June 2014
2
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
June 2014
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
3
June 2014
So, it was 25 degrees here in the Shenandoah Valley last night - the winter
reaching out one last time (we hope it’s the last). But we feel the warmth of the strings being tuned up for an amazing festival season. Can’t wait! We kicked it off a little early last weekend at the Blue Ridge Acoustic Uprising in Wytheville, VA. Yes, it was indoors - and that was okay. Still got us in the mood for more. The fine folks at the ACMA (Appalachian Cultural Music Association) did an outstanding job with event production and venue selection, as well as lining up some fabulous entertainment. Put this event on your radar for next spring. (Yes, we’ll remind you.) My wife, Lisa, and I headed up Big Walker mountain before returning home on Sunday afternoon. It was a beautiful Spring day, and a perfect time to climb the 150 ft. fire tower attraction. Talk about perspective! Looking down from atop that iron perch, I was reminded of just how lucky we are to live in a land where we are free to create and enjoy. This fine music genre’ we all love so much entertains and inspires so many in a time when it’s needed so much. We look forward to being a part of it with you again this time around. Questions, comments, suggestions: greg@americanarhythm.com
4
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
June 2014
By Edward Tutwiler
Heartwood: Celebrating The Crooked Road Traditions You might recall the publisher
told you in his message to the readers several issues back about that grand mystical music tour that he and some of the AR staff took. That is the trip that took them first to the Bristol, TN Rhythm and Roots festival; then to the multi-day IBMA gathering at Raleigh, NC; and finally to the Nothing Fancy festival in Buna Vista, VA before they trekked back toward home up the great wagon road that’s morphed into I-81. What he did not tell about was a side trip the folks made before leaving the Bristol area. They took several hours to immerse themselves in the Heartwood Exhibit complex located on the outskirts of Abington, VA. What is Heartwood, you may ask. Heartwood is a magical gateway to Southwest VA’s crafts, music, food, and local culture. It is located in an ultra-modern building situated high up on a ridge off Exit 14 on I81. It contains the crafts by local artisans, which have been judged to be the best of the best. More important to us lovers of the string music of the area is that it houses the most complete collection of The Crooked Road traditional oldtime, bluegrass, and gospel music to be had anywhere. Within the walls of this special place, you can meet artisans and musicians at live events and in interactive exhibits. At the same time, you will get a complete introduction to Southwest Virginia’s heritage. If you get overwhelmed with all the visual and audio treats, you can take a timeout, relax in the coffee and wine bar, and enjoy locally roasted coffees and regional wines.
bilia, and audio and video recordings of the now forgotten and rarely heard talents from the early days of string-music. Even more valuable is the information available about those obscure old-time regional folks that were the real
backbone of the Appalachian Mountain music heritage. There are two artisan galleries. One gallery is devoted to the crafts and craftspeople of Southwest VA. Here, among other items, one can find some excellent hand-crafted string music instruments. The other gallery features paintings, pottery, jewelry and other fine-art objects created by artists from the area. It is not unusual to find craftspeople and artists in attendance who are ea-
ger to discuss their crafts and art objects. These galleries are not museums. You can purchase some wonderful finds if you wish. Artisans who sell their work at Heartwood are members of ‘Round the Mountain, which is Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Network. After all these treats to the eyes and ears, you can reserve a table for some fine evening dining at the Heartwood restaurant .The Heartwood chef uses locally grown ingredients when ever possible and reinterprets the Southwest VA traditions of home cooking to create upscale but casual comfort food that’s both different and satisfying. Of course, a quick on the go menu is available everyday Heartwood is open.
Still About The Music
The most enjoyable part of the Heartwood experience is the music and the performance area. Since Heartwood is home to The Crooked Road Music Trail, you can expect to hear musicians play, and be able to talk to them at the many live concerts. Every Thursday night at Heartwood there is live music from The Crooked Road.
If you play, take note that the first, third, and fifth Thursdays are open jam nights. You are encouraged to bring your instrument and join a circle. The staff encourages both oldtime and bluegrass musicians to attend and usually have more than one jam going each night. There is a special treat on the second and fourth Thursdays. These nights are reserved for showcasing the young folks from Southwest VA. This Crooked Road Music Series features young music performers and showcases venues of the Crooked Road region. The music series is sponsored by The Crooked Road, Heartwood, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. An April 10, 2014 performance featured the Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC) Old Time String Band from Washington County. The VHCC Old Time String Band rose out of a new class offered at Virginia Highlands Community College for students, faculty and community members from all walks of life. This is an ensemble setting that encourages musical growth in its members. It goes without saying, I suppose, that this group performs music from the southern Appalachian region
.
Border Trail
Heartwood contains an historical exhibit area dedicated to the Crooked Road Music Trail that winds along the borders of VA, NC and TN. There, on display, are rare photographs, memora-
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
5
June 2014
It’s Jamboree Time
By Ben “Cooter” Jones
W
hen I was a youngun’, my Mama was always saying to me, “Don’t hide your light under a bushel.” For the longest time, I pictured myself hiding a flashlight under an empty bushel basket. Finally I asked her exactly what that meant.
Lisa Meadows and Ben “Cooter” Jones
Terry and his Derring Banjo.
“It’s from the Bible,” she said, and when Mama said something was from the Bible, we knew to shut up and pay attention. “Look it up,” she told me. “It’s in the Sermon on The Mount.” And so it was. Jesus’ admonition told his followers to let their “light shine before others.” Mama was using it to tell me not to keep good things to myself, not to be shy, and to share our good fortune with others. But then she would tell me not to try to sell somebody “a pig in a poke”. I think I can honestly say that the “Shenandoah Jamboree” is not a pig in a poke. And I enjoy
6
that music had to be a part of what we did there. I got real lucky when Robby and Lisa Meadows came over from Page County. That was 15 years ago and we are still making music together all over the United States. Now Robby and Lisa are producing the Shenandoah Jamboree at the Yellow Barn, part of the attractions at The Shenandoah Caverns, in Mt. Jackson, VA. Let me give you five really good reasons to go to the Jamboree, which is performed on the first Saturday night of each month.
Five Good Reasons
recommending it to anybody who loves good, authentic country, bluegrass, rockabilly, and gospel music. I’ve been a part of the Jamboree since it started, and I am proud to say that they are “letting their light shine”. Most folks know me from “The Dukes of Hazzard”, a show that
continues to be extremely popular all over the world. There aren’t many shows that are still a hit after 35 years, but in the heartland, “The Dukes” is a trusted and permanent part of rural family life. Country music was integral to the success of “The Dukes”, and when my wife Alma and I started our first “Cooter’s” store in Sperryville, I felt
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
1: The Yellow Barn is a unique venue. The only event space in the world filled with one of a kind displays, Americana antiques, specialty shops, and the largest collection of parade memorabilia you will ever see. The Barn is part of the attractions at Shenandoah Caverns. The owner of the Caverns, Mr. Earl Hargraves, has been in the parade business since the 1940’s.
June 2014
He has built thousands of floats; for the Inaugural Parades, for the Rose Bowl parades, and for every other major parade in America. Many of those beloved floats are a part of the Shenandoah Caverns experience. Marty Rabon at the 2014 season opener.
2: Host Lisa Meadows is a worldclass country singer. I have been listening to country music for seventy years now, and I’ve worked with the likes of Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, and Dottie West. Simply put, they are all great artists, but Lisa is as good as any of them. When Cooter’s Garage Band goes to Nashville, folks are amazed at how good Lisa can sing. I’ve been singing with her for fifteen years, and I’m still amazed! 3: The Shenandoah Jamboree Band is also as good as anybody out there. This is a group that can play any
kind of music and play it as if that is the only kind of music they have ever played. With bandleader Robby Meadows on bass, Kevin Hinkle on drums, Pat Burr on lead guitar, William Hayes on piano, and Anthony Van Pelt on fiddle, The Shenandoah Jamboree Band has a happy chemistry that comes only from years of hard work and dedication. 4: The regular cast for the show brings variety, comedy, and a depth of talent that is already attracting national attention. Brian Buchanan, Nikki and JoJo, and Danny Figgins have all built loyal followings at the Jamboree audience favorites, as has 13 year old John Robert Rimel. John Robert recently made his national television debut on The Ellen Show. To put it mildly, “he knocked it out of the park.” He recieved a sustained standing ovation and not only charmed Ellen and her audience, but also got rave reviews from the millions who were watching. 5: Every month brings a special guest star to the Jamboree stage. Past guests have included Jimmy Fortune, Wilson-Fairchild, Linda Davis, Georgette Jones, LuLu Roman, Marty Raybon, T. Graham Brown, and Larry Stephenson. This year’s guests will include Barbara Fairchild, Jeannie Seely, Marty Haggard, and Jett Williams. Like I said y’all, this ain’t no pig in a poke. This is a terrific show in a wonderful setting. Let’s don’t hide our light under a bushel!
Send us your name and address along with your check or money order for $18 made out to Americana Rhythm, to PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812. (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY) You can also subscribe Via PayPal on line at www.AmericanaRhythm.com
Name: Address: City:
State:
Zip:
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
7
June 2014
By Wayne Erbsen
Two Meatballs In The Sand Bluegrass Music has exerted a strange and powerful grip on me going back to 1963. After hearing the tinkling sound of the banjo on a Kingston Trio record, I decided I had to learn to play this music. I soon signed up to take a few private banjo lessons with a local guy named Claude Reeves. When he realized that I hadn’t yet been exposed to the real thing, he directed me to purchase a Flatt a nd Scruggs recording. “Who,” I asked.
New LP The next Saturday I journeyed to the local record store and asked if they had a record by Flatt and Scruggs. The salesman soon produced a LP with a group of musicians dressed in bright red suits and sporting string ties and white cowboy hats. I was puzzled by the fact that the record was entitled “Country Music.” Was this going to be like the country-western music with steel guitars that I occasionally watched on TV on Saturday mornings? What really grabbed my attention was the big fellow standing off to the side by the name of Kentucky Slim. Wearing huge overalls, a slouch hat and a big toothy grin, I knew I must be on to something. Intrigued, I asked the salesman if he could play a little sample of the record. As soon as he lowered the needle on the first track, pandemonium broke out in that small record store as fifty billion banjo notes came flying out of that record at ninety miles an hour. It was almost like someone was spraying the room with machine gun bullets. As other customers in the store were frozen with terror or ducking for cover, I happily paid the man and proudly walked off with my shiny new record under my arm. The first week, I practically wore that record out! I was totally stoked by hearing the banjo playing by the master himself, Earl Scruggs. What I wasn’t too sure about was the sing-
8
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
ing. Lester Flatt had a funny way of sliding into his notes with a slow southern drawl. Sometimes he slid up to the right pitch, and sometimes he didn’t quite make it. What was really puzzling was the way he pronounced his words. Not being a native of North Carolina, Kentucky, or Tennessee, bluegrass certainly seemed like a foreign language to me, with its own vocabulary that was as foreign to me as Russian! When I finally got to see Lester Flatt in person, I was surprised to see him singing out of the corner of his mouth. Was that the way bluegrass was supposed to be sung? I wondered. Beside learning to play the banjo, I was determined to learn to sing the bluegrass songs too. Before the Internet, the only way to get the lyrics was to play the record over and over and copy down the lyrics. That sounds pretty easy, right? Well it wasn’t. Half the time, I couldn’t tell what the heck they were singing. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had this problem. Around 1965 I went to a bluegrass show in a small club in Berkeley, California called the Jabberwalk. On stage was Joe Val and the Charles River Valley Boys. I remember that the banjo player, Bob Siggins, joked about the lyrics of the Bill Monroe song, “Goodbye Old Pal.” Siggins suggested that instead of “to me boys it was sad,” he always thought it was “two meatballs in the sand.”
Mangled Words Recently, I got to wondering how other singers have accidentally mangled the words of other bluegrass songs. Come to find out, there’s actually a word for mangled lyrics: mondegreens. Who knew? When I asked some of my bluegrass friends what mondegreens they could come up with, here’s what they thought of.
June 2014
With a naked horse. (With an achin’ heart) from “Doing My Time.” I fought the green creature down in the dark valley. (I fought the green creature down in the dark valley) from “I’ve Lived a Lot in My Time.” It is a whale that is hurt upon the shore. (It is a wail that is heard upon the shore) from Stephen Foster’s “Hard Times Come Again No More.” Constipated cross_eyed bear (A consecrated cross I’d bear) My feet stink on the mantel (I’m feasting on the manna) The ants are my friends, they’re blowing in wind (The answer my friend is blowing in the wind) Feta cheese and hair “Faded cheeks and hair) from “Wandering Boy.” May I walk on your lawn every day May I walk in your light everyday from “Lord Have Mercy.” Are your varmints washed (Are your garments washed) from “Washed in the Blood.” There’ll be no detours in Heaven Nora froze along the way (There’ll be no detours in Heaven No rough roads along the way) From “I’m Using My Bible For a Roadmap.” Hold back the Russian menace (Hold back the rushing minutes) from “My Baby’s Gone.” The mandolin player ate cheese whiz. (The man in the middle is Jesus) from “The Man in the Middle.” They ca ll me by a nu mber of naughty names (They call me by a number, not a name) from “Doin’ My Time.” Oh beautiful and spaceship skies. (O beautiful for spacious skies) from “America the Beautiful.” Lonesome Light Bulb Waltz. (Lonesome Moonlight Waltz).
I’ll wear your underwear tonight. (Although your love is even colder, I wonder where you are tonight). from “I Wonder Where You Are Tonight.”
Big spy camera (Big spike hammer) Bright day will turn to night my love, the elephants will mourn (Bright day will turn to night my love the elements will mourn) from “The Blackest Crow.” Can I get you now, or must the hen I take (Can I get you now, or must I hesitate) from “The Hesitation Blues.” She’d row t’church a Sunday She’d pass me on by I saw her mind was changing Bada-ol-bing on her eye (She’d go to church on Sunday She passed me on by I saw her mind was changing By the roving of her eye) from “Handsome Molly.” That’s the way I giddy my gnome (That way I’ll get him I know) from “Feast Here Tonight.” Poison tomatoes are taking our loved ones (Wars and tornadoes are taking our loved ones) from “The Family Who Prays.” My time on earth is buttered Spam. (My time on earth is but a span) from “A Beautiful Life.” If you’re like me, you might find the mangled verses more interesting than the “real” ones. If find any interesting mondegreens, please send them my way. Big thanks goes out to everyone who contributed to this collection! Wayne Erbsen has been collecting and researching songs (with the correct lyrics) for fifty years. He has edited ten bluegrass, old-time and gospel songbooks plus instruction books for bluegrass banjo, clawhammer banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. Contact Wayne for a free catalog of all his books and recordings. Phone: (828) 299-7031 Email: banjo[at]nativeground.com, Web: www.nativeground.com.
Although your love was even colder,
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
9
June 2014
That Guy From Shenandoah
By Greg Tutwiler
Many of you reading this will
likely know Marty Raybon as a popular bluegrass gospel singer. For the last 12 years he has been touring the festival scene across the country entertaining folks at country-side bluegrass festivals and church stages alike. What some of you might not know is that Marty Raybon, raised in Florida on bluegrass music, spent a season on top the country music charts as the lead singer with the country super group Shenandoah. In his 30+ year career as an entertainer, Raybon, a brick and block layer by trade, went on to chart 26 singles including numerous number one hits with Shenandoah; received numerous CMA, ACM, and Grammy awards, and most recently an IBMA award for gospel song of the year with his bluegrass band Full Circle. A fine career indeed, Marty refers to himself as a lifer. So I asked him to tell me a little about that life.
Musical Foundation
“My home was a wonderful place to grow up in if you loved music, and of course, we all did,” he told me. “My mother was a big Johnny Mathis fan, and of course my Dad was a big Dolly Parton and Porter Wagner fan, along with Bill Monroe, and the Stanly brothers – my mother even loved Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.” She, along with Marty’s two sisters, although they didn’t play, just loved music he told me. “My daddy was a fiddle player, and he loved both country and bluegrass,” Marty recalled. “He could play that old Ray Price shuffle style and turn right around and play that old Monroe style fiddle. But the one thing, probably more than any other, is that I saw how my daddy loved to play. He just enjoyed it so much. And that probably did more for me than anything else. He was like a giddy school kid when he got his hands on that fiddle, or knew he was going to play at a festival. He taught me more about the love of music than anything.”
10
That 70s Show
Marty, along with his brothers, worked for their dad in the summer time. “Daddy was a block and brick layer, so he taught me and my brothers the trade,” Marty said. “And that really afforded us the opportunity to get to play.” Things changed from listening at festivals to playing at festivals when Marty was 14. “We worked the summers with dad. We would work like the dickens during the week to get our job done so we could get on the road sometimes on a Thursday night so we could play a festival on a Friday. The Raybons formed their first organized band in October of 1974 playing at a festival in Gainesville, FL. We primarily played in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi,” he said. The family played as an organized band from 1974 to 1984. In 1984 Marty left Florida and moved to Nashville, chasing the dream. “I had the same hopes and dreams that probably 2000 other people had that week coming to Nash-
ville,” he reflected. “I was going to go up there and be a country music star.” Marty said he stayed there for a year and “literally about to starve to death,” But recalled that it was probably what ultimately changed the course of his music career.
I Write The Songs
Marty was writing for a man named Larry Butler – “he believed in me as a song writer,” remembers Marty. “He knew that I could learn a lot from the other writers in his camp – and I did. I was really grateful for the opportunity Larry gave me. He was the head of United Artists, producing the likes of Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, and Dottie West. He believed in me to the point that he thought that one day I would probably get a deal – but knew that I needed to really know what a hit song sounded like so I would be able to take advantage of it when one was pitched to me or when I wrote one. I was hanging around folks like Dean Dillon, who wrote four or five of George Strait’s first
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
big hits. So it was a really good experience for me.” In September of 1985 Marty got the chance to move to Muscle Sholes Alabama. “I was rooming with a guy named Bud McGuire. We shared an apartment in Nashville, and I got to know his brother Mike McGuire. Mike was playing with a band in Muscle Sholes that had lost their bass player and front man. Knowing that I sang and played, Mike called me one day and invited me to come to Muscle Sholes, share an apartment, and step into their band. They had a standing club gig that offered steady money. That, along with my writer’s draw seemed like it could work out, so I took it. Little did I know that the guys that I took up with when I took that job in September of 1985 would become the band Shenandoah.”
Instant Hit
The guys started getting a lot of attention from A & R departments from labels like Sony, RCA, and MCA. The other guys in the band
June 2014
were also session players and Mike, Marty’s new roommate, was also a song writer. The band did a lot of demo work for songs writers were trying to pitch. And people started saying things ‘who are these guys?’ Marty remembers that Columbia Records rented a bus one evening and brought their whole staff in to see the band play at the club. “On the spot, they wanted to know if we wanted a record deal. Believe or not, a couple of the guys said no – I said, ‘man I left Florida to get a record deal, I’ll take it.’ But before it was all over with, all the guys that were on the fence decided it was worth giving it a shot. And of course we did.”
Their first song with Columbia Records came out in 1988 called “They Don’t Make Love Like We Used To,” followed up by “Stop The Rain.” And after that was a tune called “She Doesn’t Cry Anymore,” which was their first top ten record. “Church On Cumberland Road,” became the first number one hit, spending three weeks on top of the charts. “We were kind of off and running then,” Marty said. All together, Shenandoah recorded seven albums including a Christmas album. “But we were with three different labels, and every label we were with also did a greatest hits record. So we had three greatest hits albums. It was kind of funny. We were still in the process of trying to make greatest hits, and we already had three albums of them.”
Time For A Change
Marty was with Shenandoah twelve years before leaving in 1997. “I didn’t do much for a few years,”
he said. “I had been saved in 1991. God was really dealing with me a lot, and I got the opportunity to go to a lot of different churches and share my testimony and sing. I did a whole lot of that for the first couple years after I left the band.” Then, his brother called him one day and said “you know Marty, Patty Loveless, Ricky Scaggs, Vince Gill even, all have all recorded a bluegrass album. Maybe you should one too.” At first he wasn’t interested, and continued to make Gospel records for a while. Then in 2001 he gathered some guys to cut his new original songs. Some he wanted to cut as bluegrass songs, and the rest traditional. “It went pretty well” he said, “so we cut another, mostly bluegrass, and then it kind of took off and we started doing bluegrass festivals.” Nine more albums later, including some notable tracks and an IBMA award, Marty is reflective over a career that is nearing 40 years. “I still do a lot of gospel numbers,” he said. And I still do a lot of speaking in churches too. I might give the message that morning, and then that afternoon we’ll get up and do a full blown concert. I’ve been doing that for about the last 11 or 12 years.” “I do this because I honestly and truly love people. And I love the music, whether it’s bluegrass, or country, or gospel. I just love standing in front of people and singing. And the camaraderie you have with the people; you know, they came to a show because music brought them. So automatically you have something in common with them. You have the opportunity to sing, and talk, and discuss and chat back and forth. As the saying goes, ‘you already got an in.’ It has been really great. I do call myself a lifer. I’ve done this all my life, and I truly love it.” And as for that band, Shenandoah; Marty told me there is a reunion tour and possibly a CD in the works with him back at the lead mic. Now, that will be something worth being in the audience for
.
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
11
June 2014
Thanks to our 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 select one entry to showcase for you here. Enjoy! THIS MONTH’S FEATURE:
By Greg Tutwiler
Robert Johnson, Jr.
FEATURE ARTISTS
Charlotte, NC is home base for Robert Johnson Jr., our feature artist in this issue. And yes, like his namesake, this Robert Johnson has also been to his own crossroads, and his story is told through his music. Robert got his “first real six string” at age ten, and was rarely seen without if from then on. This self taught musician has relied on his God given talent, and self drive and devotion to hone his craft into what he calls today, dirty southern soul music.
Robert told me, “I can’t remember not playing some kind of instrument.” He started playing bass guitar when he was 14, citing that a friend needed a bass player for his band. “We took two strings off my cousin’s acoustic and I played with it until my Mom bought me a bass guitar for my 15th birthday.” Robert played bass all through school until he was twenty. “ He then found himself with his first child on the way, and knowing he wouldn’t have time for the band he bought an acoustic guitar. “The bass was such a lonely instrument
12
with no band members,” he recalls. “I’m still not really sure that I ever picked a style or that it just picked me! I have so many influences from jazz to punk, from punk to blues, from blues to metal, from metal to soul, from soul to country. I love it all. And I love the stories that they all tell from such different points of view.”
to the TV. The whole crossroads thing scared me to death. I was raised up Southern Baptist and the devil was not to be messed with. It’s funny now. I’ve come to really enjoy and respect Mr. Johnson’s music and the story behind the man. I have collected some artwork over the years and have it hanging up around the house to keep that memory alive. No coincidence.”
Dirty Southern Soul Music
At one point in his career Robert played with a band formed by General Johnson, of General Johnson and the Chairman of the Board (authentic Carolina Beach music). “When I auditioned in Charlotte for Ken Knox, that’s where I heard the idea of “Blue Eyed Soul”. I loved that description, but I didn’t feel like it applied to me. So when I put my first real band together, Moses Jones, everybody was always asking me, ‘How do you describe your sound?’ It’s Country, but not really, it’s Blues, but not exactly; it’s an amalgam. A blend of all my influences, and I thought back to Ken Knox and “Blue Eyed Soul,” and decided the music that I write was going to be called “Dirty Southern Soul Music” because it just felt right and people fell in love; they got it.
I Had To Ask
For those who don’t know, The Robert Johnson was a very talented and influential blues musician in the early 1900’s. His poorly documented and untimely death at the young age of just 27 gave rise to the legend that he sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads, and eventually spawned a movie about his life and the myth. “I’m not sure if I really believe in coincidences,” Robert said. “But I remember when the movie “Crossroads” came on TV, I was standing in my living room about to go to bed when I heard, ‘Mr. Johnson, please stand by’, and I freaked out! I was glued
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
Robert mused a moment over this idea; wouldn’t it be awesome if you got a big recording contract and made millions of dollars writing and playing your music? “That’s all well and good but it’s not why I do it,” he said. “I write songs about people I love and places I’ve been. I sing to completely different people all over, and they get to hear stories about my family and my friends. I believe these stories deserved to be told. I just want to continue to reach as many people as possible and share these stories. That’s the great thing about what I do. These stories will always be here for generations to come, to hear and enjoy. And that is my only goal for my music, in whatever form it takes.” rojomusic72@gmail.com 704-674-4258 www.robertjohnsonjrmusic.com
Make It Or Break It Way back when the music was
home-grown and local, Uncle Dave and Aunt Jane would stand at one end of the front porch and the extended family would gather around as Dave made his fiddle sing and Jane tickled happy giggles from her banjo. At times, they would even harmonize their voices as they sang the old time ballads. The kin-folk would draw in very close around them, and there was no need for any electrical intervention in the way of amplifiers and microphones. However, times changed and Uncle Dave and Aunt Jane started playing and singing for money on Saturday nights on the stage of the old high school while folks sat out front in rows of folding chairs. Their fiddle and banjo Lester Flatts out andto the front few sounds reached Earl rows ofScruggs listeners but Dave and Jane could not pick or sing loud enough for the people at the back of the room to hear very well. From that time when the music left the front porch and climbed up on a stage, the pickers and singers of the music world needed electrical amplification.
In the early days of live concert performances in the small venues of the day, it was good enough for performers to cart around their own little sound systems and tinker with them between songs with less than stellar results. Early audiences were forgiving; however, as audiences became more critical of performances and the performers became more concerned to achieve excellence; it became apparent that performers needed someone to help manage the technical part while they managed the artistic part of their performance. Enter the sound man (or sound woman) to the stage.
In today’s large venues and outdoor festivals, the listening experience would not exist without the talented technicians who toll behind the scenes to make everything sound great. These valuable and indispensable specialists toll in the shadows without notice unless something goes wrong. I wanted us to learn more about their craft. To do this, I recently sat down with Mr. Chad Wyatt of The Musicians Source in Fishersville, VA to learn a bit about making sound.
June 2014
By Edward Tutwiler
The Art Of Producing
He began by telling me that there were two different technicians that controlled our listening experience. There is a band engineer that travels from venue to venue with a performing group and a technician or sound engineer who woks for the local sound company. The band engineer will often come into a venue where there is already a sound system in place. Usually, a local sound engineer has already spent a good bit of time tuning this system to make sure it sounds good. The band engineer is familiar with the band that he or she is traveling with and therefore knows what sound they are expecting. This person will only need someone who is familiar with the inplace system to get a quick instruction. The band engineer then mixes the show to suit his band’s expectations and then moves on with the band to the next venue. The system sound engineer is associated with a sound company that may bring a complete system to a venue or festival and tune it
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
for that event. A complete system consists of speakers, towers, lifts, lighting, cabling, racks, and everything that one sees on a stage with the exception of the performer’s personal instruments and sometimes the sound company might even provide them as well. The sound engineer and his crew will have all this equipment installed and tuned before the performers ever get to the event. If there is no band engineer, the sound engineer assumes that role for the performance. In this case, the sound engineer introduces himself to the band members and find out what they want their band to sound like to the listening audience and then to be able to get that sound out of the system. Chad told me that at a large festival there may be several companies contracted to manage sound. Under these circumstances, an engineer for one company may also free-lance with the other companies on the scene. Chad pointed out that in our local area, the sound companies are not so much competitors as they are collaborators with one another. continued on page 18
13
June 2014
Mark Hodges is a man with a vi-
sion. Through hard work, devotion and determination, he has created a successful bluegrass label, Mountain Fever Records, as well as one of the best recording studios in the business. Over the past couple of years, he found himself wanting to create another label to provide a home for the Americana music that he wanted to produce. A’Court Bason, the inspiration for the brand new Travianna Records, met Mark while they were still in high school in Floyd County, Virginia. Quickly bonding around their shared love of a rich menagerie of music, they remained friends for the rest of their lives. Mark and A’Court managed to sustain their connection in spite of any potential culture clashes that might sometimes erupt in the Blue Ridge Mountains, when a bunch of transplants moved into what had been, until that point, more of a quiet farming community. Mark’s roots reached deep into the local heritage—his family has lived here for generations. A’Court’s family was among the first to begin an alternative community amidst the local landscape.
Back To The Roots
Back in 1971, there were plenty of people who thought “we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” Flocking to the mountains, “going up to the country,” some of them managed to live that dream, loosening their hold on a corporate society that was rapidly seeming more like mind control than conscious culture. The social change of the 1960’s brought an influx of a lot of folks who no longer wished to live by the rest of the world’s rules and regulations, so they banded together, found a plot of land and set about living together in peace and love—as much of it they could find on any given day, at least. A’Court was only twelve years old when his mother and two siblings left Raleigh, NC with a few good friends along for the ride and moved to the small, rural county of Floyd in search of that mythical garden. In search of new roots. In search of fresh soil. In search of a free existence unbound from the expectations and rigid roles that urban culture seemed to want them to follow. Travianna was born in love—love of music, love of freedom, love of friendship. It was born from the intention to live a meaningful life by making room for creative potential and alternative ways of being.
14
Legacy To Label By Mara Eve Robbins
mentation and evolution. A’Court cut himself off from the outside influences of popular music of the day. Mark used to refer to his friend as “The Hermit of Mink Hollow”, as years would sometimes pass without A’Court ever leaving his beloved Travianna. A list of who’s-who eventually made the pilgrimage to visit Travianna in the hope of finding a new way to create, feel, and experience their own music.
Travianna (which means “across the way” according to A’Court) was never so much a cohesive commune as a raggle-taggle crew that blew through with the wind and the rain. Some stayed awhile, some moved on, and many members of the extended family lived there for years, parenting together, farming together, raising and riding horses together and the list of achievements goes on and on but at the end of the day it always came back around to the music.
A true self-taught musicologist, he loved working with recording equipment, and built his own “bohemian sound” 8-track studio in the early 1980’s. His studio provided an atmosphere of acceptance for many folks of all ages and abilities to actually hear
A’Court’s passion around and through music was evident from early on, learning the basics from his mother Ruth who’d played in square dance bands since her youth and often being fed by his older brother Will’s practice of music as well as his record collection. At Travianna the plethora of folk brought a plethora of new music. As they sat at the table playing cards, Ruth danced and either the turn table or music jams enlivened the scene.
Layin’ It Down Old School
Always the artist in one form or another A’Court began delving deep into instrument building as one of his many crafts. Over the years he proved to have an uncanny ability to bring together diverse groups of musicians and encourage them to loosen up and have fun with many different traditional and innovative forms of music, allowing for greater experi-
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
their own musical experiments and voices. As time went on, he recorded several albums of his own as well as supporting professional audio recordings for others. Fred Boyce remembers jamming with A’Court and a sitar player in the living room of the main house at Travianna. “That party was this huge musical cornucopia - there was dawg/bluegrass improv in A’Court’s wood working shop, an Irish seisún in the next room, the east-meets-west sitar thing going on in the great room and outside around a huge bonfire was this raging old time jam. All going at once - it was surreal. The sitar player was an American but had spent several years studying in India. A’Court and I were taking a break out in the parking lot next to those old pick-up trucks when this guy came walking up the driveway with a sitar slung over his shoulder - like he’d just walked all the way from Delhi. We went inside and the living room was the only place music wasn’t already going on. I played banjo and A’Court played guitar and mandala. This was probably 1982. Norman Gray, Melvin Harmon and the late Garland Carter were definitely there pretty sure Tina Liza Jones was too”.
June 2014
At its best, Travianna was a melting pot like no other—a landing pad for transplants, transient hitchhikers, artists and people of all walks of life who were welcomed with open arms before they vaulted off into their next experiment in living. Many of the new back-to-the-landers who gravitate with some sort of inner compass to Floyd spent time within the walls of various cobbled-together shelters at Travianna—a bottle building, an old farmhouse, VW vans, a corn crib and school buses under the stars.
One More Time Around
Through the years, A’Court and Mark’s musical bond and friendship took many different pathways—they started their own families and did what they had to do to make ends meet— but Mark did his best to keep up with A’Court’s eclectic world, eager to see what widely variant influences were keeping him pickin’, while A’Court, in turn, stayed tuned in to Mark and benefitted from his stability as his own family and community shifted radically.
she’s been more personality than place to me.” His devotion had boundaries, but it was constant—he loved Travianna. His small, humble home was always open to the less-frequent guests that rolled through, and often, there was still music— guitars and pennywhistles, hand drums and mandolins, harps and hammer dulcimers filtering through the trees and mixing with the music of wind chimes and moving water. Mark’s vision is to honor A’Court’s life and contributions to the world of music by sustaining that spirit within this label in a way that truly reflects how nearly every kind of music comes together to create the genre of Americana. Travianna Records seeks to be a melting pot for many kinds of music to mix and merge, creating an experience that encompasses all the best that music has to offer. There is a deep desire to represent real music, music that is born from the entire spectrum of emotion. Music with no boundries.
At the heart of it all, though, is Travianna herself— Travianna and her mystic guardian, A’Court Bason, whose spirit still lights our way with a twinkle in his eye and a tune on the breeze, ready to guide you to places you never imagined music could go. A’Court’s music was born in love and it continues in that spirit of love. His Facebook page, which became a place for him to reach out in his final years, to the entire world despite his hermitic tendencies, is active unto this day, with hundreds of people still sharing his very last public words: “So much love, sow much love, show much love.” Mark is sincere about working as hard for this label as he has for Mountain Fever and is proud to present the band After Jack as his first offering for Travianna Records as it launches in April 2014. Plan to attend After Jack’s CD release celebration at Sun Music Hall, in Floyd, VA on April 22nd. Details available at www.AfterJackBand.com or www.TraviannaRecords.com
.
In the spring of 2004, after neglecting his music and his health for some years, A’Court made significant strides towards a creative rebirth. As he rekindled his heart, his musical gifts began to ignite as well. He contacted a couple of local performance venues after composing over 20 new songs in a creative outpouring. One of the people he reached out to was his old friend, Melody, who worked within the Floyd music scene. A partnership blossomed followed by a couple of memorable trips to Mark’s Mountain Fever Studio where A’Court recorded the majority of his new material. Melody was delighted to take part in archiving most of A’Court’s work and supported the CD release of “Youthful Folly,” which she and Mark produced with his blessing and guidance. As their relationship grew, and time revealed treasures, A’Court and Melody’s personal and professional relationship deepened. When A’Court died in August of 2013, Melody and Mark were heartbroken. They wanted to find a way to share what they saw A’Court trying to manifest and to offer tribute to the way his spirit will continue on. Music is the most genuine way to do that, drawing upon the heart of a man who was a mentor and muse during his time at Travianna. They wanted to make sure that A’Court could leave a musical legacy.
Preserving A Legacy
By the time of his death, all of the other original occupants of Travianna except his mother, Ruth, had moved away. He carried the vision of its eclectic spirit, though, and once said: “There’s a strange magic to her name, Travianna, and across the way
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
15
June 2014
APRIL Merlefest April 24 - 27, 2014 Wilkesboro, NC www.merlefest.com Charm City Bluegrass April 26, 2014 Baltimore, MD www.charmcitybluegrass.com
MAY Song Of The Mountains Festival May 1 - 3, 2014 Louisberg, NC www.sotmfest.com Houston Fest May 2 - 3, 2014 Galax, VA www.houstonfestgalax.com Guy Carawans Bluegrass Jam May 2 - 3, 2014 Buena Vista, VA www.glenmaurypark.com Clinch Mountain Music Festival May 3, 2014 Gate City, VA www.clinchfest.net Heart Of Virginia Festival May 3, 2014 Farmville, VA www.heartofvirginia.org Doyle Lawson Bluegrass Festival May 8 - 10, 2014 Denton, NC http://www.farmpark.com/doylelawson-bluegrass/ Central VA Family Bluegrass May 15 - 17, 2014 Amelia, VA www.ameliafamilycampground.com Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass May 16 - 27, 2014 Sevierville, TN www.bloominbbq.com
Rappahannock Americana Music Festival May 17, 2014 Washington, VA www.rappahonnockamericana.com Hills Of Home Bluegrass Festival May 22 - 24, 2014 Coeburn, VA www.drralphstanleyfestival.com DelFest May 22 - 25, 2014 Cumberland, MD www.delfest.com Kerrville Folk Festival May 22 - June 8, 2014 Kerrville, TX www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org Little John Mountain Music Festival May 22 - 24, 2014 Snow Camp, NC www.littleJohnsMountainMusic.com Crooked Road Dulcimer Festival May 22 - 25, 2014 (Ferrum College) Ferrum, VA http://crookedroaddulcimerfestival.org/ Gathering In The Gap May 24, 2014 Big Stone Gap, VA www.gatheringinthegapmusicfestival.com Fiddlers Grove Festival May 23 - 25, 2014 Union Grove, NC www.fiddlersgrove.com Graves Mountain Festival May 29 - 31, 2014 Syria, VA www.gravesmountain.com
JUNE Ocracoke Festival June 6 - 8, 2014 Ocracoke, NC www.ocracokefolkfestival.org Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week June 8 - 14, 2014 Mars Hill, NC http://www.mhc.edu/oldtimemusic
Email festival listings to info@americanarhythm.com
16
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
Bluegrass In Cherokee June 12 - 14, 2014 Cherokee, NC www.bluegrassincherokee.com Shenandoah River Fest June 13 - 15, 2014 New Brunswick, MD www.shenandoahriversidefestival.com Rockahock Bluegrass Festival June 18 - 21, 2014 Rockahock, VA www.rockahockbluegrass.com Highland Co. Old Time Fiddlers June 19 - 22, 2014 Monterey VA www.highfiddle.com Virginia Blues & Jazz Festival June 13 - 14, 2014 Warm Springs, VA www.garthnewel.org Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival June 21, 2014 Mouth Of Wilson, VA www.waynehenderson.org Music In The Mountains Festival June 25 - 28, 2014 Summersville, WV www.adamsandandersonbluegrass.com River And Roots Festival June 27 - 28, 2014 Berryville, VA www.riverandroots.com Grayson Co. Fiddlers Convention June 27 - 28, 2014 Elk Creek, VA http://www.ecvfd.net/home/ grayson-county-fiddler-sconvention
June 2014
I wondered how the sequence of events played out in getting a sound company plugged into an event. Chad told me that the promoter or producer of an event is the person who engages the sound company. This individual will generate an idea for a festival and contact the artists and performers to be the entertainment. The artists will then provide the promoter with their requirements. The technical requirements often include specific sound needs such as a particular brand/type of microphone or a specific size or style of loudspeaker. The promoter will then contact the sound companies to get bids to provide the sound and other technical needs that match the performer’s requirements. Once the bid is accepted and the proper equipment assembled, the sound company is ready to proceed. This does not happen in a short span of time. There are months of work that goes into getting an event ready for the attendees. A major festival might take a promoter close to a year to get everything in place. The sound companies themselves need months of advance planning to assemble all of the equipment that they will need to fulfill the requirements and other commitments.
The sound company will usually arrive at the performance site several days ahead of the performance date to begin the setup. The artists will come in after the equipment is setup to begin the sound checks. However, for a small event, Chad says that he might only need to arrive very early on the day of the event and begin readying the stage.
Does Size Matter?
“You need to do due diligence for every job be it large or small. I like the large jobs because there is more that just the sound associated with them. For example, there is the rigging that must be safely installed. When you do a large format show, you get good training. There are technicians working those shows with 20 years of experience that you can learn from. If you ask questions, these folks will answer you truthfully and hold nothing back.” Since the sound man is part of the entertainment world and that world works when the rest of the world is finished and ready to be entertained, I asked Chad about that. He told me this, “That was the good thing about working the Mockingbird (a now closed venue in Staunton, VA), it was quiet and it was an early night. I could get
home and check in on my family before going to bed. It was not two o’clock in the morning and I was just beginning to tear down the setup. If I go some distance, I might need to get a hotel room and come back the next morning. When I go with the larger companies, I might go out of state and need to do a bit of travel. If you can find some fun in watching everyone else have fun, you will be alright. For instance, on New Years Eve, the sound guy is always working somewhere. Since, you are working, you must have professionalism. You can’t be partying with the people that are partying that night. If I am local, my wife might slip into the venue for a few minutes just to visit with me. If I’m out of town, I try to slip away to make a 20-minute telephone call to touch home. Most of the time, you are with a group of good co-workers so you make your own fun with them. At the end of the night on New Years Eve, at two o’clock in the morning, you are facing two hours of teardown and loading a truck; and maybe then facing a couple of hours drive in the early morning hours to get home whereas, the party guests are heading out to the next gathering. As
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
you are loading up, there is always folks coming by shouting good wishes and offering good cheer but you must decline the offers because you must load the truck because it is your job.”
What’s Ahead?
“I think the future looks good for me. Like any job, I had easily attainable goals and some lofty goals. In a fairly short amount of time I’ve reached some of my lofty goals. I see a future in this for as long as I can physically do it. I am married and I have two children so I do not want to spend all my time at work; nevertheless, I would love to be a band engineer for a national touring artist. I would like to maybe do that for a few years just to see what that experience would be like. I still like what I’m doing. I am having fun. I still see it as a challenge. Every once and a while when I am mixing, I come across a really good artist and I will forget that I am suppose to be working and just get into the show.” You can reach Chad Wyatt at: The Musician’sSource on the web at www.themusicianssource.com, or call 540-221-2045
.
17
June 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
Rich In Tradition Welcome To Lonesomeville www.mountainroadsrecordings.com
While not totally new to the scene, Rich In Tradition, with their new CD, Welcome To Lonesomeville, is gaining new attention. The North Carolina based qurarted brings some fresh air to the traditional side of bluegrass
.
Brian Buchanan Around The Bend
Bryan Sutton Into My Own
Volume Five The Day We Learn To Fly
Bill Emerson and Sweet Dixie Dancin’ Annie
Sherman Lee Dillon 309 Blues www.wepecket.com
www.volumefivebg.com
www.bluegrassville.com/billemerson
.
One of the greatest blues influences comes from the Mississippi Delta region - Sonny Boy, and Howlin’ Wolf among others - so no surprise that Sherman Lee Dillion’s 309 Blues, rich in delta influence, is gaining national attention
.
Volume Five, one of the hottest bluegrass bands coming up the stream today, brings their up tempered flair to a new set of gospel tunes. Their passion for their craft makes this new project well worth the spin
Chris Beall
Country Boy
Dream Of Good Death New Songs Of The Old War www.civilwarsongs.com Written and performed by artist, Clark Hansbarger; this project is “a folk opera of sorts,” Clark says. It’s a perspective told from a Southern narative, but the art in the music is captivating, regardless your perspective
A founding member of The Country Gentlemen, Bill Emerson is one of the elder statesmen of bluegrass - and with his new CD, Dancin’ Annie, he continues the tradition of top shelf bluegrass
.
www.bryansutton.com Bryan Sutton is “one of the most sought after guitarists on the planet” according to his web site. His resume’ is packed with stints with some of the greats including Ricky Scaggs. So his new project? Yep, it’s that good - keep your eyes on Bryan Sutton
www.reverbnation.com/brianbuchanan
Gin Mill Hymns www.chrisbeallmusic.com
Bian Buchanan the entertainer doubles as a school music teacher - that doesn’t stop him from gracing the stage in Nashville, or the Shenandoah Jamboree - and his new CD, Around The Bend, will expand his audience for sure. Nice Brian
This is the second solo CD for Texas roots singer Chris Beall. Gin Mill Hymns, is perfect for this gritty collection of self penned tunes. Chris digs deep for his song stories, including his dad’s debilitating motorcycle crash on “The Motercycle Man”
A Bluegrass Tribute To John Denver www.compassrecords.com Grammy nominated Special Consensus leads the way on this star studded tribute to one of Country music’s legends, John Denver. It’s a fitting tribute by a talented cast - well worth adding to your collection
Carrie Elkin & Danny Schmidt For Keeps
Detour Going Nowhere Fast
Mason Jar Flies Mason Jar Flies
Loose Strings The Next Chapter
Tommy Malone
www.detourbluegrass.com Another of today’s up and coming contemporary bluegrass acts, Detour shows up with another hot collection with their new CD, Going Now he re Fa st. Mi ssy Armstrong’s strong lead vocals exemplifies this Michigan based ensemble
www.masonjarflies.com We love the name. And we love the music. This Memphis, Tennessee based trio combine for a unique blend of roots based rhythms, rock, and country to cook up their own Americana sauce. What a simmering sound indeed
www.theloosestringsband.com
www.tommymalone.net Tommy Malone has been at it for quite some time. His seasoned musical roots come full circle in his latest project, PoorBoy. A rootsy, bluesy singer/songwriter at heart, this collection has been heralded as some of his finest. Fans of this style will agree
.
www.redhouserecords.com Carrie and Danny, each accomplished musicians in their own right, team up here on For Keeps, for their first duet project. We hope they keep it up. Their voices and their song writing compliment each other beautifully. Good stuff .
.
.
.
.
.
.
PoorBoy
Take four young musically talented females from Galax, VA - good chance you’ve got “the next best thing” in bluegrass music. Loose Strings just might be the group to watch this year. Talent, harmonies, fun ... they got it
.
You can send new Americana CD releases for consideration to PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812
18
.
.
June 2014
Along
the Shenandoah Music Trail
By Don DePoy PhD
Losing Our Base?
My wife Martha Hills and I host
a weekly bluegrass jam in Elkton, Virginia every Tuesday evening from 6 to 8:30 pm. It’s a relative new jam and we average a crowd of about a hundred listeners and up to fifteen pickers. Most of the songs played are from the list of bluegrass standards which can be heard and played anywhere in the world where you find a banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin. Songs like “Blue Ridge Cabin Home”, “Love Oh Love”, “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, and “Bill Cheatham”, are among long list of bluegrass favorites. Or so I thought! A fiddle player came to our last jam and asked if he could play a round of “Old Joe Clark”. Capos instantly appeared at the second fret. Everyone knows this song is a fiddle tune in A-chord. He did a fabulous kick-off, good and spritely but not too fast and after his turn looked to the banjo player to take the next break. The banjo player gave a rapid “No!” head shake. The mandolin player jumped in and recovered the break. Then she passed the lead to the next musician who attempted and eked out a respectable break.
An Aha Moment
It was then I had an epiphany. Only the older musicians knew the song that I thought everyone would (should) know if they played bluegrass. So I used the rest of the evening to see if my assumption was correct. Unfortunately, it was. All of the younger players under the age of 25 had little knowledge of the bluegrass canon. None of the three younger banjo players could kick-off Blue Ridge Cabin Home. I am not picking on banjo players, but rather wanting to call to the reader’s attention that the core of bluegrass music is eroding. I am not suggesting everywhere, but it is slipping in an area that has long been associated with the music. Last year, Martha and I were asked by Young Audiences of Virginia to
do a “Roots of Appalachian Music” presentation at an elementary school in Floyd County, Virginia. We were befuddled as to why we would travel from the Shenandoah Valley to Floyd County, an epicenter for Virginia’s traditional Appalachian Music to do a presentation about Appalachian Music. We assumed we’d be preaching to the choir. However, that was not true! The teachers could only name two students that played any traditional music, both girls taking violin lessons. Of the nearly 400 students, only three came forward to demonstrate clog dancing, and they were really good! Less than ten students raised their hands to indicate that anyone in their family played music.
Something To Ponder
Seasoned bluegrass musicians typically know hundreds of songs and can sing for hours and never exhaust their repertoire. So is the tradition of knowing hundreds of vocal and instrumental songs becoming a thing of the past? Are today’s musicians learning the handful of tablature and “fake” book songs and calling that, “Good enough”? I don’t know the answers but I am concerned about the health of traditional jam sessions. For a list of American bluegrass standards check out this link from the Czech Republic - http://blue.pavoucek.cz/ muzicyrovani/bluegrass-standards/
Advertise In Americana Rhythm
Music Magazine ~Print and On Line~ Our 10th year in print!
Reach 10,000+ readers!
Musicians, and Fans of Americana Music
540.433.0360 greg@americanarhythm.com
Find Us On The Web!
LISTEN! AmericanaRhythm.com
Subscribe to Americana Rhythm Magazine! See page 7 or visit www.americanarhythm.com
DJ Rex, The CD review guy
“Send me your new CDs for review consideration!” PO Box 45 Bridgewater, VA 22812
Americana Rhythm is published six times a year. All corresponCONTRIBUTORS dence should be sent to PO Box 45, Bridgewater VA, 22812 or Ed Tutwiler email to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copies of Americana Wayne Erbsen Rhythm are made available free at various pick up locations within Ryan Babarsky the publication’s region. Subscriptions are available inside the United UNC Ashville Students States (only) for $16 US currency made payable by check or money 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 Don DePoy greg@americanarhythm.com. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. DISTRIBUTION Reproduction of any content, artwork or photographs is strictly Ed Tutwiler prohibited without permission of the publisher. All advertising maZebra Media terial subject to approval. Associated Dist. PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Downtown Books Greg E. Tutwiler The Purple Fiddle Associate Editor Floyd Country Store Ed Tutwiler Shen. Valley Farmers Mkt. MARKETING & PROMOTION Heritage Farmers Mkt. Mark Barreres (GrassRootsNetworking.com) ... many more! ADVERTISING Letters, Comments, Suggestions Business office 540-433-0360 greg@americanarhythm.com advertising@americanarhythm.com www.americanarhythm.com
www.AmericanaRhythm.com
19