With a cult following reaching far beyond their southwestern Virginia stomping grounds, and a debut album voted one of the "Best of 2006" by Bluegrass Now, Pinecastle recording artists The Dixie Bee-Liners are creating quite a buzz. Known for their high-octane harmonies and stunningly beautiful original songs, the band has appeared live on BBC Radio Scotland, NPR, the Food Network, and radio playlists across the country and world-wide, including regular rotation on Sirius and XM satellite radio. Their self-titled CD debuted on the Roots Music Report bluegrass chart at no.
14, going on to spend 56 weeks on the chart, with 9 of those weeks in the Top 10.
In 2007, the band's music was featured on the soundtrack of the Civil War film Freedom. The Bee-Liners also recently completed work on their sophomore CD, RIPE, with legendary Grammy-winning producer Bil VornDick (Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, Bob Dylan, Jim Lauderdale, James Taylor), to be released on Pinecastle Records in the spring of 2008. The album will include guest appearances from DBL alumnus Andy Falco (Infamous Stringdusters), Mark Fain and Andy Leftwich (Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder), ex-Grascal David Talbot, and dobro player Travis Toy from Rascal Flatts.
"Down on The Crooked Road," the first single from RIPE, was released in November 2007 on Prime Cuts of Bluegrass, Vol. 90. DJ's not subscribing to Prime Cuts may download the single for free from RadioSubmit.com.
Known equally for her golden pipes and lead foot, the dulcet-throated Brandi Hart is a native of the Bluegrass State. She grew up singing and playing music in Southern Baptist church choirs, where she got her start at the tender age of 2. Her thoughtfully penned originals cover a surprisingly broad range, from hard-driving bluesy scorchers to ancient-toned instrumentals. A prolific songwriter, Brandi is currently at work on three distinct bluegrass concept albums. She will be featured in the Official ASCAP/IBMA Songwriter's Showcase at World of Bluegrass 2006 in Nashville. She plays rhythm guitar, Nashville guitar, fiddle, and mountain dulcimer... and has been known to moonlight in theater, dance, and voiceover acting!
Bluegrass veteran Buddy Woodward was a founding member of seminal 90's alt.country whiz kids The Ghost Rockets, and NYC honkytonkers Buddy Woodward & The Nitro Express ("as explosive - and polished - a hard honkytonk outfit as you'll find around New York" -- Barry Mazor, The Village Voice), was a featured performer on Greg Garing's Alphabet City Opry, as well as having played with John Starling, Steve Earle, Rosie Flores, Jim Lauderdale, The Coal Porters, Laura Cantrell, Bill Keith, Beat Rodeo, Sid Griffin, Smalltown Parade, The Jet Set, and The Chelsea Mountain Jamboree, among many others. Throughout much of 2005 and 2006, Buddy appeared in the Barter Theater's smash hit play, Man of Constant Sorrow: The Story of the Stanley Brothers, playing the roles of George Shuffler, Pee-Wee Lambert, Bill Monroe, and a Primitive Baptist preacher. He also moonlights as a voiceover actor for cartoons, including Pokemon, Boogie Pop Phantom, and The Ping Pong Club. A gifted songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Buddy plays the mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass, and (*gasp!*) drums, as well as handling production chores for the band.
Bristol native fiddler and sweet-voiced thrush RACHEL RENEE JOHNSON is a protoge of Becky Buller, and plays with The Stevens Family, as well as The Boohers, Sapling Grove and III Generation. Flatpicking wizard CLAIBORNE WOODALL has placed in the winner's circle four years in a row at the Wayne Henderson Guitar Competition, as well as having played with Susan Brown, the Sugar Ridge Trio, Ashland Railway and, as we love saying, "as heard on NPR and the Smithsonian Institution," which has a lovely ring to it, just like his guitar playing; ANDY BLEVINS is a Tazewell County Fiddler's Convention first place-winning bassist; and British-born banjo picker extraordinaire SAM MORROW, formerly of Mac Puckett & the Good Company Band, rounds out the sextet with his signature bluesy, Stanley-tone punch.
Guilty by association over the years are our friends ANDY FALCO (lead guitar), SAMMY SHELOR (banjo), DANNY WEISS (lead guitar, vocals), TERRY McGILL (banjo), NED LUBERECKI (banjo), JON WEISBERGER (upright bass), CHRIS SHARP (lead guitar), ALAN GRUBNER (fiddle), SKIP WARD (upright bass), MIKE LEVINE (dobro, pedal steel), ANDY COTTON (upright bass), BOB MASTRO (fiddle), JEN LARSON (harmony vox), DAVID GANDIN (upright bass), JONAH BRUNO (banjo), ADAM BUCHWALD (banjo), JOHN WALLACE SIMPSON (upright bass), RON DECKELBAUM (banjo), JASON CADE (fiddle), MICK HARGREAVES (acoustic bass), JACOB ELLER (upright bass), STEVE CRABTREE (lead guitar), and LENNY MOLOTOV (dobro). Remember boys, "Once a Bee-Liner, ALWAYS a Bee-Liner!"
Together, these accomplished musicians have performed and taught in hundreds of venues around the world. Their dynamic improvisational styles add jaw-dropping grit, humor, and emotion to THE DIXIE BEE-LINERS' live performances.
--From their website---