Michael Martin Murphey "Buckaroo Blue Grass" (Rural Rhythm)

“Buckaroo Blue Grass,” a new CD by genre-crossing singer/songwriter Michael Martin Murphy, will be released on the Rural Rhythm Records label on Feb. 10.

The CD includes several new songs and many of Murphy’s classics, which have been hits in both pop and country markets.

Instrumental support on the CD is provided by a veritable A-Team band that includes Sam Bush, Rob Ickes, Ronnie McCoury, Andy Leftwich, Pat Flynn and Charlie Cushman. Rhonda Vincent appears doing background vocals.

“Michael is an amazing writer and we all enjoyed making acoustic versions of these incredible hit songs. I congratulate him on the new album,” said dobroplayer Rob Ickes.

Michael Martin Murphy’s son, Ryan Murphey, produced the album, wrote all arrangements, sang harmony vocals and played rhythm guitar.

The new song “Lone Cowboy” which defines the album’s title “Buckaroo Blue Grass,” and Murphy’s classic song, “Carolina in the Pines” have already been released on Rural Rhythm Records’ Fresh Cuts & Key Tracks No. 3, a compilation of tunes by the label’s artists for the radio market.

Michael Martin Murphy’s sidestep into bluegrass received an exclamation point late last year when he appeared at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s FanFest, held during IBMA’s World of Bluegrass convention in Nashville.

Michael Martin Murphy has spent the past several years performing and promoting cowboy music of the American West.

“Murph and I really connected since we were doing the same thing in different genres,” said Sam Passamano, president of Rural Rhythm Records. “He is helping preserve cowboy and Western music and our successful Sound Traditions series focuses on preserving bluegrass and old-time country music. Now we have joined forces together with ‘Buckaroo Blue Grass,‘ which intertwines both genres and we have plans for developing many more albums together.”