Percussive dance blends with old-time instruments for a fresh take on traditional music by the trio called T-Mart Rounders, who have our Song of the Week.
Dancer Becky Hill, fiddler/vocalist Jesse Milnes and banjoist Kevin Chesser comprise the T-Mart Rounders, who began playing together in Elkins, W.Va. Their debut album features updated versions of traditional numbers along with a song written by Milnes. Their performance of Milnes’ original “Margaret’s Song” is our Song of the Week.
Milnes said he wrote the song based on a story he was told at a laundromat in Beverly, W.VA.
“I was waiting for my clothes to come out of the dryer, playing fiddle as you do. This woman walked in and looked at me and said, ‘My husband loved that fiddle music.’”
The result is this heartbreaking story-song of love lost to illness, and the sacrifice the husband makes for his true love.
This week’s encore episode was recorded in partnership with the Augusta Heritage Festival on the campus of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. Hear the entire show starting Friday July 24, with performances from past Old Crow Medicine Show member Chance McCoy (below), award winning traditional group the Big Possum String Band, folk-blues guitarist Jody Carroll, and the trio of Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Sam Gleaves.
Read more about the Augusta Heritage Summer Workshops and their upcoming virtual offerings for this Summer on the Augusta Heritage website.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Chance McCoy, a West Virginia native, recently took hiatus from Old Crow Medicine Show to work on his solo material. You can hear his performance on Mountain Stage starting Friday, July 24.
Larry Groce will be leading the Mountain Stage band, staff and crew north to Elkins, W.Va. for the sixth time to help close out the Augusta Heritage Festival. A rare Saturday show for Mountain Stage will take place at the Myles Center For The Arts- Harper-McNeely Auditorium on campus of Davis & Elkins College with a 7:30p.m. show time.
Tickets can be found at the Augusta Heritage office on campus, or online. All tickets are general admission, $25.
Appearing on Saturday is a line-up of all-stars in the roots and old-time music genres. Old Crowe Medicine Show member Chance McCoy is prepared to release his solo debut later this year. We’ll get a preview of the material when he joins us Saturday in Elkins. McCoy caught up with the Charleston Gazette-Mail in advance of Saturday’s appearance.
Big Possum Stringband will join us in Elkins, WV Saturday July 27 as we close out the Augusta Heritage Festival.
The Big Possum Stringband are also set to release their debut album soon. They carry on the tradition of the original Big Possum string band, who were on Mountain Stage back in 1988, believe it or not, with fiddler Harvey Sampson. Comprised of contest winners Tessa Dillon (fiddle) and Seth Swingle (banjo) and multi-instrumentalist Evan Collins, this group is keeping Applachian Stringband music alive and well. They’ve been winning awards left and right, including 1st place in the 2018 old-time stringband contest at the Appalachian Stringband Festival, a.ka. “Clifftop.” The band join us before heading to the 2019 activities at Clifftop, then they’re headed off to Australia.
Another group expanding on the traditions of old-time music is the T-Mart Rounders. Featuring Jesse Milnes on guitar, fiddle and vocals, Kevin Chesser on banjo, and the percussive dance of Becky Hill, T-Mart Rounders are re-envisioning Appalachian clogging and flatfooting as its own instrument within the band. They were founded in 2012 in Elkins, and in 2017 released their debut recording.
Two-time Grammy winning duo Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer have been making traditional and contemporary music together for several decades now, and they’ve recently brought in young banjo player Sam Gleaves for an album called “Shout and Shine”. Sam was on Mountain Stage in Elkins back in 2015, and Fink & Marxer joined us most recently in 2017.
We’ll also hear from Portland, Oregon based acoustic roots luminary Jody Carroll, whose blend of progressive and traditional acoustic blues is beloved in folk and blues music circles alike. He wowed at MerleFest in 2018 and has shared the stage with many blues greats. His latest labum is called Back to the Country.
Jody Carroll – Aces & Eights
Tickets for Mountain Stage this Saturday are available online and at the Augusta Heritage office on the Davis & Elkins campus. Show time is 7:30p.m. and you can RSVP on Facebook to let us know you’re coming.
More updates on our September live shows below.
Credit Mat_Dunlap
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In other news: On Sunday September 15 we’re excited to welcome back our guest host Kathy Mattea for performances by Shawn Colvin, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, Lucy Kaplansky, and Rebecca Loebe.
Just announced, we’ll be joined by Canadian duo Kacy & Clayton, whose latest for New West Records was produced by Jeff Tweedy. The pair will be showcasing at the Americana Music Association Festival this year, and will be heading out to support Ray Lamontagne later this fall. They join us September 15 here in Charleston. Tickets are available here, and locally at Taylor Books.
On Sunday September 29 Larry Groce will be back with us as The Steel Wheels return for their fourth appearance on the show. Last week we told you that songwriter Amy Speace had been added, as well as the duo of Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert. This week we’re happy to announce the return of revered songwriter, and recent author, Radney Foster to the bill on September 29. Tickets are available online and at Taylor Books.
Foster has released For You To See The Stars, his first book of fiction, as a companion piece to his 11th album of the same name. Journalist Peter Cooper puts it best, “Radney Foster writes with uncommon depth of emotion, humor, empathy, and clarity. I’m going to ask him how he does it, and if he tells me I’ll let you in on his secret. Until then, it’s best that we read, wonder, and revel.”
Foster has written eight number one hit singles, including his own “Nobody Wins,” and “Crazy Over You” with duo Foster & Lloyd. His discography contains countless cuts by artists ranging anywhere from country (Keith Urban, The Dixie Chicks, Luke Bryan, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) to contemporary (Marc Broussard, https://youtu.be/vjOgyVETIVk”>Hootie & The Blowfish, Kenny Loggins, Los Lonely Boys).
