We just heard from our friend Ron Stewart, current fiddler with JD Crowe & The New South, and one of the busiest and most sought-after session players in bluegrass music.

He and his wife, Sherri, celebrated the birth of their son, McKinnley Levi Stewart, on August 5, and Ron couldn’t be happier as a new papa. Sherri traveled with Ron that day to his show, and as soon as they made it home that evening, McKinnley made his imminent arrival known.

Ron assured me that I was not the first to suggest the obvious White House Blues reference, to wit that “McKinnley hollered, McKinnley squalled.”

“I said it immediately when he was born, and he sure did. I have it on video.”

Ron also mentioned that they are expecting to see the new JD Crowe & The New South CD very soon. It had been announced as complete several months ago, but a decision was made to remix the project before mastering, delaying the release yet again.

It is entitled, Lefty’s Old Guitar, and due out on Rounder Records October 10. There is a pre-order option available on the Rounder site, along with a track listing, but no audio samples as yet.

Copies of the CD should be available from the band at shows starting in mid-September.