Biography

Rural Rhythm Records is proud to announce the April 22, 2008 release of BLUEGRASS SMASH HITS, Volume 1 performed by THE MASHVILLE BRIGADE. Produced by our own Grammy™ nominated Jim VanCleve, this album is filled with 16 BIG BLUEGRASS HITS performed by some of the brightest young stars in bluegrass music. The CD is the first title from our exciting NEW series.

Created over a year ago, The Mashville Brigade line-up reads like a who’s who in the world of today’s bluegrass music. Members of the band have either been nominated for, or won a plethora of IBMA, Grammy, Indie, SPBGMA, and Dove Awards. All the members, in addition to working with the Brigade, are full-time players in well-known national touring bluegrass bands, songwriters, and studio session players and have achieved lofty heights of success. This star-studded line-up includes: Aaron McDaris (The Grascals) who plays banjo and sings harmony; Darrell Webb (Rhonda Vincent & The Rage) on guitar and lead vocals; Ashby Frank (Special Consensus) lead vocals and mandolin; Jim VanCleve (Mountain Heart) on fiddle; and Randy Barnes (NewFound Road) on bass.

“The Mashville Brigade has really grown into something much larger than we could have anticipated when we began playing at The Station Inn in Nashville a year ago. All the guys in the band have been really good friends for years, and we all basically grew up together in the bluegrass scene. When we started kicking around the idea of putting a band together to play at The Station Inn, we knew we’d have a lot of fun. I think you can really hear that fun factor on this album,” said VanCleve.

BLUEGRASS SMASH HITS, Volume 1 was recorded without any fancy overdubs or studio tricks, just pure organic and true bluegrass performances with traditional arrangements honoring and paying tribute to the legendary bluegrass groups of the past. Nashville Scene journalist, Jon Weisberger commented, “To this newly hatched side project, they bring first-rate chops, a thorough grounding in the canon and, as the name suggest, a dash of brash, postmodern attitude.”


The first single, “Take This Hammer” will be released on the May 15th PRIME CUTS OF BLUEGRASS, Volume 93 compilation CD. Rural Rhythm is also providing free downloads to Radio Stations through www.RadioSubmit.com for the songs: Take This Hammer, Roving Gambler and My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains.