As we are now within the officially-recognized holiday season, one expects to find notices about Christmas concerts featuring bluegrass and acoustic music. It was something of a surprise, though a most pleasant one, to see news of a show scheduled next Tuesday (12/4) on the Millenium Stage of The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

The Center will present a concert for the first night of Hanakuh featuring The Sinai Mountain Boys, from Silver Spring, MD. The band is composed of four Orthodox Jewish pickers who mix bluegrass with Hassidic and Jewish music for a melange they lovingly call Jewgrass.

Members include Gary Goodman on banjo, Michael Singer on bass, Robbie Zev Ludwick on mandolin, and Yoni Tyberg on guitar. You can hear audio samples of their music, and a couple of live performance videos on the band’s web site.

The Hanakuh show on 12/4 is co-presented by The Kennedy Center and the DC Jewish Community Center, and begins at 6:00 p.m. There is no charge for the concert, and it will also be streamed live over the Internet from the Millennium Stage web site. Should you miss the show, look for the video in the archives within a day or so of the concert.

We heard this weekend from Larry Wines, who has hosted Tied To The Tracks on KCSN in Los Angeles, CA for several years. The show features a mixture of live acoustic performance and recorded music, which they describe as:

“blues-to-bluegrass, Cajun-to-cowboy, Celtic-to-Quebecois, new-old-trad-alt-post folk, and the best of the singer-songwriter acoustic Renaissance.”

Larry is taking the show into wider syndication in 2008, and this move has apparently cost him the support of the show’s home station. KCSN, the public radio voice of California State University Northridge, has taken the show off the air.

Stations interested in more information on syndication, and listeners who want updates on the show’s status, can keep up with Tied To The Tracks on MySpace.

A vintage Yamaha flat top guitar once owned by Charlie Waller is being offered on eBay to raise money for needy families this holiday season.

Its current owner, Christopher Ryan Jones of Bluegrass Mafia, has donated the guitar to benefit Operation Christmas Child. Jones has owned this guitar since Charlie gave it to him in 1999, and used it to record their most recent project - samples available on MySpace.

The auction, which closes on November 26, describes the guitar as a 30 year old FG-160 model, sold with a hard shell case.

Mopre details and photos can be found on the eBay auction page.

Rounder Records has created a mini-documentary and interview with Rhonda Vincent to help build interest in her upcoming January release, Good Thing Going.

Rhonda speaks about how she came to write several of the songs on the new CD, and how much she enjoyed being able to have the time in the studio to complete the project without budget concerns, now that she has a professional recording studio in her home.

You can ever see her working up arrangements in the studio, along with Andy Leftwich, Bryan Sutton and Ron Stewart.

The eight and a half minute video is posted on YouTube, or you can watch it below.

This report comes from Casey Henry, a banjo player and writer living in Nashville, TN. She performed the past few years with her brother, Chris, in The Two Stringers, now disbanded.

Bluegrass got the boot last night when Cliff Wagner and the Old #7 got voted off Next Great American Band. The Clark Brothers made it into the top six, though, delivering a standout performance of the Rolling Stones’ Gimmie Shelter.

Everyone seemed disappointed to see Cliff and the band go. The judges had some parting words, all on a positive note. John Rzeznik said that he really appreciated their sense of humor and the chemistry between the band members. Sheila E. deemed them “so real, so genuine,” and said “we love you very much.” Dicko praised them for “bringing some real variety” to the show and asked what their plans for the future are. Cliff eloquently said that they’ve gotten “new inspiration” from being on the show and have expanded musically from where they were before. They are now able to play more “outside the box.”

Cliff said, to the television audience, “Thanks to everyone who voted. We had a great time on the show,” and he wished, “good luck to all the other bands.” And even the final band to play, Dot Dot Dot, said as they took the stage, “We love you, Cliff Wagner!”

The NGAB site now features Cliff’s Green Room acoustic performance. Hopefully, even though he didn’t win the show, this national exposure will benefit Cliff’s career and help keep his playing schedule full for years to come. Maybe they’ll add their take on Brown Sugar that we didn’t get to hear to their shows…

The Clarks version of Gimmie Shelter was stunning. They started out sparse and low and built up the tension. By the end, according to Dicko, they’d “turned it into a blind panic.” Ashley’s singing continued to impress, Austin rocked on a black, flying-V electric dobro, and Adam even got a short mandolin solo. All three judges gave them a standing ovation and Sheila deemed them “the band to beat.”

Be sure to tune in next week bands tackle the Rod Stewart catalog. You can watch all the past weeks’ performances on the NGAB site.

It’s not just Randy Kohrs who is shocking the pundits with the power of grassroots bluegrass fans in effecting online balloting.

The Chapmans also find themselves as the sole bluegrass artists in a head-to-head competition with a bevy of pop and rock acts at BestOfBands.com. Thanks to the support of their fans, they have made it through to the final round of five in the Best of Bands, Make My Video competition where the winner receives a professional performance video shoot valued at $20,000.

The video will be shot in Las Vegas, with a venue chosen based on the genre of the winning band. All airfare, accommodations and ground transportation are covered, and the three most actively voting fans of the winning band will also win an all-expense paid trip to Vegas to attend the shoot.

Voting in this final round starts on December 1, and a quick, free registration is required to participate in the balloting, which runs through the end of December. Repeat votes are allowed, but only once in each 24 hour period.

Jeremy Chapman said that they were inspired and excited to see how the support of bluegrass fans has kept Randy Kohrs’ video in the top five at CMT Pure Top 20 Countdown, and hopes to get a similar level of support at BestOfBands.com.

“We need to get as many people as possible to create a profile before December 1st so we can have a head start in the competition. We’re up against a few heavy metal bands, and would just be embarrassed if they could claim to have better, more devoted fans.

Remember when creating your profile to upload a picture - even if it’s of a tree or Jimmy Martin - so that they know that you’re not a computer. Otherwise all your diligent voting won’t count.”

If you want to show the world that bluegrass fans are as rabidly passionate as metal bands - at least metaphorically - perhaps you will want to show your support for The Chapmans in this competition. Starting 12/1, there will be a Make My Video button near the top of their BOB profile page, and you need only click it once to register your daily vote.

This evening, November 23, will find The Infamous Stringdusters on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, making their debut performance on the venerable radio broadcast.

They will be featured in the 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. segment (EST), which airs in the Nashville market on WSM AM 650, and simulcast via online streaming at wsmonline.com.

For many fans of the band, this could be your first chance to sample the ‘Dusters with new guitarist, Andy Falco, who stepped in when founding member Chris Eldridge left to work with Chris Thile.

Also on tonight’s Opry broadcast is Ricky Skaggs, appearing in the 9:30 - 10:00 p.m. slot.

It seems that we are still playing catch-up, trying to make mention of the great many new CDs that have come our way this fall. Once again, I’ll try to get to several more over this long holiday weekend.

Time After Time, the latest CD from Lilly Of The West, was actually released several months ago, but we had waited for it to become widely available outside of Europe before posting about it on The Bluegrass Blog. Lilly is Lilly Drumeva, the Bulgarian singer and guitarist who not only fronts the band, but also hosts country and bluegrass music programming on Bulgarian TV and radio, and serves on the board of the European Bluegrass Music Association.

On this project, her approach is a bit different than in the past, with respect to both the material and the musicians. The songs are drawn from the repertoire of pop and folk classics, but the arrangements, and Lilly’s distinctively understated delivery, clearly distinguish these versions from the familiar original - and many subsequent - recordings.

The title track was a major pop hit for Cindy Lauper, with other selections like Leaving On A Jet Plane, Just Once in A Very Blue Moon, The End Of The World and All I Have To Do Is Dream having also been radio hits over roughly a fifty year span. Folk favorites The Water Is Wide and A Walk In The Irish Rain are also included, along with one traditional Bulgarian folk song, Oblache Le Bialo.

Instead of putting together a band from among Europe’s top bluegrass players, Drumeva picked prominent classical musicians and gave them a crash course in the ways of acoustic/bluegrass string music. American grasser Jesse Brock, who spent much of 2006 in Europe, plays mandolin, with Drumeva on guitar, Svoboda Bozduganova on bass, Yassen Vassilev on nylon string guitar, and in another departure from the norm, Vladimir Michailov on viola.

The arrangements have a subtle, almost restrained feel throughout; you might even describe it as parlor string music. With no banjo, the music is less aggressive than more traditional bluegrass-influenced music, but the impact of where Mr. Monroe’s music has gone this past 60 years is clear.

You can hear audio samples from all but one of the CD’s 11 tracks on CD Baby, where you can also purchase the album as either digital downloads or an audio CD.

On this wonderful fall morning in Virginia, John and I would like to extend a hearty Thank You to all who faithfully read The Bluegrass Blog. We love what we do, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to pursue something we love, but without you we probably wouldn’t be doing this.

We’re also interested in letting you have a voice to express your bluegrass thanksgivings. What are you thankful for today?

Leave us your comment telling us what it is you’re thankful for on Thanksgiving 2007. A favorite band? A great CD? An instrument that feels like an extension of yourself? What are you thankful for in a bluegrass way?

Anonymous 4 is quite probably unknown to many bluegrass fans. The reason for the anonymity (sorry, I couldn’t help it) stems from the fact that the group is not bluegrass. It’s composed of four, imagine that, women who normally sing a capella versions of medieval music.

Recently however, the group has released a CD that focuses on American Folk music, spirituals, and hymns. The CD is entitled Gloryland. The ladies made the decision to include some instrumentation on this CD and called on the talents of fiddler (and mandolinist) Darol Anger and guitarist Scott Nygaard. With the accompaniment of these two masterful musicians, the women tackle such songs as Wayfaring Stranger and Just Over In The Gloryland.

Making no attempt to adopt the vocal stylings with which these tunes are normally performed, the ladies come strait at them with a classical approach. The resulting blend of bluegrass instrumentation and classical vocals is quite interesting.

If you’re interested in hearing what this combo sounds like, tomorrow is your chance. The group, accompanied by Nygaard and Anger, will be performing for the American Public Media Thanksgiving Special.

The program will be carried on many public radio stations. You can find a radio station near you on this page.

You can also listen online if you want. I’m not sure if this program, which is currently available, is the same one which will be broadcast tomorrow.

You can also hear clips from the CD at Anonymous4.com and myspace.com/theanonymous4.

Keeping up with Randy Kohrs video and single for Who’s Goin’ With Me…

His video is still in the running at the CMT Pure Top 20 Countdown, rated #4 this week against some steep mainstream country competition. The rankings are based wholly on online votes, and the balloting ends each week on Wednesday.

If you have a moment and would like to see Randy’ video stay in the pack, you can cast a ballot.

Who’s Goin’ With Me has recently been sent to several hundred country reporting stations as a single, and at least two of them have already put the song in rotation. Both KSON in San Deigo, CA and WGTY in York, PA are playing the song, and Randy hopes that bluegrass fans in those markets will call or email the stations and voice some support for the song.

“To avoid any stereotypes and stigmas, we marketed it as “Progressive Acoustic Country” as so many stations hear the word bluegrass and steer clear. But, we know better…”

The many fans of IIIrd Tyme Out can now order their live concert DVD from the band’s web site. Entitled Round III at the MAC - Live, it was filmed at the same concert performance in November 2005 as their recent live audio CD, Round III at the MAC.

In the DVD, you’ll see the live stage performances of the same 16 songs as the CD, plus backstage footage and interviews with the members of the band.

Orders can be placed in the band’s online mall.

We heard last night from Phil Leadbetter (dobro man with Grasstowne), that his son Matt (dobro man with Lonesome River Band) and his wife Heather welcomed their first child yesterday.

“Houston Philip Lee Leadbetter weighed in at 7lb and 2oz. He was 21 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing well. This is also my very first grand child. We are very happy with the new edition!!”

So… I guess that Uncle Phil is now Grandpa Phil? I wonder if he has already purchased a pacifier shaped like a dobro steel.

Just after getting this news from Phil, I happened to catch the episode of The Andy Griffith Show where the Darling family came down from the mountain to pledge Charlene’s newborn daughter for a future marriage. It occurred to me that, with all these new bluegrass babies being born, perhaps there may be a plot afoot to promise these young un’s for future supergroups.

The labels must be behind it.

Congratulations to all the happy Leadbetters!

Students at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC have been learning a lot about bluegrass recently.

In the fall of 2006 the university began offering a concentration in Appalachian Music: Roots and Influences from the College of Arts and Sciences for the Center for Appalachian Studies for those students seeking an M.A. degree in Appalachian Studies. They also made many of the same classes available in the form of an undergraduate minor.

The curriculum includes a three credit hour class entitled Bluegrass Traditions. They describe the class as follows.

The genesis of bluegrass music from its beginnings to its major redefinition in the mid-1970s.

Who better to teach such a class than Dave Haney. Haney is the vice provost for undergraduate education and a professor of English at the university. More importantly though, he is a former guitarist and lead singer with Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys.

Haney says he uses such things as bluegrass recordings, videos, discussion, readings, and live demonstrations to help his students “understand the musical and cultural influences of early bluegrass music and the styles of specific performers.”

When presenting a live demonstration, he often calls on area musicians for help. One of the musicians he’s tapped as a resource is Eric Ellis. Ellis is known as a Scruggs-style banjo player.

He is ideally suited for this. He’s the real thing. He is an incredible banjo player who can demonstrate any bluegrass banjo style there is, and he also has an encyclopedic knowledge of bluegrass history.

Ellis has become such an indispensable part of the class, that the school has recently brought him on board as it’s first artist-in-residence in the Appalachian Studies program. The residency is supported by the Doc Watson Endowment in Appalachian Music.

What a great way for bluegrass music to reach a new generation.

NewFound Road is about to start working on a new CD. The first studio date is December 8, suggesting that a release in mid-to-late 2008 is reasonable.

Mountain Heart’s Jim Van Cleve will co-produce the new project with the band, and they are excited to get started.

“We’ve been rehearsing the new stuff and have new songs from Ronnie Bowman, Sonya Isaacs, Tim O’Brien, Tim Stafford. Josh Shilling and I wrote a tune and Joe Booher and Justin Moses recently wrote an instrumental for the record as well.”

Band members include Tim Shelton on guitar, Randy Barnes on bass, Jr. Williams on banjo, and Joe Booher on mandolin.

Kyle Cantrell at XM Satellite Radio’s Bluegrass Junction (track 14) tells us that he has a number of interesting interviews airing over the next two days.

Later today (11/20), Cadillac Sky will be featured in the 3:00 p.m. hour. On Wednesday (11/21), Kyle will have IIIrd Tyme Out, discussing their new Footprints CD, and spinning a few cuts. That IIIrd Tyme Out feature will run sometime between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m.

Then at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Kyle will replay his visit with legendary bluegrass singer Curly Seckler.

We don’t think about it often, but these instruments we use to create bluegrass music existed before Monroe. The banjo has arguably undergone some evolution in the last 100 years, but the mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and bass haven’t changed that much.

Before there was Banjo Newsletter, Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, Bluegrass Unlimited, Bluegrass Now or Fretboard Journal, there was S.S. Stewart’s Banjo & Guitar and Mandolin Journal.

Publication began in 1882. The Journal covered items of interest to music lovers, including: concert dates, concert reviews, sheet music and instruction, articles, photos, and a large number of advertisements. Issues of this classic publication can occasionally be found for sale on auction sites such as ebay.

While collectors will still bid on the actual items, the rest of us no longer need to open our wallets to enjoy reading the Journal. The University of Rochester Research Department has gone to a great deal of effort to scan all the issues in the school’s library and make them available online as PDF files. Over 40 issues are available on the school’s website.

The PDF files are of moderate size. The average is probably 1-1.5 MB, some approach 3MB.

This publication is from the pre-bluegrass musical era, but still very interesting to read if you some free time.

Hat Tip: Fretboard Journal Blog

Rhonda Vincent has announced that the newest member of her band will be Darrell Webb, performing on guitar and vocals. Darrell had previously been a member of Wildfire, J.D. Crowe & The New South and Lonesome River Band, playing mandolin.

Rhonda is taking most of the remainder of 2007 off the road, but Darrell will be in tow when they kick off the new year early in ‘08.

On her official bulletin board, Rhonda had this to say about her newest Rager:

“Though Darrell is accomplished on every bluegrass instrument, his new position as the official guitarist for Rhonda Vincent & The Rage marks the first in his career on guitar.

Darrell brings his incredible vocal style and veteran musicianship to The Rage.

The group has already established an original sound with Darrell, as they have recently added a new original song, featuring Darrell on a stand out bass vocal. A very unique trait for a trademark tenor singer; and a true testament to the astounding vocal range of Darrell Webb.”

The winners of our recent Mountain Heart giveaway have all been contacted, and prizes are on the way.

Thanks to everyone who participated in that promotion - downloading the free track from the band’s newest CD, or entering the contest for free CDs and other Mountain Heart merch.

The winners were:

• Bob Poole - Appomattox, VA
• Eric L. Poole - Mechanicsburg, PA
• Neil Gilliland - Mt. Juliet, TN
• Cody Frost - Bernice, OK
• Michael Palis - Kansas City, MO
• Bud Bennett - Blacksburg, VA
• Rev. Judith Barnett - San Jose, CA 96124
• Tyler Thompson - Mountain City, TN
• Timothy Jones - Nolensville, TN

Jim Van Cleve from Mountain Heart also asked that we thank everyone for their support of their new CD, Road That Never Ends. It has spent the last few weeks on the Billboard Top Ten sales chart, and is at number 5 in this week’s chart.

Following up John’s earlier post, concerning the Associated Press story, claiming that:

Beyonce went bluegrass in a surprise performance with country band Sugarland at the American Music Awards on Sunday night.

As John pointed out, they also quote Beyonce as saying the bluegrass version of her song Irreplaceable “ain’t bad.”

Curiosity grabbed me and I had to see exactly what the AP, and Beyonce, thought bluegrass sounded like, so I went to YouTube looking for it. YouTube is amazing btw. Anyway, here’s a link to the clip. I won’t embed it here because it is most definitely NOT bluegrass.

Apparently if it has acoustic guitar and mandolin in it, it must be bluegrass. Hardly. The instrumentation is two acoustic guitars, a mandolin, electric upright bass, drums, and accordion. The performance and vocals are in no way bluegrass.

It seems the Associated Press has no idea what bluegrass is about. And stories like this one, trying to pass this kind of stuff off as bluegrass, sure don’t help the public figure it out either.