Tag: Mark Schatz

IBMA Reveals Award Nominees, Hall of Fame Inductees, Distinguished Achievement Winners

Posted on by Editor

Five of the top bands in bluegrass earned IBMA Entertainer of the Year nominations from the International Bluegrass Music Association. The ballot was revealed on Wednesday morning in Nashville.

The Entertainer of the Year nominees are Balsam Range, Sam Bush Band, The Earls of Leicester, Del McCoury Band, and Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers.

Due to a tie, seven titles will compete for the Song of the Year category. The IBMA Awards will take place Thursday, September 26, at the Duke Energy Performing Arts Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, with hosts Jim Lauderdale and Del McCoury.

Mike Auldridge, Bill Emerson, and the Kentucky Colonels have also been named as inductees into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

Distinguished Achievement Award recipients include radio personality Katy Daley, Mountain Home label founder Mickey Gamble, former IBMA executive director Dan Hays, The Lost and Found founder Allen Mills, and Japanese language magazine Moonshiner, now in its 37th year covering bluegrass and acoustic music.

The full ballot is below.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Balsam Range
Sam Bush Band
The Earls of Leicester
Del McCoury Band
Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Balsam Range
I’m With Her
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Sister Sadie

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Sam Bush Band
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
The Earls of Leicester
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
The Travelin’ McCourys

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Appalachian Road Show
Carolina Blue
High Fidelity
Mile Twelve
Billy Strings

SONG OF THE YEAR (7 nominees, due to a tie)

“Dance, Dance, Dance”
Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Writers: Brenda Cooper/Joseph Cooper/Steve Miller
Producers: Barry Abernathy, Darrell Webb, Ben Isaacs
Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller
Label: Billy Blue Records

“The Girl Who Invented the Wheel”
Artist: Balsam Range
Writers: Adam Wright/Shannon Wright
Producer: Balsam Range
Executive Producer: Mickey Gamble
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“The Guitar Song”
Artist: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers with Del McCoury
Writers: Bill Anderson/Jamey Johnson/Vicky McGehee
Producer: Joe Mullins
Associate Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

“The Light in Carter Stanley’s Eyes”
Artist: Peter Rowan
Writer: Peter Rowan
Producer: Peter Rowan
Associate Producer: Tim O’Brien
Label: Rebel Records

“Next Train South”
Artist: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Writer: Mac Patterson
Producers: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Dave Maggard, Ken Irwin
Label: Rounder Records

“Take the Journey”
Artist: Molly Tuttle
Writers: Molly Tuttle/Sarah Siskind
Producer: Ryan Hewitt
Label: Compass Records

“Thunder Dan”
Artist: Sideline
Writer: Josh Manning
Producer: Tim Surrett
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

City on a Hill
Artist: Mile Twelve
Producer: Bryan Sutton
Label: Independent

Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass
Artist: Del McCoury Band
Producers: Del and Ronnie McCoury
Label: McCoury Music

For the Record
Artist: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers
Producer: Joe Mullins
Associate Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

I Hear Bluegrass Calling Me
Artist: Carolina Blue
Producers: Bobby Powell, Tim and Lakin Jones
Executive Producers: Lonnie Lassiter and Ethan Burkhardt
Label: Pinecastle Records

Sister Sadie II
Artist: Sister Sadie
Producer: Sister Sadie
Label: Pinecastle Records

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR

“Acres of Diamonds”
Artist: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers
Producer: Joe Mullins
Associate Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout”
Artist: Claire Lynch
Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

“I Am a Pilgrim”
Artist: Roland White and Friends
Producers: Ty Gilpin, Jon Weisberger
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“I See God”
Artist: Marty Raybon
Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Let My Life Be a Light”
Artist: Balsam Range
Producer: Balsam Range
Executive Producer: Mickey Gamble
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR

“Cotton Eyed Joe”
Artist: Sideline
Producer: Tim Surrett
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“Darlin’ Pal(s) of Mine”
Artist: Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Mike Bub, and Todd Phillips
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records

“Earl’s Breakdown”
Artist: The Earls of Leicester
Producer: Jerry Douglas
Label: Rounder Records

“Fried Taters and Onions”
Artist: Carolina Blue
Producers: Bobby Powell, Tim and Lakin Jones
Executive Producers: Lonnie Lassiter and Ethan Burkhardt
Label: Pinecastle Records

“Sunrise”
Artist: Sam Bush & Bela Fleck
Producers: Akira Otsuka, Ronnie Freeland
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Records

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR

“Burning Georgia Down”
Artist: Balsam Range with Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble
Producer: Balsam Range
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“Darlin’ Pal(s) of Mine”
Artist: Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Mike Bub, and Todd Phillips
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records

“The Guitar Song”
Artist: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers with Del McCoury
Producer: Joe Mullins
Associate Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Please”
Artist: Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton
Producers: Dave Cobb, John Leventhal, Frank Liddell
Label: MCA Nashville

“Soldier’s Joy/Ragtime Annie”
Artist: Roland White with Justin Hiltner, Jon Weisberger, Patrick McAvinue, and Molly Tuttle
Producers: Ty Gilpin, Jon Weisberger
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Shawn Camp
Del McCoury
Russell Moore
Tim O’Brien
Danny Paisley

FEMALE VOCALIST

Brooke Aldridge
Dale Ann Bradley
Sierra Hull
Molly Tuttle
Rhonda Vincent

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Gina Furtado
Mike Munford
Noam Pikelny
Kristin Scott Benson
Scott Vestal

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Beth Lawrence
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Hunter Berry
Becky Buller
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Rob Ickes
Phil Leadbetter
Justin Moses

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kenny Smith
Billy Strings
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle
Josh Williams

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Alan Bibey
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury
Frank Solivan

The Songs of Nickel Creek’s ‘Reasons Why (The Very Best),’ Ranked

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

 

Ah, Nickel Creek. The originally-a-bluegrass band, almost-bluegrass band that defined and fostered an entire generation of young roots music fans. Their five album catalog is chock-full of incredible songs, but for our purposes we’re going to rank their greatest hits as released on their 2006 compilation album, Reasons Why (The Very Best). Let’s start at the bottom, just to stir the pot right off the bat.

14. “The Fox”

When your audiences eventually universally devolve into nothing better than a non-Newtonian fluid that aggressively shouts “THE FOOOOOOOOOX” incessantly, it’s time to maybe consider that a “hit” isn’t necessarily a good thing. And if you ever attended a Nickel Creek concert during their heyday and you weren’t one of the ones yelling, you probably came to that conclusion, too. The band certainly has. And that poor goose…

13. “The Lighthouse’s Tale”

Look, you knew it was next. If Chris Thile himself openly mocks the song onstage, perhaps it doesn’t deserve a higher slot. Personification of a lighthouse though. Groundbreaking. Or should we say, sand-breaking. (Too soon?)

12. “Somebody More Like You”

Just because Sean’s early 2000s, punk-esque vocal choices are somewhat… jarring.

11. “Helena”

This song doesn’t seem to have aged well… A man uses not one, but two women and he’s so goddamn flippant about it. Is that love?? Dang if it’s not a catchy song though. Number eleven feels right.

10. “Can’t Complain”

Another in the “As a teen I shouted along with the words from the bottom of my heart and now I take pause” category. “…Made her wanna die / But she can’t complain she can’t complain.” Can’t she!?

9. “Should’ve Known Better”

See numbers eleven and ten. They should’ve known better. HaHA!

8. “You Don’t Have to Move that Mountain”

A cover that was previously unreleased by the band, this one is neither lackluster nor exactly awe-inspiring. Solid, for sure, but eight feels like the right spot. Especially given its “hit” status being ascribed only by its inclusion on the album alone. Are we all good with this praxis? Great. (Check that Mark Schatz bass solo though, okay?)

7. “Out of the Woods”

So vibey and lush. Spooky and ethereal. Like the woods from a Bronté novel. It’s a good one, perfect for the middle of the pack.

6. “Reasons Why”

Why number six, you may ask? I have my reasons why: mainly the space-age neo-folk vocal arrangements, with those tight tight tight harmonies. Makes me want to shake fists at the sky!

5. “This Side”

“You dream of colors that have never been made” was perhaps the deepest, most profound line on the Grammy-winning album, This Side, by the opinion of this writer, who wore out the CD oh, almost two decades ago.

4. “Smoothie Song”

Not as good as “Scotch & Chocolate” or “Stumptown,” but still. A bop.

3. “When in Rome”

Asking the tough questions, one by one. A manifesto for teenage bluegrass fans exploring music on the fringes of the familiar. Also, stomping in puddles. When in Rome, after all…

2. “Jealous of the Moon”

Devastatingly melancholy, but with a hopeful message. Pure poetry. Just remember, you don’t need to call anyone to save you. The problem is simple: “There’s nothing you can do / If you’re too scared to try.”

1. “When You Come Back Down”

One reason we could count this as the number one song in and among Nickel Creek’s greatest hits is that IT ISN’T AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY. Travesty. The true reason, though, is that this is unimpeachably the best of the trio’s greatest hits. Sure, it can read like a song ripe for overuse at high school graduations, but it’s beautiful, it’s simple, it’s straightforward, and it’s almost literally uplifting. Take every chance you dare.