Americana Rhythm is published six timesa year.All correspondence should be sent to PO Box 45, Bridgewater VA, 22812 or email to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copies of Americana Rhythmaremade available freeat variouspickuplocationswithin thepublication’sregion.SubscriptionsareavailableinsidetheUnited States (only) for $24 US currency made payable by check or moneyorder sent to, Subscriptions at PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812. Foreign subscription requests should be sent to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any content, artwork or photographs is strictly prohibited without permissionofthe publisheror original owner. All advertising material subject to approval.
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Moroccan Roots
In the last issue I wrote about taking a side trip from France to Morocco. I was hoping for a differentculture and vibe. I found it; a country of warm, smiling,people,who were welcoming and sharing. A country rich with musicality,history, tantalizingsmells, vibrant colors and diversity!
Music is a very big deal in the Moroccan culture.From the smallest rural villages in the mountains, to the large metropolitancitiesThe airisfilled with incredible sounds of traditional Moroccan musical instruments, playing folk music, Arab-Andalusian music,and roots-fusionmusic. Itisin these traditional soundsthat youtruly feel the heartbeat of Morocco. As I am a guitar player, and Amy a drummer/percussionist, we were drawn to these instruments in particular.
Qraqebs - Handmade, handheld metal cymbals, sort of played like castanets…sort of. They come in all sizes, are very rhythmic, very ancient andmainly made from recycledsteel.
Square Daff drum - Handmade, square frame, goat skin, often decorated inhenna.Found in allsizes, played and held with two hands.
fusion mixed in. We rented a beat up car and drove all over. In Marrakesh, we saw Gnawa (Berber-based roots music), to north and central African drums, to snake charmers with flutes. Music is everywhere! Our last stop was in the coastal city of Essaouira, made famous by the number of 60’s rock musicians who stayed there. The biggestname isJimi Hendrix,andone finds references to him everywhere. Others include Graham Nash and Jim Morrison. The town definitely has a laid-back feel,very hippy,surfer vibe. It is here that we were really introduced to traditional Gnawa roots music -partvibe,partreligion,allfeel.
Check out the Jazz and Gnawa World Music Festival.This year willbe June 19-21,2025;so you canstillgetthere after MerleFest.It is a bigdeal in this
Gimbri - For me, I was fascinated by this ancient, 3-stringed, bass lute. The body can be a gourd or even a hollowedoutlog. Moroccansare very resourceful people. The head is often made of stretched dromedary hide. It ismore of a rhythmic bassinstrument with one drone string and two more fretted strings, although there are no frets. On older models, the strings have lashings on the neck that you slide up or down to tune. The right hand(ifyouare right-handed)isfinger picked. You also use your right hand fingers and palm to tap the head or top of the body for percussion while you play the strings. We experienced some amazing performances. We were lucky enough to be invited to a private show and be able to sit in.
Morocco is amix of peoples, culture and musical genres including Berber, French, African, Arabic, and now
part of the world and brings in many localandinternationalmusicians.Part of a new trend in the Fest is a fusion scene combining Gnawa musicians with other styles, and fusing it all! Some of my tunes are being incorporated now.
I’mtryingto remainfocusedonmusic inthisarticleandnotdigressinto travel stories,butdidItellyouaboutthe 3000 year old village, a Unesco world heritage site that we slept in; No? We’ll save that for another time. This visitto Morocco served asa reminder that music unites us all. It gives us a voice where you might not be able to speak the language. From MerleFest, in North Carolina, to Gnawa roots in Essaouira, Morocco - it’s ever important to let that music flow!
DiscoveringTonyRice
In October 2021, officials inducted David Anthony (Tony) Rice as the 2021 member of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Tragically, this 2021 induction was a last recognition of Rice’s achievements and came in the form of a posthumous award as Mr. Rice had passed away at the age of 69 the previous December.Of coursethis last recognition was just one of manyawards that have been bestowed to Tony Rice such as: a Grammy, and numerous awards bestowed by the InternationalBluegrass MusicAssociation (IBMA) including being inducted into the IBMA hall of fame in 2013. Rice had a musical career that saw him as an influentialacoustic guitar player intraditional bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, new-grass and acoustic jazz and oft-times lead vocalist with many highly visible bluegrass musical groups.
As I have mentioned often in these pages, I found my way back to this acoustic string-music genrein theearly2000’s after hav-
ing misspent half a lifetime fawning over music groups comprised of three over amplified electric guitars and a screaming tenor singer. Late-comer me was at Merefest in2010 whenthe release of an authorized biography of Tony Rice took place. Tony Rice made a public appearance at that event and spoke a few difficult words of appreciation. The audience stood in mass and raised a deafening cheer. Shameful as it is to now admit, I quietly asked our publisher, “Who is Tony Rice?” (Wait, do remember that at that time I was just then finding my way back to my string-music roots.) Fast forward to 2024 where, with 20 years of emersion in bluegrass through this magazine; I thought by now I was fully aware who Tony Rice was. However, this past September, at the IBMA convention, an agent dropped by our show booth and asked if I knew who Tony Rice was, and I said that I did. The agent then handed me a copy of a just-released biography about Tony Rice written by Bill
By Edward Tutwiler
Amatneek. After reading this book, I think that maybe I did not ever really know Tony Rice at all.
ates and band-mates. Amatneek, himself a wellrespectedbassist in bluegrass circles, was a member of thesamebandas was TonyRice for five years during Rice’s hayday and becameclose to him during that time. The book presents a deep dive into the life and times of a highly talented and complicated artist through personalobservations by the author and interviews with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck, Mark Schatz, Peter Rowan, Ron Rice, Harry Sparks, Frank Poindexter and others who tell true life stories about Tony.
The Book
Discovering Tony Rice, written by Bill Amatneek and published by Vineyards Press,copyright, 2024, is anoralbiographyabout thelegendarybluegrass guitarist as told by some of Rice’s closest associ-
Tony Rice revolutionized bluegrass guitar flat-pick playing in a manner that could not be duplicated and helped to expand the possibilities for bluegrass-rooted instruments. Yet, Tony Rice seemed to be consumed by inter demons that he could or would not address. Fromthe picture one draws from the various inter-
views, Rice was obsessed with being the best guitarist and bluegrass lead singer ever; even to the determent of his physical health, the well being of his wives (of whom he had three), and his own mental well being. The interviewers all were frank yet not unkind in describing the Tony Rice that they knew and yes—even loved like a brother all the while not fully understandinghim. They all described a man who stood besidethem onstageyet stoodapart from them as well—a man they all said they could never really know.
As far back as the early 1990s Mr. Rice had been diagnosed with Muscle Tension Dysphonia which constricted the muscles around his voice box and ended his singing career. Eventually, he was forced to focus entirely on instrumental music. The struggle with his voice was only the beginning of his physical difficulties. Progressive arthritis that began as tendonitis in the elbow expanded into a full arthritis in his hands that made playing the guitar very painful and ultimately nearly impossible. By 2014, Tony Rice was forced to retire completely from performing.
Complete Guitarist
Playing theguitar better than any of his peers and singing with a skill envied by all in the genre were the things that made Rice feel complete; and when this was taken away, he fell into a deep well of despair. While he was offered possible medical and surgicalsolutions tohis afflictions,Rice convinced himself that these solutions would never make him the great artist he had been and therefore if he could no longer be the Tony Rice that he once was he would not settle for being a shadow of that self. Instead, he medicated his depression with alcohol, pain killers and tobacco and shut out the world—shuttering himself away from everyone and ultimately dying alone
Of all the people who passed throughTony Rice’s life, probably there was none closer than Sam Bush.Those twocame together as 18 and 19 year old kids at anearly 70’s North Carolina festival and remained off and on band mates and friends throughout Tony’s life.Bushtoldtheauthor this,“He got where he didn’t answer the
phone and would only text. After a while he wouldn’t come out of the house. He wouldn’t even see anyone. Jerry (Douglas) and I would often wonder if we should go over and make him come out of the house but we never got that together. He wouldn’t even see his brothers after a while. We knew he was fragile. He was morefragilethan weallrealized.”
BillAamatneek has written a well put together book. I recommend it without reservation to any who wish to finally know and understand Tony Rice. Some folks have criticized the book as being too harshand critical.That is not this reviewer’s opinion. The author has put together a through evaluationof a highly talented yet complex and troubled personality. Each person sought out for an interview about their thoughts of Rice came across as honest and forthright. All expressed a love for the man and respect for his immense talent. I offer here a comment from Molly Tuttle after reading this book, “Tony Rice is the most influential guitar player in bluegrass history,but he has always been something of an enigma. This book gets us one fascinating step closer to understanding him.”
Greater Influence
All who put pen to paper or voice to blog in tribute to Tony Rice since his passing and for years before say that Tony Rice always strived to excel with every performance and played every time with the attempt to play better than ever before. If you are a casual fan of bluegrass or a serious student, know this fact: no other talent had greater influence upon the genre that did Tony Rice.
For myself as someone who came late to the party I close with this: True greatness comes along seldom in almost all fields of endeavor; and when that greatness does appear, that appearance is often fleeting. Such was the case of Tony Rice in the bluegrass genre of Americana string music. I truly regret, as should all you other newcomer fans regret, that we will never stand in a festival field somewhere before a stage and feast our ears on the live guitar playing and the singing of the best of the best—David Anthony (Tony) Rice.
RandomThoughts
How many odd thoughts soar through your mind during a 24 hour period? If you really think about it, it’s a crazy number! I’m writing about this because just this morning I was folding some clothing and thinking about decorating the White House, bahahahaha … I was really contemplating the choice of color on thecouches andchairs intheOval Office and wondering what I would change if I had the chance. I fancy myself an interior genius, and was dissecting the reasons behind the yellows and golds. Then I started thinking I should google what colors represented, i.e., power, calm, joy, etc. That got me to thinking about what process I go through when picking
attention, which made me think of a song lyric I am currently wrestling with, and wondering if any of this crazy thinking could be an angle for the third verse I need … whew.
All these thoughts happened before I finished folding my four towels. That’s the truth. Now I’m wonderinghowallthese thoughts of mine move through my brain, and how my brain decides which thoughts to ponder more, and how I must forget so many of the thoughts flying through my head every second, and what a waste that is.
saying. I say all this to go back to my original thought of random thoughts. I believe I have conditioned my way of thinking to be squirrelly, but good and on fire to lead me down rabbit holesnever ending rabbit holes.
An easy thing for me to admit is: I am always thinking of a song. Even when I think I’m not thinking of a song, I am thinking of a song. Songwriting is a blessing and a curse; a blessing because I put my thoughts and story’s and observations into song and give them a forever time stamp; a curse because I can’t turn it off, so sleep is a gift whenI am finally too exhausted to keep spinning ideas and rhymes. So I imagine sometimes that I am the only one doing the rapid crazy thinking thing until …
I watched my husband frying bacon this morning after my mind blowing realization on thought patterns, and wondered if his mind flittered around like mine, and as I pondered this, he looked up at me and said, “Do you think we should order a feral cathouse for all those outdoor cats?”; which made me giggle becauseI realizedI’m not the only one! I was dying to ask what thought led him to the outdoor cats and the feral cathouse, but that got me thinking about what a feral cathouse would look like, and if it came with little kitty décor, and what colors kitties might like on upholstery, and if it might be funny to decorate the feralcathouseliketheOvalOffice. And there you have it!
out my stage wear, and why I wear the colors I wear, and the styles I go with before the show; which made me think of comfort.
Comfort means I can concentrate on emoting and song lyrics if I’m not worrying over shoes that hurt or a strap trying to fall off my shoulder, which made me wonder about my hair style and the fact that onerogue hair across my face can totally command all my
Teaching songwriting workshops for years has had me researching new exercises all the time, to help engage our students, and condition imagination and interpretation. These 10 minute writing challenges work on beefing up the way we look at things, and encourage a new way to describe what we see or hear in very visual ways. For instance, when looking at a blue sky, you might just say that; “I am looking at a blue sky.” Done. However, if you took the time to try and describe it with what we call “furniture”, you might say, “My grateful eyes rest on a perfect azure heaven, bare of the milky white clouds usually tempting the winds and letting the warm light of the sun lay gold at my feet.” That was a bit flowery but an example of how using words, different words, tosay something in a more visual way can really help someone SEE what you are
Donna is the IBMA Songwriter of the year for 2016, And 2017 Song of the Year winner. She was also the 2018 SPBGMA Songwriter of the year. Her latest CD, Livin’ Large, on Blueboy Records, was released in February 2022. DonnaUlisse.com
The Life and Legacyof Doc
As we near the annual musical event known as Merlefest, we like to celebrate the reason so many music lovers come together every year at the end of April. The lastingimpressionDoc Watsonleft on string music is undeniable. Born on March 3, 1923, in Deep Gap, North Carolina, Doc Watson was a renowned American guitarist and singer known for his contributions to folk,country, and bluegrass music.
Early Life
Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains, Doc Watson was exposed to a rich musical heritage fromanearlyage. His father,General Dixon Watson, was a banjo player and his mother, Annie Watson, was a devout Christian who loved to sing hymns. Doc Watson lost his vision at a young age due to an eye infection but this did not deter him from pursuing his love for music. He began playing the harmonica and banjo at a young age, and later
learned to play the guitar from his neighbor, Arnold Watson.
Doc Watson’s musical influences were diverse, ranging from traditional Appalachian music to blues and jazz. He was particularly inspired by the music of the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, and Merle Travis. Doc Watson’s unique style of guitar playing was characterized by his use of finger-picking and flatpicking techniques, which he combined with his powerful baritone voice.
Rise To Fame
Doc Watson’s rise to fame began in the 1960s, when he was discovered by folklorist Ralph Rinzler. Rinzler was impressedbyWatson’s talent and invited him to perform at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963. This performance marked the be-
ginning of Doc Watson’s successful career, as he gained a following among folk and bluegrass enthusiasts.
Doc Watson’s success continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s, ashereleaseda series ofacclaimed albums and won numerous awards, including several Grammys. He also collaborated with other musicians, such as Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, and ChetAtkins, further cementing his status as a musical icon.
Doc’s Impact
Doc Watson’s music had a profound impact on the folk and bluegrass genre, influencing generations of musicians. His unique style of guitar playing and his powerful voice inspired countless artists,including Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, and Tony Rice. Watson’s music also helpedto popularizetraditional Appalachian music and introduced it to a wider audience.
In addition to his musical contributions, he was also known for his warm personality and generosity. He was always willing to
share his knowledge and expertisewithother musicians,andwas a beloved figure in the music industry.
Making It Matter
Despite his success, Doc Watson faced a tragic loss in 1985 when his son, Merle Watson, died in a tractor accident. Merle Watson was also a talented musician and had been performing with his father for many years. In honor of his son’s memory, Doc Watson was instrumental in the founding of the Merlefest music festival, which has become one of the most popular bluegrass festivals in the country. Merlefest, which takes place every year in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, features performances by some of the biggest names in bluegrass and folk music. The festival also provides a platform for up-andcoming musicians to showcase their talents, continuing Doc Watson’s legacy of supporting young musicians.
Influence On Modern Musicians
Although hepassedaway in2012, Doc Watson’s music continues to inspire and influence musicians
around the world. From his unique style of guitar playing to his powerful voice, Doc Watson’s music is a testament tothe power of storytelling through song. His influence on modern musicians is undeniable. His innovative guitar playing and his ability to blend different musical styles have inspired countless artists,fromfolkandbluegrass musicians to rock and roll legends. His legacy also includes his commitment to supporting young musicians and preserving traditional Appalachian music.
Today, many musicians continue to pay tribute to Doc Watson through covers of his songs and performances of his music. His influence can be heard in the work of artists suchas Chris Thile,GillianWelch, and the Punch Brothers. Doc Watson’s music remains a vital part of the American musical landscape,andhis legacywillcontinue to inspire generations of musicians to come. Many musicians have paid tribute to Doc Watson over the years, including Jerry Garcia, who performed a cover of “Deep Elem Blues” with
Doc Watson in 1972. Other notable covers of Doc Watson’s songs include “Tennessee Stud” by Johnny Cash and “Way Downtown” by the Punch Brothers.
bluegrass festivals in the country. The festival is first and foremost a celebration of Doc Watson’s life and legacy,and a testament to his enduring influence on the music world; however it also is a celebration of traditional Appalachian music and a showcase for up-and-coming musicians. As well as the stage shows,this festival features workshops and jam sessions, which provide a unique opportunity for musicians and fans to connect and share their love of music.
Contributions Celebrated
Annual Festival
The Merlefest music festival is held every year in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and features performances by some of the biggest names in bluegrass and folk music. While the festival was founded by Doc Watson in honor of his son, Merle Watson, it has become one of the most popular
As we celebrate the memory and legacy of Doc Watson, it is important to remember his contributions to music. From his innovative guitar playing to his commitment to supporting young musicians, Doc Watson was a true musical pioneer whose influence can still be heard in the work of countless artists today. Through tributes and covers of his music, as well as the annual Merlefest music festival, we continue to honor Doc Watson’s memory and celebrate his life and legacy.
Southern Mountain Music
Years ago when Americana Rhythm was just getting its footing, the publisher came in contact with a North Carolina writer and teacher of all things music. Not long after, this writer agreed to supplying a column forpublicationeachissue.Thisstarted a relationship with AR that has lasted for years. That respected writer and teacher is Mr. Wayne Erbsen.
Recently, we here at AR received an email from a publishing company tellingusaboutanewhistoricalmusic centered book which they recently published that waswritten byour long time friend, Mr. Wayne Erbsen. The book is titled, Southern Mountain Music, The Collected Works of Wayne Erbsen, and the publishing house is, McFarland & Company, Inc, Box 611, Jefferson, NC, 28640 I recently finished reading this delightful book and would like to tell you a bit about it.
The foreword is written by Mr. Tim Stafford of Blue Highway fame. He sets the tone and provides a gentle introductionthatteasesthe readerinto
a can’t-wait-to-get-started frame of mind.
Erbsen has written an anthology that digs deep in the archives of the dusty past to tell the stories of forgotten artists of by-gone days. But first he tells us a bit about himself and what has driven him for a lifetime down a twisting musical rabbit hole. From a childhood and formative years living inCaliforniato an adultlifetime spent as an educator, broadcaster, writer and performer of all things music in North Carolina, Wayne Erbson has rubbedelbowswithmanyofthe greats inold-time andbluegrassmusic allthe while developing a depth of knowledge about them and their talents. In turn, he has written many published books and essays about those personalities and the picking techniques they employed.
Erpsen has constructed his anthology ina mannerthat leadsthe readerfrom the beginnings of mountain music as we recognize itto its laterdistillation into the bluegrass genre thatwe know
today. He does this by introducing us to many forgotten and maybe never knew artists of the past. He begins his story with a section titled, “Mountain Music Pioneers, Foreshadowing Bluegrass”. This is where he introducesthe reader to the forgotten folks who first brought themusicoutofthedark mountain hollows and started tinkering with the way it was played.
ByEdward Tutwiler
Moving from the pioneer’s biographies, Erpsen then presents a section that tells us delightful stories centered on the fiddle and the banjo and tells how these instruments were formative in the mountainmusic anditslatervariations. In telling these stories, he leads the reader steadily down the path to
continued
By Greg Tutwiler
Oak Hill Drifters
FEATURE ARTISTS
Orlando, FL based, Oak Hill Drifters, have made a name for themselvesby being embedded inAmerican roots music, but still managing todo their own thing.Whileleaning into rockabilly and country, as well as western swing, jump blues, and early rhythm and blues, the band’s recordedmusic,“highlightthegroup’s penchant for learning from, and implementing the past into today’s music,” according to anarticleinthe Bristol Herald Courier in 2021.
Lead singer, Rachel Decker offered up some additional insight into the band recently. “We’re based out of Orlando, Florida, but we’ve played all over,” she told us. “From upstate New York to Nashville, to Las Vegas, to a tour in Alaska; we’ve been very fortunate to get to travel and play our music for people in many parts of the country.” Lead guitarist, and Rachel’s husband, George Dimitrov, have additionally, been ableto take their duo to Ireland, and evenBulgaria.
A Decade Plus
The band has been playing together in it’s current iteration since 2014. Rachel joined theoriginal band earlier, and although they have gone through some lineup changes, they believe they have settled into a good, cohesive group with this lineup. “We’ve all known each other a
longtime,” shesaid, “and Ifeel lucky to call these fellas myfriends, aswell as my band mates. George and Igot along so well we ended up getting married! I think the catalyst for us coming together was a recognition of a shared passion and talent for this unique typeofmusic we’replaying together. We all work hard to be consistently better each time we play.”
Rachel saysthe group classifies their music under the broad umbrella of Americana. “It encompasses a wide range ofmusic, but we reallydo play a pretty varied show,” she added. “Everything we love is on the table for consideration, from classic country (I’m a huge freak about Patsy Cline), to Django Reinhardt gypsy jazz and swing, to rockabilly icons likeJanis Martin, to unique takes on artists like Hüsker Dü. Throw in the occasional Ennio Morricone epic Western cinema influences, and there we are.”
“Oh, and there’s plenty of room for good ol badass rock n roll, too,” she laughed.“Our original tunes have all these flavors - Iknow that’s a lot of name dropping, and I’m rolling my own eyes a little as Isay all this, Yet it’s also the truth! It can be hard to
pin down exactly how we classify our music, but ultimately what ties it all together is us, as a band, and how we play together.”
Origins
Rachel grew up listening to classic country because of her dad, and fell inlovewith earlyrockn roll(Everly Brothers and those beautiful melodiesand harmonies!), from her mom. GeorgeDimitrovgrewupinBulgaria, behindthe IronCurtain, and learned to speak English by listening to The Beatles, Pink Floyd and the old American Westerns that were shown in the town square (hat tip to Ennio Morricone here!). Both band mates Craig Roy, and Tom Pearce have played extensively in rockabillyandAmericana bands like Rocket 88, and Hindu Cowboys. Thismusicresonateswitheachmember, and it’s where their hearts and experiences have taken them.
While the band would like to be exclusively full time, they all do other things to help pay the bills. “It’s a double edged sword,” Rachel said. “Havingincome elsewheredefinitely allows us to not stress about making all our money in music, but of courseitwouldbeanincrediblething to onlyplay music, and be able to
pay all our bills! Tom does make most of his income playing for us and other bands - he’s a drummingmachine!”
Original Material
“We write quite a bit of our own material,” Rachel said, “and the process has been a little different for each song. Oftentimes, one of us will bring a few lines of lyrics or a snippet of a melody and work on expanding it from there. Once a song is brought into the whole band, everyone really puts their own stamp on it. George and Iespecially, work well on collaborationas you might expect. During the pandemic, we were able to continueworking onmaterial when it was difficult for the whole band to get together. Ideas come at different times - we’ve learned to grab our voice memos and record it immediately, or it’s going to slip away. Nomatterhowmuchyou thinkyou’ll remember it later,recordit now! My phone is full of tiny littlerecordings. Unlabeled, of course, because why make it easy to find ideas later? Sheesh!”
Laying It Down
Oak Hill Drifters have recorded three albums so far. Their most recent (and Rachel’s favorite) is The IrisSessions, which we released in 2022. It received critical acclaim both within the US and abroad. The EP debuted at #26 on the Relix/ jambands.com radio charts, and climbed to #88 on the AMA Americana Albums charts, and remained inthe top 125 for multiplemonthsin 2023. “Not too shabby for a local band out of Orlando! I’m proud of the work we did and the songs deserve a wide audience,” Rachel said.
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Cross Canadian Ragweed was a pioneering force in the Red Dirt and Texas country music scenes, blending rock, country, and Southern influences into a unique sound that resonated with fans across the country. Formed in 1994 in Yukon, Oklahoma, the band consisted of Cody Canada (lead vocals and guitar), Grady Cross (guitar), Randy Ragsdale (drums), and Jeremy Plato (bass).
The band quickly gained a reputation for high-energy live performances and heartfelt songwriting, developing a dedicated grassroots following. Unlike many country bands of their era, Cross Canadian Ragweed leaned heavily into rock influences, drawing comparisons to artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steve Earle. Their music reflected themes of small-town life, heartache, and rebellion, striking a chord with fans who appreciated their raw, unfiltered storytelling.
Cross CanadianRagweedreleased several studio and live albums, with notable successes like Carney (1998), Highway 377 (2001), and Soul Gravy (2004), which featured hits like “Sick and Tired” and “Alabama.” Their breakthrough album, Cross Canadian Ragweed (also known as the “Purple Album”), further
By Greg Tutwiler
their hiatus in 2010, citing family commitments and burnout. Though they disbanded, their impact on Red Dirt and Texas country remained strong, influencing a new generation of musicians. Front man Cody Canada continued his musical journey with his band, The Departed, keeping the spirit of Cross Canadian Ragweed alive. “We haven’t played together for 15 years. Okay,we’ve almost been apart as long as we were together the first time around,” remarked front man Cody Canada, when I caught up with him not long ago, after the announcement they would reunite for a series of reunion shows in Okalhoma.
Humble Beginnings
cemented their status as Red Dirt icons. Over the years, they collaborated with prominent artists in the genre and helped bring Red Dirt music into the national spotlight.
After years of touring and success, the band announced
The guys were just a group of friends in a small town looking for something to do together. “I was 16 andsearching,” Cody told me. “I really loved music, and I didn’t really have a lot of people around me that could play music. Someone said this guy, Jeremy, (our bass player) was playing music; doing metal music, and stuff like that. I was really looking for a country thing, but really, I was just doing the solo
continued on page 19
Pam Linton
Pam Linton grew up in rural central Minnesota (St. Stephen, specifically) and she says, “In that little-bitty town, music was what entertained us.” Pam knew very early on that she wanted to be directly involved with the making of that music. As a matter of fact, she says, “I told my second grade teacher I was going to be a singer.”
Of course small towns do have some downsides, and Pam’s mom made a serious offer to counter the temptation for a teenaged Pam to join her aimless peers who liked to spend afternoons simply sitting at “the intersection” watching cars pass through town. “She didn’t want her girls sitting there,” Pam recalls. “She told us, ‘You know, I will give you all the music lessons you wantifIneversee yousittingbythatintersection.’ Well, I never sat there.”
Her mom’s investment in developing Pam’s musical gifts paid off initially when she and her younger sister Patti became a touring duo at the behest of country legend SherwinLinton (whom she would later marry). Along with growing her as a professional,it exposed Pam to the Nashville and West Coast country scenes and helped her solidify her place as a troubadour of traditionalcountry music.
Pam’s latest project, Songs ofthe Carter Family (released January 2025 on New Folk Records) features Pam’s unique and respectful treatment of songs that transcend generations.
Currently located in suburban Minneapolis, Pam hadmoved there to findmore opportunitiesin the music industry, while not leaving her home state for greener musical pastures. “Believe it or not,” she reports, “there’s a healthy country music community here in the Twin Cities.” Now a memberofthe NationalTraditionalCountryMusic Hall of Fame, Pam continues carrying the torch for the deeply rooted music she loves.
To find out more, visit www.pamlinton.com
Corey Hunt And The Wise
Corey Hunt and Todd Allmon, primary songwriters for Corey Hunt and the Wise, were highschool buddies; but the story of their being in a band together doesn’tfollowthe typicaltemplate forthiskindthing. Corey didn’t pick up guitar and start writing until college, and Todd only decided to take up playing music aftermuchtime spentsupporting Corey’scollege band.
“Iused to road-dogwith them alot, slingt-shirts for them, load gear in and out,” Todd says. “I just decided one day I wanted to be a bigger part of the band, and I started playing music…” Corey continues, “The story is much better than that…He was rolling around with us and then one day, out of nowhere, Todd was like ‘Man, I wrote a song, check this out.’Ihad no ideahe was learning to play guitar, could write songs or anything.” From there Todd began opening for the band, then, in another unusual twist,actuallypickedupbassafteronlypretendingto play it in one of the band’s music videos.
Along with founding drummer Eric Wise, Corey (acoustic guitar, lead vocals) and Todd (bass) have beenthe core ofthis“countryfolkrock”bandhailing from Randolph County,North Carolina.After previous members left to play elsewhere, the band now includesJodyRising on rhythm guitar and Bear Roseonleadguitar.
The band’s upcoming album is TheStorm,which isdue outonMay 2, 2025. Back in March, they dropped an anthemic single, “Run With The Boys Tonight,” in anticipation of the full release. The record is the first with the current lineup.
To pull the album’s material together, the band took the time to rent a space, set up all their gear, and actually play through their stuff to see what they wanted to record. Corey says, “We had maybe 20 to 25 songs we worked out and played, and then we went from that and said ‘Which of these do we like and how can we make them fit together on a record?’...”
From this starting point it’s clear to see that Corey Hunt and the Wise is focused on offering fans the most honest and realmusic they can muster.
To find out more, visit www.coreyhuntandthewise.com
These days, Kyle Davis is enjoying an extended second act as a singer-songwriter. In his previous musical life, he achieveda levelof success many artists strive for but never grasp. He has also experienced the vicissitudesof the music industry firsthand.
Asforthe originof hiscreativity,Kyle says, “I was bitten by the bugearly on,” and describeshowhis musicalfamilyinfluencedhisgrowthasamusician:“My dadwasinalmostaRogerMiller-ish band…Ihave a brother that’s 11 years older—I did everything he did, and he played guitar and sang… and then I had olderaunts and they allplayed piano…gospel music;andevenmygrandmother…”Kyle feelshe was so immersed in music that, as ayoungster, he didn’t realize the effectit was having on him.
After developing his chops throughout his teens andinto histwenties, Kyle credits editorMelinda Newman, Billboard’s West Coast bureau chief at the time (1998) with helping to launch his initial productive run. “She got my record and she included it with a list of the ‘Seven Best Unsigned Acts in America’ [and] on the cover of the yearend double issue,” he remembers. “Over the next fewmonths,mymanagerstartedgettingcallsfrom everybody…”
The rising‘90stide ofpopularsinger-songwriters like DavidGrayliftedKyle’smusicalboat aswell, and he cruised that scene as far as he could, despite record label crashes and other obstacles. When the currents changed,Kyle drewback from recording and touring to focus mainly on family, while workingin realestate andmaintaining analready-in-progress side career as a commercial jingle writerandsinger.
“A big part of why I love doing this,” Kyle explains, “is kindof capturingthe thingsthat are going on to me and to the people around me.And a lothappenedbetween 2010 and2018.”
Now,inMarch2025,Kyle isreleasinghisseventh album, Jericho. It brings things full circle, with productionhandled once again byDon Dixon.
To find out more, visit www.kyledavismusic.com
Kyle Davis
Listen to the expanded interviews by searching Americana Music Profiles on all of your favorite Podcast platforms!
ARTICLESBYDANWALSH
Erbsen Book
Continued From Page 12
bluegrass. This segues nicely into a section about early bluegrass pioneer performers. (Being a child of the 1940’s who’s mother always had country music playing on the radio, I foundthissectionespeciallyenjoyable as many of the folks that Erpsen mentions here, are folks to which I rememberlistening.)
thismostwonderfulbookofnostalgia. It is interesting to discover how may tunes (or as Erpsen names them “evergreens”) crop up even today at jams and festivals.
Of course, no story centered upon Appalachianmusicwouldbe complete without a section about the genre’s songwriters and their songs. Here, Erpsen has given the reader a through schooling. For this reviewer, I found this section to be my favorite part of
This little anthology is a must read if you find yourself at all interested in the historic originsandthe laterpublic and professional aspects of old-time and bluegrass music. Mr. Wayne Erpsen has settled into a folksy yet wellwrittenstyle thatiseasy to read and very hard to put down before finishing a section. I’m sure there is a readerortwowho mightfind reason to be slightly disappointed after not findingmention ofa special musical person that they knewabout but that is a tiny grumble to raise. I would easily give this book a solid thumbs up and urge you to seek it out and immerse yourself in it. You will beAmericanastringmusic knowledge richer for the experience. Pick up a copy where ever fine books are sold or If you wish, contact the publisher at www.mcfarlandpub.com
RestoringThe Music
By Edward Tutwiler
Saturday morning,volunteers gathered to begin polishing, repairing, tuning,putting new strings on violins, viola, guitars, banjos, and more. This effort was lead by the amazing Ms.Catherine Currier.
OnSundaymorningthevolunteers conducted a final inspection of the instruments and set them up for easy selection. In early afternoon, hundreds of people from eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina had received a gift instrument of their choice. All were given for free to those who lost so muchin thatmassive storm.
the Woodsongs folks set their sites on an April event in Pikeville KY. The plan was to do the exact same thing for themusiciansin Kentucky who lost everything in those later floods that occurred there.
The Woodsongs folks continued to collect instrumentsof all kinds through Apriland added any undeliveredinstrumentsstillin Asheville. They then took this whole collection to Pikeville, KY where they held another big instrumentgiveaway.
Some of the more memorable road trips that I have taken over the years have been to the rural background places in western North Carolina and eastern Kentucky. Last year the flooding from the storm (Helene) washed away many of the little NC towns and hamlets that Iremember visiting. More recently, a similar tragic event visited many of the quaint little towns in eastern KY that Iremember as well. I tell you this because these same places are where much of the music we know and love resides in the hearts and minds of the displaced folks who have lost much of what they hold near and dear.
I’m sure you arefamiliar with the Woodsongs radio show that broadcasts from the Lyric Theater and airs on many PBS stations. If so, you are also familiar with their Song Farmer/Front Porch project that promotes music of the common folk in every community.
Because of the horrible devastation from flooding in western North Carolina, the Woodsongs folks started an appeal to people all across the country to donatemusical instruments to replace those lost by the good folks who were ravished by this terrible flooding. The instrument donationspouredin to collection points near and far, and while the collection project
was in full swing, the eastern KY floodinghit.
Let me tell you of the progress of the Woodsongs project and how it expanded to include thelater need.
On an early Monday in March of this year, friends and volunteers of the Woodsongs project staged rented trucks in Ashville, NC; and the next day loaded nearly 1400 donated musicalinstrumentsin them. By Thursday evening, the main box truck traveled to Knoxville, TN where producers did TV shows to help announce the project. By Friday of that week, vans and trucks and trailers from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia converged atWarren Wilson College outside of Asheville, NC. There all the instruments weresorted in an area provided by the college.
There were pilesof instruments: Guitars in one pile, banjos in another section,plusmandolins, flutes, trumpets, percussion, amplifiers, cellos, keyboards, and evenhammer dulcimersallin their respective piles. Volunteers had them all sorted and arranged. On
But wait, this is a story of the calm before a storm of a much better nature. While the originaleffort by the Woodsongs folks was a
Here is a quote from the Woodsongs team that explains why the project took place, “Love is the greatest transaction of the arts, and the musicians and songs of this region are the soundtrack of America’s front porch. It needs to be protected, restored and preserved.”
colossal amount of work, the epic effort of the weekend was not over. While they were in the mist of organizing this massive effort, eastern Kentucky got nearly wiped out by another batch of massive storms and flooding in Pike, Perry and Floyd counties that reeked havoc on many of the folks who lived there.
So the organizers thought they could not in good conscience help their NCneighbors withouthelping their own people in KY. Thus, once the initial effort was completed,
By the time we go to press with this story, it will be too late to donate a musicalinstrument tothe cause, but if you wish to still help, and if you are able, you may help defray some of the truck rental and delivery expenses the project incurred. Send donations to Woodsongs PO Box 200, Lexington, KY 40588, or use PayPal to radio@Woodsongss.com. If you have questions, call 859-2555700, or email wfpa@Woodsongs.com.
continued from page 14
thing,and lookingfor a band; just people to with a common interest to play around with.”
“I got to play this thing with Toby Keith,” he recalled. “I was in the Oklahoma FFA, and I got to play this party he was hosting.” For a young kid with a guitar, it was, a really good opportunity. “In the crowd there was a young drummer,” Cody said. “After the show he came up and invited me over to his house. His dad had bought him a drum kit. And that’s really where Ragweed started.”
“We figured out we really had something going. So we just started recruiting our other friends that we knew messed around with music, which was Jeremy and Grady, and man, it was an almost instant thing. We just started playing, and practicing as much as we could until we got a gig about 12 months later.”
“I was still doing acoustic stuff, making $100 a night working in a bar,and having a good time at a young age. I didn’t really have
anywhere to live, so I was couch surfing, but it was paying for my habit of music; and on the weekends, we would do the ragweed thing.”
“I think the acoustic stuff really helped the band, because it got the songs out there, and it got my style out there. Before long, I was so busy I didn’t get to do those acoustic shows anymore. And then we started hitting the road.”
Then It Happened
Theyneeded a namefor their new found venture.”It was Randy Ragsdale, the drummer; everybody in high school called him Randy ragweed, just kind of joking around. We were sitting around and talking about what we should call the band, and I said, ‘Ragweed.’ Like, you know, he started the band, and then his dad said, ‘How about Canadian (Cody Canada) Ragweed?’ And then somebody yelled across the room, ‘how about everybody’s last names?’ (as in, GradyCross); Cross Canadian Ragweed. Of course Jeremy Plato (bass), his name’s not in there, but he’s just as big of part of the band, because when he showed up is
when we really knew that we had a band. He’s always been the best player out of all of us. And he didn’t care what we called it. So we just went with it,” Cody said.
Thebandwas a prettybighit early on. “It was our drive, in the beginning,” Cody remembered. “We were so determined. We all had an interest in the same music. It was a kind of a Texas blues, old country, folk country kind of thing.Theycall itAmericana now, right? But back then, that wasn’t a very common word. From the moment we sat down at that first practice, we knew we had something. We just had to mold it. We had the opportunity to open for Willie Nelson, andit was the very first time that we actually had a set list that was madeupof allour songs. I remember thinking, ‘there’s not one cover. We’re playing a 45 minute set, and there’s not one cover.’That was reallythe moment we thought we might be onto something.”
The Songs Mattered “Early on I just I wrotewhat I was listening to; trying to write like Garth Brooks, and Clint Black, and stuff like that. Because that’s
what was ontheradio,that’s what I was listening to. However when I went to this place in Stillwater, around age16 or 17, I learned that you can really write about your feelings, and you can write about things that bother you,andthings that you love. I learned that from a guy named Mike McClure, who has been my mentor since day one. We’ve known each other for 31 years now,and he still inspires me. He’s the one that showed me that you can do this yourself. You canwriteyour ownsongs.Youcan write about your feelings and everything that’s ailing you, and everything that you’re in love with, and nobody can say anything about it. That was the freedom of it. These are my songs, and I can do this and that.”
Then It Ended
“Yes. You know, I was pretty bitter,” Cody said. “I’ve been very transparent withallthis stuff elsewhere. But I blame a lot of the split on overworking. There was one year that we were well over 250 shows, then, three out of four of us had brand new babies, and then our second round of brand
continued on page 23
Mr.Guitar
By Dan Walsh
Don Cusic is about to release the first comprehensive biography of country icon Chet Atkins in June 2025. The book itself is twelve years in the making, an effort to filla major gapin countrymusic history by this professor andmusic historian from Belmont University in Nashville. Along with his academic qualifications,Donbringsalife-longloveofthe music to this project.
“For some reason, I always liked country music,” Don remembers. “There was a plastic radio on top ofthe refrigerator,andinthe morningitplayedcountry music, and then it played Mantovani strings or something, and at lunchtime it gave the farm report and played country, and at 3:00 it played rock & roll…Ijustabsorbed all of that Iguess.” He lists his primary personal musical influences as Hank Williams, Roger Miller and the Beatles.
For Don, a primary reason to write about Chet Atkins was to helppeople understand just how important he was—largely “behind the scenes”—to the development of country music, as well as related genres like rock & roll. “It’sone of those things: They’ve heard the name but they don’t quite know where,” he observes.
“He was the most famous guitar player of the 20th century, particularly from the midpoint on,” Don states unequivocally. “He was synonymous with the guitar. He was everywhere.” Chet Atkins’ nearly inimitable guitarstyle markedhimasatruly unique artist ofthe era, one who was largely self-taught and who played by ear. (Apparently on more than one occasion, when asked if he could read music, he said, “Not enough to hurt
After obtaining a journalism degree, Don first arrivedin Nashville (in1973), like so manybefore and after, as an aspiring songwriter. “I thought I was a guitar player—until I came to Nashville,” he says. He quickly pivoted to leverage his strength in writing, getting jobs as a staff PR writer for the CMA and atthe trade publication Record Row,which, Don says, “...kind of got me into knowing the inside of the business…” Beyond the basic news, the magazine also provided a platform for freelance writing that Don took advantage of. “It evolved, writing the history,” he says. “I love the subject; and when you love the subject you kind of want to get to the roots of it.”
Over 25 Books
Donhas gone onto author over25 books,(including biographies of Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, Reba McEntire, Gene Autry and many others) as well as numerous articles and encyclopedia entries related to the history ofAmerican music, mostly related to country.
Don’s latest book is called Chet Atkins: Mr. Guitar. “There was no biography written about him, which is amazing,” Don says. “First of all, he’s a giant in the history of Nashville and country music. People sometimes ask, ‘How and why did you choose yoursubject?’and reallythe subjectchooses you a lot of times;and that’s what I felt with Chet.”
my playing.”) Don also notes his prolific output of over a hundred albums. “Back in those days, you recorded two or three albums a year.” However,Don’s mission was also to showhowAtkins had a multifaceted impact.
Why Chet Atkins “He was unique;there could not be a ChetAtkins today,” Donsays, citing his positions as influential producer and industry-shaping executive, as well as beloved artist and instrumentalist.Amonghisproducer creditswere the earlyWillieNelson and Waylon Jennings, along with rock acts like the Everly Brothers, and, according to Don, even an uncredited part inthe making of Elvis Presley’s first hit. He went on to head up RCAin Nashville. “So you have a three-in-one package there,” Don says.
continued on page 26
continued from page 19
new babies. Our older kids were just a couple years old. We worked really, really hard, and I didn’t really know how to say no. I didn’t know how to turn it off. The way things were, the label was pushing us, and the booking agency was pushing us. And you feel like if we quit for even a minute, then … you know, that rolling stone gathers no moss. So, we just kept going, and kept going, to the point where we just popped, and it just didn’t go well. The end just didn’t go well.”
Moving On
So Cody carried the tunes over to a solo act, and wrote new songs; that he says he’s alsoreally proud of. “This is the 15th year with my newband. I’ve been with my new band as long as I was with my old band,” he said. “But there was something unfinished.”
Afewyears agoinColorado,there was a tributeto Cody’s songs,and all of his artist friends got up and sang these songs back to him. “I didn’t really want it to happen,” he said, “but my wife (we’ve been
married for 26 years) has really been my number one person behind me, pushing what I want to do. She said, ‘you know, you need to do a tribute record.’ It really got my mind rolling, but that’s been five years ago now.”
A Glimmer
A couple years ago Cody was attending a concert in New York when something surfaced. “I thought, ‘man, if we did one reunion, we could fill up Madison Square Garden! I could brag to my kids.’ Sothat’s really when it got rolling. We let it sit for a little bit to make sure we did it correctly. My booking agent, John; he’s the one that got it going. He was the one that was talking to everybody and saying, ‘hey, what do you think?’ And so everybody got on the phone and said, ‘if we do this, right, we can. We don’t have to do it a lot, but let’s do it, and let’s do it big, and let’s have fun. So the main thing is, let’s not only be a band, but let’s be friends; like when we were high school buddies. So it really didn’t take any time at all. It felt
like old times. We hadn’t played those songs together for 15 years, but you wouldn’t know it. I mean, I’m bragging. I’m really, really bragging, you know. There’s a couple of tunes that I haven’t played in 15 years. We just dove right back in. I had to read the lyrics, but we hopped right back into it. And, it just it felt … it feels good,” he exclaimed.
nounced the shows, I thought it’s Oklahoma, maybe we’ll sell 20,000 tickets. I think I’ve just been too close to it. I didn’t realize what was going on. Once we sold the first night out, I was really in shock. But I came home and my wife and booking agent wereon a phonecall together,and they said, ‘Okay, so we agree, we’re doing night two.’ It’s like, what? And then there was night three. And it wasn’t even like, let’s see what happens. It was instantly they said we’re doing night four. So it went from learning20 songs to learning over 50.”
And now there are talks about what comes next.
I mean, are you thinking that there might be more than just four shows?
Cody tooka long pauseand said, “Let me get through these shows first.”
“It felt like, well maybe we did have something that was really awesome, becausewe got back on the bike like it was nothing, and apparently everybody else thought so too. When we an-
181,000 people bought tickets for the (first) four shows in April, 2025.
As of this publication, a fifth date has been added for August 23rd in Waco, TX.
The Reality
Source: https://bluegrasscountry.org/festivals/
Chet Atkins
continued from page 20
“He was in the right place at the right time,” he continues.
“He was a major factorinthe development of Music Row [Nashville’s famous neighborhood of music publishers, record labels and recording studios]... He waskind of Mr. Nashville, Mr. RCA and Mr. Guitar—all of those things, when he was active.”
In Don’s book, you’ll find out how Atkins progressed toward the fame thatwouldhelphim leave hisindelible markoncountrymusic,fromhisearly days in East Tennessee, to growing up and developing his guitar playing inColumbus,Georgia,to his firstmusic industry job onthe radio in Knoxville,to hisassociationwiththe Carter family, which proved to be his “big break” and his introduction to the Nashville scene. Soon songs like
“Country Gentleman” and “Mr. Sandman” unveiledthe “ChetAtkins style” to a wider audience. He also became an endorsing player of Gretsch guitars, with the company puttinga lot ofeffort into promoting him as such.
(“You know,” notes Don, “when the Beatles first played on The Ed Sullivan Show, George Harrison was playing a Chet Atkins guitar.”)
Ultimately though, it all comes back to the music itself. When asked about any surprising discoveries made while researching the book,Don mentionsthat,unlike other established players who, after years of hard work, tend to just play when called upon, Chet Atkins never stopped “woodshedding” on a daily basis. Don says, “He always found time to practice guitar, even in his busy studio days, as a producer and executive.” Mr. Guitar, indeed.
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Great conversations withsomeof Americana Music’s top Entertainers!
Spring is here! Music festival season is here! Oh, we cannot wait! Will we see you out there? Who are you excited about?
Here’s 14 acts to watch for!
Listen early and make your plans to catch live music all season long. Thank you for checking out all this great new music! Buy the ones you like. Support your favorite musician so they can keep making newmusic for you! Oh, and tell them Woody sent ya.
Got one you want us to consider? send it to: Uncle Woody The Spin Doctor, PO Box 45 Bridgewater, VA 22812
Red Camel Collective RedCamel Collective www.redcamelcollective.com
This is the highlyanticipated debut album from the IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year, Heather Berry Mabe. The 10 track collection features a mixture of originals and covers - and sets the stage for another new, top performingact.
Alison Krauss & Union Station Arcadia
www.alisonkrauss.com
It’sthe firstalbumin 14years forAlisonKrausswhostarted herrecordingcareeratage14 whenshesigned to Rounder Records. She’ssold over 12 million albums, and Grammy nominated 44 times. Of coursethisnewoneisgood.
Shane Alexander Forever Songs www.shanealexandermusic.com
This is the eighth project for indie folk musician, Shane Alexander. The California artist’s acoustic rock sound and carefully crafted lyrics makes this likely his best worktodate. Themesofconnection, hope, gratitude ... music for the soul.
Caleb Bailey and Paine’s Run Pride Of Appalachia www.calebbaileymusic.com
Formed in2021,this bandis amemberofthenewclassof traditional bluegrass groups rising to the top. The follow uptotheirdebutalbum, Pride OfAppalachia isalreadygrabbingattentionforthis band.
Christopher Wright TheOtherSide www.christopherwrightmusic.com
It’s the debut album for this Texas singer/songwriter. Americana, bluesy rock themes make up this up and coming artist’s new project, The Other Side. It features nineoriginalsongs, fueledby selfdiscovery,saidtheartist.
TheallfemalebandfromPortland, OR has released their sophomore project hereGood Morning Sunshine They call it, “Rock and Roll withatwang.” Wethinkthat’s a great call - and we like it. Keep aneye onthese gals.
Mitch Ryder With Love www.mitchryder.net
Yes,it’sthesame“DevilWith The Blue Dress On,” Mitch Ryder - six-decades into his career with a new album! A musicpioneerwhowasthere at the flashpoint of the birth of earlyAmericanrock-n-roll. He says this isone of the top two of allhis 21 records.
Early James MediumRaw www.earlyjames.com
Alabama born and raised; Rolling Stone called Early James’ music,“jagged,moaningblues.”Recordedinanold house, with old recording gear, they capture that “old” sound perfectly. Gritty and raw,it’swell worththe listen.
Rees Shad PorcelainAngel www.ReesShadMusic.com
Porcelain Angel is Rees Shad’s latest solo effort bringing him back into the Americana side of things. Rees has been aroundthe musical horn, starting his career in 1994, being dubbed a “wordsmith to watch.” In this case, we suggest you listen too.
The Seldom Scene Remains To BeScene www.seldomscene.com
TheScenehavebeenabluegrassinstitutionsince 1971andhavebeenquintessential bearers of the tradition with nearly two dozen albums. Whilealltheoriginalmembers have now moved on, their legacycontinues.Thisalbum is wellworththe add.
(Country Music Heritage) CMHRecordsre-presentsthis 1981 historic classic bluegrass album for the first time everonCD.The remastered albumfeaturesbluegrasslegends intheir musical prime.
Sean Chambers
Live From Daryl’sHouse Club www.seanchambers.com
Blueswasmeanttobeexperienced live - even when recorded. Sean Chambers, was once named one of the top 50 blues guitarists of the last century,byBritian’sGuitaristmagazine.Heteamsup herewiththeremainingmembersof SavoyBrown.Nice.
Dustin Brown
Dustin Brown
www.dustinbrownsongs.com
This is the third project from theyoung,upandcoming,Ft. Worth Texas Americana artist. He said, “I’m a writer and a poet first, and a music creater second.” It’s right down the middle Americana music, the kind that gets us excited. We like it.
Woody Platt FarAway With You
www.woodyplatt.com
Woodywas one of the original Steep Canyon Rangers. We were so sad to see him step awayfromhis roll there. Andwe’renowsoexcitedthat this super talented musician hasfoundhiswaybacktothe stage withhis new band and record! ThanksWoody.
