Americana Rhythm Magazine, Issue #38

#38 AT ING CEL EBR RS! 7 YEA

IN THIS ISSUE: v Rail Tunes v The Dreaded G v Love Canon v Plan B

RU APRIL 2012 CONTENT VALID TH

MEET:

Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out

See Our Ad on the back page for great prices!

April 2012

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April 2012

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Table Of Contents:

4 5 Shenandoah Music Trail 6 7 Love Canon 8 IIIrd Tyme’s A Charm 9 Travel The Crooked Road 10 12 Plan B Broadway 14 15 Market Place

So, we’re into another year already - wow!

Can you believe it’s 2012? This is the year, right? Okay, so let’s have fun this year. With all the political hoopla in the air - I say boycott the whole circus - occupy a live music event this weekend instead. You know it will be a heck of alot more fun!

Anyway, thanks for coming along with us for our seventh year. I can’t believe it! we’ve got plenty of new great stories and cool things to talk about. (Might even have a book or two on the way.)

Let’s get out and support all the great live music venues and outdoor events - there’s so many to choose from, and it’s good for your soul. We all need some of that! See you out there!

Sincerely,

Questions, comments, suggestions: greg@americanarhythm.com

Check this out:

www.AmericanaMusicProfiles.com 15

nce lk Allia me Fo 2012! o lc e W rs, Reade fun now! ave h ll ’a Y

Listen 24/7 365 Americana Rhythm is published six times a year. All correspondence CONTRIBUTORS should be sent to PO Box 45, Bridgewater VA, 22812 or email to Ed Tutwiler greg@americanarhythm.com. Copies of Americana Rhythm are made Kaye D. Hill available free at various pick up locations within the publication’s reWayne Erbsen gion. Subscriptions are available inside the United States for $15 US Ryan Babarsky currency made payable by check or money order sent to Subscriptions UNC Ashville Students at PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812. Foreign subscription requests Andrew McKnight should be sent to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copyright 2008. All Doak Turner rights reserved. Reproduction of copy, artwork or photographs is strictly Becky Allen prohibited without permission of the publisher. All advertising material Scott Perry subject to approval.

DISTRIBUTION PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Mark Barreres Greg E. Tutwiler David LaFleur EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Nate Sparks Ed Tutwiler Ed Tutwiler Jacenta Tutwiler Doug Williams Lisa Tutwiler Stuart Thomas MARKETING & PROMOTION Floyd Country Store Mark Barreres (GrassRootsNetworking.com) Letters, Comments, Suggestions ADVERTISING greg@americanarhythm.com Greg Tutwiler www.americanarhythm.com Business office 540-433-0360

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April 2012

By Edward Tutwiler

Did you ever ride a train? No, I

don’t mean a commuter jolt into a day job somewhere; I mean a real train with cars that had sleepers, diners, and loungers. No, me either. Nevertheless, let me tell you a little story about some folks that did get to take that fantasy ride last year and are going to get to do it again in 2012.

fatigue caught up, and the bands would retire so that they could begin the process again the next day. Ketch Secur summed up his experience this way, “Life aboard the Railroad Revival train was a good life, indeed.”

Three up and coming Americana string bands joined their talents for a magical mystery tour of an uncommon sort. This experience had them boarding a train in Oakland, CA and playing tour dates across AZ and TX and finishing in New Orleans, LA. Along with the band mates, a company of family members, support staff, film crew, and media people made the trip.

All in all, some 120 folks made the tour.

Comin’ Round Again

Now, music groups tour all the time. That is how they bring their music to you. They travel to festivals and venues all across this fine land. They move about by car, by van, by bus, and often by plane; nevertheless, when is the last time you heard of a musical group coming to you via train. Whistle stop tours is the name the politicians called these cross-country train trips back in the last century as they crossed the country seeking votes. This trip we’re telling you about here is no whistle-stop tour. Traveling exclusively in vintage rail cars pulled by two Amtrak locomotives, the Americana bands of Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show traveled across the American Southwest for a month and stopped the train to play at six different festivals along the way.

Plus, Mumford & Sons took the time while the train was in Austin, TX to tape an episode of the Austin City Limits TV show.

What It’s Like

The Railroad Revival train is 1,500 feet long and consists of 15 vintage railcars including sleeper cars, meal cars and storage cars from the 1950s and 60s, pulled by two locomotives [for you train buffs out there, the two locomotives were the AMTK 134 and the AMTK 1].

The bands eat, slept, and recorded on the train as they traveled across

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the American Southwest, bringing their special blend of Americana string music and roots rock to fans from California to New Orleans.

The bands had equal billing and equal time on stage. The various stops along the way. The entire 2011 tour was filmed and turned into a documentary that captures the spirit of the journey.

To give you a glimpse of what life on the rails was like for the groups, here are some observations by Ketch Secur of Old Crow Medicine Show that I gleaned from the RRRT web site: The sleeper cars were located at the two ends of the train and were very quiet. Ketch further described the sleeper car’s various accommodations including a roomette which consists of a chair, a stool and a fold down single bed that filled the compartment when opened. Other rooms have bunk beds or double beds, and one car consisted solely of bunk beds with no rooms. Down the hall, there was a toilet and a fully functioning shower.

A Jammin’ Ride

Ketch went on to describe a typical day of the trip. Mornings started in the center of the train, where there were two kitchens, a cafeteria-style serving area and a dining car. After breakfast, folks moved to the various hangout cars. Ketch said that he usually went to the car that provided

wireless internet service and was also the headquarters of the film and media crews. He spent his morning sorting photos and blogging the trip to fans.

Afternoons found the musicians congregated into one of the music rooms where they would jam and play until they reached the destination of the next venue. He found it to be quite exciting that their fans and train lovers greeted the train all along the tracks. Upon arrival, a group of the musicians would gather in a giant window of one of the cars and put on a mini show for the fans.

All in all, everyone enjoyed the train ride so much that the planners are currently finalizing details for a 2012 Railroad Revival Tour with a new lineup and some great music. The Railroad Revival Tour is set to roll again in 2012 but at press time we did not have the exact schedule or the names of the acts that will be touring. Don’t despair; just navigate your computer browser to http://railroadrevivaltour.com.

All the information that you need, including ticket sale information, will be posted there in plenty of time for you to plan your spring

Once at the venue, the bands would disembark the train, play the show, and then get right back on the train for a midnight departure to the next destination.

listening tour. If you are as lucky as the 2011 attendees, your ticket will include an MP3 download of live recordings from the tour as well as a commemorative ticket custom-designed for each site, with no additional service fees.

Secur remembered that they would all have a late night snack of Cup Cups, which were little meals baked in bread in a muffin pan all having great flavors. The Cup Cup rush was followed by gathering for drinks where the bands then played into the early hours of the morning. Ultimately,

Are you jealous yet? Yep, me too.

I want to ride that joy train and listen to all that music. I’ve got to believe that this Railroad Revival Tour experience would be way better than any of those psychedelic bus trips folks took with Wavy Gravy back in the 1960’s

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Along the

Shenandoah Music Trail over working the Tuesday Jam.” What a jam it is too! The front has a few booths and tables filled with listeners as the musicians stand, or sit on an old bench and few chairs. Out back a smaller room is filled to capacity as listeners and pickers vie for space. At

Marino’s Music Jam About fifty years ago a few regulars at Marino’s Lunch asked the owners Tony and Arline Marino if it would be alright to bring in their instruments and play a little music. They said, “Why of course you can!” And history was in the making. Every Tuesday night thereafter for the past 48 years there has been a regular music jam at Marion’s Lunch, a small neighborhood bar in Staunton, Virginia. It has turned into an institution, and the walls are covered with a who’s who of local music talent.

Although her husband has passed, Arline continues as the current owner (now for over 25 years), and is the third generation making a go of burgers, beer, and bluegrass. Arline explains, “I really enjoy the music, but now my daughter Beanie, with her husband Larry Ruleman, have taken

Marion’s you will find multiple generations of locals who come in to make music, listen, eat, drink a few beers, and enjoy the company of good spirited people.

The jams are held every Tuesday Evening starting around 7pm until whenever the last soul leaves. For more info call (540) 209-3540 or visit http:/heprofessionalforeigner.com/

2011/02/blue-grass-jam-at-marinoslunch/

New Hope Guitars Ron Sharp, owner of New Hope Guitars recently stopped by our JMU Music Jam one Tuesday evening to play some music. And he had a sweet, mellow, beautiful, “killer” guitar.

Wanting to know more about the guitar, Ron invited Martha and me to stop by his shop. With Ron’s directions and following a path less traveled, we arrived at Ron’s New Hope, Virginia home and his out back workshop. It was there we got to see first hand how he turns trees into wonderfully hand crafted works of art.

Originally from Clover Lick, West Virginia, Ron explains, “I’ve always gone to the extreme when trying new things. I wanted to learn to fly, so I built my own airplane.” “I wanted to build a guitar with quality workmanship that was also affordable,” Ron stated, “It’s all about the wood and the best guitars start with a red spruce top.” Ron continues, “I played guitar for many years and even repaired a few old guitars. Then I discovered that my favorite guitarist, Wayne Henderson was also a premier luthier.

April 2012

By Don DePoy

One day I just got in my car, drove to Rugby, Virginia unannounced, where I found Wayne at his shop.” The two have become good friends. Ron also shared that he traded wood with Wayne and under his tutelage has learned how to build a reminiscent 1930’s Martin style guitar.

Ron showed us how he often uses his own gizmos, gadgets and inventions in the building process. Stacks of exotic wood from all over the world surround his work bench. He never seemed to stop moving about. Although he did sit down for a moment to play a few songs with me as I tried out his newest sensational guitar. Ron has been building guitars for a little over five years and even takes time to teach others how to build their own instrument. Making a guitar is a true passion and an art.

To know more about New Hope Guitars or want to find out how to build your own you can contact Ron at http:/ /newhopetonewoods.com.

For a more detailed report as to what’s to do on the Shenandoah Music Trail check out our web site www.shenandoahmusictrail.com or call 540-209-3540

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April 2012

By Wayne Erbsen

The Dreaded G Scale & the Magic Numbers I once heard it said, "There ain't no On a banjo in G tuning: G=3rd string notes in bluegrass music, you just pick it.” While it may be comforting to suggest that music theory and bluegrass music don't mix, in fact, knowing a little so-called music theory could be downright useful if you want to develop as a musician.

Granted, many people are scared to death of musical scales. Trust me, this won’t hurt (all that much), and soon scales will be your new best friend.

First, since bluegrass is often played in the key of G, we’ll start by learning a G scale. Like all scales, a G scale starts and ends with a G note.

After the G note it just goes up the alphabet. Keep in mind that a G scale has one sharp, an F sharp. So a G scale would go G, A, B, C, D, E, F# G. That’s it.

Don’t know where to find these notes on your instrument? OK. I’ll help.

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open or unfretted. A=3rd string at the second fret. B=2nd string open.

C=2nd string first fret. D=1st string open. E=1st string second fret. F#=1st string fourth fret, G=1st string fifth fret.

John Duffy On a mandolin: G=D string fifth fret, A=A string open, B=A string second fret, C=A string third fret, D=A string fifth fret, E=E string open, F#=E string second fret, G=first string third fret.

On a guitar: G=third string open, A=third string second fret, B=second string open, C=second string first fret, D=second string third fret, E=first string open, F#=first string second fret, G=first string third fret.

On a fiddle: G=D string with ring finger, A=A string open, B=A string index finger, C=A string middle finger, D=A string ring finger, E=E string open, F#=E string index finger, G=E string middle finger.

Now, let’s learn what I like to call “the Magic Numbers.” This is nothing more than assigning numbers to each of the eight notes of a major scale. For our G scale, it would be G=1, A=2, B=3, C=4, D=5, E=6, F#=7, G=8.

So if we transpose the same lead-in we used in G using the Magic Numbers, we’d have 5=G, 6=A, 7=B and 8=C. So presto, you have recycled your G lick into a C lick. It’s a miracle!

What’s so good about the Magic Numbers? The Magic Numbers will mean you can take one little lick and turn it into many little licks, all in different keys. This process is called transposing. Stay calm. I’ll show you.

Now your “homework” is to take some of your favorite licks, figure out the names of the notes, assign them Magic Numbers, and transpose them into all the popular keys like G, A, C, D, and if you’re brave you can try B flat, B and E.

Let’s learn a simple walk-up or intro to a song like “Pig in a Pen,” which is a fairly common bluegrass song. The melody starts on a G note. As an intro to the song, we can walk up to that first G note. How do we do that? By starting on a lower note, in this case a D below (in pitch) the G. So a nice little walk-up would be D, E, F#, then the G. Try it.

Brilliant musicians who have what we call “good ears” don’t have to mess with the Magic Numbers, or anything else, for that matter. They just hear these things, and can do them effortlessly. For the rest of us with “tin ears,” it’s no crime to use tools like the Magic Numbers to help us teach ourselves how to play our instruments

Using the Magic Numbers, let’s give numbers to our walk-up. 5=D, 6=E, 7=F# and 8=G.

Wayne Erbsen has been teaching banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin since dinosaurs roamed the earth (really about fifty years).

Originally from California, he now makes his home in Asheville, North Carolina. He has written thirty songbooks and instructions books for banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin. Check out his web site at http:// www.nativeground.com/ or email or call for a FREE catalog: (828)299-7031 or banjo[at]nativeground.com

Now let’s say we want to steal this lick, and use it as a lead-in to a C chord. A C scale with the Magic Numbers is C=1, D=2, E=3, F=4, G=5, A=6, B=7, and C=8.

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Low Fat, 80s Bluegrass

If you happen to come across one

There are several auxiliary members of the band as well, including the mustachioed Zack Hickman, who plays bass in Josh Ritter’s band, and who was actually a founding member, and Nate Leath on fiddle and Nick Falk on drums (both of whom were also in Old School Freight Train).

Humble Beginnings

The idea for Love Canon came when Harper and Larrabee were driving to Virginia from Boston (where Larrabee lived before he moved to Virginia) when “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” came on the radio. Larrabee, who had his mandolin (yes, he plays mandolin too!) on his lap, started learning the tune on the spot: “We just learned a slow version of it, we thought it was kinda cool. I think we drove right to Miller’s and during a … set break, we played it. It just felt fun. There wasn’t really any point to it.”

Zack Hickman helped shape the original idea into a band, and the group even played their secondever show at Josh Ritter’s wedding. Because Hickman plays hundreds of shows ever year with Josh Ritter, he plays with Love Canon here and there, when he can.

By Ryan Babarsky

twice-monthly gig at Rapture on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville is always packed with a crowd that loves to dance.

of Love Canon’s colorful (and sometimes strange) posters pinned up somewhere around town, you’ll see that they promise you “bluegrass covers of all your favorite 80’s top hits.” And that is certainly what they deliver.

However, their posters fail to mention some key facts, including that all the musicians in the band are virtuosos, their covers are meticulously and creatively arranged, and that there will most likely be aviator sunglasses, a dancing crowd, and perhaps a guest star or two at all their shows.

The core members of Love Canon are Jesse Harper on acoustic guitar, Darrell Muller on upright bass (both formerly of acoustic supergroup Old School Freight Train), Adam Larabee on banjo, and Andy Thacker on mandolin. Together they are Love Canon (one “n” on purpose!), and they entertain their audiences with covers of 80’s tunes arranged on bluegrass instruments.

April 2012

Just a Small Town Band

Once the core group started playing together, they got organized: “From there, we kinda got committed and set some goals for ourselves, like try and get a couple new songs every couple weeks, and at the minimum rehearse every week. We have the wish list of over 100 tunes that we want to learn. There’s always more there for us to learn than we have time to actually work with.”

Later, when Larrabee moved from Boston to Virginia, he and Harper decided to revive Love Canon.

They recruited Muller and Thacker and the group began arranging material. Lately, they have been playing regular gigs in the Charlottesville area, as well as hitting the festival circuit and venues out of the area.

As all the men in the group are married and have lives in the Charlottesville-area, Love Canon is hoping to stay mostly local, with the occasional mini-tour here and there. The point of the group is to have fun. They’re also hoping to be a bigger part of the festival circuit: “We got big plans. As long as it stays fun, we’ll play anywhere for anyone. We’d love to get more into the festival circuit in the summertime.”

But there are also some bigger venues around the area that want Love Canon to play.

No Exception to the Rule

The Love Canon guys have imposed a strict set of rules upon the band, which help them achieve the goals of keeping things interesting and challenging themselves to become better musicians and arrangers:

1.They cannot repeat a song by an

artist until they reach 100 tunes.

That means they will learn songs by 100 1980’s artists before they can start doubling up on songs by those artists. So, you will not hear them play 2 songs by Journey or any other band until they’ve learned 100 tunes. Right now, they’ve learned close to 50 covers.

Of this goal, Larrabee said, “when we hit that number, it’s going to be a party!”

2.The other big rule is that they

will only play covers that were written between 1980 and 1989. “A lot of the songs that people associate with the 80’s were actually written in 1979, like some by the Cars, The Police… lots of ‘classic 80’s tunes’ weren’t actually written in the 1980’s.” continued on page 11

80’s Bluegrass

You may be tempted to think of the idea of 80’s bluegrass covers as being reminiscent of the “Pickin’ On” records (some of which Old School Freight Train was a part of). However, Love Canon’s sound and philosophy is quite different: “All though we are a cover band, we do vocals and harmonies. [The “Pickin’ On” records] feature relatively strict interpretations. We like to play with it a little: Stay true to the song but make it a little more interesting to us.”

Not a fan of 80’s music? That does not mean you won’t like Love Canon. They “have a lot of people say ‘we don’t like 80’s music, but we like what you do.’” Even mandolin player Andy Thacker wasn’t a huge fan before he joined Love Canon: “I was never into 80’s music before, but I definitely have a whole new appreciation for it now that we do these songs.”

The group has been gathering quite a following of late, mainly because their act is so fun. Their

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April 2012

IIIrd Tyme’s A Charm

By Greg Tutwiler

Every group relishes the opportunity to be recognized for their talent. And most groups, given enough time and the right approach, will eventually garner a few awards of some kind to encourage them along the way. It’s not often though that a caliber group like Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out comes out of the gate with a unique sound and grabs a number one song – and then goes on to notch 50+ industry awards in 20 years; including the coveted IBMA Vocal Group Of the Year, seven times in a row.

Texas native Russell Moore, who leads the group, is an original founding member and IBMA three time Male Vocalist of the Year winner. Chris Stuart wrote in the liner notes for the band’s Footprints CD; “IIIrd Tyme Out has their own brand of bluegrass: unmatched quartets and trios, masterful lead singing, dead-on rhythm, tasteful fills, lyrical solos, and great songs. From stage left to right they are a complete band – perhaps the most complete band of the past two decades.”

I got a chance to catch up with Russell recently and get a glimpse behind the scenes of this powerhouse of talent. Russell started out in Texas with a group called Southern Connection in the early eighties. The fellas relocated to Ashville, NC before disbanding in 1985. Russell then spent a season with Doyle Lawson and his band Quicksilver before leaving to form IIIrd Tyme Out – the name is synonymous with his third musical venture.

Making It Work

“The third time has truly been a charm,” Russell said. “For 20 years; It’s been a great ride. I’m tickled to death with what we’ve been able to accomplish so far.

And we’re looking forward to the next 20, hoping to make a difference there also.”

“I can remember years ago when I would hear of a group having a 25 year anniversary celebration, it seemed like it wasn’t long after that that they would be through – reaching the end of their run. But I feel like we’re just getting started after twenty years. We’ve got a new record label we’ve been

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also are influenced not only be the music outside of bluegrass today, but also the music we grew up listening to outside of bluegrass. It all plays a part in what our music ends up sounding like. For example, I think you can hear a difference in chord progression at times, and that’s probably a direct connection with growing up listening to country music. We’re traditionally rooted but with a contemporary flair. We like that kitchen sink approach,” he laughed.

And success continues to follow them. “We’ve got several things going on right now that has put wind in our sails so-to-speak,” Moore said. “We recently had the number one single and number one CD on Sirius XM radio for the week ending in December 31st, 2011. And we had a number one song on the top 30 bluegrass charts in Bluegrass Unlimited off our last album, “Hard Rock Mountain Prison Til I Die.”

Grass Keeps Growing

working with, Rural Rhythm Records – and we have two recordings out with them now – they’re great family operation, and we’re excited about what we’ve got going on with them.”

A Good Long Run

Although Russell is the only remaining original founding member, Steve Dilling (banjo) has been with the group for 19 years, Wayne Benson (mandolin) has been with the group for about 17 years, and their sound technician Donny had been with the group for about 17 years. “There’s guys that have been here for a long time,” Moore recalled. Justin Hayes (fiddle) and Edgar Loudermilk (bass) round out the band’s current line-up.

I asked Russell about the original intention behind launching IIIrd Tyme Out back in 1991. “It began with the desire to explore some things in bluegrass that we had ideas about and to our knowledge had not been done before up to that time,” he said. “For example, using quartet harmonies in vocals on non-gospel songs, like the Statler Brothers or the Oak Ridge Boys. Our first number one song was a non-gospel song done with four part harmony called, “Erase The Miles.” That song went to number to one in late 1991 and put

IIIrd Tyme Out on the bluegrass map. And according to Russell, it remains one of their most requested songs.

“We do some other different things too, like a cover we have of the old Platters tune “Only You,” which is done Acapella. I think we just wanted to be at the helm of the ship – doing it ourselves instead of working for others.

There’s a thing about musicians, when the chemistry is right, it makes for a harmonious work place. We’ve been very fortunate to have some of the best players in this group – still today they don’t take a back seat to anybody talent wise. It’s really been enjoyable through the years – because we’ve all gotten along so well through the years.”

And that environment allows the guys to stay creative and at the top of their game. “That is just as important as being able to play and sing the best. We travel a lot, and we’re with each other a lot – so we have to be able to get along – and we do really well,” he said.

Our Stamp On It

When it comes to style, Moore said, “We’re not in the “new grass” vein really – all of us really love traditional bluegrass, and I think we’re rooted there. But we

As the genre of string and grass music grows, Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out love getting the chance to perform at indoor shows and venues that haven’t been as receptive in past years to bluegrass music. “We’re always excited to have new faces to perform in front of. We feel we can win them over if we’re given a chance,” Russell said.

“With everything that’s gone on lately, the fact that there’s been a down turn in the economy, people are looking for something maybe a little more wholesome,” he surmised. The’ve kinda been slapped around into reality here lately - it’s not as easy as it was a few years ago to make a dollar bill. People are going back to core values.

They’re searching for something to identify with - looking for something more towards the traditional side of life. And as bluegrass music grows and evolves, I think you’re seeing it fill that void for people.”

Twenty years later, they continue to demonstrate why they are at the top of their game. As of this writing, Moore and the band have been nominated for five SPBGMA (Society For the Preservation Of Bluegrass Music) awards – the industry’s other prominent body of recognition

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April 2012

Southwest Virginia’s Crooked Road:

America’s Musical Birthplace Virginia’s Crooked Road, on a map it looks like a snake on steroids. On the ground it travels like a roller coaster ride. It is the homeplace of much of America’s music. In the decade since the idea was brought fourth on a snowy night at the Carter Fold, The Crooked Road has become a guided trip through American music heritage, culture and creation. On that historic night, no less than Janette Carter gave her blessing on a concept that has evolved into a most uniquely American musical experience.

The Crooked Road stretches for more than 253 miles through the Appalachian Mountains. The northeastern end of the road is Rocky Mount, county seat of Franklin County. The route winds through 10 mountain counties and finds its western terminus at The Breaks Interstate Park in Dickenson County. Along its way, can be traced the origins of much of the string band music that birthed Old Time, Folk, Bluegrass, Traditional Country, Rock-A-Billy and about every other American music form.

While the Crooked Road Corridor has been expanded to include the entire 19 county region that encompasses Southwest Virginia, it is this ribbon of road that was first designated Virginia’s, Heritage Music Trail.

No Cell Phone Needed The Crooked Road is a great place to bring your GPS and leave your cell phone home. Oh, and bring your ears, heart and mind. It is a journey that starts the music of the first frontier, is touched by Civil War, becomes the anthem of the industrial revolution, is touched by two world wars and is still growing in the electronic age. It started with the fiddles that the Scotts Irish, Palatine Germans and others played to brighten the nights along the Carolina, and Great Roads, as they traveled through the Cumberland Gap and beyond. Black slaves brought several versions of what would become the banjo. Eventually the guitar, string bass and mandolin were added to yield a truly American creation, the string band. The settlers who decided to stay in these mountains developed their own sounds, each a part of a whole that has evolved into what can now be heard in the hollows and hills of the Blue Ridge and Appalachians.

Mountain Music of some kind or another is played on about every night of the week somewhere along the trail.

Jams take place at barbershops, garages, VFWs, restaurants, grocery

By H W. “Bill” Smith stores and about any place that local musicians can form a circle and play.

All comers are welcome as long as they don’t need an amplifier. This is acoustic music made by wooden instruments. The object is to see friends, drink a little coffee (or something) and have a good time pickin’. That doesn’t mean visitors aren’t welcome, because they are.

It’s Alive On most weekends, the eight major anchor venues of “The Road,” come to life. In Franklin County stop by the Blue Ridge Institute at Ferrum College for a primer on the music, history and culture of the region. Take the trip up to Floyd and visit the Floyd Country Store for the Friday Night Jamboree. Head south to Patrick County and pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway at Meadows of Dan and travel the ridges to the Blue Ridge Music Center on the boarder of Carroll and Grayson counties. Take some time and head to Galax, home of the Old Fiddlers Convention in late August or stop by the Rex Theater on Fridays for a show. Galax is a good place to bunk down for the night because the next trip is up over the mountains, White Top or Mount Rogers, to Bristol and the Birthplace of Country Music. Along the way listen to how the musical styles subtly change. The old time picking styles of Galax the Round Peak area, White Top and the Blue Ridge begin to give way to music that is influenced by the railroad, the Great Valley and the Wilderness Road. Bristol takes two states, Virginia and Tennessee to tell the story of the Bristol Sessions. The Carters, Jimmy Rogers and a host of other musicians answered Ralph Peer’s 1927 ad for musicians to record what would become known as Hillbilly Music. While in the Bristol area, take a ride up I-81 to exit 14 and visit the Heartwood Artisan Center for an overview of the entire region and its many attractions.

The Fold Make sure to leave a Saturday night free for a visit to The Carter Family Fold near Hiltons in Scott County. If there is any one place that can be considered the heart of The Crooked Road, it is “The Fold”. It is mecca to lovers of the Carter Family, Janette Carter, June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash, who played his last concert there. Visitors can still feel the magic of the Carter Family and their music. continued on page 11

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April 2012

East Coast Piedmont Blues Written by UNC Asheville students enrolled in the Liberal Studies Introductory Colloquia, “The Art of the Blues” (Fall 2005) and “Jazz and Blues in American Culture” (Fall 2003) Supervised by Project Advisor: Bryan Sinclair.

Bumblee Slim

By Andrew Eckenrode, former UNC Asheville students

Bumble Bee Slim was born in Brunswick, GA. Shortly after he became a teenager, he moved away from home to join the circus. He traveled with the circus across the Midwest until he finally settled in Indianapolis. Here, he would often play at dances and small halls, but not much else. In his early days as a musician, he was highly influenced by the likes of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell.

During this time Easton was also looking to pursue careers in either comedy or acting. It wasn’t until around 1930, when he moved to Chicago, that he finally got recognition for his music and decided on the musical direction that he wanted to go in. He recorded “Stumbling Block Blues,” “Yo Yo String Blues,” and four others for the struggling record label Paramount.

contemporaries. Between 19341937, Bumble Bee Slim recorded over 150 sides for Vocalion, Bluebird, and Decca.

Even after such a prolific period, Slim was dropped by all three labels in 1938. After this setback he moved out west to Los Angeles and became musically inactive for an entire decade. He started back up again briefly in the 1950s, when he recorded for labels such as Fidelity, Marigold, Specialty. He recorded his last album in 1962 for Pacific Jazz.

For the remainder of his career Slim stuck to playing in small California clubs until his death in 1968. Bumble Bee Slim was a forgotten legend of his time.

Although his instrumental skills are considered less accomplished than many of his contemporaries, he is remembered for his ability to write great blues lyrics and his vocal delivery.

During the mid-1930s Slim was writing and recording rapidly and outselling many of his

“Influenced by ragtime, country string bands, traveling medicine shows, and popular song of the early 20th century, East Coast Piedmont Blues blended both black and white, rural and urban song elements in the diverse urban centers of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic region. In contrast, the Delta blues style of rural Mississippi is believed to have less of a white influence, as it was produced in a region with a higher concentration of African Americans. Although it drew from diverse elements of the region, East Coast Piedmont Blues is decidedly an African American art form. The Piedmont blues style may even reflect an earlier musical tradition than the blues that emerged from the Mississippi Delta.” http://toto.lib.unca.edu/sounds/piedmontblues/

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April 2012

Love Canon, continued from page 7

3. One other fun thing they’re

starting to implement is allowing tunes from the 80’s decade of other centuries. For example, Love Canon just learned a tune from the 1780’s, the first movement of the Mozart’s 40th Symphony in G Minor!

The Sum of the Parts

One of the biggest reasons Love Canon is so entertaining is that each and every musician is just so darn good at his instrument (and vocals). Each member is a virtuoso, practices on a daily basis, and has lots of experience playing in bands.

All of the members also have other musical projects going on: Harper is currently working on his second solo album of his original songs. Larrabee is a music teacher who splits his time between UVA, JMU, and VCU where he teaches jazz guitar, banjo, mandolin, and does ensemble coaching. Thacker plays with several groups in the area including the bluegrass/country band New Best Recipe. Muller is one of the most coveted bassists in the area, and he plays with many groups.

Cover Band

Love Canon is often asked how they feel about “just being a cover band.” And how they feel is proud: “Great musicians are always in cover bands. Miles Davis played covers, John Coltrane played covers. It’s valid…”

Larrabee describes their process as putting all “the energy and creativity towards arranging.”

Love Canon’s audience loves to hear their favorite tunes done in a slightly different way. Some don’t even know they love the tunes until Love Canon gets to the chorus: “The best Love Canon tune is a tune where people kind of know what it is, but then as soon as the chorus hits they go ‘oh my god, I love this song!’”

Love Canon is currently working on the first installment of a recording project that will eventually be a 5-disc set. Expect Love Canon: Volume One sometime in early 2012. Also, you can check them out online on Facebook and YouTube

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Southwest, continued from page 8 Visit the museum in A.P. Carter’s old store and visit his cabin.

The Fold is also a kind of turning point for the music as the trail heads up into the Coalfields of Lee, Wise and Dickenson counties. Coal miners came from all over the world and brought their music with them. The music of the miners combines with that of the original European settlers to create a sound that is a bit more aggressive and at times angry as it echoes the hard life along the backbone of the Appalachians. In Wise County, near Norton, check out the Country Cabin on Saturday nights or Lays Hardware in Coeburn on Friday.

Doc Boggs The Country Cabin honors Dock Boggs, a legendary banjo player rediscovered in the early 1970s by Mike Segar. There are also jams at the Cabin on Tuesdays and at Lays on Thursday night. Also on Thursday, the folks in Pound, “Where the Crooked Road Bends,” throw a great jam that usually includes a potluck dinner. In the Coalfields the music takes on the harder edge of Bluegrass music and lovers of that style will find plenty of places to hear it made as it was originally intended. The music is founded on faith, hard times and dangerous

work and is an expression of a people who make their livings going under ground. Dr. Ralph Stanley, more than any other individual, encapsulates that sound in his music. Dr. Ralph lives up on a ridge between Wise and Dickenson counties and still visits a state of the art museum dedicated to his musical legacy. The Dr. Ralph Stanley Museum is located in Clintwood, deep in the heart of the mountains he so eloquently describes in his music.

There are dozens of other stops along The Crooked Road that are equally as interesting. There are hundreds of musicians to meet, talk with, learn from and get to know. There isn’t enough room in one article to truly tell the story of Southwest Virginia and its music. So, the best thing to do is come see for yourself. Get on the southwestvirginia.org, crookedroad.org, virginia.org or any of the many other trip planning sites for events and routing and then just hit the road You will find one of America’s hidden gems waiting

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H W. Smith was the first Executive Director of The Crooked Road and now operates CROOKED ROAD ENTERPRISES. He can be reached at crookedroadenterprises.com or crookedroadenterprises@gmail.com..

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April 2012

On Stage In Virginia’s Broadway

By Ed Tutwiler

Local venues for live music provide the only outlet for local and regional entertainers to showcase their talent for you to enjoy. As you know by now, whenever the folks at Americana Rhythm hear about a new live music venue they immediately want you to hear about it too. Don DePoy, in his column in our last issue, mentioned a new place in Broadway, VA that had just opened. Enough said. I knew that we must know more so I contacted the owners, Mr. George Neall and his wife Lisa, and asked them to tell me all about this venture that they call Plan B. Plan B is a child friendly community café that offers a menu filled with excellent food and drink choices with an emphasis on locally produced ingredients. For instance, they use only Lucas Roasting Company coffee, roasted right in Broadway. It also has free WiFi, plenty of comfortable seating; a huge, wood-burning, glass-front stove; and a conference room for up to 49 people. Plan B is a new venture having been opened only since September, 2011. But wait, there’s more.

Plan B is equipped with a 12’ x 24’ stage area that is served by a 24 channel digital mixer complete with pow-

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Monterey". I said that the property she found might be 30 or 40 miles from Monterey "as the crow flies", but probably 60 or so driving miles from Highland County.” Nevertheless, they came, checked out the property, and found that it was perfect. George said, “It had everything we wanted: fantastic tasting spring water, ponds, mountains, great buildings and it backed up to the George Washington National Forest. We were able to make an offer that was a win-win for both us and the sellers. So Plan A was to retire to a small farm in Monterey and Plan B was we retired to a small farm in Fulks Run.”

Weekend At A Time

ered speakers. The stage electronics are such that live recordings can be made of all performances. Further, musicians can arrange for private recording sessions that provide them with a low-cost alternative to an expensive studio.

Mr. Neall told me that the process included a series of Plan Bs. He and Lisa were living in Chantilly, Virginia (near Dulles Airport) and wanted a rural

property for future retirement and that they could use on weekends until that could happen. They originally wanted property in Highland County, VA, near Monterey.

Remembering The Journey Here is how he tells it, “After several weekends looking for suitable properties with no luck, Lisa found a place in Fulks Run using search criteria she thought was "within 15 miles of

George and Lisa spent weekends and free time in Fulks Run for about five years before leaving their Northern VA full-time jobs in 2009 to move to the farm permanently. Like many of us, the Nealls watched their retirement funds drop in value as the economy tanked. One day, they were riding through Broadway bemoaning this fact when they saw a building at 202 North Main Street that was for sale.

They concluded that, “At least with real estate you could feel, smell, and touch where your money was! We fell in love with this old 1920's building— its construction, its space, its 14 foot ceilings covered in tin and its 5300 square foot main room.” This build-

April 2012

ing has had a varied history. Its past includes being: a truck assembly plant, a movie theatre, a roller rink, and a furniture store. This fact appealed to the Nealls. They felt the building needed rescuing; they just didn’t know what to do with it.

During the annual Broadway Fall Days festival, George and Lisa did a survey of the attendees asking them what they would like to see in Broadway. The consensus was that the town needed a family friendly restaurant that was not Italian. The folks said they wanted a place where they could go to relax and listen to real music.

George told me, “Since Lisa and I always enjoyed going to intimate music venues, and we both like to cook using locally grown fresh ingredients, we thought that type of place might be a good fit for us - so we took the plunge, bought this great building in February 2011, and began the renovations in April.”

Working On The Inside While George was handling the buildout, Lisa was planning how the business would look and feel, what kind of food they would offer, where the ingredients would come from, and a myriad of other details. The end result of Lisa’s hard work resulted in a retro-eclectic décor establishment that makes Plan B a great place to relax or

to work {as there is free WIFI connection available}. Then there is that name, Plan B. George said, “We had discussed a number of different names for our business, but, somehow, Plan B seemed to be most appropriate.

Plan B is really a state of mind—an openness to new ideas and an appreciation of trying new things new ways.”

our obvious inexperience as baristas.

We’re entering month five now and have really improved our game.”

Delayed The Nealls originally planned for a late June opening but construction details took longer that expected. The next opening date was set for August 19 and musicians Pierce Pettis & his daughter Grace Pettis were booked to perform. Unfortunately construction was still not finished, so Plan B gave the town of Broadway a free outside concert that drew 150 fans. George and Lisa set a drop-dead date of September 10, 2011 to coincide with the Broadway Fall Festival, and they booked the Honey Dewdrops to play for the opening. George said, “We didn’t get our certificate of occupancy until September 8, just two days before our grand opening. So we opened with untested equipment; partially trained employees; and that deer-inthe-headlights-look. People were so kind! We somehow managed not to totally bungle everything, and the Honey Dewdrops were magnificent.

We had a wonderful time in spite of

I wondered about the music side of Plan B and here is how George explains it, “Gosh, there is so much fantastic talent in this valley. Performers and audiences clearly enjoying the music and the state of the art sound system. Our professional performers tell us we’ve done a top-notch job with our equipment and our stage and we’re proud to say that all agree to return. Word of mouth is helping spread the message that Plan B is a great place to spend time and is committed to bringing the best live music we can to our stage. We’ve had a number of excellent performers here already. Also, our Thursday night open mike nights have also started taking off.”

So, after all the headaches and hard work he has expended, I asked George

Neall if he would sum up the experience of getting Plan B from plan to reality. Here is how he replied, “We've learned a lot since we started this: you need to get music licenses if you're going to have live music or play recorded music and this costs $5200.00 per year; advertising is expensive and it's difficult to figure out how to advertise to the right market; there are a lot of good musicians out there, but most have day jobs; and it's easy to lose money in the restaurant/entertainment business. We worked a lot less hard, and many fewer hours per day before we retired.”

I made a road trip down to Broadway one night to check out Plan B. I had a piece of tasty apple pie, a mug of rich tasting coffee and listened to singer/ songwriter Mr. Rick Harris {who many say is the best song writer in the Shenandoah Valley]. Rick was accompanied by Mr. Randy Pohler with a resonator guitar on his lap and a velvet-lined box full of harmonicas by his side [I truly love the sound of a mouth harp coupled with string music].I don’t know about you dear readers, but I’m excited about Plan B. It sounds like the central valley might have us a place like the Purple Fiddle over in Thomas, WVA, and that is a good thing because there is no mountains to negotiate to get to Broadway, VA

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April 2012

Music From The National Scene

Music From Your Neighbors As mo re a nd more peopl e di sco ver AR Ma ga zi ne, mo re a nd more groups and labels are getting in touch with us - Here are some of our favorite picks! Some tell me this is their favorite page - cool! I know the artists like to hear that. We give you a web link as often as possible so you can listen and decide for yourself. Try iTunes too. If you discover something you like - tell them AR Magazine sent you!

CD Submission: Americana Rhythm Magazine, PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA 22812.

Michael Johnathon Front Porch www.michaeljohnathon.com Son gwrite r/Fo lk s in ge r Michael Johnathon is an accomplished entertainer in his own right. As the creator/producer of the Woodsongs OldTime Radio Hour, Johnathon knows a thing or two about folk - and the new CD - tops

Breaking Grass Breaking Glass www.breakinggrass.com A fairly new entry to the contemporary bluegrass scene, Breaking Grass, from Northeast Mississippi, has the right stuff. The 2011 state champs are quickly making a regional name for themselves. After spinnin’ this one, we like it

Humming House Humming House www.humminghouse.com I like different - this is different - in a good way! Humming House mixes swing, Irish folk, modern acoustic and nuggets of Rockabilly into a groovy, catchy toe-tappin’ vibe. You’ll want to check these guys out for sure

Wayne Taylor

The Steel Wheels Lay Down Lay Low www.thesteelwheels.com In a class all their own - The Steel Wheels, (Harrisonburg, VA) releases their latest - Lay Down Lay Low. Their rootsy, soulful twist is phenomenal.

Watch these guys break out big this year. Catch ‘em while you can

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It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Day www.waynetaylorandappaloosa.com Wayne’s career spans decades - back to the 60s. His latest stint and most notable has been the last 18 years with the Navy’s Country Current. His most recent project, It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Day, is good ‘ol fashion grass

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Gene Watson Best Of The Best www.genewatsonmusic.com Celebrating 50 years in country music, Gene Watson has been heralded as one of the major influences in the industry. His music paved the way for many in the 60s and 70s.

This collection of re-recorded hits is a great addition

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Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie

The Touch Of Time

www.gotech.com/billemerson There aren’t a lot of the “original class” of grassers still playin’, but Country Gentlemen co-founder Bill Emerson can still pick with the best of ‘em. His new CD, The Touch OF Time, is right on the mark.

Thanks Bill for the music

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Martin Zellar & The Hardways Nothin’ Fancy Nothin’ Fancy Rooster Crows www.nothinfancybluegrass.com www.martinzellar.com My friends over in Buena The authentic Americana flaVista, VA have done it again. vored, country tinged music Yes, a CD, but I’m talking of Martin Zellar on this new awards - just named 2011 CD, Rooster Crows, marks SPBGMA Entertainers Of The Martin’s 25th year in the muYear. Oh and the new CD, sic business - an admirable that’s good too. Traditional feat in any business. His over flair with a contemporary vein due new collection is rich with - and spot on vocals that mellow 70s FM sound.

Nice

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The Dunwells Blind Sighted Faith www.thedunwells.com From Leeds, England - The Dunwells have that unique blend of Euro Pop laced with hints of Ameriana roots through out - just the right combo for what could be the next trend. Blind Sighted Faith is a great collection

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Noam Pikelny Beat The Devil And Carry The Rail www.noampikelny.com Punch Brothers banjoist and 2010 winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass - Noam Pikelny delivers big on this collection of banjo/grass instrumentals

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

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Ollabelle Neon Blue Bird http://ollabelle.bandcamp.com Taking nearly four years to complete, the members of Ollabelle decided to go it alone on this project - no label - no management - just real music their way. It worked! Soul/Blues/Gospel/ Roots vibe at it’s best

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Janie Fricke

Country Side Of Bluegrass www.janiefricke.com Janie’s career began singing jingles - back up for many, until launching a solo career in ‘77. 23 albums and 18 #1 hits later, she puts a bluegrass spin on several of her hits with this new CD. Fans and first times will love this set

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John Duffey The Rebel Years www.rebelrecords.com One of the greats - John Duffy help put The Country Gentlemen on the map. He went on to help create another legendary ensemble, The Seldom Scene. Duffy fans will definitely want to add this collection of gems

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April 2012

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