Somewhere In Time

"Somewhere In Time" is featured/highlighted in the October 2010 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited. The McCormick Brothers Biography The McCormick Brothers are not as well-known as other country and bluegrass harmonizers who were popular in the 1950s, such as the Stanley Brothers and the Louvin Brothers. But they were a good bluegrass band, though they weren't as long-lived as the most renowned ones working the same turf, and certainly didn't record as often or sell as many records. The seeds for the act were planted when Lloyd McCormick and Kelly McCormick formed a guitar-mandolin duo as youngsters, performing duets on Kentucky and Tennessee radio stations. Their personnel and instrumentation expanded, and younger brother Haskel McCormick joined on banjo in the early '50s. At one point, the lineup was filled out with a couple of cousins, Hayden Clark (on bass) and Billy Clark (on fiddle), before the youngest brother joined on bass and Dewel Bullington on fiddle; Charlie Nixon later joined on Dobro. From the mid-'50s to the early '60s, the McCormick Brothers recorded for Hickory, run by Fred Rose (who co-ran the enormously successful Nashville publisher Acuff-Rose with Roy Acuff). The McCormicks did some rockabilly sides in an attempt to boost their sales, but are known primarily for the fairly straight bluegrass recordings they did on Hickory, alternating between harmony vocals and purely instrumental workouts. Their biggest seller was their first single for the label in 1954, "Red Hen Boogie," penned by Charlie Louvin and Ira Louvin. They also did an album after leaving Hickory for Metromedia. Eighteen sides from their bluegrass Hickory singles were assembled for the 2002 Varese Sarabande compilation The Very Best of the McCormick Brothers. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide Michael Cleveland Biography Henryville, IN, native Michael Cleveland quickly became known as one of the hottest attractions in bluegrass, aptly achieving recognition for his blistering and unconventional fiddle style, not for the fact that he is blind. His love for bluegrass began early, and in 1990 he first appeared at Bill Monroe's renowned Bean Blossom Festival. In 1993, at the age of 13, he appeared as fellow fiddler Alison Krauss' guest at the Grand Ole Opry, soon appearing on A Prairie Home Companion and playing before the U.S. Congress. In May of 1999, after graduating from the Kentucky School for the Blind, Cleveland joined Dale Ann Bradley and the Coon Creek Girls. Along with his work with the Coon Creek Girls, he released two independent CDs -- One for Mac dedicated to Kentucky fiddler Mac McBane, and Sawing on the C String. He joined Rhonda Vincent and the Rage in February 2000, and his work on the Rounder album Back Home Again earned him the prestigious International Bluegrass Music Association's Instrumental Performer of the Year in the fiddle category. Rounder Records next released two Cleveland albums, Flame Keeper in 2002 and Let 'Er Go, Boys in 2006. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE MCCORMICK BORTHERS We have been very excited about this project from beginning until its completion. We feel this is some of our best work. Thanks to Buddy Butts for believing in us and his willingness to produce this C.D.. Thanks to Jimmy Tarbutton for his hard work in the studio as engineer and the long hours to make this project a reality. What an honor it was to have some of the best musicians in the bluegrass field to be a part of this C.D.. Michael Cleveland, thanks for your creativity on the fiddle and mandolin. What an awesome musician to work with. He was an inspiration to all of us. Haskel and Michael was having so much fun we didn't know where to stop them so we just opened the microphones and let them pick. You will get the same feeling as you listen to Old Joe Clark. We are excited to have William's son Jason singing tenor, playing mandolin, snare drum, and singing solo's on this C.D. and working with us on our show dates and festivals. What a voice! Gerald's grandson Aaron Bible is playing the bluegrass box drum. He is only 13 years old, but already a very accomplished drummer. This acoustical box gives Three Men On A Mountain and Twilight Zone a sound we feel everyone will enjoy. Our thanks to Carl Franklin who works show dates with us and is also a big part of this C.D.. He is one of the best traditional bluegrass fiddlers that you will hear. He has worked with Bill Monroe, Dave Peterson's Band 1946, and many other great bluegrass groups. It was exciting to hear him say, "When I start hang on." You will understand when you hear I Still Miss Someone. A fun guy to work with in the studio and on the road. We have a special guest appearance from Haskel's granddaughter, Ragen. She is fast becoming a great fiddle player, and is only 10 years old. Ragen and Haskel team up on Cripple Creek. All you can say is just great picking. William demonstrates his skilled bass playing through out this project. He exemplifies some great licks as he picks out on Salty Dog Blues. We feel sure you will appreciate his solid bass rhythm on each song and his bass harmony on the quartet songs. Gerald is playing rhythm guitar and sings harmony and lead vocals. His singing has a lot of feel and expression in each song. Haskel's five string banjo picking is as fast and smooth as it was 54 years ago on Hickory Records. His expression through his picking is always exciting and uplifting to listen to. He also gives you this same feeling when he is picking the guitar on Camping In Canaan's Land. We hope you have as much fun listening to this C.D. as we did making it. Our thanks to everyone who had a part in making this project a reality. The McCormick Brothers Haskel, William, and Gerald This C.D. is dedicated to the memory of Lloyd McCormick and Kelly McCormick.