High points of bluegrass in Europe

Thanks to Andre Dal Lentilhas (left) of the one and only (so far) Portuguese bluegrass band Stonebones & Bad Spaghetti for a Christmas video by the band, which can be seen on Ray O'Brien's Bluegrass in Ireland.

You can see more about Andre in this feature on the European Bluegrass Blog, '2014: a memorable year & my European bluegrass highlight... a blogger's view'. The author describes the 'Banjo Eight' event held at the Eagle Music Shop in England on 8 Nov., where the artists taking part included the astounding Kruger Brothers.

Andre gave a banjo workshop in which he showed his solution to a serious physical ailment that might have stopped his playing altogether. He had contracted a condition that caused his picking hand to take up a claw shape. Undeterred, he devised a glove-cum-brace (visible in the photo) that counteracted this effect, and then relearned his right-hand technique to restore his playing ability. The author of the article describes the results as 'spectacular' and adds:

The description of his refusal to stop playing and to find a unique solution was inspiring, and Andre's playing? - in the true sense of the word, triumphant.

Also at the Eagle Music Shop for the event were Cup O' Joe from Co. Armagh. Tabitha Agnew, shown below with Jens Kruger, is now an endorser of Deering Banjos.

Finally, thanks for the New Year greetings card shown below, sent by Lilly Pavlak (CH/CZ), winner of an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award,

and for the greetings sent by Andy Glandt (D) - singer, musician, songwriter, author, and much more - who has brought his Fox Tower Bluegrass Band to festivals in Ireland in the past. Andy writes:

Me and my family wish you all a peaceful Christmas season and a good start in 2015.

Seeing the new year in at the Rockies Club

Thanks to Roger Ryan of the Country Music Association of Ireland and the Rockies Club (Blackrock National Hurling Club) on Church Rd, Blackrock, Cork for the news that the Rockies Club will be saying goodbye to the Old Year and hello to the New Year with live music: tonight (New Year's Eve) Jim O'Sullivan and Tim McCarthy, and on Thursday (New Year's Day) the Hank Wedel Band. A month later (31 Jan.) there will be a six-piece dance band at the Club Pavilion for an evening of dance music. Roger adds:

All the recent functions at the Club were very successful and well supported. In November we had our biggest crowd in a long time for the visit of Rackhouse Pilfer. On 20 December, local band Two Time Polka proved yet again that they are the most exciting and energetic band we have had at the Rockies. They had the crowd on their feet dancing for most of the night.

... We are now looking forward confidently to a great New Year and we wish all our teams lots of success in the various competitions. We will welcome your continued support at our games and our functions in the Club. Happy New Year to all. Rockies Abú!

Christmas greetings

The Bluegrass Ireland Blog sends good wishes for 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.

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Thanks also to our friends the Czech fiddle-and-banjo duo Petra and Petr ('Pe & Pe'), who send:

A lot of greetings from the Czech republic! We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year :-)

They are both very well, performing, writing songs, and planning their next holiday. After accepting an invitation from friends in Belgium to come and perform there in March, they want to spend time at the Cup of Tae festival in Ardara, Co. Donegal, during May. They also intend to expand their ensemble, and are looking for a guitar player and a double bass player.

Niall Toner songwriting workshop in Cork, 25 Jan. 2015

Thanks to Ray O'Brien and 'Bluegrass in Ireland' for forwarding this image from the events page of Crowley's Musician Centre's website. The Centre (at the Oliver Plunkett, 116 Oliver Plunkett St., Cork city) describes itself on its Facebook page as 'a little music shop that provides services for musicians within a cool music venue that is a tribute to the local musicians.'

On Sunday 25 January 2015 the Centre will proudly host a songwriting workshop (11.00 a.m.-4.00 p.m.) with the legendary Niall Toner. The cost (€70) includes FREE dinner. If interested, 'phone Sheena on 087 9023080; tickets can also be bought through the website.

Niall's connection with Cork goes back to the 1960s, when he, his brother Colm, and the late Chris Twomey founded the Lee Valley String Band.

Post-Christmas in Dublin and Navan, 28 Dec. 2014

Thanks to Eugene Donegan in Co. Meath and Mark 'Marko' O'Mahony in Dublin for news of two gigs, both on Sunday 28 December. First, Eugene reports that Navan band Pilgrim St play Swan Lane, Navan that day. Tickets are €10 and support on the night will be provided by Della Belle.

Secondly, Marko announces:

Ho Ho Howdy Folks,

Only six sleeps to go until the Prison Love Christmas Breakout! This year’s celebration of all things old-time and Cajun will take place Upstairs in Whelans on Sunday 28 December.

Special guests abound on the night with some of our oldest and trusted friends in felony:

Dancin’ Pete Kilroy on accordion
Hurricane Barry O’Mahony on vocals
Col ‘Ely D’ Derham
And the rest of your old favourites…

Support on the night is from the Dublin City Rounders, a hot new duo from Dublin via Australia. Tickets are €10 and available on WAVTickets or on the door on the night. Come and work off some of that Christmas Bumper with us!

To suit or not to suit?

Eric Gibson of the Gibson Brothers describes in 'Look good/Play good', a guest editorial on the Prescription Bluegrass Blog, the factors that led the brothers to adopt dark suits for the stage. Not everyone in the band was keen at first, but now

... all agree that dressing up makes us feel like we’re ready to go to work. [...] I feel confident stepping on any stage with these guys and I think our ‘uniform’ helps enhance that feeling. [...] This isn’t trendy. I want our look to be timeless. I want our dress to reflect the way I hope we sound.

High-class bluegrass abroad - more news

Thanks to a third good friend on the Continent - Rainer Zellner, head of the Music Contact agency based in Tübingen, Germany - for two pieces of news: first, his annual 'travelling festival', the Bluegrass Jamboree! has just completed its three-week tour through central Europe.

Rainer launched the Jamboree in 2009 and it has been a steadily growing success. Town Mountain from North Carolina, this year's Jamboree headliners, have described their experiences on Bluegrass Today. In the photo, showing all the artists in this year's event, Rainer is on the far right.

Secondly, Rainer has organised a ten-day tour for Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, who will be playing at the Bühl and Utrecht festivals mentioned earlier today on the BIB, plus four other dates in Germany, one in Austria, and one in Prague, and ending with two days (23-4 May) at the Spring Bluegrass Festival Willisau in Switzerland.

Music (and travel) opportunities

Thanks to two good friends on the Continent: first, to Walter Fuchs in Bühl, near Baden-Baden in south-west Germany, for this copy of the poster for the 13th International Bühl Bluegrass Festival (15-16 May 2015), which Walter has organised from the outset.

OK, we know there are two bluegrass festivals taking place in the Netherlands around that time - the Gulpener Bluegrass Festival at Utrecht on 14 May and the EWOB Festival at Voorthuizen (14-16 May) - but if Germany should happen to suit your spring travel plans, the Bühl festival has a stellar lineup headed by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (USA), and the city (between the Rhine and the Black Forest mountains) is a very agreeable place, with a first-class auditorium for concerts.

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Thanks also to Danilo Cartia for news of the 2015 Acoustic Guitar Meeting in Sarzana, Italy, at the end of May. Danilo organises an Italian Bluegrass Meeting day (also on Facebook) as part of the event, and he is now proud to announce that for the 2015 edition (29 May) the guests of honour will be the US maestri Mark Johnson & Emory Lester and Russ Barenberg, who will give an evening show on the main stage and lead free banjo, mandolin, and guitar workshops during the day. A special area will be reserved for the Meeting with a dedicated stage on which bluegrass bands and artists will alternate shows, jam sessions, and more workshops.

Danilo invites all bands and musicians to register (free) to the Meeting by sending him an e-mail. You can also keep up with developments on the Meeting's blog and Facebook.

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It's always worth keeping track of the flow of current offers from such leading companies as Compass Records (with their fine catalogue of Celtic music as well as some of the best in bluegrass), ArtistWorks (the premier online music instruction school, with its A-list of teachers for all the bluegrass instruments), and the mother of all instructional recordings enterprises, Homespun. Check, for instance, the latest e-newsletters from Compass Records and Homespun, and visit ArtistWorks for the latest opportunities for tuition courses on your instrument. And Gold Tone continue to bring out stimulating innovations in instruments and accessories: see their Christmas newsletter.

Dublin bluegrass - alive and kicking!

The BIB editor reports:

On Friday night I had the pleasure of being at a jam session which, though private, was attended by many who go to the Dublin Bluegrass jam every Tuesday night at the Sin É bar (14-15 Upper Ormond Quay, Dublin 1).

Those taking part were musicians from the Dublin Bluegrass Collective, Bluestack Mountain Boys, Well Enough Alone, and New Breadwinners, and other pickers of similar calibre. A jam where everything is solid bluegrass and (in many cases) pretty deep-catalogue stuff, played with intensity, conviction, and impressive musicianship, is a potent experience. I remember especially a hair-raising Monroe composition, driven by twin mandolins.

And nearly everyone there - the admirable Anto Griffin and myself were the only 'old sweats' - had arrived on the scene within the last few years. On the strength of this evidence (which anyone can check by going along to the Tuesday sessions at Sin É), the future of bluegrass music in Dublin is in very capable hands.

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Some of the atmosphere of the jam can be heard on an earlier home recording by the Bluestack Mountain Boys (Aran Sheehan, mandolin; Patrick Simpson, vocals, guitar; Luke Coffey, vocals, banjo; John Denby, mandolin; Hugh Taggart, vocals, guitar; Niall Hughes, vocals, bass). I'd specially recommend 'It takes one to know one' and (the real gem of the album, IMO) 'I just think I'll go away'.

Update 22 Dec.: Please note Patrick Simpson's message, appended below as a comment.

More Brookfield Knights news for next autumn

Thanks to Loudon Temple of the UK's Brookfield Knights (BK) roots music agency for news of two acts from the Vancouver (CAN) area who will be available for bookings in these islands in the autumn of 2015.

Following the success of a recent tour by the duo of Petunia and Nathan M. Godfrey, BK are inviting them to return for three weeks from 4 Sept. 2015 after playing dates in Sweden. This YouTube footage shows them playing at the Green Note in London. And don't miss the photos and comments on the Red Room Facebook for their show in Cookstown earlier this month.

BK are also 'super excited' to be bringing over Ben Rogers in Oct. 2015. His album Lost stories: volume one won critical acclaim and airplay, and a new album is due for release in the UK in late spring. A brief TV feature on him was shown in Canada recently.

Loudon asks promoters and event organisers to let BK know if they would like to provide a slot for either act in those timeframes, and also to indicate if possible any preferred dates, to help in planning tour logistics.

Gainsborough festival ticket info out now

Following on from the announcement in the BIB post of 11 December, the weekly FOAOTMAD news blog says:

The ticket booking details for Gainsborough Festival [England, mid Feb.] can be found here. Ticket prices remain the same. Alternatively you can download the order form here.

Buying your ticket in advance helps the committee with their planning – and makes it quicker to get your wristband when you arrive!

As previously mentioned, Jason and Pharis Romero will be joining us on the Saturday as part of their UK tour.

Christmas greetings: update

Woodbine display the festive image shown on their Facebook page, with the message:

We would like to wish all our friends a very happy Christmas and bright new year. Thanks for all your support in 2014 and look forward to meeting you somewhere on the bluegrass trail in 2015.

The BIB editor adds:

While I cordially agree with these sentiments, I have to point out that this is a seriously misleading picture. I have never played a banjo with tuners that protrude at the side of the peghead.

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Thanks also to Paul and Anne McEvoy of the Red Hat Acoustic Music Club, meeting every month at the Harbour Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare, for this message:

Just a little note to thank you for your support during the past year on the Bluegrass Ireland Blog. Happy Christmas to the bluegrass family in Ireland. Hope 2015 will be a good year.

It seems to be shaping up well, in terms of musicians from abroad - the BIB calendar has seldom looked so full before a year has even begun.

For your Christmas list...

In connection with the BIB post of 8 Dec. about publications by the University of Illinois Press, John Lawless has just published a feature on Bluegrass Today about the third book we mentioned: Jim Rooney's In it for the long run: a musical odyssey.

Addressing BT readers who might be 'still stuck for a bluegrass Christmas gift idea', John Lawless says: 'this book should be a joy for anyone who has followed acoustic music in the United States this past 50-60 years', which we imagine covers most BIB readers as well.

Knotty Pines and Down & Outs at Cookstown, 20 Dec. 2014

Thanks to Richard Leeman of the Down and Out Bluegrass Band for the news that on this coming Saturday (20 Dec.) they and the Knotty Pine String Band (above) will be appearing together at the Burnavon Theatre, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, in the 'Bluegrass comes to Town' show, starting at 8.00 p.m. Tickets (£10.00) can be booked online.

As Richard says on the Down and Outs Facebook, this should be a great night of music and craic as the band's last show of 2014. The Burnavon Theatre's online programme says:

Two of Ireland’s best bluegrass bands come together to present an outstanding showcase of music from the Americas. The Knotty Pine String Band and the Down and Out Bluegrass Band have been working the circuit for the past 25 years collectively, bringing a wealth of bluegrass and old time music knowledge to the stage. If toe-tapping, knee-clapping, finger-picking music is for you, then don’t miss this concert.

European Bluegrass Gathering, 13-15 Mar. 2015

2015 European Bluegrass Gathering IN THIS EMAIL Invitation to join the 2015 European Bluegrass Gathering in Munich, Germany. Registration deadline 20 January 2015 3rd EBMA Pioneers & Personality Awards Presentation Award ceremony to take place during the Munich Bluegrass Festival with 5 bands from across Europe (more tbc) on Saturday 14th March 2015. And if you are an EBMA member: EBMA's 13th General Membership Assembly will be held on Sunday, 15th March 2015, 9.00 am as part of the gathering. Panel sessions aimed at providing practical insights and useful advice Lots of fun and extra-curricular activities planned throughout the weekend A number of rooms have been reserved in the IBIS Hotel Book now! Dear European Bluegrass Friends, Since 2009, a highlight in the European bluegrass calendar has been the annual meeting in early spring where musicians, fans, event organisers, and other activists share ideas and plan coordinated development initiatives for Bluegrass across Europe. The EBMA is now happy to confirm that arrangements have been made for the 2015 European Bluegrass Gathering (formerly “Summit”) to be held on the weekend of 13-15 March 2015 in Munich, Germany. The Gathering is open to all, professionals and non-professionals, members and non-members of the European or other bluegrass associations, and previous participants include fans, musicians, promoters, journalists, webmasters, national association reps, and anyone else with a personal, professional, or organisational interest in Bluegrass in Europe. The meeting will follow up on plans laid out last year in Prague and and will be hosted by the Munich Bluegrass Friends and their 5th Munich Bluegrass Festival. Everybody is invited, from all European regions, and we hope to make the 2015 European Bluegrass Gathering a unique event for everybody involved. Costs and arrangements for travel, food, and accommodation as usual are the entire responsibility of the participants. The gathering will be limited to 60 delegates and early booking (in particular of rooms) is advised. Detailed information and registration to be online shortly at www.ebma.org/gathering2015 Please help us spread the word to people you think should attend this summit. Kind regards, Angelika Torrie Chairman of EBMA

And more... Find out about the Bluegrass Treasure Hunt, Bluegrass films, Bluegrass History in Europe, or just simply join the jamming going on all weekend. Link Thanks for reading, and see you soon in Munich, Germany! Angelika Torrie, EBMA Chairman Rienk Janssen, Gathering Administration Emanuel Niklas & the board of Munich Bluegrass Friends European Bluegrass Music Association Working together to support Bluegrass Music across borders. http://www.ebma.org

'I'm With Her' tour in Ireland, 2-5 May 2015 - AND Punch Brothers in Jan.

L-r: Sara Watkins, Aoife O'Donovan, Sarah Jarosz

Thanks to singer and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz (USA) for her latest e-newsletter, which includes, among many other items, the high points in her schedule for early 2015, and leads to some other interesting news.

First of the 'other' items is that the Punch Brothers will be playing at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on Wednesday 21 January. Bookings can be made via a link on their online schedule. They will then go on to Britain for two dates in London (where Jarosz will be opening for them) and at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.

Also at Celtic Connections - where their show is already sold out - will be Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O'Donovan in the start of their 2015 'I'm With Her' tour. In April the three of them will be back in Europe for shows in Spain, Sweden, and England before coming to Ireland for the following four appearances in May:

Sat. 2nd: Culturlann Ui Chanain, Derry city
Sun. 3rd: Kilkenny Roots Festival, Kilkenny city
Mon. 4th: Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo town
Tues. 5th: Whelan's, Dublin 2

Front Country in Britain and Ireland, 3-22 Nov. 2015

More news from Loudon Temple of the UK's Brookfield Knights agency: the innovative young San Francisco-based band Front Country (above) will be available to tour in these islands in the period 3-22 November 2015.

Bob Harris of BBC Radio 2 is quoted as calling them 'currently the biggest band on the bluegrass scene in America'. This may be a little premature; but given that they formed in 2011 and launched their debut album, Sake of the sound, just this year, they've already had a big impact on the western US scene (winning the band competitions at the Telluride and Rockygrass festivals) and are making themselves felt in the east.

Bluegrass Today has published two very positive features on them in the last few months, and they're warmly commended by members of the Steep Canyon Rangers and the Infamous Stringdusters. You can read the kind of reviews they get on their press webpage and watch them in action in eight videos on their website and elsewhere on YouTube. As an example of their work on a song that has become a bluegrass standard, Loudon sends this link to a video of their 'Rock salt and nails'.

The original plan was for Front Country to come over in late October and early November 2015, but as they have had a big offer in the US that will keep them occupied in October, the dates for which they are now available are in the first three-quarters of November. Contact Brookfield Knights for more information and bookings.

New Year at the Cabin Sessions

Following the BIB post of 10 Dec., thanks to Gerry Fitzpatrick for more details of the Christmas/New Year show in the Cabin Sessions series:

Just to let you know that we will be holding a special Cabin Sessions on Friday 2 January. Richard Hawkins will be joining the Cabin Crew for the occasion, and special guests will be Lynda Lucas, Emma Butler, Taylor's Lane, and Alan Begley's Spirit Riders.

May I also take the opportunity to wish all our friends and supporters a peaceful Christmas and to thank you for supporting the Cabin Sessions over the past year.

The Cabin Sessions, 'Acoustic Music at its Finest', are held at Uncle Tom's Cabin in south Dublin (not far from Dundrum Luas station in the city direction) from 9.30 to 11.30 p.m., and admission is free. If you or someone you know would like to perform at the Cabin Sessions, let Gerry know by e-mail. The Sessions are particularly interested in featuring local musicians and singers.

3rd annual International Bluegrass Music Appreciation Day - today!

Thanks to Bluegrass Today for a reminder that today is the third annual International Bluegrass Music Appreciation Day (IBMAD). The initiative was launched by Lee Marcus (USA) two years ago, when the Prescription Bluegrass Blog was first to draw our attention to it. So celebrate the day by picking, listening, visiting the IBMAD Facebook page, or any other way of making bluegrass a part of your day and expressing your appreciation of it. More ideas can be found on Bluegrass Today.

Gainsborough Old-Time Music Festival, 13-15 Feb. 2015

Jason and Pharis Romero

Thanks to the FOAOTMAD news blog for advance notice of FOAOTMAD's forthcoming Old-Time Music Festival (13-15 Feb. 2015) at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. Confirmed as part of the lineup are:

Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones (USA)
Howard Rains and Tricia Spencer (USA)
Jason and Pharis Romero (CAN; Saturday night only)
Little Hoedown (Friday night only)
The A & E String Band
Legs Levens with the Limestone Cowboys
Issy Emeney (clogging)
Old-time singing workshop with Roger Jackson
Sacred Harp singing with Cath and Phil Tyler
Ukulele workshop with Cathy Mars and Colm Daly
Plus workshops from Erynn, Carl, Howard, and Tricia

Ticket details will follow shortly.

Christmas comes early at the Red Hat - and late at the Cabin

Thanks to Paul and Anne McEvoy, curators of the Red Hat Acoustic Music Club at the Harbour Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare, for this message:

It's Red Hat time again - Friday 12th. Looking forward to seeing all our friends. Happy Christmas to all.

Music is expected to start around 8.30 p.m., and a donation of €3.00 covers coffee/tea and sandwiches at the interval.

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Another celebrated acoustic music venue, the Cabin Sessions at Uncle Tom's Cabin, Dundrum, Dublin 14, presents shows as a rule on the last Thursday of each month. This month, that would mean Christmas Day; so instead, the Cabin's Christmas Special show will be held on Friday 2 January, with the Cabin Crew house band and many guest artists. 9.30-11.30 p.m., admission free.

Coming in 2015?

Thanks to Al Evers of A Train Entertainment in Oakland, California, for the news that he and the legendary Peter Rowan are planning a tour on this side of the Atlantic for August/ September 2015, and opportunities to perform at festivals and other events will be welcome.

For bookings or further info, Al can be contacted by e-mail.

Peter has had two new albums released this year: Dharma blues (on the Omnivore label; see the two reviews reproduced here) and Twang an' groove, vol. 1 (on Al's label). Both of them illustrate his continued wide-ranging creative power, vocal and instrumental mastery, and ability to bring the best out of accompanying artists.

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Loudon Temple of the UK's Brookfield Knights agency sends word that 'the new kings of old-time', Sheesham & Lotus & 'Son (CAN), will be available for dates on two separate occasions in 2015, as they have been confirmed for a big festival appearance in England on 4/5 July AND have been invited back by popular demand to the Tønder Festival in Denmark at the end of August. They will therefore be potentially available in these islands from 6 July to 12 July and from 1 September 1 to 13 September.

Sheesham & Lotus & 'Son have received very enthusiastic reviews for their live shows, and video clips of them can be seen on their website. For further info and bookings, contact Brookfield Knights.

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Finally, thanks to Stefan Behler of the Swiss trio Mala & Fyrmoon (left) for the news that they are keen to play at a festival in Ireland. Stefan (who can be contacted by e-mail) writes:

We are a trio, 100% own material, great vocals by female singer/fiddler Mala, harmonies by her two bandmates on bass and guitar. Our music style is in-between acoustic Americana and bluegrass. We have just released our first album; this summer we did a short US tour, playing venues in Boston, New York (with Vincent Cross [see the BIB for 6 June]), and at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival... We believe that festival audiences would love our music. We got so many nice feedbacks over the years.

As well as their website, the band are on Facebook and SoundCloud. Stefan also sends the following links to videos of their CD title track, the making of the CD, and live shows on tour, in Sweden, at the Little Restaurant, and at Grey Fox.

The BIB editor also confesses that when he saw this band in Switzerland three years ago, he wanted to be their banjo player - although their repertoire is much less old-fashioned than his.

Coming from University of Illinois Press

The BIB editor reports:

Devotees of bluegrass, old-time music, and many other genres owe a great debt to the University of Illinois Press and its splendid and wide-ranging 'Music in American Life' series. Two volumes in particular, due for publication in the next few months, should please a lot of us.

The first is Gary B. Reid's The music of the Stanley Brothers, scheduled to appear in January. I met the author at IBMA's World of Bluegrass several years ago; he was then wearing a badge that read 'Ask me about the Stanley Brothers', and probably no one in the world had a better right to do so. The book - over 300 pages, with 51 photos, a discography, and a wealth of biographical information from many sources - is unlikely ever to be superseded. Gary Reid has recently presented a one-man show based on the life and songs of Carter Stanley.

Hoedowns, reels, and frolics: roots and branches of southern Appalachian dance, by Phil Jamison, is due out next July. BIB readers will remember Phil as a member of the late Ralph Blizard's New Southern Ramblers at the Omagh festival over ten years ago (last Thursday was the tenth anniversary of Ralph's death). The book is a radical reappraisal of the history of Appalachian dance, indicating in detail what came from Native American, African American, and European sources, and how they were remade in new syntheses.

Earlier this year the Press published In it for the long run by Jim Rooney - part of whose amazingly varied career in music is his role as strong supporter of Cork's Lee Valley String Band, the group that have played bluegrass and old-time music for longer than any other in this island.

While writing this post I learned with great regret that Judith McCulloh, whose founding and direction of the 'Music in American Life' series is just one of her many achievements, died on 13 July 2014 (the last day of this year's Athy festival). The range of her activities, and the warmth of her character, are shown in this appreciation by Stephen Winick. As well as her distinguished work as folklorist, ethnomusicologist, and arts administrator, she was an editor of the highest quality.

A voting puzzle

Thanks to Ray O'Brien and Bluegrass in Ireland for sharing the news that the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival has been nominated in three categories in the Irish Festival Awards – Best Small Festival, Best Lineup, and the Family Festival Award. The Westport team are justly proud of this, and invite supporters to vote at this link.

The BIB, unfortunately, finds this difficult. First, in the 'Best Small Festival' category, the Westport Festival has been placed in competition with the Ulster American Folk Park's Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival - which, by the Irish Festival Awards' own criteria, belongs in the 'Best Medium Festival' category. Secondly, if you try to vote in the three categories suggested, the site reminds you that you haven't voted in the other four categories, and is apparently unwilling to let you go without doing so, whether you want to or not. So apparently you have to vote for something you may know and care nothing about.

11th Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival, 4-8 Mar. 2015

Thanks to Colin Magee, Panarts director, for this e-newsletter about the next Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival:

We've got another fantastic lineup for the next BelNash festival here in Belfast. Early-bird Special tickets are out right now, then increase from 1 January. More artists to be announced very soon, so keep an eye on the Festival website.

Don't forget too - 7.30 p.m. Thursday 11 December, Olympic Room, Holiday Inn Belfast. We're working closely with one of our sponsors, Dawsons Belfast, and 11 Dec. is the final of the Dawsons Singer-Songwriter Competition. Ten great finalists performing live, and you can get your free tickets from getinvited.to. Winner gets to play one of the concerts at the festival in March and will win great music gear and recording time.

16th Shannonside Winter Music Weekend, 15-19 Jan. 2015

Thanks to Brendan Walsh and his team organising the Shannonside Winter Music Weekend for the news that the 32-page full colour brochure for the 16th 'edition' (as they say on the Continent) of this unique event is now available. It gives photos and brief descriptions of all artists taking part, complete schedules for all events on all days, location maps for venues in Sixmilebridge and Bunratty, Co. Clare, ads and contact data for accommodation and other local services, and a list of Sixmilebridge Folk Club activities during the rest of the year.

As usual, the musical programme ranges across many genres, including classical, flamenco, jazz, gypsy swing, blues, morris dance, set dance and Irish traditional. For the bluegrass enthusiast, the lineup includes Chicago's finest, the Special Consensus, in concert on Sunday, the Niall Toner Band on Saturday, the Down and Out Bluegrass Band (Fri.-Sat.-Sun.), JigJam, Colonel Bullshot Rides Again, Pat & Ricky Kelleher, and Rosie & Gordon - not to mention whoever may turn up at the acoustic roots sessions.

There will be a 'recovery session' on the evening of Mon. 19 Jan. NB: this year, musical events in Bunratty Castle and Folk Park are on Saturday, from noon to 5.00 p.m.

New Rope String Band coming to Ireland Oct. 2015

Thanks to Jock Tyldesley of the New Rope String Band (GB) for the news that the NRSB will be in Ireland for the Cork Folk Festival on 1-4 October 2015 and are looking for other venues to play while they’re here. Jock describes the band (Pete Challoner, Tim Dalling, and himself) as:

a UK based award-winning comedy trio with its heart in traditional music. We are a long-established phenomenon on the international arts touring scene and have recently gained an Edinburgh Fringe Award and opened the Glasgow Celtic Connections Festival 2013.

In the last couple of years we’ve also played at Belfast Children's Festival, Waterford Spraoi, and Baltimore Fiddle Fair, as well as farther afield as Mountain Stage, West Virginia, and the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, Borneo. Here's a link to our new promo video to whet your appetite.

More info is on their website. The BIB editor can testify that their predecessors the Old Rope String Band were the funniest act he's ever seen on stage, and the NRSB seem to be living up to that heritage. (Jock and Vera van Heeringen played in concert at the 2014 Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, and the first video on Vera's website comes from that occasion.) Jock can be contacted via his own e-mail, the NRSB e-mail, or telephone (+44(0)1691 791500, +44(0)7796 694191).

Vincent Cross: December newsletter

Thanks to Vincent Cross, the Irish bluegrass scene's ambassador in New York City, for his December newsletter, which includes links to songs from his two albums: 'Grandma's home brew' and 'Home away from home' (from the 2009 album of the same name), and 'Turn your eyes', 'Sometimes', and 'Christmas waltz' from A town called Normal. There are also links to interviews of two artists in his 'Songwriters and their guitars' series: Jen Larson and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. Vincent writes:

Dear Friends,
The end of the year is approaching, and I wanted to reach out with a hearty 'thank you'. What a year it’s been, with tours in Australia, USA, as well as appearances at NERFA (North Eastern Regional Folk Alliance) & FAI (Folk Alliance International). All of which have created new opportunities and inspired new songs.

Your support over the year has kept me open to sharing the music that I hold so dear to my existence, and with the release of A town called Normal (2013), I've felt that I'm getting closer to creating the music that I've always wanted to hear. Thank you!

Read Vincent's complete newsletter here.

Benefit in aid of surgery for James King

It's been some years since the James King Band played over here, but we know there are plenty of admirers of James King and his music in Ireland; and they will have been sorry to hear of the major health problems that James has had for much of this year.

He is now preparing for a liver transplant, and the bluegrass community is rallying around with an all-star benefit concert to be held in Nashville on 15 Dec. 2014. Thanks to Bluegrass Today for full details including a link for online booking, plus a further link whereby those who want to donate to a fund to offset the costs of treatment can do so here.

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Further news on Bluegrass Today of health problems for well known figures in our music include features on Miss Dixie Hall (England's main now-living gift to bluegrass), who continues to write and record songs despite a brain tumour; and mandolinist Ronnie Prevette, now recovering from a stroke. Bluegrass Today mentions that well-wishers can leave messages on Ronnie's Facebook page; and this deserves a visit just to see the cover picture, showing Ronnie and Bill Emerson singing a trio with the late King of Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin. Click on the photo to see more of it, and them.

A little reminder

Thanks to Nigel Martyn, organiser of the forthcoming Special Consensus tour, for this copy of the flyer showing all the dates that the band will be playing in Ireland this time round.

Note that the section at the foot of the flyer announces that the Special C.'s award-winning album Country boy: a bluegrass tribute to John Denver is due to be in stores here on 25 March. It's a reasonable bet that some copies will be available from the band during the tour...

News from Brookfield Knights

Loudon Temple of the UK's Brookfield Knights agency sends this news:

We are very pleased to announce that The Mountain Firework Company - one of our all-time favourite bands (and with roots in Ireland) - will be embarking on their first ever tour in your neck of the woods in October next year.

We took the band over to USA earlier this year and they ended up being one of the biggest hits at the huge Folk Alliance International event in Kansas City. Last month they were invited to headline a concert in Bremen which was broadcast live on German national radio. They have triumphed at festivals such as Glastonbury, Celtic Connections, and Shetland Folk Festival; yet so far, they have not played Ireland, despite the fact that singer-songwriter and powerful frontman Gareth McGahan and drummer Grant Allardyce are Belfast-born.

As a result of the exposure, they have sold large quantities of their last album, The lonesome losing blues, and now have many fans all over Ireland, each of whom wants to know when they will be planning 'live' dates. Here is recently filmed footage of the band performing the title track from the album live.

Tour dates are Sunday 18 Oct. to Sunday 27 Oct. Please let me know if you would like to grab a date.

Loudon quotes from this review in Time Out magazine: 'Rich, bristling bluegrass melodies and instrumentation with a bruised modern heart'. Their original song 'Sometimes' (listen here on YouTube) would go well in bluegrass style.

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Loudon also announces that the highly regarded US singer/songwriter Greg Trooper, who was here for a brief tour in late October, has had his 2015 tour dates for these islands re-scheduled to 13-27 September; so

Please let us know if you want to grab a slot for your programming and let us know which dates you'd prefer to help us plan some sensible routing.

Jams in Galway - some thoughts

Last week 'Bluegrass in Ireland' and the BIB carried the news that Australian bluegrass mandolinist Dan Duffy (photo) is over here from Sydney, and is keen to know of any bluegrass jams going on around Galway over the next two months. Dan can be contacted through his Facebook page.

We note that (as well as Ray O'Brien's suggestion for contacting Peter Larkin at Kilcolgan), Pete Lamb at Kinvara can be contacted through the Gone to Grass website, and the Old Town Rounders in Galway city can be contacted through Facebook. The BIB isn't on Facebook, so we hope this information can reach Dan somehow...

Special C. in Ireland, 9-27 Jan. 2015: update

The Special Consensus: (l-r) Dan Eubanks, Greg Cahill,

Dustin Benson, Rick Faris

Thanks to Nigel Martyn and his Old Flattop agency for organising the January 2015 tour by The Special Consensus (USA), details of which (including venue location maps) are now on the band's website.

The Special C. - who gained the Instrumental Recorded Performance and Recorded Event of the Year titles in the 2014 IBMA awards two months ago, and are now nominated for four Grammy awards - have been coming to Ireland regularly since 1995, and their visits have always been memorable. After performing at the Shannonside Winter Music Weekend, the band will be touring in England and Wales for a week before returning to Ireland for three shows in Munster. Their Irish dates are shown below; we find it hard to believe that 12 and 13 January will remain free for long... [We were right! Thanks to Ray O'Brien and 'Bluegrass in Ireland' for forwarding the two extra dates supplied by Nigel, as now shown below.]

Fri. 9th: Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 10th: Market Place Theatre, Armagh city, 8.00 p.m.
Sun. 11th: Campbell's Tavern, Headford, Co. Galway, 4.00 p.m.
Mon. 12th: The Anvil Inn, Portarlington, Co. Laois
Tues. 13th: JJ Smyth's, 12 Aungier St., Dublin 2
Wed. 14th: Barry's Public House, Grange, Co. Sligo, 9.00 p.m.
Thurs. 15th: Black Box, Belfast (Out To Lunch Festival), 1.00 p.m.
Island Arts Centre, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 16th: Errigle Inn, Belfast, 9.00 p.m.
Sat. 17th: Leap Castle, Co. Offaly (near Roscrea, Co. Tipperary), 10.57 p.m.
Sun. 18th: Winter Music Weekend, Bunratty/Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, all day
Sun. 25th: Banteer Theatre, Banteer, Co. Cork, 8.00 p.m.
Mon. 26th: Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork, 8.00 p.m.
Tues. 27th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, 8.00 p.m.

Go West, young man - the New Breadwinners in Mayo, 6-7 Dec. 2014

Following on their initial impact at the Cruthú Arts Festival in Longford and the Balla Bluegrass Festival in Co. Mayo earlier this year (see the BIB for 11 Nov.), Dublin-based bluegrass trio the New Breadwinners - John Denby (mandolin), Luke Coffey (banjo), and Niall Hughes (guitar) - are playing more dates in the West this coming week.

Thanks to John for the news that the New Breadwinners will be performing at Mannion's of Balla on Saturday 6 December from 10.00 p.m. till late, and at McGing's of Westport, Co. Mayo, on Sunday 7 December from 7.00 to 9.00 p.m.

New venue at Westport opens with John Spillane, 13 Dec. 2014

Thanks to Uri Kohen, director of operations at the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Westport, Co. Mayo, for news of a concert that is not a bluegrass event but is likely to have an important legacy for future Westport festivals, as it will be held in a new venue for music in the area: the 200-year-old Westport House farm buildings at Gracy’s Loft.

Cork musician John Spillane is giving a one-off concert in Westport on 13 December 2014 to celebrate his thirty-three years in music and launch his new album, The man who came in from the dark. He will be supported by harper, composer, and singer Úna Ní Fhlannagáin and singer/songwriter and luthier Derek McLoughlin. Some of Derek's instruments, including his very noticeable harp-mandolins, were on display at the 2014 Festival, and more can be seen on his website.

Full details are in the latest Westport Festival newsletter. The concert is one of a series that the Festival will be presenting throughout the year. The organising team explains: 'We’ve come across so many great bands that can’t make it to the festival, we’re starting a new series of gigs and tours called "Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival presents…" to showcase these acts.'