: we’re only working 150 shows. Last year it was closer to 175. We won’t survive long with numbers like that.”

“Weather killed our festival attendance. Our Friday crowd was down 25%.”

“I’m off the road for three straight weeks in January. I can’t imagine how I’m going to deal with that level of sustained boredom, never mind the lost income. Binge watching TV shows is fine for about three days and that’s all I can take.”

“The hurricane season is so bad this year, they’re already up to Hurricane Ozzie and it’s only October. At this rate they’ll get to Hurricane “Wilfred” or “Xenon”!

“Our live CD sales are still declining and we’ve been forced to start selling band logo key chains and travel mugs to make up for the loss.”

“The only thing worse than going down the road in a bus packed in with your fellow musicians is flying to gigs. Between the security hassles, checking baggage, and trying to carry your instrument on board, it never feels worth it. The last time I flew to a show, I missed my connection in Detroit and ended up traveling for almost 24 hours!”

“The IBMA World of Bluegrass is fun, but the Streetfest is too crowded. And don’t get me started on the hotel elevators. Sure, I love seeing all the people there; I just don’t need to be so close to all of them. I felt claustrophobic enough last year that I’m considering skipping the event in 2020.”

“I love interacting with fans, but some of them get a little too touchy-feely for me. I’m not even that crazy about shaking hands, let alone hugging. Can’t we have a nice conversation from across a CD table?”

“My bandmates are great, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes a break from seeing them all the time would be appreciated.”

“We just played a theater where attendance was so poor there were three seats between every person. It was almost too demoralizing to do the show.”

“I’m so tired of touching my face.”

“We’ve had three cancellations in 2019. We may not recover from that economic blow.”

Last but not least: “The flu season is terrible this year: two members of my band and I have it, the doctor’s waiting room was full, and it took me a whole week to get over mine. I probably should have washed my hands more while singing Next Sunday Darling is My Birthday, but that really gets old.”

Yes, to quote the Bluegrass Cardinals (which I made a personal pledge to do at least once a week during the pandemic) last year we really were “living in the good old days,” and maybe we still are. Never mind; that’s a horrible thought. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Tyler Jackson of Drive Time’s miraculous recovery from brain aneurysm

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Azlyrics

During a time of year when we reflect and give thanks, there is much to be grateful for even in the midst of a pandemic. Tyler Jackson, 24 year old banjoist with NC-based bluegrass band Drive Time who suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm on October 31, is back home and on the road to a complete recovery!

“We’re HOME!” said Tyler’s dad, Ronnie Jackson. “Tyler has quite a few appointments coming up, but medically he’s good. Doctors are optimistic about his recovery. He will receive rehab and therapy as an outpatient.”

The young banjo picker spent 15 days in the ICU at Chapel Hill Medical Center, two days in a step-down room, and two more in a regular room before being released to go home last Thursday, November 19.

His dad expressed his appreciation for the medical care his son received. “We will always be grateful for the Neurological Science ICU at UNC hospital in Chapel Hill. When we entered, we didn’t know what would happen, and we were so scared. We had no choice but to put it in God’s hands.”

Tyler will begin the rehabilitation process this week. He will receive physical therapy to assist him with walking and balance. There will also be occupational therapy sessions to help strengthen his muscles.

“He can do everything that he could do before. He has full mental capacity with just some balance issues,” shared his father. “He is limited with weight (lifting) so he hasn’t played his banjo yet.”

But he is picking. 

In a phone interview on Monday morning, Tyler stressed, “I played guitar Saturday and Sunday. I may start playing some mandolin.”

The Buies Creek resident was visited by some of his bluegrass friends and band mates on Sunday afternoon.

“It was nice to talk bluegrass and see my friends,” Tyler relayed.

One guest was Austyn Howell, Drive Time’s guitarist. “It was a good visit. He was in great spirits, joking and laughing. He has good dexterity in his hands and feet. In fact, he was playing some guitar Saturday. He was able to walk unassisted. He has some minor things to work through with physical therapy, but overall it was a testament to his will and God’s grace. He heard the prayers from every corner of the country and beyond.”

Another visitor was close friend, Bailey Coe. “It was great to see Tyler and his family. Seeing Tyler laugh seemed to uplift everyone’s spirits. We all know that he still has a ways to go, but it was great to see him interacting with everyone. Tyler is a strong person and will persevere. We love him and are so glad to see him heading in a positive direction.”

Drive Time band mate, Grayson Tuttle, agreed. “Tyler is one of my best friends and I am always proud to call him this! After the aneurysm, I was shaken but knew Tyler had the strength to pull through. I’m so proud of him and know there is still a road to recovery, but with his courage he will prevail. We will all be here to support and encourage him along the way. The band simply could not function without him, and I can’t wait to be back on the stage beside my right hand man!”

Tyler was moved by the response to his ordeal. “I appreciate the overwhelming support from friends, family, and the bluegrass community all over.”

The young musician is truly a miracle, beating the odds.

Ronnie explained the numbers. “Tyler is in the top 30%! We were told that (of individuals who experience aneurysms) 30% never make it to the hospital and 40% never make it out of a long term care facility.”

“I hope our testimony during the single scariest thing in my life touched someone in a special way. The Holy Spirit was surely with all of us, and we thank God for that. Lastly, Tyler’s faith has impressed me. He wanted the chaplains to come by every day. This will make all of us more faithful to the good Lord. Thanks everyone! Love you all!”

Tyler concluded, “I still have a ways to go. 2020 has not been my favorite year, but I am thankful for God’s healing grace and mercy.”

Looking ahead, Drive Time hopes to eventually resume performing with Tyler on banjo. There is much to celebrate this Thanksgiving season.

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Someone Took My Place With You from Billy Troy & The Country Store

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Azlyrics

Here’s some more socially-distanced, green screened, retro bluegrass from Billy Troy, Hugh Moore, and The Country Store for OMS Records.

Since COVID-19 restrictions took effect earlier this year, Hugh and his merry band of Flatt & Scruggs aficionados have been hard at work recording audio and video tracks from their homes, and piecing them together into these very effective presentations on YouTube. All of the members of this outfit are thoroughly versed in the music of Lester and Earl, and jumped at the chance to participate in these recreations, largely for the fun of it.

Moore, who owns and operates OMS Records, tells us that it was initially simply a labor of love, and a result of everyone’s frustration with not being able to get together and play. But as interest in the videos has picked up online, he is considering putting together an album with all of their vintage bluegrass takes and make it available for purchase.

This time out, they tackle an absolute classic of the genre, Someone Took My Place With You, which is based around the stellar fiddle playing of the great Benny Martin. His kickoff to this song has become so definitive that you rarely hear it performed nowadays without some approximation of Benny’s break being attempted. In fact, this solo is considered one of the finest of the early bluegrass repertoire, and it takes a mighty stout fiddler to pull it off properly.

Billy Troy takes the lead vocal, supported by Moore on banjo, Ray Legere embodying the Big Tiger on fiddle, Chris Sharp on guitar, John Cloyd Miller on mandolin, and Zack Mondry on bass.

Serious fans of Flatt & Scruggs will recognize this video as being based on the August 29, 1953 recording of the song, from Benny’s second stint as a Foggy Mountain Boy.

Take it away boys…

Great job! One can only imagine how much fun they all have had with this project.

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2021 Bluegrass Grammy nominees announced

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Azlyrics

Earlier today, nominees for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards were announced, with winners to be announced during two ceremonies held on January 31, 2021.

While awards will be given in a total of 83 categories, a few of those are of special interest to our readers, in categories generally receiving very little media attention.

First up, the nominees for the all-important Best Bluegrass Album award, defined by The Grammies as “albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.”

  • Man On Fire – Danny Barnes
  • To Live In Two Worlds, Vol 1 – Thomm Jutz
  • North Carolina Songbook – Steep Canyon Rangers
  • Home – Billy Strings
  • The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol 1 – Various Artists

Also receiving nods were Sierra Hull and Kai Welch for Ceiling To The Floor, and Sarah Jarosz for Hometown in the Best Americana Roots Song category. Sarah is also nominated for World On The Ground in the Best Americana Album category.

Well done, congratulations, and best of luck to all the nominees!

You can see a complete list of nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards online.

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Track Premiere: Abby’s Dance from Will Cassell

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Azlyrics

We have a nice instrumental track to share today, from the new EP, Calamity, by Will Cassell.

Will is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter from the fertile ground of southwestern Virginia, the town of Norton to be exact. Growing up in a musical family, he took to the guitar early, but didn’t really connect with the instrument until the rock bug bit him around age 11. But what caught him harder than any other was the music of Tony Rice. The teenaged Cassell became consumed with the progressive acoustic sound of the Tony Rice Unit, and he worked to develop the technique to play it himself.

His younger brother, Thomas, was also pursuing contemporary bluegrass, so he had a natural right hand man in this journey. Now both young adults, Will and Thomas have a Cassell Brothers album in the works, as soon as COVID-19 restrictions can allow them some more time in the studio. Both of them have been through the ETSU Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music program, with Thomas now on the mandolin faculty while in grad school.

Calamity contains six instrumental tracks, several written by Will, with one traditional fiddle tune and a Tony Rice classic. Assisting were Wyatt Rice, Hunter Berry, Thomas Cassell, Matthew Davis, Josiah Nelson, Justin Alexander, Tray Wellington, and Johnny Calamari.

Will shared a few words about the track we are premiering today, Abby’s Dance.

“Abby’s Dance is probably one of the more traditional ones on Calamity, with a modern twist. It features a mandolin and guitar intro, which has always been one of my favorite blends of sound ever since my brother and I started playing together. There are some wonderful musicians on the track, such as Thomas Cassell on mandolin, Josiah Nelson on fiddle, Justin Alexander on banjo, and Johnny Calamari on bass.

This song has mostly a traditionally-geared arrangement, other than a space section in the middle that allowed bass player Johnny Calamari to be highlighted.”

Calamity is available now wherever you stream or download music online.

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My Best Friend – Jay Armsworthy & Eastern Tradition

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Azlyrics

Dog owners tend to be sensitive souls, which makes it a pretty good guarantee that any song about a beloved pet, especially one that’s dearly departed, will cause tear ducts to get to work being seduced by sentiment. So credit Jay Armsworthy & Eastern Tradition for being well aware of the effect that a good song about a special pooch can leave on a listener. Hence, their new album offers the obligatory tearjerkers, Billy the Bluegrass Beagle, the true story of an adopted dog whose obsession for music mooted its hunting ability, and Pearl, an ode to a faithful furry companion that brings to mind the wistful reflection of Merle Haggard’s Sing Me Back Home.

Not surprisingly then, Armsworthy — a singer and guitarist based in the eastern environs that extend from the nation’s capitol to the streets of Baltimore — is a traditionalist at heart. And though his songs don’t always dwell entirely on dogs (contrary to what the album title suggests), he does pay heed to a decidedly timeless template, whether it’s his vintage interpretation of the Kenny Rogers classic Lucille or a sprightly instrumental take on When the Saints Go Marching In. In-between, he and his compatriots — Lewis Layton on bass, Leon Morris on mandolin and guitar, Scott Walker playing banjo, and Dale Eyler, his faithful fiddle player —  stir up a series of rousing revelries, from the banjo twang of Got No Reason for Goin’ Home and  the upbeat instrumental Shredin’ It Down, to a faithful revisit to the familiar standard Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down.

Still, it’s hard to avoid the impression that Armsworthy and company are also hooked on heartbreak, as evidenced by an abundance of songs that deal with despair. Their cover of Woody Guthrie’s vintage classic, Worried Man Blues, is but one example, and when they delve deep into addiction on The Needle, any hint of a fanciful flirtation gives way to hard reality. Yet they do find redemption. Take, for example, (Some Call It Heaven) I Call It Home, a hopeful look at the hereafter where “Some call it paradise beyond the skies.”

Ultimately then, the band do more than simply describe a dog’s life, turning instead to songs of circumstance, sobriety, and life’s journey overall. In the process, they prove it takes no more than the wag of a tail, the pluck of strings, and some fiddle frenzy to encourage an audience to occasionally howl with delight.

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The Banjo Elf goes forth from the American Banjo Museum

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Azlyrics

The American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City has found a new way to share their love of the banjo with the community.

During this Christmas season, Oklahoma City Metro retirement communities and assisted living centers can request a visit from The Banjo Elf, who will present a mixture of Christmas music and banjo comedy in a safe and distanced fashion. Playing the Elf is Museum Outreach and Promotions Coordinator, Lucas Ross, an experienced actor, comedian, banjo player, and public speaker.

An engaging performer, Lucas can either schedule a Zoom visit with assembled residents, or come by the home and perform for them outside their windows.

With many elderly folks prevented from seeing their families over the holidays by COVID-19 restrictions, Ross said he wants to do his part to bring some smiles to those shut in by the response to the virus – with a banjo!

“My heart goes out to those who are separated from loved ones. We’re just hoping to bring some joy or distraction this holiday season.”

The Banjo Elf will be roaming OKC from December 8-22, and anyone wanting to schedule a visit is encouraged to do so online.

Hats off to Lucas and the Museum for making this available in Oklahoma City.

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Ole Carolina from The Kody Norris Show

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Azlyrics

Rebel Records has released a second single from their upcoming album from The Kody Norris Show, All Suited Up.

This time it’s Ole Carolina, written by James Randolph, which Norris & Co recorded at Eastwood Studio in Cana, VA with Wes Easter engineering and Darin Aldridge producing.

Kody tells us that he first heard Ole Carolina when he was 12 years old, just as he was getting deeply interested in bluegrass. He came upon a record by chance in a shop, which he says was the best $1.75 he ever spent.

“On a trip with my Dad, we happened by an antique shop in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, but I was disappointed not to find any records. We decided to leave, but as we headed toward the door, I passed a display with the only 33rpm record in the store, The Bluegrass Tarheels – Tarheel Country.” 

“It was really late when we got home, but I couldn’t wait to give my new record a quick listen. That quick listen lasted about four hours. I listened over and over and discovered one of the prettiest bluegrass songs I’d ever heard, Ole Carolina.”

Have a listen.

The Show is Norris on guitar and lead vocals, Mary Rachel Nalley-Norris on fiddle, Josiah Tyree on banjo, and Charlie Lowman on bass. Darin Aldridge joined them in the studio for this one on mandolin and lead guitar, with Jason Barie on second fiddle.

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

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Radio Ramblers present instruments to Global Impact Stem Academy

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Azlyrics

Joe Mullins and one of his Radio Ramblers, Adam McIntosh, made the short trip to Springfield, OH earlier this month to present donated instruments to the new Roots Music Club at Global Impact Stem Academy. Through the kindness of Deering Banjos, The Banjo Store, and The Mandolin Store, Joe and Adam were able to see new banjos and mandolins in the hands of students at this advanced private high school.

In addition to handing over the instruments, Joe and Adam offered the students a demonstration of bluegrass picking, and a brief history of the music on November 5.

Mullins tells us that this Roots Music Club was recently launched by someone he knows who learned to love bluegrass by attending the twice-annual SOIMF in nearby Wilmington, OH.

“It’s exciting to see enthusiastic teachers continuing to introduce bluegrass in their classrooms. My friend Brandon Williams grew up hearing my radio network and he has helped as a volunteer at our Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festivals since his high school years. That’s where he was saturated with live music, workshops and jamming.”

“In this season of thanksgiving, after such a stressful year, I’m certainly thankful for the generosity of Deering Banjos, The Banjo Store, and The Mandolin Store. What a great blessing to have instruments provided to a program filled with students who otherwise would not be in the same building with banjos and mandolins.”

Mullins expressed special thanks to the people who donated the instruments, which he and McIntosh coordinated.

“Thanks to Jamie Deering and David Bandrowski for the Deering Goodtime banjo; Dennis Vance, owner of The Mandolin Store and generous friend for the Eastman mandolin; and Adam McIntosh with The Banjo Store for the Recording King banjo.”

Well done Joe and Adam, and Brandon as well, and best of luck to all the students in the Roots Music Club.

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California Report: Jody Stecher discusses his new release and a lot more

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Azlyrics

Brooklyn born, San Francisco-based Jody Stecher is an old-time, bluegrass, traditional music artist like no other. He plays mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and guitar and has a long list of credentials, not the least of which is playing mandolin and singing in the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band. Jody and spouse/duet partner Kate Brislin, who are twice Grammy-nominated, have recently stopped touring, but that hasn’t slowed Jody down one bit, as he still keeps a full-time teaching schedule and has a new release he talks about here. His voice is as mountain as mountain can be, and the new release Dreams From The Overlook can be purchased from he and Kate’s web store.

Hi Jody, congratulation on the new release. Tell us about Dreams From The Overlook.

It’s a double CD. I composed everything on it – let me qualify that, I co-wrote two songs and one instrumental –  and a good number of the pieces came to me in dreams. Does dreaming qualify as composing? Maybe I “arranged” the dream music. The title is Dreams From The Overlook. Near where I live there’s a path uphill about a mile to a spot that overlooks San Francisco Bay, Oakland, Berkeley, the Golden Gate Bridge, and an old cemetery. That’s the Overlook. I’ve been walking up there a lot since the pandemic arrived.

How far back do the songs go?

Some are 20 years old. Most were put together in the past five years.

Who are the players?

Kate Brislin and Keith Little play guitar and sing harmony. Banjo was Tony Trischka, and Keith played a bit too. Bass was Ethan Jodziewicz and Paul Knight. The fiddlers were Chad Manning, Tashina Clarridge, and Tristan Clarridge. Tristan also played tenor guitar and cello. I sang lead and played mostly mandolin, but also mandola, guitar, banjo, and even uke on one tune. From this giant pool there are solos, duets, and up to octets. In addition, two songs were previously released on Bill Martin’s album, Out On A Limb, which I co-wrote with Bill. On those songs Sharon Gilchrist plays bass, Scott Nygaard plays guitar, and Bill Martin is on mandolin.

What’s the mix of songs versus tunes, and which comes easier for you?

More tunes than songs, which is why I asked Bill Martin for permission to include Fast Track To Richmond and Ragtop Ford. I needed more songs to create a balanced playlist, and since I wrote the greater part of those two songs Bill readily agreed.

Songs and tunes come with equal ease or difficulty. My previous solo album, Wonders and Signs, was all songs except for one instrumental, so I’d already recorded a lot of songs, and I had these tunes that people liked and wanted to learn. So that was an impetus to get this recording done.

Where was Dreams From The Overlook recorded?

It was recorded in three sessions in July, August, and September of 2019 at 25th Street Recording in Oakland. Scott Bergstrom engineered it and did some editing. The rest of the editing and all of the mixing was done by Dave Luke at Opus in Berkeley, with my input of course. 

The mastering was done at Coast Mastering by Michael Romanowski. I was scheduled to master, and a few days before it was going to happen the COVID lockdown happened. Eventually, I asked Michael to do the mastering without me in the room – the first time I’ve allowed that in 30 years. No problem! Each engineer made a significant contribution to the final sound and Michael put on the finishing touches. I’m delighted and thrilled with how it sounds.

Why did you do a double CD? It seems like a wealth of material that could have been spread out over two releases.

I did a double CD because I thought I was going to die. I wanted to record and release all my compositions. I did record them all, but some did not come out well. And now I have enough new songs and tunes to make yet another album. Eventually I discovered that my demise is probably not imminent after  all.

Good to hear. I love that catchy tune, The Snoring Sassenach, which has an ambiguous chord progression.

Thank you. The chords are normal major chords and the progression is regular and repeated. It’s the key that is ambiguous. Kate thinks it’s in F. You hear it as in G. I composed it thinking it is in C. I still hear it that way.

How are you able to achieve that wonderful balance between old-time and bluegrass styles?

You know I grew up hearing early bluegrass back when it contained a lot of old time musical elements. Many years ago I was given a cassette of about 30 instrumentals, culled from live recordings of Flatt and Scruggs & and The Foggy Mountain Boys in the 1950s and early ’60s. The fiddle is central and it sounds very much like an old-time band. So the first bluegrass I heard already had that integration. A few years ago I read Lonesome Melodies. It’s a history of the Stanley Brothers. It’s got a lot of details I’ve never seen elsewhere, like the story of the pet alligator the Clinch Mountain Boys kept at the boarding house where they stayed in Bristol. And who do you suppose toured with the Stanleys, playing fiddle in the band? None other than the legendary Cowan Powers, who they admired. Apparently Cowan Powers died on stage while playing old-time fiddle with the Stanley Brothers. I could give you more examples. But my point is that early on, these were not quite separate musics as they are now. Old-time music and bluegrass are both inside me and they are integrated. I can separate them when appropriate.

Will this release be available on streaming services?

Not if I can help it. If it appears on streaming services it means it has been stolen. I’m trying an experiment with this release. The only way to get this recording is from me. Either directly when this pandemic is over, or through the website. I’ve put a bargain price on the double CD which has 31 tracks, several of which are medleys. MP3 downloads are also available at the website. Unfortunately, WAV downloads weren’t working right. Personally I recommend the CD as the sound quality is magnificent, thanks to the engineers.

Do you still have a lot of music students? I’m guessing you’ve had to move lessons online.

I have more students now than I’ve had in years. Yes, all online. That’s the simple answer. The compli-ma-cated answer is that I’d stopped taking new students except for people who live in my neighborhood, and I also kept old students. I wanted time to concentrate on some other projects that were not directly musical. Then last year three of my close friends died. I started thinking I might be next. This caused me to drop all inessential projects and get down to work on recording my songs and tunes, and concentrating on other musical things. This decision released energy. A lot of energy. I was relieved of a burden and I got right down to work. When lockdown arrived a lot of people were stuck at home and wanted to practice music. Old students and new students began to contact me for lessons. So now I’m teaching via Skype and FaceTime. There’s no impact on the household. I’m earning income, the students are happy, and, gosh, I don’t even have to wear pants! (I do though).

I’ve been enjoying your YouTube videos. What was the tipping point for you after all these years to start a YouTube channel?

I’ve had a semi-private YouTube channel for a long time. I decided to post some public videos because my old computer died. I got a new one and found I could make videos comfortably using it. Setting up a camera or a cell phone to make videos is a bit tedious for me. This new way is easy. I just sit down in the chair where I answer emails, and I push a red button play and talk, and then I push Stop. Easy! Also since the lockdown, I’ve been doing more online teaching, and I found that there were certain things I could tell all my students at once using YouTube. So it started that way. But then I got a new idea. Instead of teaching anything or telling anyone how I think they should play, I’ve made some videos where I show my learning process. I show the choices I make and play Not-Too-Terribly Wonderfully because this is repertoire I’m learning and people like to see that. Also, I’ve shown something of my process of creating a new tune or creating a new arrangement. 

When composing a tune, what is your approach to finding the chords?

If the tune is chord-based, I already know the chords. If it’s modal or some other kind of melody where chords are not obvious, I try different chords and see what I like best. Sometimes I chose chords for their harmonic function but sometimes their prime use is to move the tune along or to help define the shape, and I’ll use those chords even though there may be a bit of dissonance.

Can drone notes be used in most any fiddle tune or does it depend on the key, tempo, time signature, mode, etc.?

An unchanging pitch played at the same time as an ever-changing melody is used in all sorts of North American fiddle music, not just the archaic-sounding older music set in microtonal modes. For instance, look at the Texas contest version of Sally Goodin. The pinky holds down A on the D string while the melody moves up and down on the A string. When A natural is played on the open A string the pinky remains on A on the D string and you get a “rhyme” of the same two pitches. Some old-time fiddlers will avoid playing a single open D, A or E string. They play it in unison with the fingered note of the same pitch found one string below. You hear that a lot from old-style fiddlers in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia as well. 

Can drone notes can be used in vocals as well?

Kate and I use drones in our duet singing sometimes. I’ll sense that she’s about to sing something brilliant that’s just a little different from the obvious harmony note, so I simplify my melody part so that it stays more on one note. In effect, I’m providing a drone below her flight of fancy. And the same thing will happen when I’m singing harmony. I’ll hold out one pitch so that her melody has a sort of platform below it. And she does the same when I sing variations. A drone — which is to say an unchanging note sounded along with changing notes — is used in any kind of music. 

How do you decide on the arrangement?

Things suggest themselves.

Can you expand on that?

An “arrangement” usually means the setting of an existing piece of music. The word does not pertain to structure. Some arrangement elements are key, pace, chords, instrumentation, vocal vs. instrumental, what sort of harmony, if any, use or absence of instrumental solos, and overall style. So for instance take something like Jingle Bells. It could have an infinite number of arrangements in myriad styles, but that would not affect the structure. Jingle Bells will still be Jingle Bells whether it’s done in Calypso style, or as a military march, or a bluegrass tune, or whatever. 

So when I’m arranging a tune or song, either myself or together with Kate, we try different keys and different instrumentation and different phrasing and pacing until we think it’s starting to sound good. Then we sing it again. And again and again. But then sometimes we find some things don’t work as well as we imagined they would. Maybe it goes on too long, so we cut one instrumental break or make it half as long. Maybe it seemed good to us fast in our imaginations, but when we try singing it we stumble on the words, so we slow it down.

Is it a similar process with fiddle tunes?

When it comes to composing a fiddle tune and determining the structure (AA BB or otherwise), this is more fundamental than arrangement. In the 19th century, and maybe the late 18th century as well, the four strings of the fiddle (the violin) were called fine, course, counter, and bass. The E string is thin, so that is “fine.” The A string is thicker, so that is “coarse,” and so on. The high part of a fiddle tune always includes some notes on the E string, so that part was called “fine.” The low part was called the “coarse.” But some tunes have more than two parts. Highland bagpipe tunes often have four parts, especially (but not only) marches. When they get played on the fiddle, the four parts are retained. I’ve composed tunes with two parts and others with more parts. I put in more parts when I still have more to “say” musically, if the two parts don’t complete my musical idea. 

Here’s where arrangement and how many parts there are come together: Every now and then I’ve come across a traditional fiddle tune that has two versions I like. One of the parts (usually the low part) is the same in both versions. But the high parts are very different. If I like both of these high parts, I’ll play the piece as a three-part tune. 

Have you ever composed a tune that you don’t feel is suited to your playing? 

I’ve composed some tunes that are hard for me to play. I practice them until I can play them.

Talk about your relationship with Warren Hellman (founder of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco).

He’d played five-string banjo several decades earlier and wanted to get back to it. So I took him as a student and we enjoyed each other’s company. He always had great jokes and true stories to tell. And I was able to help him out with his banjo technique and repertoire. We even wrote a song together. It was based on the disappearance and reappearance of a Fairbanks Whyte Laydie banjo. Warren’s wife Chris wanted to give him a Christmas present of a Whyte Laydie banjo. She remembered that he once had one and loved it. But he’d loaned it to a feller who’d married a member of his family. He had reservations about this person, and when the couple divorced Warren was so happy to be rid of him that he never asked for the banjo back. So Chris Hellman enlisted my help. I’m pretty good at finding instruments and assessing them from a distance. I did find a nice Whyte Laydie and the order was placed. Warren drove around for a while with that banjo (in its case) in the trunk of his car without him ever knowing it was there! 

While looking for a Whyte Laydie I came upon a reasonably priced Bacon FF Professional banjo that was exactly what I’d wanted for years. So I bought it. The two banjos were delivered to my home within days of each other. Now something amazing was apparent when I looked at the necks of these two banjos. They were both made in 1909 in the Vega shop from when David Day (of Bacon & Day fame) was shop foreman. These two necks were not only identical in shape (though the fingerboards and inlay differed), but they were clearly made from the same piece of wood. But that’s not all. Warren found his new Whyte Laydie to be very much like his old one. And then he discovered a few old dings and marks and so on that were exactly like his old one. We looked into how this banjo had gotten into the shop that sold it. The original banjo borrower had consigned it there. So Warren got back his old banjo and I got its fraternal twin. We had fun writing the song. 

Much has been made in recent years about the “International” in IBMA, but you were playing Indian and other international music as far back as the ’70s. How did that evolve?

I would have arrived at playing different kinds of music one way or the other because I had so many personal connections with musicians, fans, and connoisseurs of different music from around the world. One big door was the fiddle. There’s hardly a place in the world that hasn’t incorporated the violin into its music. So when I was a teenager and in my early 20s if I heard a fiddle, I listened and I got curious.

As much as we all love the traditional sound, most musicians of any genre wander from the path.

Most working bluegrass musicians I’ve met are at least curious about other music. Many are seriously interested in other kinds of music, and often are good players in other genres. It’s always been like that, as bluegrass itself is a confluence of many streams. Most keep their musical interests separate. Who wants to hear a fiddler that sounds like a violinist? A guitarist who plays jazz chords in a bluegrass band is going to ruin the music. Each music has its own special beauty and musical toolbox. In my case, I’ve mostly kept my interests apart. But occasionally I’ve found a few things from music from other lands that can beautify my American music. I’ve used some rhythm patterns from Greece, Rumania, India, and other places in my solos. Only a person well-schooled in those musics would even notice. I’ve sometimes used a pick grip that I observed Armenian and Nubian oud players use when I was a teenager. One thing I picked up from the Indian sarod player Ali Akbar Khan was drawing a wide variety of tone qualities from whatever instrument I’m playing in any genre. The most blatant borrowing I’ve done can be heard on two songs on disc 2 of Dreams from The Overlook –  Snowball Blues and If I Die In California. When a Greek guitar player accompanies a singer or instrumentalist playing a zeibekiko (which is in 9/8 time), he uses one of several common patterns. I use one of these patterns on one song and another on the other. Snowball Blues started out in the 1970s or ’80s when I was playing in a duet with Hank Bradley. We were mixing guitar riffs from rockabilly and blues music with Greek ones, and setting it to the zeibekiko framework. We were half joking but also half serious. If I Die In California, as the title suggests, is not meant to be funny. I recorded the two as a medley with the band, combining –  as I’ve done before, for better or worse –  tragic and comic elements in one musical performance. There are other small borrowings from other lands in my music. This is what musicians in all lands do and have always done. We’re always happily stealing from each other. This can be done well and it can be done badly.

What if anything do you do to avoid plagiarism when composing?

It’s been said that every possible melodic phrase has already been composed and played. That may be so, but some phrases are no longer remembered, so if you recompose ’em that’s ok. The problem with well-known or copyrighted music is that using more than a little is against the law, if you claim it as your own and get paid for what you stole instead of what you created. So if I compose something and then discover that, WHOOPS… it seems like I may have accidentally stolen it, I’ll change a note or two, or change the phrasing so that it becomes something else. Basically, I mess around and try different things until I get something that’s musically satisfying and not illegal.

Thank you Jody for your time and congratulations on the new release.

Copy editing by Jeanie Poling.

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Bill Monroe’s Ol’ Mandolin – Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Azlyrics

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road are proud carriers of tradition in the world of bluegrass music, with many of their past hits proclaiming a love for classic grass and the sounds of an earlier era. Their newest effort from Pinecastle, Bill Monroe’s Ol’ Mandolin, is no different. Namechecking some of the genre’s founding fathers in the first two singles and including several excellent covers throughout the album, Jordan and Carolina Road pay tribute to the first generations of bluegrass while also incorporating a smooth, modern touch.

The debut single and title track has find quite a bit of appreciation on radio in the several months since its release. Kicking off with a nice mandolin intro, the song memorializes Ricky Skaggs’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, during which he played Monroe’s famous mandolin. Allen Dyer brings songwriter David Stewart’s images to life, making the number solemn yet soulful: “Lord, he picked up that old Gibson, he embraced it like a friend. He held it like the Bible as it softly spoke to him.” This song is complemented nicely by the second number on the album, They Call it Bluegrass, an uptempo toe-tapper with fine banjo picking from Ben Greene. The song was written by Raleigh-area bluegrass DJ Larry Nixon, who honors that special something Earl Scruggs and his banjo brought to our genre.

Greene’s banjo picking is also hot on one of my favorite instrumentals, Sally Ann. The band doesn’t necessarily show off on this number, but plays it straight and tight the whole way through – just the way it should be. I’d have liked a mandolin break from Jordan to go along with the fiddle, banjo, and dobro, but it’s still a fine tune. Another nice example of straightforward traditional grass is the cut of Rolling in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.

The group dives into the country genre for a few tracks, including a strong rendition of He Stopped Loving Her Today, which Dyer’s rich vocals fill with plenty of emotion. Matt Hooper’s fiddle guides Cherokee Fiddle, made popular by Johnny Lee and the movie Urban Cowboy, and penned by Michael Martin Murphy. The group has given this song a nice bluegrass treatment, with plenty of banjo and mandolin. Coming from a slightly different place, at least sonically, is Boogie Grass Band. Written by Ronnie Reno and taken to the top of the charts by Conway Twitty in the late 1970s, the original is a neat fusion of country and bluegrass sounds that celebrates loving “to hear Bill sing about Kentucky, and the Allman Brothers’ Ramblin’ Man.” It’s just a fun number that I’m sure is a crowd-pleaser live.

Jordan co-wrote two of the songs on the album, and contributes lead vocals on both. Mama Can You Hear That Train was co-written with Mickey Tripp, and is told from the perspective of a boy waiting for his father to return from prison, and reflecting on the unfair circumstances that put him there. It has a nice chugging melody and a strong harmony vocal from Randy Graham. Living Like I’m Dying was penned by Jordan with her mother, Janice Jordan. According to the liner notes, the song was inspired by Lorraine’s approach to life: “I’m headed down another open road, not sure where it leads, I know I want to go.” Jordan’s mother passed away last year, and the album is dedicated to her.

Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road is filled with solid musicians who know their craft well. There’s plenty of good stuff here, and fans of both the band and traditional bluegrass in general shouldn’t be disappointed.

For more information on the band, visit their website. Their new album is available from several online retailers.

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Starry Southern Nights video from Rock Hearts

Posted on November 21, 2020 by Azlyrics

In celebration of last week’s release of their debut album, New England’s Rock Hearts have produced a music video for the title track, Starry Southern Nights.

It’s a tender and somewhat sombre track, telling the story of a lonely old man who has lost his beloved wife, still visits their favorite dance hall, and waltzes to their favorite song, all on his own.

Alex MacLeod, who wrote and sings this song, explains how the story came to him.

“Shortly after returning from Nashville, I was sitting in a corner booth of a local restaurant hosting Bluegrass Night. As the band was playing a waltz, I observed an older man walk through the crowd to the dance floor, and he began to dance by himself. While others snickered and commented to each other, my heart immediately softened as I started thinking about the old man’s ‘story.’

Maybe he had too much to drink, maybe it was time for him to head on home, and yet maybe, that was his way of staying connected to the one true love of his life who had departed. I rested on that idea, and went home that night to write Starry Southern Nights.

Losing someone you love is one of the toughest events to deal within life. During these unprecedented and difficult times, it’s important to keep a soft heart, be slow to judge and take time to get to know other peoples stories.”

The music video was shot by Victoria Ng and Neal Howland at Boucher’s Wood River Inn in Rhode Island, with Neal handling the final edit. Tori Deetz served as producer/director.

The band asked us to also share the cast that participated in the shoot. Tom and Audrey Monahan played the loving couple. Donny Okolowitcz played the bartender, and the members of the crowd were Rene Hartman, Jessica and Rob Mattarese, and Gary and Becky Blanchette.

Members of Rock Hearts also appeared: Alex MacLeod on guitar, Joe Deetz on banjo, Billy Thibodeau on mandolin, Rick Brodsky on bass, and Alex Daiwan on fiddle.

Starry Southern Nights is available wherever you stream or download music online.

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One Way Rider video from Phil Leadbetter & The All Stars of Bluegrass

Posted on November 21, 2020 by Azlyrics

Pinecastle Records has released a new music video today for Phil Leadbetter & The All Stars of Bluegrass and their latest single, One Way Rider.

The All Stars include Uncle Phil on reso-guitar, with Alan Bibey on mandolin, Robert Hale on guitar, Jason Burleson on banjo, and the late Steve Gulley on bass. They finished their album, Swing For The Fences, not long before Steve passed, and all the members of this side project group knew that the video needed to serve as a tribute to his friendship and memory.

The baseball motif was obvious given the album title, and Leadbetter tells us that hanging a jersey honoring Steve in the dugout was something that just felt right.

“It was fun being with all the guys doing this video. Everyone kept saying that it felt like Steve was there, and it did. Steve would never let any of us to get together without being there with us so he could tell us a story or crack a joke. That was just the way he was, and he was a trooper. I don’t know what we are going to do without him because it will not be the same. I know we will find someone to take his space, but we will never find anybody to take his place. He was one special guy and he brought so much to this band.”

The guys had cut a scorching version of One Way Rider, the Ricky Skaggs hit from 1982 written by Rodney Crowell. Each of the group’s three vocalists takes a turn at singing the lead, with Gulley going first.

It’s really a touching video, which you don’t always expect from a blazing grasser, but these guys’ admiration for their missing member is palpable.

A lovely tribute to one of the finest bluegrass singers and songwriters of his generation.

One Way Rider is available now wherever you stream or download music online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

Keep an eye out on Monday for a special All Stars contest to win your own signed baseball cards from the guys, plus a signed copy of the Swing For The Fences CD. Details will be shared on both the Pinecastle and Phil Leadbetter & The All Stars of Bluegrass Facebook pages.

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Darin & Brooke Aldridge find a new home with Billy Blue Records

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Azlyrics

When one of the hottest bluegrass acts signs with arguably the hottest bluegrass label, can anyone really be surprised? It seemed to be a matter of when, not if.

When, it turns out, is today, with the announcement that Darin & Brooke Aldridge are joining the growing stable of notable artists at Billy Blue Records. The husband-and-wife team recorded most recently for Rounder Records.

The new outfit also announced that a Christmas single, Light of the Stable, is available to radio stations today. 

“I can’t find the words to properly express my excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to work with them, and to welcome them as the newest members of our Billy Blue Records family,” said Jerry Salley, the label’s creative and A&R director, as well as an award-winning songwriter, producer and artist. “Our entire team is looking forward to this new journey together.”

The deal represents a reunion of sorts. Salley produced two of the duo’s early recordings.

“The first time we remember meeting Jerry Salley, there was an instant connection,” Darin said. “We think a lot like Jerry, from a musician’s standpoint, and share a love and appreciation of the same musical sounds and repertoire.” He said he and Brooke believe the deal “is going to be the beginning of something new and exciting, but (it) feels very familiar at the same time.”

Billy Blue was founded in 2018 by Ed Leonard, Dottie Leonard Miller, and Salley. Leonard had already made a name for himself and Daywind Music in the Gospel arena, but forming a bluegrass label when others were shrinking or running in place was a gamble.

That gamble paid off. Billy Blue is already home to headliners such as Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Appalachian Road Show, Alan Bibey & Grasstowne and others. And the label shows no signs of slowing down.

Neither do Darin and Brooke. Each of their last four albums has been better than the last, with a batch of chart-topping hits to their credit. Brooke is riding a string of four consecutive female vocalist of the year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Darin, recognized as the association’s mentor of the year in 2017, is an accomplished instrumentalist. He’s a former member of the Country Gentlemen, and it’s probably only a matter of time until he’s a regular nominee for guitar player of the year.

Just today it was announced that the duo is #10 in the latest Pollstar streaming chart, and they are scheduled to perform tonight in a streaming performance from The Station Inn.

They’ve become staples on the Grand Ole Opry and have recently come into their own as songwriters. So they’re pretty much the complete package. And the pairing with Billy Blue is pretty much a marriage made in musical heaven.

The artists and the label will spend their honeymoon in the studio. Look for a new single early next year, with a full CD likely in late spring.

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Track Premiere: Mary Evelyn from Wes Corbett’s banjo project

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Azlyrics

Wes Corbett, banjo player with the Sam Bush Band, has a banjo solo project coming December 4 called Cascade.

He has graciously agreed to let us share the first single today, Mary Evelyn, a highly lyrical banjo tune he recorded with Paul Kowert on bass, Sierra Hull on mandolin, Alex Hargreaves on fiddle, and Chris Eldridge on guitar.

Corbett is a perfect example of what creative young banjoists are producing with the instrument these days. Built on the foundation of the three finger style developed by Earl Scruggs, Wes combines those techniques with the wide open vistas that a more melodic approach offers to a composer and player. This song is arranged for a bluegrass quintet, as used by Bill Monroe, but with all the musicians applying the same sort of free thinking attitude in their accompaniment and solos.

The result is a highly listenable banjo instrumental, that feels as though it is telling a story through sound.

Wes tells us that the inspiration came from someone dear to him.

“Mary Evelyn was written for my grandmother on my mother’s side in 2013. The main melodic ideas came directly off the banjo, which wasn’t typical for my writing process that’s usually focused on using my voice to find melody. In the months leading up to making this record I spent a huge amount of time working on arrangements with co-producer Chris Eldridge, and Mary Evelyn was consistently a quagmire. We struggled to figure out exactly how to bring it to life, but when this spectacular band finally got together it became clear that we should just treat it like we were jamming on a fiddle tune. The whole thing fell into place and it’s now one of my favorite tracks on the record.”

See what you think…

Mary Evelyn is available now wherever you stream or download music online. The full Cascade project will release on December 4 on Padiddle Records.

For more details, visit Wes online or via his social media accounts.

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Ask Sonny Anything… tell us about recording with Ira Louvin

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Azlyrics

Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

All you’ns guys and gals keep telling me, and Terry and John, that you look forward to this thing every week. Man, you don’t realize how much I love doing this little thing. It’s like waking up to another world for me to spend these days in, and you all are helping. Now, a word about The Real Deal Bluegrass Music. I have heard it the last several weeks. Lieutenant Professor Dan Boner, (ETSU) guitar, vocal, bass. Anysley Porchak, fiddle, beyond words, and Lincoln Hensley banjo and guitar. Playing Krako K1 and occasionally 1966 Gold Vega, (Roll Muddy River). They’re doing a thing every Tuesday. Sounds like the ’50s again. s

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Sonny,

I look forward to your column every week. I have been a big fan of the ‘brothers’ since I was a kid, and remember seeing you at the first festival we went to which was in Berryville, VA. Watermelon Park in 1970. Such an experience for a family from Maine striking out to the ‘wilds’ of Virginia. Can it be 50 years ago already??

I have always been a huge fan of the Louvin Brothers, thanks to my parents constantly playing their albums. I would go to sleep by Alabama or Nobody’s Darling but Mine, among so many others. Oh those vocals!! Then dad would slap on your rendition of Kentucky. Wow!!

My question is about the recording Ira Louvin did with you. I believe the album was Yesterday, Today and The Osborne Brothers and the song was Give This Message To Your Heart. Will you talk about that recording? What it was like to have Ira in the studio with you? Anything you could share about that experience would be wonderful. Did you do any other recordings with Ira?

Thanks from a Yankee gal.

RB, Maine

Hey there Yankee gal RB from Maine….Charlie and Ira were as good as it gets. We patterned our harmonies from their ideas. The way they switched and changed parts was something to hear and try to understand. Then we found a way to add that idea to our thing, and it worked wonders.

The Ira story is typical of Ira…we were rehearsing to record at a 6:00 p.m. session. We didn’t have a third guy…Red Allen would not sign a release so we couldn’t record for a year after he left. Nice guy, huh? We had Johnny Dacus playing the guitar and singing the third part, but when we left Dayton for Nashville to record for MGM, Johnny had left town, and we didn’t see him again for two years. He never mentioned a reason for his sudden departure and we didn’t either. So, we went to Nashville and the FAMOUS RED ALLEN ONE YEAR DELAY was a week or so from coming to the end of our experience with Red Allen. Bobby’s and mine were the only names to ever appear on another contract. The Red Allen era was officially over. Thankfully!

Back to the Ira story. He was in the office and heard us going over some duet songs the we had chosen to do. He came into the studio and mentioned that he had a great song for our harmony. We relayed the above predicament and he offered to sing it with us if we wanted to do the song. The song was Give This Message To Your Heart. They (THE LOUVINS) were supposed to leave at 5:00 p.m. for South Dakota. He asked if we would do his song first on the session, of course we said YES. (In harmony I bet).

Anyhow, I asked Ira what part he wanted. His reply was, “Just do your normal part and I’ll do the other one.” I’ll bet no one can tell where his part is. One half line he would be under my part and the other half would be over Bobby. Absolute genius…He got to the session and we started on time. 6:00 p.m.. Our positioning was the same. Bobby and I facing one another and Ira to my right seeing both of us. If my memory serves me right, we went through it twice and he said he had to run, and we had a masterpiece…why do I place it that high? How often would we ever get the opportunity to sing with one of our HERO people. Never happened again…that’s how often! That was 1959.
s

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Sonny, Could you comment on Allen Shelton’s style of picking? Did you know him personally? Any other tidbits about him would be welcome! Thanks.

Sam G.

Sam. Thank you for joining us today. Good question about a friend. Allen Shelton was truly an original, I first met him when I was 14 or 15. He had two things against him. Strictly my opinion of course. NUMBER One was his choice of banjo. A Gibson RB-250 was not good enough to produce what Allen put into it, wanted, and needed to hear back. I don’t know the answer, nor do I know his thoughts. I didn’t ask and he never offered. Obviously he heard something that I didn’t. He should have gotten far more recognition than he did. He deserved far more than he received.

SHELTON STORY….of which there are many. One night at the Opry he asked if he could use my banjo. I said absolutely, and he did. He explained that he had been working on his banjo and when he left for the Opry he picked up the wrong case, which contained banjo parts, etc. Jim and Jesse were leaving right after the show and I told him to stay there 30 minutes and I would bring a banjo for him to play next day, and I could be back by the time they were ready to leave and he wouldn’t have to drive to Gallatin, which I sensed he didn’t want to do anyhow. He did, and I did. Brought double 00 or a new Chief. I can’t tell you more about the missing banjo.

The second reason Allen is not held in higher esteem is because the material Jim and Jesse played was not conducive to the style banjo Allen played. More so, the mandolin style Jesse played. Jesse wrote a lot of their material. They kinda fought with one another. (Not Allen and Jesse, the mandolin and banjo) Allen was always far back in the mix on their records.

ALLEN SHELTON was one of the nicer gentlemen I have ever known. You want to know who loved Allen’s playing… Marty Robins. Marty notoriously did not like the banjo. But he and I were great friends. He told me one night, “That ole red headed boy that plays for Jim and Jesse can flat play!” I wish Marty had hired him.

s

—–

Sonny,

You’ve had some of the best singers in your band over the years such as Paul Brewster, Terry Eldridge, Ronnie Reno, and so many others.

Can you tell us how you and Bobby found them or did they seek you all out? They were all an important part of the incredible harmonies you all had.

Thanks for your time!

Sean M.

Sean M. Man you have hit on one of my favorite subjects. Benny Birchfield, Dale Sledd, Ronnie Reno, Paul Brewster, Terry Eldredge, Terry Smith, and Daryl Mosely. You couldn’t ask for any better than that group of harmony singers and guitar pickers. They were the best for and what we were trying to accomplish. In the end, we did everything we set out to do. These guys helped push us and they made us sound as good as we could sound.

To be quite honest with you, for the most part they found us. Each time we needed someone, one showed up and wanted the job. With one exception it happened this way. And, get this, each of them needed no rehearsing. They knew the lyrics to every song and they knew the harmony part they were required to do. Absolutely amazing. That’s not the way it’s supposed to happen, but it did.

I left one guy out, Robby Osborne, Bobby’s oldest son. Rob, at one time or another played electric bass, guitar, sang the third part, then we wanted him to play snare drum…that’s right “just” snare.

By adding the drum, we knew we would catch hell and we wanted to tread lightly in the beginning. Well, as time moved right along, we worked several country package shows with George Jones. Drummer for George’s band…The Jones Boys…was a great little guy named Freddie…forgive me, I don’t remember his last name. Rob is left handed and so was Freddie so naturally they became good friends. Clinton, South Carolina. Rob came to me and asked if he could play the full set on the show. I asked if he had cleared it with his Dad. He said Bobby was all in, so I told him to go ahead but DO NOT MESS UP. (I cleaned that up a little bit right there) He promised he would not, and that day he became the best Bluegrass Drummer EVER. He might have been the only one at the time.

Robby Osborne convinced me, over time, that he could do just about anything. He could too. Owned and piloted his airplane, layed brick, built a recording studio, built our on-stage sound system, Built an EMT Echo Plate..I tell you, he can do anything. Anything he sets his mind to do, Boy can do it.
s

—–

Hello Sonny, Zach From Edmonton Alberta CA, hope you’re doing well! I know back in the day the Osborne Brothers were played on radio stations known for country music and not bluegrass, by disc jockeys who didn’t know better. They played you boys because of the steel guitar (and perhaps drums) heard, but I wanted to ask you if given the chance would you and Bobby have switched to country music solely instead of the bluegrass/country mix you both were known for?

Thanks Sonny, take care!

Zack W.

Hey there Zack W…Welcome in h’yer. Hello to you in Edmonton. My first Chinese food was with Blaine Sprouse and JD Brock. In Edmonton. Back yonder in the ’80s. My favorite TV show is Heartland which is filmed in High River Alberta. Beautiful Alberta Canada. I love it.

Zack, I thought about the country thing quite a bit. But to do it successfully we would have to abandon the banjo completely. Then rely on Bobby’s vocal and the strength of our harmony. I wasn’t sure that we could have been as successful doing all country as we were a bluegrass band ‘gone country.’ That would have been fun to try, but by doing so our bluegrass fans would have abandoned us completely, and we were afraid of that very thing happening. And, we were selling records, drawing large enough crowds, so we did ok. I bet Bobby would agree with our decision….just keep on keeping on.
s

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Ask Sonny Anything, Osborne Brothers, RB, VA | Leave a comment |

Terry Baucom celebrates new album and 50 years in bluegrass music

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Azlyrics

You’re right. Terry Baucom doesn’t look likes he’s old enough to have 50 years in bluegrass under his belt. And that’s just counting his true professional career, starting at age 18. He actually had been involved in the contest and convention scene for several years before that.

Having recently celebrated his 68th birthday, Bauc – as he is widely known – has covered a lot of ground in that time. Starting with the banjo at age 10, the fiddle captured his attention at 14, and he took his first paid gig at 18 on fiddle with Charlie Moore, after several years on banjo with his father’s group.

From there Baucom was a founding member of three of the most important and influential groups in contemporary bluegrass history. At 22 he was there for the beginning of Boone Creek, along with Ricky Skaggs, Wes Golding, Jerry Douglas, and Steve Bryant. Ironically, he had initially come on board to play fiddle, with Marc Pruett to have been on banjo, but other concerns forced Marc to pull away before they really got going.

Following two successful albums, Boone Creek dissolved, and Terry was in on the ground floor when Doyle Lawson formed the iconic Quicksilver in 1979. He played banjo with Doyle until 1985, when he, Jimmy Haley, and Randy Graham left Lawson to form New Quicksilver with Alan Bibey. That combo only played together for a short while.

Then in 1991, Baucom was involved with the startup of IIIrd Tyme Out, with Russell Moore, Alan Bibey, Ray Deaton, and Mike Hartgrove. Interestingly, this group included a number of other former Quicksilver members who left to start their own band. Terry stayed with them only a few years.

He and Lou Reid launched their own outfit, Carolina, in 1993, and recorded a pair of stellar albums of traditional bluegrass. In ’96 he decided to come off the road to focus on teaching in the Charlotte, NC region where he is from. But the lure of the road was on his mind, and he and Alan Bibey launched Blue Ridge, which continued for some time after he left. Terry rejoined Quicksilver in 2003, staying with Doyle another 4 years.

Bauc stuck with freelance work for the next few years, before deciding to launch his own group for the first time, forming Terry Baucom & The Dukes of Drive in 2013. He has just released his third album with them, Fine Time To Get The Blues, on his own independent label. Will Jones plays guitar, Joey Lemons is on mandolin, and Joe Hannabach bass. Will and Joey split time on lead vocals, with Baucom’s banjo driving the music the whole time.

Guests on Fine Time To Get The Blues include Justin Moses on fiddle and reso-guitar, and Terry’s lovely wife Cindy, who contributes lead vocals on two tracks.

Thinking about a half century in bluegrass, Bauc says it’s all been worth the trouble.

“First of all, I never would have thought fifty years would go by so fast! But when I look back at all the places the music has taken me, and all the many parts of the world I’ve gotten to experience, I’m very thankful. Deep friendships formed with band mates over the years means so much to me. I’m humbled when I hear younger banjo players performing instrumentals I’ve written…or bands doing songs I recorded over the years. But the cool thing is, I’m just as excited about my music looking forward as I was when I first started. In fact, it’s been so much fun up to this point, another fifty would suit me fine!”

Here are some samples from Fine Time To Get The Blues.

The new album is available now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Congratulations Bauc on 50 years!

Many thanks to Cindy Baucom for going through old photos to share these.

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Terry Baucom | Leave a comment |

Bandcamp launches new live streaming service for artists

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Azlyrics

Bandcamp, the popular artist-centered web site that allows bands to sell their CDs and downloads under their own control, has announced a new ticketed live stream service for performers who want to offer concerts online.

While Facebook Live is simple to use, there is no easy way to add ticketing to shows other than by requesting tips. The new Bandcamp Live is available to all members, with them handling ticket sales and offering a live chat while also displaying your merchandise for sale.

Best of all, the fee to members is only 10% of the total take, and Bandcamp is waiving that completely until March 31, 2021.

When you set up a concert, they will also notify all of your Bandcamp fans by email. Sounds pretty simple.

You can set up an involved multiple camera shoot, or a simple web cam, and integrate it all through you Bandcamp artist account.

Full details can be found online.

Posted in Lyrics | Leave a comment |

Tray Wellington to Mountain Home Music

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Azlyrics

Mountain Home Music Company has announced the signing of North Carolina banjoist Tray Wellington to the label.

Still a student in the Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music Studies program at ETSU, Tray has already established himself as a creative and capable player, through his work with teen sensations Cane Mill Road, on his own solo EP, Uncaged Thoughts, and these days as a free lance banjo for hire.

His efforts were recognized last year as a winner of the 2019 Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award from the IBMA. Banjo NewsLetter published a cover story on Tray in May of this year, and he also received an invitation to serve as an assistant instructor at Béla Fleck’s Blue Ridge Banjo Camp.

For Tray, this new opportunity is both thrilling and humbling.

“I am so happy to be signing with Mountain Home. There are so many great artists with this label. And I’m glad to be a part of this great musical family, and to share some of my music with everyone. I have listened to music from Mountain Home for a long time, so to be able to make music with the great group that has helped put out some of my favorite music is so exciting!”

Here’s video of Tray playing one of his originals, Gibbous Moon, from his solo EP.

Mountain Home’s Jon Weisberger sees great things in Wellington’s future.

“I first took real notice of Tray’s playing when I saw Cane Mill Road at a festival in Utah the summer before he and they won their IBMA awards. After that, I got to know him a little better while I was teaching at ETSU, and once we began talking about his desire to make a career as a musician, bringing him into the Mountain Home family was practically a no-brainer. It’s exciting to have the opportunity to work with such a great young talent!”

No word yet on when work might begin on a new recording, but with Wellington set to graduate from ETSU early next year, one would expect that to get started soon.

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Mountain Home Music | Leave a comment |
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