Bluegrass Up in Her Head

Photo by Todd V. Wolfson

The 22nd Old Settler's Music Festival rolls into Central Texas this weekend with its strongest lineup in years. The idyllic confines of the Salt Lick Pavilion in Driftwood will ring with roots, folk, and bluegrass music from 35 acts, including local favorites Robert Earl Keen, the Gourds, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and the Greencards, plus Canadians Fred Eaglesmith and Blackie & the Rodeo Kings. A number of acts are showcasing music from new and upcoming discs, most notably Dave Alvin and his all-female band, the Guilty Women; local swingers the Belleville Outfit; and Cajun gods Beausoleil. We spoke to Alvin Lee of the sacred steel Lee Boys about their seemingly sudden appearance on the national stage and to Wimberley teenager Sarah Jarosz, whose debut finally comes out in June.

The little girl with a mouthful of braces and a mandolin in her hands is all grown up now. In late May, Sarah Jarosz (pronounced "juh-rose") turns 18 and graduates from high school. Weeks later, June 16, the Wimberley resident sees her debut album, Song Up in Her Head, released on the prestigious Sugar Hill label, which honors Jarosz with a record release party at Nashville's revered bluegrass venue the Station Inn.

This weekend's Old Settler's Music Festival, an event where she's an old hand, marks the beginning of what promises to be a breakout year for the picker and singer-songwriter.

"My parents and I have been listening to music for as long as I can remember," she relates, adding that she started singing at the age of 2 and picked up the mandolin at 10. "A friend had a mandolin. I had always heard the mandolin on recordings, so I asked her if I could borrow it for a while. I really loved it initially, and then I found out about the weekly Friday night bluegrass jam in Wimberley at Charlie's. That was where it really started for me."

The support of Mary and Gary Jarosz cannot be understated in telling their daughter's story. Anyone who's met them basks in the joy they radiate. They're almost like kids themselves, amazed at the talent and intelligence their only offspring possesses.

"They made it possible for me to attend music camps around the country," nods Sarah. "One of the first was the RockyGrass Academy in Colorado. This will be my eighth year there, but I'm only playing this year."

She pauses for a little laugh.

"The other was the Mandolin Symposium in Santa Cruz, California. David Grisman and Mike Marshall have created an amazing week there just learning about the mandolin. Things like that were so encouraging and helped me meet other musicians my age who showed their deep love of music. It was like, 'Okay, this is cool to do.'"

People took note of Jarosz's talents early on, not only as an instrumentalist – besides mandolin, she's more than capable on piano, guitar, and banjo – but also as a singer with a distinctive voice and a songwriter with vision beyond her years. Not just in Central Texas, either, although she's shared local stages with such heavy hitters as Ricky Skaggs and Béla Fleck. In 2003, she received an invitation to perform at the International Bluegrass Music Association's annual convention as part of the Young American Bluegrass Idols show.

"I love being onstage," enthuses Jarosz. "There's just a feeling of complete joy. In those situations where I get to play with my heroes, the adrenaline kicks in and it's: 'All right! These are the guys that inspired you, so show 'em what you've got.' My dad's motto has always been, 'Give it all you got.'"

Sugar Hill's VP of A&R, Gary Paczosa, was leaving the grounds of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2007 when he heard Jarosz's voice coming from the stage. He spoke to her after she played and invited her to his studio in Nashville.

"She knew what she wanted in making the record," says Paczosa, "so the idea of her co-producing wasn't that far out of line."

That's right. Jarosz at 18 will have co-producer credit on her first album.

Together, Paczosa and Jarosz brought in top bluegrass players Jerry Douglas, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan, Abigail Washburn, Mike Marshall, Darrell Scott, and Tim O'Brien.

"The singing is what grabbed me," claims O'Brien. "She's smart, perceptive, and has a great sense of herself. She's not in a big hurry. She could have made a record four years ago, but she took her time and made more of a statement with her first record. It's indicative of how well-considered she is with everything."

With summer's bluegrass festival season as well as special gigs surrounding the release of Songs Up in Her Head, including a celebration at the Cactus Cafe June 10, Jarosz might be stepping up her pace somewhat. In the fall, she plans on attending college in Boston, having been offered merit scholarships to both the Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music. She isn't sure which she'll accept.

"All through high school I learned how to organize my time, so I'm going to continue to do that," offers Jarosz. "I'm interested in learning as much about music as I possibly can. Sometimes it feels like I have two lives. I've grown a lot out of doing it and learned a lot about myself. It's been rewarding, and I'm glad that I worked so hard. But I'm definitely ready and excited for the next chapter in my life. It's going to be an adventure."

Sarah Jarosz plays the Old Settler's Music Festival Saturday, April 18, at 2:30pm on the Hill Country Stage. The festival runs Thursday-Sunday, April 16-19. See www.oldsettlersmusicfest.org for ticket info, lineup, directions, and complete details.

The Lee Boys

At last year's Austin City Limits Music Festival, Miami's Lee Boys put on one of the best sets of the weekend by nearly blowing the roof off the WaMu tent with their incendiary brand of sacred steel. An amalgam of soul-stirring gospel and Allman Brothers Band blues, the sextet walked away with a buzz that continued through its recent appearance at South by Southwest.

"We've been playing together all our lives," explains guitarist Alvin Lee, one of three brothers and their three nephews that make up the Lee Boys, starring pedal-steel monster Roosevelt Collier. "We came together professionally in 2002. Since we found a booking agent and manager in 2006, things have really taken off, especially last year when we played Bonnaroo, DelFest, Austin City Limits, and on Conan O'Brien."

The appearance at DelFest, hosted by bluegrass legend Del McCoury, led to an unlikely collaboration between the Lees and the McCourys, whose closing-night jam at the Old Settler's Music Festival is a much-anticipated highlight. Gospel and bluegrass have a long history, so the connection makes sense, even if the bands are distinctly different in their choices of power sources.

"The chemistry is real good," Lee declares. "They kind of go electric a little bit. They kind of go into our world."

The Lee Boys' lack of recorded material finally finds relief in the form of a DVD of their appearance at Bonnaroo. Otherwise, with a touring schedule packed until fall, fans will have to make do with experiencing them live.

"It's crazy," Lee relates with a hint of glee. "From now until October, we're on the road every week. Just hitting it. So far, it's been a fun road."

The Lee Boys play the Old Settler's Music Festival Saturday, April 18, at 5:15pm by themselves and at 8:30pm with the Travelin' McCourys, both on the Hill Country Stage.