The Del McCoury Band brought down the house New Years Eve at the Ryman Auditorium! Wow! They were the first band of the night to play unplugged and they sounded fantastic! It was refreshing to hear the instruments without pickups for the first time of the night. After a full set the band was joined by The Infamous Stringdusters, The Emmit-Nershi Band, Ronnie Bowman, Chris “Critter” Eldridge, Don Reno and a great deal of friends and family.
Sarah Jarosz played a few songs in between headliners… Ronnie joined her on a few tunes.
The Infamous Stringdusters kicked off the New Years celebration… I would have liked to hear them without pickups on the instruments, but a great set to start off the night. They were joined by Del for “Little Cabin Home on the Hill” sung by Del and Travis. Ronnie stayed for a few additional tunes. Playing a good part of the show was Chris Eldridge, known to all as “Critter,” who was right at home with his old band mates. Check out more of what Critter is doing at PunchBrothers.com.
What an amazing treat! IBMA was fortunate enough this year to have the legendary Tony Rice accompany Mountain Heart for after hours and official showcases. Between the 2 sets, a good number of classic Tony tunes were covered such as Manzanita, Old Train, Blue Railroad Train, and Nine Pound Hammer. Mountain Heart is an amazing band and Tony seemed to be having a blast… definitely the highlight of the entire IBMA conference!
The Yonder Mountain String Band — City Hall in Nashville, TN. February 22, 2008
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Tim O’brien playing his nugget a-style mandolin at the Station Inn… Early 2008. kodak bw400cn pushed 2 stops courtesy Chromatics in Nashville.
Tim was in classic form for this show…. as if I’ve ever seen a bad performance. He played all the usual instruments, even played Bryan’s martin guitar a few times. It was a special treat to see not only Bryan Sutton in the band, but Darrell Scott as well… Awesome!!!
Casey Driessen, Kenny Malone, and Dennis Crouch were spectacular as always. Casey is simply one of the most unique fiddle players in the world. His grammy nominated solo debut on Sugar Hill is amazing, btw. You should buy it!
Tim invited a special friend he met in Japan to sing and play a few songs as a duet, as well as with the full band before the night was over. This guy, I wish I remembered his name, was extremely nervous but sounded great. Everyone really enjoyed the unique style he brought to the station.
All in all, Tim put on another wonderful show!
Best I could do from the very last row. The special guest jams were amazing… you could definitely feel the tension between Chris, Sara, and Sean the entire night. It was time to take a break. 11-29-07
In this pic you will find Sean Watkins, Chris Thile, Tim O’brien, Bela Fleck, Sara Watkins, Mark Schatz, Gillian Welch, and David Rawlings.
Congratulations to Dr. Ricky Skaggs!
Excerpt from tennessean.com
As has happened with Nashville legends Loretta Lynn and Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs will soon receive an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music.
Skaggs will receive the honor onstage at the Grand Ole Opry on March 18.
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“Ricky Skaggs is a master musician with sky-high standards who achieved mainstream success his own way, on his own terms,” said Berklee College of Music President Roger Brown. “By honoring Skaggs, we shine a light on the past, present and future of bluegrass; its heritage and its infinite potential. And, besides that, the man can pick.”
The Bluegrass Blog » Natalie MacMaster—as fit as a fiddle! - It’s YOUR blog!
With wavy blonde hair swinging as she moves, Natalie MacMaster continues to stun crowds with her feverish fiddling and mesmerizing step dancing. Fans in the Washington, DC area can see her perform on Wednesday, March 5 at the gorgeous, accoustically extraordinary Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda Maryland. (For tickets go to www.wpas.org) Now a mother, she’s still in great shape. “Looking even fitter than her fiddle, MacMaster pranced, twirled, bounced and swaggered about the Symphony Hall stage,” said Daniel Gewertz in the Boston Herald. “She is a master musician in constant motion, yes, but also a highly disciplined show woman who doesn’t make a single move that isn’t part of her theatrical plan … MacMaster still revels in girlish energy, yet her shows are the work of a mature, knowledgeable star. Folk mavens can focus on every fleet, phenomenal note her dazzling band makes; casual listeners can just let the fun and entertainment flow over themselves.”
