That suggestion was surely knocked down early on when choosing a title for the new Jerry Douglas Christmas album, recently released by E1 Music (formerly Koch Records). The actual title is Jerry Christmas, and the CD contains a dozen Christmas favorites, both traditional and modern, recorded with his touring band.

This is his first holiday album, featuring Luke Bulla on fiddle, Guthrie Trapp on mandolin and guitar, Todd Parks on bass and Doug Belote on drums. Jerry plays a variety of resonator and slide guitars, and Maura O’Connell guests on vocals.

Songs include:

Several audio samples can be found on Jerry’s web site, with snippets of all 12 tracks in iTunes.

Douglas will do a limited tour in December performing the material from Jerry Christmas with his band (Bulla, Trapp, Parks, Belote), and his good friends (and singers) O’Connell and John Oates (of Hall & Oates fame). You can see the tour details online.

Soon after, Haden was performing on the Grand Ole Opry. On November 17, 2009 he’s going to be putting on a very special concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A. Presented by the LA Philharmonic, Haden will be performing with his family, including son-in-law funny man Jack Black, and some powerhouse bluegrass guests.

Dan Tyminski, Sam Bush, and Jerry Douglas will be joining the Haden clan for this show. It sound like a fun show.

Visit the LA Phil website for more information and ticketing info.

Well, now we have Rounder Records with a big anniversary of their own, choosing Monday, October 12 to commemorate 40 years in business. They have been recording bluegrass, roots, alternative and Americana music since 1970. A special concert at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House will be filmed for a later broadcast on PBS stations during 2010.

The show will feature performances by Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Irma Thomas, Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas along with host (and performer) Minnie Driver. A portion of the proceeds from Monday’s concert will go to the NARAS Grammy In The Schools Programs.

From a recent Rounder press release…

Rounder Records was founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin.  With only their passionate enthusiasm for American roots music lighting the way, the three Boston area college students cast their lot into the perilous music industry. “Before founding Rounder, we were basically music fans,” says Rounder Records co-founder Ken Irwin. “None of us,” echoes co-conspirator Bill Nowlin, “had any record industry experience whatsoever.”

“I doubt that ‘industry experience’ is a term we would have comprehended at the time we started Rounder!” interjects the third member of the Rounder triumvirate, Marian Leighton.

Ticket information can be found online.

Douglas performs a set of music from his latest CD, Glide, along with his band: Luke Bulla on fiddle, Todd Parks on bass, Chad Melton on drums, and Guthrie Trapp on guitar.

His entire 30 minute set can be heard online.

Banjoist Jayme Stone visited Mountain Stage with Malian kora player Mansa Sissoko, with whom he recorded his most recent album, Africa To Appalachia. That CD won a Juno Award for Best World Music Album of 2009.

Audio for his 25 minute set is also available online.

Sam had told us that it was one that his bluegrass and newgrass fans would really appreciate, and he wasn’t kidding. Other than the subtle percussion from Sam’s regular drummer, Chris Brown, this is pretty much a bluegrass record – and Bush has quite a bluegrass group lurking underneath his rock-edged road band.

Through all 14+ tracks, Scott Vestal shows why he has been held in such high regard by banjo players these many years, initially as a hard-driving Scruggs/Baucom/Crowe picker with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and later as an envelope-pusher with his own recordings. On Circles his playing is simply brilliant, as is Stephen Mougin’s tasteful acoustic guitar. Byron House has been a bass player’s, bass player for years, and he delivers solid timing with a huge tone – as always.

Sam is in fine voice, and the production is transparent, leaving the sound of the acoustic instruments to ring true with very little compression or effects. He is featured most prominently on mandolin, and Del McCoury even joins in for a couple of duets. Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer also appear as guests. Courtney Johnson even makes a posthumous appearance in a banjo/fiddle duet recorded in 1976.

We hope to be able to stream some audio from this terrific CD soon, but in the meantime, here’s Sam with a few words about when you can get your own copy…

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’re not there, but you’d like to know what’s going on. Or, if you are there, but you’d like to know what’s going on backstage, here’s your chance.

Our pal Wichita Rutherford is there all week and hanging out back stage with Doc and the other stars. He’s going to give us all a window into what’s happening, by Twittering his experiences. He tells me he plans to let us know who’s backstage and what they’re doing, what they’re eating, and who they’re talking to. Apparently there will be no privacy this year at Merlefest! Wichita will also be catching a few parking lot jams and letting us know what’s happening there.

Wichita tells me there may even be a friendly slap fight match or two. He’s challenged Tim Stafford, Terry Eldrige and Jerry Douglas among others. Of course, if Chris Thile shows up…

If Chris Thile shows there will be an all out slap fight brawl; a loser leaves MerleFest cage match, if you will.

I’m sure Wichita will let us know all the details if it happens. Be careful buddy!

In addition to just Tweeting the events as they happen, Wichita will also be posting photos on his Twitter page.

If you want to follow Wichita’s Tweets, then just go to Twitter.com, you’ll need an account, and search for WichitaR or Wichita Rutherford, and enjoy!

This if from Costello’s website, announcing the new record.

Joining Costello were Jerry Douglas (dobro), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mike Compton (mandolin), Jeff Taylor (accordion) and Dennis Crouch (double bass), some of the most highly regarded recording artists and musicians in traditional American country music, Bluegrass and beyond.

…

Jim Lauderdale takes the close vocal harmony part throughout the record and Emmylou Harris contributed a third vocal part on the chorus of “The Crooked Line” on the final day of recording.

Obviously, it’s not a bluegrass record, but it will include the sounds of bluegrass and may introduce some new fans to the sounds and lead them down a path of discovery.

I’m continually thankful for musicians like those mentioned here, who so excel at their craft that their art is desired even by those who inhabit other musical genres.

I’m looking forward to hearing this recording.

These 3 day sessions offer a crash course in how successful studio producers “do what they do.” Led by Grammy-winning producer Steve Fishell, the sessions allow ten participants to follow the entire record-making process, from pre-production and tracking, to overdubbing, mixing and mastering.

The Jerry Douglas session is set for February 9-11 at Oceanway Studios in Nashville. Jerry and his band, along with acoustic producer par excellence Bil VornDick, will be in the studio with Fishell. Students at the session will not only be able to watch the whole thing go down, but also ask questions during the process.

Fishell has worked as a producer for the past 20 years, including work with Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, The Dixie Chicks, The Duhks, and The Mavericks. He has worked in A&R for Sugar Hill and Vanguard Records, and was involved in signing artists such as The Duhks, Casey Driessen, Albert Lee, Sam Bush and Rebecca Lynn Howard.

We asked Steve what a participant could expect at an MPI session…

“We cover many important areas of record production, including song arranging, tracking, artist psychology in the studio, overdubbing, mic selection and placement, mixing and mastering. No experience is necessary and novices will feel right at home during the sessions; however a background in audio engineering and/or studio production is suggested. Those with home studios will greatly benefit from this program.”

Tuition for the three days is $1,199, and registration is first come, first served.

Jim Lauderdale’s session is scheduled for March 2-4 in Nashville. Dates for the Bush session will be announced soon.

The Jerry Douglas Band consists of Luke Bulla on fiddle, Guthrie Trapp on guitar, Todd Parks on bass and Chad Melton on drums along with jerry on resonator guitar.

Songs featured in this 31 minute segment include Unfolding, Glide, Marriage Made in Hollywood, Route Irish and Who’s Your Uncle.

Their entire performance is currently accessible from the Mountain Stage section at NPR.com.

Titled Jerry Douglas, Irreplaceable Instrumentalist, the article spends time focusing on Douglas’ accomplishments, but also on how his mind works musically. Many resophonic guitar player would love to figure out what makes Douglas tick, I’m sure. It seems the songs vocals are an important part of this instrumentalist’s style.

“I’m a singer at heart,” Mr. Douglas admitted during a recent interview in Nashville, “but when I started playing dobro, I stopped singing — because it took that space in my head. At times I’ll feel strongly about hitting a harmony note with Alison’s voice, accenting the line, and it gives the illusion of there being a harmony singer.”

The article goes on to discuss the influence of various musical genres on Douglas’ style, including the bluegrass he played as a young man, jazz, country, and the blues. And quoting everyone from Alison Krauss to Garth Brooks, the article takes a look at the influence Douglas has had on the modern musical landscape.

It’s a well written and fairly easy read. If you’re interested in the dobro, or just good musicianship for that matter, you’ll want to check it out.

Jerry Douglas is nominated again for Musician Of The Year, and award he has won three times previously – in ‘02, ‘05 and ‘07.

Alison Krauss received nominations for both Female Vocalist, and with Robert Plant in the Musical Event category for the song Gone, Gone, Gone from their Raising Sand project.

It is quite a testament to her reigning star power that Krauss is nominated by both the CMA and the IBMA as a female vocalist in a year when she has been absent from recording and performing either country or bluegrass music.

The winners will be announced during a live ABC telecast of the awards show at 8:00 p.m. on November 12. The show will be held in Nashville.

A full list of nominees can be found on the CMA web site.

His distinctive slide style has been sought to grace recordings by artists as diverse as bluegrass/new acoustic stalwarts B?©la Fleck and Tony Rice, to pop singer/songwriters Paul Simon and James Taylor.

Like previous Douglas recordings, Glide defies every attempt at stylistic pigeon-holing, and features a mixing of genres and sounds as varied as his career suggests. You’ll hear bluegrass influence throughout the majority of the CD, even when the tunes aren’t specifically grassy, encompassing elements of Celtic, American folk, country and rock.

We had a chance to get some feedback from Jerry about the new CD, and about a special honor that has come his way.

“I have been named Artist In Residence for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for this year. I feel very honored by this appointment. Last year’s Artist was Kris Kristofferson. Earl Scruggs and Tom T. Hall have also had this title.

What this means is that I get do four shows during the months of August and September any way I see fit. I am trying to recruit some respected friends who have meant something special to my career down through the years. I also want this to be entertaining for both the folks participating and those coming to see a good show. There are only around 200 seats in the Ford’s Theater in the Museum and I want this to be something special for those there to remember.”

The Artist In Residency shows are scheduled for August 19, August 27, September 16 and September 30. Tickets are currently available for Museum members, and any remaining seats will be offered to the general public on Monday, July 21. More details can be found on the Hall Of Fame web site, or by calling 615-416-2001.

Given the variety of sounds he captured on Glide, I wondered how many different guitars he used in recording this album.

“I used quite a few guitars for Glide. The workhorse being my new signature model Beard in different tunings, I sometimes stacked tracks with other Beard guitars I have. Also used were an old Weissenborn guitar, lapsteels from Jason Dumont at Lapking Guitars and a Fender Tele I’ve had for years made for me as a lapsteel. I also played an old Martin D-18 and Gibson J-200 on some tracks.”

One track that really stood out for me is Sway sur Rue Royale, which Jerry wrote. It neatly captures the feel and passion of a traditional New Orleans funeral march.

“The funeral march, Sway sur Rue Royale, came at me after watching a TV show called NBC 360 where their staff musicians called in sick so their New Orleans refugee subs could work and make some money to send home to the families they had left behind. Their playing was beautiful and unique to the musicians of New Orleans. The whole Katrina disaster is so sad.

I wrote this song, which has a very normal, hummable melody, but needed a cross between a Salvation Army Band and Preservation Hall Brass horn sound. It is complex, and at the same time vulnerable to the point of sounding as if it might fall apart at any time.

My drummer Doug Belote has spent much of his musical career in New Orleans and guided me to the perfect musicians to pull this off.”

Another standout track is his cut of the bluegrass banjo classic, Home Sweet Home, made popular by the incomparable Earl Scruggs, who joins Jerry for this version, along with Tony Rice on guitar for a trio arrangement.

“Home Sweet Home is cut completely live and off the cuff. I’ve been loving that song and particularly the way Earl Scruggs plays it since the first time I heard him play it on Foggy Mountain Banjo in 1964. It’s amazing how great he plays. It’s the same tone and attack that I heard then, and still makes me feel six years old every time I hear it.

There aren’t many times in your life when you can play music with such a master. I am very fortunate.”

Two noted vocalists and successful country artists, Travis Tritt and Rodney Crowell, join Jerry on Glide, and the songs where they are featured would be at home on country radio or on video TV. I wondered whether either was being pondered.

“Of course I would like to shoot videos and release singles to radio for every song on Glide. I write with a visual mind. Unfortunately, you can’t have a video for every song you write.

I think there are some strong contenders on this record, but we’ll have to see what the ‘powers that be’ have to say and if they see the same images I do. There is no use making them if no one is going to see them, but in my mind they are all movies, whether they have words or not.”

There don’t seem to be any audio samples from Glide up as yet, but they are sure to appear as the August 19 release date draws near.

This is one that fans and students of the resonator guitar will not want to miss.

There will be two Douglas models – a production model and a limited edition guitar.

The Jerry Douglas signature model will have all solid woods – Honduran ribbon mahogany for the back and sides, sapele (African mahogany) for the top, and mahogany for the neck. The inlay and coverplate will be custom to the Douglas model and will ship for $5250 with arched hardshell case and straplock assembly.

The Limited Edition guitar uses solid pomele sapele – a very highly figured variety – for the back, sides and top. The other components will be the same as the production guitar, other than the installation of a Fishman Aura pickup and the Douglas family crest inlaid on the headstock. Only 50 of these guitars will be made, with a selling price of $7500.

Look for more details soon on the Beard web site.

The Douglas models were unveiled today at the Winter NAMM show in CA.

There aren’t many details on the Beard site, but I’m sure we can get more information when they return from NAMM.

CMT.com

Rounder Records doesn’t have any information yet about when they might complete this next project, or when it may be released.

Jerry will also have a new solo project of his own in April on Koch Records, and plans to tour in support with his band in the Spring.

2007 marked Jerry’s 10th nomination for this CMA award, which was known as the Instrumentalist of the Year until 1988.

Sam Bush drops by at 9:00 a.m. to talk with Katy Daley about his current tour with Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas, which stops tonight in DC.

Then at 11:00, Lee Michael Demsey will preview his lengthy interview with Jerry Douglas. The full interview will run on Sunday (11/4) at 6:00 p.m., in which Lee and Jerry take a look (and listen) back over Jerry’s long career in music, and take a look at where he is headed next.

Catch it all live via live streaming at www.BluegrassCountry.org.

The first episode is set to air on Friday, September 21 and features Jerry Douglas, Eddi Reader with Tim O’Brien, and Julie Fowlis with Donal Lunny.

The series is broadcast with stereo sound in a widescreen format.

For more information, and the broadcast schedule, you can visit the BBC Four website.

Daniel Menaker accompanied Douglas on a shopping trip to Matt Umanov Guitars on Bleecker Street in Manhattan when Jerry was in New York City on August 2 for an Alison Krauss show.

The article primarily celebrates the concept of attention to detail, and demonstrates just how rich is Douglas’ grasp of the many fine points of stringed instruments and how they are played.

Read the full piece on The New Yorker site.

Hat tip: Danny Shameer

As John said in his post, we missed the first couple of tunes, but I did hear part of Early Morning Rain from the lobby. That is one of my favorite Lightfoot tunes that Tony ever recorded, I’m sorry I missed it. But there were plenty more where that one came from. I especially enjoyed Alison’s rendition of Song For A Winter’s Night.

The band sounded great on this material and Tony blended right into the band, not taking center stage until they gave it to him. Even the traditional bluegrass numbers they did from the Album Band repertoire where performed true to the way Rice recorded them, with no guitar solo. Let me tell you, there was no need. Tony’s rhythm was spectacular! I’ve always been a fan of his rhythm playing and he was in fine form Friday evening. Driving, tasteful, spicy, and grin inspiring, not to mention spot on timing, Tony’s rhythm was one of the highlights of the concert for me.

One thing that struck me was the obvious mutual respect on the stage. AKUS was very respectful of Tony, honoring him as a hero. But you tell he reciprocated that respect. Rice heaped praise on both Alison and Tyminski as being two of his favorite singers. Introducing one song, Tony made a comment to that effect and Jerry Douglas said “Thanks Tony” to much laughter from the audience. But seeing Douglas and Rice play together reminded you that these two have recorded and played together a lot down through the years. They have that synergy you sometimes see where it appears they are feeding off each other’s creativity and doing more together than they would either do alone.

The show included the funny stage banter we’ve come to expect from Alison. While introducing the band members, she referred to banjoist Ron Block as the bands “sexy librarian.” She also told a very funny story about a country fan who had a crush on Barry Bales at a show…and thought he was playing the cello!

During the final performance (they did come back for an encore) of Freeborn Man, they projected a slideshow of photos on the screen behind the band. The photos were mostly of Tony, though there were a few of Alison as well, with different bands and musicians he’s recorded and performed with over the years. It was a nice touch to add to what could be considered Tony’s signature song.

Overall, the show was entertaining and the music was excellent. I can’t wait for the recording of this tour to be released. It’s bound to be a classic instantly. I got the feeling toward the end of the show that this was one of those moments my children and grandchildren are likely to ask me about.