Hot rumours for this year's Omagh lineup

Speaking of the Ulster American Folk Park - the Park usually keeps its cards very close to its chest, as far as the lineup for the current year's Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival is concerned.

This year, the Park holds its nineteenth Festival on 3-5 September, and so far no official announcements have been made - indeed, the Festival's web page plainly states: 'There are no events coming up.' But a well informed source tells us that (as we've come to expect) the Park has booked some powerful and highly respected US bluegrass artists for 2010: the Gibson Brothers, Dale Ann Bradley, and Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters (featuring Roger Williams, dobro).

Dale Ann Bradley topped the bill at the Park several years ago, when she was responsible for the first appearance there of the phenomenal fiddler Michael Cleveland. Since then, she has won the IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year award for the past three consecutive years, among other accomplishments. The other bands mentioned will be worthy company for her at Omagh.