Monday, September 20, 2010

Known Flatt and Scruggs Live Recordings

Here is a lsting of live recordings by Flatt and Scruggs. Many are not commercially available:

1946-1948 Grand Ole Opry (w-Monroe)


1947/xx/xx Grand Ole Opry (w-Monroe, different)

1949/xx/xx WCYB Farm'n Fun Time (3 songs)

195x/xx/xx Earl & Don Reno on the Opry (2 songs)

195x/xx/xx Hotel Jam Session (late 50s)

1952/xx/xx Radio (?)

1952/xx/xx The Ritz Teather

1953/06/xx Martha White Monring Shows

1954/xx/xx Martha White Morning Shows

1955/xx/xx Martha White Morning Shows (w-1954 tracks)

1956/06/24 New River Ranch

1957/04/28 New River Ranch

1957/12/10 Fortune Feed Show

1957/12/xx Martha White Morning Show

1957/12/xx Leatherneck Jamboree

1957/xx/xx Martha White Biscuit Time

1957/xx/xx Jam at Arthur Smith's home

1958/06/15 New River Ranch

1958/07/27 New River Ranch

1958/xx/xx New River Ranch (various dates)

1959/09/06 New River Ranch

1959/xx/xx WSAZ-TV Shows (June and November)

1959 Earl w Hylo Brown Newport Folk Festival

1959/xx/xx Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry (from LP)

1960 F,S FMB Newport Folk Festival

1966 F,S FMB



196x/xx/xx Earl, Bill Keith & Randy Scruggs

1960/05/29 New River Ranch

1960/06/16 Folk Sound USA TV Broadcast

1960/12/16 Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry

1961/04/07 Iron City, TN

1961/08/04 Scottsville, KY

1961/12/03 Mount Vernon, VA

1961/xx/xx The Ash Grove

1961/xx/xx Sunset Park

1961/xx/xx Berkeley

1962/05/12 University of Illinois (archive)

1962/12/08 Carnegie Hall

1962/xx/xx Ash Grove

1962/xx/xx Sunset Park

1963/05/02 Vanderbilt University



1963/xx/xx Earl answering a fan

1964/xx/xx Cornell University

1964/xx/xx Macon, GA (incomplete?)

1964/xx/xx Martha White Shows

1965/xx/xx Houston, TX

1965/xx/xx Grand Ole Opry Shows

1966/10/06 Houston

1966/xx/xx Cornell University

1966/04/09 2nd Cornell University

1968/03/xx Osaka, Japan

Friday, September 17, 2010

Earl Scruggs Hospitalized in North Carolina

The legendary musician was in Chapel Hill on Wednesday (September 15) for a sold-out show on the University of North Carolina campus but had to be taken to the hospital shortly after arriving to the venue.




Family members say the 86-year-old banjo great is feeling better today and that his condition is not cause for serious concern.



One of the most important figures in bluegrass history, Earl is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner. His rapid style of three-finger banjo picking, dubbed "Scruggs Style," has been used by countless bluegrass and country artists in his musical wake.



Earl got his big break playing in the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe's band in the mid 1940s. He left with fellow bandmate Lester Flatt to form the Foggy Mountain Boys. After two decades of playing together, Flatt and Scruggs won their first Grammy in 1968 for their instrumental 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown,' now a bluegrass classic. (Earl won another Grammy for his performance of the same song in 2001, alongside several guest musicians including Steve Martin, Vince Gill and Jerry Douglas.) Flatt and Scruggs, along with Jerry Scoggins, also wrote and performed 'The Ballad of Jed Clampett' -- the theme to the TV sitcom, 'The Beverly Hillbillies.'



The Foggy Mountain Boys broke up in 1969 due to artistic differences. Earl soon formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with his two sons. His beloved wife, the late Louise Scruggs, will be posthumously inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame this year.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Hylo Brown Festival expands to three days Sept. 17-19!




The annual Hylo Brown Bluegrass Festival will be held Sept. 17-19, at Goshen Memorial Park in MECHANICSBURG, Ohio . Presented by Dave Kehl Chevrolet, the festival has expanded to three days instead of the usual Saturday-only schedule.




Along with an expanding schedule, those in attendance can take advantage of on-site camping, as well as "open pickin'" all weekend. This year's lineup includes local bands, as well as national recording artists, decorated with awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA).



Added this year are an open-mic night on Friday and gospel music on Sunday morning.



"After several years, we have finally taken the first step to expand the festival out from its usual one day," said Matthew Smith, festival manager. "It has been a great leap of faith, especially with the addition of such well-known bands to this year's event. The caliber of bands is truly at a high level."



The music



Typically featuring only central Ohio bands, this year's musicians are also traveling from Kentucky and West Virginia. "Several favorites are returning to the festival this year, including Jim Greer & the Mac-O-Chee Valley Folks, as well as Grassahol," added Smith. "Both bands have supported our festival in the past."



Other additions to this year's festival include a live radio broadcast from the Classic Country Radio network (www.myclassiccountry.com) and a Saturday morning pancake breakfast by the Mechanicsburg Lions Club.



Headlining this year's festival is the award-winning bluegrass band IIIrd Tyme Out.



Led by the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) two-time "Male Vocalist of the Year" Russell Moore, IIIrd Tyme Out, has walked away with IBMA's "Vocal Group of the Year" award seven consecutive years. The band has garnered more than 50 industry awards since their inception in 1991. They feature a capella renditions of many songs, which stand in harmony with their instrumentation from some of the top musicians in the bluegrass business.



Their heavy touring schedule regularly includes performances on the Grand Ole Opry as well as GAC and RFD channel programs. With over 14 recordings, IIIrd Tyme Out is one of bluegrass music's most recognized and in-demand bands in the genre's history. The band has received six nominations for the upcoming 2010 IBMA Awards, to be held at the end of the month.



Also featured is local band and national recording artist Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers. The Radio Ramblers, a collaboration of veteran bluegrass musicians who have worked with one another during former musical endeavors, formed in 2006 for the primary purpose of performing at promotions by Classic Country Radio, a network of three southwest Ohio radio stations owned and operated by Mullins, featuring classic country, bluegrass and gospel music. However, due to the level of their professionalism and talent, the requests for performances by the Radio Ramblers has grown, thus expanding their schedule to include shows at area music venues, benefits, and festivals. The Radio Ramblers have quickly become a welcomed addition to the southwest Ohio bluegrass music scene.



Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers have officially completed the recording process of their soon-to-be-released gospel project for Rebel Records.



"Hymns From The Hills" features both new and older songs, as well as special guests Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson, Rhonda Vincent and Larry Sparks.



"This project has been a lifetime in the making," said front man Mullins in a release. "In addition to the endless contributions of the Ramblers, I wanted the chance to record with some of the artists I have featured on my radio broadcast daily for many years. Besides the legendary musicianship and singing of each guest, I cherish the rich friendship I share with each one."



Rebel Records expects to release "Hymns From The Hills" later this year.



Hylo Brown



The Hylo Brown Bluegrass Festival is held each autumn in memory of the legendary "bluegrass balladeer" Frank "Hylo" Brown. Originally from Johnson County, Ky., Brown brought his family to Ohio, where he began his career with Bradley Kincaid on local radio stations.



After this beginning, his life would lead him to television performances as featured vocalist with Flatt & Scruggs and with his own band, the Timberliners, appearances at the Grand Ole Opry, the WWVA Jamboree, the Newport Folk Music Festival, and more.



Retiring to Mechanicsburg, Brown passed away in 2003. Brown is a member of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America's Preservation Hall of Greats, an honoree on the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway, a 2009 recipient of the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award, has been a candidate for the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, and has been recognized by the IBMA as one of the first generation pioneers of bluegrass music.



Brown memorabilia will be on display in a museum at the festival, set up by Brown's family.



For more on the festival and Hylo Brown, including ticket information and camping registration, please visit www.hylobrown.com, or call (937) 215-9363.



2010 Hylo Brown Bluegrass Festival Schedule


(Schedule is subject to change without notice)



Friday, Sept. 17



8 p.m. - Open mic with Daniel Dye and the Miller Road Band



Saturday, Sept. 18



10 a.m. - Springfield Special



11:30 a.m. - Grassahol



1:00 p.m. - Jim Greer & the Mac-O-Chee Valley Folks



2:30 p.m. - Square Dancing



4:00 p.m. - Blue Storm



6:00 p.m. - Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers



7:30 p.m. - Coaltown



9:00 p.m. - Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out



Sunday, Sept. 19



9-11 a.m. - Gospel Music

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Martha White Flatt and Scruggs TV Show Chronology

Here's a list of the known Martha White Flatt and Scruggs TV shows:

Lester Flatt Liberty Square Celebration set for Oct. 9

The annual Liberty Square Celebration begins at 11:30 a.m., Oct. 9, in downtown Sparta, and will feature four well-known bluegrass bands as a tribute to White County’s ‘hometown’ legend, Lester Flatt.

‘Joe Mullins and The Radio Ramblers’ is the featured band for the celebration.


Mullins has been a banjo player more than 25 years. He toured and recorded as a founding member of the Traditional Grass until 1995. He also recorded and performed with the band Longview, earning Song of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year awards from IBMA, in the late 1990’s. In 2006, he won ‘Instrumental Recording of the Year’ from IBMA. He owns a network of radio stations in Ohio, where he does an on-air bluegrass show. Mullins has also received numerous other awards in the bluegrass music industry.

Adam McIntosh performs vocals and plays guitar. He has been a member of Radio Ramblers since 2006

Tim Kidd plays bass. His roots are in Southern Gospel, but found a home with bluegrass music when he joined the Radio Ramblers.

Evan McGregor performs vocals and plays the fiddle. He has been with the Radio Ramblers since 2006. McGregor has spent his life on the road with several international bluegrass acts.

Mike Terry also helps out with vocals and plays the mandolin. He has been performing with bluegrass bands more than 12 years.

‘The Expedition Show’ is comprised of native White Countain Blake Williams, his wife Kimberly Williams, Wayne Southards and Alex Hibbitts.

As an accomplished musician on several instruments, Blake has been a professional bluegrass musician more than 34 years. He first toured with Bobby Smith and The Boys From Shiloh fresh out of high school and soon moved into the role of banjo player for Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass until Lester’s death in 1979. He then went to work with Bill Monroe, for 10 years, making him Monroe’s longest tenured banjo player.

In 1991, Blake was given the opportunity to play bass with comedian, Hee Haw star and Grand Ole Opry member Mike Snider, where he stayed until 2001. During his career, Blake has toured 48 states and seven countries, played Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Lincoln Center.

He has also performed on projects by Patty Loveless and Vince Gill. Blake has recorded three solo projects and performed regularly on the Grand Ole Opry more than 23 years. He has also enjoyed songwriting success having his songs covered by Lester Flatt and The Nashville Grass, Rhonda Vincent, and Williams and Clark Expedition. He is a three-time nominee for ‘Entertainer Of The Year’ by Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America. In May 2009, Sparta unveiled new city limits signs declaring Sparta as ‘Bluegrass USA’ and the home of Blake Williams.

Kimberly Williams, a native of Texas, moved to Nashville in 1992. She had enjoyed her musical beginnings by performing with her family’s band, where she sang and played mandolin. Kimberly has performed demos as a vocalist for songwriters and publishers in Nashville. Kimberly has also worked as a producer for Gaylord Entertainment’s Opryland Productions and Grand Ole Opry Group. During her seven-year tenure with Gaylord, Kimberly produced shows and special events for Opryland theme park, including the popular “Sundays In The Park” event series that included a monthly bluegrass jam, gospel and songwriting events. She has enjoyed two guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. In 2005, she opened her own company, East Public Relations, with a focus on affordable tour support and publicity for bluegrass artists.

Wayne Southards is a native of Salem, Mo. He moved to Nashville, in 1990, with his wife and two sons. He would soon become a highly sought after guitarist and work for country artists such as John Conlee, The McCarters and Sweethearts Of The Rodeo. Southards is a seasoned professional in bluegrass, too. He performed with the Tennessee Gentlemen as their lead vocalist and guitarist and he is also an accomplished bass player. He is a Midwest Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America ‘Male Vocalist of the Year’ having won the award in 1987.

Alex Hibbitt, on mandolin, is the newest member of The Expedition. Hibbitts is an accredited musician on several instruments, a creative songwriter, and an outstanding harmony vocalist. He is from the small coal town of Grundy, Va., but now resides in Johnson City. Hibbitts is a recent graduate of East Tennessee State University, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. He also obtained a minor in Bluegrass while enrolled in the Bluegrass/Old-Time and Country Music Program at ETSU.

Also on the list of entertainment is ‘Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out.’ IIIrd Tyme Out members include Moore on guitar, Steve Dilling, on banjo, Justen Haynes on fiddle, Wayne Benson on mandolin and Edgar Loudermilk on bass. The group has been selected IBMA’s ‘Vocal Group Of The Year’ for seven consecutive years.

Moore began playing music around the age of 11 after being inspired by bluegrass greats ‘The Osborne Brothers.’ By 1985, after several years of playing with numerous bluegrass bands, Moore went to work for the Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Six years later, he left to help form IIIrd Tyme Out. He has been awarded several ‘Male Vocalist’ awards to date.

Steve Dilling fell in love with the banjo at the age of 10, after hearing a recording of Earl Scruggs playing the Foggy Mountain Breakdown. He finally got his first banjo on his 12th birthday. His musical influences are varied and include well known artists Flatt and Scruggs, J. D. Crowe, Terry Baucom and Tony Rice.

Donnie Carver has always been surrounded by music on his father’s side of the family. His grandfather, father, uncles, sisters and cousins would get together on Saturday nights and pick at his grandparents’ home in Kentucky. Somewhere around 1992, he took a job playing mandolin with a band that also provided ‘sound’ for concerts and festivals. In 1996, he joined IIIrd Tyme Out.

Justen Haynes grew up in a house where his mother and father toured with a gospel bluegrass band. By age 4, he developed his love of music. Throughout high school, Haynes gained experience while participating in the Virginia State Orchestra. He graduated and attended Shenandoah Musical Conservatory. Haynes studied to be a performance major.

Wayne Benson is one of bluegrass music’s leading mandolin players and has established himself as a unique and gifted stylist. After more than a decade with the Atlanta-based band, Benson had solidified his niche among the most respected bluegrass mandolin players, while also enjoying numerous IBMA awards and the SPBGMA Mandolin Player of the Year award five consecutive years.

After living in Nashville for 16 years, Benson recently returned to the Carolinas. In addition to being a full-time member of Third Tyme Out, he regularly records and freelances with many top, industry musicians.

Edgar Loudermilk is a relative of the famous Louvin Brother. He began playing guitar and mandolin in his family’s band at the age of nine. In July 2007, Loudermilk became the bass player for IIIrd Tyme Out.

‘Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper’ will also be featured in the lineup for Liberty Square Celebration.

Michael Cleveland is considered one of the premier bluegrass fiddlers of his generation. In 1993, he was chosen to be part of the Bluegrass Youth All Stars at the IBMA’s award show. Later that year, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut as a guest of Alison Kraus. He has performed with Bill Monroe, Jim and Jesse, Ralph Stanley, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, Larry Sparks, Doyle Lawson and J.D. Crowe. He joined ‘Rhonda Vincent and The Rage’ in 2000. Cleveland has won numerous awards during his career.

Jesse Brock is featured on the mandolin and vocals. He was selected the 2009 IBMA Mandolin Performer of the Year. Brock also has countless awards a part of the bluegrass music industry.

Tom Adams is also a vocalist with the group and plays guitar. He gained national recognition more than 20 years ago as a banjo player with the legendary Jimmy Martin. He is a three-time winner of the IBMA’s Banjo Performer of the Year award.

Marshall Wilborn performs some of the vocals for the group and plays bass. He is the 2009 IBMA Bass Performer of the Year. He also played with Jimmy Martin and several other well-known bluegrass stars. Wilborn is also a songwriter, with his music recorded by Alison Kraus, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and The Johnson Mountain Boys. .

Jessie Baker is the banjo player for Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper. Baker is still in his teens, but has already experienced bluegrass in a big way by playing with the stars he once only dreamed about.

Liberty Square Celebration begins at 11:30 a.m., Oct. 9, 2010. For more information call Lori Spivey, at Sparta City Hall, 836-3284.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Earl Scruggs to perform Oct. 17th in S.C.

Although he won't be at the Newberry (S.C.) Opera House until Oct. 17, you might want to get your tickets now for legendary banjo king Earl Scruggs performing at 3 and 8 p.m. that day. Tickets are $40 for the matinee show and $35 for the evening show. Call (803) 276-6264 or visit:
Link