Monthly Archives: December 2022

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY is taking their mission to spread the word of bluegrass quite literally with a new event in March of 2023.

Called The Great American Bluegrass Jam, this weekend affair brings together the Hall of Fame and area businesses to offer an immersive bluegrass experience for pickers and fans alike from March 17-19.

The Jam weekend will include the Kentucky State Fiddle Championship, a Kentucky Fried Hotel Jam, with a concert from The Earls of Leicester, and excursions to the Bill Monroe Homeplace in nearby Rosine. There is also a day trip to the Green River Distilling Company for those so inclined.

The Kentucky Fried Jam will take place at the Holiday Inn, just a few blocks from the Museum, and pickers and grinners are invited to participate at no charge. Space will be set aside for jamming throughout the property, and the Holiday Inn is offering special weekend room rates for those coming for the music.

The Kentucky Fiddle Championship will take place at the Museum, where fiddlers from all over the state converge for a chance to win the coveted trophy. Spectator tickets are only $10 each day (Saturday and Sunday), and include access to all the exhibits in the Museum proper.

Friday, March 7, will feature The Earls of Leicester performing at the Museum from 7:00-9:00 p.m., with tickets starting at $38.50. Tickets can be bundled with hotel reservations for additional savings.

Friday and Saturday will offer access to the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Roots Tour which leaves the Holiday Inn each morning at 10:30 a.m., and includes a chartered tour of the home where Monroe was raised in Rosine, plus other places of interest, returning at 4:00 p.m. Lunch is provided with the $30 ticket.

Additional offerings from downtown businesses will be announced shortly.

The Great American Bluegrass Jam sounds like a great way to kick off the 2023 season, as all events will be held indoors, so weather won’t be an issue.

Find full details at the Hall of Fame web site.

One of my hands-down favorite songs from the past year was Jr Williams’s Railroad Town Without a Train, the poignant story of the closing of the Clinchfield railyards in Erwin, TN. Written by Tim Stafford and Thomm Jutz, the song expertly mixes the history of the Clinchfield and the town with the narrator’s sense of hopelessness at losing not only his livelihood, but that of the entire community. A gentle, melancholy melody guided by Adam Steffey’s mandolin, Aaron Ramsey’s guitar, and Jeff Partin’s dobro fits the lyrics perfectly, as does the hint of despair in Williams’s vocals.

Williams’s recent release from Mountain Fever Records, Railroad Town, features that song as a centerpiece, and it certainly stands out as the album’s top track. However, Williams has surrounded it with nine other cuts that are also strong, showcasing his warm lead vocals and some fine picking from excellent backing musicians. Most of the songs are familiar bluegrass or country favorites, with a few newer songs thrown in for good measure, making for an enjoyable listening experience for fans of modern traditional bluegrass.

Like many of Williams’s past recordings, this album varies between traditional-leaning, banjo-guided grass, and songs with a more acoustic country flavor. The first two tracks offer a perfect example. Williams’s banjo kicks things off with the mid-tempo Gonna Settle Down, giving listeners a faithful rendition of the Flatt & Scruggs classic. Ramsey’s mandolin adds a nice bounce to the rhythm, while Nathan Aldridge’s fiddle offers a bit of zest. This is followed by Williams’s rendition of the Don Williams hit, Lord, I Hope This Day is Good, which found quite a bit of success on radio in 2022. Again, Williams finds plenty of inspiration in the original, with a soft, yearning tone to his voice very reminiscent of Don Williams’s signature style.

A pair of gospel songs are also standouts here. On House of Gold, the stripped-back arrangement allows Williams’s voice – and the song’s moving lyrics – to shine. Bluesy fiddle from Aldridge is a nice addition, as well. Junior Sisk makes a guest appearance on Let Me Walk, Lord, By Your Side, offering a wonderful lead vocal that effortlessly encompasses that haunting, mountain gospel style. 

Other highlights for me included Can I Go Home with You, the lively closing track written by Caleb Klauder, and the album’s lone instrumental, a great version of the Osborne Brothers’ Sledd Ridin‘. The former is a fun little number, finding Williams repeatedly asking a woman if she might like some company when she heads home at the end of the night, already envisioning “the day that we walk down the aisle.” The latter is a nice showcase for Williams’s banjo skills and a fine tribute to the late Sonny Osborne. 

Mountain Fever is no slouch when it comes to releasing strong recordings. Railroad Town is a bit compact, at just ten songs, but anyone who enjoys modern traditional or contemporary bluegrass should find much to like here. 

Railroad Town is available from several online music retailers.

Pinecastle Records has released another single from their instrumental tour de force project, Bluegrass 2022, headed up by banjo wizard Scott Vestal. Scott has turned out these records from his studio, Digital Underground, for years, assisted by fellow Nashville super pickers.

For 2022, the lineup was Vestal on banjo, Cody Kilby on guitar, Tim Crouch on fiddle, Randy Kohrs on reso-guitar, Jonah Horton on mandolin, and Byron House on bass.

This week’s single is Gold Rush, a classic Bill Monroe fiddle tune from 1968. Initially recorded by Monroe as The Gold Rush, the shortened name has stuck as the tune has become a jam standard.

Listening to this new version, one wonders whether Monroe and Byron Berline had any notion when they wrote this tune that, two generations hence, there would be such virtuosic bluegrass pickers around to give new life to this fairly straightforward melody. In any event, here we are, and here they are.

Have a listen…

Woof!

Gold Rush, and the complete Bluegrass 2022 album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can get the tracks via AirPlay Direct.

Ian Tyson photo © Peter Scoular (used by permission)

Celebrated Canadian folk singer and songwriter Ian Tyson has died today at 89 years of age.

Though his career was focused on folk music, a number of Tyson’s songs have been memorably recorded in bluegrass, notably Summer Wages by J.D. Crowe & The New South, Four Strong Winds by Tony Rice, and Someday Soon by a number of artists, most recently Darin & Brooke Aldridge.

First coming onto the folk scene in the 1960s with his wife, Sylvia Fricker, as Ian & Sylvia, Tyson’s songs were instant hits during the folk boom, with several covered by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Judy Collins, who had a major hit with her version of Someday Soon.

After a dozen albums together, Ian & Sylvia evolved into Great Speckled Bird, an early entry into country rock. He hosted the Ian Tyson Show on Canadian TV from 1970-’75, but after divorcing from Sylvia, moved back to his native Canadian West and settled in Alberta where he developed a passion for training horses.

From there, Ian became a supporter of Cowboy Poetry and wrote a number of new cowboy songs.

He continued performing until 2006 when he injured his voice at an outdoor festival, trying to be heard over a sub par audio system. This injury, followed by a lingering virus, left his voice a mere raspy remnant of the smooth, powerful sound that had become his trademark.

Ian Tyson died on his ranch in Alberta following ongoing health issues. His family has requested privacy at this time, and will hold a private service in the near future.

R.I.P., Ian Tyson.

The DC Bluegrass Union Hazel Dickens Song Contest celebrates the life and muse of one of bluegrass music’s most beloved songwriters. 

Each year since 2014, the DC Bluegrass Union (DCBU) has extended invitations to songwriters in recognition of the enduring influence of a singular artist, and one of the first female songwriters to specialize in our music. Hazel Dickens, along with her partner for many years, Alice Gerrard, was inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2017. 

The prestigious contest is open for original bluegrass and bluegrass gospel songs, with an entrance fee of $30.00 per song. There isn’t any limit on the number of entries. The first, second, and third place winners receive cash prizes ($500 / $250 / $100) as well as giving the writers exposure in the wider bluegrass music community.  

It is open to entries from all locations and from new and long-time songwriters alike. 

Judging by three volunteers, who are leaders in the music industry and independent of the DC Bluegrass Union, is based on the merits of the individual song – originality, lyrics, and melody – not on the production or performance quality of the submission. 

The entry deadline is midnight on January 9, 2023. All online entries and entry fee payments must be received by this time.

All entry fees submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than January 9, 2023.

For details about the entry process see the DCBU website where a PDF form can be accessed for mail-in options.  

The top three winners will be announced on February 19, 2023.

Previous winners include Gary A. Ferguson; Nancy Cardwell Erdos; David Morris and Dawn Kenney; Pam Gadd; Korby Lenker and Molly Tuttle; Corrina Rose Logston Stephens; Louisa Branscomb and Jennifer Zapolnik; and Carley Arrowood.  

All proceeds from the Hazel Dickens Song Contest help to fund the DCBU, which is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer organization with a mission to promote bluegrass music in the greater Washington area through education and performance. 

Although the band is based in Sweden, Mo’s Granted could be considered an international ensemble due to the fact that its lead singer, guitarist, and ukulele player Imogen Grant was born and raised in Canada before relocating to Scandinavia.

“Imogen moved to Sweden after some years of busking in the US and Canada,” bassist Peter Cedermark explains. “Word of her musicality reached Mikael Moilanen, who, at the time, was talking with his former bandmate and banjo player Kenneth Kjellgren about starting a new group. Kenneth and Mikael then contacted Jan-Olof Johnson, a former bandmate of Kenneth’s from Downhill Bluegrass Band. They engaged Jan-Olof’s son Gustaf on the mandolin, with Mikael initially playing the bass. In the summer of 2020, Kenneth asked me  to try out as a bass player. I was between bands at the time, so in April 2021, I agreed to join the band.”

The band members also boast diverse musical backgrounds. Grant was trained in singing classical music. Johnson developed his skills as an arranger. His son Gustaf was originally a percussion major. Kejellgren is adept at recording and production, most of which he originates from his home studio. Cedermark, who occasionally doubles on banjo, also serves as a moderator for The Banjo Hangout, a premier website on everything banjo related.

That said, Mo’s Granted does coalesce together as far as style is concerned. “The sound is rooted in bluegrass and a high lonesome sound, but many elements are borrowed from blues, jazz, folk, and soul,” Cedermark explains. “In general, we retain the instrumentation and many other elements of bluegrass, such as hard-driving banjo, three part harmonies, and mandolin backbeat chops. Imogen sings in a soul/blues/jazz/bluegrass/folk style. Our live sets can include songs related to many different genres.”

It’s little wonder. Grant claims her primary influences derrive from Chris Stapleton, Nina Simone, Tom Waits, The Devil Makes Three, and Trampled by Turtles. “We borrow many elements from Flatt & Scruggs, Osborne Brothers, Tony Rice, and other bluegrass greats,” Cerdermark adds. “The basic style of a given tune is often dictated by Imogen’s interpretation, so we adapt the back-up to fit.”

Mo’s Granted’s first major live performance took place at the Torsåker Bluegrass Festival in July 2021. “This festival was special because the very last of the COVID restrictions were still in force, and the audience was limited to 50 visitors,” Cerdermark recalls. “We played two sets on two separate days and they were very well received. Our next major performance was at the Grenna Bluegrass Festival in August 2021. This time, it was completely without restrictions. It would also be a gig to be remembered. A wonderful crowd gave us standing ovations, and the promoters gave us two encores, despite an otherwise very tight schedule. That performance brought us to a wider audience. Then in July 2022, we revisited the Torsåker Bluegrass Festival after all restrictions had been lifted, and there again, we were very well received.”

Aside from their festival appearances, the band regularly performs at churches, for street and city festivals, and at private events.

“We have yet to do our first tour,” Cerdermark noted. “However, we’re applying to play at other festivals in and out of Sweden during 2023, and that may or may not evolve into a mini-tour. We absolutely love playing at bluegrass festivals, but we also hope to play at other festivals as well, including those that feature country and Americana so as to gain an even wider audience. We have made ourselves a name on the Swedish bluegrass scene, but that scene is fairly small and few of those bands are well known.”

Nevertheless, he says that the band has been welcomed warmly overall. “Our combination of traditional bluegrass instruments and a big, eclectic female voice is definitely not the norm,” Cerdermark suggests. “We play a fairly even 50/50 mix of originals and covers. Most original songs were written by Imogen and they relate to her life as a busker, her upbringing, her lost friends, and other personal stories. Kenneth wrote the tune Peaceful originally as an instrumental, but Imogen was inspired to add lyrics to it. The band recently picked up one of my original songs and we expect to perform it live in 2023.”

He says songs such as If It Hadn’t Been For Love and Blue Side of the Mountain by The Steeldrivers are among their favorite covers, while adding that Grant’s affection for Nina Simone comes through in a medley of Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood and House of the Rising Sun.

“We try to create our own renditions using our own strengths and skills, rather than recreate versions already out there,” he adds.

The band’s recordings include a 2021 EP titled Session One, as well as three singles written by Grant herself  — You Can Tell I’m Sweet and My Superhero Mother — both released in 2021 — and The Booze, which came out from earlier this year. This past month, they shared a cover of a traditional Christmas song titled Blind Boys of Bethlehem. Cedermark added that further recordings are planned for 2023.

Asked his opinion on why bluegrass enjoys such international popularity, Cedermark said that in his opinion it has to do with three primary factors.

“I’m thinking about the classic song form with intro, verses, choruses, and ending based on three main chords,” he continues. “It’s easy to recognize and follow for musicians and audience alike. The audience is never left behind, and it leaves lots of headroom for instrumental and vocal virtuosity and expression. I also think the storytelling should not be understated. The story is often the most engaging part of the song, and the focus on the story is almost unmatched compared to jazz, choir music, or other genres. A good story engages in a way that music alone can’t. Finally, the openness and accessibility of the bluegrass community is something very special.”

Notably, Cedermark bases his opinion on personal experience.

“I still remember my first bluegrass festival, seeing the other bands camping and jamming together with everyone else,” he recalls. “Any sense of being starstruck quickly disappeared. Beginners could pick up the songs fairly quickly, and they were encouraged to take solo breaks, suggest tunes and join in. This was my first contact with the jamming culture, and the openness was fantastic. Of course, being able to play the bass made me feel especially welcome.”

Folks in southeastern Pennsylvania know Shane McGeehan as bass player and vocalist with regional grassers Serene Green. But with a new solo project on Patuxent Records, Your Love For Me Is Gold, a lot more people will get to know him as a lead singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist as well.

Growing up the son of a banjo picker, McGeehan tagged along to bluegrass festivals ever since he was a tot, and was joining in at jams as soon as he was old enough to manage a guitar. Seven years in now with Serene Green, with two albums under their belt, Shane felt ready to record a solo project of his own, and populated it with his originals and a few covers that mean a lot to him.

One such is the first single chosen by Patuxent, Stranger In The House, which British rocker Elvis Costello wrote and recorded as a duet with country star George Jones in 1978. Shane’s version is a bit more subdued, as he turns this one into a bluegrass waltz.

Have a listen…

Stranger In The House, and the full Your Love For Me Is Gold album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Downloads are also available for purchase directly from the artist at bandcamp, and audio CDs can be ordered from Paxtuxent.

Morning Glory Music, a division of Mountain Fever Music Group, has announced the signing of bluegrass gospel favorites The Chigger Hill Boys & Terri.

“But wait,” you may be saying, “I follow bluegrass closely, and I’m not familiar with this group? How can they be favorites?”

The answer is that the group was formed in 2001 specifically to highlight the singing and songwriting of Terri Argot Gore, and create a bluegrass sound to promote within the Southern Gospel music community. That is where the Chigger Hill Boys perform, and they have been quite successful, garnering Dove Award nominations in almost every year since their founding.

Their unique name is taken from a real spot in Burkesville, Kentucky. Admit it, you won’t forget the band name once you hear it!

In addition to Terri on lead vocals, the Chigger Hill Boys are Ricky Gore on bass, Jim Britton on banjo, Jack Kincaid on mandolin, Ethan Tollison on reso-guitar, and Justus Eddy on guitar. Founding member Mike Richards keeps a hand in the band as well, assisting with songwriting, studio production, and joining in on mandolin or guitar as needed.

A debut single is available to radio now from their first Morning Glory album, one Terri wrote called My Path Is Paved By The Blood Of The Lamb. It was recorded with Andy Leftwich on fiddle and mandolin, and Ben Rochester on reso.

Speaking jointly, the band says of their new relationship with the label…

“We are excited about our first single on our new record label, Morning Glory Music! Everyone at Mountain Fever Music Group has been very helpful, kind, and patient as we worked on our first project with the team. We look forward to continuing to play live as God opens opportunities for us to minister in song wherever our Path may lead.”

And Terri adds…

“I hope our listeners find themselves tapping their toes along with this one!”

Have a listen…

My Path Is Paved By The Blood Of The Lamb will be released in January through popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can get the track now through AirPlay Direct.

Todd Mayo, producer of the popular PBS television series, Bluegrass Underground, has announced a new show set to debut in January 2023.

Ear To The Common Ground has a simple and laudable goal, to use music as a way to bridge the political and social divides that separate Americans of every type across so many issues. In each episode, a prominent alternative artist will host a small dinner party for eight of their fans, chosen to represent differing positions on a major issue in contention in this country. The fans will be chosen so that viewpoints can be expressed from left, right, and center, with music and food as the common ground for each discussion.

While not a specifically bluegrass program, two artists from our world will host episodes in this first season, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen and Sister Sadie.

Mayo says that his goal is quite straightforward.

“Ear To The Common Ground was one of the most simply profound undertakings I’ve ever been involved with. We had twelve diverse artists and a complete American tapestry of racial, religious, geographic, sexual orientation, and gender diversity. They all broke bread together and talked about very divisive issues—and everyone volunteered to do it!”

The show is set to debut January 2 on Nashville Public Television, the PBS presenting station, with additional affiliates coming aboard later in the year.

Becky Magura, president and CEO of Nashville Public Television, also speaks highly of what the show offers.

“In a time of great division, Ear To The Common Ground offers a downhome approach to bringing us together through civil conversation and music. Without a doubt, our country is a haven for diverse voices, opinions, and music, which this series captures beautifully, and I’m so proud that producer Todd Mayo and Nashville Public Television are working together to present it to our system!”

Episodes ready to air in 2023 include:

• Wu Fei – Immigration
• Kyshona Armstrong – Voting Rights
• The Sweet Lizzy Project – Abortion
• Gustavo Moradel – Race in America
• She Returns from War – LGBTQ Issues
• Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen – Gun Rights & Gun Control
• Susto – Environment
• Sam Lewis – Polarization
• Bill Miller – Separation of Church & State
• Sister Sadie – Urban/Rural Divide
• Louis York – Education
• Minton Sparks – Sexual Politics

If the producers truly offer equal time to all the divergent opinions on these contentious issues, and no side is pushed aside, this could be a very useful series, if only to show people with strongly opposing views speaking calmly and respectfully to one another.

For example, we know Frank Solivan to be a man of the left, but also a strong supporter of the individual right to own a weapon, for both sporting and self defense purposes. His discussion with those pro, con, and in the middle on this question should be quite illuminating for all.

The show was filmed at the Smith-Carter House in Madison, TN just north of Nashville, a property that has been home to a number of country icons, like Carl Smith, June Carter, Patsy Cline, Marty Stuart, and others over its life. Now the home of Todd Mayo, it is regarded as an important property in the history of country music.

Of the series, Mayo says that he hopes the show starts similar discussions all over the country.

“We hope the series inspires viewers to host and attend their own common ground dinner parties where folks consciously and compassionately listen to those that you have differences of opinions with on issues, and that you can disagree with respect and, in the end, remember the flavor of the casserole they made more than the taste of an opinion you didn’t agree with.”

Check with your local PBS affiliate to see if Ear To The Common Ground will be airing in your region in 2023. You can also find out more about the program online.

North Carolina bluegrass singer Caroline Owens has been turning heads this past few years at festivals in her home state since launching a performing career with her group, The Caroline Band. Ernie Evans with Evans Media Source heard her sing and booked Owens onto several of his festivals in the southeast as well, and the IBMA invited her this past September as a Bluegrass Ramble Showcase Artist. This young lady is clearly going places.

Now we learn that she has signed with Skyline Records in Nashville, who will release a new album of Owens’ music sometime next year.

Caroline has been singing since she was a young girl, and picked up the bluegrass bug in her early teens. That led to her competing at area contests and conventions, resulting in more than a few first place trophies, and awards as both a vocalist and a songwriter.

Will McSeveney, President of Skyline Records, says he feels he has a tiger by the tail with this young artist.

“Around the time we started Skyline, I came across a live stream of Caroline’s show. I was not aware of her at the time, so decided to watch the show. As soon as she started singing, I was blown away. It was so engaging and she had the vocal ability of an old soul. Once I met her, I found out that she is an incredibly well rounded person, has a great vision for her career, is eager to learn, and has untapped potential.

It has always been an aspiration to work with Caroline. Honestly, I can’t believe it came to fruition. I am excited for this label partnership. I am confident that with her talent and passion for the music, combined with Skyline’s philosophy and vision, we will put out some exceptional music.”

Listen to this video of Owens all alone on stage last summer singing Dark Hollow, and you’ll understand why her voice draws comparisons to a young Dolly Parton.

Caroline says she is beyond grateful for this new opportunity.

“I am so excited for this new chapter in my career, and feel so blessed to be working with a great label like Skyline; a label who truly values their artists. I owe many thanks to them for believing in me, and for taking a chance on a lil’ ole Bluegrass Girl from Denton. I also owe a great deal of gratitude to each and everyone who has supported me throughout the years – I couldn’t have made it without you all. And lastly, (but certainly not least), I owe the greatest thanks of all to my Heavenly Father; who is the giver of the gift of music, and all things good in my life. May all glory, honor, and praise always go to Him. He is the reason that I sing.”

Skyline plans to release a debut single from Caroline Owens towards the end of January or early February, with a full length album coming later in 2023.

Mountain Fever Records has released a new single for Volume Five, the third from their upcoming album, Karma, set to release next week.

It’s a song called It’s Gonna Get Better, written by two of the most celebrated songwriters in bluegrass, Craig Market and Tim Stafford. Between the two of them, this pair has written dozens of memorable songs recorded by top touring acts like Blue Highway, Ronnie Bowman, Lonesome River Band, Amanda Cook, Balsam Range, Alan Bibey, Junior Sisk, and many others. So when these two write together, you sit up and take note.

This effort does not disappoint, especially with Glen Harrell singing the lead. It’s performed as a thoughtful ballad, of the sort that Stafford and Market have contributed to iconic Ronnie Bowman projects in the past. Their skill with both lyrics and melody stands out here, with Volume Five giving it just the right treatment.

Craig described the song as one that looks at hard times from the midst of desperation and uncertainty, offering a word of comfort for brighter days ahead.

“It’s Gonna Get Better is a sentiment I’ve found to be true. I hope we’ve been able to articulate it effectively, and I’m grateful to my Volume Five friends for recording it. I hope the song can bring some comfort to someone who’s feeling hopeless.”

Harrell is supported by bandmates Jason Burleson on guitar, Aaron Ramsey on mandolin and octave mandolin, and Jeff Partin on bass and reso-guitar. Harrell also provides fiddle, and Burleson and Partin sing harmony vocals.

It’s a good’n…

It’s Gonna Get Better from Volume Five is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

The Karma CD can be ordered directly from the band web site.

It’s rare to find any artist so determined to pay homage to another that they devote an entire album to the songs of that particular predecessor. Pop music artists Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen have received that steady show of devotion, as have Bill Monroe and The Stanley Brothers in bluegrass, but beyond those few, it’s hard to find any singular example of entire albums given over to one person’s work, or for that matter any performer that’s willing to share that degree of heartfelt homage.

Consequently, Sam Bush can be credited with showing such a degree of absolute admiration for his friend, mentor, and bandmate, John Hartford, that he devotes an entire effort to select songs from Hartford’s catalog. While most people know Hartford for penning Glen Campbell’s signature song, Gentle on my Mind, the bulk of his work remains well below the radar as far as the mass populace is concerned. That’s a shame, because as much as any other aritst, Hartford helped bring roots music to the fore while establishing a timeless template based on contemporary credibility. 

Bush, of course, is no slouch himself. As one of the cofounders of the progressive bluegrass ensemble New Grass Revival, he too played a major role in taking tradition forward and widening its appeal as far as its populist credentials were concerned. Notably too, Bush plays every instrument on each of the new album’s ten songs, the only exception being the title track – the only non-Hartford song on the record – which finds him bringing his Sam Bush Band on board. In a sense, Bush is endeavoring to share the spotlight, given his astute abilities on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass, and banjo. The two instrumentals, Down and John McLaughlin, actually allow him to play off his own relentless riffing courtesy of the fact that he’s driving each song in sync.

That said, Hartford’s work ultimately takes ceter stage, just as it’s intended. So too, the material runs a gamut, from revelry to reflection. At times, it’s autobiographical, as expressed in the title track and the telling I’m Still Here. In a larger sense, it finds room for both mirth (Granny Wontcha Smoke Some Marijuana) and musing (California Earthquake, No End of Love, Morning Bugle). Hartford’s particular persona defines the music entirely, whether it’s defying the tedium of the work-a-day world (In Tall Buildings), or his other life, as a riverboat pilot navigating every bend and stretch of the mighty Mississippi (the title track).

By giving voice to Hartford’s musical mantra, Sam Bush has provided his hero and friend with the ultimate tribute. With Radio John on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, he’s found a position on the dial midway between commitment and creativity.

Here’s another fun arrangement of a Christmas favorite from The Petersens, of Branson, MO. This family band entertains many thousands of music lovers every year from their perch at the Little Opry Theatre in Branson, where they play multiple shows every week.

Each year The Petersens create several new performance videos for the holiday season. Here’s their version of Frosty The Snowman, a classic from 1950 written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson, and initially recorded by Gene Autry.

Have a listen to this grassed up take as you finish up Christmas preparations.

Merry Christmas everyone!

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

Here’s a twist on a bluegrass instrumental standard, whether you know it as Duelin’ Banjos, Fussin’ Banjos, Fuedin’ Banjos, or any of several similar names.

It comes from the Bottom Dollar Boys of Florida, who teamed up with Dr. Haiqiong Deng, a renowned master of the guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither with an ancient heritage. She plays the 21 string version of the instrument, and received a music degree with the guzheng from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

In addition to playing traditional Chinese classical and folk music, Dr. Deng performs Indian classical music, as well as other types of folk and traditional music from around the world.

She hooked up with the Boys, who recorded this unique version of Duelin’ Banjos. Dr. Deng is obviously a quick study, and banjo lovers will get a kick of how she has adapted licks from the standard bluegrass repertoire and plays them on her guzheng.

The Bottom Dollar Boys are Billy Samford on banjo, Fred Burns on guitar, David Langston on fiddle, and Brent Kittrell on bass.

Samford explained a bit about how this came to be.

“We were asked to play a local lighthouse festival where we had the opportunity to jam with Haiqiong. We were blown away by her talent and hence the video. She is the REAL DEAL!

We are planning on recording more cuts, mostly of standard bluegrass songs. She is all in, and we are certainly honored to be able to pick with her.”

Check out the video…

Well done! We will certainly be interested in hearing more of this collaboration.

The holidays are a time for families to gather. The young congregate with the not-so-young. It makes for a special occasion when we can appreciate and experience multi-generational love among our relatives.

Sometimes, the youngest can become tired, fretful, and not so joyful during these family functions. If that happens, you might try the gift of music. It works in Carl Jackson’s clan.

Jackson, a seven-time IBMA, three-time Grammy, and two-time Dove award winner, is a talented multi-instrumentalist and prolific songwriter. Having penned such crowd favorites as Erase the Miles and I’m Not Over You, among numerous others, Jackson has found that his young grandson’s favorite is Little Mountain Church House. The 69-year-old has developed a unique bond with the 10-month-old.

“We found out any time he gets fretting, all you have to do is put on Little Mountain Church House on YouTube’s Country Family Reunion and he just immediately stops and watches.”

Recently, during Jackson’s Home for Christmas Show in he and his wife, Robin’s, hometown of Louisville, MS, the audience got to witness it firsthand.

Robin explained, “Rhett is mesmerized when shown Little Mountain Church House on YouTube! He is LITERALLY GLUED to the video! So Carl did a little experiment…”

Jackson admitted, “Rhett was getting a little fussy. We had never tried doing it live, it had always been on video.”

Speaking from stage, Rhett’s Pop tried to comfort him, “Hang on, buddy. We’re going to try this. It may not work.”

In a phone interview, Jackson explained, “I started singing Little Mountain Church House and immediately his eyes froze on the stage. He stayed focused right on the stage throughout the entire song. He was so happy that he started clapping. It was first time that I had seen him to do that.”

A proud family man, Jackson was pleased to have many of his relatives in attendance at his annual homecoming musical gala that included many of his lyrical collaborators, like Larry Cordle, Jerry Salley, Val Storey, and Isaac Moore.

“I had my great-nieces, my sister, Diane’s grandchildren, Abby and Avery dancing. I also had (other young relatives) Jack, Levi, Jamison, and Loreli, who’s in high school.”

Jackson returns to his birthplace each December to perform in the town where his late parents operated a music store, and encouraged their musically-gifted young son who started performing on banjo with Jim & Jesse while still in his mid-teens. The event has gained in popularity, and has expanded to two shows with a matinee and evening performance. This was the first year that the Jacksons returned as grandparents and getting to perform for their grandson did not disappoint.

Robin concluded, “Bradley Walker said that Rhett’s reaction to Little Mountain Church House was the best part of the Christmas show!”

As we approach Christmas 2022, Chosen Road has another performance video from their current album, Appalachian Christmas.

This one is for Ralph Stanley favorite Christmas Is Near, sung by mandolinist Zach Alvis in duet with bassist Josh Hicks, with guitarist Jonathan Buckner joining in on the chorus. The band is completed by Tyler Robertson on banjo, and guest fiddler Stephen Burrell from Authentic Unlimited.

It’s a sprightly bluegrass number, full of holiday spirit. Check it out…

Christmas Is Near and the full Appalachian Christmas album are available now from Thoroughbred Records at popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs can be purchased directly from the band online.

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

Noted Nashville fiddle player and instructor, Megan Lynch, has announced the release of her latest instructional book, 16 Easy Bluegrass and Old-Time Fiddle Songs, published by Bethany Olds Music and Troy Nelson Music.

As the title suggests, this new manual is meant to assist beginning and intermediate fiddle students learn new tunes, and see how to move from simple to more complicated arrangements using common techniques.

Lynch, a seven-time national fiddle champion, presents a super simple and an intermediate version for each of these 16 familiar tunes, which are shown in both standard notation and a fiddle tablature system, so fiddlers who do not read music are able to quickly learn the material in the book. Downloadable audio files are also available for every arrangement.

Tunes covered include:

• Arkansas Traveler
• Banks of the Ohio
• Big Sciota
• Cripple Creek
• East Tennessee Blues
• Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
• Home Sweet Home
• In the Pines
• Kitchen Girl
• Little Liza Jane
• Lonesome Road Blues
• Old Joe Clark
• Squirrel Hunters
• St. Anne’s Reel
• Whiskey Before Breakfast
• Will the Circle Be Unbroken

16 Easy Bluegrass and Old-Time Fiddle Songs: Beginner & Intermediate Arrangements of Every Tune by Megan Lynch is available from Amazon in both a print edition for $13.99, and a Kindle version for $9.99.

We all know that Christmas is a time for giving, and here is a lovely seasonal story of two individuals’ multi-generational friendship, passion for music, appreciation for old instruments, and love for one another demonstrated on so many levels. 

Tennessee Bluegrass Band’s banjoist, Lincoln Hensley, began this gift-giving story with some history.

“I first met Edison Wallin at a local bluegrass jam near Flag Pond, TN. It was held at Farnor Store. He was playing up on stage with the band, and when he came down I asked him if he gave lessons. He first said no, then he handed me his banjo and said play me something. I played a little for him, and he said he’d help me all he could. We never had a ‘sit down’ lesson. For the first year or so, it was all over a land-line phone. I’d call him, he’d play stuff, explain how he was doing it, and then I’d have to play it back for him. My mom called us ‘Pete and Repeat.’”

Wallin, now 83, elaborated, “Lincoln was 13 or 14. I had retired and never given banjo lessons. I said, ‘I’ll teach you all that I know.’ He called me every day when he got home from school. He hears it and plays it!”

After mastering the five-string, Lincoln wanted to learn the six-string.

His mentor recalled, “He asked me to teach him to play the guitar. I play Merle Travis style. I said it’s like patting your head and rubbing your belly. You play the melody with your forefinger and the timing (rhythm) with your thumb.”

“Lincoln wanted to learn Cannon Ball Rag. He learned it over the phone in 30 minutes.”

This leads us to the gift, and the story of a special old Gibson guitar… 

Wallin continued, “A friend found it in Erwin, TN, in an attic of an old house. It was in rough shape. He kept it for years and gifted it to another friend, Tom Horton. Tom had it for a good while and gifted it to me in the ’70s.”

Lincoln interjected here…

“Edison kept it for a long while, saw that I was coming along and taking an interest in guitar, specifically Gibsons (thanks to him), and he gave it to me. Edison gave me this guitar for Christmas almost 10 years ago, around 2013 or 2014.

It’s a 1941 Gibson L-0. It has been through several wars and a few bad winters. I don’t think this guitar ever had a case, and because of that it had suffered some structural damage throughout the years, making it really hard to play. With the help of Jim Lloyd, I was able to get Herb Key and Wayne Henderson to do some restoration work on the guitar and get it back in great playing condition while keeping all of its mojo. It gave the guitar a new lease on life and it’s ready for another 80 years of music.”

Wallin noted, “Lincoln told me that he took it to get it fixed. It had some braces loose and such. He called me to say that he had picked it up and was stopping by my house to show me the guitar.”

“I played it. It sounded good. He sat it down and leaned it against the couch. He said, ‘that’s your guitar. I wanted to do that for you.’ What a special Christmas present! 

Lincoln had given me a 1938 Recording King banjo. He said that they (the guitar and banjo) needed to be together. He wouldn’t have no part in me paying him for having it fixed. I said, ‘Pass it along to your child.’ It’s the guitar that keeps on giving.”

Lincoln stressed, “There really aren’t enough adjectives to accurately encapsulate what a mentor truly is for a young musician, but if there were, Edison Wallin would qualify for all of them. He has been a great friend and source of knowledge for me since week two of my banjo journey. He’s probably the most humble and selfless person I have ever met. He’s given me multiple instruments throughout the years. He’s given me a lifetime of music to learn from, and he’s loaned me money to buy bigger investment instruments until I could get the funds together because in his words, ‘it’ll be gone if you wait around and don’t buy it now!’ Edison even let me take his 1937 Chrysler Royal to prom!

“This guitar, in my mind, is a big piece of my local musical heritage because it’s belonged to several of my early influences, Bill Harris, Tom Horton, and Edison. When Edison gifted me the guitar years ago, it was the first vintage instrument I had ever owned and sparked my fire for collecting. Once I found out that it could be restored back to being a great playable instrument and make the music we both love again, it was a no brainer to give it back to Edison.”

“I continued the tradition and gifted it back for Christmas. Edison has given me so much both through our friendship and our musical relationship, and never asked for a penny in return. I’m glad he’ll get to enjoy the guitar at its full potential! Love you, Edison! Merry Christmas!”

Edison Wallin appears in Tennessee Bluegrass Band’s 2022 music video, Tall Weeds and Rust.

Hensley thought Edison was the perfect man for the job.

“My grandpa had passed away and we shot all those scenes on my grandpa’s farm. I called Edison to come in and ‘act’ as the grandpa figure. Though there wasn’t any acting needed because that’s what he is to me. They just turned on the cameras and we just picked and laughed and did what we normally do.”

“I consider Lincoln as the grandson I never had,” Edison concluded.

May we all experience this special bond with someone in our lives. Merry Christmas and God bless us everyone!

Sol Chase is a young bluegrass artist now living in Colorado who shares a background common to a great many grassers. He grew up in a family band, describing his parents as hippies who traveled all over the world when he was a youngster. Chase says he learned folk songs in the fields of Europe touring with his family as a boy.

His musical maturity was achieved living in Austin, TX, where he founded a number of groups who performed in the central Texas region, blending the traditional bluegrass ensemble with more of a jamgrass attitude.

These days he writes his own music, plays mandolin and guitar, and sings his original songs. A debut solo project, The Eclectic Life of an Only Child, is set for release in the spring of 2023, with a first single available today. Recorded in Austin, we hear Sol with some of that city’s top progressive acoustic players, some of whom had been bandmates in the past.

Frost is the title of this track, which tells a story of alienation and love grown cold, perfect for the freezing weather enveloping much of the US this week. He says it’s about a bitter heartache, made all the worse by the missed opportunity for warmth and joy.

With Chase on mandolin and lead vocals, support comes from Devon Canady on guitar, Trevor Smith on banjo, Everett Wren on fiddle, and Taylor Turner on bass. Harmony vocals come from Evergreen, Eli Cline, and Andi Huff.

The song starts off as a fairly typical bluegrass number, but morphs into an extended jam before coming back to earth for a final repeated chorus.

Check it out…

Frost is available now from popular download and streaming services online.

Darren Beachley is a recognizable force in bluegrass music. Known for his years as a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, as well as his leadership of the all star band, Darren Beachley & The Legends of the Potomac, The Road Not Taken is Beachley’s first new release in a number of years. With this project, Darren has not only gone back to his roots as a resophonic guitarist, but has also put together an eclectic mix of bluegrass and Americana material with backing from an incredible supporting cast of instrumentalists and vocalists.

The opening track, New Ballard Branch, written by Eli Johnston and Kevin McKinnon, sets the stage for what this project has to offer. Featuring Scott Vestal on banjo, Curtis Vestal on bass and baritone vocals, Clay Hess on guitar, Alan Bibey on mandolin, and Stephen Burwell on fiddle, this piece is also a great demonstration of Beachley’s vocal abilities as well as his skill on the dobro.

Listen To The Radio is perhaps the greatest example of Darren’s powerful voice. On this track he is singing all of the vocal parts and doing so strongly. Though the song was written by Nanci Griffith and recorded by Jonathan Edwards, Beachley’s rendition is captivating and unforgettable. This piece also leans into more of the Americana sound by incorporating the lap steel guitar (which is played by Darren), pedal steel by Troy Engle, and percussion by Josh Swift.

Forever Man, originally recorded by Eric Clapton, is given a fun newgrass treatment by Darren. Appropriately Sam Bush is featured on mandolin giving the song an authentic yet progressive flavor.

There’s several instances in which Beachley spotlights the talents of other vocalists. One such track is Ghost Of Who We Were which features Christy Shaver. Another is Big Iron featuring Mike Phipps of the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band. Though the arrangement follows Marty Robbins’ original 1959 recording fairly closely, Phipps’ overall delivery breathes new life into the song. This track also features T. Michael Coleman on fretless bass, lead guitar, and percussion, Wyatt Rice on rhythm guitar, and Pat White on fiddle and mandolin.

Memories Of My Younger Days is a traditional sounding piece which is reminiscent of the material Darren recorded as a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Fittingly the track features Scott and Curtis Vestal, and Stephen Burwell who were members of Quicksilver at different points in their careers.

River Full Of Blues written by Rick Bartley features incredible duo singing from Beachley and Shawn Lane. With instrumental backing from Scott and Curtis Vestal, Clay Hess, Alan Bibey, and Stephen Burwell, this is without question a well-defined bluegrass song.

The Road Not Taken is arguably one of the best recordings released in 2022. This project has it all. Incredible vocals, musicianship, variety, and not a single bit of filler. This release is a marvelous comeback for Darren Beachley. It’s difficult to sum up how excellent this effort is. Take a trip down the road that Darren takes us on with this album. It’s a wonderful journey!

Back in 2016, over the holiday season, West Virginia’s Circa Blue released an instrumental version of the Christmas favorite, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, on their Bells of Home album.

Then in November of 2019, Valerie Smith with Bell Buckle Records produced a homey video for the song using stock footage that has since received more than a million views on Facebook.

This year, that video caught the attention of Ekaterina Shelehova, a young Russian-born opera singer now living in Italy, who was charmed by their bluegrass arrangement of the song. Kate also likes singing folk and popular music in addition to the classical repertoire, and she reached out to Steve Harris, guitarist, vocalist, and band leader of Circa Blue, to see if they would be open to her adding a vocal to their cut.

Steve was onboard right away, so the tracks were remixed with her singing, and the song has just been re-released by Kate’s management team.

Have a listen to the result.

Well done all!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen from Ekaterina Shelehova and Circa Blue is available now as a single from popular download and streaming services online, just in time for Christmas.

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

I  want to wish you a very merry Christmas coming up this weekend. This is the long-awaited (by almost no one) follow-up to a Christmas Carol-inspired column that ran several years ago about a modern day bluegrass Scrooge, a grouchy, miserly and generally despised bandleader.

To keep you abreast of where we are in the story, this Scrooge had just finished performing at an indoor bluegrass festival, Bluegrass in a Large Hotel, and was terrified by a visit in his room by his long-dead duet partner Harley Marley. Marley was dragging the chain he forged in life, consisting mainly of CD jewel cases, dead cell phones, and miscellaneous banjo parts. He promised that Scrooge would be visited by three spirits over the course of the next three nights, despite Scrooge’s protests that the festival was only putting him up for one of those nights. In the previous column we covered Scrooge’s visit by the Ghost of Bluegrass Christmas Past. Now it’s on to the next chapter, or “Stave Three”:

Scrooge awoke in his room, feeling emotionally exhausted after his experience with the first ghost, not really sure how he slept straight into the next day and night without a sharp knock on the door from housekeeping. He followed a trail of light that seemed to be coming from an adjoining room. Finding the door unlocked, he wandered into a room that was bright and cheery, thoroughly decked out for the holiday. The original 1951 recording of Christmas Time’s a-Comin’ was playing over the speakers, and a large jolly-looking man with a brocade cowboy hat beckoned him: “Come in and know me better, man!” He looked very much like Jimmy Martin but with the voice of Carlton Haney. The spirit wore a fur-lined green smoking jacket, adorned with holly and covered with gleaming icicles. On his feet were patent leather boots as white as snow, and he held a Martin guitar with “Christmas Spirit” inlaid on the fingerboard.

He was seated on top of a massive pile of pre-war instruments, shiny flight cases, sets of mandolin strings, condenser mics, rare Stanley Brothers 78s, Jimmy Martin boxed sets of CDs, sparkly stage clothes, new cowboy boots, Blue Chip picks in various shapes and thicknesses, as well as backstage snacks the likes of which Scrooge had never seen or would never let his band have access to: sliced turkey, roast beef, assorted cheeses, sparkling water, cases of craft beer, and top-shelf bourbon.

The charismatic and flashy phantom addressed Scrooge: 

“You’ve never seen the likes of me before!”

 “I have not, or not exactly. Who are you?”

 “I am The Ghost of Christmas Present,” the spirit replied. “Have you not known any of the other members of my family born before me? I have over 2020 of them.”

“That’s a very large family band,” observed Scrooge. “How do you afford to travel? How do you find a big enough stage?”

Without answering, the spirit grabbed Scrooge and flew with him into the cold clear night, which was Christmas night. 

They came upon a humble family gathering in a sketchy part of town, yet even here, they knew the spirit. It was the family of Scrooge’s fiddle player whose daily pay rate he had just cut down to $65. The family was clearly struggling: their cable had been disconnected, and they were considering burning the youngest daughter’s entry-level D-28 knock-off guitar just to keep warm on Christmas Day.

Their curiously small turkey (heavily discounted at the Kroger) was ready for carving, and the father raised his glass. “I propose a toast to Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast, my employer off-and-on for 18 years.” His wife was having none of it: “I’d rather listen to Wagon Wheel through a distorted Bluetooth speaker 150 times than drink the health of that greedy ogre!” “Dear, the children. Christmas Day,” implored the father. She fired back, “That cheapskate fired you and left you at a truck stop just last Christmas Eve, then tried to hire you back a week later at half the pay.”

Their disabled son, Tiny Moore Tim, appeared to side with his mother. Scrooge was uniformly despised in their household, and because of him, they couldn’t afford health insurance and had to pay his medical bills through livestream benefit shows. Still he raised his own glass and exclaimed, “God bless us everyone.”

The scene had a softening effect on Scrooge, and he asked, “Spirit, tell me: will Tiny Moore Tim live?”

“I see a crutch without an owner and a mandolin with no one to play it.”

“No, kind and talkative spirit! Say that he will live!”

“If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, and you don’t open your wallet and pay his dad a decent wage, this will be his final Christmas.”

A more contrite Scrooge went on into the night with the spirit. Much they saw and far they journeyed, but everywhere they went the Ghost of Christmas Present left those gathered in better spirits, Scrooge included. 

Before the spirit departed, though, Scrooge couldn’t help but notice two child-like yet horrible figures, a boy and a girl, clutching at the spirit’s legs.

“Are they yours, spirit?” asked Scrooge

“They are the music business’s,” answered the spirit, somberly.

“The girl is management, the boy, social media. Beware the girl, but most of all, beware this boy, for on his face I see written a great deal of misinformation and a lot of wasted time.”

And so, as Tiny Moore Tim observed . . .