Bands included The McClain Family, Kentucky Just Us, Deeper Shade of Blue, Dave Adkins & Mountain Soul, Nick Chandler & Delivered, Carson Peters & Iron Mountain, The Country Gentlemen Show, and The Kody Norris Show. Appalachian Road Show brought the house down with their stellar instrumentals and exciting vocal performance. The evening rounded out with The Waddington Brothers, and The David Parmley Band.
However the stage show was only part of the great music at SPBGMA. Jamming has always been a huge part of this long-running weekend event. Jam sessions overflowed the huge lobby of the Sheraton Music City, elbow to elbow and wall to wall. Jam sessions could also be found in many of the guest rooms, stairways, and sometimes even in the elevators.
The Bluegrass Jamboree, last years Bluegrass Radio Station of the Year, was well represented by Jeff Lipchick and Roger Black as they broadcast live from the lobby of the Sheraton. They could be seen conducting interviews with some of bluegrass music’s biggest stars, such as Larry Stephenson, Troy Pope, Caroline Owens, Mike Phipps, and many others.
Stephanie Jones, the President of SPBGMA, also gave an insightful interview about the founding and growth of SPBGMA. The Awards Show and The International Band Competition will take the stage on Saturday and the show will finish off with the final round of the band competition along with several other bands and events on Sunday.
Danny Paisley on Danny Stewart’s January Bluegrass Cruise – photo by Janice Bailey Travis
In the midst of a severe mid-winter polar blast and snowfall, several hundred lucky members of the bluegrass community were able to take a break from the winter weather by attending/performing on Danny Stewart’s Bluegrass Cruise to the Bahamas, January 16-20.
Approximately 350 bluegrass fans boarded Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas for four nights and five days of great music, much nicer weather, and first class treatment.
Stewart shared, “This year’s cruise was probably the best one we’ve had so far out of the fifteen years I’ve been doing this, based on the way the ship was laid out. All the bands did a stellar job. Tennessee Bluegrass Band knocked it out of the park. A lot of people were talking about them, and my new MC, Kelle Perry. They liked all the bands. Fast Track was awesome. Danny Paisley always nails it. Valerie Smith did a great job. Monroe Crossing brings the most people from Minnesota. It’s cold and they want to get out, sail on the seas, and get some sunshine. And Sideline is always a staple. It’s really a good homey feeling. It’s like a big bluegrass family reunion.”
This was the first cruise for the Tennessee Bluegrass Band, and their mandolinist, Tim Laughlin, weighed in. “We’ve had a great time. We’re glad to be here. We appreciate Danny having us. All the fans here have just been great.”
Guitarist and 18-year-old vocalist of TBB, Jacob Sheffield, added, “It’s been a lot of fun. We got to meet a lot of new people and see some familiar faces. We got to hear a lot of good bluegrass music this week. There’s a lot of things to do here so it was a good time overall. I’ve enjoyed playing music, getting to jam some late into the night, and getting to jam with some of the guys like Dale Perry.”
Josiah Sheffield, Jacob’s older brother and TTB bassist, teased on stage that this was his third cruise. The first he went on was to the Canary Islands, but said that he didn’t see any canaries. It became a running joke throughout the remainder of the cruise if he’d seen any canaries.
Skip Cherryholmes of Sideline, who also performed on stage, is also a veteran. “I’ve been doing bluegrass cruises my whole life and Danny and Christa have the most well put together bluegrass cruise I’ve ever been on. They certainly give their patrons their money’s worth while also going out of their way to accommodate all of the bands.”
In addition to all the live entertainment and late night jams, there were also workshops. Ryan Paisley led one on the mandolin, Mark Anderson on the bass, Valerie Smith on vocals, and Lincoln Hensley on the banjo. Participants of the latter were excited to go home having learned the famed Sonny Osborne “jello” lick.
Stewart concluded…
“Going forward, I’m going to be doing another cruise next year out of Florida, right around the same time with different bands. I’d love to have all the bands back, but I’ve got to keep the rotation going.
We’re going to be cruising out of Seattle in August, too. I’m also going to be building my 2027 cruise in July. You’ve got to stay way ahead of it. I know 2027 seems like it’s far away, but you really have to stay ahead or I won’t be able to get the rooms that I need and the group space to make it all happen.”
A fun time was had by all. To get in on the action, visit Danny Stewart’s Bluegrass Cruise online and explore his upcoming events.
What a wonderful day of fellowship and music Saturday at Pickin’ for a Purpose in Afton, TN!
Bands who donated their time and talents to raise money for hurricane relief in Greene County, TN were Ashleigh Graham & Appalachian Highway, Tennessee Borderline, Red Camel Collective, The Grascals, Lonesome River Band, and No Joke Jimmy’s (Jamie Johnson, Josh Williams, Mike Cleveland, Kyle Perkins, Jason Davis, and Brandon Rickman).
Promoters Ronnie and Tara Crum put their all into anything they do. They’re known for their huge hearts and selfless charity work alongside their friends and helpers Tonya and David Tackett, Robert “Sleepy” Porter, Roger Shelton, Mr. Emmons, Gary York, and many others. With charity events like CamFest, Orange Army, Mandolin Farm, Skinnyfest, and Rudyfest, these hard working people have truly made a huge impact in helping our bluegrass family over the years.
Mark Ramsey, known from the popular show Moonshiners, came to MC the event, and little did we know, he can sing! The Grascals invited him up on stage to sing Lefty Flynn.
I asked Mark and Ronnie about how they came to know each other, and just like anyone else who has been bitten by the bluegrass bug, it was meant to be. They had met at the Dumplin Valley Festival years ago and have been friends ever since.
Quoting Tara Crum with regard to Mark Ramsey, “Mark is…. well he’s Mark! Just like the rest of us, with the most giving heart.” Ronnie asked Mark to MC this show and without hesitation Mark said, “You dang right I can!”
In between bands, there was a live auction for home made cakes and pies, raffle tickets were sold for a 50/50 drawing, and the final count on funds raised is $19,000, which was donated to AIDNET of Greene County. Donations are still being accepted online.
I am so honored to now know these fine folks, and have the opportunity to help with more charity events in the future.
The 2025 edition of the YeeHaw Music Fest is now in the memory banks. Evans Media Source is growing this festival year over year.
Newish Florida band, Dirt Road Dreams, opened the Friday show. Justin Mason, Mr. Florida Bluegrass, came up with the idea for this band in a jam session with twin sisters Spider Prevatt and Moe LaRosa, and Mary Kate Brennan. The harmony of these three needed to be heard from the stage as well as around the campfire. They, along with James Vickers and Justin, do a variety of bluegrass covers and original tunes.
Another Florida band, Penny Creek, followed. They are a group of veteran musicians who present top shelf original music. Seventeen year old Logan Lobdell joined them for a tune. He and John Apfelthaler showed off a little “one handed” banjo playing.
Deeper Shade of Blue spent a second day at YeeHaw wearing more than one hat. Ernie Evans filled in on mandolin with the band. They provided one of the unexpected highlights of the festival. They invited the Alaskan Sunnyside Sisters to do a couple tunes. The band is the four Shamanov sisters who range in age from 9 to 13. We all sometimes hear some people complain about the state of bluegrass music, but with youngsters like these sisters learning and playing bluegrass music, the music has a bright future! Keep an eye out for them.
Rhonda Vincent & the Rage play most of EMS festivals. Few accolades are left to share about Rhonda. She has assembled a band of the very best musicians. She was informed this weekend that she is to be the first “stand alone” female inducted into the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Congratulations Rhonda! She is also very proud of daughter Sally’s honor. Sally was a member of the combined forces choir that sang at the late president Carter’s funeral last week. Congratulations Sally!
David Frizzell, younger brother of Lefty, presented a traditional country show during the evening. He presented his and Lefty’s music. Scott Burgess, Troy Pope, and Chris Paganoni also sang some country music – from Haggard to Milsap and beyond. Rhonda Vincent joined him on stage to sing a duet on You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma.
Headin’ Home is a family band from near Savannah, Georgia, featuring Mom and Dad and fthe our older children of the Lindblom family. Lucy and Luke handle the sound reinforcement for EMS festivals. They have five younger siblings who have their own band.
Saturday was kicked off by Florida band, Sandy Back Porch. Sandy Holdeman leads the band and is on the EMS staff. You will find her hawking t-shirts at just about every EMS festival.
Justin Mason and Blue Night is another “newish” Florida band. Justin teamed up with Mary Kate Brennan to form the band. Justin writes songs for the band, and Mary Kate is the “little girl with a big voice.” She also has a solo career doing traditional country music.
Keith Bass and the Bluegrass Express is an Okeechobee group that has long been a part of the YeeHaw festivals. Just turned 18. Ian Lane is the newest member of the band. He has already had the opportunity to play on the Grand Ole Opry. This is a hard driving bluegrass band.
Country star Mo Pitney presented sets of traditional-sounding music. He was joined by Judy Spiva, John Roberts, and Justin Mason. The back up band for both David’s and Mo’s shows were Lonnie Rowland on drums, Mitchell Brown on bass, Sid Spiva on steel guitar, and Ernie Evans on electric guitar. Mitchell produced both shows. Mo has teamed up with John Meyer and they are soon releasing a bluegrass album as Pitney Meyer.
The Malpass Brothers closed out the festival as only they can. I read somewhere that if one shenans, they’ll shenanigan! That’s Taylor! Everyone needs to see these guys for both their top shelf country music and their shenanigans!
Evans Media Source’s second festival of the year has kicked off in fine style. YeeHaw Music Fest is held at the Okeechobee Agri-center in Okeechobee, Florida. Ernie and Debi Evans took this show over a number of years ago and has kept it growing. The venue is covered and makes for a good watching and listening room.
Sherry Boyd is the MC that always keeps a show running smoothly.
Siblings Lucy and Luke Lindbloom handle the sound very well.
Florida band, Remedy Tree, opened the show. They are Mountain Fever Records newest band. Their first single, Beyond What I Can See, debuted on Sirius radio this past Wednesday. All four members of the band can sing both lead and harmony, giving good variety to their show. Band leader, Gabriel Acevedo, also plays fiddle doing some old time music. This is a band to see.
Larry Stephenson brought his band to YeeHaw for the first time in several years. He is starting his 36th year leading his band. He put on a great show despite being a little “under the weather.” Sherry educated us on where the term “under the weather” came from. When sailors would fall ill they would go below deck – thus – under the weather! Thanks Sherry! 😊
Deeper Shade of Blue has become a staple at EMS festivals. Frank Poindexter played his final show with the band at the Jekyll festival earlier this month. They are currently playing as a four piece band. Bass player, Scott Burgess, said that you just can’t quickly replace someone like Frank. Milom Williams was unable to make the trip, so Jesse Smathers filled in on mandolin. Jesse is the guitar player and lead singer with the Lonesome River Band.
The Lonesome River Band is starting its 43rd year. Sammy Shelor has been in the band for 34 of those years. He said it was 9 degrees when he left Virginia. He had to sweet talk his bus, “Bonnie Brown,” into starting!
There are two big days of music left. Join us to see the likes of Rhonda Vincent, David Frizzell, Mo Pitney, The Malpass Brothers, and several popular Florida bands.
This year’s Jekyll Island Bluegrass Festival was one for the books. It is not often that this old picture-taker is blown away by festival activities, but this weekend I was! That will be the second part of the story.
The first part of the story was the awesome music.
Friday kicked off with Retro 78, who included new member. Festival promoter, Ernie Evans, has picked up his guitar and joined forces with Clint Groves and the guys. Ernie has not played as part of a band in several years. Welcome back, Ernie!
The Kody Norris Show puts everyone on the edge of their seats with their high energy show. This award winning group must be seen live to be fully appreciated.
The Country Gentlemen Show was featured both Friday and Saturday. More about them in part two.
Rhonda Vincent & the Rage gave us two great sets of music, and closed out Friday night. She spotlighted Chris Sexton of Nothin’ Fancy, who had bought a viola from one of the festival vendors. He played in a trio with Adam Haynes and Rhonda, and then he and Rhonda played an improvised version of the Mule Skinner Blues. Just Wow!
Penny Creek, opened the Saturday show. They are a Florida band that have become a staple at Jekyll. They are Fritz Kraemer on mandolin, Susan Pounds on bass, Chris Paganoni on guitar, and John Apfelthaler on banjo. They play weekly in the Melbourne, Florida area.
Southern Legacy is a new band with some of the most seasoned musicians in bluegrass. We see them at many of the EMS festivals. This a group of super-pickers that everyone needs to see. They are working on their own album
Darin & Brooke Aldridge brought their unique sound to Jekyll this year. Brooke is one of the strongest female vocalists in all of music. The band has a new young fiddle player, Marissa Colter, a talented youngster.
The Malpass Brothers presented two sets of top notch traditional country music to close out the festival.
Now on to the second part of the story…
Ernie and Debi have undertaken a project to honor pioneering bluegrass music acts. The first year was Doyle Lawson, who performed his final show with Quicksilver at the festival. Last year the Osborne Brothers were honored with Bobby accepting the honor.
This year the honorees were the Country Gentlemen. Darren Beachley was Ernie’s go-to guy in getting this whole thing set up. He worked very hard to contact Gents alumni and families and get them to the show.
The four members of the early Gentlemen were awarded the Norman Adams League of Innovators award. Tom Gray was on hand to accept his, and on behalf of Eddie Adcock. Eddie’s health did not allow him to be present. However, Ernie got him on the phone and he and Tom told a couple stories. Tom told about John Duffey parking the band limo with a sleeping Charlie Waller in a junkyard next to the hotel they were staying in. You’ll have to ask Tom about the end of that story!!
Sachiko and Mina Waller accepted the award in Charlie’s behalf.
John Duffey’s son-in-law, Kent Dowell, accepted on his behalf.
There was a Country Gentlemen reunion performance as well on Saturday. The Country Gentlemen Show welcomed alumni Tom Gray, Darin Aldridge, Billy Gee, Rick Allred, Kent Dowell, Ronnie Davis, Billy Lee Cox, and Calvin Corbett (Greg’s son).
All of them gathered by the Gents banner along with Sachiko and Mina and the Gents Show guys. They autographed the banner and had pictures taken with it.
This was an experience of a lifetime for me. I can only hope that the pictures do it justice.
MC Sherry Boyd interviewed Tom Gray on stage. That video is on Ernie’s Facebook page.
He plans on honoring the Stanley Brothers at the 2026 Jekyll Island festival, January 1-3.
Sherry Boyd keeps all of the shows she works running smoothly as MC, while promoters Ernie and Debi Evans, along with their crew, do what it takes to make every show enjoyable,
The festival was kicked off by Florida band Remedy Tree. Band leader Gabriel Acevedo is also a member of the EMS crew. He is part of the creative team. Remedy Tree is an up and coming band that has had a big 2024, including a tour in Ireland.
The antics of Nothin’ Fancy came next. The band chartered a bus and brought over 20 Virginia bluegrass fans to Jekyll. Always a fan favorite, they host their own festival in September in Buena Vista, VA.
Deeper Shade of Blue put on what can only be described as a bittersweet show. Frank Poindexter is retiring after 15 years as part of the band. The “Cat in the Hat” is looking forward to spending time with family and doing some fishing. The band’s second set was kicked off with Frank onstage by himself, and the band followed about midway through his solo. When Frank finally looked up he was taken aback. The band all were wearing hats that matched his. Ernie, Debi, and Sherry presented him with the first EMS Heart of Bluegrass award.
The Gibson Brothers closed out the first day of the festival as only they can. Opening their first set with Ring the Bell, the crowd demanded it again for their closing encore.
There are two more big days of music left in Jekyll Island, GA.
This past Saturday, Authentic Unlimited hosted their first of soon to be many annual Christmas shows at the Field of Dreams Activity Center in Dandridge, TN.
Before the show, Jerry Cole’s longtime friend, John Williams, led off with a reading of the Christmas story from Luke, and an opening prayer. Then the band launched into an hour long set of bluegrass for the packed auditorium. They played their classic set list and absolutely tore it up. Authentic had a special guest join them to play dobro during Fall in Tennessee, former Quicksilver bandmate, Josh Swift.
The second set rolled around, and it was time for a total Christmas takeover. Josh Swift switched from dobro to drums, Chris Key joined to play piano, and even Santa Claus himself showed up to sing, though he did look suspiciously like Jerry. The boys went through the entirety of their new Christmas album, Christmas Time is Here. The instrumentation was a solid mix of jazzy Christmas grooves and slick bluegrass sounds. Jesse Brock and Steven Burwell lit the traditional holiday songs up with fast breaks and incredible licks, John, Jerry, and Eli crooned the night away, and Josh Swift and Chris Key backed the band expertly. The crowd loved every minute of the second set and was floating along with excitement and Christmas Spirit.
The true highlight of the set was Authentic Unlimited bringing together the whole story of the real reason for the Christmas season. Eli Johnston sang the Keith Whitley song, New Kid in Town, and John closed out the show with Jonas, bringing the story full circle from the manger to the crucifixion and resurrection.
“We talk about the birth of Christ in New Kid in Town,” John Meador began, “and as beautiful of a thing as that is, that wasn’t his only purpose for coming here. He came to die, to fulfill the prophecy to die for all of our sins so that we could have everlasting life. I’m going to try to finish the story here. We told you about the birth of Christ; now I’m going to tell you about the end.”
Ending the show with Jonas was quit powerful, and truly brought the whole message of Christmas together beautifully.
This report from a recent joint international workshop in Belgium is a contribution from Marc Pirson and Lluís Gómez.
Just a week after the 2024 edition of the dual Belgian Dobro & Banjo workshops, the rolls, slides, and resonating tones (in open G tuning, thank you very much) still echo across the Walloon countryside.
It’s been an amazing journey of growth and evolution since Dominique Lambin and Marc Pirson first began organizing these workshops a few years ago (three years for the banjoists, five already for the dobro players), and we can now confidently say that these musical weekends, featuring the expert guidance of Spanish banjo virtuoso Lluís Gómez and Slovak dobro master Henrich Novák, have transformed into a vibrant and integral community event.
Initially held as separate events, the workshops have gradually grown closer over time. What began with a shared meal has expanded to include a house concert, jam sessions, and the exploration of joint repertoire. This year’s tune, Josh Graves’s Fireball, provided a thrilling challenge for the students, especially in the unconventional dobro-banjo duet setting; and the Saturday night concert offered by Señor Gomez and Pán Novák drew strong inspiration from the trailblazing collaborations of Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas.
Open to all—beginners and advanced players alike—the workshop weekend isn’t just about honing musical skills. It’s a celebration of the deep connection between these instruments and their musical traditions, all while enjoying Belgium’s rich offerings, from its world-famous beers to local culinary delights.
On November 23, 2024, the stage was set for an unforgettable night of bluegrass music at the BANDing Together benefit concert, held at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, KY to raise funds to support he recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene victims in the Appalachian region. Southern Legacy and Authentic Unlimited brought together an amazing lineup of talented artists who donated their time and talent to make this event a success, raising over $11,000 for Samaritan’s Purse, who are rebuilding untold numbers of houses, and providing mobile homes for hundreds of people who have been displaced due to the devastation of the storm.
The night kicked off with the charismatic MC for the night, Kyle Cantrell from BanjoRadio.com, who introduced Brother Rick May, who established a heartfelt tone with his moving invocation. The crowd was immediately swept away by Rick and his talented friends, who lit up the stage with their music!
Following and making their debut at this very event, Blue Debut, an exciting new bluegrass band from eastern Kentucky. Their hard-driving bluegrass sound kicked the atmosphere into high gear, ensuring that the audience would be treated to a night they would always remember!
Then came the soulful and spine-tingling rendition of I Am the Man Thomas, by the incredibly gifted Don Rigsby, accompanied by his former bandmate Jesse Wells on clawhammer banjo. Their performance was so powerful that it brought tears to many eyes, yet filled every heart with warmth and gratitude.
The energy then soared as Southern Legacy took the stage. With a lineup featuring Josh Williams, Don Rigsby, Ron Block, Steve Thomas, and Mike Anglin, fans knew they were in for a treat. The band’s blend of hard-driving bluegrass, heartfelt stories, and delightful humor had the audience roaring with laughter, and rising to their feet for multiple standing ovations! John Meador and Eli Johnston from Authentic Unlimited also joined Southern Legacy to perform Don’s hit, Cold Ashes for the audience.
The excitement didn’t stop there, as special guest, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Larry Cordle joined Southern Legacy on stage, along with Cordle’s former bandmate Jody King on banjo, and Tim Surrett from Balsam Range on reso-guitar. Larry’s stellar performance included his iconic hits like Murder on Music Row and Highway 40 Blues. He engaged the audience with his stories, and the popular songs they’ve come to love through the years. One highlight of this set was a heartfelt duet with fellow award-winning country artist Kevin Denney on Navy Man—a song written by Larry Cordle and recorded on Denney’s 2002 self-titled album.
As Cordle left the stage, Denney remained to perform some of his country hits for the audience, including That’s Just Jesse and Cadillac Tears, but the audience got a treat when Denney announced he is returning to his roots and has a bluegrass album coming out soon. He then played his new bluegrass single, Chasing Old Memories Down.
Intermission brought a poignant moment. Tim Surrett from Balsam Range took the mic to share the ongoing struggles of his hometown, Haywood County, NC, still healing from the devastating hurricane. He welcomed the Taylor family, who had lost everything, but came to the concert thanks to a thoughtful gesture from Tim Dillman. As the audience rallied around them, Tim Surrett captivated everyone with a stunning a cappella performance of Never Grow Old, turning the theater into a heavenly choir.
A surprise guest appearance lit up the night when Jaelee Roberts, 2024’s IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, was pulled from the audience to join the performance! She stole the show with her breathtaking rendition of Ghost in This House, accompanied on guitar by the brilliant Ron Block of Alison Krauss & Union Station.
Finally, the night culminated with an exhilarating performance by the multi-award-winning Authentic Unlimited. Many audience members took to their feet through much of the band’s set, belting out the band’s hits in unison. AU gave the audience a finale that they won’t soon forget.
Samaritan’s Purse was on site for the entire event, and at the close of the show, many audience members stopped by their table to express gratitude and make personal donations for the work the organization has been doing. They’ve had boots on the ground since day one in western North Carolina and east Tennessee.
It was awe-inspiring to witness such an incredible event come to life in such a short time. Thanks to everyone’s support, BANDing Together was able to raise more than $11,000 to help support continuing recovery efforts. The evening left everyone buzzing with excitement and gratitude, proving that music truly has the power to heal and unite us all.
A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful sponsors, artists, ticket buyers, donors, and volunteers for making this spectacular night possible!
