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2 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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By CHARLES WILLIAMSWilkes Journal Patriot Staff
There’s no denying that MerleFest will seem different this year, said MerleFest Director Ted Hagaman.
For the first time in the 26-year history of the festival, Doc Watson won’t be at the event to act as host and play music with his friends.
The legendary musician died May 29, 2012, at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, five days after undergoing colon surgery.
“Certainly MerleFest will be have a slightly different feel since Doc will not be with us physically, but we know he’s still going to be here,” said Hagaman.
“We have tried very hard to preserve the things that Doc cherished about this festi-val with the programming, and we feel like we’re right on target with the same type of formula that we’ve used for many years.
“Doc always wanted us to feature what he called ‘traditional plus,’ meaning some-thing for everyone.”
Hagaman said he talked with Watson several times in recent years about the future of the festival, “and he made it very clear that he wanted the festival to continue to remember and honor his son, Merle. Therefore, the ‘MerleFest’ name will remain.
“Also, Doc was concerned that we main-
tain the family atmosphere and values of the festival.”
There will be an extra emphasis placed on Watson’s music this year as the per-formers celebrate the life and times of the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Grammy.
The main focus of that celebration will be Saturday in a “tribute jam” at 7 p.m., the time that Watson normally performed on the main stage.
The jam will be hosted by Sam Bush, a close friend of Watson who has not missed a single MerleFest.
“We have a core groups of artists who come every year, and we tried very hard to get that group back because we are celebrating Doc’s life and music,” Hagaman said.
“We certainly had no trouble in getting those performers back this year,” he added.
“It’s those artists who were closest to him throughout his career who will be a part of that jam, plus some other special guests who will be joining in for a tune or two. They will be playing many of Doc’s favorite songs.
“We’ll also be playing some special video clips that will be interspersed throughout the program every evening that will help all of us remember this wonderful person and musician,” said Hagaman.
Changes in the physical layout and tech-nology of MerleFest this year are designed to enhance the festival experience.
For one thing, the general admission seat-ing area on the lawn in front of the Watson Stage has been expanded.
Fans in the expanded area will have a better view of activities on the Watson Stage this year.
“For the past several years, we’ve had a big screen on one side of the main stage to give the members of the audience a better view of the stage,” Hagaman said.
“We’ve tried to ramp up the technology this year by placing large screens on both sides of the stage. We’re also going to place a third screen on the rear of the produc-tion tower (where the spotlights and audio mixing boards are located, directly in front of the main stage) so that everyone in the general admission area will be able to see better. We feel that will add to the experi-
ence for everyone,” he said.
Little Pickers moving“We’ll be moving the Little Pickers Stage
and the concession tent that was next to it to make more room for the audience at the main stage,” said MerleFest Director Ted Hagaman.
“The Little Pickers activities will be under the trees and in the shade, next to the R&R tent, to provide a more comfortable setting.”
MerleFest appAlso new this year is a free MerleFest
app for mobile devices that provides the lineup, schedule, artist biographies, map, announcements, social media links and more. The app is compatible with Android and iOS platforms. A link at www.merlefest.org goes directly to the app store, where the app can be downloaded.
Doc Watson’s legacyMerleFest will still focus on what wasmost important to legendary musician
Layout, technology changes announced
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 3
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Richard Eddy Watson of Deep Gap, Merle Watson’s son, returns this year to perform Friday, Satur-day and Sunday and represent the Watson family as the life and music of his grandfather, Doc Watson, is celebrated.
Richard is a formidable blues musician and has his dad’s mod-est and appreciative charm.
He mastered his father’s blues style and began performing with Doc at MerleFest every year starting in 1991. He performed elsewhere with Doc and toured with both Merle and Doc.
Richard’s front-porch picking style led to many great perfor-mances, such as the 1992 record-ing “Feeling the Blues,” which he dedicated to his father, and the Grammy-nominated “Third Gen-eration Blues,” recorded with Doc. “I’m just happy that MerleFest hap-pened in memory of Dad,” Richard said. “He’d be overwhelmed and find it hard to express how much he appreciated it.... I’m glad for all of my dad’s friends and loved ones to gather and enjoy the music.”
Richard enjoys seeing new art-ists at MerleFest and picking with blues players.
Doc once said, “I could retire, but my grandson Richard plays a good blues guitar. One of the most gratifying things that happened to me after Merle left is the fact that Merle’s son, Richard, started play-ing the guitar.... He’s got a wonderful personality, just like his dad had. He loves his family, and he loves me and his mam’ma (RosaLee) awful good. The other reason is that he’s a fine musician, and he’s finally got over stage fright. He has a lot of Merle’s attributes.”
Merle’s sonkeeps familytradition alive
RICHARD WATSON
4 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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The stages of MerleFest are:• Watson Stage, with some of the largest
acts and collaborations;• Cabin Stage, next to the Watson Stage,
with some of the best acoustic music;• Mayes Pit Learning Stage, with instru-
ment instructional sessions and more;• Traditional Stage, beneath large tent,
featuring traditional music at its best;• Dance Stage, beneath a large tent, with
everything from clogging to Cajun dances, Friday, Saturday and Sunday;
• Chris Austin Stage, with some of the best songwriting and blues music;
• Creekside Stage, under a tent near Moravian Creek, a particularly pleasant
spot for performances;• Little Pickers Family Area, offering
activities, games and live music for the young and the young at heart;
• Hillside Stage, with MerleFest artists up close and jammin’. It’s the scene of some very memorable and lively performances;
• Walker Center, providing an indoor
venue. Home of the Midnight Jam;• Americana Stage, offering a relaxed
venue on the lawn near the Visitors Center;• Lounge, with guitar, banjo, and mando-
lin contests and songwriter’s coffee house, workshops and special performances.
• Pickin’ Place, an area for music fans and musicians to pick and sing together.
Music of MerleFest is featured on several different stages
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 5
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Doc Watson profoundly influenced generations of guitar-ists, beginning with young musicians learning to play the guitar as the folk movement achieved national popularity in the 1960s.
The New York Times wrote that when he came to national attention during the folk music revival of the early 1960s, Watson “injected a note of authenticity into a movement awash in protest songs and bland renditions of traditional tunes. In a sweetly resonant, slightly husky baritone, he sang old hymns, ballads and country blues he had learned growing up in the northwestern corner of North Carolina, which has produced fiddlers, banjo pickers and folk singers for generations.”
Similarly, Watson brought forth an image of simple dignity and sensibility for a region stereotyped by comical hillbilly characters.
The New York Times stated that Watson introduced “flashy, rapid-fire melodies normally played by a fiddle or a banjo” at a time when most country and bluegrass musi-cians thought of the guitar as a secondary instrument for providing rhythmic backup.
Arthel Lane Watson was born in the Stoney Fork section of Watauga County the sixth of nine children, on March 3, 1923. His father, General Dixon Watson, was a farmer and day laborer who led the singing at the local Baptist church. His mother, Annie, sang old-time ballads while doing household chores and at night sang the children to sleep.
Left blind by an eye infection as an infant, Watson had a few years of formal schooling at the Raleigh School for the Blind. He was 5 or 6 when he received his first harmonica and 11 when his father made him a fretless banjo.
After he taught himself the Carter Family’s “When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland,” Watson’s father bought him a $12 Stella guitar, and soon he was learning the rythym chords.
He learned to flat pick and then the guitar picking style of Jimmie Rodgers by listening to Rodgers recordings.
After his marriage to Rosa Lee Carlton, a neighbor and daughter of fiddler Gaither Carlton, when he was 24 and she was 16, Watson tuned pianos to support his growing fam-ily. Eddy Merle was born in 1949 and Nancy Ellen in 1951.
In 1953, Doc got a job playing electric guitar in a local country band and traded his Martin for a Gibson Les Paul.
The group often lacked a fiddler and Watson taught himself fiddle tunes on the electric instrument, in addition to the popular finger-style music of Merle Travis and Chet Atkins.
Smithonian Institute folklorist Ralph Rinzler is credited with “discovering” Watson in 1960 at the fiddler’s convention in Union Grove. Rinzler said Watson was single-handedly responsible for an extraordinary increase in acoustic flat-picking and fingerpicking guitar performances.
Watson at first toured with Clarence Ashley but in 1961 began playing as a solo artist, traveling with Rinzler or by intercity bus. He played the traditional songs of his family, in-laws and neighbors.
In those early years, The New York Times wrote, Watson developed a stage persona that was a cross between Andy Griffith and a yet-to-emerge Garrison Keillor.
Audiences “loved the mountain man who could teach them about country ways in terms that were simple but clever, who could play with lightning speed and stunning precision, and who could educate them about his music and the people and places from which it arose.”
Merle Watson, then 15, joined him in 1964 as a rhythm guitarist and eased most of the burdens of the road from his father’s shoulders. The two performed together for 20 years, receiving Grammy Awards for the albums “Then and Now” in 1974, “Two Days in November” in 1975 and “Big Sandy/Leather Britches” in 1980.
In late 1966, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs invited Doc Watson to Nashville to add his popular flatpicking guitar to a Columbia album called “Strictly Instrumental,” issued under all three of their names. Five years later, Watson was a participant with Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Vassar Clements, his guitar hero Merle Travis, and others on the phenomenal “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” project.
Folk music faded as a commercial phenomenon, but Wat-son was just hitting his stride as a performer and recording artist.
Freed from the pressures to make only traditional music, Watson brought modern elements back to his sound. He also added other members to his ensemble, including T. Michael Coleman on electric bass and, after son Merle’s death in 1985, Jack Lawrence, Marty Stuart, and grandson Richard on second guitar. There was bluegrass in the mix,
including the album, “Riding the Midnight Train,” with guests Sam Bush, Mark O’Connor, Bela Fleck and Alan O’Bryant.
In 1972, Watson was invited to contribute to “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” an album that paired the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with country artists like Maybelle Carter, Merle Travis (Merle Watson’s namesake) and Earl Scruggs. The record’s success brought Watson a new audience, and he and Merle toured constantly until Merle’s death.
Watson returned to the road a week after the funeral. Merle, he said, had appeared to him in a dream and urged him to carry on.
Watson won Grammys for the albums “Riding the Midnight Train” in 1987, “On Praying Ground” in 1991 and “Legacy” in 2003. His fingers were dexterous well into old age, as he showed on the track “Whiskey Before Breakfast,” recorded with guitarist Bryan Sutton, which won a Grammy for best country instrumental performance in 2007.
Watson was always quiet and unassuming off stage and played down his guitar playing as nothing more than “country pickin.’ ”
He often said that had he not been blind, he would have become an auto mechanic and been just as happy.
Watson influenced generationsof musicians starting in 1960s
DOC WATSON died on May 29, 2012, at age 89.
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 7
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Meet the diverse artists of MerleFest 2013
Susana and Timmy AbellF, Sa, Su
Susana and Timmy Abell of Asheville blend music with storytelling, puppetry and poetry, including Timmy’s fun and thoughtful songs for young people. “Growing up in western North Carolina, Doc Watson was a constant inspiration. We hope to inspire the coming generations with that same appreciation of our folk traditions, along with that great sense of fun that Doc shared with us all.” Susana has experience as a puppeteer and
SUSANA and TIM ABELL circus performer spanning three continents.
Alberti Flea Circus F, Sa, Su
Part magician, part story-teller, part comedian and all entertainer, Jim Alberti of Win-ston-Salem is a third-generation flea circus impresario. Alberti took the revived flea circus on the road in the 1980s, and since then he and his talented troupe of fleas have captivated audiences at fairs, festivals and theme parks across the United States and Canada. He has performed at
MerleFest for over two decades.
Del McCoury Band and ThePreservation Hall Jazz BandF
Since opening its doors to the public in 1961, Preservation Hall has advanced the mission of showcasing the national trea-sures of traditional New Orleans jazz. Forty-eight years later, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans still represents the best opportunity to experience the planet’s happiest music. The current roster of the Preserva-tion Hall Jazz Band features some
of the Crescent City’s finest and most exciting musicians. The Del McCoury Band of Nashville, a world-class bluegrass ensem-ble, performs original and tradi-tional compositions. With over 30 IBMA awards, including nine for Entertainer of the Year and multiple Grammy Awards and nominations, it’s the most hon-ored group in bluegrass history. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band create a seamless blend of soul-lifting traditional harmonies as the high and lonesome sound of the Appa-lachians meets the hot and lively jazz of New Orleans.
DEL McCOURY BAND and PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND
Avett BrothersSa, Su
When Scott and Seth Avett of Concord formed the Avett Brothers with bassist Bob Craw-ford, a fresh new chapter in the American song-book that hon-ored bluegrass, country, folk, rock, grunge and punk began. The sound was at once energetic and emotional, joyous and heart-rending, old-timey and cutting edge, raucous and lovely, a sound that was and is simply, uniquely The Avett Brothers. The indie, folk-pop boys from North Caro-lina are now a national phenom-enon. Their songs are honest: just chords with real voices singing real melodies. But, the heart and the energy with which they are sung are really why people are talking and why so many sing along. They are a reality in a world of entertainment built with smoke and mirrors, and when they play, the common man can
AVETT BROTHERS
Continued on Page 8
8 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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break the mirrors and blow the smoke away, so that all that’s left behind is the unwavering beauty of the songs.
Jim AvettSu
The son of a Methodist preacher and a concert pianist, Jim Avett of Concord has been singing and playing guitar for most of his life. He also built a business as a welder, served in the Navy and raised three chil-dren with his wife – and now he returns to performing. In 2008, Avett released his first album, “Jim Avett and Family,” gospel songs recorded with daughter, Bonnie and sons, Scott and Seth, of The Avett Brothers. In 2010, he returned with “Tribes,” seven original songs that speak of love and loss, and in 2012, continued on those themes on “Second Chance” which reflects his influ-ences of classic country and early rock and roll. Jim’s performance style is warm and relaxed, genu-ine and endearing.
Glenn BannermanSa, Su
Glenn Bannerman of Banner Elk is known nationwide as a dance caller, teacher and leader. After 20 years as a professor of recreation and outdoor educa-tion at the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Rich-mond, Va., he retired in 1989 and formed the Bannerman Family Celebration Services, a recrea-tion, folk dance and worship resource. Glenn currently serves on the Folk Heritage Committee in Asheville, which maintains the Mountain Dance and Folk Fes-
JIM AVETT
Artistscontinued from Page 7
Continued on Page 9
tival and Shindig on the Green. Gregg ‘Buffalo’ BarfieldF, Sa, Su
Gregg “Buffalo” Barfield of Pendleton, S.C., is a singer, song-writer and multi-instrumentalist. His enthusiasm for traditional music and old-time instruments like the washboard, spoons and kazoo is surpassed only by his desire to entertain, involve and share these traditions with every-one he meets. He is joined on stage by his wife, vocalist and rub board player, Michele Barfield, to present Buffalo Barfield’s “Washboard Workshop & Jug Band Jam.”
Riley BaugusF, Sa, Su
Riley Baugus of Winston-Salem represents the best of old-time American banjo and song. He grew up listening to his father’s old-time music, including the works of Doc Watson. Over the years, while working as a welder and blacksmith by day, Riley played with many old-time bands. His “Life Of Riley” showcases his masterful, elegant banjo playing and his rich singing voice. Riley has provided vocal and instru-mental musical contributions to films like “Cold Mountain.” He also contributed to albums pro-duced by Tim O’Brien and Dirk Powell, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant and Willie Nelson.
Bayou DieselF, Sa
Bayou Diesel of Black Moun-tain is one of western North Carolina’s premier dance bands, focusing on Cajun/zydeco and New Orleans Mardi Gras dance music. Featuring several squee-zebox accordions, a rub board and a solid rhythm section with French and English vocals, the
BANNERMAN
MICHELLE and GREGG BARFIELD
RILEY BAUGUS
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 9
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group brings the audience quickly back to Mardi Gras and the cele-bration of traditions that go back centuries.
Michelle BelangerS
Michelle Belanger of Winston-Salem has been singing almost as long as she’s been walking and is a great dancer, particularly flat-foot clogging. Raised on rock and Motown she took up guitar right high school, playing folk rock and later old-time string band. She began singing blues in the ’80s and since then added honky tonk, rockabilly, western swing and jazz. With her welcoming and engaging personality, Michelle Belanger is uniquely able to get people out on the dance floor.
Matraca BergF, Sa
Matraca Berg of Nashville, Tenn., had her first No. 1 record as a songwriter at age 18, making
BAYOU DIESAL
MATRACA BERG
her one of the youngest Nash-ville Songwriters Hall of Fame nominees. She was inducted in October 2008. That first hit was “Faking Love,” sung by T.G. Sheppard and Karen Brooks. Reba McEntire’s “The Last One to Know,” Patty Loveless’ “I’m That Kind of Girl,” Trisha Year-wood’s “Wrong Side of Memphis,” Martina McBride’s “Wild Angels,” the Dixie Chicks’ “If I Fall You’re Going Down With Me,” and more than 50 other recordings of her songs made her one of the most recorded composers in Music City. Her songs have been sung by Randy Travis, Faith Hill, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Linda Ron-stadt, Tanya Tucker, Pam Tillis, Keith Urban, Loretta Lynn and dozens of others. Her co-written “Strawberry Wine,” performed by
Deana Carter, was the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year in 1997.
The Black LilliesF, Sa
The Black Lillies of Knoxville, Tenn., rose quickly to the fore-front of the Americana scene. Founded by multi-instrumental-ist and vocalist Cruz Contreras, The band created its own brand of country, roots, rock and blues via Appalachia. Its debut album, “Whiskey Angel” (2009), received rave reviews and appeared on multiple Best of 2009 lists, win-ning the Independent Music
MICHELLBELANGER
Award for “Best Album, Ameri-cana.” The band’s “100 Miles of Wreckage was on the Ameri-cana radio Top 40 charts – four of them in the top 20 – for over five months.
Blind Boy PaxtonF, Sa, Su
At first glance, Blind Boy Jer-ron Paxton looks like he’s play-ing the part of a blues-man in a Hollywood movie, dressed with theatrical retro-schtick, with a Derby hat and overalls. He mar-kets himself directly to a part of the blues community with a great nostalgic hunger for authentic musicians that accurately portray the image of the romanticized 1930s rural minstrel. Possibly the most sensational newcomer in the blues in many years, the songster and itinerant bluesman is the living embodiment of true
BLIND BOY PAXTON
blues in the 21st century. Blind since 16, the charismatic blues-man hails from a Creole family in Watts, South Central Los Angeles, but his people come from Louisi-ana. He picks banjo and guitar, plays harmonica, piano and more. He is humorous and is a terrific storyteller.
Bobby andBlue Ridge TraditionSa, Su
Bobby and Blue Ridge Tra-dition of Asheville is one of west-ern North Carolina’s best known and most popular bands. Known for a distinctive styling of songs, creative original material and
BLACK LILLIES
Continued on Page 10
Artistscontinued from Page 8
10 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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unique treatment of cover mate-rial from all types of genres, this five-piece acoustic band brings a blend of blue-grass, roots and Americana music. Formed in 2003, it won the bluegrass band competition and first place in three individual instrument divisions and vocals at the N.C. Mountain State Fair in 2011. The band had the featured bluegrass gospel song in The Singing News in December 2011.
Roy Book Binder F, Sa, Su
Roy Book Binder of New York City is a blues guitar entertainer. Equally at home with blues and ragtime, “Book” shifts from open tunings to slide arrangements to original compositions with traditional and self-styled licks. His storytelling emphasis makes his style unique. Described as a guitar pickin’ hillbilly blues-man, he shared the stage with Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, John Jackson, Sonny Terry, Doc Wat-
BOBBY &BLUE RIDGE TRADITION
son, Ray Charles and Brownie McGhee. Binder is a veteran gui-tar instructor.
Laura Boosinger F, Sa, Su
Laura Boosinger of Asheville is an award-winning performer and recording artist who focuses mostly on traditional music from the Southern Appalachians. Her concerts offer a step back to a simpler time. Through an intro-duction to various traditional instruments and regional vocal styles, she invites audiences to participate in the richness of the region’s musical heritage. She has performed at The Tennes-see Homecoming at The Museum of Appalachia, MerleFest, The
Smithsonian Folklife Festival and elsewhere. Boosinger was named “Most Outstanding Performer” at Asheville’s Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.
Sam BushSa
Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush of Bowling Green, Ky., has been honored by the International Bluegrass Music Association and received the Americana Music Association’s lifetime achieve-ment award. “It goes along with the title cut of my new album, ‘Circles Around Me,’ which basi-cally says, how in the hell 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
LAURA BOOSINGER
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, fusing it with jazz, rock, blues, funk and other styles. And though Bush is best known for jaw-drop-ping skills on the mandolin, he is also a three-time national junior fiddle champion and Grammy Award-winning vocalist. “In the acoustic world, I’ve been pretty lucky to play with almost every one of my heroes. I’ve gotten to play with Bill Monroe, Doc Wat-son and Earl Scruggs,” said Bush, a two-time cancer treatment sur-vivor. “When the ability to play
SAM BUSH
is taken away, it’s humbling. It teaches you a lesson: don’t take it for granted.”
Calico MoonT, F
Husband and wife, Mark and Aimee Bumgarner, of Asheville, who make up Calico Moon, have a sound that blends roots coun-try, folk and pure mountain soul, sharpened by an eclectic edge that places them squarely in the thriv-ing Americana tradition. Mark’s musical journey was under way when the two met in 2004. Although she grew up in a musical family and
CALICO MOON
Continued on Page 12
BOOKBINDER
Artistscontinued from Page 9
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 11
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• Private Parking •Shuttle Transportation Service
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• Assisted Living Plans on the Horizon
Pets Welcome
Time toEnjoy Yourself
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Beauty for yourself and your home!318 Tenth Street • 336-990-0770
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Ladies Consignment Boutique
Everything You Need. All in One Shop.Wednesday-Saturday309 10th Street • 336-990-0907
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12 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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life is on
was a self-described “front porch singer,” Aimee had never given much thought to performing music professionally. She had recently graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, and was teaching at a rural high school north of Asheville. Early in their courtship, the first time Mark visited Aimee’s little cabin, he began to play guitar and sing. Aimee joined in with harmony. One song led to another and the roots of Calico Moon took hold.
Chatham County LineSa, Su
Merging a traditional bluegrass sound, firstclass picking and pithy songwriting that often confronts personal issues and political matters, Chatham County Line of Raleigh first came together in 1999. The band consists of guitarist Dave Wilson, pedal steel upright bass player Greg Readling, fiddle and mandolin master John Teer and banjo player Chandler Holt. When opening a show for Tift Mer-ritt in 2003, producer and South-
ern pop icon Chris Stamey heard the band and offered to produce its first album. Chatham County Line began earning accolades for its inventive bluegrass music and was named “Best New Bluegrass Band” at the 2004 RockyGrass in Colorado.
T. Michael ColemanF, Sa, Su
T. Michael Coleman of Mayodan grew up playing baseball and sing-ing in church. He developed an appreciation of folk music while at Appalachian State University and soon began playing and touring with Doc and Merle Watson. The three toured the world and partici-pated in many Grammy nominated and Grammy awarded recordings.
After 15 years, Coleman began per-forming and recording with Seldom Scene in Washington, D.C., along with producing and recording vari-ous music projects for Doc Watson and others. His interest in video production led him to places like Rwanda, Kosovo, Russia and South America and he began music scor-ing for documentaries and movies. Coleman recently joined David Holt and Brian Sutton in Deep River Rising (now Sutton, Holt and Cole-man), traveling the road Watson paved and paying homage to Wat-son’s musical journey.
John CowanF, Sa
John Cowan of Minerva, Ohio, has been singing soaring vocals for
35 years and he applies his pow-erful pipes to country, bluegrass, gospel, soul, jazz and rock-and-roll. His ability to move fluidly through many styles sets him apart. With his distinctive, rock-tinged tenor vocal and heart-thumping electric bass, Cowan and fellow New Grass Revival band mates Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson and Curtis Burch, and later Bela Fleck and Pat Flynn, introduced music fans to an explosive, experimental and eponymous brand of bluegrass. After New Grass Revival disbanded in 1990, Cowan became a success-ful solo artist, session musician and a member of the John Cowan Band and the Doobie Brothers. He now works his own performances into and around the Doobies’ busy
schedule. In March 2012, WSM Radio launched “John Cowan – I Believe To My Soul,” an hour-long radio program that airs monthly and features John interviewing and playing the music of some of the giants and legends of con-temporary music.
Charlie Daniels BandT
During Charl ie Daniels’ 50-year career, he scored hits on rock, country, pop and Chris-tian charts and won awards from the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, TNN/Music City News Awards and the Gospel Music Association among
CHATHAM COUNTY LINE
T. MICHAELCOLEMAN JOHN COWAN CHARLIE DANIELS BAND
Continued on Page 13
Artistscontinued from Page 10
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 13
s
1.Watson
3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.Dehlia Low
----------------
4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.The Greencards
----------------
6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.Rhonda Vincent &
The Rage
----------------
7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.Leon Russell
----------------
9:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.The Charlie Daniels Band
2.Cabin
4:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.The Sigmon Stringers
----------------
5:30 p.m.-5:35 p.m.Raffle
----------------
5:35 p.m.-6:00 p.m.MerleFest Bluegrass
Jam Camp withPete & Joan Wernick
----------------
7:00 p.m.-7:05 p.m.Raffle
----------------
7:05 p.m.-7:30 p.m.The Bill Young Tributewith the Banknotes
----------------
8:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.Red Molly
----------------
9:00 p.m.-9:05 p.m.
Tribute to DocVideo tribute to
musical talents ofDoc Watson
7.Pickin’ Place
2:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.Jammin’ at
The ’Pickin’ PlaceThe Pickin’ Place is more than a stage, it’s an entire venue devoted to pickin’ & grinnin’! Included in The
Pickin’ Place are theTraditional Jammin’ Tent, Bluegrass Jammin’ Tent,
and Anything Goes Jammin’ Tent, Bring your acoustic instruments to
this area and jam! Hosted by the Wilkes Acoustic
Folk Society.
11.The Plaza
2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.Open Mic
Bring your instruments and come pick or sing with Tut Taylor and The
Local Boys!
----------------
5:45 p.m.-6:20 p.m.Misty River Band
----------------
6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.Open Mic
Bring your instruments and come pick or sing with Tut Taylor and The
Local Boys!
Thursday, April 25
his accolades. Born in Wilming-ton, he was raised on a musical diet that included Pentecostal gospel, local bluegrass, rhythm & blues and country music from the radio. His signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979), became a Platinum single, topped country and pop charts, won a Grammy Award and three CMA trophies and became a cor-nerstone of the “Urban Cowboy” sound-track. On Jan. 19, 2008, Daniels’ lifelong dream became a reality when he was inducted as a full-fledged member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 2009, Charlie Daniels was inducted into the Musicians’ Hall of Fame. That same year Music City awarded him with a star on the Walk of Fame.
Dehlia Low T, F
Dehlia Low, formed in late 2007 as part of Asheville’s roots music renaissance, echoes the sounds of early country with a strong bluegrass flavor. The band’s vocal harmony and instrumentation reflect a deep connection to traditional music with modern arrangements and relevant, smart songwriting. The band combines gripping, rustic-flavored vocal style with instrumental prowess.
DEHLIA LOW
Performing original songs that feel at once both old and new, the band is rooted in bluegrass while pushing its sound into Ameri-cana, roots country and folk.
Della Mae F, Sa
Della Mae of Boston, Mass., proves the endless possibilities found in the tried-and-true mar-riage of fiddle, fret-board and voice. The group’s lineup is a who’s-who of promising young pickers: lead singer Celia Wood-smith, guitarist Courtney Hart-man, bass player Shelby Means, mandonlinist Jenni Lyn Gardner and two-time National Fiddle Champion Kimber Ludiker are all seasoned performers who have won countless contests and shared the stage with Wil-lie Nelson, Del McCoury, Leon Russell and Laurie Lewis. Their 2011 release, “I Built This Heart,” was an impressive debut, a deli-cate balance between bluegrass grit and singer-songwriter sen-sitivity. With a new album in the works–produced by Bryan Sutton and their first label release–it’s clear that Della Mae is just get-ting started.
Delta RaeF, Sa
Delta Rae, an American folk rock band formed in Durham, consists of siblings Ian Hölljes (vocals and guitar), Eric Hölljes
DELLA MAE
(vocals, guitar, piano and keys) and Brittany Hölljes (vocals), as well as Elizabeth Hopkins (vo-cals), Mike McKee (percussion) and Grant Emerson (bass guitar). The band began as a four-piece ensemble and added McKee and
DELTA RAE
Artistscontinued from Page 12
Continued on Page 15
1.W
atso
n11
:30
a.m
.-12:
15 p
.m.
Mic
hael
Mar
tinM
urph
ey--
----
----
----
--12
:45
p.m
.-1:
45 p
.m.
The
Kru
ger
Bro
ther
sA
ppal
achi
an C
once
rto
----
----
----
----
2:15
p.m
.-3:
15 p
.m.
Tift
Mer
ritt
----
----
----
----
3:45
p.m
.-5:
15 p
.m.
The
Ave
tt B
roth
ers
2.C
abin
12:1
5 p.
m.-1
2:20
p.m
.R
affle
----
----
----
----
12:2
0 p.
m.-1
2:45
p.m
.To
m F
eldm
ann
----
----
----
----
1:45
p.m
.-1:
50 p
.m.
Sile
nt A
uctio
nW
inne
rs A
nnou
nced
----
----
----
----
1:50
p.m
.-2:
15 p
.m.
Blin
d B
oy P
axto
n--
----
----
----
--3:
15 p
.m.-
3:20
p.m
.R
afle
- G
rand
priz
edr
awin
g--
----
----
----
--3:
20 p
.m.-
3:45
p.m
.P
okey
LaF
arge
----
----
----
----
5:15
p.m
.-5:
20 p
.m.
Trib
ute
to D
oc a
nd
Mer
le w
ith J
ack
Law
renc
e,B
ill M
athi
s &
T. M
icha
el C
olem
an
3.C
reek
sid
e9:
35 a
.m.-
10:0
0 a.
m.
Sun
day
Mor
ning
Dev
otio
ns w
ithR
ev. R
oy D
obyn
s
----
----
----
----
10:0
0 a.
m.-1
0:45
a.m
.S
pirit
of
Sun
day
with
The
Nas
hvill
e B
lueg
rass
Ban
d--
----
----
----
--11
:00
a.m
.-12:
00 p
.m.
The
Ave
tt Fa
mily
G
ospe
l Hou
r w
ith J
im
Ave
ttan
d Fa
mily
4.L
ittl
e P
icke
rs10
:45
a.m
.-11:
00 a
.m.
Alb
erti
Fle
a C
ircus
----
----
----
----
11:0
0 a.
m.-1
1:45
p.m
.Ju
g B
and
Jam
with
Gre
gg ‘B
uffa
lo’
Bar
field
----
----
----
----
11:4
5 a.
m.-1
2:15
p.m
.T
he I
nter
AC
Tiv
e
The
ater
of
Jef
----
----
----
----
12:1
5 p
.m.-
1:00
p.m
.S
usan
a an
d T
imm
y A
bell
----
----
----
----
1:00
p.m
.-1:
30 p
.m.
Alb
erti
Fle
a C
ircus
----
----
----
----
1:30
p.m
.-2:
30 p
.m.
The
Int
erA
CT
ive
The
ater
of
Jef
----
----
----
----
2:30
p.m
.-3:
00 p
.m.
Alb
erti
Fle
a C
ircus
5.A
mer
ican
a10
:15
a.m
.-11:
15 a
.m.
Sun
day
Mor
ning
B
lues
with
Roy
Boo
k B
inde
r--
----
----
----
--11
:45
a.m
.-12:
30 p
.m.
Jeff
Littl
e an
dW
ayne
Hen
ders
on
----
----
----
----
1:00
p.m
.-1:
45 p
.m.
Eile
n Je
wel
l--
----
----
----
--2:
15 p
.m.-
3:00
p.m
.B
lues
for
Mer
le w
ithR
icha
rd W
atso
n,T.
Mic
hael
Col
eman
, M
itch
Gre
enhi
ll,B
ob H
ill,
Jack
La
wre
nce
and
Jeff
Littl
e
6.Tr
adit
ion
al9:
30 a
.m.-
10:1
5 a.
m.
Sha
pe N
ote
Sin
ging
with
Lau
ra B
oosi
nger
----
----
----
----
10:3
0 a.
m.-1
1:15
a.m
.S
outh
ern
Gos
pel w
ithth
e S
outh
Car
olin
aB
road
ccas
ters
----
----
----
----
11:3
0 a.
m.-1
2:30
p.m
.W
omen
Who
Sin
g Tr
aditi
onal
Mus
ic w
ith
Tara
Nev
ins,
Lau
ra
Boo
sing
er,
Car
ol
Rifk
in a
nd I
vy
She
ppar
d--
----
----
----
--12
:45
p.m
.-1:
30 p
.m.
Pet
e an
d Jo
an
Wer
nick
----
----
----
----
1:45
p.m
.-2:
45 p
.m.
Rile
y B
augu
s an
dK
irk S
utph
in
7.P
icki
n’
Pla
ce10
:00
a.m
.-4:
30 p
.m.
Jam
min
’ at
The
Pic
kin’
Pla
ceT
he P
icki
n’ P
lace
is
mor
e th
an a
sta
ge,
it’s
an e
ntire
ven
ue
devo
ted
to p
icki
n’ a
nd
grin
nin’
!In
clud
ed in
The
P
icki
n’ P
lace
are
the
Trad
ition
al J
amm
in’
Tent
, B
lueg
rass
Ja
mm
in’ T
ent
and
Any
thin
g G
oes
Jam
min
’ Ten
t. B
ring
your
aco
ustic
inst
ru-
men
t to
thi
s ar
ea a
nd
jam
! H
oste
d by
the
W
ilkes
Aco
ustic
Folk
Soc
iety
8.D
ance
11:1
5 a.
m.-1
2:15
p.m
.Fr
eest
yle
Dan
ce t
o O
ld T
ime
Tune
s w
ith
The
She
ets
Fam
ily
Ban
d--
----
----
----
--12
:30
p.m
.-1:
30 p
.m.
Clo
g -
Will
ard
Wat
son
Trib
ute
with
Car
ol
Rifk
in,
Pau
l’s C
reek
B
and
and
Blin
d B
oy
Pax
ton
----
----
----
----
1:45
p.m
.-2:
45 p
.m.
Squ
are
Dan
ce w
ith
The
Sou
th C
arol
ina
Bro
adca
ster
s an
d ca
ller
Gle
nn B
anne
rman
11.
Th
e P
laza
10:0
0 a.
m.-
1:30
p.m
.O
pen
Mic
Brin
g yo
ur in
stru
-m
ents
and
com
e pi
ck
or s
ing
with
Tut
Tay
lor
and
The
Loc
al B
oys!
----
----
----
----
1:45
p.m
.-2:
30 p
.m.
The
Nei
ghbo
rs--
----
----
----
--2:
45 p
.m.-
4:30
p.m
.O
pen
Mic
Brin
g yo
ur in
stru
-m
ents
and
com
e pi
ck
or s
ing
with
Tut
Tay
lor
and
The
Loc
al B
oys!
12.
Hill
sid
e11
:00
a.m
.-11:
45 a
.m.
Cha
tham
Cou
nty
Line
----
----
----
----
12:1
5 p
.m.-
1:00
p.m
.P
okey
LaF
arge
----
----
----
----
1:30
p.m
.-2:
30 p
.m.
Don
na t
he B
uffa
lo
Sun
day,
Apr
il 28
• $165, 4-day• $145, Fri., Sat. and Sun. • $40, Thurs. • $55, Fri. • $60, Sat. • $45, Sun. Gates open at 2:30 p.m. Thurs., and at 9 a.m. Fri., Sat. and Sun.Go to http://www.merlefest.org/Tickets/
Generaladmission
14 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
1.W
atson
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p
.m.
Bayou D
iesel----------------
1:00 p.m
.-1:45 p.m
.E
nter The H
aggis----------------
2:15 p.m
.-3:00 p.m
.D
ella Mae
----------------3:30 p
.m.-4:30 p
.m.
Scythian
----------------4:35 p
.m.-5:25 p
.m.
Break
---------------5:30 p
.m.-6:15 p
.m.
Russell M
oore & IIIrd
Tyme O
ut---------------
6:45 p.m
.-7:30 p.m
.S
teep Canyon
Rangers
---------------8:00 p
.m.-9:15 p
.m.
Am
erican Legacies:T
he Del M
cCoury
Band and the
Preservation H
allJazz B
and----------------
9:45 p.m
.-11:15 p.m
.W
arren Haynes and
Gov’t M
ule
2.C
abin
11:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m
.A
ndy May
----------------12:30 p
.m.-1:00 p
.m.
Chris S
mither
----------------1:45 p
.m.-2:10 p
.m.
Doug M
acLeod----------------
2:10 p.m
.-2:15 p.m
.R
affle----------------
3:00 p.m
.-3:05 p.m
.R
affle---------------
3:05 p.m
.-3:30 p.m
.P
ete and Joan W
ernick---------------
4:30 p.m
.-4:35 p.m
.R
affle---------------
5:00 p.m
.-5:25 p.m
.C
hris Austin
Songw
riting Contest
Winners A
nnounced---------------
5:25 p.m
.-5:30 p.m
.R
affle---------------
6:15 p.m
.-6:20 p.m
.R
affle---------------
6:20 p.m
.-6:45 p.m
.Jeff Little Trio---------------
7:30 p.m
.-7:55 p.m
.Instrum
ent Contest
Winners
Pete W
ernick toannounce w
inners---------------
7:55 p.m
.-8:00 p.m
.Tribute to M
erle---------------
9:15 p.m
.-9:20 p.m
.Tribute to D
ocV
ideo tribute tom
usical talents ofD
oc Watson
---------------9:20 p
.m.-9:45 p
.m.
Phil W
iggins &C
orey Harris
3.C
reekside
9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m
.M
isty River B
and---------------
10:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m
.ToneB
lazers----------------
12:00 p.m
.-12:45 p.m
.T
he Kruger B
rothers---------------
1:15 p.m
.-2:00 p.m
.R
ed Molly
----------------2:30 p
.m.-3:15 p
.m.
The H
oneycutters----------------
3:45 p.m
.-4:30 p.m
.S
nyder Family B
and----------------
5:00 p.m
.-6:00 p.m
.T
he South C
arolina
Broadcasters
4.L
ittle P
ickers9:30 a.m
.-10:15 a.m.
Snyder Fam
ily Band
----------------10:15 a.m
.-10:45 a.m.
The InterA
CT
iveT
heater of Jef----------------
10:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m
.S
usana and Tim
my
Abell
----------------11:30 a.m
.-12:00 p.m
.A
lberti Flea C
ircus----------------
12:00 p.m
.-12:45 p.m
.T
he InterAC
Tive
Theater of Jef----------------
12:45 p.m
.-1:15 p.m
.Jug B
and Jam w
ith G
regg ‘Buffalo’
Barfield
----------------1:15 p
.m.-2:00 p
.m.
Susana and T
imm
yA
bell----------------
2:00 p.m
.-2:15 p.m
.T
he InterAC
Tive
Theater of Jef----------------
2:15 p.m
.-3:00 p.m
.S
teve & R
uth Sm
ith----------------
3:00 p.m
.-3:15 p.m
.A
lberti Flea C
ircus---------------
3:15 p.m
.-4:00 p.m
.Jug B
and Jam w
ith G
regg ‘Buffalo’
Barfield
---------------4:00 p
.m.-4:30 p
.m.
Alberti F
lea Circus
---------------4:30 p
.m.-5:30 p
.m.
Youth Show
casehosted by A
ndy May
---------------5:30 p
.m.-6:00 p
.m.
Alberti F
lea Circus
5.A
merican
a9:45 a.m
.-10:30 a.m.
The H
oneycutters----------------
11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m
.T
he Quebe S
isters B
and----------------
12:15 p.m
.-1:00 p.m
.S
cythian----------------
1:30 p.m
.-2:15 p.m
.T
he Black Lillies
----------------2:45 p
.m.-3:30 p
.m.
Donna the B
uffalo----------------
4:00 p.m
.-4:45 p.m
.T
he Waybacks
----------------5:15 p
.m.-6:00 p
.m.
Matraca B
erg
6.Trad
ition
al10:00 a.m
.-10:45 a.m.
South C
arolina B
roadcasters----------------
11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m
.T
he Sheets Fam
ily B
and----------------
12:00 p.m
.-1:00 p.m
.P
eter Row
an Band
----------------1:15 p
.m.-2:15 p
.m.
Tara Nevins and
Friends----------------
2:30 p.m
.-3:30 p.m
.W
ayne Henderson
and Helen W
hite----------------
3:45 p.m
.-4:45 p.m
.B
anjo Dem
onstration w
ith David H
olt,R
iley Baugus, P
ete W
ernick, George
Buckner, B
lind Boy
Paxton, D
iane Bow
en, S
teve Lewis, R
andy S
heets and Ivy S
heppard
7.P
ickin’
Place
10:00 a.m.-10:00 p
.m.
Jamm
in’ atT
he Pickin’ P
laceT
he Pickin’ P
lace is m
ore than a stage, it’s an entire venue devot-
ed to pickin’ & grin-
nin’! Included in The
Pickin’ P
lace are theTraditional Jam
min’
Tent, Bluegrass
Jamm
in’ Tent, and A
nything Goes
Jamm
in’ Tent. Bring
your acoustic instru-m
ent to this area and jam
! Hosted by the
Wilkes A
coustic Folk
Society.
8.D
ance
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p
.m.
Freestyle Dance w
ith W
ayne Henderson &
Friends
---------------12:30 p
.m.-1:15 p
.m.
Learn to Clog w
ithC
arol Rifkin,
Riley B
augus andK
irk Sutphin
---------------1:30 p
.m.-2:45 p
.m.
Square D
ance with
The S
heets Family
Band and caller
Uncle Ted
---------------3:00 p
.m.-3:45 p
.m.
Old T
imey D
ancew
ith The S
outh C
arolina Broadcasters
---------------4:00 p
.m.-5:00 p
.m.
Hillbilly S
wing D
ance w
ith The French
Broad P
layboys----------------
5:15 p.m
.-6:00 p.m
.C
ajun Dance
Workshop w
ith Bayou
Diesel, and dance
instructorS
tephanie Wolf
----------------6:00 p
.m.-7:00 p
.m.
Break
----------------7:00 p
.m.-8:15 p
.m.
Cajun D
ance with
Bayou D
iesel and dance instructor S
tephanie Wolf
----------------8:30 p
.m.-10:00 p
.m.
Square D
ance with
Paul’s C
reek Band,
Blind B
oy Paxton and
caller Uncle Ted
---------------10:30 p
.m.-11:59 p
.m.
Friday Night D
ancew
ith Scythian
9.M
ayes Pit
10:00 a.m.-10:10 a.m
.W
elcome to the
MerleF
est Workshops
with H
appy Traum---------------
10:10 a.m.-10:45 a.m
.H
omespun W
orkshopw
ith Happy Traum
---------------10:45 a.m
.-11:30 a.m.
Songw
riting Workshop
with D
oug MacLeod,
Patrick S
weany and
Chris S
mither
---------------11:45 a.m
.-12:30 p.m
.G
ospel Guitar
Workshop w
ith Tom
Feldm
ann---------------
12:45 p.m
.-1:30 p.m
.P
iano & K
eyboard W
orkshop with Jeff
Little and Bob H
ill---------------
1:45 p.m
.-2:30 p.m
.H
armonica W
orkshopw
ith Phil W
iggins---------------
2:45 p.m
.-3:30 p.m
.S
torytelling Workshop
with R
oy Book B
inder----------------
3:45 p.m
.-4:30 p.m
.
Flatpicking G
uitar W
orkshop with
Bryan S
utton,Jack Law
rence andH
appy Traum---------------
4:45 p.m
.-5:30 p.m
.Lloyd Loar M
andolinW
orkshop with
Tony William
son
10.A
ustin
inA
lum
ni H
all10:30 a.m
.-11:45 a.m.
The M
erleFest B
anjo C
ontest with Judges
Steven Lew
is, Jeron P
axton and 2012 B
anjo Contest w
inner B
randon Green
---------------11:45 a.m
.-1:00 p.m
.T
he MerleF
est Banjo
Contest w
ith Judges P
ete Wernick, S
teve Lew
is, Jeron Paxton
and 2012 Banjo
Contest w
inner B
randon Green w
ith vocalist Laura
Boosinger
---------------2:00 p
.m.-3:30 p
.m.
The C
hris Austin
Songw
riting Contest
Finals w
ith contest chairm
an Jim
Lauderdale and Judges M
atraca Berg,
Chris S
mither and
Lynda Daw
son---------------
4:00 p.m
.-7:00 p.m
.T
he MerleF
est Guitar
Contest w
ith Judges P
eter Row
an, Uw
e K
ruger and 2012 G
uitar Contest w
inner B
enjamin C
ockman
---------------7:15 p
.m.-8:00 p
.m.
Songw
riter’s C
offeehouse R
egistration---------------
8:00 p.m
.-8:15 p.m
.S
ongwriter’s
Coffeehouse
with A
ndy May
---------------8:35 p
.m.-8:50 p
.m.
Songw
riter’s C
offeehousew
ith Joe Sm
athers---------------
9:10 p.m
.-9:25 p.m
.S
ongwriter’s
Coffeehouse
with M
atraca Berg
---------------9:45 p
.m.-10:00 p
.m.
Songw
riter’s C
offeehousew
ith Tim
my A
bell---------------
10:15 p.m
.-10:30 p.m
.S
ongwriter’s
Coffeehouse
with Lynda D
awson
---------------10:45 p
.m.-11:00 p
.m.
Songw
riter’s C
offeehousew
ith Kym
Warner &
Carol Young
---------------11:15 p
.m.-11:30 p
.m.
Songw
riter’s C
offeehousew
ith Paul Johnson
11.T
he P
laza10:00 a.m
.-1:15 p.m
.O
pen Mic
Bring your instru-
ments and com
e pick or sing w
ith Tut Taylor and T
he Local Boys!
---------------1:15 p
.m.-2:15 p
.m.
The N
ew Fam
iliars---------------
2:30 p.m
.-4:30 p.m
.O
pen Mic
Bring your instru-
ments and com
e pick or sing w
ith Tut Taylor and T
he Local Boys!
---------------4:45 p
.m.-5:30 p
.m.
Johnson’s Crossroad
---------------5:45 p
.m.-7:00 p
.m.
Open M
ic
Bring your instru-
ments and com
e pick or sing w
ith Tut Taylor and T
he Local Boys!
12.H
illside
10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m
.T
he Wild R
umpus
---------------11:45 a.m
.-12:30 p.m
.R
ed Molly
---------------1:00 p
.m.-1:45 p
.m.
The G
reencards---------------
2:15 p.m
.-3:00 p.m
.D
ehlia Low---------------
3:30 p.m
.-4:15 p.m
.E
nter the Haggis
---------------4:45 p
.m.-5:45 p
.m.
The B
lack Lillies---------------
6:15 p.m
.-7:00 p.m
.D
elta Rae
13.W
alker C
enter10:45 a.m
.-11:30 a.m.
Dehlia Low
----------------12:00 p
.m.-12:45 p
.m.
Snyder Fam
ily Band
----------------1:15 p
.m.-2:00 p
.m.
Sutton, H
olt and C
oleman
----------------2:30 p
.m.-3:15 p
.m.
The K
ruger Brothers
----------------3:45 p
.m.-4:30 p
.m.
The Q
uebe Sisters
Band
----------------5:00 p
.m.-5:45 p
.m.
Frosty Morn w
ith R
ichard Watson, T.
Michael C
oleman,
Bob H
ill, Jeff Little, C
liff Miller, and Joe
Sm
others
Friday, A
pril 26
The four-day event that is now MerleFest began as the Merle Wat-son Memorial Festival in 1988, with a goal of being a one-time, one-night concert fundraiser for the Wilkes Community College Gardens.
It quickly became apparent that the festival was destined to be something much bigger. In fact, it is now Wilkes Community College’s primary fundraiser.
From the beginning, the fes-tival has been held in memory of Eddy Merle Watson, son and musical partner of Doc Watson and his wife, RosaLee Watson.
Throughout the event’s first 25 years, it reflected Doc Watson’s “traditional plus” musical tastes and the family-oriented values of the Watsons. Doc and RosaLee Watson both passed on since MerleFest 2012, but organizers have said the festival will remain true to these defining attributes.
To help maintain this family atmosphere and safety, no alco-hol, drugs, tobacco products, glass containers or weapons are allowed.
Also not allowed are:• tents, canopies or chairs that
block the vision of other fans;• unauthorized ATVs, golf carts
or Segways (or similar vehicles);• unauthorized video or audio
recording.
Rules helpkeep familyatmosphere
Free parking and shuttle ser-vices are provided from the Blue Lot in Lowe’s Park at River’s Edge off N.C. 268 West. Boy Scout troops provide a continuous free shuttle service between parking areas and the festival entrance and between camping areas and the festival entrance.
This includes wheelchair acces-sible shuttle services.
Parking for people with state-issued handicapped parking cre-dentials is at Shuttle Stop H in the Blue Lot. Individual and group vol-unteers can park at Shuttle Stop D.
About parking
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 15
1.W
atso
n10
:30
a.m
.-11:
15 a
.m.
Sny
der
Fam
ily B
and
----
----
----
----
11:4
5 p.
m.-1
2:30
p.m
.R
ed M
olly
----
----
----
----
1:00
p.m
.-1:
45 p
.m.
Eile
n Je
wel
l--
----
----
----
--2:
15 p
.m.-
3:00
p.m
.M
ount
ain
Hea
rt--
----
----
----
--3:
30 p
.m.-
4:15
p.m
.P
eter
Row
an--
----
----
----
--4:
15 p
.m.-
5:00
p.m
.B
reak
----
----
----
----
5:05
p.m
.-6:
00 p
.m.
Jerr
y D
ougl
as--
----
----
----
--6:
30 p
.m.-
8:00
p.m
.Tr
ibut
e to
Doc
Jam
host
ed b
y S
am B
ush
----
----
----
----
8:35
p.m
.-9:
50 p
.m.
Sam
Bus
h B
and
----
----
----
----
10:2
0 p.
m.-1
1:50
p.m
.N
itty
Grit
ty D
irt
Ban
d
2.C
abin
11:1
5 a.
m.-1
1:45
a.m
.Jo
hnso
n's
Cro
ssro
ad--
----
----
----
--12
:30
p.m
.-1:
00 p
.m.
Tone
Bla
zers
----
----
----
----
1:45
p.m
.-2:
15 p
.m.
The
Hon
eycu
tters
----
----
----
----
3:00
p.m
.-3:
05 p
.m.
Raf
fle--
----
----
----
--3:
05 p
.m.-
3:30
p.m
.C
hath
am C
ount
y Li
ne--
----
----
----
--5:
00 p
.m.-
5:05
p.m
.R
affle
----
----
----
----
6:00
p.m
.-6:
30 p
.m.
Del
la M
ae
----
----
----
----
8:00
p.m
.-8:
05 p
.m.
Raf
fle--
----
----
----
--8:
05 p
.m.-
8:30
p.m
.T
he Q
uebe
Sis
ters
B
and
----
----
----
----
8:30
p.m
.-8:
35 p
.m.
Trib
ute
to M
erle
----
----
----
----
9:50
p.m
.-9:
55 p
.m.
Trib
ute
to D
ocV
ideo
trib
ute
tom
usic
al t
alen
ts o
fD
oc W
atso
n--
----
----
----
--9:
55 p
.m.-
10:2
0 p
.m.
Mat
raca
Ber
g
3.C
reek
sid
e9:
30 a
.m.-
10:1
5 a.
m.
The
Nei
ghbo
rs--
----
----
----
--10
:45
a.m
.-11:
30 a
.m.
The
Que
be S
iste
rs
Ban
d--
----
----
----
--12
:00
noon
-1:0
0 p.
m.
Cha
tham
Cou
nty
Line
----
----
----
----
1:15
p.m
.-2:
00 p
.m.
The
Kru
ger
Bro
ther
s--
----
----
----
--2:
30 p
.m.-
3:30
p.m
.F
lexi
gras
s Ja
mho
sted
by
Pet
e &
Joa
n W
erni
ck--
----
----
----
--3:
45 p
.m.-
4:45
p.m
.M
ando
Man
iaw
ith S
am B
ush,
Tony
Will
iam
son,
K
ym W
arne
r,Jo
hn T
eer
& o
ther
s.--
----
----
----
--5:
00 p
.m.-
6:00
p.m
.T
he H
oney
cutte
rs
4.Li
ttle
Pic
kers
9:30
a.m
.-10
:30
a.m
.Yo
uth
Sho
wca
ses
host
ed b
y A
ndy
May
----
----
----
----
10:3
0 a.
m.-1
1:00
a.m
.A
lber
ti F
lea
Circ
us--
----
----
----
--11
:00
a.m
.-11:
45 a
.m.
Sus
ana
and
Tim
my
Abe
ll--
----
----
----
--11
:45
a.m
.-12:
15 p
.m.
The
Int
erA
CT
ive
The
ater
of
Jef
----
----
----
----
12:1
5 p
.m.-
1:00
p.m
.Ju
g B
and
Jam
with
G
regg
'Buf
falo
' B
arfie
ld--
----
----
----
--1:
00 p
.m.-
1:15
p.m
.A
lber
ti F
lea
Circ
us--
----
----
----
--1:
15 p
.m.-
2:00
p.m
.S
nyde
r Fa
mily
Ban
d--
----
----
----
--2:
00 p
.m.-
2:15
p.m
.T
he I
nter
AC
Tiv
eT
heat
er o
f Je
f--
----
----
----
--2:
15 p
.m.-
3:00
p.m
.S
usan
a an
d T
imm
y A
bell
----
----
----
----
3:00
p.m
.-3:
15 p
.m.
Alb
erti
Fle
a C
ircus
----
----
----
----
3:15
p.m
.-4:
00 p
.m.
Dan
and
Ale
xF
edor
yka
----
----
----
----
4:00
p.m
.-4:
30 p
.m.
The
Int
erA
CT
ive
The
ater
of
Jef
----
----
----
----
4:30
p.m
.-5:
30 p
.m.
Yout
h S
how
case
ho
sted
by
And
y M
ay--
----
----
----
--5:
30 p
.m.-
6:00
p.m
.A
lber
ti F
lea
Circ
us
5.A
mer
ican
a9:
45 a
.m.-
10:3
0 a.
m.
Eile
n Je
wel
l--
----
----
----
--11
:00
a.m
.-11:
45 a
.m.
Scy
thia
n--
----
----
----
--12
:15
p.m
.-1:
00 p
.m.
Jim
Lau
derd
ale
Ban
d
----
----
----
----
1:30
p.m
.-2:
15 p
.m.
Sut
ton,
Hol
t an
d C
olem
an--
----
----
----
--2:
45 p
.m.-
3:30
p.m
.D
elta
Rae
----
----
----
----
4:00
p.m
.-4:
45 p
.m.
The
Bla
ck L
illie
s--
----
----
----
--5:
15 p
.m.-
6:00
p.m
. T
he K
icki
n' G
rass
B
and
6.Tr
adit
ion
al10
:00
a.m
.-11:
00 a
.m.
Sin
ging
Doc
's S
ongs
w
ith D
avid
Hol
t, W
ayne
Hen
ders
on,
Jack
Law
renc
e, T
. M
icha
el C
olem
an
and
Car
ol R
ifkin
----
----
----
----
11:1
5 a.
m.-1
2:00
noo
nLa
ura
Boo
sing
er--
----
----
----
--12
:15
p.m
.-1:
15 p
.m.
Pet
e an
d Jo
anW
erni
ck w
ithsp
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l gue
st a
rtis
ts
Eric
Elli
s,D
ori F
reem
an a
nd
Sco
tt Fr
eem
an--
----
----
----
--1:
30 p
.m.-
2:15
p.m
.M
ount
ain
Bal
lads
& S
torie
s w
ithO
rvill
e H
icks
----
----
----
----
2:45
p.m
.-3:
45 p
.m.
Car
ol R
ifkin
and
P
aul's
Cre
ek B
and
----
----
----
----
4:00
p.m
.-4:
45 p
.m.
Fid
dle
Dem
onst
ratio
n w
ith T
ara
Nev
ins,
S
teve
Tris
man
,Iv
y S
hepp
ard,
Kirk
Sut
phin
and
R
iley
Bau
gus
----
----
----
----
5:00
p.m
.-6:
00 p
.m.
Afr
ican
Am
eric
an O
ld
Tim
e M
usic
with
B
lind
Boy
Pax
ton
----
----
----
----
6:15
p.m
.-7:
00 p
.m.
The
Sou
th C
arol
ina
Bro
adca
ster
s
7.P
icki
n’
Pla
ce10
:00
a.m
.-10:
00 p
.m.
Jam
min
’ at T
heP
icki
n' P
lace
The
Pic
kin'
Pla
ce is
m
ore
than
a s
tage
, it's
an
ent
ire v
enue
devo
ted
to p
icki
n'&
grin
nin'
!
Incl
uded
inT
he P
icki
n' P
lace
are
th
e Tr
aditi
onal
Jam
min
' Te
nt, t
he B
lueg
rass
Ja
mm
in' T
ent a
ndA
nyth
ing
Goe
sJa
mm
in' T
ent.
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g yo
ur a
cous
tic
inst
rum
ents
to
this
ar
ea a
nd ja
m!
Hos
ted
by t
he W
ilkes
A
cous
tic F
olk
Soc
iety
8.D
ance
11:3
0 a.
m.-1
2:30
p.m
.O
ld T
ime
Dan
ce T
unes
w
ith R
iley
Bau
gus
and
Kirk
Sut
phin
----
----
----
----
12:4
5 p
.m.-
1:45
p.m
.Le
arn
to C
log
with
C
arol
Rifk
in,
Pau
l's
Cre
ek B
and
and
Blin
d B
oy P
axto
n--
----
----
----
--2:
00 p
.m.-
3:30
p.m
.S
quar
e D
ance
with
T
he S
heet
s Fa
mily
B
and
and
calle
r U
ncle
Ted
----
----
----
----
3:45
p.m
.-4:
45 p
.m.
Caj
un D
ance
with
B
ayou
Die
sel
----
----
----
----
5:00
p.m
.-6:
00 p
.m.
Wes
tern
Sw
ing
Wor
k-sh
op w
ith T
he F
renc
h
Bro
ad P
layb
oys
and
danc
e in
stru
ctor
M
iche
lle B
elan
ger
----
----
----
----
6:00
p.m
.-7:
00 p
.m.
Bre
ak--
----
----
----
--7:
00 p
.m.-
8:15
p.m
.W
este
rn &
Hill
billy
S
win
g D
ance
with
T
he F
renc
h B
road
P
layb
oys
----
----
----
----
8:30
p.m
.-10
:00
p.m
.S
quar
e D
ance
with
T
he S
outh
Car
olin
a B
road
cast
ers
ad c
alle
r G
lenn
Ban
nerm
an--
----
----
----
--10
:30
p.m
.-11:
59 p
.m.
Sat
urda
y N
ight
D
ance
Don
na t
he B
uffa
lo
9.M
ayes
Pit
9:30
a.m
.-9:
40 a
.m.
Wel
com
e to
the
Mer
leF
est W
ork-
shop
s w
ith H
appy
Tr
aum
----
----
----
----
9:45
a.m
.-10
:30
a.m
.W
ashb
oard
Wor
ksho
p w
ithG
regg
Bar
field
----
----
----
----
10:4
5 a.
m.-1
1:30
a.m
.T
hum
bpic
kin
Wor
k-sh
op w
ith H
appy
Tr
aum
, La
rry
Nix
on
and
Mik
e P
alm
er o
f th
e B
ankn
otes
----
----
----
----
11:4
5 a.
m.-1
2:30
p.m
.A
nato
my
of t
he
Aco
ustic
Gui
tar
with
W
ayne
Hen
ders
on--
----
----
----
--12
:45
p.m
.-1:
30 p
.m.
Son
gwrit
er's
Wor
ksho
p w
ithT
he A
vett
Bro
ther
s--
----
----
----
--1:
45 p
.m.-
2:30
p.m
.C
ajun
Mus
icW
orks
hop
with
Bay
ou D
iese
l
----
----
----
----
2:45
p.m
.-3:
30 p
.m.
Dul
icm
er W
orks
hop
with
Ste
ve a
ndR
uth
Sm
ith--
----
----
----
--3:
45 p
.m.-
4:30
p.m
.S
tory
telli
ngW
orks
hop
with
O
rvill
e H
icks
----
----
----
----
4:45
p.m
.-5:
30 p
.m.
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er P
artia
l Cap
o W
orks
hop
with
Ran
dall
Will
iam
s
10.
Au
stin
in
Alu
mn
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Emerson to the dynamic in 2010. Delta Rae has opened for such musical acts as Edwin McCain and Hanson. The band debuted at Duke University in October 2009, where Ian and Eric were students.
Donna the BuffaloF, Sa, Su
Donna the Buffalo’s fee-lgood, groove-oriented, danceable and often socially-conscious music began over 20 years ago with roots in old-time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful electric Americana infused with Cajun/zydeco, rock, folk, reggae and country. Donna the Buffalo, based in Trumansburg, N.Y., is known for touring the coun-try and remaining fiercely inde-pendent as one of the industry’s most diverse roots-music bands. Donna the Buffalo includes Jeb Puryear on guitar and vocals; Tara Nevins on fiddle, guitar, accordion, scrubboard and vocals; keyboard-ist Dave McCracken; bassist Kyle Spark; and drummer Mark Raud-abaugh. Donna the Buffalo’s fer-vent fan base, self-named The Herd, follows the band with zeal.
Jerry Douglas F
Dobroist Jerry Douglas of
DONNA THE BUFFALO
JERRY DOUGLAS
Artistscontinued from Page 13
Continued on Page 18
16 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 17
18 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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Leavittsburg, Ohio, has a close association with MerleFest, having performed at the festi-val every year since it began. He has won 13 Grammy Awards, three CMA Musician of the Year awards and numerous Interna-tional Bluegrass Music Associa-tion awards, including multiple Dobro Player of the Year wins. In 2011, Douglas received the annual Americana Honors and Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist. His distinctive sound has graced over 2,000 albums. Douglas’ lat-est album, “Traveler,” finds the world-renowned dobro master, described as “the Muhammad Ali of the dobro” by James Taylor, defying expectations and ignor-ing genre restrictions. It teams him with artists like Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Mumford & Sons, Keb’ Mo’, Marc Cohn, Dr. John, Del McCoury, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, as well as Alison Krauss & Union Station, of which Douglas has been a member since 1998.
Enter The HaggisT, F
Roots rock band Enter The Haggis of Toronto, Canada, has evolved from a wildly popular local band to an established international touring act. Its formula for success has been to record great music, back it up with inspired live performances and tour constantly. This commit-ment to music and fans has seen the band garner top 10 charting positions on Billboard, Amazon
and iTunes, major TV appear-ances and its own PBS spe-cial. The group’s latest release, “Whitelake,” was recorded at a rustic cottage surrounded by Canada’s picturesque landscape.
Mike FarrisSa
Mike Farris of Nashville, Tenn., may be best known as lead vocal-ist and writer for ’90s rock band, The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheel-ies, but it was only after he pur-sued his own musical direction in the early 2000s that he found his calling. Taking a path that intertwines rock, blues and gos-pel allowed Farris to rediscover and reinterpret traditional black gospel music and add his own mix of blue-eyed Southern soul. In 2008, Ferris won the Ameri-cana Music Award for “Best New & Emerging Artist” and a Dove Award in 2009 for the “Best Tradi-tional Gospel” album of the year for “SHOUT! Live.” In 2010, Far-ris was joined by some of Nash-ville’s finest musicians to record “The Night The Cumberland Came Alive” to benefit victims of a 1,000-year flood. His latest release is “Already Alright.”
Tom Feldmann F, Sa, Su
Minnesota native Tom Feld-
mann taught himself to play guitar at age 17 after hearing the recordings of the pioneers of acoustic blues. His debut solo album was released in 1999 and Tom has since spent the years writing, touring and recording his own original gospel compo-sitions as well as carrying on the tradition of solo acoustic blues. Over the last few years, Tom shifted his attention from his own writing to the music of legendary bluesmen that inspired him to pick up the guitar: Son House, Fred McDowell, Mississippi John Hurt, Bukka White, Charlie Pat-ton and others. Stefan Gross-man says, “Tom Feldmann is a master of his craft–whether old country blues and gospel tunes or original compositions. He has it a ll.”
French Broad PlayboysF, Sa
The French Broad Playboys of Asheville perform a healthy mix of Parrish Ellis’ original tunes and western swing clas-sics. Featuring both country and western swing, this band runs the full gambit of the hillbilly jazz genre. Playing everything from wide open, up tempo dance numbers to tear jerkin’ ballads, these boys combine the sounds of Texas with a definite Appala-
ENTER THE HAGGIS MIKE FARRIS
chian flavor.Gov’t MuleF
While Gov’t Mule of Asheville started as a side project, the band has been a favorite of fans and critics alike since they released their self-titled debut project in 1995. With a sound influenced by the Allman Brothers but col-ored by improvisational Southern rock grit of diverse musicians the group continues to leave its stamp on contemporary music both through touring and record-ings. Members of Gov’t Mule are Warren Haynes, Matt Abts, Danny Louis and Jorgen Carlsson. Dur-ing that time Haynes has main-tained his tenure in Gov’t Mule, the Allman Brothers Band and the Dead, and performed or cut tunes with a diverse array of musicians. His performed at the White House and ranked No. 23 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
The Greencards T, F, Sa
From the band’s first notes struck together in 2002 through a 31-date tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, up to and beyond its fifth studio album in 2011, The Greencards have won steadily escalating acclaim for their multi-dimensional Americana vision.
Their releases topped the Bill-board bluegrass charts. In both 2008 (for “Viridian”) and 2010 (for “Fascination”), it was nominated for Grammy Awards in the “Best Country Instrumental” category, and in 2006 it was named “Best New and Emerging Artist” at the Americana Awards. The Austin, Texas-based band earned ova-tions from “newgrass” music devotees at MerleFest and from indie-rock loyalists elsewhere.
Mitch Greenhill Sa, Su
A product of the 1960s Cam-bridge folk music scene, Greenhill recorded two albums for Pres-tige, now reissued as “Shepherd of the City Blues.” In California he performed in the country-rock band Frontier and in California honky-tonks while working as a studio guitarist and producer. After joining his father, Manny Greenhill, at Folklore Produc-tions, he worked as agent/man-ager and producer for Doc and Merle Watson, Taj Mahal and oth-ers. He and Mayne Smith released “Storm Coming “(1979) and “Back Where We’ve Never Been” (1985). On Broadway, he composed origi-nal music for “An Almost Holy Picture,” a dramatic play starring
FELDMAN GOVT’ MULE GREENCARDS GREENHILL
Artistscontinued from Page 15
Continued on Page 19
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 19
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Kevin Bacon. His latest project is the all-acoustic, all-instrumental trio, String Madness.
Wayne HendersonF, Sa, Su
Wayne Henderson’s topnotch finger-picking has delighted Carnegie Hall, three national tours of Masters of the Steel-String Guitar and seven nations in Asia. Henderson is a luthier of great renown. He is a recipi-ent of a 1995 National Heritage Award presented by the National Endowment for the Arts. He produces about 20 instruments a year, mostly guitars. Doc Wat-son, who was a good friend, used to stop at Henderson’s shop in Rugby to pick a few tunes. Doc said of his Henderson mandolin, “That Henderson mandolin is as good as any I’ve had my hands on. And that’s saying a lot, because I’ve picked up some good ones.” Blues guitarist John Cephas called Henderson “probably the
most masterful guitar maker in this whole United States.”
David HoltF, Sa
Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt of Garland, Texas, is a musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer who is dedicated to performing and preserving traditional American music and stories. Holt performed with Doc Watson for 14 years, which he says was the highlight of his 30-year career. In 1968, he started his journey in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. With a passion to become an oldtime banjo player, Holt trav-eled to remote mountain com-munities searching for the best
traditional musicians. He and Watson won two Grammys for “Legacy,” a three-CD set with interviews, music and a live con-cert. Holt has hosted numerous television shows and performed and recorded with many of his mentors including Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs. He can be heard each week on public radio’s “River-walk Jazz” and seen in the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” In 2011, Holt was given the Uncle Dave Macon Heritage Award for presenting and preserving old-time mountain music.
The HoneycuttersF, Sa
In a world that is increasingly digitalized and impersonal, the
Asheville-based Honeycutters are building a reputation based on live performance and songs. Singer/songwriter Amanda Anne Platt of Asheville has been hailed as “one of the best songwriters coming out of WNC these days” by WNCW. Lead guitarist Peter James complements Platt’s vocals. Tal Taylor on mandolin, Ian Harrod on bass and Richard Faulk on the drums effortlessly round out the band’s sound, creating an original brand of Americana.
InterACTiveTheater of Jef F, Sa, Su
Lumberton-based Jef is happy to be returning to the Little Pick-ers Stage and MerleFest this year.
As a mime and juggler for over 35 years, Jef’s work has often been associated with the world of music. He has performed his wacky brand of mime, mask and variety arts at fairs and festivals throughout the South. As a solo-ist and ensemble member, he’s opened for the likes of The Pres-ervation Hall Jazz Band and Doc Watson. He’s appeared with the Charlotte Symphony and several times with the North Carolina Symphony.
Eilen JewellSa, Su
Since her official 2006 debut, “Boundary County,” Eilen Jewell of Boise, Idaho, has surveyed a
HENDERSON DAVID HOLT THE HONEYCUTTERS EILEN JEWELL
INTREACTIVETHEATEROF JEF
Artistscontinued from Page 18
Continued on Page 20
20 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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wide range of traditional music, from folk and jug band in her early recordings, through an album homage to Loretta Lynn and the country gospel of her work with The Sacred Shakers, to 2009’s “Sea of Tears,” which bristled with the elec-tricity of ‘60s UK garage rock and Chi-cago blues. Queen of the Minor Key draws on everything from classic country to early R&B, with an emphasis on sounds from the seamier side of the tracks. Eilen Jewell is the Queen of the Minor Key. Sad songs are her wealth and finery.
Johnson’s CrossroadT, F, Sa
Johnson’s Crossroad of Asheville has been described as everything from “Appa-lachian soul” to “hillbilly metal.” The group took its love of oldtime mountain music, bluegrass and the Texas singer/songwriters of the 1970s and put its own stamp on the increasingly popular Amer-icana genre. Beginning in Lewisburg, W.Va., Johnson’s Crossroad performed the songs the members love and began to craft their own material. Founding mem-bers Paul Johnson (rhythm, vocals) and Keith Minguez (mandolin, harmonies) moved to Asheville and formed a touring band. The band’s 2011 album, “Mocking-bird,” put songwriter Paul Johnson in line with Guy Clark and Zac Brown.
The Kickin Grass BandF, Sa
The Kickin Grass Band of Raleigh made its mark on the roots music scene with original songs that reflect the depth and breadth of the human experience. Consist-ing of mandolinist Jamie Daw-son, fiddler Pattie Hopkins, bassist Pat-rick Walsh, banjo player Hank Smith and guitarist, songwriter and signature lead
vocalist Lynda Dawson, the Kickin Grass Band draws on traditional and contem-porary bluegrass to create an equally vintage and progressive sound.
Pokey LaFarge Sa, Su
Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three of St. Louis, Mo., has a creative mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing. Led by guitar-plucking troubadour Pokey LaFarge, the group achieves timelessness with original songs while honoring legend-ary artists of yesterday through covered tunes. Accompanied by The South City Three, Pokey uses his booming voice as an instrument with an incredible range.
Jack Lawrence F, Su
Jack Lawrence of Harrisburg has been called a “flat-picking powerhouse.” He combines high-spirited and innovative guitar solos with tasteful phrasing in his own style. Known as Doc Watson’s partner starting in the early 1980s, his talents are featured on Doc’s Grammy winner, “On Praying Ground,” and many of his other recordings. His solo project, “About Time,” released in 1997, show-cases Lawrence’s guitar style and rich, warm vocals. He assembled some of the friends for the April 2002 release of “I Don’t Need The Whiskey Anymore,” fea-turing Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tony Williamson, The Del McCoury Band and Doc Watson. It reflects how Watson, Mis-
sissippi John Hurt, Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs and the Allman Brothers influenced him.
Doug MacLeodF, Sa
Doug MacLeod of Saint Louis, Mo., is known for superb songwriting, gui-tar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, wit and unforgettable live performances. MacLeod has a unique, unorthodox and powerfully rhythmic acoustic guitar style. His relentless right hand pounds out an insistent, churning beat to comple-ment his intricate bottleneck and finger-style technique. He was a sideman for many blues notables. Over 26 years, 18 studio albums, several live records, com-pilations and two DVDs, MacLeod has consistently earned raves. He was nomi-nated for the 2013 Blues Mu-sic Award
for Acoustic “Artist of the Year.”
Andy May F, Sa
By his 20th birthday in 1969, singer, songwriter, guitarist, mandolinist, pro-ducer and educator Andy May of New York City had played Carnegie Hall and won the Grand Championship on guitar at the fabled Union Grove Old-Time Fid-dler’s Convention. Swift River Music, the record label started and runs, received the IBMA Recorded Event of the Year award for “Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother” in 2008. May has appeared with Merle Haggard, Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, Nickel Creek, Brownie McGee and Sonny Terry, Tom Paxton, Jerry Jeff Walker and many others.
JOHNSON’S CROSSROADS KICKIN GRASS BAND POKEY LaFARGE LAWRENCE MAYMacLEOD
Artistscontinued from Page 19
Continued on Page 21
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 21
Tift MerrittSu
Singer-songwriter Tift Merritt of Raleigh was at UNC-Chapel Hill study-ing creative writing when she, Zeke Hutchins, gui-tarist Greg Reading and bassist Jay Brown formed The Carbines in 1998. The band became a fixture on North Carolina’s roots
instrumentation. With over 14 recordings to date, IIIrd Tyme Out maintains a heavy touring schedule, including stops on the Grand Ole Opry and GAC and RFD chan-nel programs.
Mountain Heart Sa
Mountain Heart of Nashville, Tenn., is the band that has been fearlessly revolu-tionizing the way acoustic music can be pre-sented and played. The band’s name has been synonymous with cuttingedge excellence in acoustic music circles since the group’s creation in 1999. Widely known throughout the music industry for continually redefining the boundaries of acoustic music, the band has gained legions of loyal fans both as a result of their superlative musicianship, and more notably, its incomparably exciting live performances. As one of the most highly awarded ensembles ever assembled, Moun-tain Heart, or members of the band, have either won or been nominated for Grammys, ACM, CMA, and multiple IBMA Awards. They have ap-peared on the revered stage of the Grand Ole Opry in excess of 125 times and have shared the stage with acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montgomery Gentry, Merle Haggard, George Jones and Brad Paisley to Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, The Avett Broth-ers, Levon Helm, John Fogerty and Patty Loveless.
MISTY RIVER BAND
RUSSELL MOORE & IIIrd TYME OUT
MOUNTAIN HEART
music scene. She won MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting contest, and soon had a recording contract with Lost Highway records. The band recorded her debut album, “Bramble Rose,” in 2002. It landed on Time Magazine and New Yorker’s top 10 lists and was called the best debut of the year in any genre by the Associated Press. She subsequently released “Tambourine,” “Another Country,” “Buckingham Solo” and “Traveling Alone.”
Misty River BandT, F, Sa
The Misty River Band has seen its share of changes in the past 26 years, but a love of bluegrass music among the band’s members has remained constant. They play traditional bluegrass, bluegrass gospel and newer sounds of bluegrass. With mixing the old and new styles, the hope is that the music appeals to both the older and younger audiences. The band members’ backgrounds in jazz, blues, folk and gospel adds depth and diversity to their music. Members are Deward Huie, lead vocals; Bud Martin, harmony vocals; Dwight Burks, guitar and harmony vocals; and Jack Bouchard, guitar.
Russell Moore& IIIrd Tyme OutF
IIIrd Tyme Out of Cumming, Ga., was nearly an overnight success when formed in 1991. Since then, it has become one of the world’s top bluegrass groups. The band has won over 50 industry awards, includ-ing IBMA “Vocal Group of the Year” seven times. Band member Russell Moore was named IBMA “Male Vocalist of the Year” five times. It was named “Bluegrass Band of the Year” and Moore was named “Male Vocalist of the Year,” both by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America. The band is defined by its vocals and its a cappella renditions of many songs can barely be matched, but it has superb
TIFT MERRITT
Artistscontinued from Page 20
Continued on Page 22
22 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
“Trendy SpringFashions For The
Woman On The Go”
Michael Martin MurpheySa, Su
Michael Martin Murphey of Dallas, Texas, is in the West-ern Music Hall of Fame and has numerous awards and honors from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, Academy of Country Music, the Grammy Awards, Country Music Association Awards and King of the Cowboys Award. He was made a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Ameri-can Quarter Horse Association. His song, “Wildfire,” is one of the most played songs in the history of radio, in all formats. Murphey made over 35 albums, with hits and millions of sales. He is the first singing cowboy to attain a “Certified Gold Album” in cow-boy music since Marty Robbins. Lyle Lovett, Kenny Rogers, John Denver and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded his songs. He is a rancher and was chosen spokesman and entertainer for The American Farm Bureau Federation and Society of Range Management.
NashvilleBluegrass BandSa, Su
The Nashville Bluegrass Band has won two Grammy Awards for albums, was IBMA Entertainer of the Year twice and IBMA Vocal Group of the Year four times. Collectively and singularly, the band’s members have virtually defined modern bluegrass. NBB toured and performed with Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Alison
Krauss & Union Station, Lyle Lovett and Mary Chapin Carpen-ter. It recorded with Peter Rowan, Maura O’Connell, Jerry Doug-las and Clint Black; appeared on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. III;” and collaborated with Johnny Cash on the “Dead Man Walking” soundtrack. Lead singer Pat Enright is one of the voices of the Soggy Bottom Boys, the fictional oldtime trio in the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Alan O’Bryant, Mike Compton and Stuart Duncan appeared on the film’s Platinum soundtrack, and NBB performed as part of the “Down from the Mountain” tour. Stuart Duncan’s fiddling is featured on “Cold Mountain.”
Neighbors T, F, Sa, Su
A little bit of bluegrass, a little bit of country and a little bit of rock and roll with some comedy thrown in best describes the Lenoir-based Neighbors, which includes Bob Henson (guitar, vocals), Gary Saunders (banjo,
vocals), Todd McLoud (bass, vocals), Rick Everhardt (man-dolin). The band has evolved in musicianship and personnel several times during 10 years of performing. Originally, the group began as informal picking ses-sions each others’ living rooms and front porches. What began as a means to express a passion for acoustic music has grown to the dynamic group. For three years the band has provided music for an outdoor drama at Cross-nore School called “Miracle on the Mountain, which chronicles the life of school founder Mary Martin Sloop. The band provided music for the play “Smoke on the Mountain” in Hudson.
New FamiliarsT, F
The New Familiars of Char-lotte has been touring and play-ing its own style of American rock & roll for years. The band’s sound combines nitty-gritty roots music of Appalachia with guitar-drenched-drum-driven anthems of rock & roll. With songs about
love, luck, traveling the road and finding one’s place in the world, the band’s new album, “Between the Moon & the Morning Light,” represents all the band has expe-rienced in the last five years. It features guest performances by Bob Crawford of the Avett Broth-ers, Tania Elizabeth of the Duhks and Sam Quinn, formerly of the Everybodyfields.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Sa
The iconic Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, formed in 1966 and often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement in country rock and American roots music, continues adding to its legendary status. With multiplatinum and gold records, strings of top 10 hits like “An American Dream,” “Fishin’ in the Dark” and “Mr. Bojangles,” multiple Grammy, IBMA and CMA awards and nominations, the band’s accolades continue to accumulate. The groundbreak-ing “Will the Circle Be Unbro-ken” album was inducted into the U.S. Library of Congress and
the Grammy Hall of Fame. The Long Beach, Calif.-based band’s recording of “Mr. Bojangles” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010. As the first Ameri-can band to go behind the Iron Curtain of 1977 Soviet Union, it introduced bluegrass to the Rus-sian audience. The band’s unique acoustic-driven and country rock continues keeps it on the road, with 90 shows in 2012. NGDB is comprised of Jeff Hanna (vocals/guitars), Jimmie Fadden (har-monica, drums, vocals), Bob Carpenter (keyboards, vocals) and John McEuen (banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, lap steel).
Paul’s Creek Band F, Sa, Su
Formed on a back porch over-looking Paul’s Creek in Asheville, the Paul’s Creek Band is one of the region’s finest acoustic string bands. Rooted in traditional sounds, the band’s focus is sing-ing and harmonies, old songs and original music with danceability
MURPHEY NASHVILLE BLUEGRASS BAND NEIGHBORS
NITTY GRITTY DIRT BANDPAUL’S CREEK BANDNEW FAMILIARS
Artistscontinued from Page 21
Continued on Page 23
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 23
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and high-energy fun. Mountain stories and humor are scattered throughout. Band member Carol Rifkin is an award-winning musi-cian (guitar, fiddle and vocals), dancer, journalist and public radio host who performed with Tommy Jarrell, Doc and Merle Watson and others. Bass player Jamie Soesbee lends fine har-mony and lead vocals. Tom Pittman (banjo, Dobro, vocals) brings dry wit and years of tour-ing and radio experience. He also is a public radio host. Quebe Sisters BandF, Sa
Audiences are blown away when Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe (pronounced Kwaybee) play their fiddles and sing their vintage-style three-part harmony. Add Joey McKenzie’s rhythm gui-tar and Drew Phelps’ swinging upright bass and you can see why QSB’s music has taken the Americana music scene by storm. They perform a refreshing blend
of western swing, vintage coun-try, bluegrass, jazz and swing standards, and Texas-style fid-dling. The band received the Western Music Association’s 2007 “Crescendo Award.” It won “Western Swing Album of the Year” from the Academy of West-ern Artists in 2008. The Denton, Texas-based band performed at the Grand Ole Opry, the Ken-nedy Center, NYC’s Lincoln Cen-ter, the Ryman Auditorium and other notable venues, as well as with Ricky Skaggs, Merle Hag-gard, Marty Stuart, Asleep at the Wheel and others.
Red MollyT, F, Sa
The new Red Molly CD, “Light in the Sky,” features a cappella ballads, bluegrass-tinged folk and a bit of jazzy western swing, all with Red Molly’s threepart har-monies, Dobro licks and inven-tive arrangements. The band, based in Jersey City, N.J., began in 2004 when Laurie MacAllis-ter (guitar, banjo, bass), Abbie Gardner (dobro, guitar) and Caro-lann Solebello (guitar, bass) sat
around a campfire singing and talking at a folk festival. The band is known for its lively, engaging stage performances. When Sole-bello stepped down last year, MacAllister and Gardner asked Austin-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Molly Venter to join. MacAllister said Venter’s sound “is a bit pop-oriented, and while it hasn’t changed our overall sound, I’d say it’s a bit more gutsy, upbeat and modern.”
Carol Rifkin F, Sa, Su
As a young solo artist, Carol Rifkin of Asheville danced with heroes like Doc and Merle Watson and appeared in the 1985 British TV special “Down Home, Appa-lachia to Nashville” with Tommy Jarrell. She is a long-time member of the Green Grass Cloggers and appeared with them in several Emmy Award-winning network productions and at the Smith-sonian, MerleFest and Philadel-phia Folk festivals. She writes about music for the Asheville Citizen Times, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, SingOut and more
and co-hosts WNCW’s “This Old Porch.” Rifkin emcees Ashe-ville’s annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival and other events, co-founded the Lake Eden Arts Festival, hosts the MerleFest dance stage and studies under master fiddler Arvil Freeman.
Peter Rowan BandF, Sa
Peter Rowan of Boston, Mass., has been performing since 1963, and today is still making waves in the music world. Not one to pigeonhole himself into any particular genre, Peter is con-sidered a chameleon. 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, 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 blue-grass band consists of dyed-in-the wool traditional players Jody Stecher (mandolin, fiddle), Keith Little (banjo) and Paul Knight (bass). The band features origi-nal songs written by Rowan. The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band’s debut recording, “Legacy,” fea-
CAROL RIFKIN
PETER ROWAN
RED MOLLY
QUEBE SISTERS BAND
Artistscontinued from Page 22
Continued on Page 24
24 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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tures traditional and original compositions. It features Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Ricky Skaggs and Del McCoury. The album earned a 2010 Grammy nomination.
Leon RussellT
Leon Russell of Tulsa, Okla., is a legendary musician and songwriter who has been per-forming his gospel-infused southern boogie piano rock, blues and country music for over 50 years. He led Joe Cocker’s “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” tour and performed with George Har-rison and Friends at the Concert for Bangladesh. Leon has toured with Delaney & Bon-nie and Friends, Edgar Winter, The New Grass Revival, Willie Nelson and Elton John. His songwriting credits include “A Song for You,” “Delta Lady,” “Hummingbird,” “Lady Blue,” “Back to the Island,” “Tight Rope” and “This Masquer-
ade.” Russell and Elton John recorded a duet album produced by T. Bone Burnett, The Union, which was released October 19, 2010. A 16-track compilation CD, “The Best of Leon Russell,” was released on April 5, 2011. Rus-sell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and given the award for Recording Excel-lence in March 2011. He was inducted into the Song-writers Hall of Fame in June 2011.
ScythianF, Sa
Scythian (sith-ee-yin) started several years ago as a group of street performers. Scythian is Alexander Fedoryka (violin, mandolin, harmonica, bass, vocals), Josef Crosby (violin, bass, vocals), Danylo Fedo-ryka (rhythm guitar, accordion, vocals), Ben-David Warner (banjo, fiddle, viola, guitar, tenor banjo, mandolin, vo-cals) and Andrew Toy (drums/per-cussion). Each member brings classical training, a rich heri-tage and contagious enthusiasm, mak-ing Scythian a dynamic and
engaging group. Rousing and raucous, Scythian plays kicked-up Celtic and world music with hints of Gypsy and klezmer, all infused with a touch of punk-rock sensibility. Take a pair of classi-cally trained dueling fid-dlers, add a rhythm guitar and occasional funky accordion, and then power it with the driving rhythm of a jazz percussionist, and you’ve got a memorable show. The reper-toire ranges from traditional and contem-porary Celtic and folk to Gypsy and Eastern European tunes, and crosses back to traditional bluegrass.
The Sigmon StringersT, F, Sa, Su
The Newton-based three-gen-eration bluegrass band, The Sig-mon Stringers, has something to offer all ages. The original band members Clinton Sigmon, his two sons Randy and Mark, and life-long friend Ray Barger have been performing since the early ’70s. They performed with Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Jimmy Martin and Ralph Stanley and
others. The youngest members are Randy’s daughter Anna (banjo) and Mark’s kids, Beau (lead guitar, mandolin), Mollie (mandolin, vocals) and 10-year-old Maggie (fiddle, vocals). The band was thrilled to open for Doc Watson at the Old Soldiers Reunion Celebration in Newton.
Chris Smither F, Sa
Having distilled his own sig-nature sound of blues and folk for over 40 years, Chris Smither of Boston, Mass., is an Ameri-can original. From his early days as a New Orleans transplant in the Boston folk scene to his reemergence in the 1990s as one of America’s most distinctive acoustic performers, Smither continues to hone his character-
istic sound. Smither’s songs have been played by Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Diana Krall. Reviewers praise his dazzling guitar work, gravelly voice and songwriting: His 2012 release, “Hundred Dollar Valentine,” is his first recording to feature all Smither-penned, original songs.
LEON RUSSELL CHRIS SMITHER
SIGMON STRINGERS
SCYTHIAN
Artistscontinued from Page 23
Continued on Page 25
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 25
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Joe SmothersF, Sa
Joe Smothers is a native of North Carolina now living in Georgia. While attending Appalachian State, he met three other musicians and formed the band, Fried Chicken and Watermelon. Fried Chicken and Watermelon had the oppor-tunity to do a show with Doc and Merle Watson, and Merle took a liking to this group of musicians. Smothers joined Merle’s band, Frosty Morn, and recorded and played shows with Doc. Joe would also join Jack Lawrence to form the duo Smothers and Lawrence for a recording project and touring. Joe is writing songs and one won an award in 2007 at the Kansas Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield. He is a founding member of the band Skan-nyardle in Valdosta, Ga., as well as a member of Kingfish Stevens. He also does solo shows.
Snyder Family BandF, Sa
The Snyder Family Band of Lexington features siblings Zeb and Samantha Snyder; their dad, Bud Snyder, backs them on upright bass, and mom, Laine Snyder, occasionally joins with harmony vocals. Owen, 7, sings or plays guitar. Samantha, 14, is an award-winning fiddler and top-notch songwriter. Her most recent win-nings include the 2011 Bluegrass Fiddle Contest at the Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, Va. In 2008, at age 9, she became the youngest winner of “Fiddler of the Festival” at Fiddler’s Grove. Zeb, 17, credits a Doc Watson instructional DVD for his early flatpicking training. In 2011 he became the South Carolina Guitar Champion at RenoFest in Hartsville, S.C. He won adult guitar at the 2011 Old Fiddler’s Conven-tion in Galax, Va. Zeb also plays mandolin and banjo. This is their fourth time at MerleFest.
South CarolinaBroadcastersF, Sa, Su
Ivy Sheppard (fiddle, banjo, gui-tar, vocals), Sarah Osborne (banjo, vocals) and David Sheppard (gui-tar, vocals) are busy creating their
own musical legacy while carrying on the East Tennessee tradition of hard-driving rhythms and close harmony singing. Drawing their inspiration from the Carter Fam-ily and early country duos, the Charleston, S.C.-based trio aims to keep alive the roots of Ameri-can traditional music. From fiddle tunes to gospel favorites to origi-nals, the band’s performance will take you back in time while mak-ing traditional music at home in the 21st century. “And what they sound like,” said Virginia State Folklor-ist Jon Lohman, “is an arresting trio of fine musicians, playing the music they love the only way they know how, resulting in a sound that melds a seasoned artistry with playful exuberance.”
Steep Canyon RangersF
Fresh off their 2013 Grammy win for Best Bluegrass Album for “Nobody Knows You,” the Steep Canyon Rangers from Asheville are living, picking proof that blue-grass music can adapt to its times without losing its history and that artistry plus dedication can launch a major career. In 10 years (a short spell in bluegrass), this five-piece band graduated from stairwell jams at UNC-Chapel Hill to Amer-ica’s greatest stages, including the Grand Ole Opry and a national tour with Steve Martin. The four founding Rangers—lead singer/guitarist Woody Platt, mandolinist Mike Guggino, bassist Charles R. Humphrey III and banjo player Gra-ham Sharp—added fiddler Nicky Sanders in 2007. The Rangers are best known for their enthralling, good-timing live shows at venues that run the gamut from bluegrass and Americana festivals to major international music events, to rock venues on the jam band circuit.
Bryan SuttonF, Sa
Bryan Sutton of Asheville seemed to come out of nowhere as part of Ricky Skaggs’ return to bluegrass in 1997. Bluegrass Unlimited’s review of “Bluegrass Rules!” took special note of his “spellbinding solos...[which] estab-lish him as a musician who bears close scrutiny.” An appearance on Tina Adair’s, “Just You Wait And
See” (Sugar Hill) led another re-viewer to call him “a guitarist to be reckoned with.” All in all, it was a remarkable welcome for a young musician. Sutton started playing the guitar at age 8. By high school graduation, he was immersed in bluegrass, jazz and rock and roll, playing in an array of bands and making his first recordings. He added mandolin, banjo and fiddle to his considerable guitar abili-ties. In 1995, Sutton joined Ricky Skaggs’ “Kentucky Thunder.” By 1998 he was turning heads with his work behind Skaggs and appear-ing on some of the highest-profile bluegrass releases. In 1999, Sutton retired from Kentucky Thunder to devote himself to recording work. In the fall of 2000, he was named IBMA “Guitar Player of the Year.”
Sutton, Holtand ColemanF, Sa
There is a deep river of tra-ditional music running through North Carolina. Grammy Award winners David Holt, Bryan Sutton, and T. Michael Coleman explore the richness of that musical cul-ture. Each has been inspired by and performed with Doc Watson over the years. Holt spent the last 35 years collecting and performing traditional music from Southern mountaineers. Sutton has been called the finest acoustic guitarist in America. He is five-time winner of the IBMA Guitarist of the Year Award and in 2007 won a Grammy Award with Doc Watson for Best Instrumental. Bassist Coleman played with Doc and Merle Watson for 17 years as well as with Seldom Scene and Chesapeake. He is an award winning videographer and filmmaker.
Patrick SweanyF, Sa
Patrick Sweany of Massillon, Ohio, is a musical omnivore, devouring every popular music sound of the last 70 years, and
mixing them into his own stew. He plays through blues, folk, soul, bluegrass, maybe some classic 50s rock or a punk speed-ball. Yet, the one thing that most people notice about Patrick is his authenticity. As a kid, he spent hours teaching himself to finger-
STEEP CANYON RANGERSSMOTHERS
SOUTH CAROLNA BROADCASTERS
SNYDER FAMILYSUTTONSWEANY
Artistscontinued from Page 24
Continued on Page 26
26 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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pick along to Leadbelly, Lightnin’ Hopkins and other folk-blues giants. In his late teens, Patrick began playing the clubs and coffee-houses around Kent, Ohio, gaining a reputation for the intricate coun-tryblues style he was developing. Pat ventured from the acoustic world as his love of 50s era soul and rock led him to form a band.
Tut TaylorT, F, Sa, Su
It began near the banks of the Oconee River in Baldwin County, Ga., about the time of World War II. A young Tut Taylor taught himself to play a Dobro with a flatpick. The resulting sound was fresh and unique, and it became Tut’s trademark. Through the years he became one of bluegrass music’s most appreciated musicians for his contributions to the music, on and off the stage. From his association with musicians like Norman Blake, Roland and Clarence White, John Hartford and Vassar Clements, to playing in Roy Acuff’s band at the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Audi-torium, to opening doors for young fiddler Mark O’Connor on his first trip to Nashville, to involvement with the Grammy-winning record-ing, “The Great Dobro Sessions,” Taylor has been in the thick of bluegrass, oldtime and country for a long time.
Happy TraumSa
Happy Traum began playing guitar and five-string banjo as a teenager and was an active
participant of the legendary Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1950s and ‘60s. Happy first appeared on record at a historic session in 1963 when a group of young folk musicians, 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.” Happy and his wife, Jane, founded Homespun Tapes in 1967. The company has a catalog of over 500 music lessons on DVD, videotape and CD, and their products are sold around the globe. Happy produces all of the lessons.
Rhonda Vincent& The RageT
Bluegrass vocalist and fiddler Rhonda of Kirksville, Mo., Vin-cent began her professional music career at the age of 5, playing drums with her family’s band, the Sally Mountain Show. She picked up the mandolin at 8 and the fiddle at 10, performing with the family band at festivals on weekends. She was famously crowned as “the new
queen of bluegrass” by the Wall Street Journal and is the most dec-orated artist in that field. Her 2001 album, “The Storm Still Rages,” was nominated for seven IBMA awards, including “Female Vocal-ist of the Year,” while fiddle player Michael Cleveland and banjo player Tom Adams earned nominations in their respective instrumental categories. A three-year unbroken string of IBMA “Female Vocalist of the Year” awards led to the 2003 release of One Step Ahead. Her lat-est project, Sunday Mornin’ Singin’, was released in 2012. The band has won over 80 awards.
WaybacksF, Sa
The San Francisco-based Way-backs draw freely from old school and the old world, but the Way-backs are no throwback. They’ve been erroneously pigeonholed as a bluegrass band and celebrated as purveyors of “acoustic mayhem. “The whole spirit of improvisa-tion—that’s always been the cor-nerstone of this band for me,” said founding singer, songwriter and guitarist James Nash. “Through all the stylistic changes and regard-less of the instruments we’re play-ing, to me the fun of this band has always been that in some ways I can do whatever I feel like doing at any moment.” Besides Nash, The
Waybacks include drummer Chuck Hamilton, bass player Joe Kyle Jr. and the newest member, fiddler and mandolinist Warren Hood. The Waybacks host the hugely popular Hillside Album Hour at MerleFest each year.
Pete and Joan WernickT, F, Sa, Su
Pete and Joan Wernick of New York City are MerleFest regulars going back to Pete’s appearances with Hot Rize in the festival’s early years. Wernick has played all but one MerleFest and on every stage at the festival. He and Joan special-ize in down-home harmonies, with Joan’s soulful singing set off by Pete’s masterful banjo work. Wer-nick is known for his role in the progressive bands, Country Cook-ing and Hot Rize, and his ongoing experimental project, Pete Wer-nick & Flexigrass. Wernick is also known for his best-selling instruc-tion books, videos and workshops. Joan has hosted a bluegrass radio show on KGNU in Boulder, Colo., since 1978. The two host bluegrass camps nationwide, including their annual “flagship” MerleFest Jam Camp at the YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s Camp Herring Ridge for four days before each festival. The campers perform on the Cabin Stage on MerleFest’s first day.
Ted WhiteF, Sa
Ted White is a bluegrass bass player, dance caller and storyteller from Henderson County. In addi-tion to playing bass as a member of Whitewater Bluegrass Company, White adds storytelling, Opry-style comedy and dance-calling. “I’m a third-generation square dance caller in my family. My maternal grandfather called all the dances at Lake Summit and Tryon for years. I also learned from Glenn Bannerman and his whole fam-ily,” he said. White callS for moun-tain circle, Western swing, contra and oldtime dancing. White and Whitewater Bluegrass Company received a North Carolina Arts Council grant and the Pfaff Cup from Warren Wilson College. He has performed at Warren Wilson College, the Mountain Heritage Center and the Carter Family Fold.
Phil Wiggins& Corey HarrisF, Sa
The acoustic guitar and har-monica blues duo of Corey Har-ris of Denver, Colo., and Phil Wiggins of Washington, D.C., offer a unique blend of Afri-can, Caribbean and European music. Harris has been touring
TUT TAYLOR HAPPY TRAUM RHONDA VINCENT WAYBACKSPETE and JOAN
WERNICK TED WHITE WIGGINS and HARRIS
Artistscontinued from Page 25
Continued on Page 27
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 27
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and recording professionally for over a decade and has brought his roots and reggae tinged blues music to locales around the world. Harris received a $500,000 “genius grant” from the MacArthur Foundation to help explore his musical leanings in 2007. He traveled and lived in West Africa, and his music and recordings explored these black music roots. Wiggins, a gifted harmonica player, song-writer, singer and actor, began his musical career with some of Washington’s leading blues artists.
Wild RumpusT, F, Sa, Su
The Wild Rumpus of Fayette-ville, W.Va., is an original string band led by singer-songwriter Andrew Adkins. The band’s debut album, “Love, Trains & Home,” rolls together bluegrass, swing, country and rock & roll for a unique style. The band’s
influences range from Leonard Cohen to Jimmy Martin and touch everything in between while maintaining an instantly recognizable sound and will start your legs to dancing.
Tony WilliamsonF, Sa
Mandolin virtuoso Tony Wil-liamson of Ramseur has dazzled audiences for many years, per-forming around the world on stage and in the studio with Alison Krauss, Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice, Vassar Clements, David Grisman, Sam Bush, Mike Marshall, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Robin and Linda Wil-liams and others. He received awards and nominations from many national music organiza-tions and performed for Luci-ano Pavarotti. He received an Indie nomination in Southern gospel music for his album, “Let Us Cross Over the River.” He founded Mandolin Central in 1990, an international resource of mandolin lore, vintage instru-ments and accessories.
WILD RUMPUS
TONY WILLIAMSON
Four-day reserved seating, with chairs provided, is available in front of the Watson Stage. Unoccupied reserved seats may be used by anyone before 5 p.m. or until the owner returns. Special wristbands are required for admission or readmission to the reserved seating area after 5 p.m.
Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis at all other stages and behind the reserved seating area at the Watson Stage.
Children 12 and younger get in free with a paying adult everywhere except in the reserved seating area, where a four-day reserved seating wristband is required for all.
Children 12 and under get front-of-house seating at the Little Pickers Stage. Except festival-owned “reserved seats,” all chairs and blankets must be removed daily. Free on-site, overnight storage is available.
Artistscontinued from Page 26
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Nonprofit organizations selling food at MerleFest have something for every taste, including:
• Boomer-Ferguson PTO: pizza, dill pickles, pickled eggs and pickled sausage;
• BSA Troop 333/Mtn. View Ruritan: BBQ chicken, chicken wings, veggies, baked sweet potatoes and fries, desserts;
• BROC: tacos, burritos, salads, que-sadillas, beans, churros, giant muffins;
• Central Wilkes Middle PTSO: black-ened ribeye sandwiches, grilled grouper sandwiches, turkey legs, roasted pork loin sandwiches, roasted corn, brownie bites;
• Communities In Schools: pinto beans, cornbread, baked potatoes, chicken wraps, veggie wraps, strawberry shortcake;
• Dennyville Baptist Church: BBQ pork, BBQ ribs, beans, slaw;
• Fishing Creek Arbor Baptist: fried fish, hushpuppies, fried chicken, french fries, cheese fries, onion petals, beans;
• North Wilkesboro Elementary: sno cones, funnel cakes;
• North Wilkesboro Kiwanis: Philly steak and cheese, curly fries, apple frit-ters, apple dumplings, fried apple chips and caramel, peeled apples;
• North Wilkesboro Lions: popcorn, roasted peanuts, pretzels, trail mix, nachos with cheese;
• Vandalia School cheerleaders: corn dogs, chicken and cheese sandwiches, Polish sausage, gyros, Saratoga swirls, ice cream, frozen chocolate bananas, icees;
• Vikings Athletics Club: chicken on-a-stick, tofu, rice and grilled veggies, noodles and grilled veggie plate, egg rolls;
• WCC Culinary Club: profiteroles, cupcakes, cinnamon buns, soup and baguette, yogurt, salads, biscotti, chips, sandwiches, chicken Caesar salad with corn muffins, vegetarian red beans and rice, shrimp and grits, jambalaya with chicken, ham and sausage, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, grilled salmon;
• West Wilkes Athletic Boosters: Bel-gian waffles, biscuits (different types), bananas, apples, hash rounds, grits, fried pickles, breakfast plates, desserts;
• Wilkes Civitan: Italian sausage, chicken parmesan, Italian meatballs, pasta with sauce, mozzarella cheese sticks, onion rings, Jalapeno poppers with cheddar cheese, mushrooms, breadstick;
• Wilkes Family YMCA: hot dogs, chips.
Festival food meets all tastes
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 29
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The varied talents of musicians from Wilkes and adjoining coun-ties enrich MerleFest every year.
At this year’s festival, they include:
BanknotesT, F, Sa, Su
The Banknotes were formed by a group of Wilkes County musi-cians who were friends with Mer-leFest co-founder Bill Young, who passed away in 1992. It includes R.G. Absher, Randy Gambill, Billy Gee, Tony Joines, Mike Palmer, Jeff Pardue, Donnie Story and Wes Tuttle. They represent some of the best musical talent in Wil-kes. They all have been involved in MerleFest since it began. Each member knew Young, a retired banker and virtuoso in the Chet Atkins-style of guitar playing, and participated in jam sessions at his home in Wilkesboro. Banknotes perform a mixture of Americana, which includes bluegrass, Celtic and thumb and finger-style guitar playing.
Orville Hicks Sa
Orville Hicks of Beech Moun-tain grew up in a family steeped in the storytelling tradition. His mother, Sarah Ann Harmon Hicks, told tales to her children as nighttime entertainment and to pass time while they were doing tedious farm work. As a young man, Hicks often visited the home of Ray and Rosa Hicks, who lived over the ridge from his home place. “Ray would sit there
and tell me a tale or two. I never thought there was anybody like Ray. So I learned from him and he encouraged me to tell tales.” Ray Hicks, a National Heritage Fel-lowship Award recipient, encour-aged Hicks to develop his own style and repertory.
Kruger Brothers F, Sa, Su
Some call it jazz. Some, classi-cal. Some call it bluegrass. Cer-tainly, the music of the Kruger Brothers is all of that and more. Experience what happens when these innovative and soulful world-class virtuosos put on one-of-a-kind performance that is breath-taking and unforgettable. When you listen to the music of the Kruger Brothers, you can’t help but be amazed by the sheer depth of their artistry. Originally from Europe, now living in North Carolina, they were first intro-duced to American audiences in 1997, quickly gaining the attention of fans and the music industry alike. Drawing on a rich
cultural palette, theirs is a music that celebrates the best of what music can be: exciting, engaging, intelligent and delightful. In an ever-expanding body of work, Jens Kruger, Uwe Kruger and Joel Landsberg personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition. Doc Watson said, “The Kruger Brothers is just about as fine a band as I’ve ever played with. I love to play with them.” Go to http://www.kruger-brothers.com/ for more details.
Jim LauderdaleF, Sa
Two-time Grammy Award-winner Jim Lauderdale of Trout-man is successful in both country and bluegrass. His career has taken him all over the nation and abroad. “Lquel-Jim” won “Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year” at the first Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Show in 2002. He hosted the same show for seven years. Lauderdale is on Nashville’s “A”
list of song-writers, with songs recorded by Patty Love-less, George Jones, The Dixie Chicks, Solomon Burke, Mark Chesnutt, Dave Edmunds, John Mayall, Kathy Mattea, Lee Ann Womack, Gary Allan, Blake Shelton, Vince Gill, George Strait and others. Lauderdale toured with Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpen-ter, Rhonda Vincent and Elvis Costello and others.
Jeff Little Trio F, Sa, Su
The piano normally isn’t promi-nent in Appalachian music and is rarely the lead instrument, but Jeff Little of Boone is responsible for a remarkable exception. His style is distinctive for speed, precision and clarity. His family
ran Little’s Music Store in Boone. Among musicians who frequently dropped by to play there was Doc Watson, a neighbor and close family friend whose music helped shape Little’s piano style. A pro-fessional musician since age 14, Little is conversant with oldtime, country, bluegrass, rockabilly and blues. With a rack-mounted harmonica and vocals, he can also be a one-man show. He lived in Nashville, Tenn., and worked as a session man, touring and working with Keith Urban and others. In 2004, he returned to the Blue Ridge to direct Guilford Technical Community College’s music industry program.
Wilkes area musicians have strong presence at MerleFest
BANKNOTES
JIM LAUDERDALE KRUGER BROTHERS
ORVILLE HICKS JEFF LITTLE
Continued on Page 30
30 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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The Local BoysT, F, Sa, Su
The Local Boys, based in Wilkes County, are a prime example of a band waiting for the appellation, “Americana,” since “bluegrass” just doesn’t cover their material. 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 oldtime country and bluegrass.
The Local Boys are fairly standard in their acoustic instrumental arrangement: two gui-tars, bass, banjo and mandolin.
Where they differ from most groups is that they have 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 to render any song.
Go to http://www.gigmasters.com/Live-Band/The-Local-Boys/ for more details.
Sheets Family BandF, Sa, Su
The Sheets Family Band is an oldtime string band from Vilas. The band features Randy Sheets (banjo), Kelly Sheets Snider (fiddle) and Deborah Jean Sheets (guitar).
Known for harmonizing and energetic instrumentals, the band embodies the val-ues of homemade and homegrown music and lifestyle.
Its oldtime mountain style takes inspi-ration from the music of the Appalachian Mountains and beyond.
They play a variety of lively fiddle tunes, gospel songs, ballads and a few drinking songs too.
Rooted in a belief that music is an essential part of life, this band welcomes opportunities to teach and share in an effort to sustain tra-ditions with a spirit of musical participation.
Members of the band represented this region at the National Folk Festival, the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center and numerous festivals in the Appalachian region. Go to http://thesheetsfamilyband.blogspot.com/ for more details.
Steve and Ruth SmithF, Sa, Su
Steve and Ruth Smith of Zionville return for their third appearance at MerleFest. They play a blend of Appalachian heritage music with Celtic roots, featuring hammered dul-cimer, mountain dulcimer, guitar and banjo.
Ohio Magazine says their music has “the soul of mountain music and the gentle grace of mountain air.” It combines the richness of centuries old Appalachian and Celtic musical traditions with original music about moun-tain life and rural Appalachian values.
Ruth is known for playing the hammered dulcimer. Steve adds fingerstyle guitar, claw-hammer and North Carolina up-picking styles banjo and vocals. Go to http://www.stevean-druth.com/ for more details.
Kirk SutphinF, Sa, Su
Ask any oldtime fiddler who their favorite young fiddler is and Kirk Sutphin will likely be high on the list. Sutphin is truly a musi-cian’s musician. His talents on the fiddle are matched by his exceptional skill on the banjo, both clawhammer and finger-picking styles.
Sutphin grew up in Walkertown, heavily exposed to traditional music of the region from the Round Peak fiddle styles of Surry County to the banjo picking of Charlie Poole. Sutphin is a master of Poole’s music. Throughout his life, Kirk has made an effort to visit with countless older musicians of the area.
He learned tunes from many musicians born around the turn of the 20th century. As a young boy, Kirk was the protégé of famous Surry fiddler Tommy Jarrell. He spent many hours playing music with Jarrell, learning his fiddle style. Sutphin, to Jarrell’s own admis-sion, captured the nuance of his fiddling more than anyone. Kirk dug deeper into the older mountain fiddling sounds of Jarrell’s dad, Ben Jarrell, and the old Galax fiddler, Emmett Lundy.
His focus also extends to the Piedmont. Go to http://www.old97wrecords.com/kirk-sutphin/ for more details.
ToneBlazersT, F, Sa, Su
The ToneBlazers’ repertoire is an Ameri-
cana mix of their own original material. The Tone-Blazers’ third album, Perfect Place, was released this month just in time for MerleF-est 2013.
Guitar powerhouse and vocalist Jack Law-rence played with Carl Story in the 1970s and in the New Deal String Band and Bluegrass Alliance. In 1983, he began a stint of over 25 years touring and recording with Doc Watson.
Jim Ashton (pedal steel guitar, banjo) is the ultimate utility-man on the songwriting circuit. Ashton’s silk-sound pedal steel guitar, fusion-brained banjo and original composi-tions are all stout.
Billy Gee (bass, vocals) is the consummate bassist. He has rocked with Bo Diddley and toured with bluegrass legend Charlie Waller as a member of the Country Gentlemen.
Dale Meyer (electric/acoustic/resonator guitars, vocals) fronts the band. Dale has appeared on NBC with the blues band Keen-
fish and on PBS’s “Songs of the Mountain.”Jody Call (percussion) is the versatile
rhythm motor in the machine. Jody finished a stint with the Kruger Brothers before joining the ToneBlazers.
Randy Gambill (mandolin, guitar, vocals) contributes songwriting and has toured Europe, promoting Americana and bluegrass music. Go to http://www.toneblazers.com/ for more details.
Charles WelchSa
Charles Welch of Boone is a longtime friend, neighbor and picking pal of the Wat-son 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. Welch is a a special guest at this year’s MerleFest.
THE LOCAL BOYS KIRK SUTPHIN TONEBLAZERSCHARLES WELCH SHEETS FAMILY BAND SMITHS
Artistscontinued from Page 29
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013 • 31
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32 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April 2013
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