Photo by Brad Lykken
John Corbett (Sex in the City, Northern Exposure) was also in the house with his producer John Randall, but was tight-lipped about his new project.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
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 Buddy Miller accepts his Instrumentalist of the year award, he also won "Artist of the Year". Photo by Erika Goldring The event celebrated a year of the best in roots music. It opened with a moving tribute to the late John Hartford, represented by an unaccompanied banjo and bolo hat side stage, followed by Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas and Don Was performing “I’ll Fly Away” in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the O’ Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Jim Lauderdale served again as master of ceremonies, his ninth in-a-row, while Miller led an all-star house band comprised of famed record producer Don Was on bass, Cody and Luther Dickinson on drums, guitars and various other instruments, Greg Leisz on steel guitar and John Deaderick on keys. Adding harmonies were The McCrary Sisters: Ann, Regina and Alfreda. It was a big night for Miller, winning not only the Artist of the Year Award, but adding another Instrumentalist of the Year Award to his treasure chest of Americana trophies, now totaling twelve. Raul Malo and Carrie Rodriguez handed him the award. Keb Mo and Marshall Chapmann presented him with the Artist of the Year. The 2009 New/Emerging Artist Justin Townes Earle cemented his place as one of Americana Music’s heirs apparent by picking up Song of the Year for “Harlem River Blues.” John Oates and Mindy Smith presented. The Avett Brothers walked away with another Duo/Group of the Year win, their third after winning in 2007 and 2010 and fourth overall, while Mumford and Sons were crowned New/Emerging Artist of the Year. Mark Olsen and Gary Louris of The Jayhawks presented the Duo/Group Award; The Greencards, winners in 2006, presented New/Emerging Artist. Other award highlights of the night included a tearful Lucinda Williams accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting from record executive Luke Lewis, who last year earned the Lifetime Achievement Award for Executive. She followed it with a haunting performance of “Blessed.” Joining Williams in the Lifetime Achievement categories, the legendary Gregg Allman received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Performance. Allman is one of the architects of Southern Rock and member of the Allman Brothers Band. Keb Mo handled the presenting honors. Alison Krauss gave the Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist to Jerry Douglas, equally revered for his solo work, session playing, and as a longtime member of Krauss’ Union Station. The annual Americana Award Show was peppered with standout performances, from Amos Lee (“Cup of Sorrow”), Elizabeth Cook (“El Camino”), Earle (“Harlem River Blues”), Jessica Lea Mayfield (“For Today”), Hayes Carll (“KMAG YOYO”), The Secret Sisters (“Why Don’t You Love Me?”), Miller (“Gasoline and Matches”), The Civil Wars (“Barton Hollow”), The Avett Brothers (“The Once and Future Carpenter”) and Plant (“Monkey”). The evening ended as sentimentally as it began, with Allman performing “Sweet Melissa,” and then, joined by a majority of the night’s guests, a rousing rendition of “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” to a standing audience. The event was broadcast live throughout Middle Tennessee on Nashville Public Television (NPT). An abridged version will be broadcast on PBS stations nationwide on November 19th (check local listings) as a special episode of Austin City Limits Presents. 2011 Americana Honors and Awards recipients Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriter: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
7pm The Basement The Station Inn The Rutledge The Mercy Lounge The Cannery Ballroom Thursday, October 13, 2011 The Basement The Station Inn The Rutledge The Mercy Lounge The Cannery Ballroom Friday, October 14, 2011 The Basement The Station Inn The Rutledge The Mercy Lounge The Cannery Ballroom Saturday, October 15, 2011 3pm – Musician’s Corner at Centennial Park Performers include: “I Love”: A Tribute to Tom T Hall, Ben Sollee and Nanci Griffith The Basement The Station Inn The Rutledge The Mercy Lounge Contact: jerry@nashville.com
Del and the boys kicked off the week with a free concert on the grounds of the Ryman Auditorium, commemorating the 100th birthday of the late Bill Monroe, and what a show it was. Photos: David Scarlett Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
The 2011 IBMA Award Winners: Entertainer of the Year: Album of the Year: Song of the Year: Male Vocalist of the Year Female Vocalist of the Year Emerging Artist of the Year Vocal Group of the Year Instrumental Group of the Year Recorded Event of the Year Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year Instrumental Performers of the Year Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductees: For more details of the IBMA Awards, visit IBMA.org Contact: jerry@nashville.com  Ronnie and Del McCoury. Photo by Brad Lykken “World of Bluegrass” week is in full swing in Nashville and the only bad thing about it is not having the ability to be several places at once. You could literally just hang out in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel and be overwhelmed with amount of talent playing within earshot. But if you’ve ever been in town for “World of Bluegrass” week, you already know this. We feel we made a pretty good call last night by starting at Roberts Western World for the Martin Guitar Showcase. First up was The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys from New Jersey with the oldest member being all of 13. They wowed the crowd like seasoned pros. Then, all the way in from Oregon was the Foghorn String Band who had trouble getting off of the stage because of the crowd demanding “just one more.” With the Crowe Brothers running a little late, Jesse Lee Jones, proprietor of Robert’s Western World took the stage with his vintage Martin and sang Eddy Arnold’s “Cattle Call” almost as well as Eddy himself. Then the Crowe brothers took the stage with their unique harmonies and some amazing banjo playing from Steve Sutton. After that the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, kicked it up a notch to a now completely jam packed Robert’s Western World. You wouldn’t think it could get any better until Del McCoury and band appeared in the back and made the famous march behind the bar squeezing past the cook and the bartenders with their instruments. The crowd became electric! When most successful musicians would be winding down and enjoying retirement, 72-year-old McCoury just seems to be getting better with age. Hitting high notes that drew huge cheers from the crowd, McCoury dedicated the night to Bill Monroe. Michael Cleveland joined Jason Carter and the band to make for twin fiddle heaven the rest of the night. We got back to the Renaissance just in time to see Larry Cordle perform “Murder on Music Row”, which seemed to make more sense than ever considering the quality of the music we had heard that evening that will probably never make it to main steam radio. He also sang “Hello, My Name is Coal” which is the best song I’ve heard in a long time. Then, one room over, we listened to a few songs by the Bankester family. The Nashville.com team all agreed that Emily Bankester has the voice of an angel. Sam Bush will host the 22nd annual International Bluegrass Music Awards tonight, September 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. Word to the wise . . . get downtown before you have to wait another year! Contact: jerry@nashville.com
The free outdoor bluegrass concert, open to the public, is hosted by the Foundation for Bluegrass Music, a non-profit whose mission is to support public enrichment programs of artistic, educational, historic preservation and literary value. The concert is made possible through the support of the Music City Music Council, The Ryman Auditorium and 650 AM WSM and the cooperation of the Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County. Bill Monroe was born September 13, 1911; the bluegrass music community is celebrating the Monroe Centennial around the world with tributes, concerts, broadcasts, recordings and other special events. Rarely in the world of music can historians agree on the exact origins of a particular genre. Nashville, however, has the unique distinction of being able to pinpoint itself as such a birthplace when, in December 1945, a unique combination of Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys with the debut of Earl Scruggs on banjo and his three-finger style of playing electrified the audience of the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. The new style of music they performed would be so widely emulated by other groups that it would become known as “bluegrass” music, in respect to the band’s name. A Tennessee state historical marker was placed in 2006 at the northwest corner of the Ryman to celebrate this event. The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) hosts one of the most prestigious events in bluegrass each year in Nashville. Its “World of Bluegrass” week (September 26-October 2) includes the genre’s Business Conference, the IBMA Awards Show and Bluegrass Fan Fest. Collectively, more than 20,000 will attend the events hosted at the Nashville Convention Center and Ryman Auditorium, and hundreds of broadcast outlets carry programming from the event every year. Contact: jerry@nashville.com
Fleck was dwarfed by the huge Orchestra but only visually, his vintage 1937 mahogany Gibson Mastertone banjo blended beautifully with the Orchestra and his long-time idol, Earl Scruggs, was in the audience to see it. The concerto was smartly placed between Aaron Copland’s famous Appalachian Spring and Tchaikovsky’s larger-than-life Fourth Symphony. “I’m so proud that I am playing it with a great orchestra which is the Nashville Symphony we’ve always had a good orchestra but I think were in a different echelon now.” Fleck wrote every piece for every instrument, “one note at a time” which is a daunting task for a 35 minute performance. The banjo player did have a little help from a software program called Sibelius. “I would either play the part on my banjo or sing the melody into my phone and then figure out how to write it in banjo notation, then I could copy and paste it onto other instruments and it would turn it into the notation for that instrument. A lot of it was through trial and error.” The performance was a feast for the ears and there’s no better place to see it than the beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Nashville.com highly recommends this show because it is truly the best of Nashville. You can still get tickets for two more shows tonight (9/23) and tomorrow (9/24) here. Fleck is already scheduled to play with several Orchestras around the country and hopes to add to that list. Contact: jerry@nashville.com
Ricky has been honored with the following ICM Awards: Musician of the Year, Christian Country Music Association – 1994, 1995, Musician of the Year – 2008, Inspirational Bluegrass Artist (with The Whites) – 2008, Mainstream Country Artist (with The Whites) – 2008, Mainstream Country Artist – 2009 and Inspirational Bluegrass Artist – 2010. For information on the 2011 ICM Week in Nashville, click on: www.ICM-awards.com. Last August Skaggs Family Records announced the issue of another 2011 CD: A SKAGGS FAMILY CHRISTMAS VOLUME TWO. The 10-song disc hits stores nationwide on September 27, and features both studio and live recordings. A bonus DVD filled with 26 performances of traditional seasonal favorites and new compositions that are sure to become holiday treasures is included with the CD. Skaggs and The Whites have taken their live holiday show on the road for the last eight years, entertaining crowds in venues ranging from churches to symphony halls, to the National Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington D.C., where they sang for President George W. Bush. They continue the tradition this year with bookings at a variety of outlets throughout the holiday season. A Skaggs Family Christmas Tour concludes with a special evening at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center on December 22. For more news on Ricky Skaggs, log on to: www.rickyskaggs.com. Contact: jerry@nashville.com
An edited version of the award show will be aired November 19, 2011 as a special episode of the new season of the highly-acclaimed PBS series Austin City Limits, (check local listings for exact local day and time). “ACL PRESENTS: AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2011″ will reach approximately 98% of American TV households via PBS stations nationwide. “It was time to bring the Americana Honors to another level,” said Jed Hilly Executive Director of the Americana Music Association. “We could not have better partners in Nashville Public Television President and CEO Beth Curley for our Middle Tennessee premiere and Austin City Limits Executive Producer Terry Lickona to take this to a national audience.” The program, described by Emmylou Harris as “the shining star of Nashville and music everywhere,” will be filmed by High Five Entertainment and co-produced by its President Martin Fischer along with Lickona, Courtney Gregg, Holly Lowman and Hilly. The Honors and Award Show is the capstone event of the Americana Music Festival and Conference presented by Nissan that will take place October 12-15, 2011 in Nashville, TN. A limited number of tickets are available at ryman.com. For more information go to americanamusic.org Contact: jerry@nashville.com |
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The wait is finally over! Four nights of music begins tomorrow when the Americana Music Festival will feature approximately 100 live performances at five music venues around Nashville. You’d be hard pressed to find a better variety anywhere in the country. See the the showcase lineup below. All events subject to change.
Bluegrass fans from around the country (and several other countries) are still basking in the afterglow of what has to be the best time of year to be a lover of the genre—IBMA’s “World of Bluegrass” week in Nashville. The Sept. 26-Oct. 2 week of events included not just an industry business conference and the annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, but showcases, late-night jam sessions galore and a bluegrass Fan Fest featuring more than 60 of the top bands in bluegrass. And, while a lot of stars shone bright during the week—most notably Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers who took home first-time entertainer of the year honors—one of the brightest had to be the Del McCoury Band.
Billed as Del McCoury and Friends, it came as no surprise to Del fans that his friends include some of the best in the business. Among them were Vince Gill (in photo above with Ronnie McCoury and Del), who came out first and thanked Del for “getting me on early so I can go play golf,” Jesse McReynolds, Dierks Bentley, Sam Bush (see Dierks and Sam in backstage photo before the outdoor Ryman event), Tim O’Brien and other industry all-stars. To a man, they all revere Del, who got his start singing for Bill Monroe back in the early ‘60s and saw his career reach a true high point with induction into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame last week, along with pioneering bass player and guitar stylist George Shuffler. Congrats Del, on a great week. Hope to see you next year!—David Scarlett
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers took the top award as Entertainer of the Year at last night’s IBMA Awards at the Ryman Auditorium. Del McCoury of the Del McCoury Band and guitarist George Shuffler were inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame during the show. Surrounded by his family on stage, Del said “The good Lord gives each of us talent, and I believe he can also take it away. This is a great night. I have to start off by thanking Bill Monroe, who took a chance on me. Bill Monroe, would have been 100 this year, was mentioned many times through out the night.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Bill Monroe, the “father” of bluegrass, and as an informal kick off to IBMA’s “World of Bluegrass” week in Nashville, September 26 – October 2, The Del McCoury Band and special guests will perform on the grounds of the Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday, September 27 from noon until 2 p.m. Central.
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