Burlington, MA  — After six long years, bluegrass super-group Longview returns on April 8 with the release of “Deep in the Mountains” (Rounder). This is the band’s fourth recording, but the first with new members J.D. Crowe, Ron Stewart, and Lou Reid. Deep in the Mountains is a tribute to the music the band loves, from traditional bluegrass from the southern mountains; to the first classic ensembles of Bill Monroe, Jim & Jesse, and the Stanley Brothers; even extending into the newgrass revolution ignited by Crowe’s band, The New South.

Longview was originally meant to be a one-time-only gathering of Don Rigsby, James King, Dudley Connell, Marshall Wilborn, Joe Mullins, and Glen Duncan. They came together at the request of Rounder Records co-founder Ken Irwin, to mark the label’s 25th anniversary. Enchanted by the band’s hot, high-baritone harmonies, he coaxed them into doing a record by calling it his “25th anniversary present to myself.” That was supposed to be the end of it, but the bluegrass world begged to differ. The CD reached the Top 15 on Gavin’s Americana chart, and won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 1998 Recorded Event of the Year and Song of the Year awards.

On Deep in the Mountains, harmonies remain as the centerpiece of Longview. Their signature trio sound remains intact, with Lou Reid ably taking Connell’s place singing tenor on “Old Log Cabin” and Rigsby adding high baritone to “Weathered Grey Stone,” a song written by Connell. King’s wonderfully weather-beaten baritone takes the lead, making the harmony at once visceral and silky – raw and sweet, like wild honey. But then, on “At the First Fall of Snow,” the band delivers the aching tenor harmonies that define the genre’s high, lonesome sound.

At the heart of Longview is an abiding belief that bluegrass is an ensemble music. Banjo player J.D. Crowe, of course, is a bona fide legend, still leading The New South. Ron Stewart (fiddle) is a prolific session musician and a masterful multi-instrumentalist. Guitarist Lou Reid plays with the Seldom Scene, was a founding member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and a member of Ricky Skaggs’ band. Marshall Wilborn has played bass for the Johnson Mountain Boys, Lynn Morris, and Jimmy Martin. James King is now widely recognized as on of the finest male ballad singers in bluegrass and mandolinist Don Rigsby is a veteran of the New South and Lonesome River Band. “When I’m playing,” Rigsby says, “my goal is to make them all sound good; and that’s their goal, too. Because if I can’t make them sound good, they’re not going to be able to make me sound good. That’s just one of the laws: the whole is no greater than the sum of its parts. That’s bluegrass physics.”

Track Listing:

1. Eating Out of Your Hand
2. Weathered Grey Stone
3. Room at the Top of the Stairs
4. Don’t Leave Me Alone
5. Old Log Cabin
6. Cotton Eyed Joe
7. I’ll Love Nobody but You
8. Baptism of Jesse Taylor
9. I’m Gonna Love You One More Time
10. At the First Fall of Snow
11. I Love You Yet
12. Georgia Bound

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Front row, left to right: David McKee, Chief Operating Officer, ALSAC; Darrel and Phyllis Adkins; and Dr. Amar Gajjar, Director, Neuro-Oncology Division at St. Jude. Back row, left to right: Grascals Terry Eldredge, Danny Roberts, Terry Smith, Aaron McDaris and Jamie Johnson.

Memphis Tenn. — The Grascals visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on February 4 and presented a check for $ 40,184.60 on behalf of Musicians Against Childhood Cancer (MACC). The check represents the proceeds from the 2007 MACC benefit concert, as well as sales of the the CD, Celebration of Life: Musicians Against Childhood Cancer. The Grascals have performed at the benefit concert each year since 2005, and they also contributed a song to the album.

MACC was founded by concert promoter Darrel Adkins and his wife Phyllis in 2000 after their daughter, Mandy, lost her courageous battle with cancer. In 2001, the annual Bluegrass Classic festival promoted by Adkins Productions since 1984 was re-named Musicians Against Childhood Cancer. All of the bluegrass artists who perform at the festival donate their time in an effort to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. Celebration of Life: Musicians Against Childhood Cancer was released in 2006 by MACC through Skaggs Family Records. It contains 37 performances by 136 bluegrass artists and musicians, recorded at the MACC benefit concert from 2000-2005. The album was International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2006 Album of the Year.

After presenting the check, The Grascals toured the hospital and visited with patients.

“We’re absolutely blown away by the courage of these kids and their families, and by the incredible research being done here. We’re honored to have been a small part of raising funds through MACC, and we’re thankful to all the artists who have participated in this project.”Jamie Johnson - Grascals vocalist/guitarist

The Grascals’ visit to St. Jude came one day after the group won three awards at the 34th Annual SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards held in Nashville: Instrumental Group of the Year (for the third consecutive year), Bluegrass Band of the Year (for the second consecutive year) and Mandolin Player of the Year (Danny Roberts’ second win in three years). The Grascals are the reigning International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Entertainers of the Year, having won the top honor for the second year in a row.

The Grascals recently entered into a sponsorship agreement with Mayberry’s Finest Brand Foods, a line of 35 Southern-seasoned stews, chilis, vegetables and baking mixes inspired by The Andy Griffith Show. During The Grascals’ St. Jude visit, Mayberry’s Finest Brand Foods, in keeping with the Mayberry spirit of friendship and generosity, donated some of their southern-seasoned fixings to the Target House, a home away from home for families with children receiving life-saving treatment at the hospital. For more information visit The Grascals online.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit http://www.stjude.org/.

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Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - “Welcome Here Again” (Green Linnet)

Nashville, Tenn. — Irish fiddler Martin Hayes is the recipient of TG4’s (Irish Television) 2008 Gradam Ceoil Award for Traditional Musician of the Year. “The Oscar of the traditional music world” (The Irish Times), the Gradam Ceoil is the highest accolade a traditional Irish musician can receive. Co. Clare born and now New England resident Hayes was delighted with the news, “To me, it’s recognition from inside the world of the music itself, which I haven’t had in awhile.” Martin Hayes began playing the fiddle at the age of seven, was competing nationally by the age of thirteen, and has captured six All-Ireland titles.

Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill’s latest release and first studio album in over a decade is titled “Welcome Here Again“. Hayes and Cahill are featured on the cover of this month’s Irish Music Magazine and have upcoming reviews in The Irish Echo and The Irish Times along with appearances on WFUV’s “Ceol na nGael” and “A Thousand Welcomes“.

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Classic Country Radio, WBZI AM 1500 in Xenia, WKFI AM 1090 in Wilmington and WEDI AM 1130 in Eaton, participated in the Xenia Lock-Up to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association on January 31.

Classic Country Radio participated in fundraising efforts to meet a goal of $1300.00. They were fortunate to raise over $1400.00 with the generosity of network friends.

One of the fundraising efforts was routed through The Classic Country Connection, the recording store adjacent to the Classic Country Radio studio. The Classic Country Connection hosted the Music Money for MDA promotion from January 24 through 31, donating 10% of all proceeds to MDA.

Classic Country Radio would like to thank the following people who helped them exceed their goal:

Howard Epstein, James Investment Research, Jen Brugger, Kari Ladrow, Tracy Raffety, Evan McGregor, Cristie Yontz, Scott Stockslager, Louisa Tsuchida, Les Bodine, Joe Mullins, Matt Hammons, Greg Gabbard, Roy Hatfied, Steve Shaw, Deb Roe, John Lucchetta, Andy Vance, Tiffany King, Paula Shell and Lorrie Steele.

For more information regarding the Muscular Dystrophy Association, please visit, www.mdausa.org.

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