Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers were named Entertainer of the Year during the 22nd Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards show on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, ending a three-year winning streak by Dailey & Vincent.
Receiving the bluegrass music industry’s highest award capped a year in which the group had a busy touring schedule (including playing New York’s famed Carnegie Hall and headlining at festivals such as Bonnaroo, MerleFest and the Newport Folk Festival), a string of national television appearances (“The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The View,” “Ellen” and “The Colbert Report”), and the release of a new album, Rare Bird Alert on Rounder. It also was the second International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Award win for Steep Canyon Rangers, who were named Emerging Artist of the Year in 2006.
Although Martin, best known as a comedic actor, included claw hammer style banjo-picking in his early stand-up comedy routines, he has become more serious about recording and performing bluegrass music during the past two years, with the release of two albums of original music
Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Ranchers (l-r: Nicky Sanders, Charles Humphrey III, Woody Platt, Martin, Mike Guggino and Graham Sharp. (Photo by Alane Anno).
Said Steep Canyon Rangers lead singer and guitarist Woody Platt: “Working with Steve, we might be the most entertained of all. Most of all, we thank Steve for giving us this most amazing ride”. He said the North Carolina-based band was delighted when Martin handpicked them to tour and record with him. “Serendipity has made a better match than any bluegrass computer dating service,” he joked. “Recording Rare Bird Alert and touring with Steve has been such a blast, from writing to playing to singing, our partnership with Steve has allowed us to bring music to new audiences,” added Platt. “Being able to share the music we love…that is the biggest reward.”
Comprised of Platt, Mike Guggiino (mandolin), Charles Humphrey III (bass), Nicky Sanders (fiddle) and Graham Sharp (banjo), Steep Canyon Rangers met and began playing music during their college days in Chapel Hill, NC a decade ago. And they have been infusing traditional bluegrass with contemporary themes and arrangements ever since. During the awards show, the group played “Me and Paul Revere,” a song Martin wrote from the perspective of the Revere’s horse and performed during the nationally televised Capitol 4th Concert in Washington, DC on Independence Day.
Other top award winners included The Gibson Brothers, a New York State-based band, named Vocal Group of the Year and recipients of Album of the Year for Help My Brother on Compass Records, and The Boxcars, a new combination of veteran musicians, who were named both Emerging Artists of the Year and Instrumental Group of The Year. The Boxcars’ Ron Stewart shared Banjo Player of the Year honors with The Grascals’ Kristen Scott Benson, who received the award for the fourth consecutive year.
Song of the Year honors went to Balsam Range for “Trains I Missed,” written by Walt Wilkins, Giles Goddard and Nicole Witt. Group member Tim Surrett commented, “There are a lot of folks out there – myself included – who are thankful for some of those trains missed and how things turned out.”
Veteran musicians Doyle Lawson, J.D. Crowe and Paul Williams received trophies for Recorded Event of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance for “Prayer Bells from Heaven” and announced plans to record a second Old Friends album. Russell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out and Dale Anne Bradley were, respectively, recognized as Male Vocalist and Female Vocalist of the Year, the fourth time for each. Blue Highway’s Rob Ickes was awarded his 13th Dobro Player of the Year, the most IBMA Awards any individual instrumentalist has received.
Michael Cleveland was named Fiddle Player of the Year for the ninth time, while his band (Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper) scored the Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year award for “Goin’ Up Dry Branch,” a song written by Buddy Spicher and Jimmy Martin. Marshall Wilborn was named Bass Player of the Year for the third time; Brian Sutton received the Guitar Player of the Year award for the sixth time; and Adam Steffey dedicated his eighth Mandolin Player of the Year award to the twin sons who he expects t be born this month.
Hosted by noted mandolin player and band leader Sam Bush, the awards show also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bill Monroe, who is recognized as the father of bluegrass, and was the centerpiece of the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass week that also featured a business conference and fan fest. In addition to awards in more than 20 categories that are voted on by the professional membership of the IBMA, which serves as a trade association for the bluegrass music industry, Del McCoury and George Shuffler were inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Ronnie and Rob McCoury inducted their father, while guitarist James Alan Shelton did the honors for Shuffler, a bass and cross-picked guitar stylist known as “the third Stanley Brother.” The evening concluded with a guitar rendition of “Life is Like a Mountain Railway” by Shuffler and Shelton and a medley of Del McCoury songs, which he sang in his trademark tenor.
Other award recipients included:
Distinguished Achievement Awards:
Greg Cahill, Bill Knowlton, Lilly Pavlak, Geoff Stelling and Roland White
Broadcaster of the Year:
Katy Daley, WAMU Bluegrass Country
Print Media Person of the Year:
Juli Thanki, Engine145.com
Bluegrass Event of the Year:
Silver Dollar City’s Bluegrass & BBQ Festival (Branson, MO)
Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project:
Ricardo Alessio & Erica Harris (designer & artist), Abigail Washburn (artist), Rounder (label)
Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project:
Colin Escott (writer), A Mother’s Prayer, Ralph Stanley (artist), Rebel (label)
Like/Follow Us!