The Bluegrass Standard - Volume 2, Issue 4

The

u l B

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INSIDE: The Farm Hands 

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d r a d n a t

Alan Bibey  The Deer Creek Boys  Jeff Scroggins  We Banjo 3  and many more! ...

Volume 2 ~ Issue 4

HI GHLIGH T S !

8 Carolina Blue

41 55

Salt and Light

We Banjo 3

62 The Loar THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

The Bluegrass Standard The Bluegrass Standard magazine is published monthly.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of The Bluegrass Standard or its staff, advertisers or readers with the exception of editorials.

Publication of the name or the photograph of any person, business or organization in articles or advertising in The Bluegrass Standard is not to be construed as any indication of support of such person, business or organization. The Bluegrass Standard disclaims any responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Advertising rates are subject to change without notice. The Bluegrass Standard reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any advertising for any reason. It is our policy to publish any letters to the editor that are signed and verifiable by phone number. We reserve the right of anonymity upon request. Letters must be grammatically correct, clarity and original and free of libel. The Bluegrass Standard reserves the right to decline publishing or reprinting any letter.

Please forward any letters to: editor@thebluegrassstandard. com The views expressed are not necessarily those of The Bluegrass Standard. Copyright Š2018. All Rights reserved. No portion of the publication may be reproduced in any form without the expressed consent of the publisher.

Th e Blu e gr as s S t a nd ard S t a f f This month's Guest Writers: Mike Bentley, Ted Drake, Daniel Wile Guest Photographer: Larry Huff, HuffStuff Photography - 218-219-5527 Keith Barnacastle • Publisher The Bluegrass Standard represents a life-long dream for Keith Barnacastle, who grew up in Meridian, Mississippi.

For three years, Keith brought the Suits, Boots and Bluegrass Festival to Meridian, allowing him to share his appreciation for the music of his youth with fans from across the country. Now, with the Bluegrass Standard, Keith's enthusiasm for the music and his vision of its future reaches a nationwide audience, every month!

Richelle Putnam • Managing Journalist Editor Richelle Putnam is a Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) Teaching Artist/Roster Artist (Literary), a Mississippi Humanities Speaker, and a 2014 MAC Literary Arts Fellowship recipient. Her non-fiction books include Lauderdale County, Mississippi; a Brief History, Legendary Locals of Meridian, Mississippi and Mississippi and the Great Depression. She writes for many publications.

Shelby Campbell • Journalist Editor Shelby Campbell is a writer and designer whose heart beats for creativity. A native of rural Livingston, AL, she found her passion in journalism and design at The University of West Alabama, where she received a Bachelor's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Shelby is the web designer and creative specialist for The Angie Denney Agency in Pensacola, Florida. She also has her own photography business, Shelby Campbell Photography.

Kara Martinez Bachman • Journalist Kara Martinez Bachman is an author, editor and entertainment journalist.

Her music and culture reporting has appeared in dozens of publications and she's interviewed many performers over the years, from local musicians to well-known celebrities.

She's a native of New Orleans and lives just outside the city with her husband, two kids, and two silly mutts.

Stephen Pitalo • Journalist Stephen Pitalo has been an entertainment journalist for more than 30 years, having interviewed everyone from Joey Ramone to Bill Plympton to John Landis. He is the world’s leading authority on the The Golden Age of Music Video (1976-1993), mining inside stories from interviews 70+ music video directors and countless artists of the pre-internet music era. You can check out his blog GoldenAgeOfMusicVideo.com.

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.

James Babb • Creative Director James Babb is a native Californian, and a long-time resident of Palm Springs. He has been involved in creative work of many types, ranging from electronic design in the 1980's, to graphic and online design today.

In addition to his work for The Bluegrass Standard, James designs and produces large-format graphics for trade shows and special events. James also provides custom framing of paintings by artists from his local community.

THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

CONTENTS 8

Carolina Blue

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The Hinson Girls

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Kevin Prater Band

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Chosen Road

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The Deer Creek Boys

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Jeff Scroggins THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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Clay Hess

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Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party

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Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars:

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Salt and Light

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The Farm Hands

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Brad Hudson

Mary Parker

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Alan Bibey

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We Banjo 3

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Garrett Newton

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Back Porch: Lure of the Loar

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Festival Guide

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Suits, Boots & Bluegrass

fan photos THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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Music From the Mountains: Carolina Blue Hailing from the mountains of North Carolina, guitarist Bobby Powell -- of Carolina Blue -- said much of his band’s music is influenced by the place that birthed him as an artist.

“A lot of our songs are about home,” he said. “We like to write songs that tell stories.”

Powell started playing when he was age 18, around the time he graduated high school. He said he’d come late to the music; he hadn't been raised in bluegrass.

Friends from school introduced him to a local band that played it, and he began to buy some bluegrass records.

Classmates would bring their instruments to school, and it piqued Powell’s budding interest.

“I was just fascinated,” he said. “I wanted to learn it.”

When the high school graduation gifts came -- envelopes filled with money -- he used it to buy himself a guitar and a music book. “I bought a bluegrass songbook that had the words to ‘Rocky Top’ in it, and all those bluegrass standards,” he said.

Powell writes much of the band’s music, as does mandolin picker and vocalist, Tim Jones. They met when they did a live radio gospel show together in the 1990s and both were taken under the wing of someone Powell referred to as a “legend” of Western North Carolina, fiddle player Roy Chapman.

“He gave us our first job playing bluegrass,” Powell said, of the man who became a mentor. “I ended up working for Roy for 11 years.”

He names Chapman as a major influence, and of course, as do most who play bluegrass, said he also owes a great deal to Bill Monroe. “We love all the founding fathers,” Powell said, “but Bill [Monroe] is our favorite.”

Eleven years ago, they hooked up with other musicians and created Carolina Blue. The lineup includes Powell and Jones, plus Reese Combs on upright bass; James McDowell, on banjo; and Aynsley Porchak, with her fiddle.

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Powell said he’s been happy about addition of Porchak, the newest member. “Aynsley is the perfect piece that our puzzle’s been searching for.

She is the ultimate traditional-style fiddle player,” he said. “She brings a lot to our table.”

He said the 22-year-old won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in 2015, and then in 2017, also became the Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion. This made her the first person to ever win both contests.

Powell also praised Jones’ ability with the mandolin. “He’s on the fast track to being one of the premiere Monroe-style mandolin pickers on the planet,” he said. “He’s been playing mandolin since he was a child, maybe 10 or 11 years old.”

In the years since Carolina Blue formed, they’ve reached a variety of listeners. Most were in western North Carolina, but around three years ago, they made a push to do more shows outside the region. Since that expansion they’ve performed as far away as Maine, and have some cool things under their belts, such as an appearance two years ago on the PBS TV series, “Song of the Mountains.”

Powell said the band has a new album on the way, and it’ll be released during the 2018 IBMA convention. “That will be the first chance for people to grab the album,” he said.

He said every song will be an original, except for a re-cut of an old Osmond Brothers song. They’d performed it live, and Powell said people keep asking for it, so they’ll include it on the new album.

He said the band’s biggest success has been with its song “Detroit City,” which “made it to number nine on the Bluegrass Today charts.” He said a major help was the fact that it was in rotation on Sirius XM radio.

“We’re getting played by so many DJs,” he said, “it’s impossible to say thanks to everybody.”

Powell said in addition to the DJs who have supported the music of Carolina Blue, he wanted to thank the fans.

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“Bluegrass music makes the best friends.

The friends that I’ve made because of this music are my best friends.”

— Bobby Powell

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A Life That’s Good - The Hinson Girls’ Story

by Shelby Campbell

If you want to hear the hottest new bluegrass group in the Carolinas, you are in luck - The Hinson Girls are on fire.

There are many brother acts in bluegrass music, but groups of singing sisters are a little harder to come by. These four sisters from Lancaster, South Carolina have been performing bluegrass for nine years and perform over 100 dates a year across the country. They have released three albums and recently released their third album, A Life That’s Good. Their deep love and extraordinary talent keeps them close as a family and has led to amazing opportunities for their band.

photo: VintageDaisyPhotography.com 12

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Katelyn, lead singer and mandolin player for the band, is inspired by Alison Krauss & Union Station. Melissa and Allison are twins - with Melissa on bass and Allison on banjo. Melissa’s enthusiasm and energy clearly show her love for performing while Allison’s sense of humor and strong banjo skills make her an essential part of the band’s success. Kristin plays the guitar for the band while also taking on the leadership role.

Their voices harmonize perfectly in their most recent album, showcasing a selection of songs from several popular country and bluegrass artists - from Ricky Scaggs to Buck Owens, and even a song from the television show Nashville.

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Winning several awards at SPBGMA and Renofest in the last couple of years, The Hinson Girls show no signs of slowing down. We had a chance to sit down with the girls to talk about their music and what inspires them.

The Bluegrass Standard: Where did your band’s love of bluegrass come from, and what made you decide to start singing together?

The Hinson Girls: Our Dad introduced us to bluegrass music because of his memories as a young boy going to festivals in the North Carolina mountains. Our family attended IBMA back in 2009 to meet other young people who played. We often enjoyed jamming with friends and our love for bluegrass music inspired us to pursue performing together as a band. Each of us began to pick up instruments on our own, and we soon realized that we loved singing together as a family.

The Bluegrass Standard: What is your favorite part of sharing this experience together?

The Hinson Girls: As a family, we wanted to do something together to stay connected and close. Traveling together as a family has brought us so much closer to each other and provided lots of memories we will treasure for many years to come.

The Bluegrass Standard: What is your goal in what you want to do with your music?

The Hinson Girls: Our primary goal in performing is to give God the glory for all of the great things He has done in our lives. We want to set ourselves apart and sing a genre of music that many youth in our area haven’t been exposed to.

The Bluegrass Standard: What inspired you to record a song from the show Nashville on your most recent album?

The Hinson Girls: A friend of ours introduced us to Lennon & Maisy Stella, who are actors and musicians on the show. We began to enjoy their music and appreciated that they were also sisters performing together. We eventually found the song “A Life That’s Good”. This song reminds us to stay focused on what is most important to us as a family; it isn’t the fame, or having people know our names. We want to always remain humble and treasure the simple joys in life.

The Bluegrass Standard: How do you feel your music resonates with fans?

The Hinson Girls: The fans respond to the songs we play, commenting on the instrumental style we share and the song choices we include in our sets. Our goal is that we share our family morals and goals with the fans in hopes that they are encouraged to follow their own dreams and passions.

The Bluegrass Standard: What have you learned while performing in a band with your siblings?

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The Hinson Girls: Family has been one of our greatest blessings. Although it may be difficult at times, we’ve learned that hard work pays off. We also realize that working together with siblings may have its struggles; however, we will always love each other and have someone to lean on.

The Bluegrass Standard: What music are you listening to these days?

The Hinson Girls: Alison Krauss, Blue Highway, Flatt Lonesome, Leanne Womack, Lonesome River Band, and Volume Five.

The Bluegrass Standard: Tell me about the band’s bluegrass cruise to the Bahamas earlier this year.

How did an event like this differ from other live performances?

The Hinson Girls: The cruise was a lot different from any other shows we have played before, we had to perform while balancing on our sea legs. We participated in leading workshops and gave one-on-one lessons while on the cruise. It wasn’t just a performance, this experience allowed time to get to know our fans and meet new ones.

The Bluegrass Standard: Anything new coming up for The Hinson Girls?

The Hinson Girls: We are hoping to record a new album in the near future. We are in the process of writing more original songs and hoping to release some great new material. In the meantime, we are enjoying all of the time we have together continuing to sing and perform the greatest genre of music there is!

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It’s Straight-up Kentucky Tradition for the Kevin Prater Band

by Kara Martinez Bachman Kevin Prater started playing music when he was just a little tyke. Even at the age of three or four -when he first started fooling around with a guitar -- it was already evident that music had infected his bloodstream.

His mom and dad had exposed him to many different styles of music. He had cousins and uncles that played instruments.

“My great uncle had a bluegrass band,” Prater reminisced. “I got to see them play several times.

That was really inspirational to me.” He said, of his childhood, “It seemed like music was already around me, and a part of me.”

He started lessons on guitar when he was about seven years old, took a few years of music theory at a local college, and eventually, he was playing “all the string instruments.” There’s of course the guitar. There’s also the bass, and the mandolin, and the fiddle, and a few things more.

Prater could make a one-man-band, if it were possible, but since it isn’t, he makes fiddle tunes with other musicians who share his passion for the music. The current lineup of his band also includes: Danny Stiltner, on bass; Tom Timberlake, on guitar; Adam Burrows, on fiddle; and Jake Burrows, on banjo and dobro.

At the band’s live shows, they often shake things up and play a bit of classic country or even “early” rock ’n’ roll. He said however you slice it, even when the tunes are “borrowed” from other genres, he’s still a traditionalist at heart. “We do it in such a vein that we try to keep the traditional side of bluegrass in it.”

Prater said one thing the band really cares about are the tight, high harmonies in a style reminiscent of The Country Gentlemen or The Osmond Brothers. “That’s something we work on really, really hard.”

The work has paid off. Not only does the band have a jam-packed touring schedule, their music’s being enjoyed by more people every year. Prater said the band’s album released in 2017, All I Ever Wanted, has been doing well.

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“The airplay has been excellent,” Prater said. “The CD has charted several times on the roots charts. We’ve gotten a lot of play out of it overseas, in Canada, and in other places.”

He said the public has received the album so well, it’s helped them book several new festivals for this year. He’s also excited that, as in years past, they’ll be traveling up to Nova Scotia a few times in 2018. During the month of April, they’ll be jammin’ and pickin’ for audiences from Texas to Georgia to Kentucky.

It’s a heavy touring schedule to do over a hundred dates a year, but Prater sounds as if he takes it in stride.

“It’s kinda tough at times,” he admitted, “but I think in order to succeed, you need to stay out there and stay with it.”

He said although he and the band are now collecting songs that might appear on an upcoming album, nothing is presently in the works. They’d rather continue to focus on touring in support of All I Ever Wanted and then move on to something else when the time is right. There’s no reason to rush music; it should unfold at its own pace.

Prater -- who was born in the coal country of southwest Virginia and has lived most of his life in nearby Kentucky -- said he’s always been influenced by the region and by its bluegrass musicians.

“These mountains around here have brought a lot of music to the table,” Kevin said.

“I just know these mountains, I know these people, and it’s truly what we call home.”

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“Road” Warriors: Mountain-grown Band Chosen Road Tours to Spread the Word Traveling full-time, the band Chosen Road presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ through bluegrass music in churches, fairs, festivals, and other venues with more than 250 performances this last year. Chosen Road was established when a group of friends, all raised in the mountains of southern West Virginia and western North Carolina, decided to spread their faith through music.

“Jonathan Campbell and I started Chosen Road in 2009,” said band co-founder Jonathan Buckner. “I was in college at Concord University studying management and marketing.

I had been traveling with a Southern Gospel trio, while in college. I felt God tugging at my heart to do something else, and something else turned into Chosen Road. I took a couple of local gigs and asked my good buddy, Jonathan Campbell to join me. We had a brainstorm to start a bluegrass band that was about something more than the music, and that is how Chosen Road was birthed.” A few months following the band’s inception, “we hired Zachary Alvis, so the three of us have been together since 2009. We are so blessed to have three founding members on the road together for almost ten years. It’s really a miracle.”

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Each member of Chosen Road has developed a profound love for the music they were raised on, and the saving grace offered by Jesus Christ is what keeps these young men going, what with being on the road for months at a time. The current lineup also features Tyler Robertson on banjo and vocals, who Buckner said has dropped right into the pocket with this group, not just clicking with the sound, but the mission as well.

“He was hired just over a year ago, and has just been a perfect fit,” Buckner said. “It’s like he’s been there since the beginning. What I love about this band is that every musician that is traveling with Chosen Road has the same calling on their lives -- to use the music that we love to share our faith.

“No glitz, no glamor” seems to be the presentation style of this tight-knit troupe of troubadours. Through the years Chosen Road has traveled from the mountains to Bristol, Bakersfield, & Baltimore; across the European continent, and to all points in between. The band always stays true to its roots, however.

‘I grew up playing guitar and bass in my home church just outside of Princeton, WV. It was the church that my grandfather actually started and pastored for many years. It’s up what we call Black Oak Holler. A lot of good music came out of that old church, and still does to this day. That’s definitely my musical roots.”

The band’s upcoming tour of Scotland evolved out of a former mission trip with some youths from the west coast.

‘We were traveling in Southern California and were approached by Valley Baptist Church of Bakersfield, California,” Buckner explained. They asked us to go on this mission trip with a group of 15 college students & we accepted the invitation. We are extremely excited to take this music that we love – bluegrass music -- back to where it first started. Many of our ancestors came from Scotland & Ireland, so it’s definitely a pilgrimage in a sense to us.

It is also a way for us to take the Gospel back to that country. It was once a strong Christian nation, but now, less than 2.5% of their entire population claim to be Christians. The trip is all about us returning to our musical roots and sharing our faith in Christ with a very 20

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dark culture through that music. Scotland is one of the only nations to ever make a covenant with God.” To hear the Chosen Road that perfectly encompasses what this band is all about, Buckner said to look no further than the band’s upcoming CD, The Storm in Me, set for release on Easter weekend.

On this project there’s a song called “Who am I? “It’s actually a bluegrass spin on one of the greatest Christian songs that has ever been written. The song poses the question who am I to have to a relationship with the Creator of the universe? I certainly do not deserve that. However, I am so blessed to have a relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ, and to be able to travel the world telling others about His love through bluegrass music.”

Buckner said that their path during the tours takes them to people searching for meaning, for answers, and for peace in their lives. Buckner said that their music can serve as a sonic torch to light the way.

‘As we travel, we meet so many people searching for fulfillment,” Buckner said. “Some try to find it in music, their friends, or family, but in some cases, they turn to substance abuse. So many people are trying to fill a void. There’s nothing more fulfilling in life than living life in fellowship with God. There’s nothing that we face that a relationship with Christ cannot solve. He’s literally everything to Chosen Road, and we are so blessed to travel and share the music we love around.”

“Above all, it’s definitely a calling. It is something that comes from deep within. I share my faith in many different ways, and music just happens to be the loudest vehicle that I have to share it. However, I believe that God has a special plan for Chosen Road. Our music has been used to encourage and inspire people all around the world. That’s something that we could never accomplish on our own. It can only happen with Him.”

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The Deer Creek Boys

Sometimes in life people do things because they don’t know they can’t. Such is the case with Jason “Sweet Tater” Tomlin. Santa Claus visited Jason and his brother, Justin, in Amherst County, Virginia, bringing them guitars for Christmas back in 1998. “I was about nine or ten,” recalls Jason. “My mother, who plays and sings really well, taught us how to play the guitar. Her mother taught her to play.”

That same Christmas, Cason Ogden, a friend of the Tomlin brothers, got a mandolin.

“We got together and decided we’d put together a band” laughs Jason, “even though it was something we knew nothing about!” The young musicians called themselves the Deer Creek Boys. Fast forward a few years and the boys have grown to be fine young men with families and jobs and lives that demand a lot of their time. “Let’s face it,” muses Jason, “we work to support our bluegrass habit!”

The Deer Creek Boys have been resurrected into a tight bluegrass band, with the addition of North Carolina native Andy Lowe on banjo. “That fourth member really rounds out our sound,” says Jason. “We are pleased with the sound we’re putting out today.”

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The group has been recording since early 2001 or 2002, according to Jason. “We did our first CD with just the three of us.” Their newest CD, recorded last year with the full group, is called Midnight & Dawn.

“We are really tickled with this one,” Jason says. “It’s getting a lot of play on XM Radio’s Bluegrass Junction station, and they tell us people are calling in for it. Mark Hodges and all the folks who work for Mountain Fever Records have been awesome to work with and they've got a lot of faith in our band! Thanks to them our music has gotten a lot of new attention that we had never gotten before, and we are certainly thankful and grateful for them. And we are so grateful that people are listening to and liking our music.”

Most of the material the Deer Creek Boys play is original. “My brother and I both write,” says Jason, “and Cason writes as well. We also have some good friends who are songwriters in Nashville. Justin and I went and spent some time with them and we came home with eight songs, three or four of which are on the new CD. We’re saving the rest of the songs for our next album.”

Jason says the biggest part of finding their own sound is by having original songs. “When people hear our songs, I want them to know it’s us. We’ve been fortunate to have met some very talented folks along the way and they still send us stuff.”

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Jenny Young Photography While it’s difficult to synchronize dates when everyone is available to play, the group manages to book several dates a year, mostly at bluegrass festivals. “We play a little of everything, so we can play just about anywhere. We’re excited that the Amherst County Fair has started up again, so we’ll be playing at the fair this year to a home crowd.”

Seeing the crowd is what keeps Jason and the rest of the musicians in the Deer Creek Boys going. Known for their energetic pickin’, beautifully blended harmonies and excellent songwriting, the band always puts on an exciting show.

“Seeing the people smile and have fun while we’re playing is the best,” said Jason. “People go to hear live music to forget their cares for a while. It’s good to know that people are enjoying what we are putting out there. We want to do it for a long time to come.”

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Bluegrass musician headliner Jeff Scroggins and his band have toured Ireland (three times) and Russia and last year included a nine-country tour of Europe. Almost every year, they do a month or two in Canada and currently, he’s putting two tours in Europe and a tour of Australia. As exhausting as that may sound, that is the life Jeff Scroggins chooses. Here’s why.

“I don’t think there’s any better way to learn about the planet and life than traveling,” said Jeff Scroggins. “When you see the world and people from other cultures, it changes your perspective on everything. You just grow as a human being.” But extensive travel can be very difficult. The words “travel” and “travail” are related because travel is very difficult on the body, he added. “I’ve traveled over 300 days in the past two years. It’s a hard life, but if you have the wanderlust and you love traveling…that’s me.”

You also expand your audience and territory worldwide, audiences that are vastly different in their cultures, said Jeff. Bluegrass affects everyone no matter where you’re from, what you believe and what your political views are. “You are given the opportunity to grow as a human being and learn about the world. And now I have thousands of friends in other countries.”

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But Jeff reluctantly grew into this lifestyle of travel and performance. Reared on a dairy farm in southern Oklahoma in a very rural area, he could milk 150 cows by hand— twice a day. This environment where traditional country music reigned didn’t stop him from becoming a rock ‘n roller with guitar in hand. “I wanted to be Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton,” he said. “When I was a teenager, I bought a banjo even though I didn’t know anything about it.” About six months later Jeff sold his Les Paul guitar to buy a better banjo.

Jeff took lessons from Alan Munde in Oklahoma, but never thought he would perform in front of an audience. “I was super shy as a kid, ridiculously shy. The idea of getting in front of people and playing was terrifying,” he said. “When Alan made me enter a banjo contest [Alan Munde United States Banjo Competition], I won the banjo that I play now. The last thing I did before playing in the contest was throw up because I was no nervous.”

You can’t get to the top level without practicing a lot and committing your life to it, Jeff explained. “I always tell people that being a world class musician is a form of mental illness,” because it requires so many hours of your day. His influences have been Earl Scruggs, J. D. Crowe, and Alan Munde, but Don Reno is probably his greatest because many of Reno’s licks are from the 50s and 60s rock n roll era. The aggressiveness and energy of Jeff’s banjo playing also reflect his early love for rock n roll.

Jeff had almost quit playing entirely when he was married with young children. Then, during a severe economic downturn, he lost his job, his house, and his marriage, “just about everything in a matter of months,” he said. Defeated and somewhat lost as to what to do and how to cope, he heard the song “Me and Bobby McGee” on the radio.

Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose. The words were a sign and Jeff heeded them. “I thought, I’m free and I don’t have anything to lose.”

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Jeff’s son, Tristen, was then a teenager and experienced mandolin player. Five years earlier, he had discovered the mandolin among the instruments that had belonged to his great-grandfather. Five months after Tristan picked it up, he won the New Mexico mandolin championship.

“About that time, Greg Blake was performing at the wedding of a mutual friend. He was also the pastor of the church,” said Jeff. After the reception, he and Greg jammed for seven hours until they played every song they knew. “They threw Greg and me out of the place because we were the last ones there.”

Jeff, Greg, and Tristen started a band and remain the core group of Jeff Scroggins and Colorado. Later, multi-award-winning fiddler and vocalist Ellie Hakanson joined them.

In fact, all the members are nominees and winners of various IBMA and SPBGMA awards and the band was selected as the California Bluegrass Association Emerging Artist of the Year in 2016.

Sure, at some point, Jeff will want to slow down because being constantly on the road gets tiresome. Until then, he will enjoy traveling and seeing beyond the world in which he grew up. “On a farm in Oklahoma, my world was pretty homogeneous. We were all white fundamentalists,” he said. “I had a whole world where everyone basically had the same beliefs and experiences. Suddenly, you’re meeting new people who are so different.”

There are two kinds of people who travel, he said. Some that want to experience new cultures and traditions, and some that don’t.

“What a waste it would be to get to meet all those people and see all those things and not be open to learning from them.” What makes life good are human relationships and experiences, Jeff stressed. “I’ve met so many amazing people and been to so many amazing places around the world. I couldn’t imagine a better life than the one I’ve had.”

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The Continuous Reinvention of Clay Hess

by Daniel Wile “In bluegrass, when you start a new venture, you start at the bottom. Then, you have to work your way back up,” says flatpicking juggernaut, Clay Hess. He speaks from experience. Since reaching the pinnacle of the bluegrass world by age 30, Hess has been a chameleon of sorts, morphing from a hot-picking hired gun for some of the biggest names in bluegrass, to a studio owner and band leader. Each new venture has brought challenges, but Clay Hess wouldn’t have it any other way.

For Hess, learning to play guitar was as natural as learning to talk. “I grew up in a family full of musicians. Pretty much everyone in my family played guitar,” he says. “My mom and dad, my grandpa, grandma, all my uncles.” He soon discovered albums by Russ Barenberg and Tony Rice and set his sights on emulating them.

But Hess’s father saw what was happening and gave him some life-altering advice.

Recalling a time when he was trying to be Tony Rice on guitar, Hess says, “My dad said one day, ‘That’s great, but there’s already one of those. If you’re doing that, the best you can hope for is to be the best second-rate copy of the original.’” His father’s message struck Hess deeply. He knew his father was right. “In art, the original is what is worth so much,” Hess explains. “The forgeries aren’t worth anything.”

Hess found his sound by infusing his sensibilities into music he heard from others. “I started to take things that I already knew and try to warp those into something else,” he says.

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It paid off with the ultimate compliment from Rice, himself. After playing at the Birchmere with Rice one night, Hess says Rice stopped him after the show, saying, “Hess, I like your playing. You don’t play like anybody else.” Clay Hess’s days of being an emulator were over.

Hess’s flatpicking prowess caught the attention of Ricky Skaggs, who invited him to be a member of his Kentucky Thunder band. Hess traveled the world and even won a Grammy as part of Skaggs’ band, reaching the pinnacle of bluegrass at barely thirty years old.

But life changed for Clay Hess on September 11, 2001, as it did for many people. The events had a particularly profound effect on Hess, though. Just a week before the attacks of that day, he had taken one of the same flights that was hijacked on 9/11. “If that attack happened a week earlier,” Hess says somberly, “I’m not here today.”

Hess reflected on his life and realized he wanted to spend more time at home with his family, so he left Kentucky Thunder and their globe-trotting tour schedule. But the appeal of a new challenge lured him back on the road, first with Mark Newton, and then with the supergroup Mountain Heart. He then answered a call to join mandolin prodigy Sierra Hull in her band. Hess toured with her for three years.

Eventually, Hess saw that playing the role of “hired gun” left him unfulfilled. He wanted to put his own spin on a career that, up to that point, had been at the mercy of others. “I thought, I want to make my own schedule. I want my wife to be able to travel with me.”

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As he spent more time at home, he established a studio in his house, ultimately recording projects with the likes of Larry Cordle and Rob Ickes.

Today, Clay Hess is in the midst of his most challenging and exciting role so far: band leader.

After some fits and starts, Hess is smitten with the lineup he now has. With Irl Hees (formerly of The Cleverlys) on bass, Brady Wallen on banjo, Dustin Frame on mandolin, and Hess’s son Brennan on rhythm guitar and vocals, the Clay Hess Band is dripping with talent. “These guys can play!” he exclaims. He compares playing with his bandmates to playing with the talent in Kentucky Thunder.

The musicians in the Clay Hess Band are there to showcase the songs, not the other way around. “I’m a bluegrass flat-picking guitar guy who really doesn’t think there should be guitar solos in bluegrass,” Hess says with a laugh. But don’t worry; the Clay Hess Band still likes to open the throttle. “If we play an instrumental, it’s no holds barred.”

Clay Hess has continually reinvented himself throughout his career. In his early years, he walked the well-worn path of mimicking his heroes. Today, he is cutting new trails with his own band and recording studio. Each new direction has required him to adapt and develop new skills, and that is what keeps him going.

“I love anything that challenges me in any way,” he concludes.

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2018 Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party

by Ted Drake On March 1-3, 2018, as the country’s east coast endured high winds and tides, the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Norfolk/Virginia Beach experienced a flurry of pickin’ and grinnin’ at the Cabin Fever Picking Party, which has been going on for 24 years. With sixteen bands, 11 workshops, an exhibition hall for vendors, 307 hotel rooms, and a dozen rooms for jamming, everything lined up for 3 days of music.

Holiday Inn General Manager Mary Elizabeth Collins said that "the staff of the Holiday Inn looks forward to the return of Cabin Fever at the first of March,” and it's all hands-on deck for the team to ensure a smooth event.” LaTonya, the reservations manager, and her crew coordinate reservations and make everybody feel welcome as they arrive.

Parking is first-come-first-serve, although those staying at the Holiday Inn are provided with a dashboard flyer. Nearby hotels serve the overflow.

Cathy and Earl Banton of Glen Allen, VA created and transformed Cabin Fever as it moved along within the times and places, and the changes ripened the event to a favorite people year after year, who come from Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina, West Virginia.

The event is now produced by a group of family and friends of the Bantons. Son Mike Banton loves that the event brings much of his family together for a fun weekend.

Friends Debbie Aylor and her husband like to get together every year with so many like-minded people and families.

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The name of the event—Cabin Fever Picking Party conjures up winter getting old—but not gone yet; till too cold for outside event; suffering from cabin fever; and in need of some bluegrass pickin’. Relief appears in a 3-day indoor pre-spring picking party and gathering with pickin’ and grinnin’ in the halls, workrooms, on the shoeshine rack, at the bar, in the elevator, in and outside of the exhibit hall, and in the business center. Some come to see the bands, some come for the picking, and some come to see friends they see about this time every year.

The exhibitor area has grown over the years, with exhibitors like TBMA (Tidewater Bluegrass Music Assoc), a local bluegrass association, Steve Kaufman, who sells merchandise and promotes guitar workshops, and Bob Thompson, who sells his 13 handmade guitars that have torrefied tops, which means the wood has been heat treated.

Free workshops for guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocal/sound, bass, dobro, fiddle, and recording basics happen on Friday and Saturday mornings. Fiddle instructor Roger Gray likes that the entire event is 'under one roof' and he gets to visit old friends for the weekend. Roger said, “new friends are welcome too.”

Rosalie Sanchez, the lady with colorful pants playing the autoharp, is a retired chiropractor from Norfolk who attends with guitar picking husband Gary. They play together and know hundreds of songs. Rosie had just started playing the autoharp when she went to Cabin Fever alone for the first time in 2006 and loves the late-night song swaps in the jam rooms when people present their favorite out-of-the-box songs. Jim Hockett from Pasquotank, NC. loves to see his jamming friends from other areas.

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In the Grand Ballroom, 20 Showcase Bands played Thursday evening, and in the afternoons and evenings on Friday and Saturday.

Sessions were emceed by local musicians and radio personalities.

Bands included Just Wingin' It, The County Seat, Rappahannock Crossing, Old Dogs New Tricks, Rocky Hill Bluegrass, Hard Knox Bluegrass Band, Willow Branch, Dark Hollow Bluegrass Band, Jonah Riddle & Carolina Express, Code Blue Bluegrass Band…

Son Rise, Sons of the South, Highway 249, Mill Run Bluegrass Band, Ted Jones & the Tarhell Boys, Commonwealth Bluegrass Band, Mark Templeton & Pocket Change, Virginia Ramblers, Kody Norris and the Wautaga Mountain Boys, and Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road.

If you enjoy picking and grinning—playing and/or watching—then you will enjoy Cabin Fever. Y’all come next year, ya’ hear?

This year the ticket sales approached 1000.

Tickets cost $33 in advance and $45 at the door.

The reservation box for a hotel room for 2019 fills up as fast as the reservations for 2018.

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The Young Fiddler with a Story to Tell

by Shelby Campbell

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Being involved in the bluegrass music industry less than four years, twelve-year-old Mary Parker from Mountain View, Arkansas has been fiddling, dancing and singing over half of her life. Playing like a pro, this young prodigy loves playing the fiddle, but also has chops on the mandolin, guitar, banjo, upright bass and piano. Plus, she also clog dances.

Focusing mostly on bluegrass, blues, old time and gospel music, Mary takes instruction through the Music Roots program, and mastered the fiddle before learning to play her other instruments. Currently, she holds eight fiddle championship titles.

“I was ten when I began traveling around to bluegrass festivals, and that sparked my interest in bluegrass music,” said Mary. “I absolutely love getting to play for people and especially see that they enjoy it.”

While Orange Blossom Special and Gone Home are her two favorite songs to perform, Mary loves listening to artists like Bill Monroe, Hank Williams Sr., Patty Loveless and Michael Cleveland.

After coaching his children in music throughout Mary’s life, Toby Parker, Mary’s dad, tragically passed away in October of 2017 leaving behind Mary, her mom, and four siblings.

“My dad was the one person who encouraged me and took me places for my music. He was a great coach, and he started my younger brother Gordan and little sister Charlene in music also. My dad wanted me to pass along the music to my siblings—not just bluegrass but all music. One of his biggest dreams was for us to have a family band.”

Mary continues working hard to make her father’s dream a reality by being involved in organizations like Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars, a program for encouraging and helping young bluegrass artists.

Less than a year in the program, Mary contributes president John Colburn as being a great mentor in her music.

“Mary is one of our most special youngsters,” Colburn said. “Everyone is in tears when they hear her story.”

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When she isn’t playing music, you can catch Mary spending time with her family and friends or fishing with her brother, Gordon.

In May, Mary will be releasing her newest album titled "Precious Memories".

For more information on Mary and her new album, follow her on Facebook!

Preserving Bluegrass One Youngster At A Time!

John Colburn & Maggie

Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars continues to support the awareness of its many talented young members, and the preservation of yesterday’s bluegrass music for tomorrow.

Click the banner below to visit the TBS website:

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Back for Moore Salt and Light Finds the Moore Family Using Their Influences To Create Something New The brothers and sisters of the Moore family hailing from Graham, North Carolina, are making a pilgrimage of sorts -- one that finds them delivering their message of faith to all who’ll listen. And listen they have; performing for about four years as the band Salt and Light, the Moore kids range in age from 11 to 22 and were invited showcase artists at the last year’s World of Bluegrass.

Filling out their spring performance schedule with a multitude of festivals and recording two albums since their inception four years ago, Salt and Light continues to bring their sibling ensemble in tribute to the Savior to Virginia & the Carolinas this year.

In descending order of age, brother Parker Moore plays banjo, with brother Daniel and sister Norah on fiddles, sister Morgan on guitar, sister Kyndal on mandolin, and brother Garrett on bass. With their father, Dan Moore, as manager, Salt and Light founder Parker Moore spelled out the pros and cons of a family band.

“The best part is the fact that we are a family,” Parker said. “We all still live together, so having everyone centralized is great. When there is a musical issue or idea someone has, we can talk about it right there, with no delay. As another example, having to

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accommodate band rehearsals to every member’s schedule is not an issue with us; since we are all one family we can put them together whenever we need to.

“Having Dad as the manager is awesome for a couple of reasons. First, no one is going to pursue our best interests more than our dad. He is totally committed to our success, with no bias or anyone else’s interests to pursue. The second reason is that it allows us as band members to focus more on the music-related side of the business, without having to commit a large amount of time to booking and management.”

As far as the hardest part is concerned, Parker continued. “I would say that it’s also the fact that we’re family. Everyone views their part in the band as their job. Therefore, we have to find the balance between work and family life. As opposed to a band full of nonfamily members, we always need to make sure that work doesn’t erode our family values or close relationships with each other.”

This family of musicians apparently didn’t start playing in the crib, but not far from it.

“The oldest three of us played piano in our elementary years, and I was the first to get into string instruments,” Parker explained. “Dad started teaching me guitar when I was 14. My brother Daniel wanted to learn shortly thereafter, then Morgan. I started learning a couple of other instruments, and Daniel picked up the fiddle. It was at that point that we realized we could all play music together, but still not with the intention of doing it professionally.

We more or less assigned Kyndal and Garrett their respective instruments.” That was in early 2014 and by mid-2015, they believed they “could do this full-time.”

The band’s motto, "Here to entertain, energize, and edify," comes from Parker and his father trying to land a phrase that told about the band’s intentions.

“We were looking for a phrase that would represent us and what we’re about, while being unique and acting as something that could set us apart. We always try to be as entertaining as we can because, ultimately, that’s what live music is all about. The edify part comes from our faith,” Parker emphasized. “As Christians, we are supposed to uplift and edify others in what we do every day. Music is the most powerful medium to do that with, and we try to bring a positive message and edification to every show.”

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The band name is designed to reflect their dedication to the Lord and music, but not just bluegrass, according to Parker. “In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus said “His followers are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” And that’s what we try to be, no matter where we are.

The Moore family traces its roots back to southern Ireland, so the music of that bloodline has permeated the Salt and Light sound. “Our family heritage traces back to southern Ireland, and all of us, our parents included, love Celtic music,” said Parker. “So, we started out playing a couple straight-ahead Celtic tunes, but then realized we could fuse that into a hard-hitting contemporary bluegrass sound. It’s something we’ve begun using to be unique in the material we write as a band, and to give us a sound that’s immediately identifiable as our own.”

Their sophomore album, Second Course, was recorded in six days, five of which were taken up with actual recording, and the last one being a day dedicated to mixing the project. Parker said that biggest challenge with any record is recording the vocals because there are a lot of variables involved with vocal performances and recordings that aren’t an issue with instrumentation. “Instruments never get sick, tired, strained, and aren’t affected if you eat a sandwich in the studio. Vocals are affected by all of those things.”

Challenges unique to Second Course, were getting our original material right. “It’s not a difficult challenge; you just have to be mindful to make sure that the original songs come out the way you want them to.”

Salt and Light does not identify as a gospel act, but they decided to compile their mostrequested Gospel songs in the studio on an album called A New Me, which is based on requests, well-known songs, covers not well-known, and originals. In the two years since Second Course, Parker said they have matured musically with their style taking advantage of heavy Celtic undertones and Americana nuances. “What this has done is begin the process of giving us our own sound which spans the bluegrass, Celtic, folk, and Americana worlds, and can be appreciated by listeners of each of those genres and beyond while not forsaking our bluegrass roots.”

Beginning in April, folks can purchase their latest record, A New Me, available for sale at all of their live performances and on their website www.saltandlightbluegrass.com.

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The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. − Matthew 9: 37-38 The members of the Farm Hands Quartet, a southern Gospel/bluegrass group out of Nashville, don’t like to be pigeonholed into one musical genre.

“We play bluegrass music, but it’s also positive, uplifting music,” says Tim Graves. “We kind of lucked into the mix of musicians we have in the band, but we also feel that the people who are here are meant by God to be here. Our music is a spiritual kind of farming.”

Graves and Daryl Mosley had played together before, and they teamed up to form the Farm Hands in 2011. “We started out with a couple of guys from Alabama,” recalls Graves, “but that didn’t work out. We cycled through a few others before Keith Tew and Don Hill joined us. We all have the same vision and together, we just work well.”

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Over the years, the band has been recognized with nominations and awards galore by the SPBGMA, including Vocal Group of the Year, Gospel Band of the Year, Entertaining Group of the Year, Gospel Group of the Year, Bluegrass Band of the Year, Album of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, and Instrumental Group of the Year.

Each of the musicians in the group has received numerous nominations and awards as well. The band spends a great deal of time on the road, close to 300 days each year. “We do between 150 to 175 dates a year on the road,” says Graves. “We talk during the week and decide where we’ll meet up to get on the bus and we’re gone to the next venue. We play a lot of churches, theatres and bluegrass festivals. I’ve played for years at the Grand Ol’ Opry, but playing in churches is the best, because the folks are there because they want to hear our message.”

Much of the music the group plays is original. “My brother, Ted Graves, is one of the finest songwriters in East Tennessee. He does it because he enjoys it, and the only group he has shared his songs with is ours. We also have some great writers in Daryl and Keith. They have both contributed some wonderful songs to our repertoire.” Graves says all the songs the group performs are positive. “We don’t do anything degrading, and there’s no drinking beer or anything in our songs. They do have a spiritual slant to them, because that’s who we are.”

Their first album, In a Country Town, was 2015’s Bluegrass Album of the Year and features the southern gospel classic song “Ask the Blind Man, He Saw it All,” written by Daryl Mosley. The next album, Better Than I Deserve, sums up the lives of the quartet with songs like “The Way That I Was Raised,” and “Mama Prayed and Daddy Plowed.”

The album Dig in the Dirt was named Bluegrass Album of the Year in 2017, as well as winning Song of the Year for the title song. The title song was written by Keith Tew and features Graves’ girlfriend, studio musician Kimberly Bibb, on fiddle. Both mothers and fathers are honored on the LP, with “Medals for Mothers” which recognizes all the little things that mothers do for their children that often go unnoticed, to Daryl Mosley’s “All the Way Home,” which tells the story of a young boy who trusts his father to guide him home from the dark woods, a lesson in learning to follow and trust in the Lord.

Their latest album, Colors, features the number one single and 2018 Song of the Year, “Rural Route.” The peppy song by Mosley paints a picture of a small rural place in THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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the south. He was inspired by his grandparents, who didn’t have an address, but instead had a rural route.

The album’s title tune is a patriotic salute to the men and women who serve in America’s armed forces.

Graves says the Farm Hands’ next album will be called Good Things and will feature a song that Bibb wrote.

“She plays fiddle on all our albums.”

The album will be recorded at Underground Studios in Nashville.

Many thanks to our sponsors, the Armstrong Pie Company!

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Hudson’s Solo Flight Former Sideline Member Goes It Alone for Next New Heartbreak CD As a youngster, North Carolina-born singer/songwriter Brad Hudson was just really intrigued with the guitar.

“It came with seeing older guys play in our church, and local groups that would come and sing as well,” Hudson said. “I also think it was very calming and relaxing as I grew older to sit around and play and write songs.”

Hudson may have come from humble beginnings, but he’s worked alongside country music veterans such as Dolly Parton, Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, and until recently, he served as a member of the band Sideline. An accomplished musician in his own right, Hudson recently launched his own solo career with a new CD, Next New Heartbreak, noting that his time with Carolina Road was an education in itself.

“I had always been a fan of their music growing up and seen them at live shows,” Hudson explained about his early affinity of Carolina Road. “Lorraine always would invite me up

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to play or jam with them so she kind of took me under her wing. There’s always been a great bond between the band and me. We have a great friendship that goes back for years, and I wouldn’t trade for anything. We have made some great music together, and I’m thankful for all the opportunities that Lorraine and the guys have given me over the years.”

Having learned a lot by working with top notch musicians and producers in country music, Hudson credits his period working in Dollywood and soaking up that wholesome family atmosphere as a time of great lessons in his career, as well as his life.

“Being a part of Dolly’s brother Randy’s band for years, as well as Dolly and her family, was a big highlight for me in my career. They have such a great understanding for the music industry, how it works, and what it takes to make it work. I am close friends with the Parton family and I appreciate everything Dolly, Randy and all of them have done for me. Dollywood is known as the friendliest place in the Smokies, and I can tell you personally, it’s just that. I’m so blessed to have been a part of such a great team, and also thankful that Dolly thought enough of me to be a part of my new CD as well.” Dolly appears on Hudson’s album on a song called “Appalachian Memories” Hudson said that the decision to leave the band Sideline and go solo was not a difficult one. “Going into it, I was upfront that my goal was to do my own thing one day. I was in the process of signing my first record deal with Pinecastle Records when I joined the band.

“It just came to the point that I needed to focus on me, and my career that was getting busier as time went on. I prayed about it and it worked itself out for me to part from the band, and as a result, doors opened that wouldn’t have if I had stayed, so I’m very grateful for the support that I’ve received going forward in this new venture.’

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Hudson also noted that, as with all material, some songs go over better than others, but he has his favorites to play live. “I love playing something with a great groove and that moves well,” he admitted, “and I’d have to say my favorite one to play live right now is ‘I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound’ – but they are all fun to play live, and I really enjoy seeing folks reaction to our music.”

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by Susan Marquez From the time he was in his mother’s womb in Walnut Cove, North Carolina, Alan Bibey was exposed to bluegrass music. “My dad played in a band with my mother’s brothers, and they attended fiddler’s conventions most weekends, usually in school houses, and usually within a two-to-three hour drive,” says Bibey. I remember hearing bluegrass greats such as Wes Golding, Tony Rice and Jimmy Arnold when I was a toddler and they were in their teens.”

When he was just five years old, Bibey’s father took him to hear Bill Monroe. “My dad held me on his shoulders so I could see. I told him on the ride home that I wanted to play like Bill Monroe.” Bibey started playing mandolin at that time, with his father teaching him the chords. “I started chopping in time from the start. I guess kids are like a sponge when they’re so young.” Bibey entered his first contest at age eight. “I remember standing behind my dad’s band and trying to figure out the chords.”

Bibey recalls an older cousin who helped him out along the way. “Everyone starts out playing for fun, because it’s just that – fun.

He taught me a lot about how to play, how to hold my hands, and things like that.

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“I thought he was great, and he told me he wanted to be the best mandolin player in the world. I thought about it and said, no, I want to be best mandolin player in the world!” And whether it was a conscious decision or not, Bibey put his mind to being the very best mandolin player he could be.

In time, Bibey’s dad switched to banjo, and Bibey played along with the band for a while, and recorded an album, Southern Tradition, with him when he was just 12 years old. When he was barely 14, Bibey joined a regional Alan and Ronnie Bowman band called Interstate Exchange.

“Sammy Shelor would come pick me up and we’d do shows on the weekends.” He still participated in fiddle conventions and contests, and in 1982, he was chosen to compete at the World’s Fair in Knoxville. “They picked the top winners from the biggest contests and I went and won first place.” That same year his life came full circle as he began playing with Wes Golding and Sure-Fire.

“Wes and I played in Roanoke, Virginia, where I met Jimmy Haley and Terry Baucom of Quicksilver, one of the hottest bluegrass bands at the time. There was some re-arranging and I was asked to play in the New Quicksilver band. At that time, in 1985, I was going to college studying computer programming and working.

I quit all that to play with that band for two or three years before there was a lawsuit over the name of the band.” Bibey started working part time and played around where he could until 1990 when he was a founding member of IIIrd Tyme Out with Russell Moore, Mike Hartgrove, Ray Deaton, and Terry Baucom.

He played with the band for three years and three albums.

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For the past twelve years, Bibey has toured with his own band, Alan Bibey and Grasstowne.

Throughout his career, music has taken Bibey around the world. For over twenty years he has taught at some of the best music camps worldwide. He noticed that each year leading up to the Grass Valley Bluegrass Festival in California, there was a music camp for both kids and adults.

“I thought about it and the Ocean Lakes Bluegrass Festival is not far from my home in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. “I did my first mandolin camp there two years ago and it was a big success. We now have a core group of twenty to thirty musicians who come each year. We are looking forward to the third camp August 22-24, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I learn as much as the students do. The more I learn, the more I see I can learn.”

An empty-nester now, Alan lives with his wife and dog. He has one daughter who is a nurse in Winston-Salem, and another who is a vet tech in Wilmington. “They weren’t interested in music much growing up, probably because they were sick of hearing it! But they have come to understand and appreciate what I do.”

websites: Alan Bibey

Grasstowne

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We Banjo 3 Speaks an International Language with Feel-good “Celtgrass”

By Kara Martinez Bachman Music: it’s the universal language. According to Enda Scahill — tenor banjo player and vocalist with We Banjo 3, of Galway, Ireland — that language is understood on both sides of the pond and well beyond. Whether the gig is in Japan or in Ireland or in the American west, the reception is the same and the feel-good vibe needs no translation.

“I think what we have found is, no matter where you go in the world,” Scahill explained, “once you get past culture differences, everyone wants the same thing in life.”

Songs such as the band’s infectious single, “Happiness,” aim to speak to the essential goals and moods of all people. Scahill said one of their tunes, called “Don’t Let Me Down,” deals with the topic of depression, something people of all cultures and nations can understand.

He said after shows, people come up to the band and mention how they relate to that particular song. No matter where they're playing, the emotions are understood.

Once, he observed people in the audience that he knew for a fact had opposing political views. One was a Republican, one a Democrat, and “the two of them are singing [the song] ‘Happiness’ side-by-side, at the tops of their voices.”

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The band — which right now books about 80 or 90 performance dates a year — consists of two sets of siblings. Enda Scahill takes care of tenor banjo and vocals, while his brother, Fergal Scahill, plays fiddle, viola, dobro, percussion, guitar, mandolin and vocals. The other set of brothers includes Martin Howley on tenor banjo, mandolin and vocals, and David Howley, with lead vocals and guitar.

The music is different from much of what you’ll hear out on the bluegrass circuit; they’re credited with the creation of the hybrid folk genre of “Celtgrass.” It’s kind of an amalgam, where Scruggsstyle picking is combined with traditional Celtic music. When they started out, Scahill said, “it was very much Celtic music,” but as time went on and they became more versed in bluegrass and Americana, something new was born.

“We bridge the gap between Irish music and bluegrass music,” Scahill said.

One difference between the styles is the actual banjos used in the two traditions; they’re not the same.

“The fundamental difference is a bluegrass banjo has five strings,” Scahill said, and the tuning is different. “I’m playing a four-string banjo that is played like a fiddle.”

He said also that “a 4-string Irish banjo in its native setting will play like a mandolin.”

He said he eventually began to adopt some of the cross-picking of the Scruggs style that’s used in bluegrass.

Scahill — who as a solo musician has recorded with Ricky Skaggs and guested with The Chieftains — has even authored two 56

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books on Irish banjo techniques.

This year, We Banjo 3 will spend five months touring the U.S. “The market in America is so strong,” he said. “We have decided for the next couple of years, we’re just gonna focus on the U.S.” He mentioned an upcoming appearance at MerleFest, happening in North Carolina at the end of April.

The band has just finished a new album, which is due for release in July. It will have 11 tracks of new music.

“It’s called ‘Haven,’ because music is a haven for people perhaps now more than ever,” he explained. “It’s completely self-written, which is a first for us.”

Scahill said he thinks folk music is enjoyed because “it is very connected to people.” He said Celtic folk music has been passed down “generation to generation to generation.”

Although bluegrass is a newer style, it’s being handed down in much the same way. The blending of these two folk forms may be looked down upon by pure traditionalists, but the marriage really is a natural.

With this universal language, We Banjo 3 have one main goal.

“We’re gonna entertain,” Scahill said. “We’re gonna try to connect... and on a soulful level, as well.”

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Young Heart, Old Soul

By Shelby Campbell Eighteen-year-old young bluegrass musician Garrett Newton has already had the honor of singing onstage with artists like Kenny Ingram and James King due to Garrett’s Scruggsstyle banjo picking that radiates from the stage. He may not have many years of bluegrass experience under his belt, but he’s backed by some of the finest pickers in the business, and, together, they highlight some of the best bluegrass music has to offer.

Their latest album, Young Heart, Old Soul, was recorded on Pinecastle Records, and showcases how young talent paired with veteran musicians produce something that sounds as pure as gold.

A gifted banjo player from North Carolina, Garrett began attending local bluegrass picking sessions at a young age and quickly became engrossed with the sound.

“My love of bluegrass came in how I was raised and what I grew up listening to with my grandparents,” Garrett said.

Devoting significant time to learning the history of bluegrass and listening to recordings, a truly traditional style of bluegrass music shows in The Garrett Newton Band’s sound and the drive of their banjo playing.

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Several years ago, Garrett approached Lorraine Jordan of Carolina Road at a performance and asked to play banjo for her. Lorraine was so impressed that she took Garrett under her wing and eventually helped him form The Garrett Newton Band — playing bass and serving as Garrett’s agent and producer.

Although Garrett is the focus of the band, bass player Lorraine is affectionately known in the bluegrass community as the lady of tradition. She grew up around bluegrass music on the coast of North Carolina and has been performing for over twenty years.

Lorraine has won many awards, including 2015 SPBGMA Traditional Female Vocalist, IBMA Songwriting Showcase Finalist, and First Runner Up in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest.

Daniel Aldridge, the mandolin player, was inspired to play bluegrass music by listening to IIIrd Tyme Out. At the age of fifteen, he first put his fingers to strings and never looked back. Daniel, just out of high school, joined his first band, Constant Change, in 2003 and has been a part of many bands and performances before joining The Garrett Newton Band. Lead guitarist Parks Icenhour began his journey in bluegrass as a young boy — playing guitar and mandolin with his dad, who played the banjo. In 1971, he met Glen Dyer — father of Allen Dyer, guitarist for The Garrett Newton Band — and they have been picking together as the Brothers N Bluegrass for over 45 years. Guitarist Allen obviously was introduced to bluegrass music at a young age by his father, one of the Brothers N Bluegrass. He spent a lot of time with his dad at bluegrass festivals and began playing himself at the age of twelve. Fiddle player Chris Hill recently joined The Garrett Newton band after twenty years with The Grass Cats, who had 4 #1 hits on the Bluegrass Unlimited Charts.

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Last year, The Garrett Newton Band and its members snagged six nominations at the IBMA Awards, solidifying their place among new bands and making a name in the bluegrass community with their first solo album release, Young Heart, Old Soul. This project is an impressive feat for such a young artist. The album offers some fine picking all around — but the banjo work truly shines.

What’s next for this newly-minted bluegrass band, you might ask? They will be joining some of the best bluegrass bands in January of 2019 for Danny Stewart’s Bluegrass Cruise.

The cruise will travel from Florida to the Bahamas and will feature bands such as Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers and Monroe Crossing.

“The whole band is looking forward to the cruise, because it’s like a vacation!” said Garrett.

“And it’s doing what we love at the same time. To visit different countries and play music with great friends is the best of both worlds.”

For more information on how to book a spot on the cruise, call 570-721-2760!

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Back Porch: The Lure and Lore of The Loar

by Mike Bentley In a world where choices are so abundant, it doesn't take very much

effort to put ourselves within arm's length of most things that we desire. Some folks like hamburgers, others prefer hot dogs, one wants pizza while yet another may even choose bologna, but regardless of one's preference, it can normally be easily obtained. Technology has advanced to a point, that even those of us who grew up without internet, computers or smart phones, rely on technology heavily today for more things than many of us really care to admit.

It appears that most of us these days have the mentality of looking for the newest, biggest, and most up to date, but seem to very rarely look to the "old school" to find the best. But as with nearly everything, there are exceptions to the rule, which seems to clearly be the case with the lion's share of musicians when it comes to the most longed for instruments.

In this day and time, the possibilities seem endless when searching for a high-quality musical instrument. With so many ultratalented luthiers building tremendous products, one would think that we shouldn't have any trouble finding "the one". Even so, most of us still look to the past when deciding whether or not our uppermost expectations have been, or can be, met.

When discussing mandolins, there is one such bar that was set very high, and that was the Gibson Master Model F-5 Lloyd Loar signed mandolins, a.k.a. a "Loar".

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Lloyd Allayre Loar, worked for the Gibson

company for a brief period in the early 1920's, and though his time at Gibson may seem short, he made numerous contributions. Quite possibly the most recognizable, and popular, to this day, being the Master Model F-5 mandolins. In one Gibson advertisement for The Master Mandolin Style F-5 it was said to be "The Wonder Instrument of the Age", and most mandolin players would probably agree.

Mr. Loar brought some unique ideas to the development of the F-5, some of which may have been borrowed from the violin, such as the f-holes, as opposed to the oval sound hole of the previous F-4 model, and tone-bar bracing. A short time before the mandolins were brought to market, other items such as an adjustable truss rod and a height-adjustable bridge was added by Gibson. The F-5's also used a longer neck than previous models, to give players easier access to the higher frets.

These are only a few of many important features that helped to make the F-5 so very different from earlier models. If you have the opportunity to hear one of these mandolins in person, the big, powerful tone and volume speak for themselves. However, it's obvious to the bluegrass community that there is another factor that made them so very popular and sought after.

His name was Bill Monroe.

It has been reported that Mr. Monroe was walking past a barber shop in Florida, sometime in the early 1940's, when he saw a mandolin in the window for sale with the price tag of $150.00. He went in and bought the mandolin, which turned out to be a Lloyd Loar signed F-5, and the rest as they say, is history, and in this particular case, it literally became history.

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Monroe's Gibson mandolin tagged with the Serial Number 73987, and signed and dated July 9, 1923, is unquestionably the most popular mandolin that has ever been played on a bluegrass stage, and arguably, the most well-known mandolin in history.

In December 1945, Bill Monroe, with his "Loar" in hand stepped onto the stage of the Ryman Auditorium, along with his band The Bluegrass Boys, consisting of Earl Scruggs on banjo, Lester Flatt on guitar, Chubby Wise on fiddle and Howard Watts (also known as Cedric Rainwater) on bass, and the American music form which would later become known as Bluegrass, was born. Bill Monroe was definitely one of the most innovative and original musicians who has ever lived, and without a doubt, his "Loar" made a huge impact on the sound and style that he created and continued creating and improving upon until his death on September 9, 1996.

It has been said that Gibson only shipped about 250 of these Loar signed mandolins, and surprisingly, the vast majority of those mandolins, approximately 175, have been discovered. Needless to say, because of the limited production of the Loar signed F-5's, we likely won't get to see very many of these mandolins up close and personal. However, I am privileged to get to perform in the band, Alan Bibey and Grasstowne, and perform alongside Alan, who is one of the finest mandolin players in the world, and he just so happens to play a Gibson Master Model F-5 Lloyd Loar mandolin. I get to feel the power and tone of this amazing instrument on a regular basis, and it never disappoints.

I asked Alan to share the story of how he came to own his "Loar", just to get an idea of how rare a find like this really is. He says, "A veterinarian, Phillip Scotten, from Asheboro, North Carolina, called me when I was about 22 years old, and wanted to come and take a mandolin lesson from me. When he came to take the lesson, he opened up the case, and there was the "Loar".

We became friends and I spoke with him from time to time. Around 1997 when we recorded the first Blue Ridge band project, another friend of mine, Herschel Sizemore, who usually had a Loar for sale, had one that he had offered to sell to me, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Herschel let me play that mandolin on the Blue Ridge album, and after that, I decided I'd start trying to find one for myself.

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It went for a while that I hadn't spoken with Phillip, so after the Blue Ridge record, I gave him a call to see if he wanted to sell his mandolin, and he told me that it was good that I called and that he had been keeping up with my music, and he'd really like for me to have his mandolin. I told him that was great because I'd really like to have it!"

The mandolin had been stored away in a vault for nearly 8 years, and hadn't been played. Alan says, "It took a while for me to get everything worked out to be able to buy it, but I was finally able to get it, so that's how I came to own the mandolin." Because the old mandolin hadn't been played for so long, Alan told me, "You couldn't hear the mandolin across the room, the sound had really went to sleep, which seems to happen with a lot of older instruments that aren't played consistently." He added that even though the mandolin was "sleeping", he could still hear the tone that he was looking for.

When asked about how the mandolin lived up to his expectations, he told me that it took about a year for the sound to come back out of it, and that it took him about that amount of time to really become comfortable playing it. "For a while, it was a challenge to play the mandolin onstage, because it wasn't as loud on stage as other mandolins I was accustomed to playing." Bibey states that, "Once the sound came out of it, it really exceeded all of my expectations. The more I've gotten used to it, and the more I've played it, after having it now for approximately 20 years, it's just a great instrument that I really love playing!"

It almost goes without saying that anyone who plays an instrument of this caliber, would most likely have even more reason, and desire, to delve a little deeper into the origins of that particular instrument.

Bibey states that something he feels is important to keep in mind is that, "The F-5 mandolins were produced in the era of the mandolin orchestras. That was a big thing back then, and the mandolins were made for the soloist to play because the sound of the "Loar" stood out, and had no problem reaching the back of the venues."

As exciting, and sometimes scary, as it is living in such an advanced world with nearly every "newer and better" option available, I hope to keep in mind that sometimes the older things are just as good, and many times, still the very best choice.

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April Festivals & Events

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Dates

Event

Location

April 5-7

Florida State Bluegrass Festival

Perry, FL

April 6-8

WinterWonderGrass

Squaw Valley, CA

April 6-8

Cabin Fever Festival

Duluth, MN

April 12-14

Big Lick Bluegrass Festival

Oakboro, NC

April 12-15

Bender Jamboree

Las Vegas, NV

April 13-14

Nelson McGee Memorial Bluegrass Festival

San Angelo, TX

April 13-15

Marana Bluegrass Festival

Marana, AZ

April 13-15

Georgia State Bluegrass Festival

Folkston, GA

April 13-15

River Falls Roots & Bluegrass Festival

River Falls, WI

April 18-22

Daughters of Bluegrass Festival

Guyton, GA

April 19-22

Old Settler's Music Festival

Lockhart, TX

April 20-22

Durango Bluegrass Meltdown

Durango, CO

April 21

Fort Cooper Bluegrass Festival

Inverness, FL

April 21

Ladies of Bluegrass Music Festival

Green Bay, WI

April 21

Lone Star Fest

Arlington, TX

April 21-22

Bear on the Square Mountain Festival

Dahlonega, GA

April 26-29

Merlefest

Wilkesboro, NC

April 27-28

Charm City Bluegrass Festival

Baltimore, MD

April 27-28

Kilgore Station Bluegrass Festival

Cross Plains, TN

April 27-28

Upper East Tennessee Fiddler's Convention

Flag Pond, TN

April 29

American Legion Bluegrass: Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show

Hughesville, MD

ongoing: Fridays

Friday Bluegrass Night Blue Cypress Bluegrass

Fellsmere, FL

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May Festivals & Events Dates

Event

Location

May 3-5

Little Roy & Lizzy Music Festival

Lincolnton, GA

May 3-5

Mr. B's Bluegrass Festival

Woodford, VA

May 12

Hollywood Bluegrass Festival

Leonardtown, MD

May 17-20

Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival

Gettysburg, PA

May 19

Baldcypress Bluegrass Festival

Frankford, DE

May 20

Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival

Agoura Hills, CA

May 24-26

Lil John's Mountain Music Festival

Snow Camp, NC

May 24-26

Dr. Ralph Stanley Bluegrass Festival

Coeburn, VA

May 24-27

DelFest

Cumberland, MD

May 24-27

Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival

Wind Gap, PA

May 25-27

Chantilly Farm Bluegrass & BBQ Festival

Floyd, VA

May 31-Jun 2

Graves Mountain Festival of Music

Syria, VA

May 31-Jun 3

NEPA Bluegrass Festival

Tunkhannock, PA

May 31-Jun 3

Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival

Preston, CT

ongoing: Fridays

Friday Bluegrass Night Blue Cypress Bluegrass

Fellsmere, FL

For links to full info, check out our Events tab at TheBluegrassStandard.com!

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April 13 and 14 , 2018 th

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Suits, Boots & Bluegrass

fan photos

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Next Month… from the Publisher's desk

We are truly looking forward to next months “Stars Behind The Stars” issue, an in-depth look at the professionals behind the scenes, who make it possible for the stars to stand in front of the microphone and perform.

We had a great time at the ICC Bluegrass Night and The Mississippi Bluegrass Reunion! Look for coverage of those events next month…

Remember if you spot one of us at a festival or bluegrass event, don't be a stranger!

The Stars Behind the Stars July Special Focus: Recording Studios and as always, so much more!

Keith Barnacastle — Publisher

Shop our website for The Bluegrass Standard gear!

Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook!

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