The Bluegrass Standard - November 2023 by The Bluegrass Standard

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OUR CHOICE

28 CONTENT RACHEL GORE BAND OF HEATHENS BECKY JOHNSON THE DOUG FLOWERS BAND HIGH FIDELITY NORTH FORK CROSSING DANNY PAISLEY SCOTT VESTAL THE CLEVERLYS KEITH BILLIK BREAKIN’ STRINGS THE BROTHERS COMATOSE FOOD NOURISHES THE HEART FAN FOTO

08 14 20 24 28 38 42 46 50 55 58 62 66 72

Keith Barnacastle • Publisher The Bluegrass Standard is a life-long dream of Keith Barnacastle, who grew up in Meridian, Mississippi. For three years, Keith brought the Suits, Boots and Bluegrass Festival to Meridian. Now, with the Bluegrass Standard, Keith’s enthusiasm for the music, and his vision of its future, reaches a nationwide audience every month! Keith@TheBluegrassStandard.com 5

Our Staff Richelle Putnam • Executive Editor/Writer

Richelle Putnam is a Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) Teaching Artist/Roster Artist (Literary), a Mississippi Humanities Speaker, and a 2014 MAC Literary Arts Fellowship recipient. Her non-fiction books include Lauderdale County, Mississippi; a Brief History, Legendary Locals of Meridian, Mississippi and Mississippi and the Great Depression. Richelle@TheBluegrassStandard.com

Rebekah Speer • Creative Director

Rebekah Speer has nearly twenty years in the music industry in Nashville, TN. She creates a unique “look” for every issue of The Bluegrass Standard, and enjoys learning about each artist. In addition to her creative work with The Bluegrass Standard, Rebekah also provides graphic design and technical support to a variety of clients.

Susan Woelkers • Marketing

Susan traveled with a mixed ensemble at Trevecca Nazarene college as PR for the college. From there she moved on to working at Sony Music Nashville for 17 years in several compacities then transitioning on to the Nashville Songwritrers Association International (NSAI) where she was Sponsorship Director. The next step of her musical journey was to open her own business where she secured sponsorships for various events or companies in which the IBMA /World of Bluegrass was one of her clients.

Brent Davis • Contributor

Brent Davis produced documentaries, interview shows, and many other projects during a 40 year career in public media. He’s also the author of the bluegrass novel Raising Kane. Davis lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Mississippi Chris Sharp • Reviewer

Singer/Songwriter/Blogger and SilverWolf recording artist, Mississippi Chris Sharp hails from remote Kemper County, near his hometown of Meridian. An original/founding cast member of the award-winning, long running radio show, The Sucarnochee Revue, as featured on Alabama and Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Chris performs with his daughter, Piper. Chris’s songs have been covered by The Del McCoury Band, The Henhouse Prowlers, and others. https://mississippichrissharp.blog

Susan Marquez • Journalist

Susan Marquez is a freelance writer based in Madison, Mississippi and a Mississippi Arts Commission Roster Artist. After a 20+ year career in advertising and marketing, she began a professional writing career in 2001. Since that time she has written over 2000 articles which have been published in magazines, newspapers, business journals, trade publications.

Kara Martinez Bachman • Journalist

Kara Martinez Bachman is a nonfiction author, book and magazine editor, and freelance writer. A former staff entertainment reporter, columnist and community news editor for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, her music and culture reporting has also appeared on a freelance basis in dozens of regional, national and international publications.

Candace Nelson • Journalist

Candace Nelson is a marketing professional living in Charleston, West Virginia. She is the author of the book “The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll.” In her free time, Nelson travels and blogs about Appalachian food culture at CandaceLately.com. Find her on Twitter at @Candace07 or email CandaceRNelson@gmail.com.

Rachel Gore 8

“I’ve been having these interactions with strangers. I think people can tell when you’re working on yourself.” We’re 30 minutes outside of Nashville shooting the music video for “Good Death,” the opening track of Rachel Gore’s debut EP. The concept is simple, but specific: Gore, standing somberly in front of several primitive Baptist churches, intercut with shots of nature. The term “A24 vibes” is thrown around as a continuity guide. A few days prior, we perused the list of Tennessee churches on the National Register of Historic Places to create an itinerary. We ranked our favorites, factoring in distance and condition. Currently, Gore is laying down at the base of a tree outside New Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church. She’s wearing a white Victorian nightgown that she bought from a plant shop, holding daisies picked from the edge of the parking lot. Ants crawl around her head. Cinematographer Corbin Eaton stands over her, adjusting the shot. I’m just out of frame, manning the windshield shade that serves as our light diffuser. She’s been talking about this specific shot for several days, but what she doesn’t know now is that it won’t even end up in the final cut of the video. We’re seconds from wrapping when a mid-2000s Jeep Cherokee pulls up to the front of the church. This is what our trio has been dreading all day, the moment we’re all indicted for trespassing on sacred grounds and chased out of the unincorporated community by pitchfork wielding locals. The quiet towns have been good to us thus far. The only person we’ve even spoken to was a church neighbor, who assumed we were stranded with a broken down car. Surely our luck

with kind strangers was bound to run out. From the Cherokee, the pastor of New Bethel steps out and waves to us. He’s wearing a button up shirt tucked into blue jeans, with a complicated pattern on his tie that I don’t get close enough to to identify with a confident level of accuracy. His wife steps out of the passenger side door, and accompanies her mother from the backseat. Our collective guilt sets in. How naive of us to think we could get away with desecrating this property for the sake of self-interest without repercussions. Before we have a chance to flee the scene, the pastor invites us inside. He remarks that they don’t start for another hour, and people typically show up late. As the only member of our group who didn’t grow up in church, I restrain myself from asking what event they are holding on a Sunday evening. I’m still unsure of the answer to my unvoiced question, but I know it would’ve been the wrong thing to say. An important element to note here, and the one thing saving us from eternity in hell, is Gore’s unwavering authenticity. The concept, while it deals with her questioning of her own faith, is in no way ironic or farcical. It’s not her using churches as a symbolic prop to show herself leaving to then find true spirituality in nature. It’s about forging connections between the opposing forces that she feels drawn to, rather than choosing just one path to follow. The song, and the EP as a whole, are about seeing the commonalities between what we love and fear the most. For Rachel Gore, that love is music. And that fear is death. I don’t feel the need to sit down with her for a formal interview for the same reason that I don’t feel a need to conceal my bias toward her: she’s my girlfriend 9

of four years. I’ve witnessed every step of her process for developing this concept. I’ve observed her in the throws of existential dread. I’ve seen her pinpoint those feelings, and listened as she articulated them through music. Forgotten Woman of Folk is a metamodernist concept album that seeks to disprove its own core hypothesis. The title track spells it out in a niche history lesson for midcentury folk enthusiasts. Gore tells the respective stories of Connie Converse and Judee Sill, two singer-songwriters who died (presumably, in the case of Converse) before their work garnered significant recognition. Both of these women embody a duality that Gore feels deeply: a desire to create something meaningful before you die, and a fear of perceived failure. Converse and Sill were largely unsuccessful in their careers, but are regarded today as pioneers of the singer-songwriter genre. A story that begs the question: is it too much to ask to live long enough to taste the fruits of your labor? Gore wrestles with this in the song’s lyrical refrain. “If I’m destined to become a forgotten woman of folk/then I’ll be in good company/how sad, how lovely.” She circumvents failure by redefining the very idea of success. It seems that losing isn’t even possible if the people you look up to never won. Her death anxiety is less superficial than that, though. She isn’t kept up at night by thoughts of how she will be remembered when she’s gone. She doesn’t ruminate on what will be said at her funeral. Instead, she fears the unknown. This fear, she believes, stems from the way society “pushed the very normal fact of death away; handing our loved ones off to professionals once they pass.” She sought out to quell this anxiety through some mild exposure therapy. She started researching practices that celebrated death as a natural part of life. Through her exploration, she discovered natural burial. Natural burial is an eco-friendly alternative to conventional burial options. No embalming fluid or other inhibitors of decomposition are used in the process. Bodies may be placed in biodegradable caskets, wrapped in quilts, or laid down in flower beds before being buried. The objective is twofold: to preserve land and reframe the way people connect with their loved ones that have passed. Looking for a more tactile experience, Gore and I voyaged to Larkspur Conservation, Tennessee’s first natural burial preserve. Located at Taylor Hollow in Middle Tennessee, Larkspur Conservation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the environmental and spiritual values that Gore felt undoubtedly called to. We hiked around the property. We saw deer, rabbits, and turtles. We read the memorial stones and visitor journal to ourselves, taking in the serenity of the silence. “Good Death” illustrates the tranquility that one finds at Taylor Hollow. Gore imagines her own sendoff to the afterlife, complete with a flower bed and post-burial celebration. She embraces the duality of existentialism and the closing chapter of a life well-lived, giving the listener an idea of how she hopes to be remembered. Ironically, the fear of death before creating something meaningful prompted Gore to 10

push her songwriting abilities further than ever before. Her first fully formed effort at being a singer-songwriter is a portrait of a future in which she never made it as one. She’s coming to terms with what’s important to her. Her happiness isn’t dependent upon her success, it relies on whether or not she gave it her all. It’s precisely this kind of genuineness that has sharpened her sense of introspection. She gives herself grace to live in the in-between spaces. She can have a strong faith, and still have a lot of questions about it. She can recognize the missteps of her spiritual path without abandoning it altogether. Living with her during this time gave me a unique insight into the creative process of an artist. My life suddenly became a vérité behind-the-music film, barring any jump cuts or closed doors. I remember the moment Gore hit her breaking point. When the perception of a wasted life became too much to bear. Her dreams were on the back burner while everything

else around her heated up. I watched her as she watched her contemporaries find success, like Phil Collins watching a guy watch someone drown. It all came to a head when we sat down to watch Judd Apatow’s 2017 Avett Brothers documentary. We were halfway through when she broke down in tears. She couldn’t stand the fact that she hadn’t been doing what she was put on Earth to do. She was selling herself short, romanticizing a plan B that felt more attainable. It’s easy to do in a city like Nashville, where everything feels competitive and working in the music industry is a safe alternative for daydreaming musicians. This can be a viable career move for many, but for Gore, it meant an instability in an even more important aspect of her life. The switch flipped almost immediately. Within days, she began writing again. She wrote with brutal honesty about the things that she found interesting and scary. Death. Legacy. Spirituality. Over the course of a year, she poured her soul and her paychecks 11

into the four songs that would ultimately become Forgotten Woman of Folk. Via Facebook, she connected with Sarah Peacock, a Nashville-based Americana artist and producer. Gore had posted a cry for help in a local musician’s group, asking how she could step up her production value without breaking the bank. She knew her home set up that she’d been using for years wouldn’t quite cut it for these songs; they were worthy of investment. Sarah Peacock’s studio is remarkably antithetical to the image that one’s mind conjures when imagining a young musician’s dream scenario of transitioning from DIY to professional recording. It is not encircled by high-rises. There is no permanently established vocal booth with symmetrical soundproof panels. Far from Music Row, the space is more closely aligned with Gore’s aesthetic. It’s the loft of a cabin in a neighborhood with hardly any cell phone reception. Though it can’t be seen in the music, it has the same charm that she seeks out in every other aspect of her life. It’s cozy and inviting, not polished and cold. The same can be said about the atmosphere that Peacock fosters in her studio. The two have long talks between takes, discussing each other’s prospects both in and outside of music. When the duo reach a stopping point in their all-day sessions, Peacock prepares home-cooked meals that eventually become staple recipes in our own household. Back at the church, Gore is making small talk with the pastor’s wife. She marvels at the personality of the humble building. The spaces between the light conversation stick firmly in the air, as if being buoyed by the thick Tennessee humidity. The pastor’s wife hints that Gore could put on an impromptu performance, but the only guitar in the room has some type of unidentified damage. “That’s broken,” the pastor says. We get two quick shots of her in the church and our crew bids farewell to New Bethel. Where most would see common Southern hospitality, Gore sees something more abstract. It’s almost like her own form of namaste. She says that people can recognize when you’re being genuine, when you’re trying. She believes in the idea of reciprocal sincerity, where people will meet you at the level of honesty that you give to them. She’s making music, but not for some temporary indicator of success. She’s making it because she needs to before she dies, to provide that same kind of honesty to herself. Rachel Gore’s debut EP, Forgotten Woman of Folk, is available on all streaming platforms on October 6th.

Band Of

by Kara Marti

Sometimes, hardship or change can bring a wellspring of new creativity. For the Americana-steeped Band of Heathens, that lemonade-from-lemons dynamic came to the fore with their album release of this past spring, “Simple Things.” “This record came from the shift in perspective after all the things we’d done in our entire career were taken away,” said Jordi Quist, one of the band’s founding members. He’s referencing the period of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, during which most performing artists came to a required halt in touring. He said the band took a “fresh look” at things during those times. “We found a part of our lives that we’d never explored after being on the road for 20 years,” Quist explained. He said they had time to explore the “simple things” of life. 14

Heathens

inez Bachman

“There was a personal introspective aspect to the record,” he said. Still, the idea of a supporting tour also brought a “playful energy” about getting back into the fray and hitting the road again, renewed. What they’ve delivered over almost two decades is clearly appreciated; Band of Heathens has received some high-profile opportunities and accolades. They’ve appeared on TV shows – including Austin City Limits – and have been nominated for awards by organizations such as the Americana Music Association. They’ve charted highly on the Americana charts. Quist said it does not get old for them or fans because they frequently change things. “There’s a different set list every night; you’ll never see the same set twice,” he assured. “The backbone of our band is playing live, and each night, there’s lots of 15

improvisation.” Over the past 18 years, they’ve kept delivering music “directly to the fans.” “We’ve been out of the mainstream our entire career,” Quist said. Band of Heathens created a value-added place for their biggest supporters to ramp up this direct contact further. It’s an online community on the Patreon platform, where the band does special live streaming, online chats, and more. It’s called the Good Time Supper Club. Quist calls it “kind of a cool space for the hardcore fans.” They’ve toured widely this year to support “Simple Things,” including a fall outing in the western U.S. that they’re just wrapping up. It ends mid-November with three shows Quist said he’s looking forward to. They’re all in Texas, near the band’s home turf of Austin. They see those gigs as a celebration of 18 years. Quist is also looking ahead to 2024 when Band of Heathens heads out to sea to perform aboard a “Sandy Beaches” Caribbean cruise in January. That same month, they can also be seen at events such as MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Mile 0 Fest in Key West, Florida. However, the band will promote an additional special release before the year finishes. Quist and bandmate Ed Jurdi decided to re-cut the entirety of “Simple Things” as a duo. It was stripped down and all-acoustic. It started with one song, and then…they just kept going. It was a bare-bones reimagining of the same tracks. “It turned out so cool, we decided this needs to be an actual release,” Quist said. As a result, fans are treated to the duo record “Simpler Things,” a companion recording that offers a fitting, clever title. Just when it seemed the introspection couldn’t possibly get more pared-down and bare…it does. 17

“In some ways, we can’t believe we’re still doing this after all these years, and we’re feeling as creative as we ever have,” Quist assured. “All of us in this band are very fortunate to have families that give support. Our lives strike a balance between being present with our lives and families and also with the band.” “We have no idea how it ever happened, but we’re grateful that it has.”

Becky Johnson by Jason Young

Long-time bluegrass photographer and LBG Alumni Award-winning radio host Becky Johnson spent years capturing bluegrass music through her camera lens. A staff photographer for Merle Fest for fifteen years, she published the book Inside Bluegrass: twenty-years of bluegrass photography, giving viewers an intimate look at bluegrass festivals. Among her credits, which include photos featured in US News & World Report, Bluegrass Unlimited, The Bluegrass

“I remember dialing in on my step grandfather’s shortwave radio that he made himself, and dialing in all these shows from Chicago, West Virginia and WSM in Nashville,” adding that seeing episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies and the Andy Griffith Show ignited her passion for bluegrass. She experienced a eureka moment when her boyfriend took her to a local watering hole called The Sticky Wicked Pub in Hopkinton, MA, to see Don Stover & The White Oak Mountain Boys. “My then-boyfriend Roger took me to see Don Stover one night up close! Wow, I found it! The music I loved so much had a face, and I met him, and he was so kind. Don Stover was Bluegrass Royalty!”

“The last time I saw Don was in 1996, in September in Owensboro, KY, at our annual bluegrass convention,” Becky recalled, adding that he was terminally ill with cancer and that they hugged and Situation, and Bluegrass Today, is her talked for the last time. “Death comes to cameo in the 1992 bluegrass documentary all,” she said with a philosophical air, “but High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass becoming daring yet vulnerable enough Music. to receive love from my heroes -- I liked the feeling!” Johnson spoke openly with The Bluegrass Standard about growing up in Concord, Inheriting her uncle’s Pentax camera, she Massachusetts, where she spent her youth fell in love with photography. By the middrawn to the radio, listening to country & 1970s, Johnson, a novice photographer, western and bluegrass music. began to immerse herself in New England’s bluegrass festival scene, making 21

friends with Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, The Osborn Brothers, JD Crowe, Peter Rowen, Sam Bush, and many others.

Tonk Merry Go Round, which featured Classic C&W, Cajun [and] Zydeco tunes.”

Johnson told The Bluegrass Standard about her promise to the father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe. “As I stood there in front of Mr. Monroe, he gently took my hands into his and pulled them straight to his heart. ‘I want you to promise me, Becky, you’ll do all you can to keep bluegrass going strong long after I’m gone.’

During our conversation, she explained that she was not pleased with the results of her book Inside Bluegrass.

Excited about 2024, she plans to re“I had my own dark room and would publish her book and has her site set on print up pictures and bring them with me the prestigious IBMA award. “I’m in to the festivals and give them to musicians the running for IBMA: Best Bluegrass I had met before,” Johnson recalled, Photographer, 2024. This award is the first adding, “I got some photo jobs because of time that bluegrass photography is getting that.” its own legitimate recognition!”

“Of course, I agreed. His blue eyes were piercing yet filled with tears. We just stood there in silence. It seemed as if a portal to bluegrass music opened at that moment, and I could see the light in Bill Monroe’s eyes. “Bill continued with me, ‘I know you’ll know just what to do, you’ll do the right thing.’ So saith the Father,” said Becky reverently. Balancing her passion for broadcasting and photography, Johnson, known throughout the bluegrass community as “Mrs. Bluegrass,” can be heard every Tuesday spinning bluegrass and country classics during her show Panhandle Country on North Carolina’s - WHUP radio. Reflecting on her radio career, she said, “I began hosting my own weekly live bluegrass show in 2007. First Generation Bluegrass Show was my initial show, then I created another music show, Honky 22

“I’d like to rework, update, and re-publish “Inside Bluegrass” from 1998. The quality of the prints was substandard: too soft. I refused to have them (Empire Publications) edit any of my pictures. So, everything is full frame.” Becky also shared her new passion for various art mediums. “I’m consumed with creating felted objects, painting or making cool sculptures,” she laughed. With many stories to tell about her time as a bluegrass festival photographer, meeting the Father of Bluegrass and the promise she made to him is her most cherished. “My vow to keep bluegrass alive is an ongoing daily routine. My weekly live radio on WHUP 104.7 features bluegrass, cool classic country and western [and] classic tunes from the past. It all flows in together.”

The Doug Flowers Band by Kara Martinez Bachman Doug Flowers has a vast and authentic history as a musician who lived well from within the welcoming arms of bluegrass culture. While he has many stories to tell of the people he’s worked with and known over a career that spans more than five decades, he’s also sowing seeds of the future, putting out new music and doing his part to bring roots music forward for new listeners to enjoy. “My father could play anything,” Flowers said of his early influences. Growing up, the house was filled with sounds of The Carter Family and Bill Monroe. His dad owned all the records.

stars of the genre, such as Monroe and Ricky Skaggs.

“I worked on the road with “A lightbulb went off,” he Betty for four years,” Flowsaid, recalling that time long ers said, adding that he ago. He just knew he had to still has many memories be a part of the scene. He of those first experiences said he saw them all, all the on the road. For instance, he was with Fisher when a history-making event took place. “We were on our way to Ohio when we heard that Elvis passed,” he said.

greats.

He began playing profesAt age nine, he attended his sionally three years later, at first bluegrass festival when around age 12. Then, at age he had only been playing 14, a figure Flowers called “a mandolin for three years. It female pioneer” of bluegrass was the Bill Monroe Festival came calling on this budin Indiana, which, back in ding young pro who lived 1970 when he first attended, near her in that area around was called the Bean Blossom Augusta, Georgia. As one of Festival. There, he first wit- the few female band leaders nessed performers who were of her time, Fisher offered 24

the teen a job.

He reminisced with a humorous tone that sometimes, he’d have to step off the tour bus and get directly onto a school bus to make it to his high school classes. “Bill Monroe knew her [Fisher’s] family,” Flowers explained. “Bill had us on the Opry Early Bird Bluegrass show. As a 16-yearold kid, you’re standing in that circle, and you’re like, wow…I’ve arrived!”

He’d later attend college at Georgia Southern, where he’d meet lifelong friends and fellow songwriters.

as an original Little Roy & Lizzie Show member.

– Doug Flowers Favorites – included participation from heavy-hitters such as “I’ve been playing at his [Lit- Arata, who sang his version tle Roy] pickin’ party since it of “Dreaming with my Eyes “I met Gerald Smith at started.” Wide Open,” a song of his Georgia Southern, who had that country star Clay Walkbeen on Hee Haw already,” In 2012, he joined Clinton er had recorded. The release he said. Gregory for a stint in his also included work by wellband. Then, in 2015, Flowknown musicians and songHe also became friends with ers decided it was time to writers, including Sam Bush, Tony Arata, who penned release his own record. It Scott Vestal, Donna Ulisse, some songs for Garth was called Doug Flowers & Justin Moses and Lisa SchafBrooks, including his meFriends and called upon the fer.

ga-hit, “The Dance.”

many connections he had already made in the biz.

“These were my peers,” Flowers said, reflecting upon his good fortune of finding fellow musicians who shared the same heart for traditional music. He then did an 18-year stint with a group called Avalanche and spent two years

“I wrote and co-wrote with Gerald [Smith] ‘All Over Me,’ which hit #1 on the roots charts,” Flowers said. He guessed that he’d co-written about ten songs with Smith to date.

The first record put out by his eponymously named full ensemble formed in 2015 – Doug Flowers Band – was “Brothersville,” released in 2021.

“We were very fortunate to get some very good airplay with that ‘Brothersville’ proIn 2017, Flowers’ second CD ject,” Flowers said. 25

Today, he said Doug Flowers Band mostly does “a lot of corporate events and private parties.” In

In introspection about this coming Thanksgiving, Flowers expressed gratitude for…well…everyo

“I’m thankful that I grew up in a Christian home that taught me morals and values and that they “DJs, promoters and journalists” who help keep music thriving. He’s also grateful for “the many, m

This music veteran has been at it for a long time and feels very connected to the beginnings of the started pickin’ his first mandolin.

“Bluegrass was less than 25 years old when I started playing in the ‘60s,” Flowers said. “It has chan

the coming year, he hopes to “ go back in the studio and work on a new project.”

one and everything that infuses American music culture with goodness.

taught me music,” Flowers reminisced. He said he’s thankful for his wife, two kids, and all the many friends” he’s made in bluegrass.

e music he loves. After all, the original powerhouse patriarchs were still around when Flowers

nged a lot, but I get excited when I see young kids getting into what we are doing.”

High Fidelity by Kara Martinez Bachman

The concept of “high fidelity” is about precision in sound, but for one Virginia-based b

For these bluegrass traditionalists, music is partly a way of expressing personal beliefs. A what they see as higher guidance.

“One of the main things that pulled us together is the SPBGMA band contest,” explaine perform the bluegrass music near and dear to our hearts. In the beginning, we just wan

In their case, that music harkened back to tunes of the 1950s and 1960s. Jim and Jesse. T

“We won that [SPBGMA] contest in 2014 and had no idea how things would unfold for Lord the glory.”

luegrass outfit, it also may be about precision of soul.

As words of Thanksgiving, members of the band High Fidelity express gratitude for

ed High Fidelity fiddler and harmony vocalist Corrina Rose Logston. “We wanted to nted to bring our brand of bluegrass to audiences and hope they would love it, too.”

The Stanley Brothers. Charlie Monroe.

r us,” Logston said. “When we won it, it felt so miraculous…and we wanted to give the

“We never take that for granted…it always seems like a calling,” she added. “For us, it’s a really personal and visceral experience…it feels like divine interaction.” Logston’s husband – High Fidelity guitarist and lead vocalist Jeremy Stephens – sees it exactly the same way. After the win in 2014, he said they didn’t have to seek out gigs. Booking agents and record labels reached out first. “They called us,” Stephens recalled. “It’s direct guidance that’s…apart from us.” After what the couple describes as somewhat of a struggle to bring the record to market, High Fidelity released a new album – Music in My Soul – in September. The CD release party was held at The Well Coffeehouse on Nashville’s Music Row, located in the Koinonia bookstore. Logston and Reynolds say they chose it because the venue has close ties to Nashville’s Belmont Church, where well-known artists such as Amy Grant got their start. “We’re very excited,” Stephens said. “It’s 14 tracks. In High Fidelity, we have never recorded any new original music until this record. We are known for sourcing and recording obscure songs from an earlier time.” For instance, the record’s first single release – “The Mighty Name of Jesus” 33

– was penned by Logston.

She detailed the difficulties in bringing the project together. T and as with their other albums, the process had been easier. D Music in My Soul took much longer – and much more effort – finished product as a kind of triumph over adversity, making

“The whole thing feels like a project of being able to overcom to do this record.”

With band members on the road performing more often now, made it harder to schedule rehearsal and studio time. They re

“It’s totally different than any of our other records,” Logston s on this record.”

This musical couple is joined in High Fidelity by Kurt Stephen

Their last had been the 2020 release of Banjo Player’s Blues, Due to the life circumstances of band members, however, – to complete. Now that it’s done, however, they see the them both thankful and proud.

me,” Logston said. “For almost ten years, we’ve been wanting

, time and distance limitations were tighter. She said this ecorded it last fall, and it was finally released in September.

said. “Jeremy and I…we did a good bit of the engineering

nson (banjo and vocals), Vickie Vaughn (upright bass and

vocals), and Daniel Amick (multi-instrumentalist and vocalist). They’ve got a tour scheduled for next year, but for now, they will enjoy the sloweddown season of the holidays. There’s a gig Stephens is looking forward to on November 18 at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, Virginia, which he referred to as his “hometown area.” With the new record, High Fidelity shows true fidelity to the band’s origins and intent of showcasing 1950s and 1960s styles. However, they’re doing it for the first time with some new originals. It’s a change of pace but isn’t so far afield that fans won’t recognize it. “That direction still guides our musical sound,” Logston said, “and gives us boundaries to keep High Fidelity a consistent thing.” “I feel like this is probably the best record we’ve done so far,” she added. “It’s the strongest High Fidelity.”

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North For

by Sus

Cade Slayden and Ryan Kelly first met at the Montana Fiddle Camp. Both attended in 2015 and 2016, then, as kids do, they returned to their lives and lost touch. But fate put them together again in 2021 when Ryan had a few friends over and Cade walked in. “It was like, ‘I know you!’” Ryan recalls. “We played bluegrass all night and decided we should form a band. We had a band in place by the next month.” The name of the band, North Fork Crossing, came from the scenic surroundings in their native Montana. “My father had a fly-fishing outfit on the Blackfoot River in Montana,” says Cade. “My two siblings and I worked on the north fork of the river.” Cade says he grew up in a musical family. “I was very musically focused throughout high school. I knew that’s what I wanted to do and pursue in my life,” There is no doubt that Cade has found his place in the music world. “The community as a whole is booming, and we are growing with it. The live music scene is exploding. There are a few strong bands now from Bozeman.” A few of those bands include the Kitchen Dwellers, Lanie Lou and the Bird Dogs, and The Last Revel. “Their banjo player has helped us to get gigs,” says Cade. Other artists they are inspired by include Bill Monroe, Nick Dumas, Doc Watson, Tony Rice, John Hartford, Billy Strings and Harry Clark, to name a few. “We listen to quite the spectrum of music,” Cade says. “Also, Mountain Grass Unit blows our minds with 38

rk Crossing

san Marquez

their music playing abilities. We like progressive music as much as we like traditional.” Describing themselves as “a little bit jam grassy, but traditionally focused,” North Fork Crossing does some covers, from traditional Doc Watson tunes to the Beatles’ “Get Back” played in bluegrass style. “It helps us to connect with a different audience.” But it’s not only covers for the band. “We have quite a few original tunes in the process of being finished for our first album,” Cade says. “It’s been a long time coming. Right now we have ten to twelve original songs.” The album was recorded in a live recording style. “We did all the instrumentals in one take,” says Cade. “We did it right here in our hometown of Bozeman, Montana. It’s got a cool live feel to it, and it portrays what you will experience if you come to a North Fork Crossing show.” The album was engineered by Josh Kaltenbach. North Fork Crossing plays mostly in the Montana area for now. Their shows are fastpaced and high energy, with something for everyone, from traditional bluegrass to psychedelic rock. They manage to blend it all into their own unique sound that they pride themselves on calling “the evolution of string band music.” The band is made up of Cade on lead vocals and guitar, Ryan on mandolin, Rabi Phelan on upright bass, Matt Hickey on banjo and Silas Rae on fiddle. 39

In this season of giving thanks, Ryan says he is grateful he was able to grow up in a place like Montana, where he was exposed to bluegrass at an early age. “I played cello through high school and that morphed into playing in a jazz band. My parents have always been very supportive of whatever I wanted to do.”

Danny Paisley by Susan Marquez

Danny Paisley may have grown up listening to Lynard Skynyrd and playing saxophone in the school marching band, but today, he is a bluegrass traditionalist who works to preserve the music while keeping it relevant in today’s world. Raised in Pennsylvania, Danny picked up his love of music at Sunset Park in Chester County. “I loved country and bluegrass music. I listened to Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, Hank Williams Sr. and other country music artists at the time. I also loved Ola Belle Reed, who was also a transplant to Pennsylvania. She had a great band, New River Boys and Girls.” In high school, Danny often played on the weekends with his father, Bob Paisley, who was in a band called The Southern Mountain Boys. “I joined them in 1974 when I was 14 years old,” he recalls. The band gained recognition from their performances on New Jersey Public Television. Ted Lundy, Jerry Lundy, and Fred Hannah joined Bob in the band. When Ted Lundy passed away, Bob took over the band and changed the name to Bob Paisley and the Southern Grass. Ted’s sons, T.J. and Bobby Lundy, joined the band. They played for such notable events as Jimmy Carter’s presidential inauguration and at the Library of Congress. When Bob passed away in 2004, Dan took over as the frontman for the band. Stronger than ever, the band has been recognized with over 15 IBMA nominations. In 2009, they were awarded IBMA’s Song of the Year for “Don’t Throw Mama’s Flowers Away.” Dan’s robust vocals have earned him the Male Vocalist of the Year award three times – something only five other artists in bluegrass history have accomplished. Today’s Southern Grass continues the family tradition his father started. Danny plays guitar with the band, while his son, Ryan, plays mandolin. “Ryan is becoming a great singer in his own right,” says Danny. “I have developed my style over the years, and it’s hard for some people to sing with me. I may sing a song one way one day and totally different the next. But Ryan sings tenor with me and 42

knows what to expect.” The tradition continues with Ted Lundy’s sons, T.J. Lundy, on fiddle and his brother, Bobby, on bass and vocals. Dean Phillips plays banjo with the band. The Southern Grass has produced consecutive chart-topping albums. Their most recent album, Bluegrass Troubadour on the Pinecastle label, features pure traditional bluegrass music. “I love pure bluegrass,” Danny says. “That’s what I grew up on, and that’s what I hear in my head when I think of bluegrass music. When people send me songs, that’s how I hear them. That sometimes makes it hard to find material that works well.” Danny says young people today can’t relate to the Blue Ridge Mountains. “I have to work hard to stay relevant. But I have found that there is an audience for pure, solid bluegrass. That’s what we play, and we put a lot of rhythm into it.” After a bout with throat cancer, Danny says he is grateful that he is now in good health. “I thank God for curing me. I am so fortunate that music has provided me with a comfortable lifestyle. It has taken care of me and my family. I am also fortunate to have good people around me who support me. I have been able to travel throughout the United States and the world and see things I never dreamed I’d have the opportunity to see.” Knowing where his bread is buttered, Danny says he appreciates it when people use their hard-earned money to see him perform. “I’m never going to shortchange them,” he says. “I give my all at every show.” Every artist worth his salt has a good manager, and Danny has that in his manager, Laura Mainer. “She has done great things for me and other artists as well. She takes the pressure off so we can focus on what’s important.”

Scott Vestal by Susan Marquez

Scott Vestal wears many hats and enjoys every aspect of his life and career. He is a banjo player, a luthier, a songwriter, and a recording engineer. And that’s only his day job. He is also husband to jazz singer Alice Newman Vestal and father to a 20-year-old daughter in nursing school and a 14-year-old son who flies drones and works on RC cars. It’s a full and fulfilling life, and Scott is accomplished in many areas. In his musical family in Meridian, Oklahoma, Scott learned to play the guitar from his grandfather, Famon Self, a country fiddler. It wasn’t long before Scott played and sang with his grandfather at bluegrass festivals, rodeos, and other area events. He fell in love with the banjo and got his first five-string banjo when he was 13. “I sat in on a lot of jam sessions and watched people play. I never took lessons, but people helped me along the way.” At 15, he began playing with T. J. Rogers’ family band. By the time he was 18, he had moved to Richmond, IN, to tour and record with Larry Sparks. He moved back to Texas when he was 19 and formed Southern Connection with his brother Curtis, Russell Moore, and Marc Keller. The band toured the Midwest and East Coast for three years. “We joined Doyle Lawson’s band in 1985, touring and making five albums before I moved to Atlanta, touring with my band Livewire and recording one album for Rounder Records, and then a year in Japan working with Dave Peters before 47

connecting with David Parmley in Nashville to form Continental Divide.” Clay Jones asked Scott to play on an album he was making for Pinecastle. That became a series of instrumental albums for Pinecastle Records that Scott not only played on but produced and engineered. The series was produced from 1995 to 2001, with the 1996 album winning the IBMA Recorded Event of the Year in 1996. That same year, Scott was awarded the Banjo Player of the Year by IBMA. “I love engineering,” he says. “I have always been into recording -- I always had a couple of cassettes going. I think it goes hand-in-hand with the music. I’ve always been a ‘Mr. Gadget’ kind of guy, recording and capturing sounds.” His engineering talents led him to his own recording studio, Digital Underground, where he engineers, produces, and performs on projects. The list of performers he has worked for is impressive: Bill Monroe, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Vassar Clements, Chris Thile, Hank Williams III, Kenny Chesney, Del McCoury, Dierks Bentley, Billy Ray Cyrus, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakum and even David Lee Roth. “I get to see a who’s who of musical greats without leaving my house,” he says. “I have a studio set up with seven isolated booths, a drum room, and a control room. It has a real homey feel to it.” Not just a banjo player, Scott is also a builder of banjos. His company, Stealth Banjos, sells instruments he designed and developed. “I had an idea in 1989 to come up with a design based on a banjo I got from England. It had a tunneled fifth string, like instruments in 1700s England. I had an idea for a wider neck and taller bridge. The shorter scale gives it a deeper sound. I had met Phil Davidson in Bristol, England, who built the first neck in 1989 while touring with my band Livewire. He finished it while I was there, and I played the last show of the tour with it. After returning home, people were asking where they could get one. Dave Perkins and Keith Medley, who worked for Gibson in Nashville, made the first few necks for me; then Robin Smith continued from there. It’s kind of a niche thing for me.” Still going strong in the business, Scott was awarded the IBMA Banjo Player of the Year for 2020 and 2021, with nominations in 2022 and 2023. He was awarded the Duncan, Oklahoma Hall of Fame Award for 2023. Scott says he is motivated by the music. “I love playing it, and I love working with other people. I play on a lot of people’s records, which I really enjoy. I’m so grateful to God to have been blessed with a little bit of talent so I can do what I do. I am also grateful for my family and all who love music. I couldn’t be happier with the way my life has been.” 49

Looking like an old-school bluegrass band, The Cleverlys take the stage and jump into a straight-ahead bluegrass song. Purists may think they know the song but can’t quite place it. They listen as the band deadpans as they play fiddle riffs and steel guitar licks. Lead singer Paul Harris, aka Digger Cleverly, steps up to the microphone and begins singing. Shawty had them apple bottom jeans (jeans) Boots with the fur (with the fur) The whole club was looking at her She hit the floor (she hit the floor) Next thing you know Shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low Wait a minute. That’s not a bluegrass song. That’s rapper Flo Rida’s song, “Low,” and Digger is nailing the lyrics to a bluegrass beat. Ladies and gentlemen, meet The Cleverlys, a campy, goofy, yet musically brilliant act straight out of Arkansas. Is it a prank? Well, not to the legions of fans who pack The Cleverlys’ shows. It seems the band appeals to both bluegrass purists and those who like the music of pop artists like Katy Perry, Beyonce’ and Justin Beiber. “We like our bluegrass to make us laugh,” says Paul. The New York Times says, “If Dolly Parton, 50

The Cleverlys

Kara Martinez Bachman

by Susan Marquez

Earl Scruggs and Spinal Tap had a litter of puppies, it would be The Cleverlys.” The band plays well to college crowds but also appeals to an older, conservative crowd at Branson. And lately, they’ve been playing gigs at The Grand Ole Opry. At Duling Hall in Jackson, Mississippi, The Cleverlys were musically tight and extremely entertaining. While Harris claims he is the weakest link in the bunch, he had complete command of the stage as the frontman. Part comedian, part vocalist and guitar player, he and his humor had the audience eating out of his hand with raucous laughter. The band’s fictional backstory is that Digger’s father and four uncles founded them in the 1950s as The Cleverly Trio. With five musicians on stage in Jackson, Harris still introduced the band as The Cleverly Trio and continued to do so throughout the night, never breaking character. The story continued as he introduced each band member as his nephew. Digger told the crowd that when they are not performing, The Cleverlys run an alpaca farm in their hometown of Cane Spur, Arkansas, where they produce everything from alpaca sausages and dairy products to woolly lingerie. “But that hasn’t caught on quite yet.” Just as Harris has his “Digger” alter ego, each band member is introduced by their Cleverly name. But don’t let the silliness fool you. These are seasoned, accomplished, and talented musicians. The band features Will MacLean’s “VD” on banjo, Mike Skates’s “Ricky Lloyd” on bass, Caleb Edwards’s “Haggis” on mandolin, and Scott 51

Murry’s “Waspur” on steel guitar. “They really are exceptional musicians,” says Harris, who talked about stereotypes that Southern people often encounter. “As soon as we start talking, people start deducting points. We had a TV deal one time, and one of the producers wanted to Beverly Hillbilly it up. Ours is not a dumbeddown act.” Harris says comedy comes naturally to him. “I grew up loving Monty Python and Christopher Guest movies.” That set the stage for what has become a comedy bluegrass phenomenon. “Most of the songs we do start with an idea. People give us ideas all the time. At any given time, we have about 70 to 100 songs we are working on, and we are constantly adding to the list.” The band makes all the arrangements for each song. “We are lucky that we enjoy each other’s company. Honestly, we start laughing from the time we pull out of the driveway.” The Cleverlys have recorded several albums, the most recent of which is Solid Butter, released in July of this year. “We recorded in Nashville,” says Harris. “We asked around about who would be the best person to produce our album, and Scott Vestal’s name kept coming up. So we got Scott to produce the album, and he did a really good job.” The album opens with Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time.” You’ll want to dance along to “Love Shack” and “Gangnam Style.” And The Cleverly’s take on “Creep” by Radiohead is particularly good. “It was an idea I had while eating breakfast,” says Harris. “Caleb sent me the recording on the phone from a hotel. I thought about doing it in three-quarter time, and it’s a really unique spin on it, but it sounds so natural.” Do yourself a favor and pull up The Cleverlys on YouTube. You’ll be glad you did.

Keith Billik by Brent Davis

By day, he’s Keith Billik, Esq., an attorney quietly practicing his profession in suburban Detroit. Off the clock, he’s Keith Billik, the creator, host, and producer of The Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast, which, in its five-year history, has featured extended interviews with more than 120 of the great banjoists of our time and attracted a loyal and supportive band of listeners. Billik is an accomplished banjo player and has worked as a road musician, a sound tech, a salesperson at Lansing’s famed Elderly Instruments, and played in a Pink Floyd cover band. But he says nothing in his background made hosting Picky Fingers inevitable. “I had listened to sports, news, and comedy podcasts. I was frustrated--but also really surprised--that there wasn’t a banjo podcast. So, it was a ‘necessity being the mother of invention’ type of situation. No one else was doing it, and I wanted it to exist. And so, why not me?” But Billik is doing more than producing banjo podcasts---he’s creating a virtual community where people passionate about the instrument listen to the interviews and then exchange ideas in monthly online meetings that he facilitates. “It’s well known that banjo’s cool, and there’s thousands of great players, and we’re all having a great time,” banjo maker Tom Nechville said in an early Picky Fingers episode. “And we’re jamming together and sharing instruments and sharing music and ideas, and it’s a great lifestyle.” Billik’s unique work situation enabled him to dive into the podcast world. “It’s a work-from-home desk job. And accordingly, much, much lower pay than what most people would think attorneys make. But what it lacks in excitement and compensation, it makes up for in flexibility for me to play gigs (with Michigan band Wilson Thicket) and do my podcasting.” The professional sound of each episode reflects Billik’s experience as a sound technician--even the occasional intros he records in his backyard when he can’t resist taking advantage of a perfect Michigan summer day. The technical side of podcasting came pretty quickly. Becoming an interviewer was new, however. “That’s the only part that I really didn’t have any experience with,” he says. “I felt like I had a decent feel for the history of the music and some of the important bands and repertoire and players. I know what it’s like to be in bands and to deal with musicians. 54

So, I had a good feel for all of this stuff, but it was just the actual interviewing where I started from scratch.” Billik prefers live interviews to Zoom calls, though he’s done a few of the latter. He takes advantage of bands playing dates in Michigan to get access to banjo players. Music camps and workshops--where he also sometimes runs sound or teaches--are another excellent source for interviews. He’s recorded interviews at the International Bluegrass Music Association Conference, DelFest, and on a road trip to the midAtlantic to get interviews with banjo stars including Victor Furtado, an innovative young clawhammer player; Ben Eldridge, who played with the groundbreaking Seldom Scene; and Murphy Henry, a pioneering woman banjo player who also wrote Pretty Good for a Girl, a compelling history of female bluegrass artists. “Sometimes I’m really shocked at how accommodating people tend to be,” says Billik. “With a lot of these interviews, it’s literally me showing up at the venue and trying to catch somebody in between their sound check and the performance. And I know that that’s a disruptive thing for them and their schedule.” The Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast gets support from sponsors whose ads run in the show and Patreon members who make monthly online contributions. “I’m completely blown away by that,” Billik confesses. “I mean, it’s the only model I know, so I don’t have much to compare it to. In some ways, it feels a bit tenuous. A bunch of my income would just disappear overnight if a bunch of people decided to cancel. But I’ve been fortunate. Some of the patrons have been with me from the beginning.” Hour-long episodes premiere every other Monday on several platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, YouTube, and LibSyn. Listeners have been introduced to a wide variety of players who reflect the many different styles practiced today: from Riley Baugus, who preserves the traditional Round Peak style of clawhammer playing that’s native to his North Carolina home, to Pat Cloud, one of the leading jazz banjo players. Alison Brown, Kristin Scott Benson, and Gina Furtado- all accomplished players- have reflected on their careers in a very male-centric genre. Jens Kruger spoke of growing up in Switzerland, mesmerized by the sound of the banjo and his journey to the U.S. to master the instrument. On the podcast, Billik often expresses admiration for Masters of the Five String Banjo, a book by Peter Wernick and Tony Trischka published 35 years ago that was an encyclopedic survey of the best banjo players of that time. Janet Beazley, a California banjo player, sees The Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast performing a similar service. “You’re documenting very important information from amazing people that may not be on this planet much longer,” she told Billik when he interviewed her for the podcast. “That’s huge. And they may be saying something in a way they’ve never said it to anyone before, ever. That’s exciting.”

Breakin’ Strings by Kara Martinez Bachman

Most people don’t associate the state of Maine with bluegrass music. For Cliff Gelina of Breakin’ Strings, however, New England seems the perfect home for the pluckin’ and strummin’ his band is known for in that region. The roots of Maine’s bluegrass scene run deeply through generations of his family. “Maine bluegrass is strong in my eyes,” Gelina explained, “but that’s because I grew up in the Maine bluegrass community ever since I was born. I am a three-generation bluegrass musician from both sides of my family. My mother, Lois Gelina, was in a band with Dan Tyminski when they were kids,” he said. “Dan and his brother, Stan Tyminski. David Bevins also played dobro.” He said Maine is also the home of Al Hawkes, who he called a “bluegrass legend” of New England. He said the performer was “like family to most of us.” Gelina – a guitarist, mandolin player, lead vocalist and songwriter – said his career started with a family band: The Gelina Family. That’s no surprise since he attended his first big music event when he was only a babe. It was the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival. “I was ten months old,” he said. “Thirty-two years later, in 2022, I was playing on that main stage for the first time with Breakin’ Strings. Throughout my whole life, I had watched my music heroes on that stage. It all came full circle when we were one of the main acts.” He said Maine has a lot of great bluegrass history and connections. “It has all become one big giant New England bluegrass family…a family I have been so proud to be a part of for all these years. I don’t know if I know a better community of people,” Gelina said. “Also, The Bluegrass Music Association of Maine is an incredible association; they are set up at most every bluegrass festival or bluegrass event.” But…Maine? How could that compare to the scene in Virginia, Tennessee, or other places more closely connected to the Appalachian culture that initially gave rise to these sounds? “It’s all perspective,” Gelina said. “Someone from down south may come up to Maine and not think our bluegrass is as blue as their grass. But we play our hearts out either way.” He said Breakin’ Strings wants to represent Maine bluegrass in the best way they can. “Last year, we did it in a big way,” he explained. “We went to IBMA last year for the first time ever as an IBMA showcase band, part of the IBMA Ramble. It was incredible. Such an awesome experience.”

The band is putting the finishing touches on its second album, Homegrown, which features all new songs. It will follow the band’s 2022 release, Hangovers & Heartaches, recorded at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios in Studio A. “This time,” Gelina said, “it’s all recorded here in Maine, at Dawg-House Studio. We are thrilled to bring this new album to life. We have so many great new songs we are looking forward to sharing with the world.” In addition to the change of studio to something closer to home, Gelina said the makeup of the band is different for this record. Cody Howe is the new lead guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, and the newest member, Steve Peterson, performs on banjo. “We also have Shawna Bell playing bass now,” he said. She takes on the deep underbelly of the music and offers up vocals. Shawna was one of the original founding members of Breakin’ Strings when we started the band all those years ago. “The new music that will be on this album has been played at all the shows this year, and we have received so much love for the tunes. It has been a great year,” Gelina said. Bluegrass fans in New England can take in a show happening at one of the band’s “favorite spots,” One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine, where they’ll be appearing on December 2. “It is such an awesome location for music,” Gelina said. “A true music lover’s venue.” While most of their appearances happen up north, he said they “would love to play down south more. This band has an itch to travel. We want to break some strings in a field near you!” Gelina has many positive comments to share; he expresses gratitude for all the good things that have come to the band. He said they are thankful for “our fans, our family, and our friends. They have been so supportive,” he added. “It has been an amazing journey, and we couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support, love and friendship.” He said this included “the people no longer here in this world who supported us 20 years ago” and the “new friends and fans we make at every show. We are also very thankful to the musicians who have paved the way through the years and have inspired us to do what we do. Inspiration feeds inspiration.” Lastly and most importantly, he said in closing, “We are thankful to God, the creator, for giving us a world full of music, for giving us the ability to sing, play and write music. Who gives us the strength to go out and play our music and keeps us safe on the road. We are truly blessed.”

The Brother by Susan

Don’t try to put The Brothers Comatose in a box. It simply can’t be done. The five-piece San F solidly based on the bluegrass tradition. Their musicianship is fierce, and their shows are high

Brothers Ben and Alex Morrison grew up in a musical family. “Our mom was in a folk quarte Nash & Young, and just being around it and listening to them certainly got the music into our wondered how they knew all those songs. I wanted to do that. It was magic to me.”

Ben and Alex’s mom also worked at an indie music label, and she wanted her sons to have the we were young,” Alex says. “Someone left a banjo at a jam session one Sunday and never came

Today, The Brothers Comatose comprises Ben Morrison on guitar and vocals, Alex Morrison

rs Comatose Marquez

Francisco band is certainly not a traditional bluegrass band by any means, yet their music is h-energy. And their fans love every bit of it.

et with two men and two women,” recalls Ben. “They sang harmony like Crosby, Stills, r bones,” Alex recalls the music parties at their home. “There were always Sunday jams. I

e opportunity to one day be in the music world if they desired. “We took guitar lessons when e back to claim it. That’s when I started playing banjo.”

n on banjo and vocals, Steve Height on bass, and Greg Fleischut on vocals and mandolin. “We

decided we needed a fiddle player, so we put fliers up at the Conservatory of Music in San Francisco,” says Ben. “Philip Brezina, a redneck from Pennsylvania who studied classical music, answered the call. We feel like we have a great lineup.” Once the musicians were established, the band needed a name. “The name is kind of a mystery,” says Ben. “Maybe it popped into my head in a dream. I’m pretty sure it was inspired by the way Alex’s eyes roll back in his head when he plays, kind of like he is in a musical coma.” I first discovered The Brothers Comatose when my husband showed me a YouTube video on his phone. They were singing Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon, “ which was hauntingly beautiful. But the brothers and their band aren’t limited in their repertoire. They play pure traditional bluegrass, including “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It” by Hank Williams and Peter Rowan’s “Midnight Moonlight.” But there’s also the unexpected, such as Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women,” and “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin. Their album, Kickin’ Up the Dust: Live at Moe’s Alley, was released on September 7. A fall tour followed, beginning in Nashville and taking them through 19 cities, ending up in Seattle, Washington, on November 16. Touring (and performing) with them are The Rainbow Girls, Goodnight Texas, AJ Lee and Blue Summit, Pixie and the Partygrass Boys, and Taylor Rae. As they gain a following, more festivals are booked for the band, including Merle Fest, Floyd Fest and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. But their best performances are those where the audience radiates massive energy. “We were honored to play Merle Fest, but it’s a different vibe,” says Ben. “The people there like to sit down and really listen to the music. But for us, it’s easier to tell if people are having fun if they are up dancing.” The band has been known to do interactive activities with their audience, such as passing out chopsticks to use as drumsticks and sending an inflatable alligator out into the crowd. “When we see people visibly getting into it, that feeds our energy. It just keeps it interesting for us.” When asked what drives them, Ben said, “I have no other options in life. I have developed no other skills. It’s a good thing that I love music because it helps me bring joy to people, which I love.” Ben is married to Erica Tietjen, who is in a band with her twin sisters called T Sisters. “I’m thankful for so many things,” says Ben, “but I’m most thankful to my wife and our two children. We both love music, and we are both exhausted all the time, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.” Alex agrees and says that musically, he is thankful to do what they do. “We have been touring for almost 15 years, and it’s going better than ever.”By

Food Nourishes The Heart & Soul: Appalachian Organizations Feeding our communities by Candace Nelson

Food often comes from the heart. Sure, it fills bellies and nourishes bodies. But it also creates comfort and peace beyond physical needs and soothes the soul. It’s one thing that bonds us across cultures and connects us. It is a constant across all stages of our lives and all times of year - but especially during this time of year when we reflect on blessings and opportunities. ‘Tis the season for giving, and these organizations across Appalachia are giving back where it matters most right in the tummy. Whether supporting those who are growing our food for generations to come or getting food into the hands of those who need it most, these groups are ensuring the common thread amongst us all - food - is supporting those across the mountains. Check out these food nonprofits and the good work they’re doing during the season of gratitude:

OHIO Rural Action Focusing on the Appalachian area of Ohio, Rural Action was founded in 1991 to address social, economic, and environmental injustice. “Rural Action’s mission is to build a more just economy by developing the region’s assets in environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways. We do this work by focusing on sectors identified as important by our members: food and agriculture, forestry, zero waste and recycling, environmental education, watershed restoration, and energy,” according to its website.

VIRGINIA Busfarm “Farm to Family started as a mobile farmer’s market in a converted school bus in June 2009, delivering local and organic Virginia-grown produce and products, and has grown to a year-round indoor market, USA Farm Shares and now the urban BusFarm,” according to the website. The bus is a mini, mobile farmers market all on wheels that can visit individuals near and far. The retrofitted school bus not only distributed locally grown produce, meat and dairy products, but it also helps educate the community about food security.

PENNSYLVANIA Grow Pittsburgh Grow Pittsburgh teaches people how to grow food, grows food through urban farm sites, and supports gardens at area grade schools. This work is carried out through the school garden curriculum, teacher training, workforce development for youth, adult workshops, and more throughout Allegheny County.

WEST VIRGINIA The Wild Ramp The Wild Ramp is an indoor, year-round, nonprofit farmers market that began as an effort to combat the rising climb of obesity in the region by increasing fresh, local food access to all. “In 2012, our vision was evident: to grow and operate a sustainable farmers market for locally grown and produced food and artisan items. As we have grown, we have expanded our retail market, added new programs such as The Harvest Kitchen and SNAP Stretch and implemented new services such as our Online Food Hub. It is most important to us that we provide the opportunity, support and space for local producers and the community to come together for a common goal of growing and supporting our local food economy,” the website reads.

KENTUCKY Glean Kentucky According to its website, Glean Kentucky was founded in 2010 by three individuals seeking to attack two problems: food waste and hunger. By gathering - or gleaning - excess produce from places like stores, farms, markets and even gardens, the organization works to redistribute food to those in need. Not only does the program reduce local food waste, but it also supports more than 100 feeding programs. “Since our inception, we have served as a vital link between local food sources and dozens of feeding programs. We glean nearly a thousand times a year, and yet we’ve just scratched the surface of diverting wasted food,” the website reads.

NORTH CAROLINA Table Table, a 501(c)3 in Orange County, North Carolina, takes a unique approach to making sure kids are fed and educated about nutritious food. The program is a “one-of-a-kind food distribution model delivering food directly to children at their home every week, ensuring transportation is never a barrier to accessing food,” according to the website. Furthermore: “We serve children of 7 different ethnicities and accommodate their dietary needs by adjusting their bags of food for allergies, vegetarian/vegan requests, and ethnic & religious special diets. Our bags of food contain 50% fresh produce, with a majority of it coming from local farms when available, and 50% healthy nonperishables based on dietary guidelines.”

These selected organizations are just several in Appalachia working tirelessly year-round to support food in the region. That may look like assuring food gets to those who need it most or preserving food traditions for the future. During the season of giving, these organizations could benefit from the generosity of communities.

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AT AT

3:30

PM PM

2023 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2023 Food and beer on site!

Outside food and beverages will not be permitted.

R E N I L HEAD n achia l a p p w A Sho Road

• Shelton and Williams • The New North Carolina Ramblers • Jus’ Cauz Shallow • High Fidelity CreeK Also plAYING

Performing a Local reunion set

purchase tickets online at www.theodac.com For more information, please email odac.contactus@gmail.com 19783 US HWY 29 • Chatham, Va 24531 • (434) 432-8026