East Tennessee Blues, by Robby Norris (14) & Tom Isaacs (19)

Wow!! I met these young men at the Gibson Showcase store in Nashville, Tennessee, in February 2008. Robby and Tom are from North Carolina, and they were in Nashville for the same reason I was -- the annual festival of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America. Very fine pickers! They belong to the Surefire Bluegrass Band, and they just put out a CD. Be sure to visit their website. It is good to see the future of bluegrass! (Robby's dad also makes mandolins.)

Surefire Bluegrass has been chosen as one of 8 regional groups to compete for a chance to open for The Lonesome River Band at the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock on Saturday, May 17, 2008.

Surefire Bluegrass Band was officially formed in December 2007. The band consists of: John Bryan (age 17 - banjo), Tom Isaacs (age 19 - guitar) and Robby Norris (age 14 - mandolin).

The debut CD, which was released on Christmas Eve, 2007, is entitled The Old, Old House. There are 12 songs on the project including: Julie Ann, Crying Holy, Little Maggie, Pike County Breakdown (instrumental) and I'll Wear A White Robe, which is done acapella.

I'm not sure which Gibson model mandolin this is. I think it is the Wayne Benson model F5, but it could be the Sam Bush or Doyle Lawson. When I hit the lottery, my first order of business after donating half of it to my church, is to use the other half to upgrade from my Goldrush to the Sam Bush model mandolin!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• East
• Tennessee
• Blues
• SPBGMA
• mandolin
• guitar
• flatpick

[62BOWTIE]

thats not john brayn thats tom issacs!!!

[notvathome3]

Sorry, I got the name wrong. John is the banjo player in a different. I fixed Tom's name in the title, but still messed up on caption.

[peacockunini]

This is a great clip and for more great tunes, check out Robby's CDs. His Dad, Bobby Norris, is making an A-style mando for me and I can't wait to hold it in my arms!

[bluegrasssingingman]

@style5tie You guys sound great.

[style5tie]

@bluegrasssingingman Hey this is Tom (the one with the guitar). I'm a Martin man through and through. Funny thing is, in our band, Surefire, I pick the banjo and john picks the guitar. We were just messing around in the mall that day. 

[bluegrasssingingman]

nice playing, and nice sounding mandolin. I hope he was able to buy it. The Gibson guitar is junk buy a Martin. LOL

[buckhendrix]

I had the pleasure of hearing and seeing these fellows with the rest of their band,Surfire last week at a private party in Blowing Rock. They are really good. I mean goooood.

[TheRealDerfMan]

....awesome stuff.... reminds me of a fellow named "Denim Dugay"..... ;)

[cabinbowman]

Its cool to see that a new generation is getting into Charlie Bowman's music

[hatchboy1]

My nephew just got him a Doyle Lawson mandolin from Gibson showcase in Nashville it a good sounding mandolin.

[alicelookingglass]

I keep coming back to watch this - love it.

[style5tie]

Well he's actually 16 now and that, my friend, is called old time mountain style bluegrass and the TUNE is East Tennessee Blues. I would know because I played the guitar on that recording.