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The first bluegrass band I played in during the mid 70's was anchored by 15 year old Randy and his dad, Floyd. We all knew he was destined for a great career. Just how great surprised even his biggest fans for Randy became a twelve time National Fiddle Champion who recorded with Garth Brooks, George Jones, J.D. Crowe, Bela Fleck and a host of others. Janice and I are fully aware of how privileged we were to have had the opportunity to play music with Randy over the years. It was actually this awareness that helped persuade me to buy a multi-track cassette recorder to capture some of these moments. While these “living room sessions” are not studio quality they amply demonstrate Randy’s prodigious talent. Randy moved with ease from state of the art digital studios to our home sessions while always offering us encouragement. Indeed, Janice and I would have never begun to write songs had it not been for his support. We miss you Randy.

Music Sampler
Dear Mama
Dear Mama was written to try and capture the feelings of a young man
on the eve of a battle during the War Between the States.

The Reckoning Time
The Reckoning Time is a gospel song written about the Judgment Day.

Daddy's Swimming Hole
A "true life" song.

Awards and Reviews

Just Plain Folks
Just Plain Folks Music Awards has grown to become the largest Music Awards program in the world. For the 2006 Awards over 350,000 songs and 5,000 albums in 70+ genres from 100 Countries were considered.  The awards were announced in a ceremony on November 4th, 2006 in Santa Ana California.  Our CD "Dear Mama" place second in the Roots category and our song "Heading West" was a nominee in the Bluegrass category.

The "Best of Independent Country 2002" CD  featured “Dear Mama” as the lead song and included the following promo:
These "People's Choice Winners" thrilled thousands of listeners at Garageband.com. Music for the free and the brave. Take a chance on these rising American stars from Garageband's Country genre and you'll hear tracks that could kick boots with the likes of Dixie Chicks, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard and even Tom Petty. 

Editor's Review from CNET
Crank up the Victrola and give a listen as bluegrass-folk outfit the Merritts run through this series of rural, laid-back songs, recorded at home with their late pal, champion fiddler and Nashville session player Randy Howard. The music's low-tech but beautiful, highlighted by melancholy singing and top-shelf picking.

Featured artist at CNET's second anniversary party - April 2006

 Review of "Dear Mama" from Holland's alt country portal -- we think it's a good review!

 Reviews of "Dear Mama" from Australia's biggest mp3 site.
Reviews of "Dear Mama" from Garageband.com members

The perfect natural expression of bittersweet longing
This is an intensely personal song with its heart out on its sleeve. The expertly fingerpicked guitar, fiddle and mandolin add to that mood. There are no synthesizers to be found here, this is "au naturel" and the better for it. The longing and sadness in this song is very real, as a smooth-voiced female singer pines for her family. "I wish I was home with you and Daddy," the hook goes. Just when you think your heart is aching, this performer tightens the vice. By the third verse "I saw you and little sister in my dreams last night / And I wondered why you were crying / while your face glowed in candlelight" you're gonna be misty, whether you like it or not! There must not be a dry eye in the house when this song is played live. 

Traditional, and yet fresh!
This song captivated me from the get go with its exquisite mandolin work and fiddle in the intro. Instrumentally, the musicians managed to vary their playing throughout the song with surprises around every corner. Lyrically strong in its storytelling, which concerns a letter written to mom and dad telling them how she missed them. Topping all of this with wonderful vocals from the two ladies that are on par with the likes of the Dixie Chicks, and their clones in the contemporary country scene. But here it is better since here we have a song written that stays true to its traditional roots, and yet feels fresh, not stuffy. I honestly can't wait to hear who is behind this music. I am quite likely to seek their album! 

Stripped down and pure
Wow! Just a mandolin and fiddle... Okay, I can barely hear a guitar in the background, but it doesn't need it. Great missive song delivered by a great, authentic voice. This is what folk music is all about. 

The perfect natural expression of bittersweet longing
This is an intensely personal song with its heart out on its sleeve. The expertly finger-picked guitar, fiddle and mandolin add to that mood. There are no synthesizers to be found here, this is "au naturel" and the better for it. The longing and sadness in this song is very real, as a smooth-voiced female singer pines for her family. "I wish I was home with you and Daddy," the hook goes. Just when you think your heart is aching, this performer tightens the vice. By the third verse "I saw you and little sister in my dreams last night / And I wondered why you were crying / while your face glowed in candlelight" you're gonna be misty, whether you like it or not! There must not be a dry eye in the house when this song is played live. 

Perfect Perfection
I don't know how you did this but it is the epitome of perfection. My group has been trying to do this for years and has come close. Our singer is really good but the vocalist on this track is just ooozing with soul. I love what you have done here. It is simple and effective songwriting delivered with soul.  

Great old country sound!
Simple vocals with an angelic tinge. The guitar is beautiful... as is the fiddle.. very well written song...great hook chorus! I really enjoyed all the aspects of this song! Great job and I look forward to more from you!

 nice use of mandolin and fiddle
I've always been a big fan of rootsier music. The vocals on this cut remind me of the Be Good Tanyas and Gillian Welch. Tasty mando picking and fiddle. Nice hook on the chorus. 

love it
reminds me of my home town adventures growing up in a small town in texas. also reminds me of john prines "paradise." please dont go big time glitter country, stay the way you are, i love it. 

A slow ride down a river on a sunny afternoon
I love it....simple, pure, clean. There isn't too much going on to clutter up the song. The fiddle is excellent. The way this song moves is great- good job. Female vocals are good too. 

Great
A piece of traditional country. Recorded really well. Love the song and all the parts. Vocalist got my attention. 

Lost Treasured Memory
I have to admit to being a sucker for traditional music like this. This song stays true to its roots with its simple arrangement. While the mandolin mainly kept steady beat, the fiddle maintained a sweet, but playful backdrop to the vocals as it reinforced the lyrics storytelling. I was captivated by the vocalist whose voice was beautiful, but not syrupy, having a ring of authenticity, coupled with an ability to tell this story of a daughter attempting attempting to revisit (or better, relive) childhood memories of her father, symbolized by a swimming hole that is overgrown beyond recognition. It is an almost archetypal image of all of our human longings to return to our childhood, to innocence, to Eden. Hence, this song for me took on a universal quality since, who of us has not /does not experience the same longing. This ability to write a song, stripped to its essentials, and which not only has a traditional feel to it, but also a timeless quality, places this singer-songwriter in the ranks of Gillian Welch.