The Chattahoochee Folk Hour

Travel across the pond in this episode and enjoy Scottish folk singers recorded at the Royal Oak Pub in Edinburgh. A few months ago, my brother and I travelled to the UK to visit my son, Leland, a PHD candidate in genomics and bioinformatics at Cambridge University. I packed my digital recorder and we ventured up to Scotland to experience the rich folk music scene in Edinburgh. Many thanks to my son Leland for the trip of a lifetime.

I had such a great time with Chuck and Susan Nation and Scotty DePriest that I couldn't leave any of their material on the studio floor. Enjoy Part Two of the Folk Hour with Chuck Nation.

Multi-instrumentalist Chuck Nation, along with his wife, bass player and vocalist Susan Nation,and master guitarist Scotty DePriest, appear in the studio, playing their toe tapping bluegrass and gospel tunes. A champion fiddle and mandolin player, Chuck Nation is legendary in bluegrass circles, having performed with many of the top musicians in bluegrass, on stages throughout the world. In this episode, Chuck talks about his career in music, and importantly, as a full time pastor, Chuck describes the importance of music as part of the human experience. Together with his wife Susan and Scotty, the trio plays several wonderful tunes in the studio, exemplifying why audiences across the globe fall in love with their performances. It was a special evening for me to spend time with them in the studio, and I'm certain you will enjoy learning more about the Chuck Nation band. For more information, visit their website at www.chucknationband.com.

Our guest on this week's edition of the folk hour is nationally known folk artist Grant Searcey. Grant shares his amazing story about discovering his passion for folk art in the midst of struggling with debilitating cardiomyopathy. The recipient of a heart transplant, Grant's whimsical art style has captured his audience, and his work has graced art galleries and private homes across the country. His story is an inspiration to all of us. Enjoy the imagery and mastery of Grant Searcey on the Folk Hour and online at www.grantsearcey.com.

In this episode, Belmont University graduate Kate Lee, and Harvard graduate Forrest O'Connor, together known as Wisewater, share their wonderful talents on The Chattahoochee Folk Hour. Although they have only been playing music together for a short time, Kate and Forrest blend wonderful harmonies with Kate's masterful fiddle playing and Forrest's mesmerizing musicianship on mandolin or bouzouki to create innovative and engaging material. Two wonderfully talented performers, Forrest and Kate strive to perfect the craft of songwriting and with their beautiful collaboration, Wisewater is quickly rising to the top of the folk music scene. You will enjoy getting to know Wisewater on this edition of the Folk Hour.

Minnesota native and Nashville songwriter Sally Barris appears on the Folk Hour and shares her heartwarming tunes and discusses life as a Nashville songwriter. Sally is a wonderful singer and an accomplished songwriter, and her songs have been recorded by some of the top artists in Nashville. For more information, check out her website at www.sallybarris.com.

The Littlest Birds migrated from the mountains of Sierra Nevada to Gainesville Georgia to appear on this edition of The Chattahoochee Folk Hour. Cellist David Huebner, and 'banjotista' Sharon Martinson combine their skilled musicianship with their tender harmonies to perform modern 'old time' music. Performing live in the studio, David and Sharon share a few classic old time tunes, along with several of their original songs. Their music is simple and pure, like their band name, yet intricate and complex as they combine the melodic clawhammer banjo with the deep and rich tones of the cello. For more information on The Littlest Birds, check out their website at www.thelittlestbirds.net.

UGA Professor Tommy Jordan appears on the Folk Hour and enlightens us on the significant contribution of folk and 'old time' music to the building of our rich musical heritage. In addition to his duties at the University of Georgia, Tommy is a major contributor to the folk music scene in north Georgia, and is one of the organizers of The North Georgia Folk Festival, an annual event which takes place this year on October 5 in Athens. In this edition of the Folk Hour, Tommy plays several folk tunes on his 1953 Martin guitar, and a few clawhammer banjo tunes on his OME banjo. From performing with his band, String Theory,to playing for contra dances, to his solo performances, Tommy brings a reverence and respect to music that pulls his listeners into this wonderful community built on the very basis of our American tradition. It was a pleasure for me to spend this hour with him in the studio, and to accompany him on a few tunes with my G harp. For more information on the North Georgia Folk Festival, check out their website at www.athensfolk.org, , and for Tommy's website, www.tommyjordan.com.

Enjoy the music of Sam Bush, Jefferson Ross, The Howlin Brothers, and other great artists on this edition with Co-Host Sam Taylor. During the Crazy World segment, Ralph puts Sam through his paces with obscure college mascots.

Get your howl on with 'The Howlin' Brothers', three incredibly talented musicians and singers who are blazing their trail in Americana/bluegrass circles. Ben Plasse, Jared Green and Ian Craft met at Ithica College, and began playing old time music together. After college, they moved to Nashville and honed their talents into a high energy band full of toe tapping tunes and high drivin' harmonies. On this edition of the Folk Hour, The Howlin' Brothers play several of their tunes live in the studio and discuss their debut album, 'Howl'. The sound quality in the studio was so pure that you can even hear Jared's high stepping during the show, reminiscent of John Hartford. During the Crazy World segment, learn techniques for a truly effective 'howl', and join in the first ever 'group howl' in the comfort of your own home. The Howlin' Brothers are the real deal, and it was such a pleasure to have them on the show. For more information, check out their website at www.thehowlinbrothers.com.

Asheville residents Melissa Hyman and Ryan Furstenberg combine cello, guitar and beautiful harmonies as 'The Moon And You', and present their melodic tunes on the Folk Hour. I had the good pleasure of meeting Melissa and Ryan at the Southeastern Regional Folk Alliance in Montreat, and they appeared on the Folk Hour during one of their trips to Atlanta. Find out more about Melissa and Ryan at their website, www.themoonandyou.com.

Jefferson Ross left his Georgia home at the ripe old age of 18 with guitar in hand, headed to Nashville, where he spent 27 years as a songwriter on Music Row. Along the way, he was a road musician and background singer for CCMA Entertainer Of Year, Terri Clark. Now, he has returned to Georgia, and brought his brand of 'Grooves, Grits and Great Stories' to The Chattahoochee Folk Hour. On this edition, Jeff sings several of his tunes on the Folk Hour, and brings stories of American life to song. Great having you back in the 'promised land' Jeff! For more information, check out Jeff's website at www.jeffersonross.com.

I was truly honored and thrilled to host the 'Reverend' Jeff Mosier, a master banjo player and wonderful singer/songwriter, on the Folk Hour. Jeff's life has been dedicated to music, from hosting his own radio show in Atlanta called 'Born In A Barn', to playing banjo in a number of bands including The Aquarium Rescue Unit, Blueground Undergrass and The Mosier Brothers Band. He has been a major part of the Atlanta music scene, and has performed with some legends of bluegrass such as Peter Rowan. In this show, Jeff plays several of his original songs which will touch your heart and soul (I refer to them as 'harmonies of the heart'), featuring his master technique of gentle, melodic banjo. In the Trail Folks segment, adventure runner Mike Taylor stopped by the studio to share with us tales from his second attempt to run the entire Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. and his pursuit of the legendary 'Sasquatch'. It was a memorable show that is a 'must hear', and we even had a studio audience consisting of Pat Burke, Ben Parker and Sam Taylor. Many thanks to Jeff Mosier. For more information about Jeff, check out www.themosierbrothers.com.

In this final edition of the two part series on Ralph's visit to The Southeastern Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conference in Montreat, this show features interviews with veteran songwriter Buddy Mondlock from Nashville, and a 'second career' songwriter, R.J. Cowdery from Columbus Ohio. Buddy and RJ share their perspectives on their respective careers in folk music and the significance of folk music in today's 'American Idol' culture. In this edition, you will also meet Hiroya Tsukamoto, a graduate of the Berkely College of Music who first learned to play bluegrass on five string banjo as a young boy in his native Japan. And, meet the Hollands, a modern day 'Von Trapp' family, touring the country in their RV, and sharing their music with communities all across America. For more information on these great artists, visit their websites at www.buddymondlock.com; www.rjcowdery.com; www.hiroyatsukamoto.com; and www.thehollands.org.

On this edition of The Chattahoochee Folk Hour, host Ralph Taylor visits the Southeastern Regional Folk Alliance meeting at Montreat, North Carolina. Over 200 musicians, singers, songwriters, promoters and venue hosts gathered for a celebration of music at Montreat, and in this first of a two part series, Ralph interviews and shares the music of three featured performers: SERFA President Kim Richardson from Arkansas; Dennis Cash from North Carolina, and Lara Herscovitch from Connecticut. The Folk Alliance is a vibrant community of artists who share a passion for their music, and Kim, Dennis and Lara discuss their musical journeys and emphasize the importance of the support and encouragement from their fellow musicians involved in the Folk Alliance. For more information on these wonderful artists, visit www.kimrichardsonmusic.com; www.denniscashmusic.com/# and www.laraherscovitch.com.

Tonight's show features the soulful songs of Beth Wood, recorded live at our house concert series, 'The Hoedown on the Trace'. Beth is a wonderfully talented singer songwriter and her songs are rich with heartfelt lyrics, highlighted by her powerful voice. Originally from Lubbock Texas, Beth has been recognized at folk festivals across the nation. I had the privilege of interviewing Beth in our sunroom the morning after her show. In this second anniversary show for the Folk Hour, I am pleased to share excerpts of her interview along with songs from her live performance. Enjoy one of folk music's shining stars, Beth Wood. For more information about Beth Wood, visit her website at www.bethwoodmusic.com.

This special edition of The Chattahoochee Folk Hour was taped live at the Hoedown On The Trace, a house concert with Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin. From Cobden Illinois, Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin are phenomenal singers, songwriters and musicians, whose songs range from Americana, to blues, to bluegrass and beyond! This show features their wonderful music, captured live in concert. My favorite part of the show is the 'Crazy World' segment, where Ralph reads a story about the adventures of folks singers Wil and Robert, and Robert had to spontaneously illustrate the emotions of the story with his fiddle. It totally spontaneous...and magical! For more information about Wil and Robert, check out Wil Maring's music facebook page and her website at www.wilmaring.com. Many thanks to the studio audience for their participation, and to Rich Roszel, the sound engineer, and Debbie Roszel, who wrote the Crazy World segment. Enjoy!!

'Sandyman' Flynn and 'Capt.' George Hergen, together the 'Irish Brothers' appear on the Folk Hour to share their toe tapping Irish tunes. Sandy and George became friends over 25 years ago, when they both had corporate jobs with IBM. They discovered their mutual love of music, and they have been paying tunes together ever since. Sandy and George have had success pursuing their passion for music. Sandy was formerly with the popular band 'Cullowhee' and spent several years as a songwriter in Nashville. George was part of the folk scene in Greenwich Village and was influenced in his love of Irish music by the noteworthy Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. In addition to their Irish tunes, Sandy shared a couple of his original tunes, including the bluesy 'Mississippi Moon', featuring Sandy's deep and resonating voice. It was a real pleasure for me to be in the presence of two wonderful musicians and lifelong friends. For more information about the Irish Brothers, visit www.sandymanflynn.com and http://gorddcymru.org/atlanta/music/cmd/hergen_george.htm.

Nashville singer songwriter Erin Thomas appears on the Folk Hour via telephone interview, sharing songs from her CD, 'You Don't Know Me'. Erin has an amazing lifestory, having been an orchestral french horn player in Nashville with the renowned Nashville String Machine. She developed a physical condition which left her unable to play at the professional level she had obtained. Thankfully, instead of leaving music, she learned to play guitar, and began singing and writing songs. As a result, she has taken country music by a storm. Learn more about Erin Thomas on this edition of the Folk Hour, and enjoy a selection of her songs from her CD, including 'That Kind of Love', a duet with the infamous Vince Gill. For more information about Erin and her music, visit www.sweeterin.com.

Emily Jackson makes her second appearance on the Folk Hour, performing her songs live in the studio. Emily has been performing in the Athens area regularly since her last appearance on the show. Her driving rhythms and bluesy vocals make her a popular choice! Enjoy!