More news of past visitors

Alecia Nugent (who was here last summer with her band for a tour that included the Ardara Bluegrass Festival and the last Woodbine Bluegrass Event at Athy, Co. Kildare) will release next month a country album, The old side of town, which includes as a bonus track a bluegrass version of her song 'They don't make 'em like my daddy anymore'. This was released as a single two weeks ago, and can be heard on her website and on John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today.

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The Mountain Home Music Company announce the release of 'Leave it at the gate', a new single by Chris Jones & the Night Drivers. The song, written by Chris and the former Night Drivers bassist Jon Weisberger, celebrates having a life outside your job; it can be heard through links on the press release and the band's website, and also on Bluegrass Today.

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In addition, Mountain Home released a few days ago a single by the Night Drivers' mandolinist Mark Stoffel (on the right in the band photo above) - the instrumental 'Shadowbands', from his forthcoming album Coffee & cake, which has some intriguing titles (see the press release). The album can now be pre-ordered; the single can be heard here.

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Fans of Mary 'Mean Mary' James will be glad to know that an hour-long solo video concert by her can be seen on the Deering blog (she plays a Deering Midnight Special banjo) and on YouTube. Her 'Listen to the mockingbird', by the way, is not the familiar old tune but a song charged with emotion. The video was shot by Johnny Giles for the Black Hawk Folk Society in Wisconsin. There are not many compelling solo singers with a highly accomplished three-finger banjo technique; Mean Mary is one.

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Fast Track (right), including Ron Spears on bass and Jesse Brock on mandolin, are releasing now 'Life's highway', a single from their debut album which is scheduled to appear on 11 September. It's a hard-core bluegrass song, originally recorded decades ago by Bobby Smith & the Boys from Shiloh, and this 'new' band of seasoned campaigners in bluegrass deliver it with the strength it deserves. More details are on the Engelhardt Music Group press release.