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McCoury Music Newsletter
September 2007
First Bluegrass Album In Haggard's Legendary Career
Features Duet With Alison Krauss
 In a career spanning more than 40 years, country music legend MERLE HAGGARD has found a new direction to explore with THE BLUEGRASS SESSIONS, in stores October 2nd. HAGGARD's first-ever foray into bluegrass features a duet with Alison Krauss on the HAGGARD-penned classic "Mama's Hungry Eyes."
Joined by a savvy cast of musicians (including Marty Stuart on guitar and mandolin), HAGGARD recorded THE BLUEGRASS SESSIONS at Ricky Skaggs's Tennessee studio in two days of intimate "living room style" sessions, as Stuart explains in the disc's liner notes. "Each take became a performance. Merle's singing was totally inspired," Stuart writes. "In fact, he got to the point where he didn't even go into the control room to listen to playbacks. There was no need. All of us knew what we were doing was right."
Says HAGGARD: "I really enjoyed doing it, and I hope this is just Volume One."
THE BLUEGRASS SESSIONS features a handful of reworked HAGGARD classics (including "Big City"), several new HAG tracks, and a few nods to bluegrass tradition (a medley of Jimmie Rodgers songs, and the Delmore Brothers' album-ending "Blues Stay Away From Me").
Although SESSIONS marks HAGGARD's first venture into bluegrass, it is a logical step for the Country Music Hall of Famer. A pioneering artist in his own right, HAGGARD has long shown an affinity for the roots of American music - whether it's with tributes to predecessors like Bob Wills and Lefty Frizzell, or his recent back-to-basics albums with fellow country luminaries George Jones (last year's Kickin' Out The Footlights ...Again), and Willie Nelson and Ray Price (this year's double CD Last Of The Breed).
HAGGARD has been hailed as "the indomitable guardian of country tradition" in Blender, and dubbed "the most influential country singer of his generation" by the L.A. Times. His disc with Jones earned this praise from People in a 4-star Critic's Choice review: "You'd be hard-pressed to find a better country album than this collection featuring two still-vigorous old warriors." The sentiments for Last Of The Breed with Nelson and Price were similar. Of that disc, Entertainment Weekly said, "This veritable Mount Rushmore mostly revisits forgotten country classics, making this a particularly tasty hall-of-famer hookup."
TO HEAR SONG CLIPS AND TO PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY FOR ONLY $12.00, CLICK HERE
The Del McCoury Band Rings In The New Year At The Ryman Auditorium
After a two year absence, the Del McCoury Band will be back with a host of friends at the Ryman Auditorium on New Year's Eve. As in year's past, it's sure to be a great party full of good music and surprise performances. We quietly put tickets on sale last week, so I'm sure you can still find great seats for you and your friends. Check out www.ryman.com for more info or click here for tickets.
Mccoury Steps It Up In 18th Annual IBMA Awards Nominations
 Nashville, TN. Already owner of more International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainer of the Year awards than any other artist, Del McCoury broadened his leadership role in the industry at Thursday's awards nominations press conference, held at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition to representing the Association before the public by joining Dale Ann Bradley to present the nominations, McCoury emerged as an unprecedented twin threat among nominees, earning a total of eleven nominations as a bandleader-artist and as a record label executive.
Among the nominations were seven for the Del McCoury Band, including collective nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year, Gospel Recorded Event of the Year (for The Promised Land) and individual nominations for Del (on Recorded Event of the Year nominee Jerry Salley's New Songs, Old Friends), Ronnie McCoury (Mandolin Player of the Year) and fiddler Jason Carter (for his contributions on Hunter Berry's Wow Baby, which earned nominations in the Instrumental Album and Recorded Event categories).
In addition, McCoury Music's first signing, Larry Sparks, received two nominations for his McCoury Music debut, The Last Suit You Wear (Album of the Year and, for the title track, Song of the Year), and two more for Male Vocalist of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year.
Little Mo' McCoury gaining rave reviews.
 Most of the time, the reviews that a record label are most interested in come from the media. With Little Mo' McCoury, though all of the press reviews so far have been positive, the ones that show we're on the right track with this project have come from parents and talk about how much they and their kids enjoy the music. We've added some of these quotes to the album's product page.
"We LOVE 'Little Mo McCoury'!! My husband and I both work with kids who have
special needs and we have been using it with them. They love it and so do
we!! Thanks for making this album y'all!!" - Rockin Robin
"I sent the mo' mccoury cd to school with my daughter whose in the third
grade cause they were studying 'bluegrass' ... the teacher and the kids
loved it, we've also taken it to church and played it for the toddlers. It's
really great, thanks! Love you guys!!"- MISS D
"Ronnie, Del and The Gang...Thx so much for the Lil' Mo McCoury Cd. We have
five lil' rascals ages 11, 8, 4, and twins that are 18 mos..we just saw you
guys in Cherokee and picked up the cd, not only do ALL the kids love it but
my husband and I do, too....especially, the "animal" song...we're mooin',
bahin' and hissin' all over the place! Thanks again for an awesome
show..keep puttin' out there! We love you guys!!" :o)
IBMA World of Bluegrass
THE IBMA World of Bluegrass will be upon us again before we know it. Be sure to catch McCoury Music acts at the following events:
The Del McCoury Band will be at the Ryman on Tuesday, Oct. 2 for a special Grand Ole Opry show dubbed the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration. Other acts on the bill are: The Grascals, Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, Steep Canyon Rangers, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Rhonda Vincent. Check out www.opry.com for more information.
The Del McCoury Band and Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers will both be performing on the IBMA Awards Show. The show takes place this year at the Grand Ole Opry House on Thursday, October 4. To purchase tickets, click over to the IBMA Website. www.ibma.org
Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers will be appearing on this year's Fan Fest show on Friday night. Fan Fest is the indoor music festival of the year featuring performances by the industry's top performers on four stages including the Fan Fest Main Stage, Master's Workshop Stage, Roots & Branches Stage, and the Grand Masters Fiddler Championship. A 100 + booth Exposition Hall, scores of jam sesions and more! www.ibma.org
Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers Upcoming Tour Dates
09/22 Castalian Spr, TN
09/29 Rosine, KY
10/04 IBMA Award Show
10/05 IBMA Fan Fest
10/13 Berryville, VA
10/20 Indiana, Pa
11/02 Catlettsburg, Ky
11/03 Galax, Va
11/17 Moscow, Ohio
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