Shortly after we posted last week about the interview with Jim Lauderdale on CMT.com, we heard from our friend, Jens Koch, who plays banjo with the young Swedish bluegrass group, G2.

Jens wanted to let us know that Jim would be appearing at CountryGala this weekend (2/17-18) at Vara Konserthus in Vara, Sweden. G2 will be appearing on the show both nights, and Jens will be performing on banjo with Jim.

You can hear samples of G2’s contemporary bluegrass music on their MySpace page.

The 49th annual Grammy Awards were presented last night, and a few of our own were honored with awards.

The biggest bluegrass award of the night was given to Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder who took home the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, for their most recent work, Instrumentals. I believe this is the 12th Grammy win for Skaggs and the 6th for the band. Congratulations guys!

Best Country Instrumental Performance was handed to Bryan Sutton and Doc Watson for their duet rendition of the tune Whiskey Before Breakfast, from Bryan’s latest CD, Not Too Far From The Tree.

Best Contemporary Jazz Album was awarded to Bela Fleck & The Flecktones for the CD The Hidden Land.

Even though it’s not strictly bluegrass, we’ll claim Vince Gill as one of our own and acknowledge his win for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his song The Reason Why.

Several of my favorites won in non-bluegrass categories as well, especially in the classical genre. The Grammy website has the complete list of nominees and winners posted so you can check to see if your favorites won.

This is just a reminder that the Grascals will be appearing on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight. The guys will be performing with country star Dierks Bentley.

The show is on CBS and will air tonight at 12:35 AM ET/PT. More info about the performance can be found in our original post.

Mark Delaney, banjo player with Randy Waller and the Country Gentlemen, will be teaching a banjo workshop in early March in the Northern Virginia area. The workshop is geared toward the beginner to intermediate level player and will cover both right and left hand techniques in the Scruggs style.

The workshop will be held in Falls Church, VA on March 10, 2007 from 1-4 PM. The cost is $50 in advance, $55 at the door. More information can be found on the workshop website here.

Bluegrass Music Profiles has been publishing a bi-monthly print magazine since 2003, focusing on the personal side of bluegrass artists and personalities. They have just announced the debut of their bluegrass music charts, based on radio airplay from their list of reporting stations.

The chart consists of three parts. Top 20 Hot Picks are the individual tracks getting the most airplay, Top 10 Bluegrass CDs lists the projects getting the most play, and Barn Burners are the 10 fastest rising tracks.

The chart will be viewable online as a PDF file, and the February chart is posted now on the BMP site.

The Board of Directors of the International Bluegrass Music Association has accepted a report from the recently formed Awards Show Guidelines and Oversight Task Force, which sets out their recommendations for Board supervision and responsibility for the annual awards presentation.

This task force was created in response to an uproar from a portion of the IBMA membership who took offense at what they believed was a pro war, or at least pro US military theme in two musical presentations during the 2006 presentation, and the inclusion in the show of a particular song that the Board had requested be excised from the program.

We discussed that issue when it was a hot topic last fall, here and here.

The proposed document, entitled Recommendation to the IBMA Board of Directors - Awards Show Guidelines Task Force 2007, can be read on the IBMA site, and the Board has requested that members carefully read the report, and share their feedback via a link that is posted at the bottom of the report.

The stated goal is to ensure that decisions about the Awards Show are made and managed at the Board level, and as a side concern, that the show ensures that “the diversity of the international bluegrass community, including the IBMA’s membership, is respected.” Approximately 3.5% of the IBMA’s professional membership lives outside the United States.

Earlier this week we told you about the fundraising auction being held by WDVX Knoxville, and of the autographed Martin DXM guitar being auctioned. That auction ends tomorrow, Sunday February 11th, but this evening sees the beginning of the auction for the second instrument.

This time around it’s a Tony Rice model Santa Cruz guitar signed by Tony Rice himself. This guitar is built to Tony’s personal specifications with Adirondack spruce and Indian rosewood. It features a shorter scale at 25.25″ which provides for a fast and supple action. It also has the signature 4 9/16″ soundhole and a hand-tuned top.

Tony says this is:

a guitar you can go to war with

In addition to Tony’s signature, the instrument also boasts the autographs of Del McCoury and Larry Keel. Once again this instrument does come with its own hard shell case. Both the guitar and case were graciously provided by Smoky Mountain Guitars in Pigeon Forge.

The bidding began yesterday evening, Friday February 9th, and will continue through the auction’s closing date of Sunday February 18th, at 6PM EST. More photos of the instrument are available on the ebay auction page.

We were just alerted that Tony Trischka was recently in the studio of WFUV in New York to record an in-studio performance and interview that will be airing tomorrow morning, Sunday February 11th, on the City Folk Sunday Breakfast show.

You can listen live online at the station’s website. Some, but not all, of their shows do get archived so you can listen later. We’re not sure at this time if the Trischka piece will be archived or not.

The airing precedes Trischka’s double banjo performance tomorrow night in New York at the Makor.

Jason Skinner is a devoted student of the banjo style of Don Reno. At age 29, he’s spent 15 years studying the Reno style, and has set out on a crusade to bring more banjo players to embrace Don’s music by producing a 5 DVD set of Reno style instruction for banjo, and offering the entire set for only $65.

“It really bothers me that even to this day Don doesn’t get the credit he deserves. I think it is partly because people find his style hard to figure out. So I figured the best way to help get more people interested in Don’s music was to help them learn.”

For Reno devotees, the fact that the Earl Scruggs banjo style has largely eclipsed Reno’s is a bone of contention, and anyone who spends time with banjo pickers has probably encountered an episode of the long running “it all would have been different had Reno gone to work for Monroe instead of joining the Army, forcing Monroe to go with his second choice, Earl Scruggs” argument.

Jason is unique in having taken steps to educate more banjo players - or at least help them educate themselves. Last year he introduced an online Reno workshop, which uses text descriptions, tab displays and audio clips to both distinguish Don’s style from Earl’s, and to teach many basic elements of Reno’s approach. This workshop is offered free of change, and is still available online.

There are some video snippets from the Reno DVDs available on the The Skinner Family Band web site and on Jason’s YouTube page.

“I did not do this DVD set for the money as you can see that I am not charging a lot for them. I just want to share my love of Don Reno’s music with as many people as possible. Maybe these DVD’s can help people get over that first hump so they won’t give up on his style.”

A full description of the 5 DVD set (tunes, topics) can be found on online, along with ordering information.

Yesterday I posted about about the controversy that Steve Jobs stirred up with his open letter to the music industry concerning digital downloads and DRM. Today two things caught my attention while doing some reading online.

The first is a rumor that EMI is considering licensing it’s entire catalog to online retailers as unrestricted mp3s. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required to read full story) recently reported on this rumor.

In a move that could signal a shift in the music industry’s antipiracy strategy, EMI Group PLC has been holding talks with several online retailers about the possibility of selling its entire digital music catalog in the unprotected MP3 format, which can be freely copied and played on virtually any device…

My understanding is that EMI at first sought upfront cash payments from the retailers in an effort to insure against what the label deemed “potential losses.” The retailers didn’t entirely like the idea and are now offering counter-proposals as negotiations continue. My take on this is that EMI still thinks that selling their music online, unprotected by DRM, will result in piracy and a loss of sales. If Steve Jobs is right and EMI is wrong, this could provide an opportunity for online retailers who have the available capitol to take advantage of the labels fear by negotiating an initial payment followed by lower per track payments on the backend. I don’t know the details of the offered deal though, and it seems likely that EMI is trying to position itself to gain from either scenario.

Other major labels are taking the defensive against Jobs’ challenge. It should be interesting to watch where this goes in the next year or so.

The second matter is only slightly releated, but an article on the CMT.com website is drawing parallels between Jobs’ attitude toward the industry and that of the early Flatt & Scruggs. The author of the piece traces the condition of the industry in relation to anemic sales of country music CDs and talks about Jobs’ idea of selling unprotected mp3s. He then goes on to talk about the soon to be released Flatt & Scruggs DVDs and the band’s attitude toward being on TV. At the end of the article he compares their attitude to that of Jobs.

Flatt & Scruggs never met Steve Jobs, obviously. But if they had met, they would have recognized themselves as brothers-in-arms. For they had a common goal: to dominate their market and leave a mark. And they both did so.

If you scour the web for general music industry news, you may have noticed that the most recent successful recording artist from another genre to embrace bluegrass is Tommy Ramone, from The Ramones, the notorious alternative rock band of the 1970s and ’80s. They are often described as having ushered in the punk sound, in much the same way that Nirvana defined the grunge sound a decade later.

Ramone, along with Claudia Tienan, has formed Uncle Monk, an acoustic duo whose debut eponymous CD release is due May 22, 2007. The two first got together intending to form an electric jam band, but their joint appreciation of traditional bluegrass and old time music won the day. Tommy plays mandolin, guitar, banjo and dobro, while Claudia contributes guitar and bass. Both sing on the project.

We wanted to get some input from Tommy (born Tommy Erdelyi) before posting about this, and were able just recently to nail him down for some discussion and comment on Uncle Monk, and his turn at acoustic string music.

While those of us in the bluegrass world generally welcome such forays into the music from folks who have made a name elsewhere, I wondered whether his passion for the music was newly minted, or had perhaps been longstanding.

“I have been a big fan since my older brother brought home some recordings of stringband music when I was about eight years old, and soon after I heard Earl Scruggs, and I could not believe anything could sound so good. But it was the voice of Carter and Ralph Stanley that sent chills up my spine and opened my eyes to how special bluegrass music was.

My father and brother were big fans of the music, so it was around me all the time. I have always had a special connection to it.”

I also wondered what about bluegrass appealed to him at this point in his musical life and career.

“It is very real music at a time when there is a lot of plastic sounding music all around us. (more…)

Claire Lynch is currently auditioning mandolin players to fill the role being vacated by longtime band member David Harvey. Harvey has been a member of the band for the last thee and half years and has contributed significantly to the band’s sound in that time. He has recently announced that he will be leaving the group this spring and the search is on for his replacement.

The band is now auditioning mandolin players… additional skills on fiddle preferred. Vocals (low tenor to Claire’s lead) a must.

Those interested in the position must be willing to tour extensively, as evidenced by the band’s tour schedule, and must also be capable of performing in both traditional bluegrass style and outside the “bluegrass box.”

Inquiries concerning the gig should be directed to: clairelynchband@gmail.com

Mandolin Cafe points us to an interesting interview with Chris Thile posted on the The Cornell Daily Sun website. The interview is a discussion with Chris about the struggles of a young musician, albeit with a great deal of experience, stretching and reaching trying to find his own unique voice.

Chris articulates quite nicely his quest to discover his place in the larger realm of the music world. He talks of his love for pop, orchestral, bluegrass, and other music styles, and expresses his frustration at realizing his own strengths and weakness.

Chris sings high praise for his new band, How to Grow a Band, saying that his true musical desires are wrapped up in participating in this kind of experience.

I think my heart is in being a part of a really amazing ensemble. And that’s what the How to Grow a Band is attempting to become.

It’s a good read, and if you’re a fan of Chris’ music you’re bound to enjoy reading his thoughts on these topics.

When we posted last week that audio samples from the upcoming Uncle Earl CD, Waterloo, Tennessee, were up on the Rounder site, we also mentioned that the new project had been produced by John Paul Jones, former bass player and keyboard man with ’70s mega-group Led Zeppelin.

Rounder has posted an interview with Jones on their site, where he talks about his own discovery of American bluegrass, how he first met Uncle Earl at Merlefest, and how he approached the production for the new CD.

“I met some friends in New York who gave me a Dillards album Backporch Bluegrass and was much taken by the energy and drive of the music. The harmonies, too, reminded me of all the Everly Brothers records I used to sing along to in my teenage years. Latterly I came across Alison Krauss and Union Station on British radio, which re-awakened my interest. I then caught concerts by Del McCoury, Nickel Creek, Tim O’Brien, and Gillian Welch and gradually sought out more and more traditional music. I have now just started on old-time fiddle!”

For some reason, Rounder has broken the brief interview into two parts, and you need to visit both here and here to read the entire thing.

Pre-orders for Waterloo, Tennessee are now available from the band, with shipping upon release on March 13, 2007.

Two days ago Apple CEO Steve Jobs ignited a fire that is still burning in the music industry. DRM, Digital Rights Management, is all over the news thanks to an open letter he posted on the Apple.com website. Jobs called for an end to DRM for music sold online.

DRM is basically the means whereby labels and online retailers protect the music so that a customer who purchases a download can’t indiscriminately copy that file and share it with other people. Jobs argues that the technology doesn’t accomplish it’s intended goal at all, but does present needless obstacles to legitimate usage of purchased music.

The problem, of course, is that there are many smart people in the world, some with a lot of time on their hands, who love to discover such secrets and publish a way for everyone to get free (and stolen) music…DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy.

This results in new “secret” protections built into the DRM which results in music you purchase online being limited to only working with certain devices.

Music purchased from Microsoft’s Zune store will only play on Zune players; music purchased from Sony’s Connect store will only play on Sony’s players; and music purchased from Apple’s iTunes store will only play on iPods.

Many, including myself, think this should be changed. (more…)

CMT.com has a lengthy interview posted on their site with Jim Lauderdale. The interview is about Jim’s new CD, Bluegrass, about which Brance spoke so highly last month.

Jim talks about his discovery of bluegrass music while still a young teen.

When I first heard the Stanley Brothers do Rank Stranger, that really gripped me. I drifted into bluegrass when I was about 13 or 14, and all at once there was the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and then I started discovering folks like the Seldom Scene and Don Stover a few months later. There was just something about it that I can’t really put my finger on, but it would electrify me when I’d hear it.

They continue to discuss his move into songwriting, and the success he has enjoyed in that field.

Read the whole piece at CMT.com.

Tim O’Brien is offering a free download of The Ballad of Christopher Daniel Gay, a song he recently wrote and recorded, on his web site.

Gay’s tale was taken from the news headlines. He escaped from a South Carolina prison transport in mid-January, and evaded police over a five state manhunt, all in an attempt to visit his dying mother. In the process, he stole a pickup truck, a fully loaded Wal-Mart tractor trailer, and a tour bus belonging to country singer Crystal Gayle.

He was finally arrested on January 26 near the Daytona Speeday in Florida, after attending a race.

This story simply begged to be enclosed in a country song, and it seems that Tim wasted no time in capturing it for posterity. The Ballad of Christopher Daniel Gay is told in a musical style reminiscent of the Woody Guthrie folk ballads of the 1930s and 40s, and concludes with a tip of the hat to the world wide web.

The song can be heard at www.timobrien.net.

Long time band member of Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver, Jamie Dailey is partnering up with Darrin Vincent, of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, to start a new group called The Dailey Vincent Band. The new band won’t debut until 2008 though. Both Dailey and Vincent are going to continue their current gigs for the year of 2007 before embarking on this new venture.

Doyle has a short list of vocalist’s he’s interviewing to fill the vacancy that will be created in 2008 when Jamie Dailey leaves.

I spoke with Jamie yesterday and he assured me that he and Doyle are still on good terms with one another, and that Dolye has given his blessing to this new pursuit.

I love Doyle like a second daddy…I’m not marrying a cat, and Ralph Stanley is not pregnant.

I think what he’s trying to say is that we shouldn’t give in to idle speculation about the reasons for his leaving Quicksilver. He did admit to a certain amount of sadness at the thought of leaving the band he’s called home for the last eight years.

It is kind of saddening to think of leaving the band. It’s the kind of music I’ve loved all my life, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of time spent by Doyle’s side.

Why is he leaving then? Well, he gave me three reason for his decision. (more…)

Here is the much anticipated secular album from the group that has won the Vocal Group of the Year award from IBMA for the last six years, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.

The title track of the disc, More Behind The Picture Than The Wall, was penned by Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon, and Don Miller. This is one of two songs on which Doyle sings lead on the new CD. The other lead he contributes is on the Harley Allen tune The Phone Call, which is a song about the heartaches that arise from many father/son relationships.

Doyle and lead singer Jamie Dailey co-wrote three songs on the album: Just Lovin’ You, When The Blues Are Movin’ In, and Mississippi River Let Your Water Flow. Jamie tells me that they did have in mind Mighty Mississippi from the early days of the band while writing that last tune.

We did have that original tune in mind while we wrote Mississippi River. We were trying for the sound and style of the original without just copying the song.

Jamie said that he and Doyle have written 34 songs together in the last 8 years and they sure seem to work well together.

Doyle also “whittled” a new instrumental for the band entitled Tulsa Turn-A-Round.

Jamie declared that this record is different than anything Doyle has done before. It features a number of ballads, his favorite of which is Leon Payne’s thought-provoking The Selfishness of Man, a tune that has been previously recorded by both Ricky Skaggs and George Jones.

Banjo player Terry Baucom said his favorite cut on the record is Ocean Of Teardrops, a tune he called “a hard driving bluegrass song in B chord.”

Cindy and I were visiting with Ron Spears last September during IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. He gave us a song he had written. We really liked his demo and I passed it on to Doyle. Doyle and everyone else in the band really liked it, too. It is one of my favorites - if not the favorite cut on the new project.

Darren Beachley, the newest member of the band sings this tune. I’ve heard the cut and I’ve got to say that Baucom’s right hand is responsible for a great deal of the drive this cut enjoys. All hail The Duke of Drive!

The CD will be released on the Rounder Records label on March 27, 2007. Audio samples are not yet available online. We’ll let you know as soon as we find some.

UPDATE 2/23/07: There are now audio samples up on Doyle’s site.

Chris Thile was in London on Monday for the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, where he was nominated for Musician Of The Year. He won’t be coming home empty-handed, as his name was called to accept the trophy.

Here’s how he is described in the official BBC press release:

The sole American on this year’s nominations list, 25-year-old Chris Thile (pronounced Thee-lee) is now regarded as the greatest mandolin player in the world. He started playing the instrument at the age of five and recorded his first album when he was 13, but came to international attention in the progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek. The band subsequently announced their split and Thile launched his solo career with his trailblazing album How To Grow A Woman From The Ground.

See the full list of winners on the Radio 2 web site.

Tonight’s Mike Harding Show on Radio 2 (Feb 7) will feature highlights of Monday night’s event. The shows airs live from 8:00-9:00 p.m. (local time - GMT), and the audio from the show will be available online for seven days after its broadcast.