Tag: Yamaha

For Guitarist Jordan Tice, “Perfect” Recordings Are Never the Goal

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Bluegrass. Newgrass. Chambergrass. Jamgrass. Thrashgrass. So many sub-genres, so little time. For guitarist Jordan Tice – solo artist and longtime member of Nashville-based Hawktail – there’s no time at all, because labels don’t define art and they don’t factor into his creative process.

“I don’t necessarily think about it,” he says. “I mostly do what I feel like doing and incorporate sounds that feel relevant, that I have a personal connection to and an excitement to explore, and the ability to replicate and share. I’d like to think that personality can unite disparate things if the heart is pure.”

Tice weaves a thread of musical connectivity on his new release, Badlettsville. The EP features two covers, Bob Dylan’s “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven” and Randy Newman’s “Dayton, Ohio – 1903,” as well as the originals “Mean Old World” and the instrumental title track. The four are staples of his live shows, but only now have they been committed to recordings.

“They’re all fundamental to my show and are requested as much as my other songs, but they didn’t have a place on either the last record or the next one, so they belonged in Badlettsville,” he says. “They fit together sonically as well. As soon as we got those four things down, I was like, ‘This is something.’”

Ever busy, Tice isn’t slowing down in 2025, although the emphasis is shifting somewhat. After two hectic years, Hawktail is dialing back a bit on gigging and Tice is devoting time to another solo album. “Hawktail has an EP in the can that will hopefully get out sometime soon,” he says. “We’re doing a few festival gigs but taking a much lighter year. I’m doing some dates in support of [Badlettsville], in addition to festivals with Hawktail. But I’m trying to take a little bit of a step back to focus on making this new record.”

Your website bio begins, “Jordan Tice is a musical seeker of the most dedicated sort.” What does the term “musical seeker” mean to you?

Jordan Tice: I’m always exploring my own interests and creativity, and also exploring the music that I do play, the roots of that. I want to understand myself and everything I do, and everything that came before me, better.

Part of the art of music is communicating to anybody, not particularly musicians. The more you understand about music in general, the more you understand what works and what doesn’t. The more you do it, get out there, and play and make records, the more you understand how things register and land with people – different types of thoughts and sentiments, things like that. Music is the art of sculpting sound within a given amount of time for someone who’s giving you their ear.

How has that manifested itself over the course of your solo albums and Hawktail?

With everything you do, there’s something you want to repeat about it, but there’s also things you want to do differently. I mostly grew up writing instrumental music and Hawktail is entirely instrumental. Long about 2015 or 2016, I started writing songs like crazy, just out of nowhere, and I realized I needed an outlet for that. But the instrumental stuff is still near and dear. Keeping a foot in both doors allows me to scratch this itch and this love for both of these things I do.

Did moving to Nashville have something to do with your songwriting?

I think so. I can’t provide concrete evidence, but the coincidence is too great – the fact that I started writing songs right when I moved to Nashville. So the answer is yes, but I couldn’t tell you exactly how. I also started hanging out with a lot more songwriters. My community was more instrumental-based in Boston and New York, where I lived before, so there’s definitely the influence of some new friends I made upon moving down here.

You’ve been playing guitar since you were 12. Does it sometimes feel the same today as it did then?

Yeah. I actually started taking lessons again, from a classical guitar teacher, just because I have some time off the road this winter. There’s things I wanted to improve and I decided I needed some help. I’m always trying to improve, always listening to things, and even in the music I love, there’s still the same sense of mystery of, “How did they do that?” The breadth of everything you’re aware of and assimilated expands, but at the same time it’s the same old [thing].

What led you to classical training?

We’re not doing classical music per se, I should clarify. But a lot of the things I was hoping to work on were technical-based, and classical guitar has such a codified, rigorous, technical study and a pedagogy related to technique in a way that other genres don’t necessarily have.

I’ve studied a lot of facets of music, but I’m not formally trained by any stretch. I took some jazz guitar lessons here and there, and I studied composition, but in terms of guitar I’ve never had formal technical training. I felt I was up against some roadblocks and walls with my playing and decided I needed the help of an expert, a teacher. This [teacher] came strongly recommended from my friend Chris Eldridge from Punch Brothers, and it’s been rewarding to expand the technical facility side of things.

You played a Preston Thompson Brazilian Rosewood and your main guitar, a Collings, on Badlettsville. Tell us about those guitars.

I was at Laurie Lewis’s house in Berkeley with Brittany [Haas] from Hawktail. We were in town playing and we were helping her move some furniture. She had this Preston Thompson in the corner that she was trying to sell and I was interested. It’s from 2016. She hand-selected the cut of Brazilian rosewood, a beautiful piece of wood, and had them make it with this wood that she had sourced. I absolutely love it. It’s going to be my main touring guitar for my solo stuff coming up.

The Collings is a D1A mahogany dreadnought that I bought in 2014. It’s perfectly balanced. It almost sounds like an old guitar. The overtones are exactly right. I have a relationship with Collings, but I bought this one at The Music Emporium in Boston because I liked it so much. It’s been my main axe for the last ten years. It’s what I play in Hawktail and what I recorded my last solo record on.

I brought both of those guitars to the studio, in addition to this new Yamaha FG Indian rosewood guitar that I’ve been working with them for the last couple years to promote and develop. They’re great guitars, and it was a fun process getting to work with them and help get the word out. They’re really fantastic.

How do your picking styles with Hawktail, on your solo work, and with other artists come together to create your style?

I write a lot of music, so my identity as a writer maybe puts those things in the same world. So I would say that it’s filtered through the same mind, and also the conceit is that it’s my music. Hawktail is collaborative, obviously, but it’s part of the same musical world.

I’ve always looked up to Norman Blake and Doc Watson. Norman Blake does a lot of different things, but you don’t really think about it. He plays fingerstyle, flatpicking, traditional music, writes his own music, but it all makes sense in the context of his world. I’ve always admired that as an archetype for a folk musician. He’s himself first. He’s not a historian. He picks and chooses things that work in his musical world, as opposed to something outside of himself. He’s an artist that happens to combine all these folk music techniques and sources into something that’s his own.

You’re thought of primarily as an acoustic player, but you also play electric guitar. Which ones?

I grew up playing rock and roll, in addition to bluegrass and things like that. My first music was the Allman Brothers. I got together with this guy in my church and he showed me the twin lead thing. We’d learn the two leads and then we’d switch. That music is near and dear to me – Jimi Hendrix, the Allman Brothers. So I’ve always played a little electric too. I think it’s going to work its way into the next album.

My main electric is an American Standard Telecaster that I swapped out some of the pickups and modified a little bit. I put a higher-output Seymour Duncan pickup in the neck position and I made it a four-way switch, so you have the humbucker setting in addition to the normal three settings.

Also I have a Yamaha Revstar Professional that they just sent that I’ve been having fun with as well.

What do acoustic and electric guitar each bring out in your playing?

An electric allows you the opportunity to fill up a room with less effort. You can saturate a room with sounds with less notes, with less physical effort. An acoustic is a parlor instrument. It’s meant to be played in a small room with your head right up against it. As soon as you stop making noises with your hands, the noise goes away. With electric, a lot of times less is much more, and with acoustic, a medium amount is a medium amount.

With this new record, I’m going to do it with drums, so I’ve been messing around with pickups on electrics and … I don’t want to say effects, but ways to expand the breadth of the sound, get a little bit of that electric expanse, but still treating it like it’s an acoustic. That’s been a fun and interesting pursuit.

How does collaborating with other musicians push you musically?

I have a little home studio setup, but I love going to the studio. I love there being, “This is the time that we’re making the record. What happens, happens.” I think that urgency puts you into a superpower mode. Also the camaraderie. There is truly no substitute for live chemistry. AI can try all it wants, but it will never get it. The communication and sound that happens … there’s so much subconscious and physical factors that are changing constantly. You can’t substitute it.

I love the element of not trying to perfect things, of a record being a snapshot in time. Treating it that way helps you bring your A-game because it’s, “I need to be able to do this at any given time.” It makes you focus on delivering a performance, crossing all your T’s and dotting your I’s, so that it’s all there when it’s time to push “play,” or when it’s time to play with other people, or time to get in front of people.

What snapshot does Badlettsville represent?

The tunes weren’t created or arranged with the idea that they’d be on a record, so in some ways it’s like a snapshot of the live show I’ve been doing over the last couple of years. It’s really organic in that regard.

All these arrangements came about from playing live, specifically with Paul Kowert and Patrick M’Gonigle. Patrick’s been playing a lot of shows with me, and Paul is my BFF partner in crime in Hawktail and beyond, so it represents my relationship with those two guys in a big way.

Also my interests, the fact that there’s cover songs by Randy Newman and Bob Dylan. If I had to pick my two favorite songwriters, it would be them. It’s a snapshot in time of the manner in which I’m playing and thinking about music and the people I’m doing it with right now.

Photo Credit: Cameron Knowler

Yamaha’s Groundbreaking Second-Generation TransAcoustic Guitar

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Yamaha Guitars knew they were breaking ground – and raising eyebrows – when they debuted their TransAcoustic Guitar at the 2016 winter NAMM and Musikmesse trade shows. The original TransAcoustic Guitar turned heads immediately, thanks to its innovative technology and, of course, the quality acoustic guitar body and sound that musicians have long associated with the Yamaha name.

Fast-forward eight years and Yamaha has introduced the second-generation TAG3 C, a completely new model offering advanced features and more options. With Bluetooth capability, a built-in looper, a rechargeable battery with a five- to eight-year life, iOS and Android compatibility, and a plethora of controls and effects — reverb, chorus, delay, its TAG Remote app, and more — the TAG3 C is a workhorse, opening new avenues for artistry at all levels. It’s also a beauty, with its dreadnought body, solid Sitka spruce top, and solid mahogany back and sides.

The TAG3 C was designed for guitarists and, in a sense, by guitarists. When the first generation entered the marketplace, Yamaha’s Product Manager, Shingo Ekuni, was hands-on with customer reviews and interviews – what they liked, needed, and ultimately wanted. “We concluded that we needed more capabilities for creative players,” he says, “for the person who is proactively doing their practice at home or creating songs at home.”

This presented the challenge of creating a high-tech yet user-friendly guitar that sparks interest in tech-minded musicians without alienating traditionalists. “From my perspective as a player, and with most of my friends also being musicians, guitar players can be very particular about their sound,” says Yamaha’s Marketing Manager, Brandon Soriano. “They want the level of control. One person might prefer a plate reverb while another prefers a hall. They might want a very specific decay time or tone, and the same thing goes for chorus or delay. At the same time, guitar players don’t want a lot of barriers to actually playing the guitar. They don’t want an overly complicated user interface and experience. The way the TAG3 C is structured, you get all of the control over the specific sounds you want in the app, but when it comes to actually using the guitar, it’s a very simple interface.”

A cursory glance at the TAG3 C might cause one to scoff, “Second-generation guitar, TikTok-generation players.” But – curmudgeons rejoice! – this is not the case. No interest in apps? No worries. “You don’t need internet to use the guitar,” says Soriano. “You don’t have to connect it to Wi-Fi. And it doesn’t require the app to run. Straight out of the box, without downloading the app or anything, you can turn the guitar on, effects will already be dialed in, and you can use all the functionality.

“If you want to use the Bluetooth audio, of course you need to connect your phone or another Bluetooth output device. And if you want to get into the parameters of the effects, like changing from a plate reverb to a hall, that’s where you start using the app. But you can fully use the guitar without using the app.”

“Something really great with this guitar is the quality strictly as an acoustic guitar,” he adds. “It’s built to Yamaha standards, which, as we all know, are very solid, rigorous, and high level. Even if you were to take out all the technology, I would still love it just as an acoustic guitar. I think that’s going to add to people wanting to pick it up.”

“Nowadays, with our mobile devices, the ‘smart’ devices, with tools for guitarists, everybody is using the tuner, the metronome, [from] the very basic stuff to more complex and connected devices,” says Ekuni. “Customers are happy to accept new technology for a new type of product. Parallel with that, the TAG3 C is an authentic acoustic guitar, but the technology can expand the possibility of acoustic guitar playing.”

“We are in a technological age, and it’s all around everybody all the time,” Soriano agrees. “There is a little more open-mindedness to innovation, even in commonly traditional circles like bluegrass, for example. Customers also want to know that their money is well spent and that they can be confident in their purchase from a quality standpoint, durability, sound, playability, all those things. Those are some of the main pillars of Yamaha — delivering the best quality for the money at any price point, from the $400 guitars to the $4,000 guitars.”

This content brought to you in partnership with BGS sponsor Yamaha Guitars. Discover more about Yamaha Guitars and the TAG3 C here.

Photos courtesy of Yamaha Guitars. 

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Julian Taylor, the Grascals, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

We’ve got a fine collection of new tracks, videos, and performances for you this week in our premiere round-up, You Gotta Hear This!

Don’t miss some stellar bluegrass from genre staples – and labelmates – the Grascals, who are celebrating their 20-year anniversary, and Chris Jones & the Night Drivers. The former celebrate their heroes, the Osborne Brothers, with a cover of “Georgia Pineywoods” while the latter get topical while poking fun at doomsday rhetoric on “What If You’re Wrong.”

Jazzy roots duo Winterlark bring us a charming number with a somewhat unlikely subject– emojis. Well, and love gone not-so-right, too. Felled Oak, AKA Brian Carroll, also debuts “Taplines,” a track written while he worked the maple syrup season in Vermont. Singer-songwriter Amy Speace considers the construction of “The American Dream” with a brand new, summery music video and Spooky Mansion performs the title track from his upcoming album, What About You?, live outdoors on the ranch.

Don’t miss Julian Taylor’s debut of a brand new music video for “Pathways,” a song released earlier this week about family, connection, and inter-generational perspective that features the one and only Allison Russell.

To cap it all off, we’ve got an exclusive Yamaha Session from flatpicker Trey Hensley that posted to BGS earlier this week, too. It’s all right here and, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, but You Gotta Hear This!

Felled Oak, “Taplines”

Artist: Felled Oak
Hometown: Corinth, Vermont
Song: “Taplines”
Album: Smoke on the Hillside
Release Date: September 30, 2024

In Their Words: “All of the tunes on this project were birthed from time tapping trees in the sugarbush this past January here in Vermont. In the dead silence of winter, alone in a cluster of skeletal maples hiking uphill, I found myself humming and whistling melodies to keep myself (and the winter birds) company. Some of those melodies stuck and I’d pull out my phone, make a quick voice recording then when I got home transcribe them on the mandolin and octave mandolin.

“‘Taplines’ was a melody that fell beneath my own fingers effortlessly and when I brought it to good friend and musical partner, Mark Burds, a smile crept across his face as we played it together for the first time. All of these tunes were recorded in luthier workshops and small, personal spaces around central Vermont and featuring my closest musical friends. It’s music to be shared and played together, to connect. Intimate, organic, and honest.” – Brian Carroll, Felled Oak

“‘Taplines’ was really fun to put clawhammer on, because it’s one of those simple yet beautiful melodies that falls so nicely on banjo and it’s so satisfying to groove on.” – Mark Burds, banjo

Track Credits:
Brian Carroll – Octave mandolin, mandolin, upright bass, acoustic guitar
Mark Burds – Banjo

The Grascals, “Georgia Pineywoods”

Artist: The Grascals
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Georgia Pineywoods”
Album: 20
Release Date: August 23, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I don’t believe The Grascals would be in existence without The Osborne Brothers. Their heavy impact and influence on us is one of the main reasons we all love bluegrass music so much. ‘Georgia Pineywoods’ is a classic Boudleaux and Felice Bryant song originally recorded by The Osborne Brothers and it just felt very fitting for us to include it on this album celebrating our 20th band anniversary. We will always salute The Osborne Brothers’ music and their continued inspiration to The Grascals!” – Jamie Johnson

Track Credits:
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Danny Roberts – Mandolin
Jamie Johnson – Guitar, lead vocals
Terry Smith – Bass, baritone vocals
John Bryan – Guitar, tenor vocals
Jamie Harper – Fiddle, vocals

Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, “What If You’re Wrong”

Artist: Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “What If You’re Wrong”
Release Date: August 23, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “Jon Weisberger and I co-wrote the song as a conversation with a conspiracy theorist. It’s meant to be a light-hearted look at the subject – I’m pretty sure it’s the first bluegrass song to mention chem trails! – but it does ask a serious question: When something earth-shaking is predicted, whether it’s the end of the world, a change of government, or just the results of a major ballgame, what do you do when it doesn’t happen? Do you question your sources or double down? We have so much of this in the era of social media and different realities we live with, it seemed pretty timely, and we had fun with it.” – Chris Jones

Amy Speace, “The American Dream”

Artist: Amy Speace
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The American Dream”
Album: The American Dream
Release Date: October 18, 2024
Label: Wind Bone Records

In Their Words: “I’ve worked with Neilson Hubbard and Joshua Britt (their production company is Neighborhoods Apart) on a bunch of videos, so I trusted them to get the vibe of the song. Also, Neilson produced the record and Josh played on it, so I knew they got it. We all wanted to capture that feeling of the freedom of the end of summer. I grew up mostly in a small town with rural countryside all around it and we’d take long drives through the cornfields as the sun set. We shot this on a country drive and an abandoned cabin (also used in the album art) near Franklin, Tennessee. The appearance of the tractor and the train are coincidences.” – Amy Speace

Video Credit: Neighborhoods Apart, Neilson Hubbard and Joshua Britt

Spooky Mansion, “What About You?”

Artist: Spooky Mansion
Hometown: San Francisco, California / Bay Area
Song: “What About You?”
Album: What About You?
Release Date: August 22, 2024 (song); October 31, 2024 (album)

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘What About You?’ with the intention of painting a picture of my life through different stories. The places I’ve been and the people I come from have all made me who I am. In those early days of a relationship, when you’re getting to know someone, there are certain memories that you retell to explain who you are.

“The verses are meant to be quiet, subdued, and more introspective as I try to describe myself. The chorus is bigger and joyful as I turn the attention to the person I’m talking to. In all my experiences, ‘I didn’t even know that I was looking for you.’ It culminates in a repeated anthem at the end as a reminder that despite what you’ve already lived through, there is more in life that will keep changing you and continuously creating you into the person you are. In this case, it was a beautiful woman I’d recently met who is now my wife and love of my life.” – Grayson Converse, Spooky Mansion

Video Credit: Directed by Jacob Butler.

Julian Taylor, “Pathways” (Featuring Allison Russell)

Artist: Julian Taylor
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Pathways”
Album: Pathways
Release Date: August 21, 2024 (song); September 27, 2024 (album)
Label: Howling Turtle Inc.

In Their Words: “I remember sitting in my living room when the melody and chord patterns just came to me. Often, when I sit down to write music, it’s the first thing that I start playing that sticks, because it’s raw and honest. I worked the progression in several different ways. First on the acoustic guitar and then on the piano. I still have probably upwards of seven or eight takes of it somewhere on my voice notes. Some were quite punk sounding, while others were quite folk sounding. Ultimately, the sound of the melody and progression in 6/8 time seemed to have the most impact on me.

“This song became a lyrical collaboration between two friends of mine that are also neighbors. I was invited to hang out and write with my pals Robert Priest and Rosanne Baker Thornley, who has a studio down the road from me. When I arrived, I showed them what I had been working on and they loved it. We ultimately wanted to write a hopeful song that spoke to our next of kin, and since we all have children who are the most important people in the world to us, we followed that inspiration. I performed with my friend Allison Russell at the Juno Awards this year and asked her if should be interested in collaborating on the song seeing as she is a mother as well and I am so honored that she said yes and brought yet another magical spark to our creation.” – Julian Taylor

Track Credits:
Julian Taylor – Vocal, guitar
Allison Russell – Duet vocal
Colin Linden – Electric Dobro, mandotar, bass, harmony vocal
Gary Craig – Drums, percussion
Jim Hoke – Saxophones
Janice Powers – B3 organ

Winterlark, “Ending With Heart Heart Heart”

Artist: Winterlark
Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
Song: “Ending With Heart Heart Heart”
Album: Sing To Me About Tomorrow (EP)
Release Date: August 23, 2024 (song); September 20, 2024 (EP)
Label: Squink Records

In Their Words: “It seemed that the world was ready for a song about the insidiousness of emojis, so I tried to write a modern-day song about a poorly communicated break-up, like the one in Elvis Presley’s rock-n-roll classic ‘Return to Sender.’ One of the keys to the song is the pairing of the sad lyrics with the happy, infectious beat driven by Kristin and drummer Chris Haskett. They make everything swing.” – Sweeney Schragg

“When Sweeney shared the core idea of this song, I do believe I laughed – uncomfortably. Aren’t we all guilty of throwing emojis at people instead of real words? Sweeney left six spots open for bass fills, a better gift than a box of black licorice (my favorite).” – Kristin Olson

Track Credits:
Sweeney Schragg – Guitar, vocals
Kristin Olson – Upright bass, vocals
Chris Haskett – Drums

Yamaha Sessions: Trey Hensley, “Hold What You Got”

On a sunny Sunday afternoon just outside of Nashville, Tennessee earlier this summer, BGS linked up with award-winning guitarist, songwriter, and jaw-dropping flatpicker Trey Hensley to kick off a new series of Yamaha Sessions. Hensley, a GRAMMY nominee and the reigning IBMA Guitar Player of the year, pulled his custom Yamaha FG9 R out of its road case to shred through a cover of a classic Jimmy Martin number, “Hold What You Got.”

Hensley is a picture perfect modern demonstration of how bluegrass trailblazers, like Martin, blurred the lines between country, old-time, bluegrass, and beyond. His voice reminds of honeyed country singers like Randy Travis, while his blisteringly quick picking and remarkable articulation are built on Tony Rice and Clarence White building blocks – but simultaneously, those techniques are as forward-looking and contemporary as his peers, Billy Strings, Jake Workman, and others. Hensley pulls limitless tone and warmness from his Yamaha FG9 R, even while approaching the song with near-aggression, ripping through acrobatic triplet licks and leaning into ugly delicious chromaticism in every solo.

More here.

Photo Credit: Julian Taylor by Robert Georgeff; the Grascals by Laci Mack.

See the Full Winners List from the 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The unofficial theme of the “Biggest Night in Bluegrass” – the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, held tonight at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina – was “Bluegrass Prom,” the colloquial and affectionate nickname given to the awards ceremony by its attendees, honorees, and nominees.

Hosted by Molly Tuttle, who took home three trophies, and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, the three-hour production featured a performance by Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductee Sam Bush, songs from each of the night’s Entertainer of the Year nominees – including Sister Sadie paying tribute to Wilma Lee Cooper, another Hall of Fame inductee – touching remembrances of bluegrass forebears Bobby Osborne and Jesse McReynolds, and culminated with Secor, Tuttle and her band Golden Highway, Del McCoury Band, and more leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of “Wagon Wheel.”

In the instrumentalist categories, there were notable first-time wins in two categories, Trey Hensley taking home Guitar Player of the Year – in a field that included both Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings – and Vickie Vaughn, of Della Mae, High Fidelity, and more, receiving the Bass Player of the Year trophy. Kristin Scott Benson took home her sixth Banjo Player of the Year Award, Greg Blake of Special Consensus won his first IBMA award for Male Vocalist of the Year, and the night’s final and most prestigious recognition, Entertainer of the Year, went to Billy Strings, a well-deserved third consecutive win in the category.

See the full list of winners (in bold) from tonight’s IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, presented by our friends at Yamaha, below:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR:

Appalachian Road Show
Billy Strings
Del McCoury Band
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:

Authentic Unlimited
Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Del McCoury Band
Sister Sadie

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:

Billy Strings
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
The Infamous Stringdusters
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
The Travelin’ McCourys

SONG OF THE YEAR:

“Blue Ridge Mountain Baby”
Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Songwriters: Barry Abernathy/Jim VanCleve
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Appalachian Road Show

“Crooked Tree”
Artist: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Songwriters: Molly Tuttle/Melody Walker
Label: Nonesuch Records
Producers: Jerry Douglas and Molly Tuttle

“Diane”
Artist: Sister Sadie
Songwriters: Jeffrey Nath Bhasker/Samuel Tyler Johnson/Cameron Marvel Ochs
Label: Mountain Home
Producer: Sister Sadie

“Heyday”
Artist: Lonesome River Band
Songwriters: Barry Huchens/Will Huchens
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
Producer: Lonesome River Band

“Power of Love”
Artist: Rick Faris
Songwriters: Johnny Colla/Huey Lewis/Christopher Hayes
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
Producer: Stephen Mougin

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

Crooked Tree
Artist: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Label: Nonesuch Records
Producer: Jerry Douglas and Molly Tuttle

Lovin’ of the Game
Artist: Michael Cleveland
Label: Compass Records
Producers: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

Lowdown Hoedown
Artist: Jason Carter
Label: Fiddle Man Records
Producers: Jason Carter and Brent Truitt

Me/And/Dad
Artist: Billy Strings and Terry Barber
Label: Rounder Records
Producers: Billy Strings and Gary Paczosa

Radio John: The Songs of John Hartford
Artist: Sam Bush
Label: Smithsonian Folkways
Producer: Sam Bush

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR:

“The Glory Road”
Artist: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Songwriters: Paul Martin/Harry Stinson/Marty Stuart
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Joe Mullins and Adam McIntosh

“Jordan”
Artist: Darin & Brooke Aldridge with Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney and Mark Fain
Songwriter: Fred Rich
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Darin Aldridge and Mark Fain

“The Scarlet Red Lines”
Artist: Larry Sparks
Songwriter: Daniel Crabtree
Label: Rebel Records
Producer: Larry Sparks

“Take a Little Time for Jesus”
Artist: Junior Sisk
Songwriter: David Marshall
Label: Mountain Fever Records
Producers: Junior Sisk and Aaron Ramsey

“Tell Me the Story of Jesus”
Artist: Becky Buller with Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs
Songwriter: Fanny Crosby, arrangement by Becky Buller
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
Producer: Stephen Mougin

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR:

“Contact”
Artist: Michael Cleveland with Cody Kilby, Barry Bales, and Béla Fleck
Songwriter: Michael Cleveland
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

“Foggy Morning Breaking”
Artist: Alison Brown with Steve Martin
Songwriters: Alison Brown/Steve Martin
Label: Compass Records
Producers: Alison Brown and Garry West

“Gold Rush”
Artist: Scott Vestal’s Bluegrass 2022
Songwriter: Bill Monroe
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Scott Vestal

“Kissimmee Kid”
Artist: Jason Carter
Songwriter: Vassar Clements
Label: Fiddle Man Records
Producers: Jason Carter and Brent Truitt

“Scorchin’ the Gravy”
Artist: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Songwriter: Frank Solivan
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Frank Solivan

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR:

Authentic Unlimited
East Nash Grass
Henhouse Prowlers
The Tennessee Bluegrass Band
Tray Wellington

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR:

“Alberta Bound”
Artist: Special Consensus with Ray Legere, John Reischman, Tisha Gagnon, Claire Lynch, Pharis & Jason Romero, Patrick Sauber
Songwriter: Gordon Lightfoot
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Alison Brown

“Big Mon”
Artist: Andy Leftwich with Sierra Hull
Songwriter: Bill Monroe
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
Producer: Andy Leftwich

“Foggy Morning Breaking”
Artist: Alison Brown with Steve Martin
Songwriter: Alison Brown/Steve Martin
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Alison Brown and Garry West

“For Your Love”
Artist: Michael Cleveland with Billy Strings and Jeff White
Songwriter: Joe Ely
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

“From My Mountain (Calling You)”
Artist: Peter Rowan with Molly Tuttle and Lindsay Lou
Songwriter: Peter Rowan
Label: Rebel Records
Producer: Peter Rowan

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:

Greg Blake
Del McCoury
Danny Paisley
Larry Sparks
Dan Tyminski

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:

Brooke Aldridge
Dale Ann Bradley
Jaelee Roberts
Molly Tuttle
Rhonda Vincent

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Kristin Scott Benson
Alison Brown
Béla Fleck
Ned Luberecki
Scott Vestal

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Mike Bub
Todd Phillips
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz
Vickie Vaughn

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Deanie Richardson

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Rob Ickes
Matt Leadbetter
Justin Moses

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Chris Eldridge
Trey Hensley
Billy Strings
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Alan Bibey
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury

Photo Credit: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway by Chelsea Rochelle

Guitar Masters Jordan Tice and Jake Eddy Take Their New Yamaha FG9s For a Spin in Our Sitch Sessions

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

On a cool and cloudy day in December, guitarists Jake Eddy and Jordan Tice (Hawktail) rolled into a converted garage on the east side of Los Angeles. The two artists had not spent much time together before (though you’d hardly know it based on their easy banter and musical ease around each other) but were brought to California by Yamaha Guitars to test out their brand new Japan-made FG9 model acoustics.

Check out our two brand new Sitch Sessions with Jake and Jordan and discover more about Yamaha’s just-released FG9 model at YamahaGuitars.com.

Acoustic Guitarist (And Instagram Star) Jake Eddy Is Still Mesmerized by Music

Posted on by Editor

Jake Eddy is among a new generation of bluegrass musicians who are making a name for themselves on social media. Jake’s videos on Instagram and other platforms garner thousands of likes and even more views thanks to his technical skill, wit, and charisma. But Jake is not a mere internet sensation. His bluegrass roots run deep through his family in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where he grew up playing with local traditional music legends. While touring with the Becky Buller Band, he made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage, which led to Jake and his brother Carter accompanying bluegrass/jazz/klezmer mandolin legend Andy Statman on the Opry. Jake stays busy with a full teaching schedule in addition to his time on the road with Andy, his own band, or as a solo act. BGS caught up with Jake to learn more about his early interest in bluegrass, his experiences in music school, and his upcoming Yamaha custom guitar.

How did you get into playing music?

Eddy: My grandpa was a picker, and my mom played, and I had two cousins that fiddled on the Opry back in the ‘70s on my dad’s side. So it was just kind of the usual thing for bluegrass people from my region. I was just surrounded by pickers and wanted to be one.

 

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When did you start on the guitar?

Banjo was really my very first when I was a kid. I started working on guitar simultaneously. Because of the technique, or maybe the lack of technique, being taught by old-timers around here, playing the banjo became uncomfortable and a little bit painful, and I could feel like it just wasn’t the best fit for me in the long term. I still do play banjo on some sessions and stuff like that, but as far as touring, playing banjo, it’s not in the cards for me. I prefer to play guitar anyway, so it’s okay.

When did you decide to make a career out of music? Or did it just sort of happen?

Yeah, it was pretty natural. I did the family band thing a little bit when I was real young. And then I got a call to go play banjo for Melvin Goins when I was in middle school. That experience was awesome, like going to bluegrass school. It was really crazy and had some great and terrible things both going on. But it was really cool because my parents let me go on the road under the condition that I would bring an adult with me at all times. They had played music so they were hip to what it can be like on the road. The deal ended up being that my grandpa would chaperone me on the road. So he came with me, and on the first show, Melvin had this blowout with the bass player, and the bass player quit. And I tell Melvin, like, “Hey, my grandpa is a bass player.” And he filled in on one show with us and got offered the gig. So we actually were both in the band for two years together. It’s a great memory, and it grew me up really fast, but it was cool.

That’s a great story. It’s hard to explain to other people what that experience is like as a kid. All the good and bad and how much you learn.

You can imagine. You know, those old-timers. It’s a different lifestyle.

How long did you play with Melvin?

I think it was two years. I think I got hired when I was 14. I think I was in 7th or 8th grade and probably quit when I was in the 10th grade or something like that.

Did you end up going to music school?

Yeah, I did music school for a little bit, and I was a horrible student. The usual, playing a bunch and giggling a bunch, but not going to class a whole lot, and just decided that it seems silly to me that a lot of the really great players I knew at music school were not doing very well at school. And a lot of the so-so players were passing with flying colors. So it just started to seem silly.

It’s definitely funny to go to school to theoretically get a job that you already have.

Yeah, man, that was the thing. They would get on me about attendance, and I would be like, I’m playing gigs. And I get it that you can’t bend the rules but I figured it wasn’t a fit for me.

 

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Where were you going?

I was going to Ohio University in Athens. It’s this little, cool, artsy, open-minded kind of bubble in Ohio. And OU Music School, in my eyes, was a place for a lot of your local music educator-type people, but it also had this population of disgraced jazz players from CCM, which is a bigger school in Cincinnati. So there were some good players floating around, but just a weird scene.

Were you studying jazz then?

Technically the degree was Guitar Performance, maybe? Or guitar something. But yeah, I was in the jazz track, so all my ensembles and all my instructors were jazz players, and I had played that music a bit before. I learned things in music school, but if given the opportunity again, I don’t know if I would have gone that way.

You’re playing with Andy Statman now, right?

Yeah, a bunch. Man, it’s cool. I assume you’re hip to Andy’s playing because, like, all the mandolin nerds love him. He’s the coolest. I hired him to cut a couple of tracks that I wrote, and we ended up really hitting it off and we hung out some and decided to do a couple of one-off shows. And it just snowballed into doing some tours. Andy is Orthodox Jewish, so he doesn’t work weekends, so our touring is limited in some ways. But we’ve gotten to play quite a bit and we’re about to go out again in the spring, it’s looking like, and we got a record coming out on his label, so, yeah, some things happening there for sure.

What’s the material you play like?

Andy’s a huge Monroe buff, so there’s a lot of nights where we’re playing things like “Evening Prayer Blues” or “Tombstone Junction” and all these Monroe tunes, but they can quickly take a musical turn and he’s a pretty deep musician. It’s definitely traditional material, but it’s through the lens of a pretty free approach, I think is the way I’d put it.

What was your practice regiment growing up? How do you think you got so technically good?

I’m sure in a lot of ways my brain is totally broken and that’s why this has worked out for me. I think a lot of musicians are that way. I think if I was completely normal, I’d probably just like music in a hobbyist, healthy way. When I was a kid, I hesitate to put a number on it, but I’d say when I was really into soaking up everything, I was probably playing eight or 10 hours a day. That’s before school, after school. I would try to skip a class here and there to play, or I would skip lunch or I would fake sick at a gym and go get the guitar. I was always working an angle to be playing more. And then after school, playing until bedtime and playing gigs with the family band on the weekend.

It was an extreme focus on picking. I think I was lucky just being exposed to music a bunch. I worked really hard at it, but my parents made it seem cool and made it seem accessible. And I think that plays a pretty big part as well, right? There are still some days where I’ll go in my studio for eight or 10 hours with the metronome on full blast just going crazy in there. And then when it’s done, you feel totally drained. I feel like my brain is melted. That’s not how I tell my students to practice. I tell them to do something that’s manageable and that’s part of their normal routine. But I’m certainly not following that advice.

 

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I’ve always felt like if somebody wants to get that good, they’re going to do that regardless of what tools they have. You can’t really convince someone to be that obsessed with it.

Yeah, man, I think so. It’s a blessing and a curse kind of thing. But I still feel a ton of amazement and wonder by the guitar and by music. And that’s the secret thing you can’t teach anyone. I still think music is so mesmerizing and just so damn cool.

You’ve been working with the Yamaha custom shop on a guitar. Can you tell me about that?

Yeah, I don’t have it in my possession yet, but I have a prototype that’s really good. I played some of their prototypes at the Fretboard Journal Summit in Chicago last year. I thought it was a good guitar and one of the better ones I played there that weekend, which was really surprising because Yamaha doesn’t historically have a huge reputation in the bluegrass world. So they called me and sent one and then they had me come down and play at IBMA. It’s just one of those luck things. Bumped into the right guys and it kind of snowballed. I went out with Jordan Tice and filmed some promo stuff for a new model and demoed the guitars. I think my custom’s going to be done any day now. They’re cool, man. And they’re not cheap guitars — these are nicer models. They’re not trying to be old-sounding guitars by any means. It’s modernly voiced and it’s cool.

 

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When you say these guitars are “modernly voiced,” what did you mean by that?

In one sense it sounds new. It doesn’t sound particularly dry and woody like an old guitar might, but it’s really slick and it’s loud and it’s balanced. It’s great up the neck. It has a little more sustain than something like my old D-18. Talking about guitars is kind of like talking about wine tasting or something. It’s hard to explain.

Yeah. I always find the word choice very funny and completely arbitrary.

It means nothing but you can hear the differences when you play them. They’re really fast. When you play the note, it’s right there. It has good attack. It’s super-even and balanced. Those are the main kinds of things I like out of my D-18. But it’s a different voice. I think when the demos and stuff come out, it’ll make more sense when people can hear it.

What did you go for in your custom model? I feel like people are always really specific with custom instruments and I have no idea what I would ask for on something like that.

Yeah, I went with things that I knew were good. I think a lot of people, when they get a custom build, they have the tendency to try to be cutting-edge or to be a smarty-pants about it and be like, “Oh, I want this certain type of wood from this certain type of tree with the grain like this.” I just went for a mahogany guitar, spruce top. It’s really simple and lightweight. I think you can get carried away wanting a special guitar more than you want a good guitar. There’s no inlay on it. And I really pushed them for a double pick guard. I don’t know if they’re going to go for it because a lot of the aesthetic stuff is controlled by the guys in Japan. But fingers crossed. I’m excited to get it in my hands. If it’s anything like the prototypes, it’s going to be pretty sweet.

Photo Credit: Madison Thorn

Rising Bluegrass Artists Hear Something Special in Yamaha Custom FG Guitars

Posted on by Editor

Bluegrass music is based in tradition, yet every guitarist brings their own touch to the genre. Among a new generation of acoustic musicians, Yamaha Custom FG guitars have become a welcome addition on stage and in the studio. From the design to the tone to the overall feel, Yamaha Custom FG guitars bring out the best in these players, who have been making their mark in bluegrass music. Within mere moments, they have noticed the attention to detail and craftsmanship of Yamaha’s Senior Acoustic Guitar Builder Andrew Enns and his team.

Fred Kosak of Stillhouse Junkies plays a custom Yamaha FG made to complement his musical approach in a variety of settings. Hailing from Durango, Colorado, the band won an IBMA Momentum Award for Band of the Year in 2021, and they have continued to build their fan base through touring, especially in Colorado and Utah.

“I’ve long believed in the power of the connection between instrument and player,” Kosak says, “and that’s why I’ve worked with custom builders over the years to imagine and build instruments that suit my individual attack, style, and taste and with which I feel an immediate bond. My custom Yamaha FG is no exception: from the first strum I knew that Andrew Enns had created something special. He captured a sonic signature and vibe that I could take on stage with me in any situation knowing it would respond exactly the way I wanted it to. Yamaha has taken a ground-up approach to design and rolling out this new line of acoustics that I think is very player-centric and unique for a larger manufacturer, and the results are easy to see in every instrument they’ve produced.”

West Virginia musician Jake Eddy, a 2022 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year nominee, has played music professionally since he was a teenager. In addition to touring in bluegrass songwriter/fiddler Becky Buller’s band, he’s recorded an album of fiddle tunes on guitar. He played his new Yamaha custom FG prototype at the Fretboard Summit.

“The new guitars being built by Andrew Enns at Yamaha are great!” Eddy says. “My old D-18 will always be a part of my life, but this guitar has really squeezed its way into my musical world. It feels and sounds how a mahogany guitar should. Lightweight, and fast!”

Theo MacMillan had his heart set on acoustic music from an early age, playing in churches and local talent shows as a kid. He surrounded himself with bluegrass as a college student in Kentucky before moving to Nashville after graduation. The versatile musician (who also plays fiddle) presents his original music through performing as a solo singer-songwriter as well as singing with his younger sister in the Theo & Brenna Band. He says he’s been pleased with his Yamaha Custom FG for a variety of reasons.

“Since I got the FG from Yamaha, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how great it sounds plugged in. This is a new experience for me (playing live with the pickup) and it has significantly affected my live performances. I’m a big fan of the tone that the FG is capable of even when it’s plugged in. Andrew and I talked about giving it extra low and high end (more of a scooped eq) — the result was a guitar very capable of acoustic lead and bass-y rhythm. I’m finding it to be my guitar of choice if I’m playing duo shows or solo for a songwriter round, although it definitely holds its own for pure bluegrass rhythm playing. In addition to the sound, the guitar is absolutely gorgeous. I get comments on its aesthetic all the time.”

 

 

 

Jordan Tice is a member of progressive bluegrass band Hawktail and also performs with Yola. His fifth album as a solo artist, Motivational Speakeasy, puts his voice and his guitar front and center. Based in Nashville, Tice is eagerly awaiting his Yamaha custom FG to be completed and delivered.

“I really enjoyed playing that new Yamaha FS model with mahogany back and sides for my Fretboard Summit show in Chicago,” Tice says. “It had the features I love from old Yamahas combined with high quality materials and modern boutique craftsmanship. It had quite a nice range but remained balanced and focused and I was also impressed with the depth of the tone — a good amount of low end without feeling muddy, tubby or unclear. It plays very nicely too — love the feel of the neck and it had a very nice string tension. A lot of great music has been made on Yamaha guitars over the years and hearing them take these styles to the next level is really cool. I would play that guitar all the time both live and at home if I had it.”

As a singer-songwriter, Isaac Horn from The Arcadian Wild believes that a guitar’s rosewood back and sides can “hug the voice and create this really wide, open area that you can sing into.” Upon first seeing the prototype of his own Yamaha custom FG, Horn noticed a design on the fret overlays that he had never seen before. He also admired the beauty and elegance of the rosette, the purfling, and even the pickguard. The Adirondack top of the guitar was also shaved down to allow for the quiet playing that Horn sometimes prefers.

“It was really reassuring because I knew that Andrew and the team were making choices that were really creative and intentional,” he says in a video interview about the guitar. “My expectations have been exceeded for sure.”

Editor’s Note: Read our Q&A with Senior Acoustic Guitar Builder Andrew Enns and see how Yamaha Guitars have guided numerous well-known musicians to their signature sound.

WATCH: Jackson+Sellers, “Hush” (Yamaha x BGS Artist Sessions)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jackson+Sellers (Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers)
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA and Nashville, TN
Song: “Hush”
Album: Breaking Point
Release Date: October 22, 2021
Label: ANTI-

In Their Words: “I really loved [Aubrie Sellers’] voice and asked if she’d be interested in doing a co-write / duet. I wasn’t expecting a response but moments after I sent the message she responded with she’d love to. I knew the song would benefit from heavy female vocal harmonies, but working with Aubrie was such a boost. Collaborating with someone who’s so energetically strong, it gives you even more creativity and license to explore.” — Jade Jackson

Editor’s note: Watch more of our Yamaha x BGS Artist Sessions here.

BGS, Yamaha Partner on SXSW Official Showcase

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

BGS is thrilled to partner once again with our friends at Yamaha to bring you the Yamaha Guitars x BGS SXSW Official Showcase. While this year’s music festival may look a little different than the standard event, the essence is still the same: bringing together an international community of artists and music professionals for a unique celebration, discussion, and exploration of music.

Hosted by actress and Harmonics podcast host Beth Behrs, this hour-long virtual performance features mini-sets from four artists we can’t wait to hear more from in 2021, including:

• Jade Jackson & Aubrie Sellers
• Aaron Lee Tasjan
• Katie Cole

The Yamaha Guitars x BGS showcase premieres for all SXSW virtual attendees on Saturday, March 20 at 4p PT / 6p CT and will be available to re-watch for one week.

Clips from each artist’s performance will be released via the BGS website at a later date!

To register for SXSW, visit SXSW.com

Discover more about YamahaGuitars at YamahaGuitars.com