Compass Records 4 July sale

The poster image (left) from Compass Records says almost everything you need to know. For an enlarged view, either click on the image or read the message online. For further details, go to the appropriate page of the Compass website.

The Macrae Sisters in Ireland, 30 July-7 Aug. 2012

Thanks to FOAOTMAD for the news that just as the Athy Bluegrass Festival is ending on 15 July, a fresh old-time band from the inexhaustible hotbed of Oregon, USA, will begin a tour in these islands - the Macrae Sisters, described by one reviewer as 'a force of nature in the Northwest's old-time scene'.

Their first date in Ireland, on Mon. 30 July, will (of course) be in the Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, Ireland's welcoming hug for many visiting bands. (The Red Room last night hosted Viper Central from Canada, whom the Macraes will be supporting in Bath on 18 July).

The next confirmed dates they have are in Belfast on 3 Aug. (an Open House concert), at the Liss Ard Festival in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, on 5 Aug., and at St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, on 7 Aug. The intervening dates are free at present, so if you know of or can offer the Macraes an opening, contact their agent Alan at Owlsworld (Facebook).

From mountains to metropolis on Vimeo

Thanks again to an anonymous correspondent, who forwards this link to a series of eight short films produced by University of Alabama (UAB) students in the 2012 Ethnographic Filmmaking class of the UAB Media Studies Program.

The film that most concerns BIB readers is From mountains to metropolis: old time music in Birmingham, made by Stephanie Cook and Rachell Berry, and showing both traditional and revival players of Birmingham, Alabama. Our correspondent forwards it 'from mutual friends in Alabama and via old-time midland friends Tony & Liz Holleran'. The BIB's thanks go to everyone concerned.

24th International North Wales Bluegrass Festival, 5-8 July 2012

The North Wales Bluegrass Festival at Conwy has long been a favoured destination for Irish bluegrass fans who want a short hop abroad - only forty miles from Holyhead, it's in an idyllic setting (which inspired Christoffer Olsson, lead singer and guitarist of the Swedish G2 Bluegrass Band, to write a song about it), and has few rivals as a showcase for what the high-powered bands on the UK scene can do - not to mention a succession of headline artists from abroad. Top of the bill this year, at the 24th North Wales festival (5-8 July), are New Section, from the Czech Republic.

Conwy and the festival are easily accessible by train from Holyhead, but it's a pity to be in North Wales without seeing other sights; so do consider bringing the car over, and check out the Stena ferry timetable and price lists.

The Dirt Daubers (USA) in Dublin, 13 July 2012

Thanks to Paul Foley of the Ubangi Stomp Club in Dublin, for this news and press release:

The Dirt Daubers
Whelan's (Upstairs Venue), Wexford St., Dublin 2
Friday 13 July 8.00 p.m.
Tickets €15 from www.tickets.ie or from Whelan's website.

Colonel J.D. Wilkes (songwriter and front man for the Legendary Shack Shakers), his wife Jessica, plus fellow Shack Shaker Mark Robertson, make up the old-time music trio the Dirt Daubers!

Hailing from Paducah, KY, and Nashville, TN, the Dirt Daubers have travelled the world singing loud-and-proud an eclectic mix of Appalachian, ragtime, and hot jazz standards and their own original music. From cowboy to bluegrass, Harlem jazz to honky tonk, the Daubers tackle it all with vim, verve, and vigour. Acoustic, Rockabilly, Country, Blues, Cowboy, Old-time music, Infernal jangling, yodeling, and toot-a-looting.

With their first ever performance having taken place at London's Raindance Film Festival, (after J.D. premiered his critically acclaimed southern-music documentary Seven signs), the Dirt Daubers have proven themselves to be multi-media moguls. Add to that the tag of 'radio darlings', since the band has graced the stages of such fine programmes as the Red Barn Radio Show, the Blue Plate Special, and Music City Roots, broadcast over Nashville’s legendary WSM-AM, 'The Air Castle of the South'!

Presented in association with Dublin City FM.

The Dirt Daubers are also playing in Ireland on 11 July at the Crane Lane Theatre, Cork city, and on 12 July at the Enler Delta Blues Club, Belfast, as part of a tour in western Europe in the first three weeks of July. Full details, including online booking links, are on their tour schedule. You can also hear their music on their website, and watch them on YouTube.

Omagh lineup announced

Many thanks to Jeremy Smith for keeping watch on the webpage of the Ulster American Folk Park at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, and for passing on the news that the lineup for this year's Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival (31 Aug.-2 Sept. 2012) can now be seen. The impressive list of bands confirmed up to date is:

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (USA)
Don Rigsby & Midnight Call (USA)
Mandolin Orange (USA)
The Branchettes (USA)
Spirit Family Reunion (USA)
Old Man Luedecke (Canada)
Blue Grass Boogiemen (The Netherlands)
Covered Grass (Germany)
Toy Hearts (England)
Clew Bay Critters (Co. Mayo)
I Draw Slow (Dublin)
Watery Hill Boys (Drogheda)
Broken String Band (Co. Down)
Northern Exposure (Co. Armagh)

BIB readers who are on Facebook can keep up with further Festival news through the Park's Facebook page.

Galway Arts Festival, 16-29 July 2012

Thanks to Róisín Sullivan of the Galway Arts Festival press office for news of acts on the Festival programme that might interest BIB readers.

The music section of the Festival schedule, all by itself, is both powerful and varied (ranging from Christy Moore to leading string quartets and the West Cork Ukulele Orchestra). Róisín draws special attention to Dave Alvin & the Guilty Ones (USA). Billed as a 'roots rocker' and fronting an amplified band, Alvin is by no means a bluegrass singer; but it's not hard to imagine a bluegrass treatment suiting his material, and a bluegrass fan could find much to enjoy in his music.

Also in the Festival's music programme are Gretchen Peters (USA) and the Henry Girls from Donegal. More details, including venue location maps and online booking facilities, are on the excellent Festival website. For further info, contact Róisín by 'phone +353 (0)91 535956; mobile +353 (0)86 1282543; e-mail. You can also follow the Festival on Facebook and Twitter.

Two Time Polka in Europe, July 2012

Ray Barron of Two Time Polka sends word of the band's shows in the next few weeks:

It has come to our attention that we are advertised in some of the Gig Guides as playing in Charlie's Bar, Cork city, this Thursday (28 June). This is incorrect and we will not be playing there.

Here are details of our gigs in Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands during July. If you have friends living in any of these locations you might spread the word!

Skagen Music Festival, Denmark
Sat. 7 July: Square Stage, Skagen. Kickoff 4.00 p.m. Adm. TBC
Sun. 8 July: Harbour Stage, Skagen. Kickoff 10.00 a.m. Adm. TBC

Wed. 11 July: Club Terminus, Ostende, Belgium. Kickoff 9.00 p.m. Adm. €5

Thurs. 12 July: McCormack's Irish Pub, Grote Markt 4, Turnhout, Belgium. Kickoff 10.00 p.m. Adm. free.

Fri. 13 July: Grande Cafe de Douairiere, Steenstraat, Boxmeer, the Netherlands. Kickoff 9.00 p.m. Adm. free.

Sat. 14 July: Baudelpark Stage, Gentse Feesten, Ghent, Belgium. Kickoff 10.00 p.m. Adm. free.

Our next mail will include details of our gigs at Mother Jones Festival, Cork city, Waterford Spraoi, Caherciveen Music & Arts Festival, Charlotte St., Festival Wexford. Advance details of these events are on our website.

Regards and thanks,
Ray and TTP

Thursday night session in the Kozy, Dun Laoghaire

Thanks to Terence Cosgrave for this news:

Attached is a picture of Muletrain playing in the Kozy Bar in Dun Laoghaire. From left to right: Noel Gallagher, Terence Cosgrave, and Eamon Doyle.

'Kuntry at the Kozy' features bluegrass, country, and blues music and is led by Muletrain. All musicians are welcome at the session, and we have had good crowds coming down to see us also (though you wouldn't think it from the picture!).

The session starts at 9.30 on Thursday evenings at the Kozy Bar. All are welcome to enjoy (and/or play) the music of Hank Williams, Levon Helm, Old Crow Medicine Show, Chatham County Line, Johnny Cash, the Osborne Brothers, Nanci Griffith, and many other bluegrass, blues, and country standards.

The latest jewel in Westport's crown

Uri Kohen, with justifiable pride, reports from Co. Mayo:

Now, when Westport is officially crowned as the best place to live in Ireland, it is a great opportunity to come and join us for three days of superb folk and bluegrass music. The town is gearing up for this coming weekend, when no less than fifteen acts will play to hundreds of people.

Once again we would like to remind music fans that the majority of the gigs are free, and the tickets for the main event are only €15. Tickets will be available at the door of the event or at the Wyatt and the Clew Bay hotels. See you in Westport!

Athy in July: good advice from DanGem

Thanks to DanGem Quality Instruments of Craigavon, Co. Armagh, whose latest e-newsletter begins:

We pride ourselves at DanGem always giving you good advice, no matter what. If you want a great weekend of bluegrass, you got to be in Athy this July. Music, hard driving bluegrass, and more craic and fun than should be aloud [stet]. You really don't want to miss this!

There follows complete information - drawing upon the festival website - on the 22nd Athy Bluegrass Music Festival, including programme, band details, travel to Athy, and local accommodation.

Ireland's longest-established annual bluegrass festival is held this year on 13-15 July in the GAA Centre, Dublin Road, Athy, Co. Kildare. Read all about it in the DanGem e-newsletter and Festival website - and take note that there will be a DanGem presence as an added attraction.

The Trio's farewell (for now anyway)

From Colin Henry:

The Trio of Gary Ferguson, Janet Holmes, and Colin Henry, who have toured Ireland successfully for the last few years, are performing their last two concerts in two weeks' time. On Saturday 7 July at 8.00 p.m. they will be at the Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart, Co. Londonderry, and on Sunday 8 July they shall finish what they started with a concert at the Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone.

This will be the last opportunity for a while to see this lineup, so try and make one of the gigs if you can.

And the BIB editor's comment:

Bittersweet news; it's not often that members of the scene in this island - even if they're performers and composers of the calibre of Janet and Colin - get the opportunity to form a durable, working, successful, and friendly association with a highly regarded US singer/songwriter and recording artist. Gary has been touring annually in Ireland since 2005 and with Colin and Janet since 2008, usually for two weeks at a time; so it's a blow that the trio is playing only two shows this year, with no immediate prospect of more.

However, this also means that these two shows will be historic occasions; and any BIB readers who can get to them will feel amply rewarded.

Westport: new playbill and 2012 programme

Thanks to Uri Kohen of Electric Cave Production, organisers of the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival (29 June-1 July), who announces:

Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival are delighted to present this unique playbill poster (left). The poster was designed by Fergus Kelly, a member of the festival committee, and it is paying tribute to the old-style bluegrass playbill alongside our own unique logo and colours. Also available: the festival full programme (above). See you in Westport!

As with all images on the BIB, click on the poster/programme for an enlarged version. Note that the playbill gives full details of times and places.

Cultural exchange initatives

The Lee Valley String Band, Ireland's senior old-time/bluegrass ensemble

The BIB receives news too seldom from Cork, which has long been a powerhouse of our music in Ireland; so we're glad to be able to publish this bulletin, even though the author chooses to remain anonymous:

On Mon. 11 June, by prior short notice, Pat Sheeran requested of me if I would join him on a short mission to Cork to see how Christy [Twomey] and the Lee Valley Boys were dealing with the recession plague, Christy's health, etc. Lodgings having been arranged in advance, Pat and I struck out for the verdant Lee Valley at approximately 2.00 p.m. on that day (wind S.W. 10 knots, and Pat's Mercedes heaving heavily on starboard); we hit the People's Republic at approx. 19:00 hours and dropped anchor at a tavern forninst the Corner Bar.

Mick Daly and Christy were soon to lead the appointed hospitality party with a flourish of invisible trumpets. Greetings and cordiality having been graciously and speedily exchanged, there ensued great conviviality and mirth followed by tunes and joviality, and many songs and tunes were put forth by the entire assemblage with grace and decorum. The night concluded with all parties pouring themselves into their respective lodgings; and morning broke too soon for some crew, with bellicose calls from Capt. Sheeran to assemble on deck - and homeward bound went we weary travellers, filled with the joys of comradeship.

Jack of Diamonds Festival in Dublin, 17-19 Aug.: update

Thanks again to Christina Quill for an update on the first Jack of Diamonds Rhythm & Roots Festival, scheduled to be held in seven closely spaced venues in central Dublin on the weekend 17-19 August 2012 - Sweeney's Bar, the Grand Social, the Mercantile, the Stag's Head, the Button Factory, the Dame Tavern, and the Workman's Club. A location map is on the venues page of the Festival website.

The lineup is practically a Who's Who of Irish bands in the Americana and related fields; details can be seen on the poster image (above left; click to enlarge), and more acts are to be announced. Individual acts have been featured in posts on the news section of the homepage since March. There will also be a busking trail, where all money collected will go to the Musical Youth Foundation.

A notable feature of the Festival is the ample programme of instrumental and vocal workshops, for which the standard admission is €8 per person. At present the workshop schedule includes Sacred Harp singing (no booking charge, but donation of €4 suggested), bluegrass banjo (Tom Hanway), old-time banjo (Bill Whelan), finger-picking guitar (Stefan Galt), blues harmonica (Christian Volkmann), bluegrass mandolin (Aran Sheehan), country harmony (Aoife Ruth), swing dancing (DubLindy), and rockabilly bass (Tim Fernley). Tickets for workshops went on sale on 22 May. Times and venues are on the workshops page of the Festival website.

A schedule of events will be posted closer to the Festival dates; meanwhile, you can contact the Festival through its website and keep up with it on Facebook and Twitter.

Foundation for Bluegrass Music grants to honour Earl Scruggs and Warren Hellman - deadline 15 Aug. 2012

The Foundation for Bluegrass Music, under the auspices of the IBMA, is funding grants this year in honour of two major innovators in the world of bluegrass music: Earl Scruggs (d. 28 Mar. 2012), father of bluegrass banjo playing, and Warren Hellman (d. 18 Dec. 2011), who created, funded, and grew his California-based 'Hardly Strictly Bluegrass' free event into one of the largest of its kind in the USA. Foundation president Greg Cahill says:

In remembrance of these two highly creative individuals who have left huge footprints in the history of American music in the areas of performance and event production, we will allocate funds to foster innovation in the world of bluegrass music. We are very pleased to honour the memory of these brilliant men in this way.

A fund of $8000 has been earmarked to support public projects that foster innovative development in the world of bluegrass music. Individual grants ranging from $2000 to $4000 will be given in memory of Earl Scruggs and Warren Hellman. Of special interest are bluegrass music-related projects and programs that involve education or youth.

This is a competitive application process, and candidates must meet the Foundation’s Grant Application Guidelines. The deadline for applications is 15 Aug. 2012; grants awarded will be announced no later than 28 Sept. 2012, with funds available after 1 Jan. 2013. More information and a downloadable application form are on the Foundation website.

Westport bluegrass festival on the air waves

Good news from the Far West:

The countdown to the 6th Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival is truly on its way with one week to go. This Sunday (24 June), Uri Kohen, the festival founder and producer, will be guest on two radio shows to promote the festival.

At 1.00 p.m. he will make a guest appearance on Westport Community Radio, where he will talk about the festival programme and events. Later on that day, at 6.00 p.m., he will join Werner Levon on Castlebar Community Radio as a presenter for two hours of music and chat about the festival and the music scene in Westport. On both shows Uri will play some of the highlights fans can be expected to hear in this year's festival.

The festival production team are publishing daily updates on this year's festival and posting archive clips from previous years on the festival Facebook page. See you all in Westport next Friday!

Viper Central in Ireland, 22 June-7 July 2012: update and corrections

A few weeks ago Viper Central from Canada announced: 'We're very excited to be returning to Ireland and the UK for our third consecutive summer!' The BIB has already carried notices on individual upcoming dates by the band, so we are now giving a fuller list of the shows they will be playing in Ireland - beginning tomorrow, 22 June - before continuing on to Britain.

The list below gives the dates shown at present on their online tour schedule, and updated from the latest release (21 June) from Geraint Jones's G Promo PR agency. The tour coincides with the release of their new album, Thump and howl. You can see and hear them performing the title song on YouTube.

Fri. 22nd June: Tom Malone's Pub & Market House, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare
Sat. 23rd: Muintir na Tire Hall, Market Green, Buttevant, Co. Cork
Sun. 24th: Selskar Square, Wexford town (as part of Wexford Day)
Sun. 24th: Colfer's Pub, Carrig on Bannow, Co. Wexford
Wed. 27th: House concert, the Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone
Fri. 29th: Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, Westport, Co. Mayo: Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel
Sun. 1 July: (Canada Day) Ulster American Folk Park, Castletown, Omagh, Co. Tyrone; Celtic Fusion Festival, Castlewellan, Co. Down (8.00 p.m.)
Mon. 2nd: Downtown Radio: interview and live session with George Jones
Thurs. 5th: Raff’s on the Corner, Skerries, Co. Dublin
Fri. 6th: Balor Arts Centre, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal [not Letterkenny, as originally shown on the BIB]
Sat. 7th: Eagle Wing Festival, Groomsport, Co. Down

Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival: book now!

Thanks to Chris Keenan and Kathy Casey for their latest release on the 11th Annual Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, which will be celebrating Irish traditional, American bluegrass, and folk music on 20-23 September 2012 in its new home of Tullamore, Co. Offaly. Chris and Kathy draw special attention to the ample facilities of Tullamore, particularly accommodation - including great camping facilities.

Details are given for the Tullamore Court Hotel (photo above), which is the main concert venue and festival clubhouse; the Bridge House Hotel; the Central Hotel; and many more guesthouses and B&Bs. Full contact details - together with a list of the complete festival lineup - can be seen on the new release. Book your accommodation now!

'Earl's breakdown' on dobro and guitar

Thanks to Colin Henry, who played together with Ivan Muirhead and Janet Holmes at Croc an Oir, Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary, on 2 June, and now sends...

A short video of Ivan and myself playing 'Earl's breakdown' in honour of the man himself. Filmed at 'the little cabin home on the hill' here at Ballyrobert, Co. Down. We were practising for Tipperary. In fact in Tipperary Ivan also paid tribute to Doc Watson by playing 'Deep River blues'.

Colin is playing the lead on dobro, with Ivan adding a solid and positive backup on guitar.

I See Hawks in L.A. in Ireland, 28 June-7 July 2012

In our last post on Musiclee.ie shows, we originally remarked about I See Hawks in L.A. (USA): 'The fiddling of Gabe Witcher should be a treat for BIB readers.' This arose from our careless reading of promo material; and we accordingly thank Eilis Boland, who points out that Gabe Witcher is not a regular member of the band; he has been a guest on their recordings, but is now playing with the Punch Brothers, who will be at Whelan's on 17 July.

Here's a full schedule of the dates that I See Hawks in L.A. will be playing in Ireland before going on to Britain:

Thurs. 28th June: Raff’s on the Corner, 65/67 Church St., Skerries, Co. Dublin, 7.00 p.m. Phone +353 (0)1 8105650
Sat. 30th June: Mannion's, Balla, Co. Mayo, 7.00 p.m.
Sun. 1st July: Clew Bay Hotel, James St., Westport, Co. Mayo, 12.30 p.m.
Sun. 1st July: Celtic Fusion Fest, Castlewellan, Co. Down, 7.00 p.m.
Mon. 2nd July: Whelan’s, Wexford St., Dublin 2, 8.00 p.m. Phone 01 478 0766
Tues. 3rd-Thurs. 5th July: Ulster American Folk Park, 2 Mellon Road, Castletown, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, 3.00 p.m. each day
Fri. 6th July: Andy Peters' House Concerts, Rathfriland, Co. Down, 7.00 p.m.
Sat. 7th: Earagail Arts Festival, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, 7.00 p.m.

More details, including links to venue websites and location maps, are on the Hawks' shows page.

Musiclee shows in the near future

Thanks to Paul Lee for a list of coming shows arranged by his Musiclee.ie agency. Whelan's of Wexford St., Dublin 2, is one of the main venues, and acts appearing there include I See Hawks in LA, who play at Whelan's on 2 July, just after appearing at the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival.

Also on the schedule: Chris Meehan & his Redneck Friends (see photo), a ten-piece honky-tonk band made up of distinguished Irish musicians, play at Kiely's, the Sportman's Inn, Mount Merrion, Dublin, on 14 July. See the full schedule here.

NTB at Carlow, 13 June 2012: Onwards and upwards

We heard from Tony O'Brien today how successful the Niall Toner Band show had been on Wednesday night, with somewhere around 200 people in the audience, and how attractive the venue was. The concert - part of the Carlow Arts Festival - was held in a reproduction of an 1890s Wyoming barn. Niall's own blog (from which the above photo is taken) says:

The Eigse Festival folks had even gone to the trouble of providing period chairs and benches for the listeners, who, I'm delighted to say, arrived by the wagon-load, and we had the full-house signs up at 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday night. Probably the most remarkable aspect of the night was the fact that 99% of the crowd was comprised of new faces, and people who were completely new to our style of music. This, once again, is testament to my personal philosophy. If you provide an entertaining show, comprised of original material, performed in bluegrass/traditional country style, combined with entertaining and informative links, with a little humour, you're on to a winner.

To underline this point, the NTB sold out of CDs on the night. We gather that the coming Athy Bluegrass Festival (13-15 July 2012) received some good plugs, and some, at least, of Wednesday's audience are likely to be at Athy four weeks from now.

Ballads, blues, and bluegrass (1961) film premiere at LA, 19 June 2012

Thanks to Louis O'Dwyer of Tullamore (where the next Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival will be held in just over three months from now) for this link to a post by Nathan Salsburg of the Alan Lomax Archive on the Mudcat Café website.

Briefly, the news is that a film, shot at a late-night get-together at the New York flat of famed ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax in 1961, will have its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on 19 June. A DVD of it can already be pre-ordered. Those shown include some of the finest traditional and revival performers on the scene at the time, such as Roscoe Holcomb (above); there is also what may be the first footage ever shot of Doc Watson. Watch the six-minute trailer!

Viper Central at Buttevant, 23 June 2012

The indefatigable John Nyhan reports:

Viper Central, a bluegrass band from Vancouver, Canada, will be playing at the Muintir na Tire Hall, Market Green, Buttevant, Co. Cork, on Saturday 23 June at 8.00 p.m. Booking and inquiries: tel. 087 7921771

Bluegrass workshop success in Carlow, 10 June 2012

Niall Toner sends this report from his own blog:

Many thanks to Hugo Jellett, director for the Carlow Arts Festival, for having the vision and the courage to suggest to me that I might consider presenting a bluegrass workshop during Eigse 2012. I have to say that I was a little nervous about the idea, but what a result! We had fourteen participants, all with instruments, including guitars, mandolins, fiddles, and basses, and all very keen to learn bluegrass.

I did some basic demonstration on rudimentary flat-picking technique, and three of my guitar students then demonstrated their skills on a couple of standards, and did a brilliant job. Sincere thanks must go to Dick Gladney, who not only played bass throughout, but took time to give some one-on-one instruction to a fellow bull-fiddle player. There were total beginners on all instruments, and some really fine players too - in particular, a young man on fiddle, and a very fine young guitarist.

The enthusiasm was palpable, and there is no way we could not continue with this approach in the Carlow area, at the very least. I am already in the process of talking to Eigse, the Arts Council, and IBMA about support for an ongoing project. Oddly enough, there was nobody with a 5-string banjo, but the main reason for this may have been the fact that the best young banjo picker in Carlow was busy doing a gig with his own little string band. For our next event we will make sure there are no such clashes.

Most of our attendees will be coming to the NTB show on Wednesday night which is taking place in the 1890s Wyoming Barn in the Visual Arts Centre at 8.30 p.m. Advance ticket sales are very strong, and we are looking forward to a full house. We will also be doing some of the new songs from our forthcoming Pinecastle album, due for release in September in Nashville.

Oh yes - the folks at our workshop were a little shy about posing for the camera, so you will have to do with a photo [by Fiaz Farrelly, above] of yours truly playing the part of a lawman with my patrol car.

The latest e-newsletter from Mountain Music Entertainment, Niall's agents in the USA, is devoted to Niall and his position as #1 downloaded bluegrass artist of all time on AirPlay Direct.

Knotty Pines in Fermanagh, 30 June-1 July 2012

Thanks to Declan O'Kane, fiddler with the Knotty Pine String Band of Omagh, Co. Tyrone, for this news:

The Pines are playing in the Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, on Saturday 30 June 2012. Tickets available from the box office.

The following day (Sunday 1 July) we are performing in the courtyard at Castle Archdale Country Park from 2.00 to 4.00 p.m.

Launch party for Mohill Bluegrass Festival, 16 June 2012

Southern Welfare on stage at the 2011 Mohill Festival

Thanks to Tommy Kelleher, organiser of the Mohill Bluegrass Festival in Mohill, Co. Leitrim, for the news that a launch party and reception for this year's festival (10-12 August) will be held in John James’s Bar on Glebe St., Mohill, on Saturday 16 June at 9.30 p.m.

Music will be provided by the Western String Band, and everyone is welcome. Admission is optional - that is, donations are welcome. Full details of this year's event can be seen on the Festival website.

Curtis Blackwell Band at Kilworth, 18 June 2012

Following our notice of the band's appearance at Colfer's on 17 June, John Nyhan announces:

The Curtis Blackwell Bluegrass Band (USA) will be appearing at the Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork, on Monday 18 June at 8.15 p.m. Booking and inquiries from 087 7921771.

John adds that the Berea Bluegrass All-Stars tour went very well: the band went down very well everywhere they performed; the audiences loved them, and they received many standing ovations. Video footage from the first show of their tour can be seen here.

Your memories of Doc

Since the death of Doc Watson on 29 May, the BIB has published several personal memories of his impact on our lives - notably focusing on the concert in Dublin in 1981. Thanks, then, to Kevin Lynch of the European Bluegrass Blog for news of an IBMA initiative that welcomes such memories for prospective publication in the July issue of the IBMA's online periodical, International Bluegrass. Kevin writes:

This invitation comes to you from author Caroline Wright, on behalf of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Music fans in Europe are invited to submit a personal Doc Watson story. It can be your own experience, your thoughts about Doc, his influence on your life... all memories and photos will be welcomed. You may write as little as 100 words or less - but more is certainly welcomed.

Caroline writes: 'I hope to include comments from people who are thousands of miles away from him [Doc], and maybe never even got to meet him or hear him live - but whose lives were profoundly affected by his music.'

Read Kevin's full account here, and send your contributions in not later than 20 June 2012. They can be sent directly to Caroline Wright by e-mail.

Bluegrass legend Curtis Blackwell at Colfer's, 17 June 2012

Thanks to John Murphy of Colfer's for this news:

Curtis Blackwell, one of the bona-fide bluegrass greats and former member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, appears in Colfer's Pub, Carrig-on-Bannow, Co. Wexford, on Sunday next, 17 June, at 8.00 p.m. Curtis will be joined on his first ever visit to Ireland by Chuck Nation (fiddle), Susan Nation (bass), and Jim Pankey (banjo). This is a rare chance to catch an act that is one of the legends of bluegrass music in the U.S for the last forty years - up close and in the intimate setting that is Colfer's.

Doors 7.30 p.m. Admission €15.00. Info 051 561159 (after 4.00 p.m.); e-mail

Other dates in the Curtis Blackwell Bluegrass Band tour (13-24 June) are all on the BIB calendar and on the Old Flattop agency website.

June in Kentucky: the IBMM's ROMP festival

For any bluegrassers who overshoot Westport, Co. Mayo, at the end of this month, the next stop must be the International Bluegrass Music Museum's ROMP (River Of Music Party) in Owensboro, KY, on the banks of the Ohio river.

As always in the past, ROMP 2012 (28-30 June) has a rich programme with top bands including some legends of bluegrass music. The IBMM has been diligent and generous in supporting bluegrass outside the USA, and anyone in a position to support ROMP should consider returning the compliment. Full details are on the website and on the latest IBMM e-newsletter.

A new range of bluegrass T-shirts from Maui Waui

Thanks to Anne Steel of © Maui Waui Design in Norfolk, England, for news of her new range of designer bluegrass T-shirts in black and white, printed on heavyweight premium-quality 'Fruits of the Loom' T-shirts, and featuring all the bluegrass instruments (banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass, Dobro). Anne writes:

I am a graphic designer and illustrator who has been designing products and illustrations for the gift trade and other businesses for over twenty-five years. This range of bluegrass designs is a result of my passion for bluegrass and country music and wanting to design the kind of T-shirt that I would like to buy - having seen nothing at festivals that really grabbed my attention!

I play the banjo, guitar, and ukulele and I am working on more designs to add to this range and other bluegrass/ country music designs, so please keep checking the website. Whilst I cannot offer a huge range of colours or T-shirt styles, it's possible, if you have a specific request (e.g for an alternative colour) that I can accommodate this, so please call me or e-mail with any enquiries.

The shirts come in sizes M, L, XL, and XXL at £12 each. Postage in the UK is £2.50 (check with Anne by e-mail for rates to other countries). Purchase can be made by telephone, e-mail, or online. The photo above shows the banjo design on a black shirt; the white banjo shirt and designs for the other instruments are shown on the 'Keep on the Bluegrass' web page.

And do look at the © Maui Waui Design website, illustrating all aspects of Anne's career as a designer and illustrator.

Anne Steel
© Maui Waui Design
2 Moor Cottages, The Green
Morningthorpe
Norfolk NR15 2RZ
T +44 01508 530934
M +44 07868 613537
e-mail

Latest info for 6th Westport festival (29 June-1 July 2012)

Electric Cave Production, organisers of the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival in Westport, Co. Mayo, announce:

The official poster for the 6th Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival (29 June-1 July 2012) has now been released (see left). All the details of the festival are on its updated website and Facebook page.

Uri and his team have a great weekend ready for all folk and bluegrass lovers. Looking forward to seeing you all on the shores of Clew Bay at the last weekend of June!

Slim Pickins residency in Cork during June 2012

Thanks to Anthony Mannion of Slim Pickins, who sends word that the band will have a residency every Wednesday in Cork city throughout the month of June 2012. Anthony writes:

It's in the Oliver Plunkett Bar, 116 Oliver Plunkett St., in Cork, and we will be playing original and traditional country roots and bluegrass for everyone. Please find attached a poster for the show [left] and a Facebook event page I have set up.

Anthony also sends as a reminder the band's bio:

Firmly rooted in old-time sounds, Slim Pickins have absorbed musical influences from a broad-reaching transection of American music. Merging the contemporary influence of Old Crow Medicine Show, Dave Rawlings, and Levon Helm, and the traditional sounds of the Stanley Brothers, Doc Watson, and Bill Monroe with their own unique tones, they embody the old-time tradition whilst also managing to reveal their own voice.

Resonating from an unoccupied niche in the resurgence of today’s acoustic string bands, they've opened up for Irish folk legends Tir na Nog, Simone Felice's The Duke and the King, and shared the stage with Lisa Hannigan and Gavin Glass. Their own eclectic upbringings and an infatuation with western swing and early bluegrass sees them mixing original music with traditional arrangements of songs passed down through the years, as they deliver four-part vocal harmonies in time to buck-leppin' banjos, dobros, and guitars. Their high energy shows are good old-time fun, creating a sound that is as refreshing as it is downright addictive.

NTB at Croc an Oir, 23 June 2012

John Bermingham of Croc an Oir (above) announces:

The Niall Toner Band gave a memorable performance at Croc an Oir last year and we are delighted to welcome them back for more of the same on Saturday 23 June. Niall has been to the forefront of bluegrass music in Ireland for many years and is also well known for his broadcasting work. In his Roots Freeway programme on RTÉ Radio 1, Niall has given many favourable mentions to Croc an Oir and always plays works by our featured artists.

The other members of the band - Clem O'Brien on guitar/vocals and Dick Gladney on double bass - are also highly acclaimed musicians. Together they perform a mixture of original bluegrass tunes and songs, as well as throwing in a few country standards. There will a break in concerts until September, so if you want to experience some down-home foot-tapping tunes, now's your chance. Concert starts at 8.30 p.m. Here's a sample of last year's concert, featuring the Croc an Oir Ceili Band in a support slot.

Niall and the boys gave a great performance last year and really enjoyed the experience of playing at the end of a Tipperary boreen. The music venue housed cattle until five years ago, but the animals were hunted out to make way for a variety of musical instruments.

The musicians who perform at Croc an Oir are very appreciative of our efforts to make them feel at home both on and off stage. The captive audience appreciate good music whatever the genre, and we are determined to keep the music live and alive in our corner of Tipperary at the foot of Slievenamon.

Croc an Oir
Ballycullen
Mullinahone
Co. Tipperary
Tel. +353 52 9153117

Doc Watson in Dublin, 1981: more historic pictures

Thanks to Maeve Toner for these historic pictures of the concert in which her brother Niall presented Doc and Merle Watson at Liberty Hall, Dublin, thirty-one years ago, with Maeve herself and the Sackville String Band as the supporting acts.

The top photo shows Doc, and behind him (l-r) Maeve, Colin Beggan, and Liam Nolan of RTE. The second shows the back of Maeve's head, Merle Watson (centre), and Bill Whelan (right). The bottom photo shows the poster for the show. Maeve draws attention to the admission charge, £6.00.

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Thanks again to Professor Jack Bernhardt of North Carolina, longtime McAuley Lecturer at the annual Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival at Omagh, who sends this link to a report in the Watauga Democrat, Doc's hometown newspaper, on the funeral service on Sunday, including the distinguished musicians among the large attendance.

Substantial features on Doc continue to appear on Bluegrass Today.

Belfast Bluegrass session TONIGHT, 5 June 2012

Thanks to Dangem Bluegrass for this news:

Hey folks, just a reminder that tonight’s the night for the June Belfast Bluegrass session (Tuesday 5 June). You will find us upstairs in the Maple Lounge at the Errigle Inn, kicking off about 8.30 p.m. as ever! Hope to see you there.

The Errigle Inn
312-320 Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 2GE

See the whole e-bulletin, with this fine photo by Gerry McNally of Geordie McAdam and his fretted fiddle, here.

Banjos and teachers: further good advice...

... from Niall Toner, who writes:

The wonderful Martin Cooney [left, of Bending the Strings] is not a gazillion miles from Tipperary, and comes highly recommended. I also recall meeting a fine 5-string player who works with the Pheasant Pluckers in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, and I'm sure he'd be willing to get a young man started. The folks at Croc an Oir would know how to get a contact for him.

Also, I would advise anybody looking for a starter banjo to check in with Tom Cussen in Galway. He always has very affordable instruments in stock. I also see 5-strings for sale on Done Deal for as little as €70.00.

Woodbine gigs - and a tribute to Doc Watson at Athy

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for the following news:

1. Woodbine play two shows next weekend:

Sat. 9th: The Aislinn Centre, Kilcar, Co. Donegal. Doors 8.00 p.m.
Mon. 11th: The Ballymore Acoustic Sessions, Mick Murphy's Bar, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare. 9.00 p.m. Tickets for this gig from Roy Thompson, 086 3270780.

2. The Clem O'Brien 'Tribute to Doc Watson' show on the Sunday (15 July) of the Athy Bluegrass Festival now takes on a much more meaningful part of the festival with the sad passing of Doc last week. This will be a must-see show for all Doc fans.

Banjos and teachers in the Tipperary region?

Colin Henry reports that at the show on Saturday at Croc an Oir, Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary (announced on the BIB on 28 May), he met a 10-year-old enthusiast for the 5-string banjo who is eager to learn but is at present held back by not knowing where to find a banjo teacher or to buy a banjo.

For tuition, Colin recommended the interactive online ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass, where banjo instruction is given by Tony Trischka. However, does any BIB reader know of a banjo player within reach of the Mullinahone area (30 km north-east of Clonmel) who could give instruction if required?

As to buying a banjo: the reputable Gold Tone banjos, from entry level upwards, are now available from several dealers in Ireland; the nearest listed on Gold Tone's website is the Premier Music Store at 58 O'Connell St., Clonmel (052 6129811; e-mail). Again, please suggest any other source in the area that you may know of.

Oh yes, and the show itself - Colin adds:

Incidentally we had a marvellous gig in Croc an Oir. A very appreciative audience, and so we were all playing and singing (even me!) at the top of our game. John and Monika's hospitality was wonderful as usual. I dont need to eat or drink for a week!

A unique opportunity for banjo players

The reputation of bluegrassers for being eager for any chance to pick, adaptable to any circumstances, and undemanding when it comes to money, has clearly got around.

John Quirke sends an open invitation: he is looking for a banjo player for a festival performance on 23/24 June. The gig will be unpaid, but a weekend pass for the festival is included. John adds that he is

... basically looking for a banjo player competent enough to accompany tunes at short notice. It's an acoustic/folk set up, playing my own tunes. We will have a stripped-back drum kit, fiddle, and acoustic guitar.

It sounds irresistible. For location and other details, contact John by e-mail.

Berea Bluegrass All Stars at the Red Room

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin of the Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, who reports on the Red Room's last house concert with the Berea Bluegrass All Stars from Kentucky:

We're still on a high from it - what an amazing get-together of musicians! We had a good turnout for the night, and as well as providing first-class music the band quickly established a great rapport with the audience which resulted in a great night's craic as well. By all accounts they went down a storm at the Ballyhooly Festival earlier this week, and I'd highly recommend anyone to go see them at their upcoming gigs in counties Galway, Clare, and Mayo over the next few nights [dates are all on the BIB calendar].

When John Nyhan describes them as 'a vocal powerhouse' it certainly gives them a lot to live up to, but having heard them perform they more than fulfil all expectations as far as vocals and musical expertise go.

Thanks to Sharon also for the following two YouTube videos, which amply bear out what she says above. The band should be seen by anyone who enjoys bluegrass and old-time music straight from Appalachia.