Josh Pickett Archives - Bluegrass Today

Motley – Andy Lowe

For his debut solo album, North Carolina banjo man Andy Lowe could have taken the easy route and released a solid collection of Scruggs tunes, mixed in with a few originals and vocal numbers. He certainly has the banjo skills to handle it. Instead, Lowe has found the extremely unique point where modern traditional bluegrass meets Alice in Chains, Broadway musicals, and jazz, and named it Motley.

For the most part, Motley is a fairly straightforward modern traditional album. There are a few covers of classics – a strong, Bluegrass Album Band-inspired version of Devil in Disguise opens the album, while the 2:12 cut of I’m On My Way Back to the Old Home rushes along at a feverish pace. There’s also a well-done version of Shuckin’ the Corn, with a particularly fiery fiddle solo from Jamie Harper.

Of the newer bluegrass numbers here, standouts include modern-day murder ballad Blue Kentucky Wind, featuring Dustin Pyrtle on lead vocals, and the Joey Lemons original Sara Lynn, about a man who left the one he loved after doing her wrong. Lemons sings lead on both this track and a handful of others, and his rich vocals are a nice addition to the album. Lowe adds a driving original banjo tune, Powerbomb, which has a lonesome, dark feel and contributions from several talented instrumentalists, including Alex McKinney (resonator guitar), Adam Steffey (mandolin), Josh Pickett (guitar) and Joe Hannabach (bass).

Then, there are the more unusual choices for a bluegrass album. Lowe may be the first banjo player to cover an Alice in Chains song, but he does it with gusto and skill on No Excuses. The song is more rock than it is bluegrass, with electric guitar courtesy of Pickett and grunge-tinged vocals from James Bernabe, but Lowe’s banjo licks and Steffey’s strong mandolin chop actually fit the arrangement well. You never know, grungegrass may be the next trend to catch on.

Of the non-bluegrass songs, Bye Bye Blues, an old jazz standard, lends itself best to bluegrass. Lowe’s banjo playing on this tune is a bit more progressive, and he seems to pull from the song’s jazz background to influence his style. They Call the Wind Mariah, another intriguing choice, is taken from the 1950s Lerner and Loewe musical (and the 1969 Clint Eastwood film version) Paint Your Wagon. The vocals here have the feel of an old cowboy song, set to gentle contemporary bluegrass instrumentation.

Lowe’s song choices may be somewhat atypical, but he, along with an extremely talented supporting cast of fellow musicians, pulls them off. In addition to those listed above, Lowe is also joined by Nick Keen (mandolin), Rick Lowe (harmony vocals and fiddle), Sierra Wilson (harmony vocals), Asa Gravely (guitar), Jesse Smathers (lead and harmony vocals), and Pete Wright (lead vocals). Overall, both traditional fans and those who are a bit more adventurous should be pleased with Motley.

Lowe’s new album can be downloaded from iTunes and Amazon.

Motley coming from Andy Lowe

North Carolina banjo picker Andy Lowe is preparing to release his first solo project, due around the first of December. The 29 year old has been performing regionally with Rockford Express and The Loose Cannons, and also served for a time as banjo player with Jeanette Williams.

Andy first came to notoriety as the 2011 banjo champion at the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, and after recording an album last year with Rockford Express, Straight for Bluegrass Hill, he has decided to make one himself. So he’s been spending time at Josh Pickett’s Creekside Studios in Cana, VA getting all the tracks cut.

In the studio with Lowe have been Josh Pickett on guitar, Joe Hannabach on bass, Jamie Harper and Rick Lowe on fiddle, Alex McKinney on resonator guitar, and Nick Keen and Adam Steffey on mandolin. Only three of the twelve tracks are instrumentals, with vocals on the others provided by Joey Lemons, Dustin Pyrtle, Rick Lowe, James Bernabe, Pete Wright, and Jesse Smathers. Andy, his fiancé Sierra Wilson, and Rick Lowe handled the harmony parts.

Here’s a thumbnail description of the album he provided.

“The album is titled Motley, after the somewhat, erm, ‘peculiar’ selection of songs I’ve chosen to cut. You’ll find covers of Monroe and Scruggs standards interspersed with covers of Alice in Chains hits.

Cutting the Alice in Chains tune No Excuses scared the heck out of me, but I wanted to try it on for size. It actually has a killer chord progession that lends itself very well to bluegrass.

We even took a crack at They Call the Wind Mariah, from the Broadway play-turned-film, Paint Your Wagon, that saw Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin crooning in the desert. I had to cover that one. I just wanted to put my own unique twist on the everyday banjo album; that was both a challenge and a thrill.”

Motley, indeed.

Other numbers on Motley will include bluegrass classics like Shuckin’ The Corn, Kentucky Waltz, Devil In Disguise, and I’m On My Way Back to the Old Home, and the early jazz standard Bye Bye Blues.

There’s You from The Church Sisters

Unless you’re among the folks lucky enough to catch The Church Sisters live, you could be excused for not being aware of these talented teens. Sarah and Savannah Church are 16 year old twins, living in Danville, VA, and they seem destined to reach a much wider audience with the release of their second album, There’s You.

I don’t say that simply because they live near me in Southwest Virginia (they do), or since I am acquainted with many of the pickers on the album (I am). Nor because they seem like fine young ladies with a healthy does of cuteness (they do).

No, it’s because of the rare and unique talent they possess as vocalists, that special quality that, as Melvin Goins might say, is borned into you. A first record, Farther Along (released two years ago), demonstrated Sarah and Savannah’s indisputable talent, but the girls lacked the maturity in their voices required to connect to a wider audience.

On There’s You, they display a poise and authority well beyond their years, bringing to mind the first recording from Alison Krauss when she was a wee lass. It may not be fair to brand the Church Sisters with that sort of weighty comparison, but the plain fact is that they are that good – and there are two of them!

Savannah carries the bulk of the lead singing, though the sisters will often trade verses on stage and in the studio. You can tell them apart by their approach as much as their tone; Sarah is a bit more adventurous, adding trills and bluesy bends to her voice, while Savannah’s sound is more covered and unadorned.

See what I mean in this piece of audio from the CD, their take on an old favorite.

Bury Me Beneath The Willow: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/willow.mp3]

For their live shows, Savannah plays fiddle and Sarah mandolin, but for the album they are supported by Adam Steffey on mandolin, Josh Pickett on guitar and bass, Jody King on banjo, and Jeneé Fleenor on fiddle. Their younger brother Seth also joins them on stage, playing guitar, but is not featured on the CD.

While high school requires that the girls stay fairly close to home, they do perform regularly in Virginia and North Carolina, and have attracted the attention of more than a few bluegrass luminaries. Upon hearing about the new record, Rhonda Vincent told us…

“I’m excited to hear The Church Sisters new album. Always love hearing their beautiful voices.”

The girls pay homage to Ms. Vincent on the record, including One Step Ahead Of The Blues, written by Rhonda and Terry Herd, and Carl Jackson’s Homecoming, which has been featured on two of her albums.

Also among the tracks are a pair of hymns (Near The Cross, Master’s Glory), and a few recent Gospel songs that some grassers may recognize (David Davis’ It’s Just An Old Body and My Name Is Judas by Thomas Campbell). Recognizing music recorded in their grandparents era, Hank Snow’s Aching Hearts and the Louvin Brothers’ Angels Rejoice find a place here as well.

Aching Hearts: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/aching_hearts.mp3]

A real standout is the title track, written by Pickett, which shows that these youngsters have a flair for more contemporary material as well.

There’s You: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/theres_you.mp3]

At present, the CD is only available from the Church Sisters’ web site, but is expected to show up in iTunes in the very near future.

They also have a substantial presence on YouTube, with a number of live performances captured on video. Here they are accompanied by Josh and Seth, singing I Wandered By A Brookside, an old English ballad they contributed to the Mark Twain: Words & Music CD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzr90Oq12eg

If you have a fondness for sibling harmony, or just appreciate first rate singing, don’t miss the chance to become acquainted with The Church Sisters. They really are that good… but I repeat myself.

Welcome Hudson Pickett!

Congratulations to Josh and LeAnn Pickett, who are celebrating the birth of a son.

Hudson Carter Pickett was born in Mt. Airy, NC at 5:37 a.m. this morning, weighing in at 7.5 pounds, stretching to 21 inches.

Josh is the guitarist with Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, and worked for several years before that with Amber Collins & No Speed Limit. He also operates a recording studio in Cana, VA.

It’s a good month so far for bluegrass babies!

Tortoguard from Josh Pickett

We reported in May that guitar player Josh Pickett, formerly of Amber Collins & No Speed Limit, had made the move to Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time. Now we are pleased to announce his latest venture, Tortoguard Pickguards of Cana, Virginia.

Pickett decided to attempt making his own custom pickguard after collaborating to build a custom mahogany dreadnought with famed guitar luthier Wayne Henderson a few years ago. Having already fabricated every other item on the guitar except for the Waverly tuning machines, he thought “Why do I want to buy a pick guard to put on when I can make one myself?”

Through experimentation and careful research, Pickett modeled his first piece after traditional tortoise shell. Then, at the urging of others, he began to craft them for close friends, having created about ten in total before deciding to launch a business with partner Eddie Day a few months ago. Josh was well familiar familiar with the traditional look of tortoise shell pickguards, and concerned about both their cost and the tricky legalities involved in buying or selling them. The international trade of tortoise shell became illegal in the 1970’s, and Pickett has developed what would appear to be a carbon copy.

Each of Tortoguard’s standard handmade pieces comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee and possesses its own set of unique qualities due to the liquid and dying processes that Pickett and Day use during fabrication. Customized pieces are available upon request, as is duplication of existing pickguards of every size and type. One customer, a lady who takes private guitar lessons from Pickett, even had her name subtly included on a piece she ordered recently.

Currently the company offers five authentic-looking tortoise shell styles. They include 30’s and 40’s likenesses as well as newer-looking creations. Tortoguard is also the first company to offer a regular production guard like the one appearing on one of the most prominent guitars in bluegrass music history: the 1935 Clarence White/Tony Rice Martin D-28.

These pickguards which are peel and stick ready, are moderately priced at $25.00 – $35.00 each, not including shipping and handling.

More details can be found at www.tortoguard.com.

Josh Pickett to Larry Cordle

We heard last night from Josh Pickett, with word that he is the new guitarist with Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time.

Josh had been performing and recording with Amber Collins & No Speed Limit, and just recently traveling with the Virginia Crooked Road tour. He tells us that there are a few more dates he will do with Amber, but is full time now with Cord.

He is stepping in to replace longtime Cordle guitar man Booie Beach, who left to take care of some family responsibilities in Florida.

Josh joins Jody King on banjo, Chris Harris on mandolin, Kim Gardner on reso-guitar, and James Doncsecz on bass in Lonesome Standard Time.

You can find Larry’s tour schedule posted on his web site.

Amber Collins – Gravity

We’ve posted several times about Amber Collins, a fine young bluegrass singer who fronts the southwestern Virginia band, No Speed Limit. Her solo project, On The Corner, was released this summer, and has generated a lot of attention for her strong, versatile voice.

A video of Amber covering Gravity (John Mayer) has just been posted, from an October 9 performance in Abingdon, VA. She is accompanied by Josh Pickett and Eddy Day on guitars.

No… it’s not bluegrass, but it sure is good singing.

Nice job, Amber.

Amber Collins – On The Corner

Another strong release from southwestern Virginia is On The Corner, the debut solo project from Amber Collins, who fronts the Galax-based No Speed Limit. Much of the band assists her on this album, but most prominent is guitarist Josh Pickett who co-produces and contributed 5 new songs to the CD.

Amber is a strong singer, in the process of developing a distinctive style all her own. Her voice is pitched high, closer to a true soprano than has been common in bluegrass of late, and it makes for a sound refreshingly outside the modern grass mainstream. She is given to “Reba-like” vowel sounds, another trait we hear only rarely in the bluegrass realm.

You can hear what I mean (on both counts) in the opening track, a reworking of a classic folk ballad.

Darling Corey: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/darlin_corey.mp3]

The bulk of the CD was recorded with No Speed Limit: Josh Pickett on guitar, Josh Underwood on banjo, Duane Compton on mandolin and Dustin Pyrtle on bass. Jody King guests on banjo as does Ryan Blevins on mandolin and Jacob Eller on bass.

The one track that really stands out – and is likely to get Amber a great deal of attention – is Rosemary, which tells of a true love that endures beyond war and death. It’s a special song, written by Josh Pickett, and Amber agrees that it is the album’s high point, while noting the oddity of singing a song so beyond her own experience.

“Neither Josh or I can relate directly to this story lyrically, and I always try to relate to any song I’m singing. The song is really unique, and we were shocked that it came out so well. I guess we just put so much thought into arranging it, and worked so hard to relate with the lyrics… and it really paid off!”

Rosemary: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/rosemary.mp3]

It’s a fine tribute both to Pickett for his fine songwriting and lovely guitar work, and to Collins who does a marvelous job interpreting the song. Let’s hope it gets the recognition it deserves.

“Josh and I have been playing together so long, and we always want to play what expresses our personality. That’s what I wanted to demonstrate with this record. And I think we did; it shows who we are.”

You can order the CD from the band’s web site, and radio programmers can request a promo copy by email.

Amber tells us that No Speed Limit is about to start on a new band project, and said that it was possible that a couple of tracks from On The Corner might be included. Perhaps it will also contain their version of Shady Grove, which they recorded for YouTube.