We’ll be having some hardware upgrades done to the server this evening that require shutting it down for a short period of time. The shutdown will take place this evening sometime between the hours of 11:00 PM EST and 06:00 AM EST. I really don’t think it will take that long, but that’s when I’m told the technician will be doing the work.

The Bluegrass Blog will be unavailable while they work on the server.

We’ll back and posting news first thing in the morning though, so you shouldn’t miss a thing. See ya then!

Ronnie McCoury recently held a bluegrass luau and picking party in Nashville. The party guests included a who’s who of Nashville bluegrass stars. Our friend Wichita Rutherford, the podcasting superstar, was on hand with a video camera.

He’s uploaded the video as a podcast and is running a contest with it. Go watch the video and count the bluegrass stars. Then be the first to leave him a comment with the correct number and you’ll win a spiffy prize. And if you don’t win, he’s still going to give away about 50 other prizes randomly to people who try hard.

I watched it twice and still lost count, I suggest you have a sharp pencil and pad ready!

ukbluegrass.com has first hand reports on the recently-concluded European World Of Bluegrass in The Netherlands. Two British bands traveled to Voorthuizen to participate in the EWOB, and each wrote of their time at the convention.

Both EWOB veterans, The New Essex Bluegrass Band, and newcomers, The Carrivick Sisters have posted their reports online.

Read their articles at ukbluegrass.com.

Tom and Lucy Warlick have written a book on the WBT Briarhoppers, an “accidental” hillbilly band formed to perform on Charlotte, NC radio station WBT in 1934. The group was formed when an advertiser, Consolidated Drug Trade Company of Chicago, indicated a desire for a hillbilly-themed show. They remained on the air until 1951.

The band continued to perform through numerous membership changes, and with only brief periods of dormancy, has been active to this day. In May of 2006, the North Carolina State Legislature passed a Joint Resolution honoring The Briarhoppers, and WBT founder Charles Crutchfield.

WTB Briarhoppers - Eight Decades of a Bluegrass Band Made for Radio will be published later this year by McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Co-author Tom Warlick befriended The Briarhoppers through his ability to mimic the playing style of their banjo player, the late Shannon Grayson. Tom tells us that when original band member Don White passed away a few years ago, Dwight Moody - fiddler with the modern iteration of the group - asked if Tom and his wife would consider compiling a history of The Briarhoppers.

Tom had written for both Bluegrass Unlimited and Banjo NewsLetter, and Lucy is an award-winning poet. They accepted the opportunity with relish.

“It has taken about three years to write it. During the process, we interviewed John Rumble of the Country Music Hall of Fame (and got access to their research files), Dr. Tom Hanchett of the Levine Museum of the New South, Doc Watson, David Holt, Wade Mainer, the late Janette Carter (the daughter of AP and Sara Carter - this was her last interview), Curly Seckler, Doc Childre (the son of the late Opry star Lew Childre), George Hamilton IV, Bill Anderson, WSM radio DJs, among others. It is full of old pictures made during the 1930s, up to the present. Stories include the Monroe Brothers and the Carter Family’s time at WBT in Charlotte, and their relationships with the BHoppers, as well as the many opportunities the BHoppers had to become members of the Grand Ole Opry.

The book covers the gamut from funny stories on the road with the group to the time they were almost murdered by a drunken band mate.”

Despite its rich history in southern American folk music, WBT now functions as a news/talk station, but they maintain a very detailed history of the station’s 85 years on air at the WBT web site.

Tom tells us that only a few members of the early group remain.

“To date, the following pre-1940 BHoppers are living: Tex Martin (aka rockabilly star Martin Schopp) and Billie Burton Daniels (the little blonde girl in the early photos)… The only post 1940 BHoppers who were on the radio program who are still with us are Roy ‘Whitey’ Grant and Eleanor Bryan Fields.”

McFarland indicates that a Fall/Winter 2007 release is anticipated.

Andrea Bradstreet, who hosts a weekly bluegrass radio program on KRFC in Fort Collins, CO, asked us to pass the word about Live@Lunch. It’s a live, in-studio music show which runs from noon to 1:00 p.m. (Mountain) weekdays, and on which KRFC invites any bluegrass acts touring in CO to perform.

Their studio is large enough to accommodate a full bluegrass band, with multi track capabilities. Live@Lunch is mixed by a professional engineer, and broadcast live.

Artists or bands who would like to perform on the show can find more details and contact information on the Live@Lunch site.

KRFC is a non profit, public radio station that reaches a large audience in the front range area of northern Colorado. They broadcast at 88.9 FM, and their audio signal is streamed online.

You can catch Andrea’s show, Rocky Mountain Breakdown, each Sunday from noon to 2:00 p.m. (Mountain).

Back at the first of the month we told you about guitarist James Alan Shelton’s new CD, Walking Down The Line. We told you it would be released on the 22nd of this month, but it seems the release has been pushed back to June 19, 2007. James has the CD on his website for order at this time, but it won’t be available anywhere else until June 19.

I still couldn’t find any audio clips/previews of the tracks, but we do have the cover art now.

Here’s is some more information about the songs on the disc, from the press release.

The album’s title song is a Bob Dylan composition that has become much beloved in bluegrass circles. Then there are the hallowed folk tunes and parlor ballads that everybody knows (by sound if not always by title)—“Soldier’s Joy,” “Fair And Tender Ladies,” “Salt Creek” and “My Grandfather’s Clock.” Here also is Stephen Foster’s wistful mid-19th century lament, “Hard Times Come Again No More.”

Shelton dips into the Carter Family, Bill Monroe and Roy Acuff archives, respectively, for “Motherless Children,” “Methodist Preacher” and “Fireball Mail.” Moving forward on the calendar, he covers Roger Miller’s tenderly paternal “Old Toy Trains”; “Nashville Blues,” from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s epochal Will The Circle Be Unbroken album; and Simon & Garfunkel’s majestically forlorn “Sounds Of Silence.” Rounding out this treasury is the Tony Ellis homage, “Stephen,” on which Shelton plays both lead guitar and banjo. In this age of rapid fire machine gun-like guitar players, Shelton’s melody oriented style of playing is a breath of fresh air.

For the past 17 years, Johnny & Jeanette Williams have played and sung bluegrass music together all over the world. The husband/wife team has written and performed together through a number of band names, currently The Jeanette Williams Band.

Jeanette’s voice has always been the primary focus, while Johnny has labored behind the scenes with booking and management duties, in addition to playing guitar and singing with the band. Now, the success he has sought for Jeanette for so long has forced him to step aside from his stage role, as the band’s growing tour schedule presents unresolvable conflicts with his full time “day job.”

Stepping in on guitar will be Alyssa Emerson, who Jeanette says has a lovely voice which blends beautifully with her own. This is the first touring gig for the college freshman, but she has been making her mark as a guitarist, taking 7th place at the 2006 Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, VA.  The band also includes Jody King on banjo, Chase Joiner on mandolin and Jeanette on bass.

Though Johnny is unable to dedicate himself to a full time band, those who know him recognize that he could never stop picking and singing. He has accepted a position with Big Country Bluegrass, whose schedule meshes well with Johnny’s availability.

Though the two will no longer perform together, Johnny and Jeanette want everyone to know that they are still very happily married, a partnership that is as solid as ever. Johnny will continue to book The Jeanette Williams Band though his own company, Grass Tank Music.

Jason Thomas has joined The Claire Lynch Band, assuming the position on mandolin, fiddle and vocals recently vacated by David Harvey. He is a multinational award winner, having taken the top place in the Canadian Open Mandolin Championship and the Florida State Championships for both mandolin and fiddle - twice.

Born in Toronto, Jason now lives in Orlando, FL where he has performed for some time at both Disney World and Universal Studios. He has been a member of Kane’s River, with whom he still performs.

He joins Jim Hurst on guitar and vocals, Missy Raines on bass and vocals and, of course, Claire Lynch on guitar and lead vocals.

Find The Clair Lynch Band schedule on their web site.

Bobby Osborne’s second CD release with his new band, Rocky Top X-Press, is due from Rounder Records on July 10. Bluegrass Melodies will showcase the soulful voice and mandolin prowess of this 75 year old music legend.

The new CD was produced by Osborne and Glen Duncan, and includes three new original songs that Bobby wrote himself, along with some popular favorites like Lonesome River and Thank God I’m A Country Boy.

A certain highlight will be Bobby’s duet with Rhonda Vincent on Vince Gill’s Go Rest High On That Mountain, a haunting ode Gill wrote to his brother shortly after his untimely death.

Members of Rocky Top X-Press are Dana Cupp on banjo, David Crow on fiddle, Matt DeSpain on resonator guitar, Darryl Mosley on bass, Bobby Osborne, Jr. on guitar, and Bobby Sr. on mandolin. Bobby formed this group when his brother and long-time musical partner, Sonny, chose to retire, effectively disbanding The Osborne Brothers.

There are no audio samples up yet online for Bluegrass Melodies (that we can find), so we’ll post again when they turn up.

Foothills Radio Group, in Lenoir, NC, has announced the creation of a new all-bluegrass radio station. The station is WKGX and can be found at 1080 on the AM dial. Previously an all sports format, the station will now be known as The Bluegrass Station.

WKGX will begin broadcasting on Monday June 11, 2007. The station’s programing will feature a mix of classic and current bluegrass music with a spotlight on local area bands. The morning show on WKGX will be KT and the Bluegrass Breakfast and will present the local news and weather alongside a heavy dose of bluegrass music and talk. The remainder of the broadcast day will be continuous bluegrass music.

Foothills Radio Group Program Director Davy Crockett commented on the creation of this new station.

With so many well-attended events like Merlefest, the Happy Valley Old-Timer Fiddlers’ Convention, the Red, White, and Bluegrass Festival, and the upcoming Longview Centennial Celebration, it’s obvious that Bluegrass fans are being underserved on the radio. This station’s for them.

WGKX will not be webcasting, so only those local to the broadcast area surrounding Lenoir, NC will have access to this all bluegrass formatted station. We still think this is great news that radio business people are seeing bluegrass as a genre worthy of commercial consideration.

Members of North Carolina-based bluegrass/gospel group Harvest Wind were en route to a show in Missouri this past Friday (5/25) when their van was struck from behind, sending the vehicle into the path of a tractor trailer. The accident occurred near Clarksville, TN.

Eight people traveling in the van were injured, and one died while being transported to the hospital.

The Tennessean in Nashville, and the Statesville Record & Landmark both have stories on the crash. Their articles both indicate that the identity of the person killed in the accident was being withheld by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, but subsequent reports have noted that it was Crystal Wood, wife of Harvest Wind guitarist Brad Wood.

Notes of sympathy and encouragement can be sent via the band’s web site. The Bluegrass Blog extends our condolences to the band and the Wood family.

Here’s a new Mel Bay release that is sure to become an important reference for banjo pickers. Parking Lot Picker’s Songbook - Banjo Edition includes well over 200 popular songs, complete with chords, lyrics and the basic melody presented in both standard notation and banjo tablature.

The book was written by Dix Bruce and Bill Evans, who also recorded a version of every song from the book for the two companion CDs. Bruce has more than 20 books available from Mel Bay, and is an accomplished guitarist and mandolinist and music writer. Evans is a noted banjo player and teacher, with three instructional DVDs from AcuTab.

The songs in the book include bluegrass, old time, country and gospel favorites drawn from the recorded work of Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, The Osborne Brothers. Jimmy Martin, Doc Watson and many others. You’ll find jam standards like Rocky Top, Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Nine Pound Hammer and Little Maggie plus Bill Evans’ banjo arrangement for Train 45 (with examples of possible variations), as well as Cripple Creek and Sally Goodin.

The book’s introduction covers important jam basics like using the capo, finding the best key for your voice, and how to transpose the chords shown for each song into a more suitable key for both men’s and women’s voices.

Bill shared a few thoughts about this new release.

“My hope is that this will be a real resource for the acoustic musician who is looking to expand their repertoire or catch up on some old favorites that they may have missed the first time around. You can listen to the CD track and then go to the sheet music to learn the chord progression and lyrics. The relatively simple banjo tab melody offers a way for you to begin to work out your own arrangement of the tune – rather than trying to learn and memorize someone else’s version.”

This 304 page book (with 2 audio CDs) is available wherever bluegrass instructional materials are sold, or directly from Bill Evans’ web site where you can also find a sample tab and audio.

The Parking Lot Picker’s Songbook will be available soon in a mandolin edition as well.

Here’s a quick link to check out. TheBluegrassMusician.com is a relatively new website designed to bring bluegrass musicians together in an online network.

The site is especially targeted at bands looking for a musicians, or musicians looking for a band. You can post on the site if you need a new band member, and musicians can check out the listings and contact any band they would be interested in playing with. Musicians can also post that they are looking for a band to play with and if your band needs a particular instrument or singer to complete the ensemble, you can check the listings and then contact musicians who might fit your needs.

The site also features an e-newletter and links to other bluegrass sites of interest.

The available sections of the site include: Musicians Wanted, Musicians Available, and Musician Resources.

BluegrassCountry.org is featuring a live concert performance by the Claire Lynch Band in their Special Programming segment from now until the end of May. The show was recorded last month in DC, and marked the final appearance of long-time mandolinist David Harvey with the band.

BluegrassCountry.org offers live, streaming bluegrass music online, 24 hours each day.

Check their schedule to find when the Special Programming runs each day and catch Claire’s live show.

Randy Kohrs & The Lites will be performing live in studio this afternoon on 88.7 WNCW. Host Dennis Jones will interview Randy and band on his show Goin’ Across The Mountain at 1 PM.

The show can be heard on the internet by visiting WNCW’s website.

And if you’re in the area, Randy Kohrs & The Lites will be performing at The Down Home, in Johnson City, TN later this evening.

We recently told you about the law suit filed by David Grisman’s Dawg Music (Acoustic Disc) label against online video sharing site YouTube.com. It appears that’s not the only lawsuit he’s filed recently. He’s also suing Universal Music Group and Warner Music for contracting to sell his music online through digital download services without first consulting him, or paying the expected royalties.

What’s more, he’s extended the suit to include eight online download services which have distributed the music provided to them by Universal and Warner. The eight include Apple’s iTunes, AOL Music Now, Buy.com, Microsoft’s MSN.com, Napster, RealNetworks’ Rhapsody, WalMart.com, and Yahoo Music. He finds them guilty by association. That’s going to be a hard sell in my opinion because these services always pay to the label, who then distributes royalties to the artist. It seems to me his complaint should be with the two labels he signed contracts with to distribute his music.

The filing claims that “irreparable injury” has been done to Dawg Music by this situation and Grisman is seeking $150,000 for every work whose copyright was violated. Taken as a whole and spread across all the defendants, this would equal millions of dollars.

It seems Grisman has a contract with Universal and Warner, but his complaint is that they took on themselves authority that wasn’t granted to them by the contract. I’ve seen some pretty vague wording in some record contracts offered to artists by the labels that would give the label the right to “all future media” or some such. This could be one of the cases. I think Grisman needs to focus on his contract with the labels in question. I really don’t think he has any case against the online retail outlets.

Don Rigsby & Midnight Call were recent guests on Michael Jonathan’s Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and the video of that show is now available online.

In addition performing several selections from his latest CD, Hillbilly Heartache, Don talks with Michael at length about his work with The Kentucky Center for Traditional Music, and his experiences growing up in Eastern Kentucky. KCTM is part of Morehead State University in Morehead, KY, and was established to document and preserve the musical traditions of eastern Kentucky.

Folk duo Bethany & Rufus also appear on the show.

Steve Huber, founder and owner/operator of Huber Banjos, has launched a new web site. BanjoTown is designed to facilitate Steve’s secondary passion, buying and selling vintage Gibson banjos.

His Huber line has as part of its raison d’etre to build banjos that emulate the sound, look and playability of the classic banjos from the 1930s, a vision sparked by his fondness for collecting vintage banjos. Over the years, Steve has become one of the banjo world’s “go to guys” as a broker for the sale of valuable older banjos, and BanjoTown will allow him to take this aspect of his business online.

Huber hopes that the site will not only allow buyers with a serious interest in obtaining a pre war banjo to find out what he has for sale - with multiple photos - but also assist sellers, especially those unfamiliar with the banjo collector’s world.

“I think a lot of people generally understand that older instruments might be valuable, but if they have their grandfather’s old banjo, and are considering offering it for sale, they just don’t where to start. We want to build a site that makes that part of the process much easier, and allow them to get in touch with us to find out more about the process.”

All instruments in the Gibson banjo line will be offered, including four and five string models, plus banjo mandolins and ukes - as available.

As Steve has more time to devote to the new site, he plans to post some of the Gibson historical data and collectible ephemera he has amassed over the years.

Visit BanjoTown online to see what it’s all about.

Mountain Heart fiddler Jim VanCleve was recently honored by the Indie Acoustic Project when his solo album, No Apologies, was awarded Album of the Year in the Roots Music Category. No Apologies is on the Rural Rhythm Records label.

Here’s the mission statement of Indie Acoustic Project:

The purpose of the Indie Acoustic Project awards is to generate increased awareness of indie artists and record companies by promoting and recognizing outstanding works of innovative, independently produced acoustic music from around the world, and to provide a means of helping the artists to reach a wider audience.

Jim commented on receiving this award.

It is a such a huge honor to see No Apologies receive the kind of accolades it has. For it to be named Album of the Year out of all the great music released in the Roots genre this year, is just amazing!

Other artists of interest winning awards this year were Sean Watkins and David Grisman.

Since we’ve been talking about SoundExchange so much lately I thought I’d call this to your attention. SoundExchange, for those that don’t know, is the entity that collects performance royalty money on every song played via a digital transmission such as digital cable and satellite tv, satellite radio, and internet radio. This money is collected on behalf of the Sound Recording Copyright Owner (the label), the featured artist (the artist whose name is on the CD), and the non-featured artists (the sidemen/studio musicians). It doesn’t matter if any of these people have registered or not, SoundExchange still collects the money. If these people aren’t registered, SE hangs on to the money for a period of three years and then simply pockets the cash.

SoundExchange has been in the news recently because of the coming (July 15, 2007) increase in royalties on internet radio stations.

One might wonder how these royalties get to the right people. From what I can tell by looking at their site, the burden is entirely on the artists and labels to register, or forgo the royalties collected on their behalf.

In order to be paid by SoundExchange, you must provide the proper payee information.

I understand that some artists would be difficult to track down, but it seems like SoundExchange could at least make a good faith effort to find people for whom they are collecting money. They obviously don’t though. To prove that point I’ll link to Exhibit A, the Unpaid Artist List, which includes such bluegrass notables as Bobby Osborne, The Bluegrass Patriots, Bob Paisley and Southern Grass, Boone Creek, and Buddy Spicher. And all I looked at were the Bs. If you’re an artist, you might want to check that list.

Note to SoundExchange: It sure didn’t take long to find those artists’ links with Google. And they all have contact links readily available.