Americana Rhythm Music Magazine #68

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“Let life be like music.” ~ Langston Hughes ~ Whoo hoo - Spring! I hear pickin’ in the wind. As we sat down to put all of the parts together for this latest edition, I got more and more excited about this season of music. Just from the line-ups we’re privilidged to share with you here from our wonderful list of advertisers, I don’t know how we’re going to make time for them all. What an amazing time to be an Americana music fan!

For the regular fan, you know what I’m talking about. For the casual listener, there’s never been a better time to immerse yourself in some of the finest live, string-based music the world has to offer. If you’ve never attended a festival, you really don’t know what you’re missing. It’s an experience like no other. If you like music at all, you’ll be hooked.

From the Circa-Blue Fest, to Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass, Red Wing Roots, The Dinwiddie Music Festival, The Great American Guitar Show, Nothin’ Fancy Festival, River & Roots, and Watermelon Park Festival, Merlefest, Willow Oak Music Festival, World Of Bluegrass, Americana Music Fest, Folk Alliance, The American Music Festival, and the Chantilly Bluegrass and BBQ - I think it’s better than Disney! Hope to see you there!

Questions, comments, suggestions: greg@americanarhythm.com PUBLISHER Americana Rhythm is published six times a year. All corresponCONTRIBUTORS dence should be sent to PO Box 45, Bridgewater VA, 22812 or Ed Tutwiler email to greg@americanarhythm.com. Copies of Americana Wayne Erbsen Rhythm are made available free at various pick up locations within Donna Ulisse the publication’s region. Subscriptions are available inside the United Shelby Gold States (only) for $18 US currency made payable by check or money Andrew McKnight order sent to, Subscriptions at PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812.

Mark Whetzel Foreig n su bscrip tion req u ests shou l d b e sen t to Scott Perry greg@americanarhythm.com. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

DISTRIBUTION Reproduction of any content, artwork or photographs is strictly Ed Tutwiler prohibited without permission of the publisher or original owner. All Zebra Media advertising material subject to approval.

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Greg E. Tutwiler Associate Editor Ed Tutwiler MARKETING & PROMOTION Mark Barreres (GrassRootsNetworking.com) ADVERTISING Letters, Comments, Suggestions Business office 540-433-0360 greg@americanarhythm.com advertising@americanarhythm.com www.americanarhythm.com

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Legacy Of The Festival This is the first of two stories dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the festival that was the inspiration behind what we do here at Americana Rhythm Music Magazine. (see page 24) ~ editor Some 10 or 12 years ago, I accompanied my son to a music festival in North Carolina to help him staff a trade booth for a magazine for which he worked at the time. We joined 70,000 music fans for four days of string-music greatness of a type that is now known to many as Americana. That experience led to the creation of the Americana Rhythm Music magazine. That festival is called MerleFest and it is held every April on the campus of Wilks Community Collage in Wilkesboro, NC. We have trekked back down the blue highway many times since then to attend MerleFest and enjoyed every visit; so we decided to introduce you to this festival and the man to which it honors.

Every fourth weekend in April, Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, NC transforms from the park-like campus of a local community collage to a setting for one of the largest music festivals in the country. Over four days, nearly a hundred artists perform on over a dozen stages and offers attendees more than 45 hours of continuous music. The performers span the range from nationally known touring acts, up and coming newcomers, and seasoned troubours known only to serious purists. In addition to the music, there are crafts, vendors, workshops, jam sessions, dancing, and of course food.

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By Edward Tutwiler

to another, and Doc Watson became involved. He loved the idea of the garden since he was blind and only requested that the event be named in memory of his son, Merle. For the first few years it was called the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Festival.� Ultimately, the festival became known as Merlefest, and what follows is a bit of insight and background about the founder and the namesake of the festival.

The legendary folk singer, Doc Watson gathered a few of his close friends in 1988 to create MerleFest as a fundraiser for the Wilks Community Collage to support the campus gardens and in memory of his son and music partner, the late Eddy Merle Watson. Doc wanted MerleFest to be a celebration of what he called traditional plus music (a unique mix of music based on the traditional, rootsoriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and oldtime music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles.)

Humble Beginnings

That first festival saw some of the top names in roots music showcase their talents on a flatbed truck to some 4000 fans. This event has evolved 30 years hence into a four day gathering that some years attract close to 100,000 fans from around the world. To the present day, the festival continues to raise awareness and funds for the college, and is a major source of revenue for the collage each year.

Some sources place the amount of funds raised to date to be close to $10 million.

Why is this festival held at Wilkes Community Collage (WCC), and where did the name come from?

To understand this festival phenomenon, one must first understand who Doc Watson and Merle Watson were.

Here is how Ms. Amber Herman, Public Information & Relations Officer, tells it, “The reason MerleFest began is the WCC Gardens. Mr. B Townes was creating a Garden for the Senses for visually and hearing impaired individuals to enjoy. One thing led

Arthel Lane (Doc) Watson was a folk singer and guitarist whose flatpicking style elevated the acoustic guitar to front-of-the-stage status where it resides today in both bluegrass and country music, Watson’s interpretations of continued

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traditional American music profoundly influenced generations of folk and rock guitarists.

Mr. Watson was born in rural, N.C and was blinded in his infancy by an eye infection. Nevertheless, he never allowed this disability to stand in the way of achievement.

His musical training, typical for the region, began in early childhood.

At the age of 5 or 6 he received his first harmonica as a Christmas gift, and at age 11, his father made him a fretless banjo and later purchased a guitar for him. His family encouraged him to excel in music, and by his youth, he was playing and singing locally with various bands.

In 1960, a folklorist met an old-time folk musician whom he persuaded to sit for a recording session. The musician gathered a band that included Mr. Watson on banjo and guitar. This exposure later led to a concert in Greenwich Village sponsored by the Friends of Old Time Music. That exposure as well as that he received at other folk music appearances had, by 1963, placed Watson upon a solo career path with appearances at colleges and major folk festivals.

Eddy Merle Watson (named after Merle Travis, the country music star) was born in 1949 and was the only son of Doc Watson. Merle started recording and touring with his legendary father at the age of 15, and for the next two decades this duet made 20 albums, won four Grammy Awards, and

recognized as one of the best flatpicking and slide guitarists of his generation. He and his father continued to win critical acclaim until Merle’s death in 1985 at the age of 36—the result of a tragic accident involving a farm tractor roll-over.

Inspired To Continue

Doc Watson returned to the road a week after Merle’s funeral claiming Merle had appeared to him in a dream and urged him to carry on.

He continued to tour and garner awards well into the 21st. Century.

His death in 2012 was mourned by generations of fans and peers.

At the suggestion of Doc’s wife Rosalee and his daughter Nancy, in 1988 Doc Watson and some friends planned the afore mentioned two-day music festival in Eddy Merle Watson’s honor. Doc Watson remained a major part of the festival until his death in 2012.

performed throughout the world together.

Merle learned to play the banjo from his maternal grandfather, and although Merle had been listening to his father play the guitar all his life, he also loved the blues; and one of his first influences was Mississippi John Hurt. In 1973, Merle added slide guitar to his style. Merle Watson was widely

Merle To The Rescue

Mr. Watson found touring hard to bear both because he was a naive country boy and had the added obstacle of being sightless. In 1964, his 15 year old son, Eddy Merle Watson, joined him as a rhythm guitarist and driver thus easing most of the burdens of the road from his father’s shoulders.

As the folk movement cooled in the late 1960s, Doc Watson was invited to be a part of the Will the Circle Be Unbroken album that paired the Nitty Gritty D irt Band with country music stars. The record’s success brought Watson a new audience, and he and Merle toured constantly until Merle’s death in 1985.

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MerleFest continues on today under professional management and remains true to the roots put down those many years ago. The proceeds that the festival generates remain a major source of funding for the collage. It is a rite of spring for Americana string music fans from around the world (and a couple of budding journalists who got an inspiration there many years ago for a music magazine).

If you can only attend one music festival this year, this would be the one you should seriously consider attending. The 2017 edition of MerleFest is the 30th . year celebration and will be held April 27-30, 2017 on the campus of Wilks Community Collage in Wilksboro, NC. For complete information, check the WEB site: merlefest.org

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The Voice With A Heart

By Edward Tutwiler

In the May/June 2007 issue of Americana Rhythm, we profiled Mac Wiseman an artist whose musical life transcends time. Born locally in Crimora, VA, but known internationally, Mr. Wiseman, now 91 years old, is still recording and maintains a large following of fans.

After our 2007 story, it had been a while since I heard anything new about Mac Wiseman, then the publisher called me suggesting that I do a piece about a Mac Wiseman tribute album that Mountain Fever Records recently released. In gathering background material, I discovered that just since 2014, Mac Wiseman has: recorded and released an indie album of his

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(CMA) hall of fame. Not bad for a guy nine years short of 100.

Music Revival

mother’s favorite songs; did an unreleased project with Merle Haggard; and, in 2014, was elected to the Country Music Association

During 2016, music producers and song writers Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz spent some time with Mac Wiseman. As they chatted with Mr. Wiseman and listened to him tell stories about his life, their song-writing senses tingled; and they started to see word patterns and phrases take shape and become words on paper.

Before long, Wiseman’s life stories formed into stories in song. Cooper, Jutz, and Wiseman worked the words into rhymes; the rhymes into melodies; and the melodies into the songs that told the story. The decision was soon made to put

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these songs into an album that would serve as a tribute to Wiseman (the man who was dubbed long ago by a Nashville radio person Keith Bilbrey as: The Voice with a Heart. Cooper and Jutz, and Wiseman gathered a group of Wiseman’s friends and admirers together as performers, and released these songs on the album titled, I Sang the Song (Life of the Voice with a Heart) through the services of Mountain Fever Records.

Mountain Fever Records sums up their effort in these words, “Producers Cooper and Jutz assembled an all-star band of musicians including mandolin player Sierra Hull, multi-instrumentalist Justin Moses, and bassist Mark Fain. Further featured performers were carefully chosen based not only on artistic mastery, but also reverence for the album’s subject, Mac Wiseman.

The result is a collection of perfect performances with special vocal appearances by Mac Wiseman.”

Who Is Mac Wiseman

It is difficult to summarize the life of Malcolm (Mac) B. Wiseman in a few sentences. Born in 1925 among meager surroundings in

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rural Crimora, VA, Mac Wiseman suffered the crippling effects of polio when he was just six months old. This illness made walking difficult. While he got corrective surgery when he turned 13, the recovery required a cast that ran from his foot to his hip. Mac used the down time during his recovery to learn how to play a cheap guitar.

His mother had learned how to read music at a local church semi-

nar, and Mac’s illness inspired her to steer him toward music. She listened to the radio and jotted song lyrics in composition books for his reference. Once fully recovered, life got easier for Wiseman. He formed a band with some boys from high school and played for meals. They even entered a local talent contest at the Harrisonburg, VA radio station where he would eventually land his first job. After high school, Wiseman attended Shenandoah Conservatory of Music, in Dayton, VA; learned the art of radio production; and joined WSVA in Harrisonburg, VA as a doer of all things radio and as a live music entertainer.

Through Mac’s exposure at WSVA, someone recommended him to country singer Molly O’Day, and she induced him to join her band.

Wiseman recorded 16 sides with her at Columbia Records. Wiseman later joined Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and became one of the charter members of the Foggy Mountain Boys, and appeared on their first recording session. Mac left the Foggy Mountain Boys to go to WSB radio in Atlanta, GA, and during this same era, moved to Bristol, TN to play on the Farm and Fun Time program. This exposure caught Bill Monroe’s ear resulting in Mac receiving an invitation to join Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys. He recorded with Monroe’s band on some of their early classic record-

ings and played with Monroe on the Grand Ole Opry radio show.

Thus Wiseman became an important part of bluegrass music’s historic first generation.

Over 800 Songs

Looking for a solo recording career, Wiseman joined Dot Records as a recording artist and later became a country and western music producer and distributer for the company. It is widely reported that Mac was the man who made Dot Records famous and helped develop the bluegrass genre. Mac also co-founded the Country Music Association (CMA) serving as secretary/treasurer on the original board of directors (he is the only one of the founding members that is still living).

In the course of his musical life, Mac Wiseman has recorded over 800 songs; released more than 70 albums; and became one of the most popular international country artists of all-time. In recent years, record companies in Japan and Germany have re-released much of his material to additional appreciative audiences. He recently said that he has several hundred songs saved back that he wants to record on a small record label of his own just to preserve the songs from being lost.

Mac was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Hall of Fame back in 1993 but was only inducted into the Country Music Association (CMA) Hall of Fame in the fall of 2014. At the time of his induction into the CMA hall of fame, Wiseman told an interviewer that he had given up on the idea of ever being inducted as he thought the selection committee members were going to focus on putting more of the younger artists into the hall. He had made the top five a number of times, but had never made the final cut before. continued on page 11

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The Girl I Left Behind I’ve always been a rambler, my fortune’s been quite hard.

Always loved the women, drink whiskey and played cards.

My parents treated me kindly, they had no boy but me, My mind was bent on rambling, at home I couldn’t agree.

By Wayne Erbsen

There was a wealthy farmer who lived in the country by.

Had one handsome daughter on who I cast an eye.

She was so tall and handsome, so pretty and so fair, There ain’t one girl in the wide world with her I could compare.

I’ve Always Been A Rambler I’m not sure we should feel sorry for the ne’er-do-well in this song.

He had the perfect opportunity to court the daughter of a wealthy man and she promised to be true to him. His big mistake was that he went out on a distant ramble to drink and gamble. Why was he so surprised when he received a letter saying that his girl married another man? My feeling is that he was a loser to begin with and that he got just what he deserved. The roots of this song certainly run deep. Frequently known as “The Girl I Left Behind,” versions of the song were first collected by English folk song collector Cecil Sharp in North Carolina on July 31, 1916. In Sharp’s version the rambler left Ireland and traveled to Scotland. The song was first recorded by G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter on February 29, 1928.

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So I asked if it made any difference if I crossed o’er the plain.

She says it’ll make no difference so you return again.

She said that she’d prove true to me until I proved unkind.

We kissed, shook hands and parted with the one I left behind.

I left old North Carolina, to Marion I did go, Then on to Johnson City, to see this wide world o’er.

Where work and money was plentiful and the girls treated me kind, But the only object of my heart was the one I left behind.

I rambled out one evening down on the public square.

The mail had just arriven when the post-boy met me there.

He handed me a letter which give me to understand The girl I’d left in ole Caroline had married another man.

I read a few lines further ‘til I found that it was true.

My heart was filled with trouble, I didn’t know what to do.

My heart was filled with trouble, while trouble’s on my mind, Going to drink and gamble for the girl I left behind.

Note: I’ve written out “I’ve Always Been a Rambler” in standard musical notation as well as my own tab. To read the tab, you’ll need to know where to find the notes on your instrument. This song will be in my upcoming book entitled Easy 2-Chord Songs For Mandolin, which should be available by Summer, 2017. For information about this, or Wayne’s other instruction books for banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, ukulele or dulcimer visit www.nativeground.com.

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Mac Wiseman, Continued From Page 9 Tribute In The Making

Mr. Wiseman told me about the project “Thomm, Peter and I had a project a few years ago where we recorded an album of my mother’s favorite songs that she had written in composition books when I was a kid.

At that time, we started discussing the possibility of telling the story of my life. So Thomm and Peter came over to my house (Thomm injected that this was over the course of nine Sunday afternoons) and I sat here in my chair and told them of episodes of my life. We then rhymed the stories up and put melodies to them. The rest of the story is that Mountain Fever now has it out.”

I wondered if this was a hard project to put together and Tomm said, “It was the easiest record that Peter and I ever made. Those stories were so compelling that they opened up a universe of rhymes and stories, and because they were true, they were easier to write. So, it was really easy. Once we had the songs, we decided that it would be nice to have other bluegrass artists sing them. We reached out and every one of them was more than happy to be a part of the project. It all fell into place very easily and we are happy with the result.”

The last track on the album features Mac Wiseman and Alison Krauss doing a duet of the song ‘Tis Sweet To Be Remembered. This is the first song that Mac recorded for

Dot Records in 1951. Mac had this to say, “Well, my voice has held up well. It might never have been great but it is different. I was happy when I did this duet with Alison because I did it in the same key as I did it on the original recording in 1951. That was very gratifying.”

He went on a bit about that particular song, “During my live performances, I had been using this song as a theme song for five or six years before I recorded it. At the time, I was just sweating blood that someone would record it ahead of me. Once I recorded it, several other guys did also but I still stole the thunder on it.”

The first single released off the album was track #7 titled, Going Back to Bristol. It features the IBMA 2015 Male Vocalist of the Year, Shawn Camp, and was released November, 2016. It reached #1 on Bluegrass Today’s top 20 Songs in December.

Thomm Jutz told me that since then, several more tracks have charted as well.

As we mentioned above, the last track on the album features Mac Wiseman and Alison Krauss doing a duet of the song ‘Tis Sweet To Be Remembered. Since this is the first song that Mac recorded. It is fitting that it is the final song on an album of songs that serve as a tribute story of his life.

The Mac Wiseman tribute album is available via iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. For more information about the album please visit www.mountainfever.com.

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Thanks to our partnership with ReverbNation (www.reverbnation.com) we are honored to give you a peak at a few of the nation’s hardest working indie artists. Each month we select one entry to showcase for you here. Enjoy!

THIS MONTH’S FEATURE:

By Greg Tutwiler

Pi Jacobs

When asked about her songwriting Pi shared a unique way of initiating the process. “I send myself a lot of texts and voice memos,” she said.

“Like, ‘Yo Pi, write about that time when you moved to NYC and got a weird autoimmune disease’ … that sort of thing. One of my secret weapons is to give every song the emotional truth test. Even if it’s a story about someone else, I want it to have a kernel of emotion that comes from my own experience. It’s a sort of gut check for the song.”

FEATURE ARTISTS After a chance meeting between

LA singer-songwriter Pi Jacobs and Mountain Fever Records president Mark Hodges in 2016, Pi became the latest artist to release her new CD on Hodges Americana label, Trivanna Records. Her new CD A Little Blue, the seventh from Pi, released in March. Recorded in Floyd, Virginia, Pi teamed up with producer and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Ramsey. The marriage of Ramsey’s deep bluegrass roots and Pi’s “Americana blusy rock thing,” is nothing short of powerful.

Pi Jacobs was born in the HaightAshbury district of San Francisco, where she lived all around the city, “including a couple of hippie communes,” she said, until about Jr. High when she moved up to Sonoma County (wine country).

A Rocky Start

Pi recounts attending a Hippie PreSchool as a toddler. “We had a choir, and I apparently was being given solo’s (I remember none of this),” she said. “Unfortunately when it came time for our first performance, I had complete stage fright and couldn’t sing a note; but I was 3, so everyone forgave me.”

But that was enough to get her started and she remembers always singing after that; “in school, around the house, parties, everywhere really. I didn’t do any formal studying or lessons though, until I

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at putting myself out there. Touring will really hone you as an artist (and as a person), but having a community will force you to get better at the areas in which you are weak,” she said.

A New Approach

was about 11. I started guitar lessons, and then at some point in high school I fell in love with the Bass and started playing that,” she said.

A pretty troubled kid in high school, Pi eventually dropped out and went to work at the age of 16.

“A friend kept badgering me to go to community college, and wouldn’t let up - so I did,” she recalled. “At first I was taking music classes for fun - I thought I was going to get a communications degree.” At some point she realized that she had almost all the courses needed to pursue a major in music, eventually transferring to a State college where she finished that degree.

Experimenting With Style

Pi studied Jazz Bass and Voice in college, but when she got out she played, “in every kind of band you could imagine. “I played Country, Iranian Pop, Vocal Jazz, in a 12 piece Funk Band, Rock bands, Hip Hop bands, Singer- Songwriter bands … anything that would pay me,” she said. While playing with all of these bands she realized that she missed singing lead, and playing the kinds of music she grew up with; Singer-Songwriter, CA country,

blues, soul, Southern Rock and Folk. “I had been writing songs for several years, but it wasn’t until after college that I worked up the courage to start putting them, and myself as a vocalist, out there,” she said.

First Real Record

Pi’s first real CD release came in 2001. “I had hooked up with a very talented producer who really kicked my butt (in a good way) by teaching me to write, write, write, and then edit, and that it’s okay to give an audience the emotional payoffs,” she said.

“That record led me to a management deal with a guy in New York City and a record deal in France. I had never left the Bay Area, and so I decided to move to NYC, which was an amazing growth spurt for me as an artist. It was the first place I felt like I had a singer-songwriter community. I met a lot of other artists that are friends to this day, did a ton of DIY touring, and just sort of got better

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Pi recalled the experience that led to her seventh and current CD, A Little Blue. “I had been developing a one-man-band solo show where I play a hand-built percussion box with my feet (Similar to Shakey Graves). In late 2015 I was on tour with the box in the tiny town of Floyd, VA. There was a very attentive table at my gig, and it turned out to be the president of Mountain Fever records, producer Aaron Ramsay, and their radio promoter, Melody. They sat me down after the gig, and said they wanted to sign me to their new Americana label, Travianna.

I was completely shocked, but after several meetings, I decided to go for it. I went out to the Blue Ridge Mountains to record with Aaron, knowing that it would be a completely new experience for this California girl. We decided to use the box (no drums), acoustic guitar, dobro, mandolin, and upright bass, so this is my first truly acoustic album, recorded with some of the world’s top Bluegrass musicians. I’m totally in love with the record, and the unique collaboration it became ”

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Music Variety On Stage

For many music fans, nothing can compare to

seeing your favorite artists live. Getting to see several of your favorite performers in a family friendly setting can provide an opportunity to enjoy new artists as well as reconnect with those from years gone by.

More than just the occasional concert, music shows can span the range from an established concert series to variety shows featuring several artists. Television and radio have played an enormous part in the development of these types of shows. Many have become woven into our entertainment lexicon and feature comedic elements in addition to musical entertainment.

Most remember the ever popular Hee Haw which still runs in syndication. From 1969 to the early 1980’s this variety show featured the top names in country music which viewers could enjoy weekly in the comfort of their living rooms. PBS’s Austin City Limits, started in 1974, originally featured local artists but has grown to include a wide variety of national as well as international performers. There are countless other examples. On radio, for example, A Prairie Home Companion still enjoys wide popularity with new host Chris Thile. Started in 1974 with host Garrison Keillor, the show continues to feature top tier talent on a weekly basis.

By Mark Whetzel tions, it found itself in Nashville and in 1927 it was officially renamed the Grand Ole Opry. Of interest to those in the mid-Atlantic region, the Wheeling Jamboree began airing on radio in 1933. It remains the second oldest country radio show and has featured some of music’s most legendary performers.

Airwaves To Stage

However a new medium was on the horizon.

In 1939 television debuted at the New York

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Worlds Fair and several companies began manufacturing the first TV sets. It would take over a decade for TV to become firmly established. As television became more popular, music variety shows also gained in popularity and eventually reached a wider audience. Consequently, the successful radio formats were quickly adapted to television. The Village Barn (1948-1951) originated in New York City and was the first country music program on network TV. Like radio, a variety of shows representing a wide range of musical styles followed. These included the Lawrence Welk Show (1951-1982) and the Porter Wagner Show (1960-1979) among others.

And of course, the Ed Sullivan Show was arguably the most influential musical variety show continued on page 16

Golden Days Of Radio

Music and variety shows first gained popularity during the 1920’s and flourished during the Golden Age of Radio in the 30’s and 40’s. Radio’s popularity grew quickly during this period and by 1924 there were over 1400 stations broadcasting. This was a huge increase from the five stations which were on the air in 1921. During this time radio was the only broadcast medium. It is estimated that there were over 3 million radio sets in the US by the early 1920’s, listeners tuned into a variety of shows covering a wide range of entertainment. Comedies, dramas and variety shows as well as sports broadcasts were widely popular during this time. The World Series was actually first broadcast in 1923. It’s also telling of radio’s mass appeal that it grew exponentially during the Great Depression. This was certainly a time when most households did without luxury items. However in 1935, 22 million homes had radios and there were over a million radios installed in automobiles that year. In 1936 alone there were 8 million radios sold and it’s estimated that three out of four households owned a set.

Not surprising, there were also radio shows that catered to nearly every type of music including jazz, classical and country. Many notable entertainers got their start during this time. Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Ed Sullivan and Bob Hope all made their radio debuts in the 30’s and 40’s.

Of particular interest to country and Americana fans, The National Barn Dance began in Chicago on WLS-AM in 1924. After several transi-

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Gibson Brothers; In The Ground

By Greg Tutwiler

For two guys who grew up on a

dairy farm in New York, just a few miles from the Canadian border, to be called “Bluegrass superstars” by the New York Time is a big deal.

Eric Gibson told me recently, “That was a nice feather in our cap to have a publication of that notoriety say something like that. We’ve just been stubborn – and we’ve stuck with it.” And it’s that tenacity that’s also earned them the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year; Song of the Year; Songwriter of the Year and Album of the Year, more than once in some cases.

Looking Back

Now in their mid forties, Eric and his brother Leigh are just 11 months apart in age. Eric recalled the day when music entered into their lives. “We came home from school one day and our dad was sitting at the kitchen table with two instruments, and he said one of you is going to learn to play the banjo and the other is going to learn to play the guitar,” he quipped. “Dad didn’t play, but we always had instruments around the house. I think he was a frustrated musician, but he couldn’t really play any of them. So when there was someone around to give us lessons he pretty much decided for us that we were going to give that a try. I don’t think he would have forced us to keep doing it if we didn’t like it, but we found some level of proficiency quite early, and we loved it. We had a very patient teacher, and we really immersed ourselves into the music.”

Within a few months Eric and Leigh started playing together in public. “We started taking lessons in the winter and by that summer we were able to play enough songs to go out and perform,” Eric said.

They started showing up at fiddle contests and fireman’s field days with their instruments. Their close proximity to the Canadian border paid off. “There were a lot of fiddlers in Québec playing banjo and guitar. We’d show up at these fiddle contests and they’d treat us like

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gold, even though often times we didn’t even speak the same language but we got along great,” he told me. “We eventually made friends in Montréal who played old classic country and bluegrass music, so we’d go visit them and play music quite often too.”

Eric and Leigh played in church together as well, honing their craft and their harmonies. Through their teen years, they got more into the music and more serious about playing. By the time they were in their late teens, they had put a bluegrass band together, and actually played their first bluegrass festival around 1988. “We finally found musicians who were as crazy about the music as we were,” he laughed.

It Just Happened

The brothers didn’t start out thinking they were going to try to make a living at this. They loved the music but they also understood the value of having an education, so

off to college they went. “I became an English teacher,” Eric said, “and Leigh got a couple degrees because he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. But it seemed like each year the music got more and more serious, and we were booking places further and further away from home to the point that I gave up

teaching to focus on music full time. We’ve been full time in the music business since 1998. Of course there’s been a hic-up here and there along the way that caused us to need to find part time

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work occasionally but it’s been a while since we’ve done anything but play music.”

There’s just something unique about The Gibson Brothers sound.

Call it sibling harmony, influence, culture, or a combination of all of the above, there’s just that something special that sets these guys apart. “I think there are a few things in play here,” Leigh told The Boston Globe in 2015. “The first is genetic, the second is tone. The other part is learned. It’s the fact that you grow up in the same household, and you learn to talk with the same people. You pronounce things in the same way and you mispronounce things the same way. That tightens things just a little bit.” Brother acts, he says, often grew up in simple rural settings like their own. “A lot of our entertainment at home came from playing and figuring out songs.

Being removed from the rest of the population of bluegrass musicians, there was an individual sound created,” he summarizes. “We’ve just stayed with it all these years, and I’d like to think we’re getting better all the time,” Eric added.

Penning It Out

Songwriting plays a major roll in the success of any band, and Eric and Leigh Gibson have become some of the best in the business. “I love that aspect of music,” Eric said.

“I started out as a banjo player first, but as time has gone on I see myself as a songwriter who sings and plays banjo, and guitar. The songwriting is what really fires me up. I love writing songs. I’ve always loved how an idea, or even just a fragment of an idea – a germ of an idea – can become a sentence, and then that sentence can become a verse, and then a chorus, and so on. A nd then if you’re lucky enough, your band will want to record it. And then, maybe someone will want to actually listen to it – all because you had a germ of an idea for a song.”

Eric says that although he’s been writing songs since he was 15 years old, “Sometimes it will hit me on stage when we’re singing a particular song, ‘gosh, this song is 12 years old and we’re still singing it. People are still asking for it.’ That’s pretty cool.” continued on page 22

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Variety Show, in the history of television having launched the careers of countless cultural icons.

On a local level, many states and communities see music shows as a way to boost tourism and help the local economy. Some reach sizable audiences. Virginia is one such locale that boasts a wide range of musical talent in addition to popular music shows. This is not without historical precedent. Already known for such country stars as Patsy Cline, Roy Clark and the Statler Brothers (who had their own TV show), Virginia’s Old Dominion Barn Dance was broadcast over WRVA in Richmond from 1946-1957. Originating in the Lyric Theater, the local favorite gained national attention after it was syndicated by CBS radio and broadcast over 38 states as well as Canada.

Revived in 2015, the Barn Dance has already outgrown its original home and will be located in the recently renovated Beacon Theater in Hopewell, VA for the 2017 season.

Virginia Variety

This tradition is also carried on by several other Virginia musical/variety shows in other parts of the state. The Shenandoah Jamboree will begin it’s fifth season in May 2017 at “Cooters in the Valley” in Luray, VA. Hosted by Lisa Meadows, “the jamboree is a family oriented evening of country music, gospel tunes, bluegrass pickin’ and comedy fun.” In addition to an abundance of local talent, several national stars are featured each season.

Originally based in Hudgins, VA and a regional favorite for over forty years, Virginia’s Li’l Ole Opry first opened in Donk’s Theater in 1975. Their goal has always been to provide “family-friendly entertainment at affordable prices.”

Unfortunately the theater’s roof collapsed in 2016 and they were left searching for a new home. Realizing the importance of the Li’l Ole Opry to the local community, the Mathews County School System generously agreed to host the

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continued from page13 shows in the Harry M. Ward Auditorium at Mathews High School. Fortunately there are also plans to rebuild the historic Donk’s Theater.

One of the most significant developments on the Virginia music scene relates to the popular bluegrass concert TV series “Song of the Mountains.” Recorded before a live audience in the historic Lincoln Theater in Marion, VA, “Song of the Mountains” has taped at least two hundred fifty episodes and reaches as many as 130 million viewers annually through approximately 180 PBS affiliates across the country.

Top Rated Performance

Currently in it’s 13th season, “Song of the Mountains” has proved so successful that it’s recently been selected as the official state television series.

Delegate Jeff Campbell says of this honor: “Song of the Mountains would be listed in Section 1-510 of the State Code alongside the state bird (Northern Cardinal), fish (Brook Trout), tree (Flowering Dogwood), and song (Sweet Virginia Breeze). This designation would not only help promote the show, but our musical heritage, the region, and help attract visitors to the Sixth District, thus promoting our ever-developing tourism economy.”

Similarly, Tim White, host and executive director of “Song of the Mountains,” told the Richmond Times Dispatch, that “The music in this region is big, not just because of its historical value. We have a real opportunity to not just spread the gospel about bluegrass and country music, but to make an economic impact.”

If you’re a die hard bluegrass/country/Americana fan, keep these and other shows in mind as you make your travel plans. Not only will you see some quality entertainment at a reasonable price, but you’ll also be supporting local communities as well as the musicians whose music you’ve come to enjoy over the years.

May 2017

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May 2017

Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles in iTunes!

Rebekah Todd At 11 years old, Benson, North Carolina native Rebekah Todd’s father gave her a black a coustic Washburn guitar and taught her to play it. She’s been filling her life with music ever since.

Upon gra duating from East Carolina University in 2012, Rebekah has been dedicating her time to writing, touring, and performing her style of melodic soul and alternative folk rock.

Rebekah said she grew up listening to music.

“There was always music playing in the house, usually whatever dad liked, which was a lot of classic rock, so I’m very hip to all of the classics,” she said. “Although my parents weren’t very religious, the thing to do in a small town was go to church. I had some friends invite me to a Pentecostal holiness church, which is very soulful. I immediately enjoyed how expressive they were with their vocals, and it really turned me on to singing,” she recalled. “So that got me started singing at a really young age. And now I think you can hear a little bit of all of that showing up in my music.”

Rebekah actually graduated college with a fine arts degree, and instead of working part time jobs until she found work in the art field, she pursued the singer/songwriter avenue. “Music became my part time job,” she said. Now though, she has her own art studio on the coast in Wilmington, North Carolina pursuing her visual artistic side while touring with her band, The Odyssey, in support of her music.

“Things have been going very well lately,” she told me with regard to her music. “We’ve been playing for full rooms everywhere we go, which is just wonderful to see.” The latest CD for Rebekah and her band is called Crooked Lines, and is already doing well for them. After winning the 2016 On The Rise award at Floyd Fest, they are excited to hit the main stage in July this year as part of that award.

The Kokomo, Indiana based band leader tells of his humble beginnings learning on a guitar with less than ideal strings. “It was an old Harmony guitar with strings that felt like barbed wire,” he mused.

My brother and I used to play along while standing around jam sessions my dad would have at our house in Nancy, Kentucky. That guitar, was one of those little starter guitars that no one cared if it got dropped, you know. Those strings were awful, but if you got through all that pain, you’ve probably been bitten by the bug by then,” he quipped.

Larry attributes some of his early start to the fact that his mom was employed in the music industry at the time. “We actually got exposed to Jim and Jesse at an early age. My mom’s booth was right beside theirs. We got to play some jam sessions with them at fan fare that year, and I believe that’s probably what rooted in us.”

Around the age of 12 Larry moved to Indiana where the bluegrass bug really sunk in. “With Bean Blossom being so close, we would go attend that often, and you know, once you attend a bluegrass festival, if you’ve got any inkling of music in you, you have to be drawn to it,” he said.

Their current album out is titled, Most Welcome, and has done really well for the band. There are plans already in the works for their next CD. “We’d like to get in the studio this summer or fall,” Larry said. “We’ve been collecting new material, and I’ve been writing some as well. I’ve dabbled all along, but lately I’ve gotten serious, and I really enjoy the process.”

Virginia Beach, VA’s Russell Lynch has his music steeped in traditional country music culture, and peppered with notes of Americana and a bit of a rockabilly edge to it This is just like his fans like it, apparently. He has had three top 10 independent country songs in the U.S., including a #1 hit with “Stuck in Between.” His music has received airplay in Europe and Australia as well.

It’s been a little while since Russell recorded his most recent album, Long Lonely Road, but he’s really excited about the new single that was just released this winter, “Outlaw Country’s Coming Back.” “It’s from an upcoming album of the same title that we’re still in the process of recording,” he told me. “We’re really excited to get this one out. Last year we toured mostly in the state of VA, playing at breweries and little festivals, and we’re really looking forward to getting out with this new material.”

Russell has that classic introduction to music that would stir any young boy. “When I was really young, I was down in my grandmother’s basement and I found this old record player and an old Johnny Cash 45 single. It was the song, “He Turned The Water Into Wine.” Every time I went there I just had to go down in that basement and hear that record,” he said. “It’s now a part of my collection – I have that very same record.”

Russell says his new single, “Outlaw Country’s Coming Back,” came to him faster than any song he’s ever written. “When I think about outlaw country I think about going against the grain. I just heard an interview with Marty Stuart where he said the most outlaw thing you can do in Nashville right now is play country music. I’m not trying to knock the new music, but isn’t there still room for ol’ Willie Nelson too? I think so. And that’s my point with this song.”

To find out more, vivit www.russelllynchmusic.com

To find out more, visit www.brandedbluegrass.com

To find out more, visit www.rebekahtodd.com

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Russell Lynch

Branded Bluegrass Larry Norfleet and his band, Branded Bluegrass, received nine nominations at the SPBGMA awards ceremony this past February in Nashville, TN, making them one of the top nominees. Their brand of traditional bluegrass is turning heads, and gaining fans all across the bluegrass community.

Check out

on iTunes www.AmericanaRhythm.com

May 2017

Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles in iTunes!

Molly’s Kiss

Mountain Deer Revival

Molly’s Kiss is evidence that the influence of American roots music is far reaching. As they define themselves, Molly’s Kiss is “a folk band, lost in the middle of France.”

Wichita, Kansas is home to the up and coming Americana, roots rock band, Mountain Deer Revival. MDR plays what they call Red Dirt Music, which seems to have its roots Oklahoma.

It’s a Southern Rock foundation that can be traced back to the early American South, flavored with a good dose of Texas Country.

The Woolseys “Jim and Lynna Woolsey have that magical quality of being tuned in to real life, attention to the small stuff, and open heartedness that makes for great songs, a nd great friends,” said Louisa Branscomb, Founder, Director of Woodsong Farm Songwriter Retreat.

The Southern Indiana pair had been performing together for nearly three decades before they finally decided it was time to make a professional CD with professional musicians. “It was a lifelong dream to produce an album of our original material,” said Jim recently.

Inspiration for that 2014 duet project, The Road That Brings You Home, “came from years of living,” Jim said. “Each song tells a story in our lives.”

Their most recent project, Heart and Soul, Blood And Bone, has been equally positively received. It appeared recently together with their previous project as top CDs for the year 2016. “I was shocked,” Jim said, “But it was so neat too.”

Jim grew up around music and said, “I can’t remember when I didn’t want to write a song.” Jim credits his Irish immigrant grandfather as being instrumental in introducing him to the heritage of the music. “I grew up on the road and being influenced by the likes of the Stanley Brothers and all the other bluegrass greats. I just developed a desire to play. Grandpa taped two spoons together for me when I was about two,” he laughed.

Jim’s musical career blossomed. One day, when he was giving guitar lessons to a young boy in the neighborhood, the boy’s sister came along with him. “I was blown away,” recalled Jim. “I’m sure I made a fool out of myself. We ended up dating and got married. The rest, as they say, is history.”

While Jim’s musical career continued to blossom, Lynna was always encouraging and helping behind the scenes. About three years ago, all that changed when Jim finally encouraged Lynna to join him front and center.

Formed in 2013, the band consists of guitar, accordion, and two vocals. Nicolas Rozier; Vocals /Guitar, Madeline Besson; Vocals, and Alexandre Tobie; Accordion, all team up to play what they call simple and catchy songs, with Folk melodies, rock energy and generosity.”

As mostly a weekend band, since 2014, they’ve played over 120 shows, not only in France, but traveled to Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic, and Hungary as well.

I had the chance to chat with Nicolas, founder, guitarist, and vocalist for the band, about life as a folk band in France. Although Nicolas has been playing the guitar for nearly 15 years, the trio all knew each other before forming the band, which made it easier to connect their passion for American folk music to their desire to perform it together.

“We wanted to create music you could play in your living room,” Nicolas said. “We don’t use computers, or digital effects, or autotune, or anything like that.”

“Jake Coffey actually started the band almost 10 years ago while living in New Mexico,” Dale told me. “He moved back to Wichita where Jason was, and they just decided to collaborate on some songs. I was at a party one evening where they were playing, and I just knew I had to be part of it. It was one of those things, very organic,” he said.

“And that term Red Dirt Music really fit for us,” he said. “Basically, down home country bands from the middle of the US. A mix of good, cool substance, country music, blues, and there’s rock in there too. In MDR we have a lot of influences.

Every band member has a long list in every genre’, and it ends up coming together organically in this really, really cool way. It makes for really interesting music.”

“It’s not so easy to find good musicians in France,” he said.

“American folk music is not in vogue here. Folk music cannot be heard on the radio or TV. So if you want to discover new bands you need to be curious, and connected to the internet.”

“In my previous band, I was a rock guitarist. When the band quit I had fallen in love with American folk music, and I became interested in songwriting. We started listening a lot to the Lumineers, and Jack White, and bands like Nickel Creek. We really like Neil Young and Johnny Cash too though. Those all influence us and our music.” he said.

Their latest EP, Sad Stories, is indeed full of energy, and full of promise. We look forward to seeing Molly’s Kiss in the states real soon!

To find out more, visit

This band consists of twins, Jake and Jason Coffey, Matt Ohm, Connor Edmundson, and lead guitarist Dale Shuey who joined the band in 2012.

We recently caught up with Dale to talk about their music and pursuits as a band.

When asked about being able to pursue this full time, Dale said, “We’re so close. We’re almost there. Jake and Jason work in construction during the day, and we rehearse as much as we can in the evenings, and try to keep new material going all the time.”

“The new CD is in the works,” Dale added “We’ve compiled all sorts of new material over the last year. Lots of terrific lyrics and cool melodies, so we’re really excited about getting this new project recorded really soon.”

To find out more, vivit www.mountaindeerrevival.com

To find out more, visit www.mollyskiss.com

www.jimandlynnawoolsey.com

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May 2017

ing through my front window so similar to my old front window, peering at my neighbors lovely farmhouse sitting way back from the road and missing the snowflakes that eluded me this winter.

This year’s winter is leaving me without one of my great wishes being granted. That wish was to see snow falling through my living room window. Not just a flurry, we had several little flurries this year. Flurries always leave me wondering if they were just as disappointed as me with their swirling struggle against the wind, so fleeting, so lonesome, never quite making the impact I am sure they would like to make. I wanted quarter-sized flakes floating to the ground at a mesmerizing pace. I longed to see the cedars and the oak trees blanketed with white. I held my breath waiting to see the Cardinals who visit our feeder’s flaunting their rich, red coat of feathers against a single color lying upon the ground. I wanted to put on my boots and walk the land just to hear the eerie silence

of the snowfall disrupted by the crunch of each step.

On The Move My husband and I sold our 1950’s brick rancher in Nashville proper this past summer and we bought a wee farm complete with a 1950’s brick rancher about 40 minutes outside of Music City. Honestly, it’s as if we transported our home of 16 years to this new place where a sweeping field feeds something so deeply rooted in this city girl that I honestly did not know it existed until an overwhelming sense of belonging bubbled forth. If you had told me 18 months ago that I would move to the country, away from the hustle of our city where a good restaurant was always stones throw away in any direction I would have said you were crazy yet here I sit, look-

I write today about this subject to give you a glimpse of the imagery I conjure up on a daily basis in my mind. If you note, there is longing, which adds mystery as to why this storyteller is longing. As a writer this is rich fodder, ripe for rendering. Why, the song could be solely about the lack of snow, which is sad enough for some of us but mix in the idea of a broken heart and a fiddle ride and voila, radio magic.

Feel It First I challenge myself to look beyond what I am seeing at any given moment and to actually “feel” what I am seeing. I also try to describe it in as many poetic ways as I can as an exercise in description. Sometimes I come up with a fresh look on something and race off to find my tablet before I lose the thought. Once I start a song, my next challenge is to put words together

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as if I were painting them across a canvas. I have reflected on this approach many times before in these articles and still feel like I can never stress the point of image writing enough. If the listener can “see” what the singer is saying, the overall connection to a song is so much stronger. I always picture my listener with a box of popcorn and a coke leaning on the edge of their seat at a movie theater awaiting the unexpected turns and big ending. The music tracks seated within the suspenseful scenes add the mood. I encourage you to try this approach. It will take your writing to the next level and you will find yourself seeing mini movies in your head all through the day and in your dreams too. Now lets go have a look at spring and see where the tulips lead us.

Now off I go, onto the next assignment writing challenge for me and I hope you will challenge yourself with assignments to yourself and watch yourself grow as a writer.

Find out more about Donna, and to connect with her directly, visit www.DonnaUlisse.com

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Gibsons,continued from page 14

Listen to the expanded interviews at www.spreaker.com/show/ americana-music-profiles, or search Americana Music Profiles in iTunes!

Al Pettiway &Amy White

Wilson Banjo Co.

Al Petteway and Amy White, a.k.a. Al & Amy, have been charming fans for years with their uniquely crafted Celtic-Appalachian influenced music that even marries in the occasional hints of Blues, New Age, and even Jazz.

Bluegrass bands form for all sorts of reasons but most often it’s because a group of folks enjoy picking together; they feel the chemistry is right, and decide to give it a run. South Carolina’s Wilson Banjo Company has a slightly different beginning.

Before they relocated to the mounta ins of Western North Carolina, Al and Amy lived in the Washington D.C. area where they were honored with 50 Wammie awards (Washington Area Music Association). Al went on to win a GRAMMY for his contribution to the album “Pink Guitar, The Music of Henry Mancini.” He was also voted one of the Top 50 Guitarists of all time by the readers of Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

Steve Wilson grew up like a lot of musicians, learning to appreciate and play music with his family.

After a stint in the military, he found himself in Nashville unexpectedly working in the Custom Art Shop at the Gibson guitar plant, designing and building custom art pieces. Many of these happened to be special orders for Gibson’s distinguished list of player clients. The experience left a lasting impression on his life and sparked a new chapter.

Al and Amy’s start came almost by chance. “We had a mutual friend that I met playing background music for a dance troupe,” Amy said. “There was a concert at the National Geographic Society. where both Al and my friend worked. She invited me to go, and since I worked very close I thought, ‘oh why not?’ Al and I saw each other from across the crowded room, and we both had that look like, ‘there you are. And that was that,” she said gleefully.

After decades of instrumental composition, Amy’s two most recent recordings feature her singing and songwriting, with Al contributing as co-producer and session guitarist. Both of her albums, Home Sweet Home: Songs of Love, Loss, and Belonging, and Didn’t We Waltz reached the top ten on the FolkDJ radio charts nationwide and overseas.

Al’s recent solo projects feature his signature finger-style guitar playing with a wide variety of Country Blues, Celtic, Appalachian, and Jazz stylings.

One of Amy’s latest pursuits is, Rescue Me, a Cause for Paws, where she is one of several featured artists. All the tracks were donated by the artists. for the CD scheduled to release on April 30th, National Adopt A Pet Day. To find out more, visit www.alandamy.com

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Nashville also allowed him to discover his passion for Bluegrass music and to fall in love with the banjo. Over time he played with several bands and had the opportunity to lend his skills to others in the studio. Steve and his wife Melanie moved back to upstate New York to be close to family and raise their own, before moving back “down south.”

Along the way, Steve began building banjos and playing them with the bands he was in. Realizing that his instruments were attracting the attention of would be buyers Steve decided to form a band with the intention of being able to showcase the latest banjo he had built. The strategy worked as each instrument began finding new homes. “I’m actually building a new one now,” he said. “It’s for me, but if it goes away, it goes away.”

In the meantime, the band has taken on a life of its own, generating fans everywhere they play. “We’ve got a pretty busy schedule this spring and summer, and we’re actually working on an album that’s for the band, not the banjo,” he laughed. “We’ve got eight originals on this one. We’re hoping for an early summer release.” Of course, the album will be promoted by wife, Melanie, who runs her new management company, Wilson Pickins Promotions.

To find out more, visit www.wilsonbanjoco.com

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Eric says that he and his brother are two different kinds of songwriters, which adds to the diversity of their music. “Leigh is more of a historical songwriter, story songs, and mine are different than that. Leigh wrote a lot for this current album, which I love. For a few years he wasn’t writing that much. Now that his kids are a little older, he’s been able to find more space in his day to write and that’s working for him now too. We both get a kick out of writing and really I’d like us to be seen as singer songwriters who also play music. I’m a fan of the song. I still love to find a song that just floors me, written by somebody else.”

In The Ground

The Gibson Brothers have a new CD out – number 15, “if you count the two cassettes we made when we were in our teens,” Eric laughed.

By many accounts, this could be their best one yet, and this writer would concur. The stew has simmered nicely indeed. “We co-wrote a lot for this new album,” Eric said, “and I love that this time we used all originals. Our whole band got to go into the studio with us on this one, too.”

“I think it shows maturation,” Leigh commented recently. “I started to see and feel the impact of where we’re from—how it carries into our music, its honesty. We didn’t need to turn to anyone else to tell our story for the record.” “‘Remember Who You Are’ is what my dad said to me right before I went to college,” said Eric, and sure enough, the opening lines of the chorus point straight to his advice:” Some will tell you everything you want to hear, some will make you question all that you hold dear.”

“I don’t have a plan B,” Eric said. “So I really hope this keeps working out for us. The last few years have been strong for us and I really hope it continues. We really love what we do and feel blessed to be able to do it at this level.

It feels like we have all the pieces together as a band now, and I think we have a good record that we can play songs off of for a while. Each record is so important. It can really help dictate how your next few years are going to go if you think about it. Hopefully this one has legs. It’s almost a little scary when a record comes out. All artists are insecure in their own way, and we all do think, ‘I hope people like it.’ But I really like it, and I feel as confident about this record as any we’ve made ”

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May 2017

Keeping The Blues Alive Many organizations believe that blues music is in need of life support. “Keeping the Blues Alive” is a common theme in the mission statement of several blues organizations such as the Cincy Blues Society. The Blues Music Foundation presents an award for “Keeping the Blues Alive” annually. Other organizations, such as the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, seek to “preserve” the music.

Several groups attempt to do both! I wonder if the blues knows that it’s in such rough shape?

The Blues Is a Living Tradition Musical expression, especially older roots music styles, survive only because they are living traditions. They thrive because people continue to play and listen to them.

Artists and audience listen to older styles because they remain relevant musically and lyrically. Artists study the recognized masters of the past as they develop their own style and sound. Music has always been shared and open to interpretation and “fair use.” Sometimes these interpretations lead to “new” styles. I refer to these new styles as “fruits” which of course, cannot survive without the “roots,” or older styles, that feed them.

Blues was a popular music in the black community around the turn of the 20th century. It fell off the popular radar as that community’s interest moved on to Jazz, R&B, and Soul; but it was incorporated into other popular white styles such as Bluegrass and Rock & Roll. The visibility of blues music has waxed and waned over the years, but it has never completely disappeared and has indeed, resurfaced from time to time such as during the “Revival” of the late fifties and early sixties.

“Keeping the Blues Alive” or Keeping It Down?

“Keeping the Blues” alive implies that the music is too weak, vulnerable or unhealthy to survive on its own. This is not the case. This argument was used to secure funding for the House of Blues club chain. Surprisingly, they rarely sponsor blues concerts. Organizations such as the Blues Music Association try to fulfill this mission by promoting the Blues Music “industry” much the same way the Country Music Association represents Country artists, producers, record labels, and other professionals.

The CMA has certainly made what they call country music popular, but I wonder if the originators and early stars like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Jimmie Rogers would recognize it?

Today, popular music is generally a watered-down form that owes its popularity more to corporate money and access to media than talent and artistic

By Scott Perry

integrity, never mind audience demand.

Popular music may sometimes incorporate elements of roots music, but the result is usually forgettable and “sweet.” I’ll take my blues straight up, rough and dirty, thank you just the same!

Preservation = Death When something is “preserved” it is actually killed (stay with me here)! For instance, when fruit is preserved it is pickeled or boiled and canned in sugar water. Vegetables are picked and pickled or boiled and canned. Meat is desiccated (covered in salt) and or smoked and hung. Flora specimens are picked and pressed between glass; fauna specimens are placed in killing jars and pinned under glass. Even non-lethal preserves like nature preserves are usually fabricated environments made to look like, but never can be, the real thing. I don’t know about you, but give me the real thing over canned goods or a museum piece anytime.

Conclusions The blues is tough music created and perpetuated by tough people. A rugged and beautiful response to the dehumanizing treatment of black people as they struggled through slavery, failed reconstruction and the Jim Crow south.

The seed that grew into the musical blues tree comes from an African flower. It traveled to the United States in the belly of a slave ship. It was sown in the fields of the southern plantation system and watered with the blood and sweat of slavery. It poked through the ground during the Civil War and was nurtured by the dim light of Reconstruction and the Jim Crow system. It was fertilized

by European harmonic ideas and folk songs but retained its African lineage through the banjo and African rhythmic ideas. It bloomed at the turn of the 19th Century just as the first recordings of American music were being made, giving all of us a historical record of its early beauty. It is not just African or black, but perhaps more than anything, truly American. A blossom whose beauty openly mocks the pain and suffering that created it.

You want to “keep the blues alive?” Go to a live show. Join an organization like the Music Maker Relief Foundation or the Rhythm and Blues Foundation that give direct financial aid to those that helped create and sustain the music. Buy music from independent roots musicians.

Support and celebrate a living, changing and thriving tradition. Being popular and being vital are not the same thing!

Scott Perry; Stoic Guitarist & Fellow Traveler www.guidedguitarlessons.com

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Celebrating 30

By Greg Tutwiler

Photos by Greg Tutwiler taken at previous Merlefest celebrations.

Woody Platt, Steep Canyon Rangers Sam Bush

the heritage of this festival, and will continue to be celebrated. “T. Michael Colman leads the Memories of the Watson Family on the Creekside stage on Saturday,” Steve told me. “And the Doc and Merle Watson showcase continues on the Austin stage on Friday. Additionally, this year we will feature some special jams and special collaborations that will encompass some of the artists that have performed over

Upon realizing that this year marks the 30th anniversary of Merlefest, and knowing that this fest provided significant inspiration for us here at Americana Rhythm, I felt it only fitting to give an extra shout out to this phenomenal music festival.

Created as a tribute by Doc Watson and Wilkes Community College to his late son, Merle, Merlefest has become one of the premier music festivals in the country, considered by many as Dailey and Vincent

an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans.

More Than Bluegrass

“A lot of people think this is a bluegrass festival,” said Steve Johnson, artist relations manager for the festival, “but the reality is, it never was.” It’s always been a celebration of what Doc called “traditional plus” music, and the fest has stayed true to it’s unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, which includes bluegrass, along with old-time music and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles.

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One of the draws is how well the staff, volunteers and the campus handle the grounds and the volume of people flowing through out the four days.

There’s so much going on that you could spend a whole day without seeing live music and still have a blast. The festival features workshops, films, lectures, and live artisan demonstrations, along with an expanded crafters village for the hand-made goods shopper in you.

environment.

Every stage is strategically placed as to not interfere with the activity on the other. There’s great food, as well as a professional trade tent featuring instrument representatives from companies like Deering, Martin, and D’Addario.

“A friend’s wife told him, ‘I’m not really interested in going to a music festival,’ Steve told me. “So she spent most of her day in the shops – didn’t really make it to the stage, and later that night she made her way over to the stage to actually listen to some music – afterwards saying, ‘this wasn’t so bad, let’s come back next year.”

Fresh Faces

Just The Right Mix

But man, you can hear some great music! I’ve attended about a dozen times, and every one has been memorable. This year will be no exception. (See ad on page 15 for this year’s featured artists.) It’s a family friendly, alcohol free

the many years past. There are five artists that have performed at every Merlefest since the beginning – Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Jack Lawrence, and Joe Smothers.

They will be featured in a special set called the veterans jam. We felt like it was important to create some special things like that to bring them together and let them tell their stories.”

Leonard Podolak, The Dhuks

Sadly, the Watson family has passed on. Merle, Doc, his wife Rosalie, and recently Merle’s son, Richard, had been a rich part of

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

“Everyone performing this year has played at the festival at some point over the 30 year legacy of the festival, with the exception of the fresh faces, which is something that was always important to Doc,” Steve said.

Ten “fresh faces” making their debut appearance this year include; John Driskell Hopkins, best known as a founding member, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter for the Grammy-winning Zac Brown

May 2017

Band (also appearing this year).

Mipso, an indie Americana quartet from Chapel Hill, NC. They are currently celebrating the release of their fourth album,

dian musician Megan Nash; her most recent album, Song Harvest Volume One, recorded in a 100year-old church on the prairies is made up of seven solo songs steeped in prairie longing. Ken Tizzard has received numerous Juno nominations and MuchMusic Awards, and he has licensed songs to such TV shows as “CSI” John Paul Jones and “Fashion Television.”

Chris Jones and the Night Drivers, heralded

by Steve Martin as, “… some of the best players in bluegrass!

Chris Jones’ voice is there “Coming Down the Mountain.” with the great masters.”

Sierra Hull, best known for her Front Country started work as a mandolin player this as a group of friends former child prodigy signed with playing bluegrass in San Rounder Records at age 13. Last Francisco’s Mission year she released “Weighted District and has morphed Mind,” her first new album in into a touring powerfive years. Dublin roots band, I house of song and sound, Draw Slow, brings together Irish transcending their tradition with modern Americana humble string band while staying rooted in the oldtime style of Appalachia. Cana-

roots. Nashville based Locust Honey bring their experience in old-time, bluegrass and pre-war blues to both their original material and the traditional songs and tunes of the American Southeast.

Mark Bumgarner, whose musical influences span the American landscape, from the traditional sounds of the Appalachian

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

Del McCoury and son Ronnie

Mountains to the West Coast country and folk rock of the 1960s and ‘70s.

Merlefest is a model for many.

For 30 years it’s been pretty simple: Great music in a great invironment for a great cause.

What else do you need?

Dierks Bentley

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May 2017

Music From The National Scene

Music From Your Neighbors

welcome to this edition of

SPINS! Check out all this wonderful ear candy (in no special order)! This collection will keep you busy for hours. Grab your iPad or Smart Phone and dial up some of these fine folks.

And please let them know we sent you. We’ve got your summer jams right here!

Got one you want us to listen to? send it to: Uncle Woody, The Spin Doctor PO Box 45 Bridgewater, VA 22812

Dave Adkins Trio www.daveadkinsmusic.com

www.noam.net

www.thetimejumpers.com

www.daileyandvincent.com

Dave Adkins is burning up the bluegrass world these days with his gritty grass style, but this new project pairs him with two buddies singing straight up gospel harmonies. Wow! Look out grassers, this one’s got some legs on it too

Considered one of the finest banjoists of his generation, Noam Pikelny releases his latest, Universal Favorite.

This founding member of the Punch Brothers makes his debut as a multi-instrumentalist on this hot new collection

This multi-grammy nominated, all star cast is led by noted Country vocalist, Vince Gill. Started in 1998 as a studio musicians jam band; their latest CD is a memoral to former member Dawn Sears, who passed recently

This is the eighth project from the cross genre’ superstars.

With a full cast of guest superstars including Bela Fleck, and Doyle Lawson, the CD features 16 new tracks cowritten by Jamie and Darrin. A top 10 CD for sure

Jenni Lyn

Ned Luberecki Take Five

Big Country Bluegrass Let Them Know I’m From Virginia

Scott Cook Further Down The Line

www.bigcountrybluegrass.com

This is Canadian Folk artist Scott Cook’s sixth full length CD, and the accompaning 132 page book marks a decade of full time troubadouring. Usually more up-tempo, these tunes “have more room to breathe.” And the imagery is a nice add

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Tunes from David Holt’s State Of Music

Burn Another Candle

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www.davidholttv.org

www.jennilyngardner.com

www.nedski.com

This is a collection from season two of David Holt’s emmy nominated TV show, David Holt’s State of Music. The collection feature such acts as Steep Canyon Rangers, Balsam Range, and Wayne Henderson. A great set of tunes, indeed. Thumbs up

Jenni Lyn honed her chops as a member of the all female super group, Della Mae. With that group on haitus, Jenni breaks out with her debut solo project, Bur n Another Candle. Sam Bush calls it “refreshing ... straight from the heart.” We agree

XM Bluegrass Junction on-air personality is just one of Ned’s claim to fame. Steve Martin say Ned makes ‘the Take Five, as in five string, is a showcase of his “tangy” pickin’ skills. A cast of talented musicians join Ned on this groovy project

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Dailey & Vincent Patriots & Poets

The Time Jumpers Kid Sister

Noam Pikelny Universal Favorite

Turn To Jesus

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banjosing.”

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Larry Sparks

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This band has been making traditional bluegrass music for the past 30 years, and their latest project is a celebration and continuation of their commitment to straight up carolina/virginia style bluegrass music. It’s good stuff

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Lonesome And Blue

www.rufrecords.de

Young Heart Old Soul www.garrettnewtonband.com

www.larrysparks.com

Thorobjorn Risager & The Black Tornado Change My Game

This Maryland sin gersongwriter, saxophonist’s latest project, Meeti ng My Shadow, is a “tribute to the blues,” she said. She’s won several awards while making a name for herself. Blues lovers will dig her style and energy for the music she loves

Teenager Garrett Newton, Eastern North Carolina, gets a helping had from bluegrass great, Lorraine Jordan on his debut CD, The single/title “Country Poor and Country Proud,” is already gaining national air play. Look for this fellow to turn some heads

IBMA hall of famer Larry Sparks is one of the few early timers still active in bluegrass music today. A player with the Stanley brothers, he’s led a solo career for nearly five decades. This latest project is a retro journey of some old classics. Very nice

This is the 11th project from frontman Thorbjorn and The Black Tornado. Not wanting to be pigeon holed, this eight piece group self produced this project entirely. It’s funky, smokin’, 70s, blues, rock, Americana, we like it

Garrett Newton

Vanessa Collier Meeting My Shadow

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www.theblacktornado.com

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You can send new Americana CD releases for consideration to PO Box 45, Bridgewater, VA, 22812

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www.scottcook.net

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The Waifs Ironbark www.thewaifs.com

This West Australian is celebrating 25 years with their latest, Ironbark. This double CD features 25 original songs - one for each year. The group has gained a wide audience for their European style of Folk/Americana music. More good stuff

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May 2017

John Prine

www.AmericanaRhythm.com

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