Saturday, October 24, 2009

Is Branson's Buck Trent show "It?" - "Oh Yeah!"

October 22nd, 2009 by Gary J. Groman

“Oh yeah,” the Buck Trent show is one entertaining, lively and exciting way to start a day in Branson. From start to finish, this show is quality non-stop comedy, singing and music presented by some of the most talented singers and musicians in Branson.

Obviously, this show has a star, Buck Trent, who lives up to his billing as a “premier international five string banjo picker, master musician, hilarious humorist, and entertainer extraordinaire,” but from an audience entertainment perspective it’s the way those talents are blended in with the rest of the cast that helps make the show so special. The singing provided by Kenny Parrott and Melody Hart along with their instrumental playing, Parrott on the guitar, Hart on the fiddle and mandolin; Rob Blackwood, drums; Dave Clark, bass guitar; Bruce Hoffman, steel guitar and fiddle and Jonathan Black on the piano and saxophone combine with Buck to provide two of the fastest and most entertaining hours in Branson morning, noon or night!

From the lively opening number “Country Music Has Gone to Town” to the exciting “dueling fiddles, banjo, and guitar” finale there’s is not a dull or unexciting moment in this show. It might be Buck playing a special acoustical guitar while Melody sings the Dolly Parton classic, “My Coat of Many Colors,” Buck telling one of his funny stories, Kenny singing “You Were Always On My Mind” or any one of a number of other things, but the show is a constant stream of entertaining energy leading seamlessly from one thing to the next.



Buck is on stage just about the whole show and keeps things moving with his humor and playing. It’s amazing to watch the versatility of this talented performer on the banjo, guitar, and mandolin in everything from solos to duets and whole cast numbers. His instrumental duet of “Somewhere My Love” (“Laura’s Theme” from the movie “Dr. Zhivago”) and his “Boogie” number in the second half of the show are just two of the highlights of his performance.

The primary vocals are provided by Kenny and Melody. Kenny does a great job on numbers like “Folsum Prison Blues,” “South of the Border” and others. Melody’s rendition of “Just For What I Am,” her duet with Buck of the Porter Wagner Dolly Parton classic, “If Teardrops Were Pennies” and other numbers were very well done.

As good as the singing is, not only in the featured solo vocals, but in other parts of the show such as the gospel medley, it is the vibrant and exciting musicianship that makes this a unique must see show. From Buck right down the line, each of these musicians is excellent. The first two numbers of the show instantly get the cast involved and by the end of the third number, even before Bruce and Melody fiddle their way through the fiddle standard, “Orange Blossom Special” the audience knows they are in for a special musical treat.

Although there are many highlights, the duet with Buck and Kenny of “Laura’s Theme,” the fiddle playing of Bruce and Melody, particularly their presentation of the “fiddling medley” in the first half and the “William Tell Overture,” in the second half along with Jonathan’s performance of “Yakety Sax” on the saxophone stand out. At the end of the day, well, rather the morning, however, it is the numbers using the full instrumentality and power of the whole cast together that make this show so special.

Although there were many, two can serve to illustrate the point. One was the unique and lively start to the second half of the show, “Down Yonder” with its featured mandolin quartet. What a unique and exciting way to start the second half of the show. The other is the shows “Dueling Banjos” number done Buck Trent show style. It blends fiddles, a banjo and a guitar into a “dueling” version unlike any you have ever heard before.

During the show the question is sometimes asked, “Is this It?” Don’t know about the answer during the show, but if a person was looking for a lively entertaining experience to start their day in Branson, the answer would be “Oh Yeah, the Buck Trent Morning Show is ‘It.”

For additional information on the Buck Trent Morning Show or any other Branson show, attraction or lodging feel free to contact the Branson Tourism Center (BTC), one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services and sellers of Branson show and attraction tickets and lodging. BTC can be reached by calling 800-785-1550 or through its website www.BransonTourismCenter.com.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

WINDMILL: Trip to Branson reminds us how great the U.S. is

Following last year’s five-day trip to this mecca of country music, about 90 folks from throughout Central and West Texas joined Tracy Pitcox of Brady and members of the Heart of Texas Country Music Association last week for an encore.

Our tour group was treated to more than a dozen country music concerts or variety performances, including Jim Stafford, Moe Bandy, Buck Trent, Barbara Fairchild, Shoji Tabuchi, Yakov Smirnoff, Pretty Miss Norma Jean, the Rankin Brothers, Alan Edwards, Odessa native Ricky Boen and Texas Mud, and Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede pageant.

For the rest of the story click here:
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/may/24/trip-to-branson-reminds-us-how-great-the-us-is/

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

What's In Your Bag? by Erin Bolen for the Springfield NewsLeader



From the Springfield NewsLeader - April 16, 2009


Buck Trent



Age: 71



Day job: Country music entertainer



Handicap: 10



Favorite course: Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla.



Ball of choice: Titleist Pro V1



Driver: Callaway Big Bertha



Irons: Ping Eye 2



Putter: Odyssey



When did you start playing: 1962



Best round ever: 1-under par



Best part of game: Driving the ball



Worst part of game: Chipping



I'm disappointed if I ... : Shank a shot.



My pet peeve in golf is ... : Courses taking the roll out of the game.


Hole(s) in one: Four




  • Riverside Par-3 Course in Nashville, Tenn. I was playing with Porter Wagoner at night on a lighted par-3 course. I hit an 8-iron and topped it. The ball rolled all the way to the green and in the hole.


  • Pointe Royale No. 2 hole during the Children's Miracle Network Tournament. I hit a 5-wood and won a Rolex watch.


  • Pointe Royale No. 12; I hit a 6-iron.


  • No. 17 at Thousand Hills Golf Course with a 3-wood.


If I could play one course in the world that I haven't, it would be: Augusta.


Dream foursome: Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Fuzzy Zoeller and me.


Remaining goals in golf: To play as long as I live.

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