John Lawless, Author at Bluegrass Today

Panhandle Country live video from Missy Raines & Allegheny

Compass Records and Missy Raines have released a live performance video for one of the tracks on her current Highlander album.

It’s for the Bill Monroe instrumental, Panhandle Country, with Missy says is based more on a version from her youth than from Monroe’s classic 1958 recording.

“It was really fun to record Panhandle Country with special guests Bronwyn Keith-Hynes and Rob Ickes. Our version is inspired by the Seldom Scene’s take from their iconic Live at the Cellar Door album. For me it is an opportunity to pay tribute to them and, specifically, to the fella that made me want to play bass – Tom Gray.

Of course, knowing that Rob Ickes was equally inspired to play dobro by the Seldom Scene’s one and only, Mike Auldridge, we knew Rob had to be a part of the recording. And, since no one ever passes up the chance for twin fiddles, we were thrilled to have Bronwyn join Ellie for some perfect Kenny Baker style fiddling, which brings the tune full circle!

We shot this video right after we recorded the album track. Fortunately, it was a warm winter day so we walked across the street from the studio to the Vanderbilt campus. While the arrangement was fresh in everyone’s minds, we captured a live performance of our version of Panhandle Country from our new album Highlander.”

With Missy on bass, Bronwyn and Ellie Hakanson on fiddle, and Rob on reso-guitar, the band also featured Eli Gilbert on banjo and Ben Garnett on guitar, both members of Raines’ touring group, Allegheny.

Check it out.

Both Panhandle Country and the full Highlander album are available from popular download and streaming services online, or directly from Compass on CD or download.

WDVX Summer Sessions move to new sites

ORNL Federal Credit Union and WDVX Radio are again sponsoring Summer Sessions concerts in east Tennessee, but at new locations this year. Shows will be held at Yee-Haw Brewing in Knoxville, and at the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton.

For the past five years, these free concerts were sited at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge, but ongoing construction in the park has necessitated the move.

Three of these monthly shows have already occurred: Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys in May, John Miller and Larry Keel in June, and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys with Alex Leach and Wyatt Ellis earlier this month.

Still to come in ’24 are:

August 14 – Martha Spencer’s Wonderland Country Band and Five Mile Mountain Road at YeeHaw Brewery
August 24 – Shawn Camp and Wood Box Heroes at the Museum of Appalachia
September 11 – Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters and Sam Quinn’s Cartwright Brothers at YeeHaw Brewery

Attendees are invited to bring their lawn chairs, but no coolers, tents, or non-service animals are allowed. Parking is also free, and food and beverage vendors will be on site.

Full details can be found online.

Home from The Plate Scrapers

If you haven’t caught this interesting young Maryland group at one of their many east coast appearances, The Plate Scrapers offer an energetic hybrid sound that is part bluegrass, and part old time. All authentic, and all in good fun.

Together for a decade now, their latest album was released last month, a self-produced 10-track project called Artifacts, with a debut single, Home, now widely available. Home perfectly demonstrates the band’s energetic and lighthearted approach to their music as it tells of the one place we all most want to be.

Derek Kretzer in on banjo, Andrew Jordan on guitar, Jody Mosser on mandolin and reso-guitar, Robbie Mann on fiddle, and Kevin Johnson on bass.

Have a listen to Home…

Home, and the full Artifacts album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online, or directly from the artists on bandcamp. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

IBMA announces Chattanooga as the new World of Bluegrass site

This afternoon the International Bluegrass Music Association has announced Chattanooga, TN as the host city for their annual World of Bluegrass Convention and associated events for 2025-2027. These include the three-day business conference, the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show, and the weekend bluegrass festival.

At this point, no specifics have been revealed as to which facilities will host the various events, though we are told they will all be held in downtown Chattanooga. More details are expected to be announced soon.

Among the reasons for this selection is the fact that the Tennessee General Assembly and Governor Bill Lee have approved an appropriation of $25 million to help attract large events that are expected to generate at least $10 million in visitor spending, and $1 million in state and local taxes. They have announced that Chattanooga will receive this grant to invest in preparations for World of Bluegrass.

The first year back in Tennessee will take place September 16-20, 2025, which is also the week that the Americana Music Association typically holds their convention in Nashville.

IBMA Executive Director Ken White says that they took bids from more than two dozen possible sites before making their final selection.

“In our mission to spread the music, IBMA considered 30+ destinations for a new home. While other cities could offer the necessary commitment, the passion and enthusiasm of the people of Chattanooga truly stood out. We are incredibly grateful for the support from the state of Tennessee, and the welcoming spirit of Chattanooga. This city’s unique charm and hospitality makes it a perfect home for WOB artists and guests.”

Patsy Hazelwood, State Representative for Signal Mountain and Chair of the Finance, Ways and Means Committee in the General Assembly, is looking forward to seeing the bluegrass back in her state.

“Tennessee is proud to welcome IBMA’s World of Bluegrass to Chattanooga. This event is not only a testament to our state’s vibrant cultural heritage, but also a significant economic driver for our communities. We are excited to support this event that will bring bluegrass enthusiasts together in our city, and give us an opportunity to showcase Tennessee and Chattanooga to an audience coming from literally around the world.”

Chattanooga Tourism is estimating that 18,000 overnight visitors will travel to the city for the 2025 WOB, along with 45,000 day visitors, delivering $1.1 million in state tax revenue.

At this time, we have no information about which hotels will be supporting IBMA in Chattanooga, nor where the weekend festival or the Awards Show will be held. One hopes that the free street festival concept, which was first done in Raleigh, will make the cut as well. Those high numbers for attendance suggest that it will.

So it’s on to Chattanooga!

This September 2024 will be the final year holding these events in downtown Raleigh, NC, so folks who have enjoyed it there might want to be sure to attend this year. In future, the City of Raleigh plans to continue to host a major bluegrass-adjacent festival downtown during the last week of September, including the free stages along Fayetteville Street.

Full details on the 2024 World of Bluegrass can be found online.

Get Love from Steve Thomas & The Time Machine

Lifelong grasser Steve Thomas has a new single with his band, The Time Machine, out this month on Pinecastle Records.

Steve has been a performing bluegrass artist for more than 40 years, starting in 1982 on fiddle with Del McCoury. Growing up near Roanoke, VA, he played violin in school, and after graduating served as a founding member of Lonesome River Band. Since moving to Nashville, he has played and recorded with a good number of top acts in both bluegrass and country, including The Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse, The Whites, Aaron Tippin, Barbara Mandrell, Kenny Chesney, Brooks and Dunn, John Michael Montgomery, Montgomery Gentry, Lee Ann Womack, and Lorrie Morgan.

For this new release, Thomas has chosen a fun song called Get Love that he wrote with Jody Harris, which he says offers a clever alternative to the acquisitiveness and selfishness so often promoted in the popular culture.

“Get Love is a positive anthem that deals with the emptiness of material pursuits, and the happiness we can all find in pursuing the eternal blessings of love. This track is lively and joyful, blending elements of driving bluegrass with a little sprinkling of pop-jazz flavor.”

With Steve on the track are Josh Matheny on reso-guitar and Chris Wade on banjo. Thomas plays mandolin, guitar, and bass, and sings the lead, with Jason Owens on harmony vocals.

See if this one doesn’t give you a smile.

Get Love is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

Tennessee Hound Dog video from The Grascals

With a new album just a few weeks away, The Grascals have dropped a music video for the opening track, Tennessee Hound Dog, a staple of The Osborne Brothers for many years.

Written by legendary Nashville songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who also gave Sonny and Bobby hits like Rocky Top, Muddy Bottom, and Georgia Pineywoods, the original recording featured Bobby Osborne’s high lead voice at its best.

John Bryan takes it on for The Grascals, a group whose members grew up in thrall to the Osbornes, none less than Jamie Johnson, who says…

“We lost Bobby and Sonny Osborne from this earth in the past few years, and if you follow The Grascals, then you already know how much they meant to us.

While we didn’t get to record a full tribute album, we did make sure and include two of their songs on this new album (Georgia Pineywoods and Tennessee Hound Dog).

Tennessee Hound Dog is very fast paced, with soaring-high challenging vocals, and it has been cut by very few other than Bobby and Sonny. We had fun recording this one and we love performing it live on our shows, for it usually gets folks smiling as we all remember the best, The Osborne Brothers.”

John and Jamie are joined by bandmates Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Danny Roberts on mandolin, Terry Smith on bass, and Jamie Harper on fiddle. They give it one heck of a ride.

Check it out…

Tennessee Hound Dog is available now as a single from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

Pre-orders for the next album, 20 – celebrating the band’s 20th anniversary – are likewise enabled.

Picky in Parsons contest winners!

Our promotions team has announced the winners of the Picky in Parsons video contest, to award free tickets to the big Pickin’ in Parsons Bluegrass Festival in West Virginia next weekend.

First prize goes to Latasha Midcap from Evans, WV, who made up and sang a Picky People Passionate About Pickin’ Prefer Pickin’ in Parsons song for her entry. Congratulations Latasha! She wins a Yeti cooler, a pair of tickets to either this year’s or next year’s festival, and a pair Pickin’ in Parsons T-shirts.

Second prize of a pair of tickets to either this year’s or next year’s festival goes to Debbie Roy Davis and the people at Blackfork Pizza. Well done.

And the third prize goes to Glenn Himrod who will receive a free Pickin’ in Parsons T-shirt. Nicely done!

Pickin’ in Parsons runs for five days (July 30-August 3) at the Flat River Campground in Parsons, WV. It is a beautiful site run by terrific people, and the music on offer is something to see. Booked to appear are Authentic Unlimited, No Joke Jimmy’s Nothin’ Fancy, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Johnny Staats & The Delivery Boys, The Dave Adkins Band, Ralph Stanley II & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Caroline Owens & New Company, The Malpass Brothers, Sister Sadie, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys featuring Jim Lauderdale, Little Roy & Lizzy Show, Darren Nicholson Band, Special Consensus, The Seldom Scene, Lonesome River Band, Blue Highway, Junior Sisk Band, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, The Price Sisters, The Grascals, Leroy Troy & Cash Williams, The Gibson Brothers, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, and Volume Five.

Whew… that’s a mouthful!

Full festival details can be found online.

Three cheers to all the Picky in Parsons contestants, and a special tip of the hat to our winners, who should reach out to Ashley Lewis for information on how to claim your prizes.

Strawberry Hill video from Jason Broyles

Nashville singer/songwriter Jason Broyles has released a music video for a track from his upcoming bluegrass EP, Old Rudy Road, due later this year. He’s been dropping a new single every six weeks, and this one, Strawberry Hill, was actually the first earlier in 2024. Now we have the music video as well.

Jason’s music is based on storytelling, mostly from his own family history, and he excels at spinning these yarns. In Strawberry Hill, he recounts stories his dad had shared with him growing up in Oklahoma, and says that he’s delighted with how the the folks at Ben Oakes Creative portrayed them in the video.

“The music video for Strawberry Hill is as ambitious as the song itself – covering three generations of family history, and it was executed beautifully. The artistic representations throughout are spot on with the conversations I had with my father when he would tell me about the ‘good and evil legends’ of grandfather’s farm, Strawberry Hill. The wild and very true tale of Bonnie & Clyde, portrayed in the film, exemplifies one of those legends, and yet, does not take away from the reverence and pride felt for my family’s legacy.

From beginning to end, the music video invites viewers to join me along my journey of wonder from my dad’s stories growing up on a farm in Northwest Arkansas.”

Strawberry Hill was written by Broyles, along with his producer Matt Griffith. With Shaun Richardson on guitar and mandolin, Mark Fain is on bass, Josh Matheny on reso-guitar, and Tammy King on fiddle.

The song’s easy-going beat perfectly suits the Broyles family lore the song expresses, and the video ties it all together quite nicely.

Strawberry Hill is available now from popular download and streaming services online.

Shade Tree Collective releases Wayfaring Stranger

Shade Tree Collective is a band that hails from that part of the US where Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania are in close proximity. The members came together at a jam underneath a large maple tree towards the end of the pandemic days, hence the band name.

They have recently completed their first studio recording, and have a single released from the efforts. It’s their take on the familiar folk song, Wayfaring Stranger, with lyrics believed to date back to the early 19th century, attached to a melody from a German tune from the 17th. It’s sung here by guitarist David Bitler, with support from Daniel Fitzgerald on banjo, Ronnie Webb on mandolin, Stacey Sinclair on fiddle, Jesse Friedberg on reso-guitar, and John Bryant on bass. Daniel and Ronnie add harmonies.

Speaking about the single release, Bitler tells us…

“This was the first time we have recorded as an ensemble. It was a great experience. We currently have plans to expand on this venture and look forward to recording more songs in the near future.”

Have a listen to how Shade Tree Collective hears Wayfaring Stranger. Check it out.

Wayfaring Stranger is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

I Wish You Knew from Bluegrass Express

For the latest single from their Jim & Jesse tribute project, Bluegrass Express has released one of the McReynolds brothers most popular songs, I Wish You Knew.

The initial Jim & Jesse track was included on their Bluegrass Special album in 1963, just six years after The Louvin Brothers had released the original. Featured on that album were Jesse McReynolds on mandolin and lead vocal, Jim McReynolds on guitar and tenor vocal, Allen Shelton on banjo, Jimmy Buchanan on fiddle, David Sutherland on bass, and Douglas Kirkham on drums.

Bluegrass Express turns in a faithful recreation of that version. Also a family band, they include founder Gary Underwood on guitar, with his son, Greg Underwood, on bass and lead vocal, while Gary’s son, Jacob Underwood, plays mandolin and sings tenor. The family vibe is completed with brothers Andrew Hunt on fiddle and Jonathan Hunt on banjo.

Jacob kicks off the song with a very clean solo in the Jesse McReynolds style, as the band offers a very entertaining cut of a song with enduring popularity in bluegrass music.

Have a listen…

I Wish You Knew from Bluegrass Express can be found now at popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

The complete A Tribute to Jim & Jesse album is expected from Plum River Records later this summer.