Curtis McPeake, Banjo Legend, Passes at 93
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Curtis McPeake, banjo legend, Swift River Music Artist, and Andy’s good friend, duo partner, and pickin’ buddy for 25 years. He was 93. ⇨ Read more
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“The Bluegrass Situation” on Curtis McPeake and “Leather Britches” (McPeake & May, “The Good Things”)
…The fact that [Curtis] McPeake has been named a recipient of one of 2018’s Distinguished Achievement Awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association should come as no surprise. But, McPeake will not be accepting the award from retirement: Earlier this year [McPeake] and his collaborator, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Andy May, released a full-length album, The Good Things (Outweigh the Bad). On its final track, “Leather Britches,” you can hear that same timelessness in McPeake’s duet with Nashville stalwart fiddler Aubrey Haynie. They kick the tune with fiddle and banjo only, showcasing that classic pre-bluegrass format, Haynie fiddling fantastically far and wide while McPeake holds it all together with his three-finger roll, seventy years in the making. ⇨ Read more
Curtis McPeake honored by IBMA with Distinguished Achievement Award
“Curtis McPeake: In recognition of his lifetime of contributions to bluegrass as one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, a stand-in for Earl Scruggs at Flatt & Scruggs shows, as a member of the Opry’s staff band, and as a Nashville session player, among his many accomplishments.” — IBMA ⇨ Read more
Bob Piekiel on McPeake & May, “The Good Things”
The CD is done entirely with a four-piece band–Curtis on banjo, Andy May on guitar & vocals, Aubrey Haynie on fiddle, and Tim Dishman on bass. The result is a performance with lots of refreshing “breathing space” in each song, with each instrument tastefully placed in the context of the whole selection…. It’s one of those albums you can listen to over and over and hear something a little different each time. Old or young, veteran or novice, all will enjoy this treasure.
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Marc Pruett on McPeake & May, “The Good Things (Outweigh the Bad)”
…Through his recordings and many personal appearances with The Nashville Brass, Lester Flatt, and other top acts, Curtis carved a revered place for himself in the history of the music we love… Congratulations Curtis! You are making your banjo-buddies proud once again!
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Tennessee Arts Commission, Arts in Education: Andy’s School Program
Andy May has tremendous respect among traditional musicians nationwide. [He] has developed a program that … is devoted to the preservation of American traditional music. …The materials presented in his performances work well with the PBS documentary series “American Roots Music”….
—Hayden Roberts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Arts Education Director
Dave Freeman: “The View From McPeake” by Curtis McPeake
Thanks to producer Andy May for doing this up right-it should bring McPeake some of the credit he deserves as one of the top Scruggs-style banjo pickers for over 40 years now. ⇨ Read more