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from FAD Feb. 22, 2012
[Fountain, NC] Al Batten and the Bluegrass Reunion play Fountain for the first time Saturday night in what should be a show to remember.
Batten, from Selma, is a former banjo player with bluegrass legend Roby Huffman. He has one of the best bands of pickers in the Carolinas, with David Turnage of Wilson’s Mills on guitar; Mike Aldridge of Saxapahaw on mandolin, Phil Patterson on bass, and everybody’s favorite fiddler, Big Johnny Ridge, from Mebane.
Batten and Turnage formed the Bluegrass Reunion nearly 40 years ago, and like Huffman’s band the Cut-ups, Batten’s has included many pickers with outstanding musical pedigrees.
In the current Bluegrass Reunion, Aldridge has played with Joe Snipes and the Country Boys, Camp Springs Newgrass, Al Wood and the Smoky Ridge Boys, the Bass Mountain Boys, and Tommy Edwards’ Bluegrass Experience. Ridge learned fiddle from his dad, and together they performed with Pete Corum and Rising Sun. Ridge was fiddler with the Bass Mountain Boys for 16 years.
Batten and his band have five CDs currently available.
Tags: bluegrass gospel, original, tradtional bluegrass