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Monthly Archives: November 2022

An Old Fashioned Christmas from Daryl Mosley

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Azlyrics

Daryl Mosley is the latest to bring new Christmas music to the 2022 season for Pinecastle Records.

It’s one the former member of The Farm Hands and New Tradition wrote with his friend, Rick Lang, called An Old Fashioned Christmas.

For Mosley, there are some things he hopes will never change about this time of year.

“One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is the nostalgic aspect of it all. Many of us look forward every year to hearing those classic songs, exchanging gifts, and honoring family traditions.

This song is a celebration of all of those things. We tried to capture those warm and fuzzy, Norman Rockwell kind of emotions that Christmas brings about.”

Daryl takes the song at a slow, three quarter time tempo, ballad style, with its message of nostalgia and memories from Christmases past.

Have a listen…

An Old Fashioned Christmas is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track, along with all of Pinecastle’s 2022 Christmas bluegrass offerings, at AirPlay Direct.

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

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Daryl Mosley | Leave a comment |

Bluegrass Stories presents The Seldom Scene @ 1983

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Azlyrics

Bluegrass Stories, the ongoing podcast hosted by Katy Daley and Howard Parker, has released a very special episode this week, taking us back to the early days of Seldom Scene in 1984.

It’s a video produced by George Mason University for their on-campus network, and broadcast there in ’84. The 30-minute presentation mixes interviews with the Seldom Scene at the University, with live footage of the band recorded at The Birchmere in Arlington, VA.

This was just after John Starling had made his exit from the Scene, replaced by Phil Rosenthal. Founding members John Duffey, Tom Gray, Mike Auldridge, and Ben Eldridge remained.

People coming of age in bluegrass during the 21st century may have only a faint realization of the power and impact of this group in the 1970s and ’80s. Their new, more urban type of grass won followers all over the world that might not have warmed to the lonesome mountain sound of The Stanley Brothers, et al. Embracing both original material and crossovers from the pop, rock, and country music worlds, along with a dash of pure traditional bluegrass – acid grass as Duffey liked to call it – found them favor in the DC metro market, and eventually all over the country.

John Duffey’s reluctance to fly made them truly seldom scene, especially on the west coast and in mountain west states, which rather than muting their appeal, made fans all that much more eager to catch them live. As a result, their weekly shows at Washington and northern Virginia establishments found admirers traveling in from all over to catch them in person.

This historic glimpse of the band was rediscovered wholly by accident, when Katy’s husband, Bill Brown, a program director at WAMU in a former life, came across the Beta video while going through boxes one day. When he saw it marked as “Seldom Scene 1983-84, Birchmere,” he knew this was something of value.

Unfortunately, this tape was a third generation copy (copied from a copy), so the resolution is not superb. But it is still a wonderful look at this timeless band in their prime.

Katy says that she had wondered many times what had ever happened to this program, which she participated in when she was a young radio professional in the region. After it was found, she reached out to George Mason trying to get permission to share it with the bluegrass community, most of whom will never have seen it, as it was only shown on Mason’s closed network. By the purest chance, the lady who answered her call remembered the project, and recognized Katy’s voice on the other end of the line.

Mike Kelly with George Mason was the one behind this production, who was a Chaucer professor in the English department, who also headed up a video program called Capitol Connection. They had Noah Adams from NPR provide narration, and absent Bill’s discovery of it in a box in their attic, it would have been lost forever.

Howard Parker tells us that it was a real treat to be able to offer this video through Bluegrass Stories. The Seldom Scene, Mike Auldridge in particular, was a big part of Parker’s desire to become a reso-guitarist, and like many bluegrass players in the area, he caught them live as often as he could.

“It was an honor and privilege to work with this documentary. Katy and I are thankful for Bill Brown’s discovery, and the support of many, including the folks of George Mason University, PJ March for his technical skills, and without a doubt, the past and present members of DC’s own, the Seldom Scene.

I’ve always told folks, the Scene is MY band but, I’m happy to share.”

It’s a wonderful piece of bluegrass history. Enjoy!

Many thanks to Katy and Howard, and to Bill Brown, Mike Kelly, Noah Adams, and the Seldom Scene!

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Fakin’ It: Covers Deserving Coverage – Mamma’s Marmalade

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Azlyrics

Transitions can be a challenging time for anyone. For musical artists it can either strengthen their work or it can lead to decline. For newgrass band Mamma’s Marmalade, their newest release puts them in the former category. Fakin’ It: Covers Deserving Coverage was conceived when the group was determining their next move after the departure of bassist Dan Bisson. Rather than release another project of original music, the remaining three members decided to bring in guest musicians and record an EP with their take on songs by popular pop artists that aren’t as familiar to casual listeners. The result is a phenomenal piece of work.

The opening track, This Song Has No Title, was originally recorded by Elton John. Along with fiddler and vocalist Lily Sexton, mandolinist Mitch Bordage, and guitarist Sean Davis, the track is also propelled by banjoist Gabe Hirshfield and bassist Dan Klingsberg. This is one of a few examples of really brilliant arranging.

The title track Fakin’ It comes from the repertoire of Simon & Garfunkel. The rendition here is performed in the Americana vein. The group is joined by Jacob Joliff whose contribution to this track is superb. Also featured on this piece is guitarist Ross Martin and bassist Myles Sloniker.

Highway Patrolman by Bruce Springsteen is another highlight of this recording, in large part due to the lead vocals of Lily Sexton. Her phrasing and overall delivery of the lyrics suits Mamma’s Marmalade’s rendition of the song extremely well. The arrangement is largely based in traditional bluegrass stylings.

Fakin’ It: Covers Deserving Coverage is somewhat of a surprising effort. While these are all songs by acclaimed pop artists, none of the selected material has been overdone. It’s evident that each of the tracks and arrangements were carefully thought out by Mamma’s Marmalade. The guest artists that join them on these five songs all make appropriate contributions. It shows how the group has made the best of the transition in their journey.

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Distractions – new single from Milan Miller

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Azlyrics

Melton & Miller Music has a new single from co-founder Milan Miller, one that well describes the holiday season we are in the middle of right now.

Distractions is a nice, mid-tempo number that tells of all the things that get in our way when we try to take care of the things that need doing in a day.

Miller says that it ended up illustrating the way his life goes when he is trying to work.

“Although I don’t think I initially intended for it to turn out this way, this tune provides a pretty good glimpse into what a normal day in my world looks like. I am the kind of person that can easily get off track if I only have a couple of things that I need to accomplish, but give me a healthy handful of things to juggle and a few interruptions, suddenly I’m ready to check things off the list.”

He is supported by an all star cast of pickers, with Seth Taylor on mandolin and banjo, Aubrey Haynie on fiddle, and Buddy Melton on bass. Milan plays guitar and sings lead, with Missy Armstrong adding harmony vocals.

Have a listen in this lyric video.

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

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Milan Miller | Leave a comment |

From The Side of the Road… do you suffer from LMPLES?

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Azlyrics

Are you possibly old enough to remember cigarette advertising on TV and radio? If so you probably also still refer to David Grier as “Lamar Grier’s boy,” and you might remember who Gerald Ford’s vice president was (also Lamar Grier, I believe).

Well I’ll go ahead and date myself (severely) and say that I remember them. Not only that, I can still sing the “You can take Salem out of the country . . .” jingle, a perfectly awful yet somehow memorable song. I was four-years old and it led me to take up smoking, which fortunately I quit at age six.

You know what replaced the revenue lost from tobacco advertising? One hint: it wasn’t capo or fiddle bow commercials. Maybe that’s two hints. No, the great revenue replacer was pharmaceutical ads, and we’re inundated with them, especially on TV and radio shows with an audience demographic old enough to remember “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should,” but they’ve found enough medical anxiety and ailments to market to virtually any age group.

One thing I enjoy about these ads, besides the lengthy disclaimers (“may cause headcahes, nausea, depression, or suicidal thoughts. If suicidal thoughts occur, do not stop taking Linvogula, as muscle cramping may occur”), are the abbreviations and acronyms used for newly discovered illnesses and syndromes: “If you have any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from Irritable Bowl Syndrome with Constipation, or IBS-C,” or “Are you tired or listless, accompanied by sudden, unexplained bursts of energy? You could be suffering from Acute Lethargy with Random Spasms Syndrome, or ALRSS.”

In most cases, I’d never heard of these diseases before. I guess that’s why they’re advertising them and their treatments with the scary disclaimers.

It occurs to me It would be very useful to describe and categorize various bluegrass-related ailments and syndromes and abbreviate them accordingly. The advertising might look something like this:

“When playing shows, are you encountering sound engineers who talk down to you as if you’ve never played on a microphone before in your life? You may have Condescending Soundsplaining Engineer Disease, or CSED.”

Or, on the other hand:

“Are you a sound engineer who keeps encountering experienced bands who still have no idea how to work a microphone and want their monitors much too loud, then complain when there’s feedback? You may have Will This Show Ever End? Syndrome, or WTSEES (‘Whatsees’).”

“Do you have a mandolin player in your band who is late to most shows and rehearsals and always offers predictable but poor excuses for it? You may be suffering from Late Mandolin Player with Lame Excuse Syndrome, or LMPLES (pronounced ‘Limples’).”

“Are you operating a bluegrass festival with a gradually declining audience because a certain percentage of your attendees die every year and no new ones are coming because you just book the same bands year after year? You could have Stagnant Festival with Shrinking Older Crowd, or SF-SOC.”

“Are you recording too many takes of your songs in the studio, to the point where you’ve eliminated any imperfections, but the songs now lack life because you no longer like them by the time you’re finished? You might be suffering from Excessive Retakes with Song Burnout Syndrome, or ER-SBS.”

“Do you have a banjo player who insists on practicing Cumberland Gap or Lonesome Road Blues over and over in an enclosed space like a bus or van? You may be experiencing an ailment called Please Get a Mute Already Before I Lose My &*%**# Mind, or PGMA-BILM_M (using the acronym ‘Pigma-billem’).”

Consult your doctor before beginning any treatment.

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Bluegrass Holiday – free Christmas single from Rick Lang

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Azlyrics

The holidays always put noted bluegrass songwriter Rick Lang in a giving mood. It has become a tradition for him to produce a new Christmas single each year, and offer it as a free download for anyone looking for some new seasonal sounds. He did the same last month with a free download of his Thanksgiving song, I Thank You Lord.

Now available is his 2022 Christmas offering, Bluegrass Holiday, with a lively acoustic swing feel provided by Andy Leftwich on fiddle and mandolin, Scott Vestal on banjo, and Jared Easter on acoustic guitar, bass, and harmony vocals.

“I’m beyond excited about the release of Bluegrass Holiday, a brand-new song I wrote with my buddy Evan Dickerson. Since my childhood days, I’ve had a deep love and passion for the Christmas and winter seasons. I dedicate most of December and January each winter to building my catalog of Christmas/Seasonal material, which translates into scores of songs over time.”

Bluegrass Holiday is sung by Morgan Easter Smith, who was also featured on I Thank You Lord.

Have a listen…

To get a copy for your favorite listening device, just visit Rick Lang Music online, where free downloads are enabled.

Thanks Rick!

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

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Rick Lang | Leave a comment |

Mile Twelve is back with Close Enough To Hear

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Azlyrics

Boston’s Mile Twelve is back with new music from an upcoming album after adding new personnel last year. Founding members Evan Murphy (guitar), BB Bowness (banjo), and Nate Sabat (bass) remain, and the band has welcomed Ella Jordan on fiddle and Korey Brodsky on mandolin.

Their focus on original music with a high level of instrumental virtuosity has not changed, nor the more intellectual approach to songwriting which has been their norm, as we can hear on their latest single, Close Enough To Hear.

It’s the title track for their next fell-length project, set for release in February, written and sung by Murphy, who wrote it back of the beginning of the pandemic shutdowns. He says it’s a more personal composition than is his style, but the separation was getting intense.

“I was desperately missing my three-year-old nephew, my brothers, my sisters-in-law, and my parents. This song was a simple visualization of a perfect day, and what we were all missing so much at that time. It spilled onto the page immediately after I did a morning Metta meditation, calling to mind people who I love.

Check out the new single in this music video they created.

Close Enough To Hear is available now as a single from popular download and streaming services online.

Pre-orders for the album are enabled online for downloads and CDs. Delivery is expected on February 3.

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Music Area adds RB30 soft acoustic guitar case

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Azlyrics

Music Area, a leading Chinese manufacturer of cases for a wide variety of musical instruments, has announced a new, soft-sided acoustic guitar case, RB30, which offers most of the features they have been offering in their electric guitar and bass models.

The company builds cases and gig bags for firms worldwide to offer with new instruments, and as aftermarket items. Their claim is that they make most of the high-quality gig bags in the world, but they also sell direct to consumers.

With the RB30, you receive their standard protection features, like 30 mm of multi-layer padding around your guitar, an adjustable padded neck cradle, removable bottom bumper to protect the end pin, and covered with the Music Area’s custom water-repellent fabric. It also comes with a detachable isothermic bag to carry lunch or drinks when you head out with your guitar, plus large storage pockets, one sized especially for your strap.

Durability is also a concern, so the carrying handle and straps are riveted in place, and the bottom of the case has a PVC sole to protect it from wear.

At this time the RB30 case is only available in black with white stitching.

They are offered for sale online for $189, with delivery to the US or Europe in about three weeks.

More information and additional photos can be found online.

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Jason Fraley releases solo Christmas project

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Azlyrics

Jason Fraley, mandolinist with Deeper Shade of Blue, has released his first solo project, Acoustic Flavor of Christmas, just in time for the holidays. All ten instrumentals feature Fraley on acoustic and hollow-body guitar (jazz model), acoustic electric bass, mandolin, and drums.

“I did use a synthesizer on O Come Emmanuel to put an ambient pad on it. I liked the timbre of it,” the multi-instrumentalist explained.

Fraley had never really considered making a holiday-themed recording until someone else planted the seed.

“Our choir director, Sam, asked, ‘Have you thought about doing a Christmas album, acoustic style with just you?’ I never thought my first solo project would be a Christmas album, but I decided to try it.”

First, Fraley compiled a list of 30-40 Christmas tunes. 

“Ten just stuck out as my favorite classics. They had nice melodies.”

Recorded in early October, the project took the him exactly a week to create, working 2-3 hours per day.

“I do my best work alone when I record. I feel I can flow better. The whole album was spur-of-the-moment. All the arrangements just happened on the fly. I never wrote down anything. I had it all in my head. I have a background in jazz so I pulled from that to express myself.”

The Monroe, NC, native worked on the instrumental project in Lee Park Baptist Church’s recording studio where he serves the congregation as their music director. He says that it was a layering process.

“I started with a rhythm track. I strummed guitar while singing the melody in my head. Then I added the bass line, mandolin rhythm, percussion, and finally the solos with acoustic guitars and mandolin.”

As he worked, a plan developed.

“I kept it as raw as possible, keeping the finger noise. My goal was to be able to listen to it and it sound like a band playing in your living room.”

One good example is the classic Charlie Brown Christmas song, Christmas Time is Here.

“It is syncopated. It feels like different people playing,” he shared. “A lot of my music history isn’t just bluegrass. I had been thinking of putting up music on my own and be able to express myself musically to the world. It’s a way for me to share my own ideas and feelings.”

Fraley is pleased with the final outcome.

“My hope is that this is an album that you can put in while driving or at home during the holiday season to listen to my expressiveness and enjoy.”

There will be more projects to come, keeping with the album’s song listings graphics which resemble a restaurant menu.

“These songs are flavors of Christmas. I plan to make it a series of flavors of different things,” he concluded.

Jason Fraley’s project is recorded under the name Playhouse Records.

Released on October 28, it is available on Itunes, Amazon, Spotify, and YouTube and everywhere you download music. Hard copies of the CD can be ordered directly from Fraley. Contact him by email for details.

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

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Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown podcast

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Azlyrics

Just recently, 11 years after we launched Bluegrass Today and our Weekly Airplay Chart, a pair of bluegrass radio hosts in the Pacific have launched a podcast based on the chart. Called, plainly enough, Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown, a new episode is posted each Sunday counting down the Top 20 songs based on radio play as reported by our participating hosts.

The podcast is the brainchild of Caroline Wright in Hawaii and Mike Kear in Sydney, Australia who take our chart each Friday morning, and create a new show ready for its launch two days later. In addition to playing each of the Top 20 songs in turn, the hosts add some background to the tracks and include interviews with artists and newsmakers in the bluegrass world.

Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown is available at no charge from the many podcast aggregators online, like Apple Podcasts, Player FM, Podomatic, or whichever is your preferred platform. Mike and Caroline are now five weeks in, and have got the format down to a very smooth production running about an hour and 15 minutes per.

Both of the hosts should be well familiar to bluegrass lovers. Wright is the founder of Bluegrass Hawai’i, the island state’s bluegrass association, and co-author with Tim Stafford of Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story. She is also a former editor at Bluegrass Now magazine. Kear is the longtime host of Music From Foggy Hollow, broadcast for 22 years on Hawkesbury Radio in Sydney, Australia. The show is also carried on Bluegrass Country, whose online signal is available worldwide.

Mike tells us that by producing the podcast through Hawkesbury Radio, they are able to include full songs, which US hosts find problematic.

“We think this is a worthwhile project and should become quite popular with bluegrass fans. Australian copyright law is different from US law, which means we can have music podcasts playing full songs so they sound like a radio show, and be fully covered for copyright and licensing purposes. It’s not something that American-based podcasts can do because of the licensing laws In the USA.

For the first time in 22 years, I have a show that Australians can listen to any time they like, rather than have to stay up in the wee small hours of the morning. It’s a similar situation with other places around the world, too — Europe for example, and Asia. Hawaii is home to lots of military people stationed there who haven’t been able to pick up bluegrass radio conveniently before. We’re offering them a way.”

Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown is not strictly a chart review, as Mike and Caroline share a number of different features in each show, as well as a weekly news roundup. They offered this list of items they have already run or have planned for the show.

  • Pickin’ on the Planet – Did you know there’s bluegrass in Ireland? In India? In Iceland? Meet a bluegrass act from somewhere far from the bluegrass heartland.
  • Field Pickin’ – A short segment featuring listeners from around the world who have spectacular bluegrass stories.
  • Pickin’ on the People – Profiles of the incredible people behind the bluegrass scenes – people who aren’t famous bluegrass musicians themselves, but who love and support the music.
  • Who Did It Best? – “For this segment, we’ll play a few different versions of the same song by different artists,” says Kear. “Who did it best? We’ll let our listeners decide for themselves.”
  • Let’s Celebrate A Bluegrass Birthday – Spotlighting a birthday artist with fascinating stories, revealing interviews, and deep cuts from their personal musical libraries.
  • Bizarregrass – The name says it all!

As regular podcast listeners know, pod software will automatically download any new episodes for a show to which you have subscribed, so they are there on your phone or device when you are ready to listen. What a great way to keep up with what is current in bluegrass music, especially for folks who don’t have access to bluegrass radio where they live.

Best of luck to Caroline Wright and Mike Kear with Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown!

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Back in the Goodle Days from Showman & Coole

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Azlyrics

Who doesn’t like a John Hartford song? He never seemed to write one that wasn’t fun, memorable, or cogent in some way, several of which have become familiar worldwide. And he stayed within the bluegrass/old time tradition throughout his life and career.

Old time masters John Showman and Chris Coole have prepared an album of Hartford delights, all played on fiddle and banjo, which they call Much Further Out Than Inevitable – A Fiddle and Banjo Tribute to Some Music of John Hartford. It’s set for release this Friday, and the pair have released a number of singles already from the project.

Of the record, Coole, vocalist and banjo man with Canada’s Lonesome Ace String Band, for whom Showman plays fiddle, says…

“If country music were a galaxy, John Hartford would surely be one of the very brightest stars in the sky. It’s with the greatest respect that we try to bask in a bit of his light on this album. We’ve chosen twelve of our favorite Hartford songs (and tunes), and have let them dwell in a very sparse and organic setting of just fiddle and banjo.

We’ve been playing most of these songs at gigs and jam sessions for years and are thrilled to finally get a chance to record them.”

Songs of John’s they have selected include Don’t Leave Your Records in the Sun, Long Hot Summer Days, Steamboat Whistle Blues, and this duet version of Back in the Goodle Days.

Much Further Out Than Inevitable will be available for widespread digital purchase on December 2. Pre-orders for audio CDs with a download can be placed now online.

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My Ozark Mountain Home — The Petersens

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Azlyrics

There’s something to be said about family bands, as evidenced by the success that was seen by the Jacksons, the Cowsills, the Osmonds, the Nelsons, and any number of sterling sibling combos in pop music history. It’s certainly not out of the ordinary in the bluegrass world, with acts like The Lewis Family running for decades, but in many cases, family bands tend to operate for a limited time outside the musical mainstream, with many relegated to a cult-like status.

Nevertheless, The Petersens have proved that familial bonds can reap prolific and productive benefits. The band, which consists of four adult brothers and sisters — Katie (fiddle), Ellen (banjo), Matt (guitar), and Julianne (vocals) — and their parents Karen (bass) and Jon (guitar), as well as family friend Emmett Franz (dobro, production), have become a cottage industry of sorts, one that’s crisscrossed the country through touring and performances on the festival circuit. But their mainstay is regular two-or-three-times-a-week concerts at The Little Opry Theater in Branson, MO where they can brag of being the resort town’s most highly rated show.

They’ve also released a string of independent LPs in the process. The group’s new album, My Ozark Mountain Home, mainly consists of standards and traditional tunes, but even with that familiarity factor, they manage to infuse their own distinctive identity into each of their offerings. 

That heartfelt sentiment is evident in the new album’s title track. So too, the sun literally seems to shine through on a tender and transformative take of Here Comes the Sun. In each case, The Petersens show their ability to adapt their harmonious sound to a variety of songs and settings, be it vintage or otherwise. Even when they retrace well-trodden musical terrain — John Denver’s Annie’s Song and Take Me Home, Country Roads being two more obvious examples — it’s charm, not challenge that finds both purpose and prominence.

That said, one should already know quite well what to expect when it comes to covers such as Wayfaring Stranger, Wild Mountain Thyme, Amazing Grace, and Down to the River to Pray, given the fact that these songs find a natural fit within the group’s traditional template. Yet the seamless blend of classic and contemporary remains a consistent mark of their credibility and commitment.

Ultimately, the new album demands nothing more than a desire to simply relish a soothing musical sojourn, one capable of lifting the listener well beyond their everyday cares and concerns. For that reason alone, consider My Ozark Mountain Home a comforting homecoming in every regard. 

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Dudley Murphy passes

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Azlyrics

Dudley Murphy, top-rated flatpick guitarist with Radio Flyer, passed away on Saturday, November 19, 2022. He was 82 years of age.  

Born on April 16, 1940, in Danville, Kentucky, Murphy’s interest in music began during his high school days in Lexington, and then, when he moved to Tulsa (as a senior), he heard a rock ‘n’ roll band, and bought a Wabash guitar then a Sears electric guitar and began playing piano. He formed a trio – Dudley Murphy and the Fadeaways, with Carl Radle, and while in Tulsa he played in groups that would sometimes include Leon Russell, JJ Cale, Bill Raffenesperger, Leo Feathers, Junior Markham, and other famous ‘Tulsa Sound’ musicians.

Also, he became interested in the folk music of Peter, Paul & Mary, then Woodie Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Jack Elliott, and he played in clubs and some famous coffee houses in Oklahoma and Texas during the folk revival era.

As he took a degree course at the University of Tulsa and studied fine arts at Oklahoma University, he began playing bluegrass music under the influence of Dan Crary, Doc Watson, and another Oklahoma guitarist Royce Campbell, along with banjo ace Alan Munde. Also, he watched Norman Blake, Clarence White, and Tony Rice closely, learning different characteristics from each of them. 

In due course, Murphy became respected on the same level as Crary, Blake, Beppe Gambetta, Charles Sawtelle, etc.

In the later part of the 1960s he met and in 1968 married Deanie. The couple moved to Springfield, Illinois, where Dudley took a job as Curator of Education at the city’s Art Museum.  

Meanwhile, they began performing as a duo, playing at festivals and colleges in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. Their album of 15 songs and tunes eventually materialised in 1976.  

In 1970 they formed County Line with Dudley playing guitar; Deanie on mandolin; Jack Pearman (bass), traditional Missouri fiddler, Newell Looney, with both of whom they had already recorded; and Mike Breid (banjo). The band, with Kenny Richardson (banjo and resonator guitar), Dale Hopkins (fiddle), Pat Jackson (bass) then members, released an LP in 1978. County Line remained active until about 1983.

Murphy became involved with the activities of the Folk Music of the Ozarks program and helped to start the locally based Bluegrass Society of the Ozarks. 

Also, he took second place with a rendition of Dixie Breakdown in Winfield’s National Flatpicking Championship in 1973, demonstrating how well he had progressed with the style.  

In 1978 Murphy worked with Oklahoma-born Adam Granger on reputedly the first twin flatpick album ever recorded. This highly recommended LP was recorded with each guitarist on a separate channel. 

Dudley Murphy & Adam Granger – Twin Picking 

County Line pt. 1, 1983…

…and County Line pt. 2, 1983

In October 1984 Murphy and David Wilson (mandolin and fiddle) formed Radio Flyer with Roger Matthews (banjo) and Steve Duede (electric bass). 

Their impact was almost instantaneous as during the following year they won the Best New Bluegrass Band accolade at the Kentucky Fried Chicken Bluegrass Festival in Louisville. (Union Station featuring a 14-year-old Alison Krauss came in second.) 

They all had regular jobs – Murphy was Associate Professor of Art at Drury College, Springfield, until his retirement in 2016 – but performed most weekends at festivals and concerts, many on college campuses, and in 1989 they appeared on NPR’s Mountain Stage. 

Over the better part of a decade the band recorded and released three solid albums for Pat Martin’s Turquoise label, with one, Old Strings New Strings, designated for a highlight review by Jon Hartley Fox (Bluegrass Unlimited, May 1992). 

Radio Flyer – Radio Flyer 

Murphy sings lead on Kentucky Mountain Evening, Lonesome Wind Blues and Song For A Winter’s Night

Wayne Bledsoe, producer/host on KUMR, Rolla, Missouri, and publisher of Bluegrass Now magazine, considered them to be possibly “the most innovative and polished bluegrass band in the country today.” Another view of them was that Radio Flyer were “on the cutting edge of the new traditional sound.” This was in some considerable part due to Murphy’s masterful, highly respected guitar playing and singing that Nancy Cardwell Webster describes as with a “warm, low range, storytelling quality,” and song contributions such as Flowers In Your Hair, Kentucky Mountain Evening, Coming Home, Morning Always Takes My Dreams Away, Child Of Grace, Cincinnati Moon, This World Is Not My Home and Love Left Behind. 

Radio Flyer broke up in 2002 but Wilson and Murphy continued playing dates together as a duo, and the band had a reunion show in April 2011.

Cardwell Webster remembers … 

“He was a perfectionist and a valued mentor to many. 

He was always very kind to other musicians in the Springfield, MO area- my hometown. He hired the Cardwell Family Band at the Springfield Art Museum when he was working there in the 1970s, before he started teaching art at Drury College.”

Ned Luberecki played with Radio Flyer for about five years (back in the early 1990s ….. 

“I first saw Dudley play with Radio Flyer at the Tulsa Bluegrass and Chili Cookoff sometime in the early 1990’s. I was really impressed with the band and with Dudley’s flatpicking in particular. Little did I know that within a few short years, I would relocate to NW Arkansas and find myself without a gig. Dudley and Dave (Wilson) reached out to me when Roger Mathews left the band. I was delighted to be joining a band of such high caliber musicians.

Dudley was not only a superb flatpicker (well known in the Walnut Valley crowd) but a deep musician in many ways. He taught me that it was all about the sound. He used to describe Doc Watson’s guitar playing as having a certain ‘sparkle’ that nobody else got. And while I was always trying to be adventurous in playing the banjo in different keys without a capo, Dudley might capo his guitar to the 7th fret to play a song in G! He was always looking for a new sound or something to make it different. 

In addition to his guitar playing skills, Dudley was a graphic designer and a professor of design. I once gave him some examples of my taste in design and asked him what it said about my style. He described me as a ‘Progressive Traditionalist,’ which I believe describes me well in all avenues of life. 

Dudley was one of a kind and I’ll always cherish the time I spent with him and Radio Flyer. RIP my friend.

R.I.P., Dudley Murphy.

Services will take place on today, November 28, 2022, with visitation between 12:00 (noon) and 2:00 p.m.., with funeral to follow, at the Klingner-Cope Family Funeral Home, Rivermonte Chapel in Springfield, Missouri.  

Bluegrass Today acknowledges the assistance of Nancy Cardwell Webster, Orin Friesen, David Wilson, and Takehiko Saiki. 

A Discography 

Dudley Murphy & Deanie Murphy

  • At Home (Caney Creek Records CC LP-001, 1976) 

Dudley Murphy & Adam Granger

  • Twin Picking (Grass Mountain Records GM 1003, 1979) 

County Line

  • Sweet Prairie Hay (Grass Mountain Records GM-1001, 1978) 

Radio Flyer

  • Radio Flyer (Turquoise Records TR-5065, 1988)
  • Old Strings New Strings (Turquoise Records TR-CD 5079, 1991)
  • Town And Country (Turquoise Records TR-CD-5093, 1994) 



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Appalachian Road Show makes their Opry debut

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Azlyrics

Appalachian Road Show on the Grand Ole Opry (11/25/22) – photo by Erick Anderson

This past Friday saw the Grand Ole Opry debut for Appalachian Road Show. Though no strangers to the Opry stage in other various ensembles, this first time together was an especially joyous occasion coming just after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Fiddler Jim VanCleve, who was able to bring his dad and his daughter to the show, said that it was something he’ll never forget.

“Honestly, I don’t know how it could have possibly gone any better. The crowd response was insane. I may have played that stage 200 times or more, but that night was magical.”

The guys played La La Blues from their recently-released album, Jubilation, on Billy Blue Records, and got the audience to sing along. You can see the charm these guys bring to their performance, on top of their obvious skill as musical artists.

They also were interviewed about the band and the new project.

They also shared this backstage phone video of the curtain going up.

All of the band members brought family to the Opry, where they also got to hang out with country/rock artist Steve Earle.

Couldn’t happen for a nicer group of guys.

Congratulations to The Appalachian Road Show!



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One of the best – a conversation with Paul Williams

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Azlyrics

Paul Williams with his family, Erdia Humphrey, and son, Richie Humphrey (November 2022)

Many of us grew up singing the songs and listening to the music of the legendary, Paul Williams. Earlier this month while in Gatlinburg, TN for Christmas in the Smokies Bluegrass Festival, I had the privilege to sit down with the master and his family and learned little known details about his life and career.

Upon meeting his only child, Richie, he explained. “I am a Humphrey.”

Seeing I was a bit puzzled, Paul explained. “That’s my real last name. When I was 14 and Jimmy Williams was 16, we started singing together. Brother acts were really big at the time, so we became unofficial ‘brothers,’ and called ourselves the Williams Brothers. The name just stuck.”

The pair played on the radio in Wytheville, VA.

“We auditioned and were hired to play with the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers. I played guitar and am on all their RCA Victor Records,” the now 87-year-old said.

After serving in the United States Air Force for 8 years (four active, four reserved), Williams began playing mandolin with Jimmy Martin. He went home with Martin in December 1957. It was there he met Martin’s half-sister, Edria.

“I fell in love when I seen her,” Williams admitted proudly. 

They married four years later on December 4, 1962. Next month, they celebrate 60 years of wedded bliss. Their union afforded them one son, four granddaughters (who all sing, Paul pointed out), and seven great-grandchildren. 

Williams performed two separate stints alongside his brother-in-law, Jimmy Martin. The versatile musician also played bass for country artist, Stonewall Jackson. He stopped touring in June 1963 and went to work for the US Postal service, first as a mail carrier and then as a clerk in Morristown, TN. He worked that position until he retired.

Paul formed with his own band, the Victory Trio, in 1995, and because of his talents, he is in the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame twice: with the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers and the Victory Trio. He has performed in half the states, impressive venues such as the Grand Ole Opry, the Louisiana Hayride, the Wheeling Jamboree, and Kentucky Educational Television.

“We were the only bluegrass band to play the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas in 1960. We played five shows a day for a week, in 20 minute sets continuously with two other acts from 5:00-10:00 p.m.”

A prolific songwriter, Paul shared the titles of some of his favorite original tunes: Abigail, Old Fashioned Christmas, Walking Shoes, and Stepping Stones.

His first tune, My Brown-Eyed Darling was recorded by the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers in 1952. His songs have been recorded by Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams Jr, Ray Charles, Jimmy Martin, and Doyle Lawson, just to name a few.

“The Malpass Brothers have my song, I’ve Got Her On My Mind Again on their new CD.”

“I used to write poems. I’d put a melody to them. I have songs come to me, a comment someone makes, something in a magazine. It’s a gift of God. I can’t just sit down and write a song. It comes to me, sometimes the melody, sometimes the words come first, then I write it down.”

“Salvation is the sweetest thing to happen to me when the Lord saved my soul the last Sunday in August 1963. The second best thing was marrying my wife.”

 “In May 1998, I had four bypasses. My surgeon told me, ‘All we can hope for is 8-10 years.’ With a twinkle in his eye, Paul noted, “Here we are in November 2022. He’s added years to my life. I’m a sinner saved by the grace of God. As the scripture says, ‘My spirit shall bear witness one with another.’”

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Joy To The World video from Chosen Road

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Azlyrics

As their first project for Daywind Music Group’s revived Thoroughbred Records, bluegrass gospel stalwarts Chosen Road have released an album of holiday music, Appalachian Christmas.

Produced by band members Jonathan Buckner, Zachary Alvis, and Tyler Robertson, the project includes 13 new tracks of familiar hymns and carols, a few contemporary worship anthems, and a couple from the bluegrass catalog. Guests on the record are drawn from top artists in gospel and christian music, like Guy Penrod, Point of Grace, and Jimmy Fortune.

Guitarist Jonathan Bucker says that all the guys enjoyed putting their spin on these classic songs.

“It was so much fun to interpret these Christmas songs through the lens of bluegrass and Appalachian styles of music, and all the collaborations on the album represent very special moments with some of our musical heroes. We hope listeners will feel the same joy, peace and Hope that we know.

There’s turmoil in the world all around us, and music is a universal language that speaks to everyone. Appalachian Christmas gives us an avenue to remind people of the Hope and joy found in the love of Jesus Christ—the greatest gift that’s ever been given.”

You can hear an example in this live video of their arrangement of Joy To The World, with an assist from Authentic Unlimited’s Stephen Burwell on fiddle.

Chosen Road is currently on a Christmas tour performing the music from the album live. See all their dates online.

The full Appalachian Christmas album is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs can be ordered directly from the artists.

Radio programmers can get the tracks via AirPlay Direct.

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

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North Carolina Breakdown – Cary Moskovitz

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Azlyrics

While there have been several recordings based around interpretations of old time tunes on the harmonica, Cary Moskovitz from Chapel Hill, NC takes it a step further. North Carolina Breakdown is a collection of instrumental pieces that are played on the free-reed wind instrument, but in the same register as the fiddle.

Moskovitz took a minimalist approach with the instrumental backing and that was an appropriate choice. While featured on harmonica of course, Cary also accompanies himself on rhythm guitar and banjo. This instrumental configuration especially works on Old Sally Goodin’ which Moskovitz learned from the legendary Kentucky fiddler, Art Stamper.

It’s obvious how much these pieces are patterned after the fiddle player’s arrangements. On tunes like New Five Cent Piece, Climbing the Golden Stairs, and Sugar In The Gourd, the different instrumental components such as phrasing and timing are spot on.

Waynesboro, Billy In The Low Ground, and Rye Straw are slower pieces that are each played in the same tempo. While these are good tunes in their own right, having them back to back made for a bit of a plodding listen. The title track North Carolina Breakdown, however, moves along at a nice steady pace.

Duck’s Eyeball is the most captivating tune on the recording. Featuring just harmonica, the use of double stops was particularly impressive and yet another example of how closely Moskovitz patterned his arrangements after old time fiddlers.

This album closes with an original composition by Cary, Charles Murphy Waltz. Though it was written in modern times, Moskovitz captures the old time feel in this tune perfectly.

North Carolina Breakdown is an intriguing release. Cary Moskovitz has demonstrated some unique capabilities of the harmonica. Though he says he considers learning these fiddle tunes “an interesting and challenging process of translation,” he does so reverently and effectively.

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Roger Hester shares family memories of Earl Scruggs

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Azlyrics

Irene, Bryan, Anna Catherine, and Leonard Causby with Earl Scruggs, circa 1984

Banjoist Roger Hester, 81, of Sanford, NC, is a walking, breathing encyclopedia of bluegrass history. Recently, he shared a bit of his musical heritage that included the famous banjo icon, Earl Scruggs.

Scruggs was born in 1924 in the small Flint Hill community of Cleveland County, NC, near Shelby. According to Hester, Scruggs started picking the banjo around age four.

“Earl perfected the three-finger style at the age of 10. All of a sudden, he had all three fingers going. He discovered it by accident,” Hester recalled. “He picked with my wife, Janice’s, father, Leonard, and his brother, Brian Causby, in a band called the Causby Brothers. They were ahead of their time, developing the bluegrass sound. They played together until 1942 when they (the Causbys) went into the service.”

“Bill Monroe needed a banjoist. He tried to hire Don Reno then, but he was drafted. Jim Shumate, who was from western North Carolina, was playing (fiddle) with Monroe, and knew Earl. He knew he was different and told Monroe about him. Monroe said, ‘I’d like to hear that boy from North Carolina.’”

Shumate contacted the then 21-year-old Scruggs about auditioning with Monroe.

Hester recalled, “Earl was interested. Music was his passion. He was working in Lily Cotton Mill in Shelby. My in-laws, Leonard and Anna Catherine Causby, drove Earl to Nashville and put him up in a motel. The next day they took him and he played for Bill Monroe. Monroe hired him right there on the spot.”

Hester stressed the significance of that occasion and the influence of Scruggs’ style of banjo-picking.

“That changed the sound of bluegrass forever.”

Earl performed with Monroe until the band’s guitarist, Lester Flatt, and he left in 1948 and formed their famous duo, Flatt & Scruggs.

Hester said Scruggs would occasionally return to Cleveland County. “Earl would come down to visit and pick with his brothers, Junie and Horace. In 1982, Janice’s daddy, Leonard, called and said Earl’s coming to visit. He wanted some musicians to jam.”

Roger Hester took part of his band, the High Country Men (who have been performing for over 50 years and still continue to play), to pick with Scruggs.

“Earl sat on the couch. He had hurt his back. Louise was there,” Hester recalled.

“Earl was as common (friendly) as I am, and never outgrew it. The fame never went to his head. He was that way ’til he died.”

Hester praised his father-in-law. “Leonard spawned a lot of bands. I don’t think he ever realized his impact. Some went on to form their own bands. He taught me guitar lessons. I would have never played music if it hadn’t been for Leonard Causby, and Earl might never have played with Monroe.”

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From The Side of the Road… Father’s bluegrass grace

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Azlyrics

Happy Thanksgiving! This week we celebrate something-or-other that happened on Plymouth Rock in such-and-such a year (and they say history isn’t being taught well enough in our schools!), the existence of the domesticated turkey, and the growers of cranberries (also somewhere near Plymouth Rock).

We’re also thankful for family, at least for the first 30 minutes, even the uncle who wants to rant about COVID and the last election, because fortunately he’s in the next room with a door that can be subtly closed.

Those of us involved in the bluegrass business have plenty to be thankful for, though they’re often things the wider world wouldn’t understand.

Do you have the family member who delivers the overly long and overly specific pre-meal grace?(“Father we’re just so thankful that Teresa’s plantar’s warts have finally healed). Here is a possible bluegrass musician’s Thanksgiving prayer in that style:

Heavenly Father, we’re thankful to be back on the road, even if the travel itself is still exactly as tedious as we thought it was prior to COVID. We’re grateful for good festival time slots this year, with only one post-supper break set, one 8:00 a.m. gospel set, and only one following Little Roy & Lizzie. We’re thankful for fewer food poisoning incidents this year on the road. We’re grateful for our banjo player’s new tuner, which actually works. We’re thankful that our band is still together, due in part to our longtime fiddle player finally becoming more passive than aggressive, and we’re grateful for the medication that made that possible. We rejoice for surprisingly good CD sales to people who no longer own working CD players. We feel blessed by the recent chart success of our original song, Bluegrass Music, Yes We Love It. We’re thankful that our bass player’s wife Sharon does such a good job maintaining our very user-friendly web site (we love how easily the pages load!). We feel blessed that the Bill Monroe Decca material can now be streamed, even if we already own the 1950-58 boxed set. And Lord, we thank you for our lead singer and band leader, who, in spite of the giant ego, does a really good job singing Hey Hey Bartender, and takes responsibility for things so we have someone to blame. We ask that you bless this turkey.

Amen.

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A hurricane, hard work, and The Queen – Palatka 2022 a week late

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Azlyrics

The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys at the November 2022 Palatka Bluegrass Festival

The November 2022 Palatka Bluegrass Festival was postponed a week owing to the arrival of Hurricane Nicole earlier this month. Fortunately, all the artists were able to make it on the new dates, and the folks at Evans Media Source sent along this report with photos and videos.

The legendary fall Palatka Bluegrass Festival, founded by promoter Norman Adams, usually falls on the second weekend in November in its namesake town tucked into northeast Florida. Each year it touts a massive lineup of top acts and a pavilion filled to the brim with bluegrass fans so long that they need secondary screens and projectors for the folks hallway back to see the stage. Evans Media Source has taken the helm for the last few years and even through COVID Debi and Ernie Evans, and their team have kept the event growing and setting the bar even higher. 

The festival itself is a massive fundraiser for the Rodeheaver Boys Ranch whose mission is to assist at risk young men gain the skills to be successful gentlemen. The ranch banks on this festival, along with the Evans Media Source festival held on the site in February, to fund their operation each year. 

Tuesday on the week of the festival the lineup was set, the golf carts delivered, food ordered, and fans were already pulling into the massive 800 acre ranch when word came of Hurricane Nicole bring down on the east coast of Florida. 

No strangers to adversity, Ernie Evans and his team faced a hard decision: Cancel the festival and let the ranch suffer for the whole year, or find another way to make it happen. The ranch would not only lose the fundraiser money, but also all the expenses they already paid for in anticipation for the week, setting them back even further and limiting their ability to help the young men who depend on the ranch for survival. 

Ranch Director Brad Hall and Ernie Evans got together and decided: We can make this work, if we have The Queen in our corner….Rhonda Vincent, that is. 

Rhonda’s fans will travel through wind, snow, rain, and even a hurricane to get a chance to catch her show live. That is a testament to her professionalism, skill, and her hard work on social media as well over the decades she has pioneered her own path in the music. 

Rhonda, a pro’s pro, immediately jumped at the chance to help the ranch, and changed her entire schedule around to make sure she could be there if Ernie moved the festival to the following weekend. So now the hard work truly began!

EMS has less than seven days to build an entire new festival from the ground up, promote the show, and help get the staff squared away to make sure the high standards of the Palatka Bluegrass Festival were upheld. 

Ernie said that postponement preparations were a whirlwind.

“Debi and I went over 48 hours without sleep a few times this week, just to make sure we did everything in our power to make this work for the ranch. So many people pitched in during the week to even make this feasible, including many bands who agreed to scramble their plans to help the ranch.”

Headlined by the Queen herself, The Malpass Brothers, Lonesome River Band, Larry Stephenson, Don Rigsby, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, and many more descended on Palatka, FL and performed in 40 degree weather to make sure the Fall Palatka Bluegrass Festival lived up to its reputation. While the hurricane, cold temps, and other state events kept the audience from reaching its normal massive numbers, hardcore bluegrass fans came out in droves to support the ranch, Evans Media Source, and their favorite acts. 

The seven-day turnaround by EMS shows the hard work and dedication that has helped build the company into the nation’s largest promoter of bluegrass events. 

Next week the EMS team is taking the helm of the historic Sertoma Thanksgiving Festival in Brooksville, FL. 

Find out more about the many festivals hosted by Evans Media Sources online.









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Last Christmas from Becky Buller

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Azlyrics

Becky Buller’s 2022 Christmas album, The Perfect Gift, is set to release next week with a debut single available now to those who place a pre-order online.

The project contains what is becoming the standard mix for new bluegrass Christmas-themed recordings – several traditional carols, a couple of more recent pop music holiday songs, and a number of new ordignals from the artist.

For a first single, Becky has chosen Last Christmas, a 1984 hit for British pop duo, Wham! Written by vocalist George Michael, the song has become ubiquitous as a Christmas favorite, and has been covered dozens of times since then.

Buller says that it was her daughter who is responsible for her cutting this one, which, in truth, isn’t so much a true Christmas song but one of unrequited love occurring around that time of year.

“Romy (our 9-year-old daughter) had a Wham! moment during the 2021 holidays. I heard this song so many times, I started grassin’ it up in my mind. Hope George approves, God rest his soul.”

This version has a distinct bluegrass feel with Dan Tyminski on guitar, Ron Block on banjo, Sierra Hull on mandolin, Todd Livingston on reso-guitar, and Barry Bales on bass. Sierra and Stephen Mougin add harmony with Becky singing lead and playing fiddle.

Check it out…

The single is available as an immediate download when you place a pre-order for The Perfect Gift online. The full album drops on December 2.

Radio programmers can get all the tracks now via AirPlay Direct.

Stephen Mougin, Ron Block, Dan Tywinski, Sierra Hull, Barry Bales, and Becky Buller at Dark Shadow Recording studio cutting The Perfect Gift.

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California Report: Jason Keiser on his New Acoustic Collective

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Azlyrics

San Jose–based Jason Keiser is yet another in the suddenly burgeoning field of young players who easily crosses boundaries from jazz and bluegrass. He studied at East Tennessee State University with guitarist Wyatt Rice. Jason’s primary instrument is the guitar, on which he composes and arranges material for the New Acoustic Collective, which he founded. The extensive bio on his website lists his credentials, awards, mentors, and appearances.

Hi Jason. Tell us about your new release, Amor en Ritmo.

Hi Dave! Firstly, thank you so much for this opportunity. I’m excited to let everyone know that the New Acoustic Collective released our third record, Amor en Ritmo, featuring Thomas Cassell, Melissa Garay, Jim Kerwin, and Mike Mullins, on all platforms. The New Acoustic Collective separately released a new original single, Hop Dogma Stomp, which is a fun spacegrass tune I wrote featuring mandolinist Mike Mullins. I recommend you check it out! We also released a very special single, The 11th Cycle, composed by our cellist, Nathaniel Grohmann. This uniquely modern New Acoustic tune also features Mike Mullins on mandolin, and is Nathaniel’s debut as a composer with the New Acoustic Collective. 

Mobius Mambo by the New Acoustic Collective (feat Thomas Cassell) from Amor en Ritmo

You studied both jazz and bluegrass at ETSU. Tell us how that came about.

Before transferring to the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies program at ETSU, I was pursuing jazz studies at West Valley Community College in Saratoga, California. I’d been into jazz for a long time, ever since learning and playing it at Leland High School, in Almaden, California. At the time, jazz was the high school band class I could have the excuse to play my guitar in. I jumped at the opportunity and loved it right away. 

When I was studying bluegrass, spacegrass, and new acoustic music with Wyatt Rice at ETSU, and taking bluegrass history and bluegrass band classes, I had to choose a minor emphasis as part of my graduation requirement. I immediately knew that jazz studies would be my music minor, and I immediately began pursuing my studies in jazz again. Pursuing jazz alongside bluegrass felt great, like normal, as I’d always pivoted between those two styles heavily. It was a wonderful way to get to know all the students and faculty in the ETSU music department and continue refining my jazz chops, which I used all the time when studying with Wyatt, and working on new acoustic, spacegrass, and dawg music.

How were those programs different?

The programs and requirements differed a ton. In the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music program I was learning about the history of bluegrass music, practicing in a totally different set of instrumentations, tempos, and keys than I was used to, and flat-picking, which felt so different than playing more jazz-horn-line-type melodies. The classes within the two programs were also very different in their approach, as the professors and instructors were all communicating from their areas of expertise. The two programs were not even in the same department. 

Jazz Studies was located in the Department of Music, while Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies was located in the Appalachian Studies Department. In a lot of ways, the classes and students were different—everyone in their specific program was there to learn that specific class, technique, music, and skill, which was cool and interesting, but I sometimes felt like a fly on the wall, always wanting to learn different ways to communicate my ideas and points of view, from both jazz and bluegrass music! Both programs were superb, and they definitely gave me a ton of different knowledge that I still use to this day.

You studied with Wyatt Rice and composed some work with him. Tell us about that experience.

Having the opportunity to study and learn from Wyatt Rice was an incredible experience for me. Wyatt showed me how to improve my playing, timing, improvising, and tone just leading by example. When I started studying with Wyatt, I’d already been heavily into jazz and new acoustic music, but I didn’t have all the intricate melodies, subtle harmonies, and tunes down exactly from that canon of music. Wyatt helped show me those tunes, the finer details and ways in which Tony wrote pieces such as Waltz for Indira, Swing 51, Devlin’, Manzanita, and so many others. I already had a good feel on the guitar, but Wyatt definitely helped me refine my technique, timing, and tone, and gave me ways to think about music from a more simple and effective perspective.

Regarding composing and working with Wyatt, we became friends outside of our private lessons, talking about jazz and what we were listening to. I’d begun writing a tune, Back in California, in 2017 during winter break that I thought would be perfect for Wyatt and me as a guitar duet. We were taking inspiration from Tony Rice and John Carlini’s seminal record, River Suite for Two Guitars. Back in California was the first tune we worked up and recorded officially as a guitar duo.

Working with Wyatt in the studio was an absolute blast! I tend to play with a lot of energy, and the sessions were immensely inspiring, both in what we were playing together and just how much dang fun we both had! To study and then record with one of my favorite guitarists of all time was an incredible experience I cherish to this day. I hope we can continue those sessions and maybe even release an album of guitar duets one day.

In what ways do you view bluegrass and jazz as being very different and also the same?

Bluegrass and jazz music are both inherently different on the surface when considering basic instrumentation that normally rounds out the typical ensembles. At the same time, both musical forms are heavily based in improvisation, using the basic head chart as the “road map” for the framework of a tune. This is where I find some of the most beautiful similarities and areas for the fusion of both genres.

Tempo and chord changes can differ yet connect between the genres. Many old jazz tunes use chord changes such as the standard ii V I chord progression, which can also be heard in bluegrass, and the common I IV V I pattern heard in both genres.

Both have incredible musical challenges and so many wonderful examples of improvisation to learn from. Melodic embellishment and interplay within a live setting are so important to both genres, listening to each musician as they’re playing and interacting in the moment. 

Your recent work is more jazz influenced. Do you feel a streak of traditional music in the foreseeable future?

That’s an interesting question. I think so! I have a solo guitar arrangement of the traditional bluegrass gospel tune, The Old Rugged Cross, that I’m really proud of. I transcribed all the different vocal parts from Dailey & Vincent’s Singing From The Heart album version, and arranged it all for solo guitar. I hope to release that at some point, and think people would really dig it. 

I also would love to collaborate and do a bluegrass guitar duo record with some of my favorite players in the industry. I’m a big Tim Stafford fan, and hope to record some duos with Tim one day! I’m a huge fan of his songwriting, unique playing style, sound, and tone, as well as Blue Highway, which is one of my favorite bluegrass bands. 

Old Gray Coat feat. Wyatt Rice

You’ve pulled in some excellent talent like Mike Mullins, Melissa Garay, Thomas Cassell, and Jim Kerwin for some tunes. Can you expand on what drew you to each?

Thomas Cassell and I met when we began our B.A. in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies at ETSU in 2016. I remember when I met Thomas; it was the day of band auditions, and he just blew me away. I could hear and see that he was into a ton of different music, which is something I’ve and always look for in all the colleagues I want to work with. 

Thomas and I had a great time working together both in the classroom setting and playing gigs. We’ve collaborated and recorded in many different instances since meeting. He’s a prolific mandolinist, composer, and bandleader and one of the most hard-working musicians I know. He’s also a total professional, very on top of things, with a great attitude, and he’s easy to work with. He keeps a very open mind musically and is willing to go with any ideas that will serve the music and moment! He continues to inspire me to work hard and make things happen, no matter what.

Jim Kerwin has been a pivotal force on the bass and a supporter of my band since we met and connected in 2017. At the time we met, I was on my winter break from ETSU, and I wanted to expand upon the new acoustic and dawg music that Wyatt Rice had been teaching me. I wanted to be able to play it with more people who really knew that music well. Jim Kerwin is a special and unique musician because he excels in so many different musical contexts, and always brings out his personal voice on the double bass in any musical situation, from bluegrass to dawg music, jazz, and beyond. He’s had the longest bass tenure position in the David Grisman Quintet, and I sought him out to learn and play dawg and jazz music together. We hit it off, and we’ve stayed in touch since 2017. When I was putting together the special guest lineup for the Amor en Ritmo album, I wanted to do my best to try and include current and former band members of the David Grisman Quintet, and Jim was at the very top of my list, along with Joe Craven and Matt Eakle, who I hope to collaborate with one day.

I met Melissa Garay when we were pursuing our Master of Music in Jazz Studies at San Jose State University in 2018. Melissa is a triple-threat professional musician. She has a unique voice and ability, a wonderful compositional voice, can arrange for multiple small to large ensembles, and is highly professional and ready for any challenge. Melissa and I hit it off right away and found a lot of similar connections in our love for Latin music, and for pushing musical boundaries in general. I’ve been collaborating, gigging, and recording with Melissa since 2018, and I knew she had to be featured with the New Acoustic Collective on the Amor en Ritmo record. I always had it in my mind that there would be no singing/vocals featured in the band, as instrumental music has always been my main focus for the group. But there were two pieces I had in mind to include on this album that would run cohesively with the Latin music themes. I knew right away that Melissa needed to be featured and highlighted on these tunes—Pequeña Avé, which Melissa wrote the lyrics to, and Black Orpheus by Luiz Bonfá. 

I met Mike Mullins virtually when COVID was much worse. I found out about Mike, his great music, and mandolin playing after listening to his beautiful recording of Danza Calavera featuring Jim Kerwin and Joe Craven on his album Windows of Time. I really liked his playing and wanted to show him our music, and we hit it off! I sent him our second album, Art of Acoustics, and he’s been a staunch supporter of me, my music, and the New Acoustic Collective ever since. Mike is one of the most supportive people I have ever met in the music business. He means a ton to us and me as a collaborator and he’s a dear friend. Similarly to the other musicians and special guests on the new Amor en Ritmo album, Mike is not afraid to take risks, push boundaries, and try new things musically.

Mugavero (feat. Mike Mullins) Music Video

Obviously, David “Dawg” Grisman is a big influence. When did you first hear his work?

I first heard David’s dawg music back around 2013–2014 when I was at West Valley College, and his composing completely blew me away! David is one of the biggest influences on me as a composer. If there was no dawg music there’d be no New Acoustic Collective.

Talk about how Tony Rice has influenced your music.

Tony influenced and continues to influence me in my approach to flat picking and technical virtuosity, timing, precision, melodic development, and embellishment in my improvising. Even more so, Tony has impacted me as a composer. I remember hearing this quote that Tony said, which I’m paraphrasing: “I found out early on that I couldn’t play as Clarence did, so I had to find my own voice and way to communicate my ideas on the guitar.” This is how I feel when thinking about Tony’s playing versus mine. I’m not Tony Rice and never will be, so I better start thinking about how I might want things to sound, feel, and be for myself, because having one’s own voice on their instrument is as important to me as it was for Tony. I’d like to see more people taking what Tony did and expanding on it in their own musical way, including composing, improvising, phrasing, and using chordal substitutions. It would be great to see more people exploring the sound he was searching for, as John Coltrane was doing for his sound. Tony was a big fan of Trane, and it would be cool for people to dig deeper into Trane’s catalog and the other artists Tony loved to listen to, such as Bill Evans, NHØP, and Ernie Watts. Tony has impacted my mindset; he’s made me consider how I personally want to think and sound. If there was no Tony Rice, Tony Rice Unit, and spacegrass music, there would never be the New Acoustic Collective.

What instruments do you play?

I used to consider myself to be a multi-instrumentalist, but at this point, I almost solely play the guitar. I dabble a bit in mandolin, tres Cubano, banjo, and ukulele. Overall, the guitar is the final frontier for me. It’s the instrument I compose on, and it’s the most challenging instrument out of all of those, so my work is always cut out for me on the guitar. It will always be my main focus.

What music do you recall hearing growing up?

My dad is a huge music fan and always had a CD or something on the radio when I was growing up. One of his favorite artists is Bruce Springsteen, so I remember hearing a lot of Bruce, which was nice, as well as vocal jazz music and a variety of rock and folk. My grandpa was really into Creedence Clearwater Revival and Ray Charles, and that music was exciting to hear as I was growing up, and to dive into because it opened my ears a bit more to both folk and jazz-style sounds. There was not a whole lot of instrumental music being played around the house as I was growing up, but I do remember a pivotal moment looking in my family’s basement and discovering a John Coltrane compilation CD. John Coltrane is still one of my biggest influences. 

Do you teach music? How do you motivate your students?

Yes, I do teach music, both privately through my own studio, and at three different music schools in the Bay Area. One day I hope to teach higher education. I have a goal of teaching jazz and developing a higher ed curriculum with classes for new acoustic, spacegrass, and dawg music.

As a private music instructor, I cater to each one of my students individually and try my best to scaffold their experience to find and achieve what’’s best for them. Motivation-wise, I highly encourage my students to take as much if not more time to actively listen to music rather than just practicing. Inspiring one another and finding what makes the students tick and get excited about is some of the most important motivators in my opinion.

Hop Dogma Stomp (feat. Mike Mullins)

Is there anything else you want to say or plug?

We have a show coming up Sunday, December 4, sponsored by Music in Place, live at the Donkey & Goat Winery in Berkeley from 1:00-4:50 p.m. Many thanks to Music in Place for their continued support of the New Acoustic Collective. Check them out and their wonderful mission to help support professional working Bay Area musicians online. 

The New Acoustic Collective has a new single, Tynerism, featuring Mike Mullins and dedicated to McCoy Tyner. It’s a special spacegrass tune I composed and set for release on Sunday, December 11, which happens to be McCoy Tyner’s birthday. It’s a cool tune inspired by Tyner’s chordal vocabulary and use of quartal harmony, while also fusing elements of bluegrass music. 

I have a new jazz sextet record, Shaw’s Groove, featuring John Stowell, Erik Jekabson, Aaron Lington, Dan Robbins, and Jason Lewis, coming out in 2023. I also have a new jazz guitar duet record featuring Mimi Fox, John Stowell, Rick Vandivier, and potentially more guests that’s also in the works currently. Stay tuned for new info on that and check out my most recent jazz guitar record, The Axe Axis, featuring Rick Vandivier and John Stowell, on all platforms. 

Thanks for your time, Jason

Many thanks again Dave for having me! 


Posted in Lyrics | Tags: ETSU, Thomas Cassell | Leave a comment |

Medical fund established for Kate Lee O’Connor

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Azlyrics

The four years prior to COVID was a happy time for Kate Lee O’Connor. The talented young vocalist and fiddler was just graduating from Belmont University and planning a wedding to her soulmate, Forrest O’Connor. The two had gone from a startup acoustic duo, Wisewater, to members of The O’Connor Family Band, along with Forrest’s dad, fiddle virtuoso Mark O’Connor, and his wife, Maggie, also a very skilled violinist.

Kate became the talk of the bluegrass and Americana music world for her live and recorded performances with the band, for whom she was the primary singer. Their music videos were quite popular with a wide audience, and The O’Connor Family won the 2017 Best Bluegrass Album Grammy for Coming Home.

We had followed Kate’s career with some relish, as we first met her while she was still in high school, and she wrote a number of articles for us from the perspective of a young person already dedicated to a career in bluegrass music at such a young age. We shared her joy as she excelled in college, and covered the plans for a solo album back in 2012 and her wedding in 2017. As we all approached the year 2020, one might say that the young Mrs. O’Connor was on top of the world.

Then in June of that year, while the world was shut down, Kate’s doctor had her come off of a medication she had taken since she was a child, which led to a sever case of SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome, and a increase in obsessive behavior which the medication had been effectively controlling for years. New medications were tried, but she experienced all sorts of disturbing symptoms, including anxiety spikes, tremors, and depression which required a number of hospital stays over the ensuing two and a half years.

According to Forrest, who has launched a GoFundMe page to help he and Kate cope with the many medical expenses they have accumulated, she had worked her way back to health, and was strong enough to resume a performing schedule when she suffered another major setback in May of this year. On top of a return of the symptoms described above, she was also experiencing extreme nausea, physical illness, and sleep deprivation, and returned to hospital for several weeks.

As her condition worsened, Kate attempted suicide in September, and while she was revived, she remained unresponsive for 24 hours, during which time her physicians were quite concerned about organ damage. Much of the next two months were spent in the hospital in Nashville, requiring multiple surgeries for localized blood pressure issues. In short, she has been quite ill and faces a long and demanding recovery.

Kate O’Connor is a lovely young woman, and unusually talented. Her husband is understandably concerned about her well being, and how they will survive financially during this time. He says that they already have accumulated $200,000 in medical bills over this past two months, and are facing therapy costs of roughly $500/week going forward.

Forrest is asking that anyone who has enjoyed their music please consider making a donation through GoFundMe. Donations can be processed via any major credit card or PayPal online.

He says that with some time for recovery, they hope to see Kate back on stage performing again, and shared this video they recorded to promote a new duo project they were expecting to release with Compass Records before she became so sick. Let’s all hope to see Kate Lee O’Connor return to full strength soon, and get to hear their new music.

Get well soon, Kate!

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Tyler Jackson, Tori Jones wed

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Azlyrics

Music has brought another couple to the altar. Banjoist of North Carolina’s Drive Time, Tyler Jackson, married fiddler/mandolinist, Tori Jones, formerly of Sweet Potato Pie, on November 6 in Boonville, NC.

The couple officially met in Nashville while attending the 2020 SPBGMA gathering.

“We didn’t really talk much until right before I went in the hospital,” Tyler, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2020, shared. “The support she showed me throughout the time had a large part in my recovery. She has been the answer to countless prayers.”

Tori pointed out, “I knew I had found a keeper.”

Their wedding included current and former band mates. Former Sweet Potato Pie pickers, Katie Springer Koerner and Madeleine Baucom Carnes, provided music as the bridal party entered. One of Tori’s music students, Izzy Yarborough, played fiddle as the bride came down the aisle. Groomsmen included Drive Time’s Bailey Coe, Austyn Howell, Austin Koerner, and former member, Grayson Tuttle. 

Tyler said, “We were so blessed to have so many friends and family there with us, both musical and otherwise. We are so thankful the Lord has brought us together, and we look forward to where this road will lead us.”

The Jacksons will make their home in Kernersville, NC. No doubt they will be making beautiful music together.

Congratulations Tyler and Tori!

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Breaking Grass to Hog Grass Entertainment

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Azlyrics

Mississippi’s Breaking Grass has been announced as the first signees of the newly-formed Hog Grass Entertainment agency, launched last week in Nashville by Ben Wilson on Paul Harris of The Cleverlys.

The band is based around the singing and original music of guitarist Cody Farrar, supported by bandmates Britt Sheffield on bass, Tyler White on fiddle, Zach Wooten on mandolin, and Jody Elmore on banjo. Despite their youth, they have a 12 year history, with Mountain Fever Records recently releasing the band’s sixth album, Somewhere Beyond. Breaking Grass tours all over the US, winning over both bluegrass and non-bluegrass audiences with their contemporary look and sound, and high energy performances.

Wilson says that he and Harris have been mightily impressed seeing the band in action, and watching their chart success with recorded product.

“We feel like Breaking Grass is one of the most talented groups in bluegrass, and the music industry in general. Hog Grass Entertainment is proud to add Breaking Grass to our family. We feel like the future is as bright as it can be for our genre, and we are proud to play a small part in the future of bluegrass music.

Somewhere Beyond has gotten a good bit of attention from bluegrass radio, with one track in particular, 100 Degrees in the Shade, spending several weeks this year on our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart.

Cody explains why they made the jump to Hog Grass.

“Since the formation of Breaking Grass, we have handled our booking internally, most recently with the help of the amazing Angie White. This summer, we met Ben Wilson and Paul Harris and realized we all had similar visions about business and the direction we could potentially take the band. We’ve been fans of The Cleverlys since our first time hearing them years ago. We’re excited about teaming up with the guys and Hog Grass Entertainment!”

While the agency does expect to add more artists at some point, they plan to focus on The Cleverlys and Breaking Grass for the near future.

To find our more about either act, contact Hog Grass Entertainment online.

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2022 Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Azlyrics

Fast Track at the 2022 Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies – photo © Bill Warren

With new dates (the weekend before Thanksgiving), a new venue (WL Mills Auditorium in the Gatlinburg Convention Center), but the same quality show from its promoter (Lorraine Jordan) proved a recipe for success at the 11th annual Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies.

“We had the biggest crowd I’ve ever had. We averaged 900 people per day,” a pleased Jordan reflected at the close of the festival. “The (instrument) workshops went well. There were lots of kids on stage this weekend. Everybody seemed very happy and had a good time.”

Typical for Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies, there were plenty of surprises and special guests throughout the three-day event. On Friday, Jordan presented her newest member of Carolina Road, Wayne Morris, with a pocket watch during their set.

“You are our 23rd honorary Carolina Road member,” she explained as Jordan handed her new lead guitarist the gift. “Bill Monroe gave his band members belt buckles. I give pocket watches.”

Paul Williams, ambassador to Christmas in the Smokies and member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, played and sang, not only on Saturday’s gospel set with Randy Graham, Josh Goforth, and the Carolina Road band. The Hall of Famer also performed a song with the Dean Osborne Band earlier in the day. Williams’ son, Richie, joined in on guitar for part of the gospel set. 

Graham praised Williams for his talents. “I’ve never been given to hero worship, but this man comes closest to it. He is a treasure.”

Williams shared sage advice during the afternoon gospel portion, “Go spread the gospel and use as few words as possible.”

Other special guests throughout the weekend included gifted vocalist, Caleb Daughtery, sitting in with the band, Harbourtown, and dobroist, Matt Leadbetter, performing two sets with Wyoming’s Prairie Wildfire. 

Both pickers and fans celebrated the freedom to assemble together again after the pandemic shutdowns. Larry Efaw brought 16 family members that included his son, Stanley, and his son-in-law, Stacy Wilcox, who also performed on stage with other bands.

There was plenty of jokes and laughter. During Efaw’s set, bassist, Mikayla Burrows, gave her fiddling husband, Adam, a hard time over his dietary choices.

“He ate 12 donuts! Why don’t you eat a salad?” she pointedly asked.

“I’d rather die happy than worry about that donut I didn’t have,” Adam retorted.

During Jordan’s portion of the show, she admired an attendee’s sparkling jacket. The lady promptly approached the stage and handed the Lady of Tradition her garment, which Jordan donned the remainder of her set. 

Following a rousing version of Bluegrass Breakdown on the mandolin, she asked the audience, “Did they keep up with Mama?”

While in the gospel show, former Carolina Road member, Josh Goforth, joked about all the different types of Baptists in the Smokies. “There are also Buzzard Baptists. They only go to church for funerals. They don’t go in, they just circle the building.”

In the banjo workshop, Ben Greene shared how we had recently lost three of “the best,” J.D. Crowe, Bill Emerson, and Sonny Osborne.

That prompted Randy Graham to tease his band mate, “How are you feeling?”

In addition to Greene’s banjo workshop, Josh Goforth held workshops on guitar, mandolin, and fiddle, Bailey Moore did one on bass, and Justus Sowell taught one on dobro.

Music flowed freely all three days with great audio from GBS Sound of Ohio, and MC work from Lorraine’s 92-year-old dad, Royce Jordan, and Highway 40 Bluegrass’ Doug Whitley.

Other great bands included Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers, the Larry Stephenson Band, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Fast Track, and Deeper Shade of Blue. There were ten separate groups performing on Saturday alone with the Family Sowell doing an entire Christmas program for their portion.

Jordan concluded, “We are excited to come back (to Gatlinburg) next year.” Dates for the 2023 Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies Festival are set for November 16-18. New bands to the festival in the ’23 line-up include: Authentic Unlimited, the Malpass Brothers, Little Roy & Lizzy, the Grascals, and the Kody Norris Show to name a few. For tickets, call 919-609-6740, visit the festival online, or reach out by email.

In 2023, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road will continue to serve as host band for Willow Oak Bluegrass Festival in Roxboro, NC, on Father’s Day Weekend, plus a new event, Bluegrass in the Blue Ridge, an indoor festival in the Meadowview Conference Center and Hotel in Kingsport, TN. Held on April 14-15, 2023, the festival will benefit the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass Program. Other bands performing include the Lonesome River Band, Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, Deeper Shade of Blue, and others. For tickets, call 919-609-6740 or contact by email.




































































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Brightest of Days – Sicard Hollow

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Azlyrics

It’s interesting how bluegrass music often becomes a destination rather than a point of origin. Interesting, but hardly surprising, given the fact that its populist precepts find common ground with so many bands that were weaned on the likes of the Grateful Dead, Phish, and other outfits that bend boundaries while sharing instrumental acumen. One need only look to Leftover Salmon, Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled By Turtles, Steep Canyon Rangers, and other groups that have attracted a sizable following while creating a sound rooted in the basics of bluegrass, and yet with appeal to an energized and enthusiastic young audience.

Sicard Hollow evolved in much the same way, and the four members readily admit that none of them — singer, guitarist Alex King; singer, mandolin player Will Herrin; fiddler, harmony vocalist Matthew Rennick; and bassist, harmony vocalist Parrish Gabriel — initiated a musical journey that began with bluegrass. These days, they owe their influences to the Dead and New Grass Revival, but before they coalesced in 2018, they were latent rockers in search of further inspiration.

Consequently, their sophomore set, Brightest of Days, comes across as an articulate, expressive, and thoroughly engrossing set of songs, one that shows allegiance to the basics of bluegrass while taking their musical intents several steps further. For example, the song Metamorphic Prophecy lives up to the celestial trappings its name implies, courtesy of an adventurous approach that pushes at the parameters. The title track further affirms that earnest, engaging sound, while also honing in on a musical mantra flush with absolute optimism. It does so by infusing hope with happenstance, making it all he more meaningful.  

The songs that follow ring with a drive and dynamic that reflects that infectious attitude. Songs such as Where I’m At, This I Know, and Face the Wreckage all convey a confidence and clarity that ring and resonate throughout. Bound To Die, a song with a title that might otherwise seem somewhat dire, maintains a soaring delivery that keeps the consistency intact.

The arrangements underscore that infectious attitude. Herrin and Resnick are generally found at the fore, while King and Gabriel provide the pace. Yet it’s that uplifting attitude that leaves the most lingering impression. “You can’t change the weather, but you can dance in the rain,” they suggest on the album’s searing send-off, Forecast of Life. Thanks to that upbeat outlook, Brightest of Days is flush with irresistible appeal.

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West Virginia – new single from David Parmley

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Azlyrics

615 Hideaway Records has a new single for David Parmley, taken from his upcoming full-length project with the label.

It’s a song called West Virginia, written by Linda Buell and Jody Emerson, that reunites the legendary bluegrass vocalist with his long time partner Scott Vestal from Continental Divide, and his former Bluegrass Cardinals bandmate Don Rigsby.

This one tells the story of a man who, tired of city life, begins to dream of wide open spaces and the cowboy life.

David says that it reminds him of the way pickers feel.

 “I liked the song West Virginia the first time I heard it. To me, it’s about a guy leaving the security of his home to purse his dreams, kind of like musicians do!”

Vestal is on banjo, with Jim Hurst on guitar, Seth Taylor on mandolin, Tim Crouch on fiddle, Jeff Partin on reso-guitar, and Dave roe on bass. They give this mid-tempo grasser a wicked groove, while David croons it out with Rigbsy singing tenor.

Check it out…

West Virginia from David Parmley is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: West Virginia | Leave a comment |

Barefoot’n Bluegrass with Pretend Friend

Posted on November 19, 2022 by Azlyrics

Tarzan had Jane. Charlie Brown had Snoopy. Why, even Mork had Mindy. What did they all have? Friends played a very vital role in our lives, both as children and as adults.

At the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival, held in Guthrie, OK, I had the privilege of chatting it up with Pretend Friend. You might think that’s an odd band name, but after talking with Grant Boesen (acoustic guitar, songwriter, and vocalist), the name makes perfect sense. Pretend Friend was named in relation to an earlier band with which Boesen was involved. They couldn’t come up with a name, so Pretend Friend it was, and Boesen has kept it going every sense.

Boessen brags, “I even stole my band members from other bands.” Among those stolen members are Evan Ogborn, 2021 Kansas State Mandolin Champion, Brody Wellman who plays bass, and Garrett Briggeman, banjoist.

Each of these four come from a hard rock background, but in 2017, the quartet organized as a progressive bluegrass band that is making moves across the midwest. 

From Wichita Kansas, the band doesn’t disappoint when they take center stage. Always playing barefoot, regardless of temperature, this foursome entertains with a style that shows echoes of Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, and the Stanley Brothers with gallons of diesel poured on it. They create an enormous explosion of songwriting and virtuosity every time they perform. “We started playing barefoot for comfort, but then realized that it was easier to hit the pedals and ‘feel’ the music without any shoes,” stated Ogborn. 

Evan and Garrett were also semi-pro soccer players. “The band performs just as athletes do,” Briggeman said. “We practice, and we listen to one another. We are teammates, just not band members.”

The Walnut Valley Festival holds a special place in the hearts of this band. In 2019, Boessen’s song, Fear, won the Songs for a Better World category in their songwriting competition. Evan’s tune, Pickin’ In The Road, placed as an alternate in the same category. A year later, the band was crowned champions of the Battle of the Bands contest.

Recently returning from an eleven day tour, which consisted of 11 shows, six dudes, one PA system, lights and hazer, and 50+ frisbees, all in one van, Pretend Friend used their talents to charm and were welcomed home in Kansas with open arms.

A tumbleweed of fire comes to mind in describing not only the personalities, but the talents of Pretend Friend. Often posting to YouTube, the guys can be seen performing live in the shop, such as in this original titled Squirrel in the Attic, which accentuates the capabilities this budding foursome offers.

Pretend Friend leaves an audience with mouths agape and hungering for more. This comes from Boessen’s unique voice, and the skill of the instrumentalists. While they truly respect traditional bluegrass, they are not shy about pushing the limits with their progressive style and high energy performances.  

This is one friend, you will want to follow, and stay in touch with.





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The Ballad of Kidder Cole from Appalachian Road Show

Posted on November 19, 2022 by Azlyrics

Billy Blue Records has released a new single from their current album, Jubilation, by Appalachian Road Show.

This latest, The Ballad of Kidder Cole, is a perfect demonstration of why this group has won a legion of fans from their three recordings and many live shows over the past few years. First-rate storytelling and top-level musicianship in service to driving bluegrass music… how can you miss?

Fiddler Jim Van Cleve explains a bit about this song, written in the early 20th century by Felix Eugene Alley, describing a dance where his cousin stole away the attention of one Kidder Cole. Alley went on to become a prestigious attorney and judge in North Carolina.

“He was from Haywood County, NC where I grew up. I didn’t know about Mr. Alley until we set about working up this song. He wrote a tale about a girl named Kidder Cole, who he tried to dance with and win the affections of for the entire song. Felix was relatively unsuccessful with Ms. Cole, it would seem, but the whole thing has such a fun tongue-in-cheek vibe about it, and the way we ended up arranging it, it just has a lot of fun moments.

The backdrop for where the story takes place is square dances back in the barn dance era in Appalachia, so we took some of the classic dance and fiddle tunes and weaved them into and around the melody of that song,.

It’s so much fun! We hope folks have as much fun listening to it as we do playing it!”

Appalachian Road show is Barry Abernathy on banjo and lead vocal, Van Cleve on fiddle, Zeb Snyder on guitar, Darrell Webb on mandolin, and Todd Phillips on bass.

Have a listen, and see if you can name all the fiddle tunes.

The Ballad of Kidder Cole, and the full Jubilation album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs and vinyl LPs can be ordered directly from the artists.

Radio programmers will find all the tracks from Jubilation at AirPlay Direct.

Posted in Lyrics | Tags: Appalachian Road Show | Leave a comment |
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