Sorry - I haven't time to chase news...
...but you send it and I'll post it, if it is of general interest!

2 Dec 2002: "I am sad to say that we lost a loving and loyal friend this last weekend. Frank Edmonson, longtime road manager and soundman for Hot Rize and, for the last ten years, with Alison Krauss and Union Station, succumbed to a heart attack sometime on Thanksgiving night at the young age of 49. Being a soundman and road manager can be a high-pressure and thankless job, but Frank almost always seemed to maintain grace under fire. He took a quiet pride in doing his job the very best he could (and he WAS the best) and he had a ready and genuine concern for his friends and coworkers.

"I was lucky to be able to travel and work with Frank for three long weeks ten years ago (in Bulgaria, Turkey and Czechoslovakia), and I have rarely felt so well-cared-for. Somehow, I became one of his charges, and whenever we played at the same festivals, he was ready to lend a helping hand to make sure we would sound as good as we could. I can't believe his smiling face is gone from my life. He leaves a big hole in the lives of many."

Laurie Lewis

"Published by Confluence Press in association with Spruce and Maple Music, the book features 44 songs and is filled with great photos and memorabilia.

"Cost is $20.00 per book, plus $4.00 shipping and handling for the first book, and $1.99 for each additional item. It will be available through http://www.laurielewis.com,by check or money order direct to: Spruce and Maple Music PO Box 9417 Berkeley, CA 94709-0417"

In the past, bluegrass music has given such incredible artists as Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, and Dolly Parton to country music. More recently, their love for the music has drawn these artists back to their bluegrass roots. After 10 years with the award-winning group Shenandoah, Marty Raybon has also come Full Circle with his first bluegrass release on Doobie Shea Records.

Marty spent his childhood in the state of Florida playing bluegrass with his dad and brothers. Though he found success by leaving the festival circuit for a career in country music, his love for bluegrass has never wavered, nor have his drive and determination for the music been erased. From the very first note of Full Circle's opening tune, Lester Flatt's "Down the Road", it's easy to see that this is right where he belongs.

Marty is joined on Full Circle by his brother Tim and the powerful tenor voice of Paul Brewster on harmony vocals. The instrumentation is just as solid, featuring the hard driving banjo of David Talbot and the solid bass playing of Terry Smith along with Bryan Sutton on guitar and mandolin and Shad Cobb on fiddle. Sonya Isaacs lends her strong and soulful voice to one of the project's originals, "I'll Be Your Everything," written by Marty, Barry Hutchens, and Mark Narmore. Acoustic versions of some of Shenandoah's best-loved hits include refreshing takes on "Ghost In This House" and "Next To You, Next To Me," while classics like "White House Blues" and "Rocky Road Blues," together with newer songs such as "Summertown Road," "Webster's Definition" keep the mood and tempo rolling right along.

This is Marty Raybon, past, present, and future. This is Marty Raybon, Full Circle.

Mike Hall (NCBS) writes

"The Strawberry Music Festival's current 5-year lease for Camp Mather on Memorial Day & Labor Day weekends expires at the end of 2003. The facility is owned by the City & County Of San Francisco and run by the City's Parks & Rec Department. The City has indicated that the lease may or may not be renewed on existing terms for festivals starting in 2004. Strawberry management is gathering information from festival attendees and other friends of Strawberry in preparation for upcoming negotiations and a move from Camp Mather, if that becomes necessary.

"Your help on this is greatly appreciated. You can conveniently download a survey from the Strawberry website, http://www.strawberrymusic.com, that has more information and asks your opinion."

The Lonesome River Band's brand new project on Doobie Shea, Window of Time, will be released on August 27th. It can be pre-ordered from Doobie Shea Records by calling 1-877-362-7432, or by visiting the Doobie Shea website: www.doobieshea.com. The band recently performed a high-profile date at the National Park Services' July 4th Celebration held at the Washington Monument

Tim Austin, Donica Christensen, and Brance Gillihan (Clear Blue Productions, Pulaski Virginia) have recently finished work on a new digital press CD for the LRB. The CD includes a bio on the LRB, high-quality jpg's of the band, album information, a short video of the band performing on CMT's Most Wanted Live, and the album itself. We are very excited about this new CD, and hope that all of you find it useful and enjoyable.

The LRB recently signed on as the official band of Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and the New American Optimists. On July 10th the LRB performed at a reception for Ben Jones ("Cooter" from the Dukes of Hazard) who is running for Congress. The reception was sponsored by the New American Optimists, and was covered by CNN and Fox News (nationally). The LRB also got mentions in the Charlotte Observer, Washington Post, and the Raleigh News and Observer.

Dan Tyminski has been on the road touring with the Down from the Mountain show. He has recently completed interviews with the following publications to support the tour; Tim Finn of the Kansas City Star, Bob Ruggiero of the Houston Press, George Varga, of the San Diego News Tribune, and Rob Thomas of the Capital News in Madison, Wisconsin. AKUS also participated in the Jim Lehr PBS Special on the Down from the Mountain show in Knoxville, Tenn.

Two of the latest releases from Doobie Shea, Rickie Simpkins' Don't Fret It (DS-2006) and Ernie Thacker's The Chill of Lonesome  (DS-2004), are making their debut on the Bluegrass Unlimited Top 15 Album Chart for August. The Top 15 Albums are based on the overall number of votes the individual songs from an album receives. On the Bluegrass Unlimited Top 30 Singles Chart, the song Mountain High, Feelin' Low written by Tom T. and Dixie Hall is at number 26, Mountain Heart's Gospel Train (PD) is at number 21, and Dale Ann Bradley's Passin' Thru (Randy Scruggs and Johnny Cash) is at number 16. Congratulations to Ernie, Rickie, Dale Ann, and Mountain Heart.

www.doobieshea.com