Casey Henry has agreed to send us occasional updates from The American Revival Tour, where she is performing with Dixie Bee-Liners. Also on the tour are Sierra Hull & Highway 111 and headliners Uncle Earl.

Here is Casey’s report.

Do you remember the song that Madeline Kahn sings in Blazing Saddles: I’m Tired? It has the bit about “coming and going and going and coming and,” well, I’ll stop right there. But if I had to pick a theme song for the last few days of this tour, that would be it. It seems like FOREVER since I wrote my last post about the tour, but it was only a week and a half ago!

Since then we’ve been to Baton Rouge, Houston, Fayetteville, AR, Springfield, MO, Bowling Green, KY, and Knoxville, TN. We’ve had two computer crashes (Sierra Hull’s and KC Groves), one lost wallet (Sierra’s), one minor van repair (when Cory Walker’s computer blew one of their van’s fuses), and one case of laryngitis (Kristin Andressean), but no major disasters.

There have been some great moments as well, like when Uncle Earl pulled together and rearranged all their songs when Kristin couldn’t sing (the show must go on…). Uncle Earl also wrote and recorded a theme song for the daily tour blog (which is over on the Murphy Method Blog). They even sang it on stage one night!

At a coffeeshop called Coffee and Chocolate in downtown Knoxville we discovered that they had Kopi Luwak, a kind of coffee beans harvested from the forest floor in Sumatra after having been eaten and excreted by cat-like creatures called Luwaks. They roast the beans just like regular coffee, but they are highly prized for their unique flavor. We’ve been talking about this kind of coffee for years and we could not pass up the opportunity to try it. A two ounce package cost us $60 and we split it eight ways. The coffee (which they brewed in a french press) was very good. It had a very earthy flavor. But… It was so not worth paying $480 a pound.

Oftentimes on tour the best moments occur serendipitously. In Bowling Green Jeremy Darrow and I were walking around near the theater and we ran across a micro-distillery called Corsair. Their door was open, so we went in, met one of the owners, and he gave us an impromptu tasting and a little history of their business. A great find.

In Knoxville I ran across Morelock Music, which which was right around the corner from The Square Room, where we played. Matt Morelock has put together a charming store that combines instruments, LPs, consignment vintage clothing, and music lessons. This huge banjo, which reached from floor to ceiling, made me feel right at home.

In Arkansas we drove right by Janet Davis Music. Unfortunately it was on a Sunday, and they were closed, but one of the guys who worked there had come to the show the night before and offered to let us in if we wanted to stop by anyway. We didn’t have time, but I’ve always wanted to see her store.

Adam Steffey and his wife Tina came to the show in Knoxville. I’m glad I didn’t know that until after our set or else I would have been more nervous.

We have three more shows to go on our tour. When it’s over it will be one of those sad/glad moments: sad for such a great time to come to an end, but very glad to be going home!

Casey Henry has agreed to send us occasional updates from The American Revival Tour, where she is performing with Dixie Bee-Liners. Also on the tour are Sierra Hull & Highway 111 and headliners Uncle Earl.

Here is Casey’s report.

The arrival of November saw The Dixie Bee-Liners, Uncle Earl, and Sierra Hull and Highway 111 burning up the roads of the southeast in the first week of our much anticipated tour – American Revival: Celebrating the New Stars of American Roots Music.

When three bands of young-ish people get to travel together for four weeks, hi jinx will ensue. We have a long-running tour game involving sausage, but I’ll leave that for another time. Our most fun show, by far, was Halloween at the American Theater in Hampton, VA. Buddy Woodward, Bee-Liner mandolin player, is great at zombie makeup and we took full advantage of his talents. He also helped out Sierra’s band, giving fiddler Christian Ward a slash across the face, bassist Jacob Eller a bullet hole in the head, and transforming guitarist Clay Hess into a very convincing wolf-man. Ron Block went as Ron Howard—no makeup needed! Uncle Earl was four bad witches and one good witch.

Punch Brothers Chris “Critter” Eldridge and Noam Pikelny came for the night’s show. Critter dressed as a Christmas party guest, complete with battery-powered lights. Noam borrowed a spare witch hat and grey wig from Uncle Earl. They joined the Earl girls on stage to sing Happy Birthday to their fiddler, Stephanie “Pumpkin” Coleman, who turned 24.

Our post-show Halloween celebration took place at a little martini bar down the street—Six—where we had tapas and cocktails and played with the motorized witch hat KC Groves had found at the grocery store. It played Ding, Dong, The Witch Is Dead, and wagged its bell-adorned, pointed tip merrily back and forth.

Monday night we played at the Birchmere in Alexandria, a legendary bluegrass venue. For most of the Bee-Liners it was the first time we’d played there and we were honored to get to take the stage where the Seldom Scene ruled for so long. I actually had my fifteenth birthday party at the Birchmere. My parents took me and a group of my friends to see the Johnson Mountain Boys play. My friend Nancy Peterson, who came to the show last night, was at that party. She said it was like coming full circle, getting to see me play on that same stage.

Today is a travel day—more than 500 miles down to South Carolina. The Bee-Liners are stopping by WAMU this morning to play a little in-studio music and then hitting the road.

For more pictures and anecdotes, see Sierra Hull’s blog. I feel this must be the most-blogged-about bluegrass tour ever!

Claire Lynch has recorded five CDs for the Rounder label previously. The latest, Crowd Favorites (Rounder 0600), consists of several songs in a ‘best of’ collection that in typical fashion these days includes a few new recordings – in this instance, four out of a total of 14 tracks.

Ms. Lynch is a very talented singer with a distinctive voice that is so well suited to the bluegrass, jazz, folk and swing numbers found throughout this album. The evocative and pensive The Day That Lester Died captures an historic incident that is so momentous; the song cleverly relates what the writer/singer was doing at the time. A JFK moment! Other highlights are the swinging Fallin’ In Love and the up-tempo If Wishes Were Horses a great bluegrass reading of a Gretchen Peters song.

Six of the songs were written by Claire Lynch, albeit often with others, the jazzy Jealousy and at the other extreme, Friends For A Lifetime, a loving expression of hope for a long-lasting mother-child relationship, are just two examples of those top quality songs.

At eight minutes long, the original arrangement for Wabash Cannonball, is just as much a showcase for Jim Hurst’s exceptional guitar playing and for Missy Raines’ bass soloing as it is for Ms. Lynch’s vocals. Contrastingly, there’s a noticeably fuller sound to Silver And Gold and Sweethearts Darlin’ Of Mine, both from the same CD originally.

Three of the new recordings are re-done versions of songs from Lynch’s time as a member of Front Porch String Band. Being based in Alabama for much of her life it is natural that Ms. Lynch should write and sing about Hills Of Alabam. Another piece of the Deep South is heralded in Kennesaw Line, the moving story of a personal account of events from the Confederate point of view during a Civil War battle in north Georgia.

Mainstays in supporting Lynch are Missy Raines (bass), Jim Hurst (guitar and vocals), Jason Thomas (fiddle ) – all members of Lynch’s current band – former husband Larry Lynch (mandolin and bazouki) and Rob Ickes (Dobro¬Æ). There’s some stellar moments from several other sidemen, most notable is the Cajun fiddling of the late Randy Howard.

Crowd Favorites is a good showcasing of Claire Lynch’s varied vocal talents.

Cedar Hill is renowned for its adherence to the ultra-traditional style of bluegrass and nothing much has changed with the group’s switch from Hay Holler Records to the recently-formed Blue Circle Records label .

The latest release, Poverty Row (Blue Circle BCR-011), serves as a showcase for fiddler Lisa Ray’s crystal clear and emotive lead singing, more Rhonda Vincent than Alison Krauss in character. Ms Ray is featured in that role on no less than eight of the 12 tracks and two of those are instrumentals. Her voice is keening on the driving opening track, plaintive on the title song, another classic from the pens of Miss Dixie and Tom T Hall and melodious on another great Hall-written number, Big Blue Roses that bears all the hallmarks of a top-notch country song of the 1950s, both in its writing and its performance. Ferrell Stowe’s resophonic guitar playing is a significant factor in creating that sound. Apparently, folks have been asking for awhile now to hear more of Lisa’s vocals and nobody can be disappointed by those three opening tracks.

There’s two instrumentals, the quaintly titled Whiskers In The Sink, by Lisa Ray, which has the hallmarks of those swinging fiddle numbers that Kenny Baker led back in the days of his tenure as a Blue Grass Boy, and Soldier’s Joy, with clawhammer banjo from guest Bobby Minner, who with Ronnie Bowman wrote the closing number, Blood Stained Bible, which relates a story about an Army Chaplain involved in the Normandy troop landing.

Rob Collins shows that he has a fine voice on two numbers, the country standard, Love Gone Cold and Call Me Gone, one of two songs that the songwriter Frank Ray calls, “light hearted songs.”

Broken Angels is a heartfelt duet with Ms. Ray and Vince Gill, about the unfortunate hardships that some children have to face and deal with. The vocal blend is spot on.

A rendition of the Jimmy Martin classic 20/20 Vision and the fourth song from Frank Ray round out the set. Neither of them is out of place. In fact, everything about the music on this CD is very much in place.

Band leader Frank Ray says this about Poverty Row…..

“The CD was lots of fun to record. We recorded as we usually always do, with our full group making up the bulk of the recording and adding a few of our friends on several tunes.”

Cedar Hill is made up of Frank Ray (mandolin and harmony vocals), Lisa Ray (fiddle), Rob Collins (upright bass and lead vocals), Joe Wieneman (guitar and harmony vocals) and Kenny Cantrell (banjo). Their guests on this CD are the afore-mentioned Ferrell Stowe, Bobby Minner, (guitar, banjo and mandolin),Vince Gill (vocals and mandolin) and Molly Cherryholmes (harmony fiddle).

The CD is available from the Cedar Hill website.

Benjamin Horace “Benny” Williams: March 28, 1931 – October 11, 2007.

Benny Williams died earlier this month in St Thomas Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee, from natural causes. He was 76 years old.

One of bluegrass music’s unsung ‘Mr Versatiles,’ Williams was born on Dayton Mountain, Bledsoe County on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. For nearly fifty years, he was noted as one of country music’s most accomplished musicians, singers and songwriters. During his career, he worked with such luminaries as Marty Robbins, Grandpa Jones, Jimmy Martin, Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright, Stonewall Jackson and others (see below). He was adept on autoharp, mandolin, guitar, banjo and, most notably, fiddle.

While still a teenager, Williams got his first job as a bluegrass sideman when he went to work with Mac Wiseman on the Old Dominion Barn Dance in Richmond, Virginia. Then, as a 25-year old, Williams was a member of the Tennessee Cut-Ups when Reno and Smiley were fully re-united after a brief break in the mid-1950s. Subsequently, he had a brief stint with the Stanley Brothers firstly, then with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

In 1961 Williams joined the Blue Grass Boy, playing guitar. Later he showed his versatility by switching to play the fiddle and he stayed with that instrument for most of the remainder of his time with Bill Monroe, which ended late in 1967.

He leaves a legacy in the form of contributions to many recordings made during the classic country and bluegrass music era.

In August 1956, during a 12-song recording session in Cincinnati, Williams played some cross-picked mandolin breaks – learned independently from Jesse McReynolds – on Never Get To Hold You In My Arms Anymore and mandolin or fiddle on other songs. These recordings are available on the 4-CD box set, Reno & Smiley and the Tennessee Cut-Ups 1951-1959 [King KBSCD 7001].

While with Bill Monroe, Williams participated in five sessions, two from November and December 1961 and three sessions from April and May 1962. In the first two sessions from 1961 he sang lead vocal on the chorus to Cotton Fields while playing either fiddle or guitar on all six cuts done during that year. Williams played fiddle on the nine cuts from the 1962 sessions.

These recordings can be found in their entirety on the Bear Family 4-CD box set, Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, 1959-1969 or a selection thereof as part of smaller samplings on Music Of Bill Monroe 1936-1994 CD [MCA 11048] and the instrumental collection American Traveler [County 119]

In one of the last sessions for Dot Records, circa February 1961, Williams played banjo on two cuts for Mac Wiseman. Later, playing mandolin, he participated in four sessions, during which 16 cuts were made, most of which appear on the Capital album Bluegrass Favorites, now available on CD [Music Mill 70036]. All recordings can be found on the Bear Family 6-CD box set ‘Tis Sweet To Be Remembered [BCD 15976].

At about that same time, Williams played on four sessions playing guitar on some tracks and vocal chorus on others for 14 Porter Wagoner cuts. These recordings are included in Bear Family box set The RCA Sessions: The Thin Man From West Plains [4 CDs][BCD 15499], while some are on Wagoner’s album in RCA Country Legends series [65102].

He can also be heard playing guitar on the more recent recordings for Darkness On The Delta the Kenny Baker/Bobby Hicks collaboration for County [2733].

Williams co-wrote I’d Like To Be Sixteen Again, I Buried My Future and Just Plain Yellow, the latter two with Jimmy Martin, who recorded them both at a March 1973 recording session. He also helped to write Past Is All The Future I See, a song that Stonewall Jackson recorded.

As well as being an innovative picker of the mandolin, Williams invented an eight-string guitar on which he played banjo-like rolls, drop-thumb guitar as well as in the Travis-style and after the style of Mother Maybelle Carter. Vocally he was gifted in being able to sing all four parts and do impersonations of well-known artists.

Doug Hutchens was surprised to learn of the passing of a fellow Blue Grass Boy, but he was able to gather his thoughts and share a few reminiscences.

“Benny was one of the three real utility Blue Grass Boys (Joe Stuart and Charlie Cline being the other two) that could and do about anything include work on the bus. The first time I saw him was in the late 60’s just before Kenny Baker returned to the band, Benny was playing fiddle with his right hand bandaged where he had got it caught in the fan on the bus the day before. His main instrument was fiddle but could play banjo, bass and guitar as well. He recorded with Bill on both the guitar and the fiddle through the years.

One of my fondest memories of Benny’s stories was when Bill worked Carnegie Hall the first time; he called Benny and Buddy Spicher and wanted them to play twin fiddles. Benny was working for Porter Wagoner and Buddy worked for Johnny & Jack. The two of them called in sick to the regular bands in order to fly to New York and work Carnegie Hall.

Benny was a quiet and unassuming man and preferred to be the sideman and made many a country entertainer’s song sound right.”

Tony Ellis, who played banjo with the Blue Grass Boys during a period in the early 1960s that coincided with Williams’ tenure with Bill Monroe, has this to say of his times with Williams.

“Benny Williams was one of the special folks at the Opry. He was always in a great way and full of enthusiasm and never so busy he couldn’t say hello. He had a big heart and was loved by everyone at the Opry.

My personal experience with Benny was when I worked for Monroe as Benny played fiddle with us often. He also played guitar and recorded with Bill on fiddle and guitar – Danny Boy was one song I remember his guitar work from. He could imitate almost any male country star and sometimes would do an opener of imitations for about 15 minutes when we were on the road.

Traveling could be a bit hard in those days and his good nature and sense of humor made the long trips much easier for us all. Benny, Buddy Spicher, Frank Buchanan and I lived at Mom Upchurch’s home where she provided room and board for musicians. We had some great jam sessions and visits from other musicians like Rudy Lyle and Dale Potter.

Those were special times for us all and remain fond memories – especially thanks to Benny Williams.”

Both Cliff Wagner and the Old #7 and the Clark Brothers did us proud on Friday night’s Next Great American Band. Twelve bands performed two tunes each for the judges and the live studio audience, and for the millions watching at home. Each band played one original tune and one Bob Dylan tune. The judges commented on every band, though at this point the decision is entirely up to the TV audience calling in their votes.

This week before each band’s performance a short video bio of the group was shown. (You can watch clips of these on the NGAB site.) The Old #7’s clip showed the guys picking (Lucas Cheadle ‚Äì Bass, Devitt Feeley – Mandolin, Craig Ferguson ‚Äì Guitar/Dobro, Stephen Aram Mugalian ‚Äì Drums) and Cliff taking a long swig of moonshine from a mason jar, which was probably what prompted judge John Rzeznik (of the Goo Goo Dolls) to comment, "I want to party with you guys."

Cliff’s Dylan selection was Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright, a song that lends itself well to a bluegrass arrangement. His original tune was called Old Fire, "a tender love song," he said, "about tender love and diesel fuel" that had a catchy hook. Judge Sheila E. (who has played with Prince and Ringo Starr, among others) said of the song, "I could listen to that all day long."

The Clark Brothers rocked Maggie’s Farm, their Dylan song, managing to sound like far more than just three people, with Ashley playing fiddle and singing simultaneously (always impressive). However judge Ian Dickson, who consistently finds something negative to say, commented they shouldn’t have messed with the simple melody. After an instant instrument trade (making it obvious that the show was pre-recorded) they rendered their original Billy the Kid, a gritty story song that they performed magnificently.

Now it’s up to the viewers to call in their votes. Phone lines were open for two hours following the show. We’ll find out when we tune in next week which two bands get the axe. In the meantime the bands, who are sequestered in a hotel somewhere, will be working up an Elton John or Bernie Taupin song.

I can’t wait to hear Elton John bluegrass style!

The book is expected to have about 220 pages and comprises a biographical study of Red Allen’s musical career and a detailed discography; with recording dates, musicians, vocal parts, studios, producers where available, album numbers, single numbers and EP numbers.

It is anticipated that the 8 x 10 format paperback will have between 20 and 30 black and white photographs that are, for the most part, from private sources and never before seen.

Satterlee, who has played bluegrass and brother-duet style music in various parts of the States, is originally from western New York State and worked for the federal government for almost 30 years. His work has taken him to Louisiana, Vermont, New Jersey and now, retired, he lives in South Carolina, and plays bluegrass in a Georgia band. Here he provides some background information that led him to write his book ……

“I started listening to bluegrass music in the early 1960s. Mostly Flatt and Scruggs and the Dillards because that’s all I could find in the record stores. My first Red album was the Folkways album with Frank Wakefield. It just struck me as something that fit between the smooth crooning of Lester Flatt and the more urgent styling of Bill Monroe. Red (and Frank) seemed to be a perfect combination for bluegrass. When I retired (1997) I started looking for Red’s albums and singles that I didn’t have in my collection. Someone told me about the Red Head’s recording (see my article in Bluegrass Unlimited, April, 2006). I called both Red Spurlock and Frank Wakefield to learn more about that recording session and they told wonderful stories. It occurred to me at that point that maybe I could put together a discography (which I was doing for myself anyway) and add some stories from the musicians who played on the sessions and do a book. Over 50 musicians, family members and friends have added stories and remembrances to this work.”

The book, of which there will a first print run of 500 copies, is expected to retail at $25. Plans to determine through what outlets it will be sold have yet to be finalized. Watch this space!

Satterlee, who is a member of the International Bluegrass Music Museum and Hall Of Honor in Owensboro, Kentucky, is donating his royalties from this book to the museum.

The Farm and Fun Time radio program, which was instrumental in bluegrass beginnings, now has recognition in downtown Bristol, on the Tennessee/Virginia state line. The thoroughfare previously known as Winston Alley has now been renamed as Farm and Fun Time Alley. WCYB’s radio show Farm & Fun Time was an important radio show in the history of early bluegrass music. The station featured many of the finest bluegrass and old-time artists of the period. The show had a loyal audience base in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. It was a highly influential part of the lives of many people from the region, some going on to become major bluegrass artists themselves.

Ralph and Carter Stanley, the Stanley Brothers, worked on the program from just after Christmas 1946. At that time, the program was approximately an hour long, from 12:05 to 1:00 and transmitted at 1,000 watts, increasing to 5,000 watts in September 1947. The program was then extended to fill a two-hour slot. In February 1957 the Stanley Brothers recorded The Flood of ‘57 and a year later did No School Bus In Heaven, both for Mercury, utilizing the station’s studio. Also, shortly after leaving Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, the fledgling Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys group found a niche on the program for about a nine month period through to March 1949.

The program was broadcast live from a studio in the General Shelby Hotel. It also helped to establish the careers of other legendary bluegrass performers, including the Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jesse McReynolds, Mac Wiseman, Carl Story, The Sauceman Brothers, and Curly King & Tennessee Hilltoppers, as well as the brother duet act the Blue Sky Boys.

Larry Gorley, Rhythm and Roots Music Committee official and DJ on WOPI’s Bluegrass Jamboree, shares this brief recollection of what Farm And Fun Time meant to him and his family ‚Ķ‚Ķ..

“I remember listening to this radio show as a boy and my most vivid memory is visiting my grandparent’s home in the country during summer vacation from school. They would stop whatever work was being done and gather around the kitchen table for lunch. And after the blessing was said, they would turn the kitchen radio on to WCYB and ‘Farm & Fun Time’. Listening to the program gave them great pleasure as well as the latest farm news and it was only in my later years that I found that so many others made it a point to be tuned into the show that could be heard in several states.”

Rhythm & Roots Reunion Chairman Ed Harlow offers this assessment of Farm And Fun Time in its heyday ……….

“The show rated in the same category as the Grand Ole Opry, Louisiana Hay Ride and shows from Wheeling and Charleston, West Virginia.”

An unveiling ceremony to honor the show that aired from 1946 to 1965 took place on site on Friday, September 14 as part of the weekend’s Rhythm & Roots Festival activities. About 40 enthusiasts joined officials in attendance.

   

You can read the report on the unveiling ceremony from the Bristol Herald Courier online.

Lou Martin, born 1944, mandolin disciple of both Bill Monroe and Ralph Rinzler, has published his third book devoted to the teaching and understanding of mandolin playing using standard notation. Lou Martin’s Tunebook, Opus 3 features 77 traditional tunes for mandolin.Martin, already noted for his participation on the first Country Cooking album and for his own LP Recent Work (Rounder 0214) – released in 1986, currently available on cassette only – has been a mandolin teacher in the Syracuse and Albany areas of New York State since 1980, as well as having taught with cassettes throughout America, Britain, and mainland Europe. His work is very widely endorsed by bluegrass musicians; Bill Monroe, Frank Wakefield, Ralph Rinzler, Mike Seeger, Jesse McReynolds, David Grisman, Andy Statman, Alison Krauss, Eddie Stubbs, Lynn Morris, Richard Greene, Byron Berline, Bill Keith, and Tony Rice are not easy to get as endorsers, and there are many more!

Lou Martin’s Tunebook is intended for diligent students of bluegrass music, including those who already know how to read music but need further practice and development in the skill, as well as a deeper knowledge of the tradition. It is compiled and arranged, with an introduction, commentaries on many of the tunes, and detailed indications as to authentic bluegrass and classical technique.

The tunes featured include Ace of Spades, Jack of Diamonds, Limerock, Tom and Jerry, Yellow Barber, Long Fork Of Buckthorn, Horse And Buggy and Shaking Off The Acorns.

Here’s what Martin’s mentors have had to say about him‚Ķ‚Ķ

“If you’re learning it from Lou Martin, you’re learning it right.” – Bill Monroe

“Lou Martin is an exceptional musician, who has a very exceptional relationship with Bill Monroe. His abilities as composer, performer, bandleader, teacher, and musicologist are at the highest level.” – Ralph Rinzler

A review of this book can be on the Mandolin Caf?© website, while details of Martin’s other books and forthcoming projects can be found at his website.

After seeing the recent AP story of a low-rent Tucson bar owner sued by ASCAP for $210,000 for failing to obtain a license to perform copyright protected material, I am convinced something needs to be done to restore a sense of order and fairness in the world of performance rights. Too many small bars, coffee houses, restaurants and other venues have given up hosting live music due to onerous licensing fees, which do not directly benefit the musicians whose music is being covered since these fees are paid to all members according to a formula based on overall record sales – not the individual copyright holder whose creative work was performed or exhibited.

Without those incubator sites, where will future generations of musicians find a fan base and learn to entertain a live crowd, discover what material stirs their souls, and learn to discern the subtle differences between hot licks and true music? Without just, equitable payments based on actual popularity of a copyrighted work, how can the artists creating it survive and create even more?

The answer, I believe, must come from within our own industry. Each musician must stand up and say that without venues where new talent can grow and develop, without fear of onerous copyright fees and performance royalties, music as a commercial activity cannot survive in a digital age. It is the songwriters and copyright holders themselves who own ASCAP, BMI and related groups, and it is up to them to lay down the law and say that without a fair, equitable means of establishing exactly what copyright-protected music is being performed with direct compensation to the individual copyright holder, then no fees should be collected. And the same holds true for digital downloads, file sharing and other means of digital distribution.

Of course, the very same debate rages across all areas of creative expression in today’s online environment. Every artist, I believe, will eventually have to become their own agent, copyright enforcer, distributor, promoter and collection agent to survive in this new era. Great opportunities exist, I am certain, for new business models to arise that pay musicians, graphic artists, writers, photographers and other creatives on a per-user basis based on unique visits to websites, downloads, file sharing fees, one-time licensing fees and other financial mechanisms that allow the audiences who are enriched by the genius of an individual human mind to provide the financial support that makes such creative endeavors possible. Create a digital watermark, for example, so that each time it appears on screen, on iTunes or an mp3 player, is used as a ringtone or whatever means of digital utilization can be imagined, a fair fee automatically goes to the originator. If you’re looking for the next Google, folks, here it is.

Humanity is lost without art that expresses its collective soul and heart. Like all media revolutions starting with the first cave paintings, artists must utilize that very same creativity to ensure they are rewarded for bringing art into this often soulless and pain-ridden world. Musicians survived sheet music, player pianos, wax cylinder recordings, radio, broadcast TV, MTV, Napster and more. Surely we can develop the appropriate legal and financial tools necessary to survive ‚Äì and thrive – in an era of file sharing and “free” online content.

End of soapbox – for now.

David J. McCarty
Copyright 2007, all rights protected and reserved

Further to our recent discussions regarding the Country Gentlemen Folkways CD, Going Back To The Blue Ridge Mountains, I approached Walt Saunders, currently most notable for his Notes & Queries column for Bluegrass Unlimited magazine. He reminded me of the souvenir book compiled to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Country Gentlemen, 1957-1982.

In this book there is a very good Country Gentlemen discography put together by Les McIntyre, an historian and commentator also associated with Bluegrass Unlimited as a contributing writer.

McIntyre lists the musicians on the LP as Charlie Waller, John Duffey, Eddie Adcock and Ed Ferris. He adds this remark,

“Actually this album first came out in Japan in 1967 under the title The Country Gentlemen In Concert (London SLH 86). It was the fourth album in the Folkways catalogue of Country Gentlemen recordings. The songs are all from a live performance in Syracuse, New York, shortly before Bringing Mary Home was recorded.”

Saunders agrees with my assessment that the recordings are from the latter half of 1964 or sometime in early 1965.

With grateful thanks to Walt Saunders for his assistance.

The International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, KY has recently acquired various personal and related items of the great Vern Williams intended for a future exhibit centered around Vern. Curator Liz Fuhrman Bragg and Executive Director Gabrielle Gray immediately indicated extreme interest in including the items in a rotating piece on seminal first generation bluegrass performers.

Vern’s granddaughter Jenny and Matt Dudman traveled to the museum on June 23^rd with certain key personal items of Vern Williams and band-members, contributed by the Williams family, Keith Little, Ed Neff and others. The items included the fine Stetson hat he wore on the cover of the eminently important Bluegrass From the Gold Country, a mandolin that Vern made himself, Keith Little’s western-style herringbone jacket (also worn on the Gold Country cover), setlists, a copy of the Sounds From the Ozarks LP Vern made with his long-time partner Ray Park, as well as several carefully chosen photographs of Vern and company.

The museum intends to organize and prepare the items for display shortly in a rotating exhibit on first generation bluegrass musicians. They currently regularly run Vern’s DVD produced by request of the museum as a part of the Video Oral History Project on Bluegrass Masters. This tribute and exhibition is another significant monument to Vern’s influence upon, and importance to, our beloved music.

Hoorah Vern!

Smithsonian Folkways has released Going Back To The Blue Ridge Mountains (SFW 40175) on CD, a collection of 16 songs recorded by the Country Gentlemen and originally released in 1973.

This set comprises Going Back To The Blue Ridge Mountains, Going To The Races, Azzuro Campana (Blue Belle), Dark As A Dungeon, Copper Kettle, Billy In The Low Ground, I Saw The Light, Tom Dooley #2, Brown Mountain Light, Electricity, Daybreak In Dixie, Mary Dear, Sad And Lonesome Day, Cripple Creek, Don’t This Road Look Rough And Rocky, and Muleskinner Blues.

Like its 2001 predecessor, The Country Gentlemen On The Road (And More) (SFW 40133) album, this new CD consists of live recordings. However, while the notes indicate otherwise, these performances are from later shows than those on the earlier collection and do not actually feature the ‘classic’ Country Gentlemen. They were recorded in 1964 after Ed Ferris replaced Tom Gray on bass.

Tom Gray says in a light-hearted tone, “I should be grateful for the good press, but honestly it’s not deserved.”

The most recent Newsletter from Martha and Eddie Adcock makes reference to there being “some unfortunate issues with the content of the booklet.” However, Eddie adds, “just get this CD, give it a spin, and enjoy the fabulous music!”

A biased plea maybe, but not having heard these recordings, I cannot give a dispassionate comment.

The liner notes, including song notes, in the accompanying 25 page booklet were written by Jon Hartley Fox, and the mastering was by Pete Reiniger.

Editor’s note: If any of our readers have a copy of the original 1973 LP release, we would be curious to know what those liner notes say about the composition of the band on the live recording.

On the whole, I enjoyed the recent BBC TV programme, Play It Again featuring comedian Frank Skinner learning to play bluegrass style banjo. Within the one hour that it lasted, the programme managed to demonstrate some of the best and worst things that befall bluegrass music when it comes into contact with mainstream media.

On the downside there was the usual ‚Äòhick’ stereotyping of a genre that has been – to quote bluegrass innovator John Duffey ‚Äì "Out of the woods and into town," for the past 40-plus years. Typical of which was the first session filmed at the Winfield Banjo Competition that, maybe because it was in Kansas, featured musicians wearing cowboy outfits. There was an overlong camera shot of some very fancy spurs on the equally fancy cowboy boots of one of the pickers. That was leavened somewhat by the second late-night session demonstrating the magic that occurs when complete strangers get together to play bluegrass at a summer festival.

Then there was the way in which Skinner’s first banjo tutor was treated, in these days of ‚Äòwarts and all,’ brutal, reality television. Veteran banjo picker, Pete Stanley had, I presume, been recommended by the programme’s research team as the suitable person to teach Frank Skinner how to play the 5-string banjo. During the filming of the show, it became apparent to them, for whatever reason, that Stanley wasn’t as suitable as at first thought. Instead of realizing the short comings of its own research people and making the necessary adjustments in a diplomatic way, as good manners would dictate, the production team seized upon the opportunity to have a ritual sacking of Stanley, in the full glare of the camera.

Such treatment proved to me to be not only disrespectful but iconoclastic. I myself have been active in British bluegrass music for around half a century and Pete Stanley was the first person I saw in Britain, playing bluegrass banjo on stage and to a high standard. For that, among other reasons he commands great respect. Yes, I know that during the programme, Stanley had criticized the guitar playing of Skinner’s chum, David Baddiel, after their street session in Germany. But when you are a professional attempting to do a professional job this ‚Äòall pals together’ approach to the music can be irritating and offensive ‚Äì especially to the ears of a professional. Down at the local pub with pickers of mixed ability, is a different matter.

The habit of taking an academic approach to learning to play bluegrass music is comparatively new. When Pete Stanley and I started in the music, it was usual to learn from listening to records and slowing them down to analyse what the particular musician was doing. So when Stanley, having taught Skinner the basic three-finger banjo rolls and chord shapes, handed Skinner the recording of Earl Scruggs playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown, with the recommendation that he listen to it and work out how it is played, (the part of his teaching that brought about his removal from the Skinner tutoring job) Stanley was just doing what was normal for a banjo instructor of his period.

The second tutor, John Dowling, one–time winner of the Winfield Banjo Competition, took the modern approach (for bluegrass teaching) and started by teaching Skinner the importance of scales. Dowling is an interesting and intriguing character in that his playing is probably our first glimpse of bluegrass banjo playing as it might be in the future. He eschews the accepted approach to bluegrass banjo playing, with its up-front, energetic use of widely varying dynamics, the top end of which is very loud and, to some, intrusive. He seems to prefer, maybe because he is British, an understated approach Рhis instrument of choice being an Ozark banjo, without resonator. What he does on it is innovative and always in good taste; different but undeniably attractive.

Having had the pleasure of playing with both Stanley and Dowling, I found both (once I had got over the markedly different style of Dowling) as enjoyable but for different reasons. I just wish that, in the production of the TV programme, Stanley had been afforded the respect and understanding due to a genuine pioneer. But then respect for anyone or anything is a rarity nowadays – especially in the modern world of TV programme makers, who in their desperation to attract viewers seem to indulge in the unworthy.

The idea of entering Skinner, after a few months tuition, in the Winfield Banjo Competition was preposterous and it took a stand-up comedian, used to taking risks on stage, to have the nerve to go through with it ‚Äì even his well-tested nerve gave way under the strain. For all that though, the programme managed to convey Skinner’s genuine love for the banjo and the joy to be had from getting into session with other enthusiasts. It also provided a reminder to those who have enjoyed the warm glow of similar experiences and fueled their joyful anticipation of those yet to come. Ultimately, the programme probably helped the cause of bluegrass music by introducing it to people, previously unaware of the undeniable pleasures that it offers.

Tom Travis

Editor’s note: The Play It Again show featuring Frank Skinner generated a lively discussion on The Banjo Hangout, a web community of banjo players worldwide.

I am happy to report and wish my congratulations to Dudley Connell and Sally Love who tied the knot…YESTERDAY! I talked with Dudley today and I can assure you yesterday was about the happiest day of his life.

When we talked today, he had to leave, saying, “Gotta go, Kip…my wife is here! Man that felt good to say!”

God bless you two!

The University Of Illinois Press has announced the forthcoming publication of Pressing On, The Roni Stoneman Story as told to Ellen Wright.

The book, scheduled for publication in May, recounts the fascinating life of Roni Stoneman, the youngest daughter of the pioneering country music family, and a girl who, in spite of poverty and abusive husbands, eventually became “The First Lady of Banjo,” a fixture on the Nashville scene, and, as Hee Haw’s Ironing Board Lady, a comedienne beloved by millions of Americans nationwide.

Ellen Wright shares a few comments about the work involved in writing the book and tells of some of the fun moments that took place in the process.

“As co-author of Pressing On, I was very lucky in that Roni has led a fascinating life, has terrific recall of wonderful details, and is a gifted and very very funny storyteller. We taped more than 75 hours of recollections, which I then formed into a narrative. The book is told in Roni’s voice, in Roni’s words. There are chapters describing her family’s early musical history, how Scott learned the fiddle (’Just listen to that mockingbird,’ said his grandfather at one point), how Scott taught Roni and Donna their instruments (’Don’t play like a girl!’), and their first experience at the Grand Ole Opry (they were told not to play ‘too good, just play normal,’ advice to which Scott had a predictably violent reaction). There are also chapters describing Roni’s stint on Hee Haw (how she got the job is a particularly moving story), Roni’s adventures with famous country music stars (shopping with Loretta Lynn, traveling with Faron Young), and Roni’s personal life, her five very different husbands and her numerous dating experiences. The stories connected with the men in Roni’s life were to me as interesting as the stories connected with the music. The marriages were both sociologically and psychologically extremely revealing.

During the writing of the book, there were many amazing moments. At one point we unearthed some old wax cylinders that Roni’s father had recorded in the twenties. The lettering on one was hard to make out, and we were both puzzling over it, and then we both screamed in unison, Bury Me Beneath the Willow! And then there was the day we had been taping for about five hours, and it was clearly time for lunch, or, as I very sensibly said, ‘relaxation, without a tape recorder on.’ Big mistake. There we sat munching salads and Roni started telling me about her rather recent date with a ‘classy’ surgeon who knew nothing of her past history, and tried to convince ‘Veronica,’ in her elegant black dress, that after dinner they should go hear some country music. She demurred. She knew she would be recognized and didn’t want to lose her cover. But he was insistent, assuring her that country music was okay ‘once you get used to it.’ She finally agreed to go, with disastrous but hysterically funny results. I was almost literally rolling on the floor with laughter. (I got Roni to retell the story — this time with the tape recorder on! So much for being sensible.)

I just hope that others have as much fun reading the book as Roni and I had working on it.”

From what I have learned so far about this book, there can be little doubt that it will be a very enjoyable book to read.

The book, a volume in the series Music in American Life, is in hardback and soft-back formats and can be purchased direct from the University Of Illinois Press.

In 2005, Ellen Wright was named the Charles Deering McCormick University Distinguished Lecturer at Northwestern University, where she teaches in the Writing Program.

Footnote: Ellen’s husband, John Wright, wrote Traveling The Highway Home, a story about the life of Ralph Stanley. This is also published by The University Of Illinois Press.

Editor’s note: The UIP site shows this book as released in April 2006, yet it also shows up on their Spring 2007 new releases page.

Prompted by an article in the January 2007 edition of Country Music People that Nashville journalist Walter Trott wrote about Mac Wiseman, I followed up a mention of the new 4 CD Bear Family Records boxed set release of On Susan’s Floor (Bear Family BCD 16736 DK).

In keeping with the label’s well deserved reputation for making available older recordings from a variety of catalogues, this set includes some rare material from Mac Wiseman’s recording career between the years 1965 to 1979, including that from his own Wise label, the Rural Rhythm, MGM, Dot, RCA and Churchill archives, comprising 114 songs in all.

Among the songs featured are such notable titles as Bringing Mary Home, Ring Them Golden Bells, I Saw Your Face In The Moon, Bringing In The Georgia Mail, Letter Edged In Black, White Silver Sands, Ballad Of A Teenage Queen and the hit single My Blue Heaven, recorded with Woody Herman’s band.

As usual the boxed set includes a hard-backed book; this one has an essay by Colin Escott, a discography and many previously unpublished photographs.

The collection is available directly from Bear Family, and is listed in the catalogue of many online resellers where bluegrass music is sold.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Carter Glen Stanley’s passing in a Bristol, Tennessee hospital. He was just 41 years old. As Ricky Skaggs comments below, it is hard to appreciate that forty years since Carter Stanley succumbed to an illness that had been troubling him for a while.

Despite such a passage of time Carter Stanley’s music can be enjoyed well onto the 21st century and beyond. A brief glance at the Fresh Sounds In The World Of Bluegrass column in the latest edition of the IBMA newsletter, International Bluegrass, will reveal that Carter Stanley’s name is noted twice as the source of songs on recent recordings by Dave Evans and Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain. This is indicative of a bluegrass legacy that has really stood the test of time.

We have asked a number of people to share their thoughts about Carter Stanley. I should like to thank them all for their contribution and we must acknowledge particularly the help that James Alan Shelton and Jeanie Stanley have provided during the course of compiling this tribute to Carter Stanley.

Current lead guitarist for the Clinch Mountain Boys, James Alan Shelton, who wrote in the October edition of Bluegrass Unlimited about Carter Stanley’s last full show – at Bean Blossom, October 16, 1966 – has admired Carter Stanley from afar.

“To me, Carter Stanley was the greatest natural lead singer who ever lived. He sang right on pitch and his song writing was second to none. As the front man and emcee for the Stanley Brothers he always had a way of saying just the right thing to introduce a song, or maybe tell a joke or a story about the songs to keep the show moving along. He was also a good rhythm guitar player. By all accounts he was a highly intellectual person, a deep thinker, who was on a different level than most people. I felt like he carried himself with a lot of class. My only regret is that I never got to meet him. But by first hand accounts from people who did know him, I think he would have been a friend.”

Ricky Skaggs, along with the late Keith Whitley, grew up singing Stanley Brothers songs. In one notable incident, the duo were invited on stage to cover for a delayed Ralph Stanley, who, when he heard them, was so impressed with their renditions of classic Stanley Brothers’ songs that he invited them to join the Clinch Mountain Boys when they were old enough to go on the road. Ricky and Keith made several recordings with and without Ralph. As they say, the rest is history. But Carter Stanley is far from history as far as Ricky Skaggs is concerned.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since the passing of Carter Stanley. I just listened to him sing ‘Angel Band’ just last night on my iPod. I just saw a great picture of him and Ralph with Joe Meadows and Bill Lowe from ‘55 in this months BU. His music is still so important in Bluegrass. He was a song writers’ song writer, such a great MC on stage, he had everything it took to be a superstar in his Genre. I can only imagine how Ralph has missed him all these years. But Ralph did the only thing he could do. He went on! Thank God he did. What a testament to this music that we all love, Stanley Brothers music. It’s real, it’s honest, it’s from the heart and soul, it’s the sounds of heaven. Rest well Carter, we all love what you left us, and I’ll see you again someday.”

Charlie Sizemore was lead singer with the Clinch Mountain Boys for about nine years from shortly before his 17th birthday in November 1977. Subsequently he formed his own band and has released praiseworthy albums on Old Homestead and Rebel Records.

“I saw Carter Stanley only once – in the late winter or early spring of ‘66 at the Salyer Elementary School in Royalton, KY. I was five years old then, but I do remember being excited about seeing the Stanley Brothers. I recall telling my father that I didn’t know there were three Stanley Brothers. He replied: That’s Melvin Goins playing the bass. (There was only a three piece band at that show.) I got Carter’s autograph that night. I still have it.

You need to understand that where I grew up in Eastern KY, the Stanley Bros. were a huge deal. Much more so than Monroe or Flatt and Scruggs. Being drawn to music and having a houseful of Stanley Bros. records at my disposal, I had learned most of their songs mostly by osmosis before I finished elementary school. My brother John and I used to set up a fake microphone and pretend to be the Stanley Brothers.”

Big Stanley Brothers fan Dudley Connell credits Carter Stanley as the major reason why he became a bluegrass musician.

“It was Carter Stanley’s distinctive and emotive voice than inspired me to want to sing bluegrass. Carter could sing “Pig in a Pen” and make you feel sorry for the pig. No one before or since has had such an influence on my singing or what I look for in a singer. In my opinion, he was/is simply the best. I once asked Bill Monroe who was his favorite lead singer in the history of the Blue Grass Boys. His answer, “Well, Carter Stanley was the best natural lead singer I ever had”. Enough said. Enough said.”

Legendary banjoist from Maggie Valley, North Carolina, Raymond Fairchild has often spoken affectionately of Carter Stanley and speaks highly of him here with this brief but heartfelt testimonial..

“Carter Stanley was a master of his art, picking and singing mountain music. He was among the best song writers I ever knew. Carter played rhythm guitar with thumb and finger picks and he sang lead from his heart, and he also was among the best MC’s of his day. Carter Stanley had it all, a god-given talent and one in many that could do it all, and do it right. Forty years has passed since his death. There will never be another Carter Stanley. Still missing you Carter.”

After Carter Stanley’s death brother Ralph turned to Larry Sparks to take on the role of guitarist and lead singer in the Clinch Mountain Boys. This was a job Sparks had for about three years before he went on to form his own band. Here Larry Sparks remembers some earlier times with both Stanley brothers.

“I played some shows with Carter Stanley in 1965-66. I can remember him as being one of the best stage leaders ever. He knew what to sing, how to sing it and how to entertain his many fans. I think Carter was no doubt the most heartfelt singer in bluegrass up until his death in 1966. He gave to this music what it needed. I treasure getting to know him for a little while.”

For an international perspective on Carter Stanley, I asked Barry C Lane, an English friend, who has a long history of involvement in the British bluegrass music scene, for his thoughts about Carter Stanley

“I remember the day I walked in to ‘Greenwood Record Sales’ shop in Bradford. It was a dull, cold, damp day and I was looking to see what new bluegrass LPs my friend ‘Goff’ [Greenwood]had received into stock. The day was not brightened up by the sight of any new goodies but more the opposite, as Goff related that Carter Stanley had died.

I had missed seeing them in London earlier in the year as the grapevine on the folk club circuit only told me that the Stanley Brothers had played, the week after the event. Now it was December and the loss was all the more intense. I didn’t realise he was even ill in those pre ‘Bluegrass Unlimited’ days.

I had been playing guitar and singing, with Ray Hipworth doing the banjo… and he could do that sort of octave staccato lick that Ralph used so often. We tried doing the Stanley Brothers songs but it never sounded right, for the brothers had a harmony which was all their own. I could mimic Carter (badly) but neither of us could emulate the tenor of Ralph. We missed their sound by miles! There have been very few in the UK who could get anywhere close to the Stanley sound.

My great sorrow on hearing the news of Carter’s death was that the Stanley Brothers unique sound would be lost for ever. We were not favoured with many available records by the Stanley Brothers in the mid 1960s but the brothers had recorded so much material that I have spent the last forty years catching up on the stuff and although the Stanleys and Ralph’s later work greatly out number albums by any other artist in my collection, there are still a few titles that I haven’t got. It was only relatively recently that video of the brothers could be added to the records. It all shows how much I still miss Carter after all these years.”

I don’t think anybody would disagree with me when I say that Gary Reid is the premier authority on the Stanley Brothers’ music. He has written notes for recordings by the Stanley Brothers for each era of their recording career. Additionally, he has compiled two four-CD boxed sets of Stanley Brothers’ Starday and King recordings and, through a series of live recordings, Reid has issued a selection of concert recordings from a number of their personal appearances made during the duo’s heyday.

“Having recently celebrated my 50th birthday, it’s amazing to me to look back and realize that I’ve been enamoured with the music of the Stanley Brothers for 33 years. I discovered their music, and the music of Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs, by accident, while sifting through stacks of albums that a high school instructor had loaned me ‚Äì things have never been the same since!

Although I was exposed to a lot of different performers in the field of bluegrass, it was the music of Carter and Ralph Stanley that has stuck with me the most over the years. As a team, they were ‚Äì in my book ‚Äì hard to beat. It’s hard to articulate in words the emotional power of their music that makes it so compelling. I had occasion to speak with Bud Reed a year or so ago ‚Äì he was the husband of the late Ola Belle Reed and a partner in the legendary 1950s country music park known as New River Ranch. As someone who witnessed many of the top acts in the music during the genre’s golden era, it was a strong statement on his part when he said, quite simply, that Carter Stanley was the best lead singer he’d ever heard.

The qualities of the duo have been noted a lot of times‚Ķ the sincerity of their vocals and the blend they achieved with their harmonies, the tender themes of love, loss, and sorrow in their songs, and the instrumental prowess that each of the brothers achieved on their respective instruments. In addition to the 500 or so songs that the duo recorded, I’ve collected numerous hours of live concert recordings and interviews ‚Äì in the process, I’ve been struck by the genial nature of their delivery on stage. Carter’s MC work was always personable as he related to the audience tidbits about the songs they performed.

As far as anniversaries go, I wish this was one that we didn’t need to remember or honor ‚Äì certainly not that Carter Stanley isn’t worthy of our adoration. Rather, I wish the guy was still around so that I’d have had the chance to know and appreciate him in person. As much as I’ve read about and enjoyed Ralph Stanley’s music over the years, being able to know and connect with him is far more meaningful and insightful than learning about him second-hand.

In any event, I’ve enjoyed coming to know Carter Stanley as best as I’ve been able to do. I look forward to coming to know him better as the years roll on. If his rewards here on earth were not what they should have been, hopefully he can take comfort in the fact that a growing legion of people continue to discover and admire his artistry. It’s probably safe to say that his popularity and sphere of influence is greater today than it was in the twenty years of his professional life. It’s been an honor to have played a small part in helping to keep his legacy alive and growing.”

Editor’s note: Richard Thompson is due our thanks and admiration for compiling these remembrances of Carter Stanley, whose contributions as a singer and songwriter represent some of the most precious gifts we have received since the birth of bluegrass music.

The Grascals will be joining country artists like Trisha Yearwood, Joe Nichols, Lee Ann Womack, Raul Malo, taking part in the upcoming Broadway Meets Country show on October 30, 2006, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. (TPAC)

The Grascals are the first bluegrass act to take part in the show, which features country artists peforming Broadway tunes and Broadway performers performing country songs.   This is huge.

This isn’t the first time bluegrass has bumped into Broadway though.  Back in 1996, the Nashville Bluegrass Band recorded with Bernadette Peters on I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight.

Who would’ve ever thought the Grascals would share a bill with the legendary Ben Vereen and Tony nominated actor Peter Gallagher (known for his role on The O.C. as well as a ton of other movie roles.) 

The Grascals will be performing River In The Rain from the Tony award winning and Roger Miller penned musical Big River. 

Personally, I don’t think that’s a big stretch for the Grascals to do a Roger Miller song.  They already perform one or two of his songs in their show. 

I think it would’ve been fun to see them do say There’s No Business Like Show Business, from Annie Get Your Gun,  Luck Be A Lady, from Guys and Dolls or even The Rain In Spain from My Fair Lady.  Picture, if you will,  a bluegrass version of Seventy Six Trombones or Terry Eldredge belting out a heartfelt version of What I Did For Love…  That’s just me though.  Oddly enough, none of the Grascals asked my opinion on the matter and I’m sure River In The Rain will be great.  It’s a beautiful song and it’s sure to be a memorable night of music.

I’ll give a full report on Wednesday.

This week’s issue of the The Nashville Scene is the annual Best Of Nashville issue. They scour the city looking for the best of everything, and I mean everything. Our very own Station Inn garners recognition as “Best Urban-Development Holdout.”

It is praised for holding its own against the upscale establishments going up around it, and they point out that the Station just leases the building it is in so, theoretically if the owner decides not to renew the lease, that could be it for our favorite Nashville landmark. The Time Jumpers, who play at the Station every Monday night earned “Best Monday Night Music” (I can’t find that one on their webpage just at the moment) and Edgar Meyer rated “Best Classical Musician.”