News digest #6

Events in the next week (taken from the BIB calendar; please check also the 'Weekly sessions' section of the calendar)

Fri. 1st: Red Hat Acoustic Music Club, Harbour View Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare: Anna & Orla Greaves, Ray McGee, Mick Dunne, Paul McEvoy, guests; musicians and listeners welcome; €3 donation

Tues. 5th: Rose's Pawn Shop (USA), the Weigh Inn, Omagh, Co. Tyrone
Belfast Bluegrass monthly session, upstairs at the Errigle Inn, Belfast, 8.30 p.m.

Wed. 6th: Rose's Pawn Shop (USA), Whelan’s, Dublin 2

Thurs. 7th: Rose's Pawn Shop (USA), the Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co. Louth

Fri. 8th: Bluegrass Slow Jam, Walton's New School of Music, George's St., Dublin 2, 6.30-8.00 p.m.
Rose's Pawn Shop (USA), Conary Community Hall, Avoca, nr Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow

The Rose's Pawn Shop tour continues to Sunday; see the BIB calendar.

Other news

Onwards & upwards, the latest album from Niall Toner, is number #1 on the Top 50 AirPlay Direct Bluegrass/Folk Albums - All Time downloads chart.

Chris Keenan reports that American banjo master Michael J. Miles makes a special trip to Ireland next month to present his celebrated 'From Senegal to Seeger'. This special one-man show (during which he plays numerous banjos) traces the history of the banjo from its origins to modern times in America and beyond.
'...this is enough to make me want to learn the banjo all over again.' Pete Seeger

Sat. 6th Apr.: TBC
Sun. 7th: TBC
Mon. 8th: Kilworth Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork (double bill with Ken Perlman (USA))
Tues. 9th: Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare
Wed. 10th: TBC
Thurs. 11th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry
Fri. 12th: Market Theatre, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare
Sat. 13th: Banjo Weekend in Clarinbridge, Co. Galway
Sun. 14th: Banjo Weekend in Clarinbridge, Co. Galway
More details to follow.

Old-time banjoist, singer, and songwriter Alec Somerville has composed his own comment on the horse-meat crisis, which can be seen and heard on YouTube.

Aran Sheehan reports that the inaugural Dubin Bluegrass jam on Tuesday was a great success, with no less than three amazing fiddlers including Aoife Kelly, who is expected back next week (5 Mar.)

Paul Lee's Musiclee.ie agency announces several shows in the 'Folk the Recession' series with Eleanor Shanley, Frankie Lane, and Paul Kelly (30 Mar., 4, 5 Apr., 8 June), and shows by Cahalen Morrison & Eli West (USA) (26 Apr.) and Tumbling Bones (USA) (5 June). Full details are on the Musiclee.ie website.