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 ¬Æ, 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…)