I found this image online over the weekend and thought I’d share it with our readers.

I still haven’t figured out what it is. Eight strings, a banjo like design (including the tailpiece), and a pickup system, make for an interesting instrument.

I wonder what it sounds like? Not a lot of acoustic sound I would guess, which probably blacklists it at most bluegrass festivals. But with that wheel on there, it sure looks like you should be able to play pretty fast on this thing!

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver welcomed their new bass player, Carl White, this past weekend. The 27 year old bass player hails from Richlands, VA where he grew up singing southern gospel music.

Doyle has seen a number of band member changes recently. The most recent being the departure of Ron Spears. Jamie Dailey, long-time band member on guitar and vocals, will be leaving the band after this coming weekend.

Carl has stepped in to take over the bass duties, rounding out the current line up which features Darren Beachley on guitar, Joey Cox on banjo, Alan Johnson on fiddle, and of course, Doyle himself on mandolin.

Carl left these comments on the forum at Doyle’s website.

I just got home a bit ago from my first week out with Doyle,what a great time that we had!!! All of the band members and staff of DL&Q have made me feel so welcome, not failng to mention the unbelievable support and overwhelming response I have gotten already from DL&Q’s wonderful fans. I count it an honor to be a part of such a wonderful group of people. My first week felt like I had been there for years.

Be sure to keep an eye on Doyle’s tour schedule to know when and where you can hear Quicksilver near you.

The IBMA has announced that Sam Bush will host the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Awards show, to be held October 4 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN.

His wit and stage presence are sure to add to this year’s show, and possibly even creating the awkwardness of the show host being the recipient of an award or two!

Speaking of Sam Bush…

His new live concert DVD, On The Road, is due for release this week. I had a chance to watch it last week, and enjoyed it very much. As much as his many fans appreciate each new Sam Bush recording when it is released, they’ll all tell you that you can’t experience the full Bush vibe until you catch him live.

This new Sugar Hill DVD release will give just that opportunity. See a complete track listing and place an order in the official Sam Bush store online.

The Knoxville News Sentinel ran a feature on Sunday (8/12) on Cheerful Diligence, a group of young bluegrass pickers from Russia who are spending their summer in East Tennessee. The five college students are in the US as a part of a YMCA-sponsored summer work program where young people from outside live and work in America, and get to know the language and culture more intensely than how it can be presented in school.

For these kids, that whole Cold War thing is just a history lesson. They were infants and toddlers when President Ronald Reagan’s “Evil Empire” was disintegrating.

They betray no suspicion of all things American, as some of their forebears did. On the contrary, they are embracing Americanism in almost all forms and learning the language.

And the music.

The members of the band are living in Maryville, TN (just outside of Knoxville), and will be performing at a number of bluegrass festivals before they return home in late September.

An earlier edition of this band morphed into Bering Strait, who toured extensively a few years ago.

Read the full piece on Cheerful Diligence at KnoxNews.com, the online home of The Knoxville News Sentinel.

We just received a note from our friend Richard Hawkins, who operates The Bluegrass Ireland Blog, and also contributes to The European Bluegrass Blog. He wanted to let us know of the upcoming attempt to set the Guinness Book banjo speed record by Johnny Butten, a young British banjo picker. His record attempt is scheduled to occur on September 15 at the Cornish Bluegrass Association festival in Newquay, Cornwall.

That record is currently held by American banjoist Todd Taylor, and was set in January of 2007.

With just a tad of presumption, Richard lays down an intercontinental challenge.

“US pickers should prepare to defend the title (while bearing in mind the warnings in Brance’s Wednesday post on tendonitis).”

Could this be a threat to the vaunted special relationship between the US and the UK?

Plum TV has posted a video interview with Béla Fleck on their Vail, CO web site. Plum is an independent media outlet with local cable stations and web sites in 8 high end US markets: Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Nantucket, the Hamptons, Martha’s Vineyard, Sun Valley and Miami Beach.

They filmed the interview when Béla and The Flecktones were in Vail for a concert last winter, where they also captured part of the live show. In the interview, Béla talks about how he came to play the banjo, and also discusses each of the members of his band.

The video runs nearly 6 minutes with both interview and live stage bits, and you can see it on the Plum Vail site, or enjoy it below.

Italian flatpicker Roberto Dalla Vecchia will be touring in the US later this year, performing with Mark Cosgrove and conducting workshops. He will be spending time here in November and December, and is still looking for some additional dates while he is over.

More details on this tour can be found on The European Bluegrass Blog.

You can hear samples from Roberto’s latest CD, Grateful, on his MySpace page.

The John Cowan Band has posted some new audio tracks on their MySpace page, designed to showcase the newly revamped band sound. These recordings are otherwise unreleased and showcase John’s more scaled down, acoustic approach since bringing new members into the band.

He’s currently touring with a smaller, four-piece outfit, featuring Tony Wray on banjo, Shad Cobb on fiddle, Jeff Autry on guitar, and John on bass and lead vocals.

A number of other unreleased demo tracks will be rotated onto their MySpace page over the next few months, so keep an eye (and ear) out for those - and find out when you can catch them live in your part of the world.

Bradley Walker has been making a name for himself as a singer since before his breakout album, Highway of Dreams, made such an impact in the ears of bluegrass fans. Bradley has performed on stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium, The Grand Ole Opry, and showcased at IBMA. He’s living his dream.

Bradley is an inspiration to all those around him. Born with Muscular Dystrophy, he has been in a wheelchair his entire life. That has never slowed him down though.

Next month, September 2-3, Bradley will perform on stage, and national television, in support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It’s their annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, which raises support for the organization’s many research, service, and health education programs.

Bradley first performed for the telethon in 1989 with the Oak Ridge Boys. He has since performed for the telethon in 2001, 2002, and 2006.

MDA National Chairman and Telethon star Jerry Lewis commented on Bradley’s participation.

I’m excited to welcome Bradley Walker back to the show this year. He’s an extraordinary talent, and I’m sure his performance and story will inspire our Telethon viewers.

I’m sure it will. I know his masterful vocal performances have always inspired me.

Earlier this spring, Alison Krauss sat down with WGBH radio’s Brad Paul to talk about her then upcoming compilation CD, A Hundred Miles Or More.

The discussion was largely focused on the songs included on this recording, but she also talked about working with T Bone Burnett on the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack.

It was really an incredible experience. I’ve worked with him before, on Cold Mountain and Ya Ya Sisterhood. I would come in for a day and work on something and he is so encouraging. By the end of the day you are thinking, “I must be the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. I must really be something else.” Because he really keeps the mood up and he is so very happy with what’s going on and so complimentary, whatever he is doing really keeps you inspired. Sometimes I would sing all day long. It wasn’t like I was in there killing it and then leaving. I was singing all day long, “Well yea! I’ll sing it for you again, sure!” He’s positive and encouraging to all those playing. He has such a respect for roots music and a huge knowledge of the history of roots music and rock-and-roll.

The transcript from this interview is now posted on the official Alison Krauss web site - just in time for the TV special on GAC with Alison recreating many of the songs from the CD live in the studio. The program will debut on Saturday (8/11) at 9:00 p.m., with several additional airings over the next 10 days.

Full schedule below - all times EDT:

• August 11, 2007 9:00 p.m.
• August 12, 2007 1:00 a.m.
• August 19, 2007 8:00 p.m.
• August 20, 2007 12:00 a.m.
• August 20, 2007 3:00 p.m.

Randy Kohrs and his band The Lites will be filming a music video for the next single to be released off his CD, Old Photograph.

The song, Who’s Goin’ With Me, is about a boy who has a crush on the preacher’s daughter and ends up getting baptized by default.

Of course the band will be in the video, along with Jim Lauderdale, Pam Tillis, and one of the song’s co-writers Shannon Lawson. Also featured in the video will be fiddle player Ashley Brown’s uncle, David Brown. Brown will be playing the role of the preacher, which shouldn’t prove to be too much of a challenge since he actually is a preacher.

The preacher’s daughter will be played by mandolin prodigy Sierra Hull, and it’s not finalized yet, but it looks like Clay Hess’s son will play the part of the boy in the video.

The video is being produced by the Bell-Jarboem Films, a production company with a track record of producing music videos that ascend to the #1 position on the video charts.

Bluegrass troubadour Jim Lauderdale will be releasing his new CD of bluegrass originals next month. The street date for The Bluegrass Diaries is September 18, 2007. The Bluegrass Diaries is a follow up to the highly acclaimed Bluegrass which he released almost exactly one year earlier.

I was a fan of Jim’s Bluegrass album, and I’m equally enthralled with The Bluegrass Diaries. Produced by dobro master Randy Kohrs, The Bluegrass Diaries is a collection of tunes showcasing Lauderdale’s originality, diversity, and authenticity. Accordingly, the song writing demonstrates Lauderdale’s breadth as an artist. All the songs were either written or co-written by Lauderdale himself, and they’re all good.

The opening tune, This Is The Last Time (I’m Ever Gonna Hurt), begins the CD energetically with a great bluegrass theme. Other tracks on the CD increase the pace. One Blue Mule (track 7) is a classic fast bluegrass song with the requisit blazing solos from both Randy Kohrs and Clay Hess. The CD finishes in the same manner with Ain’t No Way To Run, another barn burner featuring smoking solos from all the musicians, including Randy Kohrs, Jesse Cobb, Cody Kilby, Richard Bailey, and Aaron Till.

Can We Find Forgiveness (track 5) is an example of all that I love about Lauderdale’s songwriting, singing, and arranging. Great lyrics, an interesting melody, and a great arrangement are all to be found in this one tune. My Somewhere Just Got Here is another tune that introduces an unexpected twist in the melody on the chorus.

Chances (tracks 6) is slated as the first single from the album and is already available for purchase as a download.

The pace changes with a couple of classic country ballad type songs like I Wanted To Believe (track 3), which features some great harmonies from Randy Kohrs and Cia Cherryholmes, and Are You Having Second Thoughts.

The CD is, without a doubt, bluegrass in it’s very essence. But it does give you a taste of the diversity you’ll find in Lauderdale’s songwriting. Jim commented on that aspect of his career.

I recognize that my diversity can create a challenge for those that need to categorize me. Where even though I might have Ralph Stanley singing with me, there’s also some singer/songwriter stuff and some country stuff — so which bin does it belong in at the record store? That’s just not for me to decide. That kind of question has nothing to do with making music.

This is a great CD that I highly recommend. If you liked Bluegrass, you’ll love The Bluegrass Diaries. Jim’s label, Yep Roc Records, is offering the CD for pre-order now, and the first 100 people who order will recieve their copy autographed.

Just eight months ago we told you about the formation of a new band. Steve Gulley had left Mountain Heart, and Phil Leadbetter had announced his departure from Wildfire. In December ‘06 they joined forces with Alan Bibey, then with BlueRidge to form a new alliance, which soon adopted the name Grasstowne.

Now, less than a year later, their debut CD, The Road Headin’ Home, is out on Pinecastle. Talk about hitting the ground running!

They have a busy tour schedule, and the new CD has been getting a lot of attention from bluegrass radio.

The Road Headin’ Home has been available at the band’s shows for several weeks, but it can now be found wherever you purchase CDs - or download digital audio.

You can hear audio samples on the Grasstowne site.

Regular readers of The Bluegrass Blog know that we always like to highlight the efforts of young bluegrass musicians - and the people who assist them in learning to play. We have a number of stories we would like to share along those lines.

Last year around this time, we ran a piece about Scott Gates and Pacific Ocean Bluegrass, a group of California teens who donated a portion of their CD sales to help fund scholarships for young pickers to attend the California Bluegrass Association’s annual Music Camp.

The camp is held in conjunction with CBA’s Father’s Day Festival each June, where they also host a Kids On Bluegrass event. Players age 3 to 18 are allowed to audition to be part of a group performance at the festival, with coaching and rehearsals held during the year before each show.

Several videos from this year’s Kids On Bluegrass show have been posted on YouTube where you can see a gaggle of eager young pickers joining Rhonda Vincent on stage.

Our own local paper, The Roanoke Times, has a piece this week about another young bluegrass band, The Cana Ramblers. They are a family band featuring three winners of the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention youth competition.

Read the article by Ralph Berrier on the paper’s web site, and check out some photos and audio of the Ramblers at Galax in a multimedia slide show.

Banjo For Dummies, the book from Wiley Publishing we first told you about last December, is now available for sale. Written by Bill Evans, noted banjo instructor and subject of three popular AcuTab DVDs, this is the first bluegrass release from the publisher of the popular yellow and black covered Dummies books you find in bookstores worldwide.

The book is designed to take a new banjo player through all the steps required to get a grip on the instrument, starting with how to choose a banjo, how to get it in tune and how to get started in a variety of styles. Bill spends time on learning bluegrass, clawhammer, minstrel, melodic, classic and single-string banjo playing.

There are a great many details about the book accessible from Bill’s web site, with links to view the table of contents, the complete 8 page introduction and a full five page chapter, Ten Tips To Make Practicing More Fun.

Like all the Dummies books, Banjo For Dummies is written in a light, entertaining style and formatted to make it easy to find the information you are after. An audio CD is included which contains slower speed versions of all the musical examples shown in tablature throughout the book.

Personally, I think anyone who takes up banjo is no dummy, but hat’s off to Bill for getting this in print all the same.

Tendonitis is one of those things musicians fear, along with airplanes and clowns, but often don’t know how to prevent. Tendonitis is basically a tender tendon caused by inflammation or microscopic tears in the tendon’s sheath.

Tendonitis is closely related to another fear held by most musicians, that known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A nerve called the median nerve passes from the forearm to the hand through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. This median nerve shares that tunnel with 9 tendons. If those tendons become inflamed, it can cause compression of of the median nerve. This leads to a severe weakening of the muscles that can prevent a musician from holding a pick, or fretting an instrument.

These conditions can be caused by overuse and bad posture. And playing music might not be the only culprit, excessive time at the computer with bad posture could be a major factor as well.

I’m not a doctor and my advice is purely amateur. I’ve been dealing with a little fatigue and weakness in my right hand lately. It’s probably caused by to much time at the computer in my case, and I thought I’d share some of what I’ve read on the subject. If you are suffering from any inflammation or other symptoms you should probably see a medical professional.

If you are just concerned about preventing such problems, the best advice seems to be: practice good posture, and take a ten minute break once an hour. Learning a stretching and warm up routine, such as taught by Alan Bibey, might help as well.

Rounder Records has announced October 23 as the release date for the new project from Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. Raising Sand, a seemingly unlikely pairing of the whispery-voiced bluegrasser with the former Led Zeppelin vocalist, was produced by T-Bone Burnett.

The material is said to include blues, country, folk and R&B songs with a variety of arrangements and settings to highlight these two unique vocal stylists. Rounder says that the CD will feature both duet and solo vocal tracks for each, as well as at least one piece with tight, brother duet harmony throughout.

One Led Zeppelin song, Please Read The Letter, which Plant penned with Zep guitarist Jimmy Page, made the cut along with a Rolling Stones cover, a Doc Watson song and an Everly Brothers remake.

I’ve seen no official word on a Krauss/Plant tour in support of this release, but with members of Union Station having the year 2008 off, could that be in the works?

Dean Hoffmeyer - banjo playing photographer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch - has posted a very nice multi-media slide show of images from the 72nd Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention on the Times-Dispatch web site.

The photos are splendid and truly capture the “Galax vibe.” If you look closely, you’ll even see a few bluegrass notables enjoying themselves at Felts Park.

The paper also ran a piece on the festival in their print edition last Sunday, which can be read online.

UPDATE 8/10: There is now a second multimedia slide show from Galax posted at inRich.com, the Times-Dispatch site.

Last month we told you about the new CD release from Tom T. Hall entitled, Tom T. Hall sings Miss Dixie & Tom T. You can read our story about the CD here.

Over the weekend our friend, and fellow blogger, Craig Havighurst, interviewed Tom T. & Dixie Hall for Nashville Public Radio. The main focus of the interview is on the CD, how it came to be made, the songs, etc. If you’d like, you can listen to the interview, or read the transcript, by visiting Nashville Public Radio online.

Virginia Tech, here in Southwest, VA, is reaching out to elementary schools in the area with a string program.

The Virginia Tech String Project will provide affordable string music instruction for third and forth grade students of both public and private schools in the area. Classes will be held on the VT campus on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Why is this of interest to us?

Mandolinist Jeff Midkiff is the Master Teacher for the String Project. Midkiff grew up in the area, and attended VT where he studied music education. He has conducted several youth orchestras, composed and performed his own pieces with the orchestras around the country, and toured internationally as a member of both the McPeak Brothers and Lonesome River Band.

The program begins later this month when Midkiff, along with other teachers, will visit area elementary schools to recruit students for the program. Classes will begin September 4, 2007.