Nashville, Tenn. — The Compass Records Group is thrilled to announce the signing of Missy Raines, “superstar bluegrass bassist” (The Free Lance-Star) and seven time recipient of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) award for Bass Player of the Year. Now fronting her hot new band The New Hip, a “startlingly gifted quintet” (Jon Weisberger, The Nashville Scene), Raines is poised to have her longtime dream realized: an album that fuses bluegrass virtuosity with jazz-tinged grooves and a song-driven sensibility.

Nashville, Tenn. — Rounder Records recording artists The Grascals are keeping busy when they have a break from the road in Nashville by working with some great friends. A recent recording session with outlaw and legend Hank Williams, Jr. will result in The Grascals being featured on Hank’s next album on the tune “All the Roads Open to My Heart.” The guys are also opening up for good friend and talented musician Ronnie Milsap at the sold out WSM Listener Appreciation Night held at the Ryman Auditorium this Thursday, November 6, 2008.

Wilkesboro, NC — The box office will open for MerleFest 2009 ticket sales on Tuesday, November 11, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Ticket purchases can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. MerleFest, celebrating its 22nd year from April 23-26, 2009, will feature over 90 acts performing on 15 stages. A complete list of confirmed performers is available at http://www.merlefest.org/. Ticket prices for 2009 remain the same as for 2008.