Yesterday evening Roger Brown, President of the Berklee College of Music, gave a very timely and well thought out Keynote address to kick off the IBMA World of Bluegrass for 2008.

We caught up with Roger afterwards and he and John discussed the subject of his speech, with Roger serving up a condensed version of the speech for our interview.

The file is 12 minutes in length, but well worth the time it’ll take you to watch it.

Read our July 2008 interview with Roger, which he references in the video.

Larry Stephenson has announced that he and his wife Dreama are expecting their first child.

Dreama has been an active participant in the family business, doing the majority of Larry’s photography, plus graphic and web design since before they were married.

Congratulations to them both from The Bluegrass Blog!

Here are some photos from Monday night’s (9/29) IBMA after hours showcase events.

Last night (9/29), Brance and I ventured out to the late night IBMA showcases and watched a number of exciting young performers. We saw Farewell Drifters, Dominic Leslie and Josh Williams, and spoke at some length with Joe Dean, the 19 year old banjo picker with Dailey & Vincent.

We came away with three different looks at how this next generation might take the music, and a renewed respect for the skill and vision of these yong artists, and the determination of the bluegrass business community to nurture and promote their careers.

The first act we caught was The Farewell Drifters and while I was familiar with their debut CD, Sweet Summer Breeze I had never seen them perform in person. Their live show was different in many ways. They had the requisite instrumentation (banjo, mandolin, bass and two guitars) but they neither look nor present themselves like the typical young bluegrass band.

Their look and their original material are drawn as much from the singer/songwriter boom of the late 1960s as from the earlier legacy of the bluegrass founders. The songs are introspective and personal, and the playing is subdued and clearly secondary to the melodies and lyrics. Even their stage banter had a quirky and nervous energy, much in keeping with the band’s slightly oddball demeanor.

Next, we caught part of a showcase from mandolinist Dominick Leslie, a first year student at the Berklee College Of Music in Boston. Dominick grew up in Colorado and has been playing bluegrass since he was ten years old. He had taken the second place prize in both the Walnut Valley and Merlefest mandolin competitions before finishing high school.

Dominick performed with a number of young Boston musicians, fellow Berklee student Sam Grisman on bass, Jordan Tice on guitar and Wes Corbett on banjo. All were strong, adventurous soloists and the music they played was challenging both harmonically and technically. In the audience for this showcase were Berklee professor David Hollender, and college president Roger Brown, as well as Andy Falco from The Infamous Stringdusters who has hooting at hollering his encouragement with every hot lick.

The pickers not only had to impress their peers and industry types, but their teacher and headmaster as well! The influence of Chris Thile and his merry band was clear in the band’s music - not a band example at all for such talented young players. Remember their names.

We then wandered down the concourse to see Josh Williams perform with his new band. This time, the music was straightahead contemporary bluegrass from one of the certain rising stars in this business. Josh had memorable stints with Special Consensus and Rhonda Vincent before launching his solo career. He already has three CD projects under his name - not bad for a 28 year old singer and guitarist. (more…)

Once again, WAMU’s Bluegrass Country will be broadcasting live from IBMA today. They will be coming to you online from their suite in the Renaissance Hotel 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00-7:00 p.m. (EDT).

Today’s (9/30) offerings include live performances from The Gibson Brothers and Dailey & Vincent, and an interview with the authors of The Bluegrass Blog (at 2:30 p.m. EDT) and discussion with Alan Munde and Joe Carr about their receiving the Distinguished Achievement award this year. Alan with be in the studio, and Joe speaking in a prerecorded interview.

You can listen to Bluegrass Country via audio streaming online, and via HD Radio (88.5-2) in the Washington DC market.

Appearing on (Tuesday 9/30) are:

• Jon Stickley
• The Bluegrass Blog
• Gibson Brothers
• Dailey & Vincent
• Alan Munde
• Joe Carr

Pinecastle Records is here at IBMA doing some early celebrating. 2009 will mark their 20th anniversary year, and they are giving away free song downloads to people in attendance at the World Of Bluegrass.

They are handing out cards to everyone at the Awards Show on Thursday with a special code on the back good for one album download of their 20 year retrospective CD. Featured artists include Jim & Jesse, The Osborne Brothers, Charlie Waller, Grasstowne, The Dixie Bee-Liners, Special Consensus, Nothin’ Fancy and more.

Thursday night will be the first time these cards are given out, but Pinecastle says that all of their artists will have them at their record tables through 2009 - free for the asking.

Our own intrepid correspondent, Richard Thompson [bluegrassmercury], is with us in Nashville, having traveled from the UK to attend the IBMA convention this week. This is his first trip to IBMA in 20 years, and we thought that his impressions and considerations would be of interest both to others who are likewise in attendance, and our many readers who would love be there.

bluegrassmercury - Travelogue #3
by Richard F Thompson

For bluegrass fans, one of the delights of Nashville is the Station Inn, located in a rather ordinary single-storey building on 12th Avenue South, within easy walking distance not far from upper Broadway.

The interior consists of a low-ceilinged room lit mainly by neon signs, although a small raised stage area is well lit. There’s a small bar at the rear and rest rooms adjacent. Souvenirs are on display for sale to the right of the bar. Food and alcohol is available as well as soft drinks. It’s a no smoking venue, which is, as far as I am concerned, a definite plus point.

On this past Saturday evening (9/27), the Station Inn showcased the talents of Ronnie Bowman, a former member of Lost & Found and the Lonesome River Band and described by USA Today as “one of bluegrass’s most tender voices.” He was accompanied by his wife, Garnet (harmony vocals), Jimmy Stewart, formerly of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, playing Dobro ®, Donica Christensen (banjo), Daryl Schumacher (mandolin) and Greg Martin (bass).

Bowman has written many excellent songs even before going solo and those songs provided the backbone of the evening’s entertainment.

Kicking off with Drifting With The Tide, Bowman moved quickly onto a song that he has recently recorded, Truck Driver’s Queen, The Matterhorn, Allen Mills’ Love Of The Mountains, another song that he has cut recently, Here I Am, Old Country Town, from the Lonesome River Band’s award-winning Rebel CD, Closer To Heaven and finished a near-35 minute set with Will I Be That Lucky Man?

Ms. Bowman maintained the excellent standard of singing with a song that she has been singing since the time that JD Crowe and the New South did it, Tennessee Blues.

The second set opened with Cold Virginia Night, Sweet Marie and It’s Gettin’ Better All The Time, before Rob McCoury stepped up to the stage for a brief guest spot, working the mic like the top professional that he is, as Bowman went back in time with great versions of Little Cabin Home On The Hill and then Will You Be Lonesome, Too?, from his first solo album.

Providing an interlude between two slow songs Jimmy Stewart chipped in with a rousing showcasing of the Jimmy Martin favourite Freeborn Man.

It was pretty loose, but all very enjoyable nonetheless and met with the approval of a demanding audience.

The band returned to continued loud applause to do a two song encore. (more…)

If you’re here at IBMA and would like to have a little help with your online marketing, be sure to sign up for the Internet Marketing Mentor Sessions.

Starting tomorrow morning, Tuesday, September 30, at 9 AM, you can sign up for a session with myself and Kissy Black of Lotos Nile. Sign up takes place in the hotel foyer.

The sessions will be held Wednesday morning from 9:30-11:00 AM in NCC #206. Each session is roughly 15 minutes in length (I can’t remember the exact time limits). The mentor sessions are intended to be a time for seeking advice on a particular topic. Kissy and myself will be there to answer your questions concerning internet marketing campaigns for your band, product, or business.

See ya there!

Brance and I are on the road, heading for Nashville and the IBMA World Of Bluegrass Convention, where our Richard Thompson is already situated.

We hope to arrive around noon Nashville time, and will be spending the rest of the day (and night) attending various shows and meetings in and around the Convention Center.

Our plans include an interview with Berklee College Of Music President Roger Brown following his keynote address this evening, the official Showcase acts, and the Cherryholmes CD release party at The Rutledge.

Updates, photos and video will be posted as soon as we find a few moments this evening.

WDVX will be airing two live shows today (9/29) that feature music from the IBMA convention.

At noon, Cumberland Gap Connection will perform on their Blue Plate Special program. They are one of the IBMA official showcase acts this year (playing Monday night), and will stop off for this show at the WDVX Knoxville studios on their way to Nashville for IBMA.

Then at 9:00 p.m. (EDT) the station will offer a live broadcast of Cherryholmes’ CD release party at The Rutledge. You’ll hear the music from their new CD, Cherryholmes III - Don’t Believe, which hits the streets tomorrow (9/30).

WDVX originates from Knoxville, TN and is broadcast in that market at 102.9 FM - and via live streaming online.

For those of you who can’t be in Nashville this week for all the big doin’s at IBMA, be sure to tune in to WAMU’s Bluegrass Country online to get a taste of what is going on.

They will be broadcasting live from the convention site each day from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00-7:00 p.m. (EDT). The remotes will feature both live performances and discussion with artists attending the convention.

Scheduled to appear today (Monday 9/29) are:

• Jeannette Williams
• Larry Cordle, Jerry Salley & Carl Jackson
• Donna Ulisse
• Valerie Smith & Becky Buller
• Out and Runnin’
• Shannon Whitworth
• Cherryholmes

You can listen to Bluegrass Country via audio streaming online, and via HD Radio (88.5-2) in the Washington DC market.

Gibson has announced another limited edition banjo model, this time a Style 5 Deluxe.

Though not specifically an artist-signature model, this new model is loosely based on a unique pre war Gibson owned by Bernie Leadon, an original member of The Eagles, and a studio and road guitar/banjo player of many years’ experience.

The vintage Style 5 banjos were made of walnut, with engraved, gold plated parts. This new model uses curly maple and chrome instead, and has a radiused fingerboard. These variations from the pre war specs come at Leadon’s suggestion.

Only ten of these banjos will be made, selling for $8,889 with a hard shell case and certificate of authenticity.

More photos and detailed spces can be found on the Gibson web site.

We posted in early August about the competition hosted by MountainRidge Music Marketing to select an up-and-coming band to receive their marketing and promotional services at no charge.

They have now announced that the winning MountainRidge Music Flagship Group is The Farewell Drifters, based in Nashville, TN. Members include Zachary Bevill on guitar and lead vocals, Trevor Brandt on banjo, Joshua Britt on mandolin, Clayton Britt on guitar, and Dean Marold on bass. Bevill and Britt write the bulk of the band’s material, which manages to be fresh and adventurous, while remaining accessible to both new and traditional bluegrass fans.

We wrote about them last year when we received a copy of their fine debut CD, Sweet Summer Breeze.

The Drifters have had a very good 2008, being selected as one of the official IBMA Showcase acts (performing on Wednesday evening), and having been picked up by Keith Case & Associates, who now handle their booking. They also showcased at the Americana Music Association earlier this month, and are hard at work on a new CD, with one song featured on the IBMA showcase artist CD which is distributed to all attendees.

MountainRidge will provide them promotion and tour support for 15 dates of their choosing when the company is officially launched during IBMA week. The company will provide the sort of services typically offered by a large label to unsigned artists (or who record for a small, independent label) at what they describe as affordable prices.

You can find out more about MountainRidge on their web site, and audio from The Farewell Drifters on the band’s MySpace page.

James Roy “Pop” Lewis passed away in 2004. The founder of bluegrass gospel group The Lewis Family, was 98 at the time. He is now being honored in his home town, as the road his family lived on has been renamed as a memorial to his legacy.

Last Monday, a section of State Route 378 in Lincoln County, GA was renamed The James Roy “Pop” Lewis Memorial Highway. It was Pop’s 103rd birthday.

Little Roy Lewis has told reporters that the Lewis family house in Lincolnton, GA will be converted into a museum, which should be opened to the public sometime next year.

We heard last week from Darin Aldridge, former member of The Country Gentlemen and current mandolinist with The Circuit Riders. This young man has quite a busy time ahead of him in the near future.

First up, he is engaged to be married to Brooke Justice, with whom he has started a new band. Darin is on guitar, Brooke on mandolin, with Chris Bryant on banjo, Eddie Biggerstaff on bass and Perry Woddie on resonator guitar. All five sing, with Brooke and Darin the featured lead vocalists.

Darin Aldridge & Brooke Justice will have a new CD, I’ll Go With You, due October 14 on Pinecastle Records and the band will be at IBMA this coming week showcasing the hard driving Gospel music that is their specialty.

Here is a YouTube clip of the band doing Get Down And Pray, one of the songs from the new CD. Audio samples for the others can be heard on their MySpace page.

Our own intrepid correspondent, Richard Thompson [bluegrassmercury], has arrived in Nashville from the UK to attend the IBMA convention next week. This is his first trip to IBMA in 20 years, and we thought that his impressions and considerations would be of interest both to others who are likewise preparing to attend, and our many readers who would love be there but are unable to do so.

bluegrassmercury - Travelogue #2
by Richard F Thompson

We had the pleasure of attending the Grand Ole Opry last night (9/27). I say we, my wife Karen will probably get many mentions over the next week or so; she’s my trusty photographer.

It was my third visit to the Opry, if my memory serves me correctly and Karen’s second experience of the show.

The format never changes; it’s an institution and it works, so why fix it! It is a superb variety show with entertainment for very nearly all tastes. For those that don’t know, each artist is limited to one or two songs on his or her portion of the show, which for this particular evening, was split into four parts, each half an hour long.

There was a good mix of ladies of country music - I mean real country music.

The still beautiful Connie Smith demonstrated why Dolly Parton rates her among the top three female singers in any genre, telling me that she Never Once Stopped Loving You. The feeling’s mutual Connie! Marty, you are one very fortunate fellow.

Canadian Terri Clarke has a rare empathy with an audience and won more favor with a very good version of Loretta Lynn’s first recorded song Honky Tonk Girl. Karen was thrilled by that. And Suzy Bogguss reminded us that the art of yodeling is still alive and well.

Little Jimmy Dickens was in good wise-cracking form and reminded us of his abilities as great ballad singer, even at 87 years of age or thereabouts. In contrast the portly Jack Greene looked as though age had caught up with him a few years ago.

There were four bluegrass acts this evening; Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys, who performed just one song; I’ll Love Nobody But You. He was accompanied by his granddaughter, Amanda Lynne and grandson Garrett (guitar), both singing harmony, and an ever-smiling legend, Jim Buchanan on fiddle, Terry Lease (banjo) and Matthew Madden (upright bass). Jesse still has nimble fingers. (more…)

With so many bluegrass folks packing up and heading to Nashville for the big IBMA week just ahead of us, we have put together a list of events not held in the Nashville Convention Center or The Renaissance Hotel. A full listing of official IBMA-sanctioned events can be found on the organization’s web site.

There are even a few that are being held this weekend, before the IBMA festivities kick off on Monday morning. All times below are local Nashville time (CDT).

Saturday - September 27

• Ronnie Bowman appearing at The Station Inn, 9:00 p.m.

Sunday - September 28

• The Dixie Bee-Liners pre-IBMA Bar-B-Cue Blowout at Norm’s River Roadhouse, 6:00 p.m.
• Valerie Smith, Charlie Louvin, Abrams Brothers at Dare To Be Different Showcase (Bell Buckle) 1:00-10:00 p.m.

Monday - September 29

• Cherryholmes CD release party at The Rutledge, 8:00 p.m. (broadcast on WDVX.com)
• Bluegrass Songwriter’ Association Showcase at Holiday Inn Select, 8:00-11:00 p.m.

Tuesday - September 30

• Infamous Stringdusters at Country Music Hall of Fame, 11:00 a.m.
• Grascals #1 album party at SESAC, 4:00 p.m.
• Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration at The Grand Ole Opry, 7:00 p.m.
• Jerry Douglas at Country Music Hall of Fame, 7:00 p.m.
• The Bloggrass Boys at Robert’s Western World, 8:00 p.m.
• Mashville Brigade at The Station Inn, 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday - October 1

• Bill Monroe - Father Of Bluegrass Music, film screening and discussion at Country Music Hall of Fame, 1:30 p.m.
• Alecia Nugent CD preview party at Legends Corner Bar, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
• Hardline Drive at Norm’s River Roadhouse, 7:00 p.m.
• Bluegrass Songwriter’ Association Showcase at Best Western Music Row, 7:00-11:00 p.m.
• Steeldrivers at The Station Inn, 9:00 p.m.
• Pine Mountain Railroad, Dailey & Vincent, Steep Canyon Rangers at Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop, 10:00 p.m.

Thursday - October 2

• Lonesome River Band at The Station Inn, 9:00 p.m.
• Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe, Matt Flinner Trio, Spring Creek, Lonesome Traveler at Mulligan’s Pub, 9:30 p.m.

Friday - October 3

• Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe, Wildwood Valley Boys, David Parmley & Continental Divide, Blue Moon Rising, Hardline Drive at Mulligan’s Pub, 9:30 p.m.
• Danny Paisley & Southern Grass at The Station Inn, 9:00 p.m.
• Matt Flinner Trio, Spring Creek, Travis Chandler at Norm’s River Roadhouse, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday - October 4

• Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe, Lykens Valley Bluegrass Boys, Next Best Thing, Daniel Boner and Daysight, Travis Chandler, New Foundation at Mulligan’s Pub, 9:30 p.m.
• Larry Stephenson Band at The Station Inn, 9:00 p.m.
• Dailey & Vincent at Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop, midnight
• Runaway Freight at Bethesda Market & Deli (College Grove), 6:00 p.m.

If you are hosting or performing at an off-site event that is not listed, please contact us so that it can be included.

Joe Diffie made quite a splash as a country singer and songwriter in the 1990s, turning out a string of hit songs and top-selling albums for a variety of labels. He has continued to record and perform, still cracking the charts, both in the US and Europe.

Bluegrass music fans in Oklahoma and Texas, however, recall Joe’s bluegrass roots, when he performed as a member of Special Edition with Billy Joe Foster in the late 1980s.

Thanks to Rounder Records, Joe is set to head back into the studio this fall to record his first bluegrass project as a solo artist, with a Spring 2009 release expected. There aren’t any details available yet about a producer, song choices or backing musicians, but we expect to get more information at IBMA next week.

Here is a a brief video of Joe discussing his bluegrass roots, prepared by our friends at String Theory Media.

On Wednesday we ran the first part of my discussion with Melonie Cannon, where we discussed her upcoming Rural Rhythm CD, And The Wheels Turn. Here is the remainder of the interview.

Perhaps the chief highlight associated with the new CD for Melonie has been getting to work with Willie Nelson. They did a duet on one of his songs, Back To Earth, for which a music video has recently been shot.

Nelson’s latest CD, Moment Of Forever, was produced by Melonie’s dad, Buddy Cannon, and Kenny Chesney, and they had asked Melonie to sing some harmony while they were tracking.

“I had never met Willie before those sessions, though my dad had met him once - in a broom closet. I can only imagine what happened there!

When I told him I had cut one of his songs, he asked ‘Can I sing on it?’ The song was Some Little Things, which we haven’t yet used on an album. Dad got the idea of having Willie sing on Back To Earth, and asked if he wanted to do it with me. Willie said, yeah and that he would get his manager in touch.

When he came in to sing, I had already sung the whole track, and Willie decided he would do the second verse and harmony on the chorus.”

Just in the past few weeks, the opportunity arose for Nelson to appear in a music video for the song, and arrangements were made for Melonie and her dad to fly down to Texas for the shoot. They all assembled on Willie’s ranch not far from Austin.

“The crew, my Daddy and I were waiting for the man to show up at the town ‘Headquarters’ as it’s called. A black pick up truck came whizzing towards us, dust and gravel flying everywhere. And lo and behold, it was Willie! He asked if we were ready for him and the crew said yes.

He spun gravel and peeled off instead of getting out. In my mind I was thinking, ‘I hope they got the shot!’

Then, from the same direction the truck had flown into came a man on a horse, dressed all in black, from his cowboy hat to his boots. Just like you’d see in an old western movie except this was not someone acting.

I could go on forever, but I’ll just say one more thing about the video… It will be as magical as it was seeing Mr. Willie Nelson come galloping up that September morning on ‘Slim.’

This will be one of my most treasured memories I will ever have!!”

The new Melonie Cannon CD will be available from Rural Rhythm Records on October 7, and sample audio from all 12 tracks is up now online. No word yet on when the video will be released.

The Grand Ole Opry is taking on a bluegrass flavor this weekend as the World Of Bluegrass prepares to descend on Nashville.

Tonight’s Friday Opry (9/26) will feature Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, Grascals and Jesse McReynolds.

On Saturday night, they’ll have Del, Ricky and The Whites again along with Bobby Osborne and The Carolina Chocolate Drops.

The Friday Opry is broadcast from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. (EST) and the Saturday show runs from 8:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Both shows are available over the air in the Nashville market on WSM AM 650, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com.

Our Richard Thompson will be at The Opry tonight, so perhaps we will have a report from him tomorrow.