The upcoming Mountain Roads Recordings CD, Born Into Bluegrass – The Songs of Cullen Galyean, will be premiered tonight (8/29) on WBRF FM 98.1 in Galax, VA.

The album celebrates the contributions of Galyean, a legendary performer from western North Carolina who had worked with The Stanley Brothers, Hylo Brown and Charlie Monroe. All of the songs are ones Galyean has written, performed by such stellar Virginia/North Carolina artists as Junior Sisk, Terry Baucom, Johnny Williams, Jimmy Haley and Rick Allred.

Cullen was discovered in 1965 at the storied Fincastle bluegrass festival, where he won the banjo competition with a spirited rendition of Midnight Ramble. That ‘65 live audio is included as on the tracks on the new CD. He had been recorded before in 1984, with Bobby Harrison on the Folkways album, Old Time Bluegrass from the Virginia-North Carolina Border.

Judith Burnette of WBRF tells us that Cullen’s son Mickey Galyean will be with her in the studio during the 8:00 p.m. hour while they highlight the music from Born Into Bluegrass. Mickey performs with his own bluegrass band, Rich In Tradition.

“I’m hoping Cullen will be well enough to join us in celebration, as well. He has been in the nursing home for the last several weeks for rehab. He had a serious bladder infection and was hospitalized a couple of times because of that.  He wasn’t very mobile before this illness, and was even less so after the hospital stays.  Mickey told me he has been able to walk from the bed to the bathroom, and from a wheelchair to his bed so that is an improvement.”

Cullen was able to be in the studio for some of the recording of this project. He plays his banjo and sings baritone on Bluegrass Time, he sings baritone on Days of Grey and Black, Judy Lou and Blue Ridge Mountains.”

WBRF broadcasts at 98.1 FM from Galax, and can be heard over a wide area in Virginia, North Carolina Tennessee and West Virginia. They also simulcast online at www.blueridgecountry98.com.

Born Into Bluegrass – The Songs of Cullen Galyean is scheduled for release on October 1.

Junior Sisk has announced the addition of mandolinist Jason Tomlin to Ramblers Choice. Jason had previously played bass with The Deer Creek Boys, and will also sing tenor with Junior’s group.

That completes a new lineup with Timmy Massey on bass, Darrell Wilkerson on banjo, Billy Hawks on fiddle and Sisk on guitar and lead vocals.

Junior also mentioned that he plans to take the band into the studio in October, with expectations of a March 2010 release.

Should be a good’n.

This column, containing brief reviews of recent CD releases by Richard Thompson, is published in the current (Spring 2009) edition of British Bluegrass News. As it is a lengthy piece, we have broken it into two parts, with the firt installment having run last Sunday.

A series of rambles about CDs by bluegrassmercury, part 2…

A big bundle of CDs has landed on my desk in the recent past. They include those by Danny Paisley, the Infamous Stringdusters, Williams & Clark Expedition, Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, Daughters Of Bluegrass, High Windy, Gold Heart, Cherryholmes, Earl Scruggs, The Mashville Brigade, Crowe Brothers, Ralph Stanley II, Longview, Big Country Bluegrass.

The Daughters Of Bluegrass Bluegrass Bouquet (Blue Circle BCR 017) is an epic collection of some considerable magnitude, comprising 17 cuts and featuring over 50 ‚Äòdaughters.’ The first track, Proud To Be A Daughter of Bluegrass alone there are 20 ladies singing, 4 shouters and 6 pickers.

Those familiar with the Blue Circle label and the Good Home Grown Music group will recognise that this album is the product of Tom T Hall and our own Miss Dixie Hall. She’s a Boldmere, Birmingham girl! The duo penned all songs and most of the recording was done at the Hall’s home studio in Franklyn, Tennessee.

The quality of songs and singers is remarkably and consistently high, with many stand-out tracks (There Ought to Be) More to Love than This [sung by Lisa Ray]; I’m Gonna Love You Now [Frances Mooney]; Nobody Home [Lorraine Jordan]; the a cappella Go Up on the Mountain and Wait [with five-part harmonies]; I Made of a Flower Today and Scenes from an Old Country Graveyard, both with an old-time country feel; another with a gospel edge Take Me With You [Beth Lawrence]; Desmoranda [Valerie Smith]; Carolina State of Mind [Gina Britt]; and Everybody Got a Light [Beth Stevens]. In addition to the opening song, three others feature multiple lead vocalists. Overall, the ladies have produced an excellent album.

The latest album from Ralph Stanley II This One Is II (Lonesome Day Records 013) sees him striking out for a wider market than that which encapsulates the strict bluegrass fan. Stanley has a deeper voice than the late lamented Keith Whitley, but the similarities are very definitely there, just as they are with his uncle, Carter Stanley.

II, as he is known, has gathered together a bunch of top studio buddies; Tim Crouch (fiddle and guitar), Cody Kilby (guitar), Randy Kohrs (resophonic guitar), Harold Nixon (bass), Adam Steffey (mandolin) and Ron Stewart (banjo, utilised sparingly). Jim Lauderdale, Steve Gulley, Darrin Vincent, Marty Raybon and Dale Ann Bradley all provide some harmonic assistance.

Beginning with a Garth Brooks song, Cold Shoulder, II has included a Elton John song (Georgia) and one by Townes van Zandt (the beautifully melodious "Loretta") and another by Lyle Lovett (a driving bluegrass treatment of "L A County"). Also, in the ‚Äòcountry’ pigeon-hole are They Say I’ll Never Go Home, Honky Tonk Way and If This Old Guitar Could Talk. Train Songs is up-tempo offering from the pen of the ubiquitous Tom T Hall. Saving the very best for comment to the last there is the killer Moms Are the Reason Wild Flowers Grow and the equally heart-rendering Carter, the Fred Eaglesmith tribute to Carter Stanley. File under ‚ÄòGreat Music.’ (more…)

John Miller, who has most recently been playing mandolin and singing tenor with Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice, tells us that he is leaving the group. No word yet about a replacement.

John says that his future plans are in flux, but it’s clear that someone will get a strong guitar and tenor man out of the deal.

For the short term, Miller is working with Jesse Brock (mandolinist with Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper) on a new Gospel project for singer/songwriter Rick Lang. John and Jesse are both producing and playing on the CD, Look To The Light, which will feature 14 Lang originals and co-writes.

Rick’s songs have been recorded by a number of prominent bluegrass artists, including Lonesome River band, IIIrd Tyme Out, Front Range and Paul Adkins.

Assisting will be Ron Stewart on banjo and fiddle, Wyatt Rice on guitar, and Mike Cleveland on fiddle. Additional vocals will be provided by Junior Sisk, Russell Moore, Jeff Parker and Dale Ann Bradley.

Should be a good’n.