Welcome to the Bluegrass Ireland Blog

If you're visiting the BIB for the first time, details of its background and purpose can be found here, and tips on using it are here. To reach both, click on the 'Welcome' label at the bottom of this post. The calendar is the main point of the BIB. All comments on posts go through a 'moderating' process before publication; so if your comment doesn't appear at once, there is no need to resend it. News items should be sent to the editor by e-mail.

Female vocalist urgently wanted

The accompanying image says it all.

Applications, and requests for more information, should be sent to the e-mail address shown.

JKBF 2012 - new accommodation and camping info

Following their announcement (see the BIB for 19 Jan. 2012) that this year's Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival (20-23 Sept.) will be held in the new location of Tullamore, Co. Offaly, the festival organisers, Chris Keenan and Kathy Casey, have issued a guide to accommodation and camping facilities in Tullamore, linked to other tourism services. Read the complete e-newsletter and start making your bookings!

Jim Mills on video

Enda Donnelly of Fair City Grass, Dublin's senior bluegrass band, draws attention to this feature on Bluegrass Today, which includes a video biography of Jim Mills's career and his present business of collecting and restoring vintage Gibson banjos. Thanks, Enda!

Jim Mills, a six-time winner of the IBMA Banjo Player of the Year award and an expert on Gibson banjo history into the bargain, is one of the foremost figures in bluegrass banjo today. The photo on the left shows the cover of Jim's Acutab DVD.

Southern Tenant Folk Union on video

The Edinburgh-based band Southern Tenant Folk Union have now made several successful tours and (in the process) numerous fans in Ireland; so thanks to Alan Chapman of apachidesigns, who writes:

I've recently finished filming and editing videos showing a recent performance, at the Davy Lamp Folk Club, by the Southern Tenant Folk Union. The videos haven't been made to a professional standard (I'm only an amateur) but I think they show the STFU in full flow.

If you or your readers are interested, this link should take you to a YouTube playlist called 'Southern Tenant Folk Union'.

The playlist comprises twenty-three YouTube videos. The STFU have also played at the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn - see the post immediately preceding this one.

Live music at the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn

BIB readers are already familiar with the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, as the venue for the monthly Bluegrass Get-Togethers hosted by Dangem Quality Instruments of Craigavon, Co. Armagh. It also presents a vigorous programme of activities and shows including live music; so thanks to Una at the Island for drawing attention to concerts in the coming months which may well interest the bluegrass fan.

No actual bluegrass is scheduled, as yet; but this month's concerts include two strong blues acts. The Mary Ryan Blues Trio - Mary Ryan (gospel vocals), Mark Braidner (Delta blues guitar), and Simon Templeton (ragtime and stride piano) - perform the older forms of blues from the 1920s onwards, together with sean-nós, Scottish Gaelic, and Ulster-Scots material, at the Island on Saturday 18 Feb., at 8.00 p.m. A week later (25 Feb.) guitarist Ronnie Greer brings his Chicago-style blues band to the Island. More info and booking facilities are on the Island Arts Centre website.

Events at the Séamus Ennis Centre, Naul, Feb. 2012

Joost van Es of 4 Wheel Drive with the statue of Séamus Ennis outside the Centre (photo: Jan Michielsen)

The Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin, a good friend to bluegrass and related music in the Dublin area, continues its rich programme of music, film, spoken word, crafts, and other skilled activity. The Centre's updated schedule between now and 26 Feb. 2012 can be seen here. A notable event for BIB readers is the show by the Wiyos (USA) on 17 Feb. - the last of four dates they are playing in Ireland in the middle of a longer tour of Britain.

All performances are presented at the Centre, with doors open at 7.30 p.m. and the performance at 8.30 p.m. unless otherwise stated. Full details, including ticket prices, are on the Centre's website. For more information, photos etc., contact the Centre by phone (+353 (0)1 8020898), fax (+353 (0)1 802 0931), or e-mail.

More news from Moniaive

Thanks to C. Paul Lyttle, organiser of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, for the full lineup of this year's festival (28-30 Sept. 2012). Bands taking part will include the Ballinger Family Band (USA), the Knotty Pine String Band (N. Ireland), New Redwing (Scotland), High Speed Grass (Scotland), the Down and Out Bluegrass Band (N. Ireland), and Grass Routes (Scotland).

More details, together with playlists for Paul's new radio show 'Criffel Creek', aired from 10.00 a.m. to 12 noon on alternate Sundays, can be found on the European Bluegrass Blog.

New Niall Toner single 'Tomorrow' available for airplay

Hope River Entertainment (USA) reports that Niall Toner's latest single, 'Tomorrow', is now available to radio stations via AirPlay Direct. The song is from his upcoming album Onwards and upwards, scheduled for release on Pinecastle Records in autumn 2012, in conjunction with an NTB tour in the US. Pete Wernick comments:

I admire the way Niall’s deep affinity for bluegrass and American country music blends seamlessly with his Irish sensibilities. It makes him a uniquely appealing artist, and Pinecastle is lucky to have him.

Read the whole news report on Hope River Entertainment's news blog.

Well Enough Alone in Whelans, 5 Feb. 2012

Thanks to Hugh Taggart, lead singer and guitarist for Well Enough Alone, for the news that the band will be playing this coming Sunday (5 February) upstairs in Whelans, Dublin 2. Doors open at 8.00 p.m., and admission is €5.

New look for County Clare in 2012

That's the title on a new post on Bluegrass Today. Our first thought, of course, was that Brendan Walsh and the Shannonside Winter Music Weekend in Sixmilebridge earlier this month have launched a regeneration of the Banner County - which may well be true...

However, the news is about the US band Shannon and Heather Slaughter and County Clare, whom we mentioned back on 4 May last year. Shannon explained then that the name came from the title of a New Grass Revival instrumental. The band's new look for 2012 comes from taking on new members; read the full story here.

Virginia Ramblers to come this summer?

The Virginia Ramblers (l-r: Jeff Vogelgesang, Donnie Shifflett, Charles Frazier, Zack Deming)

Thanks to Jeff Vogelgesang, mandolin player for a five-piece traditional bluegrass band, the Virginia Ramblers (USA), for news that the band are planning to book a 10-14 day tour in Europe, including these islands, in the coming year.

The Virginia Ramblers work festivals, concerts, wineries, etc., mostly through Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Delaware, and have also played at the Grass Valley festival in California and on the famous Prairie Home Companion radio show. They have an open period in their booking calendar between 10 and 22 June 2012; other blocks may be available in late July and mid-August.

You can enjoy quite a lot of Ramblers performances on YouTube: some examples are the medley: 'Unfaithful' and 'Lotsalove'; 'Pleasant Hill'; 'Mississippi Sawyer'; 'Don't hurry me'; and 'The old crossroad'. A warm recommendation of their self-titled CD is on County Sales. This is exactly the kind of band the BIB editor likes to see and hear, and we welcome comments from - say - Mel Corry or Sean McKerr.

Promoters, festival and event organisers, and others interested in contacting the Virginia Ramblers should send Jeff an e-mail.

Molly Hicks at Bunclody, 4 Feb. 2012

Ruth Dillon and Bernie O'Mahony of the Molly Hicks

Thanks to Ian Mullins, bar manager of the Carlton Millrace Hotel, Bunclody, Co. Wexford, for the news that the Molly Hicks will be playing in the main bar of the Carlton Millrace Hotel on Saturday 4 February 2012, beginning at 10.30 p.m. and continuing till 12.30 a.m. Admission is free, and all are welcome.

Weekend at Colfer's, Carrig-on Bannow

Woodbine report with regret that they will not after all be playing at Colfer's, Carrig-on-Bannow, Co. Wexford, tomorrow (Sunday 29 Jan.). John Murphy, who has given hospitality to all forms of Americana over the years and has run an annual Bluegrass, Country, and Americana weekend there since 2005, has been obliged to cancel arrangements this year with all bands except for Sarah Savoy & the Francadians (see photo), a highly regarded Cajun band of French musicians led by Louisiana-born Sarah, who belongs to one of the most distinguished families in Cajun music. The band have been touring in Ireland (see their tour schedule). They will be playing the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, tonight, and their show in Colfer's at 8.00 p.m. tomorrow is the last in the tour.

I Draw Slow at Celtic Connections, 28 Jan. 2012

Following the coup by Dublin's I Draw Slow last week, opening for Béla Fleck & the Flecktones at the National Concert Hall, Dave Holden sends the following news:

For anyone who happens to be in Glasgow this Saturday, I Draw Slow are delighted to be playing the Celtic Connections festival. We're on this Saturday (28 January 2012), at 7.30 p.m. in The Arches, supporting the Sweetback Sisters.

Full details, including online booking, are on the concert's web page.

Clonmel World Music news: Zoe Muth on 2 Feb. 2012

Thanks to Gerry Lawless of Clonmel World Music in Co. Tipperary for this news of the 2012 season of CWM shows:

The first Clonmel World Music gig of 2012 is on Thursday 2 February, in Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel, and it features the excellent Americana singer Zoe Muth, with her band the Lost High Rollers from Seattle, USA.

She has a strikingly honest vocal delivery and unpretentious poetic lyrics. Her voice immediately recalls Nanci Griffith, Iris Dement, and Kitty Wells. The Lost High Rollers band are Dave Harmonson on (pedal steel, Dobro, electric guitar), Ethan Lawton (mandolin), Mike McDermott (electric bass), and Greg Nies (drums). The band are playing at the prestigious Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow and will do a short UK and Irish tour before heading for Holland, Sweden, and Norway. Clonmel is one of only three Irish dates. Bob Harris of the BBC has championed her from the start and says she is 'in a class of her own'.

Zoe Muth has released two critically acclaimed albums to date. Her latest album, Starlight Hotel, was on top of many music critics' and magazines' polls for 'album of the year' last year. It ended 2011 as No. 1 on the US Radio Stations Airplay chart as most-played country album in all the USA.

As usual, doors for the Clonmel World Music gigs will open at 8.00 p.m. There will be no support act, and the band will start at 9.00 p.m. prompt. This ensures the gig will finish before 11.00 p.m. Tickets are only €15 each and are available in Premier Music Centre, Clonmel (052 6129811), from Gerry Lawless (086 338 9619), or from Martha Beardmore (087 910 7201).

See the BIB for 10 Jan. for an earlier brief mention of the band and the show. Gerry adds:

We have 6/7 gigs planned for 2012. The confirmed gigs so far are:

Thurs. 2 Feb. Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers (USA)
Mon. 12 Mar. Ashelin (Newfoundland)
Thurs. 26 Apr. Woody Pines (USA)
Thurs. 14 June I Draw Slow (Ireland)

Ronnie Norton for LBG 2012

Congratulations to Ronnie Norton of Dublin, ace bluegrass photographer, critic, reporter, and radio presenter, who will be a member of the 2012 IBMA Leadership Bluegrass class.

The Leadership Bluegrass programme aims to build up a network of people who have shared learning and communication related to the needs of the bluegrass community. Ronnie, who presents the 'Lonesome Highway' internet radio show on World Wide Bluegrass, is also a member of the Lonesome Highway website team, and as a photographer he has covered the major bluegrass events in this island for years, often serving as a festival's 'staff photographer'. He is the only member of this year's LBG class to come from outside the USA.

The BIB sends Ronnie our best wishes for LBG 2012, which will be held in Nashville on 8-10 March - three days of the most intense learning experience most people will ever encounter after leaving school...

Noriana Kennedy: pre-Australia tour, Feb. 2012

Thanks to Noriana Kennedy of Galway for this news and press release:

Folk singer Noriana Kennedy, together with Nicola Joyce and Noelie McDonnell, will be touring Australia this spring and summer through an exciting record deal offered by ABC Australia. As a farewell and warmup, their pre-Australia Irish tour brings their great music to the Crane, Galway (9 Feb.), the Linen Hall Theatre, Castlebar (14 Feb.), Campbell's Tavern, Headford (25 Feb.), and Whelan's, Dublin (29 Feb.).

From a Filipino and Irish background, Noriana Kennedy was born in Dublin. She worked in Castlebar for a year with the EPA but moved to Galway in 2005 to become part of its thriving Irish music scene. After six years of gigging and honing her craft, last year she released Ebb n flow, an album that revels in both the Irish and American folk tradition. The Irish Times lauded Ebb n flow for its 'exquisite phrasing and a songbook as wide as a southern porch'.

Noriana now finds herself at the fore of the Irish roots music scene, singing with esteemed players like Sharon Shannon and the Waterboys' Trevor Hutchinson. The singer was awarded the Irish Music Network Performance and Touring Award in February 2011, and consistently wins audiences over with her nuanced, joyful performances and her fluid playing of the quirky hybrid banjo-ukulele. Her performance at the Galway Arts Festival last year was reviewed by the Connacht Tribune as one of Galway's most memorable folk concerts in 2011.

For her Irish farewell tour , Noriana will be joined by Galway native Nicola Joyce, who Earl Hitchner of the Wall Street Journal praised as ‘a magnificient vocalist who sings with sheer beauty and poignancy’. Nicola is a seasoned and gifted performer who has played in over 500 cities across the globe with Americana/Irish group Gráda. Nicola plays percussion and mandolin and is a harmony singer of both precision and grace.

Also hailing from Galway, Noelie McDonnell plays with an ease and magnetism that is all too rare in modern performers. A singer-songwriter of genuine class, Noelie received extensive airplay in Ireland with 'Nearly four', a song inspired by his nephew. He has been hailed by the New York Post as 'a startlingly good new Irish talent’ and his album Beyond hard places spent two months in the iTunes Top 10 folk album charts. The live arena is where Noelie thrives, and he has been invited to share the stage with such luminaries as John Martyn, Greg Brown, Luka Bloom, and Eddie Reader.

Noriana is overwhelmed by the reaction the Australian market seems to be having on her music, saying: 'It's a really exciting time for us, as great friends and musicians, to all head off to Australia. We are blessed that ABC Australia have taken us on so confidently. There's talk of us playing Sydney Opera House... but all to be confirmed soon!'. Together, Noriana Kennedy, Noelie McDonnell and Nicola Joyce spark splendidly off each other, bringing added magic to the already impressive Ebb N Flow. Their Irish concerts will be well worth the visit and their splendid vocals combine with guitar, percussion, and the banjo-ukulele to weave a beguiling tapestry of Irish and American folk. Listen out for their live performance on the Pat Kenny radio show on 8 February. See Noriana's website for further details.

Thurs. 9th: Crane Bar, Sea Rd, Galway, 9.00 p.m. €10
Tues. 14th: Linen Hall, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, 8.00 p.m. €16
Sat. 25th: Campbell's Tavern, Headford, Co. Galway, 9.30 p.m. €10
Wed. 29th: Whelans Live (upstairs), Dublin 2, 9.00 p.m. €10

Noriana Kennedy
30 Crescent Court
Fr Griffin Road
Galway, Ireland
Tel. +353 0861003342
e-mail

Music hath charms

Thanks to C. Paul Lyttle of the Moniaive Bluegrass Festival in Scotland, and to 'Gerry' who sent him this YouTube link found on the Mandolin Cafe website (that wouldn't be Gerry Madden, would it?).

The video will please all of us who feel bluegrass is close to nature; it should have a special appeal for those who know Josh Williams (USA) from his visits as a teenage mandolin player with Special Consensus about ten years ago, who is now an acclaimed bandleader, singer, and multi-award-winning guitarist. As the photo shows, Josh gets on well with animals. In the video, one of his fans just wanted to get as close to him as possible.

A further bonus: Terry Baucom, the Duke of Drive, is playing banjo.

Get your coat on!

... says Dangem Quality Instruments of Craigavon, Co. Armagh:

You have a jam session to go to!
This Saturday 10.00 a.m.-12.00 noon 28 Jan. 2012
Lagan Valley Island, Island Civic Centre, The Island
Lisburn, Co. Antrim BT27 4RL

See full details . Even more - don't miss

Tuesday 7 Feb 2012: 8.30 p.m. until who knows when -
The Belfast Bluegrass Sessions
The Errigle Inn, 312-320 Ormeau Road,
Belfast, Co. Antrim BT7 2GE
Tel: 028 9064 1410

NTB for USA, Sept.-Oct. 2012

Last week brought the news that Niall Toner has joined the artist roster of the noted US bluegrass label Pinecastle Records. This week the US booking agency Mountain Music Entertainment announces the dates of NTB's planned US tour later this year, in association with his forthcoming record release:

Niall is available for booking September 15th-October 15th, 2012. Please contact us for your venue, festival, or event!

Read the full MME press release (which includes the above photo of Niall's guitars and mandolin) here.

4th European Bluegrass Summit, Bühl, 2-4 Mar. 2012

The 4th European Bluegrass Summit will be held on the weekend 2-4 March 2012, hosted by the city of Bühl, south-west Germany, which provides all facilities. The Summit was first held at Bühl in 2009, as an initiative by the International Committee of the IBMA, and has been held since then under the auspices of the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA). The EBMA announces:

The summit is open to all, professionals and non-professionals, members and non-members of the European or other national associations, who think they may benefit from sharing ideas and best practices with like-minded people doing similar work in other countries. This includes fans, musicians, promoters, journalists, webmasters, national association reps, and anyone else with a personal, professional or organisational interest in bluegrass in Europe.

The programme includes a concert by two leading European bands. Full details, with facilities for registration and reserving accommodation, are on the EBMA website.

Blue Cedar Project in 'dream session'

Thanks to Gerry Tully and Emmett Vaughan of Blue Cedar Project in Co. Meath for news of a feature on them by Grace Charley in the Arts & Music section of the Meath Chronicle yesterday - the same day on which they were playing at Vicar Street, Dublin, supporting 'Friends in Low Places: the Ultimate Garth Brooks Experience'. They will be doing the same on further dates round the country in the coming weeks.

As Grace points out, this is no small achievement for a duo who launched their joint career less than a year ago. Read the entire feature, reproduced on their website.

Western swing at Mount Merrion, 10 Mar. 2012

Thanks to Musiclee.ie for the news that Chris Meehan & his Redneck Friends - a ten-piece band that plays western swing together with Cajun and an element of rock 'n' roll, with a lineup that includes some distinguished artists in Irish music - will be playing at Kiely's, the Sportman's Inn, Mount Merrion, Dublin, on Saturday 10 March at 9.00 p.m. Tickets are €15 if booked in advance. Tel. 01-2832666.

The Electric Cave Production found a new home

Thanks to Uri Kohen of the Electric Cave Production in Westport, Co. Mayo, for this good news:

My last post to the blog was about the sad news of the closure of Geraghty's pub, which was the home of the Electric Cave Production and a host for many unforgettable nights of quality music.

Since then, we were invited by McGing's pub to host our gigs under their roof. McGing's hosted many gigs and sessions in the last five Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festivals, and now we hope that it will be our main residence. A Band Called Wanda (the Cave's favourite) opened the current series in late December with a superb gig that brought the house down.

Last night (20.1.2012) we welcomed to Westport the Young Folk [photo above] - a folk-rock band from Dublin, recently marked by IMRO to be Ireland's next big band. Their visit to Westport proved why: the band, led by the fantastic voice of Anthony Furey, performed a fantastic line of originals and covers in the spirit of such folk legends as Dylan, Young, and The Band. Young Folk created a unique sound and left their mark on well known songs such as 'The wight' or 'Bad moon rising'. The fiddle playing of Karen Hickey added a great dimension to all the songs. The bands are currently touring around the country, and it's well worth catching up with one of their shows.

The Electric Cave Production are working on a winter programme for the pub which will feature folk & bluegrass music at the highest level. We are also putting finishing touches to the 2012 Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival. See you in Westport!

Ry Cavanaugh in Ireland, 17-26 Feb. 2012

Thanks to Ry Cavanaugh (USA), former Donegal resident, who sends this release:

With a song on Mary Black's new album and a string of dates with Donegal's Henry Girls, Boston singer/songriter Ry Cavanaugh returns to Ireland for a short 'solo' tour this February.

During the winter of 2010 Ry Cavanaugh was holed-up in a house on the beach in Culdaff, Co. Donegal, writing songs, playing with local musicians, and running a Thursday night session (non-trad) at the local music pub. On one of the Thursdays, Mary Black's band was rehearsing for a tour in the back room. The band all joined the session after rehearsal and as he did every Thursday, Ry closed the night by singing his song 'Lighthouse light'. A year later, the song appeared on a new Mary Black CD, performed as a duet with Janis Ian.

Ry writes and demos songs regularly, but seldom performs on his own. His vibrant band Session Americana keeps the live music part of his life busy, fun, and rewarding. Session Americana plays regularly around his native New England, and has toured Ireland a couple of times, including Galway Arts Festival and Earagail Arts Festival in 2010. But his desire to re-centre some of his musical life in Ireland and reconnect with some of the musicians he worked with in Donegal, and an offer to play the Belfast Nashville Songwriter Festival, have led him to plan a tour on his own this winter.

The timing of the trip coincides with a stretch of dates the Henry Girls were booking, so they asked him to be part of their shows - as co-star, guest, support, collaborator, guitar player, bass player, whatever is needed. Ry is most comfortable in a collaborative musical setting, and even though this was supposed to be a 'solo' tour, wandering around with the Henrys and other friends is a perfect way to share a few of his songs and spend a couple of winter weekends.

17 Feb. Monroe's, Galway, with the Henry Girls
18 Feb. Kenny's Bar, Lahinch, Co. Clare, with the Henry Girls
19 Feb. The Playhouse, Derry city, with the Henry Girls
20 Feb. Roddens Bar, Buncrana, Co. Donegal, with Finbarr Doherty and Seamus Devenny
23 Feb. McGrory's, Culdaff, Co. Donegal
24 Feb. Castlereagh Civic Centre, Belfast: 'In the round' with Eleanor McEvoy and Benita Hill
25 Feb. venue TBD, Belfast, with Ted Ponsonby and Denise Boyle, Doors 1.00 p.m., show 1.30 p.m.
25 Feb. The Glens Arts Centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim, with the Henry Girls
26 Feb. The Half Moon Theatre at Cork Opera House, with the Henry Girls

Knotty Pine String Band: forthcoming dates

Thanks to Declan O'Kane, fiddler of the Knotty Pine String Band of Omagh, Co. Tyrone, for some good news for the start of 2012:

The band are appearing at a fundraising event for Concern Ireland in Lansdowne Rugby Club, Dublin, on Friday 10 Feb. 2012. Tickets for the event are available online, and this will show times for the event as well.

Later on in the year (30 June 2012) we are playing at the Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh; and in September we are touring Scotland for a week, starting at the Moniaive bluegrass festival (Friday 28 Sept.).

New festival planned for Tramore, 1-4 June 2012

Thanks to Joe Lonergan of Waterford city, who was involved in the earliest stages of the Guinness International Bluegrass Festival at Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, for the news that he is preparing the 1st International Bluegrass Festival at Tramore, Co. Waterford, to be held on the bank holiday weekend 1-4 June 2012. We look forward to being able to publish further details in due course.