Biography

Ebby Jewell and The Bluegrass Kinsmen are enjoying their 44th year of picking bluegrass. They are working hard to expand their audience by playing some larger venues, a little farther from the Southwest Virginia home base of Tazewell, Russell, and Buchanan Counties, but their heart is still with their local fans. Ebby who is the band leader sings harmony and plays banjo, primarily, but is very accomplished on guitar, mandolin, and fiddle as well. Band members, in addition to Ebby, include his wife Teresa who sings lead and harmony. Ervin Compton who plays guitar and sings lead and harmony, Ricky Kennedy who plays bass and sings harmony, Ryan Lester who plays mandolin and sings lead and harmony, and Dean Jackson who plays lead guitar and sings lead and harmony. Having such versatile singing allows the band to perform a variety of bluegrass songs, mostly traditional but also some folk and lots of gospel music.

During their span of 44 years of playing music, The Bluegrass Kinsmen have gone through many changes. Some of their original members have gone on to other things and other places, but the one thing about the Bluegrass Kinsmen that never changes is their love of good, gospel music. After all these years, Ebby felt it was time for The Bluegrass Kinsmen to make their first all-gospel CD. Ebby chose some of the songs that he heard and loved as a child, but he also added some original songs to this album that were written by him and his wife Teresa, both of whom are constantly writing and thinking of new songs. The name of the album was easily chosen by a song  Teresa wrote, as it was a very simple, daily prayer — a prayer to begin the day and likewise to begin this CD.

My Daily Prayer, which is scheduled for release on November 2, 2015, is the Kinsmen’s 6th album. It is comprised of 12 gospel songs, including six written by Ebby and Teresa Jewell in addition to six of their favorite gospel songs from years gone by.

Orders for My Daily Prayer are now being accepted on the band's website: www.bluegrasskinsmen.com.