Monthly Archives: April 2021

James Reams & The Barnstormers have released a lyric video for another track from their upcoming Like A Flowing River soundtrack album, one James wrote called Cincinnati Southern.

It’s a railroad number, which Reams recalls as a feature of his boyhood imagination.

“When I was a little boy laying in bed in Pine Hollow, Kentucky I would hear those highball freight and passenger trains. They would squall and rumble near were we lived carrying people and coal. We would go down to the track and try to make the engineer pull the whistle, then listen as the rumble slowly faded to nothing.

I love the song, and am so proud of writing it. It truly is part of the soundtrack of my life.”

The new record will include total of 30 songs James has written about his life and times, chosen to celebrate his three decades performing in bluegrass music.

He says that putting it together during the COVID shutdowns hit him hard, as he was unable to work like so many other musical artists.

“These were some of the most difficult times I’ve ever seen. I’m sure many folks didn’t know whether they were going to survive or eat. I’m just grateful for being alive and able to release something meaningful and huge like this, a remembrance of the past with hope for the future.”

Keep an eye out for more information about Like A Flowing River later this year.

Everything has been coming up roses of late for Alan Bibey. Though he has been working as a professional grasser for more than 35 years, the past few have seen recognition come his way like it never had before. Winning consecutive IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year awards, hosting his own popular mandolin camp, and releasing a pair of highly consequential albums since 2015 with his touring group, Grasstowne, has kept him in at the forefront of the bluegrass conversation at every level.

If you’ve been listening to bluegrass radio much this year, you know that Alan and Grasstowne have a new record, Hitchhiking To California, with several singles that have been prominent on our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart. Bibey has been able to maintain a consistently strong group around him this past five years, recently enhanced by the addition of Kati Penn on fiddle and vocals.

This new project is the band’s first with Billy Blue Records, and Jerry Salley, the label’s A&R Director, has certainly put his stamp on the record with songwriter credits on three of its 11 tracks. But the real credit for the artistic success of this effort goes to Bibey and his talented bandmates, the aforementioned Kati Penn, Justin Jenkins on banjo, Zak McLamb on bass, and Tony Watt on guitar. A couple of guest artists make an appearance as well, Darin & Brooke Aldridge sing harmony with Alan on one song, Ron Stewart adds some guitar and fiddle, and Patrick M’Gonigle, a member at the outset of this recording, has harmony parts on five tracks.

Starting with the title track, a reworked version of Wes Golding’s classic from the Boone Creek days, Alan’s mandolin and lead vocal set the tone. Not known as a singer in his days with New Quicksilver and IIIrd Tyme Out, he has developed into a fine bluegrass vocalist and a skillful songwriter. In fact, several of the strongest songs here are his, having added lyrics to Hitchhiking To California, a Gospel number which ends the album, When He Calls My Name, written with Ronnie Bowman, and a lovely song, Daddy And Me, composed with Jerry Salley, about Alan’s father.

I was fortunate to know his dad, James Bibey, and it is clear through Daddy And Me that Alan feels his loss deeply. James was the one who drove young Al to the many bluegrass festivals and conventions before he was old enough to drive, where he learned his love for bluegrass music and became such a gifted practitioner. James was a picker himself, but not up to the level of his son, and he took immense pride in seeing Alan on stage with top touring bands as his career blossomed. Al often showed up for gigs as an adult with his dad in tow, and there wasn’t a happier man to be found in the audience. The song encapsulates Bibey’s intense love for his father, to the degree that he has said that he doubts that he could get through it on stage. Lucky us that it was captured in the studio, with Darin and Brooke singing along. Good luck keeping a dry eye.

Blue Collar Blues was the record’s second single, coming from Rick Lang and Jerry Salley, a groovin’, mid-tempo song about the life of a working man who labors every day for his wife and family. From there we get a snappy happy grass number, I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You) from The Bailes Brothers, who had a number of country hits in the 1940s.

The band trios are greatly complemented by Kati’s voice up top, and she gets a feature as well on a special treat, a Jake Landers song that has not been recorded before now, I Don’t Know When. Penn joined the group while this album was bring recorded, and we hope to hear more of her singing on future releases. We have missed hearing her since the breakup of NewTown, and she shows here why she is so highly regarded in bluegrass circles. The Queen, in all her glory, has nothing on this smooth and sultry chanteuse.

Banjo man Justin Jenkins gets his highlight on a tune he wrote called Messin’ With Sasquatch. Not sure we want to know the story behind that, but Justin once again demonstrates here that he is on the very top row of Scruggs/Crowe banjo players in our industry. It would be nice to see that recognized by the IBMA Awards sometime soon. His playing throughout the record is consistently first rate.

Surely the most surprising track is a grassed up version of Take The Long Way Home, a mega hit for British rockers, Supertramp, in 1979. Prior to hearing this cut, you probably would never imagine it becoming a bluegrass song, but it works perfectly. Bibey had mentioned before this release that he was a bit concerned how the bluegrass world would find his arrangement, a hard driving mash-style rendition, but he needn’t have worried. His mandolin tears through the changes and the band simply kills it.

Also worthy of mention are Crime At Quite Dell, from Chris Stuart, a true murder ballad about tragic events in West Virginia in 1931, and Rhythm Of The Rails, a tasty song from Craig Market and Wayne Winkle, a minor key tale of railroad lore. When He Calls My Name closes things out in fine fashion with four-part Gospel harmony.

Bibey has benefited tremendously from a crisp rhythm section, provided by his mandolin and the strong rhythm guitar of Tony Watt, who is always there with the right sound, and Zak McLamb, whose bass is steadily on point and stands out notably on the title track.

Hitchhiking To California is more than a success, it is a triumph for Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, contemporary bluegrass at its very best.

Mountain Home Music Company is set to release another single tomorrow from its Bluegrass at the Crossroads project, a band scramble sort of recording where members of various bands and solo artists are grouped into unexpected ensembles. They have intentionally matched musicians from the more traditional side of bluegrass with those of a more progressive bent, and the results have been quite impressive.

Tomorrow’s release is for On The Lonesome Breeze, a song written by Travis Book of Infamous Stringdusters and project producer Jon Weisberger. Travis takes the lead vocal as well, supported by Lonesome River Band banjoist Sammy Shelor, Wayne Benson of IIIrd Tyme Out on mandolin, Carley Arrowood on fiddle, and Joe Cicero of Fireside Collective on guitar. Book plays the bass as well, with vocal harmonies provided by Arrowood and John Cloyd Miller of Zoe & Cloyd.

With the exception of Benson and Arrowood, none of these artists have ever recorded together, precisely the sort of interactions Mountain Home was after in these sessions.

Travis recalls how this one came to be written.

“One of the first times I met Jon, more than ten years ago, he suggested the hook and soon thereafter we wrote On The Lonesome Breeze. I jumped at the chance to help bring this song to life, and I loved being a part of Bluegrass at the Crossroads — the recording session is already the stuff of legend!”

Jon picks it up from there…

“I’ve loved this song ever since Travis and I wrote it. When I put this session together, it came to mind right away — and I knew not only that he would turn in a great vocal, but that it would be a chance to really underline what can come from bringing together these masterful musicians from different backgrounds: a memorable recording, and a lot of fun in the studio, too. Making good music and building community are what Bluegrass at the Crossroads is all about!”

Here’s the track.

On The Lonesome Breeze will be available as a single tomorrow, April 30, wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track now from AirPlay Direct.

The young members of Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, or CUBG, like many musicians, have had to be creative in finding ways to stay connected to music this past year. As a follow-up to their 2020 album, Monroe Bridge, the band has dug more into composing and the result is the live recorded EP, Till I Dance Again with You. The band has also released a video of bassist Andrew Osborn’s The Man Next Door from the EP.

“The Man Next Door was my first original song for the band,” says Andrew. “The melody came to me first, and words for the chorus followed soon after. I was inspired by a song that Miles sings, I’ll Remember You Love in my Prayers.”

The video  and EP were edited and mixed by Jeremy Allen of Musiquito Media, and mastered by Mike Bemesderfer of Digital Audio Solutions in Oakland. The EP is available on all major streaming platforms and for purchase on Bandcamp.

Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band is Andrew Osborn on bass, John Gooding on guitar, Miles Quale on fiddle, and Teo Quale on mandolin. This group of young bluegrass veterans comes from California, having grown up together in and around the California Bluegrass Association, and have been a visible part of the national bluegrass and fiddle contest scene for several years.

Here is a must-see video where Marty Stuart invites the band to play with him at the Strawberry Music Festival in 2019.

Artwork by Niera Thompson

Photos by Jeremy Allen

Another happy bluegrass union has occurred. Melody Williamson, lead vocalist and fiddler in her family’s Nashville-based band, Williamson Branch, and Geoffrey Keyes, sound engineer with Morganton, NC’s Blue Ridge Sound, were wed on April 11. The ceremony took place in Cookeville, TN, in the chapel at Lanes’ Bend. Music was provided by Carley Arrowood, Daniel Thrailkill, and Drew Grounds. 

The couple composed their own vows. Geoffrey pledged to always listen to and enjoy Melody’s songs, and she promised to always admire Geoffrey’s projects. 

“It’s such a privilege to learn how to love and be loved. As products of two, strong, God-centered marriages, Geoffrey and I have a tradition to carry. We are proud to share the joyful news of our commitment with the world! Geoffrey is the most selfless, creative, and vivacious person I’ve ever met. He’s gonna make the best husband – y’all should be jealous!” Melody shared.

Geoffrey added, “Melody is my perfect balance, my beautiful songbird, my friend, confidant, and focus. Her smile and laughter brightens every day. It’s so exciting to begin our life together.”

The musical pair met at Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver’s Bluegrass Festival in Denton, NC.  The venue is apparently fertile ground for meeting your significant other as several other bluegrass couples have recently acknowledged (Stephen Burwell/Haley Rhea, Katie Springer/Austin Koerner).

Six months later, Melody and Geoffrey went on their first date to a restaurant in Nashville. Afterward, they walked in a nearby park. Melody’s new shoes gave her blisters. To relieve her discomfort, Geoffrey carried her shoes while Melody walked barefoot. According to the bride, “I’ve been walking on air ever since.”

The couple appeared together in a Williamson Branch video in 2019, Blue Moon Over Texas.

After almost three years of dating, Geoffrey and Melody became engaged on August 13, 2020. Some good things did happen that year!

Melody elaborated on the proposal. “Geoffrey surprised me by taking me to a gazebo that he had decorated in curtains, lights, and candles. The whole thing was breathtaking. We ate dinner inside and we danced. After dessert (cheesecake, yum!), he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and I said….YES, I WILL MARRY YOU! After that, I just giggled for three days.”

The happy couple honeymooned in Turtletown, TN, and is making their home in Hickory, NC.

Williamson Branch will be appearing at Lorraine’s Coffee House in Garner, NC, on Friday night, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. They will also be singing at Northside Gospel Chapel in Victoria, VA, on Sunday, May 2, at 11:00 a.m.

Visit them online for more upcoming shows. We wish the newlyweds well as venues begin to reopen and live music returns.

Fresh off her induction as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry, Rhonda Vincent has new music to share with he substantial fan base.

Perhaps with an eye to her newfound Opry audience, today’s new single is an acoustic country number done up bluegrass style with her crack band, The Rage. It’s the first out from her upcoming album, Music Is What I See, due for release on Upper Management Music at the end of May.

Like I Could is one that Vincent says came to her in the most Opry way imaginable.

“I feel like I’ve discovered the best way to find songs to record. Just get in a limo with a Grand Ole Opry Star, ride around Nashville and enjoy having them sing the latest songs they’ve written. It sounds like a fairy tale, but that’s exactly how I found Like I Could; Jeannie Seely sang me the newest song she had written, along with Erin Enderlin and Bobby Tomberlin. I loved it instantly, and couldn’t wait to record it.”

Enjoy the single in this graphic video.

Like I Could is available as a single now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Pre-orders for the full Music Is What I See record are enabled online.

Greetings from the studio! My band and I are in the studio all this week and time has run short, what with oboe overdubs and getting basic rhythm tracks for our much-requested medley of No School Bus in Heaven and The Lollypop Guild. Before going into the studio I was peppered with song-pitches, even though we write almost all our own material. Here is a column from a several years back about how to make these pitches as effective as possible:

There’s a perception in some places, in Nashville especially, that songwriters and publishers are becoming overly aggressive in their song-pitching strategies.

I have to respectfully disagree with this viewpoint, and below I will submit my argument that, in fact, people aren’t pitching their songs aggressively enough.

While it is true that in Nashville you can’t go anywhere in town (the ball game, the supermarket, church, the hospital emergency waiting room, etc) without getting songs pitched to you, this is more a problem of song and songwriter quantity and concentration than it is a problem of pushy marketing. There are just a lot of people doing it, and it’s accepted in Nashville that, with the exception of a memorial service (the reception afterwards is fine), you should just expect to have a song pitched to you anywhere.

Take this recent scene in a Nashville area tire store:

Cashier: Looks like we have a set of Integra tires in your size available for a decent price.

Me: Okay.

Cashier: By the way, I noticed some CDs of yours on the floor of your car. Are you a country artist?

Me: Not really.

Cashier: Well, I’m a songwriter in town. This is just my day job for now. If you’re interested, I just wrote a really good one about taking a truck full of beer down by the river.

Me: Careful, I might steal that idea (followed by forced laughter). What’s it called?

Cashier: Truck by the River. Well, here’s a copy of the demo. Check it out. Tires will be ready in an hour.

Me: Thanks.

There was nothing particularly aggressive or predatory about this exchange. Some feel that you should be able to buy a set of tires in peace, but this is after all “The Music City,” not “The Leave-People-Alone-While They’re-Spending-Too-Much-On-Tires City.”

The fact is that most of the songwriter and publisher solicitations I receive are really pretty timid. I was sent a link to a song recently with a one-paragraph pitch that contained the phrase “no obligation to record.” I ask you, in this highly competitive market, is it good business to make people feel less obligated? Of course it isn’t.

I would suggest that songwriters should not only foster a sense of obligation, but they should consider using a play for sympathy and/or veiled threats to help drive the point home. Remember, you’re trying to get songs cut, not make friends.

Here are a couple of possible strategies you might consider using in a song-pitching email:

“I began writing songs fifteen years ago, and since I made the decision to become a full time songwriter, I’ve lived a life of abject poverty and sadness. I currently live in a tent on the roof of the ASCAP building in Nashville (no one has noticed me there yet), and I subsist almost entirely on a diet of stale crackers and cream of mushroom soup. I don’t own a can opener, so I gnaw the cans open with my teeth. I know you’re busy living the luxurious and successful life of a bluegrass musician, and probably feel no particular need to listen to any of my little songs, but if you would just see your way clear to record even one of them, I think I would have the strength and resources to go on.”

That’s the kind of obligation I’m talking about. Another approach is based on the old chain-letter model, which has been so seamlessly adapted to the medium of email:

“Dear Friend,

I’m sending this letter to you and fourteen other recording artists. There is a lyric sheet and MP3 of an original song, Smells Like Lonesome, attached. I’m not the writer of the song (though I do own half the publishing). To continue this chain, please forward this to fifteen of your own friends, preferably the ones with record deals. 

No one is sure where the song came from originally, but through this email, it has been around the world several times. The former King of Spain, Ferdinand Castellano XVIII (or ‘Dave Evans’ to his friends) performed the song for his daughter Isabella, and she was blessed with her first child that year.

On the other hand, trouble has rained down on those who have deleted this email and failed to forward it to their recording artist friends. One young musician deleted it and three hours later, he was struck and killed by a train, and he was sailing on a ship at the time.

One woman listened to the demo, but failed to forward it, and she was later hospitalized with severe food poisoning from a bad tuna sandwich.”

This will make people think twice before they ignore this song.

I’ll admit that I’m not really qualified to talk about aggressive marketing strategies, since I don’t even pitch songs at all, myself. I rely almost exclusively on people hearing one my songs by accident, and then recording a cover version (also by accident).

You know what they say, though, “those who can’t do, teach.” In that spirit I will be leading an IBMA seminar this fall entitled “Ignore My Demo At Your Peril: Using Fear To Sell Your Songs.”

I would suggest signing up for this, if you know what’s good for you.

Each semester, students in the Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music Studies program at East Tennessee State University are required to engage in ensemble performances as part of their course work. Players and singers are grouped according to their level of skill and experience, and are tasked with putting together a live set, with the help of a faculty coach.

In a typical year, the department spreads out these student concerts over the final weeks of a term, where the student groups are graded by a jury of their professors. It’s a great way to give student musicians a taste of live performance, in front of a real audience.

But in light of COVID-19 restrictions, the Spring 2021 semester concerts are all being held this week at The Down Home in Johnson City. Since live audiences can not yet be allowed, all the student group sets will be lived streamed on Facebook. So from tonight (April 27) through Friday (April 30), you can see what the next generation of acoustic artists are learning in college.

Each show will be offered for free via Facebook Live, which you can watch live at 7:00 p.m. (EDT), or catch after the fact in the archived video.

ETSU offers a bachelor’s degree and undergraduate minors through the Appalachian Studies Department in bluegrass, old time, country, or Celtic music. A good many of the graduates of this program are currently working professionals in the music business.

Stephen Mougin, noted bluegrass artist, sideman, and owner of Dark Shadow Recording, is currently serving as Artist in Residence at the Children’s Museum of Evansville, IN.

Through this appointment, Stephen (Mojo to friends) is offering free Zoom classes each Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. (CDT) for young musicians. He is teaching lessons about the history of bluegrass music, the instruments used to play it, and the regions of the country where it developed, plus the basics of songwriting, harmony, and music theory.

The classes are free to anyone who would like to watch on Zoom.

Mougin’s lessons started earlier this month, but three more are left during his Artist in Residence period.

• April 28 at 3:00 p.m. CST
• May 5 at 3:00 p.m. CST
• May 12 at 3:00 p.m. CST

Here’s a video Mojo made in advance of these classes.

Find out more about the Children’s Museum of Evansville and the Artist in Residence program online.

The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced Pat Morris as the organization’s next Executive Director. He will step in for current director Paul Schiminger, who has announced his retirement effective at the end of May. Morris is expected to take over as of May 24.

The IBMA Board has taken the same tack in selecting Morris as they did with Schiminger, choosing someone from the corporate world with experience in the financial, associations, and fundraising sphere. Pat has served previously as Chief Executive Officer of ACA International, President & CEO of the Association for Corporate Growth, and the Executive Director of the Washington DC-based InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards.

A former Marine officer, Morris developed a love for bluegrass music while working one summer at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, where bluegrass groups performed regularly during park hours. There he heard a young Jim Lauderdale leading a band on stage, and the reso-guitar work of the late Gene Wooten. Pat was inspired to take up the guitar, a passion that has followed him through his career to this day.

He says that he is eager to get to work on behalf of bluegrass music and the bluegrass industry.

“I am so honored to be selected as the next Executive Director of the IBMA. This position combines my passion for bluegrass and pursuit of excellence as an association leader. The future of bluegrass is bright, and I look forward to learning from IBMA staff, leaders, and members and drawing upon my own experience in applying best practices, leveraging creative ideas and technology, finding strategic partners, and turning opportunities into reality to help IBMA and the bluegrass industry. I look forward to working with IBMA’s members, and helping to advance the organization’s mission and values.”

He has the enthusiastic support of outgoing director Schiminger.

“I’m excited for the future of our association. The IBMA is fortunate to have Pat taking the helm with his extensive association leadership experience and passion for our music. I hope everyone will welcome and support him in the same incredible way you did with me. Pat and the strong staff will continue to advance the IBMA’s impact by achieving even greater things with your help!”

That is a sentiment shared by the Board of Directors, as expressed by Chair and President, Ben Surratt.

“Pat’s impeccable resume and love of bluegrass is the perfect combination for the next Executive Director of IBMA. I’m so happy to have Pat working alongside us for the benefit of bluegrass and the bluegrass community. Our association is in great hands.”

IBMA members and bluegrass fans will have a chance to meet Pat during September’s World of Bluegrass events later this year. He can be reached at the IBMA offices after May 24.

And now for something completely different…

Fiddler John Mailander has been on our radar since 2012, when he was an undergrad student at the Berklee College of Music. Two years later, we found his debut album, Walking Distance, to be a fine example of contemporary fiddle music. Living now in Nashville, he has become one of the city’s top session players, and a member of Bruce Hornsby’s Noisemakers, touring as things reopen after shutdowns last year.

He stays up on his bluegrass chops collaborating with Billy Strings and has, as a passion project, created an ensemble called John Mailander’s Forecast which performs and records music that combines elements of bluegrass with jazz, rock, folk, and avant-garde music. It’s sound that’s hard to peg, and Mailander knows that it might be a bridge too far for some bluegrass lovers to cross. But he invites us all to have a listen, and enjoy this more experimental side of his musical journey.

It involves adding instruments not heard on our side of the street as a rule, including pedal steel guitar and saxophone, to the melodies and arrangements John creates. A new album, Look Closer, is set for release on May 7, with a live stream concert the night before from The 5 Spot in Nashville.

He has suggested this track, Returning, as one to share as a tease for the record and the stream, which you can hear in the almost static video below.

John says that the title is a perfect exposition of how it was to be making music again in the studio.

“Returning was one of the first tunes we tracked on day one in the studio. After so many months of isolation, the way we arranged this tune together, and how each musician’s voice enters and joins in one at a time, the creation of this track, and album as a whole, felt like a joyful rediscovery of musical connection and purpose. Thank you for listening!”

Mailander is on fiddle with Ethan Jodziewicz on bass, Jake Stargel on guitar, Chris Lippincott on pedal steel, Mark Raudabaugh on drums, and David Williford on tenor saxophone.

Returning is available now as a single wherever you stream or download music online. Pre-orders for Look Closer can be placed for digital, CD, or vinyl purchase, from John’s bandcamp page.

Make Welcome Entertainment has announced the signing of Iowa grassers, Lori King & Junction 63, to the agency for artist representation.

Junction 63 is one of the most awarded bluegrass groups in the midwest, founded by the husband and wife team of Jeff and Lori King. She plays bass and he guitar, with both sharing the vocal duties with a strong band of seasoned players. Kevin Amburgey is on mandolin, Mark Hargrove on banjo, and Kyle Murphy on fiddle.

Lori believes that working with Make Welcome will help them increase their visibility on the national bluegrass scene.

“I love performing and feeling the energy you get from the crowd when you walk on stage. We are always looking for new ways to ramp up our shows and reach new fans. I think that partnering with Make Welcome Entertainment will allow me to focus on making great music, and help us raise our fanbase outside of the Midwest! We can’t wait to play live shows again and plan to kick off our summer schedule in May at Silver Dollar City.”

Make Welcome Entertainment was formed in 2010 by Andrea Ball and Jennifer Jensen, and maintains offices in Nashville and Washington, DC. Their roster of artists includes bluegrass harmonica player David Naiditch, bluegrass singer and songwriter Stacey Grubb, and country artists Shane Thomas and Joe Rucker.

For more information on Lori King & Junction 63, or any of the other Make Welcome artists, visit the agency online.

Whippoorwill Arts, an organization founded by Jim Nunally and Nell Robinson to foster opportunities for roots artists, has embarked on an ambitious campaign to survey roots musicians in the United States to discover their wants and needs for post-pandemic careers.

Partnering with six other agencies dedicated to roots music – AFM Local 1000, Americana Music Association, The Blues Foundation, Global Fest, Folk Alliance International, and the International Bluegrass Music Association – the Whippoorwill Arts Roots Musicians Survey is seeking information from artists who earn some portion of their living performing in roots, Americana, blues, bluegrass, folk, or world music. Through a survey coordinated with social research firm, Slover Linett, Whippoorwill will gather information about the effects of declining income streams for musicians, COVID-19, and input from musicians on their needs for survival in future creative endeavors.

After conducting the survey with as many performers as they can, a report is expected in August detailing the results.

Vice President and Co-Director of Research at Slover Linett, Tanya Treptow, says that this survey will complete the artist side of similar research conducted with venue operators.

“The NIVA team [National Independent Venues Association], which led the Save Our Stages campaign, has brought vital attention to the importance of music venues across the country. This new research supported by Whippoorwill Arts completes the picture for the field, by focusing on the needs and situations of musicians. We’re already hearing from musicians that these are questions no one else has been asking them — about the impact of the pandemic, their challenges, and their aspirations. It’s an opportunity to candidly share what they’re going through and what the future looks like to them.”

The survey can be conducted online, and takes about five minutes to complete. There are personal questions posed regarding income and issues paying expenses during the COVID-19 restrictions, but the survey is anonymized so that any name or email you may provide is not associated with the data you share.

So if you have been involved in the arts as a performer in bluegrass, folk, old time, or related fields – full or part time – Whippoorwill Arts asks that you take a few minutes to complete the survey online.

Rachelle Furst, Whippoorwill Art’s program manager expects to use the results to improve the lot of working roots musicians.

“We have high hopes for using the data collected by this survey to help lead the transformation of how our society pays, respects and nurtures the creativity of professional roots musicians. We plan to create a list of values centered on nurturing professional musicians and plan to take the data collected to a national stage, with our end goal working with our member organization partners to make real change – locally, statewide and nationally. Additionally, we will use the data to expand our programming so that we can better serve musicians and artists.”

Those unable to participate online are invited to contact Survey Project Manager Joanne Gardner Lowell at research@whippoorwillarts.com. 

Further details can be found online.

A large part of the essence of bluegrass is enthusiasm. Without that element, even the most skillful execution is pales in comparison. So while Matt Dudman might be new to some, this California-based musician’s dedication to the form is well expressed in the upbeat attitude he shares throughout Poa, his debut disc. Happily then, he blends exuberance and emotion in equal measure.

So too, while the album is stamped with a consistently upbeat and engaging imprint, songs such as Everyone Knew It But Me, How Will I Explain About You, My Main Trial Is Yet To Come, and Let Me Be A Souvenir still manage to wring emotion from every refrain, a reflection of the honesty and integrity Matt and his compatriots invest in each of these entries.

Dudman, who takes center stage on mandolin, graciously allows his support players — Sandy Rothman (banjo and vocals), Ed Neff (fiddle), David Putnam (guitar, vocals), Paul Squyres (guitar, vocals), and Pat Flory (guitar, vocals) — to share the spotlight with him, with the result that Poa is a real ensemble effort rather than the sole achievement of the man whose name is highest on the marquee. While Dudman also excels on bass, guitar, and vocals, no one individual overshadows the others. As a result, the harmonies and instrumentation remain solidly in sync throughout. Nowhere is that more evident than on Whitlow Junction, a sturdy instrumental that reflects the acumen of all those involved.

In actual fact, it’s little surprise that Dudman has managed to shape such a cohesive effort. Although this may be his first solo album per se, he’s had ample experience performing in a variety of bands for well over 20 years. That’s allowed him to hone his skills in several collaborative situations in which the music has coalesced and conformed to a common sound. So too, while these melodies hew to a traditional tack, they mostly consist of contemporary compositions written by Dudman and his colleagues. Still, it would be easy to mistake any of these offering, particularly Squyres’ Every Lonesome Night, No Reason To Cry, and The River Is Risin’ from tunes of a vintage variety.

Here again, Dudman’s devotion to the form is apparent, giving Poa an authenticity that could easily share a shelf alongside work by the Stanley Brothers or Bill Monroe. That’s no minor achievement, and in fact, one reason why it resonates so impressively all on its own.

Mountain Home Music has released a new single from Asheville grassers, Unspoken Tradition, a third from their upcoming album with the label.

In something of a departure for the band, who typically record music written within the band, this new song comes from Thomm Jutz and Miriam Speyer. Titled California, it works the subtler side of the bluegrass realm, telling a story about someone who moved from California to Nashville to pursue a musical dream, only to find themselves lost in a strange place with no friends to depend on.

Guitarist and vocalist Audie McGinnis says that he can relate to the feeling expressed in California.

“I think we’ve all found ourselves wishing we could be in two places at once. For me, this song is about that. Maybe the narrator came to Nashville chasing a dream, but only realized what he’d left behind once he’d arrived. As a bluegrass musician, I also find this song interesting because it’s about someone wanting to head West to get back home. Most songs in this genre are about missing and longing for the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but this one paints a different image.”

Musically, I loved the challenge this song presented for us. I love all types of music, but I gravitate toward aggressive, driving bluegrass. It took a certain attention to detail to do this song justice. The stripped down first verse, as well as the bowed bass/fiddle pair in the chorus really accentuate the nuances of this song. I think it showcases our versatility—and It’s truly a beautiful song.”

Have a listen.

McGinnis is supported by his Unspoken Tradition bandmates, Ty Gilpin on mandolin, Tim Gardner on fiddle, Sav Sankaran on bass, and Zane McGinnis on banjo.

California is available now as a single wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Josh Shilling of Mountain Heart has shared an update about his recovery after being in a scary ATV accident with his wife and daughter while on vacation last month. Fortunately, their daughter, Bella Kate, was not seriously affected physically, but Josh and Aleah have serious injuries that will require many months in treatment and recovery.

He tells us that the injuries they sustained are actually much worse than what were diagnosed after the accident, but that he and Aleah are doing much better than the doctors expected. 

Here’s his update…

“Hey Friends! So many folks have asked how things are going with us and our injuries, so I wanted to update everyone now that we’ve received our MRI results and spoken to the doctors. While the extent of the injuries seems to change every time we see a doctor, here’s what we know now.

I have 3 vertebrae fractures. The worst one has a height loss of 50%, which means it was basically smashed in half. They say that that particular vertebra (T12) is causing most of my pain at this point. They say that it would take a major impact on someone my age to cause this type of damage. The neurosurgeon says that this injury causes many of his patients to be in excruciating pain, and sometimes in a wheelchair. He’s amazed that I’m moving around and working already. So I’m doing great!

We’re currently almost at 6 weeks since the accident. I’ve been in a brace since then, and they’ve requested another six weeks with the brace, no lifting and repeat scans. Also on my MRI, they noted 4 protruding discs and some tears, and they saw increased signaling which the neurosurgeon thinks is a spinal cord bruise. This can cause any number of problems. If you Google it (don’t), you’ll see a lot of the symptoms I had for the first couple of weeks. Basically, you can lose control and function of your body. They expect me to physically shrink some from the fractures (I was sort of short anyway 😂), but the surgeon thinks I can eventually fully recover from this without surgery. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know about long-term pain at this point, but hopefully that will slowly ease up.

Aleah found out that she also has two fractured vertebrae and a pretty severe protruding disc. Her fractures aren’t as bad as mine, thankfully, but they still hurt like crazy. They think she has a concussion and we both have additional soft tissue injuries. All that said, they think with physical therapy and probably a lot of time, we should be able to get back to normal.

Considering how things could have gone and actually what we were anticipating, this is AMAZING news. This definitely isn’t ideal, and I may have some pain in the future, but things could have been so much worse. I also got the neurosurgeon to agree to me playing a couple of upcoming shows. I can’t lift anything, and I’m supposed to get a wheelchair in the airports, and I’m supposed to be in a brace and resting unless we’re playing the show. Soooo… I’m going to try it next week in Omaha with Mountain Heart! Wish me luck! 

We wanted to thank everyone for your comments, messages, thoughts, and prayers. We’ve felt the love and every prayer for sure. Our friends have almost completely covered our max out of pocket which is absolutely unbelievable. We can’t thank each of you enough. I’ve tried to thank everyone that I knew how to contact. The kindness and overwhelming generosity is mind-boggling. I’ve never been through anything like this, but I’m dumbfounded by the support we’ve been shown. Thank you all so so much.

For now, we’re focused on healing and hoping our insurance will cover all these claims!  We will update you guys again as things progress. Thank you all so much.”

Don’t forget that a GoFundMe campaign has been launched by a family friend of the Shillings, should you be in a position to help them with major medical expenses.

Best wishes to Josh and Aleah in recovery. And don’t slap him on the back if you catch Mountain Heart in Omaha!

I’m always intrigued by an all-original bluegrass album. We have a strong tradition in bluegrass of recycling older material – lyrics, melody lines, whole songs, etc. – so it’s interesting to see what fresh ideas today’s songwriters are coming up with. For his third album with Engelhardt Music Group, That Kind of Lonesome, Eddie Sanders packs the track list full of originals – snappy rhymes, catchy melodies, and an easygoing contemporary sound, all featuring him as a co-writer alongside folks like Jon Weisberger, Shawn Camp, and Glen Duncan. Though he touches on a number of familiar bluegrass topics, clever turns of phrase (along with his smooth lead vocals), make this album an enjoyable listen.

Several early singles from the album have found success at radio, including the hard-driving heartbreak number Till the River Starts to Rise, co-written with Adam Engelhardt. Guided by Scott Vestal’s always top-notch banjo and some neat mandolin licks from Ronnie McCoury, the song rushes along, mimicking the flash flood of tears the singer is planning to cry. Another single, Last Lonesome Pine, has a bluesy groove, with lonesome fiddle from Tim Crouch. It’s a musing on being alone, with the singer asking a tree standing alone on a mountaintop, “You’ve been there so long, how do you carry on? What secrets can you pass along to me?”

A Long Way from Forever is a melancholy, country-tinged piece about a man dealing with the aftershocks of his wife abruptly packing up and leaving him. Distinct details and a rolling, thoughtful melody set by Vestal’s banjo make this one listeners are likely to hit repeat on. What Do I Tell My Heart has a similar theme, as the singer confronts the woman leaving him, letting her know that he can handle the mundane tasks of a breakup, but his heart is a different matter. There’s a ’90s country vibe here (and on several other songs throughout the album), which I enjoyed.

My favorite track (and one of the most well-written on the album), however, is Heartbreak Highway, which traces the journey of a rambling guitar picker. There are so many good lines and vivid details in this song, as the narrator slowly gets around to the reason he set off rambling in the first place: “Six strings full of heartache took me around the world, that suitcase full of memories of a little mountain girl.” Cody Kilby offers some fine guitar here, as well. If this song’s not been released to radio yet, it needs to get there, stat.

Listeners will also likely enjoy Sanders’s catchy tracks about growing up in the country, including the bouncy Farm to Market Road, which lists off the familiar descriptors of country living in the early to mid 20th century: barn dances, plowing fields, church on Sundays. Closing out the album is Old Town Square, which has a similar sound and feel as it reminisces on the excitement of a small-town get-together.

Sanders and his co-writers have put together a nice collection of music that will appeal to a wide swath of bluegrass fans. It’s pretty traditional on the instrumentation side of things, while Sanders’s vocals and some lyrics help it slide further into the contemporary, acoustic country sound. It may be a bit vanilla for some folks, especially those that prefer mashing in B, but it’s a solid effort with plenty of well-written, radio-friendly tracks.

For more information on Eddie Sanders, visit him online. His new album is available from several online music retailers.

Noted Indiana bluegrass musician Dave Denman has died, passing on April 20 from multiple complications associated with COVID-19. He had just turned 65 years of age.

Many bluegrass fans will recall Dave as a member of a very early edition of Alison Krauss & Union Station when Alison was a teen living in Illinois. He played with her from 1987-89, and sang harmony on her first album with Rounder Records, Too Late To Cry. While Dave loved Alison and her music, he didn’t want to be gone from home and his three young daughters, so he sacrificed a chance for a big music career to raise his family.

Denman had been hospitalized for the past month after contracting COVID-19, and had developed a blood clot and scarring in his lungs that he wasn’t able to beat. His family reports that he was able to move out of the ICU prior to his death, so they were able to see and speak with him one last time.

While he continued to avoid full time touring commitments, Dave remained active in bluegrass circles throughout his life. He played guitar for a time with Mark Newton, and had his own group called Troubled Waters. His daughter, Dara, played mandolin and sang with Blue Mafia, and he filled in with them on several occasions as well. He also wrote a couple dozen instrumental bluegrass tunes, one of which, Daddy’s Dream, was recorded by Sammy Shelor on the Knee Deep In Bluegrass, AcuTab Sessions album in 2005. That song hadn’t been scheduled for inclusion on the project, but Sammy played it for everyone in the studio and they all agreed that it needed to be cut.

Dave will be remembered by family and friends as much more than a musician, though he was quite talented and experienced as a picker. He was the sort of man who always had time for others, especially young folks learning to play bluegrass. Dara tells us that her dad had a real passion for helping others learn to play bluegrass, and music in general. Being able to instill what he had learned over his life to the next generation was something that animated his later years.

Within his family, Dave became the one who everyone came to with their problems. Everyone looked up to him and trusted his council, and he leaves a monumental impact on both his children and his grandchildren, several of whom have become fine bluegrass musicians.

Krauss shared a beautiful remembrance of her old friend and former banjo picker.

“We’ll miss the great innovator, musician, singer, friend, and mentor. Thank you for the great fun and memories and the mark you’ve left on us all. You were one of a kind. We’ll never forget.”

Despite all he had done in his life, nothing gave Denman greater pride than his marriage to his wife, Cindy, who were together for 50 years.

The family will be hosting a viewing on Sunday, April 25, from 3:00-7:00 p.m. at the Burkhart Funeral Home in Crawfordsville, IN. A funeral service will follow. There are no restrictions and all are welcome to attend.

R.I.P., Dave Denman.

KDM Records has released a second single for The Caleb Daugherty Band, taken from their upcoming album with the label.

Daugherty is surely one of the most promising new artists in bluegrass music, winning plaudits from critics and radio for his first grass project, Burnt The Sawmill Down, in 2019. He has the voice of a country crooner, with just enough grit to make it real. And he has a great knack for choosing material that suits his style.

Today’s single is Where Does A Hobo Go, written by Jessie Baker, which contemplates the issue of surviving in an era where your lifestyle is no longer viable.

For Caleb, the song has a double meaning.

“It’s a cool song with a great feel. On one hand it’s just about a hobo – about ridin’ the rails. That’s been kinda romanticized, but back in the day, folks did that ’cause they didn’t have a choice. Times were hard and people hopped the trains to find work, or just to put some miles behind them. But if you look deeper, the lyrics could really be describing the loss of a whole way of life. Things were a lot simpler back then. Life might be better now, but it’s sure more complicated.”

Daugherty is supported by his strong touring group: Zion Napier on mandolin, Kyle Clerking on banjo, Zach Collier on bass, and Kyle Ramey on fiddle.

Have a listen.

Where Does A Hobo Go is available now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Dallas-based traditional grassers HillBilly Fever have announced the addition of Randy Pasley to the band, playing reso-guitar. He is taking the spot previously held by fiddler Bob Frankot, who is taking the 2021 season off.

Randy is a native of Ashe County, North Carolina who will be commuting from his home in Salt Lake City, Utah to make HillBilly Fever shows this summer. An experienced professional picker, Randy is also a builder of bluegrass instruments.

He joins current band members Randy Gambill on guitar, Wes Tuttle on mandolin, Butch Barker on bass, and Mark Krider on banjo. Their first show with Pasley will be at the Susanville Bluegrass Festival this June in Susanville, CA.

Get a feel for their sound in this video from a few weeks ago of the band playing a Flatt & Scruggs classic.

As the band likes to say at their shows, “Everybody Needs A Shot of HillBilly Fever!”

More new music today – this time from Sideline!

Mountain Home Music Company is offering our readers an advance listen to their new single for these Carolina grassers, which officially releases on April 23. It’s an original song from mandolinist Zack Arnold called Miss Charlotte’s Game.

Guitarist and founding member Skip Cherryholmes says that this track represents an important milestone for he and the guys.

“Miss Charlotte’s Game is the very first band original for Sideline. When Gibby [Zack Arnold] went out with us on his first trip, we sat up late talking and singing, and he played this lonesome love ballad for us. Fast-forward to a band rehearsal several months later — I was playing my clawhammer banjo and he walked in singing that song again. We put a little edge on it and everything started to fall into place: the aggressive Sideline sound seemed to just flow from it, and it became one of our favorite, new, hard-driving pieces! The harmony structure is haunting, and the blend of old-time and new drive give it a very unique flavor.”

The song tells of jealousy and heartbreak, the oldest story in the world, which Arnold wrote with Tyler Thompson. He sings it as well, saying that the arrangement only really gelled when the rest of the band got their hands on it.

“I originally brought it to the guys in the band with a completely different idea for the melody, but when we started working it up, it went in a completely different direction, and that was exactly what the song needed.”

Here ’tis…

In addition to Skip and Zack, the track features the regular members of Sideline – Steve Dilling on banjo, Jason Moore on bass, Jamie Harper on fiddle, and Jacob Greer on guitar.

Miss Charlotte’s Game will be available tomorrow, April 23, wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track now via AirPlay Direct.

The FreshGrass Foundation has announced more than $25,00 in prizes for the 2021 FreshGrass Awards. Winners are selected in a two-stage process, with finalists chosen from submissions received by June 15, who then compete during the FreshGrass festival in Massachusetts, September 24-26.

The competition is open to any unsigned artists who play bluegrass, or bluegrass-inspired music. Categories this year include band, banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin. Cash prizes are awarded to the winners in each category, along with new instruments for the pickers, and a day of recording with Compass Records for the band.

One unique aspect of the FreshGrass Awards is that each of the three finalists in any category will receive a cash grant of $500 ($1000 for band) to help cover travel expenses to the festival. Every finalist will receive free tickets for the weekend, and winners get an award of $2000 ($5000 for band), plus a chance to perform on the festival stage.

There is no fee to submit for this competition, and an online submission form is provided. Be ready to upload a high resolution photo and two videos of you or your band performing as part of the process. These must be received by June 15 to be eligible, an extension to their usual May 15 deadline.

Those chosen to compete as finalists should be prepared to play two songs on stage before the judges, an original and a traditional/standard song or tune, with no more than ten minutes total time allowed. Bands are expected to perform at least one song with vocal harmonies, and the other can be an instrumental. No member of a finalist band may compete with another band in the contest, but are free to submit for instrument awards.

You can see the complete rules and the submission form on the FreshGrass Awards web site. Good luck!

Tomorrow (April 23) is the release date for Damn Shame, the debut single from New York bluegrass singer and songwriter, J.M. Clifford, on Brooklyn Basement Records. So today we are pleased to offer our readers a pre0release taste with a track premiere of one of the songs.

Those of us fortunate enough to live in the bluegrass heartland can forget how the music has an almost evangelical mission in other parts of the country, and the world. Clifford discovered and fell in love with the grass through a chance encounter. He was working as a music teacher at an inner city elementary school, thoroughly enmeshed in the city, when he happened upon Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook, the home of Brooklyn’s bluegrass community..

“I wandered into the back room of this old bar on a Saturday night, and was blown away by the incredible scene there. The line between the audience and the performers blurred into one messy, glorious wash of sound.”

It’s almost always live bluegrass that gets you that first time, and it doesn’t really matter whether it’s in a Kentucky field or a New York City saloon.

Clifford began to consume every bluegrass recording he could find, studying the music of Norman Blake, Bill Monroe, and The Stanley Brothers, and soon he was hosting jams of his own. With his education background, he soon found himself teaching young pickers how to cut the grass at The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. He had the bug.

New York was hit hard during the COVID-19 shutdown last year, and while quarantined in his apartment, J.M. decided to write music for a record. Just going through a divorce, and reeling from the death of his mom, songwriting proved to be therapeutic. This first single, Damn Shame, allowed him to process the pain of his marriage dissolving, which says can take a while.

“When a relationship ends, after you’ve gone through all the stages of grief, I think it’s normal to take a longer view and just wonder how the hell that person you used to know so well is doing.”

And he thanks his co-producers, Ron Pope and Nicole Cosme, for helping him find the groove for Damn Shame, which he was ready to abandon.

“This one almost didn’t make the record. It was feeling kind of weighed down and stodgy. We tried speeding things up about 10%, and all of a sudden things started to wake up. Then we turned the gas on, sped it up about 10% more, and the tune was really cooking. I love what the band brought to this one. They just crushed it. Gabe Terraciano on the fiddle. Good grief.

Lyrically my goal was to make a few lines tell as compelling a narrative, and paint as vivid a picture as possible. This is one of the first tunes I finished for the new record. It’s a really personal song and it kind of set the precedent for many of the songs that followed.”

It did turn out quite well. Have a listen below.

Damn Shame will be part of Clifford’s upcoming album, On A Saturday Night, due in August. Pre-orders will be offered later this summer. The single will be available on April 23 wherever you stream or download music online.

Can’t wait to hear more from this talented writer. There’s always room for a new voice in bluegrass music.