Bluegrass Group Nu-Blu Joined By Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sam Moore For His First Bluegrass Recording on "Jesus & Jones"

"THE LEGENDARY SOUL MAN" SAM MOORE CROSSES MUSICAL GENRES TO PAY TRIBUTE TO COUNTRY ICON AND FRIEND GEORGE JONES

Nashville, TN (July 14, 2014) – "The Legendary Soul Man" Sam Moore, voted one of the 100 top pop voices of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, joins bluegrass group Nu-Blu as a special guest on their upcoming single release "Jesus & Jones," a song that pays tribute to the late George Jones.

Moore, who had been invited personally by George before he passed away, performed at what became Jones' tribute show "Playin' Possum: The Final No Show" in November of 2013. Sam took no time to agree to participate in recording this song. "I've been a fan of George's music for a long long time and was fortunate enough that we called each other friends," says Moore. "This song honors him and says what we all have felt about him."

Nu-Blu is set to release their latest Rural Rhythm Records single "Jesus & Jones," to radio on July 22nd. The highly anticipated track will serve as the first offering from their forthcoming album, All The Way, due out on September 16.

"We absolutely love this song and its message," says Nu-Blu's Carolyn Routh. "We played the demo for George's widow Nancy Jones and she loved it. With her encouragement we recorded it and just knew we wanted to add a guest vocalist to the recording. Then we thought back to the November tribute show and remembered it was Sam Moore who had just brought the house down. You could see the love he had for George. We connected with Sam and now the recording is done. This is not only Sam's first time ever to record on a bluegrass song, it apparently is the first time anyone from his genre has participated on a bluegrass recording as a featured guest. How cool is that! To have a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member sing on a bluegrass song. Wow, we are just so thrilled and hope that music lovers enjoy it as much as we did making it."

sammoore1

This is Sam Moore's first venture into the bluegrass realm. Over the years, he has crossed over from soul, the genre his hit "Soul Man" named, rhythm & blues, jazz, big band, pop, and country. Sam Moore was nominated for an ACM, and two CMA's for his collaboration with Conway Twitty of "Rainy Night In Georgia" on the Country, Rhythm & Blues album. Their video is considered a classic and one of the top country duets of all time. This new song, a mix of bluegrass and soul will leave fans wanting more.

All The Way will take Nu-Blu creatively into new boundaries. In addition to the duet with Sam Moore, 'queen of bluegrass' Rhonda Vincent is also featured on the album. Come September 16, the world be able to hear all of the new music, and partake in the revolution that is Nu-Blu.

For more information on Nu-Blu, please visit nu-blu.com.

IBMA Leadership Bluegrass Graduates Includes Carolyn Routh

2013-leadershipbluegrass-carolynrouth The International Bluegrass Music Association is proud to announce the graduating class of Leadership Bluegrass 2013. Leadership Bluegrass is an intensive, three-day program focused on interactive learning and networking experiences that invite participants to examine the challenges and opportunities facing the bluegrass music industry, along with leadership development issues. This was the 14th year of Leadership Bluegrass, which now boasts over 300 alumni.

Leadership Bluegrass 2013 was hosted at BMI, and Bone McAllester Norton PLLC in Nashville, Tennessee March 7 through 9. Trisha Tubbs was the facilitator. Each year participants are selected through a selective application process and are a cross section of current and future leaders from various aspects of the industry, and come from various regions of the U.S. and the world. Freelance writer and journalist Shannon Turner, a Leadership Bluegrass 2013 graduate, said she will always value being a part of the class. “Leadership Bluegrass is an invaluable program of learning, growth, and even transformation. You leave with a renewed energy and determination to spread the gospel of bluegrass music,” Turner said. The Bluegrass Situation’s Amy Reitnouer, who was also a participant agreed, saying, “I was awed by the fellow classmates, network of alumni, and incredible presenters.”

Congratulations to our graduates:

Darin Aldridge; Darin and Brooke Aldridge; Cherryville, NC Melissa Armstrong; Detour; Sand Lake, MI Andrea Ball; Make Welcome Entertainment; Washington, DC Katherine Coe; IBMA; Nashville, TN Jeremy Darrow; The Erin McDermott Band/Freelance Musician; Nashville, TN John DeMarce; DC Bluegrass Union; Washington, DC Susie Glaze; Hilonesome Music, Susie Glaze & the Hilonesome Band; Burbank, CA KC Groves; Artist & Composer; Lyons, CO Kayla Hotte; Kayla Hotte & her Rodeo Pals; Ardrossan, Alberta, CA Caroline Isachsen; Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival; Delmar, NY Steven Johnson; MerleFest; Wilkesboro, NC Lori King; Bluegrass Music Association of Iowa; Drakesville, IA Jordan Laney; Appalachian State University; Vilas, NC Ron Murphy; Muddy River Band; Wilmington, OH Amy Reitnouer; The Bluegrass Situation; Los Angeles, CA Carolyn Routh; Nu-Blu, Red Squared Audio; Siler City; NC Sheila Selby; Boston Bluegrass Union; Brookline, MA Carly Smith; International Bluegrass Music Museum; Owensboro, KY Erin Stamper; WAMU’s Bluegrass Country; Washington, DC Shannon Turner; Freelance writer/journalist; Hermitage, TN Missy Werner; Missy Werner Band; Liberty Township, OH Jill Wiese; Bluegrass Association of North Dakota; Washburn, ND Kristi Wilcox; Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP; Nashville, TN Courtney Worthen; PineCone – The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music; Raleigh, NC

Thank you to our sponsors for Leadership Bluegrass 2013:

Gold: BMI; The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation; Bone McAllester Norton LLC; Wintergrass Music Festival (Acoustic Sound); Martha Dantzic/Quicksilver Productions Patron: John & Trisha Tubbs LBG Family: Terry & Sharon Alford, Phil Bankester, Nick Barr, Danny Clark, Katy Daley, Regina Derzon, Arnie Fleischer, Lisa Jacobi, Denise Jarvinen, Richard Spratt, Kimberly East Williams Friends of LBG: Claire Armbruster & Jeff Koontz, Mike Armistead, Fred Bartenstein, Janet Brightly, Dr. Richard Brown, Mary Burdette, Paul Byrum, Greg Cahill, Casey Campbell, Nancy Cardwell, Dag Iver Caspersen, Darwin Davidson, Lachlan Davidson, Lynda Dawson, Mary Tyler Doub, Bill Foster, Carolyn Hotte, Lisa Husted, Carl Jackson, Rienk Janssen, Russell Johnson, Bill Knowlton, Kitsy Kuykendall, Dagfinn Pedersen, Tina Potter, Mike Ramsey, Jim Roe, Dana Romanello, Neil & Terri Rosenberg, Stephen Ruffo, Mary Sackmann, Peter Salovey, Sharon White & Rick y Skaggs, Mary Faith Rhoads-Lewis, Sheila Selby, Earle Simmons, Frank Solivan, Jean Spivey, Susan Stewert, Kit Swaggert, Ben Surratt & Missy Raines, Brian Smith, Barry & Holly Tashian, G.C. Teskey, Dana Thorin, Traci Todd, Alan Tompkins, April Verch, Garian Vigil, Lucy Weberling, Bob Webster, Jon Weisberger, Dwight Worden, Stan Zdonik.

The Leadership Bluegrass planning committee this year included: Alan Tompkins (Chair), Joan Kornblith, Amy Beth Hale, Jean Spivey, Emilee Warner, Ben Surratt, Nolan Lawrence, Trisha Tubbs (facilitator), and Nancy Cardwell (staff liaison). Kornblith, Surratt, Gerald Jones, and Chris Stuart served on the Selection Committee. Taylor Coughlin, IBMA, was the facilitator’s assistant.

For information on the next Leadership Bluegrass class, contact Nancy Cardwell at (615) 256-3222 or nancyc@ibma.org.

,

"Martha and Mary" by Nu-Blu Now Out To Radio

,

2012-albumcover-NailByNail-Nu-Blu-200Pinecastle Records is pleased to announce today’s new single, “Martha and Mary” by Nu-Blu. The song was written by Becky Buller and Nancy Cardwell and appears on Nu-Blu’s first gospel album, NAIL BY NAIL set for release October 30, 2012. The single has been serviced to bluegrass radio stations and is also available at AirplayDirect.com.

“The story of Martha and Mary is one of the great Gospel stories of the Bible. Nu-Blu’s latest single, ‘Martha and Mary’ reminds us that there is a little bit of Martha and a little bit of Mary in each of us. Talk about getting a listener – any listener – to relate to the song’s message, Nu-Blu has a sure-fire winner in this song, destined to be a favorite among fans and radio programmers alike,” said Brian McNeal, Prescription Bluegrass.

Fans can listen to the new single “Martha and Mary” plus pre-order a copy of NAIL BY NAIL at pinecastlemusic.com/bluegrass-gospel/nail-by-nail  and get an instant download of the track, “Martha and Mary.”

The label released Nu-Blu’s THE BLU-DISC last year that included the impressive single “Other Woman’s Blues” that was also released as a music video. Pinecastle also released a holiday single, “Christmas in Dixie,” late last year as well. Just a few short weeks later, that holiday favorite reached the #1 spot on the Airplay Direct’s Top Bluegrass Album Chart.

This energetic bluegrass band, consisting of Daniel Routh, Carolyn, Routh, Levi Austin and Austin Koerner, has certainly proven to have crossover success in a variety of genres.  They have been featured in numerous Bluegrass publications including the April 2012 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. Their single, “Spin On A Red Brick Floor” from their NIGHTS album debuted at #10 on the Euro Americana Chart and spent five weeks on the Americana Music Association’s Top 40 chart.  Nu-Blu were the winners of the Country Band of the Year Award by the Carolina Music Awards in 2010 and were nominated by the organization again last year as the Country/Bluegrass/Americana Group of the Year.

For more information on Nu-Blu and to receive upcoming announcements on NAIL BY NAIL, please www.Nu-Blu.com. For more information on Pinecastle Records, please visit www.PinecastleMusic.com.