Don Rigsby in Ireland, 7-12 June 2011: update

Thanks to Chris Keenan for the news that Don Rigsby (USA) and his band Midnight Call will now be playing all six nights of their tour here, beginning next week, with the addition of a date in Co. Clare. The tour schedule is now as follows:

Tues. 7 June: Kilworth Arts Centre, Co. Cork
Wed. 8 June: Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare; info 087 792 1771
Thurs. 9 June: Colfer's, Carrig-on-Bannow, Co. Wexford
Fri. 10 June: Athy Arts Centre, Co. Kildare
Sat. 11 June: PV's Red Room, Longford town
Sun. 12 June: Mercantile Hotel, Dame St., Dublin 2

The band will then go on to play in the Netherlands and in the Czech and Slovak Republics. We repeat what was said in our first announcement: 'This is a rare chance to see hard-core traditional bluegrass at full vitality and performed to its highest standards.' For further information, 'phone 087 281 7825.

Trip to Tipp

Above (l-r), Colin Henry, Janet Holmes, Monika Bermingham, Ivan Muirhead. Colin reports:

Last year Gary Ferguson and I made our first trip to Crocanoir, Co. Tipperary. We did not know what to expect but what we found was one of the nicest venues you could possibly play. Owned and run by John and Monika Bermingham, this was John's ancestral home farm and it is beautifully set at the foot of the mountain. John and Monika have spent long hours restoring the buildings and creating a great place to stay and a great place to play music. One of the old outbuildings has been turned into a concert venue with the original stone walls now covered in the signed photgraphs of those who have played there - from Gary and me to Frankie Gavin to Charlie McGettigan, and on Saturday night Janet, Ivan, and myself.

We had a great evening. Just about a full house, and with a very responsive audience it was like playing to friends. In the end we ran out of encores and we had to play some stuff we hadn't played together for years. This had the unexpected result that we even managed to sell a couple of our old Birddog CDs from 15 years back! The highlight for me, as it was last year, was in the after concert session when Monika sang 'Lili Marlene' in her native German. If you get the chance to go don't miss it. Here is a photo of us with Monika and a photo [below] looking up from Crocanoir to the mountain:

Westport Festival 2011: timetable and the Big Bang at the end!

Uri Kohen, organiser of the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival in Westport, Co. Mayo, sends the timetable (left) for this year's event; click on the image for a larger version. Uri also reports:

Since the formation of the festival in 2007, one of the most successful sessions was 'Tim Rogers & Friends' - it is the last official session of the festival and Tim is joined every year by some of the best old-time musicians in the business.

This year Tim will once again join forces with two great musicians: Ben Keogh of the Rough Deal String Band and Lena Ullman of the Higglers. Like the previous years, it will be a great session to finish what is bound to be three great days of folk and bluegrass.

In the picture (below) - Tim, Lena, and Jan [guitar] from 4 Wheel Drive from the session in 2008.

BIB editor's note: Can any reader identify the fiddler in the foreground?

Michael Miles at Naul, Fri. 27 May

We draw attention again to the fact that Michael J. Miles (USA) will be playing in concert at the Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre in Naul, Co. Dublin, on Friday 27 May; and we do so because anyone interested in the banjo as an instrument of music deserves to hear one of the most remarkable artists of the banjo alive today.

Michael Miles plays the 5-string banjo, using essentially the oldest and most basic right-hand banjo technique to make some of the most complex and sensitive music that has been heard from the instrument. And he plays guitar and sings; and he will be giving workshops in both instruments at the Centre the following (Saturday) afternoon.

Yes, we know the Wilders are due to play at Naul on Saturday night. You owe it to yourself to be there both nights!

Full lineup announced for Coors Light Open House Festival, 22-26 June 2011

The Coors Light Open House Festival team announce the full lineup for this year's festival (22-26 June 2011), with all details on the festival website. BIB readers should specially note the Chilli Fest in Custom House Square on 25 and 26 June, together with at least three of the free sessions:

Fri. 24 June American session at McHugh's, 4.00-7.00 p.m. with the Down and Out Bluegrass Band (Roy Brown (bass), Mal Duffin (fiddle), Richard Leeman (guitar), and Howard Walker (banjo))
Sat. 25 June Old-time session at the John Hewitt, 3.00-6.00 p.m.
Sun. 26 June Belfast Bluegrass: open session at McHugh's, 2.00-5.00 p.m.

The Open House team's latest bulletin can be seen here.

The Wilders: on the road, on stage, and on YouTube in Ireland

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin, chatelaine of the Red Room at Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, who sends this evocative shot of the Wilders (USA) in action, and more:

I'm sending you a link to a video of our house concert last night; hope you enjoy it. We had our largest crowd yet and everyone had a fantastic night. We waved the group off this morning, fortified with a good old Ulster fry (our own duck eggs included), so they'll be well fit for tonight's gig in Letterkenny (or maybe not fit to move!)

We've set up a Facebook page called 'The Red Room Cookstown' which anyone interested can go to (as long as they're on fb). This will give news of upcoming gigs and also has photos and videos of previous concerts.

More photos of the Wilders' are on the Red Room Facebook page - and yes, the walls in the photo are green: the Red Room was too small, and the show moved to the Green Room instead!

Coal Porters at Cork Midsummer Festival, 18 June 2011

The Coal Porters (UK/USA), already well known to audiences in Ireland, will be taking part in the Cork Midsummer Festival (11-26 June 2011).

As shown on the Festival website, they will play in concert at Murphy's Spiegeltent, beginning at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday 18 June. Doors open at 7.00 p.m.; tickets are €15 (€12 concession).

The Coal Porters, who played at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, KY, in February 2011, have received very favourable reviews for their recordings and live shows. The Festival website quotes:

The Coal Porters are internationally recognised for their exuberant live shows which show them at their best. They are now firmly established on the UK touring circuit as the best acoustic bluegrass act around — the 'Clash of Bluegrass' is an acoustic act with attitude!

Full bio details for the Coal Porters, together with quotes from reviews, performance videos, and more, can be seen at the website of Adastra, the leading UK agency for roots and acoustic music; on YouTube; on Twitter, and on Facebook. And there's more! See the links on their homepage.

Grab an armchair at Johnston's Hall for the Molly Hicks!

The Molly Hicks (left, Ruth and Bernie) report:

Following their recent sell-out gig at the prestigious Town Hall Theatre, Galway, the Molly Hicks are delighted to take to the stage this Saturday, 28 May, in Johnston's Theatre, Kinvara, for an intimate and cosy gig in what is becoming a very popular venue in the West. Noted for their striking vocal harmonies and outstanding musicianship, this band are wowing audiences far and wide.

Featuring Ruth Dillon (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Bernie O’Mahony (vocals, uke-banjo), Tom Hanway (vocals, 5-string banjo), Peter Akerstrom (vocals, guitar), and Paul O'Driscoll (bulldog bass), this exciting bluegrass band are promising a dynamic performance, having polished up their show at many festivals in Ireland and the UK in the past year.

Based in Galway, the Molly Hicks are noted for their unique versions of traditional, bluegrass, and contemporary songs and tunes, each taking turns singing lead and harmony. Ruth continues to write original songs for the band, while the brilliant dynamic between banjo, guitar, and double bass have left audiences wide-eyed in awe.

Don’t miss this chance to catch them live in such a warm setting. The candlelit Johnston’s Hall is like a sitting room, dotted with couches and armchairs, lights are low, which creates the perfect ambience for what promises to be a gem of a gig!

Tickets €10. Doors open 8.30 p.m., Johnston's Hall, Kinvara, Co. Galway.

Tom Hanway and Karl Deeter play Saturday on RTÉ Radio to honour President Obama’s visit to Ireland

Thanks to Tom Hanway for this news:

A welcome result of President Obama’s historic visit to Ireland is this Saturday’s RTÉ Radio 1 current affairs programme, CountryWide, featuring Tom Hanway [left] on 5-string banjo playing traditional American songs from bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and ‘Caravan’, a tune composed by Duke Ellington, first popularised by maestro Bill Keith, one of Tom’s early mentors. This is a huge honour for Tom and he is very grateful to RTÉ producers for thinking of him to represent the USA on the banjo.

An RTÉ producer called Tom Hanway to ask him if he would perform live on CountryWide, which goes out from 8.00 to 9.00 a.m. Saturday morning. Tom agreed and immediately enlisted his old pickin’ pal, guitarist Karl Deeter, the savvy financial analyst and writer heard on radio and TV in Ireland. Damien O’Reilly, just back from Kentucky, hosts on this special and momentous occasion.

To honour American song traditions and African Americans, Tom and Karl [right] will play the Ellington tune in the original jazz key and dedicate it to President Obama for his visit to Ireland, where he and wife Michelle truly embraced the people, one-by-one, letting their guards down, and foiling the Secret Service. As Americans, Tom and Karl are proud to honour the Obamas for their visit to Ireland.

Tom and Karl, both married to Irish girls, are two American ex-pats. Tom, living in Longford, is originally from Larchmont, New York, and Karl, living in Dublin, is from Chicago, Illinois, where President Obama also hails from. As Tennessee Hob, Tom and Karl got their start at the 18th North Wales Bluegrass Festival (2006) in Conwy, Wales, representing Ireland. Their shows have always featured brother-style duets, hot instrumentals and Karl's off-the-cuff stories, ribs (about Tom) and jokes.

Karl Deeter plays bluegrass part-time, as a labour of love. He has a crystal-clear Appalachian voice and plays solid rhythm and fancy fiddle tunes. He also fingerpicks, playing in the styles of Doc Watson, Leo Kottke and Merle Travis. Karl and Tom take turns singing lead and harmony vocals, in the tradition of the classic brother duets in American country and bluegrass music.

Tom is a musical shape-shifter and stylistic pioneer, author of a groundbreaking 181-page tutor on Celtic fingerstyle banjo, one of Mel Bay's best-selling books and CDs. The Complete book of Irish & Celtic 5-string banjo (101 tunes) is now in its thirteenth year of publication (1998). This book/CD package has won Hanway many new converts in both hemispheres. He is currently finishing work on another Mel Bay banjo book and recording, scheduled for release later this year.

The same year Mel Bay published Hanway’s original tutor, he teamed up with legendary banjo maker Geoff Stelling to co-design the Tom Hanway Stelling SwallowTail Deluxe (no. 4737) and Standard banjo (1999), a crossover bluegrass-Celtic hybrid instrument, introducing a radiused fingerboard as a Stelling banjo option. The SwallowTail has become a popular model worldwide for Stelling, with actor Steve Martin purchasing one true to Tom's original prototype.

Tom Hanway has three recordings distributed via Universal on the major online download stores. See Tom’s homepage to download mp3s from Amazon or iTunes. Please check out Tom’s original 'Horizon Hornpipe', recorded in Nashville by Tom’s old friend, producer Bil VornDick, with Mark Schatz doubling on clawhammer banjo, and visit on Tom Hanway on MySpace for mp3 samples, and a slide show that chronicles Tom’s career in bluegrass and traditional music on both side of the Atlantic.

Westport's 5th Folk & Bluegrass Festival: launch party, 4 June

Uri Kohen sends the festival poster (left) and news from Westport, Co. Mayo:

Preparations for the 5th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival are stepping up a gear. On Thursday 2.6.2011 we will have a table quiz as a fund-raising event to the festival in the Cobblers bar at 21:30.

On Saturday 4.6.2011 we will have the official launch party of the festival. Among the guest speakers we will have:
Councillor Tereasa McGuire - current Cathaoirleach of Westport Town Council;
Brian Quinn - Product & Market Development Manager at Failte Ireland.

The music will be provided by Hubie & Sarah MacEvilly with special guest Tim Rogers. We will present the programme on the night, and the tickets will go on sale.

Looking forward to meeting you in Westport!

Bluegrass Music Weekend at Lakeside Manor, Virginia, Co. Cavan

Woodbine at Bob's Bar, Durrow, Co. Laois, 1 May 2011, with Clem O'Brien deputising for his sister Nicola on bass. Tony O'Brien (centre, with guitar) reports:

The first weekend of bluegrass music in Co. Cavan - held at the Lakeside Manor Hotel, Virginia, last weekend - was a great success. Woodbine were in fine form with Clem O'Brien again filling in for Nicola, and Southern Welfare making a surprise but welcome appearance on both Friday and Saturday night. Pickin' sessions went on till 4.30 a.m. after both shows, and from 2.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The weekend wound up with both bands playing together from 12.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. on Sunday.

A big 'thank you!' must go to Jim Brady of the Lakeside Manor for hosting the event and for the hospitality of himself and his staff over the weekend. The entire event was free. We look forward to the weekend becoming an annual event.

BIB editor's note: Coincidence plays another trick - during the weekend P.J. Coleman, a great supporter of bluegrass events, was talking to me about 'Red Hen boogie', recorded by the McCormick Brothers in 1954. On Monday I received this link from Bluegrass on the Tube to the very same recording.

Grab the banjo, head for Lisburn!

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 this coming Saturday, 28 May 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!

Peter Rowan in Acoustic Guitar magazine

The June 2011 issue (#222) of Acoustic Guitar magazine has Peter Rowan's picture on the cover, together with a major feature on him by Kenny Berkowitz which gives due prominence to Rowan's debt to the Father of Bluegrass. You can read the article online at the AG website, but the issue itself is in the shops at present.

Other goodies on the AG website include lessons by Eric Thompson, interviewed by Scott Nygaard, on 'Basic bluegrass soloing', with video and tablatures. Special attention is given to Thompson's tone production.

Viper Central in Ireland, 29 May-4 June 2011

L-r: front, Tim Tweedale (Dobro), Steve Charles (upright bass, clawhammer banjo, vocals), Tyler Rudolph (banjos, upright bass, vocals); back, Lorraine Cobb (guitar, vocals), Mark Vaughan (mandolin), Kathleen Nisbet (fiddle, vocals)

Thanks to UKBluegrass.com for the news that Viper Central are scheduled to play the following shows in Ireland, among ten or more other shows in England, Scotland, and Wales, in a tour beginning at the end of this week. Viper Central are based in Vancouver, Canada, not too far from the vigorous old-time/ bluegrass/ Americana scene in Oregon, USA, and their music similarly combines bluegrass, old-time, and related genres. The Irish dates on their schedule are:

May 2011

Sun. 29th-Mon. 30th: Mannion's, Balla, Co. Mayo
Tues. 31st: Whelan's (with No Crows), Dublin

June 2011
Wed. 1st: Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone
Thurs. 2nd: Bronte Music Club, Rathfriland, Co. Down
Fri. 3rd: Colfer's, Carrick-on-Bannow, Co. Wexford
Sat. 4th: The Ballyrafter House, Lismore, Co. Waterford

Carter Brothers hit the Road to Roosky

Thanks to the original Bluegrass Blog for news of the Carter Brothers (USA), favourites with audiences at the annual Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Longford, where they will be appearing again this coming September.

The brothers, Dan and Tim, have just finished recording a new album at their Treehouse Studio near Nashville. The album - which they describe as a 'blues record', and which includes as guest artist the legendary Sam Bush, not to mention some previously unreleased material recorded with the late Vassar Clements - comprises eleven tracks, seven of which are Carter Brothers originals.

And the title? Road to Roosky, named after Roosky, Co. Roscommon, just off the N4 north of Longford. Roosky is a favourite place with the Carter Brothers while in Ireland, and Tim describes it as 'very magical'. Read more about the album, and see photos and a video of the Carters, on the Bluegrass Blog.

Wow for Wookalily

Uri Kohen reports from Westport, Co. Mayo:

Last year I got in touch with Adele Ingram-Magee, musician and promoter with One-A-Chord Music Promotions. I was in a search for a bluegrass act from Northern Ireland. She then introduced me to her own band - Wookalily. I booked them to play the 4th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival. They were superb and a great addition to the festival.

A year has passed, and now Wookalily have a new lineup - a new fantastic sound. Except Tom the bass player, they are an all-woman band, producing a unique sound. Last night (21.5.2011) they played in Westport and kept us all amazed by the quality of their performance. They provide a mix of country, bluegrass, and folk with a personal touch; the show contains plenty of original material alongside classic covers. It was a night to remember and comes highly recommended by me to all music lovers and festival promoters.

News about the 5th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival in the coming week.

Openings for bluegrass and old-time at the Weigh Inn Bar, Co. Tyrone

Thanks to Ignatius Donnelly, owner of the Weigh Inn Bar, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, who has been discovering bluegrass over the last three years through the annual Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival at the Ulster American Folk Park, and sends what should be welcome news for both visiting and home-grown bands: he aims to generate more interest in the music in the Omagh area and promote bluegrass nights in the Weigh Inn.

Mr Donnelly is interested in contacting bands who are looking for a Tuesday night date to fill out their schedule - primarily visiting bands, but by no means excluding bands from Ireland. He writes:

I have secured the Water Tower Bucket Boys [USA; see photo above, and the video on the Weigh Inn's live entertainment page] in September and it is their type of up-tempo old-time bluegrass that is appealing.

While experience has shown Tuesday nights in summer to be viable, any time of the year (and including Friday and Saturday nights) would be open for consideration if a price can be agreed. Budget is important, as the Weigh Inn holds only 80/90 seated.

Bands who are interested can contact Ignatius by e-mail.

Coming shows by Henry, Holmes, & Muirhead

Thanks to Colin Henry for this poster and news of the show which Janet Holmes, Ivan Muirhead, and himself are playing on Thursday next week (26 May 2011) at the Guitar Rooms in Holywood, Co. Down. The trio will also be playing at Crocanoir, Co. Tipperary, on Saturday 28 May. Colin adds:

The set we are doing is a mixture of original songs, original instrumentals, and some old favourites of each. Some pretty fast pickin' and they even let me sing! - just one song mind you, they are afraid I might go solo! :-)

Bluegrass Music Weekend at Lakeside Manor, Virginia, Co. Cavan

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for this press release:

Ireland's premier bluegrass band, Woodbine, will play a weekend of bluegrass music at the Lakeside Manor Hotel, Virginia, Co. Cavan, from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd May.

Bluegrass music was started in the 1940s by Bill Monroe, the descendant of Scottish emigrants. It’s played on stringed instruments - guitar, mandolin, fiddle, 5-string banjo, and double bass - with strong emphasis on lead and harmony singing.

Bluegrass music has become very popular in Ireland over the past few years, with festivals in nine different counties. This will be the first bluegrass music weekend in Cavan - and no better band than Woodbine to play the event, having made a name for themselves playing all the Irish festivals over the years.

Woodbine are a four-piece band based in Athy, Co. Kildare, and have recorded three albums. They will be joined for the weekend by Clem O'Brien, Ireland's finest bluegrass guitarist and vocalist. They will play in concert on Friday and Saturday nights (10.00 p.m. both nights), and at noon on Sunday. There will be an informal session from noon on Saturday, open to any visiting musicians and singers.

Woodbine have many fans in Longford, Cavan, and Meath already, and hope to have many more after this weekend. This promises to be a great weekend and the first of what is hoped to be an annual event.

The entire weekend is free, so come and hear Ireland’s premier bluegrass band (check them out on their website) and put Cavan on the bluegrass map!

Andrew Basquille song recorded by Jane McNamee

Thanks to Andrew Basquille, singer/songwriter and Hank Williams devotee, of Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin for the news that Co. Offaly singer Jane McNamee (seen above with Vinny Baker) has recorded his song 'Just for you', which has now been released as a single on CMR Records.

Bending the Strings guitarist Vinny Baker on 103FMs 'Life & times'

We regret having got back to the editorial chair too late to give BIB readers advance news of the first of the two programmes mentioned in this report from Bending the Strings:

Midlands 103FM is broadcasting a programme for the next two Saturdays [i.e. 14 and 21 May] at 6.00 p.m. which is part of the 'Life & times' series, on Mullingar guitarist/songwriter Vinny Baker, who is also guitarist with Midlands-based bluegrass trio Bending the Strings. In the programme, Vinny talks to presenter Albert Fitzgerald about his induction into the world of music; his life in the many showbands he has played with; his introduction to bluegrass music many years ago with fiddler George Kaye; and the band of which he is now so proud, Bending the Strings, who also feature 5-string banjo wizard Martin Cooney and keys and bass player supreme Moyra Fraser and play their own particular brand of bluegrass music.

The programme also goes into many personal aspects of life as well as his music and Vinny talks about his family and friends and his life in his recording Studio, VeeBee Studio in Mullingar, and plays a wide range of his own guitar music including his composition with Bending the Strings, 'All keyed up' (which recently won Best Bluegrass Album at the Leinster Entertainment Awards) and many original guitar instrumentals in a range of styles from bluegrass to blues to jazz.

The programme will be of interest to the friends and followers of Vinny's music and Bending the Strings and is aired this coming Saturday [14 May] and the following week will cover part 2 of the programme and goes out on Saturday 21 May; both programmes go out just after the 6.00 p.m. news.

Don Rigsby in Ireland, 7-12 June 2011 (updated)

Don Rigsby from eastern Kentucky - singer, instrumentalist, and bandleader from the A-list of US bluegrass performers - comes to Ireland three weeks from now, at the beginning of a European tour with his band Midnight Call. Thanks to Chris Keenan for the news and the tour schedule, which is now as follows:

Tues. 7 June: Kilworth Arts Centre, Co. Cork
Wed. 8 June: Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare; info 087 792 1771
Thurs. 9 June: Colfer's, Carrig-on-Bannow, Co. Wexford
Fri. 10 June: Athy Arts Centre, Co. Kildare
Sat. 11 June: PV's Red Room, Longford town
Sun. 12 June: Mercantile Hotel, Dame St., Dublin 2

The tour will then continue with dates in the Netherlands and in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Don is famous for the range and intensity of his singing, and the power which he infuses into his material. His distinguished career to date is shown in the biography on his website. This is a rare chance to see hard-core traditional bluegrass at full vitality and performed to its highest standards. For further information, 'phone 087 281 7825.

Update 31 May: Thanks to Chris Keenan for the news that Don Rigsby & Midnight Call will now be playing as well in Co. Clare - on 8 June, as shown in the amended list above and on the BIB calendar.

News from Gerry Fitzpatrick

Apologies to Gerry Fitzpatrick (left; photo from Pat Killalea's website) for being away at a time when he had three items to send in, but for the record here they are:

On Tuesday 10 May at 9.30 p.m. the series of Cabin Sessions resumed in Uncle Tom's Cabin, Dundrum, south Dublin, hosted by the McGrane Family with Con Butler, Gerry, and special guests Kevin Cray & Brian Dowling (Dundrum) and Nora & Helena, the ukulele duo from Spain. Admission was free.

On Friday 13 May at 8.30 p.m. the new band in which Gerry plays, Minnie & the Illywhackers, performed in Bewley's Cafe, Grafton St., Dublin. You can hear two new songs by them, 'That ain't right' and 'Make me yours', on Facebook.

Finally, Gerry can be seen on YouTube in a four-minute clip from the Shetland Folk Festival, playing dobro in a late-night jam with the Wilders and Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three, playing the Roy Acuff classic 'Night train to Memphis'.

News from Southern Welfare

Southern Welfare would like to wish our good friend Peter ('Dobro') Larkin of Co. Galway a very Happy Birthday today, the 5th of May; and to celebrate this Southern Welfare will travel to Galway and play two gigs in the Rafters Rest in Kilcolgan this weekend (Friday and Saturday). All are welcome along - it should be a nice weekend of bluegrass music. For more info contact Ray on 085 1386710.

Also some more great news: Southern Welfare would like to make welcome our newest band member, PJ from Cork. PJ has joined Southern Welfare as a dobro player and adds a new lease of life to the band. You can see the new six-piece group perform at this year's Athy Bluegrass Festival (7-10 July).

Until we meet again - Keep on Pickin'!

Regards,
Ray O'Brien
Southern Welfare
085 1386710
E-mail us

Editorial absence

The BIB editor reports:

As mentioned earlier this week, I'll be out of the editorial chair between 5 May and 15 May; so please keep sending in news, but don't expect it to appear before Monday 16 May at the earliest.

The last few days have brought plenty of news items for consideration. If you were a friend of Martin Gilligan, please add your comments to the post on his greatly regretted death; though unfortunately, they will probably have to wait till I return before being published.

On a lighter note, please consider the possibilities of a bluegrass package trip to Kentucky this year, and send your views to Brian Ingarfield. And if you wish to become embroiled in the ongoing 'What Is Bluegrass Anyway' (WIBA)* argument, there's a long and very thought-provoking article by Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters, which you can read here.

* And Does It Matter (ADIM)?

George R. Gibson in London

The BIB is honoured to receive a contact from the distinguished old-time banjo-player George R. Gibson, born 1938 in Knott County, Kentucky, who is visiting London during the period of the London Old-Time & Bluegrass Week (beginning tomorrow), of which (we believe) he first learned from the BIB's post on the subject.

Mr Gibson (seen in the above photo with Mary Z. Cox) is a contributor to the Banjo Project and has a CD on June Appal Records. He has been playing old-time banjo for over fifty years, having taken it up at a time when bluegrass banjo had already become dominant in his home area. We recommend Googling 'George Gibson banjo' to find out more about him; and we quote from his notes on the album:

That past is part of a world and time in Knott County that has vanished forever. As far as I know, I am the last person left playing the old Burgeys Creek banjo music. I am the last possum up the tree.

Martin Gilligan

Paul McEvoy sends the sad news that Martin Gilligan, a leading banjo-player on the Dublin scene for many years, has died of stomach cancer, which developed very rapidly.

Martin will be missed, and will be remembered as a highly talented musician who was also very good company. The photo shows him as a member of the Tin Box Company, a hard-working and entertaining Dublin band. No funeral details are on hand at present, but it is expected that they will be announced in the Herald or the Independent.

Comments received from Martin's fellow musicians and friends can be seen at the bottom of this post: click on the 'Comments' label.

Athy festival flyer now available

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for these images of the attractive programme and flyer for this year's Athy Bluegrass Music Festival (7-10 July 2011) - a further example of the Athy Bluegrass Music Association's continual policy of improving their product.

Even on a small scale, the design work can be appreciated. All the details of the Festival itself, including bands taking part, schedule, and local accommodation, can be easily reviewed on the ABMA website.

Hands up for a bluegrass package trip to Kentucky!

No, the article shown above doesn't come as part of the package; but even without it, the idea of a bluegrass package trip to Kentucky in 2011, the centenary of Bill Monroe's birth, has to be an exciting one for any bluegrass enthusiast. So we're grateful to Brian Ingarfield, of the award-winning Tour America agency in Dublin, for opening up some unique possibilities for us.

Brian has recently made an educational trip to Kentucky which included visiting Bill Monroe's homeplace in Rosine, KY, and the International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM) in Owensboro, about thirty miles north of Rosine, on the Ohio river. As a result, he would be keen to know how active an interest there would be in Ireland for these possible package trips:

* to the IBMM's Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration festival (12-14 Sept. 2011)

* to the IBMM's River Of Music Party (ROMP) festival (23-25 June 2011)

* to any other major US festival you'd like to suggest.

Such 'extras' as visits to the Bluegrass Barn at Rosine, to bourbon distilleries, or even to Appalachian villages for the music, could be included in an itinerary. You can contact Brian direct at Tour America by e-mail.

See more of this year's celebrations in which Rosine and Owensboro play host to the whole bluegrass world, here.

PS: For some valuable suggestions just received from a Kentuckian, see Keila's comment on this post.

Shannon and Heather Slaughter and County Clare

Sometimes it seems that everyone on the US bluegrass scene can claim a family connection of some kind to Ireland; so when we saw a post on the original Bluegrass Blog about a new CD from Shannon and Heather Slaughter and County Clare, we thought - well, what would you think? Even the name 'Shannon Slaughter' might suggest any number of medieval disagreements between the Ó Briain dynasty and their neighbours. But when we asked Shannon what the exact connection with Ireland was, he replied:

... none that I know of. I just always liked New Grass Revival's instrumental 'County Clare' and I've always wanted to play my guitar in an Irish pub... haha. So that's how the name came about...

Shannon had a distinguished career as a sideman in prominent bands before forming his own group, so his new CD is fittingly titled The sideman steps out. Check it out on his website. Maybe one day he'll be playing that guitar in an Irish pub - perhaps even in Clare?

Michael J. Miles in Ireland, May 2011

The BIB is delighted to announce that Michael J. Miles (USA), one of the most remarkable 5-string banjo players now alive, will be making two very special appearances in Ireland later this month, after performing in the Lebanon and the UK.

Both of them will take place at the Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre at Naul, Co. Dublin, which has hosted many fine acts in bluegrass and related music. Michael will be playing in concert on Friday 27 May at 8.30 p.m., and the following afternoon he will be giving a clawhammer banjo workshop at 1.30 p.m. and a fingerstyle guitar workshop at 3.30 p.m. Entry fee for each workshop is €10.00, which is an astounding bargain with an artist of this calibre. Not to mention that the Centre will be putting on the Wilders that evening (28 May); it really looks as if the best course might be to buy a house in Naul...

Samples from all the tracks on Michael's new CD, col-lage, can be heard on CD Baby. There is also an online press kit with photos and audio tracks. His latest e-newsletter can be seen here.

Acoustic amp for sale

Clem O'Brien writes:

Just a little item that I've decided to shift which may be of interest to some who play amplified:

Ashdown Acoustic Radiator, 3 Amp - 350 watt digital bi-amped, 1x10 dual concentric speaker, 2 channels (each with seperate e.q.), notch filter, phase switch, digital reverbs, XLR DI out, effects loop, tiltback-type enclosure.

I used this only on a couple of occasions for guitar, but it handles all acoustic instruments, including bass, very well and is very neutral sounding. €350.

Contact Clem by 'phone (086-3542343) or e-mail.

Muletrain at MacDonagh's, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, on Thursdays from 12 May 2011

Thanks to Terence Cosgrave, who reports that his group Muletrain are starting on Thursday 12 May a regular weekly gig at MacDonagh's bar in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, where they are hosting an acoustic session that includes bluegrass, trad, blues, and alt. country. Music starts at 9.30 p.m., and players are welcome.

I Draw Slow in Limerick (5 May) and Cork (8 May 2011)

Thanks to Dave Holden of I Draw Slow, for news of the band's continuing tour to mark the launch of their new CD, Redhills: they will be upstairs in Dolans, Limerick city, this Thursday (5 May), followed by a show on Sunday (8 May) in Crane Lane, Cork city.

The following week I Draw Slow will be playing in the Thatch, Tullamore, Co. Offaly (13 May) and Billy Byrne's, Kilkenny city (14 May), and then on 22 May in Kelly's, Galway city. And that's not all! Further dates in the tour are on the BIB post for 12 April 2011, and also on the BIB calendar.

Hazel Dickens: further memories

Thanks to our friend Walter Fuchs, broadcaster, country music historian, and organiser of the Bühl International Bluegrass Festival in south-west Germany, for this rare photo he took in the autumn of 1973 when Hazel Dickens was on tour with the Strange Creek Singers, making a stop in Bühl. From left to right: Tracy Schwarz, Lamar Grier, Hazel Dickens, Mike Seeger, Marianne Fuchs (Walter's wife, with their two sons Boris and Patrick), and Alice Gerrard (then Mike Seeger's wife).

A special one-hour commemorative programme is being broadcast this week on radio stations affiliated to Prescription Bluegrass. Details are on the Prescription Bluegrass Blog. Read (and hear) more of the impact of Hazel Dickens in the latest Laurie Lewis e-newsletter.

On the question of whether she ever performed in Ireland, Richard Hurst, chief organiser of the annual Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival at the Ulster American Folk Park at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, recalls the occasion when she was obliged to cancel the trip over:

I was so disappointed when I was informed back in the summer of 2003 that Hazel would be unable to travel to our Festival due to ongoing health problems. The word had got out that she was appearing at the 12th Annual Festival along with Alice Gerrard, Ginny Hawker, and Carol Elizabeth Jones as part of 'O Sister - Women in Bluegrass', so that a lot of 'Old-Time' followers from near and far were thinking of making the trip to Omagh that year. However, she never did make it to the Folk Park...

She will be greatly missed by her fellow troubadours who I am sure will pay homage to her lifelong contribution to folk music in a very fitting way before too long.

In 2003 the festival lineup included amongst others:

* Laurie Lewis & her Bluegrass Pals
* O Sister - Women in Bluegrass: Alice Gerrard, Ginny Hawker and Carol Elizabeth Jones
* Jerry & Tammy Sullivan
* Ira Bernstein
* The Branchettes
* Beverly Smith & Carl Jones

Workshop and session at Westport festival

In response to Paul, who sent in a question about the workshop and session scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday 25 June in the 5th Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Uri Kohen reports:

The workshop will be conducted by Tim Rogers [seen above with banjo as leader of the Clew Bay Critters old-time string band]. Last year it was about old-time fiddle playing and I'm sure it will be around the same lines this year as well; he might be joined by other musicians this year.

The big bluegrass session will invite all the musicians of the festival to take part in one big afternoon session; we will also invite all bluegrass fans to bring their instruments and join in. It is hard to say now which of the musicians will take part, but I'm sure it will be a big session.

More news about the festival will follow soon.

BIB editor's note: though Tim Rogers is best known in Ireland for playing old-time music, his first appearances on stage here were as mandolinist in a bluegrass trio; so he should be well able to field bluegrass questions at the workshop. OK, Tim?