The Listen Up feature in the April 17th edition of USA TODAY lists the author’s top ten music picks for the week. We don’t often see straight up bluegrass featured in such lists, so it’s nice to see Randy Kohrs on the list this time around.
Randy came in at #10 on the list with the song Shallow Grave. The song was written by Walt Aldridge & Kate Campbell, and is on Randy’s new CD, Old Photograph.
Here’s what the author of the article had to say about Randy, and the tune.
Shallow Grave, Randy Kohrs: One of Nashville’s finest Dobro players accompanies himself on this mournful tune of a love that’s dead but hardly laid to rest.
The print edition is long gone, but you can access the story online at the paper’s website, where you can also listen to the song in Windows Media format.
Dobro player Randy Kohrs will be joining the Mark Newton Band for at least three shows during the month of May. All three shows are in the state of Virginia.
Date: Thursday, May 3, 07
Venue: Ashland Coffee & Tea
City/State: Ashland, VA.
Time: 2-45 min. sets. 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Date: Friday, May 4, 07
Venue: Birchmere
City/State: Alexandria, VA.
Special note: This show is co-billed with Seldom Scene
Date: Sat., May 5, 07
Venue: Holy Cross Lutheran Church Concert Series
City/State: Herndon, VA.
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
In addition to these concerts, Randy and Clay Hess will also be conducting workshops on their respective instruments on May 5th at the Ashland Coffee & Tea in Ashland, VA. The workshop will start around 11:30 a.m. and will be approximately 2 hours in length.
I couldn’t find registration info, but you can contact the venue from their contact page.
UPDATE:I just heard from Randy’s fiddle player, Ashley Brown, and she tells me that those interested in the workshops should contact Wally at JAMinc.org or call him at (804) 320-7067.
The April 2007 issue of the UK based country music periodical, Maverick Magazine features an article about dobro player Randy Kohrs.
The story was written by Glynn Brown, an English/Reading teacher in Nashville, TN. Incidentally, Glynn is also a banjo player, and the father of Ashley Brown the fiddle player in Randy’s band The Lites.
Their May issue is actually already out, but a lot of stores here in the states are just now getting the April issue. (Keith Urban on the cover) It’s at places like Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.
The article is quite comprehensive and covers Randy’s background as well as his newst CD Old Photograph. One of my favorite quotes in the article comes from the interview when Randy is talking about the new CD. He mentions his target audience with this recording.
I wanted to reach a younger audience this time. Under thirty. My goal is for a 16 year old to listen for the first time and appreciate the drive, intensity, and high energy of each song. At the same time, I have to maintain the tradition and integrity of the music.
I applaud Randy’s desire to reach a younger audience with his music while still maintaining the “traditional integrity” of bluegrass music. I wish more artists would make a conscious effort to do the same.
The article is worth taking the time to sit down with a cup of java and read it through. Go pick a copy up at your favorite bookstore and enjoy.
Randy Kohrs has scheduled a release party for his new CD, Old Photograph. The party will be held March 21, 2007 at The Tin Roof in Nashville, TN. The CD itself will be released this coming Tuesday, March 13, 2007.
The theme of the release party will follow the title of the CD. Door prizes are being provided by GHS and ProPhoto.
The photo company is giving away headshot packages- 50 pics, including the name and info that is typically printed on the bottom. They’re also giving away a couple of coupons for free large professional digital prints. Keeps the “photograph” theme going.
I’m told that WSM may also be involved in some door prizes, but that it hasn’t been confirmed at this time.
If you’re in Nashville on the 21st of March you’ll want to make an effort to attend this show. There will, of course, be performances by Randy and his band The Lites, but there are a lot of special guests scheduled to appear on the show as well, and it’s shaping up to be quite an evening of great music.
Rural Rhythm Records has just announced the signing of a digital distribution agreement with existing physical distributor RYKO. RYKO has been handling physical “brick & mortar” distribution for Rural Rhythm for over ten years.
Our goal is to provide our artists and catalog the most comprehensive availability to the consumer which includes these very important channels of distribution. We are very excited to be able to offer our catalog for digital download on I-Tunes, Rhapsody, Walmart.com and many others. ~Sam Passamano, President – Rural Rhythm
Rural Rhythm plans to launch with just four titles available via these new delivery avenues. The titles are Mountain Tradition (Clay Jones), Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain, No Apologies (Jim VanCleve), and the soon to be released Old Photograph (Randy Kohrs).
Randy Kohrs shared his excitment at having his music available digitally.
I’m excited to see Rural Rhythm join the digital download world and further promote bluegrass music to new audiences, as much of the younger generations rely solely on it to buy their music. Hopefully, it will help discourage illegal downloading and copying, as well.
All future releases, including the April release of Dwight McCall’s new CD will be distributed according to this new agreement. Over the next six months, the label plans to begin adding older titles from their catalog as well.
I think this is a great step into the future of the music industry for this label. Let’s hope more bluegrass labels follow suit.
Rob Ickes has announced a four day resophonic guitar summit in Nashville this fall. Billed as ResoSummit, it will include workshops and performances, and a hands-on experience is promised for all students.
Instructors tapped to participate in addition to Rob are Mike Auldridge, Phil Leadbetter, Randy Kohrs, Michael Witcher, and Andy Hall, plus luthiers Tim Scheerhorn and Paul Beard.
Things kick off on Thursday (11/8) with a concert at The Station Inn by The Infamous Stringdusters. Classes then run from Friday (11/9) through Sunday (11/11). Here’s how Rob describes the weekend’s activities:
From Friday through Sunday, we’ll have a full menu of workshops, jams, “dobro speed dates,” faculty fave song deconstruction, and other creative approaches designed to ramp up your playing rapidly and enrich your creativity. We’ll be tapping some truly gifted teachers and players to make all this happen, and we’re going to make sure everyone has lots of fun in the process. We’ve found a great campus right off Music Row – The Scarritt-Bennett Center – for all our daytime activities. This beautiful Gothic campus will make you think you’re in college (except no exams!), and will put you in just the right mood for a high-energy learning experience. And a nearby recording studio will be available for a hands-on recording experience, for those who dare!
Each night during the ResoSummit, we’ll head back to The Station Inn for some great performances by bands featuring faculty members, including Three Ring Circle. And for the grand finale on late Sunday afternoon, we’ll have a closing performance at the Harambee Auditorium at Scarritt-Bennett.
By the end of the Summit on Sunday evening, you’ll be loaded up with enough inspiration and “homework” to keep you busy for the next year!
There is no web site for the event, but Rob encourages anyone with an interest in ResoSummit to contact him by email for registration forms. Full tuition is $350, which includes all workshops and evening concerts.
We just received an update from Randy Kohrs regarding the new CD he is currently working on. The project, Old Photograph, will be released March 13, 2007 on the Rural Rhythm record label.
The first single, Rockwell’s Gold, from this upcoming project is now online at Randy’s Myspace page. The tune features the stellar singing we’ve come to expect from Randy, and the band sounds great.
Rockwell’s Gold will be released to radio as the second track on the current edition of Prime Cuts.
Kohrs wrote, or co-wrote, nine of the twelve tracks on the new CD, including Rockwell’s Gold. The musicians on the disc include members of his touring band The Lites as well as guests Scott Vestal, Tim Crouch, Jim Hurst, Stephen Mougin, and Rhonda Vincent.
We have word that Larry Cordle is only one song away from having the mixes finished on his new CD, Rough Around The Edges. The title cut is a duet with Travis Tritt. Randy Kohrs also sings a duet on the disc, a story-song that evokes thoughts of Frank and Jesse James, Last Train Robbery. Cordle’s band, Lonesome Standard Time, is featured throughout the CD. Band members include Kristen Scott-Benson on banjo, Booie Beech on guitar, Chris Davis on mandolin, Kim Gardner on dobro, Jenee Keener on fiddle, and Mike Anglin on bass. Anglin also sang the baritone parts and Chris did most of the tenor. Wayne Benson also guests on a couple tracks on mandolin.
The CD was recorded, with the exception of the title track, and mixed at Slack-key studios, owned by Randy Kohrs, in Nashville, TN. The project was engineered by Mike Latterell and Randy, and it was mixed by Larry Cordle & Randy Kohrs.
Randy tells us:
The last song, notably, is an incredible, heartfelt original with just Larry playing guitar and singing into the mic, all one take, no overdubs.
Larry is known far and wide as a prolific song writer and this project is no exception.
The project will have 13 new songs on it, 9 of which were written or co-written by yours truly, and Kimbo & Booie wrote the instrumental that’s on there.
Cordle is planning on a March 27, 2007 release while still talking to record labels about picking it up “but if not, I’m just gonna go on and put it out myself.”
The title cut has already been released to radio and currently resides at #17 on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Survey. We look forward to hearing the rest of the disc come March!
The first release in this new collaboration will be Old Photograph, Randy’s fourth solo effort, due in the Spring of 2007. A single, Rockwell’s Gold, will be released in January on the next Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass (Volume 85).
Randy is especially excited about the new CD, as he will be listed as author or co-author on nine of the twelve tracks. Guest artists include Scott Vestal, Tim Crouch, Jim Hurst, Stephen Mougin – and a duet with Rhonda Vincent – along with contributions from his band, The Lites.
Sammy Passamano with Rural Rhythm tells us that they have been talking with Randy for several months about bringing him into the family of artists, and are delighted that things have worked out so quickly.
Randy’s last CD, I’m Torn, saw significant chart action in 2004 on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey, on both the album and single charts.
We’ll keep an eye out for Old Photograph audio samples online, and will update when we find them.
With six artists now the roster I suspect Jim Roe is going to be busy acquiring bookings for next year. Hopefully he’ll keep all his artists busy as well. If you are an event producer and would like more information you can visit Roe Entertainment on line at www.roeentertainment.net or via the info below.
Contact Information:
Jim Roe
Roe Entertainment
PO Box 128186
Nashville, TN 37212
