By Tim A. Rutherford
For Coastal Senior

If you go Greening of Bluegrass Featuring the Gillis Brothers and Southern Lite March 16, 7:30 p.m. Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum U.S. 80 at I-95, Pooler, Ga. Advance tickets: $20 and $15. At the door: $25 and $20 Available in advance at: Randy Wood Guitars, 1340 E. U.S. 80, Bloomingdale, Ga. Annie's Guitars and Drums, 5203 Waters Ave., Savannah, Ga. Rody's Music, 702 Mall Blvd., Savanna, Ga. Southern Lite: hometown.aol.com/ ernieevansmohawk/

Southern Lite is second act at 'Greening of Bluegrass' concert

POOLER, GA.

While downtown Savannah echoes with the sounds of bagpipes and shouting St. Patrick's Day partiers, traditionalists can find sanctuary in an evening of bluegrass music.

The "Greening of Bluegrass," the third music concert promoted by Bloomingdale, Ga., luthier Randy Wood, will feature two popular Southern bands in concert at the Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum - smack in the middle of the three-day St. Patrick's Day festivities.

Southern Lite, together for barely for more than a year, has emerged as one of region's brightest new groups. They'll pair with headliners The Gillis Brothers - who return to the bluegrass performance scene after a hiatus from performing. The Gillis Brothers were among the most respected bluegrass performers, serving as a proving ground for a number of now prominent musicians and creating a rich musical heritage of their own, fueled by Larry Gillis' banjo work and brother John's guitar picking.

The brothers "Heart and Soul" CD, released in 1995 and one of several projects on Rebel Records, features cuts that still pop up on country music radio playlists, but the pair stopped performing not too long after the CD was made. The Gillis Brothers have played on the bluegrass circuit with the cream of the crop, including Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley and Alison Krauss.

Randy Wood, the Bloomingdale, Ga., luthier who has been promoting the concerts at the museum, somehow coaxed the brothers back on stage, because, "They're as good as they come."

Adding a second is fellow guitar maker Mark Gresham, who says, "The Gillis Brothers sing some of the best harmony in the business."

Eddie Hoover, who works in Wood's shop, once played with the Gillis Brothers - and will join them no upright bass during the March 16 show.

"Larry plays banjo with the best and John is fantastic on the flat top guitar," he added.

Hoover played fiddle with The Gillis Brothers Band for several years and said he was "excited to be playing with them again."

And while the Gillis brothers will bring years of experience playing together to the stage, the night's second band is relatively new as an act - but long on individual player's bluegrass experience.

Southern Lite was born of necessity - and has remained together to become one of the Southeast's most popular new bluegrass bands.

It doesn't hurt that the Jacksonville, Fla., area group got the blessings of legendary fiddle player Vassar Clements.

Fourth generation banjo player Alan Dalton tells the story:

"I'd played of and on with Vassar for four or five years," Dalton recalls. "Then I got a call one Friday night in late 2001 - it was Vassar asking if I could play a gig with him the next night.

" 'Oh, and can you get a mandolin player too?' he asked me. Well, you don't tell Vassar you can't, so I called Ernie Evans. I finally convinced him it wasn't a joke, and we got together to rehearse the next day.

"We added Irby Brown on bass and, for the next few weeks leading up to the holidays, we played two or three nights a week with Vassar - just around the house.

"When the holidays were over and he was leaving, he told we oughta keep this going. We did, bringing in Craig Barnthouse on guitar."

All four band members have musical experience that extends back to their childhoods, and impressive resumes that link them musically to a host of veteran entertainers.

With a repertoire Dalton calls "somewhere between Lonesome River Band and Mountain Heart," you can expect an eclectic mix of traditional bluegrass tunes, some contemporary arrangements and even a jazz number - as well as some new, original material the band has been working up.

The mix must be working - Southern Lite is booked well into late 2003 at a variety of area festival and bluegrass venues.