Author: John Curtis Goad

John Goad is a graduate of the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music program, with a Masters degree in both History and Appalachian Studies from ETSU.

All the Way to Bethlehem – Donna Ulisse

With Christmas quickly approaching, many artists have begun releasing albums full of traditional Christmas tunes. In the bluegrass world, that often consists of such classics as Christmas Time’s a Comin’ or Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, in addition to popular modern songs like White Christmas.

Donna Ulisse has recently joined the crowd of artists who have a Christmas album to their name, but hers has a slight twist. Each of the eleven tracks on All the Way to Bethlehem is an original song written or cowritten by Ulisse, and the album as a whole tells the Christmas story in chronological order as found in the Bible.

The album begins with I See the Light of the World, a cheerful, uplifting song drawn from the Gospel of John in which Jesus says that He is the “light of the world” and those that follow Him “shall not walk in darkness.” The rest of the songs share pieces of the Biblical Christmas story from various points of view. You Will Be Delivered finds the angel speaking, telling Mary that she will be the mother of the Savior. This song would sound at home on most traditional Christmas albums, with nice mandolin and violin contributed by Andy Leftwich. Elisabeth is an upbeat bluegrass tune with country flair told from Mary’s point of view, and shares the story of how Mary’s barren cousin Elisabeth also miraculously became a mother.

One of the album’s standout tracks is He’s Not Mine. Ulisse and cowriters Kerry Chater and Lynn Gillespie Chater have perfectly captured the feelings of Joseph as he comes to term with the fact that Jesus is not his child, but that he will still fulfill the role of father. Another nice tune, and perhaps the most unique song on the album, is I’m Gonna Shine, which is told in the voice of the star which guided the wise men to Bethlehem. Ulisse concludes with Morning in Bethlehem, a Celtic-influenced tune featuring concertina and penny whistle which finds the shepherds spreading the joyful news of Jesus’s birth.

All the Way to Bethlehem is a mixture of the sounds of contemporary bluegrass and acoustic country music, with only a few of the songs sounding like traditional Christmas music. However, that’s not a bad thing – with the lineup of first-rate musicians Ulisse has assembled, the album will be quite enjoyable for fans. Joining Ulisse, who takes the role of lead vocalist throughout the project, are Viktor Krauss (bass), Andy Leftwich (mandolin and fiddle), and Rob Ickes (dobro), among others. Anyone looking for a fresh take on Christmas albums this holiday season won’t go wrong with this collection.

Ulisse plans to tour each year during the Christmas season performing the songs from this album, and fans can catch her final holiday show this year on December 21 at Puckett’s Grocery in Franklin, TN.

All The Way To Bethlehem is featured this week on Track-By-Track, airing on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction (Channel 61). Donna sits with host Kyle Cantrell and discusses the songs as the album is played in its entirety.

Scheduled air times (EST) include:

  • December 19 – 11:00 a.m.
  • December 20 – 9:00 p.m.
  • December 22 – 8:00 a.m.
  • December 23 – 11:00 a.m.
  • December 25 – TBA

 

For more information about Donna Ulisse, her new Christmas album, and upcoming performances, visit her website at www.donnaulisse.com.

Onwards and Upwards – Niall Toner

With music scenes in such far-flung locations as Japan, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand, it is becoming more and more apparent that bluegrass music has come a long way from its roots in Bill Monroe’s western Kentucky hometown of Rosine. One of the most recent international bluegrass acts to begin making a name for himself in America is Ireland’s Niall Toner, whose admiration for Monroe is evident on his newest release, Onwards and Upwards.

Out on Pinecastle Records, Onwards and Upwardsis a collection of eleven songs, all either written or co-written by Toner. The album includes a wide variety of influences, ranging from straight-ahead bluegrass to country to the Celtic sounds of Toner’s native country. Overall, the album is a nice compilation which shows off Toner’s familiarity with an assortment of acoustic genres.

One of the album’s standout tracks is the stripped-down, country-influenced Tomorrow. Co-written with the album’s producer Keith Sewell, it tells the story of a man who can’t get around to taking care of any everyday tasks because he’s so consumed with a lost love. Sewell’s wife Wendy Buckner contributes harmony vocals which complement Toner’s lead nicely. The Celtic tune Sweet Bunclody Girl is another nice addition. Toner seems very at home with this style of music, and the upbeat, airy sound of this track will have fans’ feet tapping along.

The album features two tribute songs, written for perhaps the two most influential bluegrass musicians ever: Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs. William Smith Monroe is one of the album’s most traditional sounding songs, though with somewhat of a dark feel, serving as an introduction to Monroe’s musical beginnings and impact on bluegrass music. Toner has a bit more with fun with the brief, banjo-heavy The Pride and Joy of Shelby, tossing in lines such as “Earl put the soul in the forwards and backwards roll.”

Judge and Jury is a take on the classic tale of a man who didn’t do the crime but can’t tell where he really was (this time, the man’s only alibi probably wouldn’t be of any help during his trial). Remember Me is an interesting song which portrays the thoughts of a man who is losing the struggle with old age and dementia. While the song is thoughtful and gives voice to a situation many often don’t think about, the music feels a bit too cheerful for the lyrics.

Onwards and Upwards includes one instrumental, Burren Backstep. The musicians show off their talents on this mandolin tune, another Toner composition. On this, as well as the rest of the album, Toner has assembled a great group of musicians. Throughout the album, numerous excellent acoustic musicians are featured, including Rob Ickes (Dobro), Ashby Frank (mandolin), and Viktor Krauss (bass). In addition to his producing and writing duties, Sewell contributed an assortment of instruments including guitar, piano, and fiddle. Toner played mandolin and sang lead on all songs.

Toner’s Irish Americana is a fresh sound and one his fans will certainly appreciate.

Onwards and Upwards can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and Toner’s website, www.nialltonerband.com.

Chronology Volume 3 – Lonesome River Band

Over the past year, the Lonesome River Band has dedicated much of their time to recording an ambitious three-disc collection celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary. For the third and final album in this collection, Chronology Volume 3, the current LRB lineup has rerecorded ten of the most popular songs from throughout the band’s history, all selected by fans in an online poll.

In general, the ten tracks on this album are faithful to the original versions, with slightly updated arrangements. The songs rang from driving, fun tunes like Whoop and Ride to more thoughtful pieces like Stray Dogs and Alley Cats, with plenty of other enjoyable songs in between. Whoop and Ride is one of the newer songs recut for this album, originally recorded on 2006’s The Road with No End with Shannon Slaughter on lead vocals. Brandon Rickman offers strong vocals on this version, and Sammy Shelor’s banjo work is on point. Stray Dogs and Alley Cats, penned by Harley Allen, is another of the album’s standout tracks. This country-influenced song shares the story of a man who hopes there’s a spot in heaven for him when it’s his time to go.

A few songs seem to have been slowed down a bit this time around. This only adds to the singer’s brokenhearted longing in Am I A Fool, but slightly takes away from the suspense in the lyrics of Harvest Time. The band speeds back up with the closing track, however, offering a fast-paced Sittin’ on the Top of the World. Rickman and Randy Jones trade back and forth on lead vocals, with Jones also providing a nice mandolin solo.

The musicianship on this album is spot on, with strong solos and rhythm throughout. Band members Shelor (banjo), Rickman (guitar), Jones (mandolin), Mike Hartgrove (fiddle), and Barry Reed (bass) are all talented musicians and showcase their skills completely on Chronology Volume 3. If this album is any indication, the Lonesome River Band will still be going strong for many more decades.

For more information on the Lonesome River Band, visit their website at www.lonesomeriverband.com.

Their new album can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and other digital music stores, as well as their own website. There’s also the option to purchase a bundle of all three Chronology albums from the band site, including a lifetime backstage pass to LRB shows – a nice touch from a band which obviously loves its fans.

Breaking Down the Barriers – Darrell Webb Band

The second release from the Darrell Webb Band, Breaking Down the Barriers, is quite appropriately titled. Its genre-bending sound mixes contemporary bluegrass and country, creating a playful sound ready for the radio. Webb pulls from established songwriters as well as contributing several original songs, ultimately producing an interesting collection of tracks.

This Old Town, currently gaining airplay on bluegrass stations across the country, is one of the album’s standout tracks. Written by album producer Jim VanCleve and Josh Miller, this tune tells the familiar story of a man who returns to his hometown to find out the world has kept spinning even while he has been gone. Another song fans will enjoy is the catchy She’s Out of Here, co-written by Webb and Jeff Barbra.

Webb has included a few tunes from well-known country songwriters, including two songs penned by Skip Ewing. Pistol and Pen is a dark song filled with pain in which the singer declares that he has “lost everything I’ve ever had except my sanity.” Webb’s drawn out, sometimes whispered vocals and Jake Joines’ lonesome resonator guitar work contribute to the song’s bleak outlook. Ewing’s other cut on the album, Always Leave ‘Em Smilin’ (When Your Gone) is a much more upbeat, though slightly clichéd song, relating the friendship between a young boy and an old man.

One of the album’s most unusual songs is Beckett’s Back 40 Acres, which shares the tale of a gossip-filled small town which discovers a local farmer’s wealth is coming from an illegal cash crop. With spoken parts from a “gossip brigade” and a pop-top cracking narrator, as well as an outro that turns into somewhat of a free-for-all jam, the song becomes quite hokum by its end.

Breaking Down the Barriers also includes two instrumentals. NoraBelle is a cheerful sounding mandolin tune composed by Webb, featuring nice solos. Jamming on the Highway is a true collaborative effort, with the tune being attributed to every member of the band as well as VanCleve and tracking engineer Eric Willson. This stripped-down tune is one of the more country-sounding on the album, leading into a version of Ronnie Milsap’s 1984 hit, Prisoner of the Highway.

Webb, who is joined by band members Joines (resonator guitar), Jared Hensley (guitar), Jeremy Arrowood (bass), and Chris Wade (banjo), as well as Jim VanCleve on fiddle, has compiled a collection of eleven tracks which reaches out to fans of country music while still maintaining a bluegrass feel.

For more information on the Darrell Webb Band, visit their website at www.darrellwebbband.com. Their new album is available from the website, as well as digital music outlets.

Thanksgiving weekend festival weather report

Here is the opening installment in what we hope will be a regular feature at Bluegrass Today, a weekend festival weather report with Special Bluegrass Correspondent, John Goad.

As often as time, resources and inclination allow, SBC Goad will report on likely weather and travel conditions for major bluegrass events throughout the year.

This initial episode serves as an introduction to the concept. More to come…

 

Sons of Bluegrass

It’s no secret that the Tri-Cities area of East Tennessee is full of bluegrass. One band in particular which is beginning to draw attention not only within the region but across the south and Midwest is the Sons of Bluegrass. Comprised entirely of Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies majors from East Tennessee State University, the Sons of Bluegrass have recently released their first, self-titled EP.

The EP contains six tunes, including four band originals. The Sons of Bluegrass provide listeners with a fresh sound which leans toward the progressive side of bluegrass music. Two new instrumentals exemplify this sound. Drunk as a Skunk, written by banjo player Dan Troyer, is bouncy, with an interesting jazz-like melody, while Eucalyptus is an intriguing tune in D minor composed by former mandolin player Kyle Murphy.

Bass player Chris Armstrong contributes two more songs to the project. Step Twice is a somewhat dark-sounding track featuring some nice instrumental work. Old Diamond Joe, credited to Armstrong and Adam Steffey, could be considered the album’s standout track. The “Bluegrass Storyteller,” James King, lends his vocals to this tune, which pays homage to the singer’s guitar-picking childhood hero. The instrumental stylings of Steffey and Hunter Berry are also featured on this track.

Rounding out the EP are Shannon Slaughter’s Long Way to Virginia and Tom T. Hall’s That’s How I Got to Memphis. The band stays faithful to Slaughter’s original version, while changing the phrasing just slightly, while That’s How I Got to Memphis is rendered in a laid-back style that seems influenced by Charlie Sizemore’s version.

In the past year, the Sons of Bluegrass have been the recipients of an Arts Build Communities grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Championship Bluegrass Band at the Fiddler’s Grove Festival in North Carolina. They have headlined shows in Chicago, Louisville, KY, Tybee Island, GA, and all points in between.

The band is currently studying under the direction of Tim Stafford at ETSU. Even though the band members are young, their talent and dedication to the music they love is evident.

For more information on the Sons of Bluegrass, visit their website at www.sonsofbluegrass.net. The latest updates on the band can be found on their Facebook at www.facebook.com/SonsOBluegrass.

Flight of the Phoenix – Yankee Rebels

The mythical phoenix was known for its ability to resurrect itself after a life cycle of at least 500 years. While the Yankee Rebels haven’t been together quite that long, they, like the phoenix, have found new life with the release of their latest album, Flight of the Phoenix. While this New York-based band has been in existence for four decades, they had been on a recording hiatus since the late 1980s. Three original members have teamed up with two newer additions to the band to create an album steeped in tradition.

Flight of the Phoenix contains twelve tracks, including five originals by mandolin player David Bressler. Bressler’s compositions lean toward the traditional side of bluegrass and touch on several standard bluegrass themes. Blue and Lonesome shares the story of a man who is cutting all ties with an unfaithful lover, telling her to not even ask about him when he’s gone. A slightly brighter outlook is shown in Never Thought I’d Get Over You, in which a man begins to realize time will help him forget about the love he has lost.

Bressler also contributes a nice, upbeat Gospel tune, Road to Gloryland (which also features him on lead vocals), and two instrumentals. Methuselah Mountain Breakdown was composed after Bressler was dared to write a song with all the major chords, while the album’s title track is slightly darker and more progressive sounding than many of the other tracks on the album.

For the rest of the album, the Yankee Rebels draw from classic bluegrass and country sources. Behind These Prison Walls of Love and Shackles and Chains are both straight-ahead, lonesome bluegrass, featuring nice harmonies. Don Williams’s Lay Down Beside Me is sung tenderly with soft instrumental backup. The album concludes with the standard tune You Can Have Her, sounding a little more mournful than most versions.

Bressler (mandolin), Art Dekhayser (guitar and lead vocals), Les Bayer (banjo), Mark Farrell (fiddle), and Allen Cohen (bass) along with producer Bob Harris, who contributes guitar solos on the album’s first two tracks, have put together an album which will surely attract fans of classic bluegrass.

Fans of the Yankee Rebels can check out their Facebook page for more information on the band. Flight of the Phoenix is available for purchase from CDBaby and County Sales.

Great Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band

Pressing play on the debut album from the Great Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band is like taking a time machine to the 1950s. This four-piece group, based in the Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee, is writing and playing tunes straight out of the first generation of bluegrass music. With high harmonies, first-rate instrumentation, and a nice combination of traditional songs and band originals, the Great Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band’s brand of “busthead bluegrass” is perfect for fans who have found themselves missing “the good old days.”

They kick off the album with two traditional tearjerkers: Cryin Heart Blues and Put My Little Shoes Away, both featuring lead vocals from Greg Fields. Also included is The Carter Family’s Are You Tired of Me?, which tells the story of a man who thinks his wife may regret the decision to marry him, and Over the Hill to the Poorhouse, modeled closely after the Flatt and Scruggs version.

Truelsen also contributes a couple of original tunes to the album, both featuring him on lead vocals as well. All That Remains is a somewhat bitter tune about a man whose true love has passed away, leaving him with “a stone with your name, empty nights, and these memories of you.” Also written by Truelsen is If Only My Heart Could Forget.

Anyone who has caught the band’s live show knows that they enjoy playing Gospel songs just as much as they do straight-ahead bluegrass. Several Gospel tracks are featured here, including two originals by banjo player Richard Hood. Hood, a former English professor, features interesting word play, including “There will be one congregation at the great transfiguration” in Every Knee Shall Bow. This tune also showcases the band’s harmony vocals. Another nice addition is the album’s closing track, a rousing version of the hymn Blood of the Lamb.

Band members Jeff Elkins (bass), Greg Fields (guitar), Richard Hood (banjo), and Kris Truelsen (mandolin) seem to keep time-honored traditional ways of performing music at the forefront of their creative style. Between George Shuffler-style guitar playing, Monroe-style mandolin, and the high lonesome sound of their group harmonies, this new self-titled album seems to fill the niche for fans of bluegrass music’s first generation.

There are a few audio samples online, and you can get a feel for their sound in this video performance of Bill Monroe’s Wicked Path Of Sin.

 

For more information on the Great Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band, visit their website at www.smokybluegrass.com, where the album can be purchased.

Fans in East Tennessee can pick up a copy at The Down Home in Johnson City on Thursday evening (11/8) at 7:00 p.m., when the band hosts an official CD release party.

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