The Herald Dispatch in Huntington, WV has a detailed story in this morning’s edition about Ernie Thacker’s recent auto accident, which we had briefly outlined in a series of earlier posts. The Herald Dispatch article has information about a number of ways that fans and friends can help Ernie and his family handle the crushing financial burdens of his ongoing hospitalization and rehabilitation costs.

The article also quotes Melvin Goins, Don Rigsby and Bo McCarty, all of whom are involved in helping to raise funds for the Thacker family.

As an editorial aside, we want to take a brief moment to encourage all of our readers (and friends!) who participate as performers or artists in bluegrass music to be aware of the importance of carrying some sort of medical insurance. You may think that the costs are prohibitive for someone whose income is often insecure, or that someone young and healthy doesn’t need the coverage. Ernie’s most unfortunate accident shows how youth and good health provide no protection against serious, and wholly unexpected heath care needs, the uninsured costs of which can be devastating.

Please investigate and consider at least a high deductible, major medical policy which can cover you against catastrophic costs such as what a serious auto accident can deliver, but at a substantially lower premium than what a full coverage policy may require. Despite the fact that people in bluegrass music have always rallied ’round to assist our own when needs arise - and the certainty that we always will - performers would be well advised to take steps to protect themselves, especially with the added exposure to road dangers which touring presents.

Stay healthy, but be prepared for the worst!

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver is the current guest on Kyle Cantrell’s Studio Special, which runs each week on XM Satellite Radio’s Bluegrass Junction (Channel 14). The series, which features a mix of live, in-studio performance and interviews with popular bluegrass artists, debuts each week on Friday mornings, and repeats throughout the following week.

Doyle’s show has run twice already, but remaining opportunities to catch the show include:

6:00 PM Sunday 4/30
6:00 PM Monday 5/1
12:00 midnight Tuesday 5/2 (actually Wed. 5/3)
3:00 PM Thursday 5/4

All times above are Eastern. The next set of shows which begins on Friday (5/5) at 8:00 AM will feature Kenny & Amanda Smith. We’ll try to get the rest of the Kenny & Amanda broadcast times, and will post them as soon as we can.

Future shows Kyle has scheduled include Mountain Heart, Blue Ridge, and Rhonda Vincent.

As we mention whenever XM’s Studio Series comes up, if you are already an XM subscriber, Bluegrass Junction can be found on channel 14, or you can listen online when away from your XM receiver. Non-subscribers can register online for a free, 3 day online trial of XM Radio.

Here’s a few more bluegrass band that have joined Myspace.com

Tim Graves now has a myspace account located here.

The Morgantown Rounders inform us they too have a myspace page here.

The band Flying Blind Bluegrass now has a myspace page that you can find here.

We posted late last year when the 4th Annual American Banjo Camp began accepting registrations for this year. The three day workshop (September 8-10, 2006) offers intensive instruction in both bluegrass and old time banjo, and is held in Fort Flagler State Park, Nordland, Washington.

A recent note from camp co-director Ken Perlman made mention of their faculty for this year’s event.

Bluegrass: Our bluegrass staff this year brings back Bill Keith and Ned Luberecki, with ‘04 veteran Mike Stahlman returning to run our novice program. Our newcomers are Janet Beazley, Pat Cloud and Murphy Henry.

Old-time: Our old-time staff brings back Mac Benford, Paul Brown, Brad Leftwich and Ken Perlman, with Laura Smith once more leading our novice program. Howie Bursen appears for the first time.

The preliminary ‘06 schedule is now posted on their web site.

The Clarion-Ledger is carrying a story about Ricky Skaggs that I thought some of you might find interesting. The story concerns Skaggs’ performance tonight with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. The benefit concert is being held Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, MS.

The Jackson benefit is billed as “Hard Hats and Tuxes” because of sponsorship by members of the Mississippi construction industry, the first such relationship for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Concertgoers are welcome to wear jeans, tuxes or both to the show that’ll include light selections by MSO, selections from Skagg’s latest, Brand New Strings, bluegrass standards and gospel selections.

Tickets: $15-$35, (601) 960-1565

Here’s a couple more bluegrass pages on Myspace.com

Lou Reid has put up a page for his band Carolina. It can be found here.

He also tells us the The Seldom Scene now have a myspace page available here.

We found a nice article in The Blue Ridge Gazette on the contributions of Patrick County, VA residents to traditional Appalachian and bluegrass music. The article is specifically about the opening of a historical marker and information kiosk in Meadows Of Dan, VA along The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. The article includes some info on Lonesome River Band’s Sammy Shelor, a Meadows Of Dan native, and both his and his family’s contributions to the music.

We have posted once before about The Crooked Trail, a tourist and promotional effort, funded by both private and governmental sources. They describe the Road as:

…a driving route through the Appalachian Mountains from the western slopes of the Blue Ridge to the Coalfields region of the state. The trail connects major heritage music venues in the Appalachian region such as the Blue Ridge Music Center, Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, and the Carter Family Fold.

You can read the article online.

When King Wilkie recently performed at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville, VA, the show was professionally recorded, mixed and mastered for online distribution by the folks at Monkeyclaus, a new recording studio, independent label and music distributor in central VA. The entire concert (roughly an hour) is available to hear online, or for free download as an MP3 file.

Charlottesville is the band’s home base, and the show was recorded in an outdoor venue last week. Listen online here.

Though the primary showcase acts for IBMA’s 2006 World Of Bluegrass have been announced, there is yet one more showcase opportunity available. IBMA is currently accepting applications for their Special Showcases, which are label recommended and sponsored appearances.

These showcases are described by IBMA as follows:

Purpose: These special presentations are designed to introduce one or all of the following to the various facets of the industry anticipated to attend a showcase presentation.”

” established bluegrass artist(s) who have a significant new recorded project expected to be released within six months before or after the showcase presentation.??? The recording project may feature either a single act or special collaborations of more than one act

” significant bluegrass artists new to the national bluegrass scene signed to the label within one year prior to the showcase presentation schedule.

Applications should be submitted by the labels, and include:

” Artist(s), Group or Special Collaboration Name
” Contact Person for Group
” Record Label Contact, Address, Phone and Email
” Artist(s) or Group Bio
” Description of the nature and expectations of the forthcoming album release (if known)
” Reasons why their new recording is significant and should be showcased during the conference

Submissions should be sent to IBMA Talent Committee 2 Music Circle South, Suite 100 Nashville, TN??? 37203, and applications must be received by May 19, 2006.

You can contact IBMA by email or phone (615-256-3222) for more details, or view their recent press release online.

Though the CD won’t be shipping until mid-June, Sam Bush fans who make a pre-release purchase of his upcoming project, Laps In Seven, will receive a limited edition, autographed copy of the CD when it ships. Sugar Hill doesn’t say how many copies are available, nor how long they will be offered. The site simply says “while supplies last.”

Laps In Seven has 12 tracks, and includes songs from Darrel Scott, Julie Miller, Leon Russell, Robbie Fulks, and John Hartford. There is even Sam’s cover of It”s A Beautiful Day”s classic, White Bird. Guests on the project include Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Jean-Luc Ponty, Tim O”Brien, and Shaun Murphy of Little Feat.

Pre-release orders for these limited edition Bush CDs can be made from the Sugar Hill site, where there are now some audio clips from the CD which you can ample (Real Audio format).

When Jimmy Bowen started working on his new CD project with his band Santa Fe, his plan was to have included his former employer on the recording. Jimmy had spent seven years working with Charlie Waller & The Country Gentlemen in the late 1980s/early 90s, and had been looking forward to adding his high tenor to Charlie’s distinctive voice once again. When Charlie passed away in 2004, Bowen chose to dedicate the recording to his mentor and inspiration, and chose to keep several of the songs he had meant to record with Charlie on the list.

“Charlie was to have been on this album but we could never seem to line up a time that was feasible for both he and us to hook up in the studio together. Time can slip away from you if you’re not careful and that’s just what happened. So, we decided to keep a lot of the old Gentlemen stuff anyway and added some cross-over material (well they are now) like Lady, Looking for Love and an original tune or two. I always get requests to do Waltz of the Angels on our shows so this is one of the songs that I decided to keep on the recording - I think Charlie would approve of our version.”

After his years with The Gentlemen, Jimmy performed for a time with Continental Divide before forming his own group. This new project, Stone Fences, is his third release with Santa Fe. Rounding out the group is Rick Briggs (banjo& lead/harmony vocals), Daniel Dingeldein (guitar & lead/harmony vocals), David Tousley (upright bass) and Ron Lane (guitar). Ron Stewart guests on fiddle.

Bowen never forgets what he learned from Charlie Waller, or how beneficial his time with The Gentlemen has been to his career.

“It always amazes me just how many folks remember me from my years with Charlie. The man was like a father to me and he taught me so much about the realities of working the road and living together in a 45′ sardine can for days at a time. It takes a special kinship to be able to pull this off for an extended amount of time without killing each other.”

Audio samples from Stone Fences and online ordering are available on Jimmy’s web site.

We’ve posted before (here and here) about the multi-artist collaborative release from 2005, Moody Bluegrass - A Nashville Tribute To The Moody Blues, which was nominated for an IBMA Award as Recorded Event of the Year. The CD features such popular bluegrass artists as John Cowan, Tim O’Brien, Sam Bush, Alison Krauss, Stuart Duncan and Alison Brown, along with many others, doing grassified versions of Moody Blues hits.

It has proven to be popular with both bluegrass lovers and fans of The Moody Blues as well. In fact, Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graeme Edge - all original members of The Moody Blues - were so taken by the bluegrass covers that they joined with the folks who performed on the CD for a live concert at The Ryman Auditorium just prior to last year’s IBMA week. We have a few photos from that show available here.

Starting next week, the CD will be marketed in an As Seen On TV ad campaign, with both one and two minute ads running in selected markets. The ads will be seen in Raleigh, NC (News 14), and in both Louisville, KY and the Asheville, NC market on several cable channels. Look for them starting Monday, May 1.

You can view the ads now on the Moody Bluegrass web site, and all orders generated from the TV ads (or the web site) will include a free packet of organically-grown Moody BrewGrass coffee, inspired by the CD.

Audio samples are available online.

Washburn Guitars has garnered rave reviews for their Timbercraft line of solid wood acoustic guitars. Available in both dreadnaught and jumbo body styles, the Timbercraft guitars retail between $1,000-$1,500, an attractive price point for value-conscious guitarists - and notably lower than is often expected for solid wood instruments.

The newest Timbercraft entry is their B52SW, a travel sized guitar offered for $600, including a padded gig bag. Even with a much smaller body size, Washburn says that the guitar has a volume and a tonal richness not found in most travel instruments, owing to its being built with all solid woods. This guitar has a solid spruce top, with solid mahogany back and sides, a mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, bone nut and saddle, maple binding, and gold tuners with black buttons.

There are no images of the B52SW on the Washburn site at this time, but we have requested one from their media office, and will post any we can obtain here if we receive them.

The guitars are distributed through retailers all over the world, and you can search for a dealer near you on the Washburn site. Surely they will have more information on these solid wood travel guitars shortly.

UPDATE 4/27: You can now find product details on the Wasburn site for the B52SW.

We just heard from David Russell concerning the benefit show he’s planning for Ernie Thacker.

We had to move the date of the Michigan Benefit show for Ernie Thacker to Sunday August 6th. The times have not been nailed down, but we have the day set aside. We will finalize everything soon and inform the folks through our websites. It will be held at the Huron Valley Eagles Club in Flat Rock Michigan.

Website: TheBluegrassJournal.com
Previous: Ernie Thacker Health Update, Ernie Thacker Update

On June 6, 2006 CMH Records will release a bluegrass record of Van Halen songs. This CD is titled Strummin’ With The Devil and features David Lee Roth on a couple numbers. We’ve posted about this project previously. I’m told that there will soon be an appearance on The Tonight Show and/or Letterman Show. We’ll bring you an update on that as soon as we have more.

Here’s the info from the CMH website.

From the get-go, Van Halen proved breathtaking and ballsy in equal measure. Perhaps that”s one of the reasons “Strummin” with the Devil” works so well. In its own hard-pickin” way, this collection offers a similar sense of musical discovery. Here are those same still-sharp rock gems we know and love retooled using a different sort of metal. Come to think about it, bluegrass and Van Halen have much in common “? including an emphasis on exceptional instrumental prowess and timeless tales of everyday drama played out in great songs of haunting and enduring power. Having David Lee Roth, the man himself, kick off this party celebrating the timeless music of which he was such an essential part is more than just thrilling - it”s downright moving. Could this be magic? Definitely.

It was just some casual web surfing that pointed me to the information about the BITS Program on the Arkansas Bluegrass web site. A follow-up query led to a lengthy discussion with Redmond Keisler about this program, which seeks to expose middle and elementary school students in Arkansas to bluegrass music. Keisler is a bluegrass dobroist, a partner in the Leno Capo Company, and the owner of Key Video Services, a video production company in Sheridan, AR.

Many of us who have performed in bluegrass bands have found occasion to do a brief program in a school, and the reaction of the young folks is almost always quite enthusiastic and encouraging. What Keisler is doing with the BITS Program is considerably more ambitious than bringing a band in to pick a few tunes, and is deserving of the attention and support of a wider swath of the bluegrass community.

Either alone, with just his resonator guitar and a backup guitarist, or with his full bluegrass group, The Keisler Brothers, Redmond can deliver a PowerPoint presentation to school systems that explains the history of bluegrass music, and when the band is on hand, demonstrate the structure of the music, the vocal harmony, and even perform a dozen or so songs that illustrate the style. They also demonstrate the different instruments, how they are played and talk a bit about the history behind them.

They are now listed with the Arkansas Arts Council, meaning that up to 40% of the cost of bringing this presentation to a school can be covered by AAC grants. You can find more information about the grants and the council on the AAC web site.

Of course, Keisler is not alone in these efforts. The International Bluegrass Music Association has been involved for some time, and offers a number of resources to to assist program developers and educators in this area. (more…)

The Holts are a family with deep roots in bluegrass music, and thirty plus years writing and performing heartfelt songs with a plainspoken blue collar message and sensibility. Starting with brothers Aubrey and Jerry Holt, who formed the celebrated Boys From Indiana with Harley Gabbard in the early 1970s, and now with Tony Holt (Aubrey’s son) & The Wildwood Valley Boys, the family has earned their reputation for presenting sincere expressions of simple life, hard work and love of family in their music.

And they aren’t finished yet, as evidenced by their fifth Rebel release, Daylight’s Burnin’, out today (4/25). Almost all were written by one Holt or another, the majority by Aubrey, and all concern the familiar themes referenced above, which have been their staple for years. The family connection is especially prominent, with Aubrey contributing a lovely waltz, Sweet Maggie Belle, which he wrote as a remembrance of his mother, Maggie Holt, and Tony’s composition, Old Granddad.

The close harmony heard throughout this CD has been a hallmark of both Boys From Indiana and The Wildwood Valley Boys, but this project also makes recognition of Tony Holt’s growing status and reputation as a lead vocalist, giving him co-billing with the band. Brother duets also have a great history in traditional music, and the father-son duets from Aubrey and Tony Holt are defining a new category. With Evan McGregor, who both sings baritone parts and plays fiddle with the group, the trios breathe with a single voice, giving the vocals on this CD the power to captivate a listener wholly apart from the song itself.

Rebel will also release a Boys From Indiana reissue today, as a part of their Vault Series. This one is entitled Good Times Blues, and includes 14 tracks taken from their early recordings on the King Bluegrass label.

The HooK, a weekly paper in Charlottesville, VA, is reporting that The Prism Coffeehouse has closed it’s doors.

The April 22, 2006 show featuring Jay Unger and Molly Mason was the last to be held in the historic music hall. The Westminster Church, which is the landlord of the Prism”s Charlottesville location, said last week that the church had already lined up a new tenant. There is no word yet of what the new tenant plans for the location.

The “open letter” mentioned in The Hook article no longer appears on The Prism website, or at least I couldn’t find it.

I myself saw several shows at The Prism over the last couple of years, and performed there one time. The Prism was a great small venue for bluegrass and acoustic music and I’m sure it will be missed.

The next issue of Bluegrass Unlimited is on its way to subscribers and newsstands, with cover features on Alecia Nugent and The Gibson Brothers, both of whom have new projects out. There is also a visit with Jim Mills, where he discusses his career as a banjo picker, and his fascination with the pre war flathead banjos.

Articles on The Hart Brothers and Carl Pagter round out the May issue, along with all the regular features like the National Bluegrass Survey and the Personal Appearance Calendar, plus plenty of CD, DVD and book reviews.

You can get more info on Bluegrass Unlimited by visiting their web site.

The recently updated New Releases page on the Pinecastle Records web site is almost all-Gospel this week, highlighting three new gospel projects from current Pinecastle artists.

The Village Singers, long-time Gospel favorites, have a new CD, He Put The Color In The Rose. Pinecastle indicates that The Village Singers are the best selling artists they have ever had on the label. Anyone who doubts that the album might have a bluegrass feel should know that Sonny Osborne produced it. He may have retired from traveling with The Osborne Brothers, but it’s great to see that he hasn’t completely retired from active participation in the music.

Also new is Traveling Through, from The Churchmen. This CD release marks their 16th year as a band, and their first with new members Charlie Oakley on vocals and guitar and Ricky Keen on resonator guitar.

The last of the new releases is from BlueRidge. Getting Ready is both the band’s debut on Pinecastle after several successful projects for other labels, and their first all-Gospel release. The material includes both new and classic Gospel songs, and Sonya Issacs is featured as a guest vocalist.

Speaking of BlueRidge: their newly-redesigned web site should come on line quite soon, including their first functional online store. Also, be on the lookout for details on a guitar giveaway, co-sponsored by Pinecastle and Saga Music’s Blue Ridge Guitars to coincide with the release of the new CD.

Audio samples for each CD can be found on its corresponding web site.