Josh Swift, reso-guitarist supreme, studio owner, producer, and longtime member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, reports that he is just home from successful surgery to remove a tumor from his brain.
If you find that shocking, just listen to his description from yesterday of how this came to be.
“Well, I think it’s now time to fill everyone in on what’s been going on in our little world.
I’m telling you all, now, because we have successfully come out on the other side of this journey. God is good.
For the last 10 years or so, I’ve dealt with some weird hormone related health issues. Recently, I had a new urologist recommend a brain scan to look for a brain tumor. I literally laughed out loud. That said, we did the scans and one was found. If we didn’t get it handled, I’d be looking at severe health problems in the future. So, my family and I made the decision to immediately move forward with surgery to remove the tumor.
I’m currently riding shotgun in the car with my bride, who is driving me back home. We had a little stay at Vanderbilt this week, but the tumor is GONE. I can’t say enough about the folks at Vanderbilt. They went above and beyond and I feel like I had the best team in the world taking care of me.
Now, I’ll be taking some time to heal. I won’t be with my road family (The Isaacs) until I’m 100% but I suspect I’ll be back in six weeks or so.
Though it’s been a long/hard journey, we are on the winning side of it. We are awaiting the pathology report in hopes that I should have a normal, long, and HEALTHY life. To be honest, I’m fully expecting a good report. I’ve apparently (unknowingly) had this tumor for most of my life, and honestly, I’m thankful to know that. I suspect if it was REALLY BAD, it would have taken me out years ago.
To the few folks who have known and been praying, thank you for those prayers. For those just now finding out, remember us in the coming weeks. I’m a workaholic and am not fond of ‘doing nothing,’ which is exactly what I have strict orders to do.
Love you all and thank you for your love and support.”
He says that he is doing well, but has a whopper of a headache.
Such marvelous news! Looks like we’ll have Josh around for quite some time yet.
On Saturday, January 4, 2025, the bluegrass community, particularly reso-guitar enthusiasts, lost a beloved friend, Bobby Wolfe. The North Carolina musician and luthier was 94 years old. During his building career (1981-2017,) Wolfe constructed 234 resonator guitars with 92 of those being his specially designed ported models. (This writer owns and plays #93.)
Condolences have poured in from those in the music industry who knew and loved him best.
Jerry Douglas, renowned resophonic guitarist, shared, “He was a dear, dear friend and I’m very sad to see him go. He was one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject of resonator guitars. He knew most of the Dobro pioneers, and paid particular attention to each one’s style, guitar choices, and most importantly, he knew how the instrument worked and used his knowledge for the betterment of all concerned. Without him, the road for young musicians playing resonator guitars would have been a much slower one.”
“Bob meant a lot to me,” relayed dobroist Frank Poindexter. “I first met him in the early ’70s (1971 ). Over the years, we’ve shared a close friendship. He has worked on practically every guitar I’ve owned. I bought his #69 (Brazilian Rosewood, gold-plated with engraved hardware). It’s the guitar that’s on my It’s The Music solo project. My deepest condolences reach out to Darryl, Greg, and the entire family. Bobby will be missed.”
Fred Bartenstein, former chair of the IBMA Foundation, author, musical historian, and musician, conveyed, “I’m sad to learn about the passing of reso master and builder, Bobby Wolfe of Davidson, NC, March 14, 1930 – January 4, 2025. He was a great friend to me in the early festival days, and a major contributor to the book, Bluegrass Bluesman: Josh Graves.“
“Bobby was an exhibiter for many years at ResoGat,” shared Pammy Lassiter, Resogat administrator and resophonic guitarist, “an event held yearly in Wilkesboro, NC since 2005 for a group consisting of dobro players, luthiers, collectors, connoisseurs, writers, etc. He was dearly loved by everyone there and will be sorely missed.”
Her husband, Big T Lassiter added, “Bobby was the kindest person I ever met!”
Wolfe was honored during the 2010 Resogat Event (Resonator Guitar Gathering) in Wilkesboro. The late Randy Getz, Mr. Dobro, gave the following speech during the honoree’s recognition ceremony. It highlights much of Wolfe’s personal musical history.
“In 1965, Bobby was living in Cleveland, Ohio. He had always had an interest in country music, especially in the acoustic form we know as bluegrass. He was especially drawn to the sound of the Dobro guitar as played by Josh Graves at the time. He along with two of his sons decided to get involved in the music and Bobby’s choice of instruments was the Dobro guitar, and the rest is history.
As his playing skills improved, he began looking for ways to improve on the volume and tone of the guitars that were available, by trying various set-ups and modifications. In 1968, his employment took him to the Fayetteville, NC area where he immersed himself in the local music scene, and played in various local bands, all the while continuing with his efforts to improve the instrument. He was becoming rather well known locally as the person to work on your Dobro if you wanted the best that it has to offer, and his reputation was expanding beyond the local area.
His interest did not stop with the instrument itself, but with anything that might be used with the instrument. In the early ’70s, the Miller capo was introduced which was the first capo to be designed for a square-neck guitar. Bobby immediately purchased one, and after receiving it and using it, he felt that it could be improved on. Improving on the Miller design he had approximately 220 of them made and was concerned that he may not get his investment back. Well fear not, they have all been sold or given away as promotion pieces many years ago, and by the time the last ones were sold, many other styles were becoming available and he had no more made.
He had the foresight to know that his interest in the Dobro and the ever-increasing work he was doing on instruments would require a shop, and this became part of the home construction project. In the early 1980s, after having repaired and played many of the instruments that were available, he made the decision that he could build a better mousetrap. In 1982, he built his first instruments doing everything by hand, he used no jigs or bending aids other than his hands and tools he had in the shop. He was very pleased with the results that resulted from his effort, and others also must have been impressed because in very short order he had sold all the instruments.
During this time, he began to buy and sell vintage instruments, and his reputation as a fount of knowledge on pre-war instruments was becoming widely known. He continued to build 1-3 instruments a year during the remainder of the 1980s up until the early 1990s. These could be considered as his formative years as a builder, as he saw what did work as well as what didn’t work, all the while he was making refinements and establishing the standard for the Wolfe guitar.
In 1985, due to his heavy involvement with vintage instruments, and his ever-expanding repair and set-up work, he became an authorized Dobro dealer and remained one until the sale of OMI to Gibson in 1993. By 1992, he had finalized his construction details and had constructed various jigs as well as a bending box for sides, and set out on a building program of 8 instruments a year (4 over the summer and 4 over the winter months). This was all in addition to his set-up and repair business. He never would take a down payment for an instrument, only a verbal request from individuals who wanted one of his instruments. The only question he would ask being what type of wood an individual would prefer to have his instrument constructed of. When not enough orders were placed to cover his normal 4 each season, he would build instruments with woods he had on hand or even woods that he had not previously seen used in instruments.
When Josh Graves decided to retire his long-time instrument named ‘JULIE’ with a model 37 he had purchased from Cliff Carlisle (which was well road weary), he chose Bobby to refinish the instrument and set it up. This instrument would become known as ‘CLIFF,’ and Josh played the instrument until his death.
During the period from 1982-1992, Bobby had written numerous articles which covered set-up of instruments as well as interviews he had conducted with several of the dominant players of the day. These were all published in various issues of Bluegrass Unlimited.
In 1993, he published a magazine type booklet titled The Resophonic and the Pickers, with in-depth interviews with Josh Graves, Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas, and Tut Taylor. This brought all the BU articles together in one publication. He had 1,000 copies made, and like the capo, they are all gone. There were 11 total articles published by Bluegrass Unlimited.
In 1995, he was honored to have one of his guitars displayed in an exhibit called Dixie Frets at the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga, TN. This was in conjunction with the National Folk Festival. The exhibit ran for approximately three months and was intended to display to the public the instruments that were being produced by respected Southern luthiers of the day.
In 1996 and again in 1997, he was invited along with Tut Taylor to attend the Dobrofest celebration in Trnava, Slovakia, which was being held to honor the Dopyera family who had emigrated from the region to the US.
In 1998, he built two highly ornate guitars to represent his 90th and 100th instruments. These instruments are still in possession of the Wolfe family. Once again, he was honored to have his 90th instrument included in an exhibit entitled Loud and Clear, which toured the United States for two years. This exhibit was intended to honor the Dopyera brothers, who were responsible for the development of resonator instruments, and to draw attention to some of the current luthiers who were carrying on the tradition of building these instruments.
As we entered the new century, Bobby, who had felt for years that the resophonic guitar, which had seen few changes over 70 years, could be improved as to volume and tone, as well as mid-range and bass response, but the changes he felt were required would alter the appearance of the instrument. Because he was not sure how potential buyers would accept the changes, he had been reluctant to build instruments that would have the altered appearance. Finally in 2001, not knowing how many more years he would be building, the decision was made to experiment with what would become known as the Wolfe Ported model. Three experimental instruments were constructed of various woods in order to retune the internals as to find the ‘sweet spot’ for all the woods, and establish a medium that would become the standard. This ported upper bout design eliminated the screen holes, added an array of ports which in turn provided a wider frequency range for the instrument, much like a well-designed high-end speaker cabinet.
The official introduction of the Ported model took place at the ‘Gathering of Resonatuers’ at the home of John Dopyera Jr., the son of the principal inventor of the resonator guitar, in July of 2002. The most outstanding features of the Ported guitar are an increase in volume, exceptional tone over the entire scale, and a large improvement in midrange and bass response, which had been a weak point of the factory produced instruments. The change in appearance from the standard resonator guitar had very little if any effect on the acceptability of the instrument, and with the exception of two, all instruments produced since that introduction have been the Ported variety.
With the introduction of the Ported model, we bring to a close a period in the life of Bobby Wolfe, luthier, but in reality we have only scratched the surface in the life of this exceptional individual.”
Darryl Wolfe, Bobby’s son and former mandolinist with the Knoxville Grass, concluded, “He was a wonderful man and respected by all. Dad was also one of the original bluegrass festival goers, having attended hundreds of festivals starting with the Carter Stanley Memorial Concert in Maryland, and followed by the Carlton Haney festivals in the mid-’60s. He was also one of the original subscribers to Bluegrass Unlimited, starting with its inception as a corner stapled, 10-page newsletter and into 2025 at his passing.”
A celebration of life will be held in March in Bessemer City.
This report from a recent joint international workshop in Belgium is a contribution from Marc Pirson and Lluís Gómez.
Just a week after the 2024 edition of the dual Belgian Dobro & Banjo workshops, the rolls, slides, and resonating tones (in open G tuning, thank you very much) still echo across the Walloon countryside.
It’s been an amazing journey of growth and evolution since Dominique Lambin and Marc Pirson first began organizing these workshops a few years ago (three years for the banjoists, five already for the dobro players), and we can now confidently say that these musical weekends, featuring the expert guidance of Spanish banjo virtuoso Lluís Gómez and Slovak dobro master Henrich Novák, have transformed into a vibrant and integral community event.
Initially held as separate events, the workshops have gradually grown closer over time. What began with a shared meal has expanded to include a house concert, jam sessions, and the exploration of joint repertoire. This year’s tune, Josh Graves’s Fireball, provided a thrilling challenge for the students, especially in the unconventional dobro-banjo duet setting; and the Saturday night concert offered by Señor Gomez and Pán Novák drew strong inspiration from the trailblazing collaborations of Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas.
Open to all—beginners and advanced players alike—the workshop weekend isn’t just about honing musical skills. It’s a celebration of the deep connection between these instruments and their musical traditions, all while enjoying Belgium’s rich offerings, from its world-famous beers to local culinary delights.
North Carolina resophonic guitarist Frank Poindexter has decided to retire from professional touring starting in 2025.
The slide wizard has been performing, writing, and recording in the bluegrass realm for most of his adult life, including stints with Larry (his nephew), and Dickie Betts. He has spent more than a dozen years with Deeper Shade of Blue, appearing on several of their recordings, and has a pair of film soundtracks and two solo projects to his credit.
Poindexter recently shared…
“After 15 amazing, music-filled years with Deeper Shade of Blue, I’ve decided to come off the road and step away from touring. It’s been a ride I wouldn’t trade for anything, filled with unforgettable memories, laughs, and friendships I’ll cherish forever.
Playing bluegrass for you all, and sharing these years with my talented band mates, has been one of the greatest joys of my life. But now, I feel it’s time to take a different path and focus more on family, friends, and a little rest and relaxation. I’m looking forward to spending more time at home, enjoying some fishing, hitting the golf course, and things that I’ve missed over the years, but am now thrilled to dive back into.
To my family, friends, and fans who have supported me along the way: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the love and encouragement you’ve shown me. Every show, every message, every handshake, and every smile from the crowd has meant the world to me. I’ll always be grateful to each of you for making this journey as special as it was.
I am 75 years old, and the year 2025 is coming around. It just feels like it is the right time while I’m still playing decent. While I may be stepping away from the stage, I’ll never be far from the music, playing locally, and trying to write some new songs! Cheers to you all!”
Troy Pope of Deeper Shade of Blue praised his band mate.
“What an incredible talent Frank was, and continued to be over the little over 15 years that I’ve gotten to stand on stage with him. He brought some light to the darkness and some dark to the light in each slide of that dobro, depending on what the song called for. I’ll miss my traveling buddy, but we’ll catch up on the golf course where we will hit ’em go, find ’em, and hit ’em again.”
Poindexter, fondly known as the “cat in the hat,” will play remaining 2024 dates with Deeper Shade of Blue. His final performance with the band will be at the Jekyll Island Bluegrass Festival on January 2, 2025.
Prior to his recorded works with DSOB, Poindexter released two solo projects, Dobro Extraordinary on Old Homestead Records in 1977, and It’s the Music on a private label in 2004 that was digitally released by Mountain Fever Records in 2022. He is uncle to the famed Rice Brothers (Tony, Larry, Wyatt, and Ron).
Ron Rice stated, “Not only is Uncle Frank an excellent dobro player and all-around musician, he is one cool cat, hot bluegrazz man. I was honored to play on his solo project. We all had a blast in the studio working on it.”
Wyatt agreed.
“Frank’s a great uncle, one hell of a dobro player, and has his own style. Us brothers got to play on Frank’s album. It was the first time in a long time that all four of us were together at the same time, and our Mom was there, too. What a great recording! It was an honor to be a part of that. This was a very special moment in time.”
Uncle Frank recalled, “We lost both Larry and Tony in 2006 and 2020, so I’m grateful to have these recordings.”
LRB banjoist, Sammy Shelor weighed in.
“Frank is, in my opinion, the true innovator of the modern reso guitar. He started a trend with his playing that many of the modern players of the day followed. My first tour of Japan in the ’80s with Frank, Larry, and Wyatt Rice, and the Simpkins Brothers was a true learning experience, and I have been a huge fan of Frank ever since. And you will not find a better friend!”
Poindexter shared bit of his personal history.
“Being a poor son of a sharecropper, we didn’t have golf clubs and bicycles. We had guitars. We give Uncle Joe, my mom’s brother, credit for the music in our family. I had five brothers that all played and sung. When I was about six years old, I’d listen. When they laid the guitar down, I’d go pick it up and try to figure out stuff on it. I remember learning to sing In the Pines and play rhythm in D.”
Poindexter came from a large family. He had 14 siblings.
“I had nine sisters. I was the youngest boy. I was an uncle when I was two months old!
My brothers were a good influence. I looked up to each of them. (Hardin) Junior is still a great songwriter (Old Man in the Park), singer, and guitarist. We both miss our brothers Clarence, Walter, Floyd, and Leon.
When I was 10 or 12 years old, my brothers moved to California. They formed a band out there, the Golden State Boys, along with my brother-in-law (Herb Rice). I was [home] watching Uncle Josh (Graves) play dobro with Flatt & Scruggs on the Martha White Show. When I’d hear Josh play, it just drew me to that tone and sound of the instrument he was playing. I knew that was what I wanted to do.
I found a real cheap dobro, a Herco, at a pawn shop in Danville, VA, for $45. Working in tobacco, I would pay $6 a week until I was able to get it. It didn’t have a case so they put it in a plastic bag. I was excited because I had a real instrument. I hadn’t seen a real Dobro dobro, but that thing looked close enough to me. I eventually traded up for an F hole Dobro dobro.”
Prior to his pawn shop purchase, the budding musician had fashioned his own instrument.
“I traded a bowl of pinto beans for a cheap guitar. I glued a bucket lid on it, and punched holes in it so it’d look like Josh’s. I’ve still got it in the attic. I raised the strings with a Case knife and played it with a butter knife.”
Continuing to play at home, the teenager started to venture out into the community to perform.
“At 15, I played locally at a jam at a fire station. I met two guys playing guitars. They were called the Carolina Rangers and had a 15-minute radio show on WLOE in Leaksville (now Eden). They got me to play dobro on their show. My uncle would drop me off at the station.”
In the mid ’60s, Poindexter relocated to Safety Harbor, Florida with his brother, Leon.
“I moved to play music and get away from tobacco. We played almost every weekend. Eventually, the Rice family moved there for 10 years.”
The dobroist left the band, and returned to North Carolina in 1967. Tony followed him the following year.
“We watched a weekly local TV program called Stone & Atkins. We liked Bobby Atkins’ banjo picking so we went to the station, jammed, and were guests on his show the next week!”
Frank and Tony started performing with Atkins, resulting in the Old Homestead 1968 Session LP (OHCS 126), and a 1971 movie soundtrack, Preacherman.
“The high point in my career was playing on Dickie Betts of the Allman Brothers Band’s solo album, Highway Call (Capricorn, CP 0123), and going on that all-American tour with Vassar Clements, my brothers (Leon and Walter), and my nephew [Larry Rice] in 1974. We started on the east coast and ended up on the west coast. It lasted for weeks. We played the Birmingham Civic Center, the Grand Ole Opry, Western and Eastern Carolina Universities. I used up all my vacation time and had to fly back. I maintained my day job.”
Poindexter had another special musical adventure a dozen years later.
“Larry [Rice] calls me, and he’s doing a Rebel record at Bias Studios in Washington, DC. That was a big turn of events. I go up and record his Hurricanes & Daydreams project. That’s where I met Sammy Shelor and Rickie Simpkins. Of course, Tony and Wyatt’s on it. Before you knew it, Larry had booked a tour in Japan with the Larry Rice band in 1986. Everybody went but Tony. He was doing his own thing.”
In 1988, the same group made a European tour of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.
Poindexter recalled, “I met Jim Eanes there for the first time. I had to go to Germany to meet him! I also met Uncle Josh and Kenny Baker.”
In 1989, another musical group comprised of Terry Baucom, Ben and Randy Greene, Ray Atkins, and Poindexter returned to Japan. He also toured in California with the Larry Rice Band. This time the ensemble included Clay Jones on guitar and Eddie Biggerstaff on bass. Then in 1991, the dobroist debuted with the Rice Brothers (his nephews), Bill Emerson on banjo, and Rickie Simpkins on fiddle. They performed at festivals in Fairfax, VA; Grass Valley, CA; Denton, NC; and Wellsboro, PA.
When Tony introduced the band in Fairfax, he saved his uncle until last, and said, “He’s one whale of a musician, but he doesn’t do it that often, and sometimes I don’t blame him. He’s my mother’s brother.” Tony invited his mother to stand at the close of their show.
Poindexter recalled more about that night. “We were invited on stage for a grand finale with Bill Monroe. He said, ‘Come up here, boy, and tell them what your name is.’ That’s some memories!”
Other highlights from Poindexter’s musical career included entertaining for politicians. On one occasion, Frank and Pam enjoyed dinner in Washington, DC, in the Senate Dining Room with then NC Senator, Jesse Helms.
“We had played for his re-election campaign,” the hound dog player explained.
“Another gig came out of that. I was asked to come to New York City to sing a commercial for a guy running for governor of Alabama named Jerry Beasley. I got a cassette tape and a plane ticket in the mail. They had the sound track already made, just waiting for my vocal. They pitched it to my vocal range. The sound track sounded like Bonanza coming on. I’m not even known as male vocalist, but I got that gig.”
When music promoter Jeff Branch opened North Carolina’s Oakboro Music Hall in 1999, Poindexter joined Branch and Branch’s uncle, Junior Harris, Randy Smith, and the Hatley brothers (Gary, Ronnie, and Donnie) in a band called Bluegrass Special.
“We played a lot of stuff locally for a few years,” Poindexter recalled.
A decade later in 2009, he was invited to be part of Deeper Shade of Blue.
“Prior to joining the band, I had pitched a song to them called Bluegrass to the Bone, and was a special guest on one of their CDs. I got started with them when Brian [Hinson] called me and said their fiddle player couldn’t make it. He asked me to fill in for a show. A week or two later, he called and asked me to fill in again. It was good for me because I was in a non-music slump. I wasn’t doing anything much. Filling in became permanent.”
Poindexter is a gifted songwriter who has had around 20 of his own compositions recorded. “Bobby Atkins did another whole album of my stuff.”
“Mary’s Gone was the first song I ever wrote (Old Homestead Records OHSC – 126).”
He also co-wrote Put Some Bluegrass in My Ear (STEAM, Mountain Fever Records, 2018) with band mate, Troy Pope. Another one from Poindexter’s pen is Uncle Josh, the Dobro King on the same album.
“That one was written from the heart. That was a no-brainer writing that for Josh, telling him that I loved him, and how important he was to me. In 2006 (the same year he died), I had a demo tape and played it by his bedside. It meant so much to me. I put a small recorder in Pam’s pocketbook and we turned it on when we got in Josh’s house. We’ve got a good recording of the stories that he told.”
Poindexter’s latest song with Deeper Shade of Blue is Touch the Ground, on their Doyle Lawson-produced album for Turnberry Records. This is the second single released from their forthcoming album.
Poindexter is proud of his past.
“I am humbled and honored to have performed on stage with some of the earth’s greatest musicians and singers, including Betts, Clements, David Grisman, Dan Tyminski, my nephews [The Rice Brothers], Bill Emerson, the Lonesome River Band, Doc Watson, Rhonda Vincent, Don Rigsby, Rickie Simpkins, Josh Williams, and Jim Eanes, and to be part of this highly talented group, Deeper Shade of Blue, with their amazing vocals. ‘Tis an honor and a great pleasure. I love these guys and the fun we have together on and off the stage!
Not being a full-time musician, I am so grateful that these groups allowed me to be on stage with them. It’s a blessing to think about the places I’ve played and the people I’ve played with. Tony once described me in Guitar Player Magazine as ‘one of those great undiscovered cats’ (December ’77). I thank God every day.”
“I have no regrets,” concluded the 75-year-old. “Life is good.”
This article is another recurring contribution from Bluegrass Canada, the quarterly magazine of the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada. Editor Mike Higgins has promised to send us updates from the scene up north. This one was written by Karen DeCoste.
Dobro pickin’ from California to New Brunswick
A professional musician who lives with his family in Moncton, NB, Ivan and his wife, and fellow musician Kristin Cavoukian and their daughter Lucie moved to Moncton in 2021. Their new band, The Hound Dog Ramblers, has just been announced, and we are still looking forward to seeing them perform. Now I need to back up a bit and share some history of the man behind the dobro.
Ivan grew up in Greenbrae, California. He had early music exposure from his father, Len Rosenberg, who played in rock and country & western bands. His mother Sandra played piano and guitar at home. Ivan took special notice of his father’s Chet Atkins and Merle Travis-style guitar playing. There was an extensive record collection to listen to at home, and while exploring Doc Watson, this led to Norman Blake, and eventually to Tony Rice. Ivan started playing guitar as a teenager and his interest in bluegrass music grew.
Ivan’s favorite instrument to play is the resonator guitar. He is an accomplished clawhammer banjo and fingerstyle guitar player as well. Ivan’s first exposure to live bluegrass music was seeing The Compost Mountain Boys in Arcata, CA in 1990. He first saw Jerry Douglas play the dobro when the Masters of the Steel String Guitar tour stopped by Humboldt State University. He went out the next morning to Wildwood Music and purchased his first Dobro.
Ivan started playing in bluegrass bands in the early 1990s in Missoula, Montana. He then took a bit of a detour when he went to grad school in California to get his Masters in Rhetoric, after which he taught writing at Sonoma State University. His teaching background set him up well for his career in teaching the resonator guitar that he is well known for today. By the early 2000s Ivan had gone professional as a bluegrass player, and carved a niche out for himself.
His music camp teaching career started in BC when his band, Chris Stuart & Back Country,was hired to teach at the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop.
“At the time there were just a handful of Dobro players putting out albums of original music or instructional material, and just a few Dobro teachers who knew how to put together a week’s worth of organized instruction. So just by virtue of having a couple of tablature books and some music camp experience, it wasn’t long before I was getting hired at most of the prominent bluegrass music workshops.”
Ivan has taught at music camps in Canada, the US, and the UK approximately 100 times. He was the BC Bluegrass Workshop Program Director for five years, and later Program Director of Walker Creek Music Camp in California and Old School Bluegrass Camp in Elphin, Ontario.
During the pandemic, virtual teaching camps had become popular. Ivan mentioned that these online camps are successful as the student has time to attend a lesson and then take some time to practice before attending the next session. In person camps are more fun but limited to how much someone can take in and learn in a shorter period of time. They both have their own unique teaching and learning advantages. Ivan is currently teaching a series of ZOOM workshops for IBMA-winning Nashville Acoustic Camps.
With eight solo CDs to his name, and many other collaborative recordings, Ivan’s first solo release in 2001 led to his music being in the background of television programs such as The Daily Show and Oprah. County Bluegrass Festival in Fort Fairfield, Maine later this year.
Ivan also won an IBMA award for co-writing the 2009 Song of the Year, Don’t Throw Mama’s Flowers Away (performed by Danny Paisley), and he played on the Jerry Douglas-produced CD, Southern Filibuster: A Tribute to Tut Taylor.
Ivan has his own studio where he recorded most of his own albums, and he has mixed and mastered two Juno-nominated albums: John Reischman’s New Time & Old Acoustic and Frank Evans & Ben Plotnick’s “Madison Archives.”
Ivan has had the chance to play with some of his favorite musicians. He has worked a lot with Chris Coole over his career and says,“Chris is an incredible clawhammer banjo player and songwriter. We have a similar approach to acoustic duos, leaving lots of space, giving an arc to each arrangement, and focusing on the lyrical and emotional content of each song.”Ivan has also performed several times with Chris Jones.
While learning the Dobro, Ivan had spent a lot of time listening to Jones’s CDs with a focus on Rob Ickes’s playing. So Ivan already knew many of the songs when he and Chris had the opportunity to perform, both as a duo, and when Ivan filled in with Chris Jones & The Night Drivers. Ivan and Chris will be performing at the County Bluegrass Festival in Fort Fairfield, Maine later this year. Ivan says, “As you can tell, I’ll play with anyone named Chris. I’ve performed with Chris Stuart, Chris Jones, Chris Coole, Chris Glass, Chris Stevens, and probably more. So if you’re a bluegrass musician named Chris, give me a call.”
Ivan and Kristin met in Ontario where she was playing with the band Houndstooth. Kristin is from Ontario. Ivan enjoyed the Ontario music scene saying, “It is a very healthy, friendly, and non-competitive acoustic music community.”
During the pandemic Ivan, Kristin, and Lucie found themselves locked down in an apartment with both working from home, and Lucie attending school online. They had to get out. They had some exposure from prior visits to the Maritimes and chose Moncton as their new home. Ivan met Shane Douthwright at the Nova Scotia Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival in 2022, and played many shows and festivals with Shane last year. Ivan comments on the talent in the Maritimes as being comparable to the major bluegrass music regions in the southeast US with generally more of a traditional bluegrass aesthetic like you may hear at SPBGMA.
Before moving to New Brunswick, Ivan was unaware of most of the exceptionally high-quality vocalists and incredible pickers from this region. As we were talking about some of the musicians in the area, Ivan mentioned Emile Robichaud, and after hearing him the first time thinking, he is the “Canadian Larry Sparks.” Ivan has been spreading the word about bluegrass in Atlantic Canada to his contacts in Ontario, Alberta, and BC, and has recommended many bands to festival promoters in central and western Canada.
Once Ivan and Kristin met Kyle Legere, Ron Girouard and Joe Potter, they decided to start a new band called The Hound Dog Ramblers. Their first events are coming up early this spring. You can also see them this summer at the 37th Annual PEI Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival, the 51st Annual NS Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival, and the Rogersville Bluegrass Festival. We also hear Lucie is taking fiddle lessons from Matt Hayes, and perhaps we will be hearing some great fiddle playing from her over the summer.
(the editor’s notes of interest) Kristin Cavoukian was a valued contributor to Bluegrass Canada magazine. Her July 2018 article, Bluegrass In The Big Smoke, pulls back the curtain on Toronto Bluegrass. There has always been plenty of high lonesome music around the city.
From Chris Coole’s web site: “I met Ivan Rosenberg at The BC Bluegrass Workshops in around 2005. We hit if off right away both musically and socially. Ivan is one of the modern masters of the dobro; his tone and taste are second to none. We started touring together in 2009, and we’re fond of saying that we’re “the only clawhammer and dobro duet in the known universe.” We recorded our first album, Farewell Trion, in 2011, and released the follow up, Return to Trion, in 2014. We continue to tour and are playing several festivals this summer. For more info, and to check out our music, visit our website.
The master, Jerry Douglas, has released a new single and music video from The Set, his first album in seven years, due September 20.
To introduce this project Jerry has chosen an instrumental cover of the George Harrison classic, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, recorded with his Jerry Douglas Band. The song first appeared on The Beatles’ White Album in 1968, and has been among the most covered numbers of the genre ever since.
In addition to Jerry on reso, the group features Christian Sedelmyer on fiddle, Mike Seal on guitar, and Daniel Kimbro on bass.
In honor of the single release, Douglas says…
“I love how easy it was to play the song. It just lays perfectly for the dobro. It gives you all the latitude you need to play the whole song from end to end, in different octaves. That melody always got me, but I never tried to play it. And when I did, it was like, ‘Wow! Why haven’t I done this before?'”
Have a look/listen…
The Set will include five new pieces, four written within the band, along with six from the deep Douglas repertoire, re-recorded with The Jerry Douglas Band.
Though he’s the bandleader and producer, Jerry says that it’s a true group effort.
“I’m proud of it. I’ve left no stone unturned. I’ve been producing records for a long time, so I really, really put on that hat for this record. Usually, I like instrumentalists to have free rein in whatever they do. It’s the way they speak. If anybody had an idea, we chased it down to the end. I feel like it’s really finished. I’m really happy with the outcome of this whole experience.”
Dobroist Frank Poindexter was honored at the annual ResosGat (Resphonic Gathering) held this past weekend at the Holiday Inn in Wilkesboro, NC. ResoGat is a group of musicians who assemble once a year to share their music and their love of resophonic guitars. The gathering occurs the Wednesday after the Fourth of July, and concludes the following Saturday. An 11-member committee selects a player to honor annually during their gathering. Big T and Pammy Lassiter serve as part of that decision-making group.
Big T reflected on Poindexter’s selection…
“I figured we needed to do Frank because he was from North Carolina. I pushed really hard to get him in. It was perfect timing. His band (Deeper Shade of Blue) was off this weekend. It all worked out good.
Out of the people that we had [to select from our list], I thought he was the most active and with the most compelling story.
He wrote a song about Josh Graves and Josh was really happy about that (Deeper Shade of Blue STEAM, Uncle Josh the Dobro King, MFR180629).”
Slide master, Clyde Mattocks, explained…
“Dobro geeks from all over pay homage to our beloved instruments, playing old 19th century parlor songs that nobody (but us) want to hear, and barn burning hoedowns. We’re just eat up with it, getting to sit beside the legends and jam.
I was in Frank’s presence many times over the weekend. I renewed friendships with Frank and talked quite a bit with him about his days with Dickey Betts, and discussed converting one of Dickey’s tunes, Hand Picked, to dobro. I’m still flying.”
Poindexter was truly humbled.
“What an honor and privilege accepting the honoree award from this year’s ResoGat committee. Thanks to all of the congratulations from each of you sharing the celebration! It was a memorable event!”
Poindexter, dobroist with Deeper Shade of Blue, and uncle to the Rice brothers (Tony, Larry, Wyatt, and Ronnie), has been picking the hound dog most of his life. The Monroe, NC native has performed on the Grand Ole Opry, played on two movie soundtracks, recorded with some of the best in bluegrass, and is an accomplished songwriter. A prime example of his musical abilities is an original tune that he penned and recorded in 2004 (Dex Records – CD 001). It’s The Music was the title and first cut on his solo project (re-released by Mountain Fever Records in 2022).
It’s the music, brings us together. It’s the music, we all love. It’s the music, and the friendship. It’s a blessing, sent from God above.”
Within his title song, the reso-man expressed his love for faith and friends, made possible through his passion for music. Reflecting on a lifetime of picking, singing, writing, and recording bluegrass music, Poindexter still maintains that strong sentiment almost two decades later.
A lifelong music lover/player, Frank came from a large family. He had 14 siblings.
“Being a poor son of a sharecropper, we didn’t have golf clubs and bicycles. We had guitars. We give Uncle Joe, my mom’s brother, credit for the music in our family.
I had nine sisters. I was an uncle when I was two months old! I was the youngest boy. I had five brothers that all played and sung. When I was about six years old, I’d listen. When they laid the guitar down, I’d go pick it up and try to figure out stuff on it.
When I was 10 or 12 years old, my brothers moved to California. They formed a band out there, the Golden State Boys, along with my brother-in-law (Herb Rice). I was [home] watching Uncle Josh play dobro with Flatt & Scruggs on the Martha White Show. When I’d hear Josh play, it just drew me to that tone and sound of that instrument he was playing. I knew that was what I wanted to do.”
The budding musician fashioned his own instrument to learn Uncle Josh’s licks.
“I traded a bowl of pinto beans for a cheap guitar. I glued a bucket lid on it and punched holes in it so it’d look like Josh’s. I’ve still got it in the attic. I raised the strings with a Case knife and played it with a butter knife.”
He eventually bought a resophonic guitar.
“I found a real cheap dobro, a Herco, at a pawn shop in Danville, VA, for $45. Working in tobacco, I would pay $6 a week until I was able to get it. It didn’t have a case so they put it in a plastic bag. I was excited because I had a real instrument. I hadn’t seen a real Dobro dobro, but that thing looked close enough to me.”
Marrying, raising a family, and developing his own business, music wasn’t always forefront in Poindexter’s life, but it remained an active part. He continued to perform in various bands close to home.
“The high point in my career was playing on Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band’s solo album Highway Call (Capricorn, CP 0123), and going on that all-American tour with Vassar Clements, my brothers (Leon and Walter), and my nephew (Larry Rice) in 1974″
In 1977, Poindexter recorded his debut solo album, Dobro Extraordinary, on Old Homestead Records (OHS 90084). Almost a decade later, he recorded on his nephew Larry’s Hurricanes & Daydreams (1986-REB 1646). That led to a music tour to Japan with the Larry Rice Band. In 1988, the same group made a European tour of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.
Banjoist Sammy Shelor was involved as well.
“Frank is, in my opinion, the true innovator of the modern reso guitar. He started a trend with his playing that many of the modern players of the day followed. My first tour of Japan in the ’80s with Frank, Larry, and Wyatt Rice, and the Simpkins brothers was a true learning experience, and I have been a huge fan of Frank ever since. And you will not find a better friend!”
In 1989, another musical group comprised of Terry Baucom, Ben and Randy Greene, Ray Atkins, and Poindexter returned to Japan. He also toured in California with the Larry Rice Band. Then in 1991, the dobroist debuted with the Rice Brothers that also included Bill Emerson on banjo and Rickie Simpkins on fiddle, playing festivals throughout the eastern US.
When Tony introduced the band in Fairfax, he saved his uncle until last, and said, “He’s one whale of a musician, but he doesn’t do it that often, and sometimes I don’t blame him.”
Following several other band configurations,, in 2009 he was invited to be part of North Carolina’s Deeper Shade of Blue, and has been there ever since.
Poindexter says that he is proud of his past.
“I am humbled and honored to have performed on stage with some of the earth’s greatest musicians and singers, including Betts, Clements, David Grisman, Dan Tyminski, my nephews (the Rice Brothers), Bill Emerson, the Lonesome River Band, Doc Watson, Rhonda Vincent, Don Rigby, Rickie Simpkins, Josh Williams, and Jim Eanes, and to be part of this highly talented group, Deeper Shade of Blue, with their amazing vocals. ‘Tis an honor and a great pleasure. I love these guys and the fun we have together on and off the stage!”
Not being a full-time musician, I am so grateful that these groups allowed me to be on stage with them. It’s a blessing to think about the places I’ve played and the people I’ve played with. Tony once described me in Guitar Player magazine as ‘one of those great undiscovered cats.’ (Dec ’77).
I thank God every day.”
The 75-year-old master concluded, “I have no regrets. Life is good.”
Here’s Big T Lassiter’s live feed of Frank Poindexter at ResoGat.
Congratulations, Frank Poindexter, on your well-deserved recognition!
South Dakota native Jared Finck began his musical journey at the age of twelve, playing mandolin and dobro with his family band. By his teenage years he was creating his own instrumental tunes. Though Steppin’ Into It from Engelhardt Music Group is Finck’s sophomore release, it holds a few points of significance. Not only is it his first since 2012’s Daunting Task, it also marks the beginning of his musical journey as a full time pursuit.
The album kicks off with Cloud Base, a soothing melody that places Finck’s mandolin work front and center. With the exception of Matt Menefee on banjo, Steppin’ Into It consists of the same supporting cast that appeared on Finck’s previous release. These players include Andy Leftwich on fiddle, Cody Kilby on guitar, and Byron House on bass.
Quick Stream is an up tempo piece which has fine displays of Finck’s clean, articulate approach to mandolin, along with the melodic banjo stylings of Matt Menefee.
Soni’s Rag is a swingy tune that allows Jared to display his powerful ability on dobro. While his mandolin playing is first rate, his approach to the resophonic instrument is not to be missed! A Hymn To The Unknown is a solo piece that provides a beautiful example of this.
The Spanish Miner is a particularly intriguing composition. Played in a minor key and consisting of a change in tempo, this is a tune that allows every single instrumentalist to bounce ideas off of each other. It offers a fine display of improvisation.
Iditarod is a barn burner that allows Jared to go all out on the mandolin and dobro. A tour de force not just for him, but for Leftwich and Menefee as well.
A Place Of Happiness is the perfect follow up tune as it slows the pace down, while also keeping the energy of both the players and the listeners up.
The title track, Steppin’ Into It, sounds like something that could easily have been inspired by the classic recordings of the David Grisman Quintet. Cody Kilby in particular really shines on this tune.
Steppin’ Into It is an excellent display of both Jared Finck’s musicianship and his compositional ability. It’s obvious that the decision to devote his full energy to making music has brought a great sense of inspiration. That passion comes through on this recording.
CMH Records has another classic recording set for digital re-issue this week, Josh Graves’ 1977 album Same Old Blues.
Graves, or as he was known during his many years with Flatt & Scruggs, Uncle Josh, both plays his reso-guitar and sings on this record, produced by his son, Billy Troy, who also plays guitar. Other musicians featured are Joe Pointer on guitar and harmonica, Ray Cobb on electric guitar, Mike Vaughn on bass, and Burt Hoffman on drums.
In addition to being the first digital release for this album, CMH has remastered it to take full advantage of today’s digital technology. It will be available on Friday, April 19, from popular download and streaming services.
Banjo player and resonator guitarist Troy Stangle has passed away at age 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.
Troy was a longtime member of All4Hym and Stoney Creek Bluegrass Band in Maryland. He assisted songwriter William Dailey in arranging A Miner’s Life, recorded by Charlie Waller and the Country Gentlemen in 2004, and by Stoney Creek in 2020.
Stoney Creek’s mandolinist, Brett Smeltzer, had this to say in honor of his friend and bandmate:
“I am saddened this evening to have received the news of the passing of my fellow bandmate and friend, Troy Stangle. I don’t think there was an instrument that you could’ve thrown his way that he couldn’t play, and would play them very well!
He was a selfless man who was always glad to help out any way he could, a man of talent and knowledge, both musically and from past job experiences. Troy endured many physical setbacks but it never stopped his determination to keep pressing forward, to do what he had his mind set on doing and loved doing, nearly right up to his passing.
Despite the many curves that life had thrown at him, he remained strong in his faith in God and his dedication to his family and church. He was a great man but a humble man. He was one whom I’ll continue to call my friend.”
Bassist Libby Files added this:
“Troy was very devoted to God, family and his music. He was such an encouragement to me, and he will truly be missed by Stoney Creek and everyone that knew him.”
Troy’s bandmates in All4Hym shared that:
“He was the most dedicated and truest-hearted friend, an incredibly talented musician, husband, father, and grandfather. He battled hard against cancer and his life’s journey is a living testimony of faith, family, and friends. He will be deeply missed.”
