NEWS!
Summer 2010
We've started working on a new project! Look for
something most unusual next winter... In the meantime, we're playing music a
lot, both at gigs and at jams with friends and strangers. Barbara &
Frank took a trip this past Spring through the Shenandoah Valley, along the Blue
Ridge Parkway of NC, down through Georgia and Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico and
across the Florida panhandle. They got to Panama City Beach right before
the oil got there. Then they traveled up the east coast stopping in
Savannah, Jeckyll Island, Myrtle Beach, Gettysburg and home to
Connecticut. Went to Merlefest on the way down and Gettysburg Festival on
the way home. The trip inspired two brand new songs and many bluegrass
memories, some of which will come out in the new project.
Spring 2009
You can now find us on Facebook
and YouTube and most digital
distribution sites! We try not to get sucked into spending our days there,
so wish us luck!
Winter 2008
Our new CD Going Home
is reviewed by Sing Out! magazine in the Winter 2008 edition!
SHOREGRASS Going Home, Shaw Family Publishing
There was a time when bluegrass wasn't big business. Emphasis was placed on the
true nature of the music, not the spit and polish available in the modern
recording studio. Shoregrass is a throwback to those lazy Sunday afternoons at
the music park with a picnic lunch and friends all around enjoying sincere and
talented players providing the sweet music of the mountains.
Banjoist Frank Shaw and his wife, guitarist Barbara, are the core of Shoregrass.
They hail from Connecticut and are joined by their son Jonathan on bass, Paul
Pozzi on mandolin, and Stacey Phillips on Dobro and fiddle. Barbara and Frank
both sing and between them have composed twelve of the sixteen selections on
Going Home.
The CD opens with "The Letter" by Barbara, written after a songwriting
workshop conducted by Bob Franke at the Old Songs Festival. The assignment was
to write a song in the form of a letter. The subject is a familiar one to those
of us who have moved far away, not able to visit the home place as often as in
the past. The title track, which follows, was also written by Barbara. Its
subject once again is universal – the everlasting searching for a home.
Further on in the CD, Stacey Phillips contributed the holiness hymn "Ruth
and Naomi," another tune about restlessness and wandering. "I'm On My
Way Back to the Old Home" is a tribute to Bill Monroe and, although many
have recorded this classic, Frank and Barbara more than do it justice. The CD
concludes with the ultimate question – Barbara's "When Will There Be
Peace" with the hope of an end to the cycle of never-ending war.
Shoregrass is a refreshing reminder of what bluegrass music is really all about:
a talented, family-based band that seem to truly relish playing and singing
together. - TD
November 2007
Our new CD Going Home
is reviewed by Bluegrass Unlimited magazine!
June 2007
Our new CD Going Home
is here! We're really proud of this new recording and invite you to check
it out at www.CDBaby.com,
where you can hear 2-minute samples of every song. You can order a copy
from them or from us directly (below). All the details about the
recording are there. But you'll have to see the liner notes to see the
special photos and read about where they came from! Note: CDBaby
will take a couple of weeks to set up and should be ready by early July.
Check out our myspace page (link above) to hear some samples.
November 2006
A
new tunebook called The
Connecticut Sound - a Conntra Collection, Reels, Marches, Hornpipes,
Rags, Jigs & Waltzes comprised of 91 tunes by 20 CT
composers, has just been published and is now available online.
This book was edited by Mickey Koth with assistance from Dan Hocott. There
are tunes by several local musicians, including 5 by ShoreGrass's own Barbara
Shaw. Check it out: http://www.conntras.org/conntune.htm.
Yay, Connecticut!
Here's the story on ShoreGrass
CDs, past, present and future:
You can follow these quick links to get our music or read more about it below.
www.cdbaby.com/all/shoregrass - all 3 of our CDs are available here
www.itunes.com/shoregrass - individual tracks are available here from GH and CW albums
Order directly from us - if you can't find us at any of the other sites
Future plans - we've always got something going on, so check out what's in the works
"Going Home" |
"Songs of the Civil War Era" |
"In Connecticut" |
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This is our newest album, and we're very proud of the music and the musicians on this recording! It is available on www.cdbaby.com. Check it out and you'll be able to hear clips of all 16 songs and order a copy. (Or you can order directly from us at address at bottom of this page). |
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ShoreGrass is very proud of this recording of 14 originals and 2 classics. Song styles include bluegrass, old-timey, folk, swing, gospel, waltz, blues, foot-tapper, tear-jerker, etc. No two alike and some unusual ideas presented, all written and performed in a traditional style. |
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This album (our debut CD) is available on www.cdbaby.com. Check it out and you'll be able to hear clips of all 15 songs and order a copy. (Or you can order directly from us at address at bottom of this page). |
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ShoreGrass released their debut CD "In Connecticut" in late 2001. It was recorded at American Melody Studio in Guilford, CT, engineered and mixed by nationally renowned musician Phil Rosenthal. The songs reflect their strong roots in traditional acoustic music as well as their affection for New England, especially the debut of the instrumental "Connecticut Waltz," and "I Can't Go Home," which comments on changes in hometown Branford, CT. This CD was selected for review by the Philadelphia Folksong Society, which said: "...they sound terrific. Their enthusiasm is infectious, their blend is sweet, their repertoire is varied easy listening. I gave this CD the old dishwashing test and it lasted all the way through the dinnerware, even surviving the wok, which gets done last." A testimonial about the "Connecticut Waltz" from the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce:
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| Recording session at the American Melody Studio | ||
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Here are some sound clips from our "In Connecticut" CD: (see www.cdbaby.com for clips of all songs) |
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MP3 |
Real Media |
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Other states have a waltz. Why not Connecticut? Written by Barbara for her home state. Lyrics someday! |
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About a grandfather who worked in the mines of Arizona. Written by Barbara, sung by Paul (lead) with Barbara and Frank doing harmony. |
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This complete album is available on www.cdbaby.com
or you can order
directly from us at address at bottom of this page. |
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We are happy to finally offer our LIVE "Songs of the Civil War Era" concert as a recording! Despite the reservations of each of us, and knowing that we could certainly improve on the occasionally less than perfect renditions (hey, it's LIVE and no one's perfect!), we decided to go ahead. We hope you will enjoy our bluegrass-style interpretations of these great old songs, live and unedited as we were at the Blackstone Library one evening in March, 2003. We covered songs popular on both sides during the "War Between the States" as well as a few songs written about the war in later years. This recording includes familiar soldier songs from the period along with sentimental ballads, hymns and popular songs of the past and present, representing both the Union and the Confederacy. Music has always been a chronicler as well as a blessed escape from the horrors of war. It was, during the Civil War, and it continues to be today. Thank you for providing us this opportunity to share our music. If you are interested in presenting this program live, contact us and let's talk. The live program includes commentary and a bit of history about each song. 2006 Bluegrass Guide Review: A review of "Songs of the Civil War Era" published by Mountain High Bluegrass Associates of Bellows Falls, Vermont in their 2006 Bluegrass Festival Guide http://www.bluegrassguide.com This album was recorded live on March 21, 2003 at the Blackstone Library Auditorium in Branford, Connecticut. The band for this show consisted of Frank Shaw on Banjo, Dulcimer, Guitar and Vocals, Barbara Shaw on Guitar and Vocals, Paul Pozzi on Mandolin and Vocals, Larry Rothermet on Fiddle and Louis Audette on Bass and Vocals. This album has an excellent selection of songs, containing 20 songs altogether including Soldiers Joy, Lorena, Boston Boy and Have Someone Play Dixie For Me. The band has done a lot of research on the backgrounds of each song as evidence by the write ups inside the jacket. Such as the story of the Vacant Chair originally a poem written by Henry Washburn about Lt. John Williams Grout of the 15th MA Volunteer Infantry who died at the battle of the Balls Bluff, VA in October 1861. I found the write-ups to be interesting as well as informative and they helped to make the CD that much more enjoyable. This is a good representation of songs of that era, many of which you’ll recognize and some you may not. Almost all were written over a 100 years ago and one (Soldiers Joy) over 200 years ago. These are powerful songs that have stood the test of time and the band handles them with the respect they deserve. Frank Shaws banjo playing is tasteful and solid with a soft touch on the backup, not overpowering. He’s able to adapt his style to fit each song going from a clawhammer style to three finger, handling each with confidence. Frank also does a large part of the singing doing so with feeling on songs like Lorena and Boston Boy. Barbara Shaw plays solid rhythm guitar and sings lead also. On Faded Coat of Gray she draws you in with her soulful voice. The Shaws do a duet on Vacant Chair and it’s beautiful. Paul Pozzi plays the mandolin taking some nice lead breaks as well as providing some sweet backup. He sings lead on Hard Times and his heartfelt delivery is the way a song like that is supposed to be sung. Larry Rothermet plays the fiddle taking some very tasteful and energetic breaks as well as providing some very appropriate backup. Louis Audette plays the bass keeping everything rock solid and takes the lead on Goober Peas doing a lively and fun version of this old camp song. Its obvious the band worked hard to give the folks that night a good show and they did and through this cd we’re able to be there too! The singing and playing is heartfelt and honest and though a little raw at times overall this is a good solid project and one I enjoyed very much. |
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We have started on our next project and it is unlike anything we've ever done! It will take some time to pull it all together, but we're very excited about this one and look forward to the process as well as the result! More news as it develops... |
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Ordering CDs directly: You can directly order our "In Connecticut" or "Songs of the Civil War Era" or our new "Going Home" CD (please specify) by sending your name and address plus a check for $17 each (includes postage) to:
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