International Bluegrass June 2015

IB bluegrass international

Vol. 30 No. 6 June 2015

Wide Open Bluegrass initial lineup

Orthophonic Joy’s Sheer Magic

Yonder Mountain String Band Board Meeting recap Fresh Sounds

International Bluegrass

Vol. 30 | No. 6 | June 2015

Editor: Taylor Coughlin taylor@ibma.org

Designer: Erin Faith Erdos erinfaitherdos@gmail.com

STAFF

Paul Schiminger Executive Director

board

Taylor Coughlin Communications and Professional Development Director

Eddie Huffman Convention Services and IT Systems Director

Jon Weisberger/Board Chairperson

Alan Bartram/Director, Artists/Composers/Publishers John Goad /Director, Print Media/Education Becky Buller/Director, At Large William Lewis/Director, At Large D.A. Callaway/Director, At Large Steve Martin / Director, At Large Danny Clark/Director, At Large Stephen Mougin/Director, At Large Jamie Deering/Director, Merchandisers/Luthiers Joe Mullins / Treasurer Regina Derzon/Director, Associations, Secretary Joe Mullins, Director, Artists/Composers/Publishers Mike Drudge / Director, Agents, Managers & Publicists Leah Ross/Director, Event Producers

Ben Surratt/Director, Recording/Dist./Marketing Tim Surrett / Vice Chair Angelika Torrie/Director, International Bob Webster / Director, Broadcasters Junior Williams / Director, Artists & Composers

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International Bluegrass

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JUNE Table of CONtENTs Cover photo by Todd Gunsher

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Spring Board Meeting Report

LBG alumni: Retreat Report in NC

Wide Open Bluegrass Wide Open Bluegrass – Initial lineup announced Yonder Mountain String Band New Album, New Lineup Orthophonic Joy: Sheer Magic Fresh Sounds

Industry News

Board news

Board update : O

n the 11th, the morning session began with the introduction to the Board of incoming Executive Director Paul Schiminger, who will officially begin work on June 1. The remainder of the morning was devoted to a presentation and Q&A on boards and governance by Holly J. Gregory of Sidley Austin, LLP; Holly is an internationally recognized expert on the subject - and an aspiring mandolin player - who has agreed to serve the IBMA as a governance consultant on a pro bono basis. Her presentation elicited a frank and productive conversation among Board members concerning our organizational structure and responsibilities.

The presentation served to establish a framework for the afternoon session, which was devoted to consideration of proposed amendments to our Bylaws. The most significant actions were as follows:

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The Board of Directors held its spring meeting on May 11 and 12 at the Scarritt-Bennett Conference Center in Nashville. The following is a summary of the meeting.

-After extensive discussion, the Board chose to leave its present size and the manner of its election unchanged, with the exception of the International seat; this seat was changed from one elected by international members to one appointed by the Board, at the request of the International Committee.

-Recognizing that its officers have been faced with some unusual demands on their time and energy, the Board decided not to eliminate the requirement that the Chair and Vice-Chair serve exclusively in those positions. The Board will revisit the issue next year, after evaluating the seats’ respective workloads under more normal circumstances.

- In order to more closely follow many other similar not-forprofit structures, the Board changed the composition of its Executive Committee; instead of electing three of the Board’s members to serve on the EC with the Chair, Vice-Chair and non-voting Executive Director, the Committee will now consist of all four officers Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer - plus one member elected by the Board, and the non-voting Executive Director. This change will take effect this fall.

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-The Board agreed to adopt at each fall meeting rules of order for the following year. (Holly Gregory will draft a set based on a simplified version of Robert’s Rules.)

-The Board decided to require that no Board member shall serve on the Nominating Committee if he or she is eligible to run for election for a Board seat in that year. The old proviso required only that no Board member could vote on the candidates for a seat for which he or she was eligible to run.

All of the adopted revisions to the Bylaws will be reviewed by a lawyer admitted to the Kentucky bar and familiar with state laws governing non-profit associations prior to implementation.

The meeting then adjourned to the World Famous Station Inn, where members of the Board performed and otherwise volunteered at an event which raised $640 for the IBMA’s Youth Council. Tuesday morning’s session was devoted primarily to financial matters, particularly a draft budget for FY 2015-16. It was agreed that Treasurer Joe Mullins and the Finance Committee would work to revise the draft for Paul’s use when he takes office in June. Recognizing the impact that decisions on presenting this year’s Awards Show in video form (webcast and/or TV broadcast, live or edited) will have on the budget, the Board also established a task force to research options.

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Board update

In the afternoon, the Board undertook an extensive consideration of recommendations made for changes to our awards by a task force chaired by Greg Cahill.

After considerable discussion, the Board elected to retain the current configuration of awards. Some interest

was expressed in creating a new award to be given not more than annually at the discretion of some appropriate leadership body, similar to the President’s Awards given by organizations such as the Americana Music Association and BMI.

A few other topics were taken up Tuesday afternoon, including a recommendation from the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee that a separate panel of electors be created as the exclusive body to vote on the Hall’s Earlier Contributions category for which an inductee is chosen every 2nd year. The Board is requesting more information from the Nominating Committee. The Board also opted to visit at a future meeting the idea of a travel pool among Board members to equalize the expenses of attending Board meetings.

Once they are approved by the Board, full meeting minutes will be posted at https://ibma.org/about/documents.

Leadership Bluegrass Alumni

2015

retreat

Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain, NC The Leadership Bluegrass Alumni Committee (Darin Aldridge, Phil Bankester, Nick Barr, Mary Burdette, Mike Hall, George McCeney, and Lucy Weberling) organized the 2015 Leadership Bluegrass Alumni Retreat which was held Monday, April 20 through Wednesday, April 22 at the Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, NC, an historic YMCA camp. We occupied one of the lodges, which provided about 15 rooms, a kitchen and two meeting areas where we held the events. Some attendees stayed at a separate hotel building on site.

About three dozen alumni and guests from all over the US (and Ireland) attended this year’s retreat, including: Bob Altschuler, Phil and Dorene Bankester, Nick Barr, Fred Bartenstein, Mary Burdette, Nancy Cardwell, Mitch Collman, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Katy Daley, Regina Derzon, Bill Foster, Lisa and Joe Jacobi, Denise Jarvinen, Becky Johnson, Mike Hall, Chris Keenan, Tom Kopp, Jen Larsen, George McCeney, Art Menius, Susan Newberry, Bob Perilla, Mike Ramsey, Danny and Carolyn Routh, Michele Sivert, Valerie Smith, Tom Thorpe, Trisha Tubbs, Lucy Weberling, Bob Webster, Jeff Westerinen, with a short visit by Jacob Groopman, Jeremy Darrow and other members of Front Country.

Monday was check-in time, giving attendees time to visit the gounds, do some picking on the porch, enjoy a communal meal prepared by many

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of us who like to cook, have a wine tasting organized by Leadership Instructer Trisha Tubbs, and do more picking that night.

The business portion of the retreat began with our keynote speaker, Joe Jacobi, who is an Olympic Gold Medalist. He talked about mentoring, training, achievement and Olympic competition, and passed his impressive (and heavy) Gold Medal around to the group. Joe’s wife, Lisa, is a Leadership Bluegrass alumni.

The next order of business after the keynote was to decide on topics to discuss on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Facilitator Fred Bartenstein helped us decide on these topics:

A. Growing the Bluegrass Pie: a round table discussion which included small traditional festival survival, booking bands into smaller venues, and bringing small associations into the fold. (Facilitated by Trisha Tubbs) B. The new IBMA/Leadership Bluegrass Mentor Program: Mentors, mentees, how it will work, suggestions, possible roadblocks, etc. (Facilitated by Mary Burdette) C. IBMA & Its Membership: Small group discussions of how IBMA can involve its membership more, and ideas to help grow the membership.

(Facilitated by Trisha Tubbs) D. The Future of Leadership Bluegrass: Activities, possible new funding sources, issues and alternatives on not for profit (501c3) status, the upcoming master class, fundraiser

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reception, etc. (facilitated by Trisha Tubbs) E. IBMA Board Q&A: Regina Derzon, Secretary of the IBMA Board of Directors, fielded our individual questions, comments and concerns about recent IBMA issues.

There were other focus group discussions during meals: • IBMA Business Conference: (Denise Jarvinen) • IBMA Bylaws: Opportunity to suggest changes (Regina Derzon) • Josh Graves Presentation (Fred Bartenstein) • Marketing for Festivals: What works, what doesn’t, and new ideas.

(Denise Jarvinen) • K-12 Music Objectives: (Valerie Smith) Tuesday night many of the attendees went to nearby Asheville, NC to the Isis Music Hall and Restaurant, which features bluegrass and roots music. Tuesday night is “Bluegrass Jam” night. First, Lisa Jacobi (of Artist2Artist) interviewed Darin & Brooke Aldridge on stage just before their set featuring songs from their new CD, “Snapshots,” on Mountain Home Records. Darin (Class of ’13) was instrumental in setting up the evening for us at Isis. The second set of the night was by Front Country, a California-based band who later that week played. Front Country boasts two LBG alumni: Jacob Groopman (Class of ’15) and Jeremy Darrow (Class of ’13).

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Press Release

On Wednesday morning the final task was to choose topics for the Master Class (open to all alumni) which will be held Tuesday morning, September 29, 2015 from 9:00 to noon at the World of Bluegrass in Raleigh NC. The most popular topices were: 1. The new IBMM Hall of Fame Book by Fred Bartenstein (90%) and Fred has agreed to be a presenter.

2. Meeting the New Executive Director (90%)

3. The IBMA/LBG Mentor Program (80%)

4. An update on the Owensboro Music Center (60%)

Formal announcements on the Master Class will follow.

Alumni are also encouraged to attend the Leadership Bluegraas Reception and Fundraiser at the law offices of Williams Mullen in downtown Raleigh from 5:00-7:00pm. The event will feature hors d’oeuvres, wines, handcrafted beers, live music to kick off the IBMA World of Bluegrass 2015. Sponsors include Williams Mullen and BMI. Proceeds will benefit the Leadership Bluegrass program and its alumni activities.

On Wednesday, after the retreat has officially ended, a group of attendees went to nearby Warren Wilson College, where Music Department Chair (and Leadership Bluegrass alumnus) Kevin Kehrberg gave a tour of the college.

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On Wednesday night a few stragglers stayed to see Peter Rowan and the Old School at Isis.

Leadership Bluegrass Alumni retreats have been held biennially. The next retreat is scheduled 2017. While no arrangements have been committed to yet, it appears that there will be interest in having the retreat again at Blue Ridge Assembly. If you’re an alumni, keep in touch with the Alumni Committee. If you’re not an alumni yet, consider attending an upcoming Leadership Bluegrass program. Applications for the 2016 class will be available at the Leadership Bluegrass booth in the Exhibit Hall during IBMA World of Bluegrass this fall in Raleigh.

By Nick Barr (Class of 06)

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FIRST SLATE OF ARTISTS ANNOUNCED FOR

Wide open Bluegrass Performers scheduled to perform at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater include: Steep Canyon Rangers, The Infamous Stringdusters, Balsam Range, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, The Wailin’ Jennys, The Kruger Brothers (with special guests), The Claire Lynch Band, Flatt Lonesome, Band of Ruhks, and performances from the critically acclaimed Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited project.

Additional Red Hat Amphitheater performers to be announced during June 18 press conference at the Raleigh venue.

IBMA released an initial list of performers for the Wide Open Bluegrass festival, presented by PNC, which takes place October 2-3 in Raleigh, North Carolina in May. Wide Open Bluegrass includes both ticketed main stage performances at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater and free stages. A portion of proceeds

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from the ticket sales of Red Hat Amphitheater go to the Bluegrass Trust Fund, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to individuals in the bluegrass music community in times of emergency need.

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www.ibma.org

WOB news release

Artists scheduled to perform at Red Hat Amphitheater on Friday, October 2 include:

Artists scheduled to perform at Red Hat Amphitheater on Saturday, October 3 include:

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North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers, recent IBMA “Entertainer of the Year” and Grammy winner

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Current “Entertainer of the Year” and “Vocal Group of the Year” winner Balsam Range, also from North Carolina

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Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, current “Instrumental Group of the Year” winner and Grammy nominee

• Multiple IBMA winner and Grammy nominee The Infamous Stringdusters; • Canada’s own The Wailin’ Jennys, Juno Award winner and frequent guests on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion; • North Carolina-based The Kruger Brothers, whose Wide Open Bluegrass set will include special guests; • IBMA’s current “Emerging Artist of the Year” recipient Flatt Lonesome • Band of Ruhks (formerly known as The Rambling Rooks), featuring Ronnie Bowman, Don Rigsby and Kenny Smith

The Claire Lynch Band, whose three-time “Female Vocalist of the Year” winner Claire Lynch also shares co-writing credits on last year’s “Song of the Year” • Performances from the critically acclaimed Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited project, where Grammy-winning producer Carl Jackson re-imagines the iconic recordings that created the “Big Bang” of country music and catapulted The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to stardom.

•

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Feature

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dditional Red Hat Amphitheater performers will be announced during a press conference on June 18 at the Raleigh venue. Performers for the free stages at Wide Open Bluegrass will be announced later in the summer.

Wide Open Bluegrass is part of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass event, a five-day annual bluegrass music homecoming and convention.

World of Bluegrass also includes the IBMA Business Conference, September 29 – October 1; the 26th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, October 1,

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and the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 29 – October 1.

“The festival’s main stage performances at Red Hat Amphitheater will once again feature a diverse sampling of some of the finest musicians on the planet,” said William Lewis, Executive Director of PineCone (the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music) and Wide Open Bluegrass producer. “More artists will be announced in weeks to come.

And in typical Wide Open fashion, there will be plenty of surprises

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and unique collaborations on stage – a hallmark that has earned this event its ‘must see’ status. ” Single day general admission for performances at Red Hat Amphitheater during Wide Open Bluegrass starts as low as $50 for the general public and $40 for IBMA members. Additional details and pricing information - including member discounts – for Red Hat Amphitheater performances, Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration, IBMA Award Show tickets and hotel reservations are available at IBMA’s website, ibma. org.

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WOB News release

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New album and lineup

By Taylor Coughlin

All photos courtesy of YMSB website

T

here’s a zeal in Ben Kaufmann’s voice. “This is, without a doubt, my favorite record I’ve ever been a part of.” The Yonder Mountain String Band bass player, vocalist, and songwriter emits an energy as palpable as a midnight set at Telluride when talking about Yonder’s latest effort, Black Sheep, out June 16.

Black Sheep stands out, no pun intended, for more reasons than one.

The biggest and most obvious being it’s the first Yonder record in the Colorado jamgrass band’s 17 years of ex-

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istence without founder, mandolinist and vocalist Jeff Austin, who departed from the band in early 2014 to launch a solo career. Bringing an entire new dynamic to Yonder on Black Sheep – and now as official members of the band – mandolin virtuoso Jacob (Jake) Jolliff and fiery fiddle player Allie Kral round out the never-before-heard solid 5-member Yonder Mountain String Band.

Often when a founding member of a band leaves, there are a lot of questions to be answered in the eyes of

International Bluegrass

the fans, and in the band itself. Will the vibe be the same? Will the shows still be electric? And what about the music? How will the music change?

But instead of resting on laurels and waiting for these questions to manifest, Adam Aijala (guitar), Dave Johnston (banjo), and Kaufmann began pre-production on Black Sheep shortly after Austin’s departure, without skipping a beat. As for getting the new blood into the band – that took a little searching.

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Press Release

On Jake Jolliff Kaufmann said Jolliff was brought up as a must-check-out from their former manager (and now Jerry Douglas’) D.J. McLachlan. Coming from folk string band, Joy Kills Sorrow, Jolliff had been in a different corner of the string band world, and had never managed to see Yonder play live.

“It was actually really exciting to me that there was somebody out there who had no preconceived idea of how playing mandolin in Yonder might look,” Kaufmann revealed. “Because the last thing I think anyone wants to do is come into that situation and try to sort of emulate what Jeff [Austin] was doing on the mandolin in Yonder.

That just wouldn’t be the right approach.”

Kaufmann and his original bandmates quickly felt like Jolliff was the guy when they initially met and started playing music together for Black Sheep, in the studio. Kaufmann credits the flow to Jolliff’s amazing talent.

Jolliff grew up in Oregon, and began playing mandolin at age seven. Says

Kauffmann, his parents were dedicated to him learning the art of the instrument, which contribute to his dedication to it as well. “He’s always playing, always practicing,” Kaufmann said. Jolliff graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and has performed with The David Grisman Quartet, Ronnie McCoury, Chris Thile, Ricky Skaggs, Joe Craven, Tim O’Brien, and his band Joy Kills Sorrow.

“He’s on another level of musicality and musicianship than most people I hang around and is doing things with the mandolin that are advancing the state of the mandolin,” he said.

Black Sheep shows off rip-roaring and contemplative solos by Jolliff, who doesn’t sound like Austin, yet fits the Yonder mold greatly. “For anyone who’s interested in the mandolin, you have to know what Jake is doing,” Kaufmann said.

Although Jolliff doesn’t sing on Black Sheep, Kaufmann is excited about getting him on vocals in the future. But for now, his mandolin handling can speak for itself.

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International Bluegrass

On Allie Kral When one door closes, another door opens, and when the and lineup had an opening, the three members toyed with the idea of welcoming a 5th member of the band – something they haven’t done unless as a guest spot. For 17 years, Yonder welcomed friends and heroes to guest on fiddle, Dobro, mandolin, you-name-it, but now with so much change happening, they figured they could try it out. Cue: Allie Kral.

Kaufmann says he remembers the night it him them all that Yonder needed Kral like a fiddle needs a bow.

It was at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR. “She hadn’t played anything yet; she hadn’t drawn the bow across the strings and the audience was just freaking out,” he recounted, “almost like the anticipation of what she was going to do was too much for them to contain and they were just roaring.

It was a very powerful experience for me.”

Raised a classical violinist in Chicago, IL, Kral discovered jamming through the Grateful Dead, and got hooked

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LGB Recap

on improvisation. She was the fiddle player for Cornmeal from 2003 to 2013, where she toured with them internationally as well as guested with Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Moe., Great American Taxi, Warren Haynes, Big Head Todd, and many more.

“It’s about something that combines all the elements: the technique, the musicality of the notes she is playing, but also this fire inside her and that’s the x factor. In some ways I’m very jealous of it. I think, quietly, bluegrass bass players are jealous of all the lead instruments,” he laughed.

It’s necessary to address the addition of a female in a band that has been all male since its beginning, especially for a jam band where females are very few and far between. Male and female personalities are inherently different; was it of concern to add a woman to a band of dudes? Will there be less crude humor tossed around on the tour bus? Are they scared she’ll drink them under the table?

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“The greatest decision we’ve ever made was asking Allie to join the band,” Kaufmann proudly stated.

“For one, we were all suddenly reminded how wonderful it is when a male and female voice singing in harmony together. Bluegrass is built on harmony singing, and we have a decade and a half of male harmony singing – which I love – that classic brtother-style harmony sound. But I also love the female voice, and malefemale harmony singing. And that’s something that I didn’t even think about as something we could have access to.”

With Kral and Jolliff now on board, the band is excited for new challenges and possibilities, like writing music for a female voice.

“Dynamic, empowered lyrics for a female voice – that’s a challenge I’m really excited about,” Kaufmann said.

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On Black Sheep Sometimes, to reinvigorate something, you gotta go back to basics. And that’s just what Yonder did on Black Sheep. But don’t let that fool you into coupling basic with mediocrity and static. Far from it.

“Making Black Sheep was like going back to the first album we ever made,” Kaufmann explained. “It was a very similar experience. We didn’t overthink anything; we were just going in and playing and having fun and jamming.”

Black Sheep was entirely produced by Kaufmann, Aijala, and Johnston and recorded in Boulder. Aijala handled much of the engineering himself, which the band had never done before. And, all songs except one are originals.

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Looking out yonder for Yonder

“We wanted to take the spirit of what Yonder is, which is the freedom and the energy, and asking each member to put their energetic all into the performance,” Kaufmann said.

Yonder’s in-studio process was very collaborative with no heavy-handed decisions imparted on the new members. Kral and Jolliff were encouraged to be as creative as possible with their parts of the songs. “Trust your instincts, and go for it,” Kaufmann explained. “We are co-creating this experience.”

Some highlights from the record are the first track, “Insult and Elbow,” which is available on Spotify as a single. It is a very true-to-life piece written by Kaufmann that came out of a (not-so-serious) time out, when he was back from tour and driving his wife nuts by being in the house 24/7.

She sent him with his guitar to a cabin on their property in northern California and told him to go write a song.

He’d had some rules for the song: he wanted it to be in the key of D. He wanted to use lyrics he’d written down but hadn’t found a home for yet, and mostly, he just wanted it to mean something.

“The message of the song is, yes, someday I’m gonna get my shit together. I’m gonna find my strengths, stand up for myself, and speak my truth because that’s the correct way to be an adult…but for now, it’s easier to be stoned as rock and roll,” he said.

“Stoned as rock and roll” are lyrics in the song.

“Insult and Elbow” came out of a tough time for Kaufmann who was dealing with harmful drinking and

smoking habits in order to retreat from overwhelming responsibilities and “being an adult.” Now, he lives a sober lifestyle and is happy to write a fun-sound song that came out of a dark place. “The only way I learned all the really important stuff was by making terrible mistakes,” he admitted.

Allie Kral sings on “Love Before You Can’t” written by Johnston. Incredibly her vocal voice is just now being honed, as she never sang with Cornmeal. When trying to determine who would be the perfect voice for the song, Kaufmann, Johnston and Aijala dreamed big before realizing what they had in front of them: Kral. Simply, they felt stupid for not realizing sooner that her voice should be utilized.

Now, it sounds the best it could.

“Ever Fallen in Love” may surprise some Kinfolk when they learn it’s an original punk song by English punk band The Buzzcocks. “The spirit of the lyrics really work as a bluegrass song,” Kaufmann said. “If we do a cover, we want it to be obscure.” And that they do; Yonder takes the punk song and makes it fittingly into a bluegrass song that could be covered by other ‘grassers – you never know!

Black Sheep will be released during the sold-out Telluride Bluegrass Festival on June 16. Although a couple new songs have been road-tested, the band has kept most of the album a secret so as to reveal to fans live in hopes they’ll want to take home the album. During the calm before the storm of festival season, Yonder is playing together and practicing more than in past years.

“With the new members: What is the nature of this new ensemble?”

Kaufmann explained what the band faces. “There is a spirit to what Yonder Mountain is and we have to find out how we access that and how do we embrace it [with Kral and Jolliff].”

Besides the fact 3/5 of the band has been playing music together for 17 years, the band is starting fresh and getting to know each other’s instincts, strengths, and tendencies. Bringing in just one member can change an entire band’s dynamics, and Yonder has two.

But they’re practicing now more than ever to develop their instincts, learning how they all jam together, “so the jams can be more clever and psychedelic,” Kaufmann said.

New improvisations are kicked out, flows, grooves and vibes are established, and there’s no limit to the creativity inside of them.

By Daniel Mullins

B

elieve it or not, there was a time before country music.

There was a time before Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, before Bill Monroe and The Osborne Brothers, and even before Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb. There was a time when country music did not exist, and then there was a time when country music did exist. The “Big Bang of Country Music” occurred as mysteriously as the world being created out of nothing, but was no less of a divinely appointed moment. The magical place: The city of Bristol, on the border of Tennessee and Virginia, right in the heart of Appalachia. The defining time: July 25 through August 4, 1927. In those ten days, the roots of country music were planted, and we are still enjoying its fruit nearly 90 years later.

In the summer of 1927, Ralph Peer of Victor Records traveled to Bristol with the purpose of recording some of the

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local talent from the hills and hollers of the region. While he had done “field recording” in the past, it was per the advice of Ernest “Pop” Stoneman that Peer head to Bristol, to capture the rich musical talent of Appalachia.

Peer placed an ad in the local paper, letting everyone know that a recording session would be taking place from July 25 through August 4, and anyone who had any songs they would like to record were encouraged to attend.

In the course of those ten days, Ralph Peer recorded 19 artists, 76 songs, and the future of country music.

Of the 19 artists who recorded during the Bristol Sessions in 1927, two went on to become two of the biggest superstars that America had seen up to that point. Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family achieved mass success, and the thought of both of them being discovered in the same city within days of one another is astounding.

Known as “The Father of Country

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Music” and “The First Family of Country Music,” without both Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family, country music, as we know it, would not exist.

While only two of the artists recorded during the Bristol Sessions would go on to superstardom, all of the 76 recordings from the summer of 1927 were instrumental in forming the bedrock of country music. The majority of the songs recorded at the Bristol Sessions were American folk standards, which had lived in the hills of Appalachia long before Ralph Peer ever arrived in Bristol. Songs like “Darlin Cora,” “Black-Eyed Susie,” and “Bury Me Beneath the Willow” were known by most in the area, but to make them available on record and distributed to a much larger audience was monumental in the development of the early country canon.

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Orthophonic joy

Johnny Cash called the Bristol Sessions “the single most important event in the history of country music.”

Regardless of the significance of the origin of country music, the majority of today’s country fans and artists seem to overlook the magnitude of the Bristol Sessions. Whether out of ignorance or indifference, the lack of reverence towards the ancestors of country music has never been more apparent… until now.

immense amount of work, of course, but they’re also very fulfilling when it’s all said and done, to see that you’re not the only one that’s touched by that music,” he adds. “These wonderful artists that we have grew up [sic] feeling the same way and loving the same type of music and, in many cases, no matter what kind of music they might be performing now, their roots are still there.”

“no matter what kind of music they might be performing now, their roots are still there.”

Enter Carl Jackson, Grammy winner, acclaimed singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.

Jackson’s latest all-star project is a combination of story and song, which celebrates the original 1927 Bristol Sessions, nearly 90 years later.

Entitled Orthophoic Joy from the original Victrola ads which hearkened “Don’t deny yourself the sheer joy of orthophonic joy!,” the two-disc project features some of the best artists in roots music, saluting the impact of the Bristol Sessions on American music.

From modern superstars (Brad Paisley and Ashley Monroe) to bluegrass icons (Doyle Lawson and Jesse McReynolds) and seasoned veterans (Dolly Parton and Marty Stuart) to talented newcomers (The Church Sisters and Corbin Hayslett).

“I’ve got a friend who lives in Bristol, a fellow by the name of Rusty Morrell,” says Jackson. “It was his idea.” Morrell was familiar with Jackson’s previous tribute albums to the music of the Louvin Brothers and the legacy of Mark Twain. “I really love these kind of projects. They’re an

Jackson’s goal was not to create a carbon copy of the original recordings, but to revisit them in a way which introduced them to a 21st century audience, while still keeping the perspective of the original sessions.

“I don’t lock myself into ‘Well, this instrumentation was on there, and we have to do it just like this.’ I never restrict myself that way,” he says.

“I just try to do a really, really good recording of a great song. It’s just like I was doing a new song. That is the way I look at it. I try to, at the same time, keep the integrity of the original sessions.” The music recorded in 1927 moves Jackson. He feels that if he can focus on what moves him about the original songs rather than implementing a “copycat” approach, his renditions will move others as well. “If I’m moved by it, then I figure that there are other people that will be moved by it.”

When approaching a project such as re-creating the Bristol sessions, Jackson begins by calling some of his closest friends. Fortunately, some of those happen to be some of the biggest

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names in music, such as Marty Stuart, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton. “They’ve been friends for so many years. They always step up to the plate for me,” says Jackson.

“Anytime I do a project, if they’ve got the time, they seem to want to be a part of it. They know I’m going to do everything I can to make them proud.”

Jackson also uses projects such as this as an opportunity to “stretch out” and work with some new people. Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers and Keb’ Mo’ are some artists which Jackson have always loved, and used Orthophonic Joy as an opportunity to work with them for the first time. He was particularly excited with getting to work with Keb’ Mo’. “I just lucked into it,” says Jackson. “I wanted Keb’ to be a part of it, and I happened to mention it to my engineer that I would love to have Keb’ Mo’ on the record.

My engineer knew him!” The engineer called Keb’ Mo’, and Jackson was blown away when they found out that Keb’ was on his way to get a guitar repaired, and was only one block away from the studio. “He drove to the studio, and we recorded the song on him right then.”

After compiling a list of artists he had committed and a “wish list” of artists whom he’d like to participate, Jackson began digging deep into the music of the original 1927 Bristol sessions. “I went through the entire box set of the Bristol Sessions,” says Jackson. “I went through all 76 songs by all 19 artists, and I listened and narrowed it down to my favorite 20 of 25 songs.”

Then, Jackson matched each artist on his list with three or four possibilities which he felt would best fit the artist.

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Some of the song-artist combinations were nearly automatic. The Tenneva Ramblers’ “Sweet Heaven When I Die” for Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers was one such example. “It was just like ‘This is the song,’” says Jackson. “I love the combination of the clawhammer banjo from Steve and the three-finger banjo from Graham.” Emmylou Harris singing The Carter Family’s “Bury Me Beneath The Willow” was another “automatic” for Jackson. “Right off, in my head, it was just an obvious ‘Aw, man. She’s gonna kill this!’”

Jackson also knew that he wanted Marty Stuart to deliver the classic, “Black-Eyed Susie,” recorded in 1927

by J.P. Nester. “Marty had played that so many times with Paul Warren over the years when he was with Lester Flatt,” remembers Jackson.

“I wound up getting Aubrey Haynie and Andy Leftwich in to play twin fiddles on it.” The twin fiddles added to a new arrangement for the old song, as well as a new verse from Carl Jackson himself. “I just love the track.

It was a perfect fit.”

Vince Gill’s song selection was one of the easier ones on the project as well.

“When I asked Vince, he wanted to do a Jimmie Rodgers tune,” says Jackson.

This quickly narrowed possible “Vince songs,” as Jimmie Rodgers only recorded two songs at the 1927 Bristol Sessions: “Sleep, Baby Sleep” and “The Soldier’s Sweetheart.” “I said, ‘Well, which one do you want to do, buddy?,’ recalls Jackson. “He said, ‘Well, I don’t want to yodel, so we’ll do “Soldier’s Sweetheart.’” Jackson also took some creative liberties on this song as well, by transitioning the

“Nobody in the world can sing better than these two girls,”

song to third person.

“It’s a beautiful cut. Of course, everything he sings is beautiful.”

With some artists, finding the perfect song was a little more of a collaborative effort, as was the case with pairing Dolly Parton with Alfred G. Karnes’ “When They Ring Those Golden Bells,” one of the album’s brightest moments. “I kind of figured I’d have her do ‘The Storms Are On The Ocean,’” says Jackson. “But when I played it for her, she asked me if I had other things I wanted her to hear also. She loved ‘The Storms Are On The Ocean’, but when I played ‘When They Ring Those Golden Bells’, she said ‘That’s it! I’ve been singing that since I was a little girl. That’s the one I want to do.’” Jackson then brought The Carter Family’s “The Storms Are On The Ocean” to Ashley Monroe, who loved the song and delivers a beautiful rendition. “The pieces of the puzzle just fall in place,” says Jackson.

Some of those pieces involved artists that are not as widely known as Doyle Lawson or Sheryl Crow. In order to encapsulate the spirit of discovery that the original Bristol Sessions embodied, Jackson decided to include some artists whom he felt deserved the opportunity to be featured on a project of this magnitude. “They weren’t household names, but this is very important to me to include some folks that deserve to be [included].”

The Church Sisters are one of these artists which Jackson hopes to share with a larger audience through Orthophonic Joy. Sarah and Savannah Church have been known in and around select bluegrass circles for the past several years, but their stars are definitely on the rise within acoustic

The Church Sisters

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Orthophonic joy

music. “Nobody in the world can sing better than these two girls,” says Jackson. Their rendition of “Where We’ll Never Grow Old” is simply captivating, another Alfred G. Karnes recording from the original sessions.

The Shotgun Rubies also are newcomers to the national music scene. “They’re three of my favorite singers and people in Nashville,” says Jackson. Comprised of Val Storey, Deltora Reed, and Dani Flowers, the harmony between these three lovely ladies is heavenly. “I work with Val every week at the Station Inn. I always introduce her as the best singer I know, and she just is,” says Jackson.

“You’ve got Delnora Reed and Dani Flowers who are two more angelic singers, and I love them. So I decided in the spirit of Ralph Peer, to put a little group together there, ‘cause there were a bunch of combinations that he did on those original sessions.

Among the 19 artists, there were things that he kind of put together that just worked, so I wanted that too.”

In this endeavor, Jackson definitely succeeded. The Shotgun Rubies recorded Ernest Stonemason & The Dixie Mountaineers’ “I Am Resolved,” and listeners are sure to know these three hidden gems of the Nashville music scene due to Orthophonic Joy.

Orthophonic Joy also features two other newcomers, who make their recorded debut on this historic album.

One is a young man who goes by the name Keb H-Mc (pronounced “H”“Mack”). “When I recorded Keb’ [Mo’], Keb’ had with him a young 12year old boy named Keb Hutcheons McMann, who had been named after Keb Mo. He was visiting with Keb’, and Keb’ was showing him some stuff on guitar and just encouraging him — just being a mentor to the kid.” It just so happened that “Lil Keb” was with Keb’ Mo’ when they came to the studio to record “To The Work” for Orthophonic Joy. Per Keb’ Mo’s suggestion, Keb H-Mc played guitar alongside his hero on “To The Work”, yet another 1927 Alfred G. Karnes recording. “He did a great job, and he’s such a fine kid,” says Jackson.

“It’s been an inspiration to be able to give him his first chance in the studio. It meant a lot, and he’s been so grateful and kind about it.”

It was Corbin Hayslett’s first time in the studio as well, but his path to find Orthophonic Joy is a bit different than Keb H-Mc’s. “We decided to have a contest that would be kind of a modern day version of the Ralph Peer ad that they placed in the Bristol paper,” says Jackson. The winner of the contest would be able to record a song on Orthophonic Joy. “We got about 120-130 entries. Some great, great talent, but this one performance just kept jumping off the page.” Enter Corbin Hayslett, wearing overalls, a hat, and playing the clawhammer banjo while singing along to B.F. Shelton’s “Darlin’ Cora.” “We kept going back to him. I mean, there was other great talent, but this guy was the clear winner.” It’s easy to hear why upon listening to Corbin’s barebones rendition of the song. Featuring primarily banjo, bass, and Corbin’s powerful vocals, the beauty is in the simplicity of Corbin’s arrangement,

The Shotgun Rubies: Delnora Reed , Val Storey, Dani Flowers

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which lacks nothing. “He absolutely slayed it,” says Jackson.

“If Corbin Hayslett had been around in 1927, and had recorded on those sessions, he would have been bigger than Babe Ruth!”

While the original Bristol Sessions were almost 20 years ago, some of the artists on Orthophonic Joy hold direct familial connections to individuals from the original sessions, making their inclusion on this celebration all the more special.

Jimmy Edmond plays fiddle with The Virginia Luthiers, who recorded “Train On The Island” with Larry Cordle, a song recorded by Jimmy’s grandfather, Norman Edmond, on the original sessions. Bluegrass Hall of Famer, Jesse McReynolds holds a family connection to the Bristol Sessions too, as his grandfather, Charles McReynolds, also played fiddle as a member of the Bull Mountain Moonshiners in 1927.

Jesse McReynolds played his grandfather’s fiddle, the same one used on the original 1927 sessions, to record “Johnny Goodwin/The Girl I Left Behind” with Carl Jackson.

This moment was particularly poignant for Jackson, as one of Jackson’s first professional jobs as a musician was playing banjo for Jim & Jesse. “To stand there and play with Jesse McReynolds playing ‘Johnny Goodwin’ and ‘The Girls I Left Behind,’ he’s playing the fiddle that his granddaddy played on the actual 1927 sessions!” says Jackson. “We’re just standing there, and we’re just playing these songs, just simply guitar and fiddle, and turning the microphone on and talking in between. It’s a neat thing, and I treasure it. I know I’ll treasure it forever.”

These are just some of the many magical musical moments featured on Orthophonic Joy. From Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver’s a cappella rendition of The Alcoa Quartet’s “I’m Redeemed” to Brad Paisley and Carl Jackson’s Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed inspired take on The Tenneva Ramblers’ “In The Pines,” there is no shortage of favorite tracks on Orthophonic Joy.

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However, music is not the only star of Orthophonic Joy. One of the most unique elements of this two-disc release is the narrations delivered

by Eddie Stubbs, which detail the rich history of the original sessions, and the songs and artists which are being celebrated nearly ninety years later. Written by Cindy Lovell of Bristol’s Birthplace of Country Music Museum (for which the album raises support), the narrations are every bit as captivating as the music itself. “She researched for months and months

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to find out the stories behind these songs and the original songwriters, from many times way back in the eighteen hundreds,” says Jackson.

The narrations appear before each new performance, and not only share history regarding each song, but also include the 1927 version of each song in the background. ”You’ve got the original version there, and then all of a sudden the new version starts,” says Jackson. “I love that contrast. I just think it’s real cool.”

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Orthophonic joy

Not only is the contrast of old and new evident between versions of these classic songs, but the conceptual contrasts in the idea of this entire project are what make the album “real cool.” The idea of matching 21st century artists with recordings from 1927, and songs which primarily date back to the 1800s should not work. On paper, that sounds foolish. It should not make sense, just like the idea that an entire genre of music can be birthed from a bunch of mountain ”hillbilles” over the course of ten days in a hat factory should not make sense. And yet, here we are, in a world where one cannot imagine America without country music.

If nothing else, the magic of Orthophonic Joy sheds some light on this amazing alignment of the planets that created the roots of county music, and in turn, made bluegrass, folk, and Americana music possible. If that is all that is accomplished by making this album, Carl Jackson will consider it a job well done. “No matter what kind of music you’re doing today, or what you’re calling it, it had an origin. I want people to maybe not gloss over that so much, and realize that these folks were doing some great things back then, and it’s spurred us on to do, hopefully, some more great things today.”

Orthophonic Joy emphasizes that these were real people, making real music, that really mattered, and still matters 90 years later. Jackson hopes that this record will forever serve as reminder of that fact. “I just hope that Orthophonic Joy is a record that stays around forever, and people look back on it and go, ‘Man, this guy cared about the stuff they did in ’27. Let’s care about the stuff he did in ’15.’” With a masterpiece such as Orthophonic Joy, that will not be a problem.

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SEPT 29-OCT 1: IBMA BUSINESS CONFERENCE OCT 1 : : : : : : : 26 TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARDS OCT 2-3 : : : : : WIDE OPEN BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

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IF BLUEGRASS MUSIC MOVES YOU, COME TO THE EVENT THAT MOVES BLUEGRASS MUSIC!

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Feature “AirPlay Direct is an incredibly valuable tool for artists and their teams to utilize in efforts to promote their music to radio,” said IBMA Consultant Nancy Cardwell. “And for broadcasters, it’s a convenient, free, online service where they can download new music for their terrestrial, satellite and internet-based radio programs.

If you’re not already taking advantage of this service, I urge you to check it out at ”

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May 2015

Fresh Sounds

Kitty Amaral Fiddle Gems www.kittyamaral.com

Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, Country Grass www.pinecastlemusic.com www.carolinaroadband.com

Steve Harris Sundown www.orangeblossomrecords.com

Big Country Bluegrass Country Livin’ www.rebelrecords.com

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Jamie Harper Old Pal www.mountainfever.com

Sideline Session 2 www.mountainfever.com

Fresh Sounds

Trinity River Band Heartstrings www.orangeblossomrecords.com www.trinityriverband.com

The SteelDrivers The Muscle Shoals Recordings www.rounder.com www.thesteeldrivers.com

The Hillbenders Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry www.compassrecords.com www.whograss.com

High Lonesome Below Sea Level: Faces and Stories of Bluegrass Music in the Netherlands

By Marieke Oderkerken & Loes van Schaijk

Gold Heart Places I’ve Been www.mountainfever.com www.goldheartsisters.com

Cultural scholar Loes van Schaijk and photographer Marieke Oderkerken are two young Dutch women releasing this book revolving around the niche culture of bluegrass music in the Netherlands.

Over a time period of six months, they traveled to all corners of the country and across the borders with Belgium and Germany, to visit all kinds of people who have been captivated by bluegrass music’s characteristics: the combination of string instruments, the dazzling tempo and hard driving rhythms, the virtuoso solo breaks and improve, the catchy

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International Bluegrass

vocal harmonies and the unique “high lonesome” sound of the lead vocals.

Stark images in black and white depict characters who look foreign, yet so familiar when they hold their banjo, or cradle their mandolin. This book reveals to us that no matter the language – music speaks to us all.

The book will be for sale at bluegrass festivals in the Netherlands in 2015 and through www.bluegrassportraits.nl.

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Industry news

June 2015

On the charts - as reflected at press time Billboard: Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn at number one. The Phosphorescent Blues, Punch Brothers at number two; Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions, Robert Earl Keen at number three.

Bluegrass Unlimited Albums: Earls of Leicester by Earls of Leicester (Rounder) at number one; ‘Tween Earth and Sky by Becky Buller (Dark Shadow) at number two; When I’m Free by Hot Rize (Ten in Hand) at number three.

Bluegrass Unlimited Songs: “HonkyTonked to Death,” by Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice (written by Bill Castle) at number one; “Her Love Won’t Turn on a Dime,” by Lonesome River Band (written by B. Butler, T. Johnson, S. Minor) at number two. “Nothin’ to You,” by Becky Buller (written by Becky Buller) at number three.

Bluegrass Today songs: “Leaving CrazyTown” by Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle (written by Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford) at number one; “Roll Big River” by Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (written by Dustin Pyrtle, Eli Johnston) at number two; “Tennessee Flat Top Box,” by Darin and Brooke Aldridge (written by Johnny Cash) at number three.

Singing News songs: “Healed” by Locust Ridge at number one; “Pull Your Savior In,” by Larry Stephenson Band at number two; “Stacking Up the Rocks,” by Balsam Range at number three.

Roots Music albums: Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions, Robert Earl Keen at number one; When I’m Free by Hot Rize at number two; Voices by Volume Five at number three.

Standing o!

Amanda Smith, IBMA’s 2014 Female Vocalist of the Year, gave birth to baby girl Annabelle Blake Smith on April 8.

Everyone is happy and healthy! This is the first child for Kenny and Amanda.

Sam Passamano of Rural Rhythm Records has received the Iconic Innovators Award from AirPlay Direct.

The award is meant to acknowledge decision-makers in the music industry who both recognize and implement new strategies available in the digital era.

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Steve Martin and Pete Seeger are among honorees into the Banjo Hall of Fame for 2015. Others inducted are Eddy Davis, Tim Allan, Albert Grover. The American Banjo Museum is located in Oklahoma City, OK. Dailey & Vincent’s first ever live DVD, “Dailey & Vincent - ALIVE! In Concert,” debuts at #2 on the Billboard Music Video Sales Chart, following close behind the Foo Fighters’ “Sonic Highways.” To get the DVD, visit the Cracker Barrel website.

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Dan Keen, former IBMA board member, LBG alum, and former vice-president of ASCAP, was selected as a finalist for the Presidential Achievement Award at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is a music business professor.

Industry news For the record - need to know Tim White and the popular “Song of the Mountain” series out of Marion, VA are parting ways, and the show is also going on a hiatus. White has been the host of the show since its inception in 2005. According to the show’s executive director, they wanted to go in a different direction.

The show will continue to tape and air shows through August, and take a six month break to re-evaluate the show, which is having trouble financially.

Darrell Webb has added three new folks to his lineup. Andy Ruff on reso-guitar, Becky Webb (his sister) on bass, and banjo picker Cody Hill.

Darrell is on mandolin and Jared Hensley on guitar.

No Depression, the folk/roots blog is coming back to print this fall! But they need help. So, head to their website and find out how you can help through their Kickstarter campaign.

PegheadNation.com, new since September 2014, is the home of roots music instruction, gear, and news for players of guitar, mandolin, banjo, dobro, fiddle, bass, and ukulele.

With Peghead Nation’s e-learning courses, students can learn to play their favorite instruments with some of the best teachers in the roots music community. Students can also stay up-to-date with the latest happenings and news from the roots music world with video demonstrations of new instruments and gear, reviews of great new albums and videos, backstage conversations with touring musicians, thought-provoking and humorous columnists, and much more.

The Hillbenders’ most recent project, Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry is a bluegrass take on The Who’s double album rock opera. After playing a sold-out show at The Station Inn in Nashville on Sunday, May 10, The Hillbenders were able to go backstage at nearby Bridgestone Arena on Monday, May 11 where The Who

happened to be playing. They met Pete Townshend who had seen a couple videos and heard about the project, produced by Louis Meyers.

The album comes out on Compass Records June 2.

The Americana Music Association announced their nominees for the Americana Music Honors and Awards. Among the bluegrass folks nominated are all under the Duo/ Group of the Year: Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, and Punch Brothers. For a full list of nominees, click here.

The Henhouse Prowlers are currently in Africa for a cultural exchange mission for the U.S. government. In Rwanda, their first stop, they worked with musicians in a workshop at the Kigali School of Music and played at the University of Rwanda in Butare.

Their next stop is Zambia. They are writing a blog series recounting their experience that can be read at BluegrassToday.com.

In Remembrance Joe Wilson, who served as the Executive Director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts from 1976 until he retired in 2004, passed away on Sunday (May 17). He was 76 years of age. Wilson was on the board of trustees of the International Bluegrass Music Museum and was a historian on the music. He will be missed.

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