INNOVATIVE BLUEGRASS RENDITION OF KANSAS CLASSIC
INCLUDED ON THE BLUEGRASS TRIBUTE TO CLASSIC ROCK

Cover for The Bluegrass Tribute to Classic Rock: Edition One
Born out of a love of rock music and for the virtuosity of bluegrass musicians, CMH Records’ Pickin’ On Series features the best in bluegrass, paying tribute to the biggest and brightest artists in rock and pop.
After revisiting some past recordings in the label’s back catalogue, it was clear the heartfelt and innovative take on Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son,” originally released on the 2007 album The Bluegrass Tribute to Classic Rock: Edition One, deserved a little extra attention. Performed by Alabama-based quartet Iron Horse, with this new video the music can be appreciated in a whole new way.
Watch the video for Iron Horse’s take on Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son”: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfVXbOFNfMg
On this dynamic bluegrass tribute, perennial FM radio classic rock favorites were given the bluegrass treatment. Tracks such as Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild” and Styx’s “Come Sail Away,” performed by Cornbread Red, and Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” and Journey’s “Open Arms,” from Iron Horse, among others iconic hits, were faithfully rendered in traditional bluegrass style to create a whole new set of classics for your road trips.
“When you first hear Iron Horse’s cover of the classic ‘Carry on Wayward Son,’ you’ll assume it’s just an uncommonly catchy bluegrass tune,” wrote American Songwriter’s Savannah Dantona of this recording. “It’s not until a few bars in that you ask, ‘Wait, is this…Kansas?’ The classic rock song lends itself incredibly well to this rambunctious adaptation, as especially exemplified when the backing guitar and banjo come in. Iron Horse covered this track for the compilation album The Bluegrass Tribute to Classic Rock, and it’s absolutely a standout on the track list.”
“I remember first hearing this song as a teenager in the mid-70s and at that moment I knew it was going to be a hit,” Iron Horse’s Vance Henry shares. “The thing about good songs is they stand on their own and don’t need to be propped up or acclimated to with repeated listenings over time to fully appreciate. Even though I have listened to it many times since, it hasn’t grown old, and after all the years it was a joy to record such a great Kansas song in our bluegrass style.”
Though Pickin’ On started modestly in 1993 with the release of Pickin’ On the Movies, tributes to The Beatles and Eagles soon followed, and by 1997 the Pickin’ On Series was on fire. It continues to thrive with one hand in traditional bluegrass and the other in popular music, ready for the next chance to create innovative bluegrass music. Now over 30 years in and over 300 albums deep, the Pickin’ On Series is one of the most beloved traditions at CMH.
Recent Pickin’ On releases, Pickin’ On The Doors, Pickin’ On Pearl Jam and Pickin’ On Nirvana, were well-received and garnered press from Rolling Stone, Brooklyn Vegan, and Uproxx, among others. Pickin’ On Modest Mouse and Fade to Bluegrass: The Bluegrass Tribute to Metallica both charted on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart.
The series has also been given extensive retrospective write-ups by Los Angeles Times and No Depression and currently has 180,000 monthly listeners and more than 90,000 followers on Spotify. Songs from Pickin’ On have been featured in the television series Revolution and HBO’s True Blood.
Other artists that have been given the Pickin’ On treatment include Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers Band, Coldplay, The Black Keys, Jack White, The Killers and many more.
About CMH Records:
Founded in 1975 by Martin Haerle, CMH Records has released albums from artists whose monumental influence on American roots music is unparalleled. The label is responsible for essential recordings throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s by bluegrass, old time and traditional country legends such as Merle Travis, The Osborne Brothers, Mac Wiseman, Joe Maphis, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Grandpa Jones, Lester Flatt and Eddie Adcock.
Throughout the ‘90s and into the new millennium, CMH Records continued to cut records with artists such as Wanda Jackson (aka “The Queen of Rockabilly”), Raul Malo, Larry Cordle, Pine Mountain Railroad, Jimmy Gaudreau, and many others. Producing songs rich in American heritage by artists with their own distinct style created a strong backbone and history for the label.
The label remains a proud family business, now run by Martin’s son David. Described by the Los Angeles Times as a “stubborn, curious Silver Lake music company,” the label has been a strong proponent for honest music and has found success with its classic catalog and its ongoing Pickin’ On Series, which features bluegrass interpretations of contemporary artists, including recent hit albums dedicated to the music of Nirvana and Modest Mouse. The Times piece added that CMH “meets unsung needs in the music industry” and cited its “creative diversification.”
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For more information on CMH RECORDS, contact Falcon Publicity:
Angela Moreno | amoreno@falconpublicity.com
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