Bristol, Tenn.-Va. (April 20, 2023) – Classic country king Jesse Daniel meets the dynamic bluegrass duo of Compton and Newberry on the next edition of WBCM Radio Bristol‘s Farm and Fun Time at 7 p.m. ET, May 11, in the performance theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol, Va.-Tenn. Hosted by Radio Bristol Program Director Kris Truelsen and his house band Bill and the Belles, the evening promises to be a toe tappin’, knee-slappin’ hootenanny of a good time!
“I’m a big fan of Jesse’s music and his live show is not to be missed,” said Truelsen. “He’s currently packing much larger theaters out west with his rockin’ country show. This is one of those ‘don’t miss’ experiences you’ll be bragging about for years to come. Compton and Newberry will bring their unique old-timey flavor – it’s a real treat to have them on the same bill at Farm and Fun Time.”
Saving Country Music heralds Jesse Daniel as “One of the best live experiences in independent music.” He has been touring the country for years with his top notch band and earning fans the old fashioned way – with honest songs played well. The California native is blazing the trail for a new wave of traditional artists, bringing his hard core country music to stages all over the U.S. There are many making traditional country music in modern times, but no one is making it like Daniel. His sound uniquely his own, while rooted in the tradition of his Bakersfield heroes like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Over the past few years, Daniel and his band have toured and shared stages with artists Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Sierra Ferrell, Charley Crocket, and American Aquarium, to name a few.
Mike Compton and Joe Newberry, masters of old-time mandolin and banjo/guitar, dig deep into early country music and blues. Their duet-singing, two-man string band ranges between traditional songs, instrumentals, ‘mother’ ballads and original tunes. It’s not about the number of notes with Compton and Newberry, but telling the truth and respecting the song.
Compton is a GRAMMY Award-winner, IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year nominee, and mandolinist for the Nashville Bluegrass Band. The musician was also a steady sideman for John Hartford from 1994 until his death in 2001. Newberry is known far and wide for his powerful banjo playing but is also a prize-winning guitarist, songwriter and singer. In addition to his work with Compton, Newberry plays with fiddler and step-dancer April Verch. He has been a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion and was a featured singer on the “Transatlantic Sessions.” He won a songwriting prize for Gospel Recorded Performance at the IBMA’s with the tune “Singing As We Rise” and was co-writer for the song “They Called It Music” with Eric Gibson, which earned the IBMA Song of the Year.
Farm and Fun Time host band Bill and the Belles is based in Johnson City, Tenn. The band tours internationally and is known for combining a stringband format with their signature harmonies, candid songwriting, and pop sensibilities. Rolling Stone referred to the band as “…committed to helping early country music remain appreciated – not just replicated.”
Tickets to Farm and Fun Time are $40 and may be purchased online through the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. The program may also be accessed in its entirety live through WBCM Radio Bristol’s Facebook page, on the air at 100.1 FM in the Bristol area, online at ListenRadioBristol.org or via the station’s free mobile app.
Farm and Fun Time is recorded before a live audience and syndicated for television on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS, and PBS North Carolina.