We just received a note from Fred Bartenstein, sharing the sad news about the loss of a true pioneer of bluegrass music in Japan. Tatsuo “Harry” Arita is said to have brought the first Japanese bluegrass record to the United States in 1960, and Fred tells us that Harry was a loyal and regular contributor to BluegrassCountry.org.

Here is a note that was sent by Sab Watanabe (Saburo Inoue) from B.O.M. Service and Moonshiner Magazine in Japan.

Hello Bluegrass friends,

I just got the sad news that Japanese Bluegrass pioneer, Tatsuo Arita passed away today while he was tour-cruising in the Mediterranean. He was 77 years old, I believe.

He was not a musician but Mr. Arita was a key person who created the first bluegrass-like band East Mountain Boys on Oct. 17, 1958. Mr. Arita was a rare person who knows what the bluegrass band should be at that time and encouraged Don Sano to play banjo and the Ozaki Brothers to play bluegrass style mandolin and guitar.

In 1961, while he was staying at New York he heard the loudspeaker of a car announcing that a bluegrass show was in town so he went there and met David Freeman of County Records. Oh, the car was owned by Stanley Brothers. Mr. Arita and Mr. Freeman quickly became friends and they went to Bluegrass Day on July 4th at Luray Virginia, one the first ever all-bluegrass concerts produced by Bill Clifton.

Mr. Arita along with Ozaki Brothers is in IBMM Video Oral History Project which I think our Japanese will treasure forever!! Thanks to Fred Bartenstein and IBMM.

Personally, I fell in love with bluegrass when I heard a single EP record which Mr. Arita loaned to my brother Toshio in the early 60’s, Flatt and Scruggs’ Old Home Town. Since the day I heard it, my life changed forever.

Mr. Arita was behind the Japanese bluegrass scene since its heyday of the 60’s, so not many people know him. However the people who was inspired by his love of music will never forget what he gave me and us… to Japanese people, the bluegrass music.

Sab

Here’s an update to a story Brance discussed earlier this year - the proposed acquisition of XM Satellite Radio by Sirius Satellite Radio.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has begun its 180 day review period, during which public comment on the possible effects of the merger are sought. Even prior to this review period, however, intense lobbying against the merger has been forthcoming, particularly from Clear Channel Communications and the National Association of Broadcasters.

Since both Sirius and XM feature lively, 24/7 bluegrass programming, many of our readers have been following this issue with interest. The planned merger would not immediately involve consolidation of services, and is not possible at this time due to incompatible technology. What might develop after the merger will surely be a focus of the FCC review.

Here are a few more stories on the start of the 180 review we found online for those who want more details.

• OrbitCast: FCC starts pleading cycle for Sirius-XM merger
• Wall Street Journal: FCC Seeks Comment On Sirius-XM Merger
• Lasar’s Letter on the FCC: Clear Channel, Tennessee broadcasters lobby FCC against XM/Sirius merger
• The Street: Clock Ticks Slowly for XM, Sirius
• Petition Online: FCC: Allow Sirius-XM Merger for Consumer Benefit

Michael Kelly Guitar Company, located in Clearwater, Flordia, announced last week the production of several limited edition mandolin models. These special production mandolins will be released incrementally over the course of the next six months. Some are completely new models, others are reissues of old models no longer in production. You can get a look at the various models by visiting this page on their website.

The four models announced are as follows.

Legacy FSE Black Limited Edition
The Limited Edition FSE has a sleek and cotemporary appearance thanks to its smooth gloss black finish and silver hardware. Other features include, solid wood construction, Michael Kelly’s one-piece tailpiece, full binding, radiused fretboard, abalone block inlays and Grover® tuners. It wouldn’t be a FSE without electronics, and once again, we’ve equipped this mandolin with a Fishman® System One preamp. Production limited to 100 units. Availability beginning in June.

Legacy Firefly Reissue Limited Edition
The Firefly returns to the air! The Firefly Reissue is easily recognized by its distinctive vine and firefly inlay on its radiused ebony fretboard. Other desirable features include: solid wood construction, Michael Kelly’s one-piece tailpiece, full binding and Grover® tuners. The Firefly Re-issue will be available in three finishes, transparent blue, ruby fade and blackburst. Production limited to 100 units total. Availability beginning in June.

Legacy Evo Limited Edition
The Evo returns, but in limited numbers. The Evo represents Michael Kelly’s take on a modern mandolin. Its sleek lines, chrome hardware and lack of binding speak to those in search of a mandolin that is at once visually distinctive but not garish. The Evo also features a radiused fretboard, solid wood construction, simple abalone dot inlays, Michael Kelly’s one-piece tailpiece and Grover® tuners. Production limited to 50 units. Availability beginning in July.

Legacy Cream Limited Edition
Tired of traditional burst color mandolins? The Legacy Cream Limited Edition is for you! With a glossy coat of fresh cream this Limited Edition will turn some heads. Adorned with gleaming gold hardware, this mandolin is definitely the cream of the crop. Other great features include: solid wood construction, Michael Kelly’s one-piece tailpiece, front binding, radiused ebony fretboard, abalone dot inlays and Grover® tuners. Production limited to 50 units. Availability beginning in July.

For further information, including specs and additional photos, you can visit MichaelKellyGuitars.com

John Reischman & The Jaybirds have a new CD, which given the high praise the group has earned from both peers and critics, seems aptly named. Stellar Jays was released in mid-May, and audio samples are available at CD Baby.

This is their fourth release as a band, with members actively involved in various musical projects along the US west coast and Canadian Pacific Northwest. Jim Nunally is on guitar, Trisha Gagnon on bass, Nick Honbuckle on banjo, Greg Spatz on fiddle and Reischman on mandolin.

You can find out more about The Jaybirds, and check their tour schedule, on the official web site.

This post comes from our semi-regular correspondent, Richard F. Thompson. He writes from England, where he is also a longstanding contributor to British Bluegrass News, a quarterly print publication where he also briefly served as editor.

Smithsonian Folkways has released Going Back To The Blue Ridge Mountains (SFW 40175) on CD, a collection of 16 songs recorded by the Country Gentlemen and originally released in 1973.

This set comprises Going Back To The Blue Ridge Mountains, Going To The Races, Azzuro Campana (Blue Belle), Dark As A Dungeon, Copper Kettle, Billy In The Low Ground, I Saw The Light, Tom Dooley #2, Brown Mountain Light, Electricity, Daybreak In Dixie, Mary Dear, Sad And Lonesome Day, Cripple Creek, Don’t This Road Look Rough And Rocky, and Muleskinner Blues.

Like its 2001 predecessor, The Country Gentlemen On The Road (And More) (SFW 40133) album, this new CD consists of live recordings. However, while the notes indicate otherwise, these performances are from later shows than those on the earlier collection and do not actually feature the ‘classic’ Country Gentlemen. They were recorded in 1964 after Ed Ferris replaced Tom Gray on bass.

Tom Gray says in a light-hearted tone, “I should be grateful for the good press, but honestly it’s not deserved.”

The most recent Newsletter from Martha and Eddie Adcock makes reference to there being “some unfortunate issues with the content of the booklet.” However, Eddie adds, “just get this CD, give it a spin, and enjoy the fabulous music!”

A biased plea maybe, but not having heard these recordings, I cannot give a dispassionate comment.

The liner notes, including song notes, in the accompanying 25 page booklet were written by Jon Hartley Fox, and the mastering was by Pete Reiniger.

Editor’s note: If any of our readers have a copy of the original 1973 LP release, we would be curious to know what those liner notes say about the composition of the band on the live recording.

Russell Moore, guitarist, vocalist and band leader of IIIrd Tyme Out, will be interviewed tonight (6/11) on WorldWideBluegrass.com. He’ll join WWB host Jonathan Estep on his Runnin The Ridge program at 8:00 p.m. (EDT).

I’m sure that Russell will talk about the return of former 3TO mandolinist Wayne Benson to the fold, as well as the upcoming release of their live DVD.

WWB streams bluegrass 24/7 online. Catch the show tonight at WorldWideBluegrass.com. 

The Hackensaw Boys have been sneaking around the edges of several acoustic/Americana genres since their formation in Charlottesville, VA seven years ago. Their sound is raw and raucous, frenetic and unfocused, and bursting with energy and passion. It’s part jug band, part vaudeville, part old time string band - not unlike the sort of sound popularized of late by The Old Crow Medicine Show.

The name is derived from two slang expressions that are not always used in a complimentary fashion about string musicians - hack and saw. It does, however, nicely capture the irreverent approach they take to the music, and their sound - plus the look and the vibe - has won them a loyal audience.

Look Out is the name of their newest CD, due for a June 19 release on Nettwerk Records. It’s their fifth full length CD, and their second with Nettwerk. The instrumentation is as varied as the Hacks’ sound - accordion, banjo, harmonica, guitar, fiddle, spoons, and of course, saw.

Members perform with colorful stage names, and include Jesse Fiske (Baby J.), Jimmy Stelling (The Kooky-Eyed Fox), Robert Bullington (Mahlon), Ferd Lionel Moyse, IV (Four), Ward Harrison (Cousin Spits) and Justin Neuhardt (Salvage).

Two tracks from the new CD are available on the band’s MySpace page.

Jazz sax man Bill Evans made waves in 2005 with the release of his Soulgrass project, merging jazz, funk and R&B grooves with bluegrass and traditional string music. It included such acoustic luminaries as Béla Fleck (who also co-produced), Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Stuart Duncan along with Evans and fellow jazz giants John Scofield on guitar, among many others.

Soulgrass was nominated for a Grammy in ‘05. Audio samples can be found on the Bill Evans web site.

Evans is hard at work this summer recording a new project, again featuring this jazz/bluegrass jusion approach. Already announced as contributing in the studio are Sam Bush, Béla Fleck and Victor Wooten along with his touring band of Ryan Cavanaugh (banjo), Christian Howes (fiddle) and Joel Rosenblatt (drums).

This new CD, as yet untitled, is expected to be released in Europe in October 2007, and in the US early in 2008.

Kym Warner, hot shot mandolinist with The Greencards, was interviewed recently on Saturday Night Country, broadcast from his native Australia. He is interviewed by show host John Nutting, and speaks about the group’s success of late, including finding their newest CD, Viridian, atop the Billboard bluegrass chart.

Kym moved from Australia and studied bluegrass muisc at South Plains College in Texas, and The Greencards were born while he was living in Austin. He lives now in Nashville when he isn’t out on the road with the band.

Kym is also featured in the current Spring ‘07 issue of Mandolin Magazine, which includes a transcription for his song, Mucky The Duck, from Viridian.

You can hear the entire interview from Saturday Night Country on the show’s web site.

These days stories of bad customer service are everywhere. I could tell a few of my own from right here in small town Virginia. Here’s a story of bad customer service set strait by Nickel Creek.

Nickel Creek hits the road next month on their much anticipated farewell tour. The tickets are hot commodities for fans that are eager for one last chance to see them in concert. The Washington Post reported Tuesday about a fan that had purchased tickets online through Ticketmaster, only to be told later that Ticketmaster wasn’t authorized to sell the seats she had purchased. The venue offered her alternative seating in a much less ideal position. She was, of course, upset by this turn of events and rightly upset that neither entity would take responsibility and make things right. She also found tickets, in the section she had originally purchased, for sale online at inflated prices. Yet neither the venue or Ticketmaster offered to buy those tickets for her after they messed up.

That was the story on Tuesday. On Thursday the paper ran a follow up to the story. In Thursday’s follow up, the story develops that Nickel Creek learned of the injustice and swooped in to save the day. The band replaced the fan’s tickets with three seats front and center, demonstrating that at least they understand customer service.

I’m glad to see Nickel Creek delivering a quality of customer service that is commendable. You don’t see that everyday in America, at least not anymore.

Mark Newton has a music video for the title track of his latest CD, Hillbilly Hemingway. It will load and play automatically when you visit his web site.

The song, written by Mike Ward, Tommy Meece and Carl Jackson, is a tribute to country music legend Hank Williams. The video includes a series of images of Hank from the old days.

This morning’s edition of The Onion, an often hysterical and always amusing faux news web site, carried a hilarious piece entitled Banjo Player Sought In Hootenanny Spree. It’s the story of a police investigation of a string of random banjo playings in Boston.

Truck driver and banjo player Jay “Snapbean” Holcomb was named a “person of interest” by Boston police Tuesday in its investigation of a series of unannounced and boisterous hootenannies responsible for bringing sections of the city to a virtual standstill over the past several weeks.

Read the whole piece on The Onion site. Well worth a few moments of your time.

The New York Times ran an article yesterday about guitar makers C.F. Martin, Taylor, Fender and Gibson joining forces with environmental activist group Greenpeace in an effort to save tree species vital to their trade.

One wood the article focuses on is Sitka Spruce from Alaska which Greenpeace says could become as rare as Brazilian Rosewood in only six years if current harvesting practices continue. What I found interesting is that the bulk of Sitka Spruce being cut in Alaska is not used for the construction of instruments. This old growth wood is being sent to Japan as framing material for homes. C.F. Martin estimated that a total of three million acoustic and electric guitars are sold in the US each year, but that accounts for less than 20% of the Sitka Spruce that’s cut each year in Alaska.

Martin just last month hosted the C. F. Martin Inaugural Wood Summit ‘07 where wood suppliers from around the world spoke concerning the historical and future availability of their particular species, as well as issues surrounding it’s availability.

What the instrument manufacturers are seeking is not a complete ban on logging, but rather some sort of solution that relies on better forest management. The word that comes to mind is conservation. Let’s hope they are able to make a difference in the larger marketplace and create a situation where our children will be able to buy instruments made from the great woods we love at something less than the cost of a pre-war Martin!

Williams and Clark Expedition will be featured guests on Sirius Satellie Radio’s Channel 65 on Friday (6/8) at 7:00 p.m. (EDT). They will join host Chris Jones for an interview, and one would presume, some music from their current, self-titled CD.

Things have been jumping of late for Rebecca and John Frazier of Hit & Run. In addition to managing a busy touring schedule, the two were married last summer (August ‘06), and they moved to Nashville from Colorado this spring. Nashville is a powerful draw for folks serious about a career in the music business, and like so many before them, John and Rebecca felt that they were missing opportunities by being so far from the center of gravity.

One such opportunity arose almost immediately upon their arrival - a bluegrass tribute to the music of TV’s animated blockbuster, The Simpsons! It will be released this summer on CMH Records, to coincide with the theatrical release of The Simpsons full length feature film.

Rebecca said that taking this on as a Hit & Run project fell into place immediately, and was among the first things they tackled after getting settled in.

“CMH has been asking us to do a project since they first heard us in 2004, but we’ve always been too busy on the road to fit in a record for them. This spring we took some time off the road to get moved to Nashville, and we actually recorded it seven days after we got to town. Basically we drove a U-Haul to Nashville, unpacked boxes, and drove to Merlefest to play with Donna Hughes. Two days later we cut this record.

Since John and I had just moved and were unable to fly in the other band members, we asked our good friends from The Infamous Stringdusters to pitch in their efforts.

We were lucky enough to work with Rich Adler at Soundwave Studios. We had a blast with him! He has recorded everyone in bluegrass, it seems. He recorded Every Time You Say Goodbye (Alison Krauss), and Mark Twang (John Hartford). He also recorded Comes A Time, one of my favorite Neil Young records.”

The title of the CD is Four Finger Music - The Bluegrass Tribute to the Music Made Famous by The Simpsons. I don’t suppose you have to be a big Simpsons fan to get a kick out of this, but if you are one (like me), it seems destined to be a cult classic.

I asked Rebecca if they were fans of the show.

“Frazier is the real Simpsons fan of the group. He’s seen more episodes than I knew existed, and he quotes them freely and fondly. (more…)

Claire Lynch fans have something to look forward to later this year. Rounder will be releasing a new project featuring ten tracks from previous Lynch albums, along with four newly re-recorded songs. It will be titled Crowd Favorites - a Claire Lynch Collection, and is projected for release in October.

Claire explained how the material was chosen:

“The songs were picked based upon several things - warm crowd response, frequent and repeated requests from fans, and even an informal poll I conducted with members of my mailing list. Then we have re-cut four other songs… old ones from Front Porch String Band days (Kennesaw Line, Wabash Cannonball and Hills of Alabam’) and another I wrote called The Day that Lester Died… from Mark Newton’s ‘girl project’ [Follow Me Back To The Fold - A Tribute To Women In Bluegrass] a few years ago.”

She produced these “new” tracks, and recorded them exclusively with the members of her band - Missy Raines, Jim Hurst and Jason Thomas.

I expressed my appreciation to Claire for revisiting Kennesaw Line, one of my favorite tracks from the Front Porch String Band days. It’s a Civil War ballad, based on a recounting by a Confederate soldier of events he witnessed as Sherman’s army engaged the southern forces near Marietta, GA.

I have no doubt that the Claire Lynch Band version will be superb as well.

Here’s news of the latest release from banjo instructor Murphy Henry. Her company, The Murphy Method, has just released to DVD a slow-jam video featuring Murphy and daughter Casey. The DVD is titled Slow Jam with Murphy and Casey.

The concept behind the project is that beginners often get frustrated trying to participate in jam sessions due to song tempos that are beyond their skill level. Into the gap step Murphy (banjo) and Casey (guitar) with a video that features 17 songs played at slow speeds. You can practice along by simply playing the chord changes along with the band, which features fiddle and mandolin in addition to Murphy and Casey, or you can practice your lead playing by taking a solo in the space left for that purpose.

Songs include Cripple Creek, Boil Them Cabbage Down, Banjo in the Hollow, Worried Man, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Old Joe Clark, and many more.

Slow Jam with Murphy and Casey is almost two hours in length and sells for $29.95 plus $3 shipping.

XM Radio recently broke the news that Larry Cordle had signed with Lonesome Day Records. The label will release his new album, Took Down and Put Up, later this summer.

I was able to talk with Larry via email about the new CD and the deal with Lonesome Day Records. He tells me this is the first of two CDs covered by the deal.

Randall & I had talked early on (right after the cd was finished late last fall) about the possibility of working together…….I had other offers to consider at the time & was still toying around with the idea of putting the cd out by myself…….after listening to the other offers that were extended me & deciding against them I called Randall to see if he was still interested in what I had recorded & what I had in mind going forward …….we have been friends for about 6 or 7 years & we were (thankfully) able to put together a 2 record deal.

The first single to be release off the new CD will be a tune penned by Chris Stuart, The First Train Robbery. This is one of 5 songs on the CD not written or co-written by Cordle himself. The other 9 cuts have come directly from Cordle’s pen over the last 30 years.

These songs from my catalog include songs from my early writing days as in “The Hero of the Creek”, (about a lifelong friend of mine from Eastern Kentucky who sadly passed away on Nov 1, 2006 before he got to hear the record of my tribute to him) which was written in 1979 or 1980. Other songs from the not too distant past, such as, “Song For Keith”, “Rough Around The Edges”, “67 Chevy Malibu”, “B.Y.O.B.” were written in the mid to late 90’s, to just really, really new stuff like “Hole In The Ground”, “Old Cheater’s Blues”, “I’m A Lie”, etc……which were written over the last 12 to 18 months.

Larry Cordle is a legendary songwriter having penned a string of #1 country hits starting with “Highway 40 Blues” and with no end in sight. This CD will be a chance to hear more of his great songs sung by himself and backed by a stellar bluegrass band.

It looks like Cordle’s MySpace page includes two songs from the new CD, so click on over for a listen.

Cordle was excited about this CD saying it is the band’s first release in over 4 years and he’s eager for fans to hear it.

We are excited to bring this new cd to our fans who have never wavered in their support and who have incessantly e-mailed & constantly asked me when we were gonna get them some new music from the band…… I know I speak for the entire band when I say how proud we are of the CD. We feel like it’s our finest work to date and to all of those who have steadfastedly supported us, we would like to say thanks, God bless & hopefully we’ll see you at a live show somewhere this summer.

Long time readers of The Bluegrass Blog realize that I am something of a cheerleader for The Infamous Stringdusters. I had been mightily impressed when I saw them several years ago as Wheel House. They knocked me over two years ago as The Stringdusters, and when they “emerged” at IBMA last year as The Infamous Stringdusters - with a Sugar Hill recording contract - I was sure great things were ahead for these young pickers.

Last night here in Roanoke, they packed a trendy, downtown nightspot and proceeded to demolish the assembled throng of music lovers and fans. The two sets mixed cuts from their Sugar Hill debut, Fork In The Road, with new band compositions, some bluegrass classics, and even a few songs they had just been working up backstage.

What strikes me as rare with this bunch is their ability to mix genres so smoothly, with enough progressive/modern/newgrass edge to attract younger listeners, and a sufficient amount of unadulterated grass to please the hard core purists. I saw them go from a long, jammy instrumental with a rock flavor, to a smooth and wholly traditional take on The Stanley Brothers Lonesome River.

They are clearly comfortable in this small club environment, and worked both the early evening “meet and greet” bunch and the late night stragglers with just the right vibe. The highlight for me was the very end of the show, where they encouraged everyone to leave their seats and join the band in front of the stage for a three song, unamplified conclusion. This kicked with Uncle Pen and closed with Blue Night, both showing that despite their occasional wandering from the trail Bill Monroe blazed, they are right at home with his music in a straightahead style.

The Infamous Stringdusters are Chris Pandolfi (Panda) on banjo, Jeremy Garrett on fiddle/vocals, Chris Eldridge (Critter) on guitar, Travis Book on bass/vocals, Jesse Cobb on mandolin and Andy Hall on Dobro/vocals.

Each is a superb musician, worthy of a good many pixels of praise, but I am consistently impressed in particular by the ChrisDusters - Eldridge and Pandolfi. (more…)

Ever wonder what your bluegrass heros are listening to? Well now you can find out what Doyle Lawson is listening to by checking out his celebrity playlist on URGE.

URGE talked to Doyle and got the inside scoop on what he listens to and what has influenced him over the years. His current playlist includes a wide selection of music that isn’t surprising considering Doyle’s own proclivity for drawing songs from other genres into his traditionally styled bluegrass sound. His playlist includes names like Bill Monroe, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Ray Price, Buck Owens, George Jones, Swan Silvertones and The Soul Stirrers. Doyle’s URGE list includes specific song recommendations for each artist. Each song on the list is accompanied by comments from Doyle about the song and artist.

In case you’re sitting there wondering what URGE is, it’s the new proprietary digital music service provided by MTV Networks. MTV Networks is a division of Viacom International Inc. which owns more than 100 television channels worldwide, including MTV, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, and CMT.

Closely resembling Apple’s iTunes, the service includes an application (Windows only) for purchasing, downloading and organizing digital music. The music can be purchased by the track or by monthly subscription. Music purchased by the track, as well as via the more expensive subscription plan, may be loaded on an mp3 player, sorry no iPods allowed, you’ll need a Plays For Sure device, and that excludes Microsoft’s Zune music player as well. The cheaper subscription will allow you to download the music to your PC but that’s as far as it goes, you won’t be able to load that music onto any other device.

Being a Mac guy I haven’t had the opportunity to use URGE so I can’t say one way or the other how much bluegrass music they have available. If you’re on a PC and want to try something other than iTunes, it might be worth a look, if for no other reason than to check out Doyle’s play list!