Blue Grass Boy Frank Buchanan suffered a stroke recently after having open heart surgery. He has been moved into a nursing home. Get well cards may be sent to him at:
Marjorie McCune Memorial Center
101 Lions Way
Black Mountain, NC 28711
Frank loves bluegrass music and it’s people. He would love to be cheered up by receiving some cards from his friends.
Charlie Sizemore hits #1 on BMP’s July chart. View the chart here.
“The Roys didn’t disappoint, piercing through the heat with their crisp traditional sound and elegant harmonies.” ~ Mark Shimabukuro, The Tennessean
Rural Rhythm recording artist, THE ROYS, celebrated their hit album, LONESOME WHISTLE with 12 performances during last week’s CMA Music Festival. Excited fans were treated to performances at the WSM/Durango Boots Acoustic Corner Stage; Cadillac Ranch (for Operation Troop Aid); The Power Source Showcase at B.B. King’s; The Gibson Acoustic Stage at the Hard Rock; the Bud Light Stage in the Sports Zone and other stages where they featured songs from their new album.
Since its April debut at #7 on Billboard’s Top 10 Bluegrass Album Chart, LONESOME WHISTLE has also proved to be a radio hit as well. The album made its debut this month on the Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine Top Album chart along with the single, “Coal Minin’ Man” climbing 10 spots to reach #16 this month on the publication’s Top 30 Song chart. The single also appears at #4 on Bluegrass Music Profiles Magazine’s Top 30 Hot Singles and #4 on Power Source Magazine’s Top 10 Bluegrass chart this month as well.
Fans might also want to check out the recent Q&A with Lee and Elaine at Music News Nashville and at Examiner.com
THE ROYS are currently on tour with upcoming performances at: The Turkey Track Bluegrass Festival in Waldron, AR; Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC; Pigeon Forge Patriots Festival in Pigeon Forge, TN; plus many more. Please visit www.theroysonline.com, via Twitter and on Facebook. Fans can receive the latest updates on The Roys and all their favorite Bluegrass artists now on their mobile devices simply by texting “bluegrass” to 90210.
Mountain Music Entertainment welcomes office manager/agent Laura Jane Ford. She hails from East Tennessee and is currently pursuing her degree in Bluegrass, Country, and Old-Time Music from East Tennessee State University.
Stacy Claude currently works with Mountain Music Entertainment as an Agent representing Grasstowne, The Rodney Dillard Band, and Ralph Stanley II. Stacy is from Georgia and nationally tours with her band Dehlia Low.
Golly, Gomer! The Grascals are going places with their newest release, Dance Til Your Stockings Are Hot And Ravelin’: A Tribute To The Music Of The Andy Griffith Show, landing at #5 (its first week of sales) on BILLBOARD’s Bluegrass Albums Chart this week. The EP has legions of loyal Mayberry fans flocking to hear The Grascals’ live shows, and the band is ramping up for its busiest summer and fall touring schedule to date. They will headline festivals and fairs in the U.S. and Canada, including: Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival; Rudy Fest; Red, White & Bluegrass Fest; Western Kentucky State Fair; Stewiacke Bluegrass Festival (Nova Scotia); Craven Country Jamboree (Saskatchewan); Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Festival (Alberta); Missouri State Fair; Kentucky State Fair; Rogersville Bluegrass Festival (New Brunswick); New Richmond Bluegrass Festival (Quebec), and the Heroes Music Festival.
The Grascals are known for creating records with great themes, and DANCE (their fifth studio album and second release on their own BluGrascal Records), is proof in the pudding. Pull up a chair, set a spell, find your “inner Gomer” and let The Grascals take you home – to Mayberry! While you’re there, take a gander at the five, vintage black-and-white videos that are currently airing on television screens across the country and online (including AOL.com, YouTube, Roughstock.com, TrueCountryTV.com and TheBluegrassSpecial.com).
Dance Til Your Stockings Are Hot And Ravelin’: A Tribute To The Music Of The Andy Griffith Show (BluGrascal/Saguaro Road Records) is available on iTunes: http://bit.ly/060711DANCE.
Fans can learn more about The Grascals and sneak a peek at the videos at www.grascals.com, andreceive the latest updates on the band and all their other favorite Bluegrass artists now on their mobile devices simply by texting “bluegrass” to 90210.
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage will temporarily trade their banjo for a steel guitar this week on the Tuesday Night Opry; as they join Gene Watson to debut the newest release on Upper Management Music – ”Your Money and My Good Looks” Gene Watson & Rhonda Vincent!
Street Date is June 7, 2011 with a record release party held on June 9, 2011 at the Troubadour Theater in Nashville, TN.
The new project has a WARNING label reading “Contains REAL Country Music”.
Five exciting new songs, (three penned by Rhonda Vincent) and seven country classics.
Traditional sounds with an original delivery; and a carefully placed balance between each of the voices.
Gene Watson has a tally of 75 charted titles, 23 top-10 hits and six number-one records. He is a member of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. Awarded the title of 2010 Country Music Legend of the Year from Citadel Media’s Real Country Radio Network. Gene’s radio hits include classics like Farewell Party, Fourteen Carat Mind and Love in the Hot Afternoon.
Rhonda Vincent is the Most Awarded Artist in Bluegrass Music with over 80 awards; including a record breaking 10 consecutive Entertainer of the Year Awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America and 7 consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year Awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. In 2000, The Wall Street Journal named herThe NEW Queen of Bluegrass.
Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent are veteran performers. Each maintain a rigorous performance schedule. The popularity of their first duets from Gene Watson projects; resulted in requests for a Gene and Rhonda tour; which co-billed Gene Watson & The Farewell Party Band and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. And now an ALL-DUET album from the finest in traditional country music!
Details at www.GeneAndRhonda.net
UPPER MANAGEMENT MUSIC
Rural Rhythm Records is proud to announce the new album release, I’M GOING BACK TO OLD KENTUCKY (A Bill Monroe Celebration) by Audie Blaylock & Redline. The wealth of talent on this album is certainly a fitting tribute to Bill Monroe – especially this year as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the legend’s birth.
The album includes the talents of Audie Blaylock along with Redline members: Patrick McAvinue, Reed Jones, and Russ Carson. Special guests on this exciting new album include: Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, Bobby Osborne, Glenn Duncan, Carl Jackson, Lou Reid, and Jason Carter. Tracks include favorites, “Mighty Dark to Travel”, “I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky”, “My Little Georgia Rose,” and many more!
I’M GOING BACK TO OLD KENTUCKY was recorded at Digital Underground, Engineered by Scott Vestal and Produced by Audie Blaylock. “Audie Blaylock & his Redline band have hit a home run with their new I’M GOING BACK TO OLD KENTUCKY (A Bill Monroe Celebration) CD on Rural Rhythm Records. With special guest vocalists Lou Reid, Bobby Osborne, Carl Jackson and Del McCoury they were able to capture the true Spirt of Bill Monroe’s beloved Bluegrass Music,“said Charlie Hall, Radio Host WCYO FM. The entire album, including the first single, “Mighty Dark to Travel” is now available to radio via AirplayDirect.com
Audie Blaylock & Redline are also involved in numerous other projects including the hit album, THE ALL-STAR JAM – LIVE AT GRAVES MOUNTAIN and the upcoming DVD set for release this fall. The band will also be part of the BEAN BLOSSOM LIVE – A Bill Monroe Tribute Album being recorded in June 2011 at the Bill Monroe Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival.
The Blue Moon Mountain Bluegrass Festival announced today that 5 percent of all tickets sales will be dispersed evenly to five local charities, including The Jordan Light Foundation, Shriners Hospitals for Children, and Highlands Center for Autism. The Pikeville College Booth Scholarship Program will also receive a percentage of the profits from beer sales at the five-day festival to be held June 27-31, 2011 at the Prestonsburg Equine Center at Stonecrest.
“The progress made by the children at the Highlands Center for Autism is truly remarkable, and the need for donations to fund scholarships to help additional children with autism attend the Center is ongoing, that’s why we appreciate the Blue Moon Mountain Bluegrass Festival for their support and bringing awareness to our cause,” says Kathy Rubado, Executive Director of the Foundation.
The Blue Moon Mountain Bluegrass Festival earlier announced an all-star roster of artist for the festival including J.D. Crowe, Marty Raybon, The Roys, Don Rigsby, CJ the DJ, Melvin Goins Bluegrass Mountaineers, Tyler Stephens, Vince Combs, Blue Moon Rising and Dale Anne Bradley with even more acts to be announced at a later date along with an announcement of sponsors.
Blue Moon Mountain Bluegrass Festival
The Blue Moon Mountain Bluegrass Festival is a five-day music festival that will be held July 27th-31st at the Prestonburg Equine Center at Stonecrest in Prestonburg, KY. In its’ inception year, The Blue Moon Mountain Bluegrass Festival will captivate the audience with an artist lineup that includes J.D. Crowe, Joe Diffie, Dailey & Vincent and many more famous names from the country/bluegrass industry. This entertainment extravaganza will prove to be your family’s new tradition with delicious food, corn hole and horse shoe tournaments. The Blue Moon Mountain Bluegrass Festival’s all-star roster of pickers and grinners will have music echoing through the hills of Eastern Kentucky.
For more information please visit the website: www.bluemoonmountain.com
The Jordan Light Foundation
The Jordan Light Foundations is a non-profit organization founded with the objective to help by providing spiritual, financial and emotional support to families struggling with the hardships of a medical crisis.
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.
Highlands Center for Autism
Bringing new healthcare services to the community is the mission of Highlands Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Highlands Health System located in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. The Foundation’s focus at this time is to raise scholarship funds for the Highlands Center for Autism, a year round day school utilizing Applied Behavior Analysis for the treatment/training of children with autism. All donations are tax deductible according to IRS non-profit guidelines.
Pikeville College Booth Scholarship Program
The purpose of the Booth Scholars Program is to assist academically promising youth in a selected region of Appalachia to further their preparation for entrance into and success in higher education. The youth targeted are those who demonstrate a high level of academic promise, a willingness and dedication to engage in additional academic study, Web-enhanced learning and other educational enrichment activities. Each year, Booth Scholars are selected from ninth grade applicants in Pike County, Kentucky and Buchanan County, Virginia.
Pete Wernick (“Dr. Banjo”) continues his long-running effort to introduce as many people as possible to the pleasures of playing bluegrass music. Since 1999 he has taught over 50 full-immersion Bluegrass Jam Camps across the country. In late 2010, he launched the Wernick Method Bluegrass Network to train and certify qualified teachers to offer jam classes in their own communities.
Over 200 people have completed or signed up for 11 Wernick Method classes as of this May, with numbers growing weekly. Wernick says, “We are scheduling new classes well into the fall all around the U.S.”
Metro areas where Wernick Method classes are offered include Boston, Washington, DC, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Phoenix, Reno, and Seattle. Several classes have also been held in communities in North and South Carolina, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Colorado. In April, Australia’s first-ever 3-day bluegrass jam camp was hosted by Wernick Method teacher Greg McGrath.
Typical classes happen weekly, 6-8 sessions on weeknights or 4-5 longer sessions on weekend afternoons. Students play in large and small groups, helped by jam coaches. The newest Wernick Method teaching mode is at bluegrass festivals, with several 1- or 2-hour sessions spread throughout the weekend. The classes teach practical jam skills including how to follow and learn new songs, faking solos, leading songs, finding melodies, and the informal ground rules and etiquette of bluegrass jams.
“The success we’ve had with the classes this first year has been gratifying,” says Pete, “but it didn’t surprise us. We knew we were filling a long-standing gap. What’s really nice is how the teachers appreciate having a ready-made system that works, and how the student comments have been so positive about the teachers and what they’ve learned.”
Wernick continues to train and certify teachers in the Wernick Method and to refine training materials including video, audio and written teaching guides. Teachers can learn more at his DrBanjo.com website to learn more. Nine teachers have received full certification, with more pending students’ evaluations following their first set of classes.
For updated class schedules, visit www.DrBanjo.com and click Classes. For “all things jamming”, visit BluegrassJamming.com.
2011 Summer & Fall Wernick Method Classes
May 21-Jun 11—Phoenix, AZ, Saturdays 9am-2pm with Mark Miracle
Jun 2-Jul 21—Brielle, NJ, Thursdays 7-9:30pm with Heidi Olsen
Jun 5-26—Greenville, SC, Sun 1-6pm with Gilbert Nelson
Jun 10-12—Palisade, CO, 7 hrs at Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival, with Guy Stephens
Jun 13-23—Hartland, WI, Mon/Tue/Thu 6-8pm with Jon Peik
Jun 13-Jul 18—Phoenix, AZ, Saturdays 9am-2pm with Mark Miracle
Jun 17-18—Cherokee, NC, 2 1½ hr sessions/day at Cherokee Bluegrass Festival, with Gilbert Nelson
Jun 20-23—Owensboro, KY, 3½ day jam camp with Pete & Joan Wernick
Sep 2-4—Woodstown, NJ, 6 hrs at Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, with Heidi Olsen
Sep 6-27—Seattle, WA, Tuesdays 6:45-8:45pm with Rob Bulkley
Sep 8-Oct 27—Elmhurst, IL, Thursdays 6:30-9pm, with Keith Baumann
Sep 12-Oct 31—Buffalo, WY, Mondays 6:30-9pm with Lynn Young
Oct 4-25—Seattle, WA, Tuesdays 6:45-8:45pm with Rob Bulkley
Oct 8-29—Elizabethtown, PA, Saturdays 1-5pm with Patsy Kline
PHOTO: LONNIE WEBSTER
The Urban Monroes new album Pavement and Pathways is available for mp3 download at CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/urbanmonroes2) and you can get an actual hard copy through the band’s website, www.urbanmonroes.com.
Pavement and Pathways follows the trail of tradition as it merges with the contemporary. This is the same roadmap the Urban Monroes have always followed as they intricately wind through the music-scape. This CD is a reflection of the band in that way, presenting the way they hear, feel and play bluegrass.
The band has released three singles from Pavement and Pathways, the most recent one, “You Don’t Have to Move that Mountain,” on Poetman Records.
