Indian Ranch, circa 1972
We’ve been in touch recently with Fred Robbins, a photographer and bluegrass enthusiast who has posted a brilliant set of photos from the 1972 Country Gentlemen Festival at Indian Ranch online. This was the first such festival hosted by the Gents, held in Webster, MA.
Fred tells us that he just stumbled across the slides after decades sitting in a box, and says that he is delighted to be able to share them with the bluegrass community.
If you enjoyed the Bluegrass Country Soul DVD released in 2006, you are sure to appreciate Fred’s photos, which were taken a year after the festival documented in that DVD. New bluegrass fans will get a kick out of seeing some of today’s premier artists when they were younger, and folks who were following bluegrass in the 1970s will have some powerful memories rekindled.
There are shots of The Country Gentlemen, The Kentucky Gentlemen, Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, James Monroe, Bluegrass 45, The McLain Family, Mac Wiseman, IInd Generation and the original Newgrass Revival.
Here are a few images Fred agreed to let us post, but you really need to see them all, put together in a very nice slide show online.
Fred also has a great many audio and video recordings from bluegrass events posted where they can be seen and heard online.
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Photojournalist Phil Zimmerman has released a book of his photos taken during the early days of the bluegrass festival era. Bluegrass Time: A Musician's Photographs of the Early Days of Bluegrass Festivals contains 95 photos taken between 1972 and 1984 in a 64 page book.
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Fred Bartenstein, long time bluegrass radio personality, historian and photographer, is offering several hundred vinyl LPs from his extensive collection for sale online.
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Thanks to Fred Robbins, who has shared a couple of recent communications about Allen Shelton's condition. As we noted last week, Allen has been diagnosed with leukemia and is hospitalized in Nashville, where is unable to receive visitors due to the threat of contracting a flu virus.
These brief comments...
Darren Beachley has written in to give us an update concerning the production of the second Country Gentlemen Tribute CD from Bill Yates. Darren and Bill are co-producing this new recording.
The first CD was released in December of 2006. We first brought you news of volume 2 in December of 2007. Darren...
You can hear Bill Yates talk about his new CD release: "Country Gentlemen Tribute" on www.bluegrasscountry.org beginning today. Check that website for the schedule times of airing this week. Bill has assembled a group that sound remarkably like the Gents of the '70s & '80s when Doyle Lawson and...
We just got a note from Darren Beachley of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver letting us know that he will start work soon co-producing a second CD from Bill Yates, A Tribute to The Country Gentlemen Vol. 2.
Darren will be producing along with Yates as executive producer on this second set of re-recordings...
Mastershield Records has released a second volume from Bill Yates where he reprises some of the classic songs from The Country Gentlemen. Bill was a member of the band for 20 years, and his first Country Gentlemen tribute CD was warmly received by their legions of fans.
Bill plays bass and sings (just...
The Country Gentlemen 50th Anniversary Celebration concert took place last weekend and it seems the show was taped. No word yet as to whether there will be a DVD release, but it seems likely.
Randy Waller's website has a video available of the reunion band playing the Country Gentlemen classic Rebel...
Keeper Of The Flame is the title of the new CD from Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen - the first release by The Gentlemen since the passing of legendary founder and vocalist, Charlie Waller, whose son Randy is now leading the band. The new CD, now available from Randy's web site, features the current...
Recently we reported news of the release of the Country Gentlemen Reunion Band CD - Adcock, Gaudreau, Waller & Gray.
At the time the fledgling link-up didn't have a website. It does now! Go to the new website to see the liner notes, bios, and more about the CD - plus sound clips.
As an aside,...
Bluegrass fans immediately recognize the name Bill Yates for his many years as a member of The Country Gentlemen. Bill played bass and sang harmony with the band through several line up changes, staying with Charlie Waller for 20 years, starting in 1969.
In early December, Mastershield Records will...
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I think the fellow in the last picture is not Larry Sparks, but James Monroe… look close… am I wrong?
These are great shots! I’m disappointed though in looking at them when I realize that Nicky Sanders with Steep Canyon Rangers is the only one out there keeping the sweet early 70s hairstyle alive.
Folks,
I’m a newbie here, but I’m real pleased to be able to share these photos with you.
I’ll add captions to the full show when time permits.
Meanwhile, please also help yourself to my other slide shows at http://frobbi.org/slideshows.html
Most of the bluegrass is at the bottom of the page.
You must