The guys in Mashville Brigade decided to go for a Halloween dress up vibe this past Tuesday at The Station Inn.

Recognize anyone…?

               

Halloween seems an appropriate day to release out gallery of Fiddle Faces. Some of these were sent in from readers. A couple of them are my own entries from the original post.

Take a look at all the Fiddle Faces and then place your vote for the Fiddle Face you think best represents

The demanding art of disfiguring your face like a rock guitarist

Options in the poll are not necessarily presented in the order in which the thumbnails appear above. Please consult the image pop-up caption for the name if you aren’t sure.

Cody Shuler recently announced that effect October 18, 2008, Dale Perry has joined Pine Mountain Railroad. Dale will be playing the 5 and singing harmony vocals.

Dale’s bass singin as been a distinguishing marks of the bands he’s performed with in the past, including the Lonesome River Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and David Parmely & Continental Divide.

Dale has periodically taken time off the road between bands to run his Lakeside Recording Studio, even recording the last Pine Mountain Railroad CD. I asked Cody Shuler to share with us the story of how Dale came to join the band.

I am glad to have Dale Perry be a part of this band. His vocal work along with his great banjo playing brings some great new sounds from this band. We have been working on some great quartets that feature some of his great bass singing. Dale recorded our latest cd “Pickin’ Praisin’ & Singin’ at his Lakeside Studio in Moneta, VA. He will also be recording a cd we are currently working on as well. Dale has played with some great groups through the years, The Bluegrass Cardinals, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and David Parmley. I am very excited to have him join CS & PMR.

Be sure to keep an eye on PMR’s tour schedule and go hear them with Dale Perry in the band.

Rounder Records has announced January 13, 2009 as the release date for the next CD project from songstress Alecia Nugent. Like her two previous albums, Hillbilly Goddess is a showcase for Nugent’s vocal chops, and features some of the most dynamic studio musicians available in the bluegrass world.

The new CD was produced by Carl Jackson, who also contributes several of his songs, and features Tim Stafford and Andy Falco on guitar,Adam Steffey on mandolin, Andy Leftwich on fiddle, Rob Ickes on resonator guitar, JD Crowe and Thomas Wywrot on banjo, Kevin Grant on bass, and Tony Creasman on drums.

In addition to Jackson, new songs come from Tim Stafford and Craig Market, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Salley, Larry Cordle and Nugent herself. Backing vocalists include Jackson, Sonya Isaacs, Bradley Walker, Jennifer Strickland and Valerie Storey.

We had a chance to discuss the new CD with Alecia earlier this week, and couldn’t resist asking about the title track.

“The term ‘Hillbilly Goddess’ was a label given to me by reviewer Robert K. Oermann when he reviewed my A Little Girl…A Big Four-Lane CD. I  always thought it was cute, but certainly never thought of myself as a ‘goddess’… maybe hillbilly, but not that!

My management had encouraged me to write something for the new CD and thought this was a natural song title. My producer, Carl Jackson, Sonya Kelly and I got together and came up with this song. It refers to every man looking at his special someone as his own ‘hillbilly goddess.’

The song has a very traditional feel, and JD Crowe was kind enough to come in and play banjo on it.  He did an awesome job!”

The CD also includes an autobiographical song, Nugent Family Band. (more…)

IBMA is now soliciting applications for Leadership Bluegrass 2009, their 3-day networking and mentoring event held in Nashville each spring.

The 2009 class is scheduled for March 10-12 and applications must be received by November 15.

We have never attended, but have heard nothing but glowing feedback from the many people in the bluegrass industry who have. IBMA describes the class as follows:

Leadership Bluegrass is an IBMA-sponsored annual program designed to build commitment, motivate talents and instill enthusiasm for addressing the future of the bluegrass music industry.  The purpose is to bring together a cross-section of people with exhibited or potential leadership qualities into a network of learning and communication. Class members represent current and future leaders from various facets of the industry, as well as diverse regions of the country and world.

The fee for the event is $250 for IBMA members and $325 for non-members. Participants must shoulder the travel and accomodation costs, but some scholarship assistance is available on the basis of need.

You can find more details and application information at ibma.org. 

Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent will be guests on this week’s edition of Edge Of Country on GAC TV.

The guys join host Bill Cody for an interview about their success at the IBMA Awards show, along with winners from the recent Americana Music Association Honors and Awards winners.

The show airs at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 31 and twice again in early December.

In an article entitled Panel offers survival tips for small businesses, Laura Copeland wrote recently in The Tennessean newspaper about the economy and the various ways to deal with the issues facing the world.

It’s a dry old subject I know, but it affects us all.

While in Nashville for the IBMA World Of Bluegrass Convention and Fan Fest, I had occasion to wonder about what we were doing and the costs involved. Apparently, those in attendance plowed nearly $4.5 million dollars into the local economy. That’s great for Nashville, but what were the costs to us individually? For me it was sometimes a surreal experience.

All of the people at the IBMA Convention are small businesses, or part of one, and many will have thought deeply about the consequences of attending or, on the other side of the coin, not attending.

Subsequently, each will have assessed how good it was for their business.

Economists have voiced their opinions and the experts have predicted a worsening of the situation or opined that it will be 2010 before the financial situation improves. Either way, those professionals in the bluegrass world have challenges to face.

The article can be located on The Tennessean web site.

I will leave you to pick out the salient parts and apply what is relevant to you and your situation, but the closing paragraph offers solid advice for good times or bad.

Know all aspects of the business. Manage them well. Be open and flexible. Seize opportunities. Take smart risks. Do all these things and a business can thrive even in tough economic times.

Bluegrass music is a little different from other her genres in our business model. Not many other styles of music can boast the healthy festival circuit that bluegrass has. Fans of other styles don’t have the ready access to artists that bluegrass fans enjoy. Just because we’re unique, don’t mean that we can’t learn a little business from the larger music world.

Here’s an informative article that will give all you artists out there a few new ways to market your music to your fans, and at little or no cost.

They cover a range of topics and give you their two top choices for marketing in that area of the business. This includes getting your music into the top online radio stations; how to license your music for use in television, film, video games, and advertising, and get paid for it; ways to find new gigs for live performance; mobile marketing that covers text messaging, ringtones, ringbacks, full track downloads, wallpaper and mobile fan clubs; and online strategies for building/strengthening your fan base.

If you made use of every option they describe, the total cost would be only $52.45, most of that being the annual cost of using Sonicbids.com. Most of the things they suggest carry no upfront cost (some incur a cost on the back end by taking a percentage of proceeds).

Some of these ideas may not work with bluegrass, I don’t know, but I think it’s worth taking a few minutes to think them through if you’re an artist trying to make a living in this business.

After a trip to Florida this weekend, Grasstowne will be heading into the studio to get started on their second CD.

Resonator guitarist Phil Leadbetter tells us that they have new songs from fellow band members Steve Gulley and Alan Bibey, plus songwriters Wayne Winkle and Elmer Burchett.

All recording will be done at Scott Vestal’s Digital Underground Studio near Nashville - where they also recorded their debut CD, The Road Headin’ Home.

Phil also suggested that they may release this new project with a bonus DVD.

A release date of June 19, 2009 has been set by Pinecastle Records.

Tim Carter, the banjo playing half of The Carter Brothers, has opened a recording studio in Ridgetop, TN - about 12 miles north of Nashville.

Treehouse Studios was built as an addition to Tim’s log home, with a separate entrance, rest room and kitchenette.

Tim says that he has already done sessions with Sonya Issacs, Tim Stafford, Rob Ickes, Claire Lynch, Carl Jackson, Tony Trischka and Jim Hurst.

Carter shared a few words about his new venture.

“It’s a ProTools studio, and we have a wide range of vintage and newer hand built mics and mic preamps chosen with acoustic instruments in mind. The studio was designed by Kevin Hughes, a studio designer from Houston, TX. The acoustics of the room are incredible and the vibe makes for a very creative environment.”

You can see a complete equipment list and more details online.

Online video for this past Monday’s edition of the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour featuring The Grascals is now available.

The guys sing a number of songs from their latest CD, Keep On Walkin’, and host Michael Jonathon talks with each of them in turn over the course of the show.

Windows Media video can be found on the Woodsongs site.

Deering banjos has two new models in its popular Goodtime line of less expensive, American made instruments. The Goodtime banjos have been a hit with both new banjo pickers wanting to start with a low cost but solidly made instrument, and more seasoned players looking for a more casual, travel or knockaround banjo.

The first new entry is the plectrum version of the venerable Goodtime template. A plectrum is a four string banjo with the same scale length as a five string (22 frets), unlike its shorter-necked four string cousin, the tenor banjo. Like the other Goodtime models, this Deering plectrum is made from rock maple - maple neck with maple/birch laminated rim - and has a simple flange with 16 brackets.

The Goodtime plectrum is available in 8 different configurations, ranging from $499 for the basic, plain maple model with no resonator to a resonator, tone ring model for $1139.

With the addition of the plectrum model, the Goodtime line has grown from a single, open back 5 string to a sub-set of Deering banjos with both open back and resonator, right and left hand strung, short and long neck tenors, and models with tone rings in addition to the plectrum.

The other new Goodtime banjo is a limited edition model called the Midnight Special. It is a five string, resonator model with a solid black stain offset by mother of pearl inlays in the dark-stained fingerboard.

The Midnight Special differs from the basic Goodtime banjos with a number of upgrades. The rim is made with red maple, and has a steel tone ring installed. The tuners are planetary with a geared fifth peg and the resonator is bound.

It sells for $1179 and can be ordered from any Deering dealer, or from the Deering web site.

The folks at Flatpicking Guitar magazine have released a new compilation series taken from the first 12 years of the publication’s archives.

When the back issues began to go out of print, publisher Dan Miller decided to start offering the content digitally and their first such compendium, Best Of The First Ten Years, was released last year in four volumes. They are available as either digital downloads (in PDF form) or on a CD ROM.

The new set of digital reprints is offered in these same formats, and in four volumes organized around Flatpicking Styles.

• Volume One: Pioneers and Legends
• Volume Two: Irish, English, Scottish, British Isles, and Canadian Tunes
• Volume Three: Gospel, Christmas, and Classical Tunes
• Volume Four:  Blues, Swing & Jazz (to include Western Swing and Gypsy Jazz)

Each volume contains between 85 and 160 individual articles from the FGM archives and can be purchased as a PDF or CD ROM for $14.95

Anyone who knows flatpicker and guitar workshop impresario Bull Harman knows him as among the most gregarious, warm-hearted people in our business. Always quick with a smile - and just as swift with a fiery lick - Bull is a naturally friendly “people person” who, along with his wife Tammy, has performed for many years with Bull Harman & Bulls Eye and hosts the annual St Louis Flatpick workshop weekend each spring.

We heard from Tammy earlier this week with the shocking news that Bull had suffered a heart attack this past weekend. Tammy rushed him to the hospital in the wee hours of Sunday morning to discover that he had major blockage in two arteries. Tammy said that Bull was in intense pain, but after stents were placed in the arteries and he got some rest, he was doing much better.

Bull is now back at home resting in bed, and he is expected to be fit as a gitfiddle shortly.

Any of his many friends who would like to share get well wishes can send them to:

Circle of Friends for Jan has announced that there will be a benefit for Jan Johansson, a Bill Monroe disciple and multi-instrumentalist and fiddle teacher based in Cary, North Carolina.

He also is known for giving fiddle workshops and instruction alongside Bobby Hicks in many locations.

Jan (pronounced “Yahn”) has a heart condition and needs major surgery, a heart transplant. To help Jan with medical expenses and wages lost from his absence from his teaching, several of his friends have arranged a benefit concert at the Sertoma Amphitheatre at Fred G. Bond Metro Park in Cary.

The benefit will take place this coming Sunday, November 2, beginning at 1:00pm. Activities include a special appearance by legendary bluegrass fiddle player Bobby Hicks; singer, songwriter and former member of New Vintage, Julie Elkins; and performances by bluegrass bands Samantha Casey and the Bluegrass Jam, Chatham County Line, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, The Tims Family Band, Nixon, Blevins and Gage, and a grand finale with Jan and Friends. Admission by donation (suggested amount: $15 for adults). Children under 12 free.

Jan Johansson was born in Skelleftea, Sweden, in 1958 and began playing acoustic music at the age of 14. By the time he was 18 he had mastered the guitar, fiddle and mandolin. Jan married Theresa Blue of Carthage, North Carolina, and moved to the USA in 1989 after three years of travelling back and forth between the two countries and began working as a music instructor. He founded Johansson’s Acoustic Music Studio (JAMS) to provide music instruction for people of all age groups interested in bluegrass and other forms of acoustic music. Focused on one-on-one personal instruction, JAMS has taught hundreds of acoustic musicians in and around North Carolina in guitar, fiddle, mandolin and bass.

Since moving to North Carolina, Jan has played in a number of accomplished bands, including the Pisgah Pickers, the Backsliders and New Vintage. While performing with New Vintage (1992-1997), the band had several songs on Bluegrass Unlimited’s Top 20 Survey and won the SPBGMA World Champion band title in 1993. In that same year the band was named Pizza Hut Bluegrass Showdown International Champions. New Vintage was nominated for the Emerging Artist of the Year honor by the IBMA in 1994. (more…)

Here is news of two more CDs which recently came to our attention.

Hymns From Chigger Hill is the latest release from The Chigger Hill Boys & Terri, the fourth Gospel CD from this four-time Dove Award nominated bluegrass act.

The Boys are Mike Richards on mandolin and guitar, Ricky Gore on bass, Mark Dunham on guitar, Bobby Stangenberg on guitar and vocals, and Ethan Blair on banjo. Terri is Terri Argot Gore, who handles lead vocals for the group.

The new CD features 11 traditional hymns like Blessed Assurance, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms, and Are You Washed In The Blood.

Audio samples can be found on the band’s web site.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is The Fabulous Bagasse Boyz, a trio from Baton Rogue, LA who have a playful, lighthearted approach to themselves and their music.

The title of their new CD, You Can Dress ‘Em Up But You Can’t Take ‘Em Nowhere, bears witness to the attitude they take, as does this comment they posted on CD Baby.

This is definitely one of the top two CD’s they have ever done. A work of art . . . a testament to tedium . . . a monument of mediocrity. We think you should buy as many as you can (Vinnie wants his money).

These Boyz are Willi Sager on bass, Rex Hall on guitar, and Fritz Mayers on banjo. All three sing, and Doug Anderson and Buz Sibley also contribute on the new release.

The CD contains 20 songs and 20 additional tracks presented as if it were a live radio show, complete with between song commentary and brief radio plays. The Boyz mix bluegrass, Cajun and comedy in a release that - as they might suggest - whether you like it or not, there sure is a whole lot of it.

Hear audio samples online.

Barry Mazor at the Wall Street Journal has written a piece about the State of Bluegrass music in 2008.

Published today, the article asserts that

Since the music is the heart of the matter, there’s no better indication of the latest bluegrass trends than a look at the music honored by the IBMAs. Winners and significant new contenders

To that end, Mazor takes a look at some of the top recordings of the year as an example of the current trends in the music. He discusses the stylistic trednds as well as the lyrical content of the songs being written and recorded. He looks at CDs from Dailey and Vincent, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Andy Hall, The SteelDrivers, and Everett Lilly, as trend setters for this year.

Each CD receives a short, one or two paragraph, analysis of its content, with attention being given to the trend setting aspects Mazor identifies with each recording.

Agree with him or not, it’s an interesting way to assess the current state of the industry.

Here’s a currently working link. For non-subscribers that link is only temporary.

The IBMA is now accepting applications from artists who would like to be considered for an official showcase spot during the 2009 World Of Bluegrass convention in Nashville, September 28 - October 4, 2009.

Keep in mind that these showcase opportunities are not designed solely for new acts. Here is the way the IBMA board describes them:

The showcases are designed to introduce any one or all of the following to the bluegrass industry:

• Emerging talent capable and willing to broaden their market
• Established bands who have significant changes in their act
• Artists who have significant, new recorded product

Submissions are not limited to IBMA members, but they must join the organization prior to next year’s event if selected.

Full application details and the address where they should be sent can be found on the IBMA site.

Video of Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder performing Uncle Pen on the CBS Saturday Early Show has been posted at CBS.com.

Ricky talks briefly about his new Cracker Barrel exclusive CD, The High Notes, which includes reworked versions of his country hits in a bluegrass style, and then he and the boys tear it up.

Here’s the video, which follows after a brief CBS commercial message.

I ran across this story over the weekend while I was doing some browsing.

SooToday.com is a news reporting website for Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. It seems they don’t know much about fiddling at SooToday. They think this photo represents mastery of “fiddle-face,” which they define as

The demanding art of disfiguring your face like a rock guitarist

We could argue that definition itself. Who says rock guitarists set the standard for facial disfigurement? Anyway…as I thought about it I became increasingly convinced that the best “fiddle-face” masters are to be found in the bluegrass fiddling community. A quick google images search held up my hypothesis.

I’m sure many of you may have images even to rival these. Well, go ahead and send them in and we’ll post a gallery of the best “fiddle faces” in bluegrass.

Send your “fiddle face” photo to images@thebluegrassblog.com.