Monthly Archives: February 2021

Louisville’s Aaron Bibelhauser has a new single today, one that he wrote with Coloradan Mike Finders, recorded with Finders and his bandmates in FY5.

That’s a long distance for a songwriting session, but Aaron said it was a natural extension since he and Mike met at a songwriter’s event at World of Bluegrass a couple of years back. Since then, the two have become friends and writing partners, collaborating across the miles.

“Time In And Out tells the story of young lovers, caught up in the cycle, balancing the reality of working hard and chasing dreams, while finding one another just in and out of reach along the road. I’m proud of the way this song shaped up, from its beginnings, sending voice memos back and forth writing it, to the memories created when we arranged and recorded the song together at the world class Swingfingers Recording Studio, in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Much love, and gratitude to my family on the front range: Mike Finders, Erin Youngberg, Rich Zimmerman, Ryan Drickey, and Aaron Youngberg.”

The video for today’s release finds Aaron and Mike reunited to sing Time In And Out, mixed with studio footage and photos of Bibelhauser and FY5.

You can get the single of Time In And Out wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track at AirPlay Direct.

The name Larry Cordle is synonymous with great songwriting. He’s had numerous popular cuts in both bluegrass and country music, and is perhaps best known for the country hits he’s penned, like Highway 40 Blues and Murder on Music Row. Like many in the bluegrass world, however, Cordle’s talent stretches far beyond just songwriting. He’s long been one of my favorite singers, with a soulful, yet plainspoken, mountain voice and a knack for telling a fine story in a song. He’s recently released his latest solo project, Where the Trees Know My Name, on his own Mighty Cord Records. It’s a strong mixture of originals and covers that has already scored several hits on the Bluegrass Today charts.

One of the album’s highlights is a cover of Cherokee Fiddle, written by Michael Martin Murphey, most popularly recorded by country artist Johnny Lee, and included in the 1980s film Urban Cowboy. As is to be expected, the fiddling is top-notch, and Cordle’s vocals capture the melancholy hints in the lyrics. I’ll probably have this one on repeat for quite a while. Another country cover is Harlan Howard’s Pick Me Up on Your Way Down, given a fine grassy treatment with a bit of bounce. Cordle’s arrangement retains some of the original’s 1950’s honky-tonk sound, but it’s definitely bluegrass – one of those nice bouncy, upbeat, sad songs that we love so much in country and bluegrass music. 

Some of Cordle’s best songs are slice-of-life pieces set in his native eastern Kentucky that perfectly capture small-town life in the mountains. Breakin’ on the Jimmy Ridge is no different. Penned by Cordle and Larry Shell, it’s the tale of a country “weatherman” who could predict the weather much better than all the educated TV folks: “He knew it meant wet weather when he heard the tree frogs sing, and what it meant when the southern moon had a golden ring.” It’s cleverly written and just fun to listen to. Both it and Sailor’s Regret hit #1 on the Bluegrass Today weekly chart last year. The latter song, written by Johnny Williams, is a little darker, with a good driving rhythm. It shares the story of a country boy who has set off to sea, and is now afraid of dying before he’s able to make it home.

Another excellent track is The Devil and Shade Wallen, which is also a Cordle/Shell co-write. Line by line, it describes a haunting deathbed scene – a young boy and his mother called to sit with the dying man’s wife, a midnight confrontation with hell, and vivid images that bring to life the eerie winter night. Cordle is a master of setting scenes and spinning tales, and this is among his best work. The Cowboy and the Last Red Man, from Jim Rushing and Leslie Satcher, is also packed with the kind of specific details that bring the song to life in the listener’s mind, though its setting is not the hollers of Kentucky, but a fading vision of the West where an old cowboy and an aged Native American reminisce about the old days at the town diner. 

Weariness infuses the lyrics and melody of The Farmer, but there’s a glimpse of hope, as well. “A never-ending old routine, watch the sky and pray for rain,” Cordle sings, “but he has faith and don’t complain.” Where the Trees Know My Name also speaks of a special connection to the land, with Cordle thinking back to his childhood, when life was lived outdoors from dawn til dusk. It’s a lonesome number, with evocative dobro and fiddle as Cordle pleads, “don’t make me wait until I die, carry me back… to a place where the trees know my name.”

If you’ve enjoyed Cordle’s previous recordings, especially some of his more recent efforts like Tales from East Kentucky and Pud Marcum’s Hangin’, you should quickly add this album to your to-buy list. Though the music is top-shelf, with names like Rob Ickes, Aubrey Haynie, Scott Vestal, and Cody Kilby dotting the track list, the star here is Cordle’s ability to tell a story – both through his voice and the lyrics he writes and selects. Maybe we’ll get to hear these new tracks at some live shows this summer?

For more information on Cordle, visit his website. His new album is available from several online music retailers.

While it’s always a tense time for musicians who make major career changes, switching touring acts or launching a new venture, it comes as something of a comfort after such a strange year to report on a story that feels so much like regular life in the bluegrass world.

Greg Cahill, who is taking a stab at Doyle Lawson for the longest running band in bluegrass music, is announcing a personnel change today in Special Consensus. Cahill has been at the helm this past 40 years, seeing as many future stars come and go in the group as Doyle has over that same time.

And for Special C, things had just been getting better and better until the COVID restrictions forced an end to live performing last year. Keeping a stable band in place always helps as you try to expand your audience, and since moving to Compass Records in recent years, the group has seen success after success come their way.

But Cahill tells us this morning that the switch they are making finds him with mixed emotions.

“Changes are in the wind for Special Consensus these days. Compass Records released our Chicago Barn Dance recording (2020 IBMA Song of the Year) in the midst of the pandemic, and we have only played one festival and a few live shows since February 29, 2020. We will slowly begin to return to playing live shows in April, and hope that we can play the remainder of our 2021 tour dates as COVID numbers continue to fall and vaccinations are more available.

However, we will have a new look now. My great friend, superb singer and guitar player, Rick Faris, is leaving us to pursue his personal career as a bluegrass songwriter and performer (and luthier). 2021 begins the 11th year Rick and I have been standing on stage together, throughout the USA and in many other countries, and he has appeared on all of our IBMA award-winning and Grammy-nominated band recordings. He will always be part of the Special C family and we will always support him, remain best friends and wish him well. Rick is preparing to record his second solo recording for Stephen Mougin’s Dark Shadow Recording label.

While Rick’s leaving is bittersweet, we feel extremely fortunate that our good friend, and fabulous singer and guitar player, Greg Blake, is joining us for the next chapter of the Special C journey. Greg is very well known in the world of bluegrass music, having played with several midwestern bands, his Greg Blake Band and, most recently, with Jeff Scroggins and Colorado. He has a new recording about to be released on the Turnberry Records label and Dan, Nate, and I are very much looking forward to touring and recording with Greg as we begin to emerge from the pandemic.”

The signs that Rick was moving towards a solo career were clear over the past two years, and given the interest shown in his Breaking In Lonesome record in 2019, this move should surprise no one. But the deep friendship that exists between Cahill and Faris is equally evident in Rick’s statement on leaving the band, even using the same word to describe it.

“It is with excited but bittersweet feelings that I announce I am leaving Special Consensus. 
After 11 years the amazing Greg Cahill has helped shape me into the musician and person I am today. I have learned so much from Greg, and cannot thank him enough for giving me the opportunity to be part of his legacy. In 11 years I’ve been on 2 different instruments in 19 countries on 3 different continents. In that time Greg and I have been on 6 different Special C records, shared 2 Grammy nominations and 6 IBMA award wins and loads of nominations.

I’ve always joked with Greg Cahill on and off the stage. Our shtick was I’d jab about his age, and he would fire me on-stage in front of everyone.

I really wish I could have been fired just one more time in my hometown and in Greg’s hometown, Chicago, which really has become my second home. COVID has robbed so many people of so many things. For me it’s closure and a going away bash celebrating a new chapter with a dear friend, my Coach Greg Cahill.

However, there’s always a silver lining. COVID has helped me find more strength in faith, family, and fitness. With the time off the road I have also found a new drive and rekindled passion for music. I have been writing non-stop getting ready for the next Rick Faris record with Stephen Mougin producing on his Dark Shadow Recording label. We now have a record’s worth of material, and the amazing musicians to bring it to life! We are currently lining up our schedules and are excited to get after it.

I’m not sure what God has planned for me just yet, but I have been willing to follow my bluegrass path on faith. I will continue to build guitars and whittle down my waiting list. I have already been asked to perform festivals as a solo artist, and look forward to building that as I move forward with my brand of music. Now I just need to find a younger version of myself to fire every night.

I have been so blessed as a member of Special Consensus, and I only pray that I am just as blessed with my musical endeavors beyond. Thank you to the friends and fans who have supported me and my Special C brethren for so long! You really are an amazing bunch of people and I love you dearly. I can’t wait for everyone to hear the new music and look forward to seeing everyone on the bluegrass trail.”

Mougin has always kept his stable of artists small, and works very hard for anyone signed to Dark Shadow Recording. He likewise shares the mixed feelings as this change takes place. But he is confident about Rick’s music going forward.

“I’ll miss seeing Rick performing with Special Consensus, but can’t wait to hear the new band. Greg Cahill always manages to find the best and brightest to share his stage. The sophomore Rick Faris album will begin tracking soon, with a collection of amazing new songs and a crop of stellar pickers. Lots of great music on the horizon from both camps!”

For Greg Blake, the past two years have been a whirlwind as well. Scroggins and his Colorado band had been an aggressive touring act, offering a rewarding outlet for his music. When they went their separate ways, Blake relaunched his Greg Blake Band, and started work on his first recording to focus primarily on songs he had written. Singles from that upcoming project have been warmly received, and joining another busy traveling band will only increase his exposure.

Blake tells us that he recognizes the responsibility he is undertaking, and is eager for the challenge.

“I’m humbled, yet honored to be invited to join forces with Greg Cahill and Special Consensus. I’ve watched this band do the same thing for almost FORTY years, but in constantly new and exhilarating ways – and that is uphold the traditions of our bluegrass patriarchs, while creatively pushing the envelope to the edge. I’m anxious to learn and contribute to both of those ongoing tasks.”

We see only great things ahead for all parties involved in these changes – Rick Faris, Greg Blake, and Greg Cahill and Special C. More great music for all of us!

You can follow Rick’s music via his official web site, or at Dark Shadow Recording. Special C you can follow at their site, or Compass Records.

Mountain Fever Records has a new single coming tomorrow from Cedar Hill, headed up by Ozark bluegrass mandolin legend Frank Ray.

Cedar Hill has been operating continuously with only a few breaks since 1967, leading to Frank being inducted into the National Traditional Country Music Association Hall of Fame in 2008, and honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

With him in Cedar Hill these days are lead singer Dalton Harper on guitar, Bill Cross on banjo, Pete Brown on fiddle, and Patti Lefleur on bass.

The new single is one titled The Art of Love, a comfortable traditional bluegrass number that Dalton delivers with just the right Missouri drawl.

Ray says that they all enjoy this one, the second single from their upcoming Mountain Fever project.

“The Art of Love is a fun song to play. Written by a great songwriter friend of mine Thom Gardiner. Thom has taken the timeless subject of love and coupled it with the simplicity of a great two-chord melody structure and created a winning song.”

Enjoy.

The Art of Love from Cedar Hill will be available on Friday, February 26, wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track now via AirPlay Direct.

A new publicity and radio promotion service has been launched with a California/Nashville nexus to assist independent and part time artists get news of their music to taste makers in the industry.

Get It Played is the brainchild of Keith Barnacastle, CEO of Turnberry Records in Rancho Mirage, CA. Though his focus in the business is bluegrass music, and his associate with this new offering is bluegrass artist Rebekah Speer, Get It Played is not strictly available to acts in our genre. They specifically mention being willing to service classic and contemporary country, bluegrass, Americana, Gospel, and folk accounts.

It is designed as a cost effective option for bands and solo artists unsure of how to get news about their touring and recordings to radio stations and media outlets that cover live music and audio/video releases. With plans starting at as little as $69, Get It Played will offer their services for six months, with a number of press releases sent on your behalf to their expansive list of media or radio contacts, with follow up.

Additional plans offer a twelve month membership for $99 that allows for additional press contacts or song pitches to radio, and a twelve month plus package for $149 with additional services provided. Full details about these plans can be found online.

With the cost of a professional publicist often running into four figures for a single single or video release, Get It Played says that they can deliver much of the same impact at a dramatically lower price. By using email automation Keith and Rebekah can get news of your activity out to their contacts quickly and less expensively.

Bluegrass Today may be easy to reach with news about such matters, but that isn’t true for all corners of the industry.

See all that Get It Plays offers by visiting their web site.

The Greer family of Missouri who make up the band Lindley Creek, has been a self-contained unit since they started touring professionally 15 years ago. Like most groups based on blood connections, the Greers had to do for themselves, though they never shied away from bringing in help when it was needed.

Such was the story of their association with Nashville producer and superfiddler Jim VanCleve, who oversaw the recording of the latest Lindley Creek album on Pinecastle Records, Freedom, Love and the Open Road. He first got to know the family as a private, online teacher for Jase Greer some years ago, a relationship that grew when he met Jase for an in-person lesson some years later, and got to know the band.

Today we are delighted to premiere a music video the group produced for their latest single from that album.

Sunshine Song offers a stark contrast to the album’s previous focus track, The Mockingbird’s Voice, which was a dark and somber look at heartbreak and abandonment. This one nearly bubbles with enthusiasm and lust for life, with an infectious melody and a catchy intro using Scruggs-style guitar.

The Greers shared this description of the track and the video.

We have been making our own music videos in-house from the very beginning. Whether it’s trying to keep the drone from crashing and falling into the river, or scaling a rocky cliff side with a mandolin in one hand and a camera in the other to get the perfect shot, we love the creative challenge of making a song come to life visually. Every song has its own personality, and the video brings that to life.

We wrote Sunshine Song from the heart. Sometimes you find yourself putting up with the negative and dishonest. This song is our way of saying ‘Ain’t nobody gonna steal my sunshine!’

“When Jase came to me with the tune, I immediately thought, ‘This is a happy song!’ says lead singer Kathie Greer. “It was fun to just write something to be happy and empowering. It’s totally different from The Mockingbird’s Voice. It’s so great to be able to represent more than one emotion on an album, and Freedom, Love, and the Open Road has done that for us.”

The inspiration for both the song and music video was drawn from the rich and beautiful scenery of the Rio Grande Valley in deep south Texas. We tour there in the winter months close to the picturesque beaches of South Padre Island and its fragrant orange groves! We actually buy our oranges from that family-owned orange grove pictured in the video. The car Katie is driving is a rare James Bond 007 Thunderbird that a fan was generous enough to let us use!

Here at the end of winter, we are all ready for some sunshine. This has been a rough year, no doubt; but we can choose to find the happy and we hope this song helps.

Enjoy… as we get an early tease of springtime weather here in the Appalachian region.

Nicely done.

Sunshine Song and the full Freedom, Love, and the Open Road album is widely available on Pinecastle wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Lindley Creek is actually back in the studio this week working on a follow-up project. Can’t wait to get a taste of that.

It’s certainly no secret that many Asians have an unfettered enthusiasm for country music. And nowhere is that more evident than in the scores of bands that have taken American music and replicated it with a reverence that goes well beyond simple admiration and affection.

Not surprisingly then, the Korean group that calls itself Country Gongbang remains intent on carrying that timeless tradition forward, sharing a sound that’s both able and authentic. The group’s founding members — Hyunho (banjo), Yebin (vocal, mandolin), and Kiha (double bass) — met while attending college in 2007 and officially formed their band in 2015. The next to join up was Jongsu, a fiddler who had previously been a member of an Irish-oriented band that called themselves Bard.  Once the trio heard him play, they knew immediately that they wanted him to enlist him in their fold.

“There are very few people who can play that kind of music in Korea,” says Hyunho, who also goes by the handle “Banjo Boy.” “That’s the reason why we suggested that he play bluegrass music with us, and happily, he accepted. The four of us began performing together in 2016.”

The next to join was Sujnae, a guitarist who had played bluegrass music with the Laon Family, a group that found him performing alongside his parents. Once again, Country Gongbang was so impressed with what they heard, and immediately set about recruiting him. “We had never seen such a good flat-picking guitar player like him before,” Hyunho says in retrospect. “That’s the reason why we suggested that he play with us. He, too, was happy to accept.”

That was in 2018, and Country Gongbang has remained an essential quintet since 2018.

“We make pop music that’s based on bluegrass,” Hyunho says when asked to describe their sound. “It’s music that’s comfortable to listen to, sort of like what one might hear when listening to Alison Krauss & Union station. More recently, we’ve incorporated more folk elements into our sound and aimed to make more experimental music.”

It’s little wonder then that the group share such varied influences. They cite Rhonda Vincent, Alison Krauss, Sierra Hull, Ricky Skaggs, and Sara Jarosz as among the artists they most respect and admire. “We love the music of Punch Brothers in particular,” Hyunho notes. “We went to see them in concert and became greatly influenced by them.”

Meanwhile, Country Gongbang has chalked up an impressive number of performances themselves. “We often play clubs, including a bluegrass club that we played in Tokyo called Rocky Top,” Hyunho relates. “But we’ve also performed at festivals, including the Takarazka Bluegrass Festival in Takarazka, Japan and the Green Plugged Festival in Seoul, South Korea. We’ve also appeared on radio quite often. Recently, our only performances have taken the form of live online appearances, but our communication with people from other countries is quite active.”

The band also recorded an album, aptly titled We All Need Bluegrass. “We mostly play original songs,” Hyunho explains. “The lyrics are written in Korean, so that we can better express ourselves. We also arrange and play well-known Korean pop songs in our own style. In addition, we sometimes play well-known bluegrass numbers such as Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Jerusalem Ridge, and then mix them in with our own songs.”

The strategy seems to work, even though Hyunho admits that they’re often trodding in some unfamiliar territory as far as their audiences back home are concerned. “Most of them are new to the bluegrass genre, so many people are unfamiliar with the music when they hear it for the first time,” he says. “However, when we perform it for them in concert, and we explain the meanings behind the songs, and they start focusing on the sound of the instruments, they seem to open their hearts and really enjoy what they’re listening to.”

Hyunho also offers an interesting explanation of why he believes that bluegrass is so appreciated in general, even by audiences that encounter it for the first time.

“Bluegrass is a sound that is close to nature,” he muses. “We like it because it’s not over-embellished. It appeals to people who are tired of music that sounds too mechanical and manufactured. Bluegrass music is earthy and authentic. There are many cheerful songs, but it also seems to be a sound that brings out both sadness and joy. All the instruments that are used in the bluegrass genre are engaging as well as interesting.”

Casey Driessen has always been something of an enigma in the fiddle world. No one challenges this five stringer’s virtuosity, or his dedication to interesting and unique fiddle music. But he has always gone down the road less traveled, at least as compared to his peers.

After graduating from the Berklee College of Music’s strings program, under the tutelage of Matt Glaser, Casey embarked on a solo tour featuring himself and his fiddle, using an array of looping devices to build up highly orchestrated pieces one part at a time. He has also worked with a wide variety of artists, including Darrell Scott, Tim O’Brien, Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, and Steve Earle, before accepting a faculty position at Berklee’s campus in Valencia, Spain. There he served as Program Director of the Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration) masters degree the college offers.

While living in Spain, Driesen refined his concept of chopping on the violin, and released a number of instructional videos using these techniques, as well as a technical primer, The Chop Notation Project.

During the down time in 2020 when live performance opportunities were curtailed, he embarked on yet another adventure, traveling throughout Europe and Asia producing on-site audio and video recordings in collaboration with experimental fiddlers wherever he stopped. The result is finally coming to fruition with Otherlands:ONE, an audio project set for an April 23 release on Red Shoe Records, and Otherlands: A Global Music Exploration, a 25-episode video series which captures both his musical partnerships, and the places they were shot as Casey and his family toured the continents.

We invite you to take in one of these today, a video of the recording of Driessen with fellow fiddler Esko Järvela, captured on April 10, 2020 in a tiny community center in the small town of Kaustinen in Finland where Järvela lives. This short film is called The Finnish Cabin and Fiddle House, and captures Casey and Esko recording in the old wooden building along with scenes of the people and the landscape of east central Finland.

Audiophiles will notice the use of both large diaphragm and cardioid capsule microphones to pick up the two violins on this medley of traditional Nordic tunes, Kouon Frouva and Orpolasten Polska.

Of this track, Casey says…

“The 3/4 time landscapes are really, really interesting. There are pushing and pulling and changing harmonies in places I don’t expect.”

Returned now to the US, the Driessen family is ensconced once again in their home in Asheville, NC, following a two-week camping quarantine before reentering society.

Both Kouon Frouva/Orpolasten Polska and another track, Aye Nagari, are available now as singles wherever you stream or download music online.

The complete album, Otherland:ONE, will be available for purchase on April 23.

Other videos from Otherlands: A Global Music Exploration can be viewed on Driessen’s YouTube channel.

Another bluegrass baby! I guess we know what our favorite touring artists were doing during the 2020 lockdown.

This time we give a Bluegrass Today welcome to Arlie Reid Bryan, the first born child of John Bryan, guitarist/vocalist with The Grascals, and his wife, Ashlynn.

Arlie was born on February 13, weighing in at 7 lbs, 3 ounces, stretching out to 19”.

We understand that mom and son are doing well, and that John is so proud that he just can’t stop smiling.

Congratulations to Ashlynn and John, and a big 10-4 to little Arlie Reid!

Mountain Home Music has a new single this week from their star-studded Bluegrass at the Crossroads album. This project brings together pickers and singers from a number of Mountain Home acts in a band scramble sort of setting, where we get to hear them alongside other top players outside of their normal band setting.

Today we get a sneak peek at Lonesome Is The Price I Pay, featuring Darren Nicholson of Balsam Range on lead vocal and mandolin. It’s a driving bluegrass number he the song wrote with Charles Humphrey III of Songs From The Road Band, about a broken-hearted lover chasing down the one that got away.

Darren is supported by Skip Cherryholmes of Sideline on guitar, Kristin Scott Benson of The Grascals on banjo, Kevin Kehrberg from Zoe & Cloyd on bass, and Travis Book of Infamous Stringdusters on harmony vocals. Quite a lineup!

Nicholson says that the song reveals a basic truth about love.

“Sometimes lonesome is the price you pay when you give your heart away. It’s a bluegrass frolic about starting over. It hurts when we fall on the ground, but we also use the ground to get back up — that’s the sentiment.”

Lonesone Is The Price I Pay will be available on Friday (2/26) wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track now at AirPlay Direct.

Should we consider adopting the metric system for bluegrass songs to broaden the music’s appeal? Bluegrass musician Ira Gitlin brought this issue up to me recently, and I think it deserves some thought. This is a question almost no one has bothered to ask, I’ll admit, but recall that the “I” in IBMA stands for “International.” In case you think I’m stating the obvious, I’ll point out that in a recent survey of IBMA members, a full 18% thought it stood for “intergalactic,” 12% believed it was “incidental,” and 4% thought “Indiana” (not surprisingly, those 4% were from Indiana).

The US, as you may know, is one of the only countries never to convert to the metric system, in spite of a half-hearted attempt during the Ford Administration in the mid-’70s. The conversion strategy used at the time is best summed up this way: “Sure, let’s try this and see how it goes. For a while anyway. Or not—it seems weird using different numbers for things.” I think the government was already feeling discouraged after the “Whip Inflation Now” button campaign (if you get that joke, you’re really dating yourself, as I just did).

By the 1980s the only change we’d made was to buy Coke in two liter bottles 

For clues as to why this effort failed, you need look no further than the US attempts to convert to a dollar coin. Or just observe congress functioning for a day. But whatever the reason, today we stand virtually alone in the world with Imperial measurements and the Fahrenheit scale. I say “virtually” because they’re still using the Imperial system in Belize and the Pacific island of Palau, so maybe we’re not as isolated as people say. So there!

How easy, then, would it be to convert some bluegrass standard songs like Nine Pound Hammer or Eight More Miles to Louisville to metric? There are certainly some challenges I’ll discuss below.

Let’s take the issue of temperature conversion first, and examine Gordon Lightfoot’s Ten Degrees, recorded by J.D. Crowe in 1975. This one’s an interesting case, because Gordon Lightfoot is from Canada, a country which, like the rest of the non-Belize, non-Palau world, is using the Celsius scale. However, Gordon is old enough to have grown up with Fahrenheit temperatures so he wrote the song in Fahrenheit. Plus the song takes place in Colorado.

The Fahrenheit scale, which goes back to the early 18th century, is awfully quaint. That might even make it bluegrassy, but it’s still pretty impractical: where the Celsius scale is set at zero for the freezing point of water and 100 for the boiling point of water, the Fahrenheit scale was set with zero being the point at which salt water would freeze in Daniel Fahrenheit’s lab (?!), and I forget what 100 represents; I think it’s either the body temperature of a mule or a fiddle player after playing a six-minute rendition of Lee Highway Blues.

Ten degrees in Celsius changes the whole nature of the song, because that’s the equivalent of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A hitchhiker complaining about that temperature is just being whiny.

If we convert 10°F to Celsius, we get -23°. When changing any lyrics, of course, the meter of the song (or 3.28 feet of the song) is important to maintain, but in this case, it works surprisingly well if you eliminate the word “degrees” and change “and getting” to “or”: 

“It’s minus 23 or colder down by Boulder Dam today.” 

The song also mentions Fahrenheit body temperature in the third verse:

“So he sat down at her table and they talked about the weather
98.6 and rising down by Boulder Dam that night”

Celsius body temperature is 37.6. The extra syllable makes this awkward but it can still be pulled off. Of course all of this requires a title change, too. At this point we might as well just rewrite the song so the guy avoids being outside in that kind of temperature in the first place. We can keep the lady taking him for a ride in the morning sun because that’s nice.

The bluegrass standard (by way of Johnny Horton) Ole Slewfoot requires both temperature and distance conversion. The chorus:

He’s big around the middle and he’s broad across the rump
Running 90 miles an hour taking 30 feet a jump

Converting this is a real mouthful:

Going 144.82 kilometers an hour taking 9.14 meters a jump. 

Perhaps a more approximate conversion would help: we could shorten it to 140 kilometers and 9 meters, which still doesn’t quite get us there. We could further shorten this tongue-twister by using the military-based slang for kilometers, “klicks.” It still doesn’t quite work out. Maybe the solution is to just have the bear go a little slower: “90 klicks an hour” sings well and that’s still plenty fast; in Canada that’s the speed limit on a number of secondary highways, so that’s not exactly lumbering along.

The third verse mentions the wintry temperature of “20 below.” This is much less of a problem than the 10 degrees discussed above: -20 Fahrenheit is -28.89 Celsius, so I suggest just stretching that a little and calling it “30 below.” Done.

What about Merle Travis’ Nine Pound Hammer? This is 4.08 Kilos. Without changing the time signature of the song to 5/4, we’re going to have to adjust this. It seems like lightening the hammer to an even 4 kilos would have advantages all around. Trust me, no one wants to swing a 5 kilo hammer. Reducing the hammer’s weight might only make it suitable for Number 8 coal, as opposed to Number 9, but don’t quote me on that.

It’s important to get moonshine measurements right, even if international trading in moonshine is frowned upon by border guards:

From Mountain Dew:

And he thought that I ought (“ort”) to sell him a quart
Of my good old mountain dew

Here we have both a meter and an internal rhyme problem: “He thought that I ought to sell him 946 milliliters” just isn’t going to work out. Stretching it to an even liter doesn’t help much either, unless you rewrite the whole line:

And he said c’mon Peter, could you sell me a liter?
Of your good old mountain dew

It’s not ideal. Maybe we should just concentrate on exporting music (and moonshine) to Belize and Palau.

Other metric bluegrass hits:

9.65 More Kilometers (to the Graveyard)
844.67 Kilometers (Away From Home)
12.87 More Kilometers to Louisville

Berkley O. “Berk” Bryant, known as “The Country Gentleman” on both stage and radio, passed away on Christmas Eve 2020 at Heritage Green Assisted Living and Memory Care in Lynchburg, VA. He was 90 years of age, and had been experiencing declining health and a most unkind dementia before suffering a heart attack on December 24.

Berk was born and raised in Lynchburg, where he was a popular radio host in the 1950s, even earning the title Mr. DJ USA from WSM Radio in Nashville. He joined the US Army where he served for 20 years, earning him Vietnam veteran status, retiring from the Army while stationed at Fort Knox, KY.

His Sunday Bluegrass program launched in Lousiville in 1989, first at WRNL, before moving to WFPK where it ran three hours weekly for 30 years. It was only when Berk’s memory began to slip that he had to give up the show, and it bothered him greatly to abandon his loyal listening audience.

For the final edition of Sunday Bluegrass with Berk Bryant, the station staged a live remote broadcast from the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville on March 11, 2018. He closed that show, as he always did, with his familiar sign-off, “Let’s go get a doughnut,” which was his custom following the broadcast on his ride home.

Throughout his stint with the Army, and after his retirement, Bryant had a passion for entertaining. Both on the radio and as a MC at various country and bluegrass music events from Michigan to Tennessee, he would share his vast knowledge of the genre with an approachable, folksy style.

In addition to music, Berk was a talented magician, and performed whenever he could. He especially enjoyed doing shows for children. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians, and was active in the Louisville Magic Club.

Bryant will be remembered for his friendly demeanor and his love of discussing the music that he cared for so deeply with all comers.

A private family ceremony was held on December 30 at Fort Hill Memorial Park in Lynchburg.

R.I.P., Berk Bryant.

Paraphrasing a Bill Monroe tune, “We’ll make our vows to love each other, and we know we always will.”

Another happy union to report: bluegrass sweethearts, Carley Arrowood and Daniel Thrailkill, have announced their engagement.

After five years of friendship that included three years of courtship, Thrailkill, lead singer and guitarist with The Trailblazers, 2018 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year, dropped to one knee and popped the question to fiddler extraordinaire, Arrowood, on Friday afternoon, February 12.

“We’ve been really blessed to find a future home, and we’ve found a little time here and there between my school and both of our teaching schedules to work on updating it some together. We had been painting one of the bedrooms that morning, and we went out for a late lunch. We got back to the house, and Carley had almost started painting with her nice sweater and boots on, so I suggested she go change into her painting clothes. As she did that, I rushed into the other room, rustling through my backpack to find the ring. I went back in to the room we were painting and waited for her to come back, so I could surprise her on one knee! She was so surprised it took her a minute to say, ‘Yes!’ Needless to say, my plan worked well. I’m pretty pleased with the outcome,” shared Daniel, the 2018 IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year.

Arrowood, 2017 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year, elaborated, “He’s been telling me and joking with me for months that the proposal was gonna get me good, and he wasn’t lying. I came back in that room with my blinders on, thinking, ‘We’re doing good. We have one wall left and it’s not that late.’ And when I walked in and saw him on one knee, I felt like I was suddenly in one of those really vivid dreams that feels real, but it’s really not! I finally said yes and he stood up, and I kept laughing between tears and asking, ‘Are you serious?!’ And Daniel said, ‘Well yeah! I’ve got the ring right here!’”

Their paths first crossed at a North Carolina music event.

Thrailkill recalled, “I remember meeting Carley at the 2014 Union Grove Fiddlers’ Convention on a rainy day in April. She doesn’t remember it as clearly as I do, but she was playing in a band with my now band mate, Alex Edwards. It was one of my first convention experiences. Seems so long ago!”

“I remember that day!” Arrowood stressed. “He introduced himself and we talked for a few minutes, but that was about it. After that, we’d see each other at random festivals, and even one time at the homeschool conference in Winston-Salem. We really started becoming better friends at IBMA 2016.”

Arrowood, who fiddled with Darin and Brooke Aldridge for five years, has a first solo project with Mountain Home Music Company coming soon. Thrailkill, appears on her recordings. Since they began dating, the couple has collaborated on numerous other musical projects, including her Goin’ Home Comin’ On Mountain Home music video, and their YouTube series, Pickin’ in the Kitchen.

Arrowood concluded, “We had so much fun telling our close family and friends, and we still haven’t decided on a date yet. I’ve been told that this time always goes by fast, so we really just want to bask in it and enjoy it. We’ve done some wedding planning though, and I’m so looking forward to the rest of it, and the future with Daniel! We’re so amazed at God’s goodness and grace in our lives. I can’t believe it.”

Monroe’s lyrics reflect Thrailkill’s sentiments toward Arrowood, his fiddling sweetheart. “For me there’ll never be another. I’ll love her ’til the day I die.”

Following last year’s announcement from founding member Dale Ann Bradley that she was leaving the group, bluegrass powerhouse Sister Sadie has named a new member, and brought a long serving sub into the fold as well.

Celebrated young vocalist Jaelee Roberts will come in on guitar, filling a very large pair of shoes, and bassist Hasee Ciaccio, who has been touring with the Sisters for some time, is welcomed aboard as a full member.

Speaking for the group, founders Tina Adair (mandolin), Gena Britt (banjo), and Deanie Richardson (fiddle) shared this joint statement.

“We couldn’t be more excited to announce that Hasee Ciaccio (who has been playing shows with us for almost two years now) and Jaelee Roberts will be officially joining Sister Sadie! We feel these two ladies add a whole new dynamic, excitement, and sound to the band, and are looking forward to creating music with them. Both are talented beyond their years. Their energy and drive is simply infectious and we couldn’t be more thrilled to make this announcement.

Thanks to all of our fans and friends for your love and support of Sister Sadie, and for patiently awaiting this news. We love you all.”

Sister Sadie will be featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, set to open on Friday, March 12, 2021. The exhibit will remain open through February 6 of next year, with artifacts from more than a dozen artists.

Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, says that they are happy to include Sister Sadie in this year’s exhibit. “As a museum, we document and report on country music history – past and present. Each year through the American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, we explore the music and events that helped to shape it. Amid a global health crisis, a renewed push for social justice, and more, the powerful role of country music and the stories told through it remained constant.”

Jaelee reports being a bit overwhelmed to be joining such an awarded and celebrated outfit only a year or so into her professional career.

“I can hardly express how thankful and honored I am to have this opportunity to play guitar and sing with Sister Sadie. I look up to each of these women as individual artists, and to actually be in a band with my mentors really is a dream come true! Sister Sadie has accomplished so much…they are the very first all-female IBMA Entertainers of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year…WOW.  I am so ready to learn from and stand beside these ladies that absolutely kick butt in bluegrass music!”

For Hasee, a 2010 graduate from the bluegrass program at East Tennessee State University, being included as a full member is an affirming step.

“Playing with Sister Sadie has brought joy, laughter, love, and purpose to my life over the course of the last two years. I have so much gratitude for their inclusion and the way they have welcomed me into their Sisterhood with a seat at their table. It’s an honor to be included in this stellar lineup of serious female players, and the feeling we create together onstage is magnetic, electrifying, and empowering. I’m truly proud of what we’ve accomplished as a unit, and I’m excited about the band’s path going forward. I think we’re all fired up for this next chapter, and we can’t wait to get back onstage where we feel most at home.”

As Hasee suggests, all of the ladies of Sister Sadie are eager to get back out on the road where they can play and sing for their loyal fans once again soon. Keep an eye on their web site for new dates as they are announced for 2021 and beyond.

Josh Swift, reso-guitarist with The Isaacs and Lyle Lovett, and his wife, Tobi, are celebrating the birth of their second child.

Sully Lynn Swift was born on Sunday, February 21, at 3:03 p.m. at the Cookeville Regional Medical Center in Tennessee. He came into this world weighing in at 9lbs 6oz, stretching out to 21 inches long.

Josh says that mom and baby are doing great, saying of the delivery, “Tobi pushed for 2 minutes, and he was here.” She may have a different memory of the process. In any event, they both expressed their thanks to the labor and delivery staff at Cookeville.

The Swifts brought Sully home last night, where he is getting used to his new life with big brother Cager, now 9 years old.

Congratulations Tobi and Josh, and a great big Bluegrass Today welcome to little Sully!

Patton Wages, banjo player with Volume Five and instructor at Acoustic Cellar Guitars in Clarksville, GA, suffered a stroke on Monday night (February 22). He was taken to the hospital in Greenville, SC and was listed in critical condition overnight.

He is undergoing surgery this morning following several brain scans, and the early reports are quite good. Doctors say that Patton’s blood pressure has come down, and they feel quite confident that there was no major brain bleed or burst artery. They suspect that a blood clot was the culprit, and the surgical team is hoping to find and remove it this morning.

At this time, we have no indication whether Patton will suffer any permanent loss of function from the stroke, though his doctors have told the family that they hope for a complete recovery. We will update this story throughout the day as more details are available.

According to reports we have received, Patton was teaching lessons yesterday evening with no indication of any trouble. At some point, we understand that he was taken to the hospital by his father.

The family is asking everyone to pray for Patton and his medical team, and for him to recuperate quickly.

UPDATE 10:15 a.m. – It turns out that Patton was quite lucky in being able to get medical attention right away. His father says that they were watching television at home last night, and he noted that Patton’s speech became slurred and his eyes were rolled back. His dad called 911 right away, and first responders were able to provide a shot to prevent further stroke damage to the brain.

His family reports that they were all quite concerned last night whether he would make it, as doctors said they couldn’t do surgery until his blood pressure dropped and stabilized. They thank God that the pressure is down, and we expect a report following surgery soon.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m. – We are told via Patton’s father that his surgery was successfully concluded, with a doctor’s report that things went better than expected. No further word yet on likely outcomes.

Engelhardt Music Group has a new single for bluegrass singer and songwriter Tina Adair, the second to drop from her upcoming album with the Nashville-based label.

Her last was a driving cover of a Kathy Mattea song, and now we have Won’t Be Crying Over You, which Tina wrote with her Sister Sadie partner, Gena Britt. As the title suggests, it’s a “get on down the road” number, and Tina sings it with the clout and authority long associated with this veteran performer, supported by a group of Nashville super pickers who are as good as it gets.

Scott Vestal is on banjo with Cody Kilby and Pat McGrath on guitar, Casey Campbell on mandolin, Tim Crouch on fiddle, Rob Ickes on reso-guitar, and Dennis Crouch on bass. Wes Hightower sings harmony vocals.

Here’s a taste…

Won’t Be Crying Over You is available now to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct. It will release to download and streaming services on March 5.

Look for Tina’s full album with EMG later in the spring of 2021.

The Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, VA is offering a free virtual business conference on Friday, February 26, entitled A Place in the Band: Women in Bluegrass and American Roots Music. This live event is part of a series on this topic hosted by the Music Center, which got its start last year as part of their centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, granting women the right to vote.

The conference on Friday will mix live performance with discussion, and clips from the interview series on this theme that was conducted in 2020. Noted banjo player and record label owner Alison Brown will serve as the keynote speaker, with contributions from Cathy Fink, Missy Raines, Annie Staninec, and Trisha Tubbs, all familiar names and faces in the bluegrass world.

A Place In The Band is scheduled to run from noon to 4:00 p.m. (EST), and while the conference is offered free of charge, preregistration is required. Once you complete the simple online registration, you will receive an email with a link to the Zoom conference.

Friday’s conference schedule follows:

• 12:00  – Welcome remarks, short set by Alison Brown
• 12:15  –  Keynote address (Alison Brown)
• 12:45 –  Short set by Cathy Fink and excerpts from the interview series
• 1:00  –   Panel 1: Discussion with women industry professionals: Kimberly Glick, Jamie Katz Court, Lisa Schwartz, Trisha Tubbs, facilitated by Claire Armbruster
• 1:45   –  Short set by Annie Staninec and excerpts from the interview series
• 2:00  –  Panel 2: Discussion with female artists: Cathy Fink, Leyla McCalla, Missy Raines, Annie Staninec, facilitated by Laurelyn Dossett
• 2:45  –   Short set by Leyla McCalla and excerpts from the interview series
• 3:00  –  Panel 3: Where do we go from here: participants from the 1st two panels, facilitated by Claire Armbruster
• 3:45  –   Short set by Missy Raines

To get a feel for the sort of discussions that will be included, here is a snippet of one of last year’s interviews, with Kristin Scott Benson of The Grascals. She talks about her experiences as a woman in bluegrass with Laurelyn Dossett.

You can see all of the Blue Ridge Music Center interviews from the 2020 A Place In The Band series online.

Full details about Friday’s conference can be found on the Music Center web site.

An album that consists entirely of covers can be a precipitous proposition. For one thing, if the original versions are already well ingrained within the musical lexicon, any attempt to revisit them runs the risk of paling by comparison. After all, the trademark template is difficult to beat. On the other hand, a new and overtly imaginative version which adds something new can in fact add credence to the cover. That being said, credit Adam & Mikayla with an admirable effort as far as being able to share a set of standards with both credit and creativity. Considering the fact that most of their songs fall into the category of classics, the duo are certainly due credit for taking on the challenge. 

In a certain sense, it comes as little surprise. Both Adam and Mikayla Burrows were weaned on bluegrass music early on, and the experience they gained while playing with other ensembles appears to have given them the tools and training they needed to fully pursue their passions. At its essence, Two Hearts One Goal reflects clear reverence for those forebears that helped define that traditional template while also bringing folk music firmly to the fore. Indeed, those songwriters represented here — Bill Monroe, Ira Louvin, Merle Travis, Ralph Stanley, and Felice and Boudleaux Bryant —all stand tall in the annals of authentic American music.

Given the elevated expectations, the pair still manage to tackle this set of songs with unblemished enthusiasm. They turn songs such as Sophronie, Close By, Ridin’ That Midnight Train, and Knoxville Girl into a series of celebratory performances entirely devoid of posturing or pretense. Their renditions mostly hold to the spirit with which they were written, all simple sentiment and heartfelt homage. As a result, they offer an honest intent that reflects the reverence that’s so evident in each of these offerings. That’s clear throughout, as evidenced in the implicit sincerity shown with A.P. Carter’s heartfelt I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight, their rapid-fire revelry on Whitehouse Blues, the a cappella treatment given Waltz of the Angels, and the stoic delivery and counterpoint vocals shared with the well-worn classic, Nine Pound Hammer. 

That, then, is the essence of this album, an unabashed attempt at referencing the roots of a timeless tapestry. That’s what enables the ever-faithful Two Hearts One Goal to absolutely achieve its ambitions.

The bluegrass world gained two new little boys recently when two of The Hinson Girls gave birth nearly two weeks apart. Oldest sibling, Kristin Hinson Kunde and husband, Nate, celebrated the birth of their third child, Luke Cohen Kunde, on January 30. Youngest sibling, Katelyn Hinson Robertson and husband, Buddy (of Flatt Lonesome), welcomed their first child, Dolton Wayne Robertson IV, on Valentines’ Day. 

Cohen was born at 10:21 a.m., weighing 8 lbs 5 oz and measuring 20 inches in length. He joins big brother, Weston, who is three, and big sister, Lillian, who is one.

Proud mama, Kristin, who played guitar and sang with The Hinson Girls of Lancaster, SC, expressed, “My three children are gifts from the Lord. Life is crazy right now and it’s rare that we get a break, but I find so much joy in motherhood. My mom said it best: ‘Our hands are full, but they are full of blessings.’ Being a mom isn’t easy, but I give it my best every day and I go to sleep at night knowing that my kids are loved, not only by me but by their family and the large community surrounding them. I definitely couldn’t do this alone and, thankfully, I have a wonderful husband and so much support to help me while I try to raise my children in the best way I can.”

Dolton arrived at 1:00 p.m. on February 14, weighing 9 lbs 3 oz and measuring 20 ¾ inches long. 

First-time mom, Katelyn, who played mandolin and sang with The Hinson Girls, and first-time dad, Buddy, who played guitar and sang with Flatt Lonesome, shared their excitement. “This little boy has changed our entire world! He’s the absolute best thing that has ever happened to us. There are no words to explain this kind of love.”

The remaining Hinson Girls, twins Melissa and Allison, met their significant others through bluegrass music as well. Melissa, bassist with the Hinson Girls, married Matthew Love, former banjo/guitarist with Darin & Brooke Aldridge. They have a one year old son named Wyatt. Ally, banjoist with the Hinsons, is engaged to Jacob Greer, guitarist with Sideline.

Congratulations all, and a big Bluegrass Today welcome to Cohen and Dolton!

This remembrance is a contribution from Chris Sexton, longtime fiddler with Nothin’ Fancy. He writes to recall the lives and contributions of two people whose lives were important to the band, and who deserved to be memorialized.

The members of Nothin’ Fancy and all of our extended family need to reflect on the lives of two men who have been driving forces of the band: one who helped found the band and gave the band its distinct sound, and the other whose support was unswerving and devoted.

Gary Farris and Jerry Baker both passed away on February 18 within a few hours of each other. Having traveled the road with Gary for 18 years ,and having Jerry be a memorable part of so many of our shows, this is one of the hardest tributes this author has ever had to write. Yet it must be written about who they were and what they meant to us. Both men served honorably during the Vietnam war. Both had an intense love and devotion for family, both by blood and in kindred spirits. Most importantly, they are truly unforgettable, and they will be remembered with honor and love.

Gary Farris helped start a bluegrass band in 1994 with Mike Andes, Guy Carawan, Mitchell Davis, and Tony Shorter. I ended up coming in to take over Carawan’s fiddling duties, and we became the band that stayed together for 18 years without a personnel change (except for one year with a young Eli Johnston on bass). How does one summarize 18 years? We garnered six SPBGMA awards. We toured in Canada, Norway, and the Netherlands together. We sailed the seas on bluegrass cruises together and played a memorable concert at Orient Beach in St. Martin on one of those cruises. We recorded an album with Rhonda and Darrin Vincent as co-producers where Gary sang harmony with the queen of bluegrass herself. We traveled so many miles in a conversion van which was eventually replaced by our first tour bus after leasing a few buses. Eventually the band made its way into the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame, and it was all born out of the efforts of Gary, whose most singular words of advice to me were, “You gotta be tough in this business!” And how tough he was: he held on long enough to see his first great-grandson born the day before he died, which is what he told me he would do back in September of 2020.

I first became aware of Jerry Baker as the quiet and kind man behind his charismatic wife Christi, and yet Jerry possessed a charisma of his own. If you knew Jerry, you were part of his family – end of story. We did not often get to talk, but his actions always spoke much louder than his words, and his acts were always borne out of love. As 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells, “…God loves a cheerful giver,” and Jerry was a prime example of that very cheerful giver who did not ever begrudgingly give, and he rarely, if ever, expected anything in return. In his giving way, he and Christi would often cook for bands coming to the Nothin’ Fancy festival as a way of showing their appreciation of the talents shown on stage, and if anyone left hungry, it was usually their own fault for not eating enough. Ever the expert grill master, he’d often told us, “don’t be bashful” when it came to filling our plates, and everything on your plate would be made by heart and out of love for making people happy. But Jerry gave us all more than just full plates and stomachs. He gave the world humor, light, and kindness.

Friends, pray as you are so moved for the spirits of Gary and Jerry that they are bathed in the light and free from the pain of their physical bodies. May the spirit of these great men live on in us as witnesses to their lives. The only fitting close to this tribute is a song recorded by Nothin’ Fancy with our special guest vocalist Rhonda Vincent joining in. May the words of the chorus bring comfort to the families both in kin and in kindred spirit as it is sung:

And I’ll have eyes that will never fill with teardrops
And I’ll have legs that will never ache with pain
And I’ll have hands that will never age and wither
And a heart that will never break again.

Amen, may it be so, and blessed be.