The Grascals “Keep on Walkin’” (Rounder) will be released July 15, 2008.

Nashville, Tenn. — The Grascals, one of the most critically-acclaimed and dynamic groups in bluegrass music today, and the reigning IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Entertainers of the Year for the last two years, will release their third studio album for Rounder Records, Keep On Walkin’, on July 15. The 12-song, self-produced album is the group’s first release in two years. It crystallizes the sound introduced and developed on the band’s first two Grammy®-nominated releases—traditional bluegrass and country music, both original and classic songs, all delivered with vocal and instrumental intensity and virtuosity. Timely and timeless, The Grascals’ music is entirely relevant to the here and now, yet based on a deeply-seeded knowledge of and admiration for the music’s founding fathers.

“After five years of singing together, and especially the last three years of extensive touring, we think we’ve really been able to define our sound on this record. The whole process of doing this album, from finding songs, to arranging them, recording and mixing—was relaxed and fun. We took our time so we could do things the way we wanted and treat each song with the care it deserved.” Jamie Johnson, Grascals vocalist and guitarist .

The album kicks into high gear with the lead track, “Feeling Blue,” written by well-known bluegrass tunesmith Aubrey Holt, who first met Jamie Johnson when they were in the Boys From Indiana. Holt has become one of the band’s favorite writers, contributing three songs to this album. In addition to “Feeling Blue,” which is an original song with the feel of an old Jimmy Martin tune, Holt wrote “Sad Wind Sighs.” A classic lament disguised in an uptempo tune, the song features the incomparable voice of special guest Vince Gill. Holt also explores the lighter side of life in “Happy Go Lucky,” the song that The Grascals performed to open the 2007 IBMA Awards and have included in their live shows ever since.

Jamie Johnson also displays his songwriting skills on two songs—the moving title track about life’s journeys, which he co-wrote with veteran songwriter Charley Stefl; and “Indiana,” which he co-wrote with another of the band’s favorite writers, Harley Allen. The song perfectly captures the bittersweet yearning for the home of one’s youth. Allen, who has written songs on all three of The Grascals’ albums, including the 2005 IBMA Song of the Year, “Me and John and Paul,” continues to strike an emotional chord with “Remembering,” about the lingering effects of war.

Sprinkled throughout the album and shining like the gems they are, some country and bluegrass classics each get a refreshing and respectful turn from The Grascals. First, they put a new twist on Waylon Jennings’ “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line,” before Terry Eldredge sings a heart-rending lead on “Choices,” a hit for his musical hero, George Jones. The Grascals’ version of the song was #1 in March and April on XM Bluegrass Junction Top 30 Tracks, and it has spent multiple weeks on the Count Down Yonder Weekly Top 17 Songs of SIRIUS Bluegrass. Also included are some of the songs that the band regularly performs during their live shows—“Today I Started Loving You Again,” “Can’t You Hear That Whistle Blow” (featuring lead vocals and slap-bass playing by Terry Smith) and “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.” As with their previous albums, the band took this one to play for Earl Scruggs, and they were delighted to see the smile on his face as “Rollin’” began. Following their tradition, The Grascals include a gospel number on this album, selecting “Farther Along” as the final track. It features Danny Roberts’ vocal debut singing bass in the four-part harmony.

In addition to Jamie Johnson on guitar and vocals, Terry Eldredge on guitar and vocals, Terry Smith on bass and vocals, and Danny Roberts on mandolin, Keep on Walkin’ features Aaron McDaris playing banjo on his first album with The Grascals, and Jimmy Mattingly on fiddle. Guest musicians on selected tracks include Nashville session ace Hargus “Pig” Robbins on piano and Andy Hall (of the Infamous Stringdusters) on dobro.

Jamie Johnson is featured in the May edition of Bluegrass Now, which can be viewed at http://www.bluegrassnow.com.

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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 GrascalsDavid Davis and the Warrior River Boys

The Boston Bluegrass Union’s 32nd concert season continues on Saturday, March 15th with The Grascals along with David Davis and the Warrior River Boys at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA.

Tickets are $25 (BBU Members $22) and can be purchased online at www.bbu.org or by mailing a check (payable to the BBU) with a self-addressed stamped envelope to Boston Bluegrass Union, PO Box 650061, West Newton, MA 02465.

The National Heritage Museum is located at 33 Marrett Rd. (Route 2A), Lexington, MA 02421. Doors open at 6:30pm and concert begins at 7:30pm. Directions can be found at www.monh.org or call (781) 861-6559.

The Grascals exploded onto the bluegrass scene in 2005, and it took them just a few months to be awarded the IBMA 2005 Emerging Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Me John and Paul.” In 2006 they vaulted right to the top, winning the 2006 Entertainer of the Year, one of the most coveted awards in bluegrass. They repeated the feat once again, winning the 2007 Entertainer of the Year honors. With their latest Rounder release Long List of Heartaches they now have two best-selling CD’s, a recent Grammy nomination, and a huge legion of fans.

Directly linked to the origins of bluegrass, David Davis’ love of the music grew organically. Back in the ’30s his father and two uncles played and sung in the brother style traditions of early country music. Uncle Cleo joined Bill Monroe as the very first Blue Grass Boy in 1938.

Since 1988, Davis has fronted the Warrior River Boys, carrying the banner of traditional bluegrass music near and far. A review in Sing Out! Magazine stated, “An excellent instrumentalist in the Monroe style of mandolin, Davis is also among the most emotive, capable, and under-appreciated singers in bluegrass.” His latest release is Troubled Times on Rebel Records.

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Front row, left to right: David McKee, Chief Operating Officer, ALSAC; Darrel and Phyllis Adkins; and Dr. Amar Gajjar, Director, Neuro-Oncology Division at St. Jude. Back row, left to right: Grascals Terry Eldredge, Danny Roberts, Terry Smith, Aaron McDaris and Jamie Johnson.

Memphis Tenn. — The Grascals visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on February 4 and presented a check for $ 40,184.60 on behalf of Musicians Against Childhood Cancer (MACC). The check represents the proceeds from the 2007 MACC benefit concert, as well as sales of the the CD, Celebration of Life: Musicians Against Childhood Cancer. The Grascals have performed at the benefit concert each year since 2005, and they also contributed a song to the album.

MACC was founded by concert promoter Darrel Adkins and his wife Phyllis in 2000 after their daughter, Mandy, lost her courageous battle with cancer. In 2001, the annual Bluegrass Classic festival promoted by Adkins Productions since 1984 was re-named Musicians Against Childhood Cancer. All of the bluegrass artists who perform at the festival donate their time in an effort to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. Celebration of Life: Musicians Against Childhood Cancer was released in 2006 by MACC through Skaggs Family Records. It contains 37 performances by 136 bluegrass artists and musicians, recorded at the MACC benefit concert from 2000-2005. The album was International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2006 Album of the Year.

After presenting the check, The Grascals toured the hospital and visited with patients.

“We’re absolutely blown away by the courage of these kids and their families, and by the incredible research being done here. We’re honored to have been a small part of raising funds through MACC, and we’re thankful to all the artists who have participated in this project.”Jamie Johnson - Grascals vocalist/guitarist

The Grascals’ visit to St. Jude came one day after the group won three awards at the 34th Annual SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards held in Nashville: Instrumental Group of the Year (for the third consecutive year), Bluegrass Band of the Year (for the second consecutive year) and Mandolin Player of the Year (Danny Roberts’ second win in three years). The Grascals are the reigning International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Entertainers of the Year, having won the top honor for the second year in a row.

The Grascals recently entered into a sponsorship agreement with Mayberry’s Finest Brand Foods, a line of 35 Southern-seasoned stews, chilis, vegetables and baking mixes inspired by The Andy Griffith Show. During The Grascals’ St. Jude visit, Mayberry’s Finest Brand Foods, in keeping with the Mayberry spirit of friendship and generosity, donated some of their southern-seasoned fixings to the Target House, a home away from home for families with children receiving life-saving treatment at the hospital. For more information visit The Grascals online.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit http://www.stjude.org/.

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The Grascals photo by Joe Hardwick

Nashville, Tenn. — The Grascals were guests of their good friend Eddie Stubbs on January 10 as part of his monthly “An Intimate Evening with Eddie Stubbs” series at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. The Grammy^®-nominated sextet entertained a full house in the museum’s Ford Theater as the two-hour program aired live on 650 AM WSM and online at www.wsmonline.com. The show re-aired on January 11 on XM 10 America.

During the course of the evening The Grascals performed “Today I Started Loving You Again,” along with two new songs, “Indiana” and “Happy Go Lucky,” all of which will be included on their next Rounder album, scheduled for release later this year. They also announced that Vince Gill joined them in the studio on a song called “The Sad Wind Sighs.”

Stubbs’ conversation with The Grascals prompted plenty of laughter and fond recollections of their career achievements to date-from winning the IBMA’s coveted Entertainer of the Year award for the second consecutive year, to earning Grammy nominations for their first two albums; from performing on the Grand Ole Opry, touring with Dolly Parton and recording with the Jordanaires and George Jones, to performing with Dierks Bentley on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. The group also talked about their sponsorship agreement with Mayberry’s Finest Brand Foods. They wrote and recorded the Mayberry’s Finest jingle, which they performed live for the “Intimate Evening” audience, and have recorded radio and Web commercials for the product line, with television spots to follow.

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