Pennsylvania Show This Thursday

BlueGrass All-Star Jam
Thursday, January 15, 7:30 pm: KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, Kutztown, PA

The cast for this year's show includes the following artists Michael Cleveland, Josh Williams, Terry Baucom, Steve Gulley, Kim Fox, Rob Ickes, Missy Raines, Alan Bibey, Mike Compton, Phil Leadbetter, Sammy Shelor, Nicky Sanders, Kenny Smith and Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Tim Stafford, Ronnie Bowman and Mike Bub.

About the artists participating:

Michael Cleveland—A Louisville, Kentucky native, has been blind from birth and began fiddling at the age of four. He is the six-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year. In 2006 he won IBMA award for Instrumental Album of the Year ("Let'Er Go Boys!"). His group, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, won the 2007 and 2008 IBMA awards for Instrumental Group of the Year.

Josh Williams—A vocalist and multi-instrumentalist on fiddle/mandolin/guitar who recently won the 2008 IBMA Guitar Player of the Year. He currently fronts the Josh Williams Band and from 2003-2007, he was the guitar player for Rhonda Vincent & The Rage.

Terry Baucom—Banjo player who has performed in such groups as Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out, Lou Reid, Terry Baucom and Carolina among others. Terry recently got his own model of banjo with the Deering Banjo Company.

Steve Gulley—Vocalist/guitar player with Grasstowne; co-writer, with Tim Stafford, of the Song Of The Year at the International Bluegrass Music Association's award show, "Thru The Window Of A Train".

Kim Fox—A member of 3 Fox Drive, Kim is an accomplished vocalist and songwriter and past winner of the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition Award at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC.

Rob Ickes—A member of Blue Highway, Rob is the 10-time IBMA Dobro Player Of The Year and is the most awarded individual player in the history of the IBMA.

Missy Raines—Leader of the group Missy Raines and The New Hip. She is the seven times IBMA "Bass Player of the Year".

Alan Bibey—Mandolin player with the group Grasstowne and 2007 Society For Preservation Of Bluegrass Music Association's Mandolin Player of the Year. He has also performed in groups such as Blueridge and IIIrd Tyme Out.

Mike Compton—Mandolin player with the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Plays Bill Monroe-style mandolin "better than just about anybody except for Monroe himself," (Bluegrass Unlimited). He performed on the soundtrack to the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and appeared on the Down from the Mountain tour and album. He was one of the "Soggy Bottom Boys".

Phil Leadbetter—Dobro player with the group Grasstowne who won the 2005 IBMA awards for Dobro Player of the Year and Instrumental Album of the Year ("Slide Rules").

Kenny Smith & Amanda Smith—A husband and wife team with their own group, The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band. In 2003, they won IBMA's Emerging Artist of the Year award. Kenny is a two-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year.

Dale Ann Bradley—Has her own band. In 2007 and 2008 she won IBMA's Female Vocalist of the Year award.

Tim Stafford—Guitarist with the group Blue Highway. Tim is also a great songwriter and has songs recorded by many in bluegrass. He, along with Steve Gulley, received the IBMA award for Song of the Year for their collaboration on "Thru The Window of a Train." Tim has also produced several award winning projects.

Don Rigsby - Worked his way through Morehead State University playing music with Charlie Sizemore, emerged onto the national scene as a member of the Bluegrass Cardinals, played with JD Crowe and the New South, and was a member of the award-winning Lonesome River Band. The two-time Grammy nominee and two-time SPGBMA Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year shared two IBMA awards while performing with Longview and sang on a Grammy-winning album by rocker John Fogerty.

Mike Bub—A five-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year who has performed with some of the greats such as Del McCoury Band, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice, Shawn Camp and Vince Gill. Mike is the music director for Pickin'.

Sammy Shelor - member of the Lonesome River Band. 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and won IBMA award for Banjo Player of the Year. (Co-winner in 1996 with Scott Vestal.)

Nicky Sanders - Since 2004 a member and fiddle player for Streep Canyon Rangers who were awarded 2006 IBMA Emerging Artist.

Cindy Baucom—MC for the Jam and host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Knee-Deep In Bluegrass", which is distributed by the John Boy and Billy Radio Network. Her radio show goes out to more than 70 radio stations. She was named the 2005 IBMA Broadcaster of the Year.