I’m back home again after almost 2 weeks of continuous travel in planes, boats, buses, trains, and a van.

The remaining two shows after my last post here were a lot of fun and were very well received… a great way to end the trip!

I had been to the venue we played in Germany before, and the crowd’s enthusiasm didn’t dissipate from our last visit there over 2 years ago. We were practically sold out of band CD’s after the show, and some of the band’s friends from around the area treated us to some awesome food and hospitality afterwards. Thank you!

The Czech Republic was a new place for me. It’s a beautiful country, with really nice and hospitable people. A few minutes after we crossed the border, a country music station came through on the radio. After 11 days of hearing nothing but American, British, and German pop on almost every radio station, it was pretty strange to hear Johnny Cash covers in Czech mixed with original country classics in English! Even though the English language was spoken far less there than most of the other places we went, you can sense an appreciation for traditional and acoustic music in the people there… and what an awesome bluegrass community of pickers and singers!

Sometimes I feel a good bit ignorant and lost when I travel to a new place, and they can speak a little bit of English and I can’t speak any word of the local language. It’s hard not to feel pretty stupid when you go in a store and start pointing at things and counting change very slowly! Every time I’ve been in that circumstance, the locals have been so nice and helpful. So I take that as a lesson… be nice and give directions to people that aren’t familiar with their surroundings when you can! You never know when you’ll wind up in the same boat(or train, bus, van, or plane)!

We had a little bit of delay in getting back, and I’m still lagged quite a bit from the 20 hours or so of airports and layovers yesterday so I’ll have to keep this story short and sweet.

Thanks to all of the bluegrass music fans in Europe for making this tour possible! Hope to see you again soon.

Next week it’s Mashville Brigade at the Station Inn on Tuesday, and then Special C’s off to Waldo, Florida!

After our train ride to Copenhagen we rode the long road to the Netherlands, had two shows there and had a good time. Even though we were pretty tired from all the riding and moving around to get there, it was a really nice place to visit. Nice hospitable folks there… but beware! Our hosts introduced us to these waffle and caramel cookies called Stroopwafles, and now we’re all addicted to them! I’m going to have to go on a serious diet when I get home.

Anyway, we made the long van ride from Holland here to Switzerland yesterday and got here just in time to eat dinner and play a little show in Lausen (right outside of Basil) and then we got a good night’s sleep. In attendance at our gig last night was a professional classical guitarist that grew up just about 15 or 20 miles away from where I grew up in North Carolina, and has lived in Europe for 40 years since he graduated from the School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. I guess there’s Tarheels everywhere! Small world!

I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but for this trip we’re in a decent sized van that’s a little larger than the ones we have rented on previous trips. Still it’s pretty cramped for all of these 5-8 hour trips. Vehicles are much smaller on average here in Europe, so I guess we’re lucky that we’re in something that we can all fit in.

At least we’re not in this…

Now we’re spending the afternoon before our show at a friend of the band’s house. This is the first time we’ve had Wifi in a few days, so we’ve turned her dining room into a computer lab.

After our show in Feuerthalen, Switzerland tonight, we’ll be back in Germany for a show in Bochum, then our last show will be in the Czech Republic. Never been there before, so I’m looking forward to it!

I’m having a great time here, but after 8 days I’m starting to look forward to going home and being in my own bed, not having to travel hours and hours every other day, and not trying to figure out what kind of money I’ve got and how much I’m spending! We’ve been on four currencies so far, and one more to go!

Regardless, it’s nice to be here reporting to you from Switzerland! Maybe I’ll get one more update in before I go home.

Today is day 6 of the trip, and I’m writing this on a train from Stockholm to Goteburg, Sweden.

After our two dates in Denmark, we left early Saturday morning on another extended hour excursion from Copenhagen to Stockholm for our first show here in Sweden last night. Due to construction on the train tracks in Copenhagen, our first train was delayed forcing us to miss our connection that was supposed to get us into Stockholm early enough to settle into our room and do a sound check. After talking to quite a few people at the ticket counters that said there’s no way we could make the show (PANIC!), Greg found a supervisor that got us on another train that took us out of our way a little bit, adding a couple of hours to the already 6 hour train ride… but it got us to the show!

Taking the train is pretty nice here. There’s room to move around, a “bistro” car that has snack food for purchase, there’s nice scenery with the Swedish countryside just outside the window. It’s nice to be able to spread out here using my PC listening to my Ipod without being scrunched up in a rental van. I was so inspired that I just wrote a new bluegrass train song!

I was just thinking that it was kinda funny that the only other times that I’ve been on a train outside of Europe was once or twice to get downtown Chicago, as a shuttle between airport terminals, and when I was a cap gun shooting kid in a cowboy hat at Tweetsy Railroad in Boone, NC. It’s way more common for people to travel from place to place by train here, and it’s nice… except when they’re late.

The places and people have been great so far. With the little bit of free time that we had in Denmark, a few of us went downtown Copenhagen late Friday night after our show and it was awesome! Despite it being the coldest October they’ve had in recent history and some rain, it was great to see the city lit up with people biking and walking around. I want to come back, but maybe when the dollar’s stronger! Eating and getting around here in Europe is very expensive for this North Carolina boy. Still an awesome experience… Copenhagen was great.

We saw less of Stockholm just because we barely had time to get there, play the show, and go to bed so we could get up early for our train today, but it’s a beautiful old city. The city is build around a lot of different islands and little ancient streets. I will for sure spend some time looking around there one day. We drove by the palace this morning and I really wanted to go in and say hey to the King, but we didn’t have time. Everyone was so friendly there in Stockholm, and I’m sure he is too.

Some of our friends from the Swedish bluegrass band G2 came by last night, and we got to pick a few tunes after the show. They’ll be touring the US again next year, so check them out if they’re ever in your area!

Tomorrow it’s another early morning and another train, and then we drive to Holland. These days of 8-10 hours of moving, lots of coffee and tea, and two hours of picking surprisingly haven’t worn me or my voice out yet so I’m keeping my fingers crossed! 3 shows down, 7 to go! Signing off from Vagn (Wagon) 13 of the Stockholm Center City to Goteborg City Center Bluegrass Express!

Tuesday night was another blast at Mashville, even though I’m still fighting off the remnants of the IBMA bug. The lineup was Josh Williams, Jenee Fleenor, Randy Barnes, Thomas Wywrot and myself. We went a little bit late with the show because our resident “country star” and good friend Dierks Bentley made an appearance and brought a crew from CBS Sunday Morning with him to film his activities for the night. They set up all kinds of lights and did some interviewing, so our break was a little longer than normal, but it didn’t really bother anybody. I’m not sure when it will air, but look for Dierks Bentley with the Mashville Brigade on CBS Sunday Morning some time in the near future! hehe

Got home around 1:30, and Wednesday I slept until 9:30 or 10 and got up to finish packing then it was off the the airport. Our flight to Chicago left around 4pm CST and landed safely an hour and a half later, and then we had a little layover at O’Hare before the 8 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany. I tried to get a little sleep towards the end of the flight, but woke up around 2AM my time, or 9AM Frankfurt time for the breakfast that the crew was serving. We landed around 11AM Frankfurt time, and then our fearless leader Greg gathered the rental van, and we were off to Denmark!

None of us had much sleep, but we had a 9 hour drive ahead of us. We went from Frankfurt through Hannover, then had a quick schnitzel at some road side place, and then it was on to the ferry station towards Denmark.

By the time we got on the ferry we had all been up and traveling for well over 24 hours, minus a few uncomfortable naps here and there. We still had a few hours to go before we arrived here, outside of Copenhagen. There was a little bluegrass welcome committee to greet us, and give us the keys to this hostel-like place where we’re staying.

This is my first time in Denmark, and just like most everywhere I’ve been over here in Europe they speak enough English to help me get around and everyone is very helpful. Had a great breakfast already today, and now it’s time for a little rest before the show tonight.

Battery’s about to die, and I’m power adapter-less at the moment, so that’s all for now.

Hopefully I can update again soon! Goodbye from Denmark!

His songs have been cut by Skaggs, Montgomery Gentry and Sonya Isaacs, and Love Is A Journey, his debut solo project, was released on Skaggs Family Records in 2005.

He is also a gifted songwriter, an impressive multi-instrumentalist and a persuasive vocalist, yet large-scale success in the business has so far eluded his grasp.

Keith’s latest CD, The Way Of A Wanderer, is just out and if there is any justice in the music world (I know…), 2010 should be a breakout year for Sewell. It’s a fabulous project that showcases his varied abilities, tied together thematically, and recorded/mixed to take full advantage of the blended bluegrass and progressive country genres where he has plied his trade.

The new album includes 11 new songs, all written by Sewell, 4 as co-writes with Niall Toner. Keith produced, provided the vocals and played the bulk of the instruments (guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass and minimalist keyboards). Rob Ickes guests on resonator guitar and Luke Bulla provides fiddle on 2 tracks.

Sewell grew up in a Texas bluegrass family, and learned to play as a boy, trailing his grandfather Kenny Sewell to festivals all over the US where he performed with The Shady Grove Ramblers. Young Keith showed an interest in all of the bluegrass instruments, becoming proficient on banjo, madnolin, fiddle and guitar while still in school. At age 19, he went to work for Ricky Skaggs in his country band, which brought him to the attention of the Nashville acoustic scene as well.

The Way Of A Wanderer struck me as being more relaxed and coherent than his first CD, an observation that caught Keith off guard.

“I haven’t really thought about this record as having a bit more relaxed feel but that’s an interesting observation. I do think the songs are more personal and retrospective this time. I will say that I rarely set out to write a song with a title or a ‘hook’ in mind. For me, It’s always a riff or a melody that sets the mood for what I wanna say. ( Then I have to figure out what I wanna say- a chore sometimes).

I also didn’t intend to play most of the instruments starting out. I was really laying things down in a ‘pre-production’ mindset, but the further I got into the project, I couldn’t hear the parts being replaced. I think I understood the songs and where they where going, so the parts I played really became signatures to the outcome.  My wife was encouraging me also. She was like, ‘why wouldn’t you just play the instruments that you can play?

I feel like my Grandfather would have wanted me to play fiddle on a few tunes anyway.”

Perhaps most notable about this album is how Sewell uses the familiar, acoustic bluegrass instruments the way a pop or modern country producer might employ electric guitars and keyboards to provide a bed for the songs. You hear the guitar, mandolin, fiddle and banjo in the mix, but they aren’t always in their traditional roles in the rhythm section. The songs are all catchy, and this sonic approach gives the whole record a fresh sound.

Though I found every song delightful, a number of the tracks really jumped out at me. Imogene, especially, grabbed my ear – it is becoming my new favorite song. It’s a kicky, driving grasser, and when Keith told me he had written it about his grandmother, I had to have a more detailed explanation.

Listen to the sample before reading his comments…

Imogene – Listen Now    

“I realize that some things aren’t meant to be taken literally in songwriting, and sometimes it’s like uncovering a treasure when you do discover what a writer was really trying to say, but that song is pretty much coming right out of my mouth verbatim!

To be more specific, my grandmother Imogene and I were very close. She was a very strong Christian lady. Unlike my other grandparents who died very slowly in nursing situations, Imogene died suddenly when I was 13 and it was very shocking and difficult. I know this might sound ‘out there’ but I always felt like, and still feel like she is very near.  Almost like a Guardian Angel of sorts.

The song was born out of those times in my life where I wasn’t necessarily making her proud.’  ‘You know better than that son,’ she might say!

My adolescence wasn’t anything abnormal but I thought it was a good premise from which to write how I felt about her. It took a while before I could sing that without choking up, not very common for an uptempo bluegrass song!”

Another track that grabbed my attention was Abigail, a quirky number that demonstrates how much some of his previous employers’ music has rubbed off on him.

Abigail – Listen Now    

“I had been foolin’ around with this 5/4 melody for a while. I will say that the time I spent touring in Jerry Douglas’ band and certainly Sam Bush’s band surely has inspired me to be a little LESS Orthodox in my writing.”

Josie’s Reel is a tribute to Keith’s other grandmother, which combines old time and bluegrass inluences in a very appealing way.

Josie’s Reel – Listen Now    

“Niall Toner and I wrote this tune in 04′ and my friends Special Consensus cut it on their Trail Of Aching Hearts record. I’ve always loved this tune, imagining what it must have been like to see my grandmother Josie in her teens. I wrote the reel first and then the lyrics came.”

Lastly, Muscadine Wine is a song that I thought must surely be autobiographical, but Keith said “no.”

Muscadine Wine – Listen Now    

“This one is not really a true story – just an example of how a riff can materialize into a tune. I love Doc Watson and George Shuffler’s crosspicking style, and I suppose of was thinking of them when I came up with teh opening signature lick.”

Do yourself a favor and check out Keith Sewell and The Way Of A Wanderer. It’s great music.

I’m a fan.

I didn’t get to hear him play, but I walked by Casey Driessen, who was sitting on the floor in the hallway, preparing for his solo showcase. I complimented him on the cylindrical bushes in front of his house, which he tweeted about recently. They were a three-year pruning project. He’s not only a perfectionist when it comes to his playing…

I got to see the newest lineup of Special Consensus with their new guitar player, Ryan Roberts. As usual they killed, playing to a full room for the New England Bluegrass Coalition. IBMA President Greg Cahill always fields a top-notch lineup. I’m always amazed that he can manage the duties of President and still do late-night showcases. He must have almost as much energy as Little Roy Lewis.

Playing just after us in the Pickin’ in the Pavilion room was Asheville-based quartet Silver Dagger. Their banjo player is Grace Van’t Hof (what can I say, I always remember the banjo player!) and they were laying down a solid set. The duet with Grace and bass player Ashleigh Caudill was especially nice. You can catch them at showcases tonight as well.

My favorite act of the night, though, was Heather Berry and Tony Mabe. Playing on the Home Grown Music Stage I almost missed them because they appeared much later than they were listed on the schedule. Heather has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard and both she and her husband Tony have so much musical talent, expressed in a pre-bluegrass duet style, that it’s just ridiculous. I caught their very last song and it should be a good indication of the fervor of their fans that we clapped until they played an encore, even though it was nearly 2 a.m.

One sight that stuck with me was Eddie Stubbs standing in the hallway, surrounded by the Quebe Sisters. I know he is a big fan of their band–a western-swing trio with Andrews-Sisters-style harmonies. If Eddie is a big fan of something, you know it’s worth paying attention to. They play an official showcase tonight and I predict that the buzz surrounding them will be close to deafening.

Justin Carbone is leaving the band at the end of September! His final performance as a Special C member will be at the Denton, NC festival on September 25.

Justin Carbone has performed with The Special C as guitar player extraordinaire, lead and harmony vocalist and songwriter for nearly six years. He has recently made some life changing decisions; in the last month, Justin became engaged, relocated from Nashville to Sellersville, PA and resigned his position with the band. We will miss his presence greatly and wish him the best with his new endeavors that will include his work with partner Troy Engel in their Unplugged Demos company. We encourage any songwriters who need excellent demos of their work to contact Justin and Troy at info@unpluggeddemos.com.

We now welcome the multi-talented Canadian Ryan Roberts to the band. Ryan is an award winning singer/songwriter/guitar player well known to Canadian audiences and we are fortunate that he has agreed to relocate to Nashville to join The Special Consensus. Ryan and Justin have co-authored and recorded songs together and Ryan has performed with his wife Roxeen and the Janet McGarry band for several years in addition to writing and performing music for countless commercial jingles, recording projects by numerous bands, and film scores.

We invite everyone who plans to attend the IBMA World of Bluegrass Music gathering later this month to welcome Ryan to the band at one of our several after hour showcases and our Friday Fan Fest performance.

Here’s a live festival video of Ryan on guitar and vocal.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When we left off, Special C was broken down on the side of the road in Kansas, with barely enough time to make it to their next show in Wyoming.

Ashby picks up from there…

“After Justin and I spent a night surfing the net and waiting on the phone for rental car and flight rates, Justin finally devised on a plan to get us out of WaKeeney.

We had to rent a one way vehicle from Hays (30 miles away) in the morning, drive to Denver, rent another van (because there were no vans or one-way rentals available in Hays), then try to make it to Buffalo (7 hours away) by our new 8 o’clock set time. I had no idea that one way car rentals were so expensive!

The repair shop owner in WaKeeney happened to know a guy that would be driving to Hays early in the morning, and could drop Justin off at Hertz. What a nice town!

So it is all planned. But wait‚Ķ Once Justin got to the rental place, he was told that they were out of cars for the day even though we had a reservation.”

Sounds like a Seinfeld episode. Read the conclusion of the story at ashbyfrank.com.

But Special Consensus wasn’t the only bluegrass band suffering a major breakdown over the weekend. NewFound Road’s trusty ride went down Saturday on the way home from the Raccoon Creek Bluegrass Festival in Dallas, GA.

It had taken them from Knoxville to Dallas just fine on Saturday morning, but left them high and dry just a few miles up the road in Cartersville. The rest of the band made it to nearby Atlanta and home from there, but Tim Shelton is stuck in Georgia waiting for a tow this morning.

To make his weekend complete, he is also enjoying the fact that his cell phone has gone missing.

Sometimes it doesn’t pay to get out of bed. Make sure to give Tim a big hug next time you see him.

It tells of how the first leg of a midwestern tour with Special Consensus turned into a roadside disaster yesterday (7/9). Their trusty vehicle let them down, and left them stranded far from where they needed to be.

Well this is the beginning  (Day 2) of one of the famous, long, multi-state Special C tours and it’s gotten off to an interesting start. This one’s 17 days with stops in Buffalo and Casper, WY, Windsor, CO, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.

We  left Nashville kinda late. I drove to Paducah, Justin drove a good ways through Illinois, and then I took back the wheel a few hours later. A short time after I started driving, I noticed Justin was messing around in the back and didn’t think much of it until I realized that for the first time ever, I could see head lights in the rear view mirror. UH HO! The back door had come open and Justin was standing back there trying to rescue my suitcase from falling out into Saint Louis traffic while screaming for me to stop. It’s soooo loud in the SpecialCmobile that I hadn’t heard his first scream. I didn’t freak out, realizing that if I hit the brakes all of our stuff and Justin would go flying out the back door onto I-70. We got pulled over, locked the door, and and made it to Columbia, MO at 1 AM. I saved Justin’s life, and he saved my suitcase and probably my mandolin and computer bag‚Ķ so he saved mine too.

After tons of talking and Google-ing we finally found a place to stay. This morning we got up and hit the breakfast buffet at the Comfort Inn (where the main course was “pancake wraps”, AKA Corn Dogs), then headed out through Kansas City and on through Kansas‚Ķ or at least a part of the way. I stopped my shift in a town called WaKeeney. There was a Sinclair station and we were running low on Diesel and not within 30 miles of another town, so that made sense to me.

David started his first shift of driving for the trip after we fueled up, and he made it three miles. THREE MILES. Then squeek, bang, bang, smoke! We stopped right there on I-70, and called AAA. The “Turtle Top” made a horrible noise when we shifted it into park, and then we waited for an hour and a half or so in the 100 degree heat. A VERY friendly and helpful Kansas State Trooper came and parked by us and got us in contact with a heavy duty tow truck driver that happened to have a shop right there (here) in WaKeeney (Pop. 1924).

Once the truck got here to pull us away, they figured out that we have broken bearings and a broken rear axle. So we got pulled back to WaKeeney, said goodbye to the friendly Trooper, and hello to Steve the super friendly Repair Shop Owner. He tells us that it’ll be a week, maybe two, two get all this stuff fixed‚Ķ oh and by the way‚Ķ. we’re supposed to be in Buffalo, Wyoming, (11 hours from here) for a 2PM set tomorrow.

Will Special C make it to their show on time? Will they be able to find transportation out of WaKeeney?

Follow Ashby’s blog for all the news.

We just heard from Ashby Frank, mandolinist with Special Consensus, reminding everyone that the last airing of their Track-By-Track program on Sirius-XM is at 11:00 a.m. this morning ( 6/14). It’s a run through of their latest Pinecastle CD, Signs, with comments from the band, hosted by Kyle Cantrell.

Look for it on Bluegrass Junction – Sirius 65 and XM 14.

Ashby mentioned that he has been suffering terribly with allergies this season. I can relate, having suddenly developed seasonal allergies when I was roughly his age.

Anyone with good folk remedies – or pharmacological recommendations – is urged to contact him right away!

A series of rambles about CDs by bluegrassmercury, part 2…

A big bundle of CDs has landed on my desk in the recent past. They include those by Danny Paisley, the Infamous Stringdusters, Williams & Clark Expedition, Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, Daughters Of Bluegrass, High Windy, Gold Heart, Cherryholmes, Earl Scruggs, The Mashville Brigade, Crowe Brothers, Ralph Stanley II, Longview, Big Country Bluegrass.

The Daughters Of Bluegrass Bluegrass Bouquet (Blue Circle BCR 017) is an epic collection of some considerable magnitude, comprising 17 cuts and featuring over 50 ‚Äòdaughters.’ The first track, Proud To Be A Daughter of Bluegrass alone there are 20 ladies singing, 4 shouters and 6 pickers.

Those familiar with the Blue Circle label and the Good Home Grown Music group will recognise that this album is the product of Tom T Hall and our own Miss Dixie Hall. She’s a Boldmere, Birmingham girl! The duo penned all songs and most of the recording was done at the Hall’s home studio in Franklyn, Tennessee.

The quality of songs and singers is remarkably and consistently high, with many stand-out tracks (There Ought to Be) More to Love than This [sung by Lisa Ray]; I’m Gonna Love You Now [Frances Mooney]; Nobody Home [Lorraine Jordan]; the a cappella Go Up on the Mountain and Wait [with five-part harmonies]; I Made of a Flower Today and Scenes from an Old Country Graveyard, both with an old-time country feel; another with a gospel edge Take Me With You [Beth Lawrence]; Desmoranda [Valerie Smith]; Carolina State of Mind [Gina Britt]; and Everybody Got a Light [Beth Stevens]. In addition to the opening song, three others feature multiple lead vocalists. Overall, the ladies have produced an excellent album.

The latest album from Ralph Stanley II This One Is II (Lonesome Day Records 013) sees him striking out for a wider market than that which encapsulates the strict bluegrass fan. Stanley has a deeper voice than the late lamented Keith Whitley, but the similarities are very definitely there, just as they are with his uncle, Carter Stanley.

II, as he is known, has gathered together a bunch of top studio buddies; Tim Crouch (fiddle and guitar), Cody Kilby (guitar), Randy Kohrs (resophonic guitar), Harold Nixon (bass), Adam Steffey (mandolin) and Ron Stewart (banjo, utilised sparingly). Jim Lauderdale, Steve Gulley, Darrin Vincent, Marty Raybon and Dale Ann Bradley all provide some harmonic assistance.

Beginning with a Garth Brooks song, Cold Shoulder, II has included a Elton John song (Georgia) and one by Townes van Zandt (the beautifully melodious "Loretta") and another by Lyle Lovett (a driving bluegrass treatment of "L A County"). Also, in the ‚Äòcountry’ pigeon-hole are They Say I’ll Never Go Home, Honky Tonk Way and If This Old Guitar Could Talk. Train Songs is up-tempo offering from the pen of the ubiquitous Tom T Hall. Saving the very best for comment to the last there is the killer Moms Are the Reason Wild Flowers Grow and the equally heart-rendering Carter, the Fred Eaglesmith tribute to Carter Stanley. File under ‚ÄòGreat Music.’

Junior Sisk has had chequered career in bluegrass, writing for the Lonesome River Band in the early 1990s, working with Wyatt Rice & Santa Cruz, Lost & Found and BlueRidge have bracketed an earlier incarnation of the band he now fronts, Ramblers Choice.

Blue Side Of The Blue Ridge (Rebel 1825) fills a void that spans too many years. Sisk, now based in Ferrum, Virginia, has lived most of his life in the Blue Ridge Mountains and it colours his music. Accompanying him here is Sisk’s cousin Tim Massey (bass, vocals), Chris Harris (mandolin, harmony vocals), Billy Hawks (fiddle) and Darrell Wilkerson (banjo), while guest Wyatt Rice brought along his guitar for the sessions.

Sisk is steeped in traditional bluegrass, so much so that How Could I Explain was very nearly on Danny Paisley’s recent album. From the banjo kick-off on the first cut, The Wolf Is At The Door the music drives along at a fair lick. Other highlights are the title track, You Let the Dog off the Chain, Leaving Baker County, Dust On the Bible, I Did The Leaving For You and The Man In The Moon. Massey is the perfect foil for Sisk’s high lonesome, bluesy vocals. Massey sings lead on the two songs that he wrote without diluting the intensity of the rest of the album.

Cherryholmes have continued with the numbering system for their latest album; number III in this instance, with a subtitle Don’t Believe (Skaggs Family 6989020202). I have to admit to be slow getting into Cherryholmes, but that was my loss, although I have caught up with them now.

The family band is growing and developing further with each CD, not surprisingly as four of the members mature as people as well as musicians and, as usual, there is a lot of original material from them. Cia Cherryholmes provided seven of the 11 songs in this collection. The Sailing Man is exceptional with the up-tempo Don’t Believe, I Can Only Love You (So Much), with Cia herself singing lead vocals, and My Love For You Grows, sung by Skip, not far behind. Mum Sandy’s King As A Babe Comes Down is given an otherworldly sound with droning fiddle, whistle and accordion to accompany her vocals. BJ provided a couple of instrumentals; the hot Sumatra and the lovely medley Mansker Spree/O’Coughlin’s Reel, with its twin fiddles, and exercises his vocal chops on Bleeding. Molly, the youngest at 15, wrote and sang the funky Goodbye. The odd one out, so to speak, is Devil In Disguise, penned by Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman. It is easy to appreciate why this group won the IBMA Entertainer of the Year award in 2005.

Mountain Roads Recordings is a new label – founded in Bristol, Virginia, at the beginning of 2008. Big Country Bluegrass, so called after the Jimmy Martin instrumental, was the first band to sign up with them, having previously been part of the Hay Holler stable.

Mention of Jimmy Martin and Hay Holler will immediately give two good clues as to what listeners to Open For Business (MRR-BC-001) can expect; authentic hard-driving bluegrass. Big Country Bluegrass are Tommy Sells (mandolin), Teresa Sells (guitar and vocals), Jeff Michael (fiddle, lead guitar and vocals), Johnny Williams (rhythm guitar and vocals), Lynwood Lunsford (banjo and vocals) and Alan Mastin (bass).

The first track, High Alleghenies, has Jeff Michael singing lead along with Teresa Sells (high baritone) and Johnny Williams (tenor), thus showcasing the beautiful harmonies and drive of this group. Michael’s unique lead vocals can be heard also on Ghost Of A Love, Weary Traveler, I’ll Never Dream No More My Darling and Old Time Preacher Man, among others. Williams assumes the role of lead vocalist on Nashville Jail and Just Another Broken Heart, while Teresa Sells does likewise on I’ve Lost You and I Guess I’ll Go On Dreaming.

Open For Business is a combination of old standards, traditional favourites and two new songs, one by that prolific song-writing couple Tom T. and Miss Dixie Hall.

One CD that has been getting regular play in this household is Signs (Pinecastle 1169) from Special Consensus.

Signs consists of a dozen very impressive songs in all, including some of the best love songs collected on one album in a long time. Ashby Franks’ title song cleverly alludes to the interpretations of messages from the opposite gender. A timeless issue. Franks also penned My Heart Breaks Again. While Justin Carbone’s collaboration with Becky Buller, the excellent mid-tempo Gone To Carolina and his Lonesome Lesson Learned also demonstrate that Special Consensus has two excellent songwriters in its midst.

Franks sings lead on six songs, his voice being equally well suited to Jake Landers’ Mountain Girl, a song from the Statler Brothers’ repertoire, I’ll Go To My Grave Lovin’ You, and another country-style song Footprints. Carbone sings lead on four, both those noted as penned by him plus Leaving This Old Town, and the traditional sacred song What A Beautiful Day. David Thomas, the third lead vocalist heard here, does a fine job on the funky, swinging Talkin’ About It Just Don’t Get It Done. Cahill helped to pen the topically titled Snowball Breakdown. The CD, which is due for general release on 24 March, is a cert for lots of airplay and perhaps some recognition by those that decide to whom the industry’s awards go.

Gold Heart will be touring the UK shortly and, even though they are predominantly very young , they have already released two CDs. Never Let Go is their latest. On this album the band comprises the three Gold sister, Analise, Jocelyn and Shelby, plus studio guests Alan Bartram (bass), Thomas Wywrot (banjo), Andy Hall (Dobro®), Brandon Godman (second fiddle) and producer Justin Carbone.

Typical of this day and age, most of the songs are written by the band members, with Jocelyn Gold providing the bulk of them; writing seven on her own and collaborating on three others. Back To Virginia, Lonely Rain, the a cappella trio Walk On The Water and Hear Me Cry are outstanding compositions. The latter was a finalist in the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at MerleFest last year.

The depth of maturity in those songs is quite staggering. What is more, it extends to Shelby’s Forever Tennessee and Thank You Darlin’. She wasn’t even a teenager when she penned either song. Not to be outdone, eldest sister Analise contributes the reflective Memories Of My Past and has co-writer credit for Walk On The Water. Most arrangements are up-tempo, but for a change of pace the slower Daylight Breaks and the afore-mentioned Hear Me Cry offer a change from the norm.

All the girls share the vocal responsibilities and solo or in harmony they excel. The performances on Never Let Go are polished with traditional grounding overlaid with youthful vigour and sensibilities.

The Dry Branch Fire Squad’s Echoes Of The Mountains (Rounder 0574) is the first studio recordings in about eight years and it is most welcome. The current line-up comprises Brian Aldridge (guitar, mandolin and vocals), Tom Boyd (banjo, Dobro ¬Æ and vocals), Dan Russell (bass, banjo and vocals) and Ron Thomason (mandolin, guitar, claw hammer banjo, percussion and vocals).

The opening Dixie Cowboy starts up-tempo with Michael Cleveland prominent, before the tempo slows at the end. It is the first of three western songs, the others being Rider On A Orphan Train and Seven Spanish Angels. They reflect delightfully the life style that Colorado resident Thomason enjoys at the moment. His rendition of Echo Mountain achieves his aim of presenting it as a metaphor for all folks who have friends of a different species with a subtle shift of emphasis from the babe to the faithful hound.

Aldridge and Boyd share the vocal responsibilities on Stormy Waters as they reprise the Jimmy Martin duet with Paul Williams in great fashion. Boyd’s other showcase is a solo rendition of Little Joe. Elsewhere there is an a cappella quartet – Power In The Blood; old-time – O Captain! My Captain, a Thomason solo with just clawhammer banjo for accompaniment; soul – Sam Cooke‚Äòs Bring It Home To Me with Thomason’s rustic voice accompanied by a doo-wop style vocal backing; and a touch of dry humour – (You Got To Pray To The Lord) When You See Those Flying Saucers.

How can one objectively review The Hangman (Pinecastle 1167) by Ernie Thacker when, by all accounts, he is extremely fortunate to be alive after a horrendous road accident in April 2006 and a series of critical surgical operations and needs the use of a wheelchair?

Thacker is possibly best known for a brief spell with the Clinch Mountain Boys, although he has had a stop-start career as leader of his own band Route 23 for some years. In addition to Thacker (guitar and vocals) is his brother Matt (bass guitar and tenor vocals), Dick Roach (banjo and baritone vocals) and Brandon Shupping (mandolin) along with guest fiddle player John Rigsby.

Fast tempos dominate for the first three songs, and indeed throughout. The slower Friday Once Again prompts comparison with Keith Whitley’s country offerings. The evocative Keith How Many, written by Melvin Burns and Ernie Thacker, is as powerful a tribute as Fred Eaglesmith’s Carter (mentioned earlier).

There aren’t as many songs from the band members as is normal these days – excellent exceptions are the title song and the Gospel Church Upon The Hill. All the Thacker brothers have a hand in writing these. However, is a good sprinkling of fresh songs with Bill Castle’s The Ballad Of Charlie Dill, Dave Carroll’s Detroit City Chill, and Word Of Mouth from Salvatore Guido and Paul Kelly. Covers include This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me from Dwight Yoakam, I Wish You Knew, Sunday Morning Coming Down and the traditional Rollin’ On These Rubber Wheels. Thacker’s past defines his future.

A variation of this edition of ‘Light In The Window" has been published in British Bluegrass News.

More next time
…………………

The Station Inn in Nashville was the site for The Special C album release concert for the new Signs recording on the Pinecastle Records label on Friday, April 24. We enjoyed seeing friends, fans and family members and had a wonderful time playing songs from the new release and bringing up to the stage many of the great musicians in attendance (including Special C bass player alum Tim Dishman and his wife Tina Adair Dishman, Brandon Godwin, Nora Jane Struthers, Robin Roller).

There was plenty of delicious cake for all, supplied by our great friend Megan Lynch. and the best homemade cheesecake in the land made by Ashby’s Mom. A truly enjoyable and memorable evening for us and we greatly appreciate the support of so many friends and fans.

The Special C visited with XM Radio host Kyle Cantrell in the XM Nashville studio earlier that afternoon for a Track by Track review of the new Signs recording. Be sure to listen to the Bluegrass Junction show on June 10 to hear our very enjoyable visit with Kyle and to hear every track on the new recording.

The band also visited later in the afternoon with Nashville Public Radio Bluegrass Breakdown host Dave Higgs for an interview and live performance of several songs from the new Signs recording. We told stories about the songs and about ourselves, which of course included a good deal of laughter and (mostly) friendly banter.

Here are a few more photos sent along by Special C mandolinist Ashby Frank. 

              

BBN has graciously allowed us to reproduce it here, believing it conatins valuable insight and information for other US bands considering a tour of the UK.

I have just returned home from a wonderful tour of Ireland, Scotland, England and back to Ireland with The Special Consensus. The band has completed this bi-annual tour since the early 1990s and we have developed many great friendships with promoters, friends and fans alike.

This tour was quite lengthy – we arrived in Dublin on January 13 and played shows every night from January 14 through February 3, and returned to the USA on February 4. Although we were pretty tired by the 21st day of concurrent performances, we truly had a wonderful time and greatly appreciate the support of everyone who came out to hear the band.

For travelling bluegrass bands, touring and performing to audiences in different countries is a most interesting and very enjoyable experience. Every town in every country has its own history and personal identity, which makes for a wonderful learning experience. Different cultural perspectives and habits, from types of meals served, food preparation, drinks indigenous to the region, political and religious opinions, etc., make each town and city a "brave new world" to explore before even arriving at the concert venue.

One of the first factors to consider when contemplating scheduling a tour of foreign lands is airfare. It is always very helpful to determine the best destination city that might be a "hub" of sorts to begin a tour, and it is also very cost effective to book round trip airfare whenever possible. I always check several airfare options to have at least a general idea of the major travel expense before scheduling any dates so I have an idea of how much money will be necessary to pay travel expenses and then pay the band. This information is invaluable in determining what fee to request per show and then how many bookings it will take to earn the desired amount necessary to make the tour feasible.

It seems that most "full time" professional touring bands in the US are used to long drives between engagements. It is not unusual for a band to play at a festival in Kentucky one day and, perhaps after an all-night drive, appear at a festival in Minnesota the next day. The Special C drives to about 70% of the shows and flies to the other 30%. Our impression of the scene in the UK and Ireland is that a three hour drive is considered quite long, whereas this is more the norm for US bands. It also seems to us that bands in mainland Europe fall somewhere between these drive time parameters; they may be comfortable with even a five or six hour drive but would also certainly balk at a 10 or 12 hour all-night drive. I would certainly suggest that bands planning a tour of different countries plot the drives when scheduling the shows to be sure they will be able to comfortably get to each show (and "comfortably" is relative to the usual band tour experience).

Since The Special C began touring in Ireland and the UK in the 1990s, we prefer to drive ourselves throughout the tour but bands that are coming over for the first time might consider hiring someone to drive them around (especially if not familiar with "driving on the wrong side"). Car rental and insurance can be expensive and should be arranged before arrival in country, as larger vehicles are sometimes less available. Travel by air or ferry between countries should also be investigated before travel days. While Ryan Air and Easy Jet offer great values, we have no longer been able to take advantage of these flights since the downsized weight restrictions were enacted (our suitcases are packed with clothing for several weeks and are therefore usually too heavy for these flights without paying exorbitant excess weight fees). We usually ferry between Ireland and England/Scotland, most often with the vehicle we have rented from the agent who books the band in this region. We also limit our luggage to one large suitcase, one carry-on bag and an instrument per band member.

Accommodation in the various countries of Europe are similar but not identical to accommodation in the US. Hotel and motel rooms are actually quite similar but B&B lodging is a bit less common in the States. And a light, non-cooked breakfast ("continental breakfast") is often the norm for many of the more affordable US motel chains.

Sound quality for concert performances seems to vary a great deal in all countries (including the USA). Equipment and knowledgeable engineers are obviously key factors, but another is the perspective of the promoter. I believe a band will sound much better if allowed to use the usual stage setup. We occasionally encounter promoters who not only have not requested a stage plot from the band in advance (so they have no idea how many microphones, stands, cables, etc. will be necessary) but also insist on the band using their preferred setup (e.g., one mic for the entire band rather than individual mics). It is the responsibility of both the band and the promoter to communicate about the sound requirements in advance of the concert. We always carry instrument mics over with us for "emergency" use. Setting the sound check time before arrival in town is also helpful so the band will know if they should have dinner before or after sound check.

CD sales are a major part of our income and usually pay a major percentage of our travel expenses. Since we are usually playing for a much lower guaranteed fee than our usual fee in the US, it is much appreciated when the promoters do not request any portion of the CD sale income (and this agreement should be either part of the contract or a contract rider).

The joy of finally making the music for very receptive and enthusiastic audiences is, of course, the primary reason for completing the tour. I always enjoy the audiences in Ireland, England and Scotland because, for the most part, they have come to hear the music and they are quite knowledgeable about the genre (and many are musicians themselves). The main difficulty we encounter is not getting enough sleep because we somehow usually end up in a session or at least a visit with the local musicians and concert attendees after the show, and consequently we stay up far too late when we have to rise fairly early to drive to the next town the following day (while the locals enjoy sleeping in!).

I have made countless friends around the world through the connection of music, and I truly believe I will leave this world a wealthy person, as my credo is that the true wealth of the world is the experiences we encounter on the "path with heart" in life and the friends we make. I look forward to (hopefully) many more years of playing the music I love, of meeting new friends and of spreading the joy of bluegrass music to all who will listen!

All the best,
Greg Cahill

Founder and banjo player Greg Cahill will be interviewed online today on WorldWideBluegrass.com, where he’ll talk about the songs and surely spin a few tracks with Tim Cahall, who is sitting in for Gracie Muldoon today (3/20) at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).

We were in touch with Greg a few days ago ourselves, and he shared a few words about three of the songs from Signs, which we present here, along with audio samples.

Footprints – Listen now:   

Having the song Footprints on this recording is what we might call a “‘triple whammy:’ it is a beautiful gospel song, it was written by some of Nashville’s finest songwriters (Ronnie Bowman, Don Cook and Curly Putman) and it features the fantastic harmony singing of Sonya Isaacs (the first ever ‘guest’ female vocalist on a Special C recording). Ashby asked Ronnie if he had any songs he might consider letting us include on the recording and Ronnie graciously gave us this top-notch selection. We feel privileged to have the song on our recording.

Leaving This Old Town – Listen now:   

Justin, Ryan Roberts and Special C alum Ron Spears co-authored Leaving This Old Town and we all liked the song and the story it tells. We felt that it has a good traditional song feel to it with lyrics about dealing with the decision to leave ‘this old (home)town’ that many listeners may encounter at some point in their lives.

I’ll Go To My Grave Lovin You – Listen now:   

We always include a quartet selection on Special C recordings, usually a gospel song. But this time we decided to try something a bit different and Ashby brought the Statler Brothers I’ll Go To My Grave Lovin You (written by Don Reid) to the table. Justin was a bit skeptical at first (he has a new nickname as the result of singing the bass part ‘bums’) but he now agrees with the rest of us that this was fun to sing and record and we already receive requests for the song at our live performances.

Look for Signs next week wherever you find bluegrass CDs or downloads for sale.

Katy tells us that Greg will be calling in from home in the Chicago area before they head down to Florida for the Everglades festival this coming weekend.

“We’ll talk about their recent UK tour, European bluegrass and their Traditional American Music program,  demonstrating bluegrass in schools.    Plus, listeners can hear the title cut, Signs, a Statler Brothers song, I’ll Go To My Grave Loving You, and Gone to Carolina, from their new Pinecastle CD, which will be released in March.”

You can listen to Bluegrass Country’s 24/7 bluegrass audio stream online at www.bluegrasscountry.org.

After 23 days, 21 shows, and hours and hours in mini-vans, city buses, ferries, and planes, I’m back home! We had a great time with everyone over in Ireland, Scotland, and England, but it’s nice to be back. I must admit it felt strange to be on the RIGHT side of the road again.

Our last few gigs went very well, mostly sold out, but we did get blasted by one of the largest snow storms to hit Ireland and Britain in the last 20 years. It didn’t keep many people away, though.

The last two nights we spent in the town of Kilworth, which is in County Cork in the far South of the Republic of Ireland. I guess it’s a good indicator for us that we were sold out of the new CD Signs long before we made it down to Kilworth,  and on the last night we sold completely out of everything the band brought. I guess some people, and we all know who you are, just can’t enough Bluegrass.

Yesterday was kind of crazy because we had to get up at 4:45 AM (10:45 PM Nashville Time) to drive back to Dublin to catch our flight. Talk about a long day! It was nice to get back to Nashville before too late. By the end of the trip we had been in transit for something like 16 hours. That’s a long day.

Now that I’m home, I have a chance to wind down a little and catch up on shredding the considerable pile of junk mail that had accumulated. It’s ridiculous!

I must say that I’m overwhelmed by the response and interest that everyone has shown in this series of posts! Special thanks to the TheBluegrassBlog.com for setting all of this up! If for some strange reason you’re interested in reading more about me or my travels, even after all of this you’ve already read, come on back to AshbyFrank.com and see what I’m up to!

Well here I am at a Bed and Breakfast in Ireland at 2:30 AM watching the Super Bowl.

I tried to look on Google maps to show you exactly where I am in Ireland, but when I typed in Carrig on Bannow, Ireland, it gave me the address for the First United Methodist Church in Winchester, Kentucky. Strange. Even stranger that I’ve spent some time in Winchester, and I bet I know people that have attended that Church. I know that Winchester is the last place to get fast food  before you head east towards Morehead and Ashland. I think there’s a Fazoli’s there that Alecia used to make us stop at. I wonder if my friend  Billie Renee goes there?

Anyway, we had another packed house at a pub show tonight, but it was more like a festival. There were Irish bands, as well as some US originated folks with some Old Time and Bluegrass.

After the show, I noticed that the Super Bowl was on. Now, I’m not a huge NFL fan, I like NCAA Football much better. I must say though, I haven’t missed many Super Bowls whether I’ve been on the road or not. I can remember another Super Bowl featuring the Steelers when I was on the road with Marty Raybon and Full Circle. We were in Bakersfield, CA  and Doyle and Quicksilver were there. We spent the evening between rooms talking and socializing around the game. That’s what it’s all about, right?

Well here it’s not that big of a deal, and it is 2:30 something in the morning.

Here’s a picture of the scene after the show was over and everyone’s gathered in the pub jamming.

Oh, and there’s a big SAFETY for Arizona.

It’s strange how such normal things back home  feels so far away and distant after 3 weeks. I actually just Skyped Jim Van Cleve (note: TOUCHDOWN ARIZONA now, they have the lead) because I know he’s having a gathering at his place and I wanted to say "hey" to everybody, and it turns out, I’m seeing all of this before they are.

It is odd to hear all of this with a mix of British and American announcers…. and NO COMMERCIALS! Why would anyone want to watch the Super Bowl with no commercials?

Oh, and one more thing. Guess what sign was up behind the bar here in a small town in Ireland?

Well, only two shows left. They’re way down near Cork which is in the far South, then I’m making my way back home.

Looks like the Steelers are going to win now! Hope everyone’s enjoyed the game.

I’ve been home for 1 day out of the last 21 days, and performed on 18 of those days‚Ķ sometimes twice. Wow. This is the longest string of gigs that I"ve ever had, and I wouldn’t be very truthful if I didn’t say that I’m very ready to be home and sleep in my own bed, work out a little, then maybe watch a movie, and not have to search for wifi everywhere!

Right now I’m in a very friendly Stir Fry Restaurant in the University District of Belfast, buying wi-fi from a British Telecom Hotspot that’s somewhere around here. It’s very interesting‚Ķ the bigger the town, the harder it is to find free wi-fi.

Since I wrote last, we’ve been over a good bit of England, drove back to Scotland, took another ferry back to Belfast, and played a show here in town last night.

Even though I really didn’t get to see the sights at all, England was nice. We stayed in one small town, and then had two nights in the larger cities of Nottingham and Bristol. Everything is so compact (including the streets) and to me it feels like everyone lives on top of each other. We’ve driven through or gotten lost in some of the larger towns here, like Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Nottingham, and Liverpool, and despite their age they all have very well kept up and thriving downtown areas or “city centres,” and there are so many things, new and old, that look and sound so interesting to me, we just don’t have the time!

Oh and as a side note, we found Greg’s long lost twin in England…

As we travel from place to place, back and forth across the sea and across ancient borders and boundaries, playing in everything from small pubs and hotel ball rooms to larger festivals, I do notice a huge difference in accents and certain customs, and things do look a bit different from place to place. The one thing I can’t stress enough is how friendly most everyone is, no matter where we’ve been. I sure am glad we haven’t been somewhere for this long where they don’t speak English! I’ve experienced that a few times before and it makes getting around pretty hard.

Last night’s show was really the first one where we didn’t have a good crowd. We had a radio interview scheduled to promote the show yesterday, but the economic news here isn’t very good and it’s dominating the headlines and stole our spot away. Oh well! Good music cures the blues, don’t they know that?

We did get to share the stage with our good friends the Tennessee Hennessy’s. Check them out if you’re ever around Belfast!

OK… well BritTel time is about to run out, and I have to go get ready for the next show. Only 6 more to go!

Greg Cahill, with the band on tour in Ireland, took a few moments away from preparing for RTE Radio’s Mooney Show last week to speak about the songs on the album. ‚Ķ.

“The songs on Signs include many original selections; Justin wrote three of the songs and Ashby wrote three, including the title song Signs. I wrote the one instrumental (with some help from Ashby), which means that six of the twelve songs were written by band members.

We always include a swing song and a quartet song on every Special C recording and this one is no exception. Ashby brought in the old Statler Brothers classic I’ll Go To My Grave Lovin’ You and we thought that would be a great quartet to include since many of the country music fans might recognize it.

We were very fortunate to have two songs given to us by Ronnie Bowman, a phenomenal Nashville songwriter and musician, who co-authored the swing song (Simply) Talkin’ About It Just Don’t Get It Done and a beautiful gospel song Footprints. That song featured the very first ever guest female vocalist on a Special C recording; Sonya Issacs singing the high baritone part.

Too Late Now is a great song by the Wrights – a somewhat “funky groove” type of selection – and What A Beautiful Day (for the Lord To Come Again) is a traditional gospel song Justin brought to us.

And finally a great traditional song by Jake Landers’ Mountain Girl.

We enjoyed recording this album and hope our friends and fans enjoy the music!”

Signs consists of a dozen songs in all. After just one play of the CD, I am very impressed; it contains some of the best love songs collected on one album in a long time. Ashby Franks’ title song cleverly alludes to the interpretations of messages from the opposite gender. A timeless issue. Franks also penned My Heart Breaks Again. While Justin Carbone’s collaboration with Becky Buller, Gone To Carolina and his Lonesome Lesson Learned also demonstrate that Special Consensus has two excellent songwriters in its midst.

Here’s a sample of Gone To Carolina…

Listen now:

David Thomas, the third lead vocalist, does a fine job on the afore-mentioned Talkin’ About It Just Don’t Get It Done and Mountain Girl.

The CD, which is due for general release on 24 March, is a cert for lots of airplay and perhaps some tangible recognition by those that decide to whom the industry’s awards go.

Well, many miles and hours down the road here I am in England!

After our show in the south of Ireland, we made that long drive to the Belfast area and played another small concert before catching a ferry the next day over to Scotland.

We immediately drove from the coast to Glasgow to play at the huge Celtic Connections festival.

The drive was beautiful and even in the cold of the season there’s green grass everywhere. Everything was great and we were on time getting there‚Ķuntil we arrived in Glasgow. The street layout there is, well, not what we’re used to and we didn’t make it to the place where we were supposed to be picked up until right at the time of sound check. Instead of being able to check in, change clothes, and rest for a minute, we had to change clothes in the parking garage and carry all of our stuff a few blocks down the street to the shuttle that was waiting. People looked at us like they’d never seen a Bluegrass band running through the streets of Downtown Glasgow before. Odd.

That all being said, once we got there the festival was great. We were the first to play, and then Leon Hunt, followed by Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet. I have some video footage that I might be able to get uploaded at a later date.

After our set, we were walking over to the record table and Greg was flagged down by B?©la Fleck to chat. I sure am glad I didn’t know he was out in the crowd while we were playing. He’s a super nice guy, but that would have been nerve-wracking!

It’s great to see that people of many ages, so far away from where I’m from, could enjoy the music that we were playing. I can’t sufficiently tell you how nice everyone is over here, and it really helps fight off the homesickness when everyone tries to make you feel at home.

Anyway, we played another fun show in Scotland last night with the Scottish band Goldrush and then today it was another long drive, this time into England.

We had a packed house tonight here in Kenilworth, and hopefully made some new friends.

It’s getting late now, so I guess I’ll stop typing! We’ll be in England for the next few days and I’ll try to report more ASAP.