Monthly Archives: February 2022

We’ve expressed our fondness for Goodfellers from the time they first showed up on our radar in 2018. From their clever name to their lighthearted but clearly virtuosic arrangements of pop music classics, it was clear that this was a bunch that liked to have fun playing first rate music.

The ‘Fellers have a new single from Bell Buckle Records, their take on the U2 hit, Where the Streets Have No Name, done up bluegrass style. Led by the stirring and affective singing of Teddy Barneycastle, they deliver a version of this rock anthem that could make you believe it was meant for bluegrass.

Teddy says that he and mandolinist Ralph McGee were messing around with songs when this one popped out.

“One afternoon, Ralph and I were jamming on various tunes, and Where the Streets Have No Name came up in the jam session. There was a great vibe to the twist we put on the song. All of us being fans of U2, this was one of the covers we really wanted to do on this project. We hope the music world enjoys our version as much as we enjoy playing it. We have a blast with it.” 

In addition to Teddy and Ralph, Goodfellers are Kyser George on lead guitar, David George on bass, and Hersie McMillan on banjo (now Tommy Maas on the five). Barneycastle is on rhythm guitar with harmony backup from George and McGee.

Their cut has the same rebel spirit as the original from 1987, as you can hear below.

Where The Streets Have No Name from Goodfellers is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Lonesome River Band at the 2022 Florida Classic – photo © Bill Warren

The Florida Classic – classic bluegrass, classic country, classic ’50s rock, classic cars and trucks, and great people!

The sound crew worked tirelessly all weekend. Larry Payton, Donnie Carver, Josh Griffin, Clarence Canada, and Steve Holdeman deserve a big thank you!

The first Friday show was Redd Volkaert and the Malpass Brothers telling Merle Haggard stories and singing his music. It was quite a trip down memory lane.

Teea Goans followed with a set of old feel country music. She is often seen on RFD-TV’s Larry’s Country Diner.

Sherry Boyd then introduced Deeper Shade of Blue for their final set of the weekend. Redd Volkaert again joined them with his 1953 Telecaster.

The Malpass Brothers kicked off their first of two days at the Classic. They take an audience back to the days of stars like Ernest Tubb, Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard, and many more.

The Dan Tyminski Band did a Friday set that again captivated the audience. This is a band that must be seen if one has the opportunity.

The Atlantic City Boys present the stylings of Frankie Valli music – yet another classic era. The Boys present the dance moves and the harmonies of days gone by.

The Moonlight Jam was hosted by Justin Mason and Blue Night. The youngest was part of the Remedy Tree band playing mandolin.

Saturday started with a classic car and truck show. There were some unique vehicles. One was an old body 1952 Ford truck built on a modern Ford F450 chassis. Another was a fire breathing Mack truck.

Remedy Tree from St. Augustine opened the stage show. They present a mix of original and old time music and are one of the Florida bands that appear in a number of EMS festivals.

Justin Mason and Blue Night is an Orlando based group that plays original and traditional bluegrass music. Fifteen year old Bryce Griffin was given the late Roscoe Canady’s mandolin last weekend. He played it on stage at the Classic. Justin has been part of the bluegrass scene in Florida since he was a youngster. He also plays in a band with his father and a brother called Alligator Alley and is the face and voice of the Florida bluegrass community. He takes pictures and documents the majority of bluegrass events across the state. He keeps everyone informed of what and where everything is going on.

Redd Volkaert did a set of his own. He presented some of the best in classic country music.

The Malpass Brothers did their final set of the weekend. We learned that Taylor received a degree in brain surgery from “Dook” University during the pandemic – it took three whole months. He also was certified as a marriage counselor, a priest, and a jet pilot. He flies his private jet all over the world!! 😊

The Lonesome River Band is one of those acts where there are not enough superlatives left to describe. They have been a staple of the bluegrass community for forty years. Redd Volkaert joined the band for a couple tunes and it made for a fun time.

Classic country artist, Moe Bandy, closed out the festival. He presented a set of his best music. The audience thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found a jam on my way to my campsite to end the weekend.

Support your local music venues.

This is a feature we are running to memorialize the creative and musical legacy of the late J.D. Crowe, who we lost just before Christmas. We are calling it My Favorite Crowe Lick, and each episode will feature a prominent bluegrass banjo player sharing both their thoughts about Crowe and his influence, and showing us a lick they learned from his playing that sticks with them.

Daniel Grindstaff is up next, an east Tennessee banjo picker who has quite a resume for a still young musician. He has played with  legends like Jim & Jesse, Marty Raybon, Rhonda Vincent, and more recently with Tim Raybon in Merle Monroe and The Tim Raybon Band. Daniel even had the honor to be asked to play banjo with The Osborne Brothers on The Grand Ole Opry after Sonny was unable to perform.

Though his entire youth was dedicated to the banjo, including recording with David Davis, Tim Graves, and others, these days he is primarily a family man, running his own insurance agency in Elizabethton, TN and touring with Tim Raybon when he is able.

Daniel was only too pleased to take a few moments to honor the great J.D. Crowe.

Keep an eye out for future installments of My Favorite J.D. Crowe Lick here at Bluegrass Today. You can watch all of them by following this link.

The owner/operators of the Melton & Miller Music record label have been trading singles this past two weeks. Last Friday we had Talking To Myself from Milan Miller, and today Buddy Melton has A Dimond Took My Place.

We all know Buddy as fiddler and vocalist with Balsam Range, with whom he was twice named Male Vocalist of the Year by the IBMA. He likes to record on his own as well, with songs that might not be a snug fit for the band.

He says that this one, written by Miller, appeals to him in a number of ways.

“I have been a fan of A Diamond Took My Place since I first heard it several years ago. I am often lucky enough to hear Milan’s original songs first, and when he sent a demo of this one I knew it was one I wanted to record. It is a clever lyrical song with a fun uptempo groove in a minor key that supports the storyline. I guess you can say it checks a lot of boxes for what I consider to be a great song. I have been compiling new solo material for some time now, and am so excited to start releasing the new recordings.” 

It tells a story of a man who only finds out he has lost his true love when he offers her a ring, and she confesses her love for another. We won’t give away the twist in the song title, as you’ll hear it in the chorus.

Melton is supported here by Tim Crouch on fiddle, Milan Miller on guitar, and Seth Taylor on banjo and mandolin. Buddy plays bass and sings the lead, with harmonies from Miller.

Check it out.

A Diamond Took My Place is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

As a follow-up to the Wooks’ recent single and video, I chatted with co-founder CJ Cain about their upcoming album release, Flyin’ High, dropping February 25 on their website and the usual streaming services. The Wooks have been described as a hybrid bluegrass, country jamband, which makes sense, as CJ counts Stevie Ray Vaughn, Tony Rice, John Prine, and Levon Helm as some of his biggest influences. Like many modern bluegrass bands, they have a solid bluegrass lineage, infectious live shows, fine chops, and great songs that they like to stretch out. The Wooks are perhaps best described as shredders with soul.

The lineup for Flyin’ High is different from the Wooks’ previous releases, though with talented, experienced players, the performance is in no danger of falling off.

• CJ Cain – guitar and vocals 
• Harry Clark – mandolin and vocals
• Allen Cooke – dobro
• George Guthrie – banjo and vocals
• Nate Leath – fiddle
• Jesse Wells – fiddle
• Johnny Calamari – bass
• Mike Bub – bass

Keeping the same band sound and audience could be a challenge, so CJ and I talked about how the personal changes have impacted that.

“Yeah, throughout the years, as any band tends to do—particularly in bluegrass it seems—we’ve had people come and go. Jesse was our original fiddler who went to work with Tyler (Childers), but you also hear him on the records even after he left the band. He still plays on Flyin’ High and Union Pacific though. When you operate as a band or a unit, it’s not necessarily as detrimental for change to occur as when you’re focused on one singer. We’ve always had multiple singers in the band, a lot like the Infamous Stringdusters. So depending on how you look at songwriting and how you put on a show, a little movement doesn’t change the band tremendously. It’s usually all right with the fans as long as they’re having a good time and they like the songs. We’ve definitely changed, but it’s more of an add-to than a taking-away type of thing.

It’s funny, you can go out and play older songs at shows, like Harry sings Atlantic City or Union Pacific, and you’d be shocked at how few people come up and say, ‘that doesn’t sound like the original voice.’ Musicians get way wrapped up in the details of the musicality and judging themselves and stressing about it, but at the end of the day, it’s the emotional connection that’s gonna make or break you. I heard someone say, ‘musicians are always looking for work but entertainers are always busy.’ That’s a hard thing to learn, and it’s something we’re still working on, but I think that’s kinda true. As long as you’re entertaining, people don’t notice the things you’re worrying about most of the time.

It’s not always easy for bands who don’t play a strictly traditional bluegrass repertoire to reach those audiences. This is nothing new, as change and acceptance in the bluegrass world has never come easy but rest assured, it does happen. We chatted some about if it gets tiring or is it just part of the landscape.

“Well, Jimmy Martin was probably tired of it too, because there were probably people who thought he was screwing things up sometimes. I don’t know if you know or not, but we’re considered to be a progressive band. We cut our second record in Clay City, Kentucky with Ricky Wasson, who was J.D. Crowe’s guitar player and singer for the last 20+ years, and a local, regional aficionado of that trad style. So we’re in there and we cut a couple tunes and he came out and said, ‘I thought this was gonna be a bunch of hippies, but this is about as bluegrass as anything else I’ve cut in here.’ So I feel like we touch those bases with a song like Butler Hayes, which I wrote with Eric Cummins on the new album, or even Nightbird or Union Pacific from previous albums. We play enough grass and we all have a pretty strong traditional music background, so we can get away with the stuff that isn’t so traditional.”

CJ is known for his well-thought-out storytelling style of songwriting. Scripting bluegrass songs can be a challenge, trying not to be either too cliche or abstract, and still keeping the audience’s attention.

“For sure, bluegrass writers sometimes can be a little bit too far from the abstract. You can get too far out there where you lose some people sometimes. I feel like Jimmy Martin was pretty cool about not saying everything in the same old way. Like the song Hold What Ya Got. A million people have written songs about wanting to get back to the person that they love or whatever, but that song is gonna be cool in fifty years cause he didn’t say it the same old way. I might think about it differently in ten years, but that’s what sometimes scares me about it—that you really never have it figured out. The same goes for the liner note that Tyler Childers wrote for the album. I asked him to write a poem or something instead of a review of the album saying how great we were, and that’s where he went. Every time I read that thing I get something different as an interpretation. That’s good, because sometimes it’s good for your mind to have to work through that.”

I mentioned that I’d heard mandolinist Harry Clark on the Mandolins and Beer Podcast, and how his song New Piece of Mind stuck me as really heartfelt with an underlying sentiment, not unlike that of Spanish Pipedream by John Prine. CJ talked about how the Kentucky music scene has helped develop people like Harry in their songwriting.

“That’s one of my favorite songs I’ve heard in a very long time. I was very proud of him because every line in that song is a doozy. You almost have to slow it down to listen or some of the lines will pass you by. If you listen to it four or five times, you start to put it all together and realize, ‘whoa, he really didn’t just mail in any line in the song.‘

We’ve been lucky to have some killer songwriters come in through our Kentucky music scene community. Not just Tyler (Childers), and Sturgill (Simpson), and Chris Stapleton, but there’s a guy named John R Miller who’s not from here but has played within this scene and is doing pretty well now. Harry really latched onto John R. and some of these guys, and when you hear other people writing good songs, you kinda know where the bar’s at. I think Harry’s an excellent writer and that’s an example of just how good he is.”

The album has a nice variety of songs, both originals and covers, utilizing the strength of each player. Harry and George shine on vocals, which they share on the first track, What the Rocks Don’t Know. CJ shared these insights on that one.

“That one kind of touches all the bases, and is one of my favorites on the album. It has the driving bluegrass vibe but there’s also the jam section. It kind of represents what we’re doing right now as a band musically—the best of any song on the album. George Guthrie sings lead on that song and got it from Willie Carlisle from Arkansas. He sings it a cappella with hambone. George converted it and made it work for us. It had all these places we could go on it and we worked it up. Mike Bub played bass on it. There are a couple different bass players on the album actually. He kinda set us in the pocket on that one with the breakdown on each verse, so Bub sent us in that direction for sure.

CJ mentioned that the recording process on this album was pretty loose, with no click track and very few overdubs. Only a seasoned band can make this work well and it can lead to some unexpected surprises.

“Sometimes when you record something, you get it down, you get the lyrics, and it sounds good but then something random happens. What the Rocks Don’t Know has a lot of randomness in it. There’s another song on the album, Little While, by Harry, that has this long jam at the end that was a major accident. We forgot to tell the guest fiddler Nate Leath how we wanted to end the song, and when we got to the end I just stayed on this one chord then things started happening and we ended up keeping it. Those kind of things are so much fun, you could never plan that.”

Little While, the last track on the release, has a great groove in the old-time vein. It’s very rhythmic with George Guthrie playing clawhammer-style banjo countered by an interesting mandolin strum pattern by Harry. Bands with banjo players that play both Scruggs and clawhammer styles are getting more common. Frank Evans of the Slocan Ramblers is another great example. I asked CJ about that sound as part of the band.

“Clawhammer has always been a part of the Wooks sound, and this tune just puts it out front in a big way. George has a way of playing clawhammer while allowing it to still have a driving element. That song is easy to listen to.”

The latest single and video from the band, Mudfish Momma, is written by CJ and Harry Smith, with a great dobro riff by Allen Cooke. It has that Southern swamp rock sound, but also lots of great bluegrass guitar and mandolin picking. The video by Garrett Casto, featuring Harry Clark’s lead vocals, realizes the lyrics with an unexpected heist story. CJ had this to say.

“Mudfish was inspired by my favorite fishing hole in Florida. I can’t divulge too much as it’s my secret spot (wink wink). I wrote this song for the Wooks during a writing session with Ray. I sorta wanted it to have an Al Kooper /Curtis Lowe vibe, and Ray really brought a Bob Dylan style to the chorus with the melody he wrote. A friend in the area told me about Garrett and we filmed it in one day. Thanks to my buddy Steve for letting us stage the theft of his bad-ass fishing boat.”

While there’s certainly an emphasis on quality songwriting in the band, they do not shy away from covers. The Beatles’ Dear Prudence was on their previous album, Glory Bound, and in addition to What the Rocks Don’t Know, this album has a great treatment of a lesser-known John Prine song, Iron Ore Betty. Covers were something CJ’s bluegrass guitar inspiration Tony Rice was a master of. Here’s Cain’s take.

“Tony could take tunes and just make them bluegrass classics. Like Devil in Disguise. I know it has been covered before, but how many people even knew that was a Gram Parsons (and Chris Hillman) tune? JD did Fats Domino tunes. Once they did it, it was a bluegrass tune. All of the Gordon Lightfoot stuff—he had a knack for taking stuff and making it smooth. 

I’ve always wanted to do a show that was only Tony Rice, but it would be kinda terrifying—I’d prefer to do someone else who I’m not so engulfed in. I’m impressed by the Punch Brothers’ courageousness to tackle the Church Street Blues thing. That would just terrify me, but of course they have all the reasons to be fearless.”

There are many stand-out tracks on this album, but I wondered if there are any sleepers, to which CJ tells the story behind the song, Other Side. It was inspired by a friend he lost.

“There’s one particular song (Other Side) I wrote that means a lot to me. I was trying to write a Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter/Fish-style tune. I was just into that. I came to the Fish thing pretty late. It was kinda fun that way cause there was a time when that was all anyone talked about, but all I cared about was Tony Rice and Béla Fleck. I like the extended jams, and George, our banjo player, brought that harmony structure, but lyrically, I was struggling. I’d just lost a friend who had leukemia, and a lot of times when you write a song about something that’s bothering you, it helps give you a bit of peace. I didn’t want to make it a sad song. I wanted it to be sort of abstract. I like songs like that, and all of Robert Hunters’ songs are like that. Anyway, I once heard this guy say you die two deaths. The first time is your physical death and the next is the last time anyone says your name. So in the song, I say Steve’s name so maybe in like 100 years if someone digs up a hard drive and plays that tune, that’s kinda cool. I don’t know if I really accomplished the Jerry sound, ’cause to me it still sounds like a southern rock tune—an Allman Brothers tune, which is more of my wheelhouse. We took extended solos and some twin parts which is more of a Southern rock thing.

I’ve been listening to this album almost a week now and have yet to tire of it, hearing new things on each listen. It feels like a slight to say it has something for everyone across different styles because, really, it just has lot of really good, well-executed songs. You can listen, download or purchase the album, Flyin’ High from their website, Wook Out America, or other streaming services. The Tour starts February 24 in Louisville with a stop at the Station Inn on March 5. Get out and support it if you can, I’m sure it will be a hoot.

Here’s a video on their YouTube channel from a recent show at the Station Inn.

Copy Editing by Jeanie Polling

Dan Tyminski Band at the 2022 Florida Classic – photo © Bill Warren

Thursday dawned warm and sunny for the 2022 Florida Classic, presented by Evans Media Source. The Classic is held in a park east of Brooksville, Florida.

The show opened with Orlando-based Sandy Back Porch. They have become a staple of EMS festivals. They play a number of shows throughout the Orlando area.

Deeper Shade of Blue followed, a strong band with top notch harmonies. They were joined by Redd Volkaert in their second set, guitarist for Merle Haggard for many years. Redd will be performing with the Malpass Brothers on Friday and do a set of his own on Saturday.

The Dan Tyminski Band made its first Classic appearance. Dan presented some of his old favorites, some AKUS music, some new music, and – of course – Man of Constant Sorrow. He did say that he should start and end every show with that song because it has been so good for him. He will be performing another show on Friday.

The evening closed with Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys. The Broussard family has presented the best in Cajun Zydeco music for many years. I saw Jeffery’s father, Delton Broussard, at the Wheatland Music festival many, many years ago. Cajun Zydeco has the same deep roots as bluegrass. It was formed in the Louisiana bayous by the country folks from their European heritage. The music puts everyone on their feet dancing. It is lively music led by a squeezebox and a scrub board. Jeffery and his niece took the music into the audience and had them join in. Thankfully there are no pictures of a certain photographer playing the scrub board! See a Zydeco band if you are able.

Deeper Shade of Blue, Justin Mason, and Clarence Canada led the Moonlight Jam. Justin was joined by a couple of his bandmates. The Canadian contingent led by Ed Martin also joined in. This Moonlight Jam has become a highlight for many of the festival attendees, where stage acts join with jammers after the show concludes.

Friday and Saturday Bring The Malpass Brothers, Teea Goans, Deeper Shade of Blue, Dan Tyminski, Lonesome River Band, and Moe Bandy to the stage. Saturday will also have the Classic Car Show on site for everyone’s enjoyment.

Support your local music venues.

After 20 plus years of marriage, Kristin Scott Benson, award winning banjoist with The Grascals, and Wayne Benson, longtime mandolinist with Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, have finally recorded some music together. Their upcoming album is appropriately entitled Benson.

Wayne explained how their musical collaboration came to fruition. “We have always been busy doing our own things, playing in our own bands. Even before COVID, we were teaching lessons and there are always side projects going on, so it never really occurred to us to pursue something together.”

“When we weren’t working, we wanted to have family time with our son (Hogan). When COVID hit, everyone’s perspective changed, including ours. We were basically shut-in together like everyone else, and that made us start thinking differently. We began teaching more and were together all the time for the first time ever in our marriage.”

Kristin elaborated on their recording. “We feel really lucky to be recording with the folks at Mountain Home. I’ve enjoyed a great relationship with them for years through The Grascals, and with my banjo albums. So we recorded at their studio in Asheville, NC in 2021.”

“We have Cody Kilby on guitar, Paul Watson on bass, Jim VanCleve on fiddle, and Grayson Lane, Mickey Harris, Heath Williams, and Jamie Johnson on vocals, plus Tony Creasman on percussion for a few cuts. They all did such a wonderful job.”

Their first release from their album is a hot, hard-driving instrumental, Conway, which debuted last week.

Wayne described his creation. “I wrote this tune on IIIrd Tyme Out’s bus at a festival in Conway, SC. I’m a closet electric bass player and kind of wrote this tune with the idea of being able to play bass on the demo just for fun. Paul, who played bass on the studio cut, really did a great job helping to create the groove. It’s a groovy song. That’s kind of the point of this instrumental.”

Kristin detailed more about the remainder of the project. “It’s fairly varied. We have some straight-ahead bluegrass and some forward-leaning material, both vocally and instrumentally. I’m really happy with a Gospel song called Oh Me of Little Faith that we asked our worship pastor to sing. I can’t believe we hear him every week at church. In Nashville, you’re used to music being amazing because there are so many musicians, but here we are in upstate South Carolina and we have this really special singer leading services. Grayson Lane is a young vocal talent that a lot of people have noticed, and we were super-excited to have him sing two songs. He’s got everything you want in a singer. He can sing really high, but still has depth and texture. We really love the timbre of his voice.”

“We recorded a Beatles song, I’ll Follow the Sun, that I’ve loved for years. I’ve heard Jamie Johnson sing a lot of things besides bluegrass, and he’s great at this sort of thing.”

“We sped up an old bluegrass song and turned it into a straight-ahead barnburner. Mickey Harris is such a seasoned pro. He sang lead on that one and all of the harmony throughout. Mickey, like Cody (Kilby) and Jim (VanCleve), are long-time friends from when we were practically kids, so it’s always nice to reunite with them. Paul (Watson) plays with Carley Arrowood and is a stellar bass player. It’s fun to interact with young musicians. Tony Creasman plays percussion on most of Mountain Home’s projects and he’s so tasteful. He’s perfect for bluegrass and a few of these really called for that.”

Wayne stressed, “I think this is a good representation of us as a combo. It’s not exactly like what Kristin has recorded on her own and it’s not exactly like anything I’ve recorded. We have original instrumentals, but we’ve both really spent our careers being band players, so it makes sense that the album has vocals, too.”

“We’ve been married almost 22 years and have never done anything like this, so I hope people like it. COVID changed every family. Work and home life look different now, not for just musicians… everyone. It finally made sense to do this. Also, recording doesn’t require a ton of shows and as a way to sell physical product anymore. In many ways, that’s sad because record sales used to be a big part of what kept bands on the road, but the world has changed.”

Kristin concluded, “You know, neither one of us has ever had a strong desire to play together, for lots of reasons. It really isn’t practical, for one thing, because we are raising our son and if we’re both gone we call on my mom to be with him. There are plenty of days that one of us is home and the other isn’t, so that works to our advantage. We’re not gone at the same time, every time we go to play. Of course, he’s 15 now and has a driver’s permit. He’ll be able to drive alone soon, so we’re both enjoying and grieving the new season of life where he is more independent. So, this is a way to create something musically together that doesn’t tamper with our home life. It’s a totally new endeavor and we’re excited about it. Like Wayne said, it was finally time!”

Gavin Stinson, bass player with Kenny Stinson & Perfect Tym’n, and his wife, Monique, are celebrating the birth of their first child.

Charlie Dean Stinson was born on February 22 at Franklin Woods Community Hospital in Johnson City, TN. He made his appearance at 1:01 p.m., weighing in at 7 lb 2 oz, and stretching out to 21” long.

Gavin tells us that Mom and baby are doing well.

“Both are healthy and happy, and we are so blessed. I want to thank everyone for all the prayers.”

Congratulations Monique and Gavin, and a hearty Bluegrass Today welcome to little Charlie!

Western North Carolina’s Pretty Little Goat is an interesting and unorthodox string band. Working in the format of an old time group, they have a bluegrass attitude, and the rowdy energy of a jamgrass outfit. To that, add thoughtful songwriting and a willingness to take chances with the genre, and you have a perfect band for today’s pluralistic, fusion-oriented music scene.

At the center of the group is the husband-and-wife team of Josh and Mallory Carter. After a youth marked by steady touring all around the world, they have now settled down on a farm in the country where they are raising three children, tending cows, and writing songs. Since 2013 the Carters have collaborated with fellow Goats Owen Grooms on banjo and JT Linville on bass, with Josh on mandolin and Mallory percussing on a washboard.

Their second album, Big Storm, is on the way, and we are delighted to offer a premiere this morning of the title track, which releases as a single tomorrow (2/25). It’s an ambitious song, lyrically speaking, which Josh says grew out of a slow night on the job.

“Big Storm is at first glance a raucous, fun, groovy song about watching storm clouds rolling in over the hill. The concept of the song was written impromptu at a quiet bar gig that should have been canceled due to a heavy storm forecast. As the song was born out of the energy of that moment, it has become a legitimate rain dance song. Almost every time we play this song, a whopper of a storm comes out of nowhere within the next couple days; it’s incredible.

Diving a little deeper into the lyrics, which are intentionally a bit ambiguous, the song is really a journey of spiritual exploration into the nature of space and time, and the ways we interact with both. The opening verse sets the stage with:

Time is a mean condition
He speaks with truth and conviction
And don’t we all wanna run from the stories he tells

From there, we travel back a few thousand years to the story of Haman, in which the concept of karma is well illustrated by the impact of decision and action. Haman is a villainous character who decided to try to kill all of the Jewish people in Persia because he took offense from one of them, Mordecai. In the end, Haman is the one ‘hanging from the gallows that he built with his own two hands.’

The bridge brings us back to the immediacy of tending to our own needs. Each and every day we need to make sure we have enough food on the table, and that we are mentally and physically prepared to face any of life’s challenges that may arise. The last verse offers a calling to our highest, truest selves. With technology on an exponential trajectory and the world seeming to spin faster and faster every day, we have been appointed with the task of preparing the next generation for the unknown. The best we can do is to search deep within, smile often, and spread love.

So batten down the hatches, turn up the volume, and have fun!”

Whew… not at all ominous with much of the US under rain clouds and war breaking out in eastern Europe.

Check it out in the single’s accompanying music video.

Pretty Little Goat is supported on this track by Jackson Dulaney on steel guitar.

Look for Big Storm on Friday, February 25, from popular download and streaming services online. Pre-save is enabled now for Spotify.

France’s Boom Ditty Band have invested an inordinate amount of time and expertise into their endeavors, and in the ten years since the group was founded, the results of that investment have clearly paid off.

Banjo player Romain Luzet sums things up succinctly. 

“Boom Ditty is a kind of crossroads,” he says. “A meeting of singular artists at crucial times in their careers.”

That’s evident in its origins. Guitarist and singer-songwriter Fabien Duclerc, and bassist, guitarist and vocals Remi Lonca, met when they were in their teens, and initially began their collaboration by playing blues and funk. Eventually Fabien decided to focus solely on his songwriting, and at that point, he met Luzet who had recently completed two years of study in jazz guitar with Basque guitar legend Jean-Marie Ecay. Duclerc and Luzet enjoyed an eight year partnership, one which became Lute’s major focus. During that time, they produced and recorded an album, one which thrust the two musicians headfirst into the whirlwind of the music industry, and its accompanying array of managers, agents, booking agencies, and press secretaries, all of whom contributed their insights and expertise when it came time to produce the duo’s sophomore set. 

According to Luzet, it became too much for Duclerc, causing him to sever his bonds with the biz, and free himself from the financial pressures it entailed. For his part, Luzet decided that he would be best served by a band that would tap into more of a folk music tapestry, and in so doing, explore a more authentic sound that eschewed the airplay opportunities offered by the typical commercial radio stations. He enlisted Lonca, who, in turn, recruited Yann Ravet, a gifted guitarist, sideman, and studio musician who lived and worked in Paris. 

By 2012, Boom Ditty was in its formative stages. Multi-instrumentalist Janine Terhoff, just back from a world tour with French singer and songwriter Tom Frager, joined the group as its vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and mandolin player. Dobro player Manu Bertrand also began contributing to the group’s efforts and today remains an unofficial member of their collective who’s called upon as needed.

Ultimately, the combination all began to gel. “Boom Ditty is always striving for that consistency and balance between the quality of the voices and the instrumental parts,” Luzet insists. “What sets us apart and, in fact, really glues us together is that we have three lead singers. Each one has a very different vocal technique and assorted influences, and all three compose songs for the band.”

Luzet adds that the banjo and solo guitar veer between bluegrass and traditional folk music, depending on the arrangements. “The lyrics on our album are very personal and sometimes humorous,” he explains. “They tell stories about family, nature and certain social issues.”

Not surprisingly then, the group’s influences are quite eclectic. 

“Being professional musicians means that each of us also plays with other groups in different styles, whether it’s rock, traditional Basque music, folk, New Orleans jazz, surf music or blues,” Luzet continues. “All these styles have had an effect on us, but we’re especially influenced by bluegrass artists like Blue Highway, Lonesome River Band, Béla Fleck, Tony Rice, Sierra Hull, Chris Thile, Billy Strings, and Leftover Salmon. In truth, the list is too long. We started playing bluegrass music ten years ago, and yet we are still lucky enough to be discovering any number of major artists for the first time.”

In their decade together, Boom Ditty has performed over 300 concerts, including those involving spring and summer town fairs, theaters and various European festivals — among them, Holland’s European World Of Bluegrass gathering in 2013 and the main stage at the La Roche Bluegrass festival in 2019. They had been scheduled to appear at Germany’s  Bühler Bluegrass Festival Germany in 2021, but it was cancelled due to COVID. 

“We had an amazing time jamming with Lover’s Leap, Billy Cardine, and members of the Mile Twelve band,” Luzet recalls of their festival experience. “There was one jam session in 2014 that especially stands out. We played alongside Rob Ickes and several other really talented French musicians like Manu Bertrand, Glenn Arzel, Fred Glas, Raphael Maillet, and Bruno Bluteau.”

The band’s trajectory started at first by tackling outside material, including songs by the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Lonesome River Band, Johnny Cash, Balsam Range, Lou Reed, and Otis Redding. “We made an EP in 2013 with a few covers and one original song, and another EP came out in 2017 with just original songs,” Luzet explains. “At long last, we recorded our first album in 2020 with nine original songs and one cover by Bruce Springsteen. We recorded all the music using two ribbon microphones, and using this technique meant that there couldn’t be any mistakes during takes, and that nothing could be corrected afterwards. It was risky, but I think what came out of that was an incredible energy and group dynamic that multi-track mixing can render. The album came out in 2020 and is available in as a digipack CD, and for download on all the major streaming platforms, all of which can be found our Facebook and Instagram pages. We’re currently working on our second album and already have some great songs in the can.”

Luzet adds that the attention given that initial album has been most encouraging. 

“When we brought out an album of original compositions, we were pleasantly surprised at the really positive reactions to our songs by our fans, who were for the most part used to us playing covers.”

In fact, the group has amassed a loyal following.

“People love our music and we are still getting lots of compliments on our album,” he says. “The French love bluegrass, but unfortunately there isn’t enough of it programmed here and the radio doesn’t play it either. It’s a shame because people really enjoy every concert we do, and I can’t tell you the number of times that someone has come up to me and said, ‘I didn’t know that this kind of music was called bluegrass, but I’ve always loved it!’”

Nevertheless, Luzet isn’t surprised by its popularity. “I think bluegrass music conveys so much joy and energy, and also a real musical authenticity,” he says. “Playing bluegrass music demands great technical and musical ability. It’s impossible to hide behind technology, programming and all the other effects that are often found in today’s music. Bluegrass music is all about keeping it real, and as a result, it brings a human dimension to live music. It embodies the essence of American folk music, and when viewed from a European perspective, it also evokes a kind of nostalgia for older folk traditions.”

For more information on the Boom Ditty Band, visit their web site or Facebook page, or contact the band by email.

The latest single from The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, taken from their upcoming debut project with Smithsonian Folkways, brings fiddler Laura Orshaw to the fore.

Orshaw delivers a powerful version of the Hazel Dickens classic, Ramblin’ Woman, played in the trademark PRB style, drawing heavily on the sound of The Stanley Brothers. It’s the perfect song to introduce her to their fans as a vocalist, playing on both the band name and a stereotype long associated with our music.

Laura gives this mid-tempo waltz number a typically dynamic reading, and says that she feels pride bringing this song back.

“This song was written by Hazel Dickens in the 1970s as a rebuttal against all of the songs about ‘rambling men,’ so I thought it’d be the perfect debut single for me as a lead vocalist with The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys. Hazel Dickens was one of the first women to take center stage in bluegrass music. It was incredibly meaningful for me to hear Hazel’s music, and see other women performing on stage. While our band name harkens back to the old days of bluegrass when it was mostly men in touring bluegrass bands, we try to honor history while also expanding the reach of bluegrass music and keeping it relevant to our world today!”

Check it out, with support from her bandmates C.J. Lewandowski on mandolin, Jereme Brown on banjo, Josh Rinkel on guitar, and Jasper Lorentzen on bass.

 Lewandowski, who also serves as bandleader for the Boys, expressed how much they all appreciate having Orshaw as a full member of the group.

“Laura has been filling in for us since 2017, and she’s been part of the band for the last two years now. So, it’s five of us now. She gels perfectly with what we want to do in the studio and onstage—when the creative juices get flowing, the music gets hot.”

I can concur with that statement, having had the opportunity to catch The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys recently not far from where I live. Over three hours of music they never once let the intensity drop, and the pulsating drive the band produces becomes almost hypnotic over such a period of time.

Ramblin’ Woman is available now as a single from popular download and streaming services online.

Pre-orders and pre-saves for the new album, Never Slow Down, are also enabled online with delivery on March 25.

Some folks would say that Lindsay Craven has the best job imaginable. After all, as the Artist Relations Manager for MerleFest, she’s the person responsible for booking the artists that play that fabled festival year after year. Still, while some acts are a given due to a longterm relationship with the event, lining up the nearly 100 performers that are scheduled to appear over the course of its four days — in the case of the 2022 event, from Thursday, April 28 through Sunday, May 1 — not only takes planning, but an inordinate amount of logistics, negotiations, and coordination. 

Craven says that much of the effort has to do with an artist’s availability. “We’ve got a running wish list,” she explains. “It’s one that our programming team adds to and removes from as necessary. They meet regularly, and then we try to go after some of those artists that we always keep an eye on, keeping in mind which acts are doing really well on the IBM chart, and who are making waves with roots music and who’s drawing the crowds. Naturally, we pay attention to that. I also keep an eye on what’s trending on social media because we find a lot of up-and- coming performers that way. We also have a lot of people who reach out to us as well. We work with our agents at the various agencies, and they send us pitch lists. We review those and see who makes a good match for the year. It’s all about filling in the blanks with what best matches the individual stages that we need to put somebody on. So we have to take that into consideration as well. If it’s a dance stage, you’re not going to put a singer songwriter there.”

Still, for all the logic and logistics, Craven notes that other factors can enter into the equation as well. “Sometimes we get really lucky,” she reflects. “For example, Sturgill Simpson’s team reached out to us and said he was wanting to tour bluegrass festivals because he has a new bluegrass album out. So all of a sudden, he’s at the top of his list. Sometimes we luck out in a situation like that.”

She adds that even the number of artists can vary from year to year. “Before we changed our times and shortened our mornings a bit, we used to have over 100 artists. But now that the music starts later, about 11:00 a.m., we have shorter morning slots than we used to. So it’s not consistent or an exact number every year, because budgets and scheduling dictates what we can do. This year, I believe the last count I had, which does not include our band contestants, was about 92 artists. So usually, it’s anywhere between 80 and 100.”

One of the groups making their debut at MerleFest 2022 is the all-female bluegrass band known as Sister Sadie. The group, which currently consists of fiddler Deanie Richardson, banjo player and vocalist Gena Britt, bassist and vocalist Hasee Ciaccio, guitarist and vocalist Jaelee Roberts, and Mary Meyer on mandolin and vocals, is now celebrating the tenth year of first forming the band with their illustrious alumni, Dale Ann Bradley and Tina Adair.

“It’s been such an amazing ride,” Richardson remarks. “We talk about this often. It’s just been so organic. We don’t have a team around us. We don’t really have management or a publicist. We’ve not had any of that for the last nine years. We don’t even have a booking agent. We’ve done it all in-house. We started out as five middle-aged hormonal women, and did it all ourselves. The goal was never to go out and tour and do a bunch of dates. We were five friends who’ve known each other our whole lives. We went to the Station Inn in Nashville one night and did a gig, We’d never all worked together, but we just wanted to see what it would be like. And it went really well, and we had a great show and we got some great feedback. Then I started getting calls to go and play some other places, so we decided, well, let’s go play and, and it just organically grew from that. I often joke about what would happen if we really sat down and hired a team and said, ‘This is what we’re going to do and we should go for it.’ Instead, this all just kind of happened and we’re very blessed and very grateful for the success that this band has had. It just became our passion, even though we never intended for things to end up this way.”

Notably then, each of the members sill maintain their solo careers. “We all do other things so it’s not like we’ve ever committed full time to Sister Sadie,” Richardson says. “But it still works out because Sadie comes first. We feel like our other projects kind of ride on Sadie’s coattails, because without Sadie we don’t feel like we would have our individual success. That’s kind of our philosophy.” 

Indeed it’s served them well. The group garnered a Grammy nomination and became the first all-female group to be awarded Vocal Group of the Year at the 2019 IBMA Awards, before winning it again in 2020 along with IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year Award. 

Nevertheless, the group has evolved. When Bradley and Adair left the band to pursue their solo careers full time, Meyers, and Roberts were recruited in their place. “With every new member, the sound changes,” Richardson observes. “Still, you try to keep the original Sister Sadie sound intact, and whatever your dreams and goals were in the beginning, you try to keep those alive as well. Still, there’s no doubting or denying that the sound is gonna change when you bring in any new person. No one’s ever going to sound exactly like Dale Ann Bradley or Tina Adair. Their singing and playing are so unique. It’s a good and a bad thing. You respect the original sound that you had and that you loved, but then you just have to re-embrace the new sound that’s been brought in and figure out how to incorporate it into the band’s delivery.”

Not surprisingly then, Richardson says that she’s excited about the group’s present line-up, which is what they’ll be sharing when they make their debut at MerleFest. “I gotta tell you, I’m pumped, and ready to go,” she says. “It may be different, but it’s still Sister Sadie. It’s still hard- driving. The vocals definitely share a different sound, but they’re still great. I’m just excited. We rearranged some old things and learned a bunch of new things. And we’re actually about to go start a new record. Gina and I are the original two, and now we’ve got a 20 year old, a 24 year old, and a 30 year old in the band. It’s an interesting dynamic. They’re great players and great singers, and all of us love great music and great songs. I feel like the energy that we have with this combo is really so positive and it’s full of light and love, and we’re ready to just go out and make some music and have fun.”

Still, the fact that they’re introducing the new line-up at MerleFest during their first ever appearance could be cause for some trepidation. Richardson admits as much. 

“It’s always scary when someone leaves, especially someone who’s been in the band from the original get-go, someone who helped create your signature sound,” she admits. “You wonder is the audience gonna love it, are the critics gonna love it? And just how are we going to move this forward? Still, I gotta tell ya, I don’t have any doubts anymore. I don’t have any fear anymore. I’m just ready to go do it. I really love these girls and I love the new energy and the young energy they’re bringing to it. Their ideas are great. I know that. It’s always good to be hit upside the head with some new young excitement.”

That said, she knows that the band has a high bar to meet. “We haven’t had a record since our second album came out in 2018, and the fact that it was nominated for a Grammy certainly set a high bar,” she notes. “That in itself is a bit intimidating. But we’ll just go out and do our best and do what we do. I feel like anything you put your heart and soul into will offer opportunity to succeed. This is just something that came to us as beautifully and organically as I can ever have hoped for. That’s a musician’s dream right there.”

As for Craven, she says she’s also thrilled to introduce Sister Sadie to the festival’s audience. “I think it’s always exciting to bring in an all-female group,” she observes. “I think that’s something that’s definitely improving in the bluegrass world. Unfortunately, it’s still kind of a niche to have an all-female group, but it’s also great to one that’s doing as well as they are, and getting the respect that they deserve. So I’m really excited to see Sister Sadie. For me, as a female booking person, I try to be very mindful of making sure that we’ve got female representation, diversity in our lineup and that everybody gets the equal recognition they deserve.”

Craven can appreciate that from her own experience. She started in her current position as Artist Relations Manager in 2018, although she originally started working with the festival as a college intern studying at Appalachian State University in 2007. She’s worked with the festival in some capacity ever since.

After the perils of the pandemic caused a cancellation in 2020 and a shift in scheduling last year, she’s more optimistic than ever that this year’s MerleFest will be one of the best ever.

“I think that this year’s line-up has a nice throwback to our roots and what a lot of our original fans have come to love,” she says. “We have a lot of roots, a lot of bluegrass, a lot of our tried and true artists that our audiences have asked for year after year but that we haven’t had back in a while. And, of course, we have some great new artists that are joining us as well.”

You can hear the current lineup of Sister Sadie in this video of their recent performance at The Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum in Owesnboro, KY.

Mountain Home Music will release a new single on February 25 from Fireside Collective, and are offering our readers an early listen to the track this afternoon.

This young quintet, yet another talented and creative band from Asheville, NC, has been rapidly growing a fanbase since winning the MerleFest Band Contest in 2016. Their music veers along the line between contemporary bluegrass and the burgeoning jamgrass movement. Appealing to both sides of that divide isn’t a simple task, but the Collective has been up to the task, brining in new original materiel along the way.

Consisting of Joe Cicero on guitar, Alex Genova on banjo, Jesse Iaquinto on mandolin, Tommy Maher on resonator guitar, and Carson White on bass, these guys have found a home at festivals and shows featuring more modern music, while still appealing to lovers of good old fashioned grass. They will be touring this spring with Yonder Mountain String Band, taking their sound all over the US.

The new single, Blue Is My Condition, was written by Maher with Mountain Home producer Jon Weisberger, about a feeling we all have been through at times, and turned into a driving bluegrass song.

Tommy shared a bit about how this one came to be.

“We all get the blues and experience sadness, but it can be taboo to talk about, especially when most of what we see on social media are happy people with smiling faces. This song came to me at a dark time and is about embracing that darkness and not being ashamed of showing your pain to the world. It’s a sad song with no happy ending.”

Have a listen…

Blue Is My Condition will be available on Friday, February 25, from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can get the track now from AirPlay Direct.

Mark Rubin, co-founder of the Austin, TX based Bad Livers and known by audiences as the Jew of Oklahoma, is recognized for his fusion of various styles of music. This is certainly the case with his third solo effort, The Triumph of Assimilation, a recording in which the material centers around Rubin’s Jewish heritage.

Not only does The Triumph of Assimilation vary on terms of styles and arrangement, but also instrumentation. The album’s opening track, A Day of Revenge pairs Mark with members of the Panorama Jazz Band while My Resting Place reunites him with Bad Livers bandmate, Danny Barnes on banjo. Most of the full band tracks feature Rubin playing various instruments such as guitar, banjo, bass, mandolin, tuba, and percussion.

The songs where Mark truly shines are the solo pieces with just him and his guitar like Murder of Leo Frank and Good Shabbes, or with his tasteful clawhammer style banjo such as the instrumental track titled Yiddish Banjo Tunes and Avinu Malkeinu. While the songs with the full ensemble are appealing, these solo performances give just enough space to capture the gritty and ragged quality of Rubin’s vocal stylings.

Mark Rubin is someone who could most appropriately be described as a melodic storyteller. This particularly can be found with the recording’s first two tracks, A Day of Revenge and It’s Burning. As Rubin explains in the album’s liner notes, these songs are his translations of two poems by the Polish poet, Mordechai Gebirtig. My Resting Place is also based on poetry by Morris Rosenfeld. Rubin’s translations of these poetic pieces are captured perfectly within the lyrics and melodies of these songs.

The Triumph of Assimilation is a recording that not only allows listeners a deep look into Mark Rubin’s Jewish roots, but also provides a great deal of diversity and originality. It’s an album that can definitely be enjoyed by those with a wide musical palette.

Adding to my Bluegrass Junction responsibilities on SiriusXM, I have been on the air every weekday morning at Willie’s Roadhouse and time has been in short supply. I cannot rest; there are Faron Young songs to be played! For that reason, I’m offering up an oldie from 2012, or 8 BC (Before COVID). It’s about bluegrass horoscopes, Mayans, and who knows what else. I hope you enjoy it, and if you’ve read it before I hope you’ve forgotten it by now. After reading it, feel free to forget it again.

I’ve become very disillusioned with the zodiac, I have to admit. First there were the overly general daily horoscopes: “Make sound financial decisions today. Expect news from a friend, family member, or other human being you may or may not know.” These are no better than fortune cookie fortunes, just longer, and without the cookie as a reward at the end (though are fortune cookies really good enough to be considered a reward?)

Then came the news from some astronomers in Minneapolis, or maybe Duluth, that we didn’t take into account something-or-other about the movement of the earth or sun or something (can you tell this wasn’t my major?), and so the whole zodiac is off by weeks. This means that you may have been born under a totally different sign, with planets all in different places than you thought (those sneaky planets). 

Add to this the fact that the Mayans apparently manipulated it all because they wanted their calendar to be divisible by 12 instead of 14, so two zodiac signs were just swept under the rug, which required a very large rug. 

On a slightly related note, the Mayans turn out to be the original authors of that “Thirty days hath September” poem, except it supposedly had a lot more poetic beauty in the original Mayan language (even some poetic beauty would have been an improvement), and it’s actually possible to remember the last two lines. They set it to a traditional Mayan melody which bears a striking similarity to Widowmaker.

Anyway, because of all this, I now learn that I’m not really a Sagittarius. Instead, I was born under the sign of some other doctor sort of guy. All the traits that I happily accepted as mine, e.g., love of travel, music, philosophy, and having four hooves instead of two legs, now have to be thrown out, and I need to accept that I am more analytical, with an affinity for medicine and snake-handling (it could have been “snail-handling,” because I read this with my glasses off).

Rather than try to cultivate a whole new personality to go with my new sign, I’m choosing the path of cynicism about the whole thing, and I’d like to return to the 12-sign system, as the Mayans intended, thank you very much. Now that I’ve also learned that the Mayans didn’t really predict the end of the world in 2012 (they were just predicting that they’d need to get a new calendar in 2012, maybe one with kittens on it), I generally try to agree with the Mayans on everything.

I’d like to propose slightly more useful horoscopes too. It occurred to me that we need horoscopes for the bluegrass musician. Sure, they can be just as made-up and non-specific as the ones we read in the paper or on our internet home page, but at least they’ll have some relevance to our profession and/or hobby. Below is a sample bluegrass horoscope that will be valid from now until whenever the Mayans say it’s no longer valid:

Aries: Relationship tension may flare with an insecure loved one. Decline any invitations to walk “a little ways” down to any river banks this week.

Taurus: With Jupiter in the 5th house (on the left, look for the blue mailbox), this is  a time for planning ahead financially. Don’t blow all your CD sales money before you reorder.

Gemini: As is so often the case with you, Gemini, you’re of two minds: get some sleep before your 10:00 a.m. Gospel set, or stay up all night and pick. Another air sign mandolin player may help you make that choice.

Cancer: Your celebrated domestic side will show itself this week. You may find yourself repainting the bus orange, or sewing your own bass case.

Leo: Your leadership qualities may be tested, as members of your band hold out for more than $60 a show. Should you hold firm? A fellow fire sign Sagittarius may hold the answer.

Virgo: Is this a time to break out of that cautious rut? Lower your guitar strap a notch, put on a pair of shades and play a reggae arrangement of the Stanley Brothers’ Lonely Tombs. Why not, Virgo?

Libra: Your characteristic striving for balance will be tested this week as family demands enter in on a day that you’re scheduled for two shows plus a banjo workshop.

Scorpio: You will be visited by three stalkers: expect the first when the clock strikes one, just at the end of your set. Exit the wrong side of the stage and keep going.

Sagittarius: You will play the part of the happy archer this week, as your arrow will find it’s mark: a capo endorsement deal, but patience when you aim is critical.

Capricorn: This is a time for a fresh start. You might want to consider changing strings or learning a new song (we’re all getting pretty sick of your old ones).

Aquarius: There may be conflict looming on the horizon with friends and family. Consider practicing fiddle with a mute this week.

Pisces: The moon (or is that the sun?) transiting  Saturn will put Little Maggie in the house of relationships. Look out for women with banjos on their knees, wearing .44s around them.

If it’s your birthday today: I forgot to send you a card, I’m sorry.

Mel Bay Publications’ latest banjo instruction manual is one that any serious three finger player could benefit from adding to their collection.

The title is quite a mouthful, The Complete Tune Playing Toolkit for 5-String Banjo – A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Traditional Melodies by Jamie Francis. And comprehensive it is. The book’s 120 pages are chock full of exercises to open your mind and hands to new fingerings and positions, along with 25 traditional fiddle tunes arranged for banjo. Audio files of all the examples and tunes are available online with a link provided on the cover page.

Approximately the first half of the book is given over to an explanation and demonstration of modes and pentatonic scales, presented through a wide variety of drills. Someone considering this package should note that while open strings are used, the greatest bulk of the material is geared toward a melodic or single string approach. Though in truth, the real aim of going through these exercises is to train your ear to recognize these different scale types, and your fingers to play them comfortably.

After a text section with charts describing the basic concept of modes, Francis takes the reader through a very thorough set of workouts using each scale pattern in ascending/descending pairs, threes, and fours. Even for players well familiar with the theory behind all of this, these drills will put your left hand into some positions you’d never find in Earl’s Breakdown, and offer strengthening opportunities for even the most advanced banjoist.

The list of scale types is quite thorough, 51 different examples in all. The only critique I would offer is the fact that all of these exercises are shown in the key of G, the obvious one if one is to be shown, but the reader is left to configure the same sorts of figures and scales in other keys. That would make for an unwieldily volume were they all to be included, so the reason for stopping at G makes sense. Just understand that a full understanding of the many permutations of G scales and modes is only a first step.

More experienced players may spend most of their time in the tune section, which is arranged by old time tunes, jigs, reels, hornpipes, and polkas. Bluegrass banjo pickers should recognize most of the old time numbers included, and will be challenged by the tunes from the British Isles.

A complete list of tunes follows:

• Betty Likens 
• Shove the Pig’s Foot 
• Coal Harbour Bend 
• Kitchen Girl 
• Yellin’ in the Shoats 
• Over the Waterfall 
• Forked Deer 
• The Boatman 
• June Apple 
• Cherokee Shuffle 
• Red Haired Boy 
• Squirrel Hunters 
• The Milkmaid 
• Anne Lacey’s 
• The Hut in the Bog 
• Cooley’s 
• Gravel Walks 
• Glenlivet 
• Virginia Reel 
• Sweeney’s Buttermilk 
• Pigeon on the Gate 
• Willie Coleman’s 
• Morrison’s 
• McIntyre’s Fancy 
• The Black Rogue 
• The Rolling Waves 
• Dinny Delaney’s 
• Mac’s Fancy 
• Pull the Knife and Stick It Again 
• Paddy Fahy’s 
• Off to California (Hornpipe) 
• Boys of Bluehill (Hornpipe) 
• Sonny Riordan’s (Polka) 
• The Peeler’s Polka (Polka) 
• Humours of Whiskey (Slip jig) 
• Na Ceannabháin Bhána (Slip jig)
• Island of Woods (Air) 

Francis is a UK banjo player and graduate of the Brighton Institute of Modern Music, where he was the recipient of a 1st Class BA Honors Degree in Music Performance. He is a member of Sam Kelley and the Lost Boys and The Jellyman’s Daughter. You can learn more about his music online.

The Complete Tune Playing Toolkit for 5-String Banjo is available from Mel Bay online in either a print or ebook version. The print edition is offered for $22.99 and the ebook for $17.99. Access to the audio files is included with each.

Mandolin hero and devoted Bill Monroe conservationist Mike Compton has released a new single from his upcoming album, Rare & Fine – Uncommon Tunes of Bill Monroe, expected in early March.

The project is just what the title implies, a collection of new recordings of Bill Monroe instrumentals that are either infrequently heard or played, along with several that have not previously been recorded.

This first single is one such, titled Orange Blossom Breakdown, which Mike says he got from someone who recorded it from an Opry broadcast in the 1940s.

“I was drawn to it because I’ve never heard him do anything quite like it, and I’ve never heard it since. It’s a very unusual arrangement for Monroe. It had to be on the project.”

Compton brought in Michael Cleveland, Laura Orshaw, and Shad Cobb on triple fiddles, with Jeremy Stephens on guitar, Russ Carson on banjo, Mike Bub on bass, and himself on mandolin. Theirs is a spirited take capturing the sort of raw energy that typified the early Monroe recordings, even with the odd key change.

As always, Mike channels Big Mon to a degree that few others can accomplish, perhaps unsurprising given his current vocation for teaching others the importance and the intricacies of the style through his annual Monroe Mandolin Camp.

Have a listen…

Orange Blossom Breakdown is available for digital download from the Mike Compton web site, where pre-orders for Rare & Fine are also enabled. Delivery for CDs will be on March 4. There is also a tab book containing all the mandolin tunes on the album.

The single can also be purchased from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

The organizers of ResoGat, an annual meeting of resonator guitar enthusiasts, is delighted to announce that the event will be held in 2022 after missing the past two years owing to COVID-19 restrictions.

Initially known as A Gathering of Resonateurs, this three day meeting was launched in 2000 at a property in Pennsylvania, known as In The Woods, which belonged to the family of John Dopyera, Jr. John was a descendent of the Dopera brothers who created the resophonic guitar, giving its name as a contraction of their own. Dopera Brothers was shortened to Dobro, a name that has stuck with the instrument since the 1930s, regardless of the manufacturer.

John and his wife, Margaret, graciously invited Dobro lovers to join them at their home over the 4th of July weekend of 2000. They continued to do so until 2005 when they sold the property, at which time the existing Resonateurs formed a committee to search out a new location.

These days, ResoGat is held at the Holiday Inn Express in Wilkesboro, NC loosely over the July 4 weekend. Designed as more of a meeting place for reso lovers than a festival, you will find instruments on display, workshops, informal jams, and exhibitor room, plus a Community Concert and an awards dinner. This year’s dates are July 6-9.

If you have ever been to the annual Banjothon in Knoxville you’ll understand the vibe of ResoGat.

There is no fee to attend, though a $20 donation does reserve your registration and gets you a ResoGat t-shirt. Hotel accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express are not handled by the organizers, but can be obtained at a special price of $94/night by calling the reservation center at (336) 838-1800.

All players and lovers of the resonator guitar are welcomed at the event, regardless of skill, experience, or even instrument ownership. It’s all in good fun, meant to facilitate fellowship and communication among lovers of all things reso.

Full details on registration can be found online.

Not surprisingly, tributes and condolences have poured in following the passing of banjo ace J.D. Crowe, who passed away on Christmas Eve last year (2021). These have come in a variety of formats; printed and on-line, TV bulletins and videos; on blogs and social media, as well as podcasts. 

A more official recognition of his storied 65-year career came on January 12, 2022, when the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s House of Representatives paid tribute to his memory. 

The formal acknowledgement of his importance to Crowe’s home state and the wider world was sponsored by Matt Lockett, State Representative for District 39, which includes parts of Fayette and Jessamine Counties, which embrace Lexington and neighbouring Nicholasville.

He relates … 

“I did not know Mr. Crowe personally, but had watched him perform on several occasions. He was from the district that I represent and I felt that this acknowledgement would be appropriate, and fitting given his contributions to the music world and our community.  

He was loved and revered by many in Jessamine County and will certainly be missed.”

David Crowe, J.D.’s son, reacts on behalf of the family … 

“The honor came as a surprise to us. We didn’t know anything about it until afterwards

I know dad would have been honored. It’s amazing to us to see how many people dad touched and all the outreach, tributes, and support we have received has been amazing.”

The citation reads … 

The House of Representatives

Commonwealth of Kentucky

In Memoriam

The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

hereby pays tribute to the memory of

James Dee “J.D.” Crowe

and joins with 

Representative Matt Lockett

In expressing deepest sympathy to all who share in the loss of this esteemed citizen on December 24, 2021. The son of the late Orval and Bessie Crowe, he is survived by his cherished wife, Sheryl Moore Crowe; beloved children James David Crowe and Stacey Crowe; granddaughter Kylee Crowe; and a host of other family members, friends and loved ones. This highly regarded gentleman, a native of Lexington, Kentucky; a faithful member of Jessamine Christian Church; a musician of legendary skill and reputation who has been cited by virtually all leading banjoists in Bluegrass music today as being an important influence on their playing; the founder and leader of The New South, a group of musicians which continues to be thought of as one of the most influential bluegrass groups since the 1970s and which, over the years, counted many celebrated artists as members; the recipient of a Grammy award, the highest honor in the entire music industry; a member of the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame; the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Kentucky in 2012; and the celebrated artist and American icon who demonstrated unparalleled achievement within the performing arts and continues to be a source of eternal pride to this Commonwealth and its grateful citizens, is remembered on this day for the many and generous contributions he made to his family, friends, the community, and this great Commonwealth. J.D. Crowe will be deeply missed by all whose lives were touched by his presence.    

Done in Frankfurt, Kentucky, this twelfth day of January, in the year two thousand twenty-two  

signed 

David W Osborne

Speaker, House of Representatives

Matt Lockett

Member, House of Representatives 

RBR Entertainment has a music video for Marija Droze and her current single, The Night We Fell, taken from her upcoming debut project with the label.

In addition to being a compelling vocalist, the Lithuanian-born Marija (pronounced Maria) is married to bluegrass artist and songwriter Billy Droze, who not only co-wrote this song, but also appears in the video.

The Night We Fell, written by Billy Droze, Heather Alley, and David Norris, offers something of a contradiction. It’s the story of young love, but set to a somber tune with a lyric that leaves us wondering at the end. Marija is supported by Jason Roller on guitar, Tim Crouch on fiddle, James Seliga on mandolin, Greg Martin on bass, and Josh Swift on reso-guitar. Harmony were provided by Don Rigsby.

Droze says that she liked this one right away, even though it had been written for a different artist.

“This song just spoke to me. And having a soft spot for minor chords and flowing melodies, it was destined to be a single and a part of my debut album.”

Have a look and listen…

The Night We Fell is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers at AirPlay Direct.

The Pisgah Banjo Company in Asheville, NC is offering a unique old time banjo in a raffle to benefit the IBMA Foundation’s Arnold Shultz Fund.

The Fund, established in 2020 to encourage greater participation by people of color in traditional old-time and bluegrass music, will set aside $10,000 of the monies generated from the raffle to the Black Banjo Reclamation Project for their gourd banjo building workshop.

Shultz is well known in bluegrass circles as one of Bill Monroe’s chief musical influences, along with his Uncle Pen Vandiver. Arnold was a blues singer and guitarist in eastern Kentucky while young Bill was growing up, and not only taught him about the blues, he gave Monroe his first paying gig.

The banjo to be raffled is made from 200 year old heart pine grown on a plantation near where Joel Walker Sweeney was raised around Appamatox, VA. Sweeney was a major figure in banjo music in the mid nineteenth century, and is regarded as having brought the instrument from its origins among African slaves into “polite society.”

The specifications for this banjo are as follows:

• Scale: 25.5″
• Rim: 12″ walnut w/wood tone ring and heart pine rim cap
• Neck: heart pine
• Fingerboard: persimmon
• Peghead: slotted w/persimmon veneer
• Head: REMO Renaissance w/PBCO logo
• Tailpiece: Pisgah Hawktail
• Bridge: walnut/persimmon, Mulherron
• Hardware: aged brass
• Tuners: high quality brass, Gotoh
• Strings: PBCO clawhammer medium gauge

Pisgah Banjos chose February for this second raffle to coincide with Black History month. Tickets are offered for $20 online, with all proceeds going to the Arnold Shulz Fund.

The company raised $26,740 in a similar raffle last year, exceeding their goal of selling 1,000 tickets. In light of that, their goal for 2022 will be 2,000 tickets and $40,000 for the Arnold Shultz Fund. 

Full details, along with raffle tickets, can be found online.

Dan Tyminski at the 2022 Bluegrass First Class – photo by Gary Hatley

After being on hiatus last year due to the pandemic, Bluegrass First Class bounced back bigger and better than ever this past weekend.

“It’s been a long two years since we’ve been able to have music like we wanted, but with the mandates dropped at this point in time, it allowed us to have a great, enthusiastic, standing-room-only crowd,” stated promoter, Milton Harkey. “We were one of the last ones to have live music in 2020 and one of the first to have it in 2022. I wasn’t expecting so many walk-up customers. We had to add more chairs each night. It was unbelievable. The entire hotel was full.”

Held in Asheville, NC’s Crowne Plaza Resort, the indoor festival kicked off on Thursday with performances by next generation grassers, the Jake Goforth Band and Olivia Jo, a 26-year-old songbird from Stuart, VA.

Harkey praised the up-and-coming artist. “Bluegrass has found a new star in Olivia Jo. I think she will be the next big name in bluegrass. She had an all-star cast with her on Thursday night.”

A-listers backing the young vocalist included Elmer Burchett on banjo, Ron Stewart on fiddle, plus Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive’s Will Clark on mandolin and Clint Coker on guitar, with David Peterson’s 1946’s Nate Stephens on bass.

With festival t-shirts displaying a guitar with “58957” (Tony Rice’s classic 1935 D-28 serial number), Bluegrass First Class welcomed guests as many of the bands paid homage to the late guitar guru.

The Jake Goforth Band from North Carolina was the first band to take the stage on Friday. The youthful group, led by the 15-year-old hotshot guitarist, closed their set with a high energy version of Rice’s Me and My Guitar. Next, another NC-based band, Second Chance Bluegrass, followed with a TR version of the Jim Croce song, Age.

Special guests, Richard Bennett, Junior Sisk, Tim Massey, Burchett, and Stewart followed suit with a Santa Cruz reunion. Two of Sisk’s band, Johnathan Dillon on mandolin and Curt Love on bass, provided solid backup. Wyatt Rice, Tony’s youngest brother, was unable to participate due to family health issues. Preceding their performance, a video of photographs of Tony Rice performing throughout his career was shown while his recording of Summer Wages played.

In memory of both Tony Rice and J.D. Crowe, Bennett and Stewart played soulful versions of Wayfaring Stranger and Just a Closer Walk with Thee.

The remainder of Friday featured the Caleb Daugherty Band, the Junior Sisk Band, Danny Paisley, and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. Moore was celebrating 30 years in the music business.

“It’s like a homecoming. We have been the only band to have been here 27 years for Bluegrass First Class,” Moore cited. “We’ve recorded so many songs, I don’t remember them all.”

His longtime mando-man, Wayne Benson, teased, “I don’t remember the ‘90s!”

The evening show concluded with a powerhouse performance by the Dan Tyminski Band.

Saturday’s lineup featured Deeper Shade of Blue, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run, the Lonesome River Band, Authentic Unlimited, and Dan Tyminski.

Harkey recognized DSOB dobroist, Frank Poindexter, as Tony Rice’s uncle and invited Poindexter’s band mates to lead the audience in singing Happy Birthday as Frank celebrated his 73rd on that day.

Authentic Unlimited, the offspring from Doyle Lawson’s band, made their debut at the Asheville festival on Saturday.

Emcee, Dave Snyder, welcomed the newly formed group to the stage. “I think they should be called First Time Out,” he joked. “I stayed up last night practicing their name.”

Harkey took the mic and stressed to the audience, “This IS the first time this band has ever played live.”

Following their afternoon performance and a double encore, Snyder admitted, “Well, I am impressed!”

Stephen Burwell, fiddler for the new super group, shared after their first set, “It’s been wonderful. It couldn’t have been a better place. It’s one the best festivals with hospitality and respect. We’re really excited to get to share our music.”

Eli Johnston, the band’s banjoist, added, “We’ve all been preparing for it.”

The band’s new vocalist, John Meador, declared, “We’re really blessed to do what we love.”

Jesse Brock, AU’s mandolinist, was more than pleased with the audience’s reaction, “It’s been 20 years since I received TWO encores at the end of a set, and this was our first show!”

Lonesome River Band followed with a set of the “Early Years,” featuring their tunes from the ’90s. The band performed some of their most requested tunes including two Billy Smith numbers, Crazy Heart and Hobo Blues.

Founding member and banjoist, Sammy Shelor, stated, “It is good to be back at Bluegrass First Class. It’s great to be back anywhere.”

LRB also remembered Rice. Shelor said from the stage of his long time friend, “God bless Tony Rice. He changed music for the better, and they’ll never be another like him.”

During AU’s evening set which leaned heavily on Gospel tunes, Burwell told the audience, “We want you to feel God’s love in our music.”

Meador added, “Not only do we pick and sing together, we’re brothers in Christ.”

The festival concluded with an almost two-hour set by Dan Tyminski and his hard-driving band (Gaven Largent-dobro, Jason Davis-banjo, Grace Davis-bass, Maddie Denton-fiddle, and Harry Clark-mandolin).

Tyminski took the stage for the second night, looked out into the crowd, and beamed, “You came back!”

Near the end of his fast-paced performance, Tyminski confessed, “I hope you enjoyed this music as much as I’ve enjoyed playing it.”

Harkey concluded, “I am happy for the bands and the fans. They needed this show. I am so happy to be a conduit for it. I believe in the music and the bands. I was going to have it if it was just for me.”

Plans are already underway for the MRH Production in 2023.

Mountain Fever Records has released a music video for their current single with Canadian grassers, Jackson Hollow.

The song is called Shallow Rivers, written by Shari Baker, Christy Baker, and Austin Cunningham. Like much of Jackson Hollow’s material, it bears a strong country influence, with a strong lead vocal from Tianna Lefebvre. Harmonies provided by her husband, Mike Sanyshyn, who also plays fiddle and mandolin, and bassist Charlie Frie.

The group is completed by Eric Reed on guitar, with guest appearances on this track from Jeff Scroggins on banjo and Michael Kilby on reso-guitar.

Lefebvre and Sanyshyn are highly decorated members of the British Columbia music scene. Tianna has won the Female Vocalist os the year award from the BC Country Music Association, and Mike has been named Fiddle Player of the Year by both the Canadian Country Music Association and the BC Country Music Association. He is also a four-time Provincial Fiddle Champion. On top of that, Jackson Hollow has won the BC Country Music Association Gaylord Wood Traditional/Roots Country Award three times. Not too shabby!

Tianna and Mike shared with us what Shallow Rivers means to them.

“I’ve been drinkin’ from shallow rivers…. but my heart needs deeper water… These beautiful lyrics deliver a powerful and heartfelt message defining what it’s like to yearn for the perfect soulmate. With the realization, sometimes it takes a little longer than expected to discover ‘true passion’ while learning to accept that you may have to look at little deeper to find your own ‘sweet forever.’”

Check out the video which captures Jackson Hollow in performance.

Shallow Rivers is available from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Po’ Ramblin’ Boys at the Spring 2022 Palatka Bluegrass Festival – photo © Bill Warren

The Palatka Bluegrass Festival had nearly picture perfect weather for their Spring 2022 event. It did get a little chilly Saturday evening, but there was not a cloud in the sky.

Remedy Tree opened the Friday show. They showcase some really good old time fiddling and music.

Darren Nicholson brought his band to the show. He has fronted this group for sixteen years, when Darren is not out with Balsam Range. Darren’s outsized personality and smile light up the stage. Darren, Justin Mason, and Clarence Canada hosted the Moonlight Jam after the stage show. Larry Stephenson and his band members joined in for a big jam enjoyed by all.

The Gibson Brothers followed. They introduced some new music along with some old favorites. Leigh announced that he had carpal tunnel surgery less then two weeks ago. He never missed a beat. Colby Kilby was with the band playing mandolin and some guitar.

The Martins put on a Gospel show and provided personal testimonies, showing out with great sibling harmonies.

Larry Stephenson joined MC Sherry Boyd to introduce the Gibson Brothers for their evening show.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny with Retro 78 opening the stage show. It was immediately apparent why they won the most recent SPBGMA band contest. They describe themselves as playing bluegrass in the ’70s style. They give full measure of hard driving bluegrass music.

Darren Nicholson was joined by his wife Jennifer in his Saturday set. They sang a stirring duet.

A trip around the grounds showed quite a number of vendors. Several different types of food and several craft vendors were on hand. The Ranch boys are learning blacksmithing and were selling their wares. Root beer floats are always popular as is homemade ice cream. Girl Scout Troop 33009 was selling cookies to help fund an upcoming trip. The CFO of Candidpix said that the Purchasing Department may have overbought! 😊

Zink and Company are entertainers of the best kind. Corey Zink does a blend of traditional country and bluegrass music. He said that he liked donuts – it snowballed! “What kind of donuts?” from the audience. “Round ones!” says Corey. What he didn’t know was that a donut vendor was on the grounds. A bucket of donuts hit the stage just before the set was done!

There are few superlatives left to describe Rhonda Vincent. Great music, hardworking, smiling, funny, crowd pleaser, fan favorite – the list is endless. The most recent title is grandmother. Congratulations! She did bring the house down with banter between herself and the band. She asked Hunter if he was recording “American Idol.” He shook his head no and said that Rhonda was the only American Idol for him. The audience roared and Jeff got a tissue and wiped the tip of Hunter’s nose. Rhonda continued on about the sunny Florida weather. Mickey piped up that Rhonda was the only sunshine he needed. The audience again roared. Aaron retrieved another tissue and wiped the tip of Mickey’s nose. Mickey then said that you can tell who has been in the band longest – Hunter 20 years and Mickey 19. Rhonda asked Zack if he was taking notes. That set the audience off again!

Rita Parker made a quilt for the Ranch to raffle and Nancy Bryan won this beautiful keepsake.

Roscoe Canady was a well known Florida bluegrass musician who passed several years ago. His widow, Rosalee, has remained active in Florida. A couple of years ago she sold one of his less expensive mandolins to Bryce Griffin. She has watched this young man of 15 turn into a really good mandolin player. Ernie Evans invited Bryce to join him on stage and talked about his musical abilities. Rosalee joined them and presented Bryce the hand built mandolin that Roscoe used on tour. There were smiles and tears of joy all around. I caught up to Rosalee and Bryce backstage. He was pickin’ and grinnin’!

Rhonda invited a youngster named Molly to join her in singing If You Don’t Love God. This is another of the wonderful things that Rhonda does for the kids.

Evans Media Source donated a guitar to be raffled as a fundraiser for the Ranch. An astounded Sherry Boyd drew Norman Adams ticket as the winner! Norman donated the guitar back to the Ranch. Executive director, Brad Hall, has started the boys on guitar lessons. Ranch founder, Homer Rodeheaver, was the song leader for evangelist Billy Sunday, so the ranch has a musical legacy. Brad feels the guitar lessons and the music festivals are extremely valuable in ranch life. His goal is for each youngster that learns to play guitar to have one to take with him when his time at the ranch is over. All of us can be a part of that endeavor.

The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys closed out the festival. These guys and gal have a chemistry on stage that few bands ever find which provides a riveting show. I have watched Jereme and Josh grow up. They used to come to Michigan with Jereme’s dad’s band when they were 12 or 13 years old. Tommy would have them on stage for a song or two. Now they are grown men with one of the most in-demand bands in bluegrass.

EMS will host the Florida Classic this weekend in Brooksville, Florida. Join us there for another weekend of great music.

Support your local music venues.

Only the most talented artists can effectively tread between past and present, and at the same time, attempt to foresee the future. Consequently, one must credit Yonder Mountain String Band with maintaining their reverence for the roots, while keeping their contemporary credence intact. 

While today’s populist precepts may account for modern bluegrass music’s progressive leanings, pushing those parameters is a risky proposition. Taking a vintage sound and making it conducive enough to generate popular appeal, and bring bluegrass to a level where it achieves wider recognition, takes an inordinate amount of skill, savvy, and dexterity. 

Yonder Mountain String Band possesses that and more.

By the band’s own assessment, Yonder has always made it their mission to keep one foot in the bluegrass world and the other firmly implanted in the jam band dynamic. As singer/guitarist Adam Aijala once explained, “We’re now considered the ideal jam band for the bluegrass crowd and a very cool bluegrass band for the jam band devotees. We bring in an audience that’s open to all styles of music and they, in turn, approach what we offer with an open mind.”

Twenty-five years on, the band continues to carefully walk the divide between the two disciplines. Yet as their new album, tellingly-titled Get Yourself Outside, makes it clear, they boast the ability to connect with nearly any crowd, based on sheer melodic prowess alone. The upbeat insistence of opening track Beside Myself, the effusive energy shared in If Only, and even the steady sway of Small House offer a positive perspective at a time when optimism is in a decidedly short supply. The assertive sentiments of Broken Records drive that point home, especially when the singer insists, “I need another sad song like I need another long dark road.” 

Perseverance is a priority, now more than ever.

So too, for whatever deeper meaning might be implied, Get Yourself Outside is as effusive than ever, especially when it comes to the upbeat arrangements and the band’s assertive sound. The precision of their performance reflects the fact that they’re a well-synched ensemble that can consistently deliver with decisive determination. That’s evident not only in a rugged instrumental like Into the Fire, but in every song in the set as well.

For those that have followed Yonder Mountain String Band over the course of their career, this ought to come as no surprise whatsoever. As the name implies, Get Yourself Outside finds the band on firm footing.

Pinecastle Records has a new single this week for Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, one in keeping with the band’s habit of lamenting the passing of the old ways in bluegrass music.

Lorraine’s True Grass album from 2018 set a tone for Carolina Road, and their defense of traditional bluegrass of the old school variety. This latest release, Who’s Gonna Tell The Story, shares their sadness noting the passing of so many talented songwriters of late.

Jordan says she treated this number as an appreciation for those gone on.

“It was an honor for Carolina Road to be asked to do the vocals on this special tribute song for all of the legendary songwriters we have lost over the years – written by great songwriters Mark Brinkman and David Stewart. They teamed up and put together a great tribute. I believe we got the sound they were looking for to tell this great story.”

Guitarist Allen Dyer takes the lead, with support from Ben Greene on banjo, Andy Leftwich on mandolin and fiddle, Josh Swift on reso-guitar, and Kevin Lamm on bass.

Have a listen…

Who’s Gonna Tell The Story from Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can get the track via AirPlay Direct.

This is a feature we are running to memorialize the creative and musical legacy of the late J.D. Crowe, who we lost just before Christmas. We are calling it My Favorite Crowe Lick, and each episode will feature a prominent bluegrass banjo player sharing both their thoughts about Crowe and his influence, and showing us a lick they learned from his playing that sticks with them.

This time we have Jason Burleson, banjo man with Blue Highway, a true disciple of the ways of Crowe. You may not hear it specifically in his playing, as Jason has developed his own distinct style, perfectly suited to the Blue Highway sound, but he studied J.D.’s music like it was a science.

“Here’s one of my favorite Crowe licks from Tony Rice’s first solo album. This is J.D. at his improvising best. I always loved the way he started in the first position C chord and walked it up to the higher C7 to make it bluesy. His playing on this whole record is maybe my favorite he ever did.

As much as I loved Earl’s playing, I’ll have to say that J.D. has always been my favorite. The first record I ever bought was The Bluegrass Album. His opening pinch and kickoff to Blue Ridge Cabin Home and his playing on that whole record is what made me want to play. I can still go back and listen to that and just marvel at how great it is. He had a way of taking what Earl did, and adding his own personality and Crowe-isms to it and making it his own. His influence on me and my generation of banjo players is immeasurable.

I’ll never forget how nice he was to me every time I got to be around him. He treated me like an old friend the first time I met him, and it really meant the world to me.

Rest easy J.D. Your playing will be studied and enjoyed for generations to come.”

Keep an eye out for future installments of My Favorite J.D. Crowe Lick here at Bluegrass Today. You can watch all of them by following this link.