Virginia-based bluegrass band Nothin’ Fancy won the top accolade of the evening during the 34th Annual National SPBGMA (Society For The Preservation Of Bluegrass Music In America) Awards when the band was named “Entertaining Group Of The Year” by the organization’s members. The awards were held at the Music City Sheraton Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. on Sunday, February 3rd.

The band has been nominated several times in this particular category and were visibly surprised when they were announced as the recipient of this prestigious award. “We have a trophy case at home that’s been waiting for us to put somethin’ in it”, stated Gary Farris, the band’s guitarist and tenor singer. It was easy to see the the camaraderie within the band as they took the stage for their acceptance speech. Mike Andes, lead vocalist and mandolin player for the group thanked the crowd for their votes and said “Standing up here with me are four of the most fun and wonderful guys you could ever ask to work with”.

Nothin’ Fancy was formed as a bluegrass band in September of 1994 with the sole purpose of competing in the East Coast Bluegrass Championship in Crimora, Virginia. After winning their auspicious debut, they have grown in popularity, released 7 full length albums and one CD single, played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the Lincoln Center in New York City, and the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. They have successfully hosted the Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival annually since 2001 in Buena Vista, Virginia.

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So, what’s my favorite bluegrass CDs of 2007? When that question was first asked of me, I thought, easy, no-brainer. It was wham, wham … and well, er, uh, mmmmm, I stammered. Gee, I dunno. I’m gonna have to think about that.

First, those two whams.

No, no, no! First the rules of this little exercise. Rule No. 1: I’m making up the rules as I go. Rule No. 2: There are no rules. Rule No. 3: Please refer back to rule No. 2.

Next, a preface is in order. I’m not a fanatical CD buyer. My dear friend Rickey Lamb, who is a regular contributor to BluegrassJournal.com, buys several CDs a month. Perhaps, a week. From many different genres, bluegrass included. That’s not me. I just can’t find the time to listen to that many CDs. I’ll go to a bluegrass festival, come home with 4 to 6 CDs, and spend the next month trying to digest them.

Only a tiny handful of CDs come out each year that have me slobbering to get my hands on them. One was Merle Haggard’s bluegrass CD that hit the stores in October. Another project I stewed and walked the floor over until it finally came out was IIIrd Tyme Out’s long-awaited DVD of a concert at the Mountain Arts Center in Kentucky. I waited for two years to get my hands on that DVD — and after I got it, waited a couple of months before watching it.

So, here’s the bottom line on my preface: I don’t go shopping for every CD that shows up on the charts. As a result, my Top 3 CDs of 2007 are gleaned from a very limited list. So, here goes:

Greg Cahill, the Special Consensus founder, and his band of very capable vocalists and instrumentalists, created a real masterpiece with “The Trail of Aching Hearts.”

No. 1, hands down is “The Trail of Aching Hearts” by Special Consensus.

No. 2 is “Lefty’s Old Guitar” by J.D. Crowe & The New South.

No. 3: I’m not saying yet, so keep reading. (And, also keep Rules. No. 1 and 2 in mind.)

Greg Cahill, the Special Consensus founder, and his band of very capable vocalists and instrumentalists, created a real masterpiece with “The Trail of Aching Hearts.” It runs the gamut of what bluegrass has become today. There’s the traditional “Branded Wherever I Go,” which is a Flatt & Scruggs tune. Add the classic country factor with Hank Snow’s “Down the Trail of Broken Hearts” and a great, but nearly forgotten Marty Robbins’ tune, “The Shoe Goes on the Other Foot Tonight.” And, yes, there’s the non-bluegrass tune from left field, in this case Irving Berlin’s classic “Blue Skies,” which has become a popular staple on the Special Consensus concert set list. Then, providing a shade of newgrass is “Ten Mile Tennessee,” a pretty little melody paying tribute to a place we all long for, where the living is pretty darned easy and where the world is best viewed from a rocking chair on a front porch on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Putting a little icing on this CD’s cake is the vocal work of mandolin player Ron Spears, who was a real standout in his tenure with Special Consensus. Spears, who recently joined David Parmley & Continental Divide, contributed two of his own songs to my favorite CD of the year.

It’s just difficult to put “The Trail of Aching Hearts” anyplace but at the top. And, it’s really nice to see that Cahill and his band have enjoyed a fair amount of success on the charts with the album.

I also really enjoy hearing Rickey Wasson’s vocal work with J.D. Crowe’s New South. So much so, that admittedly may be a reason why “Lefty’s Old Guitar” lands at the No. 2 spot of my 2007 favorites.

When I originally reviewed this CD in summer, I took note that Crowe’s current edition of the New South has held the same lineup for the past few years. That, indeed, gives the band a rock-solid sound, both instrumentally and vocally, which usually features Wasson on lead vocal, mandolin player Dwight McCall on the high harmony and Crowe on the baritone part. It’s a winning combination.

The title cut refers to the late Lefty Frizzell’s guitar feeling a bit lonesome, unplayed and hanging in the Country Music Hall of Fame. It’s a poignant tribute to a country music legend who inspired many singers, among them Merle Haggard. So, it’s no surprise that a Haggard tune, “In My Next Life,” is one Rickey Wasson’s strongest vocal efforts on the CD.

Ronnie Stewart’s great fiddle work also adds plenty to the tracks. And, did I mention, J.D. Crowe continues to be a hard-driving, on-the-money banjo player? This Rounder release has also enjoyed plenty of chart success this past year — and deservingly so.

So, if you’ve stayed with me through all of the above, it’s time to exercise my privilege of having no rules. I have a tie for my No. 3 spot, shared by an album that came out in 2006, and a CD that hasn’t even hit the market and won’t be until early 2008.

The 2006 effort is “#7″ by Nothin’ Fancy and the new, unreleased project is “Vincent & Dailey,” which will be released in late January. Here’s why I’m putting them both on my 2007 list: I never acquired “#7″ until this year, and I got my first advance listen to “Vincent & Dailey” earlier this month.

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: Nothin’ Fancy is one of bluegrass music’s most underrated bands. All of their CDs (this is the seventh) shine. The band’s concert appearances more than shine, they glow.

“#7″ has a great song lineup filled with new tunes, old tunes and standards, including one of my favorites, Charlie Waller’s “Two Little Boys.” Like my No. 1 and 2 picks, “#7″ also pays homage to classic country with the Tom T. Hall song, “I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew” and the old Johnny Rodriguez country hit, “Pass Me By.”

As with most of Nothin’ Fancy’s CDs, Chris Sexton’s fiddle work (and viola work, cello work, etc .) is a true work of art.

“Dailey & Vincent” — that’s Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent — are set to release a CD that will become a classic. The instrumental work is many notches above adequate and the vocal work — well, it’s just out of sight. You can find my review of their debut CD on Rounder Records elsewhere on www.bluegrass journal.com.

Suffice it to say that what I heard on this advance copy made me temporarily forget some of the great bluegrass music that was released in 2007. Perhaps that’s another reason why this 2008 CD makes my 2007 list.

Meanwhile, I’m waiting for 2008 and a bunch of new, terrific bluegrass music that is out there, waiting to be released.

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Nothin’ Fancy continues to work on a new all-gospel CD, which is due for release in spring 2008. According to the band’s December newsletter, the CD is being recorded at Adventure Studios in Nashville, Tenn., with Rhonda and Darrin Vincent handling production chores.

Band members Mike Andes, Tony Shorter and Chris Sexton were in the studio in recent days to finish tracking the final six songs for the project.

“Special guests on the project include Cody Kilby of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder on some incredible guitar work,” according to the newsletter. Photos of the latest studio outing are posted on the band’s Web site, www.NothinFancyBluegrass.com.

Speaking of Nothin’ Fancy, guitarist and vocalist Gary Faris recently underwent a second surgery on his shoulder and is recovering at home. Faris had surgery to repair damage to his shoulder in August, but doctors determined the repair didn’t heal well. Thus, a second surgery was required on Nov. 19. He will continue to recover at home until year’s end.

Nothin’ Fancy appearances slated through year’s end included Dec. 14 and 15 at Dixieland Music Park in Waldo, Fla., and New Year’s Eve for First Night Harrisonburg in Harrisonburg, Va.

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Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, Williams and Clark Expedition and Nothin’ Fancy will perform Nov. 16 as part of The Lincoln Theatre’s award-winning bluegrass concert series, “Song of the Mountains.” Show time is 7 p.m. at the theater in Marion, Va.

Song of the Mountains is also a nationally syndicated public television series and is offered to more than 190 stations nationwide.

This award-winning bluegrass concert series showcases the best in bluegrass and old-time music from the heart of the region where it all began. Song of the Mountains also celebrates the lilting sounds of Celtic music, as well as new songs performed by their original artists.

The diversity of performance complements the rich mix of musical styles. There are old-school bands and veteran musicians with decades of experience, teen sensations with showmanship beyond their years, groups with formal training, and those who learned from playing with their families. Many performers have multiple recording credits and are recognized nationally and internationally for their talent and stage presence.

Many performances are recorded by Blue Ridge PBS for broadcast distribution.

For more information on this series, visit songofthemountains.org.

Theater information is available from info@thelincoln.org

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Gov. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia has honored Nothin’ Fancy with a proclamation naming them “Honorary Mountaineers.” The recognition came as a surprise when the group was performing a recent concert in Weston, Va.

The proclamation recognized the band’s yearly volunteer performances to benefit the Lewis County, W. Va., Blue Brass Band.

The benefit raises funds to buy school band instruments for students who can’t afford them.

When the high school band performed earlier this summer for the governor, students and teachers informed Manchin about the support they received each year from Nothin’ Fancy.

One of Manchin’s aides surprised the band with the proclamation at last month’s benefit concert for “demonstrating an expression of goodwill and respect for the people of the Mountain State”.

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