Good Thing Going - Rhonda Vincent

Burlington, MA - On January 8, 2008 Rounder Records will release “Good Thing Going,” the new album from Rhonda Vincent. Since her first release on Rounder, 2000’s “Back Home Again”, Vincent has met with increasing acclaim for her dynamic, infectious take on bluegrass. Her gift for balancing classic bluegrass sounds with subtle contemporary touches is featured throughout “Good Thing Going.” Gleaming with hope, resilience, and gratitude, Vincent presents a set of songs that range from timelessly straight-ahead bluegrass to effervescent swing and heartfelt ballads.

Joining her on the album are the members of her stellar road band the Rage on several cuts, and some very special guests including Jesse McReynolds, Russell Moore, Bryan Sutton, Becky Issacs, Kathy Chiavola and country music impresario James Stroud. The album was co-produced by Rhonda and her brother Darrin Vincent (of Dailey & Vincent), at Rhonda’s own studio, Adventure Studios in Nashville.

Rhonda Vincent photo by Russ Harrington

The 12 tracks that make up “Good Thing Going” include five originals or co-writes, alongside a range of contemporary and classic cover tracks. This CD is her most personal, autobiographical project yet. “I have never written five songs to include on an album,” she remarks. “I have to be inspired to write a song…but there’s been no shortage of inspiration lately.” From the hard-driving bluegrass of “Hit Parade of Love” (an old Jimmy Martin tune and longtime concert favorite) to tender balladry on “I Give My Love to You” (a touching original ballad, performed as a duet with Russell Moore) to the rollicking, playful autobiographical title track and the concert favorite, “Bluegrass Saturday Night” Rhonda proves once again she is the queen of bluegrass.

Rhonda will continue her ongoing U.S. tour in 2008 in support of “Good Thing Going” starting on January 18. For a complete schedule go to www.rhondavincent.com or www.rounder.com.

Track list for “Good Thing Going:”
1. I’m Leavin*
2. Good Thing Going*
3. I Give All My Love to You (Duet With Russell Moore)*
4. Bluegrass Saturday Night*
5. I Will See You Again
6. Who’s Cryin’ Baby
7. Scorn Of A Lover*
8. Just One Of A Kind
9. World’s Biggest Fool
10. I Gotta Start Somewhere
11. Hit Parade Of Love
12. The Water Is Wide

*original or co-written by Rhonda Vincent

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Raising Sand - Alison Krauss and Robert Plant

Alison Krauss and Robert Plant taped an episode for CMT’s Crossroads series this past Thursday, October 18th in Lebanon TN. The show featured music from the duo’s highly anticipated release “Raising Sand” which will be released Tuesday October 23 on the Rounder label.

Along with songs from “Raising Sand” the pair also drew material from the catalogs of Led Zeppellin and Alison Krauss and Union Station and the Everly Brothers.

The backing band, led by “Raising Sand” producer T-Bone Burnett, also included Buddy Miller and Marc Ribot on guitars, Jay Bellerose on drums and Dennis Crouch on Bass.

The show is set to air at a later date. For more information please see The Tennesean’s coverage.

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Fields of Home - “Bittersweet”

James Woolsey can set a jam session on fire, whether he steps up with one of his own tunes, an old standard, going solo or with his wife Lynna kicking in on harmony. I’ve seen him — them — do it several times. Fellow jammers’ ears aren’t the only ones that Woolsey has perked up. He’s had some mild success as a songwriter. The Chapmans have recorded his tunes; so did a band called Northern Lights.

So, I was delighted that the Woolseys, residents of Southern Indiana, decided to do their own CD, with their band Fields of Home. The CD, titled “Bittersweet,” it’s full of Woosley-penned tunes, all of which have the potential to wind their way to commercial success.

Woolsey’s difficult to peg. One minute, he’s Doc Watson; one cut later, he’s James Taylor. A lot of influences bubble to the top of his music.

He’s supported on this CD by wife Lynna doing lots of nice backup harmonies and stepping out front on a couple of tunes; Chris Rothrock on mandolin and Guy Jackson on bass. Rothrock, incidentally, makes some fine acoustic guitars at his Southern Illinois home, Jimmy Woolsey can attest to that — he plays a Rothrock.

The CD opens with a rollicking Woolsey-penned “Runaway Train.” It pretty much sets the stage for the rest of the CD with its dominant rhythm guitar riffs. And, that leads me to a caveat here: This isn’t pure bluegrass stuff. There’s no banjo, no fiddle. But bluegrass fanatics should listen any way. It’s darn good acoustic music that easily slides into the genre of Monroe.

I thoroughly enjoyed several tunes on this CD. “Listen to the Angels ” is a contemporary gospel at its best. “Reasons Why,” is a sweet love ballad. “Sugar Mountain” is a Woolsey-written instrumental, and is one of the cuts reminiscent of Doc Watson with its very melodic flat picking.

Also Watson-like and good for a chuckle or two is “Pike County Blues.”

Lynna Woolsey gets her chance to shine by taking the lead vocal on “Those Memories,” the Bill Monroe classic written by Alan O’Bryant, and on the Ralph Stanley gospel song, “Heaven’s Bright Shore.” On the latter, hubby Jimmy serves up some nice background vocals.

Woolsey, besides doing some quite respectable rhythm and lead guitar work, also is whiskey smooth on Dobro as he tackles the old fiddle tune, “Red Haired Boy,” with Rothrock also maintaining the respectability level on mandolin.

Perhaps the CD’s best is saved for last, a tender-hearted tune called “If I Make It Out Alive.” Written by Woolsey, it employs lots of meaningful words, and gushes with sweet notes and chord changes to tell the story of life’s highway, of trying to do what’s right and best, but always finding those bumps and curves in the road. The production of the song uses some strings, and I really can’t make up my mind if they help or hinder the song’s terrific delivery. The strings are pretty much buried in the production, and again, I don’t know if I like the quietness — or if they should have cranked the strings up as the song swells with emotion.

Likewise, another ballad on the CD, one entitled “I Still Remember Her Name,” opens with an old, (I’m talking old) retro vinyl, sound. As in, crank up the Victrola. Again, I question whether the gimmick was really needed.

But those are tiny blemishes I ponder on an otherwise wonderful offering of original music, with a couple of classic gems tossed into the mix.

If I had to criticize anything with this CD, it’s this: The packaging. No, no, no, I’m not talking about the nice, cardboard foldout cover that’s gaining in popularity these days. That’s a nice touch and adds to the product’s professionalism. It’s this: I counted the CDs title, Bittersweet, printed 26 times on the covers. But I couldn’t find the names of the players anywhere.

James and Lynna, next time give yourselves — and your band mates — proper credit in bold type. You all deserve it.

Details at www.fieldsofhomebluegrass.com

By Dan Tackett

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NASHVILLE, Tenn., October 16, 2007 - The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum brings its celebration of Historic RCA Studio B’s 50th anniversary to a close with two programs on November 10: The panel discussion “The Boys Who Made the Noise: Veteran Studio Musicians Remember RCA Studio B”; and a special performance by Jason Coleman and Meagan Taylor. Both programs are included with Museum admission and are free to Museum members.

“The Boys Who Made the Noise,” which will begin at noon in the Museum’s Ford Theater, will feature four first-call session players whose contributions were essential to Studio B’s reputation as a hit factory: Country Music Hall of Fame member and ace guitarist Harold Bradley; rhythm guitar stalwart Ray Edenton; bass player extraordinaire Bob Moore; and piano master Hargus “Pig” Robbins. Attendees can expect these veterans to share insights about the recording process and the singers, producers, and engineers they teamed with in building Nashville’s fame as Music City U.S.A. Museum Senior Historian John Rumble will moderate the program. Following its conclusion, the panelists will sign autographs in the Museum Store.

At 3 p.m., Jason Coleman, pianist and grandson of Country Music Hall of Fame member Floyd Cramer, and Meagan Taylor, guitarist and great-niece of Hall of Famer Chet Atkins, will take the Ford Theater stage for a special performance. Coleman and Taylor will perform songs from their new album, Legacy, which was recorded at Historic RCA Studio B. The record’s title references their familial musical traditions and the legendary studio that housed the recording session. In this program, Coleman and Taylor will also discuss their heritage and comment on the experience of recording in a renowned studio. Following the performance, they will sign autographs in the Museum Store.

Attendees of either Studio B program will receive a voucher allowing them to tour Studio B for only $5 on any date in 2007 (Museum members will receive a voucher allowing them to tour Studio B at no charge). Visitors will hear recordings created in the studio and tales from the building’s illustrious past. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the daily tours depart from the Museum’s main entrance on the half hour beginning at 10:30 a.m., with the last one departing at 2:30 p.m. During the remainder of the year, Studio B tours are offered hourly between 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and every half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Historic RCA Studio B is the Home of 1,000 Hits, where superstars like Eddy Arnold, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Charley Pride, and many others recorded some of American music’s most enduring songs. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum began operating Studio B as a historic site in 1977, and in 1996 restored the primary studio area to its original look. Beginning in the fall of 2003, facilitated by the philanthropy of the Mike Curb Family Foundation, Belmont University students began using Studio B as a workshop for completing recording projects, a partnership that also supports the Museum’s educational programs. Through the Museum, educational tours and recording opportunities staffed by both organizations are offered to students, arts organizations, educational institutions and visitors.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.com.

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George Shuffle

George Shuffler will receive the North Carolina Heritage Award on Thursday at a dinner with Gov. Mike Easley at the governor’s mansion in Raleigh.

Shuffler played bass and guitar for the Stanley Brothers for 20 years. After he retired, he hit the road again with his children, performing gospel music for more than 22 years.

It is Shuffler’s cross-picking style for which he is probably best known. After several years playing bass for the Stanley Brothers, he started playing the guitar and needed something to fill out the group’s sound. Thus, Shuffler invented a style of picking the guitar that many today try to emulate.

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