The Toy Hearts, featuring British bluegrass sisters Hannah and Sophia Johnson, have released a video for the latest single from their Femme Fatale project.
The song is The Captain, written and sung by the lovely Miss Hannah, with able support from the equally lovely (and talented) Miss Sophia. Hannah says that the song is meant to express her refusal to be dominated by those who wield significant power in the music industry, and the hardships faced by The Toy Hearts navigating the British bluegrass scene.
That sounds like a hard message, but the lyrics and the delivery are intentionally demure, providing a nice contrast with some of the gutsier numbers on Femme Fatale.
Rounding out the band is proud pater Stewart Johnson, assisted in the studio by Missy Raines on bass, Jesse Cobb on mandolin, and Ross Holmes on fiddle.
From October 1, 2010 through to the end of September 2011, we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information will include births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits. Richard F. Thompson is responsible for the research and compilation of this information. We invite readers to share any tidbits, photos or memories you would like us to include.
May 16, 1901 Birch Monroe was born near Rosine, Kentucky. *
May 16, 1962 Recording session – During a day-time session at the Columbia Recording Studio Bill Monroe recorded three Gospel songs: Way Down Deep In My Soul, Drifting Too far From the Shore and Going Home. Frank Buchanan [guitar], Tony Ellis [banjo] and Bessie Lee Mauldin [bass] provided instrumental support while the quartets consisted of Bill Monroe [lead and tenor vocals], Frank Buchanan [lead vocals], Red Stanley [baritone vocal] and Culley Holt [bass vocal]. The producer was Harry Silverstein and Owen Bradley was the leader. **
May 16, 1964 Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys were among the bands featured at the National Country Music Cavalcade Of Stars in Madison Square Garden, New York City. Over 25,000 attended the two day event.
* Birch Monroe played bass and old-time fiddle for Bill Monroe during the period from 1945 through to 1947.
He participated in two recording sessions singing bass on Wicked Path Of Sin, I’ll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning and Boat Of Love. He played bass on The Shining Path.
Additionally, Birch Monroe sang or played bass on many Grand Ole Opry appearances that were recorded from radio and released on the LP Bluegrass Classics Radio Shows 1946-1948: Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass (sic) Boys (BCG 80), released in the Fall of 1981.
He can be heard on three other ‘live’ recordings each of which was included on the CD Bill Monroe: Live Recordings 1956-1969: Off the Record. Vol. 1 (SF CD 40063). These took place during the re-union of the Monroe brothers, Bill, Charlie and Birch, at the annual Smithsonian Festival Of American Folklife on Capitol Mall, Washington D.C. on July 4, 1969.
Other samples of his old-time fiddling can be found on the LP Brother Birch Monroe Plays Old Time Fiddle Favorites (Atteiram API-L-1516) recorded circa May 1975.
** Way Down Deep In My Soul, Drifting Too Far From the Shore and Going Home were included on the album I’ll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning (Decca DL 4537), released on June 15, 1964.
Fiddler Jordan Blevins from Marion, Virginia, has joined the great traditional bluegrass band, Rich In Tradition.
Blevins, just as the rest of the group, comes from a musical family with a rich heritage in bluegrass music. His father has played the guitar since he was 13 years old and he also has two uncles who play mandolin.
Starting with the upright bass at the Monday night jams at Carson Cooper’s music store on Main Street in Marion, Blevins learned as much as he could from some pretty good pickers who were anxious to teach a young eager kid some tricks.
He joined his father’s band, the Virginia Mountain Boys, at the age of 15. When he turned 18, he became interested in the fiddle and shortly after was faced with the choice of trying out for the Virginia Tech baseball team or playing fiddle with the popular band, Fescue. His love of music steered him to Fescue and he has never looked back, continuing to hone his skills on the fiddle.
Rounding out the roster for Rich In Tradition, Blevins says that he already feels at home with this group. He says, “I’m very pleased to be a part of Rich In Tradition and look forward to a long and successful musical career with them. They are a great bunch of guys and great musicians”.
Rich In Tradition was formed in 2006 and currently consists of Mickey Galyean (guitar, lead, tenor and high baritone vocals), Jay Adams (banjo and baritone vocals), Brad Hiatt (bass, and lead and tenor vocals) and Greg Jones (mandolin, lead and tenor vocals) and Blevins (fiddle).
Their latest album Black Mountain Special (Mountain Roads Recordings MRR 1010), an excellent mix of secular and gospel music, was a Top 5 entry in the Bluegrass Music Profiles National Bluegrass CD Chart.
All five members of the group are Kentucky born and bred – the ultimate bluegrass pedigree! Dave Carroll is on guitar, Jerry Chaney on resonator guitar, Chaston Carroll on mandolin, Johnny Branham on banjo and Chad Gilbert on bass. Adam Collinsworth plays mandolin on a number of tracks.
It is poignant project for the band, as it marks the final recording Chaney made before he was killed in a horrific auto accident on June 10, 2010. The album cover pictures Jerry on stage, and the project title is one he sang.
You can listen to all 12 tracks at AirPlay Direct, where radio programmers can download tracks for airplay. Samples are also available in iTunes.
Monroeville has served as a picture-perfect example of how to launch a new band. These six talented young men got started on their new venture last summer after several of the members departed from Barry Scott & Second Wind in July 2010.
From day one they focused on the business necessities, getting management and publicity in place, and launching an interactive web site, even while work for a debut recording was in progress. None of them are yet household names, but they did note how current headliners Dailey & Vincent had all of their business associations in place before news of the band ever hit. This allowed Jamie and Darrin to take full advantage of the buzz that was generated when their album was finally released.
Monroeville is hoping to see a buzz accompany the release of their self-titled project this week. It is set to hit on Tuesday (5/17), with a video for Pot Of Gold (written by Chris Stapleton and Frank Rodgers) soon to follow.
The band consists of Daniel Salyer on bass, Matt Munsey on mandolin, Travis Houck on resonator guitar, Zane Petty on banjo, Seth Taylor on guitar and Matt Flake on fiddle.
The guys have agreed to let us preview a few tracks from the new CD here on Bluegrass Today, to give everyone a taste of their sound.
Pot Of Gold: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/pot_of_gold.mp3]
Lonesome Goodbye (with Cia Cherryhomes): [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/lonesome_goodbye.mp3]
This is a talented bunch of pickers, singers and songwriters. They’ve done their homework, and now it’s time to see what the bluegrass world thinks of what they have to say.
Pre-orders for the CD are being accepted now online.
We’ve posted many times about the Bluegrass, Old Time and Country music program at East Tennessee State University, where serious students of the music can now obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree – in playing banjos and fiddles!
The program is designed to prepare students for a professional career in the music business, with courses on harmony and theory, instruction on their instruments, performance ensembles and music labs on top of a core liberal arts curriculum.
ETSU has released a revised recruiting video to explain their BOTCM program to prospective students, with appearances from director Dan Boner, former students Adam Steffey, Barry Bales and Kenny Chesney, plus Rhonda Vincent whose two daughters are enrolled in the program. A number of current students are also interviewed.
From October 1, 2010 through to the end of September 2011, we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information will include births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits. Richard F. Thompson is responsible for the research and compilation of this information. We invite readers to share any tidbits, photos or memories you would like us to include.
May 15, 1913 Carolyn Minnie Brown, Bill Monroe’s first wife, born in Marshalltown, Iowa *
May 15, 1942 Single released – Honky Tonk Swing / Back Up and Push (Bluebird B 8988, 78rpm)
May 15, 1950 Single issued – The Old Fiddler / Alabama Waltz (Decca 46236, 78rpm)
May 15, 1957 Recording session – During two sessions at the Bradley Film & Recording Studio Bill Monroe recorded Out In The Cold World, Roane County Prison, Goodbye Old Pal, In Despair, Molly And Tenbrooks and Come Back To Me In My Dreams. Also in the studio were Lester Sandy [guitar], Don Stover [banjo] and Bessie Lee Mauldin [bass] and Gordon Terry, Joe Stuart and Dale Potter [fiddles]. The producer was Paul Cohen. **
May 15, 1967 Guitar virtuoso Clarence White was offered a spot in the Blue Grass Boys. He declined the invitation from Bill Monroe.
May 15, 1972 Single released – Lonesome Moonlight Waltz / My Old Kentucky and You (Decca 32966, 45rpm)
May 15, 1982 Birch Monroe suffered a heart attack and died in the Owensboro Hospital, Owensboro, Kentucky, just one day before his 81st birthday. ***
May 15, 1990 Recording session – During an afternoon session at Nashville’s Reflections Studio Bill Monroe recorded What Would You Give In Exchange?, Cryin’ Holy Unto The Lord and Just A Little Talk With Jesus. Bill Monroe was assisted by Tom Ewing [guitar], Mac Wiseman [guitar], Blake Williams [baritone vocal/banjo], Billy Rose [bass], ‘Tater’ Tate [bass vocal/fiddle]. The producer was Steve Buchanan. ****
* Carolyn Brown married Bill Monroe on October 18, 1936.
Carolyn Monroe assisted her husband in booking shows for several years after Bill Monroe started out on his own. She is the mother of Melissa and James Monroe.
** The first three songs were recorded during an afternoon session. The last three were recorded during what is thought to have been an evening session that same day.
All six recordings were included on the LP Knee Deep in Bluegrass (Decca DL 8731), released on June 23, 1958.
*** Birch Monroe was Bill Monroe’s elder brother; the fifth child of J. B. and Malissa Monroe.
Along with brother, Charlie, the three Monroe siblings were part of a dance troupe while living and working in Chicago in the 1930s.
Birch, a fiddle player and bass singer, played with Charlie’s band, the Kentucky Partners, before joining Bill Monroe.
In the 1950s he was employed as manager of the Brown County Jamboree, Bill Monroe’s music park at Bean Blossom, and he often played as a member of the house band there.
**** Mac Wiseman played on the duet What Would You Give In Exchange?
The recording of Just A Little Talk With Jesus was included on the album Cryin’ Holy Unto the Lord (MCAD-10017).
From October 1, 2010 through to the end of September 2011, we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information will include births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits. Richard F. Thompson is responsible for the research and compilation of this information. We invite readers to share any tidbits, photos or memories you would like us to include.
May 14, 1957 Recording session – At an early afternoon session at the Bradley Film & Recording Studio Bill Monroe recorded A Good Woman’s Love, Cry, Cry Darlin’ and I’m Sittin’ On Top of the World. Also working on the session were Joe Stuart [guitar], Don Stover [banjo] and Bessie Lee Mauldin [bass], and Dale Potter, Gordon Terry and Tommy Jackson [fiddles]. *
May 14, 1963 Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys began a five-day series of appearances at the Ash Grove, in Los Angeles. [Rinzler] The Ash Grove was the west coast’s premier folk venue. **
May 14, 1975 Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys performed at a concert recorded by the BBC (London, England). ***
May 14, 1991 Al Lester died. ****
May 14, 2005 Jimmy Martin died at Alive Hospice in Nashville after a long struggle with bladder cancer. He was 77. *****
* The three recordings were included on Bill Monroe’s first LP Knee Deep in Bluegrass (Decca DL 8731), released on June 23, 1958.
** The first concert, as were others, was recorded and, from a set with Doc Watson, two duets, You Won’t Be Satisfied That Way and Memories of You, were released on Bill Monroe and Doc Watson: Live Duet Recordings 1963-1980, Off the Record Vol. 2 (SF CD 40064).
Other recordings from this period include True Life Blues included on the CD Bill Monroe: Live Recordings 1956-1969: Off the Record. Vol. 1 (SF 40063).
That and a recording of Raw Hide, What Does the Deep Sea Say, Feast Here Tonight, Midnight On The Stormy Deep and You Won’t Be Satisfied That Way were included on Bill And Doc Sing Country Songs: Limited Club Edition (FBN-210). Only the last four named featured Doc Watson.
The Blue Grass Boys accompanying Bill Monroe were Del McCoury[guitar], Kenny Baker [fiddle], Bill Keith [banjo] and Bessie Lee Mauldin [bass].
*** The band comprised Monroe, Ralph Lewis [guitar], Bob Black [banjo], Kenny Baker [fiddle] and Randy Davis [bass].
**** Al Lester was an unconfirmed fill-in on fiddle.
He was a fiddle champion in five states, including his home state of Alabama.
As well as working for Bill Monroe he played with Jim Reeves, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Mac Wiseman and Cowboy Copas.
Lester played a in wide variety of styles with credits on recordings by The Dixie Gentlemen, Boz Scaggs, Liza Minelli, Mac Davis, Gerry Goffen, Wilson Pickett, Willie Nelson, Sailcat and others.
***** Jimmy Martin worked for Bill Monroe during the early years in which Monroe recorded for Decca Records.
Martin also recorded with Bobby and Sonny Osborne after which he formed his own band, retaining the name, the Sunny Mountain Boys, a band that he led from 1955 until the illness that preceded his death.
During those years he developed his own individual style and band sound. Among the well-known musicians who worked with him are Paul Williams, Bill Emerson, Doyle Lawson and J.D. Crowe.
His songs Sophronie, Stepping Stones, Rock Hearts, Widow Maker, Hit Parade of Love and Tennessee, and the instrumental Theme Time are among the most popular in the bluegrass music cannon.
He played on all three of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will the Circle be Unbroken albums.
Martin made frequent appearances on the Louisiana Hayride and Wheeling, West Virginia’s WWVA Jamboree as well as the Grand Ole Opry, but was never realized his life-long dream of joining the Grand Ole Opry cast.
He was an avid raccoon hunter and wrote songs about his dogs and featured them on some of his LP covers.
His honors include a place in the SPBGMA Preservation Hall of Greats (1986), the IBMA Hall of Honor (1995) and Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Hall of Fame (1998).
Cherryholmes has had quite a run of late. Over the past ten years, we’ve watched them go from a cute family bluegrass band of teen siblings, to a writing, touring and recording powerhouse of serious pickers and singers with their own ideas about how the music should be played.
The group formed in 1999 as a family-bonding exercise after Jere and Sandy Cherryholmes lost their oldest daughter Shelly when she was only 20 years old. Before long they found themselves performing informally around southern California, and by 2003 they had their first guest spot on the Grand Ole Opry.
In January of 2011, after 7 albums, 4 Grammy nominations, an IBMA Entertainer of the Year award, and thousands of miles on the road, they announced that Cherryholmes would disband in the Spring.
Our buddy Tim White spent a few minutes with Jere and Sandy this past Saturday at HoustonFest in Galax, VA, the site of their final performance. Tim had featured the band previously on Song Of The Mountains, the nationally syndicated PBS program he hosts from nearby Marion, and asked Sandy if they had ever anticipated such a run of success when they started up.
“No… we had no plans on having a band. That’s probably the part of our experience that’s different from most family groups. We took these little kids we had, and tried to teach them bluegrass because we thought that they could actually play it. We figured that if they could all learn a chord or two, we could have a family jam.
We just wanted to do something that would bring them closer to us, and help them get over some of the rough spots back then, when they lost their sister. We never dreamed of anything more than that.”
So why bring it all to an end?
Sandy: “We talked about all this a while back, and it was a mutual decision. We are a traditional family. I’m a stay-at-home mom; we are home schoolers. We raised our kids to be family people, and we realized along the way that we were going to have a conflict in values within our own family. As our family grows, we can’t make them do something we felt was not right.
I mean if you have girls that end up getting married at some point, you can’t tell them that they are going to tour with you and their husbands are going to have to stay home, because I would never have done it.
And we also realized that they may have a different vision. They were children when we signed on to this, and now they’re adults. One of them is married, one is getting married in a couple of weeks, and Jere just got the idea that we need to put this on the table for them and ask ‘What do you guys want? We can’t just keep tying you guys up year after year if it’s not what you really want to do.’
He went and talked to them and said ‘I think we need to rethink this,’ and they all ended up agreeing with him. So we set a date.
They’re excited – they get to go off and be on their own. And were excited – we get to be alone for the first time in years and years.”
Tim: How do you feel about it, honestly. How does it make you feel?
Jere: “It’s bittersweet. It’s been totally engulfing for Sandy and I this past 8 years, especially managing a business. I drive the bus, and have put 675,000 miles on it. We had to always be planning a year and a half out, making all the arrangements, and then having the anxiety of knowing that you can’t replace band members. Our sound is our sound, and it can only be played by us. Nobody wants to pay for the Cherryholmes with a whole bunch of other people in the band!
It’s a shocker in a way, that we’re not going to have this to do, but we’re at peace with it. Everybody’s going to be involved in music in some way, shape or form. Even Sandy and I are going to find people to play with us just for fun.”
Tim reminded them that “just for fun” what they said the last time he and Sandy started playing.
Sandy: “Who knows? This could get exciting! There are a lot of artists who were doing the pop stuff back in the ’80s, and now they’re our age and are doing Americana. So we’re going to hunt them out! You never know what we’ll do.”
And what about younger members of the clan?
Sandy: “They all have their own things. Molly’s working on a different kind of music she’s trying to promote. She has some connections back in California she might pursue, and she’s gung ho. She wants to do music.
BJ may be going to work in one of those theaters in Myrtle Beach. They’ve called him and he’s going out there this week. If it works out, he may end up getting a job in a really nice theater.
Cia doesn’t really have any set plans, and Skip is getting married and doing construction, but he may do some bluegrass on the side.”
But all of this could change. Every week when I talk to them they have a different thing they’re doing.”
Tim: Any last thoughts or comments as you bring Cherryholmes to a close?
Jere: “I just want to take time to sincerely thank people. Fans are hard to come by, and we have so many. We actually call them friends – we don’t like to call them fans. They’ve been so supportive… given their love to us. And energy… If there is energy flowing from the audience onto you, it energizes you, and you can put out even more. I’m sure that most of the inspirational performances we’ve ever done were because we had such a great audience.
We do appreciate everyone in the industry and in our fan base that have been such a friend and a support. We are deeply thankful for that.”
Sandy: “I just want to say thank you to everyone who has encouraged the family along the way. And the professionals who have had faith in us and encouraged us – not the least of which Ricky Skaggs, and Skaggs Family Records. He’s been wonderful, wonderful to us.”
Jere: “And Allen Mills!”
Sandy: “Allen Mills is who got us here. He’s the one who got us to Galax the first time. Him and Dempsey back in 2000, 2001… they met us here both years. And he’s the one who planted the seed and said in ’02 that if you decide to leave and come out east, you call me and I’ll help you, and this is one of the places he brought us, in Galax.
Jere: “I know in some kinds of music it’s kind of cutthroat, and people don’t want to see you succeed. In this kind of music, everybody wants everybody to do the best. And so the professionals we met along the way – Rhonda Vincent, James King, Larry Cordle, and people like that – have always been so encouraging. If they have something, they want to share it with you, and then you can take it and do what you do with it. I think that’s a real tribute to this kind of music.”
Tim: What about reunion shows in the future?
Sandy: “We’ve had a lot of requests already. We will have an active web site to keep everyone updated about what we are all doing, and any shows we might do together.”
And so it ends. So long, Cherryholmes. It was great while it lasted.
From October 1, 2010 through to the end of September 2011, we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information will include births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits. Richard F. Thompson is responsible for the research and compilation of this information. We invite readers to share any tidbits, photos or memories you would like us to include.
May 13, 1954 Single released – Get up John / White House Blues (Decca 9 – 29141, 78rpm, 29141, 45rpm)
May 13, 1957 Single released – A Fallen Star / Four Walls (Decca 9 – 30327, 78rpm, 30327, 45rpm)
May 13, 1967 Bob Warford filled in, playing banjo, with the Blue Grass Boys.
May 13, 1967 Eric White filled in, playing bass, with the Blue Grass Boys.
So what is bluegrass? Bill Monroe said,
“Bluegrass is a pure music. You follow the melody right, and you don’t put in no hot know-it-all fiddle that don’t belong in there. If you’re just trying to show off, that ain’t going to get it; it sure won’t get it with me. It’s the same thing with the mandolin. I play enough notes on the mandolin to take care of Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, but I also play the rhythm and help keep the time straightened out…”
