Summer News

Summers on the fly and days are getting shorter so what can I say.  We've been gone some on family trips not music trips as it has been a different season of life for us and our family.  We are intentionally not going far away for a while.  Its hard to make plans for anything following the loss of family members and old friends in the past few weeks.  I even lost a great employee to a more serious employer, but, with a slower than usual season in my cabinet shop,  its been a good thing for now. 

 So having fixed up a neat old Gibson L-00 guitar for country music lady extraordinaire Sue Edmonds I am ready to get on to some banjo-making.  I just made a terrific haul of some birdseye maple from Ontario (where Jenny's parents live) and hope to do some trading to my banjo making buddies Mike Ramsey and Greg Galbreath.  I have curly maple and dark chocolate walnut as well.  Yum Yum!

 I have been asked to exhibit  my  banjo making for two dates later this summer.  First, on Saturday August 30th at the Blue Ridge Music Center, there will be myself along with several other luthiers who are known as players of their handmade instruments. Visit their website for more info.  There will be a playing demonstrations as well as the opportunities to see the construction methods for various string instruments.  A similar day will be held at the old Whitetop school the next Saturday September 6.  This day is dedicated to the memory of the prolific fiddle maker and player Albert Hash who was an inspiration for so many of us.  There will be arts, crafts, food, and several bands including Jenny and me performing in the afternoon.  See myspace.com/alberthashmemorialfestival.

Check our calendar for more performances coming up like 'Floydfest' and 'Stepping Out'

Our new CD has been getting airplay and great reviews.  Be sure to check our myspace page for a quick and easy way to listen to some sound clips.   Myspace.com/macandjennytraynham      

To obtain a copy direct from us  please come back to this blog and get the info from the very bottom of this page.   Thanks for any and all support for old-time country music. 

  Check back often as I hope to post more. Let us know who you are as we welcome contact from anyone.

 

New CD unleashed in Minnesota

We just returned from our 'gig' of the season in Southeast Minnesota in a town called Lanesboro.  It was the 10th anniversary of Bluff Country Gathering,  a weekend music camp  with workshops, concerts and a big Saturday night dance mostly held in a small community center.  It was great place to introduce our new CD 'Never Grow Old'  to a fantastic audience of old-time/bluegrass  and dance enthusiasts.  We sold out and wish we had brought more. 

 Anyway, we want to let everyone whose interested know  that the title is 'Not Ragged But Right' as was mentioned in a recent Floyd publication  although that fine song is Track 2 of 15.  We are proud of our efforts to finally have a compilation of the many kinds of songs we know and perform.  As Professor Kinney Rorer says  it " will appeal to the Saturday night sinner as well as the Sunday morning saint".

We will be the primary source for this at first so if you want one that's still 'hot'  of the presses

then see the ordering info at the bottom of the page.  

As always it is best to deal directly with the 'artist' to keep the middle man at bay, but, we plan to have them available in our usual consignment locations around Floyd in the coming weeks. It will also eventually be available through County Sales, the Floyd Country Store, and Ol '97 Wreckords and others.

Mark Hodges of Mountain Fever records and studios will be setting things up for folks to purchase digital downloads from our new myspace music page.  You can now hear 90 second clips of a few songs on the CD by visiting myspace.com/macanjennytraynham anytime.

We plan to put some more clips  of the new effort on this site soon as well.

Thanks for your reading this and for any and all of your support for old-time music.