“In their artistic practices, the NEA National Heritage Fellows tell their own stories on their own terms. They pass their skills and knowledge to others through mentorship and teaching,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These honorees are not only sustaining the cultural history of their art form and of their community, they are also enriching our nation as a whole.”

A sought-after musician, Cleveland, 41, has also performed with such noted artists as Vince Gill, J.D. Crowe and the New South, The Kruger Brothers, Tim O’Brien, Andy Statman, and Marty Stuart, among others. “He plays fearless and it’s intoxicating to play with him because he makes you play fearless,” says Gill. “He takes no prisoners but he plays with a restraint and a soul. He plays without abandon. It’s wicked to see how much he pulls out of a bow. He’s untouchable.”

Here’s a link to a recording of Michael Cleveland performing “Tall Fiddler”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcwx6AifG7Q.

A film celebrating the National Endowment for the Arts 2022 class of artists and tradition bearers premieres this fall on arts.gov, where more information on the NEA National Heritage Fellowship and a complete list of recipients can also be found.

Billy Strings, who turns 29 on Oct. 3, grew up playing traditional bluegrass with his dad. In the years since, he has been among the artists who have helped to expand the boundaries of the genre, widening its appeal. His latest album, Renewal, features 16 songs (mostly originals), that while primarily acoustic, transcends bluegrass via incorporating elements of jam band, psychedelic music, classic rock, and even heavy metal.

Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), a nonprofit music organization that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide (ibma.org).

A complete list of winners in 17 categories appears below, while information about the three previously announced Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees (acclaimed artist Alison Krauss, trailblazing bandleader and banjoist Lynn Morris and early bluegrass influencers the Stoneman Family) and five Distinguished Achievement Awards recipients, as well as a listing of all the category nominees can be found at https://acousticmusicscene.com/2021/07/21/ibma-bluegrass-music-awards-nominees-named/.

Entertainer of the Year:

Billy Strings

Vocal Group of the Year

Sister Sadie

Instrumental Group of the Year

Appalachian Road Show

New Artist of the Year

Appalachian Road Show

Song of the Year

“Richest Man”
Artist: Balsam Range
Songwriters: Jim Beavers/Jimmy Yeary/Connie Harrington
Producer: Balsam Range
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

Album of the Year

Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio’s Musical Legacy
Artist: Various Artists
Producer: Joe Mullins
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Gospel Recording of the Year (Tie)

“After Awhile”
Artist: Dale Ann Bradley
Songwriter: Public Domain
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle Records

“In the Resurrection Morning”
Artists: Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason Moore
Songwriter: Mark Wheeler
Producers: Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve, Dottie Leonard Miller
Label: Billy Blue Records

Instrumental Recording of the Year

“Ground Speed”
Artists: Kristin Scott Benson, Skip Cherryholmes, Jeremy Garrett, Kevin Kehrberg, Darren Nicholson
Songwriter: Earl Scruggs
Producer: Jon Weisberger
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

Collaborative Recording of the Year

“White Line Fever”
Artists: Bobby Osborne with Tim O’Brien, Trey Hensley, Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan, Todd Phillips, Alison Brown
Songwriters: Merle Haggard/Jeff Tweedy
Producers: Alison Brown, Garry West
Label: Compass Records

Female Vocalist of the Year

Dale Ann Bradley

Male Vocalist of the Year (Tie)

Del McCoury
Danny Paisley

Banjo Player of the Year

Scott Vestal

Bass Player of the Year

Missy Raines

Fiddle Player of the Year

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year

Justin Moses

Guitar Player of the Year

Billy Strings

Mandolin Player of the Year

Sierra Hull

Hosted by Sierra Hull, Joe Newberry, Tim O’Brien and Rhonda Vincent, the awards show was the centerpiece of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Virtual World of Bluegrass week. Considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. World of Bluegrass has taken place in Raleigh, North Carolina since 2013. However, concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the nonprofit professional organization for the global bluegrass community to shift to online presentation of its professional development seminars, artist showcases and awards this year.

A list of award winners in 17 categories as determined by votes cast by IBMA’s professional members follows:

Entertainer of the Year: Sister Sadie
Vocal Group of the Year: Sister Sadie
Instrumental Group of the Year: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (its sixth win in his category)
Song of the Year: “Chicago Barn Dance” – Special Consensus with Michael Cleveland & Becky Buller (artists), Becky Buller/Missy Raines/Alison Brown (writers), Compass Records, Alison Brown (producer)
Album of the Year: Live In Prague, Czech Republic – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Billy Blue Records, Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek (producers)
Gospel Recording of the Year: Gonna Rise And Shine – Alan Bibey & Grasstowne (artist), Mark Hodges (producer), Mountain Fever Records (label)
Instrumental Recording of the Year: Tall Fiddler – Michael Cleveland (artist), Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan (producers), Compass Records (label)
New Artist of the Year: Mile Twelve
Collaborative Recording of the Year: The Barber’s Fiddle – Becky Buller with Shawn Camp, Jason Carter, Laurie Lewis, Kati Penn, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Warren, Stuart Duncan, Deanie Richardson, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jason Barie, Fred Carpenter, Tyler Andal, Nate Lee, Dan Boner, Brian Christianson, and Laura Orshaw (artists), Stephen Mougin (producer), Dark Shadow Recording (label)
Female Vocalist of the Year: Brooke Aldridge (her fourth win in this category)
Male Vocalist of the Year: Danny Paisley
Banjo Player of the Year: Scott Vestal
Bass Player of The Year: Missy Raines (her ninth win in this category)
Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year: Justin Moses
Fiddle Player of the Year: Deanie Richardson
Guitar Player of the Year: Jake Workman
Mandolin Player of the Year: Alan Bibey (who also won in this category last year)

Here’s a link to view the official video for “Chicago Barn Dance,” the Song of the Year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmDoxyuRM60

Momentum Awards Also Presented During Virtual World of Bluegrass

Earlier in the week, the IBMA recognized artists and business professionals in the early years of their bluegrass music careers with Momentum Awards. A veteran bluegrass professional who has made significant contributions in fostering excellence in young bluegrass performers and members of the industry also received a Mentor Award.

2020 Momentum Awards recipients include:

Kris Truelsen (Industry Involvement)
Annie Savage (Mentor)
Thomas Cassell (Instrumentalist)
Tabitha Agnew (Instrumentalist)
Melody Williamson (Vocalist)
The Slocan Ramblers (Band)

“We are so thankful and a little overwhelmed,” says Joe Mullins, the bandleader and banjo player. “To be included in the Entertainer of the Year category alongside some of our heroes and bands we’re huge fans of, was very humbling. To receive the award from our peers provides us with great encouragement and inspiration. What a wonderful blessing!”

Last year’s Song of the Year winners for “If I’d Have Wrote That Song” and 2012 IBMA Emerging Artists of the Year, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers also shared the 2019 award for Collaborative Recording of the Year with guest artist, Grand Ole Opry member and nine-time IBMA Entertainer of the Year Del McCoury for “The Guitar Song.” The Del McCoury Band took home the award for Album of the Year for Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass.

Joining the group as first-time winners in their respective categories were Sister Sadie (Vocal Group of the Year), Billy Strings (Guitar Player of the Year and New Artist of he Year) and Alan Bibey (Mandolin Player of the Year).

The complete list of award winners in 17 categories voted on by IBMA’s professional members follows:

Entertainer of the Year: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Vocal Group of the Year: Sister Sadie
Instrumental Group of the Year: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (its fifth win in his category)
Song of the Year: “Thunder Dan” – Sideline (artist), Josh Manning (writer), Tim Surrett (producer), Mountain Home Music Company (label)
Album of the Year: Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass – Del McCoury Band (artist), Del and Ronnie McCoury (producers), McCoury Music (label). This marks the band’s second win in this category.
Gospel Recording of the Year: “Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout” – Claire Lynch (artist), Jerry Salley (producer), Billy Blue Records (label)
Instrumental Recording of the Year: “Darlin’ Pal(s) of Mine” – Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Mike Bub, and Todd Phillips (artist), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records (label)
New Artist of the Year: Billy Strings
Collaborative Recording of the Year: “The Guitar Song” – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers with Del McCoury (artists), Joe Mullins (producer), Jerry Salley (associate producer), Billy Blue (label)
Female Vocalist of the Year: Brooke Aldridge (her third win in this category)
Male Vocalist of the Year: Russell Moore (his sixth win in this category)
Banjo Player of the Year: Kristin Scott Benson (her fifth win in this category)
Bass Player of the Year: Missy Raines (her eighth win in this category)
Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year: Phil Leadbetter (his third win in this category)
Fiddle Player of the Year: Michael Cleveland (his 12th win in this category)
Guitar Player of the Year: Billy Strings
Mandolin Player of the Year: Alan Bibey

Here’s a link to view the official video for Sideline’s “Thunder Dan,” the Song of the Year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWrdtE-jKQs

These IBMA Industry Awards also were presented on Sept. 26:

Broadcaster of the Year: Michelle Lee
Event of the Year: Blueberry Bluegrass Festival in Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada
Liner Notes of the Year: Epilogue: A Tribute to John Duffey, Akira Otsuka, Dudley Connell, Jeff Place, and Katy Daley
Graphic Designer of the Year: Michael Armistead
Writer of the Year: David Morris
Songwriter of the Year: Jerry Salley
Sound Engineer of the Year: Ben Surratt
Distinguished Achievement Awards: Katy Daley, Mickey Gamble, Dan Hays, Allen Mills, and Moonshiner

In addition, Mike Auldridge, Bill Emerson and The Kentucky Colonels were formally inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame during the awards ceremony that was co-hosted by McCoury and Jim Lauderdale.

The International Bluegrass Music Awards Show was a centerpiece of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s annual five-day World of bluegrass, the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. Held in Raleigh for the seventh consecutive year, World of Bluegrass also featured a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums, artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, an exhibit hall, plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities, and the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival.

Officially launched in 1983 by the late Bob Feldman after meeting Iowa-based singer-songwriter Greg Brown, Red House has been home to a number of notable folk, roots and Americana artists. In addition to Brown, these include The Cactus Blossoms, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Jorma Kaukonen, The Wailin’ Jennys, and Robin and Linda Williams, among others.

Under Feldman’s guidance, up to his untimely death in 2006, Red House received indie music awards, numerous Grammy Award nominations and a Grammy in 1995 for Ramblin’ Jack Elliot’s album, South Coast. Feldman himself became widely recognized as a leading advocate for roots music and a leader in the independent label community.

Compass co-founders Alison Brown and Garry West are longtime admirers of Red House and fans of its artist roster. Brown, a Grammy Award-winning musician, and West, a bassist and producer, first met Feldman at a conference in 1995 — shortly after launching their own label. Both were struck by his transparency and willingness to share his inside knowledge of the business, and over the next ten years their mentoring relationship evolved into a mutual friendship, with Feldman and West often serving as advisors and sounding boards for each other.

“When we first launched Compass, we were really learning the business from the ground up,” said West. “Of all the people from whom we would seek advice, Bob was always the most straightforward and would tell it like it was. His support was immeasurable, and we were extremely grateful for his willingness to take us under his wing. I have to admit it gave me a great feeling of accomplishment when, over time, Bob started calling me to compare notes.”

Adds Brown: “It is incredibly meaningful to us to be able to carry Red House’s legacy into the future. We are really excited to work with such a fine roster of artists and are committed to keeping Red House’s brand of folk and Americana music alive.”

Red House owner Beth Friend, who has kept the label going since Feldman’s death, said, “It’s a great accomplishment, and I couldn’t be prouder or more grateful. We have believed in and worked hard for every artist on the label, and it’s been our privilege to — as Bob used to say as he’d leave for work in the morning — ‘bring music to the people’. “ She acknowledged that selling the iconic label was “a very personal and very difficult decision for me to make,” noting: “It’s simply time for me to bring this chapter of my life to a close and move on. Compass founders Garry West and Alison Brown were friends of Bob’s and have often commented on how his mentorship helped them in the early days of launching their own label. I know they will bring a level of care to the Red House imprint that I don’t believe I could have found in another buyer.”

In an interview with Billboard earlier this month, Gorka, an acclaimed singer-songwriter whose next album is slated for release in the first quarter of 2018, expressed hope that Red House will continue to be a great label. “I understand the economics and I think Compass is the best place to go,” he told the magazine. “Compass has a lot of artists I admire and respect, and I think Red House will be in good company.”

Compass Records’ catalog features more than 600 titles from a diverse roster of artists that includes Beausoleil, Colin Hay, The Infamous Stringdusters, Shannon McNally, Solas, and bluegrass luminaries Claire Lynch and Bobby Osborne, among others. It is also home to two seminal Irish music catalogs, Green Linnet and Mulligan Records, both acquired in the mid-2000s.

The November 2015 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 14,132 airplays from 150 different DJs. Label and release date appear in brackets below, while the number of reported spins is shown in parentheses. The charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission.

Top Albums of November 2015

1: Joy Of Living: A Tribute To Ewan MacColl, Various Artists [Compass, 10/15] (75)
2: Just For The Love Of It, Happy Traum [happytraum.com, 7/15] (63)
3: Fine Bloom, Free The Honey [freethehoney.com, 9/15] (57)
4: So Familiar, Steve Martin And Edie Brickell [Rounder, 10/15] (55)
5: Pompadour, Tim O’Brien [Howdy Skies, 10/15] (54)
6: Ain’t We Brothers,” Sam Gleaves [Community, 11/15] (46)
6: The Cutting Edge: 1965-1966 (box set), Bob Dylan [Columbia, new] (46)
8: Foxhounds, Kathy Kallick Band [Live Oak, new] (44)
9: At Home: The Maine Tour, Noel Paul Stookey [Neworld, 9/15] (43)
10: The Ultimate Guide To Scottish Folk, Various Artists [ARC, 10/15] (41)
11: Knockout Rose, Boxcar Lilies [boxcarlilies.com, 9/15] (40)
12: The Tennessee Sessions, The Swamp Brothers [Itchy Sabot, 7/15] (39)
13: Third Street, Peter Mayer [Blue Boat, 11/14] (38)
14: Sorrows And Glories, Red Moon Road [redmoonroad.com, 9/15] (36)
15: Ready For The Storm, Lori Lieberman [Drive On, 10/15] (33)
16: Blues For Country, The Nouveaux Honkies [tnhband.com, 9/15] (31)
16: The Fiddle Preacher, Otter Creek [ottercreekduo.com, 8/15] (31)
18: Gone Like The Cotton, The Cox Family [Rounder, 10/15] (29)
18: North East Rising Sun, Brooksie Wells [Down Home Diva, 10/15] (29)
20: Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics, Lowell Levinger [Grandpa Raccoon, 9/15] (28)
20: Round Trip, Beppe Gambetta And Tony McManus [Borealis, 8/15] (28)
22: Hard Cry Moon, Donna Ulisse [Hadley, 9/15] (27)
23: Nashville Obsolete, Dave Rawlings Machine [Acony, 9/15] (26)
23: So Far, So Good, David Roth [Wind River, 6/15] (26)
25: Dreams And Ghosts: A Family Album, Avery Hill [averyhilltunes.com, 7/15] (25)
26: Joe Hill’s Last Will, John McCutcheon [Appalsongs, 5/15] (24)
26: Kokomo Kidd, Guy Davis [M. C., 9/15] (24)
28: Dancing Toward The Light, Jesse Palidofsky [Azalea City, 7/14] (23)
28: Radio, Steep Canyon Rangers [Rounder, 8/15] (23)
28: Road Be Kind, Andy Cohen [Earwig, 9/15] (23)
31: Anna Laube, Anna Elizabeth Laube [Pockets, 5/15] (22)
31: Skin And Bone, Mark Brown [Self, 6/15] (22)
31: The Song Of The Banjo, Alison Brown [Compass, 10/15] (22)
31: A Thousand Hands, Chris Rosser [Hollow Reed Arts, 10/14] (22)
35: Tomorrow’s Child, Jonathan Edwards [Rising, 6/15] (20)
36: Friend Like Me, Steve Howell And The Mighty Men [Out Of The Past, new] (19)
36: If Not Now When, Freebo [Poppabo, 4/15] (19)
38: Grandma’s Got A Boombox, Sandy Ross [sandyross.com, 5/15] (18)
38: Anywhere But Utah: Songs of Joe Hill, Bucky Halker [Revolting, 8/15] (18)
38: Emerald, Dar Williams [Self, 5/15] (18)
38: Songs Of Heart And Home, Greg Blake [gregblakemusic.com, 9/15] (18)
42: Nobody’s Flag, Wes Weddell Band [Dusty Shadows, 9/15] (17)
42: Servant Of Love, Patty Griffin [PGM, 10/15] (17)
42: Shifted, Harpeth Rising [Grimm Rising, 8/15] (17)
42: Woven, Jenna Moynihan [Self, 10/15] (17)
46: The Turning Point, Tim Grimm [Cavalier, 2013] (16)
46: Coffee Creek, The Slocan Ramblers [slocanramblers.com, 7/15] (16)
46: Tangled Country, The Honey Dewdrops [thehoneydewdrops.com, 3/15] (16)
46: Things That Can’t Be Undone, Corb Lund [New West, 10/15] (16)
50: Cold And Bitter Tears: The Songs Of Ted Hawkins, Various Artists [Wixen, 10/15] (15)
50: I Am American, Michael Troy [Self, 10/15] (15)
50: “I Am An Immigrant” (single), Jesse Palidofsky [Azalea City, new] (15)
50: Road Signs, Mike Laureanno [University Studios, 9/15] (15)
50: Shadow Trails, Linda McRae [Borealis, 9/15] (15)
50: A Silent Song, Archie Fisher [Red House, 9/15] (15)
50: Sundown Over Ghost Town, Eilen Jewell [Signature, 5/15] (15)
57: Beg And Borrow, Battlefield Band [Temple, 8/15] (14)
57: Hillary Rollins presents Christine Lavin And Friends: Live At McCabe’s, Christine Lavin [christinelavin.com, 9/15] (14)
57: Frankie And The No-Go Road, Rita Hosking [ritahosking.com, 9/15] (14)
57: Further West, Hungrytown [Listen Here!, 5/15] (14)
57: Manannan’s Cloak, Barrule [Easy On The Record, 5/15] (14)
57: Melissa Ferrick, Melissa Ferrick [Right On, 7/15] (14)
57: Old Time Reverie, Mipso [Robust, 10/15] (14)
57: Salt As Wolves, Jeffrey Foucault [Blueblade, new] (14)
57: That’s What They Say, Brad Vickers And His Vestapolitans [Manhattone, new] (14)
57: Welcome Day, Cindy Kallet And Grey Larsen [Sleepy Creek, 9/15] (14)
67: Beating Around The Bush, Bill Keith [Green Linnet, 1993] (13)
67: Domestic Eccentric, Old Man Luedecke [True North, 7/15] (13)
67: Don’t Mourn – Organize!: Songs Of Labor Songwriter Joe Hill, Various Artists [Smithsonian/Folkways, 1990] (13)
67: The Farwells, The Farwells [Tin Halo, 9/15] (13)
67: The Immigrant And The Orphan, The John Byrne Band [Self, 9/15] (13)
67: An Offering, Amanda Pearcy [Self, 9/15] (13)
67: One, Natalie MacMaster And Donnell Leahy [Linus, 4/15] (13)
67: Panhandle Rambler, Joe Ely [Rack ’em, 9/15] (13)
67: The Ragpicker String Band, The Ragpicker String Band [Yellow Dog, 8/15] (13)
67: Silver Lining, Efrat [efratmusic.com, 10/15] (13)
67: Something More Than Free, Jason Isbell [Southeastern, 7/15] (13)

Top Songs of November 2015

1. “I Am An Immigrant” (16)

The youngest of 14 siblings in a southeastern Kentucky farming family, Ritchie was born Dec. 8, 1922 in Viper, and unincorporated community in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains. The family was immersed in music, and song was a vital part of her life growing up.

After graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1946 from the University of Kentucky with a degree in social work in 1946, she moved to New York and worked at the Henry Street Settlement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where she taught music to children. It was also there, two years later, that she met her husband, the late photographer and filmmaker George Pickow, at a square dance. The couple settled in Port Washington, Long Island, where they raised two sons – Peter and Jon – who also became musicians and are featured on Ritchie’s 1995 album Mountain Born. Ritchie returned to live in Kentucky in 2010.

Often referred to as “The Mother of Folk,” Ritchie sang with a high, clear, plaintive soprano voice. Although she frequently sang a cappella, she also accompanied herself on mountain dulcimer, as well as guitar and autoharp. Indeed, she is credited with reviving interest in the mountain dulcimer. During the l960s, she and her husband ran a small dulcimer-making business under the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn.

Ritchie was active in the Greenwich Village coffeehouse folk scene of the 1950s and 1960s and was a frequent guest on fellow folksinger and Long Islander Oscar Brand’s “Folksong Festival” on WNYC Radio. In 1952, Electra Records released her debut album, Jean Ritchie Sings the Traditional Songs of Her Kentucky Mountain Family. Also that year, she traveled to Great Britain on a Fulbright Scholarship to trace the roots of her family’s songs. Folklorist Alan Lomax recorded her for the Archive of Folk Song, part of the American Folklife Center at The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

During her musical career, Ritchie recorded and released a number of albums and performed on notable stages ranging from New York’s Carnegie Hall to London’s Royal Albert Hall. A frequent performer at the Newport Folk Festival, she graced the stage at the first one in 1959. She also wrote a memoir-songbook entitled Singing Family of the Cumberlands (1955) and published several others.

Jean Ritchie was an Influential Figure Whose Songs Have Been Covered by Other Artists

Besides collecting, performing, recording and popularizing old ballads like “Barbara Allan” and “Lord Randall” that were brought to Appalachia by British settlers, Ritchie also wrote songs that have been covered by such artists as Johnny Cash (“The L. and N. Don’t Stop Here Anymore”) and Emmylou Harris (“Sweet Sorrow in the Wind”), among others. Another of her notable songs is the anti-strip mining-number “Black Waters.”

Emmylou Harris was just one of a number of artists influenced by Ritchie. Last year, Compass Records released a 37-track, two-CD tribute set entitled Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie. Featuring various artists paying homage to the folksinger and songwriter who influenced and inspired them, the collection also includes an old recording of Ritchie herself. Dear Jean was the most-played album on folk radio during August and September 2014, according to the Folk DJ Listserv.

Michael Johnathon, Aengus Finnan Reflect on Jean Ritchie

In the days following her death, a number of people have paid tribute to and shared recollections of Jean Ritchie online and in print. AcousticMusicScene.com asked a couple of them to share their thoughts.

Michael Johnathon, a Kentucky-based folksinger and host of the widely syndicated WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, shares his reflections:

“In the mid-1990s, I decided I wanted to write a book. I’ve read books before, and I had friends who wrote books. So “how hard could it be?,” I thought. Well, it was pretty hard and, as it turned out, I had writer’s block. [I] Couldn’t come up with my first word. Jean Ritchie and her husband, George Pickow, said: “We have this log cabin in Viper, Kentucky, not far from Mousie (where I used to live). Why don’t you come for a few days and maybe the change of setting will help?

So they gave me the key to their cabin and, while sitting on their porch looking into the grand summer of the holler, my yellow legal pad ignited and everything started to flow. That became the first volume of the WoodSongs book and CD series. In the opening chapter, I describe sitting at the cabin and how grateful I was to Jean and George. Some time later, I recorded the original WoodSongs CD and Jean played on it with me, along with Odetta, Homer Ledford, JD Crowe and others.

A few years after that, I started the WoodSongs broadcast in a tiny
recording studio that barely sat 12 people. One of the first artists who came on when I moved into the Kentucky Theatre was Jean Ritchie; she was on the show twice.” [Shows 159 and 450 featuring Jean Ritchie may be found on the WoodSongs archive page. Here’s a link to show 159: http://128.163.130.14/woodsongs-audio/159hi.mp3.]

“One of the best times we had together was a morning after a WoodSongs taping — Jean and George and myself having breakfast together while they told stories of Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Pete Seeger and others, making dulcimers in their younger years and George’s adventures as a world-class photographer. Most recently, we did a WoodSongs show with other musicians — including her son Jon Pickow –as part of the Dan Schatz-produced CD in tribute to Jean.” [That show, #772, may be found online at http:// 128.163.130.14/woodsongs-audio/772hi.mp3.]

“Our Dear Companion shall be Dearly Missed. May you find your peace in the ‘cool of the day.’ ”

Finnan remembers sharing cornbread and conversation with Ritchie during the 2002 White River Folk Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. “Sitting backstage, she taught me “The Blind Fiddler” and “The Wind and Rain,” two songs I rarely get to play but that always bring her to mind. Even in that moment, I felt like my cup was being filled from a deep well of history and reverence for song – particularly those of Appalachia and their root variances from across the pond. God speed Jean. You gave so much to so many in such a gentle way.”

Ritchie was a recipient of Folk Alliance International’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. She also was the recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002 and was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008. Her 1997 release, None But One, received a Rolling Stone Critics Award.

In a prepared statement, the American Folklife Center, part of The Library of Congress, declared: “No one was more important to the survival, appreciation, and revival of traditional Appalachian folk music in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries than this ballad singer, songwriter, folksong collector, Fulbright scholar, and champion of the Appalachian dulcimer.”

Ritchie’s family asks that memorial donations be sent to Appalachian Voices. [http://www.appalachianvoices.org/]”

Balsam Range, which takes its name from a majestic mountain range that surrounds part of its home county in western North Carolina, where the Smokies meet the Blue Ridge, formed in 2007. Besides Melton on vocals and fiddle, its members include Tim Surrett (bass, vocals), Caleb Smith (guitar, vocals), Darren Nicholson (mandolin, vocals) and Mark Pruett (banjo). Balsam Range was previously recognized for Album of the Year (Papertown, 2013) and Song of the Year (“Trains I Missed, 2011).

This year’s coveted Album of the Year award was presented to Noam Pikelny for Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe. Pikelny, a founding member of the Punch Brothers and formerly part of Leftover Salmon and the John Cowan Band, also was named Banjo Player of the Year. Accompanying the first recipient of the annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass (2010) on the album were bluegrass stalwarts Stuart Duncan (a fiddle player with whom he’s been playing a number of duo shows this year), Bryan Sutton (guitar), Ronnie McCoury (mandolin) and Mike Bub (bass). Pikelny plans to tour next month with Aoife O’Donovan.

Amanda Smith was named Female Vocalist of the Year. The award for Emerging Artist of the Year went to Flatt Lonesome, while veterans Special Consensus, now in its 39th year as a band, won its first awards for both Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year. Although The Boxcars topped the list of nominees with 10 individual and collective nods, only member Adam Steffey took home an award (Mandolin Player of the Year).

Awards were voted on by the professional membership of the IBMA, the trade association for the global bluegrass music community. Hosted by artists Jerry Douglas and Lee Ann Womack, the awards show featured live performances by Balsam Ridge, The Boxcars, Claire Lynch (Song of the Year winner), Gibson Brothers, Della Mae (2013 Emerging Artist of the Year), Blue Highway, Noam Pikelny, Del McCoury Band, and Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen (Instrumental Group of the Year), as well as individual performances by each of the evening’s hosts.

Original members of the Seldom Scene – Ben Eldridge, Tom Gray and John Starling – received a standing ovation as they were inducted into the Hall of Fame and recognized the late John Duffey and Mike Auldridge in their acceptance speech before being joined by current band members in a performance of their hit song “Wait A Minute.” Bluegrass historian Neil Rosenberg also was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Fiddle players Michael Cleveland, Stuart Duncan and Jason Carter joined Rosenberg’s fellow Canadians, The Spinney Brothers, in a special performance to celebrate his achievement.

The awards show – which was broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s Bluegrass Junction and streamed live by Music City Roots — was the centerpiece of IBMA’s five-day World of Bluegrass event that continues through Saturday, Oct. 4 with the Wide Open Bluegrass festival featuring both free stages and ticketed performances. Its annual business conference, as well as a Bluegrass Ramble (an innovative series of showcases), extended from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2.

A listing of the award winners, including the recipients of the IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award, appears below.

The 2014 International Bluegrass Music Awards

Entertainer of the Year: Balsam Range
Vocal Group of the Year: Balsam Range
Instrumental Group of the Year: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Male Vocalist of the Year: Buddy Melton
Female Vocalist of the Year: Amanda Smith
Emerging Artist of the Year: Flatt Lonesome
Album of the Year: Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe – Noam Pikelny (artist) Gabe Witcher (producer), Compass Records
Song of the Year: “Dear Sister” – Claire Lynch (artist), Claire Lynch and Louisa Branscomb (writers)
Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year: “Thank God I’m A Country Boy”- Special Consensus with Buddy Spicher, Michael Cleveland and Alison Brown (artists), Country Boy: A Bluegrass Tribute to John Denver (album), John Martin Sommers (writer), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records
Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: “Won’t It Be Wonderful There” – Dailey & Vincent (artist), Brothers of the Highway (album), Mildred Styles Johnson (writer), Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent (producers), Rounder Records
Recorded Event of the Year: “Wild Montana Skies” – Special Consensus with Claire Lynch & Rob Ickes (artists), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records
Mandolin Player of the Year: Adam Steffey
Dobro Player of the Year: Phil Leadbetter
Bass Player of the Year: Barry Bales
Fiddle Player of the Year: Jason Carter
Guitar Player of the Yearr: Bryan Sutton
Banjo Player of the Year: Noam Pikelny

Special Awards (presented earlier in the day on Oct. 2)

Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year: Tim Stafford
Broadcaster of the Year: Kyle Cantrell, Bluegrass Junction, Sirius XM
Print/Media Person of the Year: Chris Jones, writer at Bluegrass Today
Bluegrass Event of the Year: Bluegrass Underground
Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project: Lou Everhart (designer), Lonely Comes Easy, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Rebel Records
Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project: Neil V Rosenberg, Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe, Noam Pikelny, Compass Records

Distinguished Achievement Award recipients: Bill Keith, Deering Banjos, the European Bluegrass Music Association, Hillbilly at Harvard, and The Delmore Brothers.

September’s #2 album Look Again To The Wind:Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited, also on Compass, reportedly featured the month’s most-played songs:”As Long As The Grass Shall Grow” (Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings), “Custer” (Steve Earle) and “Apache Tears” (Emmylou Harris).

The September 2014 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 13,322 airplays from 142 different DJs. The number of reported spins (airplays) is shown in parentheses, while label and release dates appear in brackets. They are posted with permission on AcousticMusicScene.com.

Top Albums of September 2014

1: “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie,” Various Artists [Compass, 9/14] (105)
“Black Waters,” John McCutcheon And Ensemble
“One I Love,” Judy Collins
“Peace Round,” Jean Ritchie And Friends
2: “Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited,” Various Artists [Sony, new] (91)
“Custer,” Steve Earle
“Apache Tears,” Emmylou Harris
“As Long As The Grass Shall Grow,” Gillian Welch And Dave Rawlings
“Ballad Of Ira Hayes,” Kris Kristofferson
“Look Again To The Wind,” Bill Miller
3: “Milltowns,” Mark Erelli [Hillbilly Pilgrim, 9/14] (81)
“Long Gone”
“Milltowns”
“Handsome Molly”
“Birches”
“Morrissey Falls In Love At First Sight”
4: “The Longing Road,” Johnsmith [johnsmithmusic.com, 7/14] (80)
“The Longing Road”
“Borders Of The Moon”
“Honeyfest”
“Family Artifacts”
5: “A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble,” Jesse Winchester [Appleseed, new] (55)
“All That We Have Is Now”
“Little Louisiana”
“Rhythm Of The Rain”
6: “Laurie & Kathy Sing The Songs Of Vern And Ray,” Laurie Lewis And Kathy Kallick [Spruce And Maple, 8/14] (54)
“Montana Cowboy”
“My Old Kentucky Home”
“To Hell With The Land”
7: “North Star,” Kyle Carey [Americelta, 9/14] (53)
“Across The Great Divide”
“Wind Through Casper”
“Casey Jones Whistle Blow”
8: “Sake Of The Sound,” Front Country [frontcountryband.com, new] (45)
“One Kind Word”
“Gospel Train”
“Like A River”
9: “Second Nature,” Adler & Hearne [Spring Hollow, 9/14] (44)
“Second Nature”
“Piney Woods Breeze”
“Salty Town”
10: “Laughter Out Of Tears,” Moira Smiley And Voco [Whim, new] (39)
“Chilly Winds”
“North Country”
“Orphan Girl”
10: “Tracks,” Anne Hills [Hand And Heart, new] (39)
“City Of New Orleans”
“San Luis Valley Song”
“Like A Train”
12: “Crooked Fiddle,” Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt [aaronnathans.com, new] (38)
“Old Joe’s Chair”
“I Stood Upon A Hill”
“All Along The Watchtower”
12: “Still On The Levee,” Chris Smither [Signature, 7/14] (38)
“Leave The Light On”
“Train Home”
14: “The Earls Of Leicester,” The Earls Of Leicester [Rounder, new] (35)
“Big Black Train”
“Dig A Hole In The Meadow”
“Dim Lights, Thick Smoke”
15: “The Flower Of Muscle Shoals,” Cahalen Morrison And Country Hammer [Free Dirt, 8/14] (34)
“The Flower Of Muscle Shoals”
“Sorrow Lines The Highway Of Regret”
“Daisy In Tennessee”
16: “Chasing Beauty,” Ellis Paul [Black Wolf, 7/14] (32)
“Kick Out The Lights”
“Chasing Beauty”
“Empire State”
16: “Halls Of My Heart,” Jim Photoglo [Grifftone, 7/14] (32)
“Shadow And Light”
“What Do I Tell My Son”
“Hours”
18: “Come Clean,” Teresa Storch [teresastorch.com, new] (30)
“Come Clean”
“Make You Mine”
18: “Make It Better,” Jeremy Lyons [deltabilly.com, 8/14] (30)
“I Don’t Mind The Rain”
“When I’m Feeling Better”
20: “Three Bells,” Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas And Rob Ickes [Rounder, new] (29)
“Panhandle Rag”
“Dobro Heaven”
“Till There Was You”
20: “Remedy,” Old Crow Medicine Show [ATO, 7/14] (29)
“Sweet Amarillo”
“Dearly Departed Friend”
20: “Standing In The Breach,” Jackson Browne [Inside, new] (29)
“Leaving Winslow”
“Birds Of St. Marks”
“Long Way Around”
23: “Carousel,” Robert Bruey [robertbruey.com, 4/14] (28)
“Comin’ Round”
“Nightingale”
“Piece Of You”
23: “River Of Sand,” Lynne Hanson [Continental, 9/14] (28)
“River Of Sand”
“Trading In My Lonesome”
25: “Paradise Outlaw,” Pieta Brown [Red House, 9/14] (26)
“Flowers Of Love”
“Before Gas And Tv”
26: “Georgia I’m Here,” Joe Crookston [Milagrito, 4/14] (25)
“Out On The Run”
“Tuesday Morning”
26: “The Red Album,” Red Molly [redmolly.com, 4/14] (25)
“1952 Vincent Black Lightning”
“Homeward Bound”
“With A Memory Like Mine”
28: “No Passengers,” Davey O [Self, new] (24)
“Long Black Veil”
“Man In Motion”
28: “When I’m Free,” Hot Rize [Ten In Hand, new] (24)
“Western Skies”
“Blue Is Fallin”
30: “Current Affairs,” Runa [runamusic.com, 6/14] (23)
“Banks Are Made Of Marble”
“Ain’t No Grave”
“Last Trip Home”
30: “One-Take Jake,” Jacob Johnson [Self, new] (23)
“Big River”
“She’s Got A Way”
32: “Everything’s Beautiful Now,” Christine Albert [Moon House, 9/14] (22)
“Old New Mexico”
“Lean My Way”
32: “While This Planet Spins Beneath Our Feet,” Heather Styka [Kite Stripe, new] (22)
“Like It’s 1945”
“Careful With My Heart”
34: “Abigail Washburn And The Sparrow Quartet,” Abigail Washburn And The Sparrow Quartet [Nettwerk, 2008] (21)
“Railroad”
“New South Africa”
34: “Bright Side Of Down,” John Gorka [Red House, 3/14] (21)
“She’s That Kind Of Mystery”
“Bright Side Of Down”
34: “Goodbye Nashville,” Eliza Lynn [Civility, new] (21)
“Cry Honey Cry”
“You Sing Loud”
“Goodbye Nashville”
34: “Letting Go,” Cheryl Branz [Self, new] (21)
“Brevity”
“Over The Rainbow”
34: “Never Let Me Cross Your Mind,” Locust Honey String Band [Hearth, 7/14] (21)
“Columbus Stockade Blues”
“Horse Drawn Buggy”
39: “Beyond the Blue,” The Duhks [Compass, 5/14] (20)
“Lazy John”
“Banjo Roustabout”
39: “The Nocturne Diaries,” Eliza Gilkyson [Red House, 3/14] (20)
“Eliza Jane”
“Red Rose And The Thorn”
39: “Old Silo,” James Hill [Borealis, new] (20)
“Brightest Lights”
“If Wishes Were Horses”
39: “Terms Of My Surrender,” John Hiatt [New West, 7/14] (20)
“Long Time Comin”
“Wind Don’t Have To Hurry”
43: “New Lady On The Prairie,” Lizzy Hoyt [Blue Crown, new] (19)
“V’la L’bon Vent”
“New Lady On The Prairie”
43: “Til The Morning: Lullabies and Songs of Comfort,” Edie Carey + Sarah Sample [Groundloop, 6/14] (19)
“I’m On Your Side”
“Slumber My Darling”
45: “Later That Night,” Rod MacDonald [Blue Flute, 5/14] (18)
“Last American Worker”
“Hole In The Bible”
45: “Sixty,” John Cowan [Compass, 8/14] (18)
“Things I Haven’t Done”
“Devil Woman”
45: “Songs From My Mother’s Hand,” Mac Wiseman [Wrinkled, new] (18)
“Blue Ridge Mountain Blues”
“Eastbound Train”
48: “World Of Strangers,” Zoe Muth [Signature, 5/14] (17)
“Mama Needs A Margarita”
49: “Echolocation,” Carolyn Currie [North C, 6/14] (16)
“Old Song”
“Heart Like A Rose”
49: “Long Time… Seldom Scene,” Seldom Scene [Smithsonian/Folkways, 4/14] (16)
“California Cottonfields”
49: “Nameless Heart,” Donna Lynn Caskey [Cordulia, 4/14] (16)
“Lost Before Found”
49: “A Permeable Life,” Carrie Newcomer [Available Light, 4/14] (16)
“Every Little Bit Of It”
“Work Of Our Hands”
49: “Return To Trion,” Chris Coole And Ivan Rosenberg [Self, new] (16)
“Stage Fright”
“Fool Such As I”
49: “Standing Tall And Tough,” Crowe, Lawson & Williams [Crossroads, 8/14] (16)
“My Walking Shoes”
“Hills Of Roane County”
49: “Trouble,” The Howlin’ Brothers [Readymade, 5/14] (16)
“Louisiana”
49: “Turn This Heart Around,” Missy Werner [missywerner.com, 7/14] (16)
“Travelin’ Light”
49: “Under My Hat,” Lenny Solomon [Not Life Threatening, 7/14] (16)
“Fracking Song”
58: “Elsebound,” True North [truenorthbluegrass.com, 4/14] (15)
“Northbound 35”
“One Voice”
58: “For Keeps,” Carrie Elkin And Danny Schmidt [Red House, 5/14] (15)
“2 White Clouds”
“Echo In The Hills”
58: “Lonesome And Then Some,” Larry Sparks [Rebel, 8/14] (15)
“In The Pines”
“Loving You Too Well”
58: “Trouble & Love,” Mary Gauthier [Proper, 6/14] (15)
“When A Woman Goes Cold”
58: “Warmer Season,” Britt Connors & Bourbon Renewal [Y’all-Ternative, 7/14] (15)
“Fine”
63: “Five,” Balsam Range [Mountain Home, 6/14] (14)
“Moon Over Memphis”
63: “Another Day From Life,” Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers [Rebel, new] (14)
“Now The Summer’s Gone”
63: “Follow The Music,” Alice Gerrard [Tompkins Square, new] (14)
“Bear Me Away”
63: “Going To Boston,” Goodbye Girls [Self, new] (14)
“Devil On My Mind”
“Graveyard”
63: “Loving a Fool,” Tumbling Bones [tumblingbones.com, 3/14] (14)
“Bound To Ride”
“Broken Things”
63: “Picnic In The Sky,” Jeni And Billy [Waystation, 8/14] (14)
“Robin And The Banjo”
“Good”
63: “Still Fighting The War,” Slaid Cleaves [Music Road, 6/13] (14)
“Still Fighting The War”
63: “Swimmin’ Time,” Shovels And Rope [Dualtone, 8/14] (14)
“Save The World”
“After The Storm”
63: “You Got This,” Haas Kowert Tice [haaskowerttice.com, 7/14] (14)
“Down The Hatch”
“El Camino”

Top Songs of September 2014

1. “As Long As The Grass Shall Grow” (21)
by Gillian Welch And Dave Rawlings
from “Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited”
1. “Custer” (21)
by Steve Earle
from “Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited”
3. “Apache Tears” (20)
by Emmylou Harris
from “Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited”
4. “The Longing Road” (14)
by Johnsmith
from “The Longing Road”
5. “Black Waters” (13)
by John McCutcheon And Ensemble
from “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie”
5. “One Kind Word” (13)
by Front Country
from “Sake Of The Sound”
7. “Ballad Of Ira Hayes” (12)
by Kris Kristofferson
from “Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited”
7. “Long Gone” (12)
by Mark Erelli
from “Milltowns”
7. “Milltowns” (12)
by Mark Erelli
from “Milltowns”
10. “All That We Have Is Now” (11)
by Jesse Winchester
from “A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble”
10. “Birches” (11)
by Mark Erelli
from “Milltowns”
10. “Chilly Winds” (11)
by Moira Smiley And Voco
from “Laughter Out Of Tears”
10. “Old Joe’s Chair” (11)
by Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt
from “Crooked Fiddle”
14. “Across The Great Divide” (10)
by Kyle Carey
from “North Star”
14. “Borders Of The Moon” (10)
by Johnsmith
from “The Longing Road”
14. “Handsome Molly” (10)
by Mark Erelli
from “Milltowns”
14. “Second Nature” (10)
by Adler & Hearne
from “Second Nature”
18. “Blue Ridge Mountain Blues” (9)
by Mac Wiseman
from “Songs From My Mother’s Hand”
18. “Come Clean” (9)
by Teresa Storch
from “Come Clean”
18. “The Flower Of Muscle Shoals” (9)
by Cahalen Morrison And Country Hammer
from “The Flower Of Muscle Shoals”
18. “I Don’t Mind The Rain” (9)
by Jeremy Lyons
from “Make It Better”
18. “Look Again To The Wind” (9)
by Bill Miller
from “Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited”
18. “When Fall Comes To New England” (9)
by Cheryl Wheeler
from “Driving Home”
18. “When I’m Feeling Better” (9)
by Jeremy Lyons
from “Make It Better”
25. “Banks Are Made Of Marble” (8)
by Runa
from “Current Affairs”
25. “Honeyfest” (8)
by Johnsmith
from “The Longing Road”
25. “Little Louisiana” (8)
by Jesse Winchester
from “A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble”
25. “Middle Of A Moment” (8)
by Johnsmith
from “The Longing Road”
25. “Morrissey Falls In Love At First Sight” (8)
by Mark Erelli
from “Milltowns”
25. “Night Train” (8)
by Mark Erelli
from “Milltowns”
25. “North Country” (8)
by Moira Smiley And Voco
from “Laughter Out Of Tears”
25. “Northwest Passage” (8)
by Stan Rogers
from “Northwest Passage”
25. “Old New Mexico” (8)
by Christine Albert
from “Everything’s Beautiful Now”
25. “Rainbird” (8)
by Johnsmith
from “The Longing Road”
25. “Referendum” (8)
by Alasdair Fraser And Natalie Haas
from “Abundance”
25. “Rhythm Of The Rain” (8)
by Jesse Winchester
from “A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble”
25. “Vanishing Race” (8)
by Rhiannon Giddens
from “Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited”
25. “Western Skies” (8)
by Hot Rize
from “When I’m Free”

The August 2014 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 13,812 airplays from 137 different DJs. The number of reported spins (airplays) is shown in parentheses, while label and release dates appear in brackets. They are posted with permission on AcousticMusicScene.com.

Top Albums of August 2014

1: “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie,” Various Artists [Compass,
new] (127)
“Black Waters,” Bryn Davies
“L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore,” Robin And Linda Williams
“Jackaro,” Archie Fisher
“Let The Sun Shine Down On Me,” Kim And Reggie Harris
2: “Laurie & Kathy Sing The Songs Of Vern And Ray,” Laurie Lewis And
Kathy Kallick [Spruce And Maple, new] (82)
“Cabin On A Mountain”
“Little Birdie”
“My Clinch Mountain Home”
“Blue Grass Style”
3: “Halls Of My Heart,” Jim Photoglo [Grifftone, 7/14] (68)
“Try Me Tomorrow”
“Brothers Medley”
“Halls Of My Heart”
“My Father’s Son”
4: “Still On The Levee,” Chris Smither [Signature, 7/14] (59)
“Leave The Light On”
“Hold On”
“Train Home”
“Love You Like A Man”
5: “Make It Better,” Jeremy Lyons [deltabilly.com, new] (56)
“I Don’t Mind The Rain”
“Make It Better”
“Not Drag Me Down”
“When I’m Feeling Better”
6: “The Flower Of Muscle Shoals,” Cahalen Morrison And Country Hammer
[Free Dirt, new] (50)
“The Flower Of Muscle Shoals”
“Hobbled And Grazing”
“San Luis”
7: “Echolocation,” Carolyn Currie [North C, 6/14] (44)
“Sleepwalking Home”
“Old Song”
“Echolocation”
8: “The Nocturne Diaries,” Eliza Gilkyson [Red House, 3/14] (41)
“Eliza Jane”
“Touchstone”
“American Boy”
9: “Chasing Beauty,” Ellis Paul [Black Wolf, new] (38)
“Never Want To Lose You”
“Kick Out The Lights”
“Drive In Movie”
9: “Never Let Me Cross Your Mind,” Locust Honey String Band [Hearth,
7/14] (38)
“Columbus Stockade Blues”
“Henry Lee”
“I’ve Forgotten More Than You’ll Ever Know About Him”
9: “You Got This,” Haas Kowert Tice [haaskowerttice.com, 7/14] (38)
“Down The Hatch”
“Leadfoot”
“Better Off”
12: “Remedy,” Old Crow Medicine Show [ATO, 7/14] (36)
“Sweet Amarillo”
“Doc’s Day”
“O Cumberland River”
13: “Beyond the Blue,” The Duhks [Compass, 5/14] (34)
“Beyond The Blue”
“Suffer No Fools”
“Black Mountain Lullaby”
14: “The Red Album,” Red Molly [redmolly.com, 4/14] (33)
“Sing To Me”
“1952 Vincent Black Lightning”
15: “River Of Sand,” Lynne Hanson [Continental, new] (31)
“This Too Shall Pass”
“Waiting By The Water”
“Color My Summers Blue”
16: “The Patuxent Banjo Project,” Various Artists [Patuxent, new] (30)
“Cedar City Blues,” Eddie Adcock
“Ghost On Hippie Hill,” Victor Furtado
17: “Driftin’ River,” John Malcolm Penn [Blue Night, 6/14] (28)
“Bessie Brady”
“Old Glory”
18: “For Pete’s Sake: A Tribute to Pete Seeger,” Various Artists [Wepecket
Island, 7/14] (27)
“Down By The Riverside,” Jim McGrath
“If I Had A Hammer,” Dawn Kenney Band
18: “Georgia I’m Here,” Joe Crookston [Milagrito, 4/14] (27)
“Big Sky”
“Pretty Saro”
“Riding The Train”
20: “Current Affairs,” Runa [runamusic.com, 6/14] (26)
“Banks Are Made Of Marble”
“Land Of Sunshine Set”
20: “Lonesome And Then Some,” Larry Sparks [Rebel, new] (26)
“Loving You Too Well”
“Going Up Home To Live In Green Pastures”
“Will You Be Satisfied That Way”
20: “On Down The Line,” Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper [Compass, 7/14]
(26)
“Fiddlin’ Joe”
“Sunny Side Of Town”
“Too Late For Goodbyes”
20: “Warmer Season,” Britt Connors & Bourbon Renewal [Y’all-Ternative,
new] (26)
“No Man’s Land”
“Turtle Song”
24: “Turn This Heart Around,” Missy Werner [missywerner.com, 7/14] (25)
“I Just Got Wise”
“I Always Do”
“Rough Edges”
24: “When The Deal Goes Down,” David Olney [Deadbeet, 7/14] (25)
“When The Deal Goes Down”
“Soldier Of Misfortune”
26: “For Keeps,” Carrie Elkin And Danny Schmidt [Red House, 5/14] (24)
“Longing Moves The Ocean”
“2 White Clouds”
“If I Need To Know”
26: “Sixty,” John Cowan [Compass, 8/14] (24)
“Rising From The Ashes”
“Why Are You Crying”
28: “I’m A Song,” Jim Lauderdale [Sky Crunch, new] (23)
“I Lost You”
“I’m A Song”
29: “Everything Changes,” Peggy Seeger [Signet, new] (22)
“Do You Believe In Me?”
“Everything Changes”
29: “Loving a Fool,” Tumbling Bones [tumblingbones.com, 3/14] (22)
“Red, Red Rose”
“I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby”
29: “The Road That Brings You Home,” Jim And Lynna Woolsey [Broken Record,
3/14] (22)
“Wheel In His Hand”
“I’m The Best You’ll Ever Do”
“Gypsies In A Wagon”
32: “Cold Spell,” Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen [Compass, 8/14] (21)
“Country Song”
“Better”
32: “Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In,” Bumper Jacksons [Self, 5/14] (21)
“Bacon Adoration”
32: “Terms Of My Surrender,” John Hiatt [New West, 7/14] (21)
“Marlene”
“Nothin’ I Love”
32: “World Of Strangers,” Zoe Muth [Signature, 5/14] (21)
“Mama Needs A Margarita”
“Too Shiny”
36: “Everything’s Beautiful Now,” Christine Albert [Moon House, new] (20)
“Keep Me In Your Heart”
“Old New Mexico”
36: “I Can’t Remember My Dreams,” Leslie Evers [Cumulus, 6/14] (20)
“Little Bit Harder”
“I Can’t Remember My Dreams”
38: “North Star,” Kyle Carey [Americelta, new] (19)
“June Day”
“Casey Jones Whistle Blow”
38: “Poor Man’s Diamonds,” John Flynn [Flying Stone, 5/14] (19)
“Like Woody Done”
“Some Old Highway Song”
38: “When Lightning Strikes,” Lynne Taylor [Self, 10/13] (19)
“Butterfly”
41: “Lighthouse,” Lighthouse [Moody Maraccas, 1969] (18)
“No U Turn”
“Queen Of Hearts”
41: “Look Again to the Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited,”
Various Artists [Sony, new] (18)
“Custer,” Steve Earle
“Apache Tears,” Emmylou Harris And The Milk Carton Kids
“As Long As The Grass Shall Grow,” Gillian Welch And Dave Rawlings
41: “Milltowns,” Mark Erelli [Hillbilly Pilgrim, new] (18)
“Birches”
“Handsome Molly”
41: “The More I Wonder,” Craig Bickhardt [Stone Barn, 4/14] (18)
“Giant Steps”
41: “Paradise Outlaw,” Pieta Brown [Red House, new] (18)
“Before Gas And Tv”
“Flowers Of Love”
41: “The Turning Point,” Tim Grimm [Cavalier, 9/13] (18)
“King Of The Folksingers”
“Blame It On The Dog”
47: “Common Ground: The Songs of Big Bill Broonzy,” Dave Alvin And Phil
Alvin [Yep Roc, 6/14] (17)
“All By Myself”
“Key To The Highway”
47: “Later That Night,” Rod MacDonald [Blue Flute, 5/14] (17)
“Last American Worker”
“We’re All One”
47: “Moments Of Grace,” Andrew Corbett [Acmuse, 7/14] (17)
“Bright Blue Ball”
47: “Swimmin’ Time,” Shovels And Rope [Dualtone, 8/14] (17)
“Bridge On Fire”
47: “Til The Morning: Lullabies and Songs of Comfort,” Edie Carey And
Sarah Sample [Groundloop, 6/14] (17)
“California Stars”
47: “Trouble,” The Howlin’ Brothers [Readymade, 5/14] (17)
“Boogie”
“Pack Up Joe”
53: “Bright Side Of Down,” John Gorka [Red House, 3/14] (16)
“Bright Side Of Down”
“Procrastination Blues”
53: “Elsebound,” True North [truenorthbluegrass.com, 4/14] (16)
“Northbound 35”
53: “Long Time… Seldom Scene,” Seldom Scene [Smithsonian/Folkways, 4/14]
(16)
“Big Train”
53: “No Fools, No Fun,” Puss N Boots [Blue Note, new] (16)
“Leaving London”
“Don’t Know What It Means”
53: “Picnic In The Sky,” Jeni And Billy [Waystation, 5/14] (16)
“Robin And The Banjo”
53: “Second Nature,” Adler & Hearne [Spring Hollow, new] (16)
“Piney Woods Breeze”
“Salty Town”
53: “Under My Hat,” Lenny Solomon [Not Life Threatening, new] (16)
“Fracking Song”
“Morning Song”
60: “Five,” Balsam Range [Mountain Home, 6/14] (15)
“Songs I’ve Sung”
“Monday Blues”
60: “Fifty Shades Of Red,” Linda McRae [Borealis, 6/14] (15)
“Be Your Own Light”
60: “Best Kept Secret,” Cris Cuddy [Self, 5/14] (15)
“Ibma Blues”
“Ask The Flask”
60: “Carter Girl,” Carlene Carter [Rounder, 4/14] (15)
“Gold Watch And Chain”
60: “Faith, Good Neighbors And A Telephone,” Sweet Potatoes [Sister
Trudy’s, 3/14] (15)
“Big Yellow Dog”
60: “A Permeable Life,” Carrie Newcomer [Available Light, 4/14] (15)
“Work Of Our Hands”
“Writing You A Letter”
60: “Standing Tall And Tough,” Crowe, Lawson & Williams [Crossroads, new]
(15)
“Those Gone And Left Me Blues”
“Once A Day”
60: “Whispered Words,” Folkapotamus [Phatcat, new] (15)
“Wish I’d Never”
“Badlands”
68: “Ancient Dreams,” Red June [Organic, 4/14] (14)
“I Saw You In August”
68: “A Dotted Line,” Nickel Creek [Nonesuch, 4/14] (14)
“Elephant In The Corn”
“Destination”
68: “Hamburger Sandwich,” Bob Wright And Bill Doerge [Self, new] (14)
“Livin’ Will Kill You”
68: “One Song Romance,” Michael Barnett [Compass, new] (14)
“Change Her Mind”
68: “Race To The Bottom,” Paddy Mills [Ormal Nye, 2/14] (14)
“Fox In The Barnyard”
“Race To The Bottom”
68: “Stardust,” Bronwynne Brent [bronwynnebrent.com, 5/14] (14)
“Devil Again”
“Don’t Tell Your Secrets To The Wind”
68: “Troubadour Tales,” Kenny Butterill [No Bull, new] (14)
“Good Thing That Couldn’t Happen Here”
“Gaia Blues”
68: “White Wave Chapel,” I Draw Slow [Pinecastle, 7/14] (14)
“Souvenirs”

Top Songs of August 2014

1. “Try Me Tomorrow” (24)
by Jim Photoglo
from “Halls Of My Heart”
2. “I Don’t Mind The Rain” (18)
by Jeremy Lyons
from “Make It Better”
3. “Black Waters” (15)
by Bryn Davies
from “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie”
4. “L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore” (14)
by Robin And Linda Williams
from “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie”
5. “Down The Hatch” (12)
by Haas Kowert Tice
from “You Got This”
5. “Little Birdie” (12)
by Laurie Lewis And Kathy Kallick
from “Laurie & Kathy Sing The Songs Of Vern And Ray”
7. “Cabin On A Mountain” (10)
by Laurie Lewis And Kathy Kallick
from “Laurie & Kathy Sing The Songs Of Vern And Ray”
7. “The Flower Of Muscle Shoals” (10)
by Cahalen Morrison And Country Hammer
from “The Flower Of Muscle Shoals”
7. “Leave The Light On” (10)
by Chris Smither
from “Still On The Levee”
10. “Brothers Medley” (9)
by Jim Photoglo
from “Halls Of My Heart”
10. “Eliza Jane” (9)
by Eliza Gilkyson
from “The Nocturne Diaries”
10. “Leadfoot” (9)
by Haas Kowert Tice
from “You Got This”
10. “Sleepwalking Home” (9)
by Carolyn Currie
from “Echolocation”
10. “Sweet Amarillo” (9)
by Old Crow Medicine Show
from “Remedy”
15. “Beyond The Blue” (8)
by The Duhks
from “Beyond the Blue”
15. “Jackaro” (8)
by Archie Fisher
from “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie”
15. “Oh! Susanna” (8)
by Laurie Lewis And Kathy Kallick
from “Laurie & Kathy Sing The Songs Of Vern And Ray”
15. “This Too Shall Pass” (8)
by Lynne Hanson
from “River Of Sand”
15. “Train Home” (8)
by Chris Smither
from “Still On The Levee”
20. “Fiddlin’ Joe” (7)
by Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
from “On Down The Line”
20. “Halls Of My Heart” (7)
by Jim Photoglo
from “Halls Of My Heart”
20. “Hold On” (7)
by Chris Smither
from “Still On The Levee”
20. “I Saw You In August” (7)
by Red June
from “Ancient Dreams”
20. “King Of The Folksingers” (7)
by Tim Grimm
from “The Turning Point”
20. “Let The Sun Shine Down On Me” (7)
by Kim And Reggie Harris
from “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie”
20. “Like Woody Done” (7)
by John Flynn
from “Poor Man’s Diamonds”
20. “Love You Like A Man” (7)
by Chris Smither
from “Still On The Levee”
20. “Make It Better” (7)
by Jeremy Lyons
from “Make It Better”
20. “Montana Cowboy” (7)
by Laurie Lewis And Kathy Kallick
from “Laurie & Kathy Sing The Songs Of Vern And Ray”
20. “My Clinch Mountain Home” (7)
by Laurie Lewis And Kathy Kallick
from “Laurie & Kathy Sing The Songs Of Vern And Ray”
20. “No Love Today” (7)
by Chris Smither
from “Still On The Levee”
20. “Not Drag Me Down” (7)
by Jeremy Lyons
from “Make It Better”
20. “Old Song” (7)
by Carolyn Currie
from “Echolocation”
20. “Pretty Saro” (7)
by Robbie O’Connell
from “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie”
20. “Robin And The Banjo” (7)
by Jeni And Billy
from “Picnic In The Sky”
20. “Wheel In His Hand” (7)
by Jim And Lynna Woolsey
from “The Road That Brings You Home”
20. “When I’m Feeling Better” (7)
by Jeremy Lyons
from “Make It Better”