Ice covered birches

[Jim Nollman]

can someone post the lyrics to this Cliff Waldron tune. Did he write it?

[Willie Poole]

Jim...I have a collection of Cliff Waldron records, yes records, and I`ll look and see if this is among them...I don`t think he wrote it though...He is back on the festival scene, or at least he was, so you might be able to go on the web and type in "New Shades Of Grass" and see what comes up...I used to be in the front row of his gigs whenever I could make it, he is a good friend and played a long time here in this area....Willie

[Lefty&French]

http://a9.com/Rebel+Records%3A+35+Years+Of+The+Best+In+Bluegrass %20%22Ice+Covered+Birches+-+Cliff+Waldron%22%20lyrics%20-inurl:amazon?a=sweb
or
http://www.countysales.com/php-bin....id=4738 (http://www.countysales.com/php-bin/ecomm4/products.php?category_id=&product_id=2111&prev_id=2510&next_id=4738)

They say : All lyrics included!

[swampstomper]

No, I have that 4-CD set (well worth it!!!) which has the song and a really nice book but no lyrics (except as Cliff sings them of course). Author credits are "Carl E. Hoffman", whose name I do not recognize. Listening to it again, I remember the sensation that Mike Auldridge made with his smooth dobro playing. I also enjoyed Mike's brother Dave playing mandolin (actually he just chorded) and singing a dynamite tenor.

[Willie Poole]

Swamp...In my younger days I was lucky enough to be able go see all of the good bands here in the Md., DC, Va area, Mike played with just about all of them and certainly made an impact with the dobro in bluegrass...I know Josh played with Flatt and Scruggs many years before but in those days the dobro was twangy and Mike sort of changed all of that...Now there are a lot of good dobro players out there and most of them have sort of copied Mike....Good reading...Willie:laugh:

[allenhopkins]

Author credits are "Carl E. Hoffman", whose name I do not recognize.
I knew I'd seen Carl Hoffman's name somewhere, in the pages of Bluegrass Unlimited -- did a Google search, found out that he's one of the most established bluegrassers in Alaska, with his band Northern River. Here's (http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/111705/thi_20051117039.shtml) an article from a Juneau newspaper that talks about him. Alaska's a likely place for "Ice Covered Birches," right?

[swampstomper]

Good detective work! "Hoffman, a New Jersey native, brought his band, a well-established East Coast trio called the Pine Hill Ramblers, to Fairbanks in 1973. Marty Cutler played banjo. Bob Applebaum played mandolin." But Ice-Covered Birches was released in 1971, I believe; certainly I remember buying the LP from Cliff, and having Mike graciously show me how to chime in any position on the dobro (with the heel of the hand) at Gettysburg in Sept. 1971.

[Willie Poole]

E mail me at lydiapoole@juno.com and I`ll send you the words.....Willie

[Timbofood]

It's on the "Travleing Light" album, My band has done "Birches" for almost 30 years! People still ask for it! Another great one is "Close the door lightly when you go"

[Sleepy Eyed John]

Carl Hoffman who wrote 'Ice Covered Birches', slipped on ice in November 2010 and he has been in a critical condition since. His sister-in-law, Laura Cramblet, and I recorded the song and put it on YouTube hoping people will send in donation to cover his medical cost.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onuQoD4dm0Q

Cliff Waldron & the New Shades of Grass (including Mike Auldridge and Ben Eldridge who formed the Seldom Scene later on) liked this song and they put it on a Rebel album in early 70's. I played this song many times while I was playing with Cliff in 73 & 74.

Then in late 70's Laura and I were in Grass Menagerie here in DC area but that was way before her sister, Alice, met Carl in Alaska and married him. Small world indeed.

Thanks,
Akira

[Sleepy Eyed John]

You can send donation to:
Carl Hoffman Donation Fund
Account # 11235921
Mt. McKinley Mutual Savings
500 Fourth Ave Fairbanks, AK 99701

Here's an article on Carl in Fairbanks newspaper.

http://newsminer.com/bookmark/10821873-Carl-Hoffman-Father-of-Alaska-Bluegrass-in-serious-condition