Asheville area bluegrass fans have been waiting a follow-up to the the debut release from  Songs From The Raod Band (SFTRB) back in 2006.   It looks like they want have much longer to wiat as the band has been at the Rubber Room studio in January recording their new CD, Songs From The Road Volume II.  Fans can look forward to hearing some great lead vocals by guests Robert Grier, and Lance Mills.  Clyde Mattocks did a great job on the lap steel and dobro.  Jill Fromewick plays some very bluesy harmonica!  The record will have 12 tracks and is full of bluegrass, country, and cosmic american music! 

The award winning original bluegrass group The High Windy Band is putting the final touches on their long-awaited debut album A Greater Storm.

A Greater Storm which includes the contribution of multi-award winning Dobro player Rob Ickes is scheduled for an April release.  A preview of the new release can be heard at www.myspace.com/thehighwindyband or www.highwindyband.com.  National bluegrass radio show, "Going Across the Mountain" on WNCW 88.7 has previewed some cuts of The High Windy Band on the air in recent months and bluegrass lovers were quick to respond with approval. 

The project is a nearly all original release that benefits from the songwriting skills of Shane Lail (guitar) Ty Gilpin (mandolin) and Patrick McDougal (banjo). McDougal is a veteran writer in the bluegrass world having songs recorded by such artists as Del McCoury, Alan Bibey, The Lonesome River Band and Dan Tyminski. Accompanying these original songs are fiddle tunes arranged by fiddle player Tim Gardner. Local bluegrass veteran Mark Davis (Asheville Grass) handles bass duties on the recording.'

Echo Mountain Recording Artist and Asheville native Malcolm Holcombe celebrates the release of his latest CD, Gamblin House with a concert at the Grey Eagle on Friday, February 1st.  Gamblin House is a follow-up/companion to the previously released 5-song EP entitled "Wager", which was released in the fall of 2007. Justin Townes Earle opens at 9pm.  Ticket are  $10 advance/$12 day of show.

(Quote from the Echo Mountain Records website)
Born and raised in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, Malcolm Holcombe is long recognized by the contemporary U.S.and European folk/americana community as a performer of national stature, and an uncommonly unique guitarist/vocalist. Rolling Stone magazine proclaims: "Haunted country, acoustic blues and rugged folk all meet [here]..." 

Asheville area singer, Lyndsay Wojcik, celebrates the release of her latest CD, "Local Honey", with a concert and CD Release Party on Saturday, February 2nd at the French Broad Brewery in Asheville.   Lyndsay and her band will perfrom from 7pm until 8pm. Cagney Guest opens the concert at 6pm.  Admission is Free.

"Local Honey" is a fitting title for the CD as it features many of the "sweetest" local music resources in the studio.  Lyndsay produced the CD herself and assembled many of Asheville's finest musicians to assist.   Credits include  Brian White-Bass, Noel Felty-Drums, Shane Pericho-drums, Shannon Whitworth-Banjo, and background vocals, Aaron Ballance-Resonator guitar, and pedal steel, Lauren Davis- Cello, Tim gardner-Fiddle, Guitar and Vocals- Lyndsay Wojcik, Electric guitar- John Morrow, Mandolin- Griff Martin.

The new CD was recorded at Starlight Studios and mixed and mastered at Altamont Studios.