Marty Stuart
Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions
Release date: August 24, 2010

(Nashville, Tenn.–May 11, 2010) GRAMMY-winner and American music icon Marty Stuart is set to release a traditional country album GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS on August 24, 2010. With his 14th studio album, Stuart steadily continues to lead the charge in preserving the roots, culture and history of traditional country music.

Check out Marty’s Website

“What inspires me now, is traditional country music,” says Stuart. “It’s the music I most cherish, the culture in which I was raised. It’s the bedrock upon which the empire of country music is built, the empowering force that provides this genre with lasting credibility. It’s beyond trends and it’s timeless. With all that being said, I found traditional country music to be on the verge of extinction. It’s too precious to let slip away. I wanted to attempt to write a new chapter.”

Pre- Order to recieve a signed copy of Ghost Train

That new chapter is GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS which includes such unmitigated country staples as the male-female duet (the gorgeous, heartfelt “I Run to You,” written and sung with Connie Smith), the chugging, bluesy—and spooky— fellow Mississippian Jimmie Rodgers-like train song “Ghost Train Four-Oh-Ten,” steel guitar driven, hardcore heartbreak ballads such as “A World Without You,” and “Drifting Apart,” and a no-flinching directness is front and center in the premiere of “Hangman,” a pointed, harrowing tale of an executioner’s job and life that Stuart co-wrote with Johnny Cash just four days before the Man in Black passed away.

As the album title denotes, GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS was recorded in the legendary RCA Studio B in Nashville, where Stuart participated in his first-ever recording session at the age of 13 playing mandolin in Lester Flatt’s band.

Listen to 3 full songs from Ghost Train at NO COST
and view the album introduction video by Marty

“Studio B has a profound pedigree; it’s where so much of American music’s legacy was forged, certainly country music’s,” says Stuart. “And sonically, this is a room that welcomes music. It seemed to me that in order to authentically stage a brand new traditional country music record we should bring it back to the scene of the crime.”

GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS TRACK LIST:

1. Branded
(written by Marty Stuart)

2. Country Boy Rock & Roll
(written by Don Reno)

3. Drifting Apart
(written by Marty Stuart)

4. Bridge Washed Out
(written by Warner Mack)

5. A World Without You
(written by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith)

6. Hummingbyrd
(written by Marty Stuart)

7. Hangman
(written by Marty Stuart and Johnny Cash)

8. Ghost Train Four-Oh-Ten
(written by Marty Stuart)

9. Hard Working Man
(written by Marty Stuart)

10. I Run To You
(written by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith)

11. Crazy Arms
(written by Ralph E. Mooney and Charles P. Seals)

12. Porter Wagoner’s Grave
(written by Marty Stuart)

13. Little Heartbreaker
(written by Marty Stuart and Ralph E. Mooney)

14. Mississippi Railroad Blues
(written by Marty Stuart)

Promotional materials provided by SugarHill Records

My first experience on the Grand Ole Opry stage was when I was fifteen years old.  I had gone down to the Opry with Mom and Dad, who were both playing that night.  I was in Earl Scruggs dressing room backstage visiting with a friend of mine, Jody Maphis, who was playing drums with Earl, when Earl turned to me and asked me to come out on stage and play with them. He wanted to be able to showcase the different styles of banjo that we played. I played the old clawhammer style and he played the finger roll style. I almost fell over. I couldn’t believe that a world renowned picker like Earl would ask me, who was just a kid to play on stage along side him. I was so excited. I framed the first dollar that I made and I still have it to this day.

A couple years later, I had begun to take guitar lessons from Ed Hyde, who was a staff musician on the Opry. He brought it to my attention that Curtis McPete, who played with the Willis Brothers, was leaving and going with Danny Davis and The Nashville Brass. The Willis Brothers had been doing the Kelloggs Corn Flakes Commercials, with Curtis on banjo. Ed Hyde asked me if I would be interested in taking Curtis’s place in the commercials.

So I immediately talked my way into a cooperative education class in my high school, that would allow me to leave school at 12:30 every day.  I used those sixteen free hours every week to practice my banjo picking.  Sixteen hours per week practice for a minute and a half commercial!

My wife asked me tonight,  “What subject are you not any good at?”  

My reply was, “All of them!”

Everyone in life gets their education in different ways.  Mine just happened to be a lot of fun!

I was very excited to get the opportunity to record a new CD with mom, Ramona Jones, and the many family and friends that we have worked with through the years. Many of whom worked with us at the “Grandpa Jones Family Dinner Theater, in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, some new friends that mom has performed with over the last few years in Nashville. She is an exceptional old time fiddle player and I am so proud to be able to record with her again.

The CD will have over 20 songs/tunes on it featuring:  Ramona Jones on Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals

Alisa Jones Wall  on Hammered Duclimer and Vocals, Ron Wall on Autoharp and Vocals, Ruth McClain on Upright Bass and Vocals,  Greg Davis on Rythem Guitar, Banjo and Vocals,  Danny Dozier on Travis Style Guitar,   Larry Sledge on Mandolin and Vocals, Greg Moody on Mandolin, Lead and Rythem Guitar and Vocals, and myself, Mark Jones on Banjo and 5-String Dobro.   

I am always amazed when I play with these guys at the amount of talent that they have.  It is not only easy to work with these guys but also lots of fun since we have worked together for so many years. It is like coming home anytime we are together. We always have lots of catching up to do.  Every year these guys are good enough  to come to Mountain View, Arkansas  to the Grandpa Jones tribute that is held on Labor Day weekend at the Ozark Folk Center in honor of my dad. 

I believe that the new CD will be entitled “Falling Leaves”  after the song that dad wrote. Hopefully we will be able to get it released before too long. Look for it on this site. We will have it here for you as soon as it is available.

Good talking to you. Come back and see me soon!

A Note From Mark:  My first memories of the Grand Ole Opry, was as a child, with my mom and dad, Grandpa and Ramona Jones.  We spent most every Friday and Saturday night at the Ryman Auditorium.  The Ryman Auditorium was an old church, built by Captain Ryman, full of character and history, even before the Grand Ole Opry bagan to have shows there, but nothing to compare with the character that was to come later.  Each entertainer,  in those days was talented and unique in their own special way.  That was back in the day when each song that was played actually sounded different from the one before. The entertainers in those days  performed from their hearts to the hearts of the people. The songs were written to touch the hearts of the common, hard working person.  Not just geared toward a teenage market, fad music, to make a quick sale.  As a good friend of mine, Libby Leverett-Crew, (daughter of Les Leverett, Opry Photographer)  stated in her book,  Saturday Nights with Daddy At The Opry,  I quote:   Even with gum stuck on the underside of the pews, the stench of stale cigarette smoke and buttery popcorn, and the loud, loud music, there was something reverential about the building”.

Most of my childhood memories were centered around that entertainers of that era.  Memories of friends likes Stringbean, who was always giving me popcorn money and not taking any change back. Stringbean was dad’s best friend in those days. I remember one time going with dad and Stringbean to the Opry on an icy night. Estelle, Stringbean’s wife, usually did all the driving for String. She didn’t want to drive that night, because of the bad roads, so dad drove him.  We got out at the Opry on solid ice. String was carrying his costume bag in one hand and his banjo case in the other.  He was bent over from the hips, going across the ice. I asked him why he was walking like that and he answered,  “As tall as I am,  if I fall, it won’t hurt as bad from here.”    

For some reason that logic made a lot of sense to me.  I feel so blessed to have grown up in that era, with the role models that I had.  Check back in for more stories. Thanks for stopping by.

We are currently building this site as an interface to our sutdio and to let you know what we have available. There will be more information forth coming and as we continue to grow the site. We plan to add a photo gallery, music examples so you can hear the quality of our work and of course music and items for sale.

So, to begin with here is our vital information.

LOCATION:

Jones Recording Studio
12478 Dubuque RD
Omaha, AR 72662

CONTACT INFORMATION:

PHONE: 870-204-3401

EMAIL: jonesrecordingstudio@yahoo.com

AVAILABLE OFFERINGS::

• 32 track digital studio
• Recording and Mastering
• CD and DVD Duplication
• Photography
• Graphic Design
• Inhouse musicians available if needed.

Owned and operated by Mark and Sue Jones. Mark, son of the late Grandpa Jones from HeeHaw and Grand Ole Opry, has been in the music industry for over 30 years. We pride ourselves in not only giving you the best product at very competitive prices, but also, when you come to our studio, you will be able to relax and record in a comfortable atmosphere. The business that we do with you today is designed to bring you back to us for all your recording needs in the future.

Be sure to come back for more posts about the music business.

To Your Success in Music!
Mark and Sue Jones