Biography

Radio Contact: Jenny Lynne
Email: fmsrecords123@gmail.com

Fathers and Sons--Three years in the making, the latest project from Mike Mitchell and Turnberry Records

The Players:

Jason Moore, bass
Joey Mosley, guitar, baritone vocal on "Calling Me"
Jake Mosley, mandolin, tenor vocal on "Calling Me"
Tray Wellington, banjo
Jesse Smathers, tenor vocal
Greg Blake, tenor vocal on "Uncommon Man"
Jesse Brock, baritone vocal
Alex Donahue, bass on "Calling Me"
Mike Mitchell, fiddle and lead vocal

1. I Hear Banjos-- Mike Mitchell (Grass Tank Publishing, BMI), Elizabeth Anderson, Emily Anderson (Steel Valley Publishing, BMI)

Written on a Zoom call with the Echo Valley family band. When we started writing that morning, a whole lot of banjo music was coming from the room next door. Their dad, David said, "It's David Jr.’s banjo lesson time.” So, when there are two banjos in the room next door, and you can't concentrate on anything else, you write about what you know and hear! ~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

2. Making Hay-- Dawn Kenney (Heart Roots Music, ASCAP), Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI)

In the mornings I walk the dog through a bucolic landscape of hills, fields, farmhouses, a cabin, and a pond. The hay baling & drying in the field, an exciting time of year, inspired the chorus. My “go-to" amazing, songwriter friend, Dawn, helped with the verses to craft a sweet story with a double entendre. ~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

3. It Rained-- Rick Lang (Haley Anna Music, BMI), Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI)

Written in the spring of the year, it had been raining, daily, for over a month. I came to our writing session having a song idea about a guy whose grass was so high he couldn’t mow it. Rick had the foresight to leave the yard work out of the song and dive into the more Biblical theme.~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

4. Someday (They’ll Play That Song for Me)-- David Morris (Billy Blue Music, BMI), Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI)

IBMA awards show, 2019. As Alan Bibey played a slow, mournful mandolin solo, the names of bluegrass folks we lost that year were displayed, one by one, on the big screen. I read the names of Bill Moran (a neighbor of mine, one of the first to teach me how to play bluegrass) and Eileen Carson (the late wife of my friend and producer, Mark). The sadness of those losses, coupled with the happiness from a sense of belonging in the “Bluegrass Family,” was profound. David Morris gave Jenny and I the tickets to that awards show. The next day I asked him to co-write the song with me.~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

5. Uncommon Man-- Dawn Kenney (Hearts Roots Music, ASCAP), Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI) SPGMA convention, 2020.

Jenny and I were staying with Dawn at The Hit House, in east
Nashville. Up late one night, chatting (not gossiping at all) about the business and what friends were up to, the conversation steered its way to the topic of Greg Blake’s career, both past and present. Greg is one of those fellas who put off a performing career to raise a family, first. In this business, filled with broken homes and lonely, divorced musicians, Greg’s story, similar to my own, is inspirational. Thinking it worthy of a ballad, I woke up the next morning with the first line of the chorus. Dawn and I spent countless hours developing the rest of the song and consider it some of our best work. I am thrilled to have Greg singing the harmony part with me on this cut!~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, and Greg

6. Love Of The Mountains-- Allen H. Mills (Poplar Camp Music, BMI) “The Lost and Found" was the first pro- level bluegrass band that I ever sat in with. I was introduced to them by a mutual friend who must have thought that I was much more skilled than was actually the case! When Dempsey and Ronald started trading lead breaks and “tearing it up”, I felt that I should flex my own musical muscle and began to pour it on with one hot jazz lick and classical violin riff after the other, perhaps vaguely in the key, but nowhere near the melody! Dempsey stopped the set and asked me to join him backstage. I won’t relate in print what transpired between he and I back there, but as we finished, I started packing up my fiddle to leave out the back door. Dempsey said, “Where are you going, we have a show to finish”. You know, that band played Old Joe Clark, Fire on the Mountain, & Blackberry Blossom in that next set, helping me stay with ‘em. I’ve carried that experience, and the melody, with me, ever since. Allen Mills is THE elder statesman of
bluegrass music here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I offer this cover of one of his classics, with respect and humility. I did my very best to play Dempsey’s mandolin break note-for-note on my fiddle.~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

7. Save Me-- Jack Shannon (Jesse Jack Music, BMI), Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI)

Written during one of my late-night writing sessions with Jack, we were both tired as heck and just not able to put the right lines together for one of our songs. Jack mentioned the idea of “Save Me” as a title. The song pretty much wrote itself, in short order. I like to think it was divine intervention and pray that it serves whatever purpose God has for it, reaching as many who need to hear it and believe.~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike

8. Reach Out Your Hand-- Rick Lang (Haley Anna Music, BMI), Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI)

Written to serve the theme of the record, it is a fictional story, but Rick and I felt that it was relatable to every parent, especially dads. Not all of us have a “wild child” to worry about, but we at least all know someone who does, or in my case, was a wild child themselves! I love the layered references to father and son, both earthly and heavenly.~Jason, Joey, Jake,Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

9. I Gave My Heart (to the girl who gave her heart to Jesus)-- Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI) This song was just darn fun to write. Never underestimate the value of hosting a weekly slow-jam for your students. It gives back in so many ways—like kicking around funny song title ideas. My thanks to Gary Long, Ross Peacemaker, Mike Mears, Andy Dodson, and Connor White for the weekly slow jam and the night we came up with this funny title. It was a pleasure setting the title to words. Special thanks to the lovely and talented Jenny Lynne for the twin fiddle break idea! ~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

10. Fly Dawn Kenney-- (Heart Roots Music, ASCAP), Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI)
Written a while ago, when two of our daughters were graduating from college and a third was graduating from high school. Dawn also had a daughter readying to move out. The “empty nest” is what was on our hearts at the time. One of those daughters is now our son. The journey through that change, as an observer, and a loving parent,is an important part of why I chose this theme for this record. I couldn’t be more proud of all of our kids and am glad to say that their mom and I have, and will always, stand beside them!~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

11. Calling Me Jack Shannon-- (Grass Tank Publishing, BMI), Mike Mitchell (Grass Tank Publishing, BMI)

This song was supposed to be on my last record, Small Town. Instead, it found its own life as the MMB single and #1 video-release during the pandemic lockdown. The story completely fits the Fathers&Sons theme and we were happy to remix it. We hope that you agree that it fits nicely on this record. Fun fact: the audio was tracked and the video was shot in one 48-hour period, during a temporary lift of a state-line crossing ban between TN and VA!~Alex, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jake, and Joey

12. Summer Wages-- Ian Tyson (Warner Brothers, ASCAP) Our tribute to J.D Crowe, Tony Rice, Ian Tyson, and fiddle maker Arthur Conner. The longer story about why I chose this particular song is found in the The Bluegrass Standard, March 2022 issue. Short version: The Good Lord puts us where we are meant to be, and our lives will be full and happy if we don’t fight it, do our best, and enjoy the ride!~Jason, Joey, Jake, Tray, Mike, Jesse, and Jesse

13. Fathers & Sons-- Kevin Slick (Nu Vu Du Music, BMI), Mike Mitchell (Floyd Music School Publishing, BMI) For James Michael. All my love to you son, always...~your dad