IBMA Report-Wednesday

Terry and I are back to the room, after enjoying some great jamming in the suites this evening. Town Mountain...Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen...The Boxcars...The Dixie Beeliners.

I also got to do a little jamming with the guys from G2. How fun...

We appreciate the hospitality of Sugar Hill Records, Class Act Entertainment and Keith Case & Associates.

A lot of my day was spent at the historic Ryman Auditorium for sound checks and rehearsals for the 21st Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Show. From Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out to the Sam Bush Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (with a new lead singer-Mike Rogers) Claire Lynch Band and guests (triple fiddles of Jason Thomas, Aubrey Haynie and Mike Cleveland!) Judging by the run-through of The John Hartford musical tribute, this performance will be just incredible! Thanks to Alison Brown and Garry West from Compass Records for the help in coordinating all these wonderful artists to participate.

Jerry Douglas, Cheryl White nd Sharon White are naturals as hosts. Their personalities really came through at their rehearsal. I am so looking forward to the actual show Thursday evening.

Tomorrow I will be presenting the award to the Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year at the IBMA Awards Luncheon at the Nashville Convention Center, then the reminder of the sound checks at the Ryman.

IBMA Report-Tuesday

It has been another wonderfully busy day at the IBMA World of Bluegrass. Knee-Deep In Bluegrass has a booth in the Exhibit Hall and I was able to spend a good part of the day there. I recorded a couple of interviews for Knee-Deep In Bluegrass. The first was with band leader, Frank Solivan. The highlight of my day was visiting with one of Terry's former band mates from "Boone Creek", Steve Bryant. I also interviewed Steve about those days and that incredible music, as well as his work with J. D. Crowe and The New South. I attended an IBMA Awards Show dinner meeting, going over last minute details with script and technical elements. Following the meeting I caught back up with Terry so we get to the "Fisk Room" where Rural Rhythm Records was hosting the Bluegrass All-Star Jam showcase. I served as MC, while Terry was joined by fellow artists Tim Stafford, Kenny Smith, Amanda Smith, Rob Ickes, Sammy Shelor, Dale Ann Bradley, Steve Gulley, Kim Fox, Ron Stewart, Jesse Brock, Justin Moses, Missy Raines, Chris Jones, Don Rigsby and Tim Hensley. Awards Show rehearsals start tomorrow at the Ryman.

IBMA-Monday Report

Hey everyone! Another busy day at the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Nashville. The IBMA Board met from 8:00 am - 5:30 pm. This evening's Keynote Address Dinner featured Sam Bush. Sam did a wonderful job addressing the crowd in the Nashville Convention Center Grand Ballroom. He started by talking about attending the 1965 Fincastle, Virginia Bluegrass Festival as an eager 13 year old. He was engaging and held the crowd's attention talking about Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys over the years, as well as other musicians that made an impact on him: David Grisman, Roland White, Jimmy Gaudreau, John Duffey, Charlie Waller and more.

Following dinner, it was time for band rehearsal with "Sunset Drive". We have an Emerging Artist Showcase, sponsored by Mast Farm Inn on Friday (Terry, Ashby, Maro, Rachel and me)

I was also excited to become the newest endorser of NS Design Basses. More on the bass later in the week.

I still have a showcase to emcee before my day is fully complete.

It was fun to get to hang out for a bit with the Swedish Bluegrass Band, G2, as well as Shelly Burleson (Mrs. Jason Burleson of Blue Highway) and Rachel Johnson. Check back for another report from the IBMA World of Bluegrass. Thanks!~CB

IBMA World of Bluegrass-Sunday

Terry and I arrived in Nashville Sunday afternoon around 2:30. Check-in at the Renaissance went smoothly. I picked up our credentials for the week...and we're off and rolling.

Terry and I got to visit with our friends, Dr. Hironobu Oda and Maro Kawabata. I will be performing with Maro (as well as Terry, Ashby Frank and Rachel Johnson) and the band "Sunset Drive" Friday night at the Mast Farm Inn Emerging Artist Showcase. Plans are underway for a Bluegrass Tour to Japan with "Sunset Drive" in 2011, as well as shows in the United States. More about this showcase later in the week.

I proudly represent Bluegrass Broadcasters on the IBMA Board. Our Board meeting begins at 8 am Monday. The Monday evening dinner will feature the keynote address by Sam Bush.

KNEE-DEEP Playlist

Russell Moore, band leader and founding member of IIIrd Tyme Out, is my special guest this week on KNEE-DEEP IN BLUEGRASS! Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out have several IBMA Nominations this year. They will be performing on the Awards Show. Russell and I talk about several great things happening with the band.

(Hour One)

Quicksand---Randy Kohrs
My Florida Sunshine---Claire Lynch
Wonder Valley Gals---Bryan Sutton

Any Ole Time---Lonesome River Band
Sycamore Hollow---Blue Highway
Julie's Train---Balsam Range
Breakpoint---Andy Leftwich

How Many Times---Dan Tyminski
Pride of Man---Tony Rice
Ramblers Blues---Kenny & Amanda Smith
Old Brown County Barn---Michael Cleveland

(Vintage Vault): JOE GREENE
Katy Hill / Grey Eagle

Highway 52---Dave Evans
If Here Is Where You Are---Del McCoury Band

(Knee-Deep Artist Spotlight)-RUSSELL MOORE
Hard Rock Mountain Prison ('Til I Die) / My Angeline

Girl In The Valley---Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
John Henry Blues---Jim Mills w/Tim Stafford
Secret of the Waterfall---Country Gentlemen

(Concert Cuts) NEW GRASS REVIVAL Live In France
One More Love Song---New Grass Revival

Big Wheel---The Whites w/Ricky Skaggs

THANKS for listening!!! ~CB

Knee-Deep PLAYLIST

Tim O'Brien is my special guest this week in The Knee-Deep Artist Spotlight! Tim and I chat about his new CD, 'Chicken and Egg' and about the upcoming 'Hot Rize' Reunion Tour this Fall.

(Hour One)

Turn Up The Bottle---Steep Canyon Rangers
Ring The Bell---Gibson Brothers
Don't Take Me Tonight As I Am---Balsam Range

(Bluegrass News)

Rusty Old Halo---Dale Ann Bradley
Be Assured---Ron Block
Teddy Bear Revival---Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Who's Your Uncle---Jerry Douglas

I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome---Grascals w/Hank, Jr.
Whiskey Before Breakfast---Carpenter & May
The Reckless Side of Me---Steel Drivers

(Vintage Vault): THE STAINED GLASS HOUR
Gospel Plow---Nashville Bluegrass Band
Hold To God's Unchanging Hand

(Hour Two)

TIM O'BRIEN
Sinner / Suzanna

You're Dead To Me---Dierks Bentley with Tim O'Brien and Jon Randall Stewart
You Ate The Apple---Tim O'Brien

Try A Little Kindness---Bobby Osborne
I've Already Turned That Page---Don Rigsby
Would You Go With Me---Shawn Camp
Half Past Four---John Hartford Stringband

(Concert Cuts): CHRIS JONES Live In Holland
I'm Ready If You're Willin' / This Weary Heart You Stole Away

When You Are Lonely---Wildwood Valley Boys

THANKS for listening!~CB

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!!!

In two separate contests, Knee-Deep In Bluegrass gave away 2 VIP Tickets to the IBMA Awards Show, 2 VIP Weekend Passes to Bluegrass FanFest and 3 Nights Lodging at the Holiday Inn Express in downtown Nashville.

From in-person, festival registration, the winner is: LINDA MCDANIEL OF Pilot Mountain, NC

From on-line, website registration, the winner is: GARY BOULIER of Cartersville, GA

Linda and Gary each are winners of the prize package from Knee-Deep In Bluegrass. They, with their guest, will enjoy the IBMA Awards Show at the Ryman Auditorium on Thursday, September 30th, followed by three days of Bluegrass FanFest at the Nashville Convention Center.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to register. I look forward to seeing many of you for all Bluegrass fun during IBMA's World of Bluegrass!

~CB

Don't Miss This Incredible Night!

For Immediate Release: September 16, 2010
Press Info: Kissy Black, kissyblack@lotosnile.com, (615) 298-1144
General Info: Nancy Cardwell, nancyc@ibma.org (615) 256-3222

INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARDS TO FEATURE STELLAR CAST

Nashville, Tenn. - The bluegrass world is set to gather on September 30
for the 2010 International Bluegrass Music Awards, recognizing the
year's most outstanding accomplishments in 17 categories and honoring
two pioneers for their groundbreaking influence. The star-studded
evening will feature a stellar cast of performers and exciting
collaborations to delight audiences and celebrate bluegrass worldwide.

Fans can look forward to a dozen performances including reigning
Entertainers of the Year Dailey & Vincent; the father of newgrass Sam
Bush; bluegrass songbird Claire Lynch; powerhouse vocalist Russell Moore
& IIIrd Tyme Out; the legendary Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; and
nine-time Entertainers of the Year, The Del McCoury Band.
That alone could satisfy the appetite of even the hungriest of fans, but
the IBMA Awards are known for delivering some special collaborations.

Two gentlemen who between them hold eight Guitar Player of the Year
trophies, Josh Williams and Tony Rice, will perform together. Awards
show hosts, Grand Ole Opry stars Sharon & Cheryl White and genre-bending
Dobro stylist Jerry Douglas, will team up with four-time Female and Male
Vocalists of the Year Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski. The man who has
dominated the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart all summer, Dierks
Bentley, will perform with a band of nominees and past recipients, while
Blue Highway will include guest Darrell Scott in their part of the show.

The evening will also feature musical tributes to Hall of Fame inductees
John Hartford and Louise Scruggs, including a performance by Earl
Scruggs with his sons, Gary and Randy.

Whether enjoying the show live at the historic Ryman Auditorium or
tuning in via radio, fans will also enjoy award presentations by their
favorite stars and the anticipation of hearing who walks away with the
most coveted awards in bluegrass music.
Expect more surprises, but one thing is clear: you don't want to miss
this show!

The 21st International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Central on September 30, will be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite
Radio (Bluegrass Junction, Channel 14) and syndicated to more than 300
U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks thanks to the sponsorship of Martha
White, GHS Strings, Sugar Hill Records, Deering Banjos, Compass Records
and the International Bluegrass Music Museum. Program directors and
station managers may sign up to be affiliates online at www.ibma.org.

Tickets are available at the Ryman Auditorium box office at (615)
889-3060.
The International Bluegrass Music Awards are voted on by the
professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association
(IBMA), which serves as the trade association for the bluegrass music
industry. The IBMA Awards Show is the centerpiece of the World of
Bluegrass week, including the industry's Business Conference and
Bluegrass Fan Fest, which will take place September 27 - October 3 in
Nashville.

IBMA Preparation

Well, as World of Bluegrass Week of from International Bluegrass Music Association approaches, like many of you, I find myself with a lot to get finished before traveling to Nashville for the Trade Show and Business Conference, Awards Show and FanFest. I always look forward to this busy and exciting time in music. Serving as one of the producers for the IBMA Awards Show, my days (and nights!) have been filled for several weeks now assembling many, many details that it takes to put together a show of this caliber. September 27th - October 3rd Bluegrass musicians, singers, producers, announcers, writers and fans will gather to celebrate, educate, communicate and concentrate on all things Bluegrass!

As time allows during World of Bluegrass Week, I will be posting to the blog. Knee-Deep In Bluegrass, along with John Boy & Billy Radio, has some exciting news to share in the coming days, so stay tuned for that!

Before heading to Nashville, I will also be posting some of the places I will be during the week so we can hopefully say hello face-to-face.

Thanks!~CB

What I Am Reading

I have to admit...I do not read many books. It is not because I do not enjoy reading-I do! I think it has more to do with not 'scheduling' some reading time into each day. However, I am currently reading The Mandolin Caseby Dr. Tom Bibey. I met Dr. Bibey several years ago and have chatted with him at many music festivals and shows over the years. I will post a review as soon as I am finished. In the meantime, here is what Dan Hays, Executive Director of the IBMA has to say:

“The ‘The Mandolin Case’ provides more twists and curls than the grain in a piece of birds-eye maple. Like a master fiddler weaving notes through the melody of a song, Bibey holds forth simplicity as the most complex asset when prejudice and greed place honor and integrity on trial.” – Dan Hays,
International Bluegrass Music Association

Knee-Deep PLAYLIST

(Hour One)

Jack Up The Jail---Lonesome River Band
The Famous Lefty Flynn's---Grascals
Changes---Tony Rice

(Bluegrass News)

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder---Sierra Hull
Jenny---Darren Beachley & Legends of the Potomac
Are You Teasing Me---Crowe Brothers
Happy I'll Be---James King

Poet With Wings---Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
My Blue Eyed Darlin'---Joe Mullins
Yellow Rock---Jim Brooks (Daddy)
Won't It Be Wonderful There---David Parmley

(Vintage Vault): FLATT & SCRUGGS

I'll Never Shed Another Tear / My Cabin In Caroline

(Hour Two)

My Angeline---Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Farm of Yesterday---Gibson Brothers

(SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW ARTIST) SAM BUSH
Ballad of Stringbean & Estelle / Circles Around Me

Chalk Up Another One---Bluegrass Album Band
Billy In The Lowground---Jimmy Edmonds
I'll Live Again---Baucom, Bibey, Graham and Haley

(Concert Cuts): DEL McCOURY BAND at the RYMAN Auditorium
1952 Vincent Black Lightning / Get Down On Your Knees and Pray

Can't You Hear Me Calling---John Cowan with Del McCoury

As always, THANKS for listening!~CB

Knee-Deep PLAYLIST

(Hour One)

I'll Be Alright Tomorrow---Osborne Brothers
So Good---Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
God's Front Porch---Lou Reid & Carolina

(Bluegrass News)

Gimme Three Steps---Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time
Moneyland---Del McCoury Band
When I Wake Up To Sleep No More---Mickey Harris
Too Far Gone---Kathy Chiavola

My First Mistake---Alecia Nugent
I've Never Been So Lonesome---LongView
I Wanna Be Loved Like That---Chapmans
Willie Poor Boy---Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum

(Vintage Vault): E. C. & Orna Ball
Grandfather's Clock / I Want To Live

(Hour Two)

Just Along For The Ride---Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford
Time To Be Movin' On---Blue Moon Rising

Why You're Leaving Me This Time---McPeak Brothers
Sailing On---Russell Moore with Dale Ann Bradley
Abilene Gal---Jerry Douglas
Sis Draper---Shawn Camp

Dear Old Dixie---Bela Fleck
Two Winding Rails---Sierra Hull
Gonna Settle Down---Bluegrass Album Band
Garfield's Blackberry Blossom---Nashville Bluegrass Band

(Concerts Cuts): SELDOM SCENE
Old Train / Another Lonesome Day

Draw Me A Map---Dierks Bentley with Alison Krauss

THANKS for listening!~CB

Knee-Deep PLAYLIST

(Hour One)

Kentucky Thunder---Lonesome Standard Time
Jumpin' The Strings---Byron Berline
Never Meant To Be---Tony Rice

(Bluegrass News)

Heart Trouble---Darrell Webb Band
Pray The Clouds Away---Crowe Lawson & Williams
Warm Kentucky Sunshine---Adam Steffey w/Alison Krauss
Cherokee Shuffle---Josh Williams

Tennessee 1949---Larry Sparks
Wave Goodbye---Alan Munde Gazette
Blossoms On The Almond Tree---Valerie Smith
Pinnacle Mountain Breakdown---Jason Davis

(Vintage Vault): JD CROWE & THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN BOYS
Helen / Train 45

(Hour Two)

The Hangman---Ernie Thacker
Can I Get An Amen---Aubrey Haynie w/Tim Mensey

Cryin' All The Way To The Band---Alecia Nugent
My Time In The Desert---John Cowan
Working On A Railroad---Special Consensus
Out On The Ocean---Sam Bush

Handmade Nails & Homemade Love---Randy Kohrs
I Feel Like Singing---Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley
One Way Track---Boone Creek
Little Rock Getaway---Jimmy Arnold

(Concert Cuts): AMERICA'S BLUEGRASS GOSPEL
Cryin' Holy---JD Crowe with Don Rigsby
Here I Am---Ronnie Bowman

Somehow Tonight---Joe Diffie

THANKS for listening!~CB