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The Biofuels Center of North Carolina thanks every artist on this compilation for supporting North Carolina’s newest industry sector. As citizens around the state partner together to create an economically and environmentally sustainable, vibrant and strategic biofuels industry, North Carolinians will keep billions of dollars within the local economy, help keep North Carolina farmers from losing or selling their farms, create jobs, and help reduce the United States’ dependence on foreign oil. Filling up with local biofuels will allow citizens to power not just their vehicles, but also the North Carolina economy.
The youngest of 14 children, Algia Mae was born in 1929 and raised on a cotton and tobacco farm, toiling in the fields from early youth. She went on to raise her own seven children working that same farm. Her music brought joy to her family and her community and in recent years has attained international recognition. 
Now in his 80s, Big Boy is considered the patriarch of the Carolina Blues. An established musician in the 1940s, he laid down his guitar to support his family by working on menhaden crews, fishing his own nets, oystering, and running a grocery store. He returned to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s when encouraged by younger musicians who had heard of his early exploits. 
All North Carolina natives, the band took its name from one of the few remaining stands of old growth virgin forest in western North Carolina, in Graham County near the Tennessee border, in Big Fat Gap. These boys have fun together and it shows. Their performances draw those who enjoy sweet three-part harmonies, smoking hot solos, and captivating stage dynamics. Each band member embraced music in childhood, and their dedication to their craft shows in their virtuoso musicianship. 
Based in Haywood County, NC, Balsam Range is comprised of five men native to the North Carolina region, “where the Smokies meet the Blue Ridge”. Their musical expertise and talents span bluegrass, gospel and country, and are steeped in the traditions of English ballads, Western songs, and the music of the Scotch-Irish settlers of these Southern mountains. Their music celebrates the rich musical heritage of the Appalachian South, both in the classics they skillfully perform and the evocative tunes written by the band members themselves. 
Before being nominated for two International Bluegrass Music awards in 2008 (including Album of the Year, Lovin’ Pretty Women), the Rangers were named ’Emerging Artist of the Year’ in 2006 at the IBMA awards ceremony in Nashville, TN. They’ve built a reputation as an engaging acoustic quintet seasoned by constant touring. Featured often on the Grand Ole Opry, the Rangers have played major U.S. music festivals such as MerleFest, Telluride, Grey Fox, DelFest and RockyGrass, and abroad in Sweden, Ireland, Germany and Canada. 
Classic bluegrass with a twist from this quartet that honed its craft at the legendary Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC. 2009 has seen them on a tour taking in the American South, Canada, Belgium, the UK, the Netherlands and a few other countries along the way. “I Got Worry” is from the album IV, licensed courtesy of Yep Roc Records. 
Born in 1913 in Morganton, NC, Etta began playing guitar at the age of three and continued for 90 years. She played the six-string and 12-string guitar, and the five-string banjo. Etta was known for her Piedmont blues, a style that draws from bluegrass as well as blues. Many Southern blues artists, including Taj Mahal, cite her pioneering style as profoundly influential. 
The Maudlin Brothers are a quintet of professionals who all have day jobs and huge bluegrass talent. Written by Bailes Brothers, one of the great post-war brother duets, this track comes from the album Raving Cowboys. Produced by Ed Norman, and recorded and engineered in Chapel Hill at Room 2b Productions, Raving Cowboys is a compilation of classic bluegrass tunes skillfully and enthusiastically performed. 
George was born in 1930 in Speed, NC, which he refers to as “a slow town with a fast name”. He played harmonica as a child and reluctantly sold a favorite squirrel dog to buy his first guitar. Always the storyteller, George said that as a result of their close proximity, the dog spent more time at his home than at his new owner’s, so he got to have the guitar and enjoy the company of his dog. 
What do a molecular biologist, a cardiologist, a custom builder, an HR maven and a music teacher who’s a mother of five have in common? A love of bluegrass and a ton of talent. Their performances are a mix of original tunes and classic takes on The Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Hoyt Axton and more. Like ‘break glass in the event of fire’, Fescue 911 is for all your bluegrass emergencies. 
In the mid-20th Century drink houses of Winston-Salem, NC, emotions ran high, alcohol flowed freely and the music was raw and from the heart. It is out of this blues milieu that Guitar Gabriel re-emerged to once again be recognized in today’s blues world. After years on the road, Guitar Gabriel’s story is, in many respects, that of the quintessential bluesman, but his personality is, at the same time, distinctive—reflected in his outrageous headgear, his eloquent ability to express the relationship between his life and his music, and, most especially, in the music itself. 
A seventh-generation North Carolinian, singer-songwriter Jonathan Byrd has been likened to a “young Doc Watson”, writing new songs in a way that makes them seem old. From his birth in eastern-central NC, he has traveled the world and emerged as an insightful chronicler of the drama and joy that make up the human experience. “Jacks” comes from This Is The New That, one of his five albums. 
One of the leaders of the traditional blues revival, Lightnin’ Wells grew up in eastern North Carolina where he taught himself to play guitar at an early age. A Lightnin’ Wells performance is a spirited, exciting interpretation of folk blues classics and off-the-beaten-path material based on his over 30 years of experience, performance and research. 
Based in western North Carolina, singer-songwriter Shannon Whitworth crafts sinuous ballads and bluesy, literate examples of Southern folk music. She plays guitar, ukelele and banjo and is accompanied by John Stickley, Matthew Smith, Seth Kauggman and Jake Hopping. This track is from her debut album. .jpeg)
Displaying inventive songwriting, educated musicianship, and a knack for making people dance, Brushfire Stankgrass merges old mountain music with a fresh new style for a remarkably original sound. While maintaining their bluegrass chops they have added some Moog analog effects and “trance-mountain dub” rhythms to create a style which has moved beyond the traditional into truly uncharted territory; they call it “stankgrass”. The band was voted on in two separate categories for The Mountain Xpress’s “Best of WNC 2008”, including Best Local Folk/Old-Time/Bluegrass. 
The eldest of 10 children, Macavine was born in Florida and moved for good to North Carolina with his friend Guitar Gabe. Says Macavine, “We played at juke joints and lay a hat down. Gabe was a free spirit and taught me that you can go anywhere you want to go. Would go to church on Sunday, we always carried nice suits and shoes. We would look good. We did a lot of travelin’!” 
Mary says her songs find inspiration from two main sources. The first is the natural world and one’s place within it; the sea and stars are prominent features of her landscape. The other is her attempt to walk in faith, acknowledging that doubt is never far behind. Says Mary, “I sing of the beleaguered hopeful”.
Sweet By & By weaves captivating three-part vocal harmonies and traditional instrumentation into old-time bluegrass standards and contemporary originals. The result is a fresh take on the all-female string band that is both pure and simple in its approach and rich in its ultimate effect. 
From the Netherlands to Napa, from Calgary to the Carolinas, The Shady Grove Band has made a tradition of delighting audiences with its unique “new-timey” bluegrass sound. Two decades of touring and performing have included nationwide appearances on CBS and NBC, 13 concert tours of Europe, and six albums that have received airplay literally all over the world. 
