"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 1/30/2011 Louvin Brothers

Hi Folks.

Marti and I had an extra hour in front of the regular Bluegrass Cafe show, so we used that hour to present a retrospective of Louvin Brothers music and to demonstrate unequivocally why the loss of Charlie Louvin on 26 January was the end of an era.

Charlie was recording right up until he passed away - his most recent album was released November 2010 and that was the second album he released that year. (The picture above is from his 2007 release on the Tompkins Square label.)

The Louvin Brothers took the brother harmony tradition that had existed earlier in roots music (think Delmore Brothers, Sam & Kirk McGee, The Monroe Brothers) and elevated it to new heights. When you listen to their contemporaries like the Everly Brothers, it is clear that the Louvins had a significant influence on country and pop harmonies that is continuing. The brother harmony tradition continues in bluegrass today with the top proponents being Dailey & Vincent (in style) and The Gibson Brothers (in reality).

And who can forget the iconic cover of their 1960 album, "Satan Is Real"

Besides the Louvin songs, our Heritage Corner provided great legacy bluegrass from Charlie Moore, Mac Martin, Carl Story, Phyllis Boyens, Don Stover, and Reno & Harrell.

New music included our debut of songs from a very talented California family, The Tuttles with A.J. Lee. We also are enjoying playing the latest releases from Travers Chandler & Avery County, Taylor's Grove, Jimmy Gaudreau, and The Roys.

Be sure to tune in next Sunday at 4pm ET when Amy will make the banjos and fiddles ring.

Jim Beaver

The items in blue are the Louvin Retrospective. Items in red are requests.

Song Title / Artist / Album / Label

• Alabama / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Get Aquainted' Waltz / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• The Great Atomic Power / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• When I Stop Dreaming / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• The Gospel Way / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Don't Laugh / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Hoping That You're Hoping / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Knoxville Girl / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Plenty Of Everything But You / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Cash On The Barrelhead / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• You're Running Wild / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• My Baby's Gone / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• If I Could Only Win Your Love / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Satan's Jeweled Crown / The Louvin Brothers / Satan Is Real / Capitol
• I Love You Best Of All / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• How's The World Treating You / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Must You Throw Dirt In My Face / The Louvin Brothers / Close Harmony / Bear Family
• Ira / Charlie Louvin / Charlie Louvin / Tompkins Square
• Fire On The Mountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The "C" String / Self-released
• I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby / Jerry Douglas with Alison Krauss / Slide Rule / Sugar Hill (Louvin song)
  
• When I Stop Dreaming / Del McCoury & the Dixie Pals / Songs of The Louvin Brothers / Rounder (Louvin song)
  
• I Wish You Knew / Kathy Louvin & Pamela Brown Hayes / Livin', Lovin', Losin' - Songs of The Louvin Brothers / Universal South (Louvin song)
  
• I'm Gonna love You One More Time / Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys / Songs of The Louvin Brothers / Rounder (Louvin song)
  
• Long Journey Home / Charlie Louvin / Hickory Wind / Tompkins Square
• Last Old Shovel / Phyllis Boyens / Oh Sister! / Rounder
• In Memory / Missy Werner / Drifting And Dreaming / Self-released
• Making It Up / Don Stover and the White Oak Mountain Boys / Self Titled / Rounder (LP)
• Valley Of Peace / Taylor's Grove / Keep on The Sunny Side / Self-released
• Nobody Cares For Me / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent
• In A Town This Size / The Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Plastic Heart / Open Road
• The Reckless Side Of Me / The SteelDrivers / Reckless / Rounder
• Adrienne's Reel / Jimmy Gaudreau / Pieces And Bits / Goose Creek
• Hearts To Stone / Blue Moon Rising / Strange New World / Rural Rhythm
• Deep End Man / Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford / Dogwood Winter / Rural Rhythm
• Lonesome and Dry as a Bone / Joe Diffie / Homecoming / Rounder
• Swinging Bridge / Rich In Tradition / Black Mountain Special / Mountain Roads
• Don't Act / Rhonda Vincent / All American Bluegrass Girl / Rounder
• Master's Garden / The Tuttles with A.J. Lee / Introducing The Tuttles with A.J. Lee / Back Studio
• Train On The Island / The Tuttles with A.J. Lee / Introducing The Tuttles with A.J. Lee / Back Studio
• Blame It On The Bluegrass / Valerie Smith / Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle
• Tiger By The Tail / The Grascals with Brad Paisley / The Grascals & Friends / Cracker Barrel
• Lonesome River / Lou Reid & Carolina with Russell Moore / The All-Star Jam - Live at Graves Mountain / Rural Rhythm
• Avery County / Charlie Moore / Avery County / Old Homestead (LP)
• The Beans Should Be Blossomed / The Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Mastertone
• I'm Bringing Home Good News / Darrell Webb Band / Bloodline / Rural Rhythm
• My Friend Clyde / The Spinney Brothers / If I Were Your Brother / Self-released
• The Crooked Road / Paula Dellenback / The Crooked Road / Self-released
• Eddie's Hoedown / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Goin' Up Copper Creek / Copper Creek
• Handsome Molly / The Stanley Brothers / An Evening Long Ago / Columbia
• Alone With You / White Mountain Bluegrass / Oh So Many Years / Self-released
• Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow / Hot Rize / Radio Boogie / Flying Fish
• Coal Minin' Man / The Roys / Lonesome Whistle / Rural Rhythm
• Red Clay Halo / Valerie Smith / Patchwork Heart / Bell Buckle
• My Baby's Gone / Valerie Smith with Charlie Louvin / Patchwork Heart / Bell Buckle (Louvin song)
  
• Remington Ride (bed) / Fred Etheridge / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released
• Yellow Roses (bed) / Fred Etheridge / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released
• I'll Never Go Back / Mac Martin & The Dixie Travelers / Basic Bluegrass - Portrait / Old Homestead (Louvin song)
  
• The Harder I Fall / Cherryholmes / Cherryholmes IV: Common Threads / Skaggs Family
• The Engineers Don't Wave From The Trains Anymore / Earl Scruggs & Tom T. Hall / The Storyteller and the Banjo Man / Wounded Bird (Sony)
• Sledd Ride / Roger Williams / A Resophonic Retrospective / Happy Appy
• Somewhere In Time / Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters / Phoenix / Happy Appy
• Travelin' Preacher / The Bartley Brothers / Hit The Road / Rural Rhythm
• If You See My Savior / Buzz Matheson & Mac Martin / Echoes Of The Past / White Oak
• Land Of Eternal Peace / Carl Story and The Rambling Mountaineers / Unissued Recordings / Old Homestead
• Justified / Billy Boone Smith / Five Flat Rocks / Muddy Sunshine
• Lonely Tombs / The Gillis Brothers / Little Old Country Church House / Wango
• If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again / Fred Pike, Sam Tidwell & The Kennebec Valley Boys / The Last Log Drive / Revonah
• The Angels Rejoiced / Dolly Parton & Sonya Isaacs / Livin', Lovin', Losin' - Songs of The Louvin Brothers / Universal South (Louvin song)
  
• Standing In The Need Of Prayer / The Country Gentlemen / Folk Songs and Bluegrass / Smithsonian Folkways
• Make Him A Soldier / The Whitstein Brothers / Songs of The Louvin Brothers / Rounder (Louvin song)
• Listen To My Hammer Ring / Charlie Moore / Gospel Collection (Various Artists) / Old Homestead
• You Can Find It At The Cross / The Bluegrass Brothers / So Long / Self-released
• Camping In Canaan's Land / Don Reno & Bill Harrell / Little Old Country Church House / Wango
• Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/23/2011

With it being ridiculously cold outside, we tried to start off Sunday's show playing a couple of tunes with a "warmer" theme. It may be only 8 weeks until the calendar tells us it's Spring (and fewer than that 'til the Red Sox- and other baseball teams - begin Spring Training!), but for now, I think there are a whole lot of folks in New England who are just plain old SICK OF WINTER. Blech. Trying to warm things up with some music isn't horrible, right?

Last Sunday, while Jim was interviewing the likes of Kristin Scott Benson,Valerie Smith, and Becky Buller, I was in Bellows Falls, VT enjoying the second of two "Brothers" shows featuring the Gibson Brothers and the Spinney Brothers. Needless to say, both the Vermont show and the show the previous night in Lexington, MA were quite fabulous with generous helpings of humor and fun, and a whole lot of superb brother harmonies. Congratulations to the sponsors of this mini-tour: the Boston Bluegrass Union, as well as Candi & Seth Sawyer (promoters of the Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival). Hopefully, this idea of combining these two brother acts will be picked up by additional promoters another time...

This week on the radio, we tried to play a bit of new (or newer) music, and I think we succeeded with music from the Gibson Brothers' mandolin player, Joe Walsh, as well as banjo picker, Ross Nickerson, and Dobro player, Glenn Gibson. In addition, there is a terrific new BG gospel recording from Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, who will be performing at next month's 26th annual Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in Framingham, MA. There was also music from Edgar Loudermilk and Valerie Smith, and one tune from the highly-anticipated forthcoming Rounder Records recording from the new "Ambassador of Bluegrass," Steve Martin along with the Steep Canyon Rangers. Great stuff -- all of it.

In my ongoing efforts to highlight some traditional country music performers that I really like -- and who are obviously also enjoyed by many BG performers -- I tried to put a bit of a spotlight on two Country Music Hall of Famers who celebrated birthdays in January: Ray Price (born January 12, 1926) and Dolly Parton (born January 19, 1946). While Dolly has made a few BG-based recordings, I don't believe the Cherokee Cowboy ever has; however, many tunes from his great songbook have been recorded in a BG style through the years. We played 8 tunes originally recorded by Ray and Dolly, and even threw in a Ray Price tune from 1955 which may have included the one-and-only Earl Scruggs playing the banjo. A bit more research on that particular fact may be in order...

Hope you enjoyed something you heard on Sunday, and I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever Jim has in store for this coming Sunday's show. Join him beginning at 4PM, and try to stay warm!

Amy

REQUESTS ARE BOLD.

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Hot Night In August / Gary Ferguson / I'm Really Leaving / Webco
• Matches / Audie Blaylock & Redline / Cryin' Heart Blues / Rural Rhythm
• Springtime In The Rockies / Bluegrass Patriots / Springtime In The Rockies / Copper Creek
• Are You Coming Back To Me / Bill Harrell with Mac Wiseman / Bill Harrell & Friends / Rebel
• I Thought I'd Seen It All / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / Mountain Home
• Riverhead Polka / Buddy Merriam / Back Roads Mandolin / Lily Pad Records
• When The Bloom Is Off The Rose / Rhonda Vincent with Sally Berry & Tensel Sandker / Taken / Upper Management Music
• Lonesome Pine / Blue Highway / Lonesome Pine / Rebel
• Remington Ride / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto
• To Love Somebody / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Reflections Of Love / Rebel
• Here Rattler Here / Lily Brothers & Don Stover / On The Radio, 1952-1953 / Rounder
• Whole Lot More Living / Rickey Wasson / From The Heart And Soul / Rural Rhythm
• Goin' To The Dance / Chris Warner with Tom Adams / Goin' To The Dance / Patuxent Music
• Tennessee Tea / Joe Diffie / Homecoming / Rounder
• Eatin' Out Of Your Hand / Lonesome Pine Fiddlers / Bluegrass Collection / Gusto
• Falling Falling Falling / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Never Walk Away / Sugar Hill
• Gypsy, Joe And Me / Missy Werner / Drifting And Dreaming / Self-Produced
• Move On In And Stay / Mickey Harris / Dog House Blues / Self-Produced
• Coat Of Many Colors / Lynn Morris Band / The Bramble And The Rose / Rounder
• Crazy Arms / IIIrd Tyme Out / Puttin' New Roots Down / Rebel
• My Blue Tears / Gloria Belle with the Johnson Mountain Boys / Love Of The Mountains / Webco
• I Can't Go Home Like This / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price, 1951-62 / Columbia
• AppleJack / Pam Gadd with Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Highway Productions
• Who Showed Who / Dan Tyminski / Wheels / Rounder
• Live And Let Live / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Forty Years Of Trouble / Strictly Country
• Early / Joe Walsh with the Gibson Brothers / Sweet Loam / Self-Produced
• Before You Know It / Glenn Gibson / When Times Are Hard / Self-Produced
• Kentucky Mandolin / Ross Nickerson / Let's Kick It / Bones Records
• Fallen Leaves / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers / Hymns From The Hills / Rebel
• No Vacancy / Valerie Smith / Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle Records
• It Just Might / Edgar Loudermilk with Cia Cherryholmes / Roads Traveled / Mountain Fever Records
• Rare Bird Alert / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
• Pick Up The Blues / Steep Canyon Rangers / Lovin' Pretty Women / Rebel
• Golden Leaves / Acoustic Blue / This Is Now / Self-Produced
• Years Ago / Dailey & Vincent / Brothers From Different Mothers / Rounder
• Remembering / David Peterson / Comin' On Strong / Self-Produced
• Could It Be Goodbye / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / Out In The Middle Of Nowhere / Self-Produced
• No Depression / Johnson Mountain Boys / Goin' Up Copper Creek / Copper Creek
• New Sweet Home / Jimmy Gaudreau / Pieces And Bits / Goose Creek Music
• Next Train Smokin' / Spinney Brothers / Going Home / Self-Produced
• Lord Protect My Soul / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1950-1951 / JSP Records
• Keep Walking / Wilson Family Band / Chasing Blue / Self-Produced
• Carry It Back To The Cross / Rich In Tradition / Born Into Bluegrass: The Songs Of Cullen Galyean / Mountain Roads Recordings
• I'll Never Go Back / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers with Doyle Lawson / Hymns From The Hills / Rebel
• Jesus Savior, Pilot Me / Laurel Canyon Ramblers / Rambler's Blues / Sugar Hill
• The Place Prepared For Me / Country Gentlemen / Calling My Children Home / Rebel
• River Of Jordan / Volume Five / Down In A Cell / Mountain Fever Records
• Sinner You'd Better Get Ready / Louvin Brothers / Songs That Tell A Story / Rounder
• Gonna Be Moving / Darrell Webb Band / Bloodline / Rural Rhythm
• You're Drifting Away / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1951-1954 / JSP Records
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 1/16/2011

Hi Folks.

Bluegrass Cafe was pretty special this week since Marti and I had three very accomplished bluegrass women pay us a visit.

Valerie Smith and Becky Buller joined us first and brought us up to date on their new project, "Blame It On The Bluegrass," which has the distinction of being the first album ever recorded in the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky. This 6-song EP (Valerie calls it a "six-pack") contains some energetic music, two songs of which were written or co-written by super-songwriter, Becky (including the title song). Besides the information from our previous blog entry, you can view a video of the making of the album here --> Making of Blame It On The Bluegrass

Next was a visit from current and three-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, Kristin Scott Benson of The Grascals. Kristin delighted us with her musical history (she is related to Arval Hogan - pioneering musician of the duo Whitey & Hogan, and The Briarhoppers - and named her son Hogan after him), and told us about The Grascals' new CD on the Cracker Barrel label -- The Grascals & Friends - This new CD, only available at Cracker Barrel stores or at Cracker Barrel on line, pairs the group with many famous country artists such as Dierks Bentley, Tom T. Hall, and Charlie Daniels. Accordingly, the music has more elements of country than previous Grascals albums, but there is still plenty of Grascals-style bluegrass in the songs. A feature of the new album is a song written by Grascals singer Jamie Johnson titled "I Am Strong" inspired by St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Dolly Parton performed the song with the Grascals. You can see the video here --> "I Am Strong"

We played an entire 15-minute radio show from the 1950s by "Allerton & Alton," the Cumberland Ridge Runners, who were actually Maine bluegrass legend Al Hawkes and his partner Al Myers. The unusual part of this duo was that Al Myers happened to be black. This was such an unusual arrangement for the time that Bear Family has seen fit to release a CD with many of the old Allerton & Alton radio performances titled "Black, White and Bluegrass." We just obtained the CD and it was an interesting coincidence that we played this set of music on the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.

Other music included more from excellent New England old-time duo Taylors Grove (Mac McHale and Carolyn Hutton), a retrospective from the Heritage Corner comparing a song from the original Carter Family with a modern version from Chesapeake, a track from Charlie Moore's "Avery County" LP, new music from Jimmy Gaudreau, Travers Chandler, Blue Moon Rising, and Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad. We also were happy to play a track from the newly re-released complete Vetco sessions of Hotmud Family.

Amy will be with you next week making the banjos and fiddles ring, so be sure to ask her about the great brother duet concerts with the Gibsons and the Spinneys in Massachusetts and Vermont when you get a chance.

Jim Beaver

Title / Artist / Album / Label

• Fire On The Mountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The "C" String / Self-released
• Mary Of The Homeplace / Travers Chandler / State Of Depression / Patuxent
• Poor Rambling Boy / Darrell Webb Band / Bloodline / Rural Rhythm
• Hold Whatcha Got / Lonesome River Band with Audie Blaylock / The All Star Jam - Live At Graves Mountain / Rural Rhythm
• Pain Of Loving You / The Grascals with Dolly Parton / The Grascals & Friends / Cracker Barrel
• Red and Green Signal Light / Rich In Tradition / Black Mountain Special / Mountain Roads
• Gold Watch And Chain / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Self-released
• Going To The Races / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Self-released
• Too Many Tear Drops / Reno & Smiley / 1963-1972 Complete King Starday Recordings / Gusto
• Are You Tired Of Me My Darling / The Carter Family / In The Shadow Of Clinch Mountain / Bear Family
• Are You Tired Of Me My Darling / Chesapeake / Full Sail / Sugar Hill
• Promise Me / Jimmy Gaudreau / Pieces and Bits / Goose Creek
• Tidwell Pike / Jimmy Gaudreau / Pieces and Bits / Goose Creek
• Rainin' On Her Rubber Dolly / Joe Diffie with The Grascals / Homecoming / Rounder
• My Angeline / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Self-titled / Rural Rhythm
• How Did That Turn Into My Problem? / Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford / Dogwood Winter / Rural Rhythm
• Time To Be Movin' On / Blue Moon Rising / Strange New World / Rural Rhythm
• No Vacancy / Valerie Smith / Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle
• Interview with Valerie Smith and Becky Buller
• Blame It On The Bluegrass / Valerie Smith / Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle
• A Good Day, Lord / Valerie Smith / Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle
• Guitars, Whiskey, Guns and Knives / The Steeldrivers / Reckless / Rounder
• I Wish I'd Stayed In The Wagonyard / The Hotmud Family / The Complete Vetco Recordings / Vetco (?)
• Don't Tread On Me / Kristin Scott Benson / Second Season / Pinecastle
• Interview with Kristin Scott Benson
• The Year Clayton Delaney Died / The Grascals with Tom T. Hall / The Grascals & Friends / Cracker Barrel
• I Am Strong / The Grascals with Dolly Parton / The Grascals & Friends / Cracker Barrel
• Banjo Am The Instrument For Me / The Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Plastic Heart / Open Road
• Coal Minin' Man / The Roys / Single / Rural Rhythm
• Washington Lee Fling (bed) / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released
• Yellow Roses (bed) / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released
• Keep On The Sunny Side / Allerton & Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
• Memory Lane / Allerton & Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
• Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky / Allerton & Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
• Drifting Too Far From The Shore / Allerton & Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
• Jar Gap / Paula Dellenback / The Crooked Road / Self-released
• Can't Live Life Here Without You / Edgar Loudermilk with Rhonda Vincent / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever
• Matthew Twenty Four / Charlie Moore / Avery County / Old Homestead (LP)
• You Can Find It At The Cross / The Bluegrass Brothers / So Long / Self-released
• Look To The Light / John Miller and others / Look To The Light, Songs of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm
• I Saw The Light / David Peterson / Live In the WHUS Studio / n.a.
• I've Been Redeemed / Junior Sisk and others / Look To The Light, Songs of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm
• It's A Mighty Hard Road To Travel / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Light On My Feet, Ready To Fly / Horizon
• Snow Covered Mound / Carolina Native Sons / Rank Ol' Bluegrass / Patuxent
• When My Savior Welcomes Me / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Self-titled / Steeltown
• Paul And Silas / Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen / Self-titled / Fiddlemon Music
• Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge with Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released
  

Kristin, Valerie, and Becky Interviews Sunday 1/16

We have the honor of having telephone visits with Kristin Scott Benson, three-time consecutive IBMA banjo player of the year and member of the Grascals, and Valerie Smith and Becky Buller, members of Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike. Both have new CDs that were just released this week, and we will talk about those as well as more personal aspects of their careers.

Join us at 91.7 FM in Southern New England, or at whus.org for the Bluegrass Cafe Sunday 4-7pm EST. Valerie and Becky will be on around 5pm and Kristin will be on around 5:30 EST.


Valerie Smith link

Video: Making of "Blame It On The Bluegrass"

















Grascals link








For the video of "I Am Strong," click on the picture below:

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/9/2011

Sunday's show was back to its "regular" 3-hour duration, but we still tried to include a whole bunch of music, talk, and things to give away...

Around the 5PM timeframe, we were pleased to chat with Mark Newton, who is one of the founding members of the highly-regarded Virginia Squires, and an IBMA winner in his own rite as the spearhead behind the great tribute recording to the ladies of Bluegrass known as, "Follow Me Back to The Fold." On Sunday, though, Mark talked to us about a new project in which he has a very big interest: the live festival recording released last October called, "The All-Star Jam: Live From Graves Mountain." This project was released by Rural Rhythm Records, and is a celebration both of the annual Graves Mountain Festival of Music in Syria, Virginia, and the 55th anniversary of Rural Rhythm Records. The songs on the CD may be Bluegrass "chestnuts," but they're presented as special events, with groupings of performers who don't normally get to work together (i.e. "Lonesome River" sung by Russell Moore and Lou Reid; Audie Blaylock joining the Lonesome River Band on "Hold Whatcha Got"). There is a also a tune special to Mark, who was one of the founders of the Graves Mountain Festival, called "Graves Mountain Memories." This Carl Jackson composition tells the story of the Graves family who settled in that part of Virginia from their arrival 400 years ago through the present day, and is sung by several performers, including Carl Jackson and Mark Newton, as well as Lou Reid, Russell Moore, Audie Blaylock, and Carrie Hassler. At the end of our discussion with Mark, we were able to give away two copies of this great disc to two lucky listeners. Thanks both to Mark Newton and Rural Rhythm Records for letting us share this great music.

If interviewing Mark Newton and giving away CDs wasn't enough excitement for one day, we also got to give away a pair of passes to this Saturday's Boston Bluegrass Union-sponsored show featuring two of our favorite sets of brothers: the Gibson Brothers and the Spinney Brothers. We've been telling you about this great show since it was announced back in October, and I really think it's going to be an event you're going to want to see. We all know how incredibly talented and popular the Gibson Brothers are, and seeing them win two IBMA Awards in 2010 was a real treat. And if you were listening Jim and I host a special Bluegrass edition of "Fiat Flux" last May, you heard us welcome the Spinney Brothers into our WHUS studios. These Nova Scotia brothers (and their great band) made a decision to go full-time with their music in 2010, and we were delighted to have them visit us in the studio and share some of their great brother harmonies. If you miss this BBU show on Saturday night (January 15th), you're going to be sorry. Get to Lexington, if you can -- find out more by clicking here, or calling the BBU hotline at (617)782-2251.

And if you can't make it to Lexington on Saturday, get to the Bellows Falls Opera House in Bellows Falls, VT on Sunday, January 16th. Find more info on both of these shows in my earlier blog posting.

In addition to all of the giveaways, we still found some time to play music on the air, too. Imagine that! There was new music from the great new solo project by Edgar Loudermilk on Mountain Fever Records (called "Roads Traveled"), as well as newer music from the Grascals, Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad, the Hagar's Mountain Boys, Travers Chandler & Avery County, and Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike.

And we couldn't let the show pass without playing a few tunes from one Earl Eugene Scruggs, who was born on January 6, 1924.

Jim looks to have a big show this coming Sunday on the "Bluegrass Cafe." Do join him for lots of music, plus talk with two of the fabulous females in Bluegrass: reigning IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, Kristin Scott Benson of the Grascals and fiddler/songwriter Becky Buller from Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike. It should be a great show, so be sure to tune in beginning at 4PM...

Have a great week, and I'll look forward to seeing you in Lexington on January 15th...I hope.

Amy

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• The Last Song / Mark Newton with Paul Williams / Living A Dream / Rebel
• You Love Me Just A Little At A Time / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
• Sam Smith / Gibson Brothers / Red Letter Day / Sugar Hill
• Wild, Wild Rose / Bluegrass Patriots / E Pluribus Bluegrass / Red Feather
• Little Annie / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Bluegrass At The Roots, 1961 / Smithsonian Folkways
• The Eighth Of January / Chubby Wise / An American Original / Pinecastle
• Hazel Creek / Heather Berry & Tony / Before Bluegrass / Blue Circle
• Marianne / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Modern Times / Rebel
• Head Over Heels / Carrie Hassler with Brand New Strings / The All-Star Jam: Live At Graves Mountain / Rural Rhythm
• Where's The Lonesome / Hagar's Mountain Boys / Mountain Fever Records Sampler / Mountain Fever
• I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1950-1951 / JSP Records
• I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing / Charlie Monroe / Post War Country Classics / Cattle
• Little Cabin Home On The Hill / David Grisman with Tony Rice & Curly Seckler / Home Is Where The Heart Is / Rounder
• Monrosine / Bill Emerson & Mark Newton / A Foot In The Past, A Foot In The Future / Pinecastle
• Follow Me Back To The Fold / Mark Newton / Follow Me Back To The Fold / Rebel
• INTERVIEW WITH MARK NEWTON
• Graves Mountain Memories / Carl Jackson, Mark Newton & others / The All-Star Jam: Live At Graves Mountain / Rural Rhythm
• The Year That Clayton Delaney Died / The Grascals with Tom T. Hall / The Grascals & Friends / Cracker Barrel
• Black Mountain Special / Rich In Tradition / Black Mountain Special / Mountain Roads Recordings
• Follow The Leader / Jessie Baker / Yessir! / Patuxent Music
• Black Dust Fever / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent Music
• Making Up Stories / Johnson Mountain Boys / Live At The Birchmere / Rounder
• Blame It On The Bluegrass / Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike / Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle Records
• Flint Hill Special / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Foggy Mountain Jamboree / Columbia
• Earl's Breakdown / Hylo Brown & the Timberliners with Earl Scruggs / Classic Bluegrass Live / Vanguard
• Randy Lynn Rag / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Essential Earl Scruggs / Columbia Legacy
• Farm Of Yesterday / Gibson Brothers / Ring The Bell / Compass Records
• The Yodelling Muleskinner Blues / Spinney Brothers / If I Were Your Brother / Self-Produced
• Carolina Dreams / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Traveled / Mountain Fever
• Cold Chill Of Gone / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Steeltown Records
• Detour / The Grass Cats / A Good Way To Get The Blues / New Time Records
• On The Wings Of Angels / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
• Pray The Clouds Away / J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, Paul Williams / Old Friends Get Together / Mountain Home
• Land Up In The Air / Special Consensus / 35 / Compass Records
• Good News When I Die / Charlie Sizemore Band / Good News / Rounder
• I'm Building On The Rock Of Ages / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / Mountain Home
• I'll Live Again / Baucom, Bibey, Graham & Haley / Baucom, Bibey, Graham & Haley / Rebel
• Harbor Of Love / Stanley Brothers / Selected Cuts, 1955-1956 / JSP Records
• Sinners, You Better Get Ready / Ricky Skaggs / Ricky Skaggs Solo: Songs My Dad Loved / Skaggs Family
• Gone Home / Gibson Brothers / Iron & Diamonds / Sugar Hill
• Blue Grass Twist / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

You say you like brother duets?

About this time of year, a lot of folks are experiencing post-holiday blahs. Here's a fabulous way you might get yourself out of this funk...make plans to get to either the next Boston Bluegrass Union (BBU)-sponsored concert on Saturday, January 15th, or a show on Sunday, January 16th in Bellows Falls, VT, which is being sponsored by the same folks who bring you the Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival. On the bill at each show: two of the finest brother duets you're ever going to hear -- the Gibson Brothers and the Spinney Brothers. Both of these bands of brothers are top-notch, and if you've ever listened to the "Bluegrass Cafe," you know that we're pretty fond of both groups.

The similarities between these two bands are numerous: each group features two brothers who are very close in age; in each group, one brother plays the banjo, and the other the guitar; there is a third member in each group who may not be a blood-related brother, but has worked with his band for so long, they might as well be; both bands perform a good bit of original music; and their most important similarity: each group can produce harmonies that rival other brother duos of which you may have heard (with last names like Delmore, Louvin, and Everly).

You NEED to be at one, or maybe even BOTH of these shows next weekend. The BBU show is on Saturday, January 15th at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA and starts at 7:30PM. For more information, visit http://www.bbu.org/, and click on the "Concerts" tab. You may also call the BBU hotline: (617)782-2251, or email info@bbu.org. The Bellows Falls show happens at the Bellows Falls Opera House at noon on Sunday, January 16th. More info can be found by clicking here, or email jennybrookfestival@comcast.net.

I hope to see you at at least one of these shows. Don't miss an opportunity to hear some wonderful harmonies, or you'll be kicking yourself all year...

Oh, and if you think I'm biased about how great these shows are going to be, well, you may be right. However, I'm not alone in my praise of the Gibsons and the Spinneys. You should also read what one of the Rounder Records founders, Ken Irwin, has to say about these shows. In his post on the New England Bluegrass listserv this week, he wrote: "I love both of these bands! For my taste, this should be one of the best concerts that bluegrass fans will get to see for a long time...Both bands are playing their music at a very high level and both put on very entertaining shows...[this] show with the Gibson Brothers and the Spinney Brothers is a show I've been looking forward to since it was announced a while back. While there are other family bands out there, these are the bluegrass bands from their respective sides of the border who are doing the most to push the duet in bluegrass."

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/2/2011 (plus one "bonus" hour)

The first BG Cafe for 2011 was extended by one hour, as the regular 3-4PM show host at WHUS was away for one more week. We had no problems filling his hour, though...

In early December 2010, Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard was recognized with Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., and the big gala television show honoring Merle and four other performers (including Paul McCartney and Oprah Winfrey, as well as Broadway's Jerry Herman and choreographer, Bill T. Jones) aired shortly after Christmas. Even though the Hag really can't be considered a "Bluegrass singer," he has made a BG-flavored recording in recent years, and there is absolutely no doubt that he is probably the favorite country singer and songwriter of a whole lot of BG performers. All you really need to make that determination is to take a look at the number of Merle Haggard tunes (both songs he's written or songs he's performed) that have been recorded in the BG world through the years. The list is incredibly long, so we thought it might be a nice way to honor Merle by playing an hour's worth of tunes he wrote and/or sung. While we included no fewer than fifteen Haggard classics, we could have easily played several more. I liked it; I hope you did, too.






Of course, the program is still called the BG Cafe, so playing a good bit of BG was on the agenda, too. We mixed in new music from folks like Edgar Loudermilk, Travers Chandler & Avery County, Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press, Jimmy Gaudreau, the Grascals, and Charlie Sizemore, with older music from Rounder's "Early Days Of Bluegrass" recordings like the Shenandoah Valley Trio, the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, and Jerry & Sky.

We also featured a couple of tunes from a brand-new project from a band known as Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad. This new recording mixes the secular with gospel, and 10 of the 12 tunes on the project were written or co-written by Cody Shuler,. You can expect to hear plenty more from it in future weeks of the BG Cafe.

And we couldn't let the show pass without acknowledging a tune that has been named the #1 Bluegrass song of 2010, as ranked according to Bluegrass Unlimited and the National Bluegrass Survey. The Gibson Brothers have had amazing success with their song, "Ring The Bell," and so, it has been named the top BG tune of 2010. Pretty good for a couple of New York farmboys. Incidentally, their "Farm Of Yesterday" is also ranked for the year...at #10. Congratulations to them!

I hope you'll be able to join me in the BG Cafe this coming Sunday (January 9th), as well, as the plan is to have a chat with Bluegrass promoter and former member of the Virginia Squires, Mark Newton, on the air. I'm also told that copies of the great "All-Star Jam" CD recorded live at the 2010 Graves Mountain Festival of Music will be given away, too. Sounds like fun to me...hope you feel the same!

Hope your first week of 2011 has been a great one, and we'll look for you again on Sunday beginning at 4PM...

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED; MERLE HAGGARD MUSIC IS PURPLE.

• Mush Melon / Tim Martin / Bluegrass Fiddle / Patuxent Music
• Big City / Merle Haggard / The Bluegrass Sessions / McCoury Music
• I'm Bringing Home Good News / Darrell Webb Band / Bloodline / Rural Rhythm
• Today I Started Loving You Again / The Grascals / Keep On Walkin' / Rounder
• Fighting Side Of Me / Charlie Waller & the Country Gentlemen / Songs Of The American Spirit / Pinecastle
• Swinging Doors / Lost & Found / A Ride Through The Country / Rebel
• Huntsville / Blue Highway / Wind To The West / Rebel
• Red Bandana / Lonesome River Band / Still Learning / Rural Rhythm
• Holding Things Together / Southern Rail / On The Road From Appomattox / Railway Records
• Back To The Barrooms / J.D. Crowe & the New South / Come On Down To My World / Rounder
• Silver Wings / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
• Somewhere Between / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Back To The Blue Ridge / Brandywine
• Old Man From The Mountain / BearTracks / Together 'Til The End / AMT Records
• I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known / Steep Canyon Rangers / Deep In The Shade / Rebel
• Mama Tried / Seldom Scene / SCENEchronized / Sugar Hill
• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Daddy Frank / Jim Mills with Paul Brewster / The Hide Head Blues / Sugar Hill
• Where Is My Little Cabin Home? / Kathy Kallick Band / Between The Hollow And The High-Rise / Live Oak Records
• Proud Mary / Bill Emerson & Cliff Waldron / The Best Of Emerson & Waldron / Rebel
• I'm Lonesome Without You / Stanley Brothers / Selected Sides, 1949-1953 / JSP Records
• Ring The Bell / Gibson Brothers / Ring The Bell / Compass Records
• Slowly Getting You Out Of The Way / Bluegrass Cardinals / Home Is Where The Heart Is / Sugar Hill
• Can't Live Life Here Without You / Edgar Loudermilk with Rhonda Vincent / single / Mountain Fever Records
• It Don't Mean A Thing / Claire Lynch / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Let Me Rest (At The End Of My Journey / Shenandoah Valley Trio / New Sounds Ramblin' Coast To Coast / Rounder
• You're Not A Drop In The Bucket / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1952-1955 / JSP Records
• Sparkling Brown Eyes / Jerry & Sky / New Sounds Ramblin' Coast To Coast / Rounder
• The Story Of The Lawson Family / Stanley Brothers / An Evening Long Ago / Columbia
• Lonesome, Sad And Blue / Lonesome Pine Fiddlers / Windy Mountain / Bear Family
• No Letter In The Mail / Jim & Jesse with Emmylou Harris / Songs From The Homeplace / Pinecastle
• Out In The Cold World / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1957-1958 / JSP Records
• Worried Blues / Doc Watson / Trouble In Mind / Sugar Hill
• Roane County Prison / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1957-1958 / JSP Records
• Flat Fork / Kentucky Colonels / Appalachian Swing! / Rounder
• The Court Of Love / Rhonda Vincent / Taken / Upper Management Music
• I'd Rather Live By The Side Of The Road / Country Gentlemen / Let The Light Shine Down / Rebel
• You Must Come In At The Door / Doc Watson / The Best Of The Sugar Hill Years / Sugar Hill
• Once More / Audie Blaylock & Redline with Russell Moore & Lou Reid / The All-Star Jam: Live At Graves Mountain / Rural Rhythm
• Cold Sheets Of Rain / Virginia Squires / The Best Of The Virginia Squires / Rebel
• I've Had A Time / White Mountain Bluegrass / Aragon Mill / Strictly Country
• Ribbon Of Darkness / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / No One But You / Rebel
• Memory Of You / Balsam Range / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home
• Tee Tot Payne / Volume Five / Down In A Cell / Mountain Fever Records
• Southern Rail Road Line / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / Out In The Middle Of Nowhere / Self-Produced
• When Snow Falls On The Bluegrass / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Steeltown Records
• Mountain Fever / Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press with Russell Moore / Memories / Rural Rhythm
• Pain Of Lovin' You / The Grascals with Dolly Parton / The Grascals & Friends / Cracker Barrel
• Nobody Cares For Me / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent Music
• Log Cabin In The Lane / The Boxcars / The Boxcars / Mountain Road
• Classic JAG / Jimmy Gaudreau / Pieces And Bits / Goose Creek Music
• Working Hard Ain't Hardly Working Anymore / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / Heartaches & Dreams / Rebel
• No Lawyers In Heaven / Charlie Sizemore / Rounder Records 2010 IBMA Sampler / Rounder
• Pretty Polly / Ralph Stanley with Patty Loveless / Clinch Mountain Country / Rebel
• Singing In The Family Circle / John Rossbach / Never Was Plugged! / Self-Produced
• Livin' On The Mountain / Del McCoury / Livin' On The Mountain / Rebel
• They Can Only Fill One Grave / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Plastic Heart / Open Road
• Justified / Billy Boone Smith / Five Flat Rocks / Muddy Sunshine
• Angel At Your Side / Barry Scott / Look To The Light: Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm Christian
• Way Down Deep In My Soul / Warrior River Boys / Sounds Like Home / Rounder
• Country Church / Pike Brothers & the Pine Hill Ranchers / The Pike Brothers & the Pine Hill Ranchers / Rebel
• When My Savior Welcomes Me / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Steeltown Records
• I Want To Live Like Christ My Savior / Johnson Mountain Boys / Walls Of Time / Rounder
• Sweeping Through The Gate / Johnnie & Jack With Kitty Wells / Johnnie & Jack With Kitty Wells At KWKH / Bear Family
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder