MyJoog Artist: Cadillac Sky

While attending several festivals over the past few years, we've noticed a consistent presence at each event - Cadillac Sky. Because of scheduling conflicts we never really got a chance to see the band each performance, but for the few we heard, we were impressed. Plus, several artists have sung their praises. As a result we have decided to follow the band more closely during this year's Merlefest and as a preview the band is playing at our local venue, Jammin' Java, on April 26th.

Cadillac Sky consists of five guys who play the classic instruments made famous but Bill Monroe. But don't classify them as merely a bluegrass band; instead they prefer to be described as a band that happens to play these instruments. A majority of the band plays the mandolin and guitar (Bryan Simpson, David Mayfield, and Ross Holmes), with Holmes also contributing the fiddle. Andy "The Panda" Moritz on bass and Matt Menefee on banjo, piano, and drums. After releasing two CDs in successive years in 2007-2008 (Blind Man Walking, Gravity's Our Enemy) the band has waited until this year to release their next project: Letters in the Deep.

The upcoming CD (June release) is produced by Dan Auerbach of Black Keys fame who helped to produce a non-traditional bluegrass album. How non-traditional? Various members break out the piano, drums, melotron, and even a glockenspiel. Combined with their traditional instruments they are "expanding musical frontiers" to include more rock and pop into their sound. We can't wait to hear the entire product, but for a quick listens samples are available at the band's Facebook and Myspace pages. Make sure you check back often for coverage of their April 26th Jammin' Java show and at Merlefest. Frontman Bryan Simpson also was kind enough to answer several questions regarding Cadillac Sky and the new CD:

1) MyJoog.com concentrates particularly with the live music experience. What are your favorite venues and festivals?

Well festivals are easy: Merlefest '09 for us was sort of our coming out party so that one's obvious, Telluride, Rhythm and Roots in Bristol, Rockygrass was probably my favorite one to be at and just hang- or maybe we just did it before we had done any of the others so you know, it's a "never forget your first" kind of thing....other spots that are real cool- and i hate to point any one or two out, because this country is chock full of em- but places like The Paramount, the Grey Eagle, Tractor Tavern, Bijou Theater...yadda, yadda, yadda

2) Cadillac Sky travels often. What are the difficulties involving logistics when band members live in different cities?

well, most of em are obvious, mainly it just comes down to staying well ahead of things- just planning. Thankfully within the next few months four of the five of us will be living in and around the same city of Nashville-

3) At Merlefest last year you played with several other artists on the main stage. Is this an unrehearsed jam session or did you communicate\practice beforehand?

very unrehearsed...very...i think like 30 of us tried to play Monroe's Uncle Penn- I don't think any of the 30 played it the same....Bill's probably still spinning from it.

4) When playing at festivals such as Merlefest, do you find yourself examining the schedule to squeeze in seeing other artists and has that ever interrupted one of your performances - either you cut a set short in order to see another act or were late returning to begin a set?

No to the former and yes to the latter. We certainly try to see as many other great acts that are there as we can, cause other bands are a source of continual inspiration for us, but we love playing. We don't take any performance lightly- so, in truth- it's hard to watch other acts because until we've played our last show somewhere, we're thinking about how can we make the next stage show special.

5) I first heard Cadillac Sky at FloydFest 7 and at that performance it was mentioned that the band (or maybe some members) had just returned from France. How is the reception to bluegrass music in Europe?

Well, not that we are torch bearers for bluegrass but our music was received very well. The crowds were crazy fun and seemed to "get it"- and sometimes that means they just let it be what it is, decide whether they dig it or not and leave it at that.

6) And speaking of bluegrass, was there any particular reason members chose to pursue this genre instead of roots or Texas alt-country?

Well, I think as you hear our new record and see our live show- I think you'll witness that we are definitely not "pursuing" the genre of bluegrass. the bluegrass instrumentation that is a staple of our sound is basically just the canvass that we paint from- we try to be song-centric
and give each song what it deserves- we are slaves to the song not the genre... We are dead set on pursuing a sound that is all our own- might be a starry eyed search but we think it's worth attempting.

7) I see that the band has become an artist sponsor with Mocha Club. What does sponsorship entail and are there other charities or causes you are active with?

No this is our primary cause that we're involved in..we are excited about it because with Mocha Club gives our band and our fans on a nightly basis a chance to change a child's life. If folks want to jump in with us- for $7 a month they can do it. The money is funneled to an orphanage in Kitui, Kenya. Really cool thing to be involved in.

8) The band is very active with the Social Networking sites. Is responsibility for posting content designated to one individual or do all the band members contribute?

We all contribute- is "contribute the right word?" Not sure

9) In partnership with Dualtone Music the band is releasing Letters In the Deep this summer. How is this partnership differ from the traditional artist\label relationship?

It's certainly a new world order, but in the end we wanted to own our record most importantly- not hand it over to the grimy hands of big labels...Dualtone wanted to work with us and we wanted to have them on our team so we made it work. I can't tell you all the details- the book I'm working on, "The Music Business All Figured Out- 10 Steps to Guaranteed Success" hinges on that info...(it's just a working title for now, set for 2021 release)

10) I haven't heard any tracks from "Letters In the Deep", but a recent press release describes it as follows: "marks the metamorphosis of Cadillac Sky from a critically-acclaimed Bluegrass band to a band without boundaries". Can you elaborate?

I would prefer that you elaborate- you can check out two tracks on our Facebook or/and Myspace page - my frame of reference about this record is so clouded it's almost a useless opinion. Check it out- and decide for yourself.

11) And, if the new CD is not truly a bluegrass album, do you risk alienating fans that expect only that genre?

I think anybody who considers themselves a fan of C-Sky will have seen us somewhere play live over the past two years. God knows we've been running up and down the highway setting the circus down all over the map- so there's been amply opp to see us- and if after that they haven't been shaken from the tree- then they're probably in too deep already and can't get out.

MyJoog Artist: The Greencards

At the 2004 Austin City Limits Music Festival we had a chance to watch a little known group perform on a small, sparsely attended stage and thought, wow that band is really good. Sort of bluegrass, sort of Celtic; while neighboring attendees thought they were watching Nickle Creek. The next day we arrived early in order to catch Kelly Willis and who do we find supporting her, the same band from the previous day: The Greencards. We were sold. Since then we have attended several performances by the band and have practically destroyed their first three CDs (Viridian, Weather and Water, and Movin' On) from over use.

The Greencards are Carol Young, Kym Warner, and Eamon McLoughlin; who all found themselves in Austin at about the same time. Not that atypical, except Young and Warner are from Australia and McLoughlin is from the United Kingdom. Separately all were raised in households that listened to American roots and country music. But not American bluegrass, as Ms. Young relates, "bluegrass was very hard to find in Sydney". Young and Warner found success as country artists, but both foresaw limited options in their home countries. Independently, they set off for Austin were their musical tastes were more appreciated. The Greencards formed about six years ago and after their debut album Movin' On, still had to make ends meet as studio musicians. At the time we first witnessed their act, McLoughlin was also a supporting musician for Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis. Ms. Willis invited the band to perform a couple opening songs then had The Greencards accompany her for the remainder of the set. This was one of the most memorable sets we have witnessed over three years attending the ACL.

During this period, the band slowly started to click, however, there was still several lows that every artist experiences. As Ms Young describes, "... I remember was a very poorly attended show in Charlotte, NC, next to no one showed up. We climbed into the van after the show and drove to Annapolis, MD. The three of us were totally bummed out, no one was talking to one another and everyone was at rock bottom. Then my phone rang, it was our booking agent in Nashville. He said, 'Are you sitting down - you've just been asked to open for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson on their 6 week summer tour in baseball stadiums.' We quickly changed our attitudes!" The highs and lows in the music industry. We actually attended one of these performances at the Bowie Baysox stadium. The stadium was jammed packed - great publicity.

Within the music industry, artists must continually tour in order to increase name recognition and support CD sales. The Greencards are no exception and have toured throughout the United States and on occasion have returned home to perform. Some of their favorite venues are the The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Nashville's Ryman Auditorium; Houston's McGonigel's Mucky Duck; the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland; and the Sierra Nevada Tap Room in Chico, California. They will be performing at some of these venues, as well as some of our favorites (Jammin' Java and Knuckleheads) starting April 27th in support of their current CD, Fascination.

The band is very excited about this effort, particularly after spending more time writing and testing the material at bluegrass festivals before entering the studio. According to Warner, "Normally, we start writing a couple of weeks before recording ... and this time, we took eight or nine months”. Ms. Young believes it is their most focused CD and is more themed based than the previous. Each member "wrote differently, trying to create sound more like a unit ... starting with the title track, "Fascination." But don't worry; the CD portrays the bands trademark style - "after all we're still an acoustic band with fiddle, mandolin, guitar and bass".

We haven't listened to the CD, but will have our first taste at Merlefest, while we stalk the band during their multiple performances Saturday and Sunday. The trio are also looking forward to the festival, a chance to catch Linda Ronstadt on stage as well as the impromptu jam sessions that erupt when several artists find themselves in the same location. We can't wait - both their Merlefest sets and their April 27th show at Jammin' Java. Who knows we may even show up to the Rams Head Tavern on the 28th, Cafe 939 on the 30th.....

(Photo courtesy of The Greencards.)

Brad Payne

We were deeply saddened to hear today that Brad Payne passed away Wednesday the 17th due to complications from pneumonia. From our first fortunate encounter on a Sunday morning to traveling explicitly to St. Augustine just to watch him perform, we loved hearing his voice and talking about his love of dogs. As a musician, we were such fans that Brad was the initial MyJoog artist we profiled on this blog. Here is the news as reported by Old City Music News:

"It is with a very heavy heart that I begin this week’s Music News by sharing some very sad news with you. Another bright star in St. Augustine’s music community has flickered out with the untimely passing of BRAD PAYNE this past Wednesday, December 17th. I am still reeling from the news of this terrible loss. Brad was an amazing talent – singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, recording guru – a true artist in the purest sense of the word. He leaves behind an impressive body of work, created at thousands of live performances and in his Gypsy Moon Studios. He also leaves behind a loving family – his parents, a sister, two children and two grandchildren - and many friends, as well as legions of fans who I know will miss him deeply. I am fortunate to have had Brad as a friend, as well as a collaborator on a number of projects over the years. In addition to his musical gifts, Brad had an extraordinary understanding off all things technical. I will miss his quick wit, kind heart, and incredible hair : ), not to mention his remarkable talent. Most of all, I will miss his true gypsy spirit, perfectly articulated in his personal motto, “Have guitar, will travel.” Your travels have now taken you from this world, my friend, and onto the next . . . I feel certain your new venue will gently welcome you into its peaceful and loving embrace."

We will miss Brad tremendously.

MyJoog Artist: The Reverend Peyton and His Big Damn Band

This past July at FloydFest, we had the fortune to “discover” a new artist: The Reverend Peyton and His Big Damn Band. The band is actually quite small in number, Reverend Peyton on guitar, his wife Breezy on the washboard, and his brother Jayme on the drums. But their sound is big – and intense. And yes, The Reverend is legally ordained in the 50 states.

Their music is a unique combination of old Americana, blues, and some zyedco – inspired from the likes of Charley Patton, Furry Lewis, Mississippi John Hurt, Bukka White, Son House, and Leadbelly. Their instruments also contribute to the unique sound. The Reverend plays an old National and a Flat top Gibson guitar – the later was purchased “off the wall at one of those stupid restaurants that put all kinds of crap on the walls!” Since there isn’t a bass player in the band, the Reverend mimics it use by playing a bass rhythm with his thumb and the melody with his fingers. He was able to accomplish this feat only after having hand surgery to recover normal use of his hands. It is an incredible sight seeing how he takes his standard tuned guitar – and glides back and forth on the stem, playing minimal chords, all the while picking a bass rhythm with the other hand. On most songs, Jayme Peyton plays the drums, but he is most effective when hammering away on a pickle bucket – evidently no other five gallon bucket makes the same sound. He can really generate a range of sounds from the bucket – as evident from “Tell All the World John” from The Gospel Album. And Breezy plays a similar “improvised” instrument – a washboard - after The Reverend purchased her one as a gift. She is one smooth performer – able to drift slowly along with a song – and then suddenly – well, you need to see a show to see how intense and aggressive she can get.

Reverend Peyton writes songs about his family, friends, or experiences in life. Many of these involve life in southern Indiana – a rural area with rolling hills of hardwood trees and farms – “my favorite place on the planet” according to the Reverend. But, like most communities, them old days are changing. Their latest CD, The Whole Fam Damnily, contains a nostalgic look at this area through “Them Old Days Are Gone”, Mama’s Fried Potatoes”, and “Persimmon Song” as well as current problems in “The Creeks are All Bad” and “Wal-mart Killed The Country Store”. These songs contain some classic lines such as “They never build up they always build out” and “4 football fields of Chinese crap”. We will let economists argue whether strip malls and Wal-marts add value to an area, but boy do we love country stores. The band also wrestles with contemporary themes such as “Can’t Pay the Bill” which describes the band’s difficult in paying medical bills without health insurance. And on the humorous side there's “Your Cousin’s On Cops”, “What’s Mine is Yours”, and our favorites, “Worn Out Shoe” and "DT's or the Devil".

This is a great CD - part roots, blues, and even bluegrass - thirteen songs of singing and dancing music - and loved by all ages in our household. For many of you on the East Coast, you can listen to these songs live as the band finishes their present tour. Starting October 9th they travel from Buffalo New York, through Rochester, Burlington, New York City, Wilmington, Baltimore, Charlottesville, Richmond, Virginia Beach, and ultimately Orlando Florida on November 1st. We hope to catch a couple shows during this period and even fly out to Indiana and see the band at the Lafayette Brewing Company on November 15th. More information about these shows can be found at MyJoog.com. Still undecided? Then check out the many videos on UTube – our favorite is the video of the the Reverend Peyton teaching blues at The Kansas City Academy.

MyJoog Artist: Oneside

In preparation for the 5 hour drive to FloydFest I had thrown several CDs into the car expecting to listen to each sometime during the trip. Howver, after listening to the new Los Lonely Boys and some old Crooked Still, I put in First to Last from Oneside and that was it. Nothing else. I listened to this CD the remaining 4 hours – over and over again. In hindsight, I can’t determine why; I just got into a groove driving and First to Last lead the way. It may have been the opening song, “The Letter” which sadly I repeated way too often attempting to analyze the melody. It started out as a semi-gospel similar to a Lynn August Juré. Then it transitioned to a blues rhythm with a slight bluegrass feel. I guess anything with a banjo sounds a little like bluegrass. Then out of nowhere the song explodes into a rockabilly riff and then into a gumbo of rock, blues, and bluegrass. It’s just a good rocking song – great to listen to while driving. The same holds for “Got to Go” and “Last Radio”. However, the CD contains more than high tempo tracks; no two songs are really the same and while listening I imaged other artists performing the songs. “Into the Night” could have been composed by Tea Leaf Green; “Oh Sun” by the Old 97s. Sometimes I heard New Monsoon; other times The Randy Rogers Band. I even heard some classic rock from Yes. So who are these guys? The promoters of FloydFest felt highly enough to schedule Oneside for three sets; as did the 2008 High Sierra Festival. Front-man Todd Sheaffer of Railroad Earth is a huge fan. But me, I had no idea.

The entire band agreed to take time out of their FloydFest schedule and accompanied me to neighboring Chateau Morrisette winery where over a bottle of Viognier we discussed the band’s origin and influences. Oneside is currently based out of Boston and consists of Ned deBary (lead vocals; guitar), Chris Hersch (banjo), Jake Brooks (drums and percussion) and Grafton Pease (bass; vocals). It all started in 2002 when Jake moved from Colorado to Boston and partnered with his long time friend, Ned, and formed a precursor to Oneside. After a few lineup changes, Grafton signed on, then Chris and the ensemble has been intact since. Chris commented how accommodating the other band members were when he was recruited. At the time he was a jazz guitarist but he asked if he could play the acoustic banjo, and the response was “Yea, no problem”. A very fortunate decision; without this instrument the band could be just another rock band out of … No I can’t even finish the line. But seriously there’s more to the group’s sound then just the banjo. Each member had listened to classic rock, grunge, and Guns N’ Roses while growing up, so there’s some influence from these genres; but there was also old country - as in Charlie Patton old country – jazz, blues, and Johnny Cash Sun recordings. In fact, their Friday rendition of Cash’s Cocaine Blues was one of my favorite songs of the weekend. They were also clever enough to cater to their audience over the weekend and performed popular versions of John Prine’s Paradise and The Band’s Ophelia. But this band doesn’t want to be stereotyped – they don’t think of themselves as a rock band or bluegrass, or country. Americana suits us, but to the band they are just “Onside” where everyone collaborates to produce what they feel is the best sound for each particular song. And why title their debut CD: “First, To Last”? Because even though the compilation is their first release, they plan on enduring to the end. We hope so.

On the ride home from FloydFest, I listened to “First, To Last” again – but only once. There was no longer a need to analyze the songs; I just enjoyed each one. “The Letter” is still my favorite, but after seeing the band perform three consecutive days, I have a new appreciation for “Josephine”, “Lisa”, and “Didn’t Know ‘Til Now”. To paraphrase the tasting notes from the bottle we shared – these songs have depth and complexity. Oneside concluded their first national tour at FloydFest, but the band hits the road again in early August. They have shows scheduled at several of their favorite venues throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. “First, To Last” will be officially released September 27th. Want an early copy - go out and see one of the shows; you’ll be glad you did.

MyJoog Artist - Daryl Davis

In the early 1990's, the great bluesman, Pinetop Perkins, interrupted one of his shows at the now defunct Tornado Alley to ask a member of the audience join him on the piano. From the first table, Daryl Davis rose and played the rest of the night with his mentor. For several years earlier, Mr. Perkins had selected the then 27-year-old Davis "to succeed him in the piano and vocal slot of the Muddy Waters Legendary Blues Band". For the rest of the evening, the two piano bluesman played selections from Muddy Waters and various Boogie Woogie compilations that I will never forget. Since then, I have followed Davis as he has performed in venues throughout the mid-Atlantic.

Davis' resume is impressive - he has played with such great artists as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley's Jordanaires, and The Coasters. He was also the featured pianist on Cephas & Wiggins' 1992 Grammy Award winning album, Flip Flop & Fly. Showing musical diversity - he scored the music to the popular children's story, Abigail. And in 2005 he won his first Wammie (Washington Area Music Awards) in the Roots Rock category which he followed in 2006 with a Wammie in the Blues/Traditional category.

Now on to the show. On most occasions Daryl Davis plays in smaller venues such as Bangkok Blues so you have an excellent chance to see him up close. He alternates between traditional Chicago blues to crowd pleasing boogie. Lately he has been mixing in songs from his latest CD American Roots. Look for "Romp In The Swamp".

Besides being an extraordinary musician Mr. Davis is a respected author and speaker. After feeling the affects of racism while growing up, he decided to "understand the hate that is inherent in racism". He was able to interview Roger Kelley, then "Imperial Wizard" of the Klan in the state of Maryland, first by disclosing his race. After many encounters they developed a friendship and Kelley eventually quit the Klan. And othe "former members that left have given Davis their robes as a token of respect, and he keeps them as a reminder that he can make a difference". You can read about these exploits in his fascinating book, Klan-Destine Relationships: A Black Man's Odyssey in the Ku Klux Klan and in this Washington Post article.

Fans of Daryl Davis will be able to re-live his days with the now 94 year old Pinetop Perkins as they join the fabulous Nighthawks at Glen Echo Park on March 15th. This should be an unbelievable show. I'll see you there.

MyJoog Artist - Brad Payne

We are launching a new category called MyJoog Artists to highlight some of the most talented musicians that toil daily in obscurity. The first artist is Brad Payne, who plays regularly in St. Augustine, Florida. I first saw Brad outside of Jacksonville Beach on a Sunday morning, nursing a hangover from the previous night's Georgia-Florida game. We were driving along the road looking for a place to eat and saw a small restaurant overlooking a canal. Walking into the deck we bumped into a guy wearing a tank top and dark sunglasses fumbling with his guitar. My first thought was "he's not going to help our situation." Boy was I wrong.

We had stumbled upon an amazing musician, from his soulful voice to his guitar savyness. To put his guitar playing in perspective one customer requested Dueling Banjos, in which Brad immediately ripped into the song with his acoustic guitar mimicking a banjo. It was awesome. He spent the day playing a few requested covers, but trying to stick to his own material. Anyone who had traveled to the Outer Banks would appreciate his song Beach in Carolina. My Father was also a favorite, particular during a father-son trip. Then my favorite, The Paynefull Truth. A few hours later and two CDs each, we had to leave, but I promised myself to find this guy again.

Since Brad rarely updated his website this task was difficult. I had to settle to listening to my CDs (Accoustic Storm and The Paynefull Truth) over and over again. A couple years later I stumbled upon an online article that Brad Payne was playing regularly at the All Stars Sports Bar in St. Augustine. Since then, I've traveled a couple times to hear him play. Each show is the same - Brad winning people over with his music. Besides the two earlier CDs, he has a live CD with Danny Rosado, "Hippie n da Rattler" and is releasing a new CD, "Acoustic Bootleg". Time for another trip south. Oh yea, if you don't believe me, check out the posts on his guestbook.