30 November 2005

In the magazines

[27 July 2007]

The current issue (#16) of Acoustic, the UK's only acoustic guitar magazine, includes a two-page illustrated feature by leading UK banjoist Leon Hunt on the Nechville Phantom banjo. Tom Nechville, inventor of the Helimount system and many other banjo design developments, will be attending several major European bluegrass events in September 2007.

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[6 July 2007]

The current issue of Country Music People has a major article, well illustrated, on the foundation of the Country Gentlemen fifty years ago. The article is by Tom Travis, former chairman of the BBMA, who has been deploying his encyclopedic knowledge of bluegrass history in a series of articles for British Bluegrass News in recent years.

Tom's article goes nicely with another major feature on the history of the Gents by a leading British bluegrasser - Richard Thompson, whose article appeared on the original Bluegrass Blog on 4 July. Read it at this link.

[7 June 2007]

The current issue of Country Music People has a cover feature on Alison Krauss, and an interview with Abigail Washburn of Uncle Earl.

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Tony Rice appears on the cover of at least two magazines this June: Acoustic Guitar, with analyses of his style by Scott Nygaard, and Bluegrass Unlimited, in which he talks to Caroline Wright about his spring tour with Alison Krauss & Union Station.

The June Bluegrass Unlimited also carries an article by Richard Thompson on Tom Travis, former chairman of the BBMA and one of the most experienced bluegrass performers in these islands; and an article by David Royko on Chris Thile, with some solid material about the thinking that went into his How to grow a woman from the ground album.

Thanks to FOAOTMAD for the news that the latest issue of Maverick country music magazine carries a two-page article with photos by Helen Keen on Travis Stuart of North Carolina, who taught old-time banjo at Sore Fingers Week this year and has played in Ireland in the past. The same issue carries a substantial feature on Alison Krauss.

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[20 April 2007]

The May 2007 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine (now on sale) includes a photo feature on the making of a Martin D-28 guitar, and an interview with Laurie Lewis - primarily on her songwriting, but with the standard sidebar detailing her instruments.

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The current issue of Country Music People carries a major interview with Sam Bush by Walt Trott.

The spring 2007 issue of the Fretboard Journal leads with an article by Art Dudley, '58957: Tony Rice and his Holy Grail Martin D-28', with ample detail of the instrument's career and (as always) beautiful photos. The previous issue carried features on the late John Hartford and on Radim Zenkl, and in every respect this magazine continues to be a treasure for anyone who values fretted instruments, their music, and their players.

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In the March and April issues of Strings magazine, Robert L. Doerschuk contributes articles on Jason Carter of the Del McCoury Band and Michael Cleveland; both are multiple winners of the IBMA Fiddler of the Year award, and both have played at festivals in Ireland.

The new issue of the folk and world music magazine Dirty Linen has a well illustrated article on Riley Baugus by Philip Van Vleck.

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The March 2007 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine includes a tribute to Josh Graves, who died last year, by Jerry Douglas; a lesson in playing bluegrass rhythm guitar in the style of Lester Flatt, by Chris Sharp; and a major interview with singer/ songwriter Shawn Colvin (and one on John Renbourn). As a bonus, the contents pages have a nice photo of Pete 'Bashful Brother Oswald' Kirby, which someone put there thinking it was Josh Graves. Plus you can enter a draw for a Blueridge BR-260 dreadnaught with a Travelite TL-50 case.


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[15 February]

The February 2007 issue of Country Music People magazine includes an interview with Jim Lauderdale* by Janet Apsley, and a further big instalment in their major serial interview with Mac Wiseman, whose career spans the whole history of bluegrass music.

*Thanks to the original Bluegrass Blog for the news that a long interview with Jim Lauderdale can also be found on CMT.com.

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The current issue (#14, Feb./Mar. 2007) of the UK's Acoustic magazine, now in the shops, features a major interview with Chris Thile, plus features on Bourgeois dreadnaught guitars and the Quartz and Black Gold models of Breedlove mandolins.

The January 2007 issue of Maverick magazine (with Willie Nelson on the cover) includes a major interview with Del McCoury by Maurice Hope, together with features on Uncle Earl, Crooked Still, Bela Fleck, and other artists who have recently appeared in Ireland or will be doing so soon.

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[7 December]

The December issue of Country Music People magazine has Vince Gill on the cover, with a feature on him by Douglas MacPherson inside; an article on the Delmore Brothers based on family sources; and an article by John Atkins on the iconic Tommy Jarrell (1901-85), the North Carolina Superman of old-time music.

[5 December]

The December issue of Bluegrass Now magazine carries a major article by Donald Teplyske on Dale Ann Bradley, who topped the bill at the Omagh festival a few years ago, with the amazing Michael Cleveland playing fiddle for her; another on Jim Lauderdale, who recently toured in Ireland; and a 'Band to watch' feature on the Two High String Band, who played the Dunmore East and Omagh festivals some years back. You can also see an account of the tour by Lost Highway in Oman earlier this year, by Mike Tatar jr, their current fiddler.

The December Bluegrass Unlimited gives a Highlight review to Long steel rail (Sugar Hill SUG-CD-4019) by Riley Baugus, who has played here several times with Ira Bernstein.

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[20 November]

#39 of British Bluegrass News, the journal of the British Bluegrass Music Association, includes a fine article on this year's Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival at Omagh by Rick Townend, who was there playing fiddle with Grassroots (UK). Among plenty of other good things, Rick writes (with forty years' bluegrass experience behind him): '... this is probably the best organised bluegrass festival I've ever been to... For any serious fan of bluegrass, old-time or country music this is a place I really do recommend you go and see at least once in a lifetime.'

This issue of BBN also includes a notice on the UK part of the Special Consensus tour coming in January, with a nice informal photo of the current band (Dave Thomas on bass). The Special C.'s new recording, featuring a Niall Toner composition, 'Josie's Reel', should be available during the tour (for dates, see the BIB calendar).

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[14 November]

The November issue of Bluegrass Now magazine carries a news item on the award of Tourist Event of the Year to the Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival at the Ulster American Folk Park, including a brief rundown on the festival programme and a nice photo of the members of Broken Strings grinning over a rail fence. It's a good issue for the record-minded: not only thirty-three regular CD reviews, but a special feature in which twelve reviewers pick their personal five best CDs of 2006, and an article on twenty-five years of Sugar Hill records.

The September issue of Bluegrass Now carried a cover picture of Greg Cahill of the Special Consensus, with a fine six-page article on Greg by Tim Walsh. The Special C. will be touring Ireland in January (see the BIB calendar).

Anyone who saw Crooked Still on their recent tour in Ireland and bought their latest CD, Shaken by a low sound, will be pleased to know that the CD receives a Highlight review in the November issue of Bluegrass Unlimited.

[17 July]

Bluegrass Unlimited magazine is celebrating forty years of publication. The July 2006 issue includes, as well as retrospective articles and the usual indispensable news, reviews, and ads, a facsimile of the very first issue, which consisted of eight foolscap pages, mimeographed and stapled together.

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Two successive issues of Bluegrass Now magazine feature artists who will be appearing at this September's festivals in Ireland: the Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival at the Ulster American Folk Park at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, and the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival at Longford. The June 2006 issue, with Mark Newton on the cover, includes an article by Hilary West on Uncle Earl, with the subtitle 'Not your traditional all-girl band'; Uncle Earl are playing at Longford. And the July 2006 issue has a cover photo and five-page feature inside on the headliners at Omagh, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. (For anyone who's been living in a barrel at the bottom of a lake for the last 25 years, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver are the current standard-setters in virtually everything that makes a great bluegrass band, and especially in quartet harmony.)

You can now subscribe to Bluegrass Now on line, giving you access to the latest bluegrass news without having to wait for the post or the news stand.

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1 Comments:

At 10:25 pm, Blogger Richard Hawkins said...

The original version of this post mistakenly gave the impression that both Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver AND Uncle Earl would be at Omagh; apologies.

 

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