Mike Auldridge, 30 Dec. 1938-29 Dec. 2012

The BIB carried on 2 and 3 October this year news of a tribute organised to honour dobro maestro Mike Auldridge. The December 2012 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine also included a major article by Robert Haydon on his life and on his performing career, which extended over more than four decades.

Today Bluegrass Today broke the sad news that Mike Auldridge died this morning after a period of treatment for cancer, a day short of his seventy-fourth birthday. A substantial commemorative feature by David Morris, including the words of many musicians who knew Mike, has since appeared on Bluegrass Today here. Further tributes can be expected in the next few days.

Update 30 Dec.: Photographs of Mike at the 2000 Trnava Dobrofest in Slovakia (where he was the headline artist), as well as in other contexts, can now be seen on the European Bluegrass Blog. All were taken by bluegrass journalist Lilly Pavlak, who in 2011 received an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award.

Red Hat Acoustic Music Club in Monasterevin, 4 Jan. 2013

Thanks to Paul McEvoy for the news that the Red Hat Acoustic Music Club (featured on the BIB on 17 October) will hold its next monthly meeting at the Hazel Hotel in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, on Friday 4 January 2013. For more information, contact Paul at 086-2640667.

A refresher after the holiday feasting

Thanks to John Lawless and Bluegrass Today for providing this little treat for our jaded palates after the indulgences of the holiday season: a video of Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass, playing 'The old swinging bridge' just over two weeks ago in Portland, Oregon.

The band personnel is not quite the same as in their riveting performance at the Omagh festival four years ago (see photo), but the music emphatically comes from exactly the same place. You can also watch it on YouTube; and while you're looking at the band's website, listen to the samples of their latest CD, Road into town.

Sacred Harp in Dublin TONIGHT

Thanks to the Dublin Sacred Harp Singers for this news:

This Friday we will be singing from 7.00-9.00 p.m. in the Franciscan Friary on Merchant's Quay, instead of Trinity College. The bell isn't working, so if you are stuck outside just call 087 2355978 and someone will let you in. Hope you all had a nice Christmas and hope to see you there!

Front Porch Sessions - a successful Mullingar launch

Thanks to Vinny Baker of Bending The Strings (left) for news of the 'Front Porch Sessions' multi-genre concert (see the BIB for 7 Dec., launched at Aras An Mhuillinn, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, on 13 December as the first in a projected series. Vinny reports:

The Front Porch Sessions was a great success in Mullingar and plans are going ahead to book it into a few other venues. It was a fantastic night of music and we had a full house, and the audience were a great listening audience... It was such a nice environment to play this show in.

Christmas greetings from the BIB

The Bluegrass Ireland Blog wishes a happy and peaceful Christmas and a joyful and prosperous New Year to all its readers, to all lovers of bluegrass and kindred musics, and to all people of goodwill everywhere.

In 2013 (and for the foreseeable future) keep looking at Bluegrass Today (the splendid new form of the original Bluegrass Blog), the European Bluegrass Blog, and all the other fine sources of news on our music!

Belfast Bluegrass in 2013 - starting 8 Jan.

Thanks to Richard Leeman for this news:

The next Belfast Bluegrass session will take place on Tuesday 8 January 2013, upstairs in the Errigle Inn, Ormeau Road, Belfast, starting at 8.30 p.m. This is a change from our normal arrangement of first Tuesday of every month, which in January is New Year's Day. After January we will be back to our usual timetable of first Tuesday every month.

Rose's Pawn Shop in Britain and Ireland, Feb.-Mar. 2013

Thanks to GPromo PR for the news that Rose's Pawn Shop (USA) are scheduled to tour these islands for the first time from 28 February to 18 March 2013.

The band consists of Paul Givant (lead vocals, guitar, banjo), John Kraus (banjo, electric guitar, vocals), Tim Weed (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), Stephen Andrews (upright bass, electric bass), and Christian Hogan (drums, vocals); they also use electric steel guitar. Their collective bio begins:

It may come as a surprise to hear the foot-stomping strains of Appalachian bluegrass channelled through a rock band here in Los Angeles, but heartache, loss, and regret have always been the cornerstones of great music and this city has its share. In a town better known for porn stars and face lifts, anything as authentic and heartfelt as Rose's Pawn Shop is a pleasant surprise.

Rose's Pawn Shop came together about seven years ago, releasing their debut album The arsonist in early 2006 and a second album, Dancing on the gallows in 2010. (The title track of the latter ends with some fiddle lead in 6/8 time.) Performances can be seen and heard on YouTube, and their own YouTube channel includes videos of gypsy-style acoustic string swing music.

For further information, interview requests, etc. contact Geraint Jones / Deb Jones
Phone: +44 (0) 1584 873211
Mobile: + 44 (0) 7855 724798

Kory Quinn in Ireland, 1-5 Jan. 2013

Thanks to singer/songwriter Kory Quinn (shown left), born in Illinois but now a part of the vigorous Portland, OR, Americana scene, for the news that he is currently touring in these islands and will be in Ireland at the beginning of the New Year to play four shows.

Kory's music can be heard on MySpace, ReverbNation, and BandCamp, and he is also on Facebook. The dates currently on his schedule over here are as follows; admission to all of them is free.

Tues. Jan 1st: The Sky & the Ground, Wexford town, 9.30 p.m.
Wed. 2nd: Whelan's, Dublin 2, 8.00 p.m.
Thurs. 3rd: The Oliver Plunkett, Cork city, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 5th: Lynam's of Laragh, Laragh, Co. Wicklow, 8.00 p.m.

Merry Christmas from the Folk Park Team

Richard Hurst and his splendid team at the Ulster American Folk Park at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, home of the annual Bluegrass Music Festival, send this evocative image and the greeting:

Wishing you and yours a peaceful Christmas with health and happiness in the years to come…

9th Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival, 20-24 Feb. 2013

The 9th Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival and Song Writing Convention, with over 100 songwriters present, will be presented by Panarts in Belfast on the five days 20-24 February 2013.

Full details are on the Festival website and this e-newsletter.

Frankie Lane, Paul Kelly, and much more at Clondalkin's Folk the Recession

Thanks to Paul Lee of Musiclee.ie for Christmas greetings and this news of a show including some of Ireland's finest performers in bluegrass-related music:

Eleanor Shanley, Frankie Lane, Paul Kelly, Brendan Begley, Mike Hanrahan.

Saturday 29 December, Áras Chrónáin, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. Phone 01-4574847.
9.00 p.m.; €20 (€18)

A lively mix of music, story and song from five of Ireland's top folk acts. With a wonderful selection of songs by composers such as Marty Robbins, Tom Paxton, Jesse Winchester, Tommy Scott, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash, Stephen Foster, Chuck Berry, Stockton's Wing, Woody Guthrie, etc. combined with their own arrangements of great traditional tunes, it really is a feast of folk music.

Happy Christmas to all and best wishes.

Cathy Desmond reviews Gone to Grass show in Sixmilebridge: UPDATE

The BIB has not carried reviews as the old hard-copy newsletter used to do. We're therefore very glad to hear from Cathy Desmond, who reviewed on Wednesday on her own blog the show by Gone to Grass the previous night at the Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare - one of the main venues in next month's Shannonside Winter Music Weekend.

Cathy is a freelance professional player and teacher of music, based in Ennis, Co. Clare. A former member of the Irish Youth Orchestra, she has a keen interest in inclusive music tuition, embodied in the Cathy Desmond String School; you can contact her by e-mail. The review includes the results of a talk with Ivor after the show, and the complete set list for the evening. Read it in full here.

Gone to Grass on Tuesday night had Paddy Jordan on bass as well as (in photo) Ivor Ottley, Pete Lamb, and Tom Portman. Thanks again to Cathy for the news that 'the last chance to catch this smashing ensemble is at Green's pub, Kinvara [Co. Galway], on Sunday 23 December at 4 pm.'

CORRECTION: Cathy sends word that the next appearance of Gone to Grass (without Ivor Ottley) will be not on 23 Dec. but on the following Sunday, 30 Dec., as part of the Turkey Fleadh. The change has been made on the BIB calendar.

Prison Love at Sweeney's, Dublin 2, 22 Dec. 2012

Written (out of the corner of his mouth) by Mark 'Marko' O'Mahony of Prison Love:

Word to the wise – Prison Love play Midnight at Sweeney’s Bar in Dame St./Dame Lane, Dublin city... Tomorrow Saturday 22 December.

Special guests to include Hurricane Barry and Dancin’ Pete Kilroy! Admission free.

Hope to see you there!

A band so big they can have their own members as special guests...

Woodbine - Christmas greetings and a post-Christmas gig

Woodbine would like to wish all their friends a very happy Christmas and a bright new year. Thanks for making 2012 another great year for the band. We close the year with a gig in Bob's Bar, Durrow, Co. Laois, on St Stephen's night (7.00 to 9.00 p.m.), and we look forward to meeting you all during 2013.

A message from Tony O'Brien

Left: Tony O'Brien, who retired last month as organiser since 1997 of the Athy Bluegrass Festival in Athy, Co. Kildare, Ireland's oldest annual bluegrass event (photo: from an original by Carl Mark O'Neill). 

I would like to thank everyone for their kind messages on the ending of the Athy Festival. There were so many texts, e-mails, phone calls, and messages on the blog, it made my decision a lot sadder; but time moves on. Thanks for all support down through the years; have a happy Christmas and a great new year.

19th Gainsborough Old Time Festival, 15-17 Feb. 2013

For old-time music enthusiasts: FOAOTMAD has just published details of its annual festival in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England, which will be held next on 15-17 Feb. 2013. Pretty well all the details are on the poster (click on the image for an enlarged view). Ticket prices are:

Weekend: FOAOTMAD or BBMA member £45; non-member £55
Saturday all day: FOAOTMAD or BBMA member £30; non-member £35
Friday evening only: £20
Saturday evening only: £20

 FOAOTMAD will have the back of the poster, with application form, available soon; keep a lookout for it on the FOAOTMAD blog. Booking online and by post will also soon be available; there is a small administration charge for online booking.

Tom Hanway - picking (TONIGHT) and publishing

Tom Hanway (left) reports:

I just put a new 730 amp battery in the failing camper, with two shows on Thursday 20 December: one in Dublin, Sweeney's Mongrel, Dame Street, 5.00-7.00 p.m.; then JPs, Main St., Cavan, 10.00-midnight. I’m playing a full-tilt duo with ferocious Dublin flatpicker and singer Hugh Taggart, then driving straight to Cavan to pick newgrass and country with Breffni Bluegrass, one of the best vocal bands in Ireland, and getting tighter.

I am ecstatic: I made my publishing deadline for my third Mel Bay collection, recently submitting the manuscript and CD master for Mel Bay’s Easy Irish and Celtic melodies for 5-string banjo: best-loved airs and session tunes. It’s aimed at bluegrass banjo players who are looking for even older traditional melodies.

Product description: The goal of this collection is to open up to 5-string banjoists the treasure trove of Irish, Celtic and British Isles folk melodies that are known throughout the world. The book includes chords, standard notation and tablature, with play-along tracks and real-time tempos for the accompanying audio. Through these 32 best-loved airs and song melodies, some of them hundreds of years old, Tom Hanway demonstrates contemporary 'Celtic fingerstyle banjo' using modern techniques and standard G tuning. These are easy tunes for beginners and intermediate players, with tempo settings indicated as an aid to learning and practicing these treasured pieces. Additionally, this collection is also aimed at advanced players who are keen on learning subtle arrangements of traditional airs, songs and tunes.

This is the companion work to Mel Bay’s Easy Irish and Celtic tunes for 5-string banjo: best-loved jigs and reels (2012), with 68 tunes, combining for a total of 100 Celtic melodies. Through these lessons, one can learn to play stock traditional tunes, which work alone or can be combined in medleys to play at sessions anywhere.

BIB editor's note: Tom's publications are also available in e-book form; see here.

Old Mountain Dew - undiluted

Thanks to Derek Lockhart of Dangem Bluegrass in Craigavon, Co. Armagh, who writes:

If you fancy a jug of that good old Mountain Dew, go to the Dangem YouTube channel or click on this link. This video was shot at the Spectrum Centre, Belfast, this 12 November. Enjoy!

The video shows the Down and Out Bluegrass Band playing 'Jug of good old Mountain Dew', with their tight, solid ensemble sound and blistering instrumentals. The picture above, taken at the Cornish Bluegrass Festival in September, doesn't quite fit conditions at the Spectrum, where the Down and Outs were all Men in Black.

3rd Mohill Bluegrass Festival - 9-11 Aug. 2013

Thanks to Tommy Kelleher, head of the Mohill Bluegrass Festival organising team, who writes:

I wish your good self, Carol, and all your family best wishes for Christmas and New Year; and may I extend it to all my fellow bluegrassers out there on behalf of the Mohill Bluegrass Festival.

Don't forget - put it in your diary... 9-11 August 2013!

Mollie O'Brien and Rich Moore in Britain and Ireland, Oct. 2013

Loudon Temple of the UK Brookfield Knights agency announces to promoters and event organisers in these islands:

Hi, folks - we are delighted to announce that we will have the wonderful Mollie O'Brien (Tim O'Brien's hugely talented sister) and her playing companion and husband, Rich Moore, on tour in the UK and Ireland in October, 2013 (full month).

As this is a lady with a helluva pedigree, we are anticipating healthy demand. We will of course provide all local assistance you require in terms of posters and flyers and contacting local media (print and radio) with CDs and strong press releases - just as we always do as solid back-up tour support - via our sister operation, Bloodygreatpr.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could indicate one or two available dates to allow for some flexibility when we come to look at sensible routing, given this is potentially a full month of dates spread over such a wide geographic area. Many thanks in anticipation. I look forward to hearing from you.

May we take this opportunity to wish you and your team the very best for the coming Festive Season and beyond. Many thanks for continued support,

Loudon
Brookfield Knights
Tel. +44 (0)1505 706346; mob. 07831 878013

A succession plan for the BIB

The BIB editor writes:

The Bluegrass Ireland Blog began operating in November 2005, seven years and just under one month ago. In that time, over 3,000 posts have been put on it - nearly all are still there - and the number of visits is coming within sight of the quarter-million mark. (Just to keep things in perspective, Bluegrass Today gets that many visits in three or four months.)

The many kind words that have been said to me about the BIB and its usefulness are very greatly appreciated. Friends have also remarked that running it must take up a lot of time; and indeed, doing this the way it needs to be done takes up more time than I can continue giving to it. I shall therefore retire from bluegrass blogging as of 15 February 2013.

This is an opportunity to ensure that the really useful functions of the BIB will be continued - and perhaps improved and augmented - after that date. The blog headnote says 'The calendar is the main point of the BIB'; and I'll try to ensure that some form of interactive calendar, on which dates of events can be entered, is available before I quit.

The more 'human interest' aspects of the BIB could perhaps best be served by a Facebook page - which I'll have to leave to someone else to set up and administer. This would also add a forum function, which has been suggested in the past. Forums don't suit me, so I haven't taken this up. This is another way that the bluegrass and old-time communities in Ireland can end up getting an improved service after I retire.

I look forward to hearing from anyone who is willing to take this on - though 'anyone' is not the best word. More than one person should be involved, so that no one has to face doing it every day.

The Cabin Sessions, Dundrum, Dublin, 27 Dec. 2012

Gerry Fitzpatrick of the Cabin Sessions, 'Acoustic Music at its Finest', at Uncle Tom's Cabin (not far from Dundrum Luas station in the city direction), sends this Christmas message to all:

Just want to say a big 'Thank you' for your support in 2012. Our last session of the year will be on Thursday 27 December with special guests -

Paul Hennessy (Country)
Factor One (Folk)
Emma Butler (Contemporary)
Spats Davenport (Ragtime Blues)

We look forward to introducing a range of new guests to you in 2013. Here's wishing you and yours a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Broken String Band at the Red Room, 21 Dec. 2012

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin of the Red Room in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, for this news:

We have the Broken String Band playing next Friday night (21 Dec.), usual 8.30 p.m. start and everyone's welcome to come.This will be a great finale to what has been a very busy year for the Red Room - sixteen house concerts in 2012, not to mention the opening of the Barn [shown on the right].

The BIB congratulates the Red Room on this record. A show by Ulster's senior bluegrass / old-time band is a fitting way to round off the 2012 programme. Video footage of the Broken Strings can be seen on the Red Room Facebook page.

Nominations for 2013 Grammy awards

The US Compass Records label is justly proud that its recording artists have had two nominations in the category of 'Best Bluegrass Album' for the 2013 Grammy awards, which will be made on 10 February. As it happens, both the Compass albums nominated are by frequent visitors to Ireland: banjo virtuoso Noam Pikelny's Beat the Devil and carry a rail and the Special Consensus's Scratch Gravel Road. Pikelny was here last month with the Punch Brothers, and the Special Consensus will be touring here next month. The full release issued by Compass Records can be read here. Rounder Records have four nominations, including one each for Dailey & Vincent and the Steep Canyon Rangers, who have all appeared at the Omagh festival.

Other nominees for Best Bluegrass Album, together with bluegrass-related nominees for other categories in the 2013 Grammy awards, can be seen on Bluegrass Today. In addition to those mentioned on Bluegrass Today, it can be noted that Leaving Eden by the Carolina Chocolate Drops has been nominated for Best Folk Album, and Old-time Smoky Mountain music: 34 historic songs, ballads, and instrumentals recorded in the Great Smoky Mountains by 'Song Catcher' Joseph S. Hall has been nominated for Best Historical Album.

Thanks also to Kevin Parme of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings for the news that Banjo diary: lessons from tradition by Stephen Wade has received a Grammy nomination for Best Album Notes; the notes were written by Stephen Wade himself. This is Stephen's first nomination, and one of five nominations for Smithsonian Folkways this year.

Fun on YouTube

The BIB's hero among the BGB, banjo-picker Wild Woolly Bunton

It's nearly two-and-a-half years since we heard from the Bluegrass Babies, so thanks to Caroline Roberts for the news that they're back; and (like many other bluegrass recording artists) they have made a seasonal video. You can see their arrangement of 'Jingle bells' on YouTube here.

It's a real pleasure to see Wild Woolly Bunton and his banjo again in the front row; he's not required to play much lead, but his intros are crisp and authoritative, and he seems as happy as the rest of the ensemble.

************
West Virginia, the Mountain State, has an important place in mountain music, and 'Gilligans Appalachia', an informal look at the state's history and character, can be seen here - one of the 485 videos on the West Virginia Public TV YouTube Channel. Not a lot of music, but worth watching nonetheless.

And if, like the BIB editor, you had hoped to go to this year's Appalachian String Band Music Festival at Clifftop, WV, and didn't make it, here's a bittersweet pleasure: fifteen minutes of some of the best of what we missed.

Top-class clawhammer banjo for sale

The BIB has been carrying a lot about excellent banjos recently; but this news differs from our posts about the Deering Sierra at Dangem and the Recording King RK-Elite-75, in that it's about a clawhammer banjo of equal distinction.

Following from our news of 14 Nov., Tim Rogers, leader of the Clew Bay Critters, has finally decided to sell his Dave Stacey 'Sodbuster' banjo, and has put it on the Done Deal website here. Don't rely on this photo; there are seven other clear close-up photos on Done Deal. This is a unique instrument, as Tim points out:

Beautiful custom open-back 5-string banjo handcrafted by renowned UK maker Dave Stacey. The 'Sodbuster' model is specifically designed for clawhammer-style players and is ideal for the job. It has just the right combination of plunk and zing. This is an unusual 'Sodbuster', in that it has a deeper pot and a brass rod tone ring. Beautiful maple neck and pot. A great little banjo. Sale is for financial reasons only.

Tim's contact data are on the Done Deal page.

Music in central Dublin, 14 Dec. 2012

Thanks to Derek Copley of the Greasy Coat Stringband (left) for this news: 

The Greasy Coat Stringband's Friday session in Hannan's Bar, St James' Street, will be hosted this week by Paddy Kiernan and friends from 10.00 p.m. Paddy is one of the best 5-string banjo players in Ireland today.

Paddy & Co. will be filling in this Friday for the Greasy Coat Stringband, who are supporting Anna Falkenau, Lena Ullman, and Ivan Murray (The FUM Trio) in the Cobblestone. Should be a great night of music all round Dublin, so!

Stand at the top of Watling Street and you might be able to hear both sessions...

Old Tire Swingers in Ireland, Feb. 2013

In the BIB notice two days ago about the coming Open House Winter Weekend (31 Jan.-3 Feb. 2013), the name of the Old Tire Swingers (photo above) could be seen on the poster images. They toured in Britain last year, but this will be their first time in Ireland, so we're glad to receive information from Geraint Jones of GPromo PR:

All the way from Fresno, California, hard-driving old-time string band, the Old Tire Swingers, will be undertaking a month-long tour of the UK & Ireland from mid January in support of their self-titled debut album... In a typical set, listeners will hear both traditional and original songs that vary tempos, energy levels and emotion. The band prides itself on its vocal work with two- and three-part harmonies in most every song. Although much of the band's set list is hard-driving old-time music, fans of bluegrass, country, acoustic, folk, and Americana are sure to find plenty to savour.

The OTS consist of Paul Chesterton (banjo, songwriting), Nick Kennedy (guitar), Frick Dau (stand-up bass), and Eathan Hakker (mandolin). Their tour begins on 12 Jan. in London, the first of thirteen shows in Britain before they come to Ireland for the following dates:

Fri. 1st: The Green Room at the Black Box, Belfast
Sat. 2nd: The Goat’s Toe, Bangor, Co. Down
Sun. 3rd: Crane Lane Theatre, Cork city
Tues. 5th: Whelan’s, Dublin 2
Wed. 6th: St John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry

They will then play five more dates in England. More details are on the Owlsworld agency website.

Today is International Bluegrass Music Appreciation Day

This is the very first International Bluegrass Music Appreciation Day (IBMAD), the result of an initiative by Lee Marcus (USA) with the aim of its becoming an annual event. Read more on the Prescription Bluegrass Blog, and celebrate the day by picking, listening, or any other way of making bluegrass a part of your day and expressing your appreciation of it.

Bluegrass for Pudsey 2012

Thanks to Tony Curran of the Dunadry Bluegrass Militia for news that fits in well to the season of giving:

The final tally for BBC Children In Need 2012 is a grand total of £520! Very slightly more than last year [see the BIB for 29 Nov. 2011] - thanks to a few late promises and a wee bit of arm twisting... On behalf of the BBC Children In Need Appeal 2012, I would like to thank all those musicians who played at Ellie May's Bluegrass Sessions for their wonderful contribution!

Mandolin lessons from John Denby

Good news for anyone learning mandolin in the Dublin area: John Denby, one of the most dynamic mandolinists to have appeared on the scene here in the last few years, is available to give mandolin lessons. John announces:

I'll teach bluegrass, folk, country, rock 'n' roll, bluesy styles, and basic trad around Dublin or at my house in Drumcondra. I could also provide a mandolin for the lessons if the student doesn't have one yet. My number is 085 185 9287 or e-mail.

Since earlier this year John has been a full member of the Down and Out Bluegrass Band; the photo, showing John in full Down and Out uniform, is taken from the band's website. His playing in field jams during the 24th North Wales Bluegrass Festival in July this year earned him a special spot on the main concert stage (see the BIB for 20 July).

Sacred Harp Singers in the Clé Club, Dublin, 12 Dec.

Thanks to the Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin for this news:

We will be singing as guests of the Clé Club, in the basement of the Stag's Head, Dame Court, Dublin 2, from 8.30 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday 12 Dec.) evening. Hope you can make it!

Open House Winter Weekend, 31 Jan.-3 Feb. 2013

Thanks to Kieran Gilmore and the Open House Festival team in Belfast for news of this new event combining Irish and American music in the manner pioneered by the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival. Kieran says:

I'm not sure whether I'd call this a festival announcement but I am certainly at ease calling it a weekender, or a gathering. Whatever the name of the event, it's the content that really matters. And in this case, it's the very best (and what inspires us) in American folk & traditional Irish music - laced with that cutting edge, DIY spirit that makes it so Open House.

We hope the weekender has got it all: fully seated concerts, hillbilly hoedown, free gigs on both Friday and Saturday nights, a sessions trail, old-time pub jams, a trip to Bangor, and even a 40th birthday bash! (no, not mine but our trusted trustee chairperson, Craig Walker). The only thing we are missing is face painting...

Read the full details on the Open House e-newsletter.

Appreciation of bluegrass - the importance of design

Niall Toner writes:

An aspect of bluegrass and country music that's often overlooked is the overall appearance and image of how the music is presented, and I'm thinking here mainly of the images on CD covers and insert booklets. Some notable recent examples, and indeed winners of design awards, have been the CD sleeves and booklet inserts for Steve Martin, Pete Wernick, Noam Pikelny, the Punch Brothers, and Dailey & Vincent, to mention a few. In some quarters the emphasis on appearance has diminished, mainly due to the fact that so much music is now available online, as downloads, but if, like me, you are one of those who treasure the detail of sleeve notes and information, you will agree that design and image are not only desirable, but vital.

In this regard, I want to pay tribute to a talented young designer and photographer, Fiaz Farrelly, who is responsible for both the design and the photography for my Pinecastle album, Onwards & upwards. Fiaz, who specialises in photographing and cataloguing heavy-metal bands (yes,there are many parallels between the two musics: a high degree of energy, a high level of skill, and a low level of money, to name but three!) has a natural ability to get the best from his subject when taking pictures, and a great sense of understanding when it comes to the portrayal of an image.

My new logo on the front of my album, in which the mandolin takes the place of the 'I' and the 'O' in my name, was created by Fiaz, with the assistance of Laura Hale, and was universally praised in the US during my launch and recent tour, as was the overall appearance and design of my CD. My sincere thanks goes out to Fiaz and Laura, and I would like to recommend that if any of you out there are contemplating a release in 2013, you owe it to yourself to make the best impression that you can, in terms of your visuals. And in this regard, you could do a lot worse than to consult with Fiaz Farrelly. He can be reached by e-mail.

BIB editor's note: We mentioned two weeks ago that Lee Marcus in the USA has founded an International Bluegrass Music Appreciation Day, the first of which is due to be held this coming Wednesday (12 December). Thanks again to Brian McNeal of the Prescription Bluegrass Blog for the news. Brian initially offered free advertising on the PBB on that day to any bluegrass business, and has since extended that offer up to the end of 2012 for all ads supplied as finished artwork. Niall Toner comments on his own blog:

What a great opportunity to spread the word, and everyone who is in any way connected to bluegrass music should be included. Anyway, here's my strip for the project [see above, at top of post], reminding folks to check out my Pinecastle release.

Also, here's another great photo by Fiaz Farrelly, taken in Ballymoon Castle, near Bagenalstown in Co. Carlow.

Pre-owned banjos at Dangem

Dangem Bluegrass of Craigavon, Co. Armagh, send the news that they have upgraded quite a few customers this Christmas season, and can therefore offer some quality pre-owned instruments. Among them is this Deering Sierra (left) for £1,000. On the Sierra webpage you can see and hear Jens Kruger talking warmly about this model and putting it through its paces in spectacular style.

Check Dangem's current list of pre-owned banjos - and check with Dangem before ordering, as instruments are in and out of stock quickly at this time of year. Read their latest e-newsletter here.

I Draw Slow in Bluegrass Unlimited

The December 2012 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine carries a nice review by Derek Halsey of the I Draw Slow album Redhills in its new Pinecastle configuration.The reviewer, noting that most of the numbers recorded are new compositions by Dave and Louise Holden, writes:

Because of that, there is a singer-songwriter aspect to this project, and the good news is that the songs and story-telling is of high quality, the arrangements are solid, and the group as a whole is very talented...  the more I listen to Redhills, the more it reminds me of what Monroe called the 'ancient tones'...

Christmas Past at the Folk Park, Omagh

As part of the Christmas events programme of the National Museums of Northern Ireland (NMNI), the Ulster American Folk Park - venue for Ireland's largest annual bluegrass/old-time event - at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, will present an 'Irish & American Christmas Past' from Tuesday 18 Dec. 2012 to Sunday 6 Jan. 2013 - the twelve days of Christmas plus one week. The Park's release says:

Step back in time and experience a traditional 1700s, 1800s & 1900s Christmas in rural Ulster and Pioneer America! The whole family can enjoy a day out exploring the treasures the outdoor museum has to offer.

We hope there will be a fiddle and/or banjo there on the final day to play 'Breaking up Christmas' in Round Peak style. Read the details from the Park here, and the full NMNI Christmas programme here.

The Appalachian sound

The BIB editor reports:

For a long while I've spent far too much time working on this computer (there'll be more to come on that subject) and not enough playing or listening to music; otherwise I'd have heard before now of Elizabeth LaPrelle, a powerful singer in the old Appalachian ballad style, and still in her mid-twenties (photo by Mike Melnyk).

Thanks, therefore, to the FOAOTMAD news blog for the information that a public radio interview with her can be heard here. After that introduction, there was nothing for it but to follow her up on YouTube, where fortunately much can be found. For a long time I've wanted to hear 'Blind Bartemus' (as recorded by the Golden Gate Quartet) sung a cappella by a bluegrass band. This video proves it can make a hair-raising duet.

Update 8 Dec.: BIB readers who listen to Sandy Harsch's Country Time show on RTÉ Radio 1 (the next is on at 11.10 p.m. tonight) will not have needed this introduction, as Sandy has been playing Elizabeth LaPrelle on the show for over three years.

Front Porch Sessions at Mullingar, 13 Dec. 2012

Thanks to Vinny Baker of Bending The Strings (left) for news of the Front Porch Sessions, which will be launched at Aras An Mhuillinn, Mount St., Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, on Thursday 13 December at 8.00 p.m.

The Front Porch Sessions will present a powerful mixture of bluegrass, folk, country, roots, traditional, and Celtic music - 'Song and Dance to Gladden the Heart!', as the Sessions poster says. The show on 13 December features:
Bending The Strings (Martin Cooney, Vinny Baker, Gerry Madden, and Moyra Fraser)
Johnny Gleeson (dobro, vocals)
Noel Carberry (pipes, whistles)
Johnny Duffy (guitar, tenor banjo, vocals)
Jimmy Flanagan (tenor banjo, vocals)
Brendan Doyle (accordion)
Sharleen McCafferty (All-Ireland champion sean-nos dancer)
Noel Battle (mouth organ)
Joe Meehan (mandolin)

Vinny draws attention to the strong bluegrass element, and adds that with a sound foundation in Mullingar it is hoped that the Front Porch Sessions will be touring to other locations early next year.

Mons Wheeler at Dunmore East, 14 Dec. 2012

Not at all a bluegrass gig (as you can see from the three images of an electric guitar) and consequently not on the BIB calendar; but Mons Wheeler is an outstanding singer, who has appeared at the Guinness International Bluegrass Festival at Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, in the past as a member of the Mean Eyed Cats from Lurgan, and those who have heard him will be glad to know where to hear him again.

Thanks, then, to Niall Edmondson, proprietor of the Spinnaker Bar in Dunmore East, for the news that Mons and his band will be playing there at 9.00 p.m. on 14 December. Full details are on the poster; click on the image for an enlarged view.

Knotty Pine String Band: Twenty years a growin

Thanks to Declan O'Kane of the Knotty Pine String Band, who writes:

Just reading the blog today and picked up on the question 'where do I pick up Irish band CDs?' The Knotty Pine String Band have just released a nineteen-track CD which celebrates twenty years of making music. The album is called Twenty years a growin and is available at gigs and by contacting us by e-mail.

The band add on their Facebook page that the album

... is a compilation of material we have recorded over the past years with everybody's favourites included... Cost £11 / €12 (includes P&P); just send a cheque payable to Declan O'Kane and send it with your address to Declan O'Kane, 1a Kylemore Gardens, Omagh, Co. Tyrone BT79 7LL, and we will send the album by return.

Bluegrass Today - gift guide and record review

Thanks to the invaluable Bluegrass Today for news of their Holiday Gift Guide, with gift possibilities of the highest quality for the discerning bluegrass enthusiast.

John Goad also contributes to Bluegrass Today a nice and detailed report on Niall Toner's latest album, Onwards & upwards. Read the report here.

I Draw Slow at the Grand Social, Dublin, 20 Dec.

Thanks to Dave Holden of I Draw Slow for this news and image from entertainment.ie:

Ireland's finest bluegrass/ Americana outfit I Draw Slow sign off on an incredible 2012 with a special Xmas show in the Grand Social. It's their first Dublin show since their autumn tour of the US, where they also signed a deal with legendary American label Pinecastle.

You can book online. Other coming dates for the band, including their show in Mallow this coming Friday, are on their website.

CDs by Irish bluegrass bands - where to get them?

In a comment on our recent post about John Denby becoming a member of the Down and Out Bluegrass Band, Raina asks:

Does anyone know where you can get an Irish bluegrass band CD? I'm in Galway and it's unbelievable that none of the shops here have any!

The best course, we suggest, is to get CDs from the bands themselves - either at a live show (where you'll know whether you want that band's music) or by contacting a band through their website or Facebook. They'll either be able to send you a CD, or will have some idea of its distribution to stores.

And here's some useful advice from Niall Toner:

I would hate to pass up on an opportunity to sell a CD! My current US release, Onwards and upwards, containing ten original songs and one original instrumental, is being distributed by Claddagh Records in Dublin to all record shops in Ireland. If a customer asks in their local record store, they can have their chosen CD within three working days. Claddagh also sell my albums from their website, and I sell signed copies from mine. It's also available to download from iTunes. Claddagh also stock albums from the Lee Valley String Band, Chris Twomey, Bending the Strings, Tin Box Company, Northern Exposure, and many others.

BIB editor's note: See also the comment on this post, below.

A banjo is for life - not just for Christmas

Dangem Bluegrass of Craigavon, Co. Armagh, have prepared a comprehensive guide (some 1100 words) for anyone thinking of buying a banjo for the first time. This is full of good advice, based on years of experience, and should get anyone started on a sound footing. Read the whole guide here.

The player illustrated has made a very sensible choice - a short-scale instrument suited to his reach. He is clearly not a first-time buyer; this banjo is a custom job, as you can see from a close inspection of the inlays.

Dobro and bodhrán

Thanks to Colin Henry, who sends this picture:

It shows myself and the indomitable Gino Lupari of Four Men and a Dog. We were playing a couple of jigs during an Oonagh Derby concert at the Island Civic Centre and it was a great privilege to play with one of the all-time greats of Irish music. Dobro and bodhrán is a combination you don't see too often, though the great Frankie Lane has been there long before me. It sounded great, and Gino even managed to make the dobro sound like an Irish instrument!

As Earl Scruggs observed about the banjo when he formed the Earl Scruggs Revue, the only limit to playing any instrument is the mind of the player. We might need to ask Gino if he agrees with that as far as the dobro is concerned!

Michael Miles: premieres for 'Sundial Suite'

Thanks to Michael J. Miles, most recently here in September at the Ulster American Folk Park and the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, for news of the premiere performances, in the US early this month, of his 'Sundial Suite' for banjo and chamber orchestra. Read Michael's e-newsletter here.

Nechville Gift Guide

Thanks to Tom Nechville of Nechville Musical Products for this news from the uniquely innovatory banjo company:

Your best banjo buy begins at Nechville. Whether it's an exactly engineered Enterprise bridge, a classy Comfort-bevel armrest, cool custom created head, perfect pocket pick case, Titanium timb-r-tronic tone ring, delightful Dogwood Design strap, affordable flux-fixed Flextone neck, or the holy height of wholesome harmonic high-tech happiness: the Heli-mount banjo, we are ready to serve you. Call me or Al for all your banjo needs. Today! Have a great holiday season.

Contact Tom by 'phone (+1 (612)275-6602) or e-mail. European dealers for Nechville products are the Eagle Music Shop in England and Banjoree in Hamburg.