2007 IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year

New CD due out July 29, 2008

April 10, 2008

Rounder Records will release our new -- but still yet to be titled -- CD on July 29. It's still too soon for it to appear on Rounder's upcoming releases page, but it'll pop up later this spring.

New CD, new website on the way

Feb 29, 2008

Just wanted to let you all know that our new CD is recorded and we are in the mixing stage. We're hoping for a release date sometime this summer on Rounder Records. We've rounded up some great tunes that we hope you'll like! We've also got a new website design in the works and plan to have it up this spring. We'll be adding a mailing list and some other features to make the site more useful and fun. Our 2008 festival season has kicked off with great trips to Ontario, Canada, to New England for the Joe Val festival, and Washington state for Wintergrass. We had a blast as usual and look forward to upcoming show dates in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, and Berryville, Virginia. Hope to see you at a show!

Marshall Wilborn joins Flamekeeper

October 9, 2007

We are happy to welcome upright bass great Marshall Wilborn to Flamekeeper! Marshall has played with some of the great bands of bluegrass, including Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys, The Johnson Mountain Boys, The Lynn Morris Band, and Longview, and is a veteran singer, songwriter, and session player. For more info on Marshall, visit our band page. Marshall replaces Barry Reed, who has decided to leave the road. Barry has anchored Flamekeeper since the start, and we wish him the best. We will be heading out to our first show with Marshall this weekend at Hoofer's in La Grange, Georgia, so if you live in the Birmingham, Montgomery or Atlanta area come on down and say hi!

Mike and the band take two IBMA awards!

October 5, 2007

We're thrilled to announce that Mike Cleveland won the 2007 IBMA International Bluegrass Music Award for Fiddle Player of the Year, and that the band has won the award for Instrumental Group of the Year! The awards were given last night as part of the 18th Annual Bluegrass Music Awards show at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Mike has now won the Fiddle Player of the Year award five times, second only to Stuart Duncan's eight trophies. He previously won in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2006. It's the band's first award for Instrumental Group of the Year. Way to go guys! For a complete list of winners, visit the IBMA website.

IBMA Update: Flamekeeper to join in Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration at Ryman Auditorium

September 27, 2007

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper will join The Del McCoury Band, Jesse McReynolds and The Virginia Boys, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and many others in this year's Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration at the historic Ryman Auditorium during IBMA week. For tickets visit the Ryman Auditorium website. We've also got a full schedule of showcases sandwiched in between our offical IBMA showcase on Monday and our FanFest appearance on Friday. We hope you can join us at one of these events! Here's our schedule for the week. Be sure to check for last minute changes. See you in Nashville!

• IBMA Showcase, Mon, Oct 1, 9:35 PM
• Patuxent Music Showcase, Nashville Convention Center Level 1, Room 104, Mon, Oct 1, 1:15 AM
• Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration, Ryman Auditorium, Tues, Oct 2, 7 PM
• Emelin Theatre/NYC Bluegrass.com Showcase, Renaissance Hotel Nashville 3rd Floor, Ryman Room 1 & 2, Tues, Oct 2, 12:00 Midnight
• Argyle & Frisco Bluegrass Festivals Showcase, Renaissance Hotel Nashville 2nd Floor, Music City Ballroom, Tues, Oct 2, 12:30 AM
• Pickin In Parsons/Roe Entertainment Showcase, Nashville Convention Center Level 2, Room 202, Tues, Oct 2, 1:30 AM
• Colorado Case Company Showcase, Nashville Convention Center Level 2, Room 203, Wed, Oct 3 , 11 PM
• World International Blue Grass Band Showcase, Nashville Convention Center Level 1, Room 105/106, Wed,Oct 3, 12:45 AM
• FanFest Performance, Main Stage, Nashville Convention Center, Fri, Oct 5, 5 PM

Join us at IBMA!

September 19, 2007

If you have plans to be at the International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass conference next month in Nashville we hope you'll get a chance to come to our FanFest performance on Friday, Oct. 5, at 5 p.m. on the main stage in the Nashville Convention Center. We always look forward to IBMA week and to saying hi to old friends and making some new ones. So stop by and say hi!

Todd Rakestraw joins Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

August 25, 2007

We want to let you all know that Audie Blaylock is no longer with Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper. I have played music with Audie for many years and wish him well. We are thrilled to welcome Indiana veteran bluegrass singer, guitar player and songwriter Todd Rakestraw to the band. Todd has played in bands in Indiana, Florida and Tennessee for many years and three of his songs have been recorded by Alison Krauss and Union Station, of which he was an original member. For a complete bio of Todd, visit our band page.

2007 IBMA Final Nominations

August 17, 2007

The final 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association award nominations are out and we are happy to be nominated in three categories this year. The winners will be chosen October 4 at the IBMA awards show in Nashville, Tennessee. Here are the nominations:

• Fiddle Player of the Year, Michael Cleveland
• Emerging Artist of the Year, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock
• Instrumental Group of the Year, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock

Flamekeeper album in the works

June 22, 2007

The festival season is in full swing, but we've been spending some time in a Nashville studio laying down tracks for our first album as a band to be released some time next year on Rounder Records. We don't have a title yet, or a release date, but we're having a lot of fun picking out material and arranging the tunes. We'll keep you posted!

IBMA Second Ballot Nominations

July 13, 2007

The second of three ballots for the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards are out and the band is up for eight awards. There's one more ballot to choose the finalists, then the award winners will be chosen in Nashville on October 4 at a gala show at The Grand Ole Opry House. Here are the second ballot nominations. Congratulations guys!

• Entertainer of the Year, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock
• Instrumental Group of the Year, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock
• Song of the Year - "Dark as the Night, Blue as the Day" on "Let 'Er Go, Boys!", Rounder Records
• Emerging Artist of the Year, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock
• Fiddle Player of the Year, Michael Cleveland
• Mandolin Player of the Year, Jesse Brock

Flamekeeper album in the works

June 22, 2007

The festival season is in full swing, but we've been spending some time in a Nashville studio laying down tracks for our first album as a band to be released some time next year on Rounder Records. We don't have a title yet, or a release date, but we're having a lot of fun picking out material and arranging the tunes. We'll keep you posted!

Angela Boling joins Roe Entertainment

June 20, 2007

Angela Boling has joined Roe Entertainment as a booking agent. She will be helping Jim Roe run the operation and their growing roster of bands, which, of course, includes us :) Welcome Angela!

Heading North in April...

March 2, 2007

Howdy folks, just a note from us to say that our 10-day tour of Canada is all set, and if you live in Ontario or in the Montreal/Sherbrooke area of Quebec we would love to see you at a show. We start April 18 in Clarence Center, NY, near Buffalo, then play throughout Ontario including several stops between London and Toronto. We also go as far north as Owen Sound, Ontario, and play one show in Waterloo, Quebec. Check our tour page for details. We hope to see you!

Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2006

Happy Holidays to everybody from Mike, Audie, Jesse, Barry, Pete, Jim Roe and all the folks at Roe Entertainment. We hope you have a great 2007. We're looking forward to starting the new year with our California tour, and have just added an 11-date springtime tour of Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Hope to see you at a festival!

Mike Cleveland Appears on Upcoming Vince Gill CD

October 11, 2006

Vince Gill's new four-disc set, "These Days," to be released October 17 on MCA Records, includes an acoustic music CD with Mike Cleveland playing fiddle on four cuts. Gill is also joined on this CD by Nashville veteran Charlie Cushman, The Del McCoury Band, and others. For more information visit Vince Gill's website.

Michael Cleveland Wins Two IBMA Awards

October 2, 2006

Mike Cleveland took home his fourth Fiddle Player of the Year award and third Instrumental Album of the Year award for "Let 'Er Go, Boys!" at the 17th Annual Bluegrass Music Awards in Nashville on September 28. Tom Adams won the Best Liner Notes award for "Let 'Er Go, Boys!." The awards were given by the International Bluegrass Music Association in a star-studded ceremony at The Grand Ole Opry House.

Mike had previously won Fiddle Player of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2004. His first solo project on Rounder Records, "Flame Keeper," won Instrumental Album of the Year in 2002, and he shared the same award with Tom Adams in 2004 for "Tom Adams and Michael Cleveland Live at the Ragged Edge." Way to go, guys! For a complete list of winners, visit the IBMA website.

IBMA Final Nominations

August 16, 2006

The final 2006 International Bluegrass Music Association award nominations are out and Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock are up for four awards, with Tom Adams nominated in the category of Best Liner Notes for Mike's latest album. The winners will be chosen September 28 at the IBMA awards show in Nashville, Tennessee. Here are the nominations:

• Album of the Year, "Let 'Er Go, Boys!", Michael Cleveland, Rounder Records
• Instrumental Album of the Year, "Let 'Er Go, Boys!", Michael Cleveland, Rounder Records
• Emerging Artist of the Year, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock
• Emerging Artist of the Year, Audie Blaylock and Redline
• Fiddle Player of the Year, Michael Cleveland
• Liner Notes, Tom Adams, for "Let 'Er Go, Boys!", Michael Cleveland, Rounder Records

Grand Ole Opry

July 26, 2006

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock will make its first appearance on The Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, August 19. Showtimes are 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. For more information check out www.opry.com.

IBMA Second Ballot Nominations

July 25, 2006

Michael Cleveland, Audie Blaylock, and their bands have received seven nominations on the second of three ballots for the 2006 International Bluegrass Music Association awards. There's one more ballot to choose the finalists. From the finalists the winners will be chosen. Here are the second ballot nominations.

• Album of the Year, "Let 'Er Go, Boys!", Michael Cleveland, Rounder Records
• Instrumental Album of the Year, "Let 'Er Go, Boys!", Michael Cleveland, Rounder Records
• Emerging Artist of the Year, Audie Blaylock and Redline
• Emerging Artist of the Year, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock
• Male Vocalist of the Year, Audie Blaylock
• Fiddle Player of the Year, Michael Cleveland
• Guitar Player of the Year, Audie Blaylock
• Liner Notes, Tom Adams, for "Let 'Er Go, Boys!", Michael Cleveland, Rounder Records

Our new website is here

July 25, 2006

Howdy folks, and welcome to the new website for Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock. We'll be under construction for a little while here, so please bear with us. In the meantime, you can get to the important stuff using the links above.