New River Bluegrass

Doug Armstrong of New River Bluegrass was instrumental in my being able to host the Sunday Bluegrass Breakdown. Doug loaned me a portion of his extensive bluegrass collection and I owe him a debt of gratitude.

photo courtesy of New River Bluegrass

Nearly 15 years ago, Doug's band New River String Band burst onto the scene as an award winning trio in the Pizza Hut "International Bluegrass Showdown". Through the years the group has progressed into a six piece ensemble with roots in traditional and contemporary bluegrass, now hailing as New River Bluegrass.

One thing hasn't changed over all the years; the love and excitement of performing hard driving and thought provoking acoustic music. It's evident when you can catch this group live, and even more so when you can sit just feet away from them and listen in to the wonderful back and forth play of instruments and tight vocal harmonies. NRB lives for that experience; to feel the reverberation of their acoustic sound, to be immersed in high lonesome vocals. Most importantly, they love to share the experience with you.

The band recently played in Monticello with Blue Highway. Blue Highway enjoyed the performance so much, they've asked New River Bluegrass to open for them again on their next Florida performance....

4-27-2008 Set List: New River Bluegrass - The Gospel, David Parmley & Continental Divide - There'll Always Be A Rockin' Chair, Dry Branch Fire Squad - I Have Found A Way, Dan Tyminski, Praise The Lord, The Country Gentlemen - Coal Black Gold, The Chapmans - Uphill Climb, Aubrey Haynie - Going To Ferrum, Blue Highway - God Moves In A Windstorm, David Grisman & Friends - Sophronie, Hazel & Alice - Montana Cowboy, Alan Shad - Surrounded By The Blues, Front Range - My Lord What A Mourning, Jim & Jesse - Diesel On My Tail, James King - I Don't Do Floors, Mountain Heart - I'll Sail Away, Bluegrass Patriots - Streets Of Baltimore, Ernie Thacker - Traveling The Highway Home, Don Rigsby - I've Just Seen The Rock Of Ages, Goin' South Band - Lost Indian, Bill Monroe - My Little Georgia Rose, Longview - The Touch Of God's Hand, Bill Emerson - Three Day Beard & A Rusty Jeep, Infamous Stringdusters - My Destination, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - I'll Keep On Sailing, The Grascals - Roll Muddy River, BlueRidge - Sailing With The Master, Laurie Lewis - Big Eddy, Daryl Mosely & Tim Graves - Why You Been Done So Long, Aaron O'Rourke Trio - What If, Boone Creek - No Mother Or Dad, Mud Acres - Carolina In My Mind, The Kentucky Colonels - I Am A Pilgrim, Jeff White - Cheater's Heart, IIIrd Tyme Out - We'll Soon Be Done With Troubles & Trials, Noam Pikelny - Manchicken, Lonesome River Band - Raleigh And Spencer, Ron Block - Set Your Children Free, The Biscuit Boys - Boograss, Del McCoury - Dark Hollow, Allan McHale - The Arab Bounce, Laurel Canyon Ramblers - Crossroads Bar, Iris Dement - Sweet Is The Melody, Bryan Sutton - Blue Night, No Speed Limit - Sweet Virginia, Scott Anderson - Old Carolina, Alecia Nugent - Ready For The Times To Get Better, David Davis & The Warrior River Boys - Evening Prayer Blues, Charlie Sizemore - Pamela Brown - Leah Larson - Long Journey, Crooked Still - Mountain Jumper, Gibson Brothers - It's All Over Now, Nashville Bluegrass Band - The Ghost Of Eli Renfro, Kane's River - Jerusalem's Choir, Chris Thile - Kneel Before Him

Merlefest 2008: April 24-27

MerleFest is committed to producing a high quality diversified American roots based musical experience that attracts a broad audience and reunites guests, supporters and performers in an annual celebration of Americana music.

http://www.merlefest.org

The festival is held in a secure and substance-free setting that complements the experience and fosters an interest in a variety of musical forms representative of the repertoire of Doc and Merle Watson. Through the years, MerleFest has provided funds for its founding purpose, the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses; providing an interpretive, educational, artistic and cultural experience for visually impaired as well as sighted guests.

The festival is committed to the cultural experiences that are interwoven in the music’s foundations and progression. The acclaimed Outreach Program takes the festival experience to students in all twenty-one Wilks County K-12 schools and various other facilities in an effort to further educate and cultivate a cultural interest in roots music. MerleFest features arts and crafts vendors who represent the heritage of western North Carolina which enhances the cultural aspect of the festival.

The festival serves as an important economic catalyst for the surrounding community and has a significant impact each year. It is committed to promoting the work and efforts of Wilkes County non-profit community organizations and Wilkes Community College’s student organizations as well as the mission of Wilkes Community College. MerleFest directly contributes to Wilkes Community College’s scholarships, capital improvements, development, and many other needs of a growing institution of higher learning.

The presence of MerleFest on the World Wide Web provides an opportunity for deeper appreciation of the festival and serves as a forum for year-round communication with guests, volunteers and other festival participants.

In all facets of organization and operation, a caring staff continues to strive to present the best “Americana” music experience in the world.

Froggy Went A-Courtin'

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Frog Went A-Courtin" is an English language folk song. Its first known appearance is in Wedderburn's Complaynt of Scotland (1548) under the name "The frog came to the myl dur." There is a reference in the London Company of Stationer's Register of 1580 to "A Moste Strange Weddinge of the Frogge and the Mouse." The oldest known musical version is in Thomas Ravenscroft's Melismata in 1611. There are many texts of the ballad.

Frog rides to ask Miss Mouse to marry him. She is willing but must ask permission of Uncle Rat. Rat's permission received, the two work out details of the wedding. Some versions end with a cat or other creature devouring the participants. Sometimes the frog gets away from the cat but is later swallowed by a duck.

Spaeth has a note claiming that the original version of this was supposed to refer to the Duke of Anjou's wooing of Elizabeth I of Engliand. If the second known version (1611, in Melismata, also reprinted in Chappell) were the oldest, this might be possible — there are seeming political references to "Gib, our cat" and "Dick, our Drake." But the Wedderburn text, which at least anticipates the song, predates the reign of Queen Elizabeth by nine years, and Queen Mary by four. If it refers to any queen at all, it would seemingly have to be Mary Stuart; Evelyn K. Wells however, in the liner notes to the LP Brave Boys; New England traditions in folk music, (New World Records 239, 1977) suggests that the original may have been satirically altered in 1580 when it was recorded in the register of the London Company of Stationers, as this would have been at the height of the unpopular courtship.

April 6, 2008 Set List: Red Allen - Froggy Went A-Courtin', Arthur Smith - Dueling Banjos, Reeltime Travelers - Little Johnny Brown, Bill Emerson - A Little Rain, Rhonda Vincent - Heartbreaker's Alibi, Bill Harrell - Red Rockin' Chair, Ricky Skaggs & The Whites - Wings of a Dove, Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition - Who's That Knockin' on My Door, Sean Watkins - Neo's Song, Cadillac Sky - Born Lonesome, Shawn Camp - My Love Will Not Change, The Chapmans - Ode to the Simple Man, Suzanne Thomas - Sweet Sunny South, Charles Sawtelle - The Ranger's Command, Tara Nevins - I've Got a Mule to Ride, Charlie Sizemore - Turn It On Turn It On Turn It On, Tony Rice - Cold on the Shoulder, Trampled By Turtles - Blue Sky & The Devil, Cherryholmes - Brand New Heartache, Two Many Banjos - New Shoes, David Grier & Todd Phillips - Old Ebeneezer Scrooge, Doc Watson & David Grisman - All About You, David McLaughlin & Josh Crowe - Going Back to Old Virginia, Don Reno - Road Runner, Doug Dillard Band - Jackrabbit, Fiddle Fever - Party for the Old Folks, The Cox Family - I Am Weary, The Grasshoppers - River of Tears, Hillbilly Dust - Alberta May, Infamous Stringdusters - Fork in the Road, Del McCoury Band - Get Down on Your Knees and Pray, J.D. Crowe & The Bluegrass Album Band - Preachin' Praying Singing, Dickie Dixon - Yee Haw, The Dillards - Dooley, Hazel & Alice - A Few More Years Shall Roll, James McCandless - Out West Somewhere, James Reams & The Barnstormers - Ain't a Bump in the Road, Jeanette Williams - Cherry Blossoms in Springtime, Joe Val - Along About Daybreak, Leon Morris & Buzz Busby - At the End, Marc Pruett Band - Cacklin' Hen, Merle Travis - John Henry, Nashville Bluegrass Band - Red Clay Halo (Gillian Welch cover), Dixon Brothers - Didn't Hear Nobody Pray, Muleskinner - Roanoke, New Vintage - You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It Too, Old & In the Gray - Honky Tonk Women, Holy Modal Rounders - Mr. Spaceman, Old Crow Medicine Show - Raise a Ruckus, Paul Williams - My Homeward Journey, Phyllis Boyens & The Dreadful Snakes - Lawrence Jones, Davy Spillane Band - Atlantic Bridge