Fred Robbins has spent many years chronicling bluegrass music, as a photographer and audio recordist starting in the 1960s, and more recently as a videographer as well. He has had articles published in Bluegrass Unlimited and is an active member of the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association where he lives in eastern New York state.

Fred has graciously granted us permission to publish a number of his classic photos this past few years on The Bluegrass Blog, and he maintains a tremendous archive of these images on his web site.

Over the past few months, Fred has been videotaping Bluegrass In The Schools presentations sponsored by the HVBA at the Poughkeepsie Day School in Poughkeepsie, NY. He has videos online for the banjo, resonator guitar, fiddle, bass and mandolin sessions.

But the one that has him especially psyched is the video of Greg Cahill and Special Consensus doing their presentation to the school.

“After living in this area for 40 years, I finally got involved with the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association thanks to longtime friend, banjo player Jerry Oland, currently with Buddy Merriam & Back Roads. I caught up with Jerry a few years ago and he encouraged me to join the HVBA. I enjoy shooting bluegrass video, so when the project came up I was asked to help out. I actually shot the pilot program over a year ago. It’s also on my Picking Page. Thanks to HVBA jams, I’m slowly getting my rhythm guitar chops and runs back too.

We’re so thrilled and honored that Greg Cahill approved my video sampler of Special Consensus’ school program. It’s the first time ever that SpecialC has authorized any web video! What a pleasure to work with such a terrific guy like Greg.”

See the rest of Fred’s Bluegrass In The Schools videos on his web site.

The DC Bluegrass Union is a strong and growing organization dedicated to promoting bluegrass music in the Washington, DC area, which includes the heavily populated Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland regions. They are hosting their first festival on March 27 at Langley High School in McLean, VA.

They hope to see this festival become a larger, annual event that will help restore the prominence that The District and its environs once enjoyed in bluegrass lore. After all, it was from this area that Bluegrass Unlimited, The Country Gentlemen, Seldom Scene and The Johnson Mountain Boys emerged. Not to mention bluegrass radio on WAMU, which has grown now into the 24/7 online station, Bluegrass Country.

In addition to performances by Mountain Heart, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper and a number of other fine acts, the DC Bluegrass Festival will present their first Washington Monument Award to Bill Emerson, a DC native whose impact on the 5 string banjo and bluegrass music can scarcely be overstated. According to DCBU, this award celebrates Washington, DC-area musicians who have been instrumental in shaping the direction of bluegrass music nationwide.

Emerson has been at the cusp of several important events in bluegrass history. He was a founding member of The Country Gentlemen, recorded the very first version of Fox On The Run in a grassy style, blazed the trail for bringing banjo into the US Navy Band program, and deposited a substantial legacy of banjo standards into the repertoire. His time with Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys helped define the Jimmy Martin sound, and saw the debut of Theme Time, a banjo tune played at jams and in parking lots to this day.

Stelling Banjo Works created a signature banjo for Bill in the mid-1990s and this Red Fox model remains a staple in their line. Emerson’s banjo albums, Gold Plated Banjo and Home Of The Red Fox are essential listening for students of bluegrass banjo and, after a period of semi-retirement, he is back with his own band, Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie and a new CD, Southern, on Rural Rhythm.

Though accustomed to receiving awards for his accomplishments in our music, Bill tells us that this one in his hometown is special.

“The Washington Monument Award is truly the honor of a lifetime for me. It has been my good fortune to be a part of many successful Washington bands. I take pride in the fact that I grew up in this area which has long been considered the Bluegrass Capitol of America. I would like to thank all those who have encouraged and inspired me during my 57 year career in Bluegrass Music.”

Well deserved. Kudos to a banjo legend!

Charlie Sizemore sent along this lovely tribute to Jack Cooke, who passed away earlier this week on December 1. They became acquainted during Charlie’s tenure with Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, where Jack held down the bass job for nearly 40 years.

Unable to attend Jack’s funeral owing to a nasty bug, Charlie opted to share a few words about “Cookie” here on The Bluegrass Blog.

As I mentioned in a recent interview, Jack was not the goofy fellow you sometimes saw on stage. He came from the school that valued entertainment – and he was a natural at entertaining. But make no mistake: he was a serious musician.

Tempting as it is to say that he did not get the recognition he deserved, this would not be entirely accurate. Musicians appreciated his talent as much as – if not in the same way – fans loved his antics. For example, David  Parmley, one of the best rhythm guitar players to come along during my lifetime, has cited Jack as model in his approach. And his vocal range was something most of us can only dream of having.

I need not say here that Jack was approachable and on the surface anyway easy to get to know.  I have little doubt that he knew thousands of people on a first-name basis. But off  stage he could be very much the loner. Many a time I’ve gone into a motel restaurant to see him sitting in a corner, puffing a Marlboro, and nursing a cup of coffee. When I’d ask what he was up to, he’d respond: “Sometimes, I just like to sit by myself and think.”

He did almost all the driving when I joined the band. And despite the hundreds of hours I served as his shotgun rider, I didn’t get to know him all that well during this time. He talked very little and in fact would tell me to go ahead and take a nap, that he was fine.

But I did come to know Jack very well, albeit on his terms and in his time-frame. And who I came to know was an honest, decent, humble man with a huge heart. It troubled him immensely when he saw in particular an older person or a child having a difficult time. Maybe because I arguably fell into the latter category, I never felt a hint of resentment from this man who had played guitar and sang with Bill Monroe and hired Del McCoury to play in his band. He never tutored me – this would have been too presumptuous for him – but he was always ready to help me any time I asked.

And he wasn’t a show-off. I saw him play guitar only once and this was fascinating. He could flat play – his approach being similar to Del’s. Hard to explain, but you guitar players understand where I’m coming from. Heavy on the top strings and right in that place in the beat that makes you hear a click. I was playing banjo and he cut a groove so wide I couldn’t have gotten out of time if I tried.

When I tried to compliment him, he brushed it off. “You gotta good right hand,” he interrupted.

Jack was very proud of his Pinecastle recording, Sittin’ On Top Of The World. Tom Riggs and Jim Lauderdale are to be commended for making this happen. He sent one to me as soon as it was released. In fact, we stayed in touch over the years and now I’m glad we did. I called him only recently, for no particular reason, and he ended the conversation as always: “Let me know if you ever need me.” He meant this.

Jack was a big part of my life for a long time. He was my friend and I never took this lightly. But in a sense I write on behalf of thousands when I say that I am also a fan. I loved and respected him.

And I will miss him.

We are  deeply saddened to note that Allen Shelton passed away, November 21. After having been released from the hospital a week ago (11/13), he was readmitted on Thursday, slipped into unconsciousness on Friday and died on Saturday afternoon.

Allen had been initially hospitalized in October, where he was diagnosed with leukemia. He had remained in the hospital in Nashville until his recent release.

Fred Robbins sent along this report from Allen’s daughter-in-law…

“He had to be readmitted to the hospital Thursday because his platelets were low. He was fine Friday evening, but at some point he went to sleep and they could not get him to wake up. They ran tests and believe he had a heart attack and a stroke. He never woke up again, but thankfully he went peacefully surrounded by his family.”

We hope to have details on funeral arrangements on Monday, along with where cards of sympathy and remembrances of Allen can be sent.

Allen Shelton was an exceptional banjo player, and his contributions to our music will be long and well remembered. He was also a generous, kind and sweet man, and we send our condolences to his family and friends.

UPDATE 11/23 – A brief obituary as well as funeral and visitation information can be found on the web site of Woodard Funeral Home.

Peter Cooper of The Tennessean has a much longer piece available online.

Cards can be sent in care of Allen’s son: