"Pull Your Savior In" - The Larry Stephenson Band - a review

Well, first off, this band is celebrating their 25th anniversary with this bluegrass/gospel CD. This recording majors on their vocals. Larry Stephenson sings lead, harmony and plays mandolin. Colby Laney sings lead and harmony vocals and plays guitar. Kenny Ingram sings  harmony vocals, plays banjo and some lead guitar on one song. Danny Stewart sings bass vocal on a song and plays acoustic bass.

   Jimmy Fortune, guest artist sings tenor vocal on a song. Aubrey Haynie plays fiddle. David Parmley and Dale Perry sing harmony vocals. Kristen Scott Benson played her first stint on banjo with this group at age 19. She played another stint with them a few years later. This album was produced by Ben Surrat and Larry Stephenson. 

   This is a very well produced CD. The first song is an accapello version of "Amazing Grace."  This is a song that everyone likes, but for some reason, it just does not move me. However, the next two songs "Pull Your Saviour In" and "Come To Jesus Moment" are two sensational gospel songs. I mean, the lyrics, the singing are all great. They kind of just stick with you. There is a good version of the "Great Speckled Bird". Other traditional songs done well are "How Great Thou Are" and "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning". Overall, it is a refreshing gospel album, that does a great balance of gospel and bluegrass. They sound like they are a really good bluegrass group.  This album comes out this week on Oct. 21. You can get a copy at their website or at Amazon.

                                       www.larrystephensonband.com

"The View" - The Roys - A Review

 On Sept. 2,2014, The Roys released their new bluegrass CD, "The View". The beautiful cover art of this CD will definitely catch your eye showing Lee and his sister Elaine on the porch of a beautiful cabin, tree covered view behind them.

  They have been making successful bluegrass CDs since 2011, starting with "Lonesome Whistle". They have a faithful following of fans to their melodic style of bluegrass with Christian songs mixed in.

  On this CD ,they did some things differently, Lee did all of the recording himself and they used the instruments played by their own band members, instead of studio musicians.  Also, every song is written by them, sometimes with the help of others. It came out real well, the playing of his own road band is surprisingly good, as Lee is a well talented mandolin player.

  There are a total of eleven tracks and the final track is with the help of Doyle Lawson about Bill Monroe, called "The Mandolin Man".

  Daniel Patrick on banjo and dobro is surprisingly good. On "Northern Skies",an instrumental, Lee plays some exciting mandolin parts, which have an original sound. He gets some beautiful tone out out of his mandolins. Clint White plays very good fiddle. Erik Alvar does a very good job with his bass parts.

  The CD has a good variety of mellow, original bluegrass songs. My favorites are "Sometimes", "Live The Life You Love", an upbeat song, Really like "The View", a real nice slow ballad by Elaine. It is slow and wistful. A really nice ballad featuring Elaine. "No More Tears Left To Cry" is a really well crafted song with some great dobro by Daniel.

   Overall, The View is one of the best CDs, put out by the Roys.

                      www.theroysonline.com

"Flatt Lonesome Too" - Flatt Lonesome -A Review

 Flatt Lonesome had a great debut CD. It is very hard to come out with a good follow up to a great CD like theirs In fact, the second CD is always a hard item for a group to put out.

  Well, Too does not disappoint, they sound even tighter with all new material. Their Dobro player Mike really sounds great, coming out with some real melodious playing. Both Buddy's vocals and guitar playing have improved. This group plays with real great dynamics, not going full tilt all of the time, but doing some real nice playing with their instruments. Buddy has a couple of real nice guitar solos on this CD. Kelsi and Charli's vocals sound even better than before. I really like their harmony's on "I Can't Be Bothered Any More". Kelsi sounds great on the slow ballad "Make It Through The Day".

  "He Still Hears" is a very good gospel song that is full of emotion. Their harmonies are so moving and intricate. Another great gospel song with great instrumental breaks is "I'm Ready Now". Mike tears it up on the Dobro and Buddy plays a hot guitar break. A song with a very catchy melody and great vocals is "I Thought You Were Someone I Knew", an upbeat heart break bluegrass ballad.

  There is like a wow factor to this CD, really have not figured it out yet, whether it is the production or that sibling thing with Buddy, Kelsi and Charli. Maybe it is the excellent playing on the instruments. These are not studio musicians, these are the same young folk in the group, no one else. By the way ,you can really hear the Bass well on this CD and Dominic really plays some solid bass for the foundation. A lot of bluegrass groups add drums and percussion to their CDs. You don't need that, maybe that is why this is so special. This year it really looks like they are building some great momentum and a larger fan base on the long festival trek. That is hard work, These Bluegrass musicians are hard workers, plus it is hot out there in the afternoon when they do their first set. I can't see why this CD would not win some kind of IBMA award or even a grammy, it is excellent. Plus, these are all new songs, no cover songs, just new and original material. Paul Harrigill wrote two songs and helped out with another song. Sorry, I forgot to mention his excellent banjo pickin, He can play. Kelsi wrote a song and helped out with another one. Twelve very good songs, no filler material. I never skip anything, just put it on and play it through, love to listen to it in my car. 

  These young folk put out a great example, They are professing Christians as are a lot of Bluegrass musicians. They dress very well at their shows, I wish them all the best. Last, but not least, the artwork and pictures on the on the CD Cover are done very well. Hope, that I get to see them someday, I live just a little too far off of the circuit. The only place around here that showcases Bluegrass is Sellersville Theatre where I have seen Mountain Heart, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder and The Grascals, all shows that I loved. I will say, don't miss Ricky Skaggs, He has an awesome band, and still puts on a super show. He packed out the place twice in one day. You can preorder the CD off of their website, at their label or on Amazon.

                               www.flattlonesome.com    www.crossroadsmusic.com      

"Off The Grid - Doin' It Dylan" - Charlie Daniels Band - A Review

Well, this is different for the Charlie Daniels Band. Some of the
first sessions work on the guitar, that Daniels did when he moved to
Nashville was for Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline" album. Charlie was
just supposed to fill in for a day for a guitarist who did not show
up. Dylan wanted Charlie to keep playing, not the guy who didn't show
up. In fact ,Charlie kept playing for him on Dylan's next two albums
done in Nashville. Daniels said that Dylan and him got along and he
was easy to work with. So Charlie thought that He would do a tribute
album for Dylan.

  The sound is refreshing ,acoustic ,bouncy , Daniels vocals sound as
good as ever. For me, I really had always been a fan of Dylan's songs,
but not his versions. Charlie's vocals were mixed loud enough that it
was easy to hear the words and appreciate the meaning of the songs,
Charlie really enunciated the versing well, it showed that He truly
loved the songs, and I really understood the meaning of the songs, for
the first time, plus you can really hear joy in Daniel's singing. The
band is like a folk, bluegrass band, with drums, harmonica, some
mandolin and sweet Dobro. I'm sure that Daniels still misses Taz, the
last member of his original band, who passed away not too long ago.
There is a lot of piano in the mix, in fact , it is one of the
dominant instruments. It is an interesting mix of Dylan songs, Some
upbeat, some serious, a couple sad, really something for everyone to
relate to.

    He starts up with a real upbeat version of "Tangled Up in Blue",
He puts a real interesting fiddle riff in the song to keep it moving.
He does upbeat versions, but serious versions of "Hard Rain Going to
Fall" and "The Times They Are a Changing".

     Daniels said that he learned a lot from playing on Dylan's
recordings that later he learned some things about leading his own
band. Dylan was all about a sense of freedom and letting a musician
play what he wanted to play ,rather than tell him every phrase. Other
songs on the CD are "You are Going to have to serve Somebody", "Just
Like a Woman", and the Manfred Mann Hit,
 "The Mighty Quinn", and I think my favorite is his version of "I
Shall be Released".  Charlie Daniels has become a man who is a hard
worker and a large believer in America and Christianity. And He is not
afraid to say what is on his mind. I honestly was impressed about how
tight his band is on the whole album, and for me, I'll put it on if I
need something to put me in a good mood. See what you think, if this
something you might like.
                        www.charliedaniels.com

"Flatt Lonesome" - Flatt Lonesome - A Review

http://youtu.be/rRaAtQLqb_M

     These young folk have formed one of the best sounding traditional bluegrass groups around. If you watch the youtube above, you will get an idea of their talent level plus the love they have for their craft. The vocals  are built around 3 sibling and they harmonize so well together. Plus they play their instruments so well. Siblings Kelsi Robertson Harrigill, Charli Robertson and brother Buddy Robertson handle vocals plus Kelsi plays all mandolin, Charli plays fiddle and Buddy plays guitar and is leader of group. He is an excellent guitarist, playing both lead and rhythm. They play a lot of recognizable cover songs on their debut CD.
      Helping the sibling out on the other instruments is Mike Stockton who plays a very good Dobro, and they have Paul Harrigill on banjo who is quite an accomplished player and on upright bass,they have Dominic Illingworth who does a good job of keeping the beat going well. My favorite song on the CD is the popular country/bluegrass "Jackson", which sounds like a live version. Buddy and sister Charli do a great job on vocals. Their vocals are quite remarkable. Gospel song "On The Right Side" is done very well by Kelsi on lead vocals. The last song "Boondocks" is done very well in a trio style by Kelsi, Charli and Buddy. These youngsters are very entertaining, they have lots of youtubes on youtube, and they really sound great live. Some of their vocal arrangements are like the best in bluegrass. I would love to catch them at a festival this year. They have some original songs on the CD too. Kelsi wrote "One Foot in The Grave" and "Just Any Moment". I love their version of "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger" and "Draggin My Heart Around", a couple of songs that are pretty popular. They are fortunate to be a member of Mountain Home Records, which also has the "Grascals" and "Balsam Range". Mountain Home Records is blessed to have one of the best recording engineers around in their studio in the Mountains of North Carolina. And I have yet to hear , Van Atkins do a bad recording. He not only records their CDs , but also does the mastering, which is unusual. Most groups or labels all send their finished record out to a good mastering engineer like Doug Sax or Georgetown Masters in Nashville, Tennessee. Van just switched over from 2 inch analog tape to Pro Tools in the last couple of years. He is simply one of the best in Bluegrass. The artwork on the CD is great too, There is a living room chair on the Cover, with a blackboard which says simply "Flatt Lonesome" on it. This is a group with a huge upside to it. Check them out.
                                                               www.FlattLonesome.com
www.crossroadsmusic.com

Only Me - Rhonda Vincent - A Review

Rhonda Vincent releases her new 2 CD package "Only Me" on Upper Management Music 1/28/14.

  Rhonda has been singing and picking traditional bluegrass music for quite a while now. The Bluegrass CD has a real rich sound recorded at her own Studio , Adventures Studio by recording engineer, Joey Crawford, who also mixed the CD. Present day Rage is Hunter Berry on fiddle, Brent Burke on resophonic guitar, Mickey Harris on upright bass, with Aaron Macdaris on banjo. Rhonda plays mandolin and Josh Williams plays some real good guitar. Willie Nelson his guitar on title track "Only Me" which is a duet with Rhonda. Darryl Singletary sings a song with Rhonda on the bluegrass CD "We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds". The instruments sound great on the bluegrass side with Rhonda playing some great mandolin. It's hard to believe that she has been recording since 1967. She still looks gorgeous and her vocals are beautiful. Dolly Parton gives her a compliment on her great bluegrass singing in the credits. Very good song selection which is one with a live sounding vibe.

   Rhonda's last CD was two years ago, a gospel CD "Sunday Morning Singing".  The country CD is equally good, her earlier CDs on Giant Records during the ninetys were country. Her country voice reminds me a bit of Lee Ann Womack. She starts out with a song that she wrote herself called "Teardrops Over You" which is a great slow song. The country record was recorded at the tracking room in Nashville ,featuring Tim Crouch on fiddle, Kevin Grant on upright bass, Carl Jackson on acoustic guitar, Mark Johnson who is incredible on pedal steel . Catherine Marx on piano, James Mitchell on lead guitar, Michael Rojas plays piano on (Drivin' Nails) and Lonnie Wilson on drums.

    The country CD has a great selection of songs by well known writers like Bill Anderson.  It has Rhonda's great country voice with some just dynamite interplay with the musicians, especially Mike Johnson on pedal steel, James Mitchell on electric guitar and Catherine Marx on piano. Recorded again by Joey Crawford with some assist by Jarad Clement. I remember the days when the great Bill Voorndick recorded most of Vincent's music.  This CD has some great artwork with Rhonda on the cover looking great with some nice design ideas, one being that it has this special jewel case for two CDs that really work. I have really enjoyed Vincent's CD. If you like the real deal, Rhonda is it.

                                www.rhondavincent.com

"Pennsylvania Coal" - Irene Kelley - A Review

  Veteran Nashville songwriter Irene Kelley and small town native of Pennsylvania has a new singer-songwriter bluegrass CD coming out in the early part of February, 2014. This is all acoustic music produced by Mark Fain. Kelley has written hits for lots of other artists.

  This CD is a tribute to her coal mining grandfather who was a coalminer in Pennsylvania. This is no ordinary Bluegrass CD, I mean it is loaded with some of the truly best talent on the Nashville music scene today. A sampling of the musicians is Mark Fain on Bass, Bryan Sutton on guitar, banjo and dojo for one track. The music is nothing less than Sparkling, like a cool mountain stream. More musicians include Adam Steffey on mandolin, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Lynn Williams on Drums and percussion, and Irene Kelley, autoharp.

   Background singers include Dale Ann Bradley, Steve Gulley, Claire Lynch, Trisha Yearwood, Darren Vincent, Carl Jackson, Rhonda Vincent and Chip Davis, just to mention the best.  

   There is really not a bad song on this whole CD , maybe some stick out more, but the selection and vocals make them great. "Sister's Heart" has a neat pattern of banjo playing which helps define the sparsely produced song. "Things We never did" has a traditional vein in it.  "Angels Around Her" with Claire Lynch has some real nice harmonies flowing thru it. Some great fiddle and mandolin too.  "Better With Time" is a slow ballad with Trisha Yearwood singing backup vocals. Bryan Sutton plays some really nice guitar runs on this song. "Garden Of Dreams" is a beautiful ballad with some of Irenes' best vocal work.  Probably the most upbeat song with a catchy melody is the opener "You Don't Run Across My Mind", and vocal help of Darrin Vincent.

  Overall, a very well done project, with excellent arrangements, both vocally and instrumentally. This CD will be released on Feb 11, 2014 on Patio Records.

                           www.irenekelley.com

"The Roys" - Play the Grand Old Opry for the First time

Nashville, TN (November 4, 2013) - Award-winning Bluegrass siblings THE ROYS marked another milestone in their career with their Grand Ole Opry debut last Friday night on the stage of Nashville's world-famous Ryman Auditorium. Introduced by Grammy-winning Opry legend Jeannie Seely and backed by the renowned Opry band, THE ROYS brought down the house with "You Can Count on My Love" and their version of Merle Haggard's "Ramblin' Fever," both tracks from their latest album GYPSY RUNAWAY TRAIN.



"There are no words to describe what we're feeling right now, so we thank y'all for sharing in our dream come true," vocalist/guitarist Elaine Roy told the Ryman audience. "I just want to say that dreams do come true, so never give up. God always opens the doors. You will never know how incredibly awesome this is."

www.roys.com

"Grascals Live at Sellersville Theatre" - Oct. 24,2013 - A Review

Live at

A friend and I really enjoyed the Grascals tonight at Sellersville Theatre in Sellersville,Pa. We got lost on the way up, but there was an opening act, so we got there right on time. I have been trying to catch them for the last 3 years, but things always came up, not tonight. They put on a delightful show tonight doing some numbers I had not heard before. The crowd was excited and enjoyed the show. Looks like there was a new fiddle player in the fold, his nickname is Redbone. Don't ask me. He did a fine job on his third weekend with the band.
They started out the show with "Mystery Train" on all cylinders. They had some news about a new CD in the works. Kristen sounded great on banjo, she is more fun live than on CD, that young lady can really play. They played a combination of their own songs from their last few CDs and some bluegrass covers. There was a real poignant moment when Jamie was singing "Road to Surrender", from their last CD. He got thru the first verse , and he just lost it, froze up on the stage , He walked off for a second and came back and finished the song, it was a real moving moment, if you know that song , the crowd was yelling out encouragement. It was a real special moment. They really put on a great performance. They finished the show with "Up this Hill and Down ", It was a real stellar performance!!

www.grascals.com

"Flying" - Darin and Brooke Aldridge - Review

Darin and Brooke Aldridge have put out a CD in my opinion that is refreshing. To quote Jim Lauderdale , he says "Darin and Brooke bring tradition to today and today to tradition". This couple sings so well together, their harmonies are just uncanny. I call this CD a mood changer, I like to listen to it with breakfast, they use different songwriters including their own member Becky Buller.



I'm listening to a song I love called "Trying To Make Clocks Slow Down", by Bill Whyte just a sample of the many great songs on this expertly crafted CD.

Brooke sings the lead on this , the instruments are placed expertly in the mix. There is a lot of pettiness about some things in bluegrass, like this CD has a quiet drum kit in the background of the music. So if that is going to ruin it for you, get a Bill Monroe CD. I can like both. This is just one of those albums that does not have one bad song on it, and it is recorded in a studio in North Carolina, Crossroads Studio, by sound master Van Atkins, who recorded, mixed and mastered it all by himself. I wouldn't recommend this myself, I usually think that another person should master a CD, for one reason to get a fresh set of ears on the recording, but Atkins gets a pass on this from me, He recorded "Papertown" by Balsam Range which spent an incredible amount of time at the top of the Billboard Bluegrass Chart and won CD of the Year for the IBMA. It was a masterpiece similar to this. Brooke and Darin produced this CD.



Jim Lauderdale wrote the liner notes for this CD, there is another statement that he made in which I agree, "I can't really do justice in trying to describe the essence of this record in words; you just have to hear it to know what I mean. " I have had this CD for about a month and it is still as fresh now as when I first heard it. I really think that it is going to do well.



I have to mention a couple of other songs in closing. The first song that I need to mention is their jaw dropping version of "Outbound Plane", by Nanci Griffith, which honestly is the hook that got me that got me listening to the CD, and when I listen to a CD, I like to listen to the whole CD, and there just is not a bad song on here. They do "Outbound Plane" almost exactly like Nanci Griffith originally did it, but with more of a bluegrass sound. The other song which gets extra mention is "Love Does" by Jamie Johnson, which is done as a duet, with some sweet harmonies.



No studio musicians used, it is recorded with their road band. Darin Aldridge plays guitar, mandolin and Bouzouki. Becky Buller on harmony vocals and fiddle. Collin Willis plays a very tasty sounding Dobro, Dwayne Anderson on bass, Tony Creasman on percussion and Leah Bowen on Harmony vocals. Check This Out.



www.darinandbrookealdridge.com

Ricky Skaggs "Kentucky Traveler" - Book Review

Ricky Skaggs is one of the few iconic figures left in bluegrass music today. Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, and a lot of the founders and keepers of the sound out of the hills of Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina during the 50s and 60s. Ricky's Dad was a guitar player and wanted Ricky to play mandolin. He picked up a Gibson mandolin for Ricky at age 5. At 6 1/2 Ricky got to play mandolin for Bill Monroe. At the age of 7, Ricky got to play in the Skaggs Family Band. His dad had a brother named Okel who passed away. So his Dad primed him to take Okels Place in the Band. Ricky got the chance to play on television with the Foggy Mountain Boys, Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. A few months later he played with the Stanley Brothers.



So was the life of Ricky Skaggs who wrote this book with the help of writer, Eddie Dean, who was a ghostwriter. Reading about Skaggs is reading also bluegrass history and country music history, because for awhile, Skaggs took a place playing country music. Dean does a good job of getting across what Skaggs wanted in this book. Skaggs lived at a time when it was ripe to be a bluegrass musician, or a country musician.

www.countryreviews.blogspot.com

"Gypsy Runaway Train" - The Roys - A Review

The Roy's had a brilliant idea for their third CD on Rural Rhythm Records. They decided to pick several cover songs that they had been playing for several years with their road band, they had had fans ask them where they can find some of the songs on CD that they had been playing in shows for years. So they decide on this CD, they would take their road band and record the cover songs with them, and their new original material they would continue to let Andy Leftwich and members of Kentucky Thunder, (Ricky Skagg's Band) play the music for the their own songs. This makes for more work ,but it gives the Roy's fans an opportunity to hear what the Roys sound like with their road band.


The Roys road band has Elaine on guitar, Lee on mandolin. On bass, they have Royal Masat, their fiddle player is Clint White and they have an excellent banjo picker in Matthew Downing who can do some great Scrugg's like banjo playing. The songs recorded with their own band have a more intimate sparse sound with the vocals being the highlights. Lee is a very good mandolin player, and so also Clint White is a good Fiddler. My favorite cover songs they do are "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (Monroe), "He Took your Place" (Flatt and Scruggs) and "What Gives You The Right" (Adam Steffey).


For their original songs, it is basically the same musicians from Kentucky Thunder with Andy Leftwich producing this part with the Roy's. Let me say something about Andy Leftwich, He is Ricky Skaggs' fiddle player and this guy is dynamite, I saw him recently with Ricky Skaggs at Sellersville Theater up here in Pa., and I did not expect the show I got from that group, every player is excellent,and they just nail everything they do, I see why a lot of them do so much studio work. I talked to Andy briefly after their two hour show, and He is a very brilliant young man with a long future ahead of him. He really lit up when I brought up the Roys. I also met Justin Moses who plays banjo on the Roys original songs. He is another great banjo player from Skaggs' band. Cody Kilby plays guitar on the Roys original songs. Then you have Mark Fain on bass and Randy Kohrs playing some great Dobro. My favorite song on the CD is Elaine's heartbreak song about her divorce "Half Of Me", it is so powerful, I'm glad I got to hear her say a few words about it on a video today. Another favorite is the very upbeat "Gypsy Runaway Train", the title track of the CD. It is a song for the fans. Another song I like a lot is "Workin' On It" Their harmonies are great on this one. I love the lyrics too. The artwork on the Cd is excellent, simple, but beautiful.


www.theroysonline.com

"Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder" - Live At Sellersville Theatre, 5/11/13 - A Review

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder put on a show to remember before a packed house at the Sellersville Theatre, Saturday night, They played material from all over the place, including their most recent CD. The Crowd was definitely into the show, Skaggs is a real icon in the Bluegrass scene. But, I like how he has experimented with different styles over the years, like the CD that He did with Bruce Hornsby years ago, unlikely ,yet a great listen. He mixed some slow ballads with a lot of uptempo pickers, with the help of Andy Leftwich on fiddle, Cody Kilby on lead guitar, and Justin Moses on banjo. His band is filled with sessions musicians, plus an excellent bassist in Scott Mulvahill, who was playing all over the place, plus you could hear his upright bass in the mix. He also had a couple of excellent backup singers who also played rhythm guitar in Paul Brewster and Eddie Faris.



This band plays like a well oiled machine, they are tight, the mix is just right and the sound is lush, Skaggs uses studio quality condenser mikes for his mandolin and guitar, Leftwich's fiddle has a real musical tone, not scratchy, Moses gets great tone from his banjo, mandolin and dobro using the same type mike as Ricky, and Mulvahill gets a nice punchy tone from his standup bass.



They played a lot of songs from their latest CD, "Music To My Ears", which came out at the end of last year, a really well done CD with excellent material. Most of the musicians in the band had done solo CDs. Ricky let them do a song from their new material, which usually was done with the help of the rest of the band. Then they also did some material from Skaggs earlier albums ,a couple from "Mosaic". The show lasted a little over 2 hours with a brief intermission. This bluegrass band puts on a show which will leave you with a song in your heart and a smile on your face.



www.skaggsfamilyrecords.com

" Gypsy Runaway Train" - The Roys - Single Review

The Roys new single from their upcoming CD is the title track "Gypsy Runaway Train". This is actually a song about their fans and their relationship with them. It is an upbeat song with Lee singing the lead vocals and Elaine wrapping her wonderful harmonies around Lee's vocals. There is some excellent pickin' by members of Ricky Skaggs Kentucky Thunder, who play on about half of the songs on the new CD, Cody Kilby plays some lightning fast guitar runs, Randy Kohrs plays some hot Dobro and there is Mark Fain on bass, plus Andy Leftwich,who is a great fiddle player. There will be some interesting twists on the new CD, which I think will be the best CD yet by the Roys.

"Christmas The Mountain Way" - Christmas Bluegrass DVD/CD

This Christmas DVD/CD release by Rural Rhythm Records is a very warm enjoyable experience. It Highlights a lot of their artists and has a couple of really nice original songs. It is recorded in the Bell Theatre in Pineville Kentucky. There is a crew of stage musicians including Jason Burlesn (banjo/guitar), Clint Hurd,(mandolin); Brandon Godman(fiddle), Vic Graves(dobro), and Bryan Turner and John Bradley on bass. A very beautiful and reverent production.

The MC for the night is Mike Scott. "Christmas The Mountain Way" is written and performed by Dale Ann Bradley and Steve Gulley. The other new song is written and performed by Cumberland River. It is named "Christmas In The Mountains". Lots of traditional Christmas songs and hymns take up the other 13 songs, which makes the DVD run over an hour, and the DVD has many special features. I'm happy just watching and listening to this great music. Audey Blaylock is a very good singer and performer. Marty Raybon sings his songs very well. Dale Ann Bradley is a great singer and adds alot to the production. Cumberland River is really the only totally full band, but their original song is very nice,bluegrass and Christmas go well together. You will enjoy this, it is so down home, nice decorations ,a lot of work into this show, and I'm only mentioning the highlights, there are more artists than I'm telling you about. You really need to get this and share it.

www.ruralrhythm.com

"Papertown" - Balsam Range" - A Review

This CD is a very refreshing and delightful piece of music. It is recorded in the fairly traditional bluegrass way. This group is five men, who got the name of their group from the Balsam Range of mountains in North Carolina that surround the area where they grew up around Canton, N. C., which is "Papertown". It is a great collection of songs written by a varied group of writers. Mostly fast paced and upbeat with some very good bluegrass ballads too.

The five men of Balsam Range are very seasoned and talented. Caleb Smith plays guitar and sings. Smith is an excellent all around bluegrass guitarist, whether picking out a snappy solo or playing rhythm guitar. He also builds guitars on the side when he is not playing with Balsam Range.
 

Buddy Melton plays an excellent fiddle and sings some of the lead vocals. Darren Nicholson is their hot mandolin player. Marc Pruitt plays some very good Scruggs like banjo. Tim Surrett plays upright bass and sings backup vocals.
 

The production on this CD is very good for acoustic music, the instruments have a very realistic sound with excellent tone. The mix and mastering is very well done too, leaving you a disc that is very easy on the ears. It is quite close to audiophile quality.
 

The album starts out with a mid tempo ,love gone wrong song called "Other Side Of The Mountain." The next song "Any Old Road" (will take you there), Caleb Smith sings lead on this song, He and Buddy Melton take turns singing Lead vocals, and sometimes one will sing lead on the verse and the other will sing lead on the chorus in the same tune. This is a mid tempo song too. It also has a very melodic bridge.
 

"Wide River To Cross" is a beautiful slow ballad. The instruments are quiet in the mix ,while Buddy Melton sings lead. Caleb Smith picks some fast guitar runs in "Day In The Life Of A Railroad Spike", the fastest song yet.
 

Smith sings "Better Days", a slow melodious song with some pretty fiddle. This song also has Surett playing some resophonic guitar which sounds very nice. "Row By Row" is a very melodic song sang by Melton, it is a gospel song.
 

OK, there is a little surprise here as I hear the guitar riffs to "One Way Out" ,a song made popular by the Allman Brothers which is sang in blues style by Tim Surrett, bass player. Caleb Smith really takes off on the single string guitar, making this song a fun break in the middle of the CD. Caleb Smith plays some more sweet lead guitar on "I Could Do You Some Good".
 

"Papertown" is the story of the mill town Canton where they were from, a slow melodic song sung with lots of emotion. They finish the CD playing "The Stream Lined Cannonball" (Roy Acuff). They really get the tempo up here and this CD ends too quickly for me.
 

Yes, I really relished this disc as it shines forth Appalachian gold. Balsam Range is a real talented bunch on the Mountain Home Label. The art work on the four sided cardboard disc holder is very well done in Depression Brown. CD recorded at Crossroads Studio in Arden,NC by Van Atkins and Scott Barnett. Disc mastered by Van Atkins. A very well done recording in all aspects.

www.Balsamnation.com

www.crossroadsmusic.com

"Music To My Ears" - Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder- A Review

This year has been a time of tremendous releases of Bluegrass music, this new Disc by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder being up amongst the top with some Stiff Competition, like The Roys, The Grascals and The Lonesome River Band.
I'm a bit partial to this as it is an audiophile recording,It has been seriously recorded by Skaggs Studio and mastered by Georgetown Masters in HDCD(Old Haunts of genious "Golden Ears" Denny Purcells, now run by his apprentice Andrew Mendelson and crew), The Sound quality just shimmers, and this is a full blown production that has a lot of time and love put into it. Skaggs produced the CD with the help of Gordon Kennedy. All that said, the recordings of the other artists mentioned were quite incredible themselves, like the latest Roys's CD ,which is also done in HDCD.

Ricky has some real good material on this Disc, like "Music to my Ears", a Christian bluegrass song that has the grand traditional bluegrass sound. Also, a great tribute to Doc Watson, who passed away this year, it is called "Tennessee Stud", a mid paced bluegrass gem with Cody Kilby on guitar. Kilby is one of the best guitarists in this genre today, along with Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton and Others. Skaggs is not one to be afraid to step out side the box, and he does some here with the slight sound of electric guitar floating down over some of the songs. Gordon Kennedy takes care of that. Skaggs has songs on here that just live, and they might live on in your heart like "There's Nothing Like A Family" ,last song on disc ,just leaving you with a sense of joy.                       www.rickyskaggs.com

The Grascals : Top Spins on Bluegrass Junction

The Grascals: Top Spins on Bluegrass Junction

Life Finds a Way is Most Played Album, Includes Most Played Single

NASHVILLE, TN --- The Grascals' latest album, Life Finds A Way, topped the Sirius XM Bluegrass Junction Chart this week with the highest number of plays. Additionally, the single, "Pretty Melody," which appears on the album, also enjoyed top spin status for a single.
“We want to thank the fans who listen and the good folks at Bluegrass Junction for playing,” Jamie Johnson says. “We sure love making the music, and it’s really sweet when folks respond so enthusiastically.”

To listen, tune into Bluegrass Junction (channel 61) on Sirius XM radio or visit www.siriusxm.com/bluegrassjunction

The multiple IBMA Entertainer of the Year award winners and multiple Grammy nominees are at their harmonious and instrumental best with Life Finds a Way (Mountain Home Records). The band is currently touring in support of the new project, sharing bluegrass classics and new music from the album. Band member, Kristen Scott Benson, just picked up yet another nomination as Banjo Player of the Year in the upcoming International Bluegrass Music Association annual awards.
The Grascals recently made their 125th appearance on the stage of the world renowned Grand Ole Opry.
For more on The Grascals, visit www.grascals.com
ABOUT THE BAND

Among the most beloved and acclaimed bands on the bluegrass scene, The Grascals have been repeatedly honored for their work. Named Instrumental Group of the Year at the 39th Annual SPBGMA Awards earlier in 2012, the group previously brought home three SPBGMA awards in 2011: Instrumental Group of the Year; Mandolin Performer of the Year (Danny Roberts) and Banjo Performer of the Year (Kristin Scott Benson). In 2010, they were named SPBGMA’s Bluegrass Band of the Year. The Grascals have also received the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Emerging Artist of the Year award (2005) and Entertainer of the Year award (2006, 2007). Kristin Scott Benson is the three-time winner of the IBMA’s Banjo Player of the Year Award (2008, 2009 & 2010). They’ve been twice nominated for Grammy Awards.
The Grascals joined Hank Williams, Jr. for numerous shows on his Rowdy Friends Tour throughout 2010, and headlined over 150 shows at State Fairs and on the Bluegrass festival circuit as well. The Grascals continue to enjoy extensive media exposure on a variety of outlets, including NPR’s Mountain Stage, RFD-TV, CMT, GAC, The Grand Ole Opry, Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, FOX & Friends, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Country Network (TCN) and both CBS’s Early Show and The Talk.

MEDIA CONTACT FOR INTERVIEWS, REVIEW COPIES:

claire ratliff

laughing penguin publicity

po box 140396 | nashville, tn 37214

615.476.3200laughingpenguin@comcast.net

www.penguinpublicity.com

 

The Roys Align With Team RealTree Outdoor Energy Drinks

Nashville, TN (September 10, 2012) -- Award-winning brother/sister duo THE ROYS have aligned with Team RealTree™ Outdoor Energy Drink for a strategic partnership.  THE ROYS will travel to their upcoming shows in a newly-wrapped bus with design and camouflage graphics courtesy of RealTree.  "It looks amazing," says Lee Roy.  "Very earthy," Elaine adds with a wink.  Other marketing efforts will be announced soon.
 
Team RealTree Outdoor Energy Drinks are available in several flavors. White Buck delivers a traditional energy drink flavor profile, but with a crisp, clean finish you've come to expect from Team RealTree Outdoor Energy.  Blaze Orange's crisp, refreshing flavor is paired with the perfect drinkability without being too sugary; easy to drink with the right amount of energy kick makes any hunt one to remember.  AP Citrus is cool and refreshing; carbonated with a hint of lime, the smooth and light flavor gives every outdoorsman a boost of energy to stay focused and alert.  Low-Carb Cream Soda is a new take on a classic; delivering all the flavor of a traditional cream soda with an extra energy boost--the only thing you sacrifice is calories.
 
 "We're truly excited about our partnership with THE ROYS," says Jamey Grosser, Managing Partner of Team RealTree Outdoor Energy Drink.  "Lee and Elaine are hard-working, energetic and talented.  They are in touch with Middle America and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and enjoy the great outdoors."
 
 Team RealTree Outdoor Energy Drink's slogan is "Not For City Boys," but the beverage, like THE ROYS' music, appeals to fans from all walks of life.  Currently the reigning Inspirational Country Music's Bluegrass Artist of the Year, the siblings are considered to be one of the fastest-rising acts in the business.  THE ROYS are heralded for a forward-thinking instrumental attitude that contrasts and complements their more traditional vocal style.  The duo has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada, performing at huge Festivals and Fairs and reaching larger and larger audiences.
 
 Lee and Elaine will need some Team RealTree Outdoor Energy Drinks in hand to tackle their next road run.  Upcoming appearances include numerous high-profile television and radio broadcasts surrounding the release of their newest EP, NEW DAY DAWNING, which debuted at Number 2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart last week.
 
 THE ROYS' full itinerary, photos and audio clips are available at www.THEROYSonline.com.
 
 Copies of NEW DAY DAWNING are available at retail outlets Wal-Mart, Music Millennium, The Disc Exchange, The Country Music Hall of Fame, Ernest Tubb Record Shops and online at AMAZON and iTunes.
 
About Team RealTree Outdoor Energy
NOT FOR CITY BOYS--As the number 1 energy drink brand for living life outdoors, Team RealTree Outdoor Energy is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for brands that complement the lifestyle of today's outdoorsman. Team RealTree Outdoor Energy beverages are the first to feature 16 oz. metal re-sealable bottles, different camouflage patterns for flavor variations and the distinctive Team RealTree logo.
 
 For more information, please visit us on FACEBOOK.
RealTree AP ©2006 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved.
 

Super-Hot Roys Sign With Prestige Agency,Moonstruck Management

Nashville, TN (September 6, 2012) - Another new day is dawning for super-hot duo THE ROYS.  The trend-setting siblings just signed an exclusive global booking agreement with prestige agency, Moonstruck Management.  "Peter and I have been fans of THE ROYS since the beginning," notes Josh Trivett, Moonstruck Management partner.  "We have watched them closely - both as they burst on to the Bluegrass scene with their signature sound and gave performances that are their own and truly unique.  It is with great pride that we join THE ROYS' team, and we look forward to growing with them for years to come," Trivett adds.

For Lee and Elaine the signing with Moonstruck Management for representation is another step forward.  Just as their sophomore Rural Rhythm Records' disc debuts at Number 2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart, they join an elite roster that includes Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Sal Gonzalez, Lonesome River Band, Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press and The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys.

As the reigning Inspirational Country Music's Bluegrass Artist of the Year, THE ROYS have just received nominations in three categories for the 18th Annual ICM Faith, Family & Country™ Awards scheduled to be held October 18.  The siblings were previously honored with the ICM's Duo of the Year award in 2010 and 2009.

Fans can follow THE ROYS online at THEROYSonline.com, Facebook and on Twitter @theroysonline.

MEDIA
so much MOORE media
Martha E. Moore / 615-746-3994
somuchmoore@charter.net
www.somuchmoore.com

BOOKING
Moonstruck Management / Excellence, Integrity, Vision
Josh Trivett / 626-893-5216
Josh@moonstruckmanagement.com