Monthly Archives: January 2021

The bluegrass community in central Virginia is in mourning this week following the death of Mike Sharp, who played resophonic guitar with a number of prominent groups over the past 40 years. He was 63 years of age.

Mike had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer in April of 2020, and had undergone chemotherapy during the summer. The cancer moved into his trachea, and he passed away on January 21.

Heritage was the first touring group that saw Sharp on stage regularly on the national circuit, where he stayed for seven years in the 1980 and early ’90s. The band produced four albums and performed all over the US, led by Donald Warthan. Other members of Heritage included Kevin Phillips, Ronnie Barnes, Steve Stephenson, and several others during their tenure.

Phillips remembered his friend Mike to us as a fine man and a consummate musician. 

“Mike was a great guy, and a great dobro player. He lived his life like he played his dobro, and he played his dobro clean and pure, with perfect tone and intonation. A subtle yet powerful musician; when he played a note it was never wrong. And he never sought the spotlight, wanting to make others around him sound like a star.”

A native of Hanover, VA, Mike lived in Hadensville in Goochland County where he worked for Canteen as a technician for 40 years. Starting with them as a teen, he learned every aspect of the vending machine business, performing whatever tasks were required over a four decade career.

After touring with Heritage, Mike played for a time with The Fox Family when they were based in New York during the ’90s. He also worked with Darren Beachley, Local Exchange, Church Yard Grass, and Slate River Unplugged.

Over the past twenty three years, he had been a member of Michelle Nixon & Drive, performing and recording with them across the southeastern US, and becoming close friends with Michelle and her husband, Nick. 

Outside of his musical contributions, Mike is remembered as a friend to everyone he ever met, with a smile and a kind word for all. Wherever he played, he knew people, and they were always glad to see him.

Phillip summed up his dear friend this way.

“People just loved him, and I loved him like a brother. He was everybody’s friend.”

Mike’s widow, Sharon, is planning a Celebration of Life later this year when COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

R.I.P., Mike Sharp.

Have you ever had the desire to simply step back in time? To tread the paths that our forefathers did, to experience the life that our ancestors endured? Unfortunately, there is no time capsule that can take us back in time, but fortunately, for fellow banjo lovers, Tony Trischka has invited us all to travel with him on his new extended release, Shall We Hope.

Shall We Hope has taken over 12 years to compose, and Trishka, the banjo virtuoso, has accomplished quite a feat as he invites his audience into the lives of characters from America’s past, the Civil War era in particular. Tony takes his audience to where Americans from yesteryear have grappled, struggled, and survived the tragedies of war, death, and the meaning of freedom. Although written as fiction, this album is based on the actual history of our nation.

The “father of modern bluegrass,” as Tony has been called, gave birth to and composed the entire LP; however, the narrative is told through a gathering of artists that includes Michael Daves, Catherine Russell, Guy Davis, John Lithgow, Maura O’Connell, Abigail Washburn, Phoebe Hunt, and Brian O’Donovan & the Violent Femmes.

Tony says that he has always had an interest in Civil War history. Sometimes all it takes is one picture to spark what turns out to be a raging fire. “I watched a video of the 1938 Gettysburg reunion, where the soldiers were shaking hands across that stone fence in 1938, brothers again,” says Trischka. “Though it might have been more a photo opp than an indication of changes of heart, it was a poignant moment and on a deeper level, a reason for hope.”

The story in Shall We Hope begins at Gettysburg in 1938, on the 75th anniversary of the bloodiest battle ever to take place on American soil. Timeless tales of energy and hope are interlaced with appropriate music annotations to put you right in the middle of the scenes.

On the Trischka-penned title song, vocalist and fiddler Phoebe Hunt sings about the stillness and solace on Gettysburg’s Cemetery Ridge in 1938. Michael Daves portrays Cyrus, and tells his story of murder and survival on the mighty river in On the Mississippi (Gambler’s Song). Irish singer and actress Maura O’Connell is an impeccable choice to tackle the role of Maura, who shares tales of loss and wanderlust in Carry Me Over the Sea. In her solo performance of I Know Moonrise, Catherine Russell, one of the finest singers working in jazz and blues today, gives an interpretation of a traditional enslaved burial rite that sent the deceased’s soul back home to Africa.

Bluesman Guy Davis goes inside the John Boston character with a story of escape and redemption in Leaving This Lonesome Land. In the track that follows, he reads aloud Boston’s impassioned letter to his wife. Van Dyke Parks, one of Trischka’s longtime friends and musical heroes, contributes a deliciously buoyant, almost whimsical arrangement of Big Round Top March. As the big battle nears, Brian O’Donovan, father of singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan, explains the oft-overlooked plight of the drummer boys. O’Connell and Daves, reprising their roles as Maura and Cyrus, exchange words of devotion, before the Violent Femmes sound a battle cry with a stark and gothic take on the traditional-sounding Southern Soldier.

Trischka’s banjo—or, rather, his enviable collection of banjos—is a consistently beautiful presence throughout Shall We Hope, serving as a reminder of the facility, taste, and sense of daring that made him a roots music phenomenon all those years ago.

Rounder Records introduced Tony Trischka in 1974 with his debut solo record, Bluegrass Light. Former banjo wunderkind Béla Fleck studied under Trischka, and remains a lifelong friend and frequent collaborator. Since then he has delivered album after album of innovative banjo music, like with his pal, Steve Martin, and others on Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular (2007) and Great Big World (2014). Tony produced Martin’s Grammy-nominated Rounder album from 2011, Rare Bird Alert, with performances by the Steep Canyon Rangers, Paul McCartney, and the Chicks.

In 2017, Trischka was inducted into the American Banjo Hall of Fame in the instruction and education category, noting his tremendously popular online banjo teaching courses with ArtistWorks, which have thrived during the COVID experience.

Once again, Tony has set the world afire with his banjo, and his storytelling, skills. BRAVO Tony Trischka!

We’ve written on many occasions about the way the bluegrass world gets behind young talent, to help nurture their artistry and promote them to a wider audience. The music scene in California has an especially strong track record in this regard, helping to launch the careers of Chris Thile and Nickel Creek, and more recently, Molly Tuttle. All started as teen and pre-teen acts on the west coast, who received high level professional mentoring from other successful touring acts, plus a lot of ink (literal and virtual) from the California Bluegrass Association.

Today we are delighted to share the debut of what many expect to be the next big thing from the fertile ground of northern California. Just 16 years old, Daisy Caire has already made a name for herself as a flatpicking guitarist, vocalist, fiddler, and songwriter over the past few years. A product of the CBA’s Youth Program since she was six, Daisy played as part of her family’s group, the El Dorado Family Band, and on her own with both Rambling Minors and North Country Blue, both of which she co-founded.

Now she is preparing to release her debut solo project, Chasin’ After The Wind, on March 5, with an initial single dropping today. It’s one she wrote about her grandmother, which she described as covering her whole life to date with her granny.

“Most of the songs I write are inspired by my family, and Hello Granny falls into that category. Each of the verses describes an experience I shared with my grandmother as a small child, and the chorus describes recent experiences I share with her. I wanted to capture the depth of family relationships when I was writing, by mixing the nostalgia of the memories with the playfulness of the recent experiences. I was so happy with the lyrics and the feeling of the song that I included it on Chasin’ After the Wind.”

Caire’s album was produced by Laurie Lewis, who also plays bass on this track, with Kathy Barwick on reso-guitar, and Rainy Miatke on mandolin.

Hello Granny is available now as a single wherever you stream or download music online. Pre-orders for Chasin’ After the Wind are enabled at Daisy’s web site.

Robert W. “Bob” Mitchell died on January 26 in Louisville, KY following a bout with COVID-19 that he developed after undergoing surgery. He was 83 years of age.

Bob was a popular bluegrass radio personality in and around Louisville, where he hosted a regular program on WFPK, Best of Bluegrass. Listeners will remember his familiar opening to each show… “You’re listening to BOB, and B-O-B stands for Best of Bluegrass!”

Mitchell was recognized with a nomination for Bluegrass DJ of the Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) four times, and had archived nearly 600 programs at WFPK at the time of his passing.

As often as was possible, Bob would include interviews with bluegrass artists on Best of Bluegrass, and would go to some lengths to make himself available when touring artists were passing through Louisville, arranging studio time at odd hours to accommodate artist schedules. And he always tried to get photos taken of himself in the studio with his musical guests, most of whom also performed live for the show. Over the years Bob put together quite a collection of photos which he genuinely prized.

Though he was a bluegrass fan since he was a boy, Bob didn’t get involved in broadcasting until after he retired from a career in social work, which had included many years as a career trainer and public speaker. The Kentucky Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers bestowed their Lifetime Achievement Award on Mitchell in 2006, and the Kentucky Counseling Association inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2009 as a professional speaker and trainer.

Bob played guitar and sang, and recorded an album of his humorous songs back in 1995, Some Days This Place is a Zoo, supported by Gray Brewer & The Kentucky Ramblers. He also contributed album reviews to a number of publications during his life, including Bluegrass Now, Bluegrass Music Profiles, and Louisville Music News.

His friendly demeanor and willingness to help out wherever he could is what will be remembered by his radio colleagues, and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum honored him with a Lifetime Membership following his five years of volunteer service helping them launch their Radio Bluegrass International service some years back.

Bob will be deeply missed by his wife and children, and many good friends in the bluegrass world.

A Celebration of Life and Memorial Mass will be held at a later date, to be announced, once concerns about COVID-19 spread are abated. The family requests that any memorial donations be made to Louisville Public Media.

R.I.P., Bob Mitchell.

Mountain Home Music Company has another new single release this week, one for The Gina Furtado Project called Gone.

Gina has been a popular figure in bluegrass circles this past few years. Though she had been playing and teaching in northern Virginia for many years, her visibility jumped when she signed on to play banjo with Chris Jone & The Night Drivers in 2016. That soon led to a solo project, True Colors, with Mountain Home the following year.

Then in 2019, she left Chris’ group and formed her own, The Gina Furtado Project, designed to feature her original vocal and instrumental music. Their debut project, I Hope You Have A Good Life, arrived later that year with more of Gina’s experimental string band music.

But for the band’s upcoming album, Furtado has reached back more to her bluegrass roots, with a pair of prior singles displaying a bluesy groove, leading up to this latest, which tells the story of an abandoned dog whose owners have gone. Or is the sad pup used as a metaphor for a failed romantic relationship? Listen and see what you think.

Gina says that playing grassier music has been fun for her, speaking as a banjo picker.

“I always enjoy dipping my toes into various genres with my songwriting, but at the core I’m a bluegrass banjo player through and through. Gone draws from some of my earliest influences, which go back to songs about heartache, hopelessness, and the hard driving bluegrass style of South West Virginia. It was really fun to cut loose a little on this one!”

Gina is supported by her Project, Max Johnson on bass, Drew Matulich on guitar, and Malia Furtado on fiddle.

Here ’tis…

Gone will be available tomorrow, January 29, wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track now from AirPlay Direct.

Describing themselves as “an energetic young string band based out of British Columbia inspired by traditional and contemporary American bluegrass,” Under the Rocks takes pride in the fact that they eagerly tap into tradition while also attempting to make music that’s “reflective, relevant and entertaining.” They’ve been at it a full five years, having built a solid reputation courtesy of their stirring live performances, spot-on harmonies, and a lively yet eclectic mix of music and melodies. They also tout the fact that they’ve advanced from “backyards to bars,” to cross-country tours and major festivals, including those that found them sharing stages with the likes of John Reischman & the Jaybirds, The Lil’ Smokies and the Slocan Ramblers. 

Originally a duo, the band currently comprises Chris Baxter on banjo and mandolin, Jordan Klassen on guitar, bassist Drew Schultz,  and three-time Provincial Fiddle champion and Canadian Masters competitor, Chloe Davidson. 

Baxter notes that Schultz had never played upright bass until he had his initial audition with the band, following the departure of the group’s previous bassist. “With all our different backgrounds, we began to organically make music that had the DNA of bluegrass in it, but we didn’t force ourselves to fit into an exact mold,” he recalls. “Chloe was born into Canadian fiddle music and has played it since she was three years old. Jordan and I started as a folky/bluegrass duo whose original influences stemmed from groups such as the Avett Brothers, Trampled by Turtles, Joe Pug, and others of that ilk. As we began to dabble in traditional bluegrass music as two twin pickers, we found new heroes like Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Norman Blake, Sam Bush, and Béla Fleck.”

Prior to the pandemic, Under the Rocks were a regular fixture on concert stages throughout the Canadian provinces, particularly in their home environs of British Columbia. “In 2018, we had  the privilege of playing the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival as our first major festival appearance,” Baxter recalls. “In addition, the major highlights of our career so far include playing the main stage at Robson Valley Music Festival, as well as opening for the Slocan Ramblers at the Mary Irwin Theatre. Before Covid-19 shut down everything, we were invited to play the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival up in the Yukon along with Mile Twelve, Sideline, Seth Muldur & Midnight Run, and, again, the Slocan Ramblers.”

Fortunately, they’ve been able to make good use of their time ever since. Following the release of their first album, Live Off The Floor in 2018 — a collection that includes both covers and their own originals — the group is currently in the process of completing their sophomore set which is slated for release in April. Three singles will eventually be available before then, including This My Friend which made its debut on January 1.

“I wrote the song five years ago, and then was arranged by the entire band for the upcoming album,” Drew Schultz says. “It’s a song about loved ones leaving you for a time, and dreaming of the day they’ll be back.”

Not surprisingly, the song originated from a decidedly personal perspective. “As my friend Bryce was leaving the town we both grew up in, he shared a collection of photos of our friends from over the years, and asked if I would write a song for him that he could listen to as he looked back over the photos of all of us,” Schultz explains. “It just so happened I was also falling in love with a girl who was leaving our hometown for school halfway across the country. My best friend and the girl I loved were both leaving me. So this song was written for my friend Bryce, but was also written for my girlfriend Akela, even though Bryce still thinks it was only for him.” 

That embracing attitude provides an essential element in the band’s MO, and while the group is grateful for the support they’ve received at home, Baxter does admit that there’s never been a big bluegrass scene in western Canada. That said, they continue to make inroads of their own. 

“Our music has been very well received,” he insists. “People here refer to it as a ‘fresh sound.’ We’re just grateful to have had the opportunity to share this amazing style of music with those that live here.”

We’ve written before about The Hillbilly Thomists, a group of Dominican Friars of the Order of Preachers, Catholic priests and brothers who have a bluegrass band. Of course, the band exists to spread the Gospel message, not to seek fame and fortune in bluegrass, but they have become quite popular among their flock for the music they perform.

Their mission is explained well on The Hillbilly Thomists web site, which also illustrates the name they have chosen for the group.

“In 1955, the southern author Flannery O’Connor said of herself, ‘Everybody who has read Wise Blood thinks I’m a hillbilly nihilist, whereas . . . I’m a hillbilly Thomist.’ She said that her fiction was concerned with the ways grace is at work among people who do not have access to the sacraments. The Thomist (one who follows the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas), believes that the invisible grace of God can be at work in visible things, just as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, in the person of Christ.”

Now they have a new album to share, called Living for the Other Side. Whereas their self-titled debut project in 2017 consisted of folk and bluegrass arrangements of familiar Gospel songs, this new one is primarily original material written within the band.

Fr. Jonah, who plays guitar, tells us that, “It’s not exactly bluegrass all the way through (honestly, we can’t all play fast enough for that!), but we hope you enjoy it.”

The first video from Living for the Other Side was released today, for Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord, written by Jonah Teller and Justin Bolger, both O.P. It shows the brothers going about their work and prayer life, and of course, playing music together.

In addition to Jonah and Justin on guitar, The Hillbilly Thomists are Timothy Danaher, O.P. on vocals; Peter Gautsch, O.P. on guitar, mandolin, bass, piano, and vocals; Joseph Hagan, O.P. on percussion; Austin Litke, O.P. on guitar, mandolin, and vocals; and Thomas Joseph White, O.P. on banjo, reso-guitar, and vocals.

The Dominicans are a mendicant order, meaning that they all take a vow of personal poverty, owning no property except jointly within the order. All monies raised from the sale of their music goes to The Dominican House of Studies in Washington, where the various members first met.

Living for the Other Side is available now from Amazon and other online retailers.

You can learn more about The Hillbilly Thomists on their web site.

Gary Vessel is a renowned California Central Valley builder of all things violin and mandolin. He’s been at it for over forty years, and started as a teenager building violins. He attended the Violin Making School of America, and while he’d never say it, he ain’t a bad picker either.

Hi Gary, what is your family musical connection?

My father never told me to stay away from his vinyl collection or his turntable. I would routinely race home from school to listen to Roger Miller and Merle Haggard. This led to my interest in playing music and eventually building instruments. My father became interested in building a mandolin around the time I needed a better violin.

It was then that I met Boyd Paulson in San Mateo. He told me about the Violin Making School of America. That’s when I began thinking about becoming a builder. I was fifteen at the time. I had to decide between music school or violin making school, so I chose to make instruments. My older brother was getting pretty good on the banjo and we started to fall in love with the genre. It’s nice now to be able to blend my love of music and instruments. I’m lucky to have grown up in an environment that inspired my interest in music.

Did the rest of your family also play?

My father played guitar. My twin brother was the first to pick it up. My older brother started to learn the banjo when I was about ten or twelve. That’s when I started taking violin lessons. My uncles would play music when we’d get together. Every family gathering included music-making. Nobody was very good, but we all enjoyed it nevertheless. I think that’s the most important thing.

What instruments do you play?

I play the violin and mandolin. I can play guitar but almost never around people.

What were the first instruments you made?

At the violin making school, we had to make three violins at the beginning of the four-year course. My mother has one of those. Altogether, I had to make ten instruments to graduate, including two violas and a cello.

Who have been your biggest musical influences?

Merle Haggard is a distant relative. His grandfather and my great grandmother are first cousins. Growing up we would always try to play his music. I place him at the top of the list. Now, since I play a lot of mandolin, I’d have to say David Grisman.

What bands do/have you played in?

I currently play in Red Dog Ash and California Zephyr.

Red Dog Ash has played some fairly high-profile festivals, haven’t they?

Red Dog Ash has played some great festivals and venues. We’ve done CBA Father’s Day, Susanville, Havasu, the Good Old Fashioned, Flagstaff, and the band competition at RockyGrass. I’m very proud of the bluegrass series we ran locally for a handful of years at a very nice old theatre in Newman, the West Side Theatre. We would host the first set, and that would serve as the opener for a guest band, mostly other Northern California bluegrass bands. It was a very fine series that I hope to bring back on a smaller scale next fall.

California Zephyr has been around for almost 50 years. They really had their heyday in the late ’70s and early ’80s. A great bunch of old guys.

Faux Renwah at the Newman West side Theatre

Red Dog Ash performs a lot of original material. Do you compose?

I’ve written a few of our songs, and I hold the distinction of being the only band member to have written a song that was singled out by a concertgoer to NOT play. It was a murder ballad that struck close to home. I also wrote a very personal song about my grandfather that appeared to me in two dreams several months apart. I have a hard time singing it sometimes.

The Abolitionist John Brown by Red Dog Ash

When did you start building instruments?

When I was 17.

You’re a fine musician. What made you decide to pursue building instruments versus playing them professionally?

I was accepted to attend the Violin Making School of America and a music school in Levelland, Texas in the same week. I had to make a decision, and I think I chose the right one. I’m better suited to making messes and stressing over a piece of wood and varnish than I am stressing about a performance.

What instruments do you make and which are the most fun?

I build orchestral instruments and mandolin family instruments. I love building them all, but the violin is king. F-model mandolins are always striking and beautiful, but building a really great violin is incredibly challenging. The demands on a violin are greater.

Can you expand on that?

The demands on a violin are greater than any other instrument. I think that’s why they’re more demanding to build. A mandolin has more limited use. Violin is king – it’s the most prestigious of the musical instruments and the most coveted. They’re also extremely expensive. When someone spends very serious money, the product has to be exceptionally fine. It’s an incredibly demanding part of building an orchestral instrument. I also think that the tonal nuances of an instrument without frets are much broader. A quality violin has an almost infinite degree of tonal possibilities. Great players want as big a palette as possible. That’s only possible if the violin is well made and well set up.

What artists play your instruments?

I have many instruments in orchestras all over, including the Boston Symphony and the Lyric Opera Orchestra in Chicago. I also have Instruments in orchestras in Israel and Denmark. Maya Beiser has been using one of my cellos since 1991. She’s toured the world many times over and has dozens of recordings with my cello. Patrick Sauber has a mandolin and a mandola of mine, and he can be seen and heard in many bands in many places. My greatest feather in the cap is the violin that I gifted to Merle Haggard. His bus driver, Dean Row, told me two years later that Merle kept my violin in his recording studio.

Nathan Livers on Mandolin Monday’s singing on a Vessel Mandolin

How has your business changed since the pandemic?

I’m working harder than I ever have had to. But, strangely, repairs have been coming in more than before. I’m very grateful for that. 

How many instruments are you able to complete a year?

I’ve been averaging four per year for several years now.

What are some of your biggest struggles and how did you overcome them?

The constant demand to get better at your craft. There are so many great builders today. The only real way to overcome it is to get involved with groups of other builders to compare notes and struggles. This craft is humbling, but to feel like you’re not the only one is very helpful.

You’re known for making exact replicas or bench copies of Gibson Lloyd Loar era mandolins. Tell us how you came to do that. 

Violin making has been full of copyists since the late 17th century. All violin makers are copying something. When I made my first mandolin it just made sense to make a Loar copy. It’s an incredible way to learn what to do, much like an art student sitting in the Louvre copying a great work hanging on the wall. Every instrument presents challenges during the building process, but a full and complete understanding of how they’re supposed to look and feel helps figure out the challenges. Making exact copies speeds up the learning curve.

Patrick Sauber Test Driving a Vessel Loar Copy Mandola

What led you to put labels with Lloyd Loar signatures in some of them?

I’ve gotten a lot of opposition from some people who disagree with my label copies. My feeling is that the entire instrument is a statement of my time spent studying these instruments. It’s also somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek kind of joke. The reason people buy replica Loar mandolins is for the possibility of fooling somebody, at least short term. The label just helps with that chuckle, the punch line.

Have any been resold as the real thing?

No. There are a couple of things that are just impossible to do exactly how it was done in a factory. 

What’s the key to making an instrument sound great before it’s been broken in?

The best way to start is by using good materials and models. I’ve been studying instruments for over 40 years. It’s an amalgam of those studies and failures.

Give us an example of good materials that you use.

Good materials can grow anywhere, and so can bad materials. I’ve had the good fortune of having some of the most knowledgeable people around me when identifying wood, and learning how to judge fine tonewood. The maple that I selected while living in Europe is specifically from Bosnia. The spruces from Europe that I’ve used come from the Alps, and some of it comes from the forests in Northern Italy. The United States is blessed to have many varieties of very fine tonewoods. Engelmann spruce that grows here and in Canada is exceptional tonewood. The maple that I get from the Midwest is some of the most beautiful stuff I’ve ever seen.

How do you choose the wood?

While I was working in Germany, I had an opportunity to hand select many of the billets that I’ve been using for my entire career. The same is true for some of the spruce that I use. However, I’ve also been using some North American spruces for my orchestral instruments, including Engelmann spruce.

For mandolins, I’ve been using maple that comes from the Midwest of the United States. I’ve also been using red spruce from New York state that I hand selected. The Engelmann spruce that I use for my mandolins comes from British Columbia, and I’ve also hand selected that.

What interests you when you are not playing music or making instruments?

A fine cigar, bird watching, listening to my daughters’ laugh is a real joy. They’re not even aware how often I sit and smile to myself as they’re oblivious to me.

Do different instruments sound better for specific genres?

Difficult to say, but I think we each get a sound in our ear and we gravitate to that. Sometimes that’s not a good thing. I love a tone that feels like it encompasses the listener. I don’t like the sound of most fiddle players. There shouldn’t be a difference between a classical violinist’s tone and a fiddle player’s tone, but there is. Mostly that comes from fiddle players using cheap strings and instruments that aren’t very good. It can be frustrating at times.

A good tone is a good tone regardless of genre, at least in my mind. I think Stéfane Grappelli is a perfect example. His tone was as good as Isaac Stern’s yet he played jazz. As great as Kenny Baker was, his tone at times wasn’t something I’d try to copy. His playing was unmatched, but I wish he would have played a better sounding instrument. I’m sure I’ll get crucified for that sacrilegious statement, but listen to Stern, Grappelli, and Baker one right after the other. Ignore the genre and listen to the tone.

Are your customers more classical or bluegrass players?

I’m fortunate that I’m able to work with both orchestral players and bluegrass players. Those are my two biggest musical loves, and I know those two genres the best. I’d say it’s split about 50/50.

What questions would you ask of your favorite artist or inspiration?

I like hearing about their struggles. As great as we see them, they’re still only human. I think hearing about their hard times gives us all hope.

What tunes do you enjoy playing?

The third movement of the Bach A minor violin concerto, and First Day in Town or Jerusalem Ridge.

What artists and luthiers do you follow?

Grisman, Los Lobos, Tom Waits, Monteleone, Gilchrist, the Testore family, and Andrew Ryan. 

Do you do any musical instruction?

I’ve had a couple of mandolin students over the last ten years but I don’t have any currently.

Any final thoughts or things you want to share with the readers?

Go practice!

Right on. Thanks so much, Gary.

Thank you.

Red Dog – Cathedral, about the life of Ash John Muir

It takes a special skill set to master the sound of old time music – one that not many musicians have. There are certain nuances to the playing, performing, and singing that are hard to develop if you don’t steep yourself in the traditional sounds of Appalachia, the Ozarks, and beyond. One of the most talented old time groups I’ve had the pleasure to come across lately is the Roe Family Singers, otherwise known as Minnesota-based husband-and-wife duo, Quillan and Kim Roe. They play six traditional instruments between them and are joined by a rotating cast of supporting musicians on their albums, the most recent of which was recently released by Pinecastle’s Bonfire Recording imprint. Roll Up the Rug! includes fifteen tracks – a mixture of traditional numbers, a few originals, and some bluegrass and country favorites.

The album begins with one of the couple’s original songs, the Gospel track What Did He Say? It’s a catchy, toe-tapping number about the message in Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, urging listeners to “treat folks how you want to be treated.” The song is guided by Quillan’s banjo, and features some nice fiddling from Richard Kriehn, as well. Also from the Roes’ pens is Don’t Worry About the Rich Man. According to the Roes, the song was influenced by recent legal cases in which wealthy, well-known people received incredibly small sentences for financial crimes. The song contrasts the lack of worries the “rich man” has with the struggles of poor folks. While the music is upbeat and bouncy, the lyrics have a bit of a bite to them.

The Roes offer a fine version of The Rocky Road Blues, featuring smooth, soulful vocals from Kim. It has a slower, bluesier vibe than most bluegrass versions, bringing to mind Jimmie Rodgers. Dock Boggs’s Country Blues is also a highlight, with spot-on instrumentation and mournful vocals. Like so many old time songs, Country Blues is fairly dark, both in lyrics and instrumentation, and eerie effects from Adam Wirtzfeld’s musical saw help set the mood. On a lighter note is The Red River Valley, which lopes along gently with tender vocals from Quillan.

Sourwood Mountain offers up a textbook example of old time music, complete with Appalachian clogging from Joe Hayes to help set the rhythm. The Roes include the song’s lyrics instead of presenting it as an instrumental tune, as is more common in bluegrass circles. Quillan offers energetic, enthusiastic vocals, mimicking a live performance. This number captures the idea behind the album’s title perfectly – rolling up the rug and clearing out the furniture because it’s time to dance. I kept waiting on the square dance calls to start. The Ram of Darby has a similar sound and rhythm, just ready for someone to jump up and start clogging.

All in all, even if old time music isn’t necessarily up your alley, this is an enjoyable album that will you have ready to put on your dancing shoes. It’s not all straightforward string band old time – there are a few bluesy songs, some more reminiscent of popular music from the first half of the twentieth century, and so on – but it’s all performed skillfully with obvious enthusiasm.

For more information on the Roe Family Singers, visit them online. Their new album is available from several online music retailers.

It’s new music week for The Grascals, and Mountain Home Music Company has a single set for release on Friday.

This time out we have a tender love ballad sung by guitarist John Bryan, Flowers and Lace, which tells of how true love can endure across time. Instead of a driving grasser, this one moves more slowly, with a positive message of hope for lovers and those still waiting for its embrace.

Bryan says that it’s a song he loves to sing.

“Flowers and Lace tells such a great story, and it’s also a reminder of how strong love can be even after the years pass by.”

John is supported by his Grascals bandmates – Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Danny Roberts on mandolin, Terry Smith on bass, Adam Haynes on fiddle, and Chris Davis on guitar.

In explaining how this song came to the band, Kristin also indicates that it can be fun playing slower songs on the old five.

“Flowers and Lace was written by one of my banjo students, Ernie Welch, and the great writer, Donna Ulisse. It’s nice to hear positive love songs. I love how John sang it and personally, playing banjo on this sort of tune is really enjoyable. The track felt nice and airy, which suits the message.”

Flowers and Lace by The Grascals will be available wherever you stream or download music online starting this Friday, January 29. Radio programmers can get the track now via AirPlay Direct.

In this general feeling of turning a corner, seeing light at the end of the tunnel, and whatever other hopeful clichés, we can attach to the year 2021, we’re all at least looking forward. Last week I advocated acquiring some self-awareness first, and so we tried to determine what your favorite bluegrass song says about your personality. I’ll be honest that as I reflect on it a week later, I didn’t find it all that helpful, especially since my favorite bluegrass song is the Stanley Brothers’ How Far to Little Rock, and according to this system of self-analysis, it just means that I’m not “very far from a fool.”

Back in the spring we tried some Buzzfeed-style personality quizzes. You know the kind: “Which Disney Princess Are You?”, “Which Ice Cream Flavor Are You?” or “Which Discredited Politician Are You?” etc. In that vein, as a way to gain deeper insight into your character, I thought we’d try to ascertain what your bluegrass spirit animal is.

When it comes to bluegrass spirit animals we have a pretty wide selection, but I’ve narrowed it down to six choices:

• Fox (on the run)

• Groundhog

• White Dove

• Dreadful snake (“Little Girl and the . . .”)

• Tenbrooks (For horses, it was either Tenbrooks or the Tennessee Stud. No one wants Molly as a spirit animal since she died in the middle of the big race).

• Pig (in a pen)

To determine which bluegrass spirit animal is yours, answer the following questions:

1) It’s Saturday night. Your idea of a perfect evening activity is . . .

A. Just running free, unconstrained. You’ve been cooped up and held back all week.

B. Staying home and eating everything in the refrigerator stirred into one giant bowl and covered with sour milk.

C. Enjoying nature by walking through the corn leading down to the river.

D. Staying underground until the sun is out.

E. Staying at home, watching a sad movie or reading a book that makes you cry.

F. Going out to a bar, hissing at people, occasionally biting someone in the leg.

2) When it comes to relationships your ideal mate is . . .

A. Someone who isn’t too much of a fast-mover. You don’t want anyone who would show you up in competitions.

B. A great cook, someone who will feed you filling meals regularly. Being little and pretty is a bonus.

C. Someone with hair that shines like gold, but who might also leave you to die. You enjoy taking the risk.

D. Someone who will praise you when you come out to greet the world and who won’t shoot you.

E. Someone who is content to listen to your sad songs.

F. Someone you can intimidate and control. Someone you can scare the crap out of just for fun.

3) People say your best quality is . . .

A. Your strong and shapely legs.

B. Your appetite, your intelligence, and your cool demeanor. You never sweat the small stuff; in fact you never sweat at all.

C. Your attractive tail and your impressive night vision.

D. Your ability to predict the weather, and your ability to not care if your predictions are wrong.

E. Your singing voice and the fact that you can empathize with others’ sorrow.

F. You’re often not seen.

4) You’re backstage and your show is delayed. To kill time, you . . .

A. Pace back and forth. You’re ready to run right out there!

B. Gorge on the green room snacks.

C. Just leave and go on a hunting trip.

D. Stand in front of a lamp and admire your shadow.

E. Warm your voice up by softly humming Come All Ye Tender Hearted

F. Try to make the stage manager faint.

5) Your favorite morning meal is . . .

A. Oats and maybe an apple.

B. Also oats, plus eggs, biscuits and gravy, buttermilk, beans, a loaf of bread, onions, leftovers from the night before, and more biscuits and gravy. All of the above can be blended into a smoothie or served as is.

C. Two or three chickens.

D. A green salad with some slugs or snails on top.

E. You’re fond of a high fiber start to the day. Cracked corn or millet, uncooked, is always good.

F. A mouse, swallowed whole.

If you answered mostly “A,” you’re Tenbrooks the racehorse. You don’t do so well when others are holding you back, but once those reigns are let loose, you know how to leave your competition in the dust, sometimes even in coffins ready-made.

If you answered mostly “B,” you’re a pig (in a pen). You’re very domestic and content with your surroundings as long as you’re given plenty of comfort food, which is all food, really. Though you love your home, now and then you yearn to run out through an open gate and clear a field with your nose.

If you answered mostly “C,” you’re a fox (on the run). You’ve been burned by a few bad relationships in the past, people who left you looking for a place to hide. You’re attractive and popular but you’re tired of being chased by dogs.

If you answered mostly “D,” you’re a groundhog. You sleep a lot in the winter and would rather keep to yourself, but you love making a grand entrance when the time is right. You have the ability to see into the future, six weeks into the future at any rate. 

If you answered mostly “E,” you’re a white dove. You’re pretty melancholy, doing quite a bit of mourning in sorrow, which tends to get old at parties, but people do appreciate your cooing.

If you answered mostly “F,” you’re a snake. I’m sure I could find a way to put this more diplomatically, but you’re awful and dreadful. Work on being more approachable instead of biting the hand that feeds you and making little girls scream.

Veranda is a country/bluegrass act based in Montreal, who write and perform as a duo in French for a French/Canadian audience.

Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle plays guitar and sings, and Léandre Joly-Pelletier sings and adds mandolin, banjo, and guitar to their music. This cross-cultural act will be the subject of a longer profile in the upcoming weeks, but we wanted to share their latest video, posted last week from December’s virtual edition of the Montreal Folk Festival on the Canal.

It’s a song of theirs called Yodel Blue (Blue Yodel), which they wrote as a tribute to the great Jimmie Rodgers. If your French is rusty, the song tells of a girl who loves to yodel whenever she gets down.

Yodel Bleu is the title track from Veranda’s most recent album, which is available wherever you stream or download music online.

Jimmy Rupert was a big fish in a small pond. So small, in fact, that I’m sure few if any Bluegrass Today readers have heard of him before now.

But I wouldn’t be writing this, and you wouldn’t be reading it, if not for him. Because of him, I took my first tentative steps into the world of bluegrass 40 years ago. Others nudged me, even pushed me, along the way, but Jimmy Rupert got me started and he never even knew it.

And now, he never will. Rupert, 74, died Sunday in Orangeville, PA, of complications following a fall nearly 10 years ago. His death occurred 40 years to the day after I met him, when his group, The Last Chance Band, played at our wedding reception in Bloomsburg, PA. It was the only bluegrass band I knew at the time. They got the job because two music lovers wanted the furthest thing from a disco DJ that we could find. And so Jodie and I became perhaps the only couple to celebrate nuptials to Rocky Top as our first dance and – not sure what anyone was thinking with this choice – Fox on the Run for the hat dance.

So began my relationship with bluegrass, which was off and on over the next three decades, but always present.

I tried to thank Jimmy more than a decade ago, when my songwriting career was still in its infancy. By then, Jimmy had graduated to front man for a rock and roll cover band, still in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he was a high school teacher. At the break between sets, he was surrounded by eager fans, and I thought I’d just catch him next time.

But I lived four hours away, had a job that took me around the world, and I never saw him again.

The Last Chance Band played the carnival circuit and occasional weddings, but never, as far as I know, went farther. They were all local guys, they all had jobs, and they played music largely for the sheer joy of it, not for money.

Bluegrass is filled with bands like this, and with guys like Jimmy Rupert. If you’re lucky enough to know them, let them know the joy they bring you. Let them know they make a difference. If they have recordings, buy them. If they have a tip jar, use it. 

Don’t wait, like I did. You might not get another chance. Say it while they can hear it.

RIP, Jimmy Rupert. Thanks for lighting that bluegrass fire all those years ago.

Engelhardt Music Group in Nashville has released a new single to radio from bluegrass singer/songwriter Eddie Sanders.

It’s a song the Eddie wrote with Jon Weisberger and Adam Engelhardt about a memory from his growing up in Oklahoma. As a boy, he helped out at the renowned Sanders Family Bluegrass Festival in McAlester, run by his father, Freddie, and got to meet many of the top touring bluegrass artists, as well as the younger pickers as he entered his teens.

Sanders says that this latest single, Last Lonesome Pine, is a true song, as Bill Monroe would say.

“Last Lonesome Pine is a bluesy style song, lyrically inspired by an actual tall and lonely pine tree that sat on the mountain behind my childhood home. I remember seeing how this one tree seemed more majestic than all the others around it. It was the only pine tree on a mountain full of post oaks, cedars, and blackjack. I often wondered why there was only one and how he came to be the last lonesome pine.” 

Eddie was supported in the studio by Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Scott Vestal on banjo, Dennis Crouch on bass, Cody Kilby on guitar, Tim Crouch on fiddle, Rob Ickes on reso-guitar, and Wes Hightower on harmony vocals.

Here’s a taste…

Last Lonesome Pine is available to radio programmers now at AirPlay Direct, and can be found on Friday, January 29 wherever you stream or download music online. It will also be included on the next Eddie Sanders album from EMG, expected in late February.

When the Golden Guitar Awards were held on January 23 to announce the winners of the Country Music Association of Australia annual honors, Kristy Cox and Tommy Emmanuel heard their names called for Bluegrass Recording of the Year.

The winning song, Finger Picking Good, is included on Cox’s current project with Mountain Fever Records, No Headlights. It was written by Kristy along with Jerry Salley and Bill Wythe, and she decided to ask her fellow Aussie, and international guitar master, Emmanuel, to join her in the studio when cutting it for the album.

Owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Kristy was at home in Nashville with her family on the 23rd, unable to attend the show, but she prepared a special live video with Tommy to be shown during the awards presentation. Emmanuel really shines in this story about the music Cox grew up listening to. They are supported by Jason Roller on rhythm guitar, Jerry Salley on guitar and harmony vocals, Greg Davis on banjo, Mike Bub on bass, and David Pendley on mandolin.

Kristy says that not being there in person this year was a new occurrence.

“I am completely blown away and speechless to have received this award for the third year in a row. I love bluegrass music, it’s where my heart is, and this award means so much to me. I can’t thank all those who voted for the track enough for their ongoing support, and the bluegrass industry as a whole.

Recording this track with Tommy is one of the highlights of my career so far… he truly is amazing!

It felt very strange to not be in Australia for the Tamworth festival and the awards, this is the first festival I have missed in over 20 years… setting my alarm for 2:00 a.m. and watching the awards in my PJs was a completely new experience. It didn’t take away from the excitement of the event though… wow what a night!”

Congratulations to Kristy and Tommy for this award – well deserved!

Colorado’s Orchard Creek Band has just released their first recored project, an EP called Walk In The Woods. It includes six tracks, with both original and classic bluegrass music.

This quintet shares the perennial bluegrass story of meeting each other at a regular jam, and enjoying each other’s music, leading to the formation of a performing group. That led to numerous gigs around Boulder, and a demand for a studio album, which has been met in this new year.

Orchard Creek has agreed to share the title track with our readers, one which mandolinist Kevin Slick describes thusly.

“The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jan Springer. She began the song by describing a walk in the woods with her husband. At first it was a song about those times when you’re first meeting someone and looking for the ways in which you might make a life together. She then began to weave in her experiences of playing for hospice patients and their families, particular those with dementia. The last verses of the song describe a partner whose memory is fading, and a partner searching for a final moment where the memories come alive once more.”

Along with Jan and Kevin, Orchard Creek Band is Dave Richardson on banjo, Keith Murdock on reso-guitar, and Roz Weller on bass.

Walk In The Woods, both single and EP, is available now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the tracks via AirPlay Direct.

Our friends at the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum are getting ready for voting to start next week in their first ever Virtual Band Contest. Bands from all across the US are submitting videos, with fan voting set to begin on February 4. The winner of the virtual competition will get a slot on stage for ROMP 2021 in Owensboro, KY, the Museum’s annual bluegrass festival, and at an after-party on the Jagoe Homes stage.

If your band would like to be considered, just get a video shot and send it in, and get ready to motivate your fans and followers to vote. The last day for submission is January 31, this coming Sunday.

All you have to do is record a live video of yourselves performing, and submit it to the Virtual Band Contest online. You can also see the videos already entered on the ROMP web site.

Complete contest rules are as follows:

• Each band must submit a video up to six minutes that has been uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. 

• Upon entry, your video and info will be posted on the ROMP Fest website. We’ll send you a link to share with your fans once voting is open to the public. You only win by getting the most votes. Mobilize your fans to vote!

• The band must acknowledge at the beginning of the video this is a submission for the ROMP Band Contest. Feel free to be creative with this!

• Bands may consist of 3-6 members.

• The music must fall under the umbrella of bluegrass or acoustic roots music.

• Bands must maintain 75% of members highlighted in the video to perform at ROMP in 2021. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.

• Band members may only be in one participating band.

• The deadline for video submission is January 31st, but there is a cap on entries. Don’t delay!

• By entering this contest, you allow ROMP Festival to share and display your video through media outlets.

• The winning band will receive a performance fee and lodging for ROMP 2021.

• You only win if you get the most votes for your video. Activate your fans, encouraging them to vote!

• ROMP Festival is a production of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Good luck everyone!

Most albums are merely meant to be enjoyed. Others are shared as a showcase for an artist’s instrumental abilities. However the best offerings of all manage to combine each intent in ways that are easily able to accommodate both, serving as evidence of  musical ambition while also allowing for an absolutely entertaining experience at the same time.

Late Bloom, an initial outing by the Memphis-based bluegrass band, Graber Gryass, simultaneously shares both those attributes and makes for an impressive album in the process. Michael Graber, a part-time player with other outfits, has always been serious about making music, having grown up in a city where the music is constantly in the ether. Unfortunately, there were unforeseen circumstances that forced him to delay that quest — first, the need to care for his family when his two children were diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, and then, more recently, the onslaught of the pandemic.

Happily then, Late Bloom finally finds his desires coming to fruition, courtesy of a set of songs that not only reflect his instrumental acumen — and that of the more than a dozen musicians that accompany him — but also an innate ability to pen songs that share their observations from an Everyman perspective. The music is folksy without being condescending, easily engaging but never superfluous, and with more than a hint of humor and pathos. The latter is evident in a pair of songs that arrive early on in the album, Fool Living Wrong and More To Lose, each a tale about failed relationships that find the narrator accepting responsibility for all that went wrong. Likewise, the ominous When the Water’s This Low comes across as a cautionary tale, a sobering narrative about a near-fatal encounter with a cottonmouth snake on what first appeared to be an otherwise ordinary day of relaxing on the water.

While it may seem — at least initially — that Late Bloom is engulfed with darker designs, that’s hardly the case. Drifting Away and Wind That Shakes the Cotton come across as sprawling and celebratory examples of fully fueled grassicana, riveting and robust. Marijuana, an ode to the once-forbidden herb, recalls something similar to an old hippie’s hootenanny while documenting the weed’s rise in respectability. Likewise, Drinking 40s, is, as its name implies, a tipsy toast to the joys of inebriation.

Then again, what better way to disengage than to simply overindulge? A late bloom is far better than any early doom.

Mountain Fever Records is set to release a third single tomorrow from Colebrook Road, taken from their upcoming album, All You Need To Know.

It’s a new song written by guitarist and lead singer Jesse Eisenbise called Back To Where We’ve Been. It finds him thinking back over all the great venues they have played, the wonderful people they have met out on the road, and wanting to see them all again. Written before all the COVID-19 restrictions, it is doubly true now with hopes for live music coming back again this year.

Jesse is supported here by his bandmates Jeff Campbell on bass, Joseph McAnulty on fiddle, Wade Yankey on fiddle, and Mark Rast on banjo.

Have a listen…

Back To Where We’ve Been will be available on January 26 wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track now via AirPlay Direct.

Stay tuned for release information for the next full Colebrook Road album from Mountain Fever.

For many students who have taken classes in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies at East Tennessee State University over the past decade or so, taking a band class or instrumental lesson with Colleen Trenwith was a highlight of their time at ETSU. Trenwith, who was recognized in the wider bluegrass world for her years playing fiddle with New Zealand’s Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, had become known in more recent years as a kind and giving teacher who went out of her way to work with and help those who were lucky enough to become her students.

Trenwith, 74, passed away January 24, 2021, at her home in New Zealand, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. She had retired from ETSU just last May, at which time she had returned to her native New Zealand to spend time with her family. Since they have shared news of her passing, former students and colleagues have taken to social media to share memories of Trenwith, all with the common theme of a woman whose generosity, honesty, and compassion will be remembered as much as her musical prowess.

Trenwith originally trained as a classical violinist, but easily switched to the bluegrass style upon joining the group that would become the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band in the late 1960s. The group as a whole worked to emulate the classic bluegrass style of such groups as Flatt and Scruggs, but Trenwith in particular was a Kenny Baker aficionado who became acclaimed for her ability to perform in Baker’s style.

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band quickly became a sensation in New Zealand after being hired as the backing band for The Country Touch, a weekly music television program. After several years and several successful albums, the group embarked on national tours, as well as tours of Australia. The band visited the US for the first time in 1971, making appearances at several festivals, including Bean Blossom, and the Grand Ole Opry, where they were warmly received by fans and fellow musicians. 

Trenwith came to east Tennessee in 2007 with the intent of studying in ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program, but soon also became an instructor there. She eventually taught a wide range of courses within the Appalachian Studies department, including fiddle instruction, bluegrass and country student bands, artistic seminars, and American Roots Music. She earned an undergraduate degree from the university in 2015, which she then followed with a graduate certificate in Appalachian Studies in 2019. 

Trenwith’s family has announced that they will hold a private family funeral this week, with a public celebration of life to be held in the near future. They ask that anyone wishing to honor Trenwith’s memory offer donations to the Cancer Society or to Hospice in lieu of flowers. 

Rest in peace, Colleen Trenwith.

Dr. Thomas P. Foley, known to his friends as Tom, has died following a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was 83 years of age.

A Virginia native, Tom made his career in medicine in Pennsylvania, where he had most recently served as Professor Emeritus of Pediatric Endocrinology at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He had been named several times as among The Best Doctors in America, along with numerous awards for his clinical research.

But Tom was also an avid bluegrass musician, a guitarist, who led The Allegheny River Boys in Pittsburgh for many years. He was also deeply involved with The Pittsburgh Press in organizing the Annual Press Old Newsboys Benefit Bluegrass Concerts, which raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Children’s Hospital.

The Allegheny River Boys started performing in the 1970s, and continued to be active until the past few years when Tom was unable to play. They are remembered throughout the region for their many appearances at festivals and shows. Tom also hosted house concerts at his home with top bluegrass touring acts, some of whom became his friends. His pickin’ parties are likewise viewed as legendary by the local grassers.

Tom will be fondly recalled by many in the fields of medicine and music, and for his many philanthropic and humanitarian efforts. John Starling of Seldom Scene fame was a friend in medical school, which they remained until John’s passing.

Friends say that he never lost his southern charm, even after moving north. He was a special fan of the Stanley Brothers, and a great admirer of Carter Stanley’s singing. Tom was also deeply proud to own a 1943 Martin D-28, which he always played on stage.

Here is a track The Allegheny River Boys recorded with Gene Elders in 1978. It’s a bluegrass arrangement of St. Thomas, a jazz classic from Sonny Rollins, which was very forward thinking for bluegrass circles in the late ’70s.

Services will be held this Sunday, January 24, at Christ Community Church in State College at 3:00 p.m. (EST). For those leery of attending in person, a live stream will be available on YouTube. The family is planning a larger Celebration of Life this summer once COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

R.I.P., Tom Foley.

Bluegrass utility player Valerie Smith continues to recover at her home near Nashville after a bout with the coronavirus that required two overnight stays in the emergency room.

Smith, 54, became ill two weeks ago, while caring for her daughter and husband after they both tested positive.

“Every day’s a little better,” said Smith, a recording artist, songwriter, producer, videographer and owner of the Bell Buckle record label and Bell Buckle Radio. “I’m one of the lucky ones. I feel bad for the people who are worse off. There are a lot of people who aren’t making it out of the hospital.”

Her symptoms started with shortness of breath, followed by stomach and intestinal issues. The first time she was tested, the results were negative. But her symptoms continued unabated, and a subsequent test was positive.

She retained her senses of smell and taste throughout the ordeal, but needed IV fluids twice in overnight ER visits.

While she can feel herself recovering, she said it’s still a long haul. “My stamina is really dicey. I have good days and bad days physically. I won’t be running any marathons any time soon,” she said. But, she noted, “I’m going to get the vaccine as soon as my age group is eligible.”

Her family members recovered quickly and did not require hospitalization.

Smith said she decided to talk about her experience in case it could help others. 

“I want to tell people to keep wearing those masks, wash your hands often, and practice those social distancing recommendations,” she said.

In addition to helping reduce the spread of the virus, she said those steps and growing availability of vaccines will help hasten the day when live music will again ring out across the United States.

“I just want this to be over,” Smith said, echoing a sentiment that is widely shared across bluegrass and other aspects of life we were forced to leave behind nearly a year ago.

The boys at Goodfellers – my new favorite band name – are back today with a new single, and a video presentation. And like their previous efforts, it’s a grassed up version of a pop hit, this time from The Bee Gees and 1967.

But the magic of Goodfellers is that they turn what could be a corny remake of To Love Somebody into a piece or real art, transforming  a classic ’60s cut into an entertaining acoustic arrangement.

I remember how powerfully the original Bee Gees track affected a 12 year old me when I first hear it on the radio, and ‘Fellers lead singer Teddy Barneycastle says that recalling those lyrics really hit him hard as well.

“I got a call today from a friend of mine who is a Texas writer. We share a mutual friend who was also an entertainer; he lost his mom today, which upset me and brought to mind the line. ‘You don’t know what it’s like, baby, you don’t know what it’s like, to love somebody, to love somebody, the way I love you.’ I think those are compelling lyrics; they really hit me today, tears and all. I thought, how powerful are the words to that song. Maybe I need to rethink what I’m doing. I want to affect people with our music, making them love more, hate less, laugh, think of others, and enjoy their lives. I want to make a difference!“

Barneycastle plays guitar as well, along with Ralph McGee on mandolin, Tim Hill on bass, Hersie McMillian on banjo, and Rex McGee on guitar. New banjo man Tommy Morse appears in the video.

Valerie Smith with Bell Buckle Records and Productions created the video, which she shot and edited.

To Love Somebody by Goodfellers is available now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can grab the track at AirPlay Direct.