Talkin' Bluegrass Music

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Donna Ulisse & The Poor Mountain Boys

Collins Theatre in Paragould, AR

February 24, 2014


L to R: Jon Martin, Greg Davis, Bill Baldock, Donna Ulisse, Tony King, Rick Stanley

     Donna Ulisse & The Poor Mountain Boys have been to Paragould, AR, and are now headed back down the road to somewhere else! However, while they were in Paragould, they stopped by Terry's Cafe for a fine meal before their show. Then, they went on up the street to the Collins Theatre to delight fans from all around Northeast Arkansas, Southeast Missouri, and at least one person from Deep West Tennessee. It was Bluegrass Monday hosted by KASU Program Director Marty Scarbrough, and what a Monday it was! 'Delight' doesn't even begin to cover it!
     Donna Ulisse & The Poor Mountain Boys dazzled the audience with their tight vocals, superb instrumental work, and the most delightful stories one could imagine! We need to tell you who these folks are before we get too far along: Singer-songwriter Donna Ulisse heads up the band, sings a powerful song, and plays guitar. She has also assigned names to her band members.
     We shall start with Donna's husband, Rick Stanley, a cousin to that other Stanley named Ralph. We didn't catch Rick's nickname, except that Donna referred to him as 'my sweetheart; and 'my honey'. So, it's Rick "Honey" Stanley who sings harmony and plays guitar.
     Greg "Papaw" Davis is a dear friend to this writer, who has known him since he was a young'un. He sings harmony and wears out a classy-looking banjo. Greg and I realized it had just been too long since we visited ages ago at the Tennessee Gentlemen Bluegrass Shack, so we shared a few moments before the band packed up and left town.
     "Cool Jon" Martin has such a fine touch on the mandolin! He anchors that group of bluegrass musicians just fine with his laid-back and cool demeanor.
     "Mild Bill" Baldock says that he's not exactly "Wild Bill", so "Mild" is more appropriate for this awesome bass player. He sings and keeps the band solidly on the beat.
     Last, but certainly not least, is Tony "Sweet T" (or is it "Sweet Tea"?) King. The man is one seriously fine guitar player. He loved the sweet tea over at Terry's Cafe, too! His licks on the guitar would send everybody home to practice a lot harder.
     Donna Ulisse & The Poor Mountain Boys are some of the finest musicians and singers to be found anywhere. Separately and collectively, they put out bluegrass music the way it is supposed to sound. The tempo is there, the drive is there, the wonderful story-songs are there, and the band is definitely going places! Donna's voice is amazing! She's been at this singing thing since she was three years old. Her phrasing, her rich and mellow sound, and her range are just meant for bluegrass! We haven't even touched on her songwriting expertise. Whether alone or with other well-known songwriters, Donna comes up with some powerful songs. Her stories tell about life in the hills of Virginia. She can take the listener right back up there to that little mountain cabin with no back yard and a long downhill front yard.
     The latest CD from Donna Ulisse is "Showin' My Roots", a phrase which women everywhere will understand in another context. Here on the CD, she is explaining through her songs about her beginning and where she is at present. She is an admirer of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, and so many other women who blazed the trail for those who would follow. You will want to hear this band again and again!

Pick away!

For more information: www.donnaulisse.com https://twitter.com/DonnaUlisse
and www.facebook.com/donna.ulisse.singer.songwriter

Coming up in 2014 at Bluegrass Mondays at the Collins Theatre in Paragould, AR: Mar. 24 The Bankesters, Apr. 28 Jim Hurst, May 12 Feller & Hill and the Bluegrass Buckaroos, June 23 Arkansas Youth in Bluegrass: Clark Family Trio and Clancey Ferguson and the Ragtags, July 28 The Gold Heart Sisters, Aug. 25 The Harper Family, Sept. 22 Nothin' Fancy, Oct. 27 Apple-Setser (formerly Kirby)-Rounds with special guests Tim Crouch, Tommy Burroughs, and Irl Hees, Nov. 24 The Rigneys ~ No December show due to Christmas holidays. Information: www.kasu.org

Marquee at the Collins Theatre in Paragould, AR

Sunday, February 16, 2014

NYT Article: "Tony Rice, Guitar Hero"

TR Fans! You won't want to miss "Tony Rice, Guitar Hero," the recent article by Sandra Beasley in the New York Times. I suggest that you go there now and immerse yourself in the life and legend of Tony Rice. See photos and click on music. Then go and practice for a looooooooong time!

www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/magazine/tony-rice-guitar-hero.html?_r=0

Pick away!
Betty

Thursday, February 6, 2014

High Fidelity takes 2014 Band Competition

at SPBGMA

The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA, headed up by Chuck Stearman of Kirksville, MO) has an annual convention/festival during the first weekend of February at the Nashville (TN) Sheraton Hotel near Nashville International Airport. It's a weekend of intense band competition, intense jammin' everywhere you look, and just a great time for everybody! John Lawless, bluegrass writer-reporter reports the following information sent to us by John Gay:

"During this past weekend's SPBGMA convention in Nashville, High Fidelity was named the winner of their annual International Band Championship.

"The band consists of Corrina Rose Logston on fiddle, Jeremy Stephens on guitar, Kurt Stephenson on banjo, Vickie Vaughn on bass, and Daniel Amick on mandolin. Corrina, Jeremy, and Kurt handle the vocals. Logston says that the win validated a pledge they all made, giving it a special meaning for them. [She said] 'I cried like a baby. There were so many good bands in that contest. It was a very emotional experience for me, especially because we had committed to doing all traditional bluegrass. As far as I understand, we were the only group to do that. It means so much that we were able to represent traditional bluegrass and receive this level of recognition. Because to me, it isn't just a win for us--it says, This music is still meaningful. It will always hold the utmost meaning to me.'

"The complete list of winners follows:

1. High Fidelity

2. Bud's Collective

3. Blue Mafia

4. Jeff Scroggins & Colorado

5. Catahoula Drive

6. A Deeper Shade of Blue

7. Highway 60

8. Flat Rock Road

9. Tennessee Tradition

10. Adam McPeake & Mountain Thunder

Congratulations all!"

Special thanks to John Gay, John Lawless, the members of High Fidelity, and all the other great bands in the Top 10!

Pick away!

Betty

Blog: http://talkinbluegrassmusic.blogspot.com

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Remembering Larry Rice (1949-2006)

Larry Rice is a member of the legendary Rice family of bluegrass and acoustic music fame. The bluegrass band of brothers has no peers! There's Tony, Wyatt, Larry, and Ron. It doesn't get any better than Rice music! As we approach another anniversary of the explosion of Challenger (January 28, 1986), we pay tribute to Larry Rice's emotion-charged "Star-Bound Heroes," which recalls the day that seven astronauts raced into space aboard the ill-fated spacecraft. Our tribute is in direct response to a certain young female entertainer's careless disrespect of the astronauts aboard Challenger.

NOTE: The image below is not Challenger nor the ill-fated flight.

Image courtesy of a friend, Jason Helms, at Johnson Space Center

In Tribute to the Seven Astronauts who were aboard Challenger

Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe (first teacher in space), Greg Jarvis, Judy Resnik,
Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, and Ronald McNair

STAR-BOUND HEROES by Larry Rice

(album "Hurricanes and Daydreams," Rebel Records LLC)

Even as I write, they're still looking for the ruins

And for the answers that remain a mystery

On this January twenty-eighth

When the cold, cold wind is blowing

This ship went down today, a tragedy

The children's eyes were saddened as the tragedy unfolds

And the newsmen looked for words they could describe

America is shaken at the loss of seven heroes

The seven who today have lost their lives

Bring down the flags

For the seven who today have lost their lives

Bring down the flags

For the seven that were 'board the Challenger

Bring down the flags

For the fam'lies of the fliers of the sky

For they're still flying

Yes, they're flying

Up to heaven

Tonight the moon shines down

On the great Atlantic Ocean

The moon that man has walked for us to see

Our hearts go to the seven

The seven star-bound heroes

As they travel up to heaven's galaxy

Bring down the flags

For the seven that were 'board the Challenger

Bring down the flags

For the fam'lies of the fliers of the sky

For they're still flying

Yes, they're flying

Up to heaven

For they're still flying

Yes, they're flying

Up to heaven

When I recorded "Grassroots" from the radio on PRM (now Mississippi Public Broadcasting) with the legendary Mike Morgan, I noted the date of January 27, 1990, just prior to the fourth anniversary of the explosion. I share the song and my recollections with you out of my great fondness for Larry Rice and his music, Mike Morgan and his genius at the microphone, and the seven astronauts who "were 'board the Challenger."

Pick away! (for Larry Rice and the seven star-bound heroes)

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Time for "Breakin' Up Winter"

According to the calendar, winter is less than a month old! Whaaaat? We in the South have experienced ice storms, snow, heavy rain, and frigid temperatures already. We've ordered firewood, we've had damaged trees and limbs that we dragged to the street for pickup by the brush crew, we're freezing around here...and we think it's time to 'break up winter'.

Jammers beside the Cedar Forest Lodge at Breakin' Up Winter (Mike Albert, top step)

That said, you need to know that BREAKIN' UP WINTER is an actual old-time music festival which is held annually at CEDARS OF LEBANON STATE PARK in Lebanon, TN. The music is seriously old-time and it's played in the old-time way. It is not bluegrass music...there are plenty of bluegrass festivals around. No, this is all old-time all the time. It kicks off on Thursday, March 6, 2014, with an open jam in the big stone Cedar Forest Lodge which was built by the Works Progress Adminstration (WPA). The enormous fireplace in the lodge is always going, which adds to the atmosphere! The weekend of old-time music ends with Sunday Morning Hymn Singin' on March 9. Learn more about the area in and around the park with a Google of Cedars of Lebanon State Park.

Jammin' at the Ranger's Residence

We quote the NASHVILLE OLD-TIME STRING BAND ASSOCIATION (NOTSBA) website here:

"Please join us for our 19th festival [March 6-9, 2014]. We have many activities centered around old-time string band music and a wonderful state park in which to stretch out. There are no contests, but you will stay entertained and [continue] playing."

Cedars of Lebanon State Park is located off I-40 in Middle Tennessee at Exit 238. That exit connects you to US 231. You should go south for six miles in the direction of Murfreesboro, TN. Down the road, you pass the ever-present outdoor flea market. Quickly now! Look left for the gates at the entrance of Cedars of Lebanon State Park. Enter and follow the fiddle signs to the location where you pick up registration materials and begin to have a real old-time music experience.

This way to Breakin' Up Winter

Food and lodging in the park can be arranged when you contact the NOTSBA website www.nashvilleoldtime.org. Do this early, as caterers (The Mad Platter) and park personnel need to know if you plan to stay in the park (reservations required) and eat your meals there. Other than that, there are fine motels and restaurants near I-40 at Exit 238.

Group Participation with Hazel Dickens (now deceased)

Vendors: John Hatton's CLEFF'D EAR has everything you could possibly want in the way of albums, CDs, sheet music, music books, and more. LO GORDON has a music store in North Carolina, and he brings banjos for sale. MARTIN FISHER has equipment to record your sound on wax cylinders, which is how it was done before the 20th century began.

William See and Josh Smith jammin'

2014 Breakin' Up Winter Presenters: ALICE GERRARD (2014 Heritage Award winner and whose performing partner was the late HAZEL DICKENS), FRANKLIN GEORGE (West Virginia music historian), ALAN JABBOUR (Former director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress), GEORGE GRUHN (Gruhn Guitars, Nashville), JOHN HARROD (Governor's Award in the Arts and Folk Heritage in Kentucky), KEN PERLMAN (Melodic clawhammer banjo pioneer), JOYCE AND JIM CAUTHEN (Members of the Red Mountain White Trash, an Alabama stringband), MARTIN FISHER, JEFF TODD TITON (Professor of ethnomusicology at Brown University, retired), BOB WHITE (Fretted and fretless clawhammer style musician), BILL MANSFIELD (master of the Round Peak Style, influenced by Fred Cockerham and Tommy Jarrell), LISA INGRAM and BETTY WESTMORELAND (Cousins who lead Sunday morning hymn singing: Lisa is a member of the Gallinippers stringband and Betty is a blogger about bluegrass and old-time music), ROBY COGSWELL (Director of Folklife for the Tennessee Arts Commission and well versed in the ways of old-time music).


Roby Cogswell, Director of Folklife, TN Arts Commission

Lee Cagle and friends working on clawhammer style

You will have a country-dog good time at Breakin' Up Winter!

For more information about Breakin' Up Winter: www.nashvilleoldtime.org/BUW

We hope to see YOU there! If you've never been to Breakin' Up Winter, you need to go this year!

Pick away and be sure to make it old-time this time!

Betty

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Claire Lynch Scores Big on
Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey

January 2014 Issue

Claire Lynch photo courtesy of Lee Cagle

The three-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year for 2013 is still gathering honors. Our congratulations to CLAIRE LYNCH for moving up the charts with DEAR SISTER, from 18th to the 12th spot in the survey in the January 2014 issue of "Bluegrass Unlimited". The songwriters are LOUISA BRANSCOMB and Claire Lynch. The song is on the DEAR SISTER album, Compass #4610.

LEE MICHAEL DEMSEY (Bluegrass Country on WAMU's 105.5 FM and HD Radio 88.5 Channel 2 in the Washington, D.C. area) ranks the Top 15 Bluegrass Albums in "Bluegrass Unlimited". Lee ranks DEAR SISTER at number 7 in the January 2014 issue. The Top 15 albums are based on the overall number of votes received by individual songs from an album.

Nice work, Claire, Louisa, and the entire Claire Lynch Band!

For more information and the touring schedule: http://www.clairelynch.com

Pick away!

*Note: Go to http://www.valleyarts.org/court-square-theater and scroll down to January 23, 2014, The Claire Lynch Band. There you will find a short promo video with great samples of music from the Claire Lynch Band. It's like a mini-concert right there on your computer!

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Memories of the Lucy Opry
May 8, 2010

Has it really been almost four years since we lost top-quality bluegrass music at the Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center? Interest among the locals waned, crowds got smaller and smaller, and finally it was just over. We thought on this Christmas Day 2013, that you might like to see some pictures from that final Lucy Opry show featuring Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out.