Monthly Archives: October 2022

Apple & Setser — a duo consisting of Brad Apple and Pam Setser — have officially been a pair since 2017, although they’ve played music together on and off for 30 years. Each started out in a family band, but of the two, Setser has been the more prolific, having tallied up a steady stream of albums all on her own, more than a dozen both on her own and in various configurations. That said, the pair have tallied quite a number of accomplishments, including a nomination for Best Acoustic Act for the 2022 Arkansas Country Music Awards and top chart showings on the Roots Music weekly reports, various Folk Alliance International monthly tallies and, of course, the Bluegrass Today weekly charts.

On their new self-titled effort, Apple handles the bulk of the instrumental duties, acoustic guitar, fingerstyle guitar, mandolin, acoustic, fretless electric bass, and vocals, and Setser responsible for lead and harmony vocals. David Johnson and Tim Crouch add fiddle, and Sam Cobb mandolin.

The results are consistently impressive, made even more so by songs that focus on reflection and reminiscing. Grandma Danced with the Arkansas Traveler is rather fanciful in the regard, while When the Wagon Was New is seeped in both novelty and nostalgia. Indeed, Apple & Setser’s sound is defined by a sweet and serendipitous approach, as reflected in the lithe and lively opening track, Hand Me Down My Walking Cane, as reflected in its blissful harmonies, the optimistic attitude of A Friend You Never Met, which shares lessons worth learning (“A handshake was a promise you never forget/A stranger was a friend you just never met”), the glad and giddy I’ll Love Nobody But You, and, ultimately, the quiet caress of Too Far Gone. A pair of upbeat instrumentals — Hayes Hoedown and When You and I Were Young Maggie — add to the overall enticement. Likewise, a cover of the age-old standard originally written by Buddy Holly, It Doesn’t Matter Anymore, is equally enticing.

Given all it offers, Apple & Setser not only begs return listens, but also anticipation of what else the two might have to offer as far as their future franchise. A wonderful album, it certainly bodes well for whatever form that might take. 

We learned about Wyoming, Montana from Red Knuckles & The Trailblazers 40 years ago. Now Bobby & Teddi Cyrus bring us to another mystical cross border spot with their new single from Pinecastle Records, Kentucky Tennessee.

Written together by the husband-and-wife bluegrass duo, the song tells the story of their musical heritage. Both grew up in Kentucky, Bobby in the hardscrabble hills of eastern Kentucky, and Teddi further west. They trace their artistic roots throughout the region, and at the same time acknowledge the importance of the state just south of them in the music they write and sing.

Kentucky Tennessee is the first look at the couple’s second project with Pinecastle, expected at some point in 2023.

It’s a smokin’ track, powered by an all star band of Nashville super pickers. Scott Vestal is on banjo, with Cody Kilby on guitar, Seth Taylor on mandolin, Eamon McLaughlin on fiddle, Josh Matheney on reso-guitar, and Dave Roe on bass. Bobby and Teddi take turns on the verses, harmonizing together on the choruses.

Check it out…

Kentucky Tennessee is available now as a single from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track via AirPlay Direct.

This look at the early days of banjo legend Alan Munde’s career was occasioned by his induction this year into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame.

Native Oklahoman Alan Munde, while attending Oklahoma University in the 1960s, crossed paths with the original tall fiddler, Byron Berline, an event that changed his life. This, and other aspects of his early banjo life were recently shared with me by Alan.

“I was 14 when my older brother went to the US Navy. When he came home, he brought a guitar (arch backed Key), and a record on how to play. Folk Singers Guitar Guide, it was a 78 rpm,” Munde stated. That’s when the bug of playing and entertaining bit, and the rest has just fallen into place. 

Munde spent a lot of time at the local music store in Norman, OK, Mike Richey’s Guitar Center. According to Alan, “Music stores and record stores were the only contact to the outside music world. I saved up my money from my paper route, and bought myself a Pete Seeger Vega Ranger. I think it cost $100-$150, which was a lot of money. And I began lessons soon after. Dad would drive me out to the Luther Jones area, to Gary Price’s. I took two lessons from him, but that was enough for my interest in bluegrass, and got me started.” Munde started teaching lessons himself at Richey’s music store when he was around 18 years old. This was during the folk music boom. Listening to Lawrence Welk and Chet Atkins is part of how his interest peaked even further.   

While at Oklahoma University, Munde joined the Old Club Athletic Club and played music. This was in 1965-1966. A year later Lou Berline introduced Munde to Sam Bush in Independence Missouri. “I backed up Lou Berline, Byron’s dad, and learned the Texas backup style of playing. We went to fiddle contests throughout Oklahoma and Texas. It was a thrill to play with Byron, as he had already done things to contribute to the music world.”

Munde was majoring in secondary education/social science, and graduated in 1969 with his bachelors degree. Later in the fall of 1969, Harlow Wilcox took Munde to Nashville for a DJ Convention to promote his then current single, Groovy Grubworm. They stayed at the Noel Hotel, and were blessed to jam on that trip with Vassar Clements. That evening Al Olsteen of Jim & Jesse introduced Alan to Jimmy Martin, the hub of a wheel beginning to turn. One week later Munde auditioned at the Noel Hotel and became Jimmy’s banjo player. He played with Sunny Mountain Boys from 1969-1971.  

Munde was introduced to The Stone Mountain Boys by Byron Berline. Eddie Shelton, their banjo player, is who Alan credits for his knowledge of the banjo. “One time we had a gig in Texas, and I rode the bus to Texas. After the gig, I missed the bus, and Eddie drove as fast as possible and waved the bus down so I could get home,” Alan, while laughing, said.  

In 1969, only 4 years after graduating, Munde joined and played a vital part in creating a new group Poor Richard’s Almanac. “Wayne Stewart had this idea for a group with this kid he knew in Kentucky named Sam Bush, who was probably 15. So I moved to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and we formed Poor Richard’s Almanac. Not long after, I got my draft notice, but before I left, Sam, Wayne, and I made this tape, later released by Ridge Runner Records, called Poor Richard’s Almanac. That was a lot of the instrumental things we were doing. I then went back to Oklahoma, was rejected by the Army, and worked in Norman that summer.” 

In 1972, Berline, then a member of The Flying Burrito Brothers, was preparing to tour in Europe, when the unexpected happened. Chris Hillman left the band and Byron called Munde, and Alan joined them in Europe to play the electric guitar. “The guitar was provided by the band, and I turned the volume down, because I didn’t know any of the songs,” laughed Alan.

Soon after, Berline and Roger Bush formed The Country Gazette with Alan on banjo. It was in 1972 that their first record, A Traitor in Our Midst, was released by United Artists. From an earlier conversation with Berline, I had already known about this controversial album cover, but through further conversation with Munde, I recalled that earlier discussion with Byron. “Norman Scieff, of United Artists, was in charge of costumes and album design. He took us to the costume department, and we literally tried on outfits as we came upon them. Scieff would say, ‘try this on.’ We hadn’t decided on a cover idea, but then we located some Bandito costumes. In the neck of mine, Charlton Hesston was written. It was a sexist cover for sure.  Many people thought we were smoking pot on the cover, but it was cigarillos.”

Munde has played a vital role in the 5 string banjo world, and has stacked up some awards as well. In 2021, he was the co-recipient of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, along with Don Vappie. “Don was mailed my award letter, and I got his,” Alan said with a smile. In 2022, Alan Munde was inducted into the American Banjo Music Hall of Fame.

Alan is loaded with personality, and I learned a lot from him as he taught a workshop at The American Banjo Museum over the weekend he was inducted. Turned out in his New Balance tennis shoes, a blue sweatshirt, and shorts with a ball cap perched atop his head, Munde sat center stage, and with no ego expressed the following: “If all else fails, play the melody. You must know roll logic. That’s part of the melody.”

Grinning from ear to ear, Munde was asked, “What is a lick?” He answered with a giggle, “Who knows?” “Why is the marker on the 1st fret?” “Because we are banjo players.”

For inspiration today Munde listens to Chet Atkins, different types of music from the 1950s, and watches anything he can find with guitar.

What a walk down memory lane! It seems that Byron Berline was always in the corner of Munde’s memories, and as it happened, most of the major events in his music career were in the month of October. Coincidentally, so is the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival that Byron started.  

Alan Munde teaches at a banjo workshop in Oklahoma City, October 2022 – photo © Pamm Tucker

Dark Shadow Recording has released a music video for their current single with Stillhouse Junkies, the bluegrass/folk power trio from Colorado that has been winning raves wherever they perform for their clever songs and energetic stage show.

It’s for the song Evergreen, from the band’s recently-released album, Small Towns, which was shot during their album release concert at Nashville’s Station Inn earlier this year. The audience that night was in on the shoot, which combines live footage with the recorded audio.

The song tells the story of someone who has left their home town to seek a career out in the wider world, and the concomitant desire to eventually go back someday.

Guitarist Fred Kosak sings lead, supported by bandmates Cody Tinnin on bass and Alissa Wolf on fiddle.

Evergreen, and the full Small Towns album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs can be ordered directly from the band.

Bonfire Music Group has a new album from the duo of Shawn Lane and Richard Bennet, two well-established bluegrass singers and songwriters whose 2019 album demonstrated how well the two work together as well. A debut single, Grey Wind, is released this week offering a first glimpse at their latest effort.

Both men have blazed a career path on their own prior to any decision to collaborate. Lane is the founding mandolinist with Blue Highway and has spent nearly three decades touring and recording with them. He is also one of the group’s chief songwriters. Bennett earned his stripes as a guitarist and vocalist, including several years as a member of J.D. Crowe & The New South. Richard has a number of solo recordings to his name and was recently part of the band Flashback.

Grey Wind is a song that Shawn wrote, which he says came from a grey feeling that he couldn’t shake.

“I was going through a rough patch and was talking to my brother about it. He told me ‘you know, it can only rain so long’ – this song just fell out of the sky on me one day.”

Shawn takes the lead vocal on this one and Richard the tenor harmony, as they trade off on mandolin and guitar.

Have a listen…

Grey Wind is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

The unique and highly prized mandolin once used the late Larry Rice is now on display in the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY, for all to see and reflect upon.

Carly Smith, curator of the Hall of Fame, said, “We are truly honored to have Larry Rice’s mandolin on display. It’s a beautiful instrument with an intricate inlay along the fretboard. We hope that bluegrass fans will make the journey to see all of the exhibits at the museum, including this mandolin which will be one of the first artifacts to greet visitors as they begin their tour.”

Born on April, 24, 1949 in Danville, VA, Larry Prentis Rice, the oldest of the four Rice Brothers, was born into a musical family. Best known for his stint with the Kentucky Mountain Boys and JD Crowe & The New South, plus his own group, the Larry Rice Band, he also performed with numerous other bands including various configurations with his famous siblings in The Tony Rice Unit, The Rice Brothers, and Rice, Rice, Hillman, & Pedersen. Larry wrote, played, recorded, and produced memorable music throughout his lifetime. He died on May 13, 2006, at age 57, from complications with mesothelioma due to his work in industrial power generating facilities.

Rice’s mandolin has a history of its own. Larry’s dad, Herb Rice, purchased two 1959 Gibson F-5 mandolins (sunburst finish) in 1961 from McCabe’s Music Store in Santa Monica, CA, giving one to his oldest son. Larry decided to have famed California luthier, R.L. Givens, design and create a vine of life inlay on his mandolin’s fingerboard. That intriguing inlay reveals one the highest levels of luthier artistry. Its body underwent several refinishings. The mandolinist also added a Dr. Larry “P” (P for Prentis) Rice label sticker on its peghead. It was his primary instrument throughout his entire career.

Larry’s uncle Frank Poindexter, dobroist with Deeper Shade of Blue, shared, “I am so happy that this iconic mandolin that Larry so loved has found its proper resting place and is being displayed for all the world to see. We are all blessed with the many decades of recordings left behind within Larry’s great legacy. What great memories of the love and times shared together. Thanks to our friend, Lee Kotick, and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame for giving this the attention it so deserves!”

Kotick of the Sharpflatpickers and a Mountain Fever Records recording artist, along with Mike Boulware, musician and music curator, worked together to facilitate the mandolin’s final resting place. He first met Larry in the late 1980 at a jam. 

“Thereafter we became friends and played many gigs together. When we played at Tillman’s Pickers Paradise Park in south Georgia, Larry appeared frail and ill. I shared Larry’s medical records with a neighbor who was an oncologist. He saw Larry the following Monday and confirmed the diagnosis of mesothelioma. With many musicians and friends, we produced the Larry Rice benefit concert (Legends and Locals For Larry) in Tallahassee, and raised funds to assist with his medical procedures and bills. Larry was a very brave man through his bout with cancer. I recall Larry telling me, ‘I’m not afraid to die. I just want my family to be alright.’ Those are words that are forever etched in my memory, like his metronomic mandolin chop.”

Ronnie Hatley, proprietor of Ron’s Pickin’ Parlor in North Carolina and a banjoist, explained his association with Larry starting in 2005. “I got the privilege of getting to be the banjo player in the Larry Rice Band. Their regular banjo player lived in an area that got hit hard by Hurricane Katrina, and had to stay home to deal with that. My favorite part of the whole time that I played shows with Larry, was not playing, but in the back seat of Larry’s big long Lincoln listening to Larry and Frank talk about the ‘good old days’ when he played with J.D. Crowe and others. Wish I had had a tape recorder. It was all so fascinating.”

Visit the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in Owensboro to see this legendary instrument and so much more.

The Foreign Landers, a husband-and-wife duo featuring David and Tabitha Benedict, is set to release their first full-length album, Traveler’s Rest, in November. We are delighted to premiere a single today.

The clever name for their group is taken from the fact that the Benedicts are truly an international couple. Tabitha is Irish, and performs with a pair of UK bands, Midnight Skyracer, and with her brothers in Cup O’Joe, and David is a native South Carolinian who also performs with Cup O’Joe, and is well-remembered for his previous work with Mile Twelve and as an online instructor and personality. So the two of them split their time between the US, Northern Ireland, and England, meaning one of them is in a foreign land most of the time.

Both of them are virtuosic instrumentalists, David on mandolin and guitar, and Tabitha on banjo and guitar, and while both sing in The Foreign Landers, it is Tabitha’s voice that attracts the most attention. Starting with Cup O’Joe as a teenager, and an Agnew, her distinctive vocal delivery turned heads all over the world for its unique tone and soft yet strong impact. She also excels as a songwriter, and she and David have written the bulk of the material on Travelers Rest.

Like most of the original songs on the project, today’s single, Garden, is autobiographical in nature, written about their recent adventure of moving into their first home together, and all that entails.

“Since this last summer was our first in our new home here in Travelers Rest, we had high hopes of planting a garden. But sadly we were still traveling too much to water our plants, so instead we decided to write this song as a bit of catharsis. It’s a song about laying down roots wherever you are no matter what the circumstances may be, and it will be featured on our upcoming album named after our new hometown, Travelers Rest. On Garden we had the privilege of working with the great Brittany Haas who really brought this song to life with her beautiful fiddling. Thanks for listening!”

It is a gorgeous track. Have a listen…

Garden from The Foreign Landers is available now as a single from popular download and streaming services online. Pre-orders for the full Travelers Rest album are also enabled online, for both download and on CD, at the Benedicts’ Bandcamp site. Delivery is anticipated for November 12. Album pre-orders include streaming of two of the project’s 12 tracks.

Del McCoury at the 2022 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion – photo © Bryce Lafoon (Lightshifter Studios)

Here’s a gallery we meant to publish last month, The Del McCoury Band performing at the 2022 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, held September 8-10 in Bristol, TN/VA.

They are a contribution from Bryce Lafoon of Lightshifter Studios.

Mandolinist Nick Chandler and his western North Carolina based group, Delivered, have made a name for themselves as one of today’s premier traditional bluegrass artists. Their latest release, Silver Bird, on Pinecastle Records, is a continuation of the straight ahead traditional sound that fans have come to know and love.

Like the Lonesome River Band’s newest album, Heyday, this project captures Nick Chandler & Delivered during a transitional period. The opening track, Darling Please Come On Home, features the current lineup of Chandler on mandolin and vocals, Gary Triviette on bass and vocals, Bobby Powell on guitar and vocals, and Jamie Sparks on banjo. Like other configurations of Delivered, this particular grouping has tight vocal harmonies and solid instrumental abilities.

The majority of the material on Silver Bird consists of Chandler and Triviette along with guitarist Hudson Bosworth and banjoist Zach McCracken. There is a slight difference between this configuration and the current one, but it’s very minimal. Missing You Blues is a strong original from Chandler that features this configuration and also includes some great fiddling from David Johnson.

Slowly Getting You Out Of The Way written by the late Randall Hylton, has been recorded by several artists over the years. This new rendition by Chandler is clearly influenced by the Bluegrass Cardinals’ 1984 recording of the song. Nonetheless it’s very well done and one of the best performances on the entire project. This track also features Delivered’s former banjoist Will Eller.

The album’s title track was written by Doyle Lawson, and originally recorded on his 1977 instrumental album Tennessee Dream. Nick’s performance of this tune is wonderful, and is especially complimented by Alan Bibey, who plays twin mandolin alongside Chandler on this cut. It’s a nice tip of the hat to one of the most influential musicians in the bluegrass genre.

I Don’t Want To Be Me Anymore, written by David Stewart, is another strong cut which spotlights the group’s smooth vocal harmonies as well as excellent dobro playing from Tim Surrett.

Lonely Road, written by bassist Gary Trivette, is the album’s sole gospel song. Like most of the other material on Silver Bird, it’s a strong original piece. The closing track, For So Many Years by JC Davis, reinforces the group’s hard driving traditional identity.

Silver Bird is a terrific recording. I have to admit I wasn’t too familiar with the music of Nick Chandler & Delivered before I heard this project, but I found myself captivated very quickly. This is an exciting group with strong traditional roots and extremely well-crafted material.

Andy Leftwich, truly among the most gifted and skillful musicians on the bluegrass scene today, has another single release this week from Mountain Home Music.

Taken from his upcoming American Fiddler album, this one, Made In France, finds Leftwich exploring a gypsy jazz style with help from some of Nashville’s top pickers. Andy handles mandolin, with Cody Kilby and Fionan Debarra on guitar, Matt Menefee on banjo, Jeff Taylor on accordion, and Byron House on bass.

Andy said that he enjoyed this modern French tune taking him out of his comfort zone.

“I’ve always been a fan of gypsy-swing music. This Bereli Lagrene tune is both a challenge and a blast to play! I was first introduced to the song by my friends Rob Ickes and Dave Pomeroy from our trio, Three Ring Circle. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since!”

Have a listen…

Made In France by Andy Leftwich will be widely available on October 28 from popular download and streaming services, and in the Dolby Atmos/Spatial Audio format at Apple Music. Find the immersive audio link in the Crossroads Music Immersed In Bluegrass playlist on Apple Music come Friday.

Radio programmers can get the track via AirPlay Direct.

Long time readers will recall us writing about Charlottesville, VA bluegrass singer and songwriter Kathryn Caine, who has released a number of recordings over the past decade.

Just recently we heard from Kathryn about her new group, Ogden Heart, made up of herself and her two young adult children, Izzy on vocals, and Evans on bass. Caine plays guitar and harmonizes with them in a style that lands somewhere between bluegrass and Americana, with some old time influence in the mix.

Their debut, self-titled album has been completed, and Kathryn has shared some of the music to help introduce Ogden Heart to bluegrass lovers. This first is the music video for their version of the Tom Paxton classic, Last Thing on My Mind. The family is supported by John Lee on banjo, Rusty Seidel on guitar, Andy Thacker on mandolin, and James McLaughlin on drums.

Check it out…

The Ogden Heart album is available for pre-order now on Bandcamp, with includes immediate downloads of the first two tracks.

Nicely done.

Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

To learn more about Ogden Heart, visit them online.

The Matchsellers are Kansas City grassers with an interesting backstory. For the past decade they have offered original bluegrass music to midwestern audiences, but the two principals, fiddler Julie Bates and guitarist Andrew Morris, first met while both were on Fulbright Scholarships in Leipzig, Germany. Morris and Bates were serving as cultural ambassadors overseas, and despite both being acoustic musicians from the same part of the central US, had never met. The two have been together ever since.

With a new album, The Wishful Thinker’s Hall of Fame, due to hit October 28, we are pleased to debut a live performance video today for one of the tracks, Time to Get a Straight Job. It finds Julie and Andrew with their touring group, Brian McCarty on mandolin and Brandon Day on bass.

Now anyone who has even entertained the possibility of being a full time musician has probably come to grips with the theme of this song. When you are in your late teens and early twenties, it may not take a whole lot to keep body and soul together, and the thrill of being dedicated wholly to your art is impossible to discount. But eating regularly and paying bills on time has its own allure.

Andrew offered a somewhat cryptic answer when asked to describe the song’s intent.

“I think a time comes in a lot of bluegrass musician’s careers when they consider leaving the music to find more stable work. A home and financial security are very appealing after years of roughing it out on the road. At least that’s what it was like for me… This is a song about getting a straight job and then dying, and dying again, and being reincarnated as a frog. Not much more to it than that.”

Brandon, who also works as a jazz bassist in Kansas City, was more circumspect. “I had the exact opposite feeling, to get to where I am in music.”

Without regard to frogs of any kind, here is the video. See what you think.

The full album was recorded mostly live in only two days, and The Matchsellers have scheduled a pair of secret record release shows for October 29 and 30 in Kansas City. It’s not a complete secret, as the location will be revealed when you purchase tickets online for $20, which includes a digital copy of The Wishful Thinkers Hall of Fame album.

For more information about The Matchsellers, visit the band online.

Central North Carolina-based bluegrass band Drive Time has released a new project, Too Late For Tonight. Drive Time is comprised of Tyler Jackson on banjo, Austyn Howell on guitar, Austin Koerner on mandolin, Katie Koerner on fiddle, and Bailey Coe on guitar. The album includes Grayson Tuttle on bass, who has since left the group to better focus on his personal and professional life.

The album features 12 numbers, two of which are originals written by band members. Please Understand penned by Katie and Rum Running Queen by Tyler.

Jackson, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2020 at the age of 24, demonstrates that he’s back in the groove with fast fingers and tasteful licks.

Just Get Up and Go is a heartbreak tune featuring Coe on lead vocals and hard-driving instrumentation by the band, shared the Drive Time banjoist.

“This is by far one of my favorite tracks on the whole album. This is a song Mountain Heart recorded a few years ago written by Josh Shilling and Jon Weisberger. Jason Moore told us back in 2021 we should do this song and I’m so proud to have it on this record!”

The second cut on the album features a familiar song sung by Katie.

She elaborated, “Snowbird was written by Gene MacLellan, and has been recorded by artists such as Anne Murray, Elvis, Loretta Lynn, and many others. It’s a well-written song about heartbreak, disguised with a happy melody. I really like our take on it. It’s one of my favorites to sing, and getting to do it with such great musicians makes it even more fun.”

Coe, who formally toured with Sideline, said of the new album, “I’ve always loved recording. It was great to get those creative juices flowing. It’s a good, solid project, playing good music with good friends.”

Coe used his graphic creativity to also design the album’s neon-lights cover.

The project also includes the first gospel recording by the group, Tedious and Tasteless, an a cappella quartet number which adds vocal parts one-at-a-time throughout the verses.

Two personal favorites are the hard-hitting tunes, In the Heat of the Night and Two Dozen Roses, led by Coe that demonstrate his vocals have returned strong and powerful.

“After leaving Sideline due to some vocal cord and throat issues, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sing full time again,” Coe had previously stated.

This song and record is proof that both Jackson and Coe have fully overcome their physical afflictions and offer powerful performances.

Pinecastle Records has released a new single from Kim Robins taken from her current album with the label, Leave the Porch Light On.

It’s the song Boubon and Beer, which Robins says came from real life, or as Bill Monroe would say, “it’s a true song.”

“Bourbon and Beer is a true story about a man who loved a woman with all his heart, but was unable to express that love due to his addiction to liquor. I wrote the chorus years ago but wanted some help finishing the song. I was introduced to David Morris and Dawn Kenney through a mutual friend and they were able help me bring the story to life.”

Kim is supported on the track by Clay Hess on guitar and bass, Josh Woods on banjo, Duane Estep on mandolin, and Tim Crouch on fiddle.

As you might guess from Robins’ description of the story, the song has a bleak and foreboding vibe as it shares the story of a woman coming to grips with the fact that she’ll always be #2 to her man’s drinking.

Have a listen….

Bourbon and Beer and the full Leave The Porch Light On project are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs are available directly from the artist.

Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Danny Paisley at the 2022 Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival – photo by Frank Baker

Wonderful news from the Bluegrass Troubadour, Danny Paisley.

In a year that saw the traditional bluegrass hero sidelined by throat cancer, his treatment has been declared a success following a recent checkup.

According to Paisley’s son, Ryan, who plays mandolin and sings alongside his dad in The Southern Grass, they got the best news possible.

“After a PET scan and an examination by Dad’s physicians, they determined that he is cancer free! During the throat exam, at Dad’s request, they examined his vocal cords and found that they were untouched and unharmed by the treatment and in fabulous shape. Overall, they said that he is healing remarkably well and his blood work looks great! We are all so grateful and relieved.”

That’s a sentiment shared by all who have enjoyed Danny’s voice these many years, and all who have befriended him along his way during a lengthy bluegrass career.

So far, neither cardiac issues nor cancer have been able to stop Danny Paisley. He has emerged from both with his health, humor, and voice intact.

Long live the king!

Widely — and wisely — considered one of the current mainstays of the so-called newgrass movement, Town Mountain take a decided step back in time with their new release on New West Records, Lines in the Levee. That’s not to say they’re regressing — not by any means — but they are doubling down on some bygone influences. Echoes of Levon Helm at the helm of the Band abound, so much in fact that on songs such as Lines in the Levee, Comeback Kid, Seasons Don’t Change, and Distant Line, one could swear they’re listening to outtakes from such classic Band fare as Stage Fright or Cahoots. Again, that’s not a knock, much less a critique, but simply a statement of the obvious, and in fact, a comparison that serves them quite well.

Nevertheless, the album doesn’t hang its intents solely on the similarity alone. The rowdy Firebrand Road simply sounds like upbeat exercise in rabble rousing, good ‘ol boy indulgence, just as American Family takes on an upbeat enthusiasm notably absent from many of the other entries. Several tracks — Rene, Daydream Quarantine and Lean Into the Blue in particular — convey a rustic, rootsy delivery, a sound that takes its cue from the down home delivery of their North Carolina origins. “Workin’ on big decisions,” they insist on the song titled, appropriately, Big Decisions. “Cuttin’ out on this so-called livin’/You can say my choices ain’t worth a damn/That’s a damn I’m just through givin’…”

In that regard, it’s that blue collar ethic that colors many of these same selections. The understated eloquence of Unsung Heroes and Seasons Don’t Change convey their subdued sentiments with an honesty and humility that reflects an otherwise unassuming attitude. The band — Phil Barker on vocals, mandolin, and acoustic guitar, fiddler Bobby Britt, vocalist and acoustic guitarist Robert Greer, singer, guitarist and banjo player Jesse Langlais, bassist Zach Smith, and drummer Miles Miller — are a cohesive unit, given that the musicians blend their instruments in sync to fill out the arrangements, rather than always insisting on taking center stage. That’s one reason why Lines in the Levee sounds both seamless and evocative all at the same time.

Happily then, there are no fault lines evident as far as that particular proposition is concerned.

Back in the spring of this year, Irish singer and songwriter Danny Burns released his grassed up version of Someone Like You on Bonfire Records, which had been a smash hit for Adele in 2011. Danny’s cut was well received in the bluegrass world, going to #1 on our Bluegrass Today Grassicana chart a few months ago.

Now he has a music video for the song, released in tandem with his full-length album, Promised Land, this past Friday.

The video finds Danny in the studio tracking Someone Like You, and while music videos typically are upbeat and cheerful, this one sticks with the more somber tone of the song’s lyrics. Folks who follow pop music may recall Adele’s video a decade ago and its bleak and gloomy look, perfect for this song about someone recently out of a long term relationship.

Scott Vestal is on banjo here, with Billy Contreas on fiddle, Ethan Burkhardt on upright bass, Josh Methany on dobro, and Matt Menefee on mandolin. Burns played guitar and Tim O’Brien sings harmony.

Check out the video.

Both Someone Like You and the Promised Land album are available now from popular download and streaming services online.

Stan Brown with The Bluegrass Experience at the 2022 Moorefields Bluegrass Festival – photo © Jim Herrington

These photos from the 2022 Moorefields Bluegrass Festival in Hillsborough, NC are a contribution from Jim Herrington with Drone Data and Film® Photography.

The festival was held on October 15 at Moorefields, the 18th century summer home of Alfred Moore, who was a prominent citizen of Hillsborough. He was a Captain in the First North Carolina Regiment during the Revolutionary War, and was one of the founders of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a jurist, Moore served as an Associate Justice on the US Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall.

The 70 acre estate is being managed and preserved as an historical site, and is a popular spot for weddings and other public events in the community.

Last month, Cindy Baucom celebrated the thousandth show of Knee Deep in Bluegrass, her syndicated radio show that is aired by over one hundred radio stations, and enjoyed by thousands of loyal bluegrassers weekly. “As I reached this milestone with the syndicated show, I felt great gratitude toward all the network affiliate radio stations who have partnered with me to share the show with their listeners every week. I would not have a national show without  the outlets to present it. I am also very thankful for the listeners who tune-in to the show.”

Knee Deep in Bluegrass went into syndication July 4, 2003, and ever since Cindy’s been playing the best in bluegrass. This momentous occasion was no exception. 

Just like it has for the past nineteen years, Knee Deep in Bluegrass by Cindy’s husband, Terry Baucom, opened the show and segued right into her introduction where she laid out the playlist for the first hour of show number one thousand. Here in the Country, the title cut from Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drives’ latest album, kicked the show off perfectly. It was followed by Make Me a Pallet on the Floor by the Kruger Brothers, and a congratulations by Uwe Kruger to end the first segment.

Segment two included Dailey and Vincent, an interview with Jeremy Stephens where Cindy and Jeremy discussed his single, Could I Knock on Your Door, and she closed the set out with a Doyle Lawson and Alan Bibey instrumental and a show promo from Alan.

The third segment featured two songs written by the great Paul Williams and an interview Cindy caught with him at CroweFest. Paul talked about the many classic bluegrass songs that he had the opportunity to write as a teenager like My Brown Eyed Darlin’. The Lonesome River Band finished segment three out with Down the Line. Hour one concluded with Russsell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out’s Pretty Little Girl from Galax, Cindy’s favorite Tim Stafford song, Midwestern Town, recorded by Ronnie Bowman, and between the two, Cindy featured an interview with David Davis. They discussed David’s latest album, which is a tribute to Charlie Poole. “He’s the ‘Grandfather of Bluegrass Music,’ in my opinion,” David told Cindy. The two share a fascination over the major influence Charlie Poole had on the music, and his monumental success as such a young artist in just a short, five year period.

Hour two launched in with a show promo from Jens Kruger and a second song from the Kruger Brothers, Don’t Think Twice. Cindy followed this up with another song from the Dukes of Drive’s latest album on which she sings lead, The Table. Then it was onto the final interview of show one thousand with none other than David Parmley. The first topic of conversation was David’s current single, All Dressed Up, and his return to the music business. After Cindy played the new single, she brought up the Bluegrass Cardinals reunion shows. “We’re having a blast doing that,” David shared. “Darrell Adkins is kinda the reason that we’re doing it; he wanted us to do a show at the MACC.” David went on to say how much fun it had been getting back together with Randy Graham, Larry Stephenson, and Mike Hartgrove; he also mentioned that they had about half a dozen reunion shows lined up for next year as well. To close out this set, Cindy played Mountain Laurel by the Bluegrass Cardinals.

Set seven featured Alan Bibey and Grasstowne, the No Joke Jimmy’s, and Edgar Loudermilk. Dan Tyminski began segment eight with a show promo and Church Street Blues from his EP tribute to Tony Rice. Rhonda Vincent followed with Bluegrass Island, and Bob Miner closed out with Ginseng Sullivan.

Knee Deep in Bluegrass show number one thousand ended with a third song from Terry Baucom and the Dukes of Drive, Thumbin’ Down. And that concludes the thousandth show of Knee Deep in Bluegrass; fantastic songs from bluegrass’s best and fabulous interviews, all with one of the best and most respected broadcasters in all of the bluegrass world, Cindy Baucom. 

Nineteen years ago when Knee Deep in Bluegrass went into syndication, Cindy set out to present bluegrass music in the most proficient way possible. Her passion has always been sharing the music she loves with as many folks as possible; she also seeks to present the music in a professional light by showcasing the very best that bluegrass has to offer in songs, instrumentals, and interviews.

Even before KDIB, Cindy applied this same passion and determination to her radio and announcing career, presenting bluegrass on the highest level, and these qualities eventually caught the attention of Ed Lowe and the John Boy and Billy network. They had the idea to syndicate a bluegrass show of their own, which Ed Lowe asked Cindy to host. “He had heard me on-the-air, and saw me performing on stage, and approached me about a national radio show that focused on bluegrass music and its artists. Since that had been my passion, I immediately jumped at the opportunity,” Cindy explained. This set into motion a roughly five month process where Cindy worked with a producer to develop the initial format for Knee Deep in Bluegrass.

She had complete control over the creative aspects of the show, such as song selection and interview guests, from the very beginning. “When the show first went into national syndication, I had a long range plan for longevity, but one truly never knows if all factors will work together to keep it going,” she commented.

Knee Deep in Bluegrass show number one aired on July 4, 2003 with 28 network affiliates; now Cindy has over a hundred, is heard weekly from coast to coast and internationally, and has celebrated her one thousandth show!

As the queen of bluegrass broadcasting herself says, “I love my work. And as industry changes occur in both bluegrass and broadcasting, I am excited to work toward the next thousand Knee Deep In Bluegrass radio shows!”

Ever since he was a young teen, Todd Taylor has been making waves with his banjo, appearing on many different television outlets and on the Grand Ole Opry. The five string first captured his attention when he was only six years old, and soon he family relented to his pleading and got him one of his very own. Before long he was turning heads everywhere he played, and creating a sensation on TV and in live appearances.

All the signs pointed to stardom for this talented, telegenic performer, until Todd became increasingly ill and it was discovered that he had a mitochondrial muscle disease similar to muscular dystrophy. Several doctors suggested that he would become severely handicapped, or even lose his life, but with therapy and determination, Todd has prevailed over his ailment and continues to play his banjo. Understandably, he is a frequent contributor to events hosted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and performed several times on the Jerry Lewis Telethon while it was being aired.

Taylor found a unique niche for his musical expression by focusing on bringing the banjo into rock music. Of course he loves bluegrass and grew up playing it, but rock ‘n’ roll banjo brought him attention in an entirely separate market. During the 1980s his arrangement of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird got noticed by pop and rock radio. He played it using a 3 finger roll technique, and ample use of harmonics, which impressed banjo lovers and rock fans at the same time.

His illness makes it difficult for Todd to tour these days, but he continues to record and reach new heights in the entertainment world. Back in 2007 he set the Guinness World Record for Fastest Banjo by playing Dueling Banjos at 210 beats per minute. He has also played shows with the Oak Ridge Boys, including the Opry.

But we haven’t seen many new releases until this week and Todd Taylor’s rock ‘n’ roll banjo version of the Chuck Berry classic, Johnny Be Goode. Anyone who came of age in the 1950s or ’60s knows just how ubiquitous this song was at the time, when it was first released in 1958, and ever since as one of the most covered rock ‘n’ roll songs ever.

In Todd’s new video for his cut, he not only plays the fire out of the five in his rockin’ style, he sings it with some slightly altered lyrics as well.

Check it out.

Johnny Be Goode from Todd Taylor is available now from popular download and streaming services online.

Rock and roll!!