New artists for 5th Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival

Uri Kohen reports from Westport, Co. Mayo:

In the last couple of weeks, I learned about the cancellation of the Irish tour of US bluegrass band County Line. I then set on the hard task of filling the gap in the programme of Westport's 5th Folk and Bluegrass Festival.

On Friday 24 June 2011 we will add the great Dublin band Little Ass Birds [top] to our folk & bluegrass bar crawl.

Saturday will now kick off with the great David Hope [left]; this time he will be joined on stage by one of Ireland's finest musicians - Tommy 'T-Bone' Lyons [right]. Tommy is a member of Westport bluegrass band The Macevillys, and one of the west's main bluegrass ambassadors. They promise it to be a fun gig with special guests and plenty of good music to suit all music lovers.

The festival's website has now been updated and our Facebook page will soon be giving regular updates on events leading to the festival. Uri and his team are working hard to ensure that the festival will showcase the best of folk and bluegrass music around on the beautiful background of Clew Bay. See you in Westport, 24-26 June!

Down and Out Bluegrass Band on YouTube

Thanks to Derek Lockhart of Dangem Quality Instruments of Craigavon, Co. Armagh, who reports:

The Down and Out Bluegrass Band sings the 'House of the Rising Sun' bluegrass style, at the Americana and Roots Club, Black Box, Belfast. See them on YouTube here.

This video is one of thirty now on the Dangem YouTube channel. The Down and Out Bluegrass Band are from Co. Down and Co. Antrim; more details are on the band page of the Dangem website. Derek adds:

Don't forget tomorrow (Saturday 30 April) the Dangem bluegrass sessions at the Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, BT27 4RL, 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon.

And the bluegrass sessions at the Errigle Inn, 312-320 Ormeau Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim BT7 2GE, this Tuesday (3 May) at 8.00 p.m.

The Americana and Roots Club meets in the Black Box, last Thursday of each month.

I Draw Slow on tour and on the air this weekend

Thanks to Dave Holden of I Draw Slow, who reports:

I Draw Slow play this Sunday [1 May] in the Bridge Brook Arms in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, as part of our Redhills tour [see the BIB for 12 April]. We will also be appearing this Saturday night on the Brendan O'Conner show on RTE.

A new member of the Irish bluegrass community

We're delighted to learn from Tony O'Brien that Tom and Nicola Kennedy are now the parents of a baby boy. The new member of the Irish bluegrass community arrived on Tuesday evening. He and his mother are reported to be in fine form.

Woodbine are scheduled to play at Bob's Bar, Durrow, Co. Laois, on Sunday 1 May from 5.00 p.m. It is believed that the new arrival will not be joining the band on this occasion, and will probably postpone becoming a regular member till he has settled on a particular instrument.

4 Wheel Drive in England, 29 Mar.-2 Apr. 2011

4WD catching the sun at Glastonbury (where Jan had his aura checked)

Thanks to Jan Michielsen of 4 Wheel Drive (D/NL/B) for news of the band's tour in England a month ago. Shortly before it was due to start, the regular 4WD banjo-player Jürgen Biller was obliged to remain at home for family health reasons, and Matthias Malcher (on the left in the above photo) stepped in to fill the gap.

Matthias takes a break at Leeds Bluegrass Club on 31 Mar. (show organised by Kevin Garrett)

On Friday 1 April 4WD played a joint concert with the Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys (UK) in the Arts Centre at Wellington, Somerset. The show was sold out, and Jan reports:

This was a wonderful and extremely successful concert. A 'Night of the Cow' experience! Good crowd including the mayor and his wife, beneficial raffle with prizes from Belgium, Germany, and Holland, and a great atmosphere. The Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys are local heroes and rightfully so. We enjoyed this one a lot... Thanks to Eugene O'Brien [of the Belgian band Sons of Navarone] for getting us to the right persons.

Jan also includes this link to the latest work from Cheap Aldi Camera Productions with footage and stills from the tour, and (as a bonus) the 'Comedy Capers' short we mentioned on 17 April is appended to it.

The band recalibrate their vibrations at Woodhenge

Old home place: debut CD from Southern Welfare

Thanks to Ray O'Brien of Southern Welfare, who writes:

Southern Welfare will be releasing their debut CD, Old home place, this weekend during the Rhythm & Roots Festival in Kilkenny. We would like to thank Vinny Baker of VeeBee Studios in Mullingar for recording it for us back in January, also a big thanks to Paul Foley in Waterford for the album art and poster design. If you would like a copy, call Ray on 0851386710 or e-mail. Price: €10.

Dust Busters: some dates still free in June

As we announced just a month ago, the Dust Busters (USA) old-time string band will return to Ireland at midsummer 2011, performing at this year's Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival (24-26 June) in Westport, Co. Mayo.

The Dust Busters come highly recommended by people in the States who know old-time music; so if you have or know of an opportunity for them to play on 22, 23, 24, or 25 June, those dates are still free in their schedule. Contact them by e-mail.

Smithwick's Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival: shows selling out fast

The organisers of the Smithwick's Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival report that some of the major shows in the Festival are already sold out: the Drive-By Truckers and Beth Orton completely, with long waiting lists, and others nearly sold out or selling fast. Check the current status of any that interest you via this link to the online programme. For booking at Rollercoaster Records, 'phone 056 7763669. The latest bulletin from the Festival committee says:

Check our website for last-minute accommodation offers. International festival website Kadmus Arts has named us 'Festival pick of the week'! Weather forecast: looks good for weekend, with the odd shower.

Bending the Strings receive Leinster Entertainers Award

Thanks and congratulations to Bending the Strings for this news:

Earlier in April we reported that Bending the Strings were in line to receive an award from the Leinster Entertainers Awards as voted by listeners of KFM radio for 'Best Bluegrass Album of the Year' for their album All keyed up.

The band were very excited to be receiving this award and they felt very honoured to have been able to represent the Irish bluegrass scene with the award. But on the day of the award, things were not going according to plan. Guitarist Vinny Baker was hit by a bad virus and was confined to bed. It seemed that while the band would still collect their award, they would not be able to perform on the night as they were short a member.


But help was at hand!! - in the guise of long-time friend of the band and all-round great bluegrass musician, mandolin wizard Gerry Madden, who came to the rescue. Gerry travelled all the way from Waterford to the Killashee Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare, to play with Martin Cooney and Moyra Fraser [see photo above] at the Leinster Entertainers Awards concert and enabled the band to perform at the event. He did a Trojan job on the night, and the band went down a storm at the event. Vinny was devastated to have to miss the concert, but was eternally grateful to Gerry for having stood in for him at this extremely short notice.

Bending the Strings (with Vinny) along with KFM's top DJ Liam Kett at the station

The band are really proud of the progress this album has been making for them. The title track of the album had received tremendous airplay from KFM and indeed from our national station RTE Radio 1, in particular on the Ronan Collins show and John Creedon's show. The album also got extensive airtime on BBC's Radio Ulster and was the featured album of the week on Hugo Duncan's daily radio show on BBC Radio Ulster. It also received a lot of attention from the UK BBC Radio 1 and got great exposure in the UK, and in light of that the band intend to re-release the album All keyed up in the UK with additional tracks to increase it from its original 12-track album format to a new 16-track album. This will include new artwork and packaging. Bending the Strings have a short promo tour lined up in the UK in July of this year and will be doing a number of gigs at London's bluegrass venue, the Green Note Cafe.

Bluegrass festival time will soon be here, and Bending the Strings look forward to meeting their friends and followers at most of the festivals where they will be performing. At a number of the festivals they will be doing 5-string banjo and bluegrass guitar workshops also; so come along and see us, we look forward to your company.

Cathy Willis Coakley

Sad news of an Irish-born member of the bluegrass scene in the United States: Ira Gitlin reports on the IBMA-L e-mail list:

Cathy Willis Coakley, a bass player and singer in the Washington, DC, area since the 1980s, died of cancer this past Thursday. She was a native of Ireland, and had lived in the San Francisco area before moving east. Cathy played with local bands including Red Toad Road, Too Far Gone, and Badly Bent. She was a good picker, a good wife and mother, and a good friend.

Erio Meili

We report with great regret the death late last week of our friend Erio Meili, originally from Switzerland but best known to the bluegrass world for many years now as the founder and moving spirit of the São Paulo Bluegrass Music Association (SPBMA) in Brazil, and of the South American Bluegrass Network, and as a vigorous member of the IBMA. He is survived by his wife Maria and their sons Leandro and Bruno.

Erio was a man of great kindness and generosity, combined with lively good humour and unlimited energy in the cause of the banjo (his own main instrument) and anything connected with bluegrass and related musics; just a glance at the SPBMA home page will give some idea of his exuberant imagination.

He had an active interest in Irish music (a strong element in São Paulo jam sessions), and brought his family on a Dublin holiday in the spring of 1997. He also adopted the Titanic as a running motif: many São Paulo bluegrass events took place on his 'Titanic Harbour stage', based on a benign vision of a past in which the Titanic had missed the iceberg, changed course to warmer waters, and reached its haven in Brazil.

More about Erio can be read in Bob Cherry's appreciation on Cybergrass. The bluegrass world is poorer for his loss, and our sympathies go out to his family and friends.

Hazel Dickens, 1935-2011

The death of Hazel Dickens of West Virginia was announced yesterday on the original Bluegrass Blog by David Morris, who has since posted an appreciation. Much of her life was an unyielding struggle with adversity, and her passing is a severe blow to those who value the toughness at the roots of traditional bluegrass.

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin for this link to Hazel Dickens's singing of 'The faded pressed rose'. Sharon says: 'This is a beautiful song that I've had on the CD player a lot lately.'

Thanks also to Richard F Thompson for this link to Hazel Dickens's entry in the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. In the very first line, Ireland is named among the countries in which she has sung. We recall that some years ago she was booked to appear at the Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival at Omagh, but unfortunately was then obliged by health problems to cancel the trip. Does any BIB reader recall seeing or hearing Hazel perform in Ireland on some other occasion?

Next DanGem Bluegrass Get-Together, Sat. 30 Apr. 2011

Thanks to Derek Lockhart of DanGem Quality Instruments of Craigavon, Co. Armagh, for news that the next DanGem Bluegrass Get-Together will be held on Saturday 30 Apr. 2011, from 9.30 a.m. to 12.00 noon at Lagan Valley Island, Island Civic Centre, Lisburn BT27 4RL, Co. Antrim. The schedule is:

9.30-10.00 Warm-up
10.00-11.00 Split up for banjo beginners class
11.00-12.00 All join in the sing-along and jam session

A location map is on the DanGem website. Bring along your banjos, guitars, mandolins, fiddles, dobros, and bass, or just come along and enjoy!

NB: The next Belfast Bluegrass session will be on Tuesday 3 May at 8.00 p.m., upstairs in the Errigle Inn, 312-320 Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 2GE; telephone 028 9064 1410.

You can read the whole Dangem e-bulletin online here.

The new Bluegrass Europe

Issue #79 of Bluegrass Europe, the European Bluegrass Music Association's official magazine, was posted out earlier this month to EBMA members and subscribers worldwide. This is the first issue of BE's rebirth as an independent quarterly magazine under a new editorial team (including Chris Keenan of Longford), and with 40 pages it's a very impressive piece of work by everyone involved.

Issue #79 has many more pages in colour, and in particular many more advertisements, than before, and a wide range of content with articles, features, event calendar, and reviews. Greg Cahill of Special Consensus is just one of the subjects, and Niall Toner contributes his list of ten top bluegrass albums. More detail is on the European Bluegrass Blog.

Bluegrass Europe is free to all EBMA members; non-members can subscribe for €25 a year (four issues). You can subscribe online or by writing to the editorial office: see the BE page on the EBMA website.

And check out the new look of the EBMA website itself, which has been thoroughly refurbished by the EBMA's webmaster, chairperson, and chief editor Angelika Torrie, with graphic design by Liz Meesters.

News from Westport

From Uri Kohen, organiser of the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Co. Mayo:

In recent weeks I was only reading the blog without posting any news; that is due to the fact that my dad has passed away.

My dad was a big fan of American folk music and Pete Seeger in particular; as I posted before, he had the privilege to pay host to Seeger in 1964 in Israel [see photo above: Uri's father introduces Pete Seeger to an audience].

My dad honoured me with the love for the music which I'm promoting in recent years. He was a dedicated reader of the blog.

On my return to 'normal business' I want to present to you three golden moments from the first Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival in June 2007. The first clip is taken from the very first gig of the festival; it was a production of the Electric Cave and paid a tribute to the legends of folk and bluegrass. Here are Tim Rogers and Mick Daly playing some classic tunes.

The second clip is taken from a session in the Sheebeen pub that set the sound for the wonderful night that followed. Among familiar faces you can see Dearbhla Ryan singing a classic number; she is now playing with Tim Rogers and the Clew Bay Critters, who will play on the main stage of this year's festival.

The last clip is the legendary Lee Valley String Band, the first big name to headline our festival.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ger Kenny from Pervege Free Films for documenting all this great music. In June this year we will celebrate our fifth year and we promise it will be another wonderful event. See you in Westport!

'Best of Bluegrass' presenter to visit Ireland in August

Good to hear from Bob Mitchell in Kentucky (see the BIB for 6 Mar. 2008 and 16 Aug. 2008), who has been presenting his radio show 'Best of Bluegrass' for over three years now on the International Bluegrass Music Museum's service Radio Bluegrass International.

Bob and his family will be visiting Ireland in the last week of August and look forward to hearing plenty of good traditional music while they're here - mainly in the south and west. Suggestions will be welcome!

Bluestack Mountain Boys: upcoming shows - and more

Thanks to Aran Sheehan, mandolinist with the Bluestack Mountain Boys, for news of two upcoming shows by the band:

Sat. 23 Apr.: Sweeny's Mongrel (Le Cirk), 32 Dame Street, Dublin 2: 6.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. (no cover charge). It's Sweeny's Birthday, which is worth celebrating as they have proven to be a fantastic support not only to all genres of emerging artists in Dublin but also to emerging bluegrass and acoustic acts. There will be free music on three floors all night.

Sun. 1 May: Vantastival: Paddy Mirage Stage, 7.10 p.m.

The Vantastival will be held 29 Apr.-1 May at the Dunany Estate, a privately owned organic farm near Annagassan, Co. Louth, and close to the sea. Aran adds:

Watched a very interesting film with a short snip of Bill Monroe in the early days playing a small-town gig. Here is the link. Remembering the High Lonesome is the story of the making of a classic documentary film. It is also a profile of filmmaker, photographer, artist, and musician John Cohen.

New video for 'Goldmine' by I Draw Slow

The BIB posted news a week ago that Redhills, the new album by I Draw Slow, will be released on 22 April, with the launch on 24 April (Easter Sunday) in the Sugar Club, Dublin.

Further thanks to Dave Holden of I Draw Slow, who sends word that a new video for the song 'Goldmine', from the album, can now be seen on YouTube. Dave says: 'Enjoy!', and the BIB certainly did; it's an impressive piece of work.

Steve Kaufman on Homespun

The BIB has carried news in the past both on Homespun's great catalogue of instructional material and their recession-busting sales prices, and on Steve Kaufman's well respected instruction workshops in the USA. They can now be both mentioned in one post, as Homespun have just published Steve's DVD Get started on bluegrass and country guitar. Full details are here.

As we mentioned last month, Steve Kaufman will be in Ireland in September, and will be giving a guitar workshop in Dublin as part of his tour schedule.

Tennessee Mafia Jug Band in Ireland, July 2011

The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band on the Grand Ole Opry stage, with WSM announcer Eddie Stubbs and Marty Stuart

Thanks to Chris Keenan of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival for the news that the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band (USA), featuring the irreplaceable Leroy Troy, will make a long-awaited journey across the Atlantic in July for a limited number of shows in Ireland:

Mon. 18th: TBC
Tues. 19th: Kilworth Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork
Wed. 20th: Clonmel World Music, Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
Thurs. 21st: Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin
Fri. 22nd: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Sat. 23rd: Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim

For more info, ring 087 281 7825.

Comedy capers with 4 Wheel Drive

Following yesterday's news about Red Wine (I), here's something on another of Ireland's favourite bluegrass bands from the Continent. Thanks to Jan Michielsen, guitarist for 4 Wheel Drive (D/NL/B) and moving spirit behind the innovative Cheap Aldi Camera Productions, for sending this link to his latest film, showing 4WD doing - well, see for yourself...

Jan says: 'Have fun with this one!', a needless instruction if ever we heard one. Playing banjo here is Matthias Malcher, who plays with 4WD's mandolinist Ulli Sieker in their long-established Looping Brothers (D) band. You can sample other Cheap Aldi Camera Productions movies on Jan's YouTube channel.

Guitar sound enhancement gear for sale

Frank Robinson - Derry's guitar hero of the showband era, film buff, country music walking encyclopedia, and longtime lynchpin of bluegrass in the north-west - has the following items of Fishman sound gear for sale, shown with Frank's comments:

1 Onboard Fishman slider preamp system (ideal for amplifying acoustic guitar): €120

1 Fishman Aura Imaging Pedal Dreadnought (check Fishman site for details; this is a great piece of kit): €150

If anyone is interested I can be contacted at 028-71342777 [048-71342777 for anyone ringing from the Republic].

Red Wine in Ireland: pre-Omagh appearances?

Red Wine from Genoa in Italy (which they insist on calling 'Genova') are not only a splendid band by any standards, and not only one of the premier bluegrass bands in Europe - they've earned a special place in the affections of bluegrass enthusiasts here, notably in repeated appearances at the Athy and Omagh festivals.

Thus, when the Ulster American Folk Park at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, decided to make the twentieth Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival this year (2-4 Sept.) a pretty special event, it was natural to ensure that Red Wine would be on the lineup. But the good news doesn't stop there.

Red Wine will also be available for other appearances in Ireland in the week before the Omagh festival: on Monday 29, Tuesday 30, and Wednesday 31 August. Anyone who wishes to put on a top-class bluegrass show in this island on any of those dates is strongly recommended to contact Red Wine through their website or by e-mail.

Incidentally, in five weeks from now (20-21 May) they will be holding the Third Red Wine Bluegrass Party in their home city, with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (USA) as their guests. For more details, click on the poster image.

A new guide to vintage Gibson instruments

Thanks to Cathal Cusack for this news item from the website of the Fretboard Journal:

In May of 2011, Joe Spann will release Spann's guide to Gibson 1902-1941, a new book on vintage Gibson guitars, mandolins and banjos that may very well rewrite how we classify, age and think about these wonderful instruments. Spann did copious amounts of research for his 300-page book, including interviewing the few still-living employees of Gibson from this era.

The publishers, Centerstream, recently produced Jim Mills's important book on original prewar Gibson flathead 5-string Mastertone banjos. You can read more about the new book, hear a podcast on the FJ website, and click on a link to Amazon, here.

Bluegrass fiddle workshop in Dublin, 7 May 2011

Good news for any fiddler who'll be in Dublin during the Baltimore Fiddle Fair weekend, thanks to John Mardirosian, director of Waltons New School of Music at 69 South Great Georges St., Dublin 2. John reports:

I thought you would be interested to hear about our upcoming Bluegrass Fiddle Basics workshop, which will take place at Waltons New School of Music on Saturday 7 May, 3.00–5.30 p.m.

The workshop will introduce authentic bluegrass fiddle techniques and tunes to violin or Irish fiddle players with some previous experience, and will be taught by the excellent bluegrass fiddler Cathy McEvoy [left]. You can find more information on the school website here.

We would appreciate your help in spreading the word about this interesting workshop!

Happy to do so! If there's one thing the scene here badly needs, it is more bluegrass fiddle players. We applaud the School for arranging this workshop, and hope many fiddlers take advantage of the opportunity.

For bluegrass banjo players: the School is already providing tuition from the excellent Paddy Kiernan.

Foghorns on 10 May in Sixmilebridge - not Kilworth

Thanks to Nadine Landry of the Foghorn Trio (USA), Geraint Jones of GPromo PR, and FOAOTMAD for making us aware that the Foghorn Trio (shown above) will be playing on Tuesday 10 May in the Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, instead of in the Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork, as previously stated on the BIB. As Nadine says, 'Same promoter, just different location'. The correct venue is now on the BIB calendar, together with all other dates in the Foghorn tour.

Ebb ‘n’ flow: debut CD from Noriana Kennedy

The BIB is grateful for this press release on the forthcoming CD by Noriana Kennedy (left) of the Galway band Mad Uncle Harry:

The release of Noriana Kennedy's debut album Ebb ‘n’ flow is a fresh exploration of the links between Irish and American folk music. Performed by an innovative cast of young Irish musicians – including an esteemed old-time fiddling duo from the US – Ebb ‘n’ flow brings this historic connection full circle . On her first Irish tour as a solo artist and funded by the Music Network Performance and Touring Award, Noriana Kennedy’s pristine voice takes the audience from cruel wars to kind love, from New England to Waterford, and a thousand heartworn places in between.

Ebb ‘n’ flow was largely recorded in Dublin between September 2010 and February 2011. It features Cleek Schrey and Stephanie Coleman (Uncle Earl), a peerless fiddling duo from the US who will be performing as part of the Baltimore Fiddle Fair in May. The album was produced by Trevor Hutchinson, who has previously worked with Lúnasa and the Waterboys. Recurring moments of brilliance come in the form of harmonising between Noriana and Christof Van Der Ven, an emerging singer/songwriter.

Kennedy also called on the talents of guitarist Gerry Paul, a member of Gráda who has recently toured with Americana legend Tim O’Brien. Other players on the album include Breton flute player Sylvain Barou, Bill Whelan from the Rough Deal String Band, and Sean Regan (Damien Dempsey, Sean Keane). Sharon Shannon continued her tradition of collaborating with the best in new Irish talent by sitting in with Noriana on old-timey standard 'Say darling say'.

The launch of Ebb ‘n’ flow will be marked with three shows from a red-hot six-piece band. Graced by the warm stage presence of Noriana, the gigs will bring musicians versed in the old-time and Irish tradition together. Lost love, courting, marrying, war, murder, seafaring, and endurance are evoked in songs ranging from haunting ballads to lively, old-time tunes.

The tour begins on 4 May in Dublin in the Grand Social, an intimate venue in the heart of Dublin. On 5 May, Noriana Kennedy and her band play in Kelly’s Music Venue, Bridge Street, Galway. The tour concludes on 8 May in McCarthy’s, Dingle, Co. Kerry. Expect some special guests at these shows. Further details can be found at Noriana's website.

Noriana Kennedy
30 Crescent Court
Fr Griffin Road
Galway
Tel. 086 1003342; e-mail
Quick listen
Artist bio

The Bonfire Band on tour, 13-19 May 2011

The Bonfire Band (UK) will be playing several dates in the western parts of Ireland next month. Though they're not straight-down-the-line bluegrass, the band's original material, combined with bluegrass standards and delivered with banjo, guitar, double bass, and harmony vocals, earns them a place at bluegrass events.

The Bonfire Band (also on MySpace) have a schedule of residencies and shows in the London area, which they play in configurations ranging from duo to five-piece. The full lineup consists of Ben Faulkner (guitar), Will Heath (bass), Adam Beattie (banjo/lead guitar), Dominic Brider (drums), and Will Butterworth (piano).

The dates at present on their schedule are shown below. For any bookings for the band on the intervening days, contact them by e-mail.

Fri. 13th Sandinos, Derry city
Mon. 16th The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone; contact 07747120659 or e-mail
Tues. 17th Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Thurs. 19th St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry

Open House Festival relocates to 22-26 June 2011

Thanks to Kieran Gilmore, of the Coors Light Open House Festival in Belfast, for the news that the 13th Festival will be held at midsummer this year, instead of September as in the past:

Warm summer evenings, cold beer, heart warming music - we hope you'll agree, it's a great move. We'll still have all your favourite Open House ingredients - headline shows in Custom House Square, intimate gigs in venues throughout the Cathedral Quarter, free traditional music pub sessions, ChilliFest PLUS the brand new Breakthrough series of gigs in the Oh Yeah Music Centre.

The Friday evening concert will include the Avett Brothers (USA), who have recently appeared with their guitar and 5-string banjo on the front covers of the Fretboard Journal and Acoustic Guitar magazines. More details are on the Festival e-newsletter; the Festival is also on Twitter and Facebook.

Honza Macák, European bluegrass pioneer

(photo: Jan Lžičař)

Jan 'Honza' Macák of the Czech Republic died today (12 April 2011) of stomach cancer at the age of 67. A pioneer of bluegrass music in Europe and a major influence for decades on the vigorous Czech scene, he founded in 1973 Europe's oldest bluegrass festival, the Banjo Jamboree at Čáslav. His funeral will be held on Monday 18 April in Jicin, Czech Republic. More details are on the European Bluegrass Blog.

Redhills: new CD and tour by I Draw Slow

Thanks to Dave Holden of I Draw Slow, who reports:

I Draw Slow are happy to announce the release of their new album Redhills on 22 April. The album launch will be on 24 April (Easter Sunday) in the Sugar Club, Dublin.

We will also be going on a country-wide tour to promote it. We hope to see you somewhere on the trail.

24 Apr. Sugar Club, Leeson St., Dublin 2
30 Apr. The Bridgebrook Arms, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny
5 May Dolan's, Limerick city
8 May Crane Lane, Cork city
13 May The Thatch, Tullamore, Co. Offaly
14 May Billy Byrne's, Kilkenny city
22 May Kelly's, Galway city
18 June Glor, Ennis, Co. Clare

Below (l-r): Colin Derham, Louise Holden, Dave Holden, Konrad Liddy, Adrian Hart. The band are also on MySpace.

More on Carlton Haney

Just under a month ago the BIB posted news of the death of Carlton Haney (shown left), a major figure in bluegrass history. We noted at the time that he was too big a figure for the BIB to attempt an obituary.

Now, fortunately, thanks to Richard F Thompson a much fuller account of Carlton Haney's life and achievements has appeared on the original Bluegrass Blog, and we strongly recommend reading all of it. Musician Warren Amberson is quoted:

I’ve often said there are people in bluegrass music with many Grammys, and honors with money that goes along with that, but they didn’t really know bluegrass because they didn’t know Carlton Haney.

And bluegrass historian Neil Rosenberg:

Much that we now take from granted today about the world of bluegrass would not have happened without his enthusiasm, his vision, his energy, and his warm welcoming ways.

Find out why on the Bluegrass Blog.

Marie McManus passes

Tony O'Brien of the Athy Bluegrass Music Association sends the sad news that Marie McManus, wife of Sean McManus, passed away yesterday (Sunday) after an illness of several months. Her funeral will take place after 12.00 mass in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, on Wednesday. We wish to express our hopes for the repose of Marie's spirit, and our sympathy for her husband Sean in his loss. Sean is one of the most constant supporters of bluegrass music in Ireland.

The BIB editor apologises to all, and especially to Sean, for a serious error in this post when it was first published.

The Wiyos begin their tour at the Ubangi Stomp Club, Dublin, 13 Apr. 2011

Thanks to Paul Foley of the Ubangi Stomp Club, who announces:

This Wednesday, 13 April, at 8.00 p.m. in the Odessa Club (13 Dame Court, Dublin 2), Ubangi Stomp Club presents:

From New York City, the Wiyos are at the centre of the burgeoning American roots music revival in the US and globally. Their music has been described as ragtime jugband blues, hillbilly swing, old time jazz. All these tags fit, and more. They play music rooted in the '20s and '30s but in a contemporary 'Wiyos' style. The band are multi-instrumentalists, so prepare to be amazed at the range of sounds on offer.

Support on the night will be from Gary Fitzpatrick and friends. Gary will be known to most of you as a founder member of Dublin's own roots ensemble, the Sick and Indigent Song Club. He has been locked away in the rehearsal studio for the last few months, and we very much look forward to hearing the results.

Admission is just €10, payable at the door. Here is a video of the Wiyos' current touring lineup in action a few days ago.

BIB editor's note: the Ubangi Stomp Club show is the first in the current tour by the Wiyos, who play the following night at Clonmel World Music (where the show is already sold out). Details of these and their three remaining shows in Ireland are on the BIB calendar.

Niall Toner in the USA, Apr.-May 2011

As reported on the BIB on 12 Mar., the Niall Toner Band reached the #1 download spot on the bluegrass and folk charts for Air Play Direct during March 2011, an extraordinary achievement for artists based outside the USA.

Thanks to Steve Johnson, CEO of Mountain Music Entertainment, who represent the NTB in the States, for the news that as a result the band have been getting ever-increasing air play on US radio. Niall's fine songs about the Father of Bluegrass Music are naturally going down well in 2011, the centenary of Bill Monroe's birth.

Following this success, Niall will be visiting Tennessee (where he will be taking care of business in Nashville) and North Carolina in late April/early May. He will perform a few solo shows in Asheville, NC, before heading to MerleFest, where he will conduct interviews with as many stars of roots and bluegrass music as possible, for broadcasting on his Roots Freeway radio show on RTE Radio One during June and July this year.

Table quiz for Mohill festival, Tues. 19 Apr. 2011

Thanks to the indefatigable Joyce Merne and Tommy Kelleher, organisers of the First Mohill Bluegrass Festival (12-14 August 2011) for the news that a Fund-Raising Table Quiz in aid of the Festival will be held in the Canon Donohue Hall, Mohill, on Tuesday 19 April at 7.30 p.m.

Taking part will be €20 for a table of four people, and there will be a raffle on the night. This deserves the support of everyone in the Mohill area, and of all bluegrass enthusiasts - in any area - who can get to it.

Sacred Harp convention in England, 23-4 Apr. 2011

There are plenty of satisfactions to be found in the bluegrass and old-time scene over here. In Britain there are some added bonuses, in what seems like a wealth of Appalachian dance groups, and Sacred Harp singing ensembles with their own national organisation.

Thanks to the UK's old-time association FOAOTMAD for the news that the East Midlands Sacred Harp Convention is being held on 23-24 April 2011 at the Village Hall, Kegworth, in Leicestershire. More details are here. The weekly FOATMAD mailout adds:

You are cordially invited to the East Midlands Sacred Harp Convention. There is no need to book in advance - just turn up and sing!

We note that the CD I belong to this band (see photo) is available, as a companion to the documentary film Awake my soul, mentioned some time ago on the BIB. Full details of the CD are here - where you can also see what Charlie Louvin, who died earlier this year, had to say on the influence of Sacred Harp harmony on the Louvin Brothers' singing.

Classics reissued by Pinecastle

Good news for those who want to catch up on some long-unavailable classic recordings: Pinecastle Records are re-releasing ten albums from the old Webco label catalogue, by such figures as Jim Eanes, Bill Harrell, Bill Emerson, James King, Pete Goble, Larry Stephenson, and Lou Reid. These can now be downloaded online from such sources as Amazon MP3 and iTunes, and radio presenters can also download them from AirPlay Direct.

Full details, with links to individual albums, can be found here. See also this post on the original Bluegrass Blog.

Who's who in European bluegrass

On 3 April we posted news about the new Facebook pages of the European Bluegrass Music Association and Bluegrass Europe, the official magazine of the EBMA.

The BIB and its editor are not on Facebook, and unlikely to be there in the near future; but we have to say that both the EBMA and BE Facebook pages are already, in their first few days, proving to be very valuable sources of up-to-the-minute bluegrass news, photos, and contacts. Not just about the European scene: we notice news from US bands beginning to appear. However, both of them are clearly meant for information about the scene in Europe, and especially for the new initiatives coming out of the EBMA.

One striking new development is Bluegrass Europe's online 'Who's who in European bluegrass' project. The first important step already taken is the setting up of a Who-is-Who: European Bluegrass • Groups Facebook page, which already has photos and links to fifteen prominent bands, some of whom are well known to Irish audiences - including one prestigious Irish band...

Your band, or your choice of another organisation or artist, can be listed in Bluegrass Europe's 'Who's who in European bluegrass' by following the clear and comprehensive procedure set out on this Facebook page.

Toy Hearts' complete PA equipment stolen

Bad news from Sophia, Hannah, and Stewart Johnson of the Toy Hearts (UK), who have played at major festivals in Ireland in past years. They report:

We are sorry to contact with rather depressing news, but last night our van (outside our house in Kings Heath in Birmingham, West Midlands) got broken into and our entire PA equipment and microphones were stolen.

Below is an exact list of what was taken. If anyone gets any information or sees this stuff for sale anywhere, please contact us immediately.

STOLEN PA EQUIPMENT

2 X Mach ‘M.Flex 15’ powered speakers
1 X Mackie 12-channel mixing desk in flight case

Flight case rack containing:
2 X Behringer compressors
1 X Yamaha graphic equaliser
1 X Berhinger graphic equaliser with feedback destroyer
1 X Multi-core 12 + 4 (not on reel)

Microphones
1 X Neuman KM14
1 X Shure Beta 87
2 X AKG C1000 1 original, made in Austria; grey colour. 1 newer model; silver colour.
2 X Audio Technica MB4000C
2 X Shure SM 58

Large tool box containing leads, speaker cables, PA power cables, mike clips, tools, etc.

Contact Sophia Johnson by e-mail or 'phone (0044) 07977998061. Take warning: don't imagine it can't happen to you - and if the worst does happen, be prepared (as the Toy Hearts were) with a complete list of your gear, so that you and others can know what has been taken.

Minnie and the Illywhackers in Dublin, 13 May 2011

Thanks to Gerry Fitzpatrick for this news, which will help those readers who have been frustrated by following a out-of-date BIB calendar entry to the Ha'penny Bridge Inn in Dublin:

The Sick & Indigent Song Club are not performing at present. We have taken a break while developing a few other projects. e.g....

Minnie and the Illywhackers - features the vocal talents and ukulele playing of former Sick & Indigent singer and writer Angie McLaughlin. Drawing on the musical skills of Christian Volkman (bass) and Shane McGrath (guitar, mandolin), Sheila Sullivan (fiddle), Carl O'Byrne (cornet, trumpet) and Gerry Fitzpatrick (guitar, resophonic guitar, accordion), the Illywhackers recreate a 'supper club' atmosphere, playing original ukulele swing and a variety of music from the early and mid twentieth century.

Minnie and the Illywhackers can be seen at Bewley's Cafe, Dublin, on Friday 13 May at 8.30 p.m.

Bending the Strings to receive award for All keyed up

Bending the Strings are honoured to be taking part in the Leinster Entertainers Awards concert in Killashee House Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare, on Monday 18 April, commencing at 8.00 p.m. sharp.

The band are due to receive an award for their very successful album All keyed up, the title track of which was which was a regular request on KFM Radio. Martin Cooney, Moyra Fraser, and Vinny Baker are very excited about receiving the award, and would like to thank KFM Radio for their support in making All keyed up such a huge success for Bending the Strings.

The band look forward to seeing all their fans and friends at the concert on Monday 18 April and in the coming months at the Athy, Longford, Bruff, Mohill, Ardara, and Dunmore East bluegrass festivals - and a big 'thank you' from the band to everyone who helped make their All keyed up album a huge success.

Dobro meets Irish trad!

Thanks to Colin Henry, who writes:

Thought you might like this photo taken at the launch of Oonagh Derby's CD Harmony Street. Gerry (banjo) O'Connor produced the album and I played on some of the tracks.

Gerry wanted to kick off the night with a rip-up so we played 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' along with Gino Lupari on bodhran and Gerdy Thompson on guitar. A real privilege to play with these musicians. Gerry is probably the best tenor-banjo player in the world and I have been a fan of his for many years. I never imagined I would get to play with him and to play with Gino as well.

Oonagh's CD is great and can be purchased from CD Baby and through her website.

BIB editor's note: Not (of course) the first meeting between Irish traditional music and the resophonic guitar: Colin's own playing of Irish tunes can be heard on his MySpace site, and Frankie Lane's 1993 album Dobro on the Gael-Linn label is an eye-opener.

Update: After the above note was posted, Colin added:

Incidentally, just as you had started the whole banjo thing for me back in the 70s, it was Frankie Lane's Dobro album that started me on the dobro. I was driving in Belfast one day back in 1993 on my way to Matchetts music shop to buy banjo strings. A track from Dobro came on the radio and I was really taken with it. As pure chance would have it, when I went into Matchetts I was browsing the banjo books (as I always did) and I came across The Dobro Book by Stacy Phillips. As I had been so taken with Frankie's playing I thought I would buy the book and give it a go.

I went home and put a nut extender on an old guitar and used an old bottleneck with a bit of cable taped to it for grip. From the moment I heard the sound I was completely hooked. I got all my banjo/bluegrass records out and listened to them again, only listening for the dobro this time. About six months into learning I nearly stopped, as I had recorded myself for the first time and realised I was constantly flat on the note. I thought I just didn't have the ear to play well. The wonders of the internet came to the rescue as I had Stacy Phillips's e-mail from the book and I e-mailed him and told him about my tuning problem. As you know, Stacy is a great teacher and his reply to me was to persevere; he said I was halfway there as I knew I was out of tune, it was the people who didn't know they were out of tune that had the problem.

I never looked back from there. The banjo, I am afraid, took second place from there on in. So there you are - two great American bluegrass instruments and I only took them up because of players from Ireland - so you see I have to play some Irish music in gratitude! To finish the story, a few years ago Gary, Janet, and I were at the Phil Murphy festival in Wexford and were staying in the same B&B as Frankie. I had never met him and one morning after breakfast I was sitting playing and he came into the room and asked to play my Scheerhorn. As he played I told him my story and that the only reason I was there was because of him - I'm not sure he wanted that responsibility :-). We became friends and we have subsequently recorded at his Athy studio. An all-round great musician and nice guy.

PS: Note to aspiring dobro players - record yourself well and often!

Bluegrass Europe now on Facebook

Bluegrass Europe, the official magazine of the European Bluegrass Music Association, now has a Facebook page of its own, in addition to the EBMA Facebook page.

For anyone on Facebook, this is a valuable additional source of up-to-the-minute bluegrass news, photos, and contacts. The EBMA invites you to check out and 'like' both pages.

The first issue of the renewed Bluegrass Europe magazine is due out this month - don't miss it! The editorial team has been working hard on getting it out, in particular on making the many entries that are needed in the calendar of events and festivals.

EBMA membership now runs from 1 April through 31 March the next year. It is now the time to start or renew your membership, which can be done online. You can also subscribe to Bluegrass Europe without joining the EBMA, by using this link.