Also neglected in this area are upright bass players, the unsung heroes of the bluegrass band. A new event scheduled for January 2, 2010 is a step towards remedying that, starting with a one-day workshop in Roanoke, VA.

Billed as the Bass Strummit, it will feature instruction from Jason Moore, the celebrated bassist with Mountain Heart, assisted by co-host Mike Conner, along with instrument set up tips from bass repair specialist, Jerry Fretwell. Conner tells us that they are starting small, but have plans to expand if the first Strummit is successful.

“We can take up to 20 students in January. If this one goes well, we’re probably going to schedule something quarterly in different regions of the country, like DC, Nashville, and the northeast.”

Moore tells us that they will cover basics like left and right hand technique, practice habits, tuning and pitch, instrument setup plus more advanced skills like percussive sounds and hand positioning for certain tones and effects. He was also unwilling to accept credit for inventing something new.

“I don’t know of an all bass event being held before, but I am sure somebody has done it. There is no way Mike and I have come up with a new concept. : )

I really haven’t been teaching long but I do enjoy it. It has made me look at what I do instead of just doing it. I never really paid attention to myself until I had to explain something. It has made me a better musician and it is always good to have your bass in your hands.”

Jason did, however, credit Mike Conner with the idea for the Bass Strummit. Conner is the promoter for FiddleFest, an annual two day festival on the campus of Hollins University, near Roanoke.

“Mike was instrumental in this. I started giving lessons a while back, and after Mountain Heart played the Fiddlefest in Roanoke, Mike asked me about lessons. I told him to just come down to the house and we would see what we could do. He worked it out to be here all day and we covered a lot of ground. He did well and said he had an idea to try to get more people involved in the learning process. One thing led to another and here we are.

I consider this a great opportunity for myself. If I can help one person get better at something they enjoy, I have done something important. Music is a gift and I along with a lot of other people tend to forget that and turn it into a job. That is not always a good thing.

Music is meant to be enjoyed and if I can help people get more enjoyment out of it, I feel very good about that.

Many thanks to Mike for all of the leg work too. He is the best, and is a good bass player in his own right.”

The site is Mill Mountain Theater Atelier, an historic restored hotel in downtown Roanoke. Registration and accomodation details can be found online.

Their appearance was broadcast nationally via ABC sports.

Nice job, guys!

Their rendition featured Josh Shilling as the primary vocalist, with the rest of the members providing harmony on a powerful and inventive arrangement. Mountain Heart manager Brian Smith tells us that he has been responding to feedback since Sunday afternoon.

“It was a milestone event for them and we are getting interest in more gigs as a result.

Racing legend Richard Petty came over while there to congratulate the guys and said he loved it. Numerous other drivers and team members did so as well before they climbed into their cars for the race.”

The race starts at 1:30 p.m. (EDT), and they are scheduled to sing at roughly 1:25. Coverage is on ABC television.

We’ll post any other photos as soon as we get them.

The race starts at 1:30 p.m. (EDT), with ABC coverage beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Manager Brian Smith told us that this was an appearance that took a lot of work to secure, and the guys are very excited about the opportunity.

“We are still discussing the arrangement but everyone will appear even if they don’t all sing. It will be a big homecoming for Josh Shilling, who hails from nearby and cut his teeth in that music market.”

This will be a big day for bluegrass music and sports. October 25 will also find Rhonda Vincent singing the anthem before the NFL’s Chiefs-Chargers game in Kansas City.

Way to go Mountain Heart and Rhonda – more please!

Watch the video from Mountain Heart we shot during their special Tuesday night showcase at IBMA. It offers a glimpse of the variety of music they deliver, from traditional bluegrass to a rockin’, hybrid sound. The presentation was powerful, and whether you agree with taking bluegrass in this direction, the impact of the performance was impressive – and unforgettable.

Watch the video here.

What do you think?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mountain Heart: I thought that their showcase was brilliant, and was very interested to see how they would approach this “going over to the other side” vibe. When the band launched in 1999 – in another en masse exodus from Doyle Lawson – they were a decidedly bluegrass group, very much in the Quicksilver mode.

Only banjo player and vocalist Barry Abernathy and fiddler Jim VanCleve remain from the original lineup, and with new members coming and going, you expect any band to see an evolution in their sound.

Over these ten years, they have been drifting towards a more modern sound, both in their recordings and in their stage presentation. With the addition last year of Josh Shilling, a very talented vocalist and songwriter whose background is in blues and funk-based music, the guys have been drifting ever farther from a bluegrass-only format. Even the fiddle tunes they perform often rely on harmony that owes as much to rock as bluegrass, and the production of their recent studio albums have strayed from kickoff-verse-chorus-break arrangements.

The whole point of last night’s showcase was to introduce a new stage show that made no attempt to be “a bluegrass band” or a “blues band” or a “rock band.”  The video Brance is editing now will have a lot of comments from Shilling about their newly-refocused approach, where they just let the various stylistic influences in the band be what they are. Bluegrass traditionalists may not care for it, but it struck me that anyone with an open mind towards quality music would have to work hard to dislike it.

Mountain Heart is hosting a mega-jam tonight (9/30) to celebrate their 10th Anniversary, with a stellar list of guests scheduled to appear with them on stage. We will certainly be trying to catch that, tonight at 11:15 p.m. (CDT).

Adam Steffey: I agree with Brance that this was a highlight of the day’s music. All the Mountain Heart guys were there – they headed down to see Adam (a former band mate) after their event had concluded.

His band – essentially The Dan Tyminski Band with Clay Hess on guitar and Randy Kohrs on resonator guitar – was sonic perfection. Ron Stewart shows every time he straps on one why he is among the most admired banjoists in bluegrass. Barry Bales plays bass with the tone and sense of time that the rest seek to emulate, and Justin Moses plays fiddle and sings tenor as well as one could hope.

Steffey worked his magic on both mandolin and deep-baritone vocals. Adam has never thought of himself as a singer, though the numbers he would do in the AKUS show while he was a member were always extremely well received, and he delivered two of them last night (Cloudy Days and No Place To Hide). The focus, though was on material from his new Sugar Hill CD, One More For the Road.

Interestingly, Brance and I had heard the title track performed by Josh Shilling and Mountain Heart just an hour or so before Adam’s set. Josh wrote the song, and Steffey opened the show with his version. The contrast was striking, though both were compelling. Adam’s growly, nearly-bass voice immediately grabs your attention, and his rhythm section was sheer joy.

This is a fabulous CD, and getting to see the material performed live was a treat. A particular shout-out to Clay Hess who sang Let Me Fall, in place of the absent Dan Tyminski who did the vocal on the album. It was a fine job, and it brought down the house.

Tina Adair: Though nearly asleep at this point, I drug myself downstairs to hear a short set from The Tina Adair Band.

Tina is a terrific singer, with a voice as big as all outdoors. Her group features Justin Carbone on guitar, Sim Daley on banjo and her husband Tim Dishman on bass. Their set was music from an upcoming CD, with one (How Great Thou Art) from one of her previous releases.

The setting was intimate, sponsored by the South Florida Bluegrass Association, and I could hear them as well acoustically as I could through the sound system. Sim Daley deserves special mention, not only for his understated, tasteful banjo playing, but for the tone of Tina’s purple mandolin, which Sim built. It has always puzzled me why a banjo player as skillful as Sim chooses to build mandolins rather than banjos, but he does, and his Daley Mandolins are highly prozed by professional pickers.

Sim’s banjo, which would appear to be an old flathead, had a remarkable tone, and he did a brilliant job of coaxing it gently from the strings.

Guitarist Carbone shone on both rhythm and lead, not to mention as a songwriter. Several of the songs from the upcoming CD they featured are his.

All of the songs were strong, and quite well performed. Tina’s voice is the showpiece of the band, but harmony vocals are powerful as well. It’s a great group all around.

Watch out for this bunch…

We are very fortunate this year to have Dean Hoffmeyer shooting for us during World Of Bluegrass. He is a Pulitzer-nominated photographer with The Richmond Times Dispatch, and his work speaks for itself. Dean’s work also graces a number of recent bluegrass CD covers, including the recent Grasstowne and Jason Davis projects.

Dean will be providing photos over the next few days, including Thursday night’s Awards Show. He will posting them as soon as he shoots, so we’ll have galleries going up during the show, while Brance and I are posting the winners in real time here on The Bluegrass Blog.

First, John and I were able to catch a Mountain Heart show. The band performed some of their more requested tunes, but also unveiled some new music they’re working up. Several of the songs were performed for the first time last night. The material is great and the band sounds powerful. I really enjoyed the show. I taped part of the show and we talked to a couple of the band members afterward, with the camera running, so be on the lookout for a video later today.

Next we caught Adam Steffey’s official showcase. Adam has long been one of my favorites, and last night proved why. There’s just something cool about that “low lonesome sound” as Adam said, “High lonesome is sooooo 2007!”

Since Adam was the last of the official, main stage showcases, I headed downstairs for some “after hours” fun.

I caught Buddy Merriam’s show. Celebrating his 30th year of performing bluegrass music, there is no finer Monroe style mandolin player out there. And Buddy is just one of my favorite people. It doesn’t hurt that he’s got Ernie Sykes Jr. playing bass and singing with him. What a voice!

I stayed put after Buddy was finished and had the pleasure of hearing Frank Solivan II and his band Dirty Kitchen. Frank is a great musician and singer, and he’s surrounded himself with excellent musicians and singers. I was especially impressed with their trio vocals. They had the parts worked out and sounded good. Performing some traditional material as well as many originals, they’ve got a finely tuned sound that obviously appealed to the crowed who gathered to hear them.

After that, I visited with a few friends, picked up a couple pieces of news you’ll be reading about in the coming days, and then headed to bed. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera with me, so no pictures.

We have video interviews set up with Del McCoury and Sam Bush to talk about their upcoming CDs.

The Grascals have scheduled a major announcement for Monday afternoon. No leaks about what they are up to, but we’ll have something on it as soon as possible.

Mountain Heart has a very ambitious schedule for the week. On Tuesday evening they have a private showcase set up that is expected to draw a great deal of attention. The band has written and worked up some new material that they will be performing before an invitation-only group of label folks on Tuesday, and we’ll be there to report on the show.

If you have seen Mountain Heart of late, you may have noticed that their edgy, in-your-face style has become even more so, with vocalist/guitarist Josh Shilling occasionally slipping behind an electric keyboard for some bluesy, rocking numbers.

Here’s an example…

Click here to view the embedded video.

This event is open to any IBMA registrants. We hope to capture some video of the show, and speak to some of the performers.

Also on Wednesday, Rural Rhythm and Sugar Hill Records are hosting private showcases, and we are planning to spend time there as well. Both will serve to highlight their fine artists, who we hope to interview and shoot – videowise, that is.

Rural Rhythm’s showcase is expected to feature Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain, IIIrd Tyme Out, Audie Blaylock & Redline and Michael Martin Murphey. They will also share details about their involvement with a major east coast festival. Kyle Cantrell will MC.

Those are just a few of the IBMA events we’ll be covering over the next few days. Whew… better bank some sleep!

He will continue to play banjo on the Mountain Heart with Tony Rice shows, and will also be on banjo for shows with Mashville Brigade when they tour starting next year.

Bauc told us that he really enjoyed working with Dale Ann, whom he considers to be a great friend.

“It was a nice variation for me working up her material, and it was a great creative time, but I really wanted to get back to playing more hard driving stuff. That’s more my style.”

Baucom mentioned that he hoped to be able to be available for more banjo clinics and workshops, such as the North Carolina Banjo Clinic where he will be teaching in November.

Mashville Brigade started as a Tuesday night gig at Nashville’s Station Inn with a rotating group of Music City sidemen. Jim Van Cleve is on fiddle, Darrell Webb on guitar, Ashby Frank on mandolin, Aaron McDaris on banjo and Randall Barnes on bass. Each works with a national touring band, and the Tuesday shows became a fun way to pick together on bluegrass chestnuts they all knew and loved.

After the release of a Rural Rhythm CD, Bluegrass Smash Hits Volume 1, and the resulting radio play, the guys have decided to take the show on the road, and will be available for limited live appearances during the 2010 season. Given his busy schedule with Rhonda Vincent, McDaris was unable to commit to any Mashville shows, and as no one can mash down on traditional bluegrass like Terry Baucom, he was an obvious choice.

Booking for the Mashville Brigade shows is being handled by Ashby Frank, who can be reached by phone (615-290-5533) or email for further details.

The Mountain Heart with Tony Rice shows are managed by Mountain Heart and Keith Case & Associates.

Bass man Jason Moore said that he has a ton of pictures, but that his internet connection has been sporadic, so he will send more when he gets back home on Monday. Bon Voyage, fellas!

All’s well that ends well as they say, and the guys made it to the festival on time, and from all reports put on a fine show.

Mountain Heart fiddler Jim Van Cleve sent along some mobile photos he shot at the casino, which he described as opulent beyond belief – far fancier than any bluegrass band is accustomed to working.

Jim also mentioned that the resort management has already asked them to schedule a return engagement later this year. They must have done something right.

Just stay out of the casinos, guys. They would love to get that money back before you get away.

Their entertainment lineup this summer includes some of the top names in pop music, all a part of their Hot Summer Fun Series. Acts scheduled to appear include Beyonc?©, Stone Temple Pilots, Montgomery Gentry… and Mountain Heart!

Needless to say, they are the only bluegrass act in the series, and they managed to get high profile billing in the casino’s show poster. Nine performers grace the poster, and Mountain Heart made the cut over such established acts as Abba, Three Dog Night and Edgar Winter.

Fiddler Jim VanCleve is understandably excited about the promotion…

“Thanks to our manager and his magic-working, we have been able to score PRIME placement in all their advertising… over top of several VERY well-known and established acts. The flier is absolutely awesome.

It’s an incredible opportunity and we’re real stoked about it.”

They will perform at the casino on July 15 in a free concert, so if you crap out at the tables, you can still make the show.

Josh snuck up on Tony while he was playing the extended intro to Manzanita, and shot through the whole tune with the band.

The video quality isn’t superb, but the vantage point is one we don’t often get to see – and Rice absolutely kills on this song.

Mountain Heart

They will join Bob Webster at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) for some live music and chat which you can catch online.

WAMU’s broadcast signal can be heard over the air at 88.5 HD2 or 105.5 FM, and online at www.bluegrasscountry.org.

The 15 tracks were all recorded and broadcast live during episodes of Goin’ Across The Mountain, which airs on WNCW every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

The station’s Studio B is a first class recording facility and the audio quality of these live cuts is superb. The show attracts the very best performers in bluegrass and old time music, and the acts featured on this CD reflect the quality and diversity of music Goin’ Across The Mountain presents.

1. Balsam Range – Julie’s Train
2. Seth Taylor and Danielle Bishop – Washington County
3. The Infamous Stringdusters – You Can’t Handle The Truth
4. Laura Boosinger and Josh Goforth – Single Girl
5. Mountain Heart – You’d Better Run
6. Danny Paisley & The Southern Gras – The Room Over Mine
7. The Farewell Drifters – Somewhere Down The Road
8. Grasstowne – Here Comes That Feelin’ Again
9. Wayne and Kristin Benson – Spindale
10. Last Road Bluegrass Band – One Foot In The Mill
11. Cody Shuler and Pine Mountain Railroad – My Eyes Shall Be On Canaan’s Land
12. Steep Canyon Rangers – Call The Captain
13. Songs From The Road Band – Taxman
14. The Snyder Family Band – Daniel Prayed
15. Walkin’ Home – Salt Creek

To get a copy of this CD, contact WNCW and make a donation to support their top notch broadcasting – which is also streamed live online. In the pre-drive period (until March 28) a donation of $50 will get you this album as a premium; after that it will be $60.

We can each decide for ourselves whether a station that broadcasts 8 hours of bluegrass and traditional music on Saturdays (with more on Sundays) is worthy of our financial support. I’ll just say that Goin’ Across The Mountain Live – Volume 3 is a fine inducement.

To get a copy now, contact the station by phone (Diane Dezio – 828-287-8000).

Tony won’t be able to make the radio show (Blue Plate Special), but guitar monster David Bromberg is also on the bill, and a Mountain Heart/Bromberg jam is expected towards the end of the program.

Blue Plate Special airs live, in-studio performances at noon on weekdays, and on Fridays moves to The Square Room, with a capacity to seat 400 people. Tickets are free to the public, so if you are near Knoxville, check it out.

If not, the show airs at 102.9 FM, and can also be heard worldwide via live streaming online.

Mountain Heart has been doing shows with Rice since last summer, and have performances set up throughout 2009 including major festivals like Merlefest. Of course, with Tony unable to sing, MH vocalists Josh Shilling and Barry Abernathy handle the vocal chores on the classic Rice repertoire.

Here’s an amateur video shot at the 2008 IBMA Fan Fest of Tony and Mountain Heart doing Free Born Man.

Jones left the band in August of 2007 to deal with some personal and familial issues, and with Clay Hess having left the group to work with Sierra Hull, he is happy for the chance to return.

“I’m so excited to be back with all my brothers! I’m looking forward to seeing the greatest fans in any music again!”

I spoke with Mountain Heart fiddler Jim Van Cleve this morning, and he is likewise stoked to have Jones back onboard.

“It’s no secret that Clay Jones was a large part of the musical personality that MH had developed over the years. He brings a unique spark and intensity to the table that is all his own. That, along with his stage presence, is such a powerful combo. So, of course, we’re all super excited to get to pick with him again.

He and I go back a long time… I’ve known Jones since I was 15!

We just had our first round of rehearsals where we ran through about two and a half hours of music several times. We played all of our material and most all the songs we’ve been performing with Tony Rice. Jones knocked them all out of the park!

He grew up playing with Tony, so I guess that it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he knew that rhythmic feel and most of that material better than anybody! So, with a bit of a return to what MH has become known for, we are all chomping at the bit now to get out and do what we do this year!!”

Jim also mentioned that Clay’s first show back with the band will be at The Ark, in Ann Arbor, MI this coming weekend. This where they cut their current CD release, Road That Never Ends, The Live Album, which features Jones on guitar. From there, the band heads to Clay City, KY.

Sounds like this was meant to be…

You can find the band’s full tour schedule on their web site, and look for a chance to catch Clay with Mountain Heart – and Tony Rice – near you in ‘09.