Director of Bonnie and Clyde dies

Film, theatre, and TV director Arthur Penn died on Tuesday, six days after his 78th birthday. His many works included - most memorably for bluegrass enthusiasts - Bonnie and Clyde (1967), with the most prominent of its soundtrack music supplied by a Flatt & Scruggs recording of 'Foggy Mountain breakdown'. This was a major stimulus to 5-string banjo playing, and has also firmly established in the public mind an association between the banjo and car chases. Read the Daily Telegraph obituary here.

Going back to old Kentucky

Beginning tomorrow (1 Oct. 2010) the original Bluegrass Blog will be posting a daily record of events through the decades that are associated with Bill Monroe, ‘father of bluegrass music', and those who were close to him, in recognition of the forthcoming centennial of his birth. This project will continue to the end of September 2011. Richard Thompson writes:

... we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information includes births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits.

A lot of the information has long been in the public domain; additional data has been identified in the course of personal research over 35 years.

'I’m going back to old Kentucky' is a work in progress and we welcome input from our readers.

You can make your contribution to this important project through a link on this Bluegrass Blog post.

Latest from Sore Fingers October Weekend

John Wirtz of Sore Fingers Summer Schools, in idyllic surroundings in the heart of England, reports:

This is a residential weekend of bluegrass and old-time workshops. The full lineup of classes is as follows:

Autoharp: June Maugery
Bluegrass banjo: Rod Jackson
Dobro: Martin Froud
Guitar: Paul Hill
Bluegrass fiddle: Ian Nicholls
Mandolin: Rex Preston
Bass: Bill Crampton
Old time banjo: Sara Grey
Old time fiddle: Dave Proctor
Singing: Roland Emmanuel

There is plenty of space on all classes except bluegrass banjo, for which a waiting list is being held. If we get enough overflow bookings we may get an additional instructor to assist Rod.

Courses are at the usual place, Kingham Hill School; arrive Friday 22 for workshops Saturday 23-Sunday 24 October 2010. Arriving by Friday evening 22 Oct. and leaving Sunday 24 Oct. means there's ONLY 23 DAYS TO GO.

Old time fiddle really needs some students. It's surprising the takeup has not been better with Dave Proctor teaching. He's a great player and good teacher too. It has taken a couple of years to get him here as he's a busy man. We may not get another chance in a hurry.

As usual, the lineup is brilliant with a choice selection of the best players and teachers in the UK ready to pass on their knowledge. We will also be running the now popular Music theory elective too. Please see this link for more details. All that and the great fun everyone has at Kingham around Halloween. How could you miss it!

Could you please get your booking in ASAP. If you leave it to the last minute, confusion can arise on arrival day because we don't have enough time to process it properly! If you have more queries please e-mail.

Something to read?

It's remarkable what can be found in the catalogue of just one publisher - albeit the biggest university press in the world. A glance at the music section of the Oxford University Press catalogue reveals that one of the OUP's best-sellers has been Tony Russell's Country music originals: the legends and the lost. First published in hard covers in 2008, it came out in paperback two months ago. Russell's Old Time Music magazine from the 1970s and '80s was a standard-setter, with some of the best research and writing we've ever seen on bluegrass and old-time music, especially in the quality of its reviews; and a book from him is very welcome.

Jimmie Rodgers is one of the 'legends' of Russell's subtitle, and another OUP publication is Barry Mazor's Meeting Jimmie Rodgers: how America's original roots music hero changed the pop sounds of a century. Oxford has also honoured another legendary figure of American music by publishing Scott Reynolds Nelson's Steel drivin' man - John Henry: the untold story of an American legend, which reveals the real events behind the legend and the song it produced. The song remains part of the bluegrass heritage - listeners at the Longford concert last Saturday night will have heard Barry Abernathy quote it in one of his banjo breaks.

Photos from the 9th Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival

Thanks to Niall Toner for these photos from the 9th Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival at Longford over the past weekend. Niall and the NTB played on the Friday night concert.

Thefirst two photos show Niall with fellow songwriters: on the right, Iris DeMent (USA), whose self-accompaniment on guitar or keyboard was a model of clarity and tasteful economy. Below: Niall and Rodney Crowell (USA), top of the bill on Sunday night.



Above: the Saturday night concert audience in the main hall at the Longford Arms Hotel. Below: Niall and the members of Mountain Heart singing beside Johnny Keenan's grave on Sunday morning.

Carmel & the Ravens at the Stables, Mullingar, 30 Sept. 2010

This coming Thursday, 30 September, is Bluegrass Night in the Stables, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, with the award-winning Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens plus support from Ronan Leonard. Here's a reminder of some of what's special about the only Irish bluegrass band so far to both win a #1 award at the European World of Bluegrass Festival and appear at the IBMA's World of Bluegrass in Nashville, TN:

Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens are backboned by a family that is steeped in music and has been at the forefront of the music scene in the heart of Ireland for the past few decades. Four of the multi-talented family are represented in Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens. Carmel (lead vocals), Danny (acoustic guitar, vocals), Des (double bass, vocals), and Tom (mandolin, vocals) have joined up with Jonathan Toman, an extremely talented banjo player, and are soaring to new heights both on the national and international scene with their breathtaking, contemporary sound. Featuring Carmel on lead vocals and the band singing clean harmonies rooted in bluegrass, country, and gospel music, the members still write their own material and collaborate with top American and Irish bluegrass songwriters, including Tim O'Brien, Charlie McGettigan, and Kevin Sheerin.

Carmel, Danny, Des, and Tom Sheerin learned from their parents, Dan and Mary Sheerin, who sang professionally and gave their children a love for classic country music and harmony singing. Carmel's flair for delivering stirring, original material is backed by immaculate harmony singing and precise, steady musicianship.

In August 2005 Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens released their debut CD, Runaway, recorded at Des Sheerin's Shed Studio in Athlone, engineered by legendary producer Bil VornDick from Nashville. The album included six originals, traditional and contemporary numbers, featuring the band's tasteful harmonies and tight arrangements.

As the #1 European Bluegrass Band 2005-6, a title they won at the 8th European World of Bluegrass Festival, they represented Europe in Nashville in September 2006, where they were selected by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) to perform their original music at the World of Bluegrass Business Conference. They also got to present the award for Bluegrass Album of the Year at the IBMA Awards Ceremony 2006, which was staged at the famous Grand Ole Opry. In September 2006 the band began the recording of their second album, Here with you, in Nashville for release early in 2008, again with multi-Grammy producer Bil VornDick, who has signed them to a publishing deal.

All roads lead to Bruff THIS WEEKEND

Thanks to Michael Hehir for this reminder:

All roads lead to the BRUFF BLUEGRASS EXTRAVAGANZA in County Limerick this weekend (1, 2, 3 October).

This is the second year of 'Bluegrass in Bruff', and with seventeen live gigs over three days it is promising to be a real treat. Preparations are now in place to welcome all our bands and bluegrass fans back to Bruff for what will be a fantastic weekend of bluegrass.

A full list of venues, times of performances, and bands taking part during this coming weekend can be found on the Festival blog.

Bending the Strings open Longford festival and get airplay on BBC radio

Thanks to Vinny Baker for the latest BTS news:

Bending the Strings opened the 2010 Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival on Thursday last (23 September) to a tremendous reception from a packed venue. Compere Frank Galligan (shown left with BTS) announced the band, telling the audience that the new Bending the Strings album All keyed up was one of the most popular albums on his radio show on Radio Highland in Donegal.

The band did a 45-minute set which went down a storm with the audience, who loved the high-energy instrumentals and showed huge appreciation of the individual instrumental breaks from each member of the band. Bending the Strings are still having great success with their latest album, which continues to get regular plays from Ronan Collins, John Creedon, Maxi, and the Late Date programmes on RTE Radio 1.

Our piano player and vocalist Moyra Fraser was in London recently with Mick Foster, of Foster & Allen, who was doing the BBC TV show 'Never mind the buzzcocks', and Moyra met presenter Phill Jupitus (right), of whom she has been a longtime friend. He is a major fan of Foster & Allen; and Moyra, who is musical director of the F & A band, has known him for many years. Phill told her that he was playing the Bending the Strings album on his BBC radio program and getting numerous requsests for the title track, 'All keyed up'. Phill Jupitus is a huge fan of bluegrass music and insisted that Moyra give a copy of the album to a number of the BBC radio DJs, as he said it has huge potential for the British market. So the band are keeping fingers crossed that the album could possibly make an impression on the English radio listeners.

Bending the Strings extend many thanks to all our many fans who have requested and bought our album and continue to support us at our gigs. The band look forward to meeting all their friends and followers in Bruff Bluegrass Festival on the first weekend of October.

Bluegrass concert series in central Dublin

Thanks to Nigel Martyn for some very good news for bluegrass enthusiasts in the Dublin area:

I'm arranging a series of our kinda gigs in the Mercantile Hotel, 28 Dame Street, Dublin 2. The venue has an excellent gig room, good PA and lights, and management are keen to see something develop. The musicians will stay in the hotel, so the potential for post-gig sessions goes without saying!

The lineup so far is as follows:

Wed. 20 Oct. Steve Bonafel and One Iota (USA)
Tues. 16 Nov. Niall Toner Band
Tues. 30 Nov. Jeff and Vida (USA)
Tues. 18 Jan. The Special Consensus (USA)
Tues. 8 Feb. Jim Hurst (USA)
Tues. 15 Feb. Southern Tenant Folk Union (UK)

If we have a good level of public support this series can be ongoing, and we might even run a special event in Dublin sometime in the summer. However, we will need to see a reasonable uptake of advance tickets to maintain confidence at the outset. Tickets for all these shows are already available online. I am trying to keep ticket costs as low as possible, the average being €12, though a couple of these shows will need €15.

Nigel Martyn
23 Lowwood Park
Belfast BT15 4BB
Skype name : nigelmartyn
Old Flattop website

Forthcoming concerts in Westport, Co. Mayo

Electric Cave Production reports from Westport:

These days, Uri and his team are working hard to confirm the lineup for the 2011 Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival. As it is going to be our fifth 'birthday', the fans can be sure to see some of the festival favourites return alongside some great new acts and many surprises.

During the next eight months we will continue to run the 'Unfinished music series' at Geraghty's pub in Westport to keep the folk and bluegrass flame burning in the town. Some of the gigs confirmed so far are:

*Saturday 2.10.2010 will see the return of A Band Called Wanda. The band are following the musical footsteps of The Band, with a superb multi-instrumental show combining original material alongside folk classics.

*Saturday 16.10.2010 Nicole Maguire and Sara Corkery, two singer/songwriters from Cork, will make the journey to Westport to perform their unique and personal songs in the pub's intimate surroundings.

*23.10.2010 Simon Currie, aka Man Gone Missing, will travel from Scotland with his steel guitar, serving a good measure of folk and blues.

*27.11.2010 one of Ireland's favourite bluegrass acts - Jeff & Vida return to Westport as part of their 2010 Irish tour.

*4.12.2010 Little Ass Birds, returning to Westport on the back of their very successful gig last March.

More gigs to be announced - see you in Westport!

Omagh memories on video from Dangem

Thanks to Derek Lockhart of Dangem Quality Instruments for the news that six videos of concert appearances at the recent Omagh Bluegrass Festival 2010 can be seen on the Dangem website.

These include performances by Blackjack (above), Blue Flint, the Broken String Band, Cedar Hill, Dale Ann Bradley, and the Gibson Brothers. All of them can also be viewed among the twenty-five videos now on Dangem's YouTube channel.

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Dangem's next bluegrass get-together after the summer break will be on Saturday 30 October 2010, from 9.30/10.00am to 12.00 noon, at the Lagan Valley Island Civic Centre in Lisburn, Co. Antrim BT27 4RL. Practice tabs can be found here.

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BIB editor's note: During the Omagh festival I bought from the Dangem stand a new Gold Tone BC-120 clawhammer banjo. This is the budget member of their Bob Carlin 12" pot line, good-looking with no frills (except that I took the planet pegs option); it came straight out of the box in tune and with a good setup; and it can be thoroughly recommended as a banjo designed for clawhammer playing.

I'm also glad to have this opportunity of recording what a pleasure it was to deal with Dangem. Gold Tone banjos can now be found at a fair number of stores throughout Ireland; it is less easy to find storekeepers who thoroughly understand banjos (and the other bluegrass instruments) and will be positively helpful to the banjo-playing customer. Derek and the rest of his crew have built a strong role for Dangem in the bluegrass scene here - supplying good instruments and accessories, running monthly sessions and an annual banjo workshop, and supporting the Omagh festival (not to mention the much younger festival in Moniaive, Scotland); and Dangem well deserves support in its turn.

The Molly Hicks at Westport, 18 Sept. 2010

Thanks to Uri Kohen of Electric Cave Production, who reports from Westport, Co. Mayo:

Last Saturday night (18.9.2010) the Molly Hicks joined an ever growing list of great bands who performed in front of the red flag of the Electric Cave Production in Geraghty's pub, Westport.

The Molly Hicks were the last band to be booked to the 4th Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival; they played a lunchtime gig on the second day of the festival and took the crowd by storm. I knew then that I would have to have them back to the more unique environment of Geraghty's. Once again they played a superb gig in front of a cheering crowd and earned their place in our Wall of Fame.

I believe that the band's popularity is growing at a quick pace, and I think that they well deserve it. Please go and see them wherever they play!

This Friday we will see the return of Mad Uncle Harry for a great bluegrass/Americana gig.

Bill Monroe, the film: news

The news that a film is being made about the life of the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe (left), has been around for some time and must interest any bluegrass enthusiast. So thanks to Aran Sheehan of the Bluestack Mountain Boys for sending a link to an article by Keith Lawrence in the Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, KY, which appears on the California Chronicle website.

The film is already well provided for leading actors, music director, and script writer; but among concerned parties there are naturally differing views about the general direction of the story and where it should be set. Read more here.

It is hoped the film will be released next year, as 2011 will be the centenary of Bill Monroe's birth.

Longford workshop programme now published

Thanks to Chris Keenan and Kathy Casey of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival for the full schedule of the ample workshop programme, which can now be seen on the festival's website.

The schedule runs from 10.00 a.m. on Saturday 25 September to 4.00 p.m. the following day, and includes classes on bluegrass 5-string banjo by Ross Nickerson, Leon Hunt, and Barry Abernathy, old-time banjo (Bill Whelan), Irish tenor banjo (Enda Scahill, Gerry O'Connor, Tom Cussen), mandolin (Adam Ramsey, John Tomlin), dobro (Donnie Winters), traditional fiddle (Dan and Lloyd MacDonald), bluegrass fiddle (Jim Van Cleve), guitar (Will Kimbrough, Jake Stargel), singer/songwriter (Niall Toner, Rodney Crowell, George Harper), bluegrass vocals (Josh Shilling, Jason Moore), and other traditional instruments (Geraldine and Eamonn Cotter, Pat Broderick, Johnny Donnellan).

A lecture on the history of the banjo will be given by Pat Costello at 2.00 p.m. on Saturday. Full details of the schedule are here.

Prices for individual workshops are €20 each. For extra value, the Festival offers a choice of two COMBO passes, giving access to the nightly concerts and as many workshops as you can fit in. The 3-day COMBO pass is €135 (Fri., Sat., Sun.) and the 4-day COMBO pass is €150 (Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun.).

Uncle Tom's Cabin celebrates Arthur's Day with Americana!

Thanks to Gerry Fitzpatrick of the Sick and Indigent Song Club for this historic news:

Next Thursday (23 September) to celebrate 'Arthur's Day' there will be an Americana and folk music session in Uncle Tom's Cabin [left], Dundrum Road, Dundrum, south Dublin.

Starts at 17:59 till 9.00 p.m. with the McGrane Family + guests. This will be a bit of history as it is the first time Uncle Tom's has had live music.

Uncle Tom's Cabin is on the main road into town (R117), about 200 metres north of the Dundrum Luas station. Noreen and Brian McGrane and their family host the long-established Wednesday session at the Old Punch Bowl in Booterstown.

Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters at the Mary B., 28 Sept. 2010

Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters (USA), who earned a very warm reception at the Omagh festival two weeks ago, are at the Cornish Bluegrass Festival this weekend and will top the bill at the Moniaive Bluegrass Festival in Scotland next weekend. Then bluegrass fans in Ireland get to hear them just before their return to the USA - thanks to Brendan O'Regan in Arklow, Co. Wicklow.

Since July this year, Brendan is presenting a series of regular shows by national and international performers of roots, folk, country, bluegrass, and more at the Mary B. bar in Lower Main St., Arklow. Tickets for all events are available at the off-licence next door; ring 0402-23963. Amy & Stillwaters will be playing at the Mary B. from 9.00 to 11.00 p.m. on Tuesday 28 September; admission €10.

Forthcoming events at the Mary B. can be seen on Brendan's Mary B. Sessions website. The following show (5 Oct.) will be by Kentucky singer-songwriter Ashleigh Flynn. Videos from earlier shows at the Mary B. can be seen on YouTube, including numbers by the Cajun band l'Angelus and Tricky Britches from Maine.

On Ireland's green shores, Sept. 2010

(L-r) Erik Bosten, Jolanda Peters, Sophie Schellekens, Rienk Michielsen, Jan Michielsen, Sharon Loughrin, Joel Loughrin, Arnie Loughrin

Thanks (as so often in the past) to our good friend Jan Michielsen of Hoogstraten, Belgium, and of 4 Wheel Drive, for these photos from a recent trip with friends and family members to Northern Ireland, where they visited Arnie and Sharon Loughrin and went to the Open House Festival in Belfast.

Here Jan met Uri Kohen (left), organiser of the annual Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival in Westport, Co. Mayo, and also enjoyed the show by...

... the Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch. More photos from the trip can be seen on this Facebook album.

Dakota Dave Hull returns to Sligo for concert and workshop

Thanks to Ron Beemster for this news:

Good news for those of you who missed Dakota Dave Hull’s appearance in Sligo two years ago, and for those fans who were there: the ace American guitarist will be back on for a guitar workshop on Tuesday 5 October, and a concert on Wednesday 6 October.

For guitarists who are interested in learning some of Dave’s techniques, he will conduct a guitar workshop in Sligo on Tuesday 5 October, upstairs in Tobergal Lane Restaurant, from 7.30 to 10.00 p.m. Having played as a flatpicker and accompanist as well as a fingerstyle guitarist for many years, Dave will be able to answer most questions that any guitarist can come up with. There is no need to book for the workshop, just turn up before 7.30 with your guitar and a lot of questions, and €15 for the entry fee (or €12 for concessions).

The concert will be on the next day and will start at 8.00 p.m. Again, Upstairs in Tobergal Lane Restaurant, Sligo on Wednesday 6 October. Tickets for the concert are also €15 (or €12 for concessions), available at the door. If you go to both, you’ll get a special deal on the concert ticket.

Dakota Dave Hull's repertoire combines jazz, ragtime, blues, folk, western swing, vintage pop, and original material in what he calls 'classic American guitar'. For the opinions of folk legend Dave van Ronk ('one of the best guitarists in the world... simply has the best tone of anyone in America') and Doug Greene (Ranger Doug of Riders in the Sky), and for details of Dakota Dave's three albums with Sean Blackburn, one with Pop Wagner, six solo albums, and three with guitar and mandolin virtuoso Kari Larson, see the bio page on his website, which also has links to YouTube videos of his performances. A new album will be introduced at the Sligo concert.

Pete Wernick announces new network of certified bluegrass music teachers

Pete 'Dr Banjo' Wernick (USA), whose skill and experience as a teacher have been valued by those who have attended his banjo workshops at successive Longford festivals, is setting up an international network of approved teachers to help learners - not just to play their instruments, but to pick with one another, with all the extra skills and benefits that jamming involves.

More details are on the European Bluegrass Blog and on Pete Wernick's own website - where you can find masses of helpful information, quite apart from the info on the new teaching network.

Bruff Bluegrass Extravaganza: schedule, 1-3 Oct. 2010

The NTB, who launch the Festival on Friday 1 Oct.

Thanks to Michael Hehir for the following full schedule of mike sessions at the 2nd Bruff Bluegrass Festival, to be held at Bruff, Co. Limerick, in just over two weeks' time:

Fri. 1st
Clancy's Bar: 10.00 p.m.-midnight Niall Toner Band
Derry's Bar: 10.00 p.m.-midnight Southern Welfare

Sat. 2nd
Clancy's Bar: 5.00-7.00 p.m. Woodbine
8.00-10.00 p.m. Southern Welfare
10.30 p.m.-1.00 a.m. Sullivan Brothers

Derry's Bar: 3.00-5.00 p.m. Bluestack Mountain Boys
7.00-9.00 p.m. Bending the Strings
10.00 p.m.-midnight Woodbine

Clarke's Bar: 10.00 p.m.-midnight Southern Bluegrass Union

Sun. 3rd
Clancy's Bar: 4.00-6.00 p.m. Bluestack Mountain Boys
6.30-8.00 p.m. Sullivan Brothers
8.30-11.30 p.m. Southern Welfare (in back bar)
8.30-11.30 p.m. Woodbine

Derry's Bar: 4.00-6.00 p.m. Woodbine
7.00-9.00 p.m. Southern Bluegrass Union
9.00-11.30 p.m. Bluestack Mountain Boys

Clarke's Bar: 8.00-10.00 p.m. Bending the Strings

Full band details and links to websites are on the Festival blog.

Galway Americana Festival kicks off tomorrow (15 Sept.)

Thanks to Pete Lamb for the latest news:

The Galway Americana Festival kicks off tomorrow (15 Sept.) with the Unwanted, at the Crane Bar, Sea Road, Galway.

Roscommon-born Cathy Jordan, lead singer for acclaimed group Dervish, moves effortlessly and with soaring voice between sean-nós, Appalachian ballad, and contemporary folksong, lending rich accompaniment on bodhrán and tenor guitar. Her engaging stage presence and easy interaction with the audience turns a simple concert into an evening at home among good friends.

Sligo native Séamus O'Dowd (guitar, fiddle, harmonica) grew up steeped in the tradition of Sligo fiddling, early on expanding his repertoire to include the New World traditions, and today he is as accomplished playing blues on slide guitar as he is playing jigs and reels. Seamus is well known both from his years with Dervish and from his performing with the best of Irish traditional musicians, such as piper Liam O'Flynn and accordionist Máirtín O'Connor.

Rick Epping (harmonica, concertina, banjo, jaw harp), a native of California, has been moving back and forth between Ireland and the United States for over forty years and has been playing the music of both lands since childhood. Having played with musical greats as varied as Bill Monroe, Texas bluesman Mance Lipscomb, and Irish accordionist Joe Cooley, Rick brings to the group a wealth of experience and authentic style.

Together, Unwanted demonstrate a deep understanding and appreciation of the music of both the Old World and the New, and together they have created a seamless fusion of these traditions, showing that the process of transformation arising from the musical ebb and flow along the Atlantic Fringe continues today. Wherever they perform, Unwanted are finding that they are welcome and very much wanted, indeed.

See also the BIB for 25 August.

Publicity at IBMA's World of Bluegrass

Rienk Janssen, IBMA international board member, announces to all non-US IBMA members:

At IBMA's upcoming World of Bluegrass, the EBMA again will have a booth (during the week, not during Fan Fest), with as its main purpose making visitors aware of the fact that there is a lot going on in Europe. We will gladly extend that to the rest of the world, as far as space permits...

If you would like to promote your band - business - event - organization, please send your flyers, CDs, etc. in time to:

EBMA (Rienk Janssen) / Booth # 30
IBMA WORLD OF BLUEGRASS
c/o Freeman
1701 Lebanon Pike Circle
Nashville, TN 37210

... or bring them to the booth when the trade show opens on Tuesday.

Only send materials that we can give away for free to those interested; also we will not be able to ship leftovers back to you!

Hope to see all of you in Nashville!

Banjo Newsletter collection

Let no one say the BIB doesn't get quick results. Today we posted the news from Frank Coyne in Dublin that his 150 issues of Banjo Newsletter, dating from 1978, were available for collection free of charge. An hour or so later, Frank informed us that the unique offer had already been taken up. We look forward to seeing the effects of this life-changing acquisition on the new owner.

Sid Griffin to be interviewed at Country Music Hall of Fame, 11 Sept. 2010

Musician, author, and journalist Sid Griffin (left) leads the Coal Porters band (UK), who were at the top of the bill in this year's Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival.

Sid will be interviewed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN, on Saturday 11 September, and will autograph his publications later that day. Both events form part of the last day of the Americana Music Festival and Conference, which began on 8 September and is being held at the Hall of Fame in partnership with the Americana Music Association. Full details can be seen here.

Steve Martin does more work for bluegrass

Thanks to Richard F Thompson of the BBMA for this link to a video of Steve Martin on stage with the Steep Canyon Rangers, successfully combining his talents as comedian with those of banjo-picker and singer in front of a first-class bluegrass band. Richard adds:

Steve Martin... has done a tremendous amount for bluegrass music during the past two years.

To underline this: as you may have seen from the original Bluegrass Blog, and as you'll certainly see from his website, Steve Martin has set up a generous annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, and the first award has gone to Noam Pikelny, banjoist with Chris Thile's Punch Brothers band.

2nd Bruff Bluegrass Festival, 1-3 Oct. 2010

Martin Cooney, John Kenny, and Vinny Baker among others enjoying a jam at the 2009 Bruff festival

Thanks to Michael Hehir, festival coordinator, for the latest news on the forthcoming 2nd Bruff Bluegrass Festival in Bruff, Co. Limerick:

Fantastic celebration of bluegrass music to savour in Bruff this October 1st, 2nd & 3rd with a great selection of the best bluegrass bands in the country descending on Bruff for the second year running. The Niall Toner Band will open on Friday 1st, and over the weekend Woodbine, the Bluestack Mountain Boys, Southern Bluegrass Union, Bending the Strings, the Sullivan Brothers, and Southern Welfare. Friday night features two mike sessions in two venues - Clancy's Bar and Derry's Bar. On Saturday and Sunday lunchtime picking sessions, and this year we are adding Twilight Mike sessions from 5.00 p.m.

Full details of the schedule, the five venues, and all bands taking part (with website links) are on the Bruff Bluegrass Festival blog. For further info, contact Michael Hehir by 'phone (0860638874) or e-mail, which can also be used through the Festival blog.

The Dust Busters in Westport, 3 Sept.

Thanks to Uri Kohen of Electric Cave Production, who reports from Westport, Co. Mayo:

Last January we hosted in Westport a gig by a Galway band, Mad Uncle Harry. It was a big eye-opener for me and one of the best gigs I had heard till then, so when Noriana Kennedy from the band recommended me to book a Brooklyn band, the Dust Busters [above], I knew it was a safe bet.

The time came, and the band landed in Ireland for three shows. Last Friday, when most readers of this blog travelled for their annual gathering in Omagh, we hosted the band in Geraghty's, Westport. They played an outstanding gig - their music was true to the real tradition of old-time music. They changed multiple instruments between them and even gave us a taste of American folk tap-dancing [left].

The night finished when Sara MacEvilly, Westport's top bluegrass singer, joined the band for a grand finale [below]. A superb night, hailed by all, and I understand that they got similar reviews in the other two gigs in their Irish tour. We sure hope to see them travelling to our shores again.

On Saturday 18 Sept. 2010 we will host the wonderful Molly Hicks. See you in Belfast's Open House this Saturday!

Jeff & Vida in Ireland, 18 Nov.-1 Dec. 2010

Thanks to Stephen Forster for the news that Jeff & Vida (USA), who have been welcome visitors to Ireland for years, will be back in November and the beginning of December before travelling to Germany to take part in Rainer Zellner's 'travelling bluegrass festival', the 2nd Bluegrass Jamboree!

The dates at present on their website schedule are:

Nov. 18 Strule Arts Centre, Omagh, Co. Tyrone; +44(0)28 8224 7831
Nov. 19 Hair of the Dog, Belcoo, Co. Fermanagh; +44(0)28 6638 6228
Nov. 20 The Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin; +353(0)1 802 0898
Nov. 21 The Tally Ho, Longford town, Co. Longford; +353(0)43 49907
Nov. 22 Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork; +353(0)87 792 1771
Nov. 24 St John's Arts Centre, Listowel, Co. Kerry; +353(0)68 22566
Nov. 25 Merry’s, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford; +353(0)91 587419
Nov. 26 Colfer’s Pub, Carrig on Bannow, Co. Wexford; +353(0)51 561159
Nov. 27 Geraghty’s Pub, Westport, Co. Mayo; +353(0)9825150
Dec. 1 Errigle Inn, Belfast; +44(0)28 90 641410

Contact links for the venues are on the J&V website.

Southern Welfare: new bookings

Ray O'Brien of Waterford's Southern Welfare reports:

Southern Welfare have been confirmed to play at this year's Bruff Bluegrass Festival (1-3 October), venues and times TBC. We will be releasing our debut CD over the next few weeks.

Also a big thank you to Richard Hurst and his team in Omagh for letting us play some of the open mic sessions in the Park last weekend during the Omagh Bluegrass Festival; it was very enjoyable and we hope to see them all again next year.

For more info on our gigs you can e-mail, log on to our website, or call Ray (+353 (85)2877692).

BIB editor's note: By the way, if you use this link to the Omagh festival and find a complete lack of information on either this year's or next year's event, this is not the fault of Richard Hurst or anyone at the Ulster American Folk Park: blame some desk-jockey at National Museums Northern Ireland who thinks this is 'efficiency'. The best online source for events at the Park is now its Facebook page.

Bluegrass heaven in the Czech Republic

We think (and rightly) that we're having a good bluegrass festival season here; but to adjust perspectives a little, look at this post on the European Bluegrass Blog about the summer of 2010 in the Czech Republic, where there have been three to five festivals every weekend and innumerable concerts by single bands.

Peter O. Ruby, whose Czech band All Bells & Whistles played at the North Wales and Guildtown (Scotland) festivals this year, has written a major report on the 2010 Czech festival season, which will appear in Bluegrass Europe magazine in due course. Peter also sends this link to a video he shot during the recent Prague concert by the Claire Lynch Band (USA). Anyone who's seen Mark Schatz in Ireland will enjoy these seven minutes of Mark doing 'hambone' to 'Cindy, Cindy' and clogging to one of the BIB editor's favourite tunes, 'Big Sciota'.

Knotty Pine String Band: this week, this month, and next year

Thanks to Declan O'Kane for more news of the Knotty Pine String Band on Facebook:

On the site we have some photos of a recent concert we did with a fabulous Cajun band, L’Angelus, a family band from Lafayette at the Ulster American Folk Park on 4 July, also photos from our tour of the west coast USA last year and loads of other interesting stuff in Derry and further afield.

We are appearing at the Market Place Theatre, Armagh, on Friday 24 Sept., 8.00 p.m. This is a bookable event, so contact the theatre for tickets.

We also have a residency in Sally O’Brien's, John St., Omagh, every Thursday night at 10.00 p.m. and welcome all players to come along for two hours of music, admission free.

We are recording over the winter and are planning another trip to the USA in Sept. 2011. If there is anyone out there who has any links to venues on the west coast, give me a call on 07770 507981, or e-mail me.

BIB editor's note: the KPs' Facebook page also carries photos of the Gibson Brothers, sitting in on the Sally O'Brien's session last Thursday.

Bluegrass in Balla, 22-25 Oct. 2010

Thanks to Michael Baynes of Castlebar, Co. Mayo, for news on the forthcoming 2nd Balla Bluegrass Festival, which will be held in the nearby town of Balla, Co. Mayo, from Friday 22 to Monday 25 October 2010, to follow the success of the first festival in October 2009.

Organised by Tom Lyons of the Music Hut with Chris Mannion of Mannion's Bar, the main venue, the Festival will present Southern Welfare (Waterford), the Molly Hicks (Galway), Tim Rogers & the Clew Bay Critters (Westport), Woodbine (Athy), and Colonel Bullshot Rides Again (Westport) over the four days. Full programme details are on the Festival website and also on its Facebook page.

There will be a raffle for a 5-string banjo during the Festival weekend. Full details are available from Tom Lyons by telephone (087 2296018) or e-mail.

Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival 2010: latest news

Thanks to Chris Keenan and Kathy Casey of the 9th Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival (to be held in Longford town in just over two weeks) for their e-newsletter giving the latest news on the Festival programme and lineup.

Chris and Kathy announce two new additions to the Friday evening concert schedule: singer Juliet Turner will join Brian Kennedy in concert. And from the Czech Republic, making their Longford debut - Jiri Kralik & the Rowdy Rascals (Jiri (George) Kralik, fiddle, vocals; Jiri Bok, guitar, banjo, vocals; and Milos Klapste, double bass, vocals). Their appearance at a recent Omagh festival showed conclusively that they rank among the cream of Czech pickers, with a jaw-dropping mastery of bluegrass, old-time, swing and western swing - Kralik in particular being an outstanding fiddler. More details are on their website.

Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens bring bluegrass to Tullamore town, 12 Sept. 2010

The Midlands will have a rare chance to catch the award-winning bluegrass band Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens at Hugh Lynch’s Lounge, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, on Sunday 12 September.

Creating a unique sound, Carmel & the Ravens appeal to both young and old with their versatility. Their music represents a variety of music genres including bluegrass, country, folk, and pop. This family band has a powerful acoustic sound, great song writing skills, inspiring a cappellas, tight family harmonies, and a great sense of humour! Not only are they talented and gifted musicians, they are awesome performers.

In May 2005 Carmel Sheerin and the Ravens were voted the #1 European Bluegrass Band (2005-6) at the prestigious European World of Bluegrass Festival (EWOB) in Holland, in only their first appearance on the Continent. The band was picked by the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) to represent Europe (and Ireland) at the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee (2006). They also won # 1 Irish Bluegrass Band in 2009.

The band is backboned by a family that is steeped in music and has been at the forefront of the music scene in the heart of Ireland for the past few decades. Four of the multi-talented Sheerin family are represented: Carmel (lead vocals), Danny (acoustic guitar, vocals), Des (double bass, vocals), and Tom (mandolin, vocals), with another additional Sheerin family member appearing in Tullamore on the 12th - Simon (percussion, vocals). They are joined by virtuoso banjo player Jonathan Toman.

The band will be performing tracks from their latest album and will have copies on sale on the night. The latest album Here with you consists of twelve songs, eight of which are original tracks. Doors open 8.30 p.m., admission €10. Tickets can be purchased on the night.

Prison Love at Electric Picnic

A report from the habitual offenders on the Irish bluegrass scene, Prison Love:

Hey Folks,

The bags are packed and we're off to Electric Picnic tomorrow [i.e. Friday 3 Sept.]. Come and see us if you're around - we’ll be in the Village Hall Stage on Friday night at 1.00 a.m. As hoedowns go, this place rules the rooster! Packed to the rafters the last two times we played there, so wear your gingham shirts and floral skirts and help us raise the roof again!

Best,
Soapy

Bluestack Mountain Boys at Dunmore East - on video

L-r: Patrick Simpson, Will Comerford, Conor Daly, Aran Sheehan

Thanks to Aran Sheehan of the Bluestack Mountain Boys (above) for news that performances by the BMBs at last week's Dunmore East festival can be seen on MySpace.

The footage was shot by Caroline at the Strand's 'hay bale' stage; the band looks good, and the sound of the instruments comes through well. You can see 'Shady Grove', with Aran singing lead, here, and 'I know what it means to be lonesome', with Patrick Simpson singing lead, here.

Update 6 Sept: Aran adds:

We had a great time and all of the audiences were great. It seems that by being a little bit quieter this year the atmosphere in Dunmore was really lovely. As always we were very well treated by all the landlords including Niall from the Spinnaker and Clifden from the Strand, so a big 'thank you' to everyone, especially the folks in Powers and the Ocean, where we played twice.

We have three upcoming gigs:

Gateway Festival (invitation only) with Kila and God is an Astronaut on 25-26 September.
Bruff Bluegrass Festival, Bruff, Co. Limerick, on Sunday 3 October for a possible two shows.
Lady Belle pub, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, at 10.00 p.m. on Friday 8 October.

By the way, the BMBs are on Facebook and would love to hear from anyone who wishes to say hello.

The amazing folding bass

Bass players should be particularly interested in the sequence of shows by Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters (featuring Roger Williams) which will begin tomorrow at the Omagh festival and finish (after two weeks or so in Britain) on 28 September - all the dates are on the BIB calendar.

Eric Levenson, doyen of bass players on the New England scene and veteran of the Joe Val band among others, has brought his Chadwick bass on the tour, as its unique construction makes it much easier to transport by air. Circumstances may not be appropriate for Eric to put his bass through its yoga routine at the show where you see the band, but you can see the tricks it will do on the Chadwick website. Then you'll want to see the instrument itself - which, by courtesy of Eric, will also be supplying the rhythmic foundation to a fine band.

Videos from Clifftop - and more

We mentioned on 15 July that Jan Michielsen, guitar player for 4 Wheel Drive (D/NL/B) would be attending the great old-time festival at Clifftop, West Virginia, which took place four weeks ago.

As we expected, Jan had a great time (see left); and we are specially grateful to him for links to the latest Cheap Aldi Camera Productions movies on his YouTube channel and photo albums on his Facebook page.

'Old time is not a crime', Jan's documentary about Clifftop 2010, can be seen here, and the associated album of still photos (some of which are incorporated in the movie) is here.

'Intensity' is a documentary about the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys from West Virginia, a band who embody the idea of hard-core traditional bluegrass made by country people. The associated photo album is here. Jan also pays tribute to the outstanding book of photos by Carl Fleischhauer and text by Neil V. Rosenberg, Bluegrass odyssey.

Jan adds: 'For those very few people who MAY want to see my Clifftop footage "unedited" - I have uploaded the unedited stuff here: part one; part two.'

Thanks, Jan!

Rob Ickes to perform and teach in UK, Oct. 2010

Rob Ickes (USA), eleven times IBMA Dobro Player of the Year, will be performing at the Bluegrass and Beyond festival at the Brindley in Runcorn, Cheshire, England, on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th October 2010.

Private lessons with Rob may be arranged on a first-come-first-served basis on Sunday 10 October. A few lessons may be scheduled on Saturday as well. For more information on scheduling a private dobro lesson while Rob is in England, contact Rob by e-mail or through his website. A web press release on this trip can be seen here.

New CD from the OXO Boys

Bill Whelan, doyen of old-time banjo playing and godfather of string-band music in this island, has a new CD of tunes and songs, recorded by the OXO Boys (Bill, banjo; Ben Keogh, vocals, guitar; Jamie 'The Fiddle Girl from Alabama' Ferguson, fiddle) on 25 June this year at Sonic Studios, Stoneybatter, and engineered by Albert Cowan.

It has eighteen tracks and over 50 minutes playing time, and anyone who has heard the band over the last few years since Tim Rogers emigrated to Co. Mayo will want it. Contact Bill through his MySpace site or by e-mail - or, of course, at the regular Saturday early-evening old-time sessions at the Cobblestone in Dublin.

Videos from Dunmore East

Thanks to Kevin MacC. for sending this link to a four-minute video on YouTube, shot on Saturday 28 August during the 16th Guinness International Bluegrass Festival at Dunmore East, Co. Waterford.

Kevin's notes quote the Festival website on 'authentic bluegrass music', so it's worth noting that in this enjoyable video, which conveys a lot of the spirit of the Festival, the first minute of music is 'Cluck old hen' on old-time fiddle and banjo (plus guitar and bodhran), and more than half the video is the Jack Grace Band playing urban country with electric guitars and percussion; one dancer is having the time of his life. In between, for 45 seconds, bluegrass music is well represented by the Knotty Pine String Band.

Thanks also to Ray O'Brien for this link to a YouTube video he recorded on 29 August in the Ocean Hotel at Dunmore East, while Woodbine (plus Gerry Madden on mandolin) were doing the Johnny Bond classic 'I wonder where you are tonight'. See Gerry deprived of his first break because one member of Woodbine (who shall be nameless) wasn't paying attention.