IB bluegrass international
Vol. 30 No. 5 May 2015
IBMA Hires New ED Bluegrass Ramble Showcase Ba nds picked
Ronnie Reno 60 years in the Biz
Dailey & Vincent: Alive!
International Bluegrass
Vol. 30 | No. 5 | May 2015
Editor: Taylor Coughlin taylor@ibma.org
Designer: Erin Faith Erdos erinfaitherdos@gmail.com
STAFF
Taylor Coughlin Communications and Professional Development Director
board
Eddie Huffman Convention Services and IT Systems Director
Jon Weisberger/Board Chairperson
Alan Bartram/Director, Artists/Composers/Publishers Becky Buller/Director, At Large D.A. Callaway/Director, At Large Danny Clark/Director, At Large Jamie Deering/Director, Merchandisers/Luthiers Regina Derzon/Director, Associations, Secretary John Goad, Print/Media/Education William Lewis/Director, At Large
Steve Martin/Director, Broadcasters Stephen Mougin/Director, At Large Joe Mullins, Director, Artists/Composers/Publishers Leah Ross/Director, Event Producers Ben Surratt/Director, Recording/Dist./Marketing Tim Surrett/Vice Chair/Director, Artists/Composers/Publishers Angelika Torrie/Director, International
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International Bluegrass
The monthly emailed publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association
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Statement of fact and opinion are made on the responsibility of the writers alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers, directors, staff or members of IBMA. Portions of International Bluegrass may be reprinted provided that explicit citation of the source is made: “Reprinted with permission from International Bluegrass, the publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association, www.ibma.org.�
May Table of CONtENTs Cover photo by Julie Macie
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EDITORIAL: Announcements Press release: Paul Schiminger new ED PRESS RELEASE: Showcase Artists selected Ronnie reno: 60 Years in the Biz Dailey and Vincent Come Alive Fresh Sounds
Industry News
New Members
Editorial
Have a great may! by Taylor Coughlin Hello Bluegrassers! We’ll keep this editorial short and sweet and let you know of a couple of announcements happening here at IBMA HQ.
Songwriter Showcase Submissions - The IBMA Songwriter Showcase
is a coveted opportunity during the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. The showcase focuses attention on ten selected songwriters, allowing each writer perform one original bluegrass song to the best bluegrass artists and producers in the industry. While the standards will always remain central to the genre, its growth and development is ensured by the creative output of great songwriters!
This year’s Songwriter Showcase will take place on Wednesday, September 30 during World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC. If you would like to submit your song for consideration, please email taylor@ibma.org an mp3 of your song, as well as the lyrics (and make sure all the writers’ names are included). The deadline to submit your song is June 1 at 5 p.m. CST.
Ramble the Banjo Pickin’ Squirrel Ramble the Banjo Pickin’ Squirrel kicked off his 2015 festival run at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC this past weekend. His ultimate destination? IBMA’s World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC, September 29-Oct. 3! Follow Ramble’s journey as he pops up at bluegrass festivals and events all over the world before he makes the pilgrimage to World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC. His pictures will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@intlbluegrass) and he won’t be hard to find! Wanna help spread the word about Ramble when you see him? Use social media to tell people about Ramble’s adventures on his way to IBMA’s World of Bluegrass! Use the hashtags #IBMA #WOB and #Raleigh so we can find your pictures and include them in our Facebook album!
Distinguished Achievement Award nominations If you wish to nominate an individual or group for a Distinguished Achievement Award, please send a nomination letter via email to taylor@ibma.org no later than June 15.
Have a great May, everyone!
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International Bluegrass
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Press Release
Paul J. Schiminger named Executive Director
for the
International Bluegrass Music Association The International Bluegrass Music Association’s Board of Directors announced that Paul J. Schiminger has been selected as the organization’s Executive Director. Schiminger’s expected start date is June 1, and he will be based at the IBMA’s office in Nashville, Tennessee. IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the professional trade organization for the global bluegrass music industry and the community it serves.
Schiminger brings to his role with the IBMA an extensive background in the financial services industry, including his most recent position as head of not-for-profit business development at Wilmington Trust (M&T Bank) in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to that, he was Vice President, Head of Sales & Client Service at Alex. Brown Investment Management and held several positions at Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown, including Director, Head of Sales & Marketing for Advisory Services. Schiminger received a Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting from James Madison University and a Master of Science-Finance from Johns Hopkins University. He is a Certified Investment Management Analyst.
Additionally, the incoming Executive Director is a passionate fan of bluegrass and plays banjo in a regional band in Maryland. Schiminger was also a member of the Leadership Bluegrass Class of 2015.
“Bluegrass music is enjoying a surge of creativity and vibrancy, as witnessed in Raleigh at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass event over the past couple of years,” says Schiminger. “We have a community of talented musicians and fans connected as one. There is no other community like it. How could I not be excited to be a part of this music at such a time of growth? I have an incredible opportunity to combine my professional experience and my passion. Now let’s have some fun together!” Board Chair Jon Weisberger says Schiminger fits the bill for what the Board was looking for when they started the hiring process for the next Executive Director. 6
International Bluegrass
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Press Release
“From the beginning of the search, our Board was determined to bring in an Executive Director with substantial experience in the business world, and Paul obviously brings to the position a stellar background in that respect,” Weisberger says. “But he also brings an appreciation of and a passion for bluegrass that I know will excite our membership—and his recent participation in our Leadership Bluegrass program, which he had pursued even before our search began, only underlines his deep connection to our industry and community.”
“I’m so happy to have Paul coming on board,” says Board Vice Chair Tim Surrett. “I had some indepth conversations with Paul, and I think he has the obvious skill coupled with a genuine love for our music. His business acumen combined with a knowledge of the music is the best of what we could have hoped for. He comes to the position with much excitement and enthusiasm, with important and worthy goals.” Schiminger says he is ready to hit the ground running, with many priorities for the organization already in place.
“My initial priorities at IBMA will be to work closely with our important partners in Raleigh so together we assure yet another amazing World of Bluegrass business conference and festival, learn how we can better support our Professional members and help them successfully grow their careers, and identify ways we can continually enhance the experience of our Grass Roots members. They are the fans that will help this music thrive for generations to come,” he said.
Press Info:
###
General Info:
Judy McDonough, JEMMedia
Taylor Coughlin, IBMA
(615) 243-5994
(615) 256-3222
mcdonoughmedia1@yahoo.com
www.ibma.org
taylor@ibma.org
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Press Release
“Bluegrass Ramble” Showcase artists selected The first round of artists have been announced for the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases which will take place at select venues throughout downtown Raleigh, North Carolina during the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s World of Bluegrass 2015 event, September 29 – Oct 3.
From among 150 artists/bands who applied for just thirty slots, the following were selected by the IBMA Showcase Selection Committee as Bluegrass Ramble Showcase artists: April Verch, Ash Breeze Band, Big Virginia Sky, Blue Mafia, Bradford Lee Folk and the Bluegrass Playboys, Caribou Mountain Collective, Charm City Junction, Chris Henry and The Hardcore Grass, Detour, Donna Hughes, Front Country, Gold Heart, Greg Blake, Hank Smith & Lindsey Tims, Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, Mipso, Rex McGee, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Ryan Cavanaugh, Songs of the Fall, Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle, Taarka, The Lonesome Ace Stringband, The Missy Werner Band, The Original Five, The Steel Wheels, The Tyler Williams Band, Unspoken Tradition, Vickie Vaughn Band, and Wood & Wire.
In addition to these “official” showcase performers, additional artists will be added to the Bluegrass Ramble via co-sponsored shows at the venues along with privately hosted “After Hours Showcases” (Tuesday – Friday) at the Marriott.
New this year, the IBMA is adding Afternoon Showcases to its business conference from TuesdayThursday. These showcases, open only to business conference attendees, give artists and agents the chance to showcase before a concentrated audience of talent buyers, labels, agents and decisionmakers in the bluegrass community. IBMA showcases and the Friday – Saturday “Wide Open After Hours” format will provide over 250 opportunities for bands to perform at sanctioned IBMA events during World of Bluegrass 2015. The full Bluegrass Ramble schedule will be available in the coming months.
As last year, the Bluegrass Ramble will have a dedicated transportation system with extended hours, running non-stop between hotels and showcase venues. Provided by the city of Raleigh, the Ramble-dedicated transportation will be available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during World of Bluegrass 2015, from 7 p.m.- 2 a.m. Admission to the Bluegrass Ramble is available to both IBMA Business Conference attendees (with ID) and to the general public, via Bluegrass Ramble showcase wristbands, or a per-venue, per-night fee at the door. Three-day and single-day tickets are available online. 8
International Bluegrass
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Press Release
Those interested in co-sponsoring a Bluegrass Ramble showcase may contact Eddie Huffman at IBMA: (615) 256-3222 - 888-GET-IBMA – eddie@ibma.org
The Bluegrass Ramble showcases will be held in the following venues:
• Lincoln Theatre: 430 S. Dawson Street, www.lincolntheatre.com. • Vintage Church: 117 S West Street, http://vintagenc.com
• Tir Na Nog: 218 S. Blount Street, http://www.tnnirishpub.com/
• Pour House Music Hall: 224 S. Blount Street, http://www.thepourhousemusichall.com/
• Kings: 14 W. Martin Street, http://kingsbarcade.com/
• The Architect Bar & Social House: 108 ½ E. Hargett Street, http://www.architectbar.com/ • Raleigh Convention Center: http://www.raleighconvention.com
IBMA’s World of Bluegrass event, a five-day annual bluegrass music homecoming and convention, consists of four parts: the IBMA Business Conference, September 29 – October 1; the 26th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, October 1; Wide Open Bluegrass, October 2-3 (which includes both free stages and ticketed festival performances) and the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 29 – October 1. IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the professional trade organization for the global bluegrass music community. The organization’s six-year stay in Raleigh is the result of a partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organizing committee. Press Info: Judy McDonough, JEMMedia
mcdonoughmedia1@yahoo.com (615) 243-5994
www.ibma.org
###
General Info: Taylor Coughlin, IBMA taylor@ibma.org (615) 256-3222
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LGB Recap
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Ronnie Reno 60 years in Biz
Ronnie Reno Celebrates 60 years in the music business with new album, Lessons Learned
By Nancy Cardwell
Like his dad, Bluegrass Hall of Famer Don Reno, Ronnie Reno’s natural expression is a broad smile. If you look up “congenial” in the Music Business Dictionary, you will find a photo of Ronnie: a mandolin in one hand and the other hand reaching out to shake your hand or pat you on the back.
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Reno’s warm, engaging lead vocals that walk the smooth line between traditional country and bluegrass music are front and center on his new album, Lessons Learned, released March 17, 2015 on the Rural Rhythm label. The first single, “Lower than Lonesome,” has been released to radio on AirPlay Direct
International Bluegrass
(HERE), and the album is also available on iTunes, Amazon, and wherever good bluegrass and country music is still sold at retail. Nine of eleven cuts are new Reno compositions, along with one from his dad’s catalog (“Trail of Sorrow”) and one from Lefty Frizzell (“Always Late”)— done in an up-tempo arrangement
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Ronnie borrowed from a previous boss, Merle Haggard. Those in the bluegrass world will recognize the song as one of Red Knuckles & the Trailblazer’s big numbers, also.
It’s hard to believe that Ronnie Reno is celebrating 60 years in the music business in 2015, when he’s still in his 60s. Ronnie took the stage with Don Reno & Red Smiley, mandolin in hand, just before his eighth birthday the fall of 1955 at the Old Dominion Barn Dance. Based out of Richmond, Virginia, the 50,000 watt radio show was broadcast every Saturday night over WRVA-AM, reaching more than 38 states and Canada. Diversely talented, resourceful and successful, Ronnie Reno could be IBMA’s poster child for figuring out how to do what it takes to make a living in bluegrass music. After early stints with Reno & Smiley, Don Reno & the Tennessee Cut-Ups, and Reno & Harrell, Ronnie worked as a sideman for The Osborne Brothers in 1967, and the band was named ACM Vocal Group of the Year in 1971. He joined Merle Haggard & the Strangers in 1972, a band that was named ACM Touring Group of the Year in 1971, 1974 and 1975. Haggard cut Reno’s song, “I’ve Got a Darlin’ for a Wife” in 1975, and then Ronnie signed with MCA and released his first solo album, For the First Time, in the same year. Merle cut a second Reno song, “Union Station,” in 1976, and in 1978 Conway Twitty had a huge country hit with a Reno original, “Boogie Grass Band.” In 1983 Ronnie took the stage again with his dad, in Don Reno & the Reno Family. After his father passed
away in 1984, Ronnie and his two brothers, Don Wayne and Dale, formed The Reno Brothers the following year, touring nationally and recording a number of albums. His current band, Ronnie Reno & the Reno Tradition, features: Mike Scott on banjo, Steve Day on fiddle, John Mayberry on mandolin, and Heath VanWinkle on upright bass.
Ronnie started producing a national television show, Reno’s Old Time Music Festival, which won him a nomination for a Cable Ace Award in 1994 and the nickname, “the Dick Clark of bluegrass music” for his emcee abilities. The current version of the show, Reno’s Old Time Music, debuted on the RFD-TV Network in 2004, with Arbitron ratings of 300,000+ viewers every Saturday night, nation-wide. (Click HERE for more information, airtimes and upcoming guests). Somewhere in between he found time to co-found two cable networks with partners Stan & Diane Hitchcock: Americana Television, based in Branson, MO in the early ‘90s, and BlueHighways TV, based in the Nashville area. A two-term board member of both IBMA and the International Bluegrass Music Museum and a frequent presenter at Leadership Bluegrass, Reno has always been interested in giving back to the industry he and his family have helped to build. He received IBMA’s second highest honor, the Distinguished Achievement Award in 2006, and he was named IBMA’s Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year in 2013—the same year he received ROPE’s Musician of the Year Award.
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Ronnie realized last year that it had been a while since he had released an album, with the majority of his focus on the weekly television show and tour dates with his band, Ronnie Reno & the Reno Tradition. “I decided to record another album while I could still hit the notes I want to hit,” Reno smiled over a Cracker Barrel breakfast during a recent interview with International Bluegrass. “But then I realized—well, wait a minute. I don’t have any songs. This was about a year ago, so I started writing songs and they just started falling out. I’d write one and get excited about it, and then the next week here comes another one. I write by myself,” he added. “That way you know if you can write a song or not. If it’s not any good, then maybe you aren’t as good as you thought you were,” he laughed. What will surprise Ronnie Reno fans about the latest project—many who have followed him for much of the past six decades? Reno said he is letting his audience tell him what they like. “You know, our world is so different now than it was years ago,” he noted. “You sort of had a feel for what the audience liked. I don’t think anybody has that template anymore. There’s so much out there, and there’s so many ways of receiving it…there are just so many wonderful, talented bands and singers and songwriters, that basically you just let your fans tell you what they like. That’s what we’re doing, and so far it’s been completely mixed. Different people like different things. It’s lovely, and I’m thrilled about it because it means folks are liking some of the things I’m doing now. I’m not trying to compete with a
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Ronnie Reno
lot of the younger bands out there,” Reno explained. “I guess I’m trying to relay a message that I’ve learned in life, hopefully, through music.”
Reno says there are three important subjects in life, and those timeless themes are what he focuses on when he sits down to write a song. “Love is one, of course, and life is one, and religion is one. And if you talk about those things, hopefully you can tough the feelings of the people who are listening,” he said.
The title cut of Lessons Learned deals with love, but the topic could just as easily reflect what Reno has learned about surviving and thriving in the music business during the past six decades. “You’ve got to diversify yourself,” Ronnie advised. “I didn’t go to college, but I learned my craft by doing it. So you can’t just pick one thing, or play an instrument and think you’re going to (make a living)—unless you’re that one exception. And of course, when you start a family and you have children and you have all these other things going on in life, then you’re the one who is responsible for them…. I’d just say to learn more than one craft. You’ve got to.” The template for making a living in a bluegrass band has changed during the past 30 years, Reno believes. The answer lies in learning every bit of the entertainment business that you can, and perfecting your craft in diverse areas. For Reno, that’s mean being a sideman and a band leader, learning to write songs and entertain as well as pick and sing well, and exploring television.
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“You’ve got to diversify yourself” “When I was first growing up, we had a television show that we did for many years out of Roanoke, Virginia called Top of the Morning,” Reno said. “So I learned television in the late ‘50s. I learned the power of it, to start with. Everyone would see you on TV, and then they had something to talk to you about. So I felt like that was something I needed to do—to have a visual, as well as an audio side. I look at is as two distinct entities.”
International Bluegrass
Looking back for the past 60 years, Ronnie said he learned different lessons from various experiences. “Dad taught me you had to be very rounded,” he said. “You had to play well, you had to sing well, and you had to entertain. It wasn’t enough to just stand there and sing. You might have to smile every once in a while,” he laughed. “And get to know your fans and talk to them. My dad loved to talk to his fans. He got as big of a charge out of that, as they did stand-
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Feature ing there talking to him. And I enjoy that, too. I really do. If someone calls me and wants to order something from the TV show and leaves me a message, I’ll call them back personally because I enjoy hearing them say, ‘Is this Ronnie Reno?’”
“I do email and we text and all that, but I’d rather talk to a person,” Reno said. “Dad was exactly like that. And especially [with] young musicians. His passion was to teach them something—whether it was comedy, songwriting, or being a great instrumentalist. He could play all stringed instruments. There wasn’t a one he couldn’t play. He was a great harmony singer, and he was a great emcee. He could carry a show wonderfully. So those were the things he instilled in me. I learned to pace your show so that you’re going to bring people’s emotions, and feelings up and down a little bit. That’s what I try to do.”
Like his former band leader, Ronnie Reno never writes out a set list before a show. “Merle told me one time, ‘Ronnie, I’ve recorded [at that time] over 300 songs. I expect you to know all 300. I may want to sing any one of them at any time.’ And he would,” said Reno. “His memory was wonderful. He could pull out things from Jimmie Rodgers that I’d been with him for five years and never heard him sing. He would sing a song by Ernest Tubb, or a song from Lefty Frizzell that I’d never heard. He’s start singing these songs, and I’d say, ‘How do you remember that?’ That impressed me, and I said, ‘Well, I want to be able to do that. So that’s what I do. I never know what exactly I’m going to do, and the band doesn’t either. But they’re ready,” he grinned.
Ronnie also learned to be a student of music from Haggard—particularly in the area of vocals. (Merle also told him not to drink dark-colored soda pop before a gig and “put syrup on your vocal cords.”)
“You’d think his phrasing is natural, but it’s not,” Ronnie said about Haggard. “He learned that from Lefty Frizzell, from Jimmie Rodgers. He learned how to entertain a crowd from Bob Wills; he’d do little things with the fiddle bow and things like that,” Ronnie smiled. “Merle taught me to study phrasing; that you don’t have to sing right on the beat. You can go before or you can go after, and keep in mind the message you’re trying to convey in the song…. I don’t think we have enough good singers in our industry,” Reno said. “It seems like the female artists are doing their homework a little bit more as singers. I love Sierra Hull’s singing and Alison Krauss’s singing, and Rhonda Vincent. Being a good singer is not as natural as you think it is. They’re learning the art. A lot of people think you can either sing or not, and they don’t realize it’s something you have to work at. It’s up to people like myself who have been here as long as I have to make (the new artists) aware of the fact that I even went and had vocal lessons in Nashville, years ago. I wanted to learn more about how to breathe, because breathing is as big of a part of it as phrasing.”
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Ronnie has produced two albums for Merle Haggard. The second one, Timeless, is a collaboration with Bluegrass Hall of Famer Mac Wiseman and will hit retail at Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores on May 12.
Ronnie subbed on bass with the Osborne Brothers around the time they had hits with “Up This Hill and Down” and “Making Plans.” He was the first electric bass player in the group—something that happened after the bus broke down in Dayton and Bobby and Sonny’s dad had to drive them to a show in Detroit. A country band was opening up for them, and Ronnie borrowed a bass and an amp. After a year in Maryland with his dad in a band with Bill Harrell, Ronnie made the decision to join the Osborne Brothers full time. By that time, they had released “Rocky Top” and they were hotter than any band in the music business.
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Ronnie Reno
Singing with Bobby and Sonny “was the attraction,” Ronnie said. “It was awful hard to leave my dad. He was my security, and of course I was leaving my instrument, too [the mandolin]. But their singing was calling me. I’ve always been a harmony singer; I could hear it. I came on bass with them for a year or so, and then Dale Sledd left and I started singing in the trio and playing guitar. It was wonderful. We just had the best time with moving harmony parts…. Bobby Osborne’s voice was a different high part than Bill Monroe’s. It was more of
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a rounded note, clean and clear. He had a special voice. He still does today. But Sonny did, also. It took all of it to make what they did special. Bobby was always there when the red light came on. He could deliver. In fact, we all could. It was just at that point in our lives. There have been several bands that I’ve been with, that I was so fortunate to be with during some of their greatest moments professionally.”
International Bluegrass
Ronnie learned the magic of creative harmony arrangement from the Osbornes, and with The Reno Brothers he continued to learn that “sibling harmony means a lot. Those two,” he remarks proudly…. “Just because they’re my brothers, I can brag on them. But they have never gotten the acclaim they should get. They can play. Of course our family has always been sort of low key when it comes to patting ourselves on the back. If you like it and you want to tell us, then we’ll say, ‘Thank you,’” Ronnie smiles. “But as far as tooting our own horn, we just don’t do it.”
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In fact, the one time in recent history his peers in the music business can remember Ronnie Reno being at a loss for words was two years ago when he was named IBMA’s Broadcaster of the Year. He was surprised. “That really meant a lot to me, and was very close to my heart,” he said, “that, ok—our industry is appreciating what we’re trying to do here. And of course what we’re trying to do is something that will be here for many years after I’m gone.” Reno says he’s fortunate to be in the position to have access to many of the genre’s earliest video archives, and he’s made it his business to preserve them, along with creating new bluegrass video programming. In fact, Ronnie is a bit of a walking Bluegrass Music Museum.
Ronnie says that his current band is one of the “cleanest” bands on the bluegrass circuit. “Nobody smokes. You don’t smoke on our bus. You don’t drink. And we have more fun than I ever did when I was, as they say, wild and wooly,” he laughed out loud. “My mandolin player came with me when he was 17 years old, and he’s 26 now. I never will forget his mother asking me about drugs and alcohol. And I said, ‘Susie, if he don’t bring them with him, he won’t get him here.’ And she’s found out that that’s been the truth. The group was just not put together that way. We’re just strictly about playing the music, and they are just wonderfully talented. You’ll hear it on this record. It’s not an album of session players. Other than Sonya Isaacs [vocal
harmony] and Harry Stinson [percussion], that’s my band on Lessons Learned. Steve Chandler engineered it, and he co-produced it with me.”
Pick up a copy of Lessons Learned or tune into see Ronnie Reno on RFD next Saturday night. He’s paid his dues and learned his lessons well during the past 60 years. And we still get to enjoy, as well as learn from, the fruits of his labor. Rock on with your boogie grass band, Ronnie Reno!
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Feature
Dailey and Vincent come Alive Bluegrass rockstars release first live album and DVD through Cracker Barrel
By Taylor Coughlin Darrin Vincent and Jamie Dailey have risen in the ranks of dominating performers in the bluegrass world, and beyond. Now, they’re celebrating their first live album release, Alive! In Concert, through longtime partners, Cracker Barrel. That’s not all – the concert, recorded live during a performance at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the George Mason University campus in Manassas, VA, will be available on DVD through Cracker Barrel, as well as broadcast nationwide on public television stations. “Alive was a dream and a mountain to climb,” said Darrin Vincent. “Thanks to our partners, management and team working hard, we’re excited to debut new, old & classic songs we love. We hope everyone will enjoy and be touched with the behind-the-scenes story of our lives and career.”
Dailey & Vincent ALIVE! Features 15 tracks of new material, old favorites, and classics of bluegrass, country and gospel. But there’s a twist: At times there is a 50-piece orchestra and 100-person choral group singing along. “When you’ve got that many great singers and players around you, it’s like there’s really no way you can mess up because they carry you so easily and they make your job so
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much easier to showcase your entertainer abilities, your vocal abilities, your instrumental abilities,” said Jamie Dailey. “I almost felt like Frank Sinatra sometimes having those orchestras around us and those choral groups around us.” The most ambitious project of Dailey and Vincent to date, production costs for the show were raised for over a year. Produced by Dailey, Vincent, and their manager Zac Koffler (APEX Entertainment Management), the project took a lot of time, patience, and teamwork to build.
“This project was truly amazing to put together,” Koffler said. “We knew what we wanted to accomplish and worked our way backward to get there. With the right vision, the right partners, the very best of talent, and a tremendous amount of hard work, we were able to accomplish our goals. To the many contributors of time, love, talent and expertise – we are thankful.” The album kicks off with a spirited Mumford-and-Sons type of song, “We’re All Here to Learn,” with soaring harmonies and a meaningful, inspirational message. “I love the message of the song because it does speak really to how we live our lives,” Dailey said. “We’re all here to learn. We’re learning every day with different experiences.”
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The dynamic show weaves in between many different moods. Bluegrass ballads like, “I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee,” to a fiery fiddle instrumental by B.J. Cherryholmes called “Nine Yards,” the album lends itself great to listening – but it entices the listener to see it for themselves in the live DVD.
“To see it live, to see the production of it, I think is really important,” said Vincent. “Albums you can doctor and things like that. But when you do it live and up front, it brings it to a whole new level. I think it’s a more artistic kind of thing. It’s either you’re ‘on’ or you’re not. There’s no tricks in the studio, nothing we can do to fix it. It’s just a thing you need to see and it’s fun to watch.” Though it’s hard to pick, one highlight of the album is “Atlanta Blue,” an original by The Statler Brothers that the orchestra plays on. Not only is it a fun, nostalgic listen, its new twist with the bass vocals by Christian Davis make it really memorable. What makes a live album great is the banter you hear between the performers and the audience, the anecdotes before launching into songs, and the raucous applause. A great intro by Dailey happens before “American Pride,” a song he wrote with Opry legend Bill Anderson.
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Dailey and Vincent
“I think it makes the world a better place when we help each other.” A great cover concludes the album: Glen Campbell’s “Less of Me.” Dailey said he had heard it for years. “I love the message of it because it does talk about how we need to make things less about us and make it more about others,” he said. “I think it makes the world a better place when we help each other.”
And let’s not forget about the incredible musicianship of the Dailey and Vincent band, made up of BJ Cherryholmes, Molly Cherryholmes (special guest), Jeff Parker, Christian Davis, Seth Taylor, Bob Mummert, Jessie Baker, Buddy Hyatt and Mark Fain. While Dailey and Vincent lead the show with sheer professionalism and entertainment, the band is solid,
slick, and impressive throughout. Dailey and Vincent do a great job of recognizing the talent of their band members and letting them shine, too.
This is the third exclusive collaboration between Dailey & Vincent and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.
“I would like for the listener to listen with an open mind and open ears and live inside these songs,” Dailey said. “…let the songs carry them on a trip with beautiful lyrics that tell a story. To me, that’s what music should do. To me as a singer, writer and producer, that’s what it should all be about.”
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Not only will this elevate the status of Dailey and Vincent in the ranks of highly-talented entertainers, the duo hopes it reaches audience on a whole new level.
“I think it’s going to be something to help all bluegrass and acoustic music in general to get to more people and make it more public,” Vincent said. “I think [this project] is going to be a good boost to get the younger audience involved in this kind of music.” Dailey and Vincent ALIVE! In Concert is available as an album and DVD at Cracker Barrel restaurants and stores, and on the Cracker Barrel website.
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May 2015
Fresh Sounds
Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle Rural Rhythm Records www.stevegulley.com
Wood & Wire, The Coast www.woodandwireband.com
Yonder Mountain String Band, Black Sheep Frog Pad Records www.yondermountain.com Out June 16
Hammertowne, Highways & Heartaches Mountain Fever Records www.mountainfever.com
Delta Reign, Nothing But Sky Travianna Records www.deltareign.com
Joshua Palmer, met-a-cog-ni-tion Patuxent Music www.pxrec.com
The Steel Wheels, Leave Some Things Behind Big Ring Records www.thesteelwheels.com
The Gibson Brothers, Brotherhood Rounder Records www.gibsonbrothers.com
Ronnie Reno, Lessons Learned Rural Rhythm www.ronniereno.com
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“AirPlay Direct is an incredibly valuable tool for artists and their teams to utilize in efforts to promote their music to radio,” said IBMA Consultant Nancy Cardwell. “And for broadcasters, it’s a convenient, free, online service where they can download new music for their terrestrial, satellite and internet-based radio programs. If you’re not already taking advantage of this service, I urge you to check it out at ”
May 2015
Industry news
On the charts - as reflected at press time Billboard: Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn at number one. The Phosphorescent Blues, Punch Brothers at number two; Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions, Robert Earl Keen at number three.
Bluegrass Today songs: “Leaving CrazyTown” by Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle (written by Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford) at number one; “Roll Big River” by Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (written by Dustin Pyrtle, Eli Johnston) at number two; “Tennessee Flat Top Box,” by Darin and Brooke Aldridge (written by Johnny Cash) at number three.
Bluegrass Unlimited Songs: “Honky-Tonked to Death,” by Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice (written by Bill Castle) at number one; “Her Love Won’t Turn on a Dime,” by Lonesome River Band (written by B. Butler, T. Johnson, S. Minor) at number two. “Nothin’ to You,” by Becky Buller (written by Becky Buller) at number three.
Singing News songs: “Healed” by Locust Ridge at number one; “Pull Your Savior In,” by Larry Stephenson Band at number two; “Stacking Up the Rocks,” by Balsam Range at number three.
Bluegrass Unlimited Albums: Earls of Leicester by Earls of Leicester (Rounder) at number one; ‘Tween Earth and Sky by Becky Buller (Dark Shadow) at number two; When I’m Free by Hot Rize (Ten in Hand) at number three.
Roots Music albums: Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions, Robert Earl Keen at number one; When I’m Free by Hot Rize at number two; Voices by Volume Five at number three.
Standing o! IBMA award-winning bluegrass group Balsam Range raised more than $100,000 for charities in Western NC with the 5th Annual Winter Concert Series. The event was held in Canton, NC in early April at the historic Colonial Theatre.
Association News The Louisville Bluegrass Music Association has announced their 5th Annual Pig & Pickin’ Roast. The event will be held on May 30th in Clarksville, In from 12-6pm. For more information, visit www.bluegrass-anonymous.org.
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The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association presents The Minnesota Homegrown Kickoff Music Festival. This weekend of bluegrass music will be held on May 29-31 at the El Rancho Mañana Campground in Richmond, MN. Visit www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org for more information.
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Industry news For the record - need to know Beverly Hills based publishing group and record label, Concord Music, has recently acquired Sugar Hill Records and Vanguard Records. Sugar Hill is planned to move into the Nashville offices of Rounder Records, also of Concord Publishing. The 2014 film How To Write A Banjo Concerto has been released to video on demand! The film follows Béla Fleck as he composes The Imposter, his self-composed concerto that was recorded with the Nashville Symphony. The film is available to view through iTunes, Vimeo on Demand, Amazon, Vudu, and Cinema Now. Jody King, first-rate bluegrass musician and instrument designer, is proud to announce his brand new banjo company, the King Banjo. With this company, King has entirely reworked the design of the five-string banjo to create an instrument suitable for both bluegrass and old time playing. The King Banjo features some very unique designs that are sure to surprise banjo players everywhere.
IBMA award winning band Blue Highway will be featured in a six-part series on “Bluegrass From the Country Store.” Fans will enjoy six months of “Blue Highway Wednesdays” featuring interviews and music with the band members, beginning on the fourth Wednesday of each month from April to September. The weekly show airs on Wednesdays from 5:00-8:00 pm ET on www.BluegrassMix.com Jamie Johnson has left The Grascals, saying that he wants to spend more time with his family (he has a young son) and focusing on his health. North Carolina guitarist/vocalist John Bryan will be stepping in. The International Bluegrass Music Museum has announced new board members: Mike Simpson (Chairman), Terry Woodward (Vice-Chairman), Rosemary Conder (Secretary), and Chris Love (Treasurer). Six trustees are rotating out of their positions including current Chairman, Dr. Peter Salovey; Secretary, Terry Gold; Executive Committee member, Gill Holland and Trustees, Dr. Richard Brown, Larry Harrington and Jesse McReynolds.
In Remembrance Longtime IBMA member and Trust Fund Board Member H. Conway Gandy, of Fort Collins, Colorado, passed away. A retired judge, Gandy was passionate about the music community and was very involved at IBMA. He gave much of his time and expertise to the Bluegrass Trust Fund, helping many bluegrass folks in their desperate times of need. Famed fiddler and songwriter Tex Logan passed away on April 24 of a heart attack and renal failure at age 87, with his daughter Jody by his side. Benjamin F. Logan (his legal name),
played with Mike Seeger, The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, Bill Monroe and Peter Rowan. His songs were recorded by Bill Monroe to Bob Dylan. Noted audio engineer and long time bluegrass musician, Jerry Williamson, passed away on April 6 after a long struggle with brain cancer. A West Virginia native, Jimmy had been running sound at various bluegrass festivals for many years. He had also been a member of some popular bluegrass bands, including Outdoor Plumbing Company and Red Wing. Jerry has left behind a number of original bluegrass
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tunes that have been recorded by some top artists. Jerry will be missed in the bluegrass community. Jesse Carpenter, 26, passed away on Sunday morning in a single car accident. Coming from the Blue Ridge region of Virginia, Jesse was known for his energetic mandolin style and soaring tenor voice. Jesse had been a member of some regional bluegrass bands such as The Bluegrass Brothers and The Locust Mountain Boys. The bluegrass community is devastated by this sudden loss.
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