Personnel changes may have been a part of bluegrass ever since Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs left Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and formed their own group in 1948, but they can still cause consternation among fans. So it was natural that the debut of Mountain Heart's new guitarist/lead singer Josh Shilling would qualify as one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the new year -- and by the time the group finished their January 5th, 2007 appearance on the venerable Grand Ole Opry to a standing ovation for Shilling's original ballad, "Who's The Fool Now," there was no doubt that the award-winning sextet is ready and able to take their success to an even higher level.

Yet the stunning performance was no surprise to the knowledgeable, for Mountain Heart's name has been synonymous with cutting-edge excellence since the group's creation in 1998. Winning their first International Bluegrass Music Association annual award before they'd ever released an album, the group has blazed new trails by combining an unfettered ensemble sensibility with outstanding individual strengths, typified by the Grammy nomination earned by fiddler Jim Van Cleve for a selection from his hot-selling solo debut, No Apologies, the five consecutive IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year honors given to Adam Steffey and the acclaim that greeted guitarist Clay Jones' solo release, Mountain Tradition. The result has riveted audiences from traditional bluegrass festival-goers to fans of legends like Merle Haggard and George Jones as well as contemporary artists such as Brad Paisley and LeAnn Rimes. "When you put all of the players together with that kind of drive, it's fun to hear," says VanCleve. "The best thing about this band is that feeling, like we're taking chances and we're out on the edge -- we're being who we are, almost fearlessly sometimes."

That same feeling can be found, too, in Mountain Heart's recordings, from their self-titled 2000 debut to last year's Wide Open, produced by country music powerhouse Mark Bright (Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans). "I idolize these guys and their musicianship," he declares. "To be able to sit in the studio and make music with them is a bit overwhelming. After making records for the better part of 15 years," he adds, "I can honestly say for the first time I started the record with a bunch of strangers and completed it being surrounded by close friends."

Indeed, it was the group's tight-knit identity -- both musical and personal -- that first caught Shilling's attention several years ago. "They're world-class players, every single one of them," the 23 year old Martinsville, Virginia native says, "and the fact that everybody's pushing, that each individual is working as hard as the other, made it a great vibe from the first time I heard them."

For the rest of Mountain Heart -- banjo man Barry Abernathy, bassist Jason Moore, Jones, Steffey and Van Cleve -- it was both Shilling's talent and the intensity of his love for music that made him an attractive candidate for membership. "Jim and I actually first heard him a couple of years ago, when we were working on Clay's solo record [Mountain Tradition]," Abernathy says. "He was playing at a club, and we went over and listened to him, and he was just unbelievable. He's such an incredible musician -- he thinks about music, he's got it on his mind; he wants to be good at everything he does. Anybody that sings and plays like he does has got to be driven to do it. Needless to say, we were impressed, and I thought, if there were ever a move made here, he would be the first one that we would call. I just heard something that I thought could really click."

Though Shilling is new to bluegrass audiences, he's no stranger to the limelight. A performer since his early teens, when he began playing piano and then singing with a variety of groups, Josh turned professional after completing high school, lending his talents as an instrumentalist and singer to a series of increasingly high-profile groups that worked club and resort venues in the south Atlantic states. A versatile stylist, he's logged time with area favorites like Cimarron and The Embers as well as nationally known artists like Billy "Crash" Craddock. "It's a little scary not to have a piano to hide behind," he notes of his move to guitar -- and center stage -- "but the guys are so creative and positive that it's a real thrill to be here."

While the group is beginning to plan their next trip into the recording studio, their schedule is already crowded with the captivating personal appearances that, even more than their recordings, have earned Mountain Heart its legions of fans. "Our shows are like a big throwdown," says Moore. "We want you to leave as tired as we are." And with his habitual shot at having the last word, Van Cleve grins and adds, "We go out there and it's an hour of adrenaline. When I get done with the show, my heart is racing and I usually have to change my shirt -- it's literally like a rock concert. The energy and fire that are in everything this band does are so unique."

Blending tradition and experience with youthful energy and exploration, and with a new lineup that preserves the essence of the group's spine-tingling experience yet also adds a new dimension of intensity and creativity.

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