Biography

Radio Contact:
Ellen Nagase
434-973-5151
radio@rebelrecords.com

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KARL SHIFLETT - THE KARL SHIFLETT AND BIG COUNTRY SHOW (REB-1752), 1999

Musicians
Karl Shiflett: Guitar, Lead Vocals
Jake Jenkins: Banjo, Harmony Vocals
Lyle Meador: Mandolin, Harmony Vocals
Kirk Brandenberger: Fiddle
Kris Shiflett: Bass
Guests:
Monroe Fields: High-Baritone Vocal on track 8
Robert Herrington: Bass Vocals on tracks 1, 7, 8 & 12

Production Credits
Produced by Steve Chandler and Karl Shiflett
Recorded at Hilltop Studios, Nashville, TN
Engineered by Steve Chandler
Mixed by Steve Chandler, Karl Shiflett and Jake Jenkins
Mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering, Boulder, CO

The Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show is a tribute to classic bluegrass at its finest. Shiflett, a Texas native, organized the band in 1993 with the intention of presenting a bluegrass show the way it was done in the late 1940s and early 1950s. This included everything from stage attire – big-lapeled suits, wide ties, felt hats, and two-toned shoes – to performing around a single microphone and working out the intricate choreography that this type of setup demanded. Their single microphone was a replica of a vintage RCA-44 that was popular in radio stations in days gone by. They performed the old songs, too, but they also wrote new ones that fit the mold.
After spending some five years perfecting their show, the band’s performance at a 1998 IBMA World of Bluegrass showcase put them on the fast track for recognition within the bluegrass community. Their retro presentation was met with unbridled enthusiasm and it was here that they came to the attention of Rebel Records.

When this self-titled debut album was released in 1999 it enjoyed immediate success, dominating the top of the bluegrass charts, and one of the songs – “Where the Smoke Goes Up (And the Money Goes Down)” – was particularly well received. Like their stage show, the album is a mix of some bluegrass classics and some classic sounding new songs. Among the vintage tracks is a hymn popularized by Charlie Monroe called “When the Angels Carry Me Home,” a 1930s tune by Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith, “The Girl I Love Don’t Pay Me No Mind,” and a Carter Family favorite, “I Know What it Means to Be Lonesome.” A real bonus for bluegrass fans is the inclusion of two Bill Monroe compositions that were previously unrecorded: “Delbert’s Breakdown” and “The One I Love is Gone.”