Americana Rhythm Music Magazine Issue #34 by Americana Rhythm Music Magazine

20 e c S in Cel ebr

Issue #34

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August 2011

E E R F

ati ng 6 y ear s!

Music Culture of the Shenandoah Valley, Central Virginia, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, South West,Virginia Highlands, and beyond

Tommy Shaw

IN THIS ISS ISSUE: v Orange Bloss Blossom Park v Up And Coming v Fiddle Speak v Virginia Honors

PLUS: v CD

Profiles and Reviews . . . and More!

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Summer 2011

Table Of Contents

5 Celebrating The Past 8

Okay, so it’s hot now. You know what

that means; The festivals are in full swing. There are oodles to take in this summer - check out the fest calendar. Did you know July is Virginia Bluegrass month? The Governor said so. And to celebrate, there is a commerative festival July 4th weekend in Luray marking the celebration of the very first bluegrass festival in the country. We tracked down a little info on a festival of old; The Orange Blossom Park bluegrass festival. Take a nostalgic trip with us as we remember the early years. As usual, the SPINS section features some of the best releases of the summer, CDs you’ll want to add to your collection. And when you get a chance, check out our new artist feature, Americana Music Profiles, and on the web at www.AmericanaMusicProfiles.com.

Greg Tutwiler, publisher

10 Looking Ahead 12 The Great Divide 14 Valley Fest 15 16 Festival Capitol 18 PRESERVATION 20 FEST GUIDE 22 23 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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Summer 2011

By Edward Tutwiler

M ore years ago that he’d care to admit, the owner and publisher of Americana Rhythm Music magazine worked in a Waynesboro, VA print shop that printed posters and flyers for a popular bluegrass festival park north of town. Recently, when we here at AR became aware that this was the 50th anniversary of the very first bluegrass festival to ever be held anywhere and that it was held in Luray, VA, he remembered his print shop experience. Since that print shop experience was in the mid to late 1970’s that means this bluegrass park for which he printed flyers was close to being one of the pioneer events of that era. The name of the festival park that was the subject of this print shop experience was the Orange Blossom Bluegrass Park. It was located on Purple Cow Road, just off of US-340 near Dooms, VA, and just south of Crimora, VA. If the name Crimora seems familiar to you, that is because it is the birthplace of legendary oldtime musician, Mac Wiseman. And yes, if you are counting, this was the first ever bluegrass festival to be held in Augusta County of Virginia accord-

Festival Gone By ing to a newspaper clipping from that era that described the event. I recently spoke to Al Wimer and to Pam and Duane McLaughlin concerning the Park and got them to remember all that they could. Mr. Wimer was one of the founding members of the Park; Pam was close friends of the Arey family; and Duane sometimes worked the gate for the festivals.

Which Came First The Orange Blossom Park was the creation of three men: Mr. Jim Orange, Mr. Bill Arey, and Mr. Al Wimer. Orange was a local resident but worked as a union official in DC. Arey and Wimer both worked at the Waynesboro Dupont plant. What these men had in common was Jim Orange’s bluegrass band, The Orange Blossoms, in which they all played. This was a band of some local and regional fame. The Orange Blossoms band was formed in the late 1960s. Original members were: Jim Orange, Al Wimer, Alvin Breeden, Robert

Worley, and Shorty Hickman. It was a very good band, and in its day won six out of seven state championships. Wimer described its style as traditional bluegrass. Here’s how he put it, “Jim was a Monroe fan, and he’d go real high when he sang.”

people knew about were rock festivals, you know, Woodstock and all. The Supervisors didn’t want any of that. They’d give us a permit for one festival at a time for a year or two. Then later they’d give us a permit for three festivals at a time. Of course, we had to form a corporation with the

How It Happened Here’s how Mr. Wimer remembers the festival park getting started. “The way this thing got started is we’d just come back from a bluegrass festival and were sitting in Bill Arey’s yard. We just decided right there that we should have a festival of our own.” The first hurdle the group faced was convincing the local Augusta County Board of Supervisors that a festival was a good thing to have. Here’s how Wimer remembers that, “After we decided to try to have a festival, we had to go to the county to get permits. That was a little bit of a hassle because at that time all

three of us.” That corporation was Orange Blossom Enterprises Inc. and it consisted of Bill Arey, President, Jim Orange, Vice President, and Al Wimer, Secretary/Treasurer. Although Bill Arey had land available that they could use for the Park, the continued

Summer 2011

guys had to start from scratch to build everything that was needed. Mr. Wimer showed me a faded picture of the park with the stage area front and center. He looked at the picture a second, and then said, “I built that stage. That’s almost completely my work.” They laid our the park in a wooded corner of Bill Arey’s pasture field. They placed the stage at the rear center of the location and used the center tree area for the festival seating. Surrounding the stage and festival seating area was a camping area arranged in a horseshoe shape. Pam told us that the folks lucky enough to be camping on the front row could sit in their campsite and see the stage and hear the music. The Orange Blossom Park truly was a family affair with the men running the festival and their wives, Jo Wimer, Cecil Arey, and Nina Orange, running the concession stands. Along with some volunteers, these three families ran the whole operation.

The First Time The first gathering at the festival park was a talent contest held on June 3 and 4 of 1972. The second gathering of the year was a three-day festival held in mid August of 1972, and the third festival was a two-day event held in mid October of 1972. Every year thereafter the Park hosted three festivals a year. From the very first festival, the master of ceremonies was Mr. Lee Moore. Moore was a well known radio personality and entertainer from radio station WWVA in Wheeling, WVA. (Some old time valley residents might also remember Lee Moore as a live-music performer of country music on WSVA radio in Harrisonburg, VA in the 1950s.) Pam remembers that the festivals featured one big na me-ba nd booked in for a Saturday performance; several regionally known bands for one or more days, and local talent for the whole weekend. Of course, Jim Orange and The Orange Blossoms played all weekend. There were many big name groups that performed at Orange Blossom Park over the years such as: Bill Monroe; Jim and Jesse; The Osbourne Brothers; Ralph Stanley; The Lewis Family; and of course Mac Wiseman. Also, many young musicians played at Orange Blossom Park who later went on to gain fame in the bluegrass field. In the Park’s hay-day, these festivals drew upwards of 800 to1000 attendees. As to the cost to attend one of these events, Al said that the first festival cost $7, and Pam said, “As well as I remember, the charge was never more than $15 for the entire weekend.”

All Good Things Al Wimer needed to pull out in the late 1970’s because the work involved with both playing in the band and helping run the three multi-day festivals each year started to take its toll on his day job; however, the other men continued to run the Orange Blossom Park until they decided to end the festivals in 1983. Orange and Arey finally stopped because of a combination of reasons. Times and musical tastes were changing of course, but after 13 years of three festivals a year, they had other interests they needed to pursue. As Pam put it, “I think, they just got to the place that they needed to have more family time.” Jim and Nina Orange and Mr. Arey have all now passed away, Mrs. Arey lives in an assisted living facility; and the festival park has reverted back to the pasture land that it once was all those years ago. Al and Jo Wimer still live in Staunton, and they fondly remember the festival that they helped start all those years ago. In closing, Al Wimer told me, “I don’t remember any interesting stories about the festivals but I do remember it was a lot of hard work. It was a nice bluegrass festival park—one of the better ones, I think. When we set the thing up, we went by what the supervisors recommended we do. We had nice outdoor facilities and good camping with all electrical hookups. Just to be on the safe side we’d hire off-duty deputy sheriff officers to patrol the area. If anybody got unruly we’d set them out. We didn’t ever have any problems.” Here is how Ms. McLaughlin summed it all up, “It was a very popular festival, and people came from around the state to attend it. It was well run and well patrolled. It was a very friendly festival—not only the people who promoted it but the people who attended it as well. It became much like a family event. When they announced that they were going to stop having the festivals, people were crying. It was because everybody had become so close with each other. Even today when my husband and I run into people that once attended that festival either as listeners or as performers, I never hear anyone say anything negative about that festival. Everybody has said that it was one of a kind.” There we have it folks another leaf of the Americana onion peeled back. This time so you could learn something about another first in bluegrass history from a time really not so long ago—at least, not for folks with hair the color of mine. Bluegrass festivals happen everywhere all the time now but once upon a time they were something unique and special and a few folks are still around who can remember how special they once were

Summer 2011

The Language Of The Fiddle By Wayne Erbsen

Listening to a great fiddler play

his or her instrument is certainly one of life’s great delights. But listening to a fiddler talk can be a bewildering experience if you are not acquainted with the language of fiddling. Over the years, fiddlers have developed their own slang, so here is a dictionary of some of the common words used by fiddlers, along with their meaning. The next time you talk with a fiddler, sprinkle in some of these words and watch their response. Air - A slow tune meant for listening, not dancing. Barn dance - An old-time dance held in a barn. Bass-The lowest pitched string on a fiddle. Beating straws - Playing rhythm with straws or sticks on the fiddle while the fiddler is playing. Black Mountain Rag tuning - C# A E A (from high to low). Bluegrass fiddle - Longbow

fiddling that’s highly improvised with elements of blues, jazz, swing and old-time. Bob Wills - Legendary Texas fiddler, the father of Western Swing. Brag fiddlers - Popular fiddlers. Breakdown - A fast fiddle tune designed more for show than for dancing. Bull fiddle - Bass. Catguts - Strings. Clawhammer - Rhythmic oldtime banjo style produced by hitting down on the strings. Clifftop - Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia. Counter - The D or third string on a fiddle. Coarse string - Bass string on the fiddle. Coarse part - Lower part of a tune. Crooked tune - A tune with an odd number of measures. Cross tuning - A non-standard fiddle tuning.

Cross key - See cross tuning. Cross-eyed tuning - Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith’s term for cross tuning. Devil’s box - Fiddle. Devil’s riding horse - Fiddle. Dischord tuning - To retune into a non-standard tuning. Double Shuffle - Fancy bowing used on songs like “Orange Blossom Special.” Double stop - Playing two notes on different strings at the same time. Drone - Playing an open note on the fiddle at the same time you play a melody note. Drunk as a fiddler’s clerk - Very drunk. Fiddlededee - Nonsense. Fiddle-faddle - To fuss with trifles. Nonsense. Fiddle-footed - A wanderer. Fiddler’s Grove - Ole Time Fiddlers and Bluegrass Festival in Union Grove, N.C. Fiddlers news - Old news carried by wandering fiddlers.

Fiddlesticks - Sticks or straws used to play rhythm on the fingerboard of the fiddle. Fine strings - Upper two strings of the fiddle. Fine part - High part of a fiddle tune. Flat footing - Clogging. Four potatoes - The four shuffles at the beginning of a fiddle tune that sets the rhythm. Frog - The part of the bow that holds the hair near the handgrip. Frolic - An old-time party. Galax - The fiddlers convention in Galax, Virginia. Georgia shuffle - Fancy bow work such as heard on “Orange Blossom Special.” Gig - A paying music job. High bass - When the G string is tuned up to A. High bass and counter - Cross A tuning E A E A (From highest to lowest). Hillbilly music - Named for an old-time band called “The Hillbillies” led by Al Hopkins

Summer 2011

that first recorded January 15, 1925. Hoedown - An old-time instrumental tune played at square dance tempo. Hornpipe - An old English dance tune that was played more slowly than a reel. Italian tuning - Standard tuning. Jam - An impromptu music session. Jam sessioning - Coined by fiddler Ralph Blizzard. Jig - An Irish tune in 6/8 or 9/8 time or an 19th century minstrel tune in 2/4 time. Kick off - How a bluegrass fiddler starts a tune or song. Lazy enough to be a good fiddler - A bum. Lick - A short musical passage or a bowing pattern. Long bow fiddling - A style of bowing using many notes per bowstroke. Mean fiddle - Hot fiddling, as in “He plays a mean fiddle.” Mean as a fiddler’s bitch Rather mean. Mount Airy - Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Mount Airy, N.C. Not enough to dust a fiddle - A paltry amount. Oh fiddlesticks! - Oh shucks! Pick up - A truck. Someone you

meet in a bar. The notes a fiddler plays that lead into the first beat of the tune. Reel - A lively dance tune in 2/4 or 4/4 time. A dance done in longways formation. Rocking the bow - Going back and forth between two adjacent strings. Rosin - Sticky substance made from pine tree sap which is rubbed on the horse hair of the bow to help grab the strings. Sawing - Bowing. Sawmill key - Where the fiddle is tuned AEAE. Scotch time - A jig as used by fiddler Woodrow Boone from Madison County, N.C. Schottische - Mid 19th century dance tunes played somewhat slower than reels. Second fiddle - Harmony fiddler. Taking a back seat to a more dominant person. Shuffle - Rhythmic bowing consisting of three strokes: longshort-short. Stick - Bow. Straaaaaaaaangs - Southern pronunciation for strings. Thick as fiddlers in hell - Plentiful or crowded. To hang up your fiddle - To die or quit. Tommy Jarrell - Legendary oldtime fiddler from Toast, N.C.

Triplum - The A string on the fiddle. Turn around - A short musical phrase used as an intro or between a chorus and a verse of a song. Twin fiddling - Two fiddles played in harmony. Vibrato - The quavery sound produced by wiggling a finger that’s pressing down a string. Waltz - A tune and a dance in 3/4 time. Weiser - National Old Time Fiddlers Contest and Festival held in Weiser, Idaho. Wires – Strings.

“The Language of Fiddling” is taken from Wayne Erbsen’s book, OldTime Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus! which is available from Native Ground Books & Music, 109 Bell Road, Asheville NC 28805. (828) 299-7031. www.nativeground.com Email: banjo@nativeground.com Contact us for a complete catalog of bluegrass and old-time music songbooks plus instruction books for banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and dulcimer.

While in the area please visit our other local attractions

Summere 2011

A Rising Star

By Ryan Barbarsky

It’s not everyday that you walk

into a small, nearly unknown local venue to find a young, energetic band donning fiddles, banjos, guitars, and upright basses, singing four-part harmonies, and moving their audience to tears. But such a group exists in our own Central VA (lucky us!), and they call themselves Belle Star.

Belle Star is a four-piece group that plays a wonderful mix of oldtime, country, and folk covers, as well as original material inspired by the genres they love. (Erin Johnson - guitar, fiddle, vocals, Lee Johnson - upright bass, guitar, vocals, Joe Overton - fiddle, banjo, guitar, vocals, and Peter Winne - guitar, banjo, vocals). The members met via several different avenues, including the Nashville scene, various old-time festivals, blood-relations (Erin and Lee are cousins), and Charlottesville’s music scene. After having known each other separately for some time, the group came together this past October to form a band, which has been gigging actively in the area since December. The men in the band reside in Charlottesville, VA and the lone lady Erin lives in Keezletown, VA (Not far from Harrisonburg).

Young Old-Time

Much of Virginia’s music culture reserves old-time, folk, country, and bluegrass for an older crowd, but Belle Star is proof that younger generations are happy to follow in their forbears’ giant footsteps. All the members of the band are in their mid-twenties, but they are all able to channel the legends they worship: “Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Web Pierce, Ray Price,

Dave Evans…” while still maintaining an original sound. How do young people today get into these “older” types of music? Lee and Joe were both raised in Tennessee, where country, bluegrass, and old-time are part of everyday life. Lee claims that “down there, you have to know a G chord, a C chord and a D chord to get your driver ’s license.” Many young musicians grow up with it, but don’t develop an interest in playing it until later on, often because of some kind of catalyst. For instance, Joe was “never really interested in learning to play until [he] got into high school” when one of his cousins gave him a mix with bluegrass on it. Pete stumbled into old country and bluegrass while tracing the roots of the rock and old R&B artists he loved: “I would nerdout on stuff, and read a lot about music and really dig deep and see who people’s influences were and work my way back.” Erin and Lee’s parents were musicians who played in a bluegrass band: “It was already in our family.” With these varying musical backgrounds, these four young multiinstrumentalists have formed a band with what can only be described as a magical sound that at once tugs on your nostalgic heartstrings and whets your appetite for the new. It can be challenging to try to synthesize a variety of influences, but Pete thinks it is a constructive challenge: “I think a constructive obstacle that we have to work with is the fact that we are trying to draw from a lot of different influences… we’re always changing hats.” Joe agrees: “I think we have a breadth that a lot of folks don’t.”

A Belle Star Show

A live Belle Star performance is a real treat. They have been playing in smaller venues across Central VA, and often play completely unplugged (occasionally they use one microphone). At one of their show, the thing that immediately becomes apparent is the fact that these kids have a real love and respect for the tunes they are playing, and, luckily for the audience, that enthusiasm is infectious.

Summer 2011

No one band member is the frontman or the center of attention for too long. Erin describes the band’s goal thusly: “I think we focus on being a tight band in general. Rhythm is really important to us.” Lee adds to that: “Technical displays of virtuosity don’t seem to be our primary focus. We’re not trying as much to impress people with a lick as we are trying to get a feeling across.” Another thing that makes their live show so much fun is the fact that they switch instruments so frequently. On occasion, they even aren’t sure which instrument they’re supposed to be playing! But it’s their big, tight harmonies that really set them apart from other groups, young or old. Each band member sings, and many of their songs feature two, three, and four-part harmonies. Notably, they’ve mastered the art of balancing and blending, which makes for pure ear-candy. At a Belle Star show, you can expect to hear a great mix of covers and originals. They have many influences, one of the biggest being Dave Evans, a traditional bluegrass player who hails from Eastern Kentucky. Pete describes Dave as “a living legend, maybe not by status, but definitely by quality.”

“I’m the kind of person who wants to be involved in lots of different things throughout my life.” They’ve only been gigging for a few months so far, so the road in front of them is as long as they want it to be.

Catch Them Around

They also play Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Willie Nelson, and several other legendary greats. Erin has a great way of describing what a band’s influences are: “When I think of influences on a band, I think of a whole band sitting around listening to music.”

Where They’re Headed

As of right now, all of the band members in Belle Star work dayjobs while playing music whenever and wherever they can. There are plans in the works for them to do some recording this

year, possibly in Central VA, possibly in the Nashville area. They’re also hoping to do some traveling and to gig as much as possible. The band has varying levels of hopes in terms of one day being able to make a living playing music, but right now their main focus to develop their original material, work on their set in general, and to gig as much as they can. While Joe and Pete want to be able to make a living by only playing music, Erin hopes she can maintain a balance in her life between music and her interpreting career:

You can catch a Belle Star show at any one of several small venues in Central Virginia. They play the Blue Moon Diner and The Pigeon Hole in Charlottesville, and New York Flying Pizza and the Little Grill in the Harrisonburg area. You can also find band members busking on The Downtown Mall in Charlottesville or jamming at any number of local music festivals. Online, check them out at www.reverbnation.com/bellestar or on Facebook or YouTube. They have several new videos up for your viewing and listening pleasure. These four friends will leave you with the same smiles they wear while they play. You’ll see that this quote from Lee Johnson is accurate: “We come to this music with a sincere love for it, and we try to approach each song with that in mind ”

Summer 2011

The Great Divide As a youth of the 70s and 80s, I lived the boyhood dream of being in a rock band. From late in high school to the first few years of my college days, I played bass in several rock and pop cover bands. One of our favorite groups to cover was Styx. I wore out a copy of the Grand Illusion LP (That’s “long playing record” for those who don’t remember the vinyl days.). The guitarist in our band loved practicing the solo licks from Styx guitarist and singer Tommy Shaw.

singer and guitarist for one of rock ‘n roll history’s biggest bands, those musical legends and melodies of days gone by lay etched in his memories of simpler times. Plus, the desire to always be expanding his musical horizons led

By Greg Tutwiler

spired Tommy to dig out a violin from his studio that was once a gift to his wife in order to add to his repertoire of stringed influences. “I brought it back in the house, and actually, I’m starting to get some notes on it,” he laughed.

my way into a band, I would. I had a pretty good ear, so it was pretty easy to figure out where I was supposed to be. While my friends were listening to Led Zeppelin I was listening to Nancy Wilson, and Buddy Rich. So I learned to be a rock guy later on.” So getting into bluegrass music isn’t really much different than anything else Tommy has done.

As I got older and my musical tastes ripened for the rich Americana sounds that I love to listen to today, my collection of albums went into storage, the bass guitar stared collecting dust. Marriage and kids pursued, and the old rock and roll days went into seclusion. Or so I thought. Imagine my surprise when an advanced copy of Tommy Shaw’s new CD showed up on my desk one day. To be honest, I had forgotten that Styx as a band was actually back together. So I assumed this was a new rock solo project. No! It wasn’t! It was bluegrass! Yes, bluegrass; and good bluegrass too. I couldn’t believe it. One of my rock and roll hero’s had caught up with me in the form of a new bluegrass CD. (Notice the LP is now gone.)

to a new chapter in his music career in the songs and stories found I decided I had to hear this story on his bluegrass debut, The Great straight from the top. So as us Divide. writer types do, I tracked down Tommy’s Internapublicist on facebook tional dial phones ei“Even when I was little, I could tell (no more rotary Folk All ience C I ther) and lined up an interview. onferewhen somebody was good and nce they weren’t. And in counwhen had a great time talking with try music there was always so Tommy, reminiscing, and finding many talented musicians. As a out about how he ended up in the kid, I was fascinated by country bluegrass business, and what he music and the Grand Ole Opry. planned to do with his new creBut I loved all kinds of other muation. sic too. I loved Buddy Rich and Sammy Davis Jr. on the Ed Not So Rock ‘n Roll Sullivan show. All of those earlier Growing up in Montgomery Alamusical contributions were part of bama in the early 1960’s, the AM the landscape for me and really radio waves carried the sounds of left an impression on me as a the Grand Ole Opry, into the back young child,” Tommy told me. seat of a 1958 Chevy where a That older music still has an effect young Tommy Shaw “lost - and on him too. “Just last night my found - himself in every note.” wife and I wound up spending the Those songs and stories coming evening watching the old Flats over the radio set the tone for his and Scruggs TV shows on Net musical journey. Flix,” he said. “I was amazed at how good and really entertaining While Tommy Shaw’s greatest visit was.” The experience even inible achievement has been as the

Musical Expansion

“It’s so nice to feel like I’m ten years old again, and learning some new things on some new instruments for me,” Tommy noted. “There’s still a lot to learn on the guitar, but the bluegrass really awakened the possibility to be able to play some songs on those other instruments.” Tommy said that Styx was really the first ever true rock band that he had been in. All through his high school days he played more soul and lounge music. From the time he was 13 his parents would let him go off and play music with a guy that lived around the corner from their house. “This guy led the Troy State University dance band. And his mother was a police woman, so my parents trusted me to go out under their care to play weddings, bar mitzvahs, and lounges and concerts,” he recalled. “If I could fake

It’s a way to expand his musical influence. “It’s that I just had a much longer stretch in Styx than anything else,” he said. But it wasn’t exactly a pre-calculated plan to create a bluegrass album. “It sort of found me, I didn’t find it,” he surmised.

Making The Music

“The first song that Brad and I wrote, I’ll Be Coming Home” (actually the last song on the album); that vocal you hear is actually the demo vocal. I have this resonator guitar that has a very distinct sound. I picked it up one day and played this rift on it – kind of an Americana sounding melody – and this song just burst forth. We ended up doing the demo that day, and minus a few touch ups, the song on the album is the way we laid it down. That song sat there and we listened to it over and over, realizing ‘that’s really good.’ And so we came back a few months later and wrote “Afraid To

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Love.” Same thing; the song really turned out great. So we knew we had to keep going.” “We worked on it for six years,” he said. “I needed it to breathe and take my time with it. As a newcomer, I put myself at the feet of some of the best bluegrass players in the country to learn from them. I wanted to make an authentic album that captured that feeling I had as a kid, listening to those songs and feeling as if they were speaking directly to me.” “Putting this album together it was like being in the Led Zepplin of bluegrass,” Tommy recalled. “These guys had Bill Monroe stories, Johnny Cash stories; all these people that to me are these legendary characters that I never had the opportunity to meet. Here these guys have real life stories. And the musicianship is just astounding. For the song “Get On The One,” I wrote that lick never really thinking how a dobro player might play it, and then Rob Ickes just cranks out this lick; I had to go out and have him show me what he was doing. I wish I had a video of it. Little things like that. Watching Sam (Bush) pick up the fiddle and play on one of the songs was amazing.” Brad Davis was Tommy’s link to the bluegrass world. He was able to work the schedule to get all these great musicians together to help with the CD. Appearing are greats like Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, and Dwight Yoakam. “We had four days booked, and two and half days in we pretty much had it finished, that’s how good these guys are,” he said.

Moonlighting

Of course all of this is going on while Styx is still on the road and making records. “I’ve always had other interests though,” he said. “I’ve never really been content to just be in the band. But what happens though is when I go back to Styx, it improves what I do there too. I’ve made some great strides going back and playing Styx music that I hadn’t made in a long time.” And as the band gears up for a 22 date European tour with Yes, finding time to explore this new love of bluegrass could be quite a challenge. “I hope we get to tour with this record. The response has been great. It’s just trying to fit it all in the schedule. You know, I have to put a band together too. The

people on the record all have their own gigs.” Tommy played two sets at the Grand Ole Opry with his new music recently. “The Opry is my earliest memories of a big show, that big variety show on the radio. WSM has this sound. Whatever the compression and EQ they use, the mics; whatever it is, there is this distinctive sound that comes from their production. And I found myself there at WSM, and they were playing my music and they were talking about me on that show, and it was such a surreal moment. It was like something out of a dream to be there doing that. I’ve done a lot of cool things in my career, but that on really had me by my childhood. And then to go play the show; I’m never nervous about being on stage, but that one made me a little nervous. I wanted it to be good. But I went out there, and within the first twelve bars of “Back In Your Kitchen” I could see that it was going to be fine.”

The Response

“I was expecting like one giant group huh; like when a dog cocks his head, ‘what’? Instead, I’ve gotten the best reviews for this album, more than any other album I’ve ever made with Styx, Damn Yankees, solo, anything. The music has done the testifying for me. I always knew if it could just be judged on its merits that you couldn’t really fault it. I’ve spent a lot of time and trouble to make this as genuine of a record as possible. I enjoyed every minute of it, and I think that comes through.” From the press material comes this very appropriate conclusion; “Shaw’s lifelong journey as a songwriter is not unlike the arc of the stories he tells on The Great Divide. Like the stories in his songs, his own story spans generations, as his songs have left an indelible impression on listeners for four decades. His own story is one of discovery and re-discovery throughout a distinguished career, in which he hasn’t feared risk for the sake of growth. And his own story is one of coming full circle – finding his way home after 40 years, and fully reconnecting with the music that set him on his path as a child in Alabama.” From my observation, this was a great side trail for Tommy, and I can wait to catch a live show with this music. It’l be a good one ”

Summer 2011

Valley Festival, 49 And Counting By Ariana Shirzadi For music lovers of all sorts, the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival is the place to hear the unique sounds of a Shenandoah Valley summer. Opportunities this year include 14-time Grammy award winner Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder with a new touring show; Bluegrass wonders Dailey and Vincent and Béla and The Flecktones, the original lineup.

original extraordinary lineup of his incredible combo. Far from being a wistful trip back in time, they’ll be playing tunes from the new album Rocket Science – some of the band’s most forward thinking music of their career. Howard Levy is on piano and harmonica and brothers Victor and Roy “Futureman” Wooten on bass and percussion/drumitar.

At the Festival in Orkney Springs, Ricky Skaggs will throw open his treasure chest of more than three decades of his country and bluegrass hits and share them at his only summer stop in Virginia on Friday, July 22, the opening night of the Festival season.

This Grammy Award winning group known for their unique sound of bluegrass, fusion, and jazz brings a distinctive sound to the Music Festival this year. Béla Fleck and The Flecktones will be playing the final night of the Music Festival on September 4.

“I think fans will really love the fact that I’m taking a full country band out on the road… we’ll be able to do those [songs] with the country sound and then do the ‘blazing bluegrass’ that we’ve been known for since ’97, and then do those new songs from Mosaic. I think it’s going to be a great show,” Skaggs explained. Festival President Dennis Lynch said he jumped at the chance to book the new show. Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder made their first visit to the Festival in 2008 with a straight bluegrass show and the public loved it. Having the mix of country and bluegrass with one of the country’s most honored roots musicians will open the Festival up to an even bigger audience.

Red Hot Bluegrass Described by The New York Times as, “…the most celebrated new bluegrass act of the last few years” Dailey and Vincent will perform at the Music Festival on August 12. Lynch said he’s been trying to sign Dailey and Vincent for the past few years, but he’s been unable because the duo’s schedule fills up so fast. “I’d talk to their agent in September for a summer date, and they’d only have a few weekends left,” he said. The Festival caught a good bounce with the bluegrass pair this year. They are appearing in Orkney Springs, in route to a gig the next day at Lincoln Center’s 28th Annual Roots of America Music Festival in New York.

Banjo Legend The legendary Béla Fleck and The Flecktones will close the Festival season on September 4. The groundbreaking banjo player/composer/bandleader has reconvened the

Steeped in Heritage With it’s origins 49 years ago, the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival we’re strictly as a symphonic concert presenter, but as the years passed the selection of music grew and changed along with the Valley and the public’s tastes in music. Now, the Music Festival’s reputation is built upon a season that includes 8-10 evening concerts that feature a great diversity of music symphonic-both pops and classical, country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, and more. These afore mentioned great artists and five more will all play in the beautifully rustic open-air pavilion on the grounds of the historic Orkney Springs Hotel. Now part of the Shrine Mont Retreat and Conference center, this national historic landmark maintains a relaxing secluded atmosphere perfect for the outdoor concerts. Audiences can enjoy the performances from either reserved pavilion seating or the expansive lawn area where picnics are encouraged. The Festival’s lineup this summer also includes 1964…The Tribute, called by Rolling Stone, “the best Beatles Tribute on Earth”; two symphony concerts by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and John McCutcheon and Catie Curtis. With great featured artists like these, the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival is a one of a kind concert experience and a true Valley tradition. It is one summer event not to be missed. For more information about this season’s lineup, ticket prices, and general information, visit the Festival’s website at www.musicfest.org or call (540) 459-3396

Summer 2011

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.

Curley Weaver By Robin Zieber and Rebekah Anderson, UNC Asheville Student

Curley James Weaver was born to Jim Weaver and Savannah Shepard of Newton County, Georgia on March 25, 1906. He grew up on the farm of a cousin, Tom Brown, at Liviston Chapel just outside Porterdale, Georgia. He later moved with his parents to Almon, a small community on the Atlanta side of Porterdale. The area was rich in its musical traditions. Named James after

his father, he led a relatively privileged life as the son of a well-respected pianist and guitarist. Savannah was known as “Dip” to her friends and played piano in her church and knew enough guitar to teach the children of her friends Mary and Charlie Hicks. Their two sons which she taught along with her own son are better known as Barbecue Bob and Laughing Charlie Lincoln. Although the Hicks boys were a few years older than Curley, they managed to form a musical group that in-

cluded harmonica player Eddie Mapp. Weaver had an easy disposition and made friends easily. Weaver also learned from other musicians besides his mother in the very musi cal Newton County and surrounding areas. It has been said that he learned from or was heavily influenced by Judd Smith, Nehemiah Smi th, Blind Buddy Keith, Spencer Wright, Robert Hicks, and Blind Willie McTell. Weaver had a close friendship with the Hicks brothers and Eddie Mapp. When he was nineteen he moved to the Atlanta and really began his career. Some of his other musical friends included Buddy Moss, Buddy Keith, Harry Johnson, Johnnie Guthrie, Eddie Anthony and Blind Willie McTell. He was prized for abilities as an accompanist as well as a performer in his own right. He help a series of addresses in Atlanta but never forgot to visit family and friends. He moved around from girlfriend to girlfriend and supported himself as a laborer and by playing on the streets and at social events. In October of 1928, Barbecue Bob was able to get Weaver recorded with Columbia. He cut two sides under his own name. “No No Blues” is very much in the style of Barbecue Bob. He Continued on page 17

“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/

Summer 2011

Virginia’s Festival Capital

Up here on the mountain we call Wise County the festival capital of Southwest Virginia. Now before folks from the rest of the region light their torches, grab their pitchforks and head for Wise; let me tell you why.

The county is unique in its location and how it grew. There are six towns, Appalachia, Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Pound, St. Paul and Wise and the City of Norton. All of these communities came into being because of early exploration, coal mining or the railroads that served the mines. The Appalachian Mountains in the area were some of the last places settled and remained isolated well into the 20th Century. A result was folks became very good at entertaining themselves. Thousands of people from multiple cultures came to Wise County after the Civil War to work and they brought their heritage, culture, and music, with them.

The Catalyst

Hard, dangerous work made people more than willing to let off a little steam when they had the

chance, and each town and City, developed festivals that revolved around their particular take on what was a good time. Folks who settled in Appalachia (the only town in the Appalachian Mountains that carries that name by the way) have the Coal/Railroad Days Festival which celebrates coal miners and railroaders August 3-7. Big Stone Gap, celebrated in Adrianna Trigiani’s books, the Southwest Virginia Museum hosts the Gathering in the Gap music festival each Memorial Day weekend; the Tri-State Gospel Singing Convention (more than 75 years running) features great gospel music; Big Stone Celtic on August 20 celebrates our ScotsIrish heritage; and Home Craft Days which is held the weekend of Oct. 14-16 is one of the longest running festivals in Virginia. Coeburn, which birthed Jim and Jessee McReynolds, holds the Guest River Rally Sept. 2-5. The City of Norton, which claims Dock Boggs as a favorite son, cranks up

By H. W. “Bill” Smith

the Best Friend’s Festival June 1419 and the Dock Boggs Festival Sept. 9-10. Pound’s Heritage Days is Memorial Day Weekend as is Dr. Ralph Stanley’s Hills of Home

Festival right over the border in Dickenson County. St. Paul has its Clinch River Days festival June 24 which celebrates that marvelous river and music at the Clinch River Farmers Market every Saturday. Wise has its Guitars and Glasspacks concert and car show August 13 and the Famous Fall Fling October 7-9 and is planning a number of other concerts in its new Big Glades venue

All of these festivals feature the music of the mountains, region and beyond. Each festival combines music, the craft of local artisans and local features into a variety of combinations that literally has something available for about everyone.

That’s A Bunch

So, let’s see, that at least 14 festivals in about 16 weeks between May 28 and the end of October. Oh, and then there is the Virginia/ Kentucky Fair June 6-11 and the Battles at Wise Civil War reenactment the weekend of July 8-9. All of these events are just a part of life along the Crooked Road which runs through the heart of Wise County. There are events in each of the coalfield counties of the Heart of Appalachia and enough entertainment of all types in these mountains to keep just about anyone busy. Let’s just say that up here we like a good party and that is why we say Wise County, The Festival Capital of Southwest Virginia; Mountains, Music & More. For more information go to our website at tourism.wisecounty.org. or call the Wise County Office of Tourism at (276) 328-2321

Summer 2011

did not stay with Columbia but moved on to record with many different studios. In May of 1929 Weaver, Mapp, and Guy Lumpkin recorded in Long Island City, New York, for QRS. Mapp and Lumpkin recorded one solo each, backing each other. Mapp also backed Weaver on his side of his release. The deaths of Eddie Mapp and Bob Hicks along with the breakdown and subsequent incarceration of Laughing Charlie Lincoln effected Curley strongly. He remained to long-time associate of Wil lie McTell. He suppl ied backings for Ruth Wills and Lillie Mae and was a member of recording groups The Georgia Browns and The Georgia Cotton Pickers. Curley began to suffer eye problems in the late 1950s and moved back to be with relatives. By 1959 Weaver had completely lost sight in the one eye which has always been poor and the sight in the other was fast deteriorating. He died on September 20, 1962 in Almon while staying with his half-brother. He was buried in a quiet rural churchyard in Almon. Curley’s daughter Cora Mae Bryant was born in Newton County in 1906. She continues in her father’s tradition as a blues musician. “She’s out spreading the word about her father and keeping hi s memory alive through her own music. Cora Mae is a living, walking blues legend.”

Elizabeth Cook and Robert Plant lead the pack with three nominations each: Cook’s Welder was tapped in the Album of the Year field, while her “El Camino” earned a Song of the Year nomination. Robert Plant and the Band of Joy will compete for Duo/ Group of the Year, while their effort Band of Joy received an Album of the Year nod. Both Cook and Plant are also up for Artist of the Year. Two recent New/Emerging Artist of the Year honorees are fulfilling that award’s prophecy: 2009 recipient Justin Townes Earle garnered two nods, including Album of the Year for Harlem River Blues and Song of the Year for the album’s title track, while last year ’s winner Hayes Carll received taps for Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Kmag Yoyo.” The Civil Wars and Mumford and Sons each earned nominations in both the New/Emerging Artist and Duo/Group of the Year categories, while Buddy Miller also secured two nods: Artist and Instrumentalist of the Year. The Album of the Year field also includes Lucinda Williams’ Blessed, while the Song of the Year category is rounded out by The Decemberists featuring Gillian Welch’s “Down by the Water.” The Avett Brothers are up for Duo/ Group of the Year—an honor the band took home in 2010—while Sarah Jarosz, Will Kimbrough, Gurf Morlix and Kenny Vaughan will all also compete for Instrumentalist of the Year. The cornerstone of the Americana Music Conference and Festival, the 10th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, October 13 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Americana music has always been about cherishing history even as it pushes boldly forward, and the Americana Music Association’s decade of song and camaraderie embodies that balance

Americana Music Awards Set For October 2011 During a moving and emotional

event at the Gibson/Baldwin Showroom in New York City on May 23rd, Rosanne Cash announced the list of 2011 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards nominees. A cultural crossroads of groove and grit, Americana music is the home of spit-polished tradition and original risk takers, and the artists tapped for the 2011 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards reflect the genre’s multigenerational emphasis on story and soul.

Summer 2011

Preservation and Recognition By Ed Tutwiler

As we get further along in time;

and the people in our society that do the remembering for us become fewer in number; it becomes more and more important that folks get together to record those remembrances. That is where historical associations become important. Such organizations are neither for the founding generation with it’s first hand memories nor even the following generation that heard the stories second hand told by the source. No, the formal gathering of history is for the succeeding generations so they will not forget. Certainly, the existence of homegrown mountain music predates any modern memory, and the names of forgotten performers who fiddled and strummed away on cabin porches all up and down the Appalachian mountain range are lost in the mists of time. More recently, in the early 1920’s about the time of radio and recorded music’s rise as mass rural entertainment, string music and the performers of such rose to the level of professional and that is where this story begins.

Uncle Ed

In 1947, a music performer known as “Uncle” Ed Silverman reached out to his circle of music loving friends and fellow performers proposing the idea of forming an association that would preserve the memories of the genre of music then known as country music. Among those called upon to help form this association were former Governor of Virginia, the Honorable William Tuck and Mr. Watkins M. Abbitt a former Congressman. The result of the gathering was the creation of the Virginia Folk Music Association (VFMA). The formulated goal of that organization was to have an independent organization that would promote and preserve Virginia’s heritage music. The Virginia Folk Music Association was chartered on March 26, 1957 as a non-profit, volunteer organization. The VFMA is governed by a volunteer board of directors who elect officers that form an execu-

tive board. The VFMA mission has never changed from that set forth by its founders— “To promote and preserve Country, Bluegrass and Gospel music”; or in the words of the present leaders, “the music of our heritage—Virginia Folk Music”.

Forming The Hall

In 1973, the VFMA formed the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame. Since that time, decision makers within the association have inducted many famous and accomplished performers into that Hall of Fame. Running down the list of inductees one reads name after famous name of Virginia Americana string music performers such as: Mac Wiseman (1977); The Stanley Brothers (1978); The Stoneman Family (1986); Jimmy Dean (1997); Charlie Waller (1998); and the list goes on. In 2000, the VFMA created a Special Recognition Award. The next year, they started monthly music jams and in 2002 created the Heritage Music Youth Scholarship. The Special Recognition Award is an annual award that recognizes the many Virginia musicians who pursue the promotion of Virginia’s heritage music yet never attain fame and fortune in that pursuit. The VFMA monthly jam provides a place for the public to join musicians. It is a movable feast whose location changes but the fun never does. At these jams, great and not so great musicians join together month after month united in their love for the music. They join to play, learn and fellowship. Even old-time music is well represented at these jams. Virginia’s Heritage Music Youth Scholarship offers awards and stipends to deserving and talented Virginia youths.

Doing It All

From its early beginnings, the VFMA became a true pioneer of country and bluegrass music festivals and, with the assistance and lobbying efforts of Governor Tuck; the VFMA was later sanctioned as the only organization to hold the official State Championship Contests. To this day, the VFMA remains the only organization in the state of Virginia sanctioned to do so. At first, there was only one

Summer 2011

contest that organizers later separated into a bluegrass division and a country division. The 2011 Virginia State Championship bluegrass contest is planned for September 18, 2011 at the Chesterfield County fair grounds. This is the 54th year for this contest.

As a music festival pioneer, the VFMA has put on some very fancy shows and produced radio and TV coverage with music contests second to none. In the year 2000, the VFMA exposed the bluegrass festival to the world via the power of the internet. More recently, in 2009, the VFMA introduced a high quality five dollar a day Bluegrass Festival. As the VFMA board of directors came to realize, the contests and Hall of Fame alone would not assure the continuation of the VFMA, thus the bluegrass festival has become an important fund generator.

Looking Back

The latest step forward for the VFMA has been the establishment of the VFMA Museum located at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grand Opening is from 3:00 to 7:30PM on June 11, 2011. The acquisition of a building to house items of interest, pictures, and other memorabilia; and the compilation of materials principal to the Virginia folk music scene, is the result of a 10 year struggle that included hard, persistent work by the VFMA board of directors, by loyal supporters, and through the generosity of one generous VFMA supporter. The materials and exhibits housed in the Museum are either owned or have been placed there on loan by Hall of Fame Members and other music lovers. It seems that the preservation of our musical heritage is in good hands at the VFMA; and as those of us who have that first and second hand knowledge of its modern beginnings begin to fade away, we can be assured that the knowledge itself will not. See www.vafolkmusic.org or you may contact Sigrid Williams at 804 347.2925, for mor info

Summer Spring 2011 2011

JUNE Graves Mountain Festival June 2 - 4, 2011 Syria, VA www.gravesmountain.com Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week June 5 - 11, 2011 Mars Hill, NC www.mhc.edu/oldtime Clinch Mountain Music Festival June 10 - 12, 2011 Gate City, VA www.clinchfest.net Virginia Blues & Jazz Festival June 10, 2011 Warm Springs, VA www.garthnewel.org Galax Leaf And String Festival June 10 - 11, 2011 Galax, VA www.galaxfestival.com Maury River Fiddler’s Convention June 17 - 18th, 2010 Pops PopsBuena Vista VA Stoneman Stoneman www.mauryriverfiddlers.com Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival June 18, 2011 Mouth Of Wilson, VA www.waynehenderson.org Bluegrass In The Blue Ridge Week June 19 - 25, 2011 Mars Hill, NC www.mhc.edu/bluegrass Music In The Mountains Festival June 22 - 25, 2011 Summersville, WV www.aandabluegrass.com Grayson Co. Fiddlers Convention June 24 - 26, 2011 Elk Creek, VA http://www.ecvfd.net/home/grayson-countyfiddler-s-convention

Rockahock Bluegrass Festival June 16 - 18, 2011 Rockahock, VA www.rockahockbluegrass.com

Appalachian String Band Fest August 3 - 7, 2011 Clifftop, WV (304) 558-0220 www.wvculture.org/stringband

Virginia Mountain Music Festival June 17 - 18, 2011 Tazwell, VA www.sw.edu/VMMF.htm

75th Old Fiddler’s Convention August 8 - 13, 2011 Galax, VA www.oldfiddlersconvention.com

Bluegrass In Sedalia June 23 - 25, 2011 Sedalia, VA www.sedaliacenter.org

Oak Grove Folk Music Festival August 5 - 7, 2011 Verona, VA www.oakgrovefestival.com

JULY Wayside Bluegrass Festival July 6 - 9, 2011 Stuart, VA www.waysidepark.com All Good Music Festival July 14 - 17, 2011 Masontown, WV www.allgoodfestival.com Tazewell Old Time A Bluegrass July 8 - 10, 2011 Tazewell, VA www.craborchardmuseum.com Old Time Banjo Festival July 16, 2011 Alexandria, VA www.oldtimebanjofestival.com Mineral Bluegrass Festival July 14 - 16, 2011 Mineral, VA www.aandabluegrass.com Floyd Fest X July 28 - 31, 2011 Floyd, VA www.floydfest.com

AUGUST Bluegrass In The Blueridge August 4 - 6, 2011 Luray, VA www.bluegrassinluray.com

List Festival Event Here info@AmericanaRhythm.com

Stoney Creek Bluegrass Festival August 12 - 13, 2011 Greenville, VA www.stoneycreekresort.net Mountain Music Festival August 12 - 14, 2011 Waynesboro, VA www.waynesborodowntown.org Blue Ridge Mountain Music Fest August 13, 2011 Wintergreen, VA (434) 325-8292 www.wintergreenperformingarts.org Central VA Family Bluegrass Fest. August 18 - 20, 2011 Amelia VA www.ameliafamilycampground.com Vinton Old Time Bluegrass Fest. August 19 - 21, 2011 Vinton, VA (540) 345-8548 Mr. Bs Bluegrass Bluwout August 26 - 28, 2011 Ladysmith, VA (804) 449-6350 www.mrbspark.com Highland Jam August 26 - 27, 2011 Elkins, WV (304) 642-2351 www.highlandjam.com

Summer 2011

Troy Lindsey 25 year old Troy Lindsey from East Wenatchee, WV is the quintessential rolling stone. Don’t think he’s just another traveling musician. As a helicopter mechanic, he travels around the world training people and servicing machines. That experience has afforded him a unique perspective of the world, and his soulful response is the driving force behind his music.

The back of a country church in Wyoming was the birth place of Troy’s musical career. At fourteen, a country preacher gave Troy three guitar lessons and he’s had a guitar in his hands ever since. Waylon Jennings, AC/DC, The Stones, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan all influenced the young Lindsey and he matured as a artist. In 1991 Troy enlisted with the US Marine Corps and was stationed in Hawaii where he got his training as a mechanic in helicopter aviation. That career led him around the world. In one of the fastest paced, stressed-out countries of the world, Korea, Troy started to put together his first album, “Out of Time for People Without Time.” He had a laptop, a cheap Italian guitar, and a microphone that he taped to a vacuum cleaner handle. Several of the recordings from those sessions alone in his apartment in Jeonju, Korea were used for the first album. Immediately after the release of his first album, Troy began work on the second. This one would be all done in studio, with the angelic tones of his daughter, Kristen McCamey on backing vocals and a feature “Tell It Like It Is”

www.troylindsey.com troylindsey@hotmail.com

The Rock River Gypsies The Rock River Gypsies were long-suffering with a form of musical multiple personality disorder, adhering to the tradi-

tional forms of bluegrass and jazz within the same musical sentence. With their new album, At long last, they have forged a sound for themselves, while paying homage to those traditions which wrought them: A little more Rock ‘n’ Roll, a little more Soul. Hailing from Charlottesville, Virginia, the Gypsies have grown from a bar band whose goal was to get the joint flat-footing, to a regional act who still wants to see you dance. Every member of the Gypsies contributes his or her unique voice both in harmonies and in songwriting, and the result is a rollicking pastiche of bluegrass, rock, and jazz that never fails to entertain. Performing together for six years now, the Gypsies originally met at informal jam sessions at The College of William and Mary. They are anticipating the release of their first full-length album in March of 2011

Genre: Bluegrass Rock n’ Roll Contact the band: www.rockrivergypsies.com therockrivergypsies@gmail.com

Find out how your band and/or CD can be the next Americana Music Profile! www.AmericanaMusicProfiles.com

Summer 2011

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.

Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen www.dirtykitchenband.com Part of the new class of bluegrass, Frank Solivan and his band Dirty Kitchen are helping change the face of modern grass. Their high energy approach and is turning heads. Rob Ickes says, they have “the total package

Grasstowne Kickin’ Up Dust www.grasstowne.com Veteran grassers Alan Bibey and Steve Gully are no strangers to the acoustic scene. These guys along with their other band mates make up Grasstowne, and their latest release, Kickin’ Up Dust, is

catchingalot of airplay.

Sara Jarosz Follow Me Down www.sugarhillrecords.com Th is 1 9 ye ar o ld fro m Wimberly TX is back with her second release, Follow Me Down. The maturity of her voice, and the depth of her songwriting make for a well rounded project; synonymous of the new Americana sound

The Waifs Temptation www.thewaifs.com This trio from Australia brings their brand of folk/blues/R&B on the new studio CD, Temptation. It’s a groovy sound, makes you want to get up and tap your toes around a little. It’s the right mix with the right rhythm. Check it out

The Woodshedders O Dig www.thewoodshedders.com What do you get when you combine American Country, Rhythm & Blues, Old Time, Bluegrass and Gypsy Jazz; The Woodshedders. Their new CD, O dig, is a fine example that Americana music is just plain fun. Dig it

New Found Road Live At The Down Home www.newfoundroad.com

Another of the newer grass acts featuring the seasoned vocal talents of lead singer/ founder Tim Shelton. This is another group to keep your eye on. This new live CD has a great front row feel. No quality lost here

Bill Emerson The Great Divide www.bluegrassville.com/billemerson

Since 1957 Bill Emerson has been pickin’ his way into history; initially as a founding memb er of the Cou ntry Gentlemen. His new CD with current group Sweet Dixie is a refreshing reminder that the legends among us still got it

Rock River Gypsies At Long Last www.stevemartin.com T his five so me fro m Charlottesville, VA have been hard at it for some time; they finally get to serve up their debut CD; At Long Last. Playing what they call bluegrass rock and roll, the RRG are well worth the listen

www.theelectriccomusic.com Authentic Americana has its roots centered in the likes of newcomers The Electric Co. Good ‘ol kick back, feel good music; it’s a great summer CD. The fellas from Maryland have been hard at work with this project, and it shows

Alison Krauss & Union Station Paper Airplane www.alisonkrauss.com What do you say about this gal that hasn’t already been said? The fact that she’s got 12 million albums and earned 26 Grammys should tell us her lastest project won’t disappoint. It didn’t. Impressive

Pick A Peck Of Piedmont Pickers www.Wepecket.com If you’re a fan of our East Coast Piedmont Blue article, you’ll want to check out this great new collection, Pick a Peck of Piedmont Pickers from Wepecket Island Records. It’s a great collection of traditional Piedmont soul

Mavis Staples You Are Not Alone www.mavisstaples.com When she was young Mavis’ deep voice took audiences by surprise when her dad, Pops, and her sisters would take the stage as the Staple singers. Today, she’s the Americana artist of the year, and her new CD is excellent

The Grascals Dance Til Your Stockings Are Hot and Ravelin’ www.grascals.com Inspired by the music and images of The Andy Griffith Show, and sponsored by Mayberry’s Finest brand foods, the latest from the Grascals is as good as the rest. These guys are just that good

Jim Lauderdale Reason And Rhyme www.jimlauderdale.com

The Electric Co.

Whiskey Tonight

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

In the 70’s growing up in North Carolina, Jim Lauderdale wanted to do just one thing; be a “tenor-singing, banjo-playing bluegrass musician.” Some 30 years later, he’s still at it. His latest is a fine record indeed

Summer 2011

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