Biography

Well-known around Athens, Ohio as a radio personality and musician, Rusty Smith has created a solid new CD showcasing his many talents, as well as his ability to play well with others.

A lifelong musician, Smith has performed for decades in contra bands such as The Deadbeat Dance Band (with Ged Foley), and as a fill-in member of The Hot Point String Band (appearing on their CDs "Stepping on Chords" and "The Road to Burhania"). He is currently guitarist with The Boys Of The Hock, a traditional Celtic band that plays instrumental dance music all over Ohio and surrounding states. In 1987, Smith also released a debut album, "TV Blues," full of blues, folk, bluegrass and country songs, with two originals each by Smith and well-known songwriter J.D. Hutchison.

Over the years, Smith has frequently performed with Zeke Hutchison (J.D.'s nephew), who is known as a virtuoso mandolin player. The two have collaborated on stages and in jam sessions for over a quarter century, and Smith calls this project "an outgrowth of that musical friendship."

Rusty Smith has enjoyed a long and multifaceted Athens radio career. Currently at WOUB-FM, Athens' public radio affiliate, he first began working at Athens rock station WXTQ (Power 105) in 1978 before moving to public radio and WOUB in 1981. Career highlights include
• Hosting and programming a pre-Americana format of country, folk and bluegrass music,
• Hosting a nightly jazz program for 15 years,
• Hosting "D28 + 5," a weekly bluegrass showcase twice monthly since 1981,
• Producing "Showdown," a monthly live bluegrass show, since 1982, and
• Producing "Live From Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch," a series featuring music recorded live in performance at the popular guitar instruction camp, since 1999. This program, now heard on 25 stations across the U.S., features artists from various roots genres, including folk, blues, acoustic singer/songwriter, bluegrass, swing jazz, etc. Kaukonen hosts the program.

In addition, Smith has recorded
• Blues singer Roy Book Binder's "Live Book: Don’t Start Me Talkin'" (originally on Rounder, reissued by Pegleg) and "Live at the Fur Peace Station" (Pegleg Records),
• Three albums for The Hart Brothers on Old Homestead Records,
• J.D. Hutchison's "Another Fool's Café,"
• Jazz clarinetist Alvin Batiste & The Jazztronauts for the debut episode of NPR's "Jazzset with Branford Marsalis," and
• Blues great Carey Bell for NPR's "Bluesstage."

"Rusty Smith and Friends featuring Zeke Hutchison" contains 16 tracks, including covers of songs by Larry Campbell, The Carter Family, John Hartford, J.D. Hutchison, Luke Jordan, J.D. Loudermilk and Bob Montalto. Four tracks are instrumentals, and four are traditional tunes. Smith sings and plays guitar and fiddle (as well as piano on two cuts), with Zeke Hutchison accompanying throughout on mandolin and singing lead on "I Don’t Want Your Rambling Letters." Terry Douds plays bass on 14 of the CD's tracks.

Some very talented friends join Smith, Hutchison & Douds on this recording. Rock Hall-of-Famer Jorma Kaukonen plays guitar on "I Get The Blues When It Rains," which also features Mark Hellenberg on "bluegrass brushes." Mimi Hart provides harmony vocals on "Break My Mind" and "Did You Love Me At All," and Bruce & Gay Dalzell harmonize on "Diamonds In The Rough." Hilarie Burhans plays clawhammer banjo on "House Carpenter," while John Borchard contributes dobro to "Did You Love Me At All" and "The Deep End." Buck McCumbers adds harmony vocals and Todd Sams plays banjo on "Give Me My Flowers While I’m Living" and "The Deep End." And, in her recording debut, Smith's daughter Ali Smith plays clarinet on "Metsäkukkia" and "Valse Melankolika."

The complete song list follows…

1. Break My Mind (J.D. Loudermilk)
2. Diamonds in the Rough (A.P. Carter)
3. Church Bell Blues (Luke Jordan)
4. How Can I Keep from Singing (Robert Wadsworth Lowry)
5. I Don't Want Your Rambling Letters (Nathan, Redd, Starr)
6. In Tall Buildings/Midnight on the Water (John Hartford/Benny Thomasson)
7. Lord Gordon's Reel (traditional)
8. Did You Love Me at All (Larry Campbell)
9. Metsäkukkia (traditional)
10. Give Me My Flowers While I'm Living (Certain, Stacey, Bigger)
11. I Get the Blues When It Rains (Klauber, Stoddard)
12. Reel d'Issodun (traditional)
13. The Deep End (J.D. Hutchison)
14. Waltzing with Jesus (Bob Montalto)
15. House Carpenter (traditional)
16. Valse Melankolika (Krejniuk, Skovmand, Kroeyer, Nyberg, Kofoed)

Players:

Rusty Smith: guitar, fiddle, vocals
Zeke Hutchison: mandolin (all), vocals 5
Terry Douds: bass
Todd Sams: banjo 10,13
Hilarie Burhans: banjo 15
John Borchard: dobro 8, 13
Jorma Kaukonen: guitar 11
Mark Hellenberg: percussion 11
Ali Smith: clarinet 9, 16
Bruce Dalzell: vocals 2
Gay Dalzell: vocals 2
Buck McCumbers: vocals 10, 13
Mimi Hart: vocals 1, 8


For more information, and to receive track 16 (Valse Melankolika)...

rusty_smith@sprynet.com
www.facebook.com/rustysmithmusic