Sounds of summer...

John Jackson's "Whimsical Metal Sculpture"/Jefferson, NY

Another confession of procrastination in creating this post as I've had so many intense musical experiences since my last one that trying to do justice to the great performances we've heard is truly daunting. I'll make this one mostly visual, since I've got some pretty cool shots and frankly it's faster than lots of verbiage. We'll start with a Monday night run to the predictably perfect Birchmere in Alexandria for a triple header on Eminor's 22nd birthday to hear Chatham County Line, The Infamous Stringdusters and Crooked Still. I've waxed glowingly about the virtues of the second group listed but let me say how much I enjoyed my first taste of the opening band from Raleigh and their folky hybrid that to me fell somewhere between Railroad Earth and the old King Wilkie. If you like either of those, you should seek out the Line. And the more we get to hear the sweet voice of Aoife (that's Ee-fah) O'Donovan, the more we're convinced that the linchpin of Crooked Still is every bit as talented and compelling a vocalist as Alison Krauss...only different. Less fragile. Fabulous. And Tristan Clarridge's cello makes the rest of the difference for this string band for the new millenium. I'm excited that they'll also be on the schedule at FloydFest this weekend up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hope we'll see you there...Railroad Earth closes the main stage on Friday and Cadillac Sky plays on Sunday...life is good.

After three days of delightful decompression in the Catskills with good friends, Em and I made our way east to Oak Hill, NY to the new home of the venerable Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival (formerly Winterhawk) which found out in December they had to find a new home after years at Rothvoss Farm in Ancramdale. I had to see how Mary Tyler Doub and her dedicated staff and volunteers were able to not only find a new place for the festival but make all the political, logistical and practical arrangements to basically build a small town in the middle of farmer's hay field. Fortunately, the farmer was John Walsh and he had a big family up for a big adventure and it all fell together in an amazing way. The language of good music and good people gathering to enjoy it doesn't need translation. Grey Fox is and has always been a lot more open and unregimented than most other festivals we're used to like MerleFest and Graves Mountain which don't sell alcohol or allow it in the open. There's virtually no checking of what you bring in your coolers, little or no wristband inspection and I don't think I saw a uniformed officer of the law all weekend long. But it was amazing how well behaved everyone was...very family-friendly and safe feeling. It was gratifying to see that grownups could behave and respect their neighbors without being forced to. So hats off to those who made this whole thing happen. Here are a few things you missed if you weren't there:

Seventeen-year-old sensation Sarah Jarosz with Stringduster's fiddler Jeremy Garrett


Two young masters-in-the-making working on "Soldier's Joy"

Adrienne Young & Little Sadie holding forth in one of 3 Dance Pavilion sets

The g'earls of Uncle Earl setting feet in motion in the Dance Pavilion

Banjo masters Bill Keith, Bela Fleck, Peter Wernick and Chris Pandolfi bring rich perspective to the Workshop Stage

Bela, Abigail Washburn, Ben Sollee and Casey Driessen enjoy their Sparrow Quartet set

Whoo let the Dawgs out?

All in the family...Ronnie, Rob & Del McCoury

Great hearing the Eric & Leigh Gibson's brotherly harmony again

All the Stringdusters flanking Tim O'Brien in an inspired Friday night set


Travis Book, Tim O'Brien & Jeremy Garrett

Taking festival camping to a whole new level...

Bryan Sutton, Andy Falco & Chaz Justus in a serious six-string workshop

Sam Bush in silhouette in the Master's Tent

Nate Gawron, Ike Sheldon & Phil Wade of The Wilders

A 30th anniversary Hot Rize reunion with Bryan Sutton in Charles Sawtelle's shoes

Elmo & Waldo Otto, Suede, Red Knuckles and Wendell Mercantile...the Trailblazers ride again

Red and Wendell render a tender number

That's all for now folks. Thanks to Mary Burdette at Grey Fox for her hospitality and to Lesley & Hollace for the best accomodations anyone could ask for. Now it's on to fabulous Floydfest...hope to see you on the Parkway.

If you're home this weekend, be sure to tune in Page Wilson's Out O' The Blue Radio Revue for our premiere JAMinc/In Your Ear Studio A concert featuring John Cephas and Eliza Lynn. It airs Saturday from 8-10pm on 88.9 WCVE-FM
and streams at http://www.ideastations.org/.
Always great to have you here...please pass it on to whomever you think might care...TT

Get ready to ramble...

As we make a hasty retreat from the bombs bursting in air over the James River thanks to George Hoover and family last Friday, we hope you all had a fitting Fourth and are ready to muddle through the sultry shrinking summer with your ears well-placed to take in some of the many musical opportunities that lie ahead.

First a quick anecdotal underscore of how things are improving in this town for musicians and those who like to hear them live. D & I had just checked out Chris Tsui's hot (figuratively) and happening new restaurant Sushi O on Alverser Drive and rambled across the parking lot to Cafe Caturra for a cup of joe...a warm round of applause greeted us as we walked through the front door. We quickly realized the hand was for two musicians holding forth in the corner...the singer looked like a Cap One guy fresh off the golf course and his guitar player could've been his kid; but no...Brad Mauldin impressed us with his strong vocals and a varied set of folk/pop balladry and Jake Seward backed him well on his six-string Guild. They were terrific and usually travel with Jake's wife Kristen on keys...never heard of them but will be looking out for them now.

A couple of great options for Friday (tonight): John Patykula, who heads up the guitar program at VCU's music department also kicks off his Guitars & Other Strings series tonight in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall with The Whitetop Mountain Band. A big hit at the Richmond's first National Folk Festival a few years back, these energetic Virginia musicians promise an evening of authentic old-time and bluegrass of the highest order. Click here for more info. If you're up for something with a bit more twang and need a few brews to cap off your week, Shenanigans on the north side might be the spot as Brad Spivey and his superlative Honky Tonk Experience play one of their home gigs.

American mongrel Page Wilson follows in Brad's heels on Saturday night in the former Cock & Bull with the Reckless Abandon boys. And speaking of Page, we're very excited to announce that the first of JAMinc/In Your Ear's studio concerts will be featured on his Out O' The Blue Radio Revue on Saturday, July 26th from 6 to 8pm on WCVE-FM. We've been putting on these intimate shows at In Your Ear for the past few years featuring under-the-radar artists like Bruck Molsky, The Kruger Brothers, Rick Epping, Peter Ostrouschko and Phil Wiggins and now have a compelling collection of live recordings which will be a recurring part of Page's Saturday night soiree from the Chickahominy Swamp. The debut presentation will feature piedmont blues legend John Cephas with Asheville singer/songwriter and Cephas student Eliza Lynn. We're all very excited about this new partnership and urge you to tell a friend and tune in on the 26th and monthly thereafter.

On Sunday, an enduring Richmond tradition lives again at Dogwood Dell as the always-free Festival of Arts presents Larry Bland & The Volunteer Choir. I believe this is their 40th anniversary year and their energy and sincerity are sure to get the spirit moving. They'll also be featured at this year's debut of the Richmond Folk Festival October 10-12.

One more thing...Danny Knicely, an incredible mandolinist and old friend who lit things up on Pete's porch at Graves Mountain last month is set to perform with the Oretea Brothers as part of the Bluemont Concert Series in Ashland. Originally from Bolivia, Cesar and Jose studied Flamenco guitar and singing in Spain. Their soulful guitars and blood harmonies are powerful and moving. This landmark performance, in English and Spanish, will include Ralph Gordon on bass and music ranging from lively gypsy rhumbas to other melodies from Europe, Brazil, Bolivia, and Appalachia. This first of the series on the lawn at the Hanover Arts & Activities Center will later feature Laurie Lewis and John McCutcheon. More info here.

We're off to the Birchmere on Monday for Crooked Still, Chatham County Line and The Infamous Stringdusters, then to upstate NY for the Grey Fox festival in its new home. We'll keep you posted. There's lots of great music out there...go get some.

TT

The Way West...

Everytime I make the trip to Charlottesville on I-64, I'm reminded of what a wonderful ride it is, especially when traffic's light. Few visual distractions, that first glimpse of the Blue Ridge, a random mix on my mp3 player...a solo run to check out Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein as openers for Emmylou Harris Monday at the Pavilion. EZ parking in the deck at 2nd & Water Street and nice stroll up the The Mall and the gentle bustle of a late summer afternoon with folks enjoying drinks and each other al fresco. No cars. Richmond mayoral candidate Paul Goldman wants to do the same thing with Carytown. Maybe we should listen. It was my first concert at the 3-year-old venue at the end of the Mall and I liked it a lot. Significant sound blankets hung inside the big tent along with having New Grass Revival/Flecktones legendary soundman Richard Battaglia at the helm made for great house sound befitting the talent on stage. It's so right that Jimmy and Moondi have gotten this gig with Emmylou this summer...they played Wolftrap the night before and have lots more choice venues to look forward to...couldn't have happened to more deserving musicians. They did some Chesapeake chestnuts, a bunch of stuff from their terrific new duet album 2:10 Train, and Ms. Harris even joined them for a sweet rendition of Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You." I had the extra treat of witnessing the evening alongside Robin and Linda Williams, Prairie Home Companion regulars and old friends who live near my old home town of Staunton. You might want to put their annual Fortune Williams Music Festival on your calendar for late September. Robin & Linda + Tim O'Brien are worth the price of admission alone.

This time last year we saw Rickie Simpkins backing Emmylou as part of John Starling's Carolina Star. This year he's earned a spot in her brand new band comprised of Brian Owings/drums, Chris Donahue/bass, Phil Madeira/keyboards and Colin Linden/guitar & banjo. Colin filled his key role well but there's only one Buddy Miller. And the well-honed ritual of Emmy's perennial roadman Maple Byrne, bringing her a freshly-tuned guitar for nearly every number, is a compelling sideshow that illustrates consummate professionalism. The band was able to carry Emmylou through all her fertile fields with great taste and subtlety. I'm sorry I have no pictures to share as the gate guy made me take my camera back to the car. Come on...
Jimmy & Moondi will be making a return visit to Ashland Coffee & Tea on Saturday, September 20th. Don't miss them this time. Less is more.

I shared a few brews after show with Virginia's folklorist Jon Lohman who's again running the Virginia Folk Life Porch stage at FloydFest 7 running July 24-27 up on the Parkway. Another wide-ranging lineup is in store for this gem of a festival that's matured far beyond its six years. Highly recommended...we'll see you there. Jon also is involved in a terrific house concert series in Palmyra...here's a link to the Website.

They're saying this really is the last weekend to soak up some smoke and sweet jazz in Bogart's Back Room, moving to a new location soon. An appropriate swan song or three will be provided by the multi-talented John Winn, who's snagged k.d. lang sideman Daniel Clarke along with guitarist Trey Pollard to join him for a late gig this coming Friday night. Extremely promising...

I'll leave you for now with just under four minutes of what made George Carlin one of the most brutally honest and insightful observers of the American condition ever to come our way. Here's a link to a remarkable piece from last year's HBO special that underscores his love for the contemporary vernacular and his enormous capacity to learn his lines. A modern man indeed.

TT

Summery

After our sizzling summer preview earlier this month, it's been especially delightful to enjoy this past week of low- to mid-eighties and atypically low humidity. As we mark the solstice tonight and enjoy our annual swarm of fireflies down by the river, I need to acknowledge a couple of very special nights last weekend. A refreshing breeze and the first comfortable temperatures in a while greeted the sizable crowd gathered to witness the Waybacks return to the Science Museum of Virginia Friday night. The boys delivered old chestnuts and most of the tunes on their new Byron House-produced album, Loaded. They were joined, to serendipitous effect, by banjo buddy Danny Barnes who stepped in to fill Jim Lauderdale's spot on the bill. Jim is out in California at a meditation retreat resting his healing vocal cords and sadly will miss all his summer gigs. We sincerely wish him a full recovery. But the versatile and impressively improvisational Barnes brought much to the table in his own solo set and in extended jams with the Waybacks. He reminds you a lot of John Hartford without the derby hat on stage, especially in his between-song patter. And he's a spot-on songwriter...check out his "Get It While You Can" on the Infamous Stringdusters eponymous new CD. It was a great night of music as evidenced by the audience evolution for the second set...everyone moved up closer to the stage and the chatty party atmosphere that marked the early hours faded to rapt attention to the music being made. Thanks to Jim Napier, Gary Gerloff and Patrick McCarty for the cameraderie and for pulling together another meaningful event for the Massey Cancer Center.

The next night saw a the culmination of another few months of weekly practices and delectable stew pots at George Turman's Hanover County retreat. It was the tenth reunion for the Among Friends bunch at Ashland Coffee & Tea and thanks to a nearly full house of supportive friends and family, the ten of us fortunate enough to share this loving experience forged our way through two meaty set lists and did our best to keep our powder dry under the wilting stage lights. One of the coolest things about playing AC&T, the well-timed train punctually arriving during a song referring to trains, was precluded on this night by some out-of-town drunk in an SUV who tried to drive across the tracks where there was no crossing, got stuck, and then abandoned his vehicle to get rammed by a northbound freight. No more trains made it through for the rest of the night. So songs like "Wagon Wheel" may not have been fully realized, but we sure had a wonderful time and are seriously looking forward to our September reprise at Shady Grove Coffee House in Glen Allen, when we'll get to hear ailing Sheryl Warner's unsung songs like Patty Griffin's "Florida" and a bunch of others. And a special thanks to Friends' photographer Charlie Dunton for his flattering images over the years.

The Tuesday after the Graves Mountain festival saw the Seldom Scene invited to play a picnic on the lawn at the White House for a thousand of POTUS's closest pals. The gig was rained out and postponed until the following Thursday...the Scene was unavailable but word is they might be invited back for something similar in September. At least Scene founding father Ben Eldridge had the chance to share a knee-slapping banjo joke with the Bushes (as seen in this White House photo) before Secret Service agents whisked him away to Fredericksburg.

The following has little to do with music, save for Bruce Springsteen's moving tribute at Wednesday's memorial service at the Kennedy Center, but I'm still grieving over the loss of Tim Russert. I was a faithful watcher of Meet The Press and found myself lured into coverage of this historic election year by Tim and his MSNBC colleagues. But as the the reality of his sudden death sunk in and the heartfelt reaction rivaled the loss of a head of state, it became clear that this was no ordinary newsman. The depth and sincerity of the tributes from every corner of this land revealed a good and honest human being who exemplified the virtues of integrity, enthusiasm, hard work and love of family. I think the extent of the coverage of Tim Russert's life and death underscores our yearning for role models who can inspire us and restore our faith in humanity. We will surely miss his reasoned analysis during the rest of this pivotal election year and his even-handed Sunday morning grillings of the nation's power brokers, but we will always have his shining example pushing us to make the very most of our lives in our own remaining days.
Thanks Tim.


TT

Heatin' Up...

Some old business and new as we enter a sticky triple-digit Richmond weekend. First, a disappointing note about the previously announced premiere of Nashville Star on Monday with John Cowan in the house band. We actually watched this show a few years back when it was on the USA Network and found it more interesting and better produced than American Idol. Anyway, NBC's picked it up and with Billy Ray Cyrus as the host it may be harder to commit to another season especially now that we've learned that Johnny C won't be in the band after all.

From his own Web journal, here's John's explanation of why he was the first to be voted off this year's Nashville Star:
"Well Folks, Here it is; the first job I've been fired from since 1972 (that one was for "overplaying" in a R&B band....let's just say I was obsessed with Jack Bruce at the time.) I know the conventional wisdom here would be to say I had scheduling conflicts but not, unfortunately, true. I have never read "Charts" (The Nashville Number System) to make a living. Once you learn it, it is completely logical, but there IS a "learning curve" to be sure. As a studio background vocalist, you pretty much do things "by ear". Not so on the bass. I knew I was in over my head by day two. I would make mistakes, which you cannot do in a live Television situation. The guys and girl (John B, Lee, Pat, Brian, Carlo & Meagan) in the band were all very gracious and tried to be helpful to me. Ultimately, when I f*****-up, it made for extra pressure for them. (though not one of 'em gave me a hard time.) When I left to do Bristol on Saturday they had a sub fill in for me. He did a great job and read the charts and executed them perfectly, so between shows @ The Paramount Theater I got a voice mail saying I had been fired. That made it a little difficult to go out and be all smiley/hold my head up, but soon enough the music and muse took over. This hurts and is embarrassing, but the reality is that I wasn't able to execute the job to the standards by which are required. Maybe it was arrogant of me knowing my limitations to take the job....,perhaps. Well, as my wife likes to say-we're all "making our story everyday!" This is surely a "learning chapter."

We'll miss seeing JC on NBC this summer but his honesty under tough circumstances is refreshing and commendable. The Cow will continue and we'll appreciate him all the more.
In town a week ahead of his upcoming show at The National for promotional purposes (catch him with George Maida tonight at midnight on WCVE-FM) Tommy Emmanuel and his veteran manager Gina Mendello met me for breakfast yesterday morning at River City Diner. When we walked in and were greeted with "Smoking or non-" Tommy's pleasant but pointed reply was, "Living." Looking youthful and revived after a few health-related months off the road, Guitar Player Magazine's reigning "Best Acoustic Guitarist" downed a generous plate of pancakes and talked about how happy he was how the new DVD came out, thanks to In Your Ear wizard Carlos Chafin and Tommy's long-time producer/engineer Kim Person. Kim lived in Richmond years back and worked for IYE's precursor Alpha Audio so it was a perfect reunion to have Kim and Carlos carefully perfect the 5.1 surround-sound for Tommy's live concert DVD recorded in HD at Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, CA. I've gotten to see and hear some of it and although there's no substitute for witnessing Tommy's singular talents live, the project due out this fall takes full advantage of today's technology and those who know how to use it. It'll take your breath away. For those who haven't been to one of Tommy's exhilarating shows before, you're a week away from a golden opportunity. The National is waiting and so is their new 10-person hot tub. A media reception last night got us a fascinating backstage look at Richmond's musical crown jewel as justifiably proud Bill Reid showed us the unrivaled amenities the performers will enjoy when playing the meticulously restored venue. Not just the biggest jacuzzi made, but a sauna and steam shower, multiple lounges with a pool table and large screen plasmas everywhere, and even washer/dryers for bands who've been on the bus too long. All to make the artists happy and attract acts that wouldn't otherwise play a room that size. Like Willie Nelson and Dream Theater. They've pulled out all the stops to maximize the experience for musicians and audience alike with technical innovations like a "floating" stage to reduce floor vibration making it into the microphones, hundreds of yards of sound-deadening material around the stage and in the hall to reduce the boominess of a space originally designed for no PA. And speaking of that, the partners spent crazy money on a state-of-the-art V-DOSC sound system, only the sixth installed in the entire country for pretty much the biggest, cleanest aural experience possible. This is gear that normally travels with the bands playing the big arenas. It's gratifying to see a project of this magnitude done right, knowing how many obstacles stood in the way. Get down there as often as you can. Maybe for C.G.P. Tommy Emmanuel on Friday the 13th. One guy, one guitar, one magical evening. And here's a link to an appearance he made on my old WRVA morning show exactly eight years ago this month.

Or maybe you'll choose something completely different a few miles west on Broad Street that same Friday the 13th as we'll gather for the fourth time to welcome the musically ambitious and thoroughly entertaining Waybacks back to town for the 4th "On Track For The Cure" event for the Massey Cancer Center. These west coast wonders will bring their genre-bending blend of "cool" to the old rail station including the hot licks of another knockout guitar picker James Nash and the smooth as silk crooning of Warren Hood. And we've enlisted "America's irreplaceable alchemist of acoustic razzle-dazzle, open-borders ecumenism, and down home chutzpah," banjoman Danny Barnes, to liven thing up even more. Gates at 6:30, music at 7. Tickets here. It'll be a party.
The Canal Club is hosting WCVE's "Music Seen" tapings this weekend...we already missed the first night and I was hoping to catch singer/songwriter Sarah White with her accompanist, former King Wilkie head writer/lead guitarist Ted Pitney. My loss. Tonight it'll be a bit less acoustic with Modern Groove Syndicate and Chicago Cy among others. Click here for details.

And Sunday promises a day long cavalcade of some of our hometown best, including Page Wilson, Gary Gerloff, Marna & Macy, Billy Ray Hatley, The Taters and The Cashmere Jungle Lords. All donating time and talents for Vibe Fest '08 benefiting the remarkable Positive Vibe Cafe. For those who don't know about Garth Larcen's labor of love in Stratford Hills, giving physically and developmentally challenged individuals training and employment in the food service industry, this is a perfect chance to get acquainted. The music starts at 11:30am and goes all day long. The cover's only five bucks, beer & grub extra. A win-win for one of our community's most worthy causes.

Be safe Big Brown and bring it home...TT

(photo credits: Tommy Emmanuel-cd cover, The National finished interior-from their Website. The rest are mine)

Mountains and Music...

Three generations of musicians and those who love what they do gathered for the sixteenth time along the Rose River at the foot of Graves Mountain this past weekend for our annual celebration of the best things in life. Ralph Stanley who helped give birth to this music over a half century ago was there. So was sixteen-year-old Sierra Hull whose prodigious mandolin playing and new-found vocal confidence left no doubt that the future was in capable hands. And everything in between. There were inspiring family bands like The Bluegrass Brothers, The Wells Family, Cherryholmes and The Isaacs and seasoned crowd pleasers like The Seldom Scene, Blue Highway and Rhonda Vincent. There were influential pioneers like Bobby Osborne, Peter Rowan and Bill Emerson. And there were powerful new forces like Steep Canyon Rangers and Bryan Simpson of Cadillac Sky (above)...a lineup reflecting the ages and tastes of the hundreds of fans, new ones and long-timers who roll up the Old Blue Ridge Turnpike every year when May turns to June.

We haven't missed one yet and consider it a privilege to have an up-close encounter with so many friends old and new who share a deep emotional tie to what music can mean to the soul. From the inside, you get a look at how hard Jimmy and Rachel Graves and their family work and how much they care about providing a joyous escape for those seeking top-drawer music, diet-busting food and magnificent mountain scenery. Hospitality is in their blood and it was fitting that this year which marked the 400th anniversary of Capt. Thomas Graves' arrival at the Jamestown settlement, saw an extra-special celebration. The 70th governor of the Commonwealth, Tim Kaine stopped by for a visit Friday afternoon to deliver a General Assembly proclamation to the Graves family and ended up staying well past his scheduled departure time. He even took good advantage of an opportunity to play a little bluesy harp with The Seldom Scene. So here's possibly our next vice-president jamming along with sometime Scener Chris Eldridge, on a short leave from Chris Thile's Punch Brothers.

Everyone was delighted to see Ron Block and Clay Hess at Sierra Hull's side to help with both her sets. Ron produced her latest project entitled Secrets, allegedly named after the deodorant that's "strong enough for a man, but made for a woman." You had to be there. Besides being a brilliant musician and veteran of Alison Krauss' Union Station, Ron is one of the most thoughtful and profoundly engaged human beings in this music or any other. He told me the regathering of Union Station after Alison's tour with Robert Plant isn't exactly a lock; the band will be meeting soon to discuss all that. But he's making the most of his break, woodshedding with renewed intensity after reading Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. Bandmates Barry Bales and Dan Tyminski will be joining us this fall for our first Richmond Folk Festival.

Saturday evening brought the traditional closing ceremony, made indelible this year thanks to Carl Jackson's moving ballad "Graves Mountain Memories" written especially for this quadracentennial occasion. Carl rendered it with great passion that left few dry eyes among the family and friends gathered on stage.
More than the stars above the Blue Ridge
More than the blossoms on the apple trees
More than the rocks along Rose River
My heart's filled with Graves Mountain memories

It's a gratifying treat to work with easy-going professionals like stage manager Frank Jurney, sound pros Gene & Johnnie Daniell and Madison Gibson and this year, her first, emcee Charlie Rainwater. Charlie's a knowledgable and enthusiastic presence on stage, having grown up in the music with her dad, Flatt & Scruggs' former bass player Jody Rainwater. And of course kudos to Sonny Ludlam and Mark Newton for getting the whole thing started and keeping it real.

But the true joy for lots of us who come to the Graves Mountain festival comes after the show's over and things get started up at our cabin which has become a pretty popular late night spot for friends who play and those who like to unwind with a cold beverage and listen. I think we did the old place proud this year with four nights in a row that went past four am and we even saw the pre-glow of the rising sun on Sunday...somewhere around 5:30. Sleep deprivation is warranted when in the company of folks who bring so much to the table, including love offerings of choice single malts and karma-fueling kyanite. I'm deeply indebted to the following wee-hours pickers and singers who gave us some of the most compelling jams I've ever tasted: Danny & Mel Hughes, Randy & Katie Cook, Jack Cowardin, Bart Tuthill, David Kuo, Will Perkinson, Barry Lawson, Doug Ganey, John Ward, Billy Lux, Andy Cleveland, Scott Street, Terry Comer, Tim Newcombe, Tony Cook, Greg Harrup, Emily Timberlake, Jordan Tice, Jared Poole, Danny Knicely, Tara Linhardt, Laura Wortman, Kagey Parrish and Chris Eldridge. How sweet it was.

Back to reality...as we pray for Jim Lauderdale's speedy recovery from his vocal cord surgery, we welcome banjo-playing bon vivant Danny Barnes joining The Waybacks in his stead at the Science Museum on Friday, the 13th. It's our lucky night of music benefiting The Massey Cancer Center and you'll want to be there. Click here for tickets.

AC&T brings back the fabulous Biscuit Burners on the night before and the Among Friends reunion the night after. Another big fun weekend.

And don't forget John Cowan's debut as backup vocalist and bass player in the house band for NBC's new season of Nashville Star premiering at 9:30pm this coming Monday.

I'm done for now...as always thanks for your time here and shoot me an email if I missed anything.

TT

A Knockout Punch...

Much has been written and spoken about the genius of Chris Thile and after another close encounter last night at Alexandria's legendary listening room The Birchmere, it's only become clearer that the truth supports the hyperbole. I've seen Chris evolve from a full-faced tweener wowing Grisman and Schatz after hours at MerleFest to his perch now as one of the most creative composers and instrumental technicians in any genre and he's still under 30. His long and winding paddle down Nickel Creek ended last year leading to a Class V river of opportunity for exploring his mandolin virtuosity and his passion for taking the bluegrass template, the five main instruments and high lonesome harmony, to places previously unheard. Chris found four sympathetic sidemen who had the savvy and sensitivity to contribute mightily to his vision, Chris Eldridge, Greg Garrison, Noam Pickelny and Gabe Witcher and began with the How To Grow A Band. The quintet soon became the Tensions Mountain Boys who in March of last year premiered Thile's four-movement suite for string instruments and voices "Blind Leaving The Blind" at Carnegie Hall. Now, the same five guys are collectively The Punch Brothers, yet another name change reflecting their musical restlessness.

My favorite road companions and I braved I-95 on Memorial Day Friday and were rewarded with blissfully light traffic both up and back...can we thank four dollar-a-gallon gas? If you've never taken in a show at The Birch, it's a shining example of how a music venue should be run. A great admission system where you get a number when you arrive and then are called in that order when the music hall itself opens an hour or so before showtime. Big room, tables and chairs, cheerful and efficient food and beverage service, terrific house sound and enforced quiet during the performance. And and since we had to drive back to Richmond after the show, a 7:30 start and one long set meant we were done before 10, a beautiful thing.

The set list drew heavily from the group's s two ambitious albums and included a full performance of the challenging "Blind Leaving The Blind." They finished with the discordant "Punch Bowl" which ends in a startling 12-note chord sounding not unlike a piano being dropped from ten feet. Then mercifully they began their encore with an elegant take on Norman Blake's chestnut "Green Light On The Southern." It was a needed moment of peace and comfort. The bands rollicking ride on Monroe's "Molly & Tenbrooks" put the cap on as full and rich a musical experience as one could hope to have. Appreciative luminaries like Critter's proud pop Ben Eldridge along with past and present Scene mates John Starling and Ronnie Simpkins helped comprise the nearly full house which gave the Brothers lengthy standing o's.

A cool sidebar is that the younger Eldridge has this coming weekend off and will join the Seldom Scene for their two Friday sets at Graves Mountain this week. All that and Cadillac Sky too...I'm gonna be one happy camper. If you're coming to Virginia's sweetest bluegrass festival which runs Thursday through Saturday on the Rose River in Syria, you might want to make it up a day early for the bountiful seafood buffet on Wednesday night. Definitely worth the price of admission and helpful in expanding your capacity for the good eats to come. The Graves family will be celebrating four hundred years in Virginia this year and you can bet on lots of surprises.

An unfortunate development...we've just learned that Jim Lauderdale is facing surgery for polyps on his vocal cords and is having to cancel his appearance with the Waybacks on June 13th for the Music For Massey benefit at the Science Museum. We're all selfishly disappointed of course but more importantly feel just awful that Jim has to go through something like this especially now, on the heels of his Grammy and a full spring and summer of dates he's having to miss. Please join me in wishing him a speedy and thorough recovery...he's one of the good guys in this business. We're working on finding another friend for the Waybacks to play around with that night...stay tuned.

Hope you're enjoying this perfect holiday weekend weather...if summer could only stay like this. And do take some quiet time Monday to reflect on the sacrifice of all those fought and died for all of us. It's too easy to take it for granted, and we must not. God bless America.

TT

Packing it in...

This'll be a quickie compared to last week's MerleFest post mortem...just want to make you music lovers aware of enticing opportunities for the next few weeks. Sometimes I fall way short of posting everything worthy of your ear so it would be a good idea to check in regularly with Jon Baliles' excellent cultural calendar The Weekly Rant. Take a look and tell me there's nothing going on in town....what a difference a few years can make.

We've got something for you for the next four days in a row starting with Thursday (tonight) at Ashland Coffee & Tea whose big time springtime lineup continues with the great singer/songwriter Slaid Cleaves with our own multi-everything musician Charles Arthur opening.

Friday night marks the 12th annual Hoedown In the Garden at St. Joseph's Villa featuring the Lonesome River Band. This benefit starring our banjo hero Sammy Shelor from Meadows of Dan and the latest evolution of LRB started at Lewis Ginter way back when and has moved to the spacious grounds of the Villa on Brook Road. Tickets are $75 but include a tasty hot buffet and open bar so it's a good deal for all. Call Katie Chandler at 200-1617 to get yours.

Saturday raises some conflicts I'll leave to you to resolve. Starting at 3pm is the Richmond Rotary's City Slickers Bluegrass Festival with area fixtures Jackass Flats, Special Ed & The Short Bus and the man, the myth, Dr. Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys. The day long fest is outdoors at the Science Museum on West Broad and you can get tickets here.

If you finish up in time, you might still catch good pals Chris Fuller and Frank Coleman creatively filling an open date at AC&T. Or you could opt for equally good pals Malcolm Pulley, Danny Hughes, Richard Ward, Rusty Farmer and Jackie Frost at the Shady Grove Coffee House in Glen Allen. Tickets here.

Still with me? A wonderful and inspiring way to spend Mother's Day might be to take a road trip to the unlikely music venue of Fork Union Military Academy to hear the incomparable harmonies of The Isaacs. Best part is, since you'll have to burn a little gas to get there, the concert is FREE and starts at 4pm. If you've never witnessed this amazing family band, this would be a sure bet for Sunday. Get more info and directions here.

Back to Ashland for another visit with super singer John Cowan and his band on Thursday, the 15th and Asheville, NC's solid Steep Canyon Rangers the very next night. Former Wayback and fab fingerpicker Stevie Coyle does a house-style concert at the Positive Vibe Cafe on Forest Hill on Saturday the 17th. Later on, newgrass king Sam Bush heads back this way for a Friday Cheers appearance on Brown's Island on May 23rd. Hate to miss that one, but we've had tickets to see the Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile at The Birchmere that same night for months now. I know you'll tell me what we missed.

Still to come...our yearly ride up the Old Blue Ridge Turnpike to Graves Mountain Lodge for the 16th annual Festival of Music May 29-31. Another great lineup not to mention late night jams in the campground and the cabin and the most comfortable comfort food to be found anywhere.

Finally a couple of mid-June happenings...a lucky Friday the 13th on the tracks at the Science Museum will mark the joyous return of the leaner, meaner Waybacks from San Fran along with the Grammy-winning Americana guru Jim Lauderdale. Tix at Plan 9 or online at TicketsToBuy. The next night E minor and I are looking forward to helping lead-friend George Turman and his merry minstrels put on the 10th Anniversary Among Friends Concert at AC&T. New tunes being rehearsed as we speak along with tasty previously-roasted chestnuts. It should be big fun.

And do tune in faithfully to Page Wilson's Out O' The Blue Radio Revue on WCVE-FM from 8 to 10 every Saturday night. He'll be previewing many of the shows mentioned here and many others. And soon we'll be bringing you the first of our JAMinc/In Your Ear Studio A concerts with John Cephas and Eliza Lynn recorded last Thursday. Stay tuned.

This tantalizing menu of music will only continue with your support. So go to some shows!
It's the least we can do...

Thanks Mom...and thank yours, even if she's not around. Where would we be?

TT

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

Big Country...

This is what the John Paul Jones Arena looked like a few minutes after the Carrie Underwood/Keith Urban concert last Thursday in Charlottesville. D & I joined our daughter for a belated Christmas present to take in this big-time high-tech country pop extravaganza and I must say it was in impressive showcase for two talented stars who have reached a level in the music biz that affords them a dazzling level of staging and support. I'll confess that this remarkable excess of sound and lights is something I'm fascinated by...the perfectly synchronized efforts of a crew of 140 people who set this gear up, run it and tear it down in every arena they play just to make it all larger than life...a half dozen tractor trailers and dozen tour buses to move them all around...a live concert video production with mulitiple cameras including one flying over the floor like in the NFL. The technical coordination and wizardry just blows me away and even though acoustics and my unfamiliarity with Keith and Carrie's tunes made lyric comprehension difficult, I still enjoyed the scope and specatacle of it all. Keith Urban was a tireless and generous performer, welcoming three teens with a big sign on stage for multiple hugs and a lifetime memory to take home and after strolling out in the crowd playing his electric guitar, he proceeded to take it off, sign it with a Sharpie and give it to some random guy in the crowd...to keep! Looked like a nice Les Paul or something too. And he lingered long after the show pressing flesh and signing anything and everything. Both kids earned their money, and so did the team that puts in so much long before and long after the stars have done their thing. Big time.

We at JAMinc are very excited about our new venture with Page Wilson's venerable Out O' The Blue Radio Revue which will result in his airing many of our In Your Ear Studio A concerts on WCVE on Saturday nights. For the past couple of years we've staged over a dozen of these intimate performances lovingly captured by Carlos Chafin and the peerless gear at IYE. You can look forward to hearing edited sets by Dirk Hamilton (our most recent), John Cephas & Eliza Lynn (our next one on May 1st) and we hope many of our past shows featuring Peter Ostrouschko, Phil Wiggins, The Kruger Brothers, Bruce Molsky, Jake Armerding and many others. Page plans to air approximately one half hour of live recorded concert in each hour of his weekly program. We're jazzed to find such a perfect way to share these wonderful musical experiences with a wider audience and we'll let you know here and elsewhere when the first one will run. In the meantime, join us for the incomparable Piedmont blues man John Cephas and rising singer- songwriter Eliza Lynn, who's recently toured the British Isles with the likes of Nanci Griffith and Dougie MacLean. It should be memorable evening. Just visit the Website for more info and for reservations.

Kay and company at Ashland Coffee and Tea have a strong spring lineup set to go in our favorite listening room starting with a terrific bluegrass band from Alaska called Bearfoot on April 23rd, to be followed by Eliza Gilkyson, Jake Armerding, Brad Spivey & The Honky Tonk Experience, Slaid Cleaves w/Charles Arthur, John Cowan, Steep Canyon Rangers, Chatham County Line, Justin Townes Earle and the Biscuit Burners. That gets us into June, and that's not all. Check their calendar for the full roster.

Don't forget The National welcomes Old Crow Medicine Show on April 23rd and Jerry Douglas on April 25th. That'll give him plenty of time to make his Sunday afternoon set at MerleFest, which by the way starts a week from Thursday and for which we'll try to offer some running commentary. If you're going, look me up around the Cabin Stage, my home away from home for those four glorious April days every year for the past eighteen.

I don't remember a more beautiful blooming spring than the one we're in the middle of, but maybe I'm just more receptive to such things as the years fall away. Blessings to count...TT

The Cline Shrine...

If I ever find out that Patsy Cline somehow, somewhere was able to find out about or even hear our concert at the Virginia Historical Society last Friday night celebrating her life and her music, I'd like to ask her if she had a good time, hoping that she would be grateful to the talented people who put in a lot of time and effort bringing her songs to a new life. It was a gratifying experience for me to work with this amazing bunch of musicians who poured themselves into the project wholeheartedly and did themselves proud. First to Brad Spivey, Mike Lucas, Randy Cook, Mark Watts, Clark Ball and keyboard queen Lucy Kilpatrick, thanks for learning the songs so well. To Sara Arthur, Donna Meade Dean, Kelli Moss and Terri Simpson, our more-than-fabulous female vocalists, thanks for making some great old tunes new again. To the quintessential country gentleman George Hamilton IV, thanks for coming from Nashville to be part of this and for your warm and gentle words and songs during the show. To the number-one Texas Wildcat Jimmy Dean, bless you for all that you've done for so many over the years, including our audience held firmly in the palm of your hand through every verse and chorus of "Big Bad John." Incidentally and appropriately, Jimmy's big number-one hit peaked on the Billboard charts the very same month as Patsy's "Crazy," in October of 1961. Thanks to the mildest-mannered sound man I've had the pleasure of working with...Jan Williams of FCP Sound & Light in Lancaster. He's unflappable, has great gear and knows what to do with it and he makes it all look easy. And for those who weren't able to make the show, and especially for those of us who were, thanks to the legend, Bill McElroy of Slipped Disc for what I'm confident will be a perfectly-polished digital recording of the whole thing.

From Winchester, thanks to Prof. Warren Hofstra of Shenandoah University for coming up with the symposium in the first place, to John Lewis and Mark Foreman for the loan of the WINC mike flag, and to Linda Ross for trusting us with the elegant cream-colored leather jacket worn by Jessica Lang in the Patsy biopic Sweet Dreams. The Hatch Show Print poster by Nashville's Jim Sherraden was hand done, signed and numbered especially for this event.

Lastly and obviously, I'm indebted to the Virginia Historical Society and Pam Seay for giving me the chance to do something like this. Cynthia Moore, Paul Levengood, Jennifer Mason, Carol Anne Baker, Doris Delk and Keith Cox should all be given credit for helping extend the Society's horizons toward the less-explored fields of the performing arts, which comprise a colorful reflection of our Virginia culture. What's next?

I do want to offer up a "save the date" notice for Friday, June 13th when the eclectic and compelling string band The Waybacks head back to town for the fourth Music For Massey fundraiser for the Massey Cancer Center at VCU. This year they'll be sharing the bill with Americana singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale, who scored the bluegrass Grammy earlier this year. It'll be back on the tracks at the Science Museum of Virginia, and I'll let you know when tickets go on sale.

So now that I can part Patsy's company for a while, it's tax time which always seems to coincide with the delicate purple blooms of Virginia's redbud trees. Visually they're about my favorite part of spring and they prompt me to count my blessings, which can become less obvious while feeding the TurboTax questionniare. And there's the annual pilgrimmage to MerleFest in a few weeks....sweet.

TT

The Learning Curve...

(Terri Simpson, Mike Lucas and Randy Cook at Mike's studio last week)
Getting ready for this Patsy Cline tribute concert at the Virginia Historical Society this Friday night has been an adventure that I'd take nothing for. To get such dedicated and enthusiastic work out of our amazing musicians has been a true joy to witness and I just hope we'll have a big crowd to pay them off with our cheers and applause. Brad Spivey and his woodshedding honky tonkers with keyboard ringer Lucy Kilpatrick have spent their weekly rehearsals for the past two or three months learning this often tricky material, and the last two weeks' run-throughs with singers Kelli Moss, Sara Arthur and Terri Simpson have been a real thrill. I hesitate to say too much more, especially with Jimmy & Donna Dean coming to go over their stuff tonight, but if you're a fan of the the American classics made popular by Winchester's ambitious, courageous and pioneering girl singer, you need to be at VHS on the 4th. The concert caps a day long symposium entitled "Sweet Dreams...The Life and Times of Patsy Cline" You can do the whole day with lunch included or just the concert. Call 804.358-4901 for reservations.

Sadly we're up against extraordinary guitarist David Grier at Ashland Coffee and Tea and Hot Tuna's Jorma Kaukonen at the National, but as our musical options grow in this town, so do the frustrations that on any given night, chances are you're missing something good.

Just get out and hear some of this live music in town. Or check wonderful art galleries teeming with folks for First Friday along West Broad downtown. If you haven't been, you'll be blown away.

TT