Mountain Blog

Just a quick reminder to our songwriter friends that the early bird deadline for the General Round of the 2012 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest is rapidly approaching: 11:59 pm on Saturday, June 2nd.

Visit the NewSong website to enter, and to find out more information.

Mountain Stage is back this week with an all new broadcast, recorded live at the Paramount Theater in the border town of Bristol TN / VA, in partnership with our friends at the Birthplace of Country MusicAlliance. You’ll hear from country music icon Marty Stuart and his band, The Fabulous Superlatives; newcomer John Fullbright, The McCrary Sisters, experimental alt-folk-pop from The Pines, and bluegrass heavyweights Blue Highway.

Click here to find a list of stations and times where you can listen.

As a part of the New Traditionalist movement, Marty Stuart was instrumental in changing the sound of New Country music. Dubbed the “Hillbilly Crusader,” after long stints with Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash, Stuart struck out on his own, adding a rockin’ twist to traditional country. His 2010 release Ghost Train (The Studio B Sessions) features his band The Fabulous Superlatives and realizes Stuart’s vision of making a record that “upholds traditional country music.” His latest release, Nashville Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down continues down the same heartworn path. Hear Marty discuss his new album, and share his take on the state of country music in our latest Backstage at Mountain Stage video.

Since bursting on the scene in the late-‘90s, Blue Highway has all but dominated the bluegrass charts over its 17 year history. Comprised of five experienced musicians, the members of this progressive group have played with Alison Krauss & Union Station, Ricky Skaggs, Larry Sparks and Doyle Lawson. With ten highly-acclaimed albums to its credit, Blue Highway has garnered two Grammy nominations, a Dove Award, topped the Bluegrass Unlimited radio charts, and won numerous International Bluegrass Music Association awards. Their current release is Sounds of Home.

After playing in fellow Oklahoma singer-songwriter Mike McClure’s band for a year, John Fullbright has become the most talked about young musician in Oklahoma. Prior to the 2009 Folk Alliance conference in Memphis, Fullbright, still in his early 20s, recorded a live CD at the Blue Door in Oklahoma City. Already he has received endorsements from many great musicians, including fellow Oklahomans Jimmy Webb, Kevin Welch, and Tom Skinner, and Mountain Stage favorite Jimmy LaFave.

Nashville’s McCrary Sisters have recorded with Stevie Wonder, Bobby Jones, Wynonna, Ray Stevens, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Mike Farris, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Daughters of the late Rev. Samuel McCrary, founding member of Nashville’s legendary gospel quartet the Fairfield Four, the four sisters have been singing their entire lives. Ann began singing at age three while Regina toured with Bob Dylan for six years and recorded three albums with him. Their release, Our Journey, features cameos by Buddy Miller, Delbert McClinton, and Patty Griffin.

Listen to Doc Watson on Mountain Stage, recorded August 15, 2010.

"All of us at Mountain Stage join the rest of the world of music this week as we grieve the passing of Doc Watson. Doc was on the show four times, the most recent being at one of our visits to Bristol Tennessee / Virginia just two years ago. On that last visit many of our cast and crew commented on how young he seemed when he was playing and singing.

I remember first hearing his music on an album in 1962 when I was 14. He was immediately a giant in my world. His first visit to Mountain Stage in 1988 was monumental and unforgettable to a boy who grew up in the folk revival. I was almost afraid to talk to him. But he was as friendly and common as you might think he would be. It was always a pleasure to see him.

You will have many chances to hear Doc in the future because he made scores of fine recordings. I’m grateful that a few of them were on Mountain Stage. Take a listen to his last one and take a look at the interview he did that day. He was a Doc whose medicine cured a lot of ills."

-Larry Groce, May 30th 2012