Tag: Charlie Cushman

WATCH: The Earls of Leicester Behind the Walls at Newport Folk Festival

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

(Editor’s Note: Enjoy this exclusive video premiere from the team at Newport Folk Festival and their Behind the Walls series, featuring a performance of Flatt & Scruggs’ version of “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms” by award-winning Flatt & Scruggs bluegrass tribute band, the Earls of Leicester.)

Artist: The Earls of Leicester
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms”

In Their Words: “The song ‘Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms’ has long been a staple in the bluegrass canon. It’s a good, hard driving song about traveling and returning home to the one you love. Down to the details of some of the family members’ occupations. Also there is a slight Romeo and Juliet effect in the line, “I know your parents don’t like me.” Flatt & Scruggs probably had the best version, but it’s a crowd pleaser and works in any situation.” – Jerry Douglas

“The Earls Of Leicester are living embodiments of the traditions of bluegrass that have graced our stages for over 60 years. We’re grateful that they recorded a backstage Behind The Walls session with us at last year’s Newport Folk Festival. And big thanks to The Bluegrass Situation for sharing it far and wide.” – Christopher Capotosto, producer, Newport Folk Festival

Lead image courtesy of Newport Folk Festival.

LISTEN: Stephen Flatt, “White County Shine”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Stephen Flatt
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “White County Shine”
Album: Cumberland Bones
Release Date: April 16, 2021
Label: Flatt Family Music

In Their Words: “My grandparents and great-grandparents resided in White County, Tennessee, specifically Sparta. My great-uncle Lester Flatt and his family also lived in White County/Sparta, not far from my great-grandparents (his brother and sister-in-law). They were a close family and often worked odd jobs together, like working at the sawmill, before Lester struck out as a musician. I doubt Lester was involved in any of the moonshine activities that might have occurred on my side of the family tree, so I’d hate to drag his name into that. Lester was a staunch teetotaler, probably partly due to witnessing the effects of alcohol on friends and family members.

“Although ‘White County Shine’ is a semi-fictional account, it is a very real reflection of my family, my grandfather, the very real mountain moonshine culture, and the potential byproducts that come along with that dark spot of the mountain lifestyle. When the song says, ‘He lost all his money, but he never lost his high,’ that’s real and raw and it’s about my grandfather. I would venture to say that although the song is upbeat and jovial, it probably brings up some bad scars for my dad and my uncles when they hear it. I thought about this as really a generational thing, with generational impacts.

“I went camping with my cousin once on Bon Air Mountain, and he brought a jar of moonshine. When he woke up the next morning, he took a big pull off the shine and exclaimed, ‘You gotta have a shot before breakfast!’ Later, I wrote ‘White County Shine’ with the lyric ‘a shot before breakfast will always do you right’ in the chorus. This song features some of my friends and bluegrass greats, with Charlie Cushman on banjo, Deanie Richardson on fiddle, Justin Clark on mandolin, Steve Hinson on Dobro, Kenny Vaughan on the flattop, and Ronnie Bowman adding some amazing harmony. The song is a fun and entertaining romp!” – Stephen Flatt

Photo credit: Flatt Family Music

WATCH: The Earls of Leicester, ‘Long Journey Home’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Earls of Leicester
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Long Journey Home”
Album: The Earls of Leicester Live at The CMA Theater in The Country Music Hall of Fame
Release Date: Sept. 28
Label: Rounder Records

In Their Words: “In the bluegrass canon, the song ‘Long Journey Home’ has appeared under many alternate titles for different artists. Yet I’ve always felt Earl Scruggs’ banjo raised the Flatt and Scruggs version to a higher level. When planning our live record, we wanted to have a few fast tempo songs that we could count on to raise the blood pressure for both the listeners and our own. The tempo and fire that this song brings through Charlie Cushman’s banjo as well as Shawn Camp and Jeff White’s vocals made it an easy choice, and a welcome new entrant into the Earls repertoire.” – Jerry Douglas

Photo credit: Patrick Sheehan