Clear Channel Radio, often cynically portrayed by critics as embodying all that is wrong with corporate radio consolidation, has flipped a property in WV from Gospel to a Bluegrass/Americana format, effective March 30. The station is WCTR-AM, serving the Huntington, WV and Ashland, KY markets, who are now presenting themselves as 1420 AMericana - Home of Today’s New Grass. This marks the first time that a major radio group has chosen this sort of format for an over-the-air station, and Bobby Leach at Clear Channel is excited about the possibilities it offers the company.

Leach oversees the music choices for all Clear Channel stations in his position as Audio Distribution System Director. It is his office that is responsible for getting music into their central network, which is then available to any Clear Channel station for airplay. The notion of bluegrass and Americana programming for their properties is his baby, and a project he has both eagerly embraced and aggressively pursued since he volunteered to tackle it in October of 2005. Bobby hails from Ashland, and grew up around this music. His grandfather played fiddle in area bands as a young man, and Bobby recalls hearing the music of Flatt & Scruggs as a boy, and the thrill he got whenever he could find the WSM-AM signal at night from Nashville. WCTR played a country format at the time, but with a daytime only license.

It had occurred to Leach that this sort of music was currently flying under the corporate radio radar, while the audience was one that would be very attractive to radio advertisers. All the research he found showed that bluegrass fans were both more educated and affluent than the norm, and fiercely loyal to the music and the people who support it. He had anticipated the need to disabuse Clear Channel executives of hillbilly stereotypes when he pitched his idea, but found them open and receptive to the concept from the start. (more…)

Reuters is running a story about Earl Scruggs this morning. The story talks about his history in the music business, the recent passing of his wife Louise, and his recent performance at the Kennedy Center. [Editor’s note: I mentioned this series in my last post about the Grascals]

On the subject of Louise, and his continued performance at the age of 82, they quote Earl as saying:

I know she would want me to still do what I’m doing, because she kept me going a lot of times when I’d almost lose interest in getting out on the road,

This Sunday, April 2, at 6pm, the Grascals will perform on the Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. The concert is part of the center”s Country: A Celebration of America”s Music series. The series began on March 20 and runs through April 9. The series is offered in partnership with the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and features performances of country musicians from the Grand Ole Opry, as well as bluegrass musicians Earl Scruggs, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Bela Fleck, Mark Schatz and Bryan Sutton, among others.

The concert is at 6pm and is free to the public with no ticket required. That same morning, April 2, The Grascals join Marcia Campbell on XM 171/Open Road for an in-studio performance and interview on the Dave Nemo Weekend show.

We also have word that the band plans to return to the recording studio in April to begin working on their second release for Rounder Records.

For more information and an updated tour schedule, please visit grascals.com.

The second release of new Ralph Stanley recordings on Columbia is due on May 30, 2006, entitled A Distant Land To Roam - Songs Of The Carter Family. The new project was produced by T. Bone Burnett, whose collaborations with Stanley on the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack brought Ralph to new heights in recognition.

Dr. Ralph chose 13 of the less well-known Carter numbers that had affected him growing up in depression-era Appalachia, when the Carter Family was in their hey day.

No audio or cover image up yet online (that we could find), but we expect to see them as the release date draws near.

Banjo player, Alison Brown and her band will be performing this Saturday on the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast. She will be featured in the 9:30-10:00 p.m. and 12:30-1:00 a.m. segments (all times eastern). Noted not only for her fluid, contemporary banjo style, Alison is also the owner of Compass Records, a successful Nashville-based independent record label. Her most recent release, Stolen Moments, can be found on the Compass web site.

Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys will also be featured in the 9:30-10:00 p.m. slot.

You can catch WSM 650 AM over the air, or listen via online streaming, to hear the entire Opry broadcast, which runs from 7:30 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. (EST).

Episode #22 of The GrassCast features John’s interview with bluegrass historian, Neil Rosenberg. They discuss his book Bluegrass: A History, which is now available in a 20th anniversary paperback edition.

This GrassCast is 18 minutes in length and the file download size is 17 MB.

Below is our usual mp3 file for you to listen here or download. The GrassCast is also available in the iTunes music store and this episode marks our first enhanced podcast. The version available through iTunes contains photos and hyperlinks relative to the subject matter being discussed in the interview.

Listen now:
Direct Download: ep22_neil_rosenberg.mp3
Subscribe with:
Free Download: The GrassCast iPodder software

To subscribe with your own podcatching software, copy and past this url into the appropriate entry box in your software: http://www.thegrasscast.com/rss

Last week, All Things Considered on NPR carried a feature on County Records’ 3 CD reissues containing field recordings of clawhammer banjo music. Originally released on vinyl in the mid-60s, these recordings were heralded by folklorists, and celebrated by fans of old time music for bringing Kyle Creed and Fred Cockerham, largely unknown at the time, into the limelight.

The recordings were made by Charles Faurot, who foraged through the mountain communities of Southwestern Virginia seeking authentic practitioners of traditional banjo music. Over the course of three albums, the recordings highlighted such old time notables as Wade Ward, Tommy Jarrell, George Stoneman and several others.

The NPR piece included some audio snippets from the recordings, and a discussion between Faurot and NPR reporter, Paul Brown, who had been inspired by the LPs when they were first released - and he was a young student of clawhammer banjo. Brown demonstrates the style to some degree, and describes how these County albums changed the way he perceived the banjo, and set him on a mission to find some of these players on his own.

You can hear the entire segment on the All Things Considered web site, which also features an image gallery with photos of these players.

Fiery fiddler, and three-time IBMA award winner, Michael Cleveland’s new CD, Let ‘Er Go Boys! is out on Rounder Records. It features 17 tracks, with guest artists Vince Gill, Del McCoury, Dan Tyminski, Larry Sparks, Tim O’Brien, Jeff White, Audie Blaylock, Jesse Brock, Jason Moore, Charlie Cushman, Rob Ickes and Jens Kruger listed among the credits. Though not explicitly stated, the track listing and selection of guest performers suggests a mix of fiddle tunes and vocal numbers.

Online ordering is enabled on the Rounder web site, but no audio samples yet. We’ll keep an eye out and let you know when we find them.

We recently told you about the upcoming June release of John Cowan’s new CD, New Tattoo. At the time there were no audio samples available online. But recently John’s Myspace page has been updated with some audio from the new CD. So click on over and give it a listen. And don’t forget to visit John’s website for updated tour info.

May 23rd has been set as the release date for Rhonda Vincent’s new CD, All American Bluegrass Girl. The members of her band, The Rage, accompany her on the CD along with session musicians, and ledgends Bobby Osborne and Dolly Parton. Rhonda co-produced the album with her broher Darrin Vincent and recorded it at her own studio in Nashville, TN, Adventure Studios.

There are twelve tracks on the disc, but audio samples are, as yet, unavailable online.

From the press release:

With its modern take on timeless themes, All American Bluegrass Girl promises to be the next step in her tireless campaign to introduce listeners around the world to the universal appeal of bluegrass music. “Just recently,” Vincent recalls, “I was reminded how powerful this music is, no matter how old or young you are. A little girl from Missouri came up to me, after hearing “All American Bluegrass Girl” and asked, “Could I sing your song”? I asked her why, and she just said “Because I”m an All American Bluegrass Girl too!”"

Carl Thomas Smith: 1938-2006

We share the sadness and loss felt at the passing of Carl Thomas Smith, who was killed in an accident at his home late last week. His contributions to bluegrass were huge, as he sired and encouraged the music of two sons, Kenny and Sonny Smith, both of whom have made the music their careers. Kenny is known to most bluegrass fans from his time as guitarist with Lonesome River Band and his current outfit, The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band. His older brother, Sonny, has been very successful on the banjo contest circuit, winning the National Banjo Championship in 1998, and appearing currently on a number of shows in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Both Kenny and Sonny are fond of telling how their father “tricked” them into learning to play by carefully instructing them not to touch the guitar and banjo he placed in their respective bedroom closets when they were boys. Knowing the curious and rebellious nature of young boys, he was sure that his instructions would be ignored, and to the great good fortune of the bluegrass world, they were ignored to the greatest degree possible.

We add our thanks to Mr. Smith, and send our most sincere condolences to Sonny, Kenny, Amanda and all of their family.

Harajuku refers to the area around Tokyo’s Harajuku Station. It is the center of Japan’s most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, but also offers shopping for grown-ups and some historic sights. And it’s home to a monthly bluegrass jam. The jam this month is tonight, the 29th of March, and is to be held at “the mansion.” My Japanese isn’t the best, so don’t take my translation as being completely correct, but it seems the monthly jam is thematic. This month they concentrate on Flatt & Scruggs material, last month it was the Stanley Brothers. Seems like a good idea to me. I wish more jams here in the states would put some emphasis on studying the first generation players like that.

For those that are interested though, go check out the Bluegrass Japan blog and take a look at some of the cool photos Nino has posted over there. You can also visit the Harajuku Jam blog. It features many of the same photos, but also a few different ones.

This weekend, Garrison Keillor will welcome Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder as his guests on the popular A Prairie Home Companion radio program, broadcast live from The Historic State Theater in Minneapolis on April 1. The show is in its 30th year of production, and can be heard on nearly 600 public radio stations all over the US, and on Armed Forces Radio.

Broadcast times vary from one affiliate to another, with many carrying the live feed on Saturday afternoons, and others running it instead early on Sunday afternoon.

Shows are archived on the PHC web site, and can be accessed online. The audio is usually available on the web by the Monday morning following a weekend broadcast.

Tuesday’s edition of the Harrisonburg, VA Daily News Record featured an article on Eastern Mennonite University student (and Harrisonburg resident) Reed Jones, who plays guitar with Billie Renee & Cumberland Gap. They took first prize in the 2006 SPBGMA International Band Championship, held this past February in Nashville.

The article describes Reed’s reaction to the SPBGMA experience, and how he is incorporating his love of bluegrass into his college work as a history and social sciences major.

Read the article online.

Wichita Rutherford just wrote to tell me that the Van Heffer Video that he podcast recently has been chosen for competition in the 37th Nashville Film Festival presented by Regal Cinemas. Wichita tells me that he’s not even sure how the video got submitted for inclusion in this years event.

They told me they had 1700 entries and the competition was fierce, but I don’t know how Van Heffer got nominated. I didn’t do it!

The Van Heffer video was filmed by Pat Isbey and directed by veterian Nashville producer Scott Rouse.

The festival takes place April 20-26 at the Regal Green Hills Stadium 16 theater. In addition to the films being screened, they are also planning parties most nights hosted by various festival sponsors. Also scheduled are panel discussions hosted by various industry professionals and celebrities. The full schedule will be announced March 20 on nashvillefilmfestival.org.

From time to time we posted updates to let you know of bluegrass artists who have a myspace page. You can find our previous posts with info on bluegrass artist MySpace pages here. We’ve also found a couple more and thought we’d let you know about them.

Songwriter Chris Stuart has taken his band Chris Stuart and Backcountry into myspace. Their page can be found here.

Audie Blaylock and Redline also have a myspace page set up here.

Another interesting one we found belongs to the band Uncle Wade. Admittedly, they may be closer to folk music or old-time, but we found it interesting because one of the band members is prize winning New York Times reporter Andy Revkin. Andy plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and sings in the band.

It also appears that the International Bluegrass Music Museum has a presence on myspace now. Find their page here.

Fans of the award-winning bluegrass group IIIrd Tyme Out can now interact with one anther and get up-to-date info on the band’s activities on their Yahoo Groups site. There is no cost to join the group, and members can read and reply to bulletin board posts (or start their own threads), view and share photos, and participate in polls among other Yahoo Groups features.

Members of the band also join in online chats with the group, and many other features are planned for the future. This group is only just getting started, and activity on the site is sure to mushroom as more fans find out about it.

IBMA members are accustomed to receiving a copy of the organization’s bimonthly publication, International Bluegrass, in the mail six times each year. Starting with the current March/April issue, most of the articles that make up each edition will be viewable from the IBMA web site. Nancy Cardwell, who edits and assembles each issue, said that some articles will appear on the Current Articles page before the magazine goes out, especially it the material is date-sensitive, but most will be uploaded as the magazine is mailed.

Once a new issue is published, the articles from the number prior will be stored on the Archived Articles page, and Nancy said that she is uploading articles from previous editions of International Bluegrass to that site as time allows. The Current Articles page is searchable, making it a valuable resource for IBMA members and others in the bluegrass business - or anyone who just wants to follow the IBMA online.

A while back I posted to tell you about Bobby Osborne’s new CD Try A Little Kindness. At the time I could find no audio samples online, but they are available now.

Bobby has 3 mp3 samples available on his website.

Rounder has windows media and real audio samples for every song available on their website.

Tim Scheerhorn’s name is among the most reverentially uttered in the world of resonator guitars. The instruments he builds are used by many of the most highly regarded players in bluegrass and acoustic music, and the reputation and limited availability of these finely crafted guitars fuels their status as a “must have” acquisition for serious reso-pickers.

Of course, the high cost and long wait times for new Scheerhorns (as much as several years) makes such a purchase difficult for most folks, and may be a big part of the reason for the Scheerhorn-licensed guitars being built by Wechter Guitars of Paw Paw, MI. The guitars were designed by Scheerhorn, and manufactured in Asia, with final assembly and set up done in the Wechter shop before shipping.

The newest addition to the Wechter-Scheerhorn 6500 series is the Rob Ickes signature model, which will be available by early May. The Ickes Model will be made as a replica of Rob’s custom Scheerhorn, with a spruce top, and rosewood back and sides, ivoroid binding, herringbone trim and a (faux) tortoise shell pickguard. Rob’s name is inlaid in the fingerboard, and the top features screenless rings at Rob’s request.

Like the other instruments in the Wechter/Scheerhorn series, the bodies and necks are manufactured and finished (sprayed/buffed) in China, and then delivered by the container-load to the Wechter shop. Here, the bodies are routed for the cones and rings, which are installed by Wechter’s luthiers. The baffles and soundposts are also installed by Wechter, as is the nut, before the guitars are strung up and readied for delivery.

Wechter also installs parabolic reflectors beneath the rings, a curved plastic arch of Scheerhorn design, that is screwed to the braces and placed to direct air towards the sound holes.

Rob is understandably excited about the new guitar.

“I have the prototype here at my house and it looks and sounds incredible - and I’m not just saying that ’cause it has my name on it!

Tim Scheerhorn and Abe Wechter are really into quality, and that’s the reason I wanted to work with them. I’ll be bringing one of the Rob Ickes Models to most Blue Highway concerts. If anyone would like to try one out, just bring your picks and bar up to the record table and ‘have at it!’ “

Abe Wechter said that the prototype Rob has is from the factory where the production models are being made, and is identical to what they will be delivering later this spring. The Ickes Model will be shipped in an upgraded, deluxe case and carries a suggested retail price of $1499.95.

More details should be available soon on the Wechter web site.