Fall: Beginning Of The Bluegrass Season

In the last few weeks, bluegrass bands around the country have made changes in their line-ups, acquiring up-and-comers, trading mandolin and banjo players, recruiting the best possible group for what seams to be the beginning of the bluegrass season. Many bands simply switch players, as evident in the trades noted below.

The season begins with what seams to be the fall trading deadline before various winter holidays and celebrations. The summer festival season parallels the playoffs in sports, with the International Bluegrass Music Awards acting as the super bowl.

Here are some of the bluegrass trades and acquisitions of this year’s bluegrass trading season.

Junior Sisk Seeks New Mandolin Player

Junior Sisk and Rambler’s Choice is seeking a replacement for their current mandolin player, Chris Harris, who will be leaving the band in January.

If you live in or are willing to move to Virginia, slam the mandolin and sing a lonesome tenor, Rambler’s Choice is a prime option. Rambler’s Choice already has several tour dates lined up for 2009.

Rhonda Vincent Signs New Banjo and Guitar Players

Rhonda Vincent, one of the most respected female bluegrass artists and leader of The Rage, announced the departure of Rage members Kenny Ingram and Darrell Webb.

Former Grascal Aaron McDaris will hold down the banjo and 22-year-old Ben Holson joins The Rage from Ricky Skaggs’s group Kentucky Thunder. The new group is set to record a guestless album – a first for Vincent and The Rage.

Webb Leaves The Rage for Michael Cleveland’s Flamekeeper

Within two weeks of his departure from Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, Webb landed the lead vocal and guitar spot with Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper. Webb’s first show with Flamekeeper will be December 26 at the Grande Ole Opry.

“We had the opportunity to play together again at a recent event and things just fell into place,” stated Cleveland, pictured to the left. “He is a great talent and we are thrilled to have him in the band!”

Rick Allred Back With The Larry Stephenson Band 

Larry Stephenson has reunited with banjo player Rick Allred, the original banjo player for the Larry Stephenson Band when it began 20 years ago. Allred came aboard after Kristin Scott Benson departed as the banjo player for the Larry Stephenson Band.

“I’m looking forward very much to working with Rick again,” said Stephenson, who sings lead and plays mandolin. “He’s one of the best that’s ever played banjo with me.”

Grascals Pick Up Banjoist Kristin Scott Benson

Kristin Scott Benson, winner of the 2008 Banjo Player of the Year IBMA award, has said goodbye to the Larry Stephenson Band and hello to the Grascals. The change comes at an exciting time for Benson, who just released a solo album titled Second Season.

Benson, pictured to the left,  will arrive as part of the Grascal squad following the departure of former banjo player Aaron McDaris, who is now with The Rage.

New Bass Player For Punch Brothers

The Punch Brothers have added new bass player Paul Kowert, 22, in the wake of founding bass player Greg Garrisson’s departure. Kowert came to the Punch Brothers following a fall tour with mandolinist Mike Marshall. He has also studied bass at the Curtis Institute of Music with virtuoso Edgar Meyer. The acquisition comes as no surprise, as Meyer may well have had a hand in the negotiation after he and Chris Thile recorded a duo album earlier this year.

Kowert joins Chris Thile on mandolin, Noam Pickelny on banjo, Chris Eldridge on guitar and Gabe Witcher on fiddle. The Punch Brothers are already touring with Kowert. Check their Web site for tour dates.

Gibson Brothers Recruit Recent Graduate Joe Walsh

The Gibson Brothers have picked up recent Berklee College of Music graduate Joe Walsh as the newest member of the band, following the retirement of mandolinist Rick Hayes. Hayes has retired from the band to create more time for his up-and-coming mandolin company, Hayes Mandolins.

Walsh was the first student to study mandolin at Berklee, where bluegrass musicians are becoming more popular every year. His first performance with the band will be Jan. 2, 2009 at the New Years Bluegrass Festival in Jekyll Island, Ga.

Bluegrass Blog’s IBMA Coverage Provides Unique Perspective

The Bluegrass Blog has now issued five different episodes of it’s coverage on the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Awards that took place earlier in October.

Host Katy Daley speaks briefly with many of the stars of the bluegrass industry, including the award show’s host Del McCoury and Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent, who as a duo won seven different awards.

Although Daley revolves much of her conversation around “So, who are you wearing tonight?” the interactions between her and the musicians provide a rare, intimate perspective.

Not often in Del McCoury asked to “take a spin” and show off his clothing.

Much of the interaction between Daley and the artists seams awkward, which comes as no surprise. Bluegrass artists typically don’t chat about their hair-stlyer or the brand of shoes they’re wearing.

Daley presents more of a “red carpet” persona in her interviews and is generally uninformed about which artists are performing where and when and which artists are nominated for awards.

It is also noticeable when Daley does know what she’s talking about, as she makes a point to show her previous affiliations with certain artists.

See for yourself on the Bluegrass Blog’s Web site. You will be entertained by the interactions between Daley and the artists.

IBMA Award Winners

Yesterday marked the end of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s fan festival in Nashville, Tenn.

The festival lasted three days and hosted more than 60 live performances, including the majority of artists who attended the awards ceremony.

The International Bluegrass Music Awards were presented Friday, Oct 3 at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.

Also performing was Del McCoury, who hosted the event and was nominated for Entertainer of the Year with his family band, the Del McCoury Band.

Dailey and Vincent effectively stole the show, winning seven awards in their first year as a performing duo. Listed below is a complete listing of the musical award winners.

Entertainer of the Year - Dailey and Vincent

Vocal Group of the Year – Dailey and Vincent

Instrumental Group of the Year – Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Male Vocalist of the Year – Jamie Dailey

Female Vocalist of the Year – Dale Ann Bradley

Song of the Year – “Through the Window of a Train,” Blue Highway (artist), Tim Stafford and Steve Gulley (songwriters)

Album of the Year – Dailey & Vincent, Dailey and Vincent

Recorded Event of the Year - Everett Lily & Everybody and their Brother

Instrumental Album of the Year – Sound of the Slide Guitar, Andy Hall.

Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year – “By the Mark,” Dailey and Vincent

Emerging Artist of the Year – Dailey and Vincent.

Instrumental Performers of the Year

Banjo – Kristen Scott Benson

Fiddle – Michael Cleveland

Guitar – Josh Williams

Dobro – Rob Ickes

Mandolin – Adam Steffey

Bass – Barry Bales

For a more complete listing of award recipients from the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Awards, visit their Web site.

Del McCoury to host IBMAs

Del McCoury, one of the last great Bluegrass legends of the founding generation, will host the International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA) on October 2.

Del, dubbed “the king” of today’s Bluegrass by mandolin player Sam Bush, is hosting the most important Bluegrass awards ceremony as a commemoration of his fiftieth anniversary of an active Bluegrass career.

As pictured in the photograph to the left, Del performed last year at the IBMAs with his band, The Del McCoury Band. Del’s supporting cast includes his eldest son Rob on banjo and his youngest, Ronnie, on mandolin.

Jason Carter plays fiddle and Alan Bertram holds down the rhythm on bass fiddle. The band will play at the Grand Ole Opry Sept. 26, 27 and 30 in the week leading up to the IBMAs.

Del has won nine Entertainer of the Year awards at the IBMAs and is nominated this year as well.

Now 69 years old, Del has enjoyed one of the most successful Bluegrass careers; having been a part of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in his youth and now having shared the stage with his sons for a decade, Del would say, “it just doesn’t get much better.”