Some folks like to mark November 11 as Nigel Tufnel Day, in honor of the guitarist with Spinal Tap… “These go to 11. It’s one louder, init.”
But in the US, we know that 11/11 is when we honor all the military veterans who have served in our armed services, as we celebrate Veterans Day. Social media is full up today with photos of family members and friends who served, and bluegrass folks being plenty patriotic, we even have a Veterans Day music video to share.
Flashback recorded a song written by mandolinist Don Rigsby called Will You Fold My Flag For Me, which tells of a pair of soldiers preparing to go into battle. One makes the request in the title to his friend, who sadly is called upon to perform this final service.
The song is included on the band’s current Pinecastle project, Blues Around My Cabin, and the label liked it so well, they also put it on their July 4 compilation project, United We Stand.
With Veterans Day in mind, Pinecastle has produced and released this music video of Will You Fold My Flag For Me, with the guys performing the song and participating in the folded flag ceremony. If you’ve ever been handed one at a military funeral, you know how moving this observance, and the 13 folds, can be.
Flashback is Don Rigsby on mandolin, Richard Bennett on guitar, Stuart Wyrick on banjo, and Curt Chapman on bass.
Pinecastle Records has a new music video today from Flashback, for one of the songs on their current release, Blues Around My Cabin. We are delighted to premiere it here for our Bluegrass Today readers.
It’s the album’s opening track, a song written by guitarist and vocalist Richard Bennet with a old west theme called John Henry Holiday. Most folks these days know the subject by his nickname, Doc Holiday, earned by nature of having studied and worked as a dentist before moving to the southwest in the latter part of the 19th century.
His life is best remembered for having stood alongside Wyatt Earp during the notorious shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, AZ in 1881.
Bennet tells us that the old west holds a special charm for him.
“This is one of my favorite songs I have written. I have always been interested in the life and times of Doc Holiday.”
In the video, we see the band performing the song in the Bonfire Studio as it lays out the short career of John Henry Holiday. Richard is supported by bandmates Don Rigsby on mandolin, Stuart Wyrick on banjo, and Curt Chapman on bass.
Blues Around My Cabin is widely available wherever you stream or download music online, and on CD directly from the band.
Reunion bands are cool, right? The Bluegrass Album Band back together in Asheville, NC, a few years back, was certainly awesome, and a Johnson Mountain Boys reunion might just be my dream bluegrass concert (HINT, HINT). However, reunions usually take the form of a one-off concert, or a summer festival run, and don’t necessarily lead to albums, new music, and original songs. Flashback, however, has taken a bit of a different approach, and is currently on their third album since coming together back in 2015 as a look back at an excellent era of J.D. Crowe & the New South. Their first two albums had a number of solid radio hits and strong originals, and their newest Pinecastle release, Blues Around My Cabin, looks to have plenty more of the same.
Many of the songs here are new numbers, with several written by band members. Guitarist Richard Bennett penned (and sings) the opening track and lead single, John Henry Holliday, a pensive look at the life of the infamous Old West outlaw, Doc Holliday. The song does a nice job touching on the highlights of Holliday’s life and personality, but the chorus is especially memorable: “Don’t never take this outlaw too lightly, his 44 will put you in the ground.” Bennett’s other two originals on the album are much lighter. Dixon Farm is a bright “old home place” song focusing on the sights and sounds of an old-fashioned farm with a nice toe-tapping melody, while Virginia in the Springtime finds the singer drifting back to the country in his mind. Co-written with Shawn Lane, it’s a nice mid-tempo number guided by easy-going banjo from Stuart Wyrick.
Don Rigsby offers up two songs, one penned with Billy Droze. That one is When the Blues Come Around My Cabin Door, which steps a bit outside of the bluegrass box with a dark, bluesy groove and a few non-traditional instruments. Bill Monroe’s rules for bluegrass don’t usually include electric mandolin and shaker egg, but I like it. Rigsby does a fine job with the vocals here, smoothly moving in and out among brief instrumental solos. His other contribution is the more straightforward Will You Fold My Flag for Me, a touching nod to our armed forces and fulfilling a promise made in battle.
Queen of the Bar is one of my favorites on the album. A deep cut from Kentucky-based group the Sloas Brothers, it’s a great honky-tonk weeper about a no-good woman who won’t stay home: “Well, I thought you were an angel, but a queen you are. You’re the queen of the dance hall, and the dimly lit bar.” Don Rigsby gives it a perfect reading, calling to mind his vocals on songs like Brand New Tennessee Waltz. Also worth several listens is Wyrick’s cheery original banjo tune, Tater Valley Chimes. Wyrick’s flown a bit under the radar, but those who pay attention know he’s a banjo powerhouse.
With Blues Around My Cabin, Flashback does what the band members have done best for years, both together and in their solo careers – deliver solid, well-played bluegrass that moves back and forth across the traditional line while always sounding fresh. Bennett and Rigsby are both extremely capable vocalists, but with different enough styles and sounds that the album never gets repetitive. Along with Wyrick and Curt Chapman (bass), they’re some of the best musicians in the business. Fans of the band and of original bluegrass should enjoy.
For more information on Flashback, visit their website. Their new album is available from several online music retailers.
Pinecastle Records has dropped a single this week from Flashback, the first from their next album, Blues Around My Cabin, expected in early spring.
This one offers a bit of historical fiction from guitarist Richard Bennet in a story about 19th century gunfighter, Doc Holliday. Titled John Henry Holliday, Richard also sings this song that gives a taste of the old west.
In addition to Bennett, Flashback includes Don Rigsby on mandolin, Stuart Wyrick on banjo, and Curt Chapman on bass.
A super group of sorts, Flashback is essentially an offshoot of the revered bluegrass band, J.D. Crowe And The New South, absent its leader. The group’s current roster includes Don Rigsby (mandolin, vocals), Stuart Wyrick (banjo, vocals), Richard Bennett (guitar, vocals) and Curt Chapman (bass), who, apart from Wyrick, originally reconvened for a reunion tour under the umbrella of “The Flashback Band.” A tour and a new album, Foxhounds & Fiddles, followed in 2016 and 2017 respectively, setting the stage for this sophomore set, Denver Snow, an effort that proves conclusively they don’t necessarily necessarily need the Crowe connection to affirm their credibility.
That said, other than Texas, Tennessee, and California, no state has inspired more songs about its environs than Colorado. Which makes a title like Denver Snows seem patently predictable even from the outset. Yet it’s hard to blame anyone for wanting to extol the lure of the mountains and the beauty of those scenic surroundings.
Likewise, boasting a name like The Flashback Band — now shortened simply to “Flashback” — offers the impression that they’re some kind of cover band. Granted, only a third of the album’s track list consists of original material, but the group still manages to make the outside contributions sound like their own. The title track alone is worth the price of admission, a declaration of purpose that puts their passion for the peaks firmly in focus.
Still, Denver Snow is more than a set of songs that provide an ode to the altitude. The instrumental array offers an approach that stems from their seminal style, allows Flashback to veer towards traditional trappings and a tack consistent with their credentials. A Rose from Time to Time, Take This Hammer, and the yin and yang of It Won’t Be Like Cheating and I’ll Be True to the One I Love find them echoing the sound of spry front porch melodies, while conveying it all with earnest intents. And the fact that none of these songs are standards makes it that much easier for Flashback to imbue their own imprint. The old folk song One Morning in May, famously recorded by James Taylor, comes closest, but given the group’s lithe treatment, it’s likely most people will have little clue to its essential origins.
The ultimate result is a collection of cheery tunes that are both unassuming and accessible, unerringly upbeat, and consistently catchy throughout. Denver and its snow is an excellent aural destination indeed.
Pinecastle Records has also announced a focus on singles this spring. They plan to drop a new track from a different artist each week through April, with albums from each expected later in the year.
First up is a single from the upcoming Flashback project, Denver Snow, due to release in May. This is the band’s second recording for Pinecastle since reassembling in 2016. They were the sidemen who served under JD Crowe as The New South in the mid-1990s. The guys used Crowe’s retirement as the impetus to get the old band back together, bringing Stuart Wyrick on in Crowe’s stead.
Flashback is centered around the writing and singing of Don Rigsby on mandolin and Richard Bennett on guitar, with Curt Chapman on bass. Their first CD, Foxhounds and Fiddles was popular with bluegrass lovers and radio alike.
This first single, Moonshine, features Bennett on the lead vocal, covering a topic not in the least foreign to our genre. It’s available for sale now through the online download sites, and to radio programmers through AirPlay Direct.
You can hear it as the opening song in this video preview of the Denver Snow record.
Be on the lookout for other new singles from Pinecastle over the next ten weeks, including tracks from Edgar Loudermilk, Ray Edwards, Williamson Branch, Deanie Richardson, Carolina Road, Sister Sadie, and NightFlyer.
Flashback has joined the ranks of bluegrass artists releasing new Christmas music this year.
While hard at work this month tracking for a new Pinecastle project in 2018, they cut two others with a Yuletide flavor. One is a stately, acoustic version of Silent Night sung as a trio by Don Rigsby, Stuart Wyrick, and Richard Bennett. The Greatest Gift is a new song written by Rigsby, which reminds us that of all the gifts ever given and received at Christmas, none is as precious as the one we secured in the Christ child.
In this brief video, the guys share a few words about these two tracks, which are available for download purchase now online.
Radio programmers can get the tracks for their holiday shows at AirPlay Direct.
Several years ago, Knoxville reso-man Phil Leadbetter organized a reunion concert for the edition of J.D. Crowe & The New South that had recorded the 1994 album, Flashback. The original recording featured Phil on reso-guitar, Richard Bennett on guitar, Don Rigsby on mandolin, and Curt Chapman on bass.
That reunion led to more shows together, and eventually a decision to function as a full-time group, but now, three years on, Phil has decided that it’s time for him to take his leave.
The past six years have been tough ones for our favorite Uncle Phil. A diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma turned his life upside down in March of 2011, which was followed by several years of various cancer therapies to treat the ailment. Multiple rounds of chemo would show progress, only to see the cancer return. Finally, he underwent stem cell replacement therapy which seemed to do the trick, but at a great toll to his overall health.
Leadbetter is now as close to cancer-free as the doctors will admit, and pursuing a new career in real estate after many years of being unable to work. He will focus his attention now on building that career for his future.
Phil shared this as his official statement…
“I want to announce today that I have departed from Flashback. In 2015, I called up everyone, and asked if they would be interested in doing a reunion show. We played my CD release party on January 31, 2015 after 20 years since being known as J.D Crowe and The New South’s “Flashback” version of his band. After that concert, we decided to play some dates as a group. J.D played nearly a year with us before officially retiring in 2016.
We decided (with Crowe’s endorsement and permission) to continue to play as a group, and decided to go with the name Flashback. I have enjoyed my time playing with Curt, Stuart, Don and Richard, but it is time to move on. After 43 years in this business, I am ready to do my own thing, as well as concerts featuring “all star” bluegrass lineups as I have in the past, and will be doing November 17th at The Bijou Theater in Knoxville, TN.
I also plan to focus on my part-time career as a real estate agent, and work to get myself completely well from the side effects of my past cancer treatment. I wish the best to all the guys of Flashback as I say ‘so long.’ “
Flashback is in the studio now working on their second album, but Phil wanted to let them know of his plans before they got started. There is no word yet from the band as to who they might bring in.
Good luck to Phil, and to the rest of the band going forward.
Flashback, a band consisting of former members of J.D. Crowe & The New South, are the latest members of the Wilson Pickins family. The company, managed by Melanie Wilson, offers publicity, management, and booking services to a large stable of bluegrass artists from her base in South Carolina.
All of the principals in Flashback are experienced touring musicians. They take their name from the Flashback album they recorded with Crowe in 1998 – all save banjo picker Stuart Wyrick who steps into J.D.’s shoes. Since Crowe retired recently from active performing, there has been renewed interest in his music but this group is far more than a nostalgia trip. Guitarist Richard Bennett, who wrote several songs for the Flashback album, contributes new material to their repertoire, as done mandolinist Don Rigsby.
Richard and Don are the band’s primary vocalists, and are further assisted by Curt Chapman on bass and everybody’s favorite uncle, Phil Leadbetter, on reso-guitar.
Their debut album, Foxhounds and Fiddles, was released early this year on Pinecastle Records, and they are looking to spend time early in 2018 recording a second at Pinecastle’s Bonfire Studios in North Carolina.
For more information about the band, contact Melanie at Wilson Pickins.
Leadbetter also has some big news on the horizon. He teased it on Facebook this week when he posted a photo of the Phil Leadbetter model guitar prototype from Recording King.
Phil’s keeping the details to himself for now, as many of them are being determined this next few days, but expect to hear more about this in the weeks to come.
J. D. Crowe is gone from the stage, but his music and his influence remain constant, both in terms of songs that remain in regular rotation on the bluegrass airwaves and of ex-band members who continue to make music shaped by their former boss.
Indeed, if bluegrass was a fantasy sport, you could draft several championship-caliber teams from among the future all-stars that passed through his bands over the years. Fortunately, we don’t need to fantasize how about how good it could be. We just have to give a listen to Foxhounds and Fiddles, the stellar Pinecastle Records project from Flashback.
Bluegrass veterans will remember Flashback as a fine 1994 recording by J.D. Crowe and the New South. Here it’s the name of the band that includes those who picked with Crowe on the earlier record – Richard Bennett, Don Rigsby, Phil Leadbetter and Curt Chapman, joined by Stuart Wyrick, who has the seemingly impossible task of playing the five-string in Crowe’s place.
From the opening lick of the title cut, written by Bennett and Rigsby, Wyrick makes it clear he’s up to the challenge, and the rest of the band shows they haven’t lost a step in 20-plus years. Like the earlier album that featured most of these guys, this one offers a refreshing mix of new material, much of it written or co-written by Bennett, and some work from past masters (Carter Stanley, Charlie and Ira Louvin).
The title cut is a toe-tapper from beginning to end, as are a few more among the 12 cuts here. Those songs are sure to please Crowe fans and bluegrass purists, both instrumentally and vocally. Whether it’s Bennett taking the lead or Rigsby, I could listen to these guys sing all day.
But it’s the reflective, wistful ballads on the CD that will keep it in regular rotation on my player. At the top of my subjective list is Two Rivers, written by Bennett and Shawn Lane, one of several songs in the bunch that center on loss and loneliness, but with hope that a reunion will come some day in heaven. The message here – “I’ll be waiting like the roses in the meadow, like two rivers, we will meet again” – hit home hard the other day, the one-year anniversary of the death of a special person in my life at a far too early age. But the note of optimism left me smiling through the tears.
Another favorite is Autumn’s Not that Cold, with a sublime and powerful solo vocal by Rigsby. In this one, the protagonist is defiant, standing up to the pain of someone who split the scene:
I’m almost feeling guilty
That the hurt’s not taking hold.
I guess I’m just not that lonesome,
And autumn’s not that cold.
Song after song, Leadbetter demonstrates why he’s one of the best resophonic guitar players in the business, but on the slower numbers, especially, he practically makes his instrument weep. But the rest of the pickers, joined by guests Ronnie Stewart and Tim Crouch on fiddles, are top-shelf, too. This is especially obvious on Welcome to New York, an instrumental written by Bill Emerson and Doyle Lawson, but it’s also evident on the breaks on nearly every song.
Flashback will make you nostalgic for the days when Crowe strapped on the five. But the band will also leave you eager to peer into the future to see what this talented posse of musicians will come up with next. Let’s hope it’s not another couple of decades!
