Pinecastle has announced February 2010 as the release date for the next Josh Williams album, Down Home, but Josh says that he will have copies for sale from his web site by Thanksgiving.

This will be the third solo CD for this young artist, who at 29 has already logged lengthy stints with Special Consensus and Rhonda Vincent. His debut album, Now That You’re Gone, was released in 2001, featuring contributions from a who’s who of bluegrass superpickers, as did his 2004 follow-up, Lonesome Highway.

On Down Home, Josh pays tribute to the artists who inspired him, and the acts who gave him a start in the business. He reunites most of the personnel from Special C during his tenure (Greg Cahill and Tim Dishman), and has his guitar idol Tony Rice with him for a version of Blue Railroad Train. Tracking for this project started while Josh was still a member of The Rage, and Rhonda joins on a couple of songs along with fellow then-Ragers Kenny Ingram and Mickey Harris.

Also helping out are Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent, Stewart Duncan, Jason Carter, Carl Jackson, Randy Kohrs, Tina Adair, and Aaron McDaris.

We heard Josh perform a couple of tracks from the CD during his IBMA showcase. His version of Jimmy Martin’s The Last Song was brilliant, and I am eager to hear the recorded version when the album hits. There is an inescapable joy in Williams’ music, and it is infectious, whether live or on disc.

Greg Cahill rivals Doyle Lawson in the bluegrass talent development department. Over the nearly 35 years he has managed Special Consensus, he has seen a number of young artists develop into fine musicians, and he is a big Josh Williams backer.

“I cannot speak highly enough about the musical accomplishments of Josh Williams, my good friend and consummate musician. He came to The Special Consensus right out of high school (actually while in his last few months of school) and immediately played mandolin and sang like a seasoned professional. Over the years since that time, he has grown to become a major voice in the world of bluegrass music and an award-winning guitar player as well. He is a great writer, singer and instrumentalist and it is a true joy to see him begin to receive the recognition his extraordinary talent deserves. Go Josh!!!”

Rhonda Vincent also spoke highly of Williams…

“Josh is a very talented guy. So glad to hear his CD is finally coming out.”

Pre-order details for Down Home can be found on the official Josh Williams web site.

Terry Baucom has announced that he will be leaving Dale Ann Bradley’s band to focus on a number of other performing opportunities for 2010.

He will continue to play banjo on the Mountain Heart with Tony Rice shows, and will also be on banjo for shows with Mashville Brigade when they tour starting next year.

Bauc told us that he really enjoyed working with Dale Ann, whom he considers to be a great friend.

“It was a nice variation for me working up her material, and it was a great creative time, but I really wanted to get back to playing more hard driving stuff. That’s more my style.”

Baucom mentioned that he hoped to be able to be available for more banjo clinics and workshops, such as the North Carolina Banjo Clinic where he will be teaching in November.

Mashville Brigade started as a Tuesday night gig at Nashville’s Station Inn with a rotating group of Music City sidemen. Jim Van Cleve is on fiddle, Darrell Webb on guitar, Ashby Frank on mandolin, Aaron McDaris on banjo and Randall Barnes on bass. Each works with a national touring band, and the Tuesday shows became a fun way to pick together on bluegrass chestnuts they all knew and loved.

After the release of a Rural Rhythm CD, Bluegrass Smash Hits Volume 1, and the resulting radio play, the guys have decided to take the show on the road, and will be available for limited live appearances during the 2010 season. Given his busy schedule with Rhonda Vincent, McDaris was unable to commit to any Mashville shows, and as no one can mash down on traditional bluegrass like Terry Baucom, he was an obvious choice.

Booking for the Mashville Brigade shows is being handled by Ashby Frank, who can be reached by phone (615-290-5533) or email for further details.

The Mountain Heart with Tony Rice shows are managed by Mountain Heart and Keith Case & Associates.

Recently we have commented at length about the forthcoming Ralph Stanley autobiography. We though that you might be interested in some other bluegrass-related reading matter due for publication in the near future.

A book about Tony Rice is scheduled to be released soon, before the end of the year, hopefully. The title is Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story and the publisher is Word of Mouth Press. The authors in this instance are Tim Stafford, of Blue Highway, and Caroline Wright, one time Editor of the now-defunct Bluegrass Now.

Dick Spottswood’s, book Banjo On the Mountain: Wade Mainer’s First Hundred Years, is scheduled for publication next spring by the University Press of Mississippi. Spottswood is is an author, historian, musicologist, discographer and radio personality, who has devoted his life to documenting American music of the early twentieth century.

Pretty Good For A Girl: Women in Bluegrass is the working title for Murphy Henry’s book to be published by University of Illinois Press. The publication date is unknown at the moment.  Ms. Henry is a proprietor of the Murphy Method learning aids and a regular contributor to Bluegrass Unlimited.

We’ll be sure to note each of these books as they are published.

UPDATE 8/18: The publication date for the Tony Rice biography is still on the tentative side. Tim tells us that the book is complete, but that we should steer clear of suggesting a date until all of the legal niceties have been wrapped up as well.

Josh Shilling shot some video onstage during Mountain Heart’s show with Tony Rice and Terry Baucom on Friday night in Morganton, NC.

Josh snuck up on Tony while he was playing the extended intro to Manzanita, and shot through the whole tune with the band.

The video quality isn’t superb, but the vantage point is one we don’t often get to see – and Rice absolutely kills on this song.

You can find info on the other shows that Tony Rice and Mountain Heart are doing together this summer on the band’s web site.