Monthly Archives: December 2021

Turnberry Records has released a new single for Greg Blake from his upcoming release with the label, People, Places & Songs. It’s the song I’ll Be Lovin’ You.

Blake says that the song carries the sort of confirming and forward-looking message he likes to share.

“Acclaimed bluegrass and country songwriter, David Stewart, pitched this song to me some time ago. It’s a positive love song, affirming the fact that ‘you can count on my love for you.’ As the chorus states, ‘If the devil’s soul is black as coal, if Kentucky’s grass is blue. Just as sure as God made little green apples, I’ll be lovin’ you!”

Greg sings the lead and plays guitar, supported by Jesse Brock on mandolin, Jacob Metz on banjo, Aynsley Porchak on fiddle, and Mark Schatz on bass. Jesse and Jacob provide the vocal harmony.

Check out the single in this lyric video prepared by Turnberry.

I’ll Be Lovin’ You is available now as a single from popular download and streaming sites online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

John Viers, a popular and prominent banjo banjo in southwestern Virginia, has died. He passed away on November 21 at 78 years of age.

Born John Thomas Viers in 1943 in Hiwassee, VA, he started playing banjo in the third grade along with what became a lifelong friend, Olen Smythers, who played mandolin. They played together all the way through high school, winning talent shows and later forming the band, The Virginia Buddies.

Though he didn’t much care for being known as a hot lick picker, John won the National Banjo Championship in 1970 at Watermelon Park in Berryville, VA. He worked with a number of groups in the region, and accomplished goals that he never dreamed possible as a young boy, including playing on the Grand Ole Opry, and performing at the White House for President and Mrs. Carter.

Perhaps his greatest contribution to bluegrass, however, was his years of teaching people to play, helping organize shows and clubs, and presenting educational offerings around his home. You would also find him serving as an MC for bluegrass concerts all around Virginia and North Carolina. John was always an encourager for people learning to play, whatever their age, and was proficient on all of the bluegrass instruments.

He was instrumental in the formation of the New River Valley Community College Banjo & Fiddle Club in Dublin, VA where amateur pickers could congregate and play together. When The Crooked Road organization started up he played regularly for them at their Heartwood Center in Abingdon. Basically, whenever anyone needed help learning, promoting, or marketing bluegrass or traditional mountain music, you could always count on John Viers to be there to lend a hand.

Once John gave his life to Christ, he started a music ministry that took him as far as California to share his message, and he was nominated for an Inspirational Country Music Award. Most of his energy went into ministry and playing at church from this point on.

Later in his life, he enjoyed performing for residents at the Pulaski Senior Center, often with his friend Butch Robins.

John fell ill in November while practicing for the Christmas program at Max Creek Baptist Church where he was a member. His family recounts that he was fortunate to remain conscious and lucid right up to the end, and was able to say his goodbyes in confidence of his salvation.

Funeral services were held for John Viers on November 28, after which he was laid to rest in the Max Creek Baptist Church-Cemetery.

R.I.P., John Viers.

Gator Cases in Florida has introduced a new semi-rigid gig bag for guitarists that want serious protection for their instrument with the light weight and ease of carrying of a padded bag.

Billed as the Gator ICON series, these bags feature multiple layers of protection on all four sides with a number of accessory pockets, and several handles and straps for carrying as you prefer. There is even a hidden pocket for stowing important travel documents, a fitted rain cover, and a bottle opener.

The interior includes adjustable neck and body blocks so that it can be customized easily for your guitar, sitting inside a red plush, micro-velvet padded material.

For the outer layer, Gator uses weather resistant 1000D black nylon exterior fabric with rubber bumpers at common contact points. Empty weight of the ICON dreadnaught bag is 5.5 kg, or just over 12 pounds.

Casey Keough, Gator Case’s Director of New Product Development, says that they reached out to touring artists to see what was most important to them.

“After researching what a traveling musician wants most in the perfect travel bag, we found protection and durability were at the top of the list. We addressed the need for a structured gig bag that provides additional stability for guitars, especially when traveling on an airplane. Our simple, sleek and timeless gig bag solution has the durability of a hard case so you can protect your gear with confidence.”

You can get a look at these many features in this product video the company produced.

Gator is making the ICON gig bag for dreadnaught, electric, electric bass, and 335 style guitars. They carry a retail price of $249.99 with a lifetime warranty.

The ICON bags are available for online purchase, or from Gator’s network of dealers.

Anders Ternesten, guitarist, banjo player, and co-founder of the Swedish band, Dunderhead, is a man with a mission. After mentoring a young and talented banjo student, he decided to form a band that would allow him to bring his pupil’s skills to full fruition. The student was given a prominent place at the helm of the band that Ternesten helped organize with his prodigy in mind, and
subsequently named Rookie Riot. The young banjo player eventually went on to university, but Rookie Riot continues, a further testament to the talent Ternsesten has continued to mentor. The band is now in its third generation and still adding new players all along the way. 

“We have kept true to the idea of taking in new/young people who want to learn the bluegrass musical style,” Ternesten explains. “Now my daughter Wilma, who is 15 years old, is one of the lead singers, and another of my banjo students fills the 5-string slot. The band has gone from being just a project to a full ensemble that has a goal of visiting the US to find further inspiration and learn more about bluegrass.”

Indeed, Rookie Riot is a promising young combo whose talents are already well established. While this is Wilma’s first band, her interest in bluegrass was nurtured by her parents who made it a point to take her along to every Swedish bluegrass festival they’ve attended since her birth. It was only natural; Anders, who plays rhythm guitar in the group, started playing banjo himself at age 12 and has held a constant love for bluegrass his entire life.

Fiddler and vocalist Agnes Brogeb became a well-known name in the Swedish bluegrass scene, and has been with Rookie Riot since the beginning. Along with Ternesten and mandolin player Karl Lagrell Annerhult — a former member of the Downtown Ramblers and a onetime associate of Anders in Dunderhead — Brogeb serves as one of the band’s primary mentors.

Jeremiah Danielsson plays upright bass, although he originally excelled on clawhammer banjo. The banjo duties are handled by Daniel Svensson, who rapidly became one of Anders’ top students.

“Me and Agnes had managed two versions of Rookie Riot prior to this set-up, but when Daniel became ready to join a band, Wilma was ready to sing lead and the other members wanted to join in,” Anders explains. “We could not resist setting up this outfit.”

Ternesten describes Rookie Riot’s sound as holding to a traditional template. “More than half of the band members are completely new to their instrument, and a couple of them never did any music at all before joining Rookie Riot,” he reflects. “It is more about the songs we choose to do. It’s the way we put together a setlist, and the energy we bring on stage that creates a unique experience for those attending our shows.”

Not surprisingly then, the group has a sprawling array of influences. 

“If you play bluegrass and love this music, it is almost impossible to not be influenced by the first generation of bluegrass musicians — Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Stanley Brothers and more,” he insists. “We do a few Monroe and Kenny Baker numbers — Jerusalem Ridge, Let Me Rest, and Ashland Breakdown, to name a few. That being said, I believe the main influences among the band members would lean more towards bands like Sideline, Mountain Heart, the Steeldrivers and, of course, Union Station. I believe the public awareness of bluegrass music in Europe is very much due to Alison Krauss & Union Station.”

Ternesten notes that there is a tendency within the band to listen more to jam videos from IBMA, SPGMBA, and other assorted festivals than to actual recordings on Spotify. “The spontaneous energy in these jam sessions is something we strive for,” he adds.

Although the group has performed at two of the three major bluegrass gatherings in Sweden — the Grenna Bluegrass Festival and Naesville Bluegrass Festival, and have also been booked for those same two festivals in 2022 — their long-range plan is to journey to the US sometime within the next year or two. “We just recently decided that this was our goal, and the work to get the money to go has just gotten started,” Ternesten notes. “We put all the money we get from shows, merchandise, and donations into an account that we will use to make the journey to the US possible. We almost count the income from a show in numbers of flight tickets.”

In the meantime, Ternesten remains focused on honing the players’ skills. “We have a very pronounced tactic of playing in the street as much as possible, as this, in our opinion, is the best way to get a band tight, test new songs, interact with an audience and prepare a band for circumstances on stage where you sometimes have poor monitoring,” Ternesten maintains. “The first step in learning a musical genre is to try to copy the masters. Then you can move on to find your own path.”

So far their efforts seem to have paid off with the people at home. “Bluegrass always works,” Ternesten suggests. “It’s sort of the basis of rock and pop tradition, and people in a live setting always seem to enjoy it. In Europe, not many people would listen to bluegrass driving their car to work or at home cooking dinner, but when they experience it live, everyone loves it. We’ve had a big variety of audiences. Our goal is to bring more people into bluegrass music and increase the knowledge of the music in Sweden and Europe.”

That said, any recording plans remain on the back burner. “We have not been in the studio yet,” Ternesten says. “Since we do mostly covers, it does not feel like a focus for us at this point.
Maturing the band and getting new inspiration from our US trip may change our minds, but rather than getting a perfect recording in a studio, we will focus more on creating more jam-like videos for social media. YouTube is the greatest channel for people to find new music today. We are also looking at TikTok as a soon-to-be viable platform for bluegrass.”

That shouldn’t be difficult. After all, Ternesten says there’s a simple explanation as to why bluegrass maintains a growing popularity. 

“It combines an honest simplicity that goes straight into your heart with a virtuosic approach that entices the mind,” he muses. “It’s just a winning concept.”

Chad Beavers – photo by Alauren McClary

Virginia’s Caleb Bailey & Paine’s Run have announced a new band member for 2022 and beyond. Chandler Beavers from Princeton, WV has joined the band on mandolin, taking the spot vacated by Kyle Windbeck who has joined Sideline on bass.

Beavers has been playing mandolin since he was 12 years old, listening to Black Diamond, his neighbor’s bluegrass band. He has performed with a number of bluegrass and Gospel groups in and around West Virginia since that time.

He joins bandleader Caleb Bailey on guitar and lead vocals, Rob Slusser on banjo, Brandon Kyle on bass, and Joe Showalter on fiddle. Their sound might best be described as contemporary traditional bluegrass, primarily featuring original music Caleb has written.

Bailey says that Beavers will be a fine addition to the group.

“We are excited to have Chandler Beavers join Paine’s Run. Chandler is a top notch talent on the mandolin, and will also be featured as a baritone singer in harmony songs. We wasted no time in putting Chandler in action as his first gig with us will be January 8, 2022 at the Historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge, Virginia.”

Here is the title track from Caleb’s recent album, Poplar & Pine.

You can find out more about Caleb Bailey & Paine’s Creek by visiting them online.

The Storytellers are a hybrid bluegrass/jamgrass group making the scene in Los Angeles, CA this past four years. Formed initially as a duo busking on the streets, they have grown into a regular five piece band working from southern California to Las Vegas, seeking to bridge the gap between the traditional bluegrass and jamgrass worlds.

Consisting of Scott Diehl on guitar and vocals, Lance Frantzich on bass and vocals, David Burns on banjo, Tyler Emerson on fiddle, and Steve Stelmach on percussion, they have performed regularly at the Gilley’s restaurant at the Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Vegas, and have made appearances at the Huck Finn Jubilee and, most recently, the Prescott Bluegrass Festival. During the pandemic months, The Storytellers put on free, weekly outdoor shows they billed as Bluegrass-Ish Brunch, which often drew several hundred people in Orange County.

They have become known for their grassy covers of Grateful Dead songs, along with bluegrass standards and their own original material.

Here is a live video of them doing their song, Don’t Be Afraid, at DJE Sound & Lighting in Lake Forest, CA earlier this year.

You can see many more of The Storytellers’ videos on their YouTube channel, and find out more about the band and their tour dates on their official web site.

David Surette, beloved New England guitarist, mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, died December 20 following a six year battle with cancer. He was 58 years of age.

Surette was well known among players, students, and fans of old time and bluegrass music, as well as Celtic music, contra dance, and finger style guitar. As a respected instructor, David also taught regularly at workshops and camps throughout New England, and served as head of the Folk Department at the Concord Community Music School in New Hampshire.

His March Mandolin Festival at the Music School has been very popular for nearly 20 years, bringing in top players and teachers of the instrument for several days of workshops and concerts. David’s ability to keep everything running smoothly led to one regular attendee describing him as a “Zen shepherd tending his flock.”

A native of South Berwick, ME, Surette performed regularly with his wife, Susan Burke, and often with their two daughters, Isa and Julianna.

Fellow New England mandolinist Joe K. Walsh remembers David for his virtuosity, as well as his unselfishness and magnanimity of spirit.

“We lost a beautiful, benevolent musician when David Surrette passed last week. He was a world class guitar, bouzouki and mandolin player, fluent in so many different styles of music, and an inspiring educator. And always, always so kind and positive.

As his condition was worsening these last few weeks I kept thinking about how generous he was: from the very first we met he was kind and welcoming in spirit, and from then until our last interaction he was always positive and life-giving. As a musician he was lovely to play with, an ego-free conversationalist able to go anywhere the conversation led. He ran a mandolin-focused weekend camp for years, and he was so good at lifting others up, supporting his fellow musicians and seeing and bringing out the best in all of us. His example of how to create, foster and support community was and will always be inspiring. He is so sorely missed by so many.”

Steve Roy, another multi-instrumentalist from Maine, offers a similar memory of his friend.

“David had such a deep well of tunes and musical styles, and I used to love learning old French Canadian and New England fiddle tunes from him. David was held in high esteem by a litany of musical communities, such as the New England contra dance world, the Celtic music world, the bluegrass world, and the fingerpicking guitar world, to name a few. His musicianship was such that whenever he developed an interest in a particular style, he would master it to the point where he was able to make a significant contribution to the musical legacy of the genre.

As an educator, David has left a huge mark on his students and fellow instructors through his encouraging, generous, patient, and fun demeanor, not to mention his bottomless musicianship. He was a huge part of a large number of different music education communities, from teaching private lessons out of his own studio, to his position as head of the Folk Department at the Concord Community Music School, to Maine Fiddle Camp, and countless other music camps where he’s repeatedly taught over the years.”

Every community would benefit from having such a strong booster of roots music in their midst, especially one who dedicates so much of their time to its continuation.

R.I.P., David Surette.

As we close in on the end of December, some choose to make charitable donations before the 31st in order to receive a tax deduction for the past year. Theoretically, they also want to be generous and give to worthy causes. Professional bluegrass musicians are just hoping to meet people who made enough money in the past year to need this kind of tax deduction. Their lives must be so glamorous.

If you’re planning to do some of this year-end giving yourself, are you aware that there are several bluegrass-related charity options that have recently started up? This is a great way to help those who are less fortunate while supporting the music you love. Here are a few of the lesser-known yet worthy organizations you might consider supporting:

Roadside Rescue

This is a group dedicated to helping bluegrass bands who have broken down while en route to a gig, and who need transportation immediately to make their 4:00 p.m. set 200 miles away. After the toll free number is called, a vehicle, or fleet of vehicles is dispatched to the scene to load up the band and their instruments and drive them to their show. Because most bands are barely making enough at these shows even if nothing goes wrong, Roadside Rescue does not charge for this service, though it may in some cases take a percentage of merchandise sales. It also provides financial assistance for the repairs that may be required for their bus or van that was left behind. Bands receiving the service must demonstrate financial need, and are also obligated to discuss bluegrass music with the Roadside Rescue driver for the entire length of the trip.

No Spouse Left Behind

This charity provides a live-in companion for the spouse left behind by a traveling bluegrass musician. The companion can be called on to do domestic chores, handle parental obligations, and even participate in “romantic activities” as required. A review of this service came from Denise Parker of Jackson, MS:

“No Spouse Left Behind has changed my home life completely while my husband is away with his band Lonesome Quandary. My substitute companion cooks, does dishes, gets along great with the kids, and is a fantastic kisser. When my husband used to discuss his upcoming tours, I would dread a three-week run, and I told him so; now I encourage him to go out for as long as he needs to. I’m a lot more supportive of the band than I used to be.”

Bluegrass Work Study

Many modern day bluegrass songs cover subjects that most singers and songwriters today have little or no direct experience with, such as moonshining and coal mining. In order to make these songs more authentic, Bluegrass Work Study offers free seminars to needy bluegrass artists that include class study and real life or simulated real life experience in these areas. For example, in the moonshining program, students learn the fine art of distilling their own liquor, building their own still, and hiding their operation from the authorities. Proficiency with the use of a sawed-off shotgun is also taught. During class sessions they will learn the actual meaning of words like “G-men” and “revenuer” so they can sing about them with conviction. Many graduates go on to earn a modest side income in this field to supplement their meager music earnings. Some even go into the lucrative drug trade.

Bridge the Gap

This is an organization that supplements the concert fees for bluegrass artists who do their own booking but who have terrible negotiating skills. Many of these artists habitually make errors like asking for much less than the promoter was already planning to spend, or actually talking a promoter down instead of up. Bridge the Gap steps in and covers the shortfall, contributing up to 20% of what the final price should have been. A demonstration of poor negotiating technique may be required.

Road Food Intervention

Road musicians are known for their poor diet. Often the closest thing resembling something that was actually grown or raised by a farmer is the toppings on a sandwich at Subway. Asking to remain anonymous, one bluegrass musician confessed to having lived for three straight weeks on nothing but black coffee and fried pies. Road Food Intervention meets these musicians while on tour and provides nutritious meals consisting of minimally processed, recognizable food, none of which has been deep-fried, microwaved, packaged in plastic, or all of the above. Menu items include beef, chicken, non-french-fried potatoes, salads, and even green vegetables (a recent survey showed that almost 30% of bluegrass road musicians had never had one of these). The organization’s goal is to provide at least one wholesome meal per month to every needy road musician.

Thank you for your generosity.

Our German bluegrass buddies, The Wortmann Brothers, have shared another of their clever songs, played in their own distinctive primitive bluegrass style.

The brothers, Frank on guitar and mandolin and Ulrich on banjo, have been involved with bluegrass since they were in college when they first came upon banjo music. The two, both high school teachers, continue to play together and write wonderfully sardonic songs in a traditional bluegrass form.

This latest is called Schnaps und Gefühl, which translates as Liquor and Feelings, about how the two never mix well.

Watch the video, and check out Ulrich’s translation below if your German is a bit shaky..

Du standest vorne weiter am Tresen

Das Glas vor dir, das war schon leer

Ich dachte’ das Schicksal würde grüßen

Ich trank nen Schnaps und du noch mehr 

Refrain:

Schnaps und Gefühl das sind zwei Pferde

Auf die ein Sattel niemals passt

Schnaps und Gefühl das sind zwei Esel

Aus denen du besser Würste machst

Wir trafen uns auf ner Cocktailparty

Wir waren so zu wie es nur ging

Mit Tunnelblick sah’ aus wie Liebe

Beim Tageslicht war alles hin

Beim Häppchen an der Häppchentheke

Hauchtest du leise, dass du mich magst

Sechs Schnäpe später wuste ich die Antwort

Dein Blick war wässrig ich sprach ins Grab
 
You’re standing next to the counter

The drinking glass in front of you was already empty

I was thinking the destiny is giving a sign

I took a liquor and you even more

Chorus:

Liquor and feeling thats two horses

On which one saddle never fits

Liquor and feelings thats two donkeys

You better make sausages from it

We meet at a cocktail party

We were as drunk as drunk can be

With tunnel vision (of alcohol) it looks like love

With daylight it was all gone

While having an appetizer at the appetizer counter

You whispered gently that you like me

Six liquors later I knew my answer

Your glance was teary, I was talking to a grave

Ulrich also shared a translation of he and Frank’s exchange at the beginning of the video. He calls it “brother talk.”

“Nochmal, da, bei dir war das rhythmisch falsch!”

“Nein”-

“Okay, schniief.”

“Ich kann das gar nicht rhrytmisch falsch machen.”
 
“Let’s try again, you got the rhythm wrong!”

“No”

“Okay, (sniffing)”

“I can’t play rhythmically wrong.”

You’re welcome.

Last year around this time, we ran a story about an error-ridden obituary of Tony Rice that ran in Relix magazine online. It turned out that the mistakes were the result of an inexperienced staffer who found herself needing to write and approve copy over the Christmas break, without the sort of editorial support that would have spared her, and the publication, the resulting embarrassment.

Well… it has happened again. The December 28 print edition of The Tennessean, Nashville’s hometown paper, ran the Associated Press obituary for J.D. Crowe, along with a photo of Del McCoury, identified simply as “Crowe.” One supposes that any old bluegrass guy will suffice, eh?

Former IBMA Board member Craig Havighurst posted the image above on Twitter, along with his disappointment that an institution where he had once served could make such an embarrassing error. And our good friend Katy Daley of Bluegrass Stories reminded us of the time that Lester Flatt sued Esquire magazine in 1973 when it referred to him in a monthly edition as “the late Lester Flatt.” Flatt sued accusing the magazine of costing him lost income by indicating that he was no longer performing.

It’s a good thing Del McCoury isn’t litigious by nature.

Shame on someone at The Tennessean. It is not likely that the AP sent that image with their obit.

We presume that the error is associated with the fact that the image used in the online edition of the story is of Crowe with Del, his brother, Jerry, and Bobby Osborne.

Tsk, tsk…

Sideline has announced two new members of the group heading into 2022. This is to replace bassist and founding member, Jason Moore, who passed away suddenly just before Thanksgiving, and guitarist Jacob Greer, who left to stay closer to home.

The band has brought in Kyle Windbeck on bass, and Andy Buckner on guitar. Both have loads of experience in the bluegrass world, and are happy to join such an active and creative band, led by Steve Dilling on banjo and Skip Cherryholmes on lead guitar. Sideline also includes Jamie Harper on fiddle and Nick Goad on mandolin.

Kyle comes from Reston, in northern Virginia, and had been performing of late on mandolin with Caleb Bailey & Paine’s Run. A multi-instrumentalist, he grew up playing with his dad, Ken Windbeck’s band, Roadside Cafe. The younger Windbeck is proficient on banjo, mandolin, and guitar, as well as bass, and tells us that he is stoked to be able to join a full-time touring group.

“Sideline is my top favorite band in bluegrass and have been great friends for a long time. Really honored to share the stage with them.”

Buckner has both formal and real life education in the music business. In college at ETSU, he was a member of the Bluegrass Pride Band, and after leaving school, moved to Nashville where he has enjoyed success writing songs for both country and bluegrass artists.

He says that he is looking forward to being on stage with a bluegrass unit again.

“I’m really excited about going back to my roots with bluegrass, and I can’t think of a better group to work with than Sideline. I’ve been listening to Steve, Skip, and Jason for years in the bands they have been in, as well as their music together. I am thankful to Steve and Skip, and to God for the opportunity to play with them, and I can’t wait to see what this new chapter has in store for us.”

Andy is originally from Marshall, NC.

Sideline hits the road again this weekend with a show at the Jekyll Island Bluegrass Festival in Georgia on Friday, followed up by a mid-month trip to Florida, and a set at SPBGMA in early February. You can see their full tour schedule online.

The year end bluegrass trading season is upon us, when pickers shuffle from band to band as others leave the road in advance of the new year, or take up positions with other groups.

This morning EMG recording artists Fast Track have announced the addition of Shayne Bartley on mandolin. He steps into the spot previously occupied by Jesse Brock, who was named yesterday as a member of Authentic Unlimited.

Shayne is the definition of a bluegrass veteran. The native Kentuckian has worked in the field for more than 30 years, starting with his older brother Rick’s group. Since them, Bartley been a part of The Lost and Found, Don Rigsby and Midnight Call, American Drive, Southern Blend, The Charlie Sizemore Band, Dave Evans, Unlimited Tradition, Rarely Herd, David Peterson and 1946, and The Karl Shiflett and Big Country Show, plus fill-in work with several others.

He joins fellow Fast Trackers Dale Perry on banjo, Steve Day on fiddle, Ron Spears on bass, and Duane Sparks on guitar. All five contribute to the band vocals.

For Shayne, this is a fine opportunity to get back into touring again.

“I’m honored and excited to be asked to join Fast Track. I am looking forward to making great bluegrass music with Dale, Steve, Ron, and Duane. It will be so much fun to see all of the fans and friends again!”

And the guys, speaking jointly, say that they are pleased to have him in the band.

“Shayne is a great fit for Fast Track in so many ways. He is such a fantastic musician and singer, but beyond that, just a great guy, and will be fun to travel with! His musical style will melt right into the sound that we have all created for this band. We couldn’t be happier to have him on stage and in the studio with us going into 2022 and beyond.”

Fast Track gets back to it in mid-January with visits to The Down Home in Johnson City, TN on January 13, Lorraine’s Coffee House in Cary, NC on the 14th, and the BBQ & Bluegrass Fundraiser in McConnellsburg, PA on the 15th.

You can find their full 2022 schedule online.

Authentic Unlimited, the newest big thing in bluegrass, is slated to debut at Bluegrass First Class in Asheville on Saturday night, February 19, 2022.

“Mentored by one of the founding members of IBMA, Doyle Lawson, who has a long history of choosing the best musicians, this energetic band is on the cutting-edge of the bluegrass genre. They will leave the audiences wanting more,” stated Milton Harkey, promoter of Bluegrass First Class.

Authentic Unlimited derives its name from their authenticity and unlimited supply of original material. The band is comprised of three Quicksilver alums: Eli Johnston on banjo, Stephen Burwell on fiddle, and Jerry Cole on bass, joined by Jesse Brock, two-time IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year (2009 & 2015), and John Meador, the youngest, on guitar. The 21-year-old, who’s been singing since before he learned to walk, developed a relationship with several of his band mates while performing at Ole Smoky Moonshine in Gatlinburg. Each member attributes his musical development to years of field experience.

The trio from Doyle’s band is ecstatic over their new ensemble.

Johnston shared, “The best feeling is when you get the right group of guys together and you know the music you make together is going to be top of the line!! We are all very proud and eager to hit the road presenting our brand of bluegrass music to everyone!”

Burwell readily agreed. “I’m beyond excited for this new musical adventure! This group of guys already has a special bond with each other. We want to play and be the best we can for folks. We’ll work hard for them and keep it classy.”

“When I was hired by Doyle that was my ultimate goal, then he retired,” Cole reflected, but is pumped about the future. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the guys in the band. Each one is a skilled musician. They are all really good at what they do.”

A veteran with forty years in the music business, Jesse Brock is humbled to be a part of the powerhouse group, “Someone had to carry the baton for Doyle. We’ve all been friends and the band asked me to be that guy. I was happy in the band with Fast Track, but this opportunity came about and I couldn’t pass it up. What a benchmark for me!”

Newcomer, John Meador, is thrilled to be a part of this musical venture. “There’s not another band I’d rather play with than them. They are class acts with great character. Everybody respects everybody as musicians and gentlemen.”

Authentic Unlimited will bring a fresh, new image complete with a combination of years of musical experience to the stage. They plan to give a genuine East Tennessee feel to the bluegrass genre. The band is unique in the fact that they write, record, and produce their music. 

“We are keeping it original out of respect for Doyle. Our goal is to have our own sound and our own material,” shared fiddler Burwell. “We anticipate requests from previously recorded material, and we will do them if they are songs written by Jerry or Eli.”

Cole chimed in, “We’re no cover band. We’ll be doing our own original material.”

The bassist, alone, has already written 553 original songs himself.

Harkey concluded, “I am excited to have them on the schedule, along with the Dan Tyminski Band. I’m very glad that they formed in time for fans to hear them play their very first performance at Bluegrass First Class.”

The audience should expect a crisp, professional, and entertaining performance. In the coming months, look for this bluegrass band to skyrocket.

For ticket information on Bluegrass First Class, visit them online, or contact Milton Harkey at (828) 275-8650.

For more information on Authentic Unlimited, contact Eli Johnston: eli@authtenticunlimitedband.com or 423-608-2592, or visit the band’s website. You can also search for Authentic Unlimited Band on Facebook and Instagram.

Nashville banjoist Tim Carter has announced a new project, with a new band, called Damn The Banjos.

It’s not really a bluegrass sound, but it is banjo centered. A new album is nearly finished, Full Speed Ahead, including material written within the group, inspired by a wide range of music these four claim as influences: The Avett Brothers, The Way Down Wanderers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Tom Petty, James Taylor, and John Prine.

Carter plays banjo, mandolin, and guitar, with Mike McAdam on electric guitar, Scotty Huff on bass, and Dann Sherrill on drums and percussion. All four are experienced hands in the Nashville music scene, with touring experience among them with artists like Alison Brown, Vassar Clements, Hayseed Dixie, Steve Earle, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Radney Foster, Bonnie Bramlett, Engelbert Humperdinck, Steve Winwood, The Mavericks, Keith Urban, Jake Owen, and Keb’ Mo’.

They created this video as a promo for both the band and the album, with samples from a number of their new songs included.

You can learn more about Damn The Banjos on their web site.

For those of us grieving the loss of blugrass banjo legend J.D. Crowe, who passed away on Christmas Eve, here are a few interviews conducted in recent years that should be both enjoyable and informative.

This first was recorded in 2019 with Dan Boner, Director of the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program at ETSU talking with both Crowe and Jerry Keys. It was held for students in the program, and involves a whole lot of discussion with a little bit of picking at the end. The interview runs about an hour and a half, and is must see footage for serious students of J.D. Crowe.

Then there is this somewhat older, but no less iconic interview, conducted by Jim Mills in 2014 at his banjo showroom and mini-museum in Cary, NC. It runs only 30 minutes, but is well worth the time to see two top level banjo pros talking shop.

And on a lighter note, The Moron Brothers also interviewed Crowe earlier this year, and managed to draw out a good deal of interesting conversation with the banjo master.

We also have this update from Richard Thompson on final arrangements for J.D. Crowe.

Funeral services for James Dee “J.D.” Crowe, 84, who passed away on Friday, December 24, 2021, will take place at the Jessamine Christian Church in Nicholasville, Kentucky. 

The funeral will be held 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 30, 2021, and entombment will follow in the nearby Blue Grass Memorial Gardens in Nicholasville.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. at the church.

This morning we have a partial answer to one of the most pressing questions in bluegrass music this past few months. To wit, what are the guys in Quicksilver going to do now that Doyle Lawson has retired from regular touring?

Three former members of Quicksilver – Jerry Cole, Eli Johnston, and Stephen Burwell – have joined forces with a pair of top free agents, John Meador and Jesse Brock, to form a new group, which they are calling Authentic Unlimited.

With Jerry and John, this new band can boast of two top bluegrass vocalists, and Eli is no slouch himself. John will be on guitar, and Jerry on bass, with Stephen playing fiddle, Eli on banjo, and Jesse on mandolin. Are are proven professional musicians, so work for Authentic Unlimited should be swift in coming.

They plan to record and perform their own original material. Look for further announcements soon about label and artist representation.

For now, Eli is functioning as the official contact, and can be reached online.

We will have more details about Authentic Unlimited later today after we have time to speak more with them about their plans for 2022.

There’s something to be said for subtlety, even when it appears to substitute for flash and finesse. After all, it’s often not a matter of how much music is thrown into the mix, but rather how it’s applied.

R. Wesley Carr seems to understand that fact, and even though Restless Wanderer represents the first outing on his own, it reflects the fact that his skills are already tastefully honed. An outstanding support crew offers added credence, as evidenced by the presence of Special Consensus’ Greg Cahill on banjo, IBMA winner Becky Buller on fiddle, and other players that boast equally sterling pedigrees. On the other hand, Carr shows he’s no slacker; he sings, plays mandolin, bass, banjo, and guitar, and has a hand in writing seven of the album’s ten tracks. The other three — covers of the stoic standards Cry Me a River, Move, and Such a Simple Thing — find a seamless fit within Carrs effortlessly engaging approach.

As a result, the music mostly comes as instantly accessible, with the effusive opener Cold & Uncaring, the extended instrumental, Indiana Fisher, and the delicate and dainty, Are You Loved? reflecting Carr’s obvious verve and versatility. Although the mood is mostly light and breezy, it doesn’t detract from the astute arrangements and the careful cohesion that each of the musicians contribute to the mix. It’s all easy on the ear, an adept example of what can result when the music is performed in a seemingly effortlessly way, as well as a fresh, free-spirited delivery that demands nothing more than a willingness to sit back and absorb it all.

That, of course, doesn’t belie Carr’s obvious ability and efforts to impress. A recent winner of the prestigious National Mandolin Championships in Winfield, Kansas, he’s demonstrated a talent that’s beyond reproach. Still, it’s his desire to engage his listeners rather than overwhelm them that makes one eager to follow this Restless Wanderer wherever the journey may take him.

We hope that Christmas Eve is a beautiful time for everyone who joins us here at Bluegrass Today. Even if we can’t be with those most dear this year, we can surely always recall Christmases past with family, friends, great food, and good times.

The Petersens share a lovely song that conveys those sentiments, Home For The Holidays, done in a bluegrass style.

Have a listen as you make your last minute preparations.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass music we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Bluegrass Today. May God bless you and keep you safe during the new year.

J.D. Crowe backstage at the Tucson Bluegrass Festival, Tucson, AZ, in 2004 – photo by Jerome Stephens

Our good friend, Jerome Stephens, happened to be going through film of his photography yesterday and came across some images of J.D. Crowe he had forgotten about. So he scanned them in to his computer, and has shared them with us as we mourn the loss of a true bluegrass hero.

After Tony Rice died a year ago on Christmas Day, jam band master Barry Waldrep and music management ace Brian Smith had an idea for a tribute.

It was, at the start, a relatively modest plan: Put out Me and My Guitar, a track that Waldrep, John Cowan, and others had recorded nearly a decade before for a tribute that was never released. But it didn’t stay modest for long. The more Waldrep and Smith plotted, the bigger the project grew. It looked like there was enough interest for a 10-song collection of Rice’s work, featuring musical giants across genres. 

But there was a problem, a good problem. Not only did everyone they asked agree to participate, many others offered to help out, even insisted.

The result, a sprawling 21-song collection, Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice, was released today. Much of it isn’t bluegrass, by design, but all of the music is informed by bluegrass and Rice’s virtuosity, and the love musicians across a broad spectrum felt for him.

In fact, along with the emergence of Billy Strings, this project represents one of the biggest shots in the arm for bluegrass in recent memory. Rice fans will already have 21 reasons to own it. But think of the uninitiated, who don’t know about him and know little or nothing about bluegrass. If they are even mildly curious to go back to the work of the master himself, bluegrass can’t help but gain new admirers. Aside from paying tribute to one of the greats, that’s really what this project is about.

Plus, money from sales will benefit the International Bluegrass Music Association’s trust fund for musicians in need.

“What I hope for from the bluegrass world is that they have respect for what we were trying to accomplish,” Waldrep said. “We want to show how huge Tony was at getting people’s ear, to expand the music and keep bluegrass music alive.”

Like many of the performers here, Waldrep grew up on traditional bluegrass, including Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers, but made his living in other genres. “I was outside the bluegrass world, but still influenced by Tony as a singer, songwriter and musician,” Waldrep told me.

He cited the work of Rice and country rock fiddler Charlie Daniels for teaching him that he didn’t always have to color inside the lines.

“They taught me I didn’t have to worry about staying in the boundaries,” he said. “Between my hair and the way I played, it pushed me away from traditional bluegrass. I liked it, but I felt like I didn’t fit.”

For country star Radney Foster, Rice’s death reacquainted him with bluegrass. “I spent a year learning Blackberry Blossom at age 20,” he said. “When I saw the news that he had died, I literally picked up the guitar and relearned it.”

Foster wasn’t exposed to much bluegrass growing up. But that changed when he went to college and met two brothers from Kentucky. “They taught me how to play real fast, and I made them play country songs.”

He later wrote Love Someone Like Me with country artist Holly Dunn, which was recorded by New Grass Revival.

“It was a real honor and a real treat” to be asked to participate, Foster said. “I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

Foster chose the Gordon Lightfoot offering, Song For A Winter Night, for the project. His version, slower than arrangements by both Lightfoot and Rice, is one of the strongest songs on the project. Then again, as you might expect, there are no filler songs here, as a who’s who of musicians stepped up to the microphone to honor Rice. 

It would take too much space to list everyone, but among those you’ll find here are Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale, Emmylou Harris, Marty Raybon, John Berry, Kim Richie, Patrick Simmons and Cowan of the Doobie Brothers, and songwriter-producer session player Spooner Oldham. Those last three, by the way are Hall of Famers.

Simmons’s version of Nine Pound Hammer, from a guy with no direct ties to bluegrass, is a stunner. And Lauderdale shines on Church Street Blues. Other standouts include Cowan’s take on Me and My Guitar, the song that set this whole process in motion, and Rory Feek’s Bury Me Beneath the Willow.

But for my money, the icing atop this scrumptious musical cake is Vince Gill’s I’ll Stay Around. The song has all the hallmarks of great bluegrass – a fast pace, outstanding picking on the banjo and mandolin, tasteful fiddle, and a guitar break worthy of Mr. Rice himself. Add Gill’s clear-as-a-bell tenor and you’ve got everything Tony Rice brought to the table – great playing, awesome singing, interesting arrangements – all in one 3:20 package.

“I wanted to do something bluegrass,” Gill told me. “I don’t do very much of it, but I love it when I do. It’s like putting on your favorite shoes.”

Gill, who grew up a bluegrasser in Oklahoma, recalled that he “kind of followed Tony around. We were in the Bluegrass Alliance at different times, but we never got to be around each other very much.” He said that following Rice as the band’s guitar player was “Bluegrass 101.”

As I said above, this project is one of the best things to happen in bluegrass, in part because it extends the reach of one of bluegrass music’s most successful missionaries. Rice has been gone a year tomorrow, but he’s clearly not forgotten.

Bluegrass? Not so much. But every song here, every note, is of bluegrass. Let’s leave the last word to Waldrep, quoting another bluegrass powerhouse who left us too soon, J.D. Crowe:

“No one’s going to like everything, and I respect that,” Waldrep said. “I learned from J.D. to keep the roots of bluegrass alive and add new branches to it.”

May those new branches flourish.

Barry Waldrep

Another giant passes in the world of three finger banjo. J.D. Crowe died in the early hours of this morning in hospice care at home. He was 84 years of age.

The Crowe family has not commented on his cause of death, but we know that J.D. had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) this past two years.

His place in the pantheon of banjo players is certain. Among those who followed the example of Earl Scruggs, Crowe was perhaps the first to rise as a disciple of the new style who not only made it his own, but did so with a precision and power that set him apart from the herd. Along with Sonny Osborne, who died following a stroke earlier this year at 83, a young J.D. Crowe drew attention in his first major professional job, playing banjo with Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys.

Crowe and Osborne became fast friends as young men, who consistently celebrated each other’s playing and career accomplishments, and remained close until Sonny’s passing in October. Both came into the world of bluegrass as teenagers, working with top professional acts, Sonny starting with Bill Monroe and J.D. with Jimmy Martin. The two also started their own bands as journeyman musicians, each establishing a legacy as banjo players and bandleaders that is not likely to be matched.

Born James Dee Crowe in 1937 in Lexington, KY, he had the opportunity as a boy to see and hear Flatt & Scruggs on a regular basis. He related to me once that his earliest memories of seeing them involved him climbing over chairs and running around at a concert to which his father had taken him. But soon the young J.D. was watching and listening to the music, and a lifetime fascination with the banjo was brewing. His father once asked Earl if he could teach the budding banjoist, though Scruggs deferred saying he wasn’t a teacher.

Martin actually first offered Crowe a job in 1954, when he was 17 years old, but he stayed behind in Kentucky to finish school. He joined Jimmy two years later at 19, and stayed until 1960, recording many classic tracks with Martin, and singing the lower harmony part with Paul Williams singing tenor to Jimmy’s lead. Several banjo tunes cut during this period ended up being included on Big and Country Instrumentals, released in 1967, which cemented Crowe’s place as a leading practitioner of the still new style.

By ’61 he had formed his own band, The Kentucky Mountain Boys, who performed regionally near his home. Prominent members included future Hall of Famer Doyle Lawson, as well as Larry Rice. They recorded a pair of now legendary albums, Bluegrass Holiday and The Model Church, for Lexington’s Lemco Records, before changing the band name to J.D. Crowe & The New South in 1971. They released two more albums before igniting an inferno in bluegrass music with the 1975 project, know widely as 0044 for its Rounder Records catalog number, though officially titled The New South.

This record featured an edition of the band that changed the sound of the music forever. With Tony Rice on guitar and lead vocal, Ricky Skaggs on mandolin and tenor vocal, Crowe on banjo and baritone vocal, Bobby Sloane on bass, and Jerry Douglas on reso-guitar, 0044 announced to the world that a new generation of bluegrass music had arrived, with an aggressive, take-no-prisoners sound. From the first few measure of Old Home Place, any listener knew right away that here was something new.

Crowe and Co. had been honing this sound for months in advance of the album, playing six nights a week in Lexington at The Red Slipper Lounge at a Holiday Inn hotel. What was recorded in January of ’75 was the result of those many long shows before largely sold out crowds where this new approach was born. The combination of Rice’s Clarence White-inspired rhythm guitar with Crowe’s driving and dynamic banjo defined a novel sound that remains with us today. The interaction between those two instruments the way these two played them gave bluegrass a new level of sophistication, which Crowe and Rice revisited some years later as The Bluegrass Album Band.

Over the next 40 years, Crowe rivaled the Father of Bluegrass himself with the number of stellar artists he brought to prominence as members of The New South. Not long after the departure of Tony Rice and Ricky Skaggs, Crowe brought in Keith Whitley on guitar, and Gene Johnson on mandolin, both of whom saw huge success in country music in a few years’ time. Other noted grassers who worked for J.D. would include Don Rigsby, Phil Leadbetter, Rickey Wasson, Richard Bennett, and Ron Stewart.

Crowe kept this band active and touring until 2019 when his COPD required him to retire from touring. But you would still see him at festivals and shows around Kentucky, and he recorded yet another album with Rickey Wasson which is set for release quite soon.

Everyone in bluegrass music was fond of J.D. Crowe, and not only for his remarkable banjo playing and long service as a recording artist and bandleader. His affable, humble, and fun-loving personality made him everyone’s friend, and any attempts to shower him with praise for his music were always met with deferrals and a bit of embarrassment. 

But to be plain, and risk heresy, no one every played bluegrass banjo more passionately, more inventively, or more interestingly than he did. Two generations of pickers have studied his playing, and even those who are taking the three finger style in new directions, like Béla Fleck, Tony Trischka, and Noam Pikelny, will readily acknowledge Crowe as a major influence and an unmistakable stylist in his own right. If Earl Scruggs was a machine, J.D. Crowe was a carnival ride. His playing was fun, lighthearted, and even frivolous at times, all coming from his own distinct personality.

I can recall the delight he took in catching Ron Stewart’s attention with a surprising lick while Stewart was on fiddle with The New South. If Ron turned his head, Crowe would chuckle and giggle like a small child. Two master musicians having fun on stage.

He was never comfortable in his position as an icon in the music. I have heard him answer questions about vastly different licks and phrases the same way… “I just tried to do what fit the song,” and meaning something else in each instance.

It might be best described by saying that people loved J.D. Crowe… they truly loved him, and many more than his family and close friends feel his loss today.

R.I.P., J.D. Crowe.

Your favorite syndicated bluegrass radio shows are also featuring Christmas music this week on their shows. Into The Blue, hosted by our own Terry Herd, Knee Deep In Bluegrass, hosted by Cindy Baucom, and Unreal Bluegrass, hosted by Steve Martin, all have prepared special holiday fare for their listeners this week.

Two of these also have special guests to add to the Christmas spirit. Cindy traditionally has her husband, banjo icon Terry Baucom, on hand to co-host her Christmas show, and this year is no exception. Steve also has Becky Buller with him this week for Christmas.

All three of these programs run on a Sunday too Saturday schedule, so many affiliates have already aired these special shows, but you can check their web site for more information on when your local stations run them.

• Into The Blue
• Knee Deep In Bluegrass
• Unreal Bluegrass

Many of the stations that carry these programs run it on Fridays or Saturdays, and a good number also stream concurrently online. Hard to think of a much better way to spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day than listening to several hours of bluegrass Christmas music.

Over their careers in and around bluegrass, many people have commented on the parallels between John Cowan and Ray Cardwell. Both men have high tenor voices, play bass, and made their names in the early days of newgrass music.

Now we have another. Ray has taken a job with rock icon Dave Mason, while Cowan had been working with The Doobie Brothers of late. And to close that circle, it was Cowan who recommended him for the job.

Bluegrass fans who haven’t followed the rock and pop world this past 50 years may not know Mason’s work, but he has been prominent for some time. He first came to attention with the band Traffic in the late 1960s, though he was in and out of the group over the next few years. There he worked alongside fellow icon Steve Winwood. Since those days he has enjoyed an enduring solo career.

Mason was also a close friend of Jimi Hendrix, and was perhaps the only other guitar player to record with him, playing the 12 string on All Along The Watchtower, and singing harmony on Crosstown Traffic, two early hits for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

When we spoke with Cardwell this afternoon, he had been immersing himself in charts and audio files, trying to be ready for the launch of the Dave Mason tour, February 9 at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. He was back home in Jefferson City, MO where he has lived a good bit of his life.

Ray told us that his world had been repeatedly rocked this past few years, with one thing after another forcing adjustments on the fly. But he said after accepting this new gig, he couldn’t sleep for two days.

“My life changed when I left Nashville after my ex-wife died from cancer. I’ve always been a family man, and the only way I could go to Nashville to do music was because my wife could take care of the kids.

I went back to teaching music, and caught COVID from the kids last year. Then the schools shut down. So I figured, I had loaded trucks for years as a stage hand, so I could do it at Dollar General. Then I got hurt on the job so that was out.”

He was working in Jefferson City as a substitute music teacher, and said that one day his phone started blowing up with texts during class.

“I looked when I had a break, and there were texts from John Cowan and Pat Flynn. So I told the kids I had to deal with a family emergency and went out in the hall to call John. He told me he was unable to do a tour that he had scheduled before going out with The Doobies next year. He said that he wanted me to do it, and that I would be a great fit. Then he told me it was with Dave Mason. I almost dropped the phone.

So I told John I needed to talk to the girls first. My 26 year old lives me me, with her two daughters, and they know how bummed I had been with all the shows being cancelled this past two years, so they told me to go for it!

So I called John back and he told me that I should expect a call from an unlisted California number, and that I should pick it up. I talked with Dave Mason, and he was the nicest guy, and said that he had watched my videos and loved my voice, and that he wanted me to do the tour.”

For much of the 2022 tour, the Dave Mason band will be supporting The Marshall Tucker Band, who will be celebrating their 50th anniversary. Ray said that due to COVID, the band will have to follow quarantine procedures, where they get tested at the beginning of each 3-4 day run, and then be restricted to the bus, the venue, or the hotel until they return.

“We will have four days of rehearsals before the Ryman show, and I feel like I’ll be ready.

I will try to get some Tennessee Moon shows in there, but this will be my main priority.

I just love music – my favorite is bluegrass with rock edges, so this is perfect. I’m also looking forward to playing with a drummer again, where I’m not the main guy setting the beat.”

Ray then addressed how much of an influence and a mentor Cowan has been in his life.

“John calls me his little brother, and he has always been so kind to me.

When I was a kid playing bluegrass with my family’s band, I most sang harmony with my sisters. And they always complained that I sang too loud. The I heard Fly Through The Country from New Grass Revival in 1975, and first heard John sing. I thought right away, ‘Hey… I can do that!’ It showed me something I could do on my own.”

Here’s video of Ray singing with Cowan a few years back, joined by an all-star cast at Nashville’s City Winery, performing the NGR classic, Angel Eyes.

If you are inclined to frequent rock concerts, look out for Ray Cardwell on bass with Dave Mason next year. Ray said that Dave plans to feature him on a song every show, and he’s thinking of choosing Hurricane Rain from his 2019 album, Stand On My Own.

Cardwell also expressed his sadness over the recent passing of mandolinist and vocalist, Kyle Wood.

“I played with Kyle the first year I was in Nashville, and he was such a wonderful guy and such a talented singer and player. It broke my heart to see him go so soon. He was such a great songwriter too, one of the best.”

I’m sure our readers will join us in congratulating Ray Cardwell for getting called up to the big leagues. Give ’em hell, Ray!

Williamson Branch also has a new Christmas single this year, A Very Merry Christmas, written by David Stewart and Megan Torve.

It’s a joyous song, in a bluegrass style, sung by the eldest of the Williamson siblings, Melody Williamson Keyes, who also plays fiddle. Harmony vocals are provided by her sisters, Kadance and Caroline.

There is also a music video for the single, shot amidst a Williamson family Christmas celebration. We meet the extended Williamson family, and good old Santa Claus, as they enjoy Christmas dinner. In addition to the girls, we have papa Kevin, and mama, Debbie, along with banjo player, Anthony Howell.

If this doesn’t put you in the holiday spirit, get ready to be visited by three spirits.

A Very Merry Christmas from Williamson Branch is available from popular download and streaming sites online, or for download directly from the band.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass music we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

Caleb Dennis is a bluegrass Gospel artist in Pensacola, FL with a new video to share with the wider community.

He is a veteran grasser in the Gulf Coast region, working for ten years with Gospel bluegrass legends, The Sullivan Family, and three more with Jerry and Tammy Sullivan. Following another year with Larry Wallace, Caleb ventured out on his own as a singer and bandleader. He has assembled a group of experienced pickers and singers to tour and record: George Mason is on fiddle, Jonathan Causey on guitar, Scotty French on acoustic lead guitar, and Daniel Maharrey on mandolin. Dennis plays bass and sings lead.

The video finds Caleb and crew performing a Jerry and Tammy Sullivan classic, Church Keep Moving On.

Have a look/listen…

This track will be included on Caleb’s debut album, and downloads and streaming for this single will be enabled soon.