The summer (July/August) issue of Bluegrass Music Profiles is available, featuring a cover story on Pine Mountain Railroad.

BMP has as its focus, the people who play, write, and produce the music, along with those who build and maintain the instruments on which it is played. They focus on the personalities, and seek to help fans get to know the people who make the music happen.

This summer issue also contains an interview with Reid Burgess of King Wilkie, where he speaks candidly about the band’s decision to move away from the traditional bluegrass format that brought them to early success. They were so enamored of Bill Monroe, that they chose the name of one of Bill Monroe’s horses as the moniker for the band.

“King Wilkie initially tried to fit the mold of Bill Monroe’s brand of bluegrass. To me, Bill Monroe is bluegrass and unfortunately he’s not still here to do it better than everybody else. I guess we eventually realized - like many people do - that we’re not Bill Monroe and never will be.”

Publisher Kevin Kerfoot shared a few other tidbits found in the new issue:

Other features include a Q&A with Doyle Lawson, Shop Talk with Tony Trischka, a DJ Profile on Main Street Bluegrass Show’s Ward McAfee, David Peterson’s Bluegrass Favorites, a Q&A with Bluegrass Boy #37 Frank Buchanan, an Instrument Profile on Gibson’s Ricky Skaggs Limited Edition Distressed Master Model Mandolin, a feature remembering Grand Ole Opry Fiddler Casey Jones - which includes an interview with his daughter Marilyn Boyd, a feature about the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s Video Oral History Project, a Promoter Profile on Carolyn and Johnny Vincent, and a Songwriting Profile on Larry Cordle. You’ll also find BMP’s Bluegrass Mailbag, Anything Bluegrass News, Top 20 Hot Singles and Top 10 Bluegrass CDs, Festivals, Grassifieds, Web Sightings, Bluegrass Store, and Fresh For The Pickin’ CD reviews.

Individual issues can be purchased for $3.00, and annual subscriptions run $15.00. Get more details on the BMP web site.

We have posted a few times recently about both management and membership changes in Pine Mountain Railroad. With one last announcement, it appears that the new band is fully formed.

Yesterday, we got word from the band that they have hired Elmer Burchett on banjo, joining Cody Shuler on mandolin, Bill McBee on bass, Matt Flake on fiddle, and both Mark Cable and Eil Johnson on guitar. Johnson had originally joined the band on banjo.

The band invites everyone to visit their newly redesigned web site, and hear a preview of Awful Lonesome Train, a cut from their upcoming CD, Alone With Forever, due in February 2007. That cut will be released as a single on the January issue of Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass (#85).

We mentioned recently that guitarist Jerry Butler had left Pine Mountain Railroad, and just found out where he landed.

Jerry has joined up with Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road where he will be featured as a lead singer along with band leader Jordan. He joins the existing band, which includes Lorraine Jordan on mandolin/vocals, David Guthrie on guitar, Ben Greene on banjo, Josh Goforth on fiddle, and Todd Meade on bass.

Butler has been involved as a bluegrass performer since he was 12 years old, when he had a band with Phil Leadbetter of Wildfire called The Knoxville Newgrass Boys. Before his tenure with Pine Mountain Railroad, Jerry worked with the Joe Isaacs Band.

Jerry is very pleased with the new gig.

“I am excited to be working with Lorraine and the boys. They are a good group to travel with as I have already found out on a recent trip to Branson. I look forward seeing old friends and making new ones as well.”

The excitement runs back in his direction from Lorraine Jordan as well.

“Jerry will give Carolina Road the extra sound that it needs to reach the next level. What a great singer and entertainer he is! This is a great move for both he and I.”

You can find the band’s schedule on the Carolina Road web site.

We posted last month about a shakeup in the ownership and personnel of Pine Mountain Railroad.

At the time, we indicated that mandolinist Cody Shuler had assumed management of the band, and that banjo picker Kipper Stitt and guitarist/vocalist Jerry Butler would be leaving.

During IBMA week, Nothin’ Fancy announced that Eli Johnson would be departing to play banjo with Pine Mountain Railroad, but no comment had yet been issued by PMR.

They have now officially announced Johnson coming on board playing banjo and guitar, as well as the hiring of Mark Cable as guitarist and lead vocalist. Cable’s background is in southern Gospel music, with a strong familiarity with bluegrass.

Along with Shuler on mandolin, Bill McBee remains on bass, and Matt Flake on fiddle.

McBee, who handles publicity for the band, tells us that they are also adding a sixth man, and that an announcement of that hiring is imminent.

It appears that Pine Mountain Railroad has made a number of personnel changes, with one rebounding into Nothin’ Fancy.

Mandolinist Cody Shuler has taken over management of PMR, and is bringing in some new faces. We understand that guitarist Jerry Butler is gone, and banjo player Kipper Stitt will be leaving just after IBMA week.

Coming in to play banjo will be Eli Johnston, who until just last week was playing bass with Nothin’ Fancy. His leaving brought about a happy reunion for Nothin’ Fancy fans, as original bassist Tony Shorter has decided to return to traveling full time with the band.

I’m sure that we can pick up some more details later today when folks start schlepping down into the exhibit area.

Officially released on March 21, 2006, Heartache & Hope, the newest record from Pine Mountain Railroad, has already fulfilled the hope the band had in the project.

Beyond the Rain, the gospel tune written by Mark “Brink” Brinkman, has charted at Number 1 on the PowerGrass.com Gospel Chart. Beyond the Rain has also made its first appearance on The Southern Gospel Top 50 chart, entering the chart at Number 42.

Kipper Stitt’s Laura Jean is currently Number 7 on the PowerGrass.com Gospel Chart.

Bandleader Kipper Stitt said this about the album’s success:

We are honored that these two songs from our Heartache & Hope album are already making chart appearances. And we’re very thankful for the many air personalities here and abroad who are giving so many spins to these and other tracks from our new CD.

For more information about the CD and to hear samples, please visit at PineMountainRailroad.com

Heartache & Hope is the title of the latest release from Pine Mountain Railroad, which will be officially released March 15 on the TrackTones Records label. The new CD was produced by Missy Raines, and recorded in Nashville by Ben Suratt, with guest performances turned in by Ben and Sonya Isaacs, Stuart Duncan, Larry Atamanuic, and producer Missy Raines.

PMR fans can pre-order the CD now from the band’s web site, where audio samples from each of the 12 tracks can also be found. The guys say that they will sign and ship pre-release orders as soon as they receive the CDs.

Pine Mountain Railroad will be visiting the studios of WTUF in Thomasville, GA today (1/21), with an live guest spot featured at 3:00 p.m. (EST). They will spend some time chatting with show host “Lazy Len” Robinson, and also pick and sing a few there in the WTUF studio.

The show is broadcast over the air on FM 106.3, and is also available via online streaming from the WTUF web site. The Afternoon Bluegrass Show with Lazy Len runs from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and the Pine Mountain Railroad segment is scheduled in the 3:00-4:00 p.m. segment.

The PMR boys are looking forward to the release of their next CD in the second week of March, 2006. This new project, entitled Heartache and Hope, was produced by Missy Raines, and recorded by Ben Surratt at Rec Room Studios in Nashville.

Pine Mountain Railroad has a new name to add to their eclectic list of sponsors. The boys are proud to announce that the headgear they wear on stage is now provided by The Fedora Store in Lindenhurst, IL.

The benefits of sponsorship also extend to Pine Mountain Railroad friends and fans, who are entitled to a discount on all orders placed online through The Fedora Store. Details on the special pricing offer here.