Americana Rhythm Music Magazine Issue #92

November 2021 Americana Rhythm is published six times a year. All correspondence should be sent to PO Box 45, Bridgewater VA, 22812 or CONTRIBUTORS email to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copies of Americana Ed Tutwiler Rhythm are made available free at various pick up locations within Wayne Erbsen the publication’s region. Subscriptions are available inside the United Donna Ulisse States (only) for $24 US currency made payable by check or Mike Aiken money order sent to, Subscriptions at PO Box 45, Bridgewater, Andrew McKnight VA, 22812. Foreign subscription requests should be sent to Dan Walsh greg@americanarhythm.com. Copyright 2021. All rights reRebecca Frazier served. Reproduction of any content, artwork or photographs DISTRIBUTION is strictly prohibited without permission of the publisher or origi- North River Publishing Integrated Music Media nal owner. All advertising material subject to approval.

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

Tall Ships and Sea Worthy Tunes I’ve played all kinds of shows in all kinds of venues throughout the states, Europe, the Caribbean.

But I played one of the most unique and interesting shows this past July in Maine.

For a bit of back story, Amy (my musical and life partner) and I are also sea captains. We have lived on our own sailboats for a long time, have crossed oceans, and have been a part of a seafaring community. We were lucky enough to have been introduced to Tall-ships; schooners, and the

Chattanooga Tennessee, Amy and I were showcasing, exhibiting, meeting, greeting and so forth.

One night, Cara Lauzon, a fiddler I’d never met before, came up and asked, ‘Are you Mike and Amy, the boat people?’ It’s a familiar question, but was completely out of context. ‘Why yes, I guess that’s us,’ I said. She introduced herself and her affiliation with the Maine Windjammer, Schooner, Victory Chimes, and that she and Captain Sam would like to connect about doing a show on the ship! Since Chattanooga is a long way from

Fall SPECIAL: 12 Issues fo r $32.00 Send us your name and address along with your check or money order for $18 for 6 issues, 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

Maine Windjammer fleet by Captain Lane Briggs, many years ago. Captain Lane was a mentor of mine. He is the Captain referred to in the title track of my sixth record, Captains & Cowboys.

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I have found that music and boats are so intertwined in my life that I never know what situation will lead to what, which brings me to a SERFA (Southeast Regional Folk Alliance) conference in

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the Atlantic, and technically we were at a music conference, we were intrigued; definitely a connection we wanted to follow up on.

The following summer, we sailed a friend’s boat to Bermuda, then flew on to Boston and made our way to Rockland, Maine for a meeting with my then-manager, Steve Johnson. Low and behold, the Victory Chimes is based in

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Rockland. I reached out to Captain Sam to set up a meeting.

He and Cara arranged for us to go for a couple of days as guests on Penobscot Bay where we discussed boats and music.

Captain Sam asked if the ship would be the ‘right’ venue for a Fan cruise? Very good question.

We put it out in our newsletter and socials to gauge the interest.

The response was very good. We were on!

Rescheduled The cruise was initially set for July 2020 but the boat was laid up for COVID so we rescheduled for July 2021. This is no ordinary schooner. She was built on the Chesapeake Bay in 1900 (yes, 1900) and she is 121 years old.

She is 127.5 feet in length, has three masts, no engine and uses a

push boat for auxiliary power. She was designed to haul timber and cargo and has been a working vessel all of her life. Now she hauls tourists, and in our case, music fans. The six-day cruise sold-out at a limited covid capacity. We had never met many of the fans who came. We had

folks from California, Colorado, Utah, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maine, most of whom had never been on a boat before, and recognized the opportunity to sail on a piece of Maritime history, not your Carnival-style ship.

Amy and I played three evening shows during the five days sailing in Maine. The shows were unplugged, very acoustic. The backdrop was magnificent.

What’s more, we had sailed to

Maine on our own boat, and consequently had limited gear with us. Amy, being a percussionist and drummer, brought a kick pedal but no kick (no room on board). This was remedied by the crew of the Victory Chimes with a 5-gallon bucket that normally serves in changing the generator oil. You get the vibe; set up at night under the oil lamps, sometimes under stars, sometimes in fog. It was amazing!! Those who came as strangers became friends and then family by the end of the week aboard.

This was one of the most interesting venues we had ever played. No power, no lights, no stage backdrop, but a wonderful sense of belonging and history brought together by the power of music. Would we do it again? You bet! As a matter of fact, Fan Cruise 2022 is scheduled for September 4-10, 2022. See you then! www.MikeAikenMusic.com

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November 2021

Legendary Bluegrass Festival

By Edward Tutwiler

“The weekend that it all changed,” that is how Sam Bush described Carlton Haney’s seventh annual Labor Day bluegrass music festival and the high quality documentary ûlm titled, Bluegrass Country Soul that was produced at that 1971 event.

To tell this story, we must tell two stories that eventually meld together. One story is about a visionary music promoter and the other story is about a young director and his two film making partners.

The nexus for this essay was the re-release of the original ûlm that was triggered by the opening of the new Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro, KY. When the curators of the new museum sought out any ûlm poster; photographs, ûyers; and any other documentation that might still exist concerning the original ûlm, it turned out that more than paper documentation still existed. There was an archived, high-resolution, digital copy stored away. With that fact known, Albert Ihde, who was the director of the film, got together with others involved with the original project and set about to re-release the film on a DVD format. However, we are getting ahead of ourselves a bit. Let us ûrst build up to the reason for the film’s creation, and that reason would be the existence of a multiday bluegrass music festival. Yes, we know, such things are

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everywhere now but not the case in 1971.

Tracing Origins The explosion of Rockabilly and early rock and roll swept the nation in the mid 1950s. By the early 1960s touring country string music bands were barely hanging on. (It has been told that even Bill Monroe needed a promoter to wire advance money to him so he could travel to a venue to perform.) Along came Carlton Haney. Haney was a successful promoter of country music shows. He was promoting more that 1000 major shows a year in over 30 cities across the country and was drawing; audiences of 5000 or more folks. Haney also worked as a booking agent for Bill Monroe in the early 50s so he knew how bluegrass music sounded even though it was part of the country music genre.

As time progressed, the country music genre began to segment and concerts were becoming more specialized.

While Haney was not fan of the bluegrass sound, he had begun booking bands that played music like Monroe’s band played. One such group was Don Reno and Red Smily and Haney noted that they drew bigger crowds that did some of the Nashville country artists. He had helped Reno and Smily start a TV show in Roanoke, VA and booked them as a guest act on the Grand Ole Opry. While listening to a backstage jam at the Opry that included Monroe, Jimmy Martin along with Reno and Smily, Haney had an epiphany. He mused that if he could get Bill Monroe and as many of his associates as possible together on the same stage; folks would buy tickets to see them perform. lt took seven years of planning to put such a feat together but on Labor Day in 1965, Carlton Haney produced the first multi-

day all bluegrass music festival just outside of Roanoke in Fincastle, VA. The structure of the festival was just as he had envisioned. Bill Monroe was on the stage almost four hours playing with the folks he had played with over the years. The festival told the story of bluegrass music and gave birth to the unique multi-day bluegrass music festival genre.

Haney went on to produce several years of bluegrass music festivals at Watermelon Park in Berryville, VA (an easy drive east of Washington, DC.) before purchasing land in Camp Springs, NC and constructing a festival ground that he called Blue Grass Park. By 1971, the seventh Labor Day bluegrass festival was ready to open there. While not apparent at the time, it was to become iconic because of the high quality ûlm that was shot there that weekend. The story of that film leads us into the second part of our story.

Berryville Connection April, 1971 found Albert Ihde and Robert (Bob) Leonard in Berryville, VA scouting movie locations for a film that Ihde had hopes of directing and one for which he was already in the midst of writing the script. While poking around the town, they saw

a poster advertising Carlton Haney’s film annual bluegrass festival to be held in July at a park just outside of town. Little did they know what fate had in store

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for them in connection to that festival poster.

Ihde had been hired by a local film distribution company to write a screenplay and direct a film about the life of a country music singer. Leonard was currently a stage manager for a theatre company and had agreed to join Ihde on his project as a coproducer. While still in Berryville, the two decided to check out the farm where the Watermelon Park festival site was located. The park owner invited them back for the July festival and they agreed to attend.

Fast forward to July and discover the film distribution company had failed to obtain funding and dropped the project signing over all rights to the defunct screenplay to Ihde. So the unemployed Albert Ihde, his wife, Bob Leonard and his wife and child, and an actor friend, Michel Cristofer, grabbed together camping gear and trekked to Berryville for a weekend of camping and bluegrass music.

The music captivated the city boys and girls. They met Carlton Haney and shared their vision for a film about a country singer.

Haney was kind but noncommittal to them; however, he did give them free passes to all of his bluegrass shows.

Returning to Washington from the festival, Cristofer helped Ihde craft a whole new scene to insert in the screenplay that captured the bluegrass music festival and the promoter, Haney.

Shopping The Idea Still with no plan for the screenplay and hoped-for film let alone any funding for same, Lhde sent a copy of the script to Stan

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Rosensweig, a successful local business man and patron of the arts. In early August, Stan called for a meeting. At the meeting, Stan expressed his disinterest for the film’s concept but was enthralled by the bluegrass festival scene and the character of Carlton Haney. He told them he would fund a documentary that would expose bluegrass festivals to the world if they could get Haney’s approval. The pair immediately met with Haney and finalized details for filming his next festival. Returning to Washington they met again with Rosensweig and completed all necessary paperwork for the project. Leonard called in Robert (Rob) Henninger who had similar theatre and film background as did he and Ihde to provide more man power. Together, the three formed the Washington Film Group as the operating company and got the project in motion.

It was by then late August so the guys scampered to gather crew and supplies needed to produce a film on location at a music

festival. Altogether, a l5 person crew assembled in Camp Springs, NC and set about

Once home, real work began to turn exposed film into a movie worthy of the effort. Ihde wrote,

that turned the exposed footage into a work print ready for editing. He then took the work print to a pair of film editors and they spent the next six months turning the raw work print into a print that could be shown on a screen.

The next hurdle was finding a film distributor. Even with Stan Rosensweig and his investors influence, this proved an elusive task. Self-distribution seemed to be more than for which anyone had bargained; however, Stan found funding to produce nine 35mm prints as well as secure the music rights. Plus, Albert found a newly-formed local film distribution company who was eager to work with the project.

preparations. Needless to say it was a tumulus, hectic three days filled with drama and good times as well. After it was all over, they had history-making, exposed film in the can that captured the essence of that three day event.

“While our 16-hour long days of shooting at Camp Springs were now over, I soon realized the bulk of our work was really just beginning.”

Albert Ihde took the exposed film to a New York processing facility

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Ihde’s contract with Rosensweig’s limited partnership ended when the editing was finished; Bob Leonard and Rob Henninger were off to other jobs; and Albert was left on his own to work out the distribution details, which he did. The film distribution continued on page 7

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interpretation of her musical background brings a creative force to her work on Della Mae’s album.

Artistic Continuity

Guitarist Avril Smith It’s rare for a guitarist to communicate with a distinctly identifiable voice within the abundant sea of bluegrass and traditional flatpickers. Unique in her delivery, Avril Smith stands out. Her articulate guitar work is rich with a creative blend of quirky flourishes, poignant timing, double stops, and signature voicings that bend the ear just a little bit further than expectation would allow.

Della Mae’s new release, Family Reunion, is an appetizing starting point for listeners unfamiliar with Avril’s guitar work. Her standout acoustic and electric guitar performances give nods to familiar traditional sounds, yet there’s a fresh perspective that balances her informed ear. She conveys her

Avril may communicate with an array of influences, but her sound has an artistic continuity whether she is playing on a fast bluegrass song, a pretty ballad or a more blues-influenced track. When asked about her stylistic use of double stops, she explains, “We’re all defined by our abilities and limitations. Bluegrass music is really fast, and it’s really hard. I think it’s fair to say that it’s the hardest to play fast on the guitar, because it’s the least efficient of the instruments.

Bluegrass guitar is very demanding on your right hand, so sometimes I use double-stops as a way to give

Growing up outside New York City in a town by the Hudson River, Avril Smith was too small to play the acoustic guitar when she was drawn to the instrument at age six. By age eight, she was taking lessons on a full-size guitar. “I had an attraction to the guitar,” she explains. “As a young kid, I was interested in classic rock, pop, and jazz.” A decade later, bluegrass “clicked” for her when a college friend’s soulful performance of the music inspired Avril. She dove into the bluegrass canon, listening and learning with a passion for the social connection and common language inherent in the genre.

Della Mae Now residing just outside Washington DC, Avril is perhaps best known for her work with the all-female power group, Della Mae, of which Avril is a founding member. Avril departed from the band about a decade ago when the band’s touring schedule was no longer compatible with her responsibilities as a new mother; she says she rejoined the group when her daughter turned seven, and she felt more comfortable balancing the group’s touring and recording commitments with her family life.

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as effectively is establish a melody and a melodic idea at those tempos; However, if you use space, sometimes you can say more with less. Part of it is a statement of my limitations. I can’t play at 170 beats per minute, nonstop. I just can’t do it. I can do a couple of bars, but then I just need a rest on my right hand. So I think some of it is that, and then it becomes part of your style.”

Avril encourages other players to listen to music in order to grow and progress. “It’s really hard to develop musicality if you’re not listening and really thinking critically.

Who are the players, or what is the music that really speaks to you?

And what is it about those players that draws you in?” She advises others not to focus on playing at fast tempos. “Slow things down.

Think about tone, think about getting notes to ring as long as you can to create fluidity. If you focus first on the musicality, everything else is going to come over time. Playing good music— that’s what it’s all about. Your music is going to speak to people when you play with musicality and with intentionality.”

Practice More Efficiently

breadth of influences with a casual, easy grace. She comments, “I incorporate elements of things that are easier to play or more commonly played on electric guitar into my acoustic guitar playing and certainly those early influences of mine show up in my playing in some form—maybe not necessarily in a specific lick, but in spirit and aesthetic. I didn’t start out with Norman Blake and Doc Watson; I hadn’t heard them as a kid, but I got really deep into their playing as an adult.” Avril’s unique

my right hand a break,” she explains. “Also, I think when there’s space in music, it’s an art. A lot of times the magic is in the white space, and the space around the notes; your brain can’t process a flurry of notes at 170 beats per minute. You’re not really hearing melodies, you’re just hearing that someone can accomplish something really hard. A lot of times that’s what people are reacting to more than the ideas, because it’s hard to capture them. You can hear drive, and you can hear power, and there’s a lot you can do, but I don’t think one of the things you can do

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Having spent decades honing her craft, Avril says that while there are no short cuts to becoming proficient, there are ways to practice more efficiently. “I haven’t been as disciplined, and it’s cliché, but the people who are the best at music are the people who are the best at practicing. They’re the best at figuring out how to listen really hard to what they’re doing and figuring out what they need to change to achieve what they’re trying to achieve. It’s all about time spent, right? There’s no magic sauce. For most people, it’s just hard work.”

And while it may be a result of years of hard work, Avril has achieved an element of the legendary ‘magic sauce,’ as she makes guitar sound so completely effortless

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Continued from page 5 company was able to book the film into a wide and varied list of theaters up and down the east coast. The premiere opening was held at the Virginia Theater in Alexandria, VA on July 6, 1972.

Ihde said at the end of the screening, “When I heard the applause at the end and saw everyone with smiles on their faces, I knew that all our work had not been in vain.” Nevertheless, by fall of 1972 the film had all but faded into history.

Time Life Go forward in time to 2006 when a representative from Time Life Music contacted Albert Ihde with a proposal to release the film on DVD. He readily agreed and teamed up with his old partner, Rob Henninger (who now headed a media services company) to clean up and transfer the worn 35mm print to a DVD format.

Finally, the film would get national distribution.

Jump forward again to 2017 and find the folks at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum making a call trying to locate any memorabilia that may still exist that they could exhibit in the new museum. Albert did have flyers, posters, and some other documentation that they could use. However, by then it had been 10 years since the Time Life project and all the DVDs were sold out.

Albert again contacted Rob Henninger and made arrangements to have a high definition copy of the film created that Albert could donate to the museum archive. Rob suggested that they grow the project beyond the film. He suggested that they create a coffee-table book about the making of the film. Someone else suggested they produce an accompanying CD that included all the music that was not captured on the film. All of this gelled into a box set project that Henninger and Ihde partnered on producing. In June 2020, the first box sets shipped to pre-sale customers.

In November, 2019 the restored, high definition, archival film

premiered at the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum. The three partners of that long ago Washington Film Group reunited for the premiere showing. They marveled that, back in 1971, they

amateurs at their various crafts.

Rather, they were newly schooled professionals the majority of which went on to enjoy successful careers in various areas of the film and theater industry.

Bluegrass is now an established musical art form treasured by many fans. More than 500 bluegrass festivals are produced each year and attended by thousands of festival goers.

Carlton Haney, “The PT Barnum of Country Music”, was honored with the IBMA Award of Merit in 1990 and introduced into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1998.

He died on March 16, 2011 at the age of 82.

would have never imagined that they would see such an incredible celebration of their work.

After all this, we still have just scratched the surface of this subject. All the young film producers, involved in that film project in 1971 were not

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Albert Ihde’s work continues. To learn more, navigate your computer browser to BluegrassCountrySoul.com and subscribe to the BGCS Newsletter.

Also, while there order yourself one of those box sets and spend half a day reading the coffee table book, watching the DVD, and listening to the CDs. Your musical knowledge will be much richer for doing so.

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November 2021

The winners of the Americana Music Association’s 20th annual music awards will be announced during the Americana Honors & Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, during it’s 21st year for the Americanafest week, held Sept.

22-25, 2021.

Every year, the Americana Music Association honors distinguished members of the music community with six membervoted annual awards and Lifetime Achievement Awards including the NMAAM co-presented Legacy of Americana Award, which will all be announced leading up to Americana music’s biggest night.

“We’re delighted to see our incredible membership recognize such an array of talent,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association.

“Every one of these musicians is a trailblazer in his or her own right, and I’m thrilled to see that these nominees and their works have resonated so deeply within our community.”

Nominees this year include: Album Of The Year “Cuttin’ Grass - Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions),” Sturgill Simpson, Produced by David Ferguson & Sturgill Simpson “J.T.,” Steve Earle & The Dukes, Produced

by Steve Earle “The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers,” Valerie June, Produced by Jack Splash, Valerie June and Ben Rice “Reunions,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Produced by Dave Cobb “World On The Ground,” Sarah Jarosz, Produced by John Leventhal

Artist Of The Year

Song Of The Year

Brandi Carlile Kathleen Edwards Jason Isbell Margo Price Billy Strings

“Black Myself” Amythyst Kiah, Written by Amythyst Kiah

Duo/Group Of The Year

“Call Me A Fool” Valerie June ft. Carla Thomas, Written

by Valerie June

Black Pumas The Highwomen Our Native Daughters The War and Treaty Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

“Dreamsicle” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Written

by Jason Isbell

Emerging Act Of The Year

“I Remember Everything” John Prine, Written by Pat McLaughlin & John Prine

Charley Crockett Amythyst Kiah Joy Oladokun Allison Russell Waxahatchee

Instrumentalist Of The Year Megan Coleman Robbie Crowell Ray Jacildo Philip Towns Kristin Weber

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“Long Violent History” Tyler Childers, Written by Tyler Childers

For more information, visit www.AmericanaMusic.org

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November 2021

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

My Name Is Beemo I asked Tony about the demographic of their fan base. “Honestly, we seem to get positive responses from a wide range of folks,” he said.

“There’s something about the Americana sound that never goes out of style and appeals to audiences that span genres, generations and geographies. From kids to grandparents, we find our tunes strike a chord no matter where you are in life.”

FEATURE ARTISTS Orlando Americana band, My Name Is Beemo, has been entertaining Floridians for nearly a decade with their blend of indie rock, bluegrass, and Celtic folk.

They are also known for surprising audiences with unexpected cover songs ranging from Ah-Ha to Ozzy Ozbourne. The band features lead vocalist Dan Harshbarger, Matt Juliano on Mandolin, Sean Quinn on lead guitar, percussion from Justin JB Braun and bassist Tony Mickle.

Their full length, debut album, Bustin’ Out, was just recently released. We caught up with bassist, Tony Mickle for the low down on their groovy band.

Band Comes Together Like most ensembles, the members of My Name Is Beemo all came to music by different paths. Matt was born into a musical family. Tony was inspired by Roy Clark, Jerry Reed and The Ramones. Sean was hooked by Metal, and worshipped all things RATT. Dan found his voice with the help of his sixth grade music choir and dad’s cassette tape collection. JB’s parents got tired of him drumming on pots and pans, so they got him his first drum set at age 4 and enrolled him in drum lessons by age 6, which put him on a path to earning a degree in percussion performance from Rollins College.

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Tony said all the members are what he termed, Daywalkers, “musicians who work regular jobs during the day and play at night.

Fortunately, our day jobs help fund this crazy dream,” he said.

Sean and Dan started a four-piece power pop band after meeting at work. “They eventually put that on hold, stripped it down to acoustic instruments and added Matt on the mandolin,” Tony told us. “Shortly thereafter, I joined them on bass. Finally, we needed a percussionist for our third EP, Wide Awake, so we asked our recording engineer for a recommendation, and he referred us to JB, who was the last member to join.”

Name Sake I asked Tony about their unusual name for the band; He said, “When Dan’s sister was four years old, she proclaimed that her name was Beemo Spicklemeier, and answered to that name only for quite a while. Years later, Dan wrote a song about it, and it stuck as the band’s name.”

“As we added each new member, we purposefully shifted our style from electric to roots/acoustic, but kept our songwriting influences of rock, metal, punk, pop, etc. We filtered each style of music through bluegrass instrumentation (mando, resonator, etc), with each instrument bringing its unique spirit and vocabulary to shape the Beemo sound,” Tony said.

We Write The Songs “Our songwriting process is highly variable,” Tony said. “Sometimes, someone brings in a song mostly complete that just needs some structuring. Other times, someone brings in a fragment with maybe just a vocal melody or an instrumental riff, and we all just pile on and flesh it out. And, occasionally, we just jam and a song emerges. All the guys in the band are part of the songwriting process. Every member of Beemo contributes his unique perspective, talents, insight and creativity to each song.”

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Finding Success “We have enjoyed recent success with licensing deals which includes a spot in Sean Baker’s new film, Red Rocket. We want to keep that going, but we also love to perform live for as many audiences as possible. We’re playing out more again, doing small regional and local tours, and lined up to open for Balsam Range, a national touring folk act, in a few months.”

“We are incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to write, play and perform live original music and bring joy to listeners far and wide. We’ve met so many wonderful people who have supported us over the years. It’s an amazing feeling to know that your music resonates with folks and makes them smile. We consider playing together a gift, one that we look forward every opportunity to share.”

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

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Meet Dan Walsh - we are thrilled to have him as our Profiles writer!

Dan is a freelance writer and editor from Rochester, NY. He spent more than 15 years editing Mobile Beat Magazine, a leading publication for event entertainers. His writing focus on performers and music grew out of his own background as a musician and songwriter. Beyond his fixation on words and music, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, Susan, his son Julian and their two dogs.

Ad Vanderveen Since the days before it was called Americana, Ad Vanderveen has been channeling his songwriting muse through a mixture of rock & roll, folk and country, working in many bands before finding his own voice as a solo artist in the early 1990s. He has since garnered a reputation as one of the finest singer/songwriters in the new folk and roots genre, along the way compiling a catalog of nearly 40 albums to date. Although born in the Netherlands, half of his family is Canadian and his music is firmly rooted in the soil of the North America.

Over the years, as he has generated such an impressive collection of solo CDs and side projects, he has worked with many great musicians all over the world, including Al Kooper, Al Perkins, Leland Sklar, Herman Brood, Flaco Jimenez, Iain Matthews, Eliza Gilkyson, Eric Andersen, David Olney, to drop a few names. And in 2017, upon hearing Ad’s album Worlds Within, none other than Van Morrison personally invited him to be his opening act. Another recent collaboration featured John Gorka, who joined Ad in a duet on the 2018 album Denver Nevada.

Ad’s journey as a musician began, of course, in his younger years; yet it is his start as a songwriter during his teens that really set his trajectory and provided the fuel for his life’s work.

“That’s what really sends me out there. If I didn’t have the songs, I would probably have a regular job and play guitar in my spare time.”

His latest release is called Release. The collection of songs is tied together by one of Ad’s favorite instruments: “It’s all acoustic-based...it’s all based on an old guitar I have...I love the sound of it.”

Throughout so many years of crafting music, Ad feels like his music is on a continuum with each album’s songs being drawn together almost mystically around a particular sound or theme. “It always goes on, yet it’s always different. It’s a mystery to me how it works. Each record seems to have its own identity; and this one has a very plain, simple, folk identity.”

To find out more, visit www.advanderveen.com

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Randy Seedorff Born in a little farm town in northeast Iowa and raised in Kansas City, MO, Randy Seedorff grew up in some fertile ground for country music. The seeds that would later bloom into his current success were planted deep early on. He got his first guitar at age 11 from his mom, who was a country music artist known as “The Prairie Sweetheart.”

While she and his uncle, also a musician in a backing band for the top artists of the classic country era, would play together, Randy says, “I would sit on the end of the piano bench and while they practiced I would learn how to play along.”

Randy traces his beginning as a songwriter all the way back to a high school talent show, for which he wrote a song. The experience also connected him with some life-long friends who became collaborators. Adult life saw him getting a real job but continuing to play in bands and writing songs.

In 1992 Randy joined the popular Kansas City based bluegrass group Greenside Up as its lead singer and guitarist and performed with them until 1999. During that time he fell victim to an armed robbery. “It really changed my life in a profound way. Faith became a whole lot more important to me than it was before then.” The experience turned his full attention to both his life and music, and he rededicated himself to serving God. Randy serves as pastor of worship and discipleship at Trinity Church of the Nazarene in Independence, MO. His band, Soul Purpose, plays frequently at churches, festivals and other events, with the goal of “bringing the love of God, through the vehicle of music to as many people as possible.”

“It’s really nice to get some affirmation about your songwriting. You think ‘Oh well, my songs are just my songs.’ But when people play them on the radio, and they listen to them, and you start getting feedback like ‘Wow, that’s a great song,’ and ‘It really helped me with this thing in my life that I was dealing with’ and then you understand how important music is to people.”

To find out more, visit www.randyseedorff.com

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Tina Adair Tina Adair grew up in North Alabama, about 30 miles south of Muscle Shoals. She came from a big musical family all the way back to her grandmother, on her mother’s side of the family. Her parents owned a music store and were both musicians. “I was around a lot of music,” Tina said.

“I was very fortunate that way. If I was interested in an instrument, they would try to let me explore that.”

Tina started singing when she was just three, on stage for the first time, with her mom and dad’s band. “I just fell in love with singing. From that point forward, I can’t ever remember a day not singing, unless I was sick or something,” she laughed. “I just became completely obsessed with music, and singing and playing.”

At five years old, her mom and dad bought her a small, cheap guitar. “I wore that thing out,”

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By Greg Tutwiler

she said. “I still have it to this day.

As a matter of fact, my mom and dad built me a little shadowbox for it, and I have it hanging in my office. It’s really special to me. You can tell I wore it out.”

Career In Motion Tina started playing mandolin when she was around 14 years old. About the same time, she and her brother joined her parent’s band, and it became the family band that would lead her to a career in music. “We played around at local festivals, and then out more regionally,” she said.

“We used to travel all over the US and Canada. In 1996 we went to IBMA, when it was still in Owensboro, Kentucky. We won a competition there - the Pizza Hut Bluegrass Showdown.”

Within weeks of that honor, she had signed with Sugar Hill Records, and cut her first album in 1997, Just You Wait And See, produced by Jerry Douglas. It

featured future bluegrass stars, such as Chris Thile, Bryan Sutton, and Aubre Haynie. “That was just so much fun,” she said. “I was a child at the time. Chris and I both were children. He was a year younger than I was. That album

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was really such an important part of my history. I established relationships that have lasted my whole career.”

Tina toured for four years on the legs of that album before taking

November 2021

a break to pursue a college education. “One of my goals was to always get a college degree, and I was highly encouraged by my family to do so. My brother and I were first generation college students, and my parents worked very, very hard in order to pay for both of our college educations,” she said.

Well Rounded Experience “From an early age, I knew that I wanted to go to Belmont University in Nashville,” Tina said. “It’s the only place to which I applied. I did Community College for a couple years and then transferred, into Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. I loved it so much I ended up staying there and working for them. I’ve been there ever since.”

“I love working with people of that age group,” she said. “I think it’s a very crucial time in someone’s life, because it’s a transitional period, from being at home into real life, having to make decisions on their own, and

learning to take some responsibility for life choices. It’s rewarding to help them with that experience. I’ve been there almost 20 years now, and I love it. And it helps because I have a great relationship with the entertainment industry too, especially in Nashville. I’m in it on the educational side, but at the same time, it also has affords me to be able to tour and travel as well. So, as the Director of Advising, I can bring those experiences back to the students and be able to talk to them about career strategies, and job search strategy, and the industry as a whole.”

Sister Sadie In 2012 Tina got together to play a solo date at the Station Inn in Nashville with musician friends Dale Ann Bradley, Gena Britt, Deanie Richardson, and Beth Lawrence. “We just wanted an excuse to get together to play, and hang out,” Tina told us. “We were like, ‘let’s just do a show at the Station and for fun.’ Somebody videoed some of our show, and it got passed around. Then Gina

started getting calls asking if we’d consider playing for for this and that. We didn’t even have a name.”

They settled on the name, Sister Sadie, and began taking some of those dates, eventually deciding to head into the studio to cut a record together. “We never dreamed of the success we would have,” Tina said. They then recorded a second album which earned them numerous IBMA awards and a Grammy nomination. And for Tina, it brought about a dream opportunity to play the Grand Ole Opry stage.

“It was such a spectacular night,” she said. “It was as close to a perfect night as I’ve ever had in music. I looked in that balcony and I went straight back to when I was a little girl, like five or six years old. Every year my mom and dad, and brother and I would go to the Opry. I just remember telling my mama, ‘I’m gonna sing on that stage one day.’ It took almost 40 years, right before my 40th birthday. But it’s all in the right time, and the way it’s supposed to happen.”

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New Music When the pandemic hit, like so many other artists, Tina started working from home, and the time off the road afforded her with some downtime. “I kind of got the itch to do another solo album,” she said. So she reached out to Adam Engelhart and Glen Duncan with the EMG records about putting a project together.

Her new self titled album released this summer, and she plans to play out to support that project as well as continuing to work with a slightly re-organized Sister Sadie line-up. “We just played our first show as a band in August at Pickin’ In Parsons,” she said. “It felt so good. I knew I missed it.

And I knew I missed being on stage and being out. But I didn’t really realize how much, and how much it fed my soul to be back on the stage again; just to draw that energy from the crowd. I just feed off of the energy from the audience so much. I could have played 10 more shows the same day,” she exclaimed. Gosh, it just felt good ”

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November 2021

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

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Dennis Welch Dennis Welch, a songwriter based in Austin, Texas has written more than 500 songs. His focus these days is not on performing but on getting his songs recorded by other artists and writing with other talented songwriters. Along those lines, he has recently had two of his songs used as album title tracks: “Why Not Me” by Tony Mantor and “Worth My Time” by Erica Nicole. His latest collection of songs, What Love Makes Us Do, is due out in September.

It’s clear that songwriting was something that came naturally to Dennis, despite not initially being able to accompany himself. “I always loved music, but growing up, I didn’t play an instrument of any kind. When I wrote my first song I actually wrote it a cappella. I was like I don’t even know what this is that I’ve done. I was just driving home from a date, and I heard this song and I started singing it. When I got home I wrote it down.” A coworker helped him flesh out the song and suggested he get a cheap guitar and get started learning to play for himself.

Another milestone in Dennis’s songwriting career came out of a misguided attempt to go big on a rock tour in the 1990s. After only three weeks on the road, he realized it wasn’t the kind of musical life he wanted to lead. He was fortunate to be working with a compassionate and wise manager at the time. “He said, ‘Well, sometimes the ladder of success is against the wrong wall. So why don’t you just come home’...I came home and he met me, and he said, ‘Look, whatever you do, please don’t stop writing. You’re a tremendous writer and I hope you continue to do that…” Dennis clearly took that advice to heart.

After releasing a few commercially-oriented albums after that, the now 65-year-old spent about 20 years writing without recording much of his output. It wasn’t until less than two years ago that he began putting his songs out again. “I feel like I’ve plugged into 220 and all the lights have come on...lt’s great to be doing what I think is my best work.”

To find out more, visit www.reverbnation.com/denniswelchmusic

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Nathan Jacques A singer/songwriter currently based in Los Angeles, Nathan Jacques hails from the quiet, wooded, mountain towns of New England. His music can be labeled Americana, but threads of country, folk, and vintage rock & roll are deeply woven into the sprawling cinematic soundscapes he creates, all gleaming with a western edge.

Nathan fell in love with the guitar in his younger days by way of classic rock. “It was all about the guitar. It was everything; if I could learn a cool riff, or I could stumble to try and learn it that was all I needed.” His solo songwriting came to the fore after his last stint as guitarist and co-writer with a poprock band came to an end. “I was left wanting in music...without a band. I had an acoustic guitar and I was like, ‘Well, gotta make this work. You do what you can with what you have.”

So, how did Nathan get from guitar-driven rock to the western songwriter tradition in the vein of Marty Robbins? “It was a combination of just being generally interested in it, and that’s kind of just where I found my voice could do well. Like I said, I was in a poprock band; I would try and sing that kind of stuff and I’d get really bummed out because my voice just wasn’t high enough.”

Nathan’s recently released debut, Loud Mind, defies the conventions of the genre. It is a 12-song concept album inhabited by dramatic, fictional characters experiencing preternatural happenings and expressing the human truths of love, loss and redemption.

“I’m just a fan of any kind of big adventure story...big sprawling epics, I was just so onboard...When I found that you could do that in music...I could really fall into that world like it’s a movie, like a good book.

I always wanted to do that, I thought, ‘Why not give it a go?’ Once I started doing it, I couldn’t stop, I was obsessed. I would write pages and pages...flesh out the whole story.”

To find out more, visit www.nathanjacques.com

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Gary Pratt Growing up in a western Pennsylvania coal mining town with no red lights, one store and six churches, for Gary Pratt, music was always a passion. He started a band at age 16 and has been singing ever since. He was a “serious” musician from the beginning, as well.

That first band included older people, which meant they went places most teen garage bands don’t get to go.

He went on to sing in different kinds of bands all through high school and college. After college, he went to Nashville and says “I sang in probably every venue in Nashville.” Gary sums up his musical calling this way: “I don’t think I ever thought I didn’t want to be in this business.”

He was also a songwriter from the start, and not in a completely rudimentary way. “In fact,” says Gary, “one of the songs on my current album, I wrote when I was 16 or 17...I wrote the song for my Mom; it was called “Number One Fan.” Although it underwent heavy re-writing of both music and lyrics, the solid basis was there, even at such an early age.

That album, Something Worth Remembering, which came out in March 2021, is his third release, but the first to gain wider recognition. It’s dedicated to his brother, Dennis, who passed away about three years ago. Initially, Gary was struggling to produce an album that met his goal of remembering his bother with a meaningful collection of songs revolving around the theme of “life.” Then his producer found the title track, written by Grammy nominee, Tony Arata, who wrote Garth Brooks’ hit “The Dance.” It had a dramatic effect on Greg’s creative process in putting the album together: “Once I heard that song, I knew exactly which song was going to be first...exactly which song was going to be last...It made it all make sense.”

The album is a combination of Gary’s originals and songs written by hit Nashville songwriters. Multiple international #1 iTunes female vocalist Savannah (Nider) helped out on a few songs. She and Gary recorded the duet he wrote, “To Find Us,” at Omni Studios in Nashville.

To find out more, visit www.garyprattmusic.com

November 2021

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

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Louise Cappi Growing up with famous musician dad Al Cappi certainly set Louise on the road toward her own career in music. “When I got into high school I started to get very serious about singing,” she remembers. “He would take me on club dates and let me just observe, and then eventually bring me up with the band to sing a couple of tunes, here and there.”

Although her initial forays into singing professionally were encouraging, Louise found herself prioritizing family over music. “I got married, I had kids...to me it wasn’t right to be running around to nightclubs at night when I had babies at home.” But after moving to New Orleans in 1998, and with the kids a little older, she decided to refocus on singing: “I said ‘This is the place. Now I’m gonna dig in.’” And so she did. She set about building connections with the jazz community and started sitting in at gigs, including some sessions with Delfeayo Marsalis’s Uptown Jazz Orchestra.

After a lifetime immersed in the standards of jazz, Louise realized she had a lot of things to say that would be better served through her own songwriting voice. The result is her new record, Hope, due to be released on September 10. The album features all original tracks. Head over to her website to hear the album’s title track and first single, by way of your favorite streaming or download platform. “There’s heavy stuff, funny stuff...we had a great time doing it.”

While firmly rooted in jazz, Louise’s style has been perceived as totally unique, even “a genre of her own.” Touching on her 2017 album, Mélange, Blues GR describes it as “...eclectic in both genre and repertoire, she touches on Latin music by way of Afro-Cuban and bossa nova, rock, funk, swing and ballads, while never straying far from the blues.”

To find out more, visit www.louisecappimusic.com

Israel Portnoy On a hot day, about a month after a forest fire engulfed the village he lived in, along with all his worldly possessions, minus only one, Israel Portnoy picked up the last object he owned (a vintage 12string he calls “Guilda”) and began an incredible healing journey.

“Maybe I couldn’t bring myself to play her as I could sense some kind of survivor’s guilt syndrome,” Israel remembers. “Or perhaps it was because I was numb and struggling to deal with the loss of everything.

The thought of trying to make music so soon after losing so much was sickening, honestly. I don’t know what was different about this particular day, but I decided to just pick her up and hear what she had to say...maybe for the first time in my life, just get out of the way of the instrument and let her speak.

The healing power of music began to take effect immediately: “...this melody instantly fell out of her,” the artist continues. “I didn’t judge it. I didn’t ‘try’ to make something, and I didn’t dare sing over it. And just like that, I was alive again!

Through the grace of Guilda (and some help from God), my creative juices were flowing again.”

Israel calls the resulting collection of songs Facing Flames Feat. Guilda. His solo debut, its 12 original songs (one for each string of his guitar) revolve around the theme of losing everything and starting life over.

Raised in the UK in a deeply religious and musical Jewish household, yet being exposed to secular music outside the home while he was growing up, Israel felt he was always called to pursue music.

His current folk-rock style grew out of his early exposure to radio during his trips to and from school.

Absorbing those genres naturally led him also to the guitar, which, in turn, solidified his style: “The love of guitar kind of naturally ends up taking you to that place where folk and blues and country and rock all kind of meet. The instrument naturally gravitates to that place.”

To find out more, visit www.israelportnoymusic.com

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Lora Kelly Lora Kelly is finding her way between the time of innocent youth and the silverhaired later years of womanhood— pressing into the gentle magic of middle-life, and sharing insights and encouragement along the way, by way of her music. Whether she is singing about childlike perspectives, the complexity of being an aging woman, or exploring the nuance of female-driven hospitality, on her album, Domystique, Lora shares a collection of lyrics and music that casts a tender eye on life’s middle age, balancing the deep emotions of both looking back and looking forward.

Born out of a desire to write about her current stage in life , on the record Lora takes a whimsical look at domestic life, and explores the middle space between youth and old age and what comes with it. “While I love early life love songs, and I appreciate that much of commercial music is targeted at that age group,” says Lora, “over the last few years, I felt a sense of loss in music. I, personally, wanted more songs that spoke to where I found myself.” She found herself in a middle space familiar to many: raising children, discovering what it looks like to stay in love, and discovering the positive new feelings that arise through the magic of aging.

Originally from Katy, Texas, Lora moved to Charlottesville, Virginia in 2007. Not growing up in an overly musical household, she nonetheless can trace her singer-songwriter roots to a very specific experience. “One of the very first things I remember hearing was Eliza Gilkyson...My dad had a tape in his Honda Accord that we drove around listening to. I loved her storytelling, I loved that it felt both hopeful but grounded in reality. It really connected with me...that our experience on earth is both beautiful and challenging at the same time.”

Her songwriting skill began growing during college, but it wasn’t until her 30s that she began really cultivating her talent and sharing her songs with the wider world.

To find out more, visit www.lorakelly.com

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November 2021

Merlefest; A Must See

Skaggs, Chris Thile, to Steve Martin. While it has grown significantly, it is still at its core, a musicians and music fan’s festival. Despite the big names that it draws, it has never been a festival that is overly concerned with the festival style and look that can sometimes dominate summer festivals.

Merlefest is about music and that concern creates an experience like no other.

“Merlefest, yeah I’ve heard of that! Isn’t that the festival named after Merle Haggard?” This is the “knowledge” most mainstream music fans have about the bluegrass/ Americana festival that has been held on the Wilkesboro Community College campus for over a quarter of a century. If you ask a lot of musicians and attendees who return year after year, that misconception is alright with them.

In actuality, the festival is named for another notable musician with the name Merle - Merle Watson, the son of legendary flat-picking guitar player Doc Watson. Doc’s son was killed in a tractor accident on the family farm, and thus Doc created Merlefest as a tribute to his son, and as a way to raise money for the local community college. The first Merlefest was held on the back of a truck with Doc and a few of his friends in 1988.

By Lacey Roop

In the years since, the festival has morphed into the top fundraising source for Wilkesboro Community College, and has become one of, if not the finest, display of live roots music to be found. The truck bed is long gone, with the festival now boasting multiple stages with past performers from Alison Krauss, Ricky

One of the hallmarks of the festival is the jamming mentality.

One year you might find Elvis Costello jamming with the Waybacks on the Hillside stage, or Gillian Welch and David Rawlings playing late into the night on the Cabin Stage with Chris Thile accompanying on mandolin. These are epic performances that you won’t find in your festival schedule book. They happen organically, the way the best things in music and life seem to do. A walk into the festival campground can find festival performers making music late into the night with their fans as a glowing campfire sparks all around them. There is no pretense here - there is only a love and appreciation for the music.

So we come to the present, 2021, a full blown pandemic at play and some of the first live music many people have seen in over a year. Does this change Merlefest? Does it still go on?

The answer is yes to both.

Usually held the last weekend in April, the festival has been moved for one year only to mid-September. Admittance to the festival will require festival goers to provide proof of vaccination or a negative Covid

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test taken within the last week.

But the music will go on, and this year’s lineup does not disappoint.

Sturgil Simpson will be a featured headliner on Thursday evening. His music is filled with an honesty and devotion to his craft that has the ability to permeate the many differences we may have as attendees. He sets the stage for the rest of the weekend.

LeAnne Rimes and the Milk Carton Kids are bringing the diversity in sound and talent that Merlefest is known for on Friday. Shovels and Rope

and Balsam Range

are Saturday highlights that are sure to reassure musicians and fans alike that the future of Americana and Roots music are in good hands. Sunday, the final day of Merlefest, we are going to church with the legendary

Mavis Staples and Melissa Etheridge. It seems a fitting end and a beautiful way to send festival goers back into the world filled with hope and light.

Merlefest is a beautiful little secret that a lot of people know a little about, but unless they’ve attended, they don’t know nearly enough. Whether you’re traveling to the Brushy Mountains of Wilkesboro, North Carolina this year, or have gone in the past, You’ll likely agree that Merlefest is a festival and experience quite like no other. If you love music, regardless of genre, Merlefest is a must see

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November 2021

The IBMA announced in July, the

“Just Load the Wagon”

Nominees for the 32nd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards to be presented

Artist: Junior Sisk Songwriter: J.R. Satterwhite Producers: Amanda Cook, Junior Sisk, Mark Hodges Label: Mountain Fever Records

on Thursday, September 30, at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA).

This year’s nominees include: ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Balsam Range Billy Strings Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver The Del McCoury Band The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR Darin & Brooke Aldridge Balsam Range Blue Highway Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Sister Sadie

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

“Leaving on Her Mind” Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Songwriter: Jack Clement Producer: Rosta Capek Label: Billy Blue Records

“Richest Man” Artist: Balsam Range Songwriters: Jim Beavers/Jimmy Yeary/Connie Harrington Producer: Balsam Range Label: Mountain Home Music Company

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Tie) Bluegrass 2020 Artist: Scott Vestal, Patrick McAvinue, Cody Kilby, Dominick Leslie, Curtis Vestal Producers: Scott Vestal, Ethan Burkhardt, Lonnie Lassiter Label: Pinecastle Records Distance and Time Artist: Becky Buller Producer: Stephen Mougin Label: Dark Shadow Recording

Fall Like Rain

Appalachian Road Show Billy Strings Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper The Infamous Stringdusters The Travelin’ McCourys

Artist: Justin Moses Producer: Justin Moses Label: Mountain Fever Records Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio’s Musical Legacy Artist: Various Artists Producer: Joe Mullins Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Load the Wagon

Appalachian Road Show Carolina Blue Gina Furtado Project High Fidelity Merle Monroe

Artist: Junior Sisk Producers: Amanda Cook, Junior Sisk, Mark Hodges Label: Mountain Fever Records Still Here Artist: Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford Producers: Steve Gulley, Tim Stafford Label: Mountain Home Music Company

SONG OF THE YEAR “Banjo Player’s Blues” Artist: High Fidelity Songwriter: Charlie Monroe Producers: Jeremy Stephens, Corrina Rose Logston, Brad Benge Label: Rebel Records

“Hitchhiking to California” Artist: Alan Bibey & Grasstowne Songwriters: Wes Golding/Alan Bibey/ Jerry Salley Producers: Jerry Salley, Ron Stewart Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller Label: Billy Blue Records

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR “After While” Artist: Dale Ann Bradley Songwriter: Public Domain Producer: Dale Ann Bradley Label: Pinecastle Records

“Grit and Grace” Artist: Balsam Range Songwriters: Ann Melton/Milan Miller/ Beth Husband Producer: Balsam Range Label: Mountain Home Music Company Continued on page 22

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November 2021

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

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Jesse Wilde Sometimes music grabs people at a young age, and never lets go, pushing them along from one milestone to the next along the musical journey of a lifetime. That is how it’s been for Aukland, New Zealand native, Jesse Wilde. After seeing the Elvis ’68 Comeback Special at age 11, Jesse requested a guitar from his mom. He took lessons from a neighbor for a year, after which he said he’d taught the youngster everything he knew, and sent Jesse along to his teacher, who had grown up in London in the ‘60s. This teacher helped Jesse set his course firmly, encouraging him to start singing, learn many songs, and begin writing his own. Although underage at the time, Jesse began singing and playing for local groups.

“Before you knew it,” says Jesse, “I had my own band and was making a living out of it.”

Jesse cites three primary influences on his musical direction over the years: Bob Seger, John Mellencamp and Steve Earle. Not content to just let influences be influences, he embarked on a successful mission to first visit each artist’s home town, then meet the artists themselves.

His first major band was Acoustic Attitude, well known in and around Auckland as a folk-rockblues’ combo presenting a tasty mix of popular covers and original songs, many written by Jesse.

He has also toured extensively overseas, including the UK, Europe and North America.

Songwriting has become more and more important to him, and Jesse has seen success as one of his songs was selected by the Don Williams Music Publishing Group at the Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase. Back in 2005, Jesse spent six months writing and performing in LA, Texas, New York, Chicago and Nashville. He co-wrote the song “Ghost Town Road” with Rick Beresford (writer and gold record recipient for “If Drinking Doesn’t Kill Me Her Memory Will,” a song he wrote for George Jones.”

Jesse’s most recent album is 2019’s Wilde Taylor duo release, Broadway Cowboy.

To find out more, visit www.jessewilde.com

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Larry Jay Singer-songwriter Larry Jay was a guitar player first. When he heard a cousin playing guitar, he says, “I just vibrated with the strings.” He spent his younger days in various bands, honing his playing skills mostly on cover tunes. When asked about his early influences, Gary quickly names the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young and Willie Nelson. His young adult years found him in various places, playing with various bands, some more serious than others, before settling in Los Angeles.

After one final promising outfit failed to bear fruit, Larry decided to refocus on school, a non-musicrelated career and family. For about 15 years, his music remained in the background.

During the last five years, however, Larry has again rededicated himself to music, this time focusing much more on songwriting. Remembering that he originally started writing and performing music “to set my soul free,” he has connected with like-minded people in some Nashville-based songwriting groups.

“We edit songs to get the best lyrics we can,” Larry explains.

“I’ve always been pretty good with the melodies; trying to be competitive with the Nashville song writers you’ve really got to step up your game with the lyric writing.”

Step it up he has. Larry has been a first runner-up in multiple songwriting contests, including the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Contest. He has performed at the famed and historic Troubadour in Los Angeles, and he’s shared the stage with Neil Young sideman and member of Crazy Horse, Sonny Mone.

Larry Jay has created his very own brand of awardwinning Americana-tinged southern fried music, which has been described as “five chords and the truth.” He injects that truth with hopeful lyrics and tasty melodies that connect with audiences.

He shows off his songwriting skills on his latest single, “Here’s To Us,” in addition tp to his #1 iTunes international smash single “Wow” featuring Caeland Garner of Team Blake on The Voice and his “end the pandemic” anthem, “Worldwide Party Day.” To find out more, visit www.larryjaymusic.com

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Taylor Rae The story of Taylor Rae’s path to her upcoming debut album release starts off in a pretty straightforward manner. At age two, she says, “I just decided I was going to be a singer. It wasn’t really an active choice. It was just like, ‘I AM a singer. This is what I’m going to do with my life.’” Voice and piano lessons followed. When the songwriting muse came calling, Taylor found her preferred accompaniment: “When I started writing songs when at age ten, I needed another instrument that I could move around with.” She was “super-motivated” to teach herself guitar, starting at age 12.

After music school, Taylor continued down the musician’s path without looking back. “I just didn’t want a job on the side...so I figured out how to make a living playing gigs.” Her coastal California location at the time (specifically the Santa Cruz area, south of San Francisco) made that possible, with a myriad of performing opportunities and the help of a booking agent. In pre-pandemic times, Taylor averaged 200 gigs annually.

Now, just shy of her 30s, Taylor is releasing her debut album of 12 original songs. The songs touch on the themes and events important to her from age 19 through 27, thus the title, Mad Twenties.

On it, she fearlessly explores the human condition by way of many musical genres. It’s emotionally raw, lyrically polished and delivered with a vocal mastery developed over decades, like a fine wine, despite her young chronological age.

The seed of the project was planted when, at 21, Taylor penned the line “In our mad twenties now,” to open her song “Liquify,” a expression of the frustration felt when life doesn’t turn out the way one was led to believe it might or should be. “At that moment I thought ‘I think I’m going to do a record one day, called Mad Twenties’...I waited for the right time…It presented itself during the pandemic, when I had a lot of time to put things together…”

To find out more, visit www.taylorraemusic.com

November 2021

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

on all of these Podcast platforms!

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Tedi Brunetti Tedi Brunetti, a renowned drummer, singer and songwriter from Pittsburgh, grew up listening to songs on a transistor radio while banging away on a hamper and old hat boxes. Tedi traces her entrance into playing music, via the then atypical (for a girl) avenue of the drums, back to a birthday party she attended at age 11. “An older sister had a Victrola, and she put on a single,” Tedi recalls.

“It was ‘Louie Louie,’ by the Kingsmen. And the drums...are bombastic; and it shot through me like a bolt of lightning...I kept playing it over and over again…” Her parents nixed drum lessons at first, instead unknowingly providing Tedi with a tool for songwriting (which she immediately set about using) in the form of guitar lessons. Later, with her own money from her first job, she took care of her own drum lessons. Despite the obstacles, Tedi had found her calling and wouldn’t be swayed from the path to being a professional drummer.

She would go on to perform with bands in a wide array of genres through the ‘60s and ‘70s, including the The Impalas and Toronto’s infamous B-Girls.

As a solo artist, Tedi describes herself as a “sober Janis Joplin meeting Steely Dan in Memphis.”

Although she may come out from behind her drum kit occasionally, she is comfortable and confident in “fronting” her band from her seat in the back. “It’s never been an obstacle for me,” she explains, “in terms of physically being able to do it, or communicating with an audience.”

Tedi’s current project is a full-length album called Queen of Pittsburgh. It features a mix of songs ranging from blues shuffles to more eclectic originals clearly influenced by classic rock, jazz and blues. The record was produced by Dean Allen Sargent (Public Enemy, Taylor Dayne, Blue Oyster Cult,) who also co-wrote some of the tracks, along with Michael Henegan (Sonny Rhodes, Lonnie Shields, Randy Lippincott).

An engaging singer, Tedi uses her rich vocals to draw listeners into an intimate conversation; as they forget she’s singing, the story unfolds.

To find out more, visit www.teddibrunetti.com

Soulful Femme

Caleb Bailey

It Is Well With My Soul is the title of the initial album by the group now called Soulful Femme, which was “born out of the need to interpret blues, funk, rock and jazz our way...” according to Stevee Wellons and Cheryl Rinovato, the dynamic female duo that created it. The record reached #2 on the Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Soul Blues Album Chart, immediately upon its release in June 2021. Apart from the title hymn arrangement, the album features all original songs.

Hailing from the wellspring of bluegrass and country music, Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, and living now at the foot of the Blueridge Mountains, Caleb Bailey is carrying on a family tradition rooted in the music of the hills. His great grandparents recorded music and were bluegrass promoters. His great uncle played with Tom T. Hall and Eddie Rabbit as a steel guitar and Dobro player. He previously performed with Allegheny Blue as their lead singer and guitarist and recorded on their albums Greenbrier River and Train Smoke.

Vocalist Stephanie Wellons, a.k.a. Stevee Wellons, has been performing in the Pittsburgh tri-state area for the last 25 years and is known for her high energy level on stage. She has performed with numerous area bands and currently teaches and coaches voice for the Community College of Allegheny County at multiple campuses. Formerly, she taught at the prestigious Afro-American Institute (AAMI). An experienced recording artist as well, Stevee has recorded in Pittsburgh, New York, Chicago and Baltimore. The Stevee Wellons Band won the 2015 Blues Society of Western PA’s Blues Challenge and represented Western PA at the 2016 International Blues Challenge.

He started playing professionally at about age 16 but later put the guitar aside when life outside music got in the way. His break from music came to an end in 2019, after he went through a divorce and weathered the emotional turmoil that goes with it. Subsequently, a songwriter friend encouraged him to record his own songs.

Guitarist/vocalist Cheryl Rinovato double-majored in Applied Music and Arranging and Composition at the famed Berklee College of Music, and began her musical career as a studio musician working throughout New England. Since moving to Pittsburgh, Cheryl has pursued her career with numerous area bands and has done extensive studio work. She is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Jim Weber Award, given to blues guitarist of the year. She is also endorsed by Delaney, the custom guitar maker out of Austin, Texas, with two signature guitar models on the market.

Caleb’s return to full-time music resulted in Poplar and Pine, a ten-track solo debut, which yielded a surprise number one hit, “Grim Reaper.”

His immediate success with original material shouldn’t come as a surprise; he learned early that writing songs was a natural talent (and how to brush off rejection): “I found I could write kind of early on...I understood that when I wrote my first song, but I didn’t put it on paper; I was just singing it to my brother. I told him, ‘We can sing this in church.’ He said, ‘Did Mom teach you that?” and I was like ‘No.’ He was like, ‘Well, how did you find that song?’ and I said, ‘I made it up.’ And he said, ‘That’s stupid, we’re not gonna sing it.’” Despite that minor setback, Caleb’s direction had been set.

After meeting six years ago at a women in blues show, they found they had a mutual desire to work together. Serendipitously, it also turned out that the backing band for that event was willing to jump onboard, providing an expanded sound when venues allow. Thus, Soulful Femme was born.

Caleb is now in the process of putting the finishing touches on his new band, and lining up performance dates for the summer and fall of 2021so he can get out and share the album and his new music with old and new fans alike.

To find out more, visit www.soulfemme.com

To find out more, visit www.facebook.com/cbbmusic4u/

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November 2021

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November 2021

They Call It Music; American Music Even

though this magazine has the word Americana as part of its title, we sometimes struggle to find a tent big enough to cover all the facets of this vastly diverse musical genre that we write about. The bluegrass centric channel 062 on Sirius XM satellite radio refers to itself as Bluegrass Junction yet it often calls the music that it features: Authentic American Music. Americana music encompasses a varied array of sound and talent; however, as the folks on the satellite radio imply, its origins are largely American sourced in some form or other.

In his book, Milward details the long and winding musical paths that the diverse American-honed musical genres have taken to eventually join their parts and influences to morph and merge into the various aspects of the music we now call Americana. He starts by giving the genesis story of the 1927 Bristol, Tennessee recording sessions then travels to Alabama, Memphis, Nashville, Greenwich Village, London, England, Los Angeles, Texas; and many other stops along the way.

Many folks have attempted to corral and define this art form. It is not an easy task; however, a book that recently appeared in our editorial office inbox does a most effective and readable job of doing so. The title of the book is Americanaland Where Country & Western Met Rock & Roll. It is written

by John Milward and published by University of Illinois Press. Illustrations throughout the book are by Margie Greve.

John Milward is no stranger to the music scene. He has written about music and popular culture for more than 40 years, contributing to such publications as Rolling Stone, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, and No Depression, among many others.

Plus, he was the chief pop music critic for the Chicago Daily News and USA Today. Margie Greve’s work has appeared in Rolling Stone and the New Yorker and has been shown in galleries in New York City and the Hudson Valley.

Along this journey, Milward shows the connections between old-time, mountain, hillbilly country, bluegrass, rockabilly, urban folk, blues, jazz, rock, and pop; and details how each variety has had influence on the others.

He weaves personal, in-depth stories of the artists of each category and discuss how they were affected by the music.

Each chapter details pivotal times and people who heavily influenced those times musically.

He tells about the Bristol sessions where Ralph Peer ’s RCA recordings made stars of Jimmie Rogers, and the Carter Family and the lasting influence these folks’ work had on others down through the years. Later, Milward details the tragic life of Hank Williams and how William’s songwriting ability influenced many artists long after his passing.

When detailing how Sam Phillips at Sun Studios was able to gather Elvis Pressley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash together under one record label, Milward added this quote by Sam Phillips, “It was like everything I had worked to achieve in that one little room.” Further, he quoted Carl Perkins as saying, “It was a time when black and white were fusing musically.

We combined the blues influence coming up from Mississippi and the bluegrass from out of Kentucky, but I don’t think none of us ever quite knew what it was.

It didn’t have a name; we called it feel good music.”

Milward concluded it was no longer blues and it was no longer country, and we now know it was the roots of rock and roll music.

Milward follows up with stories about this million-dollar quartet. He provides many vignettes about how success led to personal downfall in each of the men’s lives. This part of the author’s effort is the valuable part of the book. He has a way of making each personality he discusses come alive throughout the book.

Later, he states, “If the Bristol sessions were the big bang of country music, the arrival of rock

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By Edward Tutwiler

and roll was the Manhattan Project of Americana.” The artists took the same songs to the top of the country, pop, and R&B charts.

Of this, Milward says, “Never again would the genres’ borders be so porous. That mélange of styles is the essence of Americana music except unlike today, it was universally popular.”

Milward continues in a similar vain as he marches us forward to Bob Dylan where he lets us understand just how mighty Dylan’s influence was on everyone’s songwriting from that point forward. He discusses the British invasion and the influence it had on the whole music scene; and he discusses how much the old country, bluegrass and blues, influenced the British bands. The influence was not limited to there.

Milward quotes Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead as saying, “I got turned on to bluegrass music in 1960. My grandmother was a big Grand Ole Opry fan. I heard Bill Monroe hundreds of times without knowing who he was.”

John Milward has crafted a masterpiece. It is recommended reading for anyone wanting to understand how American music in all its iterations came together to become that circus tent full of diverse music that we now define as Americana. He has crafted a work that stitches together the intertwined lives of many diverse artists complete with their follies and failures as well as their successes. The publication is supported with 24 pages of notes and seven pages of bibliography and is illustrated with well done sketches of all the principle players.

Americanaland Where Country & Western Met Rock & Roll, by John Milward, is available for sale through the usual sources and direct from University of Illinois Press at www.press.uillinois.edu/ b o o k s / c a t a l o g / 92gqf6qf9780252043918.html.

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Music From Around The World

Music From Your Neighbors

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elcome to the Fall edition of SPINS for 2021. Get out and support LIVE music. The musicians need you as much as we need them! Artists are still turning out great music everywhere, and we’re still here to tell you about it! Check these out, and please tell them we sent you. Buy a CD. Support your favorite musician so they can keep making their music!

PK Mayo

The Artisanals

Daryl Wayne Dasher

Simple Search For The Truth www.pkmayo.com

ZIA

Honky Tonk Ways

www.theartisanals.net

www.dwdasher.com

Roundtable

On the edge of Americana, leaning in on the heart of rock and roll, The Artisanals have come up with a sound that fits beautifully right between the seams. ZIA is the second full length from this Charleston, SC based ensemble

The classic Country, vintage feel of Daryl Wayne Dasher’s voice will harken you back to the days of Marty Robins, with a modern Chris Isaak feel.

This pandemic motivated project is full of original material, grit, heart, and soul

www.doylelawson.com

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Got one you want us to consider? send it to: Uncle Woody The Spin Doctor PO Box 45 Bridgewater, VA 22812

Guitarist, songwriter, PK Wade has been heralded, “a crazy soulful singer,” by producer, Kevin Bowe. His latest record, Simple Search For The Truth, has some saying it’s his best in his 30 year career.

Anya Hinkle Eden And Her Borderlands

Robin & Linda Williams

Eden Praire

Jeremy Stephens

Lonesome River Band

Give Up The Ghost

How I Hear It

www.anyahinkle.com

A Better Day A-Coming www.sonsoftheneverwrong.com

www.edenprairieband.com

www.rebelrecords.com

The 2019 Chris Austin songwriting champion, Anya Hinkle emulates the Americana roots spirit wonderfully as she crafts her Virginia mountain inspired music. Her new record, Eden And Her Borderlands, is a must add for any roots music enthusiast

A Better Day A-Coming is the 24th record from this Virginia based folk duo. It was recorded in their living room during 2019/2020 - it’s their first since 2013. A summer/ fall tour will feature guest musician/friend Garrison Keillor. You’ll want this one

Finland’s Alt. Country band, Eden Prarie, says their music is for “people who are fed up with the genre.” Give Up The Ghost is the debut record for this international Americana band. The music is simple and nostalgic, but rich is authenticity. Really fun

Singing Up There: A Tribute To The Easter Brothers www.lonesomeriverband.com Legendary act, Lonesome River Band, has been at the forefront of the scene for 30 years. Their tribute album to another legendary gospel bluegrass band, The Easter Brothers, is a wonderful tribute indeed

The Grascals

The Farmhands

Jeremy Garrett

Merle Monroe

Up All Night

4.0

Wanderer’s Compass

Songs Of A Simple Life

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers

www.grascals.com

www.farmhandsmusic.com

www.garrettgrass.com

www.pinecastlemusic.com

Somewhere Beyond The Blue

The Grascals have been one of the bluegrass industry’s prominant acts for years.

They’ve earned three Grammy nominations, and two Entertainer of the Year awards, and numerous others. Their latest album is another award winning effort

The Farm Hands have over 70 awards and nominations from the bluegrass industry. They tour over 150 dates a year, and feature a veteran, award winning lineup of songwriters and instrumentalists. Their latest record, 4.0, is a top shelf collection.

A member of the Grammynominated, Infamous Stringdusters, Jeremy Garrett’s solo effort here blends traits from different relms of music to craft his unique, yet familiar approach to string music. It’s well worth taking a listen for sure

Co-founder Tim Raybon’s last name might sound familiar.

He’s Marty’s brother - of 90’s country act - Shenandoah.

Merle Monroe landed in 2019 with multiple number one songs, and an IBMA nomination in 2020. Their second effort is excellent

“Hear Jerusalem Calling,” was the first single off this new record and it landed quickly at number 1 on the charts. No surprise, really.

This award winning band always delivers music at the highest level. Must see

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Now the front man for the bluegrass band, High Fidelity, Jeremy Stephens started playing music when he was just five years old. This world class musician is also a historian and a scholar, and it bleeds through nicely here on his second solo project

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Said to be his last secular record, Doyle Lawson brings home yet another champion collection of music. One of the greats - Doyle can still deliver the goods even after over 50 years in the business

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www.realrootsradio.com

You can send new Americana CD releases for consideration to PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812 / greg@americanarhythm.com

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November 2021

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR “The Appalachian Road”

Continued from page 17 “Hear Jerusalem Calling” Artist: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers Songwriters: Marty Stuart/Jerry Sullivan Producer: Joe Mullins Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller Label: Billy Blue Records

“In the Resurrection Morning” Artists: Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason Moore Songwriter: Mark Wheeler Producers: Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve Label: Billy Blue Records

“When He Calls My Name” Artist: Alan Bibey & Grasstowne Songwriters: Alan Bibey/Ronnie Bowman Producers: Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, Ron Stewart, Jerry Salley Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller Label: Billy Blue Records

Artist: Appalachian Road Show Songwriter: Jim VanCleve Producers: Jim VanCleve, Barry Abernathy, Appalachian Road Show Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller Label: Billy Blue Records

“Foggy Mountain Chimes” Artists: Scott Vestal, Patrick McAvinue, Cody Kilby, Dominick Leslie, Curtis Vestal Songwriter: Earl Scruggs Producer: Scott Vestal Label: Pinecastle Records

“Ground Speed” Artists: Kristin Scott Benson, Skip Cherryholmes, Jeremy Garrett, Kevin Kehrberg, Darren Nicholson Songwriter: Earl Scruggs Producer: Jon Weisberger Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“Mountain Strings” Artist: Sierra Hull Songwriters: Frank Wakefield/Red Allen Producer: Joe Mullins Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

“Taxland” Artist: Justin Moses with Sierra Hull Songwriter: Justin Moses Producer: Justin Moses Label: Mountain Fever Records

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Ronnie Bowman Del McCoury Danny Paisley Junior Sisk Larry Sparks FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Brooke Aldridge Dale Ann Bradley Sierra Hull Molly Tuttle Rhonda Vincent BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR Gena Britt Gina Furtado Rob McCoury Kristin Scott Benson Scott Vestal BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Mike Bub Todd Phillips Missy Raines Mark Schatz Marshall Wilborn FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jason Carter Michael Cleveland Stuart Duncan Bronwyn Keith-Hynes Deanie Richardson

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RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jerry Douglas Andy Hall Rob Ickes Phil Leadbetter Justin Moses GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Yamaha Trey Hensley Billy Strings Bryan Sutton Molly Tuttle Jake Workman MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jesse Brock Sam Bush Sierra Hull Ronnie McCoury Tristan Scroggins

The Awards show will be broadcast on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 30th, streamed via Facebook Live, and will be made available for rebroadcast by radio stations worldwide. For more information on how to obtain tickets, or a recording of the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show for rebroadcast, please go to www.ibma.org.

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