BluegrassRadio.org will be re-airing the Riverbend Bluegrass Festival show recorded last Saturday this evening (4/26) at 7:00 p.m. (EDT). Performers featured include Ernie Thacker, returning to the stage after his two year recovery from a serious accident, followed by The Chapmans, Grasstowne and Lou Reid and Carolina.

BluegrassRadio.org is a free, listen-supported Internet radio service that runs a 24/7 bluegrass feed, available for both iTunes and Windows Media. Visit their site to choose a feed and listen in anytime.

The Riverbend Bluegrass Festival in Ocilla, GA begins today, and BluegrassRadio.org will be on hand to record all of the main stage performances this weekend.

Artists to be recorded include Grasstowne, Lou Reid and Carolina, The Chapmans, and more.

The Grasstowne performance will be broadcast on Sunday April 20, 2008 @ 1 PM EDT. Next Saturday, April 26, 2008, BluegrassRadio.org will broadcast the entire main stage performance from all the bands. That will take place starting at 7 PM EDT.

If you don’t have plans Sunday, or next Saturday evening, be sure to attend the Riverbend Bluegrass Festival online at BluegrassRadio.org.

Gibson has posted an article on their web site about Grasstowne Dobro man Phil Leadbetter.

The piece covers Phil’s early experiences learning teh resonator guitar, his work with JD Crowe, his IBMA awards and teh debut CD with his new performance vehicle, Grasstowne. Since it’s Gibson’s site, of course, they also discuss his signature model Dobro guitar.

Still another jewel in Leadbetter’s crown was the 2003 unveiling of the Phil Leadbetter Signature Series Dobro. “I had always hoped to just get an endorsement, so I was kind of blown away when Gibson approached me,” he recounts. “It’s the only real Dobro being made right now, since Gibson owns the Dobro brand.

“When I started playing Dobros, they were making them the same way they were made in 1928, with sound wells. We improved on the design by adding sound posts and baffles, and using solid woods to increase sustain and make the tone richer. I love playing them and I’m really flattered that they’ve become the most popular Dobro out there.”

Read the full article at Gibson.com, where you can also download a free Leadbetter MP3 of Moon Racer.

Grasstowne will be appearing on a rare Saturday edition of Blue Plate Special on WDVX FM in Knoxville, TN on February 9 at noon (EST).

WDVX broadcasts at 89.9 FM, and listeners worldwide can catch the show via live streaming from the WDVX web site. The station does not archive these live shows, so be sure to tune in when it airs on Saturday at noon.

The boys also recorded a show for XM’s Bluegrass Junction yesterday, which is set to run on Wednesday next week. They join host Kyle Cantrell for a visit, and surely talk about the two awards they received last weekend at SPBGMA. Look for that one at 3:00 p.m. on XM 14, February 13.
On another Grasstowne-related note… Banjo picker Jason Davis is on the cover on the February issue of Banjo NewsLetter. At 19, I’m not sure if Jason is the youngest banjo artist to grace the cover of BNL, but he is bound to be close.

Here’s another bluegrass anniversary worth noting.

It was almost exactly one year ago that we told you about a new band forming with prominent members drawn from several popular touring acts.

The announcement came on December 1, 2006 of the imminent debut of Grasstowne, with Alan Bibey from BlueRidge, Steve Gulley from Mountain Heart and Phil Leadbetter from Wildfire joining forces. In the course of that year, Al, Phil and Steve put a crack band together, recorded a CD, showcased at IBMA and toured all over the US.

The December issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine has Grasstowne’s debut CD, The Road Headin’ Home, is the #1 release in The National Bluegrass Survey. Phil Leadbetter tells us that this is a huge honor for them, and for their label Pinecastle Records, who has never had a CD chart in the top spot in BU before this month.

Alan Bibey passed along recently that they have nearly 100 dates booked for 2008 - including a July tour of Scandinavia - so more of you should have a chance to catch them on the road next year.

If there was an award for fastest start in bluegrass music, these guys would be serious contenders. Congratulations, fellas.

The guys in Grasstowne recently had a video bio completed and graciously consented to allow us to present it here for our readers.

The video features interviews with Steve Gulley, Alan Bibey, and Phil Leadbetter, interspersed with performances from a festival in Virginia as well as IBMA in Nashville. The result is a three minute video that should be of interest to fans of the band or the respective pickers. If you’re not a fan, check it out, you might just become one!

The video was produced by photographer and videographer Dean Hoffmeyer.

Grasstowne made quite a splash at IBMA last week, partly because it was the first chance a great many people in bluegrass had to see and hear them perform live.

To help combat that very issue, the band filmed a good bit of video last week in Nashville. He have (below) their performance of California Cottonfields during Fan Fest, a song from Phil Leadbetter’s Slide Effects CD which was named Instrumental Album Of The Year by the IBMA in 2005.

They are working with photographer/videographer Dean Hoffmeyer on a video bio as well, which we’ll post in the next few days.

Enjoy…

We got to see a great deal of good music last night. The official IBMA showcase presentation in the main ballroom featured one strong act after another, and we managed to catch one after hours show before the travails of a day at IBMA sent us scurrying for the covers.

First up was Meantime, from The Slovak Republic. They are fronted by Daniela Hroncova, a talented vocalist and one of the primary songwriters in the band. They are popular in central and eastern Europe, and they are hoping to build an audience in the United States as well. The band’s sound - both in performance and in their choice of songs and arrangements - is decidedly modern, and they were very well received in the hall.

They were followed on stage by Grass Cats, a band that has existed in many different forms since 1997 as a vehicle for North Carolina singer, songwriter and mandolinist Russell Johnson. Their short set featured several of Russell’s songs, including Home To Carolina, which has spent a number of months on the Bluegrass Unlimited’s National Bluegrass Survey.

Any time Steve Gulley is singing, it’s time to pay attention, and last night was no exception. I had been looking forward to seeing Grasstowne live at IBMA, so when they took the stage next, my ears were perked up. The combination of Gulley with Alan Bibey on mandolin and Phil Leadbetter on dobro is the basis of this new group, still less than a year old, but with quite a reputation already in place.

As you might expect, they put on a strong show, mixing songs from their solo projects and the band’s debut CD, The Road Heading Home.

We also caught John Reischman & The Jaybirds, a Canadian band that performed an interesting mix of old time, bluegrass and folk music. John is known from his time as a member of The Tony Rice Unit and the Good Ol’ Persons. I was unfortunately beset with a computer issue while they were on stage, and wasn’t able to focus on their show, but they were very enthusiastically received in the room.

Dale Ann Bradley closed the evening’s showcase, and was joined by Mike Bub on bass and Ramona Church on banjo. Her set was mostly drawn from here current CD, Catch Tomorrow. There are few singers in bluegrass who can captivate an audience the way she can, and the band was sharp and on top of their game.

     

   

Just eight months ago we told you about the formation of a new band. Steve Gulley had left Mountain Heart, and Phil Leadbetter had announced his departure from Wildfire. In December ‘06 they joined forces with Alan Bibey, then with BlueRidge to form a new alliance, which soon adopted the name Grasstowne.

Now, less than a year later, their debut CD, The Road Headin’ Home, is out on Pinecastle. Talk about hitting the ground running!

They have a busy tour schedule, and the new CD has been getting a lot of attention from bluegrass radio.

The Road Headin’ Home has been available at the band’s shows for several weeks, but it can now be found wherever you purchase CDs - or download digital audio.

You can hear audio samples on the Grasstowne site.

Grasstowne will be featured on today’s (6/15) edition of The Blue Plate Special on WDVX FM. The show airs at noon, eastern time, and runs for an hour.

They will be performing songs from their debut CD, The Road Headin’ Home, due for release on Pinecastle Records August 7. It has recently shipped to radio, so you may have started hearing tracks from this project already if you listen to bluegrass broadcasts. The CD can be purchased now from the band, but will not be available in stores until August.

As we’ve mentioned before when bluegrass acts have appeared, WDVX broadcasts from Knoxville, TN at 89.9 FM, and listeners worldwide can catch the show via live streaming from the WDVX web site. The station does not archive these live shows, so be sure to tune in when it airs later today at noon.

Just Us, from Etowah, TN, will also appear on today’s show.

The Road Headin’ Home, the first recording from Grasstowne, can now be ordered from the band’s web site.

The new CD won’t be officially released until June on Pinecastle Records, but the band has copies now for immediate shipping. Radio promos were mailed last week, so you should start hearing more from this new release before long.

Grasstowne was formed late in 2006 when Alan Bibey, Steve Gulley and Phil Leadbetter decided to pool their resources (and talents) to form a new venture. Jason Davis is on banjo, with Jamey Booher on bass.

Audio samples for all 13 tracks can be found on the Grasstowne site as well.

Grasstowne has announced a personnel change, with Jamey Booher coming on board to play upright bass. His first show with the band will be on April 13.

Jamey has been a member of his family’s band, The Boohers, since 2000, along with his brother, Joe, and his parents, Gary and Lora.

He has written on his MySpace blog both about joining Grasstowne, and how hard it was for him to leave the family band.

Audio samples for all 13 tracks of the upcoming debut project from Grasstowne, The Road Headin’ Home, are now posted on the band’s web site.

Grasstowne is made up of Steve Gulley on guitar, Alan Bibey on mandolin, Phil Leadbetter on resonator guitar, Jason Davis on banjo and Lee Sawyer on bass. The band was formed in December of 2006 when Steve, Alan and Phil decided to leave their respective bands (Mountain Heart, BlueRidge and Wildfire) and strike out on their own.

Alan told me last week that the new CD is being manufactured now, and that they would have copies for sale by mid-April. Pre-orders are enabled now on the Grasstowne site.

From conception to a new CD in four months - that may be a bluegrass record!

The official release on Pinecastle Records is set for June.

The debut single from Grasstowne is available for preview on the Pinecastle Records web site. The track is Dixie Flyer, from their upcoming Pinecastle CD, The Road Headin’ Home, due for a June release.

The band has generated a good deal of anticipation since their formation was announced in December, with members of three prominent groups leaving to launch this new venture. Grasstowne is made up of Steve Gulley on guitar and vocals, Alan Bibey on mandolin and vocals, Phil Leadbetter on dobro and vocals with Jason Davis on banjo and Lee Sawyer on bass.

Alan and Steve trade verses singing lead on Dixie Flyer, and Alan, Phil and Jason each get a chance to pick it solid.

If you’ve been curious about this new band, head on over to the Pinecastle site and give them a listen.

Note: If you have pop up windows blocked in your browser, you may not be able to launch Pinecastle’s MP3 player. You can allow pop ups on their site in your browser preferences.

Steve Gulley recently left the band Mountain Heart to begin a new band effort with Phil Leadbetter and Alan Bibey. Grasstowne, as the new band is called, is currently in the studio working on a CD to be released later this summer. In the midst of all this change, Steve is also releasing his first ever solo CD, Sounds Like Home. I was able to catch up with Steve via email while he was in the studio listening to playbacks of mixes from the upcoming Grasstowne release. With hushed keystrokes he answered a number of questions I had for him about his solo CD.

Sounds Like Home is to be released on the Lonesome Day Records label. It had previously been schedule for release in February, 2007 but that release has been slightly pushed back?

The CD is set to be released on April 17th. It was held up a little to intentionally give more time to promote it to radio and retail properly but it will be available nationally then.

The press release from the label indicated that this record was to be traditional bluegrass in orientation, but I asked Steve what the mix was of traditional songs, originals, gospel and secular would be.

A little of all the above. However, it is a very traditional recording by choice. I hand - picked every song and hoped to reflect a little insight into my musical upbringing and heritage. I recorded some songs that were performed and recorded by my dad’s band, The Pinnacle Mountain Boys, in the late ’50’s and early ’60’s. I also recorded 4 songs from the old “red book” hymnal and some original songs that I wrote or co-wrote are also included. I also recorded “The Grand Tour”, the old George Jones tune and “My Elusive Dreams” which I did as a duet with my wife, Debbie. Just a lot of songs that are close to my heart.

With this much care taken in song selection I wasn’t sure Steve would have any favorites, but I had to ask. (more…)

The latest issue of Bluegrass Music Profiles is in the mail, and subscribers should see it in their mailbox soon - if they haven’t already received it. The cover feature is an interview with Russell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out, in which he covers his long career in bluegrass, starting with his days as a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.

Other items include an interview with Steve Gulley and Phil Leadbetter about their new venture, Grasstown. Paul Williams discusses his favorites off-stage pursuits, and Rob Ickes talks about his resonator guitars. Interviews with Cadillac Sky’s Bryan Simpson and The Grascal’s Terry Smith are found in the March/April ‘07 issue as well.

Publisher Kevin Kerfoot was especially proud of this announcement:

This issue also includes the debut of BMP’s Top 20 Hot Picks singles chart and its Top 10 Bluegrass CDs chart. Both charts are based on songs receiving the most radio play from BMP reporting stations.

Find out more about BMP on their web site.

We heard yesterday from Alan Bibey, fresh from a week of recording with his new band, Grasstowne. He reports that they are about halfway finished with the new project, as yet untitled, which has already been set for a June 15 release on Pinecastle.

Alan voiced excitement, not only about recording with such talented musicians as Steve Gulley, Phil Leadbetter, Jason David and Lee Sawyer - with guest appearances from Stuart Duncan and Tim Crouch on fiddle - but also for the material they were cutting, and the arrangements.

The songs we have for this project are the strongest of any recording I have done. There are three Steve Gulley tunes, one from Tim Stafford, and a Craig Market song.

I wrote a new instrumental for this project, called Grasstowne City Limits. It’s a Monroe-feeling tune in B. I can’t wait for everybody to hear this CD!

Bibey said that he is singing three or four tunes, and Gulley the rest, and that almost all are never-before-recorded songs. He especially mentioned one remake, a high-lead version of Lizzie Lou, which the Osborne Brothers cut in 1974.

The band will make their official debut this weekend at the SPBGMA Convention in Nashville, appearing on Friday (2/2) at 6:30 p.m. (CST).

After that, they are back in the studio next week to try and complete overdubs and vocals, and put this highly-anticipated initial release in the can.

And then they were five…

Alan Bibey called to let us know that Grasstowne has finished the year with a full complement of pickers, having just brought Lee Sawyer on to play bass. He joins Alan on mandolin, Steve Gulley on guitar, Phil Leadbetter on resophonic guitar and Jason Davis on banjo in this new bluegrass startup.

Lee had performed previously with The Larry Stephenson Band, and hails from Lexington, NC.

Alan said that Lee can “flat kick a bass in the hind end,” or words to that effect. The band is hoping to get in the studio soon, with a track released via Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass early in ‘07.

For more details on the founding of Grasstowne, check out either Phil Leadbetter’s or Alan Bibey’s recent interviews on The Grasscast.

We have posted many times recently about Grasstowne, this fall’s big bluegrass start-up featuring Alan Bibey, Steve Gulley and Phil Leadbetter.

This week’s news is that the band has signed a 3 CD deal with Pinecastle Records, with work on the first expected to begin just after the new year. They hope to have it out by June of 2007.

Both Phil and Alan were interviewed about the new band this month on The GrassCast. You can hear these interviews online, in your web browser, by visiting The GrassCast page.

Listen now: (IE users click to activate)

This week on The GrassCast we continue our theme of interviewing members of the new band Grasstowne. Last week we interviewed Phil Leadbetter. This week John interviews Alan Bibey. Alan has been fronting the band Blueridge for the last 6 years or so. He now leaves that band to join Phil and Steve Gulley to form Grasstowne.

Alan discusses with John why he made this decision. This interview was recorded Wednesday afternoon Dec 6th, less than a week after the announcement of Grasstowne.

Direct Download: ep56_alan_bibey.mp3

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