I’ve heard some pretty odd things in my time, but I hope this is merely over the top Hyperbole.

The Detroit News ran an article yesterday about careless and distracted drivers, and the danger they present on the road. They give several real world examples and then give several that just can’t be true, like this one.

Typically, a driver crooning love songs into his cell phone while strumming a banjo also will be weaving, speeding or slogging along too slowly. Assuming his driving is adequate, he might get cited anyway for not keeping one hand on the steering wheel.

With a careless-driving citation, the banjo player “might actually win if he tried to fight it,” McKelvey says. It depends on how a judge interprets the definition, “a careless or negligent manner likely to endanger any person or property.”

Of course he’s being “careless” and “negligent” by strumming a banjo rather than learning a 3-finger roll!

NOTE: Terry Baucom is not in the habit of driving while playing the banjo, but he is in the habit of playing the banjo with drive!

Festival season has officially begun and this last weekend saw bluegrass fans from all over converging on Farmington, NC for the 1st Annual FarmFest at Farmington Dragway.

Festival organizers tell me the event was a success and plans are already underway for next year.

The lineup for the festival was an impressive list of both regional and national bluegrass acts. Saturday night included a special All-Star Jam including Terry Baucom and Wes Golding, both of whom were members of Boone Creek when the debut album was released 30 years ago. Baucom and Golding were joined on stage by long time musical collaborator Lou Reid, and relative newcomer Josh Williams.

I wish I could have heard that! Cindy Baucom sent along this photo taken by Mike Lane.

Our friend Cindy Baucom wrote in to tell us about a new festival she’s a part of this year. The 1st Annual FarmFest will be held at the Farmington Dragway in Farmington, NC. The dates set for the festival are April 11-12.

The festival is more than just bluegrass music, it’s a celebration of traditions of the Carolinas. In addition to some great bluegrass music, there will be food, displays, a children’s area, craft show, merchandise vendors, open mic, jam sessions, camping and more.

The line up of bluegrass acts for the festival are:

• Steep Canyon Rangers
• Cadillac Sky
• Lou Reid and Carolina
• Kenny and Amanda Smith Band
• Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain

Besides all these great bluegrass groups, there will also be a special Allstar Bluegrass Super Jam featuring Terry Baucom and Special Guests-including Wes Golding, Josh Williams, Lou Reid, Wayne Winkle and more.

Tickets for the weekend, if purchased in advance, are $40.00. At the gate, the tickets will be $25.00 per day. Children 10 and under will be admitted FREE. Rough camping is available for $5.00 per day.

Tickets will be available at ETIX.com (not yet listed) and a number of businesses across the region

Vendor spaces cost $20.00 per day until 3/31/08, after 3/31/08 they will be $25. Vendor space includes one comp admission.

For additional information, call 1-800-891-0350, or visit farmfestnc.com

This Christmas post comes from Cindy and Terry Baucom, our favorite bluegrass power couple. Cindy is the host of Knee Deep In Bluegrass, syndicated to 70 radio stations in the US, and Terry is one of the most widely celebrated bluegrass banjo pickers in the world with a new instructional DVD released a few months ago.

Christmas time is one of the most favorite times of the year for Terry and me. Every year we enjoy watching holiday movies, listening to our favorite Christmas songs, shopping, decorating and spending time with those we love most.

Christmas Eve is spent with Terry’s family in Monroe, North Carolina. His mother is a wonderful cook. We enjoy all kinds of treats from her kitchen. Terry’s favorite, though, is the coconut cake she always makes from scratch. I enjoy hearing stories from Terry’s Father about their rabbit hunting when Terry was young…and the first Christmas he asked for banjo in 1962. Terry has two sisters, who join us, with their families for this annual get-together on Christmas Eve.

Terry and I exchange gifts late Christmas Eve. He tells me one of his most memorable gifts from me, was the guitar my Father built for him a few years ago. He also surprises me with some cool things, too, however, the most important thing to us is reflecting on our blessings of the past year and spending this special time together.

Christmas Day is spent with my family. I grew up in Ashe County, in the mountains of North Carolina. We always had a real Christmas Tree and a Christmas Play at Church. These days, Christmas Day is filled with a great meal with my children, Mom, Dad, Brothers, Aunt and Uncle. An afternoon ‘Christmas Jam’ always follows with Terry, Dad, my Brothers and myself. The kids spend the afternoon playing the latest video games on the XBox. We are truly blessed with family, friends, music and health.

To all our friends in Bluegrass, we wish to send out a special wish for the happiest of holidays. We look forward to an exciting 2008!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!

Over the weekend my wife and I had the good fortune to attend the Kenny & Amanda Smith Band concert at New River Community College in Dublin, VA. The show was presented by the college’s Fiddle, Banjo and Dance Club free of charge as part of their Christmas program.

I’ve got to give credit to all the band members for being such professionals. The sound was something less than desirable in the front of house, and I understand it was the same way in the monitors. The band pressed on though, and played a great set in spite of the poor environment they found themselves in. I know just how hard it is to play, let alone entertain, under such circumstances, but Kenny and Amanda delivered as fine a performance as one could hope for.

Their recent gospel album was just nominated for a Grammy and they performed a number of songs from that recording, along with some material from previous CDs.

And what a treat it is to see this band with Terry Baucom driving the 5! Cindy Baucom was also present for the evening and I enjoyed getting to visit with her.

My only complaint is that their set was to short, but what can you say when it’s free? As we were leaving though, the band treated us to an impromptu a cappella performance the entry way of the building. WOW!

This band is always entertaining, and getting to see them live just reinforces what you know after listening to their CD, these guys are good!

Here are a few more photos I took at the show.

Cindy Baucom has written in to let us know that she will, again this year, be doing a Knee-Deep In Bluegrass Holiday Show. Her husband, Terry Baucom will be joining her as a special co-host for the show, which will feature acoustic holiday music and interviews with many of the Baucom’s Bluegrass friends. They’ll be asking these bluegrass stars how they celebrate the holidays.

All regular affilate stations will receive this special holiday show automatically, but Cindy tells us that the show is also available to stations that don’t normally syndicate the show. Interested stations may request a copy of the Knee-Deep In Bluegrass Holiday Show by calling 800-891-0350.

Banjo icon Terry Baucom has recently released a new instructional DVD titled Driving With The Duke.

The DVD is hosted by Terry’s wife, and award winning DJ, Cindy Baucom. Cindy and Terry review his history with the banjo and the various bands he has played with over the years, then get right to the picking. Terry teaches many of the classic tunes he has recorded during his distinguished career, including Can’t You Hear Me Calling, Gold Rush, Sally Goodin, Blue Night, White House Blues, and Nobody’s Love Is Like Mine.

The instruction takes the form of an introduction to the tune, including discussion of when Terry recorded it, followed by the actual recording from the original record, and then Terry breaks it down at a slower speed showing you the fingering and explaining hard to play licks. The real value here, as with any instructional DVD, is getting such a good look at his hands close up while he talks you through it step by step.

After the instruction, Terry plays the tune at two different tempos with the cameras focused entirely on his hands. By using the angle button on your DVD remote you can quickly switch between his right and left hand, choosing which should be the prominent image, while the other is inset in a smaller window. You may also choose to see the two hands side by side at equal size.

Terry played his new signature model Sullivan Banjo for the entirety of this DVD.

Terry and Cindy will have the DVDs available for purchase at their booth (#92) during the World of Bluegrass Week (IBMA), or you may purchase it online from the John Boy & Billy Online Store.

* By way of disclosure I should tell you that Brance filmed and edited this DVD at his studio.

Award-winning bluegrass power couple, Terry and Cindy Baucom, will both be interviewed over the next week on WorldWideBluegrass.com.

Later today, Cindy will join WWB station manager Gracie Muldoon at 1:30 p.m. to talk about her own bluegrass radio show, Knee Deep In Bluegrass, which airs weekly on more than 50 stations throughout the US. Cindy was named as the IBMA Broadcast Personality Of The Year in 2005.

Next Friday, September 7 at 1:30, Gracie will have Terry Baucom as her guest to discuss his new signature model banjo, made by Sullivan. He’ll probably also be talking about his soon-to-be-released instructional DVD for banjo.

Terry has been prominent in several of the most groundbreaking bands in bluegrass, being a founding member of Boone Creek, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and IIIrd Tyme Out. He just recently left Doyle’s band after a return stint of more than 4 years.

Visit WorldWideBluegrass.com to hear both of the Baucoms with Gracie, where they stream bluegrass 24/7 online.

The fall 2007 edition of Fretboard Journal is in the mail to subscribers and will soon be available at music dealers and Barnes & Noble. This edition features a cover story on banjo master Earl Scruggs.

The story is appropriately titled “The Banjo That Changed The World.” The article weighs in at a hefty 18 pages. For those of you who aren’t keen on a lot of reading, don’t worry, fully 8 of those pages are dedicated to high quality photographs. If you’ve ever held a copy of Fretboard Journal in your hand, you’ll understand when I say the photographs are spectacular.

The ten pages of text are well worth reading though, so don’t skip them just to look at the pictures! With lots of history, stories told in the first person by Earl himself, and remembrances from other players and historians, the writing is just as good as the photography. This article is a must read for all fans of Earl Scruggs.

Scruggs isn’t the only bluegrass personality featured in the issue though. Another article of interest is a lengthy piece on guitar player, and fiddle expert, David Bromberg. Again, this article is complete with stunning photos, first hand interviews, and lots of history.

A shorter, but equally interesting, article about Old Growth Rims (built by Sullivan Banjo) devotes plenty of discussion to the hardships of trying to work the old hard-rock maple, from the floor of an 1870 factory, into banjo rims. These rims are available for after market purchase, but also come standard in Sullivan Banjo models such as the new Terry Baucom model.

As the festival season roars into full throttle, a few band members are changing hands as bands reshuffle once again. Kenny & Amanda Smith have brought on one new full time team member, and one temporary member.

First let’s talk banjo. With Joey Cox leaving the band at the end of June, banjo legend Terry Baucom, the legendary The Duke of Drive, will be stepping up to the mic for the remainder of the summer. Recognized for his hard driving, traditionally-styled banjo playing, Terry brings a depth of experience to the stage. I spoke with Terry on the phone earlier today and he told me he was excited about the chance to pick with Kenny and Amanda for the rest of the year.

Kenny’s got the drive to his guitar playing that just makes it fun to pick the five over it! It’s gonna be a jamming good time and I can’t wait to get started.

Terry did say however, that he was already committed to a number of shows with The Mark Newton Band prior to Kenny’s call, and will be honoring that commitment. Kenny has yet to announce who will be filling those dates in Baucom’s absence. Due to his renewed dedication to teaching, recording his own solo CD, and a series of instructional DVDs, Terry will only be filling in with Kenny and Amanda for this season, and not on a permanent basis.

The Red White & Bluegrass Festival in Morganton, NC will be Terry’s first gig with the band, on July 3, 2007.

Now on to the mandolin… With the departure of Jason Robertson from the band, Kenny & Amanda called up a young local mandolin picker they thought was ready for the gig. Enter Aaron Williams. At the age of 15, Aaron is a force to be reckoned with on the mandolin, having recently won the 2007 Merlefest mandolin contest. Kenny produced a solo album for Aaron not that long ago and was so impressed at the time with Aaron’s musicianship, he Aaron that if they ever needed a mandolin player, they’d give him a call. He never expected it would be this soon.

Kenny and Amanda have been heroes of mine since I started playing, and I have long admired their music and musicianship. Amanda’s voice is just so clear and sincere, you can’t help but to believe every word. And Kenny has such a taste to what he does; everything he plays sounds perfect, like it was made for the song. They are the coolest people you could ever want to meet, and have been so good to me. I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to play in such a creative band with such great people. It’s a dream come true.

I’ve known Aaron, and picked with him on occasion, for several years here in the Southwest Virginia area. He’s a disciplined young picker whose future in bluegrass is bright. His parents home school him and have said that he will be allowed to keep playing even during the school year as long as he keeps up with his school work. Of course that means working extra hours, but I’m sure he’s up to the challenge.

Be sure to visit Kenny & Amanda Smith’s tour schedule to find a show near you where you can hear the band with the new additions.

Back in February, Brance teased with news that one of Terry Baucom’s post-Quicksilver episode 2 endeavors would include a signature banjo model, noting that further details would be forthcoming.

Now comes the official announcement:

After much anticipation, it is being announced that Sullivan Banjo is the builder on the new Terry Baucom signature banjo. The mahogany banjo with nickel hardware has been being developed over the past several months and Baucom is happy about his association with Sullivan Banjo and First Quality Musical Supplies of Louisville, Kentucky.

“I have known Bill Sullivan and his sons, Jeff and Eric, a long time. Their passion is to provide the highest quality instruments and accessories to their customers. I couldn’t be more pleased that they asked me to be part of the development of this banjo. The Sullivans have high standards and this banjo model is no exception.”

Terry will be working closely with Ed Lowe (CEO of John Boy & Billy) and the folks at Sullivan. Ed and Terry will be involved in the final set up of each Baucom banjo. They will inspect and play each one, and none will ship until Baucom is fully satisfied with the sound and playability of each finished instrument.

One design specification that was important to Terry is the lower, wider frets popular in 1960s model banjos. Terry calls them “speed frets,” and became enamored of them while playing his 60s vintage Bow Tie banjos this past few years. He thinks modern players will enjoy the feel these frets provide.

He tells us that he is beyond delighted with his new banjo.

“After many hours playing my new Sullivan banjo, I have to say that it goes well beyond my expectations - which were high to begin with.”

Terry used his new signature model this week in recording a new banjo instructional DVD, which will be released later this summer on the John Boy & Billy label. He will also use it for an upcoming solo CD project, which unbelievably will be the first ever under his name alone.

At this time, there are no details or photos on the Sullivan Banjo site, but we have a list of the specifications for the Terry Baucom Signature model banjo which we obtained from Sullivan. Some photos of the banjo follow the specs. (more…)

Doyle Lawson commented yesterday afternoon on his bulletin board that he is hiring fiddle player and bass singer Alan Johnson (formerly with BlueRidge) to take Mike Hartgrove’s place, and banjo player Chris Warner (formerly with Jimmy Martin) in place of the departing Terry Baucom. Warner will be singing baritone in the band.

More details about start dates, etc., should be forthcoming later today.

Stay tuned…

I just got a call from Cindy Baucom, asking me to share with you, our readers, some exciting news about the Duke of Drive himself, Terry Baucom.

Terry has just announced his resignation from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, effective March 17, 2007, to pursue a number of banjo focused opportunities that are available to him. He already has plans to record his first ever solo project as well as a series of instructional banjo DVDs on a private label. A number of banjo camps and other instructional settings are also in Terry’s future.

As I turn the page on my musical career, I am excited about this transition into a musical focus on the banjo.

Cindy went on to hint that a major announcement would soon be forthcoming concerning a Baucom model banjo. She left me hanging as to the builder, but as soon as that announcement is made we’ll be sure to fill you in.

An original member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver from 1979 to 1985, Terry played on the band’s first five recordings. He returned to the group in 2003 and has participated on five more projects including the 25th Anniversary DVD, Through The Years, and the upcoming release, More Behind The Picture Than The Wall.

Baucom sent along this comment about his time with Doyle and band.

Doyle and I go back a long time and have a true musical chemistry on stage. It has been a treat sharing the stage with him. All the other guys in the band I have also grown close to and I wish them all the very best.

This is an exciting time for Terry as he pursues these opportunities. We wish him all the best, and we look forward to hearing more great music from The Duke of Drive!

Audio samples from the new Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver CD which Brance previewed for us last week are now up at doylelawson.com.

More Behind The Picture Than The Wall isn’t officially released until March 27, but pre-orders are available from Doyle’s site now. The site indicates that they will receive copies of the CD “around the 20th,” which we presume means March 20.

We received a pre-release copy of the CD a few weeks ago, and it is a powerful statement from this edition of Quicksilver with driving bluegrass (featuring the Duke Of Drive, Terry Baucom on banjo) and the soaring vocals that make it impossible to ignore this group when they are performing.

Great stuff…

This weekend’s Knee Deep In Bluegrass show with Cindy Baucom is, as one might expect, her annual Christmas edition. This year, the Christmas show will feature a very special co-host, Cindy’s husband, Terry Baucom, banjo man with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.

Cindy and Terry will spend the two hour program playing their favorite bluegrass Christmas music, and sharing Christmas memories with several of their friends in the world of bluegrass. Dropping in for the show will be Terry Eldridge, Molly Cherryholmes, Dee Sparks, Vince Gill and Sammy Shelor, among others.

The show airs in nearly 100 radio markets, and a list of affiliates can be found on the Knee Deep In Bluegrass web site if you want find out where to catch the show in your area.

We recently received an update on the recording of the new Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver CD. The project will be a ’secular’ CD for which a title has not yet been decided upon. The project is being recorded at Eastwood Studio in Cana, VA where the band is currently in the studio cutting tracks when they are not performing. At this point most of the tracks they’ve cut have been originals. They’ve cut an instrumental written by Doyle, a song from Jamie, and Sadie’s Got A New Dress On written by Connie Leigh. They debuted that tune on the Opry and performed it on the IBMA Awards Show and it has already become a fan favorite.

While still subject to change, a March ‘07 release is currently planned by Rounder Records.

When asked about the recording Terry Baucom had this to say.

This is straight-head Quicksilver Bluegrass!

Here’s a nice group of photos from the Exhibit Hall.

Photos by Dave Carney © 2006

Lawson and Reno	Bull Harman	Dan Miller	Herschel Sizemore
The Huber Booth	Katy Daly	Bill Keith	Sewell and Leftwich
Reid and Baucom	Merriam and Bush	Ronnie Reno	Richard Gelardin
Danny Roberts	Roland White	The Smiths	Eberle and Vorndick

Episode #19 of The GrassCast features two interviews. One with banjo player Terry Baucom. Terry plays with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. The second interview is with Terry’s wife, Cindy Baucom. Cindy is the current IBMA Broadcast Personality of the Year. Her syndicated radio show is Knee Deep In Bluegrass.

This GrassCast is 15 minutes in length and the file download size is 14MB.

Listen now:
Direct Download: ep19_the_baucoms.mp3
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To subscribe with your own podcatching software, copy and past this url into the appropriate entry box in your software: http://www.thegrasscast.com/rss

The annual fall rotation of band members continues, as this weekend marks the official start of fiddlers Mike Hartgrove with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and Jesse Stockman with The Isaacs.

Mike returns to Quicksilver almost two years to the day that founding member Terry Baucom returned on banjo, reuniting Mike not only with Quicksilver (with whom he had previously performed), but also with his former IIIrd Tyme Out cohort (and founding member) Baucom. I spoke yesterday with Cindy Baucom (host of the syndicated bluegrass radio program Knee Deep In Bluegrass and devoted spouse to Terry), and she mentioned that Quicksilver was rehearsing with Mike even as we were speaking. He has been warmly welcomed back into the band.

Mike Hartgrove left Lonesome River Band where he had been for the past several years. Sammy Shelor reports that big changes are brewing with LRB, so stay tuned for more on that as the news unfolds.

Jesse Stockman leaves Doyle Lawson after five years to work with The Isaacs. Neither band’s web sites offer any official notice of the changes but you will probably see something there soon.