Sammy Shelor called yesterday to let us know that he has hired Andy Ball to replace recently departed mandolinist/tenor singer Jeff Parker in Lonesome River Band. Andy is a young man, just graduated from college, who grew up in Detroit, MI playing with his family as a member of The Richard Ball Family.

He had also worked with Pete Goble while still in school, as well as Paul Williams and Bill Napier, and had most recently been a member of Mark Newton’s band.

Sammy suggested that Andy’s voice will be a welcome one to LRB fans, as it somewhat resembles that of a young Don Rigsby. You can catch a piece of his singing on Mark Newton’s Hillbilly Hemingway CD, where he sings the lead on Fraulein. A sample from that track can be found on Mark’s web site.

LRB plans to cut a few tracks soon and make them available online to let folks hear the new sound.

You can check the LRB schedule on their web site to find a chance to catch them in action. Sam said that Jeff Parker will be with them on the Bell Buckle Cruise and the Snobird and Cracker Bluegrass Reunion in FL, but all other 2007 dates will be with Andy on mandolin.

Andy will be with the band throughout the 2007 season, and depart in early ‘08 to attend law school.