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.