$12.00 The official magazine of the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada Keep in touch with Bluegrass in Canada with our news, lessons, and more! Volume 15 Issue 2 April 2021 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42167060 bluegrasscanada.org Remembering his legacyRemembering his legacy Tony Rice ExitExitDedicated to the preservation and promotion of Bluegrass and Old-time music throughout Canada Canada PROUD PUBLISHERS OFTable of Contents Tony Rice 10 30 24 36 On the cover Tony Rice, after a show. Columns 5 President Murray Hale’s Message 8 In the Groove with Tom McCreight 47 Editor Mike Kirley’s Message Lessons 6 Mandolin with Emory Lester Listings 42 Radio on the Air 46 BMAC Organization Listings Canada V o l u m e 15 I s s u e 2 $12.00 The official magazine of the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada Keep in touch with Bluegrass in Canada with our news, lessons, and more! Volume 15 Issue 2 April 2021 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42167060 bluegrasscanada.org Remembering his legacyRemembering his legacy TToonnyy RRiiccee ExitExit APRIL 2021 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Lost but never forgotten, we recount what Tony Rice has meant to us, and the fans of Bluegrass Canada magazine throughout the years. Garry Stevenson Never a dull moment in the lively career of Garry Stevenson and his long-time band, 5 on a String. Mike O’Reilly A look at the career of the Ontario Country mainstay. Mike Doggett Journey into banjo and the friendships that form with a twang.Bluegrass Music Association of Canada BMAC is a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and promotion of bluegrass and old-time music in Canada, and supported by the volunteer efforts of its members. BMAC MISSION STATEMENT The BMAC mission statement as enacted in the by-laws: a) Dedicated to the preservation and promotion of bluegrass and old-time music throughout Canada. Goals: b) To support individuals, groups and organizations involved in bluegrass and old-time music. c) To provide leadership and promote education among fans, clubs, bands and artists. Specifically: 1) The establishment of bluegrass categories in the Juno Awards; 2) Lobbying with other musical genres for changes in US laws to allow easier access to the US by Canadian musicians; 3) Establishing a national bluegrass awards program not in conflict with the two existing regional awards events; 4) Sponsoring Canadian Bands to Showcase at IBMA; 5) Supporting Canadian bands efforts to play in other parts of the country; 6) Seeking grant funding to achieve these goals. V o l u m e 15 I s s u e 2 Email: membership@ bluegrasscanada.org Website: bluegrasscanada.org Publisher Murray Hale & Mike Kirley Editor Mike Kirley SUBSCRIPTION One Year $45 / includes Free Grass Roots Membership The Bluegrass Canada magazine is digitally published quarterly in January, April, July and October, online in the ‘Members Only’ section of the Bluegrass Canada website. MEMBERSHIP • Grass Roots Membership: $20/y includes all members of a household up to age 18. Access to online magazine plus all other BMAC online services. • Organizational memberships: See bluegrasscanada.org or contact Gord DeVries at 519-719-2501 or membership@bluegrasscanada.org. SUBMISSIONS Send change of addresses and undeliverable notices of Canadian addresses to BMAC, c/o Gord DeVries, 22790 Amiens Road, Komoka ON NOL-1RO. Please send articles, calendar information, photos and letters to: Bluegrass Canada Mike Kirley 831 Rose Street, Cambridge ON N3H-2G2 Email: mikekirley@gmail.com Telephone: 519-653-4975 Deadline for submissions is 60 days preceding the month of publication. PRINTED IN CANADA. CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT No. 42167060. BMAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Murray Hale mhale@green-vision.ca 705-845-8112 Vice-President Mike Kirley mikekirley@gmail.com 519-653-4975 Secretary-Treasurer Roland Aucoin raucoin72@gmail.com Membership & Website Gord DeVries gord.devries@rogers.com Club Liaison: Louise Grawburg-Gowanblock egowanlock@gmail.com Advertising Director: Arlene Jamieson arlene@venture.interiors.com Advertising Director: David Featherstone davidfeatherstone58@gmail.com Media Director: Dennis Casey roxden@sympatico.ca Social Media Carol Boyer carol.boyer@sympatico.ca Contributors David Featherstone Gloria Jean Hansen Denis LePage Emory Lester Tom McCreight Linda Thorburn Advertising Rates & Specs Dave Featherstone 705-624-1155 Arlene Jamieson 613-433-0900 Layout James Kerr 705-927-0994 Printing & Distribution Innovative Kaitlyn Gerber 1-888-698-3883 kaitlyn@innovative.ink Millbank, ON Canada 4 BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA BLUEGRASSCANADA.ORG MASTHEADPresident’s Report Murry Hale, president of the BMAC. By Murray HaleMurray Hale Cheers Us On “Ain’t it funny how time slips away! ” HAPPY NEW YEAR” everyone out there in the bluegrass community. 2020 will continue to be a year to remember and one that is recorded in world history. Many great moments have sprung out as a result of the pandemic along with many sorrowful and tragic memories. Our hope is that we can all take the positives that have emerged and build on them. Back to Bluegrass! I can not emphasize enough how important it is to participate and keep connected to our music. Your executive continues to meet monthly and discuss the future of our loved art form. We are excited about some new ideas and also ventures currently taking place. I would encourage all of you to check out our website, click on the new links and browse. This complete magazine is one of the online clicks, for instance. The “ Blueberry Workshops” are still ongoing and one of the best opportunities to improve our playing that is available. What better way to talk “one on one” with our icon mentors and ask questions specific to our needs. The workshops I have attended have been incredible and so down to earth and personal. Check them out! The songwriting and new posts on facebook, youtube, and ultimate online Nova Scotia kitchen party have been nonstop. Keep it up!!! We are trying to project into the future re: festivals, concerts and other productions. Once the restrictions are lifted and the vaccines have been administered you are going to see a return to more familiar venues and some new scenarios. Talks of virtual concerts in place of upcoming festivals, discussions of when to resume festivals safely and planning for late 2021 and 2022 are ongoing. Make no mistake, the interest to resume as quickly as is safe, is still there. In the meantime let’s keep recording, writing, rehearsing alone or in small socially distanced groups until the return to “new normal”. See you ,”In September”. groups until the return to “new normal”. See you ,”In September”. Cheers, Murray Hale Become a member of the BMAC Email: membership@ bluegrasscanada.org Website: bluegrasscanada.org Start gettin’ picky about Your music... APRIL 2021 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 5 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGERhode Island’s Jimmy A. Gaudreau is certainly one of the great mando- lin giants in the history of bluegrass music, and has long been one of my mandolin heroes, as well as one of my greatest friends over many years. His musical career and journey as bluegrass music’s most ‘sought after’ sideman, spanned more than 50 years at the fore- front of many of this music’s most influential acts, as well as being a band-leader himself many times along the way. Along with his world class tenor and high voice, his clean and creative mandolin playing never ceased to amaze, influence and inspire those to take up the instru- ment, including yours truly. From his iconic mandolin work with the Coun- try Gentlemen on songs like the Beatles tune ‘Yesterday’, to his work with J.D. Crowe, Tony Rice, and the renowned ‘Chesapeake’ band, and many others, Jimmy treated us to first-class mandolin playing and expert musicianship, that inspired generations of mandolin players all over the world, in so many ways. One of Jimmy’s great creations for mandolin was a very cool tune in the key of Am, called ‘Edsel’s Tailpipe’, which reflected his love for old automobiles, and was recorded on several of his albums like ‘The Jimmy Gaudreau Mandolin Album’, and on his ‘Pieces and Bits’ project. With it’s ‘Hit the Road Jack’ style chord pattern (Am-G-F-E), this tune is an arpeggio workout over these chords, which makes it so much fun to play. The bridge section (lines 5 and 6) are creatively improvised, and feature a nifty arpeggio and ‘double stop’ riff during the ‘C’ chord mea- sures. Have fun with ‘Edsel’s’!!... Thank you JAG!! Emory Lester is an icon in the Canadian bluegrass scene. Although he is a Virginia native, Emory now calls Ontario home. His mandolin playing is revered worldwide. By Emory Lester Emory gives us some tips on this Gaudreau tune Edsel’s Tailpipe When you advertise in Bluegrass Canada, you: Target a niche demographic Get seen in digital and print Support Canadian Bluegrass To learn more, contact: Arlene Jamieson arlene@venture.interiors.com David Featherstone davidfeatherstone58@gmail.com Introduce yourselves to our readers 6 BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA BLUEGRASSCANADA.ORG MANDOLINEDSEL'S TAILPIPE (Key of Am) Jimmy Gaudreau When you advertise in Bluegrass Canada, you: Target a niche demographic Get seen in digital and print Support Canadian Bluegrass To learn more, contact: Arlene Jamieson arlene@venture.interiors.com David Featherstone davidfeatherstone58@gmail.com Introduce yourselves to our readers APRIL 2021 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 7 MANDOLIN8 BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA BLUEGRASSCANADA.ORG IN THE GROOVELorne Buck, a longtime bluegrass singer, bandleader and songwriter from Ontario passed away early in December 2020. He led the band Bluegrass Jam and later The Flatland Mountaineers. He also teamed up with Jimmy Ellis to form The Backwoodsmen. Lorne’s original songs were a regular feature in the repertoire and recordings of these bands. Three of his originals were also recorded on the North To Ontario series of CDs. Charlie Waller and The Country Gentlemen recorded his song Mountains and Memories. Bluegrass Jam was originally a five-piece unit, which featured Lorne on guitar, lead and harmony vocals; Bruce Dowd on banjo and dobro; Mickey Harbin on guitar, lead and harmony vocals; Dave Harbin on mandolin, lead and baritone vocals. I had the honour of playing bass with this band for several years. Mickey Harbin, nee Arsenault, was raised in a musical family in Minto, New Brunswick. Dave Harbin played guitar in a country band in Gander, Newfoundland, before moving to Toronto. Bruce Dowd comes from Luskville, Quebec, and has been a force in the Toronto bluegrass scene for many years. He is well known as an instrument maker and a go-to repairman. He built his first guitar at age thirteen. Lorne was raised in a large, talented musical family in Kilmaurs, Ontario, in the Ottawa Valley. His first stage appearance was at the age of six when he and his sister sang with the family band, Bucks Moonlight Orchestra. Sing A Happy Song has twelve cuts, four of which are Lorne originals. It was recorded at Ambassador Records in Oshawa, Ontario, in the fall 1979. Paul Evans produced it. Memphis Special (LeRoy Mack McNess) opens side A and provides a fine taste of what’s to come: great, driving banjo, breaks and fills, and tight harmony singing. Cut two is At The End (music by Jimmy Krondes, lyrics by Sid Jacobson). This is the only song that features Bruce Dowd on dobro guitar. Cut three showcases Mickey’s lead vocals on A Faded Rose A Broken Heart (Buddy Starcher). Some of you might recall that Hank Snow also recorded this song. Next we have two Lorne Buck originals - Put Your Faith In Jesus and Lonely Mountain. The later is a sad song about burying a loved one in a mountain grave. The side closes with a Richmond-Shucher song–Will There Be A Rainbow Tomorrow, which gives Dave Harbin the opportunity to demonstrate his lead vocal skills. Side B opens with the title song, Sing A Happy Song For Me–another Buck original. Cut two is a fast/lively rendition of Kentucky Girl (Charlie Moore). Dave Harbin sings lead. A fine kick-off by the banjo and seamless interplay between banjo and mandolin give it drive and liveliness. The Tommy Collins’ song High On A Hilltop comes next. This is a spirited version, in which Dowd’s tasty banjo fills shine through. The fourth cut has Mickey singing lead on Old Country Church. This is one of J. D. Sumner’s songs. He was a prolific writer and had an incredible bass voice. I particularly liked the way the band arranged this song. The chorus is given a syncopated call and response treatment. Another Buck original follows–One Truckstop From Heaven. This is tragic song where the truck driver perishes in a wreck on the highway just a short distance from home. Mickey sings tenor to Lorne’s lead, and thus provides the only duet on the LP. Dave Harbin sings lead on the closing song–Hills of Caroline. In conversation with Lorne’s daughter, Karen, she mentioned that she has over 170 of Lorne’s original songs, and that her mother, Mary, designed the album cover for Sing A Happy Song. Sing A Happy Song – Lorne Buck and Bluegrass Jam, 1979 In the Groove Tom “the Old Coot” McCreight, a renowned Toronto bassplayer of “Bluegrass Revival”, festival volunteer, merchant, newsletter publisher, promoter, emcee, author, active member of the Toronto Area Bluegrass Committee (TABC), winner of the Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards for Bass Player and also Entertainer of the Year, and a song writer. APRIL 2021 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 9 IN THE GROOVENext >