Music

Ken Talks About “Willie Nelson”

Willie Nelson is a song on the new album Shades of Life that you can order today! Tell you about Willie Nelson? My song "Willie Nelson" isn't really about Willie Nelson. It's about two separate adventures from the east coast, to Portland Oregon. Michelle (my future wife) and I didn't know each other then, but we moved out West at around the same time in the early 2000's and both of our trips had a connection to Willie. Since this song has a special meaning around Michelle and I, I asked her to help me on vocal duties on this…

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New Album! “Shades Of Life”

  Hey Everybody! We've been working on this record for almost 3 years and we're super excited to share it with you. "Shades Of Life" just came back from the mastering studio last week and we're very happy with how it turned out. We've already pushed out a single of the first track, "Beautiful Day" to some bluegrass radio DJs, so keep your ears open! We're opening up per-release orders from now until September 28th. I want to get this music out ASAP, so everyone who orders will receive an immediate download of the record! Yay! If you choose a…

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Developing A Powerful G-Run

Hey all! I had a student request a video of some bluegrass rhythm stuff we went over in a lesson last week, so I thought I'd share it with my readers. The goal of this video is to give you some tips to improve your bluegrass rhythm playing by employing a rest stroke. This technique will give you great tone, and economy of motion, so once you "have it" with your right hand, you'll be able to play these exercises at great speed. Click here to download your free PDF that contains some exercises that are demonstrated in the video…

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Crossing The Black *OFFICIAL RELEASE*

Crossing The Black *OFFICIAL RELEASE*

It's Here, We're There! It's been just over 2 weeks since we moved into our new house in Asheville, NC. It's been amazing so far! I've already met some amazing musicians and I don't imagine that it will be long before I have a band together with which play this material. In the meantime, you can get yourself familiar with the recordings because as of today, September 18th, Crossing The Black is OFFICIALLY RELEASED. This means you can now buy the music on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, and at the CD Baby store. I encourage you to review the CD! For…

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Down in the Willow Garden

This old Appalachian murder ballad with Irish roots has been done over and over again by greats such as Charlie Monroe, The Stanley brothers who recorded the song twice in the 50s, the Everly Brothers and even Norah Jones and countless others. This song has always befuddled me. Why does this poor dude's father think that having his son kill Rose Connelly will bring them riches? Who knows. Anyways, I think it's a pretty song. I may have gone overboard with the Ken Burns cropping and panning, but I think the bananas make up for it. This video is more to…

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Ken Chapple and Simon Linsteadt Attic Session

Ken Chapple And Simon Linsteadt Attic Session

On a cold February evening, a lonesome traveler arrived at my door. His name was Simon Linsteadt, and he was on a journey to show to his soul what it meant to truly be a solitary wanderer. We shared stories of jams come and gone. We listened to bits of the new Steep Ravine record, The Pedestrian (which is killer, by the way.) After a while, my wife, baby girl and Sammy the dog, and Cleo the cat laid down for bedtime. Once the whole house was quiet, and everyone else was asleep, Simon and I ascended the dark staircase…

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5 Albums To Inspire Your Flatipicking In 2015

5 Albums To Inspire Your Flatipicking In 2015

Here is a little list I've compiled of albums (in no particular order) that I stumbled across in the past year that may be slightly off the beaten path. I definitely recommend purchasing all of these fine recordings. For your convenience, I have provided links to buy these records from the artist. Allen Shadd - Miles From the Hard Road Allen is a two-time national flatpick champion and Miles From The Hard Road is filled with beautifully executed flatpicking. Buy Here   John Mailander - Walking Distance Molly Tuttle brings some very nice, creative picking to John Mailander's Walking Distance.…

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