I had a great 4th of July weekend and week. Last week started at the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival. It is the premire festival in the country right now boasting nealry all of the top performers in Bluegrass from Doyle Lawson to Del McCoury, Cherryholmes to Kenny and Amanda Smith Band. We got to see  stellar performances by the Boxcars, Tony Rice and Mountain Heart as well as the legendary Larry Sparks. Saturday was a feather in the cap of High Windy as we shared the stage with the great Earl Scruggs as well as our good friends The Steep Canyon Rangers! Sunday we had a great crowd of friends and visitors at the Grove Park Inn which we hope to return for more spotlight performances in August. Whats next? July 19th Coop, Patrick, Jess, me and a ton of other Asheville pickers head west to Rocky Grass. Time for a vacation!

I've started recording some of my tunes. Some Grass, some Country, some weird stuff.
Players include: Coop Cooper, Amanda Platt, Jessica Smith, Sav Sankaran, Robert Greer, Tyler Kirkpatrick, Lance Mills, Patrick McDougal, Tim Gardner, and others TBA. We are doing it at Tim Gardner's studio in Asheville. I am doing all the arranging and Tim is co-producing. Thanks to all my friends that are giving me therapy through this music!

A leading plus to working for Crossroads is the thoughtfulness and foresight of it's leadership. They are always developing new buisness models that help push us into new ways of thinking about the real value of what our company and our artists have to offer. Here is a great example of ways to look at our work and it's place in the music market today. A great little blog run by Mickey Gamble. Check it out here.

Loving this new project: Carolina Call Time!
Rock on. New dates added!

Been a week of adjustment and exciting change. Looks like I am going to be working more in radio and artists promotion here at Crossroads.This weekend is the Darin and Brooke Aldridge Festival! Yee Haw factor 10!
And here's some more links.
Zoobooks!
Yes!
My Angeline!

Have a great weekend!

Well, the good news is that High Windy is back at it this week with a show this Friday at Jack of the Wood. Spring came back and it's going to be 75 Thursday-Easter.
The bad news is that it's time to bid safe journeys to Grace Van't Hof, one of the most beautiful people I have had the chance to share my life with. She is a wonderfully gifted musician and a sweet soul. All of us who have been lucky enough to call her a friend will miss her and wish her all the best in her career in Boston with the all female Bluegrass outfit, Della Mae! Hey hey Della Mae, I'll get even someday!
Check them out at www.heyheydellamae.com
In the meantime I am making plans for  NY run with Taylor Martin, plans for geting out to Merl Fest and oh, yea, Patrick McDougal and Shane Lail are touring with the Dillards this year!

WoW!

Great to have mom up from Nashville last week to celebrate her birthday. A good visit and she got to see Carolina Call Time twice including St. Patricks day at the Fiddlin' Pig
We played the Town Pump Thursday and she got to see a good ole fashioned bar fight. I love the Town Pump. We topped off the week with 75 degree weather in Johnson City playing some grass and then off to Stone Mnt. GA for a lonesome but fun show with Taylor Martin. I got the new Doyle Lawson CD off in the mail to radio and media everywhere this week and the floodgates will be open soon I'm sure. Also glad to be visited in town by the family of the excellent Grace Van't Hof. Go Dutch! We got to all go see one of the premire swing bands in the country last night, Hot Club of Cow Town! I got the shirt.
Taylor show this Saturday the 27th at the French Bar in Asheville and more prep work for High Windy as we get ready for April 2nd.

Yee Haw. Oh yea, and it's snowing like crazy now!

The start of the great thaw is happening here in WNC. We have bloomin bulbs. We had two shows this weekend with Taylor Martin's Engine. Thanks so much to Fred's Parkside Lounge and The Westville Pub for having us. Great crowd at the Westville show and a privilage to play with all the guys. We took a good crew to see Alice and Wonderland on Sunday. The corners of my eyes still hurt from 3-D.
This week brings a rehearsal with Carolina Call TIme for an upcoming show on this Thursday the 11th. Members still include Grace Van't Hof, Ricky Cooper, and Sav Sankaran. We will be at The Old Hickory Tap Room. It will be really great to play Grass agian. Looking forward to some High Windy Band picks soon too as we take the stage at Jack of the Wood on April 2nd. A quick show with Taylor this Friday at the French Broad Brewery and then pehaps off to this Wonderland!

I've been trying to snap back from the whole Boston trip and the Joe Val Fest. It was a great time and a long drive. I did the trip there as the lone driver pulling the whole 14 hrs. It was worth it and I am glad Sav decided to get me to go along. You can see what kind of fun he had here. I got to pull a work duty shift too running the merch booth for Mr. Doyle Lawson or Doyle Awesome as the young picking girls like to call him.
Since the return, I was able to get back together with the High Windy boys for a great session at the house last week. New songs and great playing from all the guys. This past weekend brought Della Mae in town with our favorite banjo girl Grace Van't Hof for an opening slot for the legendary Tony Triska at the Grey Eagle. A nice little all star jam at The L.A.B. followed with Tony, Della girls and The Punch Brothers who were also in town.
Recovery has followed and just in time to get ready for the weekend's shows with Taylor Martin. Thursday we will be a part of the local showcase at Jack of the Wood and Saturday at the Hickory Brewhouse. Come by and rock with us!

Last weekend was a great sucess with Taylor Martin's Engine. Along with the 880 show and MoDaddys, we were able to be a part of the Help Haiti Heal Benifit in Black Mountain who raised over 6K. Video from that show will be avialable soon! This week I am back at the office although with a cold that is making me move slow. Wild Wings tonight for the final performance there at it gentrifies.
Then it's off to Boston with Grace. I'm planning on catching up with friend Doyle Lawson up there at the Joe Val Festival. I will report on my trip to Yankeeland later!