Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road

Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road have announced their appearance schedule for the 2007 IBMA World of Bluegrass and Fan Fest Convention held October 1 - 7 in Nashville, TN.

Monday, October 1, 2007
1:30 AM - 2:00 AM - Bluegrass Virginia Room, #209, NCC
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
11:00 PM - 11:30 PM - Proulx Guitars & Mandolins, Room #102 NCC
12:30 AM - 1:00 AM - S. Florida Bluegrass Association, Room #108, NCC
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
11:25 PM - 11:50 PM - Hope River Entertainment, #102, NCC
Saturday, October 6, 2007
11:30 AM - IBMA FAN FEST - Lorraine with the Daughters of Bluegrass
10:00 PM - IBMA FAN FEST - Lorraine Jordan and Jerry Butler will be performing with Tom T. and Dixie Hall

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Mountain Heart

NASHVILLE, TN — Mountain Heart, one of the most talented, versatile and explosive sextets in the acoustic firmament, will offer a special treat to fans new and old on October 23rd with the release of “Road That Never Ends” (The Live Album) on Rural Rhythm Records. Building on the group’s already recognized strengths, “Road That Never Ends” ups the ante by bringing new elements of rock, blues and jazz to its signature blend of bluegrass, gospel and jamgrass, underlining the sextet’s unique role in the world of acoustic music.

Recorded May 26th, 2007 in the intimacy of The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan, “The Road…” represents Mountain Heart’s first live recording, and as their faithful listeners well know, it is in front of a live audience that this award-winning combo is truly in its exuberant, celebratory element. Presenting nearly an hour’s worth of tried-and-true fan favorites along with some choice new additions destined to lock-in even upon first hearing.

The recording also showcases the band’s newest addition, guitarist and primary lead singer Josh Shilling. At only 23 years old but with a wealth of experience and talent, Shilling’s elastic, expressive tenor handles the traditional high lonesome sound with uncanny flair even as his way with ballads (as on his own seductive, heartbreaking “Who’s the Fool Now?”) and soulful, gut-bucket blues (the low-down original “It Works Both Ways” and a scintillating interpretation of the Allman Brothers’ eternal “Whipping Post”) further expand Mountain Heart’s already-enviable stylistic range and command.

Mandolinist Adam Steffy has garnered six consecutive IBMA nominations as best in his field while fiddler, founding member and producer of The Road…, Jim Van Cleve earned a 2006 GRAMMY nomination for ‘Best Country Instrumental’ with his solo disc “No Apologies,” (on Rural Rhythm Records) and the rest of the gang (co-founder/banjo wizard Barry Abernathy, bassist Jason Moore and guitarist Clay Jones) routinely dazzle crowds with their individual prowess, intuitive, extra-sensory group interplay and–always–an uncommon knack for crowd-pleasing showmanship.

The disc features scintillating live versions of fan favorites such as Steve Gulley’s “I’m Just Here to Ride the Train,” a showboating workout on the beloved “Heart Like a Road Sign,” Barry Abernathy’s stellar reading of Pat McLaughlin’s soaring “God and Everybody,” and rollicking, kinetic instrumentals “Devil’s Courthouse” (from Van Cleve’s solo disc) and the lights-out closer “#6 Barn Dance” (which somehow falls just short of setting the Michigan woodlands ablaze).

An extra-special treat is the welcome return of “The Gospel Train.” Mountain Heart’s awe-inspiring rendition of the well-traveled traditional roof-raiser helped them earn an IBMA award for ‘Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year’ in 2002 with the album “The Journey,” but their then-label has since folded, leaving this inspirational evergreen out-of-print until now.

Change…as we all know…can be taxing, particularly when it involves the personnel of a much-loved touring band. But with “Road That Never Ends,” Mountain Heart meets the challenge, keeping the home fires burning even as it strikes out for–and conquers–new musical territory. Their hearts may lie in the mountains, but wherever the road takes them, these acoustic music masters will always make it feel like home.

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Ricky Skaggs and The Whites will be making a few promotional appearances around the Nashville, TN area on a couple different days in conjunction with the release of their newest collaboration “Salt of the Earth.”

LifeWay Christian Bookstores hosts CD signings on September 28th, 2007
Nashville LifeWay (11:30am - 12:30pm)
1010 Broadway · Nashville, TN 37203
Franklin LifeWay (2:00pm - 3:00pm)
1725 Galleria Blvd · Franklin, TN 37067
Hendersonville LifeWay (5:30pm - 6:30pm)
1050 Glenbrook Way, Ste 130 · Hendersonville, TN 37075

Ricky Skaggs and The Whites
Appearing Monday, October 1st
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Store
Nashville, TN 4 pm
Join them in celebrating the release of their first collaborative album, Salt of the Earth!
Country Music Hall of Fame

Skaggs Family Records Showcase
First Quality / Gibson presents Skaggs Family Records Showcase!
IBMA Week - Open to the public!
Wednesday, October 3 · 11 pm - 2 am
Join Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Cadillac Sky, The Whites, and Cherryholmes for a night of music and fun at the Renaissance Hotel’s Belmont Room (3rd Floor)! You don’t want to miss this one!

-from SkaggsFamilyRecords website

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Salt of the Earth

Ricky Skaggs & The Whites - “Salt of the Earth” - Skaggs Family Records

Taylor, Earl & Mccall, Jim - “24 Bluegrass Favorites, Vintage 70’s” Rural Rhythm Records

Various Artists - “At Home For Christmas: The Bluegrass Collection” - Import CD - Madacy

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Steve Dilling and Russell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out photo by Rickey Lamb

Attending a festival at Bean Blossom, Indiana, hallowed ground to Bill Monroe disciples, is almost like living a bluegrass classic. It has the hills and hollers where fiddle and banjo music rings, either from the amplified stage system or from the many late night/early morning jam sessions. It has many wisps of smoke rising from campers’ fires — makes no difference if it’s 90 in the shade or a crisp fall evening. (After all, even the most novice camper would ask, what’s camping without a camp fire?)

More importantly, like any good bluegrass tune, Bean Blossom’s bluegrass campground spills over with good, salt-of-the-earth types.

Today, the campground is quiet with Uncle Pen Days 2007 wrapping up Saturday. Only the last ghostly musical notes of jammers and performers can be heard, bouncing down the hollers and up into the hills. Of course, those notes are all figments of memories. And Uncle Pen Days produced a ton of them — notes and memories, that is.

Several folks camping in my neck of the Bean Blossom woods believed Uncle Pen Days’ opening night yielded what they felt was the best single package they had seen at this festival. Indeed, it was a powerful and eclectic night of music. Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen provided most of the eclectic part of the menu with an 80-minute set that took the listener to Hillman’s days as a member of the Byrds to the Hillman-Pedersen collaboration in the Desert Rose Band to just some darn good songs, performed as tributes to some of their favorite influences.

Randy Waller photo by Rickey Lamb

Others on this stellar opening night playbill were Ronnie Reno & Reno Tradition, Randy Waller & Country Gentlemen, Grasstowne, Steep Canyon Rangers, Eddie & Martha Adcock, the Anita Fisher Band and closing act IIIrd Tyme Out. Most were repeat performances on the 2007 Bean Blossom calendar, having performed during the gigantic Bill Monroe tribute festival in June.

Besides the hour and 20 minute show by Hillman and Pedersen, Eddie and Martha Adcock also performed an extended set, due mainly to health problems Eddie Adcock is currently weathering. Adcock’s maladies aside, the husband-wife duo, as usual, had the crowd in their hands, performing many request numbers.

Two bands — Steep Canyon Rangers and Grasstowne — performed exceptionally strong evening sets. Grasstowne vocalist Steve Gulley, surrounded by stellar musicians and lifelong friends, put the crowd in a frenzy with his dynamic, soulful vocals. And Steep Canyon Rangers proved to be a tough act to follow, even for the tough act that did follow them, IIIrd Tyme Out. The Rangers do a lot of original material in their sets, but it sounds so doggone traditional — with one strong kick.

And IIIrd Tyme Out closed the show in their usual fashion, leaving fans on their feet wanting more — even though more (or is it Moore, as in lead vocalist Russell Moore?) is never enough. This marked the group’s first Bean Blossom performance since the departure of bass player and band co-founder Rockin’ Ray Deaton. Edgar Loudermilk, a longtime picker with Marty Raybon’s Full Circle band, is filling Deaton’s shoes and, in doing so, is giving this strong vocal band an even stronger vocal presence. Deaton sang the band’s basement-deep bass parts, but Loudermilk is a high tenor who offers a different blend with Moore’s unique and dynamic voice. So, what’s a band like this to do without their bass singer? IIIrd Tyme Out’s answer is to use their bus driver, who like Deaton before him, is able to rattle the woofers like an old pro.

Myron Dillman, Paul Williams and Danny Tackett in an impromptu campground jam. photo by Rickey Lamb

Whew! That’s a lot of music packed into one night, but as many said, it was perhaps the best single night of music they had seen on the Bean Blossom stage.

The four-day festival produced other memorable performances by a lineup of heavyweights in the industry. James King and his band were particularly strong with in-your-face harmonies by Kevin Prater and Adam Poindexter and some crowd-pleasing choreography as they worked the mics.

Bobby Osborne was … well, what can you say? He was Bobby Osborne. And J.D. Crowe and his merry band of pickers were the same as Osborne. Always, at their finest. And Bobby Osborne, perhaps feeling a little nostalgic, offering up several Osborne Brothers classics during his two shows.

Cherryholmes? They, too, were simply Cherryholmes, or as one emcee refers to the family band as bluegrass on steroids. What incredible energy.

Other powerful performances during the festival came from the Lonesome River Band, the Isaacs, and Kenny and Amanda Smith.

As has become tradition at Bean Blossom, Ralph Stanley appeared on Saturday, the event’s closing night. Also part of the festivities was the induction of a new Bean Blossom Hall of Fame member. This year’s selection was the original Carter Family.

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