Ohio’s Nightflyer is back in action after a long winter. The guys are in the studio this month and next, finishing up what will be their second album for the Kang Records label.
A big bonus for the band is the fact that Nightflyer mandolinist, Rick Hayes, is an experienced studio man, and is partnered with fellow musician and audio engineer Clay Hess in both the studio and the label. The two will produce this next project.
In addition to Rick on mandolin, the band consists of Richard Propps on guitar, Ronnie Stewart on banjo, Tony Kakaris on bass, and Tim Jackson on reso-guitar.
They have selected a mix of new songs from Paula Breedlove, Brad Davis, Rick Lang, and Joe Richardson with a few of their favorite songs arranged Nightflyer style.
There is no firm release date as yet, but the new record is expected sometime this Spring.
Thanksgiving was an extra special this year for Rick Hayes, he of Hayes Instruments, Hayes Productions Studio and the band Nightflyer. Rick and his wife Lyn had welcomed twin grand babies the week before we all paused for the Thanksgiving break.
The happy parents are Lyn’s daughter Brittany Markus and her husband Josh, and the twins are their first children.
Lyn shared this description of how it all went down.
“First baby McKenna Marie Markus was delivered the morning or November 20 at 9:56 a.m. here in Cincinnati. She was 5 lbs. 12 oz. and 19″ long. Her brother, Liam Jason Markus was a little stubborn and finally arrived at 10:00 a.m. weighing 6 lbs. 7 oz and 20″ long. (They were delivered via c-section.)
Babies, Mom and Dad are all doing well. I don’t know if we have any bluegrassers between the two babies — Josh is a DJ on the weekends, and I’m not talking bluegrass! I guess it will be up to Rick and me.
What a wonderful Thanksgiving gift they are!”
Congratulations to the Hayes and Markus families, and a hearty bluegrass welcome to Liam and McKenna.
The Clay Hess Band has announced the addition of John Meyer from Bolivar, MO as their new banjo player.
He joins Clay on guitar, Irl Hees on bass, Ryan Moyers on mandolin and Brennan Hess on guitar.
Just 19 years old, John has been playing with his family group, the Meyer Bluegrass band, since his early teens.
He told us yesterday that his introduction into Clay’s band was the purest of accidents.
“I met Clay’s son Brennan at SPBGMA, and he recommended me to Clay. I was picking in the hallway, and Brennan and Irl stopped and said… ‘hey we need a banjo player; lets go pick.’
I didn’t actually meet Clay until the first gig I played with them. It was funny… He came up to me and said ‘Hey, I’m Clay,’ and I said, ‘Yeah… I know.’
They are all really cool guys and the music is great.”
Clay said that he is very impressed with his new young picker, and that the band would soon be in the studio with his business partner, Rick Hayes. Look for a Clay Hess Band CD in the near future.
It is very seldom that a group of accomplished musicians like the ones that make up the new southwestern Ohio band Nightflyer form a new group. However, with the issue of their brand new self-titled release on Kang Records, there’s definitely going to be a new group to look for traveling the bluegrass festival circuit. The combination of Tony Kakaris (bass), Rick Hayes (mandolin), Ronnie Stewart (banjo), Tim Jackson (dobro), and Richard Propps (guitar) is sure to make an impression on the bluegrass world.
From straight-ahead bluegrass versions of popular country tunes, like Dierks Bentley’s Got a Lot of Leavin’ Left To Do, to banjo-driven numbers like Larry Sparks’ classic number These Old Blues, the boys in Nightflyer seem to offer something for any bluegrass fan to enjoy. Jam standards like 99 Years, offered here in a quite soulful fashion, sit comfortably beside haunting sounding songs like The Legend of the Lost Confederate Gold, a tune which tells the tale of a fabled lost treasure supposedly hidden 150 years ago. Fans of American Idol may recognize the tune Walkin’ the Country, which recent Idol winner Scotty McCreery included on his debut album.
Strong vocals are delivered by all band members as nearly all of them are featured on at least one vocal number. Harkening back to his days singing gospel music, the vocals of guitar player and lead singer, Richard Propps, really shine through the album’s sacred selection entitled Power Position. Featuring close knit harmony, Power Position is performed with Southern gospel flair as it describes bowing in prayer as the place where “God hears it all.”
Stewart, the banjo player, sings lead on multiple selections like Are You Lonesome Whippoorwill, which also happens to feature a blistering guitar solo by co-producer Clay Hess. Hayes delivers the vocal on the awesome story song The Hangman’s Daughter,which depicts the tale of an unfortunate man who pays the ultimate price for love.
By rounding out the 13 song set with Townes Van Zandt’s White Freight Liner Blues, the band really seems to keep toes tapping. The band members are all greatly talented and showcase their skills throughout the album, keeping listeners intrigued through all thirteen of the album’s tracks. Nightflyer’s drive and wonderful mix of haunting ballads, gospel songs, and straight ahead bluegrass is sure to appeal to a wide array of listeners.
For more information about Nightflyer, visit their website at www.nightflyerband.com. Their album can be purchased or digitally downloaded from their website, as well.
Nightflyer’s self-titled debut album is now available for sale.
This new group is anchored by established pros Rick Hayes on mandolin and Richard Propps on guitar. They are joined by Ronnie Stewart on banjo, Tony Kakaris on bass and Tim Jackson on reso guitar. Richard and Ronnie share lead vocals, with the rest of the guys taking their turn singing harmony.
A number of songwriters are represented on this project, with Paul Breedlove contributing three tracks as co-writes with Brad Davis and Mike Evans. You’ll also find great songs from Larry Sparks and Aubrey Holt along with familiar pieces from Townes Van Zandt and Jesse Fuller.
The album is available for download by radio programmers now at Airplay Direct, and for sale in iTunes, at CD Baby and on the band’s web site.
We’ll have a review of this record in the next few weeks.
We posted once before about Nightflyer, a new band recently formed by Rick Hayes, who spent many years as the mandolinist with The Gibson Brothers.
Hayes, along with Richard Propps on guitar, Tim Jackson on dobro, Ronnie Stewart (not this one) on banjo and Tony Kakaris on bass are in the studio finishing up a debut recording.
Until the CD is available, here is a brief video from the studio and a couple of live clips to give you an idea of what Nightflyer is all about.
You can hear some audio samples from Nightflyer on the band’s web site.
We checked in this week with Rick Hayes, who most of us know from his many years playing mandolin with The Gibson Brothers. Rick left the group in November 2008 to focus his energies on his instrument-building work, and has had success with his Hayes guitars and mandolins.
But no matter how much you try to leave, performing always seems to win out in the end, and Rick is now back with a new group of fellow Ohioans, billing as Nightflyer.
Working with him in the group are Richard Propps on guitar and lead vocals, Ronnie Stewart on banjo, Tony Kakaris on bass and Tim Jackson on redo guitar. Both Rick and Ronnie share in the vocals, both lead and harmony.
Lyn Hayes, Ricks wife and Nightflyer’s booking representative, sent along a couple of audio samples of bluegrass favorites the guys recorded to offer a taste of their sound.
White Freightliner: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/freightliner.mp3]
More information about the band can be found on Nightflyer’s web site and Facebook page.
Rick also had some big news on the luthier side. The newest endorser for his Hayes Guitars is Shawn Lane from Blue Highway. Shawn was given his guitar at the MACC festival (Musicians Against Childhood Cancer) in Lockbourne, OH this past July.
After playing it this past four months, Shawn had nothing but praise for the instrument.
“This Hayes guitar is just too good to describe with words. You have to see it, feel how it plays, and hear it to really know how awesome it is. The attention to detail on Hayes instruments is second to none.”
Find out more about the Hayes guitars and mandolins online.
Sierra Hull has showed up on Bluegrass Today quite a bit this past few weeks. First there was news about a new banjo player for her touring group, Highway 111, and then there’s her upcoming CD, Daybreak, due March 8 from Rounder.
We posted the first half of our recent interview with the talented Miss Hull last week, and will have the second part in the next few days.
Today’s item is a bit of inside baseball, involving her recent endorsement of Rick Hayes’ guitars. Sierra is noted primarily as a mandolinist, but she scalds the six string as well. Her regular guitarist, Clay Hess, has been using Rick’s guitars for some time, and it seems like the boss lady likes what she heard when she would grab Clay’s guitar when he switched to mandolin during their show.
Now Rick has built one for her, and she is delighted with it.
“I absolutely love my Hayes guitar! To be a brand new instrument, it has the big sound of an older guitar. These guys really know what they are doing – from the great sound they produce, to the beautiful detail and time they put into each one. I’m thrilled to say I play a Hayes guitar!”
They have just finished tracking for their debut album with Rural Rhythm Records and will soon begin the mixing process. Shayne Bartley tells us that most of the material was written by his older brother Rick, with contributions from Shayne, Brink Brinkman and Elmer Burchett as well.
“This is a total band album with the exception of one song on which Clay Hess guests on guitar, and fiddle from Brandon Godman on several tracks. The project was recorded at Hayes Production’s Studios in Cincinnati, OH. Rick Hayes has been a great guy to work with. He and Clay Hess have really done a wonderful job for us.”
Rick is on guitar, and Shayne on mandolin with Josh Hymer on banjo and Jayd Raines on bass. All four provide vocals with Rick front and center.
Shayne said that when they started to record, he was playing banjo and they had Taylor Baker on mandolin.
“Taylor decided to leave the band at the beginning of December, just before we went into the recording studio to begin work on the album. With Josh Hymer joining the band, I’ve gone back on the mandolin.
Josh has worked with acts such as, Ernie Thacker and Route 23, Dave Carroll and New River Line, and Billie Renee and Cumberland Gap.
We are very excited to have Josh on the banjo and singing some harmony vocals. He is a very strong player in the Jim Mills, J.D. Crowe vein. You will be able to hear his exciting playing on our new recording.”
Clay Hess has been making waves as a guitarist since he first hit the scene in a big way with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder in the 1990s. He has since had a memorable stint with Mountain Heart, and is currently touring with Sierra Hull.
Rick Hayes Instruments, makers of dreadnaught guitars and F-5 mandolins, is proud to announce today that Clay will be endorsing their mahogany guitar. It is a solid wood guitar, made with Honduran mahogany back, sides and neck, and high grade spruce for the top. The fingerboard and bridge are of West African ebony, and the guitar sells for $2999.
As you might expect, Clay speaks very highly of the guitar.
“The Rick Hayes guitar I have been playing for the past year is one of the top five guitars I’ve ever played. I recorded most of my new recording with a 1938 D18, which is my favorite guitar. I recorded the rest with the Hayes guitar. I’ll let y’all try to tell which is which because I can’t.”
