Category: Bluegrass Music

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Charlotte Bluegrass Festival 2025 Wrap-Up

Wow! What a weekend this has been at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival. It was memorable to say the least, and in some ways, there are things that I hope never happen again at that festival. Let’s get to the highlights:

Billy Strings – As this was pretty much a last-minute booking on one of Billy’s off days during his tour, he wanted to play at the first festival that he attended when he was four years old. The show was phenomenal. As Billy can read a crowd extremely well, and he knew that the regulars at the festival want to hear to old standards (while the Billy-goats will dance to anything that he plays), the extended set consisted mostly of songs by Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and Larry Sparks. He did throw in a few originals, such as “Dust in a Baggie” and “Red Daisy,” which have a classic bluegrass feel to them. His stepfather Terry Barber came up for a few songs, and Junior Sisk came up to sing a beautiful duet of “Love Me Darlin’, Just Tonight.”

The crowd was twice the size usually found each year at the festival, which meant there was a lot of security, which the regulars are not used to. Add to that we were told the gates would open at 8:00 am, but the couldn’t get in until noon due to the soundcheck. Additionally, the park had let people come in a week early to set up chairs under the pavilion without letting people like me who purchased a three-day pass of that, so we sat in the far-away bleachers or planted lawn chairs ain the mud (yes, it rained all the night before up until noon, so it was like a miniature Woodstock). Moreover, when Billy came on, everyone that was sitting in lawn chairs had to remove them and stand. It was a clusterf**k, to say the least.

While the show was fantastic, it ended on a sad note, as Billy’s mother passed away the next morning. I ask you to keep Billy and his family on your prayers.

Junior Sisk – One of the best traditional bluegrass artists out today. The Billy-goat crowd (by the time Sisk came one, the Billy-goats were crowding the front of the stage) were appreciative of him, whooping and hollering after each song like the older bluegrassers usually do. Sisk put on a great show as well, and the best part was when he announced on stage “If anyone here has a problem with Billy here, they have to talk to me first!”

Red Camel Collective – This is Junior Sisk’s backup band, and play great bluegrass on their own as well. Vocalist Heather Berry Mabe has a wonderful voice, and I recommend anyone looking for a fresh female voice in bluegrass to check her and her band out.

Edgar Loudermilk Band – Another great live band, Loudermilk’s material leans heavily on cowboy and western stories. I have gotten to know him good through the years of playing in the Michigan/Ohio area, though his band is from Georgia, and he loves to talk about fishing, hunting, and songwriting. His parents run the festival merchandise table, selling the special t-shirts for the event, although Billy Strings had his own commemorative shirts for the occasion (I had to snag one, of course).

David Mayfield Parade – What more can I say about this group of fun-loving and talented musicians? From the first time that they appeared at the festival back in 2023, they have been a festival favorite, and never fail to get the crowd motivated. They are also great guys to talk to, and I am glad to be their friend. I implore you to check out the band videos on YouTube, and get some of their CDs or vinyl! The band’s latest album Go Big and Go Home is phenomenal! You will not be disappointed.

Tennessee Bluegrass Band – Old-school bluegrass stylings, to say the least, which the regulars truly appreciate. The band wear matching red sport jackets, which makes them look like the ushers at a church or movie theater. However, their musicianship is excellent to say the least.

Kentucky Just Us – A bunch of younger musicians, I first saw them in January at the SPBGMA conference. While the vocals still needed some strength, the musicianship was wonderful.

Things like extra porta-johns and vendors were brought in because of the expected crowds at Billy’s show, and that was truly appreciated. Wes the promoter of the festival is attempting to book another bigger name bluegrass act for next year, but I have to be honest – I really appreciate the laid-back atmosphere of the previous years. Either way, I will be going next year no matter who is performing. It is my one musical escape from my job in the summer. Of course, with Billy performing, a lot of people were jealous of me.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Billy Strings Is At It Again (+ Bluegrass At Work)

Next weekend is the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival, so my blog may be later than usual or shorter, or both. I have enjoyed going to this festival west of Lansing for a few years now, but this year will be extra special.

Last week, there was an announcement that the Thursday evening concert will be headlined by Billy Strings. His touring schedule had a few days gap, and he has stated in a press release that Charlotte was the first bluegrass festival that he ever attended when he was a lad, and that he wanted to perform at it one day. I am not sure if he will be playing solo, with his band, or with his dad. It doesn’t matter, you can guarantee that it will be an amazing show.

Pretty much just hours after the announcement, tickets for the Thursday show were sold out, and the three-day pass sold out soon after. Of course, I purchased my tickets a few months back, so I was safe for getting in. However, I did contact my hotel and reserve Wednesday night as well, mainly so that I can get to the fairgrounds extra early on Thursday to set up my lawn chair.

I have tried talking friends into going to this festival for years, and as expected, no one has followed up. Now a few of them, including my nephew, are asking if there is a possibility of getting tickets. I have to tell them that these festivals are not like other concerts that you can maybe find a scalper to get a ticket from. You buy the pass and get registered online at most of these festivals, and the pass can only be used by you. I expect that with this show, it will be followed even more carefully.

I am sure that next weekend’s blog will be filled with highlights of the festival, especially with Billy’s performance. I apologize that it seems that every other blog has something to do with Billy, but you have to admit, he is in the music news a lot, he is a humble guy, and he has put bluegrass music on the map again, the first time it has been this popular in over 20 years, since the release of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack.

In related news …

Two people at where I work are now getting into bluegrass music (sort of), which was quite a surprise to me.

First, my supervisor, who unfortunately just secured a promotion in another city and moved away, was someone who listened mostly to hard rock and metal-oriented rock, as well as bands like Dave Matthews Band. A few days before he left, he asked me if I ever heard of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. I just about fell off of my chair!

I explained to him that I have been following Bela for decades, as he played banjo in one of my all-time favorite bands, New Grass Revival. He told me that it came up on his Dave Matthews Spotify playlist, and was knocked out by the banjho playing. So I made a suggestion for him to delve into other jamgrass bands like Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, and String Cheese Incident. Well, he can’t seem to get enough of Leftover Salmon, and I followed up with more artists that were early jamgrass purveyors, such as NGR, Tony Rice, and David Grisman.

I told my buddy Ken about this, and his response was, “Well, it’s a start.”

Another co-worker and I were recently talking. She and I both do a lot of woodworking, though mine is lutherie while she builds and refinishes furniture. I told her that I would be on vacation for a few days for the bluegrass festival, and that Billy Strings would be headlining one day. Her response was, “Billy Strings! I love his song ‘Dust In a Baggie’!”

I got right into it, telling her if she’s into his music, she would be into a lot of other bluegrass artists such as Molly Tuttle, Tony Rice, and a few others. She never heard of the other names that I mentioned, so I quickly showed her a short video of Tony Rice performing “Church Street Blues,” and she seemed hooked. The next day I gave her a bunch of duplicate CDs that I had of Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, and the OBWAT soundtrack. We shall see how she reacts. I have invited her a few times to hit local bluegrass shows with me, but while interested, she never seems to follow up. Perhaps when she gets more into the music, she’ll change her mind.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Billy Strings Proves He is Cool, …, Again!

The Flatt & Scruggs song “Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’” has a message followed by many in the bluegrass field. Basically, the theme is do not forget where you came from, and do not forget who helped you achieve any success that you have had along the way. Billy Strings proves once again that he is a true follower of this sentiment.

Last September, Strings and his wife Ally were blessed with the birth of a son. Unfortunately, due to immediate health concerns, the infant was placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Through 24-hour monitoring and care, his son gained normal health and was able to leave the hospital after some time.

Last week, to show his appreciation to the staff at the hospital, Strings not only visited the hospital, but also participated in a video for the facility’s music therapy program, as well as performed mini-concerts on each of the floors for the patients, including at the NICU floor.

The video performance is part of the Corwell Health’s Blue Glass Studio program that broadcasts pertinent information related to music therapy. Of course, for this particular video, the name was changed to Blue Grass Studio to honor Strings.

While many entertainment figures take time out of their careers to do charitable acts, most of these actions are usually done on off-time or when the career is in a lull. Billy Strings is at the height of his career, selling out concert venues and working with some of the biggest musical artists in the bluegrass, country, and rock worlds. While his adolescent past has been filled with a number of demons, he has fought them off and offered thanks to the people and prayers that have been there with him.

This incident shows that Strings is grateful for everything good that has happened to him, be it in the music field or his personal life. For that, I continue to have a great respect for him.

For more information on this wonderful hospital visit, including photos, go to https://www.mlive.com/news/2025/05/grammy-winning-billy-strings-pays-visit-to-grand-rapids-childrens-hospital.html .

To conclude, here is a recent interview with Strings about his respect for all of the music that he grew up with. Pardon his French.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Fiddle

Farewell to Fiddler Magazine, I Guess

Back in 2012, I wanted to help my friend, fiddler Becky Buller, promote her solo career. I had become aware of Fiddler magazine about a year earlier, grabbing a copy from the rack at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan. I emailed the editor Mary Larsen if she would be interested in an article on Becky, along with inlcuding my writing resume. Mary got back to me with a request, and it was the start of a decade-long positive relationship with the publication.

I was extremely pleased that the Becky Buller article became the cover story for that issue, and had proceeded to provide an article nearly every quarterly issue since then. While primarily interviewing bluegrass fiddlers, I also produced articles on klezmer, Quebecois, and country music fiddlers, as well as numerous album reviews and survey articles on teaching, instruments, and even handling COVID.

Back in 2022, Mary decided to retire from the editor/publisher end of the publication, and the magazine was purchased by a freelance writer named Narielle Living. The contributing writers of Fiddler were happy that the magazine would continue. Narielle had a strong publishing background, and made the overall look of the magazine receive a more modern appearance. She also had a good business sense when it came to magazine publishing. Unfortunately, Fiddler was meeting the same fate as many other print publications, in that, paper costs and postage were making boutique magazines non profitable, so the decision was made to go online only in 2023.

For some more mainstream publications with a wider scope of readers, online-only magazines can prove survivable, maybe even decently profitable. However, Fiddler was not one of those fortunate ones. The majority readership of Fiddler seemed to prefer print format, particularly since there was tablature for fiddle tunes printed, and it was easy to just put the magazine onto a music stand to practice. Moreover, there is something about print that makes it more comfortable and welcoming to read anywhere at any time, rather than pulling out the laptop, tablet, or iPhone.

It seemed that only one or two online issues of Fiddler were published. I continued to send in my interview and review articles to Narielle. However, by early 2024, I was not seeing any notice in my email inbox that a new issue was being uploaded online. She had updated the magazine website (www.fiddlermag.com/) with cleaner graphics, but nothing to announce the new issue date. Available merchandise consists of different stickers, but no available back issues.

I have attempted to contact Narielle at least a dozen times to get some information on the magazine’s current and future status, but have not received any reply. I have even contacted Mary to see if she has heard anything, but she gets the same non-response. A number of online chatboards dealing with the violin and fiddle have numerous postings about the magazine’s existence, and all answers lead to dead ends.

This is a sad state indeed. I can understand if there is a need to discontinue the publication for any one of a number of reasons, but not providing a statement as to its closure to the contributors and readers is not good. For me, it was an easy outlet for my freelance writing. While the pay vs. time spent interviewing and writing was not that great, it was rewarding to get to know many fiddlers in different genres, as well as keep my writing chops fresh. For readers, this was one of the truly few resources for roots-music fiddlers to learn about the many aspects of fiddling. While there are other magazines that cover roots music in general, and even one or two publications that center on the violin, none covered the subject of fiddling like Fiddler.

This may have been my last opportunity for freelance writing, in particular in the music scene. Fiddler was the perfect outlet for my writing. I will have to re-evaluate my time and commitment to part-time writing, if I should decide to continue. Freelance writing is truly a dog-eat-dog world. Moreover, with print magazines disappearing one by one, online publishing does not provide a steady income, if any income at all. Taking a look at the writing of some online publications, the editorial work is horrendous, and articles look like they were written by a 5th grader.

I so much hate to see Fiddler go, and I keep hoping and praying that this hiatus is temporary, and someone will see how valuable this publication has been to so many fiddlers, both beginners and old-timers, and help to bring it back to life.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Country Music

Recommended Book: Highways and Heartaches: How Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Children of the New South Saved the Soul of Country Music

The 1970s through 1990s were a struggling time for traditional country and bluegrass music. Movies like Urban Cowboy were bringing rock, pop, and even disco influences into the country music vein. It was the start of moving country music stars from honky tonks to arenas, with overdriven guitars and light shows becoming the norm. There were a few sparkles of traditional country lights within the realm, but they were few and far in between. The Grand Ole Opry began to lose its charm, with old stalwarts re-hashing past hits to a senior citizen crowd for nostalgic purposes.

The tail end of the punk/new wave movement did show a lot of respect to the spirits of Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, as well as some near forgotten legends like Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, and Loretta Lynn with speed-driven covers and originals that paid musical tribute. However, it would be at least a decade until the fledgling cow-punk and alt-country sub-genres would blossom into what we now know as Americana music.

So during those dry times, there were a few performers that kept the flame going because their hearts were in the right place. Highways and Heartaches: How Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Children of the New South Saved the Soul of Country Music provides a decent chronicle of that time by looking at the musical lives of Skaggs, Stuart, and a number of other musicians from that era and group.

The first chapter is a bit too politically correct for my taste, as while it looks at Skaggs’ poor upbringing in Kentucky, it looks at Stuart’s upbringing as being heavily influenced by the racial tensions in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi. While I am sure that there was a lot more bigotry around back in the 1950s, the author Michael Streissguth narrates it as if it was in the blood of every white person in the South. There is way too much coverage of segregation, lynchings, and other racially motivated happenings that have very little to do with the musical influences of Stuart.

Later chapters cover the legacy of Ronald Reagan and the influence of the Moral Majority. Again, it all passes as the author trying to be politically correct and apologetic for being white.

Once the reader gets past that, the flow if the book is quite interesting. Even if you are familiar with both Skaggs’ and Stuarts’ early careers, there are a few things that you may still learn. We all know of Skaggs’ work with Keith Whitley and Ralph Stanley, but there were a lot of inner struggles that he was having to move out on his own, as well as wanting to be known as a serious go-to musician and arranger. For Stuart’s part, his early teen years with Lester Flatt would cement him as a bluegrass prodigy, but the downside is that he really never got to live life as a normal teenager. He spent almost all of that time surrounded by older bluegrass musicians that had their ways of drinking, carousing, and occasional fighting, and his studies were spent in a tour bus instead of a normal high school.

While the gist of the book follows the career of these two modern legends, there is also ample coverage of other artists from that time. These include Jerry Douglas, Emmylou Harris, Larry Cordle, and Linda Ronstadt. Bluegrass coverage includes extensive mentions of J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, the Seldom Scene, and the many festivals that were popping up due to the public’s interest in roots music from both the liberal and conservative teams.

If you can get past the PC talk, this book makes for an interesting read, learning how much Skaggs and Stuart were able to keep traditional country and bluegrass alive during this dark time, and become the highly respected statesmen that they are.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Russell Moore Joins AKUS

Unless you are bluegrass fan that has been living under a rock the past few years, you well know that Alison Krauss and Union Station have released its first album in 14 years, Arcadia, and will be touring to support to album, the band’s first tour in over 10 years.

Most of the AKUS member are returning to the fold, including Jerry Douglas on dobro, Barry Bales on bass, and Ron Block on banjo along with Krauss. One big piece of the missing puzzle is guitarist/vocalist Dan Tyminski. After having a solo side project for a number of years, Tyminski has decided to bow out and concentrate on The Dan Tyminski Band full time.

So who could replace Tyminski? After all, it was his voice that made the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack so successful with his two unique renditions of the bluegrass classic “Man of Constant Sorrow.” For years afterwards, it was mandatory that AKUS perform that song in concert and on numerous television appearances. The song became a staple with bluegrass jam circles, and helped AKUS gain an even larger following of fans not necessarily into bluegrass music.

When I first found out that AKUS was releasing another album and touring, I saw a photo of the band as it is today, and noticed that the one guy did not look like Tyminski. In fact, he looked a lot more like Russell Moore, the guitarist/vocalist for the bluegrass band IIIrd Tyme Out. Reading the accompanying article, I was correct in my thought.

For anyone who is not familiar with Russell Moore, he has been a stalwart in the bluegrass field for decades. He first came onto the notable scene as a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. He then formed IIIrd Tyme Out in 1991 with former Quicksilver members Ray Deaton and Mike Hartgrove. Since then, the band has earned seven IBMA Vocal Group of the Year Awards, and Moore has won the IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award six times. In 2007, as sole remaining original member and long-time head of the band, the name for the group was updated to Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. If you want to know how good this band is, get one of its live albums, Live at the Mac or Back to the Mac.

So with the opportunity to snag just about any great bluegrass guitarist/vocalist in the format, and there are plenty, why would AKUS choose Moore. My response would be, “Why not?”. Moore is an amazing bluegrass singer, who could easily float between baritone and tenor when needed. While he sang lead exclusively with IIIrd Tyme Out, he also is a genius at harmonizing, learned from his work with Doyle Lawson. He has never really showcased his lead guitar abilities with his band, but from seeing him live (I have, four or five times) he can throw in some tasty licks when required. Mot importantly, as both a band leader and sideman, Moore knows exactly what is needed to make the band sound the best that it can be. He is a workhorse when it comes to personal discipline, and every recording he has been on, as well as every live appearance, he gives it his all.

Will Dan Tyminski be missed? Of course, but all bands in every genre at every level experience personnel changes. AKUS made a wise decision to ask Moore to join the fold. They have already mutually agreed that he will be able to continue work with IIIrd Tyme Out as well. The AKUS tour will continue through early autumn, so while it means intensive touring for the next six months, it also means that all of the AKUS members, including Moore, can bet back to solo projects before the year’s end.

I look forward to seeing AKUS in September when it arrives on the Detroit area. I alo look forward to hear how Moore’s soulful voice will fit in with the band. I am sure that it will sound fantastic as usual.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Acoustic Guitars Bluegrass Music

I Ordered a Cirrus Guitar!

I can mark off another item on my bucket list. This morning, I went to the Cirrus Guitars shop and ordered myself an acoustic guitar made to my specifications!

I had blogged about Cirrus Guitars previously (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/10/28/cirrus-guitars/), and have been thinking about getting a guitar from there ever since. With money that could have spent on a bigger TV or some other item that does not really strike my fancy, I love guitars so much that it was what I wanted to treat myself to. I contacted Mike Franks, owner/luthier for Cirrus, a few weeks back, we scheduled a meeting this morning, and I went to the shop in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Mike was extremely friendly, and was grateful that I paid for the guitar in full rather than just a down payment. The shop is Heaven if you are a guitar enthusiast like me. Acoustic guitars in every stage of construction line the walls and workbenches. He has a special paint booth, and the whole shop is well ventilated and humidified. He also has a room set up for taking photos of his finished guitars, and a space where he holds small house concerts.

The best part of his tour was seeing some of the guitars that he is making for bluegrass artists. One guitar is a special left-handed model under his M.J. Franks brand of guitars for Jamie Johnson of The Grascals. He is also making a custom dreadnaught for John Bryan of The Grascals as well.

He related a great story of how he once heard an Osborne Brothers tune on the radio that moved him deeply, then fast forward two decades, and Joe Miller of Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top Xpress requested a guitar made for him. When it was finished, Franks took it to Nashville to present it to Miller at the Grand Ole Opry. He was then sitting on stage at the Opry when Miller performed with the band, and had that song dedicated to him that evening.

Franks knows how special bluegrass artists are, not only with the care and concern they have with acoustic instruments, but how much they appreciate the people around them, be they fans, promoters, or luthiers. You can see in all of the work he puts in every guitar that his respect goes equally back to the artist.

My guitar should be ready in about three months, and I am in no big rush. I know that I will fall in love with the guitar, simply because I see the quality work that goes into Cirrus guitars. Franks has stated that I should stop by the shop in a few weeks to see the progress. Despite the rainy weather going on today, the day was fantastic for me!

http://www.cirrusguitars.com/

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Mandolin Bluegrass Music

David Grisman at 80

I was reading an article online about a show that David Grisman was doing in Seattle to celebrate his 80th birthday. I had to look twice and research the information, and yes, on March 23rd, David “Dawg” Grisman will be turning 80 years old. Grisman has always been one of my favorite people in the bluegrass field, especially as he loved to push the boundaries of traditional bluegrass to include rock, jazz, blues and klezmer, which critics and fans alike labeled as Dawg Music.

The way that young girls follow Taylor Swift’s every action, my buddy Ken and I always had a keen interest in the bluegrass musicians that gathered in other musical influences to create the Newgrass movement that began in the early 1970s. Along with New Grass Revival, John Hartford, Tony Rice and the Seldom Scene, Grisman made a name for himself with other musical formats while still keeping one foot in bluegrass.

Somewhat of a musical prodigy on the mandolin, though he also played piano and saxophone in his early age. He grew up in the Jewish community of Passaic, New Jersey, but discovered folk and bluegrass while attending New York University. He was a member of Red Allen’s band The Kentuckians, and also recorded with Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard on their early beautiful Folkways recordings. He delved into rock music with former Blue Grass Boys guitarist/vocalist Peter Rowan to form the short-lived Earth Opera. The two would also form the legendary bluegrass band Old & In The Way with Vassar Clemens and Jerry Garcia. His friendship with Garcia lasted for decades. He recorded on the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty album, with standout work on the songs “Ripple” and “Friend of the Devil.” During this time, he also worked with Rowan, Richard Greene, and Clarence White in the band Muleskinner, which disbanded due to the untimely death of White. Only weeks prior to White’s death, the band performed on a local television show in California, meant to be a warm-up for an appearance of Bill Monroe which did not happen. Fortunately, a video of the band’s performance was saved and is available as Muleskinner Live.

In the 1970s, Grisman formed the David Grisman Quintet, which had a revolving membership that included Darol Anger, Tony Rice, Mark O’Connor, and Todd Phillips among others. He recorded a number of Dawg Music albums during this time, which were critical favorites, and are cherished mainly by Deadheads.

The Garcia/Grisman collaborations continued throughout the years, with gems such as Jerry Garcia/David Grisman and Not For Kids Only. A wonderful documentary on their relationship was released in 2001 called Grateful Dawg, directed by Grismans’s daughter Gillian. The film includes a number of live performance by the duo which are near perfection. Probably the best storied collaboration was with the two and Tony Rice. During two evenings in February 1993, the three musicians sat down in Grisman’s home studio and recorded a number of standard folk and bluegrass tunes. A copy of the tape somehow got into the hands of a pizza deliveryman, and within months, the songs form the recording were being bootlegged across the country to thousands of Deadheads. At first angered, including confiscating bootlegged CD, Grisman eventually released some of the recordings in 2000 as The Pizza Tapes (an extended version was release online in 2010).

In 1990, Grisman formed Acoustic Disc, a record label that would specialize in unique bluegrass, folk, and jazz recordings, particularly live performances. Along with The Pizza Tapes, the label has released other recording by Grisman, Rice, Jesse McReynolds, Old & In The Way and Doc Watson. The label’s catalogue is a wealth of great acoustic music, and I personally have at least a dozen releases from there.

Grisman was FINALLY inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame in 2023. This was an honor that should have been given decades before, as his music was what was getting many younger musicians and fans into bluegrass. He never strayed away from bluegrass music, as his love was so deep that he names one of his children Monroe after the great Bill Monroe.

I saw Grisman only once, and it was at an Ann Arbor Folk Festival many years ago when he performed with Doc Watson. There were a number of bands performing at that festival, but that to me was the highlight, as two legends were trading licks and presenting an acoustic format that forced you to pay attention and appreciate it. My only other connection with Grisman is that we both had music played on the NPR program “Car Talk.” His composition “Dawggy Mountain Breakdown” was the shows theme song.

I totally recommend that you get some of Grisman’s recordings. Traditional bluegrass fans will want a copy of one of the Old & In The Way live discs. Acoustic music fans will love The Pizza Tapes or just about any other album on Acoustic Disc (www.dawgnet.com), and I encourage you to check out the documentary Grateful Dawg as well as the performance of Muleskinner Live.

Happy Birthday, Dawg! You have made my musical life, as well as thousands of others, so much more rewarding and enjoyable!

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Guitar Bluegrass Music

Swap Meet Finds/YouTube Finds

I went to the Livonia Amateur Radio Club Swap Meet this morning. I go every year, and while 90% of the items on sale is related to ham radio, I like to look around to see if there is any guitar/audio stuff I can get cheap, especially vintage microphones. I did pick up an old Radio Shack omnidirectional mic for the collection, as well as a Dimarzio acoustic guitar pickup, both for a few bucks each.

I also picked up an emergency radio, one that powers on solar or hand crank. You never know if you will need it if the power goes out.

I just wanted to cover three bluegrass-related YouTube channels that I came across recently. The first is World Bluegrass Day. This channel has been around since 2012, but for some reason, I only became aware of it recently, despite the number of times I have done searches on YT for bluegrass videos. Over 250 videos of bluegrass performances, interviews, and mini-documentaries are here, all of which are great to watch. One of the most recent uploads is “Jimmy Martin’s Wedding Video (1988).” It’s over an hour long, and the ceremony is strange to say the least. The bride looks young enough to be Jimmy’s daughter, and all of the Sunny Mountain Boys, along with J.D. Crowe and a few other musicians, stood in as his “best man.” More time was spent by Jimmy talking about his touring history than his bride. From what I recollect, Jimmy was never officially married, so this may have been a stunt. Anyone out there want to elaborate? Anyway, the channel is at https://www.youtube.com/@WorldBluegrassDay .

Cody M. Music is another channel that has been around for a while, but I only recently found it. Cody is a graduate of East Tennessee State University of its Old-Time and Bluegrass Music Program. He posts videos of acoustic guitar reviews and beginner lessons, including numerous shorts on easy licks and rhythm patterns. Some of the short lessons are slowed down to half speed so the viewer can learn it a bit more easily. Cody is using this channel to promote his online teaching program that you can purchase as a subscription. Some people wanting to improve on their bluegrass guitar playing may want to check this channel out at https://www.youtube.com/@codymmusic .

Southern Legacy is a true bluegrass supergroup. The members have been in numerous other bands, and get together occasionally for touring. Members include mandolinist Don Rigsby, banjoist Ron Block (of Alison Krauss & Union Station fame), and Josh Williams, my favorite flatpicker, whom I did a previous blog on (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/09/23/josh-williams-bluegrass-instrumental-genius/). The talent here is phenomenal, and I hope that they will be releasing some material soon. They are the cover story of the March 2025 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited. While there are a number of videos of this band performing on YT, they also have their own channel at https://www.youtube.com/@SouthernLegacyMusic .

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Music Stores

My Oasis in Nashville

As you know, two weekends ago I was in Nashville for the SPBGMA conference. While the conference ends on Sunday, I like to stay an extra day to get some work done while I am there, usually co-writing with someone in town. Unfortunately, my co-writing friend got sick, so she had to cancel. I figured it was a lost day, so after doing some driving around town, I headed back to my hotel for a quick nap before dinner.

There’s a strip along the road near my hotel where there are a number of small industrial businesses, and a block off of this road (Elm Hill Pike) is the Gibson Guitar factory, where they make most of the electric guitars. About a half mile from my hotel amongst these businesses is a building that looks like a 1950s era church. I had not paid any attention to it before, but on this particular day, there was a sign outside that read “GUITAR SALE.” I was not about to let this slip away, so I pulled into the small parking lot and headed for the front door.

As I walked in, there was no one around, but my eyes caught a large sign on the wall by what looked like a reception desk, that displayed a number of old record companies, including Gusto, King, Starday and Federal. These were all labels from the 1950s through 1980s that had some of the best bluegrass, traditional country, and R&B acts on their rosters. On an adjacent wall was a number of gold records from the likes of Red Sovine and Marty Robbins.

Wow! I had just entered a little piece of Heaven! Soon, a gentleman named Garry came into the lobby and showed me to a room that was all that I could hope for. There were racks of CDs, cassettes and vinyl, along with rows of guitars, ukeleles and other musical instruments. Some of the CDs were marked down to $1.00! I had to pinch myself to see if it was real! I texted my buddy Ken and told him that this was the type of place we would be running.

As for the guitars, most of them were the Urban brand, which is a make sponsored by country artist Keith Urban. When he started this brand, he was contracted with Yamaha to make the guitars, so the older models included the Yamaha tuning fork logo along with the URBAN name on the headstock. More recent models have an eagle on the headstock with the name, so I am not sure if they are still made by Yamaha. If they are, the price tag of $99.00 would actually be worth it, but I have way too many guitars in my house right now and am actually looking to get rid of a few, so I passed on those. They had some Urban practice amps priced decently at $39.00 and $49.00, but again, I don’t need any more practice amps.

Other musical instruments included some Jay Turser electric guitars that were priced at about what the going rate is on Reverb and eBay. The ukeleles were reasonably priced at $39.00, but I am not a fan of those. There were a few banjos that were priced above what I would pay. The counter display cabinet had some accessories, so I picked up a three-pack of harmonicas for my brother for $20.00.

Then I turned my attention to the records. The vinyl was all $5.00, and I picked up a Charlie Rich album issued on Sun Records, one album by The Whites, and a Pickwick Records reissue of an old Bill Monroe album. I don’t have a turntable right now, but I could not pass these up. I also got an album called The Best of the Mom and Dads. This group was a quartet of older people that played old standards that old people would waltz to (did I say “old” too many times?). They used to advertise this album on late-night TV, and my brother and I as kids would laugh at the commercial. So of course, I bought the album as a gift for my brother as a joke. He got the joke.

I didn’t bother with the cassettes, as I don’t have a good player, and at $5.00 or 3 for $10.00, it wasn’t a deal for me. But diving into the dollar CDs was a treasure trove. Bluegrass albums from Stringbean, Lester Flatt, Reno & Smiley and Carl Story, as well as some compilations and instrumentals. Country albums from Cowboy Copas and Hank Thompson. R&B and blues albums from James Brown, Freddie King and Big Joe Turner, as well as some great compilations. All of these were reissues of albums that were on the above-mentioned labels. If I would have had more cash, I would have spent it!

I talked with Garry for a bit, and he told me that his current company, IMG Retail, oversees the end-marketing of the remaining stock from the labels. The company purchased the church in the 1980s to use as a warehouse for the music items. I made the recommendation that he consider contacting SPBGMA to set up a small table in the exhibit hall at next year’s conference, considering that the warehouse is only a half mile away from the hotel and he could easily unload a lot of the bluegrass CDs there.

If I get a few days to spare as vacation in the next few months, I am definitely planning to hit Nashville again and visit the warehouse. I plan on doing some research on Urban guitars to see if Yamaha is still contracted to manufacture them. If so, it might be worthwhile to pick up a few acoustics and re-sell them.

If in Nashville and interested in checking out this place, the IMG Retail warehouse is at 1900 Elm Hill Pike. Garry says that he currently plans to be open Monday-Friday 10am-4pm.

Chew on it and comment.

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