Cookin’ With Grass bu Susan Marquez

What started as a way to pass down some favorite recipes to a beloved daughter has turned into a popular cookbook series. “I was walking back to my office one day and thought it would be a good idea to type up some of those typical recipes families make – the ones you don’t really find in cookbooks anymore,” says Becky Cantrell. “I was really thinking about breakfast casseroles and the like. I planned on typing up the recipes and putting them in a notebook for my daughter.”

But then Becky got a bigger, better idea. “One day, I thought it would be a good idea to gather recipes from bluegrass performers and put together a cookbook of their recipes along with their stories of the recipes.”

That sounded like a simple, clear cut idea. After all, Becky’s husband, Kyle Cantrell is the program director of SiriusXM Radio’s Bluegrass Junction. Prior to that job, he had a 21- year career at WSM Radio and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. So Becky had a leg-up on contacting the artists she wanted to submit recipes. “Well, not all of them,” she says. “Kyle knew some of them, but I had to track the others down, which was probably the hardest and most time-consuming part of the whole process.”

Determined, Becky searched out the artists she wanted in the book on the Internet. “I would message them on Facebook and send emails through their websites. I spent about a year and a half to two years gathering the recipes.

And that was just the beginning. Becky followed each recipe to the letter in her own home. “Each recipe is kitchen-tested by me!” Most recipes were just as she thought they’d be, but one, in particular, came out different from expected. “It tasted good, but it was denser than I had imagined it would be, so I called the person who submitted the recipe and told him I must have done something wrong. I called out each ingredient, and when I came to the flour, I said all-purpose flour. He said ‘no, it’s supposed to be self-rising flour!’ I tried the recipe again, with self-rising flour and it was delicious!” Becky admits she wasn’t an avid cook prior to producing the cookbooks, but she has become one. “I really enjoy trying all these recipes and spending more time in the kitchen because of it.” She edited each entry, but never changed the recipe. Instead, Becky added editor’s notes to the end of many of the recipes, with suggestions on how to enhance it, or tips she learned while making it.

Her first cookbook, Cookin’ With Grass, Recipes from some of your favorite Bluegrass artists, was published in 2016. The book sold well, with many of the artists selling it at their merch table at concerts and festivals. “There were even artists selling the book who didn’t have a recipe in it!”

The book was popular with seasoned cooks as well as novice cooks. “I tried to write this cookbook in a way that even the most inexperienced cook could be successful in the kitchen,” says Becky. In the front of the book, Becky writes, “Please be merciful to me if the directions are too detailed or too specific.” She outlines tools for a well-appointed kitchen and how to use them, and details ingredients, how to cook with eggs, cookware and temperatures, definitions, and “this and that.” Like most cookbooks, Becky’s book is divided into sections that include appetizers, soups, salads, breads, main dishes, side dishes, desserts and miscellaneous.

Never dreaming she’d ever do one book, let alone two, Becky is now actively working on her third book. The second book, Cookin’ With Grass II, Recipes from some of your favorite Bluegrass artists, includes more detailed tips for the novice chef, which covers such topics as measuring flour, the wonders of paper towels in the kitchen, tasting food, how to keep ice cream from getting ‘icy’ and even an ode to Crème Fraiche. “I dedicated my first book to my husband, children, mother, and father, and the second book was dedicated to my friends. If I had known I’d be doing so many books, I would have spread the dedications out!”

Donna Ulisse wrote the blurb on the back of the book, part of which says, “The bluegrass genre is rich in Americana living so the contributions made by this talented group represented here know the delicious and down-home goodness. These troubadours will floor you with soul-filling music when they are on the stages of America and soulful food within these pages packed with Becky’s dream of sharing wonderful recipes.” The books are available on Amazon, or by contacting Becky through her Facebook page. And of course, you’ll find them on merch tables at bluegrass festivals and concerts around the country!

Walking Tacos

By Lou Reid (Lou Reid & Carolina and Seldom Scene)

Cookin’ With Grass, Recipes from some of your favorite Bluegrass artists

Each person can make their own walking tack – buffet style. This one is a favorite at the North Iredell High School concession stands; our daughters, Regan and Mackie, are athletes at North. We spend a lot of time at games! This is also a great meal idea when entertaining lots of teens. Easy and quick clean up! – L. R.

1-2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning

Variety case of small bags of Doritos®

1 bag shredded lettuce

1 jar salsa

1 bag finely shredded cheddar cheese

1 container (16 ounces) sour cream

In a large skillet, brown the beef with the chopped onion. Drain and discard grease. Add taco seasoning, mix well.

Before opening a bag of chips, gently crush chips inside the bag. Open the bag, add the meat and choice of other ingredients into the bag. Grab a fork and eat out of the bag. Voila! Walking tacos! Killer Mashed Potatoes

By Kyle Cantrell (SiriusXM Radio)

Cookin’ With Grass, Recipes from some of your favorite Bluegrass artists

There are mashed potatoes – then there are Mashed Potatoes! These are moist and full of flavor. Once you’ve tried them, you’ll know why we call them “Killer Mashed Potatoes!” – K.C.

2 ½ pounds potatoes

1 container (16 ounces) sour cream

1 stick butter

1 package dry ranch dressing mix

Cook potatoes until done, either by an oven, microwave, or boiling. If microwaving or baking, be sure to cut slits in the potatoes to keep them from exploding. Peel potatoes (while hot if possible – it helps in melting the butter) and place potatoes in a mixing bowl, discarding the peeling. Add sour cream, butter and ranch dressing mix. Mix until everything is well blended.

You can make a day or two ahead and refrigerate. Warm them in the oven before you plan to serve them.

You can use this as stuffing for twice-baked potatoes. Bake the potatoes in the microwave or oven. Cut an oval in the top of the potato, scoop out the pulp and mix as per the above directions. Spoon mashed potatoes back into potato skins, top with shredded cheese, and heat in the oven or microwave.

Hot Feta Artichoke Dip

By Donna Ulisse

Cookin’ With Grass, Recipes from some of your favorite Bluegrass artists II

I love cooking Italian dinners up for family and friends and had always longed for an appetizer that would taste good with ante pasta salad. The initial recipe hooked me with the words, “feta cheese” – one of my all-time favorites! After making it several times I added tastes I loved and reduced tastes I wasn’t crazy about and this is the result. It’s a gooda! – D.U.

1 can (24 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained

2 packages (8 ounces each) crumbled Athenos® feta cheese

¾ – 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 jar (4 ounces) diced pimiento, drained

1 large clove garlic, pressed

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine artichoke hearts, feta cheese, mayonnaise, pimiento, and garlic. Mix well. Spread in a 9” pie plate or shallow dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with tomatoes and green onion.

ORDER BECKY’S COOKBOOKS HERE

Earthly Pleasures

The Men of Wood Belly Find Harmony in Nature By Stephen Pitalo

If you talk to the members of Wood Belly, you’ll find certain imagery consistently emerging. There’s always talk of music sprouting from the dirt, or breathing through the trees, or rooted in the soil, or planted in the ground. Clearly, the earth holds a foundation for these men, these winners of the Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition in 2018, and this collective of Chris Weist on mandolin, Craig Patterson on guitar, Chris Zink on dobro, Aaron McCloskey on banjo and Taylor Shuck on bass, looks to continue that growth even further with their new album, Man on the Radio.

But where does this connection with the earth come from? “I think that a great love of the outdoors is initially what brought us all out to Colorado,” said Zink. “I know it was for me. Yes, I think the idea with having the word wood in the name is to evoke an image of nature. We all play acoustic instruments that put forth natural tones, that resonate from the belly of the instrument. Therefore, it seemed fitting to name the band as we did. “I think our music and bluegrass, in general, sits in harmony with the natural world because it doesn’t require electricity,” Weist elaborated.

“Connections begin to develop when you’re able to travel into the natural world and draw inspiration from it. The name is derived from picking at festivals with the wood of your instrument pressed up against your belly all night. There’s a pretty literal connection to nature in that sense I suppose.”

Weist, Patterson and Zink met at the RockyGrass Festival in 2015, and within a year, teamed up with McCloskey and Shuck. With a sound born in rhythm and a driving steadiness, the Wood Belly music brings tradition into today seamlessly.

“When I first met Craig at RockyGrass,” recalled Weist, “we both were more interested in teaching and learning each other’s songs than the standards. Most of the other musicians were calling songs that have been in the veins of bluegrass tradition for years so when you get a chance to pick a tune with the author, it’s a special experience in and of itself.”

The collected influences of the five, both musical and cultural, cover a broad spectrum: The Band, John Hartford, Edgar Meyer, Tony Rice, Jean-Luc Picard, Jerry Douglas, Sally Van Meter, Mike Auldridge, Ralph Mooney, Alan Munde, Joe Carr, Carl Dimow, Alex Johnstone, Taylor Sims, Chris Elliott, Jayme Stone, and Tony Trischka, as well as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and their birthplace, RockyGrass. Oh, and lest we leave them out, Chris Zink cites “curry dishes, rivers, lakes and streams, pine trees, my dog, the universe, and the color green.”

Weist sees the new album Man on the Radio is a step up from their earlier effort Solid Ground.

“We have all matured — slightly,” he said. “And we were able to home in on the sound that defines Wood Belly. You should expect a vibrant array of songs and textures that keep one foot on tradition and one reaching for a new foothold.”

Zink concurred. “I feel like the material is stronger,” he said, “our playing is better, and the arrangements are more interesting. We knew what to expect from the studio this time, having already finished two other projects, and having our producer Sally Van Meter on board was a huge benefit. I am proud of our first two releases, but I think this one is a big step forward for us.”

Taylor pointed out that most Man on the Radio songs were written after the formation of the band, while all the Solid Ground songs were written before.

“So, Man on the Radio songs feel like they were written for this band,” he said, “and have a direction and cohesiveness, even somewhat of a theme. This being our sophomore shot at a record gave us more assuredness and we had a vision in mind before we even stepped into the studio.”

Zink said that the Wood Belly songwriting process typically starts with a song brought to the table that is “mostly worked out. Then we play it as a band over and over until it feels good,” he added. “During this process, ideas are tossed out and different arrangements are experimented with until we all reach an agreement on how the song should go.” Weist said that his songs often come from a melody that he pins to a chord progression, and then the style and emotions of the music inform the lyrical content. “I’ll build out from there until I have a few verses and chorus and bring to the band for further tinkering,” he said.

As for where the ideas originate, Taylor said anywhere and everywhere.

“The songs already exist; we just happen to be in the right place at the right time and pick the fruit of the song off the tree of inspiration and work it into tangible music. You have to listen before you can create, and that’s what we do with this band and each other. Listen.”

WHAT WOOD YOU SAY?

MEMBERS REVEAL LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THEMSELVES:

Aaron McCloskey: I build custom tube amplifiers.

Chris Weist: I learned to play mandolin while hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Craig Patterson: I keep bees in my backyard.

Taylor Shuck: I’m a retired child actor starring in “Rescue 911”. And I secretly love Jimmy Buffett. Chris Zink: I’m a giant University of Kentucky fan.

It Takes Two

McKay & Leigh = Love & Humor by Stephen Pitalo

How did a fluent Spanish speaker who loves pre-Colombian art and history end up writing songs with the 1993 Vergas, Minnesota Loon Calling Champion? Just lucky, they guess.

Brennen Leigh was well-rooted in Austin, where she moved after growing up playing in a family band in Minnesota. “I was attracted to the scene in Austin,” she says. “It was a great place to learn and get better at what I do.”

Meanwhile, McKay fronted the regionally popular McKay Brothers (Cold Beer and Hot Tamales), a band legendary songwriter Guy Clark had been championing for years. “Noel and Brennen are great songwriters,” says Clark, whose albumMy Favorite Picture of You contains the McKay co-write “El Coyote.” The album went on to win a Grammy for best Folk album in 2014. Meanwhile, Leigh’s solo high watermark The Box garnered national attention. Fans know that Lee Ann Womack, Sunny Sweeney, Sarah Borges, and Charley Crockett have covered her proudly traditional country songs.

So, it turns out that the combination of Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay tug at your heartstrings as much as they tickle your funny bone. Their album Before the World Was Made began taking shape in 2012. From the silly “Let’s Don’t Get Married” to the geographically lovestruck “Let’s Go to Lubbock on Vacation,” the duo’s whimsical take on romance still hits its mark. No doubt their fans long for more gems like “Salty Kisses in the Sand” and “Great Big Oldsmobile”.

“We kind of set out to make out a record of songs that we were singing together, even if it wasn’t specifically duet songs,” McKay said of their latest work. “We both have solo careers to think about, but we’ll probably revisit this over and over and it’s a nice thing we can keep doing.”

“We got to where people were asking us about certain songs and lumping us together in their mind,” Leigh said, “so we thought we should make something to pay homage to that. Of course, people like the funny ones the best.” That first meeting in Seguin, Texas, in 2002 was a twist of fate and kismet all wrapped up in the same burrito.

“We were friends through the Texas music scene for five or six years before we ever went on to write a song together,” Leigh admitted.

“The writing part came very easily when we finally did get around to it. We were double booked, Brennen and her brother Seth and my brother and me,” McKay said. “I knew Brennen had a certain greatness right away. She was clearly coming from a somewhat different place regarding influences and knowledge of repertoire, but we had some in common as well.”

Leigh said her big influences are not just musicians like Bob Wills, Jimmie Rodgers, Carter Family, Norman Blake, and Doc Watson.

“My favorite authors are Willa Cather, Sinclair Lewis, and Edith Wharton,” she said. “I’d say all of these influences factor in equally.”

McKay believes he owes much to the great Guy Clark.

“He took an interest in my songs when I was a relatively young writer and artist, and I listened to his records pretty much nonstop from that point forward,” McKay said. “I opened a lot of shows for him and wrote a few songs with him as well. I’m also influenced by the Mexican music that was sort of omnipresent in South Texas when I was growing up. I heard a lot of honkytonk music and some Cajun music as well.”

With these two, one would think it’s all laughs all the time, but is writing songs more like fun or more like work for McKay & Leigh?

“With Noel, it’s more fun,” Leigh said. “Writing with Brennen is always fun,” McKay admitted. “She’s in it to dig out the best possible song. I’m trying to do the same. It’s usually hard work, mentally.”

In the songwriting, Leigh said that she gets ideas from the everyday conversation more than any other place. McKay said he has a fairly predictable pattern.

“[I have an] idea-collection where I write down pieces of inspiration in a list that sits there until the next phase, which is turning them into realized, playable songs, [then] repeat ad infinitum.”

Both McKay and Leigh see the other’s best traits, the talents that helped their duo rise to a higher level.

“Noel is a relentless perfectionist when it comes to songwriting,” Leigh said. “He also brings unique influences to our group: Mexican music, to name one thing. That spices up my fairly strictly 30s-60s country and bluegrass aesthetic.”

“In addition to the obvious greatness in singing, she writes in a fearless way and brings a specific un-self-conscious mid- western-ness that offsets my own inescapable Texas-ness,” McKay said. Sisters in Bluegrass

Taking on the World of Blue

By: Shelby C. Berry

With three years of touring and more than a decade of playing music, The Burnett Sisters Band brings its four-part harmony sound to festivals and events across the United States. Anissa, Kathleen, Anneli and Sophia front a band of fiddles, rhythm guitars, mandolins, big bass fiddle, and sibling harmonies. The North Carolina-based group presents a unique blend of traditionally rooted music, influenced by bluegrass and classic country greats alike.

“Doc Watson is a huge influence on our sound. He’s actually from right up the road from us,” said Kathleen. “So, we grew up listening to a lot of his music. We are also influenced by great country musicians and duets like Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, The Judds, Keith Whitley, the Dixie Chicks and, of course, Rhonda Vincent.”

Combine the musical stylings of Doc Watson, The Judds, and Patsy Cline, and you have none other than The Burnett Sisters Band, a highly entertaining, engaging and enthralling group of musicians driven by a haunting sibling harmony.

“Our biggest asset as a band is our live show,” Kathleen added, “We love to connect with our audience, and we feel it’s important that everyone feels included.”

Innovation and inclusivity across multiple genres have led the sisters to channel the musical connection of traditional old sounds with new tunes and current vocals. The Burnett Sisters Band strives to take their music back to its roots while keeping it alive and relevant for today.

Kathleen and Anissa, the oldest sisters, are multi- instrumentalists and vocalists who began their musical journey by learning to play the fiddle and performing in churches and theaters. The Burnett Sisters Band only began playing and touring together professionally three years ago when the youngest of the Burnett sisters, Sophie and Anneli, became old enough to perform with their siblings. However, the girls spent much of their childhood playing music, specifically bluegrass gospel.

“Our dad played the guitar, and he dreamed of having his children play music,” said Kathleen. “He was always one of our biggest inspirations, and he bought me a tiny little fiddle when I was only four years old.”

Influenced at an early age by local instructors and musicians in the area, Kathleen and Anissa developed their style of music through the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program in Boone, North Carolina.

All the Burnett Sisters eventually made their way into the JAM program, forming their own bands and learning new instruments. Drawn to the big bass fiddle at the age of ten, Sophie is now known for the solid and steady rhythm she brings to The Burnett Sisters Band. Anneli, the youngest of the sisters, is a multi-instrumentalist that focuses on the mandolin as her primary instrument, but she can also play a mean old-time fiddle tune.

While all the Burnett Sisters began their musical journey with the fiddle, it is Anissa who is known for the unique qualities of traditional, yet contemporary, style she brings to The Burnett Sisters Band.

In 2019 alone, she won blue ribbons at the Appalachian Fiddlers Convention, Yadkin Valley Fiddlers Convention, and ETSU Bluegrass Competition as well as winning second place at multiple competitions.

With The Burnett Sisters Band as their primary focus, Kathleen and Anissa have become who they are as musicians with outside influences on their career, such as the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old-time and Country Music program where they are seniors and their secondary band with young bluegrass musician Cody Bauer, High Country Strings.

Today, after a lifetime of playing together and years of performing professionally, The Burnett Sisters Band have come into their own as artists – showing this to the world with their debut album Long Way from Home.

“We created this album to show an example of who we are,” said Anissa. Debuting on February 9 of this year, the sisters’ first album hit number one within weeks of its release, and their music video for their first single My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man hit the top ten on Airplay Direct the same week.

“It’s taken us years of hard work and dreams to get here, where we have a number one album, and it is so very special to us,” said Kathleen.

Leading up to the album, The Burnett Sisters Band was asked to join former bandmate Willow Dillion for an episode of David Holt’s State of Music on PBS in November, and they will be returning for another PBS special on March 7 to sing some of their favorite songs from Long Way from Home.

The Burnett sisters are tasting success and owe Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars for much of the exposure that got them to the table.

“Back in 2015, John Colburn was all over the Facebook community showing his support for young artists, and he inspired us to join,” said Anissa. “Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars gave us some awesome opportunities to play festivals and showcases that we wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to do. We are super thankful to everyone who is a part of that organization.”

While the Burnett sisters are grateful for the opportunities over the last three years and the success of their debut album, they are most thankful for doing all this as a family.

“All four of us have the same goal. We all want to do this so badly, and we are there to give support and encourage one another. It’s very special to be doing what we are doing right now,” said Kathleen.

The Burnett Sisters Band is kicking off a busy year of touring this March with multiple shows including Folk in the Park in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina and WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour.

For a full schedule, to support The Burnett Sisters Band or to purchase their debut album, visit https://www.burnettsistersband.com/.

Set on Fire by the Fiddle

By Kara Martinez Bachman

When phosphorus strikes the side of a matchbox, something flaming is set loose. For many musicians, picking up their instruments for the first time was something akin to striking a sonic match inside their hearts.

This was certainly true for Elizabeth “Lizzy” Long, vocalist and fiddle player of The Little Roy and Lizzy Show.

“Fiddle always set me on fire,” she said, reminiscing about the early days of learning her instrument, dating back to when this Georgia gal was just eight or nine years old. “I got a fifty-dollar J.C. Penney fiddle for Christmas and never put it down. I drove everybody nuts,” she said, laughing about how her early practice grated on those around her since she never stopped. She also played piano, guitar, autoharp, bass, banjo, and mandolin. Fiddle, though, was her main passion.

“It was just a thing,” she explained. “Most musicians just have that thing that you can’t explain. It’s like a yearning inside.”

That yearning may have been influenced by her great uncle, who played the fiddle. There was one problem, though; her great uncle wasn’t into bluegrass, so she “had to learn the bluegrass style from any way I could get.” One person from whom she has certainly learned a lot about bluegrass music is bandmate, banjo and guitar player, and Georgia Music Hall of Fame and IBMA Hall of Honor member, Little Roy. The duo are joined in The Little Roy and Lizzy Show by supporting musicians Perry Poirier (bass), Andy Stinnett (guitar) and Matthew Songmaker (mandolin). The band does anywhere from 60 to 120 tour dates per year.

In addition to touring, there’s also the duo’s namesake, the Little Roy and Lizzy Music Festival, happening for its eighth year on April 30 and May 1-2 in Lincolnton, Georgia. “Our fest isn’t a straight-up bluegrass festival,” Long explained. “I didn’t want our festival to be restricted to a certain style, because I like everything.” It is for this reason that the 2020 lineup includes not just well-known bluegrass acts such as Del McCoury and Rhonda Vincent, but features other genres as well.

“Our festival is so down-to-earth and so high-energy,” Long promised.

She also promised quite a bit more coming to fans in the next year. The band will be doing two bluegrass cruises in January of 2021; will continue touring; and according to Long, the band “will probably be back in the studio sometime by the end of the summer.”

Long also releases some music on her own.

“I’ve been in the studio,” she said. “I’ve got a new record coming out in May. A solo album.”

It’s been a rough few months for the fiddle player, as she’s just getting past a back surgery that’s caused her trouble. She’s still not in tip-top shape but keeps on truckin’. She’s still rubbing her bow on strings and picking her heart out, but from a seated position for the time being. In a few more months, once she’s back to her old self, she’ll be standing up and delivering the music from her feet as she always has.

That’s where she hopes she can bring fans — to their feet. It’s not a difficult task for an accomplished musician such as Long. She’s played with the likes of Mac Wiseman, The Lewis Family, and even Earl Scruggs. She’s won a Dove Award for a duet she did with Rhonda Vincent; has gotten accolades from various organizations; has had one of her solo songs hit #2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Charts, and is one of the youngest fiddlers inducted into America’s Old Time Fiddler’s Country Hall of Fame. Needless to say, Lizzy Long has got some fans.

For this vocalist and musician, the admiration is a two-way street. “We appreciate them,” she said, of her supporters. “We couldn’t do it without the fans.”

Coyote Ugly

Big SPBGMA Win Changes Everything for Coyote Ugly By Kara Martinez Bachman

Something huge just happened for Beverly Horton. Her band, Coyote Ugly, went head-to-head with some of the most entertaining, up-and-coming bands in her genre. After a few rounds of showing off her singing chops and displaying her band’s fighting spirit, Coyote Ugly took home the top prize at the 2020 Band Championship of the SPBGMA.

“We are all just so, so excited about it,” Horton said. “It was just phenomenal, and we’re all still floating.”

After outshining 19 other bands — including outstanding acts such as Wood Family Tradition, who placed second, and The Baker Family, who snagged the third slot — Horton seemed delighted and honored to have taken the prize at the annual convention for fans of bluegrass. Horton sounds as if she isn’t one to brag, and she was sure to stress “the bands were all sooo good…” She did, however, acknowledge how important this win has been to the forward motion of Coyote Ugly. She said the attention and opportunities started to roll in immediately, even while still on the drive back home from Nashville.

“My phone did not stop for my whole five-hour drive,” she said. “It opens more doors.”

They have taken part in band contests before and placed in several. This time, though, was special. Horton said she is not sure why her band won, as the judges “are all scoring you on sheets that include everything.” The best she can guess is to point out that passion might have something to do with it.

“If you see us, you’ll see how much our love of the music shows on stage,” she said, in seeking an explanation.

Horton said the band formed about three years ago, and all members were previously with other groups in the past. The current lineup includes the vocalist and her husband, Tom Horton, on guitar; Joey Cox, playing banjo; Crystal Shipley, on fiddle; Mitch Bentley, plucking bass; and Vince Bullins, with the mandolin.

A few of the members are much younger, but that’s no problem at all because they’re so talented.

“It’s so funny because there’s such an age difference between us,” she explained, “but it don’t feel like it. When we got together, it just clicked,” she explained further. “We all just enjoyed picking with each other.” It had been a little while since Horton herself had performed; she and her husband had taken some years off and gotten caught up in the day-to-day of the working world. They had previously performed from “around 1976” to “about 1985” as part of The Bluegrass Edition. A few years ago, Horton got a hankering to have another go at it.

“It’s something I missed so much, and my husband and I absolutely love it,” she said. The Coyote Ugly touring schedule is filling up. Upcoming shows slated for spring and summer include appearances in Branson, Missouri; in the Hortons’ home of Kingsport, Tennessee; and in July, they’ll play in Stuart, Virginia. That’s just a sampling, as the dates are filling in following all the recent attention.

Somewhere in-between all this, Coyote Ugly is putting together some new recordings. Horton said she feels quite ready for it and feels they will knock this new record out quickly and get it into the hands of fans this spring. They head to a studio in North Carolina during the second week of March, and she hopes the release will happen “by the middle of April.”

She only gave this hint about what the as-of-now-untitled release will contain: “It’ll be a lot of good harmony songs. That’s our big thing…harmony.”

For now, Horton enjoys the good things happening to Coyote Ugly. “We absolutely love it,” she said, notes of pure happiness showing themselves with each word she spoke. “It’s just a dream.”

Carrying the Torch for Bluegrass

By Emerald Butler

Ernie and Debi Evans have done a little bit of everything in the music business. The couple started as radio DJs, but now they are more involved behind the scenes and not just behind the mic. Evans Media Source is one of the biggest production companies in the field of southeastern Bluegrass, and that statement is displayed by the company’s latest acquisition of Adams Bluegrass Festivals. Like most things, however, it didn’t all happen overnight. Through trial and error, failure and success, hard work and good ole’ determination, Evans Media Source carries the torch forward and shining a light on the present and future of Bluegrass festivals and events. “We wound up doing quite a few different things in the industry,” Ernie began.

“Promoting festivals and concerts, we opened up a studio, plus we were performing.” Ernie is a fourth-generation banjo player who’s played with several different bands including Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike. “To be in the music business our income had to come from a lot of places. Eventually what happened was that the promotion business started taking over and that became our main source of income, so we focused more on that segment of what we were doing. We found that it grew much quicker. I think we were better at it.” Due to the increase in the production business, the couple let go of two of their radio shows leaving them with only one that they still produce to this day on WFCF 88.5 FM in St. Augustine, Florida.

“It was about 20 years ago when we had our first event. We were very bad at it. It was an eye-opener, but we’re stubborn I guess when it comes to trying to get something right, so we went back at it again. It took us about a good eight years before we learned what was going on. I would say that we learned on the go. We did a lot of research and had a lot of friends in the business that gave us a lot of advice.”

Ernie shared that a job loss during the bad economy of the early 2000s is what motivated him and his wife to start their own business. “We had too,” Ernie stated. Evans says that they love what they do and that although it may be a “job” it isn’t when you love what you do.

However, Ernie did share some of the challenges of the business. “The hard thing about the festival business is that the landscape is changing under our feet the whole time because there’s a shift in the music. People are leaving and coming into the music. There’s just been this big paradigm shift in the last 20 years in technology, how you bring something to market, ticketing, and advertising. All of that has changed. Just because you knew how to do it 20 or 30 years ago doesn’t mean you know how to do it today. The things that don’t change are persistence, will, and the love for music. If those things aren’t there, nothing is going to happen.”

One of the ways that Evans Media Source keeps things current is through innovative new techniques and high-quality acts. There have been some skeptics, however. “For everyone that gets upset, doesn’t like it (nontraditional acts and festival styles) and walks out, 15 other people are waiting to get their chair. Our festivals are growing and getting bigger. It’s really sad that people don’t open their minds up. I’m not saying that traditional bluegrass festivals are going away, but they better do something. Some of them are doing ok, but they’re not going to command the price for the ticket that they need to continue. They’re going to need other things to help support that music and bring people to the festival.”

Another one of the latest changes in the festival business for Evans Media Source has been the Adams Bluegrass acquisition that took place last fall. “It was a very, very, very, good situation,” Ernie stated. “Norman Adams was motivated to retire, and we were motivated to go to the next level of what we do. It was a good place for both of us. It’s one of the biggest things that’s happened in bluegrass since I’ve been in it. We’re in the thick of things with that, and it looks like it’s going to stay that way. I don’t see us changing our career anytime soon.” Currently, Evans Media Source owns eleven festivals, and they do production for about seven outside festivals like for city events or county fair festivals. That’s about 18 events a year total. “We stay pretty busy,” Ernie confirmed. Talking Bluegrass With Evan Dickerson

By Emerald Butler

One of the greatest benefits of today’s technology is the ease of access to and distribution of human creativity and passion. Though carefully selected vinyl and well-worn books may bring back deep feelings of nostalgia, we are no longer bound to paper magazines or the preferences of major label executives. The playing field has been leveled out a bit more, but that doesn’t mean that the players are any less capable, talented, or determined. To stand out, one might say that they have to be even more so. An example of such an individual is bluegrass talk show host Evan Dickerson.

This year, the self-made host is celebrating theth 5 Anniversary of The Evan Dickerson Bluegrass Talk Show. “It’s a great accomplishment,” Evan proudly stated. “It’s amazing to have that happen.”

Evan found his passion for bluegrass early on with the help and influence of his father and guitar picker Wayne Dickerson. “I got interested in interviews back in 2011. My dad is the reason why I started my talk show,” Evan shared. “He helped me set up an interview with Kenny Smith from the Lonesome River Band. I kept going to bluegrass festivals since then and started interviewing more musicians and bands.” While Evan gives a lot of credit to his dad, Wayne Dickerson quickly points out his son’s hard work and accomplishments. “His talk show isn’t about me,” Wayne began, “it’s about him. He thought of it. He did his first interview, and here we are 126 interviews later. I’m really proud of him. He works hard for Bluegrass music just about every day. He really does.” A lot of this hard work is displayed on The Evan Dickerson Bluegrass Talk Show social media pages and website. Scrolling down the official Evan Dickerson Bluegrass Talk Show Facebook page, viewers will quickly come upon some of the latest news and developments in bluegrass along with one on one interviews with some of bluegrass’s biggest stars.

Among the 126 interviews are Becky Buller, The Grascals, The Cleverlys, and Michael Cleveland. “I’m proud of all the interviews that I have done,” Evan stated.

In March of 2019, Evan shared with his friends and fans that he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, a form of autism, at 2 years old. However, this hasn’t stopped Evan from sharing his love for bluegrass. Along with being a talk show host, Evan has emceed several different Bluegrass festivals. He will be emceeing the Ohio Bluegrass Winter Weekend this year. “It’s really good to just be around the crowd and hear fans cheering for the band,” Evan said. He also shared that he is in the beginning stages of recording an album. Like his dad, the talk show host plays guitar and mandolin. Fans can listen and view the great catalog of interviews on The Evan Dickerson Bluegrass Talk Show YouTube channel, Facebook page, and website. The 26-year-old hopes that his listeners recognize his love for bluegrass music, and that even people of the younger generation love the music. With each interview, Evan Dickerson is doing just that by sharing the passion and knowledge of the musicians that keep the music playing.

Crossing Chatham County Line

With sparkling blue eyes and a mischievous grin, Dave Wilson, lead singer and songwriter for Chatham County Line (CCL) reminisces about the band’s 20-year history.

“It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing this so long,” he says. “We’ve had some incredible opportunities over the years and the end is not in sight.”

Long a staple of the North Carolina music scene, Chatham County Line has recorded eight studio albums of original material, inspired by Wilson’s large collection of albums from the 1920s to 2020. On their 2019 release, Sharing the Covers, listeners can get an idea of what inspires them, from songs by Wilco and Beck, along with those of John Lennon, Tom Petty, and John Hartford. In November 2019, the band released Winter Stories with Judy Collins and Jonas Fjeld. “Judy’s manager lives in Jonas Fjeld’s hometown in Norway,” explains Wilson. “We all got together in Raleigh in October 2018 to see how it would work out. She was a joy to collaborate with, and even though it’s not a traditional bluegrass album, it got to the top of the bluegrass charts.”

Collins lives in upstate New York, and the inspiration for the album was cold weather and winter. The seasonal album isn’t a drinking-hot-chocolate-while-sitting-by-the-fireplace kind of listen. The opening song of the album,Northwest Passage, traces the path of the ill-fated quest led by Sir John Franklin to find the Northwest Passage in 1845. The song was written and originally performed by Canadian folk singer Stan Rogers, who died tragically himself in an airline fire in 1983.

Wildwood, an album first released in 2010 by CCL, released again as a 10th-anniversary release album on YepRec in March. A new album, Strange Fascination, will be released in May. The core CCL members, including Wilson (guitar, harmonica, vocals), John Teer (mandolin, fiddle, vocal) and Greg Readling (bass, pedal steel, piano, vocals) will be featured, as well as a “rotating cadre of drummers,” according to Wilson. Wilson says the retirement last year of founding member Chandler Holt (banjo) resulted in the band pushing their sound a bit more into the modern world and embracing the use of drums on stage. While the band has played across the United States (including numerous times with Steve Martin and Martin Short) as well as in elegant European music halls and venues in Scandinavia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, their touring career is slowing down a bit to give time to family. “We now do under 100 shows a year,” says Wilson. “We pride ourselves on the time we spend with our families.”

For those fortunate enough to attend a Chatham County Line show, they’ll be treated to the musical chemistry that is fostered by the band’s longtime lineup that often time results in improvisational flashes that seem as rehearsed as the rest of the band’s sets. “Those moments keep the performances fresh,” says Teer. “The fans drive our setlist,” adds Wilson. “We are amazed that we have all these songs that people listen to and make babies to, and they bring their baby to the show to hear that particular song.”

While Chatham County Line is spreading their musical wings a bit, Wilson muses that the band creates a product that listeners are familiar with, and they’ll enjoy going back to. “My dad ran a local hardware store years ago, and I always felt like we shared that same sensibility.” As they venture out into new musical territories, CCL will continue to stick to their strengths, which are poignant songwriting, inventive acoustic arrangements that draw upon a broad array of American root influences, and strong harmonies.

The band did manage to pack their January with a showcase at the Folk Alliance International Conference in New Orleans before jetting to London for AMERICANAFEST®, then doing a tour project in Norway in February with Judy Collins before heading to Belgium in March.

The band respects bluegrass history, from bluegrass inventor Bill Monroe to innovators like John Hartford. At the same time, they are mindful of more modern musical influences. “A lot of that comes from the fact that we all played in rock bands at one time,” laughs Wilson. While the group is primarily categorized as American, Wilson says that “when you have a banjo in your group, you can’t help but be bluegrass. We’ve always felt a little like we’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing. But with the passage of time, we feel like bluegrass encompasses what we do.”

Readling holds strong to the Americana genre label. “There’s a story held in a cradle of acoustic instrumentation in the folk tradition that just has the sound of America to me.”

BrassGrass! …Who Knew? by Susan Marquez

New Orleans native Chris Jones grew up with parents who loved music. “We always had the best music playing in our house,” he says. “My mom and dad played a lot of Three Dog Night and The Who.” But it was the beginning of a musical journey when a bar girl suggested he listen to the Neville Brothers. “That was when I realized I lived somewhere special.”

Chris says he was always into percussion and loved to play the congas. “Mike Ward was my teacher in both conga and all things New Orleans. I used to carry his drums to Jazz Fest gigs. I was introduced to a lot of New Orleans musicians and I began to understand how to run a band.” Chris studied music at Delgado College in New Orleans, where he performed in the school’s jazz band. But worried that music may not always pay the bills, he also trained as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America. “I opened New Orleans-style restaurants in New York, Chicago and Vail for other owners before opening my own restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina.”

It was in Asheville that Chris was introduced to bluegrass music.

“I have always loved live music, so in my off time I went to festivals around North Carolina and gained a real appreciation for bluegrass music.” It was during that time that a convergence of two musical styles came together.

Between 1997 and 1999, Chris brought bluegrass artists from North Carolina to New Orleans to open for the Rebirth Brass Band. He began studying how music migrated from Africa up through Ireland, then down through New Orleans. “If you listen to the brass jazz version of Little Liza Jane, it’s different from the bluegrass version, although there are many similarities. The styles just come from how the music migrated to a certain area.”

Chris always tried to include kids in whatever music project he was involved with. “We decided to take some kids from the Tipitina Foundation in New Orleans to the mountains of western North Carolina for a musical mash-up. Most of those kids had never been out of New Orleans, much less seen mountains.” The New Orleans kids played a brass band jazz concert for the North Carolina kids, and the North Carolina kids played a bluegrass string concert for the New Orleans kids. Then they were divided into groups with each group having kids from both North Carolina and New Orleans. “We just sat back and watched what would happen organically and the results were amazing,” Chris says.

“They learned very quickly that they were more alike than not, and there was a fusion of musical styles that had never been heard before.”

That became the “junior varsity” for the BlueBrass Project. Chris, a percussionist, bandleader, and producer, became the mastermind between the meeting of bluegrass and brass band instruments. He called upon Appalachian guitarist Woody Wood, who became his musical partner in the project. “Woody’s dad, Al Wood, played with Bill Monroe,” says Chris. That collaboration resulted in a group of New Orleans musicians and musicians from North Carolina coming together in 2004 to record an album. The Same Pocket, Vol. 1: Bluegrass Meets the Big Easy featured Trombone Shorty, Woody Wood and members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Rebirth Brass Band, Acoustic Syndicate and more. Sadly, Volume 2 of the project was destroyed in Katrina, but Chris wasn’t deterred. The Same Pocket, Vol. 3: The Maple Leaf Sessions was recorded in 2013, and in December of last year, Volume 1 was re-released during a grand celebration at the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans. What began with an album has developed into a semi-regular musical series dubbed the Crescent City Mountain Summit. Chris gathered over 25 musicians from both New Orléans and North Carolina for the celebration, including longtime North Carolina new grass icons Acoustic Syndicate as well as New Orleans’ own SOUL Brass Band and musicians from the BlueBrass Project’s debut recording. Both nights featured a late-night “ClusterPluck,” an improvised jam session featuring musicians from all three bands as well as a few special guests.