Bluegrass legend to tour Ireland, 13-25 June 2012

Thanks to Nigel Martyn, whose Old Flattop agency has arranged or is arranging tours by notable artists, the most imminent being Gretchen Peters (see the BIB for 4 Mar.), whose tour begins today, and David Browne Murray, an award-winning young Belfast guitarist. Check Nigel's website for further details.

Undoubtedly the hottest Old Flattop news for BIB readers is the tour in June by the Curtis Blackwell Bluegrass Band (USA; above), a solid traditional bluegrass band with impeccable credentials. Curtis followed Peter Rowan as guitar player with Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys, and is a member of the Atlanta Country & Bluegrass Music Hall Of Fame. He has led a band since his late teens. In 2010 he was ranked as a Bluegrass Legend by the International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM). Dates scheduled for the Curtis Blackwell Bluegrass Band are:

Wed. 13th June: Black Box, Belfast, 028 90 244400
Thurs. 14th: Barry's, Grange, Co. Sligo, 071 917 3111
Fri. 15th: The Crane Bar, Galway city, 091 587419
Sat. 16th: Áras Éanna, Inis Óirr, Aran Islands, 099 75150
Sun. 17th: Colfer's Pub, Carrig on Bannow, Co. Wexford, 051 561159
Mon. 18th: Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork, 087 792 1771
Tues. 19th: (day off)
Wed. 20th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, 068 22566
Thurs. 21st: Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, 086 846 4509
Fri. 22nd: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow, 01 272 4030
Sat. 23rd: Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin, 01 802 0898
Sun. 24th: Roe Valley Arts Centre, Limavady, Co. Londonderry, 028 777 60650

[This list has been updated as of 14 May 2012 and is now complete]

NB: the Curtis Blackwell Bluegrass Band has a different lineup from 'Curtis Blackwell & the Dixie Bluegrass Boys', the regular title of Curtis's band in the US, which was used when this post first appeared on the BIB. Thanks to Nigel for making this clear.