In its brief two- (going on three)-year existence, The Ramble Festival has built its brand on one-of-a-kind artist collaborations that can only be found at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, MD. The spirit of collaboration permeates The Ramble Festival, from late-night barn superjams (inspired by Levon Helm‘s Midnight Rambles) to impromptu fireside pickathons. At this past year’s Ramble, a truly unique sit-in occurred on Sunday, October 8th as worlds collided when bluegrass luminary Del McCoury teamed up with rising queen of the jam scene Kanika Moore on “Tennessee Waltz”. Ahead of this weekend’s celebration of all things Del McCoury, DelFest in Cumberland, MD, Live For Live Music is proud to premiere exclusive footage of the collaboration.
Kanika Moore was ever-present at The Ramble 2023, performing with her project TAUK Moore and sitting in with Magic Beans, Dirty Dogs (Dogs in a Pile with Dirty Grass Players), and more. But while everyone knows Moore can belt out Doom Flamingo songs, TAUK Moore ragers, Prince covers, and just about everything else you throw in front of her, it was nevertheless shocking to witness the grace and tenderness with which she handled “Tennessee Waltz”, popularized by Patti Page in 1950. Blanket-clad among the dapper-suited men of The Del McCoury Band, there was no dress code requirement as Moore’s serene delivery of the country classic was the only decorum needed.
“I took one look at Del and his handsome crew and immediately thought, ‘I can’t wear this!’” Moore told Live For Live Music. “It was the highlight of The Ramble Fest for me!”
As Kanika left the stage, Del explained that they hadn’t even rehearsed the song, with festival organizers confirming that the two parties hadn’t met until hours earlier. Festival co-founder “Brick” Lohr said the idea for a Kanika x Del collaboration came to him on Jam Cruise while watching Moore sit in with as many acts as physically possible. After close to nine months of planning, the fate of the potential sit-in still wasn’t known until about 20 minutes before McCoury took the stage as the Sunday headliner at The Ramble. When all was said and done, the 85-year-old bluegrass icon seemed pretty pleased with the result.
“Well I didn’t think that ‘Tennessee Waltz’ was that pretty until now,” McCoury said. “Now it’s the beautiful ‘Tennessee Waltz’, right?”
There will be plenty of celebrations of Del McCoury from May 23rd–26th when DelFest takes over the Allegany Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD. In addition to sets by The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys, DelFest will host performances by Lukas Nelson with The Travelin’ McCourys, Greensky Bluegrass, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sierra Ferrell, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Leftover Salmon, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, and many more. Tickets to DelFest 2024 are on sale here.
Looking ahead to the fall, The Ramble Festival is gearing up for its third-annual installment on October 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2024. The initial lineup set to spend the weekend at Camp Ramblewood includes moe. (x2), Big Something, Town Mountain, lespecial (x2), Fireside Collective, Shadowgrass, Sneezy, Hayley Jane, and more, with plenty of other acts to be announced including two headliners who will be revealed in early June. Discounted early-bird tickets are on sale via the festival website.
Watch Kanika Moore join The Del McCoury Band for a “Tennessee Waltz” at The Ramble Festival 2023.
The Del McCoury Band, Kanika Moore — “Tennessee Waltz” (Redd Stewart, Pee Wee King) — 10/8/23
The post PREMIERE: Watch Del McCoury & Kanika Moore Take A “Tennessee Waltz” At The Ramble Festival 2023 appeared first on L4LM.
