Tag: Dan Tyminski

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Bluegrass Music

2026 Charlotte Bluegrass Festival – WOW!

I wasn’t sure if last year’s Charlotte Bluegrass Festival could be topped by having Billy Strings perform, but Wes Pettinger (promoter and organizer) sure did it this year!

The 2026 Charlotte Bluegrass Festival is one for the books. It was amazing all three days, but especially on Friday and Saturday. Let’s cover it some from my perspective:

Vendors – I swore last year that I was not going to eat any of the food sold there, if it meant that I pack a bunch of granola bars in my backpack (which I did). However, dopey me had a craving for french fries one day. For $8.00 I got a Solo cup of fries that must have been cooked in oil old enough to come from King Tut’s tomb! I have NEVER tasted such bad french fries. Never again! I do have to say that the ice cream vendor was decent (you can’t go wrong with ice cream), and I did start to get addicted to the cinnamon roasted almonds. But no fried foods from the vendors ever again!

Friends – along with the usual crew from the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association, I was able to befriend a few new people. The first was a guy named Stevie (his father named him after Stevie Ray Vaughan). A big, bald loveable man who loves to cook, he was handing out sandwiches to anyone that was interested. As we sat watching bands during Friday and Saturday, he was asking me questions about bluegrass music and the bands/artists that perform. The highlight of the time hanging out with him was on Saturday night, for the 50/50 drawing, he tells me that he should buy some tickets, sonce his dad says he is a good luck charm. Sure enough, the guy won $1,100!. He did join SEMBMA, and plans to attend out annual picnic/pot luck event in August (already telling me the food he’ll bring).

Another new friend is Kaitlyn. She recently moved to Michigan from Wisconsin, and was only able to attend the Saturday evening shows due to work and school. She was dancing with an old guy (not me!) who dances with any gal that will let him, and was actually enjoying herself. We got to talking, and she didn’t have many friends or contacts in Michigan to see other bluegrass events, so I told her to stay in touch with me and I would let her know what’s going on in the area.

David Mayfield Parade – What can I say about this band that I haven’t said already? There is not another band out there (bluegrass or otherwise) that can generate that much energy on stage and geteven the lamest crowd motivated. I absolutely love these guys, they are truly one of the best out there! Unfortunately, they were only playing the festival on Thursday, so hopefully next year they will do two or all three days.

Dan Tyminski – Dan has been promoting his solo stuff for the past few years since he left Alison Krauss & Union Station. While his more recent solo material leans more toward the Americana format, he was smart enough Thursday night to know his audience. Almost all of his set was songs from his first solo project, his time with AKUS or the Lonesome River Band, and a few old bluegrass standards for good measure. He looked a lot thinner than his days with AKUS, so hopefully it is due to dieting and exercise (like myself).

Del McCoury/Larry Sparks/Billy Strings – I’ve lumped them together due to the amazing Friday and Saturday that was created. I swear, Billy must have a GPS tether on his butt, as once the rumor spread that he would be at the festival on Friday, the grounds filled with Billy Goats! Now, even if Billy didn’t show up, both sets by Del and Larry would have been extraordinary, as they are both true entertainers and legends in the bluegrass community. However, Billy’s surprise appearance on both evenings set the festival ablaze to say the least.

The Travelin’ McCourys (the Del McCoury Band without Del, and guitarist Cody Kilby added as a member) did two sets. Sons Rob and Ronnie McCoury have been doing the bluegrass circuit since they were teens, and this configuration allows them to perform material a bit more progressive than what they would be doing with their father. The afternoon set saw Billy come on to perform a few numbers with the band, which by that time there was no breathing room in front of the stage due to the Billy Goats (I can still smell the patchouli and weed two days latern and I am still gagging from it).

Del’s set was incredible to say the least. At 87 years old, he still kicks it out with an amazing tenor voice and puts bluegrassers less than half of his age to shame. Dell did only one set, and when Billy joined him, Billy brought his father on stage to play guitar as well. Those of us who were there last year remember that Billy’s mother died the night that Billy headlined the festival, and Wes would later dedicated this year’s festival to her memory.

Larry Sparks goes beyond legendary. From the time he played with the Stanley Brothers to today, his down-home voice and trademark guitar sound are an absolute treasure. Surprisingly, there were not as many Billy Goats there on Saturday, so when Billy came on stage with Larry to perform the old Stanley Brothers’ song “Lonesome River,” the front of the stage had more of the die-hard traditional bluegrass fans standing. One can definitely see the gratitude in Billy’s eyes and on his face. Like a kid in a candy store, he is totally enjoying and appreciating the fact that he is able to perform on stage with his bluegrass heroes. I was also amazed that the Billy Goats that were there knew a lot about Larry, as they were shouting out requests of his songs.

Of course, I had to bug my buddy Ken all weekend on what was happening by sending him texts and photos. Every year I tell him the dates for the festival months in advance, and every year he misses it. I told him today the next year’s dates (a whole year away), and he says that he is inking it in.

Yes, June 24-26 are already planned for me, even though I don’t have a clue as to what bands are performing. Next year’s festival will also include a Kids Academy set up by SEMBMA for children to learn more about bluegrass and learning to play instruments. At this point, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to assist in that, but I will be at the the main three days. I really do not know how this year can be topped.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Americana Music Bluegrass Music

Ronnie Bowman/Chip Taylor RIP

This past week we lost two influential artists in the bluegrass and Americana fields. Ronnie Bowman died from injuries due to a motorcycle accident on March 22, and Chip Taylor passed away from cancer on March 23.

Ronnie Bowman was well known throughout the bluegrass community for his wonderful voice and great songwriting. As with many bluegrass artists, he got his start performing gospel music in church. His first break came with joining the Lost and Found band in 1987. From 1990 to 1002, he was the singer and bass player for the Lonesome River Band, which also included his lifelong friend Dan Tyminski. He would later form Band of Ruhks with Kenny Smith and Don Rigsby.

His solo career included a number of albums, but he was best known in the bluegrass and country music community for his songwriting. He wrote and co-wrote a number of songs for Chris Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack, and Brooks & Dunn as well as many bluegrass artists.

Awards received included IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year for 1995, 1998 and 1999. His album Cold Virginia Night won the IBMA Album of the Year for 1995, as well as the title song winning Song of the Year.

I only talked briefly once at an AmericanaFest back around 2008. He was performing with showcase artist Melonie Cannon, with whom he had co-produced her album and co-written songs. A very humble man, one could tell he enjoyed all aspects of music performance, be it writing or being on stage. His presence in bluegrass will surely be missed.

Chip Taylor should be considered a legend in the music industry if for only two of his many songs that he wrote. It was he that wrote the Troggs’ classic “Wild Thing,” which has become a garage band staple. On the other side of the music spectrum, he penned “Angel of the Morning,” which was a country hit for Juice Newton.

He was born in Yonkers, New York, and was the brother to actor Jon Voight. He wanted to be a professional golfer, but entered the music business instead. After his success with “Wild Thing,” he continued to work freelance as a songwriter. While “Angel in the Morning” was originally written in 1967, it wasn’t until 1981 that it was a hit for Newton.

Other songs of Taylor’s includes “I Can’t Let Go” (the Hollies/Linda Ronstadt), “I Can Make It With You” (Jackie DeShannon), “On My Word “Cliff Richard), “Try Just a Little Bit Harder” (Janie Joplin), and “He Sits at Your Table” (Willie Nelson).

By his own admission, he had a gambling addiction, being unsuccessful as a professional gamble during the 1980s and early 1990s. During a performance at SXSW in 2001, he met fiddler/vocalist Carrie Rodriguez, and the musical partnership led to a number of albums that helped jump-start the Americana music format. He also performed with Canadian fiddler/vocalist Kendel Carson, as well as released a number of solo albums.

In 2009, Ace Records released a compilation CD of Taylor compositions recorded by other artists entitled Wild Thing: The Songs of Chip Taylor.

He began receiving treatment for throat cancer in 2023, but eventually succumbed to it last week. I was fortunate enough to get to meet up with him at an AmericanaFest in the early 2000s. What a wonderful man, totally appreciating the newly generated fan base that he was getting with the Americana format. I have a photo of me with him on one of my old computers that unfortunately, I do not have access to right now. But my memory of talking to him remains with me, and he will be a permanent “cool guy” with me, if only for writing “Wild Thing.”

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.

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