John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2004 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.
Congratulations to Adam Miller, mandolinist with Lonesome River Band, and his wife, Bailey, on the birth of their first child.
James Aiden Bailey was born on August 24 at 8:33 p.m., weighing in at 7 lbs, 12 oz, and stretching out to 20 inches. Mom and baby are doing well, and Adam says that he hopes to bring them home later today.
The happy parents plan to call him Aiden.
Many congratulations to the growing Miller family, and a giant Bluegrass Today welcome to little Aiden!
For the second single from their next album with Nashville singer, songwriter, and super picker Ashby Frank, Mountain Home Music has chosen his grassy cover of an alternative pop song from 2018.
It’s God Gave Me Horses, recorded by Leigh Nash, an uplifting song about a young man sentenced to time behind bars, who has no relationship with the Almighty, but who finds a calling and a vocation without ever asking.
Ashby says that the lyrics grabbed him the first time he heard them.
“God Gave Me Horses was co-written by one of my favorite Nashville songwriters, the great Connie Harrington, along with Leigh Nash, who is well-known for her solo recording career, as well as being the lead singer for the band, Sixpence None The Richer. A mutual friend of mine and Leigh’s played me her original cut of this song when she released it, and I was blown away by the lyrics; I knew instantly that I wanted to record it with a rootsy bluegrass treatment.
There are a lot of classic ‘prison songs’ that are considered bluegrass standards that talk about despair, hopelessness, and regret, but this composition has a more contemporary and positive message that I think will resonate with listeners of every generation.
I’m so pleased with how this track turned out, and especially grateful to my great friend and Mountain Home Music label mate, Jaelee Roberts, for lending her voice to this track. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”
In addition to Frank on mandolin and lead vocal, studio support came from Seth Taylor on guitar, Matt Menefee on banjo, and Travis Anderson on bass.
Their track nicely conveys the song’s elevating theme, which never feels preachy or overbearing. Just a story of salvation and a lesson learned, beautifully told.
The Bluegrass Endeavors Foundation, a philanthropic non-profit organization managed by the members of Crandall Creek, announced this week that Lillyanne McCool of Mountain View, AR is the recipient of the 2024 Steve Gulley Memorial Scholarship. McCool, a student at the College of the Ozarks in Hollister, MO, will receive $5,000 to assist in the costs of attending nursing school there.
This annual scholarship, created in 2022 to honor the memory of the late bluegrass singer and songwriter, Steve Gulley, is given to a college student who best represents the future of bluegrass music. Lillyanne is a banjo player and vocalist who has been involved in the music since early childhood. At age 15, she won the National Old Time Banjo Grand Championship, and currently performs with Sylamore Special, who won the SPBGMA Band Championship this year in Nashville.
We lost Steve tragically in August of 2020 to an aggressive form of cancer. Prior to that sad day, he had been a dedicated bluegrass entertainer who played with a number of prominent acts. Gulley was a founding member of both Mountain Heart and Grasstowne, who had toured and recorded previously with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. His early training came as a regular member of the cast at the Renfro Valley Barn Dance, and he finished his career leading his own band, Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle.
Lillyanne had been lucky enough to meet Steve prior to his untimely passing, and was a big fan of his music.
“He was such a wonderful person. Mom and I both loved him.”
In accepting the award at The Station Inn on August 21, she expressed her extreme gratitude.
“You don’t know how much of a blessing this is. I was surprised and thankful beyond possibility. Thank you so much.”
The presentation was made during Crandall Creek’s Nashville show on Wednesday by Jerry Andrews, guitarist with the band, Bruce Winges of the Foundation, and Debbie Gulley, Steve’s widow. McCool was also invited to sing a song with Crandall Creek on stage.
Andrews reports that it was a lovely evening.
“We were thrilled to have Lillyanne perform with us. Additionally, Debbie Gulley sang a beautiful Alison Krauss song. We had a wonderful and special night and appreciated everyone that joined us for this memorable event.”
Though she will pursue a career in nursing, Lillyanne will also maintain her love and interest in music.
“I want to continue teaching bluegrass music at camps and in schools, to hopefully inspire future generations to love and to play bluegrass music.”
She is adept at both three finger and old time banjo styles. Here she is with her Sylamore Special bandmate, Mary Parker, in a video they posted on January 8, 2024.
And with the full band earlier this summer.
Congratulations to Lillyanne McCool, and hats off to Crandall Creek for all their charitable endeavors!
Back on August 7, Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland trekked out to the Grand Ole Opry for the debut live performance of their latest single, Outrun The Rain. Now, a little more than two weeks later, the song makes its debut on our Bluegrass TodayWeekly Airplay chart at #1, a rare occurrence indeed.
We are delighted to also offer the premiere of the music video shot at the Opry on the seventh, which features very nearly the same personnel as the recording. With Michael and Jason on fiddles, and Carter singing lead, we see Cory Walker on banjo, Harry Clark on mandolin, Alan Bartram on bass, and Zeb Snyder subbing for Bryan Sutton on guitar. Bartram and Jaelee Roberts add vocal harmony.
As you might guess with a lineup like this, they turn in a stellar performance.
So without any further ado…
Jason and Michael also shared some terrific photos from the Opry, taken by Emma McCoury.
Outrun The Rain is available from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct. It will also appear on Jason and Michael’s new album together when it is released.
Thoroughbred Records has a new single tomorrow from bluegrass Gospel stalwarts, Chosen Road, and have given the go-ahead for us to share the track with our readers this afternoon.
I Wish I Had One More, while not specifically a song of faith, is one that will cause all but the hardest of hearts to think back, and perhaps forward as well, about the most important relationships in our lives.
Chosen Road guitarist Jonathan Buckner says that it had that immediate effect on him.
“I am so thrilled that we had the opportunity to record this song. I Wish I Had One More, written by Jimmy Yeary and Terry Herd, captivated me the moment I heard it. It’s a song that stops you in your tracks and makes you reflect on the little moments in life that truly matter, but are so easy to take for granted. The song tells the poignant story of a son who wishes for just one more day, or even one more moment, with his dad. However, it not only brought back memories of moments spent with my dad, but also memories of cherished times with grandparents and other loved ones who are no longer with us.
In today’s fast-paced society, a reminder to slow down and savor life is essential. There will come a time for all of us when we can’t pick up the phone and call a friend or loved one because they are gone. We only get one chance at life, and this song reminds me of how important it is to make the most of it with those who mean the most to us.
Sometimes music has a way of saying things that we just can’t get out otherwise, and this song definitely did that for me. I hope it does the same for everyone who hears it.”
Sung by mandolinist Zach Alvis, support comes from Buckner on guitar, Tyler Robertson on banjo, Chris Sytockwell on reso-guitar, and Bradly Parsons on bass.
It’s a powerful song. Have a listen…
If someone means the world to you, make sure that they know it. Make that call today! Your parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and others could be dying to hear from you.
Cole Spencer, bass player with the King James Boys, and his wife, Jada, are celebrating the birth of their second child.
Boyd Coleman Spencer was born at home on Saturday, August 17, at 2:20 pm. He made his appearance at 7 lbs, 13 oz, stretching out to 19.5”.
Mom and baby are both doing well, and grandpa Randy Spencer, who plays guitar and sings lead with the Boys, is titled pink to have another grand baby. Cole says that Papaw Randy is already shopping for fiddles for when Boyd joins the band.
Boyd joins big sister Audria, age two, in the growing Spencer family.
Many congratulations to Jada and Cole, and a giant Bluegrass Today welcome to little Boyd Spencer!
Joe and Paul have collaborated many times over the years, and they have become close friends, a perfect tie-in for Mullins’ deep love and appreciation for the pioneers of our music. Williams, of course, was a member of the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers in the mid-1950s before joining up with Jimmy Martin in ’57. He not only wrote a number of Martin’s hit songs, like Hold Whatcha Got, Prayer Bells of Heaven, Mr. Engineer, and My Walkin’ Shoes Don’t Fit Me Anymore, his tenor singing combined with a young J.D. Crowe’s baritone set the standard for harmony vocals with The Sunny Mountain Boys.
Here the Ramblers present Paul’s One Breath Away, performed as a classic bluegrass gospel quartet with mandolin and guitar accompaniment, just as was done in the early days of bluegrass.
Joe says that Williams showed him the song backstage last year.
“The Radio Ramblers were so fortunate to perform at the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in Owensboro, Kentucky, over Labor Day weekend in 2023. We hosted the first ever hall of fame homecoming weekend, and our guests were Del McCoury and Paul Williams. We were backstage preparing for a sound check with Paul, and he said, ‘I’ve written a new song for The Radio Ramblers.’ He sang us One Breath Away and we loved it!
Of course we love Paul, just as everyone else in the bluegrass community does. He’s such a special friend, blessing us with great music for over 70 years! Our arrangement features our quartet, guitar, and mandolin. A few lines are even a quintet, with all five of us contributing to a great new song from one of our biggest influences.”
With Joe singing tenor and typically playing banjo, his Radio Ramblers are Jason Barrie (fiddle) and bass vocal, Chris David on mandolin and lead vocal, Adam McIntosh on guitar and baritone vocal, and Zach Collier (bass).
This one is a fine addition to the bluegrass gospel repertoire, and Joe et al deliver a fine recording.
Two weeks ago today, August 6, was a red letter day for The Kruger Brothers. Siblings Jens on banjo, and Uwe on guitar, along with longtime bassist Joel Landsberg, made a trip from western North Carolina out to Nashville for their official debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
For a couple of Swiss-born musicians, who grew up with bluegrass dreams of playing on the Opry someday, it was quite a heady experience, especially for Uwe, as Jens had appeared there once before in 1982 as a guest with Bill Monroe.
When we chatted a few days ago, Jens was exuberant with the excitement of their big night. He told me that the invitation came out of the blue, by mail.
“They contacted us directly from the Opry, wrote us a letter saying that they would love to have us play.
We had 15 minutes, including an interview. So we played about 12 minutes – two instrumentals – and a singing song.
Rhonda Vincent was on the show, and she hugged me and had tears in her eyes saying how happy she was that we were there.”
So how was the audience reaction?
“They wouldn’t stop clapping! They loved it so much. John with the Opry hugged us, and said that they loved it so much. The staff band all wanted selfies with us. They were all super nice.”
Jens also shared one aspect of the debut that meant a great deal to him.
“The nicest thing for me was to see my brother, who is such a great guitarist and a heartfelt singer, to look over and see him there singing on the same spot as all the famous Opry stars. It really moved me – he really deserves to be on that stage once and sing a song.
I’ve been touring for 50 years, and have had my share of honors, but Uwe never got anything.
One time Doc Watson described Uwe as his favorite guitarist, and of course he is my favorite guitarist, because I love my brother. So seeing him receive this recognition was very special to me. That is a personal satisfaction that is hard to describe.”
Jens had played the Opry once before, when he spent several months in the US as a teen.
“I had played as a featured artist with Bill Monroe in July 1982. We played Orange Blossom Special, and Dolly Parton was on the show, and Chet Atkins. I was only 19, and they were all very nice to me.
I played with Monroe many times during that summer of ’82. I had wanted to work in America, and was living on his farm with my fiancé. Every night at midnight we would all have ice cream and berries in his kitchen.
I grew up with horses, and he had horses on his farm. We would often go riding together.
One day he asked me what I wanted to do in life, and when I told him I wanted to keep playing banjo, he recommended against it. He told me that there wasn’t much money to be made in bluegrass, and that it wasn’t my heritage since I wasn’t from Kentucky.
Another time he asked me to play something for him. I played something, probably an Earl Scruggs tune, and he said, ‘Don’t you have anything of your own?’ I played something I had written, and he said, ‘That’s you, whether you like it or not.’
I really took to heart what he said. Everyone who has made it professionally in bluegrass has added something new.”
He expanded a bit on that, and why the Opry debut felt like such a personal victory for The Kruger Brothers.
“They asked us, and let us play our own music. The whole experience was a beautiful and heartwarming experience, and I wouldn’t have missed it. They sort of put a seal on what we have done.
This is not our heritage. The only way that we would survive is to make something of our own. It doesn’t have to be 100% old or new. Maybe add 10% or 20% to the tradition. That’s what we do, I think.
When the Opry asked us to play our own music at the Opry, we had never expected that to happen. Nashville is a very commercial place, and you have to be pretty famous to be asked to the Opry.”
As you can see, Jens Kruger is not only a virtuosic banjoist, but a clever music business professional, a loving brother, and a very kind man. We could sure use more like him in this world.
Congratulations to Jens, Uwe, and Joel on their Grand Ole Opry debut!
Two of our favorite contemporary bluegrass singers, Greg Blake and Amanda Cook, have paired up for a grass-style remake of the country classic, Out of Control Raging Fire.
Long time country radio listeners will remember the 1992 original cut of this song, written by Kostas and Melba Montgomery, recorded by Tracy Byrd and Dawn Sears, and the cover in 2001 by Travis Tritt and Patty Loveless. Now we have another passionate version of this seductive scorcher, this time with a bluegrass feel.
It is set for release by Turnberry Records in September, but we have a listen for our readers a few weeks in advance. The song will also be included on Blake’s next full-length project with the label.
Blake says that this song takes him back to his youth.
“I grew up listening to what I call the classic country of the ’50s and ’60s. A female artist, born and raised in Pikeville, Kentucky, came along in the late ’80s with a neo-traditional sound that seemed like it had some bluegrass influence – it was Patty Loveless, and I latched on to it right away.
I’ve always enjoyed a good male-female duet, and the version of this song by Patty and Travis Tritt immediately found a place in my all-time favorites. When I became acquainted with Amanda Cook and her music and style of singing, I always thought in the back of my mind that I’d like to sing with her someday.
This song popped up on a YouTube playlist one day, and I thought, ‘This would be one for us to try.’
Amanda knocks this one out of the park!”
Support for these two experienced vocalists comes from Andy Leftwich on guitar, mandolin, and fiddles, with Scott Vestal on banjo, Josh Swift on reso-guitar, and Darrin Vincent on bass.
For Amanda, the collaboration perfectly hits her love of traditional country.
“It was an incredible honor when Greg approached me to join him on a duet. Greg has long been one of my favorite singers, and he has always been exceptionally kind to me as our paths crossed on the bluegrass trail. I’ve adored this song for years, and couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”
It works quite well with bluegrass backing. Have a listen…
Out of Control Raging Fire from Greg Blake and Amanda Cook will be available on September 7 from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can get the track now at AirPlay Direct.
One of the more interesting aspects of bluegrass music is the multiple hats so many members of our industry wear in their day-to-day lives. Popular artists whose music we enjoy may have a career far from entertainment, and spend their weekends on the road, or sometimes more than one “day job” they fulfill to remain free to pursue their art.
Not many of the top touring acts we see on stage make their complete living from performing, though many do find ways to keep a toehold in the music business in other ways. Teaching private lessons, or in higher education, doing publicity or artist representation, songwriting, studio work, working in music stores, or as industry reps of some sort, are all ways that grassers keep body and soul together.
And thanks for all these avocations, else we wouldn’t be able to see so much live bluegrass at festivals and concerts all over the country!
One such as we describe is Kristen Bearfield, a voice you may know if you have reason to contact the International Bluegrass Music Association, where she serves on staff as their Public Relations and Communications Specialist. She is also deeply involved in the operations of their annual World of Bluegrass Convention. On top of that, she performs as a member of High Road, a bluegrass, gospel, and acoustic group, and as a solo artist, both recording and touring. You can see our previous coverage of her music here. That’s a lot to keep up with, but Kristen is a disciplined and determined young lady, who pulls it all off with aplomb.
She’s just recently returned from a tour of Finland and Norway where she performed her own music, as well as gospel and bluegrass favorites for some large and very appreciative audiences. In Finland she did shows with Nashville country artist Kinsey Rose, and Norwegian singer, and ETSU bluegrass graduate, Aslak Gjenestad.
Bearfield tells us that there are plenty of avid fans of American music in Scandinavia.
“They absolutely love acoustic and bluegrass music here! It’s amazing how much love they have for American music, and how wonderfully they treat us as artists here. The people are so eager for live music, and are so appreciative.
Our first show in Finsland was sold out, and we did a 1000 seat venue with myself, Lynda Randle from the Gaither Homecomings, and Erlend Gunstveit, winner of The Voice in Norway.
We had over 2500 for a ‘country night’ at Skjargärdsaang where myself and Kinsey Rose did a mix of country, bluegrass and gospel!”
Kristen says that it was worth all the hassles of international travel for the chance to sing and play for such wonderful people.
“One of the most special things about music is how it crosses boundaries. It’s amazing to me to sing in English to a Norwegian crowd of over 2,500 people – and we’re all worshipping the same God together through music, no matter what the language. What a gift!
The people of Norway truly love bluegrass, country, and gospel music, and I can’t wait to go back.”
