Biography

The Grascals
The Famous Lefty Flynn’s
Street Date: March 30, 2010


1. Dixie Special 2:25
2. Big Wide Strum 3:29
3. I’m Yours 3:04
4. I'm Gonna Ride That Steamboat 2:41
5. Goin' Up Dry Branch 3:19
6. The Nights Are So Long 2:44
7. Untrue Blues 3:37
8. I’ve Got The Railroad Blues 2:25
9. Slowly 2:41
10. Monster Truck 2:40
11. Hard Time Banjo Blues 3:20
12. Going Back To Old Virginia 2:43
13. Maine Line 3:21
14. Bigger Hands Than Mine 3:20

UPC number 0 11661 0659 2 5

(p) & © 2011 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc., 100 N. Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. Printed in the U.S.A. www.rounder.com; info@rounder.com

Dixie Special – (Tom Adams, Three Twenty Three Music, BMI)
Tom Adams – lead vocal and guitar
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Marshall Wilborn – baritone vocal and bass
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Jessie Baker – banjo

Big Wide Strum – (Tom Adams, Three Twenty Three Music, BMI)
Tom Adams – lead vocal and guitar
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Marshall Wilborn – bass
Jessie Baker – banjo

I'm Yours – (Tom Adams, Three Twenty Three Music, BMI)
Tom Adams – lead vocal and guitar
Jesse Brock – tenor and high baritone vocals and mandolin
Marshall Wilborn – tenor vocal and bass
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Jessie Baker – banjo
Billy Thomas – snare drum

I'm Gonna Ride That Steamboat – (Tom T. Hall, Unichappell Music Inc., BMI)
Marshall Wilborn – lead vocal and bass
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Jessie Baker – banjo
Tom Adams – guitar

Goin' Up Dry Branch – (Buddy Spicher/Jimmy Martin, Bocephus Music, Inc., BMI)
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Jessie Baker – banjo
Jesse Brock – mandolin
Tom Adams – guitar
Marshall Wilborn - bass
Billy Thomas – snare drum

The Nights Are So Long – (Dudley Connell, Happy Valley Music, BMI)
Tom Adams – lead vocal and guitar
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Marshall Wilborn – bass
Jessie Baker – banjo

Untrue Blues – (Jessie Baker, Music Baker Publishing, BMI)
Jessie Baker – lead vocal and banjo
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Marshall Wilborn – bass
Tom Adams – guitar

I've Got The Railroad Blues – (Rabon Delmore, Unichappell Music Inc., BMI)
Marshall Wilborn – lead vocal and bass
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Jessie Baker – banjo
Tom Adams – guitar

Slowly – (Webb Pierce/Tommy Hill, Universal Cedarwood Publishing, BMI)
Tom Adams – lead vocal and guitar
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Marshall Wilborn – baritone vocal and bass
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Jessie Baker – banjo

Monster Truck – (Tom Adams, Three Twenty Three Music, BMI)
Tom Adams – lead vocal and guitar
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Marshall Wilborn – bass
Jessie Baker – banjo

Hard Time Banjo Blues – (Tom Adams, Three Twenty Three Music, BMI)
Tom Adams – lead vocal and guitar
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Jesse Brock – mandolin
Marshall Wilborn – bass
Jessie Baker – banjo

Going Back To Old Virginia – (David McLaughlin, Happy Valley Music, BMI)
Tom Adams – lead vocal and guitar
Jesse Brock – tenor vocal and mandolin
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Marshall Wilborn – bass
Jessie Baker – banjo

Maine Line – (Jesse Brock, Mando Land Music, BMI)
Jesse Brock – mandolin
Michael Cleveland – fiddle, rhythm and lead guitar
Jessie Baker – banjo
Marshall Wilborn - bass

Bigger Hands Than Mine – (Marshall Wilborn, Flying Pig Music, BMI)
Marshall Wilborn – lead vocal and bass
Vince Gill – tenor vocal
Michael Cleveland – fiddle
Jesse Brock – mandolin
Tom Adams – guitars
Jessie Baker – banjo



The Grascals are among the most beloved and acclaimed bands on today’s bluegrass scene, having won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Emerging Artist of the Year award in 2005 and earning its Entertainer of the Year honor in both 2006 and 2007. They take another stride forward with The Famous Lefty Flynn’s, their fourth album, available March 30, 2010 on Rounder Records. Vocally, the trio of Terry Eldredge, Jamie Johnson, and Terry Smith are tighter than ever, cutting loose on driving solo vocals and soaring trios with equal fire and passion. As an instrumental unit, The Grascals have never sounded sharper, with mandolin ace Danny Roberts, fiddler Jeremy Abshire, and new banjo player Kristin Scott Benson leading the charge. As a result, The Famous Lefty Flynn’s features cutting-edge modern bluegrass delivered with a deep knowledge of and admiration for the work of the music’s founding fathers. Timely yet timeless, The Grascals make music that is entirely relevant to the here and now, yet immersed in traditional values of soul and musicianship. It’s a unique sound that has earned two of their previous releases, The Grascals (2005) and Long List of Heartaches (2006) Grammy® nominations for Best Bluegrass Album.

Great musicians will always find a way to make good music, but for great musicians to make great music, they must find a bond – one that more often than not goes beyond the purely musical to the personal. For The Grascals, that bond has been forged at the intersection of personal friendships, shared professional resumes and an appreciation for the innovative mingling of bluegrass and country music that has been a hallmark of the Nashville scene for more than forty years. As their previous three releases prove, whether they’re digging into one of their original songs or instrumentals, reworking a bluegrass classic, or interpreting a pop standard, like the Monkees’ “Last Train to Clarksville” The Grascals’ rare musical empathy gives them an unerring ear for just the right touch to illuminate each offering’s deepest spirit.

For those who know them, the quick emergence of the group came as no surprise, for these are musicians whose roots and crossed paths reach back over more than two decades in bluegrass ensembles like the Osborne Brothers, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, the Sidemen and New Tradition. Their roots can also be traced back to Nashville’s larger musical community, where the Grascals have been able to draw on legends like Bobby Osborne, George Jones, Vince Gill, the Jordanaires, Steve Wariner, Lloyd Green, Paul Craft and others for songs and for performances in the studio, on stage (including multiple guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry), and for national television appearances, including on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, CBS’s Early Show and Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends. Thanks to those experiences and those friendships, The Grascals embody a profound grasp of and familiarity with country and bluegrass tradition that made them a natural choice for Dolly Parton to turn to for recording and tour support not long after the group was created.

The Famous Lefty Flynn’s kicks off with start-to-finish three-part harmonies featured in a rousing cover of “Last Train to Clarksville.” The energy doesn’t let up as Terry Eldredge takes the lead in the infectious, fast-paced “Son of a Sawmill Man” – a straight-ahead bluegrass tune with room for solos by Kristin Scott Benson (banjo), Danny Roberts (mandolin), and Jeremy Abshire (fiddle). The ballad “Satan and Grandma” follows, a powerful testimony to the

strength of a righteous grandmother conveyed with perfect emotion by Jamie Johnson.

The life-affirming “Everytime” features Terry Eldredge, and reminds us of new possibilities and adventures that could be just ahead. Like an old-time folk song, “Out Comes the Sun” paints a mysterious, foreboding picture of a lover. Terry Eldredge, with the help of a bass interlude by Terry Smith, sets just the right chilling mood with this one. The instrumental “Blue Rock Slide” keeps that old-time bluegrass spirit front and center – in a more upbeat way – with solos and instrumental interplay in abundance.

The title track, written by Jamie Johnson and Morry Trent, is a story song, an outlaw’s tale, delivered convincingly by Terry Eldredge. Another Grascals original, “My Baby’s Waiting on the Other Side” (Johnson, Smith, Roberts) with Jamie Johnson singing lead, is a barn-burner, fueled by precise three-part harmony and solos on fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin. Steve Earle’s “My Old Friend the Blues” follows with its easy-going irony. The bluesy spirit continues with the two Terrys joining Jamie for the choruses of the wistful but sprightly “Up This Hill and Down.”

Guest vocalist Hank Williams Jr. joins the Grascals for a quintessential country/bluegrass version of “I’m Blue I’m Lonesome,” written by his dad, Hank Williams, and the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. To close out the album, Jamie Johnson sings lead in the uplifting “Give Me Jesus.”

The Band:

Terry Eldredge’s soulful vocals and easygoing stage presence have earned him not only the loyalty of bluegrass fans and the appreciation of fellow bluegrass musicians, but the admiration of a stunningly wide variety of entertainers who have witnessed him fronting the Sidemen at Nashville’s world-famous Station Inn. The Indiana native began his career with first-hand experience of the music of an earlier generation of country stars, playing bass with durable Opry stars Lonzo and Oscar. He joined the Osborne Brothers in 1988, soon switching to guitar and adding a powerful lead and low tenor voice to the Brothers’ legendary trios. Eldredge took up the bass again when he joined Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time at the end of the 1990s, earning a 2003 IBMA nomination for Bass Player of the Year and contributing mightily to the ensemble’s success with dynamic tenor and lead vocals. During a hiatus from Lonesome Standard Time, he recorded and performed as a member of Dolly Parton’s Blue-niques. In addition to two solo albums for Pinecastle Records and albums by the Osborne Brothers, Cordle, Parton and the Sidemen, Terry’s recording credits include appearances on CDs by IBMA Hall of Honor members Benny Martin, Josh Graves and Chubby Wise, as well as country star Dierks Bentley.

Shared Indiana roots and a love for the Osborne Brothers’ harmonies first sparked a friendship between Eldredge and Jamie Johnson, but when the latter moved to Nashville at the end of the 1990s, the two quickly discovered a vocal blend that rivals bluegrass’s greatest sibling harmonies. Though he helped to found the Wildwood Valley Boys at the beginning of the decade, Jamie first drew attention to his soaring tenor voice as a member of the Boys From Indiana, with whom he performed in the mid-1990s. Stints with local bluegrass and country bands followed before he returned to the Wildwood Valley Boys, making his recording debut on their I’m A Believer (2000). Following his move to Nashville, he began to find success as a songwriter – he co-wrote the title cut of Bobby Osborne’s Where I Come From (2002) – and as a singer, making his Opry debut as a member of Gail Davies’ band, joining the Sidemen in 2001, and contributing leads and harmonies to Bluegrass - The Little Grasscals: Nashville’s Superpickers. He has recorded with Dolly Parton (harmony vocals on 2005’s Those Were The Days and Backwoods Barbie), alternative country singer Trent Summar (on the Davies-produced Caught In The Webb), Ricky Van Shelton, hit songwriter Jerry Salley, and has enjoyed further songwriting success with cuts by The Grascals (including the title tracks to Long List of Heartaches, Keep On Walkin’ and The Famous Lefty Flynn’s.), the Lonesome River Band and bluegrass-country singer/songwriter Ronnie Bowman.

Danny Roberts began playing guitar to back up his friend (founding Grascal member) Jimmy Mattingly when the two were growing up on adjacent farms in Leitchfield, KY. Soon he was winning contests on his own as a guitarist and, eventually, mandolin player. In 1982 he co-founded the New Tradition, a dynamic, ground-breaking bluegrass/gospel group that toured the country for close to 20 years (the last ten on a full-time basis), recorded ten CDs, made “Seed Of Love,” the first bluegrass video to feature the banjo – it reached #1 on the TNN channel – appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, and helped to bring the bluegrass sound and gospel message to a new generation of fans. When the group dissolved in 2000, Danny went to work for Gibson Musical Instruments, where he rose to the position of plant manager at the company’s Original Acoustic Instruments luthiery. Still, he kept his hand in as a musician, giving workshops with mandolin colleagues like Sam Bush, Chris Thile and Bobby Osborne, making guest appearances with artists such as Marty Raybon, Larry Cordle and Melonie Cannon, and touring and recording with bluegrass/country veteran Ronnie Reno as a member of his band, the Reno Tradition, before reuniting with Mattingly in The Grascals in 2004. His solo recording, Mandolin Orchard, received extensive airplay and was touted by the Chicago Tribune as one of the Top 10 bluegrass releases of 2004. Roberts was also honored with the 2006 and 2008 SPBGMA Award for Mandolin Performer of the Year.

Another veteran of the Osborne Brothers’ band, bassist Terry Smith grew up in North Carolina before moving to Nashville in his early teens. Beginning in a family band with his brother, Billy, and his parents – Hazel Smith, Terry’s mom, is a songwriter and renowned country music journalist – he graduated swiftly to stints with bluegrass and country legends Jimmy Martin, Wilma Lee Cooper and the Osborne Brothers. He also found time to pursue a separate career with his brother, recording a 1990 album for CBS that generated an early #1 video on CMT, following it with 1992’s Grass Section disc (made with friends and colleagues like Ronnie McCoury and Glen Duncan) and a 1996 Bill Monroe Tribute that included some of the Father Of Bluegrass’s last recorded appearances. In 1999, the brothers issued Voices Of The Mountain, with original songs that found a place in the repertoire of bluegrass favorites like the Del McCoury Band and the Lonesome River Band. Terry has worked as a staff songwriter for EMI and Major Bob Music, and recorded with Marty Raybon, Vern Gosdin, IBMA Hall of Honor member Kenny Baker and more. After a long tour of duty with Grand Ole Opry member Mike Snider, Terry joined The Grascals in 2004.

Fiddler Jeremy Abshire burst onto the bluegrass scene as a member of Billie Renee and Cumberland Gap (winners of the 2006 SPBGMA International Bluegrass Band Championship), and came to The Grascals’ attention as a member of IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Dale Ann Bradley's band. His style is both fluid and hard driving, owing to the influences of Benny Martin, Scotty Stoneman, Chubby Wise, Bobby Hicks, Kenny Baker, and Stuart Duncan – whom Abshire cites as his favorite fiddle player. As for joining The Grascals, Abshire explains “It was an easy choice for me. I had been around the guys, and the personalities meshed really well. The thing that excited me the most was the fact that when I went out to play with them, they didn’t want me to play like anyone else. They just said, ‘Play what you feel,’ and when I did, that brought everything together. I couldn’t have picked a better group of guys to hang out with...I’m out there having a blast!”

Kristin Scott Benson is the newest member of The Grascals. Raised in a musical family in South Carolina, she made her stage debut, on mandolin, at the age of five. Given a banjo as a Christmas present when she was 13, Kristin honed her skills through the rest of her teenage years. Since then, she has performed with many outstanding artists, including Laurie Lewis, Josh Williams, IIIrd Tyme Out, Jim Hurst, Roland White and Rhonda Vincent. In October of 2008, Kristin was named Banjo Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Of her new membership in The Grascals, she says, “I've been in the business long enough to realize how rare it is to be in such a successful band and I feel blessed that they offered me a chance to be a part of what they've already established." Kristin’ solo CD, Second Season, is on the Pinecastle label.

Whether being light-hearted and jovial or soul-searching and reflective, The Grascals are at the very top of their game with The Famous Lefty Flynn’s. Though it is still—at least in bluegrass terms—a new group, the web of friendships, band memberships, recordings and personal appearances that binds The Grascals together has produced an ensemble of unsurpassed cohesion and focused artistic direction. Whether in the studio or on stage, The Grascals honor the past and forge into the future, bringing fresh yet familiar sounds to the bluegrass world and beyond.



ROUNDER RECORDS
America’s Premier Independent Label
NATIONAL PROMOTION OFFICE: One Rounder Way, Burlington, Massachusetts 01803
617-218-4413 • fax 617-354-4840 • bpaul@rounder.com

The Grascals
The Famous Lefty Flynn’s
Rounder 11661-0641-2

1. Last Train to Clarksville 2:58
2. Son of a Sawmill Man 2:33
3. Satan and Grandma 3:34
4. Everytime 2:32
5. Out Comes the Sun 3:09
6. Blue Rock Slide 4:17
7. The Famous Lefty Flynn’s 2:52
8. My Baby’s Waiting on the Other Side 2:37
9. My Old Friend the Blues 2:20
10. Up This Hill and Down 2:41
11. I'm Blue I'm Lonesome - with Hank Williams Jr. 2:54
12. Give Me Jesus 2:46

p & © 2010 Rounder Records Corp. One Rounder Way, Burlington MA 01803 USA. ROUNDER is a registered trademark of the Rounder Records Group.
www.rounder.com info@rounder.com

UPC number 0-11661-0641-2-6

1. Last Train to Clarksville
Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
Screen Gems - EMI Music Inc., BMI

2. Son of a Sawmill Man
Pete Goble, Bobby Osborne
Sure Fire Music Co. Inc., BMI

3. Satan and Grandma
Craig Monday, Chris Wallin
Music of Windswept/Songs of Bud Dog Music/Wallerin Music, ASCAP

4. Everytime
Harley Allen, Scotty Emerick
Big Yellow Dog Music/Coburn Music Inc/Harley Allen Music, BMI

5. Out Comes the Sun
Jeremy Montgomery Parsons
JM Parsons Country/Por Gen Music, ASCAP

6. Blue Rock Slide
Danny Roberts, Kristen Scott Benson, Jeremy Abshire
Just Dan Music/John Wayne Benson Music, BMI

7. The Famous Lefty Flynn’s
Jamie Johnson, Morry Trent
Little Johnson Music/Country Gentleman Music/Cinderella Man Songs, SESAC

8. My Baby’s Waiting on the Other Side
Jamie Johnson, Terry Smith, Danny Roberts
Little Johnson Music/Country Gentleman Music SESAC/Bats and Crows Music, ASCAP/Just Dan Music, BMI

9. My Old Friend the Blues
Stephen Earle
Lorimar Music A Corp/Warner Olive Music LLC, ASCAP

10. Up This Hill and Down
Richard Staedtler
Sure Fire Music Co. Inc., BMI

11. I'm Blue I'm Lonesome
Bill Monroe, Hank Williams
APRS/Bill Monroe Music/Sony - ATV Acuff Rose Music, BMI

12.Give Me Jesus
public domain

Pickers & Singers:

Jamie Johnson guitar, vocals
Terry Eldredge guitar, vocals
Terry Smith upright bass, vocals
Danny Roberts mandolin
Jeremy Abshire fiddle
Kristin Scott Benson banjo, guitar #3
Steve Turner drums
Lloyd Green steel guitar #2 & #11
Steve Hinson steel guitar #9

Recorded at The Tracking Room, Nashville, TN and Gravity Entertainment, Nashville, TN
Patrick Murphy/Engineer/Mixer
Mastered at Yes Master

Photos by Keoni K | www.keonik.com
A Letter from the band:
Hey Grascal friends,
It’s an unusually warm November day and we are on The Mobil Delvac tour bus, heading home from a show in Florida, and talking about the new album.
This body of work on The Famous Lefty Flynn’s came about using the same approach we took on our first three albums.; we always try and write some of the tunes and if they are good enough, we put them on there. We also try to find some we can call our own, like “Satan and Grandma” and “Everytime.” These are written by some of the best songwriters in the world, right here in Nashville, TN. Now, we can never forget where we come from, and that’s traditional bluegrass and country music, so we put a couple of those on here as well, like “Up this Hill and Down,” along with “Blue and Lonesome.” Oh yeah...can’t record a Grascals album without something a little bit different, like “Last Train to Clarksville,” the classic from the Monkees...which is a crowd favorite.
Terry Smith, Jamie, Danny, and Terry Eldredge are so happy to add the two new members to this line-up and both really brought some great pickin to the project. Jeremy Abshire is just an incredible, tasteful fiddle player who reminds us of legends like Benny Martin and Kenny Baker, but also throws some Stuart Duncan in, with his own unique style. We know you are just gonna love his work on this album. And then there is Kristin Scott Benson. She is everything the fans have made her out to be...great!! Picks with taste and a perfect blend of Earl, Sonny, and JD, but adds her style, to top it off. Not only can these two play well, they are great people and they love us just like we love them, so Jeremy and Kristin, welcome home!
Our famous friend connection continues on the album, with our great pal Hank Williams Jr. What a classic job he did on “Blue and Lonesome,” which was written backstage at the Opry, by his daddy, Hank Sr., along with our Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, in the historic Ryman Auditorium. Cant wait for y’all to hear it.
Thanks to our Good Lord and Savior for allowing us to do what we love to do and thanks to our fans for spending your hard-earned money to buy this project. We sure hope you enjoy the journey with us on The Famous Lefty Flynn’s. Well see you all and perform these live for you on our Mobil Delvac Tour, not only in 2010, but for years to come.
We Love You!
Jamie, Smitty, El , Danny, Jeremy and Kristin
To all concerned:

I've just listened to the new CD by the Grascals. You have a treat in store for you. This band just keeps getting better and better.

They've done some songs that will put you in another orbit. "The Last Train To Clarksville" is enough for me...but there's so much more.

Hey, they did a couple of our (The Osborne Brothers) old songs. "Up This Hill And Down" is a song I thought no one could ever get the same feel for...but they did. First, Kristin Scott Benson shows why she is the reigning two time IBMA banjo player of the year. Jamie Johnson did the vocal right and the harmony is perfect. Terry Smith and El (Terry Eldredge) know how to sing harmony. They ought to, we taught them. That was a joke! (They knew harmony long before they came to work with us)

The other OB song is "Son Of A Sawmill Man." Hard to do because it is so fast but they did it.

All in all, this is a great CD. Danny Roberts has no mandolin equal but the fiddle needs work!!!!! Of course, I'm just kidding. Jeremy Abshire does a great job of fiddling. Listen to this and tell me when you've heard better. Case Closed!!!

Sonny Osborne
IN GOD WE TRUST
Sonny Osborne Banjo Company
chiefbanjo@comcast.net
615-824-0096
web site: www.sonnyosborne.com

It seems like it was barely yesterday that I was writing liner notes for the Grascals’ self-titled debut, but according to my calendar, it was five years ago almost to the day. “Call it, for lack of a better term, ‘Nashville bluegrass,’” I wrote back then, and I see no reason to back away from that now—not with entries here like a version of “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome” that satisfies a country and bluegrass historian’s dream by pairing Bill Monroe’s metaphorical offspring with the actual son of his co-writer on the song, Hank Williams.

“Formula” is sometimes thought of as a suspect word when it comes to the arts, but it shouldn’t be, and especially not when it comes to a style of music as conscious of tradition as bluegrass has been. This album certainly makes that point, for the Grascals’ formula is a winning one, not least because it’s so unique, so specific to this particular group of musicians. Of course there are going to be a couple of Osborne Brothers’ songs, done with every bit of the verve and self-confidence that marked the originals; of course they’re going to have a guest from the world of country music; of course they’re going to match songs from great contemporary writers like Harley Allen and Steve Earle with contributions from the band itself; and of course they’re going to highlight the singing of not one, but two great vocalists who can cover the emotional territory between heartbreak and joy with nary a misstep. All of that—and more—is just what the Grascals do, and do as well as can be done.

That’s not to say there’s nothing new here, for their fourth album marks the debut of two strong new members—two time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year Kristin Scott Benson and hot young fiddle star Jeremy Abshire—and there’s evidence, too, of continued growth in the song—and tune-writing. But while both of the newcomers have distinctive instrumental voices that are given plenty of room to ring out, the point is that they make themselves heard not by standing apart from, but rather by finding their places within that Grascals sound—and that’s one of the best examples around of the ultimate bluegrass approach, which brings both the new and the familiar into perfect harmony. And it’s the same with the songs (I’m particularly taken with “My Baby’s Waiting On The Other Side,” where the rising melody at the end of the refrain simultaneously defies expectation and unmistakably echoes the classic Osborne Brothers sound, but you’ll probably have your own favorites)—you could spend hours cataloging the ways in which they’re refreshingly new yet comfortable as any old standard.

It’s no wonder, then, that the Grascals occupy a place in the top ranks of today’s bluegrass artists, nor that they have become one of the music’s most effective ambassadors to the larger world of country music. In those earlier liner notes, I noted the speed of their “ascent”—and that was before they’d won any IBMA awards or toured and recorded with artists ranging from Hank Jr. to John Prine to Dierks Bentley to Joe Diffie—and pointed out that among the most exciting aspects of their debut was that it was the product of a working band, not a one-off “supergroup.” Well, they’re still a working band (and its individual members are still “super”), but they’re working on a bigger and broader stage these days. And if you want to know, this album will give you all the answers. As the Chief says, “Case closed!”

-Jon Weisberger, Cottontown, TN, December, 2009


Thanks:

The Grascals would like to thank:

The fans, for letting us be a small part of your life! We wouldn't be here without you!

Our families and, most important, God for blessing us with our great families, bluegrass music, and letting us be The Grascals!!

Ken Irwin, Brad Paul, Jennifer Sacca and everyone at Rounder Records for believing in us and being with us from day one, five years ago.

All of the songwriters for their contributions to this body of work – all music begins with the songwriter – so thank you!!!

Dan Hayes and the IBMA for having an organization to promote and support our genre of music. Without you, we might not have a voice within the industry.

Pete Fisher, Gina Keltner and all of the Grand Ole Opry staff. Little Jimmy Dickens... we dedicate this album to you! And to all of the Opry Members for treating us like family at each appearance.

Kirt Webster and all of his staff (Heath Scott, Donna Schacher, Jason Turner, and Claire Ratliff) – you guys and gals make our world a better place!

Jeremy Westby, one of the most detailed guys on the road. Thanks for making our lives easier to travel and for taking care of our day-to-day dealings.

Paul Lohr, Mary Matthews and all the staff (Jake, Jeremy, Logan, Lara & Aaron) at New Frontier Touring... you all shouldn't have time to read this since you are on the phone booking another show.

Special thanks to Victoria Fister for always keeping our books balanced. Your efforts allow us to do what we do best and not always worry.

Marci Crigger, thanks for seeing the potential in what a partnership between us and Mobil Delvac could become. We are extremely thankful for your support and for providing the beautifully wrapped bus – a home away from home!!!

Andrea Roberts for loving The Grascals and working hard for us from day one!! We love you!

Hazel Smith for taking care of all of us like we are your children.

Erin Fox for making us sound better all the time!

Patrick Murphy, for engineering such a great album.

The seventh Grascal: David Crowe; thanks for always having our back.

Stu Bob (our bus driver) and his wife Kandy Bob (not her real name) but you are our family and we love you forever and ever. Now drive Ol’ Jimmy safe!

Tony Conway, Karen Byrd, Phil Connelly and Mayberry's Finest for helping launch what is known today as The Grascals.

All of the festival promoters across the country for hiring us to work hard for you... we thank you.

The radio DJ's for playing our music across the world! We can't thank you enough for your hard work to make bluegrass heard and we thank you for your dedication to the music! Sirius/XM Satellite radio – y'all have been a savior to our music 24 hours a day!

Thanks to the CBS Early Show, Fox & Friends and Fox News Channel, CMT, GAC, Crook & Chase, NPR, WSM, Country Weekly, Bluegrass Unlimited, Bluegrass Underground, Bluegrass News, Cybargrass and all the newspapers and websites who helped connect us with the fans.

To all of our endorsements, without you we would be broke! So THANK YOU!!
Edyie Brooks-Bryant and Cortney Arnold with Wrangler and Amber Vanwy at Durango Boots. David Vincent with Takamine Guitars for keeping the guitar pickers pickin' in style. D'Addario strings for the best strings a picker can use. Kristin would like to thank GHS strings and Osborne banjos. Danny thanks Blue Chip picks, Gibson and Ovation mandolins. Jeremy thanks Thomastik/Infeld - the Connolly Music Co for his strings.

Danny Roberts:

First, and above all, I thank Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, for
His love, mercy, and grace. I am so blessed! Thank you to Andrea
(my amazing wife) and Jaelee (my precious daughter) for your
inspiration, patience, and love. I could not do what I do without
your support and understanding and I love you both more than I
can ever say with words! Special thanks to my family and friends
for the many years of encouragement and faith in me and to my
church family at Middle Tennessee Baptist Church for your prayers
and for standing in the Old Paths.
Thanks to El, Smitty, Jamie, Kristin, and Jeremy for being a great
bunch of folks to pick and travel with. The first five years have
been great and I can’t wait to see what the next five will bring! I
would also like to thank Jackie Miller (the greatest repair and setup
man in the world) for keeping my instruments stage and studio
ready.
Special thanks to the following for their endorsements:
Blue Chip Picks (Matthew Goins), D’Addario Strings, Gibson
Mandolins, Waverly Tuners (Don MacRostie), Ovation Electric
Mandolins, Cedar Creek Custom Case Shoppe (Dennis Reamy), Case
Notes Diary (Brant Beene), and Mandolin Vise (Richard Grose)


Terry Eldredge:

I want to thank the Lord for giving me 2 wonderful parents, my brother Grady for learning to pick the banjo & get me in to music, my brother Peyton for teaching me how to play bass & not how to ride a motorcycle, my sister Sheri for being a sweet sister, the 4 guys & Gal I get to share the stage & road & recording with, my Sweet Miss Catherine, & Stu-Bob Myrick. You`re one driving DUDE!l

Kristin:
Thanks to Sonny Osborne for your guidance and my Chief banjo, Robin Smith at Heartland Banjo for my set-up needs, Jackie Miller, GHS Strings, Fishman Pickups, and Pinecastle Records. To everyone who has opened their home to me – Grant, Liz, Emma, Noah & Caeden Williams; Danny, Andrea & Jaelee; Jamie, Susanne & Cole; and Kim & Erin Fox.To every member of the Grascals and their families for letting me be a part of yours. To my parents, Fred & Carolyn Scott, for being Hogan's 2nd mom and dad. To Wayne & Hogan – no experience is as special as one, regular night at home with the two of you....I love you both more than words can convey. Mostly, thanks to my God, Jesus Christ, who gives my hands the ability and my heart the desire to play the banjo. EL.
Jeremy:

First and foremost I would like to Thank God. I'd like to Thank my family, Karen Abshire and Bill Stewart, Jim and Lois Abshire, And all the Abshire Family for their love and support over the years. Especially my Grandpa, who is my inspiration. Billie Renee Johnson and Family, Dale Ann Bradley, Deanie Richardson, Mike and Meredith Bub, Alex Zoltai, Roger Zahab, Mayo Spence, My Best friend and Runnin' Buddy Ron Bonkowski, Randy Leab and Family (Randy, I've learned so much musically from you over the years, and I'm proud to call you my friend.) Keith Coleman and Family, David Mayfield and the whole Ohio Crew. All of you have played very important parts in my music, and have helped me along the way. To Erica Larson for being there for me. And Last, but not least, my bandmates for their support and encouragement. Thank You!

Jeremy Abshire Proudly uses and is Endorsed by Thomastik-Infeld Strings.

Jamie would like to thank:
God for all he has done for me in life!
Mom, Dad, Joyce and Lee. I love you all so much. Brad...I know you are looking down on all of this and very proud of me! You inspire me to love music and life everyday! I miss you. Susie Q, Coletrain...I moved here for music and found my family! You are my life and I can't wait every morning to wake up with you! I love you with all of my heart Sueme...I ruff you.
The johnson, plain, mumpower, schornick families I love you all KGS Steel thanks for letting me live my dream!
All my buddies..I love u guys and gals! You know who you are.

I`d like to thank my kids, Tyler, Tara, and Trevor, for being there and here, always in my heart. I would like to thank my mom "Miss Hazel" for everything. My dad Pat and stepmother Betty for their love and support. Thanks to my brother Billy, his wife Marilyn, and his kids Adam, Jeremy, and Mattie, for all that you do. Thanks to all my family and friends in North Carolina, I always think of you!
Thanks to Kirt Webster (Happy Birthday man!) Jeremy, Mary and all the wild bunch at Webster and Associates, Marci and the fine folks at Mobil Delvac, Rounder Records, my Grascal bandmates, our bus driver Stu Bob and his sometimes sidekick Candy Bob, our soundperson Erin Fox and above all, thanks to the Good Lord for all He`s done!

Also Available:
Rounder 11661-0549-2 – The Grascals
Rounder 11661-0583-2 – Long List of Heartaches
Rounder 11661-0608-2 – Keep On Walkin’

Management: Entertainment Evolution | 615-889-6995
Publicity: Webster & Associates | 615-777-6995 | www.websterpr.com
Visit the Official Grascals website: www.grascals.com