was a Monday there was

no question what to do

that night. We were going

to see Vince Gill and the

TimeJumpers . We arrived

at the venue two hours

before the show. The

place was packed. Randy

had made reservations in

advance. When he asked

about our seats he was

told . . .

Last September, I asked

my buddy Randy Shelton if

he would accompany me

while I drove my mo-

torhome back to Nevada

from New York. I suggest-

ed that I could get it to

Nashville by myself but

would appreciate some

company the rest of the

way. It didn’t take him long

to accept that offer. He

had his airline ticket the

next day. Randy has a few

hundred friends in the Cali-

fornia bluegrass festival

and jam circuit, all with

suggestions on what to see

and do in Nashville; favor-

ite bars, restaurants, mu-

sic venues, guitar shops,

Ryman Auditorium, the list

just got bigger and bigger

every day. We decided we

were going to pack as

much into this trip as pos-

sible and would head

home when we ran out of

money.

Randy arrived in Nashville

on September 30. Since it

A chameleon of musical

genres, Peter Rowan's orig-

inal songwriting is the driv-

ing force of his musical

diversity. One engaging

musician. Multiple choices.

Grammy-award winner and

six-time Grammy nominee,

Peter Rowan is a singer-

songwriter with a career

spanning over five dec-

ades. From his early years

playing under the tutelage

of Bluegrass veteran Bill

Monroe, to his time in Old

& In the Way and breakout

as a solo musician and

bandleader, Rowan has

built a devoted, interna-

tional fan base through a

solid stream of records,

collaborative projects, and

constant touring.

Born in Wayland, Massa-

chusetts to a musical fami-

ly, Rowan learned to play

guitar from his uncle. He

spent his teenage years . . .

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Claire Lynch to Peform

This Month in Reno 2

Susanville Bluegrass

Festival 7

Taking It To The

Next Level 8

New Members and

General Information 9

The Reno/Carson

Old Time Music Jam 10

Cousin Jim Lappin’s

CD Notes 10

Bluegrass Quiz 13

Maytan Workshops Move

To Great Basin Brewery 14

Maytan Farewell Jam

Photos 15

About The NNBA 16

Event Calendars 17

A r t i s t P r o f i l e : P e t e r R o w a n

N E WS L ET T E R O F TH E N O RTH E RN NE V A DA BL U E G RA SS ASS O C IA T IO N

March/April 2014

P a g e 1

See PETER ROWAN Page 5

R i c k a n d R a n d y ’ s G r e a t

N a s h v i l l e A d v e n t u r e

See RICK AND RANDY Page 3

By Rick Rinehart Photos: Randy Shelton

Vince Gill & Randy

We would like to dedicate the 2014 newsletter to our friend and

colleague, Jeff Cavender. As newsletter editor, he set a standard

of professionalism that those of us who follow will find difficult to

match. You can see a story about Jeff on page 6.

P a g e 2

R i c k a n d R a n d y

Continued from Page 1

. . . “reservations just get you in the door. It doesn’t

mean you get to sit down”. Live and learn. We found

the last two seats in the house. Our table- mates were

Red Jenkins and wife Gunilla. Red said they were from

the “Lone Star State of Sweden”. Red is a country west-

ern star in Scandinavia with many CD’s and awards to

his credit. Nice people.

The Time Jumpers is an 11 piece Texas swing band that

was formed about 15 years ago by bandleader Kenny

Sears and a bunch of his friends, all of whom are among

Nashville’s best studio musicians. They play every Mon-

day night at 3rd and Lindsley. Through the years they

have been joined on stage by Emmylou Harris, Reba

McIntire, Robert Plant, Jimmie Buffet, and many others.

Vince Gill sat in several times and was asked to be a

permanent member a few years ago. If he is in town, he

will be there. Randy and I were very impressed with the

man. He takes his turn leading a song just like all the

other musicians. He truly is just one of the guys. He

sets up his own equipment and carries it off stage like

anyone else. And, of course he is an excellent singer

and a really hot guitar player. His wife, Amy Grant, says

he works really hard practicing and like the other band-

members, makes very little money in such a small ven-

ue. (capacity of 300) Obviously these folks are doing it

because they love the music. It was a great show, some-

thing you don’t want to miss; and you might just spot a

celebrity or two in the audience. Randy and I think we

saw Sam Bush walking past our table.

After the show we drove a

short ways to Broadway to

hang out and hear more mu-

sic, music, music. There are

literally dozens of honky-tonks,

all with great music. We heard

that none of the clubs down-

town pay the musicians. They

play strictly for tips (and the

hope of being discovered).

Great music. My favorite place was Roberts World. We

also went to Ernest Tubbs Record Shop. You can’t miss

it. Been there since 1947. And the Famous Tootsies

Orchid Lounge. The Everly Brothers were supposedly

discovered in the back alley between Tootsie’s and the

Ryman. We finally gave it up at 2:00 in the morning.

The next day was consid-

erably less energetic. For

me, the highlight of our

second day was a visit to

Gruhn’s Guitars. I have

never seen anything like

that. The UPS man was

delivering about 30 Mar-

tin guitars when we were there. He said they get about

the same number every day of the week. And that is just

Martins. What about Gibsons, and Taylors, and banjos,

and dobros? They must have a huge international mail

order business. We

didn’t notice any fa-

mous people when we

were there; but Randy

saw Peter Frampton an

hour later at the Corner

Music Store on 12th.

The Ryman Auditorium was built in 1892. Originally

known as the Union Gospel Tabernacle, it was later used

for jazz recitals, operas, ballets, and theater productions.

Years before it became home of the Grand Ol’ Opry, it

hosted Rudolph Valentino, Katherine Hepburn, Mae

West, Bob Hope, and a host of others. The Opry moved

to the Ryman in 1943 after outgrowing several other

venues. It remained there until 1974. Sitting in those

original oak pews that date back over 100 years is a

magical experience. As you look down on the stage you

can imagine Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Hank Williams,

Johnny Cash, June Carter, and all the other stars that

performed there. And for

the very reasonable price of

$10 you can get on the

same stage and have your

picture taken. Randy and I

sang “Roll in My Sweet Ba-

by’s Arms”. And we even

got applause. We can say

we played the Ryman. Sort

of.

Our next stop was the Country Music Hall of Fame. This

is a very large, very modern museum. Permanent exhib-

its tell the story of . . .

See RICK AND RANDY Page 4

P a g e 3

R i c k a n d R a n d y

Continued from Page 3

. . . “country music from the earliest roots to the present

time with photos, films, and artifacts. It is overwhelming.

And they are adding more. They also have temporary

exhibits on different stars. On a previous visit they fea-

tured Patsy Cline. When Randy and I were there the ex-

hibit had been changed to Reba McIntire. Another tem-

porary exhibit was “The Bakersfield Sound” with stories

about Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and others. The

Hall of Fame displays

many instruments owned

by our bluegrass heroes,

including Bill Monroe’s

mandolin. Bill bought the

Lloyd Loar signed Gibson

F-5 for $150 in 1945. At

that time it was already

over 20 years old. The

Hall of Fame bought it for

$1.125 million in 2002.

At the Hall of Fame you can purchase tickets for the Stu-

dio B Tour. Definitely worth the time and money. This is

where the Everly Brothers, Don Gibson, John Hartford,

Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Elvis and Ray Price recorded

some of their best songs. (All I Have to do is Dream, Oh

Lonesome Me, Gentle on My Mind, Only the Lonely, Jo-

lene)

That evening Randy and

I saw The John Jorgen-

son Bluegrass Band at

the Station Inn. This is

a small club with seats

for maybe 300 people.

Randy and I agreed this

is the best bluegrass

band we have ever

seen. John is an amazing guitar player (5 time CMA Gui-

tarist of the Year) who is comfortable in any genre includ-

ing Gypsy Jazz, country, and rock and roll. But in this

band he plays mandolin. His right hand man on guitar is

Jon Randall who, along with Bill Anderson, wrote Whis-

key Lullaby for Alison Krauss and Brad Paisley. And on

his left playing banjo, the legendary Herb Pedersen.

Herb played with the Dillards, the Desert Rose Band, and

virtually everybody who is anybody. He is a great harmo-

ny singer and banjo player extraordinaire. Mark Fain, on

bass, played with Ricky Skaggs for 13 years and record-

ed with Alison Krauss and many others. This is a hot

band. Joining them on stage for a couple numbers was

Roland White, who can be seen often in the audience at

the Station Inn. Rob Ickes happened to be there also

and joined them for the entire second set. They looked

like they had played together for years. After the show

Mark Fain told me that Rob had never played with them

before. They communicate with a glance or some kind

of vibe. They just seem to know whose turn it is for a

lead, or a few fill notes.

There were still lots to

see in Nashville but

we decided to drive

up to Rosine, Ken-

tucky (home of Bill

Monroe), to see the

Jerusalem Ridge Blue-

grass Festival. We got

there in the early af-

ternoon, parked the RV, and took off in our tow vehicle

to see Bill’s house. It was very interesting to see where

Bill grew up. It was easy to imagine Bill and his Uncle

Pen (VanDiver) sitting in front of the fireplace and play-

ing music. Then we drove over to the Rosine Cemetery

to see where Uncle Pen and Bill and other family mem-

bers are buried. Then back to Jerusalem Ridge. We

found a jam not far from where we were camped. I think

this was the only jam in camp. We expected it to be

more like Grass Valley where there are dozens of jams

going all over camp. But the Jerusalem Ridge Festival is

pretty disappointing in that regard. The next day we took

the shuttle up the hill to the festival location. It is a

beautiful setting up on the Ridge and lots of good music.

Rhonda Vincent was scheduled to play the next day.

That evening we hosted a jam at our camp (again the

only jam there that we saw).

The next morning we woke up to the sound of rain. We

looked around the farmer’s field where we parked.

There were 100’s of RVs parked there and realized that

if we didn’t get out now we would be there for days. So

we bugged out and headed west toward Memphis (Beale

Street, Graceland), Albuquerque (International Balloon

Fiesta), across Utah, Nevada, and home. It was quite

an adventure. Thanks Randy Shelton for being such a

good travel companion. I’d do it again any time.

P a g e 4

. . . absorbing the sights and sounds of the Hillbilly Ranch,

a legendary Country music nightclub in Boston frequent-

ed by old-time acts like the Lilly Brothers and Tex Ritter.

In 1956 Peter Rowan formed his first band, the Cupids,

while still in high school.

Following three years in college, Rowan left academia and

decided to pursue a life in music. Rowan began his profes-

sional career in 1963 as the singer, rhythm guitarist and

songwriter for the Bluegrass Boys, led by the founding

father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe. "One thing I started to

like about the Monroe style was that there was a lot more

blues in it than other styles of bluegrass," reflects Rowan.

"It was darker. It had more of an edge to it. And yet it still

had the ballad tradition in it, and I loved that."

The late '60s and early 70's saw Rowan involved in a num-

ber of rock, folk and bluegrass projects, including Earth

Opera, Sea Train, Muleskinner, and the Rowans, where he

played alongside brothers Chris and Lorin Rowan. After

the Rowan Brothers disbanded,

Rowan, David Grisman, Jerry

Garcia, Vassar Clements and

John Kahn formed a bluegrass

band christened Old & In the

Way. It was during this incarna-

tion that Rowan penned the

song "Panama Red," a subse-

quent hit for the New Riders of

the Purple Sage and a classic

ever since.

Rowan subsequently embarked

on a well-received solo career in the

late '70s, releasing critically acclaimed records such as

Dustbowl Children (a Woody-Guthrie style song cycle

about the Great Depression), Yonder (a record of old-time

country music in collaboration with ace dobro player,

Jerry Douglas) and two extraordinarily fine bluegrass al-

bums, The First Whippoorwill and Bluegrass Boy, as well

as High Lonesome Cowboy, a recording of traditional and

old-time mountain music with Don Edwards and Norman

Blake. Rowan's recent releases- Quartet, a recording with

the phenomenal Tony Rice and Legacy with the Peter

Rowan Bluegrass Band, coupled with a relentless touring

schedule have further endeared Peter Rowan to audienc-

es around the world.

On the road, Rowan performs internationally as a solo

singer-songwriter, while stateside he plays in three

bands: the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, a quartet featur-

ing Keith Little, Mike Witcher and Paul Knight; Big Twang

Theory and its Texas Cousin Twang n Groove and rock

band The Free Mexican Air Force.

Following on the heels of the celebrated album "Crucial

Country: Live at Telluride" Peter recorded his second al-

bum for Compass entitled "Old School" with memorable

new songs such as "Doc Watson Morning" , "Drop The

Bone" and "Keepin' It Between The Lines (Old School)"

with members of the current Bluegrass Band plus Chris

Henry, Michael Cleveland, Bryan Sutton, Ronnie, Robbie

and Del McCoury and more.

P e t e r R o w a n

Continued from Page 1

Peter

Rowan to

headline

the 2014

Bower’s

Mansion

Bluegrass

Festival!

P a g e 5

“The Mandolin is the bottom four strings of the

guitar, backwards … so a person with dyslexia

has no problem learning to play the Mandolin.”

- Steve Goodman

“It seems like bluegrass people have more

great stories to tell than other musicians.”

-Dan Fogelberg

guy to talk to. And if you spent

a few minutes talking to him

about a particular subject,

you’d come away feeling like

you learned something.

Jeff and I shared a few other

common interests. We both

rode Harleys, and went riding

several times. He was a hell of

a good rider, a good road part-

ner, and a trustworthy wing

man. And I’m going to really

miss that.

We also both liked a couple of

the same TV shows, and it was

always fun to talk on the phone

the days after those shows and

discuss the action. I’m really

going to miss those talks.

Jeff was married to his lovely

wife/best friend Becky for 34

years. They met when he came

into the restaurant that Becky

managed, and Jeff soon began

working there. That was in

1977, and two years later they

married.

I don’t believe that there has

ever been a more humble hu-

man being, and Jeff was un-

comfortable talking about him-

self, but as friends and ac-

quaintances, you should know a

few other things about him. Jeff

attended the Naval Academy,

and was very proud of that. I

didn’t attend the Academy, but I

am a Navy veteran, and we

liked to swap “sea stories”. Jeff

was also a great fly fisherman.

He was a part owner and man-

ager of the Reno Fly Shop, and

he co-authored a book on the

best fly fishing spots in North-

ern Nevada.

Jeff and Becky are the owners

of Sweets Handmade Candies,

with two locations; Reno and

Truckee. Their chocolates and

candies are some of the best

you will ever taste. (The Valen-

tine’s Day Heart I got my wife

last year was one of her favorite

Valentine’s presents.)

Jeff was also a welder, and he

worked part time as an instruc-

tor at the TMCC welding shop.

In our lives, we occasionally

meet that rare person who has

an unwavering sense of right

and wrong, and an incredibly

strong moral compass. That

was Jeff, and I will always re-

member that about him.

I’m a better person for having

been friends with Jeff. All of us

who were fortunate enough to

know Jeff Cavender are very

lucky. Godspeed, my friend.

You are missed.

The NNBA community and the

Northern Nevada community in

general lost a good man last

August.

Jeff Cavender passed away un-

expectedly on Thursday, August

8th. Jeff was a member of the

NNBA for more than 15 years.

He served on the board of direc-

tors, served as editor of the

NNBA newsletter, and was a

regular at numerous classes,

workshops, concerts, and spe-

cial events. Jeff always wanted

to support the organization, but

more than that, he wanted to

support the people of the NNBA

who give their time, energy, and

resources to organize and lead

the various activities.

Jeff played guitar and mandolin,

and taught ukulele lessons to

some kids of family friends. He

approached playing music with

his typical desire for perfection,

and he was always working to

improve his technique and his

sound. Dave Stover, Jeff and I

got together, sometimes with

other friends, and would prac-

tice the songs and tunes over

and over, trying to get them

right. We could always trust

Jeff to give us honest feedback

and critique with support and

encouragement. It’s rare to

find that kind of trust and

friendship, and I really miss

that.

Jeff always looked at things

from a different, intellectual

perspective, and he had a great

sense of humor. Those two

traits made him an interesting

J e f f C a v e n d e r

By Mike Parsley

P a g e 6

P a g e 7

T a k i n g I t T o T h e N e x t L e v e l : T h e M e t r o n o m e

By Rick Rinehart

Old Time and Celtic songs are about whiskey, food and struggle. Bluegrass

songs are about God, mother and the girl who did me wrong. If the girl isn’t dead

by the third verse, it ain’t Bluegrass. If everyone dies, it’s Celtic. The Bluegrass

fiddler paid $10,000 for his fiddle at the Violin Shop in Nashville. The Celtic fid-

dler inherited his from his mothers 2nd cousin in County Clare. The Old Time

fiddler got theirs for $15 at a yard sale. - The National Folk Festival of Australia

P a g e 8

I know there are many of you that

have not discovered the pleasure

of playing your guitar (banjo,

mando, etc.) to the rhythmic tap-

ping of a metronome. Our good

friend and fellow NNBAer Laura Ashkin is a big fan of

metronomes. For her it is like a great jam buddy who

never makes a mistake and is always available for a little

jam session. Scott Cozen says it really helps him build

speed; playing first at a moderate pace then gradually

increasing the tempo. I can't argue with that because

Scott can really rip it up. But for many of us it is a frus-

trating little contraption that can't keep a rhythm no mat-

ter what tempo you are playing. Here is a little tip for you.

Don't fight it. Try this ..... Set your metronome to a mod-

erate speed of 140 and play Blue Ridge Cabin Home.

This will be fairly slow. Relax! Don't try to match the met-

ronome. Just start playing and singing. I think that within

10 or 15 minutes you will be in time with the metronome.

That irritating tapping sound will naturally draw you into

the same tempo. This may not work the first few times

but after a few sessions you will get the hang of it....and

without really trying. Your jam buddies will thank you for

your new found talent of actually listening to what the

rest of the band is doing while you are playing a lead or

singing.

News, announcements, want-ads,

articles, photos, etc. can be sent to:

Bob Russman, Co-Editor

newsletter@russman.com

Rick Rinehart, Co-Editor

rvrinehart@gmail.com

The deadline for the next

issue is: April 15, 2014.

W e W a n t Y o u r

C o n t r i b u t i o n s

t o T h e

N e w s l e t t e r

C o n t r i b u t e r s T o

T h i s I s s u e

J o y c e F u r l o n G

J i m L a p p i n

R e n e e L a u d e r b a c k

E r i c L o v e j o y

M i k e P a r s l e y

R i c k R i n e h a r t

B o b R u s s m a n

R a n d y S h e l t o n

Some Differences between Bluegrass, Old Time,

and Celtic Music

The event kicked off at noon with

a potluck that proves there is a

correlation between appreciating

bluegrass music and the ability to

prepare fine meals.

After the feast, Rick Sparks called

the meeting to order. A quick re-

view of 2013 revealed that it was

a very successful year for the

NNBA. The 2013 Bower's Mansion

Bluegrass Festival set records in

attendance and ticket sales. Even

more important, having Michael

Martin Murphy as the headliner,

helped to draw national attention

to the event, establishing the

Reno/Sparks area as a viable host

for top level bluegrass entertain-

ers. This is evident with the Claire

Lynch Band concert on March 12,

and the signing of Peter Rowan (as

in PETER ROWAN!) as headliner

for the 2014 Bower's Festival. It

looks like there will be a lot to look

forward to in 2014.

teers for the festival week-end.

Volunteers receive free admis-

sion to the festival and a cool

Bowers Mansion Bluegrass Fes-

tival volunteer t-shirt!

Get in on the action & contact:

Rick Sparks

banjo47@hotmail.com or Kathi Scott kathi.scot@att.net

The Planning Committees need

YOU!

Arrangements for the 2014 festi-

val are getting underway, and the

NNBA needs committee members

to work in the following areas:

Marketing/Out-reach, Fundraising,

Security, Ticket Sales, and Facili-

ties Coordinator.

We also need all kinds of volun-

N N B A A n n u a l M e e t i n g R e c a p

B o w e r s M a n s i o n

B l u e g r a s s F e s t i v a l

The NNBA Annual Meeting and

Potluck was held on Saturday,

February 8th.

Rick Rinehart, Nancy Sheets, & Jim Lappin

perform at the NNBA Annual Meeting

By Bob Russman

See MEETING RECAP Page 12

Keep informed of what’s hap-

pening with the NNBA and

blue-grass in general.

If you’ve changed your e-mail

address, please notify us at

www.nnba.org.

We do not share

member infor-

mation or e-mail

addresses with

other organiza-

tions.

K e e p U s

U p d a t e d

N e w M e m b e r s

2013

Norma Azad

Dennis Bagley

Rex Bertinuson

Lee Boekhout

Donald Campbell

John Chilares

Chris Cook

Chris de St Croix

Cindy Evans

Gray Randall

Zeke Griffin

Maureen Groach

Marc Ullom

Dennis Grundy

John Moss

Jeremy McNeil & Family

Barbara Woodford

Cheryl Hale

Steve Mund

John Pearson

Marlaina Pipal

Henry Schlotzhauer

Monte Stark

Dan Lindholm

Nancy Sheets

2014

Tomm Williams

Gerald Robinson

Dillon Oxborrow

Suzi Cooper

Karen Bruner

Mark Turner

Neil Linden

P a g e 9

for “old time jam”. If you read Al-

len’s article and/or our guidelines

(see below) some of it might start

making sense.

My take on the differences is that

the old-time jam is more of a com-

munal experience while the blue-

grass jam is more of a performance

experience. In an old-time jam eve-

ryone plays the melody all the time,

no one solos. It is repetitious and no

one has to keep track of whose turn

it is to play a lead. If you make a

mistake no one notices because you

are part of the group sound. Once in

awhile someone sings out a chorus

or a verse but it doesn’t stop the

momentum of the tune, it just adds

to the flavor of the moment. Some-

times people will dance. It is easy to

get into “The Zone” with this music.

The Reno/Carson Old Time Jam is

t h e b r a i n c h i l d o f M a r s h a

Cheeseman. She contacted me

about 2 years ago and asked if it

was possible to get a jam started.

She had just moved to the area and

missed her weekly old-time jam. So

with her know-how and my email list

we found a location and put it out

there. We were happy that people

turn out and it has been growing

ever since. We regularly see 10-20

people at the jam and sometimes

have both inner and outer circles, all

age groups, lots of fiddlers and

we’ve even had a clogger! Some

come to listen. Some come and

start out playing timidly in the back

until they realize they can hide amid

the sound. It’s a great way to prac-

tice with others to gain confidence

and skill.

The jam is hosted every 2nd and 4th

Wednesday at Round Table Pizza,

187 Damonte Ranch Parkway, Reno,

NV from 7-9pm. A bunch of us meet

at 6pm for dinner, please join us!

There is a website (see link below)

with more information, a tune list, a

link for practice tracks and jam

guidelines. It’s a good idea to read

the guidelines - a lot of “a-ha!” will

happen as you read and saves time

at the jam. Then just come to the

jam – that’s where you really truly

understand. Hope to see you there

sometime!

“Old-time? That’s fiddle tunes,

right?” Well…sort of.

At my first Bowers Mansion Festival I

was on a quest; I wanted to learn

how to play this music. I didn’t real-

ize at the time that I didn’t know

what “this music” was. That day,

when I went to the instrument pet-

ting zoo, they asked me what instru-

ment I wanted to play and I said ban-

jo. They thought bluegrass banjo,

but I was thinking clawhammer ban-

jo and I didn’t know that there was a

difference. That confusion side-

tracked me to other instruments and

a wonderful education in bluegrass

music (and music in general). I

eventually found my way back to the

clawhammer banjo and old-time mu-

sic but, sadly, there’s not a lot of old-

time music happening in our area.

Yes, there is a difference between

bluegrass and old-time music. It’s a

much discussed and debated sub-

ject. One internet article by Allen

Feldman is particularly well-written

(on dwightdiller.com), go find it. He

explains it so much better than I ever

will. Then go to youtube and search

T h e R e n o / C a r s o n O l d T i m e M u s i c J a m

By Joyce Furlong

musicians. We met at Joyce Fur-

long's house and sang and played

some fun songs. It was great to get

to know James personally and to

sing harmonies on some of his

songs. He said that this album was

in the works, and I was so glad to get

a copy this Christmas. Hooray for

Santa!

This latest CD, Three Chords and the

Truth, was nominated for a Grammy

in 2014. Although, Del McCoury's

album, The Streets of Bakersfield,

won the Grammy, I can still say that I

got to pick with a Grammy nomi-

nee!!! Very Cool! Harlan Howard,

songwriting legend, once defined

country music as "three chords and

the truth", which gave James the title

to this CD. You'll hear country clas-

sics done in the bluegrass . . .

C o u s i n J i m L a p p i n ’ s C D N o t e s

Hi Dee Ho friends and neighbors.

It's been a year since I've written a

CD review column, so here goes.

When James King

came to town last

year, he wanted to

pick and sing with

some of our local

The King of Bluegrass Story Tellers

Three Chords and the Truth

James King

See COUSIN JIM’S CD NOTES Page 11

By Jim Lappin

P a g e 1 0

. . . style with noted musicians like Ron Stewart on

banjo and Jesse Brock on mandolin. Jason Moore

plays bass, Jimmy Mattingly plays fiddle, and Josh

Williams plays lead guitar. James' old singing part-

ners, Don Rigsby and Dudley Connell, from the super

group, Longview, provide the great bluegrass harmo-

nies.

This album starts with a rollicking Hank Williams

song, "The Devil's Train". James follows this with a

Cal Smith hit, "Jason's Farm". "Chiseled In Stone"

was made famous by Vern Gosden and James gives

us his bluegrass version. Don Gibson recorded "Blue

Blue Day" in the '60's and an obscure Jim Reeves

song, "Highway To Nowhere" is included.

You will enjoy "Old Five And Dimers" made famous by

Waylon Jennings, and David Ball's hit from 2001,

"Riding With Private Malone". When asked to record

the George Jones classic, James was leary, but "He

Stopped Loving Her Today", is another stand-out on

this album.

Get a copy of this CD into your collection of bluegrass

greats!!!

Bluegrass from the frozen tun-

dra? About as far away from

Bill, Lester, and Earl, Monroe

Crossing is from Minnesota.

Destined to become as famous

as Paul Bunyan or Garrison

Keelor, Monroe Crossing is well

on its way. This is the ninth album by the group and

gives us great bluegrass from the North. You'll enjoy

Heart Ache & Stone. The band features Mark Ander-

son on bass, Art Blackburn on guitar, Benji Fleming

on banjo, Lisa Fugile on fiddle, and Matt Thompson

on mandolin. Each of these talented musicians con-

tributes to this terrific bluegrass album.

With Lisa's fiddle and Benji's banjo setting the mood

C o u s i n J i m ’ s C D

N o t e s on the traditional song "Do You Love An Apple", and

Art's guitar work on "Heart Ache & Stone", we know

that the band loves the classic Bill Monroe styles.

Lisa wrote "Run, Nellie Anna, Run" as a runaway

tune with driving banjo. She also wrote a song of

danger and daring, "Me & Billy", a song of childhood

friends playing cops and robbers, When the friends

grow-up they become their play acting roles. Lisa

also penned a song about "Ned Kelly" an Australian

folk hero.

Art wrote a song titled "Patience", a quality that he

claims to have trouble with. "Raven Tresses" was

written by Becky Buller and features a haunting duet

by Art and Lisa, and the finger picked guitar makes

this song a real standout.

Monroe Crossing closes out this album with its blue-

grass style rendition of "Purple Rain" by Prince. Both,

Prince and Monroe Crossing, were inducted into the

Minnesota Hall of Fame. Monroe Crossing played

their version for the ceremony.

Enjoy this CD soon!

In 1958 Jimmy Martin stood

in front of the microphone at

the Bradley Barn recording

studio. Along with Jimmy was

mandolinist Paul Williams

and the great banjo man,

(only 20 years old), J.D.

Crowe. With Gordon Terry on

fiddle and Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance on bass, Jimmy's

sound was perfect.

Jimmy sang lead with Paul and J.D.‘s harmonies,

and music critics say that was one of the finest re-

cording sessions of Martin's career. They did

"Oceans Of Diamonds", "Sophronie", and "Rock

Hearts". Jimmy's high lonesome style was born.

This CD will treat the listener to . . .

Continued from Page 10

Another Wonderful Gift of Music

Heartache & Stone

Monroe Crossing

The King of Bluegrass

Jimmy Martin

See COUSIN JIM’S CD NOTES Page 12

P a g e 1 1

. . . the classics above, along with "Hit Parade Of

Love", "Grand Ole' Opry Song" and "Hold Whatcha

Got". "Widow Maker" and "20-20 Vision" gave Jimmy

hits in both bluegrass and on the country charts.

My friend Joseph Martini performed "Chalk up Anoth-

er One" a Jimmy Martin hit at the annual NNBA meet-

ing and that inspired me to review this CD.

Enjoy!!

At the annual NNBA meeting a

new friend and fellow banjo

player, Neil Linden won this

Ricky Skaggs recording in the

raffle. I thought it deserved a

short review. With the old

classics and his new writing

magic, Ricky has given us a great new album, Music

To My Ears.

Ricky's band Kentucky Thunder features Paul Brew-

ster, Cody Kilby, Justen Moses, Andy Leftwich, and

Barry Bales and is the ultimate bluegrass band in the

business today!

The album starts out with the Bill Monroe and Hot

Rize classic "Blue Night". Then on to the Don Stover

hit "Things In Life". Ricky's love of the Stanley Broth-

ers comes through on "Loving You Too Well". Doc

Watson is honored with the tribute song "Tennessee

Stud", making us all miss Doc.

From true grass, gospel and Celtic influenced songs,

you'll enjoy this CD!

Happy Listening---Jim Lappin

C o u s i n J i m ’ s C D

N o t e s

Rick Rinehart passed out copies of the 2013 Profit and

Loss Statement and did a page by page accounting to

the membership in attendance. The report was very pos-

itive and reinforced just how effectively the board and

association volunteers con-

tributed to the past years

success.

Rick Sparks announced the

results of the annual elec-

tion for the board of direc-

tors before the close of the

business meeting. Current

directors Rick Sparks, Kathi

Scott, Rick Rinehart, Eric

Lovejoy, Ryan Hansen, Ray Hopper, and Rich Smith

were re-elected for another

term.

Following the meeting, the

names of members were

drawn from the hat to create

bands that were given 15

minutes to practice before per-

forming two songs, a fiddle

tune and a song with lyrics.

Each of the “band scramble”

bands rose to the occasion giving applause worthy per-

formances. After the performances, members retreated

to several different rooms for an afternoon of jamming,

filling the halls with bluegrass music.

This is a fun event that every member should have on

their calendar for next year.

Continued from Page 11

Music To My Ears

Ricky Skaggs

M e e t i n g R e c a p

Continued from Page 9

P a g e 1 2

1. Which of the following is NOT a part of bluegrass

harmony?

a. baritone

b. tenor

c. lead

d. soprano

2. Which of the following is NOT a song made fa-

mous by the Everly Brothers

a. Wake up Little Susie

b. Bird Dog

c. You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

d. Cathy’s Clown

3. What is the name of the Auditorium that hosted

the Grand Ol‘ Opry from 1925 to 1974?

a. Ryman

c. Opryland

d. Bluebird Café

e. Fillmore East

4. Which one of these songs was a hit for the Louvin

Brothers

a. Can’t You Hear Me Callin’

b. I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby

c. Cannonball Blues

d. Kentucky Waltz

5. Although the music of the Louvin Brothers was

influenced by their Baptist faith one of the brothers

had a serious drinking and womanizing problem and

was shot four times in the chest by his third wife.

She was quoted as saying “if the bastard don’t die I’ll

shoot him again”. Which brother was this?

a. Charlie

b. Bill

c. Ira

d. Ralph

6. The Stanley Brothers were born in the Clinch

Mountains of what state?

a. Kentucky

b. Tennessee

c. North Carolina

d. Virginia

7. Harmony question. You are in the Key of G, play-

ing a G chord, and the lead singer is singing a D note.

What is the tenor note?

a. A

b. C

c. E

d. G

8. Harmony question. You are in the key of C, play-

ing a C chord, and the lead singer is singing a C note.

What is the tenor note?

a. A

b. C

c. E

d. G

9. I recently read an excellent biography of one of

our bluegrass heroes titled “Can’t You Hear Me Call-

ing”. Who is the subject of this book?

a. Bill Monroe

b. Tony Rice

c. Ralph Stanley

d. Lester Flatt

10. “Still Inside, The Life and Times of ……..” is a bi-

ography of which of our bluegrass heroes?

a. Bill Monroe

b. Tony Rice

c. Ralph Stanley

d. Lester Flatt

B l u e g r a s s Q u i z

Submitted by Rick Rinehart

See Answers On Next Page

P a g e 1 3

Answers to bluegrass quiz:

1. d Soprano

2. c You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

3. a Ryman

4. b I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby

5. c Ira

6. d Virginia

7. d G

8. c E

9. a Bill Monroe

10. b Tony Rice

After 50 years in business The Maytan Music Center

is closing its doors. We are happy for the Maytan

family that they were able to sell the building. But

we are sad to see an end to a wonderful era. May-

tan hosted our NNBA workshops for over 25 years.

Many of the players that we now know as hot pick-

ers got their start at these workshops. I would have

enjoyed seeing Charlie Edsall and Joseph Martini

struggling with Whiskey Before Breakfast. In my

short tenure as host for these workshops I have

seen over 150 different people attend. I wonder

how many other people came in the 20 years before

I started attending.

The tradition will live on. Rick Sparks made arrange-

ments with the owners of Great Basin Brewing Com-

pany for us to move our operations to their Sparks

location. Starting with our March 4, 2014 workshop

we will meet upstairs at Great Basin at 846 Victorian

Avenue in Sparks. There is a parking garage less

than a block away on C Street.

Thank you Iris and Marianne and the rest of the

Maytan family for being such great supporters of

our bluegrass family. (See Farewell Jam on Next Page)

M a y t a n W o r k s h o p s

T o M o v e t o G r e a t

B a s i n B r e w e r y

By Rick Rinehart

P a g e 1 4

P a g e 1 5

Photos by Renee Lauderback

Northern Nevada Bluegrass Association

PO Box 3177

Reno, NV 89505

Website: nnba.org

Email: nnbamailbox@gmail.com

The purpose of the Northern Nevada

Bluegrass Association is to promote and

preserve bluegrass, old time, traditional

and related folk music – acoustic music

from a common American heritage

(hereinafter referred to as “Bluegrass

Music”) – in the Northern Nevada area

by providing education to the community,

encouraging musicians to play and share

Bluegrass Music at informal potlucks and

gatherings, publishing and distributing a

newsletter, and, sponsoring and promot-

ing Bluegrass Music events and an annu-

al festival.

So Many Tunes . . . So Little Time.

Organization

WE ARE ON THE WEB!

NNBA.ORG

President: Rick Sparks (775) 233-0122 banjo47@hotmail.com

Vice-President: Kathi Scott (775) 322-5039 kathi.scot@att.net

Secretary: Rich Smith (775) 453-5569 richsmith429@att.net

Treasurer: Ray Hopper 775-384-2403 ray@hopper.com

Outreach Coordinator: Ryan Hansen 775-843-7053 Ryan@RenoHansen.com

Membership Coordinator: Eric Lovejoy (775) 742-7431 eric.lovejoy@kimley-horn.com

Activities Coordinator: Rick Rinehart (775) 849-7988 rvrinehart@gmail.com

2013 Board of Directors

The NNBA receives support from The Nevada Arts Council, a

division of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs, a state

agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal

agency.

The Northern Nevada Bluegrass Association is a 501c3, non-

profit organization registered in the state of Nevada.

P a g e 1 6

MARCH 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 4 NNBA Beginner/

Intermediate Lev-

el Workshop

7:00 - 9:00 PM

5 6 7 8 Ultra Beginner

Bluegrass Class

1:00-4:00PM

$20.00

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

9 10 Great Basin

Intermediate/

Advanced Jam

7:00 - 10:00 PM

11 12 Old Time Jam

7:00-9:00 PM

Claire Lynch Con-

cert

13 14 15

16 17 18 NNBA Begin-

ner/Intermediate

Level Workshop

7:00 - 9:00 PM

19 20 21 22 Bluegrass Gui-

tar Class

1:00-4:00PM

$20.00

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

23 24 25 26 Old Time Jam

7:00-9:00 PM

27 28 29

30 31

APRIL 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 NNBA Begin-

ner/Intermediate

Level Workshop

7:00 - 9:00 PM

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 Old Time Jam

7:00-9:00 PM

10 11 12

13 14 Great Basin

Intermediate/

Advanced Jam

7:00 - 10:00 PM

15 NNBA Begin-

ner/Intermediate

Level Workshop

7:00 - 9:00 PM

16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 Old Time Jam

7:00-9:00 PM

24 25 26

27 28 29 30