Fans of bluegrass

music take note. The fourth annual Bluegrass Blast returns to Sams Auditorium

in Fayetteville this Saturday night, giving fans a sampling of classic

and modern bluegrass in a fundraising concert for the Fayette County High

School Select Chorus. The event has grown each year and raises money for

the Select Chorus's bi-annual concert tour of New York City.

This year's

concert promises to be very entertaining. Cedar Hill, which was an audience

favorite at last year's show, returns this year. The other acts, Brushfire

and The Dappled Grays, are well known around the southeast and have both

performed in the area in recent years.

Brushfire features

Jeff Partridge, a former Fayette County High School graduate and member

of the music program. Partridge's late uncle Joe was a founding member

of Brushfire. Partridge has played with the Bullsboro Bluegrass Band as

well as the Bluegrass Engineers. The Fayetteville resident plays banjo

and mandolin for Brushfire. Other members include Kerry Warbington, banjo;

Doyle "Red" Yates, bass and Mike Fleming on guitar. Fleming

is the only original member remaining in the band.

The Dappled

Grays are a relatively young band though they have lots of experience.

Casey Cook, 21, is the frontman and he is joined by childhood friend Michael

Smith on mandolin, Andy Martin on banjo, Mike Thornburgh on violin and

Jeremy Bowman on bass. Cook was inducted into the North Florida Bluegrass

Hall of Fame with his brother as the youngest brothers performing professional

bluegrass in 1984. In 2001, Creative Loafing named The Dappled Grays the

Best Bluegrass/Traditional Band in Atlanta.

Cedar Hill

has been entertaining audiences for decades, including a recent performance

at Governor Sonny Perdue's inaugural party. The band, which once performed

at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, was one of the highlights at

last year's Bluegrass Blast. The band features founding members Jim "Duck"

Adkins on banjo, "Wild Bob" MacIsaac on guitar, and "Ready

Freddy" MacIsaac on bass. "Ranger" Brad Laird joined the

band in 1983 and added his mandolin to the mix and "Okefenokee Pete"

Lussier joined in 2001. Lussier, a violinist, has a long resume with bands

such as Lost Angels, Zen Dixie and Redneck Greece Deluxe.

The idea for

a bluegrass concert to raise money for the select chorus came about when

Lisa Masters, a FCHS grad and friend of Janice Folsom, director of the

Select Chorus, asked her uncle, Jack Masters to put together a fundraising

concert. Jack Masters is the President of the Southeastern Bluegrass Association

and has contacts in bluegrass all over the region.

The fourth

annual Bluegrass Blast will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25

at Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville. Admission is $8 and tickets can be

purchased at the door, through the Fayette County High School at 770-460-3540

or through any Select Chorus Member. For more information on the show,

contact Jack masters at 770-961-5974 or visit www.sebabluegrass.com.

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