Smokin Grass Music

Over the past year I have met some EXTREMELY talented and gracious people. I am fortunate to have been able to fulfill a lifelong dream to broadcast and meet fine people such as this weeks interview. John Martin Sommers is a member of the Defiance String Band (Defiance was the name of Glenwood Springs Co.) and even more he has had a prestigious career spanning over 40 years. John has been a part of the Aspen (Co.) music scene since the late 1960s. He has met a number of artists who have “made it” and been a part of the movement that put them there. John Sommers was in John Denver's band for a bit and John Denver recorded a few of John Sommers' songs. Listen to the podcast to find out which ones. Thank you Don Kaufman and Defiance String Band for allowing me to share your friend and your music with the world. This will be the final episode of Smokin' Grass Music. What a way to go out.

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This week I have created my Podcast around something you can't live without. Water. All the songs have some reference to water. Even a few of the band names have water in them. Feel free to subscribe via the buttons to the right of this page. Comment and rate the Episodes and if you haven't already, collect them all. Thanks for listening. Tell your friends.

Here is the playlist:

01 Packway Handle Band-Wade in the Water

02 Slim Pickin's-Salt Creek

03 Spring Creek Bluegrass Band-Waterline Blues

04 Stranger Creek Band-Lonesome River Road

05 The Blue Canyon Boys-Stormy Waters

06 Boogertown Gap-Cripple Creek

07 Don Sumers-Over the Waterfall

08 Lonesome Travelers-All My Tears (Washed Away)

09 Sons and Brothers-Wave the Ocean

10 Spring Creek-Pathway of Teardrops

11 The Fall Creek Band-Sea of Heartbreak

12 Frank Sollivan II-Selfish Tears

13 The Punches Family-Sea of Life

14 Lynne Ferguson-Tears to Gold

15 The Farewell Drifters-River Song

16 Roller Mills String Band-New River Train

17 Earache-Where the Deep River Bends

18 Frank Sollivan II-This Old River

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The duet that I interviewed this week seem to lived a charmed life. They are a very nice couple (married), with a beautiful daughter, living in one of the most beautiful places on earth. No wonder the music they make is as fine and emotion filled as it is. These young folks have an interesting story and an interesting career ahead of them. They have four CDs out (including a Christmas CD) that are available on CD Baby and Itunes. Check out their website and blog at www.anneandpetesibley.com . You can also find them on Facebook. The only other thing I can think to say is listen to this podcast to get the whole story. If you would like to subscribe to this podcast, you may do so at the right side of this page or in the Itunes store. Here is the playlist (since I didn't do any voice breaks to announce songs):

01 Tell Me Darling

02 Coming Home

03 Just the Right Moment

04 Sow Em on the Mountain

05 Pick Up These Chains

06 Salted Spring

07 My Love is There

08 Past the Point of Rescue

09 Keep These Walls From Falling

10 Someone to Save Me

11 Up & Down-Waiting for Turtle

12 All I Wanted

13 Come a Long Way

14 Wayfaring Stranger

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This week I am featuring a “GREEN” band. No, they are not new to the biz. Lonesome Traveler is trying to reduce their carbon footprint. They use a bus that runs on alternative fuel and the products they have for sale are made of organic cotton and recycled materials.

Along with being friendly to the Earth, they are a joy to the ears. These folks have been together five years and they still like each other well enough to be able to practice together twice a week and play over one hundred fifty gigs a year. There are some family connections that you will hear in the interview.

Jodi was kind enough to spend her time to tell me about her feelings on the Bluegrass industry in general and how she feels about the Indie scene in Colorado.

I was fortunate enough to get out to Bar Double S a couple of nights later and see Lonesome Traveler live. The whole band was cordial and gracious. They are so tight. It is obvious that they are more than a band. They are a family.

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This week I had the PLEASURE of interviewing a band from a REAL mountain town. A Colorado mountain town. Mountian Holler is from Bailey Colorado. They started out as a pickup band to help out a venue owner/friend and ended up the superb band that you will hear in this podcast. They are tight and they keep their breaks clean. I love the harmonies. The senior member of the band (Warren the banjo player) is quiet or interview shy but, when he opens up, look out. When Warren spoke about the history of the Indie movement in Colorado and his latest influences, I was glad I called him out to answer that question. To top it all off, Emily (mandolin), the youngest member of the band was comic relief and quirky. The whole package made the interview easy to do. I want to really THANK this band for taking the time to speak to me. I didn't get all of their available music into this Podcast but, don't fret. The music is available for free download or streaming at the band website www.moutainhollerbluegrass.com . Here is the short playlist:

1.Big Mon

2.East Virginia Blues

3.I Still Miss Someone

4.Jerusalem Ridge

5.Memories of Mother and Dad

6.More Than A Name On The Wall

7.Old Home Place

8.Talk It All Over with Him

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The BuckVillians have their own unique twist on Bluegrass. They call it Black and Bluegrass. I will let the band explain that to you in the interview. What a great group of Colorado Indie musicians. They expect to have a CD out in the late fall or early winter. Keep an eye of their page for that debut CD and new merchandise. Meanwhile; come out and support the Northern Colorado Bluegrass Festival at LaPorte Colorado, just north and west of Ft. Collins on highway 287, September 5,2010 from 12n-8p Mtn time. Tickets are $12 at the door or $10 when purchased in advance at www.buckvillians.com or nocobluegrass.eventbrite.com . There will be vendors, food, libations and most of all GREAT Colorado Indie Bluegrass music. Four bands $12, you can't beat that with a big stick.

The bonus tracks on this Podcast are by previously featured band, The Hartmans. These young musicians are advanced for their young years. I really enjoy their sound and look forward to meeting them at the Northern Colorado Bluegrass Festival. Check both these bands websites, www.buckvillians.com and www.thehartmanfamilyband.com . Here is the playlist:

The Buckvillians

01 Old Home Place

02 Texas Eagle

03 Midnight Moonlight

04 Gentle on my Mind

05 Ring of Fire

06 Barefoot Nellie

07 Nobody Home

08 White Freightliner

09 Blackberry Blossom

The Hartmans

01 Simple Gifts

02 Just as it Seems

03 Come to Me

04 Borrowed Time

You may subscribe to this Podcast at the right side of this page or in the Itunes store. Check back next week for something new and Tell Your Friends.

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There is so much to be said of these young men (ages 24 to early 30s) that I barely know where to begin. Let's start with their musical talents. I believe that each of these men are so intent on being the very best musician that they can be that they have practiced and gigged themselves into a level of playing that is well beyond their time spent practicing. Each is a dedicated and professional player. Their harmonies are those of singers that have been together for much longer than this group has existed. Their stage presence is HIGH ENERGY. The music and lyrics that they have written hit their intended target (feelings) and the best part is they each tell a story that make sense. I am so pleased to have met this band and watched them in person. I hope you enjoy listening to this interview as much as I did creating it. Check out their web page www.farewelldrifters.com and get their latest album Yellow Tag Mondays. You will get more than your money's worth from this 14 song CD, for sure.

Here is the Playlist:

01 Love We Left Behind

02 Everyone is Talking

03 For No One

04 Sunnyside Drive

05 All We Need

06 Virginia Bell

07 Love Me Good & Plain

08 River Song

09 Please Dream of Me Tonight

10 I've Got Your Heart in My Hand, and I'm Going to Squeez.

11 Old Friends

12 Wake Up

13 Fight to Find Your Way

14 Somewhere Down the Road

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The Henhouse Prowlers (Chicago Il.) are a city dwelling Bluegrass band. While their content may not always be traditional in nature their style and form are PURE Bluegrass. They have great harmonies and the instrumentation is next to none. At least that is what the folks in Lyons Colorado are saying. This fine group of musicians came to Colorado this year to make a presence and participate in competitions at festivals. They (rightfully) won the competition at Rockygrass in Lyons Colorado. For those of you that heard my previous feature of the music on “A Dark Rumor” I have added an interview with the bands Banjo player, Ben Wright and some music from a previous release. Enjoy the interview and make sure you get around to their website www.henhouseprowlers.com or check them out on Facebook and Reverbnation. Their two releases (self titled) “Henhouse Prowlers” and the latest “A Dark Rumor” are for sale at CD Baby and in the Itunes Store. If you get a chance to see this great group live, their energetic “Old Style” stage presence is quite the treat.

Here is the playlist:

A Dark Rumor

01 Turn Me Loose

02 Uncle Bubba

03 Simplify

04 Trouble

05 The Ballad of Davey Robinson

06 Angeline Malone

07 10 Miles More

08 Drifter

09 Shadow of a Man

10 Silver Lining

11 Walking Around in the Snow

12 Hadley's Lament

Two Bonus Tracks:

California Cotton Fields

Mountain Girls

Hope you enjoy the Podcast this week. If you really like the show, there are more just like it coming up. So subscribe. You can subscribe on the right side of this page or in the Itunes store. Thanks for checking out my work. Tell your friends.

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Let's face it; We ain't getting any younger. I am so pleased to see that young people are embracing Bluegrass and Traditional music. I would hate to see it die because Boomers and Gen Xers are falling by the wayside. There are a number of teenagers and twenty somethings getting into Bluegrass. This week I am featuring some extremely talented young people. Please listen to the Podcast, look at the playlist and check out some of these musician's websites. Thanks for listening this week. Check back next week and tell your friends.

Here is the playlist:

The Fall Creek Band www.thefallcreekband.com

I Might Take You Back Again

Anderson Family Bluegrass www.andersonfamilybluegrass.com

Harbor of Love

April Verch www.aprilverch.com

Reg and Irma's Waltz

Crooked Still www.crookedstill.com

Locust in the Willow

Finders and Youngberg www.findersandyoungberg.com

Old Shine Crow

Green on the Vyne www.myspace.com/greenonthevyne

Look What You've Done to Me

Kristin Andreassen www.myspace.com/kristinandreassen

Pale Moon

Sarah Jarosz www.sarahjarosz.com

Come on Up to the House

Sierra Hull www.sierrahull.com

Hullarious

The Church Sisters www.thechurchsisters.com

Homecoming Day

The Fall Creek Band

Our Love is Gone

The Hartmans www.hartmansfamilyband.com

Borrowed Time

The Punches www.thepunchesfamily.com

Ruby

The Wells Family Band wellsfamilyband.com

Lonely Tonight

The Wilson Family Band www.thewilsonfamilyband.com

Family Ties

Anderson Family Band

You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive

April Verch

William Gagnon

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This weeks episode is all about trains. Not all of the artists are Indie or Bluegrass but, all of the songs are about trains or train related. It is guaranteed to please. Here is the playlist:

1. Blue Moon Rising- Freight Train

2. Boogertown Gap- Train 45

3. Crooked Still-New Railroad

4. Defiance String Band- Train on the Island

5. Don Summers- Georgia Railroad

6. Just Desserts- Glendale Train

7. Palmer Divide- Shenandoah Train

8. Quickdraw Homegrown Music- Grand County Train

9. Crooked Still- Railroad Bill

10. Slim Pickin's- Bluegrass Train

11. Son's and Brothers- Last Train to Nashville

12. Southwater- Train Song #2

13. The Fall Creek Band-Train Train

14. Dean Station- Train Rolls off the Tracks

15. Donovan Howard- Lone and Lonesome Track

16. Harlem Parlor Music Club- Run Away Train

17. Bill Monroe- Bluegrass Special

18. Foghorn Duo- Little Black Train

19. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band- Orange blossom Special

Make sure you also check out my Bluegrass broadcast on www.party934.com Tue. 1A &4P Thur. 12N Eastern time.

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