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FEBRUARY 2014
Bluegrass, New Grass, Old Time, Mountain Blues, Folk, Roots, String, and all groovy things music in between!
Breaking Grass
INSIDE THIS Mountain R ISSUE: Behind The adio Reveberb N Story Remember ation CD Review ing A Legend s ... and mo re!
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www. AMERICANA RHYTHM.com
February 2014
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February 2014
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Table Of Contents:
4 6 Recovery Road 7 8 Breaking Grass 10 Legend Remembered 12 13 14 15 Market Place
A week ago I was in a short sleeve t-shirt having lunch outside; this evening I am warming by the fire. What a shift - yes, winter weather has arrived. But that doesn’t mean the music has to stop. You won’t have to look hard to find an indoor event or mid-week jam. And thanks to entities like XM (Bluegrass Junction), and internet radio stations like the World Wide Bluegrass, and our station host, Live365, you can get a good dose of Americana/grass/roots music anytime you like. In this issue we have our regular features including a chat with up and coming Publisher, Greg Tutwiler Mississippi grassers Breaking Grass, our ReverbNation artist, and lots of new CDs for you to check out in the SPINS section. Thanks for hanging out with us in 2013 - we’ll see you round the bend! Questions, comments, suggestions: greg@americanarhythm.com
Retraction
On page 10 of our current issue, the story erroneously stated that the International Bluegrass Music Museum had been relocated from Owensboro, KY to Nashville, TN. This is not correct. According to Gabrielle Gray, Executive Director of the museum, “The museum is still very much located in Owensboro, and in fact is in the middle of a capital campaign to raise many millions to build a three times larger museum – in Owensboro.” We regret any confusion this may have caused. ~ editor
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Americana Rhythm is published six times a year. All correspon- Business office 540-433-0360 CONTRIBUTORS dence should be sent to PO Box 45, Bridgewater VA, 22812 or Ed Tutwiler email to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copies of Americana Kaye D. Hill Rhythm are made available free at various pick up locations within Wayne Erbsen the publication’s region. Subscriptions are available inside the United Ryan Babarsky States for $16 US currency made payable by check or money UNC Ashville Students Andrew McKnight order sent to Subscriptions at PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812. Doak Turner Foreig n su bscrip tion req u ests shou l d b e sen t to Becky Allen greg@americanarhythm.com. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Don DePoy Reproduction of copy, artwork or photographs is strictly prohibited DISTRIBUTION without permission of the publisher. All advertising material subEd Tutwiler ject to approval. Zebra Media PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Associated Dist. Greg E. Tutwiler The Southern Downtown Books EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS The Purple Fiddle Ed Tutwiler Floyd Country Store Jacenta Tutwiler Shen. Valley Farmers Mkt. Lisa Tutwiler Heritage Farmers Mkt. MARKETING & PROMOTION ... many more! Mark Barreres (GrassRootsNetworking.com) Letters, Comments, Suggestions ADVERTISING greg@americanarhythm.com Greg Tutwiler www.americanarhythm.com
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February 2014
By Edward Tutwiler
In the past, we have told you
about the Crooked Road—a collection of music and music related attractions that exist along the VA/NC/TN border; and about the on-going development of the Shenandoah Music Trail that Don DePoy reports on in each issue. Further, we certainly try to cheerlead for live music venues anywhere folks perform Americana string music. With that background, we are always eager to report on similar ventures whenever we encounter them. Recently, we became aware of The Mountain Music Trail in the Allegheny Highlands area of WVA and decided to learn a bit about it so we could pass that information along to you. According to the WEB site www.mountainmusictrail.com, “The Mountain Music Trail promotes the traditional music, dance, and folkways of the Allegheny Highlands region of West Virginia in Monroe, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Randolph and Tucker counties, and shares a cultural experience that brings together visitors and residents alike, to enjoy and participate in traditional mountain folkways.” The five counties that are cited in this quote are loosely tied together by US Route 219 (editor note, this geographic region runs north by northeast roughly through the Greenbrier River valley).
Off The Ground
I recently got in touch with Ms. Cara Rose who is the executive director of the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the coordinator of The Mountain Music Trail (MMT) to learn more about this relatively new endeavor. She began by telling me that the music of this region of West Virginia is richly influenced by the old-time string
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Building The Mountain Music Trail sounds that reach back to the musical traditions brought to the area by its Scots-Irish ancestors. Because of this background, the developers of the MMT hope to celebrate this musical heritage through regular live music performances, special events, festivals, and educational workshops that expound upon the unique culture of the Allegheny Mountains. In doing this, they hope that they can bring together visitors and local folks to share a cultural experience and bask in the traditional folkways of the mountains. In fact, the vision statement for the organization is this, “To promote, present, and sustain opportunities for engagement in the authentic mountain music traditions of West Virginia”. In a September 8, 2013 article in the Beckley, WVA RegisterHerald (www.registerherald.com) by Tina Alvey, Ms. Rose was quoted as saying, “While traditional dance and folkways are a part of the Mountain Music Trail, the group’s primary focus is mountain music, including old-time bluegrass, regionally significant ethnic, country and gospel. Our number one goal is to preserve the music, and we want to make sure we have a mechanism in place to share
this music with residents and visitors and establish a brand to have an economic impact with this project.”
Already Established
Many of the venues that are a part of this project are already well known to those of us who pursue live Americana string music and some are venues that we here at AR have profiled for you in the past. Venues such as: the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, the
Pocahontas County Opera House in Marlinton, the American Heritage Music Hall in Greenbrier County, and of course the historic Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg. There are, of course, many others not the least of which is the Allegheny Mountain Radio network of community stations. To gain MMT support for a performance, a venue, or a festival, the business or organization hosting the performance must be a location that presents qualifying music or events. These qualifying events must meet two guidelines: (1) those individuals and organizations seeking support must highlight music genres that fit the MMT concept such as OldTime, Bluegrass, Folk, Ethnic, Country, and Gospel; (2) seekers of support must be in the
February 2014
geographical coverage area within the boundaries of Monroe, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker counties. In addition, the MMT has associate partners who are supporters of the MMT mission. These folks include promoters, venue owners, musicians, artisans, instrument crafters, and the development authorities of various county Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Partnership in MMT costs $100 annually and conveys MMT support in the form of advertisement of events and talent; provides wide WEB site exposure; plus offers a sense of belonging to something that is good for the area.
At The Roots
I asked Ms. Rose to capsule the origin of MMT. Here is what she told me, “Well, it was not a difficult thing to happen. Gill Ellis who runs Elk River Inn and Touring Center near Snowshoe Resort mentioned to me several years ago that he thought that we had a product in place that could be marketed in a manner similar to that of the Crooked Road project. We thought that we should explore this idea and made contact with folks that we knew in the music industry, venues, and County tourist bureaus. We asked these folks if they were interested in exploring this idea—everyone said ‘yes, we are interested in this’. So, we set up a meeting and got the originator of the Crooked Road project to come and speak to us. After that meeting, we all agreed that we wanted to move ahead. We just worked our way through it from there. It’s been working very well. Our group works well together.” This work to form MMT began in 2012. By the end of 2013, the committee completed the initial phase of development which consisted of a number of planning sessions with the 30 initial partners. During these sessions, they drafted mission and vision statements, and developed a strategic plan framework in conjunction with West Virginia University Extension Service. In addition,
they implemented a website/ live calendar; worked with Stonewall Group (an ad agency) to create the brand mark; and implemented a modest advertising campaign funded by a grant from the WV Division of Tourism. During this past year, MMT has held kick-off events in every county in the service area, and have gotten that live website and events calendar in place. Much hard work goes into getting something like this off the ground and I’m sure it would be easy to get discouraged but not so with this group. Here is how Ms. Rose puts it, “The folks working on this effort have stayed committed to the project because they realize the opportunity; offers for economic stability and growth for the communities and small businesses.” She continued by saying, “I’m such a believer in this effort and so excited as we move into 2014. I am hoping that we can begin some strong product development efforts and move into phase two of our efforts. ”
Looking Ahead
So just what does MMT plan for phase two? Ms. Rose tells us, “What we are doing right now is working on a grant application that if we are successful will provide funds to match other funds that we receive from local support. With this source and other funding sources that we are also seeking, the hope is that we will have enough funding to implement a compressive marketing effort and a product development effort that will consist of putting more music into more locations and s upport our partners more effectively going forward.” It appears that we’ve just uncovered another layer of this Americana Music onion that we continue to peel for you each issue. I urge you to check out this new MMT venture every chance you get, and add it to your must-see list. For more information about the Mountain Music Trail, including a full calendar of events, visit www.mountainmusictrail.com.
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February 2014
Road to Recovery; A Season For Thanksgiving
Balsam Range is one of Bluegrass music’s favorite groups right now. Their smooth contemporary sound coupled with heartfelt lyrics and rich harmonies has put this group out in front with some of the best. But this year’s IBMA winner of the Album Of The Year for Paper Town almost never had a chance.
Balsam Range’s Buddy Melton By Claire Ratliff
Last Thanksgiving, Buddy Melton was simply grateful to be alive. This year, he’s eager to share new insights after triumphantly returning from life-threatening injuries sustained in an accident on his farm. “I was doing something I shouldn’t do,” Melton recalls about that day in March of 2012. “I was working with those cows and no one knew it. Lots of folks with small farms or businesses make the same decision. You do a lot of stuff by yourself and you forget how dangerous it is. The economy is such that you can’t always hire help. Some things just need to get done.” His nose, forehead and right eye socket were shattered when a cow kicked a heavy metal gate, which struck Melton in the head. The singer/fiddler endured a 10-hour reconstructive surgery, months of recovery, and lost more than 30 pounds. He continues to deal with medical issues including loss of taste and smell, and facial numbness. Melton and his wife, Carla, were overwhelmed and grateful for outpouring of support from fans, friends and other musicians. “The bluegrass community really is a family,” he says. “The support we received was tremendous. It was overwhelming. Every little kindness meant more than any-
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one could imagine. I want people to know how grateful I am.” The day he was released from the hospital, he surprised his band mates, Tim Surrett, Caleb Smith, Marc Pruett and Darren Nicholson, by showing up in the studio. Still weak and unsure, he stepped up to the microphone and delivered the poignant, “I’ve Got a Wide River to Cross,” although doctors had cautioned him that the damage to his sinuses meant he may not sound the same. “I wanted to be a part of the album,” Buddy recalls about the recording of Papertown. “They were already recording and I just needed to know.” About a month after the accident, Melton returned to the stage with the band and performed “Trains I’ve Missed,” but he still faced a long road to recovery. “I lost so much weight,” Melton recalls. “I was wasting away, so I started pushing myself.” Never one for sitting around, Melton began with low impact workouts and realized that the more he did, the better he felt. He began training for a grueling bike ride known as the Assault on Mt. Mitchell. Just months after the accident that nearly took his life, Melton completed the 110-mile trek from Spartanburg, SC to the peak of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern United States. “I guess I’m always trying to achieve something that makes people think I’m crazy,” he chuckles. “I believe in setting unrealistic goals, doing something challenging. It drives you harder and it’s that much more rewarding when you achieve
Terry and his Derring Banjo.
your goal. After all, if you live your life afraid of everything, what are you going to achieve?” The soft-spoken artist admits that he misses certain things, like the sense of smell that once triggered sweet memories. He is grateful, however, for the simple gift of still being here.
“The good Lord had something else planned for me and I appreciate that. I get to be a husband and father. I get to see my little girl, Addie, grow up,” he says. “And seeing Papertown do as well as it did after all we went through, well, it was very rewarding. That process, my thoughts and emotions, everything was different, so it was very rewarding.” This Thanksgivi ng, Buddy Melton is thankful indeed, for the family that is the Bluegrass community, for the ability to still share his voice, and for the recognition that every day is precious. “Life is unpredictable. It’s important to be consci ous of that,” Melton muses. “Everybody goes through trials and tribulations. I’d like to give others hope. I’m alright and you will be too.”
February 2014
East Coast Piedmont Blues Written by UNC Asheville students enrolled in the Liberal Studies Introductory Colloquia, “The Art of the Blues” (Fall 2005) and “Jazz and Blues in American Culture” (Fall 2003) Supervised by Project Advisor: Bryan Sinclair.
John Cephas & Phil Wiggins By Rosser Douglas and Ariel Trcka, UNC Ashville Students
Cephas and Wiggins are a pair of musicians that play an integral part in the Piedmont blues. It was 1977, at the S mithsonia n Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. (birthplace for both musicians) where the two met. The d uo te nd s to play the majority of the ir shows at folk festivals such as this, and to mainly white audiences. Some of their songs show a liking to R & B, but mostly they stick to Piedmont blues as their main style. At the time of their meeting, Cephas was in a band and Wiggins was playing with the widely-known gospel singer Flora Martin. Cephas and Wiggins teamed up with Wilber “Big Chief” Ellis and James Bellamy to form the group Barrelhouse Rockers. The pianist, Ellis, passed away and within a year Cephas and Wiggins decided to give it a go as duo, which they have remained ever since. Their sound is greatly inspired by past Piedmont blues greats such as Blind Boy Fuller, Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell and Blind Blake. The alternating finger-picking style in the Piedmont blues was further popularized by
Cephas. He is considered to be one of the best Piedmont blues guitarists of all time by multiple sources listed below. Cephas has expanded and originated his own Pie dmont Blue s g uitar p lay ing style, while Wiggins continues to dev e lop h is own unique harmonica style dominantly influenced by Flora Martin. They are tod ay held in high regard in the blues community winning awards such as “W.C. Handy Blues Entertainers of the Year” and “Best Traditional Album of the Year" for their album Dog Days of August in 1987. The two are well known for conducting workshops for the general public, so that others may learn the art of playing the Piedmont blues. The pair has also taken part in multiple world tours. They even had the honor bestowed upon them to play at President Bill Clinton’s inaugural party in 1997. “People automatically think of sadness and depression when they think of the Blues. But the Blues is uplifting music to nourish the spirit. The lyrics are true-to-life experiences that people everywhere can relate to.” -John Cephas “I just like good music.” -Phil Wiggins
“Influenced by ragtime, country string bands, traveling medicine shows, and popular song of the early 20th century, East Coast Piedmont Blues blended both black and white, rural and urban song elements in the diverse urban centers of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic region. In contrast, the Delta blues style of rural Mississippi is believed to have less of a white influence, as it was produced in a region with a higher concentration of African Americans. Although it drew from diverse elements of the region, East Coast Piedmont Blues is decidedly an African American art form. The Piedmont blues style may even reflect an earlier musical tradition than the blues that emerged from the Mississippi Delta.” http://toto.lib.unca.edu/sounds/piedmontblues/
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Beaking new Grass Mississippi Style February 2014
By Greg Tutwiler
This past fall I had the opportu-
nity to attend the Bristol rhythm and Roots Reunion festival held annually in Bristol Virginia. It has become a yearly treat to make our trek down to this amazing street festival held on State Street - the border street between Bristol Virginia and Bristol Tennessee. The weekend festival begins on Friday evening running through late Sunday afternoon. The forecast for this particular weekend event was pleasantly warm however rain was expected for Saturday which is never happy news for an outdoor event. And boy did we get rain. It started raining early Saturday morning and continued throughout most of the day. But we were determined to enjoy the music and festivities anyway. In addition to the dozens of indoor venues, the festival also blocks the side streets and alleyways, posting outdoor stages and concessionaires all along the way. Well of course, quite a few of those stages are uncovered, so people were forced to move inside to the indoor venues.
Slogging About
As we moved from one venue to another, much to our surprise, we heard the faint sounds of outdoor music. My natural curiosity got the best of me, and we trodded through the wind and rain down a skinny alleyway only to see an empty stage at the end. Yet still hearing music as we approached the staging area, we noticed that a band had huddled under an overpass ramp with all their mics and instruments. The sound was still being run from the tented sound stage about 75 yards away. This had all of the makings of one of those epic moments. Of course, all of the pieces had to come together, especially the music. And come together they did. Huddled in the back corner of this overpass
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was a group of young fellows from Mississippi cranking out some of the best bluegrass tunes I had heard so far that afternoon. We grabbed a couple wet chairs and settled in underneath the overpass. As the guys continued, I looked around and all of the chairs begin to be filled; not just with people looking to get out of the rain, but people being drawn in by the quality of sound coming from these young fellows. We didn’t just sit there. We clapped our hands, tapped our feet, and hummed along to the catchy and sometimes familiar tunes coming from these guys called Breaking Grass.
Behind The Music
I got a chance to catch up with Cody Farrar (lead vocals and guitar), who fronts the group and is credited with writing most of the band’s original songs. Cody got his love for music honestly. “Raised on everything from Elvis to Ozzy, he was influenced most by his parents who spent hours singing together around the
family’s piano. It is exactly this upbringing that has given him the ability to compose songs in such varied styles.” The rest of the band includes Tyler White on fiddle; Thelton Vanderford on banjo; Zach Wooten on mandolin; and Britt Sheffield on bass..
living so close made it easier to get our sound together.” Thelton also added, “We all had the desire to come up with a little different sound, so that pushed us to work towards a common goal.”
Crafting The Sound
Cody told me that the group got started while he was in college several years ago. “I knew the guys and wanted to get a jam together at the community center of my hometown. I called them up and asked them if they would like to come pick every first Monday of the month. We outgrew that building fairly quickly and moved to a different location where we played every first Monday of the month for almost five years.”
While “Bluegrass” is the foundation of their sound, these guys strive to stay authentic. “We all look to different genres for inspiration, because bluegrass is not the only music we listen too,” Tyler said. “I guess that we are different because we don’t focus strictly on traditional music. At our live shows we try to play something that everyone there will like. We pay homage to the guys that paved the way for us, but we also play tunes that younger audiences can relate to,” Thelton added.
The band took that time to hone their sound and style before really moving out as a touring act. Britt said, “We live very close together so we can practice when we want.” While Tyler added,
With two records to their credit, a self-titled debut, an their current one, Running With The Moon, Breaking Grass has enjoyed some national attention as well, having several of their cuts in rotation on
February 2014
XM’s Bluegrass Junction. “Kimberly Williams was helping us promote our album at the time,” Cody said. “She sent our album to Kyle Cantrell. I was in a hotel room in southeast TN when Kim called and said our album was going to start being played in rotation. It has been such a humbling experience hearing from people all over the world that appreciate our music. Words can’t describe it.”
Notching It Early
According to their web site “2011 was an exciting year for Breaking Grass with a string of wins at many of the southeast’s top music festivals including first place at the State of Mississippi Bluegrass Band Championship in New Albany, first place in the Athens Old Time Fiddler’s Bluegrass Band Competition in Alabama, and first place in the Uncle Dave Macon Days Bluegrass Band Competition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.”
It was also the year they released their self-titled, debut album of all original music. Motivated and excited by their fruitful first year together, the band enlisted producer Stephen Mougin for their next project, Running With The Moon, released in July 2012. It features 12 tracks of original songs, all written by the band’s main lead singer, Cody Farrar. Later that year they won the B.O.R.N. (Band On The Rise Nationally) award.
2013 brought a full slate of performance dates and collecting new tunes for their upcoming third studio project. “I am extremely excited about it,” Cody said. “We hope to start recording it sometime within the next few months; hopefully sooner. This album will be all originals, just like our last two. It will be a variety like the previous two, but so far, it’ leaning towards the darker/minor sound.” Britt added, “We will definitely have some upbeat songs, but yes, there are a few rocking, darker sounding tunes as well. It’s going to be fun.” In the meantime, you don’t have to wait for the full blown LP. Corey told me the group is going to be recording a song very soon, and making it available f or download on itunes. “It is an original number called Fly (Amber's Song),” He said. “It is about a local 13 year old girl who recently lost a life long battle with
cancer. We are going to donate all of the proceeds from the downloads to The Amber Peeks' Scholarship Fund that is set up at our local college.” Fans of the current trend in bluegrass music will certainly want to put Breaking Grass on their radar. With a solid foundation in place, this new generation of players from Mississippi are poised to be at the front of the pack for some time to come
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February 2014
Remembering A Legend; Lee Moore By Edward Tutwiler
We have told you stories about the Bristol recording sessions that lead to the wide exposure of country music. This exposure certainly was hastened by the fact that this new art form coincided with the rise of commercial AM radio broadcasting. Rural-market AM radio stations gave great exposure to the new/old music of the area. It was not long before these stations began promoting live studio appearances by local and regional country music performers who covered the sounds made famous on these recordings. It was not uncommon for the original recording artists themselves to do regular appearances. Often, stations would hire musicians and singers to perform daily shows and do double duty as announcers and station personnal. In the pre-WWII era and early post-war years, radio AM stations were scattered and served a wide geographical area—often on a clear channel frequency. This ment the station’s local musical talent gained fame beyond the local area. It was not unusual for the more talented artists and performers to move from station to station looking for more attractive offers. Thus, those rural market radio stations showcased a steady stream of changing talent.
Lee And Juanita
One such pair of artists was the husband and wife team of Lee Moore and wife, Juanita. They were popular late 1940’s performing residents on Harrisonburg, VA’s powerhouse clear-channel WSVA. In that era, when my Mother spoke of string-music singers, she certainly included Lee Moore in that discussion. During his sojourn at WSVA, Moore was extremely popular as a radio personality and as a part of many stage shows as well. He was such a big part of my early radio listening experience that 60-plus years later I still remember hearing him play and sing—especially a song titled, The Cat Came Back. I dare say that many folks with
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hair the color of mine who lived in the Shenandoah Valley/ Rockingham County area of Virginia during that time remember him as well.
there, Lee moved to WCMI Ashland, KY. While at this gig, he was a featured vocalist with a group known as the Mountain Melody Boys. By 1937, Moore was at WRHS in Charleston, WV singing lead with Buddy Starcher’s M ou nt ain ee rs . Around this time, Lee also met a Kentucky lady named Juanita Picklesimer. She was a performer in her own right and was known as
A mention of Mr. Moore’s name in a magazine article I was recently reading caused me to wonder what ever happened to him after he moved on from WSVA. I did a bit of research and here is what I learned. No Real Heritage Walter Leroy Moore was born in Circleville, OH, on September 24, 1914. With neither a rural nor Southern or mountain heritage, Lee Moore gained his interest in music by listening to Hawaiian steel guitarists on network radio and early hillbilly music broadcasts from a Columbus, OH radio station. Lee started singing on live radio shows in 1931 while still in high school. After honing his talent with these local radio performances, Moore hit the road in 1932 with Doc Schneider and His Texas Yodeling Cowboys. Lee played resonator and regular guitar for this group and traveled with them to Texas before returning home to a radio program at WPAY in Portsmouth, OH. From
the Gal from the Hills. Lee and Juanita married on November 15, 1938. On May 1, 1940, the couple had a son, Roger Lee Moore, who became part of their act even as a small child. Methodical Harmony Lee and Juanita worked together as a radio team for the next 20 or so years gaining wide acceptance singing harmony together on older ballads and sacred songs.
Plus, Juanita is credited with writing a few popular sacred songs that were recorded by several well known entertainers of the day. For the next 12 or so years Lee and Juanita Moore followed the migrant lifestyle that was typical of country radio entertainers of the time, which was moving to a new place every year or two. During this period of their lives, they did daily broadcasts from such locales as WHIS Bluefield, WV; WMMN Fairmont, WV; WSVA Harrisonburg, VA, which is where I first heard him; KFNF Shenandoah, IA; WROL Knoxville, TN; WPAQ Mt. Airy, NC; and finally winding up at WWVA Wheeling, WV at the end of 1949. The Moore’s found a permanent home here with the WWVA World’s Original Jamboree. Here, they did both daily broadcasts and Saturday night shows as well. WWVA was clear-channel during this time and their nighttime signal was the best listening source for country music fans in the northe aste rn US. Moore received fan mail from listeners from Newfoundland to Bermuda.
Spinnin’ The Tunes
In 1953, Lee also took a late-night disk jockey position with WWVA that he held almost continually until 1969. It was here in this position that Lee Moore gained legendary status as the Coffee Drinking Night Hawk. Listeners report that Moore’s act included a coffee drinking routine, in which he would elaborately describe the preparation of his favorite bever-
February 2014
age along with showing his deep enjoyment with loud slurps and lip-smacking. He also was well known for his offbeat commercials selling baby chi cks, rel igious imprinted tablecloths, and used work clothes. Lee and Juanita Moore never recorded any performances until 1953 when they recorded some material for a small New Jersey-based recording company. They tracked about 20 sides that were evenly divided between duos and solo vocals by Lee. The best known title was the one that I remember titled, The Cat Came Back. This 1893 song became known as Lee Moore’s signature song. Lee and Juanita split in 1960. She left show business and slid into a quiet life while Moore continued as a solo performer. He remained with the WWVA Jamboree through 1974. Moore made a few solo recordings in the early 60’s for several small labels and somewhat later did
two albums: one for the ARC label in Canada and the other for Rural Rhythm in the US. This Rural Rhythm recording was a full-on bluegrass performance with backing furnished by Red Smiley’s Bluegrass CutUps.
In The End
In 1974, Moore left the Jamboree, remarried, and settled in Troy, NY. He continued working as a musician primarily in the Northeastern states and made a few single recordings for some smal l la bel s. Lee Moore died on August 1 7, 1997. Shortly, before his death, Lee was presented with both a U.S. flag and a New York state flag that had been flown over their respective Capitols in his honor. In summing Lee Moore’s career, one could conclude that as a recording artist he had minimal impact. Nevertheless, as a radio performer and country music deejay, Lee Moore must be considered a signifi-
cant figure in the development of country music from its traditional roots to widespread acceptance. For more than 50 years, Moore entertained audiences with a straight-forward approach to traditional country songs with his tasteful singing and his simple accompaniment on regulator or resonator guitar. Lee Moore was i nducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 2000
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Neuse River Music Fest February 14 - 15, 2014 Kinston, NC www.bluegrassfirstclass.com Bluegrass First Class February 14 - 16 , 2014 Ashville, NC www.bluegrassfirstclass.com Richmond Bluegrass Jam February 23 , 2014 Richmond, VA www.rvabluegrassjam.com Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party March 6 - 9, 2014 Virginia Beach, VA www.cabinfeverpickinparty.com Blue Ridge Acoustic Uprising April 11 - 12, 2014 Wytheville, VA www.acousticuprising.com Merlefest April 24 - 27, 2014 Wilkesboro, NC www.merlefest.org
greg@americanarhythm.com
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February 2014
Thanks to a new partnership with ReverbNation (www.reverbnation.com) we are honored to give you a peak at a few of the nation’s hardest working indie artists. Each month we’ll select one entry to showcase for you here. Enjoy! THIS MONTH’S FEATURE:
By Greg Tutwiler
The Lost River Cavemen
FEATURE ARTISTS
dark, Leonard Cohen-esque folk songs on The Cavemen’s first album, Taste of Life.” This would later become part of the lyrics to the song “South Kentucky Blues” on their third full-length album.
tucky gents, affectionately know as The Lost River Cavemen, have been serving up their own unique brand of Americana music. Deriving their name from the the caveridden region of Kentucky from they originate, The Lost River Cavemen (Michael McMillian, Guitar/Vocals; Steven Stewart, Fiddle; Joshua Riddle, Percussion; and Geno Wilson, Stand-up Bass) have developed an intriguing adaptation of traditional roots music.
“Before the folk, came rage though,” Riddle noted. Like most teenagers, Michael was angry at the world around him, and so he took out his frustrations in hardcore metal music. “Michael sang/screamed in metal bands all through his teens and twenties, all the while writing these acoustic songs on the side.”
Since 2005, these western Ken-
They are not a bluegrass band, and while their cast of instrumentation includes a fiddle, upright bass, acoustic guitar, and drums, their music has been described as “punkcountry, neo-folk-rock, and indieAmericana, to name a few. The Cavemen’s songs seamlessly span the gap between traditional singer/ songwriter and modern roots-rock, without giving you that feeling of “isn’t this the same song that just played?” Percussionist Joshua Riddle gave some deeper insight into this unique ensemble. “T he band started with Michael McMillian’s collection of porch-folk songs back in the ‘90s,” he said. “Michael was in a near-fatal motorcycle accident when he was a teenager that left his leg severely damaged. This incident, along with the loss of his mother to leukemia, influenced the
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Why Cavemen
Michael came up with the name The Lost River Cavemen after seeing the old-timey barber shop quartet called The Mammoth Cave Men, from Cave City, KY. He always wanted to name a band after a local cave, and so he named this one after Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, KY. Shortly after that, Michael asked Greg Ed, the drummer from his old metal band, to play drums full-time. That was the core of the band for the first little while. In 2006, Kerry Pruitt replaced Brandon on fiddle, and in 2007 Joshua Riddle took over on drums. This would be the lineup for the next five years. Kerry ended up leaving the band in 2011, after the band’s west coast tour, to take care of his new wife and baby, so The Cavemen hired classically trained
we get,” Riddle said. “We’ve never hired a booking agent, publicist, manager, or anything else like that.
violinist, Steven Stewart. Steven has been with the band about two years now and plays on their newest self-titled record. Regarding the band’s influences, Riddle offered, “every member that is currently, and has been, in this band has vastly different tastes in music. Each member brings something different to the table. We listen to everything from 80’s hair bands, to 70’s punk, to 60’s country, to European roots, hip-hop, bluegrass, classical, and more. A true musical entrepreneur will allow themselves to be influenced by everything they hear. We don’t try to play into a genre; the genre is naturally born from the music we create.
The New Way
Like many younger bands today, The Cavemen are strong DIY (Do It Yourself) advocates. “We try as hard as we can to control every aspect of the creative, and business, end of this band as possible. We use local designers/printers/producers whenever we can, and we give back to our community any chance
We handle everything on our own. Any band that is serious should be able to do the same. However, it makes it really hard to book shows sometimes because there are venues out there that only deal with the record industry people that they have connections with, and everything must follow their procedures. But we are trying to break that mold and prove that the record industry is not needed. All you need is dedication, manners, and a little elbow grease.” Currently, all of the guys have fulltime careers outside their Cavemen aspirations. Michael is a nurse, Geno works at a global printing press, Joshua is an educational director, and Steven is completing his Master’s degree in music. “Working around everyone’s schedules is the hardest part,” he said. “But we’re lucky that everyone is able to take vacation days when we plan large tours.” But the guys hope to change that very soon. “Our next big goal would be to tour Europe. We have fans there, and we know that our music would go over great. And our next milestone would be to quit our day jobs and go on the road fulltime. We’re just a few steps away from it, and I think if we get a couple good breaks it could easily happen. We have no interest in becoming famous or signing a major record deal. We just want to be able to play music for a modest living ”
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February 2014
By Wayne Erbsen
Quill Rose, Mountain Fiddler “He could neither kill a bear, play the fiddle, nor shoot a gun.” 1860 The unknown writer of this disparaging quote apparently was not talking about a mountain man from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee named Quill Rose, who could do all three, and more. Born Aquilla Rose in Cades Cove, Blount County, Tennessee on May 4, 1841, he died on November 3, 1921 at the ripe old age of 83. Tall, Lester Flatts and wiry and broad-shouldered, he had Earl Scruggs long dark hair and sported a beard. At 6 foot 1½ inches, he was considerably taller than most men at that time. In 1857 he married Lavica “Vicie” Hyde, who was half Cherokee. Together they lived in a hand-hewed log cabin up Eagle Creek, in what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Quill was every bit the mountain man, who had mastered the many skills necessary to survive and thrive in this remote and rugged section of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Even in his own day, he was legendary as a bear hunter, fiddler and moonshiner. He was said to be able to tell tall tales with the best of them. Someone once described him as “a good natured, but desperate character when aroused.” With the coming of the Civil War, Quill enlisted in the Confederate army on April 1, 1863 in Macon County, North Carolina. He was one of a small handful of nonCherokee who served in Colonel William Thomas’ Cherokee Legion. After the war, in addition to farming, blacksmithing, moonshining, fiddling, and running his own
gristmill, he used his Plot Hounds to hunt wolves and bears. He sold the wolf hides for a bounty of $5 each, which the government offered until 1891. In 1882 alone, he claimed to have killed between 810 bears with the help of his dogs. In January of 1855 he sold 100 acres of land in Cades Cove, Tennessee, to his brother, Jacob Merlin Rose, for five cents an acre. Quill ran a successful moonshining operation for many years and only got arrested once, and that was in 1918 at the age of 80. When the judge learned of his age, he set him free immediately. My favorite story about Quill has him traveling to Bryson City, North Carolina to board a train bound for Proctor, North Carolina to visit friends. Of course, he brought along two of his favorite dogs, Ring and Snap. As he was preparing to board the train, the conductor informed him that he couldn’t take his dogs along. With the train pulling out, Quill had no choice but to leave his dogs at the station. As he jumped on the moving train, he
threw his hat on the ground, and ordered the dogs to guard the hat. Quill had originally only planned on staying in Proctor for one day, but he and his friends got into some moonshine, and it was two days before he finally got back home. As soon as he reached his cabin, he inquired of his wife the whereabouts of his two dogs. It was then he remembered where he had left them. He hurried back to the train station, and found his dogs still faithfully guarding his hat. Wayne Erbsen is a jam-leader, musician, author, publisher and radio host. He has written thirty songbooks and instruction books for banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and dulcimer. His newest books include Bluegrass Jamming on Banjo, Bluegrass Jamming on Mandolin and Bluegrass Jamming on Fiddle. Check out his web site www.nativeground.com. Call or email for a free catalog (828) 299-7031 or banjo[at]nativeground.com.
HAP PY N E W Y EAR
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February 2014
Music From The National Scene
Music From Your Neighbors
welcome to our latest edition of SPINS! How can these guys keep making such great music? Wow! Grab your iPad or Smart Phone and dial up some of these fine folks. We bet you love them all - we do!
Of course, soon you’ll be able to hear cuts from these groups featured on our Internet radio station, Americana House Party as well. You can turn us on from the home page of our web site at www.AmericanaRhythm.com. Uncle Woody, The Spin Doctor
Breaking Grass Running With The Moon
Moody Bluegrass A Nashville Tribute
Donna Ulisse Showing My Roots
Houston Jones Queen Of Yesterday
www.donnaulisse.com Although nominated as IBMA’s songwriter of the year, twice, Donna Ulisse’s talents go beyond the pen. Here in Showing My Roots, she lends her talented chops to some time established covers joined by many industry icons
www.houstonjones.com
www.breakinggrass.com
www.moodybluegrass.com
Glen Houston and Travis Tones head up this “high octane” Americana quintet from California. Festival and Radio favorites, their new CD, Queen Of Yesterday, further establishes them as an industry benchmark
[On the cover] These relative newcomers to the contemporary bluegrass scene, Mississippi’s Breaking Grass is quickly becoming the “band to watch” on the bluegrass scene. Their current CD is well worth the add
People of the 70s - check this out. AOR FM radio fans will get a big kick out of this. It’s the Moody Blues all grassed out. It’s not tongue and cheek. This is a serious adaptation of one of the era’s greatest rock bands. Nice
The Boxcars It’s Just A Road
Edgar Loudermilk
Chris Beall
The Grascals
My Big Chance Tomorrow
When I Get My Pay www.carolinaroadband.com After coming on the scene in 2005, The Grascals have notched a string of hits, national TV appearances, a Cracker Barrel CD, and bunch of industry awards. Their latest, When I Get My Pay, is “classic” Grascals, and top notch.
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Adam Steffey New Primitive
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www.adamsteffey.com
www.theboxcars.com
www.edgarloudermilk.com
The Gin Mill Hymns www.chrisbeallmusic.com
This 2013 IMBA Mandolin player of the year winner has been making music a long time. He’s won that award ten times, and earned five grammy’s. His latest, a solo project, exemplifies why he’s such a decorated musician
Winners of the 2013 IBMA Instrumental group of the year, The Boxcars, fronted by mandolin master Adam Steffey, have a new release with It’s Just A Road. These guys have established themselves as one of the new top bands, and this release proves why
Edgar, recently departing Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, has a new solo record, and a new career on the horizon with friend and new band mate Dave Adkins. With Edgar ’s new CD, My Big Chance Tomorrow, things seem bright indeed
Austin TX is home base for this Americana/Roots artist. The Gin Mill Hymns, his second project, blends hints of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen together with his flair for songwriting on five of the nine tracks. You’ll like this Tex/Alt. Country feel
Jetts Creek The Wait Is Over
Jim & Valerie Gabehart I Was Raised In A Railroad Town
Sara Syms Fade To Blue
Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott
Woven Wires
Memories And Moments www.timanddarrell.com
Old Time Guitar Duets From The Shenendoah Valley
What do you get when you pair two esteemend singer/ songwiter/ multi-instrumentalists? W hat much of the Americana world has been waiting for. Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott. What more can you say - it’s spot on
The Shenandoah Valley is well know for it’s contribution to the heritage of grass, and old time music. The Woven Wires collection is a tasteful serving of homegrown influences performed by hometown musicians. A good one to have
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www.jetts-creek.com The California Bluegrass Association said Jett’s Creek has, “stirring vocal harmonies and carefully blended instrumentation,” That they do, thanks to the family based harmonies from co-producer Angie Young, brother Adam, and dad Jon. Good stuff .
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www.jimandvaleriegabehart.com Another “family” band - the husband and wife led ensemble from Hamlin, WV latest project, I Was Raised In A Railroad Town, has a nice down home feel to compliment their distinguishable vocals
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www.sarasyms.com This is the debut album from the Chicago to New York transplant. Beginning her career as an international figure skater, Sara always dreamed of writing and recording her own music. Good plan Sara, we like the roots feel
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You can send new Americana CD releases for consideration to PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812
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February 2014
Visit AmericanaRhythm.com FIND OUT MORE NOW! www.missionlife.bodybyvi.com
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