Oregon based multi-instrumentalist, Joe Ross has recently announced the release of a third album in as many years.

Following Festival Time Again (released in 2006) and Spirit of St. Louis (2007) albums, both featuring all-original songs, is a new CD entitled, Bluegrass Alphabet - officially released Saturday, January 12, 2008 on the Zephyr Records label. The 12-track album features original bluegrass and Americana songs written by Ross during the past three decades, as well as a novel arrangement of My Bonnie with autoharp, whistle, Japanese koto, among other instruments.

The title cut, which tells the complete story of bluegrass music from A to Z, was inspired by a sailors’ alphabet song that Ross plays on concertina in his solo shows.

As well as singing lead on most of the tracks, Ross plays guitar, mandolin, upright bass, and keyboard on the project. Most vocal harmonies are handled by Nashville-based musician Randy Kohrs, while noted local Roseburg, OR vocalist Jamie Kruse makes a cameo appearance on the song, The Loneliest Season. Other well-known artists working with Ross on Bluegrass Alphabet include Bryan Bowers (autoharp), Tim Crouch and Adam Haynes (fiddle), Mitsuki Dazai (koto), Ben Greene and Scott Vestal (banjo), Jason Heald and Jerry McNeely (bass), James King (guitar), Kevin Prater (mandolin and guitar), Ronnie Stewart (banjo and fiddle) and Radim Zenkl (pennywhistle).

Wayne Bledsoe, editor of Bluegrass Now magazine, speaks highly of Joe’s abilities ……..

“A man of both deep feeling and deep thinking, Joe Ross has few peers as a singer and a songster. He epitomizes the ideal contained in the 19th century French philosopher/historian, Jean Jacques Rousseau’s observation that ‘…deep thinking is obtainable only by a person of deep feeling.’ The lyrics penned by the Oregon ’songster’, Joe Ross, attest to his astute ability to evoke in his listeners an emotional response to the joys, mysteries, and sorrows of life.”

While Stephanie P. Ledgin, author of Homegrown Music: Discovering Bluegrass, observes,

“Joe’s words come alive. A novel kind of guy, Joe Ross is a songwriter for all seasons who has cultivated his craft, demonstrating his formula for creating bluegrass songs. A multi-year award winner in the Portland (Oregon) Music Association Songwriting Contest, he cleverly sums up many of the elements of bluegrass in the title cut. Carrying through on that theme, ‘Bluegrass Alphabet’ - the song and the entire recording - is a CD that expresses, many times over, the love, knowledge and passion Joe holds for bluegrass music. He takes us on a tour of emotions and places, exhibiting a multitude of influences that go into his song writing.”

Bluegrass Alphabet (Zephyr 0431) will be distributed worldwide via Super-D/Phantom One-Stop, and is available from popular onloine resellers. Sound clips can be found on CD Baby.

Beginning January 26, Ross will be on an extended tour to promote the new album.

This post comes from our semi-regular correspondent, Richard Thompson. He writes from England, where he is also a longstanding contributor to British Bluegrass News, a quarterly print publication where he also briefly served as editor.

Bluegrass singer/songwriter Joe Ross contacted me a few days ago to remind me of the significance of today; the 80th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s historic trans-Atlantic flight.

On May 20 1927, pioneering aviator Charles Lindbergh Jr. took off in the Spirit of St. Louis from Roosevelt Field, near New York City, at 7:52 A.M. He landed at Le Bourget Field, near Paris, on May 21 at 10:21 P.M. Paris time (5:21 P.M. New York time). Thousands of cheering people had gathered to meet him. He had flown more than 3,600 miles (5,790 kilometers) in 33 1⁄2 hours.

Lindbergh’s heroic flight thrilled people throughout the world and he was honoured with awards, celebrations, and parades. President Calvin Coolidge gave Lindbergh the Congressional Medal of Honour and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts in the field of aviation.

Joe recently wrote and recorded a song, The Spirit Of St Louis, for his latest CD, a 12 track collection released earlier this year (Zephyr 0430), in which he relates the story of this important event in aeronautical history.

Here he shares some information about the way the song came to be ……

“The seed was planted for The Spirit of St. Louis when I read a newspaper article in 1987 (upon the 60th anniversary of Lindy’s flight). To accurately write such a historical account involves considerable research to get the facts right. One DJ told me that airplay of the song resulted in considerable calls from listeners who both enjoyed and learned from the song. A caller mentioned that he was very impressed by the accuracy of the account.

After drafting an initial version of the song, I also rented the 1957 movie with Jimmy Stewart called The Spirit of St. Louis. It ran for over two hours. It had been directed by Billy Wilder but wasn’t particularly thought of as a hit because of too many dull and trite scenes, and too many sequences showing Lindy flying solo on his 3600-mile, 33.5-hour journey.

That’s one reason I wanted my song to be up-tempo and move right along, as well as being in a minor key to create a certain feel of tension, adventure and discovery.” (more…)