ShenandoahMusic.Com The Shenandoah Valley's Online Bluegrass
Connection
Featuring
local and regional artists, events, venues, and related
websites of interest. ShenandoahMusic.com's intent is to
bring together the richly talented local music community
and provide a network from which a broader audience of
fans will be able to access the bluegrass community, and
appreciate it's talent.
Greetings,
Virginia Bluegrass and Gospel Music fans!
I am happy
to have this opportunity to bring Bluegrass and Gospel
music back to the Theater, and I believe that Sunday
afternoons would be the ideal time to enjoy this. Most
Church services let out around noon, and the shows will
begin at 1:00 pm. There will be two different acts
performing each Sunday, with the odd one-liners, joke
tellers or family entertainers tossed into the mix.
My vision is to model this event on the famous Grand Ole
Opry, where folks would come to relax, get together with
their families, and listen and clap along to the
Bluegrass and Gospel music weve come to love and miss.
If you'd
like to get involved, or if you know someone who's got a
bluegrass band that might want to play at one of our
events, wedding or corporate gigs please get in touch
with us.
Call Joe
Herbert at 540-975-0813
Mark Barreres 540-984-8190
The
Shenandoah Valley Bluegrass and Old-Time Music
Association is seeking expert musicians to be faculty for
the 1st Annual Shenandoah Valley Bluegrass and Old-Time
Music Camp for Aug 1, 2, 3, 2008 = The Camp will be held
on EMU campus in Harrisonburg and compensation is
available... ALL INSTRUMENTS... Contact Don DePoy,
Executive Director SVBOTMA - depoyd@hotmail.com or call 207-323-4800.
Shenandoah Valley's Best is here
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becoming more accessible. The objective of Shenandoah's
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Call 540-984-8190. We are here to help
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For too
many years, local website companies, national
telemarketers and other listing companies have charged
website owners for listing on websites with NO
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Unfortunately, those using these companies did not
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So lets get to work! - Call Mark Barreres at 540-984-819
It was to be the first real headline act to play the
Strasburg Theater, and the standing room only crowd on
Friday night were clearly intent on proving that they
both wanted, and needed a show like this. Ralph Stanley
and The Clinch Mountain Boys were indeed coming to
Strasburg, and bringing well over a century of musical
experience with them.
Greeted with what would prove to be one of many standing
ovations, Dr Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys
overcame some poor lighting and a few noisy patrons to
deliver what could be described as the best bluegrass
show this reviewer has seen to date.
The Theater, which opened its doors to the public back in
April of this year, couldn’t have picked a better
night for it. The weather was brilliant, and as the
line formed outside, you could tell this was going to be
a special night. Opening act Lee Blanton started things
off with a very fine set of folk, blues and originals
that piqued the interest of the audience as they
continued to file in to the newly renovated theater. Next
up was Charlottesville based Jay Pun and Morwenna Lasko,
an acoustic guitar and fiddle duo that seems to defy
categorization. Pun and Lasko incorporate a distinct,
rhythmic style, accentuated with a chopping pizzicato
that drew the audience deeper into their musical mosaic.
One could pick up strains of bluegrass, jazz, classical,
and even gypsy stylings during their mostly instrumental
set, which brought a warm response from the now filled
hall.
But the real reason everybody was gathered on this
glorious summer evening was Bluegrass legend and Virginia
native Ralph Stanley. Having gotten his start with
brother Carter way back in 1946, it’s hard to
believe that Ralph Stanley - who turns 80 in February -
can still find the energy and passion to tour as
extensively as he does. Of course having that new tour
bus (paid for with the proceeds from the hugely
successful 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou) certainly
helps. But Dr. Stanley – he was awarded an
Honorary Doctorate of Music from Lincoln.
MemorialUniversity back in 1976 - isn’t the only
seasoned veteran on this bus. Bassist Jack Cooke
has been working with the Clinch Mountain Boys off and on
for over 47 years, and will celebrate his 70th birthday
in December. Guitarist and Tour Manager James Shelton
joined up back in 1994, and banjoist Steve Sparkman took
his place in the lineup a year later. Considerably
younger was Ralph’s grandson Nathan Stanley, who at
only 14 years of age not only played an excellent
mandolin, but also brought a nice family touch to their
80 minute set. Rounding out the lineup was newest
member Dewey Brown on the fiddle.
Admittedly, Ralph Stanley doesn’t play the banjo
nearly as much as he used to, but the 34-year-old
Sparkman more than makes up for it with his old fashion
‘claw hammer’ style picking. Time and
again, Sparkman, whom Stanley refers to as the only banjo
player as good as himself, stepped to the microphone and
delivered fluid, exciting solos that kept the sold out
audience tapping their feet and clapping their hands. Shelton
kept the band on time and on key with some phenomenal
guitar picking, and is a clear stage leader in his own
right. But it was perhaps newest member Dewey Brown who
proved to be one of the best instrumentalists on the
circuit today. Still only 24 years of age, Brown started
out playing fiddle at age 9, and has already earned a
host of awards and nominations over the years. Several
times, Brown was singled out by Dr. Stanley for his fine
playing.Not to be outdone, young Nathan Stanley brought a
degree of expertise to his mandolin playing that’s
rarely found in players many times his age.
Doing so many shows a year, the road can sometimes get
rather boring, unless of course you’ve got a
personality tossed into the mix, someone who can cut
through the tedious doldrums of everyday travel. Clearly
the joker of the bunch, the irrepressible Jack Cooke
brings a nice balance to Dr. Stanley’s quiet,
sometimes serious demeanor. Theater owner Steve Evans
tells of how he met Jack for the first time, as the tour
bus pulled up into the lot. “I walked over to
the bus to greet the band, and out comes Jack, handing me
this big stand up bass, and says to go ahead and put it
on stage,” Mr. Evans said. “But I’m the
owner of this place, I start to (jokingly) protest, and
Jack says, ‘Well then, I know it’ll be in good
hands!’ …I knew I liked this guy right away.”Cooke
was so proud to finally have his own CD on sale, which
was available at one of several merchandise tables set up
at various spots around the Theater. The CD features a
wonderful collection of old time songs, with an all-star
line up of guest musicians, including Del McCoury, Ralph
Stanley II and Mike Bubb.
Dr. Stanley will be the first to admit that he’s not
a man of many words. But at times, that seriousness
is truly appreciated. When Ralph broke into his solo a
cappella version of Oh Death, (a huge hit taken from the
O Brother soundtrack) I could feel the hair stand up at
the back of my neck. His haunting, distinctive voice
broke through and warmed the crowd like a knitted blanket
on a cold December night. Listening to this voice, you
knew this was the real deal. But Dr. Stanley is clearly
willing to share the limelight with the others. The
always-smiling Jack Cooke led the band with his high
tenor voice on Long Black Veil. Even young Nathan
had a chance to sing his own song, which went over very
well with the crowd. Ralph led the boys on a few
gospel tunes, including one from his friends in the
Carter Family. The band’s version of Amazing Grace
had the whole crowd rapt with their tight harmonies, and
this seemed to just about wrap up the show. But of
course, there was just one more musical tune to be played,
and when the audience heard the opening strains to Man of
constant sorrow, that was all she wrote. As the
musicians exited the stage, I asked Ralph if he’d
like to do just one more for the crowd, who were up on
their feet cheering. “No, I think we’ll leave
‘em wantin’ for more”, he stated in his
typically understated style.
After spending some time backstage with the
soft–spoken Dr. Stanley, I quickly came to realize
that not only is he a legend, but he’s one first
class gentleman. We talked about bringing back one
of my favorites The little girl and the dreadful snake,
which he admitted he hadn’t performed in a good many
years. “Maybe we’ll bring that one
back”. I asked the good Dr. what he thought
was the best part about touring, performing, traveling
and living this musical life, and without a moment’s
hesitation, he summed it up in two words: “The
people.” Indeed, despite having played just the
night before in Gettysburg, Pa, Ralph took the time both
before and after the show to greet each and every fan
who’d waited on line for their autographed pictures,
CDs and memorabilia.
There was even an autographed banjo that Ralph had
offered up for sale. Dr. Stanley also took many
opportunities to speak with the audience from the stage,
joking with his band, setting up lines for Cooke and
Shelton, and allowing each of the members to have their
time to shine. Perhaps the brightest moment came
when Dr. Stanley thanked the audience for coming out,
telling us how happy he was to be back in his home state
of Virginia This brought yet another standing ovation
from the appreciative audience.
While the music itself was certainly well received, the
overall show was not without its setbacks. As James
Shelton was quick to point out, the Strasburg Theater is
perfectly situated at the crossroads of two major
highways (I-81 and I-66) and is a viable stop over for
just about any band or solo artist heading up and down
the roadways. With a bit more attention to detail, the
theater has almost unlimited potential. But the
lighting and sound in particular will need to be fine-tuned,
and the service left much to be desired. I heard
several patrons complaining about the wait, general
admission seating, and people talking during the
performance.
Seating all diners at once also led to confusion and
chaos around the bar area. Perhaps shutting down
the bar during the performance would be a start.
This might actually cut down on some of the idle chatter
from some of the more clueless patrons. Mr. Evans
assured us that he’s working on all aspects of the
theater, in an effort to bring more high-caliber
entertainment.With time, hopefully, we’ll see less
emphasis on the bar and more on the show itself.
We’re all very fortunate to have someone like Ralph
Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys come and play at the
Strasburg Theater, as there is nothing like it in the
entire Shenandoah Valley. To pull a quote from
former Governor Mark Warner, “Ralph Stanley is not
only a Virginia legend, he is a national treasure.”
Joe Herbert
is a singer-songwriter who lives in Strasburg, www.joeherbert.com.
Nothin'
Fancy was formed as a bluegrass band in September of 1994
with the purpose of competing in the East Coast Bluegrass
Championship in Crimora, Virginia. Since their auspicious
debut, they have grown in popularity, released 5 full
length albums and one CD single, played the Ryman Theatre
in Nashville, the Lincoln Center in New York City
Featuring
Music of the Shenandoah Valley, Central Virginia
and the Blue Ridge Music Magazine. When you advertise your
Shenandoah Valley business with Americana Rhythm you help
support the musical talent of the Valley in which we live.
Featuring
local and regional artists, events, venues, and related
stories of interest. Americana Rhythm will bring together
the richly talented local music community and provide a
vehicle from which a broader audience of fans will be
able to access that community, and appreciate it's talent. www.americanarhythm.com/
Wild
Blue Yonder
Melissa
Wade, from Knoxville, on lead vocals and rhythm
guitar, fronts the band and writes most of their original
material. She is also an accomplished pianist and piano
instructor. She brings to the band many years of
performance experience in a variety of musical styles.
Philip
Coward, from Knoxville, on mandolin, lead
acoustic guitar and vocals, shares leadership duties in
the band and contributes to their signature energetic
show. He also co-writes and arranges much of the group's
original material and has performed in various bands for
almost 30 years, one of which toured overseas with the
USO in the 1970's.
Classically-trained
violinist and virtuoso fiddlers, sisters, Laura
Knight and Cindy Wallace light
up the band's stage show with lively fiddle tunes as well
as beautiful string arrangements on their slower numbers.
They have performed in many bands, including Wild
Mountain Honey, and The Wallace Sisters. Their
credentials also include many years at Dollywood theme
park.
When
it comes right down to it, we all want the same thing,
right? To be given a chance, to be heard, to be loved. To
connect with other humanoids on some level, however small,
and find reason to believe that we're not as alone as we
sometimes feel. To take our muse from the safety of the
living room to stages far from home, to find our voice
and sing our song . . .
OK, thus go the mental ramblings of an artist. Thanks to
Mark Barrerras and Grassroots Networking for turning
dreams and ramblings into real results and even - dare we
say it - money. Yes, the "M" word. We in
Wild Blue Yonder are not afraid to say that we appreciate
being paid for our art, and Mark's "connect the dots"
system is already making that happen for us. We haven't
been affiliated very long, but already hits on our
website are up and new connections are being made daily.
Thanks so much, Grassroots Networking, for linking us up
in so many ways and so many places! We can't wait to see
what the future holds, to grow our relationships and to
tell more music biz people what great things you are
doing.
Jazz, Folk, Blues, Bluegrass, Rock,
Swing and more. ShenandoahMusic.coms' growing list of
network musicians
will perform at your home, office, weddings,
anniversaries or festivals. more info
ShenandoahMusic.com is interested in
getting new music venues off the ground in
the Shenandoah Valley. shenandoahmusic@hotmail.com
Rockbridge
Guitar Company was founded in the year 2000 by Brian
Calhoun and Randall Ray. As experienced luthiers and
guitar players, their goal was to build hand crafted
instruments from the highest quality tonewoods. Each
Rockbridge guitar is a custom instrument of consistently
high quality workmanship and tone. The company invites
you to explore the website to see what makes a Rockbridge
Guitar so unique.
Rockbridge
Music Store
205 N. Main St.
Lexington VA 24450 Call - 540-463-5455 Rockbridge
Music Store of Lexington Virginia is a seller of
Rockbridge Guitars. Each Rockbridge
guitar is a custom instrument of consistently high
quality workmanship and tone.
Sullivan
Guitars are high end, handmade acoustic guitars, Jim Sullivan caters to the
discerning musician in search of exceptional tone,
craftsmanship, and playability.
The home of
quality handmade guitars, handbuilt by luthier and master
craftsman Jim Sullivan. If your looking for a handmade acoustic guitar with outstanding sound, playability, and attention to
detail, then a Sullivan Guitar could be the answer to
your dreams. They are truly one of a kind artisan built
guitars with the absence of mediocrity. Jim uses a
special patented bracing system in the side assembly that
changes how the guitar works, producing much more volume
and frequency response in a small bodied guitar. Try a
Sullivan handmade acoustic guitar and you'll be hooked
for life. Sullivan Guitars
Jim, I came across
your ezine article about handmade guitars. The article,though
quite well written, isn't nearly as convincing as
actually playing one of your guitars. I,ve personally had
the pleasure of both hearing and playing a "Sullivan"
guitar and I can honestly say that it was the best finger
style instrument I have ever come across! So much for
your article. I also followed the link to www.acousticguitarcorner.com with which, I assume, you
are affiliated and checked out your full line of
accessories, looks like you,re sticking with the cream of
the crop in this venture also. P.S., The pricing looks
very competative as well. - Tom Edwards,
Nashville,Tn
"I have
recently purchased a Sullivan Guitar and I want to say
that the craftsmanship far surpassed my expectations. The
quality of sound acoustically and electrically is way
better than any Taylor or Martin I have ever played on.
The detail work on the bindings and butt strip are
awesome and the finish is excellent. I especially like
the hand carved "S" in the headstock. The
action and intonation are great too. If you have not
tried or own a Sullivan Guitar you should because you are
missing out on a high quality instrument.
I liked the first guitar so much I am ready to place my
second custom order."Barry Sacco
High
quality instruments for the professional player
Affordable instruments for the beginer
AND EVERYTHING in between!
If you are searching for
an acoustic guitar DVD or an acoustic guitar amplifier, Jim Sullivan is building an online store that will be a great resource
for guitar players. On Jim's new site you will find the
acoustic guitar pickup system that will help you to plug
in and play with that pure acoustic sonic perfection you’ve
been looking for. They have the best acoustic guitar
products you can find online, like hand made guitars or
acoustic guitar hardshell cases and more.
Acoustic Guitar Corner.com
is a web site that is dedicated to the acoustic guitar
player and all the things that the acoustic player might
be looking for to further their craft and enhance their
relationship with their instrument. Things like a nice
sturdy guitar case to protect your investment to an
acoustic guitar amp or an acoustic guitar pickup system to improve your sound, or maybe
some smaller acoustic guitar accessory like a preamp or capo to make
the gig a little easier. You'll even find guitar instructional videos and
DVDs to help you
hone in a new technique or playing style.
We are looking to cross promote with a
other websites that want to have FREE an
Online Classified section. If you would like to work on a
plan to develop a universal classified system that
will be placed on many websites in The Shenandoah Valley please let us
know call Mark now
at 540-984-8190.
A Shenandoah
Valley Informational website about the Business
and Arts of the Shenandoah Valley region of
Virginiaand West Virginia and
beyond
We are a
full service website promotion and marketing firm located
in The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Our highly effective search engine promotion techniques
will help put your web site or business in position to go
head to head with even the largest competition. We
provide community focused business networking online
and offline. We provide a platform for networking by
offering memberships to our service and through
advertising strategies. We strive to bring together the
best of every industry in the region and introduce them
to our members and viewers through our family of web
sites on a National level.
