"Real" Bluegrass Groups?

Jim Cate

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May 6, 2009, 11:46:03 PM5/6/09

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Can someone recommend recordings of good bluegrass groups who played
together and developed apart from the music industry and media scene? So
far I seem to find that most bluegrass recordings or DVDs are of famous or
big name groups who sometimes appear more interested in making a name for
themselves and complimenting one another than in the music. For example,
are there any recordings of good groups that worked together in small towns
in the Appalatians, Kentucky, etc.? Or, has anyone made recordings of groups
playing in backwoods or remote areas? If not, your recomnendations of "city
folk," not associated with Bill Monroe, who are making good recordings.
Thanks for any suggestions.

Jim Cate

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May 8, 2009, 12:04:27 PM5/8/09

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"Jim Cate" <avo...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
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Anyone?

Jim Cate

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May 11, 2009, 9:24:41 PM5/11/09

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Is this the wrong newsgroup to ask questions such as this? If so, which
would be appropriate?

Jim

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Colin Irvine

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May 12, 2009, 2:57:21 AM5/12/09

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On Mon, 11 May 2009 20:24:41 -0500, Jim Cate squeezed out the
following:

I'd have said it's exactly the right group. I haven't replied because
I have no recommendation to make!

--
Colin Irvine

Mitch Dickson

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May 15, 2009, 11:54:29 AM5/15/09

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Jim,

There are all sorts of good groups in the different regions. Here around
the Chattanooga area we have several including such as Avery Trace, Southern
Breeze, and my old group Southern Cross. If you don't mind a long email,
send me your address and I will cut an MP3 of one of our original albums and
send it to you. It will be 12 songs written and done by us about 3 years
ago. I own these songs but I can't send you the Avery Trace, or the
Southern Breeze material without their permission.

C YA

Mitch

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Jim Cate

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May 17, 2009, 2:25:13 PM5/17/09

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Thanks for the information Mitch. What I was hoping for are recordings or
DVDs that I could order from Amazon to play on my stereo/HT.

Incidentally, our family had ancestors (the Cates, from England and France)
who lived in the Chautauqua valley near Chattanooga in the nineteenth
century. It would be interesting if I discover some of my own family in
these groups.

Jim

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Ron Capik

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May 18, 2009, 5:19:24 PM5/18/09

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You might want to check out CD Baby < http://cdbaby.com >
They carry lots of off the beaten path stuff.

Also, for an interesting old time sound check out the Ebony Hillbillies:
< www.ebonyhillbillies.com >

Later...

Ron Capik
NJ Pinelands Cultural Society
< www.AlbertHall.org >
--

Alice Lacour

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May 19, 2009, 8:20:06 AM5/19/09

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Just saying HI to you,since I m probably not coming back to the Hall.was
thinking about once this summer but changed my mind after being there
over 13 or 14 years
Lonnie Lynne LaCour

HTTP;//WWW.LONNIELYNNE.BRAVEHOST.COM

Mitch Dickson

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May 19, 2009, 9:28:17 AM5/19/09

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Jim, you are NOT going to find any regional groups at Amazon. That is not
going to happen :) Take a cursory listen to the bluegrass station on XM or
Dish and you will find a handful of the "picks" promoted by the major
labels. These represent maybe 1 % of bluegrass on a good day!

To hear the core of bluegrass you got to go to the regional and amateur
festivals that dot the landscape in the spring and summer. The "Pros" don't
really care for us you know. They want it all to themselves and have
forgotten that Bluegrass is a product of the people, not 16th avenue in
Nashville. Occasionally a few of these professionals blunder into a
situation where they have to follow the likes of an Avery Trace, or a
Southern Breeze and get their hat handed to them :) (this is similar to the
old rule that you never follow kids or anyone in a Buick)

Six years ago we, Southern Cross, arranged and recorded a sound track for a
documentary for PBS called "12 days in Dayton". That Documentary went on to
win an Emmy! Know how many bluegrass groups can say they did the soundtrack
for an Emmy winner? Much less an amatuer group :) There is some great new
music out there Jim, but at Amazon you will not get past the limited
selection you will find on Sirius Bluegrass. Don't get me wrong, there are
some great professionals! I buy anything by Carl Jackson, J.D. Crowe,
Skaggs, and John Starling to name a few. I am just saying that there is
more to bluegrass than just a select handful.

I know you have heard Crowe, Jim Mills, and Kenny Ingram play banjo, but
have you ever listened to Raymond Fairchild, Ed Allison, Gary Davis or Ed
James play one? They can bring it son! Ron Stuart and Stuart Duncan can
play fiddle as well as anyone that ever squatted between a pair of shoes!
But Keith WIlliams, Chuck Nation, Tim Passmore, and Aubrey Haney can deal
with the Devil's Box themselves!

Mitch

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Merle Barnes

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May 19, 2009, 8:56:54 PM5/19/09

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Check out Dusty Owens' bluegrass page on his TCM(Traditional Country Music)
radio site at http://www.tcmradio.com/bluegrass.htm . There's a lot of great
bluegrass artists and bluegrass songs that you might never hear anywhere
else. Playlist changes at the first of every month.
BTW, same thing goes for the Country page and the Gospel page.

Take Care
Merle

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