Jesse McReynolds is among the performers at “Torn-Aid,”a benefit for Middle Tenn. tornado victims March 20, 2008. Photo by Travis Tackett

Torn-Aid a benefit concert to raise money for the victims of the recent tornados in Macon County, TN and Monroe County, KY will be held at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 20, at the new High School in Tompkinsville, KY.

Performers include Grand Ole Opry star Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, Luke McKnight & Thunder Road, Marty Raybon & Full Circle, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, New Foundation, and Southern Express. Advanced tickets cost $10 and are available at Edmonton State Bank & South Central Bank in Tompkinsville, KY, and Citizens Bank in Lafayette, TN.

Admission cost $15 at the door, 6 and under will be admitted free. Admission for ages 7-12 is $5. For more information call (931) 258-4185.

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The Charlie Sizemore Band on stage at the Iron Post in Urbana, IL. March 15, 2008. Sizemore (guitar), Matt Despain (resonator guitar), Danny Barnes (mandolin), John Pennell (bass) and Barry Crabtree (Banjo) sitting in.
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Charlie Sizemore Band

I’d never seen Charlie Sizemore perform previous to this past weekend when he and his very capable bandmates, known collectively as The Charlie Sizemore Band, showed up in the far-back 40 of my home in central Illinois.

I’d heard some of his material before, in particular the 1996 CD, “In My View,” and his latest Rounder release “Good News,” which came out last year. Many of the offerings on those two CDs were several shades on the plus side of darn good stuff. I was particularly mezmerized by “Keep Me from Blowing Away,” a Paul Craft song that’s on “In My View.” That particular song had been covered a few light years ago by Linda Ronstadt, and I’ve been captivated by the haunting melody, its chords and melancholy lyrics since my first introduction to it.

Last October, my son caught Sizemore and company at a Nashville, Tenn., showcase during the International Bluegrass Music Association convention. He called shortly after hearing that show and getting a few moments to chat with Sizemore with a fair amount of excitement in his voice. My son reminded me of a description I had used years ago to describe some CD or vocal undertaking on some CD. I had described that particular performance as one “bucket of guts,” meaning all the emotion in the world had been poured from that performer’s soul into his work. Ugly as it sounds, I meant “bucket of guts” to be a good thing, an off-the-wall compliment, if you will.

Regardless, that’s the term my son used after seeing The Charlie Sizemore Band during IBMA week: “He’s just one huge bucket of guts, dad.”

So, based on that description and my exposure to Sizemore through the two above-named CDs, I was anxious to hear this guy spill his bucket of guts at my feet. He didn’t disappoint.

Sizemore brought his band and show to the Iron Post in downtown Urbana, Ill., home of the University of Illinois. It’s also the hometown of John Pennell, Sizemore’s bassist and a highly decorated bluegrass and country songwriter — not to mention a charter member of Alison Krauss’s very first Union Station. (Krauss also calls the Champaign-Urbana area her home.)

The Iron Horse is probably considered roomy on any given night when locals provide the music from the small corner stage. On this particular night … mmmmh, the term “can of sardines” comes to mind. One of the bar’s employees told me that when Pennell is in town with a band, the place is always packed, as it was Saturday when patrons were lining the walls and even sitting on the floor IF they could find a spot to peer through the tables and sets of legs to catch a glimpse of the band.

I was lucky. We — that’s me and group of friends so close I call them all family — arrived early and latched on to two tables next to the bandstand. What I really mean to say is this: I was really lucky, because Charlie Sizemore and his band kept us very well entertained — from the last part of the sound check that we caught until the final banjo note of the encore, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” had drifted through the small bar and out the door to dance in the wet snow that was falling on Race Street that runs in front of the venue.

Whatever, I walked away from the little campus-town bar Saturday night, not thinking “bucket of guts” at all. No, this guy’s got more polish than that. Perhaps, anatomically speaking, “heart and soul” would be more appropriate.

Sizemore ended his show with the oft-heard “I hope you all had a good a time as we did …” but then he added, “I really mean it. We really did have a good time here with you.”

And it showed. Sizemore was truly there FOR the audience, and he gave and gave and gave. He had us smiling, maybe even laughing, with tunes such as “I Want My Rib Back” and “The Less That I Drink.” He had the crowd from Alison Krauss’s hometown howling with his current hit, “Alison’s Band.” But then, he had us listening intently, with nary a smile on our faces, with the aforementioned “Keep Me From Blowing Away” and “The Silver Bugle,” a tune on the new CD about a Civil War skirmish in Kentucky and the legend that grew out of the battle. And, yes, he put goose bumps on the back of my neck with a particular soulful rendition of Tom T. Hall’s “Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine.”

Sizemore has fun on stage — with the audience and with his band. And good pickers they are — Pennell on solid bass, Danny Barnes on mandolin and occasionally clawhammer banjo, and Matt DeSpain on resophonic guitar. On this particular outing, the band’s regular banjo picker, an ailing Wayne Fields, was replaced by Barry Crabtree, one of the founding members of Wildfire. Crabtree’s agressive, driving style added just an extra ounce (pound?) of pizazz to the show.

I also sensed there was more than just “fun” involved with Sizemore’s performance. His day job as an attorney with his own practice would lead one to believe there’s a lot more intellect involved here than just some hay seed up strumming a guitar and bellowing out mountain tunes. Sizemore’s stage demeanor confirms that. I don’t know how many times I kept asking myself, as Sizemore seemed to have a lot of closed-eyed, silent moments on stage, “What’s really going through this guy’s mind? What’s so captivated his thoughts?”

Perhaps, it’s all part of the man’s mystique. Who knows, maybe he was simply tired. Whatever, I walked away from the little campus-town bar Saturday night, not thinking “bucket of guts” at all. No, this guy’s got more polish than that. Perhaps, anatomically speaking, “heart and soul” would be more appropriate.

Whatever, Sizemore and his band came pretty darn close to blowing me away.

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Nashville , Tenn., — Rural Rhythm Records is proud to announce the April 22, 2008 release of Bluegrass Smash Hits, Volume 1 performed by The Mashville Brigade. Produced by Grammy™ nominated Jim VanCleve, this album is filled with 16 bluegrass classics performed by some of the brightest young stars in bluegrass music. The CD is the first title from an exciting new series from Rural Rhythm Records who is fast becoming the leader in Classic Bluegrass Collections, commanding over 15% of the weekly Billboard Top Bluegrass Album Chart with their collection titles.

Created over a year ago, The Mashville Brigade line-up reads like a who’s who in the world of today’s bluegrass music. Members of the band have either been nominated for, or won a plethora of IBMA, Grammy, Indie, SPBGMA, and Dove Awards. All the members, in addition to working with the Brigade, are full-time players in well-known national touring bluegrass bands, songwriters, and studio session players and have achieved lofty heights of success. This star-studded line-up includes: Aaron McDaris (The Grascals) who plays banjo and sings harmony; Darrell Webb (Rhonda Vincent & The Rage) on guitar and lead vocals; Ashby Frank (Special Consensus) lead vocals and mandolin; Jim VanCleve (Mountain Heart) on fiddle; and Randy Barnes (NewFound Road) on bass.

“The Mashville Brigade has really grown into something much larger than we could have anticipated when we began playing at The Station Inn in Nashville a year ago. All the guys in the band have been really good friends for years, and we all basically grew up together in the bluegrass scene. When we started kicking around the idea of putting a band together to play at The Station Inn, we knew we’d have a lot of fun. I think you can really hear that fun factor on this album,” Jim VanCleve

“Bluegrass Smash Hits, Volume 1” was recorded without any fancy overdubs or studio tricks, just pure organic and true bluegrass performances with traditional arrangements honoring and paying tribute to the legendary bluegrass groups of the past. Nashville Scene journalist, Jon Weisberger commented, “To this newly hatched side project, they bring first-rate chops, a thorough grounding in the canon and, as the name suggest, a dash of brash, postmodern attitude.”

The first single, “Take This Hammer” will be released on the May 15th “Prime Cuts of bluegrass,” Volume 93 compilation CD. Rural Rhythm is also providing free downloads to Radio Stations through www.RadioSubmit.com for the songs: Take This Hammer, Roving Gambler and My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains.

“Bluegrass Smash Hits,” Volume 1 track listing:

1. My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains
2. Banks of the Ohio
3. White House Blues
4. John Henry (instrumental)
5. Take This Hammer
6. Sitting on the Top of the World
7. Two Dollar Bill
8. Bury Me Beneath the Willow
9. Little Maggie
10. Going Across the Sea (instrumental)
11. I’ll Remember You Love, In My Prayers
12. Lonesome Road Blues
13. Ain’t Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone
14. Salt Creek (instrumental)
15. Roving Gambler
16. Sally Goodin’ (instrumental).

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Dry Branch Fire Squad

New York Times features story on the Martin Guitar factory tour.

“Given Martins humble origins, todays factory is surprisingly large and modern, built in 1964. The barn-red Martin building replicates the facade of the first Nazareth factory, but from the outside it looks to be playing host-victim to an industrial plant large enough to churn out cars and trucks.” PETER GERSTENZANG - New York Times

Sizemore gathering material for next project.

In a recent visit with Charlie Sizemore, the topic of a new recording venture came up. In August of 2007, he released his most recent recording, “Good News.” He mentioned he was hoping to record something new, towards the end of this year or the first part of next year.

One of the obstacles may be the search for some new songs. Sizemore stated, he’s on the lookout for some new material for an upcoming project. His past projects have featured some great tunes by the likes of Paul Kraft, Pee Wee King and both Carter and Ralph Stanley. An excellent recording of his from 2002, The Story is…, is entirely Tom T. Hall songs. As always any future recording will feature great songs that Charlie Sizemore will put his unique stamp on.

Dry Branch Fire Squad picks up dates for April

Ron Thomasson brings his wit — both the wry and the belly-busting variety — and his Dry Branch Fire Squad to the Midwest next month for three dates in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Apr 11 — Springfield, OH, Gospel concert at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 201 N. Limestone St. 7 p.m. admission is free. Additional info at www.springfieldcovenant.org or phone 937-325-2427.

Apr 18 — Hillsboro, OH: Colony Theater, doors open at 6 p.m. For info and tickets phone 937-442-2004 or 937-393-2166

Apr 19 — Boalsburg (State College area), PA: Acoustic Brew Coffeehouse Concert Series, Nittany Middle School. Concert at 7:30 p.m., workshops from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets $17. Directions and additional info at www.acousticbrew.org.

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