Thanks to the California Bluegrass Association’s MOLD reporter for tipping us off to an exciting news story – especially for fans of the dobro.
An exciting project to watch for in 2013 is a “dobro trio” CD by Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes.
The forthcoming album, as yet untitled, was recorded in a number of sessions during 2012, whenever their schedules allowed the three to converge to record together in a studio near Auldridge’s home in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Mike Auldridge reports, “We’ve recorded a lot of songs that I had only hoped I could record, songs that are part of my history and love affair with the dobro.” When Douglas first proposed the project, Auldridge recalls, “Jerry said to me, ‘it’s all about you,’ and he meant it. I’ve known both of these guys since they were teenagers, and I can honestly say that I love them both as if they were my sons, and at the same time, my best friends and favorite dobro players. It’s a pretty amazing feeling.”
The project is rooted in the deep respect Douglas and Ickes have for Auldridge and his enduring influence on the dobro. Douglas unabashedly calls Auldridge his hero, and says “without Mike Auldridge, and Josh, there would be no me, no Rob, no anybody.” Ickes similarly credits Auldridge's influence as profound: “The first time I heard him play, it literally changed my life.” As for the 2012 recording sessions, Ickes reports: “It has been fun for me to get to hang out with Mike more this past year, and see how he works, up-close. It has been really inspiring to see how his passion for the instrument has not diminished with the passing of time.”
While the release date for this album has not been set, Douglas and Ickes are intent on completing work on this project as soon as possible. "We (especially) want everyone to hear the incredibly powerful music that Mike has created for this project."
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Mike Auldridge is a 2012 recipient of the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts, and a 2007 recipient of IBMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
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