An upcoming episode of Kentucky Life will feature the young bluegrass group Kentucky Sassafras. The program was taped at My Old Kentucky Home State Park. The focus of the episode is Bardstown, KY, home of the Jim Beam distillery.

A good portion of the show is sure to be given over to the Jim Beam story. Another segment of the show will feature Promotional Wood Products’ owners Charlie and Patrick Hutchens. They’ll talk about their business, and when asked if their sons will follow in their footsteps and one day take over the family business, they introduce the band, which includes their sons, Jory (fiddle) and Turner (mandolin). It seems the boys have another career in mind!

KSassafras begins their segment of the show at Tom Pig’s Restaurant in Bardstown, KY by playing My Old Kentucky Home. The rest of the performance takes place at the Waterfront in Louisville, KY.

There they perform “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” which includes the “switcheroo” where Tyler and Chloe share one banjo during a break of the song, and then Turner and Jory share the mandolin during a break of the song.

They close out the segment with Catfish John.

KSassafras’ members range from ages 12-17. The current line up of the band includes Jory Hutchens (fiddle), Turner Hutchens (mandolin), Cloe Blayne (guitar/banjo), Tyler Mullins (banjo/guitar), and Amelia John (bass).

Cloe and Amelia John are sisters and the two Hutchens boys cousins, making the band a family affair.

The show airs Saturday, October 6 at 8PM EST and again on Sunday, October 7 at 4:30PM on KET1. It will also run on Sunday, October 7 at 7PM EST on KET2.

Brance posted last month about Kentucky House Bill 71, which made bluegrass the official music of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He also mentioned that a ceremonial signing of the bill would occur during the live taping of Michael Johnathon’s Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, with KY Governor Ernie Fletcher on hand with his sharpie.

The video of that show is now available for viewing online at the Woodsongs site. The show features performances by Cherryholmes, teen-aged grassers Kentucky Sassafras, and Kentucky bluegrass legend JD Crowe.

Governor Fletcher shows his bluegrass street cred by mentioning how he would go to the Holiday Inn in Lexington while he was in college to catch JD Crowe perform.

Visit the Woodsongs site to watch the video and see/hear songs from Cherryholmes new CD, Cherryholmes II: Black & White, tunes by Kentucky Sassafras and a banjo mandolin duet featuring Scott Napier on mandolin, and both Cia Cherryholmes and JD Crowe on banjo.

The state of Kentucky has a long history of association with bluegrass music, but this coming Monday, June 25, 2007, it will become official.

The state’s Governor, Ernie Fletcher, will be making a special appearance, along with banjo legend J.D. Crowe and IBMA Executive Director Dan Hays, for the signing of House Bill 71. The bill will make bluegrass music the offical music of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The event will be marked by the performance of some bluegrass music by the bands Kentucky Sassafras and Cherryholmes. Most of you are probably familiar with 2005 IBMA Entertainer of Year, Cherryholmes, but you may not be so familiar with Kentucky Sassafras. This is a young band of teenage pickers from the Boston, KY area.

Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour will be on hand to film the proceedings. The Woodsongs Webcast due to air that evening from 6:55-8:15pm EST will feature performances from both bands as well as J.D. Crowe and The New South.

While all but one state have official state songs, as best I can tell Kentucky will be the first state to adopt an official state music. It’s quite an honor for bluegrass music to have that distinction.