Takeoff is a fitting title for the debut release from Darren Beachley & Legends of the Potomac. There has been great interest in this assembly of bluegrass veterans since they first got together just over a year ago, and their first CD is due to take off March 27 on Patuxent Music.

As we commented last year, billing a band with Legends in the name might be seen as a tad presumptuous, but the moniker really fits this bunch. After 12 years performing with a number of DC-based bands (including Bill Harrell & The Virginians) before joining Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver in 2005, guitarist and lead singer Beachley started putting the group together after leaving Doyle in 2008. He brought on mandolinist and tenor vocalist Norman Wright, who had worked with both The Bluegrass Cardinals and The Country Gentlemen, and a pair of founding members of Seldom Scene, Mike Auldridge on resonator guitar and Tom Gray on bass. Mark Delaney completes the group on banjo.

Darren says that the whole band is pleased with this first effort, and eager to get it out there.

“We are really happy with the way Takeoff turned out, and feel that this project will establish what our approach to music is all about.

I have to say that I am so happy with the work ethic all the guys displayed on this CD. We had Rachel Johnson and Ray Legere do some guest fiddlin’ on the CD, and Nate Leath added a little percussion. Tom Mindte and all the folks over at Patuxent work so hard for us… I know we were really being picky at times but Tom hung right in there with us and never let the music be anything but us.”

They will be celebrating the release with a concert at the The Old Lucketts Schoolhouse on March 27th just north of Leesburg, VA.

“I like old things with personality and history, and the old schoolhouse surley has that. I have been seeing music there and performing there since the 70’s. It’s gonna be a great time and I do encourage those who are coming to get there early, there are no advance sales and it will sellout.

It was rumored that Jamie Dailey would be making an appearance, and I have given strict instructions to The Virginia State Police that he is to be arrested and taken straight to the Kung Pow Chinese Buffet!”

A few audio samples are available on the Legends of the Potomac web site. Promo copies are going out to radio and print media next week, and we’ll have more to say when we’ve had the chance to give it a good listen.

Only a few weeks after receiving notification that Darren Beachley had left Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver to form his own band, Beachley has signed a recording contract with Patuxent Records.

Beachley joined forces with Mike Auldridge, Tom Gray, Norman Wright and Mark Delaney to form Darren Beachley & Legends of the Potomac not too long ago and has stated that the band has been working at rehearsals on establishing a varied repertoire. Now it is hardly a surprise that good things are happening, and quickly, for the band.

Beachley is understandably excited by the opportunity …

"You take all the experience that is in this band and really the possibilities are endless. We cannot wait to get in the studio and start recording.

As far as what will be on the recording, we have a few surprises up our sleeve that will reach across the aisle, as they like to say here in D.C."

For these Washington D.C area natives, working with Patuxent makes a lot of sense.

"We have all known Tom Mindte for years. He’s a great guy and he understands bluegrass music. And we really wanted to keep the whole thing here in D.C., with all of the rich bluegrass history that’s here."

Tracking is expected to begin in July.

Darren Beachley & Legends of the Potomac not only understand the rich bluegrass history of the area, they also helped to shape it. The band boasts highly influential former members of both the Country Gentlemen and the Seldom Scene.

In addition his upcoming project with the Legends, Darren will be re-releasing his first two solo projects, Remembrances and I Love You To The Moon and Back on MasterShield Records. The title track on the latter album will also be released as a single on Prime Cuts of Bluegrass.

"It’s a great song, written by some of my favorite people, Tom T. and Dixie Hall; and Larry McPeake."

We told you two weeks ago that Darren Beachley was leaving Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Now we hear from Darren that he has his new band ready to go – and quite a band it is.

He is billing the show as Darren Beachley & Legends of The Potomac, a name that sounds slightly presumptuous, until you see who is involved.

Darren is playing guitar and signing lead, with Mike Auldridge on resonator guitar, Tom Gray on bass, Norman Wright on mandolin and Mark Delaney on banjo.

Legends is putting it mildly. Auldridge and Gray are, of course, founding members of Seldom Scene, with Gray having been an early member of The Country Gentlemen as well. Wright spent time with both The Bluegrass Cardinals and The Country Gentlemen, and Delaney has likewise worked as a Gentleman.

Beachley shared a few words about his new band mates…

“When I started thinking of the idea for a group, I wanted a diverse band. I have known each of these guys for years I have a lot of respect for them. I trust them, which in this situation is must. I really feel like this is the first group of guys that I have ever been around musically, that could do what ever type of material we want, from straight grass to light country, southern gospel to a jazz flavored number. We have been rehearsing quite a bit and have a lot of new material to offer.

We have worked really hard on making sure we gather material that will be quickly identifiable to this band. We have material ranging from Fats Domino to Johnny Rodriguez to Tommy Dorsey to Mac Wiseman. We are also doing material from songwriters such as Paula Breedlove, Brad Davis, Pete Goble, Randall Hylton and of course some of Norman’s songs. I feel that we are a well-rounded band that is not afraid to step outside the box, but yet not so far away that we are not still rooted in bluegrass. It will be smooth sound both vocally and instrumentally. I am really excited about it!”

Darren says that he is talking with a couple of record labels, and hopes to have an announcement about that soon. Their 2009 schedule is currently viewable on Darren’s MySpace page, and a new band site should be up in the next week or so.

Recently we reported news of the release of the Country Gentlemen Reunion Band CD – Adcock, Gaudreau, Waller & Gray.

At the time the fledgling link-up didn’t have a website. It does now! Go to the new website to see the liner notes, bios, and more about the CD – plus sound clips.

As an aside, Martha Adcock told me how the name RadioTherapy Records was chosen. I thought I would share the thought process involved …

“In thinking of a name for our own record label, I thought it was best to check the www.allrecordlabels.com site to see if any of our choices had been taken, to avoid the possible confusion of our label having the same name as another. Lo and behold, all the ones we had chosen were already in use; I have a whole page of them that I systematically checked off on the list. So I resorted to the dictionary for inspiration. I like alliteration, so the R’s were consulted first; and when I came upon the word ‘radiotherapy,’ meaning ‘therapy effected through the use of radiation (the definition of the term ‘radiation’ includes sound waves) I thought it would do very well to call our label RadioTherapy Records ‚Äî because of course music is good for you!”

Great story, isn’t it?