FerrellStowe.com

Heading to Ireland, Sept 1,2010, for a two week tour of Wales/Ireland. Very full schedule of concerts and workshops. That's the way we like it!

Been workin' on a record for Dave Leatherman. Produced by Deannie Richardson, great fiddle player for Vince Gill/Patty Loveless/The Chieftans. Features Jeff White, Ronnie McCoury, Charklie Cushman, Mike Bubb, Deannie and myself. Gonna be a very stout record!!

Sure was honored to be included in a record featuring Tut Taylor's music, November 2009. Tut has had some serious medical problems, so the proceeds will go directly to him. He has been told of the record and is very grateful. The project was recorded by legendary recording engineer, Bill Vorn Dick and produced by Jerry Douglas, who came up with the concept. Players included: Mike Auldridge, Cindy Cashdollar, Curtis Burch, Rob Ickes, Randy Kohrs, Megan Lovell, Andy Hall, Phil Leadbetter, Orville Johnson, Billy Cardine, Michael Witcher, Jerry Douglas , Ivan Rosenberg, and I . Since it was being recorded just down the road from where I live, I went all three days, just to hang out, make some new friends and renew some old friendships. Mighty cool three days! The finished product will be releasedon the Koch E1 .

Letter From Tut (2/28/10):

I'm sitting here at my computer listening to you guys playing my tune. I'm so impressed I thought I would tell you again how this makes me feel. Your attack and interpretation is awesome. Still can't believe it. Any idea when it will be released? Thanks again my friend. You've brought joy to and old man's heart.Tutbro Tut Taylor

Have a new cd in the works. Will be 10 of my dobro hero, Josh Graves' tunes. Will try and add my own style to Joshs' great tunes, because to try and copy The Master would be an exercise in futility.

What a cool experience, getting to play the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall, Nashville, with the great Irish singer, Bernadette. So much passion and emotion in her music. Trying to get my Harlow resonator guitar to match that passion and emotion is what I think music is all about.

Check out the "Photo" page and see some of my favorite pickers. What an honor to spend a few hours with Vince, Earl, Carl !! Just does not get any better than to have the opportunity to pick Pike County Breakdown with the legend who wrote it.

Just receieved an extremely nice letter from Ann Marie Dopyera West, daughter of John Dopyera. Very informative letter, lot's of information about her parents, where John was born, etc. Very special to me, to say the least. Such an honor for me! I hope to meet her personally when we play anywhere near her home.

My new CD "Trnava" is now available. Please check it out by going to the "Discography" link. This cd, as well as all of my cds, can be ordered directly from me at stobro44@hotmail.com.

Have rejoined my old friend's Frank Ray and Cedar Hill . Looking forward to playing in the U.S., as well as Canada, the UK, etc. Proud and excited to announce the brand new line up for Cedar Hill, 2010. 1.Frank Ray: mandolin and vocals, 2.Roger Adams: vocals, guitar, Earon Adams: bass, Jackie Miller: fiddle, Jimmie Bunch: banjo, vocals, Ferrell Stowe: Harlow Resonator Guitar

My debt to Josh Graves is immeasurable. As a shy, introverted teenager, I would get up by 5:45 in the morning just to listen to Martha White Show over WSM. Joshs' music so captivated me, I named my only son Josh in his honor. I would work hours on end to try and do the same licks he was doin' and get that famous tone he had goin' on. That music gave me purpose and a sense of accomplishment and confidence that I had been lacking. There are only two dates in history that I can tell you where I was when the events happened. One was 9/11 and the other was hearing over the radio that Flatt and Scruggs had broken up. I realize that breakup pales in comparison to that tragic day in New York, but it sure did stick in my memory. Though I try to do my own style, I can never get away from the influence that Josh had upon me. It's still there and it's something I'm very proud of. No one will ever duplicate the soul and tone Josh had, but his influence on me hopefully shows up in the bluesy, close to the melody," less is more" approach to the resonator that I try to convey.

To me, seeing how many musical notes per measure you can slam in, is akin to an auctioneer preaching a sermon. You hear all the words, yet they have no emotion or meaning. I have enough years on me to remember when the banjo went through the melodic stage and runnin' scales on the mandolin was the "in" thing to do. I have also watched the banjo return to Scruggs being cool and Monroe style mandolin being hip again. Not to say that they weren't always cool and hip, just that the emphasis seemed to have shifted away from their styles, then shift back. I only hope that I am around when the resonator guitar makes that inevitable full circle.

"We are most productive when we focus on a very small number of projects to which we can devote a large amount of attention." Albert Einstien

To bring the same thought over into the musical realm: " We are most productive when we focus on a very small number of notes to which we can devote a large amount of attention" R. Eddie Davidson

I endorse Black Diamond Strings, Bradley Bars and Capos and Harlow Resonator Guitars, of which I now have my own signature model, The Stobro. These folks contribution to any success I have or will have is so appreciated.

Interested in buying MP3 s of Stobro's Blues? Click on the link below.

FERRELL STOWE: Stobro's Blues
http://cdbaby.com/cd/ferrellstowe

To purchase any of my 4 available cd's, e-mail me at stobro44@hotmail.com

Be sure and check out and sign the guestbook and have a look at the photo section.