Latest Headlines from Cybergrass

Greenville, SC -- Layne Publications has recently launched their new YouTube channel to help their rapidly increasing pool of students. They are a familiar name in the bluegrass music community as the number one educational platform for bluegrass music fanatics. The website of the company has an awe inspiring collection of banjo, guitar, and mandolin tabs prepared considering the specific requirements of their students. Their new YouTube channel will regularly publish short videos to further assist these students.

The website of Layne Publications consists of the largest collection of bluegrass tabs across the web. All the tabs available at the website come in a package consisting of 2 MP3 backing tracks and chord charts. One of the MP3 tracks is recorded with the entire bluegrass band, and the other one is just the same without one specific instrument. The speed of recording is also lower to help students learn correctly and quickly.

Layne Publications was founded in 2005 by Jordan Layne Bourland, an expert of bluegrass music. This new concept of learning has already helped thousands of students learn how to play with a complete bluegrass band. Talking about the launch of the company's new YouTube channel, Jordan says, "We are proud to have a YouTube channel of our own. The main objective behind the launch of this channel is to offer something extra to our students".

Since 2005 Layne Publications has been the premier source for Bluegrass Instruction and learning. They have sold thousands of tabs and helped thousands of players improve their ability in the comfort of their own home. Students can then take this new skill out to their local bluegrass jam session or to the next practice with their band and show off what they've learned. It gives them the chance to practice things at home without the pressure of getting it right the first time. They can stop, rewind and continue going over that trouble spot without the bass player standing there giving them the evil eye because it wants to move on to the next song.

Tags: Layne PublicationsYouTubeVideoEducation

Monday, February 18, 2013, Presidents' Day, Bluegrass 57@7 will host Bluegrass Music's Monroe Crossing as part of their program. The concerts will be held at the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at the world famous Carnegie Hall. The program is part of the Distinguished Concerts International New York.

Named in honor of Bill Monroe, "The Father of Bluegrass Music," Monroe Crossing dazzles audiences with an electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and heartfelt originals. Their airtight harmonies, razor sharp arrangements, and on-stage rapport make them audience favorites across the United States and Canada.

Based in Minnesota, the group plays an average of 125 shows a year at major venues and festivals, frequently for non-bluegrass audiences - and people often comment that they'd never really liked bluegrass music until they attended a Monroe Crossing concert!

Monroe Crossing is made up of five very distinct personalities with differing musical backgrounds and tastes, combining for a very unique ensemble sound. They are Derek Johnson: guitar, lead & harmony vocals; Lisa Fuglie: fiddle, mandolin, lead & harmony vocals; Matt Thompson: mandolin, fiddle, baritone vocals; Mark Anderson: bass & bass vocals; and David Robinson: banjo. Their paths crossed through the music of Bill Monroe so they like to say they had a "Monroe Crossing."

Among their many honors, Monroe Crossing was selected to showcase at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association Convention and they were inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2007. The only bluegrass band ever nominated as "Artist of the Year" by the Minnesota Music Academy (MMA), Monroe Crossing won the 2003 MMA "Bluegrass Album of the Year" award. The group also took home four awards - for Female Vocalist, Guitar, Mandolin and Banjo - at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association's 25th Anniversary Awards Banquet.

Monroe Crossing has recorded 12 CDs to date, releasing not one but two albums in 2011. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Bill Monroe's birth, they recorded an all-Monroe CD, "Monroe Crossing Plays the Music of Bill Monroe." Their most recent release is "Joy Joy Joy" showcasing the band's originality and reverence for the bluegrass Gospel tradition.

The "Bluegrass 57@7" program will include"

Pepper Choplin, Composer/Conductor, The Music of Pepper Choplin performing:

• "Circle of Love" Emily Drennan, Soloist
• "I'm Going Home"
• "Sing! Shout! Praise!"
• "Angels Are Making Their Rounds"
• "Joy on the Mountain" with Sue Newton, Accompanist

Joseph Martin, Composer/Conductor, The Music of Joseph Martin performing:

• "RiverSongs"
• "In Endless Song"
• "Hymn of Rising"
• "Coming Home" from Legacy of Faith with Soloist Sue Martin
• "Great, Great Morning"

Nancy Menk, Guest Conductor
Barnett: The World Beloved, A Bluegrass Mass
Marsiha Chamberlain, Librettist

Monroe Crossing are the Guest Artists featuring Derek Johnson: guitar, lead & harmony vocals; Lisa Fuglie: fiddle, mandolin, lead & harmony vocals; Matt Thompson: mandolin, fiddle, baritone vocals; Mark Anderson: bass & bass vocals; and David Robinson: banjo.
Selections scheduled are:

1. Ballad Refrain
2. Kyrie
3. Ballad, First Verse
4. Gloria
5. Ballad, Second Verse and Refrain
6. Credo
7. Sanctus
8. Ballad, Third and Fourth Verses and Refrain
9. Agnus Dei
10. Interlude: "Art Thou Weary?"
11. Benediction
12. Conclusion

Tickets are available at Carnegie Hall.

Featuring Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Tags: Monroe CrossingCarnegie HallEventBluegrass Mass57@7Concert

/CMA/ Nashville, TN -- By Fett
Many of today’s Country albums and singles share certain production sensibilities. Over the past 20 years or so, they’ve come to adapt numerous production techniques from other genres – particularly rock, pop and R&B – to the point that, if you strip away the vocal, fiddle and pedal steel, the remaining tracks sometimes don’t sound that “Country” at all. This may partially explain why more Country songs cross over to other charts than in the past. But how do you balance this success against the idea of “keeping it Country”?

Lead Vocals Out Front

One noticeable aspect of both modern and historic Country recordings is that the lead vocals tend to be positioned much more out front in the mix, above the music, than in other genres, especially rock. On a rock track, the producer and mixing engineer treat the vocals as an extra partner with the instruments; as a result, the vocals tend to sit back at generally the same volume as the instrumental bed.

“It’s very important that the lyric be understood because, for the most part, Country songs are more descriptive,” explained Nashville producer, engineer and CMA Album of the Year nominee Chuck Ainlay, whose lengthy credits include sessions with Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, George Strait and Taylor Swift. “Each word is quite important, so trying to make the vocal front and center has always been an objective with mixing a Country record.”

Besides volume, there are several ways to make a vocal stand more out front. First, audio compression limits the dynamic range — the difference between the loudest and softest parts — of the material. That way, certain soft words aren’t buried and other, louder words don’t jump out unnaturally. Once a vocal track’s dynamic range is compressed, its overall volume can be higher in the mix. Audio compression can also provide “presence” or, when used more aggressively, an “in-your-face” impact.

Similarly, a boost of equalization (or EQ, tech jargon for the balance of bass, midrange and treble), can help a vocal pop above the rest of the mix.

Pitch Correction

While the debate continues over whether vocal pitch correction, aka “autotuning,” is a good or bad thing, it is extremely rare to hear a modern Country record that doesn’t use it extensively — not only on the lead vocal but also on all background vocals. It can be either very subtle or extremely noticeable, depending on how extensively it is applied and whether it is used across the board or only on certain passages or notes. Overuse of pitch correction can result in a tonally unnatural-sounding vocal track or a mechanical quality to intervals between notes.

“Sometimes imperfections are what make us hear the passion in what the singer is doing,” Ainlay said. “Reaching for the note can be more powerful than just hitting it and holding it exactly on. I never use auto-tuning where it’s just set automatically to even everything out. I’m always just drawing in the pitch only where it seems necessary. I try to leave as much of the way into the note alone as I can. If it goes a tad too sharp or doesn’t reach it at the very end, I’ll help it out a little bit. But I would prefer not to turn on pitch correction at all.”

Compression and Limiting

Most elements of a modern Country mix, from guitars to drums to the entire spectrum, use a very heavy dose of audio compression. When applied correctly from the ground up, this can help each instrumental and vocal part stand out and give the overall mix presence and power.

Limiting happens when the amount of compression applied to the material, when the compression is activated, is extremely high. This type of compression is often applied liberally to modern Country mixes at the mastering stage, where it’s placed on top of all the compression already applied during mixing. Once a record has been compressed, limited and mastered, yet another layer of compression/limiting is added during radio broadcast.

RMS Loudness

Why are so much compression and limiting applied at every level of production and broadcasting? The main force driving this trend isn’t musical — rather, it’s commercial. Radio stations want their signals to stand out above other stations as listeners move around the dial. The largest commercial stations tend to apply the most extreme levels of compression and limiting and are therefore the loudest as well. Record companies, in turn, want their singles and albums to compete with what’s already on the radio, so they push the volume as far as possible. Thus, the “loudness war” becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.

“Often, it really doesn’t actually make for a louder record,” said Ainlay. “It makes for a more distorted volume by the time it gets to the radio. Radio station compressors are designed to equalize the volume differences between songs. A lot of times, the records that are really pushed up there are just distorted and actually end up sounding softer.”

Midrange-Heavy Frequency Range

Modern Country recordings tend to be very heavy in the midrange frequencies. This is also to maximize perceived loudness and impact. It generally affects vocals, guitars and other stringed instruments and snare drums the most — all key elements in the genre. Contrast that with hip-hop, dance and R&B records, which have far more boost in the lower frequencies and emphasize bass guitar and kick drum.

Sampled/Triggered Sounds

Country productions take full advantage of the latest capabilities in the studio. One example is the use of “virtual instruments” to augment or even replace real, acoustic instruments on a track. For example, many drum parts on Country records might have been played by a real drummer, but the sounds we hear can be a combination of the original drum sounds as recorded through microphones and sampled sounds retrieved from a software library. Just as likely, those original sounds might be replaced completely by samples from different drum kits.

Metronome Tracks/Tracking to the Grid

Many Country recordings adhere to a click track, an electronically generated metronome that is set to a tempo expressed in beats per minute (BPM). More sophisticated click tracks can be programmed to change tempo slightly between verse and chorus, for example, to mimic the natural tendency when songs are performed live. But most are set to one precise tempo that doesn’t vary throughout the course of a song.

“I never put anything on a grid if it’s been recorded live,” Ainlay said. “I know a lot of people move the drums to the grid, but that’s just not how a drummer plays. You can make an impressive-sounding record that way, where when you first hear it, you go, ‘That sounds incredible.’ But it doesn’t last. There’s no heart and soul in it that makes you want to listen more than once or twice.”

Easy Does it / Less Is More

Many of the techniques and technologies embraced on Country sessions are apparently working, given the genre’s health. But while Country recordings can sound more current and sonically competitive than ever compared with other genres, they also run the risk of developing a kind of sameness to the point of being hard to distinguish from other recordings, within and beyond the genre.

“I’m always trying to put the same kind of warmth in the bottom end and create the same sort of stunning listening experience in the records I make,” said Ainlay, whose recent mixing projects include Lionel Richie’s smash Tuskegee. “That entails a lot of dynamics. That’s how you reach the heart and soul of the listener. There’s something there, as opposed to where everything is sort of flat-lined. A lot of new people making records these days haven’t been in the business very long. They’re just using the technology, rather than allowing to technology to help them. And it’s not just Country Music; it’s in every genre. We need more people willing to stretch out and make great music. If they do, our business will flourish.”

On the Web: ChuckAinlay.com

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.p

Tags: CMA CloseupSecrets of Country RecordingtechnologyEducation

Alan Bibey and Wayne Benson, two of the greatest living award winning mandolin players, have joined together to create some of the most exciting bluegrass music in recent history with, The Mandolin Chronicles. The album, to be released March 12th on Pinecastle Records, showcases the pair on ten instrumental tunes and one vocal tune, "Another Night," featuring IIIrd Tyme Out's Russell Moore. Bibey and Benson wrote six songs on the album, co-writing three of them. Other musicians joining them on the album include Ron Stewart on banjo and fiddle, Wyatt Rice on guitar, and Harold Nixon on bass. The Mandolin Chronicles is now available for pre-order from Pinecastle Records at www.pinecastlemusic.com.

Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson were destined to record The Mandolin Chronicles. Both men are widely known for their virtuosity on the mandolin as well as their widely revered ancient Gibson mandolins on which they weave their sonic tapestry. Appropriately, Gibson has produced signature model mandolins for both men.

Alan Bibey was nominated in 2003 for a bluegrass album Grammy with a group he led called BlueRidge for the album Side By Side. He was awarded the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music In America (SPBGMA) "Mandolin Player of the Year" in 2007, 2009, and 2010. He has been nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) "Mandolin Player of the Year" several times. With various projects he has been involved with over the years he has won IBMA's "Recorded Event of the Year," "Instrumental Recording of the Year," and "Album of the Year." I can track those specifics down if you need them. He has been on the cover of Bluegrass Now, Bluegrass Unlimited and Mandolin Quarterly.

"This is one of the most special and purely fun projects I’ve ever been a part of. It reminds me of how much fun I had as a kid exploring the mandolin. The band really brought our originals to life as well as all the others. Love the live feel!" - Alan Bibey

Wayne Benson was named SPBGMA's "Mandolin Player of Year" for five consecutive years in the early 2000's. He performed with "The Wreckers" (Michelle Branch) in 2006 and appeared on The Tonight Show, CBS This Morning, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and The View as part of their publicity tour. As a part of IIIRdTyme Out, Benson has won IBMA "Vocal Group of the Year" from 1994-2000 and countless SPBGMA awards.

"I am really excited about this release. The many 'Two Mandolin' projects that came before this one like Jethro Burns and Tiny Moore or Sam Bush and David Grisman, Bobby Osborne and Jesse Mcreynolds and of course the Thile/Marshall recording have all been favorites of mine. Making a record like this with Alan Bibey was a highlight for me!"
- Wayne Benson

The Mandolin Chronicles is full of stunning melodies, breaks, and instrumental harmonies backed by full bluegrass instrumentation. The performances, while technically intricate, are also tasteful and beautiful. Mandolin players everywhere will be studying this album for years to come as it is destined to become a benchmark bluegrass album.The Mandolin Chronicles

Tags: Alan BibeyWayne BensonThe Mandolin ChroniclesCD ReleasePinecastle

The crème de la crème of the concert industry descended upon Los Angeles’ Club Nokia at L.A. Live Feb. 7 where they networked, bellied up to the full-service bar, scarfed down the very expensive, catered delicacies and networked some more. And some of them got to take very special items home with them – a coveted Pollstar Awards plaque. The Ryman Auditorium was Named Theatre of the Year for the third year in a row during the 24th Annual Pollstar Awards.

The award was voted on by peers and is widely regarded as the most prestigious in the concert industry. The Ryman was nominated along with only five other theatres in the nation: Beacon Theatre in New York City, Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Radio City Music Hall in New York City and Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie in Grand Prairie, Texas. This marks the fifth Theatre of the Year win in the last ten years for the 120-year-old venue.

The Ryman Auditorium is also referred to as "The Mother Church of Country Music" and is recognized as the place where Bluegrass Music really took off. The Auditium annually celebrates Bluegrass with their Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman program. The Ryman was the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974.

Especially important to the history of the Ryman is its significant role in the history of bluegrass music. Although Bill Monroe had been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1939, it wasn't until a Saturday night in December of 1945 when bluegrass music as we know it today was born when a twenty-one year old young man by the name of Earl Scruggs stepped up to the WSM microphone on the Ryman stage playing the five-string banjo with a three-finger roll. This was the final ingredient in what we now know as bluegrass music.

The historic Ryman Auditorium continues to uphold its tradition in outstanding musical performances which naturally include bluegrass. Artists performing on stage range from early traditional country, bluegrass, contemporary country and more. Visit http://ryman.com/ for the latest schedule and to learn more about the history of this landmark venue.

Tags: Ryman AuditoriumPollstarAward

Austin, TX -- Marcy Marxer will release her first solo recording, Things Are Coming My Way, this March, celebrating in her hometown then across the nation touring with The Four Bitchin' Babes and as Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer. From Django to the Blues, Gospel to Old Time Country, this recording overflows with Marcy Marxer’s soul and sparkle. On tenor guitar, six-string acoustic, electric and resophonic guitars, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, penny whistle, percussion and vocals Marcy’s talents don’t all fit onto one recording, but you’ll get the idea!

Marcy Marxer is a remarkable musician. She has a voice sweet as an angel and an uncanny ability to play a mind-boggling number of instruments. Her songwriting is clever and passionate. Whether on tour with the Four Bitchin Babes, in duo with longtime partner and fellow GRAMMY® recipient Cathy Fink, solo, or teaching, Marcy brings it all together with impeccable taste and a love for music and people.

“Marcy is a great swingin’ force of nature on a whole bunch of stringed instruments. She has a big beautiful soul with a lovely sense of melody, which is well served by serious chops on guitar, uke, banjo, mandolin and probably a bunch more instruments that I can’t even hold correctly.”
– Bill Kirchen

Marcy is a multi-instrumentalist, studio musician, performer, songwriter and producer with 30 years of experience and a shelf of impressive awards. She has played acoustic music on Emmy Award winning National Geographic specials, platinum shipping Eva Cassidy CD’s and on over 50 recordings and instructional materials created with her partner, Cathy Fink.

Marcy's guitar playing spans a variety of styles- swing rhythm and lead, bluegrass, old time, celtic fingerpicking, folk fingerpicking and some of the most tasteful backup you can hear. The C.F. Martin Co. has honored Marcy with her very own signature model guitar, the MC3H which she helped design. Flatpick Guitar Magazine called Marcy “one of the country’s top Western style guitar players”. She also plays mandolin, bouzouki, hammered dulcimer, Latin percussion, banjos, pennywhistle and flutes and of course, the beloved ukulele.

After a recording session with Mike Seeger, Marcy fell in love with his 1918 Gibson cello banjo. She searched the world for one, recorded some youtube clips and was soon gaining a following for her amazing cello banjo music. The Gold Tone Banjo Company began making the Marcy Marxer model Cello Banjo and the instrument has since shown up in folk, celtic and even punk bands!

The fun-loving Marcy is all about connecting music and people. She directs 3 ukulele orchestras: a seniors uke club, a Brownie uke club and the Ukulele Orchestra of Washington. Now, with her new release, Things Are Coming My Way, Marcy can connect her music with an even larger audience. Now her music is also coming our way.

Tags: Marcy MarxerThings Are Coming My WayCathy FinkCD Release

Bristol, TN/VA -- On Friday, March 15th, lucky audiences in Bristol, Tennesssee are slated to be the first to enjoy an unparalleled bluegrass musical experience when two new bands of bluegrass legends and masters, for whom the term “supergroup” seems grossly inadequate, make their first road appearances since each debuted at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass last October. Originally scheduled for January 25th, the program had to be rescheduled due to bad weather. Now, Bristol's Paramount Center for the Arts has rescheduled this outstanding program for next month.

Hailed as an unrivaled assembly of first and second-generation legends, the Masters of Bluegrass -- J. D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Del McCoury, Jerry McCoury and Bobby Osborne -- anchor a night that begins with the Rambling Rooks, featuring three of the most admired and influential musicians of the past 20 years by reuniting one-time Lonesome River Band members Ronnie Bowman, Don Rigsby and Kenny Smith. Either group would be exciting enough on their own, but put them together and the result is guaranteed to be a one-of-a-kind musical experience.

Between them, the Masters of Bluegrass can count four Bluegrass Hall of Famers, two Grand Ole Opry members and a lineage that reaches back to bluegrass music’s earliest days. Separately (and occasionally together), they’ve appeared on countless late night TV shows, at every major bluegrass venue and on prestigious music festival and performing arts center stages across the country and around the world, where they’ve built enduring careers by delighting new fans and thrilling long-timers alike with wit, warmth, virtuosity and enduring creativity. The Masters are truly both keepers of the flame and also bearers of the torches with which bluegrass is blazing new trails in the 21st century.

With a score of IBMA awards between them, the Rambling Rooks have been in the forefront of bluegrass for some twenty years themselves, including a key five year stint with the Lonesome River Band. Since their departures from the band early in the new century, each has earned acclaim for individual accomplishments -- Bowman as a soulful singer and successful songwriter with a brace of #1 country hits to his credit; Rigsby as a college-level bluegrass educator and soaring vocalist; Smith as the co-leader of the Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, known as one of the most elegant exponents of modern bluegrass.

With renowned banjo man Rob McCoury on board for the tour, the Rambling Rooks live up to their name with an unsurpassed ability to wander through the entire bluegrass catalog, dishing up first generation classics along with their own contemporary contributions to the genre.

Tags: Masters of BluegrassParamount CenterJ. D. CroweBobby HicksDel McCouryJerry McCouryBobby OsborneEvent

Nashville, TN -- Kim Robins is proud to announce her debut album, 40 Years Late, set to release on Feb 5th, 2013. 40 Years Late is a timeless piece featuring 12 songs that display heartache and regeneration. Robins will be showcasing her new album with many dates in Indiana, January through March. Seven of the twelve songs were written by Robins herself, telling stories about keeping a dream in the back seat for many years; it will speak to those who have done the same. This wonderful collection includes stories that reflect Robins’ own life through her own original songs and remakes from bluegrass legends.

“This album is a mixture of traditional and progressive bluegrass, country and blues. Someone once asked me why don’t you choose one genre, and I replied because it is everything I am” quoted Kim Robins. Her favorite track on the album is “Cry” she states that it is a true story and very emotional, with wonderful instrumentals to make it a masterpiece.

Her influences include Buck Owens, Ray Price, Loretta Lynn and Barbara Mandrell. Her most influenced artists are Connie Smith, as Robins pays tribute on her on 40 Years Late, as well as Bill Monroe. Robins mimics the iconic hiccup that Connie Smith delivers on her debut album in “I’ve Got My Baby on My Mind”. 40 Years Late also features a bonus track with her father, a bluegrass great, Don Brummett and Butch Robins.

The team assembled to create 40 Years Late came together and produced an album that will be exquisite and cherished for years to come. Legendary Butch Robins on banjo; Michael Cleveland, International Bluegrass Music Association’s nine-time Fiddle Performer of the Year; Jeff Guernsey, former fiddle player for Vince Gill, on guitar; and Lynn Manzenberger, formerly with The Wilwood Valley Boys, on bass. Cleveland’s mandolin player, Nathan Livers, also played on several tracks. Richard Torstrick engineered and co-produced 40 Years Late.

40 Years Late Track Listing:

1. Born to Roam
2. Cry
3. If You Lived Here
4. Forty Years Late
5. I’ve Got My Baby on My Mind
6. Can’t You Hear Me Calling
7. Another Place in Time
8. It’s Me Again
9. Heartache and Regret
10. The Last Thing On My Mind
11. I Want to Know
12. So Long
13. What a Friend We Have in Jesus/ Shuckin The Corn (Bonus Track)

Tags: Kim Robbins40 Years LateCD Release

J.D. Crowe is in fact one of the greatest bluegrass stars of all time. He comes to WoodSongs to help us celebrate his legacy career, amazing banjo style and his recent honors from the University of Kentucky. Crowe began playing the banjo early and was offered a job with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys in mid-1950s. In the late 1960s, Crowe formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys, principally performing in the Lexington, Kentucky region. By the early 1970s, Crowe changed the band's name to The New South, widely considered one of the most influential bluegrass groups in history.

Many influential musicians have been a part of the band over the years, including Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, and Doyle Lawson. Part of the evening will be devoted to JD talking about his banjo style and introducing young, new players to the audience.

Banjoist J.D. Crowe was one of the most influential progressive bluegrass musicians of the '70s. Initially influenced by Earl Scruggs, as well as rock & roll and the blues, Crowe worked his way through several bands during the '60s, developing a distinctive instrumental style that melded country, bluegrass, rock, and blues. Crowe didn't receive national exposure until the early '70s when he formed the New South, but after the release of the band's eponymous debut in 1972 he became a fixture on the bluegrass scene for the next 20 years.

Born and raised in Lexington, KY, Crowe picked up the banjo when he was 13 years old, inspired by one of Flatt & Scruggs' performances on the Kentucky Barn Dance. After that show, he regularly attended the duo's performances, sitting down in the front row to study Scruggs' revolutionary picking. Soon, Crowe was playing with various groups in Kentucky, including an outfit that also featured Curley Parker and Pee Wee Lambert.

The young banjo player frequently played on local radio stations, and that is where he got his first major break in 1956. Jimmy Martin was driving through Lexington when he heard Crowe on the radio station, and was so impressed with what he heard that he drove to the station and asked him to join his band, the Sunny Mountain Boys. Crowe immediately accepted and began touring with Martin. While he was in the Sunny Mountain Boys, Crowe didn't stick to a strict bluegrass set list -- he often added rock & roll songs to his repertoire.

Brandy Miller is a 15 year girl from North Carolina who has won several banjo awards. JD Crowe is one of her banjo inspirations and we thought it would be fun to have her on the show to go pick-to-pick with her. Bring your own seat belts!

Brandy found her talent in the banjo at the early age of 6. Since that day, she has been entering fiddler's conventions, playing in bands and most recently has been accepted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Kids on Bluegrass program in Nashville, Tn. In June of 2012, she was ask to Tom T. and Dixie Halls' Studio in Franklin Tn. to record banjo on the new Daughters of Bluegrass project. Brandy is now an official Daughter of Bluegrass.

Brandy's accomplishments began when she started playing on stage at Sims Country BBQ at the age of 6 with The Dollar Brother's Band for the kids square dance. Since then, she has taken home many ribbons from fiddler's convention in North Carolina and Virginia. Brandy took home first place in the adult bluegrass banjo at the 77th Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Galax Va. Brandy takes lessons from two time national banjo champion, Steve Lewis.

When Brandy is not performing with her band, you can find her using her talent with different bands such as, The Dollar Brothers Band, Johnny and Jeanette Williams Band, Steve Lewis and Friends and many others.

Tags: J.D. CroweWoodSongs Old-Time Radio HourMichael JohnathonEvent

Nashville, TN -- It was a Super Sunday in Nashville as the MOST Award Winning Band in Bluegrass – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage – added an additional 5 awards to their list of honors at the 39th Annual SPBGMA Awards (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America), held at the Music City Sheraton. www.spbgma.com

The New Queen of Bluegrass, as deemed by the WALL Street Journal, and her court took home Fiddle Player of the Year – Hunter Berry, Bass Player of the Year – Mickey Harris, Guitar Player of the Year – Josh Williams, Female Vocalist of the Year – Rhonda Vincent, and the TOP honor of the evening Entertainer of the Year – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage!

“It’s an exciting night for us” Rhonda explains, “I’m so proud of all the guys.” “I feel like I travel with the best musicians in the world, and it’s great to know the fans love them as much as I do.” “We are humbled and so honored to be rewarded for our hard work.” “We live our dream each day playing the music we love, thanks to the support of all our musical friends and fans.”

The ballroom was filled to capacity; with attendees anxious to cheer on their favorite bluegrass artist. This was evidence of true dedication to bluegrass music, as the awards show was in a parallel time slot with football’s biggest game of the year.

Included in the evening’s program was a performance by Rhonda Vincent & The Rage; with a special ending, teaming 2013 Female & Male Vocalists of the Year – “Rhonda Vincent & James King”, ending in a standing ovation.

Rhonda & The Rage are the most award winning band in bluegrass music with over 80 awards. The band recently welcomed multi-instrumentalist Josh Williams as their newest member, and one year ago, introduced Brent Burke, one of the world’s greatest resophonic guitarist as a member of The Rage. This all-star cast is one of the hardest working ensembles in any genre of music, and predict 2013 to be one of their busiest years to date. Rhonda credits their tour sponsor Martha White with making it possible to endure such a taxing schedule.

“For eleven years Martha White has provided us with a state of the art tour bus.” Rhonda states. “It’s our home on wheels, and I sleep better on the bus than anywhere.” “It’s the only way we could keep such a schedule.” Tour Schedule at www.rhondavincent.com

Rhonda’s Facebook is growing at a rapid pace with over 24,000 Likes! and Twitter with over 6,400 Followers. They’ll be keeping the music rolling across the country to a city near you. Join them, Tweet them, Follow the 2013 SPBGMA Entertainer of the Year for the best in bluegrass music!

Tags: Rhonda VincentSPBGMAAwards

In April 2013, Open Records will release a multi-disc collection of 92 never-before-heard recordings from the Watson family archive, compiled and organized by Doc Watson’s daughter Nancy Watson. The collection features rare 1950s recordings of Doc Watson playing electric guitar and original songs by Doc and other members of the family. Also included are songs and stories from the family, recorded by the family themselves, that offer an intimate look into the musical life of this extraordinary family. A new Kickstarter program has been launched to help achieve a timely completion of the project.

Collages of hundreds of Watson family photographs dating back over 100 years accompany the collection. Click here for more info and to listen to sample tracks and see samples of the art.

Nancy Watson, Doc Watson's only daughter, would like to tell you a story. It is a story made up of songs, family history, narrative and photographs over a decade in the making. It is called Doc Watson Family Milestones.

Doc Watson Family Milestones is a collection that was created entirely from within the family, with input from Doc himself. It quite literally began with scissors and construction paper, string and glue, recently found reel-to-reel tapes, and stacks of family photo albums.

With your help, this multi-disc collection will be released April 2013 and the music and traditions of the Watson family will continue to inspire. Along with Nancy's handmade photo collages and personal musical discoveries, the four-CD, special-edition box set will include mastered audio by GRAMMY Award winning engineer Bill Wolf, and package design by legendary GRAMMY Award winner Gary Burden, a pioneer of album cover art.

We want to uphold Nancy and Doc's wish to offer this one-of-a-kind box-set at an affordable price. In order to do so, we have to print many more copies than what we can currently afford. Our goal is to print at least 5000 copies - let's make it happen.
What makes Doc Watson Family Milestones special:

• Recordings made by various members of the Watson family in an informal setting, without outside influence and for their own enjoyment.
• Rare selections that Doc Watson recorded by himself at home, using a multi-track tape machine, on which he creates a veritable one-man string band.
• Material ranging from Doc’s father-in-law Gaither Carlton singing songs and playing fiddle and banjo tunes, to Doc telling stories of his early life, to work songs sung by Doc Watson's mother.
• Recordings from the 1950s of Doc playing his Les Paul electric guitar - unavailable until now. At this early point in his career, he was playing pop, jazz and rockabilly standards with pianist Jack Williams.
• Three original songs written by Doc Watson, and original material from other members of the family as well.
• Home recordings of rehearsals for the 1961 Friends of Old-Time Music, as well as live concert performances spanning decades.
• Ballads by Doc, Nancy, and Rosa Lee Watson (Doc’s wife and Nancy’s mother) who also wrote two songs in the collection.
• Collages of photographs created by Nancy. Over 500 in number, the pictures were carefully chosen from family photo albums and arranged to support the music you’ll hear.

This is what we’ll use our Kickstarter Funds For:

• Audio mastering of the four-CD set by GRAMMY Award winning engineer Bill Wolf.
• Box set design by legendary GRAMMY Award winning artist Gary Burden.
• Environmentally sustainable paper (Rainforest Alliance backed, FSC certified) for the box set, thanks to our paper provider, Appleton.
• Book production and CD manufacturing for 5000 units.
• Production of a limited edition run of 500 numbered, foil stamped box sets, available to Kickstarter backers.

This is why we need you.

If we only make 1000 copies of Doc Watson Family Milestones, it will cost over $100 to buy. By producing more copies, the price per copy will be reduced drastically, and will allow us to offer the set at a more affordable price. The production costs to this point have been incurred primarily by Nancy Watson herself, and printing 5000 copies is simply an unaffordable prospect for the family to handle on their own.

Nancy's goal for Doc Watson Family Milestones is to share the story of music and family with Doc's extended family - those who love and cherish his music.Production of a limited edition run of 500 numbered, foil stamped box sets, available to Kickstarter backers.

Tags: Doc WatsonDoc Watson Family MilestonesKickstarterCD Release

Check out Kathy's latest video from the new Sugar Hill Records release "Calling Me Home". Songwriters Larry Cordle and Jenee Fleenor contributed the song, Builder Levy, James Minchin, and David McClister provided the iconic photos, and filmmaker Becky Fluke delivered the stunning visuals.

Kathy continues to happily accept invitations to speak to a variety of audiences on topics dear to her heart. This month she presents the keynote address to the Art Works for Virginia Conference in Richmond, and gives her "My Coal Journey" slideshow presentation as part of the Penn State Forum Speakers Series in State College, PA. Listen up!!!

Kathy recently caught up with old pal, Bill Cody, host of WSM's morning show. Kathy and guitarist Bill Cooley performed a few Christmas songs for Cody's Christmas breakfast concert live at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Thanks to engineer extraordinaire Charlie Mattos for photography and hospitality.

The Calling Me Home Tour hits the road again this month for the Winter/Spring 2013 leg, from Michigan to New England to her hometown for "Mountain Stage". Look for a show in your area on the full tour schedule

Four years ago, Mattea, one of the most sure-footed country-pop song interpreters of her generation, caught everyone off guard with an album of old-timey Appalachian mining songs called Coal. She’s delved even deeper into her Appalachian heritage with Calling Me Home, available from Sugar Hill on September 11th, 2012, co-produced with modern acoustic mastermind Gary Paczosa and featuring liner notes from bestselling author, and Kentucky-born kindred spirit, Barbara Kingsolver.

Mattea’s new direction couldn’t have taken her further from her old way of doing things. Where once she was pitched songs by Music Row writers, now she collects the generations-old and new but old-in-soul tunes that move her at folk gatherings, and rounds out her repertoire through extensive research. Two songs here came from a CD that Alice Gerrard, of the influential ‘70s folk duo Hazel & Alice, personally pressed into her hand at one such festival.

Once Mattea found her songs, there was still the matter of wrapping her voice around them. A mountain modal folk ballad may sound like the simplest thing on earth, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to sing. Says Kathy, “My big fear when I made Coal was I didn’t grow up singing this stuff from when I was young. I’ve had a commercial music career for decades now. Am I gonna sound like a lounge singer trying to sing Appalachian songs?”

Thankfully, that fear didn’t stop her from taking the leap, and both Coal and Calling Me Home offer decisive proof that she’s no dilettante. She’s always had a profound respect for traditional folk music—her ancestors played it, and in college she even took clawhammer banjo lessons and formed a bluegrass band—but she only recently came to accept that the music is in her blood. “I had to sing ‘Black Lung’ with Hazel Dickens in the fourth row,” she says, referring to the classic song and the revered Appalachian woman who wrote and sang it, about the tragic death of her brother. “Now that will grow you up. Either you own your performance of the song, or you don’t.”

Tags: Kathy MatteaCoalCalling Me HomeTourEvent

Early Bird Rates have been extended through Monday, February 4th so make your plans now (and save 50% off the walk up rate) for the annual Americana Music Festival and Conference in Nashville September 18-22, 2013. Full Festival & Conference registrations now cost only $250 for members and $350 for non-members (click here now to secure your discounted rate). Rates go up Tuesday February 5th.

Last years event brought together was one of the best and featured legends and the next generation of stars (check out this facebook gallery). Each year we are humbled by the artistry that supports our annual fundraiser. We have officially started preparations for this years autumn event and are excited to make Americanafest 2013 another memorable week!

Support the Mission: Are you a member? Join now to support our mission to advocate for the authentic voice of American Roots Music around the world. Your dollars help us to stay active all year round, to produce events like the Americana Music Festival & Conference in the fall, our SXSW showcase in March (more news on this to follow!), our Awards Nomination event in Los Angeles and we hope to expand to other cities this year. (Click here to become a member)

Only members may nominate and vote in our Annual elections for the Americana Honors & Awards and for our Board of Director Elections.

Fueled by musical legends Bonnie Raitt, Booker T. Jones and Richard Thompson, the next generation of stars including Alabama Shakes, Punch Brothers and John Fullbright, along with music industry heavyweights, the 2012 Americana Music Festival and Conference, presented by Nissan, saw over 15,000 fans, 300 performing artists and more than 1,100 music industry professionals, all of whom participated in the unparalleled five day celebration of American Roots inspired music.

“I have never been more optimistic about the future in my 20 years in the music industry,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association, “The passion for this music and the community spirit we experienced last week was mind blowing.”

Attendance for each aspect of the multi-day event continues to soar. The conference portion of this year’s event, where industry professionals and artists gathered for a series of educational workshops and seminars saw an 8% gain over last year peaking at 1,196 attendees. Registration for the conference has now increased by a staggering 40% since 2010. Stimulated by the rising popularity of Americana Music, membership to the fledgling not-for-profit has increased by 18% in the last year and 37% since 2010 to now include 1,634 among their ranks.

The Americana Music Festival and Conference (Americanafest) featured approximately 175 unique panels, workshops and musical performances over the 5-day period. The event expanded its outreach into the Nashville community partnering with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Downtown Presbyterian Church, the Hard Rock Cafe, Grimey’s New & Preloved Music, Second Fiddle and Nashville Crossroads.

Tags: Americana Music Festival & ConferenceAmericana Honors & AwardsEvent

Nashville, Tenn. (February 1, 2013) – Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out are proud to announce their latest CD, Timeless Hits From The Past Bluegrassed, is #1 for the third week in a row on the Billboard Top Current Bluegrass Albums chart. The CD was released nationwide on January 7 through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® exclusive music program.

"We're absolutely thrilled that Timeless Hits From The Past Bluegrassed has not only debuted at #1 on Billboard, but has held that spot for a third week," says Russell Moore. "Our entire team has worked really hard on this project and to see it achieve this kind of success is something that makes us really proud."

The album, made up of classic country hits re-recorded in the band’s signature bluegrass style, gives a modern flare to the popular music originally recorded by Elvis, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, The Platters, and John Denver, among others. The classic CD is available at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations as well as crackerbarrel.com, iTunes and Amazon.com.

Producer Barry Bales says, “Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out has been traveling the highways and byways of this country for over twenty years, bringing their talents to bluegrass music fans all over North America. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has been providing great food and comfort to many of those same folks traveling many of those same roads. So it seems only fitting that they would now be bringing you a collection of new music from Russell and the boys. Cracker Barrel and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out all under one roof - what could be better?”

Commenting on the remake of his original “Farewell Party,” Gene Watson says, “I’m a huge fan of Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. It means a lot to me that they appreciate this timeless song. It’s living proof that a great song can be recorded for any format of music and be appreciated for eternity. And what a great job they’ve done on it!”

Bobby Osborne of The Osborne Brothers, writer of “Big Spike Hammer,” added, “I’ve always appreciated and admired Russell Moore for what he has done for bluegrass music through the years and this project just validates my admiration for him and IIIrd Tyme Out.”

Lead singer and five-time IBMA Male Vocalist Of The Year Russell Moore says, "We're very proud and excited to see Timeless Hits From the Past Bluegrassed hit the Billboard chart and we're grateful for the opportunity to present this CD to our fans, old and new, through our collaboration with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. It's our sincere hope that our presentation of these classic songs will serve as tribute to some of our musical heroes, and that the CD will be a topic of discussion and listened to for many years to come."

For more information on Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, visit www.iiirdtymeout.com. For more information on Timeless Hits From The Past Bluegrassed and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, visit crackerbarrel.com.

Tags: Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme OutCracker BarrelTimeless Hits From the Past BluegrassedBillboardCharts

Nashville, TN -- /IBMA/ Registration for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass Events and hotel reservations will open March 1, 2013, for bluegrass music’s annual industry gathering and family reunion in Raleigh, North Carolina. The five-day event will feature the best in bluegrass networking, showcasing and professional development, with lower prices across the board for all tickets and hotel rates. The IBMA has also announced the schedule for this year's big event.

Please call 1-888-GET-IBMA or go to www.ibma.org to purchase World of Bluegrass Registration, IBMA Awards tickets and Wide Open Bluegrass weekend festival passes and Showcase Passes—and then call or go online to make reservations in our hotel block with discounted rates. We’ll be starting with four-night minimum stays at The Sheraton Raleigh Hotel and the Raleigh Marriott City Center.

The business conference part of World of Bluegrass will feature new tracks for music presenters, emerging bands and youth, along with expanded showcase opportunities and a pro-active effort to reach out to new attendees in the roots music community, as well as local bluegrass fans in the Carolina region.

The festival portion of the week on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27-28 will be called “Wide Open Bluegrass” this year. Attendees will hear bands that play full throttle, “wide open,” driving, traditional-edged bluegrass alongside edgy bands that draw from old-time string band, progressive, classical and jamgrass influences.

The entire community in the Raleigh is eagerly awaiting our arrival for World of Bluegrass, and plans are in the works already for banners in the street, fireworks, a North Carolina Pork Barbecue Championship, a street fair surrounding IBMA weekend events, presentations at local schools, youth events, free transportation and shuttles around town, music in local clubs and cafes, camping at the nearby fairgrounds with full RV hook ups and showers…and more.

World of Bluegrass 2013 will take place at the Greater Raleigh Convention Center, the Progress Energy Theater for the Performing Arts, and the Red Hat Amphitheater—all within easy walking distance. Evening and After Hours Showcases will take place at one of the anchor hotels, plus stages at five more venues in town (just blocks away, or a five-minute ride on the “R-Line” bus).

We’re getting started with ticket sales much earlier this year, so keep an eye on your email In Box and ibma.org for exciting updates and new details throughout the summer. We will be emailing more detailed info about registration, ticket sales and hotel reservations in late February, for the March 1 start date.

You won’t want to miss IBMA’s first World of Bluegrass in Raleigh! The complete schedule is located at this IBMA website link.

Tags: World of BluegrassInternational Bluegrass Music AssociationIBMAEvent

Asheville, NC -- John Driskell Hopkins and Balsam Range are excited to perform at The Grand Ole Opry on Friday, March 8th! “I’m doubly honored to be able to play my own songs in one of the greatest music venues in the world,” says Hopkins. They will be performing music from Daylignt, which was was independently released on Jan 22nd and will also be performing at select shows throughout the year.

Hopkins, widely known as a founding member and bass player for the Zac Brown Band, has been performing music for 20+ years. After hearing Balsam Range on Sirius XM one day, Hopkins, a lover of roots music of all varieties, called them up to see about accompanying him on his original tunes in a new album and a new musical bond was formed with outstanding results in Daylignt.

Of performing with with BR, John says “Being on stage with Balsam Range is like body-surfing in warm butter-cream icing with hillbilly cherubs. Smooth...” Balsam Range is Buddy Melton (fiddle, vocals), Darren Nicholson (Mandolin, vocals), Marc Pruett (Banjo, Vocals), Caleb Smith (guitar, vocals), and Tim Surrett (bass, dobro, vocals).

John Driskell Hopkins has walked the musical path for the last 20 years. As a bass player, guitar player, singer and songwriter for several bands of the rock variety, Hopkins rooted himself in the Atlanta, GA music scene in 1995, producing records and touring with his band Brighter Shade and later becoming a founding member of the Zac Brown Band to this day. Now he has teamed up with North Carolina-based band and Mountain Home Recording artists, Balsam Range, to record and independently produce a new album, Daylight, which saw its national release on January 22nd.

John is thrilled to have included several special guests on the album, including Zac Brown on “I Will Lay Me Down,” a sweet and sacred song; Levi Lowrey on “How Could I?” a song co-written by the two, and the heavenly Joey Feek of Joey + Rory on the autobiographical “Bye Baby Goodbye.” And of the musicians featured on Daylight, John could not have done better: the unmatched Jerry Douglas opens the record with dobro on “Runaway Train,” and Tony Trischka brings his banjo mastery to the title-track, “Daylight,” a longtime song in Hopkins’ repertoire about breaking through life’s troubles into brighter times.

Tags: John Driskell HopkinsBalsam RangeGrand Ole OpryDaylightEvent

Harrogate, TN -- Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) and the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum (ALLM) will welcome some of the nation’s top bluegrass artists for a special benefit music event at the Sam and Sue Mars Performing Arts Center of the Duke Hall of Citizenship on Friday, February 22.

The historic concert will celebrate the February 12 release of Rural Rhythm Records’ God Didn’t Choose Sides: Civil War True Stories about Real People album that coincides with the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The concert and CD features some of today’s top artists including: Steve Gulley, Dale Ann Bradley, Marty Raybon, Carrie Hassler, Brad Gulley, Tim Stafford, Dave Adkins, and the Gap Creek Quartet. Supporting musicians include: Sierra Hull (mandolin), Jason Burleson (banjo), Brandon Godman (fiddle), Phil Leadbetter (dobro), Bryan Turner (bass) and Debbie Gulley (vocals). Mark “Brink” Brinkman will also provide a special songwriter segment.

The proceeds from the concert will benefit the ALLM and help fund a documentary on the project that is currently under development. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 7 p.m. Two ticket options are available. A VIP experience includes a reception at the LMU President’s House before the concert, a copy of the CD, VIP seats at the show and a meet and greet with the musicians after the show. VIP tickets are available for $100. General admission tickets are $35. Tickets can be purchased online at http://Alumni.lmunet.edu/concert.

The album, God Didn’t Choose Sides: Civil War True Stories about Real People, includes 12 original songs inspired by journals, stories and artifacts from soldiers, civilians and politicians during the Civil War. Also included on the recording is the traditional song “There is a Fountain” performed by the Gap Creek Quartet. It’s a collection of songs that focus on the common men and women who were thrown together into the realities and horrors of war; people who displayed amazing acts of kindness, selflessness, faith, love and brotherhood. All but one track, “Legend of Jennie Wade”, on album were recorded, at least in part, at Steve Gulley’s The Curve Studio in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.

Accompanying the music is an extensive 16-page booklet filled with historical notes, photographs and lyrics. LMU and ALLM archivist Michelle Ganz provided historical content supervision and materials from the ALLM collection. Additional assistance was provided by ALLM Program and Tourism Director Carol Campbell and the historical booklet notes were provided by Jamie Lynn Brinkman.

Rural Rhythm Records has set up a dedicated site for the album that includes interviews, additional content relating to the history behind the songs, songwriters, performing artists and musicians. Visit RuralRhythm.com for more information.

The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum is located on the historic campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Housing one of the top five Lincoln and Civil War private collections in the world, the Museum is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about this and other programs at the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum, call 423-869-6235.

Tags: God Didn't Choose SidesRural RhythmAbraham Lincoln LibraryEventCD Release

Nashville, TN -- As one of the top-rated shows on the RFD television network, “Larry’s Country Diner” reaches 1.4 million people each and every month. A unique down-home variety show, “Larry’s Country Diner” in just over three short years has become a favorite “eatery” of country fans everywhere. Kicking off the February series on the 7th will be Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. Vincent is an artist at the Top of her game as the most awarded group in bluegrass music with over 80 awards to their credit.

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage have multiple Grammy nominations, 5 consecutive Entertainer of the Year Awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America, and an unprecedented 7 consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year Awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association.

This month’s shows feature country music performances served up by the stars of yesterday and today, which will melt hearts across the country. With the addition of “Larry’s Country Diner” to the FamilyNet channel line-up, even more families will fall in love with “Larry’s Country Diner” and its cast of characters.

You can catch a new show every week in February on the RFD network:

• Feb. 7: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
• Feb. 14: Charlie Daniels
• Feb. 21: The Church Sisters with Carl Jackson
• Feb. 28: The Texas Tenors

Air times for “Larry’s Country Diner” are Thursday night at 7 PM CT/8 PM ET, Friday morning at 9 AM CT/10 AM ET, or Saturday evening from 10 PM CT/11 PM ET. For more information on “Larry’s Country Diner,” please visit larryscountrydiner.com.

Taped in front of a live studio/diner audience at NorthStar Studios (3201 Dickerson Pike, Nashville), the show’s spontaneity is part of the mystique of “Larry’s Country Diner” which contributes greatly to its success. “Love” is a main ingredient in each and every episode and the stars “love” appearing on the shows. The fans “love” watching the wholesome programming.

Larry’s Country Diner is a unique down-home variety show which integrates entertainment, interviews and music in a weekly format, taped LIVE in front of a studio audience in a country diner setting. The show features regular characters including Black, Keith Bilbrey, Sheriff Jimmy Capps, Waitress Renae and avid church lady, Nadine along with special guest appearances by country music artists of yesterday and today. Since its initial airing on August 3, 2009, Larry’s Country Diner has produced over 100 episodes and has become one of the most popular shows on RFD television, garnering 1.4 million viewers monthly. The show can also be seen on FamilyNet, check your local listings. For more information, please visit www.larryscountrydiner.com.

Larry’s Country Diner is a product of Gabriel Communications. Owned and operated by longtime disc jockey Larry Black, Gabriel Communications was created in 1996 and specialized in “Reunion” videos. The success of these videos spurred the creation of more than a dozen more projects featuring hundreds of songs and stories as well as Country’s Family Reunion News, a monthly newspaper which highlights the music of yesteryear. For more information on Country Family Reunion products, please visit: www.cfrvideos.com.

Tags: Rhonda Vincent & the RageLarry's Country DinerEvent

Nashville, TN -- January 29th, 2013 - Producers of the acclaimed PBS music concert event series Bluegrass Underground today announced that the series is a proud recipient of a coveted EMMY award from the 27th Annual Mid South Emmy Awards. The honorees were announced January 26th in a ceremony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, TN. Bluegrass Underground is a live concert and radio show held inside the Volcano Room -- an amphitheater 333 feet underground, one of the most acoustically pure natural spaces on or under the earth.

The Emmy for excellence in Lighting design and execution was awarded Bluegrass Underground Season One. Recipients included the nationally recognized lighting designer Allen Branton, gaffer Han Henze, electrician Wally Bigbee and the series' production company, Todd Squared, LLC.

The Emmy for Lighting was one of five categories for which Bluegrass Underground held nominations. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) judges also honored the 'underground' series with additional Emmy nominations for Best Arts Program, Technical Achievement, Videography and Audio.

Allen Branton (lighting designer for such artistic luminaries as Michael Jackson, U2, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, and Madonna) believes there could be no better place for his work than in the true absence of all light, such as this concert location: 333-feet deep inside the wondrous Volcano Room of Cumberland Caverns near McMinnville, TN. "I want to thank the cave. What a joy to practice one's craft in such a special place".

"The Bluegrass Underground Emmy recognizes the commitment to quality and excellence that this series strives to achieve," said Todd Jarrell, one of the executive producers of the series. "We are deeply honored for this recognition and very satisfied to see the work of Allen, Han, Wally and the entire team recognized."

"Bluegrass Underground is a little bit Bluegrass and a little bit Underground," says series creator and executive producer Todd Mayo, "literally and metaphorically an effort to shine a light on America's finest export: it's musical culture."

Directed by Nashville's legendary James Burton Yockey, this Americana-Roots-Bluegrass 'musical adventure' series found wide acclaim in its first season and is now airing on PBS in over 200+ U.S. markets. The unique mix of HD video, a near-perfect acoustical cavern, and top musical talent brings viewers "an eye-popping presentation of one of the most visually amazing venues there is," says Jarrell.

Currently midway through its Season Two run, Bluegrass Underground Season Three will premier nationally on PBS in September, 2013.

Underwriters of the television series include the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Nissan of North America, Griffin Technology, French's Shoes & Boots, and The City of McMinnville. "Our partners believe in the series, and for their support we are truly grateful," says producer Todd Mayo adding, "receiving recognition like these awards just adds icing to a very special cake."

For more information please visit www.BluegrassUnderground.com says series creator and executive producer Todd Mayo,

Tags: Bluegrass UndergroundPBSEmmyAward

Mill Town Music Hall is a proud partner of the Smithsonian Institute's "New Harmonies" traveling exhibit that's making a stop in West Georgia. In addition, the venue will host several concerts to serve as companion programming between February 1 and March 9. During its first year, the venue has been home to quality wholesome entertainment covering multiple music genres, so it's the perfect home for several New Harmonies events. New Harmonies celebrates the diverse offerings of music stemming from American history.

The Georgia Humanities Council, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, is pleased to present New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music. New Harmonies, a traveling exhibition, shares America's story by examining the roots of American music. The exhibit will highlight the unique story of Georgia's musical traditions. New Harmonies will spend six weeks in Bremen and the physical exhibit will be housed at The Warren P. Sewell Memorial Library (315 Hamilton Ave.).

"We are honored to have Mill Town Music Hall be a part of the New Harmonies festivities and look forward to hosting a series of concerts by some very talented artists," said Randall Redding, co-Founder of Mill Town Music Hall. "We encourage the community to support all of these worthwhile events being held around town."

The Mill Town Music Hall concerts that are part of the celebration include:

• Friday, Feb. 1 – Featuring The Perrys, Triumphant and Tribute Quartet. These award-winning gospel groups will perform as part of the venue's first anniversary celebration.
• Saturday, Feb. 2 – Featuring The Isaacs and The Diplomats. These award-winning gospel groups will perform as part of the venue's first anniversary celebration.
• Friday, Feb. 8 – American Idol alumnus Bo Bice. After finishing second on American Idol, Bice charted a number two song on the Billboard Hot 100 with a rendition of "Inside Your Heaven." He has recorded three albums since Idol.
• Friday, Feb. 22 – Rhonda Vincent and Gene Watson. Vincent is an award-winning bluegrass singer, is considered the "Queen of Bluegrass". Watson has notched six number ones, 23 top tens and more than 75 charted singles.
• Saturday, March 9 – Little Texas and Homegrown. Little Texas has 8 top ten country hits, including the number one single "My Love". Homegrown was founded in Carrollton and has a country/rock/pop delivery that you won't find anywhere else.

Tickets range for each show. To learn more or to purchase Mill Town Music Hall tickets in advance: Visit Mill Town Music Hall box office: Open Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Call Mill Town Music Hall box office at 770-537-6455. Online tickets can be purchased through the www.MillTownMusicHall.com and www.TicketAlternative.com websites.

Upcoming performers include Jeff and Sheri Easter with Blue Ridge on March 29; and Newsong on April 13. For more information about Mill Town Music Hall or for an upcoming calendar of events, please visit us at www.MillTownMusicHall.com; follow us on Twitter @Mill_Town_Music, or on Facebook.

Mill Town Music Hall can comfortably seat more than 1,000 people and boasts a state-of-the-art audio and visual system. The venue hosts numerous Southern Gospel, Contemporary Christian, Bluegrass, and Country concerts, along with other family-friendly events. The facility can also be rented for corporate events and private receptions.

Tags: Gene WatsonRhonda VincentYour Money and My Good LooksNew Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots MusicEvent