Russ Barenberg CD due June 26
Fans of the eclectic string music scene that emanated from New England in the 1970s and 80s will surely recall being enthralled by the acoustic guitar work of Russ Barenberg. He was a member of Country Cooking with Tony Trischka, Fiddle Fever with Jay Ungar and Matt Glaser, and Laughing Hands with Andy Statman.
He recorded a number of popular instructional packages for Homespun Tapes – back when they were released as audio cassettes. Most are still available, though now in audio CD format.
His 1980 solo project, Cowboy Calypso, was hugely influential on a generation of young string musicians, both for his bluegrass-inspired technical prowess and the lyrical, playful nature of his compositions. Russ released another solo project, Moving Pictures in 1988, and was a part of the fabulous Skip, Hop & Wobble CD with Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer in 1993.
Since that time, though not invisible on the music scene, Barenberg has not been a prominent performer or recording artist. Russ now lives and works in Nashville, focusing on a career outside of the music business. Fortunately, he has kept his hands on his guitar, writing new tunes all along.
And thanks to the good folks at Compass Records, we’ll all be able to hear them later this month when his first solo project in nearly 20 years is released. Aptly titled, When At Last, it features 11 new Barenberg compositions with guest contributions from Jerry Douglas, Dennis Crouch, Stuart Duncan, Viktor Krauss and Kenny Malone.
The CD’s imminent release is the occasion for a celebration tonight at The Station Inn in Nashville. Most of the guest artists from the CD will perform with Barenberg starting at 9:00 p.m. Don’t miss it if you’re in da’ville tonight.
When At Last is set for a June 26 release on Compass. Audio samples and pre-orders are available on the Compass web site.
Email This Post
| Print | Top | 2 Comments
Nashville flatpicker Russ Barenberg is accepting private guitar students online.
Guitarists anywhere in the world can sign up for lessons using Skype, free software that enables two-way video/audio chat. You can download Skype, but will need a video-enabled computer and either a built-in or aftermarket...
It seems the debate over what constitues 'traditional bluegrass' and what should be labeled 'progressive bluegrass' has no end. Stack on top of that, the debate over how much 'progressive' bluegrass should be allowed at a certain festival or event, and you'll have a lively discussion for sure.
Popmatters.com...
Planet Bluegrass has just announced the complete lineup for this years RockyGrass bluegrass festival. The festival takes place in Lyons, CO July 28-30. 2006 is an exciting year for RockyGrass as it marks it's 34th year, and it's the fist year that banjo legend Earl Scruggs will be performing at the festival....
In what will be very welcome news for mandolin aficionados, virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Andy Statman is poised to release his first mandolin recording in more than ten years. East Flatbush Blues is due for release in the near future, and there is an email notification link on Andy's web site for anyone...
Destination festival RockyGrass, in Lyons, CO, has announced it's daily lineups for the 2008 festival. 2008 marks the 36th year of the RockyGrass festival. Bill Monroe himself is credited with the founding of the festival in 1973. The festival is scheduled for July 25-27, 2008.
As part of the larger...
Another CD we received recently came from Spanish banjoist Lluis G??mez. His new project is entitled Quartet, taken from the name of his group, and features 10 instrumental tracks, most of them Gomez compositions.
He is joined by the members of his Quartet, Joan Paul Comellas on harmonica, Ricky Araiza...
We made note late last year of the fact that comedian, actor and banjo player Steve Martin was preparing to record an album of serious banjo music.
The recording has been completed, produced by fellow banjo man John McEuen, with assistance from Tony Trischka and Pete Wernick. Helping out in the studio...
Rounder Records subtitles banjo man Tony Trischka's newly-reissued 1985 album Hill Country as The Tony Trischka Bluegrass Album.
That reference doesn't seem especially startling to modern eyes, following Tony's success in 2007 with his Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular project, but when Hill Country...
Eclectic folk/blues artist David Bromberg is due for a new CD. Though he has released some band projects, a retrospective and some live sets, he has not had a new studio project as a solo artist since 1990.
Appleseed Records has announced that a new Bromberg project is set for a February 2007 release....
Planet Bluegrass has released the lineups for all three of it's 2008 festivals, Telluride, Rockygrass, and Folks Fest. These lineups are preliminary, and subject to changes and additions as the dates approach.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival: June 19-22, 2008
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky...
The nominees for the 50th Grammy Awards were announced today, and a number of bluegrass/acoustic artists see their names in the list.
The nominees for the Best Bluegrass Album are:
Cherryholmes II Black And White - Cherryholmes
Lefty's Old Guitar - J.D. Crowe & The New South
The Bluegrass...
Leave a comment
Comments are open and unmoderated for our registered users, only your first comment will require approval before publication. Comments do not necessarily reflect the views of The Bluegrass Blog. Obscene, abusive, silly, or annoying remarks may be deleted, but the fact that particular comments remain on the site in no way constitutes an endorsement of their content by The Bluegrass Blog.
What career does Russ follow outside of the music business?
Colin
I must say the scene at the Station Inn last night was something special. Standing room only, of course, with some of Nashville’s finest musicians in attendance. The band on stage seemed completely in-sync all night, performing flawless renditions of some of Russ’s new songs as well as some of the classics (From Ankara to Izmir was a fan favorite, as usual). For me, it was exciting to see flux himself on stage — a first at the Station Inn for me!
Russ has such a unique ability to create the most beautiful, simple melodies. It just seems like the concerts he puts on sound different and have a different vibe than anybody else’s shows. Anyway, everyone should check out the CD, it’s gonna be in heavy rotation in my car for a good while.
You must