The Most Exciting News
09.10.2007- CST
Hey, y'all...I'm here to catch you up on everything that's been going on with us.
The most exciting news is that we're going to be in Nashville the week of June 18th to record our next CD with Grammy-winning producer Bil VornDick (Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, Bob Dylan, James Taylor). Rachel and Sam will be joining us, as well as TwangTown super pickers Mark Fain (bass), Mike Bub (bass), Andy Falco (lead guitar), Andy Leftwich (fiddle, mandolin) and Travis Toy (dobro). As you might imagine we're so excited our heads are spinning on our shoulders like Linda Blair. Hold the pea soup.
OVERNIGHT (two year) SENSATION:
Holy cow -- we found out our debut CD was recently back on the Roots Music Report bluegrass chart, and had been there for over 25 weeks - that's 56 weeks total since its release in November of 2005. Pretty astounding for a CD that's over a year old, which is a lifetime in this industry. Reckon it's "got legs," as we say in The Music Biz.
What's more, they've just started state-by-state regional charts, and we're #8 on the New York chart, not to mention we're still on regular rotation on Sirius and XM satellite radio. We want to send our most heart-felt thanks to all the DJ's out there that continue to spin us. Bless your hearts and all your vital organs!
FACTORY:
We got back recently from a whirl-wind 4 day wheelin' and dealin' trip to Nashville. Got a lot accomplished, scoped out the studio where we will cut our next CD, and ate copious "meat and three" meals. We also had a chance to tour the Gibson factory and Custom Shop at Opry Mills, where they build mandolins, banjos and Dobros. There's a really nice article about us on the Gibson site about our visit (special thanks also to THE BLUEGRASS BLOG for featuring the story and a link on their site as well).
The photo used in the article really cracks me up -- we got caught in a rainstorm on our way in, so it looks like I have a dead woodchuck on my head (wouldn't be the first time): http://www.gibson.com/allaccessFeatures.aspx?
aliaspath=/AllAccess/Stringed%20Sensations%20the%
Here are some other snaps from the tour:
We also swung by Gibson's repair shop, and saw a few rarities, including a lovely old Harp Guitar, displayed here by Dave Harvey from the Gibson repair shop (he's also a crackerjack picker himself, having worked with Larry Sparks, Larry Cordle, & most recently the Claire Lynch Band):
SLEEPLESS IN ABINGDON:
We're happy to announce that DBL guitarist Claiborne Woodall and family have a new arrival: baby Grayson Clark Woodall (8lbs., 6oz. and 21" long). Mama and young'un are doing very well, thank you, and they have promised us photos of the new addition soon, which we will post here for your inspection (nothing messy, like candid delivery room pix, we promise)!
[The look of a man who is slowly realizing he won't be sleeping much at all in the next 5 - 10 years...]
ON THE ROAD AGAIN:
We've been very busy Bees the last few months, writing and learning new songs, and playing all over the place, including a wild appearance at the Bristol Motor Speedway for a NASCAR event, sponsored by The Crooked Road, where we shared the stage with The Wolfe Brothers Band and the great Blue Highway (special thanks to The Crooked Road's Bill Smith for the photos):
We had a memorable evening at Lay's Hardware in Coeburn (home of Jim & Jesse, what a great scene. They decorated the place in our honor, and baked a custom-decorated Dixie Bee cake special for a good old fashioned cakewalk. We can't wait to make a return trip. Special thanks to Charlie McConnell and all the gang at Lay's for making us feel so welcome, hope to see y'all again soon! Additional kudos go to Crooked Road poobah Bill Smith for manning the soundboard and remembering to turn the "Suck" knob all the way down (special thanks to Anastasia Hartsock for the photos):
We'd also like to send obeisance to fiddler Kevin Jackson for bravely filling in for Rachel with us recently at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, opening up for the Jeanette Williams Band. He learned our stuff in one rehearsal, got up there and played like a champ. Thanks for savin' our bacon, Kev!
IN CONSTANT SORROW ALL MY DAYS:
The Barter Theatre production of "Man Of Constant Sorrow: The Story of the Stanley Brothers" made a return appearance at Ralph Stanley's Hills of Home Fest this year. Dr. Stanley joined us for the closing speech and song, which was pretty memorable...not a dry eye (or seat!) in the house. After the play, the cast made a special appearance for a set of Stanley’s music that wasn't in the play, and I got a chance to pull out my old 1954 RB-250 Gibson Mastertone for a rare spin around the park:
[Gill Braswell, BW, Brandon Story (hidden), Kenny Kosek, Nick Piper]
...and Brandi joined us for a few songs as well:
Thanks again to Anastasia Hartsock for the pix!!
Brandi and I went back to Hills of Home on Friday to play with Carter Stanley's daughter Jeanie, joined by Clinch Mountain Boys Jack Cooke on bass, and Dewey Brown on fiddle.
BRING IT TO JEROME:
There's a fantastic new review of our CD in the latest cyber-issue of Rambles. Writer Jerome Clark says, "[The Dixie Bee-Liners] have fashioned a sound so distinctive that you couldn't possibly mistake them for anybody else, certainly not another standard-issue acoustic-roots outfit...[they] give contemporary bluegrass not just a good name but a lesson in how modern and traditional sounds, lovingly wed, can infuse old musical styles with fresh life in a new century."
Read the whole article here: http://www.rambles.net/dixieb_liners05.html. Thanks, Jerome!
PICKIN' ON THE OLDIES:
Our banjo player Sam Morrow has a spunky old prewar archtop Gibson Mastertone that he'd love to show you all:
It's a 1926 TB-3 (TB stands for "Tenor Banjo"), with a 5-string repro neck, featuring Style 5 wreath inlays, made by Robbie Robinson of Columbus, OH, and which produces a sound like a small cannon. An Archtop or "Raised Head" tone ring, in profile, is higher on the inside edge than the outside. The visual effect is that of a concentric circle slightly smaller than the area of the entire head that is raised slightly higher than the outside edge of the head. The sound is usually considered brighter than a flat head banjo with the same size rim, due to the smaller vibrating area of the head of an archtop. Some of the well-known archtop banjo players would include Ralph Stanley, Douglas Dillard, Lamar Grier, and Don Stover. Most recently Robbie McCoury from the Del McCoury Band used his father's old Gibson archtop on a number of their best known albums.
A LITTLE MORE HISTORY:
The Mastertone banjo has gone through many different configurations in its history since the middle of the 20's. One of the earliest marketed versions was the "ball bearing" Mastertone,introduced by Gibson around 1919. Their construction consisted of a perforated tubular tone ring sitting on ball bearings that rested in cavities in the top of the wooden rim (check out "The New Gibson Banjos" in the 1920 Gibson Banjo Catalog reprint, available from Roger Siminoff at: http://www.siminoff.net/). By around 1924, the cavities had been deepened and the ball bearings rested on springs inserted into holes drilled down into the rim from the top. The theory usually advanced for this is that changes in humidity that caused the old fashioned skin banjo heads, in use until the late 1950's, to loosen or tighten would be counteracted by the constant spring pressure maintaining constant head tension.
For this to work, the height of the head and the action would be variable. Also, the springs would absorb some of the sound that should be transmitted to the rim.. Furthermore, this function is not actually mentioned in the patent papers, and the purpose of the ball bearing system seems to have been to allow the tone ring to vibrate more than other tone rings.
Here's a lovely example of a 1925 RB-3 ball bearing (5-string repro neck by Robin Smith) owned by Pat McGarvey of London, England:
Ball bearings are good banjos, have a sweet tone if set up properly, and the tone ring is rated as a decent compromise for those who play a wide variety of styles but can't afford one of the more desired prewar Gibsons. According to the late Mike Longworth, the system was discontinued because Vega felt that it infringed on one of their patents. This move, of course, ironically led to the changes that ultimately caused Gibson to design the banjos that came to RULE THE BLUEGRASS INDUSTRY!
BACK TO SAM'S BANJO:
The name of one of the previous owners is written on the label, and legend has it that it belonged at one time to Bill Emerson (Country Gentlemen), and was used by Don Reno (Reno & Smiley) at a few Ohio festivals. Here Sam demonstrates one of his Eddie Peabody chords:
It's probably worth taking another look at Ralph Stanley's old 1930's RB-5 archtop:
HAIR CLUB FOR MEN:
Speaking of banjos and banjo players, Sam and I were talking about the good old days when banjo pickers had great big pompadours like Televangelists, so we have decided the time may be right to market a new product that will help reclaim those glory days.
BEFORE: Buddy prior to application of JD CROWE ALL-PURPOSE QUIFF CREME
AFTER: Don't strap on a banjer without it!
AND FINALLY:
If you want to see The Stanley Brothers inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well they should be, here's a way you might be able to do something about it: Jeanie Stanley, daughter of the late, great Carter Stanley, has organized a petition, with the help of Worldwide Bluegrass DJ Gracie Muldoon. Go to the http://www.worldwidebluegrass.com forum board and sign your name, address, city, state, and e-mail address. The goal is to get 10,000 signatures, which will then be sent to the CMHoF in the hope that it will help persuade the powers that be in Nashville and show 'em who the public would really like to see in this hallowed hall. Please help spread the word! The team is long overdue for this. The Stanley family appreciates your support on this issue, and so do we!
Take care, & keep on the sunny side, y'all,
Buddy
