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Daydreams About Night Things

By rudycortese@gmail.com

Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue will release their first single following the band’s self-titled debut album — a spirited bluegrass reimagining of Ronnie Milsap’s beloved 1975 country hit, “Daydreams About Night Things,” on April 24th.
Bluegrass and roots music have a long tradition of reimagining popular songs — from today’s artists paying tribute to fan favorites, to generations of bands using well-known material to draw in broader audiences. Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue is no exception. Their cover of “Daydreams About Night Things” both honors a country classic and showcases the distinctive talents of Rudy Cortese and his exceptional studio band. The result is an upbeat single that fits naturally within the bluegrass idiom, anchored by Cortese’s expressive banjo playing.
For Cortese, the song choice was both instinctive and intentional. As he explains:
“I picked the song ‘Daydreams About Night Things’ by Ronnie Milsap because I always thought the lyrics were very clever, and I love taking country songs and making them my own in a bluegrass style.”
— Rudy Cortese
The single is more than a clever cover concept, it is a song that translates effortlessly into the bluegrass format. Listeners unfamiliar with the original will embrace this version entirely on its own terms.
About Rudy Cortese
Award-winning banjoist, singer, songwriter, and composer Rudy Cortese was originally shaped by his roots in Cortland, NY and decades in Arizona, and is now based in Asheville, NC. Cortese is a five-time Four Corners States Banjo Champion and Arizona State Banjo Champion. His playing is both fearless and controlled, equally at home with blistering tempos and quiet, reflective passages.
About the Band
Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue features Cortese on banjo and vocals, joined by vocalist and tenor guitarist Elizabeth Kronlage, whose harmonies add warmth and lift throughout the record. The studio lineup is rounded out by legendary bassist Tim Surrett of Balsam Range, providing a rock-solid, deeply musical low end, and award-winning multi-instrumentalist David Johnson, who contributes mandolin, fiddle, resonator guitar, cello, and guitar across the album. Together, they create a sound that is rooted, expansive, and emotionally direct.