Blue Moon of Kentucky

The rising full moon over Yellow Creek Park outside of Owensboro was a fitting special effect for this particular Friday night in America as the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s annual River Of Music Party rolled on with young and gifted singer/guitarist Josh Williams.  I haven’t been back here since the IBMA held it’s annual gathering at the now-razed Executive Inn so there’s been much catching up to do.  This river city along the Ohio is home to luminaries like actor Johnny Depp and racing legends Darryl and Michael Waltrip.  But more germane to this post is of course that nearby Rosine is the homeplace of bluegrass music’s creator Bill Monroe.  Thursday morning I drove up the long and winding drive to Jerusalem Ridge where sits Bill’s restored boyhood home, built where the two-room log cabin stood that burned when he was only five years old.  The one-story fully-porched frame  structure now houses a fascinating museum full of mementos, catalogued for me by James and Bonnie Casteel.  I was surprised to be the only visitor so it was a quiet and reflective hour roaming about the house with James as my personal guide. Seeing the kitchen brought speculation of how much music must have been made around that table back then.  The house actually sits atop Pigeon Ridge…the fabled Jerusalem Ridge where the young musician sought solitude and first heard those “ancient tones” is an uphill hike away.  But that higher ground would be what the 900-plus acres would be called.  Down in a nearby ravine sits a rustic stage that’s now home to an annual festival…that morning it sat silently stacked with hay bales topped with old saddles…could one of them once have sat atop Bill’s horse King Wilkie?  Just the possibility brought a knowing smile.  Soon another fellow pilgrim arrived and a quick intro revealed him to have far more credentials than I…it was former Blue Grass Boy Doug Hutchens (above right with James Casteel) who played bass in Bill’s band for a while back in the sixties.  He was in town for the Legends and Pioneers event that night in the RiverPark Center.  His presence cemented the significance of my visit.  Walking this hallowed ground adds a special perspective to my love and appreciation of this music crafted by the only member of the Bluegrass, Country and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame.  Rest well Bill Monroe…few musicians have done more in one lifetime.

Thursday night at the tribute to pioneers and former Blue Grass Boys, I had the honor of escorting IBMA Hall of Famer (with the classic Country Gentlemen) Eddie Adcock and wife Martha to the stage.  Eddie’s his same old lovable, irascible self and seemed to be fully recovered from his groundbreaking brain surgery to restore motor control of his finger-picking right hand.  The risky procedure was widely televised with Eddie fully conscious holding his banjo so Vanderbilt neurosurgeons could pinpoint the source of his loss of function.  Truly amazing.  It was an inspiring evening with over sixty men and women who’ve had significant roles in bluegrass’ development seated on stage…folks like Curly Seckler, George Shuffler, Pete Kuykendall, Lamar Grier, Bill Clifton, Tom Gray, Bill Keith, Buck White and Doc Watson.  The latter two would offer wonderful performances during the night, ageless Buck with his singing daughters Sharon and Cheryl with Phil Ledbetter on Dobro, and Doc with his frequent partners David Holt and grandson Richard.  A night to remember.

Saturday it was off to Yellow Creek Park for the outdoor portion of ROMP and my first emcee shift which ended with the seven-time IBMA fiddler of the year Michael Cleveland with his hot band Flamekeeper.  They finished the set with their haunting take on Monroe’s classic instrumental “Jerusalem Ridge,” a duet with Mike and reigning mandolin player of the year Jesse Brock.  Their arrangement took last year’s IBMA instrumental performance trophy and it held special meaning given where I’d been the morning before. 

Later Friday night Dailey & Vincent offered up a show-stopping set peppered with some great material from their Cracker Barrel tribute to the Statler Brothers, a new a capella rendition of “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder” and a thrilling four-part arrangement of the “Star Spangled Banner” they’ve just rolled out for a special performance at the Opry this coming Monday.  Yet another level of paint-peeling harmonies and showmanship from the reigning Entertainers of the Year. 

Tonight my second shift of the weekend begins with a chance to hear live the tunes from the CD pal Lincoln Meyers shared with us at Graves Mountain three weeks ago…Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen.  Can’t wait…and more signature harmonies from the Isaacs to boot.  Stay tuned.

My kicker for this post is courtesy of George Turman’s proud daughter Emily, taken at Lewis Ginter Thursday night…hated to miss that one. L to R, Billy Lux, Arlo Guthrie and a bandanna-sporting GT.  And a good time was had by all.

TT

Dervish at the Dell…

It was an ambitious labor of love come to fruition before a full house for the season opener at Dogwood Dell’s venerable Festival of the Arts.  Fearlessly tackling the Beatles’ landmark album Abbey Road arranged for big band, Samson Trinh brought his years-in-the-making musical homage to life with his potent Upper East Side Big Band and guest vocalists Adrian Duke, Allyson Mills and Chris Mills.  It’s hard to imagine anyone having a better time as Samson (seen above pre-show with Style Weekly jazz critic Peter McElhinney) directed, danced and generally delighted in sharing a stage-full of coordinated talent with the enthusiastic crowd.  It’ll be fun to find out what’s next for this wound-up musical wonder.

Frankly, I’ll never be able to catch up with the well-versed Zappa denizens who gathered at Lewis Ginter last week for the Dweezil-led romp through the strange but sonically magic world created by his prolific father. The Mothers of Invention were aptly named as we learned while marveling at the complex but ultimately listenable tunes and the rolling flow of engaging lyrics delivered by young Ben Thomas.  The result was the epiphany that I’d really missed something back a few decades ago when I was all into folk and Motown.  Charlie, you tried to tell me.  Now I understand.  Amazing show and so nice to be back at beautiful Lewis Ginter to smell the roses and hear great music.

In another compelling example of a son keeping a father’s flame burning, don’t miss Woody Guthrie’s boy Arlo in what promises to be a very special  night at the Garden tomorrow, with Richmond’s own folk torchbearer George Turman opening with Billy Lux on bass…perfect.

 

I think I’d love to hear from anyone who was part of the full house at AC&T last night for Carolina’s compact powerhouse Tift Merritt.  I so hated to miss it so I’m a little reluctant to hear how good a night it was…Kay Landry emailed me that it was ‘magical.’  And that says a lot coming from her.  Anyway, too much to do to prepare for my current assignment that finds me doing my first airborne blog, winging from LaGuardia to Louisville at this moment.  I’m looking forward to my first R.O.M.P. in Owensboro this weekend where I’ll be emceeing Friday and Saturday.  Maybe I’ll see some of you bluegrass loyalists out there.  And I’m excited to make my first pilgrimage to Bill Monroe’s hometown of Rosine tomorrow, and to walk Jerusalem Ridge and see where the “Father’s” remains rest.  It promises to put lots of things in perspective.

So not only am I missing Arlo with pal George at Ginter tomorrow, the great Tommy Emmanuel’s also in town Friday, fittingly at CenterStage in the beautifully restored Carpenter Theatre.  I just can’t overstate what a stunningly gifted guitarist and performer Tommy is and if you haven’t witnessed his artistry before in his many previous Richmond stops (remember the Vepco auditorium?) do yourself a favor and go.  It might be life-changing.  And I want to hear all about it…take good notes.

Notes from the banks of the Ohio to come….TT

(Arlo Guthrie, Tift Merritt, and Tommy Emmanuel photos from their Websites; Bill Monroe photo courtesy GAC-TV)

Rose River Ramblings…

As well balanced as this year’s stage lineup was at the 18th annual Graves Mountain festival, for lots of us, the payoff came in the form of casual conversation and music making on the porch or in the campground with friends we don’t see (or hear) often enough.  This year’s heat, requisite rainfall and insufficient sleep were just dues to be paid to allow full enjoyment of wee-hours jams, Graves Mountain grub and the full blown joy of sharing life with like minded folks. We got off to a good start when old compadre/mad musician Lincoln Meyers made his way south from New Hampshire to hang with us for the weekend and wear out his ‘37 D-18 with fellow acousticians Danny Hughes, Russell Bonavitch, Gary Ferguson, Chris Fuller, Jack Cowardin, Randy Cook and Billy Lux.   And a host of others in various combinations, like new porch sitter Jim Hammond and his nearly priceless 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin that barked like a big hound dog.  Lincoln also brought a review CD of his new band’s forthcoming album.  Wait’ll you hear Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen…it’s modern bluegrass firing on all cylinders and one of the most exciting discoveries I’ve made in a long time.  And I get to go hear ‘em live in Owensboro, KY in a few weeks at the R.O.M.P. fester…a happy coincidence.  Some new experiences on the main stage as well, including the sweet harmonies of the young Church Sisters, twins Sarah and Savannah from Ringgold, VA who were joined by the great Carl Jackson for one particularly poignant number.

And another 14-year-old stunner from up Winchester way, Dobro prodigy Gaven Largent who’s already good enough to sit in with the likes of the Navy’s Country Current band and Rhonda Vincent.   And he’s nice kid to boot.  Keep an eye on these young ‘uns who got the bug early.  A Thursday night highlight, especially for the sizeable Richmond contingent, was the Seldom Scene’s insistence that double threat bass man Billy Lux get up and render a couple of low-end numbers.  He obliged with anchoring the gospel classic “A Beautiful Life” and then encored by grabbing Ronnie Simpkins’ upright to solo on “Sixteen Tons.”  Nobody 

does it better than Big Red.  And the same goes for my behind-the-scenes colleagues Gene and Jonnie Daniell and Madison Gibson who run sound and our longtime stage manager Frank Jurney, whose laid-back professionalism make it all look so easy…they’re a joy to work with.  Parting props to Mark Newton for pulling it all together and of course Jimmy & Rachel Graves and their growing family for their tireless efforts to make their Blue Ridge homeplace such an inviting destination.  We made some more of those Graves Mountain Memories.

Straight ahead:  more musical opportunities

Like the Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch at Charlottesville’s Jefferson Theater tonight.

The fledgling Commonwealth Bluegrass Band comprised of veterans Randy Cook, Doug Ganey, Danny Hughes, Malcolm Pulley and Chris Gillikan, play Gus’s Italian Cafe in Mechanicsville early Thursday evening.  Rockin’ Marcia Ball gets things Jumpin’ at the rolling new VMFA sculpture garden, and Groovin’ in the Garden, back at Lewis Ginter welcomes Josh Ritter and Mason Jennings.

Friday Cheers on Brown’s Island features the solid rockygrass Emmitt/Nershi Band…Drew Emmitt a Leftover Salmon alum and Bill Nershi of String Cheese Incident.  A real jammin’ deal at two bucks.  Good Natured Riot will open.

Just up river at Dogwood Dell is opening night for the summer Festival of the Arts with the long-awaited CD release of Samson Trinh’s muscular big band take on the Beatles’ Abbey Road.  Big indeed. 

Saturday brings Scottsville’s Honey Dewdrops and a brand new album back to Ashland Coffee & Tea.  Hear true marital harmony from Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish with Barry Lawson on bass and occasional mando.  And the awesome James Brown tribute band, The Big Payback, plays the Camel on West Broad. Todd Herrington’s art on display.

Then wind it on down at Cary Street Cafe on Sunday night with King Wilkie founder/song writer Ted Pitney opening for Justin Jones. 

All in all, more compelling reasons to get out of the house and take in some fine live music.  If not us, who?

And a big thanks to Don Harrison who gave our JAMinc/IYE compilation CD a four-star review in the latest Style Weekly out today…check it out! 

Down the road, don’t miss dazzling Aussie guitarist Tommy Emmanuel in a benefit concert for CultureWorks at the CenterStage Carpenter Theatre on June 25th.  He’ll blow the roof off the joint…and I’ll be in Kentucky…sigh.  TT

The hills are alive…

I couldn’t resist bridging last week and the week ahead with the opening line from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic “Sound of Music.”  Especially since the foothills of the Blue Ridge at Graves Mountain will soon be alive with musicians and those whose hearts will be blessed by their presence. More on that shortly but first, we took in Theatre IV’s outstanding production at the Empire Friday night, ostensibly to catch the latest stop in young Cooper Timberline’s (left above) budding career, and found ourselves completely caught up in the nostalgic story of the von Trapp family so lovingly and professionally presented by director  Chase Kniffen and his wonderful cast.  Cooper’s Kurt and his six siblings were amazingly well-rehearsed in both the   songs and their blocking and Stacey Cabaj as Maria     was every bit as sweet and spunky as Julie Andrews who defined the role all those years ago.  Brian Barker’s sets were stunning in their simplicity, brought to life by Lynne Hartmann’s sensitive lighting and Sarah Grady’s perfect costumes.  This time-honored musical deserves another look if it’s been a while for you and your family.  It runs through the 4th of July.  It will be time well spent…and you’ll sing once more.  (Theatre IV photo by Aaron Sutten)

And those hallowed hills along the western end of the Old Blue Ridge Turnpike will be alive with the sound of the music they’ve spawned as Jimmy & Rachel Graves and their growing family host the 18th edition of the festival that bears their name.  I’ve attended and helped host every single one of these pre-summer rituals and the unbroken circle becomes stronger and more anticipated as each seemingly shorter year passes.  As compelling as the on stage lineup is, especially with this year’s live CD/DVD recording on Friday featuring the venerable Rural Rhythm stable of artists, what makes the Graves Mountain experience so special is the continuity of camaraderie after hours that is at once reunion, sharing tunes old and new, and staying up most of the night counting our blessings that we have this bond of homemade music to bring us together in such an inviting place.  And then there are the apple butter sauced spare ribs and the fresh fried rainbow trout.  Bliss.

If Graves isn’t in your crystal ball this year, there are at least a couple of pretty potent consolation prizes for those staying home…like the Travelin’ McCourys making a quick return to the National this Thursday and this time the boys will be on the bus with their dad Del instead of Dierks Bentley.   And one of today’s most searing and covered singer/songwriters Patty Griffin plays Groovin’ In The Garden with the incomparable Buddy Miller on guitar and backing vocals.  That’s also this Thursday night as  the series returns to  its home base at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.  Plans are in the works for a delayed broadcast/web stream of the concert on WCVE-FM.  Thank goodness for that.  Stay tuned for details on how it’s all gonna work. 

We’re hoping Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish make it back to Graves for some late night singing in the shadows.  Together they’re the Honey Dewdrops who’ve charmed audiences at Prairie Home Companion and Mountain Stage and who will preview their forthcoming CD These Old Roots at Ashland Coffee and Tea on June 12th.  Later in the month, the timeless Shawn Colvin plays the National on June 18th and North Carolina’s soulful siren Tift Merritt, another past Chris Austin Songwriting winner at MerleFest, will work the tracks @ AC&T on the 22nd.  So many talented women in summer’s first month.  Coincidence?

The next day, it’s off to Owensboro, Kentucky where I’m really looking forward to my first emcee gig at the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s annual R.O.M.P festival on the banks of the Ohio and just down the road from Rosine and Jerusalem Ridge where Bill Monroe and bluegrass spent their formative years.  R.O.M.P. stands for River Of Music Party and the performers include Doc & Richard Watson with David Holt, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Dailey & Vincent, Josh Williams, the Isaacs, Danny Paisley and Claire Lynch.  And a host of former Blue Grass Boys and other pioneers. The museum has grown considerably since I was last there during the IBMA years in Owensboro.  It should be a heady experience.

In my next post, a look at 2009’s IBMA Bluegrass Event of the Year and subject of the wonderful documentary Bluegrass Journey…it’s the Grey Fox festival in New York’s verdant Catskills and it’s a worthy destination in mid-July with a richly varied lineup including youthful phenom Sarah Jarosz, among so many others.  Stay tuned.

I’ll leave you with a link to an exciting piece we just happened to catch this morning on Fred Child’s terrific program Performance Today on WCVE-FM.  It’s a Rob Moose composition called “New Old River Music” and it’s performed by the Punch Brothers and clarinetist David Shifrin.  Click on the 2nd hour and it’s about 12:33 in.  The Portland, OR crowd ate it up as did we.

Hope we meet on the mountain…TT

(Tift Merritt photo from her Website.  Bill Monroe photo courtesy GAC-TV)