Steve Huber visited the studio on Monday (8/3) to tweak a couple of banjos for Ron Block, and sent us a few photos. Ron plays a signature model Huber Banjo, and Steve had recently installed a prototype of his new HR-30 tone ring in two of Ron’s banjos. Huber was on hand Monday to help dial them in before the tracking got underway.

Talk about service!

Steve tells us that Ron expects to have prominent banjo on four or five of the tracks, and an understated banjo part on one other. He wasn’t able to hear any of the recording, but says that Ron suggested to him that the material was different from the sort of songs they have recorded in the past. They also plan to record differently this time, sticking to a more rigid schedule than they have for recent previous projects.

The CD will be released on Rounder, probably in early 2010.

The album showcases Adam as both a vocalist and a fiery mandolinist, accompanied by an all-star cast of pickers and singers with whom he has toured and recorded over the years.

Maybe you’ve heard of some of these folks: Ron Stewart and Ron Block on banjo, Clay Hess, Bryan Sutton and Dan Tymisnki on guitar, Stuart Duncan and Ron Stewart on fiddle, Randy Kohrs on slide guitars, and Barry Bales on bass.

He found a couple of singers too… Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Ronnie Bowman and Chris Stapleton.

The CD will soon ship to radio so you’ll be hearing a lot of it shortly, but in the meantime, here are bits of three tracks to show what is contained therein.

First up, the title track (from Josh Shilling and Craig Market) with Adam on lead vocal, and Chris Stapleton providing harmonies.

Next, a spicy Scotty Stoneman number, with Dan Tyminski on vocals.

And lastly, Half Past Four a great old time fiddle tune given the modern grass treatment by Adam and company.

That is some mighty powerful pickin’ and singin’!

You can read more about One More For The Road, including some comments from Adam, in our earlier post about the project.

A single has just been sent to radio on the new Rural Rhythm Fresh Tracks CD. The title of the single is Devil of the Trail. The song is based on a true story and written by Randy, Dennis Goodwin, and Ashley Brown.

The players on this particular cut are Ron Block on banjo, Adam Steffey on mandolin, Randy on resonator guitar, Clay Hess on acoustic guitar, Tim Crouch on fiddle, and Aaron Ramsey on bass.

The tenor singer on the new Randy Kohrs single is Shannon Lawson. Lawson was a co-writer on the song “Who’s Goin’ With Me” from the last album.

Other special guests on the upcoming CD include Ronnie and Garnet Bowman, the McCrary Sisters, and more!

Here’s a sample of the song through the first chorus. Email your local bluegrass radio show and request the single if you want to hear the whole thing.

Devil of the Trail:   

Josh will also start work soon on the debut album from The Josh Williams Band, and is currently selecting the material. His booking agent, Jim Roe, said that Josh is accepting song submissions, so all you writers out there, if you have something you would like him to hear, it can be sent to:

Josh also sent along a photo of a very special show he did back in early December. He had been invited to perform as a trio with Alison Krauss and Ron Block at the Successful Christian Living Ministries retreat in Talladega, AL.

“I have admired both of these people for years, as great musicians, singers, and writers, but getting to work closely with them was quite a thrill for me. I had admired Ron for his musicianship, and song writing, but this past weekend I also realized that he is one of the finest Christian gentlemen I’ve ever met. Where Alison is concerned, I’ve loved her playing and singing for years, and have always agreed with the many writers and commentators when they referred to her beautiful voice as angelic. But I don’t think I really ever understood the full depth of that statement until I was standing next to her singing the hymns we sang in Alabama. I actually felt like I was singing with a genuine Angel.”

You can follow Josh’s tour schedule on his web site.

He will join host Carol Beaugard from 11:00 a.m. until noon to talk about his new AcuTab banjo instructional DVD, A Fresh Look At Bluegrass Banjo, and his work with Alison Krauss & Union Station. Carol will also play some of Ron’s many recordings during the hour.

The show is broadcast from 9:00 a.m. to noon (EDT) on 89.1 FM in the NYC area, and streamed live online at WFDU.fm.

His first banjo instructional DVD will be released by AcuTab next week, offering more than three and a half hours of discussion, demonstration and detailed instruction from this multi-Grammy and IBMA award winning banjo picker.

Entitled Ron Block – A Fresh Look At Bluegrass Banjo, the package includes two DVDs and a printed tab booklet. Ron starts by analyzing his style, and particular aspects that stand out like tone production, his use of bends and chokes, how he arranges solos, and improvisation. He also covers his practice routine, showing drills and exercises he uses to stay in shape and move forward as a banjo player.

Seven of Ron’s most requested solos are taught in detail, including six he has recorded with Union Station – Cluck Old Hen, Tiny Broken Heart, Man Of Constant Sorrow, I’ll Remember You Love In My Prayers, Everytime You Say Goodbye, Bright Sunny South, and My Poor Old Heart. He also teaches his complex and challenging solo for Smashville, from Sierra Hull’s Secrets CD.

AcuTab has prepared a YouTube trailer to give a flavor of what is included on the DVDs.

The Ron Block banjo DVD will begin shipping on December 8, and there is a special offer for the first 300 orders placed directly with AcuTab. They will receive an autographed copy of the DVD, and two free sets of Huber banjo strings.

You can find more details at acutab.com.

Ron plans to create several more instructional DVDs with AcuTab over the next few years, including additional projects for both banjo and guitar.

AcuTab will release instructional videos in 2009 for Jim Van Cleve, Sierra Hull, Ron Stewart and JD Crowe. You can request notification when they are available by visiting the AcuTab site.

She was joined in the studio by Cory Walker (banjo, resonator guitar), Ron Block (guitar, banjo) and Beth Lawrence on bass, with Sierra handling the mandolin and lead vocal chores. They pick through a number of songs from her debut CD, Secrets, and chat with Dave about Sierra and her music.

As we have mentioned time and again, Sierra is already firmly established as one of bluegrass music’s finest mandolinists at 17 years old. She is just now emerging as a singer, songwriter and bandleader, and folks who have not had the chance to catch her live can get an idea of her ability and professionalism via live radio.

Audio for past editions of Bluegrass Breakdown are generally available online for two weeks after each program airs, so be sure to give this one a listen before it’s gone.

I caught a bit of the Songwriter Showcase hosted by Ron Block and Sierra Hull during the afternoon. The duo performed one of Sierra’s own compositions for the assemblage, before introducing Cia Cherryholmes to oversee hosting duties. Due to a pressing business appointment I was unable to stay longer to check out the young songwriters who were taking the stage as John and I left. So many great songs, so little time…

I made it to only one “official” showcase Tuesday evening, and that was to hear Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice. Junior has been one of my favorite singers for years. I love the material he writes, and the soul that comes through in his vocals. I just had to hear him at least once while I was here. This was my first time hearing the new band live. They sounded great with Junior leading the way.

Later than evening as I meandered the halls, I attempted to find a way into the room for a bit of a listen to Dailey & Vincent. It seems I wasn’t the first to have that idea! The crowd was spilling over about 10 feet into the hall. I managed to make it almost to door frame before reaching such a density of listeners that I could proceed no further and just snapped off a photo over the top of the crowd.

I later listened as G2 visited with fans in the hall before proceeding to present their brand of Swedish influenced bluegrass. It was a great set, featuring original material that sounds as if it originated in the Appalachian Mountains rather than Northern Europe. Absolutely amazing that a group of young guys that far from the home of the music have grown into a bluegrass band deserving of being heard at any festival here in the heart of bluegrass country.

I was excited for an opportunity to hear my friend Frank Solivan perform with his band Dirty Kitchen. I’ve been hearing about this band for some time. I’ve heard most of the principles at various times in the past, but never as a unit. Frank recently announced his departure from the Navy Band to pursue his own musical endeavors, judging by what I heard Tuesday night, his future is bright.

I also managed to put an ear to the sets of Gold Heart, Liberty Pike, and David Peterson before retiring for the night. IBMA, there’s nowhere else like it!

It’s for Ron Block, celebrated banjo player and guitarist with Alison Krauss & Union Station, and is being produced in conjunction with My Favorite Guitars.

The Ron Block Signature Dreadnaught is modeled after Ron’s 1939 D-28 herringbone. It features an Indian rosewood body, Adirondack spruce top and braces (constructed with hide glue), herringbone trim, diamond and square fingerboard inlays, a through saddle bridge and a 1 11/16 nut width.

Only ten of these limited edition guitars will be made, selling for $5963 with a hard shell case. Full specs and ordering are available through MyFavoriteGuitars.com.

I thought I’d share them here for those that are interested.

The sessions have gone well and we’re excited about the results.

Just completed shooting is a fiddle project with Mountain Heart’s Jim Van Cleve which will go into editing shortly. Jim covered a number of his own compositions (#6 Barn Dance, Nature Of The Beast, Devil’s Courthouse) plus spent considerable time describing how to add rhythmically in a band setting, and how to find solos and backup in different keys.

Due to be shot next week is a banjo DVD featuring Ron Block and a mandolin video with Sierra Hull. Both will focus on these two stellar players and their individual styles. More details about these should be forthcoming soon.

A JD Crowe banjo DVD is also scheduled to be shot later this year.

If you would like to be notified by email when these new titles are released, you can make that request on the AcuTab site.

AcuTab is also pleased to note the reissue of two popular titles that have been unavailable for some time. JD Crowe – AcuTab transcriptions includes banjo tablature for all the songs on two classic albums by JD Crowe & The New South, and Kenny Smith – Tunes and Techniques offers 3 hours with this flatpicking master on two DVDs.

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.

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. It was an all-instrumental project, while the new CD has her presented as a vocalist. We asked Ron if he felt it was fair to view Secrets as Sierra’s actual debut, and how a critical listener might best approach her music.

“It is a real debut, but it helps if people keep in mind that she is going to grow and change. Every aspect of what she does is only going to get better. Sometimes cd reviews talk as though an artist is what he is and has no capacity to grow or change; that idea in the mind of the reviewer is where some of the most discouraging reviews come from.

In order to truly review any art, one has to first receive it. That means in listening we can’t listen through a cd one time simply or the purpose of reviewing it; we have to first take it in, receive it in a spirit of openness, and shut off our critical faculty for at least a listen or two. Too often reviewers listen to a thing once, compare it in their minds as they listen to other things, and often force their own ideas on the work: ‘What The Recording Ought To Have Been According To Me.’ I’ve seen that happen in reviews: ‘It isn’t all bluegrass, or I wanted him to do some other kind of record; I was disappointed, and therefore I’m giving it 2 stars.’ It’s essentially like being in a conversation where the other person doesn’t really hear what you mean, but is only interested in what he wants to say about the words you’re using.

The real question for a reviewer is ‘What sort of recording were they aiming for? Did they hit the bullseye? Is it well done – well played – emotionally engaging?’ These questions can’t be answered fairly unless the recording is truly listened to – and I mean heard deeply, not at first with a reviewer’s hat on but simply in a receptive attitude of a listener. We cannot truly evaluate anything – music, paintings, or even the conversation of another – until we have fully received what is being said. I highly recommend C.S. Lewis’ An Experiment in Criticism, which is a great boost to one’s ability to receive music, literature, and other art before evaluating it.

All that said, yes, Secrets is a real debut. But she’s sixteen and full of growth potential, so it’s good to keep in mind what the next twenty years will bring.”

Finding material is always tricky for a new artist, and we asked Ron how they collected songs for this project.

“For the most part we saw eye to eye on just about everything. There were a few songs here and there that I felt didn’t fit the record that we culled out, possibly for use on the next. Sierra did nearly all the song finding, and Alison suggested several songs as well. We did one of mine (If You Can Tame My Heart), and Jim Van Cleve wrote an instrumental (Smashville). Sierra and I sat downstairs and went through a lot of songs to get down to our final choices.”

Janet Beazley contributes From Now On, and Marshall Wilborn’s That’s All I Can Say is also included.

Sierra has two of her own compositions here as well (Pretend and Hullarious), plus one she co-wrote with her dad, Stacy (Two Winding Rails), who has also been performing on bass with Highway 111.

Her family is onboard as far as pursuing her music where it may lead is concerned, and we asked Ron what sort of factor this has been in her life?

“The support of her family has been important from day one. The whole family sat around and played together when Cody and Sierra were younger. And Sierra’s dad used to play with them a lot, always prompting them to practice and work on it. They’re still really supportive, and they’re honest with her (’You sounded a little nervous up there’), which is one of the main sources of her ability to be honest with herself – a prerequisite to growth in any area.”

Our final question to Ron was regarding Sierra’s youth, and whether he saw the industry as being more open to younger artists these days.

“The business is rapidly changing, and I’ve heard the whole thing is moving toward downloads rather than actual CD. A record label, in spite of how the ideals of the owners may be, is a business – and as such it has to make money to survive. Thus, they’ve always got their radar on for young artists who have a lot of potential, but understandably they proceed with caution.

I love being around youth who are interested in growing as musicians. In my own musical life I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and for the young to know those pitfalls, whether in musical technique or relationally, is the best innoculation against their falling into them. Mentoring is essential in any department of life – spiritually, especially, and also emotionally, relationally, physically. We do it with our own children; why not speak life and truth into the lives of those who still have fifty or sixty years of growth coming to them?”

Audio samples from Secrets can be found on Rounder’s web site and in the iTunes Music Store.

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.

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!

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 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

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.

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.

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.