Niall Toner receives Songwriter of the Year award

The NTB in the Round Room at Killashee (l-r): Dick Gladney, bass; Johnny Gleeson, dobro, vocals; Niall Toner, guitar, vocals; Richie Foley, mandolin; Paddy Kiernan, 5-string banjo (photo: Kyle O'Neill)

Congratulations to Niall Toner on winning fresh laurels: last night (30 Mar.) at the Killashee House Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare, Niall was presented with the award for Songwriter of the Year 2015 by Kildare FM radio station and the Leinster Entertainment Awards. Nine hundred people attended the event, which was a great success as a fundraiser for local charities.

The new five-piece Niall Toner Band (above) played songs and tunes from Niall's latest album, Working on love, which was released on St Valentine's day this year (see the BIB for 9 Feb. 2015). A photo of Niall receiving the award can be found on the Leinster Entertainment Awards Facebook.

Roger Ryan's 'Country Cuts', Apr. 2015

Thanks to Roger Ryan of the Country Music Association of Ireland for the April 2015 issue of his e-mail newsletter 'Country Cuts', which can be seen here or through the other links on the BIB - in the headnote to the BIB calendar, and near the end of the 'Links' section in our right-hand column. This issue includes details of the Martin Gilmore Trio tour in May, the 25th Athy Bluegrass Festival in July, and other news of interest to BIB readers.

Coming to the Red Room this spring

Thanks, as always, to Arnie and Sharon Loughrin for creating and running the premier house-concert venue in this island - the Red Room at Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. The Red Room already has seven shows lined up into the autumn of 2015, with more awaiting final confirmation. In the near future, east Ulster's Down and Out Bluegrass Band will be at the Red Room on Saturday 25 April, while the show by the Foghorn Stringband (USA) on Saturday 16 May is already fully booked out: a waiting list is in operation.

At the very end of that month (Sunday 31 May) the Red Room will present J.P. Harris & the Tough Choices from Nashville, playing (as Sharon says) 'proper country and honky-tonk' - that is, tough music of a kind that many bluegrass fans enjoy. With steel guitar and fiddle to the fore (and the photo at the head of his website includes an open-back 5-string with what looks like at least a 12" pot), J.P. Harris's world is one in which the 'Murder on Music Row' of Larry Cordle's song has not been committed. Several videos from live shows are on his website.

The show at the Red Room is the last in a European tour that begins on 22 April in Barcelona, and continues with four further dates in Spain, two in Switzerland, three in Germany, five in the Netherlands, one in Belgium, two in Denmark, five in Sweden, one in Norway, and four in Britain. The band's schedule in Ireland is:

Mon. 25th: Ubangi Stomp Club, Dublin
Tues. 26th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry
Wed. 27th: Crane Lane Theatre, Cork city
Thurs. 28th: Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary (Clonmel World Music)
Fri. 29th: High Tide Club, Castletown Bearhaven, Co. Cork
Sat. 30th: Balor Arts Centre, Main St., Ballybofey, Co. Donegal
Sun. 31st: The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone (not in Bray, Co. Wicklow, as the internet will tell you...)

NB: Sharon also reports having seen the Friday night show of last weekend's 'Spring into bluegrass' by the Harpers Hollow Bluegrass Band at Moira, Co. Down: 'they're sounding great, really enjoyed the night.'

The wicked path of sin from Blue Maxx

Bluegrass fans in Ireland already know Jan Michielsen well as guitarist and singer with 4 Wheel Drive (NL/D/B), who were last in Ireland at the 2014 Omagh festival and will be back this July as headliners at the Athy Bluegrass Festival.

Jan, who has been a mainstay of the bluegrass scene in Belgium for decades, also plays mandolin and sings with Blue Maxx, whose other members are Luc Van Peteghem (bass, vocals), Marc Holsteyn (guitar, vocals), Dieter Van Peteghem (banjo, vocals), and Stefaan van Laethem (fiddle, vocals).

They now have a new CD, The wicked path of sin - twelve tracks of high-class contemporary bluegrass with a solid base in the classics (as shown in the two Bill Monroe compositions); an inspired choice of material by other songwriters including Bruce Springsteen and J.C. Fogerty; good, tight harmony singing; and good picking throughout, notably on Holsteyn's fine original instrumental, 'Can't remember'. Sound quality and visual design are both very pleasing.

On St Valentine's day Blue Maxx launched the CD in Jan's home town of Hoogstraten, near the Dutch border. Images from the event, taken by Cheap Aldi Camera Productions, can be seen on their Facebook, with audio clips from the album.

Another kind of video altogether

Thanks to Adele Ingram of Wookalily for the news that the band have just uploaded the official video of 'Black Magic doll', a bluesy number from their debut album All the waiting while, on their YouTube channel. It's an animated video, made by the band using MomentCam and Windows Movie Maker. The BIB enjoyed it - but be prepared for some disturbing images...

Wookalily is already the only band on the Irish scene to have taken part in the Mother Country's 'Daughters of Bluegrass' project, and this latest achievement gives them a head start in the race for Animation Films by Irish Bluegrass Bands.

KingBlue with Mons Wheeler and Colin Henry at the Red Room: videos

On Saturday 21 March KingBlue played at the Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. The show was sold out long in advance; fortunately for the rest of us, John Watson took some videos during the evening. 'The day they drove the nails', sung by Clem O'Brien with Colin Henry on dobro, can be watched both on the band's Facebook and on the Red Room's. On the latter, you can also see further videos: KingBlue doing 'Rank stranger', and Mons Wheeler's moving 'Streets of Laredo', sung during his guest spot.

Woody Pines to tour again in March 2016

The last show in Ireland by Woody Pines (USA) was a week ago. Loudon Temple of the UK's Brookfield Knights agency writes:

This has been the band's most successful UK & Ireland tour to date, with half the shows of this month-long run being sold-out events. All helped of course, by the band's high-profile appearance at the massive Country 2 Country event at the O2 in London as special guests of Bob Harris.

Bob has featured tracks from the brand new album twice in the space of a week. When he gave them another spin on his BBC Radio 2 Country Show on Thursday, he told listeners: 'Go and see them because they generate such great energy on stage. It's great music and great fun - I thoroughly recommend them - they rip the whole place up!'

A video of them 'live' at the O2 can be seen here. Loudon also confirms that they will be touring in these islands again a year from now, from 4 March to 31 March, and asks promoters and event organisers to let Brookfield Knights know if they are interested in booking the band.

Woodbine at Wolfhill on Easter Sunday

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for the news that Woodbine (above) will be playing at Leech's Bar, Wolfhill, Co. Laois (off the N78 between Athy and Kilkenny, not far south-west of Ballylinan), on Easter Sunday from about 9.00 p.m.

Bluegrass in Baltimore to appear in May: pre-order now!

The BIB mentioned early last month that a new book by Tim Newby, Bluegrass in Baltimore: the hard drivin' sound and its legacy, is nearing publication. The publishers, McFarland Books, have just announced that it will be published in May 2015 and can be pre-ordered on their website for $35.00.

The city of Baltimore, together with the Washington DC area and the adjacent parts of the state of Virginia, has historically been a location for some of the most uncompromising bluegrass music and many important pickers. Read more on the Bluegrass in Baltimore Facebook page, where you can see an introductory video (also on YouTube).

Harp and feet at Naul, 10 Apr. 2015 (and elsewhere from 1 Apr.)

Thanks to the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre (SEAC) at Naul, Co. Dublin, for its schedule of events up to Friday 10 April. On that day, percussive dancer Nic Gareiss (USA) and Edinburgh harpist Maeve Gilchrist will present a 'Dance the tune' workshop (3.00 p.m.) and a concert (8.30 p.m.). Doors open in both cases half-an-hour before show time; admission for the workshop is €10 in advance, and for the concert €13 / €10 in advance and €15 / €12 at the door.

Nic Gareiss has danced over here several times, recently with This Is How We Fly. Your editor has enjoyed his duet with Bruce Molsky on 'Jeff Sturgeon' pretty well as much as anything on YouTube (see it here). From the video on the SEAC website, Maeve Gilchrist is an outstanding harpist for traditional dance tunes. The Naul night is in fact the last chance to see them on a ten-day tour in Ireland; the full schedule is:

Wed. April 1st: Kaleidoscope Night, Odessa Club, Dublin 2
Thurs. 2nd: The Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co. Louth
Sat. 4th: 'The House Presents', Annesley House, 70 North Strand, Dublin
Sun. 5th: The White Horse, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
Tues. 7th-Wed. 8th: Teaching residency, Irish World Academy, University of Limerick
Thurs. 9th: Cultúrlann Sweeney, Kilkee, Co. Clare
Fri. 10th: Workshop and concert at Séamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin

Harpers Hollow 'Spring into Bluegrass' this weekend - update

Following on from the news on the BIB on St Patrick's day - thanks to William Duddy of Harpers Hollow Bluegrass Band for the poster image and news of a change in this weekend's gigs for the band:

Stop Press!
Please note the venue change for the Saturday night gig in Harpers Hollow's 'Spring into Bluegrass' Weekend this coming Friday/Saturday (27/28 March). Friday night's performance will be in the Four Trees, Moira (as previously advertised), and Saturday evening will now be in the Edenmore Golf and Country Club just outside Moira.

Both evenings start at 8.30, free entry, and Harpers Hollow will be joined by a couple of special guests. A weekend of real bluegrass music and harmony (with maybe a wee bit of old-timey slipped in!!).

Dublin-born chairman for new EBMA board

EBMA board members: (l-r) Richard Cifersky, Susie Bowe, Stu Vincent, Eugene O'Brien

The European Bluegrass Blog announced yesterday the composition of the new board of directors of the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) and an outline of plans for the EBMA's future progress. The new chairman of the board is Eugene O'Brien (shown above), born in Dublin and resident in Brussels, where he is the banjo-player for the highly regarded Sons of Navarone band, who tour frequently in Britain. Eugene is also a member of the BBMA and is its new international representative, which fits in with the EBMA's plans for closer links with national bluegrass associations in Europe.

Susie Bowe (also shown above) was mentioned in the BIB's recent 'Westport connection' post. More about the new board and the EBMA's plans is on the European Bluegrass Blog, the EBMA Facebook, and Bluegrass Today.

Belfast Bluegrass - next session 7 Apr. 2015

Richard Leeman, organiser of the monthly Belfast Bluegrass sessions (and also guitar player and lead singer of the Down and Out Bluegrass Band), announces that the next Belfast Bluegrass session will be on Tuesday 7 April. The BIB reprints below, at its own discretion, the following introduction that Richard put on the Belfast Bluegrass Facebook page last month:

It's over four years now since our first session in December 2010 and since then our number of 'likes' on Facebook has grown steadily to over 300 of you! I think however that there might be some people out there who are interested in coming along but haven't made it yet, and this post is for you.

The session always takes place on the first Tuesday of the month, upstairs in the Errigle Inn, Belfast, starting around 9.00 p.m. If you play a 'bluegrass' instrument - acoustic guitar, 5-string banjo, fiddle, mandolin, double bass, dobro - if you sing, or if you just want to listen and enjoy the music, the session is for you. It is not a closed group of musicians. The atmosphere is always friendly and you will be made to feel very welcome.

Maybe you've been playing music for years. Maybe you got a new instrument for Christmas and are taking your first steps. Whatever your level of ability, the session is for you. There is always something to be learned from other musicians, not to mention the fun and enjoyment of playing music together.

Some people might be nervous of playing in front of others. Well, we all were once. Everyone progresses at their own speed and no-one is ever put under pressure to perform if they're not comfortable. But maybe after a couple of sessions that will start to change. And who knows where that journey could take you?

So maybe this post is making sense to you, if you've been thinking of getting out of the house and playing some music. Or maybe it's not you, maybe it's your husband or wife, son or daughter, friend - whoever. Please share this post and tell them about the session. You will all be very welcome and I hope to see you there soon.

Dangem Bluegrass Get-Together at Lisburn, 28 Mar. 2015

Thanks to DanGem Bluegrass in Craigavon, Co. Armagh, for a reminder that their next monthly Bluegrass Get-Together will be held this coming Saturday (28 Mar.) at the usual place and time (the Lagan Valley Island Civic Centre, Lisburn, Co. Antrim BT27 4RL, from 10.00 a.m. to noon); and with the usual schedule:

10.00-10.30 Warm-up
10.30-11.00(ish) Breakout time for beginners; rest of players, jam time
11.00(ish) to 12.00(ish) All back together

DanGem add: 'So let everyone know. Bring along your banjos, guitars, mandolins, fiddles, dobros, and bass, or just come along and enjoy us make music. Look forward to seeing as many of you who can attend.'

The DanGem Get-Together combines a jam session for those who are already active pickers, with the opportunity to learn for those who are beginners or just want to listen. DanGem's e-newsletter includes a reminder that they have the largest range of banjos for sale in this island - not to mention the other bluegrass instruments.

Martin Gilmore Trio in Ireland, 1-11 May 2015

Thanks to John Nyhan for this tour schedule for the Martin Gilmore Trio from Colorado (above, l-r: Ian Haegele, bass, vocals; Martin Gilmore, guitar, banjo, vocals; Nick Amodeo, mandolin, guitar, vocals). Information on the three highly qualified band members can be found here. Martin can be contacted by e-mail.

Fri. 1st May: Keane's Bar, Carrigaholt, Co. Clare, 10.00 p.m.; tel. 087 8886820
Sat. 2nd: Cahersiveen Mountain Roots Music Festival, Co. Kerry; tel. 087 7069935
Sun. 3rd: Cahersiveen Mountain Roots Music Festival, Co. Kerry; tel. 087 7069935; full details here
Mon. 4th: Mannion's Bar, Balla, Co. Mayo, 7.00 p.m.; tel. 087 2296018
Tues. 5th: Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, 9.00 p.m.; tel. 086 8464509 (Sixmilebridge Folk Club Concert)
Wed. 6th: O'Donovan's Hotel, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, 9.30 p.m.; tel. 087 4153285
Thurs. 7th: Blackrock GAA Club, Church Rd, Cork City, 9.30 p.m.; tel. 087 2944821
Fri. 8th: Copper Mine Museum, Allihies, Beara, Co. Cork, 8.00 p.m.; tel. 027 73218
Sat. 9th: Tigh an Cheoil, Baile na nGall, Ring, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, 9.30 p.m.; tel. 087 9898560
Sun. 10th: Glen Theatre, Banteer, Co. Cork, 8.30 p.m.; tel. 087 7921771
with support act Jacob's Ladder (harmony singers)
Mon. 11th: Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork, 8.15 p.m.; tel. 087 7921771
with support act New Breadwinners (bluegrass)

Enquiries for all of the above: tel. 087 7921771

'I'm With Her': new single, new video, new Belfast show

On 16 December the BIB carried the news that Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O'Donovan will be playing in Ireland at the beginning of May as part of their 'I'm With Her' tour. The tour schedule at present opens in Sweden on 18 April, with seven dates in Britain before they come to Ireland.

Thanks to Bluegrass Today for this feature on the trio's latest record release - a vinyl single, combining the John Hiatt song 'Crossing muddy waters' with the Andy Stroud song 'Be my husband'. There's a video of them recording the Hiatt song (also on Vevo) with a very pleasant old-time treatment. The Stroud song is sung a cappella.

There is also a new date on the schedule - on Friday 1 May, the trio will be playing in St George's church, Belfast, as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (30 Apr.-10 May) in association with the Real Music Club. Doors open at 7.45 p.m. for an 8.00 p.m. start, and tickets are £12.00; seating is unreserved. The full blurb on the Festival's online booking page ends with:

Three exquisite talents in one room, there may not be a better gig in Belfast this year.

A special new album from Cedar Hill

The many friends and fans that Cedar Hill (USA) have made in this island, from their appearances at several Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festivals at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, and other venues, will be grateful to Richard Thompson for his latest article on Bluegrass Today: 'Cedar Hill - Miss Dixie, Tom T, and me'.

In the article Frank Ray (photo), who fronts Cedar Hill, describes in detail the experience of working with Tom T. Hall and his wife Dixie (who died earlier this year) in preparing an album of their songs to be recorded by Cedar Hill. Frank explains:

I did not contribute to the writing other than a couple changed lines here and there. The exciting contribution for me and Cedar Hill was bringing these wonderful songs to life through the arrangements and production.

The album Miss Dixie, Tom T & me (BCR 042) is released today (23 March 2015) on the Halls' label, Blue Circle Records. The ten songs include 'I'll not stand in your way', which is probably Miss Dixie's last solo composition. Richard remarks:

I have never been disappointed by a Cedar Hill album and this new one promises much.

Fish & Bird available for 23-6 Oct. 2015

Thanks to Loudon Temple of the UK's Brookfield Knights agency for drawing attention to this feature by Barry Egan in yesterday's Sunday Independent about the Canadian neo-old-time string-plus-percussion band Fish & Bird. The feature includes a ten-minute interview on video, together with two performance videos.

As announced on the BIB on 24 Jan., Fish & Bird played just one show in Ireland - at the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre at Naul, Co. Dublin - while in Europe for this year's Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. Brookfield Knights are now planning a tour in these islands for the band in the coming autumn, and are inviting contact from event organisers and venue owners who may be interested in bookings. Loudon adds:

We have just extended the tour period by a week and have Oct. 23, 24, 25,  and 26 available as potential Irish dates. 

A budget DIY lighting system for small venues and events

Ted Lehmann's perennially interesting blog (there's a permanent link to it in the right-hand column of the BIB) gives today details of an inexpensive lighting system that has worked well at the Newell Lodge bluegrass festival in Georgia. Incorporating top, side, and footlights, using components available at the local hardware or DIY store, it can easily be installed and worked, with minimal adjustments, by someone with basic electrics knowhow and common sense.

Ted also prints a photo he shot without flash one evening at the Newell Lodge stage, as an example of what this system can do, and adds a link to an inexpensive dimmer box as a possible extra, available from Amazon.

The Black Bottle String Band at Dunmore East, Sat. 28 Mar. 2015

Thanks to Mick Daly, organiser of the annual Guinness International Bluegrass Festival at Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, for the news that Dublin's Black Bottle String Band (above) will be playing at the Ocean Hotel, Dock Rd, Dunmore East, on Saturday 28 March.

The Ocean is traditionally one of the main venues for the Dunmore East festival. Mick adds that the lineup for this year's festival (27-30 Aug.) will be announced over the Easter weekend.

The Black Bottle String Band were playing last night at their favourite pub, the Blue Light in the foothills of Dublin 18, overlooking Dublin Bay.

Bluegrass workshops at Moniaive, 13 June 2015 - with Cup O' Joe

Thanks to C. Paul 'Dobroman' Lyttle, organiser of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in south-west Scotland and regular attender at Omagh festivals, for the news that summer bluegrass instrument workshops will be held in Moniaive on Saturday 13 June 2015.

Instrumental tuition will be offered on beginner and intermediate guitar, mixed-ability bluegrass banjo, dobro, double bass, mandolin, and fiddle from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., when there will be a free pot-luck hot meal. Total cost is £25 for the day; places can be booked by 'phoning Paul or Anja (numbers on the MMBF website). The workshops will be held at the Glencairn Memorial Institute, Chapel St., Moniaive.

And yes, there is a more direct Irish connection: Cup O' Joe (Benjamin, Reuben, and Tabitha Agnew) will be teaching at the workshops and will also play a two-set concert in the Craigdarroch Arms Hotel that evening (8.00-10.00 p.m.).

Cup O'Joe announce on their Facebook page that they will be performing at 8.00 p.m. on Friday 15 May at this year's European World of Bluegrass Festival in the Netherlands, with guest fiddler Max Silverstein (USA). JigJam from Tullamore will be on the EWOB stage at 5.00 p.m. the following day.

And finally: Paul's record show 'Criffel Creek' is now broadcasting on Alive Radio every Sunday from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon, with the best of bluegrass, Americana, roots, and gospel music. A link to the current playlist is on the Moniaive festival website.

Sammy Shelor on life, music, and banjos

Sammy Shelor (photo: Ted Lehmann)

Just over a month ago the BIB was delighted to learn of the video series 'Butch Robins presents - Blue Grass music, its origin and development as a unique and creative art form'. We're now delighted to learn from Bluegrass Today that Bud Bennett of Radford University, VA, has made available nearly two further hours of talk and music by another banjo-player from the Old Dominion, under the title 'Sammy Shelor talks about life, music, and banjos'.

Sammy Shelor (Facebook) has received the IBMA Banjo Player of the Year award five times and (2011) the 2nd Annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. The videos were shot early last year, and it would have been great to see them before Shelor and his award-winning Lonesome River Band topped the bill at the 2014 Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival at Omagh.

These videos are completely different from the earlier series. Butch Robins presented an analysis of the character and development of bluegrass, based on his deep knowledge of Bill Monroe and his music. Shelor, on the other hand, recounts his career as a professional performing and recording artist in contemporary bluegrass who also has very strong roots in the rich musical traditions of his home region and a great love of old-time music - for instance, Fred Cockerham's clawhammer playing. And for instrument freaks, he talks about his banjos and his own-brand fingerpicks.

A few quotations, picked at random out of many memorable sentences:

'Your mind grows musically every day. If you let it.'
'My style of banjo playing kind of came from not being able to play like anybody else.'
'After fifteen minutes of playing this banjo [Sonny Osborne's Granada] I became a different player.'
'If it's not fun, don't do it.'

Chasing Quicksilver round Europe

Thanks to our good friend Walter Fuchs, director and MC of the International Bühl Bluegrass Festival at Bühl/Baden, Germany, for the above image of the flyer cover for this year's 13th Bühl Festival (15-16 May). The BIB confidently recommends Bühl (on the edge of the Black Forest) as a delightful place to visit, especially during Festival time. Walter points out that George Baehr & Baehr Tracks (D) will not be appearing as shown, owing to George's illness; their place will be taken instead by Growling Old Men (USA). Anyone who recalls George as fiddler with Andy Glandt's Fox Tower Bluegrass Band, who toured in Ireland in the late '90s, will wish him a speedy recovery.

May 2015 will in fact be one of the busiest months we can remember for tours in Ireland by visiting artists in bluegrass, old-time, and related music, not to mention home-grown talent. But if you're going to be on the Continent in May, the Bühl Festival is one of the possible places to catch Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Another is the Gulpener Bluegrass Festival in Utrecht (NL), run by Joost van Es of 4 Wheel Drive - though while there you might be tempted to stay in the Netherlands for the European World of Bluegrass Festival (14-16 May). The complete DL&Q tour schedule is:

Wed. 13th: Der Club, Hülsbecker Straße 16, Heiligenhaus, Germany, 8.00 p.m.
Thurs. 14th: Gulpener Bluegrass Festival, De Parel van Zuilen, Mayor Norbruislaan 17, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Fri. 15th: Seelax Festival, Bregenz, Austria
Sat. 16th: International Bühl Bluegrass Festival, Bühl/Baden, Germany
Sun. 17th: Haus der Kultur, Braunauer Straße 10, Waldkraiburg, Germany, 8.00 p.m.
Mon. 18th: Pyramida Hotel, Bělohorská 24, Prague, Czrch Republic, 8.00 p.m.
Wed. 20th: Burgerhaus Sprendlingen, Fichtestraße 50, Dreieich, Germany, 8.00 p.m.
Thurs. 21st: Burger-und Kulturhaus Klosterhof, Tübinger Str. 5-7, Kusterdingen, Germany, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 22nd: Zehntscheuer, Green Tower-Straße 30, Ravensburg, Germany, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 23rd: Spring Bluegrass Festival, Willisau, Switzerland
Sun. 24th: Spring Bluegrass Festival, Willisau, Switzerland (morning gospel show)

A Westport connection at EBMA awards show

L-r: Richard Weize, Angelika Torrie, Susie Bowe (photo: Robert Bowe)

On 3 July 2012 the BIB reported meeting Robert and Susie Bowe, American musicians resident in Italy, at that year's Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival. The BIB paid particular attention to Robert's little Ashbory bass, as small as a big ukulele; it was the first instrument of this type we'd seen, though since then Gold Tone and other companies have put micro-basses on the market.

Since then, also, Susie has joined the board of the European Bluegrass Music Association, and last weekend took part in presenting the third EBMA European Bluegrass Pioneers and Personality Awards. In the photo above, taken by Robert, she is seen with Angelika Torrie, the outgoing EBMA chairperson, presenting a Pioneer award to Richard Weize of Germany, founder of Bear Family Records. Another of the Pioneer awards went to French banjo maestro Jean-Marie Redon, who played at the Dunmore East and Omagh festivals in 2006 with Blue Railroad Train (F). The award for European Bluegrass Personality of 2014 went to Rainer Zellner (see the BIB for 22 Dec. 2014); BIB readers will remember that the first Personality award, two years ago, went to Niall Toner.

More of Robert's photos of the occasion are on Bluegrass Today, and others are on the EBMA Facebook page.

Appropriate for St Patrick's day

The European Bluegrass Music Association Facebook printed today a post from US musician and songwriter Steve Spurgin with a photo of his copyright certificate as composer of the words and music of 'A walk in the Irish rain'. He adds:

OK, here's the copyright. Forget (not really) all the multiple thousands of $$$ in royalties I've lost. Can I PLEASE just have credit for writing my own song? 'Composer unknown'?... NOT.

This coincides with an intense correspondence in the past week among alumni of the IBMA's Leadership Bluegrass (LBG) course, on the need for performers, DJs, broadcasters, record companies, writers of sleeve notes, posters of YouTube videos and other fans - everyone involved with music - to give proper recognition to songwriters and composers. That song didn't just come out of the air or from whomever you happened to hear performing it.

Coastline Bluegrass Music Event, North Wales, 29-31 May 2015

Thanks to the Coastline Bluegrass Music Event for news of the 2015 Event (29-31 May) to be held at the Royal International Pavilion in Llangollen, North Wales - very accessible from Ireland.

The Event is known for booking outstanding bands from the Continent, and this year the headliners are Ruben & Matt and the Truffle Valley Boys (above) from Italy. The band comprises Ruben Minuto (guitar, vocals), Matt Ringressi (mandolin, fiddle, vocals), Germano Ciavone (banjo, vocals), Denny Rocchio (dobro, vocals), and Ignazio Sanfilippo (double bass, vocals). Their Facebook lists their influences as Buzz Busby, Red Allen, Lilly Brothers, Larry Richardson, Reno & Smiley, Jimmie Williams & Red Ellis, Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, Al Jones, Vern Williams, and Flatt & Scruggs - all of which should attract the attention of all hard-core bluegrass fans, and substantiates the Event's claim that:

They’ll take you back to the way bluegrass music sounded in the early 50s - unadulterated, raw and authentic.

British outfits on the bill include Baker's Fabulous Boys, Blossom Hill, Grass Snakes, Kentucky Cow Tippers, the Whitefern Mountain String Band, and the Appalachian dance troupe Leap To Your Feet. More details are on the website, where the Event has an impressive list of UK newspaper accolades for best festival, and a statement: 'Our aim is to encourage the playing of acoustic instruments by all ages and abilities through workshops and concerts.'

Update 18 Mar.: Thanks again to the Coastline for this link to a video montage of the bands on stage at the 2014 Event, including the New Essex Bluegrass Band and the Jaywalkers (of whom there will be vivid memories of their work at festivals in this island last year), Nos Sadwrn Fach from Wales, a red-hot number from the Bluegrass Playboys (Norway), and Belgium's award-winning Sons of Navarone.

Shows in the North in the very near future

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

... a couple of good gigs that have appeared on my Facebook newsfeed this evening. Janet Dowd [left] will be playing in Scarva Tearooms this coming Sunday afternoon [22 Mar.] from 2.00 p.m. I've never been there but I have walked the canal path from Poyntzpass to Scarva; it's a lovely spot and would be all the nicer for some music from Janet and her band while tucking into coffee and scones! It would be a lovely afternoon out for anyone in that area.

Harpers Hollow Bluegrass Band [below] are playing in the Four Trees bar in Moira, Co. Down. They will be in the upstairs bar from 8.30 on Fri. 27 March, and on Sat. 28 March they begin upstairs at 8.30 before moving to the downstairs bar from 10.00 to late. Harpers Hollow are a bluegrass/old-time outfit comprising Derek Norwood, Derek Lockhart, William Duddy, and Colin Allen. Having heard all these musicians play separately at various sessions over the past few years, I would certainly recomend a trip out to hear them in their present formation.

Good to see plenty happening out there, hopefully they'll get the support,

Sharon doesn't mention that the majestic KingBlue will be playing in the Red Room on Sat. 21 Mar., as the show is already sold out.

Brookfield Knights would like to know...

L-r: Denis Keldie, Russell deCarle, Steve Briggs

... whether Irish promoters and event organisers would be interested in booking Russell deCarle (CAN) and his trio for a tour a year from now. DeCarle is also a member of the award-winning Canadian country band Prairie Oyster. Loudon Temple of the UK roots music agency Brookfield Knights (which sends many visiting bands over here) has been bowled over by seeing the trio live, and sends this video link of a sample performance.

As you can see from Denis Keldie's accordion, this is not bluegrass as it has been known since Sally Ann Forrester left Bill Monroe's band in the 1940s. However, though Loudon uses 'rock ‘n’ roll', 'gypsy jazz', and 'R&B' to describe deCarle's musical influences, the song in the video is to the tune of 'The State of Arkansaw' (possibly 19th-century and of Irish origin - see here). Loudon, who can be contacted via the agency, writes:

Ideally, I am looking for a week in Scotland, two weeks in England/Wales, and a week in Ireland... I need to call on you to give serious consideration to supporting this proposal and provide any indication that you would be happy to provide a slot on your programme next year (spring, 2016). I am really just trying to judge what reaction would be...

BU for March 2015

The BIB editor writes:

Fourteen months ago, at the Ashbourne concert that opened the 2014 tour by High Plains Tradition (USA), a friendly member of the audience asked me what was the little instrument played by Doug Elrick. When I said it was a mandolin, he replied: 'How long have they been as flat as that?'

Though I meant to say 'About a century', that would have been a grave understatement. As the March 2015 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited says on the cover, carved Gibson mandolins have now existed for 120 years. The major article by Larry Nager (reprinted in full on the BU website) ranges over Gibson's history of innovation, interviews luthiers and instrument historians, and includes the welcome news that banjo and dobro production will be renewed.

Other features in this year's special instrument issue include articles on Hoffee carbon fibre cases, Roger Siminoff's new Straight Up strings for banjo and mandolin (which I highly recommend), and the banjo that British bluegrass veteran Rod Davis played as a member of John Lennon's original skiffle group. (Rod now plays a Tanglewood Pro 5; so, at a very good price from McCullough Pigott in Dublin, you could be playing the same model 5-string as a bandmate of John Lennon.)

Westport 2015 lineup now online

Thanks again to Sharon Loughrin, who mentioned at the end of her last message:

Have you had a look at the Westport lineup? Uri and team have put together a fantastic weekend, especially interesting to fans of old-time music.

No doubt about that at all, especially as the artist at the top of the bill is Rayna Gellert (above). The 9th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival (12-14 June 2015) has not yet issued a press release, so we won't jump the gun; but the present lineup is on the Festival website.

Rayna Gellert is touring in these islands in May and June; any details of other performances by her in Ireland will be on the BIB as soon as we learn of them.

Foghorns in Ireland, 6-16 May 2015

The BIB mentioned in January and February that the Foghorn Stringband from Portland, OR, will be back in Ireland for an all-too-brief tour in May. They will have a new CD (right), available on live shows and from CD Baby. Thanks to Sharon Loughrin of the Red Room at Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, for the news that the Foghorns' schedule has been augmented and now reads:

Wed. 6th May: Whelan's, 25 Wexford St., Dublin 2, 8.00 p.m.
Thurs. 7th: Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, venue TBC, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 8th-Sun. 10th: Baltimore Fiddle Fair, Co. Cork
Tues. 12th: John Benny's, Dingle, Co. Kerry, 9.00 p.m.
Wed. 13th: Linenhall, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 15th: Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 16th: Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone

Venue location and contact details are on the band's website. Sharon adds:

Our own night with them on 16th is long sold out with a still growing waiting list! Recent radio play of the band has led to us still getting enquiries about the night, so it would be advisable for anyone wanting to hear this first-class band to get tickets booked well in advance, as the other venues may also sell out. We're finding our nights getting fully booked within a few hours of sending out the text to regulars.

Bluegrass in Portlaw, Co. Waterford, 14 Mar. 2015

Thanks to flatpicker and lead singer Hugh Taggart for this news:

Just thought i'd let folks know that myself and Luke Coffey will be playing a gig in the Pig And Whistle pub in Portlaw, Waterford, this Saturday (14 March). No cover charge, we'll start at 10 o'clock and go on till late. We're playing as Well Enough Alone, so there'll be plenty of bluegrass and country songs. All are welcome, and if any of the bluegrass players in Waterford feel like bringing their instruments and joining in for a few they're welcome.

Woodbine at Kilkenny Roots Festival, 1-3 May

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for the news that Woodbine are booked for three gigs at the 18th Kilkenny Roots Festival, to be held in Kilkenny city over the weekend 1-4 May. The band will be playing at:

Fri. 1st: Breathnachs, John St., 10.00 p.m.
Sat. 2nd: Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel, Ormonde St., 10.00 p.m.
Sun. 3rd: Springhill Court Hotel, Waterford Rd, 10.00 p.m.

The Banjo Revolutionary in Europe this summer

Thanks to banjo-innovation wizard and luthier Tom Nechville (photo), designer of the revolutionary Heli-Mount banjo pot system and much more, for the news that he will be present at the 27th North Wales Bluegrass Festival at Conwy (2-5 July 2015) and other locations in Europe during the summer - a great opportunity for adventurous banjoists to discuss with Tom their ideal instrument...

Besides providing service and support for his European clients, Tom will be giving a new workshop, 'The Banjo Renaissance', with various European musicians throughout July. Guy Rogers will join Tom in Conwy, and the month's finale will take place at the La Roche bluegrass festival in France with superpickers Lluis Gomez from Barcelona and Fred Simon (the 'French Bela Fleck') from Toulouse. See the Nechville Musical Products website for store appearances and special gatherings yet to be scheduled.

Nechville Musical Products
9700 Humboldt Ave. South, Bloomington, MN 55431
E-mail
Office +1 952-888-9710; mobile +1 612-275-6602

Dublin show for The Devil Makes Three, 18 Mar. 2015

Back on 30 Jan. the BIB published detailed news from the Open House Festival team in Belfast that The Devil Makes Three, a neo-old-time Americana trio from Vermont, will be playing on Thursday 19 March at the Members' Bar, Ballyholme Yacht Club, Seacliffe Road, Bangor, Co. Down BT20 5HQ. Doors open at 8.00 p.m. Tickets are £16.50 + £1 booking fee if booked online in advance, or £20 on the door.

At that time the band had no other scheduled dates in Ireland. Thanks to the FOAOTMAD news blog, therefore, for the news that on the previous night (Wed. 18 Mar.) they will be playing at Whelan's in Dublin. Tickets can be booked online via the band's online tour schedule. After the Bangor show, they will continue to tour with fifteen shows in Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and France.

The Devil Makes Three comprises Pete Bernhard, Lucia Turino, and Cooper McBean. Their sound is 'garage-y ragtime, punkified blues, old 'n’ new timey without settling upon a particular era, inspired as much by mountain music as by Preservation Hall jazz'. More details here.

The Moron Brothers open their own video channel

Thanks to Scott Moore of central Kentucky for the latest news of the Moron Brothers (USA) - Lardo (Mike Carr) and Burley (Mike Hammond) - who toured in Ireland for a week last September (including the Bunratty Banjo Festival), and about whom much more can be seen on the BIB post for 25 May 2014. Scott writes:

I wanted to let you know that the Moron Brothers have started their own Video Channel with Carbon TV. They will be adding a lot more video as we go along. We are just getting started! This is a great place to listen and laugh with them. It's free but we need folks to actually subscribe to the channel to help us. The link is here. Can you pass it along and share this with others?

Happy to oblige!

The New Breadwinners at the Five Lamps Arts Festival, 12 Mar. 2015

Thanks to John Denby for a reminder that the New Breadwinners (John, mandolin; Luke Coffey, banjo; Niall Hughes, guitar) will play as part of Dublin's Five Lamps Arts Festival at Annesley House, 70 North Strand Rd, Dublin 3, at 8.30 p.m. tomorrow night (Thurs. 12 Mar.), sharing the stage with folk songwriter Barry McCormack. John adds:

We're the only bluegrass band at the festival and it's being quite strongly promoted, so if you want to be sure of a seat (it's a small venue) we recommend booking a seat in advance at www.eventbrite.ie for €12.

This news also, of course, appears on the band's Facebook page.

Kimmie Rhodes at Naul, 21 Mar. 2015 (and other dates)

The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre at Naul, Co. Dublin, a good friend to bluegrass and related music in the Dublin region, will be presenting the Texas singer-songwriter Kimmie Rhodes (photo) on Saturday 21 March. The show starts at 8.30 p.m.

Details are on the Centre's website, including online booking facilities and a video (also on YouTube) of Kimmie Rhodes in duet with Emmylou Harris on 'Love and happiness' at the 2009 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. The Centre says: 'Always a sold-out show, please book your Kimmie Rhodes tickets early to avoid disappointment!'

Kimmie Rhodes will be playing the following dates in this island before continuing her tour in Britain:

Thurs. 19th: The Real Music Club, The Black Box, Belfast, 8.00 p.m.; £16
Fri. 20th: Roe Valley Arts and Culture Centre, 24 Main St., Limavady, Co. Londonderry, 8.00 p.m.; £15
Sat. 21st: Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin, 8.30 p.m.
Sun. 22nd: Balor Arts Centre, Main St., Ballybofey, Co. Donegal, 8.30 p.m.; €15
Tues. 24th: The Bronte Centre, Rathfriland, Co. Down, 9.00 p.m.
Wed. 25th: Market Place Theatre, Market St., Armagh city, 8.00 p.m.

Links to venue websites, contact details, and online booking are on the Kimmie Rhodes website.

Historic anniversaries in 2015

The BIB editor reports:

Two dates later this year are anniversaries of notable events in the history of bringing live bluegrass music to audiences.

On Sunday 14 August 1960, musician, songwriter, publisher, promoter, and DJ Don Owens (1930-63) presented at Watermelon Park, Berryville, VA, a 'Blue Grass Day' which brought on stage Mac Wiseman, the Osborne Brothers, Scotty Stoneman, Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys, Don Reno & Red Smiley, Buck Ryan and Smitty Irvin, and Bill Harrell. This was the first all-day show composed entirely of bluegrass acts. The word 'festival' was not common at that time, and there is still some reluctance to apply it to one-day events; nonetheless, Don Owens's 'Blue Grass Day' has since been recognised as the earliest known one-day bluegrass festival.

The following year, on Tuesday 4 July 1961 Bill Clifton presented at Luray, VA, another one-day event: 'the All Blue Grass Show', comprising Bill Monroe, Mac Wiseman, the Stanley Brothers, Bill Clifton & the Dixie Mountain Boys, the Country Gentlemen, and Jim & Jesse McReynolds. This has also since been celebrated as the first bluegrass festival. The word 'festival', however, was not used in announcing this or several subsequent one-day events.

The first bluegrass event to be held under that name was the three-day 'First Annual Roanoke Blue Grass Festival' presented at Fincastle, VA, on the Labor Day weekend (Friday 3-Sunday 5 September) of 1965 by Carlton Haney, with Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, the Stanley Brothers, Don Reno, Red Smiley, Clyde Moody, Howdy Forrester, Earl Taylor, Bill Emerson, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, and more. From that point the term 'bluegrass festival' became increasingly popular, and the number of such events rapidly grew to where the festival circuit became an important factor in musicians' careers.

So we can go ahead and celebrate this year (in whatever manner seems appropriate) the 55th anniversary of Don Owens's 'Blue Grass Day' in August and the 50th anniversary of Carlton Haney's 'Blue Grass Festival' in September - and then recoup our energies for the 55th anniversary of Bill Clifton's 'All Blue Grass Show' in July next year.

Thanks to Walter V. Saunders's invaluable 'Notes & Queries' column, which appears every month in Bluegrass Unlimited (BU) magazine, for much of the above information, including a lead to a major article on Don Owens by the legendary Eddie Stubbs in BU for June 1998 - where, by the way, Walter V. Saunders is quoted as saying: 'Don Owens was the first person I ever heard to use the term "bluegrass music" as early as 1949 to differentiate the recordings of Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers from the mainstream country sounds...'

Coming attractions

Thanks to Tony O'Brien of Woodbine and the Athy Bluegrass Festival for news of both those organisations:

A week today (Monday 16 March), Woodbine are scheduled to play at Tuohy's, in Pound St., Rathdowney, Co. Laois, at 9.00 p.m. Tuohy's is one of the band's favourite places to play; it's compact, so get there early for a good seat.

As already announced on the BIB, the 25th Athy Bluegrass Festival will be held on 10-12 July 2015 at the GAA Centre, Dublin Road, Athy, Co. Kildare, with perennial favourites 4 Wheel Drive (NL/D/B) at the top of the bill. Tony now reveals that sharing that position with them will be Tom Mindte (mandolin), John Brunschwyler (banjo), and all the Patuxent Partners (photo above). Longtime attenders at Athy festivals know what a treat this means - favourable responses to the news are already on the Festival Facebook.

*

A high proportion of the BIB editor's favourite bluegrass has come from Washington D.C., Baltimore, and the adjacent areas of Maryland and Virginia. Not only do the Patuxent Partners embody that tradition themselves - Tom Mindte's Patuxent Music record label is making available loads of classic music from the region, together with acclaimed new recordings in bluegrass, old-time, blues, swing, and more. The BIB will be carrying more on this subject.

'The most thorough and comprehensive exploration of any fiddling tradition anywhere'

Musicologist and 'melodic clawhammer' banjo maestro Ken Perlman (USA) announces with pride that his brand new twenty-years-in-the-making book Couldn't have a wedding without the fiddler: the story of traditional fiddling on Prince Edward Island has just been published by the University of Tennessee Press in its Charles K. Wolfe Series.

A social, cultural, and musical exploration of traditional fiddling on Canada's Prince Edward Island, based primarily on oral accounts collected from about 150 fiddlers and other 'Islanders', it shows the vital and central role that fiddlers and their music played in community life. The book also explores attitudes about fiddling, learning patterns and strategies, playing styles and repertoire, dancing and accompaniment, fiddle contests and mass media, the decline of fiddling after the second world war, and the ups and downs of its revival. To widen the scope of the narrative, material is often presented in the context of parallel cultural developments in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere in North America.

Alan Jabbour, one of the best qualified people in the world to make such a judgment, calls the book 'the most thorough and comprehensive exploration of any fiddling tradition anywhere'. At 462 pages, it includes forty photographs and numerous musical examples. Copies are available from Ken's website or any of the usual outlets.

In memory of Vinny Baker

Thanks to Danny Slevin of Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, for this news. As Danny says, it is hard to believe that it is now only a few months short of two years since the unexpected death of the irreplaceable Vinny Baker.

Danny headed the organising team for the very successful tribute concert held last June in Vinny's memory, in his home town of Mullingar. The event raised £3,712 for St Camillus Nursing Centre at Killucan, Co. Westmeath, and the proceeds have been used to develop a Garden of Tranquillity at the Centre, where Vinny had played many shows for the elderly residents. Danny will be visiting it later in the year to take photos when the garden is in bloom, and the BIB hopes to publish some of them then.

Yesterday (Saturday 7 March) Danny visited Vinny's grave, very close to those of his parents and grandparents, in a lovely location under a big tree. Danny writes:

Des Docherty put a small bird house on the tree, to ensure that there will always be birdsong nearby. I was proud to see that the stone over the grave was headed by a line from a poem I wrote when Vinny died. The line is: 'You passed when at your brightest.' It was a sad but fulfilling afternoon.

Arthur St Clair Robinson

Another leading figure in bluegrass music in these islands has passed on. This news comes from C. Paul Lyttle of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in Scotland, who has posted it on the Festival website:

I have some sad news to share with you - Arthur St Clair Robinson passed away with courage and dignity in his local hospice on Friday 6 March.

Arthur and Trix made it up from Yorkshire to Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival a few times and were always very supportive of what we were trying to do here. Their encouragement was much appreciated, as were Arthur’s home made tortoiseshell thumb picks which I have used on my dobro!

Arthur had many friends in the bluegrass and folk communities and will be sadly missed.

Arthur’s funeral will be on Friday 13 March at 2.40 pm at Scarborough Crematorium with all invited back to Scarborough Rugby Club for a buffet afterwards. Trix extends a warm welcome to all who can make it to Arthur’s funeral.

Arthur (shown above in a photo from the 1990s) was a familiar and respected figure to BIB readers with long-standing contacts with the bluegrass scene in Britain, especially those who attended the Edale or North Wales festivals. A video of him leading a hard-driving band at Edale in 1990 can be seen on YouTube. His many contributions to the music in Britain included making known the outstanding quality of Czech musicians and instruments; helping young students to attend the Sore Fingers Summer School; and leading his band, King Arthur and His Knights of Bluegrass.

The sad news, as communicated by David Rozzell, chairman of the British Bluegrass Music Association, can be seen on the New Essex Bluegrass Band's Facebook page.

Update: An appreciation by Richard Thompson can be read on Bluegrass Today.

Vincent Cross at Folk Alliance International

Thanks to Vincent Cross, the Irish bluegrass scene's ambassador in New York City, for his latest e-newsletter. The last one (see the BIB for 11 Feb.) mentioned that he would be going again this year to the big Folk Alliance International (16-22 Feb. 2015) in Kansas City, Missouri; his nine scheduled appearances there are listed on the poster image (photo: Robert Kalman).

Vincent writes: 'Kansas City has become a beacon of roots music with nearly 2,000 lovers of folk music gathered in one location performing, conferencing, showcasing, networking, it's a welcoming sight for sore eyes.' The new e-newsletter includes two video clips from his sets. The BIB recommends these to gig organisers with a view to Vincent's European tour this summer, during which he will be in Ireland between 18 and 30 July. He can be contacted for bookings by e-mail.

Bill Whelan teaches at Sore Fingers 2015

The FOAOTMAD news blog includes the following information on the rapidly approaching 20th Sore Fingers Week, Europe's premier instruction camp in the bluegrass and old-time instruments.

The camp (6-10 Apr. 2015) is now close to capacity, with just a few tent spaces left. Additional classes for old-time fiddle and banjo have been recently added to the schedule: the third course for fiddle is being taught by Rachel Eddy (USA) and the second course for banjo by our own Bill Whelan (photo), the doyen of clawhammer banjo and old-time music in this island.

Both courses are filling up quickly; so for anyone still wanting to book a place, the final deadline is 12 March 2015. There is no need to call or e-mail; the completed booking form can be sent in, preferably as an e-mail attachment, to this address. No booking fees will be deducted till your place has been confirmed.

A new online resource for pickers

Among other things, the information technology revolution has meant that there's never been a better time for finding tuition, instruments, and other good things for the roots musician. So, thanks to McGuckin Entertainment PR of Austin, TX, for their latest e-release - on a new resource, Peghead Nation, 'the home of roots music instruction, gear, and news'.

Peghead Nation (also on Facebook and Twitter) was founded in California by a team of acoustic music experts. Its String School offers eighteen online courses of instruction by first-class pickers. As an introduction, Peghead Nation is offering a free first month of lessons for one course, and a draw for a Deering Goodtime banjo and other prizes.

The Goodtime Giveaway grand-prize winner will also receive a one-year all-access pass to Peghead Nation, including all course content. A second one-year all-access pass will be awarded to the winner of the D’Addario Strings package. Five other winners will receive D’Addario string sets and a one-year subscription to the instructional course of their choice. Full details are here and on the Peghead Nation website.

Shackleton - and the banjo

The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre in Naul, Co. Dublin, has been a good friend to bluegrass music in the Dublin region for a long time now, particularly in presenting visiting bands. None, unfortunately, are on the Centre's latest e-newsletter, giving a schedule of events up to St Patrick's day; but tonight (Wed. 4 Mar.) there will be a talk on Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), given by Michael Smith, biographer of Shackleton and Tom Crean (1877–1938).

Which of course reminds us of the Shackleton banjo, named after the item of 'vital mental medicine' that was taken on Shackleton's Antarctic expedition of 1914-16 and played by Dr Leonard Hussey, the expedition's meteorologist. The new Shackleton banjo, from Britain's only banjo-making factory (as distinct from individual luthiers), comes in several models and custom options, with a range of related merchandise that includes strap, gig bag, hip flask, sweater, quilt, and beer.

The Shackleton is well suited to old-time playing: a video of Adam Hurt playing 'Rockingham Cindy' is on the company's website (and YouTube), together with another video about the company, the banjo, and Shackleton. The Great British Banjo Company is also producing a Shackleton bluegrass banjo which is due for release this spring and can be pre-ordered.

Live bluegrass on stage in Kinvara and Dublin, Sat. 7 Mar. 2015

Thanks to Wendy Connolly and 'Bluegrass in Ireland' for the news that this coming Saturday (7 March) two home-grown four-piece traditional bluegrass bands with three-part harmony will be playing at opposite ends of the country.

The Old Town Rounders of Galway (above; Cian Mulligan, banjo; Chris 'Kentucky' White, mandolin; Seán Óg McKiernan, guitar; Fergus 'Stonewall' Packman, double bass) will be playing in the Gig Room, Community Centre, Kinvara, Co. Galway, at 8.30 p.m.; tickets €10/€8 at door. More details are on the Kinvara Area Music Collective Facebook. The Rounders, who are keen to make their debut on the bluegrass festival circuit, can be heard on SoundCloud. They will be on Galway Bay FM radio tomorrow evening to plug themselves and the Saturday show.

And in Dublin, Well Enough Alone (Luke Coffey, banjo; John Denby, mandolin; Niall Hughes, double bass; Hugh Taggart, guitar) will be playing 'Unplugged by the fire' at Arthurs, 28 Thomas St., Dublin, from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. The acoustic duo Carron will be on before them (3.00-4.00 p.m.). More details, and a location map, are here. Well Enough Alone are shown in the photo below with Martin McWhorter on mandolin.