Print, Media & Education
Two books about legendary guitarists have been published recently: Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story, by Tim Stafford and Caroline Wright (info: 800-413-8296), and Blind But Now I See: The Biography of Music Legend Doc Watson, by Kent Gustavson (info: www.docwatsonbook.com)
Hungry for Music, based in Washington. D.C., has given out more than 200 instruments to children who want to play music, so far this year—including donations to the Junior Appalachian Musicians organization that serves children in four states surrounding Virginia. Info: www.hungryformusic.org
Jesse McReynolds is the Bluegrass Guest Master for the 27th annual Bluegrass Week at the Augusta Heritage Center, on the campus of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. Additional teachers will include Dave McLaughlin, Mary Burdette, Ira Gitlin, Darol Anger, Chris Brashear, Tammy Rogers, Herschel Sizemore, Sharon Gilchrist, Mike Compton, Jeff White, Tyler Grant, Jim Watson, Tony Trischka, Charlie Cushman, Richard Bailey, Mark Panfil, Mike Fleming, Chris Stuart, Janet Beazley and Robin & Linda Williams. Info: www.AugustaHeritage.com
Kitsy Kuykendall is the new chair of the International Bluegrass Music Museum Board of Trustees. Terry Woodward is Vice-Chair, John Medley is Treasurer and Nancy Cardwell is Secretary. In addition, the Executive Committee of the board includes Mary Tyler Doub and Drs. Peter Salovey and Richard Brown. After a very successful ROMP festival, Bluegrass Pioneers Gathering and Blue Grass Boys Reunion in June, the museum is gearing up to celebrate Bill Monroe’s 100th birthday in 2011. Plans include three new exhibits featuring the artifacts of Bill Monroe, artifacts of The Blue Grass Boys, and The Bill Monroe Centennial Art Exhibit of visual artwork inspired by his music. Also on the docket is a new theatrical production based on Monroe’s early years to be staged at Owensboro, Kentucky and the Owensboro premiere of a historical documentary video illustrating the story of Bill Monroe as told through his band mates over the decades. Concerts, workshops, lectures, forums and many more activities yet to be announced will round out the 24-month centennial celebration.
On June 13 members of the San Diego Bluegrass Society board and other local bluegrass musicians joined the Carlsbad Strings Education Association for the first time at their annual fundraising event in Encinitas, California. When a parent of one of the violin and cello students at the program suggested last year that the students might enjoy learning some fiddle tunes along with their usual Suzuki repertoire, songs like “Red-haired Boy,” “Old Joe Clark” and “Cripple Creek” found their way into the Carlsbad Strings classrooms, reports IBMA member Avery Ellisman, “and for the first time in the organization’s history these and other fiddle and bluegrass standards were performed, backed by a SDBS-sponsored bluegrass band. We recognized the great work of Carlsbad Strings sometime ago,” Ellisman says, “and the organization’s board and teachers came to embrace the inclusion of old-time and bluegrass tunes as part of their students’ program. Now that they know a few of the basic numbers, these kids can enter and play them anywhere there’s an old-time fiddle or bluegrass jam. It’s good for the kids, and an infusion for the local fiddling and bluegrass community.”
Carlsbad Strings co-chair, Randy Benge said he hoped the program would be the beginning of continued collaboration between the local bluegrass community and Carlsbad Strings, saying that “SDBS’s participation in the program was a breath of fresh air.”
The Mandolin Case, a new book written by Dr. Tom Bibey, is described as “a novel about country doctors, honest lawyers and true music, published by Ford, Falcon & McNeil Publishers in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Record Labels & Music Distributors
Rural Rhythm Records has released a new single to radio from the new Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford album, “Just Along for the Ride” at airplaydirect.com. The album, Dogwood Winter, is comprised of all original songs. Gulley says, “This recording project is, quite simply, two good friends and writing partners recording some of their songs in the way they heard them when they were originally written.”
Rural Rhythm is also pleased to announce they have signed Rodney Dillard & the Dillard Band to their label and will release the group’s new album, I Wish Life was Like Mayberry, on September 14, 2010. The recording will feature several Darlings/ Dillards classics performed by Dillard in his new configuration, including the first radio single release of “There Is a Time.” This song was released to radio on July, on Rural Rhythm’s Fresh Cuts & Key Tracks CD and also at AirplayDirect.com .
As of September 1, Naxos will begin distribution of the Compass Records Group. Garry West, co-founder of Compass Records, commented, “We are tremendously excited by our new relationship with Naxos of America. It’s a new day at record retail, and specialization—whether through the artist/fan relationship or the distributor/retailer relationship—is the way forward. Naxos’ deep and varied account base coupled with their knowledge, service, efficiency and infrastructure, makes them particularly well-suited to deal with the changing marketplace, and a perfect fit for the compass Records Group of labels and artists.”
Mountain Fever Records is proud to announce they have signed bluegrass recording artists, Volume Five to their label. The band, which includes Glen Harrell, Patton Wages, Chris Williamson, Jesse Daniel and Adam Duke, will release their new album, Down in a Cell, on August 17.
Bluegrass Bands, Helping Hands is pleased to announce the release of their second CD, Bluegrass Bands, Helping Hands Vol. Two: Through the Eyes of a Child. The July 24 release party at the Freight Depot in Dalton, Ga. featured performances by the Lou Wamp Band and Earl Brackin. Proceeds from the album go to a local charity that assists out-of-work folks in Georgia. More info: www.bluegrassbandshelpinghands.com
Rebel Records has re-issued Mountain Fiddler, by the late U.S. Senator Robert Byrd, in CD format.