Rural Rhythm Records signed cowboy crooner – and recent bluegrass convert – Michael Martin Murphey to a multi-album contract during last week’s IBMA convention in Nashville.

Murphey was in town to perform with a number of Rural Rhythm artists at IBMA, and to showcase two new singles from his next RR CD, Buckaroo Blue Grass 2, due in February 2010. The first is a remake of Wildfire, his 1975 radio hit, sung as a duet with Carrie Hassler, and the other a new MMM song, Running Gun, which tells a classic western story done up bluegrass style.

Michael and Carrie are especially stoked about getting to perform the new version of Wildfire during halftime at the SMU-Navy game in Dallas on October 17. Look for it to be released for digital download around the 17th.

Bluegrass folks seemed to warmly embrace Murphey at IBMA, and he returned the favor posing for photos and signing autographs for fans. He did a cameo during Audie Blaylok & Redline’s main stage showcase set where he was met with enthusiastic applause.

Buckaroo Blue Grass 2 will  feature a who’s who cast of bluegrass pickers, including Sam Bush, Charlie Cushman, Troy Engle, Pat Flynn, Andy Hall, Rob Ickes, Andy Leftwich among them.

Here are sneak peek samples of the two new singles.

Wildfire – Listen Now    

Running Gun – Listen Now    

Wednesday night at IBMA, we spent an hour or so at a special Rural Rhythm Records showcase, held to highlight a number of their top acts, and to announce a major initiative for 2010. Next year, they will celebrate 55 years in business recording bluegrass, Gospel and traditional American Music and will join with the Graves Mountain Festival of Music in Syria, VA for a one-of-a-kind, all day event.

We were treated to performances by Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, and had just missed a set from Audie Blaylock & Redline, who had turned in a brilliant show the night before on the main stage. Michael Martin Murphey made a special appearance with Carrie Hassler, where they sang a duet on his biggest hit, Wildfire, which the pair has recently re-recorded for Murphey’s second project with Rural Rhythm, due in February of next year.

During the IIIrd Tyme Out’s set, 1970s country star Lynn Anderson joined them on stage for a rousing version of Rocky Top. She was lively and animated, and clearly enjoying herself.

All this music, however, was leading up to the announcement of Rural Rhythm and Graves Mountain collaborating for the festival in June. Six Rural Rhythm artists will appear on Friday, June 4, and the entire day will be given over to a 55th birthday party or the label. Kyle Cantrell of Sirius-XM will serve as emcee, with performances from The Crowe Brothers, Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Lou Reid and Carolina, Lonesome River Band and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out.

All of the day’s music will be recorded for a commemorative CD to be released later in 2010. Many of these artists will combine for special sets.

• Crowe Brothers with Russell Moore, Sammy Shelor
• Carrie Hassler & Hard and Brandon Rickman
• Audie Blaylock & Redline, Carrie Hassler, Russell Moore, and Lou Reid
• Graves Moutain Jam and Rural Rhythm all-star tribute featuring Grave Mountain Memories:  Carl Jackson, Mark Newton, Russell Newton, Lou Reid, Carrie Hassler, Andy Ball, Sammy Shelor, Mike Anglin, Justin Haynes
• My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains – Brandon Rickman, Crowe Brothers, Audie Blaylock, Mike Hartgrove, Wayne Benson, Steve Dilling, Edgar Loudermilk
• Instrumental Jam featuring many of the Rural Rhythm artists

You can find ticket and schedule information for the Graves Mountain festival on their web site. We’ll post with more details about the live CD as they emerge.

Rural Rhythm Records will launch their Gospel imprint (Rural Rhythm Christian) with a newly remastered reissue of a Larry Sparks Gospel album released in 2001 to limited distribution.

I Just Want To Thank You Lord features Larry with his band at the time: Scott Napier on mandolin, Josh McMurray on banjo and Mathew Madden on bass. Sparks supervised the mastering, sequencing and packaging – along with the good folks at Rural Rhythm – and has also cut a new version of the title track.

Sam Passamano with Rural Rhythm tells us how this all came to be…

“I was originally talking to Larry about future projects when he discovered that we were starting a new Christian Label. He told me that he has a really special Gospel album that would be perfect for us to release because of our strong promotion and distribution abilities.

We have had a really good time working together on this album and Larry and I look forward to a long line of album projects that we can work on together in the future.”

Tracks include:

Look for I Just Want To Thank You Lord to hit on October 20 on Rural Rhythm Christian, followed on October 27 by Blue Ridge Mountain Memories, 20 Gospel Favorites (Yesterday & Today) from The Marksmen Quartet.

The first single to bluegrass radio will be What Kind Of Man Jesus Is, a Larry Sparks original. It will appear on Rural Rhythm’s Fresh Cuts and Key Tracks No. 6, and their 2009 IBMA Convention CD Sampler.

Lou Reid & Carolina have signed with Rural Rhythm Records, who will release their next CD, My Own Set Of Rules, later this summer. Lou produced the new album which was recorded in early 2009.

Reid works as guitarist/vocalist with Seldom Scene and does limited dates with his own group where he plays mandolin and sings. Joining him in Carolina are Trevor Watson on banjo, Shannon Slaughter on guitar and Christy Reid on bass. Ron Stewart also adds fiddle to the new CD.

Lou is pleased with the new project.

"I believe, as a whole, that this project encompasses more of my personal musical taste than any recording I have put out to date. The songs bring in all the elements of bluegrass that I love; the contemporary, traditional and gospel.  We played with each song, working on arrangements and specifically the harmonies. We all shared different ideas – getting each song where it needed to be."

Rural Rhythm will include a single from the upcoming Reid release on their next Fresh Cuts & Key Tracks CDs (#5), shipping to radio before the end of May.