Please enjoy this album of Hal Beaver and Blackgrass The NPR Sessions 2006 (Beaver Records) Hal Beaver, my father, was born in Charlotte, NC and grew up playing at his great uncle's fiddlers festival, the Old Time Fiddler's Convention (www.fiddlersgrove.com) recognized as the oldest running fiddler's festival in the country. He took to the Delta Blues along the way and soon enough found himself playing a blend of the two genres in blues clubs around Atlanta as well as at Fiddler's Grove, where he later brought me and my siblings along to sing and jam in the fields and on stage.

In 2006, I used one of my father's live tapes to audition for an opportunity to record him and his band, Blackgrass, at NPR's famous Studio 4A in Washington DC. In February 2006, we trekked into the studio only stopping to perform a sold out show at DC's Warehouse Theater in Chinatown, and came out 48 hours later with this collection of traditional and cover songs- all regulars in Dad's setlists over the years. With Dad as the focal point, Blackgrass is composed of myself, Mel Jones (vocals, harmonica), Marlin Brackett (vocals, banjo, guitar), Jack Brantley(vocals, bass, mandolin), Jonathan Adams (guitar), and Patrice Eastham (vocals). Many other musical talents who have shared a stage with Dad over the years as Blackgrass but couldn't make it to this recording. Chris Nelson engineered the album, however, please keep in mind that I have not had it professionally mastered.

By August of the same year, 2006, Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to record him with his band in a proper studio before things began to deteriorate. And I'm happy to share it with all as we celebrate his life.

the children,

Lissy, Hannah, Howell, Corrie and Darrell 

Hal Beaver (vocals, slide guitar), Lissy Rosemont (vocals), Marlin Brackett (guitar, vocals), Jack Brantley (bass, fiddle, mandolin), Mel Jones (harmonica, vocals and tomfoolery),Patrice Eastham (vocals), Jonathan Adams (guitar), Paula Smith (vocals), Ron Padgett, Mike McCord, Wade Watkins and many more friends along the way!

To Retrieve your download, right click on each of these links and, depending if you are using a Mac or a PC, click "Save Link As." This should download each music file into your designated download area.  Please email me at LissyRosemont@gmail.com if you need further assistance.