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2 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
About half of the slightly over 100 acts performing on MerleFest’s 13 stages this year will be here for the first time.
These artists represent a wide range of musical genres, but they all fit within the festival’s definition of “tradi-tional-plus.” This is a phrase coined by the late Doc Watson of Deep Gap, the event’s musical host from the beginning until his death in 2012. Organizers said they strive to stay true to this vision. It begins with traditional Appalachian music at its base and expands to include blues, country, Americana, rock and bluegrass.
“Traditional plus” means Americana star Jason Isbell will rub shoulders with young bluegrass visionary Sierra Hull, or John Oates of famed rock duo Hall & Oates can jam with “newgrass” pioneer Sam Bush, said Steve Johnson, artist relations manager for MerleFest.
Johnson said MerleFest is the nation’s largest roots and Americana festival and “has room for all those who treasure the American traditions.” He said that in addition to the spectrum of genres offered at MerleFest 2016, this year’s lineup upholds the event’s tradition of quality music.
Award winners“On our stages we’ll have many Grammy Award-win-
ners or multi-Grammy Award-winners, Americana Music Award (AMA) winners, Country Music Association (CMA) winners, and International Bluegrass Music Association Award (IBMA) winners,” among many other awards.,” said Johnson. “I know that awards are only one way of recognizing outstanding talent, but these associations and their members invest a lot in considering artists to select the best of the best each year.”
Grammy winners at this year’s MerleFest are Jason Isbell, John Prine, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Tim O’Brien and Steep Canyon Rangers.
AMA award winners include Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medi-cine Show, Jerry Douglas, and Gillian Welch and Dave Rawl-ings, who also won the AMA Lifetime Achievement Award.
CMA Award winners are Gillian Welch, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jerry Douglas, John Prine, and Sam Bush.
IBMA winners are Steep Canyon Rangers, Jerry Douglas, Amanda Smith, Becky Buller, Junior Sisk, Tim O’Brien, Karl Shiflett, Bryan Sutton, Alison Brown, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Scott Vestal and Kenny Smith.
John Oates is the one Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee coming this year.
MerleFest 2016, day by dayThe first day of MerleFest features performances by
John Prine, Alison Brown, Steep Canyon Rangers, Shan-non Witworth, Tellico and others, as well as collabora-tions between artists like Donna the Buffalo with Peter Rowan and Jim Lauderdale. Earlier Thursday, participants in Pete Wernick’s MerleFest Jam Camp will perform on the Cabin Stage, and North Carolina’s bluegrass-tinged Love Canon will open up the dance tent at 9:30 p.m.
Performers on the second day include Old Crow Medicine Show, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas, Scythian, the Kruger Brothers, Doug Seegers, the Brothers Comatose and Billy Strings, Australian bluegrass singer Kristy Cox, We Banjo 3 from Ireland and, from Canada, the Slocan Ramblers and
Kacy & Clayton. Finals of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by Jim Lauderdale, are at 2 p.m. Friday. Contest winners will perform at 7:30 p.m. on the Cabin Stage.
Friday also offers the Doc and Merle Watson Perform-ing Arts Showcase, hosted by Joe Smothers and Bob Hill of Frosty Morn on the Austin Stage. The series is a diverse, eclectic sampling of local and regional talent up close. The Docabilly-Blues Blowout featuring David Holt of the PBS series “State of Music,” Jim Lauderdale, T. Michael Coleman, Tara Nevins, String Madness and more also is on Friday. Closing out the night, Donna the Buffalo will light up the Dance Stage into the midnight hour.
Features Saturday include John Oates, Dave Rawlings Machine, Sam Bush Band and Jim Lauderdale, plus show-cases from musicians like the Wood Brothers, Shinyribs, April Verch, Penny & Sparrow, Zoe & Cloyd, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, Wood & Wire, Becky Buller and more.
Special events on the third day include the MerleFest Band Competition; Mando Mania, a showcase of mandolin legends including Sam Bush and Tim O’Brien; and work-shops and interpretive sets like “Learn to Jam” with Pete Wernick and “Songs of the Civil War,” with Sparky and Rhonda Rucker. The “Memories of the Watson Family” workshop, hosted by T. Michael Coleman, is Saturday. It features guests Sam Bush, Bryan Sutton, Jens Kruger, Jeff Little, Jack Lawrence, David Holt and others.
The Hillside Album Hour, hosted by The Waybacks, returns with guest vocalist Nicki Bluhm Saturday after-noon. Hints indicating the classic album have been leaked, but it will be revealed when the Album Hour starts at 4:15 p.m. on the Hillside Stage.
Late that night, the Midnight Jam returns to the Walker Center. A separate ticket is required and available for pur-chase by four-day and three-day ticket holders and Saturday-only ticket holders. Hosted this year by Donna the Buffalo and sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation, the Midnight Jam brings together festival performers for impromptu collaborations and one-of-a-kind superstar jams. Guests
this year include Tommy Emmanuel, Peter Rowan, Mipso, Becky Buller, Jim Lauderdale and more, plus surprise guests.
MerleFest’s last day begins with morning devotions at the Creekside Stage, gospel music with Jim Avett (father of the Avett Brothers) and the American sound of shape-note singing with Laura Boosinger at the Tra-ditional Stage.
Artists performing later Sunday include Liz Vice, Annie Moses Band, the Bros. Landreth, Jonathan Byrd & The Pickup Cowboys, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Tim O’Brien, Tommy Emmanuel and Sierra Hull.
Other activities Sunday include the MerleFest Open Mic at the Plaza Stage, featuring Carol Rifkin, Laura Boosinger, Sarah Osborne, Jeanette Queen and others singing and playing traditional music.
Other special featuresThe Dance Stage features workshops and dance
instruction and festival attendees can participate.Mayes Pit/Cohn Auditorium in Thompson Hall is
devoted to workshops and demonstrations Friday and Saturday with world-class performers sharing their expertise. The Songwriters Showcase Coffeehouse at the Austin Stage in Alumni Hall offers songwriters with original songs. The Pickin’ Place is an area for musicians of all levels and genres to meet old friends and make new ones while singing and playing instruments together.
MerleFest has a strong emphasis on children and families. Children can learn about roots music through listening and have chances to play music themselves at the Instrument Petting Zoo and on the Little Pickers Stage. The Little Pickers Family Area has crafts, face-painting, games, storytelling and a large grassy play area. The Acoustic Kids Showcases, hosted by Andy May, are Friday and Saturday and culminate Saturday evening on the Cabin Stage.
The centrally-located and expanded Shoppes at MerleF-est shopping village has demonstrating artisans, vendors, convenience foods, MerleFest memorabilia, first aid, and lost and found.
Ticket prices, seating“For those wanting an affordable weekend getaway, MerleF-
est provides a true value,” said festival director Ted Hagaman. “The admission prices are extremely reasonable - especially considering that we feature over 100 acts on 13 stages.” There is free parking, free shuttles, free program guides and children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.
Single day tickets at the gate are Thursday, $50; Friday, $65; Saturday, $70; and Sunday, $60.
Four-day general admission tickets at the gate are $180Three-day (Fri., Sat., Sun.) tickets at the gate are $155.Also at the gate, four-day reserved seating tickets in
front of the Watson Stage are $260 for rows one to 35 and $230 for rows 36-51. There is general admission, first-come, first-served seating everywhere else, including the entire area behind reserved seating at the Watson Stage.
Any unoccupied chair, including “reserved seats” may be used by anyone before 5 p.m. or until owners return. After 5 p.m., volunteers check for proper credentials to enter the reserved seating area.
It’s a good idea to bring a blanket or lawn chair.
SCYTHIAN plays for a packed crowd on the Watson Stage.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILLY POTTER/MERLEFEST
MerleFest: Award-winning lineup at bargain prices
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 3
Some basicson MerleFest
Gates open to begin MerleFest 2016 at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28. Each day thereafter (Fri., Sat. and Sun.), gates open at 9 a.m.
Ending times listed for the last Watson Stage show each day are:
• Thursday, 10:15 p.m., John Prine;
• Friday, 11 p.m., Old Crow Medicine Show;
• Saturday, 10:30 p.m., Dave Rawlings Machine;
• Sunday, 5:30 p.m., Jason Isbell.
ParkingFree parking and shuttle ser-
vices are provided from the Blue Lot (Lowe’s Park at River’s Edge), off N.C. 268 West. The Blue Lot is also an easy half-mile walk to the festival. Shuttle services take people to the festival entrance gate and back. Look for “Festival Parking” signs when you arrive and follow them. Volunteers help people find spaces and point them to shuttle stops for rides on local Boy Scout troop buses.
Handicapped parking is avail-able at Shuttle Stop “H” in the blue lot. MerleFest designated the entire paved area for handi-capped parking only. Wheelchair accessible vans transport guests to the festival main entrance gate.
Cooler, bag checksMerleFest is a family-friendly
festival. All coolers, backpacks, bags, etc. are subject to being checked at festival entrances. Volunteers help with this process.
A few rulesProhibited at MerleFest are glass
containers, tobacco products, all electronic smoking devices (e-cig-arettes etc), alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, weapons, pets and unauthorized ATVs, golf carts, Seg-ways or similar vehicles.
Also not allowed are:• tents, canopies, chairs or ham-
mocks that block views of others;• unauthorized video recording,
audio recording or flash photogra-phy per artists’ request;
• unauthorized drones;• hoverboards.
4 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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The Little Pickers Family Area offers lots of fun and games for children (and the young at heart) as well as some fine storytelling, songwriting and music!
The popularity of this area led to an expansion of programming.
Acoustic Kids Showcases The popular Acoustic Kids Show-
cases with Andy May are held on the Austin Stage, Dance Stage, Cabin Stage and in Mayes Pit. The Youth Showcases provide young people (up to age 16) of any talent level the opportunity to display their skills on stage at the fes-tival. See the pocket schedule for per-formance times.
ActivitiesThe Little Pickers Family Area is full
of activities for all ages.
• Bubble fun, sand play and face painting.
• Flattop “Meet and Greet” - Flattop makes special appearances at the Little Pickers Stage during the Acoustic Kids Showcases and also during the Alberti Flea Circus. Bring a camera and get your photo made with Flattop.
Who is Flattop? The big friendly raccoon you will see
at MerleFest is the festival mascot, Flat-top. Why a raccoon?
Because Merle Watson’s band, Frosty Morn, used a raccoon as its logo, festival organizers thought it would be fitting to have a raccoon as the MerleFest mascot.
A naming contest gave Flattop his name – a truly appropriate one because of Merle and Doc’s mastery of the flat-top guitar. Don’t forget to wave when
you see Flattop.
CraftsCreative arts enhance the activities
offered in the Little Pickers Family Area.
Look for the big blue and white tent to find all of our crafts.
Craft activities for 2016 include paint-ing, playdough art, crayon art, shimmer bottles, hats, sand art, mural wall, bead necklaces and the Scrap Exchange.
Special entertainmentThe Little Pickers Stage offers unique
acts selected with children in mind.• Alberti Flea Circus;• the InterACTive Theater of Jef;• Steve and Ruth Smith;• Alex and Dan Fedoryka;• Bonnie Logan Storytelling from
Canada;• Jeni and Billy;• Nature walk with Ken Crouse.
MerleFest offers a variety of artist-led workshops in Mayes Pit on Friday and Saturday.
They may include learning how to play a washboard, harmonica or piano to using
a capo, storytelling, yodeling and singing.Workshops also include performing dif-
ferent styles on the guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle. Check Mayes Pit on schedules for details.
MerleFest offers workshops
Little Pickers area is special place for children at MerleFest
6 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
AlberTI FleA CIrCuS Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Part magician, part storyteller, part comedian and all entertainer, Jim Alberti is a third-generation flea circus impresario. After a long career in theater, Alberti began itching to revive the flea circus that was once performed by his great-uncle and later by his grandfather. He envisioned bringing it to a new generation that had never had the opportu-nity to experience a flea circus. Alberti first 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. He and his menagerie of fleas have been cap-tivating crowds young and old at MerleFest for over two decades.
ASH breeZeSaturday
Ash Breeze, from Fayetteville, performed on the PBS special,
“Song of the Mountains,” at the Historic Lincoln Theatre in Marion Va.; Silver Dollar City’s Bluegrass and Barbeque Festival in Branson, Mo.; Dol-lywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; and various bluegrass festivals. In 2014, Ash Breeze was named one of 10 Youth Showcase bands at the International Bluegrass Music Association Convention in Raleigh. In 2015, IBMA picked the band to perform all week in Bluegrass Ramble. Its single release, “Without Love,” was a top five finalist in the 2014 Great
American Songwriting Contest, Christian/gospel category and was a finalist in the 2014 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, gos-pel category.
JIM AVeTTSunday
North Carolina native Jim Avett comes from a rich tradi-tion steeped in faith and music. The son of a Methodist minister and a concert pianist, he has been singing and trying to learn to play a guitar most of his life. When he retired from his welding business, music became a prior-ity. Avett has released three CDs. The first was a gospel offering,
“Jim Avett and Family,” recorded with his children, Bonnie, Scott and Seth. “Tribes” and “Second Chance” followed, both com-prised of original songs reflecting the influences of classic country and early rock ‘n’ roll as well as his love of story. A second gospel CD is nearing completion.
bANKNOTeSThursday
Banknotes was formed by a group of Wilkes County musi-cians who were friends with
MerleFest co-founder Bill Young, who died in 1992. It includes R.G. Absher, Randy Gambill, Billy Gee, Tony Joines, Mike Palmer, Jeff Pardue, Donnie Story and Wes Tuttle. All Banknotes’ members have been involved in MerleFest since it began in 1988. Each mem-ber of the group personally knew Young – a retired banker and vir-tuoso in the Chet Atkins-style of guitar playing – and participated in various jam sessions at his home in Wilkesboro. Banknotes performs a mixture of Americana music, which includes bluegrass, Celtic, and thumb and finger-style guitar playing.
THe bAreFOOT MOVeMeNTSaturday
The Barefoot Movement’s music stretches from a strong foundation of traditional Appala-chian music, borrowing the best from other roots-based genres to shape its hallmark sound. It features bluegrass, blues, folk,
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Meet the artists who will perform at MerleFest 2016
Alberti Jim Avett
banknotes
The barefoot Movement
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 7
Artistscontinued from Page 6
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rock, country and pop in narrative lyr-ics, three-part harmonies, instrumental riffs, blues and vocals. The band received a Momentum Award from IBMA and is known for its witty banter and onstage chemistry. It toured with the Milk Carton Kids and performed onstage with the Car-olina Chocolate Drops, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Ricky Scaggs and Del McCoury. In 2014, the U.S. government chose Move-ment members for the international Arts Envoy program.
blue MAFIAThursday, Friday
Blue Mafia was formed in 2011 by Dara and Tony Wray. The band won the 2012 DelFest Band Competition and have twice been awarded third place in the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America International Band Competi-tion. “Pray for Rain,” Blue Mafia’s second album, illustrates the band’s experience and growth. Dara Wray wrote three songs for the album, with other songs from Tom T. and Dixie Hall, Ralph Stanley, Peter Rowan and others. The single, “Born to Be with You,” has had strong airplay since
released in 2014. Blue Mafia is poised to take “Pray for Rain” on the road.
rOY bOOK bINDer Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Notables who have shared the stage with blues great Roy Book Binder include Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, John Jackson, Sonny Terry, Doc Watson, Ray Charles and Brownie McGhee. He has the stories, the licks and the mystery of timeless music in his fingers. He’s been featured on a PBS special and interviewed by Terry Gross on “Fresh Air.” Roy Book Binder is a veteran guitar instructor and can often be found teaching at the Fur Peace Ranch. When he brings his motor home to town, a one-man blues-fest ensues.
lAurA bOOSINGer AND THe MIDNIGHT PlOWbOYSFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Boosinger, an award-winning performer
and recording artist, lives in Asheville and works in Madison County. She learned shaped-note singing from N.C. Heritage Award Winner Quay Smathers. Her pri-mary focus is interpretation of traditional music from the southern Appalachians. Her concerts offer a step back to a sim-pler time. She provides an introduction to several traditional instruments and vocal styles found throughout the region, from ballads to play-parties, old-time banjo to finger-style autoharp. Boosinger per-formed at the Smithsonian Folklife Fes-tival and was named Most Outstanding
Continued on Page 8
blue Mafia laura boosingerroy book binder
8 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
Continued on Page 9
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THe brOS. lANDreTHSunday
This Canadian roots-rock band is anchored by bluesy elec-tric guitars, a B3 organ and the harmony of two voices. At first listen, you might call it Ameri-cana. Siblings David and Joey Landreth grew up in the prairie city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their sound came from attending their father’s bar gigs while growing up. Years later, they formed their own group, with drummer Ryan Voth. The Bros. Landreth began drawing on that familiar sound, mixing the rootsy swirl of Ameri-cana with their own experiences.
THe brOTHerS COMATOSeFriday
The Brothers Comatose, from San Francisco, is tearing up the West and moving out nationally in rapid style. Ben and Alex Mor-
rison (guitar, banjo, lead vocals) front this rocking string band. With stellar accompanists Phil Brezina (fiddle), Ryan Avellone (mandolin) and founding mem-ber Gio Benedetti (upright bass, harmony vocals), the band’s high energy, audience engaging shows have caught fire with a quickly growing fanbase. See The Broth-ers Comatose, and you might go home singing “Pie For Breakfast.”
AlISON brOWNThursday, Saturday
Alison Brown took an unlikely path in becoming a critically acclaimed banjoist. A former investment banker with degrees in history and literature from Harvard and an MBA from
UCLA, she toured with Alison Krauss and Union Station and Michelle Shocked before form-ing her own group. With 10 criti-cally acclaimed solo albums, she received four Grammy nomina-tions, a Grammy award and the Banjo Player of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Brown per-formed at the inauguration of Harvard’s first female president and received Irish America Maga-zine’s Stars of the South Award for her efforts to cultivate and preserve Irish music. She was awarded the U.S. Artists fellow-ship for excellence in music.
THe buCK STOPS HereSaturday
The Buck Stops Here consists of multi-instrumentalists, vocal-ists and songwriters from Vir-ginia, North Carolina and Florida who meet at festivals. The female quartet honors America’s old-time and bluegrass roots, but has a sound firmly rooted in the present. The band consists of Gailanne Amundsen (vocals, fiddle), Rebecca Jones (banjo, Cajun, harmony vocals), Julie Chiles (lead vocals, fiddle, gui-tar) and Shona Carr (tenor guitar, vocals, banjo, fiddle). The band’s debut self-titled album, released
in 2015, features Western swing, gospel, old-time fiddle tunes and hard-driving bluegrass.
beCKY bullerSaturday
Becky Buller is a multi-instru-mentalist, singer and producer from St. James, Minn., who per-forms bluegrass/Americana/roots. Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vin-cent and Doyle Lawson recorded her songs. She won IBMA awards for Emerging Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Recorded Event of the Year and Album of the Year. She was the 2001 winner
Artistscontinued from Page 7
The bros. landreth
The brothers Comatose Alison brown The buck Stops Here
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 9
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of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Buller spent 10 years performing with Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, two years with Darin & Brooke Aldridge and now has her own band. Her solo albums are “‘Tween Earth and Sky,” “Little Bird” and “Rest My Weary Feet.” She co-hosts a blue-grass radio show in Manchester, Tenn., and teaches instrumental music.
MArK buMGArNer Friday, Saturday
Bumgarner’s musical style is a blend of roots country, bluegrass and hillbilly blues that creates a classic Southern Americana sound. He worked with several national and regional touring bands, and now as a solo artist and half of the duo Calico Moon. Bumgarner has three self-pro-duced album projects, showing his versatility as a recording art-ist, record producer and song-
writer. His delivery as a vocalist and guitarist is a combination of power and subtlety.
SAM buSH bANDSaturday
Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush received a lifetime achievment award from Americana Music Association (AMA) and numer-ous awards from the IBMA. “It’s overwhelming and humbling,” Bush says of his lifetime achieve-ment award from the AMA. “It goes along with the title cut of my new album, ‘Circles Around Me,’ which basically says, ‘How did we get this far?’ In my brain I’m still 17, but I look in the mirror and I’m 57.” But honors are not what
drive him. “I didn’t get into music to win awards,” he says. “I love to play and the older I get the more I love it. And I love new things.” Bush has helped to expand the horizons of bluegrass music, fus-ing it with jazz, rock, blues, funk and other styles. “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 Watson and Earl Scruggs; I’ve been to the moun-tain. As long as I’m alive I hope I have the ability to play,” said Bush, a two-time cancer treat-ment survivor.
JONATHAN bYrD & THe PICKuP COWbOYSSunday
Jonathan Byrd & The Pickup
Cowboys are musical gunsling-ers, vaudevillian hucksters and old-fashioned tent revivalists. Between heartbreaking ballads and rowdy sing-alongs, the band entertains, inspires and gets audiences involved. Byrd is a preacher’s son, Gulf War veteran and award-winning songwriter from Chapel Hill. The Chicago Tribune called Byrd “one of the top 50 songwriters of the past 50 years.” The Cowboys are electric guitarist Johnny Waken and Paul Ford, who met in Norm Nardi-ni’s band. A celebrated prodigy,
Waken was invited to play Jon Bon Jovi’s birthday and Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan’s wedding.
CArbON leAFSaturday
Carbon Leaf blends folk, Celtic, bluegrass, Americana and rock into what is described as “ether-electrified porch music.” The Virginia quintet’s lyrical depth is buoyed by rich harmonies, mandolin, fiddle, acoustic and electric guitars, upright and electric bass, penny whistle, banjo, cello, pedal steel guitar and accordion. Carbon Leaf’s spiritual and vibrant original folk rock has kept the group touring across North America for two decades, 15 albums and 2,300 performances. Carbon Leaf had hit singles on AAA and Hot AC Radio with “Life Less Ordinary” and “The Boxer” and received other honors.
brANDI CArlIle Sunday
Brandi Carlile, a singer/song-
Artistscontinued from Page 8
Mark bumgarner
Sam bush band
Carbon leaf
Jonathan byrd & The Pickup Cowboys
10 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
Continued on Page 11
writer from Ravensdale, Wash., is one of the biggest stars of Americana. She was named one of 2005’s “Artists to Watch” by Rolling Stone. Carlile’s third stu-dio album, “Give Up the Ghost” (2009), debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200. In 2012, Carlile returned with the album “Bear Creek,” including the lead-off single “That Wasn’t Me.” The most well-known Carlile tunes are “The Story” and “That Wasn’t Me.” Carlile’s new album, “The Firewatcher’s Daughter” (2015), is a hit on radio, ranking No. 3 on the Americana Music Associa-tion’s Top 10 Albums of the Year (based on airplay).
THe ClYDeSSaturday
The Clydes play music forged from classic country and contem-porary bluegrass, best described as Old Soul Americana. “The Clydes make rootsy bluegrass sweet and hot as Aubrey Cohen’s vocals light up a smokey moun-tain late night shot to heaven. Flatpicking wizard Justin Eisen-man digs for the coal in yer soul and the rapture is never ending,” said Barry Marshall Everitt of House of Mercy Radio.
T. MICHAel COleMANFriday, Saturday, Sunday
T. Michael Coleman grew up playing baseball and singing in church. He developed an appre-ciation of folk music while in the vortex of American folk music at Appalachian State University. Coleman followed his music path a little ways down the road to Deep Gap when he began play-ing and touring with Doc and Merle Watson. The three toured the world and participated in many Grammy-nominated and Grammy-awarded recordings. After 15 years, Coleman began performing and recording with Seldom Scene in Washington, D.C., along with producing and recording various music proj-ects for Doc Watson and others. Recently, Coleman joined with David Holt and Brian Sutton in
Deep River Rising (now called Sutton, Holt and Coleman), pay-ing homage to Doc Watson’s musi-cal journey.
THe COMMONSSaturday
The Commons, from Floyd, Va., plays electric rock ‘n’ roll geared toward raising consciousness and awareness about taking care of our planet and our resources. The Commons plays mostly origi-nal tunes written and sung by Michael Kovick.
COMMONWeAlTH blueGrASS bANDSaturday
The Virginia-based Com-monwealth Bluegrass Band has enjoyed nationwide success and continues to receive frequent air-play on bluegrass radio stations across the country. The band plays traditional and contempo-rary bluegrass. The band mem-bers are Randy Cook (mandolin, vocals), Malcolm Pulley (banjo, vocals), Wally Hughes (fiddle, dobro, vocals), Jim Green (bass, vocals) and Glenn Waller (gui-tar, vocals). Having five vocal-ists enables the band to explore a wide array of vocal stylings and harmonies..
THe CONTeNDerS Saturday, Sunday
Jash Nash and Josh Day have been players and poets for the better part of two decades and have been making music as The
Contenders since 2012. Their debut EP, “Meet The Contend-ers,” breathes with musicality and grit in the tradition of heroes – The Band, Tom Petty, The Dead and Dylan. Hailing from Wilkes County, Day brings a percussive virtuosity that shapes the music and supports the vocals. With shining creativity and fine-boned craftsmanship, Day has that spe-cial something that resonates with audiences and always feels like a party. Nash is from New York.
KrISTY COX Friday
Kristy Cox is the new voice in Australian bluegrass, with a string of top 10 hits on country radio and Country Music Televi-sion in Australia. Cox was named Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year at the 2013 Australian Independent Country Music Awards with her release “Miles and Timezones.” Credited for her performance and song-writing skills, Cox was awarded Blues, Roots and Bluegrass Song of the Year for “If I Keep on Loving You” by the Tamworth Songwrit-ers Association. Her latest release is “Living for the Moment” (2014).
DAVe rAWlINGS MACHINe Saturday
Dave Rawlings, an award-win-ning guitarist, songwriter, pro-ducer and singer, is best known for his work with Gillian Welch, Old Crow Medicine Show and
Ryan Adams. He plies his trade on a 1935 Epiphone Olympic. He was voted 2012 Americana Instrumentalist of the Year. Dave Rawlings Machine’s live show prompted SF Weekly to call it “one of the hottest string bands on the planet.”
SHerMAN lee DIllONFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Sherman Lee Dillon grew up in Mississippi. He has opened for or shared the stage with Little Milton, John Prine, Johnny Win-ter, King Floyd, BB King, Ko Ko Taylor, Rufus Thomas and others. Dillon said, “When Garrison Keil-lor’s driver Russ Runsak came to town to prepare for the weekend performance, he called me to help him find authentic blues. Sandy Nelson, casting director for “Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?” called me daily for input and unofficial consultation (and yes I’m in the movie). Staying in Mississippi and not touring has worked pretty good for me.”
DONNA THe buFFAlOThursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Donna the Buffalo’s feel-good, groove-oriented, danceable and often socially-conscious music has held steadfast since 1989. It has roots in old-time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful elec-tric Americana- mix infused with elements of Cajun/zydeco, rock, folk, reggae and country. Donna the Buffalo is known for touring
the country, remaining fiercely independent as one of the indus-try’s most diverse roots-music bands and has “earned a reputa-tion as one of the most respected, eclectic and hardest-working acts today,” praises Encore. Donna the Buffalo includes Jeb Puryear (guitar, vocals), Tara Nevins (fiddle, guitar, accordion, scrub-board, vocals), Dave McCracken (keyboard); Kyle Spark (bass); and Mark Raudabaugh (percus-sion). The band is touring heav-ily to promote its latest album, “Tonight, Tomorrow and Yes-terday,” released through Sugar Hill Records. Donna the Buffalo’s fervent fan base, self-named The Herd, follows the band with zeal
JerrY DOuGlASFriday
Ohio native Jerry Douglas began playing Dobro at age 8, after his father took him to a Flatt and Scruggs concert, where he was entranced by the sound of Dobro player Josh Graves. After playing with his dad’s band for several years, 17-year-old Doug-las joined the The Country Gen-tlemen in 1973. Two years later, he joined J.D. Crowe and The New South, which also included future solo stars Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice. In 1976, Doug-las and Skaggs co-founded the now-legendary bluegrass combo Boone Creek. Douglas’ technique and musicality helped him net 13 Grammy awards, three CMA Musician of the Year awards, and numerous IBMA awards, includ-ing multiple Dobro Player of the Year wins. In 2011, he received the annual Americana Honors and Awards Lifetime Achieve-ment Award for Instrumentalist.
eMISuNSHINeThursday
EmiSunshine is an 11-year-old East Tennessee prodigy who has captured the nation’s atten-tion as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Steeped in Appalachian music, she is a true vocal stylist, one who instinc-tively knows how to interpret the nuances of a song with her impressive range. Whether she’s performing on NBC’s “Today”
Artistscontinued from Page 9
The ClydesDave rawlings Machine
Jerry DouglasT. Michael Coleman
Kristy Cox
The Commons The ContendersCommonwealth bluegrass band
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 11
show, the Grand Ole Opry, or the stage at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, she is fearless, confident and firm in her musical direction. As she says, she sings “old-time music,” but it’s her own unique blend of roots music that is equal parts Americana, bluegrass, gospel, and coun-try, with a little bit of blues thrown in for good measure.
TOMMY eMMANuelSunday
Tommy Emmanuel is an accomplished fingerstyle player, frequently threading three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band that handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. Emmanu-el’s technical gift has earned him awards from “Guitar Player” magazine and made him a member of the Order of Australia, an honor bestowed by the Queen in his homeland. But the average fan could listen without even considering the precision behind the work, focusing instead on the artful tension and release of Emmanu-el’s melodies. That’s how he intends it. Emmanuel easily skates between musical styles, playing the blues, infusing Spanish tradition and exploring folk.
MIKe FArrIS AND THe rOSelAND rHYTHM reVue Friday
Mike Farris is a man who knows per-sonal struggle and how to take life expe-riences and turn them into something beautiful. His 2007 recording, “Salva-tion in Lights,” was his first project after recovery. In 2008, he won an Americana Music Award for New/Emerging Artist, followed by a Dove Award in 2010. His live performances at Bonnaroo, SxSW, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and others drew rave reviews. Revered artists like Rodney Crowell, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin and Marty Stuart were struck by his incomparable voice, and Mike opened shows for Patti LaBelle, Mavis Staples, Blind Boys of Alabama, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby. He released his next album, “Shine for All the People” in 2014.
TOM FelDMANNSaturday, Sunday
Tom Feldmann has immersed himself in country blues for 20 years, spending untold hours dissecting original record-ings by everyone from Charley Patton to Skip James, Bukka White to Robert John-
son. At the age of 37 he is a highly sought-after instructor teaching workshops at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch, Mer-leFest, Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Workshop and instructional videos for Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop. In 2015, Feldmann launched his own online guitar lesson site (playcountryblues.com) that offers new monthly lessons on coun-try, blues, gospel, bottleneck slide and general fingerpicking. Feldmann has also left his mark as a songwriter, with 12 self-released albums to his credit, and has toured throughout North America since 1999.
FIreSIDe COlleCTIVeSaturday
Newgrass band Fireside Collective from Asheville is a group of folk music enthu-siasts who blend elements of traditional bluegrass and American roots music with modern acoustic arrangements. With an energetic live show, the band presents finely crafted original music infused with impeccable solos and tight harmonies. Captivating listeners with songs centered on change, relationships and being on the road, they transition smoothly between danceable bluegrass numbers and pas-sionate folk ballads. With mandolin, fid-dle, Dobro and acoustic guitar layered eloquently on top of rock solid standup bass, the band has quickly made a name for itself.
FOGHOrN STrING bANDFriday
Credited for igniting the Old Time Renaissance in the Northwest, Foghorn String Band continues to stand out as the shining gold standard for American stringband music. With its eighth album “Devil in the Seat” in hand, thousands of shows and over a decade of touring in the rear view mirror, it’s no surprise that Foghorn, as proclaimed by Stuart Mason, The Fiddle Freak, “has blossomed into a full-blown force of nature that threatens world domination.” The band features harmonies of founding members Stephen “Sammy” Lind and Caleb Klauder, along with vocalists Reeb Willms and Nadine Landry.
lIZ FrAMe AND THe KICKerSSaturday
Boston-based singer/songwriter Liz Frame wrote her first song at age 9 and has been performing her own brand of rootsy Americana music since her early teens. Her writing has been compared to
veterans like Dolly Parton and Lucinda Williams, among others. Her band, The Kickers, includes Pat Chamberlin (lead guitars), Lynne Taylor (bass) and Pete Walsh (drums), talented musicians whose raw sound and sweet harmonies help to
Continued on Page 12
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Artistscontinued from Page 10
Mike Farris Tommy emmanuel Fireside Collective Foghorn String band
12 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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deliver her material with distinction. Frame released her first full-length record-ing, “Sooner,” in 2011, which drew strong praise and consistent airplay. She and the band have spent the last three summers out on the road and recently released a four-song EP, “Justine.” They are record-ing a new full-length CD to be released in early 2016.
SuSIe GlAZe & THe HIlONeSOMe bANDThursday, Friday
Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band has been likened to classic British bands Pentangle and Fairport Convention in that they blend classic folk music with rough-edged stories of tragedy and fate, all with orchestral arrangements. The lush “newgrass”-Americana-folk fusion quintet presents eclectic blends of mountain folk and grassy and Celtic-inspired originals, all with the voice of Susie Glaze. Winner of the Just Plain Folks 2006 Music Award for Best Roots Album for its debut CD, “Blue Eyed Darlin’,” The Hilonesome Band is Steve Rankin (mandolin), Rob Carlson (lead guitar, Dobro), Fred Sanders (bass) and Mark Indictor (fiddle), showcasing the songwriting of Carlson. The band’s studio CD, “White Swan,” was released in March 2013 to critical acclaim. Its latest album, “Not That Kind of Girl,” was released in April 2016.
GrACe & TONYFriday
Embracing influences from Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft to Stephen King, Grace & Tony blend history and fiction into songs that share vivid plot and musi-cal twists. They call their style “Southern gothic” - a fitting term for music made by a pair raised in Loretto, Tenn., “the last town before you get to Alabama,” said Tony White. The couple still lives there. Grace and Tony White didn’t know one another growing up but managed to fall under similar musical spells. Tony wanted to be a musician just like his older brother. Grace was influenced by her grandfather, who taught her how to play guitar. Their new album, “Phantasmagoric,” captures their love for the macabre.
MITCH GreeNHIll Friday, Saturday, Sunday
A product of the 1960s Cambridge folk music scene, Mitch recorded two albums for Prestige, now reissued as “Shepherd of
the City Blues” (2000). He performed along the East Coast and accompanied Rosalie Sorrels on her seminal album “If I Could Be the Rain.” In California he performed in the country-rock band Frontier and in California honky-tonks while work-ing as a studio guitarist and producer. After joining his father, Manny Green-hill, at Folklore Productions, he worked as agent/manager 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). On Broadway, he composed original music for “An Almost Holy Picture,” a dramatic play starring Kevin Bacon. Mitch’s latest project is the all-acoustic, all-instrumental trio String Madness.
brITT GullYSaturday, Sunday
Britt Gully is a road warrior of a blue million honky-tonks and churches. He plays any kind of music, electric or acous-tic, wonderfully well. The Smithsonian, among many, regard Britt as one of the very best interpreters of Jimmie Rodg-ers music. Britt Gully is what you call genuine. He is as country as country can be and packs a whole lot of talent in his back pocket. He’s funny, humble, enter-taining and one heck of a great country songwriter. You can expect to hear from this talent in the future, so keep your eye on him.
WAYNe HeNDerSON AND FrIeNDSThursday, Friday, Saturday
Wayne Henderson is a National Heritage Award recipient, honored for his crafts-manship as a luthier and his renowned
Artistscontinued from Page 11
Continued on Page 13
Suzie Glaze and The Hilonesome band
britt Gully Mitch Greenhill
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 13
finger-style Appalachian guitar playing. Sponsored by the National Council for Traditional Arts, the Smithsonian Insti-tution, Office of Arts America, European World of Bluegrass, Chet Atkins Interna-tional Appreciation Society and numerous individual venues, Wayne has toured in the U.S., Asia, Africa and the Middle East. His lightning-fast articulate playing style was influenced by close friends Doc Watson and E.C. Ball.
Singer, fiddler and guitarist Helen White has toured extensively with Henderson in the U.S. and Europe. Compositions include works for theater and video projects as well as Booklist-honored recordings of original songs for children. White founded and served as executive director of the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) pro-gram for 15 years, introducing students in four states to their traditional mountain musical heritage.
The subject of the recent documentary “Herb Key: Nurturing American Heritage,” guitarist and bassist Herb grew up in Wilkes County, living close to the land and learning traditional music beginning in the ‘50s. Known as one of the best guitar repairmen in the region, he is also a keeper of stories and relishes singing songs about Wilkes legends.
HIGH PlAINS JAMbOreeSaturday
With roots in northern bluegrass and southern troubadour country, Brennen
Leigh, Beth Chrisman and Noel McKay each come to High Plains Jamboree with a distinct flavor to their writing and singing. Simon Flory anchors this new string band on bass and is more country than all of the one hundred people who move to Aus-tin every day combined. Members of High Plains Jamboree are making their own jukebox memories, playing decades-old favorites (theirs, not necessarily everyone else’s) and songs they wrote, together and all by their lonesome.
bOb HIllThursday, Friday, Saturday
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 Ltd. of London, England, signed Bob as a solo artist. Nems renamed him “Fred Hill.” Bob has written songs with and for the following artists and has recorded and performed with them as well: Leon Rus-sell, JJ Cale, Jack “Cowboy” Clement, Don Everly, Ray Stevens, 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.
DAVID HOlTFriday, Saturday
Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt is a musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer who is dedicated to performing and preserving traditional American music and stories. Holt performed with Doc Watson for 14 years, which he says was the highlight of
1.Watson
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.Annie Moses Band
----------------12:45 p.m.-1:45 p.m.
Tim O’Brien----------------
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.Brandi Carlile----------------
4:15 p.m.-5:30 p.m.Jason Isbell
2.Cabin
10:45 a.m.-11:15 p.m.Andy May
----------------12:15 p.m.-12:45 p.m.
Jim Avett----------------
1:45 p.m.-1:50 p.m.
Raffle Drawing----------------
1:50 p.m.-1:55 p.m.Silent Auction
Winners Announced----------------
1:55 p.m.-2:30 p.m.Liz Vice
----------------3:30 p.m.-3:35 p.m.Raffle Grand Prize
Winners Announced----------------
3:35 p.m.-4:15 p.m.Sierra Hull
----------------5:30 p.m.-5:35 p.m.“Southbound” played by Bill Mathis, Jack
Lawrence, T. Michael Coleman
3.Creekside
9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.Sunday MorningDevotions with
Rev. Roy Dobyns of First Baptist Church
of Boone. Piano music provided by
Jeff Little ----------------
10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m.Sacred Songs of Doc Watson performed by The South Carolina
Broadcasters----------------
11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m.Gospel Hour with
Jim Avett
4.Little
Pickers10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
The InterACTiveTheater of Jef----------------
11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.Flattop Photo
Session----------------
Noon-12:30 p.m.Alberti Flea Circus
----------------1:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Bonnie Logan -Tales and Stories
----------------2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.Alberti Flea Circus
----------------3:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Flattop PhotoSession
5.Americana
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Sunday Morning Blues hosted by Roy
Book Binder withperformances byspecial guests----------------
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.Donna the Buffalo
----------------12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Jonathan Byrd &The Pickup Cowboys
----------------2:00 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
Andy May
6.Traditional
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.Shape Note Singingwith Laura Boosinger
----------------11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Women Who Sing
Traditional with TheSouth Carolina
Broadcasters, Carol Rifkin and Laura
Boosinger----------------
12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m.Peter Rowan Plays
Traditional----------------
1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m.Pete and Joan
Wernick’s TraditionalJam
----------------3:00 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
Carol Rifkin withJohn Fowler andJeanette Queen
7.Pickin’ Place
10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Jammin’ atThe Pickin’ Place
The Pickin’ Place is more than a stage, it’s an entire venue
devoted to pickin’ and grinnin’!
Included in The Pickin’ Place are the Traditional Jammin’
Tent, Bluegrass Jammin’ Tent and the
Anything Goes Jammin’ Tent. Bring your acoustic instru-ments to this area
and jam! Hosted by the Wilkes Acoustic
Folk Society
8.Dance
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Sunday Morning Yoga - Bring your own mat and join instructor Laurie
Brintle-Jarvis for a one hour yoga
session.----------------
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.Old Time Mountain Dance Tunes with
The South CarolinaBroadcasters ----------------
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.Country and Western
Swing withJim Lauderdale Band
11.The Plaza
10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.MerleFest Open Mic
hosted byThe Local Boys
12.Hillside
10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m.Jonathan Byrd &
The Pickup Cowboys----------------
11:15 a.m.-NoonThe Bros. Landreth
----------------12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
The Contenders----------------
1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m.Tommy Emmanuel
----------------3:00 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
Scythian
Sunday, May 1
Artistscontinued from Page 12
Continued on Page 14
1.Watson
3:00 p.m.-3:45 p.m.EmiSunshine----------------
4:15 p.m.-5:15 p.m.Donna the Buffalowith Peter Rowan
and Jim Lauderdale----------------
5:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.Alison Brown----------------
7:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m.Steep Canyon Rangers
----------------
9:00 p.m.-10:15 p.m.John Prine----------------
2.Cabin
3:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.Tellico
----------------
5:15 p.m.-5:20 p.m.Raffle Drawing
----------------
5:20 p.m.-5:45 p.m.MerleFest Bluegrass
Jam Camp withPete & Joan Wernick
----------------
6:45 p.m.-7:10 p.m.The Bill Young Tribute with the
Banknotes----------------
7:10 p.m.-7:15 p.m.Raffle Drawing
----------------
8:15 p.m.-9:00 p.m.Shannon Whitworth
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 devotedto pickin’ & grinnin’! Included in
The Pickin’ Place are theTraditional Jammin’ Tent,
Bluegrass Jammin’ Tent, andAnything Goes Jammin’ Tent.
Bring your acoustic instrumentsto this area and jam!
Hosted by theWilkes Acoustic Folk Society.
----------------
9:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.Opening Night Dance Party with
Love Canon
Thursday, April 28
High Plains Jamboree David Holt bob Hill
14 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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ck’s
Fl
exig
rass
Jam
----
----
----
----
2:45
p.m
.-3:3
0 p.
m.
The
Slo
can
Ram
bler
s--
----
----
----
--4:
00 p
.m.-4
:45
p.m
.B
lue
Maf
ia--
----
----
----
--5:
15 p
.m.-6
:00
p.m
.K
enny
and
Am
anda
S
mith
4.Li
ttle
P
icke
rs10
:00
a.m
.-10:
30 a
.m.
Alb
erti
Flea
Circ
us--
----
----
----
--11
:00
a.m
.-11:
30 a
.m.
Flat
top
Pho
to S
essi
on--
----
----
----
--11
:30
a.m
.-Noo
nA
lex
and
Dan
Fedo
ryka
----
----
----
----
Noo
n-1:
00 p
.m.
BR
EA
K--
----
----
----
--1:
00 p
.m.-1
:30
p.m
.Th
e In
terA
CTi
veTh
eate
r of
Jef
----
----
----
----
2:00
p.m
.-2:3
0 p.
m.
Bon
nie
Loga
n -
Sto
ryte
lling
from
C
anad
a--
----
----
----
--3:
00 p
.m.-3
:30
p.m
.Fl
atto
p P
hoto
Ses
sion
----
----
----
----
3:30
p.m
.-4:0
0 p
.m.
In W
ith T
he O
ld--
----
----
----
--4:
00 p
.m.-4
:30
p.m
.Th
e In
terA
CTi
veTh
eate
r of
Jef
----
----
----
----
5:00
p.m
.-5:3
0 p.
m.
Alb
erti
Flea
Circ
us
5.A
mer
ican
a9:
45 a
.m.-1
0:30
a.m
.K
risty
Cox
----
----
----
----
11:0
0 a.
m.-1
1:45
a.m
.C
arol
Rifk
in w
ithJo
hn F
owle
r an
dJe
anet
te Q
ueen
----
----
----
----
12:1
5 p.
m.-1
:00
p.m
.K
acy
& C
layt
on--
----
----
----
--
1:30
p.m
.-2:1
5 p.
m.
Lou
Rei
d &
Car
olin
a--
----
----
----
--2:
45 p
.m.-3
:30
p.m
.Je
ff S
crog
gins
&C
olor
ado
----
----
----
----
4:00
p.m
.-4:4
5 p.
m.
Apr
il Ve
rch
----
----
----
----
5:15
p.m
.-6:0
0 p.
m.
The
Slo
can
Ram
bler
s
6.Tr
aditi
onal
10:0
0 a.
m.-1
0:30
a.m
.B
ritt G
ully
- S
ongs
of
Jim
mie
Rod
gers
----
----
----
----
10:4
5 a.
m.-1
1:15
a.m
.Fo
ghor
n S
trin
gban
d--
----
----
----
--11
:30
a.m
.-Noo
nTh
e S
outh
Car
olin
aB
road
cast
ers
----
----
----
----
1:15
p.m
.-2:0
0 p.
m.
Laur
a B
oosi
nger
and
The
Mid
nigh
tP
low
boys
----
----
----
----
3:00
p.m
.-3:4
5 p.
m.
Car
ol R
ifkin
&Fr
iend
s--
----
----
----
--4:
15 p
.m.-5
:00
p.m
.Je
ni &
Bill
y--
----
----
----
--5:
30 p
.m.-6
:15
p.m
.W
ayne
Hen
ders
onan
d Fr
iend
s
7.P
icki
n’
Pla
ce10
:00
a.m
.-10:
00 p
.m.
Jam
min
’ at
The
Pic
kin’
Pla
ceTh
e P
icki
n’ P
lace
is
mor
e th
an a
sta
ge, i
t’s
an e
ntire
ven
ue d
evot
-ed
to p
icki
n’ &
grin
-ni
n’! I
nclu
ded
in T
he
Pic
kin’
Pla
ce a
re th
eTr
aditi
onal
Jam
min
’ Te
nt, t
he B
lueg
rass
Ja
mm
in’ T
ent,
and
the
Any
thin
g G
oes
Jam
min
’ Ten
t. B
ring
your
aco
ustic
inst
ru-
men
ts to
this
are
a an
d ja
m! H
oste
d by
the
Wilk
es A
cous
tic F
olk
Soc
iety
.
8.D
ance
Noo
n-1:
15 p
.m.
Free
styl
e D
ance
host
ed b
y Th
eB
roth
ers
Com
atos
e--
----
----
----
-2:
00 p
.m.-3
:00
p.m
.Iri
sh T
unes
and
Dan
ce s
how
case
dby
We
Ban
jo 3
----
----
----
---
3:30
p.m
.-4:1
5 p.
m.
Jeff
Littl
e Tr
io--
----
----
----
-5:
00 p
.m.-6
:00
p.m
.Le
arn
to S
quar
eD
ance
with
Car
olR
ifkin
, Joh
n Fo
wle
ran
d Je
anet
te Q
ueen
with
cal
ler
Unc
leTe
d W
hite
----
----
----
----
6:00
p.m
.-8:0
0 p.
m.
BR
EA
K--
----
----
----
--8:
00 p
.m.-9
:30
p.m
.S
cyth
ian
---
----
----
----
-10
:30
p.m
.-12:
00 a
.m.
Frid
ay N
ight
Dan
cew
ith D
onna
the
Buf
falo
9.M
ayes
Pit
10:0
0 a.
m.-1
0:05
a.m
.W
elco
me
to th
e
Mer
leFe
st W
orks
hops
with
Hap
py T
raum
----
----
----
---
10:0
5 a.
m.-1
0:45
a.m
.H
omes
pun
Wor
ksho
pw
ith H
appy
Tra
um--
----
----
----
-11
:00
a.m
.-Noo
nA
nato
my
of th
eG
uita
r Wor
ksho
pw
ith W
ayne
Hen
ders
on--
----
----
----
-12
:15
p.m
.-1:0
0 p.
m.
Fing
er S
tyle
Blu
esG
uita
r Wor
ksho
p w
ithTo
m F
eldm
ann
and
Hap
py T
raum
----
----
----
---
1:15
p.m
.-2:0
0 p.
m.
Flat
pick
ing
-D
eep
Gap
&B
eyon
d--
----
----
----
-2:
15 p
.m.-3
:00
p.m
.H
isto
ry o
fM
erle
Fest
hos
ted
by“B
” Tow
nes
----
----
----
---
3:15
p.m
.-4:0
0 p.
m.
Impl
emen
ting
Blu
esin
the
Sch
ools
Wor
ksho
p w
ithFr
utel
and
Jack
son
----
----
----
----
4:15
p.m
.-5:0
0 p.
m.
On
the
Roa
d w
ithD
oc W
atso
n -
Hos
ted
by D
avid
Hol
t, T.
Mic
hael
Col
eman
and
Jack
Law
renc
e--
----
----
----
-5:
15 p
.m.-6
:15
p.m
.H
appy
Tra
um:
Com
ing
of A
ge in
the
Gre
enw
ich
Vill
age
Folk
Rev
ival
and
the
Woo
dsto
ck S
cene
(195
4-19
71)
10.
Aus
tin S
tage
Alu
mni
Hal
l
9:30
a.m
.-9:3
1 a.
m.
Wel
com
e to
the
Doc
an
d M
erle
Wat
son
Perfo
rmin
g A
rts
Sho
wca
ses
Hos
ted
by J
oe
Sm
othe
rs a
nd B
ob
Hill
of F
rost
y M
orn
9:31
a.m
.-9:4
5 a.
m.
with
Gra
ce &
Ton
y--
----
----
----
-10
:00
a.m
.-10:
15 a
.m.
with
Jac
k La
wre
nce
----
----
----
---
10:3
0 a.
m.-1
0:45
a.m
. w
ith J
oe S
mot
hers
----
----
----
---
11:0
0 a.
m.-1
1:15
a.m
.w
ith C
harle
s W
elch
----
----
----
---
11:3
0 a.
m.-1
1:45
a.m
.w
ith S
teve
and
Rut
hS
mith
----
----
----
---
Noo
n-12
:15
p.m
.w
ith K
risty
Cox
----
----
----
---
12:3
0 p.
m.-1
2:45
p.m
.w
ith In
With
The
Old
----
----
----
---
1:00
p.m
.-1:1
5 p.
m.
with
Bon
nie
Loga
n--
----
----
----
-1:
30 p
.m.-1
:45
p.m
.w
ith A
ndy
May
----
----
----
---
2:00
p.m
.-4:3
0 p.
m.
The
Chr
is A
ustin
S
ongw
ritin
g C
onte
st
Fina
ls w
ith c
onte
st
chai
rman
Jim
La
uder
dale
and
judg
es S
arah
Po
tenz
a, J
ohn
Clo
yd
Mill
er a
nd M
ilan
Mill
er--
----
----
----
-4:
30 p
.m.-7
:00
p.m
.A
cous
tic K
ids
Sho
wca
ses
host
ed b
y A
ndy
May
----
----
----
---
7:15
p.m
.-8:0
0 p.
m.
Son
gwrit
er’s
C
offe
ehou
se
Reg
istra
tion
----
----
----
---
8:00
p.m
.-8:1
5 p.
m.
Son
gwrit
er’s
C
offe
ehou
se w
ithA
ndy
May
----
----
----
---
8:45
p.m
.-9:0
0 p.
m.
Son
gwrit
er’s
C
offe
ehou
se w
ithK
risty
Cox
----
----
----
---
9:15
p.m
.-9:3
0 p.
m.
Son
gwrit
er’s
C
offe
ehou
se w
ithS
eth
Wal
ker
----
----
----
---
9:45
p.m
.-10:
00 p
.m.
Son
gwrit
er’s
C
offe
ehou
se w
ith
Joe
Sm
othe
rs--
----
----
----
-10
:15
p.m
.-10:
30 p
.m.
Son
gwrit
er’s
C
offe
ehou
se w
ithD
oug
See
gers
11.
The
Pla
za10
:00
a.m
.-5:0
0 p.
m.
Mer
leFe
st O
pen
Mic
host
ed b
y Th
e Lo
cal
Boy
s
12.
Hill
side
10:0
0 a.
m.-1
0:30
a.m
.S
eth
Wal
ker
----
----
----
---
11:0
0 a.
m.-1
1:45
a.m
.S
arah
Pot
enza
----
----
----
---
12:1
5 p.
m.-1
:00-
p.m
.Fo
ghor
n S
trin
gban
d--
----
----
----
-1:
30 p
.m.-2
:15
p.m
.Th
e W
hisk
ey G
entr
y--
----
----
----
-2:
45 p
.m.-3
:30
p.m
.Th
e B
roth
ers
Com
atos
e--
----
----
----
-4:
00 p
.m.-4
:45
p.m
.
Don
na th
e B
uffa
lo--
----
----
----
-5:
15 p
.m.-6
:00
p.m
.Pe
ter
Row
an--
----
----
----
-6:
30 p
.m.-7
:45
p.m
.H
illsi
de S
unse
t Jam
with
The
Kru
ger
Bro
ther
s
13.
Wal
ker
Cen
ter
10:1
5 a.
m.-1
1:00
a.m
.W
anam
aker
Lew
isan
d R
ooto
logy
----
----
----
----
11:3
0 a.
m.-1
2:15
p.m
.D
ocab
illy
Blu
esB
low
out
----
----
----
----
12:4
5 p.
m.-1
:30
p.m
.K
enny
and
Am
anda
Sm
ith--
----
----
----
--2:
00 p
.m.-2
:45
p.m
.M
erle
Fest
Vet
eran
sJa
m w
ith J
ack
Law
renc
e, J
erry
D
ougl
as a
nd J
oe
Sm
othe
rs--
----
----
----
--3:
15 p
.m.-4
:00
p.m
.Th
e W
ayba
cks
----
----
----
----
4:30
p.m
.-5:1
5 p.
m.
The
Whi
skey
Gen
try
----
----
----
----
5:45
p.m
.-6:3
0 p.
m.
Blu
e M
afia
Frid
ay, A
pril
29
his long career. Holt found hun-dreds of old-time mountaineers with a wealth of folk music and stories. There was 100-year-old banjoist Wade Mainer, fiddler Tommy Jarrell and 122-year-old washboard player Susie Brunson, as well as Doc Watson, Roy Acuff and Grandpa Jones. In 2002 Doc and David won two Grammys for “Legacy,” a three-CD set with interviews, music and a live concert about Watson’s life and music. During his 30-year career, Holt hosted numerous television shows including “Fire On The Mountain,” the PBS “Folkways” series, “Great Scenic Railway Journeys” and “David Holt’s State of Music.” He performed and recorded with Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs. He can be heard on public radio’s “Riverwalk Jazz” and seen in the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
SIerrA HullSunday
Sierra Hull, 23, was given her first mandolin at age 8. By age 11, Alison Krauss had called her with an invitation to the Opry stage; by 12, Rounder was expressing interest. She signed a record deal with Rounder at 13, with her first album released at 16. Sierra has also played the White House, Carnegie Hall (twice) and the Kennedy Center; traveled around the world sharing her music; and released three albums. Then there’s the fact that Berklee gave her the school’s most prestigious award, the Presidential Scholar-ship, a first for a bluegrass musi-cian. Her choice to accept it, to delay her dream of hitting the road full-time after high school in favor of expanding her musical worldview, was hardly a light one.
IN WITH THe OlDThursday, Friday
Northern Saskatchewan’s In With the Old seamlessly combine raw talent and prairie camarade-rie with a passion and respect for the music from the past.
Artistscontinued from Page 13
Continued on Page 15
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 15
Artistscontinued from Page 14
1.W
atso
n11
:15
a.m
.-N
oo
nB
ecky
Bul
ler
----
----
----
----
12:3
0 p
.m.-
1:15
p.m
.B
elk
Sou
ther
nM
usic
ian
Sho
wca
se
Win
ner
----
----
----
----
1:45
p.m
.-2:
45 p
.m.
Sal
vado
r--
----
----
----
--3:
15 p
.m.-
4:00
p.m
.W
e B
anjo
3--
----
----
----
--4:
00 p
.m.-
4:30
p.m
.B
RE
AK
----
----
----
----
4:30
p.m
.-5:
00 p
.m.
Mer
leF
est
2016
Ban
d C
ompe
titio
nW
inne
r--
----
----
----
--5:
30 p
.m.-
6:30
p.m
.T
he K
ruge
r B
roth
ers
----
----
----
----
7:00
p.m
.-8:
30 p
.m.
Sam
Bus
h B
and
----
----
----
----
9:00
p.m
.-10
:30
p.m
.D
ave
Raw
lings
Mac
hine
2.C
abin
10:4
5 a.
m.-
11:1
5 a.
m.
Jeff
Littl
e Tr
io--
----
----
----
--N
oo
n-1
2:30
p.m
.S
teve
and
Rut
h S
mith
----
----
----
----
1:15
p.m
.-1:
45 p
.m.
Lind
say
Lou
&T
he F
latb
elly
s--
----
----
----
--2:
45 p
.m.-
2:50
p.m
.R
affle
Dra
win
g--
----
----
----
--2:
50 p
.m.-
3:15
p.m
.B
ob H
ill5:
00 p
.m.-
5:05
p.m
.R
affle
Dra
win
g--
----
----
----
--
5:05
p.m
.-5:
30 p
.m.
Dou
g S
eege
rs--
----
----
----
--6:
30 p
.m.-
6:35
p.m
.R
affle
Dra
win
g--
----
----
----
--6:
35 p
.m.-
7:00
p.m
.A
cous
tic K
ids
with
A
ndy
May
----
----
----
----
8:30
p.m
.-9:
00 p
.m.
TB
A 3.C
reek
sid
e9:
30 a
.m.-
10:1
5 a.
m.
Apr
il V
erch
----
----
----
----
10:4
5 a.
m.-
11:3
0 a.
m.
Kar
l Shi
flett
& B
ig
Cou
ntry
Sho
w--
----
----
----
--N
oo
n-1
:30
p.m
.M
emor
ies
of D
oc a
nd
Mer
le h
oste
d by
T.
Mic
hael
Col
eman
w
ith s
peci
al g
uest
s--
----
----
----
--2:
00 p
.m.-
3:00
p.m
.M
ando
Man
ia fe
atur
-in
g To
ny W
illia
mso
n,
Sam
Bus
h, T
im
O'B
rien
and
Ste
phen
M
ougi
n--
----
----
----
--3:
30 p
.m.-
4:15
p.m
.W
ood
& W
ire--
----
----
----
--4:
45 p
.m.-
5:30
p.m
.B
ecky
Bul
ler
----
----
----
----
6:00
p.m
.-6:
45 p
.m.
Hig
h P
lain
s Ja
mbo
ree
4.Li
ttle
Pic
kers
10:0
0 a.
m.-
10:3
0 a.
m.
Fla
ttop
Pho
toS
essi
on--
----
----
----
--11
:00
a.m
.-11
:30
a.m
.S
teve
and
Rut
h S
mith
----
----
----
----
11:3
0 a.
m.-
No
on
Alb
erti
Fle
a C
ircus
----
----
----
----
12:3
0 p.
m.-1
:00
p.m
.T
he I
nter
AC
Tiv
eT
heat
er o
f Je
f--
----
----
----
--1:
30 p
.m.-
2:00
p.m
.B
onni
e Lo
gan
-S
tory
telli
ng--
----
----
----
--2:
30 p
.m.-
3:00
p.m
.T
he I
nter
AC
Tiv
eT
heat
er o
f Je
f--
----
----
----
--3:
30 p
.m.-
4:00
p.m
.F
latto
p P
hoto
Ses
sion
----
----
----
----
4:00
p.m
.-4:
30 p
.m.
Jeni
& B
illy
----
----
----
----
4:30
p.m
.-5:
00 p
.m.
Alb
erti
Fle
a C
ircus
5.A
mer
ican
a9:
45 a
.m.-
10:3
0 a.
m.
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This young band, consists of Ellen Froese-Kooijenga, Kasia Thorlakson and Jaxon Lalonde. Multi-instrumentalists, they are highly influenced by great tradi-tional bluegrass and old-time art-ists like Bill Monroe, the Carter Family and the Stanley Broth-ers, but also by modern bands, ranging from rock to folk to indie pop. Their performances show-case a very full sound, includ-ing fiery-hot banjo and mandolin licks, thoughtful songwriting and beautiful three-part harmonies. The band has noted a growing resurgence in popularity of its brand of acoustic and stringband music and looks forward to offer-ing more.
THe INTerACTIVe THeATer OF JeFFriday, Saturday, Sunday
When you run into Jef either on the Little Pickers Stage or roaming throughout the festi-val, his wacky version of mime and variety arts will be sure to tickle your fancy. He’s always excited to entertain the child in all of us. Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, Jef apprenticed with mimes C.W. Metcalf, Tony Montanaro and Jacques Lecoq. Along the way he also studied period dance and style with William Burdick and clowning with Ezekiel Peter-hof. As a soloist and ensemble member, he’s opened for the likes of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Doc Watson. From 1976 to 1993 Jef was a member of TOUCH, North Carolina’s tour-ing mime theater ensemble. From 1993 through 1997, Jef created and performed as Wool E. Bull, the mascot for the Durham Bulls baseball team.
JASON ISbellSunday
Jason Isbell is a product of his northern Alabama roots and an example of how musical influ-ences help an artist evolve and mature. Isbell is inspired by the rock, country and blues pro-duced in neighboring Muscle
Continued on Page 16
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Shoals. As a lyricist, he tells the difficult stories, whether raw, introspective, messy or poetic. As an artist, he reveals his own vulnerabilities – his successes and failures – in which listeners might find kinship or perspective. His albums include “Sirens of the Ditch,” “Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit,” “Here We Rest,” “Live from Alabama,” and 2013’s critically acclaimed “Southeastern.” In 2014, Isbell earned three Ameri-cana Music Awards, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (“Cover Me Up”), and Album of the Year (“Southeastern”). “Something More Than Free,” His fifth album went No. 1 on Billboard Rock, Country and Folk charts.
FruTelAND JACKSONSaturday, Sunday
Fruteland Jackson is an author, storyteller and oral historian who grew up on Chicago’s West side. He is a three-time Blues Music
Award nominee, a recipient of the Blues Foundation’s “Keeping the Blues Alive Award,” and recipient of the Illinois Arts Council Folk/Ethnic Heritage Award. Frute-land performs Americana, acous-tic blues, folk traditional and singer-songwriter styles around the world. Fruteland focuses on pre-war and post-war blues. His study includes ragtime, Pied-mont, Delta and other styles. He plays guitar mandolin, lap steel and the bowed psaltery. As an oral historian, Fruteland has taken his knowledge of blues history to schools, colleges and universities across the U.S. Frute-land is the creator of the award-winning blues series to some 50,000 students annually.
JeNI AND bIllYThursday, Friday, Saturday
“’There are two kinds of music – the blues and Zip A Dee Doo Dah.” That’s what Townes Van Zandt said. But there is a third kind, which finds the best parts of both of those kinds of music and turns it into something seam-lessly American and wonderful. That third kind is Jeni and Billy music. That’s the assessment of Dillon O’Brian, who co-produced “Picnic in the Sky,” the latest stu-dio recording from Jeni and Billy. For the first time in their eight-year partnership, Jeni Hankins and Billy Kemp recorded with a full band, a group of Los Angeles-based musicians. The Appala-chian roots of the music shine
through. Hankins’ approach is often compared to that of Appa-lachian singer Hazel Dickens. Kemp is a versatile instrumen-talist who can soar in any style, from rockabilly to Indian ragas.
KACY & ClAYTONFriday
Kacy & Clayton is Kacy Ander-son (vocals, violin) and Clayton Linthicum (guitar, melodeon, vocals). They interprets and composes music inspired by traditional music from Southern Appalachia and the British Isles. Although the second cousins are young, they’ve been playing music together for over a decade and have created a distinct and cohesive sound. Kacy’s unforced
vocals are in her distinct and nat-ural timbre. Clayton’s instrumen-tal talents serve every song with modesty. He reserves his virtu-osity for transitions that require elaborate expression. Kacy & Clayton shun studio trickery and gimmicks, pursuing mixes that recall the natural warmth of ‘70s British folk LPs.
THe KruGer brOTHerSFriday, Saturday
Originally from Switzerland, brothers Uwe and Jens Kruger began playing North American folk music at an early age and were inspired by recordings of Doc Watson, Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe and other progeni-tors of country, bluegrass and folk music. After gaining a recording contract and a radio show on the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (public broadcast-ing association), they teamed up with bass player Joel Landsberg, inaugurating a trio that has been playing professionally together since 1995. Landsberg is an
Artistscontinued from Page 15
Continued on Page 18
Jeni and billy Kacy & Clayton The Kruger brothers
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 17
18 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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American citizen from New York City. The first recording project to include Landsberg was “Behind the Barn, Vol. 2,” released in 1997. The Kruger Brothers moved to the U.S. in 2002 and are based in Wilkesboro. The group is highly regarded within the world of acoustic music in North America. They gained the attention of Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Tut Taylor and Bobby Hicks.
JIM lAuDerDAleThursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Jim Lauderdale is a two-time Grammy Award-winning musician and one of the most respected artists in the blue-grass, country and Americana music communities. He is con-sidered one of Nashville’s “A” list of songwriters with songs recorded by artists such as Patty Loveless, Shelby Lynne, The Dixie Chicks and George Strait, who has had numerous
hits with Jim’s songs. His music was featured on the ABC show “Nashville,” and he had several tracks on the soundtrack of the film “Pure Country.” He helped pave the way of the Ameri-cana movement by writing and recording songs that cross country, pop, roots, rock, folk and bluegrass. Lauderdale won a Grammy Award in 2002 with Dr. Ralph Stanley for “Lost in the Lonesome Pines” and then for “The Bluegrass Diaries” in 2007. As a performer, he is cred-ited with production, writing and collaborating on over two dozen albums. Lauderdale co-hosts a weekly radio show on SiriusXM “The Buddy & Jim Show.”
JACK lAWreNCeFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Jack Lawrence has been called a “flatpicking powerhouse.” His recordings and performances combine exciting, high-spirited and innovative guitar solos with tasteful phrasing in his own inventive style. Well known as Doc Watson’s partner since the early 1980s, Jack’s inspired play-ing and smooth vocals provide listeners with performances that span musical traditions. Jack grew up in Charlotte, and his musical odyssey began at age 10 when his father took a job as sound engineer for a local music hall. From these early experi-ences, he developed his talents
and found his major influences in Doc Watson, Clarence White and Django Reinhardt. Jack is featured on many of Doc’s record-ings. The solo project “About Time,” released in 1997, show-cases Jack’s guitar style and rich, warm vocals. In 2001 he assem-bled some of the friends he most admires for a recording project. These sessions resulted in the April 2002 release of “I Don’t Need the Whiskey Anymore,” featuring Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tony Williamson, The Del McCoury Band and Doc Watson.
WANAMAKer leWIS AND rOOTOlOGYFriday
Wanamaker Lewis is known
for blending gypsy swing with Americana, and he has a vir-tuosic banjo picking style. For 30 years, Lewis has played American roots music, folk and bluegrass. He led the Philadel-phia-based bluegrass band, The Lewis Brothers, and the guitar-oriented Wanamaker Lewis Trio for much of the ‘80s. Concentrat-ing more on solo fingerstyle, he began cultivating his solo gui-tar playing and went out on his own in the ‘90s. The Wanamaker Lewis Band was formed in 2000 when he teamed with harmonica virtuoso Seth Holzman.
JeFF lITTle TrIOThursday, Saturday, Sunday
Jeff Little is from Boone, where his family ran Little’s Music Store. Among the musicians who fre-quently dropped by to play a tune was Doc Watson, a neighbor and close family friend whose music helped shape Jeff’s unique piano style. A professional musician since the age 14, Little is conver-sant with old-time, country, blue-
Artistscontinued from Page 16
Continued on Page 19
Jim lauderdale Jack lawrenceWannamaker lewis and rootology
Jeff little Trio
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 19
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grass, rockabilly and blues. Jeff settled in Nashville for a while, working as a session man, touring and working with a wide range of country artists, most notably Keith Urban. In 2004, he returned to the Blue Ridge to direct the Music Industry Program at Guilford Technical Community College. Little has performed for National Public Radio, PBS, The Smithsonian Insti-tution, American Piano Masters Series, The National Council for the Traditional Arts, The American Folk Festival and the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival.
THe lOCAl bOYSFriday, Saturday, Sunday
The Local Boys is a band that has been waiting for the appellation “Ameri-cana,” as “bluegrass” just doesn’t cover the material it does. While all members of The Local Boys have deep roots in traditional music, they also have a love for the musical styles that influenced and evolved from old-time country and bluegrass. The band is fairly standard in its acoustic instrumental arrangement: guitar, bass, banjo, Dobro and mandolin. Where it differs is that it has four superb lead vocalists who also sing harmonies: John Akin, Aaron Soots, Eric Childers and Tommy Rape. This gives them an unparalleled ability to find the perfect combination of voices. If you like blue-grass, you’ll like The Local Boys. You may hear some blues, rock ‘n’ roll, old country and rockabilly. It is good music with a lot of variety, played in the down-home style. It will touch your heart and raise your spirit.
bONNIe lOGANFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Bonnie Logan was born and raised in Biggar, Saskatchewan. Everyone in her farming/railroading family told stories, and she started in as a youngster just to get a word in edgewise. She began storytelling in 1985 while touring with the Saskatchewan Heritage Traveling Show, and she’s been telling ever since in schools, libraries, festivals and spe-cial events. Logan works professionally as a full-time storyteller and workshop educator. She has been teaching sto-rytelling at a school in Saskatoon for a decade. She tells folktales, cantefa-bles, and literary and original stories with humor, music (on banjo, kokorico, cabasa and other odd instruments) and heart.
lINDSAY lOu & THe FlATbellYSSaturday
Blazing hot Michigan roots ensemble Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys is touring in support of its new release, “Ionia.” Lead-ing the group, Lindsay Lou has the kind of voice you can get lost in. One part jazz singer, effortlessly transitioning octaves; one part blues shouter, soaring over the band like a clarion call; and one part folk singer, rousing them all together in song. The instruments and the bedrock of the band may come from bluegrass, but the music that Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys present can best be described as Ameri-cana. This is music that’s caught between the pull of the past and the push of the beckoning future, ready to leap forward bursting with new ideas and youthful energy.
lOVe CANONThursday
Think of the greatest ‘80s hits and movie soundtracks, re-orchestrated with preci-sion by flat-pick guitar, banjo, acoustic bass, mandolin, Dobro and high lonesome vocals and you have Love Canon. The Charlottesville-based band refreshes and extends the originals with affectionate humor and effortless virtuosity. Led by guitarist Jesse Harper (Old School Freight Train) and banjo wiz Adam Larrabee, this virtuoso group of string musicians that also includes Darrell Muller (bass), Andy Thacker (mandolin), Jay Starling (resona-tor guitar) add layer upon layer of depth to the still-appealing pop hooks.
ANDY MAYFriday, Saturday, Sunday
In a career spanning five decades and three regions of the nation, Andy May makes music that can be exuberant, thoughtful, funny or bittersweet. His originality and optimism combined with his love and respect for America’s musical roots shine through. He has been called a “troubadour of life,” an “Americana music pioneer,” a “master of traditional Ameri-can music styles” and an “upbeat roots
rocker.” By his 20th birthday, May had played Carnegie Hall and won the Grand Championship on guitar at the legend-ary Union Grove Fiddler’s Convention. He has appeared with Pete Seeger, Merle Haggard, Nickel Creek, Brownie McGee
& Sonny Terry, and John Hartford. May started and runs the IBMA award-winning record label, Swift River Music. May is a yearly performer and educator at major festivals like Winfield (since 1989) and MerleFest (since 2002) where he conducts the Acoustic Kids Showcases.
DAVID AND VAlerIe MAYFIelD Saturday
Empty nesters and bluegrass musicians David and Valerie Mayfield are pursuing their own careers while their critically acclaimed kids, Jessica Lea Mayfield and David Mayfield, are becoming national
Artistscontinued from Page 18
lindsay lou & The Flatbellies love Canon
20 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
Artistscontinued from Page 19
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acts. The younger David leads The David Mayfield Parade and young Jessica Lea Mayfield is an up-and-coming successful solo artist, both having appeared on David Letterman. As for the parents’ style, it is steeped in old school bluegrass and clas-sic country. You don’t want to miss this dynamic bluegrass duo’s tight harmonies and blend of talent. Add in some fast hot pickin’, and you have two highly entertaining musicians.
ANNIe MOSeS bANDSunday
Annie Moses Band brings a captivating blend of folk and classical. Siblings Annie (violin, vocals), Alex (viola), Ben (cello, songwriter), Camille (piano, harp), Gretchen (violin, man-dolin, guitar, songwriter) and Jeremiah (electric guitar, song-writer, vocals) bring Juilliard-honed chops to Nashville-styled music-making. Four of them stud-
ied strings at the Julliard School in Manhattan; four hold English degrees from the University of London. The Annie Moses Band has performed on PBS, in Carn-egie Hall and on the Grand Ole Opry. Award-winning composer Bill Wolaver, the siblings’ father, weaves musical styles together into cinematic arrangements for the band. Robin, their mother, is an award-winning songwriter.
JOHN OATeSSaturday
John Oates is one-half of pop music’s legendary group Hall & Oates. Since the formation of their partnership in the early ‘70s, Hall & Oates have gone on to record 21 albums, which have
sold over 80 million units, making them the most successful duo in rock history. They have scored 10 number one records, over 20 Top 40 hits, and toured the world for decades. In addition to their numerous American Music and MTV awards, in 2005 they were inducted into the American Song-writers Hall of Fame, and in May of 2008 they received the presti-gious BMI Icon Award for their outstanding career achievement in songwriting. Since 1999, John has recorded five solo albums: “Phunk Shui,” “1,000 Miles of Life,” “Mississippi Mile,” and a live album called “The Bluesville Sessions.” His latest project is called “A Good Road to Follow,” which began as a series of digital
singles featuring collaborations with legendary as well as new rising stars.
TIM O’brIeNSunday
It has been four years since Tim O’Brien’s last solo recording. After collaborations with Darrell Scott, Hot Rize, Earls of Leices-ter and Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project, he produced 11 musical tracks. “Pompadour” combines bluegrass, deep-roots Appala-chian music, field hollers, old-school rock ‘n’ roll, traditional jazz and even James Brownian funk. O’Brien also launched the new Short Order Sessions digital label. “It’s a new model, and it’s kind of liberating. SOS releases two singles every month, and they’re not arranged in any the-matic way like a CD would be. Some friends might stop by my house, and we’ll nosh and then play and record, or I might have an extra hour on a session and we’ll cut a song. On Groundhog Day in Glasgow during the Trans-atlantic Sessions tour, I grabbed two hours and some friends to
record a new old-time song called “Dance You Hippy Dance.”
OlD CrOW MeDICINe SHOWFriday
Old Crow Medicine Show got its start busking on street cor-ners in New York state and up through Canada. In Boone, the band caught the attention of Doc Watson while playing in front of a pharmacy. Doc immediately invited the band to play at Mer-leFest, helping to launch its suc-cessful career. Shortly thereafter the band relocated to Nashville for a residency at the Grand Ole Opry, where they entertained the crowd between shows. Since then, Old Crow has been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, won a Grammy for its music video for “Big Easy Express,” and cre-ated the instant classic “Wagon Wheel,” which sold over a mil-lion copies. Old Crow Medicine Show has four studio albums to its name: “O.C.M.S.,” “Big Iron World,” “Tennessee Pusher” and “Carry Me Back” and has toured
Old Crow Medicine Show John Oates Tim O’brien
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 21
Artistscontinued from Page 20
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WIll OVerMAN bANDSaturday
The music of Will Overman Band – call it amped-up folk rock – is as energetic as it is pas-sionate. It can be haunting and evocative yet sincere and sweet. Musically and lyrically the band draws from its Virginia roots, producing a rare combination of enticing harmony and straight-ahead, hard-charging rhythm and riffs. Or, as one fan put it, “hearty as a home-cooked South-ern meal.” The band is composed of Overman (guitar, vocals), Dan-iel McCarthy (guitar), Brittney Wagner (vocals), J. Wilkerson (bass) and Christopher Helms (drums). Drawing comparisons to The Avetts and Jason Isbell, the band carries an unwavering commitment to its music and to its fans. That music and those lyr-ics, as the Huffington Post wrote, seem to draw “… from the experi-ences of someone much older.”
PeNNY & SPArrOWSaturday
Penny & Sparrow is American singer-songwriter duo of Andy Baxter and Kyle Jahnke out of Austin, Texas. Formed in 2011 after living as roommates at the University of Texas, the duo began their musical endeavor as a hobby and creative outlet. Their first tune, “Creature,” was recorded in a small apartment behind an orphanage with one microphone and a laptop. “If you listen closely, you can hear kids screaming and laughing in the background of each song,” said Baxter. While the instrumenta-tion in each of the three released albums – “Creature” (2011), “Tenboom” (2013), and “Strug-
gle Pretty” (2014) – may differ, Penny & Sparrow has garnered a reputation of blending sincere lyrics with haunting melodies and harmonies in every song.
SArAH POTeNZAFriday
After spending seven years with her band Sarah & The Tall Boys, Sarah Potenza relocated to Nashville, Tenn., with not much more than her husband and her monster vocals. That coupled with her honest reflective song-writing, she quickly garnered the attention of the city’s thriving music scene, and she became a staple at the Bluebird Café and the Music City Roots program. One of her performances on Music City
Roots resulted in a phone call from the NBC television show, “The Voice.” Potenza took the challenge in stride and managed to land a four chair turn, and out of 50,000 contestants, she made it to the top 20. She also performed on the Grand Ole Opry.
JOHN PrINeThursday
Some four decades since his remarkable debut, John Prine has stayed at the top of his game as a performer and songwriter. He recently was honored at the Library of Congress by U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser. Prine has long been considered a “song-writer’s songwriter.” Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, the Everly
Brothers, John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, Ben Harper, Joan Baez and many others have recorded his songs. But long before these awards and accolades, all the concerts and many albums, John Prine trudged through snow in the cold Chicago winters, delivering mail across Maywood, his childhood suburb. He began playing guitar at age 14. By his early 20s, he was liv-ing in Chicago and entrenched in the city’s folk music scene. In 1971, Prine put out his self-titled debut album, which earned criti-cal praise and helped pave the way for a career that has spanned more than four decades.
lOu reID & CArOlINAFriday
Lou Reid & Carolina is based in Union Grove. The band began in 1992 and has recorded 10 CDs. Members are Marcus Smith (gui-tar), Trevor Watson (banjo) and Christy Reid (bass). Its sound is steeped in traditional bluegrass and gospel roots with an empha-sis on dynamic vocals. In 2010,
Will Overman band lou reid and CarolinaSarah Potenza John Prine
22 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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Lou Reid & Carolina were final-ists for the 2009 IBMA Song of the Year and 2010 GMA Dove Award for Bluegrass Gospel Song of the Year for the a capella song “It’s Hard to Stumble.” No. 1 songs include “Time,” “Amanda Lynn” and “Carolina Moonshine Man.” Reid began his career in 1979 as bassist and lead and tenor vocalist for Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. In 1982, Reid joined the Ricky Skaggs Band as a multi-instrumentalist and backup vocalist. He played banjo on the first bluegrass song to hit No. 1, “Uncle Pen” and has recorded with David Keith, Michael Mar-tin Murphy, Vince Gill and the late Vern Gosdin. He has been a member of Seldom Scene for 24 years.
CArOl rIFKIN WITH JOHN FOWler AND JeANeTTe QueeN Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Carol Rifkin, Jeanette Queen and John Fowler bring songs, sto-ries, ballads, harmonies, string band music, clogging, big circle dance, flat footing and more from North Carolina’s mountain music community. Rifkin is an award-winning singer with sweet soaring vocals, a dancer (Green Grass Cloggers) and musician who performed with Doc and Merle Watson and on the movie “Songcatcher.” Rifkin and Fowler co-host WNCW’s mountain music show, “This Old Porch.”
Queen learned to play and sing in the Queen family band
in Jackson County. The daughter of the late 2007 National Heri-tage Award winner Mary Jane Queen and Claude Queen, she carries forward seven genera-tions of traditions learned from her mother and sings the songs of the mountains in her powerful, clear voice.
Fowler is an award-winning storyteller, musician, ballad singer and author. He is the 2013 recipient of the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award. Fowler’s skills on harmonica, fiddle and banjo combine with his historic knowledge and sense of humor for a fun, informative show.
PeTer rOWANThursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
A chameleon of musical genres, Peter Rowan’s original songwriting is the driving force of his musical diversity. The legend-ary bluegrass singer-songwriter and Grammy Award winner has been performing since 1963, and today he is still making waves in the music world. A solo 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 him. When the two harmonized 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’s touring bluegrass band consists of dyed-in-the-wool traditional players Jody Stecher (mandolin, fiddle), Keith Little (banjo) and Paul Knight (bass). The band features original songs written by Rowan.
SPArKY AND rHONDA ruCKerSaturday, Sunday
Sparky and Rhonda Rucker sing and tell stories from the American tradition. Their music includes old-time blues, slave songs, ballads, spirituals, and originals. They feature fingerstyle picking and bottleneck blues guitar, harmonica, and old-time banjo. James “Sparky” Rucker is a leading folklorist, historian, musician storyteller, and author and toured with the American Folk Blues Festival in Europe. Rhonda Rucker is an author, folk musician and storyteller. Motes Books published her historical novel, “Swing Low, Sweet Har-riet,” in 2013. In over 40 years of performing, Sparky and Rhonda
have appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Smithsonian Folklife Festi-val, as well as NPR’s “On Point,” “Prairie Home Companion,” “Mountain Stage” and “Morn-ing Edition.” Their “Treasures & Tears” was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award.
SAlVADOrSaturday
The unique sound of Salva-dor is born out of the fusion of influence in the band’s home-town, Austin. Texas, and of the band’s passion for Jesus. The seven-piece Christian band delivers messages of love and light through Tex-Mex and Latin sounds, a jam-band rhythmic sensibility and a little of the garage grit. The band has been recording since 2000, with its debut release “Make Some Noise.” Since then, it earned the Dove Award for Spanish Lan-guage Album in 2004, performed at Dr. Graham’s final New York City crusade in 2005 and has toured widely. Really the mission of the band is simple: to make music that “… has an optimism, an expectation, and proves that a life of following Jesus is a life worth living. We’re making a joy-ful noise the best way we know how and would love for you to
join the party!”
JeFF SCrOGGINS & COlOrADOFriday, Saturday
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado is a high-energy five-piece blue-grass band from Colorado. Its distinctive sound showcases an eclectic range of influences that marry second and third generation bluegrass. It fea-tures world-class banjoand mandolin playing, incredible vocals, a solid and energetic rhythm and an easy stage ban-ter. The band is fronted by two-time National Banjo Champion Jeff Scroggins. It features Jeff’s son Tristan (mandolin). At 20, the West Virginia native is an award-winning instrumentalist and accomplished songwriter. Twice nominated for Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America’s (SPBGMA) “Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year” award, Blake’s guitar play-ing has earned him nine nomina-tions and five consecutive wins as SPBGMA’s Guitarist of the Year.
SCYTHIANFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Scythian (sith ee yin) belts out a high energy, interactive brand
Carol rifkin with John Fowler and Jeannette Queen Sparky and rhonda rucker
Jeff Scroggins and Colorado Scythian
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 23
Artistscontinued from Page 22
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of music with a goal of getting people on their feet and dancing. These classically trained musi-cians are natural showmen who blend kicked-up Celtic, folk and world music and deliver it with a punk rock sensibility. Combine this with the driving rhythm of a jazz percussionist, and you’ve got the ingredients for a show you won’t soon forget. In a single song, they transport an audience across the globe with the alluring and dramatic strains of gypsy fiddles, the bounce of a Celtic reel, and then cross back over the border to pick up a klezmer hook and some good old fash-ioned bluegrass licks. Scythian’s members are alchemists in their use of crowd participation.
DOuG SeeGerSFriday, Saturday
For more than half his life, Doug Seegers was his own best-kept secret. Busking on the street throughout the United States, he picked up the name “Duke the Drifter,” a fitting moniker for a man so well versed in Hank Williams. It wasn’t until he was discovered in 2014 by a Swed-ish country star at a Nashville food pantry that Seegers’ enor-mous talent was exposed. In his music, you can hear Gram Parsons, Hank Williams and ‘60s rock influences like John Lennon, Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds. Seegers croons from a place special to deeply gifted songwriters: the wearied, hard-traveling soul. This spirit is alive on Seeger’s remarkable debut album, “Going Down to the River.”
KArl SHIFleTT & bIG COuNTrY SHOWSaturday
Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show keeps the spirit of the past alive with its authentic delivery of bluegrass and classic country music. Harnessing the synergy and raw edginess of classic coun-try acts of the ‘40s and ‘50s, they bring the best of the past to the present with a high-energy, sin-
gle microphone stage show. For nearly a quarter of a century the band has performed across the U.S., Canada and abroad. Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show’s most recent recording project, “Take Me Back,” received rave reviews and widespread airplay. It was ranked No. 8 in Bluegrass Music Profiles top 10 albums for 2012.
SHINYrIbSSaturday
ShinyRibs is the continuation of Kevin Russell’s musical jour-ney that began in Beaumont, Texas, when, at 14, he found his father’s guitar under his bed, along with a sewing machine, a billy club and a box of comic books. Luckily he chose the gui-tar. Following his family’s oil boom and bust migratory path, he landed in Shreveport, La., where he formed his first band. A ShinyRibs show is a hip shak-ing, belly laughing, soul-singing, song-slinging, down-home house party. All styles of American music are likely to be touched on, squeezed on and kissed on by this world-class band, featur-ing Winfield Cheek (keyboards), Keith Langford (drums) and Jeff Brown (bass and the Tijuana Train Wreck Horns).
SIGMON STrINGerSThursday
The Sigmon Stringers, an award-winning three-genera-tion bluegrass/gospel band from Newton has something to offer all ages. The original members, Clinton (guitar, vocals) and his sons Randy (guitar, vocals) and Mark (fiddle), and life-long friend Ray Barger (bass, vocals) have been performing since the 1970s., Now the third generation has been added, bringing a new dimension to “old-time” blue-
grass. Randy’s daughter Anna (banjo) and Mark’s children, Beau (guitar, mandolin), Mollie (mandolin, vocals) and Maggie (fiddle, vocals) complete the band. The band has played many venues on the East Coast, includ-ing MerleFest for six years and International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass 2015 in Raleigh.
JuNIOr SISK & rAMblerS CHOICeFriday
There aren’t many vocal-ists who can wring every bit of lonesome out of a note like Junior Sisk. Sisk was named 2013 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year. He and his band, Ramblers Choice, earned other awards, including 2014 SPBGMA Blue-grass Band of the Year. Hail-ing from the Virginia’s Blue Ridge, Sisk first made his mark as a songwriter. As a member of Blueridge and Wyatt Rice & Santa Cruz, he helped define the sound of driving, modern tradi-tional bluegrass. Sisk founded Ramblers Choice in 1998, releas-ing “Sounds of the Mountains” on Rounder Records. “Trouble Follows Me,” the band’s latest album and its fifth for Rebel, was released in 2014 to wide criti-cal acclaim. Five songs from the album have reached the Blue-grass Today Top 20. Lead sin-gle, “Honky Tonked to Death,” reached number one on the Blue-grass Unlimited monthly charts.
SlOCAN rAMblerSThursday, Friday
The Slocan Ramblers is a Cana-dian young bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in the tradition, fearlessly creative and pos-sessing a bold, dynamic sound, The band has quickly become a leading light of Canada’s roots
music scene, built on its reputa-tion for energetic live shows and impeccable musicianship. The Slocans are Frank Evans (banjo), Adrian Gross (mandolin), Dar-ryl Poulsen (guitar) and Alastair Whitehead (bass). On its sopho-more album, “Coffee Creek,” The Slocan Ramblers blend lightning fast and devilishly intricate instrumentals with the vocals of Frank Evans, who takes lead on songs ranging from rowdy old-time numbers like “Groundhog,” to classics like Woody Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty.”
KeNNY AND AMANDA SMITHFriday
Winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s prestigious Emerging Artist of the Year award in 2003, the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band combines gutsy, heartfelt vocals, brilliant instrumental talents and a powerful, contemporary sense of song choice and arrangement into one of the most compelling new sounds in bluegrass today. A creation of the intensely personal musical and romantic connection between Kenny and Amanda, the band shares a rare sense of cohe-sion where each musician feels an almost telepathic connection. Kenny is considered one of the most important and influential flatpicking-style guitarists of his generation. He twice won the IBMA Guitarist of the Year award.
STeVe AND ruTH SMITHThursday, Friday, Saturday
Musical duo Steve and Ruth Smith are from North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and play a distinctive blend of Appalachian Americana music with Celtic roots, featuring hammered and Appalachian mountain dulcimer, old-time banjo and guitar. They received the Americana Instru-mental Group of the Year award. Their sixth CD, “A Good Life,” fea-tures both vocal and instrumen-tal music written by Steve and Ruth. Steve, an American Society of Composers, Authors and Pub-lishers (ASCAP) award-winning songwriter, provides fingerstyle guitar, old-time banjo and vocals. Ruth is known for her expressive style on the hammered dulcimer. They’ve been featured on PBS series “Song of the Mountains,” NPR’s “All Songs Considered” and on “Thistle & Shamrock.”
JOe SMOTHerSThursday, Friday, Saturday
Joe is a native of North Caro-lina now living in Georgia. While attending Appalachian State, he met three other musicians and formed the band Fried Chicken and Watermelon. His band did a show with Doc and Merle Watson, and Merle took a liking to this group of musicians. Joe joined Merle’s band, Frosty Morn, to record and play shows with Doc. Joe also joined Jack Law-
Karl Shifflett Doug Seegers Shiny ribs Junior SiskKenny and Amanda Smith Sigmon Stringers
Slocan ramblersSteven and ruth Smith
24 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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rence to form the duo Smothers and Lawrence for one recording project and touring. Joe is now a guitar instructor and solo per-former. As a songwriter, one of his songs won a writing award in 2007 at the prestigious Kan-sas Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield. His first solo project, titled “These Things I Know,” was released in April 2012 to critical acclaim. Joe has performed at every MerleFest.
SOuTH CArOlINA brOADCASTerSFriday, Saturday, Sunday
The South Carolina Broad-casters are dogmatic about the deeply traditional style of music they present. David Sheppard (guitar), Ivy Shep-pard (fiddle, banjo, guitar) and Sarah Osborne (banjo, guitar) all provide vocals to create distinctive harmonies. Draw-ing their inspiration from the Carter Family and early coun-try duos, The Broadcasters aim to keep the roots of American traditional music alive. From fiddle tunes to gospel favorites to originals you’ll swear you know, The Broadcasters’ per-formance will take you back in time while making traditional music feel right at home in the 21st Century.
STeeP CANYON rANGerSThursday
A mix of serious chops and good-natured fun earned the Steep Canyon Rangers the
Grammy Award for Best Blue-grass Album in 2013 and drew cel-ebrated comedian/banjoist Steve Martin to them when he needed a backing band. The Rangers are world-class musicians who are just as at home taking the stage at Carnegie Hall as they are knee-deep in a mountain brook, fly rod in hand. Fifteen years and nine studio albums since form-ing in Chapel Hill, the sextet—that resides in the western N.C. mountains of Brevard and Ashe-ville—returned to their roots at Echo Mountain Recording for their staggering new collection, “RADIO.” Recorded over three four-day sessions as the deep, snowy winter of 2015, the band took full advantage of producer Jerry Douglas, who contributes his distinctive Dobro playing throughout the album.
STeMWINDerSaturday
Stemwinder hails from East Tennessee. Shannon Morton has a smooth, laid-back playing style and adds his voice to both lead and harmony vocals. Dennis Ellis does the mandolin chores and sings baritone. Pam Minke keeps the band in line with her rock solid, inventive bass play-ing while adding her voice to the
harmony mix. Bob Minke plays banjo, guitar, and sings both lead and harmony vocals to complete the quartet. What started out as four new friends getting together to jam occasionally has become four really good friends getting together to play music for their family, friends and fans when-ever and wherever they get the chance.
STrING MADNeSS WITH MITCH GreeNHIllSaturday
Instrumentalists Mitch Green-hill, Bob Applebaum and Peter Spelman pool their talents to form String Madness, playing all-instrumental, all-acoustic music from Bach to Bebop. They have created a repertoire of original compositions, string band tunes and jazz. Greenhill has appeared at MerleFest for many years. He served as Doc and Merle Wat-son’s manager, record producer and blues sidekick and recorded several albums. Applebaum’s 40-plus years of professional experience in stage, recording, television and film include work with Belá Fleck, Pete Wernick, Stewart Duncan, Richard Greene and Mason Williams. Spelman composes much of String Mad-ness’ repertoire.
bIllY STrINGSFriday, Saturday
American roots musician Billy Strings taps into the vein of the earliest bluegrass music on his album, “Fiddle Tune X.” With just a guitar and a spirited voice, Strings has been tearing up stages across America and generating buzz with his intense live shows. Drenched in sweat, grimacing like a banshee, howl-ing like a bluegrass berserker and picking with such ferocity that he’s been known to break three strings in one song, 22-year-old guitarist and singer Billy Strings could have tumbled out of coal country in the old mountains, but he is from Michigan.
brYAN SuTTONFriday, Saturday
Bryan Sutton is one of the most sought-after acoustic guitarists on the planet. Born in Asheville.
Sutton grew up in a musical family and was immersed in the rich heritage of Western North Carolina music. Bryan started playing guitar at the age of eight. By high school graduation, he was immersed in bluegrass, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, playing in an array of bands and making his first recordings. He added man-dolin, banjo and fiddle skills to his guitar abilities. He seemed to come out of nowhere in 1995 as a member of Ricky Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder band, playing on two Grammy Award-winning records. After his tenure with Skaggs, Bryan went on to build a career as a top studio guitarist in Nashville. His playing is heard alongside Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Harry Connick Jr. Sutton is a six-time winner of the IBMA’s Guitarist of the Year and received a Grammy
Artistscontinued from Page 23
South Carolina broadcasters Steep Canyon rangers Stemwinder Sutton, Holt and Coleman
billy Strings bryan SuttonString Madness with Mitch Greenhill
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 25
Continued on Page 26
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in 2007 for Best Country Instru-mental Performance for his duet recording with Doc Watson.
SuTTON, HOlT AND COleMANFriday, Saturday
Grammy Award winners Bryan Sutton, David Holt and T. Michael Coleman explore the rich musi-cal traditions of North Carolina. Each has been inspired by and performed with Doc Watson. Their latest CD, “Ready for the Times,” captures this vibrant legacy with impeccable musician-ship and singing. “Doc was a huge influence on all of us. We are fol-lowing his lead in performing a wide range of songs and tunes... We are not trying to recreate the past. We are playing music for today,” said Holt, who accompa-nied Doc for 14 years. “We want to sound like western North Carolina,” added Sutton. “It’s not bluegrass, it’s not old-time, it’s mountain music, and it’s ours. It
has a unique kind of bounce.” For the last 40 years, Holt has learned traditional music from Southern mountaineers including Roy Acuff, Etta Baker and 122-year-old Susie Brunson. In 2002, Doc and Holt won a Grammy for Best Folk Recording for their record-ing “Legacy.” Bassist T. Michael Coleman played with Doc and Merle Watson for 15 years as well as with The Seldom Scene and Chesapeake. Coleman has had multiple Grammy nominations and wins with Doc and Merle and The Seldom Scene.
MArK “T”Saturday
Mark “T” Tobolsky started
playing guitar at age 8. He attended Rutgers University, where he studied music theory and classical guitar. He joined the Just for Play Country Dance Band in 1978 and performed with artists such as the Oak Ridge Boys, Brenda Lee, Marty Hag-gard, Melba Montgomery and Jon Anderson. He’s been part of stu-dio projects, commercials, and various bands and music projects throughout his career. His unique style includes an eclectic mix of acoustic music ranging from classical and finger-style instru-mentals, original songs, hits of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, and more.
TellICOThursday
Tellico released its debut album, “Relics and Roses,” in June 2015. The album features the singing and songwriting of Anya Hinkle (guitar, fiddle) and Stig Stiglets (bass) and show-cases Aaron Ballance (Dobro, pedal and lap steel) and Jed Willis (mandolin, clawhammer banjo). Guitar virtuoso Jon Stickley pro-duced the album and makes a few guest appearances with drums and guitar. “Relics and Roses” is the first album since Anya, Stig and Aaron formed Tellico after recording four records with the Asheville-based bluegrass band Dehlia Low.
HAPPY TrAuMFriday, Saturday
Happy Traum began playing guitar and five-string banjo as a teenager and was an active participant in 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, includ-
ing Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, Peter LaFarge and The Freedom Singers gathered in Folkways Records’ studio for an album called “Broadside, Vol. 1.” Happy’s group, the New World Singers, cut the first recorded ver-sion of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and Happy sang a duet with Dylan on his anti-war song “Let Me Die in My Footsteps.” Later that year the New World Singers recorded an album for Atlantic Records, with liner notes by Bob Dylan and featuring the first released recording of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” Their Homespun Tapes has a catalog of more than 500 music lessons on DVD, video-tape and CD, and their products are sold around the globe.
APrIl VerCHFriday, Saturday
April Verch steps, sings and fiddles with a fresh and feisty approach to North American traditions. Touring the world to share songs from her tenth album, “The Newpart,” Verch and
Artistscontinued from Page 24
Tellico
Happy Traum
26 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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her band keep the celebratory side of tra-ditional music at the forefront. The band features Cody Walters (bass, clawham-mer banjo) and Lucas Chohany (guitar, mandolin). At the heart is Verch’s delicate voice, energetic footwork and stunning playing. She plays with the tradition she inherited in her native Ottawa Valley and her performances speak to the heart of roots music.
lIZ VICeSunday
Gospel, soul and R&B infused artist Liz Vice is from Portland, Ore. With a love of storytelling, she has found herself going from working behind the scenes in the film and video world to behind the mic. Her songs feature dynamic, soulful vocals with lyrics that are classically influenced enough to feel timeless and reference her deep-rooted spirituality. At age 19, Vice’s health declined. She spent three and a half years on hemodialysis and received a kidney transplant in December 2005, marking the beginning of great healing and perspective. Vice has gained promi-nence as a performing artist.
SeTH WAlKerFriday
Seth Walker grew up on a commune in rural North Carolina and is the son of clas-sically trained musicians. He played cello long before discovering the six-string in his 20s. After his introduction to the blues from his Uncle Landon Walker, a musician and disc jockey, Seth began looking to art-ists like T-Bone Walker, Snooks Eaglin and B.B. King. He has released seven albums, breaking into the Top 20 of the Americana charts and receiving praise from NPR, “American Songwriter,” “No Depression” and “Blues Revue,” among others.
THe WAYbACKSFriday, Saturday
The Waybacks are as uninhibited and unpredictable as the eclectic San Fran-cisco Bay area that claims them. For nearly a decade, the band’s experiments
have consistently proven sharp-witted and musically dazzling. “The whole spirit of improvisation – that’s always been the cornerstone of this band for me,” says founding singer/songwriter and guitarist James Nash. That spontaneity is a perfect fit for equally eclectic Jason Crosby, a vir-tuosic keyboardist whose sideman resume ranges from Springsteen to Seeger, Clap-ton to Santana, and well beyond. Crosby will join Waybacks’ bassist Joe Kyle Jr., drummer Chuck Hamilton and lead gui-tarist Nash for what’s sure to be an ambi-tious musical adventure. The Waybacks host the popular Hillside Album Hour at MerleFest on Saturday and will be joined this year by critically acclaimed vocalist Nicki Bluhm.
We bANJO 3Friday, Saturday
There can’t be many rhapsodic superla-
tives left in the box for Irish quartet We Banjo 3, whose virtuosic Irish/bluegrass/old-time mix attained freshly dizzying heights on 2014’s stupendous second album “Gather the Good,” which went on to garner four Album of the Year awards in the U.S. and Ireland. One of the best live acts to come out of Ireland in recent years, the multi award-winning band combines supergroup credentials with a breathtak-ing command of the emotive power of fiddle, guitar, mandolin and banjo. Any single member of this group could elec-trify a venue with a solo performance, but together in the musical alchemy of We Banjo 3, the result is unforgettable.
CHArleS WelCHFriday, Saturday
Charles Welch is a longtime friend,
The WaybacksWe banjo 3
Seth Walker liz Vice
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 27
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. We welcome Charles as a special guest at MerleFest.
PeTe AND JOAN WerNICKThursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Also known as Dr. Banjo and Nurse Banjo, Pete and Joan are MerleFest regulars going back to Pete’s appearances with Hot Rize in the early years of the festival. The duo specializes in down-home harmonies. Joan’s unique and soulful singing is set off by Pete’s masterful banjo work. As a band organizer, performer and songwriter, he catalyzed the groundbreaking progressive band Country Cooking, Hot Rize and his ongoing experimental proj-ect Pete Wernick & Flexigrass. Additionally, Pete is well known for his bestselling instruction books, videos and workshops. Singer-guitarist Joan has hosted a bluegrass radio show on KGNU in Boulder, Colo., since 1978. “Joan’s singing is guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of any bluegrass traditionalist” (Blue-grass Now). Pete and Joan host bluegrass camps nationwide, including their annual original “flagship” MerleFest Jam Camp at nearby Herring Ridge YMCA camp for four days preceding the
festival. The campers perform on the Cabin Stage Thursday.
WeSTWeNDSaturday
WestWend is an Americana/country duo comprised of Jona-than Maness (guitar, vocals) and Wendy Crowe (vocals). Estab-lished in 2011 in Knoxville, West-Wend performs and records new traditional country music. With Maness’ roots in bluegrass and Wendy’s roots stemming from the Delta blues, classic country, and Motown, they have come together to create a sound all their own. WestWend’s latest CD, “Linger for a While” (2014), takes bluegrass standards and makes them new again, while the band’s originals capture the audience with a tra-ditional flavor. Crowe’s voice has been best compared to Alison Krauss, while Maness’ rich bari-tone and agile flatpicking are well known to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
WHISKeY GeNTrYFriday
Formed in 2009 by husband and wife duo Lauren Staley and Jason Morrow, the Whiskey Gentry is a group of seasoned
veterans—to put things mildly, some of the finest pickers and musicians the Southeast has to offer. A recent finalist in the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition held at MerleFest, Staley’s natural gift with words and her powerful lead vocal abilities complement the band’s edgy interpretation of an otherwise traditional sound. All of this, coupled with a com-manding and high-energy live performance, sets the bar for the way today’s country music ought to sound—honest, tight, daring and void of pretension.
uNCle TeD WHITeFriday, Saturday
Uncle Ted White is a blue-grass bass player, dance caller and storyteller from Hender-son County. “I learned to play bass out of necessity,” said Ted White. “The band needed a bass player.” Stepping into that role for the Whitewater Bluegrass Company, White makes a central musical contribution and adds to the band’s performances with storytelling, Opry-style comedy and dance-calling. White calls big mountain circle, Western swing, contra, old-time and other
dances. He and his band mates received a North Carolina Arts Council grant and the Pfaff Cup from Warren Wilson College.
SHANNON WHITWOrTH Thursday
Banjo-wielding songstress Shannon Whitworth has attracted international attention with her passionate presence and talent. Whitworth’s style found its first showcase in her 2007 solo debut, “No Expectations.” Her 2009 crit-ically-acclaimed “Water Bound” garnered Whitworth praise. She has performed at the Philadel-phia Folk Festival, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and else-where. Whitworth’s latest release is “High Tide.” A Gibson SG joins Whitworth’s quiver of acoustic guitar, banjo and ukelele, and for the first time, the band is her own. “High Tide” calls upon the people who know her music best, from producer Seth Kauffman to bassist Bill Reynolds. Just as her music stems from Appalachian roots but sheds its traditional skin at the door.
WIllIAMS brOTHerS bANDSaturday
The Williams Brothers Band is
comprised of brothers Walt Wil-liams, 19, on the mandolin and violin and Noah Williams, 17, on the guitar, accompanied by long-time friend and musical mentor Jim Matthews. Being invited to the MerleFest Band Competition is coming full circle for the brothers and their MerleFest experience. They have performed on the Cabin Stage as Acoustic Kids Ambas-sadors and have been a part of a Concert Window Broadcast with Pete Wernick from the MerleF-est Jam Camp. Walt and Noah are from Lewisville, N.C., where they grew up on a farm with their three younger siblings. They play a blend of traditional and mod-ern bluegrass, gospel and tradi-tional music. They participated in the IBMA Kids on Bluegrass Program for two consecutive years. They released their first album, “Years Ago.” in March 2015.
TONY WIllIAMSONSaturday
Mandolin virtuoso Tony Wil-liamson has dazzled audiences far and wide for many years, performing around the globe on stage and in the studio with Ali-son Krauss, Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice, Vassar Clements, David Grisman, Sam Bush, Mike Mar-shall, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Doug-las, Don Stiernberg and Robin and Linda Williams of “Prairie Home Companion” fame. He has also received awards and nominations from national music organizations and performed for Luciano Pavarotti. A native of rural Piedmont North Carolina, Williamson began playing music around 1957. With him on man-
Artistscontinued from Page 26
Continued on Page 28
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dolin and his brother Gary on banjo, they became child sensations and by 1969 had won first place in the World Championship in Union Grove. He had an Indie nomi-nation in Southern gospel music for his album “Let Us Cross Over the River.” The latest recordings by Williamson include his solo “Lloyd Loar Mandolins,” and with his brother, Gary, and an all-star band, the Williamson Brother’s “Bluegrass!” He founded Mandolin Central in 1990.
WOOD & WIreSaturday
Wood & Wire is a young acoustic band with a love for pure music played well. In 2011, the group exploded onto Aus-tin’s bluegrass and old-time music scene through appearances at Old Settlers Music Festival, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Austin City Limits Music Festival and the IBMA World of Bluegrass and else-where. The band’s influences range from Led Zeppelin to Doc Watson – and every-thing in between. “We’re from all over the country,” says Bassist Dom Fisher, describing the resulting sound as “strongly
rooted in traditional bluegrass, with ele-ments of progressive grass such as modern harmony and song forms.”
WOOD brOTHerSSaturday
The Wood Brothers’ new album, “Para-dise,” captures the latest chapter in the ongoing evolution of a band—and a fam-ily—navigating the joy and challenges of a life in music. Dubbed “masters of soulful folk” by Paste, when the Wood Brothers released its debut studio album in 2016, Chris Wood already had legions of devoted fans for his incomparable work as one-third of Medeski Martin & Wood, while his brother Oliver toured with Tinsley Ellis before releasing a half-dozen albums with his band King Johnson. Almost a decade later and with drummer Jano Rix added as a permanent third member, it’s become quite clear that The Wood Brothers are
indeed a main act.
ZOe & ClOYDSaturday
Zoe & Cloyd is the wife-husband duo of fiddler and singer Natalya Zoe Weinstein
and songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist John Cloyd Miller. Veterans of the Asheville music scene, the couple released a debut duet album, “Equinox,” in April 2015, following the birth of their daughter in February. “Equinox” showcases the ele-gant simplicity of two instruments and two voices. They are founding members of Red June. Miller is the grandson of bluegrass fiddler and Wilkes County native, the late Jim Shumate. Natalya’s father is a master jazz pianist and and her grandfather was a professional klezmer musician. She is an accomplished fiddler in several styles as well as an inspiring vocalist.
Artistscontinued from Page 27
Wood & WireZoe & Cloyd
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 29
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Despite his death on May 29, 2012, at 89, Watson’s musical influence and his positive ambassadorship for his beloved 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, remain a vibrant and positive force - partic-ularly in northwest North Carolina.
Arthel Lane “Doc” Wat-
son was born in Deep Gap in Watauga County. His father, General Dixon Watson, was a farmer and laborer who led singing at church. His mother, Annie, sang old bal-lads while doing household chores and at night sang the children to sleep.
Left blind by an eye infec-tion as an infant, Doc had a few years of formal school-ing at the Raleigh School for the Blind. He was 5 or 6 when he received his first harmon-ica and 11 when his father made him a fretless banjo. After Doc 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 Jimmie Rodg-ers’ picking style.
After his marriage in 1947 to Rosa Lee Carlton, a neighbor and daughter
of fiddler Gaither Carlton, when he was 24 and she was 16, Watson tuned pia-nos 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 Gib-son 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 “discovered” Watson in 1960 at the Union Grove fiddler’s convention.
Merle joined Doc in 1964 as rhythm guitar-ist 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.
Merle was killed in a tractor accident in 1985. Although broken-hearted by the loss, Doc said Merle told him in a dream to press on with the music. He did this and helped start Mer-leFest in Merle’s memory.
Doc is revered for his flat-picking and finger-picking styles, as well as his voice. He received seven Gram-mys, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the Inter-national Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Rosa Lee Watson died six months after Doc died. She was 81. They performed together and co-wrote “Your Long Journey,” featured on the Grammy Award-winning album “Raising Sand.” Their grandson and Merle’s son, Richard Watson, carries on the family’s musical tradition.
MerleFest pays tribute to Watson legacy
THe lATe DOC AND rOSA lee WATSON of Deep Gap.
rICHArD WATSON performs with his grandfather, Doc Watson. In the photo at far right is his father, Merle Watson, for whom MerleFest is named.
30 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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MerleFest food is one of the event’s defining features. In the Watson Stage area are two food tents operated by and benefit-ing community and campus nonprofits. They offer diverse entrées, sides, desserts and beverages. Other food options are in The Shoppes at MerleFest and other locations.
Food Tent 1Watson Stage AreaWCC Culinary BoothWCC Culinary Hamburger BoothWCC Culinary BBQ BoothAlamance CC Culinary BoothFishing Creek Arbor Baptist ChurchNorth Wilkesboro Kiwanis ClubVikings Athletic ClubWilkes Civitan ClubBlue Ridge Opportunity CommissionCentral Wilkes Middle SchoolBoy Scout Troop #333Vandalia CheerleadersHospitality HouseCommunities In Schools
Food Tent 2MerleFest Mall AreaNorth Wilkesboro Lions ClubWCC Clubs Drink Booth
Brushy Mtn. Smokehouse & Creamery
Food Tent 3Shoppes AreaBoomer-Ferguson PTOWest Wilkes Athletic Boosters Club Inc.North Wilkesboro Elementary SchoolBlue Moose Coffee Lodge
Food Tent 4Thompson Hall AreaBrushy Mtn. Smokehouse & CreameryBlue Moose Coffee Lodge
Food Tent 5Hayes Hall AreaLowes Foods Fresh MarketWCC Clubs Drink BoothALAS Pop Kettle CornJacob & Mabrey’s Gourmet Cotton CandyJason’s Mini DonutsThe Farmer’s WifeFudge Farm
Food Tent 6Little Pickers Family AreaWCC Clubs Drink & Snack Booth
MerleFest Food choices diverse
MerleFest has 13 different stages, including:• Watson Stage, with some of the largest acts;• Cabin Stage, next to the Watson Stage, with some
of the best acoustic music;• Creekside Stage, under tent near Moravian Creek, a
pleasant spot for performances;• Little Pickers Family Area, offering activities, games
and live music for the young;• Americana Stage, relaxed venue on lawn;• Traditional Stage, beneath large tent, featuring
traditional music at its best;
•Pickin’ Place, where fans and musicians pick and sing;• Dance Stage, with all kinds of dancing;• Mayes Pit Learning Stage, with instructional
sessions and more;• Chris Austin Stage, with some of the best song-
writing and blues music;• Plaza Stage, with guitar, banjo, and mandolin
contests and songwriter’s coffee house and workshops;• Hillside Stage, with artists up close and jammin’;• Walker Center, Home of Midnight Jam, other indoor
shows.
MerleFest offers music on 13 different stages
The Shoppes at MerleFest is a shop-ping village featuring the MerleFest Gift Shop with official MerleFest memorabilia, commercial vendors, Heritage Crafts and services such as first aid, overnight stor-age/lost & found and Internet access.
It has been expanded this year to offer even more.
MerleFest Gift ShopThe MerleFest Gift Shop is the destina-
tion for official MerleFest T-shirts, caps, children’s items and more.
MerleFest strives to invite unique ven-dors to the festival who offer wares you
don’t see every day in local stores.
Heritage Crafts A special feature of The Shoppes at
MerleFest is the Heritage Crafts tent.This area features some of the region’s
finest artisans as creating authentic crafts using traditional methods.
They entertain and educate MerleFest fans about their work.
Live demonstrations, exhibits and shop-ping opportunities make this special.
WCC bookstoreThe WCC Bookstore offers items that
enhance the MerleFest experience, includ-ing umbrellas, hats, sunscreen, some over-the-counter medicines and other first aid sundries, mugs, WCC apparel, postcards and seasonal gifts.
The bookstore will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the first three days of MerleFest.
MerleFest Mall The MerleFest Mall is the source
for musical recordings, T-shirts and autographs from favorite MerleFest performers.
The Autograph Station is located within the Mall. Autograph schedules will be
announced from the stage and posted in the MerleFest Mall.
expo Center The Expo Center presents the best in
acoustic musical instruments, accessories and media by the world’s leading compa-nies that sponsor MerleFest.
At the Expo Center, fans can go straight to the makers to try out the latest in acous-tic instruments and accessories or pur-chase new or vintage string instruments. The Expo Center provides one of the most significant trade shows in the acoustic music industry - all at MerleFest.
Shoppes at MerleFest expanded to offer even more
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016 • 31
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32 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2016
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