High Lonesome Strings Monthly Meeting

Sunday,  September 17, 2017 @ 2:30pm

Bluegrass Day

Piedmont Triad Farmers Market

2914 Sandy Ridge Road

Colfax, NC 

Exit #208 on I-40

 

Bring your instruments for some jamming after the show!

 

Featuring:

Megan White and Gate City

Hailing from North Carolina to Upstate New York, Gate City Bluegrass brings a fresh, diverse sound, while keeping their roots firmly set in tradition. Lead by vocalist Megan White, the group is passionate about bluegrass music and has a deep love for the community which surrounds it.

Band members include Megan White, vocals; Bailey Coe, guitar and vocals; Doug Young, mandolin and vocals; Joe Hannabach, bass; Tyler Jackson, banjo; and Alex McKinney, dobro.

 

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High Lonesome Strings Monthly Meeting

Sunday,  August 27, 2017 @ 2:30pm

Stonefield Cellars Winery
8220 NC Hwy 68 N
Stokesdale NC

Bring instrument for jam sessions

Featuring:

Never Too Late

David Dickerson has been playing mandolin for 40+ years, starting in the late ’70s originally with the Falling Creek Boys. Over the past 30 years, he has played various styles of music with different groups but always included Bluegrass as part of the repertoire. He began playing with Never Too Late in May 2014.

From Brent Fain: Around 1997, my daughter wanted a guitar and I bought two, one for her and one for me.  Her musical goals changed and mine flourished as I learned country and folk songs.  I then accidentally found Bluegrass Music through a friend and a jam session in Mebane, North Carolina.  With the mandolin, banjo, bass, guitars, and high tenors filling the air, I fell in love with the sound and had to have more.  At a local music store, I found a flyer on High Lonesome Strings and attended a meeting and immediately joined on March 19, 1998.  The club was wise enough to have slow jam sessions and the patriarch of the session was J.V. Weadon.  I enjoyed learning from him and his wife, Rheba, and soon joined their band, The Brown Summit Hilltoppers. After many session and gigs, I learned a great deal from them and they are among my very best friends.  I began working on a small jam session in my neighborhood and after a couple of years it finally started at Kent Huffman’s home in Oak Ridge, North Carolina.  From that jam session, Never Too Late Bluegrass Band was formed in October 2001 with a guitar, a mandolin, a banjo, and a doghouse bass.  I have learned to be a rhythm guitar player and a lead and harmony singer with a great group of musicians who have decades of musical experience.  We have gone through a few variations of the band but still have three of the original members.  We have played the “Rex” multiple times, Bluegrass Festivals, Political Fund Raisers, for the National Park Service, a one hour TV show for Winston-Salem, The Dixie Classic Fair commercial for two years, pig pickins, barn raising, fiddler’s conventions, and the list goes on.  We are scattered many miles apart, but manage to perform several times a year.  It is a honor to share our music.

From Bruce Hill: I began playing the “five-string” banjo in the middle 1970’s, first with a group called the Bluegrass Construction Company in the Halifax , Virginia area. After moving to Greensboro in 1980, I joined The Southern Comfort Band as their banjo player, singing lead and harmony vocals. Southern Comfort was an established group formed in 1969. We did some traveling and recorded an album in 1984. I played very little from 1985 to 1996 due to time required in the family business. Late in 1996 I began a renewed desire to play the banjo again and performed with numerous local groups.

In 2001, The Never Too Late Bluegrass Band, a local band from the Greensboro, NC area, was formed with me as an original member, We recorded two CD’s and were invited to perform a one hour public television show for a local station in Winston Salem, NC. Our four member band continues to play together, performing at numerous bluegrass festivals and private parties in and around NC.

Upon retiring to Florida, I joined The Manatee River Bluegrass Band, playing banjo and singing with them for the past seven years. Our annual performances include the Manatee County Fair, the Cortez Seafood Festival and the Arcadia Rodeo. In 2006, I was a part of forming The Second Chance Bluegrass Band and we recorded a CD in 2009.

From an educational standpoint, I have attended many bluegrass camps such as-Nashcamp, Steve Kaufman’s camp, Pete Wernick’s camp, the bluegrass camp at Augusta Heritage Workshops in Elkins, WV and the Mars Hill College bluegrass camp in Mars Hill, NC.. I taught the banjo camp for the Central Florida BG Assoc in 2010 and 2011, the banjo camp at John C. Campbell Folk School in 2011. and  the bluegrass banjo class at the Blowing Rock music camp in 2010 and 2011. Currently, I play a 1935 Gibson TB3, a 1931 Gibson Granada and a 1978 Stelling Golden Cross.

Kent Huffman began his bassist experience with a band called the Ascots in 1962, and played with several “combos” over the following 10 years. In 1972, he teamed with Mike Ellington, later of Missouri Hogshead fame, and played folk and bluegrass. After a brief respite, he was coerced to put the electric bass aside in 2002, when Never Too Late was formed. Still pickin’!

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High Lonesome Strings Monthly Meeting

Sunday, July 24, 2016 at 2:30 PM

Stonefield Cellars Winery

8220 NC Hwy 68 N

Stokesdale NC

Featuring:

Carolina Breeze

Carolina Breeze was formed in late 1970. Through the years the band has had many talented musicians.  The band’s primary style of music has always been modern bluegrass influenced by too many legendary professionals to be named.  However, there always seems to be room for other styles such as gospel, western swing, and country.

The current band members are:  Bob Hooven on the guitar and providing strong lead vocals.  Randy Pitts on the banjo, singing lead, and high lonesome harmony vocals.  Frank Bounds on the mandolin, playing powerful breaks, and instrumentals.  Keith Dunn playing tasteful breaks on the fiddle, also sings lead, and harmony vocals.  Keith Carroll playing the upright bass with feeling and precision.

The members share a common love of a wide variety of acoustic music and have many years of combined musical experience.

 

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High Lonesome Strings Monthly Meeting

Sunday, June 25, 2017 at 2:30 PM

At the Clyde Davis Memorial Stage

Hagan-Stone Park
5920 Hagan-Stone Park Road
Pleasant Garden NC 27313

Presenting our special guest:

Mason Via

Mason Via is a talented young musician/singer/songwriter out of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC, who is on his rise to stardom. Originally from Danbury, NC, Mason has been playing acoustic guitar since the age of 12. Mason grew up going to fiddlers conventions and festivals, being taught by his father, notable bluegrass musician David Via. Also being taught by accomplished musicians Rex McGee, Ryan Cavanaugh, and Clay Jones. In May of 2015 Mason released his first studio album, “Up, Up, Up”, which contains 11 original compositions. Mason recorded this CD at the studio of one of Ben Fold’s past touring guitarists, Britt Uzzell. Mason’s lyrics are considered by many to be the driving force behind his band’s music, and his vocals back up the deep emotion that his lyrics possess. You can find Mason touring solo, with his father (David Via), with the Mason Via Band (Funk/Americana), or with his bluegrass side projects (WWC BG Band, Hot Trail Mix, Mason Via & Joe Troop) Mason has placed in contests and picked up ribbons for vocals, guitar, or mandolin from conventions like: Mt Airy Fiddlers Convention, Elk Creek Fiddlers Convention, Fries Fiddlers Convention, Union Grove Fiddlers Convention, Shakori Hills, Loudoun Bluegrass festival, etc. The talented young man has been featured on several college radio shows across NC, featured on UNC-TV, and has been featured on Life in the Carolinas. Notable past venues include: Floydfest, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, Richmond Folk Festival, Roosterwalk, Watermelon Park Fest, etc…The Mason Via Band have shared lineups with bands such as Loretta Lynn, David Grisman, Sam Bush, Yonder Mountain String Band, Nahko & The Medicine for the People, Pokey Lafarge, Tim Obrien & Darrell Scott, The Wood Brothers, etc.

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Pickin’ in the Park 2017 FREE Bluegrass Music Festival

Saturday,  May 13, 2017 – 10AM – 6PM

Hagan-Stone Park

5920 Hagan-Stone Park Road

Pleasant Garden NC 27313

High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Association presents the 20th Annual Pickin’ in the Park Bluegrass Music Festival at the Clyde Davis Memorial Stage in Hagan-Stone Park. There is no charge to attend and the public is invited to bring a chair or picnic blanket and come share with us a day of music. Please visit the Picking in the Park page for more details. This year’s headliner is the nationally known bluegrass group, Sideline:

Steve Dilling plays like he was born and raised in a crib where only Earl Scruggs and Tony Rice played on the twirling mobile above him. In love with the banjo at 10, playing by 12, starting The Bass Mountain Boys, then on to the Lonesome River Band, Steve’s career has had a solid, steady trajectory of success and respect. Of course we have to talk about his 20 plus years with Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out. You know that Steve Dilling’s Carolina-awesome banjo playing and hilarious emcee work is one of the main reasons you always go see them when they’re in town. IIIrd Tyme Out has certainly brought his talent to the forefront of the bluegrass community. But his work with Sideline allows Steve to show audiences that he’s the real deal in any setting.

Jason Moore is a long time veteran of the Bluegrass and Americana scene. He first started working in bluegrass with the legendary James King in 1993 and was there through 1999. While there he was on the award winning “Bed By The Window” project and several other King projects. Also during this time he was asked to be on two Michael Cleveland projects along with Mountain Heart. Jason was with the MH group until July of 2014. While in the group, they went from top notch Bluegrass band to Americana band, all the while, recording six band projects and numerous other projects as a session player. Jason was asked to help on such projects as “A Tribute to the King of Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin”, Tim Staffords “Endless Line” and several others. As a result of the work he has done in different bands and projects, Jason has been on three Grammy Nominated projects and been nominated for “Bass Player of the Year” at the International Bluegrass Music Awards four times to go with winning “Recorded Event of the Year” twice and “Gospel Event of the Year”. Jason’s latest ventures include starting the Bluegrass band “Sideline” and working with other nationally touring Bluegrass bands as well as studio session work and production. To date, Jason has been on close to 100 different projects and has produced two others with more in planning every imaginable kind of bluegrass. His timing and groove are unequaled. You’ll mostly want to tell him how amazing he is.

Skip Cherryholmes started playing mandolin at age 9, but later switched to guitar when his family formed the “Cherryholmes” family band. Skip played with his family for almost 13 years until they decided to disband in 2011. In their time together, the Cherryholmes family won the 2005 IBMA Entertainer of the Year award, and have been nominated for numerous awards including 5 Grammy awards. He also played with bluegrass legend Lou Reid and his group “Lou Reid and Carolina”. Skip is now playing full time with Sideline and working as an engineer and producer at “Old Stage Recording Studio” in Raleigh, NC. Although he now lives in NC, Skip is from Los Angeles, CA and loves to visit his family and friends on the west coast. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Stephanie and his 2 Siberian Huskies, Kodi and Neko.

17 year old Nathan Aldridge has had a fiddle in his hand since he was two years old. His first real fiddle was given to him by his cousin at the age of four and he hasn’t put it down since! For several years he has been playing onstage with his dad, Mike “Precious” Aldridge from Al Batten & Bluegrass Reunion. Nathan has taken a few lessons from the great Dewey Brown, but for the most part he has taught himself how to play. His influences on fiddle go from great classics like Chubby Wise and Benny Martin, to more modern icons like Stuart Duncan and Mike Hartgrove. Although the fiddle is his instrument of choice, he is well rounded in guitar, banjo, and mandolin.

Born and raised in eastern N.C., Brad Hudson was blessed with the God-given talent of singing and playing music at the early age of three. He began singing and playing guitar in church. Eventually he started experimenting with the banjo and dobro, and started playing with several different bands across the state. Brad eventually went on to work with people like The Larkins, Don Cox, The Gaithers, Jeff & Sheri Easter, and the great Dolly Parton. He was also a huge part of shows like The Crystal Coast Jamboree and Country Tonite. Brad joined touring group Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, where he was able to land nominations for several awards including Dobro Player of the Year and Bass Player of the Year, and got to work with some of Country Music’s greatest names in the collaboration project “Country Grass”. After knowing all of the guys in Sideline for several years, he joined the band in the summer of 2016, and has brought so much to their sound and show. Brad now resides in Seymour, TN with his wife, Crystal, and children, Riley, Jordan, Caden, and Wesley.

Music has always surrounded Troy Boone. At a very young age, he decided to learn how to play banjo. After a few lessons, he stopped due to a lack of interest; however, his interest in music was still strong. Upon getting a Martin guitar for Christmas, Troy began learning guitar from his father. After learning the basics, he was desperate to obtain a higher knowledge of music and guitar playing. He began taking private guitar lessons from David Yates, a professional instructor out of Johnson City, Tennessee. After learning several tunes, he really began developing a deep love for bluegrass music. Each week David would teach him a new flat-picking tune. Years later, he found a mandolin which belonged to his older brother and began learning to play. Troy started to develop a strong passion for mandolin at this point, and upon graduating high school he decided to enroll in East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass program. There Troy studied guitar, mandolin, banjo, along with taking several bluegrass education classes. Troy has been playing with his hometown band “Dreamcatcher” for the last 2 years.

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High Lonesome Strings Monthly Meeting

Sunday, April 23, 2017 @ 2:30 PM

Ragsdale Civic Center at Jamestown Town Hall

301 East Main Street

Jamestown, NC

(behind Town Hall and beside Fire Station)

 

Featuring:

Shortly Therafter

Shortly Thereafter is a bluegrass band out of Southern Guilford County with members Pat Short, Gerald Crouse, Jim Boren, Steve Wood, Nikki Short, & Maggie Short. Pat and Jim have been playing music off and on since they were 20 years old. After they each began passing their musical interests on to their children and the Short girls took a few lessons, the Saturday night jams started at the Short family’s home. These jams include friends and neighbors, and of course Pat’s brother-in-law Gerald Crouse. Shortly thereafter, Pat and daughters Nikki and Maggie, their uncle Gerald, and Pat’s lifelong friend Jim started playing in churches, at bluegrass festivals, fundraisers, and wherever anyone would listen. Their popularity demanded they have a band name, so in 2015 Uncle Gerald’s suggestion “Shortly Thereafter” was chosen. In 2016, Shortly Thereafter gained its newest member, Steve Wood another lifelong musician and friend of Pat and Jim. As the girls have gotten older and been busy with college, the band isn’t able to get together as much as they would like to, but they are thankful for every opportunity to enjoy and share the talents God has given them. They even convince the youngest Short sister, Sara, to join in on the drums occasionally as well.

Guitarist and lead/ harmony vocalist Pat Short has had a love for music his entire life, and grew up listening to country, bluegrass, gospel, and rock n’ roll. At 19 years old, he was an original member of the bluegrass band “Sweetwater.” In 1978 he, Jim Boren, Steve Wood and two other friends started the bluegrass group “Tracker.” After that, Pat and Steve started the country/rock band “Straight from the Heart” that played around NC for 14 years. Pat rejoined Jim Boren, Steve Wood, and Tony Rook in the bluegrass band “Rook and Wood.” After starting a family, Pat took time off to teach his girls to play. His family then started playing together in their church’s praise band at Rehobeth UMC. Shortly thereafter, this family bluegrass band was started. Pat is known in the band for guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and his cowboy hat.

Jim Boren, being raised in a musical family, grew up listening to his dad play guitar and sing, and his mom join in on bass fiddle sometimes. Jim started playing guitar around the age of 12 and, with influence from the music of the sixties, he started a band while in the eighth grade. Later Jim was drawn to the sound of bluegrass music and took up the dobro guitar. Joining up with Pat Short, Steve Wood, and company, they formed the band “Tracker.” Jim has performed with “Southeast Express” Bluegrass Band for 20 years and is a worship leader at his church. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Short family’s band. Jim is always giving God the glory for His unfailing love. He is known in the band for guitar, dobro, lap steel, harmonica, vocals, and humor.

Gerald Crouse got his first banjo from his grandma when he was 15 years old. He took a couple lessons from his friend, “Sweetwater” banjo player Charlie Wood, but like most teenagers lost interest. It wasn’t until about 25 years later when his wife threatened to sell his untouched banjo that he began picking again. Shortly thereafter, he started playing with the gospel group “Grace and Glory.” Six banjos and three guitars later, Gerald enjoys playing bluegrass and gospel music with friends and family. He is known in the band for banjo, guitar, and selfies. (Remember: “what happens with Gerald, stays with Gerald.”)

Nikki Short, Pat’s oldest, grew up under his musical influence and has loved bluegrass, gospel, country, and rock n’ roll right from the start. She started taking fiddle lessons at the age of 8, including a couple from “Uncle” Bobby Hicks. Shortly thereafter, Pat bought Nikki’s favorite fiddle from Bobby and began teaching her how to play the guitar as well. Nikki was a member of the Christian band “Road Less Traveled” in high school and the Raleigh Wesley Foundation Praise Band in college. She currently also plays in the New Life Worship praise band. She has also been a part of Rehobeth UMC’s youth praise band “God’s Allies” since 2006. She is known in the band for fiddle, guitar, vocals, and providing structure.

Maggie Short, Pat’s middle daughter, has memories from a young age of listening to her father play music and going to bluegrass festivals with her Aunt Buffi and Uncle Gerald. Maggie began piano lessons at the age of 5 and learned to play guitar from Pat in the 5th grade. Shortly thereafter, Pat also began teaching her to play electric bass. Due to her love of bluegrass, she also eventually talked Pat into getting her an upright bass. Maggie was a member of the Christian bands “Road Less Traveled” and the Raleigh Wesley Foundation Praise Band. She also currently plays in the New Life Worship and “God’s Allies” praise bands with her sister Nikki. Maggie is known in the band for bass, guitar, vocals, and (in her words) awesomeness.

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High Lonesome Strings Monthly Meeting

Sunday, March 26, 2017 @ 2:30 PM

Oakdale Campus Fellowship Hall

A Satellite Campus of Jamestown United Church

534 Oakdale Road

Jamestown, NC

Featuring:

Gaining Ground

Gaining Ground has been taking the Fiddlers Conventions by
storm in the last year winning many band and individual trophies and
ribbons with their wonderful harmony singing and playing. The band
recorded two music CD’s in the past year, a Bluegrass one as well as a
Gospel one, with some of the songs that John Powell had written and
composed. Bill Ellis with Freedom Records was a great help getting them
recorded and published. They look forward to the coming 2017 year .
They’ve played some great shows in the 2016 year such as at the High
Lonesome Strings stage at IBMA in Raleigh, Mt Gilead Music Barn, CJ’s
BBQ, Prissy Polly’s BBQ, to name a few .

Ted Nixon is the accomplished Banjo picker of the Band. His
Earl Scruggs style adds just the right flavor to their music and his back up
music is spot on. Ted is from Jonesville and has played in the band close
to three years.

Wendell Wiles is the mandolin player as well as fiddle player.
He is great lead singer as well as tenor and baritone singer. Wendell adds
wit to the group he keeping them in laugh mode a lot with his antics.
Wendell lives in Elkin, NC. He also played professionally with Blue
Denim. Wendell joined the band in February 2016. He is a great addition
to Gaining Ground.

John Powell is the guitar player in the band. He writes songs
and sings lead as well as bass and baritone. John has won many awards as
guitar player as well as dobro player. He really enjoys singing and
playing ever since he started playing at age 11. His Dad played as well as
his family. John is from Mocksville NC.

Lynne Powell is the bass player and lead singer as well as alto
and tenor singer. Lynne is from Mocksville as well and is married to John
Powell. They have been playing and singing together for about 30 years.
Even before they married, they sang together. About twelve years later,
John taught Lynne to play the upright bass and the music took off.

 

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