Lands End Bluegrass Band - live & unplugged

Thanks to Richie Foley, mandolinist of Lands End, the dynamic new band mentioned on the BIB on 27 July, for the band's latest news.

Lands End, who now have a new website, have made an undoubted impact in their first festival season, and intend to build on this for next year's festivals. By that time their first studio album should be out; they're starting work on it in December this year. In the meantime, Richie sends this link to a twelve-and-a-half minute YouTube video of the band, recorded in St Mary's Collegiate Church, Youghal, Co. Cork, on 11 August 2012. Several more videos of Lands End, recorded during their set at the Didmarton Bluegrass Festival in England four weeks ago, are also on YouTube.

Update 1 Oct.: For anyone who found the video link didn't work: please try it again. It has been fixed.

I Draw Slow on Bluegrass Today

Today, Bluegrass Today carries a feature on I Draw Slow: John Lawless, founder of Bluegrass Today and Acutab Publications, conducts a five-minute video interview with Dave and Louise Holden, ranging from their background in music and their place on the spectrum of Irish and American music to their album Redhills and their current schedule in the USA.

Watch the whole interview here. You can also read a major illustrated feature on the Prescription Bluegrass Blog about I Draw Slow, Niall Toner, and the German band Covered Grass (who played at the Omagh festival earlier four weeks ago), and the impact of their performances at IBMA's World of Bluegrass 2012.

Update 30 Sept.: Watch out for an interview by John Lawless with Niall Toner, which should appear on Bluegrass Today in the next few days. Niall says: 'We talked about my own learning curve in the music, and about my new Pinecastle release.'

Bluegrass Spectacular at White Horse Black Mountain, 3 Oct. 2012

Following on from yesterday's news of Irish artists in the current IBMA World of Bluegrass in Nashville, TN, we note that next Wednesday (3 Oct.) the White Horse Black Mountain performance centre in Black Mountain, North Carolina, will present a Bluegrass Spectacular, featuring the award-winning Lonesome River Band (above) and Ireland's own Niall Toner and I Draw Slow. Events at White Horse Black Mountain include regular jam sessions of Irish music.

Update 30 Sept.: On Sat. 6 Oct. Niall will be part of the 'Song of the Mountains' concert/TV series from Marion, Virginia, sharing the bill with the Chuck Wagon Gang (founded 1936, the longest established mixed gospel quartet), the Jonny Possum Band from New Zealand, Virginia natives Hollow Ground, and our Chicago-based friends Special Consensus. The show is widely broadcast on public TV but receives no funding; so the future of 'Song of the Mountains' depends on the next week's support for its Kickstarter project. Read more here.

Report from the front line

Thanks to Niall Toner for this news from Nashville, where his new Pinecastle CD Onwards and upwards has been launched during IBMA's World of Bluegrass week:

Our CD launch went well at Jack's Barbecue, and I'm (once again) indebted to Martino Coppo for his dedication and talent, and also to Konrad Liddy from I Draw Slow for his work on upright bass [the photo above, from Pinecastle's Facebook page, shows Niall, Martino, and Konrad in action]. I did a fifteen-minute interview with Jim Lauderdale on his WSM Radio Show on Wednesday afternoon, and he played a couple of tracks from Onwards and upwards. We had a huge reaction from his listeners to 'The pride and joy of Shelby' and 'Million dollar bill', and Jim's show is available as a podcast.

I also played Ernest Tubb's Record Store on Wednesday night with Junior Sisk and Michael Cleveland. It felt a bit like walking in the shoes of country music history. I am performing live today (Friday) on WAMU with Chris Teskey at 2.00 p.m. Nashville time. My band today is Martino Coppo on mandolin, Holly Tashian on bass, and Barry Tashian on guitar. Tonight I'll be with Bryan Sutton, Keith Sewell, and others at the Bourgeois Guitars showcase.

I Draw Slow at their stand in the IBMA trade fair (credit: Pinecastle Facebook page)

Gibson Brothers, Blue Highway receive IBMA awards

Thanks to Judy McDonough of JEMMedia for the first news to reach us of the 2012 IBMA awards, together with these photos, taken by Alane Anno for the IBMA. The list of this year's recipients includes some well known in Ireland for their appearances here: the Gibson Brothers (above) won the Entertainer of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance awards, while Blue Highway, who headlined the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival last weekend, won the Vocal Group of the Year award together with yet another Dobro Performer of the Year award for Rob Ickes, who has now won it fourteen times. Guitar Performer of the Year went to the late Doc Watson.

Read the full list of award recipients here. As Judy points out, the new IBMA Momentum Awards for rising talent, which were presented earlier this week and do not figure in this list, are as follows:

Band of the Year: Monroeville
Vocalist of the Year: Emily Bankester
Instrumentalists of the Year: bassist Samson Grisman, fiddler Alex Hargreaves, and fiddler Christian Ward
Event/Venue of the Year: Appalachian Uprising, produced by Steve Cielic
Industry Achievement: Crash Avenue publicist Emilee Warner
Mentor of the Year: Five-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year and producer Mike Bub

The photo below shows the grand finale, led by Steve Martin: a tribute to the late Earl Scruggs. The musicians taking part included Greg Cahill, Alison Brown, Pete Wernick, and Tony Trischka.

Random Canyon Growlers: further gigs, 1-4 Nov. 2012

On 16 August the BIB carried news of a tour later this autumn by the Random Canyon Growlers (USA) - Matt Donovan (bass), Jon Degroot (mandolin, lead guitar, vocals), Matt Herron (fiddle), Brock Benjamin (banjo, vocals), and Jamie Drysdale (guitar, lead vocals) - billed as 'the Rockies’ fastest and finest bluegrass pickers'. This is their first tour in these islands, and after starting in Britain on 10 October they will play their first date here on 29 October.

In mid August they were still looking for gigs in Ireland for the first four days in November. Thanks to G Promo PR, it can now be reported that that part of their schedule has filled out, and the following dates can be added:

Thurs. 1st: the Sky and the Ground, Wexford town
Fri. 2nd: the Belfast Barge, Belfast
Sun. 4th: the Fifty-Six Bar, Arklow, Co. Wicklow; afternoon show, 3.00 p.m.

All the dates currently confirmed are now on the BIB calendar.

Update 1 Oct.: Please note the comment below from the Owlsworld agency: the band still have Sat. 3 Nov. free for booking. Details given in the comment.

More on JKBF 2012

George Harper (USA; guitar) and his Awesome Bastards on the O'Connor Square stage  

Roger Ryan of the Country Music Association of Ireland sends this personal view:

While the crowds could have been bigger, the organisers can feel well pleased with the overall success of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival which was held in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, over the past weekend. The combination of sunshine and music provided the ingredients for a magical and uplifting experience that helped to ease the doom and gloom which currently envelops our country. It was so nice to see people milling around the town enjoying the lots of free entertainment on offer in the local hostelries and on the main stage in the town square.

This truly has developed into an international event and attracts fans and musicians from all corners of the globe. We had bands from Spain, the Czech Republic, and the USA. The many workshops, lectures, the Festival Club, and the main evening concerts were held at the spacious Tullamore Court Hotel, and were well attended and well organised. The gatherings (pickin' parties) proved to be a great success and were a great way to end the day on the following morning, if you get my drift. Some of the many highlights for me personally were the Saturday night concert, especially the performance by headline act Blue Highway, featuring Rob Ickes on Dobro, and the Niall Toner Band. Niall heads off to Nashville today [Monday] to attend the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Nashville, and will spend a month in the USA touring, and promoting his new album which is on general release there. Suzy Bogguss gave an outstanding performance and posed freely for pictures later. Gerry O'Connor was amazing on banjo. The jewel in the crown though for me was the 10.00 a.m. mass on Sunday in the Church of the Assumption, where the musicians played and members of Blue Highway [below] sang a cappella. It was a truly memorable experience and greatly appreciated by the large gathering present.

Previously staged in Longford, this was the festival's first year in the new setting of Tullamore, and hopefully it will quickly establish itself as the major festival it undoubtedly is, and receive the support it deserves. One suggestion I would make in this respect is perhaps it would be better to put more emphasis on the international music side of the festival. It really is a lot more than a banjo festival.

BIB editor's note: A good deal might be said on this topic; meanwhile, we note that although a banjo image is a prominent part of the festival logo, different versions of the logo read 'Banjo Festival' and 'International Festival'. Hmm...

Worldwide Bluegrass Month tribute to Bill Monroe by Breffni Bluegrass

Thanks to Tom Hanway for this news:

To celebrate IBMA Worldwide Bluegrass Month and in honour of Bill Monroe’s birthday exactly two weeks ago (13 September), the Breffni Bluegrass Band pays tribute to the legacy of Bill Monroe, featuring his original bluegrass and traditional bluegrass-gospel songs. The band offers a dedicated lineup of pickers and singers: Aidan Cunningham (dobro, vocals), Tom Hanway (5-string banjo, guitar, vocals), Kevin Logue (guitar, vocals), and Mick McCormick (bass, vocals).  When she's not studying medicine in Galway, Aoife Cunningham adds her considerable talents to the group (fiddle/vocals).

This week, Tom Hanway will once again lead the band on Monroe classics including 'My little Georgia rose' and 'Crying holy unto the Lord' (a bluegrass gospel number), and play driving bluegrass instrumentals, including ‘Bluegrass breakdown’, ‘Wheel hoss’, and ‘Roanoke’.

While holding down the banjo chair with the John Herald Band, Hanway met and played on stage with Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys (Zanesville, Ohio, 1989), taking his lead breaks through Monroe's microphone at Bill's insistence.  (The boys enjoyed a steak dinner after the show.) Between 1991 and 2002, Tom worked, promoted, and recorded extensively with Blue Grass Boy alumnus Vassar Clements, who plays on all of Hanway’s recordings.

Bob Mitchell’s 'Best of Bluegrass' programme on Radio Bluegrass International gives regular rotation to Tom Hanway’s Nashville recordings of original and traditional bluegrass. Scheduled for broadcast on 12 October (Friday) and 14 October (Sunday) is Hanway’s rendition of ‘He turned the water into wine’, famously performed by Johnny Cash at San Quentin State Prison with 'Mother' Maybelle Carter and her daughters. Tom sings lead and plays guitar on his four-part-bluegrass-gospel version of the Cash classic.

'Best of Bluegrass' broadcast schedule on Radio Bluegrass International
(1) Friday 8.00-10.00 a.m. CST (2.00 p.m. GMT).
(2) Sunday 3.00-5.00 p.m. CST (9.00 p.m. GMT)

Bob Mitchell has featured several tracks from Tom’s Nashville recordings, Bucket of bees and Tom Hanway & Blue Horizon.  Radio Bluegrass International is a free online radio station and an arm of the International Bluegrass Music Museum.

The Breffni Bluegrass Band play traditional bluegrass and early country every Thursday at JP’s Bar, 57 Main St., Cavan, 10.00 p.m.  Guest players who love bluegrass picking and singing are welcome to sit in any time.  Y’all come!

The photos above, both taken by George Quinn at the Secrest Auditorium, Zanesville, Ohio, 1989, show (top left) Tom Hanway and Bill Monroe backstage, and (above right) Tom Hanway and Bill Monroe on stage, with Tom playing into the mandolin mike as described above.

Knotty Pines in Scotland

C. Paul Lyttle of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, reports:

The Knotty Pine String Band are playing a gig on Thursday night at the Baw Bee Folk 'n Blues Club, the Birkhill Hotel, Dumfries, before coming to Moniaive for the weekend Bluegrass Festival. This is your chance to see and hear a great band live and to get a preview of what is in store for us at Moniaive, so get along and enjoy the event and support live music.

The above photo shows the KPs playing in the Pennsylvania Dutch Barn during the recent Omagh festival.

Building up your bass muscles

One of the latest instructional videos from Homespun is aimed at helping people to master what even on the physical level can be a pretty challenging instrument. Todd Phillips, who has already produced the 2-DVD Essential techniques for acoustic bass on Homespun, has now brought out his Bass workout and practice regimen - $29.95 as a DVD or $5.00 less as an instant download. Read more on the Homespun website or on their latest e-newsletter.  

Update 27 Sept.: Homespun have just announced $10 reductions on each of two 2-DVD sets: You can play bluegrass mandolin, by the late Butch Baldassari, and Norman Blake's guitar techniques. This offer closes on 2 October.

Moniaive this weekend!

Thanks to Dangem Bluegrass for a reminder that the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival is on this coming weekend (28-30 Sept.), and that the lineup (headed by the Ballinger Family Band from the USA) includes the Down and Out Bluegrass Band (shown left) from Belfast and the Knotty Pine String Band from Omagh. Dangem says:  
You know you should... 
If you fancy a little bluegrass this weekend you should consider a trip to Moniaive. 
A village situated in hills of Dumfries & Galloway in south-west Scotland.
An easy drive of about one hour from the ferry. 
Great camping and most of all great music and friendship.

Read the rest of the release here.

Touring artists

On behalf of flat-top guitar players, thanks to Nigel Martyn whose Old Flattop agency is presenting two highly regarded US guitarists from outside the bluegrass field, Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo (above), with special guest David Browne-Murray. Their tastes are wide-ranging, with the string jazz of Django Reinhardt an obvious influence, and they have played with such musicians as Mark O'Connor, David Grisman, and Tommy Emmanuel. Their current tour dates are:

Fri. 28th-Sun. 30th Sept.: Inishowen Guitar Festival, Culdaff, Co. Donegal
Mon. 1st Oct.: Crane Bar, Galway city
Tues. 2nd Oct.: Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork
Wed. 3rd Oct.: Whelan's, Dublin 2
Thurs. 4th Oct.: Black Box, Belfast

********************

Loudon Temple of the Brookfield Knights agency in Britain sends word that the Hillfolk Noir trio (Travis, slide guitar/ dobro/ lead vocals); Ali Ward, banjo/ washboard/ percussion/ singing saw, vocals; Michael Waite, double bass) from Boise, Idaho, will be touring in these islands from 7 June to 30 June 2013. Presenters and promoters who would like to receive a copy of the band's last album, Radio Hour, or wish to book them for a slot in this time period, should contact Loudon by e-mail.

Eagle Music hosts 'Banjo 2012', 3 Nov.

Among the many delights of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, especially for banjo players, was the presence of Steve Noon of the Eagle Music Shop, Britain's 'leading and most passionate supplier of banjo, guitar, mandolin, and ukulele instruments', together with a large stock of fine instruments and masses of picks, strings, slings, CDs, instruction books, and similar material.

Eagle Music, as well as sponsoring the JKBF, is the official worldwide #1 master dealer for Deering banjos (USA), selling more than any other retailer in the entire world. During the festival, Steve issued news of a special event to be held in the Eagle premises in Huddersfield on Saturday 3 November - 'Banjo 2012' - with Greg and Janet Deering present. At the same time, the Kruger Brothers (Jens Kruger, Uwe Kruger, and Joel Landsberg, shown above) will be there to give on-stage workshops and an evening concert. More details are on the European Bluegrass Blog.

Meeting a legend at JKBF 2012

Many thanks to Johnny Gleeson for this photo of himself (left) and Rob Ickes, taken yesterday (Sun. 23 Sept.) in Tullamore, Co. Offaly. Johnny - himself a professional guitarist, and an excellent bluegrass dobro player - was at the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival attending the dobro workshop given by Rob Ickes, who has won the IBMA title of Dobro Performer of the Year thirteen times since 1996, including the last six consecutive years. In addition to giving the workshop, Rob was in Tullamore as a member of the A-list band Blue Highway, who headlined the Saturday night concert.

Session Americana back in Ireland, 27 Sept.-7 Oct. 2012

Thanks to James O'Brien for this news of an imminent return tour by roots band Session Americana from Boston (USA), no strangers to this country - the photo on the left shows them on a previous visit to the Crane Bar in Galway. They will have with them their newly released album Love and dirt, which can be downloaded here.

Session Americana, described on their press release as 'a rock band in a tea cup, or possibly a folk band in a whiskey bottle', have played with a wide range of artists in the roots/Americana fields, including the Henry Girls, Cahalen Morrison, Aoife O'Donovan, and many more. The dates of their coming tour are as follows:

27 Sept. Tom Malone's Market House Bar, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare
28 Sept. Whelan's, Wexford St., Dublin 2
29 Sept. Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin
30 Sept. Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow
1 Oct. Colfer's Pub, Carrick on Barrow, Co. Wexford
3 Oct. Crane Bar, Galway city
4 Oct. Bluestacks Music Festival, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal
5 Oct. Cork Folk Festival: The Pavilion, Cork city
6 Oct. Cork Folk Festival: An Spailpin Fanach, Cork city
7 Oct. Cork Folk Festival: Crane Lane Theatre, Cork city

For advanced copies of Love and dirt, interview requests, and images, please e-mail.

Bluegrass for Pudsey: the 2012 campaign opens

Thanks to Tony Curran for sending this

... quick reminder to advise that the Dunadry Bluegrass Militia will be raising their battle standard at Ellie May's (left), Dunadry, Co. Antrim, on this coming Saturday at 3.00 p.m. They intend to campaign for BBC Children In Need Appeal 2012 every Saturday (at this time) until appeal night on 16 November 2012. All welcome - but remember to bring along a few pounds for the war chest!

Water Tower Bucket Boys return to the Red Room, 26 Sept. 2012

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin for the latest news from the Red Room at Cookstown, Co. Tyrone:

We had a fantastic night with Spirit Family Reunion - we had a bigger crowd than expected as we'd warned everyone it wasn't strictly bluegrass, and the show was first class.

We have the Water Tower Bucket Boys back this Wednesday (26 Sept.). This is their third visit to the Red Room; they always pull in a big crowd, but now that we're using the Barn, we can always fit a few more at short notice - we're not as limited for space as in the house. As usual, everyone's welcome and my contact number is 07747120659 (after 6.00 p.m. if possible to keep the boss happy!) Anyone new who'd like to come can give me a call for details/directions.

Above: the Water Tower Bucket Boys on a previous Red Room visit

11th Irish Steel Guitar Festival, 13-14 Oct. 2012

The Irish Steel Guitar Association announces that the Irish Steel Guitar Festival - which we know is attended by dobro players - will take place this year on the weekend of Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 October 2012. The featured artists include players from the USA, Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland. Each player will be backed by a six-piece band.

The venue will be as last year, the Green Isle Hotel, Dublin 22 (tel. +353 (0)1 4593 406), and a special accommodation rate will be available for those attending the show. If booking, be sure to mention the Festival.

Attendance badges can be ordered from the Sound Shop (Unit 11, East Coast Business Park, Matthew's Lane, Donore Road, Drogheda, Co. Louth; +353 41 9831078). Advance booking is €35 per day (€70 for the weekend); paying at the venue on the day is €40 per day.

Old Tire Swingers in Britain and Ireland, 1-19 Nov. 2012, Jan.-Feb. 2013

Thanks to FOAOTMAD for the news that the Old Tire Swingers four-piece string band from California will be touring these islands during the first three weeks of November 2012. No details are at present available on their online tour schedules.

A tour is also planned from 11 January to 12 February 2013, and their agent, Alan Rooke of Owlsworld in Britain, is looking for booking for them during that time (with the exception of 26 January, when they are appearing at Moniaive, Scotland). Contact Alan by e-mail.

The band are described as influenced by the Appalachian string bands as well as their own central Californian country roots: 'They play a style of music that’s somewhere between bluegrass, old-time and country, which has resulted in not only a set of traditional tunes but also their own unique blend of music.' More information is on their Facebook page.

Down and Out Bluegrass Band add John Denby on mandolin

Thanks to Richard Leeman, guitarist and lead singer of the Down and Out Bluegrass Band, for this news:

We are pleased to announce the addition of a fifth member to our band, in the shape of Mr John Denby on the mandolin. Many readers of your blog will already know John as one of the best bluegrass mandolin players in Ireland. He has played with us on a number of occasions, we rate him very highly, and as such it made sense to bring him into the band permanently. We hope that people will like the new ‘shape’ of the band and we’re looking forward to playing some shows with John soon.

John can be seen as a temporary Down and Out (in full uniform) in photos taken in Dundalk on St Patrick's day 2012, in the 'Gallery' section of the Down and Out website.

Banjo classes and slow jams resume for the autumn at Walton's, Dublin

Thanks to Paddy Kiernan (left) for the news that

... my 'Introduction to 5-String banjo' group class begins this term on Thursday 4 October. All the details can be found at the website of Walton's New School of Music in George's St., Dublin 2. I am also available for more advanced group classes and one-on-one lessons.

Also, Walton's monthly Bluegrass Slow Jams commence this term as well, the first one beginning on Friday 19 October. All the details can be found here.

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West: update

Loudon Temple of the UK Brookfield Knights agency checks up:

Hi, folks - just following up on our last circular [see the BIB of 11 Sept.] about touring Cahalen Morrison & Eli West in Ireland in April next year. We now have serious interest from some great venues and promoters, and just want to make sure that your lack of response should be taken correctly as lack of interest and not that you meant to respond and didn't get around to it.

We will next week be sending out 150 copies of their sensational new album Our Lady of the tall trees on a widespread basis for review and radio plays. Here they are performing the title track. I would very much appreciate if you would get back to us to either declare an interest or let us know you are going to take a pass. That way, we know for sure that no one has missed out.

By the way, later this week, we will be in touch with those who have expressed an interest in having Woody Pines back. Again, if you don't want to miss out there, please be sure to let us know. Many thanks.

Watery Hill Boys in Culture Night in Drogheda, 21 Sept. 2012

Thanks to Jim MacArdle of the Watery Hill Boys (seen above at the big La Roche Bluegrass Festival in France at the beginning of August) for this news:

The Watery Hill Boys are taking part in a special Culture Night celebration on next Friday (21 Sept.) at the Highlanes Gallery, Laurence St., Drogheda. To coincide with this special night, the Gallery will announce its autumn programme 2012, with an opening of Sarah Browne's exhibition 'Second burial at Le Blanc' at 7.00 p.m. Music will be from 6.00 to 7.00 and from 8.00 to 9.30 p.m., after which we will move the few hundred yards down to Carberry's pub for our usual Friday night's music. After that, we head to Tullamore for the Johnny Keenan Festival.

This touring exhibition from Project Arts Centre, funded by the Arts Council and curated by Tessa Giblin, continues at the Gallery till Wed. 7 Nov. 2012. It will be officially opened by Pat Cooke, director of the MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management, UCD. Also on view on the night: Texaco Children’s Art Exhibition, and the LFTT Archive/Library. A 'Culture Night supper' (two courses and glass of wine €15, with music from the Watery Hill Boys) in the Relish Café and Foodhall at the gallery will be available from 6.00 p.m; reservations +353 (0)41 980 3295.

4th Bruff Bluegrass Festival: updates

Thanks to Jack Clancy of the organising committee of the Bruff Bluegrass Music Festival in Bruff, Co. Limerick, for further details of the lineup for this year's festival (5-7 Oct. 2012). In addition to the bands listed on the BIB last Wednesday (12 Sept.), Jack has now confirmed the Watery Hill Boys (Drogheda) and the Tin Box Company (Dublin), both shown above on the covers of their new CDs. Featuring bands from north, south, east, west, and the middle of this island, the Bruff lineup can stand alongside that of any other bluegrass event this year.

Sacred Harp in Culture Night Dublin, Friday 21 Sept. 2012

Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin send best wishes to all, together with this news:

We will be singing in Exchange, Exchange St., Temple Bar, this Friday from 6.50 to 7.50 p.m. as part of Culture Night. We would be delighted if you can join us. Newcomers always welcome, no experience needed.

Michael Miles: on the blogosphere

The BIB is carrying a good deal of clawhammer banjo material these days, but when a unique master of this style is about to visit Ireland there's no alternative.

Thanks to Michael J. Miles (USA) for the news that he has his own blog. It has many attractions of its own (including videos from his 'Man of many banjos' series), plus links to the rest of his web pages: on the 'Performing artist' menu you can select a page giving full details of the 'Senegal to Seeger' programme which he is presenting at Omagh on 19 September and at Tullamore on 22 September - see the BIB of 14 Sept.

We strongly recommend that any promoters or event organisers who may be at Tullamore should see Michael Miles's performances; Ireland needs a tour by an artist of this calibre.

Alec Somerville: at Omagh and Moniaive

Thanks to Alec Somerville for these photos, taken during his solo set at the Pennsylvania Dutch Barn during the Bluegrass Festival at Omagh two weeks ago. (Alec also sent two of the Three Rock Mountain String Ensemble on the open mic stage on Sunday 2 Sept., which modesty restrains us from publishing.)

Alec's past includes several years as banjo-player for the Brothers-in-Law, a Canadian group whose topical, satirical, and often controversial songs sold hundreds of thousands of records in the late 1960s, made five albums, and are still selling today on three reissue CDs and getting air- and TV play in Canada.

Some of this material can be heard on Alec's own YouTube channel, which also includes videos of his clawhammer banjo playing. Alec remarks:

Incidentally, some of the YouTube clips are on 1880s banjos - a 'nameless' and a Buckbee, both with nylon strings, lovely to play.

Alec will be giving a clawhammer banjo workshop at noon two weeks from now (Sat. 29 Sept.) as part of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in Scotland. On the festival website you can see a video of him playing and singing 'Battleship of Maine'.

Niall Toner in USA, 24 Sept.-20 Oct. 2012

The latest e-newsletter from the US agency Mountain Music Entertainment gives details of the schedule of Niall Toner's tour in the States, beginning later this month.

The fifteen scheduled appearances begin with three in Nashville during IBMA's World of Bluegrass week, including the launch of his new Pinecastle album Onwards & upwards, and continue with others at noted venues in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina up to 20 October. On two of the shows Niall will be on the same bill as the celebrated Lonesome River Band and Dublin's own I Draw Slow. Read the full details here.

NOT to be missed at Omagh, either

Thanks to Dangem Bluegrass of Craigavon, Co. Armagh, for a reminder that Michael J. Miles will also be presenting 'Senegal to Seeger' in the Ship & Dockside Gallery at the Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, from 8.00 to 10.00 p.m. on Wednesday 19 September.

Tickets cost £8; places are limited, so please call 028 8225 6330 to avoid disappointment.

Session in Kinvara, Co. Galway, 18 Sept. 2012

Thanks to Pete Lamb in south Co. Galway, who sends word that this coming Tuesday (18 September) a bluegrass session will be held in Green's, Kinvara, Co. Galway, at 9.00 p.m. All are welcome!

NOT to be missed at JKBF

The organisers of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival apologise for selling one particular item, in yesterday's announcement of the workshop schedule, very short indeed.

The schedule (reproduced on the BIB yesterday) originally showed for 4.00 p.m. on Sat. 22 Sept. 'Lecture "History of the banjo": Michael J. Miles'. If you thought that sounded a little dry, you would be right; but instead, what will actually be happening is a very special concert performance by a unique artist. The organisers now make everything clear:

Michael Miles is one of America's most inventive clawhammer banjo players. Add guitar, vocals, jazz instruments, orchestras, and complex historically-themed theatrical presentations to the mix and, two decades later, Michael has a critically acclaimed catalogue of original compositions, stage performances, music CDs, and music instruction books.

'From Senegal to Seeger' is Michael J. Miles' acclaimed one-man show featuring musical and written works of Pete Seeger, Carl Sandburg, Woody Guthrie, Walt Whitman, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mark Twain, and others.

Protest, passion, politics, poetry - the banjo is the voice of the people, and 'From Senegal to Seeger' unshackles that voice. 'From Senegal to Seeger' is a journey into Americana - a social and political portrait of America through the eyes of the banjo.

In this 90-minute tour-de-force Michael performs on seven banjos, playing music that spans 300 years and charts the transformation of the banjo from an African instrument to the quintessential expression of the American voice.

We are very proud to present Michael J. Miles' very important performance detailing the history of the banjo!

Read the full details here.

Breffni Bluegrass Band in Cavan every Thursday night

Thanks to Tom Hanway for this welcome news:

After the Fleadh is over... I'm singing, playing banjo and guitar tonight and every Thursday night with Breffni Bluegrass, one of the best male vocal groups I've had the pleasure to work with in bluegrass and country music. Big fun in Cavan town every Thursday at JP's. We were joined recently by Nashville sweetheart Dee Reilly, winding up her Irish tour with Roly Daniels. Always a great night and guests are welcome to sit in with the band.

Tom Hanway: MySpace; Homepage (download stores)

Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival workshop schedule

Just seven days till the 11th Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival opens in Tullamore, Co. Offaly! In their latest e-newsletter, the organisers send the following preliminary schedule for workshops, all of which will be held in the conference centre at the Tullamore Court Hotel.

Sat. 22 Sept.
10.00 a.m. Songwriting: Niall Toner
Guitar: Rick Shea
4-string banjo: Liam and David Howley
5-string banjo: Michael J. Miles

12 noon 4-string Irish banjo: Enda Scahill
5-string banjo (bluegrass): Lluis Gomez
Bluegrass mandolin: Don Rigsby
Dobro: Rob Ickes
Singer/songwriter: Tim Stafford

2.00 p.m. 'Cajon' in bluegrass and Irish music: Robbie K. Jones
5-string banjo (bluegrass): Jason Burleson
Flatpicking guitar: Charlie Sizemore
Singer/songwriter: Shawn Lane
Mouth organ in bluegrass: Joan Pau Cumellas

4.00 p.m. Special performance of 'Senegal to Seeger' - 90-minute one-man show on banjo history: Michael J. Miles
Bluegrass and gospel vocals: Don Rigsby

Sun. 23 Sept.
12 noon 4-string Irish banjo: Tom Cussen
Singer/songwriter: Rick Shea
Flatpicking guitar: Charlie Sizemore
Irish fiddle: Niamh Dunne
Double 5-string banjos: Lluis Gomez and Fred Simon

2.00 p.m. Bluegrass/country singing: Suzy Bogguss
4-string Irish banjo: Gerry O'Connor
Accordion: Damian McKee/Sean Og Graham
Bodhran: Eamonn Murray
5-string banjo: Michael J. Miles

4.00 p.m. 4-string vs 5-string banjo: Gerry O'Connor and Jason Burleson

More workshops are TBC, and the above schedule is subject to change.

The e-newsletter also gives the full concert schedule, accommodation and camping guidance, and a list of nineteen venues in Tullamore at which live music is welcome. Read it all here.

Woodbine gigs to the end of October 2012

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for the news that Woodbine will be playing the following shows up to the end of next month.

Fri. 21 Sept. Touhy's, Rathdowney, Co. Laois. On this show, Clem O'Brien will join the band in place of Richard Hawkins (who will be at the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Tullamore).

Sat. 6 Oct. Bruff, Co. Limerick, as part of the 4th Bruff Bluegrass Festival.

Sun. 14 Oct. Bob's Bar, Durrow, Co. Laois. This is the High Nellie day, with a special rally of the old-fashioned upright bicycles and their riders; last year a record number of cycles and cyclists attended.

Sun. 28 Oct. Mannion's, Balla, Co. Mayo, as part of the 4th Balla Bluegrass Festival.

Further details will be posted on the BIB calendar as they become available. Woodbine look forward to seeing their friends and fans along the trail.

Bruff Bluegrass Festival 2012: lineup details

Thanks to Jack Clancy of the organising committee of the Bruff Bluegrass Music Festival in Bruff, Co. Limerick, for preliminary details of the lineup for this year's festival (5-7 October 2012). Bands at present confirmed to take part are (in alphabetical order):

Bending the Strings (Mullingar)
Blackhill Road Gang
Down and Out Bluegrass Band (Belfast)
Knotty Pine String Band (Omagh)
Red Cloud Bluegrass (Limerick)
Southern Bluegrass Union (Mallow)
Watery Hill Boys (Drogheda)
Woodbine (Athy)

Other bands are in contact and a final lineup will be confirmed as soon as possible, but it already looks like a pretty heavy-duty turn-out.

Jack also sends word of a unique feature for the festival: a Donkey Derby on the main street! We hope no musicians find themselves entered for the race as a result of unfortunate similarities of appearance...

New location for Sacred Harp Dublin

Thanks to Ruth of the Dublin Sacred Harp Singers for the news that meetings have moved from the Exchange, and for the near future will be in the Yard in Stoneybatter. It is through the archway between Mulligan's and the Glimmerman, on the right-hand side of the street going north, and some distance north of where Brunswick St. North enters. The time remains unchanged: 7.00-9.00 p.m. every Friday.

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West tour, Apr.-May 2013: update

Following on from the news on the BIB of 24 July, Loudon Temple of the UK Brookfield Knights agency sends a reminder that Cahalen Morrison & Eli West (USA) will be touring in these islands in April/early May 2013 with their brand new album, Our Lady of the tall trees. Promoters and event organisers who have already expressed an interest in putting them on in that period need not reply again, as all contacts already received have been noted.

Their debut album The holy coming of the storm has had a very positive reception, and their first UK tour last year earned them a show of their own in this January's Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. Cahalen Morrison's great-grandfather was a respected Gaelic bard in the Hebrides before emigrating to America.

Loudon Temple says: 'Please let us know if you have dates in that period and provide more than one option if possible.'

Sara Grey weekend at Belfast Trad, 15-16 Sept. 2012

Thanks to Dangem Bluegrass for a reminder that this coming weekend (15-16 Sept.) BelfastTrad presents a weekend workshop/concert with Sara Grey (left) on the theme 'Traditional songs and their migration' in the Crescent Arts Centre, University Road, Belfast. Full details appeared on the BIB on 24/28 Aug..

As since noted, Kieron Means (guitar) will not be able to take part, but on Saturday afternoon Sara will run separate sessions on banjo and guitar accompaniment, with singers welcome at both. On Sunday (9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.) Sara will focus on old-time 5-string banjo accompaniment, but will also be happy to spend time with guitar players who want to develop old-time accompaniment styles. For tickets for workshops and concert (Sat. evening), e-mail or 'phone 07875 094 446.

Sara's week-long tour begins tonight; details are on the BIB calendar.

Inishowen Guitar Festival, 28-30 Sept. 2012

The 3rd Inishowen Guitar Festival is announced on its website for 28-30 Sept. 2012, with an outline of the programme and the names of artists taking part. Further details are awaited, but it can be assumed that the festival will focus on McGrory's in Culdaff, Co. Donegal.

In this year's lineup, the artist most relevant to bluegrass fans is Muriel Anderson (USA), who - though she is best known for playing classical guitar or even (as in the photo above by Chuck Winans) harp-guitar - knows and loves bluegrass and old-time music. In 1989 she became the first woman to win the National Finger Style Guitar Championship at the prestigious Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.

Moreover, the spirit in her playing is the kind your editor likes. Here's a YouTube video of her imitating the instruments of a bluegrass band on a medley of 'Old Joe Clark', 'Angeline the baker', and 'Foggy Mountain breakdown', with a little bit of 'Lonesome road blues' at the end.

The Porchlight sessions about to launch

Back in April the BIB carried news of a new documentary film on bluegrass, The Porchlight Sessions, directed by Anna Schwaber, which was then aiming to raise $60,000 before the 1 May deadline - and did so.

The latest project update announces that the film is in the final stages of technical assembly (for the technically minded, terms such as 'conforming', 'colour timing', and 'monitoring the post-sound mix' are being used), and licensing/copyright is being tidied up. The important news is that the film will be launched later this month, with the world premiere on 21 September, and (of course) major events in Tennessee during IBMA's World of Bluegrass week (24-30 Sept.).

More details are on the project's website and Facebook, and you can also follow its blog. As a bonus: by doing so we found this YouTube link to a playlist of twenty-eight clips of the Dillards on the Andy Griffith show.

Mine's a pint

The BIB editor reports:

Bluegrass Today, the father and mother of bluegrass blogs, published yesterday an item on the latest innovation by Chris Pandolfi, banjo-player with the Infamous Stringdusters (USA). A new way of filming the band in performance has been developed and proved in action, with what Bluegrass Today calls

a bevy of pint-sized cameras

clipped to the instruments' headstocks like electronic tuners. You can see on the BT post a video that was shot using this method.

Maybe we see more of pints than bluegrassers in the States do, but I for one do not want a camera the size of a pint - still less the weight of a pint - clipped to the head of my banjo. Life is difficult enough as it is; and this idea only increases my desire for a genuine pint: hand-held, rechargeable, and without any special visual effects.

Hot time in Brum, 14 Sept. 2012

For all who want to hear more of the Toy Hearts (GB), who played the Friday night concert at Omagh last weekend - if you're likely to be in Birmingham next weekend, the band will be playing a special concert at The End in the Birmingham Ballroom, a celebrated venue, on Friday 14 September. Doors 7.30 p.m., tickets £10. Full details, including links for online booking, are on the European Bluegrass Blog. In October, the Toy Hearts will be touring in the USA; see the gigs page of their website.

Frank Fairfield in Dublin tonight

Thanks to the Old-Time Music Tipster himself, Bill Whelan, for the news that multi-instrumental old-time musician Frank Fairfield from California will tonight be playing in the Button Factory, Dublin, and should not be missed. Bill said the same a month ago about the Macrae Sisters, and he was dead right about that.

Frank Fairfield began on 23 August a tour in Europe involving a dozen shows in Britain, one in the Netherlands, one in Denmark, and two in Ireland, beginning last night in Belfast; so tonight is the last chance to see and hear him in this island. More details are here.

Aftermaths of Omagh

Thanks to Joyce Merne* for the news that at the Ulster American Folk Park last weekend, during its 21st Bluegrass Music Festival, she discovered a very valuable object that someone had lost. Joyce would be glad to locate the owner, and has (so far) had no response from the Folk Park's Facebook page. Anyone who has lost a valuable object and wishes to check whether it is what Joyce has found should contact her by e-mail.

* By mistake, Joyce's name appeared as 'Corcoran' when this post was first published.

Finally, a little light relief: thanks to Des Butler for photos of the Three Rock Mountain String Ensemble on the open mic stage on Saturday 1 September, of which this is one (l-r: Tim Hawkins, Cathal Cusack, Richard Hawkins).

The band were clearly feeling good, and - as they'd stopped playing - perhaps the audience were too...

Sara Grey in Ireland: updates

Sara Grey (USA) sends the sad news that her tour of Ireland will not start in effect till Monday 10 September - Kieron Means (guitar) has been unable to come over from the USA as his passport had been accidentally damaged, and US officials will not allow him to travel.

The first three venues on the original schedule (Clonmel, Roscommon town, and Ballaghaderreen, 7-9 Sept.) have therefore cancelled the bookings, but the remainder are happy to keep their engagements with Sara as a solo act. In addition, Sara will be playing at McCarthy's Bar, Main St., Buttevant, Cork, on Tuesday 11 September. The appropriate changes have been made on the BIB calendar. We recommend anyone to hear Sara's old-time singing, accompanied by her own 5-string banjo playing.

Go Wild in the West Americana Fest, Galway, 6-9 Sept. 2012

Thanks to Mario Marigo for drawing our attention to the Go Wild in the West Americana Fest, which begins today in Galway, and lasts at least till Sunday (6-9 Sept. 2012).

At present we have information only on shows held upstairs at the Crane Bar, but they're a fairly impressive series. The first (6 Sept.) is being given by the legendary Peter Rowan (right), starting at 21:00; the admission price of €15 (members €12.50) includes copy of CD.

All remaining Go Wild in the West shows in the Crane are free-admission, beginning at 21:30 on Friday with the Molly Hicks. Saturday 8 Sept. is a powerful old-time-music night with Frank Hall, Tim Rogers, Ben Keogh, Lena Ullman, Anna Falkenau, and Ivan Murray, beginning at 18:30. Mikey & the Scallywags end the Crane's Fest schedule on Sunday starting at 21:30. More information is on the Crane Bar website.

Photos from the 21st Omagh festival

Thanks to Enda Donnelly of Fair City Grass for these pictures taken at the Omagh festival, which may have a surprise for some who were at Omagh. Above, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper in 'Bluegrass in the Park'. Here's Enda's caption to the photo below, taken at the main marquee stage:

Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, including Peter Rowan, who was introduced as a surprise guest and sang a couple of songs. He performed a powerful rendition of 'Wayfaring stranger' with Don Rigsby singing high tenor.

Get Adele to Nashville for IBMA WOB showcase!

Thanks to Adele Ingram of One-A-Chord Music Promotions, Wookalily, and the Bluegrass Pickin' Parlour in Belfast for this news:

I've been invited to the IBMA songwriter showcase at the World Of Bluegrass Week in Nashville to showcase my song 'Diamonds & gold'. Ten songs were picked from all the songs submitted and mine was one of them. Unfortunately I don't have the funds at such short notice, so I'm asking for help. I don't like asking for money for nothing, so I've set up a website where you can donate for various rewards.

Here is the website where you can donate, read more about my story, and listen to the song. I am also looking for the following:

Sponsors
Artists/bands to play at the fundraising concert
A venue for the concert

Belfast Music Week and Bel/Nash festival have kindly offered to help with publicity for the concert. Many thanks in advance.

BIB editor's note: The songwriter showcase is scheduled for 12.30 to 1.30 p.m. on Tuesday 25 September - just three weeks from now - so there's no time to lose. Adele's website also includes photos from a previous trip to Nashville and the Appalachian mountains.