Country Gazette (Part 7)

"Country Gazette" - 1981/82 Munde / Carr / White / Kennedy

"Country Gazette" - 1982 Carr / Munde / White / Smith

At the end of 1981 Michael Anderson left the band. Greg Kennedy became the new bass player but only for a few month, he was replaced by Bill Smith in spring 1982. A few live recordings with Greg Kennedy on bass were released 1984 on the Country Gazette album "Live on the road".
With the new bass player Bill Smith Country Gazette recorded a new album in November 1982 in Nashville "America's Bluegrass Band" which was produced by Country Gazette and Herschel Freeman. The only song with former bass player Greg Kennedy is a Kentucky Colonels medley with Kennedy on bass and vocals. This medley was recorded live at "Harry's Mustache", in Oregon City in December 1981.
For this album they also recorded Gib Guilbeau's "Take a city bride". The twin guitar and banjo leads bring out the cajun flavor, and Joe sounds right at home on the bayou.

COUNTRY GAZETTE: America's Bluegrass Band

- COUNTRY GAZETTE: America's Bluegrass band (Flying Fish 295) Produced by Country Gazette & Herschel Freeman with Roland White, Alan Munde, Joe Carr & Bill Smith guests Greg Kennedy & Herschel Freeman Side A: Saro Jane/Darling Corey/Living the good life/Sweet Allis Chalmers/Money in the mail/Master's bouquet Side B: Charlotte breakdown/Stop me/Take a city bride/Molly and Tenbrooks/Sugar mama/Kentucky Colonels' medley: I might take you back again, The Crawdad song, Black mountain rag, New river train

19-21 August 1983 Country Gazette played a reunion concert at the "11th Annual Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival" at Adams County Fairground, near Denver, Colorado. With Roland White, Alan Munde, Byron Berline and Roger Bush. They played mostly songs from their first albums. Billy Ray Lathum (ex-member of "The Kentucky Colonels" and "Dillard and Clark") played a few songs on the first day with the band and Dan Crary and John Hickman and Bill Smith (from the last Country Gazette line-up) on the second day.

Again a changing in the line-up 1984. Joe Carr left Country Gazette to teach his craft in one of the most unusual college departments anywhere - the country/bluegrass program at South Plains College. Serving as bluegrass music specialist, Carr teaches student ensembles and gives individual lessons on guitar and mandolin.

Bobby Clark was with the band in 1984 according to a live radio broadcast. (Bobby Clark also played with the "Bluegrass Cardinals" previously to joining Country Gazette.)

Gene Wooten on guitar and dobro became the new member January 1984. Gene Wooten became interested in his home town of Franklinto, North Carolina. After attending Appalachian State Universtiy, Gene spent six years as a band member with Grand Ole Opry star Wilma Lee Cooper.
A few month later in May 1984 bass player Bill Smith was replaced by Billy Joe Foster. Besides his great singing, bass playing and fiddling he is accomplished on the banjo, guitar and mandolin. Billy Joe grew up on a farm near Duncan, Oklahoma and began performing with a group of school friends.

1984 Alan Munde and Roland White released a Country Gazette self-released tape with live recordings performed by Country Gazette "Live On The Road".
Note: This tape was also released on vinyl but in Japan only!

Alan Munde about the recordings:

Selfreleased tape	COUNTRY GAZETTE: Live On The Road	Japanese album
	- COUNTRY GAZETTE: Live on the road (DIW Records & CGT-1) Produced by Alan Munde & Roland White with Roland White, Alan Munde, Joe Carr, Greg Kennedy, Bill Smith, Michael Anderson, Bill Bryson & Roger Bush Recorded live on the road 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 Side A: Will you be lonesome too/Roll in my sweet baby's arms/Dear old Dixie/You won't be satisfied that way/Lonesome Indian/Blue and lonesome/Texas gales/Down, down, down/Rawhide Side B: Panhandle country/Sunny side of the mountain/Sabrosa/Willow garden/Stoney creek/Working on a building/First album medley: Keep on pusing, Tried so hard, Swing low swing chariot/Foggy mountain breakdown

Here is more info about the tracks:

Foggy mountain breakdown (with Munde, White, Carr & Smith) - recorded July 29th 1983

Munde / Wooten / Foster / White

Munde / Wooten / Foster / White

The Japanese "MAPS Inc." released a video only in Japan of a show recorded live on May 27th, 1985 in Kyoto/Japan. This was not the current Gazette line-up it was "The Country Gazette Reunion Band" with Alan Munde, Roland White, Byron Berline & Roger Bush.

COUNTRY GAZETTE: Live In Japan

- COUNTRY GAZETTE: Live in Japan (MAPS Video-004) Produced by Takashi Fujii for MAPS Inc. with Alan Munde, Roland White, Byron Berline & Roger Bush. Songs: Durham's reel/Never ending love/Lonesome road/Sunny side of the mountain/Snow ball/Honky cat/Forked deer/Little darlin' pal of mine/Don't let your deal go down/Hot Burrito breakdown/To prove my love to you/Sally Goodin/Huckleberry hornpipe/Down the road/I wish you knew/New river train/Wheel Hoss/Keep on pushin'/Tried so hard/Swin low, sweet Chariot/Dusty Miller/Boil them cabbage down/If you're ever gonna love me/Aggravation/Uncle Pen/Will you be lonesome too/ Roll in my sweet baby's arms/Foggy mountain breakdown/I know what it means to be lonesome/Dear old Dixie/Hard hearted/Orange Blossom special

After a lot of touring Country Gazette went back into the studio October 1985 to record a new album "Bluegrass Tonight!". This album was released 1986 - the only song written by a Country Gazette member was Alan Munde's "The Great American Banjo Tune". Members were Roland White, Alan Munde, Gene Wooten and Billy Joe Foster. Special guest on that album was Roland's son Lawrence White on the bluegrass brushes.

COUNTRY GAZETTE: Bluegrass Tonight!

- COUNTRY GAZETTE: Bluegrass tonight! (Flying Fish 383) Produced by Country Gazette & Rich Adler with Alan Munde, Roland White, Gene Wooten & Billy Joe Foster guest: Lawrence White Side A: The great American banjo tune/Don't let nobody tie you down/Poison love/Kentucky waltz/Cabin on a mountain/Hound dogs never die Side B: You can't get the hell out of Texas/Is there life after you/Right before my eyes/Be nobody's darling but mine/Lonesome day/Colorado turnaround

In the mid-eighties there was an American radio-show of Country Gazette (line-up Alan Munde, Roland White, Gene Wooten an Billy Joe Foster). This radio-show appeared on LP on the Liberty Flyer label (LF 6175) show 007.

Same year Alan Munde released another solo album "In The Tradition" - again all current Country Gazette members played on that album and also ex-member Joe Carr on guitar and mandolin and others.
For this album Alan recorded 4 selfwritten songs, traditionals, two songs from Don Reno, the evergreens "Release me" and "Danny Boy".

ALAN MUNDE: In The Tradition

- ALAN MUNDE: In the tradition (Ridge Runner 0035) Produced by Alan Munde with Alan Munde, Roland White, Gene Wooten, Billy Joe Foster, Joe Carr, Bubby Ray Bodart, Bill Evans & Craig Fletcher Side A: Leather britches/Sockeye/Five by two/Release me - Danny Boy/Sugarfoot rag/Train to Mexico Side B: Hank's lonesome Cowdog blues/Tennesse Wagoner/Munde's child/Old Pecan street/Paddy on the turnpike/Tennessee breakdown

On a Japan tour 1986 Bobby Clark played guitar again (like 1984).
At the end of 1986 Billy Joe Foster left the group. On the next Country Gazette album "Strictly Instrumental" recorded December 1986 and January 1987 the Gazette were Alan Munde, Roland White and Gene Wooten. Billy Joe Foster played as a guest musician, not the bass he played only the fiddle. On bass helped Kathy Chiavola (ex-member of "Dillard and Clark") and on guitar David Grier. This album was the first full instrumental album by Country Gazette.

COUNTRY GAZETTE: Strictly Instrumental

- COUNTRY GAZETTE: Strictly instrumental (Flying Fish 446) Produced by Country Gazette & Rich Adler with Alan Munde, Roland White & Gene Wooten guests: Billy Joe Foster, David Gried & Kathy Chiavola Side A: John Henry/Rainbow/Jamboree/Cherokee shuffle/The Virginia Boys/Run, Johnny, run Side B: Wild Bill's blues/St. Anne's reel/Tallahassee/John Hardy/On top of the world/Bluegrass medley: Blue Ridge cabin home - Will the roses bloom again - Blue moon of Kentucky - Little girl of mine in Tennessee - Pain in my heart

Roland White

This was the last album with Roland White, he bacame a member of the "Nashville Bluegrass Band", with this band he won two "Grammy Awards". Roland played with these guys around town long before they formed a band.

For more info about Roland's career visit his own web site The Roland White Web Page.

1987 Alan Munde and Joe Carr recorded an album together in Texas which was released as a self-released tape 1991 (JA 001). Musicians were Alan Munde on banjo and bass, Joe Carr on mandolin and bass, Bubby Ray Bodart on guitar, Ricky Turpin on fiddle, Mike Bub played bass on "Dill Pickle Rag" and Ron Block played guitar on "Dill Pickle Rag":

	ALAN MUNDE & JOE CARR: Texas Fiddle Favorites For Banjo And Mandolin
	- Alan Munde & Joe Carr: Texas fiddle favorites for banjo and mandoline (JA 001) with Alan Munde & Joe Carr guests: Bubby Ray Bodard, Ricky Turpin, Mike Bub & Ron Block Side A: Red apple rag/Durang's hornpipe/Tom and Jerry/Billy in the low ground/Midnight on the water/Jesse polka Side B: Bitter creek/Dusty Miller/Twinkle little star/Sopping the gravy/Ace of spades/Dill pickle rag

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