Tag: Missy Raines

IBMA Awards 2018: Read the Full Winners List

Posted on by Editor

Some of the most decorated artists in bluegrass, such as Balsam Range, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and the Travelin’ McCourys, picked up even more International Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday night (Sept. 27) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Other top winners included longtime favorites like Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Special Consensus, and Becky Buller.

Instrumentalist awards were presented to Michael Cleveland (fiddle), Sierra Hull (mandolin), Justin Moses (Dobro), Ned Luberecki (banjo), Tim Surrett (bass) and Molly Tuttle (guitar). Hot Rize, the IBMA’s first-ever Entertainer of the Year recipient in 1990, hosted the show.

The recipients of the 2018 IBMA Awards, presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association, are listed below:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR:
Balsam Range

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:
The Travelin’ McCourys

SONG OF THE YEAR:
“If I’d Have Wrote That Song” – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers (artist), Larry Cordle/Larry Shell/James Silvers (writers)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
Rivers & Roads – Special Consensus (artist), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records (label)

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF A YEAR:https://thebluegrasssituation.com/?p=10924&preview=true
“Speakin’ to That Mountain” – Becky Buller (artist), Becky Buller/Jeff Hyde (writers), Crepe Paper Heart (album), Stephen Mougin (producer), Dark Shadow Recording (label)

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE:
“Squirrel Hunters” – Special Consensus with John Hartford, Rachel Baiman, Christian Sedelmyer, and Alison Brown (artist), Traditional arranged by Alison Brown/Special Consensus (writers), Rivers & Roads (album), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records (label)

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR:
“Swept Away” – Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Sierra Hull, and Molly Tuttle (artists), single release, Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records (label)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:
Brooke Aldridge

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:
Buddy Melton

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Ned Luberecki

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Tim Surrett

DOBRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Justin Moses

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Michael Cleveland

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Molly Tuttle

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Sierra Hull

Previously-announced inductees into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame – Ricky Skaggs, Paul Williams, Tom T. and Dixie Hall – were honored at this evening’s show.

At the Special Awards Luncheon earlier in the day, the recipients of the following awards were announced:

BLUEGRASS BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR:
Steve Martin (Northern Kentucky-based host of Steve Martin’s Unreal Bluegrass)

BLUEGRASS EVENT OF THE YEAR:
Bluegrass on the Green; Frankfort, Illinois

BEST LINER NOTES FOR A RECORDED PROJECT (tie):
Craig Havighurst – The Story We Tell by Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Peter Wernick – Carter Stanley’s Eyes by Peter Rowan

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR A RECORDED PROJECT:
Lou Everhart
A Heart Never Knows by The Price Sisters

BLUEGRASS PRINT/MEDIA PERSON OF THE YEAR:
Neil Rosenberg

BLUEGRASS SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:
Jerry Salley

SOUND ENGINEER OF THE YEAR:
Ben Surratt

David Benedict, ‘The Golden Angle’

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

How does that old adage go? The one about “the company we keep” and all that? Based on the roster for his tune, “The Golden Angle,” it would seem mandolinist David Benedict had grown up with this principle as his cardinal rule. The title track of his upcoming album features bassist Missy Raines, the winningest bass player in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association; Stuart Duncan, perhaps the most prolific fiddler and session player in Nashville and every bluegrass musician’s favorite musician; Wes Corbett, a former Berklee banjo instructor and one of the contemporary five-string’s most clever pickers; and Ross Martin, a flatpicker who impeccably combines the workhorse qualities of bluegrass with a more deft, subtle, jazz-flavored approach.

At the helm in the producer’s chair was another mandolin seer, Matt Flinner, whose fingerprints are found aplenty on the whimsical, Fibonacci-inspired tune. Like Flinner’s compositions, Benedict’s “Angle” is centered on a strong, cyclical melodic idea while it plays out linearly, each of the players listening intently to and building on what’s come before. It simultaneously registers as a danceable breakdown or a new acoustic chamber piece; it’s not better taken as one or the other, rather, its pliancy offers more varied perspectives on the song and its interpreters. Benedict’s voice as a composer and musician is remarkably mature and individualistic, without flirting with becoming too gratuitous — something that cannot be said for many pickers his age. It might be a safe bet to guess that these qualities are also thanks in part to the wildly phenomenal company he keeps, but either way, he should keep doing what he’s doing.

Shout & Shine: A Celebration of Diversity in Bluegrass

Posted on by Editor

From its founding, the Bluegrass Situation has intentionally, thoughtfully explored and expanded roots music and the culture around it. That means proudly and purposely supporting artists who color and exist outside the imaginary lines of the historical genres. We've used the BGS platform to create a safe space for conversations with Sam Gleaves, Mipso, Kaia Kater, Amythyst Kiah, and more.

This week at World of Bluegrass, we're taking it to Raleigh's Pour House stage with our "Shout & Shine: A Celebration of Diversity in Bluegrass" showcase featuring performances by a wide array of outliers and allies. Banjo player Justin Hiltner, who helped us coordinate the event, will serve as the evening's host. "This event isn't something that's gratuitously political or activist," Hiltner says. "We're not trying to position ourselves in opposition to anyone. We're simply trying to carve out a place for representation in bluegrass and roots music that hasn't existed until recently. We want to celebrate diversity in bluegrass — not because bluegrass is becoming more diverse, but because bluegrass has never been as homogenous as the narrative might suggest."

7 Artists We’re Stoked to See at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass 2016

Posted on by Editor

April may be the cruelest month, but September is by far the coolest one because we get to head to Raleigh, North Carolina, for one of our favorite events — IBMA's World of Bluegrass. Taking place September 27 – October 1, the event brings bluegrass fans from around the globe together for the pickin'- and grinnin'-est party this side of, well, anywhere. If you're heading to Raleigh and struggling to get your schedule together — we get it, there's a lot to choose from! — allow us to do some of the heavy lifting for you and check out seven of the acts we can't wait to see.

10 String Symphony

Nashville duo 10 String Symphony, also known as Christian Sedelmyer and Rachel Baiman, are no strangers to the stage, with Sedelmyer a member of Jerry Douglas's touring band and Baiman having fiddled alongside the likes of Kacey Musgraves. Their project together, though, brings those individual talents together for an acoustic, genre-defying sound that is truly like no other.

Missy Raines and the New Hip 

Missy Raines has more Bass Player of the Year IBMAs than anyone out there, and there's no better way to find out why that is than to watch her kicking bass and taking names on stage. She and her band, the New Hip, fuse elements of jazz and Americana with her more traditional bluegrass leanings.

Bill and the Belles

Johnson City, Tennessee, quartet Bill and the Belles pay homage to their mountain upbringings with Tin Pan Alley covers and Appalachian-inspired arrangements. They're a joy to watch live, and we bet you can't make it through their set without smiling.

Hot Buttered Rum

With a name like Hot Buttered Rum, the music better be good, and, sure enough, it is. Just like the drink, a live set from Hot Buttered Rum goes down easy and leaves you with a smile on your face.

Molly Tuttle Band

Nashville multi-instrumentalist Molly Tuttle has a sonic range unlike many musicians out there, able to captivate listeners with tender vocals just as easily as she is with virtuosic guitar chops. This full band set should deliver, as the kids say, all the feelings.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

If one of the greatest living mandolin players doesn't tickle your fancy, well, you just might be at the wrong festival. Whether you've never seen Skaggs live or this will be your 12th rumble with Kentucky Thunder, this is a set you won't want to miss.

Greensky Bluegrass

Just over a decade-and-a-half into their career, Greensky Bluegrass has never sounded better. Their forthcoming album, Shouted, Written Down and Quoted, is a sure sign that bluegrass is still alive and well.

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