News from the Mother Country

Thanks to Blair Bainbridge (1) for the news that today is the release date for the new Smithsonian Folkways album Long time… Seldom Scene by the legendary Seldom Scene (see the BIB for 20 Mar.).

And (2) for this link to a further YouTube video of the Scene in the studio, recording the Hazel Dickens song 'My better years' - a well-shot video of one of the really great bands at work. This is on the Smithsonian Folkways YouTube channel, whose many videos include several on Pete Seeger (1919-2014). SF announces: 'We will soon be publishing a tribute page to Pete, without whom our organization would not be possible.'

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Many over here have fond memories of seeing, hearing, and perhaps meeting the Gibson Brothers and Joe Newberry at previous Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festivals at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. Joe has been there as a member of the Red Clay Ramblers, and also of Big Medicine.

Today Bluegrass Today carries a feature on Joe's fine song 'Singing as we rise' (the inspiration for which came at a past Sore Fingers Week in England); the recording by the Gibson Brothers with Ricky Skaggs won the IBMA’s Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year award for 2012. As a bonus, there's a very enjoyable video of the Gibsons and their band delivering the song on stage, plus its complete lyrics.