Shady Grove Bluegrass Band - Snowflakes

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Little Cabin Home On the Hill	02:29
	2	Tall Pines	02:39
	3	Road to Columbus (instr)	02:35
	4	Soon the Snowflakes Will be Falling
	5	Blue Rudge Cabin Home

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	I'll Still Write Your Name in the Sand
	2	Darby's Castle
	3	Living Like a Fool
	4	John Hardy (instr)
	5	Old Home Place

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

Clarence “Tammie” MacKay: guitar, lead vocal
Ed Hynes: banjo, tenor vocal
E. Sam Vezeau: mandolin, baritone vocal
Allie MacKay: fiddle
Darrell Frail: bass

Produced by Clayton Lewis
Engineered by Jay Samuels
Recorded and mixed at Frank Spinney Recording Studio, Cambridge, Nova Scotia

Photography by John MacKay

Liner notes:
Bluegrass music has a long history in the Maritime provinces. Countless young musicians learned their love of bluegrass from the broadcasts of radio stations like WWVA in Wheeling, West Va. which brought early country, stringband, and bluegrass music to everyday listening enjoyment. Many treasured record collections began with new and old bluegrass tunes from the broadcasts. The ease with which bluegrass music took root in the Maritimes is in no way unusual because, as a very distinct art form, it has more than a rich heritage in the country itself. In our music, however, we find our greatest outlet, our greatest joy, our sense of belonging, and our distinctive cultures.

The Maritimes have always been known as a source of great professional musical talent. People like Don Messer, Scotty Fitzgerald, John Allan Cameron, the LeBlanc’s, the Keenans from Nfld., and the Shute’s, N.S. Now, I pick a new friend Harland Hinds, very proud of and boasting about the many hours of their considerations and personal appearances. In the bluegrass field, names like Mc Lellan, the Bourques/Breens, Eddy Pories, The York County Boys (of N.B.) whose talents and musical appreciation spread far beyond their own community, have been mentioned professionally and respected for years by other leading bluegrass bands.

Many other great performers were born here. But besides the very strong and permanently placed members of our field here in the Maritimes, there are other members who work regionally or on a more amateur or semi-professional basis but whose love of music is familiar for personal benefits. His following is close to home and constant. Occasionally, he will be pressured or inspired to make a recording of his accomplishment, to the great joy of his supporters. This is what Shady Grove has done here.

When I first saw Shady Grove in 1977, they already showed what was to become the trademarks of their first LP. Tammie MacKay has been one of the very finest lead vocalists in Canadian bluegrass music. His country music background and his close study of our bluegrass greats as Mac Wiseman combine well. His feeling for bluegrass always took Mac Tammie to the unique talent, style of work, always the backbone of the Shady Grove rhythm section, the great pleasure he shows among the best in laying down what distinct, driving rhythm that is familiar to the bluegrass world.

In a small way, the lintsy strong banjo of Ed Hynes is a class by itself. Strong, high, and hard in the best bluegrass tradition, yet from their combined talents I readily recognized MacKay’s clear and distinct interpretation. Their attendance at the several festivals that surround the Maritimes, as well as in this special school, was their best education any banjo player can enjoy.

Ed Hynes had added experience behind him when he represented NS as provincial representative to the national competitions of the 1978 National Fiddle contest.

On the fiddle, Shady Grove has a rare find — a Canadian fiddler named Allie MacKay, son of his father, and his father before him. With his strong and expert understanding of tempo and timing, he has a strong future and should be recognized on this LP.

Sam Vezeau is Shady Grove’s mandolin player. Sam is a quiet, steady, and capable bluegrass player. While he is the newest member of the group, he has worked in many country and bluegrass bands over the years and has done recording sessions in the valley area.

On bass, Darrell Frail has combined several distinctive and personal attributes. He is not only a prominent and powerful bass player for the Shady Grove sound; he is also a fine singer and guitar player in his own right. His bass playing in the band has that dependable, driving control so important to bluegrass music.

This, then, is Shady Grove. Their dedication to bluegrass music, their personal sacrifices, and especially their strong sense of family unity have contributed greatly to the production of this album. It has been an honor to have known these fine people and to have this opportunity to write these notes for them. You can now enjoy Shady Grove, for three years of good music for me and for you.

Gordon Stobbe

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