In 1973, I met a couple buddies in college who were from Mount Vernon, Ill. These guys were big music fans, the kind of people I’ve surrounded myself with my whole life, and they talked and talked about a band from their area by the name of “Farm.” Farm, I discovered, was a terrific rock band that was way ahead of the times, especially for southern Illinois.

Farm had a southern rock sound more along the lines of the Allman Brothers Band. Farm’s album was recorded back in the early 70s at the legendary Golden Voice studio in Pekin, Ill. This is the same place where Dan Fogelburg recorded some of his early material as did countless other bands.

You’re thinking to yourself, “What the heck does this have to do with a bluegrass Web site?” Good question. The answer is Gary Gordon. Gary was the gentleman who played bottleneck and guitar, as well as provided vocals with Farm. This is the same Gary Gordon, along with his wife Roberta, who had a huge folk disc on the charts this past year.

The Gordons started their careers back in the early 70s with very strong folk overtones. Their first album was Southern Illinois Bluegrass, released back in 1976. Their music has lots of influences, folk, country, blues, rock, bluegrass, etc. These are two individuals who embrace a massive amount of influences….

Sit around and I’ll tell you a tale that comes from way back in the last millennium. The story, for me, takes me back all the way to 1967. I was a 13- year-old boy who, with his family, went on a Sunday drive to the big city of Terre Haute, Ind.

The culmination of that trip ended with the newest Monkees album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd. Upon returning to our simple southern Indiana farm home, with eager enthusiasm, I opened the newest release, the third from that year, of the pre-Fab Four. I placed it on the record platter and plopped on my bed. With my Admiral speakers strategically placed on each side of me and as the sound engulfed me, I perused the album jacket.

This has been an interesting year for music. Last year we at BluegrassJournal.com gave a nod to our top three favorite musical offerings for 2007. This year, my buddy Danny Tackett suggested we go for the top five. As usual, my list tends to be quite varied. Stick with me through my favorites and hopefully you’ll see the bluegrass connection in them all.

Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen after their performance at Uncle Pen Days during it’s 2007 run in Bean Blossom, IN. Photo by Rickey Lamb.
I remember the first time I attended a festival at Bean Blossom, back in the early 80s. It was an absolutely thrilling experience. Bill Monroe was still alive, Mac Wiseman [...]

Ray Hatton & Marty Lanham with Uncle Pete’s Martin Guitar at the Nashville Guitar Co.Ray Hatton, left, poses with his Uncle Pete’s 80-year-old Martin guitar that he has had restored.   With him at the Bill Monroe Memorial Bluegrass Festival in Bean Blossom, Ind., this past June are his cousins, Steve Mobley, center, [...]