We hope  we don't cause any confusion over this but we are going to call our new recording Never  Grow Old  NOT Ragged But Right.  After looking online I found that 'Ragged But Right'  is already in use in the form of at least two old-time/bluegrass groups named that and several recordings titled such. So not to add another Ragged but Right  to an already well used  list we have changed to  something that is perhaps a happier thought.  Never Grow Old  is used by others but not in our genre. We hope  we can help a new Generation discover some cool songs  that happen to be 'old' songs but now are 'new' to them.   The title is taken from the words to one of our tracks titled  In the Land Where We'll Never Grow Old.   It recently occurred to me that if you were to live by the words of the songs Tell it to Me or  Ragged But Right  you might 'never live long enough to grow old' anyway.  We obviously get a kick out of songs that are written from a 1920's derelict's perspective as well as a 2008 unemployed American male. (hear my words to All I Gots Gone). 

 So we   hope you'll check it out when I get some sample tracks for you to hear.  I think we have much more variety than we have had on our recordings in the past.  Other songs not mentioned  in the previous post include the Carter family song  My Old Clinch Mt Home with switching lead and harmony as well as a fast clawhammer banjo version of  their song There's No Hiding Place Down Here.  We also  have our Blue Sky Boys inspired version of Turn Your Radio On' as well as a fun 'mother' song called Mama, I'm Sick which has graphic culinary detail as described by  'her boy who went away'.   We also have Don't Let My Ramblin Bother Your Mind and In the Blue Hills of Virginia  from the repetoire of the Delmore Brothers.  

 Any one who is familiar with the names and musical style of our sources should be able to relate to these versions  as we  really don't change the words or melodies unless we have a good reason.  As you can tell we like many songs for a variety of reasons. Inside the  CD liner  each track will have a description of where we got it and why we like it just like on our other recordings.   Our new CD is an attempt to reflect the great variety of  our repetoire and of early 'country' music.  Professor Kinney Rorrer, our respected historian, friend and banjo picker is providing a paragraph or two to help enhance  one's understanding of us and our music.  I think I have come up with a cool photo for the front cover which has lots of details and a dichotomy as to the subject.  You'll have to see it and to know what I am talking about.  

We just hope we can get this CD out soon.  I am working on the details in between my regular shop work and weekly visits to my Mom's overnight.      Please check back  for the sample songs and if you ever hear one played on the radio or on-line please make a request for that song or another one.  It will help some of our obscure numbers to have a chance to be heard for their sake, first, and yours, second and ours, third.  THANKS 

mac

  

New CD in the works

Jenny and I finally got back in the studio in late February and March and finished recording several numbers for a CD project hoping it will come to fruition this May. There's still lots to do about the information and graphics but the music is 'in the can'. It will include several songs in our newest format of Mac -guitar/ harmonica and Jenny- fingerstyle OT banjo.

We are calling the project 'Ragged But Right' as it has been our theme since we started getting into arranging and performing 'cool' sounding old songs in the late 1970's. In addition to the rowdy song of that title, we have a new version of the social commentary song from the 1920's 'All I Got's Gone' except the word's are mostly original and are for today's realities. The project as a whole seems to be contrasting sacred versus secular numbers that are from older sources. We have included 'Tell it to Me' , a lively song that recommends corn licker over cocaine, as well as the high powered evangelistic number 'Are You Afraid to Die?' from the Stanley Brothers.

Our new friend, Jackson Cunningham, lends his voice and tasteful mandolin style to a couple of old-time gospel trios; namely " I'll Not Be A Stranger" and "Going up Home to Live in Green Pastures". Our old friend, mountain fiddler Shay Garriock, leads the melody on a newer stringband type song we all learned from the repetoire of the famous Kimble Family, entitled 'Red Mountain Wine'. We also include Shay in our old-time sounding rendition of the tear jerking number from Grayson County's Fields Ward called "In Those Agonizing Cruel Slavery Days."

Of course we are including a several upbeat numbers from our main inspirations, the Delmore Brother and the Original Carter Family as well as others. So check back often as I will be including sound clips of several numbers. I will also post the day of release and how you can order copies or downloads.

Our calendar is light this year because of my Mom's terminal cancer. We believe nothing is more important than family support so we are doing all we can to be there for her as long as needed. We intend to get out more as things ease up. Such is Life.

Thanks for coming to our page and reading this. Please tell others. We welcome comments too.