Bending the Strings: Bruff and a new CD

Thanks to Vinny Baker, guitarist with Bending the Strings, who reports:

I just want to say that the band are looking forward to seeing all their supporters at the festival in Bruff this coming weekend - 2, 3 4 October. We are also looking forward to meeting all our friends from Woodbine, the Niall Toner Band, and Tom Hanway at the festival, and indeed maybe joining them for a jam session.

Some recording news from the band as well: we have just completed [see photo above] the recording of our new album which will be called All keyed up: with Bending the Strings. It contains many bluegrass standards, plus instrumentals from all three members, and a Martin Cooney original banjo instrumental. The album, recorded in Vee Bee Studio in Mullingar, and produced by the band, features some live recordings and has some new songs given the band's own treatment. It is due out in about six weeks.

Also I would just like to thank my good friend Tom Hanway for inviting me to join him and his band, the Bluegrass Pals, at his recent gig in the Stillery venue in Longford town during the Longford Banjo Festival. We had a great session and covered all the old 'grass standards and some not so old as well. It was great to share the gig with Tom and the lads, and I look forward to a reunion in Bruff, Limerick, at the coming festival.

And talking of reunions... after years of searching the web, I eventually found my long-lost friend and wonderful bluegrass fiddler, George Kaye [right]. I then made contact by phone and we chatted for ages. George is the man who introduced me to bluegrass music when I played with his band back in 1970; we were great friends and he spent many, many nights playing bluegrass in my apartment in North Circular Road, Dublin. George now lives and runs his own pub in Germany; he also continues to play bluegrass on a weekly basis. I am happy to report that myself and my Bending the Strings mates, Martin and Moyra, are invited to do a tour of Germany next spring... which we will more than likely take up. Roll on 2010!!!