Bentley has a long history of including bluegrass music on his chart-topping releases, and has collaborated several times with The Grascals and other Nashville grassers. He was a fixture on the bluegrass scene in Music City prior to his country career taking off, and even studied bluegrass mandolin with Butch Baldassari.

From The Boot…

“Nashville is my hometown; I’ve been here 15 years, so I know a bunch of the grassers, a lot of the country guys, a lot of songwriters and musicians,” Dierks explains. “Every album I’ve done has a bluegrass song on it, so it’s not a surprise that one day I might make a bluegrass record. It would be a cool thing for me.”

We hope to learn more about this soon.

The songs include early classics from Boone Creek (One Way Track), Sam Bush (Sailin’ Shoes), Lonesome River Band (Highway Paved With Pain), Tony Rice (Church Street Blues), Hot Rize (Colleen Malone), plus tracks from newer artists including Nickel Creek (When You Come Back Down and The Smoothie Song), The Infamous Stringdusters (Fork In The Road) and Sarah Jarosz (Song Up In Her Head).

There is a track from Ricky Skaggs’ initial traditional country album, Sweet Temptation (I’ll Take The Blame) and one from his memorable duo project with Tony Rice, Skaggs & Rice (Bury Me Beneath The Willow). Other artists featured include Dolly Parton, Ronnie Bowman, Jim Mills, Aubrey Haynie, Darrell Scott, Jerry Douglas and many more.

You can see the complete track list, hear audio samples, and buy it as a digital download in iTunes.

Their explanation of the legislation is that copyrights for sound recordings are soon going to be up for grabs.

If an artist or author sold a copyright before 1978 (Section 304), they or their heirs can take it back 56 years later. If the artist or author sold the copyright during or after 1978 (Section 203), they can terminate that grant after 35 years. Assuming all the proper paperwork gets done in time, record labels could lose sound recording copyrights they bought in 1978 starting in 2013, 1979 in 2014, and so on. For 1953-and-earlier music, grants can already be terminated.

In other words, artists will soon be able to take control of sound recordings produced before 1978. This could mean good things for artists positioned to take advantage of such a change, and it could possibly intensify the financial pressure the major labels are feeling due to declining CD sales.

I don’t see this being a huge issue for the bluegrass industry, though some important, first and second generation bluegrass music could find its copyright changing hands. Sound Recordings from artists such as Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, even New Grass Revival and The Seldom Scene, could be affected. We could potentially see the release, into the digital world, of music which the labels, for one reason or another, have chosen not to reissue.

I’m not a lawyer, and I certainly don’t understand all the ins and outs of the copyright law, but this article at Law.com contains a paragraph that seems to indicate a sticky mess could insue.

As of now, songwriters and performers — as well as producers, engineers and anyone else who helped create a song — can send a notice for songs created between 1978 and 1984.

In the end, who will own the copyright? I don’t know, but if you’re an artist it would be worth your time to speak with an entertainment lawyer concerning this issue, and what your rights may be regarding sound recordings you made in the 70’s and 80’s.

The track list reads like, well… a treasury of classic bluegrass and country songs.

In fact, he might have called it a Family Treasury of Bluegrass and Country Songs, as the bulk of the accompaniment is provided by kith and kin. Phil explains…

“My wife, Beth Sommers, plays bass and sings harmony with me on a lot of the songs. Our daughter, Naomi Sommers (who is a wonderful songwriter as well as singer – check out her website, www.naomisommers.com), also sings on some of the songs. Naomi started singing with me, at the age of 5, when I began recording a series of albums of bluegrass for children in 1985, just before I left the Seldom Scene – in fact, if you listen to all the albums I produced on my label, American Melody, you can basically hear Naomi grow up (she’s 31 now). Daniel Rosenthal is Beth and my son, and he plays trumpet on the album and also sings bass parts on some of the quartets. Golden Slippers, Rye Whiskey and Sail Away Ladies has all four of us singing on the choruses.

My parents, Lil and Irv Rosenthal, sing on the chorus of Some Folks Do, along with me and Naomi. My father also sang with me on some of the children’s CDs I’ve recorded over the years, and was a great singer. Sadly, he died last spring, just before the record came out.”

He also offered a nice overview of the songs he chose for this new project.

“The songs on my new CD are some of my all-time favorite bluegrass and country songs, plus some originals, including Muddy Water, a song that the Seldom Scene recorded before I was in the band, and had something to do with the band approaching me to replace John Starling when he left the group in 1977. Songwriting was part of my appeal to them, and part of the reason they asked me to audition for John’s spot.

I’ve added some new verses to some of the songs, like Down the Road (which has a verse about Beth keeping me on my musical path through the years, and also mentions the chicken farm that my parents ran when I was growing up – and a verse about first hearing Lester and Earl’s recording of the song when I was a kid), plus Old Joe Clark and Sail Away Ladies. I guess that’s part of the folk process – adding new things to older songs. But some of the songs I’ve done just the way they were written – like Some Folks Do, a little-known but wonderful Stephen Foster song, and Listen to the Mocking Bird, which has become known more as a fiddle tune, but I think sounds better when it’s sung (it’s such a great, sad song, with an uplifting melody).”

It’s likely that most readers of The Bluegrass Blog know Phil primarily for his work with Seldom Scene. For his fans and friends from those days, he gave us a thumbnail version of his post-Scene activities in the music business, where he has remained active and productive.

“I left the Scene in 1986, and have spent most of my time starting and running my label, American Melody. The main focus of the label was to produce good quality bluegrass and folk recordings geared especially for kids, but with appeal, I hope, for any age.

I never wanted to simplify things musically on these recordings. I fell in love with bluegrass the first time I heard it, when I was about 11, and always felt it had something in its sound that had appeal for kids, beginning with infants, so that’s why I decided there needed to be recordings directed especially to them. I’ve produced over 25 albums, many of which have won awards from various organizations, including the Parents’ Choice Foundation, the American Library Association and others, and very good reviews over the years.

Now that my kids are grown and pursuing their own musical careers (Daniel is a professional jazz trumpet player), my musical focus has gone back to more ‘adult’ music again.

I have my own recording studio, which is where I’ve produced all my American Melody albums, and where I’ve been working on the songs for the new album over the past 7 or 8 years.  It’s nice to finally have finished it!

I’ve also been performing since leaving the Seldom Scene. Beth, Naomi, Daniel and I perform occasionally as the Sommers Rosenthal Band. I also do solo performing, and Beth and I  perform as a duet. In the past few years Naomi and I have also toured together. We (Naomi and I) performed in Europe this past May and June, including an appearance at the European World of Bluegrass, the biggest European bluegrass festival, and will be touring the United Kingdom in September, 2010.”

You can hear audio samples from A Treasury of Bluegrass and Country Songs on Phil’s web site, and at CD Baby.

That suggestion was surely knocked down early on when choosing a title for the new Jerry Douglas Christmas album, recently released by E1 Music (formerly Koch Records). The actual title is Jerry Christmas, and the CD contains a dozen Christmas favorites, both traditional and modern, recorded with his touring band.

This is his first holiday album, featuring Luke Bulla on fiddle, Guthrie Trapp on mandolin and guitar, Todd Parks on bass and Doug Belote on drums. Jerry plays a variety of resonator and slide guitars, and Maura O’Connell guests on vocals.

Songs include:

Several audio samples can be found on Jerry’s web site, with snippets of all 12 tracks in iTunes.

Douglas will do a limited tour in December performing the material from Jerry Christmas with his band (Bulla, Trapp, Parks, Belote), and his good friends (and singers) O’Connell and John Oates (of Hall & Oates fame). You can see the tour details online.

Blue Highway played their first show on New Year’s Eve in 1994 with Tim Stafford on guitar, Shawn Lane on mandolin, Wayne Taylor on bass, Jason Burleson on banjo and Rob Ickes on resonator guitar. With that 15th anniversary drawing nigh, the band consists of these same 5 musicians, a testament both to the five of them as individuals, and to the way they run the group.

True, Burleson did take about a year off in the late ’90s (with Tom Adams filling the void), but he returned in short order and has never looked back.

Blue Highway has always been run as a true democratic entity, with all band decisions being made by equal votes among the members. No one is the leader, though they may each take the lead in certain tasks a band must perform. These guys obviously understand the value of the whole, and have kept egos from destroying something this unique and fine for 15 years – no small feat, that.

When the band got started, their intention was for it to be a part time venture. Tim Stafford had recently left Alison Krauss & Union Station, and Rob Ickes had left Lynn Morris, and neither wanted to be back on the road full time. After their first two Rebel releases, demand was such that a return to the highway was indicated, and that was the direction they took.

The band has a page on their web site dedicated to this anniversary year, with an extensive array of photos from over the years collected and sent in by fans. Rounder is set to release an anniversary CD, and a special anniversary concert is scheduled for December 18.

The CD, Some Day: Fifteenth Anniversary Collection (1/19/10), will include 13 tracks. 9 are culled from the band’s 4 previous Rounder albums, 1 comes from an Ickes solo project, 2 are fresh songs, newly recorded, and 1 is a re-recording of the title track, an enduring staple of their live show.

The full track listing follows (new tracks *):

The concert on 12/18 was as close as they could get to New Year’s Eve. It will be held in Roanoke, VA at the historic Jefferson Center at 7:30 p.m. Scheduled to be a festive affair, the band is eager to celebrate their anniversary with fans and friends before closing their touring for 2009 and heading off to spend the Christmas season with loved ones.

They expect to have copies of the new CD at the Anniversary Show, and concertgoers who purchase the VIP ticket will receive an autographed copy at the show, along with an invitation to attend the post-show reception.

Hats off to Blue Highway – here’s to 15 more!

This will be the third solo CD for this young artist, who at 29 has already logged lengthy stints with Special Consensus and Rhonda Vincent. His debut album, Now That You’re Gone, was released in 2001, featuring contributions from a who’s who of bluegrass superpickers, as did his 2004 follow-up, Lonesome Highway.

On Down Home, Josh pays tribute to the artists who inspired him, and the acts who gave him a start in the business. He reunites most of the personnel from Special C during his tenure (Greg Cahill and Tim Dishman), and has his guitar idol Tony Rice with him for a version of Blue Railroad Train. Tracking for this project started while Josh was still a member of The Rage, and Rhonda joins on a couple of songs along with fellow then-Ragers Kenny Ingram and Mickey Harris.

Also helping out are Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent, Stewart Duncan, Jason Carter, Carl Jackson, Randy Kohrs, Tina Adair, and Aaron McDaris.

We heard Josh perform a couple of tracks from the CD during his IBMA showcase. His version of Jimmy Martin’s The Last Song was brilliant, and I am eager to hear the recorded version when the album hits. There is an inescapable joy in Williams’ music, and it is infectious, whether live or on disc.

Greg Cahill rivals Doyle Lawson in the bluegrass talent development department. Over the nearly 35 years he has managed Special Consensus, he has seen a number of young artists develop into fine musicians, and he is a big Josh Williams backer.

“I cannot speak highly enough about the musical accomplishments of Josh Williams, my good friend and consummate musician. He came to The Special Consensus right out of high school (actually while in his last few months of school) and immediately played mandolin and sang like a seasoned professional. Over the years since that time, he has grown to become a major voice in the world of bluegrass music and an award-winning guitar player as well. He is a great writer, singer and instrumentalist and it is a true joy to see him begin to receive the recognition his extraordinary talent deserves. Go Josh!!!”

Rhonda Vincent also spoke highly of Williams…

“Josh is a very talented guy. So glad to hear his CD is finally coming out.”

Pre-order details for Down Home can be found on the official Josh Williams web site.

Lonesome Pine RFD runs from 9:00 a.m. ’till noon (EDT), and the lengthy McEuen interview is set to air at 11:00. WFDU can be heard in NYC and surrounding areas at 89.1 FM, and worldwide via live streaming online.

Carol offers a preview…

“John takes us through the new CD by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Speed Of Life, song-by-song.

Throughout the hour there’s plenty of history shared on the early days of NGDB and John’s solo career.  He also talked about his friendship with Steve Martin since Steve was a teenager, and their work together on The Crow.”

The show will also be available for two weeks in the station’s audio archives after it airs, and will be rebroadcast on Monday (11/2) at 12:00 a.m. on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country.

The sophomore release from Grasstowne, The Other Side Of Towne, came out on October 6. As visible as these guys have been since they formed in December of 2006, it seems a bit odd that this is only their second CD. Perhaps that is because these guys had all been involved in top-tier bluegrass bands for so many years beforehand.

Grasstowne features Alan Bibey on mandolin, Steve Gulley on guitar, Phil Leadbetter on resonator guitar, Jason Davis on banjo and Dale Perry on bass. All contribute vocally, with Gulley and Bibey doing the lead singing.

You can hear several audio samples (and read some comments from Alan Bibey) in our August preview, and samples from all 14 tracks can be found on the Grasstowne site and in iTunes.

Larry Sparks’ I Just Want To Thank You Lord was released on October 20, the official debut of Rural Rhythm Christian, a new division of the popular California-based label. Though previously released in 2001 to very limited distribution, the tracks have been remastered and this music will be new to the great majority of Sparks fans far and wide.

This music is classic Sparks – unpretentious, unadorned and, frankly, unequaled. Larry’s singing and guitar are in fine form with stellar contributions from Josh McMurray on banjo, Scott Napier on mandolin and Matthew Madden on bass. The sparse arrangements perfectly suit the gravity of the material, and I would rank I Just Want To Thank You Lord with the very best work of his long and remarkable career.

Here’s a taste of the title track, a Sparks original composition.

I Just Want To Thank You Lord – Listen Now    

What a gem. The full track also includes a poignant recitation.

Look for I Just Want To Thank You Lord wherever you purchase CDs online. The digital release will be on November 17.

Del McCoury may be slowing down his tour schedule, but not his recorded output. After releasing a 4 CD set of newly-recorded music earlier this year (Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury), Del is back with another new album, Family Circle (October 20), featuring his crack band.

McCoury has developed a trademark sound recording music from outside of bluegrass – often way outside – but performing it with the approach and sensibility of a traditional bluegrass band. Unsurprisingly, this new project follows that recipe to a “T,” and the result is yet another thoroughly enjoyable visit with Del and the boys.

Powerful and artful accompaniment is provided by Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Rob McCoury on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle and Alan Bartram on bass.

You can hear full audio from all 14 tracks in our earlier preview, and samples in iTunes.

In 2009, Béla Fleck’s name is familiar to music lovers all over the world, both in and out of bluegrass. In 1978, however, he was a teenaged phenom, just coming to the attention of… well, anybody not following the minutia of banjomania.

For most folks, even those who had heard rumblings of this mega-talented youngster from “up north”, Tasty Licks’ self-titled debut on Rounder was their first taste of Béla’s burgeoning banjo revolution.

When this album first hit on LP, the “names’ on the album were mandolinist Jack Tottle and resonator guitarist, Stacy Phillips, both of whom had prior Rounder projects and popular instructional books on the market. Though Tottle and Phillips have gone on to make lasting contributions to our music, this reissue’s import is now focused on its glimpse of the young Béla Fleck.

Rounding out the group were Robin Kincaid on guitar and Paul Kahn on bass. This album was billed as “Northern bluegrass” when it was released in ‘78, as the band was based in Boston, MA, at a time when this was worthy of note on its own. Bobby Hicks also provides fiddle on two tracks.

Butch Robins has a hard-earned reputation as a raconteur, envelope-pusher and controversialist. He is also, of course, a banjo innovator whose impact might have rivaled that of Fleck, had his music been more widely heard. Butch spent many formative years playing with Bill Monroe, an apprenticeship that informs his approach to music, none less than Monroe’s constant admonition to “make your own sound.”

Fragments Of My Imagicnation offers a fascinating look at Butch as he is transitioning from a more traditional Scruggs-style player to the sort of inventive, groundbreaking picker that fully emerged on his later releases Forty Years Late and Grounded, Centered, Focused.

On Fragments he was joined by then New Grass Revival members Curtis Burch, John Cowan and Sam Bush, plus a second banjo cameo from Béla himself. Butch had played bass briefly when New Grass was starting up. Can you imagine where they would have gone had he been the banjo picker from the start?

Both of these reissues are being offered as digital downloads in iTunes, with audio CDs available exclusively from Amazon.com.

• Tasty Licks – iTunes Amazon.com
• Fragments Of My Imagicnation – iTunes Amazon.com

Here is the first installment, with Sam and the boys laying out a live version of the title track, along with some interview segments with Bush. Scott Vestal is on banjo, Stephen Mougin on guitar, Byron House on bass and Chris Brown on drums.

Sugar Hill also sent some photos from Sam’s album release party in Nashville on October 20. It was a star-studded affair, held at the Sound Emporium, which not only marked the street debut of Circles Around Me, but Sam and Lynn Bush’ 25th wedding anniversary as well.

Donica Christensen at Sugar Hill tells us that it was a fun-filled evening…

“The event was ‘invitation only’ and the guests included press and industry contacts, fellow musicians, and close personal friends of Sam and Lynn.  Sam’s record was played throughout the evening, and since it was also an anniversary party – we had a mic set up for toasts.  There were some great ones, including Garth Fundis, Dan Hays, Jerry Douglas, Rob McCoury, Guthrie Trapp, Jeff Hanna, and more.”

UPDATE 12:55 p.m. – Sam Bush has offered Bluegrass Blog readers a free download from his web site. Just go to sambush.com, and enter ‘bluegrassblog’ on the home page for a free download of Midnight on the Stormy Deep from Circles Around Me.

Just in time for Halloween!

Randy Kohrs is offering readers of The Bluegrass Blog a free download of a scary ghost story from his upcoming CD. The song is The Ghost Of Jack McLine, written by Andrew Crawford with assistance from Kohrs.

It comes from Quicksand, Randy’s next CD on Rural Rhythm Records, due for release on January 12, 2010. It had originally been slated for release in mid-October, but has since been pushed back.

Randy explains why this track is being offered now, both here on The Bluegrass Blog, and to radio via Airplay Direct…

“Since we didn’t get to put the record out when we originally said we would, I wanted to at least do something around that date.  This song just seemed perfect for the Halloween season, so we rushed to get it out. I know we’ve only got a few days left before the 31st, but I’m hoping people will still be able to enjoy and appreciate it for the holiday.”

The Ghost Of Jack McLine features Tim Crouch on fiddle, Aaron Ramsey on mandolin and bass, Mike Sumner on banjo, Andrew Crawford on guitar, Chris Wood on percussion, and Kohrs on resonator guitar and vocals.

The Ghost Of Jack McLine:  Listen Now   

[filebase:file:file=1]

As always, this is a new recording of heartfelt bluegrass Gospel music, featuring the veteran singer and his talented band. The material includes new songs from Paul, and Tom T. & Dixie Hall, plus a gem from Wade Mainer and a new contribution from Susie Keys, bass player with Victory Trio among the 12 tracks.

The complete track listings is:

• Living The Life Right Now
• What A Meeting In The Air
• Anywhere Is Home
  
• He Answered My Plea
• Only God’s Son
• The Best Time Of My Life
• Someone Made The Sandals Jesus Wore
  
• Just A Little Closer Home
• I’m Longing For Home
• There’s Still Time
  
• The Lord Still Lives In This Old House
• I’ve Been Set Free

Victory Trio consists of Paul Williams on mandolin and vocals, Dan Moneyhun on guitar and vocals, Adam Winstead on guitar and vocals, Jerry Keys on banjo and vocals, and Susie Keys on bass. Kevin Jackson guests on fiddle.

Mark Freeman at Rebel said that the exact release date hasn’t been set, but should be announced soon. If you just can’t wait, Paul has copies of the CD now, and is offering them for sale at his shows. Their tour schedule is listed on the band’s MySpace page.

He’ll be on the second episode of Music City Roots, a new live concert venture broadcast each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (CDT) from The Loveless Barn, just outside of Nashville. Eddie Stubbs and Jim Lauderdale co-host, with live artist interviews conducted by Craig Havighurst each week.

Mike Farris and Miss Tess and The Bon Ton Parade will also be on tonight’s show. It will air from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on WSM AM-650 in the Nashville market, and online via live streaming.

The series launched last week with a performance from Emmylou Harris, and many of the upcoming episodes will feature bluegrass or grassy artists.

• 11/4 – Josh Williams and John Cowan
• 11/25 – John Cowan
• 12/2 – Dale Ann Bradley
• 12/9 – Donna Ulisse and Emmit-Nershi Band
• 12/16 – Cherryholmes, Mountain Heart and Nashville Mandolin Ensemble

WSM is also recording the shows and will make them available on their web site for on demand streaming.

Catch Sam tonight at 7:00, or check out samples from Circles Around Me at sambush.com.

Loveless returned to her traditional roots for her Mountain Soul album, released in 2001. That CD featured the talents of Earl Scruggs, Travis Tritt, Ricky Skaggs, Jon Randall, Stuart Duncan, Ron Ickes, and Jeff White on a set of bluegrass-flavored music. It was a critically-acclaimed success, fairly well-supported by Epic Records, and Patty took a string band out with her to tour.

Just last month, she released a follow-up, Mountain Soul II, another rousing set of bluegrass and traditional country music. Many of the songs are new, and the sound is acoustic, sincere and mighty powerful. Like Volume I, this one is produced by Patty’s husband, Emory Gordy Jr., and includes contributions from Rob Ickes, Jon Randall plus Vince Gill, Carl Jackson, Bryan Sutton, Mike Auldridge and Emmylou Harris.

Here’s a video of Patty in the studio, tracking Working On A Building with Del and Ronnie McCoury, and talking about how she came to include this song.

Audio for several complete tracks can be heard on Patty’s web site.

His first introduction to bluegrass fans came when he joined New Grass Revival in 1974, where he held forth as bass player and lead vocalist until the group disbanded in 1990. Championed by legions of remaining fans, NGR pushed their share of boundaries, and John’s rock and blues-inflected vocals shaped much of their distinctive sound.

Since then, he has worked with Sam Bush, The Doobie Brothers and others while continuing to release solo projects, eventually forming his own group, The John Cowan Band, whose recording career began in 2002. Cowan’s band and his current sound owe much to the “newgrass style” he helped pioneer, and his road show reflects that vibe as well.

His latest release, Comfort & Joy, was released October 13 on Koch Records, and it may come as a surprise to a lot of his fans. It’s a Christmas CD that pairs John’s soaring vocals with some familiar and beloved favorites, arranged for acoustic stringed instruments.

John shared some thoughts with us about the CD, starting with what led him to this theme.

“It was an idea that had been floating around since I sang Please Come Home for Christmas by Charles Brown for a Christmas record produced by Chuck Rhodes last year for Koch records. I had been very familiar with Charles’ original version, though most people nowadays may associate that song with The Eagles. I really enjoyed it, and it sort of set me to thinking about a Christmas CD.”

I wondered if it struck him as odd to be recording Christmas music “out of season.”

“Perhaps, but music is everything to me, it’s mostly what I think about 24/7. Other than it being early July, it was just part of the creative process for all of us.”

Speaking of “all of us,” I asked who recorded with John for Comfort & Joy.

“Our band, primarily: Jeff Autry on acoustic guitar and vocals, John Frazier on mandolin and vocals, Shad Cobb on fiddle and vocals, and our wonderful drummer Bryon Larrance. We had quite a few guests: Charlie Chadwick on upright bass, John Mock on gut-string guitar and pennywhistle, Jim Hoke on autoharp, Kenny Malone on percussion, Tom Britt on acoustic finger-picked guitar/slide.

Our producer Walter Carter arranged all the music and led the mandolin quartet with Matt Flinner and John Frazier. We had some amazing guest vocalists. My step-daughter Jenny Anne Mannan wrote a new tune Little Match Girl which she sang as a duet with me. Also Mike Farris joined me, Bonnie Bramlett, and her daughter Bekka on Let’s Make A Baby King and Go Tell It On The Mountain.

It was quite hectic actually as we (JCB) were on a month long tour during the pre-production phase of this record. I got great suggestions from my wife, Carol, and then Walter had a few song ideas, as did I.

I basically asked Walter Carter to do the lion’s share of the work – songs, arrangements, players – as I was swamped at the time. I already knew what songs I wanted to sing, but I was very open to Carol and Walter’s suggestions.”

The songs include a mix of sacred and secular – The Christmas Song, O Holy Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, I’ll Be Home For Christmas – but the one that really stands out for me is John’s plaintive rendition of Schubert’s Ave Maria.

“I have to say Ave Maria is the one I really sweated and obsessed over the most of all these timeless songs. I must have sung it 20 or 30 times.

I am a huge Luciano Pavarotti fan, and most people associate this song with his amazing rendering of it. That was one reason we decided to do it in English. Also being a Christian, I found the translation to be so simple, yet revealing. It is basically just the simple Catholic prayer Hail Mary Full of Grace.”

The John Cowan Band will start a 2009 Christmas Tour shortly where they will perform music from the new CD.

Audio samples from Comfort & Joy can be found on John’s MySpace page and in iTunes. This music suits John’s voice perfectly, and he does a brilliant job on this album.

His first big hit came in 1973 with Uneasy Rider, a countryfied talking blues, years before the rap craze began. The hilarious song, following on the recent success of the Dennis Hopper film, Easy Rider, told the tale of a stranded, long-haired motorist who stumbles into the wrong bar looking for a phone in the deep South. It was a hit primarily in the rock music world, with a story that appealed to the “hippie” culture more than the country music world of the day, where Merle Haggard’s Okie From Muskogee had been a 1969 hit.

In 1978, Daniels’ Devil Went Down To Georgia was an even bigger hit, mixing a rock beat with an old time fiddle in a timeless story of dueling with the devil. Charlie worked the southern rock scene for many years, but always as a fiercely independent artist who went his own way. As pop and country formats moved away from his signature sound, he formed his own label, Blue Hat Records, and has released new projects annually, without regard for radio play.

In 2005, Charlie released his first bluegrass CD, Songs From The Longleaf Pines, featuring Earl Scruggs, The Del McCoury Band, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs and Chris Thile. Since then, two other releases have featured substantial bluegrass content, while it is also included in his live show.

For the end of 2009, Daniels has a new CD/DVD project with a bluegrass Christmass theme. Joy To The World – A Bluegrass Christmas has an audio CD with 12 new studio tracks and a DVD with 10 live performances of the songs from the CD. The Grascals join Charlie for Christmas Time’s A Comin’, Dan Tyminski is on hand for The Christmas Song, and Kathy Mattea for O Come All Ye Faithful – on both discs.

Other guests include Aaron Tippin, Jewel, and Suzanne and Evelyn Cox.

Audio samples can be heard in iTunes, and the CD/DVD set is available from the Charlie Daniels web site and wherever recorded music is sold online.

The railroad still exists and is preserved as a historic site. You can visit the White Pass & Yukon Route website to see a video they put together using Del’s cut of this song as the soundtrack. The video features mostly black and white historic photos and footage matched to the storyline of the song. It’s very interesting to watch and you’ll learn a little American history in the process, which is always a good thing. It’s the last video on the page, so scroll to the bottom and you’ll see it.

Below I’ve embedded the widget allowing you to download the track White Pass Railroad. You’ll have to give them your email address, but it’s a painless process. I tried it out myself and it worked flawlessly. Don’t forget to watch our video interview with Del from IBMA 2009, where he talks about this new CD.

The pre-order page offers a number of interesting Family Circle packages, from a simple MP3 download for $8.99 up to a special mega-fan pack that includes an autographed CD, immediate download, and a framed and autographed printer’s proof of the CD artwork for $199. Only a few of the framed proofs are available.

Other packages that include autographed CDs and posters are also available. Check them all out online.

Have a listen to the new album, courtesy of McCoury Music.

You would expect such a prolific teacher to also be a fine player, and that he is, but so much time is dedicated to offering lessons and running his online business (BanjoTeacher.com) that Ross only rarely has the chance to record.

A new CD has just been released, featuring 14 bluegrass instrumental favorites, with the non-banjo playing members of Blue Highway serving as his rhythm section. He chose as the title, Let’s Kick Some Ass, a phrase he has used to motivate himself for years.

“It’s an expression I’ve used to get the band pumped up before a show. ‘Let’s go out and kick some ass.’ I play my best when my adrenalin is flowing, the same way it did when I played athletics when I was younger. That is really where that comes from I think…football practice. It’s meant to be upbeat and fun, and to say, ‘we are going to get after these songs with everything we have and hold nothing back.’ “

The songs should be familiar to most bluegrass or banjo music fans, coming from the repertoire of Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Flatt & Scruggs… and the Gershwin Brothers.

“I wanted the CD to be very up beat. I tried to chose material that I felt we could really dig in to, songs that were straight forward and flowed easily. Many of the songs I knew we would all be familiar with and could play with experience on first take. Although I did cut two originals, and the band played those on the first try every bit as strong as the material they were already familiar with.

From a practical standpoint we cut 14 songs in two days without any rehearsal. That was another thing that I thought would help the overall sound of the CD, a more live approach, not too perfected or watered down. By cutting the songs in the first few takes I think you have a better chance at a CD that feels fresh and sounds real.”

Here are a few samples to give you a taste of Ross’ playing and the spontaneity they captured in the studio.

Old Dangerfield – Listen Now    

RoundHouse – Listen Now    

Wheel Hoss – Listen Now    

Bringing in a group of pickers who work together regularly certainly added to the smooth, powerful sound. Tim Stafford in on guitar, Shawn Lane on mandolin and fiddle, Rob Ickes on resonator guitar and Wayne Taylor on bass.

“Using Blue Highway was one of the best inspirations I’ve ever had. I have known Rob Ickes since before he moved to Nashville. He and I worked together some out west in the 90’s and he played on my last record. Tim was to be on my last CD too, but we couldn’t line it up, so I wanted to make sure it happened this time. Then it dawned on me that it would not only make scheduling sense but musical sense as well to have the whole band, and I could not be happier with their participation.

I am impressed with the group on every level, musically and personally. Jason Burleson, Blue Highway’s banjo player is a great picker and I appreciated that I could borrow his fellow band members for a couple days. We all just played at the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Ireland last month, Blue Highway as a group and me as a solo act. It gave me an opportunity to get to know them all better.

Great group.”

More audio samples – and online orders and download purchases – can be found on Ross’ web site.