New Bluegrass

Volume Five at Mountain View Bluegrass Festival

2011-03-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

When we were at the Mountain View Bluegrass Festival a couple of weeks ago, we got to play before and after some amazing bands. Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, of course, gave a demonstration of the perfect gospel night performance. IIIrd Tyme Out and Grasstowne were just as phenomenal live as on their recordings (the cool thing about IIIrd Tyme Out's last show was that people would start clapping during the intro or after Russell Moore sang the first few words because they knew the songs).

But the band that really caught our attention was Volume Five. They're relatively unknown (not as unknown as The Hartley Family but when compared to DL&Q or IIIrd Tyme Out . . .), so the high quality of their music came as a surprise.

Even though IIIrd Tyme Out was my favorite band, partly because I've loved them for a long time, I felt that Volume Five had the best song choices for their sets. They told stories in their songs--stories that actually felt like they mattered. I have their CD, Children of the Mountains, and I keep listening to one song in particular over and over. (I've listened to the whole CD over and over, but this one gets repeated more than the others.) It's "The Rabbit Song," which tells the story of a man who's growing older in perhaps the most touching and gracious manner I've ever heard. The lyrics are perfect, never overdone or underdone, and Glen Harrell sings them with an equally sensitive touch.

This post turned into part festival review, part CD review, part band review! In conclusion . . . go see Volume Five or buy one of their CDs! Go to www.volumefivebg.com to listen to their music.

January 2011 bluegrass festivals

2011-01-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

I couldn't find many upcoming festivals for this month, but here's a list of the ones I did find!

7-9: River City Bluegrass Festival Portland, OR

14-16: Blythe Bluegrass Festival Blythe, CA

21-23: Florence Winter Folk Festival; Florence, OR

22: Bluegrass in the Park; Yuma, AZ

28-30: Winter Village Bluegrass Festival; Ithaca, NY

Also, I've found another festival finder, now that my previous sources seem to have dried out. Here's a link: Festival Finder.

If You Like Blue Highway . . .

2010-11-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! This is the next installment in my series of matching bands with listeners!

If you like the band Blue Highway, one of the so-called supergroups of bluegrass, you might also enjoy music by the following bands:

1) The Chapmans (This band of brothers, their father, and an extra fiddle player is making bluegrass sound like something from fifty years ago that just got polished to a high shine and moved up the block.)

2) Dailey and Vincent (This duo of "brothers from different mothers"--and different fathers!--and their supporting band members are as accomplished and focused as Blue Highway, if slightly more traditional-sounding. They have been a favorite at the IBMA awards show, scooping up half [well, it seemed like half!] the available awards already in the past couple of years. Jamie Dailey is former lead singer for Doyle Lawson; Darrin Vincent backed up Ricky Skaggs for years and co-produces much of his sister Rhonda's music.)

3) Infamous Stringdusters (Their CD, "Fork in the Road," was produced by Tim Stafford, the guitarist for Blue Highway, and their band has been influenced by Blue Highway.)

4) Balsam Range (This band is coming up with some great ways to play old songs and make them new! They also have some refreshingly original songs.)

5) Grasstowne (Made up of members from other more well-known groups [Steve Gulley from Mountain Heart, Alan Bibey once of IIIrd Tyme Out, Phil Leadbetter, etc.], this group's debut was of course professional-level.)

6) Kenny & Amanda Smith (This is one of my favorite groups. They've got it all--great songs, gifted singers and players, a drive and polish that's there as much when you hear them live as on CD. . . Some of their songs were actually written by Tim Stafford of Blue Highway!)

Modern Bluegrass Bands

2010-10-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Listening to Nickel Creek's debut album (from back in their more identifiably bluegrass days!) made me change my mind about not liking bluegrass seven years ago. Now I like almost all bluegrass (including the old recordings), but I still am especially excited by the bands who are bringing new life into the genre! Here's a list of some bands, all composed of top-of-the-line musicians and singers, who make the term bluegrass synonymous with energy and excitement.

1) Mountain Heart (They belong first on this list, in my opinion, because they have done so much to ramp up the energy level in bluegrass, as well as try out some things that haven't been done before! Jim VanCleve, the fiddle player in the band, has had a lot of influence in the past few years, not only through Mountain Heart but as the producer of several young bands' CDs.)

2) Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain (Ms. Hassler has a truly great voice, and her band has incredible drive. You can hear the Jim VanCleve producer's touch in her music!)

3) The Infamous Stringdusters (These guys have paid their dues on the bluegrass circuit, and now they've really been making waves with their unique, experimental style. If you lean more to the traditional side, start with their first CD, Fork in the Road.)

4) Cadillac Sky (As with the Stringdusters, you may want to start with CD #1 by this group, Blind Man Walking. These guys are so talented and are willing to try just about anything.)

5) Cherryholmes (This family group has worked hard to get to its current almost-supergroup status. They have developed a unique and passionate style of music.)

6) Keith Sewell (This guy doesn't really fit in with the rest of this list of bands, but his Love is A Journey is so cool I couldn't leave him out of it! You won't be able to stop listening!)

7) NewFound Road (They just get more polished with each new recording. These guys have it down in their Life in a Song.)

8) Nickel Creek (Even though they're not really in existence as a band currently, I need to have them on this list. Their music doesn't have the intense energy of Mountain Heart's, but it definitely belongs in any collection of modern bluegrass recordings. Buy their first CD, produced by Alison Krauss.)

9) Alison Krauss and Union Station (I know, everyone already knows about them. But she has to be one of the biggest influences around for many of the new, rising bands! You need to have their So Long, So Wrong.)

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but if you're looking for music that drives and pulses and changes, you'll find it in the work these bands have produced.

If You Like Dan Tyminski . . .

2010-09-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

This is the first of what I hope to make into a series of lists of similar artists. I'm always looking for new bands to inspire me, and it helps me to know a little about their sound before I buy their CDs! I hope this helps you find some bands that you might not otherwise hear about.

If you like Dan Tyminski (he's the guitarist/mandolin player and a lead/harmony singer in Alison Krauss & Union Station), you might like:

1) Blue Highway (They set the standard in polished modern bluegrass that doesn't offend traditionalists. Most bluegrassers who know anything about the "supergroups" have heard--or heard of--Blue Highway, but I had to add them anyway! I recommend all of their CDs, but if you're wanting to just try them out, start with Still Climbing Mountains.)

2) Dwight McCall (Former lead singer for J.D. Crowe & the New South, his voice has a forceful tenor sound that occasionally recalls Tyminski's voice.)

3) Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen (We just found out about his music, and are excited by his voice, his excellent song selection and the sound of the whole band.)

4) Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad (Traditional band of great guys that have really drawn attention with their gospel CD. They're professionals and sound like professionals.)

5) Alex Hibbitts (His new CD, The Chronicles of Depression, is way beyond the production level of most solo projects by newcomers. Guest artists like Jim VanCleve, Josh Swift and Clay Hess mean this is no amateur attempt.)

6) The Lonesome River Band (A very well-known band. Dan Tyminski used to share with Ronnie Bowman the lead singing duties for this band, and together they worked on LRB's milestone CD, Carrying the Tradition.)

I may add more bands to this later, but these are the main ones I can think of right now.

September 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-09-01T01:20:00.000-07:00

Autumn is on its way . . . during the next couple of months, we need to make it to as many festivals as we can before winter hits.

1: Blue Mountain Gospel Music Festival; Lebanon, PA

2: Lil John’s Mountain Music Festival; Snow Camp, NC

Tri-State Bluegrass Festival; Kendallville, Indiana

3: Barnes Family Bluegrass Festival; Aledo, Illinois

Four Corners Folk Festival; Pagosa Springs, Colorado

4: Taste of the Mountains Main Street Festival; Madison, Virginia

RedBone Willy’s Blue Grass & Peddler’s; Lawndale, NC

Wm. Dively Memorial Bluegrass Festival; Berlin, PA

5: Grascals Bluegrass Homecoming; Milan, Indiana

7: Fraley Mountain Music Festival; Olive Hill, KY

9: Grottoes Family Bluegrass Festival; Grottoes, Virginia

10: Mountain Song Festival; Brevard, NC

WV State BBQ & Bluegrass Festival; Hedgesville, WV

11: East Troy Bluegrass Festival; East Troy, Wisconsin

First Annual Hardy Bluegrass Festival; Hardy, AR (The Hartley Family will be performing here!)

12: Cypress Creek Park Bluegrass Festival; Adona, Arkansas

14: The Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival; Morehead, Kentucky

15: Walnut Valley Festival; Winfield, Kansas

16: Duplin Valley Bluegrass Festival; Kodak, Tennessee

Starvy Creek Fall Bluegrass Festival; Conway, Missouri

17: Bristol Rhythm and Roots; Bristol, Tennessee

West Michigan Fall Bluegrass Festival; Lowell, Michigan

18: Julian Bluegrass Festival; Julian, California

19: Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival; Fort Fisher Military Recreation Area, NC

Lyons Fiddle Festival; Lyons, PA

22: Watermelon Park Fest; Berryville, Virginia

23: Nothin Fancy Bluegrass Festival; Buena Vista, Virginia

Vine Grove Bluegrass Festival; Vine Grove, Kentucky

24: White Oak Shores Bluegrass Festival; Stella, NC

Foggy Hollow Bluegrass Gatherin’; Wellington, Alabama

25: Mountain Heritage Day; Cullowhee, NC

Haynes Bluegrass Festival; Leesville, SC

27: World of Bluegrass Business Conference; Nashville, Tennessee

30: Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Music Festival; Rosine, Kentucky

August 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-08-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

August is already here! There's a great lineup of festivals this month, and maybe it won't get too hot! (Notice that I'll be at one in New York--this southern girl is happy to be up north this time of year!)

1: AUGUSTA HERITAGE CENTER Bluegrass Week; Elkins, WV

2: NashCamp Bluegrass Camps; Cumberland Furnace, TN

4: Appalachian String Band Music Festival; Clifftop, WV

5: Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival; East Hartford, CT

Pickin in Parsons; Parsons, WV

Back Forty Bluegrass Festival; Curryville, MO

6: Bluegrass in the Park Folklife Festival; Henderson, KY

Brantling Bluegrass Festival; Sodus, NY (The Hartley Family will be appearing here!)

7: Appalachian Heritage Festival (free); Harrison, OH

Wildlife West Nature Park Bluegrass Festival; Edgewood, NM

9: The Centralia Old Time Music Campout; Centralia, Washington

11: Kahoka Festival of Bluegrass Music; Kahoka, Missouri

12: "L’iL" Margarets Bluegrass Festival; LEONARDTOWN, Maryland

13: The Good Ole Fashioned Bluegrass Festival; Tres Pinos, California

Ola Belle Reed Homecoming Festival; Lansing, NC

14: WHITE MOUNTAIN BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL; Pinetop, Arizona

19: Cherokee Bluegrass Festival; Marion, NC

Northwest Arkansas Bluegrass Festival; Harrison, Arkansas

20: Lake Cumberland Bluegrass Festival; Lake Cumberland, KY

21: Festival in the Gardens; Arcola, Illinois

22: Central Virginia Bluegrass Festival; Amelia, Virginia

25: Deep Summer Festival; Sherman, Texas

26: Pickin’ In The Pasture; Lodi, New York

Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Music Festival; Litchfield, Maine

27: Bannock County Bluegrass Festival; Pocatello, Idaho

28: Santa Fe Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival; Santa Fe, New Mexico

30: Old-Time Country Bluegrass Festival; LeMars, Iowa

July 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-07-01T03:51:00.000-07:00

Another month of summer bluegrass festivals! My family and I will be performing at festivals highlighted in blue. Come and enjoy the music!

1: Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival; Conway, Missouri

2: Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival; Smithville, Tennessee

Bluegrass in the Grove; North Robinson, Ohio

4: Bishop’s Bluegrass Festival; Orkney Springs, Virginia

7: Wayside Bluegrass Festival; Stuart, Virginia

8: High Mountain Hay Fever Festival; Westcliffe, Colorado

Central Ohio Bluegrass Festival; Croton, Ohio

9: UNCLE DAVE MACON DAYS; MURFREESBORO, Tennessee

MusicFest ’N Sugar Grove; Sugar Grove, NC

Gospel Bluegrass Jamboree; Cornell, WI

10: Common Ground on the Hill Festival; Westminster, Maryland

15: Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival; Oak Hill, New York

Mineral Bluegrass Festival; Mineral, Virginia

16: Crazy Horse Campground Bluegrass Festival; Ashland, Illinois

White Oak Mountain Bluegrass Festival; Cleveland, Tennessee

17: Summer Gospel Sing; Stuart, Virginia

Little Falls Bluegrass Festival; Amery, WI

18: RockyGrass Academy (July 18-22, 2010); Lyons, Colorado

Country Stage Music Park; Nova, Ohio

21: Musicians Against Childhood Cancer; Columbus, Ohio

22: FloydFest; Floyd, Virginia

23: Red Lick Valley Bluegrass Festival; Irvine, Kentucky

Buffalo River Valley Bluegrass Festival; Mondovi, WI

24: Bainbridge Bluegrass Festival and Family Fun Fair; Bainbridge Island,

Washington

26: Midsummer In The Northwoods Bluegrass Festival; Manitowish Wtrs, Wisconsin

29: Salt River Bluegrass Festival; Shepherd, Michigan

30: Roanoke FiddleFest; Roanoke, Virginia

31: Idaho International Dance & Music Festival; Rexburg, Idaho

June 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-06-01T03:04:00.000-07:00

2: Melody Ranch Bluegrass Festival; Sherman, Texas

3: Graves Mountain Festival of Music; Syria, Virginia

Strawberry Park; Preston, CT

Skiatook Bluegrass Festival; Skiatook, Oklahoma

4: Pagosa Folk ’n Bluegrass; Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Foggy Hollow Bluegrass Gatherin'; Wellington, Alabama

Ocrafolk Music and Storytelling Festival; Ocracoke, North Carolina

5: Lane County Country Bluegrass Festival; Dighton, Kansas

10: Dumplin Valley JuneFest; Kodak, Tennessee

Bluegrass In the Hills; Hopedale, Ohio

11: White’s Mountain Music Bluegrass; Clair Springs, Alabama

Big Lick Bluegrass Festival; Oakboro, North Carolina

Nor Eastr’ Music and Art Festival; MIO, Michigan

12: Rhythm on the Ridge Fest; Schenectady, New York

Rocky River Spring Festival; Rock Island, Tennessee

16: Country Stage Bluegrass Festival; Nova, Ohio

17: CBA’s Annual Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival; Green Valley, California

Telluride Bluegrass Festival; Telluride, Colorado

Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Music Festival Loganton, Pennsylvania

18: Poston Lake Bluegrass Festival; Guysville, Ohio

19: Fairborn Heritage Days; Fairborn, Ohio

21: National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival; Weiser, Idaho

23: ROMP; Owensboro, Kentucky

24: ROCKY MOUNTAIN SUMMER GOSPELGRASS; Calhan, Colorado

25: Appalachian Mountain Music Festival; Waynesville, Ohio

26: Heritage Day Festival & Wood Kiln Opening; Lenior, NC

Flagstaff Folk Festival; Flagstaff, Arizona

29: Singing in the Hominy Valley; Candler, North Carolina

30: Sally Mountain Park Bluegrass Festival; QUEEN CITY, Missouri

May 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-04-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

1: John Foster Memorial Bluegrass Festival; Pickens, South Carolina

White Oak Lake Bluegrass Festival; White Oak Lake State Park, AR (The Hartley Family will be here, as well as Posey Hill and the Acousticatz)

2: Shenandoah Apple Blossom Bluegrass Festival; Winchester, Virginia

4: Sedona Bluegrass Festival; Sedona, Arizona

6: Parkfield Bluegrass Festival; Parkfield, California

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Bluegrass Festival Denton, North Carolina

Ponderosa Bluegrass Festival Mountain Grove, Missouri

Lake Eden Arts Festival Black Mountain, North Carolina

Bluff Creek Bluegrass Festival Vancleave, Mississippi

7: Sandyland Bluegrass Reunion; Nacogdoches, Texas

CrossPoint Bluegrass Gospel Festival Shelbyville, Tennessee

Under the Oaks Bluegrass Festival Panama City, Florida

Appalachian Festival Cincinnati, Ohio

Bluegrass Weekend Cairo, West Virginia

8: Bluegrass in Wilkes; Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Bluegrass on the Waccamaw Conway, South Carolina

Menokin Bluegrass Festival Warsaw, Virginia

Cooleemee Civitan Old-Time Fiddlers’ and Bluegrass Convention; Mocksville, North Carolina

Cityslickers Bluegrass Festival; Richmond, Virginia

Red, White and Bluegrass; Hollywood, Florida

Swamps Spring Bluegrass Festival; Patriot, Ohio

Free Bluegrass Festival; Hope, AR (The Hartley Family will be at this festival, as well as the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band and others!!!)

13: Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Festival; Amelia, Virginia

Aiken Bluegrass Festival; Aiken, South Carolina

Bluegrass On The Creek; Tylertown, Mississippi

Bluegrass & BBQ Festival~thru May 31; Branson, Missouri (We'll be at the Youth in Bluegrass contest here on May 29-30)

Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Washington Cattle Co. Bluegrass Festival; Flomot, Texas

Fire on the Strings Bluegrass Festival; Montgomery, Texas

14: Jomeokee Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival; Pinnacle, North Carolina

Blackwater Bluegrass Spring Festival; Jasper, Alabama

Mayfest Bluegrass Festival; Lowell, Michigan

Logan County Bluegrass Jam; Auburn, Kentucky

Brumley Musicfest; Bentonville, Arkansas

Sevierville Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass; Sevierville, Tennessee

15: Highlonesome Strings Pickin in the Park; Pleasant Garden, North Carolina

16: Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival; Agoura Hills, California

20: Strawberry Festival; Yosemite, California

American Banjo Fraternity Rally; Williamsport, Pennsylvania

21: Got to Be NC Festival; Raleigh, North Carolina

SEMBA’s Bluegrass Music Festival; Houston, Minnesota

Mr. B’s Bluegrass Festival; Ladysmith, Virginia

26: Mossy Oak Music Park Bluegrass Festival; Guyton, Georgia

27: Lil John’s Mountain Music Festival; Snow Camp, North Carolina

Lexington Bluegrass Festival; Lexington, Alabama

Strawberry Music Festival; Yosemite, California

Bluegrass Pickin’ Time Campground Festival; Dixon, Missouri

Tri-State Bluegrass Festival; Kendallville, Indiana

Ralph Stanley’s Memorial Weekend Bluegrass Festival; Coeburn, Virginia

AMVETS Post 61 Bluegrass Festival; Hillsboro, Ohio

28: Jimmy Martin Memorial Bluegrass Festival; Sneedville, Tennessee

ABL Bluegrass Roundup; GALWAY, New York

Bluegrass on the River ; Pueblo, Colorado

Gospel Bluegrass Festival; Grapeland, Texas

NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL; Seattle, Washington

Jammin at Hippie Jacks Americana Music & Art Festival; Crawford, Tennessee

Florida Folk Festival; White Springs, Florida

Papa Joe’s BANJO-B-QUE - Bluegrass Festival; Beech Island, South Carolina

Plum Hollow Festival; Campobello, South Carolina

Memorial Weekend Gospel Sing; Stuart, Virginia

Delfest; Cumberland, Maryland

Runaway Freight Bluegrass Festival; Eagleville, Tennessee

29: Uncle Jimmy Thompson Bluegrass Festival Granville, Tennessee

Jubilee in the Breaks Breaks, Virginia

Mostly Bluegrass Spring Festival; Holden Beach, North Carolina

31: Cypress Creek Park Bluegrass Festival; Adona, Arkansas

Review: "Grown Up" by the Chapmans

2010-04-13T19:16:00.001-07:00

The Chapmans released a new CD earlier this year: "Grown Up: A Revisionist History," and because the past few CDs we've gotten of them are among our favorites (especially "Simple Man"), we decided to order it. However, I saw that they were going to re-release songs that they had previously recorded during their past twenty years as a band and was immediately doubtful. (I belong to a family band, and I know what CDs from your family's far-back history sound like!)

The CD arrived in the mail yesterday, and my ideas of old family-band songs were demolished. What they meant by "a revisionist history" (think Fox Network) was that they went back, chose the best of those old songs and completely revamped them. These are not old recordings!

Two new songs were added to the mix, but those oldies sounded like they were just out of the box. The arrangements were just right, every note was clean and crisp . . . I can't say enough about how professional the entire album is, from the mixing to the graphic design. (This is quite an accomplishment, since the Chapmans recorded this CD in a home studio!)

Highlights of the CD: "Jenny Dear," a calm, reflective love song with a beautiful mandolin lead-in that bluegrass musicians are going to be copying for the next few years. "Bubblegum Baby," a funny love song with a jaw-dropping fiddle break played by Stuart Duncan, who's always a strong part of an album's lineup. "Small Exception of Me," a mournful past-love song (sensing a trend here?) once performed by the Seldom Scene. John and Jeremy Chapman blend in classic bluegrass style on it. "Love's Gonna Live Here," simply because it's a duet with Rhonda Vincent and was written by Buck Owens, if not for the great arrangement!

"Grown Up" is well worth buying. And get the whole CD, not a few scattered mp3s. You start liking the ones you thought you wouldn't. (Like "Bubblegum Baby!")

I'm glad the Chapmans took the time to make another a good one.

April 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-04-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

April 1: THE FLORIDA STATE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Perry, Florida

Piney Woods Lake Bluegrass Festival Glenwood, Georgia

April 2: Smoke on the Water BBQ & Bluegrass Festival Thomaston, Georgia

Florida Old Time Music Championships Brooksville, Florida

April 3: WRFG Peachblossom Bluegrass Festival Clarkston, Georgia

Old-Time Fiddlers’ Fest Shelton, Washington

April 5: Alaska Folk Festival Juneau, Alaska

April 6: Two Rivers Bluegrass Festival Leaksville, Mississippi

April 9: The Darin and Brooke Aldridge Bluegrass Festival Newton, North Carolina

Concho Valley Bluegrass Festival San Angelo, Texas

Kruger Brothers Banjo & Guitar Workshop Jupiter, Florida

April 10: Wynnhill Molly Bluegrass & BBQ Festival Dublin, Georgia

Resonator Roundup Clarksville, Arkansas

April 15: Old Settler’s Music Festival Austin, Texas

Arcadia Bluegrass Festival Upperco, Maryland

Great Southern RV Park Bluegrass Festival Angie, Louisiana

April 16: Durango Bluegrass Meltdown Durango, Colorado

Bear on the Square Dahlonega, Georgia

Stringbreak Music Festival Brooksville, Florida

TSBA Family Bluegrass Festival Burlington, Iowa

Disabled Americans Bluegrass Benefit Tallapoosa, Georgia

April 17: Deep River Bluegrass Festival Randleman, North Carolina

North Texas GospelGrass Weatherford, Texas

Raccoon Creek Bluegrass Festival Dallas, Georgia

Yadkinville Bluegrass Convention Yadkinville, North Carolina

April 19: Cypress Creek Park Pasture Pickin’ Adona, Arkansas

April 22: Shakori Hills Pittsboro, North Carolina

The Great American Bluegrass Festival Dothan, Alabama

Duncan Spring Bluegrass Festival Duncan, Oklahoma

Mossy Oak Music Park Bluegrass Festival Guyton, Georgia

DAUGHTERS OF BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Guyton, Georgia

Texas State Championship Fiddlers’ Frolics Halletsville, Texas

Rholetter Spring Bluegrass Festival Long Creek, South Carolina

Mr. B’s Bluegrass Festival Woodford, Virginia

Country Bluegrass Show North Platte, Nebraska

Willow Oak Music Park Bluegrass Festival Roxboro, North Carolina

April 23: White Oak Shores Bluegrass Festial Stella, North Carolina

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Bluegrass Festival Winchester, Virginia

Brimstock Bluegrass Festival Moss, Tennessee

Belk Bluegrass Festival Belk, Alabama

Benson Bluegrass in the Park Benson, Arizona

Bluegrass Returns to it’s Roots Festival Owensboro, Kentucky

April 24: Lions Club Spring Bluegrass Festival Candor, North Carolina

New Jersey Folk Festival New Brunswick, New Jersey

Spring Bluegrass Festival Brooksville, Florida

April 27: Oregon Trail Wagon Train Bluegrass Festival Bayard, Nebraska

April 28: Festival in the Pines Rocky Mount, Virginia

April 29: Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival Chattanooga, Tennessee

Merlefest Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Twin Oaks Bluegrass Festival Hoboken, Georgia

Skyline Bluegrass Festival Wewoka, Oklahoma

Golden Valley Bluegrass Jamboree Clinton, Missouri

Festival in the Pines Rocky Mount, Virginia

Skyline Bluegrass Festival Wewoka, Oklahoma

Twin Oaks Park Bluegrass Music Convention Hoboken, Georgia

April 30: Poteau Bluegrass Festival Poteau, Oklahoma

Townsend in the Smokies Spring Festival Townsend, Tennessee

Meadowgreen Park Spring Festival Clay City, Kentucky

French Broad River Festival Hot Springs, North Carolina

Henhouse Prowlers--"In it for the Long Haul"

2010-03-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Henhouse Prowlers are making a splash in Chicago, where they're based, and elsewhere with an energetic brand of traditional bluegrass. They play an incredible number of shows per year in venues ranging from bars to churches. Band members are: Eric Lambert on guitar, Jon Goldfine on bass, Ryan Hinshaw on fiddle, and Ben Wright, who answered my questions for this interview, on the banjo.

Anna: How long have the Henhouse Prowlers been together as a group? Can you give me some background on the members of the band?

Ben: The band has been together for almost six years now. We all were playing different styles of music (Americana, Blues, Jam, etc) and decided to put a bluegrass band together to play once a week for fun. In the end, the music itself persuaded us to quit everything else and focus on this project. Bluegrass is like that.

Anna: What would you say is the strongest point of what your band has to offer?

Ben: Our show rocks hard. We combine traditional sounds with the intensity and bounce of a rock show. This ends up pleasing both the listening crowd and the people who want to dance all night long.

Anna: Your music online has a strong old-timey flavor. Is this a sound you want to maintain?

Ben: We love the roots of the genre, that's for sure. Thick harmonies combined with traditional instruments create a great foundation for our songs.

Anna: What type of venues tend to work best as a setting for your music?

Ben: We can work in any venue, really. We've played everything from big halls (we're playing the Old Town School of Folk Music on July 17th for our 6th anniversary show) and big festivals to small hip bars and barn floors.

Anna: Who are some of your musical heroes?

Ben: Flatt and Scruggs, Osbourne Brothers, AC/DC, Ween, Bill Monroe . . .

Anna: Where do you see yourself in five years? (I know this is always a hard question, and there's no way you can answer it accurately, but I'm just asking for fun!)

Ben: We're hoping to be still chugging along in 5 years. It would be nice to be able to play less and spend more time at home while still making a living, but we're in it for the long haul. Last year we played 207 shows and this year could be more.

Find out more about the Prowlers here: http://www.reverbnation.com/henhouseprowlers

March 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-03-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry I'm a little bit late with this! It looks like there's a good crop of festivals this month!

11th: Tomorrow’s News Bluegrass Festival; Arcadia, Florida

Will McLean Music Festival; Brooksville, Florida

Top of Georgia Bluegrass Jamboree; Dillard, Georgia

St. Louis Flatpick Contest; St. Louis, Missouri

13th: Sonoma Company Bluegrass & Folk Festival; Sebastopol, California

Austell 87 Bluegrass Gospel Festival; Dallas, Georgia

Highfalls Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention; High Falls, North Carolina

Cousin Jake Memorial Bluegrass Day; Etowah, Tennessee

18th: Bluegrass & BBQ Festival; Auburndale, Florida

Savannah Music Festival; Savannah, Georgia

19th: MABC Spring Indoor Festival; Eureka, Missouri

Wilmington Winter Bluegrass Festival; Claymont, Delaware

Auburndale Bluegrass Festival; Auburndale, Florida

Suwannee Banjo Camp; High Springs, Florida

Bluegrass Xperience; Kiln, Mississippi

Spring Break in Bonham; Bonham, Texas

20th: Chattanooga Fiddler’s Convention ; Chattanooga, Tennessee

Old Town Temecula Bluegrass Festival; Temecula, California

24th: North Louisiana Fall Bluegrass Festival; Oak Grove, Louisiana

25th: Suwannee Springfest; Live Oak, Florida

26th: RenoFest~Always the Fourth Week in March; Hartsville, South Carolina

Naperville Bluegrass Music Festival; Naperville, Illinois

BBQ Cookoff and Bluegrass Jam; Asheville, North Carolina

Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival; Wilmington, Ohio

Long Beach Bluegrass Festival; Long Beach, Washington

Sertoma Spring Bluegrass Festival; Brooksville, Florida

Early Bird Bluegrass Festival; Hugo, Oklahoma

27th: DC Bluegrass Festival; McLean, Virginia

Spring Creek Bluegrass

2010-02-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

Spring Creek is a band I've kept my eye on for the past year or so, since I first spotted their website and heard their music. They've had some changes during that year. Their bass player, Jessica Smith, who adds the only female vocals in the band, will soon be leaving for Nashville, so they'll be finding a new bass player. Other members are: Alex Johnstone on fiddle and mandolin; Chris Elliott on banjo; and Taylor Sims, guitarist and lead singer, who answered my questions for this interview. They have a solid grasp on the bluegrass-standards-sound, yet bring some pieces to the table that are all their own. (You can listen to some of their music on their website.)

Anna: How did the current members of Spring Creek get together?

Taylor: Three of us met at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas and then I picked Alex up hitchhiking. Then we became the house band on a guest ranch in western Colorado.

Anna: When did you start touring regularly?

Taylor: About 3 years ago.

Anna: As a band, what are you looking for in the next few years?

Taylor: More gigs, more CDs, better shows, new markets, more fans and more fun!

Anna: It takes time for a band to gain maturity, not only in the interpersonal relationships but in stage presentation and music arrangement. Do you feel that Spring Creek has reached that place, or are you still finding it?

Taylor: I feel like we have come a long long way since we started but we are always trying to find something better or something more entertaining. There is always room for improvement.

Anna: What bands have had the most influence on your sound?

Taylor: Country Gazette, Hot Rize, the Beatles, Neil Young and lots of other people and bands I won't mention here.

Anna: Can you describe a typical week on the road for your band?

Taylor: A typical week . . . well, always lots of miles and hotel rooms but it is hard to say what a typical week would be because in this business nothing is certain from day to day and from show to show! We have pulled up to a venue on a Friday night and they roll out the red carpet and treat us like celebrities, and then on Saturday night the venue owner doesn't want to unplug the cigarette machine so we can plug in our sound system. It's a weird business. The pre-publicity stuff is all taken care of by our wonderful publicist, Garian Vigil.

Anna: What part of being a band are you most excited about right now?

Taylor: New songs, new sound and a new bass player!

Spring Creek's website (springcreekbluegrassband.com) is a cool place to visit. Check it out!

Aleah Dillon - "Making Sense to the User"

2010-02-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

I found out about Aleah Dillon's work when I visited the Mountain Heart website, on which she did a fantastic job in making an easy-to-navigate, very professional place to visit. She has also created websites for Ronnie Bowman, Josh Shilling (the new lead singer for Mountain Heart), and several companies. Aleah has definite style and class in her work. This interview with her is informative reading not only for the person who has to do his or her own web design, but also for those who are looking into having someone else do the work for them!

Anna: What's your favorite program for web design?

Aleah: I use Photoshop for the most part for design components. For the development I always love Microsoft Visual Studio, but have been known to just use Notepad!

Anna: What are your thoughts about the programs people are commonly using for Do-It-Yourself sites? (FrontPage, iWeb, etc.)

Aleah: For simple, informational sites it doesn't matter how your site gets to its finished state. The most important thing to remember is that you make it look professional. If you can accomplish that with a DIY solution that's great! However, when it comes to more complicated sites, DIYs can "bloat" your site and it will not only load slower but also, any extra functionality you may have will run slower.

Anna: How did you get started in this business?

Aleah: While I was studying Math and Computer Science at Roanoke College, I worked for the webmaster in the IT department there. I noticed in that area (and here in Nashville) there was a big gap between those companies that provided very cheap websites that looked cheap and companies that provided very expensive websites that looked great. There was no middle ground. I saw the need for a company that was providing professional websites that look great and are affordable and have been trying to fill it ever since.

Anna: Which one of your finished products is currently your favorite?

Aleah: Josh Shilling's website for sure. He and I spent a lot of time making that website not only the best that it could be, but also making it match Josh's personality. We are very proud of the end product.

Anna: How do you get design inspiration?

Aleah: The first question I ask my clients when I start a new design is "Send me a list of 5 websites that you like." That's where I always start. Once I know the kind of design components they tend to go for, I can start applying those types of styles and components to their company's profile.

Anna: What's your favorite method of making a website user-friendly?

Aleah: User-friendly user interfaces are my biggest pet peeve. I just always remember that too much of anything is never recommended, whether it's flash or AJAX or imagery. 1) The website needs to load quickly. 2) I always create a work-flow first for functionality such as joining a mailing list, listening to songs, placing an order using a shopping cart, looking through a photos in several galleries, sending an email, viewing news, etc. Work-flows are especially important when looking at more involved situations like allowing the user to add content to their site through a back-end content management system.

Anna: Are you naturally stronger on graphics or content arrangement?

Aleah: I am naturally strong on neither. I am naturally stronger on the back-end coding and the content management side of things. If I had to choose I'd say content arrangement, just because I like to focus on the interface making sense to the user so much.

Anna: Do you have advice for people who are trying to decide whether to get a professionally-designed website? What can a website do for a band?

Aleah: The web is where it's at right now and I don't see that changing much in the future. I just finished a website for a band that had been turned down for gigs because the clubs were only hiring bands that had a website. They said to weed out the "garage bands." More importantly, when I go to a club or theater and see a new band or if I hear about one on the radio, the first thing I do personally is go to Google and search their name. That's where most people go to find information. An active, professional web presence keeps the fans interested, gets them in the seats at your shows, and sells albums.

Anna: Just out of curiosity: how did you end up designing a site for Mountain Heart? (You did a great job there!)

Aleah: I had already done Josh Shilling's website and continued to maintain it and when he joined the band back in 2007 their website needed to be updated. Eventually he recommended that I work on Mountain Heart's.

Find out more about Aleah Dillon's work with her company, Hypermedia, here: www.hypermediaweb.com

February 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-02-01T01:41:00.000-08:00

Feb 4 SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards; Nashville, Tennessee

Feb 5 Mayville Wintergrass; Mayville, New York

Feb 8 Bluegrass Jam Cruise; Long Beach, California

Feb 11 Acoustic Camp Midwest; Amana, Iowa

Diabetes Association Festival; Radford, Virginia

Feb 12 LAKESHORE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL; Havasu Lake, California

Bluegrass First Class; Asheville, North Carolina

San Francisco Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival ; San Francisco, California

Joe Val Bluegrass Festival; Framingham, Massachusetts

University of Chicago Folk Festival; Chicago, Illinois

Feb 13 Rhonda Vincent Bluegrass Cruise; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Jammin’ in the Hammock; Naples, Florida

Feb 14 Ocean County Bluegrass Festival; Waretown, New Jersey

Feb 16 Rio Grande Valley Music Festival; Mercedes, Texas

Feb 18 Palatka Bluegrass Festival; Palatka, Florida

Feb 19 Kansas Bluegrass Association Winter Festival; Wichita, Kansas

Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival; Denver, Colorado

TSBA Winter Bluegrass Festival; Quincy, Illinois

Salt River Bluegrass Festival; Shepherdsville, Kentucky

Feb 20 ETA Bluegrass Cruise; Miami, Florida

Free Bluegrass Festival; Hope, AR (THE HARTLEY FAMILY WILL BE APPEARING HERE!)

Feb 25 Wintergrass; Bellevue, Washington

Feb 26 Everglades Bluegrass Festival; Miami Beach, Florida

Feb 26 Clawcamp West; San Diego, California

Sanders & Lake Murray Bluegrass Festival; Ardmore, Oklahoma

Tommy Jarrell Festival Dance; Mount Airy, North Carolina

Dixieland Spring Bluegrass Festival; Waldo, Florida

SteveFest; Port Charlotte, Florida

Feb 27 Wellsville Wintergrass; Wellsville, New York

Kinston Winter Bluegrass Festival; Kinston, North Carolina

For the Intermediate Bluegrass Learner

2010-01-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

This is a list of our favorite resources in the intermediate-level range. These DVDs don't get mired in the beginning stuff like so many of the materials that claim to be for the intermediate players--except for mentioning common mistakes that you may have practiced from the beginning that are slowing or deadening your playing now.

Guitar

Bryan Sutton's SECRETS FOR SUCCESSFUL FLATPICKING. (Homespun) I've been going through this one again--it's a valuable resource for players in any stage, but especially inspiring for those in the intermediate level. Tone and tension (or the goal of a lack of tension!) are addressed in this DVD. Cody Kilby helps out with rhythm and plays a solo to let Bryan give an example of rhythm that fits the feeling of the solo.

Tony Rice's GUITAR METHOD. (Homespun) This 2-DVD set (with special guest Wyatt Rice) is one you're really going to want to keep in your library to refer to every few months! Tony Rice has long been recognized as one of the greatest acoustic guitarists in the world, and I think this set shows why. You won't be able to learn everything from it at once, because much of it is quite advanced . . . but, as I said, it's helpful for spicing up your playing every few months!

David Grier's BLUEGRASS GUITAR: BUILDING POWERFUL SOLOS. (Homespun) David Grier has his own style, and he's a great one to learn from when you want to bring in something a little different.

Fiddle

Jim VanCleve's BECOME A MORE COMPLETE FIDDLER. (AcuTab) Jim VanCleve is my brother's hero in the fiddle world, and he says this DVD from AcuTab is very well-produced and that Jim teaches a lot of the songs and licks he's wanted to see done live ever since he bought VanCleve's solo CD.

Ron Stewart's PLAYING FIDDLE IN THE BLUEGRASS STYLE. (AcuTab) Again, this comes highly recommended from my brother. Ron Stewart is so incredible on the banjo that it's hard to believe he's also such a specialist on the fiddle! The teaching is clear and doesn't bog down in beginner-level details.

Mandolin

Adam Steffey's MY APPROACH TO BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN. (AcuTab) Steffey is one of the most highly-respected mandolin players in the country, and (according to my other brother!) he's a good teacher as well.

Bass

Todd Phillips' ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES FOR BASS-DVD 2. (Homespun) This is a thorough covering of bass technique in the upper-beginner-to-intermediate level. Our bass player says you might not want to go through it until you've worked through DVD 1 to lay the foundation.

Dobro

Rob Ickes' ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES FOR DOBRO. (2-DVD set from Homespun) This teaching material can "jazz up" your playing as you're getting ready to leave behind the Looney-tunes-like beginning dobro slides! Rob Ickes demonstrates some of his best songs on here, with a big range of sounds and speeds represented. (From "How Great Thou Art," to "Monrobro.")

Banjo

Bill Evans' BANJO BACKUP--UP THE NECK (AcuTab) Our banjo player says this is the best instructional material he's found. (And he's tried quite a wide variety!) It brings maneuvers that look complex into layman's language.

Jim Mills' A WINNING BANJO STYLE (AcuTab) This is one to tackle if you're looking for a real challenge. It's firmly in upper-intermediate territory!

January 2010 Bluegrass Festivals

2010-01-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

January has a lot of bluegrass activity filling up the month! You'll have to do some state-hopping to keep your calendar full, though.

JANUARY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

7th: Mountain Dulcimer Winter Weekend / Lake Junaluska, North Carolina

8th: Limerock Bluegrass Festival / Live Oak, Florida

WORTHEN MEMORIAL OLD TIME FIDDLER’S CONTEST / Yuma, Arizona

Bluegrass in Superclass / Perrysburg, Ohio

Ray Austin Memorial Winter Bluegrass Festival / Eureka, Missouri

9th: Kentucky Bluegrass Music Kickoff / Lebanon, Kentucky

15th: Blythe Bluegrass Festival / Blythe, California

SPBGMA Spring Bluegrass Festival / Jefferson City, Missouri

Bluegrass Blast / Beulaville, North Carolina

22nd: Lions Club Annual Bluegrass Festival / Lake Wales, Florida

Cooper’s Glen music Festival / Kalamazoo, Michigan

23rd: Goldfield GospelGrass / Goldfield, Arizona

Florence Winter Folk Festival / Florence, Oregon

Bluegrass in the Park / Yuma, Arizona

25th: Bell Buckle Music Cruise / Tampa, Florida

28th: YeeHaw Junction Bluegrass Festival / YeeHaw, Florida

29th: Florida Keys Traditional Music Festival / Marathon, Florida

Pinal County Agri-Country Bluegrass Jamboree / Casa Grande, Arizona

SOGGY MOUNTAIN BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL / Quartzsite, Arizona

Pocono Bluegrass & Folk Society’s WinterFest / Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

30th: Pinellas Folk Festival / Largo, Florida

PineCone Winter Music Festival / Raleigh, North Carolina

AllStar Bluegrass Jam / Bristol, Tennessee

On-Your-Own Instrument Learning: A List of Resources

2009-12-31T09:40:00.000-08:00

OK, in my last post I mentioned the ever-lengthening list of resources available to the beginning musician. I thought I'd better give some more detail!

Homespun is one of the best resources for the bluegrass musician. (And has quite a lot to offer for the folk or jazz wannabes as well!)

AcuTab has been drawing some great musicians in to give the rest of us lessons! Their stock is more limited, but take a look at the people they've got teaching and you'll want to order something.

Hal Leonard Publishing has of course been a leader in self-teaching music books, etc. for years.

First Quality sells a lot of materials from the above publishers at a discounted price.

That'll get you started. I'll have lists later of resources we specifically have used and recommend for each bluegrass instrument.

Busting the Myths about Learning to Play Music

2009-12-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

A new year is just about to get started, and I know a lot of people are writing out a list of resolutions. (I've got my list made, and BOY is it ever long!) Some folks are thinking about learning to play a new instrument. DO IT! Don't let yourself get bogged down by things people said early in your life, or by your age, or by your lack of finances.

LIST OF MYTHS

Myth 1: You have to have lessons to start playing an instrument.

The Truth: Now is a better time than ever to start playing on your own. The list of resources for at-home and at-your-own-pace learning is so much longer than it was even 5 years ago that for most people it really comes down to whether or not you can make yourself practice!

Myth 2: You have to be younger than 40 to start playing an instrument.

The Truth: This has been disproved many times. My parents, to bring it close to home, both started playing after hitting that magic age. It's true that you don't learn as quickly as when you were younger, but it's also true that you probably have more self-discipline now than when you were younger. I know a gentleman who started playing when he turned 80! He now can play enough chords to accompany himself when he sings, and he's keeping his mind sharp with the constant exercise.

Myth 3: You should wait until retirement before wasting time on practicing.

The Truth: You will always regret this decision. Sooner is always better if you want to be able to play with maximum enjoyment at some point in your life!

Myth 4: If I didn't make it into band in school, I'm a lost case.

The Truth: Back to my mom: she failed the musical-potential test in her school, but she's been singing harmony and playing the bass on stage with us for five years now. She taught us to sing harmony. A test doesn't show much. You have to try!

Myth 5: If you're tone-deaf, you can't play.

The Truth: Now, this may be the easiest course. But you might be missing out on a lot of fun! I met a lady at a bluegrass festival the other day who is tone deaf but plays the bass. She has to make sure she's in tune with an electronic tuner (and check her tuning fairly regularly) because she can't hear the difference, and she has to be very careful with her finger placement, but she does it! (Note: the bass is as hard as any other instrument when you get to the intermediate to advanced level, but it's easy to get started with and you don't have to know that much to join a jam session!) Also, I believe that a lot of people have the mistaken idea that they're tone deaf because they can't hear when an instrument's out of tune. This is a learned skill. It takes a little time for most of us to train ourselves to hear when something's not quite right. Use an electronic tuner!!!!

The Real Thing

2009-12-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

One of the things I like best about bluegrass music is that it's raw, pure music without most of the glitz that clouds up many of the more big-money, commercialized types of music like pop and country. It's the real thing, a music that people play for the sheer love of it and not because they want to get rich! (No bluegrass artist has yet won the American Idol contest, and I'm not looking for it to happen anytime soon!)

Christmas is, at its heart, more real than any hyped-up music video or any TV commercial could ever be. But it, too, has been clouded up by all the "toys for good girls and boys."

The gifts are great, the food is better (no one ever said us poor bluegrass musicians starve!), and the happy-holidays cards are pretty. But Christmas is about Jesus. He came to earth as a little baby born in a barn among cows. The Son of God in a hay trough.

It's totally amazing and totally real.

Merry Christmas!

(Painting: "Joseph's Dream in the Stable," by Rembrandt. Maybe a little inaccurate, but pretty!)

G2--European Bluegrass

2009-12-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

G2 is a rising new band from Sweden, playing some great music that reminds me somewhat of Kenny and Amanda Smith's smooth, easy-listening sound. You have to hear the banjo-drive of their music to believe that something like this came from somewhere outside the U.S. if you've never before heard any European bluegrass! I think it's great to see the music spreading to a younger generation in Europe, especially of this quality and with this much of the traditional element retained to keep the bluegrass identity! Listen to their music here: http://www.g2bluegrassband.com/. (You'll hear the care they've taken to arrange their songs, as well as the slight accent that makes the lead singing just a little more interesting!) Members of the band are: Christoffer Olsson (guitar and songwriting), Jens Koch (banjo), Erik Igelström (mandolin), Tobias Strömberg (dobro), and Jimmy Sunnebrandt (fiddle and bass).

Anna: What got you started in bluegrass?

Erik: All of us have parents or relatives that play bluegrass, country or roots music so we kind of grew up with this type of music. They were among the first in Sweden to play bluegrass, so that’s where G2 comes from ... Generation Two, as we are the second generation of bluegrass musicians in Sweden.

Before we met, we have all played in different bands in different genres throughout the years until we finally met at a festival in Sweden five years ago. We felt a connection right away.

Anna: How is the European bluegrass scene compared to the bluegrass community in the United States?

Erik: Compared to the US, the scene in Sweden is quite small but we can sense that the last few of years it's grown a bit. More and more bands show up at the venues and the festivals. What's most important is that the average age of the bands is getting lower, which surely is a nice indication that bluegrass is getting "hip."

Anna: Is bluegrass growing in Europe?

Erik: Yes, bluegrass is growing in Europe and Sweden and it's fun to see that a lot of the new bands have a younger lineup now than a couple of years ago. New sounds are heavily absorbed by the young listeners who usually find that more appealing than the raw traditional early bluegrass. People like Alison Krauss bring lots of new people into the genre. O Brother [ the movie, O Brother, Where Art Thou?] meant a lot to the music over here.

Anna: What are you hoping to accomplish during the next year or so?

Erik: Next year (2010) will be a big year for G2. We will release our second album that features some great new songs from Christoffer but also some other co-writes, [from] within and outside the band, some other writers and some guest artists. We're working on a tour in Europe in May and will also be in U.S. for a longer stay, bringing our families over, between June and October, so 2010 will be a our busiest year so far. It will be a big change for us to be able to LIVE in the U.S. and breathe bluegrass music in a totally different way. Here we have many things that distract us from the music, which we don't have when we're in the U.S.

Anna: What's your favorite part about performing live?

Erik: Playing live is the best way to perform this music. The energy between us and the energy in the music is unbeatable when live. Getting feedback from the crowd is fun, especially when the experience is totally new to them.

Anna: Does your band enjoy recording, or are you glad to get out of the studio at the end of the day?

Erik: We actually do enjoy recording. We have such great people to work with and making this second album is very different from making the first. Since we are on a label owning a great studio, our time is almost unlimited. We don't have to stress things. Some days you're just not up to par, the voice can be a bit off or something. Those days, it's really nice to be able to do something else.

Anna: Who does most of the production and mixing on the CD you're working on?

Erik: We produce the album ourselves, with some little help from our engineer and the record label. They don't steer us in any certain direction and leave the creative work up to us, but sometimes we ask them for advice or maybe they have some general idea about something, which usually helps us when we're stuck. We are participating in the mixing process. Usually we get to listen and give the engineer feedback. It's good to be able to have much time to let it kinda "sink in" and settle a little to know what to change and what to keep.

Anna: Bluegrass in Sweden? Is this something new? It's exciting to see music this good that's still rooted in tradition coming from Europe!

Erik: Bluegrass came to Sweden in 1960-70. It's been mostly enthusiasts since then and the following has always been quite small. But now, the fan base seems to grow, and this is thanks to movies and the Internet, no doubt about that!

Anna: My last question is: Is it difficult for you write songs in English? I understand that you probably learned English as kids in school, but I can't imagine how on earth you can be good enough in a second language to write songs in that language!

Chris: For me it's actually easier to write songs in English than in Swedish; we learn English in school since second grade in Sweden, and everything on TV is subtitled, so we get to hear alot of English spoken which I think helps a lot.

I started to write songs when I was about seven or eight years old; at this time I wrote in Swedish, but when I was about fourteen, I started writing lyrics in English. It was simple texts in the beginning, but the more I wrote, the more I learned, and today, I’m still learning--it's an ongoing process.

"Christmas Time's A Coming"

2009-12-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS TIME'S A COMIN'

Songwriter: Logan, Tex (UNICHAPPELL MUSIC INC [Publisher])'

Brought to bluegrass by: Bill Monroe

Recently made popular by: Rhonda Vincent (it's on her album, BEAUTIFUL STAR)

Holly's in the window

Home where the wind blows

The cane foam's a-runnin'

Christmas Time's A-Comin'

Can't you hear them bells ringin', ringin'

Joy, don'tcha hear them singin'

When it's snowin', I'll be goin'

Back to my country home

Christmas Time's A-Comin'

And I know I'm goin' home

White candle's burnin'

My old heart's a-yearnin'

For the folks at home when

Christmas Time's A-Comin'

Snow flake's a-fallin'

My old heart's a-callin'

Tall pine's a-hummin'

Christmas Time's A-Comin'

The photo above is on wikipedia, and it's of the first Christmas tree that had electric lights. (Dec. 1882) The tree belonged to Edward Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison's, who is considered the Father of Christmas Lights. (What an honor!) Electric Christmas lights didn't replace candles in most homes, however, until around 1930.

December 2009 bluegrass festivals

2009-11-30T06:17:00.000-08:00

4th: Suwannee Old Time Music Weekend; White Springs, Florida

18th Annual Brookdale Bluegrass Festival; Bonnie Doon, CA (Santa Cruz County)

10th: Christmas in the Smokies Bluegrass Festival; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

11th: Garry & Larry Christmas Bluegrass Show; Waldo, Florida

12th: Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival; Chicago, Illinois

31st: New Year’s Bluegrass Festival; Jekyll Island, Georgia