CMT News

Blue Highway performed selections from its new album, Marbletown, at a release party held Thursday afternoon (June 30) at the Nashville headquarters of BMI. The event also marked the bluegrass quintet's 10th year of working together. Guests included Ed Benson, Dan Hays and Jeff Green, executive directors, respectively, of the Country Music Association; the International Bluegrass Music Association and the Americana Music Association; producers Buddy Cannon and Carl Jackson; songwriters Larry Shell, Larry Cordle and Wood Newton; and singer Ronnie Bowman. Jackson, who produced Bering Strait's upcoming album, told CMT.com he is currently at work on a second album for bluegrass diva, Alecia Nugent. Blue Highway -- which is made up of Tim Stafford (guitar, vocals), Shawn Lane (mandolin, vocals), Wayne Taylor (bass, vocals), Rob Ickes (Dobro) and Jason Burleson (banjo) -- rounded out the party with a seven-song set that included the Mark Knopfler-penned title cut.