Little Pickin' Session with Friends

 

Photo credit: Patrick Cupples

 

 

       We are always looking for a little bluegrass music adventure! On one such adventure, our search took us to Jackson, TN, and then on to Franklin, TN, where we found and reunited with some wonderful friends. In the above photo by Patrick Cupples, you see Kevin Wright at left on guitar, Rick Hargis in the center on banjo, and Ronnie Owen at right on guitar. It took a little work to find former Tennessee Gentleman Rick Hargis, but he popped up in Franklin, TN, where he heads an insurance company. Ronnie Owen (an engineer for a local firm) is also a former Tennessee Gentleman, but we have kept up with him and his friend Kevin Wright (a banker in Jackson) through the years, so they were easier to find. They live in and around the Jackson-Madison County, TN, region.

       These friends and a few others decided to meet on a recent Thursday evening at the Jackson International House of Pancakes (IHOP) for a little reunion and pickin'. They were joined by Kurt Stephenson (a banjo champ at Winfield, KS), Patrick Cupples, Curtis Mann, David Killingsworth, and a few family members, friends, and onlookers such as this writer. It took the group no time at all to fall back into the right key, tempo, and vocal harmonies. It just fell together perfectly, as it often does. Here are a few more photos from the evening of a little pickin' session with friends. It was a barn-burner, and we hope that they will get together again soon!   Pick away!

 

Ronnie Owen, Kurt Stephenson, Patrick Cupples, Kevin Wright

Ronnie Owen, Kurt Stephenson, Patrick Cupples, Kevin Wright, Rick Hargis

Ronnie Owen, Kurt Stephenson, David Killingsworth

Patrick Cupples, Kevin Wright, Rick Hargis

 

Parlor Pickin' at Country Oaks B-n-B Delights Guests!

     At least once a year, we anticipate the announcement of a little event called a Parlor Pickin', which is held at the Country Oaks B-n-B in Mountain View, AR. The Pickin' is by invitation only, and the guests at the inn, plus some folks from town, thoroughly enjoy the friendly atmosphere provided by innkeepers Jerry and Carole Weber. The innkeepers serve up a comfortable atmosphere in the parlor and dining room of the beautifully-appointed Country Oaks Bed and Breakfast Inn in Mountain View. Along with the hospitality, the couple serves up fabulous musicians and special treats of cake and light refreshments during intermission. Oh! It's a splendid occasion enjoyed by everyone!

     The guests assemble, the musicians arrive and begin to tune up their instruments, and soft chatter among old friends takes place prior to the seating of the musicians in front of the fireplace at Country Oaks. It's all just too delightful. We especially enjoyed Parlor Pickin' on March 15, 2014, with the introduction of  the incredible Brad Apple (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Pam Setser (dulcimer, spoons, vocals), and Gary Rounds (guitar and vocals), along with their old friend, Tim Crouch, fiddler extraordinaire! Tim found a free moment to escape from his role as fiddler on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN, to drop by for a couple of hours to play for the audience who had gathered for the annual event. There was even an audience participant named Royce (guitar and vocal), who is a fine singer. Royce moved past 'rank amateur' a long time ago with his version of "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine"!

     We will cut to the chase to show you a few photos and to tell you the songs and tunes we heard on this very special Saturday night. Enjoy!

  

Brad Apple on guitar

Pam Setser on dulcimer accompanied by Gary Rounds

Gary Rounds and his old friend Dusty

Apple, Setser, and Rounds making some fine music

Tim Crouch is tuned up and ready to play

Tim Crouch and Brad Apple

Tim Crouch on mandolin

Gary Rounds breaks up Pam Setser with his quick wit

Tim Crouch and Brad Apple bear down on a tune

Brad Apple entertains the audience and his fellow musician, Pam Setser

Tim Crouch plays a special fiddle tune

Royce sings and plays guitar for an appreciative Pam Setser

Brad Apple, Pam Setser on spoons, and Gary Rounds

 Can you remember the days of this group when it was called AKR (Apple, Kirby, and Rounds)?

      The entertainers dazzled their audience in their first set with the following songs and tunes:  Salt Creek, Steel Rails, Green Light on the Southern, Souvenirs, Old Dangerfield, Sweet Dreams, Have You Seen My Wife Mr. Jones, Bonnie Lass, More Pretty Girls Than One, Southern Accent, Back Up and Push, I Know Love Is All I Need, Walkaway Joe, and Pancho and Lefty.

     Following the break for refreshments and the sale of some albums, the second set ripped off with Uncle Pen and went from there with the following songs: Georgia, When You Say Nothing At All, Beulah Land, Orange Blossom Special, Keep the Lamp On Sadie, How's the World Treating You, I'm Goin' Over Yonder, Old Ebenezer Scrooge, Help Me Make It Through the Night, These Days, That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine, Milk Cow Blues, Shadow, Gone at Last, Carolyn at the Broken Wheel Inn, Ashokan Farewell, Seeds My Daddy Sowed, Crooked Ridge, and I Hope My Pony Knows the Way Back Home.

     If you're fortunate, you may catch these folks singing at the square in Mountain View, a little coffee shop in Hardy, AR, at Blanchard Caverns, at a local community college, or even at the Grand Ole Opry! Each musician has a CD project or two, but you have to dig around to find them. 

     Thanks to the Webers for their hospitality, the musicians for their splendid music, and the four-legged critters named Dusty, Tinker, Roscoe, and gorgeous Pearl, the cat who reigns over everything!

Yes, I'm Pearl, and I DO reign over everything!

                                                                     Pick away!

                                                                       Betty

     

BREAKIN' UP WINTER 19

CEDARS OF LEBANON STATE PARK

MARCH 6-9, 2014

     Breakin' Up Winter is a wonderful old-time string band music gathering in the hills of Middle Tennessee. Cedars of Lebanon State Park near Lebanon, TN, is the site of the annual event which is held during the first full weekend of March. The entire event is hosted by the Nashville Old-Time String Band Association (NOTSBA).

     Special guest lecturers and demonstration experts this year were as follows: Alice Gerrard, Franklin George, Alan Jabbour, George Gruhn, John Harrod, Ken Perlman, Jeff Todd Titon, Bill Mansfield, Joyce and Jim Cauthen, Martin Fisher, Bob White, Roby Cogswell, Lo Gordon, and Rick Fretter. Lisa Ingram and Betty Westmoreland held the Sunday morning hymn singing by the fireplace in Cedar Forest Lodge. 

     The name 'Breakin' Up Winter,' is derived from the old-time music song called 'Breakin' Up Christmas,' and it was 'way past time to break up winter this season. The weather was perfect for the weekend of pickin', jammin', and swapping old favorite tunes. There were great jams in the cabins all around Cedar Forest!

     Folks who attended the festival went to workshops by the pro's, they jammed indoors and out with old and new friends, and they had just a country-dog good time!

     Enjoy the photos and make a promise to yourself to visit Breakin' Up Winter 20 (the locals just call it BUW) next year. Thanks to the generosity of Todd Wright, of the Nashville Old-Time String Band Association, there will be a next year! It was tough sledding there for a while, but the festival will continue into the future! Thank you, Todd!

     Read more about the old-time string band event known as Breakin' Up Winter at http://www.nashvilleoldtime.org/BUW

     Read more about this little 900-acre gem of a state park by googling Cedars of Lebanon State Park, Lebanon, TN. It's fascinating to see what the park has to offer! The park is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Entering Cedars of Lebanon State Park from US 231 just south of Lebanon, TN

Follow the fiddle signs to find the music

The grand old Cedar Forest Lodge built by the WPA (1925-1949)

Folk legend Alice Gerrard speaking to the attentive crowd

Alice Gerrard receiving the NOTSBA Heritage Award

These gents know their way around a banjo: Randal Morton (Memphis, TN), George Gruhn (Gruhn Guitars, Nashville), Christian Stanfield (Memphis, TN)

                                                                  

Clarke Buehling (AR--The Skirt Lifters), Ken Berner (AL), and Richard "Squirrel" McLain (Murfreesboro, TN-The Glade City Rounders) in an impromptu jam at Breakin' Up Winter

Couple of banjo whiz kids: Randal Morton and Buddy Ingram, Chief Ranger at Cedars of Lebanon State Park

Fiddle Workshop with Kay Justice, Alice Gerrard, and Gail Gillespie

These jammers called to mind the NPR program 'Thistle & Shamrock'

                                                                             

Lo Gordon's display of open-back banjos in Cedar Forest Lodge

Martin Fisher preparing the Edison-type wax cylinder recording device for his next customers

Martin Fisher and a duo recording the way it was done around the turn of the 20th century

Musicians creating their own wax-cylinder recording which Martin Fisher converts to mp3 for each customer

Equipment for a recording session on wax cylinders during late-19th and early-20th century--Old time players seeking authenticity prefer that scratchy old-time sound

To record your wax cylinder sound, contact Martin Fisher, Curator of Recorded Media Collections at the Center for Popular Music at MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN

      I hope you enjoyed your brief trip through Breakin' Up Winter! Join us next year on the first full weekend in March!

     Visit Cedars of Lebanon State Park any time of the year! It's a delightful experience for families who wish to swim, hike, ride horses, and explore the great outdoors. Find Chief Ranger Buddy Ingram and let him tell you about his discovery of an entirely unknown species of little frogs which he discovered  living in the cedar glade there in the state park. Amazing stuff!

     Pick away!

  

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

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 

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

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

Bring down the flags

For the seven who today have lost their lives

Bring down the flags

Bring down the flags

For the seven that were 'board the Challenger

Bring down the flags

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

Bring down the flags 

For the seven that were 'board the Challenger

Bring down the flags

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)