Americana Rhythm Music Magazine #64

September 2016

2

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

September 2016

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

3

September 2016

“Let life be like music.” ~ Langston Hughes ~

It’s that time again! We’ve got another exciting issue for you with all the trimmings. I’m excited to share our cover artist with you, Richard Young of the Kentucky Headhunters, along with our cast of regular entries.

In case you haven’t had a chance to listen to our new podcast, I invite you to dial us in on iTunes - Americana Music Profiles. It’s where we get to talk with some of the artists you might not yet be aware of, but should put them on your radar. We have a lot of fun talking about their career and occasionally sampling their music.

Of course, our fest calendar is full as usual, and we added some new gems that we ‘ve uncovered this year. If you haven’t filled up your weekend schedule this summer and fall, we have plenty of choices for you.

Some major gems to put on your check list for this fall would be the National Folk Fest in Greensboro, NC, IBMA’s Bluegrass Wide Open in Raleigh, NC, and Bristol Rhythm and Roots festival in Bristol, VA. See you out there!

Questions, comments, suggestions: greg@americanarhythm.com PUBLISHER

Americana Rhythm is published six times a year. All corresponCONTRIBUTORS dence should be sent to PO Box 45, Bridgewater VA, 22812 or Ed Tutwiler email to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copies of Americana Wayne Erbsen Rhythm are made available free at various pick up locations within Donna Ulisse the publication’s region. Subscriptions are available inside the United Don and Martha DePoy States (only) for $16 US currency made payable by check or money Andrew McKnight order sent to, Subscriptions at PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812.

Mark Whetzel Foreig n su bscrip tion req u ests shou l d b e sen t to Scott Perry greg@americanarhythm.com. Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.

DISTRIBUTION Reproduction of any content, artwork or photographs is strictly Ed Tutwiler prohibited without permission of the publisher or original owner. All Zebra Media advertising material subject to approval.

Associated Dist.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Greg E. Tutwiler Associate Editor Ed Tutwiler MARKETING & PROMOTION Mark Barreres (GrassRootsNetworking.com) ADVERTISING Letters, Comments, Suggestions Business office 540-433-0360 greg@americanarhythm.com advertising@americanarhythm.com www.americanarhythm.com

4

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

45 Years Of Good Houserockin’ Music

The blues community in our

coverage area is small but furiously loyal to its music.

They remain underground to some degree and we do not have the opportunity to speak to them thru our magazine as often as we would like.

Thus, it is an honor to be able to feature prestigious folks such as the ones that this story discusses.

Not long ago, there arrived at the AR office a CD selection of Blues music titled, The Alligator Records 45th Anniversary Collection. This two-CD set contains musical presentations by blues artists who have recorded for Alligator Records over the last 45 years of their existence. The CD features tracks from newer voices and classic selections by blues and roots stars from the past. What is so wonderful about this recorded collection is that it provides a showcase portrait of Alligator Records’ version of Americana Music.

Let us delve into Alligator Records a bit and give you some background about this most unique recording company. Alligator Records is based in Chicago, IL and is the proud offspring of a Chicago blues lover by the name of Bruce Iglauer.

It features a line up of some of the most skilled and listenable blues recording artists performing today.

Over the course of the last 45 years, this recording company has produced and released over 300 albums of blues music.

issue became the first release from a brand new label: Alligator Records.

September 2016

By Edward Tutwiler

What do you do with 1000 copies of music from a band who no one outside of the Chicago blues clubs have ever heard of? Here is what Mr. Iglauer did: He loaded them into the trunk of his car and embarked upon an epic road trip from Chicago to New York. He visited every progressive rock and college radio station and record distributor that he could locate. In the early 1970s, most FM radio stations were locally owned and operated and the DJs scripted their own play lists.

Bruce would drop by these stations and ask the DJ who was getting ready to go on air to play his record. These folks were fairly loose and recep-

tive and would usually agree to do so. After getting airplay in each city, Bruce went to the distributor in that city and told them that his record was getting radio play in their market, and asked if they would distribute the album. With the guaranteed airplay, they all said that they would.

One Man, Many Hats

From that lowly beginning, with one artist in his stable, Iglauer gave life to Alligator Records. It was a one-man show with Bruce being producer, booking agent, business manager, roadie, promotion man, and publicist. He operated Alligator Records from his tiny apartment, which was filled with stacks of record cartons and a shipping table located next to the bed. It was a Spartan operation with each record financing the next one. Alligator was only able to release about one record a year but fortunately those records impressed fans and critics well enough that sales kept the label going. Leap forward 45 years and we find Alligator Records with a catalog of 300 albums and a stable of acclaimed blues performers. The operation has 15 employees and operates out of a facility that exceeds the confines of that tiny apartment. Nevertheless, it is

Alligator Records (named after the way Iglauer clicks out rhythm patterns with his teeth when he likes a song) was certainly a leap of faith, as Iglauer was running this underfinanced one-man operation from the confines of an efficiency apartment. Plus, the Rockers were unknown outside of the Chicago blues scene, and they were not creating music that sounded like anything that was getting played on commercial radio. Nevertheless, their sound spoke to listeners. After paying the band and the studio, Iglauer used his last remaining money to press 1000 copies of the recording.

One Artist At A Time

Mr. Iglauer started in the record label business in a quite unusual manner. He was a 23 year old fan of a local blues band, Hound Dog Taylor & the House-Rockers. At the time, Iglauer was working for a local recording company, and he tried to interest his bosses in recording this group to no avail. So, in the late spring of 1971, Iglauer and a friend produced and recorded a live performance by this band. They issued that album in August of that year. T he album was simply named after the band: Hound Dog Taylor & the House-Rockers. This

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

5

September 2016

still guided by the original core belief that soul, blues, and bluesrooted music speaks to some inter need in people’s consciousness.

Recently, we asked Mr. Bruce Iglauer to tell us a bit about Alligator Records as it exists today and his thoughts on going forward. “I began Alligator in 1971 as a blues fan, with the intention of recording and releasing only blues albums. I never tried to play the big pop labels’ game, because I knew I couldn’t do it well, and that I couldn’t afford it, and that I had no real musical aesthetic outside of blues.” He did admit that over the years, his definition of blues has expanded to include some blues influenced music.

I wondered if he considered his label a niche market for existing blues fans and he told me that he did not. He said, “Alligator Records proselytizes for the music we love, and we are constantly using radio media as well as news media to turn on new potential fans to that music.”

While Alligator Records continues to stay true to its roots, this does not mean that they are deaf to blues related and blues influenced music. Here is how Mr. Iglauer put it, “We have released some bluesy roots rock, a little gospel, and our Mavis Staples soul album. Also, many years ago, we released 13 reggae LPs. I’m very proud of those albums but the core of Alligator will always be blues.”

Lean And Focused

Alligator Records prefers to keep its talent roster to about 15 or 16 artists thus they do not sign many new acts in any one year. The reason they hold down the number of active artists is that Alligator Records publicizes and promotes every gig their artists play, and this method of promotion is very laborintensive. Bruce said that they are bringing individual attention to over 1000 gigs a year. Thus, he is very picky about new signings.

As to how Alligator Records finds new talent to sign and promote, that method varies. Bruce signed Jarekus Singleton and Selwyn Birchwood after seeing them at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. He signed Toronzo Cannon after watching him develop as an artist and songwriter over a number of years. With Moreland & Arbuckle, Bruce knew

6

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

that they had been together over a decade and had recorded for a couple of other labels. Plus, they had a strong live performance and were accomplished songwriters.

These folks came to him with a finished master recording. He liked the recording so much that he both signed them and released their recording.” Still, Mr. Iglauer does listen to demo recordings that folks send to Alligator. He will trek to see a live performance to make sure Alligator-worthy talent doesn’t slip by unnoticed. Bruce told us, “I signed Little Charlie & The Nightcats because of a demo. It was so impressive that I flew almost immediately to hear them. A lot of artists approach me, but I can’t count on them finding me. Often, I have to find them.”

I asked about the production end of Alligator. Mr. Iglauer told me that Alligator Records does not own a studio. Rather, they cut their records all over the country and that sometimes they produce them and other times others produce them. They also do not own a CD pressing plant. However, they do design all the packaging, songs, mixes, and promotional materials in-house. All of this work is performed by the 15-person Alligator staff. Finally, all creative work is subject to Bruce’s personal approval.

Times Have Changed

Forty-five years later, almost everything about product distribution has changed. Because of the ease of shipping CDs around the country, combined with the death of many record stores, Alligator no longer needs local distributors.

They have one national distributor (as does almost every other independent label). Bruce injected, “Commercial radio today is full of tightly controlled, hit-driven playlists. Of course, satellite radio, internet radio, streaming services like Spotify® and Apple Music® and discovery services like Pandora®, have all become major forces in exposing our music. Thus promotion road trips are no longer necessary. We must constantly adapt our promotion methods to current media trends or we will fail. Running an independent blues/roots label now is the hardest it’s been in my entire career.”

This made me wonder what the future held and, certainly, how has continued on page 9

September 2016

Gypsy Jazz Music has always been inextricably connected to culture. Nowhere is this more true than in what has come to be commonly referred to as Gypsy Jazz. The relaxed rhythmic feel and free flowing improvisations are representative of the seemingly care free, nomadic lifestyle that has come to stereotype Gypsy culture. Forever linked to guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist

By Mark Whetzel

playing violin and banjo-guitar, Django later switched to guitar in his teens. Adding to his mystique is the fact that he had only two fully functional fingers on his left hand after having been injured in a fire in his caravan at age 18.

Many serious Gypsy Jazz guitarists still play Django’s solos with two fingers and this undoubtedly contributed to his unique style and musical vocabulary.

There are many stories as to how Django first met his most famous musical collaborator, Stephane Grappelli. It is generally believed that they met in Paris in 1931 when they both played with orchestras for dances and other social functions. However it wasn’t until they met again in London in 1934 that their musical partnership formally began. Soon they relocated to Paris and formed the Quintette du Hot Club de France. This was Europe’s first prominent jazz group. They performed regularly and recorded approximately 140 songs until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. At the onset of the war the quintet was touring the United Kingdom. Grappelli chose to stay in the UK and Reinhardt returned to Paris where he continued on page 9

Stephane Grappelli, Gypsy Jazz has undergone a significant global resurgence since the early 2000’s thanks in part to a new generation of players and the accessibility of Gypsy recordings.

Like most musical styles, Gypsy Jazz can be hard to define. Often referred to as “Jazz Manouche” (from the French term meaning Gypsy), the name itself is a bit mainstream and doesn’t reflect the great diversity of music actually found within Gypsy culture. However for most listeners, Gypsy Jazz is synonymous with Django. His unique musical genius and astounding virtuosity are the cornerstones upon which this style developed. It’s interesting to note that some of those closest to him considered Django to be first and foremost a jazz guitarist and saw little similarity between his music and traditional Gypsy music. Legend has it that Django became heavily influenced by American jazz after hearing Louis Armstrong’s “Indian Cradle Song.” After this, he focused almost exclusively on jazz and played little traditional Gypsy music. It was this blend of jazz and traditional Roma (Gypsy) music that came to define what we generally think of today as Gypsy Jazz. Later in his career he worked with several well known American jazz musicians such as Coleman Hawkins and even toured the United States with Duke Ellington.

Django

Born in Belgium on January 23 rd, 1910 to a musical family, Jean Baptiste “Django” Reinhardt is not only the primary creative figure in the world of Gypsy Jazz but is also a significant influence on contemporary guitarists as diverse as Joe Pass, Jerry Garcia and Chet Atkins. Jeff Beck is famously quoted with having said, “Of course, it all started with Django.” Initially

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

7

September 2016

I was writing a song on my iPad before writing this article. We were winding our wa y through the mountains on the prettiest June day heading toward a festival I would be performing (I was in the passenger seat so it was nice and safe.) The bumpy road that kept my fingers from hitting the right letters on the keypad only made the lyric more of an adventure. I could totally hear the melody in my head with every word I typed. I zoned completely out to everything around me; the trees going by in a green haze, the sun splashing brightly through the windshield, the white lines racing up beside the van we lovingly call The White Dove, the fellas in the Poor Mountain Boys chattering behind me, my husband to my left at the wheel, the radio playing softly, all of it so far off in the distance that it seemed dreamlike. Instead, I was hearing the sweetest melody and seeing in my mind’s eye the story playing out as I searched for the right rhyme words and meter. My husband

8

finally asked a question for the third time before I snapped out of it and broke the spell.

The song I started writing on was a topic suggested by another bluegrass artist that wanted to co-write with me.

He lives in another state so logistics are an issue. I have tried writing by Skype or FaceTime but it generally leaves me feeling disconnected from my co-writer so I wanted to try getting some kind of outline down before we talked again. I pondered on the line the artist had given me and tried to imagine how I would react to this kind of tale. I placed myself in the story and worked on my personal reaction to a sad story about losing someone I love to addiction. Suddenly it became more than an outline; it became three verses and a chorus.

It amazes me every single time that happens. I can almost become trancelike when I’m into a song. When I feel that spark of creation, an idea

that wants to start weaving through my thoughts, I try to take the time to see where this idea leads me. I am not always in a place where I can sit and type but I do make an effort to find a way to write down or record the idea somewhere; in my phone, or on a scrap of paper, somewhere. The really strong ideas never leave me alone. They sta rt forming and solidifying almost on their own. It’s never a choice for me when that starts, I have to sit down and dump the song out of my head before I can have peace.

There is a scene in a Jack Nicholson movie where he is portrayed as a romantic novelist. Every time he sits down at his typewriter this sweeping orchestra starts up, like the soundtrack from Gone with the Wind, and he gets this silly look on his face and starts into his story, typing away. He is immersed in the process until there is a knock on the door. Instantly he is back to his unpleasant self, which is a

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

bear yelling “go away”! This happens over and over again. I connected with that scene so completely because that is exactly how my songwriting affects me. I am quite certain my husband thinks I am crazy but the end result is always a song.

I wanted to share this story with you becau se I was not always this attentive to my writing. I had to learn that like everything in life, the more you do something the better you get.

Over the years I have become so disciplined and dogged about my craft that it is now like a water spigot and when I’m thirsty, I can reach over and turn it on.

I hope you have this same experience on your own writing journey. I hope someone has to ask you three times if you need a potty break when you’re rolling down the highway and you don’t hear anything because you are writing the next number one song!

September 2016

Alligator Records continued from page 6 marketing efforts changed? Bruce replied, “The biggest retailers of CDs these days are Amazon® and Wal-Mart®. Wal-Mart’s selection is almost all hit-driven; and it’s virtually impossible to get our CDs into there. Amazon has great se-

Gypsy continued from page 7 reformed the quintette with a clarinetist. Unlike many, Django flourished during the war.

German soldiers considered Paris to be a place to relax and enjoy entertainment. As a result he was allowed to play and move about freely although apparently he tried twice unsuccessfully to flee the country. Grappelli and Django later reunited after the war.

Not All The Same

lection and service, but many older customers want to touch and hold a CD before they buy it. Record stores are not coming back, and CD sales are being replaced by download sales and streaming services.

Streaming services pay for the music they stream, but pay only a percentage of their subscription and advertising income. For commercial recording to survive, these services need to raise their payment levels. One good effect of streaming services is that the amount of illegal file sharing and downloads have shrunk. If listeners can hear a song on a streaming service for a low monthly subscription cost, they usually will not risk a virus or poor quality sound from an illegal download site. As far as our marketing effort, we are trying to be constantly adaptable. One thing we do believe—if people hear our music, many of them will like it and want to own or access it. The challenge we have is to make people aware of our music and our artists. Of course the best sales tool we have is an exciting live performance by one of our artists in front of the largest possible audience.

That’s one reason we expend so much energy creating media attention for our artist’s live shows ”

.

Several aspects of Gypsy Jazz differ from early American jazz. Gypsy Jazz was initially performed exclusively on string instruments.

Although now it’s not uncommon to also see a horn or accordion player, at first the typical Gypsy Jazz group consisted of violin, bass and two or three guitars. This was not a new idea. American musicians Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti recorded with a guitar/violin line up in the 1920’s. However this unique instrumentation came to define early Gypsy Jazz that was in sharp contrast to American jazz, which relied heavily on horns.

Also, without a drummer, the accompanying guitarist provided the rhythmic foundation. The French term for this is “La Pompe.”

Translated this means “the pump.”

It differed from the role that the rhythm guitarist performed in American swing music. Some have even compared this to the role of the rhythm guitar in bluegrass.

Mass Appeal

It’s difficult to exaggerate Django’s influence on acoustic musicians today. Virtually every major city has a Hot Club ensemble and there are many annual festivals devoted to Django’s legacy and Gypsy Jazz.

Although his technical ability was profound and helped define the genre, his compositions such as “Minor Swing” and “Nuages” have found themselves in the repertoire of many progressive bluegrass and Americana players. The fact that this unique style of jazz was initially performed on string instruments has also undoubtedly contributed to it’s popularity among current players. However, perhaps the near universal appeal of Gypsy Jazz is that it combines memorable melodies in familiar harmonic contexts performed with virtuoso technique. This combination should assure it’s appeal for generations to come

.

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

9

September 2016

it in his book, “C ana di an Fiddle Tunes from Red River Valley.”

By Wayne Erbsen

Whisky Before Breakfast I recently published my newest c la wh a m m er b a n j o bo ok Clawhammer Banjo, Tunes, Tips & Jamming. Among the 44 tunes in the book, I included “Whiskey B efor e B re a k fa st. ” I a lwa y s wondered about the origin for the tune, so I took this opportunity to do some research. Here’s what I found.

Ch a sing d own th e hi st or y of “Whiskey Before Breakfast” is about as easy as finding the Rosetta Stone at a flea market. Thanks to the painstaking research by Andrew Kuntz and Vivian Williams, we can start to get an idea of the origins of this great old tune. There are a number of Celtic fiddle tunes su ch as “Greenfields of America,” “Great Eastern Reel,” “Bennett’s Favorite” and “ Silver Spire” tha t are suspiciously similar to the (A) part of “Whiskey Before Breakfast.” It is likely that some variant of this family

10

Andy De Jarlis of tunes migrated to the Maritime provinces of Canada in the late 19th century, where it was known as “Spirits of the Morning.” A story has been told that Canadian fiddler Andy De Jarlis and another fiddler named Houle played tunes all night until they passed out due to over lubrication with strong drink. When De Jarlis awoke, he remembered the last tune they played before passing out and named it “Whiskey Before Breakfast.” In 1957, De Jarlis arranged and included

“W hisk ey B e f o r e B r ea k fa st ” was later picked up by fiddler Dick Barrett, who recorded it on a 1972 Vo y a g e r recording called “More Fiddle Jam Sessions.” I remember hearing the tune in early 1972 while visiting the Seattle, Washington area, but I don’t recall who was playing it. When I returned to the San Francisco Bay area, I discovered that none of my musician friends knew it, so I helped spread it around. By the mid 1970s, the tune was on everyone’s “top 10” list in many parts of the country.

Here is a version of “Whiskey Before Breakfast” for clawhammer banjo which I reduced down to its bare-bones skeleton. (You can thank me later).

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

Note: the arrows indicate a downward brush on the bottom strings. I’ve arranged “Whiskey Before Breakfast” in double C tuning (gCGCD). If you plan to play it with other musicians, you’ll need to capo up on the 2nd fret, which will put you in the key of D where this tune is normally played.

Remember to raise your 5th string to an A. ********************************* Wayne Erbsen is an active musician and t eacher wit h more th an 30 instruction books for banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and ukulele to his credit. For more information, visit www.nativeground.com.

September 2016

A Recording Studio In Your Hip Pocket

By Ed Tutwiler

Recently, while talking to Michael

Johnathon of Public Broadcasting’s WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, I asked him to comment a bit about his SongFarmer Album that showed up in the AR office review bin a few weeks back. The album is a likable mix of singer/ songwriter selections that glide real easy into the ears. However, this is not just another great sounding mix of music. The album collection

not give good phonic quality. CD sales have tanked; record stores have closed, and as recent as five years ago, no one would have dreamed that one of the biggest retailer of CDs in the US would be a restaurant chain—the Cracker Barrel®. Nevertheless, most of the audience does not listen to music recorded on CDs anymore, so I thought if the listener was going to be listening to the music from a cellular telephone through ear buds that was how I was going to record my album.”

Sort Of A Protest

holds the distinction of being the first nationally released album of music to have been wholly produced using an Apple® iPhone® cellular telephone device. That’s right. You read that correctly. Here’s the story.

Was It Really A Phone?

Our question to Michael was this, “Did you really use your cellular telephone to record a music album?

His reply was, “Yep. We also used a few pieces of special equipment but here is the point. We are living among the first generation in human history that gets most of its music as a flat two-dimensional form. People who listen to music today do not even have an album cover to hold. Everything is downloaded and very few folks ever listen to music on stereo music systems any more. They listen to music from a cellar telephone connected to crummy ear buds or they are listening to crushed MP3 music files. The listeners today are not even aware of what a stereo system sound like. Or, they are listening to music in a car going down the freeway which certainly does

He told us that he thought doing this would be a polite way of protesting in favor of a wonderful community of recording engineers who are losing their jobs and their studios because folks can no longer afford or want to afford to go into a studio and record a beautiful concept album that has been mixed to perfection and that will then be listened to through ear buds connected to an MP3 device. Having said that, he went on to tell us how he went about producing this album, which, by the way, sounds great when played through something grander that an MP3 device that is driving some ear buds.

While it might sound trite to say a recording was produced on a “cellphone”, it is important to realize that the Apple iPhone 6® when used as a recording platform exceeds the capacity that famous recording engineer, George Martin, had at his disposal when he recorded those Beatles concept albums in his Abby Road studio in the early 1960s.

The complete equipment setup that Michael Johnathon used to record his acoustic folk album consists of the following equipment:

·A new Martin® 0000-28s guitar and a long neck VEGA® banjo, ·Extremely high end Ear Trumpet® microphones, ·An Apogee Quartet AD/DA interface device,

continued on page 19

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

11

September 2016

I’m Going To Be A Rock Star

By Greg Tutwiler

Often referred to as “Southern Rock Roy-alty,” and even the “great American rock ‘n’ roll band, ” The Kentucky Headhunters have sustained a music career that many dream about, and yet few have sustained.

Music making that spans decades, brothers Richard and Fred Young, along with their cousins Greg Martin and Anthony Kenny f ormed their first band know as the Itchy Brothers in 1968. That band morphed into the Kentucky Headhunters, an occasionally changing ensemble of musicians that eventually won a Grammy award, a CMA Album of the Year Award, two CMA Vocal Group of the Year Awards, two Top 10 charting albums, and four consecutive Top 40 hits. They are often credited for creating a unique blend of honky-tonk, blues, and southern rock that appeals to audiences across multiple genres’ and still draws enthusiastic and multi-aged crowds some 40 plus years later. I caught up with Richard in between vocal tracks for their new album set to release in October, 2016.

Rock And Roll Beginnings

For about the first 20 years of the band, their sound was more typical of the four piece rock bands of that era. “We wanted to be an English rock act,” he told me, “but naturally with our rural accents and our rural sensibilities that was quite impossible. It created quite a good style though,” Richard laughed.

The band had some great opportunities in the 70s with record labels, getting signed right out of high school. But like so many bands in those days, record label’s moods turned on a dime, and many great acts got caught in management changes and

12

label shifts. “We were living in Atlanta at the time, and southern rock had really reached the end of its super era. When Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed we all sort of looked at each other and said, ‘maybe it’s just not the right time for another southern rock band.”

“We came home and started honing our abilities even more so,” Richard said, “And started pursing that English rock band thing again. ” The new incarnation of the band was eventually

discovered

by Mitchell Fox who was working for Led Zeppelin. Fox flew in from New York to catch the guys in Louisville, KY in 1978. He developed a relationship with Swansong Records to groom the band to be the first all American band at Swansong. “It was such

a far fetched idea for a bunch of boys from Kentucky,” he said. “It wasn’t meant to happen, of course,” Richard mused. “John Bonham (Led Zeppelin drummer) passed away before we could ever get in the studio. That was quite a shock, and honestly knocked us below the belt a little bit.”

Changing With The Times

great way to let people know about the album we had recorded. We’d sell them out of the trunks of our cars after the show,” he recalled.

The show quickly caught on.

People even began to contact them about being special guests on their show. “Everyone kept encouraging us to go to Nashville and showcase for some labels.

Our comment was, ‘nah, thanks.

We’ve been there before.’ We were just happy as larks playing on our radio show, and it was on the verge of us getting some commercial success.”

The guys finally got coaxed into a trip to Nashville and an appearance as a tag on band. A guy named Leroy Parnell was the draw that night. “We set up real quick and broke into the first song on our album, “Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine.” It was like somebody said, ‘there’s a bomb in the room. People were jumping over each other to get out,” he quipped. “There were probably 300 people in there and we cleared that room out in about five minutes.”

But the band trudged on, and in 1986, the band changed their name to the

However, there was one guy in the room that came specifically to hear the Headhunters who knew Richard from his songwriting days in Nashville. He asked for a copy of their homemade album.

“He called us the next day and said, ‘Well guys, I’m hooked. We may be cooking hamburgers next year but I gotta try this.”

H e a dh u n t e r s .

“We had decided to forget about a major record deal and just make our own album, and start our own radio show to get some exposure.

We put together a little album called Pickin On Nashville. We had a great audience. Every Tuesday night we would go in and play live for 45 minutes. And it caught on quite well. It was a

The album came out pretty quickly and exploded up the charts. “It became everything we’d ever dreamed of,” Richard said. “There’s never been anything and never will be anything as off the wall as the Headhunters,” he surmised. “We knew our days on country radio were numbered, so we

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

Instant Success

September 2016

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

13

September 2016

Land is as good as it gets,” commented Richard’s brother (drummer), Fred.

immediately started touring to all genres of people using our clout to open doors.” The band opened for artists like Bob Dylan and David Bouie. They played bike rallies and road houses, and opened for anyone they could make fit. “We would do that to turn the corner back, and I must say, it’s taken us close to 20 years to actually get back to the place we want to be known for, which is a southern rock blues band.

We’re very happy where we are now. I saw it turn the corner when we did the Dixie Lullabies album.

We started getting to do things like the Rock Legends cruise which was quite an honor.”

Rock And Roll Star

I asked Richard if he ever thought he’d get to make music in seven different decades. “I really never really thought about it. We’ve just always been about the music.

When someone asked me in the fourth grade if I knew what I was going to do when I grew up, I said right away, ‘I know what I’m going to be, I’m going to be a rock star,” he laughed. “My brother was the same; and my cousins too. We just had blinders for this.

We had other interests of course but basically our whole focus was that we’ve always felt driven to do this.”

Knowing Their Roots

“It’s not that we’re against country music or any other genre’. We grew up on a farm as boys in Kentucky and were exposed to all kinds of music, but there’s always been a blues theme running beneath it all for us,” he said. “We’ve never lost that blues thing. That’s the difference. Our rural sensibilities and upbringing

14

is probably the greatest gift we have and I think that’s always shown through in our music.”

In 2015, Alligator Records released a record with the Kentucky Headhunters that for Richard, “probably represents

the band’s truest intent musically to date.” Meet Me In Blues Land is a collaboration with Johnnie Johnson, heralded by Rolling Stone in 2003 as “the greatest sideman in rock and roll,” for his groundbreaking piano work with Chuck Berry. “Meet Me In Blues

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

We’re sure glad you did Richard.

With any luck, the next album set for release later this fall will further solidify the Kentucky Headhunters place in Americana roots, blues and rock history

.

www.Kentuckyheadhunters.com

September 2016

Basic Elements of the Musical Language Here are the three basic elements of music we discussed last time:

Many contemporary pop tunes have, in addition to verses and choruses, other sections like bridges and prechoruses. Listening to just about any pop tune today reveals a predictable pattern of a verse or two followed by a pre-chorus and chorus. That sequence is then repeated and followed by a bridge and a final chorus or two.

• Harmony refers to how notes are combined with each other. Think of harmony as chords. A chord is three or more notes sounded together. Harmony provides a foundation that supports the melody.

• Rhythm makes up all the time-based elements of music. Think of it as the ‘groove’ or underlying beat or feel of a tune. It’s visceral, we respond to it with our bodies. When we dance, clap, or tap our foot to a piece of music, we are responding to music’s rhythm. Rhythm also organizes the other two basic elements of music, melody and harmony.

Song structure or musical form is a framework on which these three basic elements are “hung” and organized.

The structure of a song helps us make sense of a song. When we know a song’s structure, we can better keep our place within the tune, follow the story it tells, and memorize the melody and chord changes.

• Melody is the linear aspect of music. It’s the sequence of notes in a tune and the most memorable element of a song. It’s what we sing or hum while we listen to music and sometimes long after the song is over.

Verses are sections of a song that may be repeated as it unfolds. Simple songs like When the Saints Go Marching In, and Mary Had a Little Lamb, and most twelve bar blues, are just a sequence of verses.

Each verse has the same or similar melody and harmony, but the words of each verse change to tell the song’s story. This is called the strophic form.

Another basic structure is the versechorus form. Examples are Jingle Bells and the Beatles All You Need Is Love. In these songs the lyrics of each verse have the same melody and harmony, but the words change. However, in each chorus the words of the lyric are the same as is the melody and harmony.

There are many other song forms common to early jazz standards and pop songs like the AB form found in Sweet Georgia Brown or Hank Williams’ Jambalaya and the AABA form of tunes like Blue Skies or That’ll Be the Day. There is also the AABB, common in fiddle tunes like Soldier’s Joy.

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

Songs also may have intros and outros, or introductions and endings, that bookend the song’s structure.

These give a tune a bit more polish.

The best way to learn more about song forms and their variations is by learning tunes that use them.

Since everyone already has some instinctual and intuitive understanding of melody and rhythm (we can all sing along and dance to our favorite tunes), all you need to start a musician’s journey are some basic chord shapes. If you’d like to begin a guitar playing adventure, there are many free online resources to help get you started including several on my teaching site www.guidedguitarlessons.com.

Scott Perry is a Vintage Blues Guitarist and Creator of GuidedGuitarLessons.com.

15

September 2016

Thanks to our partnership with ReverbNation (www.reverbnation.com) we are honored to give you a peak at a few of the nation’s hardest working indie artists. Each month we select one entry to showcase for you here. Enjoy!

THIS MONTH’S FEATURE:

By Greg Tutwiler

The Vine Brothers

FEATURE ARTISTS Meet Colorado’s The Vine Brothers.

Their brand of rootsy folk, gypsy swing, bluegrass, blues music has led them to several national charting songs including three number one regional hits and one cut, “Three Bottles,” featured on the Discovery Channel’s Vegas Rat Rods. The trio (Greg Bucking/Guitarist, Garrett Jones/Bassist, Joe Credit/Mandolin) was a finalist in the 2015 International Songwriters Competition in the instrumental category, and a 2016 semi finalist in the 2016 Belk Southern Musician Showcase in Nashville, TN. “We sometimes joke that our ensemble is an acoustic variety show, given that we love all well crafted music from the sound of big bands, cinematic scores, traditional folk recordings all the way to punk rock and rap,” The trio responded when I asked them about their unique sound. A whole lot of this musical diversity has to do with the fact that we all grew up in very separate regions of the United States with a wide variety musical influences.”

Already Experienced

In 2007, all three guys began working for a touring gypsy jazz singer/songwriter based out of Eureka Springs, AR named Opal.

“She would occasionally snag up musicians at festivals as well as other performances, regularly encouraging them to go on the road with her,” they told me.

16

Garrett said. “Sometimes these life experiences lend themselves to the darker elements of songwriting including Joe s song “Black Sky,” which he based on his personal encounters with friends that were devastated by the F5 tornado that hit Joplin, MO, to Greg s tale of someone who has had enough struggling to get by in the Song, “Mr. Gentry.” Other times lighter elements reflect well as is proven with love songs Including, “Sweet Eyes.”

More Than The Vine

Joe and Greg were two of these traveling musicians, and eventually started working for her regularly in Fayetteville, AR where they met Garrett. “After a few years of the three of us working on and off with her ensemble, the band disbanded.”

Joe and Greg move north, bouncing around from St. Louis to KC, while Garrett stayed behind to attend The University of Arkansas.

Joe and Greg began putting together a bunch of songs and performed their first duo show in the winter of 2011. Garrett was also working on a project of his own and reached out to Joe for some mandolin and voice over work. Garrett learned of Greg and Joe’s work and need for an upright bass player – which led to the formation of The Vine Brothers, and their first release Low Rent.

Fruit In The Name

The Vine Brothers name was a title Joe had created a few years earlier with the expectations of touring the various wineries at the foothills of

the Ozarks. The name fit, and with completed project in hand the guys began touring again.

Ground Work In Place

“The need to travel lean as possible due to budgetary constraints, as well as our ensembles previous work as buskers with Opal laid the groundwork for our distinct acoustic trio sound,” they told me. “It was decided early on between the three of us that any musical genre’ was fair game to bring to the table whether covers or originals, so long as we were up to the challenge of arranging it for the string band sound. This, along with our intention of challenging our audiences perception to what is socially acceptable for a string band musically eventually led us to pursue arrangements as vast as Louis Prima s Sing Sing Sing to The Dead Kennedy s California Uber Alles.”

Greg and Joe s songwriting is just as broad and helps maintain their unique sound. “It’s predominantly a product of their environments,”

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

For the past five year now the ensemble has been our primary focus for all three guys, although Greg still occasionally spends time working with the ska group, The Scofflaws. He also continues to sit in on jams and perform with his musical friends around New York.

Joe continues to be the nomad musician regularly sitting in with various pickup ensembles in Maryland and Virginia. However, his time off the road is most valued at home with his wife and kids. In his downtime with the group, Garrett continues to work for various Broadway touring musical theater acts, the local symphonies in his region, as well as various freelance work in the jazz and singer songwriter communities near him.

The band says their future goals include working on more licensing deals with television and movies given that many of their tracks are instrumental soundscapes and lend themselves well to the cinematic world. “We would also like to become more involved with the roots music festival circuits in the US and abroad, as well as working for more performance arts centers whether opening or headlining. But foremost we would like to continue to build lasting relations with our fans and the performance spaces that continue to foster the creation of new and innovative musical products and ideas.”

www.thevinebrothers.com

September 2016

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

17

September 2016

As fans of live music, when we attend a live event where our favorite artist is performing, we get to see the polished end result of hours, days, weeks, months of behind the scenes of a lot of hard work and un-noticed attention to details. We thought it would be fun to ask a touring group to tell us what it’s like out there on the road. The sisters from Gold Heart are an up-and-coming family bluegrass act from Winchester, VA. They were kind enough to share with us some narrative from their recent stint out on the road. ~ editor

We landed in Los Angles at 9:15 Pacific time, that’s after midnight for us Virginians, so needless to say we were a little worn out.

After gathering our luggage and making a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger, we checked into our hotel to grab a few hours of sleep before our three hour drive to Parkfield, CA the next morning.

Fault and were amazed by the gigantic valley oaks that we saw.

The Parkfield Bluegrass Festival is top notch! It’s not every day that you get to play bluegrass music in the earthquake capital of the world!

We had such a fun time and made many new friends. The crowd was energetic and we had a great time sharing our music with them. Also, the sound guys were on point and knew exactly how to work the sound board.

Later, we had to wait out a thunderstorm that rolled through Parkfield, causing power outage to the whole town. Thankfully, the

Our second day at the festival was highlighted with fun performances, radio interviews and workshops. We love hosting harmony workshops and were so pleased with the participation of the people who attended. Dad and Kai gave their first ever bass and banjo workshops. They were a hit.

Friday afternoon, Mr. John Varian took us on an incredible trail ride. We rode beautiful horses up into the gorgeous California hills where we had a perfect view of the Parkfield Bluegrass Festival and the V6 ranch!

The hardest part ...

... about being on the road is the continual battle of loading and unloading luggage and instruments from one hotel to the next. I must say that Dad and Kai have packing the vehicle down to a science though. Somehow they always make it work, even if we are a little cramped.

The drive to Parkfield was amazing. The scenery seemed to change with every mile we traveled. We drove through rich farmland, deserts and rolling golden hills. Finally, we crossed the San Andres

18

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

festival promoter, volunteers and the people of Parkfield knew exactly what to do to keep the festival going smoothly, despite the storm. With the help of a huge generator, power was restored and the show went on. Because of the rain, enthusiastic fans packed the Parkfield Cafe to watch the remain-

September 2016

ing bands perform. The Parkfield Cafe served up some awesome grass fed beef that raised right there on the ranch! Make sure to try a juicy burger if you ever get to Parkfield. So tasty!! They had this little sign hanging in the cafe that said, ” If you feel a shake or a quake, get under your table and eat your steak”. We had a special Mother’s Day weekend with our mom. Thanks to everyone at Parkfield for a wonderful time!

Extra Activites

We also had the opportunity to travel up the coast through Big Sur to Carmel by the Sea and WOW, what a sight to behold! If you’re ever in California, we definitely recommend a drive up Highway 1 to enjoy this part of God’s amazing creation.

After a few days in Nashville, we headed to Branson, Missouri for two days at Silver Dollar City’s Bluegrass and BBQ. Those two days proved to be a fun and exciting marathon with four performances a day in the Red Gold Hall. We enjoyed really tasty BBQ while we were there.

Performing four shows in one day can be challenging though. Keeping our shows energetic is important to us and we make it a point to deliver our best to each and every audience. Our sister, Kaly, also made several appearances on stage with us over the weekend.

We always have an amazing time at Silver Dollar City, and this year was no exception!

Worth The Trip

We met many great people, saw some dear friends, and visited with family. It was a blast riding Powder Keg and Wildfire! And no trip to the Ozarks is complete without a frozen custard from Andy’s. (Try the Jitterbug! It’s the best!)

We are grateful to God for safe travels and such outstanding opportunities to share our music around the world. We’re back at home, packing again and getting ready for our first trip to the Yukon and North Dakota. Stay tuned!

Recording cont. from page 10 · Multi-track Maestro

and MetaRecorder software applications that are written for this purpose, One unadorned rustic log cabin to serve as the studio, One talented folk singer and instrumentalist.

· ·

Michael connected the microphones to the interface device that he in turn connected to the telephone. He downloaded and installed the special application software on the telephone and he was in business. Michael told us that he recorded with four tracks but had the ability to record with up to 32 tracks if the need arose. He used his cabin in its natural wooden state without any sound proofing material. The subtle echoes and vibrations that one can hear on the album were desired as they created a sound that one can hear on late 1950s-early 60s folk recordings.

Identifying The Problem

Johnathon did want to be sure I understood this last point, “Do not think I am doing this to compete with the recording engineers but rather to call attention to their plight that we are losing a community of skilled audio artists. We are never going to hear epic works of recording and mixing art again such as Pink Floyd’s The Wall, or the Beatles’ Sargant Pepper. The people who know how to do such projects are no longer in the business. These small pieces of electronics that I used replaces all of the complex technical equipment one once found in a professional recording studio.

“Here is the problem,” he continued, “While technology gives us convenience, we are losing the experience and knowledge of the engineers that knew how to use all that complex equipment. Further, not every artist is skilled in using these new tools and thus there are some not so good music albums being recorded in amateur home studios. Listeners are getting accustomed to hearing poor quality music and we are loosing the richness of the music ”

.

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

19

September 2016 December 2015

Floyd Fest July 27 - 31, 2016 Floyd, VA www.floydfest.com

Blue Ridge Mountain Music Fest August 13, 2016 Wintergreen, VA www.wintergreenperformingarts.org

Appalachian String Band Fest July 29 - August 7, 2016 Clifftop, WV www.wvculture.org/stringband

Hot August Music Festival August 20, 2016 Cockeysville, MD www.hotaugustmusicfestival.com

AUGUST Shenandoah Valley Music Festival July 2016 - September, 4 2016 Bayse, VA www.musicfest.org Virginia Highlands Festival July 29 - August 7, 2016 Abingdon, VA www.vahighlandsfestival.org Pickin’ In Parsons August 2 - 6, 2016 Parsons, WV www.fiverivercampground.com Bluegrass In Luray August 4 - 6, 2016 Luray, VA www.bluegrassinluray.com Oak Grove Folk Music Festival August 5 - 7, 2016 Verona, VA www.oakgrovefestival.com Wills Mountain Festival August 5 - 7, 2016 Bedford, PA www.wmfest.com Augusta Heritage Center Music Season August 12 - 15, 2016 Elkins, WV www.augustaheritagecenter.org Bluegrass Valley Music Festival August 12 - 14, 2016 Blue Grass, VA www.bgvmusicfestival.com Old Fiddler’s Convention August 8 - 13, 2016 Galax, VA www.oldfiddlersconvention.com

Highland Jam August 11 - 13, 2015 Elkins, WV (304) 642-2351 www.highlandjam.com Camp Barefoot Music Fest August 18 - 20, 2016 Bartow, WV www.campbarefoot.org

SEPTEMBER Happy Valley Old Time Fiddlers Conv.

Sept. 2 - 4, 2016 Lenoir, NC http://happyvalleyfiddlers.org/ Labor Day Weekend Bluegrass September 1 - 4, 2016 Grapeland, TX www.txbluegrassmusic.com Mountain Song Festival September 9 - 11, 2016 Brevard, NC http://mountainsongfestival.com

Daily Vincent Land Fest September 15 - 17, 2016 Denton, NC www.daileyvincentfest.com Hoppin’ John Bluegrass Fiddlers September 15 - 17, 2016 Silk Hope, NC www.hoppinjohn.org Deep Roots Mountain Revival September 15 - 18, 2016 Masontown, WV www.mountainrevival.com Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion September 16 - 18, 2016 Bristol, VA www.bristolrhythm.com Edinburg Ole Time Festival September 16 - 18, 2016 Edinburg, VA www.edinburgoletimefestival.org Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival September 22 - 24, 2016 Buena Vista, VA www.nothinfancybluegrass.com Watermelon Park Fest September 22 - 25, 2016 Berryville, VA www.watermelonparkfest.com

Grottoes Family Bluegrass Festival September 8 - 10, 2016 Grottoes, VA www.bluegrassingrottoes.com

Outerbanks Bluegrass Festival September 20 - 24, 2016 Roanoke Island, NC www.bluegrassisland.com

Rockbridge Mountain Music & Dance Festival September 9 - 10, 2016 Buena Vista, VA www.rockbridgefestival.org

Misty Mountain Music Festival September 23 - 25, 2016 Crozet, VA www.mistymountainmusicfestival.com

75th National Folk Fest September 9 - 11, 2016 Greensboro, NC http://nationalfolkfestival.com/

IBMA Wide Open September 30 - October 1, 2016 Raleigh, NC www.ibma.org

Bible Camp Bluegrass Fest September 10, 2016 Mockesville, VA www.cbcbluegrass.com

Email festival listings to info@americanarhythm.com

20 16

(AMA) Americana Music Festival September 20 - 24, 2016 Nashville, TN www.americanamusic.org

www.AmericanaRhythm.com www.AmericanaRhythm.com

September 2016

Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles in iTunes!

Angie And The Deserters Angie Bruyere is the voice and the spirit behind her band, Angie and The Deserters. The Americana /Alt. Country artist’s latest release, a six song EP titled Blood Like Wine, is the front half of 12 new songs from the songstress being showcased this year.

Although the music has always been in her heart, Angie’s professional life started at a young age when she was scouted on the streets of LA as a model.

“Being from upstate New York, I had no idea what I was getting into,” she recalled.

It happened when she was just 15 years old, “pretty quick,” she chimed. “But I always had my bass and guitar with me.”

Angie modeled professionally until her mid-twenties, mixing in odd jobs here and there. An unfortunate apartment fire early on took everything, including her songs. “The only thing I was able to save was my bass,” she recalled. “So I bought a couple pair of levi jeans and a couple pair of boots, and started over,” she said. Soon after, both careers began to take off.

As a kid, Angie was always writing poetry that became the foundation for her song writing. “I accumulated stacks and stacks of poetry. I wanted to do something with them besides just putting them out in a book, and I think making them into songs was just the natural progression of things.” Learning to play the guitar was initially just a way to be able to enhance her poetry. “That’s how this whole thing happened,” she said. “It’s my drug; it’s my favorite thing to do.”

Angie’s current release features the lead track, “Country Radio,” along with a companion music video. The EP features collaborative efforts from some of the industry’s top musicians including Troy Lancaster (Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift), Aubrie Haynie (Blake Shelton, Merle Haggard), and Scott Sanders (Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson) just to name a few.

To find out more, visit www.angieandthedeserters.com

Check out

Joseph Hott West Virginia’s Joseph Hott has always had a love for music, and in 2012 he formed his first trio called The Short Mountain Brothers. The guitar, banjo, bass ensemble began to explore its mission to bring back those old time gospel favorites and traditional bluegrass tunes many in the south-east grew up with. In 2014 they added a mandolin and a fiddle and changed their name to the Short Mountain Boys.

The name was inspired by Joseph’s birthplace and home known to many there a s Short Mountain. “That mountain sits right behind my house, and at one time every member of the band could see that same mountain, so the name seemed pretty fitting,” Joseph told me. His grandfather settled there in the early 1930’s into a home that’s reported to have been built in the mid 1700’s. The history and love of the primitive sound is what now inspires Joseph to pursue his love of performing his music.

Joseph started playing guitar at age 14, and in just five years he’s managed to cut five albums, the latest titled Home Far Away. “Every song that I write I try to keep the feeling and the culture of my heritage alive,” Joseph told me. The Augusta, WV native (Eastern Panhandle), feels strongly about keeping the old music alive. “When people listen to my music I want them to get a sense of where I from, how I grew up, faith, and everything about life in that part of the country,” he said.

Joseph says he likes to start his song writing process with a good melody first, and then let the lyrics come naturally. “I usually end up with six or seven verses and have to cut some out to get the right flow to the song,” he said. “I try to take pieces of my life, home, and culture, and then mix it all together to tell the story I’m trying to tell with each song.”

To find out more, visit www.shortmountainboys.com

on iTunes www.AmericanaRhythm.com

21

September 2016

Music From The National Scene

Music From Your Neighbors

welcome to another edition

of SPINS! Feast your ears on all this ear candy! (in no special order) - This collection will keep you busy for a while - Wow! Grab your iPad or Smart Phone and dial up some of these fine folks.

Summer festival season is in full swing. Enjoy this great music, and catch some of it live too! www.AmericanaRhythm.com Uncle Woody, The Spin Doctor PO Box 45 Bridgewater, VA 22812

Ana Egge & the Sentimentals

The Earls Of Leicester Rattle and Roar

Say That Now

www.facebook.com/EarlsofL

www.anaegge.com

This is the second offering for the Jerry Douglas led ensemble paying homage to Lester Flats and Earl Scruggs. If you haven’t heard these guys - what are you waiting for? Second time is as good as the first

Straight up folk rock is the vibe for Ana Egge’s latest CD, Say That Now . The Saskatchewan born artist grew up in North Dakota and sets a well traveled life of experiences to melody here

.

Ayreheart

.

NewTown Harlan Road

Doyle Lawson & Quick Silver Burden Bearer

Kristy Cox Part Of Me www.kristycox.com

www.doylelawson.com

Bluegrass hall of fame Doyle Lawson returns with another collection of faith inspired music. It’s everything you’d expect from a legend, good to the chord. Burden Bearer does your soul good

Part Of Me is the second outing for the energy infused, acoustic country bluegrass darlin’ from Australia. Yes, they love it there, and they love Kristy too. She was nominated for three 2015 Australian Country music awards

Jeff Scroggins And Colorado Ramblin Feels Good

.

.

www.sambush.com

www.sonoluminus.com

www.thenewtownband.com

Broadcast: A Man and His Dream a DVD Documentary

Known as “the father of newgrass,” and “the king of Telluride,” Sam Bush has been on the front edge of bluegrass music for several decades now. He calls this his “singer/songwriter record.”

We call it pretty darn good ‘cause it’s all Sam Bush

This is the latest from Ronn McFarlane’s lute b and, Ayreheart. It’s an organic blend of art and folk music traditions. If you’re looking for something a little different, this will deliver. Love the creative new arrangements of Renaissance songs

Kentucky bluegrass is some of the hottest around right now, and NewTown is one of the bands out front. Their latest, Harlan Road, could be the one to keep your eyes on this year. Their cut “Come Back To Me,” is one of my favs so far

www.broadcastthedream.com

www.jeffscrogginsandcolorado.com

More than 150 radio stations around the nation owe their beginnings to Ralph Epperson, and North Carolina native with a dream. It’s a tale worth hearing, a story that was almost lost forever.

Directed by Jordan Nance

Two- time national b anjo champ Jeff Scroggins leads this Colorado influenced, Appalachian tinged progressive bluegrass quintet. Ramblin Feels Good features originals and covers - good stuff

Kaia Kater Nine Pin

Trinity River

Sister Sadie Sister Sadie

The Vogts Sisters Homeward

Steve Gully & New Pinnacle

San Bush Story Man

Barely Moon

.

.

.

.

www.kingswoodrecords

Heart Strings www.trinityriverband.com

www.sistersadieband.com

www.vogtssisters.com

Kaia Kater, the African-Canadian roots phenom is turning heads all over the globe.

The Quebec native spent much time studying Appalachian music in West Virginia honing her unique approach to American roots. Nine Pin is one to check out for sure

On the heels of their 2015 success, Florida based Trinity River Band’s latest, Heartstrings, looks to further the band’s award winning career. Seven of the twelve songs are original, and exemplifies the bands creative talents as musicians

Fronted by national recognized vocalist Dale Ann Bradley, the all female group is lighting up the charts with their debut CD. The band was born out of a one time jam session. We’re sure glad they didn’t quit. You’ll like this

This pair has been on tour since 2012, and have gained a lot of attention for the beautiful harmonies, and racked up numerous awards. Their latest, Homeward, is a perfect example of why their live shows are so popular

.

.

.

.

You can send new Americana CD releases for consideration to PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812

22

.

Aim High www.stevegully.com

Steve Gully was a member of Doyle Lawson’s band, Quicksilver, from 1994 - 1996, a founding member of Mountain Heart (‘96 - ‘06), and with Grasstown through 2011.

New Pinnacle and their latest is top notch to say the least

.

September 2016

John Prine

We’d love to show up in your mail box six times a year!

The rich culture of Americana music is the fastest growing music today! Let’s stay in touch subscription to Americana Rhythm. It’s only $18.

Send us your name and address along with your check or money order for $18 made out to Americana Rhythm, to PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812. (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY) You can also subscribe Via PayPal on line at www.AmericanaRhythm.com

Name: Address: City:

State:

Zip:

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

23