Stephen plays guitar and sings with Sam Bush. He knows his way around bluegrass harmony, and he’s come up with a learning tool that is top notch.

His recording studio, Dark Shadow Recording, has produced two CDs designed to help you learn to sing harmony naturally.

Bluegrass Tenor Singing (featuring Russell Moore)
Bluegrass Baritone Singing (featuring Ronnie Bowman)

What Stephen has done is to take five traditional bluegrass songs, and produce a great quality recording of each one. The songs are:

• Little Cabin Home On The Hill
• Mr. Engineer
• Blue Ridge Cabin Home
• My Little Georgia Rose
• How Mountain Girls Can Love

I spent some time with the tenor CD and it’s great. The recordings are well done and these are quality arrangements worth learning. The band consists of Adam Steffey (mandolin), Megan Lynch (fiddle), Ned Luberecki (banjo), Daniel Hardin (bass), and Stephen Mougin (guitar). The vocals, the focus of the project, are sung by Stephen (lead vocal), Russell Moore (tenor), and Ronnie Bowman (baritone).

The first track for each song presents you with the full mix of the tune so you can get a feel for what the finished product should sound like. We all like to sing along with recordings, so go ahead do so, but be sure to spend some time just listening as well. Listen to the blend of the three vocals.

The second track for each tune consists of just the choruses of the song, cut together back to back, with only the band and the lead vocal. This track is important. It will help you learn the melody, as well as the phrasing and dynamics. I worked with Little Cabin Home On The Hill, and noticed that the final chorus is a bit different than the others. It’s got a minor little frill that sets it apart. This is common in bluegrass, and I’m glad they included it in the arrangement.

Once you’re comfortable with the melody, phrasing, and dynamics of the song, you can move on to the third track. This track is identical to the second, back to back choruses, with the tenor (or baritone, depending on which CD you’re working with) vocal, and no others. This allows you to hear the part you’re trying to learn. Still in the context of the band, you’ll hear where the harmony part lies within the chords. You can repeat this track until you’re confident that you know the part, then move on.

The fourth, and final, track for each tune is the same as the first, but with the harmony part removed. On the tenor CD, you’ll hear the full mix of the song, solos and verses included. On the choruses however, you’ll hear only the lead and baritone vocals. It’s up to you to provide the tenor part. This provides you with a sort of “jam along” track, where you can try out your new skills.

This is a great way to learn these parts, and I think you’ll learn more than just the five songs included on the disc. You’ll learn to hear where the parts are, and should be able to take your new skills and figure out the harmony to other songs as well.

The Bluegrass Harmony Training Series CDs are sold individually for $15 + S/H or you can purchase both the tenor and baritone CDs as a package for $25 + S/H.

Here’s a video introduction to the series.

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.

They have tapped Ronnie Bowman again as producer, reprising his role in the success of the band’s last project, Lovin’ Pretty Women. Tracking is scheduled to begin in late February at Wyatt Rice’s studio just outside of Nashville.

Rangers banjo man Graham Sharp tells us that sticking with what works was the band’s philosophy this time out.

“After a few different prospects and a lot of thinking we decided our next record would be with Rebel.  The decider was simply the fact that Mark and Dave Freeman, and everyone else there, have always been great to work with and so supportive.

Making this record will be a little different than others because it will be the first time we’ve used the same producer on consecutive albums. Needless to say, Ronnie Bowman is one of the more inspiring people to work with; his work ethic is unbelievable.

The Rangers have been plowing through a ton of material, all of it written within the band, and it’s hard to say exactly what shape the finished product will have, but we’re going to find out.”

Rebel is hoping for a Fall ‘09 release, as are the many Steep Canyon Rangers fans worldwide.

Instead of presenting bands that perform together normally, artists as varied as Ronnie Bowman, Mike Bub, Missy Raines, Terry Baucom, Rob McCoury, Alan Bibey, Mike Compton, Phil Leadbetter, Rob Ickes, Kenny Smith, Tim Stafford, Jason Carter, Steve Gulley, Kim Fox, Dale Ann Bradley, Amanda Smith and Josh Williams were assembled into different groups throughout each show.

Tour organizer Larry Gorley shared a number of photos from shows in Bristol, VA and Kurtztown, PA. They offer a nice flavor of the way these many pickers and singers were staged in various groupings for these concerts, as well as the giant throng on stage for the finales.

Gorley says that the tour has gone well…

“It has been one of the most fun things that I’ve ever been involved in. The crowds have been extremely appreciative of what we’ve done and all the musicians have enjoyed their response and the chance to play with their own. Some great stories have been shared and hopefully new ones will be told after these dates.

We have one more date to do in Stillwater, OK and the tour has been going well. We’ve had 21 musicans on it so far and will likely finish with 25 musicians by tour’s end. Interest has been shown for maybe more of these shows, and hopefully that will happen.

We want to thank all the venues for having us and to all that have come out to see the show, it is much appreciated.”

Perhaps we’ll see an even bigger all-star tour in ‘10.

            

This type of show has not been a common thing in the bluegrass world, but the folks at Pick One Jams are giving it a go during the month of January, 2009. They have five shows scheduled in the eastern and central US with a bevy of bluegrass stars in tow.

Artists appearing on these shows include Ronnie Bowman, Mike Bub, Missy Raines, Terry Baucom, Rob McCoury, Alan Bibey, Mike Compton, Phil Leadbetter, Rob Ickes, Kenny Smith, Tim Stafford, Jason Carter, Steve Gulley, Kim Fox, Dale Ann Bradley, Amanda Smith and Josh Williams.

Each concert will showcase these top artists in a jam-like setting with the performers rotating on and off the stage as the various pickers and singers are featured. The lineup may vary slightly from one show to the next, but each one is chock full of top bluegrass stars.

Shows on the schedule include:

• 1/08/09 – Raleigh, NC
• 1/09/09 – Bristol, VA
• 1/15/09 – Kutztown, PA
• 1/17/09 – Athens, GA
• 1/24/09 – Stillwater, OK

Ticket and lineup details for the several shows can be found on the Pick One web site.

The first thing on the agenda was a brief preview of the music video she recently filmed with Willie Nelson. It’s for a song of his, Back To Earth, featured on her new CD, And The Wheels Turn.

The preview was put together like a movie trailer and though it showed only a few scenes from the finished product, it was clear that the final product will be a pro effort. Shot on Willie’s ranch near Austin, TX, the video takes advantage of sweeping vistas and lush color – plus the powerful imagery of one of country music’s most recognizable icons.

The finished video will be released when Back To Earth comes out as a single early in 2009. We’ll have a copy of the trailer here on The Bluegrass Blog sometime early next week, once we recover from IBMA week craziness.

After watching the preview a time or two, Melonie grabbed her guitarist, Booie Beach, and Ronnie and Garnett Bowman to sing a number of songs from the new CD – Cactus In A Coffee Can, Set ‘Em Up Joe (written by her dad, Buddy Cannon) and I’ve Seen Enough Of What’s Behind Me, written by Ronnie Bowman and Tammy Rogers.

The CD has been getting a good bit of attention from bluegrass radio, and both Kyle Cantrell of XM’s Bluegrass Junction, and Terry Herd of Into The Blue were in attendance at this reception.

bluegrassmercury – Travelogue #3
by Richard F Thompson

For bluegrass fans, one of the delights of Nashville is the Station Inn, located in a rather ordinary single-storey building on 12th Avenue South, within easy walking distance not far from upper Broadway.

The interior consists of a low-ceilinged room lit mainly by neon signs, although a small raised stage area is well lit. There’s a small bar at the rear and rest rooms adjacent. Souvenirs are on display for sale to the right of the bar. Food and alcohol is available as well as soft drinks. It’s a no smoking venue, which is, as far as I am concerned, a definite plus point.

On this past Saturday evening (9/27), the Station Inn showcased the talents of Ronnie Bowman, a former member of Lost & Found and the Lonesome River Band and described by USA Today as “one of bluegrass’s most tender voices.” He was accompanied by his wife, Garnet (harmony vocals), Jimmy Stewart, formerly of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, playing Dobro ¬Æ, Donica Christensen (banjo), Daryl Schumacher (mandolin) and Greg Martin (bass).

Bowman has written many excellent songs even before going solo and those songs provided the backbone of the evening’s entertainment.

Kicking off with Drifting With The Tide, Bowman moved quickly onto a song that he has recently recorded, Truck Driver’s Queen, The Matterhorn, Allen Mills’ Love Of The Mountains, another song that he has cut recently, Here I Am, Old Country Town, from the Lonesome River Band’s award-winning Rebel CD, Closer To Heaven and finished a near-35 minute set with Will I Be That Lucky Man?

Ms. Bowman maintained the excellent standard of singing with a song that she has been singing since the time that JD Crowe and the New South did it, Tennessee Blues.

The second set opened with Cold Virginia Night, Sweet Marie and It’s Gettin’ Better All The Time, before Rob McCoury stepped up to the stage for a brief guest spot, working the mic like the top professional that he is, as Bowman went back in time with great versions of Little Cabin Home On The Hill and then Will You Be Lonesome, Too?, from his first solo album.

Providing an interlude between two slow songs Jimmy Stewart chipped in with a rousing showcasing of the Jimmy Martin favourite Freeborn Man.

It was pretty loose, but all very enjoyable nonetheless and met with the approval of a demanding audience.

The band returned to continued loud applause to do a two song encore.

From North Carolina, Bowman is said to sing like a country boy, but there was no doubting his bluegrass credentials this evening.

Christensen’s banjo playing was an artful display, sensitively supportive of the vocals. On the other hand Schumacher produced some hot licks in his solos and Stewart provided a mixture of both, all anchored by Martin’s solid rhythm work on bass.

It is clear that it wasn’t just Karen and I who enjoyed our evening out as a knowledgeable audience was clearly well satisfied with what it heard.

Would I go again? Yes, definitely. The Station Inn has world-wide renown and it isn’t too preposterous to describe the visit as a pilgrimage. Others should follow in my footsteps.

A complete list of off-site events during IBMA week can be found here on The Bluegrass Blog.

I had a chance recently to discuss all this with Melonie, and her excitement about the new project was evident throughout our conversation.

“We just wanted to make a record as good or better as the last one. I found a place for my voice that feels like home in acoustic music, and I don’t want to change it. This is the most natural and organic I’ve ever felt about my singing in my life.”

She had one previous self-titled release on Skaggs Family Records in 2004, and my impression of her was based solely on the glamour photos that had been associated with that project. I had expected an urbane, sophisticated woman-of-the-world, but when we first spoke, the voice I heard was as country as they come.

“Lord no… I’m the furthest thing from that glamour image! Shoot, I’m the biggest redneck there is.”

Melonie comes by her music chops naturally. Her dad is Nashville songwriting and producing legend, Buddy Cannon, whose credits include work with Shania Twain, Vern Gosdin and Mel Tillis. She grew up around country music and top country singers, but discovered bluegrass on her own as a girl.

“I was raised in the country world, and that was the music I heard. My dad worked for Mel Tillis when we were young, and I grew up with his kids – Pam Tillis was our baby sitter.

Still, my family had connections to bluegrass from way back. Daddy played in bluegrass bands in Lexington before he started playing country. My great uncle Dalton Tate gave my dad his first guitar, and he was a bluegrasser. He and his friends – all in their 80s – still get together every week to pick and sing.

I went to school with Deanie Richardson [New Coon Creek Girls/Patty Loveless] since first grade, and later married her brother. She started teaching me songs from the bluegrass and folk world when we were teenagers.

One day her brother took me to The Station Inn and Alison Krauss was playing. She was 16 and I was 15, and from that moment on, the music forever changed my life. Every time they started a song, it sounded like a record. I thought, ‘how do they do that?’

It was like I had walked into the twilight zone. I went and got her records and for the rest of my high school, this was the music I connected with.

Then I started finding artists like Dale Ann Bradley, and she is now one of my favorite singers. I found Del McCoury, and I got into him and Ricky Skaggs’ band. After a while I started digging, and found The Stanley Brothers and the first generation artists. The old Lonesome River Band was another huge influence.”

And The Wheels Turn shows how well she has merged the country and bluegrass influences into her own distinctive sound. Many of the songs are ones that could be cut by country artists, but the arrangements here are acoustic, using the traditional bluegrass instruments.

“The sound of these instruments is soothing to my ears – it’s like heaven to me. I don’t care what they call it – bluegrass, acoustic, country – people can just listen to what they like.”

The star of the show, of course, is Cannon’s voice. She sings with a unaffected purity that is right at home in a bluegrass setting, and blends beautifully with Dan Tyminski, Ronnie Bowman and Sonya Isaacs who sing with her on the new album.

Bowman also contributed three songs to the project. Send A Little Love, Mary Magdalene and I’ve Seen Enough Of What’s Behind Me were all co-written by him. Melonie is credited as a co-writer on three as well, and her dad on two.

One of Buddy’s song which she covers here is the honky tonk classic, Set ‘Em Up Joe, originally recorded by Vern Gosdin in 1988. It fits just fine with banjo, dobro, mandolin and fiddle – just like it was written that way.

It’s a special song for Melonie, and may have been instrumental in her becoming a singer.

“I started out doing this one in the live show a couple years ago. The band loved it on stage and they kept saying that I should record it – as a tip of the hat to my Daddy. I had the chance to sing it on the Opry, and the house came down. Then, I got to tell them that my dad wrote it.

I used to sing this all the time when I was a kid (13-14), but my dad used to drink back then and never really took note. I would plug a mic into an amp and sing along with the record down in the basement.

One day Vern was at the house and said to Daddy, ‘Do you know that kid can sing down there?’ Daddy brought me up and we sang together for the next few hours. They taught me how to sing harmony, what it meant, how it felt.

If it wasn’t for Vern, I don’t know if Daddy would ever have pulled me up from that basement.”

A couple of the songs are flat-out bluegrass where the talents of Adam Steffey, Randy Kohrs, Tim Stafford, Wyatt Rice, Aubrey Haynie, Jody King, Barry Bales and Deanie Richardson really shine.

Melonie shows her vocal chops on the aforementioned Mary Magdalene (Why You Cryin’), which captures an old time Gospel feel – complete with improvised shouts in the background. The chorus was composed of Sonya Isaacs, Tim Stafford, Ronnie and Garnet Bowman, Buddy Cannon, Melonie and Dan Tyminski.

“That session was so much fun. We were sitting around reading the Bible, writing, laughing and having a big Hoohaw.

Sonya and Ronnie had the idea for the arrangement. We set a microphone in the middle of the room, and the two of them got in the corners of the room and just ad libbed those hollers.

I always wanted a to have a Gospel tune about the strong women of The Bible, and a lot of people don’t think much about Mary Magdalene.”

Picking up on that theme, I had noticed that half of the songs on And The Wheels Turn were written or co-written by female composers, and that the themes of the songs were told from a woman’s perspective.

“I’m attracted to strong women songs – guess that’s the tom boy in me. I’m the mother of two boys and I have a husband, a male dog and a male bird. I have to stand up for me, and I respect women who do that.

I end up choosing songs with a great message that speak to me.”

We’ll have more tomorrow from this conversation with Melonie Cannon, including details about her duet – and video shoot – with Willie Nelson.

The song was written by Marla Cannon-Goodman, Jennifer Hanson and Michael Heeney, and offers the first glimpse at her next CD, And The Wheels Turn, due October 7 on Rural Rhythm.

It tells the story of ending a failed romance without remorse, and you can hear an audio sample below.

Listen now:

The new CD draws on the musicianship of some of Nashville’s top bluegrass artists, with contributions from Dan Tyminski, Adam Steffey, Tim Stafford, Randy Kohrs, Aubrey Haynie, Wyatt Rice, Jody King, Barry Bales and Deanie Richardson. Helping out with harmony vocals are Ronnie Bowman, Garnet Imes Bowman, Sonya Isaacs and more.

Melonie is especially excited about one guest artist, with whom she sings a duet. Country music legend Willie Nelson joins her for one track, Back To Earth, a song he wrote and recorded on his Songbird album.

He had high praise for the new CD.

"Melonie Cannon is one of the best singers I know. Her new bluegrass album is fantastic. I love her voice anyway, but singing with a great bluegrass band was a good idea. They blend well together. The fact that I got to sing with her on a song I wrote makes it even better.”

We hope to get some thoughts from Melonie about the new CD soon.

Joining Del and the boys will be Ronnie Bowman, Drew Emmitt, Jon Fishman, Vince Herman and Steep Canyon Rangers starting at 8:00 p.m. (CST) on 12/31/07.

The brief video does a great job of explaining what sort of show this is by playing on the stereotype of the cranky bluegrass fan.

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, or from The Ryman box office.

Tim has spent time with Ricky Skaggs, as well as country artists Patty Loveless and Kenny Chesney, and has put together a bluegrass-tinged acoustic album with songs drawn from some of today’s top writers. In addition to the Crowell song, there are songs from Tim Stafford, Ronnie Bowman, Carl Jackson and Larry Cordle.

Joining Tim in the studio were super-pickers Rob Ickes, Aubrey Haynie, Wyatt Rice, Tim Stafford, Adam Steffey and David Talbot, with vocal assistance from Ronnie Bowman, Melonie Cannon, Vince Gill, Sonya Isaacs and Patty Loveless.

The Hensley CD is due on January 29, 2008. More details and a clip from Ridin’ Out The Storm can be found online.

The show will be repeated several more times over the next two weeks (all times eastern).

• Wednesday (8/1) at 8:00 a.m.
• Saturday (8/4) at 4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday (8/8) at 9:00 p.m.
• Sunday (8/12) at noon
• Tuesday (8/15) at 3:00 p.m.

I’ve been listening to this CD for the past two weeks, enjoying it very much. The songwriting is clever and the performances are lively with instrumental work that is solidly traditional, and vocals that reflect the non-southern background of many so younger bands in today’s market. Look for the title track to become a radio and festival favorite.

There are a few tracks accessible on the band’s MySpace page if you want an immediate taste of the new material. Lovin’ Pretty Women hits the street on August 14.

Never Wanted Nothing More was written during a marathon writing session that took place between Ronnie Bowman and proven country writer Chris Stapleton. The two wrote a number of songs together during one extended informal writing session. The thing is, it was the first time the two had ever worked together. Ronnie remembers it this way.

Chris came over to the house and we started writing. A day later we had a handful of good songs, but this one just really stood out. We went right in and recorded a demo!

Ronnie tells me the demo was just the basics, the two songwriters with their guitars, that’s it. No frills, no fancy arrangement, just the song.

Ronnie writes for Sony Music Publishing and they took the song and started pitching it. It was just a short time later that Ronnie discovered Chesney was interested in the song. Then Chesney’s producer, Buddy Cannon, called and asked if Ronnie would like to stop by the studio and hear the track as they worked on it.

After I got off the phone, I just asked myself “Am I dreaming or is Kenny Chesney recording my song today?” As soon as I came back to my senses, I headed right over to the studio to check it out.

Once he got in the studio, Ronnie was in for another surprise. Cannon asked him who the guitar player was on the demo. Ronnie told him the demo was just him and Chris and their guitars. And then Cannon asked Ronnie if he’d be willing to play on Chesney’s cut. Ronnie was happy to oblige, of course, and ended up playing the acoustic guitar and taking the acoustic solo you hear on Chesney’s cut of the song.

Getting to play on the cut was just an added bonus, but one that fits well in Ronnie’s philosophy.

Coming from bluegrass, I’m concerned with musicianship and how things are played. I want to be proud of what my songs sound like when they’re cut.

Never Wanted Nothing More debuted on the Billboard Country charts at #37 and climbed to #17 the second week out.

Ronnie seems to be making the most of his opportunities in Nashville, and enjoying every minute of it.

I love writing, and I love being with Sony, those guys are just great. There is a whole chain of people that made this thing happen and I couldn’t have done it without all of them. What I’m doing now is just an extension of what I’ve always wanted to do, which is write good music. I’ve found a good balance of songwriting and then getting play bluegrass with my band.

And he is still honing his bluegrass craft. Ronnie tells me he’s currently writing songs and making arrangements to start recording a new bluegrass record this fall, with a spring 2008 release planned. Can’t wait to hear it Ronnie!

April 10 will feature performances by The Grascals, Ronnie Bowman & Friends, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Steel Drivers, The Roland White Band, and Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers. The following night will see Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Jerry Salley & Breakin’ New Ground, The Mark Newton Band, Cordle, Salley and Carl Jackson, The Mashville Brigade and a special surprise appearance by one of bluegrass music’s top acts on stage at The Station Inn.

This benefit was organized by two Nashville veterans, both of whose lives have been touched by youngsters with autism. Journalist and musician Jon Weisberger (who also serves on the IBMA Board) has a son with the disorder, and singer/songwriter Jerry Salley has a neice who suffers from autism.

April is promoted as Autism Awareness Month, and Nashville has long hosted a similar benefit each April at The Bluebird Cafe. Weisberger and Salley approached The Station Inn about hosting a bluegrass event as a benefit, and it was the club that suggested that they take two nights.

Admission is based on a $20 suggested donation, and the shows will begin each night at 8:00 p.m. (CDT).

Readers outside of Nashville can contribute to the Autism Society of Middle Tennessee online.

The show has been scheduled again this year, and will be held next weekend (1/20/07) at The Paramount Center on historic State Street in Bristol.

The format of the current show is similar to the one we started in 2000, and reminiscent of the old “package tour” shows popular in the 1950s and 60s. An all star cast of prominent bluegrass pickers and singers will rotate on and off the stage in a variety of configurations, generally performing material outside of what you might normally hear them doing.

This year’s lineup includes Bobby Hicks, Ronnie Bowman, Mike Bub, David Talbot, Larry Cordle, Rob McCoury, Don Rigsby, Kim Fox, Darrell Webb, Steve Gulley, Jason Carter, Barry Bales, Paul Williams, Kenny & Amanda Smith and David Grier.

There will be two shows on January 20, at 3:00 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets and show details can be found at the Pickin’ at the Paramount site, or the Paramount Center site.

Billy is a great songwriter and the birthday bash looks like it was a lot of fun, sorry I missed it. Happy birthday Billy!

This GrassCast is 11 minutes in length and the file download size is 11MB.

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