Following the excellent Gospel collection, Church House Hymns, Parmley has switched tack and done what is mostly a secular album this time.

3 Silver Dollars features David Parmley on guitar and vocals, long-standing pal Dale Perry on banjo, guitar and vocals, bluegrass veteran, but relative newcomer to Continental Divide, Ron Spears on mandolin and vocals, with special guests, Ron Stewart on fiddle, Kyle Perkins on bass and Rhonda Vincent singing harmony vocals on Meadow On The Mountain (Where Mama Used To Pray).

For one of the 12 tracks on the album, Parmley has dug deep into family history by recording Pete Seeger’s Winsborough Cotton Mill Blues, a song that his father, Don, did over 40 years ago as a member of The Hillmen.

Other songs featured are Parmley’s cover of Country star Billy Currington’s That’s Just Me, the Tom T. and Dixie Hall-penned title track and two originals that Spears contributed, Carolina Rain and God Reached Down. Other well-established song writers, Ray Edwards (helped by Larry Cox and Jane Price) contributed Meadow On The Mountain and (helped by Terry Foust) Anniversary Of The Blues; and Robert Gateley with Ain’t Gonna Let You Drag Me Down, Dee Gaskin with Lilly Still Blooms In The Dell; and David Scott Coffey, with Refill Of Your Love, add plenty of contrast.

Audio samples can be found in The Music Shed, Pinecastle’s online retail vendor.

Not long after that, we heard from a reader who wondered why a title we had just indicated wouldn’t be released until next year was showing up as available now online elsewhere. We checked with Pinecastle, and Ethan Burkhardt told us that they decided to do a limited early release of the four upcoming titles.

“Because of how our release schedule lined up, we couldn’t get these albums ‘officially’ released by Christmas.  We are however going to have them available to The Music Shed and County Sales for the Christmas season.”

You can find audio samples, more details and online ordering for these Pinecastle projects online.

• Second Season – Kristin Scott Benson (1/13/09)
• Lord Bless This House – Nothin’ Fancy (1/27/09)
• The Hangman – Ernie Thacker & Route 23 (2/10/09)
• Three Silver Dollars – David Parmley & Continental Divide (2/10/09)

Vicki was a founding member of The New Coon Creek Girls and worked for years with Dale Ann Bradley. She has recently been a featured performer at Renfro Valley, where the concert will be held next week to help defray her substantial medical expenses.

The show will run from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., with performances from Steve Gulley, Wildfire, Randy Graham, Cumberland Gap Connection, and a special Bluegrass All-Star Band including J. D. Crowe, Larry Stephenson, David Parmley, Curt Chapman, Michael Cleveland and more.

Ticket information can be obtained by calling 800-765-7464, or on the Renfro Valley web site.

A fund has been established for Vicki’s many friends and fans who would like to make a contribution.

Vicki Simmons Medical Fund
c/o Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
P.O. Box 19
Renfro Valley, KY 40473

Promos are being sent to radio this week, despite the lag of as much as three months between now and the actual street dates for these new albums.

• Second Season – Kristin Scott Benson (1/13/09)
• Lord Bless This House – Nothin’ Fancy (1/27/09)
• The Hangman – Ernie Thacker & Route 23 (2/10/09)
• Three Silver Dollars – David Parmley & Continental Divide (2/10/09)

We asked Matt Hood, Pinecastle’s Director of Radio promotion, why they send promos out so early for new releases, and about their promotional download service for radio.

“For some time we have been using a new schedule for our mainstream releases. There are a few reasons why we send out CDs to radio so far in advance. The first one has to do with the production timelines of the major bluegrass print magazines. It takes a magazine a certain amount of time to prepare each issue for printing and it takes the printer a certain amount of time to print the magazine. There can be a lag time of a couple of months. In order to chart a single during the month of the release date the DJs have to have a CD in time to review it, put it in rotation, and (if the CD merits it) report it to the folks that publish these airplay charts. The same issue applies to album reviews.

Also, many folks in the media have such a backlog of CDs to review that it can take them several months to even review a CD. The point is to get as much exposure during the immediate timeframe of the street date as possible and we’ve found that shipping CDs several months in advance of the street date helps us do that.

Our first real proof of concept was with Special Consensus’ The Trail Of Aching Hearts, which appeared on the National Bluegrass Survey in Bluegrass Unlimited the month of the release date. Almost every album we’ve released since then has done the same. We’ve also had similar results with the chart in Bluegrass Music Profiles that they started in 2007.

All of the charts, reviews, and airplay provide invaluable information to sales reps from our distributor who then work to place Pinecastle product into stores.”

Hood also shared an update on the radio download service where show hosts, producers and music directors can get either MP3 or lossless WMA files from new Pinecastle projects as soon as they are announced.

“The download service is something that I have wanted to do for a couple of years and have finally been able to implement it into our website. We have had a very positive response to the download service. I have had some really good comments about it. We have a 10% adoption rate among all the DJs on our list, which I am very pleased with as it falls in line with my expectations.

Some folks have asked if we will stop sending CDs but we don’t have any plans to do that in the immediate future. At this point, if a DJ wants to voluntarily opt out of receiving a physical CD we will oblige as it saves us on cost, however, we will not automatically stop mailing to the downloaders.

The main idea behind this service is to allow DJs quick and easy access to Pinecastle material. All of our new releases are available to DJs in a CD quality lossless format as well as 320 Kbps MP3s. The artwork is available for download as well. We can also provide easy access to our catalog titles and possibly some titles that may currently be out of print.

As I’m writing this, we have several CDs in the queue to mail out and there are many DJs who have already downloaded the music to use on their programs.”

You can find out more about Pinecastle Records and their artists by visiting their web site.

He tells us that the band is still working on their next CD, to be released on Pinecastle Records, for whom Parmley had recorded several previous projects. Ron says there will be 12 tracks, and that a release in the near future is planned.

Spears also mentioned that the band has been bringing back material from David’s lengthy tenure with The Bluegrass Cardinals into the show.

Parmley acknowledges that he had been hesitant in the past about including these songs, some of which have been regular fan requests.

“I tried not to perform too many of the old Cardinal songs while my father, Don Parmley, and the band was still performing. Dad retired a few years ago. Now with the addition of Ron and Mike Parker, we now have four strong lead and harmony singers in Continental Divide. We’ve started to perform many of the old Cardinal quartet Gospel songs that have been untouched for decades.”

Here’s a recent YouTube clip of one of those songs, Sweet Hour Of Prayer, which features Ron on lead vocals.

With Parmley on their latest release, Church House Hymns, playing mandolin and singing tenor, is Randy Graham, who has long experience with The Bluegrass Cardinals, being with them from the beginning in 1975 through to the end of 1978, so the duo are ideal together [and their harmony singing here proves it]. He resumed his association with Parmley in 2000 and has only recently left the band to pursue his own booking and management company.

The third prime participant on this CD is Dale Perry, another long-time member of the Bluegrass Cardinals, plays banjo and Scruggs-style finger picked lead guitar and adds vocals. He joined Continental Divide in 2003.

Rounding out proceedings vocally is Jimmy Cameron, while Kyle Perkins plays the bass and the irrepressible Ron Stewart guests on fiddle on several of the 12 tracks.

Most of the songs on this CD were chosen by their fans and they have given Parmley and company some excellent material to work with. Originally from the old hymnals, these songs have become standards in the bluegrass Gospel genre.

Starting off with In The Gloryland Way the mood is set for what follows; assured lead vocals, excellent harmonies and solid instrumental support.

There are three songs that feature excellent finger-picked guitar – Father Along, Won’t It Be Wonderful There and You Can Feel It In Your Soul, a good, strong vocal quartet. The first has some fine understated backing.

In contrast there is the mid-tempo I’ve Got A Home In That Rock, and the up-tempo songs Are You Washed In The Blood, with its banjo kick-off, and the great quartet singing on A Soul Winner For Jesus, also praiseworthy for the fiddle kick-off.

Other favourites are The Unclouded Day, Will You Meet Me Over Yonder with a neat melodic banjo kick-off and the classic Just Over In The Gloryland, from the Stanley Brothers’ repertoire,

Closing with a reprise of There Is A Fountain sung a cappella just as it was all those years ago when the Bluegrass Cardinals did so extremely well. This powerful version doesn’t suffer by comparison. It is dedicated to the late Steve Stephenson, who sang bass on that earlier version. The performance brings an uplifting conclusion to an exceptional collection.

With the powerful, rich and smooth lead vocals from Parmley, allied to Graham’s excellent and seamless tenor and with three parts of the quartet having worked together for so long, it is not surprising that the vocal blend is tight.

The mandolin, fiddle, banjo and finger-picked guitar breaks and back-up are appropriately measured and tasteful with the occasional surprising lick here and there.

Overall, Church House Hymns presents timeless treatment of timeless hymns, without a weakness anywhere.

Mike Parker of Burea, KY has joined the band playing upright bass and singing lead and harmony vocals. He spent many years playing local festivals and venues in and around Kentucky, and performed regularly in Renfro Valley with family and friends. Mike is the brother of Vincent and Dailey’s mandolin player, Jeff Parker.

David is happy to have Mike on board…

“Having Mike in the band has been a real good step forward for us. Not only does Mike play the bass with great tone and timing but he can also handle singing several different harmony parts. The band will be concentrating on working up a good handful of Gospel Quartets to be featured in our future shows. We are all looking forward to that.”

Mike played his first shows on March 1 and also played the Argyle, TX and Mountain View, AK festivals with the band last weekend. He joins Ron Spears on mandolin/vocals, Billy Hurt on fiddle, Dale Perry on banjo and Parmley on guitar and vocals.

The guys will be in OH and WV this weekend and you can check their tour schedule online.

Ron replaces the outgoing Randy Graham on mandolin and tenor vocals. Ron is also a very fine song writer, and I’m sure a tune or two of his will find its way into the band’s repertoire as well.

David Parmley shared his excitement at having Ron join the band.

We are looking forward to playing with Ron and are certain he will be an exciting new addition to our performance.

From what I understand, Spears has already started with Continental Divide. Check out their tour schedule to see them near you.

Their intention was to select timeless hymns that many bluegrass fans may have grown up singing in church. Included are such classics as Farther Along, Are You Washed In The Blood (of the Lamb), I’m In The Gloryland Way, Will You Meet Me Over Yonder and Over In the Gloryland.

They have also chosen to feature a re-recording of There Is A Fountain, the groundbreaking a capella song which The Bluegrass Cardinals sang on their first record back in 1975. Ron Stewart guests on fiddle for several tracks on Church House Hymns, and regular banjo picker Dale Perry adds Scruggs-style finger picked guitar as well.

Mandolinist and tenor singer Randy Graham passed along some background on the striking cover shot.

“It’s a church we played in Norway a couple of years back. You can’t see it in the shot, but about 100 yards from the front door, the water in the fjord is 1,200 feet deep, so clear you can see as far as light will penetrate.”

Randy also shared a touching personal reminiscence of fellow former Bluegrass Cardinal, Steve Stephenson.

“As you may recall, Steve added his bass vocal on the original cut of There Is A Fountain. We have known him since the late 60’s. David and I called Steve’s wife, Judy, from the studio Sunday evening, to check up on Steve’s ongoing battle with cancer and arrange a visit with him before festival season got into full swing. Steve was unable to talk on the phone, having received a chemo treatment during the week and was dealing with flu-like symptoms. We passed our bests wishes to Steve via Judy.

Long story short, Steve passed away early the following morning, just hours after we finished up There Is A Fountain. He was a dear friend… we were/are deeply saddened at his passing.”

Church House Hymns will be available from the band at any of their live shows, and from their official web site as soon as it is released on March 25.

Jack Cooke has spent the past 37 years working as the bass player with Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys. Before that, he had been a member of both Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys and The Stanley Brothers. Jack has also lent his voice to some of the most memorable bluegrass harmony in the history of the music, providing his soulful baritone to the trios and quartets Dr. Ralph has recorded since he returned to the music in 1970 after brother Carter’s passing.

In this, his first solo project, Sittin’ On Top Of The World, Cooke steps up to the front and offers his take in a set of mostly familiar bluegrass numbers, produced by Jim Lauderdale.

You’ll find a complete track listing, with several audio samples, on the Pinecastle web site.

Also new on Pinecastle is The Best Of David Parmley & Continental Divide. The retrospective CD offers 24 tracks on two audio CDs, with tracks taken from all 5 of their previous Pinecastle releases.

Included are such popular Parmley songs as New Tin Roof, There’ll Always Be A Rocking Chair, Wake Up and Wing And A Prayer.

Track listing and some audio samples are up on the Pinecastle site.

In a recent email, Kyle shared this story of his stage debut when he was 12 years old.

“I made my first stage appearance at the Lake Cumberland Jamboree in Eli, KY in 1993. My Dad, Grandpa, and a few friends were playing there one night as a band, and they were playing Mama Don’t Allow, and when it came time for the bass break, they all stopped and I came out from back-stage and stood on a plastic milk crate and played the bass break to the song, and finished the song out to the end, and the crowd went wild! Ever since then, I have been playing stage shows.”

Since that time, he has done shows with Southern Horizon, Randy Kohrs Band, Gary Brewer & KY Ramblers and several others on his way to this new job with Continental Divide.