Our friend Craig Havighurst has posted a YouTube video bio of Sierra Hull. Craig produced the video for Rounder Records to coincide with the release, yesterday, of Sierra’s new CD, Secrets.

We got to produce this video bio of Sierra that shows her trying to balance the life of a normal 16-year-old high school junior with her new career as an in-demand touring and recording artist. She’s a super person too, and we wish her the best of luck.

The video features interview footage with both Sierra and producer, Ron Block, as well as behind the scenes footage and performance footage. It’s a nice feature that all bluegrass fans should enjoy.

Today (5/6) marks the official release of Secrets, Sierra Hull’s debut on Rounder. This sixteen year old wunderkind has been wowing audiences for at least the past six years, sitting in with leading artists like Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, Ricky Skaggs and Mountain Heart, and with her own road band Highway 111.

I first saw her in person at IBMA in 2003. Sierra seemed barely big enough to hold a mandolin - in fact it nearly dwarfed her - but the then twelve year old was confidently jamming with Ronald Inscore and mando-legend Herschel Sizemore as though it was a common occurrence. She more than held her own and left everyone in the room stunned into silence, wondering how she could be that proficient at her age, and where the music would take her.

In fact, it is plainly impossible to avoid comparisons between Secrets and the early CDs from young artists like Alison Krauss and Chris Thile, both of whom started recording as teens and have gone on to establish themselves as major players in acoustic music. They both saw their debut releases on major independent labels, but neither Thile’s Leading Off nor Krauss’ Too Late To Cry saw the degree of media promotion or pent-up anticipation that Hull’s debut has garnered.

We had the chance to discuss Secrets, and Sierra-as-artist, with co-producer Ron Block, banjo and guitarist with Alison Krauss & Union Station, and one of the more thoughtful, insightful artists in our music. Our first question was about the above mentioned subject: the inevitable comparisons to Alison, and what is was like producing someone so relatively “green” in the studio.

“Sierra has had Alison to listen to, and she has paid attention to Alison’s musical sensibilities, so her ear is well developed for her age.

Early on I found Sierra to have a keen vision of her own - my job was to facilitate that. I did of course have my own ideas and input, and gave guidance throughout the process. In the end I couldn’t put ‘Produced by Ron Block’ because it was produced by both of us.”

Though Secrets is being promoted as her first release, Sierra did have one earlier CD, Angel Mountain, which came out in 2002. (more…)

Our thanks to Ron Block for this powerful and concise re-statement of the principle of “God made man.”

We’ve heard it hundreds of times - the Bible story of the Redeemer’s birth. The Baby in a manger, Silent Night, the angels and the shepherds, the wise men following the star. As a boy I grew up knowing Jesus came to save me from the consequences due my sins, that He came to shed His blood for me so that I could go to heaven. I didn’t learn until 30 that this was only half the reason.

In the Messiah’s birth, God the Son encamped in a tent of human flesh and entered our human situation. He set aside his power and took on the feebleness of an infant; He laid down His infinite knowledge and accepted the absorbent, blank consciousness of a baby; He gave up being everywhere and localized himself in a human body.

Adam and Eve had taken the wrong road; instead of eating of the Tree of Life, which is Christ, they ate of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil and so became infected with “..the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.” (Eph 2:2). This spirit of independence, of self-effort, self-actualization and self-improvement, is at the heart of the world system; performance-based acceptance is the fuel the Matrix runs on. Every world religion is steeped in it, and even many Christian churches are tainted with what Jesus called “the leaven of the Pharisees.”

But there’s a major problem with human effort - it doesn’t work. The end result of it is either self-condemnation or self-righteousness, both springing from the same source - false independence from God. The history of humanity is one of fallen dreams, dashed hopes, unreachable utopias.

The holy Baby was born to become what we are meant to be - a vessel, a cup, indwelt by the Wine of Spirit. He “learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” As our representative He came to take our place in life, and having done that He traded places with us in death as if He were the sinner. The angel told Joseph in Mt 1:21 “…you shall call His name JESUS; for He shall save his people from their sins.” Jesus came to save us from being a sin-kind-of-people - not merely saving us from the consequences due our lack of love, our selfishness, but from being people who don’t love God and neighbor.

The Baby of Bethlehem was born so I could become right with God - and not only right with Him, but indwelt, directed, and empowered by Him. That infinite inheritance is available in the here and now - if we have received Him, Christ is now our peace, our patience, our holiness, our love, our life. He is our all in all. But in order to access that inheritance, we have to let go of the mindset of self-effort, of self-improvement, of self-actualization. I don’t at all mean our actions shouldn’t be good actions - but what we must recognize is at the heart of our inner being as those who have accepted Him into our hearts, Christ lives, and we are complete in Him, holy, acceptable to God, and empowered to love God and love our neighbor.

He was born in a common stable filled with the dirt, manure, and junk of animality. God is still striking tents in the dirt and grit of human flesh; He is still entering the messy human situation. Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, but through Him by grace we become His brothers and sisters; the Spirit of Jesus Christ washes, enters, indwells, directs, and empowers His people. Eze 36:27 says, “…I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

That’s why the holy Baby was born.

Another piece of news we picked up here at IBMA is the imminent launch of Dan Tyminski’s band.

All of the Union Station guys have been looking at a blank schedule for 2008, with Alison Krauss planning to take the year off from band work, and it seems to have been the opportune moment for Dan to move forward with his own band. They played a showcase here earlier in the week and created quite a stir.

The band will be Ron Stewart on banjo, Justin Moses on fiddle, Barry Bales on bass, Adam Steffey on mandolin and Dan on guitar. They are headed into the studio almost immediately after IBMA, with a release on Rounder Records expected very early in 2008.

Adam will continue doing shows with Mountain Heart at least through the end of this year.

UPDATE 10:15 a.m.: Thanks to Barry Bales for catching my earlier error - Ron Stewart is on banjo and Justin Moses on fiddle. That’s my lesson not to post anything after 1:00 a.m. at IBMA with precious little sleep!

When Alison Krauss & Union Station played a show in Norfolk, VA a few weeks ago, banjo/guitar player Ron Block made a brief side trip to the studios of The 700 Club to tape a segment for the popular Christian-themed program.

The show will air on Thursday August 30 and features Ron performing the song Someone from his recent Rounder release, Doorway. Ron is also interviewed during his segment, and he says that they included a number of photos from Ron’s younger days. Sounds like a hoot!

You can find broadcast details by visiting The 700 Club web site. Past shows are available for online vieweing within a day or so of its broadcast airing in The 700 Club archives.

Ron Block, guitar and banjo player with Alison Krauss & Union Station, has posted a number of free tabs on his web site. There are 22 in all, with both banjo and guitar transcriptions included, all available as free PDF/JPG downloads.

Ron has included 3 of his own banjo breaks (Poor Old Heart, Rain Please Go Away), plus classic solos from the playing of his heros: Tony Rice, Clarence White, Don Reno, Larry Sparks, Earl Scruggs and JD Crowe.

Some are typeset in the TablEdit format, while others are scans of handwritten tabs. All are quite legible and should be valuable additions to anyone’s tab library.

Ron asks nothing for these tabs, but requests that pickers honor his request not to post them on other sites. He also promises more to come.

“As time goes on I’ll put more tabs up, and I’ll also transcribe more of my own solos from the AKUS and other recordings. Sometime soon I’ll be doing some guitar and banjo instructional books and videos, so watch for those in the next year or so.”

You can find all the tabs on Ron’s site.

While we’re on the subject of Ron Block… Back in January when Brance interviewed Ron about his then upcoming CD, Doorway, he suggested that while the project wasn’t a bluegrass album by any stretch, that he hoped that bluegrass fans would give it a listen with an open mind. Having listened to it several times myself, I encourage anyone who appreciates his music to give it a shot.

The bluegrass that is included is stellar - as you would expect - and few of the songs are any further outside of the bluegrass mainstream than what Ron records with AKUS.

If you are likely to be bothered by electric guitars or percussion, perhaps you might sample the tracks in the iTunes Music Store, and purchase only the ones that strike your fancy

Rounder Records has just uploaded audio samples for two new projects set for a June release.

Ron Block’s Doorway will hit on June 19. This is not really a bluegrass recording, but should be of interest to the many admirers of Ron’s musicianship and songwriting abilities.

For more on this project, read Brance’s interview with Ron from earlier this year.

The audio samples are available on the Rounder web site.

Also previewed online is Low Country Suite from King Wilkie. Also on the fringes of bluegrass music, this young band (named for Bill Monroe’s equine companion), is “developing an idiocratic new sound - a dramatic push into uncharted sonic terrain” as per Rounder’s description.

Samples for each of the 11 tracks are up at rounder.com, and the band has four complete tracks for online listening on their MySpace page as well.

Low Country Suite is set for release on June 26.

John posted Saturday with his review of the Tony Rice/AKUS concert we attended Friday evening. Here are my thoughts on the concert after a weekend of reflection on the show.

As John said in his post, we missed the first couple of tunes, but I did hear part of Early Morning Rain from the lobby. That is one of my favorite Lightfoot tunes that Tony ever recorded, I’m sorry I missed it. But there were plenty more where that one came from. I especially enjoyed Alison’s rendition of Song For A Winter’s Night.

The band sounded great on this material and Tony blended right into the band, not taking center stage until they gave it to him. Even the traditional bluegrass numbers they did from the Album Band repertoire where performed true to the way Rice recorded them, with no guitar solo. Let me tell you, there was no need. Tony’s rhythm was spectacular! I’ve always been a fan of his rhythm playing and he was in fine form Friday evening. Driving, tasteful, spicy, and grin inspiring, not to mention spot on timing, Tony’s rhythm was one of the highlights of the concert for me.

One thing that struck me was the obvious mutual respect on the stage. AKUS was very respectful of Tony, honoring him as a hero. But you tell he reciprocated that respect. Rice heaped praise on both Alison and Tyminski as being two of his favorite singers. Introducing one song, Tony made a comment to that effect and Jerry Douglas said “Thanks Tony” to much laughter from the audience. But seeing Douglas and Rice play together reminded you that these two have recorded and played together a lot down through the years. They have that synergy you sometimes see where it appears they are feeding off each other’s creativity and doing more together than they would either do alone.

The show included the funny stage banter we’ve come to expect from Alison. While introducing the band members, she referred to banjoist Ron Block as the bands “sexy librarian.” She also told a very funny story about a country fan who had a crush on Barry Bales at a show…and thought he was playing the cello!

During the final performance (they did come back for an encore) of Freeborn Man, they projected a slideshow of photos on the screen behind the band. The photos were mostly of Tony, though there were a few of Alison as well, with different bands and musicians he’s recorded and performed with over the years. It was a nice touch to add to what could be considered Tony’s signature song.

Overall, the show was entertaining and the music was excellent. I can’t wait for the recording of this tour to be released. It’s bound to be a classic instantly. I got the feeling toward the end of the show that this was one of those moments my children and grandchildren are likely to ask me about.

Knoxville, TN radio station WDVX plays a blend of music styles that cover the gamut of acoustic styles including bluegrass, gospel, and americana. The station provides an online media player as well as support for Windows Media 96K, and a 128K iTunes feed.

Supported entirely by listener donations, benefit concerts, and local business underwriting, the station is not affiliated with any college, university, religious or political organization. In a new effort at fundraising, the station is auctioning off three great instruments that have been autographed by a number of prominent artists.

The instruments are being auctioned on ebay through the Giving Works program designed for non-profits. All proceeds from the auctions go directly to support the station and it’s programing.

The first instrument on the auction block is an autographed Martin DXM Dreadnought guitar. The instrument has been autographed by Robert Earl Keen, Tim O’Brien, Del McCoury, John Hiatt, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Jerry Douglas, Jason Carter, Ron Block, Mike Bub and more.

The bidding began this past Friday, February 2nd, and will continue through the auction’s closing date of Sunday February 11th, at 6PM EST.

The instrument comes complete with a hard shell case. The Martin DXM is a mahogany guitar with a modified low oval neck profile, 1 11/16″ nut, 25.4″ scale length, 2 1/8″ bridge string spacing, and Martin’s pattern HPL textured finish.

More photos of the instrument are available on the ebay auction page.

Ron Block has been a fixture in bluegrass music for a good while. From his work with the Weary Hearts to his current gig with Alison Krauss, Ron has inspired banjo and guitar players alike, and probably some songwriters as well.

A while back we mentioned that Ron was working on a new CD. I had a chance to chat with Ron via email recently about the recording. The new solo CD of original tunes is to be titled Doorway. The album features performances by all of Ron’s AKUS band members as well as many special guests.

The band is fueled mainly by my fellow bandmates in Alison Krauss and Union Station (Dan Tyminski, Barry Bales, Jerry Douglas), along with former Union Stationer Adam Steffey on mandolin (currently with Mountain Heart), along with Alison Krauss on viola and harmony vocals. Other musicians include Viktor Krauss on bass and Wurlitzer (he’s played bass for Lyle Lovett and Bill Frisell, among many others), Shannon Forrest (great and prolific Nashville drummer) on two tracks, Andy Hubbard (drummer with Little Big Town, Fernando Ortega) on a few, and the fiddle giant Stuart Duncan. Harmony vocals are provided by Sidney and Suzanne Cox, Homer, Lori, and Lisa of the Forbes Family, Alison Krauss, and of course Dan Tyminski.

That sounds like a great line up, but I noticed a couple of drummers listed, so I asked Ron about it. (more…)

The Old Road To Jerusalem is the new CD from Eric Uglum, and his two talented stepsons, Christian and Austin Ward. It is just now released on Backcountry Records, with audio samples available online. Eric plays the guitar and mandolin, Austin bass, Christian fiddle, and Ron Block guests on banjo.

Christian and Austin play with Chris Stuart & Backcountry, though both are still in their teens. Stuart contributed two songs to The Old Road To Jerusalem, and Backcountry banjo picker Janet Beazely co-produced the project with Uglum.

Eric operates a recording studio, New Wine Sound, in California and is a respected bluegrass player, producer and singer. His debut solo release, Shenandoah Wind, was released in 2004. Featured artists on the CD include Alison Krauss, Ron Block, Stuart Duncan and Rob Ickes.

There are no audio samples for Shenandoah Wind on Eric’s site, but they are available in the iTunes Music Store.

You can also find audio from The Old Road To Jerusalem on Eric’s MySpace page.

Over the weekend I came across a post on Ron Block’s website stating that overdubs are almost complete on what appears to be a new solo project from Ron.

Overdubs continue in my basement studio. I’m looking to finish all my parts (acoustic and electric guitars, vocals, editing) by the time AKUS goes on the road for the first half of November. In late November I’ll finish up with fiddle and viola (Alison), lap steel/dobro (Jerry Douglas), some mandolin overdubs by Adam Steffey that we weren’t able to get to in August, and harmony vocals by various folks. I’ll also be doing preliminary mixing (mostly just volume rides). I’m looking to have Gary Paczosa mix by the end of December and have the record released by mid to late April.

Some of the people involved in making the recording:

• Barry Bales (bass), Dan Tyminski (guitar, vocals)
• Eric Uglum (production assistance)
• Jerry Douglas (dobro, lap steel)
• Viktor Krauss (bass)
• Gary Paczosa (engineer)
• Adam Steffey (mandolin, mandola)

With a line up like that it should be a recording worth listening to. We’ll keep you informed as we find out more.

We posted an announcement last week of the new Huber Ron Block model banjo. It is a near-replica of the pre war Granada Ron has been playing for many years, which was designed and will be marketed with his cooperation.

Ron, of course, is the long-time banjo player with Alison Krauss & Union Station. He passed a long a few word about the new Huber that he wanted us to share with our readers.

“I love the Huber Ron Block model. It has high-end clarity, yet still maintains warmth and midrange without muddiness; the tone remains constant at any dynamic level. The workmanship and attention to detail are top of the line. The way it looks makes me want to pick it up, and the way it sounds keeps it in my hands. Huber Banjos radiate excellence.”

Further details on the Huber site.

Huber banjos has just announced the latest in their signature artist series banjos, the Huber Ron Block model. The new banjo is patterned after the pre war flathead Granada that Ron has played for years as a member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, and is a faithful replica but for the use of a one piece flange in place of the tube and plate fitted in the original.

Ron’s Huber model is made with a curly maple neck and resonator, finished in dark brown. The neck is wider than the stock Huber, and inlaid with the classic Hearts & Flowers pattern, as is the fiddle cut headstock. The banjo is gold plated, engraved with the same Granada pattern as Ron’s pre war, and finished with an antiqued binding to approximate the appearance of an older instrument. Like all the Hubers, it features the Huber tone ring, and their 3 ply, hide glue maple rim and rosewood fingerboard.

The Ron Block model will sell for $4950.

In keeping with Ron’s personal set up preferences, each Block model Huber will be assembled with an 11/16” bridge, and with the head tensioned more loosely than the common Huber practice - tuned to a G rather than a G# note. They will be shipped with a slightly heavier string gauge as well, again as per Ron’s set up.

Steve Huber told us that he was excited about the new Block model while it was being prototyped, and felt like it sounded great when it was first assembled. When Ron came by the shop and played it himself, though, that distinctive tone was immediately present.

“Ron gets a terrific tone, and this set up really suits his right hand. We are pleased to be able to offer this replica banjo for Ron, and for the many banjo players out their who admire his sound.”

Additional photos can be found on the Huber web site.

We just got a note from Banjo NewsLetter publisher Donald Nitchie, to let us know that the May issue is in the mail to subscribers and newsstands.

Donald also passed along a thumbnail description of the May issue:

The May 06 issue features an interview with Ron Block, banjo player with Alison Krauss and Union Station. We also have an interview with maverick performer Eugene Chadbourne, with an introduction by Tony Trischka. We also will feature a tab by banjo player Andy Pond, as well as a review of Ray Hesson’s “Sunrise” CD, and a tab. Our regular columns include Jimmy Martin Banjo, Murphy Henry”s On The Road, Melodic Clawhammer, Old-Time from the Ozarks, and a review of Janet Davis”s “The Ultimate Banjo Songbook.” Also, Eddie Collins reviews the AcuTab DVDs “Learn to Play Bluegrass Banjo,” Vol. 2 and 3, and Mary Z. Cox reviews a cigar box banjo.

The March/April 2006 issue of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine includes an extensive cover story on Ron Block, who serves as both banjoist and guitarist with Alison Krauss & Union Station. The companion audio CD has two tunes that Ron recorded specifically for this issue, and transcriptions of Ron’s solos appear in the magazine.

In the course of the article, Block shares his thoughts and ideas on practice habits, timing, tone, improvisation, and song arrangement. Regarding improvisation:

“Give yourself the freedom to make mistakes. I went through a phase with the band where I would be mad at myself all night if I made a few mistakes during a show. Years later I realized that the fear of making mistakes causes more of them. If you are always afraid of blowing it, you won”t play as freely; you won”t be yourself. Hammering on yourself will do more damage than good; you”ve got to give yourself permission to blow it, and that, to some degree, involves ceasing to take your self-worth and security from music. Get it plugged into the source that doesn”t change. The internal changes I”ve gone through in the past ten years, which I”ve written about on my CD Faraway Land and on my website, have had the side-effect of making me a better player.”

Also featured in this issue are Canadian pickers J.P. Cormier and Marc Roy, an article about McKnight Guitars, and a store visit at Mass Street Music. As always there is plenty of great technique and tab from the regular cast of columnists, plus reviews and news of interest to flatpickers.

Find out more about Flatpicking Guitar Magazine on their web site.