Picture of the day - July 27, 2007

Tommy & Vickie Austin singing on The Pickin' Porch Show

The Pickin' Porch Show is a weekly two hour Bluegrass Music concert that features some of the finest local and national acts on the scene today. Last night's show featured Appalachian Trail, one of the most talented and sought-after Bluegrass groups in the country. Today's picture features Tommy and Vickie Austin, the wonderful husband and wife team from Fall Branch, Tennessee that does most of the singing during Appalachian Trail's performances. Also pictured is master guitarist and banjo picker Matthew Cruby, an outstanding performer in his own right. Taken during last night's show, this picture really captures the essence of what it's like to see and hear Appalachian Trail perform live and up close. Tommy Austin's voice is as smooth as velvet, with a range that tops out somewhere in the upper reaches of the stratosphere. He writes many of the group's most popular songs, and when he sings one of them you get the feeling that no one else could ever sing it quite as well as he does. And then there is Vickie, without a doubt one of the most gifted singers on the planet. What an amazing voice, and she knows how to use it to produce some of the most fantastic vocal sounds you will ever hear. When this gal leans her head back and lets go, all you hear is sheer perfection reminiscent of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn or Martina McBride depending on the song she happens to be singing at the time. If you have never had the opportunity to see and hear Appalachian Trail pick and sing, you owe it to yourself to find out when and where they're going to be performing next and get on over there. If you love great music, you will most certainly be glad you did!   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!            Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"