DONNA ULISSE AND

THE POOR MOUNTAIN BOYS

"Bluegrass Monday" at Collins Theatre

Paragould, AR

February 26, 2018 

 

Collins Theatre, Home of Bluegrass Monday, Paragould, AR

     There we were, noses pressed against the window pane, patiently waiting for one of our favorite bluegrass bands to appear. Had it really been that long? What? Couple of years? Four years, actually, almost to the day! But the Collins Theatre schedule for 2018 was released, and there they were! DONNA ULISSE AND THE POOR MOUNTAIN BOYS were returning for a show. We marked our calendars! KASU 91.9 FM DJ Marty Scarbrough, who hosts the fourth Monday events called "Bluegrass Monday," knows how to pick 'em!

Host/DJ Marty Scarbrough introduces

Donna Ulisse and the Poor Mountain

Boys

L to R: Mason Nolen, Harry Clark (at rear)

Greg Davis, Donna Ulisse, Rick Stanley

     A lot of really good things have happened for Donna and the Poor Mountain Boys. Donna Ulisse is the current "Songwriter of the Year" for the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA). She took the same honor in 2016 for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). She writes for herself and the band. She writes for other headliners like Del McCoury, Claire Lynch, Doyle Lawson, Larry Stephenson, Volume Five, and many more.

     Things began to take off into the stratosphere in the early 1990's, when Donna released a country album on Atlantic Records. Edging toward bluegrass music all the while, she was making an impression on bluegrass fans. By 2007, she recorded her first bluegrass album. It's nine albums and many miles later, and there's no stopping this songwriter and her amazing band. Her current album, "Breakin' Easy" is a favorite of music writers and critics, who call the CD one of the best of 2017. "Breakin' Easy" is on the charts, in Bluegrass Today, and on SiriusXM's "Bluegrass Junction."

Donna Ulisse

Rick Stanley

 

You've met Donna on her vocals and guitar work. Here are the other very important folks who make up the Poor Mountain Boys: Rick Stanley, Donna's husband and leader of the band, on guitar and vocals--yes, he's a cousin to the legendary Ralph and Carter Stanley; Greg "Papaw" Davis, banjo and vocals; Mason "Smiley" Nolen, mandolin and vocals; and sitting in doing terrific bass work was Searcy, Arkansas' own Harry Clark.

Donna and Rick

Harry Clark (at rear) and Greg Davis

      A show doesn't drive itself. Donna Ulisse and the Poor Mountain Boys know how to move a show along. There's a little talk, a little connecting to the next song or a favorite artist from a while back, and spot-on bluegrass vocals and

instrumentation. These are seasoned veterans that I would recommend to anyone who loves the real deal. They're the real deal and we love 'em!

Greg Davis

Mason Nolen

      Here's what we heard on that magical night with Donna Ulisse and the Poor Mountain Boys:

Set 1

Ain't That a Pity, I'm Gonna Shine; I've Got That Back Home Feeling Again; Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On; Don't It Sound Like We Were Made for Each Other; John Hardy (by Papaw Davis); Fist City (honoring her legendary friend, Loretta Lynn); You Don't Have to Walk That Far No More; Black Snake (moonshine, slidin' down the mountainside); Down the Road (by "Smiley" Nolen); Whispering Pines (a Johnny Horton tune); and How Mountain Girls Can Love. Set 2 One-Way Rider; Me and Loretta ("Loretta lit a fire in me!"; (My Music Is) Showin' My Roots; I'm a Little Past Lonely; It Coulda Been the Mandolin; Hard-Cry Moon; Just Because (Rick); Where My Mind Can Find Some Rest; Diggy Liggy Li/Diggy Liggy Lo (a Doug Kershaw song); Here Comes My Baby Back Again (tribute to the late Dottie West, who won a Grammy for the song in 1965); Somehow Tonight (Mason); I'm Not Afraid to Say My Heart Belongs to Jesus; We Got This Love Thing Figured Out; and the encore was Whatever Winter Brings. Solid show by some of the best that bluegrass music has to offer!

 

DONNA ULISSE AND THE POOR MOUNTAIN BOYS

L to R: Mason Nolen, Harry Clark (at rear), Greg Davis, Donna Ulisse, Rick Stanley

 

Donna Ulisse www.donnaulisse.com or Facebook @Donna.Ulisse.singer.songwriter

Order Donna's new CD, "Breakin' Easy."

 

For more information or booking:

Kathy Anderson kanderson@hadleymusicgroup.com  / 615.397.9840

 

The 2018-2019 Tour

Mar. 24, 2018  Campbell Co. Courthouse, Rustburg, VA

Mar. 25, 2018  American Legion Post 238, Hughesville, MD

Apr. 6, 2018    Pennyroyal Opera House, Fairview, OH

May 12, 2018  Doyle Lawson Bluegrass Festival, Denton, NC

May 19, 2018  The Strand Theater, Lewisburg, WV

Feb. 9, 2019  Everett's Barn, Suwanee, GA

Mar. 2, 2019  Luckett's Bluegrass Series, Leesburg, VA

Mar. 21, 2019  42nd Annual Sertoma Youth Bluegrass Festival, Brooksville, FL

Mar. 29, 2019  Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival, Wilmington, OH

More to come in 2019 

 

Terry's Café, 201 S. Pruett, Paragould, serves a delicious catfish buffet starting at 4:30 PM CT on Bluegrass Monday nights!  

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONSTER MANDOLIN WEEKEND

COLLIERVILLE TN VFW POST 5066

February 24, 2018

 

     THE MANDOLIN WAS KING (OR QUEEN) for one monster weekend of demonstrating, teaching, a little lecturing, and practicing! All sorts of people showed up at Collierville VFW Post 5066 with all kinds of mandolins.

     The skilled artisans who pitched in to instruct were as follows:  DAVID PIERCE (organizer of the event), from the bands Tennessee Gentlemen, 2 Mule Plow, Tennessee Boltsmokers, and Tennessee Ripple; JAMES KEE, from the bands Hamilton County Ramblers and the Kati Penn Band; HARRY CLARK, from the bands Volume Five and the Jenni Lynn Band; and ANDY RATLIFF, from the creative Memphis duo of Eric Lewis and Andy Ratliff.

     We want to share some photos with you from that very special day!

     Look for more workshops soon! We want everyone to know their instruments better so that they can really enjoy playing bluegrass and old-time music!

     Special thanks to all participants who attended the workshop! Extra special thanks to the instructors who gave their time to help folks learn more about their mandolins.

L to R: David Pierce, James Kee, Harry Clark, Andy Ratliff

 

 

 

Posey Hedges

 

Harry Clark and Andy Ratliff

 

David Pierce and James Kee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructors' Jam at the end of the workshop
David Pierce, Andy Ratliff, James Kee, Harry Clark

 

David Pierce

 

Andy Ratliff

 

James Kee

 

Harry Clark

 

Instructors' Jam L to R: David Pierce, guitar; Andy Ratliff, old-time banjo;
James Kee, mandolin; Harry Clark, mandolin

 

David Pierce and Andy Ratliff

 

James Kee and Harry Clark

 



 MARY GAUTHIER   

SW:S  SONGWRITINGWITH:SOLDIERS

"Transforming Lives // One Song at a Time"

 

www.SongwritingWithSoldiers.org 

 

     FRANKLIN THEATRE, FRANKLIN, TN, FEBRUARY 23, 2018  There's a war going on out there that most people don't even know about. MARY GAUTHIER (pronounced 'go SHAY') knows and she's doing something about it in a huge way. The singer-songwriter has a really tough story about her own life experiences, but she has invested heart and soul in her most recent and most important recording project to date. The evening started with a video which covered some of the project. That video brought the audience smack up against reality for the soldiers and veterans.

    Ms Gauthier rounded up other songwriter friends and some soldiers and veterans, and they are making history with every hour that passes. There is a need--soldiers and veterans are hurting. They hurt every day. They need some way to tell their stories and start the healing process, both emotional and physical. Enter Mary Gauthier, other songwriters, and the most important elements, soldiers, veterans, and their spouses. The group of singers and songwriters began by listening to the stories that soldiers, veterans, and their spouses had to tell. Tears fell. So many tears. Voices choked up. Ideas and songs began to take shape. Everybody shared their input--songwriters, soldiers, wives, husbands...everybody. Telling one's story in song is therapeutic. Lives are beginning to heal. It's working!

     Mary Gauthier's stunning new album is a contradiction in terms, much like war is a contradiction on so many levels. The CD/vinyl title is "Rifles & Rosary Beads," and she says, "We're not writing about soldiers--we're writing with soldiers. These are their words."

     Here are the songs from "Rifles & Rosary Beads":  Soldiering On, Got Your Six, The War After the War, Still on the Ride, Bullet Holes in the Sky, Brothers, Rifles & Rosary Beads, Morphine 1-2, It's Her Love, Iraq, and Stronger Together.

     Many of these and other songs were part of the show at the Franklin Theatre. Two of this writer's favorites are "Mercy Now" and Mary's encore with group participation, "This Land Is Your Land". The event was sold out, there were tears everywhere, and a portion of sales from the album is being donated to SongwritingWith:Soldiers. Grab the album, the T-shirt, and the Mercy necklace with the pendant in the shape of a guitar pick. www.marygauthier.com

     Mary's band at the Franklin Theatre:  Michael Rinne, Josh Britt, Neilson Hubbard, and Danny Mitchel, and according to Mary, "Great guys, great band!" We agree! What a night!

     Thanks, Mary, songwriter friends, soldiers/veterans/spouses, band, video crew, Franklin Theatre, Dan Hays, and so many other people who made this night happen. It was truly special!

     We failed to mention that Mary Gauthier is still on her mission. Wherever there is a soldier, veteran, or a spouse who is in need, Mary is right there by their sides when they need her. That's what friends do.

 

Making the SW:S project happen

 

Mary Gauthier putting soldiers' emotions into song

 

Pictures say so much

 

 

 

 

Josh Geartz, veteran and mean harmonica player

 

Mary brought along her harmonica, too

 

 

Mary Gauthier signing for a fan

 



 

 



     

TURN YOUR RADIO ON...

OR YOUR COMPUTER!



Mom and Dad's AM Radio from Yesteryear set on WSM 650

Barely visible on the bottom left panel is RCA Victor.

The little light that lights the dial still works!

      "TURN YOUR RADIO ON" (with apologies to Albert E. Brumley for borrowing his inspiring song, and with further apologies to folks who covered the song through the years, like John Hartford, Ray Stevens, the Statler Brothers, and more.), or maybe "TURN YOUR COMPUTER ON" to catch some great bluegrass  from right out of Bell Buckle, Tennessee.

     You do know where Bell Buckle is, don't you? Does the Webb School ring a bell? Or the Moon Pie Festival? We Southerners know that a Moon Pie is mighty good eatin', especially when paired with a cold Royal Crown Cola ("RC" to us). That's a Southern snack that is sure to please, especially if you can find an RC these days.

     But, we digress...We are here to proclaim the merits of BELL BUCKLE RADIO and VALERIE SMITH, bluegrass artist from right here in Tennessee. Here is how to find Bell Buckle Radio and also Valerie Smith on your computer: http://www.bellbuckleradio.com and www.valeriesmith.net 

 

Can you spot the Big Horn Sheep we saw in Glacier National Park?

     Valerie has rounded up some great bluegrass DJ's and folks who have their own internet shows and she's got a lineup all day long and all week long that's sure to please. It's 24/7 and hosted on Live365. Just go online and start listening to some of your favorite bluegrass music. We had to turn it off to do this blog, but we're headed back to Bell Buckle Radio soon's we're done here! Check for schedule and time changes periodically. All times shown are Central Time.

 

http://www.bellbuckleradio.com

 

     *Valerie Smith "Choice Cuts" Sun-Sat 9:00 AM

     *J.Gregory Heinike and Tori Taff "Bell Buckle Confidential" Tue/Wed 1:00 PM

     *Bill Foster "Foster's Corner" Mon-Sat 7:00 PM

     *Bob Mitchell "Best of Bluegrass" Mon/Thur 9:00 AM and Fri/Sat 3:00 PM

     *Jay Armsworthy "Bluegrass on the Bay" Mon/Wed 3:00 PM

     *Lisa Kay Howard-Hughes "Old Home Place" Tues 6:00 PM and Sat 10:00 AM

     *Cindy Brooks Baucom "Knee-Deep in Bluegrass" Mon and Thurs 5:00 PM

     *Billy Dunbar "Country Unplugged" Thur/Fri/Sat 1:00 PM

     *Jerry Eischer "Old Hippie Bluegrass" Tue/Wed 9:00 AM

     *Michael Johnathon "Woodsongs" Sun/Tue 3:00 PM

    

     There is good bluegrass going most all the time. You just need to know where to look!

 

     

BLUEGRASS MONDAY PRESENTS

CEDAR HILL

COLLINS THEATRE

PARAGOULD, AR

January 22, 2018

Marquee at The Collins Theatre announcing the Guest Band

     AMONG BLUEGRASS MUSIC FANS, the name 'CEDAR HILL' is really all you need to say. Immediately, one knows to expect a world of experience and top-quality music from the steady hand of mandolinist/vocalist FRANK RAY, who has been at this game for a mere 50 years or so, and his very capable band mates! Our friendship with this fine musician and gentleman goes back at least 30 years. We are always glad to see the band's name listed on festival and flyer schedules. Despite the contentious national political climate of the moment, there is Cedar Hill from Missouri to calm things down and provide good ol' bluegrass music that actually sounds like good ol' bluegrass music. Missouri has produced top bluegrass and folk music artists throughout the years.

Frank Ray

Pete Brown, Patti LaFleur, Frank Ray, Dan Stokely, Jim Bunch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Frank Ray has gathered some wonderful musicians who have been with him for quite a while. That says a lot right there. JIM BUNCH provides banjo and vocals Jim has been with the band for several years,. DAN STOKELY has been with Cedar Hill about two and a half years. Dan provides guitar and vocal work. PATTI LaFLEUR adds the all-important bass work and vocals. She has been with the band for quite a while. PETE BROWN is the fiddle player with that special expertise that brings smiles wherever he goes. Each member of the band is a joy to watch, and together they provide total entertainment for bluegrass fans throughout the South, the Midwest, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and wherever they go.

 

Frank Ray, Dan Stokely, Jim Bunch

Pete Brown, Patti LaFleur, Frank Ray

     Here are the selections from Cedar Hill:  SET 1: Katy Hill (a toe-tapper for sure!), Heartaches and Teardrops, Pearl, I Got a Thing about Doors, Hobo's Wings, I Beg to You, Clinch Mountain Backstep (Jim on banjo), 'Til the End of the World Rolls 'Round (Pete on fiddle), You Won't Be Satisfied That Way (a Bill Monroe tune),  and Dusty Miller.

SET 2: Broke Heart for Real, Cool Wind, Peter You're the Man, Echo Mountain (Welsh legend, or maybe true, as Gelert the brave dog is buried in a cemetery in Wales), For Me It's Hello, Me and My Fiddle (Pete on 8-string fiddle), Strings and Things (Dedicated to the memory of Wooten Brothers Roger and Bobby, of Center Ridge, AR. What a fine festival Mr. Roy Wooten and his children had for many years!), Mary O'Grady (name merely came from a phone book in Ontario, Canada), White House Blues (a Bill Monroe tune), Sally Goodin, and The Prison Song.

     Special thanks to Frank Ray and Cedar Hill for playing Echo Mountain for this writer, who sheds tears even as she thinks about the song.

     Cedar Hill came to us via BLUEGRASS MONDAY (4th Monday each month) courtesy of the Collins Theatre (120 W. Emerson), KASU 91.9 FM on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR, several local business sponsors, and host/DJ MARTY SCARBROUGH. Learn more at www.kasu.org or by contacting Marty Scarbrough (mscarbro@astate.edu). Catch a concert soon and be sure to check out the pre-concert Bluegrass Monday buffet at Terry's Café, 201 S. Pruett, just down the street from the theatre. It's mighty fine!

 

For more information:

Cedar Hill  www.cedarhillbluegrass.com and several selections on YouTube

 

COMING UP AT 7:00 PM CT ON BLUEGRASS MONDAYS IN 2018:

2/26  Donna Ulisse & the Poor Mountain Boys

3/26  Breaking Grass

4/23  The Po' Ramblin' Boys

5/21  The Trinity River Band

6/25  TBA

7/23  The Kody Norris Show

8/27  The Baker Family

9/24  TBA

10/22  The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band

11/26  High Fidelity

No December show due to Christmas holidays