"Graves Mountain Festival of Music" - June 2nd, 3rd & 4th, 2011

Gosh, I really don't know where to start.  One thing I've got to do is apologize for being so late with this entry on the blog.  Time seems to be going faster and faster since I've retired.   I guess I better start by telling you again that Virginia's largest Bluegrass event, "The Graves Mountain Festival of Music" will be held the weekend of June 2nd, 3rd & 4th, 2011.  All you really need to do to enjoy the Graves Mountain festival is to simply show up with a lawn chair.  There is plenty of great food, shade, facilities and some of the best Bluegrass music you're likely to hear anywhere.  Only rough camping is available and it is free with the purchase of a 3 day ticket.  Free camping has been the Graves Mountain promise from the very first festival.  Remember it is free with a 3 day ticket and only a 3 day ticket.  Show up on Saturday with your RV; you'll only camp with the purchase of a 3 day ticket.  It's quite clear and simple. 

Now, about the food at Graves.  The dinner Special on Thursday evening is BBQ Pork Ribs with all the trimmings.  On Friday the dinner special is Fried Rainbow Trout and on Saturday it's Grilled Rib Eye Steak.  Also available each day are hamburgers, hot dogs with French Fries and ice cream to top everything off.  Breakfast is served on Friday and Saturday mornings.  So, really, all you have to do is show up with that lawn chair.

There is a chair policy at Graves that leans toward the most dedicated and earnest Graves Mountain attendee.  The gate to the camping area opens on Friday May 27th.  As campers file in they will be given a "chair ticket" entitling them to place 2 chairs (for each 3 day ticket) at the stage area on Wednesday, June 1st starting at 1:00PM.  Numbers will be called, usually in groups of 10, in-order beginning with "chair ticket" #1, etc.  Some folks think this is 'unfair', but this is a  clearly stated policy, so if you really want to be near the front, you'll make the extra effort to be there early on May 27th.  It is not necessary to arrive with your camper that day or to even be a camper, but you must get in line to get your chair ticket and you must have with you or purchase your 3 day ticket at that time.

Now, let's get down to the music.  Every day at Graves is big and Thursday is no exception.  First up is Donna Ulisse & The Poor Mountain Boys.  Donna is a Virginia native from the Hampton Roads area.  She now lives in Nashville, pursuing a career in song-writing and performing.  At a concert last year Donna informed me that I was the very first person to book her (It was at my "Night Owl Concerts" at IBMA).  Check out a video of Donna's music by clicking here. [For those of you that can't make the trip to Graves, Donna will be performing on Friday June 3rd in Victoria, VA at the Uptown Coffee Cafe.]  Next up is another Virginia native, James King and The James King Band.  James has one of the best natural lead voices in Bluegrass music today.  His songs are memorable as he weaves his stories into his music.  I guess Thursday is the day for folks hailing from Virginia, because the next band up is The Larry Stephenson Band.  Larry comes from the Fredericksburg area, but now makes his home in White House ,TN near Nashville.  I first saw Larry perform when he was about 15/16 years old as he was part of a big package show traveling around the country after the success of the first "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" album.  In each city local bands were hired to fill out the day of music and Larry's band was one the chosen.  Next up on Thursday is Goldwing Express.  Read about Goldwing Express in this excerpt from their web page: "Dedicated to their Native American heritage, the Goldwing Express rides in with an incredible mix of hard-driving acoustics and heart-felt melodies - bringing the music of America to life for crowds across the country! From classic Southern Gospel and contemporary country favorites, to the historic blue-grass roots that started it all, Goldwing Express delivers a mix of the lonesome cowboy and the hard-riding brave - all wrapped in song, comedy and tears! Coupled with some of best instrumentalists on any stage, this award-winning father and 3 sons live and breathe this musical heritage - and every time they hit the stage - it's plain to see!"   Closing out the day on Thursday;  who else, The Seldom Scene.  I don't know what I can add to the accolades that have been heaped upon this well deserved groups of musicians, except you are not likely to be more entertained by any other group of guys more than you will be by The Seldom Scene.  For a sample of the 'fun' of being at a live concert listen by clicking here.  Also, don't forget these concerts are all on Thursday and that means BBQ Ribs.  Get yourself some!

After a night of jamming and visiting, dawn arrives and Friday begins at Graves with Lonesome Highway being first band up. Here's a note from Lonesome Highway's web page: "COULD IT BE....???Actor/comedian Steve Martin names Lonesome Highway as one of the bands he enjoys listening to!!! The legendary entertainer says he listens to a variety of bluegrass music these days, including Frank Solivan, Mike Munford on banjo, the Seldom Scene, Lonesome Highway, Blue Moon Rising, Del McCoury, and Grascals and Hot Rize."  The next band up is a Central Virginia favorite, Mark Templeton & Pocket Change.  Now, if you like your Bluegrass more from the traditional side of things then you'll be happy to hear Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice will be at Graves on Friday.  Junior is a humble person and not one to brag, but when it's the truth, he will tell you.  Here's a note from his web page: "(Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice) Is celebrating "Train Without A Track" achieving the #1 song spot on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey Chart for the month of April!!  "Workin' Hard Ain't Hardly Workin' Anymore" continues to move up and is the #13 song this month.  The Album, 'Heartaches and Dreams', held the #1 Album spot on the BU National Bluegrass Survey Chart for four consecutive months!  We are honored and thrilled with this recognition and want to send out a heartfelt "thank you" to all of the fans, promoters and broadcasters who have supported us and contributed to the success of this album."   Next up on Friday is Balsam Range. This blurb from their web page best describes their music: "From deep in the Appalachians where the Great Smoky Mountains meet the Blue Ridge comes the Balsam Range band, creatively blending Bluegrass, Folk, Gospel and Jazz into a new American acoustic music experience."  Last up on Friday is the one and only Lonesome River Band, featuring the unmistakable Banjo work of Virginia's own Sammy Shelor.  I want to tell you something special about Sammy and the Lonesome River Band.  Every year for the past seventeen years LRB has performed in Richmond, VA at Saint Joseph's Villa (A charitable organization dedicated to helping the poor and homeless, especially children).  I do not know the particulars of the financial reward to LRB for this show, but my guess it is very little to possibly nothing at all.  Sammy's reward is the good feeling he gets for helping this very worthwhile organization.  I am hesitant to tell you that  Cherryholmes is listed as performing at Graves on Friday.  My understanding was that Cherryholmes had dissolved the band and had their last performance a month ago.  From their web site: "We want to let you all know that "Cherryholmes" (the group) is officially disbanding. Our final performances will be on May 6 at the Doyle Lawson Bluegrass Festival in Denton, NC and May 7 at Houstonfest in Galax, VA."If this is not true and you're a big fan of their music, be sure to attend this performance as this may well be their last.  Hey, don't forget that Fried Rainbow Trout dinner!

I know you're tired from, yet another late night of jamming, but you gotta get up on Saturday to hear the U. S. Navy Band "Country Current."  Started over 30 years ago by Bill Emerson, Country Current still survives with top notch musicians and more awards than I can tell you.  As always, Country Current works for the U. S. Navy and can be called away at any moment to perform at a government function, so just be aware of this fact.  Up next is one of the clearest and most distinguishable voices in Bluegrass, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out.  Now, it happens that not all of the music heard at Graves is strictly Bluegrass and the next band up, The Quebe Sisters Band is a prime example.  Hailing from Texas, these beautiful sisters play good ole' Texas swing music with a mixture of other genres.  They play very good acoustic music and are great musicians, so don't walk away from their show.  You'll miss some really fine music if you do.  Up next are The Boxcars and they'll drag you right back out of Texas to the center of Kentucky with their great Bluegrass music.   With Ron Stewart on Banjo/Fiddle and Adam Steffey on Mandolin, you know you're in for a great set of music.  Don't miss them!  The Rye Holler Boys are up next on Saturday.  These young musicians are so accomplished that one might expect to see a bunch of much older guys on stage.  The Rye Holler Boys are an exuberant group and will entertain you from start to finish.  There will be two of the Vincent family at Graves on Saturday.  First up will be Rhonda Vincent & The Rage with two performances (she'll close out the festival).  There's not a lot I need to say about Rhonda.  Her show is top notch, professional and entertaining throughout.  In a special "one show only" 90 minute program, Dailey & Vincent will perform at 4:50 in the afternoon.  Please keep this in mind and don't expect two shows as this will be the one and only performance by Dailey & Vincent.  Well, that about wraps up Saturday at Graves, but don't forget to get that Rib Eye Steak for supper.

Please take the time to look at the web sites of the various bands.  They are high-lighted in purple.  They will appreciate it and you will come away with a more knowledge about the bands.  I'll be heading up to Graves on Wednesday June 1st.  I am looking forward to seeing all of you there.

"NUFF SAID!"

"The Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festival" Celebrates 32 years - May 19th, 20th & 21st, 2011

Time has again slipped upon me as I was preparing to help John & Fern Hutchinson & Family celebrate 32 years of the "Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festival."  Yep!  I've been getting the RV ready for it's 2011 maiden voyage and suddenly, today, I remembered I haven't told you about it.  First, I am proud to be one of the very few to have attended every  Amelia Festival.  That's right, this year will be the 63rd Bluegrass festival I have attended at the Amelia Family Campground.   This is actually my 66th festival there, because there were 3 Bluegrass Gospel Festivals held there, too.  Before the festivals at the Amelia Family Campground, there were three others held in Amelia. 

The earliest were the festivals held at "Bluegrass Grove," hosted by the late Mr. Roy McCraw.  These festivals began in the late 60s and continued until the mid 70s.  During this same time period there were a few festivals held at what was known as "Pete Pike's Farm."  A couple of the Labor Day Weekend festivals at "Pete Pike's Farm" were hosted by the late Carlton (Check out The European Bluegrass Blog for more on Carlton Haney here.) Haney who also holds the distinction of creating the multi-day Bluegrass festival by hosting the very first one near Roanoke, VA in Fincastle, VA on Labor Day Weekend of 1965.  Also, starting just two years before the "Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festival," in 1978, there were festivals held at "Tom Scott Park" hosted originally by the late Claude Warden and then by Barney Jones.  These festivals ended in the mid 80s.  So, there's a brief history of the Bluegrass festival scene in Amelia County.  I attended a few of all of these various festivals and have fond memories from all of them, but none can compare to the great times and memories I have from my days at what we now warmly call the Amelia Festival.

Let me get started telling you about who'll be at Amelia on Thursday.  First off is the group The Bluegrass Mountaineers.  The best way to let you know about the Bluegrass Mountaineers is to let them tell you about themselves in this excerpt from their web site: "The sparks the Bluegrass Mountaineers ignite while performing traditional bluegrass music is very unique. Their burning desire fueled by their experience and music shared by four generations to continue a family tradition is one of the world's most valued treasures in such a wonderful music style. The fourth generation of the bluegrass mountaineers, Tyler Efaw and Chris Wilcox are eager to learn their instruments at the young age of 5 years old. In a quest to carry on the traditional bluegrass sound, the Bluegrass Mountaineers combine old time claw hammering, classic country yodeling and twin fiddles to their unique style. All members of the Bluegrass Mountaineers take turns showcasing their vocal and instrumental abilities. Their love for the traditional genuine bluegrass sound is evident every time they take the stage.

   The Bluegrass Mountaineers have many qualities that make them unique. The basics of   their success lies in old fashioned hard work combined with shining star talent, that only appears to glow more brightly with each performance. They bring to each audience an energetic, entertaining, family orientated show. They rely on driving instrumentation and accurate vocals to produce their unique sound. They present a fast moving live performance, exploding with energy as they perform for the audience. Their powerful stage presence is accented by a neat, clean-cut appearance that adds to the public appeal and the esteem of their fans they value so greatly. When people hear the Bluegrass Mountaineers they agree that they play their kind of music and they are their kind of musicians."  Next up is a great Virginia based group known simply as The Honakers.  They are a family based band consisting of the husband and wife team of Sherry & Poncho Honaker and their son T. J. Honaker along with Bucky Beauchamp and Christy Cahill.  Sherry speaks of their music: "Life is hard, and music can be soothing to the soul, comfort for the weary and can minister to and heal a hurting heart. This is what I pray for our music. That God would use it just for that purpose, to help someone to forget their troubles for just a moment. To encourage someone who may need their spirits lifted. To give someone a part of yourself that God has given you to help others. It's more than just a song, its my heart."  Also featured on Thursday is the entertaining music of Goldwing Express.  I'll let them tell you about their music with an excerpt from their web site: "Goldwing Express is made up of Three Native American brothers and their father. A segment of their performance is dedicated for their Indian Heritage. Each Brother wears his very own Native American Headdress which represents the Creek Indian Tribe which their Mother is from. This family music show comes from Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Now the family resides in Branson, Missouri producing their own music show along with many appearances throughout the United States and into Canada."  Wrapping up the day of Thursday is The Little Roy & Lizzy Show, featuring Little Roy Lewis and his adopted daughter Lizzy Long.  To visit their web site and hear samples of their music click here.

Friday is a busy day at Amelia filled with great Bluegrass music.  Getting things started is a local favorite, Country Fried Grass.  Read the following excerpt from the bio page on their web site.  Check out the mystery (Maybe we should contact "48 Hours!") within this paragraph! "Country Fried Grass began in Sept. 2006. John Simmons, Steve Robbins, & P.J. McCrowell were to showcase at the "Virginia Folk Music Association" festival. Chris Hart was asked to join them for the show & the band was born. Right from the start there was a high level of energy on the stage. The band plays with a real raw emotion that strikes the audience. Within a year the band was playing festivals, clubs, & recorded a cd "It Must Be Sunday Morning". The title track along with other original material like "I Took The Blame" have become popular songs where the band plays. As the band was starting to roll along, P.J. McCrowell disappeared. He left band practice on July 14th 2007 & hasn't been heard from since. The band was able to perform their dates with the help of friends who filled in. In the spring of '11 the band found their banjo player - Chuck Clifton. With the addition of Chuck, the band's music went to a new level."  Carolina Road, from the Raleigh area of North Carolina appear on Friday.  Band leader Lorraine Jordan plays mandolin and sings most of the leads.  To watch a you tube video of their hit song "Carolina Hurricane" click here.  Marty Rabon & Full Circle are up next. Marty's career began in Bluegrass, but quickly he moved to country music as part of the group Shenandoah.  Several years ago he returned to Bluegrass, hence the name of his band Full Circle.  Friday ends with one of the hottest groups in Bluegrass today, Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice.  Junior seems to be playing everywhere these days and with good reason.  Junior's voice is unique and as good as Bluegrass can get.  He has a great stage show and you don't want to miss Ford, VA's own Jason Davis as he wows us not only with his super Banjo playing, but his great vocal talents.  Don't miss it!

Saturday at Amelia gets underway with a great area based band, Virginia Blue.  Following Virginia Blue is Tommy Brown & County Line Grass, based out of the great state of Kentucky.  I'll let them speak for themselves with an excerpt from their web site: "With family roots traced to Bill Monroe's home place of Ohio County, Kentucky, Tommy Brown cut his teeth, so to speak, on classic traditional bluegrass. A third generation musician, Tommy began pickin' the five-string banjo at age six. His musical abilities were recognized when he garnered both the Kentucky State and the Tennessee State Banjo Championships. In addition to banjo, Tommy is a masterful guitar and mandolin player. His powerful pickin' style and soulful vocals embrace his passion for the mountain-style bluegrass music he performs today.  Tommy also showcases his song-writing talents on the groups latest CD, Fallen Leaves ."  A central Virginia favorite band The Bluegrass Brothers also perform on Saturday.  Again, I'll let the band speak for themselves with this from their web site: "The Bluegrass Brothers are a high energy bluegrass band that are a must see show for a traditional bluegrass delight! They have all grown up in bluegrass music families in Virginia and it is evident very soon after they hit the stage. They have made many musical accomplishments over numerous years, and their vocals and musicianship are second to none. The Bluegrass Brothers are one of the finest bluegrass shows in the country, and they are friendly country folk. They perform from coast to coast and in a most soulful, heartfelt manner. They have earned fans from several countries and everybody says: We want The Bluegrass Brothers back next year! So check them out in a town near you. You won't regret it!"  Listen to sample of their music by clicking here.  Closing out the day on Saturday is the "Queen of Bluegrass Music" Rhonda Vincent & The Rage.  There isn't much I can say about Rhonda that hasn't already been said and much more eloquently than I could possibly say.  But, heck, I don't care, I'm gonna say something!  These opinions are mine.  I truly believe that Rhonda Vincent's voice is unmatched in Bluegrass.  She has a way with her singing style that lets you know immediately it is her and that she is singing Bluegrass.  There are times when Rhonda wants to convey a country sound to her voice and that is just as evident.  She always surrounds herself with top notch musicians that help her maintain the sound of Rhonda Vincent & The Rage.

Well, that's about it.  I do want you to know I garnered this information from a very early flyer so some things may have changed or been added.  I didn't get this out early enough to let you know about the advance ticket price of $50 for the weekend, but rest assured the gate price of $60 is still a great bargain.   I have told you about 13 bands who will each play two shows.  So divide 26 performances into $60 and you'll be paying right at $2.30 per show.  Hey, that's bargain in anybody's book.  Hope to see all of you there and until then......

"NUFF SAID!"

Lynn Morris - She's Back! At Least For One Performance

           Yes, Lynn Morris was back for a standing room only, crowd pleasing performance as part of the "84th Annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival's, Bluegrass Festival"  this past Sunday, May 1st, 2011.   Not only was Lynn back, she was reunited with her band of eight years ago.  With her husband, Marshall Wilborn, on Bass; Ron Stewart on Banjo & Fiddle; Tom Adams on Guitar and Jesse Brock on Mandolin, The Lynn Morris Band was, once again, on stage.

Eight years ago Lynn had a rather simple knee surgery which led to a blood clot causing a debilitating stroke.  Lynn's main affectation from the stroke was "aphasia" which was described by Lynn's teacher as the inability to understand people talking to her and at the same time not being able to speak in words that anyone could understand; nor could she write or read as the words all seemed foreign.  Her mind was fine and intact, but she lost the ability to speak, let alone sing.  She was trapped within herself.  Imagine the frustration she must have felt.   Lynn has struggled and worked very hard to regain her speech and the ability to sing.  There is more work to do, but she wowed us all with her savvy and strength.  I wish I had the ability to include a video sample of her music in this blog, but I do not have the know-how to make that happen.  Instead here are a few more pictures from Sunday's concert.

Allow me to add a few personal thoughts.  I have followed Lynn Morris since long before she was the leader of her own band.  Her contributions to an earlier band, Whetstone Run, were wonderful and attracted my attention to, what at that time was rare, a great female Bluegrass performer and singer.  After following her career so closely, I was not about to miss this great, one time (I sure hope not!), performance.  At the very end of the show, Lynn was left standing center stage and threw the crowd a kiss, but I know she was actually throwing that kiss to me.  I mean, who else could it have been?

"NUFF SAID!"

HAPPY EASTER! - VFMA Hall of Fame Museum Grand Opening June 11th, 2011 - Hazel Dickens Dies @ 75

I would like to start off wishing everyone a Happy Easter.  While I'm at it, a buddy of mine and I were discussing how it is that Easter is on a different day each year and sometimes nearly a month difference from year to year.  Well, if you're wondering and never took the time to look it up;  here's the crazy way it is determined.  Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.  Sometimes the equinox falls one day after a full moon making Easter really late in the spring.  Other times the vernal equinox will happen the day or so before a full moon making Easter very early in the season.  Okay now, just so you won't get confused; it's on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  No, wait!!!  That's election day.  Oh well..... just forget it!  HAPPY EASTER everybody!

I am proud to announce that after many long years the Virginia Folk Music Association will finally have an actual physical Hall of Fame Museum located within the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds.  The Grand Opening is from 3:00 to 7:30PM on June 11, 2011.  All activities will be free of charge and we will be treated to great Bluegrass music from Danville, Virginia's own Lost & Found and other groups as well. 

All Hall of Fame members have been invited as well as the public.  Admission is free.  So, bring your lawn chairs and a picnic lunch and come to this great and long awaited event.  From Sigrid Williams, president of the VFMA, the following note: "This is an historical event as the Virginia Folk Music Association, a non-profit, volunteer (organization), was founded in 1947.   Sanctioned by, then, Virginia’s Governor Tuck to hold the annual Music Championship Contests and induct Virginia artists into the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame.  Since then a Scholarship Fund and a Special Recognition Award and the only $5 per day Quality Festival have been established.  Virginia has contributed many artists to the world of music."

I am saddened to have to report the passing of a pioneer in Bluegrass music; Hazel Dickens.  She was among, if not the very first, of the few women to act as leaders of a Bluegrass band back in the early 1960s.  While not possessing the voice of a bird, Hazel had a quality to her voice that reached deeply into the soul of anyone who truly listened to her.  Her mournful laments are unmatched.  On a personal note, I must admit I knew nothing of Hazel Dickens until I purchased a inexpensive 2 CD set from Rounder Records entitled "Hand Picked Bluegrass."  While listening to the CDs I heard this rough, but soulful voice singing her own song "West Virginia, My Home."   As I listened to her sing it I could feel her longing for home and even I, not from West Virginia, felt that same sort of homesickness and I became an instant fan of her music.  I sought out everything of hers I could find.  She made three very groundbreaking records with Alice Gerrard, and several solo projects.  If you are unaware of Hazel and her music, as I was, may I recommend that you seek out the DVD of her life entitled: "You Can't Tell The Singer From The Song."  Several years ago, Lynn Morris (Note:  Lynn Morris will perform one set of music at the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia on May 1st, 2011.  I shall attend this historic event!) had a number one song called "Mama"s Hand" written by Hazel.  Hazel was a great Bluegrass performer and Bluegrass song writer, but she was also a staunch supporter of the coal miners and wrote many protest songs in support of them.  This part of Hazel's life and career should not be overlooked.  Many of the songs she wrote, including "Black Lung" and "Which Side Are You On" were instrumental is forcing mine owner's to provide better medical care, safer working conditions and simply a better life for their hard working employees.  To have heard Hazel's strident a cappella voice singing "Black Lung" one could not be anything but moved.  Hazel is gone now, but her voice will live on through her songs.

A few years back I ran into Hazel just outside of the FanFest hall at IBMA in Nashville.  As we chatted, I saw Pete Goble heading toward us in his wheelchair and took the opportunity to introduce Pete and Hazel.  What I really managed to do was introduce oil to water,  because Hazel was a very liberal Democrat and Pete was a very conservative Republican.  I actually was afraid they would come to blows, but they were very cordial to each other as they gently argued.  They hugged before going their separate ways.  I have proof of that hug in this photo taken my my dear friend Debbie Adams of Taylor, Michigan.          

HAZEL DICKENS & PETE GOBLE

"NUFF SAID!"

Spring is Here! Mr. "Bs" Bluegrass Festival - April 28th, 29th & 30th, 2011

Hello Dear Readers,  Yes, Spring has arrived and to prove it the entire southern half of the United States was pounded by severe weather that included Thunder Storms, Hail Storms and Tornados.  I'm no meteorologist, but over the course of my lifetime I have come to believe that we really can't say spring has arrived until we have been initiated into it by a course of severe weather.  I'd say we've been initiated!  So, now that that's done the next logical thing is Bluegrass!  And, what better way to get the season started in Central Virginia than with "Mr.B's Bluegrass Festival" just off I-95 at Ladysmith, Virginia.  Mr. B built his Bluegrass park a few years ago with a large forest and a bull dozer.  He shaped the park they way he thought it should be and he has done it right.  The park is beautiful and functional with plenty of shade at the stage area and generous camp sites with hook-ups for those who desire them.  Back stage is a large pavilion to get out of the weather and to sit at picnic tables and enjoy Mr. B's fine foods all three days.  Now, I'm thinking you want to know about the festival coming up on April 28th, 29th & 30th of 2011.  Am I right?  Well, here goes.

Thursday is a big day with lots of important music.  Joey Tippett & The California Ramblers get up on the stage providing great Maryland style Bluegrass music.  I know, you thought I was gonna say California style.  Well, it is, but it isn't.  You see these guys are from California, Maryland!  I  hear a lot of the old Johnson Mountain Boys sound in the group.  Here's how they describe themselves on their web site: "The California Ramblers is a Traditional Hard Driving Bluegrass Band from Southern Maryland.
All of the members are from musical backgrounds that has continued generation to generation. They have all been inspired by many musicians before them. Just to name a few would be The Stanley Brothers, Red Allen, Bill Monroe, Johnson Mountain Boys, and the list continues. They put their heart and soul into every song that they do as well as an excellent performance on stage, you can just feel the energy when they perform. You can see, hear, and feel their love for bluegrass music with every performance ."  Visit their web site here for some samples of their music.  Also playing on Thursday is a great band from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Allegheny Blue.   I'll let the band describe themselves with this, taken from their web site: "All born and raised in the beautiful Shenandoah valley, bluegrass is in our blood. From the lonesome sound of Bill Monroe to the deep soul of Larry Sparks, music that has filled our ear’s and our hearts. The desire to create good music is what we are after, and the result of hard work, dedication, and a dream, is Allegheny Blue. We are a hard driven, progressive traditional bluegrass band- with a whole lot of edge. We don’t want to sound country, nor modern but bluegrass the way it ought to be. With soul, and heart. A music that reaches far beyond a bar seat, or a broken heart. Allegheny Blue strives to keep this tradition of straight from the tap music, alive! With originals and standards written by those that have a understanding of the music we play. We hope that Allegheny Blue is a group that does just this; in carrying to the next generation the heart and soul of what it means to play bluegrass."  Thursday's not over yet, not by a long shot!  Also playing on Thursday is one of the most entertaining bands on the circuit today, Goldwing Express.  While I can't say their music is the best out there, I can say that you won't be disappointed by their live performance.  They are funny, yet at times and can rip your heart out with emotional songs.  I have never been less than entertained by them.  To better describe their approach to music I've included this paragraph from their web site: "Dedicated to their Native American heritage, the Goldwing Express rides in with an incredible mix of hard-driving acoustics and heart-felt melodies - bringing the music of America to life for crowds across the country! From classic Southern Gospel and contemporary country favorites, to the historic blue-grass roots that started it all, Goldwing Express delivers a mix of the lonesome cowboy and the hard-riding brave - all wrapped in song, comedy and tears! Coupled with some of best instrumentalists on any stage, this award-winning father and 3 sons live and breathe this musical heritage - and every time they hit the stage - it's plain to see!"  Last up on Thursday is the Bluegrass Storyteller, the James King Band, featuring James King.  To me, James King has one of the very best lead voices in Bluegrass.  Even when singing well worn old standards of the business, James breathes emotion into them.  James has had some health concerns over the last year or so and I feel it best that I allow you to read about them in this paragraph from his official web site: "Since the same health concerns (pulmonary embolisms) that James has been facing since last fall still persists, there will be some dates that will have to be canceled, due to the limitations on his travel. However, we feel at this moment there is no need to cancel ANY dates until the individual situation arises. We have an NEW band to introduce, with NEW merchandise coming again for the SUMMER of 2011. Also, James heads back into the studio soon for what will be another great Rounder release. In the meantime,James encourages everyone to stop by his record table to say hello while he is on tour." 

There's a ton of great music coming up on Friday starting with The Rye Holler Boys.  Here are a couple of excerpts from their web site that I believe describes the band and their music quite well: "......If you love to listen to Bluegrass and Gospel music then you are at  the right place.  We may be young but we love picking and singing this special type of music that we hope to keep alive for generations......Our goal is to try and please our crowd everywhere we go......Our members include Alan King, who just recently turned 17, he plays the Banjo and Guitar.  Alan’s younger brother Adam King, age 16, is on mandolin and vocals.  Will Howell, age 15, is the Lead Vocalist, and Lead Guitar, and plays some on the upright bass.  Jacob Jones, age 15, plays Upright Bass, Clawhammer Banjo, Fiddle  and Vocals."    Also playing on Friday is Lonesome Highway.  Here is a brief description of Lonesome Highway from their web site: "Lonesome Highway is truly one of the great bluegrass groups on the rise. Based in Romney , WV, Lonesome Highway has been performing throughout the regional area for the last 15 years. Their superb solo and harmony singing accompanied with tight instrumentals and fresh new songwriting skills will leave you with an unforgettable bluegrass experience."  Country Current, Navy Band will perform on Friday.  Started by Bill Emerson in (Are you ready for this!) 1973, Country Current has always held high to standards musically and have spawned several great Bluegrass bands.  There are so many superlatives about Country Current that I cannot begin to list them here, so please check out their web site.  Bill Yates & Country Gentlemen Tribute are part of the Friday line up.  Bill Yates, former partner with Charlie Waller, loved so much the distinctive sound of The Country Gentlemen that he sought out musicians to recreate that great sound.  He has done it with the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band.  The great Crowe Brothers will also perform on Friday.  I remember years ago when Raymond Fairchild was in his prime that he said the Crowe Brothers were the only pickers who could keep up with his very fast Banjo playing.  Since those days the Crowe Brothers have matured into a fine duo featuring that great brother style harmony.  Another great band wraps up the day on Friday; Darren Beachley & Legends of The Potomac.  Darren spent a few years lean years as a band leader before joining with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, where he honed his skills as a performer and band leader.  Now, along with his band Legends of The Potomac, Darren is presenting some of the best high lead and high trio sounds in Bluegrass today.

Saturday is another full day of Bluegrass at Mr. B's, beginning with The Church Sisters.  These two young ladies present some of the very best Bluegrass Gospel you are likely to hear.  Their close sister harmony is unmatched in the business.  Probably what makes their singing all the more incredible is the twins are only fourteen years old!  With Savannah on lead and Sarah adding wonderful harmonies both above and below Savannah's lead they are, indeed, a treat to hear.  Don't miss them.  Saturday only gets better as the day goes by with The Bluegrass Brothers adding their boisterous style of Bluegrass to the mix.  Featuring a great edginess often missing in today's smoother Bluegrass, The Bluegrass Brothers are a welcome change of pace on the festival stage.  Keeping with the traditional sounds of The Bluegrass Brothers we will be treated to the ever popular Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice.  Junior was the lead voice of the great band Blue Ridge and has continued his great lead singing with his re-formation of his band Rambler's Choice.  If you like great Bluegrass leads and perfect Bluegrass harmonies then look no further than Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice.  Little Roy Lewis is back with his daughter in a group called The Little Roy & Lizzy Show.  Roy continues to play some of the hardest driving Banjo in the business and together with his daughter, Lizzy, has a very entertaining show.  Click here to visit their web site and to hear some samples of their music.  Topping off the day Saturday is one of the most popular bands in Bluegrass today, The Grascals.  This group has won so many awards that it impossible for me to list them here.  Rest assured, you will be entertained by some of the best in the business when you hear The Grascals live.

Wow ! What a weekend of Bluegrass music.  I can only attend one day, but I'm having a hard time deciding which day.  They are all filled with rock solid Bluegrass music.  Make plans, right now, to take that short drive up to the  "Mr. B's Bluegrass Festival."  I hope I see you there.

"NUFF SAID!"

Cabin Fever Pickin' Party March 3rd thru 6th, 2011

That's Right!  The "Cabin Fever Pickin' Party" is right around the corner.  And let's hope ole' Punxsutawney  Phil got it right when he didn't see his shadow on February 2nd.  If so, that means an early spring and, hopefully, some warm weather for Cabin Fever.  We've certainly paid our dues this winter and we are all looking for those first few days of warmer weather.  Cabin Fever is one of the most anticipated events in Bluegrass around the central Atlantic states as it is the precursor of the many Bluegrass festivals to come.  some of the festivals in our area include: "Mr. B's Bluegrass Festival," Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festival," "Grave's Mountain Festival of Music," "Sedalia Bluegrass Festival" "Rockahock Bluegrass Festival" and others. Unfortunately, due to the passing of long time festival promoter, Sterling Belcher, the "Festival In The Pines" has been canceled this year.  All of these promoters support Cabin Fever and are in attendance, so if you have a band you need to be there and find a place to pick so you can be seen and heard.

I guess the first thing I need to share with you is this from the Cabin Fever web site: "Holiday Inn will have a new name - Howard Johnson Plaza and Conference Center and it is part of the Wyndham Hotel Group. This is only a name change - the management, staff and great service will remain."  I took a drive down there a few weeks ago and indeed I see no differences other than banners saying Howard Johnson's.  As always, Cabin Fever is one of the very best bargains in Bluegrass music today.  For and advance fee of $25 you can have a four day weekend of Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel (Only $30 at the door!).  Every year someone misunderstands the ticket pricing, so I will try to make it as clear as possible.  There is one, only one, ticket price.  It will cover the entire 4 day weekend, but if you choose to come for only one day it will still be the same price.  There are no daily rates at Cabin Fever.  The event cost is so modest, how could anyone expect a daily price?  Believe me, they do1  so please understand this and help others to understand it, too.  You can order advance rickets by writing Cathy & Earl Banton at: CAbin Fever, Inc. 909 Francis Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059.

I know there are some who have never attended Cabin Fever, so I want to share some of my fond memories of this great event.  The very first one was held at the George Washington Motel in Williamsburg, VA and attendance was quite small.  Oh, but did we have fun!  Of the 200 or so folks there we found we knew almost everyone at the event.  We laughed and joked and picked our fingers to the bone, much the same way we do now, but there was an intimacy to those early Fevers.  We grew each year by leaps and bounds until in just a few short years it became necessary to move to our present location in Hampton, VA.  I have never missed a Cabin Fever and one year there were many folks who wished I had missed that one.  I had the flu!!!!  I mean I HAD THE FLU!!!!  I was miserable, sneezing, coughing, aching and sharing my flu with everyone I came in contact with.  I should have stayed away because all I can really remember about that weekend was the flu. 

After we moved to Hampton I began presenting the "Night Owl Concerts" in the Holiday Room there.  I've had lots of great bands and this year will be no exception. The "Night Owl Concerts" will begin at 11PM in the Holiday Room with the following bands scheduled: Allen's Mill; Flatland Bluegrass Band; Travers Chandler & Avery County; Mill Run; Plan B Bluegrass Band and Shenandoah Drive.

Make plans to join me and all of your Bluegrass friends at Cabin Fever this 1st weekend of March, 2011.  Until I see you.....

"NUFF SAID!"

Description of Flatt & Scruggs at the Grand Ole' Opry, 1971

Hello Readers.  The following long paragraph came from a book entitled, "Ruby Red," written by William Price Fox which was published by, J. B. Lippincott Company in 1971.  I found the paragraph in the February/March 1979 edition of American Heritage Magazine within an article about the last days of the Grand Ole' Opry at the Ryman Auditorium.  I found Mr. Fox' description to be so strong that I felt I had to share it with you.  Please note that I do not have permission from the author or the publishing company, but hope they both will enjoy seeing these words again in print.  J. B. Lippincott Company is not in business any longer. 

Preceding the paragraph below the author wrote in the American Heritage article the following: "When I was in Nashville the last time, I walked through the old Ryman, trying to remember my favorite performance.  The church pews are still slick from the years of wear since since Captain Tom Ryman had them carved for Reverend Jones, and the sunlight streaming through the high and pointed red, yellow and blue tabernacle windows still washes color over the Confederate Gallery, the front rows and across the big stage.  The watchman's dog was sleeping in the center aisle, and as I moved around him, the old wooden floor creaked.  Thinking back, it wasn't hard to remember one night back in the sixties when Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs were riding together on the Martha White portion of the show.  I was sitting in the orchestra in the middle of the fried chicken, the sausage biscuits, the beer.  I took no notes that night because I needed none.  But later I jotted some down at the Alamo  Plaza and still later they found their way into the novel I was working on.  While this description doesn't catch the music, because I know of no way to do that, it does point to it as it goes winging by, which may be all we can ever do."

Now, please enjoy the paragraph and see if you can't put yourself right there, the excitement, the joy.....

" Flatt and Scruggs and "The Foggy Mountain Boys" came on like race horses, steel sharp and right as railroad spikes.  The high pitched banjo climbed up on top, the low fiddle growl held at the side, while the steady driving dobro underneath pushed it all together and straight out at us.  It curled and skipped, danced and broke and raced forward, ricocheting off sheet metal onto some wilder level where heat lightning flashed and forked and waited.  "The Foggy Mountain Boys" held the frenzied bridge for eight straight bars and Earl Scruggs tipped his white hat and stepped in tight.  The rest backed.  He came on somber-faced, expressionless, placid and picking like a madman.  High, shrill, and quick as a lizard.  His jaw was set and his eyes were riveted to the twin spider hands as his ten fingers with twenty different things to do walked back and forth on the ebony-black and mother-of-pearl five string frets.  He went to the top of where he was going, held it, and then slid down in a machine-gun shower of sharp G, C and A notes that moved like a ribbon and streaked out over the crowd to be heard a country mile away.  He bowed quickly and stepped back as Lester Flatt, his guitar up high with the box to his ear, moved in.  He sang with his eyes closed, his head cocked for range, and threw out his nasal perfect tones in a short sowbelly arc that rose and fell gathering in all the mountain folds, wood smoke and purple twilights of the Cumberlands.  He was unconscious of the crowd and the back-up men, of himself.  He heard only the music which raised him up high on his toes and twisted him around until his jaw was pointing to the top of the long curved ceiling.  No one in the crowd spoke, coughed of shifted.  They strained forward, not wanting to miss a beat, a sound, a flash.  It was an old Carter song,"I Still Think the Good Things Outweigh the Bad."  It wasn't gospel but the words hung in the heat and the hundred year old oak of the Ryman, it was gospel for Lester Flatt.  The back-up men moved in to pick him up.  They were dark-eyed and haunted-looking under their big shadow-throwing hats.  Too many years and nights on the road had ground them down, but it had sharpened them and their music into the close grained group they were.  They heard each other and they listened.  They blocked for one another and dovetailed right, building, breaking, and backing up with tight close counterpoints.  The fiddle player swooped in with wild slides and dips, stops, and double stops and high, close, screech work at the top of the neck.  They peaked and held, and then easing off they stepped aside as Mister Earl Scruggs moved back in.  He cranked the D tuner down, then up on the peg head and slicing into a fresh key brought the house down with his blinding showering finish. . . . . The crowd rose, shouting, whistling, stomping and rebel-yelling and the flash bulbs exploded from every angle and I was screaming louder than any of them."

I hope you've enjoyed reading Mr. Fox' words.  I intend to find a copy of this book and read it avidly from cover to cover. I found this to be a wonderful description of a moment lost in time, but forever remembered in the printed word.

"NUFF SAID!"