The Steel Guitar Forum

Pete,
Thank You!

Tommy you sounded great Friday & Saturday night! As always.........................

Is it a coinsidence this is starting the same time as Stonewall Jackson's trial?

I don't know Janice.
Why can't we be happy about this?
Pete Fisher gets so much crap, why not be happy it's still on the Radio and TV?
If you don't like what you hear, as always turn it off.

Jack Stoner -

I know that you had tongue in cheek when you asked who the Time Jumpers were.

The Time Jumpers are still holding forth every Monday evening at the Station Inn here in Nashville for any of you coming in from distant places. Make it a necessary stop during your stay.

For info, go here: www.stationinn.com

Respectfully,

Richard

Pete Finney wrote:Not that it will convince anybody that already knows for sure that the Opry's ruined beyond recognition, but here's the actual lineup of this weeks Opry (almost all classic traditional country and bluegrass).


FRIDAY NIGHT

8-8:30 Jeannie Seely, Jimmy C. Newman, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

8:30–9 Jim Ed Brown, Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, Rebecca Lynn Howard

9–9:30 Jean Shepard, The Whites, The Time Jumpers

9:30-10 Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Gene Watson

SATURDAY NIGHT

7-7:30 Jimmy C. Newman, Connie Smith, Jennifer Hanson

7:30-8 Jeannie Seely, Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press, Suzy Bogguss

8-8:30 Jean Shepard, Jan Howard, The Isaacs, Opry Square Dancers

8:30-9 Jim Ed Brown, The Whites, The Time Jumpers

SECOND SHOW: 9:30-10 Jimmy C. Newman, Connie Smith, Jennifer Hanson

10-10:30 Jeannie Seely, Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press, Suzy Bogguss

10:30-11 Jean Shepard, Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, The Isaacs, Opry Square Dancers

11-11:30 Jim Ed Brown, The Whites, The Time Jumpers

And this is what's WRONG with the Opry. Every week the lineup is full of artists who are 30+ years past their prime.....and it's the SAME ARTISTS. I'm sorry, but the older ladies that they drag out each week cannot sing any longer....especially with the overdone "vibrato" that makes them sound like the obnoxious woman singing along with the church hymn a few pews back.....

I'm sorry if some of these artists are a favorite of yours, but having The Whites, Jim Ed Brown, Jimmy C. Newman, Connie Smith, Jeannie Seely, etc. on the show week after week, year after year, is the reason that the Opry is no longer what it once was. These are B-list (C-list?) country stars that have absolutely no appeal to the under-60 crowd.

Now....if you could get relevant stars from the past 20 years on each week, then we'd have a show that people would be interested in. But I guess the Opry cannot afford to have such talent come in every week. I would love it if Marty Stuart, Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Lee Ann Womack, Ricky Scaggs, Dwight Yoakum, George Strait, etc. were the regulars on the Opry week after week. Then you'd have a show worth attending.

The last Opry show my wife and I attended, we were about halfway into the latter Saturday performance listening to either Jeannie Seely or Connie Francis maiming a song, and we looked at each other and said "we could go down to lower Broad and listen to Brazilbilly." And we did! That's some REAL country (and stellar guitar playing by Chris Casello) going on down there....

I know who the Time Jumpers are. It was meant as a joke.

Sorry Jack.

I would love it if Marty Stuart, Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Lee Ann Womack, Ricky Scaggs, Dwight Yoakum, George Strait, etc. were the regulars on the Opry week after week. Then you'd have a show worth attending.

Aside from Dwight, who I expect is on occasionally but not frequently, I believe these other artists and more are on the Opry on a fairly regular schedule - as has generally been the case with hard-working Opry stars on the road. Marty, Ricky, and Vince routinely host the Opry.

No matter what management does, someone will gripe. The older, more trad country fans will gripe if a younger artist shows up in jeans. The younger crowd will gripe if a bunch of older artists show up in matching suits.

Just to dissect the friday night show for a second:

8-8:30 Jeannie Seely, Jimmy C. Newman, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper - two fine classsic country singers and a younger bluegrass band.

8:30–9 Jim Ed Brown, Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, Rebecca Lynn Howard - one of the great classic country singers, one of the great bluegrass progenitors, and a younger modern country singer.

9–9:30 Jean Shepard, The Whites, The Time Jumpers - again, two classics plus one of the most butt-kicking bands I've ever seen.

9:30-10 Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Gene Watson - Marty and two of the finest country singers who have ever lived - still very much in fine form.

What more do y'all want? This is all very much in the right direction, IMHO. The Opry has always tried to appeal to a large demographic - this is all in keeping with that.

I second (or third) Richard in his exhortation to catch the Time Jumpers at the Station Inn or the Opry when you're in Nashville. If you like real country music and western swing, I am utterly confident you will not be disappointed.

Dwight just made his first time appearance on the Opry resently. Pretty amazing to me. I don't think George Strait has made an appearance yet? Not sure why?

Hat's off to the staff band! You can still hear Country Music on the Grand Ole Opry! No matter what night!