The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin

Search Amazon.com for grascals cdCracker Barrel Old Country Store(and restaurant) has been putting out special releases of good music for a few years. This one is a real special treat, with The Grascals as the House Band, they have recorded mostly older classic country covers, which is done very tastefully, with many special guests. Let's take a look at this album.




Jamie Johnson wrote a real special song while visiting St. Jude's Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis with the Grascals last winter. It is presented twice, once with Dolly Parton, and as a bonus track with mostly everyone here participating. A portion of proceeds of The Grascals & Friends goes to St. Jude’s. The song is "I Am Strong." The ending is priceless, as cancer patient Ansley McLaurin sings the last line.



Well, the CD starts out cookin' with Brad Paisley doing his version of "Tiger by The Tail"(Buck Owens). Sounds very good, He also puts in one of his signature guitar breaks, followed by Kristin of the Grascals taking off on banjo.



Well, I have to jump out of order here , Charlie Daniels just came on singing his very popular "Devil Went Down to Georgia." Charlie was so impressed with Grascals’ fiddler Jeremy Abshire playing, that he opted not to play on the track.



"Folsom Prison Blues", Featuring Dierks Bentley, Bentley does a great job covering Cash with The Grascals, some very nice harmonies too! Guitarist Kent Wells nails the guitar part.



"Pain of Lovin' You", Dolly Parton nails the song she wrote with Porter Wagoner, and the Grascals sound great playing with her. She then sings the

first version of "I Am Strong" with Jamie Johnson. The lyrics here are powerful. Dolly's voice is as good as ever. Very powerful song with some very nice harmonies.



"Louisiana Saturday Night" is just the Grascals performing this Bob McDill song. It is real upbeat, reminds me a bit of Brad Paisley’s "American Saturday Night". Just the concept, not necessarily the tune itself, really takes off well.



"The Year That Clayton Delaney Died" (Tom T Hall) sung by Tom T Hall with the Grascals. I really like this , Tom sings this very animated, a song that works very well.



"White Lightning" featuring Darryl Worley, this song rocks , in a bluegrass way, Kristin really rocks the banjo with lead guitarist Kent Wells playing some sweet electric country riffs.



This album is a lot of fun and has a ton of talent on it. You like some country and bluegrass, you will love this. I forgot one more important song, Joe Nichols singing "Mr Bojangles", another very well done piece with some great instrumentation by the Grascals. This is a great way to start out the new year. Check it out!!

-release date 1/10/11
-samples
http://cbmusic.crackerbarrel.com/artists/grascals



http://www.crackerbarrel.com/

http://www.grascals.com/



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The ICM Awards to be held on Thursday, October 14, 2010 at the Trinity Music City USA Auditorium

The ICM Awards to be Held on Thursday, October 14, 2010
at the Trinity Music City USA Auditorium

NASHVILLE, TN-August 18, 2010—The 16th Annual Inspirational Country Music Awards Show (ICM Awards) announces that Love And Theft, Joey + Rory, The Roys, Nathan Stanley along with Dr. Ralph Stanley and 2009 ICM Entertainer of the Year CrossCountry The Band, are all confirmed to perform on the award show.

When you see husband & wife duo Joey+Rory, you don’t need to be told that what they have is genuine. Just listen to their music or listen to them talk and you can tell that what they have is the real deal…not just as a musical duo, but as a couple. The deep connection they have doesn’t just shine through their music, it’s the reason their music shines.

“It’s such a blessing to get to play music and travel and see things we’ve never been able to see before. But the highlight of it all is being able to do it together.” states Joey

“Our plan is the same as it’s always been - to show up, do what we do and hope that magic will happen,” says Rory. “As hard as we work, we ultimately know that God’s plans are a lot bigger and better than we can make ourselves.”

Megan Alexander, Correspondent for the national television show, "INSIDE EDITION”, will co-host the award show that will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. CST at the Trinity Music City USA Auditorium located in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Tickets are $45.00 and are on sale now. Soles4Souls, the international shoe charity, will benefit from a portion of the ticket sales. For tickets, more information and show highlights, please visit www.icm-awards.com.

The annual Inspirational Country Music Awards are dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent among artists who perform Christian and Inspirational Country music. Inspirational Country music is inspired by Faith, Family, and Country™.

Previous show presenters and performers have included: Collin Raye, Ricky Skaggs, Craig Morgan, Tracy Lawrence, Natalie Grant with Wynonna, Charlie Daniels, Andy Griggs, Lonestar, Randy Houser, Jamie O’Neal, Josh Turner, Lee Greenwood, Emerson Drive, Richie McDonald, Linda Davis, Diamond Rio, Brian Littrell, Randy Owen, The Isaacs, Point of Grace, Phil Stacey, Melanie Walker, Jeff Bates, Tammy Cochran, the Carter Twins, Del Way and many more. Additional presenters and performers will be announced in the coming months.

The Inspirational Country Music Convention and Awards Show is a yearly event that draws music fans, broadcast media (radio, print, and TV) and the industry's top artists to Nashville to showcase music and to discuss industry related issues. The member-voted ICM Awards Show is the keynote event of Inspirational Country Week, slated for October 10-14, in Nashville, TN. The convention and show are presented by the 501C-3 not-for-profit corporation, founded in 1992, The Christian Country Music Association. For more Information on ICM Week, please email info@ccma.cc or visit www.ccma.cc .

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For more information on ICM Awards Show, please contact:
Kim Dettwiller, Team Strategies, 615-321-4073, teamstrategies@comcast.net
Jason Higgins, Power Source, 615-248-8105 x223, Jason@ccma.cc

The Country Music Hall OF Fame AND Museum Presents Sunday In The Country

THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM PRESENTS

SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY

12 INSPIRING HITS FROM TODAY’S TOP COUNTRY ARTISTS

Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban Among the Artists Featured in New CD Collection Benefiting Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum


Nashville, TN – Themes of family and faith run deep in country music, as evidenced by the explosion of inspiring hits topping the mainstream radio and sales charts.

New Haven Records in partnership with the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will release the CD Sunday in the Country: 12 Inspiring Hits From Today’s Top Country Artists this month. The project is set for a March launch at Christian retail through Provident-Integrity Distribution, and will be released to mainstream outlets through SONY Distribution.

The landmark new release includes a virtual “Who’s Who” of Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award-winning artists. Artists featured include Trace Adkins, Alabama, Diamond Rio, Vince Gill, Tracy Lawrence, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Steve Wariner and Lee Ann Womack.

Ken Harding, president of New Haven Records, comments, “For more than 20 years, our company has focused on the uniquely American genres of country, southern gospel, and black gospel music. Sunday in the Country, the third project in our outstanding partnership with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, has the potential to be our most successful release in the series.”

“Inspirational songs have always had an important place in the country music canon,” adds Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Director Kyle Young. “The songs that comprise Sunday in the Country uphold this rich tradition, offering hope, fellowship, solace and gratitude. New Haven Records has been releasing meaningful country and gospel recordings for two decades, and we’re pleased to be partners with them on this project.”

Joining successful collections such as Three Wooden Crosses, Amazing Grace, Country’s Salute to Gospel and Songs for Worship—Country, this newest, unparalleled compilation of today’s favorite inspirational country songs represents the top-voted selections in a survey sent to hundreds of country radio programmers. The list was then reviewed by historians at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum who developed the final artist/track selection for the project in association with New Haven Records President, Ken Harding.

The twelve tracks presented in Sunday in the Country are songs that have individually sold millions of units—they are songs that have become modern country-gospel classics and touched the lives of countless listeners with the message of faith.

Executive producers for the album are Ken Harding, LeAnn Bennett and the staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The package includes photos and extensive liner notes. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization.

Sunday in the Country will be the subject of a major media/promotional campaign in both the mainstream and Christian retail markets.

Track listing:

Long Black Train
Josh Turner

I Believe
Diamond Rio

But for the Grace of God
Keith Urban

Blessed
Martina McBride

Drugs or Jesus
Tim McGraw

Muddy Water
Trace Adkins

Go Rest High on That Mountain
Vince Gill

Holes in the Floor of Heaven
Steve Wariner

Up to Him
Tracy Lawrence

Angels Among Us
Alabama

Get Up in Jesus’ Name
Lee Ann Womack

I Found Jesus on the Jailhouse Floor
George Strait

About the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum
Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The Museum’s mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture. With the same educational mission, the Foundation also operates CMF Records, the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, Historic RCA Studio B, and Hatch Show Print. More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

About New Haven Records
Founded in 1990 by veteran label executive Ken Harding, New Haven Records is an independently owned Nashville-based music corporation that includes label, publishing, and film companies focusing on the uniquely American genres of Country, Gospel, and Black Gospel. Today, over twenty years later, New Haven continues to produce and promote life transforming music and artistry with integrity and excellence. Resource online: www.newhavenrecords.com







Media Contacts:



For New Haven Records:
Jackie Monaghan
Morningstar PR
(615) 646-5990—Direct
morningstarpr@comcast.net

For country media/radio opportunities:
Kirt Webster
Webster PR
(615) 777-6995
kirt@websterpr.com

"Come Together Now" Single Available at all Digital Retailers, Music Video Debuts This Week

“Come Together Now” Single Available at All Digital Retailers, Music Video Debuts This Week

NASHVILLE, TENN. (February 18, 2010) – Artistic communities around the world continue to come together in efforts to aid the island nation of Haiti after the devastating earthquakes of January 12, 2010. Music City has done its part with the recent collaboration of the biggest names in Nashville’s own Country, Christian and Gospel music communities.

Multi-Platinum, GRAMMY and Dove Award winning artist Michael W. Smith gathered a community of Nashville-based artists on January 27 at Belmont University’s Ocean Way Studio to record “Come Together Now” – a song written by Smith, David Mullen and Cindy Morgan – to benefit Haiti relief efforts.

Released under the banner Music City Unites For Haiti (Various Artists), and with the studio’s, artists’ and musicians’ time all donated, proceeds from the single will go to designated charity and relief work through Samaritan’s Purse and American Red Cross.

The single is now available at all digital retailers.

Bringing aid and relief efforts to Haiti is a personal mission for Michael W. Smith, who has already traveled to the island with Samaritan’s Purse, a non-denominational evangelical Christian humanitarian organization, in the wake of the earthquake, and whose wife Debbie has done missionary work in the nation in the past.

“I’m deeply grateful to Michael for all his efforts to help those suffering in Haiti, shares Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse. “Every artist and every individual who can use their talent and ability to shed light on those in need, when it’s all added together, it makes a huge difference. My prayer is that God will use this song and video to touch the hearts of this nation to give generously to the people of Haiti.”


The music video for “Come Together Now” will be distributed by The AristoMedia Group. Please visit http://aristovideopromo.com/michael-w-smith-brings-music-city-together-to-help-haiti/ to stream the video. To request a copy of “Come Together Now” for additional streaming or broadcast purposes, contact Craig Bann at cbann@aristomedia.com.

In addition, “Come Together Now” will be the lead track for the March 2nd Healing4Haiti, a full album project featuring songs by artists including Israel Houghton, DecembeRadio, Kari Jobe, The Afters, Hawk Nelson, Flyleaf’s Lacey Mosley, Canton Jones, Lincoln Brewster and Mary Mary. For more information on the album, please visit: www.healing4haiti.info or www.samaritanspurse.org.

Artists part of “Come Together Now” Music City Unites for Haiti include:
Aaron Shust, Alathea, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Ashley Cleveland, Austins Bridge, Brandon Heath, Britt Nicole, Chris McClarney, Chris Rodriguez, Chris Sligh, Don Poythress, Dorothy Savage, Duane Allen, Echoing Angels, Everlife, Francesca Battistelli, Jaime Jamgochian, Jared Anderson, Jody Davis, John Schlitt, Kate Lazar, Katinas, Kevin Max, Kirk Sullivan, Lee Greenwood, Manic Drive, Margaret Becker, Mark Hall, Matt Dowley, Matthew West, Matt Maher, Meredith Andrews, Michael Tait, MIKESCHAIR, Mike Weaver, Paige Armstrong, Phil Stacey, Point of Grace, PureNRG, Rachael Lampa, Restless Heart, Selah, Steven Curtis Chapman, Toby Mac, Veronica Petrucci, Wynonna, and Yellow Cavalier.

About Michael W. Smith: (Reunion Records/Provident Music Group):
Throughout his 27-year career as a recording artist, Michael W. Smith has amassed an impressive catalog of achievements. His 21 albums have garnered multiple honors including an American Music Award, three GRAMMY ® Awards (from 13 nominations), 44 GMA Dove Awards and 33 No. 1 radio hits. In addition, he holds 16 Gold and five platinum albums for career sales approaching 15 million.

Smith, who was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2009, has scored several film projects, written 11 books and has been featured by media outlets including, NBC’s Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Larry King Live, FOX and Friends, Hannity and Colmes, USA Today, NY Times, The Washington Post, LA Times, Newsweek, has been named one of People Magazine's "Most Beautiful People" and has presented multiple times on the GRAMMY Awards show. His tours consistently rank among the best attended in the country, and he has performed to capacity crowds throughout the world.

Constantly giving back to the community, one of Smith’s current projects is Rocketown--a nightclub for teens in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn.--which serves as safe place for young people to enjoy music and for artists to be discovered. He and wife Debbie Smith are the proud parents of five children. For up-to-date information on Michael W. Smith, please visit www.michaelwsmith.com or www.providentpress.com.

About AristoVideo:
A division of The AristoMedia Group, AristoVideo has built a 25-year history of marketing artists through visual mediums, including music videos, EPKs, liners and interview features, which are serviced to television, closed-circuit and Internet outlets across the globe. Visit www.AristoVideoPromo.com for more information.

For radio servicing of “Come Together Now” please contact Andrew Patton at andrew.patton@pattonhouseentertainment.com

Happy Birthday , Tom T. and Dixie !

Happy Birthday, Tom T. & Dixie!
May 25th & 26th
Love, The Daughters Of Bluegrass


We look forward to seeing everyone throughout the year at
performances by The Daughters of Bluegrass, the Daughter's respective band performances and especially at this year's IBMA WORLD OF BLUEGRASS.



BLUEGRASS BOUQUET features 17 songs and 50 daughters:
Dale Ann Bradley, Dixie Hall, Frances Mooney, Lorraine Jordan, Jeanette Williams, Janet McGarry, Michelle Nixon, Valerie Smith, Becky Buller, Rhonda Vincent, Sierra Hull, Stacy York, Dara Wray, Alecia Nugent, Jennifer Strickland, Heather Berry, Lisa Martin, Gloria Belle, Lisa Ray, Linda Lay, Sally Jones, Carol Lee Cooper, Jeanie Stanley, Sonya Isaacs, Becky Isaacs Bowman, Sophie Haislip, Louise Tomberlain, Mindy Rakestraw, Lizzy Long, Annette Kelly, Lily Lieux, Donica Christensen, Judi Marshall, Beth Lawrence, Melissa Lawrence, Rebecca Frazier, Jenni Lyn Gardner, Lisa Manning, Gena Britt, Vicki Simmons, Megan McCormick, Tina Adair, Kristin Scott Benson, Rebekah Long, Jenee Fleenor, Jeana Martin, Janice Martin, Larita Martin, Martha Adcock, Amber Burks, Beth Stevens,
and more.

If you are a voting member of the International Bluegrass Music Association,
we appreciate your consideration for the following when casting your 2009 Awards Ballot:

Recorded Event of the Year
"Bluegrass Bouquet" - The Daughters of Bluegrass - Blue Circle Records
Entertainer of the Year
The Daughters of Bluegrass
Vocal Group of the Year
The Daughters of Bluegrass
Instrumental Group of the Year
The Daughters of Bluegrass
Female Vocaist of the Year
Heather Berry, Dale Ann Bradley, Gene Britt, Lorraine Jordan, Beth Lawrence,
Janet McGarry, Frances Mooney, Michelle Nixon, Lisa Ray, Valerie Smith,
Mindy Rakestraw, Beth Stevens, Jeanette Williams
Album of the Year
"Bluegrass Bouquet" - The Daughters of Bluegrass - Blue Circle Records
Instrumental Album of the Year
"Bluegrass Bouquet" - The Daughters of Bluegrass - Blue Circle Records
Instrumental Performers of the Year
Banjo
Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, Donica Christensen, Lizzy Long, Janice Martin,
Vicki Simmins, Beth Stevens
Fiddle
Becky Buller, Jenee' Flennor, Lizzy Long, Lisa Manning, Jeana Martin
Guitar
Martha Adcock, Heather Berry, Dale Ann Bradley, Becky Buller, Rebecca Frazier,
Lizzy Long, Megan McCormick, Mindy Rakestraw
Mandolin
Tina Adair, Jenee' Fleenor, Rebecca Frazier, Jenni Lyn Gardner, Sierra Hull,
Lorraine Jordan
Bass
Beth Lawrence, Rebekah Long, Frances Mooney, Jeanette Williams
Dobro
Larita Martin
Song of the Year
"I Don't Think I'm Going Back to Harlan" - The Daughters of Bluegrass
from "Bluegrass Bouquet" by the Daughters of Bluegrass
Blue Circle Records - Tom T. Hall/Dixie Hall (BMI)

Other Songs by Tom T. and Dixie Hall (BMI)
"Train Songs"
"Leaving Baker County"
"Three Silver Dollars"
"All that's Left"


The Daughters of Bluegrass are the proud winners of the
2006 IBMA RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD for their album,
BACK TO THE WELL.

Individually, the Daughters have won a multitude of awards throughout the years along with numerous 2009 SPBGMA AWARDS including:
Blue Circle Records owners Tom T. and Dixie Hall winning the 2009 SPBGMA Songwriter of the Year Award; Rhonda Vincent, the 2009 SPBGMA Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year; Jeanette Williams, the 2009 SPBGMA Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year; and Kristin Scott Benson the SPBGMA Banjo Player of the Year.

For more information on the Daughters of Bluegrass and BLUEGRASS BOUQUET, please visit the Daughter's website.

American Roots Music Superstars Mix it Up _ _ _

American Roots Music Superstars Mix It Up With Uzbek Jam Band, Jadoo,
To Form CEDAR HILL REFUGEES
John Carter Cash and Jack Clift Produce Culturally Transcendent Pale Imperfect Diamond
Nashville, TN - Although globalization has become a popular buzzword and topic in the twenty-first century world of business, music remains delineated as influenced by Eastern or Western culture. With the release of Pale Imperfect Diamond, on May 19, 2009, listeners all over the world will get the unique opportunity to enjoy an attuned blend of Eastern and Western musical influences.
Pale Imperfect Diamond is an ambitious collection of roots music standards and original tracks recorded in cultural poles. Co-producer Jack Clift met with John Carter Cash and the idea to marry the musical styles with an album formed; the two producers were committed to unifying American folk ballads and traditional Uzbek instrumentation from the album’s inception. Jadoo, an American-Uzbek band Jack Clift co-founded while living in Uzbekistan, recorded Pale Imperfect Diamond’s base tracks in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The bones of the album were then taken to Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee where they were masterfully blended and complemented with American roots music instrumentation and vocals. The lustrous cast that assembled at Cash Cabin included The Peasall Sisters, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart and John Cowan. The collective of participants from both countries, including Jack Clift and Cash, became known as Cedar Hill Refugees.
Of Pale Imperfect Diamond’s thirteen tracks, seven are roots standards dating back to the twentieth century or earlier. The other five songs were written specifically for the record and include the title track, penned by Jack Clift, Jack Propps and John Carter Cash. “Pale Imperfect Diamond” and the other originals aim to capture the renegade spirit and vitality of both genres. Among the standards, an album standout is the re-imagined “Wildwood Flower,” a touchstone of the American folk catalogue made famous by the Carter family. The Cedar Hill Refugees’ version features Peasall Sisters vocals and closes with an Eastern jam that lasts over four minutes.
Jack Clift realizes the importance of the Cedar Hill Refugees collaboration to the greater world view. “Globalization is, obviously, not an entirely painless process,” Clift explains. “It’s just a joy and honor to be a part of something so passionately positive and showing that divergent cultures can not only work together but that the final result actually enhances the richest qualities of each.” Jack Clift is also candid about the legacy of Pale Imperfect Diamond. “Certainly this is something that would be a great relief to all if it could be carried into the greater scheme of socio-political interaction,” Clift states. “This has not been lost on the participants in these projects.”
Intrigued by the music of Uzbekistan, composer and producer Jack Clift began visiting the Central Asian country to learn more about the music though studio work with Jadoo, a group of musicians who improvise using traditional Uzbek music. Clift’s first trip took place in 2004 and, almost immediately, he began to identify the similarities between Uzbek music and the music of his youth; he likened it specifically to Appalachian mountain music that stirred his imagination. Rather than think the rhythms and tones a world away from one another, Clift noticed the parallel construction.
Although thousands of miles separated the Cedar Hill Refugees musicians during the recording of Pale Imperfect Diamond, the result is a beautiful testament to the boundless reach and power of music.
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