Americana Rhythm Weekly

Duo Wins Big; Three SPBGMA Plus Grammy Nod

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:05:35 +0000

Famed bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent received multiple top honors at the 39th Annual SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards on Sunday, February 3, where they were named “Bluegrass Band of the Year (Overall),” “Vocal Group of the Year” and “Gospel Group of the Year (Contemporary).” These awards come on the heels of their GRAMMY nomination “Bluegrass Album of the Year” (awards to be held on February 10, 2013), their second GRAMMY nomination since the formation of the celebrated duo in 2012. (You can see Dailey & Vincent’s thank you to fans by clicking HERE).
Dailey & Vincent toured throughout the country last year, performing over 115 shows, including several high-profile and prestigious events with the Grand Ole Opry, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the ACM Honors, the BMI Awards and the IBMA Awards. Their tour schedule will continue to expand having recently signed an exclusive booking agreement with CAA, one of the world’s top talent agencies.

The three-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) “Entertainers of the Year” and “Vocal Group of the Year” winners are active in giving back to the community. The duo founded The Dailey & Vincent Helping Hands Fund, administered through the Cookeville Regional Medical Foundation, a 501©(3) organization in Tennessee. It exists to provide financial assistance to disadvantaged children of Tennessee’s Jackson and DeKalb counties to meet immediate medical, nutritional and educational needs not covered by insurance or other means. They helped raise over $25,000 during their September 2012 concert which brought the total monetary contribution to over $80,000 since Helping Hands’ inception in 2010.

Dailey & Vincent will release their new album, Brother of the Highway, (Rounder Records) in early 2013.

Rhonda Vincent Wins Top Honor

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:01:22 +0000

It was a Super Sunday in Nashville as the MOST Award Winning Band in Bluegrass – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage – added an additional 5 awards to their list of honors at the 39th Annual SPBGMA Awards (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America), held at the Music City Sheraton. www.spbgma.com

The New Queen of Bluegrass, as deemed by the WALL Street Journal, and her court took home Fiddle Player of the Year – Hunter Berry, Bass Player of the Year – Mickey Harris, Guitar Player of the Year – Josh Williams, Female Vocalist of the Year – Rhonda Vincent, and the TOP honor of the evening Entertainer of the Year – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage!

“It’s an exciting night for us” Rhonda explains, “I’m so proud of all the guys.” “I feel like I travel with the best musicians in the world, and it’s great to know the fans love them as much as I do.” “We are humbled and so honored to be rewarded for our hard work.” “We live our dream each day playing the music we love, thanks to the support of all our musical friends and fans.”

The ballroom was filled to capacity; with attendees anxious to cheer on their favorite bluegrass artist. This was evidence of true dedication to bluegrass music, as the awards show was in a parallel time slot with football’s biggest game of the year.

Included in the evening’s program was a performance by Rhonda Vincent & The Rage; with a special ending, teaming 2013 Female & Male Vocalists of the Year – “Rhonda Vincent & James King”, ending in a standing ovation.

Rhonda & The Rage are the most award winning band in bluegrass music with over 80 awards. The band recently welcomed multi-instrumentalist Josh Williams as their newest member, and one year ago, introduced Brent Burke, one of the world’s greatest resophonic guitarist as a member of The Rage. This all-star cast is one of the hardest working ensembles in any genre of music, and predict 2013 to be one of their busiest years to date. Rhonda credits their tour sponsor Martha White with making it possible to endure such a taxing schedule.

“For eleven years Martha White has provided us with a state of the art tour bus.” Rhonda states. “It’s our home on wheels, and I sleep better on the bus than anywhere.” “It’s the only way we could keep such a schedule.”

Tour Schedule at www.rhondavincent.com

Rhonda’s Facebook is growing at a rapid pace with over 24,000 LIKES, and TWITTER with over 6,400 Followers. They’ll be keeping the music rolling across the country to a city near you. Join them, Tweet them, Follow the 2013 SPBGMA Entertainer of the Year for the best in bluegrass music!

New Project From Doc Watson

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:58:30 +0000

Imagine you could roll back time and hang out with the incomparable Doc Watson and his family at every stage of the clan’s musical evolution. Imagine listening to Doc’s mother sing her work songs, hearing stories about how his son Merle learned to play the guitar and seeing Doc blossom from his rural North Carolina roots into a
world-renowned, multiple Grammy winner.

Well, thanks to the devoted labors of Doc Watson’s only daughter, Nancy Watson, along with a little input from Doc—one can have that intimate experience via the new and meticulously comprehensive 4-CD set, Milestones: Legends of the Doc Watson Clan.

“I’m so happy that my project is finally seeing the light of day,” commented Nancy Watson. “ I’m looking forward to inviting everyone to be part of the family for a bit.”

Created, conceived and compiled by Nancy Watson and produced by Roy Andrade, a member of the Bluegrass and Old Time Country Music Studies faculty at East Tennessee State University, the set boasts 94 unreleased songs and stories by Doc and other family members—plus collages of more than 500 Watson family photos.

“This set is a broad and personal offering from within the Watson family itself and is presented with such care,” Andrade adds. “It is both eclectic and traditional, and presents Doc Watson as he has never been heard before, but also features other members of the Watson Family. It is a
pleasure to help Nancy see this through.”

The collection is not a repackaging of earlier releases. These are home recordings spanning
from 1954 – 2007. It is music and commentary, most of it recorded for personal entertainment, that was previously unavailable outside the Watson family.

These are just a few of the gems:

Doc, his brother Arnold and their mother Annie: “When I See Jesus” (1964).
Annie Watson: “The Churning Song” (1969)
Doc’s one-man band versions of “Boil Them Cabbage Down”
and “Nine Pound Hammer” (1964)
Doc and wife Rosa Lee: “I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again”
(1967)
Doc and Nancy: “Let The Rest Of The World Go By” (2006)
Doc: “The Twelfth Of Never” (1974)
Doc on electric guitars and bass: “Stardust” (1955)
Doc, Rosa Lee and son Merle recall how “Merle Learns Guitar” (1984)
Doc and Merle: “Spanish Fandango” (1964)
Gaither Carlton – “Keep Your Lamps A-Burning” (1969)
Doc Watson – “Carolina Cabin” a Watson original (2006)
Doc Watson – “Twilight On The Trail” (1954)

The album is jointly annotated by Andrade, who, in addition to his academic achievements was a founding member of Reeltime Travelers, and the renowned musician and scholar Jody Stecher.

Milestones: Legends of The Doc Watson Clan is on Open Records and set for release in April 30.

Nothin’ Fancy Six Years In A Row

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:55:17 +0000

Kenetic super-group, Nothin’ Fancy has been honored again, receiving the coveted “Most Entertaining Group of the Year” award at the 30th Annual Society For The Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) “2013 Fan’s Choice” awards ceremony.

The event held January 31st through February 3rd in Nashville’s Sheraton Music City Hotel ballroom, is attended by thousands of bluegrass enhtusiasts worldwide. Awards for group, solo instrumental and vocal honors are determined by individual ballots made available to bluegrass fans from the SPBGMA organization, and genre specfic trade publications. The deadline for this year’s balloting, was January 15th., with winner’s announced Sunday, February 3rd.

This adds another trophy to what is becoming quite a collection of “Most Entertaining Group” accolades, the band having been honored in the same category in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, and now 2013.

Their repeat as “Most Entertaining Group of the Year” serves as testament to the band’s enduring popularity, and why Nothin’ Fancy remains one of the most sought after bands in bluegrass and acoustic music.

Vinyl Continues Comeback

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:52:10 +0000

Kenny Rogers’ iconic album: The Gambler, will be reissued on 180-gram vinyl on March 12th. Mastered for vinyl by Ron McMaster at Capitol Mastering, the album will be packaged in true-to-original LP sleeves with restored artwork.

Released in 1978, Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler was a pop crossover success, topping Billboard’s Country Albums chart at #1 and reaching #12 on the Billboard 200. The album’s smash hit ballad, “She Believes In Me,” topped Billboard’s Country and Adult Contemporary Singles charts and peaked at #5 on the Hot 100. The album’s title track won two GRAMMY Awards: Best Country Vocal Performance, Male and Best Country Song. The album is five-times Platinum-certified by the RIAA with U.S. sales totaling more than five million copies.

New Management For Dr. Ralph

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:49:41 +0000

Grand Ole Opry star and multiple Grammy-winner Ralph Stanley has signed to Moonstruck Management for management and booking.

Headed by Josh Trivett and Peter Keiser, Moonstruck has a client roster that also includes Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Lonesome River Band, Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press and Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, among other award-winning groups.

“Peter and I are honored to work with the great Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys,” says Trivett. “I grew up on Dr. Ralph’s music and have been a huge fan since I was a young boy in Bristol, Tennessee. There was just something magical about the sound and style of his banjo playing and his lonesome mountain vocals that captivated my heart and still lives in me today. His music has been revered for over 65 years, and we have several exciting plans to honor and celebrate the great music and life of this international music legend.”

Moonstruck Management focuses on country and bluegrass music and incorporates artist development, management, growth and booking into one controlled business. Peter Keiser comes from a successful and forward-thinking background as Vice President of Marketing for the Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores restaurant chain. During his tenure there, Keiser developed a thriving music program that showcased artists through co-branded products that were marketed and sold only at Cracker Barrel.

Josh Trivett comes from outside the music industry with a background of 13 years in professional golf as a tour player, National Spokesperson and Senior Vice President of Tour Operations at two successful golf club companies. After his departure from the golf industry, Trivett stepped into the music business by managing and increasing the worldwide visibility of bluegrass legend Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.

Starting out in 1946 with his older brother Carter, Ralph Stanley imparted the high, forlorn mountain sound to the Stanley Brothers’ repertoire. After Carter’s death in 1966, Stanley carried on both the name and tradition, enlisting into the Clinch Mountain Boys such future bluegrass and country stars as Larry Sparks, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley and Charlie Sizemore.

As a consequence of recording more than 200 albums and performing tens of thousands of shows around the world, Stanley was already an icon when the Coen Brothers and T-Bone Burnett spotlighted him in the O Brother, Where Art Thou? movie and soundtrack album—an album that has now sold more than seven million copies. His crucial part in the album earned him Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Album of the Year Grammys. He subsequently shared a Best Bluegrass Album Grammy with the Clinch Mountain Boys and Jim Lauderdale. Stanley was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2000, the first new member of the 21st Century.

He holds an honorary doctorate in music from Lincoln Memorial University.

Gibson Brothers New Release

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:46:25 +0000

Just months after winning the most coveted honor in bluegrass last fall – the prestigious International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award – The Gibson Brothers are preparing to release their new album They Called It Music on March 26th. On their latest effort, the brothers Eric and Leigh dig deeper into duet harmony than they ever have before. Longtime bandmates Mike Barber (bass), Clayton Campbell (fiddle) and Joe Walsh (mandolin) join in on a set of songs that feature some of the brothers’ best originals coupled with a varied collection of creative covers of songs by Loretta Lynn, the Delmore Brothers, Joe Newberry and Shawn Camp. Stream the full album here.

According to Eric and Leigh, the original songs on the new album – inspired largely by the loss of their father last year – come from a more emotional place than on previous albums. Eric explains: “Although this isn’t a grieving album some of that energy found its way into the music.” But it was a comment that bluegrass icon Tim O’Brien made after listening to their last album (2011’s award-winning Help My Brother) that proved to be the emotional rudder for the new project. “Tim told us to ‘keep digging deeper.’ We thought about that comment a lot and I think we’ve accomplished that with the new CD,” comments Eric.

Standout originals on the new project include “Something Comin’ To Me,” and “The Darker The Night, The Better I See,” a hell-raising, tongue-in-cheek hint at the Gibson Brother’s resilience over the years. The album’s title track “They Called It Music” is a soon-to-be classic that praises bluegrass music for the power of its simplicity and universal appeal. The cover of Mark ’s upbeat “Daddy’s Gone to Knoxville” is sure to garner a lot of radio attention as well.

The Gibson Brothers are the latest in a long line of brother vocal duos in bluegrass and country music. Like many other brother acts, their musical path was paved by earlier duos like the Louvin Brothers, Jim & Jesse, the Blue Sky Boys and the Monroe Brothers. But, unlike those duos, The Gibson Brothers are northerners with roots extending far north of the Mason-Dixon line. Initially that created some controversy – when the Brothers received the Emerging Artist of the Year award from the BMA in 1998 there were some who were skeptical. “Other players would say to us, ‘ guys are from New York—how do you anything about bluegrass!?’ I was so intimidated playing in the south because all of our heroes were from the south and we weren’t,” says Eric.

But, after all, the Brothers do share an agrarian upbringing with many of the iconic artists in the genre – it’s just that the small family dairy farm where they grew up happened to be in the shadow of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. And over time the controversy over their Northern-ness began to ebb. Eric remembers: “We were slowly accepted and I finally felt like I didn’t have explain our credibility to anyone. Leigh and I have barnyard credibility if you need that.”

These days The Gibson Brothers are at the pinnacle of bluegrass music bringing their unique northern take on the music to audiences from coast to coast and earning praise from critics and fans alike. As bluegrass legend Del McCoury says: “When I hear the Gibson Brothers, I know it’s them from the first note. They have that little thing in their voices that no one else has.” Eric adds, “Bluegrass has so much heart and soul. That’s what I hope comes from our music.” Emotionally charged and spiritually uplifting, that heart and soul comes through loud and clear on They Called It Music.

Blues Hall Of Fame

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:44:32 +0000

On Wednesday, February 13, The Blues Foundation in Memphis named guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Joe Louis Walker to be a 2013 Blues Hall Of Fame inductee. The induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, May 8 at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 34th annual Blues Music Awards.

According to The Blues Foundation, “The Blues Hall of Fame is a historical record of those who have made the blues timeless through performance, documentation, and recording. Since its inception in 1980, The Blues Foundation has inducted new members annually into the Blues Hall of Fame for their historical contribution, impact and overall influence on the blues.” Previous inductees include B.B. King, Hound Dog Taylor, Koko Taylor, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Etta James, Howlin’ Wolf and other blues greats.

According to Walker, the induction is humbling. “I am honored to be in the company of the great artists already inducted. It’s a dream come true. So many of the other inductees were not alive to appreciate the recognition. I hope to live up to the honor.”

Walker is nominated for four 2013 Blues Music Awards including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award. His 2012 Alligator Records debut CD, Hellfire, is nominated for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year. Additionally, Walker is nominated for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Gibson Guitar Guitarist Of The Year. Hellfire was recently named the #1 Blues CD of 2012 by Living Blues magazine.

The Chicago Tribune’s Greg Kot declared Hellfire Walker’s “most rock-oriented release,” bringing “the kind of fierce embellishments that Jimi Hendrix might’ve conjured” and that his guitar playing “spins ever wilder and wider into outer space with each solo.” The Wall Street Journal’s Jim Fusilli says, “Walker’s raspy, powerhouse voice is out front while his stinging guitar cuts through the uncluttered arrangements.” Walker received massive amounts of radio play and critical praise for Hellfire, and appeared on Conan in March of 2012, where he performed the song Ride All Night.

Blues World Looses Legend “Magic Slim”

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:40:14 +0000

Magic Slim, a revered and towering figure in the field of traditional Chicago blues, died today in a Philadelphia hospital at the age of 75. Born Morris Holt in Torrance, Mississippi in 1937, the guitarist performer, bandleader, and recording artist went on to enjoy a career that launched him to national and international recognition and acclaim.

Slim was one of the foremost practitioners of the raw, gut-bucket, back alley blues associated with the postwar Chicago blues sound. He and his band, the Teardrops, were known as “the last real Chicago blues band” for their authentic, no-frills, straight-no-chaser performance of the music.

Slim’s slash and burn guitar technique and booming vocals made for a commanding stage presence. His intense style was the blueprint that spawned much of the music played by modern blues artists and rockers. After catching one of Slim’s electrifying live shows at a local nightclub Eddie Vetter invited Slim to open Pearl Jam’s concert in Chicago. Magic Slim also had an encyclopedic repertoire of hundreds of blues songs in his head, giving his live shows a charming impromptu quality.

Growing up in Grenada, Mississippi, Slim took an early interest in music, singing in the church choir, and fashioning a guitar for himself with baling wire from a broom, which he nailed to the wall. “Mama whooped me for that,” recalled Slim. His first love was the piano, but having lost the little finger on his right hand in a cotton gin accident, he found it difficult to play properly. Undaunted, he simply switched to guitar, working in the cotton fields during the week and playing the blues at house parties on weekends. In 2011 the state of Mississippi erected a Blues Trail Marker in Slim’s honor in front of a building in Grenada where his mother operated a restaurant.

In 1955, like many musicians from the Deep South, Slim migrated to Chicago, where he was mentored by his friend Magic Sam, who gave the lanky Morris his lifelong stage moniker. Initially discouraged by the highly competitive local music scene, Slim went back to Mississippi and spent the next five years woodshedding and perfecting his craft. He confidently returned to Chicago and became a formidable player on the scene, eventually putting together the Teardrops, who would become one of the busiest and best-loved blues bands around, and one of the most sought-after headliners for festivals in Europe, Japan, and South America. Slim and his group won the coveted Blues Music Award in 2003 as “Blues Band of the Year,” one of six times Slim won a BMA, considered the highest honor in the blues. Living Blues magazine called Slim and the Teardrops “a national treasure.”

Slim’s recording career began with a series of singles in 1966, and he recorded his first album for a French label in 1977. With the release of Gravel Road in 1990, he began a twenty-two year association with Blind Pig Records, who issued ten albums and a live DVD over that span. His last release, 2012’s Bay Boy, proved that Slim could still deliver the goods. As No Depression said, “Magic Slim doesn’t just play the blues, he body slams his audiences with a vicious guitar attack that pins them to the floor. His blues are the in-your-face variety.” AllMusicGuide added, “Magic Slim turned 75 in 2012, but his growling vocals have the fire and brimstone of a Young Lion and his guitar playing is still as razor-sharp as it was when he turned pro in the ’50s.”

Blind Pig Records owner Jerry Del Giudice said, “Magic Slim embodied the heart and soul of this label. It was Magic Slim, and the guys like him, and their music, that inspired us to start the label in the first place.”

Blues Revue once remarked, “Whoever the house band in blues heaven may be, even money says they’re wearing out Magic Slim albums trying to get that Teardrops sound down cold.” Now Slim can assume his rightful place as the leader of that band.

Junior Sisk VA Music Hall Of Fame

Greg Tutwiler, Americana Rhythm Content Editor — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:15:43 +0000

Virginia native, Junior Sisk was honored by his home-state and colleagues during a ceremony in Chesterfield, Virginia on Friday, September 14th. Sigrid Williams of the Virginia Folk Music Hall of Fame presented Sisk with a plaque during a performance by his band, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, officially honoring Sisk as the 2012 Virginia Folk Music Hall Of Fame Inductee. The Virginia Folk Music Association was formed in 1943 for the purpose of preserving the history of country, bluegrass and gospel music. In 1973, the “Hall of Fame” was established and since that time has inducted many well known musicians such as Roy Clark, The Statler Brothers, Jimmy Dean and bluegrass legends Jim & Jesse McReynolds.

Also during the ceremony, Edwin Esten, Vice President of the Virginia Folk Music Association presented another plaque to Sisk on behalf of Virginia’s governor, Bob McDonnell, in recognition of Sisk’s dedication to preserving and fostering bluegrass music not only in Virginia, but world-wide as well. “I was deeply honored to be inducted into the Virginia Folk Music Hall of Fame and also to receive the plaque from Governor McDonnell,” stated Sisk. “I play traditional bluegrass music and never think about receiving any awards for it. But when you are recognized by your home-state for what you do, it sure does mean a lot.”