That’s the name of the newest CD release from Phil Rosenthal, former Seldom Scene lead vocalist and long-time singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. It’s a apt title, as it perfectly describes the material and the presentation. There are 17 tracks, mixing vocal and instrumental pieces,and  traditional and familiar songs, as well as Rosenthal originals, including his classic Muddy Water, originally cut by the Scene in 1973, well before Phil joined in 1977.

The track list reads like, well… a treasury of classic bluegrass and country songs.

In fact, he might have called it a Family Treasury of Bluegrass and Country Songs, as the bulk of the accompaniment is provided by kith and kin. Phil explains…

“My wife, Beth Sommers, plays bass and sings harmony with me on a lot of the songs. Our daughter, Naomi Sommers (who is a wonderful songwriter as well as singer – check out her website, www.naomisommers.com), also sings on some of the songs. Naomi started singing with me, at the age of 5, when I began recording a series of albums of bluegrass for children in 1985, just before I left the Seldom Scene – in fact, if you listen to all the albums I produced on my label, American Melody, you can basically hear Naomi grow up (she’s 31 now). Daniel Rosenthal is Beth and my son, and he plays trumpet on the album and also sings bass parts on some of the quartets. Golden Slippers, Rye Whiskey and Sail Away Ladies has all four of us singing on the choruses.

My parents, Lil and Irv Rosenthal, sing on the chorus of Some Folks Do, along with me and Naomi. My father also sang with me on some of the children’s CDs I’ve recorded over the years, and was a great singer. Sadly, he died last spring, just before the record came out.”

He also offered a nice overview of the songs he chose for this new project.

“The songs on my new CD are some of my all-time favorite bluegrass and country songs, plus some originals, including Muddy Water, a song that the Seldom Scene recorded before I was in the band, and had something to do with the band approaching me to replace John Starling when he left the group in 1977. Songwriting was part of my appeal to them, and part of the reason they asked me to audition for John’s spot. (more…)

The last time the Seldom Scene were invited to entertain people at The White House, rain prevented them from singing even one song. Well, when they got the opportunity to take a return engagement, the weather was a lot more pleasant and they were treated as special guests.

The majority of the guests at The White House special dinner last Monday (July 21) were members of the 2008 United States Olympic and Para-Olympic teams. Athletes such as Allyson Felix, Lauryn Williams, Sanya Richards, Bernard Lagat, Tyson Gay, Adam Nelson, Bryan Clay and Jeremy Wariner; and swimmers Michael Phelps, Larsen Jensen, Brendan Hansen, Natalie Coughlin, Katie Hoff, Christine Magnuson were given a fitting send off prior to the competitions next month in Beijing, China.

There were Ambassadors and other dignitaries also, alongside George W Bush and his wife, Laura. The President sat right up front, listening intently, perhaps thinking about the ole home place…?

Playing on a small stage in the Rose Garden, the Seldom Scene performed four songs, Old Train, Wait a Minute, the old Bob Dylan tune, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue and City of New Orleans. President Bush must have enjoyed what he heard as at the end he went onto the stage and requested “just one more.” Of course, they graciously obliged, after kidding that they said they didn’t know one more‚Ķ they’re such kidders‚Ķ and they launched into Nadine, in fact.

I wonder, at the end did they hand him a copy of their latest CD, SCENEchronized, only to find that he had a copy already?

Members of the band are Ben Eldridge on banjo; Dudley Connell on guitar, Lou Reid on mandolin, Fred Travers on dobro; and Ronnie Simpkins on bass. Thanks to Sally Love and Dudley Connell for the insight.

Footnote: (Weather Report) …

The rained-out event was a picnic on June 3rd, honouring the Executive Office and Cabinet staff. The weather in Washington DC during the daytime on the 21st was in the upper 90s, humidity about 120%, and it didn’t cool off too much when the sun went down. Fortunately, they played after sun set!

Few bluegrass bands have had the opportunities to perform for important persons that have been enjoyed by the Seldom Scene. Being based in Washington D.C. has obviously helped. But that alone wouldn’t be enough to recommend them for the gigs they’ve had. Their skill and competence as musicians, and their winsome stage manner have been deciding factors as well. Of course, being located in the nation’s capital has helped!

Last week the band had one of those rare opportunities. They were scheduled to perform Tuesday evening at the annual White House Lawn Picnic, to a crowd of around 1,000, including many congressmen and their families. The picnic was scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, but because of inclement weather, the Tuesday activities were called early and Wednesday activities were rescheduled to Thursday. The Band did get a full tour of the White House and a photo op with the President and First Lady.

They were invited to return on Thursday and perform with the Oak Ridge Boys, but had to decline. I’m told they are considering a performance at the White House in September. I wonder if the President has any bluegrass on his iPod?

Ben Eldridge, Dudley Connell and Fred Travers from Seldom Scene joined Bob Edwards on the radio last Saturday for his Bob Edwards Weekend show on PBS. The show was recorded just after the Grammy nominations were announced in December ‘07, and the interview starts with a discussion of them having received one for SCENEchronized.

The bulk of the interview is focused on how the Scene has made mixing hard core bluegrass with songs from well outside of the generally recognized boundaries of the genre. As Ben recalls from the old days, “There ain’t no rules.”

Long time fans will especially enjoy hearing Ben reminisce about the early days of the band, when they had no intention of touring or recording regularly.

Several clips from their new CD are featured during the discussion. The shows are not archived on the Bob Edwards show site, but the podcast can be downloaded for free from iTunes or StreamOS.

HT: Jake Schepps