Kilkenny Vintage Guitars: news

Kilkenny Vintage Guitars, in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, recently became an authorised dealer for Lowden guitars. Their current stock includes a new Lowden O25PU, with binding and purfling in mahogany, sycamore, walnut, and rosewood, and a Fishman Matrix Ellipse pickup system. Details of this and their many vintage instruments, acoustic and electric, are on the KVG website.

Grasstowne: all set to go

The new bluegrass supergroup Grasstowne now has a full complement: Phil Leadbetter (dobro), formerly of Wildfire, Alan Bibey (mandolin) of BlueRidge, Steve Gulley (guitar) of Mountain Heart, Jason Davis (banjo), and Lee Sawyer (bass). Their website is now fully operational, with a link to their MySpace site.

Phil Leadbetter reports: 'We have put 25+ shows on our schedule since 1 December... We will be starting on our first CD the second week of January, with a release date planned of 15 June 2007 on Pinecastle Records. We started rehearsals yesterday [28 Dec.], and we have some really great material.' Irish fans will remember Phil from his visit here in 1999 as a member of J. D. Crowe & the New South, thanks to promoter John Nyhan.

More bluegrass on video

Thanks to Bob Perilla of the Washington, DC, area for the news that his band Big Hillbilly Bluegrass performed on Wednesday 27 December at 6.00 p.m. EST for a one-hour worldwide web video simulcast live from the Kennedy Center - their sixth consecutive annual appearance from the banks of the Potomac river in DC.

The band on stage consisted of Bob (vocals, guitar), Elizabeth Day (vocals, guitar), Pete Kelly (bass - seen a couple of years ago at the Omagh Festival, on banjo with Dale Ann Bradley's band), and the strong, imaginative instrumental work of Mike Munford (banjo) and Tad Marks (fiddle). The complete one-hour show can be seen, in excellent video quality, at this address in the 'Archive' section. Other video footage of BHB is available at the band's website.

Homer Ledford: the tradition continues

We're glad to report that the tradition established by Homer Ledford and the Cabin Creek Band goes on: the band is continuing to perform, and information - including obits - about Homer, and archival information about the band, are now at this address, while booking and other information about the Cabin Creek Band will be available here.

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18 December

Thanks to Dick Gladney for forwarding the link to the following article, which appeared in Friday's Lexington Herald-Leader under the title 'Bluegrass pioneer Homer Ledford laid to rest':

In his 79 years, Homer C. Ledford made thousands of musical instruments. Yesterday at his funeral, friends and fellow musicians played a few of those instruments as they honored and remembered Ledford...

The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time at this link. (c) 2006 Lexington Herald-Leader and wire service sources. All rights reserved.

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Tony O'Brien of the ABMA reports:

It was with great sadness we received the news of Homer Ledford's death. He was the leading light of the early Athy festivals, and he set the standard to be followed. We in Athy will always remember Homer, and our thoughts are with his family and the members of the Cabin Creek Band at this sad time.

Gainsborough Old Time Festival, 16-18 Feb. 2007

The FOAOTMAD (Friends Of American Old Time Music And Dance) annual Old Time Festival in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, UK, will take place on 16-18 February. Headline guests are the Orpheus Supertones, comprising the legendary Walt Koken (Highwoods String Band), Clare Milliner, Kellie Allen, and Pete Peterson. (After the festival they have two performances in their own right and will then join Debbie McClatchy as the latest incarnation of The Gathering, with a succession of shows between 23 February and 11 March.)

Also taking part (and we're lucky to have FOAOTMAD to tell us this) is our own Rough Deal String Band - 'a band as tightly together as you're likely to hear', says the festival flyer. The RDSB has the distinction of being the only non-US band on the CD Friends across the Pond (FAOCD02), compiled from performances by some of the top guests at Gainsborough over the years.

The members weekend ticket price is £25. If you're not a member, it could be worth while joining before coming to the festival. Membership forms may be downloaded from the FOAOTMAD website. Half-price tickets are available in return for about four hours' stewarding duty over the weekend. Gatekeepers and ticket-issuers required. For more information contact Paul or Clare Sheridan.

The FOAOTMAD Annual General Meeting will be held at the festival on Sunday morning, 18 February. The Committee has vacancies for dance representatives and newsletter editor. Please forward any items for discussion to the Secretary. For all other details about the Gainsborough festival, enquire here.

Greg Cahill on UKBluegrass.com

On 19 December UKBluegrass.com published a feature on the forthcoming Special Consensus tour in these islands, including a substantial interview with Greg Cahill. Greg talks about the band, the scene in the UK, the present and prospective state of bluegrass music, and many other subjects.

On the same day the Irish Music Rights Organization posted on its own website a feature on the Special C. tour, with dates, under the heading 'Reel happy for Niall Toner', an allusion to Niall's song 'Josie's reel' on the new Special C. CD, Trail of aching hearts, about which Niall has said: 'Their version... surpasses my greatest expectations, and I'm especially proud of what they have done with my song.'

Another video treasury

Anyone who loves traditional bluegrass can get a couple of dozen real treats by visiting the website of the Misty Valley Boys from Eden, North Carolina, and working through their archive of half-hour 'Big Bluegrass Shows' from the WGSR Star 39 TV channel.

The Misty Valley Boys provide 'bluegrass Piedmont style', and they have every qualification for it. The band featured in the shows includes Lynwood Lunsford (banjo), formerly with Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, the James King Band, and others; David Nance (dobro), also a former Sunny Mountain Boy; Adam Poindexter (guitar, lead vocals), formerly banjo-player for James King; Steve Block (bass), veteran of many groups; and Travers Chandler (mandolin). Guests include Fiddlin' Tim Smith, a former Bluegrass Cardinal.

Lynwood Lunsford recently left the MVB, so make use of this cornucopia while it's still there.

Low Country Boys: new CD

Ireland's only bluegrass gospel band, the Low Country Boys of Ballyhalbert, Co. Down, have released their new CD, Sangs o' bairns an' hame (an' a wheen aboot drink forbye), which became available in the shops and on eBay on 27 November.

It can also be bought direct from the band at live shows or by sending a cheque for £12.00 sterling, payable to Low Country Boys, to LCB CD Order, 55 Ravenhill Lane, Newtownards, Co. Down BT23 4PH.

Rhonda Vincent scores again!

Kitsy Kuykendall of IBMA and Bluegrass Unlimited reports:

I thought I would pass along the good news that Rhonda Vincent's Christmas CD [Beautiful star: a Christmas collection, on the Rounder label] was chosen by the Washington Post as one of the top twelve seasonal CDs put out this year. She is included in a list of top performers from all kinds of music. A great lick for bluegrass and especially for Rhonda.

Tricopolis Records: assorted goodies

The folks at Tricopolis Records in California have - as usual - a great range of records, instruments, and accessories available. We recommend a visit to their website if you're in California, likely to be going, or know someone who's there.

Knotty Pine String Band back in action

Declan O'Kane reports:

Bluegrass is the most narcotic and addictive substance known to mankind - I realised this after sometime away from playing. So here it is: the Knotty Pine String Band are back on the road again. The only change is that Aiden McGale is now playing bass; Aiden has a great bluegrass voice and is concentrating on a lot of the old classics. We are producing a programme which will have old favourites of the band with lots of new material included.

Bill Monroe once said that you should not be on stage unless you were enjoying performing; I can testify to that, so here I am. As usual the show is everything and in Knotty Pine style will be fairly high octane. We have a few gigs around Omagh in December and have a show in Dungiven GAA club in Derry on 26 December. We are currently working on a new album and should have it completed late spring.

Contact Declan: mobile 07770 507981; e-mail
Seamus: 02882 244756

BIB editor's note: We consider bluegrass a stimulant (to put it mildly) rather than a narcotic; nonetheless it's good to hear that the KPs are back. Look out for a photo of the new configuration here soon. The band is booked for the 2007 Dunmore East festival, together with the Boxcar Preachers and Hickory Project; more details later.

Fair City Grass Christmas Bash

Fair City Grass cuttin' it: Smitty/Mike Smith (bass), Patrick Kiernan (banjo), Enda Donnelly (mandolin), Jody Smith (guitar)


Close harmony from Enda and Andrew Basquille (guitar)


Smitty, Richard Hawkins (banjo), Enda, Paul McEvoy (guitar)

Fair City Grass held their lively and well attended Christmas Bash at Mother Reilly's, Uppercross House Hotel, Rathmines, Dublin, on Wednesday 13 December. The band were in fine form in their first set, and more musicians turned up than could be given guest spots in the second set. Among the lucky ones were Andrew Basquille, Paul McEvoy, and your editor. The grand finale, 'Jingle Bells' (recently put on video by another distinguished ensemble), can be seen on Aran Sheehan's MySpace site; click on the link and go to Aran's video section.

The band thank everyone who came and contributed (musically or otherwise) to making the evening a success. Fair City Grass originally formed in 2000 and celebrated six years at Mother Reilly's in May this year. The Bash was their last show of 2006, and they expect to be back in action at Mother Reilly's on 10 January. Note that the band now have a MySpace site.

John Duffey, 1932-96

Enda Donnelly reports:

This is just to alert bluegrassers on BIB: last Sunday was the tenth anniversary of the death of the great John Duffey, tenor singer & mandolin player with the Seldom Scene. A lot of his recordings were played on bluegrasscountry.org over the last few days, including some seasonal stuff.

Homer Ledford, 26 Sept. 1927 - 11 Dec. 2006

Mike Bucayu, president of Bluegrass Anonymous, the Louisville Bluegrass Music Association, sends via the IBMA-L list the following extract from the Lexington Herald-Leader, which will be sad news for everyone who remembers Homer and the Cabin Creek Band at early Athy festivals:

Legendary bluegrass musician and instrument maker Homer Ledford, whose work is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution, died yesterday afternoon.

Mr Ledford, of Winchester, was 79. 'He'd been sick real bad for a month or so', said Vernell Carpenter, wife of Rollie Carpenter, a member of the group Homer Ledford and the Cabin Creek Band. The band had been performing since 1976. 'He hadn't played with the band all year', she said. 'He'd been real sick and couldn't walk or anything.' Vernell Carpenter said she and Rollie Carpenter received word of Mr Ledford's death yesterday from another member of the band, L.C. Johnson. Other band members are Marvin E. Carroll and Pamela Case.

Mr Ledford was born 26 Sept. 1927, in the Tennessee mountains. At an early age back in Tennessee Mr Ledford started making musical instruments, according to his band's website. At 18, he was given a scholarship to attend John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. He later attended Berea College, but transferred and graduated from what is now Eastern Kentucky University in 1954.

Mr Ledford worked as a high-school industrial arts teacher in Jefferson and Clark counties and became a full-time instrument maker. He completed an estimated 5,776 dulcimers, 475 banjos, twenty-six mandolins, twenty-six guitars, eighteen ukuleles, and four violins, among other instruments, the website said. Mr Ledford has samples of his craft in the Smithsonian Institution, including a fretless banjo, an Appalachian dulcimer, and a dulcitar, an instrument of his own invention, which he patented.

He was honored in Winchester in 1986 when the Homer Ledford Bluegrass Festival was named after him. He was also one of the original inductees in the Kentucky Stars. A sidewalk plaque honoring him is in front of the Downtown Arts Center on Main Street in Lexington.

In 2005 Mr Ledford helped restore an 1850 Martin parlor guitar – played by Henry Clay's granddaughter, Anne Clay McDowell – for Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate. 'Homer was a delight to work with, and until I showed up on his doorstep, he had only worked on one other Martin guitar dating to the 19th century', Ann Hagan-Michel, executive director of the estate, said at that time. 'He's done a wonderful job, and the guitar is playing nicely now.'

He is survived by his wife, Colista. The two met as students at Berea College in the late 1940s. They were married more than fifty years.

The band's website gives the following funeral arrangements:

Visitation Thursday December 13 - 6-8 p.m.
Visitation Friday December 14 - 10 a.m.
Funeral service Friday December 14 - 11 a.m.

Visitation and services to be held at First United Methodist Church, 204 South Main Street, Winchester, KY 40391.

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Bill Andrews writes from Belfast:

It is with great sadness that I read of the death of Homer Ledford. He will be sadly missed by many at the Athy Festivals, as he was one of the leading lights with his Cabin Creek Band at several of the first Festivals at Athy, and made a welcome return a few years later. He was a personal favourite of mine. He will be remembered by many.

Finnegan rises from the bed

Tony O'Brien reports:

As the news that Woodbine were winding up as a band went on the Blog and elsewhere, I received so many goodwill e-mails and phone calls, we had a good chat about the band, and we have decided to give it a go for another year at least. We hope to record a new album in the spring and our website is updated. Cheers and season's greetings from Woodbine!

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Congratulations to Woodbine on deciding to keep 'at it' for 2007. The
world, and the local scene, would be a poorer place without them...

Regards, Niall Toner

Sixmilebridge Winter Weekend, 12-14 Jan. 2007

The Sixmilebridge Folk Club presents its eighth Winter Music Weekend on 12-14 January 2007, with a programme that includes Cajun, jazz, blues, classical, old-timey, bluegrass, set-dancing, traditional, and singers' sessions. Last year's event was the biggest yet, with over 2,000 visitors in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, during the festival weekend.

Bluegrass and old-time music this year are represented by the Special Consensus (USA), by Prison Love, and by Frankie, Johnny, and Sweetheart (same personnel as Moonshine). Other artists performing over the weekend include Andy Irvine, the Josephine Marsh Band, John and Pip Murphy, Kimber's Men, the Galtee Stompers, the Boat Band... The programme is here. Brendan Walsh reports: 'There is one addition to the programme: Mary Stokes is performing a special acoustic blues set, featuring Brian Palm on harmonica and Paul Lambert on guitar, as part of the harmonica concert on Friday night, 12 Jan. at 11.00 p.m.' Sound for the weekend is handled by the redoubtable John Nyhan.

Concerts and sessions take place at the Courthouse or the Mill Bar. A full weekend ticket is E50; a ticket for all Courthouse events (including the Special C. show) is E35. Other events are separately priced. For ticket sales contact Brendan at 086 8464509.

Special Consensus: 7th tour in Ireland, 10-28 Jan.

Ron Spears (mandolin), Greg Cahill (banjo), David Thomas (bass), Justin Carbone (guitar)

The Special Consensus, Chicago's #1 bluegrass band for the last thirty years, will make their seventh tour in Ireland in January 2007, fitting in several shows in Britain as well. The new member this time is David Thomas on bass. The Special C. will bring over their new CD, Trail of aching hearts, on the Pinecastle label, which will be available in the US in mid April. Special C will make several radio appearances over here, including the Alan Simpson show on BBC Northern Ireland (3.00 p.m. on 10 Jan.), the Frank Mitchell show on U105 FM (11.00 a.m. on 11 Jan.), and others TBA.

Pinecastle says: 'A long tradition of bandleader Greg Cahill's to include an Irish tune on each new Special Consensus album, along with his Irish heritage, makes the band's annual pilgrimages to Ireland and England seem like a perfect fit.' One of the cuts on it is a Niall Toner song, 'Josie's reel'. Niall reports: 'Greg sent me an advance copy of the new CD. Their version of "Josie's reel" surpasses my greatest expectations, and I'm especially proud of what they have done with my song.'

The band's roll of achievement over three decades is too big to fit here; even the version on their website is highly compressed. One fact you won't find there is that this is their first tour in Ireland with a chairman of the IBMA on banjo; Greg Cahill, who has been an artists' representative on the IBMA board for several years, and more recently vice-chair, was elected to the chair by his fellow board members a few weeks ago.

The tour includes appearances as special guests at the Sixmilebridge Winter Weekend (see separate post) and at the Colfer's Americana and Bluegrass event, which the band helped to launch in their 2005 tour. The Special C. will also be touring in July in Germany, Switzerland, and France.

Please note: the tour schedule on the Bluegrass Ireland Blog calendar is taken from the Old Flattop website of Nigel Martyn, the tour organiser. The schedule on the Special C. website shows a few differences - it is an earlier version, which the band are postponing updating till closer to the start of the tour, in case of further changes.

Greetings from Gary Ferguson

Season's Greetings!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season. I will be back for my third consecutive tour of Ireland in July '07. David Miner will once again be touring with me. We will start the tour at the Athy Bluegrass Festival, where we play on 13 and 14 July. We end the tour at the Phil Murphy Weekend in Carrig-on-Bannow on 27, 28, and 29 July. We will be doing concerts as well as workshops: Dave will be conducting Dobro workshops and I will be helping out with songwriting workshops. John Murphy has mentioned the possibility of my doing a workshop with Mick Hanly. We still have a lot of gaps to fill in our tour schedule. Any promoters looking for performance or workshop dates can reach us by e-mail here or here.

I hope to have 2 new CDs available for the July tour. I just recorded for a Bill Emerson project with Tony Rice, Jimmy Gaudreau, Mark Newton, Paul Williams, Pete Goble, Dudley Connell, Tony Trischka, etc. The project is what Bill calls The Sweet Dixie Band. The second project is a live CD from a festival I played with Mike Auldridge, Ron Stewart, Emory Lester, and Gail Wade in East Hartford, CT - recorded at the Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival - Live at Podunk.

Looking forward to seeing all my friends in Ireland again. Can't wait! Happy holidays!

Gary's online presskit is here.

North Wales Bluegrass Festival, Conwy

The North Wales Bluegrass Festival is an international celebration which brings families and friends together in Conwy, a medieval walled fortress that casts a powerful spell across this most idyllic of holiday spots. A friendly and enchanting atmosphere pervades this classic walled town, surrounded by magnificent North Wales scenery, with glorious views of the Conwy Estuary, the Lower Conwy Valley, and the Snowdonia Range.

This world-renowned music and dance festival, now in its nineteenth year, kicks off on the first Friday in July. Families relax to the rich, appealing sounds of bluegrass and old-time music in safe, family-friendly environments, both indoors and outdoors. From year to year the festival boasts a vast line-up of talented artists, including homegrown and international talents. Over a dozen fantastic bands play to captivated audiences.

Concert venues include Conwy Civic Hall and a festival marquee. Two marquees are also provided for impromptu picking sessions, where everyone is free to join in. Performances, concerts and dances take place simultaneously in all venues. Picking sessions begin on Thursday, and the official programme is as follows: Friday - 8.00 p.m. until midnight; Saturday - midday until midnight; Sunday - midday until 5.00 p.m.

The locals are warm, welcoming and very supportive of the festival. For four days the town buzzes with great music and camaraderie, between fans and musicians alike. Workshops for all bluegrass instruments are available to weekend ticket holders, mainly on Saturday morning. Off-site sessions are held in one or more locals pubs on Thursday and Sunday evening.

The festival campsite is lush grass, level and surrounded by majestic trees on the ground of Conwy Cricket Club. The site has all the basic amenities and comforts, accommodating people with disabilities. There is a twenty-four-hour medical facility and nearby showers, plus an inter-site shuttle bus service. Bar and tasty hot dishes are also available on the grounds.

Many holidaymakers book the same accommodation year after year and many stay in Conwy after the festival to make an extended holiday out of it. Hotels and B&Bs are plentiful in the area. Over half of the visitors stay in small B&Bs inside the walls of Conwy itself. Some vacationers stay in guest houses further outside the walls while some stay in the beautiful Victorian holiday resort of Llandudno, just three miles away. Some visitors even come by boat and stay in the Conwy Marina. And others travel down the breathtaking Conwy Valley from B&Bs in Betws Y Coed, some of the most beautiful countryside in all of Europe. Nearby caravan parks and campgrounds accommodate those who travel further and want to extend their holiday.

Conwy is easy to reach by car, bus, train, and boat. All food and supply needs are available in the town centre, just minutes away from the festival site. Stroll the beautiful and historic town at your leisure and visit the many friendly, distinctively Welsh shops and restaurants.

With so many attractions and reasons for holidaymakers to stay on, it’s no wonder why this roots music festival is one of the most successful in the world and grows year after year. New fans and holidaymakers come from all over Europe and America to this scenic music paradise that never fails to surprise and delight, year after year. One cannot imagine more beautiful vistas or cosy accommodations for this unique family-friendly celebration of music and dance.

Review by Tom and Denise Hanway, 7 December 2006

Events in Galway

Pete Lamb reports:

Next Saturday 16 December sees a free country rock 'n' roll gig by '3 Wise Men' (featuring 2 of the Snakes, Darren and myself; the Snakes proper will be back on the boards in January, after a three-month sabbatical) at the Crane, Kinvara. The following day, Sunday 17 December, sees an acoustic bluegrass session at the Pier Head, Kinvara, at 5.00 p.m., featuring myself on guitar and vocals, Ruth Dillon on same, Frank Hall on double bass, and Tom Hanway on banjo, which will hopefully be the first of a regular weekly session, if all goes well...

Then on 31 December, New Year's Eve, the great Kinvara-based old-timey band Moonshine, featuring Johnny Moynihan, Lena Ullman, and Frank Hall, will be seeing in the new year with an old-fashioned Barn Dance at PEPPER'S in Feakle, Co. Clare. Tim Rogers of the Rough Deal String Band will be on hand to do the calling. Tickets are E12 in advance, (available from PEPPER'S 061-924322 or MULLIGAN RECORDS 091-564961) or E15 on the door, including finger food. Bargain! Doors 9.30 p.m.

Rosie's rambles on / Down by the Glenside, 16/23 Dec.

The bluegrass jam session every Friday evening at Rosie O'Grady's pub, Harold's Cross Road, Dublin, should be continuing without a break during the holiday season - the management have not booked in Christmas/New Year parties, and bookings are less likely at this late stage. People who've come for the session in recent weeks, and have been deterred by finding a disco going on downstairs, have missed some good picking upstairs; the session has been taking place in the front room, where the racket is deadened (and the disco's not so loud, either).

For those who miss the Hog's Rose shows at the Glenside in Landscape Road, Churchtown, Dublin, earlier this year: Paul McEvoy and friends are playing at the Glenside on Saturday 16 and 23 December. Paul is one of the strongest singers in bluegrass over here, and the Glenside has been very hospitable towards the music, so the session is well worth supporting.

Bass player available

Professional bass player (double bass and Fender)

Looking to join working band

Phone: Duncan Pratt 094 9364875

Radio playlists

A prominent feature of the BGRASS-L e-mail forum is the playlists, sent in by radio presenters to show what they're broadcasting. This has also been adopted by the new European Bluegrass Blog. The first playlist to appear on the EBB so far is for the 'Peelgrass' show from the Netherlands, compiled and presented by Rein Wortelboer, who regularly posts his playlists on BGRASS-L.

If any Irish broadcasters presenting bluegrass music would like a similar shop window on the Bluegrass Ireland Blog, let us know.

Carter Stanley (27 Aug. 1925 - 1 Dec. 1966)

Gary Reid of Copper Creek Records reports:

Today marks a somber milestone in the history of bluegrass. On this date in 1966 - forty years ago - Carter Stanley passed from this world. In the 1940s he and his brother Ralph were the first group to emulate the new sounds of Bill Monroe. But they did more than merely copy Monroe's music. They created their own sub-style in the genre... one that fused their ages-old sound of the mountains with the surging rhythms of bluegrass. Carter Stanley wrote many songs that formed the core bluegrass repertoire. In a career spanning two decades, the Stanley Brothers recorded nearly 500 songs. To their credit, nearly all of them remain commercially available today. In addition to numerous CD reissues - including several lavish boxed sets - the duo has been the subject of a critically acclaimed theatrical production called 'Man of constant sorrow'. British bluegrass enthusiast Richard Thompson has done a commendable job in assembling a fond remembrance of Carter Stanley that includes comments from notables such as Ricky Skaggs, Larry Sparks, Charlie Sizemore, and others. For those interested in all things Stanley, this link provides enjoyable reading.

New European Bluegrass Blog

The European Bluegrass Music Association's news service is launching a European Bluegrass Blog, which can be accessed at the EBMA website.

The EBB replaces the EBMA's e-mail newsletter service (which has been in action for the past two years), and will make European bluegrass news much more widely and rapidly available.

The BIB welcomes the EBB, its new sister publication, and takes the opportunity to acknowledge once more the invaluable example and encouragement of their common parent, the original Bluegrass Blog.

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The BIB also has a new brother! A week ago Jer Boon launched ukbluegrass.com. To quote from the Bluegrass Blog:

'ukbluegrass.com aims to provide all the information bluegrass musicians and fans in the UK might need. They plan to post news about gig and festival dates, local jam sessions, reviews, and jamming/performing tips. The site also features a forum intended to build community and help pickers in the UK stay in touch with one another. ukbluegrass.com aims to act as a web portal to link all the existing online information together and help those who wish to find out more about the British bluegrass scene.

'In the interest of promoting bluegrass music in Britain, they are also asking that any US bluegrass acts that are planning a tour in the UK contact them so they can help spread the word about your tour schedule.'

This is an attractive and well designed site with many good features, which will be useful far beyond the UK. We're therefore adding a link to it on the right-hand side of the BIB.

Rough Deal String Band: 4th CD

'If you wanna get your fill!' (CD 2006) is the new CD by the Rough Deal String Band - Tim Rogers (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), Ben Keogh (guitar, vocals), and Bill Whelan (banjo). Fifteen tracks (53.36 minutes) of high-quality old-time music, produced by Jim Rooney, who writes that the band 'absolutely captures the great ranging spirit of this music'.

The CD is now available through all good record suppliers or direct from the band at their website or in personal appearances. The FOAOTMAD in the UK calls it 'a must have', and them 'the wonderful Rough Deal String Band'.