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Pickin' A Bluegrass Allstar Jam

The stars come out on January 9, 2009 at Kegley Auditorium located in Harrison Jones Memorial Hall at Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, Virginia. It's a 7:30 PM showtime for Pickin' A Bluegrass Allstar Jam. This is the fourth year for this all star jam and it features some of the brightest stars in bluegrass music and in it's new location. Come join the excitement as the best of the best entertain you.

The cast for this year's show includes the following artists Michael Cleveland, Josh Williams, Rob McCoury, Jason Carter, Terry Baucom, Steve Gulley, Kim Fox, Rob Ickes, Missy Raines, Alan Bibey, Mike Compton, Phil Leadbetter, Kenny Smith and Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Tim Stafford, Ronnie Bowman and Mike Bub.

About the artists participating:

  • Michael ClevelandMichael Cleveland—A Louisville, Kentucky native, has been blind from birth and began fiddling at the age of four. He is the six-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year. In 2006 he won IBMA award for Instrumental Album of the Year ("Let'Er Go Boys!"). His group, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, won the 2007 and 2008 IBMA awards for Instrumental Group of the Year.
  • Josh Williams—A vocalist and multi-instrumentalist on fiddle/mandolin/guitar who recently won the 2008 IBMA Guitar Player of the Year. He currently fronts the Josh Williams Band and from 2003-2007, he was the guitar player for Rhonda Vincent & The Rage.
  • Rob McCoury—Son of Del McCoury and banjo player in the Del McCoury Band which is the most awarded band in the history of bluegrass music.
  • Jason Carter—Member of the Del McCoury Band and a three-time winner of "Fiddle Player of the Year" at IBMA.
  • Terry Baucom—Banjo player who has performed in such groups as Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out, Lou Reid, Terry Baucom and Carolina among others. Terry recently got his own model of banjo with the Deering Banjo Company.
  • Steve Gulley—Vocalist/guitar player with Grasstowne; co-writer, with Tim Stafford, of the Song Of The Year at the International Bluegrass Music Association's award show, "Thru The Window Of A Train".
  • Kim Fox—A member of 3 Fox Drive, Kim is an accomplished vocalist and songwriter and past winner of the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition Award at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC.
  • Rob Ickes—A member of Blue Highway, Rob is the 10-time IBMA Dobro Player Of The Year and is the most awarded individual player in the history of the IBMA.
  • Mike ComptonMissy Raines—Leader of the group Missy Raines and The New Hip. She is the seven times IBMA "Bass Player of the Year".
  • Alan Bibey—Mandolin player with the group Grasstowne and 2007 Society For Preservation Of Bluegrass Music Association's Mandolin Player of the Year. He has also performed in groups such as Blueridge and IIIrd Tyme Out.
  • Mike Compton—Mandolin player with the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Plays Bill Monroe-style mandolin "better than just about anybody except for Monroe himself," (Bluegrass Unlimited). He performed on the soundtrack to the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and appeared on the Down from the Mountain tour and album. He was one of the "Soggy Bottom Boys".
  • Phil Leadbetter—Dobro player with the group Grasstowne who won the 2005 IBMA awards for Dobro Player of the Year and Instrumental Album of the Year ("Slide Rules").
  • Kenny Smith & Amanda Smith—A husband and wife team with their own group, The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band. In 2003, they won IBMA's Emerging Artist of the Year award. Kenny is a two-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year.
  • Dale Ann BradleyDale Ann Bradley—Has her own band. In 2007 and 2008 she won IBMA's Female Vocalist of the Year award.
  • Tim Stafford—Guitarist with the group Blue Highway. Tim is also a great songwriter and has songs recorded by many in bluegrass. He, along with Steve Gulley, received the IBMA award for Song of the Year for their collaboration on "Thru The Window of a Train." Tim has also produced several award winning projects.
  • Ronnie Bowman --Three time IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year , Two time IBMA Song of the Year: "Three Rusty Nails", "Cold Virginia Night"  Co-Writer of Brooks & Dunn #1 Hit: "It's Getting Better All The Time"  Co-Writer of Kenny Chesney #1 Hit: "Never Wanted Nothin' More". 
  • Mike Bub—A five-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year who has performed with some of the greats such as Del McCoury Band, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice, Shawn Camp and Vince Gill. Mike is the music director for Pickin'.
  • Cindy Baucom—MC for the Jam and host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Knee-Deep In Bluegrass", which is distributed by the John Boy and Billy Radio Network. Her radio show goes out to more than 70 radio stations. She was named the 2005 IBMA Broadcaster of the Year.

Pickin' A Bluegrass Allstar Jam started here in Bristol, Tennessee but this year we're excited to say that due to fan appeal that the event is going out to other venues and will be performed in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Oklahoma. Come see what all the excitement is about and see your favorite bluegrass star shine on stage at Kegley Auditorium located in Harrison Jones Memorial Hall at Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, Virginia on January 09, 2009.

Tickets are $18.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door, day of the show. Tickets are available at Mountain Air Music, 505 State Street in Bristol, Virginia. For credit card orders call 276-591-1240; business hours for Mountain Air Music are Monday-Saturday 11AM-7PM and Sunday 12PM-5PM.

For more information about Pickin' A Bluegrass Allstar Jam, visit online at www.pickonejams.com or 
www.myspace.com/allstarbluegrassjam