Blame it On The Bluegrass Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike
Bell Buckle Records has announced that Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike’s new album is the first album to be recorded at the International Bluegrass Museum Released and was released today.
This six-pack project is part of 12 songs recorded at the IBMM. A second volume of six songs is scheduled to be released this time next year. Go behind the scenes with Valerie Smith and Becky Buller to learn more about the making of this landmark recording by visiting their YouTube channel and viewing a short presentation.
Early last year, Valerie Smith pulled together a group of her colleagues, Ernie Evans, Rebekah Long, and Becky Buller to teach 24 schools throughout Daviess County, Kentucky, for two weeks. The classes were held at the IBMM. Inspired by the chance to spend so much time at the IBMM, Valerie decided it was a good opportunity to record an album while there. So she brought recording equipment along with us and set up in the Radio Bluegrass International (RBI) Cave at the museum. The group performed around three school programs a day and spent time each afternoon and evening recording.
In between takes, I would walk around the exhibits, reading the incredible stories about the artists, feeling the passion that we all have for this beautiful genre, bluegrass – Valerie Smith.
If you’re someone who enjoys numerical significance, the release date of Valerie Smith’s CD, ‘Blame it on The Bluegrass’, 1-11-11, should be pretty hard to top. Not only are all those involved #1 supporters of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, but they also made history here in January of 2010. There, surrounded by artifacts of bluegrass legends, undaunted by illness, fatigue, ice and snow, they came together with enormous energy and creativity and made history by becoming the first to ever record a CD inside the hallowed walls of the IBMM. We wish them every success with their new and wonderful CD –Gabrielle Gray, Executive Director, International Bluegrass Music Museum.
The album was produced by the award-winning and highly respected, Becky Buller, who also lent her vocal, fiddle, guitar, and songwriting talents to the project, and served as associate engineer and co-wrote the title track with Elizabeth Shrum. Becky also wrote the wonderful gospel tune A Good Day, Lord with Jeff Hyde. Ben Speer, legendary gospel artist, arranger and producer, made a guest appearance on the Merle Travis tune No Vacancy, along with Valerie’s husband, Kraig Smith. another track on the album, No Vacancy was sent to Valerie by her friend Dave Freeman of Rebel Records. It appeared on an earlier Glen Campbell album which at the time was considered to be a bluegrass project.
The album is already receiving overwhelming support from radio hosts around the world who have been eagerly awaiting new music from Valerie Smith.
Here’s a sample of the title track Blame it On The Bluegrass:
Blame it on The Bluegrass
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