Or is that Tim and Steve? Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford, two of the most widely-recorded songwriters in bluegrass today, are collaborating on a new CD for Pinecastle Records. It will feature 14 songs that the pair have written together, with the two of them tag-teaming the lead vocals.

Recording started last week at Gulley’s Curve Studio in Cumberland Gap, TN where they cut 10 bluegrass tracks. Ron Stewart was on banjo and fiddle, Adam Steffey on mandolin, Justin Moses on fiddle and resonator guitar, with Stafford on guitar and Gulley on bass.

All of the songs will be previously unreleased with the exception of Hurt Me All Over Again, which was included on April Verch’s current release, Steal The Blue.

Gulley offered a glimpse into what they are trying to capture…

“It’s a true singer/songwriter collaboration between two really close friends and writing buddies and I think that will show on the finished project. This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. Tim and I have written so many tunes together… I’m not sure how many but I’d say between 50 – 60 songs.

We’ve been lucky enough to have a bunch of them recorded by other artists and we’re really proud of that, but it feels good to let folks hear some different tunes and fresh music. It’s like letting go of some of your children.

I’m really excited about the way things turned out on the full band bluegrass stuff we just cut. The remaining 4 tunes will be more ‘middle of the road’ or Americana acoustic music. A couple will feature piano and some light percussion. One will just be my vocal and Tim’s guitar and one song will be Tim and I and our guitars. So, as you can see, the project will run the full spectrum of the kind of songs Tim and I write.

I really think it will show a little bit of all of our musical tastes and influences while still having a majority of the project be straight ahead bluegrass. That’s our first love anyway.”

Stafford and Gulley are jointly producing and hope to be finished with the recording soon, though the finished CD isn’t likely to be released until early in 2010.

Most bluegrass fans know Tim from his many years with Blue Highway, and Steve from Mountain Heart and now Grasstowne. I’ve enjoyed their work with these groups for years of course, but I have always been especially fond of their two solo projects, Stafford’s Endless Line and Gulley’s Sounds Like Home.

If this new album compares favorably with either of those – as I’m sure it will – it will be a sure fire winner.

I heard recently from Grasstowne mando man Alan Bibey, who reports that tracking for their next CD is complete. They are in the process of mixing now, and hope to have the project delivered to Pinecastle Records shortly.

The album is tentatively titled The Other Side Of Towne, and no release date has yet been announced.

Their debut project, The Road Headin’ Home, was recorded only a few weeks after the band was formed in December of 2006, and Al says that they cherished having the chance to mull carefully over the songs they might choose for this one.

“We did have a lot more time put in on finding the right combination of songs this time, and had to cut a lot of great tunes out to get down to the 14 that are on the project.”

Bibey ran down some of the material for us…

“We’re lucky to have co-songwriter of the year Steve Gulley in the band and have three tunes from him. Lifting Up The Cross is a great Gospel tune he wrote with Ken Mellons and we have included two other tunes he wrote with his writing partner Tim Stafford. Everyone know what great writer these guys are.

We were also fortunate to have 4 tunes from Wayne Winkle (my former Blueridge bandmate) and Craig Market, a couple they co-wrote and a couple on their on. The title track is one of Wayne’s.  We have one a cappella Gospel number on the CD written by Michael Bentley that’s brand new, but really sounds old and my dear friend Terry Baucom is singing bass on that one. I also co-wrote one song called Pay Your Dues with Ronnie Bowman and Shawn Lane, and wrote another couple tunes including a new instrumental called Tobaccoville Road that I hope the folks will like.”

Grasstowne consists of Bibey on mandolin and vocals, Gulley on guitar and vocals, Phil Leadbetter on resonator guitar, Jason Davis on banjo and Travis Greer on bass. Stuart Duncan also adds fiddle to the new CD.

A benefit concert is scheduled for next weekend (11/16) for popular Kentucky musician and singer, Vicki Simmons, who suffered a stroke while hospitalized for treatment of a brain aneurysm during the summer of 2008.

Vicki was a founding member of The New Coon Creek Girls and worked for years with Dale Ann Bradley. She has recently been a featured performer at Renfro Valley, where the concert will be held next week to help defray her substantial medical expenses.

The show will run from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., with performances from Steve Gulley, Wildfire, Randy Graham, Cumberland Gap Connection, and a special Bluegrass All-Star Band including J. D. Crowe, Larry Stephenson, David Parmley, Curt Chapman, Michael Cleveland and more.

Ticket information can be obtained by calling 800-765-7464, or on the Renfro Valley web site.

A fund has been established for Vicki’s many friends and fans who would like to make a contribution.

Vicki Simmons Medical Fund
c/o Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
P.O. Box 19
Renfro Valley, KY 40473

Pinecastle Records has announced the fall release of two new recorded projects, for The Churchmen and Beth Stevens. Both show a street date of October 14, but it is likely that these new CDs will be available from the artists at their live shows this summer.

Strong Enough marks the debut from Beth Stevens & Edge, though her voice will be a familiar one to a great many bluegrass fans. Beth sang for many years with her sister April and her parents as The Stevens Family, before the girls ventured out as The Stevens Sisters.

Her new CD showcases Beth’s strong voice, both as a lead vocalist and in duet with Steve Gulley and Dale Ann Bradley, and her dad Doug Stevens. The material is a nice mix of modern bluegrass and Gospel music, brilliantly performed by Edge and a crack studio band featuring Scott Vestal on banjo, Matt Leadbetter on resonator guitar, Jesse Cobb on mandolin, and Steve Thomas on fiddle. Beth also plays banjo, as she does in their live shows.

She shared a few thoughts with us about the new project…

“Strong Enough is a true representation of the music that I love. It allowed me the freedom to sing and arrange the songs the way I wanted the fans to hear them. The best thing about the album is simply it’s given me and my band EDGE the opportunity to showcase what we can do along with the help and support of some of the people that I have wanted to work with for years like Scott Vestal, who made recording this project one on the best musical experiences for me. I hope the fans enjoy the CD.”

New this fall from The Churchmen is I’ll Be Long Gone, the third on Pinecastle for this North Carolina Gospel bluegrass outfit. It contains primarily original material, written by David Guthrie, who sings the high leads and plays guitar with the group. A few old favorites, like Take Me In The Lifeboat and Rocked On The Deep are included as well.

The band is made up of founding members Gerald Harbour on mandolin, Keith Clark on bass, and Freddy Rakes on banjo, with Tim Smith on fiddle and Guthrie on guitar. Dale Perry plays the banjo on the new recording.