Earlier this month, there was a real bluegrass wedding in Nashville.

Andy Hall, resonator guitarist with The Infamous Stringdusters, married Janice Young, agent with Keith Case and Associates. Their wedding was held on May 9 at Riverwood Mansion in Nashville, TN with plenty of bluegrass royalty in attendance.

Janice sent along a couple of photos, and provided this recap.

“Bradley Walker sang a beautiful rendition of Walk Through This World With Me, accompanied by Andy Falco on guitar, Katie Studley on violin, and Hannah Schroeder on cello. Tyler Grant played several classical guitar pieces while the families were being seated, and Dave Peterson and His Old Tyme Country Review played at the reception.

We went to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland for our honeymoon, and stayed at the lovely lake house of Ben and Barbara Eldridge.”

Sounds like a lovely ceremony and a great start for their married life. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Here are a few more photos that just came in of prominent bluegrass artists hopping on the Bill Monroe Stamp campaign.

When The Infamous Stringdusters were at the Bluegrass Country studios yesterday in DC, Jen Hitt asked them to add their names to the petitions which will be sent to the US Postal Service requesting a commemorative Bill Monroe stamp.

Of course, they happily obliged, giving a big thumbs up to the whole concept.

See how you can become involved in helping ensure that the 100th anniversary of Big Mon’s birth is recognized with his own stamp. It’s easy, it’s fun… and it just may work!

The Infamous Stringdusters will make a stop this Tuesday (5/19) at the studios of WAMU’s Bluegrass Country in Washington, DC.

The guys will be playing some live music and chatting with Bluegrass Country’s Production Director Jen Hitt starting at 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

WAMU’s broadcast signal can be heard over the air at 88.5 HD2 or 105.5 FM in the DC metro area, and online at www.BluegrassCountry.org.

It should be a fun show. The ‘Dusters really let it loose when they perform live.

Chris Pandolfi, of Infamous Stringdusters fame, has put together another of his “On The Road” videos, this time from a show the band did with Larry Keel earlier this year in New Jersey.

He catches the band in the van, backstage and onstage with Keel. It’s a wild - and sometimes psychedelic - ride.

Jeremy Garrett will join Katy Daley on Friday morning (5/8) at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country to talk about his brand new Sugar Hill solo project, I Am A Stranger.

The CD features Garrett on fiddle and lead vocals, accompanied by his fellow Infamous Stringdusters and other special guest artists on 11 tracks, many of them Garrett originals.

I Am A Stranger is available from The Infamous Stringdusters’ online store, and in iTunes.

Catch him with Katy Friday morning at www.bluegrasscountry.org, where they stream bluegrass music 24/7 online.

This column, containing brief reviews of recent CD releases by Richard Thompson, is published in the current (Spring 2009) edition of British Bluegrass News. As it is a lengthy piece, we will break it into two parts, and run the rest next Sunday.

A series of rambles about CDs by bluegrassmercury…

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 Infamous Stringdusters - Travis Book (bass, vocals), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), Andy Falco (guitar), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle, vocals), Andy Hall (dobro, vocals) and Chris Pandolphi (banjo) - are a bunch of young honchos who have just released their second album. This self-titled collection (Sugar Hill 4043) is growing on me. Book’s soulful vocals shine on Won‘t Be Coming Back, the melodic Bound For Tennessee and the bluesy Get It While You Can. Garrett is a fine vocalist as well, as demonstrated on Three Days In July (historians, think Gettysburg, 1863), I Wonder and You Can‘t Handle The Truth. There’s three enjoyable instrumentals in Glass Elevator by Pandolphi, Golden Ticket by Cobb and Black Rock by Hall, keeping interest going until the end. Overall the sextet produces a warm, full sound with fiddle and Dobro ® prominent, rather than just having one or other, as a lot of groups do.

There aren’t any surprises on Danny Paisley’s The Room Over Mine (Rounder 0589); he continues where he and his father left off. The 13-tack collection epitomizes the hard-driving Galax area mountain-style of bluegrass, with fiddle kick-offs and driving banjo ringing loud and clear. There‘s a couple of outstanding new ‘old’ songs in Chris Stuart’s opener, Don’t Throw Mamma’s Flowers Away and Drowning Sailor, both of which suit Paisley to a ‘T’. Most of the rest are bluegrass versions of songs from the classic country catalogue, with a couple from his dad’s repertoire, now re-done. In the former category are The Convict And The Rose, written by Betty Chapin and Robert A. King and recorded by Marty Robbins and Charlie Moore among others, I Thought I Heard You Calling My Name, done in a honk-tonk style with walking bass and I’m Coming Back But I Don’t Know When, a song Danny first heard done by Charlie Monroe.

In the second group are At the End of a Long Lonely Day, now done in different way and with different lyrics and A Memory of You, previously recorded by Jim and Jesse. Donnie Eldreth Jr does a great job having learned how to follow Danny’s lead singing and does likewise when he is singing lead as on Another Bridge to Burn, a song from Ray Price’s repertoire. Those Paisleys and the Lundy brothers know how to do it and they do it exceptionally well. (more…)

Here’s video from the performance from The Infamous Stringdusters earlier this week on Let’s Talk Live, broadcast on Newschannel 8 in Washington, DC.

The guys cut versions of Fork In The Road and Bound For Tennessee, before host Doug McElway joins them on Golden Ticket to take the show out.

The Infamous Stringdusters will be a guest on tomorrow’s (4/21) edition of Let’s Talk Live, broadcast in the Washington, DC metro television market on NewsChannel 8 at noon (EDT).

They’ll perform a couple of tunes and chat with show hosts Doug McElway and Natasha Barrett.

The show streams live online, and video of the various segments can be found on the Let’s Talk Live web site shortly after the show airs.

Chris Pandolfi, the talented banjo player with The Infamous Stringdusters, has created a clever video promotion for the band’s upcoming show at The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville on April 30.

Sugar Hill will release a new solo project from Jeremy Garrett of The Infamous Stringdusters on March 31.

I Am A Stranger features Garrett on fiddle and vocals supported by his Stringduster brethren and a host of other top bluegrass pickers and singers. The songs include ones Jeremy has penned, several from his favorite writers, and a few that have stayed with him over the years.

He explains further in the liner notes…

“As far back as I can remember, music has been a huge part of my life and I always try to make a mental note when I hear a song that I really like. Some of these songs are from what I have collected through the years, some are my own thoughts, and some are written by personal friends who I respect, admire, and learn from. It really all starts with a song…”

Jeremy shared a few thoughts with us about two of the grassier tracks, sampled here for your enjoyment.

Echoes Of Goodbye - Listen now:   

Julie Elkins (banjo), Dennis Crouch (bass),  Jake Stargel (guitar), Shawn Lane (mandolin), Jamie Daily (tenor vocal), Josh Williams (baritone vocal)

“I was looking for a hard driving bluegrass song with harmonies that could be suspended in the tradition of Bill Monroe, that hadn’t been done to death.  It seemed like every one that I really liked had already been recorded, so I decided to write one.”

End Of The Line -  Listen now:   

Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Andy Hall (resonator guitar), Andy Falco (guitar), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), Travis Book (bass), John Pennell and Jeff White (writers)

“I definitely wanted to get my fellow band mates, The Infamous Stringdusters, on some songs on this record! These guys are not only fun to tour with, they are some of my favorite musicians on the planet. This song was one that stood out as a number that had strong ‘Duster potential.”

You can hear the title track, written by Jeremy and his dad Glen, and Hank Thompson’s honky tonk country ballad, Today, on MySpace.

Pre-orders for I Am A Stranger can be placed from The Infamous Stringdusters’ web site, and downloads will be available from iTunes and Amazon on April 14. Jeremy will have copies of the CD at his shows, but primary distribution will be digital.

The fourth and final installment of the Colorado video travelogue from The Infamous Stringdusters has been posted.

This video follows the boys on the last two dates on their CO tour, and a final show in Santa Fe before heading home to Nashville. Along the way, we encounter them on stage, on the road, in an oxygen bar and disrespecting the king of the singing cowboys.

…and a good time was had by all.

There are also some previews of music from upcoming solo projects to be released by band members Chris Pandolfi, Jeremy Garrett and Andy Hall.

Dennis Jones with WNCW in Spindale, NC sent along an advance copy of Goin’ Across The Mountain Live - Volume 3, which will be offered as a premium for station supporters in 2009.

The 15 tracks were all recorded and broadcast live during episodes of Goin’ Across The Mountain, which airs on WNCW every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

The station’s Studio B is a first class recording facility and the audio quality of these live cuts is superb. The show attracts the very best performers in bluegrass and old time music, and the acts featured on this CD reflect the quality and diversity of music Goin’ Across The Mountain presents.

1. Balsam Range - Julie’s Train
2. Seth Taylor and Danielle Bishop - Washington County
3. The Infamous Stringdusters - You Can’t Handle The Truth
4. Laura Boosinger and Josh Goforth - Single Girl
5. Mountain Heart - You’d Better Run
6. Danny Paisley & The Southern Gras - The Room Over Mine
7. The Farewell Drifters - Somewhere Down The Road
8. Grasstowne - Here Comes That Feelin’ Again
9. Wayne and Kristin Benson - Spindale
10. Last Road Bluegrass Band - One Foot In The Mill
11. Cody Shuler and Pine Mountain Railroad - My Eyes Shall Be On Canaan’s Land
12. Steep Canyon Rangers - Call The Captain
13. Songs From The Road Band - Taxman
14. The Snyder Family Band - Daniel Prayed
15. Walkin’ Home - Salt Creek

To get a copy of this CD, contact WNCW and make a donation to support their top notch broadcasting - which is also streamed live online. In the pre-drive period (until March 28) a donation of $50 will get you this album as a premium; after that it will be $60.

We can each decide for ourselves whether a station that broadcasts 8 hours of bluegrass and traditional music on Saturdays (with more on Sundays) is worthy of our financial support. I’ll just say that Goin’ Across The Mountain Live - Volume 3 is a fine inducement.

To get a copy now, contact the station by phone (Diane Dezio - 828-287-8000).

Chris Pandolfi has posted the third installment in his video travelogue of The Infamous Stringdusters‘ recent tour through Colorado.

There are clips of the band on stage, as well as snippets of performances from Crooked Still and Jerry Douglas. The big draw is the ski footage, which captures our heroes on the slopes, photographed Wide World Of Sports style - complete with a couple of classic wipeouts.

Three-time Grammy-winning jazz bass icon Charlie Haden along with actor and son-in-law Jack Black will make their debuts on the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night. (February 28).

Leading the two shows on the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium on February 28 are Opry members Ricky Skaggs and Del McCoury, together the winners of a total of 14 Grammy and 30 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards.

The show will also feature multiple IBMA award-winners The Infamous Stringdusters.

The Charlie Haden Family & Friends 2008 Grammy-nominated release and roots music-orientated Rambling Boy features appearances by Skaggs as well as a number of other great musicians, including Haden’s son-in-law, Golden Globe-nominated actor Jack Black.

Among others who both appear on Rambling Boy and are set to be part of the Haden Family Opry shows are renowned musicians Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Mark Fain, Rob Ickes, Jim Mills and Bryan Sutton.

“Together, the exemplary artists confirmed for this show have amassed more than 30 Grammy awards and an amazing 50 plus awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association,” said Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. “We are looking forward to seeing these masters of their various instruments together on the Opry stage.”

Del McCoury, Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys and Bobby Osborne & Rocky Top X-Press will also perform on tonight’s Friday Opry show.

The Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live on WSM AM 650, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com.

The Tuesday Night Opry resumes on March 3.

The second installment of the self-produced documentary from The Infamous Stringdusters‘ 2009 Ski Tour has been posted.

It follows our heroes through a number of live shows, a house concert and some late night van travel through the mountains.

The Infamous Stringdusters are finishing up their annual Colorado tour this week, and banjo man Chris Pandolfi has posted the first of a promised four travelogue videos.

This initial installment runs seven and a half minutes and finds the band in the van, on stage and on the slopes!

We’ll be sure to post the rest of the videos as they come online.

Starting next week (2/14), the live bluegrass radio series Bluegrass Underground will move to a weekly, Saturday evening slot on WSM AM 650 from Nashville.

The new time is 6:00-7:00 p.m. (ET), just ahead of the Saturday Grand Ole Opry broadcast.

Live concerts are held monthly in The Volcano Room at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, TN - in an underground cavern 300 feet below the surface.

Bluegrass Underground producer Todd Mayo explains how a monthly concert can turn into a weekly program.

“The show is still taped once per month but we have added a second act to each show, and will be able to produce enough content (with a few months having second shows added) to move the show to a one hour, once per week progam.”

You can find lots of photos, as well as video and audio clips from past concerts, on the Bluegrass Underground web site. Here’s one from an appearance by The Infamous Stringdusters late last year.

The Infamous Stringdusters will be picking online today as well.

The guys will be in Knoxville for the Friday (1/30) edition of Blue Plate Special, airing at noon (EST) on WDVX (102.9 FM), and live online via audio streaming.

Robinella and The Travelin’ Snakes will also appear on the show.

The Infamous Stringdusters have just made their first live download available. The band has been multi-tracking their live shows since June of 2008. This first download is from a September 13, 2008 show in Normal, IL, at the Illinois State University Performing Arts Center.

The show includes the expected Dusters tracks along with a couple standards that it’s cool to hear this dynamic young band perform.

The band has ambitious plans to release a live recording “every two months or so” during 2009, culminating in a new studio album sometime later in the year.

This is, in effect, our first official live release. Our sound engineer Drew Becker spent a lot of hours mixing this one down to get it just right and we’re excited to offer you a high quality show like this one.

The download includes 21 songs on two virtual “CDs.” Individual tracks can be downloaded for $0.99 each as mp3 files, or the entire set can be purchased for only $9.99, which works out to a mere $0.48 per track. For $12.95 you can download high quality FLAC files of the entire show.

All artwork for the two disc set is available for download as PDF files at no additional charge.

Chris Pandolfi isn’t the only member of The Infamous Stringdusters hard at work on a new solo project. Fiddler and vocalist Jeremy Garrett is recording this fall as well.

Jeremy is running into the same problem as Chris trying to finish up… the band’s intense touring schedule.

“I have a variety of artists and material on the project, including The ‘Dusters, Abigail Washburn, Mike Compton, Mike Bub, Shawn Lane, Julie Elkins, and more - including some surprise and probably surprising guests. I really put a lot of thought into choosing musicians who I thought would be great at representing the different musical styles for the material I chose.

If all goes well, I’ll be finished with the record around the first of December. I’m not sure what a release date will be yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know.”

Jeremy’s album will also come out on Sugar Hill.