We talked a good while on Tuesday with Kenny & Amanda Smith, and hope to have a video interview with them before IBMA week concludes. Both were looking spry and chipper, and full of the energy and good humor that makes the Smith’s such charming people to be around.
In addition to playing me several tracks from their upcoming album, Catch Me If I Try, on his iPhone, Kenny shared some further details about his reunion project with former Lonesome River Band-mates Ronnie Bowman and Don Rigsby.
Regarding Catch Me If I Try: contrary to what we had indicated in an earlier post, this next CD will be independently released. Though it was recorded at Gat3 studio in Charlotte, NC, the project will not appear on their label.
Once again, just as they were preparing to start tracking, Kenny and Amanda lost their banjo player, Owen Piatt, when he accepted a full-time job at the Jack Daniels brewery that precluded regular touring. So, once again, they enlisted the help of banjo monster Ron Stewart to record with them, as they did for their previous project, Live and Learn.
Kenny tells us that recording has begun for the Bowman/Rigsby/Smith project, with a first track having been started at SONY this week. He was especially pleased to see Ronnie Bowman so enthusiastic about doing bluegrass again.
“Ronnie is really into it. He has tons of great material.
We are having a blast. It feels so good to be playing and singing with these guys again.”
If I can coral them in the exhibit hall, we’ll shoot an interview this weekend.
