Your Lone Journey...

The 21st MerleFest has begun to fade into a wistful haze and as I now make an attempt to put a few appropriate reflections down I'm again daunted by the task of verbalizing what is and I hope always will be such a spiritual experience. Having missed but two of these celebrations of American music, I feel blessed to have witnessed so much, like the sweet intimate moment shared by festival host Doc Watson and the love of his life Rosa Lee after one of his many appearances over the weekend. Back in the early sixties they co-wrote "Your Lone Journey," a tender ballad about love and devotion and dying and reunion. The song's been covered by many including Emmylou Harris, Tim & Mollie O'Brien and most recently Alison Krauss & Robert Plant as "Your Long Journey." But when you listen to the words the authors' title is as it should be. It was a privilege to be able to tell Rosa Lee how much their song touches my heart. As do the four days spent in the Carolina foot hills sharing emotions set to music with loving care and intensity. Being part of the team behind the scenes at this complex and ambitious event that now attracts over 80,000 pilgrims to sleepy Wilkesboro every spring is one of my life's highlights. Thanks to Doc and B Townes, to Art Menius and Claire Armbruster, two who've moved on but whose legacy endures, to John Adair, Buck Parker, Maple Byrne, Cathy Caudle and my fellow Leeman and Cabin boy Sam Sanger, all of whom make my MerleFest experience richly rewarding. And of course there are the incredible artists from old favorites to new discoveries who inspire us and give so much of themselves.

The fine young Dobro player with the Infamous Stringdusters, Andy Hall on the far right, was pretty inspired himself during Thursday afternoon's opening set on the Watson Stage as he took a knee and proposed to lady love Janice Young. She said yes. Special stuff like that happens at MerleFest. But it's not always on stage. In room 419 at the Addison Inn, I spent the third hour of Friday morning soaking up one of the juiciest jam sessions imaginable made up of fellow Dusters Andy Falco and Jesse Cobb, former Duster and current Punch Brother Chris Eldridge, John Cowan's guitarist Jeff Autry and 9-time IBMA Dobro player of the year, Blue Highway's Rob Ickes. Just ripping it for their own amazement and a couple of us lucky bystanders. It gets no better. I don't have the time or frankly the energy to properly review this homecoming and the hundreds of artists who filled this year's four days so I'll post some photos with a few notes and hope to give you a feel for what happens here in hopes that you'll consider a first-hand look and listen April 23-26. 2009.

The day before MerleFest started, JAMinc took the fresh young Alaskan bluegrass band Bearfoot (playing Ashland Coffee & Tea that night) to Mary Munford Elementary here in town for an in-school performance and a very effective demonstration of what that upbeat bluegrass rhythm was all about. Here they are closing the Cabin Stage on Sunday afternoon.

Another Richmond connection: The Jerry Douglas Band played The National on Friday night (how was that anybody?) and helped close things out on a drizzly Sunday afternoon at MerleFest. Not real sure what to make of Jerry's lid but the set was superb as one would expect, especially when fiddler Luke Bulla's pristine voice took the Johnny Cash hit "Don't Take Your Guns To Town" to a whole new place. One of my top-three tunes the entire weekend.

Yet another Richmond link...John Cowan sat in with the Waybacks at lunchtime on Friday and both are headed our way. John and his band, now including former Richmonder Rebecca Hoggan's hubby John Frazier on mandolin and vocals are back at AC&T on May 15th. And James Nash (above), Warren Hood, Joe Kyle Jr. and Chuck Hamilton return for their fourth On Track For The Cure event for the Massey Cancer Center at the Science Museum on June 14th. See below for this year's special guest. And former Wayback Stevie Coyle does a house-style concert at the Positive Vibe Cafe on May 17th.

Oh yeah, the Wayback's special guest for this year's Richmond show is the hardest working man at MerleFest, Grammy winner Jim Lauderdale, seen here in the Cabin getting ready for one of his many appearances on many stages at the festival. That's Bryn Davies on bass and the aforementioned John Frazier. Jim not only oversaw and emceed the Chris Austin Songwriters' competition but performed with the Stringdusters, the Wilders and Dr. Ralph Stanley. He would surely be at least a nominee for MVP.

Three glamming jammers from the "Merle's Girls" set on Saturday evening that included Alison Brown, Sally Van Meter, Sierra Hull, Missy Raines and (above) Claire Lynch, Laurie Lewis and Rhonda Vincent.


Bela was in the house this year, but Flecktone-free and only on Sunday with his significant other Abigail Washburn and their worldly Sparrow Quartet featuring (left to right) Bela Fleck on banjo, Casey Driessen on violin, Abigail on clawhammer and Ben Sollee on cello. Chamber music for the new age.

A cool gene pool created a blonde, a brunette and a redhead who all swim in the deep end musically, who are all sisters and who sing, play and write some great new acoustic music. The three Lovell Sisters, from left Rebecca, Jessica and Megan have matured well since their first MerleFest last year as a group. Rebecca was also the first female to win the festival's mandolin competition in 2006. They are no novelty act.

And while we're talking sisters, The Waifs from Australia had been to MerleFest before but flew below my radar for some reason until this year when they became one of my two favorite new bands. Sibs Donna Simpson and Vikki Thorn above, along with Josh Cunningham, Ben Franz and David MacDonald bring the down-under to life with great songwriting, haunting harmonies and deeply layered arrangements. And wait until you hear Vikki coax the most profoundly mournful notes out of her harmonica on "Vermillion" from their new Compass cd sundirtwater. My other MF discovery this year was a band I was too enthralled with to take pictures of...Ollabelle. Featuring Levon Helm's daughter Amy, this mixed-gender quintet opened for The Band's iconic drummer on Saturday night and it was pure magic. More on them down the road. A new fan is born.

Saturday night was one of the strongest I can remember with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder with Bruce Hornsby followed by the great Levon Helm who went way over time with nearly two hours of classics old and new including the plaintive "Anna Lee" from his Grammy-winning Dirt Farmer cd to the one we were all "Weighting" for. It was a thrill to see him having such an obviously great time alternating between drums and mandolin with a big fat horn section and B3 and even King Sammy Bush. Levon's richly raspy voice weathered a bout with throat cancer in the mid-90's. He survives and thrives and we're the lucky ones.

Just one more Richmond connection...the night before they closed down opening night on the Watson Stage, Old Crow Medicine Show (right) brought the house down at The National at 7th and Broad. Great energy, adoring fans and a strong finish to day one. Same kinda thing happened the next night as Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives put on a grade-A show only to be followed by the over-the-top Avett Brothers who seemed a bit more reined- in than I'd seen them lately. Maybe too much ketchup. But another huge finish for Friday night in America.

I'll finish up with two road warriors who closed down the Cabin Stage Friday night in their own inimitable style, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice. Pulling heavily from their wonderful collaboration album You Were There For Me and accompanied by Rickie Simpkins on mandolin and Mike Bub on bass, these beloved veterans cast their spell. To find that they still have it after forty-year careers is a joy and an inspiration. And thanks for Old Santa Fe, Pete.


So as the Sandy Feat sculptors finish up another of their perishable masterpieces, I'll back on out with some twinges of guilt for not even mentioning Tish Hinojosa, Kenny Ball and Kenny Sultan, Dirk Powell and Riley Bauguss, Ruthie Foster, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, David Holt, Dan Tyminski, Sunday morning gospel at Creekside with Doc and NBB, and at last, the return of our hero Tim O'Brien. MerleFest is a cultural and spiritual feast that challenges and rewards in a deeply moving way. Don't miss the next one.

Hope to see you this Thursday at In Your Ear Recording for what should be a fine pairing...a house-style concert presented by JAMinc and WCVE-FM featuring Piedmont blues master John Cephas and rising singer/songwriter from Asheville, Eliza Lynn. It'll be recorded for a later broadcast on Page Wilson's Out O' The Blue Radio Revue. Reservations on our JAMinc Website, but hurry.

Good night all....TT