PAUL’S CREEK: one of north Carolina’s finest mountain music groups, combining traditional and original songs with fine singing, harmonies, stories, dance and more….

The 2012 season is coming, check the schedule page and join us…

Paul’s Creek plays original and traditional mountain music, their fine harmonies blending in an old timey style heavily influenced by the elders of the region, family, friends and diverse interests.

Carol Rifkin’s vocals shine on everything from Carter family songs to originals. A  touring artist who has played or danced with many of her musical heroes like fiddler Tommy Jarrell, Bill Monroe and Doc and Merle, she learned  songs from her Georgia born Dad, steps from Beverly Cotten Dillard and Doc’s cousin Willard Watson and is a journalist, public radio host (WNCW, WSIF) and award winning musician.

Jamie Soesbee grew up watching his dad and uncle play bass, seems natural he would become an award winning bass player and touring artist too. Related to legendary singer Jimmy Rogers (Rogers stayed at Jamie’s grandmother’s home while in Asheville) Jamie lends fine harmony and lead vocals to the mix.

Tom Pittman left Asheville more than 30 years ago and played with the Austin Lounge Lizards but the call of his Southern roots brought him back to play banjo and dobro with Paul’s Creek. Living just  hollerin’ distance from Paul’s Creek, he is a welcome addition who brings a wealth of professional experience in both music and radio (KUT, WNCW).

Lyndsay Pruett is a graduate of Belmont University’s Violin performance  program and masters many styles. With strong family ties in the mountain music community, she is a frequent visitor to Paul’s Creek and will join us in April 2012 and more.

Legendary fiddler Arvil Freeman is a frequent visitor to the stage with Paul’s Creek and joins us whenever he is not first fiddle with the Stoney Creek Boys.

This spring brings Texas old time fiddler Elizabeth Pittman as an honored guest onstage.

We hope old friends visits Paul’s Creek when they can, like banjo artist George Buckner who lend his talents on Wade Mainer styles and more, he’s busy restoring cars and raising a family and has helped us so much. We hope to see banjo player Troy Harrison bring his Obray Ramsey style to the stage when his duties at work and at the orphanage he works with allow and fiddler Tim Garder too, when he’s not busy with his new baby or promoting his new solo CD. Micah, Caleb and Bucky Hanks owe us a visit too along with our much-loved old friends Ralph, Marty and Don Lewis and the Sons of Ralph.  We are blessed with great friends at Paul’s Creek.

Places Paul’s Creek played in 2010/2011 include MerleFest, the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF), Stecoah Valley Performing Arts Concert Series, “Fasttrack” on the Speed Channel filmed at the Bristol Speedway”, Tommy Jarrell Festival, Andy Griffith Playhouse in Mount Airy N.C.,  Biltmore Estate,  North Carolina Arboretum, Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival, COMMA- City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium, Apple Festival-Historic Bethabara Park Winston-Salem, Thomas Wolfe National Monument, Western Carolina University, Southern Highland Heritage Festival, Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands at the Asheville Civic Center, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, Fines Creek Bluegrass Jam, Concert on the Square in Downtown Waynesville, N.C., Smokey Mountain Folk Festival, Bascom Lamar Lunsford ‘Minstrel of the Appalachians’ Festival, Haywood County Mountain Music Jamboree, Grove Park Inn, Bluff Mountain Festival, Purple Onion, White Horse Black Mountain, the Grey Eagle, Bobo Gallery, Feed and Seed, French Broad Brewing Company, Pack’s Tavern, more ….

STAY TUNED FOR A NEW RECORDING WITH FRIENDS FROM PAUL’S CREEK.

Fine’s Creek Festival with Balsam Range was a huge success……….

Join us at 7 p.m. Thursday July 7 in the City of Morganton Concert Series, nationally known musician Josh Goforth joins us on fiddle, more detail on our schedule page….

MerleFest!  Paul’s Creek played  to a large crowd in the traditional tent, Carol tried out new songs and  Jamie sang lead on a new  a Capella gospel song. Thanks to  Wayne Henderson for filling in on guitar  while Carol  danced.  Host of the dance stage, Carol  joined Doc Watson ‘s set on stage again this year.   More pics on the photo page….

Thanks to C. Soesbee, T. Watts and L. Allen and J. Sanford for the lovely photos.

Playing in the Tommy Jarrell Festival

at the Andy Griffith Playhouse in Mount Airy, N.C. was both a treat and an honor. Carol is writing new songs and Jamie’s new upright continues to sound. We hope you

    Winter has definately arrived at Paul’s Creek with snowstorms, power outages and falling trees. Still lots to be thankful for during the holidays. 

Our evening at White Horse Black Mountain was a blast although ice kept some friends away. The schedule for next summer is coming together and i’ve gotten some of it posted to the Paul’s Creek Band schedule page. And the new CD is finally happening, can’t wait to have it finished and in hand, hopefully by the end of February or early spring. I”ve posted some fun photos from WHBM taken by our dear friend Don Talley, keep in touch and come see us soon.

Carol at Paul’s Creek December 2009

 The Paul’s Creek Band

….notes from Paul’s Creek November 2009

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it’s almost winter here at Paul’s Creek. The band is working hard to finish a new CD  by February 2010. Gigs are coming in for next spring, summer and fall and we look forward to our upcoming concert at the White Horse Black Mountain. It’s a  new venue that holds 650 people with cafe seating, join us Saturday December 12.  We are happy that Tim Gardner (High Windy) will join us once again on fiddle.

Last month’s Snuffy Jenkins festival at Isothermal Community College was a blast, it was a treat to perform with Doc Watson and David Holt. I played a songwriters in the round last week with Jay Brown of the Lazybirds, Laura Blackley and Bob Hinkle at WHBM, it was a great evening. My song “Carolina Cabin” appears on the soundtrack to the new documentary “Beer Y’All”, and the fall WNCW fundraiser was hard work, exciting and a great success. Thanks to all who support “This Old Porch”!

Jamie promises some new songs this year, we are recording his version of “Rose of my Heart” this month and Troy has us working on his version of the Staten Island Hornpipe.

The Holiday Parade was too much fun, Jamie and Troy had the weekend off and George Buckner, Emma McDowel, Brooke Buckner and I had a blast riding in the back of an antique pickup truck, playing music for those cute Cole Mountain Cloggers to dance through downtown.

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope to see you soon.

11/24/2009

October 1, 2009

Fall is really here at Paul’s Creek and we sure have been having fun.

“Paul’s Creek band represents what mountain music in the Blue Ridge is all about! The musicianship and variety is wonderful. And their interaction with the audience really makes for a great show! Feed & Seed highly recommends this band.”     Phillip Trees, owner of Feed and Seed, one of Western North Carolina’s most popular new venues.

Backstage at Mountain Song 2009

Paul's Creek and Sons of Ralph onstage at Diana Wortham Theatre

 Mountain Heritage Day at WCU was sadly marred by torrential rain and the stage closed, not much picking there this year. We’ve had a busy and fun month. I really enjoyed the Steep Canyon Rangers with Steve Martin at the Mountain Songs festival in Brevard, and especially liked Shannon Whitworth and her band. Milton Harkey of Bluegrass First Class took the photo above backstage, Thanks Milton!

Last Sunday i mc’d the Flat Rock Folk Festival and sat in with the Moonshine Babies and  their jam. They were awesome, Suzanne Schmidt and Jerry just rock and exude fun and friendliness. The onstage jam with Gove Scrivner, Sam Anderson and more was as fun as it gets. Catch Paul’s Creek Band soon at the Southern Highlands handicraft fair at the Asheville Civic Center and the Waynesville Apple Harvest Festival, we’ll post all our upcoming dates on the schedule real soon, yikes it’s busy around here!

Tune in to “This Old Porch” this Sunday 3-6 p.m. on WNCW 88.7 fm or stream online at www.wncw.org   CR

Fall is coming to the banks of Paul’s Creek as the leaves fall and acorns hit the tin room. We’ve been so busy playing gigs we’ve missed our practice session here bythe creek.

Last week we returned for the first time in almost a year to Feed and Seed in Fletcher to host a wonderful evening with friends, every seat was full. Tim Gardner joined us again on fiddle and many in the crowd got up and danced, especially that wonderful Holly B.! Promoter Milton Harkey of Bluegrass First Class joined us that night too and i saw him again at the Mounain Songs Festival, what a well done and fun event. We’ll be at many upcoming events in the region this fall so come out and join us. Congratulations to Tim Gardner, Jamie Soesbee and Troy Harrison for winning first place fiddle, bass and banjo respectively at the Mountain State Fair, what a talented bunch.   CR

Wednesday September 9

    The last Shindig on the Green in downtown Asheville last week means the end of summer i guess. We’ve had so much fun playing this month. Fines Creek was a great festival and an added plus was meeting and playing with Tennessee’s legendary fiddler Fletcher Bright. We play this Friday September 11 at the Feed and Seed in Fletcher if you can join us, Tim Gardner plays fiddle. I hope a few friendly cloggers will try out the wooden floor to a fiddle tune or two. It’s a store front church on Sunday’s run by our friend Phillip Trees and we’re happy to be back there, the acoustics are great.

Carol’s summer updates August 2009

Wow, summer has just gotten away from me. The Paul’s Creek band schedule is updated for August! And our big news is that we now have a brand spankin’ new, state of the art sound system with all the wiz bangs for everything from concerts to square dances.

  We had a blast playing the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival at Diana Wortham Theater at Pack Place where the Paul’s Creek band was joined by Ralph, Marty and Don Lewis plus Arvil Freeman.  Arvil and Donny did some great twin fiddle playing and Marty played some great Dobro. Ralph was his usual wonderful self on mandolin and his singing is wonderful. His bass singing on “Turn Your Radio On” rocked! I also had the honor of presenting Bob Brunk with a special recognition award for his work in preserving heritage through his books and shape note singing.

  I love when friends join the band, at Shindig in June,  Arvil and Bryan McDowell joined us on twin fiddle, plus George Buckner jumped in on banjo. We will be at Shindig again on August 22 and September 5. August 22 will be my night to represent WNCW. September 5 I will  dance with the Green Grass Cloggers too.

 Last weekend was the first fundraiser I have worked with WNCW for “This Old Porch” and it was an important one. The station is losing over $200,000 in state funding and raised an incredible $128,000 but times are still tight. Jim Lauderdale came and helped during the show. He is special. I still love being part of “What It IS”, Joe Kendrick’s morning commentary as much as I can, working with the smart boys Jeff Eason and Fred Mills and new friends Wendy and Justin. You can stream on your computer, listen to the podcasts or download to itunes from www.wncw.org if you can’t listen in real time. Laura Blackley has a new show called “Southern Sirens” worth listening to.

 I had a blast interviewing Doc Watson and David Holt, they both rock. Sadly, David’s Dad passed away recently, that is a hard one. They opened for the Oak Ridge Boys at the Biltmore House and it was an awesome concert.  I just interviewed Josh Crowe recently too, wonderful person and their new CD “Brothers -N-Harmony” is great. Really fine singing. Don’t forget to read the take5 too, my stories appear weekly thanks to my wonderful editor Tony Kiss! Check it out on the street (the take5 is free in boxes or included in the purchased Friday paper) or at http://www.citizen-times.com/

 Band Gigs in the Near Future:

   Saturday August 15 Paul’s Creek at the Mountain Music Jamboree with Buncombe Turnpike, Fines Creek Flatfooters, Crowe Brothers and more.  6-10 p.m., http://www.haywoodcountyfairgrounds.org/

 Saturday August 22, Paul’s Creek at Shindig on the Green, Martin Luther King Park, downtown Asheville 7-10 p.m. www.folkheritage.org

 Friday and Saturday August 28,29, 4 p.m. to midnight, Paul’s Creek at the Fines Creek Bluegrass Festival at the old Fines Creek School, 192 Fines Creek Road, Clyde, N.C., Balsam Range, Buncombe Turnpike, lots of great bands, clogging teams, really fun small mountain festival   http://www.finescreek.org/bluegrass.html

 Friday September 4, Paul’s Creek plays Smokey Mountain Folk Festival at Stuart Auditorium, Lake Junaluska Assembly.   (800) 222-4930 www.smokymountainfolkfestival.com

 Saturday September 5 Paul’s Creek at the last Shindig of 2009, Carol dances with the Green Grass Cloggers too. Shindig on the Green, Martin Luther King Park, downtown Asheville 7-10 p.m. www.folkheritage.org

 Monday September 7 Paul’s Creek plus Tim Gardner plays the  Mountain State Fair, 6pm?, Agricultural center in Fletcher, www.mountainfair.org

 Tuesday September 8, Paul’s Creek plus Tim Garnder at Wild Wings, w cloggers the Bobcat Stompers, 161 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, 6-8:30 p.m. no cover, (828) 253-3066, http://www.wildwingcafe.com/asheville

 Friday September 11, 7 p.m. Paul’s Creek at the Feed and Seed Concerts, 3715 Hendersonville Road, Fletcher.   (828) 216-3492, www.feedandseednc.com

 Wow, tired of typing, more soon!

Hi Friends,

Its summertime and we have played many a fun tune next to Paul’s Creek so we’re going to name ourselves the Paul’s Creek Band. Check out our new Paul’s Creek Band Schedule and more through the links above. It’s still Carol Jamie and Troy although we often add a fiddler. Troy has been amusing us with plans for some new patents he has in the works, ask him about it. Raspberry Troy? Jamie is singing some wonderful new/old swing songs requiring me to get my poor hand back in shape and learn a few new chord tricks and we’re working on original material by both of us while playing old favorites like “Frankie and Johnny” and “Hesitation Blues”.  Troy’s banjo and guitar are awesome and boost our instrumental sound tremendously! We’ve been in Evan Bradford and Micah Hanks studio recording and it’s coming together.

Joe Kendrick’s WNCW “What it is” (88.7 FN M-F 10:15 a.m.) continues to add interesting people and we’ve had some great talks about the history of the music in the region. This morning i even got to talk about Jamie and how he’s related to Jimmy Rogers. Add podcasts to iTunes, listen in at http://www.wncw.org/podcasts.html

I continue to co-host “This Old Porch” with John Fowler on Sundays, we have swapped around for vacations and I will return in two weeks. WNCW 88.7 FM 3-6 Sunday’s. http://www.wncw.org/index.html

Don’t forget to read the take5 too, my stories appear weekly thanks to my wonderful editor Tony Kiss! Check it out on the street (the take5 is free in boxes or included in the purchased Friday paper) or at http://www.citizen-times.com/

Talk soon,

Carol

Hi friends, thanks to all of you who came out to see us at shows this month. It’s great to be playing again. Troy’s playing some great banjo and flashy lead guitar and Jamie  has been his usual competent self on bass. Tim Gardner has joined us several times on fiddle and it makes for a great show, he’s a  young fiddler from Brevard (High Windy, Carolina Blue) and we really enjoy playing with him.  The Shindig fundraiser at the Asheville school was really fun and the money goes to help pay for the Shindig on the Green. You can find out more at www.folkheritage.org. The Stoney Creek Boys all look great and sounded as good as i’ve heard in a while. I recorded a storycorps interview with fiddler Arvil Freeman yesterday that was really special and i’m happy it will go in the National Archives so other people will know more about his story.

I keep promising to update the blog calendar but now it will probably have to wait until after Merlefest, can’t wait to go this week! Find me at the dance or Watson stage and say hi.

“What it is” has become a really fun thing for me, Parrish Ellis from the Wiyo’s joined us recently and last week Fred Mills and Jeff Eason joined host Joe Kendrick and myself for musical talk. Those fellas sure are quick and smart! Fred’s new magazine BLURT is out in print and it’s awesome, it’s online too. I admit to being unfamiliar with some of the rock bands but the content and photos are great. Listen in to the “What It Is” podcasts http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wncw/.jukebox?action=viewPodcast&podcastId=13003.

AND the big news is that i have switched from “Goin Across the Mountain” on Saturdays to co-hosting “This Old Porch” (88.7 FM WNCW 3-6 p.m.) on Sundays and am thrilled with the switch. I can play Saturday gigs now and i can do radio, best of both worlds. My co-host John Fowler is awesome too and we both love the wide cross section of old time, early country and contemporary the show allows.

The trio heads into the studio after Merlefest to record some songs with Evan Bradford and Micah Hanks and we’re happy that we’ll be at the Bluff Mountain Festival again this year. More news and an updated playing schedule soon!

wonderful cover art by james pitilli

Hi friends, this is a new endeavor in a year of new things and writing is always an adventure (take5) . Last fall I added WNCW radio 88.7 FM joining “What It Is” Conversations with Joe Kendrick and a lot of other fun folks (10:15 a.m. Monday -Friday) and now co-host  “Goin’ Across the Mountain” from 3-7 p.m. every Saturday. I have taken a three month break from music gigs to heal a sprained wrist and record. We start back up this month at the Fiddlin’ Pig with a Gospel show Sunday March 15, and  Wild Wings on Tuesday March 31. During the break i recorded the first four songs (all original) of my next CD with Evan Bradford engineering, Micah and Caleb Hanks singing, Micah playing and producing and Jamie Soesbee on bass. Check our calendar page for concert postings. Don’t forget to put Saturday night April 18 on your calendar, it’s the yearly Shindig fundraiser and in these woeful economic time, it’s important. I’ll keep posting, stay in touch by coming to see us play live! Or see you in print or on the radio.

Troy Harrison has joined Jamie Soesbee (bass) and me on banjo and lead guitar, he’s a great musician who is really a funny person, a lot of fun. Check out the “ABOUT CAROL” and the “ABOUT THE BAND” pages for more information about us. I’ll be posting favorite things, band events and favorite music so check back. Lately i’ve been listening to regional bluegrass, especially Balsam Range, Steep Canyon, High Windy (Shane Lail is great, he used to be a regular with us at Mrs. Hyatts in the old days, really the whole band is great), Tom Godleski’s new recording (engineered by Evan Bradford and produced by Micah Hanks). There’s a lot of great songwriting going on around here. On the old time front, I’ve gone back to listening to old favorites lately like Tommy Jarrell, Charlie Poole and Walter Smith and the Carolina Buddies.  I continue to learn Arvil Freeman tunes on fiddle. He’s a patient teacher. A favorite musician lately is Jay Brown, go to see him if you have the chance. He’s moved to Asheville from Boone and is a great guitar player and songwriter. His CD with the Lazybirds and Brian Yerman is awesome and nostalgia producing for old refugees from the early Boone, N.C. ”Dick Tarrier era”. I also like Jenny Greer (Jen and the Juice), Laura Blackley and Brian McGee, got to meet Brian and a lot of other folks at a recent songwriters session and really enjoyed it. Tonight i ran into Kat Williams downtown and had fun with her, she’s coming to Thomas Wolfe Auditorium soon.

I remember Tommy Jarrell whenever someone sends me a link to “Down Home Appalachia to Nashville“. Filmed in 1985, it shows me dancing while Tommy fiddles with Aly Bain and some other great players. It was a remarkable experience. Tommy  passed away not long after the filming. The clip is approaching 20,000 views.

Carol Mallett Rifkin’s soaring voice shines. An award winning vocalist (2x 2nd Place Mt. Airy, 1st place Dublin Pulaski, 1st place Mountain State Fair and more) musician and veteran of many bands, , she has performed on TV, radio, recordings, at festivals, in the BBC documentary “Down Home, Appalachia to Nashville” (with fiddler Tommy Jarrell), the movie Songcatcher, the documentary Rank Strangers and more.

A long time member of the internationally known Green Grass Cloggers, she appeared with them in several Emmy Award Winning network productions and recently at the Smithsonian, MerleFest and Philadelphia Folk Festivals. A co- founder of the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF), she formerly served as Assistant Director for 12 years. A journalist who writes about music for the Asheville Citizen Times, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, SingOut and more, she co-host’s WNCW’s (88.7 FM) award winning “Goin’ Across the Mountains” and is a member of Asheville’s all volunteer, 18 member Folk Heritage Committee.

(Wonderful Bold Life Magazine Cover Art by James Pitilli http://www.jamesflames.com/)

Available with a band for everything from a cozy evening to a large concert of old timey, vintage bluegrass, early country and original songs OR educational programs, down home big circle square dances and clogging.

Contact Carol: Carol Rifkin email