The Bluegrass Standard - Desktop Edition - Volume 2, Issue 5

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INSIDE: Jerry Salley  Aaron Wilburn  Donna Ulisse  Fanny Crosby  Shallow Creek  a tribute to Bill Monroe  and much more! ...

d r a d n a t

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Featuring

Mike Compton Mandolinist

Volume 2 ~ Issue 5

Strug The B gling to l r u ead e g rass on an Stand itty b ard itty s creen ?

The Bluegrass Standard The Bluegrass Standard magazine is published monthly.

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Th e Blu e gr as s S t a nd ard S t a f f This month's Guest Writers: Sophia Davis and Daniel Wile 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.

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Mike Compton

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Donna Ulisse

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Aaron Wilburn

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Jason Gallimore

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Colorado College Bluegrass Workshop

28

Jerry Salley THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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Shallow Creek

35

Dave Peterson

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Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars:

Carson Peters

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Sherry England Brown

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Mississippi Bluegrass Reunion

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a special tribute to

Bill Monroe THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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Turning Ground

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Norman Adams

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Lil John's Mountain Music Festival

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Josh Swift

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Back Porch: Fanny Crosby

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Festival Guide

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Suits, Boots & Bluegrass

fan photos THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

Mike Compton, modern mandolin master

by Richelle Putnam THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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He’s been called a modern master of bluegrass mandolin, a certified mandolin icon, the George Patton of the mandolin, and a bluegrass instrumental hero.

Mike Compton is all of that.

He’s also a genuinely nice guy.

“As far as being hero material, I don’t know,” said Compton, who was born in Meridian, Mississippi, the home of Jimmie Rodgers. “I’ll just have to accept the compliment and be grateful that people enjoy it.”

Compton started out as a trombone player in the Clarkdale (Mississippi) school band before taking up the guitar and playing with his cousin, Jeffrey Moffett. “My greatgranddaddy and his great-granddaddy were the same man. We started hanging out and trying to play hillbilly music.”

Compton picked up a mandolin at age 15. Meanwhile, Moffett had inherited their greatgrandfather’s fiddle that had been stowed away in a closet. “He started playing the fiddle and I started playing the mandolin,” said Compton. “I had an ulterior motive. I thought, I’ll get that thing away from him one of these days. Because the mandolin is tuned the same, I figured I could learn it quicker.”

From the modern revolution of mandolins, according to Compton, evolved a large classical tradition. Classical composers, including Bach, not only had extensive repertoires, but a good body of work for mandolins. Later, Rock & Rollers took advantage of the mandolins. “There are also some brilliant jazz musicians that play mandolins,” such as Jethro Burns of the Homer and THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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Jethro. Dave Apollon, a mandolinist and Russian dancer, worked with Mae West. There were also many black jazz musicians and blues musicians that used mandolins. For Compton, the magnet was Bill Monroe and his mandolin style. The greatest challenge of the mandolin is figuring out what style you want to play, he added. “There are so many different people that are brilliant technicians nowadays. Mandolins can do almost anything.”

In 1977, Compton moved to Nashville and joined banjoist and former Monroe sideman Hubert Davis, with whom Compton made his first recordings. In the 1980s, Compton, along with Pat Enright and Alan O'Bryant, founded the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Later, Compton joined the legendary John Hartford, recording and touring with the Hartford String Band until Hartford’s death in 2001. With David Grier, Compton recorded the IBMA Album of The Year-nominated “Climbing The Walls.” As a Soggy Bottom Boy on the 2001 Grammy Album Of the Year, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, he performed on the Grammy-winning Down From The Mountain soundtrack and tours, and on the Cold Mountain soundtrack and tours. In 2006, his “Stomp” recording with mandolinist David Long was nominated for the IBMA's Recorded Event of The Year.

More than a master player, Compton has become a teacher who feels more like a coach.

“Over the years I’ve talked to a number of teachers,” said Compton, “and I’ve tried to follow their format to teach the same information in as many different ways as I can.”

If it’s not convincing, said Compton, people tend to not want to pay attention. “I try to listen to what people are saying and identify the way they learn and zero in on aspects they need to work on.” Compton uses the rote method, which is repetition until you get it right. “That’s the way I learn and it’s really a slow way of doing it and takes a long time.”

In addition to the rote method, Compton uses standard notation and tablature, as well as video. “It depends on the person or persons I’m teaching, and how they learn.” He presents information in several formats, depending on the student and the level of the student.

Thanks to the Internet, anyone in the world, from Tasmania to Switzerland to Germany, can take lessons from Compton.

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“I taught a lady who was originally in India, and then she was in Japan, and then she was in Vermont, and now I think she’s moved to West Virginia,” said Compton. “I just picked up a student in Ireland, and I have a new student who lives in Kodiak, Alaska.

His goal as a teacher is to teach students to be themselves. “Everyone has a hero that they want to emulate,” he said. John Hartford once told him to “be yourself and believe in the sounds that you hear.

People can spot a phony from the back row.” Compton stressed not being too critical of yourself. “If the music is coming from your heart and your muse, that’s the best place to be.”

From his years of playing, performing, and teaching, Compton believes that music is the best education in the world. “It truly is the universal language that communicates with everyone, a form of communication that crosses all boundaries.” His greatest discovery, however, is that people around the world are pretty much the same. “They look different, they sound different… but that’s about it.”

Honored in 2002 with a special resolution by the Mississippi State Senate for his accomplishments, Compton remembers when Mississippi Senator Videt Carmichael was the one player who could actually play football when Compton was going to school.

“He could run fast and really play. I didn’t have any idea he played mandolin until the resolution came around.”

If Compton had to give up mandolin and play another instrument, he would choose the fiddle.

“I love holding it under my chin and just scraping on it.”

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DONNA

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ULISSE

Donna Ulisse knows how to string words together to create the lyrics that made her a key figure on the bluegrass, folk and acoustic music scenes. She does such a good job of it that she received the 2016 IBMA Songwriter of the Year, and her song “I Am a Drifter,” recorded by Volume Five, won the 2017 IBMA Song of the Year.

Just this year, Ulisse was named SPBGMA Songwriter of the Year. “I always thought awards were nice, but I didn’t need one to do what I love.

However, after getting some awards, I realize it really does make a difference. I’m grateful for the acknowledgement.”

by Susan Marquez THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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BACK PORCH She laughs. “I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing songs. I started writing around the fourth grade and I’ve never stopped!” The Hampton, Virginia native says she loved growing up on the east coast. “I loved the water, so that was something I missed when I moved to Nashville, but I’ve been in Tennessee for 32 years now—longer than I lived in Virginia!”

Ulisse's career grew organically. Her family loved music, and one of her great uncle’s friends was the great Ray Edenton, who, from 1953 through retirement in 1991, played on many important country music albums. He is also in the Studio Musician Hall of Fame at RCA Studio B. “He knew my parents, and when I was ten or 11, we went to Nashville to cut a demo. Chip Young, the producer, told my parents we needed to move to Nashville.”

Ulisse became a staple on country music shows, including being a guest on RFD-TV’s Simply Bluegrass show hosted by Ricky Skaggs. She also did a month-long stint in 2016 14

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as host of Bluegrass Ridge, a video television show on Heartland TV network, which has several of her videos in regular rotation. “I loved country, but my father-in-law begged me to get into bluegrass. I’m glad I did.” Ulisse says she thought bluegrass would be easy. “It sounds simple, but it’s really very difficult. I like that challenge.”

In Nashville, Ulisse wrote for the Hadley Music Group which morphed into a recording company to record her songs. She ended up purchasing the company along with her friend, Kathy Anderson. “I had also signed with Mountain Home Records, with Doyle Lawson as a producer. “I love the perspective he brings to my work. He takes it to a different level. I’m learning all the time.”

She also teaches at the Lil House in Lebanon, Tennessee, where she lives with her husband, Rick Stanley and teaches with fellow songwriter/musician Jerry Salley. The trio teach a master class ten times a year for a small group of four to six students.

“I think of Lil House as my miracle. As a child, I used to tell people I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. Well, years later, God sent me to teach. When I saw this place, I told Rick that we were going to write songs in this place. Well, we also help others do the same.”

photo: Sandlin Gaither THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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Ulisse says that students leave the two-day workshops exhausted. “It’s intense. I learned my craft at the knees of the best. I try to recreate that experience for the students who come here. We have a 92% return rate, so we must be doing something right!”

Ulisse says she finds inspiration everywhere. “I was born to be an observer of life. I think it’s important for songwriters to stay in a state of awareness. That keeps me in a state of inspiration. It’s like being in a constant state of readiness. It’s something I have to work on every day.” She says sometimes the words just flow, but other times she labors over a song for a long time. “The song Come to Jesus Moment took two years to write. It was like fitting a square peg into a round hole. I’ve had to learn when to walk away for a while and revisit a song later.”

For a long time, all of Ulisse’s songs were written on a piano. “I wrote a song with Claire Lynch who said, ‘girl, get you a guitar!’ So I did. Rick showed me six good chords and how to use a capo.” Now she writes almost all her songs on a guitar. “I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time, but that’s what gives my music a little sumthin’-sumthin’!”

About five years ago, Ulisse realized how blessed she truly is.

“We were touring, riding in a Ford 12-passenger van, pulling a trailer with all our instruments and equipment.” The van slid on an icy overpass and began to turn over. The trailer whipped around and the weight of it balanced out the van. “I was certain I was going to die, and I was sad because I was two rows away from my husband and couldn’t hold his hand.”

No one in the van was injured, but all the instruments were lost. “I realized right away that life is short, and we can’t take a single day for granted.”

That outlook most certainly flavors Ulisse’s songs. “Life is good.”

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Songwriter Aaron Wilburn Finds the Laughs in Everyday Life

by Kara Martinez Bachman Country, gospel and folk songwriter and comedian Aaron Wilburn is an expert at making jokes about everything from relationships gone bad to the temptations of a warm glazed Krispy Kreme donut.

Not only can he make you relate by telling stories about his southern roots, but he can make you smile hard and leaves sweet feelings behind in his wake.

Few people can claim to have 18 million YouTube hits, but Wilburn can rightfully brag. Just do an internet search and you’ll see why he’s so much in demand at corporate and church events.

A Dove Award winner and Grammy nominee, Wilburn lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, but is a native of Bobo, Alabama. And yes, that’s a humorous name for a hometown, a perfect match for a funnyman with a voice as cute and distinctive as Wilburn’s.

develop.”

“My dad had a tremendous sense of humor,” Wilburn said. His grandfather did as well. “But this was not anything that I ever tried to work on or

At the beginning, back when he started in the 1970s, he said he was “still very shy.”

“I have made my living writing songs,” he said, “up until the last ten years, when I started doing comedy.

“I’ve had songs recorded by Lee Greenwood, and probably a dozen or 15 country artists.

The Oak Ridge Boys have recorded my songs,” he said. “A gospel song I wrote in the ‘70s, ‘What a Beautiful Day for the Lord to Come Again,’ went to number one for 13 months and was song of the year,” he said.

At some point, he started to get over his shyness.

“I started telling road stories and then stories from my childhood, and then one thing led to another,” he said, of his evolution as a comic and getting noticed as much for his funniness as his songwriting.

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Eventually, Bill Gaither caught wind of what Wilburn had been up to. “I hear you’re doing some funny stuff these days,” he’d told Wilburn, and signed him up as a performer.

“For two-and-a-half years, I traveled on the Gaither Homecoming Tour,” Wilburn said. “It was a tremendous time for me.”

Now, he makes audiences smile with tunes such as the new “Got My Dysfunctional Radar On,” which pokes fun at relationships gone bad, or “The Diet Song,” a funny look at the many weight loss schemes most of us have tried at some point in time.

The smiles are obvious on faces in the audience when he sings lines such as: This dieting, dieting, dieting, dieting, sure is a rough way to die.

“It’s so natural,” he said, of writing humor. “And it’s not work for me.”

Wilburn sketches out his routine before a gig, but sometimes makes a spur-of-themoment decision to ad-lib. “If the audience is feeding me,” he said, “I can do a 45-minute set and just go with it and not touch my plans.”

Wilburn is known for presenting comedy that isn’t offensive or vulgar. It’s rare in this day and age, and he’d have it no other way. “If vulgarity and unacceptable words are the only thing that make someone laugh, then they would not laugh at my concerts,” he said. “I never try to be mean, I never try to offend.”

He said he gets material from everyday events.

“Life is funny, and a lot of funny things happen.”

He’s of course recorded a half-dozen or so CDs, a mix of serious and comedic music.

The titles give a peek into the humor that might be found inside. There’s a CD called O Blessed Tail Lights, and another called Is That What You’re Wearing? He’s got several DVDs of his performances, and even a book with piano and guitar chords for 16 of his songs.

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Wilburn has a pretty heavy touring schedule, averaging 12 to 14 dates a month. His shows are probably popular for corporate events because they offer no off-color material and are based in simple ideas everyone can relate to. They also offer variety.

“In a 45-minute to an hour program, I’ll be doing 25 minutes of standup, 15 of humorous song, and a couple of songs that have become classics,” he said.

His home region has honored him, and he seems rightfully proud of his connections to his southern heritage.

“They have an exhibit on my life in the Alabama Hall of Fame,” he explained. He’s also been told there are plans to “officially” induct him, but he’s just too busy making people laugh to worry about that. When asked what his plans are, he’s clear as a bell.

“I’m gonna just continue doing what I’m doing,” he said, no doubt much to the relief of the millions of fans who have clicked through to spend time with him on YouTube.

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Down on the Farm Year after Year, Chantilly Farm’s Jason Gallimore Raises the Bar For Festival Events Jason Gallimore is a name you’ll hear a lot around the Chantilly Farm Bluegrass & BBQ Festival, but he’s not a musician. As the director of marketing at Chantilly Farms, he does so much more. We thought it best to give him a ring and find out just what it takes to put on the upcoming festival in Floyd, Virginia this month.

Where did you grow up, and what brought you to Chantilly Farms?

I grew right here in Floyd, Virginia and after spending most of my adulthood away from Floyd, I returned to the area in 2010. Shortly after returning I had the opportunity to join in on the Chantilly Farm project at the ground level. It's been an exciting journey and has been a truly remarkable experience to watch the growth of the venue over the last few years.

What is your main job with this festival, and what is the most challenging part of your Chantilly Farm duties?

I wear many hats, which is very common in the events industry, but my primary focus is to oversee much of the event planning, marketing and relationshipbuilding for the venue. An average day for me ranges from booking and executing performance contracts, coordinating advertising and social media, working with food and craft vendors, showing the venue to potential rental clients, analyzing past events in preparation for future events, budgeting and answering a lot of email, texts and calls. I would have to say that the most challenging aspect would be the constant juggling of so many contacts and methods of communication.

In addition to the bluegrass festival, a number of other large-scale events take place

by Stephen Pitalo THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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at the farm including the Floyd Auto Fair, Floyd Energy Fest, Cirque du Floyd, Floyd Livestock & County Fair and many camping related events. While many of these of these events are produced by other organizations who have partnered with Chantilly Farm, there's a constant year-round effort to communicate as best we can with the various event organizers, service providers and fans. This can be quite a challenge, but it can also be very exciting as each day is so different from the next.

This festival is eight years old now.

What keeps people coming back each year?

I think the reasons that fans return year after year differ from one fan to the next, but based on feedback that we've received over the years, I think fans appreciate that we do our best to provide great customer service, a great lineup, a clean venue and an overall experience that they'll remember for years to come. We're always adding new features to the festival. This year we're adding more ambient/atmospheric lighting to the festival and adding a stage-side beer and wine garden. While we book some of the hottest artists in bluegrass on any given year, we also make a constant effort to involve local musicians and we support youth talent who we feel are the future of traditional mountain music. We've stepped a bit out of the box of traditional bluegrass festivals by adding some progressive bluegrass into the mix in an effort to appeal to a wider audience. In addition, we feature a large number of arts and crafts vendors, a wide variety of food, children’s activities, hiking/biking trails and a lot more. It really is a festival that appeals to all ages and we do our best to encourage attendees to bring the entire family.

Why is Chantilly Farms the perfect place for this festival?

The venue has one of the largest outdoor performance stages in the region and it's not uncommon to hear guests say, "wow, this is beautiful", when visiting the venue for the first time. Not only the venue, but this entire region is a truly amazing place to visit. There is so much to see and do nearby including outdoor recreation, wineries, art galleries, unique shops and restaurants, not to mention we're minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway and Crooked Road Music Trail. Even if you aren't able to join us at the festival, we encourage you to visit the Floyd area anytime you have a chance. It's an amazing place with some of the most amazing people you'll ever meet.

What's the secret to keeping your head together during festival time when you are dealing with a million problems at once?

I would have to say that it's important to remember that people are people. You'll never be able to make everyone happy, but you can definitely try. When things don't go as planned, do your best to make decisions that correct the problem in the best way possible while having the least impact on the attendees.

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We always do our best to treat our fans, artists, staff, volunteers, vendors and sponsors, with the utmost respect as we want them to talk about what a wonderful time they had after leaving the festival. There are so many small things that go wrong during an event that won't even be noticed by most of the attendees. So don't stress about it, just step back and think, will this really matter in two days, two weeks or two years? Perhaps most importantly, I know I can rely on a very talented team of staff and volunteers.

What part does community play in organizing and producing your events?

We make our community the center of so much of what we do at Chantilly Farm. Without the ongoing support of the local and regional community, we couldn't continue to do what we do. We routinely partner with local businesses and non-profits either through producing their own events at Chantilly Farm or through having those organizations play important roles in the events. We are part of the Floyd Center for the Arts-Art Works for Us projects in which we install and display outdoor sculptures from local artists; we're an official affiliate venue of The Crooked Road, Virginia's heritage music trail; we were named the 2015 Small Business of the Year by the Floyd County Chamber of Commerce, and have made a constant effort to purchase goods and services from local providers whenever possible. At the end of the day, there's nothing more important to us than our community and we are truly blessed to live, work and play in a place that's as spectacular as Floyd.

Festival fans can be a handful. How do you keep it from getting out of control like some other festivals?

While there have been many crazy "situations" over the years, I would say that an ongoing challenge is to balance the many "fun" and the "family-friendly" aspects of our festival. Over the acres of our venue, there are so many opportunities to let your hair down, to enjoy the natural features and the programmed elements of the weekend.

Especially in the little "camp towns" of the festival, some guests begin to get into "party" mode with games and their beverages of choice, while other campers enjoy more the peace and quiet.

We've created some basic policies to preserve enjoyment at both ends of the spectrum, and that seems to be working so far. We designate quiet and loud camping zones, while virtually impossible to enforce, it conveys an idea, and most guests appreciate the difficult job we have in providing an environment that is able to be enjoyed by all.

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Colorado College Bluegrass Workshop June 26-28, 2018 Debuting this summer under the direction of Keith Reed, Colorado College is offering an intimate 3-day Bluegrass Workshop sparked out of his vision of providing a unique environment offering fundamental knowledge vital to development as a musician. Keith is the banjo, guitar, and bluegrass ensemble teacher with Colorado College’s studio faculty in the Department of Music, a seasoned musician himself, who grew up playing bluegrass touring vastly to include performances at the Ryman Auditorium and the Kennedy Center.

The workshop focus is designed around five domain bluegrass instrumentation and concentrates on attendees (15 and older) who are passionately pursuing to improve their craft. Training is designed to educate attendees and build skills in the areas of instrumental techniques, singing, songwriting, and ensemble performance.

Sessions offered are one on one with an exceptional lineup of bluegrass musicians featuring: Ethan Jodziewiez ◆ Bass www.ethanjodziewicz.com ~ A musician first and foremost, Ethan Jodziewiez (pronounced "yo-JEH-vits") fully embodies the notion that nearly anything is possible on the bass. His zeal, musical omnivorousness, and technical ability allow him to not only thrive in bluegrass, jazz, old-time, funk, symphonic and chamber music but also to push the boundaries of bass playing beyond its traditional roles.

Wes Corbett ◆ Banjo Wes is from Washington State and oddly enough started out on the Suzuki piano at age two till he was 16...until he heard Bela Fleck. After banjo lesson number one it was clear to him, he wanted to be a professional banjo player. Wes since has studied with some of the most talented banjo players in the country. As a banjo player of uncommon grace and facility, he has recorded and toured with numerous high-powered musicians and bands.

by Sophia Davis THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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Sierra Hull ◆ mandolin www.sierrahull.com Sierra Hull began playing the mandolin at the early age of eight, and it was during an IBMA festival that she came to the attention of Rounder Records chief talent scout Ken Irwin. At age 11 she was mentored and befriended by Alison Krauss, herself once a child prodigy on the fiddle. Hull and Krauss, along with Dan Tyminski, performed at the White House in 2011. Hull received the Bluegrass Star Award, presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, in 2013. Two-time IBMA mandolin player of the year and is consistently pushing boundaries beyond bluegrass, chamber, and pop music - a true virtuoso.

Jeff White ◆ guitar www.jeffwhitebluegrass.com Jeff White is a superstar among musicians who make the country, Celtic and Americana bands RESPECT bluegrass skills. He was an early member of Alison Kraus & Union Station, has stood beside Vince Gill providing pedigreed bluegrass singing and guitar skills for decades as well as a member of Lyle Lovett’s Large Band.

Alex Hargreaves ◆ fiddle www.alexhargreaves.net Throughout his career, Alex has received countless honors including the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin from Mark O’Connor’s Strings Conference, and the Alternative Styles Award from the American Strings Teachers Association (ASTA). He is the youngest ever (age 15) to win the Grand Champion division at the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest in Weiser, Idaho, and won the 2009 Grand Masters Fiddle Championship in Nashville. At the 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival, Alex received the Jimmy Lyons Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.

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Space is limited to 25 attendees, with a max of 5 persons to each instructor. The cost is $1,000.00 dollars; which includes housing and three (3) meals per day on the beautiful Colorado College campus located at 14 East Cache la Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903.

To register email kreed@ColoradoCollege.edu or call 719-362-6618. Call soon to secure your enrollment!

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“Life to My Days” with Jerry Salley When one thinks about writing a song or even wanting to write a song with someone, there is one person that comes to mind, Jerry Salley. Jerry has written songs for just about everyone at some point in time, whether they get recorded or not. He is so approachable about collaborating on a project with you that you feel comfortable and at ease when writing together. He has written numerous bluegrass hit songs like ‘Life to My Days”, “The Night Flatt & Scruggs Played Carnegie Hall” and “Front Porch Philosophy”.

Salley has been writing and singing in Nashville, Tennessee since 1982. To date, he has had 300 songs recorded in his career, including ones recorded by Reba McEntire ("I'm Gonna Take That Mountain"), Wild Rose ("Breaking New Ground"), John Anderson ("I Fell in the Water"), Wade Hayes ("How Do You Sleep at Night"), and ten top twenty gospel songs. Salley has had songs recorded by Toby Keith, Patty Loveless, Brad Paisley, Joe Nichols, Darryl Worley, The Whites, Loretta Lynn, and many others. He has performed on the Grand Ole Opry and received numerous awards from the IBMA. Salley is a sixtime Dove Award nominee and won a Dove award in 1990 for Inspirational Song of the Year. He won the award for co-writing "His Strength is Perfect" with Steven Curtis Chapman.

What keeps you doing what you are doing?

Well I just have this real love, I guess, for song writing. My dad played 5 string banjos when I was growing up and he taught me all of my love for bluegrass music. So, I grew up loving bluegrass and gospel like the Lewis family out of Georgia. When I was 10 years old I entered my first piano contest and won first place and that kind of gave me the bug.

When I was 16 I was a huge Tom Teyhall fan and loved the way he put a song together. It was kind of weird for a kid my age, Anyway when I was 16 I wrote my first song no one will ever hear.

by Keith Barnacastle

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What was the name of the song?

“Even though your love is gone”. I guess there is worse out there. I guess the thing that keeps me going is that I have been so blessed and at this point in my career I would not know what else to do anyway. Now I am producing records, have a real passion for writing songs and will continue writing as long as I can hold a pen. I still have a publishing deal. I go down to music row 3-4 times a week and when I am not writing, I am in the studio doing harmonies, demos or producing records for other folks. I play about 80 dates a year along with all the other stuff I do.

Now what keeps you going or gives you that drive to keep you going and write those number one hit songs?

Much of my inspiration comes from life experiences. The hardest songs to write are the ones that do not come from personal experience. My intent is to make someone feel that you have experienced it when you write the song. One of those songs is “Saving Grace” which is about a couple with Alzheimer’s disease. I was not close to it but had friends that were going though it. That changed two years later when my co-writer, Aaron Wilburn and I both had grandmothers who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

We realized at that point how close we were to the song. I get ideas for songs from everywhere. It is really hard to turn it off. It is something one never turns off. Ideas come from driving, billboards, almost anything. I can get ideas for songs and titles wherever I go.

You wrote a song with Cody Farrar of Breaking Grass. How did this come about?

I am a huge fan of Cody’s and love his music. In turn, Cody followed my career and he came to me and told me how much he liked my writing. Cody always writes all of the music for Breaking Grass. He does not have any co-writers. Cody’s mother and I became friends and as a result, I asked Cody about writing a song with him. It is on THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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the new album “Front Porch Philosophy”. The title is “Guitar for a gun”. It was an honor to write this song with Cody.

What’s coming up for you?

I have a multi-artist album in the works to be coming out this year. It is a collection of bluegrass gospel songs by Rick Lang and myself. In addition, I have a couple of Americana albums in the works. I am also currently writing a couple of songs with the Steel Drivers.

What is the most memorable event in your career?

I cannot really pick one event, but having a song in the Baptist Hymnal, playing on the Grand Old Opry the first time, getting to know Porter Wagner, Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl and moving to Nashville. Friendships is what this business is all about. Music has put a lot of life-long friendships together. Having a song recorded by Elton John was incredible.

God has put things in my life that I never thought would happen and has made my life an incredible journey. I am not through with it yet. My dad gave me the love of this music and the gift of being able to write music. I want to write music that touches and moves people as well as myself. I love to perform and go out and play the music that has made my career.

What is the one thing people do not know about you?

My wife Erin could probably tell you a lot that people do not know about me and I wouldn’t want them to know. I worked as a substitute kindergarten teacher. I love to fish and garden and I love to hike. If I weren’t playing music, I would be fishing and hiking. I am very grateful to my family and all of my friends, mom and dad for the way I was raised.

One of things my fans do not know is that I am blind in my left eye. The doctor botched surgery for a retinal detachment. That’s why when I play guitar everybody needs to be careful of my left side.

I am very happy to have produced the first Balsam Range album and Darin and Brooke Aldridge’s first and second album. I like furthering the careers of people I believe in. It is gratifying to me to see them succeed and know that I was, in part, helpful in their success.

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Shallow Creek

by Susan Marquez Farron Moeller is a God-led and God-driven man. “God has been so good to us, and he’s allowed us to honor him in such a fun way.” It all began in a cattle barn on the family farm, Shallow Creek, in Picayune, Mississippi. Farron and his two brothers, Jonathan and Brent, sang when they were milking the cows. “The acoustics in the barn were so good, and we always loved to sing,” Farron says. “And of course, we sang in church.”

Jonathan learned to play the guitar and Brent took up the upright base. “I played a little guitar, but mostly, I sing.” People told the boys they sounded really good, and all they needed were some pickers to round out their sound. “Before we knew it, two pickers contacted us. They lived in the same town and we didn’t know them.” That’s how Kenney Dawsey and Gene Stone, “two of the finest pickers anywhere,” according to Farron, joined the brothers to form Shallow Creek, named for the farm where it all began.

All the while, the Moeller boys were going to three separate schools to become nurses.

Farron spent many years as a critical care nurse in the emergency room. But over time, nursing took a back seat to music and other endeavors.

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The family, who all live on a compound of sorts on the farm, gave up dairy farming, “something we wake up each morning and thank God for,” laughs Farron. Now there are 150 head of beef cattle on the farm. Jonathan is the only one who is still in nursing.

He works as a heart transplant nurse who is on the scene when a heart is being harvested for transplant. Brent left nursing to run a successful beef jerky business, and Farron gave up his nursing career to run for county supervisor of Pearl River County, Mississippi at the urging of some leaders in the community.

As an ER nurse, Farron saw his share of tragedy, but nothing compares to seeing his own son loaded onto a helicopter following a fatal car accident. Jake Moeller was 18 at the time, on his way home from church when a drunk driver hit him head on. Farron was allowed to go into the ER where the team was performing CPR on the boy, who ended up losing his life that day on July 15, 2014.

“Jake went everywhere with us when we toured,” Farron says. “He learned to play the fiddle at an early age and he was really good. Then he picked up the guitar and he was a fantastic picker. He also traveled all over the country on mission trips, which he loved.”

From that tragedy came the No Turning Back Foundation, based on a sticky note Farron’s son Beau found in his brother’s bedroom the night he died. I’ve decided to follow Jesus.

No turning back. “That’s the name of a song, so I don’t know if it’s one he was trying to remember, or his own personal declaration.”

Each year there is a No Turning back Mud Run on the Shallow Creek farm. Last August, the month of Jake’s birthday, 7000 runners assembled to run a 5K obstacle course.

“People love it,” Farron says. “They have a great time, and we raise money to send kids all over the world on mission trips.”

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The farm is also the site of a big singing held on the third Saturday night each October.

“People bring lawn chairs and we build little fires all around to stay warm. There’s lots of food and lots of good singing. People look forward to it all year.”

With six CD’s under their belt, Shallow Creek has been a popular draw at many churches and events around the country. None of the band members has had a formal music education. “Jonathan and Brent are self-taught and they are really good. Kenny and Gene, who have been with us since the beginning, just have a gift. They are fantastic.”

The music they play is Southern Gospel in the bluegrass style. “We often take a country song and turn it into something to honor God. It’s fun to see people’s faces when they recognize a song, then again when they hear what we’ve done to it!” Farron says that at least two or three songs on each CD is original. “We didn’t know what it would be like to release one of our own songs. We released Like Thunder and it went to #4. We got a call from a journalist in the Netherlands who told us it had gone #1 there!”

At one time Shallow Creek was playing somewhere every weekend.

“We’ve slowed down a bit, and now we play about two times a month.

We wore out three buses!” Farron’s wife, Aleta, is the bus driver and she does all the oil changes “because she’s the only one who can fit under the bus.” She also acts as the band’s sound (wo)man. Farron says he’s the lead singer and the front man for the group. And that name of his? “Farron Young was real popular back when I was born, so my parents named me Farron.

It’s something I’ve tried to live down my whole life!”

For more information on Shallow Creek, visit their Facebook page, or give Farron a call at 601-590-3577.

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1946...

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... it was the year Bill Monroe first recorded a bluegrass album, along with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, among others. “That was the invention of bluegrass on record,” states Dave Peterson, who named his band after that fateful year. “They were the upstarts of their day. I suppose bluegrass was the Southeast’s answer to big band and swing. They had to have been influenced by that. They were swinging, bouncing and popping! I’ll bet there were folks who said, ‘just listen to that mess!’”

Dave Peterson and 1946 play bluegrass music in the traditional vein. Members rotate in and out of the band, but some of the regulars are Mike Bubb on bass and Mike Compton on mandolin, and Jeremy and Corina Stephens who alternate on banjo, fiddle and dobro. Others who travel with Peterson or play on albums are Stuart Duncan, Buddy Spicher and Michael Cleveland, who bring their triple fiddle power to the CD, In the Mountaintops to Roam. The hauntingly beautiful title song was co-written by Peterson’s good friend, Julie Lee. “That song was written 13 years ago, and it’s done real well for us,” Peterson says.

“I guess you can call us old-school. I try not to be the old man complaining because he doesn’t like change, and I certainly don’t want to stifle anyone else’s creative expression, but there’s little deviation from bluegrass that can happen and still call it bluegrass. I like my bluegrass in the Monroe-style. I just like that take on it.”

Born and raised in Easton, about thirty miles south of Boston, Peterson was introduced to bluegrass music by some guys he knew from the Assembly of God church. “I heard them play in their living room and I was mesmerized. I wanted to learn more about bluegrass.” He was 12 years old at the time, and by the time he was 13, he was playing the banjo.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Peterson said he found no organizations or outlets for bluegrass music. “I felt that I had found a real treasure. Try growing up in New England and playing southern Appalachian music. People looked at me like I had three heads! I came from a time when bluegrass wasn’t popular. It was a stark departure from anything I’d ever heard. But the reality is that it pre-dates rock ‘n roll and was most likely the influence for rock ‘n roll.”

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decided that to be really serious about his music, he needed to be in Nashville. He made the move and never looked back.

“It’s been a great place for me.”

Once at the Chicago Folk Festival, a guy approached Peterson and described bluegrass as ‘museum music.’ “I had to explain to him that bluegrass was very much alive and vital to those full of life and vitality! The truth is, I like and play all kinds of music when I’m not playing bluegrass. But to me, bluegrass is a special treasure in the United States.”

When pointed out that he doesn’t have much of a Boston accent, Peterson says he lost it along the way “somewhere between Louisiana, Texas and Tennessee.” His phrasing and pronunciation when singing sounds like it is deeply rooted in the deep South.

“Let’s face it,” Peterson muses. “Bluegrass has the guise of hillbilly music. Without that element, it just won’t be right. But it’s so much more sophisticated than most people realize. Bluegrass is the jazz of country music. It’s either bad or real good.”

Dave Peterson and 1946 do bluegrass real good.

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A Bluegrass-Singing Little Big Shot It seems that there are more young bluegrass musicians on the scene these days than ever before. Many of these artists have stepped away from local family groups and transitioned to performing with traveling bands. Among these young talented pickers is Carson Peters, a fiddler from east Tennessee that released a debut album with his band, Carson Peters and Iron Mountain, last year.

Carson Peters

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“The band sounds great, and Carson just keeps getting better all the time,” said Ricky Skaggs of Carson Peters and Iron Mountain. “His fiddle playing and singing is strong and creative.”

Carson is no stranger to the world of bluegrass, beginning to play the fiddle at the young age of three. Along the way, he has played at Bristol Rhythm and Roots, Dollywood’s Bluegrass and BBQ, Asheville’s Bluegrass First Class, Song of the Mountains, Carter Family Fold, and even WDVX’s World Class Bluegrass Concert series. He’s also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno where he sang to well-known actress Betty White.

While a guest on Little Big Shots, Steve Harvey complimented Carson on the honor of playing at the Opry, saying it “doesn’t get any bigger than that” in country music.

“My nerves don’t get any bigger than that either, I was whoo nervous,” said Carson, laughing about his experience.

His dream of playing the Grand Ole Opry came true in 2014 when Ricky Skaggs invited him to perform with his band, Kentucky Thunder. Following this performance, Carson and his band made numerous appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, and Carson made his debut at the Ryman Auditorium performing, once again, with Ricky Skaggs.

Carson, along with band members Ben Marshall (on bass), Eric Marshall (on banjo), Austin Tate (on mandolin), and Jamie Peters, Carson’s father, (on guitar) entertain audiences across the country singing their own take on old-time, bluegrass and gospel music.

While Carson’s name is out front, he is very much a band member alongside the wonderful artists that stand with him. Eric Marshall (banjo player) was born in raised in North Carolina where he loved to sing for most of his life.

In a region known for its traditional and bluegrass music, it was natural for Eric to be drawn to bluegrass. Over the last 20 years, he has held multiple positions in bluegrass bands - from band leader to side musician - but he is best on the banjo.

Ben Marshall, bass player and Eric Marshall’s son, attended his first bluegrass festival at 18-months old.

Many will tell stories of Ben being held on stage as his father would perform. With this bit of inspiration and his God-given talent, Ben quickly became known for his flawless timing in the music he plays.

Mandolin player Austin Tate is only 17-years-old and began playing bluegrass music at eight. He has even had the opportunity to play with legendary artists like Rhonda Vincent.

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Carson’s dad, Jamie, has loved bluegrass since he began playing guitar as a young boy. After a long break from playing, his love for picking was restored when Carson began playing.

These musicians are proud members of Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars, an organization created to support and encourage young bluegrass musicians through excitement, promotion and awareness. This organization helps to promote young artists in order for them to preserve yesterday’s bluegrass music for tomorrow’s generation.

“A ten-inch thick book telling how good Carson is wouldn't begin to describe his talent,” said John Colburn, Chief Excitement & Encouragement Officer of Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars. “Not only is he a fantastic musician, but he is one of the most delightful young gentlemen you will ever meet.”

Carson Peters and Iron Mountain have a busy, exciting year ahead, as they just released their newest album, Praises from the Mountain, in March. Full of new tunes for everyone to enjoy, the band is truly excited for fans to hear their newest project.

To purchase the album, visit the band’s “Using the talent God gave me to make people smile is what it’s all about,” said Carson.

website, or you can grab a copy at one of their live shows.

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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That Lonesome Lady Managing the band Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome isn’t easy, especially when your husband and son are members. Sherry Brown explains how it all works out.

When a wife talks about managing her husband, we picture a smart woman urging her suburban fellow to drag the garbage out to the curb in a timely fashion. However, when we talk about Sherry Brown managing her husband Jeff Brown – and his renown bluegrass band Still Lonesome – we’re talking about the music business.

“Jeff and I work together as far as managing the band,” Sherry explains, “but ultimately he has the final say. Yes, being married can make it a little more challenging when managing a band. However, we have been together for 32 years and married 22 of that, so we have been a team for a long time.”

Not only does Sherry manage a band that counts her husband as a member, their only son Austin plays in Jeff Brown and Still Lonesome (JBSL) as well.

“Normally, I would say that could be a lot more challenging,” Sherry said. “However, Austin is a great person who is way more mature than his age, has a level head and is a phenomenal musician. He is a natural musician. I would say the most challenging part about Austin being in JBSL is the diversity and knowledge that he has in music, which is a great problem to have. He is currently enrolled in a jazz program in college and playing electric guitar while he plays bass in JBSL. At times, that has been a challenge with Jeff being more of a traditionalist, but I feel the right combination has gave them the lonesome sound that Jeff was seeking.”

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Working as a nursing supervisor, Sherry’s management of JBSL formed a second vocation, one that spans the entire history of the band.

“I have been involved since the formation of this band in the summer of 2013,” Sherry declared. “Jeff has played music for 40 years and toured many years professionally, but he became very ill with Crohn's disease when Austin was a month old. As Jeff's health improved and Austin continued to have an interest in music, Jeff decided to form JBSL and go back out on the road to spend that time with Austin. We ultimately look at JBSL as a family venture.”

As most managers do, Sherry wears many hats – from booking to managing to promoting festivals and shows to publicity – generally taking care of whatever needs doing.

“Shortly after starting the JBSL venture, Jeff and I formed Still Blue Entertainment, which was basically a name for marketing JBSL,” Sherry explained. “At the present time, Jeff is handling most of the booking and I assist, but my primary duty is with marketing and publicity for JBSL under Still Blue Entertainment.

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“Don't get me wrong, I am nowhere above asking for a show for the band because I believe in what they are doing. For quite some time, I contemplated growing SBE. I have recently decided to branch out and started handling PR for Kristi Stanley and her fiddle player, so Ashley Davis has come on board to do her booking.”

Don’t get Sherry started on what’s so special about Jeff Brown and Still Lonesome. She loves this band and loves to spread the word on their latest projects.

“JBSL has released 2 bluegrass projects with the first being on Mountain Fever Records and the second being on Union House Records, a music label formed by Jeff and Mike Bentley,” Sherry said. “We are very excited that they are getting ready to track their first complete gospel CD.

“As a mother and wife, road life is very hard and something that the musicians have to love, but I could not tolerate Jeff and Austin traveling with people that I don't feel good about.

“I guess that's my mother instinct more than anything.”

“Jeff's name is out front, but the band is a group effort from the start. Everyone brings something to the table. It's a business and thank goodness we have been blessed to work with a fine group of fine musicians. It could not work any other way.

Sherry never forgets to look out for her boys, whether the hat she wears is that of a doting manager, a loving wife, or a protective mother.

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From the Fans Perspective: Mississippi Bluegrass Reunion, Purvis Mississippi

By Keith Barnacastle When one goes to a bluegrass family reunion this is what we experience: We love the music; we love the camping and most of the festivals are mighty good. Some festivals are changing due to the fact that the promoters are aging and there has been insufficient attention paid to mentoring the next generation of promoters.

A lot of the fans are pickers and players. Others attend solely for the love of the music. Most fans attend 3-4 festivals a year. Some attend to see their local bluegrass bands and to see the upcoming generation of new bluegrass performers.

Attracting other festival goers is the wholesome family atmosphere with no drugs or alcohol and most often an understood dress code. They all say that the first time you come “you’re a friend”, but the second time you attend the same festival you are family.

We all become friends, neighbors and share the festival experience together.

A fraction of the bluegrass enthusiasts are drawn to the festival because of a love of camping and in the process discover the joy of listening to the music. The newbie’s frequently have just discovered bluegrass in the last year or two. Many of the attendees go, drawn to bands where friends may be playing or famous bands who are on their must-see list.

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It seems to be common within the bluegrass family that we all like to see the next generation of performers, pickers and players that will become the new legends in the field. Fans also like very traditional artists that keep the memory of legends like Bill Monroe, Flat and Scruggs alive. Gospel music is prominent at all the festivals and adds a spiritual note to the events.

Fans love the jamming that is so characteristic of attending a festival along with the parking lot or camping area pickins’. Fans enjoy the camaraderie of being with friends and sharing the joy of mutual admiration of the music and associated festivities that include pot luck dinners, impromptu outings with friends, flea markets, pawn shops and antiquing. Usually there is an ice cream supper and according to Mr. Lay from Foley Alabama an ice cream connoisseur, says he can eat any ice cream out of a hub cap, coffee cup, or Styrofoam cup. If someone fixes it I will try it. You can be assured that the many flavors and special combinations are time tested and delicious.

We find interesting stories from festival goers that uncover fascinating prior experiences like being a med evac pilot in Afghanistan to Mr. Busby, a beekeeper for 55 years.

Workshops on instrumentation, photography and just plain fun exchanging stories keeps the folks coming back. The experience is therapeutic for the mind and soul.

A particular sound may be specific to each generation but each generation takes you into a new area that enriches the bluegrass genre. Bluegrass is both multigenerational in form with ongoing respect for its roots. The music must be meaningful to our young musicians and fans but also keep traditional bluegrass alive.

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We would like to thank the Mississippi Bluegrass Reunion, Lamar County Fairgrounds, Bertie Sullivan, Cross Roads, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Family Sowell, Cedar Creek, Kody Norris Show, Russell Burton Family, Shallow Creek, The Farm Hands, Tyler Carroll and Pine Ridge Bluegrass, Catahoula Drive, Butch Cooksey, Marvin Poole, and all the Fans, Friends and Family that we met in March at Purvis, Mississippi.

There are now bluegrass festivals in almost every state and many countries around the world, as the popularity of honest, home-grown music continues to expand...

Find your own favorite festival on the Events tab on our website, or maybe it's time to start your own!

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A Special Tribute to Bill Monroe “Ohio County [Kentucky] has coined the phrase: home of bluegrass,” said Jody Flener, Executive Director for Ohio County Tourism, “and the reason we are is that Bill Monroe was born in Ohio County in a town called Rosine on a ridge called Jerusalem Ridge.”

William (Bill) Smith Monroe was born September 13, 1911 to James Buchanan “Buck” and Malissa Vandiver Monroe. Buck, although a farmer and saw mill operator, was a noted step-dancer and Malissa was a ballad singer who played fiddle, accordion and harmonica.

These influences carried Bill Monroe through childhood and into the next phase of his life: bluegrass music.

In the 1920s, according to Bluegrass: A History by Neil V. Rosenberg, “…radio and records gave rural people for the first time the awareness of regional differences and similarities in vernacular music. …At this time record companies, seeking new markets, found them in the rural, immigrant, and working classes heretofore active only on a local or, at best, regional basis. …Many of the musicians associated with bluegrass music in its beginnings came from or formed their musical careers in Appalachia or the highland South regions adjacent to it…” Men from large families left their family farm in Appalachia to move into “…small and medium-sized towns which had factories, particularly the textile mills… They not only worked, they played…, with friends and other family members who also had left

by Richelle Putnam

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home to work in mills and factories, …and this playing included team work with “…practiced coordination and a series of standard roles, each with special skills…

Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys produced the original bluegrass sounds defined by a five-piece acoustic string band that alternated instrumental solos and blended their high lonesome voices into ear-pleasing harmonies.

Monroe’s band debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in 1939, but their classic bluegrass sound originated in 1945 with Earl Scruggs’s threefinger banjo picking.

The Blue Grass Boys included Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Don Reno, Red Smiley, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Martin, and Sonny Osborne. “…And it had a strong element of competition, which according to Bill Monroe was also part of the music: ‘All the way through, bluegrass is competition with each man trying to play the best he can, be on his toes,’ he said. “You’ll find it in every group…They’ll still be friends, but they’ll work hard to be better than the other.’”

In the mid-1950s, Bluegrass became a musical genre.

“Not only did [Bill Monroe] invent the very sound of [bluegrass] music,” said Jody, “Monroe was the mentor for several generations of musicians. Monroe’s band hosted all the major bluegrass artists of the ’50s and ’60s, including Flatt & Scruggs, Reno & Smiley, Vassar Clements, Carter Stanley, and Mac Wiseman. Over the years, the Blue Grass Boys lineup changed, but Monroe remained devoted to bluegrass in its purest form.”

The youngest of eight children, Monroe was seven-years-old when his family moved into the home built in 1917 and restored by Ohio County in 2001. This was the home he wrote about in his song, “I’m On My Way Back to the Old Home.”

“It is a home that people come to from all the world to see,” said Jody. Before the restoration, people had crowded into wagons to be pulled by tractor to Bill’s old homeplace, which, at that time, “was almost pretty much in ruins. The county realized that it was a landmark and a treasure and very important to bluegrass people from around the world,” Jody continued. The county bought the home and five acres of what had been close to a 1,000-acre farm.

With the restoration of the home, the Bill Monroe Museum became a glowing vision of Ohio County, Kentucky. “They wanted to do a museum at the same time, but it just did not happen that way. It has been a dream for long time,” said Jody. About a year ago, county officials and tourism got together and secured funds from the past governor to THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD

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go ahead with plans for the museum, “which is finally coming to fruition. We were able to build it and we broke ground last May.” Even as the construction of the museum was going on, “it was like one of those dreams that you can’t believe is happening. People still say, ‘We’ll believe it when we see it.’ I get messages from people who have memorabilia of Bill who tell us they will bring it to the opening.” In 2001, the county bought memorabilia from the estate, which has been in storage all this time, said Jody. With the outside of the museum complete, and after fundraising helped complete most of the inside, the county decided to do a community turn-key opening on April 20th to prove, “this is really happening.”

The museum is not finished in the way Ohio County wants to carry Bill Monroe’s legacy forward, “but the memorabilia that we have is ready for viewing. We want people to start coming in and enjoying it.” Some people are holding back items, but they will be ready to contribute to the museum once it is completed, said Jody. At the Grand Opening in September, the museum will bring out several Bill Monroe instruments.

“We are bringing back the Jerusalem Ridge Festival, and that will be September 13 – 16, so the museum will most likely open a week before the festival,” said Jody. “We’ll be working on the displays all summer.”

When the homeplace opened in 2001, Ohio County Tourism started the Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Festival, “which grew and grew and by 2011, attendees numbered around 18,000.

The festival was in traditional style, as Bill did.” The original producer of the festival, however, moved the festival to his property and then later decided not to do the festival anymore, “and so the last three years there hasn’t been a festival,” said Jody. “The Bill Monroe Foundation decided to bring the festival back to Jerusalem Ridge, back to the stage that was built in 2001 and to the homeplace. People are really excited.” There is a natural amphitheater that falls right behind the house down to the stage, “and that’s where it will be held. Bill Monroe memorialized the Ridge several times in his songs. It is the land where he and his dad would go fox hunting.”

The Bluegrass Music Museum and Hall of Fame in the neighboring town of Owensboro, Kentucky is due to open Fall 2018, “but the story starts In Rosene,” said Jody. Visitors come to see where Bill Monroe was born. They will tour his home, learn about his life, and visit the family cemetery where Bill is buried. At the museum, they will view his life and what and who influenced him. Then they will travel to Owensboro where the Bluegrass Music Museum and Hall of Fame tells how Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass, influenced music internationally and changed the world of music forever.

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Planted firmly in his Salyersville, Kentucky hometown, Nathan Arnett, founder and lead singer of Turning Ground, is ready to spread his wings and travel the world. Melanie Wilson of Wilson Pickens Agency is ready to make that happen.

“Melanie asked me if I had my passport,” said Nathan. “Then, she said, ‘You better get one, because we’re determined to get you overseas.’ And I hope that happens. I get messages from people across the sea and I would love to be on stage and let those people see us live.”

Ralph Adams, vocalist and guitarist with Turning Ground, credits The Bluegrass Jamboree Internet radio with spreading the love by spreading their music overseas. “If it wasn’t for them, you couldn’t hear our independent music. When we started getting Facebook requests from places like Germany, we thought we may have something going here,” he said. “Spreading the music beyond Kentucky has been really good.”

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Band members include Nathan (guitar/lead vocals), Ralph (guitar/vocals), Joshua Cantrell (banjo), Albon Clevenger (fiddle/vocals), and Kayla Amburgey (bass/vocals). Nathan and Ralph are the only two original Turning Ground band members, which formed in 2012.

Nathan had grown up in a singing, performing family and started writing lyrics in his teens while Ralph grew up with cattle and horses. He is now part owner of West Liberty Veterinary Clinic, known as the Walmart of Veterinarians with an active client list of 32,000. Nathan works there as well.

“Even at the clinic, the doctors play music and we jammed after we closed at night,” said Ralph. “Nathan is an excellent songwriter. Out on calls, we’d throw out ideas about songs.”

Turning Ground’s first CD, March 2, 2012, named for the date the West Liberty tornado that devastated Salyersville, helped put the band on bluegrass radar. Next came Cell of Mine, which became the #1 bluegrass CD in the country, said Ralph, adding that, “Then fans wanted a gospel CD. But, it takes time to do a CD because we all work. People kept asking when the CD was going to be finished, and they kept asking and asking. So, the title of the CD is It Is Finished,” which is also a Biblical phrase.

At the time of this interview, Turning Ground’s new project, Old Country Store, was being mixed and mastered. The CD includes 14 songs, including a few fan-favorite covers.

“But most of the CD is my personal songs,” said Nathan. Often people ask him how he can write songs about something he hasn’t lived or experienced. “As a writer, I write what people can relate to. I try to tell a story.” Nathan wrote the title song, “Old Country Store,” because he knew a lot of people who had relied on their old country stores. “It was just something close to home for me.” Nathan writes 90% of the band’s material. Having written close to 150 songs in his lifetime, he has also finished a solo CD in the traditional country genre. “They are mixing and mastering the CD now and I’m hoping to release it and try to do something on the country side as a country artist.”

Nathan’s goal is to write that song and his goal for the band is “to take it as far as it will go.

I guess we can say we’ve paid our dues,” he said. “It’s one of those things that you have to have dedication in what you do and you have to enjoy what you do. There is a lot of sacrifice in running a band and being on the road. I hope that we can take Turning Ground and keep plowing...” and spreading those wings!

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Nathan: “I would love to get my songs out there. I want people to say when they’re going into the studio, ‘Hey, we need some songs. Let’s call Nathan Arnett.’ ” Ralph: “We give all thanks to the Big Man Upstairs.”

Wilson Pickins Promotions provides booking and publicity services for Turning Ground.

©Man In The Mirror by Nathan Arnett This morning I woke up, took a look at myself The man in the mirror was headed straight for hell If I don’t change my ways I know where I’d be Away from my savior for eternity All alone on that table right there in the hall Lays a tear stained bible momma read for us all As I reach for the whiskey a voice spoke to me My name is Jesus I can set you free So, I fell to my knees and I began to cry Oh, lord please save me from this drunken life I’m thankful for my mother who still believes in prayer I was headed for destruction and you met me there Oh, sinner heed this warning for you can do the same You're caught by an addiction just call on his name No promise of tomorrow when it’s your time I pray when he comes back you’re ready to die This morning I woke up took a look at myself The man in the mirror was saved from a dying hell

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Norman Adams The Longest-Running Promoter of Bluegrass

by Shelby Campbell The world of music has lost more than its share of festivals over the last few years, but one event producer is still going strong - Norman Adams.

Norman has produced over 200 events during his 44 years as a bluegrass music promoter.

Even after all this time, he still gives a musical platform to some of the top acts in bluegrass on a regular basis.

Born in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia, Norman grew up listening to bluegrass music, including the weekly broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry, with his dad. As a young adult, he worked in a textile factory, printing company and insurance company before he became a festival promoter.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Norman’s church choir began touring revivals, putting on concerts and recording albums, and Norman served as their manager. This is where his love for music promotion and knowledge of music got its start.

Norman and a business partner bought a large saw mill in the early 1970s right outside of a Georgia tourist destination. Norman’s idea of booking top bluegrass bands for a festival in Georgia was born. He turned the saw mill into a stage and booked Bill Monroe to lead the first show - and the Mountain Music Park and Dahlonega Music Festival began.

Year after year, Norman began buying festivals and starting new ones, and they became more successful as each year passed due to Norman’s simple ideas - book top bands, keep the music traditional, keep tickets affordable, and make it family-friendly.

Today, when people think of Norman Adams, they think of bluegrass music. He has received awards for his work countless times, including the SPBGMA Bluegrass Promoter of the Year and the SPBGMA Grand Master Gold Award, which is given to a 10-year SPBGMA Promoter of the Year recipient.

Adams Bluegrass hosts eight three-day festivals and one four-day festival every single year stretching from West Virginia to Florida. With his wife Judy by his side, Norman continues to grow festivals and start new ones.

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In recognition of Norman’s commitment and the value of Adams Bluegrass, The Gibson Brothers perform at every Adams Bluegrass festival and will spend several days playing and offering special sets and collaborations. Additionally, Rainmaker Music Management offers its services to help brand, market and expand the reach of these events to keep Adams Bluegrass festivals going another 40 years.

We had the honor of catching up with Mr. Norman Adams himself about his story in bluegrass music and what’s to come.

You have had a long career in bluegrass music. What keeps you in love with the music?

I love the music, musicians, the people, and everything about bluegrass.

What inspired you to start Adams Bluegrass?

I had a big mortgage on some property, and I had the bright idea to start a bluegrass festivals to make the mortgage payments. WRONG! What does winning an SPBGMA award for Promoter of the Year so many times mean to your business and you, as a lover of bluegrass music?

It’s such a special honor to be considered, and then to win the award is a special reward for a lot of hard work. Just to know your fans appreciate what you do is monumental.

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It has been said that you are the ‘top employer in bluegrass.’ What do you think about that?

Well, it has been 44 years of fun and hard work, but I still love it today!

What musicians have inspired you throughout your career?

Too many to name, but the top of the list would have to be Bill Monroe.

What does it mean for Adams Bluegrass to have The Gibson Brothers perform at every event this year?

This is a first for us, but they have been real crowd pleasers, and they are very talented.

We enjoy working with The Gibson Brothers.

They’re special people and great entertainers!

Anything new upcoming for Adams Bluegrass?

Just keep on bluegrassing!

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“It’s Like Coming Home” at the Lil John’s Mountain Music Festival

by Kara Martinez Bachman Each year in the town of Snow Camp, North Carolina, families gather in a farm-like setting to enjoy each other, soak in some nature, and celebrate the joys of bluegrass. The event is called Lil John’s Mountain Music Festival, and the feeling of it is, for some people, like family.

“It’s one big family. It’s a family-style traditional bluegrass festival,” said Natalie Maness, who promotes the fest along with John D. Maness. “I married into this festival, but I’ve seen over the years kids who grew up with it.”

Back in 1975, Maness’s father-in-law, who played and toured with the Bass Mountain Boys across the east coast, in Texas, and in Oklahoma during the 1980s, started the festival as the Bass Mountain Bluegrass Festival. The name changed to Lil John’s in 2009. This year marks the 40th anniversary, and Maness said some special things will be happening to celebrate.

The three-day event takes place Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26, at Cane Creek Campground.

“We really expect high attendance this year due to the 40 years,” Maness said. Usually, the festival attracts 3,000 to 3,500, including many who camp onsite for up to a week in advance. She said people show up in “RVs, buses, tents … they bring it all. We open the gates on May 19, which is the Saturday before.”

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“Something new for this year is the ‘Moonshiners’ off of The Discovery Channel. We will have four of them coming,” she explained. “They will be here for a meet and greet Friday [May 25] and Saturday [May 26], and it is included in ticket admission.” The reality TV stars from the series “Moonshiners” will include “Mike and Daniel” and “Crazy Chuck and Big Chuck.”

Maness said another highlight will be a reunion of the Bass Mountain Boys, which will include music and storytelling.

“It will be a kind of reminiscing with the folks who have come out here all these years,” she said.

“Our host band again this year is Sideline,” Maness said. In addition to Sideline and Bass Mountain Boys, the rest of the lineup includes Flatt Lonesome; Russell Moore & III Tyme Out; Blue Highway.; Lost & Found; Terry Baucom & The Dukes of Drive; Dave Adkins; Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass; Salt & Light; Dave Parmley & The Cardinal Tradition; Bluegrass Experience; Steady Drive; and Three Jack Jenny.

Other activities include a covered dish dinner, open jam, golf cart parade, the Skip Cherryholmes Cornhole Tournament, and even opportunity to relax alongside a pond.

“If you need a break, you can stroll down by the fishing pond,” Maness said.

For those who arrive for either electric or primitive camping before the official festival, during the week there’ll also be the 9th Annual Band Contest, which Maness said is a good way to get “stage time” for lesser-known or amateur musicians.

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The festival welcomes dogs weighing less than 20 pounds, and golf carts and UTVs are allowed on the grounds (for instance, the fest website gives an example of an acceptable UTV being a John Deere Gator). A cool thing about the festival is children younger than age 12 are admitted free with a paid adult ticket, which surely helps families in making the weekend affordable.

Maness sounds excited about this year’s fest, but she was hesitant to say which band she most looks forward to seeing. That’s only right, for a fest promoter probably shouldn’t get too much into playing favorites. But Maness did share her favorite memory of festivals past, a performance that sticks out in her mind.

“For me, it was definitely seeing Dave Evans onstage,” she said, of the late banjo player.

“It’s about getting to see live music now, because they may not be here next year.”

She asked that all fans of bluegrass go out and support their favorite performers.

“There’s nothing like live music,” she said. “Our motto is: It’s just like coming home.”

Tickets will be available at the gate or online. There is an advanced 3-day ticket option, which gives a discount for the complete weekend.

For full details on ticket prices, entertainment schedule and camping options, visit the website LittleJohnsMountainMusic.com.

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A Swift Kick in the Career

How Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver’s

Josh Swift

keeps stepping up his game

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Brought up in a musical family, resophonic guitarist and dobro player Josh Swift began playing music at age two, pounding out a beat on his drums. Soon he joined his parents on the Southern Gospel circuit at age seven. When he turned 16, he discovered the dobro during a random recording session, and fell in love with the instrument.

“I grew up playing drums alongside my mother and father, Randy and Rhonda Swift,” Josh said. “One day, I was playing a session in Ohio at age sixteen. A fellow musician playing on the album — Dave Morrison — brought out his dobro. I had never seen one before. I was intrigued by the sound. Knowing it wasn't proper studio ethic to ask another musician if I could see his instrument, I walked up and asked him anyway. I remember asking him what it was, and he simply replied that it was a dobro!

“I remember telling him that it looked like a guitar with a hubcap in the middle of it. He graciously handed it to me, and I instantly fell in love with the instrument. I told my father that I was going to get one. Honestly, he was against it. He felt like I was already such an accomplished drummer for my age, that it would be my bread winner one day.

He knew that dobro was a more difficult instrument to play accurately, and he didn't want me to get discouraged. That said, I didn't care. I was going to get one.

Right before my 18th birthday, we were in a music store. I had found a $200 dobro, and as I was walking up to pay for it, my father stopped me. He knew then that I was serious.

He told me to put it back. He said "If you've gotta have one, you need a good one".

Josh’s father acquired a Gibson special edition D60 Dobro from a friend at Gibson, and in just two weeks, Josh was playing it fluently. He recalls a very sharp memory of the moment when he was playing the dobro with his father in the living room.

“He started crying,” Josh remembers. “He apologized for trying to discourage me from getting one. He pointed at my guitar and said, ‘Son, I was wrong. This right here will be how you make your living for the rest of your life.’

A chance meeting with Doyle Lawson in Gatlinburg, Tennessee when Josh was just 19 led to a stint and then a career in Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, a gig he’s had for more than a decade now. Although he doesn’t tire of being asked if he’s related to the OTHER country music star with the last name Swift (“I always tell people she's my distant stepsister twice removed, Josh laughs), he credits a certain person’s attitude with stepping up his game once he joined the band.

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“I've never met a more selfless man,” Josh said of Doyle. “He's more than open regarding the knowledge he has learned in his 55 years of professional music. He's a perfectionist.

I'm a perfectionist. Furthermore, it's rare to play someone else's music, and you love it as much as your own. Though he'll still throw me for a loop, I feel like I can almost hear what he's hearing about 75% of the time. That's what happens when you play/create music with the same person for a long period of time. That other 25% of the time, he's still taking me to school.”

Josh’s guitar heroes that keep him focused on achieving excellence on dobro and resophonic guitar include the great Jerry Douglas.

“When I was learning to play, I bought the Allison Krauss and Union Station Live DVD, and I would pause the video when there were close-up shots of his hands,” Josh explained. “I learned to play that entire DVD note for note I would say there isn't a human on earth that has watched that DVD more than me. Because every note that Jerry played was complete perfection to my ear, I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I'd never be able to play Jerry like Jerry.

“So, when I got a basis on technique, I started taking aspects from other heroes of mine.

Brent Mason was next in line. He was the electric guitar player on the majority of all the country sessions in the 90's and 2000's, people like George Strait, Alan Jackson, etc.

Since I loved the notes/style he played on electric guitar, I would start trying to match them note for note on a Dobro. When I started doing that, I started creating my own sound. Douglas and Mason will always be the reason my style is what it is.”

Josh does credit the Lord with helping forge this successful path in music, and his faith is something that he does not take lightly.

“Honestly, I put my full faith in God. I learned a long time ago that when I try to make things happen, it's never right.

When I keep my hands off the wheel, God takes care of it.

“There have been way too many situations in my life, where something I thought was horrible, ended up being something that positively changed my entire life. He's been better to me than I'll ever deserve.”

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Back Porch: A LEGACY FINDS NEW LIFE

by Daniel Wile Historian Stephen Kelley had a hunch. He knew that Wheaton College in Illinois held the archives of the famed composer Fanny Crosby. He thought he might find new material there if he could mine its contents.

Kelley unearthed a gold mine.

The findings have found their way into a new album, Fanny Crosby: Newly Discovered Hymns & Songs. The process to bring these historic lyrics to modern ears has been divinely inspired, producer Wayne Haun claims, proving that Crosby’s words still offer hope and comfort, more than 100 years later.

After Kelley made his discovery, he called Haun, co-owner of StowTown Records, to ask if he would try to bring some of these unfinished works to life. “We have access to all of these newly discovered treasures,” Kelley explained to Haun and then went on to ask him, “Would you be interested in finding some Southern gospel writers to help finish them and find some artists that would be interested in recording?” Without hesitation, Haun responded with an emphatic “Yes!” Wayne Haun’s love and respect for Crosby’s work runs deep, and he assembled a team that shared his admiration. “I chose a team of writers, young and old, some established, some a little newer, people that I knew who knew Fanny Crosby’s writings—that respected them and knew them by heart,” he says.

The result of their efforts is an album of fifteen songs representing a collaboration of twenty-one performers and fifteen songwriters who contributed their talents to complete what Crosby started. The project gives a new generation of listeners the opportunity to learn about this icon of gospel music.

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Frances “Fanny” Crosby was born in 1820 and initially devoted her life to humanitarian efforts, focusing much of her attention on developing the Bowery Mission near New York City. She did not start writing songs until she was 45 years old. But once she started, she was prolific. She wrote over 8,000 hymns, including classics such as “Blessed Assurance” and “Tell Me the Story of Jesus.” In fact, at one point in her songwriting career, her publishers cut her off because they worried about printing hymnals with too many titles from a single writer. Undeterred, Crosby continued writing under a pseudonym. She was a pioneer woman at a time when few women’s names could be found in the songwriting credits of hymnals of the day. And she did all this despite being blind from infancy.

Wayne Haun knew he had taken on a special project. What he could not have predicted was how clearly that belief would be affirmed to him.

There were moments of musical inspiration that even wowed Haun, a veteran songwriter and producer. One such moment was the recording of “Beside the Cross,” performed by Lizzy Long, Rhonda Vincent, and Sally Berry. “We put together a bluegrass trio that had never happened before,” Haun says, “and it just CLICKED! You would think those three have been singing together all their lives. That magic happened immediately.”

More poignantly, there were times in the production process when it seemed as though Fanny Crosby was there to comfort those tending to her songs.

Jeff Bumgardner is one of the songwriters Haun tapped for the project. Bumgardner chose to help finish the song “Calmly Resting in the Lord,” which was performed by the Erwins on the album. Haun says that Bumgardner felt a calling to work on that unfinished song.

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“He felt very drawn to it,” Haun says.

“He asked himself, what was she thinking? What had she been going through in the late 1800s? Did they have a family tragedy? What shook her life up so much that she needed encouragement in ‘Calmly Resting in the Lord’?”

Soon after finishing the song, Bumgardner’s healthy ten-year-old daughter suffered a brain aneurism at church one night and died within forty-eight hours. “Now, Crosby’s story a hundred years ago became his story,” Haun says after reflection. Crosby’s song showed how the peace that passes all understanding during such a tragic time can still comfort. “Those themes,” Haun says, “are timeless.”

Fanny Crosby: Newly Discovered Hymns & Songs was released March 24, 2018. Only afterward did Haun realize that even this detail seemed guided by a higher power. March 24th happens to be Fanny Crosby’s birthday.

Haun speaks for many of the writers and artists involved in bringing the unheard and unfinished songs of Fanny Crosby to life when he says, “I want to live my life like Fanny Crosby.” He strives to engage in work so meaningful that when he is gone, “people a hundred years from now will respect the work so much that they would do anything to be a part of it.”

“That,” he concludes, “is a legacy.”

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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

Floyd Salmon Memorial Day Gospel Bluegrass Music Festival

Wind Gap, PA

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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June Festivals & Events Dates

Event

Location

June 6-9

Bluegrass in the Hills

Hopedale, OH

June 7-9

Cherokee Bluegrass Festival

Cherokee, NC

June 7-10

Festival of the Bluegrass

Lexington, KY

June 8-10

Thousand Islands Bluegrass Festival

LaFargeville, NY

June 13-17

Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival

Litchfield, ME

June 14-15

Tug Hill Bluegrass Festival

Lowville, NY

June 14-16

Smoked Country Jam Festival

Cross Fork, PA

June 19-23

Rudy Fest Bluegrass Festival

Grayson, KY

June 21-24

Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival

Tunbridge, VT

June 22-23

Funhouse Festival

Williamsburg, VA

June 27-30

ROMP Fest

Owensboro, KY

ongoing: Fridays

Friday Bluegrass Night Blue Cypress Bluegrass

Fellsmere, FL

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Next Month… from the Publisher's desk

This month, we are very pleased to finally launch our new mobile version!

All the same content as our large-screen version − photos, in-depth interviews and insights from the bluegrass industry − for the exact same price... nothin'.

Visit our website and subscribe to our free email announcements, and we will send you direct access to both the mobile and desktop versions, as soon as they hit the internet.

Keep those comments and suggestions coming, we are only here because of you!

Best regards,

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper July Special Focus: Recording Studios and as always, so much more!

Keith Barnacastle — Publisher Shop our website for The Bluegrass Standard gear!

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