Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name… And we don’t mean the Cheers bar!
Don’t get us wrong, we love everyone who walks through our doors, but there’s a number of regulars who stop in every week, without fail… and they will always hold a special place in our heart. So when Ron Block approached us about having his new album release party, it was a no brainer!
A fourteen-time Grammy winning banjoist and guitarist, Ron is a 24-year veteran of Alison Krauss & Union Station who frequents our downtown Franklin location weekly. Not only has he played on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, but he’s also been on other notable artists’ albums including Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Alan Jackson, Josh Turner, Little Big Town, Randy Travis, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and many more. Ron is sorta one of those people who you say, “You never know who you’ll sit by at Puckett’s.”
Ron’s newest and first all instrumental bluegrass album, Hogan’s House of Music, combines brand new originals and older tunes from some of his musical heroes, along with a stellar lineup of musicians including Stuart Duncan, Alison Krauss, Tim Crouch, Sam Bush, Adam Steffey, Sierra Hull, Dan Tyminski, Clay Hess, Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes, Barry Bales, Byron House, Mark Fain, Jeff Taylor, and Lynn Williams. We sat down with him to get the scoop on the upcoming release party and much more! See what he had to say below…
Q: How long have you been coming to Puckett’s and what makes it special for you?
My wife and I have lived in Franklin since 1990, and we’ve been coming to Puckett’s for years. I love the down-home atmosphere and that it’s a local live music venue… plus the food is great! It’s a perfect fit for downtown Franklin.
Q: We’re excited about your new album! What’s the story behind the name?
Hogan’s House of Music was the name of my dad’s rock ‘n’ roll music store that he owned for a lot of years in Lawndale, California. I was getting deeply into traditional bluegrass — Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, Larry Sparks, etc. — and while I was working at the store, I was hearing a lot of great rock, blues and jazz guitarists. Hogan’s House of Music personally symbolizes the album’s musical melding of traditional bluegrass-banjo and guitar with inspiration from my favorite blues and rock guitarists.
Q: Favorite track on the album?
Well, I like things about them all but I think “Smartville” is one of my favorites. It has a good, smart-alecky feeling to it.
Q: What made you decide to record an all instrumental record, was this something you have been wanting to do for awhile now?
I’ve considered this idea a lot over the years but I always thought of myself as a songwriter, not an instrumental composer. It just goes to show that how we define ourselves also tends to define what we create. Since working on this album, my personal definition of my abilities is broader now than it was before, which is pretty cool. I really enjoyed writing the tunes for this one.
Q: We noticed that Alison Krauss appears on your new record, how did you differentiate this album from another Alison Krauss & Union Station album?
The feel of a record depends largely upon the chemistry of all the musicians. When we make an Alison Krauss & Union Station record, it is usually just the five of us unless we add percussion on a few tracks. For Hogan’s House of Music, Alison fit in perfectly with the other musicians to create that different kind of chemistry.
Q: Every musician has a session story — what was the most memorable moment during the recording process?
To tell you the truth, I don’t really have a particular moment — sometimes being the guy making the record makes things such a blur because I’m either playing, fixing a chart, explaining an arrangement, listening to overdubs, or any number of other things most of the time. But the cool thing about the entire process was that each session had a different chemistry because we chose to have five different sets of musicians — that was definitely a different kind of thrill for me.
Q: And to finish… Favorite dish at Puckett’s?
The Strawberry Fields Salad, of course! And if you really wanna kick things up a notch, get a turkey burger on top of it. Can’t go wrong.
Ron Block’s Hogan’s House of Music CD Release Show will take place on Sunday, September 27 from 7-9 p.m., as he’s accompanied by exceptionally talented musicians Sierra Hull, Trey Hensley, Todd Phillips, Bryan McDowell and Lynn Williams.
There will be a $12 cover, and we expect tables to go fast for this one so book yours on our website or give us a call at 615-794-5527 for show and dinner reservations.
{Psssssst! For a sneak peek of what you can expect at the show, check out the video below. And take note of Ron’s hat — we think it’s a pretty good look, don’t y’all?}