Rebekah had been performing as a member of The Little Roy & Lizzie Show, along with her twin sister, Lizzie Long, and Little Roy Lewis. She is a recent graduate of Nashville’s School of Audio Engineering, and was featured as a member of the Daughters Of Bluegrass on their Bluegrass Bouquet album.

Long joins Becky Buller and Ernie Evans in Valerie’s band, and as is the custom in Liberty Pike, will do some instrument switching in the stage show.

You can see the Valerie Smith tour schdule on her official web site.

Back on solid ground, she and her band, Liberty Pike are in Nashville for a show tonight (1/31) at The Station Inn, and preparing to embark on a busy 2009 tour schedule. Valerie is also looking forward to a cover feature by Chris Stuart in Bluegrass Unlimited later this year.

Here are a few photos from the cruise.

      

The CD will be released September 9, 2008 on Bell Buckle Records. Taking a page from the great brother duets of the past, Smith and Buller have created a “sister duet” sound on this new CD.

We certainly aren’t out to send the Bluegrass world spinning sideways. We just both happen to be big fans of classic duet acts such as the Louvin and Everly Brothers. Our goal was to channel their sound into these new songs with stark arrangements that make the melodies, harmonies and stories the focal points of our presentation.

The sound samples presented on Valerie’s website do showcase the sparse arrangements, which direct your attention to the lyrics. Even so, it’s not as if the two are unaccompanied on the recording. A full band is tastefully present, including a mouth harp on one track.

The accompaniment is provided by an all star cast, including Alan O’Bryant, Mike Compton, Dale Ann Bradley, Wayne Benson, Kristin Scott Benson, Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time, Justin Carbone, and Liberty Pike band mates Chad Graves and Bobby Davis.

A highly esteemed songwriter and fiddle player, Buller took on a new role for Here’s a Little Song, that of producer. Her first effort was not an easy one, considering the health issues that Smith had to deal with during the process.

“In April of ‘06 just after we finished up recording Val’s Bluegrass Gospel album, Wash Away Your Troubles, she had to undergo vocal surgery,” said Becky. “Later that year she was healed up and singing great so we made all our plans to begin the duet record,” she adds.

“Then in February of ‘07, we found out she had to have a second vocal surgery,” she continued. “Our sessions were scheduled for April at Paul Hopkins’ Studio near Shelbyville, Tennessee and Valerie wanted us to go ahead. So, in crazy faith, we did just that, getting most of our music recorded without any idea if Val would ever be able to talk again, let alone sing.”

“But this January, less than a year after that second surgery, we were back in the studio recording our vocals,” said Val. “It was truly a miracle and I can’t begin to thank all the promoters and fans who hung in there with me during the grueling recovery process.”

Richard Cifersk?? began his music journey with the banjo at the age of 15. He is a former member of the award winning band Fragment, based in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Cifersk?? was with the band from 2002-2005. Currently, he is a member of the bluegrass band Waterflow. He is also fronting his own band, Richard Cifersk?? & Rainy Day. The band takes its name from the title track of his new solo CD by the same name.

The band, and the CD reflect Cifersk??’s varied influences.

The CD consists of 10 tracks, eight are original compositions belonging to Cifersk??. The banjo is prominent on all tracks with a very pleasing tone and tasteful playing. The band is somewhat unconventional by American stanards, but the result is great listening for those who are free from the law of tradition.

The band is Richard on banjo, Linda Nov?°kov?° on flute, Ren?© Jankoviƒç on guitar, Richard Moln?°r on bass, and Adam J?°no?° on drums.

The CD features Moln?°r, J?°no?°, and Cifersk??, along with a host of special guests, including one American player.

• Becky Buller – fiddle, vocal
• Emil Form?°nek – guitar
• Roman S??kora – bass
• Michal Barok – mandolin
• Peter Szabados – dobro, pedal steel
• Sisa Michalidesov?° – whistle, flute
• Peter Prelozn??k – piano, strings
• Lubo?° Jurkoviƒç – vocals

These musicians represent several of the top Eastern European bluegrass bands, including Druha Trava, Meantime, and Waterflow.

In addition to her contributions on fiddle, Becky Buller also contributed vocals on two tunes, one from her own pen.

Becky’s distinctive vocals shine on John Lowell’s "When Will You Be Home" and her own song "Wrong Place, Wrong Time".

The title track, Rainy Day, displays Cifersk??’s virtuosity on a composition that is a blend of several musical backgrounds all finding their focus in the banjo. The sounds of the band work well alongside the flute, drums and other instruments.

Blue Nashville represents a more strict bluegrass sound on the CD. With only “traditional” instrumentation, the tune well put together and enjoyable.

Both songs are available (complete tracks) as free mp3s on RichardCifersk??.com.

Rainy Day was released on July 15, 2008. In the US we typically host a CD release party that involves a performance of many, if not all, of the songs from the CD, along with “jamming” with special guests. Apparently in Slovakia they have other traditions as well. Jana Mougin, bass player and lead singer with Fragment, sent this picture from the release. It may not be apparent at first, but they are christening the CD with Jack Daniels!

In our country, we have a tradition to choose good Godparents for a CD. I was very honored Richard asked me and Henrich Novak (resonator player for Fragment) to christen (sprinkle ) his new “Baby”. Richard finds a big part of his inspiration in Nashville, Tennessee. We decided Jack Daniels would be the best liquid to use for christening his new album.

I’m sure many a release party in the US has seen an abundance of Jack Daniels, but I don’t know of any CDs being christened with it. Anyone care for a new tradition?

The hectic tour – with 13 appearances in 16 days – is sponsored in part by British Americana magazine, Maverick, which describes Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike as an “excellent stage act ‚Ķ.. known for their lively and impressive concerts!”

Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike consists of lead singer and band leader Valerie Smith, Becky Buller on vocal, fiddle, clawhammer banjo, guitar and as a principal songwriter in the group, Bobby Davis on bass and fiddle, Chad Graves on resophonic guitar and vocals, and Eric Lambert on guitar and mandolin.

Valerie spoke to me about the trip just as she was making final preparations prior to flying out Friday morning …….

“This tour will represent eight years that I have performed in Europe and am anticipating seeing familiar faces. I welcome the opportunity to develop a wider audience. Bell Buckle Records is especially excited about Maverick magazine supporting my tour for the second time and helping spread the news about the anticipated release ‘Here’s A Little Song’!, a duet project recorded with artist, Becky Buller, who will be joining me on the tour. We plan to perform many new songs from the CD and hope that the audience enjoys our new, fresh, enthusiastic show! The band, Liberty Pike, is so much fun to watch and have a great time playing music together.

I have always loved to perform for the enthusiastic audience in Europe and UK and am excited to be there in July and August! Our first show is on the Isle of Wight, and the show will be filmed and produced by the UK Entertainment channel. What a surprise and great opportunity to share the music and gain more publicity for what we do.”

Here’s a full list of dates and venues for the tour ‚Ķ.

• July 20 – Freshwater Memorial Hall Freshwater, Isle of Wight
• July 21 – Zebra Bar, Maidstone, Kent
• July 23 – St. Bonaventure’s, Bristol
• July 24 – High Barn, Great Bardfield, Essex
• July 25 – Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington, Devon
• July 26 – Phil Murphy Weekend, Carrig-on-Bannow, Ireland
• July 27 – Phil Murphy Weekend, Carrig-on-Bannow, Ireland
• July 28 – The Queen’s Hall, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales
• July 29 – Comfort Hotel, Nottingham
• August 1 – Sudhaus, Tubingen, Germany
• August 2 – Kulturufer Festival, Friedrichshafen, Germany
• August 3 – Bardentreffen Festival, Nuremburg, Germany
• August 4 – Altes Kaufhaus, Landau, Germany

More information about the tour can be accessed at the band web site.

Valerie Smith and Becky Buller Here’s A Little Song hits the streets on September 9.

Guests on the CD include the multi-Grammy, Dove and IBMA award-winning Alan O’Bryant and Mike Compton from the Nashville Bluegrass Band; the 2007 IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Dale Ann Bradley; multi-IBMA award winner Wayne Benson of IIIrd Tyme Out; Kristin Scott Benson of the Larry Stephenson Band and Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time; and Justin Carbone of Special Consensus. They are also joined here by their fellow Liberty Pike members Chad Graves and Bobby Davis.

CMT.com ran a fun piece earlier this week about Amnesia, a club in San Francisco’s Mission district, that has successfully launched a Monday night Doyle Lawson singalong. What started as a bum’s rush has become a popular club tradition, with Amnesia regulars settling in once a week to belt out their favorite Quicksilver tunes along with Doyle’s CDs.

Owner Shawn Magee explains how it got started.

“[Co-owner] John and I would play the disc and sing along at the top of our lungs as a way to scare people out of the bar at closing time,” Magee says. But some people stuck around. “They even memorized the lyrics and joined in. It got to the point where we had a dozen strong singers crooning 28 DL&Q hits into the wee hours of the morning.”

The Kingsport Times News has a endearing story of a teen aged bluegrass band from Wise County, VA who have been invited to perform at The Smithsonian Folklife Festival next weekend on the Mall in Washington, DC. The Midnight Ramblers have been together just over a year, and are managed by Tony Bates, Wise Police Chief, and father of the band’s bass player, 17 year old Cherise Bates.

Tony talks about how much he enjoys working with these gifted youngsters.

“These kids are very talented, and I guess what they’ve really got going for them right now, on top of their talent, is their age,” Bates said. “Of course, with my job and because of the profession I’m in, when dealing with teens it’s usually troubled teens. We never get to talk to ‚Äògood’ teens unless we stop and strike up a conversation. But these kids, they want to do something with their career in music, and I want to help them get off the ground.”

ukbluegrass.com has an interview posted with Becky Buller, an accomplished bluegrass songwriter, and fiddler with Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike. Becky is set to head for Britain later this month for a two week UK tour with Valerie and company. The interview covers her singing, songwriting and fiddle playing, and includes comment on the upcoming tour:

It seems the band are really looking forward to the UK tour. Becky describes us Brits as "polite and stylish" adding "it’s like coming home for me. Bluegrass music is deeply rooted in the fiddle tune and folk ballad traditions of the British Isles and I’m deeply rooted in bluegrass. Plus, I’m a huge Monty Python fan, and I dig fish and chips!"