Jim Roe of Roe Entertainment, based in Owensboro, Kentucky, has announced the addition of Rounder Recording artists, The Freight Hoppers, an old time string band, to his already exciting roster of bluegrass bands.

Those patient fans who had the pleasure of seeing the fabled Freight Hoppers perform from 1992 to 2002 will certainly know what a sight and sound it is to witness the infectious groove of fiddle and banjo combination driven by David Bass and Frank Lee. These guys set a new benchmark on the circuit back in the mid 1990s. When the band took a break, many wondered if that hallmark sound would be heard again.

Now, Lee and Bass are back and have brought in Thomas Bailey on guitar and vocals and Isaac Deal on upright bass and vocals. With the two original members reunited and joined by Bailey, whose undistilled powerhouse baritone vocal range enriches the sound, and Deal, whose ardent high lead and tenor voice holds the line and traverses the music’s authentic spirit, a string band has been created to rival the best that ever kicked up dust. During the 1990s, The Freight Hoppers became the most popular modern day old time music string band in the world. The Freight Hoppers recorded two critically acclaimed albums that climbed into the Top 20 of Billboard’s Americana music charts: ‘Where’d You Come From, Where’d You Go?’ (released in 1996) and ‘Waiting on the Gravy Train’ (1998). They toured extensively in the U.S., Canada and Europe, appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, and elevated the popularity of old time music all over the world. With performances at concerts and festivals and radio airplay, they shook up the music landscape and created a new audience of traditional music fans.

Their music turned people on and their trail blazed the way for other successful string bands to follow their lead. The reshaped band will elaborate on their trademark sound by drawing upon their personal musical rapport to make a sonic hue that refracts their inspirations and love of Southern American, gospel, blues, punk and, folk music. A new album on Rounder Records is already in production and eagerly awaited.

And so a new chapter begins as The Freight Hoppers ride again.

Jim Roe has this to say about the band …….

“The Freight Hoppers have such a good reputation on and off the stage. I can tell they really have made a lot of friends and fans over the years. I mention their name and people genuinely get very excited that they are together performing again.

You have to love their energy. Their old time sound is different from the other acts on my roster which will help me get into places I haven’t booked before and I believe I can help them get into festivals they didn’t get a chance to play the first time around.”

In addition toThe Freight Hoppers, Roe Entertainment represents The SteelDrivers, Lonesome River Band, Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass and Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper.

Here’s a YouTube clip of them performing The Train That Carried My Girl From Town.

Here is a great YouTube video of Crooked Still and The Infamous Stringdusters jamming at the Strawberry Music Festival earlier this year. It was created and narrated by Dan Ruby of FestivalPreview.com.

Both groups back up Crooked Still vocalist Aoife O’Donovan on Look On And Cry, and then jam out on a spirited version of Old Joe Clark. Ruby also interviews Aoife, with those segments interspersed throughout.

Since this performance was captured before recent personnel changes in both groups, you’ll see Chris Eldridge with the ‘Dusters and Rushad Eggleston with Crooked Still. If you’ve not witnessed Eggleston’s manic cello live, you’ll want to get a good look at him here.

Here’s a YouTube clip of Toby Keith singing Please Come Home For Christmas on the Ellen show December 6.

Rob Ickes is prominently featured on dobro.

Rounder Records has created a mini-documentary and interview with Rhonda Vincent to help build interest in her upcoming January release, Good Thing Going.

Rhonda speaks about how she came to write several of the songs on the new CD, and how much she enjoyed being able to have the time in the studio to complete the project without budget concerns, now that she has a professional recording studio in her home.

You can ever see her working up arrangements in the studio, along with Andy Leftwich, Bryan Sutton and Ron Stewart.

The eight and a half minute video is posted on YouTube, or you can watch it below.