We have posted many times over the past year about Ernie Thacker, and his battle to return home and to the stage after his serious auto accident in April 2006. Fortunately, most of the updates since them have been full of promising news, but the latest is most disconcerting.

David Russell, who manages a web site for Ernie, passed along two messages he had received this morning. The first comes from Matt Thacker, Ernie’s brother.

“Most of you know that my brother Ernie was in a car accident back in April, and has had a tough time recovering. Well he is back in the hospital and needs all the prayers he can get right now. Im not going to go into details about his condition because right now details are still sketchy, but he is in ICU and considered to be in critical condition. I am getting ready to leave OH to go back to VA and be with him now.

I believe so many people praying is what got him this far, so please if you know me or my brother, pray for him now.”

The second comes from Ernie Evans, who had performed with Thacker in Route 23.

“Please keep Ernie and his family in your prayers tonight. Unfortunately, he is once again in a struggle for his life. His accident has been hard on he and his family and his healing has been slow.

I spoke to Jen a few minutes ago and they are all by his side. It is still unclear what his condition is but he is in good care in ICU. As far as we know he is dealing with complications from infections to pneumonia. They have all been through a lot since this has happened and want everyone to know that your prayers are important and have meant so much already.

More information will be released as we learn more about his progress but for now they need time alone with him. Phone calls are hard to manage as you can imagine.”

Donations are still being accepted for Ernie’s health expenses.

Make checks payable to:

Students of the history of commercial country music in the United States have a special fondness for Bristol, TN and the story of the Bristol Sessions in 1927. It was in July of that year that Ralph Peer journeyed there from New Jersey to make recordings of southern Appalachian music for release by the Victor Talking Machine Company, then the most prominent record company in the world.

These Bristol Sessions marked the first recordings of The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, and introduced a business model that paid artists not for the sessions, but as a percentage based on sales. The folks at The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance (BCMA) in Bristol, formed to preserve and promote this important musical milestone, like to refer to the Bristol Sessions as “the big bang of country music,” the single event that lit the big fire.

To commemorate 2007 as the 80th anniversary of the Bristol Sessions, the BCMA has planned a year long awareness drive to help educate people all over the world who love Appalachian and traditional country music about their region’s important contribution to the music’s roots. They are also trying to raise funds for a new museum and cultural center to be built in downtown Bristol. The site will house their administrative offices as well, and be the center for their educational activities and live music programming.

As an inducement to music lovers who might be willing to offer a donation, they have some special offerings in place.

To celebrate the 80th Anniversary of this historic event, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance will give away monthly prizes to individuals who make a donation of $19.27 or greater to the organization. In addition to the monthly drawings, each donor will receive one entry for a grand prize of 2 tickets to the Food City 250 and Sharpie 500 and lodging. February’s monthly drawing for 2 tickets to a 2007 Masters Practice Round. Through contributions the organization is able to carry out its mission to “To tell the story of the musical and cultural heritage of the region, its role in the birth and development of country music, and its influence on music around the world” through the preservation, education, and continuation of our region’s musical heritage and those cultural traditions which sustain that living legacy.

You can find more details about the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, and how you can assist their efforts, on the BCMA web site.

This morning I noticed a recent post on the Japanese bluegrass blog, run by mandolin player Kasninoyh (Nino), about Crooked Still’s newest CD Shaken by a Low Sound.

Nino wrote a very thorough review of the disc for his Japanese readers, and made a great observation that this is really urbanized bluegrass played by four very talented, jazz influenced, young musicians from the Northeast. One thing he was unclear on though was the band name. I myself wasn’t sure how they had come up with the name, and neither was John. I emailed Rushad Eggleston, the cello player, and inquired as to how the name had come about.

Rushad tells me that Greg Liszt, the banjo player, came up with the name.

It basically refers mostly to a moonshine still, representative of Appalachian vibes, and its crooked which is kind of about us coming at it from a different angle.

For our non-english readers who may not be familiar with the concept of a moonshine still, let me explain. Moonshine is a strong alcoholic beverage made from corn in the rural mountains of the southeastern United States. A “still” is the device they use to distill the corn mash into liquor. The production of moonshine is illegal by the way.

It’s a “crooked still” because the band plays Appalachian/bluegrass music but, as Nino noted, is not a regular bluegrass band. Some people talk about traditional bluegrass by calling it “straight up bluegrass” so the band decided since they weren’t “straight up” they must be “crooked.”

All in all, that’s a pretty cool band name for a progressive bluegrass band.

Wildfire has announced that they have brought Andy Ruff into the group playing resonator guitar and singing both lead and harmony vocals. Andy has spent the past few years as a member of Karl Shifflet & The Big Country Show, and Honi Deaton & Dream. He had played with The Sunny Siders, his family’s gospel group, through his teen years and is well remembered throughout Kentucky and Indiana from his many festival appearances.

The band is delighted to welcome this exciting young talent, a seasoned pro at only 23 years old.

“Wildfire is excited to have Andy on board. He brings a fresh and young energy to the unique style the band has created in their six years together.”

The remainder of the band is still intact from its inception, with Darrell Webb on mandolin, Barry Crabtree on banjo, Robert Hale on guitar, and Curt Chapman on bass. They hope to get into the studio soon with this configuration and get to work on a new project.

You can check their schedule online on the Wildfire web site, or their MySpace page.

March 1, 2007 is the last date to take advantage of the early registration discount for the 2007 Smoky Mountain Banjo Academy. The event, held each spring near Gatlinburg, TN (hosted by Jack Hatfield), is scheduled this year from April 20-22. A $50 discount is offered for early registration.

Over the course of 3 days, more than 16 banjo instructors will conduct dozens of small classes and demonstrations, arranged by skill level, and offered for both old time and bluegrass banjo styles. There is also a faculty concert, a student banjo competition and plenty of organized and free-form jamming.

The faculty for SMBA ‘07 is rich with well known players and teachers: Eddie Adcock, Jason Bales, Dave Ball, Gary Davis, Janet Davis, Jack Hatfield, Bill Keith, Andy King, John Lawless, Randal Morton, James McKinney, Tom Nechville, Ken Perlman, Butch Robins, Rick Sampson and Snuffy Smith.

The name is apt, as everything takes place at the Wa-Floy Retreat, in the heart of The Smokies.

Find all the pertinent faculty, schedule and registration details on the SMBA web site.

The latest issue of Bluegrass Music Profiles is in the mail, and subscribers should see it in their mailbox soon - if they haven’t already received it. The cover feature is an interview with Russell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out, in which he covers his long career in bluegrass, starting with his days as a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.

Other items include an interview with Steve Gulley and Phil Leadbetter about their new venture, Grasstown. Paul Williams discusses his favorites off-stage pursuits, and Rob Ickes talks about his resonator guitars. Interviews with Cadillac Sky’s Bryan Simpson and The Grascal’s Terry Smith are found in the March/April ‘07 issue as well.

Publisher Kevin Kerfoot was especially proud of this announcement:

This issue also includes the debut of BMP’s Top 20 Hot Picks singles chart and its Top 10 Bluegrass CDs chart. Both charts are based on songs receiving the most radio play from BMP reporting stations.

Find out more about BMP on their web site.

Pinecastle Records has released three new CD projects this week, each of which we had previewed for you here prior to their street date. They have also launched a new, completely redesigned web site which Andy Evans at Pinecastle tells us has been in the planning stages for several months.

The new releases are from longtime Stanley bass man, Jack Cooke (Sitting On Top Of The World), The Circuit Riders (Let The Ride Begin) and a second compilation set from their extremely popular bluegrass instrumental series (More Ultimate Pickin’).

Andy says that they are still making minor site revisions, but expect that all the bugs will be found and fixed in the next few days. He invites everyone to stop by and have a look around.

Veteran fiddler Mike Hartgrove called yesterday to let us know that he will be leaving Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver as of March 17, 2007. His future plans include pursuing a career teaching fiddle full time.

Mike said he has been teaching lessons near his home in Charlotte, NC and the number of students he teaches has increased to the point that he started considering a switch to full time teaching around the first of the year.

Teaching is working out real well for me. I have a large number of students at this point and was considering teaching full time anyway. When Terry announced he would be leaving the band next month, it just seemed like a good time for me to make the change as well.

In addition to teaching private lessons, Mike is also available as an instructor for workshops and camps.

Mike indicated that he also anticipates doing some freelance work both in the studio and on the stage, in addition to his teaching schedule.

I expect we’ll be hearing a great deal of Hartgrove’s tasteful fiddle playing on many a bluegrass record in the coming years.

And the band news just keeps swirling…

We just got a note from Russell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out with the news that Ray Deaton, original member, bass player and singer - and primary booking agent for the band - will be leaving at the end of 2007. Russell said that the band will take their customary month of December vacation - though somewhat truncated this year - and reemerge in January with the new bass player in tow.

Ray is leaving to work full time with The Anita Fisher Band, with whom he has been performing on a part time basis. Anita and Ray are engaged to be married, and it seemed that this move was inevitable. They have completed a Gospel recording that is expected to be released in May 2007.

Russell said that Ray gave his notice a few weeks ago, and that he is sorry to see his friend and band mate leave.

“Ray has been standing beside me on stage for over twenty years and he will be missed by myself and all the other members of IIIrd Tyme Out. We look forward to the rest of this year’s show dates, where our friends and fans can expect to hear the songs they’ve come to know and love over the past fifteen years. We all wish Ray the best in the future and in everything he does. The rest of us are committed to continuing on and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead, and to sharing those opportunities with everyone across the country.”

Russell also mentioned that they are hard at work completing the edits for their live concert DVD, and hope to have it ready for the table this spring.

I just got a call from Cindy Baucom, asking me to share with you, our readers, some exciting news about the Duke of Drive himself, Terry Baucom.

Terry has just announced his resignation from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, effective March 17, 2007, to pursue a number of banjo focused opportunities that are available to him. He already has plans to record his first ever solo project as well as a series of instructional banjo DVDs on a private label. A number of banjo camps and other instructional settings are also in Terry’s future.

As I turn the page on my musical career, I am excited about this transition into a musical focus on the banjo.

Cindy went on to hint that a major announcement would soon be forthcoming concerning a Baucom model banjo. She left me hanging as to the builder, but as soon as that announcement is made we’ll be sure to fill you in.

An original member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver from 1979 to 1985, Terry played on the band’s first five recordings. He returned to the group in 2003 and has participated on five more projects including the 25th Anniversary DVD, Through The Years, and the upcoming release, More Behind The Picture Than The Wall.

Baucom sent along this comment about his time with Doyle and band.

Doyle and I go back a long time and have a true musical chemistry on stage. It has been a treat sharing the stage with him. All the other guys in the band I have also grown close to and I wish them all the very best.

This is an exciting time for Terry as he pursues these opportunities. We wish him all the best, and we look forward to hearing more great music from The Duke of Drive!

We’re all bluegrass fans here, and if you are also a fan of original artwork in the form of paintings, then Bob Yonke is a name you need to hear. Yonke is a bluegrass musician himself (mandolin is his instrument of choice), performing with groups based in West Virginia, but he’s also an artist in watercolor.

Yonke has combined his love of bluegrass and old-time music with his love of painting. It all started when friends encouraged him to capture the scenes of rural Appalachia in a coffee table book. He started painting and was soon giving the works names based on classic bluegrass songs such as The Old Home Place and Old Joe Clark.

From there he moved to painting scenes of bluegrass bands during performances. Even with these paintings though, he has continued his naming scheme. The one pictured here is titled Big Mon for obvious reasons. Yonke explains what he sees as the purpose of these works of art.

These paintings are not intended to replace photography as a tool for documenting this style of American roots music rather to offer an interpretation that will have meaning beyond its decorative value to bluegrass and old-time country music fans.

All of his paintings are available for purchase from his website AppalachianStudio.com as prints. Originals are also available from time to time and all of the works can also be purchased for use as greeting cards, CD covers, posters and more.

As cool as all this is, it gets better. Not only is Yonke a bluegrass musician and an artist, he’s also a blogger! You can visit his blog The Bluegrass Painter where he writes about art and his love for music.

Here’s an update to our post late last week about A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection, the collection due from Rounder in April that primarily highlights Alison Krauss’ contributions to films and recordings by other artists.

We mentioned in that previous post that four new, previously unreleased tracks would also be included, but did not have many details about them to share at the time. We received some information over the weekend that sheds a bit more light on that question.

The four new tracks are You’re Just A Country Boy, Simple Love, Jacob’s Dream and Away Down The River. Rounder informed us that all four showcase Alison as the featured vocalist, and are tracks which she produced, and Barry Bales mentioned that while members of Union Station do appear at various points on these tracks, none are performed strictly with the band.

In other words, this compilation, and the new tracks specifically, can be seen as an Alison Krauss solo effort. Rounder has typically issued one like this (under Alison’s name) for every couple that are listed as AKUS CDs.

We’ll be sure to post again when audio samples show up online.

We got a note from Joe Carr, Assistant Professor of Music in the Bluegrass Music program at South Plains College in Levelland, TX. He was following up on our post last month about the faculty position coming open when Alan Munde retires from the program after the Spring 2007 semester.

The position is full time, and requires mastery of the 5 string banjo in the three finger style.

Here are Joe’s comments:

South Plains College in Levelland, Texas is still accepting applications for the position in Commercial Music currently held by Alan Munde. Alan is retiring from teaching at the school in May after 20+ years. He will still teach at Camp Bluegrass each July.

Interested applicants should contact Joe Carr at jcarr@southplainscollege.edu.

We are all the richer for this set of remembrances of our beloved Ralph Stanley, contributed by Richard Thompson, just as we are for Stanley’s life-long dedication to bluegrass and Appalachian music. We hope that everyone will read this entire piece.

As Dr. Ralph Stanley contemplates his 80th birthday today (2/25/07), he might have cast his mind back sixty years to when he, with his older brother, Carter, began his career in “old-time mountain music, what they call bluegrass.” Surely as a 20 year old he would never have dreamt that his life would evolve the way it has. A recording career, firstly with Rich-R-Tone then with Columbia, Mercury, Starday, King, Jalyn, Wango, Cabin Creek, Blue Jay, Jessup, King Bluegrass, Rebel, Freeland Records, his own Stanleytone label and then back to Columbia, stretches the whole way through those six decades. In doing so, he has recorded with a wealth of fellow bluegrass and country music artists as well as stellar sidemen in his Clinch Mountain Boys band.

He holds the Living Legend award from the Library of Congress and was the first recipient of the Traditional American Music award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. One of his proudest achievements is the honorary doctorate in music that Lincoln Memorial University conferred on him in 1976. In addition to all these, he has been a member of many top profile tours such as The Legends Of Bluegrass (1987) and Down From The Mountain and made personal appearances at many prestigious venues. He has achieved world wide acclaim with personal appearances in countries as far afield as Japan and the UK, not to mention the terrific universal impact of the Coen Brothers hit film O Brother, Where Art Thou? that has teenagers relishing his music through his rendition of O, Death, which is featured in that film and earned him the Grammy award for Male Country Vocalist, 2002. He has won two other Grammy awards and had several other nominations.

He has a book about him [Traveling The Highway Home by John Wright; University Of Illinois Press]. He has a museum named in his honour in Clintwood, Virginia, on the Crooked Road. He is a member of the esteemed Grand Ole Opry, having joined in January 2000, and as recently as November last year he received the ultimate accolade from the nation in the form of the National Medal Of Arts, presented in the Oval Office of the White House by President George W. Bush.

He has featured in many widely-circulated non-music publications, one of the latest being last November’s edition of Vanity Fair.

He is an American music icon.

A few of his friends and colleagues and a relative speak richly of him on this special day. (more…)

Brance told us last month about a new CD due next month that features a studio collaboration between pop star Bruce Hornsby and bluegrass’ Ricky Skaggs. He also made reference to a live show taping for CMT’s Crossroads show recorded in Nashville on January 18.

That show debuts on CMT tonight (2/24) at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). It will be shown again on Sunday (2/25) at 10:00 a.m., Monday (2/26) at 4:00 p.m., and Wednesday (2/28) at 1:00 p.m.

If you visit the Crossroads web site, you can even watch a video slip for their impromptu (ill-advised?) rendition of Rick James’ Superfreak.

We’ve told you recently about the new addition to Mountain Heart. If you haven’t heard them yet and you are a subscriber to XM radio, here’s your chance. The band is doing an in-studio concert that will be aired today at 11 AM on Bluegrass Junction (channel 14).

The show will then be rebroadcast at the following times.

• Sun: 2/25/2007 - 6:00 PM
• Mon: 2/26/2007 - 8:00 PM
• Tues: 2/27/2007 - 12:00 AM (Midnight)
• Thurs: 3/1/2007 - 3:00 PM

This morning’s edition of The Washington Post carries a nice feature piece on John Starling & Carolina Star.

Written by Post staffer Richard Harwood, the article highlights the return of DC-area music scene stalwarts John Starling, Mike Auldridge and Tom Gray, original members of Seldom Scene who started in DC in the early 1970s. The three former compatriots are reunited as members of John Starling & Carolina Star, along with Rickie Simpkins and Jimmy Gaudreau.

“The reaction’s been very heartwarming,” Auldridge says of the group’s reemergence. “It’s like in the early days of the Scene: We’re just doing this because it’s fun, but people are making us realize that they missed us, and that’s really nice to hear.”

Read the whole article online.

Audio samples from the new Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver CD which Brance previewed for us last week are now up at doylelawson.com.

More Behind The Picture Than The Wall isn’t officially released until March 27, but pre-orders are available from Doyle’s site now. The site indicates that they will receive copies of the CD “around the 20th,” which we presume means March 20.

We received a pre-release copy of the CD a few weeks ago, and it is a powerful statement from this edition of Quicksilver with driving bluegrass (featuring the Duke Of Drive, Terry Baucom on banjo) and the soaring vocals that make it impossible to ignore this group when they are performing.

Great stuff…

Rounder Records has announced the imminent release of A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection, from Alison Krauss, due on April 3, 2007. This new compilation will feature 16 tracks which showcase Alison’s work outside of her recordings as a solo artist, or with her long time band, Alison Krauss & Union Station.

It will include her contributions to a number of movie soundtracks. Two from Cold Mountain will be on the CD (The Scarlet Tide and You Will Be My Ain True Love), along with I Give You To His Heart from The Price Of Egypt, Down To The River To Pray from O Brother, Where Art Thou, and her cover of Baby Mine from Walt Disney’s Dumbo DVD re-release.

Several duets Alison has sung with other popular artists are here, such as the brilliant Whiskey Lullaby with Brad Paisley, I’m not Missing You with John Waite, How’s The World Treating You with James Taylor and a previously unreleased duet, again with John Waite, on Lay Down Beside Me.

One to excite bluegrass fans is her live version of Sawing On The Strings from the 2004 CMT Flameworthy Awards show, which featured Tony Rice and a cast of bluegrass all stars.

Four other previously unreleased tracks are included on which Alison is listed as producer, but it isn’t clear whether she is a featured performer on these songs. As soon as we get clarification on that from Rounder, we’ll post an update.

Don’t forget to log on to the streaming audio from WDVX at noon today to hear Lonesome River Band and Belinda Gail and Curly Musgrave on The Blue Plate Special.

WDVX broadcasts at 89.9 FM from Knoxville, TN, and live online via Windows Media or iTunes from their web site.