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2 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
1430 Second StreetNorth Wilkesboro
1838 Winkler StreetWilkesboro
Welcometo MerleFest
Enjoy the festivalCOUPON
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Offer good through October 31, 2014
MerleFest is always a great value with many of the top artists in multiple musical genres, but this year it has even more.
MerleFest 2014 has more performers than ever - over 130 appearing on 13 different stages during the course of the four-day festival (April 24-27) at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.
There are also more special collabora-tions of artists planned this year, not to mention the ones that occur spontaneously.
The MerleFest Midnight Jam in the Walker Center on Saturday night of the festival isn’t new, but it’s always the festival’s biggest melting pot of talent.
Participants in this year’s Jam, hosted again by Scythian, include Keller Williams, Nora Jane Struthers and the Party Line, Peter Rowan, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, Steep Canyon Rangers, Della Mae, Moore Brothers, Steel Wheels, Donna the Buffalo, I Draw Slow, Waybacks, Pete and Joan Wernick, the Deadly Gentlemen, Jim Lauderdale, SC Broadcasters, Mandolin Orange, Mark Newton and Steve Thomas and Town Mountain.
A separate ticket is required for the Mid-night Jam and can be purchased by four-day ticket holders and Saturday-only ticket holders.
Other collaborations and special features planned ths year include:
• country star Alan Jackson’s Thursday night performance of his recent all-blue-grass album, featuring heavy hitters in the bluegrass world;
• “BanjoRama” on Friday on the Watson Stage, hosted by Pete Wernick and featuring Jens Kruger, Sammy Shelor, Alison Brown, Mark Johnson, Jim Mills, Rob McCoury, Terry Baucom, Ned Luberecki and Gra-ham Sharp. “BanjoRama, Part Two” on the Creekside Stage Saturday afternoon;
• culmination of the Chris Austin Song-writing Contest on Friday. After contest chairman Jim Lauderdale announces the winners, the songwriters perform the win-ning entries on the Cabin Stage at 9:30 p.m.
• Doc and Merle Watson Performing Arts Showcase, hosted by Joe Smothers and Bob Hill, is Friday on the Austin Stage. This will be a diverse sampling of local and regional talent in a more intimate setting;
• Steep Canyon Rangers with several “special guests” as part of a Saturday night set on the Watson Stage;
• several special events Saturday at the
Creekside Stage, including “Memories of Doc and Merle” with T. Michael Coleman, David Holt, Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Rich-ard Watson and others;
• Dr. Ralph Stanley with Ricky Skaggs and Jim Lauderdale on the Watson Stage Saturday;
• Keller Williams and Larry and Jenny Keel on Saturday on the Hillside Stage;
• Keller Williams on the Watson Stage Friday night with the Travelin’ McCourys;
• the Waybacks will again host the Hill-side Album Hour on Saturday. Every year, a revered or iconic album is performed (but not announced in advance) from start to finish. Many surprise guests will join in the performance.
Other highlights, day by day, include:• Thursday, performances by the Carolina
Chocolate Drops, Holly Williams, Scyth-ian, The Duhks, Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice, Josh Farrow and others. Friday afternoon, participants in Pete Wernick’s MerleFest Bluegrass Jam Camp will perform on the Cabin Stage. Legendary Dobro player Tut Taylor will kick off performances at the Plaza Stage at 2:30 p.m., and the Opening Night Dance with The Duhks will take place starting at 10 p.m. at the Dance Stage.
• Friday, performances by Old Crow Medicine Show, Keller Williams and the Travelin’ McCourys, Tim O’Brien and Dar-rell Scott, Balsam Range, Lonesome River Band, Peter Rowan Band, Sutton, Holt & Coleman, Missy Raines and The New Hip, Todd Snider, Donna the Buffalo, The Steel Wheels and others.
• Saturday, performances by Dr. Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thun-der, Steep Canyon Rangers, Sam Bush Band, Town Mountain, Alison Brown Quartet, Peter Rowan, The Steel Wheels, Della Mae, Claire Lynch Band, Nora Jane Struthers and the Party Line, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, Niall Toner Band and others.
• Sunday opens with the “Spirit of Sunday” with the Nashville Bluegrass Band and Avett Family Gospel Hour at Creekside Stage. Sunday also features performances by Merle Haggard, Dailey & Vincent with Jimmy For-tune, Jerry Douglas, Deadly Gentlemen, Claire Lynch Band, Jim Lauderdale, Mando-lin Orange, Donna the Buffalo, Overmoun-tain Men and more. A blues set Sunday afternoon has Roy Book Binder, Richard Watson,Mitchell Greenhill, Del Rey, Rory Block, Eleanor Ellis and Charles Welch.
MerleFest offeringeven more this year
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 3
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We have Western boots…Old Gringo • Ariat • Corral
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Come check out our store while you’re at MerleFest!
If you haven’t visited our store, please come by… You’ll be glad you did! Have a great festival!
The core mission of MerleFest is to honor the memory of music legend and MerleFest co-founder Doc Watson and his son, musician Eddy Merle Watson; offer the best in “traditional plus” music and raise funds for Wilkes Community College (WCC). The festival is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation.
A few basics about the festival follow, but for full details on tick-ets, rules, programming and more go to http://www.merlefest.org.
• Gates open on MerleFest’s first day at 2:30 p.m. and on the next three days at 9 a.m.;
• Free parking and shuttle ser-vices are provided from the Blue Lot, located off N.C. 268 West about a half-mile from the festi-val grounds.
• Four-day reserved seats are in front of the Watson Stage with chairs provided and set up in advance. Unoccupied reserved seats may be used by anyone before 5 p.m. or until owners return. Spe-cial wristbands are required for admission or re-admission to the reserved seating area after 5 p.m.
• General admission seating is on a first-come, first-served basis at all stages. At the Watson Stage, gen-eral admission seating is located directly behind the reserved seat-ing area. Children 12 and younger are admitted free when accompa-nied by a paying adult, except in the reserved seating area where a four-day reserved seating wrist-band is required.
• The Shoppes at MerleFest includes the MerleFest Gift Shop with official MerleFest memora-bilia, commercial vendors, heritage crafts demonstrations, first aid, overnight storage/lost & found, Internet access and more.
• In the Watson Stage area are two large food tents operated by and benefiting nonprofit organiza-tions. They offer entrees, desserts and drinks. Snacks and other food are elsewhere at the event.
• The Pickin’ Place is an area for musicians of all levels and genres play their instruments. It’s between the Traditional Stage and the Dance Stage.
Some basicson MerleFest
4 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
Legend• ATM
• Autographs
• People w/disabilities
• Elevators
• Expo
• Eddy Merle Watson Garden for the Senses
• First Aid
• Food
• Information
• Lost & Found
• Overnight Storage
• Playground
• Raffle/ Silent Auction
• Restroom
• Security
• WiFi Hotspot
• Watson Stage
• Cabin Stage
• Creekside Stage
• Little Pickers Stage
• Americana Stage
• Traditional Stage
• Pickin’ Place
• Dance Stage
• Mayes Pit
• Austin Stage
• Plaza Stage
• Hillside Stage
• Walker Center13
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MerleFestGift Shop
HeritageCrafts
VolunteerCheck-In
R & R Tent
MerleFest Mall
Box Office/Will Call
Cooler/BagCheck
The Shoppesat MerleFest
Little Pickers Family Area
Shuttle Stop
Access Festival Check-In andRV Lot via Meadowview Drive
Alumni Hall
Thompson Hall
Hayes Hall
Lovette Hall
Daniel Hall
Randolph Hall
Walker Center
Lowe’s Hall
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April 24-27, 2014
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The stages of MerleFest are:• Watson Stage, with some of the largest
acts and collaborations;• Cabin Stage, next to the Watson Stage,
with some of the best acoustic music;• Mayes Pit Learning Stage, with instru-
ment instructional sessions and more;• Traditional Stage, beneath large tent,
featuring traditional music at its best;• Dance Stage, beneath a large tent, with
everything from clogging to Cajun dances, Friday, Saturday and Sunday;
• Chris Austin Stage, with some of the best songwriting and blues music;
• Creekside Stage, under a tent near Moravian Creek, a particularly pleasant
spot for performances;• Little Pickers Family Area, offering
activities, games and live music for the young and the young at heart;
• Hillside Stage, with MerleFest artists up close and jammin’. It’s the scene of some very memorable and lively performances;
• Walker Center, providing an indoor
venue. Home of the Midnight Jam;• Americana Stage, offering a relaxed
venue on the lawn near the Visitors Center;• Lounge, with guitar, banjo, and mando-
lin contests and songwriter’s coffee house, workshops and special performances.
• Pickin’ Place, an area for music fans and musicians to pick and sing together.
Music of MerleFest (and more) featured on 13 stages
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 5
6 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
Doc Watson became ambassador for his regionWhen the late Doc Watson became nationally known
during the folk music revival of the 1960s, he brought forth an image of simple dignity and sensibility for a region stereotyped by comical hillbilly characters.
Watson went on to profoundly influence guitarists world-wide, including Bob Dylan, while living his life as a testi-mony to high Christian character.
Despite his death on May 29, 2012, at age 89, Watson’s musical influence and his positive ambassadorship for the southern Appalachians continues.
MerleFest helps insure that the legacies of Doc Watson and his wife, the late Rosa Lee Watson, and their son, the late Merle Watson, will remain a vibrant and positive force - particularly in northwest North Carolina.
Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson was born in Deep Gap. His father, General Dixon Watson, was a farmer and day laborer who led the singing at church. His mother, Annie, sang old-time ballads while doing household chores and at night sang the children to sleep.
Left blind by an eye infection as an infant, Doc had a few years of formal schooling at the Raleigh School for the Blind. He was 5 or 6 when he received his first harmonica and 11 when his father made him a fretless banjo. After he taught himself the Carter Family’s “When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland,” Doc’s father bought him a $12 Stella guitar, and soon he was learning the rythym chords. He learned to flat pick and then the picking style of Jimmie Rodgers.
After his marriage in 1947 to Rosa Lee Carlton, a neigh-bor and daughter of fiddler Gaither Carlton, when he was
24 and she was 16, Watson tuned pianos to support his growing family. Eddy Merle was born in 1949 and Nancy Ellen in 1951.
In 1953, Doc got a job playing electric guitar in a local country band and traded his Martin for a Gibson Les Paul. The group often lacked a fiddler and Watson taught himself fiddle tunes on the electric instrument, in addition to the popular finger-style music of Merle Travis and Chet Atkins.
Smithsonian Institute folklorist Ralph Rinzler is credited with “discovering” Watson in 1960 at the fiddler’s conven-tion in Union Grove.
Merle joined Doc in 1964 as a rhythm guitarist and eased most of the burdens of the road from his father’s shoulders. Doc and Merle made about 20 albums together and won two Grammys. In the mid-1980s, Merle was killed in a tractor accident. Although broken-hearted by the loss, Doc said Merle told him in a dream to press on with the music. He did this and also helped start MerleFest in Merle’s memory.
Doc is revered primarily for his flatpicking and finger-picking styles, as well as his unique voice. He received seven Grammy awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2000.
Rosa Lee Watson died six months after the death of her husband. She was 81. The couple sometimes performed together and co-wrote “Your Long Journey,” featured on the Grammy Award-winning album “Raising Sand” by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.
Their grandson, Richard Watson, performs at MerleFest.
Arthel “Doc” Watson
Richard Watson
Rosa Lee WatsonMerle Watson
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Over 130 artists lined up for MerleFest ‘14Susana and Timmy AbellF, Sa, Su
Susana and Timmy Abell of Asheville blend music with storytelling, puppetry and poetry, including Timmy’s fun and thoughtful songs for young people. “Growing up in western North Carolina, Doc Watson was a constant inspiration. We hope to inspire the coming generations with that same appreciation of our folk traditions.” Susana has experience as a puppeteer and circus performer.
Sheila Kay AdamsF, Sa, Su
A seventh-generation ballad singer, storyteller and musician, Sheila Kay Adams was born and raised in Madison County. She learned to sing from her great-aunt and is an accomplished clawhammer banjo player and storyteller. Ms. Adams has per-formed at festivals, events, music camps and workshops around the
U.S. and United Kingdom. She has recorded several albums of ballads, songs and stories. She received the National Endow-ment for the Arts 2013 Heritage Fellowship Award.
Alberti Flea Circus F, Sa, Su
Part magician, part storyteller, part comedian and all enter-tainer, Jim Alberti of Winston-Salem is a third-generation flea circus impresario. Alberti took the revived flea circus on the road in the 1980s, and since then he and his talented troupe of fleas have captivated audiences at fairs, festivals and theme parks across the United States and Canada.
Darin and Brooke Aldridge T, Sa
The International Bluegrass Music Association nominated Darin and Brooke Aldridge for Emerging Artist of the Year nomi-
nee two years in a row and the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music nominated them for gospel group, album and song of the year.
Amanda and Scott Anderson F, Sa
Amanda Anderson and her dad, Scott Anderson, have performed together regularly since 2008, with Amanda handling most lead vocals and fiddle lines and swampgrass master Scott adding harmony and lead vocals, guitar and banjo. With mandolinist and vocalist Lamont Goff and bass-ist Danny Smith, the band plays Americana, bluegrass, country and folk.
Jim AvettSu
The son of a Methodist preacher and a concert pianist, Jim Avett has been singing and playing guitar for most of his life. He also built a business as
a welder, served in the Navy, raised three children with his wife. In 2008, he released, “Jim Avett and Family,” a collection of gospel songs recorded with daughter Bonnie and sons Scott and Seth of The Avett Brothers. He recorded “Tribes” in 2010 and “Second Chance” in 2012.
BackPorch BluegrassT
Wilkes County-based Back-Porch Bluegxrass plays tradi-tional, hard-driving bluegrass. David Culler (vocals/guitar), leader and founder of the group, is the only original member. He is is joined by banjoist Tony Joines. Wes Tuttle plays mandolin and fiddle and provides lead and tenor harmony. Jim Matthews plays upright bass, provides lead and smooth baritone harmony and sometimes plays fiddle, mandolin and guitar. Jacob Joines some-times plays dobro.
Bailey Mountain CloggersSa
Mars Hill College students organized the Bailey Mountain Cloggers in 1974. The group began dancing competitively in the 1980s and added big circle smooth, freestyle, country hoe-down, Kentucky running set, line dance, show and percus-sive dance styles. Members are from various dance traditions
Darin and Brooke Aldridge
8 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
Welcome MerleFest FansCome see us for the best prices on your food, drink, water and camping needs
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Welcome to WilkesboroMerleFest 2014
Musicians and FansTh e Town of Wilkesboro
www.WilkesboroNC.org
Artistscontinued from Page 7
Continued on Page 9
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and ethnic and religious backgrounds. They serve as goodwill ambassadors for Mars Hill and folk dance traditions of the Southern mountains.
Balsam RangeF
Balsam Range is named for mountains near the homes of this bluegrass band in Haywood County. Band members are Tim Surrett, emcee, resonator guitar and lead and harmony voice; Buddy Melton, fiddle and tenor voice; Caleb Smith, guitar and vocals; Darren Nicholson, mandolin and harmony vocals; and Marc Pruett, three-finger style banjo. The band won IBMA Album of the Year Award for “Papertown.”
BanknotesT
Wilkes County musicians who were friends with MerleFest co-founder Bill Young, who died in 1992, formed the Banknotes. They include R.G. Absher, Randy Gambill, Billy Gee, Tony Joines, Mike Palmer, Jeff Pardue, Donnie Story and Wes Tuttle. The members have been involved in MerleFest since it began in
1988. Young was a retired banker known for Chet Atkins-style of guitar playing.
Glenn BannermanF Sa, Su
Glenn Bannerman of Banner Elk is known nationwide as a dance caller, teacher and leader. After 20 years as a pro-fessor of recreation and outdoor education at the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Va., Bannerman retired in 1989 and formed the Bannerman Family Celebration Services, a recreation, folk dance and worship resource.
Barefoot MovementF
Barefoot Movement from Johnson City released “Footwork” in 2011 and “Figures of the Year” in 2013. The band recently went on a West Coast tour, from Denver to San Francisco to Vancouver. The Barefoot sound is described as lush harmonies, thoughtful instrumentation and memorable melodies. Tommy Nor-ris, Noah Wall, Hasee Ciaccio and Alex Conerly form Barefoot Movement.
Gregg “Buffalo” BarfieldF, Sa, SuGregg “Buffalo” Barfield of Pendleton,
S.C., is a singer, songwriter and multi-
instrumentalist. His enthusiasm for tra-ditional music and old-time instruments like the washboard, spoons and kazoo is surpassed only by his desire to entertain, involve and share these. He is joined on stage by his wife, vocalist and rub board player, Michele Barfield, to present Buf-falo Barfield’s “Washboard Workshop & Jug Band Jam.”
Terry BaucomSa, Su
Terry Baucom has been influential in bluegrass since the 1970s. As a founding member of bands like Boone Creek, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and IIIrd Tyme Out, Barcum is called the “Duke of Drive.” The influence of his banjo style is heard in play-ers who came up in the ‘80s and ‘90s. His latest release is “Never Thought of Look-ing Back.” The single, “What’ll I Do” with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Buddy Melton, Steve Bryant and Wyatt Rice was named IBMA 2013 “Recorded Event of the Year.”
Riley BaugusSa, Su
Riley Baugus of Winston-Salem rep-resents the best of old-time American banjo and song. He grew up listening to his father’s old-time music, including Doc Watson. While working as a welder and
blacksmith, Riley played with old-time bands. His “Life Of Riley” showcases his banjo and voice. He provided singing and instrumentals for “Cold Mountain.”
Alan Bibey and GrasstowneSu
Grasstowne is comprised of a bluegrass veteran and three young musicians. Their first three projects “The Road Headin’ Home,” “The Other Side of Towne” and “Kickin Up Dust” rose to No. 1, No. 2 and No. 2, respectively, on the National Bluegrass Charts. Alan Bibey is a founding member of
Balsam Range
Banknotes
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 9
336-903-11666th&[email protected]
Going ToMerleFest . . .
From steak and potatoes to fresh spins on salad -- we have a varietyof delicious menu options to satisfy every appetite!
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Continued on Page 10
Artistscontinued from Page 8
The New Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out and BlueRidge. Other mem-bers are Justin Jenkins on banjo, Kameron Keller and vocalist and instrumentalist Blake Johnson.
Rory BlockF, Sa, Su
Rory Block committed her life and her career to preserving the Delta blues tradition and bringing it to life for 21st century audiences around the world. A traditionalist and innovator, she wields a fiery and haunting guitar and vocal style that redefines boundaries of acoustic blues and folk. She’s at the height of her creative powers, bringing a world full of life lessons to bear on what she calls “a total celebration of my beloved instru-ment and best friend, the guitar.”
Blue EditionSu
Blue Edition is a bluegrass band comprised of current and graduated East Tennessee State
University students. Focusing on bluegrass and bluegrass gospel, it plays original material with tradi-tional and contemporary bluegrass sounds. Members are: Laura Ford (vocals, mandolin, bass), Isaac Mainer (vocals, banjo, bass, gui-tar), Amanda Broadwater (vocals, fiddle, Dobro), Kevin Zollinger (vocals, guitar, banjo, bass), Aaron Foster (guitar, vocals), Travis Houck (vocals, Dobro) and Emily Willis (vocals, guitar, mandolin).
Roy Book Binder Sa, Su
Roy Book Binder of New York City is a blues guitar entertainer. Equally at home with blues and ragtime, “Book” shifts from open tunings to slide arrangements to original compositions with tra-ditional and self-styled licks. His storytelling emphasis makes his style unique. Described as a gui-tar pickin’ hillbilly bluesman, he shared the stage with Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, John Jackson, Sonny Terry, Doc Watson, Ray Charles and Brownie McGhee.
Laura Boosinger
Sa, SuLaura Boosinger of Asheville
is an award-winning performer and recording artist who focuses mostly on traditional music from the Southern Appalachians. Through an introduction to tra-ditional instruments and regional vocal styles, she invites audiences to participate in the richness of the region’s musical heritage.
Fiona BoyesF, Sa, Su
Fiona Boyes is a distinctive blues guitarist, singer and song-writer. She has a soulful, authori-tative style that has earned her unprecedented recognition as an Australian artist. She received three successive USA Blues Music Awards nominations for her elec-tric and acoustic playing. Fiona’s latest release is “Blues for Hard Times.”
Alison Brown QuartetF, Sa
Alison Brown is a Harvard grad-uate, record label co-founder and owner, mother, and banjo virtuoso. She came to national prominence
Glenn Bannerman Terry Baucom
Barefoot Movement
when she joined Alison Krauss in Union Station in 1989. Alison was named IBMA’s Banjo Player of the Year in 1991. Her quartet includes John R. Burr on piano/keyboards, Garry West on bass and Kendrick Freeman on drums.
Jeff Brown & Still LonesomeT
Jeff Brown began playing at age 9 and in 1993 went to work for Larry Sparks as bass player and tenor singer. He was a Lonesome Rambler from 1993 to 1996 and performed on the Grand Ole Opry, “Austin City Limits” and “Song of the Mountains.” He once played bass for Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. Other members of Still Lonesome are Austin Brown, a 15-year-old on guitar and bass; Meredith Goins, who performed on the Grand Ole Opry with Vassar Clements in 2003; Josh Blankenship, mandolin player, songwriter and vocalist and Josh Underwood, banjo player, song-writer and vocalist.
10 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
•Beautiful Rooms• Free Breakfast
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Official SponsorMerleFest 2014
www.Addisoninn.comWilkesboro, NC336-838-1000 800-672-7218
Continued on Page 11
Artistscontinued from Page 9
Mark BumgarnerSa
Mark Bumgarner’s musical style is a blend of roots country, bluegrass and hillbilly blues. He’s a son of the South, but with many musical influences. His three self-produced album projects show his versatility as a recording art-ist, record producer and talent as a songwriter.
Buncombe TurnpikeF, Sa
Asheville-based Buncombe Turnpike is a staple in the west-ern North Carolina bluegrass scene. The band has grown from its original four-piece lineup 15 years ago to a quintet featuring Seth Rhinehart (banjo), Tom Godleski (lead vocals, upright bass), Evan Swink (guitar, tenor vocals), Joe Trimbach (mando-lin, baritone vocals) and John Duncan (fiddle). The band plays traditional and contemporary bluegrass and gospel, but mostly Buncombe Turnpike originals.
Sam Bush BandSa
Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush has been honored with the lifetime achievement award from Ameri-cana Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association. Bush, 57, has helped to expand the horizons of blue-grass music, fusing it with jazz, rock, blues, funk and other styles. And though Bush is best known for skills on the mandolin, he is
also a three-time national junior fiddle champion and Grammy Award-winning vocalist. “In the acoustic world, I’ve been pretty lucky to play with almost every one of my heroes. I’ve gotten to play with Bill Monroe, Doc Wat-son and Earl Scruggs; I’ve been to the mountain,” says Bush with a smile. “As long as I’m alive I hope I have the ability to play,” says Bush, a two-time cancer treatment sur-vivor. ”
Carolina Blue F
Carolina Blue is a powerful blue-grass band from western North Carolina. The band, formed in 2007, consists of Bobby Powell (guitar), Tim Jones (mandolin), Don Austin (banjo), Reese Combs (bass fiddle) and Branson Raines (fiddle). In 2011, Carolina Blue won the South Carolina Bluegrass Band Champi-onship and The Don Reno Classic, over other bands from across the country. Carolina Blue has released two CDs, “Nothing So Blue” and “Carolina Blue Live at RenoFest.”
Carolina Chocolate DropsT
The Carolina Chocolate Drops got their start in 2005 when every Thursday night they traveled to sit in the home of old-time fiddler Joe Thompson for a musical jam. Thompson, in his 80s, was a black fiddler with a short bowing style that he inherited from generations of musicians. He passed it on to a new generation. In early 2012, the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops released “Leav-ing Eden,” featuring Rhiannon Giddens (lead singer, banjo), Dom Flemons (banjo, guitar, harmonica,
percussion), Hubby Jenkins (gui-tar) and Leyla McCalla (cello, vocals, banjo). With Flemons and McCalla doing solo work, the group’s 2014 lineup features two new players alongside Giddens and Jenkins – cellist Malcolm Parson and multi-instrumentalist Rowan Corbett.
Nick Chandler and DeliveredS
Nick Chandler of Marshall began playing the mandolin at age 9. He was in Asheville Grass and is a founding member of Sil-vercreek. He has recorded with fiddler Bobby Hicks, Tony Rice and Jimmy Fortune. Joining Chandler in Delivered are Kevin Tuck of Bryson City on guitar and vocals, Nick Dephaunais, originally from Enfield, N.H., and Seth Rhinehart
The Cockman FamilyF, Sa
Since launching a career in 1988, the Cockman Family has become known for classic family harmo-nies, bluegrass gospel style and original songs and arrangements of old gospel songs. The Cockman Family is an N.C. Council of the Arts Touring Artist Group and received the 2011 N.C. Community Traditions Award from the N.C. Folklore Society. USA Today Week-end and American Greetings Cards named the Cockman Family one of The 12 Most Creative Families in America. Lead singer Caroline Fisher was awarded the 2011 Song Writer of the Year Award from Pow-erGrass Internet Radio. In 2012, Ben Cockman won guitar flat pick championships at MerleFest and elsewhere.
Alison Brown Quartet
Rory Block
Book Binder Boosinger
T. Michael ColemanF, Sa
T. Michael Coleman of Mayo-dan grew up playing baseball and singing in church. He developed an appreciation of folk music while at Appalachian State University and soon began playing and tour-ing with Doc and Merle Watson. The three toured the world and participated in many Grammy nominated and Grammy awarded recordings. Coleman later per-formed and recorded with Seldom Scene in Washington, D.C., along with producing and recording vari-ous music projects for Doc Watson and others..
Dailey & Vincentfeaturing Jimmy FortuneS
Award winning Dailey & Vin-cent and Statler Brothers member Jimmy Fortune join forces to pro-vide audiences with a unique show. Dailey & Vincent is the top touring American bluegrass act. Jimmy Fortune is a premier American country music vocalist, musician and songwriter. This “quartet style show” features the rich blend of vocals performed by Jamie Dailey, Darrin Vincent, Jimmy Fortune and Christian Davis.
Lynda Dawson& Pattie HopkinsF, Sa
Songwriting guitarist Lynda Dawson and fiddler Pattie Hopkins step out of the Kickin Grass Band to lay down intricately crafted duets. With guitar instrumentation topped with soulful fiddling, their natural blend of sweet harmonies makes you feel like you’ve been Lynda Dawson
& Pattie Hopkins
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 11
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Della Mae Sa
Della Mae of Boston, Mass., proves the endless possibili-ties found in the marriage of fiddle, fretboard and voice.
The group is a who’s-who of promising young pickers: lead singer Celia Woodsmith, guitarist Courtney Hartman, bass player Shelby Means, mandonlinist Jenni Lyn Gardner and
invited into the living room of a best-kept-secret musical house party. Expect to hear compelling original songs, traditional American fiddle tunes and Appalachian duet standards inspired by the likes of Hazel and Alice or the Monroe brothers. This is genuinely beautiful and honest roots music.
The Deadly GentlemenSa, Su
The Deadly Gentlemen consists of Greg Liszt on banjo, Mike Barnett on fiddle, Sam Grisman on bass, Dominick Leslie on mandolin and Stash Wyslouch on guitar. Liszt’s innovative four-finger picking technique helped him to win a place in Bruce Springsteen’s live band. Barnett toured with Jesse McReynolds, excelled as a jazz violinist and has performed with the David Grisman Quintet and the Tony Trischka Band. Grisman has played professionally since his teens and combines traditional and modern elements. Leslie is known for live appearances with the Infamous Stringdusters and the Grant Gordy Quartet.
Artistscontinued from Page 10
Continued on Page 12
Buncombe Turnpike
Mark Bumgarner
Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome
Dailey & Vincentwith Jimmy Fortune
12 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
900 Main Street • North Wilkesboro • 336-838-5964 www.michaelsjewelry.com • facebook.com/michaelsjewelry
Every girl is a Michael’s girlContinued on Page 13
Artistscontinued from Page 11
two-time National Fiddle Champion Kimber Ludiker are all seasoned performers who have won countless contests and shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Del McCoury, Leon Russell and Laurie Lewis. Their 2011 release, “I Built This Heart,” was an impressive debut, a delicate balance between bluegrass grit and singer-songwriter sensitivity. With a new album in the works–produced by Bryan Sutton and their first label release–it’s clear that Della Mae is just getting started.
Donna the BuffaloF, Sa, Su
Donna the Buffalo’s feel-good, groove-oriented, danceable and often socially-conscious music began over 20 years ago with roots in old-time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful electric Americana infused with Cajun/zydeco, rock, folk, reggae and country. Donna the Buffalo includes Jeb Puryear on guitar and vocals; Tara Nevins on fiddle, guitar, accordion, scrubboard and vocals; keyboardist Dave McCracken; bassist Kyle Spark; and drum-mer Mark Raudabaugh. Donna the Buf-falo’s fervent fan base, self-named The Herd, follows the band with zeal.
Jerry Douglas Su
Dobroist Jerry Douglas of Leavittsburg, Ohio, has a close association with Mer-leFest, having performed at the festival every year since it began. He has won 13 Grammy Awards, three CMA Musi-cian of the Year awards and numerous International Bluegrass Music Associa-tion awards, including multiple Dobro Player of the Year wins. In 2011, Douglas received the annual Americana Honors and Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist. His distinctive sound has graced over 2,000 albums. Douglas’ latest album, “Traveler,” finds the world-renowned dobro master, described as “the Muhammad Ali of the dobro” by James Taylor, defying expectations and ignoring genre restrictions.
The DuhksT, F
This Grammy-winning Canadian acous-tic roots band features banjo, fiddle, gui-tar, percussion and vocals and plays a blend of Canadian and American soul, gospel, folk, old-time country string, Cajun zydeco, and Irish dance music. The band’s music draws heavily on all North Ameri-can musical traditions, while integrating
Latin-influenced percussion as well as often Celtic- and Cajun-influenced fiddle-playing. Appalachian-influenced claw-hammer banjo player Leonard Podolak founded The Duhks in 2002. He is joined by singer Jessee Havey, fiddler Tania Elizabeth and Celtic-influenced guitarist Jordan McConnell. The name “Duhks” is from Scruj MacDuhk, Podolak’s defunct previous band.
Eleanor EllisF, Sa, Su
A versatile fingerpicking blues guitarist and singer, and Louisiana native Eleanor Ellis has performed throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. She traveled and played with the late gospel street singer Flora Molton, was a regular at the Satur-day afternoon barbershop blues jams of Piedmont bluesman Archie Edwards and sometimes accompanied Delta blues great Eugene Powell in Greenville, Miss.
Wayne ErbsenF
Wayne Erbsen of Asheville is a master of old-time, bluegrass, folk, Appalachian, cowboy, pioneer, railroad, gospel and Civil War music. He plays clawhammer and bluegrass banjo, fiddle, mandolin and gui-tar. His repertoire approaches 1,000 songs. A typical program includes songs, stories, history and humor with fiery instrumen-tals. He recorded 18 solo CDs and wrote and published 31 instruction and song books. Erbsen performed on “Sesame Street” and his music appeared in NPR’s “Wireless Catalog.”
Josh Farrow T, F
Josh Farrow is an American singer/songwriter who uses his compelling, soul-ful voice to tell tales of the country life, heartache of city life and visions of life on the road. His two new singles, “Devil Don’t You Fool Me” and “The Worryin’ Kind” were released in early 2013 and have landed him on stage with such acts as Leon Russell.
Mary FlowerF, Sa, Su
Mary Flower is known for her personal vision of roots music that blends ragtime and acoustic blues. With nine recordings and many instructional DVDs, Flower has earned rave reviews from critics and audiences for her unassuming vocals and mastery of the Piedmont blues guitar and lap slide guitar. She is a three-time Blues Music Award nominee and twice a finalist at the International Fingerpicking Guitar
Sam Bush Band
Carolina Chocolate DropsChampionship. She has performed on “A Prairie Home Companion” and is on staff at many guitar workshops including Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch.
The Fox Fire Su
The Fox Fire is a folk band from Brevard consisting of old high school friends Aaron Aiken, Barrett Davis, Clint Roberts and J.T. Linville. With influences like the Avett Brothers, Kings of Leon and Creedence Clearwater Revival, the band bring a tra-
The Duhks
Donna The Buffalo
Jerry Douglas
Della Mae
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 13
s1.
Watson3:00 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
Josh Farrow----------------
4:15 p.m.-5:00 p.m.Junior Sisk &
Ramblers Choice
----------------
5:30 p.m.-6:15 p.m.The Duhks----------------
6:45 p.m.-7:30 p.m.Scythian
----------------
8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.Carolina Chocolate Drops
----------------
9:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.Alan Jackson
2.Cabin
3:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.ToneBlazers with Jack
Lawrence----------------
5:00 p.m.-5:05 p.m.Raffle
----------------
5:05 p.m.-5:30 p.m.MerleFest Bluegrass
Jam Camp withPete & Joan Wernick
----------------
6:15 p.m.-6:45 p.m.The Bill Young Tribute with the Banknotes
----------------
7:33 p.m.-7:35 p.m.Raffle
----------------
7:35 p.m.-8:00 p.m.John Stickley Trio
----------------
9:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.Holly Williams
7.Pickin’ Place
2:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.Jammin’ at
The ’Pickin’ PlaceThe Pickin’ Place is more than a stage, it’s an entire venue devoted to pickin’ & grinnin’! Included in The
Pickin’ Place are theTraditional Jammin’ Tent, Bluegrass Jammin’ Tent,
and Anything Goes Jammin’ Tent, Bring your
acoustic instruments to this area and jam! Hosted by
the Wilkes AcousticFolk Society.
11.The Plaza
2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.Tut Taylor
----------------
3:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m.Jesse Stockton and Moonlight Company
----------------
4:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.Backporch Bluegrass
----------------
4:45 p.m.-5:15 p.m.Banknotes
----------------
5:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.Jon Stickley Trio
----------------
6:15 p.m.-6:45 p.m.Jeff Brown andStill Lonesome ----------------
7:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.The Local Boys
Thursday, April 24
Artistscontinued from Page 12
Continued on Page 14
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.Th
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Sun
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April
27
ditional bluegrass setup to create a not-so-traditional, energized performance.
The GrassifiedsT
This Walkertown-based band combines locked-in harmonies and high lonesome lead vocals with skillful instrumental per-formances and talented song-writing. Greg Barnett provides soulful lead vocals and solid rhythm guitar, pairing with ban-joist/lead guitarist Joel Barnett for classic brother harmonies. Bassist Pete Wright (winner of multiple awards) and banjo-ist/guitarist Jerry Martin have shared the stage for over 25 years. They supply lead and harmony vocals and masterful picking. Award-winning instrumentalists Amanda Smelser (fiddle) and Jim Grubbs (mandolin) complete the lineup.
Mitch Greenhill F, Sa, Su
A product of the 1960s Cam-bridge folk music scene, Greenhill recorded two albums for Pres-tige, now reissued as “Shepherd of the City Blues.” In California he performed in the country-rock
band Frontier and in California honky-tonks while working as a studio guitarist and producer. After joining his father, Manny Greenhill, at Folklore Produc-tions, he worked as agent/man-ager and producer for Doc and Merle Watson, Taj Mahal and oth-ers. He and Mayne Smith released “Storm Coming “(1979) and “Back Where We’ve Never Been” (1985).
Grits & SoulF
Anna Kline and John Looney are the duo called Grits & Soul. Anna grew up in Hernando, Miss., and coordinated the first Missis-sippi Music Showcase at South by Southwest in 2011. John began playing bass guitar, guitar man-dolin while growing up in south-western Virginia. They met in January 2011 soon started writing together and moved to Asheville
in 2012. The release of their first full-length album, “Flood Waters,” coincided with their appearance as a featured art-ists at the 2013 IBMA World of Bluegrass week in Raleigh.
Merle HaggardSu
Country music legend Merle Haggard was born in Bakersfield, Calif., in 1937. Some critics have suggested that Haggard, as a performer and songwriter, was the most important country artist to emerge in the 1960s, and he became one of the leading fig-ures of the Bakersfield coun-try scene in the 1960s. While his music remained hardcore country, he pushed the bound-aries of the music quite far, drawing from all forms of tra-
Merle Haggard Grits & Soul
14 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
1.W
atson10:30 a.m
.-11:15 a.m.
Missy R
aines andThe N
ew H
ip----------------
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m
.I D
raw Slow
----------------1:00 p.m
.-1:45 p.m.
Chris Jones and
The Night D
rivers----------------
2:15 p.m.-3:00 p.m
.Lonesom
e River Band
----------------3:30 p.m
.-4:30 p.m.
Banjo-Ram
a hosted by Pete W
ernickfeaturing Jans Kruger, Sam
my Shelor, Alison
Brown, Scott Vestal,
Mark Johnson, Jim
M
ills, Rob M
cCoury,
Terry Baucom, N
ed Luberecki, G
raham
Sharp - backed by The Travelin’
McC
ourys andBryan Sutton---------------
4:30 p.m.-5:20 p.m
.BR
EAK---------------
5:30 p.m.-6:15 p.m
.Balsam
Range
---------------6:45 p.m
.-7:45 p.m.
Tim O
’Brien andD
arrell Scott----------------
8:15 p.m.-9:30 p.m
.O
ld Crow
Medicine
Show----------------
10:00 p.m.-11:15 p.m
.Keller W
illiams and
The Travelin’ McCourys
2.C
abin11:15 a.m
.-11:45 a.m.
Andy May
----------------12:30 p.m
.-1:00 p.m.
Volume Five
----------------1:45 p.m
.-2:10 p.m.
Mary Flow
er
----------------2:10 p.m
.-2:15 p.m.
Raffle
----------------3:00 p.m
.-3:30 p.m.
Darin and Brooke
Aldridge---------------
4:30 p.m.-4:35 p.m
.R
affle---------------
5:25 p.m.-5:30 p.m
.R
affle---------------
6:15 p.m.-6:42 p.m
.Frosty M
orn with
Richard W
atson---------------
7:45 p.m.-8:15 p.m
.R
ed June---------------
9:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m
.C
hris Austin Songw
riting Contest
Winners Announced
by contest chairman
Jim Lauderdale
3.C
reekside9:30 a.m
.-10:15 a.m.
The Barefoot M
ovement
---------------10:45 a.m
.-11:30 a.m.
Mark Johnson andEm
ory Lester----------------
12:00 noon-12:45 p.m.
The South Carolina
Broadcasters---------------
1:15 p.m.-2:00 p.m
.I D
raw Slow
----------------2:30 p.m
.-3:15 p.m.
Volume Five
----------------3:45 p.m
.-4:30 p.m.
Balsam R
ange----------------
5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m
.The Kruger Brothers
4.Little
Pickers9:30 a.m
.-10:15 a.m.
Jug Band Jam w
ith
Gregg ‘Buffalo’
Barfield----------------
10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m
.The InterAC
TiveTheater of Jef----------------
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m
.Susana and Tim
my
Abell----------------
1:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m
.Alberti Flea C
ircus----------------
2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m
.The InterAC
TiveTheater of Jef----------------
3:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m
.Jug Band Jam
with
Gregg ‘Buffalo’
Barfield----------------
4:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m
.Susana and Tim
my
Abell----------------
5:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m
.Steve and R
uth Smith
----------------6:00 p.m
.-6:30 p.m.
Alberti Flea Circus
5.A
mericana
9:45 a.m.-10:30 a.m
.The H
illbenders----------------
11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m
.R
ed June----------------
12:15 p.m.-1:00 p.m
.N
u-Blu----------------
1:30 p.m.-2:15 p.m
.The Steel W
heels----------------
2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m
.Shannon W
hitworth
----------------4:00 p.m
.-4:45 p.m.
Missy R
aines andThe N
ew H
ip----------------
5:15 p.m.-6:00 p.m
.Lonesom
e River Band
----------------6:30 p.m
.-7:15 p.m.
Mandolin O
range
6.Traditional
10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m
.Ballads and Storiesfrom
the SouthernM
ountains with
Joe Penland----------------
11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m
.Peter R
owan Plays
Traditional with Peter
Row
an’s Twang An’
Groove
----------------1:00 p.m
.-2:00 p.m.
Riley Baugus
----------------2:15 p.m
.-3:15 p.m.
The South Carolina
Broadcasters----------------
3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m
.O
ld Time Songs and
Tunes with W
ayne H
enderson andH
elen White
----------------6:00 p.m
.-7:00 p.m.
Wom
en and Mountain
Stringband Music w
ith C
arol Rifkin, Jeanette
Queen and Sheila
Kay Adams
7.Pickin’ Place
10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m
.Jam
min’ at
The Pickin’ PlaceThe Pickin’ Place is
more than a stage, it’s
an entire venue devot-ed to pickin’ & grin-nin’! Included in The Pickin’ Place are theTraditional Jam
min’
Tent, the Bluegrass Jam
min’ Tent, and the
Anything Goes
Jamm
in’ Tent. Bring your acoustic instru-m
ent to this area and jam
! Hosted by the
Wilkes Acoustic Folk
Society.
8.D
ance11:30 a.m
.-12:30 p.m.
Freestyle Dance w
ith W
ayne Henderson &
Friends---------------
12:45 p.m.-1:45 p.m
.C
logging and Smooth
Dance
Learn both Clogging
and Smooth D
anceand their differences.
Hosted by FH
C
Smooth D
ance Team
with C
arol Rifkin and
Paul’s Creek
(instruction and team
demonstration)
---------------2:00 p.m
.-3:30 p.m.
Traditional Mountain
Dance and Big C
ircleD
ance Dem
onstrations w
ith caller Glenn
Bannerman and the
Zephyr Lightning Bolts w
ith a special appear-ance by the FH
C
Smooth D
ance Team---------------
3:45 p.m.-4:45 p.m
.O
ld Timey D
anceTunes and Songs w
ithLocust H
oney String Band
---------------5:00 p.m
.-6:00 p.m.
Dance and Sing
with The Steel W
heels----------------
6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m
.Break
----------------7:00 p.m
.-8:15 p.m.
Dance w
ithI D
raw Slow
----------------8:30 p.m
.-10:00 p.m.
Traditional Mountain
Dance and Big C
ircle D
ance Dem
onstrations hosted by C
arol Rifkin
and Paul’s Creek
with caller G
lenn Bannerm
an ----------------
10:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m
.Friday N
ight Dance
with Scythian
9.M
ayes Pit10:00 a.m
.-10:10 a.m.
Welcom
e to the M
erleFest Workshops
with H
appy Traum---------------
10:10 a.m.-10:45 a.m
.H
omespun W
orkshopw
ith Happy Traum
---------------10:45 a.m
.-11:30 a.m.
Banjo Basics 101W
orkshop with
Samm
y Shelor andScott Anderson
---------------11:45 a.m
.-12:30 p.m.
Traditional Music
Workshop w
ithW
ayne Erbsen---------------
12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m
.Fam
ily Band D
ynamics W
orkshop w
ith Amanda and
Scott Anderson---------------
1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m
.Three Part H
armony
Vocals Workshop
with R
ed June---------------
2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m
.H
istory of the BluesW
orkshop with
Roy Book Binder,
Eleanor Ellis andFiona Boyes----------------
3:45 p.m.-4:45 p.m
.H
amm
ered Dulcim
erW
orkshop with
Steve and Ruth Sm
ith---------------
5:00 p.m.-5:45 p.m
.So You’ve M
ade aC
D, N
ow W
hat?W
orkshop with G
arry W
est of Com
pass R
ecords
10.A
ustin inA
lumni H
all9:30 a.m
.-10:00 a.m.
Welcom
e to the Doc
and Merle W
atsonPerform
ing Arts Show
casesH
osted by Joe Sm
others and Bob H
ill of Frosty Morn
---------------10:00 a.m
.-10:15 a.m.
Locust Honey
String Band---------------
10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m
.G
rits & Soul---------------
11:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m
. The Barefoot
Movem
ent ---------------
11:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m
.The Local Boys
---------------12:00 noon-12:15 p.m
.Jesse Stockton and
Moonlight C
o.---------------
12:30 p.m.-12:45 p.m
.The Sigm
on Stringers---------------
1:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m
.M
itch Greenhill
---------------2:00 p.m
.-3:30 p.m.
The Chris Austin
Songwriting C
ontestFinals w
ith contest chairm
an Jim
Lauderdale andjudges D
arrell Scott, C
harles Hum
phrey IIIand N
iall Toner---------------
5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m
.D
oc and Merle
Watson Perform
ingArts Show
case:Acoustic Kidsw
ith Andy May
---------------7:15 p.m
.-8:00 p.m.
Songwriter’s
Coffeehouse
Registration
---------------8:00 p.m
.-8:15 p.m.
Songwriter’s
Coffeehouse
Brandon Rickm
anof the
Lonesome R
iver Band
---------------8:30 p.m
.-8:45 p.m.
Songwriter’s
Coffeehouse
Lynda Daw
son and Pattie H
opkins---------------
9:00 p.m.-9:15 p.m
.Songw
riter’s C
offeehouseAndy M
ay---------------
9:30 p.m.-9:45 p.m
.Songw
riter’s C
offeehouseJoe Sm
others---------------
10:00 p.m.-10:15 p.m
.Songw
riter’s C
offeehouseShannon W
hitworth
---------------10:30 p.m
.-11:30 p.m.
Songwriter’s
Coffeehouse
Todd Snider
11.The Plaza
9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m
.Am
anda and ScottAnderson
---------------10:15 a.m
.-10:45 a.m.
The Local Boys---------------
11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m
.C
arolina Blue Band---------------
12:00 noon-12:45 p.m.
Misty R
iver Band---------------
1:00 p.m.-1:45 p.m
.Tal N
accarato---------------
2:00 p.m.-2:45 p.m
.Lynda D
awson and
Pattie Hopkins
---------------3:00 p.m
.-3:45 p.m.
My N
ew Favorites
---------------4:00 p.m
.-4:30 p.m.
Buncombe Turnpike
---------------4:45 p.m
.-5:15 p.m.
Grits & Soul
---------------5:30 p.m
.-6:00 p.m.
The Cockm
an Family
---------------6:15 p.m
.-6:45 p.m.
Nu-Blu
---------------7:00 p.m
.-7:30 p.m.
Tut Taylor
12.H
illside9:30 a.m
.-10:00 a.m.
Josh Farrow---------------
10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m
.Shannon W
hitworth
---------------11:45 a.m
.-12:30 p.m.
The Hillbenders
---------------1:00 p.m
.-1:45 p.m.
Scythian---------------
2:15 p.m.-3:00 p.m
.Todd Snider---------------
3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m
.D
onna The Buffalo---------------
5:00 p.m.-5:45 p.m
.Jim
Lauderdale Band---------------
6:15 p.m.-7:00 p.m
.The D
uhks
13.W
alker C
enter10:45 a.m
.-11:30 a.m.
Chris Jones and
The Night D
rivers----------------
12:00 noon-12:45 p.m.
The Kruger Brothers----------------
1:15 p.m.-2:00 p.m
.The W
aybacks----------------
2:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m
.Sutton, H
olt andC
oleman
----------------3:45 p.m
.-4:30 p.m.
The Duhks
----------------5:00 p.m
.-6:00 p.m.
Peter Row
an’sTw
ang An’ Groove
Friday, A
pril 25ditional American music – coun-try, jazz, blues and folk – and in the process, developed a distinctive style of his own. As a performer, singer and musician, he was one of the best, influencing countless other artists. Not coincidentally, he was the best singer/songwriter in country music since Hank Wil-liams, writing a body of songs that became classics. With 38 No. 1 hits and 250 original songs, Haggard remains one of the best-known artists in country music. He was voted the “Top Male Vocalist” by the Academy of Country Music Awards. Haggard was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1977, the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010. Among his many awards, he holds three Grammys, including a Grammy Hall of Fame Award for “Mama Tried.” On June 14, 2013, Merle Haggard was pre-sented an honorary doctorate of Fine Arts by California State Uni-versity, Bakersfield.
Wayne HendersonF, Sa
Wayne Henderson’s top-notch finger-picking has delighted Carn-egie Hall, three national tours of Masters of the Steel-String Guitar and seven nations in Asia. Hender-son is a luthier of great renown. He is a recipient of a 1995 National Heritage Award presented by the National Endowment for the Arts. He produces about 20 instruments a year, mostly guitars. Doc Wat-son, who was a good friend, used to stop at Henderson’s shop in Rugby to pick a few tunes. Doc said of his Henderson mandolin, “That Henderson mandolin is as good as any I’ve had my hands on. And that’s saying a lot, because I’ve picked up some good ones.”
High ValleySa
The Canadian country band High Valley, consisting of brothers Brad, Bryan and Curtis Rempel, has won multiple Canadian Coun-
Artistscontinued from Page 13
Continued on Page 15
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 15
1.W
atso
n10
:30
a.m
.-11
:15
a.m
.N
ora
Jane
Str
uthe
rs
& T
he P
arty
Lin
e--
----
----
----
--11
:45
p.m
.-12
:30
p.m
.T
he S
teel
Whe
els
----
----
----
----
1:00
p.m
.-1:
45 p
.m.
Alis
on B
row
nQ
uart
et--
----
----
----
--2:
15 p
.m.-
3:00
p.m
.To
wn
Mou
ntai
n--
----
----
----
--3:
30 p
.m.-
4:30
p.m
.P
eter
Row
an's
Tw
ang
An'
Gro
ove
----
----
----
----
4:30
p.m
.-5:
30 p
.m.
Bre
ak--
----
----
----
--5:
30 p
.m.-
6:30
p.m
.D
r. R
alph
Sta
nley
an
d th
e C
linch
Mou
ntai
n B
oys
----
----
----
----
7:00
p.m
.-8:
00 p
.m.
Ric
ky S
kagg
s &
Ken
tuck
y T
hund
er--
----
----
----
--8:
30 p
.m.-
9:45
p.m
.S
am B
ush
Ban
d--
----
----
----
--10
:15
p.m
.-11
:15
p.m
.S
teep
Can
yon
Ran
gers
2.C
abin
11:1
5 a.
m.-
11:4
5 a.
m.
San
ctum
Sul
ly--
----
----
----
--12
:30
p.m
.-1:
00 p
.m.
Nia
ll To
ner
Ban
d--
----
----
----
--1:
45 p
.m.-
2:15
p.m
.M
ark
John
son
and
Em
ory
Lest
er--
----
----
----
--3:
00 p
.m.-
3:05
p.m
.R
affle
----
----
----
----
3:05
p.m
.-3:
30 p
.m.
Aco
ustic
Kid
sA
mba
ssad
ors
with
A
ndy
May
----
----
----
----
6:30
p.m
.-6:
35 p
.m.
Raf
fle--
----
----
----
--6:
35 p
.m.-
7:00
p.m
.S
leep
y M
an B
anjo
Boy
s--
----
----
----
--8:
00 p
.m.-
8:20
p.m
.F
rank
Sol
ivan
& D
irty
K
itche
n--
----
----
----
--8:
20 p
.m.-
8:27
p.m
.R
affle
----
----
----
----
9:45
p.m
.-10
:15
p.m
.S
utto
n, H
olt
and
Col
eman
3.C
reek
sid
e9:
30 a
.m.-
10:1
5 a.
m.
WB
T B
riar
hopp
ers
----
----
----
----
10:4
5 a.
m.-
11:3
0 a.
m.
Nia
ll To
ner
Ban
d--
----
----
----
--12
:00
no
on
-1:0
0 p
.m.
Mem
orie
s of
Doc
and
M
erle
with
T. M
icha
el
Col
eman
, B
ryan
Sut
-to
n, D
avid
Hol
t, Ja
ck
Law
renc
e &
Jef
f Li
ttle
----
----
----
----
1:30
p.m
.-2:
15 p
.m.
The
Kru
ger
Bro
ther
s--
----
----
----
--2:
45 p
.m.-
3:30
p.m
.B
anjo
Ram
a P
art T
wo
feat
urin
gP
ete
Wer
nick
, M
ark
John
son,
Sco
tt V
esta
l, M
ike
Mun
ford
, S
cott
And
erso
n, J
ens
Kru
-ge
r, B
lake
Will
iam
s an
d D
r. R
alph
Sta
nley
----
----
----
----
4:00
p.m
.-5:
00 p
.m.-
Man
do M
ania
hos
ted
by T
ony
Will
iam
son
and
Sam
Bus
h--
----
----
----
--5:
30 p
.m.-
6:15
p.m
.T
he S
teel
Whe
els
4.Li
ttle
Pic
kers
9:00
a.m
.-9:
30 a
.m.
The
Int
erA
CT
ive
The
ater
of
Jef
----
----
----
----
10:0
0 a.
m.-
10:3
0 a.
m.
Sus
ana
and
Tim
my
Abe
ll--
----
----
----
--11
:00
a.m
.-11
:30
a.m
.A
lber
ti F
lea
Circ
us--
----
----
----
--12
:00
noon
-12:
30 p
.m.
Jug
Ban
d Ja
m w
ith
Gre
gg "
Buf
falo
" B
arfie
ld--
----
----
----
--1:
00 p
.m.-
1:30
p.m
.T
he S
igm
onS
trin
gers
----
----
----
----
2:00
p.m
.-2:
30 p
.m.
Sle
epy
Man
Ban
jo
Boy
s--
----
----
----
--3:
00 p
.m.-
3:30
p.m
.A
lber
ti F
lea
Circ
us--
----
----
----
--4:
00 p
.m.-
4:30
p.m
.W
BT
Bri
arho
pper
s--
----
----
----
--4:
30 p
.m.-
5:30
p.m
.A
cous
tic K
ids
Sho
wca
ses
with
A
ndy
May
----
----
----
----
6:00
p.m
.-6:
30 p
.m.
Sus
ana
and
Tim
my
Abe
ll
5.A
mer
ican
a9:
45 a
.m.-
10:3
0 a.
m.
Lynd
a D
awso
n an
d P
attie
Hop
kins
----
----
----
----
11:0
0 a.
m.-
11:4
5 a.
m.
Larr
y K
eel a
ndN
atur
al B
ridg
e--
----
----
----
--12
:15
p.m
.-1:
00 p
.m.
Mar
k N
ewto
n an
d S
teve
Tho
mas
----
----
----
----
1:30
p.m
.-2:
15 p
.m.
I D
raw
Slo
w--
----
----
----
--2:
45 p
.m.-
3:30
p.m
.D
elta
Rae
----
----
----
----
4:00
p.m
.-4:
45 p
.m.
Cla
ire L
ynch
Ban
d--
----
----
----
--
5:15
p.m
.-6:
00 p
.m.
Hig
h V
alle
y
6.Tr
adit
ion
al10
:30
a.m
.-11
:30
a.m
.S
ingi
ng D
oc's
Son
gs
with
Dav
id H
olt,
Car
ol R
ifkin
and
m
ore
----
----
----
----
11:4
5 a.
m.-1
2:45
p.m
.La
ura
Boo
sing
er--
----
----
----
--1:
00 p
.m.-
2:00
p.m
.O
ld T
ime
Rad
ioTr
aditi
ons
with
WB
T B
riar
hopp
ers
----
----
----
----
2:15
p.m
.-3:
15 p
.m.
Sto
ryte
lling
fro
m t
he
Nat
iona
l End
owm
ent
for
the
Art
s re
cipi
ent
She
ila K
ay A
dam
s--
----
----
----
--3:
30 p
.m.-
4:30
p.m
.M
ark
John
son
and
Em
ory
Lest
er--
----
----
----
--4:
45 p
.m.-
5:45
p.m
.M
ount
ain
Str
ingb
and
Son
gs,
Sto
ries
and
M
usic
with
Car
ol
Rifk
in a
nd P
aul's
C
reek 7.
Pic
kin
’ P
lace
10:0
0 a.
m.-
10:0
0 p
.m.
Jam
min
’ at T
heP
icki
n' P
lace
The
Pic
kin'
Pla
ce is
m
ore
than
a s
tage
, it'
s an
ent
ire v
enue
de
vote
d to
pic
kin'
&
grin
nin'
!
Incl
uded
inT
he P
icki
n' P
lace
are
th
e Tr
aditi
onal
Jam
min
' Ten
t, th
eB
lueg
rass
Jam
min
' Te
nt a
ndA
nyth
ing
Goe
sJa
mm
in' T
ent.
Bri
ng y
our
acou
stic
in
stru
men
ts t
o th
is
area
and
jam
!
Hos
ted
by t
heW
ilkes
Aco
ustic
Fol
k S
ocie
ty
8.D
ance
10:0
0 a.
m.-
11:3
0 a.
m.
Aco
ustic
Kid
sS
how
case
s w
ithA
ndy
May
----
----
----
----
11:3
0 a.
m.-
12:4
5 p
.m.
Lear
n C
logg
ing
with
de
mon
stra
tions
fro
m
wor
ld fa
mou
s B
aile
y M
ount
ain
Clo
gger
s al
ong
with
Car
ol
Rifk
in a
nd P
aul's
C
reek
----
----
----
----
1:00
p.m
.-1:
45 p
.m.
Free
styl
e D
ance
and
O
ld T
ime
Dan
ce T
unes
w
ith R
iley
Bau
gus
----
----
----
----
2:00
p.m
.-3:
00 p
.m.
The
Sou
th C
arol
ina
Bro
adca
ster
s--
----
----
----
--3:
15 p
.m.-
4:45
p.m
.Tr
aditi
onal
Mou
ntai
n B
ig C
ircle
and
S
quar
e D
ance
hos
t-ed
by
the
Zep
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Artistscontinued from Page 14
Continued on Page 18
try Music Association and Juno nominations. The band opened shows for Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Reba McEntire. High Valley has been recording for over a decade and touring for 16 years. High Val-ley’s U.S. debut album, “Love Is A Long Road,” features driving tempos, engaging harmonies and superb musicianship.
Bob HillF, Sa
Born in the back of a jukebox, Bob Hill sold his first published song to Ray Charles in 1972. Shortly after, Bob joined Doc and Merle Watson as an original member of Frosty Morn. In 1980, NEMS Records of London, Eng-land, signed Bob as a solo artist. NEMS renamed him “Fred Hill.” Bob has written songs with and for as well as recorded and per-formed with such artists as Leon Russell, JJ Cale, Jack “Cowboy” Clement, Don Everly, Ray Ste-vens, Lacy J. Dalton and Rufus & Carla Thomas, just to drop a few names. Fast forward to the present, Bob has released a CD entitled “Keepin’ The Wolves Away” on Love Breeze Records and is currently at work on a new project. Bob still sleeps in the back of the jukebox.
The HillbendersF
The Hillbenders, a dynamic bluegrass quintet from Spring-field, Mo., with their high-octane shows, tight harmonies and stun-ning instrumental prowess, have been winning fans and making waves at every festival around the country since their formation
The Hillbenders
16 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
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Artistscontinued from Page 15
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in 2008. The Hillbenders are lead singer and mandolinist Nolan Lawrence, guitar-ist Jim Rea, bass player Gary Rea, banjoist Mark Cassidy and Dobroist Chad “Gravy Boat” Graves. Their latest release, “Can You Hear Me?,” is a charismatic album imbued with the spirit and energy of their live shows.
David HoltF, Sa
Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt of Garland, Texas, is a musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer who is dedicated to perform-ing and preserving traditional American music and stories. Holt performed with Doc Watson for 14 years, which he says was the highlight of his 30-year career. In 1968, he started his journey in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. With a passion to become an old-time banjo player, Holt traveled to remote mountain communities searching for the best traditional musi-cians. He and Watson won two Grammys for “Legacy,” a three-CD set with interviews, music and a live concert. Holt has hosted numerous television shows and performed and recorded with many of his mentors including Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs.
I Draw SlowF, Sa
I Draw Slow has been hailed in Ireland since the release of its Top 10 selling album, “Redhills,” but the impact of the roots band abroad is redrawing the map for these Irish/American songwriters. The band has played in the U.K., Germany, Denmark and Belgium and it started 2012 with a performance with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Siblings Dave (guitar) and Louise (vocals) Holden paired up with violinist Adrian Hart, claw-
hammer banjo player Colin Derham and double bassist Konrad Liddy to form I Draw Slow and create a sound rooted in the old time-style of the Appalachian Mountains and drawing on Irish traditional music and modern Americana.
InterACTive Theater of Jef F, Sa, Su
Lumberton-based Jef is happy to be returning to the Little Pickers Stage and MerleFest this year. As a mime and jug-gler for over 35 years, Jef’s work has often been associated with the world of music. He has performed his wacky brand of mime, mask and variety arts at fairs and festi-vals throughout the South. As a soloist and ensemble member, he’s opened for the Pres-ervation Hall Jazz Band and Doc Watson.
Alan JacksonT
Alan Jackson is one of the most success-ful and respected singer-songwriters in music. He joins Paul McCartney and John Lennon in being among songwriters with 20 songs they recorded and took to the top of the charts. Jackson has sold nearly 60 mil-lion albums worldwide, topped the country singles charts 35 times, and scored over 50 Top 10 hits. He has written or co-written 24 of his 35 No. 1 hit singles. He is an 18-time ACM Award winner, a 16-time CMA Award recipient and a two-time Grammy-winning artist. Jackson’s “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?” commemorating those lost in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Country Song. He received the ASCAP Founders Award and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as a Songwriter/Artist in 2011. Jackson’s “The Bluegrass Album” has had rave reviews since its release in September. The new album features bluegrass greats Sammy Shelor (banjo), Adam Steffey (mandolin), Tim Crouch (fiddle), Tim Dishman (bass), Rob Ickes (Dobro), Ronnie Bowman and Don
Rigsby (vocals), and Scott Coney (acoustic guitar). Jackson was born in Newnan, Ga., in 1958 and married his high school sweet-heart. They have three daughters.
Mark Johnson F, Sa
Mark Johnson learned to fiddle and play the clawhammer banjo from Jay Unger while living in New York. He also learned the three-finger style of bluegrass picking. Mark met and was heavily influenced by the
Wayne ErbsenEleanor Ellis
Rice brothers, Larry, Tony, Ronnie and Wyatt when he moved to Florida. Mark’s unique style doesn’t fit in a strict category. It’s very bluegrass but has overtones of traditional folk, progressive acoustic, new-grass and old-timey all mixed into one.
Chris Jones andThe Night Drivers F
Chris Jones and The Night Drivers com-bine the best of traditional bluegrass with award-winning original material, soulful lead singing, arrangements of new and old songs and an entertaining stage show.
Alan Jackson
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 19
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Artistscontinued from Page 18
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The band is Ned Luberecki (banjo), Jon Weisberger (upright bass) and Mark Stoffel (mandolin). Collectively, they have won six IBMA awards. Jones is a program host on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction. Luberecki, also a program host for Sirius XM, is a veteran picker with a creative approach to Scruggs-style banjo. Weisberger is one of Nashville’s most sought-after upright bass players and a successful songwriter. Stof-fel’s strong sense of rhythm helps drive the band.
Larry Keel and Natural Bridge Sa
Larry Keel has been called the most powerful, innovative and exhilarating acoustic flatpicking guitarist perform-ing today. Joining Keel are Mark Schi-mick (mandolin and vocals), Will Lee (banjo and lead vocals) and wife Jenny Keel (vocals). Keel is based in the musical heritage of his native southwest Virginia. He has a knack for choosing interesting and appealing material from multiple musical genres.
The Kruger BrothersT, F, Sa., Su
Some call it jazz. Some, classical. Experi-ence what happens when these innovative and soulful world-class virtuosos put on one-of-a-kind performance. When you listen to the music of the Kruger Brothers, you can’t help but be amazed by the sheer depth of their artistry. Originally from Europe, now living in North Carolina, they were first introduced to American audiences in 1997, quickly gaining the attention of fans and the music industry alike. Their music celebrates the best of what music can be: exciting, engaging, intelligent and delightful. Jens Kruger, Uwe Kruger and Joel Landsberg personify the spirit of exploration and inno-vation that forms the core of the American musical tradition.
Jim LauderdaleF, Sa, Su
Two-time Grammy Award-winner Jim Lauderdale of Troutman is successful in both country and bluegrass. His career has taken him all over the nation and abroad. “LquelJim” won “Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year” at the first Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Show in 2002. He hosted the same show for seven years. Lauderdale is on Nashville’s “A” list of songwriters.
Jack Lawrence F, Sa, Su
Jack Lawrence of Harrisburg has been called a “flatpicking powerhouse.” He com-bines high-spirited and innovative guitar solos with tasteful phrasing in his own style. Known as Doc Watson’s partner starting in the early 1980s, his talents are featured on Doc’s Grammy winner, “On Praying Ground,” and many of his other recordings. His solo project, “About Time,” released in 1997, showcases Lawrence’s guitar style and rich, warm vocals. He assembled some of the friends for the April 2002 release of “I Don’t Need The Whiskey Anymore,” featur-ing Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tony Wil-liamson, The Del McCoury Band and Doc Watson. It reflects how Watson, Mississippi John Hurt, Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs and the Allman Brothers influenced him.
Emory LesterF, Sa
The power and attack of Emory Lester’s mandolin playing are unmatched and his sound is infectious. His recording projects, “Pale Rider,” “The Emory Lester Set,” and “Cruisin’ the 8” placed him among the elite mandolinists. His latest solo recording, “Reminiscing Today,” is equally strong. Banjoist Mark Johnson and Emory have toured all across the U.S. and have been featured in performances with Steve Mar-tin. Emory, a Virginia native now living in Ontario, has been teaching master series workshops at events, schools and work-
The Kruger Brothers
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20 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
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Artistscontinued from Page 19
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shops far and wide.
Jeff Little TrioSa, Su
The piano normally doesn’t play a big part in Appalachian music and rarely is the lead instrument, but Jeff Little of Boone makes an exception. His distinctive style is breathtaking in speed, precision and clarity. His family ran Little’s Music Store, where musicians frequently dropped by to play a tune. Among those was Doc Watson, a neighbor and close family friend. A profes-sional musician since the age of 14, Little is conversant with old-time, country, blue-grass, rockabilly and blues. He has directed the music industry program at Guilford Technical Community College since 2004.
The Local BoysT, F, Sa, Su
The Local Boys is a band that was wait-ing for the appellation “Americana,” since “bluegrass” just doesn’t cover the material they do. All members of the band have deep roots in traditional music and a love for musical styles that influenced and evolved from old-time country and bluegrass. The
Local Boys are fairly standard in acoustic instrumental arrangement: guitar, bass, banjo, dobro and mandolin, but they have four superb lead vocalists who also sing harmonies: John Akin, Aaron Soots, Eric Childers and Tommy Rape. The band plays bluegrass, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, old country and rockabilly.
Locust HoneyString BandF
Chloe Edmonstone (fiddle, guitar, vocals), Ariel Dixon (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Mer-edith Watson (guitar, slide guitar, banjo, vocals) started the Locust Honey String Band in Asheville in January 2012. The three blend sweet harmonies with old-time fiddle tunes to take “girl band” to a different level with blues, old-time tunes, honky tonk and old country music. Chloe and Ariel grew up going to old-time music festivals with their parents and have been playing music together since their early teenage years.
Lonesome River BandF
The Lonesome River Band has released hit albums and toured extensively for over 30 years, maintaining a reputation as one of the most respected names in bluegrass. The group is led by Virginia Country Music Hall
of Famer and multi-award winning banjo-ist Sammy Shelor. He is joined by Brandon Rickman (lead/harmony vocals, guitar); Mike Hartgrove (fiddle); Barry Reed (bass, harmony vocals); and Randy Jones (lead/harmony vocals, mandolin). In 2012, the band won IBMA Award for Instrumental Recorded Event of the Year for “Angeline the Baker” from “CHRONOLOGY Volume One.”
Claire Lynch BandSa, Su
Two-time Grammy nominee Claire Lynch has been recognized as a creative force in acoustic music and at the forefront of women who have expanded the bluegrass genre. The two-time Grammy nominee recently earned her third IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year title and in 2012 was awarded the Walker Fellowship from United States Artists. Her latest release, “Dear Sis-ter,” was nominated for IBMA’s Album of the
Year in 2013. Having crafted one of the most instantly identifiable sounds in acoustic music, her catalog encompasses vintage bluegrass and thoughtful infusions of con-temporary folk, country, rock and swing.
Mandolin OrangeSu
Mandolin Orange was formed in 2009 in Chapel Hill around the talents of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Marlin and violinist/guitarist Emily Frantz. Mandolin Orange offers a mix of bluegrass, gospel, folk, country and pop that invokes earthy timelessness and effortless harmonies. Partners in music and life, the pair released their self-pro-duced debut, “Quiet Little Rooms,” in 2010, followed by a double-album, “Haste Make/Hard Hearted Stranger” in 2011. The third release was “This Side Of Jordan.”
Lonesome River BandThe Local Boys
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 21
Artistscontinued from Page 20
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Andy May F, Sa
By his 20th birthday in 1969, singer, songwriter, guitarist, mandolinist, pro-ducer and educator Andy May of New York City had played Carnegie Hall and won the Grand Championship on guitar at the fabled Union Grove Old-Time Fid-dler’s Convention. Swift River Music, the record label started and runs, received the IBMA Recorded Event of the Year award for “Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother” in 2008. May has appeared with Merle Haggard, Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, Nickel Creek, Brownie McGee and Sonny Terry, Tom Paxton, Jerry Jeff Walker and many others.
Jim MillsF
Jim Mills is known primarily as for play-ing bluegrass banjo in the three-finger style popularized by Earl Scruggs. Mills performed for five years with Doyle Law-son & Quicksilver in the 1980s and later was banjo player for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for 14 years. In 2010, he left Skaggs to focus on buying, selling
and trading rare pre-war banjos. Mills still tours with Vince Gill and other artists. He played banjo at the grand opening of the Earl Scruggs Center and Museum in Janu-ary 2014. He recorded three solo albums and performed on many others, including Dolly Parton’s first two bluegrass albums. The first won a Grammy Award. He won the IBMA Banjo Player of the Year award six times, more than any other player. He won IBMA Instrumental Album of the Year for “Bound to Ride.” Mills has won six Grammy Awards.
Misty River BandF
Misty River Band, based in Union Grove, plays traditional bluegrass, blue-
Misty River Band
22 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
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grass gospel and newer sounds of bluegrass. It also plays many of its own songs. With mixing the old and new styles, the hope is that the music appeals to both the older and younger audiences. Members of the band have back-grounds in jazz, blues, folk and gospel, which adds depth and diversity to the music. Members are Deward Huie, lead vocals; Bud Martin, harmony vocals; Teresa Huie, bass; Dwight Burks, guitar and harmony vocals; and Ronnie Moore.
Beth MolaroSa, Su
Beth Molaro of Asheville is in the thriving dance community in that area. She often travels to call dances. Her ability to sing the calls is unique and creates an exciting blend of music and calls. She combines elements of blues and jazz in her voice as she weaves together various ele-ments of dance. Beth’s dances are always a guaranteed whoop and a-holler good time. Danc-ers are sure to leave with a feel-good dancing high. In addition to calling, Beth is a skilled and exuberant foot percussionist in the Appalachian flat-foot style.
Moore Brothers BandSa, Su
Most folks are taken aback when they first see 16-year-old Jacob Moore (mandolin, banjo, fiddle), 20-year-old Daniel (bass) and 11-year-old Isaac Moore (gui-tar). Together, they weave a musi-
cal tapestry that honors tradition, welcomes progress and melds a love of tone and harmonies with a fiery stage energy that wins over even the most jaded listeners. This is a once-in-a-generation group for whom the phrase “roots & wings” was invented. Mountain FeistSa
Asheville-based Mountain Feist has a traditional blue-grass setup instrumentally and the stage dynamics of a (seem-ingly) single mic setup. Over the last four years, Mountain Feist has played festivals and music venues from North Carolina to the Midwest, sharing the stage with some of the hottest musical acts. The band has a collective 75 years of experience playing music, entertaining, writing and singing. It consists of Justin Eisenman (guitar and vocals), Matthew Dufon (upright bass and vocals), Jesse Iaquinto (mando-lin and vocals) and Calder Baker (banjo). Mountain Feist’s first album, “Bittersweet and Roses” was released in June 2013.
My New FavoritesF
Johnson City, Tenn.-based My New Favorites was named the 2013 Americana Vocal Group of the Year at the Blue Ridge Acoustic Uprising. The band is known for strong songwriting and great songs. Members of My New Favorites combine a mix of bluegrass, Americana, rock, gospel, Irish, jazz and classi-cal musical styles into a unique sound. Members are Jeff Bene-dict (vocals, songwriting, guitar
and banjo); Linda Waltner (fid-dle); Amy Benedict (bass); Tracy Johnson (keyboards, accordion, and vocals). Tal NaccaratoF, Sa
Tal Naccarato is a classically-trained and influenced acoustic and electric guitar player, singer and songwriter. He plays Pied-mont fingerstyle country blues, gospel blues, ragtime, Texas blues, Delta blues, folk, bottle-neck slide, slack key and Chicago blues. His acoustic guitar style include the Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Blake, Doc Watson and Mis-sissippi John Hurt. His electric guitar influences include Elmore James, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Merle Travis. Tal’s latest album is “Piedmont.” He now is doing unplugged solo acoustic shows in the U.S.
Nashville Bluegrass BandSa, Su
The Nashville Bluegrass Band has won two Grammy Awards for albums, was IBMA Entertainer of the Year twice and IBMA Vocal Group of the Year four times. Collectively and singularly, the band’s members have virtually defined modern bluegrass. NBB toured and performed with Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Lyle Lovett and Mary Chapin Carpen-ter. It recorded with Peter Rowan, Maura O’Connell, Jerry Douglas and Clint Black; appeared on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. III;” and collaborated with Johnny Cash on the “Dead Man Walk-ing” soundtrack. Lead singer Pat Enright is one of the voices of
the Soggy Bottom Boys, the fic-tional old-time trio in the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Alan O’Bryant, Mike Compton and Stuart Duncan appeared on the film’s Platinum soundtrack.
Mark Newtonand Steve ThomasSa
Mark Newton and Steve Thomas recently joined to take live shows on the road and launch their first national album release as Newton & Thomas. Both have a Grammy nomination, CMA nomination and multiple IBMA awards. The first single on their debut album, “Reborn,” hit the No. 1 spot on “Bluegrass Today’s” Top 20 four times.
Nu-Blu T, F, Sa
Siler City-based Nu-Blu, is com-prised of Carolyn Routh (bass and vocals), Levi Austin (vocals and banjo), Austin Koerner (man-dolin), and Daniel Routh (gui-tarist, singer, manager and tour coordinator). The group plays a lively and entertaining version of Americana-bluegrass music.
Tim O’Brien F, Sa
This child of West Virginia and the “WWVA Jamboree” (second oldest country music broadcast in the U.S. and now called the
I Draw Slow
Chris Jones and Night Drivers
Nashville Bluegrass Band
“Wheeling Jamboree”) has never stopped mining the American music canon for great material. Songs collect and abide in Tim
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O’Brien’s world as comfortably as family heirlooms. They come from around the world, particu-larly the American South and Ireland. They morph into new ideas and new songs that update old truths about the human condition.
Old Crow Medicine ShowF
Old Crow Medicine Show got its start busking on street corners in New York state and Canada. The band ended up in Boone, where it caught the attention of folk icon Doc Watson while playing in front of a pharmacy. Watson invited the band to play at MerleFest, helping to launch its career 15 years ago. The band soon moved to Nashville for residency at the Grand Ole Opry, where it enter-tained the crowd between shows. The band has toured the world, selling over 800,000 albums, fre-quent appearing on “A Prairie Home Companion,” and playing
major music festivals. Old Crow Medicine Show was inducted into the historic Grand Ole Opry. And won a Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video for the film “Big Easy Express.” The band’s single, “Wagon Wheel,” received the RIAA’s Platinum certification for selling over 1,000,000 copies. Old Crow Medicine Show now has four studio albums.
Overmountain Men Su
Named for militia who came down from the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia in 1780 to defeat the Tory army at Kings Mountain, Over-mountain Men is a five-piece band based in the Charlotte area. The band started as a recording proj-ect masterminded and produced by Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers in 2009. Crawford and frontman David Childers have collaborated since then on two albums, “Glorious Day” and “The Next Best Thing.” Other players have brought their own talent and style into the mix. Randy Saxon on guitar/banjo/mandolin;
Dale Shoemaker on bass; Geof-frey White on fiddle; and Robert Childers on drums and producer of both albums.
Joe PenlandF
Joe Penland’s award-winning Appalachian ballad singing and storytelling have made him the emotional highlight of festivals on both sides of the Atlantic for almost a decade. In 2005, Penland won the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Award (named for his cousin and the founder of the longest con-tinually running folk festival in America) for “significant contri-bution to preserving our moun-tain music.” The Madison County native just completed his seventh tour of the British Isles, singing the songs and telling the tales of life in the mountains.
Jeannette QueenF, Sa, Su
Jeanette Queen learned to play and sing in the Queen family band in Jackson County. Daughter of the late Mary Jane Queen and Claude Queen, 2007 National
JackLawrence
JimLauderdale
Heritage Award winner, Jeanette grew up one of eight children with music ever-present. She carries forward seven genera-tions of traditions learned from her mother and sings the songs of the mountains in her powerful, clear voice.
Missy Raines and The New HipF
Missy Raines is a seven-time recipient of the Bass Player of the Year Award from the Inter-national Bluegrass Music Asso-ciation and a former member of the Grammy-nominated Claire Lynch Band and the acclaimed duo Jim Hurst & Missy Raines. She is one of the most respected, popular and trailblazing figures in bluegrass. Members of her band are guitarist/co-producer Ethan Ballinger, mandolinist/acoustic guitarist Jarrod Walker and drummer/percussionist Josh Fox.
Red JuneT, F
Red June, an Asheville-based
Red June
24 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
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acoustic trio, performs Ameri-cana music that touches on blue-grass, old-time, roots rock and traditional country with soulful harmonies, innovative songwrit-ing and expert musicianship. Red June is comprised of Will Straughan (dobro, guitar, vocals), Natalya Weinstein (fiddle, vocals) and John Cloyd Miller (mandolin, guitar, vocals). Miller won first in the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest-Bluegrass Category at MerleFest 2013. Miller’s grandfa-ther, fiddler and former Blue Grass Boy Jim Shumate, performed at the first MerleFest in 1988. Shumate was born and raised in Wilkes County.
Del ReyF, Sa, Su
Del Rey plays solo concerts worldwide and presents a con-cert/lecture on women musicians called “Women in American Music.” Her guitar playing is influenced by country blues, stride piano, classic jazz and hillbilly boogie. Her latest solo album, “Four and Six,” came out in April 2012.
Carol Rifkin and Paul’s CreekF, Sa, Su
Formed on a back porch over-looking Paul’s Creek in Asheville, the Paul’s Creek Band is one of the region’s finest acoustic string bands. The band consists of Jamie Soesbee (bass an vocals), Tom Pittman (banjo, Dobro and vocals) and Carol Rifkin (guitar, fiddle and vocals), Carol is an award-winning musician dancer, journalist, public radio host (WNCW) and singer. She hosts the dance stage at MerleF-est and is immersed in mountain culture in almost every way.
Kim Robins and 40 Years LateSa, Su
Kim Robins was born into a musical family. Since releasing her debut CD (“40 Years Late”) in Feb-ruary, Robin’s band, 40 Years Late, has gained attention as a high-energy bluegrass band featuring a collection of talented musicians and vocalists who share a love for traditional and contemporary blue-
grass music. Core members are Kim Robins (vocals, guitar), Spen-cer Sallee (guitar), Josh Woods (banjo, vocals), Caleb Edwards (mandolin, Dobro, vocals), Holden Stephens (bass) and Richard Tor-strick (fiddle).
Peter Rowan BandF, Sa, Su
Legendary bluegrass singer-songwriter and Grammy Award winner Peter Rowan has been performing since 1963, and today he is still making waves in the music world. Rowan isn’t one to pigeonhole himself into any par-ticular genre. A solo Peter Rowan performance is one for the true music lover. Rowan’s bluegrass career started as a Blue Grass Boy in 1964. By Bill Monroe’s own admission, Rowan sounded a lot like Monroe. When the two har-monized together, they were said to have reached “heavenly heights.” Monroe and Rowan co-wrote what has already become a bluegrass standard, “Walls Of Time.” Rowan teams up with Mike Morgan (bass), Jaime Oldaker (drums) and Cindy Cashdollar (Dobro and steel gui-
Artistscontinued from Page 23
tar) for Peter Rowan’s Twang An’ Groove.
Sanctum SullySa
Asheville-based Sanctum Sully consists of Win Webster (guitar, vocals), Dakota Waddell (bass), Jay Franck (mandolin, vocals), Matt Mommsen (guitar, vocals) and Bradley “Chum” Carter (banjo). A polished five-piece acoustic unit that’s been voted one of Western North Carolina’s top three blue-grass bands for four years run-ning, the members of Sanctum Sully grew up as fans of numerous genres before ultimately joining forces in 2008.
Darrell ScottF, Sa
Darrell Scott is one of today’s more successful country song-writers. Tim O’Brien and Scott recorded a duo album, “Real Time,” in 2000. “The Second Mouse,” a song from the album, was nomi-nated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Per-formance. In 2002, “Long Time
Gone,” the advance single from the Dixie Chicks’ chart-topping, multi-platinum album “Home,” was a Scott composition that had first appeared on “Real Time.” It crested at No. 2 in the country charts, and earned Scott a second Grammy nomination, this one for Best Coun-try Song. Scott won the 2007 Song of the Year award from the Ameri-cana Music Association for “Hank William’s Ghost,” which appears on his 2006 album “The Invisible Man.”
ScythianT, F, Sa
Rousing and raucous, Scyth-ian (sith-ee-yin) plays kicked-up Celtic and world music with hints of Gypsy and Klezmer, all infused with a touch of punk-rock sen-sibility. Their repertoire ranges from traditional and contempo-rary Celtic and folk music to the alluring and dramatic strains of Gypsy and Eastern European tunes, and then crosses back over the border to pick up some good old-fashioned bluegrass licks. Scythian is: Josef Crosby (fiddle/bass), brothers Alexander (fiddle/mandolin) and Danylo Fedoryka
(accordion/guitar), Ben-David War-ner (fiddle/banjo) and Tim Hepburn (percussion).
The Sigmon StringersF, Sa
The Newton-based three-gen-eration bluegrass band, The Sig-mon Stringers, has something to offer all ages. The original band members Clinton Sigmon, his two sons Randy and Mark, and life-long friend Ray Barger have been per-forming since the early ’70s. They performed with Bill Monroe, Les-ter Flatt, Jimmy Martin and Ralph Stanley and others. The youngest members are Randy’s daughter Anna (banjo) and Mark’s kids, Beau (lead guitar, mandolin), Mol-lie (mandolin, vocals) and 10-year-old Maggie (fiddle, vocals).
Junior Sisk& Ramblers Choice T
IBMA 2013 Male Vocalist of the Year Junior Sisk formed Ramblers Choice in 1998, and together they recorded and released their first
ClaireLynch Jeff Little
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MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 25
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Artistscontinued from Page 24
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solo album, “Sounds of the Mountains.” Nominated many times for Male Vocalist of the Year by the IBMA and Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America, Sisk surrounded himself with top notch musicians in Ramblers Choice. They are Jason Tomlin (bass, vocals), Johnathan Dillon (mandolin, vocals), Billy Hawks (fiddle, vocals) and Jason Davis (banjo, vocals). Their latest CD is, “The Story of the Day That I Died.”
Ricky Skaggsand Kentucky ThunderSa
Ricky Skaggs struck his first chords on a mandolin over 50 years ago, and by age 21 was already considered a master of one of America’s most demanding art forms. Today, this 14-time Grammy Award winner continues to do his part to lead the recent roots revival in music and remains one of the most respected and beloved bluegrass performers in the genre, the gifted Skaggs creates diverse and master-ful tones that come from a life dedicated to playing music. The all-star lineup of Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder includes Andy
Leftwich (fiddle), Cody Kilby (lead guitar), Paul Brewster (tenor vocals, rhythm gui-tar), Eddie Faris (baritone vocals, guitar) and Scott Mulvahill (bass, bass vocals).
Sleepy Man Banjo BoysSa
Comprised of brothers Tommy, Robbie and Jonny Mizzone from New Jersey, the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys quickly made a name for themselves as a quick rising act in bluegrass and roots music. When younger brother Jonny was 9, J.D. Crowe was so impressed with his banjo talent that he called him “an old midget,” say-ing there was no way a kid could play the instrument with such prowess. They appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Huckabee” and “The Today Show;” played Carnegie Hall and per-formed at the Newport Folk Festival.
Steve and Ruth SmithT, F, Sa
Steve and Ruth Smith from western North Carolina return to MerleFest with their blend of Appalachian Americana music with Celtic roots, featuring ham-mered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, guitar and banjo. They were named Americana Instrumental Group of the Year at the 2013 Appalachian Cultural Music Association
Awards.
Joe SmothersF, Sa
Joe Smothers is a native of North Caro-lina living in Georgia. While attending Appalachian State, he met three other musicians and formed the band, Fried Chicken and Watermelon, which did a show with Doc and Merle Watson. Merle took a liking to this group of musicians. Smothers joined Merle’s band, Frosty Morn, and recorded and played shows with Doc. Joe also joined Jack Lawrence to form the duo Smothers and Lawrence for a recording project and touring. Joe is writing songs and one won an award in 2007 at the Kansas Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield.
Todd Snider F
Singer/songwriter Todd Snider first garnered attention for his timely alt-rock satire “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues,” a folk-rock song released on his debut album, “Songs for the Daily Planet,” in 1994. Snider and his band, the Nervous Wrecks, forged their own sound on “Step Right Up.” On “Viva Satellite” (1998), Snider replaced much of his acoustic setup with twang-drenched electric guitar. In 2000,
he returned to his singer/songwriter roots with “Happy to Be Here.” New albums fol-lowed each year between 2002 and 2006. Snider’s 2008 release was “Peace Queer,” a collection of antiwar songs, followed by
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“The Excitement Plan” in 2009.
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen Sa
When a mandolin, guitar or violin is in Frank Solivan’s hands, you hear power, volume, crispness, clarity, timing, taste, passion and drive. Mike Munford, a hidden treasure of the five-string banjo world, grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s in the blue-grass hotbed of Baltimore and D.C. When Munford plays you hear power, drive, impeccable timing, exquisite tone and jaw-dropping technique. Danny Booth grew up in a thriving bluegrass and country music family in Alaska. Danny soon graduated to join his dad in the Rank Strangers.
S.C. BroadcastersF
Ivy Sheppard (fiddle, banjo, guitar, vocals), Sarah Osborne (banjo, vocals) and David Sheppard (guitar, vocals) are busy creating their own musical legacy while carrying on the East Tennessee tradition of hard-driving rhythms and close harmony singing. Drawing their inspiration from the Carter Family and early country duos, the Charleston, S.C.-based trio aims to keep alive the roots of American traditional music. From fiddle tunes to gospel favorites to originals, the band’s performance will take you back in time while making traditional music at home in the 21st century.
Dr. Ralph Stanley and theClinch Mountain BoysSa
The stark emotional urgency in Ralph Stanley’s voice is rooted in a darker time. Preserved in the cultural amber of remote Appalachia, this terse, forlorn sound is the bedrock of Stanley’s inimitable style. Now 87, Stanley has been performing profes-sionally since he and his older brother, Carter, formed a band in their native southwestern Virginia in 1946. Between that date and 1966, when Carter died, the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys became one of the most celebrated bluegrass groups in the world, rivaling in popularity such titans as Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs. In 1976 Stanley received an honorary doctorate of music from Lin-coln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. In 1984 he was the recipient of the National Heritage Award given by Presi-dent Ronald Reagan. Stanley was inducted
into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1992 and the Grand Ole Opry in 2000. He received his first Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 2002 for his haunting rendition of “Oh Death.”
The Steel WheelsF, Sa
Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, tge Steele Wheels combines old-time musical traditions with their innovative sound. Trent Wagler’s tenor is joined by four-part harmonies inspired by a shared Mennonite heritage. Add to this Eric Brubaker’s lively and evocative fiddle, Brian Dickel’s grounded yet buoy-ant upright bass, and Jay Lapp’s signa-ture mandolin style, and it’s no surprise that The Steel Wheels have burst onto the Americana scene, becoming festival favorites and selling out venues across the country. For three years the band has performed an annual SpokeSongs bicycle music tour, during which band members tow their instruments, equipment, and merchandise from one gig to another via bicycle.
Steep Canyon RangersT, F
Fresh off their 2013 Grammy win for Best Bluegrass Album for “Nobody Knows You,” the Steep Canyon Rangers from Asheville are living, picking proof that bluegrass music can adapt to its times without losing its history and that art-istry plus dedication can launch a major career. In 10 years (a short spell in blue-grass), this five-piece band graduated from stairwell jams at UNC-Chapel Hill to America’s greatest stages, including the Grand Ole Opry and a national tour with Steve Martin. The four founding Rangers—lead singer/guitarist Woody Platt, mandolinist Mike Guggino, bassist Charles R. Humphrey III and banjo player Graham Sharp—added fiddler Nicky Sand-ers in 2007.
Jon Stickley TrioT, F
Jon Stickley Trio plays a style of music that defies description. Stickley’s guitar style has evolved from bluegrass flatpick-ing into his own sound that spans from soft harmonic chimes to straight-up shred-ding. The band features Lyndsay Pruett on violin, who conjures up bewildering sounds reminiscent of Stephane Grap-pelli. On percussion, Patrick Armitage brings the heat with an unstoppable hip-hop groove.
Mark Newtonand Steve Thomas Tal Naccarato
Jesse Stocktonand Moonlight Co.T, F
Jesse Stockton has been a singer and songwriter for 17 years. He made his home base in Wilmington because of the people and the ocean. after many years living on the road playing music, either with friends or going it alone, surviving off the kindness of others through the tip jar. Moonlight Co. was founded by Jesse Stockton.
Nora Jane Struthers& The Party LineSa, Su
Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line are a traveling carnival of acoustic Ameri-cana. The Party Line includes Joe Overton (clawhammer banjo, harmony vocals), Drew Lawhorn (drums), Nick DiSebastian (upright bass, guitar) and Jack Devereux (fiddle).
Bryan SuttonF, Sa
Bryan Sutton of Asheville seemed to come out of nowhere as part of Ricky Skaggs’ return to bluegrass in 1997. An appearance on Tina Adair’s, “Just You Wait And See” (Sugar Hill) led a reviewer
to call him “a guitarist to be reckoned with.” It was a remarkable welcome for a young musician. By high school gradua-tion, he was immersed in bluegrass, jazz and rock and roll, playing in an array of bands and making his first recordings. He added mandolin, banjo and fiddle to his considerable guitar abilities. In 1995, Sutton joined Ricky Skaggs’ “Kentucky Thunder.” In 1999, he retired from Kentucky Thunder to devote himself to recording work..”
Sutton, Holt and ColemanF, Sa, Su
There is a deep river of traditional music running through North Carolina. Grammy Award winners David Holt, Bryan Sutton
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 27
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and T. Michael Coleman explore the richness of that musical cul-ture. Each has been inspired by and performed with Doc Watson over the years. Holt spent the last 35 years collecting and performing traditional music from Southern mountaineers. Sutton has been called the finest acoustic guitarist in America. He is five-time winner of the IBMA Guitarist of the Year Award and in 2007 won a Grammy Award with Doc Watson for Best Instrumental. Bassist Coleman played with Doc and Merle Watson for 17 years as well as with Seldom Scene and Chesapeake.
Tut TaylorT, F, Sa, Su
It began near the banks of the Oconee River in Baldwin County, Ga., about the time of World War II. A young Tut Taylor taught himself to play a Dobro with a flatpick. The resulting sound was fresh and unique, and it became Tut’s trademark. From
his association with musicians like Norman Blake, Roland and Clarence White, John Hartford and Vassar Clements, to play-ing in Roy Acuff’s band at the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium, to opening doors for young fiddler Mark O’Connor on his first trip to Nashville, to involvement with the Grammy-winning recording, “The Great Dobro Sessions. ”
Time SawyerSu
Elkin-based Time Sawyer blends a grassroots feel with heart-felt lyrics to put on a high energy entertaining show. The folk rock band honors its rural roots while also exploring the changes that time brings. Lead vocalist Sam Tayloe and lead gui-tarist Kurt Layell recorded an acoustic EP together in 2009, but the addition in 2010 of Houston Norris (banjo) and Clay Stirewalt (drums) allowed them to create a richer sound. Time Sawyer’s first album, “Time for a Change,” placed high on WNCW’s list of Top 20 Regional Albums of 2011.
ToneBlazersSu
ToneBlazers’ repertoire is an Americana mix of their own origi-nal material. The ToneBlazers’ third album, “Gold Rush Town,” was released in September. Jack Lawrence (guitar, vocals) is a guitar powerhouse. Jack has played with Carl Story, the 1970s “newgrass” movement bands New Deal String Band and Bluegrass Alliance, and in 1983 Jack accepted a job with Doc Watson, touring and recording with the master for over 25 years. Jim Ashton (pedal steel guitar, banjo) is the ultimate utility-man among the songwriting circuit. Jim’s silk-sound pedal steel guitar, fusion-brained banjo and original compositions are all stout. Billy Gee (bass, vocals) is the consum-mate bassist. He rocked with Bo Diddley and toured with bluegrass legend Charlie Waller as a member of the Country Gentlemen. Dale Meyer (electric/acoustic/resonator guitars, vocals) fronts the band.
Niall Toner BandSa, Su
Artistscontinued from Page 26
The Niall Toner Band is a trio from the Blackstairs Mountains of Ireland whose musical philosophy is firmly based on the concept of writing, recording and perform-ing new songs and tunes in the bluegrass and traditional acous-tic country genres. The band was founded by Niall in 2001 with Clem O’Brien and Dick Gladney. The trio performs a set of all-original songs and instrumentals..
Town MountainSa
Asheville-based Town Mountain is Robert Greer (vocals, guitar), Jesse Langlais (banjo, vocals), Phil Barker (mandolin, vocals), Bobby Britt (fiddle) and Rob Parks (upright bass). Town Mountain’s fourth album, “Leave the Bottle,” was Continued on Page 29
released in 2012. Grammy-winner Mike Bub aligned with the group to produce “Leave the Bottle” as well as their third release “Steady Operator.”
Happy TraumF, Sa
Happy Traum began playing gui-tar and five-string banjo as a teen-ager and was an active participant of the legendary Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1950s and ‘60s. Happy first appeared on record at a historic session in 1963 when a group of young folk musicians, including Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, Peter LaFarge and The Freedom Singers, gathered in Folkways Records’ studio for an
Sutton,Holt andColeman
28 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
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album called Broadside, Vol.1.
The Travelin’ McCourysF
No other band today has the same credentials for playing tra-ditional and progressive music as the Travelin’ McCourys. As the sons of bluegrass legend Del McCoury, Ronnie (mando-lin) and Rob (banjo) continue their father’s work. With fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Alan Bartram, the ensemble is loved and respected by the bluegrass faithful. They can push forward so far because their roots are so deep.
Volume FiveF
Volume Five is an exciting bluegrass band blazing their own red-hot trail on the music scene. This group of talented perform-ers consists of Glen Harrell (fid-dle, vocals), Patton Wages (banjo,
vocals), Chris Williamson (bass, vocals), Harry Clark (mandolin, vocals) and Jeff Partin (Dobro, gui-tar, vocals). While Volume Five is a traditional band, their soulful singing, dead-on harmonies and precision picking set them apart from other bands of this style.
WaybacksF, Sa
The San Francisco-based Way-backs draw freely from old school and the old world, but the Way-backs are no throwback. They’ve been erroneously pigeonholed as a bluegrass band and celebrated as purveyors of “acoustic mayhem. “The whole spirit of improvisa-tion—that’s always been the cor-nerstone of this band for me,” said founding singer, songwriter and guitarist James Nash. “Through all the stylistic changes and regardless of the instruments we’re playing, to me the fun of this band has always been that in some ways I can do whatever I feel like doing at any moment.”
WBT BriarhoppersSa
Original members of the WBT Briarhoppers were Johnny McAl-lister, Big Bill Davis, Don White, Thorpe Westerfield, Clarence Etters and Jane Bartlett. The last original 1934 Briarhopper, Don White, died in 2003. Billie Burton Daniel, who joined the group in 1936, is alive and well in Wilmington. WBT Briarhoppers’ fans have included Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs (who filled in on banjo a few times), Curly Seckler, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and others.
Charles WelchSa, Su
Charles Welch is a longtime friend, neighbor and picking pal of the Watson family. He has been a frequent guest at the homes of Richard and Doc and RosaLee and often went on the road with either or both of them, sharing their love of blues and mountain music.
Pete and Joan WernickF, Sa, Su
Pete and Joan Wernick are Mer-leFest regulars going back to Pete’s
appearances with Hot Rize in the festival’s early years. He and Joan specialize in down-home harmo-nies, with Joan’s soulful singing set off by Pete’s masterful banjo work. Wernick is known for his best-selling instruction books, videos and workshops. Joan has hosted a bluegrass radio show since 1978. The two host bluegrass camps, including their annual “flag-ship” MerleFest Jam Camp at the YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s Camp Herring Ridge for four days before each festival.
Helen WhiteF
A singer, fiddler, guitarist and tunesmith, Helen White has toured extensively with Wayne Henderson in the U.S. and Europe. Her compositions include works
Artistscontinued from Page 27
for theater and video projects as well as a Booklist honored recording of original songs for children. Helen is the founder and served as regional director of the Junior Appalachian Musi-cians (JAM) program from the program’s inception in February 2000 to June 2013.
Roland WhiteSa
Roland White is known as one of the few unique stylists on the mandolin, with his own unmis-takable sound and touch. White has played in some of the most influential and popular groups in the music’s history. White and his brothers, Eric and Clar-ence, performed as The Country
The Waybacks
30 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014
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Boys. After a two-year U.S. Army enlistment, White re-joined The Country Boys, now renamed The Kentucky Colonels.
Shannon WhitworthF
Banjo-wielding songstress Shannon Whitworth’s swoon-inducing style found its first showcase in her 2007 solo debut, “No Expectations.” Her 2009 critically-acclaimed “Water Bound” garnered Whitworth praise in outlets ranging from People magazine to Garden & Gun. Whitworth’s latest release is “High Tide.”
Blake WilliamsSa
An accomplished musician on several instruments, Blake Williams has been a profes-sional bluegrass musician for over 34 years. He played banjo for Lester Flatt and the Nash-ville Grass until Lester’s death in 1979. Blake went on to work with Bill Monroe, for 10 years, making him Monroe’s longest tenured banjo player.
Holly WilliamsT
Part of the key to Holly Wil-liams’ success as a singer-song-writer is that it has never been her mission to try and live up to the legacy cast by her famous and prolific father and grandfa-ther – Hank Jr. and Sr., respec-tively – nor has she spent a lot of time trying to live it down. The respect that Holly has garnered as an artist over the course of many years has come on her own terms.
Keller WilliamsF, Sa
Singer, songwriter and guitar-ist Keller Williams is a one-man jam band. His shows feature him solo on stage with a Gib-son Echoplex Digital Pro looping unit, and he creates his backing loops in the moment, building and improvising as he goes on his custom-made ten-string gui-
tar. Williams has released nearly an album a year ever since one apiece in 1994, 1996 and 1998.
Tony WilliamsonF, Sa
Mandolin virtuoso Tony Williamson of Ramseur has dazzled audiences for many years, performing around the world on stage and in the stu-dio with Alison Krauss, Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice, Vassar Clements, David Grisman, Sam Bush, Mike Marshall, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Robin and Linda Williams and others.
Zephyr Lightning BoltsF, Sa, Su
The Zephyr Lightning Bolts are a traditional old-time band from Wilkes County. The group is com-prised of Steve Bowen (bass, lead vocals), wife Diane (vocals, claw-hammer banjo), son Jacob (fiddle, vocals) and Chester McMillian (guitar). Chester has played with the legends of the Round Peak musicians for many decades and was recently the recipient of the Brown Hudson Award. They play tunes for flatfooting, ballads for waltzes and two-steps, jigs and reels for square dances, Virginia Reels and old gospel songs.
Artistscontinued from Page 29
ZephyrLightningBolts
KellerWilliamsand theMcCourys
BlakeWilliams
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2014 • 31
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