Greg McGrath

The Farm Hands – Memories of Home

3 Nov, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Critically-acclaimed group The Farm Hands are excited to announce the release of their upcoming album, Memories of Home. Set for release on 8th November via Pinecastle Records, the project will feature 12 new recordings, all showcasing the band’s Bluegrass sound which has catapulted the group to new heights over the last several years.

Fans can preview and pre-order Memories of Home from the website here, you will instantly be able to download the collection’s first two singles.

I think Memories of Home is our best effort yet.m The songs on this project will relate to everyone that listens to it. From Stop and Smell the Roses to Winds of Fall plus 10 other songs, everyone can get some enjoyment from this project. – Tim Graves.

The brand new single, Winds of Fall serves as the second official release from the record. The track was written by Farm Hands member Keith Tew, who also sings lead. The heartfelt anthem fits perfectly with the current season, while staying true to their signature sound which led them to a win earlier this year at the annual SPBGMA awards for Gospel Group of the Year. Winds of Fall serves as the follow-up to lead single, I Can’t Go Home Anymore, which was the inspiration behind the upcoming album’s title.

Musicians performing throughout Memories of Home include Tim Graves on resonator guitar and vocals, Daryl Mosley on bass and vocals, Keith Tew on guitar and vocals, Don Hill on banjo and vocals and Kimberly Bibb on fiddle.

Other standouts on the album include the opening track Stop and Smell The Roses which was written by Mac Davis and Doc Severinsen, plus the group’s unique spin on Southern By The Grace of God which was originally released by Charlie Worsham. The collection serves as the follow-up to the band’s Album of the Year winning 2018 release Good Things, which also spawned the Single of the Year winning song, Hillbilly Graham.

The Farm Hands are planning on bringing their live show to new audiences across thje USA as they continue their jam-packed tour. The road will see the chart-topping group traveling throughout North America for the remainder of 2019 and into 2020. While on tour, fans will have the opportunity to see the band perform songs from Memories of Home. They’ll also be treated to a more full sound, with The Farm Hands performing as a five piece band for the first time.

Check out their upcoming tour dates on their website..

Memories of Home Track List:

1. Stop And Smell The Roses
2. I Can’t Go Home Anymore
3. Winds Of Fall
4. You Never Gave Up On Me
5. Home Sweet Home
6. Mississippi Flood

7. One Last Tear
8. In The Garden
9. How You Make A Man
10. Baptism
11. Grand Pa
12. Southern By The Grace

The South Carolina Broadcasters 2019 Tour

24 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

US Old-Time trio, The South Carolina Broadcasters, have just begun their first Australian tour, and are currently working as tutors at the Dorrigo Old-Time Music School, ahead of their first performance at the Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival this weekend.

The South Carolina Broadcasters are the “real deal” when it comes to Old-Time Bluegrass music, with their razor sharp harmonies, exceptional multi-instrumentation, and fabulous song selection. Wherever they perform, audiences connect with the Broadcasters through their heartfelt songs and good old-fashioned entertainment. Their material ranges from the Old-Time mountain music of Appalachia, through Carter Family country classics, and Cajun music, to original tunes that sound like they’ve come from the past.

The trio consists of David Sheppard (guitar & vocals), Ivy Sheppard (banjo, fiddle, & vocals) and new band member, Jackson Cunningham from The Whitetop Mountaineers (mandolin, guitar, & vocals).

I’d like to think that if AP Carter had had more time to think about it and work things out, the Carter Family would have been singing like the Broadcasters.” – Tim O’Brien.

While this is the first Australian tour for the band, Jackson Cunningham has been a regular visitor downunder, touring here with The Whitetop Mountaineers playing major festivals and a host of gigs across the country.

Tour Dates:

October:

Wed 23-Fri 25: Dorrigo Old-Time Music School NSW
Fri 25–Sun 27: Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival NSW
Tue 29: Upper Lansdowne Hall, NSW
Wed 30: Petersham Bowling Club, NSW
Thu 31: Smiths Alternative, Canberra ACT.

November

Fri 1- Mon 4: Maldon Folk Festival VIC
Tue 5: House concert, Ballarat VIC
Wed 6: House concert, Lancefield VIC
Thu 7: Merri Creek Tavern, Northcote VIC
Fri 8 – Sun 10: MountainGrass Festival, Beechworth VIC.
Tue 12: Mountain Pickers Association, Upwey RSL VIC
Wed 13: Yinnar Hotel VIC
Thu 14: Valencia Creek Memorial Hall VIC
Fri 15: Southern Valley Folk Club, Nethercote Hall NSW
Sat 16: Railway Institute Hall, Thirroul NSW
Wed 20: Yuin Folk Club, School of Arts Hall, Cobargo NSW.
Thu 21: Anglican Church, Moruya NSW
Fri 22: Hotel Blue, Katoomba NSW
Sat 23: The Quarterdeck, Narooma NSW

Midnight Skyracer and Sth Carolina Broadcasters on Southern Style.

24 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

Southern Style, hosted by IBMA Award nominee Jan Dale will feature a double header next month (12th November) featuring Midnight Skyracer from the UK and The South Carolina Broadcasters from the USA.

Midnight Skyracer is a five piece, all-female Bluegrass band from England and Ireland just launched in the spring of 2017, and have found that immediate demand for live performances and a studio recording are intense. These talented young women, two of whom are siblings, got together after meeting at folk and bluegrass venues in the UK. After posting a number of videos on YouTube of their aggressive sound, requests started coming in from close to home, and from bluegrass lovers in the US and Europe as well.

Midnight Skyracer is Leanne Thorose is on mandolin, Tabitha Agnew on banjo, Laura Carrivick on fiddle, Charlotte Carrivick on guitar, and Eleanor Wilkie on bass. The band was nominated in the 2018 IBMA Momentum Awards for Best Band, and Tabitha Agnew on banjo in the instrumental section.

The trio consists of David Sheppard (guitar & vocals), Ivy Sheppard (banjo, fiddle, & vocals) and new band member, Jackson Cunningham from The Whitetop Mountaineers (mandolin, guitar, & vocals).

This is the Broadcasters’ first Australian tour, playing the Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival, the Maldon Folk Festival and MountainGrass Festival, and a number of other gigs in NSW, Victoria, and the ACT. However, Jackson has toured here a number of times with The Whitetop Mountaineers, playing all the major folk festivals including the National Folk Festival, Canberra, Port Fairy Folk Festival, and the Blue Mountains Music Festival, and numerous successful gigs around the country.

Jan Dale’s radio show, Southern Style, can also be streamed to your computer via the PBS website.
Recordings are archived for six months.

Southern Style with Jan Dale – PBS FM 106.7
Tuesdays 1:00pm to 3:00pm or online at www.pbsfm.org.au.

Clawhammer Banjo Tips.

20 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Here is a great article from Josh Turknett over at ClawhammerBanjo.net. For those interested, Josh delivers a complete set of instructions for learning Clawhammer banjo along with a full set of demo tunes and songs on his impressive website:

In a typical Blues song, the words tell of the singer’s trials and tribulations, of run-ins with the law, of bein’ hungry, broke, cold, hot, hobbled, betrayed, forlorn, and altogether put upon.

But somehow, in spite of it all, we sing. And, despite our words of woe, the singing feels real good.

The music even makes it seems like maybe it’s all worth the struggle.

That’s how it is with this early Blues song, at least.

Goin’ Down That Road Feelin’ Bad was first recorded by Henry Whitter in 1924 under the title Lonesome Road Blues (another title it’s often referred to today). Since then, it’s been recorded by scores more under a whole host of other names.

You’ll note in this arrangement the use of a “bended” note, played on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string to bring it towards the flatted 3rd note of the G scale (you’ll also find one in the “up the neck” solo). It’s indicated by the curved line with the “1/2” next to it, indicating that we’re raising the string a half step in pitch with the bend.

You don’t hear bended notes too often in clawhammer, but there’s no reason we shouldn’t play em. Musically, they allow us to access notes not typically available on a fixed scale fretted instrument, providing a sound evocative of the slides on a fretless banjo.

Click here for the original page.

Darin and Brooke Aldridge – Inner Journey on Rounder Records

19 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Darin & Brooke Aldridge are set to make their debut with Rounder Records in their upcoming album, Inner Journey, available today.

The new record, produced by Darin Aldridge and Mark Fain, features an eclectic curation of songs from artists like Nanci Griffith Trouble in the Fields, Graham Nash Teach Your Children Well, and Richard Thompson Tear-Stained Letter; country and bluegrass royalty Charlie and Ira Louvin Every Time You Leave, Doc Watson Your Lone Journey, and Vince Gill, Earl Scruggs, and Randy Scruggs I Found Love; Americana stalwarts Kasey Chambers This Flower, Gretchen Peters End of a Long Hard Day, and Swedish duo Johanna and Klara Söderberg, better known as First Aid Kit Emmylou. The record also features one original song from Brooke Aldridge titled, Someone’s Everything, a meditation on a mother’s unconditional love and the importance of home.

When selecting songs for this album, we chose ones that we remember made us reach for the volume dial in order to sing along or just listen a little closer to the lyrics,” says Brooke. “We like picking songs from the past that we feel will resonate with people and take them back to a moment in their lives – Darin Aldridge.

The husband and wife duo have topped the bluegrass and gospel charts and become Grand Ole Opry favorites over the course of a storied career.

There’s a lot about the new generation of bluegrass that surely is inspiring, and Darin and Brooke are two of my favorites of this great new generation. It’s even better to find out they are equally great as people – Vince Gill.

Brooke Aldridge made news in 2019 when she took home the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award for Female Vocalist of the Year for the third consecutive year. Relix magazine remarked, “Brooke asserts herself as one of the more powerful female vocalists on the scene.” In 2017, Darin Aldridge received the IBMA award for Mentor of the Year.

As artists, there aren’t words to describe the feeling when you realize you get to be a part of a label that has done such extraordinary things within the music industry and still continues to do great things – Brooke Aldridge.

Their TV appearances include PBS, Great American Gospel, Bluegrass Road, RFD-TV, Blue Highways TV, Songs of the Mountain, Woodsongs, Larry’s Country Diner, and Music City Roots. Music videos Wildflower and Tennessee Flat Top Box, and most recently, Every Time You Leave, were heavily featured on outlets including CMT, CMT Edge, GAC, Bluegrass Ridge TV, and The Bluegrass Situation.

The duo celebrated the Inner Journey release with a concert in their hometown of Shelby, North Carolina on Oct. 17. They are also slated to appear on the Grand Ole Opry on Oct. 23 and 24, where they will perform and then sign copies of Inner Journey at a meet-and-greet for fans.

Inner Journey Track Listing:

I Found Love
Someone’s Everything
Tear-Stained Letter
When You Love Someone
This Flower
Sweet Companion

Trouble In The Fields
Teach Your Children
Every Time You Leave
End Of A Long Hard Day
Emmylou
Your Lone Journey

Inner Journey is available HERE.

Restored Print of Bluegrass Country Soul Premiere

17 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The sole, surviving 35mm print of Bluegrass Country Soul, an independent film originally released in 1972, has undergone extensive restoration and will premiere at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY, on November 2, 2019.

This theatrically released documentary captures “the sights and sounds” of Carlton Haney’s 1971 Labor Day Weekend Bluegrass Music Festival in Camp Springs, NC. It features the who’s who of bluegrass music, with such notable performers as Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Chubby Wise, The Osborne Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Mac Wiseman, J.D. Crowe, The Lilly Brothers, Tex Logan and Don Stover, and The Country Gentlemen. It also shows many of today’s stars when they were starting their careers, such as Sam Bush, Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson, and Tony Rice. The beginnings of “New Grass” are represented by The Bluegrass Alliance, The New Deal String Band, and The Earl Scruggs Revue. Growing international popularity is seen with The Bluegrass 45 from Japan. Roy Acuff, “the King of Country Music,” appears as a special guest star from the Grand Ole Opry.

The Washington Post’s review of the film in July, 1972 called it “a new high,” and noted that Bluegrass Country Soul was the first bluegrass movie. It was released on DVD by Time Life Music in 2006, and sold out completely before going out of print.

Albert Ihde, Producer/Director, and his wife, Ellen Pasternack, Executive Director, have taken on this preservation as a labor of love.

Working on this project has been a joy. The artists and fans have been incredibly responsive. Albert and I met working in live, professional, nonprofit theatre and love working together, so that’s an added bonus – Ellen Pasternack.

After the new bluegrass museum asked me for film photos and posters for an exhibit, Ellen and I decided to donate an archival copy of our film to their permanent collection. When one of my original partners on this film, Robert Henninger, examined our one remaining print, he saw that the color had deteriorated badly and offered to oversee a digital restoration in 4K high definition, Dolby sound, and in the widescreen (Academy) format in which it was first shown in theatres. If we hadn’t restored it now, the film might have been lost forever – Albert Ihde.

To help cover some of the costs for the film restoration, a brand new “Golden Anniversary, Legacy Edition” in a multi-media box set will soon be available through the film’s website, BluegrassCountrySoul.com.

Even though Bluegrass Country Soul had a small budget, it boasted some top technical talent. Robert Kaylor, the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed documentary Derby, was the Director of Photography. Noted sound engineer and folklorist John Dildine handled the sound recording, and Washington, DC, Lighting Designer William Eggleston did the lighting. Ihde shot second camera, and Robert Decker shot silent footage on the festival grounds. Joel Jacobson was the Editor, and mandolin player Doug McCash was the Assistant Editor.

Carlton Haney, a successful country music promoter, invented the multi-day bluegrass festival in 1965. He appears throughout the film. Ihde first met Haney at his 4th of July festival in Berryville, VA, in 1971.

That August, when we found funding for a feature, Carlton agreed to let us film his next festival and to have his performers sign contracts with our production company. Carlton told them, ‘If you don’t sign a release, you won’t be in the movie.’ In return, the production company agreed to give 10% of any profits to help build a bluegrass museum in North Carolina, a project which never came to fruition. And now, 48 years later, we’re able to donate a copy of our film to the bluegrass museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, where Carlton has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. This bluegrass story has come full circle – Albert Ihde.

Fred Bartenstein, a prominent bluegrass historian and chair of the IBMA Foundation, worked with Haney at that time and was the festival’s director.

I remember how excited and proud the musicians were when they learned that someone wanted to make a movie about their music. It was a very big deal in 1971, and it was a big deal recently at the IBMA’s ‘World of Bluegrass’ in Raleigh. The bluegrass museum put up an impressive exhibit of large stills from the film in the convention center’s main lobby – Fred Bartenstein.

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s exhibit.

Bluegrass Country Soul is an iconic documentary and provides a wonderful snapshot of the festival experience in the early 1970s. The music crosses all cultural boundaries in this film, and first-generation bluegrass artists are leading the charge inspiring a new generation of musicians and fans. It is an incredible film, and we are so pleased to host this premiere and to welcome the film maker and the wonderful artists who appear in the documentary Chris Joslin, Museum Executive Director.

Bluegrass Country Soul is our big family’s home movie; it’s our youth – Sam Bush.

A celebratory reception and dinner for the artists who performed at the 1971 festival, and the filmmaking team, will be held prior to the screening.

Screening: Saturday, November 2nd, 2019 at 7:00pm.
Place: Terry Woodward Theatre, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Address: 311 West 2nd St, Owensboro, KY 42301

Tickets are free of charge but reservations are suggested. For tickets, please go to bluegrasshall.org or call 270.926.7891.

Photo captions:

1 – Sam Bush and Tony Rice as seen in Bluegrass Country Soul. This was the final performance of The Bluegrass Alliance. Sam Bush started The New Grass Revival and Tony Rice joined J.D. Crowe to form The New South.
2 – Ralph Stanley and Keith Whitley as seen in Bluegrass Country Soul. Ralph Stanley sings “Man of Constant Sorrow” in the film, 29 years before O, Brother, Where Art Thou? rocketed the song to fame.
3 – Bluegrass Country Soul was filmed in Camp Springs, NC in 1971. Bob Kaylor, the Director of Photography, moves in for a close-up while filming J.D. Crowe and The Kentucky Mountain Boys.
4 – The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s exhibit of stills from Bluegrass Country Soul in the convention center lobby at the 2019 World of Bluegrass in the Raleigh Convention Center.

Bluegrass Country Soul at IBMA

15 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Bluegrass historian Fred Bartenstein, Albert Ihde, and Hall of Fame inductee Bill Emerson

Every fall, (autumn) the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) holds its week-long celebration in Raleigh, North Carolina, called “World of Bluegrass.” The folks producing the restored Bluegrass Country Soul video, attended the convention and announced their donation of an archival copy to the bluegrass museum and of the forthcoming Golden Anniversary, Legacy Edition Box Set. Thanks to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s generous offer of space in their booth, producers were able to show a mock-up of the box set to thousands of convention visitors over a four-day period.

The films restoration team were absolutely delighted by the exhibit the bluegrass museum set up in the lobby of the Raleigh Convention Centre. It was impossible to miss. There were large photos from frames in the film that captured the attention of visitors, including many of the movie’s performers.

Below is a short video of their whirlwind trip.

A very special thank you to Robert White, aka Quail, for his extraordinary help in the exhibit hall. His energy and enthusiasm were infectious. While in Raleigh, it was wonderful to see Leroy Savage, Frank Greathouse, and Gene Knight, and to hear them perform together with Quail. They are all original members of The New Deal String Band – Bluegrass Country Soul Team.

Missy Raines Trio on Southern Style.

15 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Jan Dale has recently returned from the USA and the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass festivities, where no doubt she has amassed many interviews with bluegrass personalities. More recently though, she has arranged for The Missy Raines Trio to play live to air on Southern Style on Tuesday 22nd October.

As we have previously posted, Missy won Bass Player of Year this year for 8th time and is on an Australian toru with her band, The Missy Raines Trio.

Jan Dale’s radio show, Southern Style, can also be streamed to your computer via the PBS website.

Southern Style with Jan Dale – PBS FM 106.7
Tuesdays 1:00pm to 3:00pm or online at www.pbsfm.org.au.

Savannah Church Goes Solo

12 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Savannah Church, of the highly acclaimed band The Church Sisters, has announced the launch of her solo career.

For the last eight years The Church Sisters have toured various parts of the world showcasing their stunning sibling harmony. Hailing from the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Savannah and Sarah Church recorded four albums including their latest release A Night At The Opry on The Valory Music Co. label in 2018. They have also been a part of two collaborative albums including the highly acclaimed and star-studded Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited.

Savannah has decided to venture out and pursue the next phase of her career as a solo artist. Her incredibly powerful voice has already created fans around the world and the next round of music being created will take that sound to another level.

We’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world with our music and work with some amazing artists along the way. We’d like to thank everyone that has helped us: our fans for loving us and our music; our friends and family for being so supportive; our bandmates that have given their talent and time; the promoters that have hired us; and all of the people that have mentored and encouraged us to follow our dreams. We set out to bring joy to people through music and are extremely grateful for all the opportunities that we’ve been given. As much as we’ve enjoyed making music together for 11 years, we both just realized that we want to pursue different dreams and career opportunities. I will miss Sarah as she starts this new chapter of her life after choosing to step back from the music business. She will always have my full support in whatever path she chooses to take – Savanah Church.

The Church Sisters will perform two remaining dates together including:

Friday, November 1, 2019 at the Laurel County Public Library in London, Kentucky. Free event.
January 23, 2020 at the Frith Fine Arts Center at Averett University in Danville, Virginia. Free event.

The Church Sisters’ music is available at their website, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and more streaming and purchase sites.

Steep Canyon Rangers – Be Still Moses Video.

12 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Be Still Moses effortlessly contrasts the sonorous, bluegrass-flavored baritone of Steep Canyon Rangers’ Woody Platt with the timeless vocal arrangements that defined Boyz II Men’s stratospheric rise in the ’90s. The studio version was produced by Michael Selverne (who had the original idea for the project), Boyz II Men and Joe Mulvihill, and features Steep Canyon Rangers’ hometown Asheville Symphony, 12 of whose members also played on the live version from Nashville. It was released in August of this year, and coincided with the Rangers’ return to North Carolina-based Yep Roc Records.

Be Still Moses marks the beginning of a busy year-end for Steep Canyon Rangers, who are about to embark on an international tour with their frequent collaborator, banjoist and comedian Steve Martin on his upcoming dates with Martin Short. They’ll be announcing additional recording projects in the near future.

We hope to bring you more information on the Australian New Zealand component of the tour in our next post.