The Dan Tyminski Band releases their much anticipated CD, “Wheels,” on the Rounder Label today, June 17.

So, what do you do when you have a great job and the boss lady hangs it up?

If you’re Dan Tyminski, you start back at Square One — in a way. Not that his boss lady — that would be Alison Krauss — hung it up by any stretch of the imagination. She’s out and about these days with Robert Plant, touring on behalf of their smash CD. She told her band — the famed Union Station — that it would be on a year’s hiatus.

This evidentally gave Tyminksi an opening to spread his wings with a new incarnation of the Dan Tyminski Band. The group didn’t take long to head into the studio. Its new CD, “Wheels,” will be released on the Rounder label today, June 17.

This new edition includes longtime Union Station associate Barry Bales (bass), former Union Station and Mountain Heart member Adam Steffey (mandolin), sideman extraordinaire Ron Stewart (banjo, fiddle), and newcomer Justin Moses (fiddle, dobro).

It’s difficult to not like the warmth of Tyminski’s vocals and the Southern drawl he serves with them — and for cryin’ out loud, where did that Dixie diction come from? This guy grew up in Vermont, not Appalachia.

“Wheels” provides several great vehicles for Tyminski’s style — from the straight ahead bluegrass of “I Ain’t Taking You Back No More” and “How Many times” to great insightful, contemporary ballads like “How Long Is This Train?” and “Making Hay.”

“Wheels” provides several great vehicles for Tyminski’s style from straight ahead bluegrass to great insightful, contemporary ballads

And yes, one kickin’ instrumental, “Knock Knock,” which truly showcases the generous amount of talent that’s assembled around Tyminski. I’ve been a big admirer of Ron Stewart’s fiddle work with J.D.Crowe the past few years. He seemed to become the master of the fill lick with the New South. The advance copy of the CD didn’t specify who was playing fiddle on specific tracks, but there’s a fair share of Stewart-like sounds in the fiddle work here. Steffey turns in some dazzling licks as does Moses with some outstanding dobro work.

Alison Krauss, undoubtedly, will return to the bluegrass fold and once again summon her Union Station sidemen back into action. In the meantime, Tyminski and company aren’t wasting time. They’ve created a fine piece of work with “Wheels.”

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June 17 - The Dan Tyminksi Band will release the highly anticipated “Wheels” on the Rounder Label Tomorrow.

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Rounder Records will continue their onslaught of bluegrass CD releases with several projects set for release between now and July 19, 2008. Bluegrass All-Star group Longview, Sierra Hull, James King, the Dan Tyminski Band, Dan Paisley & Southern Grass, The Grascals and Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper will all see new projects hit the streets over the next 4 months. To listen to Samples from these upcoming records as well as others released on the Rounder label this year visit JukeBoxAlive.com.

Longview
Deep in the Mountains
Release Date: April 8, 2008
Six years have passed since the last recording from bluegrass supergroup Longview, and Deep in the Mountains marks their much-anticipated return. Original members James King, Don Rigsby, and Marshall Wilborn are now joined by J.D. Crowe, Ron Stewart, and Lou Reid, resulting in a potent new lineup with the chops, discipline, and heart required to make the bluegrass tradition come alive. From the first note to the last, Deep in the Mountains is a striking update of the band’s long-held goal: soulful old-school bluegrass with soaring lead singing and riveting three-part harmonies.

Sierra Hull
Secrets
Release Date: May 6, 2008
16-year old Sierra Hull is a rare talent: an artist who combines youthful intensity and energy with a sense of grace and maturity well beyond her years. Secrets, her national debut, features her fluidly, inventive mandolin playing and tender, wistful singing supported by a luminous cast of bluegrass masters. From full-on newgrass instrumentals to eloquent, heart-stopping ballads to playful modern bluegrass, Secrets heralds the arrival of a fresh, important new voice onto today’s bluegrass scene.

James King
Gardens in the Sky: The Bluegrass Gospel of James King
Release Date: May 20, 2008
James King is considered among the leading voices in traditional bluegrass, summoning timeless echoes of Appalachia with a voice that is equally urgent, yearning, and tender. For that reason, this project - his first entirely gospel collection - has been eagerly awaited by his public, whose frequent requests for such an album inspired its release. King’s interpretations of bluegrass gospel classics both vintage and modern are so uniquely suited to the powerful longing and commitment that underpins every note he sings. Gardens in the Sky combines favorites from the James King catalog with performances featured on albums by Paul Williams and Longview, King’s contributions to The Stanley Gospel Tradition CD, and six previously unreleased recordings.

Dan Tyminski Band
Wheels
Release Date: June 17, 2008
One of the most revered artists in bluegrass, Dan Tyminski, will release Wheels this June, Tyminski’s sophomore album as a solo artist and his first effort for Rounder. The thirteen time GrammyÒ Award winner has been enchanting Bluegrass enthusiasts for over fourteen years as the guitarist, lead and harmony vocalist for Alison Krauss and Union Station. His signature hard-edged vocal style is a favorite among critics and peers who have named Tyminski Best Male Vocalist at the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards three times. Rolling Stone called Tyminski “one of the genres biggest talents…” and went on to say that “Tyminski helps push bluegrass to the front line.”

Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass
The Room Over Mine
Release Date: June 24, 2008
Raised to the strains of classic bluegrass, Dan Paisley and the Southern Grass learned the ropes first-hand as the sons (and eventually bandmates) of such beloved figures as Bob Paisley, Ted Lundy, and Donnie Eldreth. Honed over decades of playing festivals, honky-tonks, Legion halls, and everywhere in between, their sound proudly reflects the timeless bluegrass soul of their fathers - while imparting a razor’s edge intensity all their own. Over the course of his apprenticeship, Danny Paisley’s singing has become proud, fierce, hard-driving, spontaneous, and unafraid to take risks, and when combined with the Southern Grass’s solid base in tradition, the result is a band and an album for the ages.

The Grascals
Keep On Walkin’
Release Date: July 15, 2008
The Grascals are among the most beloved new bluegrass bands of the past five years. Their rise was meteoric: their first album was released in 2005, and in that year they won both IBMA’s Song of the Year (”Me and John and Paul”) and Emerging Artist of the Year awards. In 2006 and 2007 they won the IBMA’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year. Keep on Walkin’ is the band’s third album and includes a smart selection of classic, original, and modern songs, including songs made famous by Waylon Jennings (”Only Daddy That Will Walk the Line”) and Merle Haggard (”Today I Started Loving You Again”), along with the bluegrass standard “Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” and the gospel favorite “Farther Along.” It also includes two songs from the pen of country hitmaker Harley Allen and a guest appearance from Vince Gill, who sings lead and harmony on “Sad Wind Sighs.”

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper debut album!
Release Date: July 29, 2008
The new band founded by five-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year Michael Cleveland, Flamekeeper are determined to put their own unique stamp on high-energy traditional bluegrass, while respecting and honoring the contributions of the music’s forefathers. The band features Cleveland’s fiery, inventive fiddle playing supported by John Mark Batchelor (banjo), Jesse Brock (mandolin), and Marshall Wilborn (bass), with soulful lead vocals from guitarist Todd Rakestraw.

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The Dan Tyminski Band

The Jerry Douglas Band

Ron Block

As Allison Krauss tours with Robert Plant this summer on the much anticipated “Raising Sand World Tour,” the boys from Union Station will be pursuing other ventures. Union Station will be working on individual projects and tours. This, however, is not a permanent situation, but instead is an exciting opportunity for all of us to see Union Station as individuals performing with their own bands.

Jerry Douglas will be on the festival and tour scene all summer. He will be playing most places with his super group The Jerry Douglas Band. The band consists of Doug Belote on drums, Todd Parks on bass, Luke Bulla on violin, Guthrie Trapp on mandolin and guitar, and, of course, Jerry on the slide. Jerry will also be playing some select shows with other individuals such as Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, Bella Fleck, and Brian Sutton. For further information, check out Jerry at www.jerrydouglas.com.

Jerry Douglas Tour Dates:

• Apr 3 — Savannah Music Festival - Savannah, GA
• Apr 16 — Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
• Apr 17 — Stonemountain Arts Center - Brownfield, ME
• Apr 18 — IMAC - Huntington, NY
• Apr 19 — The Iron Horse - Northampton, MA
• Apr 20 — Fairfield Theatre - Fairfield, CT
• Apr 22 — Birchmere - Alexandria, VA
• Apr 23 — BB King’s Blues Bar - New York, NY
• Apr 24 — Sellersville Theater - Sellersville, PA
• Apr 25 — The National - Richmond, VA
• Apr 27 — MerleFest - Wilkesboro, NC
• May 2 — Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ
• May 3 — Orpheum Theater - Flagstaff, AZ
• May 4 — Stagecoach Festival - Indio, CA
• May 8 — Claire Loftus Carriage House Theatre - Saratoga, CA
• May 9 — Rogue Theatre - Grants Pass, OR
• May 10 — Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
• May 11 — Triple Door - Seattle, WA
• May 30 — Warren Amphitheater - Warren, Ohio
• Jun 13 — Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN

Dan Tyminski will also be touring this summer with The Dan Tyminski Band. Union Station bass player Barry Bales, mandolin extraordinaire Adam Steffey, bluegrass journeyman Ron Stewart on banjo and fiddle, and resonator guitar and fiddler Justin Moses have come together to tour with Dan this summer. Tyminski and the band are also scheduled to release their first album this year on the Rounder label. Check out Dan and the band @ www.dantyminski.com.

Dan Tyminski Band Tour Dates:

• Apr 19 — National Heritage Museum - Lexington, MA
• Apr 20 — Swyer Theatre at the Egg - Albany, NY
• Apr 27 — Merlefest - Wilkesboro, NC
• May 3 — Stagecoach - Indio, CA
• May 16 — Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival - Gettysburg, PA
• May 17 — Bellbrook Jamboree - Bellbrook, OH
• May 24 — Moncon Wesleyan Auditorium - Moncton, NB, Canada
• June 7 — BamaJam - Enterprise, AL

Ron Block continues to write inspirational songs and is supporting last years solo album “Doorway”. Ron is currently booking shows for 2008. Log onto www.ronblock.com for more information.

Ron Block Tour Dates:

• Apr 19 — Feed and Seed - Fletcher, NC
• May 17 — Bellbrook Bluegrass Jamboree - Bellbrook, OH

This summer will be a great time to see and hear the individual talents of all the members of Union Station.

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