Mrs. Evelyn White's Christmas Party, 2008 Smithfield, Virginia

Though I have been invited too many times to count, this was my very first visit to Mrs. White's Christmas Party.  Let me assure you it won't be my last!  Mrs. Evelyn White passed away nearly six years ago, but this Christmas Party had become such a tradition that her daughters Darlene Bell, Pat Jarvis and Wanda Griffin wanted to continue to present this wonderful gathering, which by the way, has been a occurring, mainly on the third Saturday of December, for about 40 years.  Darlene told me she couldn't be sure how long, but she said the party has been going on since she was a kid.  Now, she did the math, not me!  Mrs. White dearly loved Bluegrass music and watched over the proceedings with great interest.  I am told she is a member of the same service organization I have been accused of heading up.  She was a member of the Bluegrass Police and she would tell any band that strayed too far from Bluegrass that if they didn't play just Bluegrass they wouldn't be invited back.  As a matter of fact she was called Mrs. Bluegrass.  In the beginning all of the food and drink was paid for and supplied by Mr. & Mrs. White, but as the party grew the expense was just too much to bear, so for quite some time now most everyone who attends will bring some sort of covered dish or dessert.  The food was great and plentiful.  Now, to the music.

When I arrived shortly after 2PM Some Assembly Required  was already on stage performing their own distinct style of acoustic and Bluegrass flavored music.  They announced that they had a CD in the works and expected delivery in time for the Cabin Fever Pickin' Party.  Leo said they would have a CD release party as part of Cabin Fever.  Next up was

 The Willow Creek Bluegrass Band. (I'm thinking I may have the order of appearance mixed up here, but the photos are correct.)  Willow Creek has been working very hard and their performance showed it.  After Willow Creek came the 

Flatland Bluegrass Band.  Randy Grigg and the band present a very pleasant and invigorating show.  Following Flatland was

Code Blue.  Bud and the guys always present a fast moving program of Bluegrass interlaced with a generous amount of humor.  Following Code Blue was a band I was quite unfamiliar with.  I'm glad i got a chance to hear

Roan Mountain.  For a relatively new band these folks had their music down and presented a fine set of Bluegrass.  Harbor Town was up next and gave us a really fun and fast moving set of fine Bluegrass.  After Harbor Town we were treated to an unexpected appearance of the group Salt Marsh.  Not knowing the groups of this area of Virginia I was unaware of Salt Marsh, but from the reception they received they must be a well loved group in the area.  The last group to play was Highway 35.  Highway 35 is comprised of folks from the Courtland/Franklin area of Virginia.  They did a super job and closed out the evening with style.

I'd like to thank Mrs. White and her daughters, Darlene, Pat and Wanda for inviting me over and over.  I am sorry I took so long to show up.  I'll be back next year, for sure!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! From: Santa Claus & The North Pole Boys!

May your Christmas be the very best!

Bluegrass Ramble, December Edition, continued

Most of this "Bluegrass Ramble" concerns the Christmas Party held at the Amelia Family Campground each 1st Saturday in December.

To say it was cold in Amelia this past December 6th would be an understatement.  But, the cold did nothing to diminish the fun and the celebration of Bluegrass and Christmas at the  Amelia Family Campground.  I arrived earlier than in past years and found myself at the campground by noon on Saturday.  There were many already there ahead of me, but there were still many more to arrive.  The music wasn’t scheduled to begin until around 2PM with a very nice line up of bands.

Those of you who have never been to the Hutchinson Family’s Bluegrass Christmas Party may be wondering how bands could possibly play music in an outdoor pavilion if it was as cold as I said it was.  I can understand that, but now I’m gonna tell you how.  John and his boys and their extended families wrap the entire pavilion with Tyvek paper.  This is that strong white paper most houses are wrapped with before siding or brick is added to the exterior.  After wrapping the pavilion they install two gas operated space heaters and by the time the music is ready to start the pavilion is as warm and cozy as can be.

When I got to Amelia I found that I was kind of sore.  I was wearing too many layers of clothing.  I had on so many shirts and sweaters and jackets that my arms wouldn’t hang at my sides but were sort of sticking out a bit.  If you’ve seen the great Christmas movie,  "A Christmas Story" about the kid who wanted Red Ryder BB Rifle for Christmas, then you’ll remember how his Mom dressed him and his little brother with so many clothes they could barely move.  Well, that’s sort of the way I felt.  Because I couldn’t get my arms straight down by my sides my shoulders actually did begin to ache.  But; and this is a very important but!  I was not cold!  No!  I was as snug as that old bug in a rug!

The music started up pretty much on time and wow was it good.  Some of the bands took the time to learn some of the Bluegrass Christmas songs like “Christmas Time’s A-coming” and “Christmas Time is Near.”  The Bluegrass bands changed every 30 minutes and played constantly throughout the day and then there was the food.  Oh ,yeah!  The food.  Skeeter and Carroll Hutchinson were busy stirring pots of potato soup and navy beans, while  Sweet Brenda fixed hot dogs and fried her famous hush-puppies.  Just about every family that came brought some kind of dessert.  I pigged out on desserts and had a lot of fun socializing with friends old and new.

My friends Richard and Cris Morgan from Durham, NC came up again this year and with Ralph and Amy Westfall and Lynette Dooley and Kevin we were warm and snug in Richard & Cris’s motor home.  We jammed for several hours and told stories and lies and once in a while we even told the truth.  But, none of us ever knew exactly when that truth was told.  And, dang it, I forgot something.  Every year I always pass around a big tub of candy canes to everyone in the pavilion.  But, we were having so much fun in Richard and Cris’s camper that I plum forgot about it.  Oh, I went out 2 weeks ago and bought the candy canes and I had them with me in the car.  But, I simply forgot.  I’ll try to remember next year.  Golly, have we got to wait a whole ‘nother year for the Hutchinson Bluegrass Christmas Party???

Yes, we do, but we can still come over to Amelia and help celebrate the 30th year of the Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festivals at the Amelia Family Campground.  Each 3rd weekend of May and August, John, Ferne and the entire Hutchinson clan host these two great Bluegrass events.  As I said this will be the 30th year, so by now you should remember the dates, but just in case, go get that calendar down off the wall and mark those two weekends.  

"NUFF SAID"

Bluegrass Guitar player George Harris passes away November , 2008

Many of us knew George Harris as a great friend of Bluegrass.  His unending repertoire of songs was amazing.  We will miss him.

"Walk This Mountain Down" by Donna Ulisse - A review

Before getting into the review I would like to tell you how I happened to meet Donna this year at the IBMA in Nashville.  Each year I represent the club, The Virginia Bluegrass Family and my soon to be ended newsletter, but now a blog, "Bluegrass Virginia."  In recent years the word has gotten out and I receive unsolicited requests from various bands to showcase in our "Night Owl Concerts."  One of the many I heard from via email was Donna Ulisse. (Check out her web site by clicking here and her myspace site here.)  To be truthful I was trying to book names that were better known and certainly Donna Ulisse was not a name I was familiar with.  There's an old saying that goes, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease," and it certainly applies in Donna's case.  Her agent was most persistent (squeaky!) and I finally simply decided to choose (Grease!) Donna as on of our showcase bands.  She and her band The Poor Mountain Boys showcased on Tuesday night at 12 midnight.  Here's a couple of snapshots from her appearance.   I chatted a few times with Donna and discovered she is a native Virginian, born in Hampton, Virginia.  Now, on to the review.

"WALK THIS MOUNTAIN DOWN"

RADIO RELEASE DATE: January 6, 2009

STREET RELEASE DATE: January 20, 2009

I'd like to begin this review by telling you a little something about how I look at and perceive Bluegrass.  There are two basic types, traditional and contemporary, however within these types are many shades and levels of Bluegrass.  I would classify this CD entitled "Walk This Mountain Down" as contemporary Bluegrass and from there into the sub-set of song/singer driven contemporary Bluegrass.  Donna has written or co-written every song on the CD and for a relative newcomer to Bluegrass that is quite a feat.  The CD starts off with an up-tempo tune called "In My Wildest Dreams."  It speaks of everyday things in life, but from there when bedtime comes she dreams of a life free of the humdrum and dreams of the freedom to do as she pleases.  Next up is the song "Poor Mountain Boy." which has already been released as a single to radio stations all around the country.  Co-written with her husband Rick Stanley, the song speaks of the a marriage between two folks who have very different feelings about married life.  She wanted to party and he wanted to simply stay home, hence a "Poor Mountain Boy."  This song straddles the fence between modern contemporary Bluegrass and the "new" country music that it could possibly receive airplay in both venues.  "Dust To Dust" is a  song of unrequited love that speaks of the fact that love or not we shall all return to dust.  The instruments get a chance to work out on this tune as we hear Andy Leftwich on Mandolin, Rob Ickes on Dobro, Scott Vestal on Banjo and Keith Sewell on Guitar all jamming on the long break toward the end of the song.  Things slow down on "Love's Crazy Train" as Donna sings of how love seems to be a crazy ride on a crazy train.  "Walk This Mountain Down," the title song, is a Gospel flavored song telling of leaving troubles behind by leaving them behind as you "Walk This Mountain Down."  I think my favorite song on the CD is "The Trouble with you."  This is a song that could be a country/pop hit.  The chorus has a fun and catchy line.  It goes: 'The trouble with you is that you're sure good looking and looking at you is what the women do. The trouble with me is that I don't trust women, especially when they're looking at trouble with you.'  I really think Donna should show this song to some of today's country/pop stars.   The seventh song tells the story of a woman who grew up during the 1930's as a "Child of the Great Depression."  Co-written with Marc Rossi, it reminds us of the deep impact this terrible time in our past had on those who grew up during those years.  "The Key" is a Gospel song that tells us we have the key to heaven if we simply have faith.  Donna sings of true love when she sings "Lovin' Every Minute."  She has remained strong because she has kept her true love in everything in her life.  A very well thought out song sung with conviction.  "I Lied" has a good bouncy Bluegrass rhythm to it and, to me, has the grassiest sound on the CD.  It speaks of allowing someone to leave by saying they can never come back, but she doesn't really want him to leave.  "These Troubles" speaks of how life can be hard and how life's troubles can keep you from living life to it's fullest, but it has the hope that times will improve.  Three part harmony and part singing makes "Everything Has Changed" a strong Gospel song.  With a good Bluegrass feel and the cascading voices in the chorus add a nice touch.  The last song on the project is entitled "Levi Stone."  Donna says this is a true story about a man who lived by the Gospel and, though he suffered great losses in his life, he maintained that faith. 

"Walk This Mountain Down" is a well produced project (Produced by: Keith Sewell) with well thought out instrumentation throughout.  If your tastes lean toward the more contemporary sounds of Bluegrass then you will definitely want to add this CD to your library.

A Personal Note From Rhonda Vincent

Hello readers.  what follows below the row of asterisks is a letter sent to me from Rhonda Vincent.  I have asked her if I could share it with you and she agreed.

********************************

It is with great pleasure that we embark upon a new phase of my career.
We sadly say goodbye to two of my very dear friends, Kenny Ingram & Darrell
Webb.  I love them and wish them the very best, and will help them in any
way I can.

Beginning today, November 24, 2008; Aaron McDaris and Ben Helson officially
join The Rage, respectively on banjo and guitar. Hunter Berry and Mickey Harris begin their 8th season as gentlemen of The Rage.

This group of incredible musicians has already started recording.  We will
be posting photos from the studio, and hosting LIVE Web Casts; along with
various contests and activities to involve everyone in the process of recording this new album, and to welcome the new members.

I hope that you will be as excited as I am about the new music, new members,
and new approach to our presentation.
This new approach will incorporate talents never before seen from this group; including Mickey on dobro, and Hunter singing solo. 

As you've seen in years past, we never know what Hunter might do; and that is something that hasn't changed.  With this new group of musicians, we will also record, for the first time in the history of Rhonda Vincent & The Rage; with only the musicians of The Rage. There will be no guest appearances or additional musicians of any
kind.

The new project has captured the comradery and magical blend, displayed by
this particular group of men.  Their wide array of talents will be featured, and co-displayed on record and live!

I ask you to join me in supporting Kenny & Darrell in their future endeavors; and welcoming Aaron and Ben to the Rager Family.

Thank you for your support of the music, and allowing me the honor of living
my dream: performing bluegrass music.
Next to the Word of God, Music deserves the Highest Praise.  
God Bless You!!     Rhonda Vincent

Copper Ridge @ County Seat, A review

There were approximately 50 or so lucky people in attendance as Copper Ridge took the stage at the County Seat Restaurant tonight, 11/22/2008.  For future schedules of bands appearing at the County Seat click here.  Charlie Bishop got things going with a strong Banjo break and then the music took off from there.  I did not make notes as to what songs were performed.  But, suffice it to say there were a number of the expected Bluegrass standards and quite a few more obscure, but great Bluegrass songs.  Most of the songs done by Fred Phipps (Guitar) were from Flatt & Scruggs, but they weren't the time worn songs one might expect.  Fred dug through the deep F&S catalog and found some under-appreciated gems.  Charles Jackson played some really great Fiddle breaks that reminded me of the breaks done by those great Fiddlers of the past.  Mickey Janosik sang lead on several songs and really pleased the crowd with his rendition of the James King song "Thirty Years of Farming."  Mark Mills, spokesman for the group, sang most of the lead parts, with most of his material coming from the extensive catalog of the famous Country Gentlemen.  For more information about Copper Ridge visit there web site by clicking here.  Copper Ridge is taking off the rest of the year, but please check out their web site regularly to see where they'll be in 2009.