After 25 years of producing bluegrass albums, Roanoke's Copper Creek Records earned its first Grammy nomination last week when Roland White 's "Jelly on My Tofu" was nominated in the Best Bluegrass Album category.

"It caught me off-guard really," said Gary Reid, Copper Creek's founder. He had not checked the Grammy nominations when they were announced Jan. 7, but he was soon fielding congratulatory telephone calls from friends.

"I follow the Grammys a little bit. It came as a pleasant surprise. Definitely, we've done some things in the past I thought should get some recognition or get a mention. I never worried about it too much."

Copper Creek has released more than 130 bluegrass albums since Reid started the label in Maryland in 1978 after a brief stint as bassist for the Johnson Mountain Boys. He moved to Roanoke two years later to work for Rebel Records and brought his one-man label with him.

Copper Creek has specialized in many historic re-issues by the Stanley Brothers, Reno and Smiley, the Carter Family, the Louvin Brothers and the Blue Sky Boys, but the label's new releases have done well in recent years. Word-of-mouth promotion has especially raised the label's reputation. Roland White heard about Copper Creek from guitarist Keith Little, who had recorded a CD on Copper Creek, had been pleased with the result and was singing the little label's praises around Nashville.

"We got two or three other CD deals through Keith," Reid said.

White and Copper Creek face some steep competition from Ralph Stanley and family in the bluegrass album category. Stanley is nominated twice ("Lost in the Lonesome Pines" with Jim Lauderdale and his self-titled solo album) and Ralph II's "Stanley Blues" is a contender. White and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver are the other nominees.

"Some good company there," said Reid.



The show will go on for Jesse McReynolds. The bluegrass legend will make his first public performance since older brother Jim's death when he plays at Franklin County High School Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

The McReynolds brothers formed Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys more than 50 years ago and had become one of bluegrass music's most popular brother duos. Inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1964, they even scored a few country hits before returning fulltime to bluegrass in the late 1960s. They continued to perform regularly until Jim's cancer, first diagnosed in 2001, spread throughout his body. He died Dec. 31.

Jesse will perform with a band that includes his grandson, Luke McKinght . The Lewis Family is also on the bill. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. The show is sponsored by the Rocky Mount Lions Club and tickets can be purchased by calling Roger Seale at (540) 483-0904.

RALPH BERRIER JR.
roanoketimes.com