Category: Music Life

A Strong Workout Plus the Altered Five Blues Band’s “Mint Condition”

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Altered Five Blues BAnd - Charmed & Dangeous

A Strong Workout Plus Altered Five Blues Band’s “Mint Condition”

So last week was nice. Morning temperatures were in the mid-60s and relative humidity was also fairly low. Yesterday and today overall temperatures were up. This morning it was 76 degrees at 8 o’clock with 95% relative humidity and the sun shining brightly! Not conditions that I like to run in! This  68 year-old body can take just so much!

Anyway I decided to do an indoor workout. Since it was supposed to be a running day, I wanted to make it a mostly cardio workout. One of the things that I decided to include in the workout was a set of exercises, some of which are  from Kundalini yoga, I do to Snatam Kaur’a Song of the Mul Mantra.

I used probably the first Cardio playlist that I created which contains a lot of songs from the Sixites and added a few different songs. I kept it mostly just dance cardio but did use light weights, a resistance band and a 5 lb medicine ball during the workout. Here are the results!

The  Nerdy Results

  • Total Time: 60 min  Calories Burned : 541
  • Avg HR 117 bpm  Max HR 168 bpm
  • Time in HR Zones
  • Peak: 7 min Cardio: 35 min Fat Burn: 10 min

The results show that I burned as more calories today than I did on my 3.1 mile run on Tuesday. (All be it in more time).I also achieved my goal of  having the workout be mostly cardio. I may try this schedule running 2 days a week instead of three for a few weeks to see if my knees are a little better for it. While my knees aren’t real bad, they don’t feel as good as they use it on the non-running days.

Morning Music Playlist

If anyone is interested here is the basic playlist I used for the workout. I did however skip a few songs and added one or two songs from another playlist.

Now, how about some other late morning music …..

The Altered Five Blues Band – Charmed & Dangerous – “Mint Condition”

A few weeks ago, I discovered the Altered Five Blues Band. Their new release Ten thousand Watts was on the Roots Music Blues Chart ( this week the album is number 8 on the chart) but hadn’t been released yet. So when I went to Spotify, I checked out their 2017 release Charmed &Dangerous. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was a band I was going to like .

On the first track “Charmed and Dangerous”  I heard some killer guitar, good vocals and organ!! Oh yeah !

The second track “Mint Condition” continued the love fest, as the organ became more prevalent. Then they won me over by adding some blues harp on then third track  “Three Forks”.  I was sold on the band!!

I’ll write more about the band after listening to Ten Thousand Watts a few more times. But for now let’s go into the afternoon  with some late morning music “Mint Condition”from the Altered Five Blues Band album Charmed & Dangerous. Check it Out!

 

Encantado – Jim Stubblefield

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Encantado – Showcases Jim Stubblefield’s Guitar Wizardry!

Encanto-Jim Stubblefield

 

So last week while I was reading Richard Laymon’s No Sanctuary I was also listening to Encantado  the latest album from flamenco guitarist Jim Stubblefield. I stumbled on Stubbefield’s music on a trip a few years ago to the Princeton Record Exchange. On that trip I bought his 2007 release Inspiracion and really liked it. I haven’t listened to it enough lately.  I used to listen to a lot of flamenco guitar, when I was writing reports at Lippincott. Sadly, I haven’t been doing at all lately!!

Finding Encantado

Anyway I went to Spotify and was going to listen to Inspiracion. While thereI saw that Stubblefield had released Encantado. I gave that album a listen.  Now, I am a bigger fan of Jim after giving the album several listens!!

This morning I listened to some of the album on my way back from a shopping trip to Target. Then this afternoon it was the soundtrack for my hour-long run!!

Listening to Encantado is a real treat. Stubblefield is a an incredible guitarist and the atmospheric music on Encantado conjures up all kinds of images.

About Encantado

From Stubblefield’s website…..

Encantado, that demonstrates his versatility as a guitarist, composer and arranger. The album title derives from his appreciation of folklore and fantasy. Encantado is a term that means charm, enchantment and even intimacy.

It appears in Brazilian folklore as the general designation for a legend that begins in an underwater realm called “Encante” and encompasses mythical creatures including spirit beings, shape-shifting snakes and especially the “boto encantado” pink dolphin that lives in the Amazon River and its tributaries (the myth says that the boto is able to turn into a human form).

There are tales of the dolphin attending dances and celebrations in villages along the rivers, and having intimate relations with humans (some South Americans claim to be related to the boto). The Encantado album cover illustration depicts a guitar next to a Brazilian river with a snake and pink dolphin. Read more

Stubblefield is joined on Encantado by some great musicians including:

…. Randy Tico (Strunz & Farah, Flora Purim & Airto) on bass, Novi Novog (David Arkenstone, Prince, Michael Jackson, Frank Zappa) on viola and violin, Ramon Yslas (Luis Villegas, Strunz & Farah, David Sanborn, Christine Aguilera) on percussion, and Moksha Sommer (member of the neo-folk and world-rock group HuDost) on vocals. Guesting on one tune each are guitarists Eric Hansen and Mark Barnwell

Bottom Line

If you are a fan of guitarist like Jesse Cook, Armik and Ottmar Liebert you’re going to love Encantado!  So Check Out the Guitar Wizardry of Jim Stubblefield!!

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John Mayall Makes A Good Run Better! Try It

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Nobody Told Me - John Maayall

Originally Posted Aug 2019 – Revised and Updated Feb 2026

The Run

Yesterday’s was one of those days that was about as close to perfect as you can get. First we were going to be babysitting our grandson Logan all day while his parents and older sister went to Six Flags. The good thing was we didn’t need to be there until 9:30. That meant that I could run around 8:00 and and be done and showered by 9:30. So I got up at 7:00 did some warm up exercising and was out the door by 8:00.

I ran a 3.1 (5K) mile course that is pretty flat. It’s the fourth time I’ve run since I was sick with an upper respiratory infection and a touch of pneumonia. Overall, it was the best of the four runs. Here are the results….

The Nerdy Details

Total Distance: 3.19    Time :33:38     Pace: 10:33

Avg HR   144       Peak HR  163         Cals 423

Splits   1 – 10:18    2-  10:40      3- 10:51    0.19  9:38

The Soundtrack – Nobody Told Me – John Mayall

he first John Mayall album I bought was 1969’s The Turning Point. I really loved that album an over the next 50 years I have continued to follow his legendary career and he has consistently provided me with great albums!   Nobody Told Me is another.

Throughout his career Mayall has always had a terrific lead guitarist in his band, starting with Eric Clapton! Other guitarists who have worked with Mayall include: Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout,Coco Montoya and Rocky Athos.

Guest guitarists on Nobody Told Me  include Todd Rundgren, Joe Bonamassa, Larry McCray, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Steven Van Zandt and Carolyn Wonderland.

Bottom line

The bottom line is that at 85 years young John Mayall sounds as good as he ever has. While I like all the tracks on the album I would have to say that these four are my favorite tracks: “ What have I done Wrong” and “Delta Hurricane” with Joe Bonamassa. “Evil and Her to Stay” with Alex Lifeson and “Distant Lonesome Train” with Carolyn Wonderland.

So if you’re a fan of John Mayall you have probably already checked this album out. So I’d be interested in your opinion. And if you’ve never heard of Mayall check it out and I bet you’ll be checking out several more albums included in his extensive discography!

Here’s the Official Video for the tile track of Nobody Told Me featuring the band’s new lead guitarist Carolyn Wooderla d!

Ok so there were three things that made Tuesday a great day. A good run, babaysitting my 20 month old grandson Logan and finally I finished the 34th book I’ve read this year, Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva. When it was released in 2010 it won the Edgar for Best First Novel. I will be writing about it shortly!

Links

Artist’s Website

Album Review: Glide Magazine

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John Wort Hannam – Acres of Elbow Room – A Winner!

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So this morning I did some grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s. I started the trip listening to the Perpetual Optimism latest release from jazz drummer Herlin Riley.

But after getting my coffee I decided to listen to some Americana on my way instead of jazz. The reason is that I can listen to lyrics of folk songs better when I’m in the car! I

decided that on the way there I would listen to Acres of Elbow Room the new album from John Wort Hannam and then on the way back I’d listen to Voices by Tom Rush. Tom Rush’s Voices was released in April of 2018.

I first discovered the music of John Wort Hannam when I started this blog back in 2010.. First,  I started by listening to his second album Dynamite and ‘Dozers which was released in 2004. The songs on that album were impressive, so I quickly sought out Pocket Full of Holes. Then Came 2009’s Queen’s Hotel. You can read my posts about those albums here and here.

About John Wort Hannam

In 2001 John Wort Hannam quit his teaching job and spent 10 months depleting his savings while sat at his kitchen table, wearing a lucky hat, writing his first ten songs. Those songs would become his first recording Pocket Full Of Holes, released in 200

Seventeen years later, the Alberta musician is releasing his seventh full-length recording Acres Of Elbow Room and has a few feathers in that lucky hat for his first six offerings. Feathers that include a JUNO nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Album of the Year, a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, a Kerrville Texas New Folk win, and numerous Western Canadian Music Award and Canadian Folk Music Award nominations

Over the last few years,John has had both good and bad come into his life. The good included: becoming a Dad, turning 50 and moving to the “big City” of Lethbridge. While the bad included a long, deep bout of depression, and episodes of losing his singing voice. But John has weathered all his storms and new days are shining brighter. I think that Acres of Elbow Room is his best album since those three albums I wrote about earlier

About Acres of Elbow Room

I love the opening track “Acres of Elbow Room” in it John laments that while he loves the big city of Lethbridge there are times when he needs to get back out to open spaces.Can’t most of us relate to that!

He also writes about ” The Quiet Life” and how he’ll be fine living in that “Quiet Life”  As a quiet life person, I can relate to this song! He also wrote a song for his young son….and several other great songs!

The bottom line is that Acres of Elbow Room is a really, really, good album. So Check It Out!And you may think you need acres of elbow room, if after listening to the album, you end up in a small Trader Joe’s store!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of John Wort Hannam

Artist’s Website
Facebookhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NnOyQEZrRM
Twitter
YouTube

Here is the title track from Acres of Elbow Room

Blues Wednesday – Sean Chambers

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So for the last couple of weeks I’ve had Sean Chambers second album Humble Spirits on the mp3 player and have enjoyed it. Sean is a Florida bluesman in the mold of Stevie Ray Vaughan, i.e. blues with a rock edge. Humble Spirits, was produced by Bud Snyder (The Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule), and featured featured such special guests as Bernard Allison, Frankie and Dan Toler (The Allman Brothers), Bobby T. Torello (Johnny Winter) and Greg Allman band alumnus Bruce Waibel.

Sean has been ranked in the Top 50 blues rock guitarists by Britain’s “Guitarist Magazine” and he can really play! I feel that his guitar playing carries his ok vocals on the album!

Anyway there are a lot of decent songs on the album and it’s certainly worth several listens and will probably stay on the player for a while!

Sean Chambers Release Ten Til Midnight

Today I listened to his current release Ten Til Midnight.  I was only able to listen to a few of the tracks but what I heard sounded pretty good. If it cools off tomorrow the album will probably be playing when I run!

Here’s what it says on Sean’s website about the album:

On Ten ‘Til Midnight co-producer Tim Blair wanted to go for a live sound similar to their incendiary concert shows; so most of the tracks were recorded with few overdubs. They feature Chambers on guitar and vocals, and his regular touring band: Tim Blair on bass and Paul Broderick on drums. Special guests includes Ben Crider on Hammond B-3 organ, Jack Henriquez on piano, Gary Keith on harmonica, and Robin Bouie and Clarence L. Stevenson on backing vocals.

Here’s what Blogcritics says about Ten ‘Til Midnight:

Ten Til Midnight is a high-energy, pedal-to-the-metal, blues rock album that will leave you plastered against your seatback. Remember that speaker ad a few years back showing the guy sitting in a chair in front of his speakers, his hair blowing back? Yeah! That’s it, that’s the one. And that’s this CD, too. Ten cuts, 41 minutes of rockin’ blues.

So if you like Stevie Ray, Corey Stevens and other blues rock guitarists check out Sean!

Here’s “In the Winter Time” from Ten ‘Til Midnight

Ed Romanoff’s Self-titled Debut Album is a Winner

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Ed Romanoff - Ed Romaoff Album

Ed Romanoff – Ed Romanoff

.So when I listened to “St. Vincent De Paul.” the first track on Ed Romanoff‘s self-titled debut album for the second time on my four mile run tonight, it reminded me of Mary Gauthier‘s album The Foundling. Wait you listened to the song twice! I thought this album must be very short! But,  no the run was really long! The  ten track album clocks in at about 40 minutes, at which point, I was still a little way from my finish and was struggling along at about 11 minute per mile pace

Now back to the music! There’s a reason that the song reminded me about Gauthier’s album. Well, that’s because it appeared on Mary Gauthier’s album The Foundling. Ed wrote the song after he accompanied Mary to the orphanage where Mary had been left on the day she was born!  After the trip, they became good friends, subsequently, Ed at Mary’s request joined her on the road as a sideman, writing partner, and later in taking a DNA test. Mary wanted to learn more about her biological past, but Ed got the shock! In taking the test, Ed found the father he grew up with was not his biological father. “Sometimes you write a song and sometimes it writes you back,” he says.

About Ed Romanoff

Now this a great collection of well-crafted songs about life, the good and the bad. It’s not really a pick me up album. However, I think, the album was a good pick for today’s run. What did I say the other night? ” misery loves company” Well, I needed the company tonight because my left leg was giving me misery!  But because I was going so slow, I was able to focus on the music rather than the pain in my leg and there was alot to pay attention to:

There’s a song about unrequited love  “Breakfast for one on the 5th of July” , one about the disappearance of a  man on a winter’s day “Lady Luck”, and the random shooting of a man and woman necking in a car, “Yellow Rose”. He made it, she didn’t. See not much to put you in a good mood there, is there.

“I Must Have Done Something Right” is the one somewhat humorous song on the album. In the song a guy recalls all the terrible things he’s done to his best friend. However, somehow the friend remains loyal through it all. All included: that night I slept with your sister/You know I meant to keep that a secret”

The album has been on all the charts. It’s currently No 12 on the Euro-Americana Chart and No 22 on the FAR Chart. In addition, Ed was the 1st place winner in the lyrics category of the 2011 USA Songwriting Competition.  “Breakfast for One on the 5th of July” was the winning song.

Crit Harmon produced the album. Harmon has worked with: Martin Sexton, Lori McKenna, and Mary Gauthier. Josh Ritter, Tift Merritt, Meg Hutchinson, and Mary Gauthier provide harmony vocals on the album!

So once again the run was tough, really the pits, but the music was great! Here’s a performance of the award winning “Breakfast for One on the 5th of July”

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Trout Steak Revival -Spirit to the Sea – A Great Toe-Tapping Album

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TRuck Steak Revival - Spirit to the Sea Album Cover

Trout Steak Revival – Spirit to the Sea

Yesterday I posted that two albums have stood out in my music rotation over the last few weeks. The first one was Hard Times the latest release from jazz saxophonist Vincent Herring. The second one is Spirit to the Sea from the Colorado Indie-Americana string band Trout Steak Revival.

I first encountered the music of Trout Steak Revival back in 2012 , when I listened to their album Flight. After listening to that album I knew that this was a band that was going places. And they did!

About Trout Steak Revival

In 2014 they won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition. They also won an Emmy Award for a soundtrack they contributed to a Rocky Mountain PBS web documentary. they have also collaborated with school children in mentoring programs in Denver and Steamboat Springs. Their music is featured on Bank of Colorado’s radio and

Trout Steak Revival’s music blends the sounds  of folk, indie, bluegrass, and roots into their own style of Americana. The band members include: Casey Houlihan – Bass, Steve Foltz – Mandolin/Guitar, Will Koster – Dobro/Guitar, Bevin Foley- Fiddle and Travis McNamara – Banjo.

I love a band where the members are all masters of their respective instruments. That is certainly the case with the members of Trout Steak Revival! And while each picker is great there are two that make this album special for me and they are: Will Koster whose dobro sounds great throughout the album, and Bevin Foley’s fiddle which really makes some of the tracks soar!

Now many times when I listen to bluegrass albums I kinds cringe when I hear the vocals. There are some voices out there that are just too twangy for me. That is NOT the case with Trout Steak Revival, I love the vocals on Spirit to the Sea. On Spirit to the Sea, like their previous releases all five band members contribute unique lyrics, lead vocals and harmonies. And to my ears they all sound fantastic.

Bottom Line:

Spirit to the Sea is a 4.25 star out of 5 album for me. Five stars for the picking, four stars for the lyrics and four stars for the vocals and four stars for the overall upbeat feel of the album. Average them together and you get 4.25 stars. Ok so every time I start to pick out tracks that I like on an album, I usually find myself saying I like this one and this one and pretty soon it’s the whole album. So I ‘ll just say check it out!

Final Thoughts

I started this two-part post by writing about my eclectic taste in music. I said that I didn’t think there were many folks out there who like both bluegrass and jazz. So what connects the two genres of music for me. It’s like I wrote earlier listening to musicians who are masters of their respective instruments. In the case of Vincent Herring’s Hard Times it’s listening to the musical artistry of Vincent Herring, Cyrus Chestnut and Russell Malone. Masters of the saxophone, piano and guitar respectively.

On Spirit to the Sea it’s listening to great mandolin and guitar from Steve Foltz , dobro from Will Koster, Bevin Foley’s fiddle and Travis McNamara’s banjo.

The big difference between the two genres for me is when I listen to them. I mainly listen to jazz while I’m reading and bluegrass when I’m in the car or when I’m up moving around and doing something.  How is it with you???

 

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The Video

So how about we close out this post with “Feeling So Good” the closing track on Spirit to the Sea.The Video

“Up in the Old Hotel” with Tom Russell. Cue up Wikipedia!

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Up in The Folk Hotel Tom Russell

Tom Russell’s release Folk Hotel has been in my music rotation for a week or so now,
and I like the album more and more each time I listen to it.
There are few songwriters whose songs send me to Wikipedia to look up references the way Tom’s does.
In fact, I was sent scurrying on the first track: “Up in the Old Hotel.”

The first reference I chased was Joseph Mitchell,
whose ghost wanders the halls of Tom’s Folk Hotel. Here’s what I found:

Joseph Mitchell and Up in the Old Hotel

(July 27, 1908 – May 24, 1996) was an American writer best known for his work in
The New Yorker. He wrote careful portraits of eccentrics and people on the fringes of society,
especially in and around New York City.
His book Up in the Old Hotel collects the best of his writing for The New Yorker.
Mitchell’s last book was Joe Gould’s Secret (1964).
From 1964 until his death in 1996, Mitchell went to work at his office daily,
but never published anything significant again.
Read More

Dylan Thomas and the Hotel Chelsea

The second reference in the song points to the death of poet Dylan Thomas and his infamous final days:

On 3 November 1953, Thomas spent the day drinking in New York.
He returned to the Hotel Chelsea declaring,
“I’ve had 18 straight whiskies. I think that’s the record!”
Later that week, he fell gravely ill and was admitted to St. Vincent’s Hospital,
where he died on 9 November 1953 of acute alcohol-related complications.
Read More

One Song, Countless Stories

I love that about Tom Russell’s songs. One verse can send me looking up a writer I’d never heard of, while the next leads me to a poet, a painter, or some forgotten corner of American history. His songs aren’t just stories—they’re invitations to keep exploring.

I’ll have more to say about Folk Hotel in another post, but for now I’ll leave you with Tom performing “Up in the Old Hotel.”

More Tom Russell Stories

If you’d like to read more about one of my favorite songwriters, continue with:

  • Folk Monday: Old Friend Slaid Cleaves and Tom Russell – How Mesabi first entered my music rotation and led to plans for a special concert.
  • Tom Russell Live at Jammin’ Java – My memories of seeing Tom and Thad Beckman perform many of these songs live in an intimate setting.

Phil Ochs and the States of Nixon and Trump -Still Relevant!

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Phil Ochs I Ain't Marching Anymore. Album where Here to the State of Mississippi appears

Daily Roots will be a recurring feature of this site. It is a a way of revisiting music, books, and ideas that first took hold decades ago — not out of nostalgia, but because some things refuse to stay in the past. This felt like the right place to begin, because Phil Ochs wrote songs that keep rewriting themselves every time history circles back on itself.

This post was originally written in 2017 during the first Trump administration but it’s even more relevant here in 2026!

Phil Ochs and “Here’s to the State of Mississippi “

As I have watched the unfolding of the events surrounding the President over the last few weeks the similarities to Trump and Nixon get stronger every day. These similarities led me to the songs of Phil Ochs. Well at least to one song “Here’s to the State of Mississippi”

Way back in the mid-60s during the height of the Civil Rights struggle many people were aghast at the actions of the people of Mississippi. Folksinger Phil Ochs responded through song and wrote the classic “Here’s to the State of Mississippi”. In the song Ochs sang….

Here’s to the state of Mississippi,
For underneath her borders, the devil draws no lines,
If you drag her muddy river, nameless bodies you will find.
whoa the fat trees of the forest have hid a thousand crimes,
the calendar  is lyin’ when it reads the present time.
Oh here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of,
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of!….

Complete Lyrics Here

Updating the Song “Here’s to the State of Richard Nixon”

Fast forwarding several years and Phil needed to update the song and change Mississippi to Richard Nixon. In updating the song he added a new versus just for Tricky Dick…..

And here’s to the government of Richard Nixon
In the swamp of their bureaucracy
They’re always bogging down
And criminals are posing
As advisors to the crown
And they hope that no one sees the sights
And no one hears the sounds
And the speeches of the president
Are the ravings of a clown

Complete lyrics Here. Here’s Phil performing the song……

Hmm, seem like any government we may know??? Yep! Old Tricky Dick and Donald are like twin sons of different mothers!!

And Now – Here’s to the State of Donald Trump

While I was searching YouTube for Phil’s version of the song I can across this updated version of the song. It includes verses for Steve Bannon and Jeff Sessions along with dear Donald! Enjoy!

And after 50 plus years the question remains “why do Republicans hate poor people?”

Links

Remembering Phil Ochs
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AllMusic

Youtube
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About Phil Ochs

Philip David Ochs was an American songwriter, protest singer, and political activist. Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, and political commentary. He wrote about 200 songs in the 1960s and 1970s and released eight albums. Wikipedia

Born: December 19, 1940, El Paso, TX

Died: April 9, 1976 (age 35 years), Far Rockaway, New York, NY

Spouse: Alice Skinner (m. 1962–1976)

Parents: Jacob Ochs, Gertrude Phin Ochs

Siblings: Michael Ochs, Sonny Ochs

 

Ray Cardwell – Tennessee Moon, A Steller Anchor for a Good Run

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This post was originally posted in 2017 and has been updated in Nov 2025 with new stuff added!

The Run – 3.25 Mile Creek Loop

Today’s run was my fifth run in the month of February. That’s a good start on the year and on a pace to run on more days than a typical February. The soundtrack for the run was Tennessee Moon from Ray Cardwell.

I ran the same course today that I have run for the last  two runs. It is a 3.25 mile loop that is mainly flat with a couple of small increases in elevation. Initially, I thought about running 4 miles today, but after running the first mile in the fastest time this year, I decided to shorten it to 3.25 miles. I shorten the run  for two reasons. The first reason was so I wouldn’t be tired for the rest of the day! And the second because  I needed to leave time to shower and eat lunch between the end of the run and babysitting granddaughter Zoe!

The run was my best runs of the year. My time was a little more than a minute faster than my time last week over the same course. I maintained a pace averaging a little under 11 minutes per mile over the first 2 plus miles. Overall, my pace for the entire run was 11:05 min/mile. The splits were 10:49 (1) 10:59 (2) 11:25 (3) and 11:17 (.25). I really slowed down over the third mile. One reason was  to see if I could lower my heartbeat a little. The other was because I was going up one of those little rises in elevation! Overall it was a good run and left me feeling like I wanted to go out and do it again tomorrow! Ah, but my knees know better!

The Soundtrack – Tennessee Moon – Ray Cardwell

The soundtrack for the run was Tennessee Moon the 2017 release from singer, songwriter and bassist Ray Cardwell. When I first listened to this album the other night, I thought that it had a John Cowan, New Grass Revival vibe to it.

When I went to read about the album I discovered two reasons. The first was that New Grass Revival alum Pat Flynn produced the album and John Cowan provided tenor and harmony vocals on the album!  Here’s a little about Ray from the Pinecastle Records website:

Ray honed his musical chops playing in The Cardwell family bluegrass band in the late 1970’s. In the ‘80s he spent time playing rock and reggae before moving to Nashville in the ‘90s to be a member of the bluegrass band, the New Tradition.

He returned to his home state of Missouri a few years later to raise a family while teaching vocal and instrumental ensembles. Along the way he has had experience with an eclectic mix of musical genres from bluegrass and Americana to musical theater and Motown. Now living in Nashville, TN Cardwell has returned to his musical roots while blending in his varied influences to create a style all his own.

Ray Cardwell wrote or co-wrote nine of the twelve tracks on the album. Ray says this about his music….

“I feel my music is based upon the traditional style of bluegrass and old timey music my parents raised me on, and the collection of musical experiences I’ve had in my journey through life. My songwriting is a direct reflection of new ideas balanced with the traditions of the past.

My Thoughts….

Favorite tracks include the title track “Tennessee Moon”, the opening track “His Will”,  “Stop, Look and Listen” and “Sailin’ for Glory”.  I must not have been struggling too badly throughout the run because I remember hearing most of the songs!

Now for me maybe the most important part of any bluegrass album is the picking and there are some good pickers on Tennessee Moon. First and foremost there;s my favorite dobro player Rob Ickes. Others include Andy Leftwich on fiddle and mandolin, Jesse McReynolds on mandolin and Scott Vestall on banjo. The producer Pat Flynn also provided some fine guitar and harmony vocals. Here’s the complete line-up…..

The Pickers and Singers

Ray Cardwell – bass, lead and harmony vocals
Pat Flynn – guitar, harmony vocals
Danny Roberts – mandolin
Jesse McReynolds – mandolin (“Tennessee Moon”)
Scott Vestal – banjo
Rob Ickes – resonator guitar
Andy Leftwich – fiddle, mandolin
Vocals: John Cowan, Claire Lynch, Ronnie Bowman, Scott Russell, Eric Morris, Brad Reside

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Pinecastle Records
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Bluegrass Today

The Tennessee Moon Playlist

Here is a short playlist of favorite songs from Tennessee Moon.I  will admit that I don’t usually like gospel but the two gospel tracks here work for me! I

Post Update

Over the last four to five years, I’ve written fewer posts than I would’ve liked — a trend I’m working to reverse! I’m also checking in on the artists and bands to see what they’ve been up to since I first wrote about them.

Since I wrote this post back in 2017, Ray Cardwell has continued to release strong, soulful bluegrass albums. His music has blended the traditional tones of the genre with a warm, rootsy vocal spirit that still carries that touch of gospel he’s always had.

Albums Since 2017:

YearAlbum
2019Stand On My Own
2020Just a Little Rain
2025Singing Tree

I was listening to Singing Tree tonight while editing this post — and it reminded me why Ray Cardwell stood out to me the first time I heard him. The songwriting is strong, the arrangements are warm and lively, and that soul-through-bluegrass voice remains the anchor.

This one may work its way into a Tangy Tuesday post… stay tuned.