After listening to Blackberry Smoke I was doing some writing and needed to listen to something without words, so I put on some Wynton Kelly, piano. Kelly played a lot with Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery and is a fine jazz pianist. I listened to an album of about six songs all very good jazz!
Then it was time for sone twang I had checked the Roots Music Report and found a couple of names I didn’t know and went to Rhapsody to listen. The two artist were Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeeper and Frank Solivan and the Dirty Kitchen. Both albums were pure bluegrass and really good. I really didn’t listen that closely to all the tracks but the picking and vocals were both really good. Like Blackberry Smoke they both will be downloaded for some further listening.
The Michael Cleveland album that I listened to was Leavin’ Town and like I said I was impressed. When I came home I went to the band’s website and read that the song “Jerusalem Ridge,” won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2009 Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year! It was great to know that what impresses me also impresses others that know more about music then I do! Cleveland’s other albums have been award winners also Let’er Go Boys (2006)was voted Instrumental Album of the Year, International Bluegrass Music Association. Live at The Ragged Edge the 2004 release by Tom Adams and Michael Cleveland was also Instrumental Album of the Year, International Bluegrass Music Association as was Michael Cleveland’s Flamethrower.
Michael Cleveland and the Flamethrower band is composed of: Michael Cleveland on fiddle. As I said previously Michael has won all kinds of awards. In addition to the one’s listed above at the 2001 IBMA awards, Mike took his first Fiddle Player of the Year award, and shared the title of Entertainer of the Year with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. In 2002 Mike rejoined The Dale Ann Bradley Band. That year he won the Fiddle Player of the Year award and again in 2004. And the list goes on and on. Jesse Brock the 2009 IBMA Mandolin Performer of the Year is on mandolin, Tom Adams , vocals and guitar, Marshall Wilborn on bass and vocals and rounding out the band Jesse Baker on banjo. All in all an impressive lineup and deserving of their awards! So Check them Out! I know I’m going to listen some more to Leavin’ Town and then some of the other albums!
Here’s Michael doing one of my favorite songs “Lee Highway Blues”
