The Monthly Newsletter of the Memphis Area Bluegrass Association Bring the whole family!

This Month: C Featured Artist P2 GRASS P3 Local Bluegrass Con-test! P4 CDTR, Education P5 Thanks!! P6 Grassifieds P7 Cedar Hill Review Website: www.memphis-bluegrass.org Yahoo Group: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/maba

August 2007

The Lucy Opry

Presenting this month’s featured artist:

The Claire Lynch Band Claire Lynch has long been recognized as a creative influence in bluegrass music – first for her early years with Alabama’s Front Porch String Band (which was labeled as “a musical force to be reckoned with” by John Starling), and later for her superb singing and songwriting which have been recorded on five projects for Rounder Records. Two of those recordings were nominated for the Grammys and, among her many other nominations, a win was scored for “Female Vocalist of the Year” with IBMA in 1997. In 2006, after a six-year hiatus from touring, she landed on her feet again with New Day which enjoyed a run on the Bluegrass Album Chart reaching #2, while “Train Long Gone” topped the Bluegrass Song Chart at #1 for two consecutive months. Much of the credit was due to her touring and recording mates (Jim Hurst, Missy Raines, Jason Thomas) who comprise the Claire Lynch Band and are award-winners themselves. (courtesy Claire Lynch homepage)

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NEWSGRASS STAFF Duke Walker

Editor/Layout/Graphics Dukeonbass@yahoo.com

355-6208

Betty Westmoreland

Critical Review Keith Carter

Webmaster 722-2860

Mike Albert

Yahoo Group Moderator 382-2171

MABA BOARD Gary Williams

1943-2003 Charter President

Wayne Walker

President Bob Barnett

Vice President

Ed Richter

Treasurer

Louis Medcalf

Secretary

Sam Ketchum

Board Member At Large

Peter Smith

Founder

John Fitzer

Past President

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Gordon Jones

Activities

Jennifer Eggers

Education

Duke Walker

Communications

Beth Mays

GRASS

876-3876

Maureen & John Fitzer

Membership

876-5927

James Johnson

Regulatory

853-9464

Loyce Smith, Jo Hudson,

Erma Wheely

Welcoming and Caring

386-2069

Members of the Memphis Area Bluegrass Association entertained residents of Kings & Daughters Nursing Home on Sat. June 16th. Everyone had so much fun and they have already asked us back next year for another great time and ice cream!!!!!!!!! Thanks to all the performers that day. It was an awesome group of pickers with Jim & Sheila Phillips, Al, Spencer, and Eddie Gallarno. Thanks again for your contributions to the GRASS committee.

GRASS Committee Brings Bluegrass Cheer to Kings and Daughters Nursing Home

Bellpepper's Bluegrass Haiku Contest is in full swing! Con-test deadline is August 9, 2007. Enter today! Your haiku could be a winner! Rules for the contest: 1. One entry per person--original work only. No prize-winning entries from other bluegrass haiku contests. Think up new ones! 2. Enter by e-mail to bwestmoreland9@msn.com -- with only the word 'Haiku' in the subject line. 3. Follow the pattern for haiku (a Japanese style of poetry): Three lines only, 17 syllables (5 in first line, 7 in second line, and 5 in third line), and no rhyme. 4. Subject is bluegrass music (with overtones of Nature). 5. Here are several sample original haiku to stir your crea-tivity: Music fills spring air a shack on a country lane cathedral of dreams

Fiddle soothes the soul old friends show up to play songs pickin' in the park ----- Twilight banjo sounds the music man frails a tune calf skin head signed 'Earl' ---- Bluegrass jam tonight meet your buddies at the square town clock striking twelve ---- Warm sound--mandolin scratched and scarred and weather-worn master takes his break ---- 6. Prizes to the top three entries as determined by impartial judges, and publication of entries in "Newsgrass". Get started and best wishes to all contestants!

Betty Westmoreland

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Bellpepper’s Bluegrass Haiku Contest

What a place! TroyAnn gave Clay and I the best tour. What impressed me the most was the diversity of ac-tivities going on and the great potential we have for sharing bluegrass with others. I think MABA is really blessed to find something so special. We stopped and watched a break dancer for a few minutes and I was blown away. It was amazing! There were music and art lessons going on and food being cooked for the homeless.... all while we had enough room for more jams than ever. This could be the start of a really wonderful future! I had a great time Saturday at Galloway. What a great place! Thanks for the hospitality TroyAnn.

Every report I have heard os far has been resoundingly positive. Turnout has been great and the facilities are prov-ing to be way above and beyond . So far I have only made it out one time, and that was for the Monthly Business Meet-

ing. From conversations I have had with so many of you, it certainly seems like there are ample opportunities for us to

accomplish our mission and have a great time doing it for the foreseeable future, right there at Galloway United

Methodist Church. With the life and vitality of the Cooper Young area , coupled with the enthusiasm of everyone in-volved (TroyAnn especially), man I just hope work slacks

off next weekend!! So far all I have been able to manage is the weekly exodus to the Town Square. I am thankful for

that, but it is just not enough!!!

Thank all o f you for supporting the needs and vision of the association, and being a part of the new jam location. It

could never take place without YOU!

editor

Happenings at the New Saturday Jam Location “Galloway United Methodist Church”

Mark your calendar for The Memphis Dulcimer Gathering & Folk Festival, September 28-29, 2007! More info at www.leecagledulcimers.com. Yarbrough’s Jams Are Back!!! Because you asked and in keeping with our tradition as: “Tennessee’s Best Kept Secret” for almost 35 years, Yarbrough’s Tuesday Night Jam is beginning a new season, each Tuesday, beginning: JULY 10, 2007, 6:00-9:00 P.M. COME PLAY!! Beginners and seasoned (Instruments with pickups, bring your own amps) We will play inside and out. Bluegrass / Country / Gospel / Old and New You are

welcome to play, sing, listen, or just visit with friends. As a family owned business, we hope you will support us, as we support our local musicians, song writers, singers, and music programs in our churches and schools. The GRASS Committee will be assembling Emergency Kits again this month. Please collect anything necessary for personal hygiene, and remember to by in bulk to help those who need it, at the critical moment. Contact Beth Mays for details,. In October, we will have our Fall Picnic. It has been decided that the Baptist Convention Center at 849 Rocky Point Rd. in Cordova will again be the spot, it will be held on Sat. Oct. 13 from 11:00 AM until….. . There will be more details in up-coming CDTR’s, , but something that will not change is the NO SMOKING ON THE BAPTIST CONVENTION CEN-TER GROUNDS rule. They set that up, we expect everyone to comply. Anyone offering a shuttle service off-grounds for smokers will no doubt make some friends, not to mention tips!!!

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Education Opportunity in Bluegrass Performance by Industry Leaders

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It is Sad to report the Passing of Frank Younger. Frank was a Harmonica and guitar player . Frank usually played Har-monica with the slow Jammers. He was born in 1918 he had many friends. He will be missed… George

Passing Note

DEADLINE NOTICE Please have all art and text and ads submitted for print the 20th of the month prior to when you want it to appear. Submit payment at the same time if applicable. Thanks!!

editor

Thanks to Pass Around

I want to thank everyone in MABA who participated in the blood drive and for all your prayers. I am home now and doing well. Thanks, Gary & Charlotte

GRASSIFIEDS

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Bluegrass named as Official State Music of Kentucky

Official Music

Governor Ernie Fletcher has proclaimed the week of June 21 – 28 as “Bluegrass Music Week in Kentucky,” and a se-ries of events are planned to celebrate the importance of “Bluegrass in the Bluegrass.”

The week of festivities kicks off with the reading of the proclamation today at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro. This coincides with the start of ROMP, Owensboro’s River of Music Party, scheduled for June 21 – 23. Information is available at http://www.bluegrass-museum.org/riverofmusic/

On Monday, June 25, during the recording of “Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour” in Lexington, Governor Ernie Fletcher will conduct a ceremonial signing of House Bill 71 designating bluegrass music the official state music of Ken-tucky. This special “Celebration of Bluegrass Music” edition of the weekly Woodsongs radio and television program,

hosted by musician Michael Johnathon, features Cherry-holmes, J.D. Crowe and Kentucky Sassafras. Further details on the performance and a live Web cast of the show are available at www.woodsongs.com.

This is a great time to shine the spotlight on bluegrass mu-sic,” said Governor Fletcher. “Both the bill and proclama-tion cement Kentucky as the proud, rightful birthplace of bluegrass music. Not only is bluegrass an art form enjoyed by worldwide audiences, it also has contributed to the bur-geoning tourism business in Kentucky, now bringing more than ten billion dollars a year into the commonwealth.”

“Kentucky is home to artists with worldwide careers in bluegrass music,” added Tourism Commissioner Randy Fiveash. “These events help commemorate an important part of our musical heritage, and we’re honored to be the center of this global phenomenon.”

Courtesy: ‘State of Kentucky’ Website

For Sale: Wanting this beautiful instrument to be played, my family and I have de-cided to sell Jim Milford's Stelling Master's Cross Deluxe banjo. Not knowing what a fair price would be, we contacted Geoff Stelling who had located the banjo for Jimmy. He suggested $6000. But, if someone in MABA is interested, we would lower the price to $4,000. The banjo was inspected and tested by Geoff Stelling December 17, 2003. Jimmy bought it new from First Quality Music Store in Louisville, KY on October 24, 2005. It has the old wood rim. Please email if interested or if specific pictures or more information is needed. Mrs. Jim Milford

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Review: Cedar Hill at the Lucy Opry - July 28, 2007

Forty years in bluegrass music means that Frank Ray and his in-credible band, Cedar Hill, have had time to dig deep to find what they’re looking for, refine it, and work it down to its purest form. The Cedar Hill concert at the Lucy Opry in the Bartlett Perform-ing Arts & Conference Center (BPACC) on Saturday, July 28, 2007, proved again that Cedar Hill has what it takes to be out there some forty years later. They have indeed ‘worked it down to its purest form,’ vocally and instrumentally. Cedar Hill is a major force in bluegrass music! Their many albums, shows, and concerts all over the USA and beyond, are proof that bluegrass music fans recognize the real stuff when they see and hear it. Frank Ray (mandolin, lead, tenor, baritone) seems to do it all when it comes to bluegrass music. He writes incredible music for the Cedar Hill band and for other artists. He plays straight-ahead mandolin, which is exactly what folks have come to expect from him. His vocals are as solid in traditional sound as can be found anywhere in bluegrass. Ray works hard to make it look al-most effortless. It is NOT effortless, what Cedar Hill does. Frank Ray is from Hillsboro, MO, an area which has long been known for producing fine musicians—the Dillards; Rhonda Vincent and her family, who performed as the Sally Mountain Show; the Drifters; and Wayne Southards, of the Williams and Clark Expe-dition, just to name a few. Lisa Ray (fiddle, lead, tenor, baritone) is Frank’s daughter-in-law, and the lady can fiddle! And sing! Lisa Ray is a vital element in the glue that keeps the band on solid traditional ground. From Blue Eye, MO (what’s not to love about that name?), Lisa is, in this writer’s opinion, one of the finest fiddlers and traditional vocalists working today. Don’t make the mistake of selling her short. She is a multi-award winner with the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA), and when she performs, there is no question that Lisa Ray knows her way around blue-grass music. She is powerful! Kenny Cantrell (banjo) is one of the finest traditional banjo play-ers anywhere! Oh, my goodness--Kenny! What a treat it is to watch the man from Ft. Gibson, OK, play his banjo with that same solid, hard-driving sound that fans everywhere know and respect when they hear it. He does lay down a solid lick, now, and that playful exchange he keeps running with other band members is the best. It’s done with a look, a grin, or a certain banjo lick, and it’s delightful. Kenny Cantrell, among other members of Cedar Hill, was a good friend of the late Troy and Carolyn Castleberry, of the Tennessee Gentlemen and their Bluegrass Shack, which was located on Pleasant Ridge Road in Lucy. Kenny and Frank spent a long moment onstage during the show, recalling the fun they had playing the Shack and being out on the road with the Castleberrys, Willie Burroughs, and Joe Taylor, when things were just getting off the ground for Cedar Hill and the Gents. Rob Collins (upright bass, vocals), too, evokes some precious memories of bands in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Remember Rob’s family’s band, the Drifters, from Kansas City, MO? The fine upright bass player with the wonder-ful smile comes from a well-respected family of the very best in traditional bluegrass music. He, too, has mastered that look which

lets the audience know that the band is communicating among themselves about something. It’s fun to watch! Joe Wieneman (guitar, tenor, baritone) was ‘Joey’ not too very many years ago—just a youngster in his family’s band. They worked the same circuit of festivals played by the other members of Cedar Hill. Joe has learned his lessons well and has matured into a fine singer and guitar player. Joe comes from Eldon, MO, and he fits right into the Cedar Hill way of doing things: pure and traditional, with that ‘high, lonesome’ sound so familiar to blue-grass music fans. Set 1

1. Fire on the Mountain 2. I Wonder Where You Are Tonight 3. Footprints in the Snow 4. Hobo’s Wings 5. Kentucky Chimes 6. Whippoorwill 7. Wastin’ My Time 8. Gray Eagle (“Ozark Saturday Night”—just fiddle and

banjo--like it was once upon a time) 9. Let Me Love You One More Time 10. For Me, It’s ‘Hello’ 11. Echo Mountain 12. Pickin’ (Frank Ray just calls it ‘Pickin’—using several

hot tunes in a medley) Set 2

1. Katy Hill 2. I’m Goin’ Honky-tonkin’ 3. Ramblin’ Letter 4. Gunsmoke 5. Ozark Hills 6. Little Georgia Rose (Cedar Hill with Lucy’s own Gary

Johnson) 7. Bill Cheatham (“Ozark Saturday Night”) 8. Peter, You’re the Man 9. White House Blues 10. Orange Blossom Special

Encore: Gonna Have a Time And what a time we did have! It was shades of the Wienemans and the Drifters, and always, but always, the incredible music of Cedar Hill. Whoo-wee! Cedar Hill may be forty years old now, but the band shows no signs whatsoever of slowing down, chang-ing to whatever is fashionable right at the moment, or bringing their fans less than top-quality music. If you missed Cedar Hill this time, you won’t the next! Additional Information: Website: www.cedarhillbluegrass.com E-mail: VINTAGENOW@aol.com

Betty Westmoreland