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 
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
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