Artistry. Artistry is defined as a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation. When a musician falls in love with one genre and the sounds of that genre satisfy them, they can happily perform in that idiom to the exclusion of all others. But if an artist comes of age in an environment where music is loved equally regardless of what genre it should be called, then that artist is only content to recreate all the sounds that they love on their chosen instruments. Jonathan Maness loves the sound of the steel-string acoustic guitar and other bluegrass instruments. But he also loves the musical vocabulary of classical, jazz, blues, and world idioms. When you hear Jonathan perform, you may hear blues licks over a driving bluegrass groove. You may also hear jazz ideas juxtaposed with a flamenco rhythm. Jonathan's live shows include a guitar, mandolin and a loop pedal that allows interesting realtime overdubs and soaring guitar harmonies. No matter what you hear, you can rest assured it will be "Acoustic ... On The Edge!".
**NEW CD** RIPE (2008, Pinecastle Records)
NEW CD: RIPE - THE DIXIE BEE-LINERS' highly anticipated sophomore release. Produced by Bil VornDick (Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, Jim Lauderdale) for Pinecastle Records, this album features the hit single "Down on The Crooked Road," an homage to Virginia's Heritage Music Trail.
"[RIPE] shows just how original this group is. From the lyrics and music to how it is all perfectly put together, The Dixie Bee-Liners have a sound all their own, and it's a pleasing, lively sound! If this is the direction contemporary bluegrass music is headed, I'm all for it. In fact, I'll take a bit more!"
- Bob Cherry, Cybergrass.com
AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE, OR AT WWW.DIXIEBEELINERS.COM
