Balsam Range and Buddy Melton “Stacking Up The Rocks”

Buddy Melton, an award-winning voice that was nearly silenced

Members of Balsam Range honor the Lord’s saving power with “Stacking Up The Rocks”
Balsam Range Caleb Smith, Darren Nicholson, Buddy Melton, Tim Surrett, Marc Pruett

Nashville, TN — Five talented friends from the blue-collar county of Haywood in North Carolina, got together one night for a jam session … and it felt good. Soon, the band Balsam Range was born, and now, five albums later, this high energy acoustic band has won awards and garnered fans worldwide. They have been invited to play some of the most iconic stages in the USA including The Grand Ole Opry, MerleFest, Music City Roots, Mountain Stages from The Lincoln Theater, The Zac Brown Band Southern Ground Festivals and coming up in the Spring of 2015, Stagecoach, California’s huge Country Music Festival.
During his recovery, Buddy felt that his strength and muscle tone were diminishing. He pushed himself and started riding his mountain bike, setting a goal for himself that his wife and doctors thought impossible and even foolish. He was determined to compete in the Assault on Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak East of the Mississippi River. The race is 6,684 feet above sea level with 10,357 feet of vertical climbing. He trained rigorously and in 2013, Buddy participated in the race, and despite continuing to struggle with issues from the farm accident, he finished 87th in the Men’s 40-44 age bracket, and 489th overall out of 719 riders.
Balsam Range went on to release its 5th album in 2014 and this year, at the IBMA Awards, Balsam Range was named ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR, VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR. And the determined singer and fiddler? Well, Buddy Melton won the MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Award.

Buddy wrote a very song that is performed a cappella on the album FIVE. “Stacking Up The Rocks” was inspired by a Biblical passage from Joshua, which Buddy’s mother shared with him in the hospital as he recovered from his injuries. It was written to honor what the Lord has done in Buddy’s life, and as a reminder for everyone of God’s saving power. A line in the song says, “…So that all the people of the earth might remember that the hand of the Lord is mighty.”

Others have noted the talent of Balsam Range and invited the band into more opportunities. The band provided the music for DAYLIGHT, a swampy, original Americana release by John Driskell (“Hop”) Hopkins, founding member of the Zac Brown Band. Balsam Range also provides music and appears in the upcoming motion picture thriller, Careful What You Wish For, directed by Elizabeth Allen and starring Isabel Lucas, Dermot Mulroney, Nick Jonas and Paul Sorvino.

The men of Balsam Range actively give back at every opportunity, raising more than half a million dollars for various regional and national charities. For their annual Winter Concert Series, held at the historic Capitol Theater in Canton, NC, the fellas have each chosen a charity that will benefit from each of the 5 concerts in the series.

Balsam Range released its 5th album in 2014. The appropriately titled, FIVE, debuted at #4 on Billboard Bluegrass, where it remained for 6 consecutive weeks. The album is available on the Mountain Home Music Company label, and it contains one song that has a unique meaning to these five friends.

The band is enjoying a career high, however, that nearly didn’t happen.

Singer/fiddler, Buddy Melton sustained serious head injuries in an accident on his farm in 2012. For the first few days, it was uncertain whether he would survive. Family, band mates, friends, and the extended family music lovers all hit their knees and prayed for Buddy’s recovery.

Later, Buddy was told by docs that, due to the severity of his head injuries and especially the damage to his sinuses, Buddy was not likely sing again, or ever sound the same. The band was already in the studio working on PAPERTOWN and as he recovered, Melton “just had to know.” He called up guitar player/singer Caleb Smith and asked Caleb to take him to the studio, although doctors and Melton’s wife, Carla, were against the idea. Although he was incredibly weak, Melton stepped up the microphone and delivered the poignant “Wide River To Cross” and his voice was still there … a voice that had helped to define the Balsam Range sound and now would take a 4th album to an ALBUM OF THE YEAR win at IBMA 2013.

Mountain Home Music Company Artists Receive Award Nominations

Annual SPBGMA Awards to Honor Bluegrass Best and Beloved

Nashville, TN --- Mountain Home Music Company congratulates label artists who received award nominations this week for the 41st annual Bluegrass Music Awards by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America, (SPBGMA).

SPBGMA awards will be selected by a vote by attendees during the SPBGMA convention, slated for February 5-8 at the Sheraton Music City in Nashville. Winners will be announced during an awards show starting at 6:30 p.m. on February 8th.

Balsam Range, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Grascals and Flatt Lonesome picked up a dozen nominations in the SPBGMA awards, with individual band members named for achievement in several of the categories.

Mountain Home Music Co. nominees for Bluegrass Album of the Year are Balsam Range for FIVE and The Grascals for WHEN I GET MY PAY. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver is nominated for both Gospel Group of the Year (Contemporary) and Entertaining Group of the Year. The Grascals received a nomination for Instrumental Group of the Year.

Instrumentalists who received nominations are Tim Surrett of Balsam Range for Bass Fiddle Performer of the Year, Jamie Johnson of The Grascals for Guitar Performer of the Year and Danny Roberts of The Grascals for Mandolin Performer of the Year. Sisters, Charli Robertson and Kelsi Robertson-Harrigill of Flatt Lonesome are nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, Contemporary and Traditional, respectively. Buddy Melton of Balsam Range received the nod for Male Vocalist of the Year.

In the Song of the Year category, “So Far” by Flatt Lonesome is nominated.

So far, so good for Mountain Home Music Company and its gifted artists. The label is based in Arden, NC and boasts many award nominated and winning artists in Bluegrass, Americana and Southern Gospel Music.


ABOUT SPBGMA
The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America is a not-for-profit corporation incorporated since 1974. The organization aims to preserve the traditional spirit and art form of Bluegrass music through a variety of activities including competitions, festivals and consultation.

PICTURED (Clockwise from top left): Balsam Range, Doyle Lawson, Flatt Lonesome, The Grascals

Balsam Range Announces Winter Concert Series

Plans are complete for the 5th annual series with IBMA Entertainer of the Year and guests at historic Colonial Theater NASHVILLE, TN --- Balsam Range has announced a truly great lineup for its 5th Annual Winter Concert Series. The band brings five concerts to their Haywood County, NC home each year, all presented at the historic Colonial Theater. “Our winter concert series is a kind of gift to our community. It’s an opportunity to share the talents of some really amazing artists that we admire and don’t usually get to perform with,” says Balsam Range’s Tim Surrett. Guests for each of the five concerts include fan favorites and award winners. The 2014-15 series will include The Jeff Little Trio with Steve Lewis and Josh Scott; The Molly Tuttle Trio; North Carolina’s own, The Harris Brothers; The Snyder Family Band; and The Studio Dream Team, comprised of musicians Jeff Collins, David Johnson and Tony Creasman. Concerts are held at the Colonial Theater in Canton on the first Saturday of each month, December 2014 through April 2015. Balsam Range, winner of the 2014 IBMA Entertainer of the Year, also performs at each show. Special guest artists are selected by the members of Balsam Range. Tim Surrett, Buddy Melton, Caleb Smith, Darren Nicholson and Marc Pruett often use their many hours on the road to talk about and share with each other the music of artists they admire. “We love to get our own musical heroes on these shows,” says mandolin player extraordinaire, Darren Nicholson. “Musicians are inspired by other artists. It’s just as much fun for us to share an evening with these folks as it is for our fans and friends to hear them.” Balsam Range tries also to bring artists to the series who don’t regularly play in the area. Past concerts, which have all been sell-outs, have boasted guests from among the top names in the business as well as fast-rising stars of acoustic music. Guests have included Tony Rice, Bobby Hicks, John Wiggins, Carl Jackson, Jerry Salley, Larry Cordle, Jim Hurst, Shawn Camp, The Sweet Lowdown, John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band and more. BALSAM RANGE WINTER CONCERT SERIES 2014-15 12/6/14 – The Molly Tuttle Trio: LINK 01/3/15 – The Jeff Little Trio: LINK 02/7/15 – The Harris Brothers: LINK 03/7/15 – The Snyder Family Band: LINK  04/4/15 – The Studio Dream Team: Jeff Collins, David Johnson, Tony Creasman: LINK Each of the five concerts will support a different area charitable organization, as chosen by the members of the band.   Tickets are available for $22 at The Colonial Theater box office (53 Park St. Canton, North Carolina 28716) or by calling 828-235-2760. All shows begin at 7:30 PM Saturdays, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. Tickets are nonrefundable and date specific. The band gratefully acknowledges its sponsors for the 2014-15 series: Amy Spivey of ERA Sunburst Realty, The Waynesville Inn Golf Resort and Spa, and Smoky Mountain Roasters Coffee Shop. In addition to IBMA Entertainer of the Year, Balsam Range was also honored with Vocal Group of the Year, and single awards were given to Buddy Melton (Male Vocalist of the Year) and Tim Surrett (Mentor Award - one of a series of special honors called Momentum Awards - for his inspired work with young and developing artists). For more information, visit www.balsamrange.com   MEDIA CONTACT FOR BALSAM RANGE: Claire Ratliff | Laughing Penguin Publicity | 615.476.3200 | info@penguinpublicity.com

Beyond the Recognition: The Effect of Awards on Music Careers

Pictured at an IBMA Awards after-party are Mickey Gamble (left), president ofCrossroads/Mountain Home Music Company of Arden NC, and Tim Surrett of the multi-award winning band Balsam Range. Surrett is the original founder of the Mountain Home label.

A Label Exec, Artist and Agent Weigh In Nashville, TN --- Artists on the Mountain Home Music Company label garnered the greatest number of nominations of any record label in the recent 2014 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Awards. When the awards were handed out, Mountain Home artists walked away with six impressive honors. Balsam Range was named both Vocal Group and Entertainer of the Year with singer/fiddler Buddy Melton named Male Vocalist of the Year and Tim Surretthonored with the Mentor Award. Adam Steffey of The Boxcars won the Mandolin Player award. With its second album released earlier this year, the vibrant young group, Flatt Lonesome was named Emerging Artist of the Year. All in all, a very good day for the ambitious record label based in North Carolina’s unassuming community of Arden. So, aside from the recognition and a moment in the spotlight, what can awards mean to an artist’s career or to a record label? What is the effect on the business of the music business? “First, I’ve got to say that any nomination or award is an honor. Just think of the number of people out there making music, and then to be selected for any kind of recognition, well, that’s pretty special,” says Tim Surrett of Balsam Range and Mountain Home Music Company. “Beyond that, awards can enhance an artist’s image and raise awareness both within and outside of the genre. That kind of recognition provides talking points for managers, agents and publicists who represent the artist. Additionally, songwriters and publishers are eager to pitch great songs to award-winning artists.” Mountain Home Music Company counts among its artists multiple nominees and winners in the Grammys, Dove, IBMA, SPBGMA, ICM (Inspirational Country Music) Awards and more. President, Mickey Gamble, shares his thoughts. “The result is multi-tiered. Awards can have a positive effect on the way everyone connected with the winner conducts business: artists, songwriters, publishers, labels and agents. A high profile nomination or award, especially something that is widely covered by the media, can boost sales and increase tour dates for the artist,” Gamble says. “There is a level of credibility that comes with having award winners on the label that enhances the overall reputation of the label, making it easier to attract other promising or very accomplished artists to the roster, and that means we get to do more of what we love most: working with talented artists and supporting their creation of great music,” Gamble notes. Many great bands are competing for a finite number of quality tour dates. Award recognition can pave the way to the stage of venues that might have previously been a tough sell. From the agent’s perspective, Mike Drudge of Class Act Entertainment, (pictured, Drudge books acts including Balsam Range and The Boxcars), adds his thoughts of the effect of awards on the business of music. “Awards are always great talking points, and the more high profile the award is, the more it adds to the ‘marquee value’ of an act. A major award, like Balsam Range’s 2014 Entertainer of the Year nod, adds a layer of legitimacy, if you will, particularly to those outside of Bluegrass. Similarly, when The Boxcars were nominated for a Grammy, it was an instant door opener to presenters and venues that may have limited familiarity with Bluegrass artists, as if to say, ‘Well, if they were nominated for a Grammy, they must be good!’”  “In my experience,” Drudge adds, “awards that result from a vote by peers carry more weight than fan-voted awards. Both the Grammys and IBMA Awards are voted on by peers in the industry – folks ‘in the know’ – so when someone from the outside looking in sees an act recognized by peers, it means a lot.” Mountain Home Music Company, a division of Crossroads Entertainment and Marketing, Inc., has earned a reputation as a premiere Bluegrass label with global distribution. The label boasts elite artists including Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Boxcars, Lonesome River Band, Balsam Range, The Grascals, Snyder Family, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Danny Roberts, Crowe Lawson Williams, Flatt Lonesome and in a new signing at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, Chris Jones and The Night Drivers. Established in 1993, Crossroads is a market leader in the Bluegrass, Americana, and Christian Music fields. FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.mountainhomemusiccompany.com www.balsamrange.com www.classactentertainment.com MEDIA CONTACT Claire Ratliff Laughing Penguin Publicity claire@penguinpublicity.com 615.476.3200

Balsam Range Takes Top Honors at IBMA Awards

Mountain Home Music Company artists honored for excellence in several categories

Nashville, TN – It was a big night for Balsam Range at the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards, which were announced during a red carpet event at the annual World of Bluegrass convention in Raleigh, NC.

Singer/Fiddler Buddy Melton was named Male Vocalist of the Year and shared his heartfelt gratitude from the stage. Balsam Range was honored as Vocal Group of the Year, and in the final award of the night, this band of friends from North Carolina's Haywood County was honored with the coveted IBMA Entertainer of the Year Award.

Guitar virtuoso and singer, Caleb Smith, however, nearly missed the big moment.

Balsam Range had just performed "Moon Over Memphis" and Caleb was backstage talking guitars with fellow-artist, Del McCoury. Guitars are, after all, a favorite topic for Smith, a luthier who makes Caleb Smith Guitars. When the Entertainer of the Year award was announced, McCoury had to interrupt Smith, saying "Son, I think they just said your name." No fret, Caleb made it to the stage in time to accept the award alongside Tim Surrett, Buddy Melton, Marc Pruett and Darren Nicholson.

Label-mates at Mountain Home Music Company also received IBMA awards. Adam Steffey of The Boxcars was named Mandolin Player of the Year, and Flatt Lonesome won the Emerging Artist of the Year award. At an earlier luncheon program, Tim Surrett of Balsam Range was honored with the Mentor Award (one of a series of special honors called Momentum Awards) for his inspiration and work with young and developing artists.

Balsam Range, [pictured above], recently released its fifth album, FIVE. The band's previous release, PAPERTOWN, was named 2013 IBMA Album of the Year.

IBMA Awards are decided by a vote of the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the trade association for the bluegrass music industry. The IBMA Awards Show was broadcast live on SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction), and streamed for viewing by Music City Roots.

Balsam Range Garners Two More IBMA Nominations

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has announced the nominees for the Momentum Awards. Each artist was chosen by committees through a multi-stage process involving both musicians and music industry leaders.
“One of the distinctive features of the bluegrass world is that the peak years of careers are often measured in decades, even as we welcome an abundance of new artists and industry professionals into the ranks,” Jon Weisberger, IBMA board chair, explains. “So as our top artists and professionals continue to enjoy recognition from their peers through its annual awards, the IBMA’s Board of Directors saw a need to salute some of the best and brightest among those who are closer to the beginnings of their careers, and created the Momentum Awards — noteworthy for including not just singers, pickers and bands, but events or venues and professionals — as a vehicle for drawing attention to their achievements."

Balsam Range is currently nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year and Buddy Melton is up for Male Vocalist of the Year.

Tim Surrett of Balsam Range was nominated for the Mentor Award (given to a bluegrass professional who has made a significant impact on the lives and careers of newcomers to the bluegrass industry.)
Balsam Range was also nominated for the Industrial Involvement Award for Colonial Theater, Balsam Range monthly concert series – Canton, N.C.

Catch them at the awards or during World of Bluegrass.

For a full list of performances click here

IBMA Entertainer of the Year Nominee, Balsam Range, Tops the Charts

Click Here to Get Your Print of the Moon Over Memphis Suggested Tweet:  @IntlBluegrass Entertainer of the Year Nominee, @BalsamRange remains firmly at the top of the #bluegrass charts with #MoonOverMemphis. Media Contact: Claire Ratliff Laughing Penguin Publicity 615.476.3200 claire@penguinpublicity.com   IBMA Entertainer of the Year Nominee,Balsam Range remains firmly at the top of the Bluegrass charts with "Moon Over Memphis." “Moon Over Memphis” is the Number One Bluegrass song on the charts again this week, marking two straight months for the upbeat and contagious tune at No. 1 on the Bluegrass Today Monthly Chart, and three straight weeks on the weekly chart. “Moon Over Memphis” features the deft vocals of IBMA Male Vocalist nominee, Buddy Melton, and that always remarkable Balsam Range pickin’. If you would like to own a print of the spectacular original cover art for Balsam Range's album, Five, which depicts the “Moon Over Memphis” it is available in the store section of balsamrange.com. "It [the original artwork] was painted by a great artist friend of ours, Nancy Hilliard Joyce. She is amazing! Get one for yourself to commemorate this great song," said Tim Surret.

With Mountain Home and Organic Records, Crossroads Label Group Artists Lead with 22 Nominations across 12 Categories for 2014 International Bluegrass Music Awards

Nashville, TN – Nominees for the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Awards were announced at a press conference in Franklin, TN with artists from the Crossroads Label Group (Mountain Home and Organic Records) receiving 22 nominations across 12 Award Categories.   The Boxcars [pictured at top] received ten nominations, including Instrumental Group, Album of the Year (It’s Just A Road), two for Song of the Year (“It’s Just A Road” and “You Took All the Ramblin’ Out of Me”), Gospel Recorded Performance (“When Sorrows Encompass Me Around”) and Instrumental Recorded Performance (“Skillet Head Derailed”). Ron Stewart received two nominations, one as Banjo Player of the Year and one as Fiddle Player of the Year. For his work with the Boxcars, band member Adam Steffey earned a nomination for Mandolin Player of the Year; as a solo artist, Steffey received a nomination for Instrumental Recorded Performance (“Johnny Don’t Get Drunk”).   Balsam Range was nominated in the prestigious Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group and Instrumental Group categories. Band member Buddy Melton received a nomination for Male Vocalist, as well. Additionally, Melton appears as a guest artist with Terry Baucom and Marty Raybon on “Martha White, Lester & Earl,” nominated for Recorded Event of the Year. The band, [pictured], has the current IBMA Album of the Year with its previous release, PAPERTOWN. Balsam Range recently released FIVE, the band's appropriately titled fifth album. The Grascals received two nominations; Instrumental Recorded Performance (“Five Miles to Milan”), and Recorded Event (“American Pickers” with Dierks Bentley).   Flatt Lonesome is named in the Emerging Artist category. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver is nominated in the Vocal Group category. Sammy Shelor of Lonesome River Band, is nominated for Banjo as an Instrumental Performer.Darin & Brooke Aldridge received a nomination for Gospel Recorded Project for “Love Does” which appears on the album FLYING, nominated for Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project (Lynn Weathers, designer).   A complete list of nominations is available here.   Nominations are decided by a vote of the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the trade association for the bluegrass music industry. Results of the balloting will be revealed at the International Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, October 4 during World of Bluegrass Week, held September 30 - October 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The IBMA Awards Show will also be broadcast live on SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction).

Mountain Home Music Company Congratulates Artists on Top 20

Three Artists Top the Billboard Bluegrass Album Charts (NASHVILLE, TENN) - Mountain Home Music Company, a division of Crossroads Entertainment & Marketing of Arden, NC, has developed a reputation for presenting the finest in Bluegrass and Acoustic music. For the first time, the label boasts three albums in the Top 20 on the Billboard Bluegrass Charts. Flatt Lonesome's Too landed at #5, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver's Open Carefully, Message Inside is at #10, and Balsam Range's Five at #15. The Billboard Bluegrass Charts are determined by the week's top-selling bluegrass albums, ranked by sales data as complied by Nielsen SoundScan. For more information on Mountain Home Music and their artists visit: http://crossroadsmusic.com/bluegrass   In case you missed it... Click on the album covers to access review materials for each artists' new release.  MEDIA CONTACTS Ty Gilpin Director of Marketing Crossroads/Organic Records 828.684.3066 ext. 320 ty.gilpin@crossroadsmusic.com Claire Ratliff Laughing Penguin Publicity 615.476.3200 claire@penguinpublicity.com Suggested Tweets:  .@MtnHomeMusic congratulates their artists @FlattLonesome  @DLQuicksilver  @BalsamRange for breaking #Top20 @billboard  #Bluegrass charts. Suggested Twitter Handles & Hashtags @MtnHomeMusic @FlattLonesome @DLQuicksilver @BalsamRange @Billboard #Bluegrass Copyright © 2014 Laughing Penguin Publicity & Consulting, All rights reserved.  You are receiving this message because you requested news updates and because you're a savvy member of the media who demands to be in the know!  Our mailing address is:  Laughing Penguin Publicity & Consulting PO Box 140396 Nashville, TN 37214

Balsam Range: New Album Available Today

FIVE is the latest project from IBMA Album of the Year winning band
Nashville, TN --- IBMA Album of the Year winner, Balsam Range, returns with the band’s appropriately-titled fifth album. Five is set for release today, June 17th.

Five exemplifies Balsam Range as one of the most remarkable bands in Acoustic music. If the goal was to elevate the level of songs, performance, production value, and excitement, then Five surely marks the successful achievement of that goal.

From deep in the Appalachians where the Great Smoky Mountains meet the Blue Ridge come the gifted men of Balsam Range, creatively blending Bluegrass, Folk, Gospel and Jazz into a new American acoustic music experience. Mountain Home Recording artists founded in 2007, Balsam Range is five friends with unique experiences and backgrounds blending together effortlessly to form their distinctive sound. Since bursting onto the scene, Balsam Range has made a definite mark in the Bluegrass and Acoustic music world.

The band's 2010 release TRAINS I MISSED brought in a #1 hit and Bluegrass Song of the Year award for its title track. PAPERTOWN (2012) built on that momentum with five consecutive months as the #1 album on Bluegrass radio, and won the 2013 IBMA Album of the Year award.

In the wake of PAPERTOWN’S success, expectations have been high.

"Papertown was received so well that we were a little anxious about what we could do next," said Tim Surrett, vocalist and bass player for the band. "How do we follow an Album of the Year? We finally just went in there and made the best record we could and had some fun."

The band has a consistent knack for conveying emotion with power. The result is a heartfelt delivery of tributes to working class heroes, an original Gospel a cappella song, a driving instrumental, and even a John Denver classic. The group draws from diverse influences and original sources while giving each track the Balsam Range treatment.

The band has also just announced its revamped fan benefit site, www.balsamnation.com which offers free music, discounts and exclusive merchandise to its growing population of dedicated fans. Information on Balsam Nation is available through the band web site. Additionally, Balsam Range has posted a fun video on the making of the tune, “Moon Over Memphis.”

Hi Rez Images and eReview LINK

For more on Balsam Range, visit www.balsamrange.com

New Music from Balsam Range

Balsam Range to Release New Album 6/17
FIVE is the latest project from IBMA Album of the Year winning band

Nashville, TN --- IBMA Album of the Year winner, Balsam Range, returns with the band’s appropriately-titled fifth album. Five is set for release on June 17th.

Five exemplifies Balsam Range as one of the most remarkable bands in Acoustic music. If the goal was to elevate the level of songs, performance, production value, and excitement, then Five surely marks the successful achievement of that goal.

From deep in the Appalachians where the Great Smoky Mountains meet the Blue Ridge come the gifted men of Balsam Range, creatively blending Bluegrass, Folk, Gospel and Jazz into a new American acoustic music experience. Mountain Home Recording artists founded in 2007, Balsam Range is five friends with unique experiences and backgrounds blending together effortlessly to form their distinctive sound. Since bursting onto the scene, Balsam Range has made a definite mark in the Bluegrass and Acoustic music world.

The band's 2010 release TRAINS I MISSED brought in a #1 hit and Bluegrass Song of the Year award for its title track. PAPERTOWN (2012) built on that momentum with five consecutive months as the #1 album on Bluegrass radio, and won the 2013 IBMA Album of the Year award.

In the wake of PAPERTOWN’S success, expectations have been high.

"Papertown was received so well that we were a little anxious about what we could do next," said Tim Surrett, vocalist and bass player for the band. "How do we follow an Album of the Year? We finally just went in there and made the best record we could and had some fun."

The band has a consistent knack for conveying emotion with power. The result is a heartfelt delivery of tributes to working class heroes, an original Gospel a cappella song, a driving instrumental, and even a John Denver classic. The group draws from diverse influences and original sources while giving each track the Balsam Range treatment.

The band has also just announced its revamped fan benefit site, www.balsamnation.com which offers free music, discounts and exclusive merchandise to its growing population of dedicated fans. Information on Balsam Nation is available through the band web site. Additionally, Balsam Range has posted a fun video on the making of the tune, “Moon Over Memphis.”


For more on Balsam Range, visit www.balsamrange.com
###

Pictured L-R: Buddy Melton, Tim Surrett, Darren Nicholson, Caleb Smith, Marc Pruett

Winter Village Bluegrass Festival Starts Today

Now in its 4th year, the Winter Village Bluegrass Festival continues to bring the best acts in bluegrass music to Ithaca and the Finger Lakes from January 24 - 26, 2014. Our festival home, La Tourelle Resort, is a music lovers paradise and great place to spend a January weekend. This year, after two years of selling out our Saturday night Big Show at the Hangar Theatre, we are excited to move the January 25 Saturday Big Show downtown to the historic State Theatre, Ithaca's favorite music room.

This year, our headliner artists, the Claire Lynch Band and Balsam Range, are here for the whole weekend of performances and workshops. Our bands are among the best bands in Bluegrass and Americana music – Claire Lynch is the 2013 IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year and Balsam Range has the 2013 IBMA Recording of the Year. Rounding out the Winter Village lineup is the Molly Tuttle Trio an exciting young trio from California by way of Boston and the Berklee College of Music, Northern PA superpickers The Hickory Project, Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys, Chad Darou & Stealing Time, and Paris Texas featuring Bobby Henrie.

Winter Village Performances
Saturday Night Big Show at State Theatre
Saturday, January 25 @ 7:00 PM
We are excited to move the Saturday Night Big Show to the historic State Theatre of Ithaca after selling out at the Hangar Theatre the last two years. The Big Show will feature festival headliners the Claire Lynch Band and Balsam Range, along with the very talented Molly Tuttle Trio. The State is a wonderful historic venue, great for seeing and hearing music, and within walking distance to many restaurants and downtown hotels and inns. Tickets for the concert cost $35 for Gold Circle Seats, $25 for reserved seating, and $20 for the Balcony Bleacher seats (general admission). Given that most of the seating is reserved and the room is large, you should consider purchasing your tickets right away, as we anticipate a big last minute rush of sales. Molly Tuttle Trio will open at 7:00pm, the Claire Lynch Band will perform at 8:00pm, and Balsam Range will close the show at 9:15pm.

Saturday Workshops & Concert at La Tourelle
Satuday, January 25 @ 9:00 am - 4pm
Saturday morning workshops will be from 9:00 am to 12 noon for all instruments, singing, and songwriting and featuring festival performers from CLB, Balsam Range, Molly Tuttle Trio, the Hickory Project, Chad Darou, and Robbert van Renesse teaching the ever popular bluegrass uke workshop. Schedule will be finalized and posted later this weekend or Monday. The Saturday afternoon concerts at La Tourelle will begin at 1pm with Paris Texas (Bobby and Doug Henrie, David Cavage & Rick Manning) with some special guests including Dee Specker, John Mailander and others. Balsam Range will perform at 2pm and the Hickory Project will perform at 3pm. Admission to the Saturday workshops and performances at La Tourelle are free for those who have purchased Saturday Day Passes ($40.00), 2 day passes ($50) or 3 day passes ($75). Others can attend for $20 payable only at La Tourelle on Saturday morning.

House Concert @ the Dewitt Park Inn
Saturday Afternoon 1-4pm
The Dewitt Park Inn is hosting a House Concert featuring the Claire Lynch Band (3pm), preceded by Chad Darou & Stealing Time at 1pm and Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys at 2pm. This is a unique opportunity to see Claire and her band up close, and hear Chad and Jim with their fine bands. There are 50 seats now available and you must have a 2 or 3 day festival pass to attend this special show. To reserve a seat, email me.

Dinner Music @ Moosewood & Argos
Saturday Evening, 5-6:30pm
The renowned Moosewood Restaurant is hosting Chad Darou & Stealing Time on Saturday night from 5 - 6:30pm for dinner and some unplugged bluegrass music before the Saturday night Big Show. Moosewood is offering 15% discounts to festival ticket holders and is located in the Dewitt Mall, next to the Ithaca Guitar Works and just a block from the State Theatre. Special thanks to Moosewood for sponsoring Winter Village and preparing the dinner for the performers at the State Theatre Big Show.

The Argos Inn is hosting a happy hour reception with drinks and a light bar menu (you can bring in food if you like) featuring Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys performing an unplugged show from 5 - 6:30pm. This beautifully restored Inn has just started hosting musical performances and we are exciting to share this beautiful new venue with Winter Villagers. No ticket is required to enter.

Spiritual Songs & Stories
Sunday Morning 10:30am - 12:00 noon @ La Tourelle
Sunday morning, we will have a special gospel music show – Spirit Songs and Stories – with Ithaca preacher and story teller extraordinaire Rebacca Dolch with music by the Claire Lynch Band, the Molly Tuttle Trio, Hope Grietzer, Rick Manning and some other special guests. We will have instrumentals at 10:30 am, followed by the Claire Lynch Band with Rebecca's stories and song introductions and observations from 11 - 12 noon. Tickets cost $10 and will be available only at the door on Sunday morning.

Cool Free Stuff
Red Feet Wine Market Thursday Tasting with Grassanova.....Thursday evening at 5:00pm
Friday Afternoon Workshops with Balsam Range - Friday from 2 - 5pm at La Tourelle. Come by and check it out....

Festival Accommodations
BREAKING NEWS: La Tourelle may still have two $130 rooms available that recently opened up - one a fireplace king and one a double king room.
This year, with the Saturday Big Show at the State Theatre and La Tourelle filled (you can always call to check for cancellations), we have arranged for a variety of downtown accommodations and added some downtown events. 3 downtown inns - the Dewitt Park Inn, Argos Inn and the Holiday Inn are all providing discounted room rates for one or two night stays and are offering 25% discounts on the festival tickets (2 and 3 day passes) if you book a room. Visit our web page to learn more.

WVBF Video & Our YouTube Channel
Winter Village is running a You Tube advertisement to help spread the word about the festival. Here is the video that Google claims is being widely viewed somewhere out there in the You Tube universe. If any of you have seen it in your you tube meanderings, please let me know. I have heard of only one sighting. Please feel free to share this video to others and offer any suggestions for how to improve it next time. We have a Winter Village Bluegrass Festival You Tube Channel with videos of 2014 performers and past festival performances (click on Playlists on left hand side to access these other videos. Special thanks to Julie Adams who has shot many great bluegrass videos at Winter Village and at many other venues. Here is one she shot with Jerry Douglas performing The Boxer with Paul Simon, which might be her most frequently viewed video. Not sure what Paul Simon has over the Gibson Brothers!! Perhaps larger royalty checks.....

Thanks to our Winter Village Sponsors!
Tompkins County Tourism Program
The State Theatre of Ithaca
La Tourelle Resort & Spa
Ithaca Guitar Works
Ithaca Stringed Instruments
Moosewood Restaurant
Plantsmen Nursery
Internet Marketing Magicians
Ithaca Coffee Company
Bernunzio Uptown Music
Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance
Bacchus Brewing Company
Hickey's Music Center
Maxie's Supper Club

Winter Village Bluegrass Festival_January 24 - 26

Now in its 4th year, the Winter Village Bluegrass Festival continues to bring the best acts in bluegrass music to Ithaca and the Finger Lakes. Our festival home, La Tourelle Resort, is a music lover’s paradise and great place to spend a January weekend. This year, Winter Village is excited to move the Saturday Night Big Show to the historic State Theatre of Ithaca, our community’s favorite music room. Join us for a weekend of hot music during our coldest month!

FESTIVAL PERFORMERS

This year, our headliner artists, the Claire Lynch Band and Balsam Range, are among the best bands in Bluegrass and Americana music. Claire Lynch is the 2013 IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year and Balsam Range has the 2013 IBMA Recording of the Year. Rounding out the Winter Village lineup is the Molly Tuttle Trio an exciting young trio from California by way of Boston and the Berkelee College of Music, Northern PA superpickers The Hickory Project, Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys, Chad Darou & Stealing Time, and Paris Texas featuring Bobby Henrie.

FEATURED EVENTS

Saturday Night Big Show at the State Theatre
We are excited to move the Saturday Night Big Show to the historic State Theatre of Ithaca. Enjoy festival headliners the Claire Lynch Band and Balsam Range, along with the Molly Tuttle Trio, the first annual Winter Village Youth Fiddle Orchestra, and many other surprises. Tickets for the concert cost $35 for Gold Circle Seats, $25 for reserved seating, and $20 for the Balcony Bleacher seats.

Dewitt Park Inn House Concert: Saturday, 1:00 – 4:00pm
The Dewitt Park Inn is hosting an intimate house concert on Saturday afternoon with the Claire Lynch Band, Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys, and Chad Darou & Stealing time from 1 – 4pm. Seating is limited to 60 festival weekend pass holders.

Dinner Music before the Big Show: Saturday, 5 – 6:30pm
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Moosewood Restaurant on Saturday, January 25 with Chad Darou & Stealing Time unplugged. Moosewood is kindly offering 10% discounts to ticket holders and is a Winter Village sponsor, feeding the Saturday Big Show performers with some of their fine vegetarian cuisine!! Or visit the newly restored Argos Inn for a happy hour unplugged performance by Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys.

Ithaca Youth Fiddle Orchestra – Saturday, 10am All Day
Sign up your young fiddler or violinist for the 1st annual Winter Village Fiddle Orchestra. It’s a full day of group lessons including lunch and healthy snacks, then a performance at the Saturday night Big Show at the State Theatre. It should be a memorable experience for these young musicians, their parents/caregivers, and those in attendance at the State Theatre.

TICKETS AND ACCOMMODATIONS

Types of Tickets Available
WEEKEND PASS – 3 DAYS: ( Friday, Saturday and Sunday) $75
2 DAY PASS (Saturday & Sunday) $50
FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT @ LA TOURELLE $25
SATURDAY NIGHT BIG SHOW: Gold Circle Seating $35
SATURDAY NIGHT BIG SHOW: Silver Seating $25
SATURDAY NIGHT BIG SHOW: Balcony $20
WINTER VILLAGE YOUTH FIDDLE ORCHESTRA: $40
Where to Purchase Tickets
Tickets for Winter Village are sold exclusively through the State Theatre box office. The box office is located at 105 West State Street/MLK JR and open from Tuesday-Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 4pm. For information contact the State Theatre Box Office at 607-277-8283, info@stateofithaca.com. Purchase tickets online at www.stateofithaca.com.

Accommodations
La Tourelle is filled but we have arranged for great festival packages at three downtown inns all within walking distance of the State Theatre – the Holiday Inn, the Dewitt Park Inn, and Argos Inn. Visit www.wintervillagebluegrass.org for room rates and special promotional packages. If you reserve a room at any downtown location, you will receive a 25% discount on your 2 or 3 day festival passes.

Performers Announced for Internatio​nal Bluegrass Music Awards 9-29

Initial slate of performers announced for international bluegrass music awards September 29

Performances from nominees Balsam Range, The Boxcars, Dailey & Vincent, The Grascals, The Gibson Brothers, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Sierra Hull & Highway 111 and Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers – as well as the show’s host, Sam Bush, confirmed

Nashville, Tenn. (Sept 7, 2011) — An initial list of performers for IBMA’s 22nd International Bluegrass Music Awards has been confirmed for the Thursday, September 29 event. The Awards Show, held at Nashville, Tennessee’s historic Ryman Auditorium, will feature performances from nominees Balsam Range, The Boxcars, Dailey & Vincent, The Grascals, The Gibson Brothers, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Sierra Hull & Highway 111 and Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers. Also performing is Awards Show host, Sam Bush. More performers, as well as the lineup of presenters, will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Stephen Ruffo and I are thrilled to be working with host Sam Bush and with the team of professionals in place for the biggest night in bluegrass,” said Claire Armbruster, who is co-producing the Awards Show with Ruffo. “Our main focus will be honoring the nominees but we’ll also pay homage to Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass, on the 100th anniversary of his birth.” “Both Claire and I are excited to produce the Awards Show during the year of this important Monroe anniversary,” Ruffo agreed. “The artists that we have invited to perform on the Ryman stage all recognize the importance of this celebration, and they are as honored as we are to be part of that.”

The International Bluegrass Music Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), which serves as the trade association for the bluegrass music industry. The IBMA Awards Show is the centerpiece of the World of Bluegrass Week September 26 – October 2 in Nashville, Tenn., which also includes the IBMA Business Conference and Bluegrass Fan Fest.

The IBMA Awards will be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction, Channel 61), and also will be syndicated to more than 300 U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks thanks to the sponsorship of Martha White, Deering Banjos, the International Bluegrass Music Museum, Bluegrass, Moonshine & The Birth of NASCAR – The Movie, Compass Records and the Academy of Bluegrass.

For more information on World of Bluegrass week, including tickets to the International Bluegrass Music Awards, go to www.worldofbluegrass.org, join us on Facebook, or call 615-256-3222 (1-888-GET-IBMA). A complete list of nominees, this year’s Hall of Fame inductees and the recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award can be found at http://ibmaawards.org/node/222.