International Bluegrass

International Bluegrass
Vol. 26, No. 5 May 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS——
WORLD OF BLUEGRASS 2011, Wait ‘til you see what we’ve got planned for you!
NEW LABELS SPROUTING IN BLUEGRASS
THE GOLDEN AGE OF BLUEGRASS INSTRUCTION
THE ETIQUETTE OF PITCHING SONGS
BLUEGRASS MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS
FRESH SOUNDS IN THE WORLD OF BLUEGRASS—NEW MUSIC!
BOARD ELECTIONS SET
BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
IBMA STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION, 2010
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR SPECIAL AWARDS, DEADLINE JUNE 30
RECORD LABEL RECOMMENDED SHOWCASES, DEADLINE MAY 6
MAY 19 WEBINAR: “MEDIA TRAINING MASTERCLASS—MAKING THE MEDIA WORK FOR YOU”
NEW IBMA MEMBERS
WORLD OF BLUEGRASS 2011
Wait ‘til you see what we’ve got planned for you!
You’ll still see a lot of familiar faces and hear a G run around every corner, but World of Bluegrass 2011 will be different
from anything you’ve experienced before at IBMA’s annual Business Conference, Awards Show and Bluegrass Fan Fest!
We’ll be in the same building, but there will be a fresh, new atmosphere that’s open and welcoming to professionals, parttimers
and fans.
Simply put, we’ve pored over your survey replies and our goal is to host a World of Bluegrass week that is valuable, relevant,
affordable and accessible to the entire bluegrass community.
There are few, if any other industries in the world whose members insist on spending hours standing in circles playing music
together. That’s still a huge part of who we are as an industry, and our conference will celebrate the fellowship, relationships
and music that we all have in common. At World of Bluegrass 2011 plan to get more business done, in a relaxed and
fun environment! (Continued on page 2)
International Bluegrass (ISSN #1095-0605)
IBMA: Working together for high standards of professionalism, a greater appreciation for our music, and the success of the worldwide bluegrass community
The monthly emailed publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association: 2 Music
Circle South, Ste. 100, Nashville, Tenn. 37203, USA, Phone: (615) 256-3222, Email: nancyc@ibma.org, Website: www.ibma.org. Statements of fact and
opinion are made on the responsibility of the writers alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers, directors, staff or members of IBMA.
Portions of International Bluegrass may be reprinted provided that explicit citation of the source is made. The deadline for submissions to International
Bluegrass is two weeks before the 1 st of every month.
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(WOB 2011, continued from page 1)
Here are some specifics:
Accessibility to the events:
All levels of the convention center will be open to the public. Added furnishings
and décor will make the convention center hallways your “social space”
for face-to-face interaction, with a comfortable place for jamming, catching up
with friends and informal business conversations. Ticket check-points for paid
attendees will be moved to the entry doors for ticketed events.
We’ve lowered prices by as much as 17% for full attendee and daily registration
packages! The best registration value is still the full attendee package but
for the first time, the Business Conference will offer daily a la carte tickets to
see the exhibit hall or see evening showcases. (These events, as well as
meals and educational events are still part of the full registration options.)
And….The Exposition Hall will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoon!
The Music:
The survey said…”more emerging talent at official showcases.” Expect to see
more new faces and discover exciting, new music at the official showcases!
We’ve passed some love on to After Hours Showcase hosts and performers with a new time slot (10:00 p.m. to 1:30
a.m.), and we’ve lifted the registration requirement for After Hours Showcase performers. Start earlier, have access to
all the shows, and hear more music than ever before!
Songwriters will reign in a nightly showcase all week. The IBMA Songwriter Showcase will move to an afterhours time
slot, and the songwriter room will be active with nightly performances, songwriter jam sessions, song circles and “open
mic” opportunities.
Learning:
Bluegrass Nation, a web-based social networking and marketing database for bluegrass fans and business folks from
around the world, will have its launch party at World of Bluegrass. Learn about it at dedicated preview sessions or sit
down for a personal tour of the site.
A NEW “Emerging Artist” educational track will cover contract negotiations, endorsements, social media, branding and
more.
NEW Sessions for Fans will include storytelling, practice tips (from a pro of course), picking styles, info on vintage instruments,
getting the most out of your axe and more.
Popular events like the Gig Fair, Mentor Sessions, Song Demo Listening, and DJ Taping Sessions (at a new location)
will return along with several seminars, workshops and labs dedicated to professional development.
Celebrations:
World of Bluegrass 2011 is dedicated to Bill Monroe’s 100 th birthday! Throughout the week we’ll share stories, movies,
interviews, competitions and more that help us remember and celebrate the music of the father of bluegrass music.
We’ll return to the Ryman Auditorium for The International Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, September 29—
always a joyous night filled with unique moments you won’t see anywhere else!
Bluegrass Fan Fest wraps up the week with its own set of musical highs! Three stages, 100+ vendors, instrument
workshops, new “Bluegrass Chat Room” discussion groups, movies, competitions, jamming and loads of talent to see!
There will be a WORLD of difference at World of Bluegrass this year, and trust us…you don’t want to miss it!
Watch for the full World of Bluegrass brochure in your mail box later this month. Ticket sales begin June 1 at
www.ibma.org or by calling 888-GET-IBMA.
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NEW LABELS SPROUTING IN THE BLUEGRASS
by Nancy Cardwell
According to Nielsen SoundScan numbers for 2010, album sales in the U.S. fell 12.8% to 325.2 million, from 373.9 million
units sold in the past year, as CD sales plummeted by nearly 20% for the fourth year in a row. On the digital music side, individual
tracks showed only a 1% increase in sales, reaching 1.17 billion units, compared to 1.16 billion in 2009.
It’s a tough time to be in the record label business, with sales impacted by unauthorized peer-to-peer networks and shrinking
shelf space at retail—at the record stores that still exist. According to Billboard magazine, only 13 albums scanned more than
1 million units, down from 22 that hit the 1 million sales mark in 2010.
Given the current music sales climate and overall global economic challenges, one wonders why new labels have continued
to sprout up in the bluegrass music world in recent years. Both Rhonda Vincent and The Grascals left an established label
after their contracts were up, in favor of starting their own record labels. Pinecastle Records in North Carolina has reemerged
on the horizon under new ownership, and the Maryland-based Patuxent Music label has released a steady stream
of new albums.
During the past four years we’ve seen the advent of Mountain Road Recordings, headed by Karl and Gail Cooler in Bristol,
Tenn. and Mountain Fever Records in Willis, Va., steered by Mark and Brandon Hodges with legendary banjo player
Sammy Shelor running the studio. Glen Tabor at Gat3 Records (with studios in Charlotte, N.C., Gadsden, Ala. and a new
one being built in Africa), have decided to start up a label and release a new bluegrass guitar album from Kenny Smith.
Admittedly, small companies offer some advantages. Perhaps it’s easier to turn a small boat than a mighty ocean liner when
the weather changes or icebergs appear on the horizon.
Vincent released her current album, Taken, on her own Upper Management Music label, based in Hermitage, Tennessee.
In addition to CDs from band member Hunter Berry and Vincent’s daughters’ band, The Next Best Thing, the label has announced
Rhonda’s collaboration with legendary country artist Gene Watson titled Your Money and My Good Looks, to be
released June 9, 2011.
BluGrascal Records, owned by the founding members of The Grascals (Terry Smith, Terry Eldredge, Danny Roberts and
Jamie Johnson) along with their manager Kirt Webster, was formed in fall 2011 as an imprint to release The Grascals &
Friends: Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin, available exclusively at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store chain of restaurants.
With sales in excess of 25,000 during the first four months, it was a smart move for the band. The album debuted at
#1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart in January 2011 and has spent seven weeks at the top position so far.
According to Jeremy Westby with Webster & Associates, “The Grascals’ decision to form their own label imprint was threefold”—specifically
in the areas of finance, marketing support and creative control. “The Grascals are still very grateful to Ken
Irwin and the team at Rounder Records for allowing the band to start their career there,” Westby notes. “The band made
great music, earned a loyal fan base, won awards and attracted sponsors, but their albums never generated direct revenue
for the band. With no royalty payments from sales, the band relied on touring to make a living. With distribution being the
100% key to any success as a label, The Grascals reviewed the Cracker Barrel album opportunity and loved their marketing
plan and model. So they decided not to re-sign with Rounder and created a project in which the band would own and generate
revenue from album sales.”
There are no plans for BluGrascal Records to sign additional artists, but they may release individual projects from band
members. The label’s current release is Dance ‘til Your Stockings are Hot and Ravelin’ (A Tribute to the Music of The Andy
Griffith Show), released in honor of the show’s 50 year anniversary on BluGrascal Records and distributed through a licensing
deal with TimeLife.
Karl and Gail Cooler started Mountain Roads Recordings in December 2007, and their first release, Open for Business
from Big Country Bluegrass, came out in July 2008. Their 11 th CD, Retroactive, by The VW Boys, was released in late March
2011, and they’re currently working on the 12 th release.
“We had been looking for an avenue to showcase some of the tremendous talent that originates in our part of the Appalachians,”
Karl Cooler recalls. “By the time the first album was released, we had a lot of interest from artists throughout the area
by word of mouth…. We were gaining a reputation for working hard for them and the music. We hear of the imminent demise
of the CD and we know that we will have to adjust, but the fans in our areas still want to hold CDs and have the artists sign
them at a performance. I think we will have a need for CDs longer than some other areas of the country.”
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According to Gail Cooler, the label is a part-time business for her and her husband. “Our time is limited, and we won't take on
any more bands than we are able to provide adequate support for,” she says. “We have to be very selective. We plan our production
schedules about 18 months in advance with a little flexibility in case we come upon a project that is just too good to
pass up.”
The current Mountain Roads roster includes the Elkville String Band, Whitetop Mountain Band, Johnny Williams, Pathway, Tiffany
Hurt, Jim Lloyd and the Skyliners, The Snyder Family Band and Rich in Tradition. They also released Born into Bluegrass:
The Songs of Cullen Galyean, featuring Rich in Tradition with Terry Baucom, Junior Sisk, Jimmy Haley, Johnny Williams, Billy
Hawks and more.
“Our region goes from this side of Charlotte, North Carolina to Richmond—southern and western Virginia, and into Kentucky,”
Karl Cooler explains. “Our goal has been to create a label with a family of artists. I struggle to get more exposure for our regional
music and get them more involved in the mainstream. I try to give them a high quality recording, the best artwork possible,
and then market them to radio and event and festival producers. Our artists aren’t going to be able to get into Wal-Mart
and Kmart, and the standard distribution model for retail is going away anyway. Our goal is to stay small, and help our artists
get better bookings—because the bulk of sales for our artists is at the record table.”
Like the Franklin, Tennessee based Blue Circle Records owned by songwriters Tom T. and Dixie Hall, as an imprint for artists
who record their songs and want to release their albums on a label, the Coolers send out compilation CDs of their artists’
songs to radio stations and syndicators. Karl also targets around 125 event producers, in an active effort to help his bands get
more work. If someone is interested in a particular artist, he sends out a full CD and also a DVD containing a song video of
their best song and a “get to know the band” video produced by the label.
“The key is to target your audience and minimize mailing and production costs,” Karl notes. “Airplay Direct has helped us. We
try to get our artists’ music out to as many bluegrass and folk DJs as possible. Some of our artists don’t have internet or email
yet, so we want to do for them what they can’t do for themselves.”
The Snyder Family Band is going back into the studio the first week of June to record their second album for the label, set to
be released in fall 2011, and “we are working on a collaborative project titled Close Kin: A Reunion of Old Time and Bluegrass
featuring bluegrass and old time artists that showcases both styles of music in a unique way,” Karl adds.
“We believe that our success is directly related to the success of our artists, so we do whatever our artists need from us,”
Cooler says. “I don't see our artists taking over the entire job. Most work full time jobs and what I hear from them is that they
just want to play more and have us handle the production and promotion. The first question I always ask a prospective band is,
‘Do you want to make your money selling CDs at the record table, or do you want to increase your exposure and both quantity
and quality of your bookings’ If they answer ‘the record table,’ then I advise them to stick with self-produced CDs and be extremely
mindful to keep their production costs as low as possible. The social media phenomenon has certainly made the artists
more actively involved with their promotion, and I look for that participation to continue to increase.”
Mark Hodges started Mountain Fever Records in 2008 as a local label in Willis, Virginia. “I had the studio and the resources,
and there were just a lot of records that I thought had to be made,” Hodges says. “After that it was a pretty easy step to go nationally
in the early spring of 2010, and with all the bluegrass talent around it’s been smooth sailing…. There are so many
‘labels’ that come and go with only one record to offer. As one DJ put it to us, they know when they open our package it’s going
to be ‘the good stuff, not the filler,’ and that makes me feel good. They know we’re in it for the long haul.”
Mark is CEO of the label, and Brandon Hodges, who also works as a mastering engineer, is Vice President in charge of radio
promotions. Sammy Shelor is also a Vice President at the company, working mainly in the studio.
“A lot of people asked if we were crazy” to start a label in the current economic climate, Mark laughs. “The answer was ‘yes’—
but we have the studio, the talent and lots of friends in the business. It was just a matter of developing a plan based on what
we had learned from watching the big labels. I don't mean we copied their business plans, but we paid particular attention to
the areas they failed in. The root of our formula is that we are a family. We help each other and we work together to get
through any obstacle in our path. Our groups help each other get gigs. They help each other sell product. We co-op our orders
whether it be for posters or t-shirts or whatever. I'd be proud to have anyone on the label go to my parents’ house for Sunday
dinner. Sound corny It does to me sometimes, but it works. The nature of this music is family oriented so I just stick to
what I believe in my heart is right.”
The Mountain Fever roster includes The Expedition Show, Volume Five, Edgar Loudermilk, Michelle Nixon & Drive, The Hagar's
Mountain Boys, Jett's Creek, No One You Know, Statement, David Grindstaff, The Troubadours, Ashlee Blankenship &
Blades of Blue and Sweet Potato Pie. “There are a couple more under contract that we can’t talk about yet,” Hodges hints, “but
I’ll just say next year is going to be huge and leave it at that. We don't chase a lot of bands, but we've been known to make a
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(Continued from page 4)
couple of calls to show some interest. We get records in the mail all the time, and we listen to every one of them so most
contact is initiated by the artists.”
New spring and summer releases are scheduled from Volume Five, Michelle Nixon & Drive, Angie Young & Jett’s Creek,
David Grindstaff & the Troubadours, Sweet Potato Pie and No One You Know.
Like Cooler, Hodges realizes “the more successful the artist becomes, the more money the label makes. I've never figured
out why the labels didn't already help with PR and publishing and tour support. We are already in touch with the DJs on a
regular basis. Why should someone else have to make contact to arrange interviews or in studio appearances We've got
Kimberly Williams of East Public Relations handling label PR and she's the best there is. I don't know anyone in the business
that doesn't trust her. She's done more for us than I can possibly convey.”
Shelor says he got involved in Mountain Fever Records because he lives 20 minutes from the studio. He’s worked behind the
scenes in engineering and mixing over the years, and like most established artists, he is always interested in developing new
streams of revenue. “To be honest, there are a lot of great bands out here that will work for less than we will [The Lonesome
River Band], who have day jobs,” Shelor says. “I can’t afford to go for less because I pay my band well, and I pay them well
in order to keep them. So, we play fewer dates. Most of what I’m doing here is a teaching job,” he elaborates. “We’re taking
younger musicians who have never really done any recording and we’re trying to develop them into what needs to be done—
being a band player, creating taste, creating dynamics. I’m just trying to share what I’ve been taught by my mentors. Sonny
Osborne was really good to me when I was young. He taught me more than anybody about the business and about playing.
He took an interest in what I was about, I think because I didn’t try to be like somebody else. I’m just trying to do the same
thing, and share what I’ve been taught.”
In addition to coaching and running the Mountain Fever studio, Shelor is interested in management—including a development
deal with a new country artist, Lacy Green.
“I started the Patuxent Music label in 1998 after fiddler Joe Meadows recorded an album at my studio for a North Carolina
label,” Tom Mindte recalls. “The label went bankrupt, I had the master, and I decided to put it out. It was kind of a cool experience
to do that, and try to market it. Then I put out a D.C. area blues album, and then started getting demos and people approaching
me and things kind of snowballed. I try to find musicians whose music I like, since I’m the A&R, CEO and the entire
staff here,” Mindte smiles, “and then it’s got to be a little more than that. I have to at least recover my expenses. They need to
be someone out there working, who is out there selling records at the record table.”
Specifically, around 65% of Patuxent CDs are sold by the artists themselves at record tables. “About 20% are bought by the
few remaining stores such as County Sales and Elderly Instruments,” Mindte adds. “The rest are sold on the website or to
smaller stores. As long as bands are performing and selling CDs, there will be a market. I believe that the fans will always
want to buy music from the bands, in whatever form is available at the time.”
Patuxent runs the gamut stylistically from bluegrass and old-time music to blues, jazz, swing and rock. The roster list is too
long to list here, but a number of names familiar to bluegrass fans turn up upon a quick scan including Jessie Baker, Darren
Beachley & Legends of the Potomac, Travers Chandler & Avery County, The Doerfels, Gary Ferguson, Angelica Grim, Nate
Grower, Patrick McAvinue, Jeremy Stephens, the Stonemans, Frank Wakefield, Chris Warner and Dede Wyland—in addition
to Mindte’s own group, The Patuxent Partners.
Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass have just signed with the label, and Tom is currently working on new releases by Frank
Wakefield, Akira Otsuka, Leon Morris, Ethan Hughes, Brennen Ernst, Merl Johnson, Cory Piatt and Jordan Tice. The label
also published a book of music and a three-CD set with Frank Malloy, who wrote 159 tunes for every one of Georgia’s counties.
“A lot of our artists are young, upcoming artists that are more on the new acoustic side of things,” Mindte says, “but there are
exceptions.” Mindte uses Mike Cleveland and Flamekeeper band members as musicians at his state-of-the-art studio in
Rockville, Md. on several Patuxent records. “We just recorded Russ Carson, who is now playing with Audie Blaylock,” Tom
continues. “We used Brandon Rickman and Jeff Parker on vocals on that album, and Dominique Leslie on mandolin. The
Stonemans (Roni, Donna and Patsy) have an upcoming record that will be recorded in Nashville. We’ll do all their stuff live,
and then bring it back to Washington to dub in fiddle and few other things.”
The new Frank Wakefield album is a collection of Bill Monroe songs, with Tom Ewing on lead vocals, Audie Blaylock on tenor,
Mike Cleveland on fiddle and Marshall Wilborn on bass. “Cory Piatt is a new superpicker,” Tom adds. “He’s around 16 or 17
and is just an amazing picker. We’ll record this summer when he’s out of school.” (Continued on page 6)
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Gat3 Productions—which draws its name from owner, producer and engineer Glen A. Tabor, III’s initials---was established
in 1996 in Charlotte, North Carolina, says Susan Tabor, Glen’s wife and the company’s Director of Operations.
Unlike the grim stories heard from producers at some of the major studios in Nashville, the Tabors are incredibly busy.
They have a second location in Gadsen, Alabama, and they’re getting ready to build a third studio in Africa, to be conveniently
located near one of their most popular artists.
Kenny and Amanda Smith have recorded all of their band albums at Gat3, including the Grammy-nominated bluegrass
project, Tell Someone. Their new guitar album with Kenny Smith prompted them to add “record label” to their list of company
services—which also includes mastering, audio forensic evidence, duplication and artist management. The project,
titled Return, is already on sale online, and physical copies will ship in May 2011.
“Kenny and I had discussed a new guitar record for several years,” said two-time Grammy winner and label owner, Glenn
Tabor. “One day when Kenny and Amanda were hanging at my house, we decided it was time to not only to record the
project, but to start a label that would give it the attention it needed. That’s when I started Gat3 Records. It’s just an extension
of what we’re about—supporting artists.”
In summary….
As industry distribution models are shifting, lines appear to be blurring between management, booking, publicity, record
labels, accountants, publicists and merchandisers. The goal is to get quality music to fans, but the delivery mechanisms
(and the folks who run those machines) are changing.
“The industry trend is for major labels to have more control in an artist’s career and image, including merchandising, publishing
and touring,” Jeremy Westby says. “With record sales down and continuing to drop overall, the labels still have to
figure out a way to offer more on their 'menu.' I get it—why they require ‘360 deals’ from some or all of their new signees.
I think a band willing to fight it out—to create and maintain their own merch, form their own label and go out and do
the music they want to do—but staying open to the direction of good team members who are bringing opportunities to
them, will succeed in the long run.”
Whether promotional team jobs are done by record label employees, hired specialists or band members themselves, the
jobs still have to be done. “I believe there is still a need for and comfort in keeping those roles defined,” Westby says.
“The best team is still a combination of efforts between agents, managers, publicists, labels/distributors, promotion/
marketing teams and good business managers. Some teams and companies offer 'one-stop shop' combinations of those
elements, but at the end of the day an artist who can combine all those team members will always see more exposure
and success than those without. Typically the best companies are more 'narrow-focused' in their offerings, but are willing
to link arms with other like-minded folks in the entertainment spectrum. As far as bluegrass goes, many groups have the
independent, 'do what you can for yourself' mentality. I am a firm believer in having a team, rather than doing it all yourself.
The benefit of having your own label, and licensing and promoting that creatively to and through other entities, has
also proven to be a successful model for many.”
“We couldn't have picked a worse time economically to start a business, especially a music related business,” Karl Cooler
smiles wryly. “Shortly before we started, I had the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with a couple of established record
label owners, hoping to get as much advice as I could. What I discovered was that they were feeling their way in this rapidly
changing business just like me. Rather than being discouraged by that, I was energized by the idea that I just needed
to explore any new and different approach that I could, and that my inexperience may even be a major plus because I
was not bound by preconceived notions of what a record label should or should not be doing. I talk with our artists and
ask them what they need from us…. We try to do what they need to improve their recording projects, the presentation of
their projects, and get them out to as many people as we can to expand the market for not only their CDs, but their potential
for bookings. Many of them have not had real exposure to IBMA and we want to improve that as well.”
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF BLUEGRASS INSTRUCTION
By Yvonne Tatar
Listening to records, jamming, and occasionally seeing live bands -
unless you were a part of the first generation of bluegrass players
who were members of Bill Monroe’s or Flatt & Scruggs' original
bands, this is how players learned to play bluegrass years ago.
Some of today’s stellar players recall their early learning experiences.
As a young teen, Ron Block discovered County Sales after hearing
an early Country Gentlemen recording. “I started buying five or six
records at a time, listening and learning them inside and out.” John
Hickman also taught him the value of listening to old records from
legends such as J.D. Crowe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Kentucky Mountain
Boys, Red Allen and Stanley Brothers. “One day John just piled the
reel-to-reels in a bag and let me take them home to record. It was
like being handed a gold mine, “ Block recalls.
Young musicians perform onstage as a part of the
Grey Fox Bluegrass Academy for Kids in Oak Hill, New
A young LeRoy McNees happened to hear The Country Boys live on the radio one day. He soon met the band to jam and
pick up some guitar licks. Roland White then asked him to play the Dobro in the band. “Billy Ray Lathum showed me a few
licks and the rest I learned from slowing down Flatt & Scruggs records with Josh Graves on them.”
Eric Uglum began playing guitar at about 13, and he learned a tremendous amount through jamming. His love for jamming
was intense. “I remember driving to the Norco festivals as a teen and resenting the time it took me to park the car, so consuming
was my desire to jam,” Uglum says.
As time passed, learning bluegrass branched out to include a full range of written materials and lessons available. And with
today’s technology and the spread of bluegrass around the globe, bluegrass instruction is at its peak. Bill Bryson notes that,
“Today is a Golden Age for beginners with all the resources out there.” Feigning Gabby Hays, he humorously states that,
“Forty years ago, we couldn’t do that!”
Many varieties of live bluegrass instruction awaits any musician, no matter what skill level. In an effort to begin to bring these
instructional resources together in one listing for reference, the Foundation for Bluegrass Music has begun an initial database
of just such information. Since this list is the first compilation, we welcome any bluegrass live instructional opportunities and
updates not listed here to be sent to nancyc@ibma.org. And good luck to all those folks learning and teaching bluegrass!
Please go to www.bluegrassfoundation.org to access the list of bluegrass camps and workshops.
THE ETIQUETTE OF PITCHING SONGS
by: Louisa Branscomb, IBMA Songwriter Committee
Bluegrass is an industry that enjoys the benefits of being a genre of folk and roots music. Part of the rewards of being a part
of the bluegrass community is that it is relatively personable in nature, without the formality and commercialism of some other
genres of music. On the other hand, this means there are few established protocols for some of the business aspects of the
music.
For new writers or writers new to the genre, a primary concern is simply, “What are the best ways to pitch a song and follow
up with artists” When an artist has a song on “hold,” what does this mean How do I avoid miscommunication with artists I
wish to work with regarding recording my songs When do I share publishing on a song with an artist in order to have the
song recorded How do I follow up with record labels when my song has been recorded and significant time has lapsed, but I
have not received mechanical royalties When I co-write, what are appropriate expectations on who pitches the song, or who
should be the first-named songwriter When should royalties be split in some way other than 50:50
The idea for this series of articles grew out of questions that have arisen at meetings and workshops at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass
among songwriters. While there are no hard and fast rules for many of these guidelines, the following pointers are suggestions
that have been derived from IBMA songwriter discussions and other songwriter forums.
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PITCHING AND PLACING SONGS——
There are no unequivocal “right” ways to pitch a song. At the same
time, there are certain basic guidelines that may increase your
chances of an artist hearing and recording your songs.
Packaging: Put yourself in the artist’s shoes. You want them to perceive
your songs in a way that suggests a professional approach.
Artists are very busy people, and many of them are being handed
an increasing number of original songs. Even a short time ago, this
was not customary except with some highly visible artists. Take the
time to do the things that make your demo or songwriter CD appealing.
Some of these things include having an easily readable cover
with easy access to follow-up information.
Network as much as possible and get to know bluegrass artists.
Take the time at festivals, World of Bluegrass and other venues
to form relationships that are not just based on a “pitch.” While
this is difficult in some genres, it is still possible in bluegrass. It is not
unusual for unknown or new songwriters to have songs recorded by
successful artists.
Bluegrass songwriters gather at World of Bluegrass 2005 to share
songs and talk about new IBMA programs for writers. Front (L-R):
Serge Bernard, Louisa Branscomb, Janet McGarry, (Row 2): Mark
Simos, Hazel Dickens, Lisa Aschmann, Connie Leigh,
(Back): J.R. Cook
Know yourself as a songwriter. Get as much feedback on your songs as possible so that you know your strengths and weaknesses—and
also how others hear your particular style. This way you can narrow down your material to your best songs and
pitch to artists who will be the best match for your style. All feedback is good feedback! Attending open mic’s, songwriter circles
and IBMA events where songs are shared are excellent ways to get feedback.
Know your artists’ recording tastes. Get to know what specific artists sound like, how much they write their own material, and
whether they are interested in new songs. Listen to their recordings, if possible, to familiarize yourself with the artist’s style, and
to discern whether your writing is a good match for that artist. Make a point to listen to recent recordings.
When possible, pitch to the need. Let’s say you just happen to have a demo with 10 songs on it in your pocket. If an artist
mentions needing a fast tune, you can take your demo and mark the tunes you suggest. This saves time and increases the
chances he or she will listen carefully to your songs.
There are stages to pitching. The first is making contact. Secondly, you may want to know if the artist has heard, or likes, your
song. When you make contact, ask the artist if you may give them a follow up email or call in a month or so to get their feedback
on your material. Remember, even if your song is not what they are looking for at the moment, artists are a great source of feedback
on your material.
The third stage of pitching is called the “hold.” This means an artist has asked to hold your song for recording and he or she
is asking that you not pitch the song to others. At this point, the ball is in your court. You may choose to allow a hold, and if so,
you may wish to set a time limit such as three months, depending on their recording plans, so that your song is not “off the market”
for a prolonged length of time. The artist does not have a formal or legal obligation to record a song on hold. However, you
can set the terms for the hold, or take the position that you will continue to pitch the song but you will give a courtesy call to the
artist if someone else shows an interest in the song. Whatever your position, it is helpful to be clear to the artist and to follow
through with the position you choose.
Make an effort to view your emotionally-inspired material from a professional perspective. Songs are very personal creations
because they come from the writer’s personal thoughts and feelings. Though it is tempting to take it personally when an
artist does not choose your song, it is more helpful to leave the “personal” at the front door of the recording studio where you did
your demo! After that point, a focus on the business of songwriting is the best mode of operation.
View pitching as an ongoing learning process, rather than a series of “successes” or “failures.” Each time an artist takes the
time to listen to a song, view this as a gift of his or her time and thoughts, regardless of the outcome. All songwriters have encountered
the same up’s and down’s that you will. Considering all feedback—event the bumps in the road—as simply part of the
learning process will help you grow as a songwriter and advocate of your songs.
Look for future articles about songwriting in this publication and in the “White Paper” section of ibma.org. More to come on:
Working with Record Labels (Independent Artists as well as Established Labels), and Co-writing.
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BLUEGRASS MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS: MAY 2011
Agents & Managers:
Steve Johnson, CEO of Mountain Music Entertainment, is pleased to announce representation of the following artists:
Grasstowne; Nu-Blu; Mike Scott; Karl Shiflett and Big Country Show; Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice; Ralph Stanley, II;
Misty Stevens and Reminisce Road; and The Niall Toner Band. The agency also offers special representation of Mark Newton
and Brandon Rickman.
Artists & Composers:
Congratulations to Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, who are #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart for the
fourth week, in the April 23 issue. Their album is titled Rare Bird Alert (40 Share/Rounder). Balsam Range has the #1 song
on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey, with “Trains I Missed,” written by Walt Wilkins, Giles Godard and
Nicole Witt. The song appears on the Mountain Home album by the same name. The self-titled album, The Boxcars, is at
#1 on the Top 15 Bluegrass Albums chart in B.U. Big Country Bluegrass tops the Bluegrass Music Profiles Top 30 Hot
Singles Chart with “The Boys in Hats and Ties,” written by Tom T. and Dixie Hall, on their self-titled album for Rebel Records.
The Boxcars are at #1 on the BMP National Top 10 Bluegrass CDs chart.
Congratulations to the following artists who are recipients of Dove Awards, from the Gospel Music Association: Dailey &
Vincent, Bluegrass Album of the Year (Singing from the Heart, Rounder Records); Lizzie Long & Little Roy Lewis, Bluegrass
Song of the Year (“Mountaintop,” from Straight from the Heart, Vine Records).
The long-awaited new album from Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Paper Airplane, released by
Rounder Records, entered the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at #3 and #1 on both the Bluegrass Albums and Country Album
charts. After appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (April 25) and The Ellen DeGeneres Show (April 27), the
band will kick off a five month nation-wide tour on June 4 in Louisville, Ky. The Target deluxe edition of the CD features six
additional songs, including three exclusive studio songs, “These Days” and “A Place Outside,” both written by Angel Snow
and Alison’s brother, Viktor Krauss, and “Frozen Fields,” composed by Jeff Black and Jon Randall. Three additional bonus
tracks include “We Hide & Seek,” “Faraway Land” and “Every Time You Say Goodbye,” performed live. Info:
www.alisonkrauss.com, Today Show appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=BX8MzM8J5ao, EPK: http://
alisonkrauss.com/videos/making-paper-airplane
The Grascals have a new video of “Dooley,” from their new album, Dance ‘til Your Stockings are Hot and Ravelin’ (A Tribute
to the Music of The Andy Griffith Show), (BluGrascal Records/ Saguaro Road Records, at http://www.youtube.com/watch
v=KiN_LokhRzU&feature=player_embedded
Doyle Lawson was in Nashville April 9 to celebrate the release of his new album, Drive Time (Mountain Home Bluegrass),
with an in-store appearance at the Ernest Tubb Record Show on Music Valley Drive, and a performance on the Grand Ole
Opry.
Bluegrass pioneer and Hall of Fame member, Curly Seckler was honored in the North Carolina legislature in a Senatorial
statement read April 13 in Raleigh. The proclamation recognized Seckler for his many accomplishments the past 75 years in
bluegrass music. It also acknowledged Curly’s brothers, Marvin, George and Duard, with whom he first performed as the
Yodeling Rangers in 1935 on WSTP radio in Salisbury. Duard and Marvin Sechler, both guitarists, passed away in 2002 and
2009, respectively. George Sechler, who was the band’s fiddle player and emcee, currently resides in Texas. “It is a great
honor to be recognized in my home state of North Carolina,” Curly Seckler said, “and I appreciate all the folks back home
remembering me and my brothers and our music.”
Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Bobby Osborne is celebrating 60 years in the music business this year, with the release of
his new album, Memories (Rural Rhythm Records). The single, “Mountain Fever” (featuring Russell Moore with Osborne)
was ranked #3 on the April 2011 Sirius XM Bluegrass Junction Most-Played Tracks chart, and the album was ranked at the
same spot on the Most-Played Albums list.
The same month, the original version of “Rocky Top” recorded 50 years ago by The Osborne Brothers was #12 on the Neilsen
Soundscan charts ending April 10, 2011.
Mike Scott’s “Saturday Night/ Sunday Morning 2011 Tour” will focus on music from his new bluegrass gospel album, Take
Me Lord and Use Me (Rural Rhythm Christian) and the all-instrumental Bill Monroe 100 th Anniversary Tribute: Blue Moon of
Kentucky (Rural Rhythm). The tour is designed as a two-day stop in each city. On Saturday nights during the tour Scott will
perform music from his Monroe tribute album, and on the Sunday morning shows he will present music from the gospel album
at churches and other faith-based events. Scott’s band will feature John Maberry (mandolin, guitar, fiddle), Ferrell
Stowe (Dobro), Heath Vanwinkle (bass) and Mike Vidito (guitar, mandolin). Info: (877) 746-5165,
www.mountainmusicentertainment.com, www.mikescottmusic.com
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A benefit concert for Phil Leadbetter will be held May 6 from 5:30-11 p.m. at Buddy’s Bar-B-Q Banquet Hall in Knoxville,
Tenn. the line-up includes Kenny & Amanda Smith, Brand New Strings, Blue Moon Rising and Steve Gulley & Friends
featuring Dale Ann Bradley and other special guests. Leadbetter, IBMA’s 2005 Dobro Player of the Year, is undergoing
treatment for cancer.
The Del McCoury Band is opening their May 2-4 studio session in Nashville to the public, through participation in MPI: Music
Producers Institute. On Monday, May 2 MPI founder and Grammy winning producer Steve Fishell will lead class members
through a day-long record production seminar, featuring demonstrations and lectures covering pre-production, tracking,
vocals, overdubs, mixing and mastering. Info: www.musicpi.com, (615) 283-0201
The Farewell Drifters are currently touring in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, New York, Illinois, North Carolina, Maine and
Kentucky, in support of their new release, Echo Boom. Info: www.thefarewelldrifters.com
Sierra Hull and Highway 111 are touring Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Indiana and
Carolina in May and June, in support of her new album, Daybreak (Rounder). Her video, “Easy Come, Easy Go” is currently
airing on both CMT and GAC. View at: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=Nf3RhT0vjUY
An album release party for Farm County Jubilee was hosted April 14 at Old RCA Studio A in Nashville, in honor of their
new CD, The Stars of Farm County Jubilee Present a Bluegrass Tribute to Historic Studio B.
Our best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to Bluegrass Hall of Fame member J.D. Crowe, who broke his left arm in
March. His therapy is going well and J.D. expects to be playing again by early summer. In the meantime, Jim Mills will fill in
on banjo, on dates with The New South and also on shows with Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams, in support of the Old
Friends Get Together project they released on the Crossroads label in June 2010.
Associations:
The Kansas Bluegrass Association announced the first annual Tulip Time Bluegrass Jam was hosted on April 10 at 6 th
and Merchant in Belle Plaine, Kan. across from the elementary school. Belle Plaine is the home town of Jack Theobald,
recognized as the father of bluegrass in Kansas.
Congratulations to Nick Forster and Rob Osborne, recently inducted into the Colorado Bluegrass Music Society’s Hall of
Honor.
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2011 Boston Bluegrass Union Heritage Awards, presented during the 26 th annual
Joe Val bluegrass Festival, Feb. 18-20, in Framingham, Mass.: Sam Tidwell, longtime Rhode Island and Maine bluegrass
pioneer; WHRB’s Hillbilly at Harvard Radio Show, launched in 1948 by “Pappy Ben” Minnich and hosted for many years
by “Cousin Lynn” Joiner and “Ol’ Sinc” Brian Sinclair; and Glen Huffer, longtime Connecticut bluegrass concert producer and
MC.
According the Central Texas Bluegrass, the celebration of Texas Independence Day March 2 was an opportunity for
nearly 3,000 school children throughout the state to get a first-hand look at what bluegrass is about. Central Texas Bluegrass
Music Association member Daniel Kott (KPIE, in Killeen, Tex.) hosted Eddie Collins and the Upham Family Band for
a half-hour program on the history and evolution of bluegrass music. The show was broadcast live with interactive participation
at public schools from Beaumont to El Paso. CTMA co-sponsored the event.
In an effort to include old-time musicians and fans in their community, the California Bluegrass Association announces
“The Old-Time Gathering at Father’s Day” theme at their annual Father’s Day festival in Grass Valley, Calif., scheduled for
June 16-19. Two days of concentrated old-time programming will feature the John Hartford Band, the Mt. Diablo String
Band, The Freight Hoppers, and a dance called by Marsha Goodman Crawford (with the Freight Hoppers providing the
music.) There will also be old-time workshops, jams and more. California bluegrass band leader Peter Feldman offers this
humorous explanation for the confused: “Bluegrass band members wear uniforms, such as blue polyester suits and gray
Stetson hats. Old-time bands wear jeans, sandals, work shirts and caps from seed companies. The audience claps after
each bluegrass solo break. If anyone claps for an old-time band it confuses them, even after the tune is over. A bluegrass
band has between one and three singers who are singing about an octave above their natural vocal range. Some old-time
bands have no singers at all. Bluegrass bumper stickers are in red, white and blue and have stars and/or stripes on them.
Old-time bumper stickers don’t make any sense (e.g. “Gid is my Co-Pilot).”
Broadcasters:
Multi-instrumentalist John McEuen is hosting the Americana Music Show broadcast at http://www.syndicatednews.net/,
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Congratulations to long time Springfield, Mo. bluegrass broadcaster Mike Smith for being named as a finalist for the Missouri
Broadcasters Association Awards for his KSMU-FM on air remembrance of Mitch Jayne, of The Dillards.
Two new bluegrass-related projects are on the summer film festival circuit: “Fanning the Fire,” produced by the Bluegrass
Heritage Foundation’s Alan Tompkins and “How to Grow a Band: A film about Punch Brothers,” produced by Michael
Bohlmann and Mark Meatto. Tompkin’s film includes appearances by Dan Tyminski, J.D. Crowe, Rhonda Vincent and
Adam Steffey, but focuses on 12-year-old Lucas White’s passion for becoming a bluegrass guitarist. Three years of his life
are profiled, on his journey to the stage. “How to Grow a Band” is a documentary profiling Chris Thile’s band, The Punch
Brothers, beginning with a performance in Scotland and following them as they tour 25 cities. The theme behind the music is
growing up and starting over. Videos: http://bluegrassheritage.org/FanningTheFire.html, http://www.punchbrothersmovie.com/
#watch
Event Producers:
The Smokehouse, located just of I-24 in Monteagle, Tenn. is interested in being a new venue for bluegrass music. They are
currently showcasing singer-songwriters on Saturday nights. Their Smokin Hit Songwriters Summer Series workshop will take
place July 8-10. Info: www.SmokinHitSongWriters.com, www.thesmokehouse.com.
Registration is still open for the new PineCone Bluegrass Camps, to be held June 27-July 1, 2011 in Cary, N.C. Staffed by
old-time and bluegrass musicians Charles Petee (Shady Grove Band) and John Currie (Floyd Pond Ramblers), workshops
on guitar, fiddle, mandolin and banjo will culminate in a public performance on Friday night, July 1. Info: (919) 460-460-4963
Bluegrass for the Greenbelt in Oakland Hills, Calif., has added tent camping on the ground of the historic Dunsmuir-
Hellman Estate for their June 3-4 festival. The line-up includes Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally, Marley’s Ghost, The Kathy Kallick
Band, Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands and Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Wronglers. Info: www.dunsmuir-Hellman.com,
(415) 543-6771
Thanks to ETSU student Yuiko Inoue and her connections in Japan, proceeds from the April 7 “Celebration 2011” concert in
Johnson City, Tenn. featuring bluegrass, old-time, country and Celtic bands from East Tennessee State University will go to
the Tohoku University Bluegrass Club in Sendai, in northeast Japan. Club members will see that their most in need fellow
citizens affected by the March 11 tsunami receive the help. Info: Daniel Boner, Director of ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old Time and
Country Music Program.
Bluegrass music has made its mark on the Grand Ole
Opry stage for more than 50 years, and now the genre
has a permanent place backstage at the Opry, as well.
Dressing Room #2, now officially labeled the “Bluegrass
Room,” is adorned with photos of current Opry member
bluegrass artists, as well as favorite photos from the
Opry’s past. The room features armless chairs which are
better for jam sessions, and an alternating floor finish design
reminiscent of string instrument frets. The Bluegrass
Room renovation was part of a $200 million rebuilding
and refurbishment project following last May’s flood in
Nashville, during which four feet of water engulfed the
Opry stage and backstage area.
International News:
The Niall Toner Band from Ireland is celebrating his music
reaching the #1 download spot on the Bluegrass and
Folk Charts for Airplay Direct during the month of March
2011. Niall will be visiting Tennessee and North Carolina
in late April – early May. Look for his appearances in
Asheville, N.C., and Toner with his “broadcaster hat” on at
One of the Les Leverett photos hanging in the newly refurbished
‘Bluegrass Room” at the Grand Ole Opry, L-R: Don Reno, Bill Monroe,
Lester Flatt (Row 2): James Monroe, Mac Wiseman, Bill Yates,
Ralph Stanley, Jimmy Martin
MerleFest, conducting interviews for the Roots Freeway program on Ireland’s National Radio Station, RTE Radio One, to be
aired in June-July 2011.
Nothin’ Fancy from the U.S. and The Bluegrass Boogiemen (Netherlands) will perform July 13 in Nieuwkoop, The Netherlands.
Info: www.cms-country.nl
The Bath Americana Festival will take place on various stages throughout the city of Bath, in England, May 18-22.
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www.orwellbluegrass.co.uk); Coastline Bluegrass Festival (June 3-5, www.coastline.co.uk); Bluegrass by the Lake:
Llangorse Picking Weekend (June 17-19, www.llangorselake.co.uk); The East Anglian Bluegrass Festival (June 24-
26, www.eabg.blueapples.co.uk); Yorkshire Dales Bluegrass Picking Weekend (July 15-17,
www.eabg.blueapples.co.uk); North Wales Bluegrass Festival (June 30-July 3, Bodlondeb Park, Conwy – LL32 8DU);
Kentucky to Kent UK (Aug. 28, www.stjulians.co.uk); Surrey Mini Bluegrass Festival (Aug. 6-7,
www.surreybluegrass.com); Didmarton Bluegrass Festival (Sept. 1-4, www.didmarton-bluegrass.co.uk); Gower Bluegrass
Festival “Go-fest” (Sept. 9-11, www.gowerbluegrass.co.uk); Cornish Bluegrass Festival (Sept. 16-18,
www.cornishbluegrass.co.uk) and the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival (Sept. 23-25, www.moniaive.org).
Valerie Smith’s May 5 – June 12 band tour includes dates in Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands. For details, go
to www.valeriesmithonline.com
From the European Bluegrass Music Blog:
On May 6 & 7, 2011 Kevin Lynch reports there will be an international gathering of bluegrass music fans, friends, musicians
and professional performers in The Netherlands to honor Rienk Janssen and his Strictly Country magazine. Rienk
retired the magazine (the oldest and only major Dutch bluegrass publication) in February after 40 years and 240 issues.
Janssen has been a major force in Europe's bluegrass history since the earliest days of booking European tours for American
artists, sponsoring and producing various concerts & festivals, founding the Strictly Country Records label and more.
Rienk states he will continue his work and hold his positions with the EBMA and IBMA. He will also continue his retail music
CD, LP and book business, as well as his mail order auction. Rienk has unveiled a new website as he continues along
his bluegrass journey: strictlycountry.nl.
British bluegrass broadcasters Lynne Butler is now airing two radio shows: Butler’s Boudoir Bluegrass on UK Country
Radio every Thursday at 20:00 (British time), repeated every Friday at 16:00 (British time). UK and European bluegrass
music are featured, plus a 15 minute spot for bluegrass music outside of Europe. Her second show, Lynne Butler’s Eurograss
on Bluegrass Planet Earth, consists of two shows a month, repeating a second week after the original airing.
Acoustic Night 11, “American Radios” will take place May 5-7 at the Teatro Della Corte, Piazza Borgo Pila 42, in
Genova, Italy. Beppe Gambetta, Nick Forster, Bryan Sutton and Peter Ostroushko will perform.
Gambetta and Tony McManus (Scotland) will teach at the 19 th International Acoustic Guitar Workshop July 31 – Aug.
7, 2011, at Ambroz Pod Krvavcem, Slovenia. Info: Stane Svigelj +386-4188-6460
The 20 th Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival will take place Sept. 2-4 at the Ulster American Folk park in Omagh,
County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Headliners include Dailey & Vincent (U.S.), The Malpass Brothers (U.S.), Sunny Side
(Czech), Red Wine (Italy) and more.
Over Jordan:
Czech banjo player and event producer Jan
“Honza” Macak died April 12 at the age of 68, after
a battle with stomach cancer. Macak founded the
oldest bluegrass festival in Europe, The Banjo Jamboree,
which he started in his home town of
Kopidlno. Honza heard Pete Seeger play the banjo
on tour in Czechoslovakia in 1964. He was a fan of
the first Czech bluegrass bands, The Greenhorns
and White Stars, both featuring the banjo playing of
IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award recipient
Marko Cermak. Most bands in the late ‘60s and
early ‘70s were playing “trampgrass,” a mixture of
Western and Tramp music, and what they heard on
the few recordings that came through the Iron Curtain.
Bluegrass musicians had no instructional materials,
strings, capos or standard instruments. A
band from Kopidlno, practicing in a local pub under
the ventilator (fan) with Honza Macak on banjo
All banjo players present gather for a group photo at Honza Macak’s
“Banjo Jamboree” every year in the Czech Republic, the oldest bluegrass
festival in Europe. Macak is on the second row on the right,
with the straw hat and pink shirt. (photo by Lilly Pavlak)
started to call themselves “Vetraci” (The Ventilators). Macak had the idea to get together with other Czech banjo players to
learn from each other, and they called the first meeting in 1973 “Banjo Jamboree. “
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In time the festival outgrew the town of Kopidlno and moved to Trakonice in South Bohemia, and finally to Caslav, where
it is today. Since the 1970s, thousands of musicians have attended the Banjo Jamboree and today the Czech Republic
has the largest concentration of bluegrass musicians in Europe. Honza’s son, Marek Macak plays mandolin and guitar
with the band, Bluegrass Cwrkot. The elder Macak was honored with the European World of Bluegrass Pioneer award in
2003, and he was the first inductee into the Czech Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
James “Honey Jim” Stokes died April 8, 2011. A member of the Bluegrass & Traditional Country Music Society of Australia
based in New South Wales, Stokes sang old country songs and played the guitar, and he was a regular member of
the Safety in Numbers band for many years. Renowned for his storytelling, Stokes was famous for bringing along honey
from his beehives to share with friends wherever he went.
Renowned songwriter and vocalist Hazel Dickens died April 22 in Washington, D.C., at the age of 75, from complications
with pneumonia. Born June 1, 1935 in Mercer County, West Virginia, she was one of 11 children. At 16 she left
school to go to work at a factory in Baltimore, Md., where she discovered the local music scene. Dickens formed a country
band with Mike Seeger, and later freelanced on acoustic bass, guitar and vocals with several groups including The
Greenbriar Boys. During the early 1960s she toured with Joan Baez and met a singer from California named Alice Gerrard.
“Hazel and Alice” toured and recorded from 1964-73, recording for Folkways Records and Rounder Records. Their
edgy, mountain-style vocal harmonies and Dickens’ songs like “Don’t Put Her Down, You Helped Put Her There” that
viewed the world from a woman’s perspective drew national attention. Dickens’ songs have been included in a number
of films, including Harlan County, U.S.A (1976), and she had on-screen parts in both Matewan and Songcatcher. Dickens
released Hard Hitting Songs for Hard Hit People in 1981, By the Sweat of My Brow in 1984, and It's Hard to Tell the
Singer from the Song in 1986, for Rounder. During her long career Dickens toured internationally and throughout the
U.S., including venues like The White House, The Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and the Hardly
Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. She received a number of honors, including IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement
Award (1993), a Lifetime Achievement Awards from West Virginia and the Folk Alliance, a National Endowment for
the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the Washington Monument Award and an honorary doctorate from Shepherd College.
She collaborated with Bill Malone on the book Working Girl Blues (University of Illinois Press), and Smithsonian/
Folkways re-issued the early Hazel & Alice recordings on the album, Pioneering Women of Bluegrass. Dickens was
fond of saying, “Just playing bluegrass music is political.” In addition to her musical social commentary, Hazel paved the
way for women bluegrass artists and served as a mentor to a number of musicians and writers. She leaves behind a
wealth of music, including the often covered “Just a Few Old Memories” and 1996 IBMA Song of the Year “Mama’s
Hand.”
Erio Meili, banjo player, active IBMA member and champion of bluegrass music in Brazil, passed away April 21 as a
result of heart failure. Originally from Switzerland, Erio made his home for many years in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A successful
businessman, he was the founder and president of the Sao Paulo Bluegrass Music Association and the leader of the
Sao Paulo Bluegrass Band (which recorded six albums), as well as the webmaster at http://bluegrass.com.br. Meili was
also a constant presence on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country via a weekly segment which aired on Mike Kear’s “Music from
Foggy Hollow” program.
Resources: Lilly Pavlak; Judy Jones, Bluegrass & Traditional Country Music Society of Australia; Ronald D. Lankford,
Jr., All Music Guide; Marian Leighton Levy, Rounder Records; Charles Wolfe; Trisha Tubbs; Ron Thomason; Mike Kear;
Cesar Benzoni; Bob Cherry; Richard Hawkins; WAMU’s BluegrassCountry.org
Print, Media & Education:
Keith Whitley, Patty Loveless, Steve Wariner, John Michael Montgomery, The Goins Brothers, Molly O’Day and Larnelle
Harris were inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame April 7, in Lexington.
The Cowan Creek Mountain Music School produced by the Cowan Community Center and hosted by the Cowan Elementary
School with support from Appalshop and the Letcher Co. Board of Education, will take place June 20-24. The
week-long school will offer courses in banjo, fiddle, lead guitar, mandolin, square dance calling, old-time string band,
singing, and a “Kids on the Creek” arts & music class for children age 5-10. Info: cowancreekmusic@tvscable.com,
(606) 633-3187
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Record Labels & Publishers:
The Recording Academy has restructured award categories across all genres, bringing the total number of categories to
be recognized at the 54 th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2012 to 78. The award for Best Bluegrass Album remains in the
American Roots Music Field, which also includes awards for Best Americana, Blues, Folk and Regional Roots Music Albums.
For more info: http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/announcement
Cumberland River, the band that has been featured recently on the FX Network television drama, Justified, has signed with
Rural Rhythm Records.
Nashville’s Red Beet Records has teamed up with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on the release of I Love:
Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow, produced by songwriter/journalist Peter Cooper. The new album is a re-making of Hall’s
1974 album, Songs of Fox Hollow (For Children of all Ages), with new artists singing the same songs. Included are covers
by Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Eric Brace & Last Train Home, Elizabeth Cook, Gary Bennett, Mark & Mike,
Jon Byrd, Tommy Cash, Bobby Bare, Fayssoux Starling McLean and Cooper himself.
Albums from the following artists on the Webco label are now available digitally from Pinecastle Records: Bill Emerson
(solo, and also with Pete Goble and Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa); James King; Jim Eanes; Bill Harrell; Larry Stephenson;
Larry & Wyatt Rice; Lou Reid, Terry Baucom & Carolina.
FRESH SOUNDS IN THE WORLD OF BLUEGRASS: Recordings from the
first quarter of 2011
Allerton & Alton; Black, White and Bluegrass (Bear Family Records, www.bear
-family.de) Al Hawkes and Alton Myers met in 1947 at a record store in Portland,
Maine as teenagers. They ended up playing music together on an unlicensed
radio station Al built in 1949. Billed as The Cumberland Ridge Runners, they
appeared on WLAM in Lewiston, Me., which reached into Canada. This recording
is a collection of their 15-minute, live radio shows. Allerton (Al) Hawkes
and Alton Myers had one of the first known interracial duets in country music.
Both returned from the Korean War in 1953, but the duo was about 20 years
ahead of the time when fans could accept a white and African American “brother
duet,” so they stopped performing. Included: “Keep on the Sunny Side,”
“Kentucky,” “Drifting Too Far from the Shore,” “Cabin in Caroline” and more.
Jay Armsworthy, I Couldn’t Make it Without Him (Blue Circle Records, www.easterntraditionbluegrass.com)
Armsworthy’s fourth CD and his first bluegrass gospel album on the Blue Circle Records label is a project he’s been wanting
to do since 1995. Jay is backed up by Wayne and Kristin Scott Benson, Greg Luck, Jason Moore, Don Rigsby and
Aaron Till on a dozen songs written by Roy Acuff, Ruby Rakes & Carter Stanley, Tom T. & Dixie Hall and Troy Engle, Gary
Ferguson and more. In liner notes Larry Sparks says, “This album gives some promise to bluegrass gospel that it will be
taken care of in the future years to come by people like Jay Armsworthy.”
Terry Baucom, In a Groove (www.terrybaucom.com)
After 30 years playing banjo in bands like Boone Creek, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out, Blue Ridge, Amanda
& Kenny Smith and Dale Ann Bradley, the “Duke of Drive” steps into the spotlight with his first solo album. Twelve cuts powered
by Baucom’s banjo feature Jamie Dailey; Lou Reid; Chris Stapleton; Ronnie Bowman; Russell Moore; Buddy Melton;
Paul Williams; John Cowan; Adam Steffey; the original Quicksilver with Lawson, Reid and Jimmy Haley; and Cindy Baucom.
The material comes from James Cody Shuler, Chris Stapleton, Connie Leigh, Buck Owens, The Louvin Brothers,
Eddie Adcock, Jon Weisberger and Stephen Mougin, among others.
Norman Blake, Green Light on the Southern (Plectrafone Records, Western Jubilee Recordings (www.westernjubilee.com)
In liner notes guitar stylist Norman Blake says, “I’ve seen the rural music I’ve loved since childhood grow fainter and farther
away in a commercial and urbanized society that seems to care little for the charms of old fashioned Southern string music
and its long gone practitioners…. Here are some of the old songs I play and sing around home; one can live by the sentiment
and poetry found in many of them.” In addition to the title track, Norman and Nancy Blake present “Little Bunch of
Roses,” “Railroading on the Great Divide,” “The Wreck of the C&O,” “Whistling Rufus,” “Bandit Cole Younger” and more.
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Louisa Branscomb, I’ll Take Love: From the Pen of Louisa Branscomb (Compass Records,
www.compassrecords.com, www.louisabranscomb.com)
Louisa Branscomb, who wrote the bluegrass standard, “Steel Rails,” presents 13 new original songs performed by a
“Who’s Who” list of bluegrass singers and musicians. Claire Lynch presents “I’m Gonna Love You” and “Your Amazing
Grace;” Steve Gullley and Dale Ann Bradley sing “Closin’ Nashville Down,” “Surrender,” Silence Broke Beyond Repair,”
“It’s Just Lovin’” and the title cut (with Alison Krauss); and The Whites sing “This Side of Heaven” and “That’s What
Texas Was For;” plus more from Josh Williams, David Peterson, John Cowan, Becky Schlegel and an able cast of instrumentalists.
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Fired Up (Rounder, www.rounder.com)
In liner notes Matt Glaser says, “Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper play every tine with a kind of life or death urgency;
you feel like they’re grabbing you by your collar and insisting that you listen to the most important message you
will ever hear.” The latest set of fiery bluegrass music from the Flamekeeper band includes songs written by band
members Tom Adams, Jesse Brock, Marshall Wilborn and Jessie Baker, plus David McLaughlin, Tom T. Hall, Jimmy
Martin, Buddy Spicher and more.
Bill Emerson, Eclipse (Rural Rhythm Records, www.ruralrhythm.com)
DC-based banjo stylist Bill Emerson is joined by Tom Adams, Marshall Wilborn, Lynn Morris, Jimmy Gaudreau and
Janet Davis on his seventh solo album. The first single to radio, “Poor Rebel Soldier,” features Adams on lead vocals.
Marshall Wilborn and Lynn Morris sing “Jesse James,” and Jenny Leigh Obert takes the lead on “Don’t Come Back
Around.” Emerson wrote nine of the tunes himself. The instrumental, “New San Juan” is already getting radio airplay.
The Farewell Drifters, Echo Boom (Heart Squeeze Records, www.thefarewelldrifters.com)
The latest album of original music from the Nashville-based Farewell Drifters was recorded live in the studio with no
overdubs. The title comes from a reference to their 20-something generation being the children of the Baby Boomers.
“Inspired by our parents’ music, we are creating our own,” they explain in liner notes. Included: “Punchline,” “Tip of the
Iceberg,” “Heart of a Slave,” “A Bed of My Own,” “Words,” “Common Ties” and more.
Farm Country Jubilee, A Bluegrass Tribute to Historic RCA Studio B (www.farmcountry.com)
The debut from Farm County Jubilee, includes music from Charlie Rich, Don Gibson, John Hartford, Harlan Howard,
Jack Clement, Port Wagoner, Boudleaux & Felice Bryant and Chet Atkins, among others. Starring Daryl Mosley, Tim
Graves and Stacy Scruggs, FCJ is a musical act, a stage show and an entertainment concept with the goal of
“rediscovering the elements that transformed country music from a regional pastime into a worldwide cultural treasure,”
band members say. New weekly shows (with equal doses of traditional country, bluegrass and comedy) are posted at
www.farmcountry.com
The Franz Family, The Tale You’ll Never Hear (www.thefranzfamily.com)
The new album of (mostly) original bluegrass gospel music showcases the talents of the Franz Family: Randy, Ruth
Ann, Caleb, Audra, Emmett and Olivia. Growing up onstage in Branson, Missouri, the younger band members have
matured and honed their craft to present a unique bluegrass sound tinged with elements of jazzy blues and acoustic
pop. Included: “Alone and Lost,” “Somewhere in Glory,” “Getting Ready to Go,” “Isaiah’s Lament,” “Unorthadoxology”
and more.
The Gibson Brothers, Help My Brother (Compass Records, www.compassrecords.com)
Two-time 2010 IBMA Award winners, Eric and Leigh Gibson present their 10 th album of music. The title track written by
Leigh explores the golden rule in a new light. The Chris Henry-penned “Walking West to Memphis” recounts the story of
a roustabout who, down on his luck, realizes that the happiness he seeks will be found in the arms of his Memphis girl.
The brothers also pay tribute to Jim & Jess and the Louvin Brothers with “I’ll Love Nobody But You” and “He Can Be
Found.”
The Grascals, Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin (BluGrascal Records, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store)
The seven-time #1 album on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album chart distributed through the nation-wide chain of Cracker
Barrel Old Country Store restaurants is a collection of 13 songs featuring vocal collaborations with guests from the
country music world—many whom The Grascals have recorded and toured with in the past. Dolly Parton, Charlie
Daniels, Tom T. Hall, Joe Nichols, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, The Oak Ridge Boys, Darryl Worley, Terri Clark,
Randy Owen and Steven Seagal. A percentage of proceeds from album sales go to St. Jude’s Children’s Research
Hospital to help fight childhood cancer—the place that inspired the Jamie Johnson/Susanne Mumpower Johnson/Jenee
Fleenor original, “I Am Strong.”
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The Grascals, Dance ‘til Your Stockings are Hot and Ravelin’ (A Tribute to the Music of The Andy Griffith Show
(BluGrascal Records/ Saguaro Road Records) www.grascals.com
In honor of the 50 th anniversary of The Andy Griffith Show, two-time IBMA Entertainers of the Year, The Grascals, have
released a seven-song EP of songs heard on the classic television series. They also throw in the “Mayberry’s Finest”
theme song and a band original, inspired by a Barney Fife line from the episode about a group of stray dogs: “Boy, Giraffes
are Selfish.”
Grasstowne, Kickin’ Up Dust (Rural Rhythm Records) www.ruralrhythm.com
The latest album from Grasstowne, featuring Alan Bibey, Steve Gulley, Justin Jenkins, Adam Haynes and Kameron Keller, presents
a dozen new songs from band members Bibey, Haynes and Gulley, plus Chris Stuart, Janet Beazley, Wes Golding, Ronnie Bowman,
Craig Market, Jake Landers and Vassar Clements. A shiny red 1941 Chevrolet Coupe graces the album cover, and titles include
“Grass Stain,” “Blue Rocking Chair,” “I Don’t Worry about You Anymore,” “Old Time Way,” the title cut and more.
Tony Holt & The Wildwood Valley Boys, Lost Highways & Treasured Memories (Old Heritage Records,
www.oldheritagerecords.com)
In liner notes Bill Yates says, “Tony Holt has not only turned into a good band leader, but also a fine vocalist, following in
the rich tradition of his father, Aubrey, former member of the legendary Boys from Indiana, who is now a current member
of the Wildwood Valley Boys. Together, The Wildwood Valley Boys can be viewed as a re-energized, updated version
within the Boys from Indiana tradition. Along with seven originals from the elder Holt, the song list includes compositions
from Bill Anderson, Jimmy Skinner, Tom Holt and more.
Sierra Hull, Daybreak (Rounder Records, www.rounder.com)
In liner notes Jewly Hight comments, “Sierra’s first album held just a few originals, but she wrote seven of these twelve, a
collection that stands up quite well next to the outside material. There’s a pair of sprightly instrumentals, her first-ever
Western swing number and several that show her emotional sophistication: in songs that fall squarely in the bluegrass
tradition, feelings are out in the open; during country-leaning compositions, she ponders relationships from more introspective
angles; and the title track—a breathtaking pop ballad—is the most ruminative moment of all.”
Jake Leg Stompers, Hill Country Hoodoo (Hoo-Doo Records, www.jakelegstompers.com)
Since 2005 the Jake Leg Stompers have built a following in Nashville and throughout the Southeast with engaging and
playful public performances that call for the manners, moods and repertoire of early 20 th century medicine shows, featuring
period dress and vintage instruments. The line-up features Hambone Willie Nevil, Lucille Dupin, Junior Socrates Cottonberry,
Jersey Slim Hawkins and Horatio Algernon Whiplash (aka “Noisy”). Songs presented include “Beale Street
Holiday,” “Big Road Blues,” “Field Mouse Stomp,” “Aunt Caroline Dyer,” “I Shall Not Be Moved” and more.
Sarah Jarosz, Follow Me Down (Sugar Hill Records, www.sugarhillrecords.com)
Jarosz demonstrates a sense of versatility and musical adventure on her second Sugar Hill release. She is as comfortable
penning the tragic, old-timey “Annabelle Lee”—an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s final poem, or a modernized Appalachian
ode to secret love like “Run Away,” as she is cultivating contemporary singer-songwriter introspection in a
song like “Here Nor There.” Her instrumental skills on mandolin, octave mandolin, clawhammer banjo and acoustic guitar
are showcased on nine original songs plus “Ring Them Bells” (Dylan) and “The Tourist” (Yorke, Greenwood, Selway,
Greenwood, O’Brien).
Alison Krauss & Union Station, Paper Airplane (Rounder Records, www.rounder.com)
The sepia-toned band photo on the front of the long-awaited new Alison Krauss & Union Station album lends a mood of
quiet introspection and timelessness that is reflected in Krauss’s tradition-based, yet totally unique band sound. Krauss
and Tyminski share lead vocal duties on songs written by Robert Lee Castleman, Peter Rowan, Angel Snow & Viktor
Krauss, Aoife O’Donovan, Richard Thompson, Tim O’Brien, Jeremy Lister, Sydney Cox, John Pennell, band members
Barry Bales and Jerry Douglas, and more. Cuts #11-17 are bonus tracks in the version of the CD sold at Target department
stores.
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Drive Time (Mountain Home Music Company, www.crossroadsmusic.com)
In liner notes for Lawson’s new seven-song EP Kyle Cantrell writes, “The soaring, perfectly delivered, precise harmonies,
the impeccable musicianship, and song selection that’s always one step ahead of the rest, make this perhaps the
best work Doyle has done to date.” Guitarist/drummer Mike Rogers contributes three originals, alongside Paul Simon’s
“Gone at Last,” Dan Seals’ “Love on Arrival,” Lawson’s instrumental “The Greenbrier Hop” and the gospel favorite,
“Precious Memories.”
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The Lewis Tradition, Precious Memories (Thoroughbred Records, division of Daywind Records,
www.daywindrecords.com)
The gospel bluegrass tradition of Bluegrass Hall of Famers, The Lewis Family continues with “The Lewis Tradition,”
featuring Janis Lewis Phillips on vocals; her son Lewis Phillips on guitar, banjo and vocals; the late Wallace Lewis’ son
Travis Lewis on acoustic bass and Travis’ son, Jameson Lewis on piano. They are joined on this 14-song album by
Hargus “Pig” Robbins, Buddy Spicher, Bruce Watkins, Kyle Callaway, Brooke Phillip, Jeff Easter and Greg Cole. The
set list includes “The Old Camp Meeting Days,” “Children Talk to Angels,” “I’m Going to Make Heaven My Home,” “Softy
and Tenderly” and more.
Lonesome Traveler, Looking for a Way (www.lonesometravelerband.com)
The third release from this Colorado Front Range-based bluegrass band features the talents of Jodi Boyce, Chad
Fisher, Ansel Foxley, Evan Neal, Dustin Scott and Rick Scott. Produced by Gene Libbea, The material is all original
(from Scott, Foxley and Fisher), except for Gretchen Peters’ “If Wishes Were Horses, sung here by mandolinist Jodi
Boyce. This is probably the only CD package you’ll see this year with a compass embedded in the front cover.
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Rare Bird Alert (Rounder, www.rounder.com)
Steve Martin is joined by the Steep Canyon Rangers, who toured with Martin extensively during the past year) in his
second bluegrass album. Included are 13 new Martin-penned tracks, including a live version of “King Tut” and the
crowd favorite a cappella “Atheists Don’t Have No Songs.” The guys are joined by Paul McCartney and The Dixie
Chicks on vocals, on two cuts. The album title was inspired by Martin’s upcoming movie with Owen Wilson and Jack
Black. Big Year, is a comedy about bird-watchers based on the book, The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl
Obsession.
Kelsey Matthews, The Blood is Applied (paula.brown60@gmail.com)
The debut recording from 16-year-old Kelsey Matthews is an all-bluegrass gospel project that spotlights her singing. A
number of gospel favorites are included like “I’ll Be Clinging to a Saving Hand,” “Beulah Land” and “Are You Washed in
the Blood,” along with Ron Block’s “A Living Prayer” and the Statler Brothers/ Daily & Vincent song, “More Than a
Name on a Wall.” Ben Allen provides all the instrumentation on the CD.
Brock McGuire Band; Green Grass, Blue Grass: Roots Music from Ireland & America; (www.brockmcguireband.com)
In liner notes Paul Wells, from the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University says, “When presentday
Irish traditional musicians encounter present-day American old-time and bluegrass musician, it’s a meeting of musical
cousins…. When the musicians involved [in this project] are some of the finest players in their respective worlds,
the overall results can be something quite special and extraordinary.” Ireland’s Brock McGuire Band is joined on the
project by Ricky Skaggs, Aubrey Haynie, Bryan Sutton, Jeff Taylor and Mark Fain.
Tom Mindte & Jeremy Stephens, Radio Favorites & Sacred Songs (Patuxent Music, www.pxrec.com)
“Duet singing is the nexus of music, as I see it,” comments Tom Mindte. “Everything else is peripheral.” In their second
album Tom, on mandolin and Jeremy Stephens, on guitar, present a collection of songs learned from Bill & Charlie
Monroe, Ted Lundy & Bob Paisley, Paul & Roy, Reno & Smiley, Buzz Busby & Leon Morris and more. Highlights include
“Columbus Stockade Blues,” “Tragic Love,” “What is Home Without Love,” ‘Do you Call That Religion,” “It Rained
a Mist” and more.
Mountain Heart, That Just Happened (www.mountainheart.com)
In liner notes Craig Havighurst says, “this EP should be remembered as more than just a new chapter in the band’s career—more
like the beginning of book two in a trilogy. Going forward, a lot is possible with this configuration and its
huge range of skills and gifts. They still have that bluegrass-inspired name and bluegrass woven into their DNA. But
they also have the ambition to jump fences and the daring to pull that off with style and infectious passion.” In addition
to the Jim VanCleve-penned title cut, two Josh Shilling originals are included, along with “Little Sadie,” “The Ride” and
Greg Allman’s “Whipping Post.”
Tara Nevins, Wood and Stone (Sugar Hill, www.sugarhillrecords.com)
Americana roots traditionalist Tara Nevins presents an exploration of her own heritage, musical and otherwise, in her
first solo album since Mule to Ride in 1999. Fans of Nevins’ work with Donna the Buffalo the past 21 years will enjoy
this showcase of her talents as a singer and songwriter, along with her chops on fiddle, guitar and accordion and scrub
board. Nevins is joined by Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moore and more.
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NewFound Road, Live at the Down Home (Rounder Records, www.rounder.com)
The latest from NewFound Road is a high energy live album recorded December 4, 2011 in Johnson City, Tennessee at
The Down Home. Band members Tim Shelton, Jamey and Joe Booher, and Josh Miller are joined by Mountain Heart’s
Jim VanCleve on fiddle. In liner notes Randy Pitts says, “These boys can punch it out, in a manner that reminds me of
the classic Tony Rice Unit of the ‘80s. Unlike many of the classic pioneering bands, with whom the only visible movement
on stage besides their flying fingers might be a barely discernable clenching of a jaw muscle, these boys have a
good time at their live shows, and it is evident.”
Bobby Osborne, Memories (Rural Rhythm Records, www.ruralrhythm.com)
Several special guests have come together for this album to celebrate Bluegrass Hall of Famer Bobby Osborne’s 60 th
anniversary in the music business. Patty Loveless, David Grisman, Russell Moore, Glen Duncan, Ronnie McCoury,
Sammy Shelor, Audie Blaylock, Takeharu Kunimoto and David Harvey join Osborne and his Rocky Top X-Press band.
Highlights include “Mountain Fever” with Moore, “Ruby,” “Memories” (with Loveless), “With a Pain in my Heart (with
Blaylock), Man from Rosine (with Duncan, McCoury, Grisman, Shelor & Harvey), “Up This Hill & Down” (with Kunimoto)
and more.
Patent Pending, Not a Day Goes By (Tuscarora Records, www.patentpendingband.com)
The latest album from Patent Pending is dedicated to their banjo player and friend, Jim Steptoe, who passed away August
30, 2009 after 30 years with the band. The line-up features Eldred Hill, Rusty Williams, Leigh Taylor-Kron, Ed
Barney, Keith Dill and Buster Sexton. A dozen cuts include five Hill originals, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Don’t
This Road Look Rough and Rocky,” “Last Letter Home” and more.
James Reams and the Barnstromers, One Foot in the Honky Tonk (Mountain Redbird Music, www.jamesreams.com)
In liner notes journalist Donald Teplyske says, “There are few bluegrass singers who match the lithe and masculine timbre
Reams brings to the songs he is called to perform…. With One Foot in the Honky Tonk, James Reams further defines
his bluegrass, blending the varied elements of the roadhouse with sounds from the hills of Kentucky and her
neighbors.” Along with band originals, the songs were written by Kevin Welch & Mike Henderson, Stonewall Jackson,
Fred Eaglesmith, Harlan Howard, Tina Aridas, Arthur Smith, Roberta Gordon & Tim Carter and more.
The Roys, Lonesome Whistle (Rural Rhythm, www.ruralrhythm.com)
Recording Lonesome Whistle was the culmination of a dream that began for brother and sister Lee and Elaine Roy when
they were growing up in Massachusetts and New Brunswick, Canada, as they listed to traditional country and bluegrass
music. The duo’s vocal harmony and songwriting are showcased on their debut for Rural Rhythm on songs like “Coal
Minin’ Man,” “Lonesome Whistle,” “That’s What Makes it Love” (with Ricky Skaggs & The Whites), “Give a Ride to the
Devil” and more.
Mike Scott, Take Me Lord and Use Me (Rural Rhythm Christian, www.ruralrhythm.com)
Fan’s of Mike Scott’s work previously with Jim & Jesse, Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass, his own All-American Band,
and in more recent years Ronnie Reno & the Reno Tradition, will be pleased to hear Mike’s new album which features
his vocals as well as his talents on banjo. Scott is joined by Vince Gill, Sonya Isaacs, Carl Jackson, Claire Lynch, Shelton
Feazell, Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vincent, Buck White, Jesse McReynolds and his wife, Brenda Scott (of the Marshall
Family) on vocals for songs like “When the Angels Carry Me Home,” “Since I Laid My Burdens Down,” and “When All is
Said and Done,” plus more.
Tommy Shaw, The Great Divide (Pazzo Music, www.tommyshaw.com)
Tommy Shaw, the lead singer of the rock band Styxx, explores his love for the mandolin and bluegrass music on his new
album. Shaw wrote or co-wrote all 11 songs, including “The Next Right Thing,” “Back in Your Kitchen” (about his wife’s
cooking), “Sawmill,” “Afraid to Love, “Give ‘em Hell Harry” and more. Tommy is joined by Brad Davis, Sam Bush, Byron
House, Rob Ickes, Scott Vestal and Stuart Duncan, among others, on the CD.
Charlie Sizemore, Heartbreak Longing for a Home (Rounder Records, www.rounder.com)
In liner notes Larry Nager says, “There’s a common thread of restlessness, of yearning, in the material chosen so carefully.
The people in these songs are all seeking comfort, some momentary peace, in a lover’s arms in ‘Down in the Quarter,’
in a glass of ‘Red Wicked Wine’ or in fantasies of unobtainable women—in the movies (‘Ashley Judd’) or in the
apartment upstairs (‘Walking the Floor Over Me.’)” Songs are included from Sonny Tacket, John Preston, Paul Craft,
Alan Jackson, Tom T. Hall and band mates John Pennell and Matt DeSpain, plus more. Ralph Stanley sings a memorable
tenor line on “Wicked Red Wine.”
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Josh Slone, Coal Slone & Coal Town (Rural Rhythm, www.ruralrhythm.com)
In liner notes Larry Cordle says, “The first test any singer must pass for me is believability! And WOW, listening to this
album, does Josh have some stories to tell…. His baritone style of singing really draws you in and makes you listen to
every line, fully captioning your attention for start to finish. Josh may be young but he’s definitely not a rookie.” Nine of
the thirteen songs on Slone’s debut are originals. Additional songs were written by Brandon Rickman, Charley Stefl,
Jenee Fleenor, Mark Brinkman, Mike Evans and Cordle. Josh and his band are joined on the album by Ron Stewart,
Matt DeSpain, Kim Gardner and Gerald Evans.
Kenny Smith, Return (Gat3 Records, www.gat3.com)
Two-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year debuts on the Gat3 Records label with an instrumental collection of guitar music.
The rhythm section from Studebaker, released 13 years ago, returns with Barry Bales and Adam Steffey, plus Aubrey
Haynie, Jim Denman and Adam Hurt this time around. Smith plays Norman Blake’s 1933 D-28 on the album, along
with a 1935 Gibson advanced jumbo.
Valerie Smith, Blame it on the Bluegrass (Bell Buckle Records, www.bellbucklerecords.com
The new six-song EP from Valerie Smith was recorded live at the International Bluegrass Music Museum while Smith’s band was
in town doing a number of presentations for elementary schools in Owensboro, Kentucky. In addition to the Becky Buller/Elizabeth
Shrum title cut, the songs include “Where the Sun Never Shines (Flowers); Slow Healing Heart (Rushing); “Four Leaf Clover”
(unknown); “A Good Day, Lord” (Buller); and “No Vacancy” (Travis).
Larry Sparks, Almost Home (Rounder Records, www.rounder.com)
In liner notes two-time IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year explains, “My music’s always been lonesome. It’s a good lonesome.
It’s a real lonesome sound. It’s true.” Named for an old bluegrass joke that says all songs are either about leaving
home or wanting to go back, Almost Home features 12 songs about family, music and faith such as the Hank Locklin
hit, “Send Me the Pillow You Dream On” and the inspirational gospel song, “Somebody Touched Me.” Also included:
‘Blue Mountain Melody,” “Lines on the Highway,” “Momma’s Apron Strings” and more.
Nathan Stanley, My Kind of Country (Nathan Stanley Entertainment, www.nathanstanleyentertainment.com)
On this 21-cut collection of traditional country gems, the 18-year-old grandson of Bluegrass Hall of Famer Dr. Ralph
Stanley teams up with a Who’s Who list of singers including his grandfather, Gene Watson, Del McCoury, Vince Gill,
Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vincent, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jim Lauderdale, Larry Sparks, Connie Smith, The Isaacs, Marty
Stuart, Patty Loveless and John Anderson. Titles include “Love’s Gonna Live Here Again,” “All I Ever Loved Was You,”
“Folsom Prison Blues,” “Think of What You’ve Done,” “The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn” and more.
Ralph Stanley, A Mother’s Prayer (Rebel Records, www.rebelrecords.com)
“The autumnal recordings of Ralph Stanley are among the last links to the fierce confrontationalism of true Appalachian
music,” observes music scholar Colin Escott in his liner notes for the album. “The music, like the people, stood squarejawed
in the face of adversity. You can hear the pain in every ghostly trailing note and struggle in every barbed syllable.”
The song list includes “What Kind of Man,” which Stanley co-wrote with Larry Sparks, plus compositions from Sara
Evans, Billy & Terry Smith, Clinch Mountain Boys fiddler Dewey Brown and Stanley’s grandson, Nathan Stanley. Shawn
Lane and Ronnie Bowman wrote the album’s title song.
VW Boys, Retroactive (Mountain Roads Recordings, www.mountainroadsrecordings.com)
The VW Boys’ debut on the Mountain Roads Recordings label features material from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ’70 such as
“Amie,” “All I Have to Do is Dream,” “Fire on the Mountain,” “Wagon Wheel,” “Brown Mountain Light” and more. In liner
notes Tom T. Hall writes, “After listening to this album my wife, Miss Dixie, asked me had I ever realized how great the
VW Boys can sing. Truthfully they are an entertaining experience and I have never, in all my life, been more entertained
as when I rode with them in their van on narrow winding roads between Bristol and Dr. Ralph Stanley’s festival. It
was ‘a trip’ and I’ve never been quite right since. Sing Yeah, but that’s just the gravy.”
Josh Williams, Down Home (Rounder Records, www.rounder.com)
The long-awaited album from three-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year, Josh Williams is his debut on the Rounder
label. Fans will recognize favorites like “Lonesome Feeling,” “Dream of Me,” “Cherokee Shuffle,” “Streets of Bakersfield,”
“Down Home,” “Polka on the Banjo” and more. Josh, on lead vocals, guitar and mandolin, is joined by Mickey
Harris, Kenny Ingram, Randy Kohrs, Jason Carter, Rhonda Vincent, Aaron McDaris, Tim Dishman, Stuart Duncan,
Greg Cahill, Dailey & Vincent, Tony Rice, Carl Jackson, Tina Adair and more.
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LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS SET
Members to Elect Reps in May/June
Professional members of IBMA are encouraged to participate in elections to be conducted this summer to determine
leadership on the association’s board of directors.
New in 2011, members with email addresses on file with IBMA will participate in these election via secure online balloting
while those without access to the internet will continue to vote via paper ballots as in the past. (Please contact
IBMA if your email contact information has changed recently.)
The seats for which an election will be conducted and the respective candidates include:
ARTISTS, COMPOSERS & PUBLISHERS
Louisa Branscomb
Carl Jackson
Jamie Johnson
BROADCAST MEDIA
Cindy Baucom
Katy Daley
PRINT, MEDIA & EDUCATION
Craig Havighurst
Tom Kopp
Linda Shaw
AT-LARGE (All Members)
Donica Christenson
Roger Moss
Stephanie Taylor
Those elected by their membership group will assume their role on the board on September 26, 2011 and the term
ends in 2014. The board is the policy making body responsible for the association's mission achieved through its programs,
functions, business affairs and property. The board is also responsible for appointing its officers and delegating
day-to-day management of the association to committees and staff. They serve without compensation and are expected
to bear of the cost of attending all board meetings and IBMA functions.
BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
The IBMA Board met March 30-April 1 in Nashville to consider a variety of business matters and to hear key committee
reports. In addition to the business conducted, the board used the first two days to engage with 20 industry leaders
from various constituencies to explore opportunities and challenges facing our music. Following are highlights.
World of Bluegrass
The board adopted a detailed schedule of events for the 2011conference, IBMA Awards and Bluegrass Fan Fest including
moving points of event entrance to allow more access for the public to the common areas of the facilities, increased
time devoted to music presentation, networking functions and a number of new activities. In a cost saving
measure, the Monday evening dinner was eliminated for 2011 and the associated keynote address will be replaced with
a special “keynote” program added to each day. Pricing plans for various packages were simplified and broadly reduced
for attendees and exhibitors, while also offering new options to purchase single day expo hall and showcase
passes in addition to the popular weeklong “Music Pass” initiated last year. Details will be published in May in advance
of registration and ticketing opening in June. The board also eliminated the registration requirement (instituted in 2010)
for After Hours performing artists.
Consideration of site selection options and preparing a request for proposals for the events for 2013 and beyond was
deferred until later this year.
Surveys
A survey group gave an update on information gathered from members and the broader bluegrass community related
to World of Bluegrass week. (A summary and links to the collected responses were published to members in earlier
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messages). A second survey is being organized to gather input on services and programs offered by IBMA, and plans
are to conduct it this spring.
Meeting with Leaders
The board participated in a unique planning retreat in advance of the business meeting and invited bluegrass leaders
to join in a candid discussion about the opportunities and challenges in bluegrass. The state of the general economy
and the fact the music industry confronts a sea-change in business models were at the forefront, as was the importance
of embracing a broader community for bluegrass while also respecting our music’s core and traditions.
IBMA board chair Stan Zdonik recently expanded on these discussions in a message to members which can be
viewed online at www.ibma.org
Bluegrass Nation & New IBMA Website
Thanks to progress on an initiative to recruit new Life Members (whose investments will be earmarked to partially underwrite
these developments), the board approved funding for a new website for IBMA and World of Bluegrass events.
Moreover, this project also includes the creation of Bluegrass Nation which was unveiled at last year’s conference and
in a recent article in this publication. The IBMA and event related sites should debut in May, while the Bluegrass Nation
project will take form in late summer with a public launch expected at the 2011 conference.
Finance
The board approved 2010 year-end financial reports prepared by Riney, Hancock & Co., PSC which are summarized
elsewhere in this issue. In considering future financial projections, the board adopted a budget of revenues ($794,455)
and expenses ($812,110) for July 2011 through June 2012.
IBMA Awards
Appointments of producers for the 22 nd annual IBMA Awards Show were made (Stephen Ruffo and Claire Armbruster)
in addition to members being named to the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee and Panel of Electors. A proposal to
amend show guidelines to mandate inclusion of all “Entertainer of the Year” nominees in performances was offered
and, after reviewing the pro’s and con’s, the consensus was to continue entrusting the producers with the flexibility to
determine how best to include nominees from all categories in the show.
Membership
IBMA has 2,134 members as of mid-March 2011 and the membership committee reported on new recruitment efforts
including a focus on semi-professionals.
Songwriter Committee
This group is pursuing a proposal that would create a new Songwriter of the Year Award in addition to work on educational
and showcase opportunities.
Legislative Information & Awareness
Members reported recent activity including reviewing court ruling and settlements related to copyright owners and Sirius
XM, ongoing monitoring of the U.S. Performance Rights Act, Community Radio Bill, anti-piracy proposals and legislation
which impacts airline carry-on instrument legislation. The committee also prepared information for membership
consideration regarding federal funding of public broadcasting.
Other Business
The board also received reports from all active committees including Showcase Talent Selection, Leadership Bluegrass,
Wellness and Special Awards. Discussions also included topics like building attendance at the annual membership
meeting, sponsor relations, event exhibitor benefits, official showcase fees and fundraising.
NEXT MEETING AND MORE INFO
Members interested in additional details of this past meeting or with suggestions or ideas for future consideration, are
encouraged to contact their board representatives directly or IBMA (info@ibma.org or 1-888-438-4262) for more information.
Member input is welcome on any topic of business, and additional information on IBMA and its programs is
available at www.ibma.org. The full board will meet again in the fall with the exact dates and place to be determined.
Board members serve without compensation and bear their own expenses for attending meetings and other IBMA
functions.
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IBMA STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
Year Ending 12/31/10
ASSETS $ 299,452.24
LIABILITIES $ 25,409.67
EQUITY $ 274,042.57
REVENUE
Dues $ 169,400.00
Business Conference `10 327,386.00
Fan Fest `10 171,841.50
Awards Show `10 134,112.58
Special Projects 12,526.16
Other Income 59,205.34
TOTAL REVENUE $ 874,471.58
EXPENSES
Business Conference ‘10 $ 291,200.89
Fan Fest `10 135,151.49
Trust Fund Donation 18,345.01
Awards Show `10 149,581.58
Special Projects 58,903.58
Publications & Member Services 45,955.56
Administration 191,236.70
TOTAL EXPENSES $ 890,374.81
EXCESS REVENUE OVER EXPENSES $
IBMA’s IRS Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax) will be available for review after May 30 at
IBMA’s Nashville office.
BLUEGRASS TRUST FUND
Begin Balance (1/1/10) $ 250,874.69
Receipts* 48,676.89
Disbursements 75,330.00
Ending Balance (12/31/10) $ 224,221.58
* (2010 Fan Fest contribution to Trust Fund not included)
IBMA TO HOST May 19 WEBINAR, “MEDIA TRAINING MASTERCLASS—MAKING THE MEDIA WORK FOR YOU”
REGISTER BY CALLING 615-256-3222
Publicity is an essential tool in promoting an artist’s career, a new product or an event. But once you are in front of the microphone,
are you prepared to deliver your message in a concise, engaging manner
Plan now to participate in IBMA’s May 19 webinar at 6 p.m. Central, “Media Training Masterclass—Making the Media Work
for You,” led by the team at the Nashville-based publicity team, Media Maverick, LLC: Vernell Hackett, Clark Taylor and
John Montgomery.
Whether you are an artist, a manager, a record label or independent publicist, an event producer, an association leader
who produces events—or even a broadcaster, from the other side of the interview desk—you’ll take away valuable and
practical advice from this session.
The fee is $40 for IBMA members or $50 for non-members. IBMA members are welcome to submit ideas for future webinars
to nancyc@ibma.org. ALSO, if you have an area of expertise you would like to share at an IBMA webinar, please let
us know that, too.
(Continued on page 23)
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(Continued from page 22)
IBMA member Lisa Jacobi had this to say about the April 2011 webinar, “Closing the Deal: Sales,” presented by Mary
Sue Twohy with WAMU’s BluegrassCountry.org: “Super! I came away with some new tips and great reminders of skills I
had let fall by the wayside. Another motivational session from IBMA.”
Upcoming Webinars—
Please keep an eye on this publication and www.ibma.org for upcoming IBMA webinars you may want to attend.
July 2011: Face Time: Getting the Most at Music Industry Conventions Prepping for World of Bluegrass (Dan
Hays, IBMA & Henri Deschamps, Mast Farm Inn/The Bluegrass Legacy; presenters) For: artists, part-time and regional
bands, agents/mangers, publicists
August 2011: Recording Acoustic Instruments in Your Home Studio 101—How to maximize a small investment
and transform living space into effective studio space (Joe Weed, presenter) For: new engineers & producers, artists,
new record labels
September 2011: Graphic Designs that Pop and Sell (Aimee Roberts, Gold Bond) For: record labels, merchandisers,
event producers, artists, publicists, marketing reps
November 2011: “Climb Every Mountain” - Getting Past Learning Plateaus For: full-time and part-time musicians,
educators, fans who play music
December 2011: Presenting an Engaging Artist Interview (Katy Daley, WAMU’s Bluegrass Country & Cindy Baucom,
Knee Deep in Bluegrass) For: broadcasters.
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WORLD OF BLUEGRASS HOTEL RESERVATION ROOM BLOCKS ARE OPEN NOW!
Call today to secure your hotel reservations for the 2011 World of Bluegrass at one of our host properties in downtown
Nashville.
All reservations should be made through the Central Reservations Department of the Nashville Convention & Visitors
Bureau. Please do not call hotels directly for room reservations. Discounted rates can only be accessed by calling the
central reservations office.
Call 1-877-259-4716 OR 615-259-4700. DO NOT CALL IBMA TO MAKE HOTEL RESERVATIONS. Inform them you
need reservations for the “World of Bluegrass.”
Discount rates for World of Bluegrass attendees are available at the following properties: The Renaissance Hotel
(attached to the Nashville Convention Center where the IBMA Business Conference and Bluegrass Fan Fest take place),
Hilton Nashville Downtown, Sheraton Nashville Downtown, Double Tree Downtown, Holiday Inn Express and Days Inn
Stadium.
New IBMA Members
IBMA is pleased to welcome the following new members in March and April 2011: Debra Blaszak,
Steve Bramlett, Jimmy Brock, Richard Burkett, Marc Driskill, Darlene Fowler, Harlen Galinelli, Dan
Geib, Elaine Goldberg, Ian Gray, David Hall, Ron Hayden, Russell Johnson, Dotty Joyce, Nick Keen,
Eric Lomax, Debbie Lomax, Maria Lysandrou, James David Oliver, Mike Rogers, David Smith, Bryce
Walter and Lee Watson.
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