Nixon, Blevins & Gage
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | INDIE | AFM
Music
Press
"Picking with Friends" unites a few of North Carolina's finest bluegrass talents in the established trio of Larry Nixon, David Blevins and Steven Gage....
What elevates this collection is the musicians' abililty to interpret songs that have not yet become jamming standards...
"Picking with Friends" is a welcome and comfortable collection of fingerpicking, flatpicking and folk singing that is blue-grass friendly, if not strictly bluegrass. - Bluegrass Now
The latest project from this trio of acoustic guitar pickers is a continuing tribute to flatpicking guitar styles.
"Pick Another One, Son" is recommended listening for any aspiring guitar player. - Bluegrass Unlimited
The three musicians on this CD
are all from North Carolina.... Larry Nixon has a smooth voice, and the guitar playing is seamless. - Bluegrass Unlimited
"Picking with Friends" is the fourth recording from Larry Nixon, David Blevins and Steven Gage. This is not a CD over-powered by banjos and mandolins; rather it is a nice relaxed sound primarily featuring guitars. Most of the songs have been previously recorded by other artists and opening track "Freight Train" particularly stood out as a very pleasing arrangement. In addition there are two nice originals written by Larry Nixon. I especially enjoyed the instrumental "Rollin'" - which is one of his creations.....
If you like Merle Travis' finger picking style of guitar playing, then this is a good choice for your collection. - Bluegrass Music Profiles
For moments when Gene Autry and Burl Ives are too jolly, trio Nixon, Blevins and Gage provides just the right touch of holiday joy with "Picking on Christmas" (Clover).
Produced by guitarist Larry Nixon, co-host of Sunday night's "PineCone Bluegrass Show" on WQER-FM, the album features 10 insstrumental versions Christmas classics plus one vocal track...
The juxtaposition of Nixon's finger-style playing with guitarist David Blevin's flatpicking results in an acoustic ambiance reminiscent of Doc Watson, Missippi John Hurt and the late Etta Baker. Anchored by Steve Gage's rock-steady bass rhythms, the swinging bluegrass/folk treatments breathe new live into such seasonal staples as "Joy to the World".....
Nixon and Gage deliver the vocal track, "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem", which compares well to Ralph Stanley's well-known bluegrass version.... - Raleigh News & Observer
....On their fourth album they pick and sing an assortment of songs from a wide variety of southern traditions. Among the program's highlights are a wonderful old Elizabeth Cotton song ("Freight Train") dating from the Great Folk Scare of the 1960s, an old Jimmie Rodgers tune (complete with yodeling), a gently stomping version of "St. James Infirmary" (with a few subtly elegand chord substitutions thrown in), and an unusually soft and deliberate rendition of "Man of Constant Sorrow"......there really aren't any weak tracks to be heard here, and the instrumentals are just as enjoyable as the vocal tunes. Very highly recommended.
- Bluegrass Unlimited
Discography
Pick One For Me CD 9901C Clover
Pick Another One, Son CD2002A Clover
Picking on Christmas CD 2001A Clover
Picking Live, At the Six String CD 2006A
Clover
Picking With Friends CD 2006B Clover
Photos
Bio
WWW.NIXONBLEVINSANDGAGE.COM
Nixon, Blevins & Gage continue to entertain audiences with their presentation of the emerging genre of the acoustic trio. Loosely based in bluegrass, they bring to the audience the finger-picking, early country music popularized by Doc Watson and Merle Travis. They are a pioneer and a part of the emerging genre of acoustic trios as originated by Doc Watson and continued by such groups as the Kruger Brothers and Blue Country. This music combines folk, traditional, religious and country in an audience orientated presentation. Selections range from modern songs adapted to the style to true-to-form preservations of older songs. Since first appearing in 1995, they have continued to evolve with appearances in clubs and festivals including Merlefest in 2006. To date they have released four CD’s. These releases have been critically acclaimed in Bluegrass Unlimited magazine and have received national airplay. Bluegrass Unlimited noted that in their first release, “Pick One for Me”, the guitar playing was “seamless”. Their second release, “Pick Another One, Son” was recommended by Bluegrasss Unlimited to all aspiring pickers. Their most success (their “best seller”) has been experienced with “Picking on Christmas”, which was critically by the Raleigh News & Observer who noted that
“The juxtaposition of Nixon's finger-style playing with guitarist David Blevins' flatpicking results in an acoustic ambiance reminiscent of Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt and the late Etta Baker.”
This is a most apt description of their style.
They have just completed their latest CD “Picking with Friends” which will soon be released in stores.
Nixon, Blevins & Gage have performed in shows or opened shows with among others, Mike Cross, Del McCoury, Longview, Larry Stephenson Band, GrassCats, Don Rigsby, Wayne Stephenson, Bill Leslie, Clyde Edgerton, and Carolina Road.
Nixon, Blevins & Gage have performed at many venues in the area including the North Carolina Museum of History, Six String Café, Tir Na Nog, Garner Historic Auditorium, Southend Brewery, Lighthouse Conference Center, Umstead Festival, Cary Fred Bond Park Amphitheater, Selma’s Rudy Theater and Merlefest in Wilkesboro. Larry Nixon has presented seminars at the NC Thumb and Fingerstyle Guitar Convention in Statesville, NC.
Larry Nixon is from Elkin, North Carolina in the heart of mountain and traditional music country, thirty miles south of Galax, Virginia, forty miles northeast of Deep Gap, home of Doc Watson, and twenty-five miles north of Union Grove, home of one of the oldest music and fiddler's convention in the country (and one of the first). When Larry was twelve, his grandfather gave him the banjo he had played around Surry County, North Carolina until 1929 when a finger injury ended his playing career. Since that time, Larry has been hooked on music, winning a talent show in the 8th grade. During his years in college, played in “beach” music bands. Larry has enjoyed playing all types of music but has returned to his "roots" and first love, the re-creation and preservation of finger-picking styles of guitar that he first heard in the 1960's.
Larry attended NC State University and is a consulting engineer in Raleigh, NC.
Larry is one of the original directors of PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, and is one of the hosts of the PineCone Bluegrass Show, which is broadcast from Raleigh on WQDR 94.7 at 6:00PM on Sunday nights.
David Blevins is from Winston-Salem, in western North Carolina. His cross-picking and flat-picking provides the smooth background and counterpoint to finger-picking that is vitally needed to present this style of music. During college, David played in the finals at Union Grove when that event was the largest festival of its type in the country. David has rediscovered his interest and ability on guitar more recently and has been accompanying Larry since 1994.
David graduated from Elon College and later attended NC State. He is a consulting engineer in Raleigh, NC.
Steven Gage is from Columbus, Ohio and ended up in North Carolina because of family trips to the beach which carried him through the state. Liking what he saw in North Carolina, Steve attended college at Duke University in Durham. Steven was a radio DJ while in college. He also played various types of music in high school and college but has become interested in acoustic and folk music and the strongly needed steady bass "bottom" needed to anchor the rhythm for this type of music. The Raleigh News and Observer describes his playing as “rock steady”.
Steven graduated from Duke University and is a psychotherapist in Raleigh, NC.
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