When Team Flathead was released in 2003, it was universally hailed as both an
innovative marketing vehicle and a fi rst rate bluegrass recording. The idea of
having touring artists record a CD for commercial release to highlight the quality
of a professional grade musical instrument was not a common concept, though
others have since employed it.
Almost from the day Team Flathead was shipped, we had fans and radio hosts
asking when Volume 2 would be forthcoming. Soon, we had top banjo pickers
asking if they could be involved as well!
Jim Mills is perhaps the most infl uential and respected banjo player working
the circuit, and Greg Cahill has as many years performing as our three Huber
Youth pickers combined! Both Jason Burleson and Steve Dilling have earned the
respect of banjo
afficianados worldwide with their many recordings and active
touring with their respective groups. Cia Cherryholmes is a part of one of the
hottest groups on the scene today, and still in her early 20s, as is Joey Cox, who
has made an early mark as well. Jason Davis is less well-known, but has turned
many a head while still in his teens.
For Cuppa ‘Jo, Steve Huber has once again brought together some of the top
banjo pickers in bluegrass, who are all Huber Banjos endorsers to boot. This time,
there was a concerted effort to select a mix of established veterans and up-andcoming
young pickers, giving the CD an interesting stylistic mix.
Each banjo picker chose the tunes they recorded on Cuppa ‘Jo, and two (Margarita
Breakdown and Ponderosa) are original compositions. Included are some great
Scruggs-style banjo classics (Home Sweet Home, John Henry, Lonesome Road
Blues, Cumberland Gap, Nashville Blues) and several others often played more
on the fi ddle (Snowfl ake Reel, Shortnin’ Bread, Buffalo Gals, Dance Around
Molly). Add a few bluegras banjo arrangements of numbers from an old time
repertoire (Little Birdie, Bully Of The Town) and Frank Wakefi eld’s mandolin gem,
New Camptown Races, and you have 14 strong banjo tracks that any fan of
bluegrass music will enjoy.
