Missy Raines‘ fine band, The New Hip, keeps getting younger, and Missy just keeps getting… better!

She has announced that Dominick Leslie, mandolinist l’enfant terrible currently studying at the Berklee College of Music, will be joining her on the road this summer.

They will be heading out next week for a tour of Colorado and California with young Dom in tow.

• June 4th: Swallow Hill, Denver CO -  With the Boston Boys
• June 6-7: Pagosa Springs Folk and Bluegrass Festival – Pagosa Springs, CO
• June 9th: Don Quixote’s Music Hall – Felton CA
• June 11th: Freight and Salvage – Berkeley CA
• June 12th: Sutter Creek Theatre – Sutter Creek CA
• June 13th: The Youth Annex – Sebastopol, CA
• June 14th: The Palms Playhouse -  Winters CA

In addition to Missy on bass and vocals and Dominick guesting on mandolin, The New Hip consists of Mike Witcher on resonator guitar, Ethan Ballinger on guitar and Robert Crawford on drums.

Reuters reported last night that Steve Martin has landed on the Billboard 200 this week. Martin has not had an album chart since his 1981 LP The Steve Martin Brothers. That LP featured comedy cuts on side one, with banjo tracks on side two. This time around though, Martin has charted with a purely music performance.

Following his appearance on the hit TV show American Idol, Martin’s new CD, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, debuted at #106 on the Billboard 200.

Congratulations to Mr. Martin! And thanks for raising people’s awareness of banjo/bluegrass music.