Andy May's Acoustic Kids

Room for Roots - Cover

Andy May CDs

All of Andy’s CDs are released on Swift River Music. In addition to writing and arranging his material, Andy produces all of his own recordings. When he doesn’t play or sing a part himself, he brings in great musicians to do the job. On his CDs, you’ll hear the likes of  Kenny Kosek, Kenny Malone, Dennis Crouch, Darrin Vincent, Hal Rugg, Curtis McPeake, Jonathan Yudkin, Jim Heffernan, John Gardner, Rodger Morris, Charlie Cushman, Buddy Greene, Jeff Taylor, Rick Lee, Dave Talbot, Craig Fletcher …. and the list goes on. Just explore the player on the right to hear samples of their work!

 

 

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“Bluegrass Unlimited:” “The View From McPeake” by Curtis McPeake

Curtis McPeake‘s name is spoken with something very much like reverence in the nationwide banjo community. …He is …an expert picker, as this fine instrumental album makes plain…. He is joined on this record by guitarist Charlie Cushman, fiddler Aubrey Haynie, mandolinist Dave Harvey and bassist Dennis Crouch, all together they play a winning assortment traditional and original banjo showcase tunes.

McPeake’s original compositions are some of the best things on this album-the aptly titled “Fire In The Furnace” and “Leap Frog” are both classic pieces of 1950s-style instrumental bluegrass, while “Long Way Home” is a slightly more complex and slightly less zippy composition.

Highly recommended.   –RA, Bluegrass Unlimited


Read more Curtis McPeake press and testimonials

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Blackberry Jam - Andy May - cover art

Blackberry Jam – Song

©Lauren LeCroy May, Andy May (Swift River Music/BMI)

Behind the Song

Lauren (words): I wrote this lyric the first summer we lived in Tennessee, after we have been once through all the seasons. We had moved from Colorado at the end of the previous May with our then 2-year-old, and wild blackberries, which didn’t grow in the part of Colorado where we had lived, were a revelation to us. (So were chiggers, but that’s another story entirely!) Every bit of this song is true: Blackberry picking with our kid and our old black dog became a part of our summers, and blackberry jam became a part of our winters.

Andy (music): When Lauren first showed me this lyric, she asked if I could work in a break using a bit of the old fiddle tune, Blackberry Blossom when I scored it. I worked with it a bit and realized that the structure of her lyric fit Blackberry Blossom perfectly – it just needed a “b part.” Lauren re-worked one of her verses into a b part/chorus and I based the entire melody on Blackberry Blossom – including working in the break that Lauren has asked for.

Several years later, my buddy, Tabby Crabb, made a music video of this song for us. (Below) 

Listen

(… more, credits, lyrics)

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Curtis McPeake - The View From McPeake- CD cover

Curtis McPeake – The View from McPeake

Curtis McPeake has always possessed a truly unique style of playing the five-string banjo. This latest collection demonstrated the “McPeake Magic” is still there.

—Eddie Stubbs, WSM Grand Ole Opry Announcer and Radio Host

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Blackberry Jam - CD cover

Andy May – Blackberry Jam

Americana pioneer Andy May combines acoustic/alternative country, bluegrass, folk, blues and rock influences with his trademark optimism touched with humor. Blackberry Jam also features Andy’s clean, lively production and some of Nashville’s best players.

…I thoroughly enjoyed this fine CD.  The music is all original, well written, and fresh. Andy’s vocals are clear and clean and he is an excellent guitar player as well. One cut, “Little Bird,” I especially enjoyed features Andy playing some fine finger-style guitar with a banjo-like roll. — JP, Bluegrass Now [more]

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