Ash Breeze Archives - Bluegrass Today

Cary, NC Bluegrass Camps for Youth

This week young bluegrassers in central North Carolina are hard at work boning up on their musical chops at the Youth Bluegrass Camps in Cary, NC. Located just outside of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, these camps are sponsored and administered by PineCone – The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, based in Raleigh.

Designed for teen and preteen students, the week long camps offer instruction from experienced practitioners in beginning and intermediate fiddle, beginning and intermediate songwriting, guitar, and mandolin. Students between ages 8 and 16 are welcome to attend, with discounted fees for Cary residents and members of Pinecone.

These young pickers are also preparing to be featured at a concert on Friday evening outdoors at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center in Cary. Ash Breeze, a family bluegrass/Americana band of young performers, is the featured act, but before their set students from the camp will appear in a recital of what they have learned this week.

Leading the fiddle camps is Matt Hooper (of Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, formerly of Kickin Grass), with Charles Pettee (Shady Grove Band, Charles Pettee & the Iron Mountain Messengers, FolkPsalm) taking guitar and mandolin, and Lynda Dawson (Kickin Grass, Lynda & Pattie) teaching songwriting.

PineCone also offers a Bluegrass Jam Camp for Youth that runs July 25-29 for ages 10-17, and a Youth Jam on September 18. More details can be found online.

Many bluegrass fans will recall Ash Breeze, who won the prestigious KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Band Contest in May 2015 during the Bluegrass & BBQ festival at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. The invitational competition seeks to identify the top young bluegrass group in the US each year through a live, single microphone stage challenge.

The band consists of siblings from the Smith Family of Fayetteville, NC. Corey is on guitar, Nellie on fiddle, Luke on banjo, Eli on mandolin, with Allen (their father) on bass. Corey has garnered national attention for his pair of documentaries on young grassers called Generation Bluegrass, and Nellie is gaining notice for her agile and appealing singing voice.

Ash Breeze records for Travianna Music, an affiliate of Mountain Fever Records.

Bluegrass Ramble 2015, Day 1

I love coming to Ralaigh for IBMA. The whole town is always done up so nice with all sorts of fun ways of welcoming us bluegrass folks – from the moment we arrive at the airport, to walking around the city, and in the music venues all over downtown. My first sight after walking from my hotel to the convention center was of course the giant Sir Walter Raleigh statue who, along with the city, always makes a really cool and funny bluegrass statement every year.

Then I walked to the front entrance to see the great Danny Hootenany playing with his Jim Lauderdale fan. I now have my own Jim Lauderdale’s face fan to play with for the week which he gave me. I turned it over and it shows that it is part of a fun promotion idea for Music City Roots.

As soon as I entered the building and got the schedule of events, I got that familiar feeling of having so many interesting musical choices happening all at once in different places, and the conundrum of how to possibly see all of the ones I might want to see… so I started walking from one venue to the next seeing familiar and new acts showcasing throughout the downtown area. There was definitely a wide mix of traditional and progressive styles of bluegrass, and plenty of funny and friendly folks.

Enough of my verbal ramble, I will just share some of the Bluegrass Ramble through photo and video so you can see the sights and sounds for yourself.

Here is a hot young band called Ash Breeze…

And from the band KrippleKrunk at the Convention Center…

The Road’s Not Easy – Ash Breeze

We’ve had our eye on the talented Smith family from Fayetteville, NC for some time. They captured our attention initially performing as a family group, The Smith Family, when oldest brother Corey released the first of his two Generation Bluegrass films in 2012, highlighting the skills and artistry of a number of similarly-situated bluegrass teen sibling groups.

They released a debut, self-titled album as Ash Breeze in February 2014 which showed tremendous promise with all the members still in their teens, save dad (Allen) who plays bass with the band on stage. Their latest project, The Road’s Not Easy, delivers on that promise and demonstrates an uncanny knack for the subtleties of our music.

Nellie Grace, now nearly 18 years old, has matured into a delightful and very capable vocalist – and a fine songwriter to boot. Her I Brought You Flowers is a lovely song, structured like a pop country number, with a sweet sentiment and a real tearjerker of a final verse.

Bluegrass radio is likely to flip over Nellie’s version of the swing classic, Mr. Sandman. Her still girlish voice suits the song perfectly, adding harmony parts to mimic the ’50s vibe of the original Chordette’s trio, and twin fiddle as well. It’s a swinging, bluegrass romp simply dripping with fun.

She also lays down a sparkling version of Pins & Needles, another swing-grass track with strong contributions from brothers Eli (14) on mandolin and Luke (15) on banjo. Crystal Gayle’s 1978 hit Ready For The Times To Get Better gets a fine reading as well, done in an uptempo bluegrass manner.

Big brother Corey gets to strut his stuff on Apple Tree Shoals, a modern guitar tune that starts with a funky riff, and allows all the Smiths a chance to grab a little piece for themselves before they end with the guitar and fiddle in unison. Perhaps as the oldest, Corey (20 years old) would be expected to display a bit more sophistication than his younger sibs, but he really has a surprising breadth of experience in bluegrass, having worked extensively in both audio and video engineering for the past four years. In any event, his guitar work is dead-on, both lead and rhythm.

The 10-track project concludes with Nellie delivering a passionate cover of Christian artist John Mark McMillan’s Death In His Grave, a retelling of the Easter story with harmonies from Corey and Eli, just as it starts with a grassy contemporary Christian song, The Road, written by Corey and Allen.

This Smiths recorded at Mountain Fever Studio in Riner, VA, with some additional tracking being done in Corey’s home studio. Aaron Ramsey produced and engineered, and also played bass on the recording.

When you see young teens performing on stage, it’s often tough to predict which artists will continue to grow into successful adult performers and which will fade from having simply peaked early.

One thing is certain, though. And that’s that Nellie Grace Smith is the real deal, and so are her brothers in Ash Breeze. They and Travianna Records have every reason to be proud of The Road’s Not Easy, available now wherever you purchase bluegrass and acoustic music.

Ash Breeze wins 2015 KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Band Contest

Congratulations to Ash Breeze, formerly known as The Smith Family Band, who were awarded first prize in the KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Band Contest, held May 23 during the Bluegrass & BBQ festival at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO.

19 bands were invited to compete, from 12 different US states. To be considered, all members must be 21 or under, with an exception given for adult parents of band members.

Here is a list of the 2015 winners:

Ash Breeze (Fayetteville, NC)
Kansas Bluegrass Associaton Treblemakers (Wichita, KS)
Baker Family (Birch Tree, MO)
Russell Clan (Guthrie, OK)
Chamber Music (Kansas City, MO)

Well done, all!

Ash Breeze is Corey Smith on guitar, Nellie Smith on fiddle, Luke Smith on banjo, Eli Smith on mandolin, and Allen Smith on bass.

Ash Breeze – Ash Breeze

Fans of the up-and-coming North Carolina-based Smith Family Band may have been wondering why they haven’t heard anything from the group in the past several months. They shouldn’t worry – the band is still going strong, just under a new name. The Smiths have become Ash Breeze, and recently released their debut album under that name, a fine self-titled effort on Mountain Fever Records.

The album leans more toward polished Americana than it does bluegrass, mixing instrumentals with several Gospel numbers and a few covers. Of the twelve tracks, seven are originals. Corey Smith, the family’s guitarist (as well as resident filmmaker) composed three on his own and three with dad Allen (bass, though he ceded his duties on the low four to Aaron Ramsey and Zeb Snyder on the album). Things start out with one of Corey’s tunes, an instrumental called Category Five. Though it’s not as furiously fast as one might expect given the title, it still moves along at a nice pace, with a jazzy, progressive feel. Corey’s other compositions have an easy-listening vibe and maintain the jazz influences, particularly in regard to his guitar playing. Little Dreamer is gentle and rolling, while The Sunday Place has a cheerful groove.

Corey and Allen’s co-written numbers have been gathering some attention since the album’s release. Without Love, the lead single, finished in the top five in the Christian/Gospel category of the 2014 Great American Song Contest and also received third place in the Gospel/Inspirational category in this year’s MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. It has an acoustic contemporary Christian sound, and speaks of the need for God’s love to complete our lives. Another co-write, Blue Skies and Cloudy Days, recently made an appearance on the Bluegrass Today weekly chart. It’s an enjoyable, laidback song about how God will be there for us in both good and trying times.

When Fall Comes to New England is a nice addition to the album. Written by folk singer Cheryl Wheeler, it’s a peaceful description of fall colors and scenery that the Smiths have given a fine contemporary bluegrass sound. James Taylor’s Carolina in My Mind is also well-done, and the addition of dobro courtesy of Gavin Largent is a nice touch.

Though the Smiths (with the exception of Allen) are all under 20 years old, they’re all quite talented musicians and show a great command of their instruments. Nellie (lead vocals and fiddle) particularly stands out on this recording, with her clear vocals suiting the band’s contemporary sound well. Corey (guitar), Eli (mandolin), and Luke (banjo) all do a solid job, as well.

For more information on Ash Breeze, visit their website at www.ashbreezeband.com. Their new album can be purchased from a variety of online retailers.

Mountain Fever launches new Travianna label

Mark Hodges and his Mountain Fever label have announced the formation of a new brand for releasing and promoting music outside the bluegrass realm. The Travianna Records imprint will cover the broader Americana genre, starting with Echo, today’s debut album from After Jack.

A youthful all-female trio, After Jack writes and sings music with roots in their native Appalachia, but with a different perspective. The group consists of Emil Blankenship-Tucker, Mary Allison, and Rachel Blankenship-Tucker, and you can get a taste of their sound in this recent video shot at the Floyd Country Store, not far from the Mountain Fever Studio in southwest Virginia.

Echo was recorded at Mountain Fever Studio, produced and engineered by Aaron Ramsey.

Hodges shared a few words about his decision to create a second label at this time.

“I’m a lover of all good music. Genre specific isn’t a rule I follow, and there are a lot of records I want to make that don’t fit on the Mountain Fever Records label. Compared to a lot of bluegrass labels we’re still very young but we have worked hard to gain the respect of the bluegrass DJs, and their friendship and support is what has gotten us to the level we are now. Some of the music I want to produce isn’t bluegrass and I don’t want to do anything to abuse the trust of the DJs that have helped me this far.

I feel like I’ve pushed that envelope a little bit already and although nobody has complained (to may face anyway) I would rather draw a line in the dirt and create a home for my ‘everything else’ category.

The name of the new label is kind of a tribute to a friend of mine, Samuel A’Court Ashe Bason, who passed away last year, and the legacy he’s contributed to music. He was a great guy who influenced a lot of people to think outside the box, and to create original music full of emotion and spirit. His family moved to Floyd in the early ’70s and started Floyd’s first communal farm, Travianna. It’s said that it means ‘Across The Way.’ “

Mark also plans to move two of his existing Mountain Fever artists, Delta Reign and Ash Breeze, to Travianna.

The new web site explains the Travianna vision thusly…

Travianna Records seeks to be a melting pot for many kinds of music to mix and merge, creating an experience that encompasses all the best that music has to offer. We want to represent real music, music that was born of many places and with limitless influences. Music……. no boundaries.

Chris Austin Songwriting Contest finalists announced

Finalists have been announced for the 2014 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, held annually as a part of MerleFest. As is usually the case, a number of young bluegrass artists show up on the list.

Paul Harrigill, banjo player with Flatt Lonesome, is nominated along with Amber Nugent for their song, I’m Blue. Allen and Corey Smith from Ash Breeze also got a nod for Without Love. In addition to her husband, Kelsi Robertson-Harrigill, who plays mandolin in Flatt Lonesome, is up for the prize in the Country category for If You Never Let Me Go.

On the fringes of bluegrass, Joseph Terrell of Mipso made the cut with Angelina Jane is Long Gone.

A complete list of finalists follows:

Bluegrass

Josh Crews (Boone, NC) – Crossties
Paul Harrigill (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Amber Nugent (Ferriday, LA) – I’m Blue
Chelsea McBee of The Random Assortment & the Christian Lopez Band (Shepherdstown, WV) – Gone-A-Rye

Gospel/Inspirational

Gary Alan Ferguson (Alexandria, VA) – Time To Praise the Lord
Frank Hurd (Raleigh, NC) – Light
Allen Smith and Corey Smith of Ash Breeze (Robbins, NC) – Without Love

Country

Dan Buehner (Salt Lake City, UT) and Ben Childs (Oxford, MS), both of Hollering Pines – Cadillac
Kelsi Robertson-Harrigill (Murfreesboro, TN) – If You Never Let Me Go
Becky Warren (Nashville, TN) – Call Me Sometime

General

Clint Alphin (Dunn, NC) – Nobody Knows My Name
Sarah Potenza and Ian Crossman (both of Nashville, TN) – My Turn
Joseph Terrell of Mipso (Chapel Hill, NC) – Angelina Jane is Long Gone

The finals will be held on Friday, April 25 at MerleFest. Each finalist will perform their entry live on stage. Cash and merchandise prizes will be awarded to each contestant.

Generation Bluegrass Volume 2 trailer

Generation Bluegrass, a film made about and by young bluegrass musicians, was released in September of 2012. Corey Smith, guitarist with Ash Breeze, was the impetus behind the project, using the money he made working on his family’s farm to fund the production.

Corey has almost finished another edition, Generation Bluegrass 2 – The Grass Roots Up, featuring a second batch of youth grassers. Included in this one are The Willis Clan, an absurdly handsome and talented family from Tennessee, Missouri’s Meyer Family (the best hair in bluegrass), Cory Piatt, mandolinist with Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, banjoist Brandy Miller and reso-guitarist Gaven Largent from Virginia, and Ohio’s Jackson family who perform as Lonesome Meadow.

As with the first edition, Corey is being assisted by Zeb Snyder of the Snyder Family Band who serves as Assistant Director and Production Coordinator. For such a young team (Corey is 19 and Zeb 18), these two have pulled off an impressive bit of work. Both also perform on screen in GB2.

The DVD should be ready in the next few months, and Corey has released a trailer to offer a tease beforehand.

There is a chance that a CD of the music from Generation Bluegrass 2 will be released this summer as well.

Hats off to Corey Smith for pulling all this together. Regardless of where his career in bluegrass may take him, he’s got the mind of an entrepreneur, the soul of a filmmaker, and the work ethic to take care of what needs to be done. Ditto where Zeb Snyder is concerned.

Without Love from Ash Breeze

Mountain Fever has released a debut single from the upcoming self-titled album by Ash Breeze, formerly The Smith Family Band.

The group includes siblings Corey Smith on guitar, Nellie Smith on fiddle, Luke Smith on banjo, and Eli Smith on mandolin, along with their proud papa Allen Smith on bass.

For their first single, the Smith’s have chosen Without Love, written by Corey and Nellie, and featuring Nellie on lead.

See what you think…

The video was filmed and edited by Corey Smith, the young filmmaker behind the two Generation Bluegrass DVDs. Additional videos from Ash Breeze can be viewed at their web site.

Look for the new album, produced by Aaron Ramsey, early in 2014.

Ash Breeze signs with Mountain Fever Records

Family bands are the backbone of the bluegrass music community and it always pleasing to learn about such a group that has progressed to the level that secures a link-up with one of the more prominent record labels.

Moore County, North Carolina natives Ash Breeze is one of the latest young combinations to aspire to a record deal, signing with Mark Hodges’ Mountain Fever Records.

Formerly known as the Smith Family, the quintet is led by father Allen on bass, and consists of daughter and powerhouse singer Nellie, 15, on fiddle, and three sons, Corey, 17, on vocals and guitar (he is also the producer of the Generation Bluegrass documentaries, a video bluegrass project that is drawing a great deal of attention), Luke, 13, with his steady and polished style on banjo, and Cajon, and Eli, 11, on vocals and mandolin, offering up a speed and finesse that belies his years.

Classically trained, they switched to playing bluegrass music in 2010.

Hodges, is so pleased with the addition of the band to the label ………..

“I was walking down the hall at a music conference in Virginia last spring and heard this voice. I stepped inside and expected to see a twenty-something woman on the stage and instead found this young fiddler singing her heart out with such incredible tone while playing the fire out of her instrument. She sings with such tone and emotion for her age that it is unreal.”

The band’s first single will be out in October with a full project to be released later this year.

Ash Breeze blends folk, jazz, bluegrass, classical, blues and gospel influences to make a distinctive sound, strong on instrumentation and intertwined with tight, melodic family harmonies.

This year they have played at bluegrass festivals in Vermont, Canada and South Carolina, as well as performance slots at the Barbeque and Bluegrass Festivals at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, and Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. They have performed at Houstonfest in Galax, and recorded a segment for WUNC’s nationally syndicated show Song of the Mountains. That show will be broadcast in the spring of 2014.

Ash Breeze performed at the IBMA WOB Youth Stage on Saturday during IBMA week.

The phrase ash breeze is an old sailing term that has great meaning to the family. It refers to the ability to row a boat yourself when there isn’t enough breeze to fill the sails. It stems from the time when oars were made of ash wood.

Sailing by ash breeze is a major theme in the book Carry On Mr Bowditch, a family favorite and the source of the inspiration for the band’s very recent name change.

Here is a brief video clip.