Cherryholmes Credit: Erik Anderson
This week’s edition of Music City Roots marks the final broadcast of the inaugural season with a short pause for the holiday season. Bluegrass Music is once again front and center for this week’s broadcast. The Wednesday night broadcast will feature Cherryholmes, Mountain Heart, The Nashville Mandolin Ensemble and Chris Volpe.
Music City Roots takes place at the Loveless Barn on the out skirts of Nashville, Tenn. every Wednesday night from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. The show, hosted by WSM’s very own Eddie Stubbs, features the best in Americana, Bluegrass and Roots music.
Music City Roots can be heard on the radio dial at WSM 650 AM or online at WSMOnline.com from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Central)
You can purchase tickets to attend Music City Roots online.
“Cherryholmes burst on the scene about four years ago with a live show that left people breathless and a story unlike anything else in the music. They were a large family living in East Los Angeles who’d had only a bit of experience with folk music when, after the tragic loss of a daughter, they sort of adopted bluegrass instruments and music as a family project. Somehow or other, every one of the four kids demonstrated prodigious talent, and father Jere on bass and mom Sandy on mandolin have molded everyone into a tight and blazing unit. They won IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year prize in 2005 and all three of their albums are keepers. But again, its their show that places them in the forefront of the music today.”
“Mountain Heart started out as a relatively traditional bluegrass band in 1999, albeit with an intensity that suggested a strong influence of rock and roll. These days, with the relatively recent addition of lead vocalist Josh Shilling, MH can’t really be pigeonholed. Clearly, with banjo player Barry Abernathy providing the Earl Scruggs rolling thunder, bluegrass is in their genes. But like the Steeldrivers or John Cowan’s band, the very quality of Shilling’s voice lays a soul/blues/R&B feeling over the whole thing. They’ll slay you with a Bill Monroe tune and then play Stevie Wonder or one of Shilling’s remarkable hybrid tunes. It’s something to hear.”
“Rounding out the night will be singer/songwriter Chris Volpe, a smart and sincere folk artist who’ll get you with bold thoughts delivered with understatement. And because it’s Christmas, we’re bringing in the chiming, glimmering tones of the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble. This year the group lost its wonderful founder and leader Butch Baldassari to cancer, but they carry on, making sonic magic that’s perfect for the holiday.” Craig Havighurst – Music City Roots
Music City Roots will kick off season two on January 6, 2010 with Donna The Buffalo, Tim O’Brien, Chuck Mead, Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin and The Believers