Sierra Hull “Secrets” (Rounder Records) will be released May 6, 2008

Burlington, MA – For the past 20 years, May has been regarded as Worldwide Bluegrass Music Month, an idea that began in 1987 with Bob Wolff, a performing arts consultant from NYC and an enthusiastic bluegrass fan. Wolff proposed the idea – after he had attended the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Fan Fest in Owensboro, KY – as a means to develop a larger audience for bluegrass music. Wolff recalls, “My concept was that if people got to stand as close to the musicians as the musicians were to each other, there was no way that they could go away anything but fans. If a friend invited them to an event, perhaps paying the price of attendance, it would be likely they would return to another and, if these folks left that group or that show with some way to get news of bluegrass events they could attend, they would become part of the audience.”

With the help of fans around the world, May 1988 was chosen as the First Annual Worldwide Bluegrass Music Month. Though recognized by the IBMA in 1989, the concept is not supported by any one association; it is solely organized by bluegrass devotees who ensure that May is filled with bluegrass activities in their neighborhoods.

Now a resident of Milton, MA, Bob Wolff had this to say about WWBGMM, “My theory was that if more people were introduced to bluegrass music, the audience would grow. It seemed to me to be very important that the audience grow if I were going to be able to continue to hear the music. The music is so very captivating. It is not the particular month that matters; it is the opportunity to get non-fans to hear the music that counts!”

2008 Rounder Bluegrass Releases

• Jan. 8 — Rhonda Vincent Good Thing Going
• Jan. 15 — IIIrd Tyme Out Footprints: A IIIrd Tyme Out Collection
• Jan. 15 — The SteelDrivers The SteelDrivers
• Jan. 29 — Dailey & Vincent Dailey & Vincent
• Feb. 12 — Blue Highway Through the Window of a Train
• Apr 8 — Longview Deep in the Mountains
• May 6 — Sierra Hull Secrets
• May 20 — James King Gardens in the Sky: The Bluegrass Gospel of James King
• Jun 17 — Dan Tyminski Band Wheels
• Jun 24 — Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass The Room Over Mine
• Jul 15 — The Grascals Keep On Walkin’
• Jul 29 — Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Listen to samples here.

-From Rounder

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Sierra Hull record release showcase at Edgehill Studios Cafe in Nashville, TN March 31, 2008. (L-R) Clay Hess, Sierra Hull and Ron Block. Photo by Travis Tackett.

Sierra Hull Showcase

Nashville, Tenn. — Bob Dieterlen and I attended a showcase with Sierra Hull in honor of her new record “Secrets” that is set for a May 6th release date. Ron Block who co-produced the project with Sierra contributed guitar, banjo and vocals along with Clay Hess on guitar and vocals and Aaron Ramsey on bass.

The new material we heard last night sounded fantastic. From last nights preview, Hull and Block have put together an album of some really strong songs. Running over the songs we got to listen to last night the title cut “Secrets” stood out as did “Smashville,” a Jim VanCleve penned instrumental, that puts Hull’s mandolin playing in overdrive.

Sierra Hull and Ron Block were both gracious enough to sit down and talk with us and we’ll have those interviews coming soon.

Clay Hess and Aaron Ramsey also play full time with Mountain Heart on guitar and mandolin respectively.

Craig Havighurst of String Theory Media shot video of the event last night so I expect that will be available online somewhere in the next month or so as well.

Donna Hughes in Georgia this weekend

Donna Hughes will be playing a pair of shows this coming weekend at “Swallow at the Hollow” in Roswell, GA. on April 4 & 5. Shows start at 10:00 PM both nights and tickets are $17.50. Donna will be performing along with Cory Batten and Mason Douglas. For more information visit www.theswallowatthehollow.com.

The Isaacs in Wilmington, OH this weekend

Classic Country Radio is proud to present an evening with world acclaimed gospel group, The Isaacs, this Saturday, April 5, at The Murphy Theatre in Wilmington. The concert begins at 7 p.m. All seats are reserved. For tickets and information, call The Murphy Theatre Box Office toll free at 1-877-274-3848.

The Isaacs have a unique style that fuses bluegrass harmonies and instrumentation with modern southern gospel lyrics. Current group members are Lily Isaacs - vocals, Ben Isaacs - vocals & upright Bass, Sonya Isaacs - vocals & mandolin, Rebecca Isaacs Bowman- vocals & guitar, Jesse Stockman - fiddle, Nathan Fauscett - drums, cajon, Troy Engle - banjo, guitar & fiddle.

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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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Sierra Hull

Burlington, MA — The bluegrass world - and critics - are buzzing about “Secrets,” the forthcoming national debut album from 16-year old mandolin prodigy Sierra Hull. Due May 6 on Rounder Records, “Secrets” is an astonishingly mature album that balances hard-driving bluegrass with introspective ballads and features a who’s who of bluegrass all-stars including Ron Block, Dan Tyminski, Barry Bales, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Tony Rice, Jim VanCleve, Rob Ickes, Chris Jones, Jason Moore, and 17-year-old banjo whiz Cory Walker (who is in Sierra’s band, Highway 111).

“Sierra Hull is without doubt my favorite mandolin player! Her approach to building solos and working in all situations, both on vocal numbers and instrumentals, is SO far beyond her years that I constantly stand amazed. It’s always good to hear fresh young players with a hunger to pick and create good music, and I am convinced that Sierra Hull is going to be a player and singer that we’ll all be listening to and trying to emulate for years and years. If you’re a mandolin player and haven’t listened to Sierra, you are in for a TREAT. Get your mando out and prepare to rip off as many licks as you can figure out. I know I am! She’s a true inspiration and an even better person!!! I’m so glad I can call her my friend and you’re going to LOVE this recording.” Adam Steffey

Sierra Hull on the Road:

• Apr. 19 — The Feeding Seed with Ron Block - Fletcher, NC
• Apr 25-27 — Merlefest - Wilksboro, NC
• May 14 — The Station Inn (CD Release Party) - Nashville, TN
• May 17 — Silver Dollar City - Branson, MO
• May 30 — Graves Mountain of Music, Syria, VA

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Sierra Hull

Burlington, MA - Rounder Records is proud to announce the release of “Secrets,” the national debut album by 16-year old mandolin prodigy Sierra Hull. Due May 6, “Secrets” is a remarkably mature album that balances hard-driving bluegrass with thoughtful, moving ballads.

At the age of eight, Hull became an adored and respected young picker in bluegrass circles. At the tender age of 11, Hull made her Grand Ole Opry debut, when she was invited to play with her heroine, Alison Krauss. Since then, Hull has competed in and won numerous mandolin and guitar championships, showcased at The International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass, and was a featured performer on the Great High Mountain Tour, which included an all-star bluegrass lineup (with Krauss, Ralph Stanley, and others), that performed songs from the soundtracks of O Brother Where Art Thou and Cold Mountain. Hull also hosts her own bluegrass festival (The Sierra Hull Bluegrass Festival) in her hometown of Byrdsville, Tennessee.

Recorded in Nashville, Tenn. in 2007, “Secrets” was co-produced by Hull and Ron Block (Union Station) and features Block, Dan Tyminski, Barry Bales, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Tony Rice, Jim VanCleve, Rob Ickes, Chris Jones, Jason Moore, and 17-year-old banjo whiz Cory Walker (who is in Sierra’s band, Highway 111). The album includes 13 tracks, three of which were written or co-written by Hull. “It’s amazing to listen to her precision and agility at the young age of 16. If that isn’t enough, check out her guitar playing on ‘Hullarious’ and the excellence of the self-written composition,” says fellow mandolinist Sam Bush. “Sierra’s vocals are effortless and straight to the point, while keeping the focus on melody. Her mandolin playing is smooth, in time, and downright slippery. This CD is HULLACIOUS!”

Track Listing:

1. Secrets
2. From Now On
3. Two Winding Rails
4. Smashville
5. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool
6. Pretend
7. If You Can Tame My Heart
8. That’s All I Can Say
9. The Hard Way
10. Hullarious
11. Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
12. Only My Heart
13. Trust and Obey

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