Michael Cleveland and his high-energy band, Flamekeeper, have been among the International Bluegrass Music Association’s top award winners in recent years. In 2009 alone, the band leader, Mike, won his seventh IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year Trophy in nine years, while Flamekeeper was named Instrumental Group of the Year for the third time, and the group captured the Instrumental Recorded Performance award for their rendition of Bill Monroe’s “Jerusalem Ridge”. The band’s other ‘09 top honor recipients included Bass Player of the Year Marshall Wilborn and Mandolin Player of the Year Jesse Brock. Other members of the group, which made a previous appearance in Dahlonega at The Crimson Moon Cafe, are Tom Adams, guitar, who shared the Instrumental Album of the Year award with Mike for an album on which he played the banjo and Mike was on the fiddle; and Jessie Baker, banjo.
Mike, who is considered one of the premier bluegrass fiddlers of his generation, has been playing the instrument since age four, and in 1993, he was chosen to be part of the BlueGrass Youth All Stars at the IBMA’s award show. Later that year, he made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry as the guest of Alison Krauss. Since then, his list of guest appearances include a Who’s Who of bluegrass legends including Bill Monroe, Jim and Jesse, Ralph Stanley, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, Larry Sparks, Doyle Lawson, and J. D. Crowe. Mike has toured with Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek, Rhonda Vincent and The Rage (with whom he shared the Entertainer of the Year award in 2001), and The Dale Ann Bradley Band. His recent guest appearances including playing with Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, The Mark Newton Band, J. D. Crowe and the New South, Melvin Goins and Windy Mountain, and the Wildwood Valley Boys.
Over the years, the other members of Flamekeeper have played with leading bluegrass figures such as Lynn Morris (the wife of bass fiddle player Marshall Wilborn), Jimmy Martin, the Johnson Mountain Boys, Rhonda Vincent, Blue Highway, Bill Emerson, Dale Ann Bradley, Wildfire, The Wildwood Valley Boys, and Karl Shiflett. Flamekeeper has produced four Rounder Records albums since 2002.
Hear Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper play a bit of Sold Down the River
tion’s top award winners in recent years. In 2009 alone, the band leader, Mike, won his seventh IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year Trophy in nine years, while Flamekeeper was named Instrumental Group of the Year for the third time, and the group captured the Instrumental Recorded Performance award for their rendition of Bill Monroe’s “Jerusalem Ridge”. The band’s other ‘09 top honor recipients included Bass Player of the Year Marshall Wilborn and Mandolin Player of the Year Jesse Brock. Other members of the group, which made a previous appearance in Dahlonega at The Crimson Moon Cafe, are Tom Adams, guitar, who shared the Instrumental Album of the Year award with Mike for an album on which he played the banjo and Mike was on the fiddle; and Jessie Baker, banjo.
Join us on facebook.