News
6-1-2008- Due to so many commitments, the news page is no longer being kept current. Please join our mailing list to keep up with High Ground's activities.
1-31-2008- Starting on a new album......getting the schedule lined up for 2008
12-7-2008- We're winding down 2007 with a couple of December shows and starting to work on the new CD. For our house to yours we wish you very happy holidays!!
9-17-2007- Seems like a lot of our news starts with WOW!.....but there's no other way to describe the past couple of weeks except WOW! We've been humbled and touched by the fan reaction at our recent shows. We had a full auditorium at the Pendelton County High School in Franklin WV last week and they were a rowdy crowd! They brought us back for an encore and kept up busy at the CD table with purchases and autographs. The weekend saw us at Skyland on the Skyline Drive for a great show and then quickly on to Herndon, VA and the Holy Cross Bluegrass Series. When we arrived, Bob Thompson told us to set up in the Sanctuary, normally reserved for the big names in bluegrass. We thought he was hallucinating but lo and behold, an almost full house greeted us with much enthusiasm and another encore! We've so pleased by the way we've been treated, it makes the hard work worthwhile. Now it's on the Galax, VA this Friday night......the Historic Rex Theater....see ya!
9-12-2007- We haven't had an update lately since we've been so busy. We just came off a four show weekend and had a wonderful time at the Grand Caverns Bluegrass Festival. September and October prove to be extremely busy with lots of travel.....hope to see ya'll out there somewhere.
8-3-2007- We've had a lot of fun in the last week! Last Saturday we were down at Big Island, VA for the Sedalia Bluegrass Festival and we were humbled at the crowd's reaction! We were called back for an encore! This past Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we played a college concert series at The College Of Southern Maryland. The crowds were great each night and thanks to all that came by the record table!!
7/2/2007- We had a great time at "Praise In The Park" singing gospel bluegrass songs from our latest CD. We looking forward to retuning to Queen City on Friday night....it's always fun there! Jim Snavely from "Shenandoah Bluegrass" on WBTX was there and interviewed us for two special shows coming up in the near future. They will be featuring both "A Game I Can't Win" and "Songs To Lead You Home" on separate special editions of the show!
Photo By Jim Snavely- WBTX
6-2-2007- The new all Gospel CD, "Songs To Lead You Home" is finished!! The released date is June 8th and sound samples can be heard over on the Merchandise page.
Due to the unfortunate illness of the venue owner, our show at Bluetop in Bluefield WV on June 8 is cancelled.
5-28-2007- Happy Memorial Day! And thanks to all the vets and active servicemen and women!
We had a great time in Tennessee on Saturday night as usual! Those people in Crossville know how to put on a bluegrass show. A special thanks out to Ms. Wanda Smith who furnished us a home to stay in on our trip through there.
We're off to Bluefield WV next weekend......see ya there!
5-19-2007- Whew!!.....Looks like it gets harder and harder to keep our news up to date. We've been working hard on our new Gospel CD, "Songs That Lead You Home" and we finished recording last week. The mixing and mastering should be done in several weeks. If you'd like a copy just shoot us an email highground@rickaltis.com and we'll send you one as soon as they arrive. They're $15 postage paid and we accept PayPal, Checks, Money Orders and Cash.
We're off next weekend to Crossville Tennessee at the Legacy Picking Barn.....come see us!
3-24-2007- We were back in Southwest Virginia and the people there are so nice! We had a rocking good 'ole bluegrass time at Christophers on Friday night with a packed house. We made a deal with Chris to be back on October 12th so don't miss it. Our friend, LaNita Shelor Harris (Sammy Shelor's Mom) was there again and it warmed our hearts to she her singing the words to OUR songs......she's a sweetie! On Saturday night in Galax, VA we had a special treat....our old friends from Statesville NC joined us. The Hall brothers, Larry and Joey, made the trip up and joined us on stage. Those guys can pick!! We're also returning to The Stringbean on October 13th so if you're anywhere near there, make plans.
3-19-2007- What a great time at the Queen City Brewery! Our hearts were warmed that so many people showed up on a night when it was snowing, Doyle Lawson was playing 30 miles down the road and the NCAA Tournament was on TV......With Virginia Tech playing! Everything was going against us and you guys came out and packed the place!! It makes us think that we're doing something right and all the work has been worth it. Thank you!
We can hardly wait for "Road Trip Friday"......we're off to the lovely Meadows Of Dan on Friday night for fun and frolic at Christopher's Pizza and then on Saturday night, a new venue for High Ground.....The Stringbean in Galax, VA. Come on out and join the fun!
2-21-2007- Hi folks......We're working hard on the new Gospel CD and working up some new exciting tunes for our 2007 season. Thanks to everyone who emails and to all who stop us on the street to talk bluegrass! The schedule is filling up fast for '07......see you in your town soon!!
12-17-2007- Wow!....it doesn't seem like that long since we've added news but we've been really busy....hope to do better in the future. In November and December we've toured in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina and had a wonderful time. We had a great show up in Shalersville Ohio with our good friends, "The Boohers" and that stage really rocked that night. We've booked a repeat show up there with them in April 2008. We also had a great time pickin' over in Eastern Carolina and our friend Travers Chandler from "Avery County" joined us.....great fun. 2007 looks to be every bit as busy as 2006 with bookings being firmed up every day. Stay posted and keep an eye on our schedule to see when we'll be in your area. Work has begun on the new Gospel CD and we'll be working on it throughout the winter for a Summer release. It will have some of our gospel favorites on it.
We wish each and every fan and supporter of High Ground a safe and happy Christmas and New Year! God bless ya'll!
10-31-2006- Crossville Tennessee......what a place! We had a wonderful time playing at a festival down there this past weekend. Thanks to all the folks that bought our CD's and stopped to talk to us. The food was great and the people greater!
On Stage in Crossville Tennessee
High Ground with Janice Burgess from the Pik-N-Barn
Rick filling in as the bass player/vocalist with The Bak-Trakers Band from Tennessee
10-22-2006- We had a great time down in Elkton Virginia this weekend! We played a show at the Elkton Middle School with Phoenix and several other bands. We played for the first time without Larry, due to some unavoidable circumstances. David Coffey from the band Phoenix filled in on guitar and harmony vocals for us and did a bang up job! We're excited about our trip back to Tennessee this coming weekend to play a festival at The Legacy Pickin Barn in Crossville on Friday and Saturday.
10-01-2006- Home from IBMA! We had a great week and though we had little sleep, we made it! We met many old friends and made a bunch of new ones. We performed in four showcases and attended numerous seminars and business meetings. Some great things are in the works for us it seems. We made it home just in time for our show in Brandywine West Virginia. Thanks to all the folks who stopped by the CD table and bought them, got autographs and talked with us. You folks warmed our hearts and we hope to return to that area again in 2007! Now we rest a few days and it's off to Herndon VA for a show at the fabulous Holy Cross Bluegrass Series!
9-24-2006- We're off to The World Of Bluegrass at IBMA in Nashville. We'll be out there all week and will be showcasing at various events. We'll be shaking a lot of hands and seeing some old friends.
We're looking forward to a big show over in Brandywine West Virginia on Saturday 9/30 at the South Fork Fire Dept building!
9-11-2006- The house was rocking at Christophers Pizza in Meadows of Dan Virginia! What a great place to play. We got a surprize when Sammy Shelor's (Of Lonesome River Band) Mother came to the show. What a sweetheart!
We rolled on down to North Carolina and had a great show at the Leatherwoods in Shelby.
Then it was back to Bridgewater VA on Sunday night for the hometown crowd at the Daily Grind.
9-4-2006- We've been busy so we haven't updated the news......but anyway...we had a great weekend in the Galax, VA area. We had a huge crowd at both The Rex Theater and The Blue Ridge Music Center! We're looking forward to returning to the area on Friday night, Sept 8 at Christopher's Pizza in Meadows Of Dan, VA. Then on Saturday night it's Shelby NC and the Leatherwoods. Sunday night it back to Bridgewater VA at the Daily Grind.....whew!!!
8-22-2006- We had a wonderful time at the Gospel Show we did at the Mt Horeb Presbyterian Church last weekend! The people treated us so nice! Thanks to the people that were at The Page County Fair to see us perform Monday night! We're off to the Southwest Virginia home of "The Crooked Road" this weekend with shows at the Rex Theater (Friday) and The Blue Ridge Music Center (Saturday)..........the dream continues!
8-15-2006- We had a great (but busy) weekend and met so many wonderful new friends! Had a large crowd at the Luray Festival on Saturday and had the pleasure of performing with our friends, "Virginia Run".......9 pickers on stage at one time trading licks and vocals...what a blast!! Sunday was fun also up at the Prince William County Fair. Thanks to everyone who came by and bought a CD and asked for our autograph. We're getting used to that a little now but we will never lose sight of the fact that you, the fans, are what makes this all possible for us. We're living a dream and we hope we don't wake up too soon!
We had a great review for "A Game That I Can't Win" in the newest issue of "Bluegrass Music Profiles" magazine. You can read it on our "Reviews" page.
8-4-2006- We're taking a well deserved week off but we'll be back with a vengence on August 12 at the Luray Caverns Festival. We'll be busy the rest of August so ya'll plan on catching us somewhere and if you haven't already ordered the new CD.......now's the time!!
7-6-2006- We've had some great shows lately and some packed houses. A big thank you goes out to all the people who have been supporting us! We've got a great review in The Staunton Leader today. It can be seen on the Articles page. We're looking forward to traveling down to Farmville, VA this weekend for a live radio show and a show at the VFW hall. Next weeks busy too with stops at Endless Caverns in New Market VA on the 11th and Mathias WV on the 14th. The new CD, "A Game That I Can't Win" is doing great!
6-24-2006- We had a great weekend in North Carolina! We played at the famous R.A. Fountain General Store in Fountain NC. If you're in eastern North Carolina this is the place for bluegrass! We had a full house and the people sure were enthusiastic! We had a great time talking to everyone and thanks to all who bought our CD's and asked for autographs. These people sure know how to put on a show! They've asked us back and it looks like December in North Carolina......not a bad thing!
6-12-2006- The new CD, "A Game That I Can't Win" is here! You can hear samples and order from the Merchandise Page
5-17-2006- Spent all day at the studio working on the new CD. Jimmy Fortune was there and put vocals on several of our songs. Included in this project will be a "High Ground Bluegrass" version of Jimmy's award winning song, "Elizabeth", with he and Larry sharing lead vocals. Jimmy also provided lead vocals to a gospel song that Bryan wrote, "Don't Let It Rain".
Man are we excited about everything's that's happening to us these days! Jimmy Fortune and Donna Hughes both on our new CD. All of the songs were written by us except "Elizabeth" and I guess that's an original too since Jimmy wrote it.
Larry, Jimmy, Rick, Bryan, Scott
Jimmy Fortune formerly of The Statler Brothers
5/14/2006- Happy Mother's Day. We had a great time at the Sedalia Center in Big Island Virginia yesterday! We had a great crowd and thanks to all who stopped by and talked to us and bought CD's. We got to taste about 25 different Bar-B-Que's and they were all great! Thanks to everyone down there at The Sedalia Center.....ya'll treated us like royalty! We'll definitely be back!
Back into the studio Wednesday......hope we have exciting news to report on the CD......stay tuned!
5/12/2006- The new CD is coming along. Donna Hughes got her part done this week and we're scheduled back in the studio next Wednesday.
Donna is an wonderful singer
with a new project of her own coming soon which is being produced by Tony Rice.
She's also an award winning songwriter with her songs being recorded by The
Seldom Scene, Heather Shelly, Linda Lay and Darren Beachley of Doyle Lawson and
Quicksilver among others.
Alison Krauss recorded one of
Donna's songs, called "My Poor Old Heart," for her latest album, entitled
Lonely Runs Both Ways. The album won a Grammy for country album of the year,
Alison's 20th Grammy, the most won by any female ever. Alison performed Donna's
song at the CMA Awards last fall. We're excited about her performing with us on
this new CD! Watch for a release date soon!
5/9/2006- Had a great show at Mindi's last week. We've been really busy with the studio work, graphic design of the CD and so many other things. The new CD will be a great one, albeit a late one! The new Trinity River Guitars and Bass that they sent us have arrived and we're playing the heck out of them. Marcus and Ross at Trinity River really went the extra mile to get us what we needed. The folks over at GHS Strings have been great to us also. Please support both of these companies since they have been so good as to support bluegrass.
MySpace is getting wildly popular these days! We've gained many new friends and contacts. Check us out at www.myspace.com/highgroundbluegrass
4/25/2006- High Ground was featured in the May issue of "Bluegrass Now" magazine.
4/21/2006- We're happy to announce that Rick and Larry have signed an endorsement deal with the Trinity River Guitar Company. They will be playing a custom Trinity River TS4NG guitar and a Trinity River OB3CENS Eagle Acoustic Bass. You can visit the website. It will be updated in the coming weeks with info about High Ground and a bunch of new models that they are just now coming out with. They're great instruments......check them out!
4/07/2006- Hi folks!......things have been quiet for a couple weeks. we've been working on the new CD and we played at Mindi's on the 5th. Sold out crowd and they made us feel great! We were featured in the March-April edition of "Americana Rhythm Music Magazine" Here's the article:
3/11/2006- Had a blast last night at North River Grill as usual. It was great to see people that have been at past shows and keep returning. We hope we pull something new out of the hat each time we're there to entertain you. We're coming into our slow time right now because of Jim's commitments with baseball but keep an eye on the schedule page. We're trying to shoehorn a couple shows in there where we can. After May we are wide open again and are anxious to take the High Ground show on the road.
3/6/2006- Another great show at Mossy Creek. It was good to get back. It's been since last September since we've played there. Lots of new faces in the crowd along with some of the ones we're getting used to seeing. We spent some long hours yesterday in the recording studio trying to get some more work done on the new CD. There's some exciting news pertaining to the CD that we'll be telling you about a little later when details are worked out. Phone calls and emails are coming in droves now and our 2006 schedule is filling up......we'll be visiting lots of new places and new states. We're excited.....thank all of ya'll that make this possible!
2/26/2006- We had a great show in Sangersville ,Virginia last Saturday night. A big crowd and Rick's three grandsons were there! Thanks to all the folks that crowded our CD table and wanted CD's, autographs and just to talk. We tried to stay until we'd visited with everyone. We'll be back at Mossy Creek this Friday night 3/3 and in the studio on 3/5. Mossy Creek Cafe is usually sold out so get there early!
2/23/2006-
Two good bits of news. High Ground is happy to announce that they have
been chosen to endorse GHS Strings.
Also, the surgeon
gave Rick the go ahead to play bass and put a less obtrusive splint on the
finger with the torn ligament. He's concentrating hard on
playing without the use of the finger for the next ten weeks and he and Larry
will probably switch instruments a little more since playing the guitar is
easier on Rick with the injury.
2/19/2006- We're home for the road but man did we have great time! We played the wonderful venue in Herndon, VA this weekend, The Holy Cross Church, and we enjoyed our warm reception. Thanks to all the people that bought the cd and hung around to talk to us after the show. We had a couple who saw us last year at a show up in West Virginia and drove to see us at Holy Cross. We're sorry, our memory bank is full as far as names, but we appreciate you so much and you gave us permission to put your pictures up so here it is! We're putting you in the for the "Fan Of The Month" contest. You said you keep an eye on our website so when you see this, email us highground@rickaltis.com with your name and address so we can mail you the new CD when it is released.
We were also happy to see our
friends Joy and Terry Dix and Raymond Riley from
The Loudoun Travelers and enjoyed
having dinner with them before the show.
We're close to home for the next few weeks and it'll be good to be performing in the area.......but I think Jimmy is going to miss the truck stop food. We play in Mount Solon next Saturday and Jimmy asked that we ride around in the van for six hours before we play since that's what's he's used to.
Rick had an unfortunate accident that may change the band line-up at least temporarily. A torn ligament in the right hand may cause High Ground to replace him at bass. Hopefully, if that happens he can play guitar and sing his vocal parts until he heals. He'll see a surgeon on Monday and we'll know more about it then. He played the Herndon show with a splint on his finger but the doctor was not very happy about it! It's not really serious, but a bass player needs his fingers!
Check the schedule page out. Come and see us when you can.....and if you can't, email us or leave a message on our guestbook. Hearing your encouragement means so much to us and keeps us going!
2/13/2006- What a time we had on our mini tour up to Ohio and West Virginia! We left Virginia in a blizzard but found brighter skies the closer we got to Cleveland. Snow showers didn't deter the dedicated bluegrass fans in Shalersville Ohio who came to see us and a couple other great bands play at "The Bluegrass Junction." The people there welcomed us with open arms and screamed and clapped so much we overwhelmed!! We got an encore and were invited to return while on stage. Thanks to all the people who swarmed the CD table and bought our CD. We LOVE Ohio!
From there we headed on out to a show at "The Purple Fiddle" in Thomas, West Virginia. We did fine until we got about 25 miles from Thomas. The roads got treacherous but we made it fine. The blizzard continued on Sunday night, but we're glad for the brave souls who came out in the weather to see us. Mr and Mrs. Ed Kyser of the Charleston West Virginia area drove three hours in the blizzard to see us. We had a great time visiting with them and decided we'd start a new contest on our website. "Fan of The Month" will be decided every week and posted on our website. The winners will receive a free CD or free admission to a High Ground show. The Kyser's have the honor of being the first. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts! Now we're off to Herndon (Near D.C.) this Friday for a show at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church Bluegrass Concert Series. If you're near there, come on down. If the Kyser's will drive three hours in the snow to see us......maybe you should too!
2/6/2006- Hi Folks! We're working hard this week.....at Mindi's on 2/8, in the studio on 2/9, and then Shalersville, Ohio on 2/11 and Thomas, West Virginia on 2/12. Ya'll come to see us!
1-30-2006- Had a great show at North River Grill last weekend. We had lots of new people there that had heard of the band recently and decided to come out and see what all the fuss was about! Got called back for multiple encores.....but we wore out after a couple more songs.....it was late! We're hearing from more people around the globe everyday as a result of the airplay we've been getting. Keep on sending those emails and letters!
Bryan's back from his cruise now and he had the pleasure of playing in the band on several of Jimmy Fortune's shows on board. We're hard at work in the studio recording the new album and we'll be traveling a good bit in February. If you're near any of the places we're playing, come on down!
1-21-2006- High Ground is in the studio this week and in the next few weeks to record the new all original CD. Here's a few shots of what we're doing. Don't forget, we're at North River Grill in Bridgewater VA this Friday night, 1/27 2006. Ya'll be there if you can!
1-13-2006- Had a live interview today with Internet Radio Host Gracie Muldoon on www.originalcountryradio.com/bluegrass.htm today. Had a great time and got to talk about some of the exciting things that are happening with the High Ground Bluegrass Band. If ya'll get a chance, listen to her show.....Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4pm til 6pm. It's a great show and she's a big supporter of High Ground! If you missed it here's the links!
1-12-2006- We played our regular monthly gig at Mindi's last night and there was a great crowd! Thanks to all you folks that were there and supported us and called us back for two encores.......you gave us a warm feeling. We'll be in the studio for the next couple weeks and we'll see ya'll at The North River Grill on Jan27th.
12/30/2005- Well here's the last issue of High Ground News for 2005! What a year! We're taking the first few days of 2006 to polish the original songs that are going on the new CD. I know we've been promising you the CD for months now but we've been so busy playing live that it's been impossible to finish it. Be patient, it'll be worth the wait. We'll be in the studio in January along with our regular appearances at Mindi's on January 11 and North River Grill on January 27. Bryan is going on Jimmy Fortune's cruise so Rick, Larry and Jimmy will take the opportunity to work on the CD some while he's on the high seas. February promises to be busy with several road trips and new venues. We're excited about that! God bless ya'll and we hope you have a great New Year!
12-18-2005- The year's coming to a close and it's time to reflect on what has happened and what will come in 2006. We had a whirlwind year and reached goals that we never thought possible. We've performed to many thousand people in the region and made so many new friends and fans. We've received emails and letters from around the world. Our first CD, "Old Friends" has received airplay around the globe and still enjoys good sales. In October that CD was chosen as "Artists Of The Month" at www.bluegrassradio.org which snowballed into more emails, letters and CD requests. What a year!
Now for 2006. There's exciting news as well as some we'd rather not report. Ben Swarey has decided that he needs to leave the band as of the end of the year. He's got a young family and High Ground's schedule has become too much to handle along with responsibilities at home. With the expansion of our schedule to include many other areas of the country, he saw that it was best to stay home. We all agree that family is priority one but we will sure miss his grin and his guitar licks. There is no plans to replace him at the present. High Ground started with the four of us and Ben was an added attraction. We wish him only the best!
We've got many exciting things planned for 2006. Our schedule has expanded to include Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee and the D.C. region. There's even more plans in the works to expand much farther. Of course the new album will be finished and all the songs on it will be songs written by one of us in the band. We've got what seems like hundreds of songs we'd like to arrange and perform as soon as we get some time to work on them. We're excited and we can't wait for our next show........ya'll plan to be there!
We wish you the best of the Holiday Season and a great New Year!
Rick, Larry, Jimmy and Bryan- "High Ground"
12-17-2005- We were at North River Grill last night and as usual the crowd was enthusiastic! We really enjoyed ourselves and played almost four straight hours without a break. We'll be at The Hawksbill in Stanley this coming Thursday, 12/22, for their annual Christmas Celebration.
12-11-2005- We had a full house and a big time at Mindi's on the 7th. After the show, a lady told me she was "moved to tears" when we sang the song I wrote as a tribute to my Mother who passed away in March 2005. She said they were good tears. It's good to know that people are moved by the music we perform. We've been blessed and during this past year we've had many such comments about different songs and what they mean to people. We promise to maintain the same good entertaining and fan-oriented show in 2006. We'll see ya'll Friday the 16th at North River Grill in Bridgewater!
12-6-2005- Well....Rick's back from the woods and High Ground is back on the road. You can catch the band at Mindi's in Luray on 12-7, North River Grill on the 16th and The Hawksbill in Stanley on the 22nd. Happy Holidays!
11-11-2005- Since our last news update, we've played two shows. On the 29th we played for a national conference for the Presbyterian Church at Massanutta Springs Resort. A crowd of about 200 was very appreciative and we received a call for an encore! We made many contacts with people from all over the east coast to come play . On the 9th we made our regular appearance at Mindis' in Luray and it was fun as usual. Rick's taking the next three weeks for his annual hunting vacation but we'll be back in December.
10-30-2005- We played a private party up in Falls Church, VA last night and had a great time. Thanks to everyone who bought the CD! We'll be at Massanutten Resort next Sunday night, November the 6th and then Mindi's in Luray on the 9th. Have a happy and safe Halloween!
10-22-2005- We were at North River Grill last night and the crowd as usual was enthusiastic. We tried out a couple of new songs and had a great time. We'll be back down there on December 16. Looks like it's going to be a regular thing.
We'll be at the Presbyterian National Council at Massanutta Springs on November 6th and then our November date for Mindi's in Luray is the 9th. After that, Rick goes to his hunting camp for a few weeks.......we'll be back in heavy action in December. Lots of new venues and exciting things to be announced!
10-13-2005- We played our monthly gig at Mindi's in Luray and as usual the place was packed. Lots of regulars and some new faces including a lovely couple from Holland that were vacationing in the area.
We're getting a lot of attention from all corners because of the "Artists Of The Month" deal. We really would like to thank Clyde Scott and the folks down at www.bluegrassradio.org Ya'll listen to em every chance you get!
We had another article in the North August Journal/ Harrisonburg Daily News-Record. It's on our "Articles" page. It's off to The North River Grill in Bridgewater next week on the 21th.
10-1-2005- Wow! We just found out that we were chosen as the "Artists Of The Month" at www.bluegrassradio.org for the month of October. We're joining the ranks of Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike and Blue Moon Rising among many others! We stop every day and think about all that's happened to us in the last six months and we're very thankful. Thanks to all of you faithful supporters that have come to our shows and requested our music at the many radio outlets. We promise to double our efforts to put on an exciting and entertaining show. Ben's back from the midwest tour and we'll be back in action on October 12th at Mindi's in Luray.
9-23-2005- Things have calmed down a little and we're taking a few days break while Ben is touring Michigan with his family's Gospel group. We're going to take the opportunity to work on the new album of originals. We're working on our bookings for 2006 and even are discussing some ideas about an all Gospel album. We've been so busy this summer that we haven't had a chance to stop and breathe. We're not complaining, we thank all our fans and friends from the bottom of our heart for making the Summer of 2005 one that we'll never forget! We're getting a lot of airplay now and Rick's even had the opportunity to make a couple of "Liners" for several broadcasts......You know, where he says "Hi, This is Rick Altis of The High Ground Bluegrass Band and you're listening to fill in the blank" Ya'll keep on calling and emailing and requesting High Ground's songs......we couldn't do it without you!
9-18-2005- We played an old fashioned revival tonight at the Spring Hill Presbyterian Church and really enjoyed singing the Lord's praises. We met a bunch of people and enjoyed talking with them. Below is a picture of High Ground with Rev. Sonny Henkel in his "Circuit Rider" personna.
9-17-2005- We were at the American Legion Hall in Luray VA last night for Pop Taylors Birthday Bash and we had a ball! We're going to be at The Spring Hill Presbyterian Church tomorrow night for an old time revival!
9-15-2005- We were at Mindi's in Luray last night. We always enjoy the crowd there. A lot of new faces were there last night and we appreciate that. I guess the word's getting out that we have a lot of fun when we play. As is usual when we play Mindi's, we played "Stump the Band" with requests. We played about six or seven songs we don't have in the show and one of our fans finally stumped us. A Jimmy Martin song about "The World's Best Female Actress" We couldn't even fake that one. Guess we'll have to research that one and learn it.
More exciting news yesterday! We got airplay for the first time on the biggest and best Internet Radio Station, BLUEGRASSRADIO.ORG. Please tune in and email them and request High Ground!
9-11-2005- We played two shows at the Grand Caverns Bluegrass Festival yesterday and the crowd was big and loved bluegrass. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our CD tent and bought CD's and talked with us! We had a great time visiting with the folks from Phoenix and Michelle Nixon and Drive. We had a great reception and a lot of folks said "Where'd you guys come from?" We been fortunate to make such inroads in such a short time with this band. With support like we've been getting, it looks like we'll continue to grow. THANKS! Here's a whole page of pictures from the festival
9-8-2005- We went down to Lexington Virginia last night and played a live radio show. We'd like to thank the good people at WLUR for having us. We had a great time and enjoyed a chance to play for the folks down in that area. We're off to The Grand Caverns Bluegrass Festival on Saturday in Grottoes, VA. Hope you'll see us there and say howdy. Michelle Nixon, Bobby Osborne and others will be there!
9-3-2005- We were at Mossy Creek last night and there was a rowdy, fun loving crowd there trying to forget the misery of the last few days for a couple of hours. A big "Flatfootin'" session broke out and fortunately, no one got hurt! Fun was had by all, and a big crowd came out in spite of the $3.00 PLUS Gasoline. Thanks to all our old fans and the new ones we made and thanks to those who bought the CD. Next week it's live radio on 9-8 and then the Grand Caverns Bluegrass Festival on 8-10........see ya there!
9/1/2005- It was back to Mindi's in Luray last night. The place was full and seems like everyone had a great time again. The people that work at Mindi's have been so nice to us and we even wander around in the kitchen helping ourselves now! It seems like we get some new fans every time we go down there, and speaking of that, we'll be back on Sept. 14th. We'll also be at Mossy Creek Cafe in Fishersville tomorrow night (Friday Sept 2) Come on down, but get there EARLY. The place usually sells out pretty quickly. Food is great and the music.....is BLUEGRASS!!
8/27/2005- We played the Little Grill in Harrisonburg, VA last night. I had forgotten just how small it was. We jammed in there and proceeded to "Jam" the night away. The crowd was responsive and a lot of new faces. The food was great and if we keep playing at places with great food, even Bryan will get fat! We had a great time and now we're looking forward to next week. Wednesday night at Mindi's in Luray and Friday night at The Mossy Creek Cafe. More good food at both places!
8/23/2005- We played the Page County Fair last night and we had a great show. We met some new fans and enjoyed some time with some old ones. "Moochie" got a funnel cake which was the highlite of his trip and got powdered sugar all over his guitar. It was a nice venue and we appreciate the people down in Page County supporting us. We're off to The Little Grill in Harrisonburg, VA this Friday night so come on down if you're in that area.
8/17/2005- Had a bunch of fun last night at The Mossy Creek Cafe. Tuesday is usually Bluegrass Jam night but for a change they had us play a show there. A big crowd was there, especially for a weeknight. Thanks to all our faithful fans that showed up when they heard we'd be there. We'll be back there on September 2 so make your plans. We're off to the Page County Fair on August 22 and the Little Grill in Harrisonburg on Friday night, August 26 and back to Mindi's in Luray on August 31......catch us at one of those shows!
8/14/2005-We're home for a couple days and had a great weekend even if the heat tried to kill us! We played a 40th anniversary party and the people and the food were great. Thanks to all that took CD's home with them. Then it was on to the Luray Caverns Bluegrass Festival. HOT....was the word. We were told that it was so hot, the hot-air balloons they had there wouldn't take off because they couldn't get the air in them much hotter than the surrounding air. Anyway, we had a great time and met some good people. We'll see you Tuesday night at Mossy Creek Cafe.
8/13/2005- Played to a tightly packed house at The North River Grill in Bridgewater last night. The crowd was enthusiastic and we had a great time. We all feel so blessed that our shows have been attracting full house crowds. Thanks to all who bought CD's and thanks for the tips we got too.....we're not used to that! We had a great dinner also. If you live anywhere near this place you need to get out there and sample the food! Pictures will be up later....we're on the road for a few days and we'll update when we get home. We'll be back to the North River Grill in October (date TBA) so make your plans.
7/28/2005- Fun was had by all in a packed house at Mindi's last night! We even had the "Highgroundmobile" mostly fixed from the deer incident so we could use it. We're planning on being at Mindi's in Luray fairly regularly so keep an eye out for our schedule and join us there. Bryan's off on vacation this week so we'll see ya'll again on August 12 in Bridgewater, VA at "The North River Grill" It's easy to find, right on Main Street in the middle of Bridgewater. It's our first time there so come on down.
7/26/2005- We had a great early show at the Frontier Museum in Staunton, VA tonight and then we went to Manley's big jam session over in Stuarts Draft, VA since we were out and primed to play anyhow! It was good seeing all our old friends out there tonight and pickin' with them! It's on to Mindi's in Luray, VA again tomorrow night. We understand it was almost sold out earlier this afternoon so get there early!!
7/23/2005- Wow is all we can say about our show at The Purple Fiddle last night. What a great venue! They really know how to put on a bluegrass show over there. We arrived at about 6pm and the crowd was already there. After a delicious meal we proceeded to sound check and were rewarded with great crowd response and applause for that. We knew it was going to be a great night after that! Al (the sound man) did a great job and we had a blast the whole night. The crowd was lively and Jimmy got a standing ovation for his rendition of "Get Up John". Thanks to all the folks who came to our show and bought our CD! We're putting up a whole page of pictures from the show. You can see them here. Everything went great until the deer ran into the "HighGroundMobile" on the way home. We limped on home and we'll get it fixed.
Please stop by and Sign Our Guestbook. We look Forward to hearing from ya'll!
7/21/2005- Posted a few pictures from the show at Mathias West Virginia. We're all geared up to play at the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, West Virginia tomorrow night. Hope to see many of you up there! We'll have lots of photos from the show to post first of next week.
7/17/2005- Another great show and another great bunch of people last night. We traveled over to Mathias ,West Virginia to do a show and had a great reception from the people. Thanks to all of those that spent time talking to us during breaks and buying our CD. It was pouring rain when we arrived but the skies cleared enough for us to play three full sets and the people hung in there with lawn chairs and umbrellas to hear us. Still on the road this week, we'll be at the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, West Virginia this Friday, July 22. If you're anywhere near there, stop by. We're looking forward to playing there.
7/3/2005- We had a great show in Stanley Virginia last night! They were having the annual "Homecoming Celebration" and there were well over a thousand people in the stands while we performed! Those Page County people know how to put on a celebration. Thanks for making our show such a great success! They're some pictures on the "Gig Photos" page as usual. Jimmy's at the beach this week and then next week we start off touring West Virginia. We're excited about the shows we'll be doing up there. We'll be spending some nights on the road and living like most bluegrass bands do.
6/21/2005- High Ground was in the studio last night! We recorded several songs for the re-release of the album "Old Friends". With the addition of new band members since the album was made, we decided to put a few more tracks on the album. We're also changing the graphics and the name to "High Ground-Old Friends" instead of "Taylor-Altis". There's more exciting News! We're recording an all new album which will feature all of the songs written by High Ground. Look for that to be released in late summer or early fall. See ya'll down in Stanley, VA for the Homecoming Celebration on July 2. We'll be the closing act, playing from 8:30pm until 12:30am, with a break at dark for fireworks!
6/9/2005- We just got in from the show at Mindi's in Luray. We'd like to thank all the fans who came out to see us down there! The show was sold out 36 hours in advance. It was a packed house and a LIVELY crowd! We've been really blessed. In the last six days we've had two sold out shows. Our only regret is that some people weren't able to get in. We hope you can catch us sometime down the road. Stay tuned to the schedule page. It's being added to almost every day. Pictures from last night's show are on the "Gig Photos" page as usual.
6/3/2005- Wow!....we just got home from the show at Mossy Creek Cafe in Fishersville, Va.....What a crowd! We were told it was a record, standing room only crowd for any type of music! We are very sorry for the people who were turned away and couldn't get in. Hopefully next time we're there you can get a seat.......get there very early! It was great to see all the people we knew and very gratifying to see a bunch of people we hadn't met who came to see "High Ground" There are a bunch of great pictures on the "Gig Photos" page. Next week we'll be at Mindi's in Luray, VA on the 8th of June, so GET THERE EARLY!!
5/22/2005- There is an article in today's Waynesboro Virginia News Virginian about Jimmy Almarode and his "Bluegrass and Baseball" connection! There is lot's of before now unknown information about our mandolin player. We're getting lots of press lately! You can see it on our "Articles" page. We're getting emails and calls about our June 2nd show at the Mossy Creek Cafe in Fishersville........looks like a big crowd coming.....better get there early. NO COVER charge this time!
5/19/2005- High Ground members just finished an interview with The Staunton News-Leader. The article is scheduled to run on Thursday, May 26th in the "GO" section of the paper. That's the entertainment section and the article will tell a lot about the High ground members and will talk about lots of things, including the new album and our show at he Mossy Creek Cafe on June 2.
5/14/2005- We're getting inundated with calls and emails about when we'll be in the Staunton-Waynesboro-Harrisonburg area. Our next local show will be Thursday night, June 2 at The Mossy Creek Cafe in Fishersville VA. There'll be no cover this time around and we're expecting a big crowd. It will be a party! Make plans now and get there early to enjoy the great food before the show. The schedule is filling up.....check out the "Schedule" page.
4/27/2005- Nice article about "High Ground" came out in the Northern Augusta Journal and Harrisonburg Daily News-Record today. It's posted on the "Articles" page.
4/24/2005- Boy things have been "smokin'" lately. Had a couple of great shows. Thanks to all the folks who've come out to see "High Ground" We're booking up 2005 and even looking towards next year. We'll be in the studio this summer for an all new album featuring at least six or seven songs written by "Highgrounders". Be sure to check the schedule page and plan to be at our next show!
3/18/2005- "High Ground" is happy to announce that Ben Swarey has joined the band as lead guitar player! His "Smoking" guitar breaks add excitement to the "High Ground Sound"
1/25/2005- Rick's third grandson, Dane Matthew Steven Altis is born. He's almost 9 pounds......we think he'll be a bass player!
1/12/2005- Taylor-Altis becomes "High Ground"
10/10/2004- More pictures posted on the "Gig Photos" section
9/30/2004- Now for the BIG news! Taylor-Altis is proud to announce that Jimmy Almarode of Stuarts Draft, VA, and Bryan Plemmons of Goshen,VA have joined the band on Mandolin and Banjo. These two well known musicians are joining Larry and Rick in touring. Check out the "Band Bio" tab on the home page to read a little about everyone in the band.
9-8-2004- Stay tuned for an exciting announcement from Taylor-Altis!
9/1/2004- The new album is being received well and already is receiving airplay in the USA , Norway and Belgium.
8/12/2004- Just released!-Larry Taylor and Rick Altis team up on a new Bluegrass CD entitled "Old Friends"