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A versatile option for guitarists in the studio or on the stage. Protection for your instrument and comfort for the performer.
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Unique hinged “x” format for smaller stringed instruments such as violins, violas, mandolins, and most ukuleles.
in red for an extra splash of color.
Keith Barnacastle • Publisher
Our Staff
Richelle Putnam • Executive Editor/Writer
Richelle Putnam holds a BS in Marketing Management and an MA in Creative Writing. She is a Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) Teaching Artist, two-time MAC Literary Arts Fellow, and Mississippi Humanities Speaker. Her fiction, poetry, essays, and articles have been published in many print and online literary journals and magazines. Among her six published books are a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards Silver Medalist and a 2017 Foreword Indies Book Awards Bronze Medal winner. Visit her website at www.richelleputnam.com.
Rebekah Speer • Creative Director
Rebekah Speer has nearly twenty years in the music industry in Nashville, TN. She creates a unique “look” for every issue of The Bluegrass Standard, and enjoys learning about each artist. In addition to her creative work with The Bluegrass Standard, Rebekah also provides graphic design and technical support to a variety of clients. www.rebekahspeer.com
Susan Woelkers • Marketing
Susan traveled with a mixed ensemble at Trevecca Nazarene college as PR for the college. From there she moved on to working at Sony Music Nashville for 17 years in several compacities then transitioning on to the Nashville Songwritrers Association International (NSAI) where she was Sponsorship Director. The next step of her musical journey was to open her own business where she secured sponsorships for various events or companies in which the IBMA /World of Bluegrass was one of her clients.
Brent Davis • Contributor
Brent Davis produced documentaries, interview shows, and many other projects during a 40 year career in public media. He’s also the author of the bluegrass novel Raising Kane. Davis lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Mississippi Chris Sharp • Reviewer
Singer/Songwriter/Blogger and SilverWolf recording artist, Mississippi
Chris Sharp hails from remote Kemper County, near his hometown of Meridian. An original/founding cast member of the award-winning, long running radio show, The Sucarnochee Revue, as featured on Alabama and Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Chris performs with his daughter, Piper. Chris’s songs have been covered by The Del McCoury Band, The Henhouse Prowlers, and others. https://mississippichrissharp.blog
Susan Marquez • Journalist
Susan Marquez is a freelance writer based in Madison, Mississippi and a Mississippi Arts Commission Roster Artist. After a 20+ year career in advertising and marketing, she began a professional writing career in 2001. Since that time she has written over 2000 articles which have been published in magazines, newspapers, business journals, trade publications.
Kara Martinez Bachman • Journalist
Kara Martinez Bachman is a nonfiction author, book and magazine editor, and freelance writer. A former staff entertainment reporter, columnist and community news editor for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, her music and culture reporting has also appeared on a freelance basis in dozens of regional, national and international publications.
Candace Nelson • Journalist
Candace Nelson is a marketing professional living in Charleston, West Virginia. She is the author of the book “The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll.” In her free time, Nelson travels and blogs about Appalachian food culture at CandaceLately.com. Find her on Twitter at @Candace07 or email CandaceRNelson@gmail.com.
Bing Futch
by Kara Martinez Bachman
The Mountain Dulcimer is a unique stringed instrument that reached out one day and grabbed Bing Futch’s attention when he least expected it. As a longtime teacher of this uncommon folk instrument, he strives to spread his love of music to kids and adult learners alike.
“I was working in parking control at Knott’s Berry Farm theme park in southern California in 1986,” he reminisced about first becoming acquainted with the Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer. Walking through the park one day after a lunch break, he heard a musical instrument he’d never heard before. “When I walked around the corner to see the source, that’s when I saw a lady playing it.”
She told him she could have him playing it after just five minutes of instruction. Coincidentally, that’s exactly how much time Futch had left of his lunch break.
“After strumming it and following her direction, I promised to return on Friday with my paycheck,” he said. “I purchased my first mountain dulcimer, a teardrop shape which I still own to this day. A month later I transferred out of parking control and into merchandise, so I could work at the dulcimer shop.” The name of that company was Cripple Creek Dulcimers.
“The mountain dulcimer is so unique, but it’s diatonic, meaning that it doesn’t have all the notes and chords that fully chromatic instruments do, so I was unsure what to do with it for many years,” Futch said. “I finally fully committed to it as my main instrument in 1999 when I formed the band Mohave.”
Futch said that the unique mountain instrument got him noticed. “While cutting my teeth as a performer in bars, clubs and resorts, the mountain dulcimer often bought me a second look when people walked into the place because it wasn’t a guitar or something common like that,” Futch said. “So, I do think that playing the dulcimer helped me to stand out in the early years. Though there are quite a few players of the instrument out there, practically none of them are using the dulcimer as I do for writing and performance, so that has also helped me to stand out a bit from the pack.” The mountain dulcimer’s history in North America stretches back about 285 years, “and it’s the only native stringed instrument created here. Settlers to this country often couldn’t bring their instruments from overseas, or they got broken in transit, so the mountain dulcimer is the result of design work based on old-world instruments like the Swedish hummel, German scheitholt, Hungarian citera [zither], Norwegian langeleik, and other similar creations, but nothing like them at the same time.”
Initially, it had three strings, Futch explained, “with the frets running only under the melody string closest to the player. The other two strings served as drone harmony for the melody, and the instrument was played using a wooden dowel called a note and a plucked feather quill for strumming and picking.” The primary scale fret pattern locked the instrument into a particular tuning “and had to be re-tuned frequently to play with others in different keys.” He added that since then, more modern versions of the instrument, “including fully chromatic
fretboards, have been created as its popularity increases.”
Futch began teaching the instrument at festivals in 2006 and has toured yearly.
“The folk music community is full of performances, but you’re also expected to teach your craft, and some festivals feature more classroom time than stage time,” he explained.
In addition to teaching at festivals and folk music schools, the M.O.D.E. (Mastering Our Dulcimer Experience) includes four workshops and a concert. He’s on the road a lot, providing this across the country. He also created his line of instructional books.
“I’ve got a number of instructional books on mountain dulcimer, including ones focused on blues music and jam tunes with backing tracks to teach folks how to play with a band,” he said.
Futch also presents “educational and inspirational programs” in schools, libraries, churches, and for non-profit organizations such as Head Start, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Children’s Miracle Network.
Futch recently made his entire back catalog of streaming and downloadable lessons available for a small fee on the online platform Patreon. He adds new content weekly.
For more information on Bing Futch and getting started with the Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer, visit Patreon.com/BingFutch.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29
National, regional, & local performers including:
Bluegrass Ambassadors
by Brent Davis
The Henhouse Prowlers are more than a crowd-pleasing, Chicago-based bluegrass band. It turns out they are ambassadors-- Bluegrass Ambassadors. And now that they’ve embraced international touring--often on behalf of the U.S. State Department--they are dedicated to showing other musicians how to do the same.
The band has established Bluegrass Ambassadors, a non-profit whose mission is “to educate and inspire through the cultural exchange of music.”
The Henhouse Prowlers have been to more than 25 countries and incorporate music from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and other regions into their unique traditional American music catalog. They say these far-flung travels have generated wonderful experiences and lasting friendships.
“The Henhouse Prowlers started 20 years ago now, and we were just a bunch of guys that wanted to play bluegrass music,” says Ben Wright, who plays banjo in the band and serves as Bluegrass Ambassadors program director. “And somebody at some point said, ‘Hey, there’s this work the State Department does called cultural diplomacy work. There’s a program you can apply for, and you guys should do that.’ And I filled it out, and all of a
sudden, we were accepted to audition for this thing. And so we did, and we got it.”
For their first trip as State Department representatives, the Henhouse Prowlers toured Niger, Mauritania, Congo, and Liberia.
“Despite how hard it was and how difficult it was, it really left this incredible impression on us,” Wright recalls. “We started learning these skills of connecting with people that we don’t even share a language with. If you just learn a little bit of music that people know, then you open these doors that you didn’t even know existed.”
At a workshop at the Folk Alliance conference last February, the Prowlers showed how they do it. In addition to explaining the State Department program to other musicians, they taught everyone in their session a bluegrass version of “Sitya Loss,” a rousing Ugandan folk song they had worked up on a visit to that country. Wright says that making the effort and taking the time to learn a song from the host country creates instant goodwill.
Performing a Ugandan, Saudi Arabian, or Rwandan song doesn’t necessarily come naturally to a bluegrass band. But Wright says it’s all folk music, and often, the songs have more in common than one might think.
“I definitely remember these moments of sitting down with a song like that and being like, ‘Oh, my God, like, how are we going to do this?’ And then you pull your instrument out, and you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s G-C-D.’”
Despite the challenges, Wright says connecting with other cultures is fascinating and rewarding. And it makes sense for bands to make these trips.
“One of the things I love about those tours is that I just need to go, and I have to do my homework about the music, but I don’t have to worry about promoting the shows. I don’t have to worry about all the stuff that is part of being a band these days because the embassy takes care of all that, and if they’re doing their job well, every show you play is packed with people, and all you have to worry about is performing.”
The Henhouse Prowlers will travel to Bolivia in October. Later this year, they’ll be in the Czech Republic.
“We’re going to be there on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution when communism fell, and that really was an impetus for the Czech people to embrace country and bluegrass music. We’re going to do some education work at some schools. And then we’re going to do this symposium where we’re going to gather stories from Czech people about bluegrass history there. And really, one of the main goals is that I want Americans to understand
more how profound bluegrass is to Czech people and how they not only embraced it, but they made it their own.”
The Prowlers continue to perform about 100 shows a year in the United States and are beginning work on a new album. However, holding workshops about connecting people and cultures through music and travel as Bluegrass Ambassadors has become essential to their identity.
“There’s several goals to it,” Wright explains. “One is making people realize that these tools we’ve developed are available to everybody. You just need a little bit of curiosity and a desire to learn. But it’s also to ideally encourage people to think about visiting these places and ultimately recognize the things that we have in common with people, no matter where they are, no matter what language they speak, no matter what color their skin is. We actually share these fundamental things as human beings, which is wanting to be artists, celebrating music, and culture. It’s part of who we are as a species. Because those are the exact feelings we get when we’re on these tours.”
BOB KOGUT
by Susan Marquez
Bob Kogut recently finished making fiddle number 291. “I am trying to think of a name for her,” he says. “It’s a quirky thing I do, where I have to name each fiddle I make.” The naming started with the seventh or eighth fiddle he made. “I sold it to a lady in Orlando. She called and said she loved it. “It’s a bella,” she said. “I’m going to call her Bella.” From that point on, Bob has been christening all his fiddles with a name ending in the letter A. At nearly 300 fiddles in, it gets harder to find new names.
It makes sense to Bob, who says the old grand steamships- hand-built and riveted- were christened with a name. “The workers were proud of them and named them a woman’s name that ended in the letter A.”
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bob’s early exposure to music was doo-wop bands on street corners, singing in four-part harmony. When he graduated from high school in 1967, Bob wanted to attend college, mainly to avoid going to Vietnam. “I didn’t get accepted into college, but I did get a letter from the government telling me to report for my physical.”
Bob passed his physical, and he was drafted into the Marines. But before he could report for duty, he was hit by a drunk driver. “It was the worst and best thing that happened to me,” he says. A head injury left him with a hand tremor. “My doctor told my parents to go to a pawn shop and get me a guitar. He said that would help with the tremors.” While he recovered, Bob laid on his back and taught himself how to play the guitar.
When he got off his crutches, Bob joined a rock band. “We played at the waterfront bars around Philly.” Bob never thought he would like bluegrass music. “But I got hooked,” he laughs. It happened when his brother invited Bob to join him on a trip to Sunset Park for a bluegrass festival. Bob was skeptical. “Then Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys stepped on stage with their matching suits and brimmed hats, and I heard Kenny Baker. He was just dripping with emotion and played beautifully.” After the concert, Bob and his brother wandered around the camping area, where Bob observed mini jam sessions all over the grounds. “I asked my brother, ‘Where are the amps? Where is their sheet music?’”
When he returned home, Bob purchased a student violin from a local music store. He learned to play, and over the years, he traded and changed fiddles, looking for the perfectsounding instrument. He moved to Orlando, Florida, where he met violin expert Bob Bragg. Bragg sent Bob home with different fiddles to try, and he even taught Bob how to do some of the setup and small repair jobs. That led to bigger jobs, and soon Bob was working on fixing up old fiddles. Bragg encouraged Bob to make a fiddle. “He said I was already doing repair jobs that required the same skills as making an instrument.”
Before he became a serious fiddle maker, Bob worked as a physical therapist. “I worked in an assisted living facility, and I would take my fiddle in on Fridays and stroll through the dining hall. People loved it.” Making fiddles is his passion, and Bob can’t imagine doing anything else. He moved to Western North Carolina in 1999 and set up his workshop
in the basement of his home. “I love to have people visit when I’m working in the shop,” he says. “I have a corner where people jam. I never listen to recorded music when I’m working.”
His attention to detail may have come from his early desire to be a car mechanic. As an Eagle Scout, Bob took up whittling. Now, he does elaborate carvings on the back plates of his fiddles. “I don’t do commission work,” he says. “I do what I want, and when it’s finished, it’s finished.” His fiddles are now owned by fiddlers across the United States and many countries worldwide. Bob keeps track of his instruments and their players.
He moved to western North Carolina in 1999 after playing several gigs at Merlefest. “I fell in love with the area.” He has played fiddle with local bands, including The Neighbors and The Kruger Brothers. “I have a contradance band, and the Krugers love to join us when they are home. They call themselves the Wurst Brothers, saying they are the “best of the wurst.” Bob says he uses those performances to test out his newest fiddles. “Fiddle tunes were designed for dancing,” Bob explains. “The structure matches the dances.”
In addition to making fiddles and playing music, Bob teaches violin setup and repair classes, demonstrations, and workshops. He is passionate about young musicians and does violin adjustments and setups for the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM). “It’s an arts council-funded program for kids to learn to play instruments to preserve old-timey and bluegrass music. It’s a program that is well-supported by the community here.”
Bob actively supports music and is now a sponsor of MerleFest. He donates one of his violins each year to be auctioned off. He is a board member of the Blue Ridge Artisan Center, where he serves on the standards committee. Bob’s work as a luthier was recognized with his induction into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame in June 2021. As a musician, he is accomplished in bluegrass, old-time, jazz, swing, and Italian folk music, and he not only plays the fiddle but the mandolin, bass, banjo, and guitar.
JAM!
by Susan Marquez
Helen White was a musician and school guidance counselor in Sparta, North Carolina, in 2000 when she noticed a gap in generational learning, particularly music. “She didn’t see local kids at community events,” says Brett Morris, who serves as the executive director of Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (JAM). “Not only did Helen want to preserve oldtime and bluegrass music and dance for future generations, but she also cared deeply for people. She always believed music was a way for people to connect and to form meaningful relationships.” Helen advocated for underserved youth, wanting to provide them with safe and healthy activities.
Playing mountain music gives people from Central Appalachia a sense of pride, and Helen introduced kids to traditional instruments, including fiddles, banjos, guitars, and mandolins, as well as to the culture of their local communities. “Helen was inspired by the former Mount Rogers Combined School in Grayson County, Virginia,” Brett says. “They didn’t have a marching band. Instead, the school’s music program focused on old-time music.” Helen founded Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (JAM) in 2008 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Her partner was well-known musician and luthier Wayne Henderson, whose name recognition helped promote the program.
JAM began to spread throughout Appalachia, with affiliates in North Carolina and into
South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia. “We have nearly sixty affiliates,” says Brett. “Some counties have several JAM programs. We also have some affiliates known as YAM (Youth Appalachian Musicians) instead of JAM. It can get a little confusing, but we are all working towards the same goals.”
Brett says Helen wanted the program to be “effective, sustainable, and high quality.” Helen gathered people and funding to ensure the regional parent organization was strong and offered resources and help to others. Brett, a musician, has been with JAM for twelve years. She worked for Helen for a couple of years and then assumed her role as executive director of JAM when Helen retired. Sadly, Helen passed away in 2019. “She is sorely missed.”
Brett works from the JAM headquarters in Independence, Virginia. There is a satellite office in Knoxville since 2021. “That’s how our footprint has recently expanded into East
Tennessee and adjoining areas,” says Brett. The organization continues to grow in its resources and locations.
The model for the program is simple: JAM is designed for children beginning in fourth grade, and the after-school program introduces old-time and bluegrass music through small-group instruction. “We provide instruments at no cost to the kids,” says Brett. “We have created a bit of a curriculum to avoid reinventing the wheel, although we want our teaching artists to rely on their local oral traditions as much as possible.” Instructors are encouraged to teach students to learn music by ear. Children not only learn traditional music, but they have opportunities to perform in small and large groups. Program offerings are enhanced with field trips, and visiting artists help introduce the rich music
history unique to each local community. Advanced students also have instructional opportunities, and many JAM alumni become teaching artists and musicians.
JAM’s funding comes from private foundations and donors. “We work with other arts organizations, including South Arts out of Atlanta.” Each JAM program is individually funded and operated. JAM affiliates are eligible to receive a wide variety of free support and resources.
In addition to the work being done in each affiliate, JAM creates new programs, provides resources for existing programs, and partners with many prominent festivals to feature performances and offer learning and networking connections to current students and program alumni. Festival partnerships include the Earl Scruggs Music Festival, IBMA’s Wide Open Bluegrass, The Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, FloydFest, and many others.
JAM’s Traditional Music and Education Summit was held for the first time this spring in Little Switzerland, North Carolina, for nearly 80 JAM teachers and music education professionals. This professional development and JAM certification event for teachers provided methodologies and instructional skills. “Pre-covid, we had many regional day camps for kids,” says Brett. “We are just about back to normal now.”
JAM has a YouTube channel, and several instructional videos are available on its website. The JAM Songbook was created by Pete Wernick, an internationally recognized music educator and musician, along with JAM Ambassador Liam Purcell. The book is used in classes by JAM students and Wernick Method students. Perfect for all jammers, the book features 39 bluegrass/old-time standards, most with two-and-three chord songs that can be played in any key. Chord diagrams for guitar, banjo, and mandolin are included, as are positions for fiddle and bass.
Visit the JAM website at www.jamkids.org.
DARREN NICHOLSON: MAKING MUSIC THAT
by Kara Martinez
NICHOLSON: THAT MATTERS
Mandolinist, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Darren Nicholson is no stranger to success. As a solo artist and former member of Balsam Range, Nicholson has achieved what is only a dream for many. He’s a Grammy Award nominee, a 13-time IBMA award-winner, has had multiple #1 charting singles, and has appeared numerous times on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
For him, this is all great, but several years ago, he realized some things in life are much more important. He discovered that happiness isn’t found in commercial achievement; it resides in 100 percent honest contribution to both the inner creative self and the contentment of others. He spoke candidly about his path out of alcohol addiction and how that path—and being sober for four years now—has brought tremendous new insight.
“Because I’m in recovery, I’m in a program that’s an ego deflation program,” Nicholson explained. He said this has resulted in him not chasing the same goals and finding himself “further away from commercial music.” He now strives for what he refers to as “facilitation music.”
It’s no longer about his goals but about trying to bring joy and meaning to the lives of others. That means focusing less on high-profile appearances and more on community events, private affairs, and smaller things where he can connect to people in a real way with truly authentic music. He and his backing band now play “music that matters.”
“The way our music is showing up is as part of a community. The goal is to share joy through music,” he said.
Nicholson now eschews the old ways of chasing the spotlight. If those bright lights shine on him, he’s grateful, but it should be a byproduct of making honest music that speaks directly to people; attention, validation and profit shouldn’t be a goal.
“Most musicians, they want to win,” he said. “They want to get a nomination…they want to play this or that stage.”
He said he used to be that way but is no longer. He wants to put his heartfelt music out there, and so be it, “as opposed to trying to force my plan on the music industry.”
“I don’t want to be a star anymore,” he said. “I want to make music that enriches other people’s lives.”
By all measures, this new path is resulting in unintended positives. Since ending his 15year stint with Balsam Range in 2022, he’s already released two albums with Mountain Home, with a third on the way. He garnered positive reception to those records, notably his solo debut, “Wanderer,” spawned two #1 charting singles.
“After 15 years, they [Balsam Range] kept doing fewer and fewer shows,” he said. “During that last year, I did 20 dates with them and 180 dates on my own.”
He decided to embark on solo work, and it sounds like he is grateful for the experiences he has been given since taking the plunge.
“After getting sober, all of a sudden, I had all this free time,” he said. “I threw myself into music. I wanted to write new songs…I feel like I’ve kind of had a rebirth – mentally, emotionally and physically.”
He’s written at least two songs addressing his path to soberness and the minimization of ego-driven career impulses. His gospel song “Leave it in the Hands of the Lord” – which reached #1 on the gospel charts – addressed feelings close to his core. Another tune – “I’ve Been Down, but I’m Not Out” – is upcoming on his next album and co-written by Becky Buller. It is also about the struggle faced by so many.
Nicholson is excited to have recently announced a lineup change to his Darren Nicholson Band, including the additions of Avery Welter (guitar, vocals) and Aynsley Porchak (fiddle). They join Nicholson with bandmates Kevin Sluder (bass, vocals) and Richard Foulk (percussion).
Nicholson’s forthcoming album—expected to drop in dribs and drabs as singles over the coming months—is as yet untitled, but Nicholson said the already completed album will feature 13 tracks and, in addition to Buller, includes contributions by Kristin Scott Benson (banjo), Deanie Richardson (fiddle), Zachary Smith (bass), Colby Laney (guitar), David Johnson (dobro), Kevin Sluder (vocals), and Jennifer Nicholson (vocals).
“This is the third record where I’ve written or co-written every song,” Nicholson said.
The performer said he is filled with gratitude for a life path offering enriching lessons and opportunities for personal growth and the good fortune of growing up in western North Carolina. It’s a genuine hotspot for making a living in acoustic music. On Friday and Saturday nights at his childhood home, he said, “There’d be a pot of coffee on, and 10 or 12 musicians picking.”
“Here in western North Carolina, we kind of consider ourselves as stewards and ambassadors for old-time mountain music,” he added. It sounds like Nicholson now embraces that role with a new seriousness, striving to build even more friendship and community through music.
by Kara Martinez
Martinez Bachman
Award-winning and much-acclaimed banjo player Jens Kruger—and his accomplished brother and guitarist, Uwe Kruger—have always been influenced by the serene but epic beauty of the Swiss Alps in their native home. Along with their music partner Joel Landsberg, The Kruger Brothers have made decades of music and brought many albums, stage performances, and richly inspired bluegrass compositions to listeners worldwide.
“Our parents were German and immigrated to Switzerland,” Jens Kruger said of his and his brother’s heritage. They started “playing for money” in the 1970s, and at some point, Jens caught the eye of the leading patriarch of the bluegrass genre.
“In 1982, I got to play several shows with Bill Monroe,” he recalled. Kruger holds the honor of being the first European to ever play at the Grand Ole Opry. He’s also won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, and in 2021, was inducted into the American Banjo Hall of Fame. These are just a few of his notable accomplishments.
“Bill Monroe really encouraged me to write my music,” Kruger said, adding that Monroe told him, “Americans will appreciate your take on playing the banjo.”
Bluegrass appealed to Kruger and his brother both because it reflects a landscape similar to the one they experienced in their youth and allowed for evolution and individual personality as the genre grew over the decades.
“What I really appreciated about American folk music is…it’s open to influences,” Kruger said, explaining that people such as Monroe – or Tony Rice – took the music and shaped it to their visions while retaining the flavor of its roots.
“Like Tony Rice once said: Do 80 percent tradition, then do 20 percent your own.”
He said they first started playing music in the mid-1960s.
“I learned from albums,” Kruger said. “American folk music felt familiar to us in a way… it’s the way it’s put together, similar to a North German folk song.” He said he and his brother probably had a more varied music exposure in Switzerland than did many in the rural U.S., so the Kruger take on bluegrass might have added something new.
“I grew up in a different music environment than someone who grew up in Kentucky,” he explained. Kruger said he was exposed to “lots of bluegrass, classical, Swiss mountain music, Irish music” and more. He said he had exposure to “lots of sounds and harmonic structures.”
He said even today, his writing is inspired by symphonic compositions. He said a symphonic orchestra composition is “almost an impersonal sound,” meaning that it can be experienced the same in Japan, China or South America. But the banjo… “the banjo reminds you of America.” When that banjo sound is combined with the orchestral composition techniques that Kruger said “can be used to enhance emotions,” something unique emerges.
“That’s why my composition style is very much based on classical ideas,” he said, adding that this still, of course, “does not mean its classical music.” It is…and no doubt always will be…bluegrass.
“My brother writes the lyrics, and I’m responsible for the arrangements of the tunes,” he explained.
It’s not just a two-man show, however. A vital part of the band is bass player Joel Landsburg, who Kruger said joined up with them around 2003. He was from New York City. In the years previous, Kruger and his brother had been touring extensively across the U.S. following an invitation to play at the 1997 MerleFest; that appearance lit the fuse that propelled them into the spotlight. Around the same time that Landsberg came on board in 2003, the brothers decided to move to the States.
“It was too much back-and-forth,” Kruger said, of gigging so much in the U.S. while still living in the Alps. They resettled in Wilkesboro, NC and chose the location because “it is a beautiful place, right in the foothills of the Blue Ridge.” It was also a convenient location because most areas where they performed were within a 12-hour drive.
Kruger said his faraway native country still inspires the music of The Kruger Brothers.
“The forests, waterfalls, trees, valleys, nature, animals, deer…the banjo seems to fit perfectly in that landscape.”
“There’s something mystical about the smell of sap,” he added, “or walking barefoot in pine needles.”
Riley Baugus grew up in a home filled with music. “I was raised on old-time music,” he says. Born and raised in Walkertown, North Carolina, Riley was surrounded by the music of the Appalachians. “My dad loved records, and when I was growing up, he had re-issues of field recordings of old-time musicians. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, many musicians were still living, and those who wanted to learn more about our Appalachian music would seek them out.”
The first instrument Riley played was a violin. “I had an opportunity to take violin in school when I was ten years old,” he recalls. “I thought I was going to learn to play the fiddle, but I was wrong.” Riley saved his money and ordered a guitar from Sears and Roebuck. “I didn’t know how to play it but spent hours teaching myself.” Riley wanted a banjo that same year, but his dad said they couldn’t afford one. “He said we could try to build it.” They found instructions in the Foxfire 3 book. “There were different banjo ideas in the book. My dad brought home scraps of wood from work, and we got started. He laid the neck of the guitar on a piece of wood and traced it, then used a hacksaw to make the slots. We bought fret wire from a music store, and I hand-whittled the tuning pegs from a piece of maple stove wood I found on the porch. It had a solid wood head and back. Dad was an idea man, and the banjo turned out pretty good. It sounded like an electric guitar without an amp, but it was perfect for learning to play.”
Riley honed his skills with fiddler and neighbor Kirk Sutphin. They traveled around the area to visit with elder and traditional musicians in Grayson County, Virginia, and Surry County, North Carolina.
Soon, he began playing guitar and clawhammer banjo in bands and traveling around the area. But he decided to have a career outside of music. “I went into welding and did that for twenty years. I was a certified welder, fabricator, and blacksmith. When the owner of the shop died, I hung around for a while, but in 2003, I had an opportunity to sing on the soundtrack of Cold Mountain. I realized music was what I really wanted to do, so I left my toolbox behind and walked away.”
He got the Academy Award-winning Cold Mountain gig through fellow musician Dirk Powell. Not only did Riley sing on the soundtrack, but he also built the antebellum-style banjos that were used in the film. In addition to Dirk, Riley had many mentors on his musical journey, including fiddler Tommy Jarrell in Mount Airy and banjo player Dix Freeman. “I was 16 the first time I went to Tommy Jarrell’s house, and Alice Gerrard was there. It was amazing. I’ve also spent a lot of time with fiddler Wilson Douglass from West Virginia, Robert Sykes, Greg Hooven, and Benton Flippen.”
It wasn’t until he was older that Riley realized the importance of the old-time music he was playing. “Because I was from Appalachia, and that’s the music I grew up with, I suppose I thought everyone everywhere listened to it as well.” Only when he started traveling outside Appalachia did Riley realize how special the old-time music is. “The first time I went to Washington D.C. was to play old-time music at the Library of Congress.”
Riley has traveled all over the world to play. “Music has taken me to some
RILEY BAUGUS
by Susan Marquez
incredible places.” When I caught up with him for this interview, he was packing to go to the Netherlands. “I just love to play music and tell good stories. This is music in the true rural tradition, played as it has always been played.”
Over the years, Riley has played with several old-time string bands, including The Farmer’s Daughters, The Konnarock Critters, The Red Hots, Backstep, and the Old Hollow Stringband. He currently plays with the Dirk Powell Band and Polecat Creek. Riley has played with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on their Raising Sand album and with Willie Nelson. He is friends with banjo player Rhiannon Giddens, who grew up near Riley’s home in Greensboro.
In 1995, Riley wanted a good banjo, so he ordered one from well-known banjo maker Kevin Enoch in Maryland. “I guess it was a good thing he was very backed up because I decided I’d make my own. A friend gave me some 4 x 4 boards – two walnut and one cherry – from pallets he found. I put them in a barn loft for about six months, then made a banjo.” Just like potato chips, Riley couldn’t stop at just one. “I made a few more, and by the end of 1995, I sold ten to 15 banjos.” Each banjo is made by hand. “I do all the work.”
Now, about 200 banjos are in, and Riley has taken a break from banjo-making. “I don’t have to make them, but I have to play the banjo. I never take orders, only requests, and honestly, if I started making banjos again today, it would take me three years to catch up on all the requests I have. I’m not a banjo factory. I make them because I enjoy it.” He still tinkers on banjos in his shop, but he doesn’t go in there every day. He doesn’t have time.
“I teach banjo three days a week online, and I teach two days a week for P.I.C.K. –Piedmont Instrumental Classes for Kids – a non-profit in Eden, North Carolina, with a mission to empower children through musical heritage.” Riley also teaches at numerous banjo, guitar, and fiddle music camps nationwide.
Riley has recorded three solo albums: Life of Riley, Long Steel Rail (Tim O’Brien produced), and Little Black Train’s a Comin’. He also sits in with other artists. Riley also acts. “I do theatre projects here and there, and I was in a short film by Tom Krueger, Deep on Hog Mountain, with Dirk Powell.”
Siblings Without Rivalry
by Kara Martinez Bachman
From a duo act to individual solo projects, Nashville-based Theo & Brenna MacMillan are exploring many avenues to get their music heard. With the brother-sister progressive bluegrass act Theo & Brenna Band, they’ve recorded two records and honed in on what it takes to work together after growing up together. Even though they each approach their original co-writing of songs in a different way, there’s a definite overlap in how they see things.
“We’re siblings, so we have a lot of the same influences and ideas,” Brenna MacMillan said.
Plus, they’re both singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Her brother – Theo MacMillan – said he sees being siblings as “totally an advantage.”
“We grew up singing together,” he said, adding that they were also in the same band while at Berea College in Kentucky.
Their second album, “Dreams for Sale,” released in 2022, included a song about their creative process.
“It’s a song we wrote together about writing songs,” Brenna said. “We both have different approaches to writing that we talk about in the song.”
For example, Brenna’s inspiration comes from the deep, atmospheric spaces of dreamscapes.
“Sometimes I’ll just dream a song or dream a melody,” she explained. “I’d say 70 or 80
percent of our songs come from dreams.” She said the rest of her inspiration comes from nature or “ethereal reflections.”
Her brother takes a different approach, and they’ve learned to combine Brenna’s dreamlike methods with Theo’s more grounded approach to creating.
“I generally write more from real life experience…and from reading and thinking about ideas,” Theo said.
While performing as the Theo & Brenna Band has been a great learning experience, they’re both excited to move away from that as a priority and explore their solo careers instead.
“We still play occasionally, we play private gigs and have a couple of shows coming up in Nashville,” Theo said.
He has released several bluegrass singles as a solo act, but his big new thing will be a rock project. He said it’s still in production but is shaping up to have an “adult contemporary or pop rock” orientation.
“I also write a lot for other bluegrass artists,” Theo said. “I do a lot of bluegrass writing, not just my own stuff.”
Gigging frequently and having opened for the likes of J.D. Crowe and Bobby Osborne, Brenna is staying put in her genre; there are no rock projects on her near horizon. She’s solidly immersed in the world of American roots music. “What’s to Come” – the initial single from her first solo record – has already been released, and another is coming soon. The single features guest contributions by Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Frank Evans of the Slocan Ramblers on clawhammer banjo, Jake Stargel with guitar, Mike Bub supplying the bass, and Maddie Denton playing fiddle.
“I would say it’s bluegrass/old time/folk/Americana,” she said of the full upcoming record, explaining that part of the album will be straight-up bluegrass. In contrast, other parts have a more inclusive Americana vibe that expands the instruments to include piano, sax and drums. She said 10 of the 11 tracks on the record are originals. The whole album is slated to drop in October.
For more information on upcoming tour dates, record releases and more, follow Theo & Brenna on Facebook at Facebook.com/bentlineproductions or visit their website at Bentlineproductions.com.
Well Made Music
by Susan Marquez
Clint Holley has always had a thing for vinyl. “I bought my first record around 1979 or 1980,” he recalls. It seems you always remember your first. “It was Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall album.”
Clint says his parents were big flea market people. “They used to get my sister and me out of bed at 6 am to drag us to flea markets.” During those flea market forays, Clint discovered he could buy stacks of records for ten and twenty-five cents each. “I started buying records in the 1980s when CDs came out. Everyone was eliminating their record collections, and I started buying them.”
He got into sound engineering by working in the historic Beachland Ballroom and Tavern in Cleveland, Ohio. “I ran sound for the bands that played there,” he says. “I learned on the job.” He spent a decade running audio at the bar during the 2000s. In 2009, someone opened a pressing plant for vinyl records in Cleveland. “His name was Vince Slusarz, and he put a help wanted poster up in the bar where I worked. I applied for the job, but he didn’t hire me. But because I had an audio background, Vince invited me to go with him to a studio that owned a machine called a mastering lathe.”
Clint went home and told his wife, Bonnie, about the machine. “She told me I should buy one of the machines, and that started a year and a half odyssey to find out more about the machines, including their history, who owns them, and who sells them.” People had destroyed a lot of the equipment from the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Most of what was left was mothballed in warehouses, and most were in bad condition.
His quest led him to a man in New Jersey who had stockpiled the mastering lathes when the record companies were getting rid of them in the 1980s. “His name was Albert Grundy. He was 82 at the time, and he had bought a lot of machines that he restored and sold. He called one day and told me he had one for me. He made me a deal on a Neumann VMS-70 lathe system, and I brought home my first machine in 2010 and set it up in my mother-in-law’s garage.” With Grundy on call as a mentor of sorts, Clint taught himself the craft of cutting records. “He talked me through a lot of things. It put me in touch with an older generation and a new one, too.”
“I think there is a kind of bond that can’t be broken when people enjoy the experience of listening to music,” says Clint. “There’s something special about listening to an album and looking at the cover art and liner notes. There is a stronger connection with the music that way.”
Clint established his business, Well Made Music, in 2010, where he serves as the Chief Mastering Engineer. “Back then, it was manageable. Now, it has exploded. “I would say it was an industry that wasn’t ready for its own success.” Clint explains that Covid hurt the vinyl industry to a certain extent due to supply chain issues. But it also helped. “People had more time at home to listen to music, and many used their stimulus checks to buy records. At the same time, artists weren’t touring, so they had time on their hands to create more music, which increased the demand.”
Clint pressed and mastered his first album 14 years ago. “It was a local Cleveland band called The New Lou Reeds.” He earned GRAMMY Awards as a lacquer-cutting engineer for Bobby Rush’s Porcupine Meat (2016) and Otis Readding’s Live at the Whisky A Go Go (2016).
Dave Polster joined Well Made Music in 2014 as a Senior Mastering Engineer. He learned the craft of vinyl record manufacturing and has spearheaded the digital mastering services at Well Made Music. “We are privileged to work on Grammy award-winning projects,” says Clint. Dave worked as the lacquer-cutting engineer for Billy Strings’ Home (2020) and Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway’s Crooked Tree (2022).
The clients for Well Made Music range from independent artists to record labels and pressing plants. “Each has their own challenges. Working with artists is more personalized, I suppose. I like to invite them in so they can see their record being pressed.”
Appalachian Chefs with a James Beard Award
by Candace Nelson
As Appalachian food rises in popularity, the chefs at the forefront of the movement are being recognized for their contributions to the industry. Historically, Appalachia food was often overlooked in culinary circles, but in recent years, beloved ingredients rooted in the region’s foodways—ramps, morels, and more—have begun to make their way onto menus. Many chefs driving the seas of change have earned prestigious nominations for the James Beard Awards, often called the “Oscars of the food world.” Only a select few have won the award. The award highlights their exceptional talent and the unique flavors and traditions of Appalachian cuisine they bring to the national stage. These accolades are a testament to the region’s rich culinary heritage and the innovative spirit of its chefs.
Paul Smith: West Virginia’s First Winner
For the first time, a chef from West Virginia won a James Beard award this year. Paul Smith, of 1010 Bridge in Charleston, West Virginia, won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV) and during his acceptance speech, he noted two words that had never been said on that Chicago stage: West Virginia. Smith’s menus are a testament to the rich agricultural bounty of West Virginia, the only state located entirely within the Appalachian Mountains. He works closely with local farmers, foragers, and artisans to source the freshest and most flavorful ingredients. Dishes like ramp pesto pasta, trout with sorghum glaze, and heirloom corn polenta reflect his commitment to showcasing the best of Appalachian flavors. These creations honor the past and push the boundaries of what Appalachian cuisine can be.
Terry Koval: Champion of Sustainable Dining
Terry Koval, the chef behind The Deer and the Dove in Decatur, Georgia, has gained recognition for his commitment to sustainable dining and local sourcing. Koval’s dedication to quality and sustainability earned him a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in 2023, highlighting his influence in the culinary world. At The Deer and the Dove, Koval creates dishes celebrating the Appalachian region’s flavors while
incorporating influences from his travels and experiences. His menu features wood-fired meats, seasonal vegetables, and house-made charcuterie, all sourced from local farms and purveyors. Koval’s approach to cooking not only honors the traditions of the region but also pushes them forward, creating a dining experience that is both familiar and innovative.
Adam Evans: From Alabama Roots to National Acclaim
Hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Adam Evans deeply appreciates the South’s culinary traditions. In Birmingham, Evans opened Automatic Seafood and Oysters in 2019. The restaurant quickly became a culinary hotspot, earning rave reviews for its fresh, locally sourced seafood and inventive dishes. Evans’ commitment to quality and sustainability shines through in his menu, which features a blend of Southern and Appalachian influences. Dishes like wood-fired Gulf shrimp and roasted oysters with
Benton’s bacon are a testament to his ability to elevate regional ingredients to new heights. Evans’ dedication to his craft and innovative approach to Southern cuisine earned him the James Beard Award for Best Chef South in 2022.
Dolester Miles: The Sweet Soul of Southern Desserts
Dolester Miles has become a legend in the world of Southern desserts. With over three decades of experience, Miles has been the pastry chef at Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, Alabama, where she has worked alongside renowned chef Frank Stitt. Her dedication to her craft and exceptional talent were recognized in 2018 when she won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Miles is known for her ability to blend traditional Southern flavors with refined techniques, creating nostalgic and innovative desserts. Her famous coconut cake, lemon meringue tart, and pecan pies are a testament to her skill and creativity. Miles’ desserts perfectly embody Appalachian and Southern culinary traditions, showcasing the region’s ingredients and flavors in a sophisticated manner.
Allan Benton: The King of Country Ham
No discussion of Appalachian cuisine would be complete without mentioning Allan Benton, a legendary figure in the world of charcuterie. Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams, located in Madisonville, Tennessee, has been producing some of the finest cured meats in the country for decades. Benton’s dedication to traditional methods and highquality ingredients has earned him numerous accolades, including a James Beard Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America Award 2015. Benton’s journey began in the 1970s when he took over a small ham-curing business. He quickly gained a reputation for his exceptional products, which were made using time-honored techniques and meticulous attention to detail. Benton’s hams and bacon are now revered by chefs and food enthusiasts nationwide, and they play a crucial role in many Appalachian dishes.
Joseph Lenn: Elevating Tennessee’s Culinary Heritage
Joseph Lenn, a native of Tennessee, has become a prominent figure in Appalachian cuisine through his innovative approach to traditional Southern dishes. Lenn’s culinary journey began at The Barn at Blackberry Farm, a luxurious resort in Walland, Tennessee, where he earned a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in 2013. At Blackberry Farm, Lenn focused on showcasing the region’s bounty, from locally sourced produce to heritage meats. His dishes, such as braised rabbit with heirloom vegetables and Benton’s baconwrapped quail, reflect a deep respect for Appalachian ingredients and culinary traditions. Lenn’s philosophy centers on “farm-to-table,” a deeply rooted concept in a region where farming and food preservation are integral to daily life.
Christopher Hastings: A Culinary Pioneer
Christopher Hastings, chef and co-owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama, is a pioneer of farm-to-table dining in the South. Hastings’ culinary philosophy centers on using the freshest local ingredients and celebrating the seasons. His dedication to this approach earned him the James Beard Award for Best Chef South in 2012. Hastings’ menu at Hot and Hot Fish Club is a reflection of his commitment to local sourcing and sustainability. Dishes like tomato salad with Benton’s bacon, Gulf seafood, and locally foraged mushrooms highlight the rich bounty of the Appalachian region. Hastings’ ability to blend traditional Southern flavors with contemporary techniques has made him a standout in the culinary world.
Frank Stitt: The Godfather of Southern Cuisine
Frank Stitt, often referred to as the godfather of Southern cuisine, has been a pivotal figure in the culinary renaissance of the South. As the chef and owner of Highlands Bar and Grill, Stitt has played a crucial role in bringing national attention to Appalachian and Southern cuisine. His contributions to the culinary world were recognized in 2011 when he won the James Beard Award for Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America and in 2001 when he won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast. Stitt’s approach to cooking is deeply rooted in the traditions of the South. He emphasizes the importance of using fresh, local ingredients and honoring the region’s culinary heritage. Dishes
like stone-ground grits, farm-fresh vegetables, and locally sourced meats are staples of Stitt’s menus, showcasing the best of Appalachian flavors. His work has inspired a new generation of chefs to explore and celebrate the region’s culinary traditions.
Scott Peacock: Preserving the Past
Scott Peacock, a celebrated chef and food historian, has dedicated his career to preserving and promoting the culinary traditions of the South. Peacock’s dedication to this cause earned him a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in 2007 for Watershed in Decatur, Georgia. He is known for his meticulous attention to detail and commitment to using heirloom ingredients. Peacock’s dishes, such as buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken, and seasonal vegetable plates, are a testament to the simplicity and beauty of Southern cooking.
As these chefs continue to celebrate and elevate the flavors of their heritage, they are preserving the past and shaping the future of American gastronomy. Through their work, the rich and diverse culinary traditions of Appalachia are gaining the recognition and appreciation they have long deserved.
Marty Falle
by Kris Woods
Marty Falle just released his fourth original Bluegrass LP in less than one year. One of Nashville’s most prolific Bluegrass singer-songwriters released “Appalachia Rust” on August 1, 2024. I had a chance to catch up with Marty in Kentucky -
I am sitting with Bluegrass Artist Marty Falle on the tailgate of his Chevy Pick-Up truck. We are at his farm in rural Eastern Kentucky. I am told I am in Jackson County in the Eastern Kentucky Coalfields but who knows for sure. Marty farm goes hundreds of acres bordering the Daniel Boone Forest. I have not seen a single sole for many miles. I have been out in the country before, but not quite like this. I keep asking Marty if we will run into Bigfoot and he just laughs and tells me that the “Bluegrass Boogeyman” is the least of our problems and that there is a better chance we will encounter venomous copperhead, cottonmouth and timber rattlers. He showed me a picture of a bear on his trail cam. He can tell I’m uneasy and smiles. He says there are a few jars of moonshine in the lower 40 Tobacco Barn if I need it for medicinal purposes. We both laugh.
Falle’s farm has several old tobacco barns, some barely holding together. You can feel the history in this place. I asked him about one particular barn behind us on a big hill. It was the barn on his album cover – “My Farm, My Bluegrass”. Award winning Disney artist TJ Matousek created an original painting of this 150-year-old barn for the cover art. The place is haunting and breathtaking. The music inspired by this remote place is extraordinary. After all, this is the land of The Osborne Brothers, Bill Monroe, The Everly Brothers, Dwight Yoakam, and Marty Falle is falling right in line.
“My Farm, My Bluegrass” reached Number One on the APD Global Radio Indicator Chart for All Genres on the day of its release. In fact, an astounding eight out of the Top 10 singles for APD Bluegrass Global Radio Indicator Chart were borne from “My Farm, My Bluegrass”. The album itself reached Number One on the APD Global for all genres for the week of 8/20 – 8/27 and entered the Top 20 Album Roots Music Charts. “My Farm, My Bluegrass” continued its reign at Number One on the APD Global chart for well over a month. At one point, Falle had three records in the APD Top Five at the same time.
I asked Marty about the album and the songs. “I have always been fascinated with the history of Appalachia, especially Eastern Kentucky. I moved here a short time after graduating from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. It’s a strange yet beautiful place. The roots run deep here. Most of my songwriting ideas live in that old barn over there, those Bluegrass hills over there or that dirt road down to the creek. The ghosts of all those families that worked this land and helped build this country are omnipresent. They have my respect and are a part of me. There are several gravesites on this land, some date back to the 1700s, the names on some of the headstones are crudely carved and barely legible, because families were too poor to afford a granite grave marker. They worked here, died here and are buried right here.”
One of my favorite parts of my visit was riding w/ Marty on his Brute Force ATV up mountains, down to the bottom land of Horse Lick Branch Creek and in and around the Daniel Boone Forest. His 12-year-old son Macklin calls the machine “Beef”. There were moments I thought we were lost or that the ATV would overturn on some cliff. Marty showed me a few homesteads that were 100 years gone, all that remained was a stone chimney. We talked about his song “Chimney Letters’ that he sang with Bluegrass Legend Dale Ann Bradley. “Yep, that’s the Chimney right there” as we motored past. Same with his epic “Big Barn Breakdown” song, “Yep, I wrote it about that old barn near the creek. You have to believe there was a barn dance or two on those old weathered boards”. When we got back to his truck, there was plenty of Winchester, Kentucky Ale8 soda pop on ice. I asked him about his #1 song “Ode to Ale 8”, he just smiled and we tipped back a cold one.
The main reason I asked for the interview was the news that Marty was releasing a new Bluegrass Record – “Appalachia Rust”. Marty sent me a sneak peak of the MP3s from the album. Frankly, I was stunned. The quality was incredible and the songs compelling. What is remarkable, at the very moment we were talking, his other singles and albums were topping the charts. In fact, Marty had two albums in the Top 20 Roots Global Charts that very day, “Born Again Bluegrass” and “Bluegrass Holy Land”. No other artist had two original recent albums on the chart. Even more amazing, his single “Tumbleweed” and “Grampa’s Jukebox” were in heavy rotation on Sirius XM Bluegrass Junction, and more than 20 other songs, written and performed by Falle were playing somewhere in the world on Terrestrial and Internet radio. I asked him point blank - Are you worried that you are cannibalizing yourself on the charts by releasing new songs so soon, “No. I honestly do not care. Life is short. Write, record, release and go to the next one”. I then asked - Have you considered taking a break from writing after three #1 albums in less than a year. He responded – “Not likely. As long as the songs keep coming, I am going to write them. I truly believe that each song is a gift from God. He gave me the talent, and I am not going to waste it. Some day this will all be gone. I am pedal to the metal right now”.
“Appalachia Rust” is the sixth album from American Bluegrass Artist Marty Falle. The “relentless” singer songwriter out of the Eastern Kentucky Coalfields created another original Roots Music gem scheduled for release on August 1, 2024. The “Appalachia Rust” project is bolstered with contributions from Nashville royalty, which includes Becky Buller (vocals), Dale Ann Bradley (Vocals), Mike Bub (Acoustic Bass), Rob Ickes (Dobro), Josh Matheny (Dobro), Carl Miner (Guitar), Marty Slayton (Vocals), Matt Menefee (Banjo),
Kim Parent (Vocals) and Grammy Winning Producer, Jonathan Yudkin (Fiddle and Mandolin). Marty Falle’s ongoing trajectory as a bluegrass artist continues unimpeded. Listeners and critics have taken note all along the way. That’s evidenced by the fact that in the last eleven months alone, Falle has garnered five Number One hits. Cashbox magazine hailed him as “an incredible American Country Bluegrass singer/songwriter and Nashville recording artist.” Keith Barncastle of The Bluegrass Standard concurred, stating “Marty is a bluegrass artist. It is essentially his passion. He has complete dedication to the genre, and his love of bluegrass combined with his well-honed talent has allowed him to create truly great songs loved by his many fans. Marty is a perfectionist. He works to perfect his songs and will not release any material until it meets his highest expectations.” Deano Graham of the “The Bluegrass Jamboree” says “Marty Falle. An endless fountain of creativity that speaks to the heart. Marty’s musical messaging is universal, and needs to be heard by everyone.” Rick Dollar of iHeart Radio states “Marty Falle is an American Original!.” “Appalachia Rust” is birthed in the American Heartland. Falle’s songs resonate in a way that makes each of them indelibly tied to the rich traditions of the bluegrass legacy and the stories that shaped the music. “Ramblin River Breakdown” is rousing and robust, the very essence of the spirit and tenacity that has furthered the appeal of bluegrass from its archival origins to its present populist appeal. “The Striker” and “Kentucky Flood” tap into the rich history of Appalachia, detailing both the challenges and triumphs of Kentuckians. The down-home instrumental “Cattywampus Clog” captures the joy and jubilation that gave reason to celebrate once the work was done. Becky Buller joins Falle for the inspirational and powerful faith-based song “I’m On My Way”. The folksy” Sellathon Radio Show” reflects the influence of rural radio on small town farming communities in Appalachia. The emphatic “Dirt Floor Waltz” shares its own celebratory sound, manifest in the energy and exuberance that’s so essential to bluegrass basics. Bluegrass Legend, Dale Ann Bradley, sings on Falle’s stunning rendition of the Darrell Scott penned, “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive”. “Appalachia Rust” follows on the heels of his recent, all-original LP, “Bluegrass Holy Land”, which achieved chart success immediately upon release, debuting at #1 on the APD Global Chart for All Genres/All Albums, where it remained for 21 days in a row. In addition, several of its songs scored in a big way as well, climbing to the top tiers of the bluegrass and gospel charts.
I’m not sure if I will ever be back to rural Jackson County Kentucky or ever see Marty Falle again. Marty is a bit of a recluse and invests most of his creative energy into writing and recording. Marty plays multiple instruments, is a classically trained vocalist, and a riveting Bluegrass and Country live performer, a veteran of many live performances. He has received invitations to play bluegrass events around the world and has a large following. Per Falle, “I miss playing live but as long as the songs are coming, I am going to keep writing. I have never had this kind of a creative surge before. So blessed. Life is good.” “Appalachia Rust” is a must listen. The prospects for a live version of “Appalachia Rust” at the Grand Old Opry would be even better.
