By Jay Moore

Marci Salyer knows bluegrass music, she knows herself and she’s ready for a national audience to know about her unique and exciting music. Salyer debuted her new band Midnite Flyer at Johnson City’s Next Door last fall and celebrated the regional release of her latest album, Charmed & Dangerous.

Salyer’s new album showcases a culmination of her more than two decades spent playing and writing music. An emotive, evocative and eclectic blend of styles, Salyer’s live sound and album reflect her deep understanding and love of music, as well as her success in finding her own voice with which to communicate to listeners.

“I used to think ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could sing like so-and-so?’ ” Salyer says. “But somewhere along the way I realized that instead of trying to be a certain type of singer, I should just let myself sing the song the way it wants to come out.”

As Salyer’s far-ranging career can attest, that could mean blues, country, swing, jazz, and even rock. Yet Salyer respects the traditions of bluegrass, the music that she loves best. Her father, the late South Salyer, was a lead singer and guitarist as a member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, and Salyer has played in bluegrass bands, including her father’s, since she was 13. “I see the album as a sort of homecoming,” Salyer says. “Coming around a second time, I’ve brought everything I’ve learned with me and poured it into my bluegrass music. I’m certainly not leaving tradition behind.”

Key to creating the sound she affectionately terms “Blues Grass” is a versatile and talented band, anchored by bandleader/arranger Will Knight, who handles the banjo and guitar duties for the group. “Will hears beyond the songs and past the genres, which is exactly what I need for my music,” she says.

The rest of the band is composed of a rotating cast of talented pickers, but generally joining Salyer on stage are bassist/harmony singer Kris Carlson and guitarist/banjo player Jeremy Phillips. Knight and Phillips also play mandolin in the band.

Salyer loves each band member’s ability to interpret and communicate her sound, while bringing his own talents to the stage. “As far as I’m concerned, Travis is the Dobro player in East Tennessee,” Salyer says. “Kris brings a jazz sensibility and feel to the group through his bass playing and perfect-pitch singing and Jeremy keeps us grounded with his strong roots in traditional bluegrass and great guitar playing.”

Finally, none of the music would be possible without Salyer’s powerful and engaging songwriting. She writes songs the way she sings, in many different styles, and feels it vital not to limit herself to a particular idiom. “I try to let the song be what it wants to be, and then adapt it to my Blues Grass approach to music,” Salyer says.

Salyer’s producer Joel Keller praises her consistency and ability to craft a quality song. “The great thing about Marci is her magic when it comes to songwriting,” he says.

Keller, who frequently co-writes with Salyer, says that the songwriting on this album reflects her musical strength: combining genres. “Marci’s new album is a mix between blues and bluegrass,” Keller says. “When I met Marci I was doing blues and she was doing bluegrass. ‘In the Name of Alcohol’ was originally a blues song, but Marci transformed it into a great bluegrass song.”

Some might see Salyer’s new venture as a departure from musical security, but to her it feels more comfortable than ever before. “I’m a country girl who’s coming into her own,” Salyer says, “and for the first time I feel like I’m truly and completely playing my music.”

For more information on Marci Salyer & Midnite Flyer, visit myspace.com/marcisalyer or marcisalyer.com. For booking information, contact Brittany Jenkins at (615) 489-3999 or at booking@marcisalyer.com. Marci Salyer can be contacted at (423) 948-0659.