Larry Keel’s bustin’ out with some new great videos!

keel, up close and personal

Exciting News! Larry Keel‘s traveling with a Flip Video recorder!!! This means lots of NEW videos the day they’re recorded in real fun situations!!!

Check out the new YouTube channel here: youtube.com/user/Larrykeelmusic

To see the other videos and look out for more subscribe to the Larry Keel Music YouTube channel!

For tour dates, photos galleries, link to social networks visit larrykeel.com

and stay tuned to Fishin and Pickin

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Music on the Mountaintop in Boone Initial Lineup Announced!

Music on the Mountaintop is a one of a kind, ecologically driven large-scale music festival, offering first class entertainment as well as educational awareness on current environmental issues.

Music on the Mountaintop will now be 2 days!

3rd Annual Music on the Mountaintop, August 27th and 28th, 2010.

2010 Initial Lineup:

Sam Bush, Toubab Krewe, Acoustic Syndicate, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge

Snake Oil Medicine Show, Josh Phillips Folk Festival, Holy Ghost Tent Revival

Do it to Julia, The Movement, The Native Sway, Uncle Mountain, Doc Aquatic, Farm Vegas, BPL, Mama’s Love, The Moderate

Remember that the message of Music on the Mountaintop is to “Educate While Entertaining” and keep the messages of the event with you all year around.

The first ever green festival in Boone, NC took the High Country by surprise. What started as a class project at Appalachian State University grew into one of the largest musical events the town had seen in nearly a decade.

Nearly 2,500 attendees enjoyed a full day of top notch musical talent from the local and national scene as well as interactive educational exhibits promoting environmental stewardship provided by more than 15 non-profits from across the state of North Carolina. Music on the Mountaintop was entertainment for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Whether it was enjoying the Grammy-winning dobro of Jerry Douglas, grubbing down on the local barbeque and burgers, or practicing your skills on the 30-foot climbing wall, there was certainly never a dull moment down at the High Country Fair Grounds.

The Cause:
At the end of the day, MOTM hopes  to offer a significant financial contribution back to the cause and research of renewable and alternative energy.

The Mission:
The mission with Music on the Mountaintop is to bridge the gap between traditional business and environmental stewardship. Through the medium of music we hope to educate while entertaining, offering practical and useful information to help you live a more sustainable and green lifestyle. MOTM hopes by offering the best musical talent, as well as positive environmental message, we can change the world one person at a time.

Find Music on the Mountaintop on the web:

musiconthemountaintop.com

facebook.com/MusicOnTheMountaintop

twitter.com/MOTMBoone

yellowdogent.com

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Larry Keel and Natural Bridge at Rivermen Whitewater

Article written by TJ Boley, music writer in Southern West Virgina

The folks at Rivermen Whitewater are rather proud of their new facility perched atop the New River George on Ames Heights Road. If you would like proof of their pride, just stop by and take a look around. You will soon be accosted by a friendly staff member who will more than likely insist on showing you what they have to offer. If you run into staff member Jim Heffernan as I did, your look around might take awhile.

Heffernan is quick to point out that Rivermen is “so much more than just a whitewater rafting company. Of course we offer the full gambit of whitewater experiences, but with the new facility, we have become a resort destination that a family, group, or individual could spend an entire week or more enjoying.” And if one partook of every activity that the New River Gorge Adventure Center (made up of Rivermen, Class VI, and Mountain River Tours) has to offer, it may well take more than a week.

And Heffernan has more. “Our guests can camp, stay in rustic cabins, or sleep in top of the line resort quality accommodations, ” he points out. “ And they can choose between three great restaurants on site, the newest being Bufflers Barbeque. We also have a masseuse on staff, and you can’t forget the Treetop Canopy Tour.”

The Tree Top Canopy Tour starts at the Rivermen facility, and after a short hike and a brief training period, you soon are zip lining through the magnificent foliage of the New River Gorge, under the watchful eyes of not one, but two highly trained guides. Jim points out that the Canopy Tour was recently featured in Popular Mechanics Magazine.

After another long list of activities too great to cover here in depth, Mr. Heffernan offers a nice segue to the real reason for my visit. I’m there to discuss this Sunday’s upcoming live show featuring Larry Keel and Natural Bridge. Jim leads me right to it.

“One of the things of which we are most proud,” Heffernan says, “is our 10,000 square foot entertainment area that features a game room, a lighted volleyball court, a viewing area for our in-house rafting videos, and a performance stage where we feature local and national artists.” And with that, we are at the crux of the matter, for Larry Keel and Natural Bridge are of the latter group, and truly have a national following. For those that follow acoustic Roots Music, Americana, or bluegrass, Keel and his band are a big deal, and the buzz around the area has been growing louder by the day since the gig was announced.

Photo By Jon C Hencock taken at the International Newgrass Festival

Larry Keel, internationally recognized as one of the foremost guitarists in the business, was equally enthused about his visit to the Gorge in a telephone interview on Tuesday. His travels have brought him from his native Virginia to our mountains many times, and he indicated a fondness for our locality in his conversation. But, as much as he enjoys the area, it is the crowd and the music that drive him in his pursuit of musical excellence.

Having grown up with a father playing the banjo and a brother playing the guitar, it was a natural thing for him to listen to Flatt & Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers, but he soon branched out in his musical tastes, and started listening to pop acts, as well as the early beat-box master Grandmaster Flash, and ranging afield to Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, and many classical and jazz artists. And he acknowledges that these influences have a bearing on his style of music.

“I’m influenced by all of the music I like, and the places I’ve been, and the people I have met,” Keel commented. “I hear different kinds of music in my head, and I need to get it out there.” And perhaps different is the best way of describing his sound, without trying to pigeonhole him into a certain category. And once you hear Keel sing, you will realize that he is far from being like anyone else you have ever heard.

Some might argue that Keel is a bluegrass musician, simply because he plays music that is identified with bluegrass, performs it on bluegrass instruments, and is frequently seen performing at bluegrass festivals. But there is a difference in his music that has to be heard to be recognized. And that difference is first of all found in his voice. If bluegrass is known as the “High, Lonesome Sound,” Keel might be disqualified from bluegrass immediately, as his voice is dark and smoky, soulful and of a far lower register than that of most bluegrass singers. But he shares the commonality of great singers in that, like all great voices, he has the ability to make the joy and the sorrow come out in his songs.

Add to the voice the fact that he is said to be by some the greatest flat-picking guitarist alive, and you have a truly incredible musical experience. Throw in mandolinist Mark Shimick and banjoist Jason Flournoy, along with Jenny Keel, Larry’s wife, on bass, and things just seem to come together. And coming together is the goal, according to Mr. Keel.

“We hope,” says Keel, “to achieve a commonness between everyone that listens to our music, and let the magic of the music take over the moment and bring everyone together. We want them to be pulled into the music.”

This Sunday evening at 8:00 no doubt the music of Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, along with the beautiful setting of the Rivermen Resort will bring out the magic of the evening, and it will be an event not to be missed.

For tickets to Sunday’s show, or more information about Rivermen, visit www.rivermen.com, or call 800-545-7238, and for more information on Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, visit www.larrykeel.com .

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Larry Keel and Natural Bridge back in JC

Contributed to the Press

www.johnsoncitypress.com

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge takes the stage at Stir Fry Cafe on Friday, Sept. 4, at 10 p.m. (Contributed to the Press / )

Flatpicking legend Larry Keel and Natural Bridge will play Friday, Sept. 4, at Stir Fry Cafe, 3020 Franklin Terrace Drive.

Showtime is 10 p.m. and admission is $5. The show is 21-and-up.

Over the past decade and a half, the two-time national flatpick champion has made a name for himself through his fiery-fingered guitar mastery, his almost otherworldly vocal style, and his wild, progressive mountain sound that has one foot firmly planted in tradition while the other reaches out beyond the boundaries.

With a keen focus on talent, Keel assembled Natural Bridge, a masterful union of kindred spirits who share a common musical vision. Held together by the cheerful steady backbone of Jenny Keel (bass fiddle, vocals), Natural Bridge features the fireball Mark Schimick (mandolin, vocals) and the charming, crescendo pickin’ Jason Flournoy (banjo, vocals).

The group’s February release, “Backwoods,” was co-produced by Keller Williams and has met with rave reviews.

“Listening to ‘Backwoods,’ it’s clear that the foursome mesh together so very well in a thrilling union of skills, which brings me to what makes Backwoods so engrossing. We’ve been blessed with so many gifted musicians among the roots world that it causes a lingering sense of amazement as much as it unintentionally creates a slightly jaded feeling. It’s the approach to the material that makes all the difference here, a hybrid of bluegrass with folk, country and jazz that tweaks the arrangements in subtly shifting ways to grab one’s attention. Keel dubs it ‘New Mountain Music,’ and that’s good enough for me. It feels like sunshine peaking through a thick forest or a sunrise with the grass caked by morning dew.” — John Patrick Gatta, jambands.com

“Expert musicians know in reality, it’s about the band and the final product, not just the star dominating the limelight. Larry Keel is an expert musician and having surrounded himself with musicians of high caliber, he gives them room to shine.” Bluegrass Unlimited, review of “Backwoods.”

For more information on the show, call Stir Fry at 232-6000. For more information, visit http://www.larrykeel.com and http://www.myspace.com/larrykeel.

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Archive: Any reason for the season—the other new year: Why an Asheville crew heads to Jamaica for Chinese New Year

by Alli Marshall in Vol. 15 / Iss. 23 on 12/31/2008

Mountain Xpress

http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2007/123108any_reason_for_the_season_the_other_new_year/

Once, when Asheville-based musician Andy Pond passed through customs into the Montego Bay airport, a member of the Mento band (which greets tourists) noticed his banjo case. “Going to Jamaica with a musical instrument makes people treat you differently,” Pond says. He suddenly found himself picking along with the band, welcoming fellow tourists—including the cast of MTV’s “Jackass” series.

Sound crazy? In under three hours’ flight time, you could be in sunny Jamaica, rum drink in hand, warm breeze blowing off the turquoise ocean and strains of—no, not reggae or steel drums—Larry Keel welcoming you to paradise.

Unlikely but true, and all part of the annual random-but-not-without-reason Chinese New Year Celebration (CHNY), held in the Jamaican beach town of Negril. This January’s gathering, which attracts many Western N.C. residents, artists and musicians, heralds the year of the Ox.

This particular Chinese New Year event got its start as a gathering of friends that moved from country to country. The Jamaican location stuck—despite the oddity of a Chinese holiday in the Caribbean—and soon word got out, catapulting the private festivities to public ones.

“The intention of the celebration is to … build a culture of peace and community through travel, music, arts and play to set a positive tone for the New Year,” reads the event Web site. In fact, CHNY has been taking place for the better part of a decade and not only provides a full itinerary of music and fun in the sun, but also opportunities to explore Jamaican culture and contribute to social projects.

One project, close to the heart of Pond (who first came to CHNY—and Jamaica—in 2001 when his band, Snake Oil Medicine Show, was invited), is the West Haven Children’s Home for the Disabled. “We originally volunteered to play a concert for the kids,” he recalls. “It was heavy. This is an orphanage for physically-challenged children andadults.” Organizers approached the Children’s Home staff to see how CHNY attendees could help. The answer: “We don’t need money, we need humans to visit,” Pond says.

“We spent a week doing art projects and serving food,” Pond recalls. “I always wondered if we helped them or just helped our own consciousness.”

He adds, “You can impact one person for one week. I go [to Jamaica] and realize how much I actually have.”

Pond understands that for some, the visit to Jamaica is about vacation and concerts. “That’s okay,” he says. “We know it’s not comfortable to go to the orphanages and see people who have less.” CHNY’s service mark also comes in the event’s commitment to support Jamaican-owned businesses. This is especially important on the Caribbean island where international resorts bring no return to local economies. It’s worth noting that while CHNY comes with a price tag (even musicians and volunteers pay their own way), the event organizers have already done the legwork to help visitors make the most impact with their American dollars, and avoid as many hassles as possible.

Another opportunity to learn (and WNC connection) comes through the ongoing One Love Reasoning Seminars, lead by Robert Roskind, author of Rasta Heart: A Journey into One Love and Gathering of the Peacemakers, both of which deal with Jamaican elders who wish to further the Bob Marley principal of love and freedom for all humanity. Roskind is a resident of Blowing Rock, N.C., but he and his wife Julia travel frequently to Jamaica.

Pond notes that there’s a long-standing (if informal) exchange program between the Appalachian Mountains and Jamaica. “Asheville and Negril have a strange exchange of music. Before there was Snake Oil Medicine Show, there was Ras Alan,” he says. “I personally had a musical epiphany. The simplicity and the poetry of reggae touched me.”

what: Chinese New Year 2009, a week-long celebration of peace, community, the arts and travel
where: Negril, Jamaica
when: Saturday, Jan. 24-Saturday, Jan. 31 (Packages run $750-$2610, not including airfare. At press time, airfare ran around $300 for a direct flight from Charlotte, N.C. to Montego Bay, Jamaica.http://www.chny.org.)

The lineup

Chinese New Year 2009 attendees may be surprised by just how familiar the bands performing at the Jamaican resort seem. That’s because a significant portion of the roster is Asheville-based. Here’s who’s playing:
• Kenyatta “Culture” Hill: The son of ‘70’s era reggae star Joseph Hill, Jamaica-based Kenyatta carries on the family legacy. He recently released his first solo album, Pass the Torch.
• Laura Reed and Deep Pocket: Influenced by roots reaching from front woman Reed’s South African home to the American South, this Asheville-based big band blends reggae, R&B, soul and funk for a captivating and high-energy live show.
• CX-1: At first look, CX-1 is a mini-version of Snake Oil Medicine Show. In fact, the Pond Brothers’ side project (a.k.a. “The Blackhole Bluegrass Boys”) allows its members to further explore the connections between reggae and bluegrass.
• The Overtakers: This Negril-based husband and wife project (led by Ruben and Ruth Brooks) has collaborated with CX-1 for a transcendent Asheville show, as well using their music to uplift their own Jamaican community.
• Josh Phillips: Formerly of Asheville’s Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Phillips recent went solo with a the seamless debut release, Wicker. Upbeat songwriting and folky reggae-meets-hip-hop make up a not-to-be-missed Josh Phillips performance.
• Fred Tackett and Paul Barrerre: These guitarists, both of the legendary band Little Feat, have their own band known appropriately, as Paul and Fred-The Acoustic Duo. Fred is from Arkansas, Paul from California.
• Acoustic Syndicate: Formed in 1992 by brothers Bryon and Fitz McMurry and cousin Steve McMurry, the acoustic Americana outfit logged many road miles and built an impressive fan base before they quit touring in 2005. After a two-year hiatus, the core group reunited for occasional show dates.
• Larry Keel & Natural Bridge: Expert picking, fiery licks and roots music performed with modern flare underscore a Natural Bridge show. The sounds are second only Virginia-based musician Larry Keel’s penchant for creating a family feel wherever he goes.
• Snake Oil Medicine Show: This long-term Asheville collective, including George and Andy Pond, Caroline Pond, Billy Seawell, Sean Foley and, occasionally, painter Phil Cheney, has the uncanny ability to turn any crowd into a party.

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