Dennis Parker Archives - Bluegrass Today

Stone by Stone from Lord of the Strings

Since signing Nashville bluegrass artist Tony Wray to the label, Pinecastle Records has given him tremendous creative freedom. He oversaw an album of grassed up versions of classic Disney songs, and another of acoustic takes on childrens’ favorites.

Tony has worked in and around bluegrass most of his career, sometimes as a performer, alongside greats like Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush, and others, or with his own group, Blue Mafia, and at other times in luthiery, like the seven years spent as banjo supervisor back when Gibson built banjos.

Now he has teamed up with fellow Nashvegans Dennis Parker, vocalist with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and top session fiddler Tim Crouch, for a new studio band they are calling Lord of the Strings. Hard at work now on a new project, a debut single has been released, their hard-edged cut of Stone By Stone, which had previously been recorded by Tim Mensy as a country song in 1990.

Tony tackles all the instruments save the fiddle, Tim’s speciality, with Dennis adding harmony vocals, and gives it an in-your-face, mid-tempo groove, especially with his sparkling banjo and guitar. Wray sings the lead as well, turning in a fine performance.

Hang on tight and give it a listen.

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

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem from Tony Wray and Dennis Parker

Here’s another new Christmas release from Pinecastle Records, this time featuring a couple of unsung heroes in bluegrass music, Tony Wray and Dennis Parker. Both have many years of professional experience in the music business, but often not in the spotlight.

Tony works as a producer for Pinecastle and Bonfire Music, and is a first rate guitarist and banjo player as well. He spent seven years doing assembly and set up for Gibson Banjos in Nashville, and has worked with Dan Tyminski and his own group, Blue Mafia.

We mostly see Dennis singing harmony with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, where he also plays rhythm guitar. He has also added his soulful voice in Nashville working with Lee Ann Womack, Tracy Lawrence, Joe Diffie, and Mark Chesnutt. Parker became a minor YouTube sensation among those who appreciate fine singing with his oddly-named series, Songs Under My Air Conditioning Unit, where he performed both original and popular songs by himself with only his guitar.

Working together, these two have recorded a new version of the classic Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, made famous in bluegrass by The Stanley Brothers. The song was written by Adger M Pace and R Fisher Boyce in 1940, and has since been covered dozens of times by bluegrass, country, and gospel artists.

Here’s Tony and Dennis’ version, with spoken word narrative by Kyle Cantrell.

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem by Tony Wray and Dennis Parker is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

Be Proud of the Gray in Your Hair from the No Joke Jimmy’s

Don’t worry. No one will look askance if you read this headline and say, “The who’s?”

The No Joke Jimmy’s are a new special project band in Nashville, formed by a couple of former touring pros and a handful of current touring artists who are up for some extra good times. The band, and their new single, are the brainchild of Jamie Johnson, ex-Grascals singer and guitarist, and their current fiddler, Adam Haynes.

Jamie got the idea to pull together some of his bluegrass buddies in Nashville, and a few from outside of Music City, when an offer came in. So he reached out to banjo picker Ron Stewart with Seldom Scene; fellow former Grascal Terry Eldredge; Brandon Rickman, recently late of Lonesome River Band; Dennis Parker, harmony vocalist with Ricky Skaggs; Darrin Nicholson from Balsam Range; and bassist Kyle Perkins with Kenny & Amanda Smith.

“I was asked to do a show for Sam Karr from Sam Jam, and also Vic Adams from Rudy Fest and Cam Fest. I put together my favorite guys for the show and they happened to be off the weekend they booked the show.

Well, it was a lot of fun, and we felt like it sounded pretty good, so we booked one more show several months later and decided to have fun and record some tunes.”

And there you have it. The No Joke Jimmy’s.

The guys have been in the studio when their schedules align, and have five tracks finished for a new independent project that should be available by the end of this summer.

Johnson said that they have no plans to try and be a “real band,” just have some laughs and enjoy playing good music with friends using an unusual band name.

“We do not intend to tour, instead just play shows that fit all our schedules, and with this many moving parts it won’t allow time for many.

The name comes from a statement Adam said to his brother Jimmy one day as I was on the phone with him and after the question Adam responded ’cause I ain’t no joke, Jimmy,’ and I said ‘there’s our name. The No Joke Jimmy’s’ (spelled with incorrect grammar and all).

We plan to have a great time, no pressure just have fun, play a show here and there, and hopefully provide an album that folks will enjoy and add to their collection.”

A first single debuted yesterday on Bluegrass Junction (SiriusXM), a Dave Evans classic called Be Proud of the Gray in Your Hair, which Jamie says fits these guys a bit too comfortably.

“Most of us in the band are in the early years of gray hairs, and we’ve earned em.

This song was my dad’s favorite, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Dave Evans. We only planned to do it live but the energy was there, so thought we would see if the energy worked in the studio as well.

It feels like it works. Thanks to Dave Evans for writing such a great song.”

Check it out…

Be Proud of the Gray in Your Hair from the No Joke Jimmy’s is available now from popular download and streaming sites online, and to radio programmers at AirPlay Direct.

A select number of live appearances are scheduled this summer, including shows at the Milan Bluegrass Festival, Rudy Fest, the MACC Fest, Cam Fest, Pickin’ in Parsons, and Sam Jam.

Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues from Jimmy Heffernan, featuring Dennis Parker

Reso-guitar master Jimmy Heffernan has released another single from his current album, I’d Trade It All for a Little More.

Rarely seen out front, Heffernan has spent a career in Nashville supporting the music of others, working as a sideman for top acts in both bluegrass and country music. As a young man, he toured with a number of bluegrass bands, including Raintree, Transatlantic Bluegrass, and Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers. From there he got a gig playing for Cajun fiddle sensation Doug Kershaw, and eventually with Joe Diffie, where he stayed nearly a decade. Nashville began to provide him with a steady income as a producer and session player, though he did spend two more years on the bus with Brad Paisley.

These days, Jimmy likes to stay closer to home, and plies his trade in the studio more than on the road. And he has taken that occasion to record this new project, featuring a number of singers he finds particularly moving. This time out he has tapped Dennis Parker, harmony vocalist with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and one of the great undiscovered gems in the bluegrass world. His popular Songs Under The Air Conditioning Unit series on YouTube, and album of the same name, have earned him a loyal following among the enlightened in the music world.

Jimmy has Dennis in to sing Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues, a 1972 hit for pop singer Danny O’Keefe.

Parker says that we all should be paying more attention to Heffernan’s music.

“Truthfully….Literally….whenever I think of Jim Heffernan or when his name is mentioned, an automatic smile comes to my face. What a blessing he has been in my life. I’ve played many a show with him. I’ve spent many a bus ride with him. I’ve spent many an hour being encouraged by him. These are the times I cherish and miss.

This project, I’d Trade it All for a Little More, is just good music. That’s what Jim creates. When I listen to this, I am in the company of a master craftsman that loves his craft, but I’m also hanging out with a friend I love dearly. I am honored that he asked me to be a part of it. More folks need to be saying the name Jim Heffernan. When that happens, you can bet I’ll be smiling.”

The track features Dennis on lead vocal and Jimmy on reso-guitar, with Craig Fletcher on mandolin, Dennis Crouch on bass, Jim Hurst on guitar, and Kenny Malone on drums.

Have a listen…

Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues and the full I’d Trade It All for a Little More, are available now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the tracks at AirPlay Direct.