IB bluegrass INTERNATIONAL
Vol. 32 No. 9 September 2017
Front Country
Mipso
Infamous Stringdusters
Mile Twelve
TIPPING POINT: Bands Break Through at WOB
International Bluegrass Editor: Kelly Kessler kelly@ibma.org
Vol. 32 | No. 9 | September 2017
Designer: Erin Faith Erdos erinfaitherdos@gmail.com
STAFF
Paul Schiminger Executive Director
Kelly Kessler Director of Communications and Professional Development
Amy Beth Hale Director of Member Services
Eddie Huffman Director of Convention Services
BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
Joe Mullins, Chair Ben Surratt, Vice Chair Denise Jarvinen, Treasurer Regina Derzon, Secretary Alan Tompkins, Executive Committee member
Becky Buller-Artist/Composer/Publisher Jeremy Darrow-Artist/Composer/Publisher Jamie Deering-Merchandisers/Luthiers Mike Drudge-Agents/Managers/Publicists Silvio Ferretti- International John Goad-Print Media/Education Marian Leighton Levy-Recording/ Distribution/Marketing
William Lewis-At Large Steve Martin-At Large Stephen Mougin-At Large Mike Simpson-At Large Wayne Taylor-Artists/Composers/Publishers Bree Tucker-Myers- Event Production Bob Webster-Broadcast Media
INFO CONTACT US
INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS
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(ISSN #1095-0605) IBMA: IBMA is the trade association
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that connects and educates bluegrass professionals, empowers the bluegrass community, and encourages worldwide appreciation of bluegrass music of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Statement of fact and opinion are made on the responsibility of the writers alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers, directors, staff or members of IBMA. Portions of International Bluegrass may be reprinted provided that explicit citation of the source is made: “Reprinted with permission from International Bluegrass, the publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association, www.ibma.org.�
TA B LE O F C ON T E N T S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS
SEPTEMBER 2017
World of Bluegrass 5
Business Conference Update
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Up on the Main Stage
10 And the Nominee Is... 12 The Bluegrass Ramble Is Ready to Roll 14 Leadership Bluegrass News 16 Tipping Point: Bands Break Through At WOB 18 Fifty Years of Bluegrass 20 Foundation Events: Bluegrass Symposium at World of Bluegrass 22 Exhibitors List
departments 24 Remembering Pete Kuykendall 28 New releases 30 Industry News
Photo: Freddy Robbins
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We value our members. This newsletter is our primary conduit for sharing news across our trade organization. Our goal is to carry news each month from all constituencies of IBMA’s membership. Deadline info: news items and press releases are due at the IBMA office via snail mail or email by the 18th of the month. Submitting before the deadline is encouraged. Email all materials to Kelly here, or mail to 4206 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216. International Bluegrass
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BUSINESS CONFERENCE UPDATE Seminar Topics at the Business Conference Free Publicity and How to Get It -Social Media Nuts & Bolts, Current Trends and Hot Topics I Need a Work Visa for That!? - Voice Coaching for Broadcasters – DJ/Label Relations Session and Information Exchange - Legal Obligations When Broadcasting Live Performance Blockchain - Rules for Crowdfunding - Publishing 101 -The Essence of Good Songwriting - Inside the Release Cycle - Inside Charm City: A Case Study in Event Marketing - Pandora Artists Tools - Diversity Forum - and much more…
Talent Buyers at World of Bluegrass 2017 5 Starr Jams/Hovander Homestead Bluegrass Festival - Black Hills Bluegrass Association & Festival -Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Festival - Bluegrass Country and Lucketts Bluegrass -Bluegrass Music Association of Iowa - Boston Bluegrass Union/Joe Val Bluegrass Festival - California Bluegrass Association - Charm City Bluegrass Festival - Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival – Dollywood Entertainment - Durango Bluegrass Meltdown - Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival – International Bluegrass Music Museum/ROMP Festival - Jam in the Trees John Hartford Memorial Festival - John Michael Kohler Arts Center – MerleFest Mid Winter Bluegrass Festival - Music Contact - Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM) Old Settler’s Music Festival - Orwell Bluegrass Festival – PineCone – PLB - Red Ants Pants Music Festival Rooster’s Wife - Savannah Music Festival - Silver Dollar City - Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival Temecula Valley Bluegrass Festival - Texas Bluegrass Music - The Emelin Theatre - White Mountain Jam - Wintergrass
Get your plans made with the World of Bluegrass schedule online Keynote Reception and Address with Rhiannon Giddens Keynote After-Party sponsored by The Recording Academy (wait till you see who’s playing!) Business to Breakfast on Wednesday morning: RSVP’s required. Talent buyers RSVP HERE. Agents RSVP HERE.
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UP ON THE MAIN STAGE: Wide Open Bluegrass ramps up the highlights UPDATE: Now there are even
more reasons to get to Raleigh and treat yourself to the Wide Open experience! The Infamous Stringdusters’s Wide Open Jam on Friday night will feature Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, and Yonder Mountain String Band’s own Ben Kaufmann and Adam Aijala for a jaw-dropping closer to the night’s festivities. On Saturday, the Travelin’ McCourys will welcome onstage none other than Hall of Famer Del McCoury. And this year, the Main Stage welcomes as Artist-at-Large Hall of Famer Jesse McReynolds, who will be joining Wide Open artists onstage throughout the festival.
FULL LIST OF ALL WIDE OPEN BLUEGRASS MAIN STAGE PERFORMERS: Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Steve Martin; the Infamous Stringdusters’ Wide Open Jam with Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, Adam Aijala and Ben Kaufmann; the Travelin’ McCourys with Del McCoury; Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush: a tribute to the Country Gentlemen featuring Jon Randall, Mark Schatz and Charlie Cushman; Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn; Hot Rize; Mark O’Connor featuring the O’Connor Band (2017 GRAMMY winners); Balsam Range; Lonesome River Band (for their 35th anniversary); the Kruger Brothers with Kontras Quartet; Sierra Hull; Sister Sadie; Flatt Lonesome; Chatham County Line; Bluegrass 45 (for their 50th anniversary); Molly Tuttle; and Artist-at-Large Jesse McReynolds.
IBMA and our Raleigh partners PineCone, the Raleigh Convention Center and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau – are understandably proud of the Wide Open Bluegrass Main Stage this year. This thrilling lineup takes the stage at the lovely Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, NC on Friday and Saturday, September 29-30. You’ll find the full schedule here, And you can purchase Wide Open Main Stage tickets here.
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the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Steve Martin
and Infamous Stringdusters present WIDE OPEN JAM
Travelin’ McCourys
Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn
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Jerry Douglas & Sam Bush: Country Gentlemen tribute
Hot Rize
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Mark O’Connor featuring the O’Connor Band
Balsam Range
Lonesome River Band
the Kruger Brothers
Sierra Hull
Sister Sadie
Flatt Lonesome
Chatham County Line
Bluegrass 45
Molly Tuttle
GUEST ARTISTS
Del McCoury
W O B A R T I S T AT L A R G E
Adam Aijala and Ben Kaufmann International Bluegrass
Jesse McReynolds | September 2017
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…And the Nominees Are The IBMA Awards Show, Thursday, September 28, Raleigh, NC
The Bluegrass Situation, IBMA’s media partner for World of Bluegrass, recently sat down for a chat with BéIa Fleck and Abigail Washburn, our hosts for the 2017 IBMA Awards Show. BéIa says of being asked to host, “I’m quite proud. I’ve had a long association with the IBMAs -- from the first year when I won the banjo award, then a couple of years ago I did the keynote. For me, as a long-time bluegrass player and a person in that world, I’ve been a little disassociated, and this means I’m not anymore. I’m right in the center of it.” Abigail, known in the bluegrass world and beyond, notes, “It’s an extreme honor...just to be so deeply included in the community, but also to be on stage in front of those wonderful people who are preserving and passing along this really bright and beautiful piece of American culture and tradition.” To that Béla adds, “We’re trying to figure out, ‘Okay, what could we do that would really be fun and really feel good to everybody?’ I’ve spent a lot of my life outside of the bluegrass world playing other kinds of music, but I always take bluegrass with me. And Abby, you wouldn’t call her a bluegrass artist at her core, but she’s very associated with it. It’s showing that we’re all part of that family. We’re very respectful of the tradition; we just happen to live on the edge of it. But bluegrass is a very wide musical genre these days. We only lose by chopping off the edges. Even Earl Scruggs was excited about swing. I’m hopeful that this is just part of appreciating the fact that you need some outside blood every once in a while. Where would we be without ‘Polka on the Banjo’?”
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IBMA’s 2017 Special Awards and Momentum Awards Nominees The IBMA announced nominees for the 2017 Special Awards in July, and for the Momentum Awards in August. The Special Awards, honors in recognition of outstanding work in the past year, will be handed out Thursday, September 28, during a luncheon at the World of Bluegrass Business Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh, NC. The 2017 Special Awards are sponsored by the California Bluegrass Association and Homespun Music Instruction.
The Momentum Awards recipients will be honored at an awards luncheon at World of Bluegrass on Wednesday, September 27 for their signal achievements early in their bluegrass careers. The Momentum Mentor award honors someone in the bluegrass field who has demonstrated excellence in mentoring young people in bluegrass.
Graphic Design
Liner Notes
Event
Casey Campbell and Gina Leslie, Casey Campbell – Mandolin Duets: Volume One, independently released Jimmy Hole, Noam Pikelny - Universal Favorite, Rounder Records Lisa Horstman and Karen Key, On Top of Old Smoky: New Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music, Great Smoky Mountains Association Scott McCormick, The Infamous Stringdusters – Laws of Gravity, Compass Records Lynn Weathers, Kristin Scott Benson, Stringworks, Mountain Home
Peter Cooper, The New Kentucky Colonels – Live in Sweden 1973, Roland White Music Thomas Goldsmith, The Earls of Leicester – Rattle & Roar, Rounder Records Matt Glaser, Michael Cleveland – Fiddler’s Dream, Compass Records Bill Nowlin, J.D. Crowe and the New South 40th Anniversary Edition, Rounder Records Ted Olson, On Top of Old Smoky: New OldTime Smoky Mountain Music, Great Smoky Mountains Association
Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival & Chili Cook-Off – Farmers Branch, TX Bluegrass & Chili Festival – Claremore, OK Emelin Theatre Bluegrass Concert Series – Mamaroneck, NY Pickin’ in Parsons – Parsons, WV 25th Bluegrass Music Festival – Ulster American Folk Park, Northern Ireland
Broadcaster Cindy Baucom (Knee-Deep in Bluegrass) Michelle Lee (WOBL 1320AM/107.7FM) Steve Martin (WSDL 90.7 FM NPR/WOBO 88.7 FM/SSB Radio) Alan Tompkins (KHYI FM-95.3) Kris Truelsen (Radio Bristol)
Festival/Event/Venue Carolina in the Fall Music & Food Festival – Wilkesboro, NC Farm & Fun Time – Radio Bristol – Bristol, VA Frankfort Bluegrass Festival – Frankfort, IL Jam in the Trees – Black Mountain, NC Red Wing Roots Music Festival – Mt. Solon, VA Industry Involvement Megan & Adam Chowning Ernie & Debi Evans Kris Truelsen
Songwriter Larry Cordle Carl Jackson Thomm Jutz Milan Miller Tim Stafford
Instrumentalist (three are chosen in this category) Carley Arrowood David Benedict Brandon Bostic Casey Campbell Ellie Hakanson Bronwyn Keith-Hynes Garrett Newton Tristan Scroggins Zeb Snyder
Print Media Gordon Castelnero and David Russell (Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon, pub. Rowman & Littlefield) Derek Halsey (Bluegrass Unlimited, the Mountain Times, the Herald Dispatch, the Columbus Dispatch) John Lawless (Bluegrass Today) Ted Lehmann (No Depression/ Bluegrass Today /Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms) David Morris (Bluegrass Today)
Mentor
Band
Vocalist
Darin Aldridge Annie Beach Robert Fisher Lorraine Jordan Laurie Lewis
Bill and the Belles Fireside Collective Mile Twelve Po’ Ramblin’ Boys The Wooks
Jacob Greer AJ Lee Kim Robins Jesse Smathers Daniel Thrailkill
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Bluegrass Ramble is Ready to Roll The Bluegrass Ramble is IBMA’s innovative showcase series in club venues in downtown Raleigh. The Ramble is the premier platform for showcasing great talent and new material to the bluegrass community. Venues include: Lincoln Theater, The Pour House, Kings, Architect Bar, Vintage Church, and the Raleigh Convention Center. If you’d like just a taste of what’s in store, download our free Bluegrass Ramble 2017 add link Mixtape here.
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Over 200 showcase performances! Experience 30 official IBMA showcase, plus additional sponsored talent in an authentic live music environment! Business Conference registrants get privileged access to all showcases with full conference registration. Ramble-only passes are also available. Free Ramble Express shuttle.
The Bluegrass Ramble is free to all who register at the Business Conference. (You can register for the Business Conference here.) The public can also attend this one-of-a-kind urban bluegrass festival with passes ranging from a $25 advance single day pass for IBMA members to a $75 full pass for nonmembers. Tickets for the Bluegrass Ramble can be purchased here.
2017 IBMA OFFICIAL SHOWCASE ARTISTS Cane Mill Road
Caroline Gallagher
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
Cup O’ Joe
Deer Creek Boys
Fireside Collective
Flats and Sharps
Forlorn Strangers
FY5
Hank, Pattie & The Current
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High Fidelity
Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome
Jonathan Byrd and The Pickup Cowboys
Lonely Heartstring Band
Mile Twelve
Molsky’s Mountain Drifters
Mr Sun
NewTown
Quiles & Cloud
Richie and Rosie
Salt and Light the Moore Family Band
Sam Gleaves
Sheriff Scott And The Deputies
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
The Price Sisters
The Railsplitters
The Savage Hearts
The Slocan Ramblers
The Small Glories
Travers Chandler and Avery County
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Leadership Bluegrass News CALL FOR 2018 LEADERSHIP BLUEGRASS APPLICATIONS Leadership Bluegrass is an annual education program created by IBMA for its professional members, with the goal of pulling together a cross-section of folks who exhibit leadership qualities into a network of learning and communication. That network, now almost twenty years old, has nearly 450 graduates. The mission of Leadership Bluegrass is to foster a broad-based understanding of the total needs of the bluegrass community. This intensive three-day program regularly receives rave reviews from its participants, including these 2017 graduates:
“The things that I learned and the people I met in Leadership Bluegrass are of far more value than the monetary value asked by IBMA. Anyone wanting to enhance their bluegrass connections, and jumpstart their roles to do more in our music, apply for Leadership Bluegrass!” –CJ Lewandowski, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
“If you have the chance to attend Leadership Bluegrass, do it! The education and connections you take away are invaluable.” –Ashley Moyer, Rounder Records
“An informative, intensive and passionate three days of ‘all things bluegrass’ from every single perspective of the genre. A wonderfully collaborative event.” –Irene Kelley
The application process is competitive, with only 25 invitees chosen each year from over 100 applicants. Even if you have applied in the past and have not been accepted, please consider applying again. Many before you have applied three or more times before being accepted into the program. Leadership Bluegrass is held in Nashville at the BMI offices. BMI will continue with its dual roles of host and sponsor for the 2018 Class. The Platinum Sponsors for the 2017 Class were BMI, Williams Mullen, Bluegrass Heritage Foundation and Wintergrass/Acoustic Sound. Many thanks to all our sponsors!
2018 Leadership Bluegrass class: Monday, March 5 to Wednesday, March 7, 2018 DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31
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STOP BY THE LEADERSHIP BLUEGRASS BOOTH IN THE EXPO HALL AT WOB TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY. LEADERSHIP BLUEGRASS RECEPTION AND MASTER CLASS AT WOB As our bluegrass community mourns the loss of Pete Kuykendall, it seems fitting that we honor his enormous contributions to bluegrass music by inviting all alumni to the 2017 Leadership Bluegrass Reception and Master Class. As many of you know, it was Pete’s idea that launched Leadership Bluegrass in 2000. The Alumni Reception that kicks off IBMA’s World of Bluegrass week is our one opportunity to gather together and socialize while raising funds to sustain Leadership Bluegrass classes and scholarships. We will get to meet the Class of 2017 while enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres, tasting Newgrass Beer and sipping fine wines. Please RSVP here.
Tuesday morning, our annual Master Class for Leadership Bluegrass alums will take place from 8-11am in the Raleigh Convention Center Rm. 402. This year we will feature a session on Social Media Marketing as well as Bluegrass Business Basics (AKA, where did all the money go?). We will also spend some time celebrating the life of Pete Kuykendall, so bring your favorite Pete story! We look forward to seeing you all in Raleigh! -Your Leadership Bluegrass Alumni Committee: Darin Aldridge, Phil Bankester, Nick Barr, Mary Burdette, Bill Foster, Laurie Greenberg, Michael Hall, Lucy Weberling, and liaisons Ron Raxter and Kelly Kessler.
THE LEADERSHIP BLUEGRASS ALUMNI COMMITTEE together with Williams Mullen and
BMI cordially invite you to join us for a great kick-off to IBMA World of Bluegrass 2017. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer tastings provided by Newgrass Brewing Co., and fantastic music by The Carolina PineCones.
WHEN: MONDAY, SEPT. 25, 2017, 5 PM UNTIL 7 PM WHERE: WILLIAMS MULLEN 301 FAYETTEVILLE STREET SUITE 1700 RALEIGH, NC 2760 RSVP
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Tipping Point at World of Bluegrass A case study in breaking through at the Business Conference In North Carolina the summer heat is cresting towards fall, and the promise of falling temperatures means only one thing to local pickers - the bluegrass world is coming to town. This will be the 5th time the annual World of Bluegrass conference, festival, and awards show hosted by IBMA convenes in Raleigh. It is the largest bluegrass event of the year, a family reunion for our musical community. For emerging bands, it can be one of the most important weeks of the year. Between the exposure showcasing offers at the Bluegrass Ramble, opportunities and education available at the business conference, and new musical relationships formed at the late night picking scene - this week has it all, and can offer a major change in perspective on your place in the community. For a band or musician looking at the schedule for the first time, however, it is a daunting challenge to form a plan of attack. We interviewed members of the Infamous Stringdusters, Front Country, Mipso, and Mile Twelve to gather thoughts on lessons learned in how the platform of the Business Conference can create organic connections, build an audience, and establish better business practices. For developing artists new to the scene, making authentic connections within the industry can carry an album or tour far in the time following the conference. Front Country first attended IBMA in 2013 and has seen steady growth since, transitioning from much-lauded emerging artists status to a mainstay on the festival and touring circuit. Jacob Groopman says, “IBMA has been essential for Front Country’s development. It allowed us to start relationships at the conference that have continued to serve us over the years. Festivals that want to help build our profile, radio DJ’s that keep playing our records, writers who like to write about us...a good number of our most solid connections started at IBMA in 2013.” Mipso, from North Carolina, similarly fostered many formative relationships as a young band at the conference. Joseph Terrell reflects, “It’s impossible to put a value to the dozens of important relationships that have grown organically over the years, starting with quality time at IBMA. I’m thinking of people I maybe would’ve met eventually in the course of five years of heavy travel and summer festivals--but at IBMA there’s so many good folks all in the same place. Also, the type of work we do attracts interesting people. That’s such a joy in the life we lead, you’ve got to take advantage of it when you can. It’s not like you’re going to an accounting conference. There’s some weird and kooky and awesome folks hanging around IBMA. Over the years of seeing them again and again, you start getting a feeling of being in a multi-generational bluegrass family.” Like Front Country, Mipso first attended the World
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Front Country
Mile Twelve
Mipso
Infamous Stringdusters
by Jacob Sharp
TIPPING POINT of Bluegrass in 2013. They saw a clear rise in festival bookings and radio coverage in the years following specifically because of relationships formed at the conference.
really be worth it. Also, hang late. A lot of my most important relationships were forged late night at the hotel after one or more adult beverages and some real and honest conversation.”
With dozens of bands striving for the attention of thousands of attendees, it is important to have clear goals for your time at World of Bluegrass. A plan of attack is key and a willingness to put in extra time and create your own opportunities can go a long way. Bronwyn Keith-Hynes from Bostonbased Mile Twelve returns to Raleigh this year with momentum galore. Mile Twelve is a nominee for the Momentum Band award and has two members - including Bronwyn -vying for the Momentum Instrumentalist award. Bronwyn advises, “One of the most important things to do in planning to come to WOB is to have your band’s after-hours showcases organized well in advance. Some of these showcases get booked in the spring/early summer before WOB and if you wait until July or August it may be too late for some of them. Another important thing is to get in touch ahead of time with anyone you’d like to network with, and send them a copy of your showcase schedule. During the event, I think it’s important to just be involved as much as possible in what’s going on. Attend the keynote address, the business conference, the exhibit hall, etc. and go to hear other band’s showcases.” In their first year attending, Mile Twelve was not a part of the Bluegrass Ramble, and unsure of how to breach unofficial showcases - so they created their own. This certainly paid off as the Mile Twelve showcase is now in its third year and is sponsored by the Boston Bluegrass Union. [Editor’s note: This showcase is co-hosted as well by Boston-based Lonely Heart String Band.] Jacob Groopman adds, “Become familiar with all the workshops, events and showcases, make yourself a workable schedule of things to attend and stick to it. Get your ass up early at least one morning to make an early panel! It can
While concrete business connections may be the most obvious growth target for a young band while at the World of Bluegrass, perhaps more important is the opportunity the week presents to connect with other musicians who will form the fabric of your community and become friends for life. Though the members of the Infamous Stringdusters were aware of each other before attending IBMA, Chris Pandolfi notes that the conference is where the band really came together, “We had just moved to Nashville and we made the trek to Louisville for a full week of bluegrass festivities. We had at least 5 or 6 people in one room, all on the same nocturnal schedule of bluegrass and cheap beer. It was an amazing time that surely played a part in creating our band. Even though we were still years away from becoming a part of our current musical community (bluegrass has evolved a LOT since then), the music had an amazing vitality at that time, with tons of great young pickers, and we were very excited to be a part of that energy. It’s something that surely lives on in the Stringdusters.” Chris has since gone on to be a keynote speaker at World of Bluegrass and The Infamous Stringdusters continue to be a huge part of the festival, representing the progressive edge of the music and bridging the gap between bluegrass’s older and younger generations on the festivals headlining stage. He notes, “I always try to show people that part of IBMA that was so exciting to us back in the day--the jamming. It’s not only one of the sacred elements of this music (the oral tradition, the shared musical experience) but it’s also the incubator where many strong connections are made and the seed of young bands can start to germinate.” Younger bands certainly confirm the importance of this aspect of the gathering. “There’s
a satisfying sense of community at IBMA,” says Joseph from Mipso. “It’s powerful to be surrounded by a ton of people who love the same thing you do. Especially since our work as musicians requires so much traveling and you only see your road friends every so often, IBMA is like a vacation where we can all be in the same place and share dumb stories and feel buoyed by people we love who care about this music as much as we do and really understand the weird, nomadic lifestyle we lead. It’s summer camp meets support group meets family reunion.” With a few weeks to go until the World of Bluegrass activities kick off, dig in deep to the advance material. Plan your schedule, make lofty goals, brush up on tunes, and reach out to those you are most excited to connect with. And get ready to for the most exciting week of the year. As Bronwyn says, “Attending WOB is one of the most inspiring things I do every year and I always come away with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication to making a difference in the bluegrass community.”
Jacob Sharp is a founding member of the Chapel Hill, NC-based stringband, Mipso, and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with degrees in Human Geography and International Studies. He currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.
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Fifty Years of Bluegrass 45 Editor’s note: Thanks to our summer interns Hank Osborne, who wrote this profile of Bluegrass 45, and Grant Waldron, who contributed this interview with Bluegrass 45 mandolinist, Akira Otsuka.
About Bluegrass 45 Bluegrass 45 formed in 1967 in Kobe, Japan. The band was based around the coffeehouse Lost City, a haven for young Japanese bluegrass musicians and fans. Their first album, Run Mountain, in 1969, was very well received, and their success led them to Expo ’70 in Osaka, Japan, where they were discovered by Rebel Records’ Dick Freeland. They first toured the United States in the summer of 1971, frequenting bluegrass festivals along the way and recording two albums, and then recording a third during their second U.S tour in 1972. Unfortunately, they disbanded that year with the members pursuing different paths. They reunited in 1996 and are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. Tsuyoshi “Josh” Otsuka is the lead singer, guitarist and emcee of the group. Skilled as an arranger, he was very influential in the band’s overall sound. Tsuyoshi later formed the bluegrass group Leaves of Grass. Tsuyoshi’s younger brother, Akira Otsuka, plays mandolin for Bluegrass 45. After his early years with Bluegrass 45, he relocated to Washington D.C. in 1973, where he joined Cliff Waldron and the New Shades of Grass, and played as well with Grazz Matazz, Acoustic Outlet, Grass Menagerie, and the John Starling/Bill Kirchen Band. First Tear, his first solo recording, was released in 2012. Toshio Watanabe (bass) and Sab Inoue (banjo) are the other brothers in the group. Together they own BOM Services, Ltd, their bluegrass import company, launched in 1971, and Red Clay Records, which issued Tony Rice’s first album Guitar in 1973. In 1972, Toshio and Sab started the Takarazuka Bluegrass Festival, the third longest continuously running bluegrass festival in the world. Sab serves as the editor of Moonshiner, Japan’s only bluegrass
music magazine, and was named the IBMA Print/Media Person of the Year in 1998. He was an IBMA board member and served as secretary for five years. Toshio was executive producer of John Hartford’s Stringband’s GRAMMY-nominated Memories of John. He played both mandolin and guitar on his 2012 solo album The Fiction Twins. Chien-Hu Lee (Kenka Lee) is Taiwanese but was born in Kobe. He also plays guitar in the group. He was introduced to bluegrass in college and became friends with the Otsukas and Watanabes at Lost City. He was not a part of Bluegrass 45’s first U.S. tour in 1971, due to his studies. Running his father’s peanut importing business allows him to employ many young musicians, but it has limited his musical career. Hsueh-Cheng Liao (Gakusei Ryo) plays fiddle in Bluegrass 45. His frequenting of Lost City led to him being an original member of the group. Following Bluegrass 45’s disbandment in 1972, Liao returned to Japan and became the co-founder of June Apple, Japan’s first bluegrass magazine. He later started a career as an acupuncturist, but continued playing fiddle and has been in several groups, including Brother Wind, Bluegrass Nuts, and It’s About Time. - Hank Osborne
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AN INTERVIEW WITH AKIRA OTSUKA Grant: So, you started at a really young age playing at a coffeehouse, and you were pretty young then. Now that you have been playing for quite some time, coming up on your 50th anniversary as a band, are there any young pickers that you have listened to recently that you have said “oh wow, I can see some promise here, and maybe a future for him or her?” Akira: Are you talking about in Japan or in the States? Grant: It could be either. Akira: I mean in the States, starting with Chris Thile, Sarah Jarosz, you know, I mean, all these young people. Molly Tuttle, there are so many young musicians that are just amazing. When we [Bluegrass 45] had started, we started with Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, and Flatt & Scruggs. These days, they start with Sam Bush, Dave Grisman, and Bela Fleck. The starting point is different (laughs). Grant: Chris Thile, the first name you mentioned, was the first mandolin player that I really got attached to when I first started listening to Bluegrass. I started with Punch Brothers. I heard him and saw him perform and was just astounded by his talent and his presence on stage. Akira: When I was listening in Japan before I came to the States, I listened to Bill Monroe, John Duffey, and Bill Napier, who used to play with the Stanley Brothers. The numbers were limited. And when we came to the States, we were just like “uhhhhhh.” Sam Bush was there. Larry Rice, Tony Rice’s brother, was there. New Deal String Band from North Carolina had Frank Greathouse. Amazing mandolin players. I mean we were just watching the stage. Jesse McReynolds, you know, all these players, Jimmy Gaudreau. We were just overwhelmed. It’s just getting better and better. Grant: So you are in Bluegrass 45, your brother is in the band as well, the lead singer. So how has that been, having your brother as the frontman for the group? Akira: We call him Josh. His real name is Tsuyoshi, but we call him Josh. He took classical violin lessons for 4 or 5 years when he was in elementary school, so he can read music. So that helped. And also, his music sensitivity was really good. He could hear it much better than I could. He showed us, Bluegrass 45, what to do. He was a banjo player, he could play violin, so he could play mandolin too. He showed us a lot and, I mean, he was my most influential musician I had back then. He is the one who arranged “La Banjo Maturo”, we did Mozart’s “Turkish March”, we called it
“Fuji Mountain Breakdown”, but Josh is the one who came up with it. He arranged it. Grant: Does he arrange a lot of the music that Bluegrass 45 has recorded and performed? Akira: Yes, he did. But all of us brought some ideas, material. Why don’t we try this song? I brought some songs, because I was hearing other types of music as well. My brother, Josh, is the one who brought “Take 5” to the band, that was neat. I brought some folksongs to the group because I was in a folk song club, and I had a bluegrass band there too. But there were a lot of good folk groups. And I would say, “Oh that’s a neat song, we can do that.” Grant: So folk sounds like it was a good inspiration to you as an artist, were there any other genres that were particularly inspirational to you? Akira: Well, my older brother used to bring a lot of jazz albums home. Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, that’s where we got “Take 5”. Louis Armstrong, you know, all the good stuff. And also, my sister was listening to Elvis, and my other brother was listening to Hank Williams, so we got a lot of country, jazz, and pop. All kind of education at home. Grant: You met John Duffey. Just from my limited knowledge of him, he is a big character, just larger-than-life. What was your first encounter with John Duffey like, could you describe that at all? Akira: Yes, I have to go back a little bit farther because when I started playing mandolin, I listened to Monroe, and Frank Wakefield. When I was first learning to play mandolin, John Duffey just stood out so much to me with his loud tenor voice of course, but also his mandolin playing style was a lot different than Monroe’s. And what John played made sense to me more than Monroe’s playing did. Maybe because John was familiar with Western scale music. His father was an opera singer, so that’s probably where John got the idea. So, John was my hero when I was learning how to play. And when we came in ’71, we met him. He came to a jam session with us, and we did all the songs that he recorded. And we knew everything he did. So ever since that night we became good friends. And he left us in ’96 but I have his mandolin, a Gibson F12, and also he made me a mandolin called Duck, weird shape. We became good friends, and I took him to Japan twice, in ’85 and ’91. John said “I would not go to Japan without you.”
Grant: I bet that was an honor to hear from him. Akira: Yes it was! Grant: So you came out with a solo work in 2012 called First Tear. You’ve talked about how John Duffey has been a big inspiration, players like Sam Bush, but what were some inspirations specifically for this solo work, First Tear? Akira: I was trying to be unique. I wanted an original album. Almost all original songs, except for I think one song that had been recorded before, “Heartaches”. It’s either written by me, or written by the singer who recorded with me for the album. Josh recorded “Blue”, for the album, and Mike Munford, a banjo player from Baltimore, great banjo player, gave me “Line Drive”, and me and my friend co-wrote a song called “Long Black Jacket”. We tried to be original. Grant: So you and Bluegrass 45 collectively are going to be on the Main Stage at World of Bluegrass this year, so what are some things you all are looking forward to as a band and just for you personally for this upcoming show? Akira: As you know, we are getting old. Our average age is like 70 years old, so we cannot do what Chris Thile can do, or what Sam Bush can do. So technically we are not that great anymore. But we know how to have fun. A lot of bluegrass bands are GREAT, but they are not having fun. And I know for anyone who sees us, they will have a good time with us. - Grant Waldron
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Events at World of Bluegrass: Bluegrass Symposium, Bluegrass College Band Showcases Sept. 29-30 In addition to the popular bluegrass college band showcase hosted by The Foundation for Bluegrass Music at IBMA’s Wide Open Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh, NC Sept. 29-30, an academic conference focused on the study of bluegrass music called “The Bluegrass Symposium” will debut in Raleigh this year. The Bluegrass Symposium will kick off at noon on Friday, Sept. 29 in room #304 at the Raleigh Convention Center with a keynote luncheon featuring noted author and Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame member Neil Rosenberg, Ph.D., a Professor Emeritus of Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Rosenberg’s address, titled “Bluegrass: Scholarship and Realities,” will be based on the last chapter of his forthcoming book, Bluegrass Generation: A Memoir (University of Illinois Press), which focuses on scholarly issues. While registration for the keynote luncheon is closed, IBMA conference and festival attendees are welcome to sit in on presentations from 1:30 – 5 p.m. on Sept. 29 and from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Sept. 30. The Foundation will feature these college bluegrass bands on the Wide Open Bluegrass Youth Stage in front of the Raleigh Convention Center Sept. 29-30, from 7-9 p.m. on Friday night and 6-9 p.m. Saturday night: Warren Wilson College, led by Wayne Erbsen [Asheville, NC]; East Tennessee State University, directed by Daniel Boner [Johnson City, TN]; Morehead State University, directed by Raymond McLain [Morehead, KY]; Pellissippi State Community College, directed by Larry Vincent[Knoxville, TN]; Denison University, directed by Andy Carlson [Denison, OH]; Berklee College of Music’s Berklee Bluegrass All Stars, led by Matt Glaser [Boston, MA]; the Berea College Bluegrass Band directed by Al White [Berea, KY]; and the Glenville State College Bluegrass Band led by Megan Darby [Glenville, WV]. IBMA’s “Kids on Bluegrass” ensembles featuring middle school and high school students, produced by Kim Fox, will be featured on the Youth Stage Friday night, Sept. 29, from 5-7 p.m. Prospective students and their families will be interested in the “Introduction to College Bluegrass Programs” session featuring student groups and presentations from department heads on Saturday, September 30, in room 304 of the Convention Center from 2-3 p.m., moderated by IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award recipient and author Fred Bartenstein. Be sure to stop by the Bluegrass Foundation booth in the IBMA World of Bluegrass Expo Hall Wednesday – Saturday, Sept. 26-30, to learn about the Foundation’s work and mission to enable individuals and organizations to support the art form through charitable donations and planned giving.
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Schedule of Foundation for Bluegrass Music Events at WORLD OF BLUEGRASS FRIDAY, SEPT. 29
SATURDAY, SEPT. 30
12:00-1:30 p.m. Keynote luncheon for paid academic conference attendees. Keynote speaker: Neil Rosenberg, Ph.D.
9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Bluegrass Music Symposium Session 3: Performing History - Chair: Fred Bartenstein • Ira Gitlin - Lonesome And Then Some: Unusual Vocal Harmonies In Early Bluegrass Recordings • Natalya Weinstein-Miller - Jim Shumate: Pioneering Bluegrass Fiddler • Everett Lilly - Making Bluegrass History: The Role of the Lilly Brothers in Bluegrass History
1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Bluegrass Music Symposium Session 1: Institutions and Narratives - Chair: Jordan Laney • Ryan Banagale & Keith Reed - Bluegrass and the Liberal Arts • Chelsea Burns - Boston Bluegrass: Institutional Traces in the Urban Scene • Ron Roach - Building a Shared Rhetorical Vision: Fantasy Theme Analysis of Discourse at Early Bluegrass Festivals 3:00 - 3:15 p.m. Break 3:15 - 4:45 p.m. Bluegrass Music Symposium Session 2: Performance Studies - Chair: Toby King • Liza Sapir Flood - Song Choreography and Self-Expression at Bluegrass Jams • Lee Bidgood - The Broken Circle Breakdown and Belgian Bluegrass • Louisa Branscomb - Use of Bluegrass Songwriting as Treatment Intervention in Foster Teens with PTSD: A Qualitative Pilot Study
10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Break 10:45 - 12:15 p.m. Bluegrass Music Symposium Session 4: Media - Chair: Nancy Cardwell • Nathan Sykes - Farm and Fun Time Legacy: Radio and Regional Music • Greg Reish - Documenting Bean Blossom: The Recorded Legacy of Marvin Hedrick • Ted Olson - Reassessing a Pioneering ‘Bluegrass Label’: Tracing the Impacts of Rich-R-Tone Records 12:15 - 12:30 p.m. Wrap-up of the Bluegrass Music Symposium (evaluation)
5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Dinner on your own
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Bluegrass College degree program luncheon (Off site lunch for bluegrass degree program department heads and instructors, and those interested in college level bluegrass instruction. RSVP to info@bluegrassfoundation.org for a head count. We will be buying our individual lunches.)
5 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. – IBMA’s “Kids on Bluegrass” Ensembles (Wide Open Bluegrass Youth Stage, RCC)
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Introduction to College Bluegrass Programs, moderated by Fred Bartenstein
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. College Band Showcases, Youth Stage (tentative) • 5-6:45 p.m. – IBMA’s “Kids on Bluegrass” Ensembles • 7-7:35 p.m. – Berklee Bluegrass All Stars • 7:45-8:20 p.m. Warren Wilson College • 8:25 – 9 p.m. – East Tennessee State University
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. College Band Showcases, Wide Open Bluegrass Youth Stage, RCC (presented by the Foundation for Bluegrass Music) tentative • 6-6:35 p.m. Morehead State University • 6:40 7:10 p.m. Pellissippi State Community College; • 7:15 - -7:45 p.m. Berea College • 7:50 8:20 p.m.. Glenville State College • 8:25 8:50 p.m. Denison University
4:45 - 5:00 p.m. Wrap-up of Day One (with advice given on attending the Ramble showcases at eateries)
For more info about the Foundation for Bluegrass Music, go to www.bluegrassfoundation.org or email Nancy Cardwell at info@bluegrassfoundation.org.
Exhibitor List
Amanda Cook and Kennesaw Ridge American Banjo Museum Andrea Roberts Agency Apitius Mandolins Beard Guitars Blue Chip Picks Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC Bluegrass Country Radio from Washington, DC Bluegrass Unlimited Bob Thompson Guitars Boucher Guitars Bourgeois Guitars Cane Mill Road Casey Campbell Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer CodaBow Collings Guitars Cup O’ Joe D’Addario Deer Creek Boys Deering Banjos DHR Guitar Experience Down East Hearing Care Associates DR Strings Dudley Violins Ear Trumpet Earl Scruggs Center Eastman Strings Elderly Instruments Ellis Mandolins ETSU European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) Fishman Flats and Sharps Folk Alliance International Foundation for Bluegrass Music FY5 G. Edward Lutherie / Acoustic Electric Strings Gibson Gold Tone Grundy Banjos High Fidelity IBMA International Committee IBMA Membership International Bluegrass Music Museum Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome Jon Byrd & the Pickup Cowboys June Mandolins and Guitars Knee Deep in Bluegrass Leadership Bluegrass Leo Posch Lowe Vintage Mandolin Central
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Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Friday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday
Exhibitor List
Mandolins Heal The World Martin Guitar Mile Twelve Molskys Mountain Drifters Morgan Music Nashville Fiddles National Media Services Nechville Musical Products New Buck Corporation NewTown Ome Banjos Peterson Tuners Pickers Supply Pinecone Po Ramblin Boys Pre-war Guitars Co. The Price Sisters Prucha Banjos Quicksilver Productions Quiles & Cloud Randy Wood Guitars RC Williams Company Red White and Bluegrass Festival Rusty Knuckles Saga Musical Instruments Salt & Light Sam Gleaves Savage Hearts Seamon Guitars Shubb Capos Shure Small Glories Sorensen Mandolin & Guitar Co. SoundWave Violins LLC Southern Belle Booking Stelling Banjos Suda Stringed Instruments Sunburst Tour & PR/Blue Highway The Bluegrass Standard The Mando Shop The Murphy Method The Railsplitters Tom’s Banjos TuneFox University of Illinois Press Virginia is for Music Lovers The Crooked Road Virginia Luthiers Birthplace of Country Music & Bristol, VA Abingdon, VA Galax, VA & Houston Fest Franklin County & Montgomery County
Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Thursday Friday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Thursday Wednesday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday Wednesday-Saturday International Bluegrass
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Remembrances Pete Kuykendall
We lost Pete Kuykendall this past week. A giant in our field, Pete co-founded Bluegrass Unlimited, IBMA, the Foundation for Bluegrass Music, the International Bluegrass Music Museum, and Leadership Bluegrass. He was a musician, an engineer, a songwriter, a music publisher, an editor, a festival producer and more. His mark on bluegrass cannot be measured. Our hearts are with Kitsy and the Kuykendall family. We share here a few brief remembrances we were able to gather before going to press.
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“Pete Kuykendall played banjo and fiddle with folks like the Country Gentlemen and the Stanley Brothers, and his school show-and-tell project where he played bluegrass music likely put a germ of an idea in classmate Warren Beatty’s head when he later needed music for his Bonnie and Clyde movie. In the early ‘60s, when some of his fellow fans found out too late that Bill Monroe had played in their area, he and some of those friends started a newsletter that became Bluegrass Unlimited. He published songs for country blues artists like John Hurt and Skip James, and he later reaped the benefits when the songs were recorded by Cream, the Rolling Stones, and for the Oh Brother soundtrack.
And he was behind the earliest efforts in forming both the International Bluegrass Music Association, as well as the International Bluegrass Music Museum. He was a booster of all things bluegrass and he encouraged so many young musicians, myself included. Pete, along with his surviving wife Kitsy, was a fixture at festivals nationwide, selling BU magazines from a card table throughout the weekends. He really cared about the music and the musicians. He just loved it so much. A Virginia native who saw the music flourish around Washington DC, he understood the appeal that Bluegrass held for the rural southern crowd as well as for the city bred northern fans. He embraced and supported it all and featured stories and news on all fronts, whether the subject was progressive and traditional, regional and national. I met him at an after hours jam in Gettysburg, where he played banjo to Joe Meadows’s fiddle. He could be gruff but inside he was a cream puff. I will miss him as will so many who knew him. Bluegrass would not be the same without him, but we can try to remember how he cared about it all, and we can try to act in his honor.” -Tim O’Brien
“We are profoundly sad as we share the news of Pete Kuykendall’s passing today. Pete’s influence on bluegrass music the world over will forever be felt. He co-founded and edited Bluegrass Unlimited magazine; was an integral part the formation of the Int’l Bluegrass Music Association and Int’l Bluegrass Music Museum; and helped create Leadership Bluegrass. A banjo player and songwriter, many of Pete’s songs are now bluegrass standards including “I Am Weary, (Let Me Rest)” which was used in the soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou. Here Pete is pictured a few years ago with his adoring wife, Kitsy. Our hearts go out to her, to Pete’s family, and to his friends all over the world. Rest in peace, dear friend.” -Grey Fox
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REMEMBERENCES Homage to Pete Kuykendall from a South Carolina Rest Stop or, Pete Set the Table. “I just heard of Pete’s passing and pulled off into a South Carolina rest stop to reflect. I feel 50 years spinning back like pages of a book, to where Pete entered my life. Picture a twentysomething green-gilled kid armed with little more than a G-run wanting like crazy to be a part of this thing called bluegrass. In the southeast at least, it wasn’t clear who or what bluegrass was. Bluegrass existed in enclaves, usually rural, with smaller gatherings often at local schoolhouse Friday fiddler conventions along with the growing number of larger bluegrass festivals. Many great players were not touring, they were on front porches playing at the end of the day in places like Hillsville, Virginia and it was those folks we’d seek out to learn from. It was two hours down a dirt road not on the map, to a house that might not have a landline, instead of a thumb on an instant screen. It was hard to know what community you were part of, or if you were. Enter Bluegrass Unlimited. We waited for it every month as if it were a kind of musical sermon on the mount. It told us who we were. It helped us define our own music through articles and reviews of the prominent bands, it helped us understand the music through record reviews and letters to the editor and feature articles on people we had and hadn’t heard of. Through the pages of BU, I began to see there were gradually more women bandleaders and banjo players --rarely did I bump into them on stage in those days. It was kind of like finding life on Mars – but many other things, too - who and where were the songwriters? Who are bands like us? Not like us? Do all songs have to be about lonesome cabins, lonesome hollers, or lonesome mountains? You get so lonesome you could cry. And gigs - who do we call to get jobs? So, it’s 1970 and bluegrass was Oz, and BU was the guide, and I was pretty sure Pete - this guy named on the first page- was the guy at the end of the yellow brick road. Because BU made us real. We sent our dates in, they were on the schedule and there you had it! Black and white, we were a part of something bigger and we belonged!!! Then there was our first record review, around ‘74. Here we were new, young, original material, and unconventional in about every way you can think of and magically, it was benevolent!! We were good enough! I must have read it 100 times that first day and
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I am sure there were some ink stains. Even in a South Carolina rest stop 45 years later I remember the relief and catalytic excitement inspired by those 3 black and white paragraphs in BU. Through BU bluegrass became a family. And we knew where we personally fit - as with siblings, we knew who were our seniors and who our juniors, what the rules were, and when to keep or bend them because both matter. So reading BU was like sitting down to Sunday dinner with the fam. And at the head and foot, (pick which) were Pete and Kitsy Kuykendall. I cannot imagine how I, or a how a young inexperienced band like ours, would or could have continued otherwise. BU painted the picture of a music full of warmth and love of song where a handshake or a backstage conversation wasn’t a hustle - people just mostly wanted to be friends with the rest of the family, and the good things simply came from that solid base - without pretense or email blasts. They happened because you made personal face-to-face connections and helped each other just for the intrinsic value and shared joy in the music. In these days of the seduction of cellophane cyber-relationships we would do well to remember, with BU our guidepost, how community is really formed -- in ways that are real, genuine, personal, and from the heart. And perhaps do even more, find ways to return to-- this legacy amid the changes. BU’s pages gave a place to listen and speak at Sunday dinner, and always, the clear abiding happy message of how great the music is.” - Louisa Branscomb
PETE KUYKENDALL Pete was an encouragement to many in the bluegrass community, I’m sure. As a young performer 30 years ago, when he attended a performance and had kind words to say about my playing or singing it meant so much to me. I knew that he knew everything about bluegrass and if he spent time enjoying what I offered, it was like water to a thirsty young musician. So when Pete’s vision and leadership alongside Doyle Lawson, Sonny Osborne, Lance Leroy, Allen Mills, Barry Poss, Terry Woodward and a few other bluegrass leaders paved the way for the founding of the IBMA, we all paid attention. He was an enormous contributor to the furtherance of bluegrass music, just as he promised on the cover of hundreds of his magazines. I’m thankful our Hall of Fame will always remind future generations of my friend Pete. -Joe Mullins
I have known Pete Kuykendall since the late ‘60s, when I was editor of Muleskinner News and we were friendly competitors. We always had a great relationship and would regularly call each other for favors and engage in deep nerdsmanship about bluegrass music history. Pete invented Leadership Bluegrass, which I facilitated for the first 11 years, always trying to do justice to his vision. I was also the facilitator for four of IBMA’s strategic plans. Pete was on the board in the late ‘90s. At our first retreat, he would sometimes pontificate in extended soliloquies, and no one knew what to do to get the agenda back on track. So I assembled about six markers into a long stick, with which I poked him when it was time to move on. After a while, when he saw me starting to put markers together, Pete would laugh and gracefully surrender the floor. I send my condolences and sympathies to Kitsy, Ginger, Sharon, Glen, and to Pete’s co-workers and many associates. – Fred Bartenstein
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NEW RELEASES
Turn To Jesus Dave Adkins Trio [Mountain Fever]
Dave called on two friends from eastern Kentucky with the same mountain-true, gospel music-loving blood coursing through their veins to create the Dave Adkins Trio. Dave Adkins, Richie Rose, and David Taylor have unleashed on the bluegrass world a powerful, raw, three-part harmony sending goosebumps rippling all the way down to your soul. Dave’s voice, well established in the bluegrass music world, is on display here. But more compelling is his humble approach to the songs in this all-gospel project. House of Gold was one of the first the Trio tried in front of an audience. That was the key to trying more. He reports I Can’t Even Walk was one of his granny’s favorites, and she wanted a permanent version of it. The Old Rugged Cross was one of his mom’s favorites and this version will take you to the church pews. The album’s highlight might be Turn to Jesus, co-written by Dave and Brink Brinkman. With Brink’s help, this moving song was finished in 15 minutes. Don’t take my word, hear it for yourself and you’ll have a good day. Aaron Ramsey and Jeff Partin from Mountain Heart help with the instrument accompaniment, and use their drive in a most tasteful way. You’ll play this one repeatedly. Enjoy and savor every word and note. Website
CD Reviews by Bob Webster
Life Is a Story Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver [Mountain Home]
This project, typical of Doyle Lawson’s consistently high-quality standards since founding Quicksilver almost 40 years ago, probably exceeds those standards. The title track, Life Is a Story, by Jerry Salley, Lee Black and Devin McGlamery, recites a life lesson for us all: live each day to the fullest. Kids These Days is another reflection on the times in which we live. Life of a Hard-Working Man, written by three bandmembers, gets the hard-driving treatment. Guitar Case, from Donna Ulisse, is about a man looking for purpose. Paul Williams & Doyle’s I See a Heartbreak Comin’ tells the obligatory broken love story. What Am I Living For will have you trying place where you’ve heard it. (It’s from Chuck Willis’s R&B days). Doyle is not worried about breaking some of the bluegrass “rules” now and then, and we’re the beneficiaries as a result. Doyle and the band remain at the top of their game, with the youth of the Quicksilver band keeping the leader inspired while he’s teaching them how this music business works. They couldn’t have a better mentor. Don’t skip this CD in your collection. You’ll get the fast and slow, the fun and the thought provoking all in one place, plus those tight vocal harmonies. What’s not to like? Website
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Front Porch Philosophy Jerry Salley [Very Jerry Records]
You may have already heard the single The Night Flatt & Scruggs Played Carnegie Hall, by Jerry and Carl Jackson, which takes you to the landmark 1962 Carnegie Hall concert described by some as the “hicks from the sticks”. Listening carefully to this lead-off track, you hear the audience applause and familiar banjo licks that carefully create the mood for the remaining tracks. Front Porch Philosophy, the title track, brings back conversations among your elders. Nothing Here but Home marks the changes to our culture and land development have wiped away many of the landmarks we knew while growing up. Donna Ulisse and Jerry collaborate on the gospel number Pullin’ A Heavy Load, and Jerry and Dustin Benson add another with The Son In Your Eyes. For a little fun, If I Could Play Guitar Like Carl Jackson displays Jerry’s satirical frustration with trying to execute Lester’s famous G-run. Things People Say on Planes and There’s Not Always Next Year provide sound suggestions for making the most of our time on earth and not postponing those truly important matters. Jerry is one our finest and prolific writers and gives us a healthy selection of his skills on this, his 4th solo album. This is a recording you’ll play often and your mood will improve accordingly.. Website
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NEW RELEASES
CD Reviews by Bob Webster
By Request (Vol. 1) Cedar Hill [Nickeltown Records]
Harlan Road Newtown [Mountain Home]
Cedar Hill was formed in 1967 by Frank Ray, the sole original member. Frank has not let personnel turnover keep him from making the music he loves. Known for his songwriting as well as his Monroe-style mandolin, Frank has written most of these songs. The band - Jim Bunch on banjo, Pete Brown on fiddle, Patti Lafleur on bass, and Dan Stokely on vocals – yields a complete band sound.
Although this recording was released in July last year, don’t miss it. It marks the third project by the Lexington, KY based husband/wife team of Katie Penn & Jr. Williams under the band name Newtown, although with some new personnel. Katie holds down the fiddle duties and Jr. the banjo, with both contributing vocals. The rest of band is composed of guitarist/ vocalist Hayes Griffin, mandolist Michell Cannon, and bassist/vocalist Travis Anderson, all having performance experience along with college backgrounds in music. Kati has said the band veers a little to the left of down-home bluegrass, but they wear their roots on their sleeves. Sometimes there’s a newgrass feel or a progressive touch with the band members so wellversed in jazz, but they contend they are still a bluegrass band.
Not intended to be a “best of ” project, included here are two dog songs, one being the band’s most requested number: Pearl’s Song. The story will make one sad and sentimental at the same time. The other, Echo Mountain is often misunderstood. Its origins are from an 18th c. Welsh legend of a dog that played a significant role for a family with a baby. You’ll appreciate the comparison with James King’s version; both were on the Bluegrass Unlimited chart at the same time. Journey of Faith and For Me It’s Hello, are two of Frank’s fine gospel numbers, as well as his Heartaches and Teardrops and False Hearted Love, which earned Frank the first of four SPBGMA Song of the Year Awards. The project will motivate the listener to hope the wait for Vol. 2 will not be too long. .
Jr. can be heard taking the lead on the title track Harlan Road. Kati’s voice is displayed on many tracks, such as Wildfire and Can’t Let Go. The mid-point of the project is marked by Griffin’s instrumental, The Feast of the Gryphon. The band had the songs ready for recording and producer Barry Bales brought out the best in the group. This might be a different version of bluegrass from what you’re used to but it’s very enjoyable and a refreshing change of pace.
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Small Town Life Summer Brooke & the Mountain Faith Band [Mountain Fever Records]
Summer Brooke and Mountain Faith, having made their Grand Ole Opry debut and won the International Bluegrass Music Association 2016 Emerging Artist of the Year award, offer up a new album. Umbrella, the single, has received airplay, and listeners to Summer’s voice will understand the band’s name change to put her out front. Further justification for the move can be found in her being involved in writing Who Will You Be, Lazy River, Queen Anne’s Revenge, Bring the Heat, Lead Me On, and 1969, either with her band mates or on her own. Brother Brayden (banjo), Cory Piatt (mandolin) and Nick Dauphinis (guitar) contribute the instrumental Jawbone Hill. The old Irish God’s Blessings is the gospel track for this recording. Tim Crouch is on fiddle, along with Aaron Ramsey on bass, and fulfilling the roles of producer and mixer. The CD cover also indicates this is the acoustic version of the release, with a more elaborate version to follow with extra instrumentation that more closely resembles their TV competition on America’s Got Talent. The project probably more closely represents the band’s true evolving musical style. It’s versatile and appealing to a wide age range. A refreshing collection, one that makes one think of outdoor music during the summer festivals. Website
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INDUSTRY NEWS September 2017 ARTISTS, COMPOSERS & PUBLISHERS SCREENDOOR SONGWRITER ALLIANCE PRESENTS WOODSONGWRITER FALL RETREAT 2017 LOUISA BRANSCOMB, PHD, INSTRUCTOR AND HOST The Woodsong Paradigm, developed over 26 years of Woodsong Retreats, is structured to best facilitate each individual writer with their personal goals, style, and where s/he is in her journey as a songwriter. Often called “transformative,” Woodsong Retreats are an experience in the transformative art of songwriting. This paradigm, developed by pioneering songwriter and psychologist Louisa Branscomb, offers the opportunity to leave behind distractions and spend a weekend of personal inspiration and camaraderie in the fall colors of the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains.
The workshop, located one hour south of Chattanooga and one hour north of Atlanta, will take place October 20-22. Tuition is $595, with a $100 discount for returning students. There are 5 ScreenDoor Awards of $100 each. These scholarships will be awarded based on need, and on commitment to songwriting as an agent of building community. Lodging is available at Clarion Inn, White GA. (Mention Woodsong Farm for a discount rate.) To reserve a space at the workshop, email Louisa Branscomb. Tuition can be paid through paypal at louisabranscomb.com, or by arrangement.
This workshop will encourage songwriters to investigate who you are as a person and writer at this point in time, inspire your writing by reaching new levels of potential material, and interact with a supportive ongoing community of songwriters, forming collegial friendships and cowriting relationships for life.
Branscomb is one of the most awarded songwriters in acoustic and bluegrass music, with two Recorded Event of the Year Awards, a Georgia Lifetime Achievement Award, GRAMMY cuts by Alison Krauss and John Denver, 1991 Song of the Year (SPBGMA), 2014 Song of the Year (IBMA), membership in the Atlanta Music Hall of Honor, and a 2017 Distinguished
Achievement Award from IBMA. She is currently recording her 12th CD of originals. Her lifelong commitment has been to build songwriter community and promote songwriting as a transformative tool, the goals upon which she founded 501(c)3, ScreenDoor Songwriter Alliance.
EVENT PRODUCERS TEXAS BLUEGRASS AT SALMON LAKE PARK
SCOTT STREET FIVE STRING FINALS
Labor Day: Trinity River, Kristi Cox, Buffalo Nickel, Southern Style, The Baker Family, Gary Waldrep, Remington Ryde, Mark Phillips and III’d Generation, The Marksmen, Lone Star Drive, Karl Shiflett and his Big Country Show, and the Malpass Brothers. https://www.facebook. com/txbluegrassmusic/
Youth Banjo Competition at Richmond Folk Festival
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Scott Street Five String Finals announces their third annual Youth Banjo Competition at the Richmond Folk Festival. Sammy Shelor and Victor Furtado are lead judges, and there is $1000 in 1st place prize money in both the bluegrass and clawhammer divisions. All details are here.
PRINT, MEDIA & EDUCATION Clemson University in South Carolina is the most recent college to add bluegrass music instruction to their music department. The new Clemson Bluegrass Ensemble will begin during the fall 2017 semester, with elective course credits that may be earned by music majors or students outside the music department. According to the course catalog: “The ensemble will provide students the opportunity to improve musical skills through membership in a traditional bluegrass band. Under the guidance of the instructor and the leadership of a student music director, students will participate in song selection and creation of music arrangements.” The course will be taught by Ryan Wilson, an audio engineering/music major who also works at the Clemson Performing Arts Center and performs with the Tyler Williams Band.
Hank Smith of Raleigh, NC, has joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an adjunct professor teaching bluegrass banjo. The Music Department launched a Bluegrass Initiative in 2016, which includes the Carolina Bluegrass Band, new academic courses, symposia, and performances. Smith will provide individual instruction for weekly banjo lessons, and will also participate in end-of-semester juries for students, recruiting, and auditioning students. Smith performs with Hank, Pattie & the Current, a Raleigh-based string band with a progressive edge. Hank is the second bluegrass-specific faculty member hired at UNC, following Russell Johnson who came on last fall to manage The Carolina Bluegrass Band, the school’s official bluegrass ensemble for students. [IB shares this education news with you from the Foundation for Bluegrass Music’s newsletter.]
RECORDING, DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING PINECASTLE DEBUTS BONFIRE RECORDING COMPANY Moves base of operations to Greenville, SC For the first time in its 27-year history, Pinecastle is opening its first recording studio in Greenville, SC. Launching at the same time is their new project, Bonfire Recording Company, whose focus is on local musicians and genres outside of bluegrass. In addition to the recording studio, Bonfire is a nongenre specific record label focusing on American roots music. They offer videography, photography, manufacturing and publicity services. You can contact Pinecastle at info@pinecastlemusic.com, at 828-376-0065, or at 2514 River Road, Suite 105, Piedmont, SC 29673.
International Bluegrass
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