Prison Love at the Cobblestone, Fri. 27 Mar. - the photographic evidence

Mark and Barry O'Mahony and Dave Holden (Soapy, Hurricane, and El Nino)

Thanks to Carl Mark O'Neill for these photos of Prison Love in concert at the Cobblestone, Dublin, last Friday (27 March), taken by arrangement with Orla Keeshan, the Cobblestone events manager. In Carl's words, it was a fantastic gig and 'the mighty outlaws... had the crowd on their feet, and plenty of Guinness to be drunk; a fun night all round.'

Carl has contributed a lot of fine photos to the BIB in the past, and we're glad to learn that he now has a MySpace site and hopes to take many photos of the forthcoming bluegrass events in Ireland this year.

Some equally striking photos of the band on the evening can be seen in an album on Carl's MySpace site.


These things happen with seven people on stage...

Rachel Harrington: in Ireland

Since the BIB post of 12 March on the forthcoming tour by Rachel Harrington, more dates have been added to the schedule. They include a show on Monday 4 May in Belfast as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. At present, show and venue are both TBC. Telephone +44 (0)28-9023-2403 or check the Festival website.

Steve Earle to headline 11th Open House Festival

Steve Earle (USA), the Alabama 3 (UK), and singer/songwriter Foy Vance from Belfast will headline the 11th Coors Light Open House Festival in the Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, from 23 to 27 September 2009.

Old-time, Cajun, and other bluegrass-related genres are represented by the Samsonites old-time string band, the Red Stick Ramblers, the Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir, the Hackensaw Boys, the Coal Porters, I Draw Slow, and the Cotton Pickin' Rodeo Clowns. Full details, including links to band sites, are on the Festival website.

Otis Gibbs in Europe, spring and summer 2009

Otis Gibbs (USA), singer, songwriter, photographer, and political activist, born in Wanamaker, Indiana, and now resident in Nashville, Tennessee, has begun a two-week tour in the Netherlands and Belgium, and will be in Britain and Ireland for two three-week tours in May and June/July.

His appearances in Ireland will begin with three shows as part of Carlsberg Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival 2009:

Sat. 2 May: Club House Hotel, Kilkenny city, 4.00 p.m., €15
Sun. 3 May: Cleere’s, Kilkenny city, 1.00 p.m., €15
Mon. 4 May: Ryan's, Kilkenny city, 5.00 p.m., €15

and will continue after the main part of his tours in Britain:

Sat. 27 June: Bronte Music Club, Bronte Centre, Rathfriland, Co. Down, 8.00 p.m. TBC
Sun. 28 June: The Real Music Club, Errigle Inn, Belfast, 8.00 p.m. TBC
Wed. 1 July: Nude Food, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

Full details are on his website and MySpace site.

Berklee College: investing in Irish musicians

Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., was founded in 1945 for education in jazz and other contemporary genres of music (including increasingly bluegrass in recent years). The college, which includes students from more than seventy countries, is now opening a recruiting campaign in Ireland in April 2009.

The first phase, 'Berklee in Dublin' (13-17 April), presents a series of improvisation workshops to allow students to study with Berklee's world-renowned faculty. These will take place at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), 163-167 Rathmines Road, Dublin 2.

The workshops will be immediately followed (18-19 April) by auditions and interviews, conducted by Berklee admissions officers and professors at Newpark Music Centre, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, to assess students for scholarships for summer and full-time study in Boston.

A free, public improvisation symposium will be held at DIT on Wednesday 15 April at 7.00 p.m., and will be offered to all musicians, from classical and Irish traditional to pop, rock, and jazz. Faculty members present will include Matt Glaser, Berklee's chair of strings and author of Teach yourself bluegrass fiddle (Oak Publications) and many other books and recordings. More information is here. Thanks to Kevin Lynch of Connecticut, now resident in the Netherlands, for this news.

Rural TV - now on Sky

Campbell 'Doc' Mercer (mandolin), of the Cumberland Highlanders, with Dr Ralph Stanley and former Blue Grass Boys Wayne Lewis and Clarence 'Tater' Tate

Thanks to Dave Byrne of 'Byrne's Country' radio fame for news of the Rural TV channel, which features bluegrass and classic country music among many other things likely to interest BIB readers.

The station, which became available in Europe this month on Sky 279 and Freesat 403, is the international dimension of RFD-TV, which was founded to provide 24-hour TV for rural America. In extending coverage to the UK, Europe, and beyond, RFD-TV founder Patrick Gottsch says:

The love of horses, the joy of collecting and restoring old tractors, the desire to produce better crops and animals, the love for traditional country music, the excitement of competition, the commitment to leave this earth in better shape than when you arrived, are all international bonds. Rural people have more in common than they are different.

Regular features include the Kentucky-focused 'Bluegrass & backroads' (on tonight at 5.00 p.m.), showings of the classic 'Hee Haw' series, the Porter Wagoner and Wilburn Brothers Shows, guest appearances by such artists as Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, and the Cumberland Highlanders (above).

Galway gala benefit in aid of Haiti: update

Ruth Dillon and Tom Hanway (photo: Denise Hanway)

Popular bluegrass and roots music outfits from Galway play a Gala Benefit on Saturday 28 March at the Crane Bar, Galway, in aid of Volunteer Development in Haiti. This amazing line-up will feature a host of talent including the band formerly known as Hazard Hollow, Greg Cotter and Mary Flanagan, members of Timbertramps, Café Minors and much more. Admission is €10.

The Molly Hicks, formerly Hazard Hollow, an original and contemporary bluegrass unit based in Galway, perform under their new moniker. The Molly Hicks are Ruth Dillon (vocals/guitar), Bernie O’Mahony (vocals/guitar), Tom Hanway (vocals/5-string banjo) and Paul Johnson (upright bass).

Ruth, from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, has toured America and Europe with the Dolores Keane Band. As a solo performer, she has opened for such acts as Altan, Sharon Shannon, Francis Black, Ron Sexsmith, Juniper and Sean Tyrell. Bernie O’Mahony, from Waterford, is a studio singer and recording artist who has performed with Sean Tyrrell’s highly acclaimed show 'The midnight court'.

American ex-pat Tom Hanway is a studio session musician and recording artist who has performed with Bill Monroe, Vassar Clements, Doc Watson, Jorma Kaukonen, the John Herald Band, and the Provincetown Jug Band. Tom hit a major milestone by signing a worldwide distribution deal with Digital Revolution Entertainment for his three releases. Tom Hanway, Bucket of Bees (13 tracks), Tom Hanway & Blue Horizon (15 tracks), and Tom Hanway & Vassar Clements, The Badbelly project: Hesitation Blues (14 tracks) are now available as digital downloads on all the major internet music stores.

Hanway teamed up with Geoff Stelling to co-design the Stelling SwallowTail banjo (1997). It is a versatile crossover instrument, being used in bluegrass, country, and Celtic music on both sides of the Atlantic.

Ruth and Tom are penning original songs and instrumentals for the band. Ruth, Bernie and Tom are a harmony tour de force, with each taking turns singing lead and backing the others in the venerated traditions of American bluegrass and traditional country music.

Update 30 March - Tom Hanway reports: 'We made €1,000.00 for Haiti, for medical supplies and necessities, goodies for the children. It was well attended and we also did a raffle, and it was really a lot of fun.'

Gary Ferguson: fifth tour of Ireland, July 2009: update

Colin and Gary on a previous tour

Thanks to singer/songwriter Gary Ferguson for an update on his fifth tour in Ireland during this coming summer, with Colin Henry of Belfast on dobro, and with Janet Holmes on some shows. Gary reports:

Colin will be emailing a formal press release plus schedule and details, with notes to indicate shows Janet will be doing with us, dates we will be doing with Charlie McGettigan, Eric Bogle, Bluegrass Patriots, etc... My oldest son, Chris, is making the trip and will be our roadie and special guest for a song or two here and there, and folks can see the full Ireland tour on MySpace.

The Wilders in Ireland and Britain, June-July 2009

The Wilders, who made a big impression at the Omagh festival in 2004 and the Bühl Festival (Germany) in 2007, have made several extensive tours in Europe - most recently earlier this year. They will be touring again this summer in Ireland and Britain, with the following dates in this island:

Fri. 26 June The Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Sat. 27 June Cork Midsummer Festival
Wed. 1 July Wexford Arts Centre
Thurs. 2 July The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim
Fri. 3 July The Black Box, Belfast
Sat. 4 July Earagail Arts Festival, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

They will then be playing over a dozen dates in Scotland, England, and Wales. The full schedule (as it stands at present) is on the European Bluegrass Blog. Further dates may be arranged. Thanks to the Friends Of American Old-Time Music And Dance (UK) for the news.

Bluegrass Newsletter online

Jim Moss's online Bluegrass Newsletter for March 2009 is now available, including film of a show by the Frank Wakefield Band (above) at the Freight & Salvage venue in California, with guest artist Marty Varner (above, left).

The newsletter also includes photos, interviews, and other material relating to Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Ralph Stanley, Jimmy Martin, Jesse McReynolds, and other greats, not to mention many of the musicians and others who knew them; together with access to Jim Moss's own bluegrass fiddle website. Invaluable stuff; and you can opt-in to receive issues FREE with a single click.

Prison Love at the Cobblestone, Fri. 27 Mar.: update

Orla Keeshan of the Cobblestone, 77 North King St., Smithfield, Dublin, says:

This seven-piece string band come complete with prison uniforms, washboard, and a selection of bluegrass, old-timey, gospel, Cajun tunes and songs that sound like a fast train a-comin'. They have played gigs to barns of chickens in back road towns, fields of muck-covered hippies at Glastonbury, and to the elite music coinsures at the Dunmore Bluegrass Festival. This Dublin-based bluegrass and country outfit is the real deal and can execute traditional songs alongside their own take on AC/DC's ‘Highway to Hell’ and the Undertones' ‘Teenage kicks’. Expect the fast pace and dynamism of mandolin, flat-picking guitar, banjo, squeeze-box, fiddle, double bass & vocal harmonies to complete this band that delivers great music and fun in equal doses. It’s going to be a hoedown of the highest caliber! Get there early to avoid disappointment!

Mark O'Mahony adds:

Howdy Friends,

Now I don't know about you but all this talk about 'the recession', 'the current economic climate', and 'these challenging times' is enough to make a man wash his finest plaid shirt, take a swig of shine and get his dance on! The thing is I know a little place where a 100 lucky people can see a band that plays music good enough to dance to... Come along and hear the tunes that killed the last great depression...

Prison Love, the Cobblestone, Smithfield Market, Dublin 1; Friday 27 March @ 9.00 p.m., tickets €12 (on the door or from here)

Also, if you missed us on Ryan Tubridy's radio show the other week, follow the link and have a listen to our version of 'John Henry', the classic old-time tune from the great state of Kentucky...

Catch us around the country over the next month in:
3 April The Crane, Galway city
17 April McHugh's, Drogheda, Co. Louth
3 May Eddie Murphy's, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny

Detached notes (video department)

Thanks to Vincent Cross for this link to a YouTube video of his song 'Home away from home', from the album of the same name. Vincent plays guitar and mandolin (it may be the first time in any bluegrass video that a mandolin has appeared from a refrigerator) with solid bluegrass backing by Bruno Bruzzese (fiddle), Andy Cartoun (banjo), and Allen Cohen (bass).

We [editorial 'we'] like Vincent's style, both as singer and songwriter, a lot; and while the reviews quoted on his MySpace site are very positive, the reviewers and/or their readers may not have been in a position to appreciate how good he is as a bluegrass writer and singer. He and the band deserve to do well, and we look forward to hearing his songs used by other artists.

************

Thanks also to Tim Rogers for this YouTube link to a version of Aaron Copland's 'Hoedown' played on the Japanese shamisen (a banjo-cum-bouzouki instrument). If that whets your appetite, listen to Takeharu Kunimoto & the Last Frontier, a fine East Tennessee State University bluegrass band which uses shamisen as a lead instrument, and some lead vocals in Japanese by Takeharu. They have two CDs, Appalachian shamisen and Sushi and gravy. And this video has been attracting some attention lately - it shows the traditional fiddle tune 'Katy Hill' being performed by the Chinese classical music group Red Chamber, together with the excellent John Reischman & the Jaybirds.

Finally, Tim also sends this link, quoting his niece: 'everyone needs a little John Hartford in their lives.' No argument about that.

News from the North

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin for the following news, and especially about the Ragin' Cajun party for charity which she and Arnie organised:

February 21st we took a minibus load to Belfast for a great night with the Tennessee Hennessees (also happened to be a BIG birthday for me...). Last Friday night [20 March] we saw the Isaacs in Ballymena, a wonderful performance by this top gospel band, even though the sound quality in the venue left a lot to be desired. They played some great bluegrass mixed with a bit more slower gospel numbers and finished with the fastest rendition of 'Orange Blossom Special' I've heard yet; the vocals and musicanship were first class.

I also followed a link across from a BIB post to the Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys from Somerset, and heard enough to tempt me to order their CD, The moon shines still, and their Four on the floor DVD. Have you heard these fellas play? We were well impressed - good banjo pickin', a bit of traditional hillbilly bluegrass along with lots of original material and loads of fun involved in the making - you can't help smiling the whole way through the DVD (and we all need a few smiles at the minute).

Our latest bluegrass enterprise was our own Ragin' Cajun night on Saturday past: we had about 20 of my workmates round, cooked them cajun chicken and jambalaya, played bluegrass music all night (they couldn't escape; they were too full up with the cajun grub, you see!) and then we charged them for the privilege! We raised over £300 for our local cancer charity, which was the main reason for the night, and hopefully converted a few to bluegrass in the process.

Signs: out now in the USA

Special C. (l-r): Ashby Frank, Greg Cahill, David Thomas, Justin Carbone

Pinecastle Records announce the official release today of Signs, the latest CD by the Special Consensus - which we have all been enjoying since the band were last touring here, seven to ten weeks ago. On the tour, they sold every last item of merchandise that had come with them, including all the advance copies of Signs. To judge by the comment the album has attracted in the US, we made the right choice.

Update 4 April 2009: Yesterday Pinecastle issued the following release:

Just on the heels of the release of their latest album, Signs, Special Consensus has planned a special Nashville day for 24 April. Greg Cahill and the boys will start the day off at XM-Sirius, recording a Studio Special with Kyle Cantrell. Shortly after, they'll head a few blocks over to Nashville Public Radio with Dave Higgs to tape for his syndicated Bluegrass Breakdown show. Later that evening, at 9 p.m., they'll be at the Station Inn for a live performance open to the public. The band is no stranger to busy schedules but they'll be running around all day so make sure to keep an eye out.

Thomas Bailey at Omagh, 11-14 April 2009

Multi-instrumentalist Thomas Bailey, maker of '21st Century Old Time Music', will open an extensive tour in the UK next month with four days at the Ulster American Folk Park at Omagh, Co. Tyrone. The schedule at present stands as follows:

11-14 April Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, NI BT78 5QY
19 April Bournemouth Folk Club @ The Centre Stage,
14 Queens Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 6BE
23 April Burnetts Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire, Wales SA68; tickets & info @ pembrokebooks.co.uk/burnettshill
25 April New Radnor Community Hall, Hall Lane, New Radnor, Presteigne, Wales LD8 2TF
26 April Wick Town Hall w/ the Buffalo Gals, Manor Road, Wick, Bristol, Southwest BS30 5RA
28 April Malt Cross, 16 St James’s St., Nottingham, NG1 6FG
29 April Traveller’s Rest w/ Downtrodden String Band, 24 Derby Road, Draycott, Derby, DE72 3NJ
2 May Ram Jam Club, 46 Richmond Road, Kingston, KT2 5EE
3 May Honky Tonkin’ Sunday @ The Golden Lion, 88 Royal College St, Camden, London, NW1 0TH
5 May The Luminaire, 311 High Road, Kilburn, London, NW6 7JR

Thomas Bailey: website; Facebook; MySpace

New goodies for banjo

It will take more than worldwide economic setback to stop banjo-players tinkering with their instruments, and the folks at Little Mountain Music in Perry, Ohio, have some attractive goods to get the cash flowing again. Illustrated left is their new range of thin-line armrests in ebony, ivory, or maple finish, adjustable to any banjo.

Other stock includes a transparent cover for a standard armrest (in case your arm and the plating don't agree with one another), and the BanjoMate tone enhancer, which fits inside the resonator. Little Mountain Music will also be offering similar goodies to bowed instrument players. Contact them through the website.

Stormont concert, 14 March 2009

The Great Hall, Stormont; the statue represents Sir James Craig, first NI prime minister

On Saturday 14 March 2009 Woodbine, from Co. Kildare, opened a special concert in the Great Hall at the Parliament Buildings, Stormont, before an invited audience of some 250 people from Northern Ireland and abroad.

In August 2008 William Hay, Speaker of the NI Legislative Assembly, formed the idea of a St Patrick's Day concert to celebrate the rich diversity of music, song, and the bardic traditions in Ulster and the rest of Ireland. The show was organised by Frank Galligan, writer and radio/TV presenter, who also acts as bluegrass MC for the festivals at Omagh, Longford, and this year Athy.

Headlining the two-hour concert were the dynamic young west Ulster group Kintra, who combine Scottish and Irish piping, fiddling, and dance traditions with drums, keyboard, electric guitar, and bass. The bardic tradition was represented by Declan Forde, storyteller and reciter of 'poems with chords'. The audience responded with two standing ovations at the end of the concert, and Woodbine were not allowed to leave without playing for a further thirty or forty minutes in the Stormont bar. Frank Galligan summed up the evening as 'a night to remember, and most definitely a great advert for bluegrass music and the traditions from which it stems'. A fuller report is here.

'Walkin' boss' on MySpace

Niall Toner writes:

On an historical note, the original video of Hank Halfhead & the Rambling Turkeys performing 'Walkin' boss' is now available on MySpace. Almost twenty years old now, the video was shot in black and white in an abandoned factory on Dublin's south quays, and directed by Richie Smith (who went on to film most of U2's videos) and Ciaran Donnelly (who was recently honoured for directing 'The Tudors'). Ciaran is a nephew of Philip Donnelly, the Clontarf Cowboy, and that's Ciaran on lead guitar with HH. The rest of the line-up was Peter Maybury (drums), Fran Scattergood (bass), Maurice McCarthy (fiddle), and Niall [alias Hank] (acoustic guitar, vocals), and the song went into the Irish charts at #12... Ah, the good old days!

Vis-a-vis Hank Halfhead & the Rambling Turkeys: as you may have seen from Clem O'Brien's MySpace page, the band has been recently revived, and played a great gig in Copper Face Jacks nightclub in Dublin recently. The line-up is: Niall (guitar, vocals), Clem (electric guitars, vocals), Dick Gladney (bass, vocals), Fran Breen (drums, vocals). They are available for all raucous and rumbunctious occasions, including weddings, wakes, and bar mitzvahs...

Also, a small correction to Holly Tashian's piece on the Bluegrass Blog [see previous post, below]. 'The promise' was not written for a competition. It was composed for possible inclusion in an album to honour the music of the Carter Family. The idea came from Peer Music International, and they were planning to release a recording of many of the Carters' classic songs, all recorded by artists such as Bono, Van Morrison, Enya, etc. Peer came up with the idea of including a newly written song 'in-the-style-of' A.P. and the gang. They were well impressed with 'The promise', but the entire project was shelved, and to date there's no news of it's being revisited. Hope this clears this little issue?


Niall's 1990 recording of 'Walkin' boss' is a strong version of a song recorded by Clarence 'Tom' Ashley (1895-1967) of North Carolina, who had heard it sung by railroad work crews in West Virginia.

NT on the BB: update

Today the original Bluegrass Blog carries a substantial post by John Lawless on the recent album by Barry & Holly Tashian, Long story short. The title song and 'The promise' were co-written with our own Niall Toner, and the BB post quotes Holly at some length about Niall and these two songs, as well as the rest of the songs on the album. Samples of three of the songs, including 'Long story short', can be heard as well.

Update 28 March: the album Long story short receives a Highlight review in the April 2009 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine.

British Bluegrass News #48

The Spring 2009 edition of British Bluegrass News, published by the British Bluegrass Music Association (BBMA), will include a cover story on the Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys (left) from the West Country, and feature stories about the Home Counties band Papa Truck, the Midnight Ramblers, and Laurie Lewis, the last two of whom are scheduled to do separate tours of the UK. Greg Cahill, whose Special Consensus toured Ireland and the UK early this year, contributes a guest article.

Also in this issue: Rick Townend’s tribute to Bill Clifton; 'May is Worldwide Bluegrass Music Month'; ‘Favourites’ chosen by the Carrivick Sisters; and 'The story behind the song', about Carter Stanley’s ‘The white dove’. All this, plus the usual 'What’s on', tour details and 2009 festival dates, CD reviews, and area reports will be in this bumper edition. The BBMA website is being made more user-friendly and updated, a task which should be completed by Easter.

The full text of a press release by Richard F. Thompson is here. For further info, contact: Richard F. Thompson, Press Relations, 14 Lime Grove, Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, WS13 6ER. ‘Phone +44 (0)1543 252683; e-mail.

To join the BBMA, contact Trish Hockley, Membership Secretary, Freepost, BBMA. ‘Phone +44 (0)7889 607612; e-mail.

A real treat for fans of fiddle/banjo duets

Just as Bill Monroe revolutionised country mandolin playing and, with his Blue Grass Boys, reinvented the string band tradition, so Earl Scruggs and Paul Warren between them reinvented the fiddle-and-banjo duet. This duet style has now been recreated by Paul Warren's son Johnny Warren and banjo-player Charlie Cushman on the CD A tribute to Fiddlin' Paul Warren, available from Cushman's website. Other musicians include Earl Scruggs himself (on one track), Marty Stuart, and Curly Seckler.

A foretaste of the Warren-Cushman combination can be heard in six videos on YouTube; and they're a real tonic, not least for the gorgeous tone of the banjo, which is played throughout in the style Scruggs devised to complement the fiddle with rhythmic support and counterpoint, rather than doubling the melody. You may recognise the tune 'Pretty girl going to milk a cow' as a version of 'Rakes of Mallow'!

Thanks again to Richard Thompson and the Bluegrass Blog for the news.

Clem O'Brien on MySpace

Clem O'Brien, the premier bluegrass performer in this island as vocalist and instrumentalist alike, can now be encountered on MySpace. The site, set up at the beginning of this month, includes ample info on Clem's career and influences; a jukebox with five of Clem's songs; slide-shows of Clem over the years and of his guitars and equipment; and three videos of live shows, the most recent dating from last autumn when he and Ivor Ottley became temporary members of the touring Canadian band Hungry Hill.

A new family member

Thanks to Joe Murray, who signs himself as 'A new bluegrass devotee' since the show at The Stables, Mullingar, on 26 February, with Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens and Bending the Strings. Joe writes:

I am a keen music fan with a wide taste in music,anything from the Stranglers to Celine Dione, but last week introduced me to a new kind of music completely and I must say I am hooked!

The show was advertised as a 'Bluegrass Night', and Joe decided to go along out of curiosity. He knew of the Sheerin family already and found that Carmel & Co., as expected, were great; and

the first band on stage, Bending the Strings, really blew me away! The playing of their instruments and the vocals were fantastic. Never knew that a banjo, a guitar, and a piano could sound so well together. They didn't say too much, just got on with the music, and boy could the banjo player make that instrument talk! How can fingers go so fast?

Vinnie Baker too on guitar was superb. I only know of him as a heavy rock player so this was amazing to me that he could be so versatile. The lady on piano and vocals was brilliant. Lovely fancy filling-in between tunes (don't suppose that's the right description) and sweet songs, with the two boys blending in really well. The other thing that I really enjoyed watching was the fact that they really looked as if they were loving what they were doing!

Anyway, for someone who only knew about bluegrass through seeing O brother, where art thou? it was a unexpected treat. Please pass on my compliments to the three musicians and I am looking forward to hearing them again wherever they are performing.

The Isaacs in Craigavon, Ballymena, and Belfast

A reminder that the Isaacs - arguably well within the top three bluegrass gospel bands on earth - will be playing three shows in Northern Ireland in the coming week, beginning on Thursday in Craigavon. Full details are on the BIB calendar and their website, where part of a DVD of the band on a recent tour of Norway can be seen.

European Summit report now on line

The proceedings and decisions of the European Bluegrass Summit meeting held at Bühl, Germany, on 7-8 February, can now be seen on line through the EBMA website. Full details are on the European Bluegrass Blog. The documents - though as comprehensive as possible - are necessarily a highly compressed account of a complex event.

Incidentally, with the publication of this post there are now 1,000 posts on the Bluegrass Ireland Blog. The total posted since the BIB began in late 2005 is somewhat more, as a few posts have been deleted or recycled from time to time.

Dublin events in the next seven days

Mark O'Mahony of Prison Love reports:

Howdy friends,

Ready yourselves for some unseasonably hot Prison Love action Sham-ROCKing its way to you via the St Patrick's Festival, 'Big Day Out'!

No excuses: get your ifs and buts down to the Fanfare Area in Merrion Square at 12.15 and 3.15 this Sunday (15 March). There'll be lots of family fun stuff to do, so check out the Big Day Out website for all the skinny... Be good!

************

Kevin Duffy, fiddle player with Tupelo (see our previous posts on the band) announces that later the same day (Sunday 15 March) this exciting new, original, acoustic roots band will be playing upstairs at Whelan's, admission €10. Their 'Blue gardenia' sounds like the work of one of the jazz-influenced Southern string bands of the 1930s.

************

A few days later (Wed. 18th) the regular fortnightly show will be presented by Fair City Grass, Dublin's main purveyors of live bluegrass, at Mother Reilly's, Uppercross House Hotel, Upper Rathmines Road, Dublin 6; 9.45 p.m.

And the following day (Thurs. 19th) the McGrane Family - Brian (guitar, vocals), Noreen (vocals, autoharp), Jenny (guitar, vocals, steamtrain whistle) and Ellen (guitar, vocals) - with Gerry Fitzpatrick (dobro) and Con Butler (bass), will be playing the Cobblestone, Smithfield, Dublin, and would love to see all their friends there. Orla Keeshan of the Cobblestone says: 'Playing a mix of old-time American music, folk and blues; get ready to hear the best old-time family harmony singing this side of the Appalachian Mountains!' Doors open 8.30 p.m.; admission €5.

Rachel Harrington in Europe, Apr.-June 2009

Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden

Rachel Harrington (USA), singer and songwriter from a Pentecostal small-town Oregon background, has won glowing reviews for her debut album The bootlegger's daughter (2007) and her latest, City of refuge, which features Tim O'Brien (fiddle), Mike Grigoni (dobro), Zak Borden (mandolin), and Jon Hamar (upright bass), with Holly O'Reilly and Pieta Brown on backing vocals.

She is now due to begin a three-month tour, sponsored by Maverick magazine, of the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium, with multi-instrumentalist Zak Borden accompanying her. The first appearance will be on air with Bob Harris on 7 April, after which the duo will be playing sixteen dates in England and eight in Scotland before crossing to play four shows in the Netherlands and two in Belgium, finishing with a further sixteen dates in England and one in Wales. Full details are on the 'Shows' page of Rachel's website.

Although the PR release says 'UK/Ireland tour', no dates in Ireland appear on the schedule at present.

Smithsonian Folkways recordings: podcast downloads

Thanks to Cathal Cusack for drawing attention to this rich introduction to an even richer resource. The blurb says:

This series of 24 one-hour programs explores the remarkable collection of music, spoken word, and sound recordings that make up Folkways Records (now at the Smithsonian as Smithsonian Folkways Recordings). The music of modern-day giants like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Ani Difranco is interwoven with original Folkways recordings to demonstrate the lasting legacy that Folkways Records has on popular music. Recent and archival interviews with Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Mickey Hart, Studs Terkel, and others help reveal the remarkable human stories behind this equally remarkable collection. The series was produced by CKUA Radio in Alberta, Canada, and originally aired in 1999.

The link to the podcasts is here. Episode 11 of the series features country and bluegrass music (including old-time).

Kruger Brothers in Ireland, 24, 25, 26 Mar. 2009

As we originally mentioned on 3 February, late March will include half-a-dozen outstanding bluegrass concerts in Ireland. In addition to the brief northern tour by the premier bluegrass gospel band, the Isaacs (see the BIB post of 4 January), the Kruger Brothers will be playing three dates in Munster as part of a two-week tour of Europe. All dates are now confirmed, and the full schedule is:

Tues. 24 Mar.: The Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork. 8.15 p.m. 'Phone 087 7921771.
Wed. 25 Mar.: St John's Theatre and Arts Centre, Listowel, Co. Kerry. 8.00 p.m. 'Phone 068 22566.
Thurs. 26 Mar.: The Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare. 8.00 p.m. 'Phone 086 8464509.

The Kruger Brothers, originally from Switzerland and now based in North Carolina, are among the finest musicians in modern bluegrass. Jens Kruger, a phenomenal banjo-player by any standards, helped design the banjos at the top of the Deering range. Full details of the tour are on the band's website.

Knocklyon session, Thursday nights

Having had the pleasure of occupying the banjo chair in the temporary absence of Martin Gilligan, your editor is keen to report that the Tin Box Company's weekly session at Delaney's Knocklyon Inn, Firhouse Road (R114), Dublin 16, is well worth visiting for bluegrass enthusiasts in the Dublin area - a pleasant bar, with appreciative listeners and good picking partners.

The editor also takes the opportunity to correct a faulty location in the BIB post of 7 December; the map link is in fact correct, as Delaney's is on the east side of the bridge over the M50 - that is, if you're driving from the direction of the city, the pub is on the left immediately before the bridge, and is reached by turning left down Knocklyon Road and then immediately right. No mistake is possible if you're on the spot: the pub's name is up in lights. The session takes place every Thursday night from 9.15 p.m.

Banjo chords on iPhone

Thanks to Charles Dumont for news of a new application that is available for the iPhone: a collection of 700 banjo chords in open G tuning, for only $1.99. Chords in other tunings are said to be in preparation. See today's post on the original Bluegrass Blog.

The news is also posted on the Banjo Hangout forum by a contributor who says: 'Just search for BanjoChords in the App Store.'

IBMM's Mando Camp 09

The International Bluegrass Music Museum at Owensboro, Kentucky, will hold its Fourth Annual Monroe-style Mandolin Camp on 11-13 September 2009. A maximum of fifty students will be able to take part.

The teachers (who will give a combined concert on the Saturday night) will be Mike Compton, camp & curriculum director; Dr Richard Brown, associate director; Skip Gorman; Tim O'Brien; Jody Stecher; and Butch Waller. (All of them seem to have played in Ireland at least once.) Special guests: Tom Ewing, Monroe historian and concert performer, and Will Kimble, luthier. One-to-one master classes will be part of the programme. And Owensboro is a World Barbecue Capital!

For full details, including video footage from previous Camps, see the IBMM's Mando Camp 09 website. Gabrielle Gray, IBMM's executive director, says:

The Monroe-Style Mandolin Camp is the ultimate gathering spot for Monroe enthusiasts. Satisfy your desire to 'Know Monroe' by spending the anniversary of his birth and passing at the museum and the camp dedicated to preserving his legacy.

Old-time music at Sore Fingers Week

John Wirtz announces in the latest newsletter from Sore Fingers Week, the premier bluegrass and old-time instruction workshop in Europe:

Despite many appeals in this news letter and around the Old Time scene in general, we have only managed to secure 10 students on Old Time Banjo and 9 on Old Time fiddle for Sore Fingers Week 2009. We have had difficulty selling places on Old Time now for about three years, and we can only conclude the demand for what we are offering is not there. Bluegrass courses have booked well even in these difficult economic times (we have three full bluegrass banjo courses this year!)

We will take a loss on both O.T. courses this year and we cannot continue to do that. So the plan for 2010 is as follows:

We believe Old Time should have a presence at Sore Fingers Week as it is inherently linked to the music we seek to promote, so we are not discontinuing the availability of Old Time courses.

We will make contact with a fiddle and banjo tutor from the US for 2010, but these will only be confirmed if we get a minimum of fifteen booking by the end of August 2009. If we don’t achieve those numbers, we will replace the US tutor with one based in the UK to keep the costs down.

US people being considered are Bob Carlin, Dirk Powell (if we can get him), Bruce Molsky, etc. More news on this later. UK tutors under consideration are Dave Marshall, Bill Whelan, Jock Tildesley, Dave Proctor, Kate Lissauer, etc. Please note Jock will be teaching the Old Time course next October.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at the Sore Fingers Week office.

'Going Across the Sea' tour in Scotland, Apr.-May 2009

Thanks again to FOAOTMAD for news of a tour that sounds like a must for anyone interested in old-time music and its roots in these islands. 'Going Across the Sea' brings together seven fine musicians from both sides of the Atlantic to celebrate and explore their common ground.

Kris Drever and Sarah McFadyen from Orkney, Eamonn Coyne from Ireland, Tim Matthew from Scotland, and from the USA Betse Ellis of the Wilders and Caleb Klauder and Sammy Lind of the Foghorn String Band will be playing thirteen dates together in Scotland and the Islands from 22 April to 6 May. More details are here and on the Folk Radio UK website.

Old-time music camps in Spain: updates

Thanks to FOAOTMAD for updates on old-time music camps in Andalucia this year:

May 2-9: Old-Time Music Week with Dave and Tim Bing is now fully booked.

May 10-17: Old-Time Music Week with Dave and Tim Bing has space for a few more participants. Focus on banjo, fiddle and guitar technique, repertoire and ensemble playing. Other instruments welcome.

Oct. 3-10: Old-Time Music Week with Beverly Smith and Carl Jones has space for several more participants. Focus on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, singing, and writing tunes and songs. All instruments welcome.

For more information on all camps, see Kate Lissauer's website. Kate and all the camp tutors will be familiar to regular attenders at the Omagh festival.

Planning a European tour?

A major step was taken this week towards closer cooperation among European bluegrass promoters when the European Booking Network (a group working within the EBMA, with John Sheldon of the Scottish Bluegrass Association as convener), set up an Online Notice Board as an aid to coordinating tours by visiting bands.

John Sheldon has now invited bands who are planning a European tour to send him details for entry on the Notice Board. This can be done by e-mail. For more information, see the European Bluegrass Blog for 3 March and 5 March, or the original Bluegrass Blog.

A new bluegrass instrument?

It's not recognised yet as a bluegrass instrument, but this video could make all the difference. The final sequence also suggests a new approach for your band's handling of trio harmony vocals.

Dangem Banjo Camp: a great success

Camp attenders on Sunday 1 March (John Dowling with black-headed banjo)

Thanks to Derek Lockhart of Dangem Bluegrass, who reports on Ireland's first banjo camp, held last weekend at Corrs Corner Hotel, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim:

The Camp was attended by twenty-two keen banjo devotees in the end; we only should have had twenty, but bad math on my part... We also had a waiting list of seventeen people waiting in the wings.


The Camp itself was a outstanding success. John Dowling is not only a master of playing the banjo but the master of teaching the banjo; I think everyone involved benefited from his patience and skill as a tutor. The Broken String Band entertained us - the students plus invited guests made up of friends and family and those who unfortunately we could not accommodate this time round. It is safe to say that - all things being equal - we will be running Dangem Banjo Camp 2010.

For a good dose of the atmosphere at the Camp, see 'Duelling Banjo' played by John Dowling and the Broken String Band on YouTube.

Vincent Cross: on the road again

Vincent Cross reports from New York (where the weather is chilly):

Here things are busy as ever. The album, Home away from home, has received some more reviews, and is receiving airplay in both Nashville and NYC. I have placed these reviews on my blog page on MySpace. Gig wise, on Saturday we went back in time to the 1820s and performed in a town house in Richmond, Staten Island. This was a purely acoustic affair, as there was no electricity, only candles and a pot-belly stove. A wonderful place and a wonderful crowd.

Finally, last week we were blessed to be invited to Odetta's memorial at the Riverside Church in Manhattan. We were in the 'Great Company' of such luminaries as Harry Belafonte, Steve Earle, and the one and only Pete Seeger. He even got up and lead the whole church through a rendition of 'Take this hammer'. I swear to you, the emotions were high that night. A space has been created since she has passed on.