Carolina Road

LORRAINE JORDAN

Mandolin / Guitar / Lead and Tenor Vocals

If a song was written about the life and times of Lorraine Jordan, it would be a spirited mix of her driving mandolin, lightning-speed banjo, a bit of country pedal steel, and soulful vocals that seemingly go on forever.

Known as the “Lady of Tradition” in the Bluegrass community, Lorraine has made an indelible mark not only on North Carolina music culture, but within the greater Bluegrass culture. To say Lorraine is an original would be the understatement of the decade. She not only thinks outside of the box, she builds new boxes. Here are just a few examples:

  • Produced and performed on “Daughters of Bluegrass
  • Back to the Well,” the 2006 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Recorded Event of the Year.
  • Produced and performed on “Daughters of Bluegrass – Bluegrass Bouquet,” the 2009 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year.
  • Awarded the Society for Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America’s (SPBGMA) “Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year,” 2015.
  • Scored 3 No. 1 hits on Bluegrass charts; the latest “True Grass” stayed at No. 1 an astounding 4 consecutive months and on the charts for nearly a year-and-a-half.
  • Owns and operates Lorraine’s Coffee House & Music, a popular listening hall in Garner, N.C.
  • Produced and performed the successful collaborative recording “Country Grass,” which featured such legendary greats as John Anderson, Lynn Anderson, Jim Ed Brown, John Conlee, Crystal Gayle, Lee Greenwood, The Kentucky Headhunters, Michael Martin Murphey, Eddy Raven, Marty Raybon, Ronnie Reno, and T.G. Sheppard.
  • Four straight months at #1 with the hit single "Bill Monroe's Ol Mandolin" on the National Bluegrass Chart.

Lorraine’s handpicked Carolina Road band is comprised of well-known musicians Ben Greene, Warren Blair, Wayne Morris, Kevin Lamm and Allen Dyer, who have played with a “Who’s Who” in the industry, including Charlie Moore, The Bluegrass Cardinals, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, James King, Lost & Found, David Parmley & Continental Divide, and Don Rigsby, to name just a few. Their stellar musicianship and versatility ensure award-winning powerhouse performances of every song, be it “True” or “Country” Grass, or a specialty project, recorded live or in-studio.

Success is a way of life for Lorraine Jordan. It’s all about a drive and determination that has taken her from the local music scene in Eastern North Carolina to the Grand Ole Opry stage and stellar performances in 40 states and 13 countries. She’s also determined to make your next event a success.

Lorraine is proud to endorse Gibson Mandolins, GHS Strings, Colorado Cases, CT Straps, Peterson Tuners, Blue Chip Picks, and Cedar Creek Cases.

BEN GREENE

Banjo / Bass Vocals

Ben Greene was nominated for the Society for Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America’s (SPBGMA) Banjo Player of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In 2015, he was nominated again – and won. Ben’s musical journey began at age 12 when he first picked up a guitar.

In an interview with Greg Cahill of the Banjo NewsLetter, Ben recalled, “I had a cheap guitar; my father told me if I learned to play pretty good, he’d get me a better one. And he had an old banjo in the closet that he’d bought years ago — the fifth peg was gone. We got it out, and got it to where it was playable, and he said the same thing, if I learned to play, he’d get me a better banjo. So, I learned to play “Cripple Creek, Cumberland Gap,” you know, the basic starter-out tunes.” Ben perfected his techniques – and he got a better banjo.

In 1973, Ben began his professional career playing banjo with the late Charlie Moore. During his six-year tenure with Charlie, Ben recorded six albums.

In the years to follow, Ben showcased his talents on electric bass with The Bluegrass Cardinals and on banjo with Lost & Found, David Parmley & Continental Divide and The James King Band. In 2004, he joined Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road.

In 2007, Ben recorded a banjo instrumental album titled “On Watson’s Cove.” In 2010, he recorded “Banjo Sideman” on Blue Circle Records. The project includes a song from every band of which he’s been a member.

Ben has performed in every state, plus 17 countries. He lives in Monroe, N.C., just outside of Charlotte.

He is proud to endorse Hatfield Banjos and GHS Strings.

Allen Dyer

Guitar / Lead Vocals

Allen Dyer was introduced to Bluegrass music at an early age by his Dad who played in a band called Brother’s N Bluegrass. The father and son spent many summers traveling to Bluegrass festivals around their home in Garner, N.C.

At age 12, Allen started playing guitar and singing. Many fans know him for his most recent work in the Garrett Newton Band.

Like his fellow musicians in Garrett’s band and in Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, Allen enjoys the more traditional side of Bluegrass … Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers, Reno and Smiley, and Larry Sparks are some his favorites.

Since joining Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, Allen sang lead vocals on their well known number one hit “Bill Monroe’s Old Mandolin”. Allen also sings harmony including the Bass vocal in the band’s Gospel Quartet.

Allen is also a professional electrician. He proudly endorses GHS Strings and BlueChip Picks.

KEVIN LAMM

BASS

Kevin started with Parkers Barbecue while still in school and after graduation, stayed there. He worked in the kitchen washing dishes and making tea. Later on, he started waiting on tables and eventually started helping out with management. Soon Kevin Lamm became a partner in the business in 1997. It has been a great experience for Kevin and he has been able to meet a lot of folks from all over the world. Parker’s started in 1946. 

Kevin always had a love for music and as a child his parents would always carry he and his siblingsdown to Nashville, TN each year. That is where he saw his first live bluegrass show at Opryland Park. It was Mike Snyder. He was hooked and immediately wanted to learn the banjo. He went straight home, found one, and started taking lessons. Kevin then began learning the upright bass. Eventually learning enough to start playing along with folks. His first job playing music was in a gospel band. He later joined some local bands and fast forward to today as he has joined Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road. It has been Kevin’s dream to play the big festivals. Lorraine has carried him to places he never would have gone. Kevin says, “she puts her heart in the music business 110%!”

 

WAYNE MORRIS

LEAD GUITAR

Wayne Morris was born and raised in Raleigh, NC. He began playing guitar and mandolin around the age of 13.

Wayne was the mandolin player for The Country Squires Bluegrass Band in the early 80's and traveled and played many festivals with them. Wayne loves traditional and gospel Bluegrass. He spent countless hours learning to play while listening to the Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jesse and The Virginia Boys and Flatt and Scruggs. His greatest influence and hero was Roy Clark.

After the Coutry Squires disbanded, Wayne played in a Southern gospel group with his family. They continue to sing today, now almost 40 years later.

Wayne is a multi-instrumentalist, adept on the piano, guitar, mandolin and bass guitar. He also dabbles with the resonator guitar and fiddle. Wayne currently plays a Tony Rice "Santa Cruz" model guitar. He feels grateful to play such a fine instrument.

In addition to the Carolina Road Band, Wayne is the lead guitar player for Lorraine's Country Grass Band and he plays lead guitar and keys in The Legends Band. He also runs sound for Lorraine's Coffee House during the Bluegrass online streaming shows  and presently works with Jordan Entertainment, assisting with bookings for the venue.

Wayne is excited and thankful to be back out on the road since retiring from Duke Energy. He is also the music Minister of his home church and a member of the Garner Civitan Club.

Warren Blair

Fiddle

Warren is known internationally for his musical brilliance. He has a distinct long-bow fiddling style all his own, but can also on demand, accurately quote hundreds of iconic fiddle tunes and breaks from the Masters note for note. He also has a showstopper routine where he plays double stop harmony and hums a third part!!! His beginnings were not unlike many others in the field of bluegrass
music. His father Kimble Blair was a well-known regional fiddle player for more than 50 years. He also played I bands with his brothers Kenny and Darrell who were wonderful singers and musicians in their own right. His dad’s influence was
there from day one. Warren didn’t start playing the fiddle until he was 16 years old, but within a matter of a few months he had already appeared on stage with many local bands in the Baltimore area and also with Jimmy Martin and Charlie Moore and country music legend Mel Street. Warren also won the National Bicentennial fiddle contest in Washington DC in 1976. Charlie had asked him to join his band but Warren’s mom and dad would not allow it until he graduated high school. Among the band mates in Charlie’s band was 18 year old banjo player Ben Greene. We are excited to have these two musicians reunited with Carolina Road. Warren has performed and recorded with far too many top national bluegrass and country music acts over his 49 year career to list here. But among those were the previously mentioned Mel Street, Charlie Moore, Jimmy
Martin, The Bluegrass Cardinals and Del McCoury for which Warren received an IBMA award in 1991 for Recorded Event of the Year entitled Families of Tradition. His early career also included short stints with Faron Young and George Jones.
Among his finest memories are repeated guest appearances with the Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jesse, the Boys from Indiana, J.D. Crowe and the New South, Melba Montgomery, Johnny Rodriguez, Tommy Cash, Tommy Overstreet, Grandpa Jones and so many more. In finishing, Warren has been proclaimed by many top Bluegrass fiddlers as an inspiration and influence on their playing as
well. Most notably Ron Stewart, Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter among many others!