Still time for an EWOB application

... but not quite as close as we thought. Thanks to 'Bluegrass in Ireland' for drawing attention to the fact that the deadline for band applications to play at the 19th EWOB Festival (5-7 May 2016) in the Netherlands has been extended to 15 December. An application form can be downloaded here.

The title of #1 European Bluegrass Band is currently held by the outstanding Czech band Monogram - regular Athy festival attenders will remember them sharing the top of the bill with Red Wine in 2004. A week ago their new album Take it easy was featured on Bluegrass Today, including a video clip (also on YouTube).

Foghorns, Red Wine, and much more for Westport, 10-12 June 2016

Thanks to Uri Kohen and his organising team for dates for your diary and much more beside: on the weekend Fri. 10-Sun. 12 June 2016, the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival will be held for the tenth time. Here is their press release:

What started as one man's dream to promote quality music in Westport is now one of the leading events on the Irish bluegrass calendar. Over the past nine years the festival has grown from strength to strength, holding on to its core value of promoting high-quality folk and bluegrass music in the amazing surroundings of Westport, Co. Mayo. For the tenth festival, the organising team put together a unique programme, with some of the leading acts in the genre alongside some of the festival's old faithfuls, and introducing some new acts to the Irish bluegrass scene.

The Kentucky Cow Tippers (photo: Maria Alzamora)

The festival’s headliners are the much loved Foghorn Stringband from the US and one of Europe's leading bluegrass bands, Red Wine. They will be joined by one of the UK's most promising acts, The Kentucky Cow Tippers; superb Dutch band The Cannonball String Band; and Canadian singer/songwriter Dana Sipos.

The Cannonball String Band

Old Hannah, who played the festival launch party, will return to one of the festival’s main shows this year. Tim Rogers and the MacEvillys, who played every festival since 2007, will return for one more hurrah.

Hubert Murray (Galway/London) and Ruth Dillon (The Molly Hicks) will present their new bands, and the future of Northern Ireland bluegrass, Cup O’ Joe, will also make an appearance. Richard Hawkins (the backbone of the Irish bluegrass family) will host a session for the first time at the festival, and Pat Kelleher (master of the long-neck banjo) will also make a very welcome debut at the event. Many more acts to be confirmed. As always, the festival will feature many organised and spontaneous sessions, workshops, and a few surprises such as secret gigs.

The festival is promising to be a celebration of the best local, national, and international folk and bluegrass music. Looking forward to seeing you all in Westport!

Athy - a chapter closes

Tony O'Brien, organiser since 1997 of the Athy Bluegrass Festival, sends this message:

November is the month we bluegrassers look back at the year that was and start to plan for next year. This year we celebrated the 25th bluegrass festival in Athy; and with a special show on the Saturday to remember absent friends, I reflected on the past twenty-five years of the festival.

I have come to the decision to wind up the festival and park the memories of twenty-five great years. I had made and lost some great friends during that time, and it was the death of one such friend, Bill Andrews, that finally made my mind up to close the chapter on the Athy Bluegrass Festival.

Running a festival takes a lot of time and energy, not to mention the financing of the event. Over the past few years sponsorship and grants were more difficult to obtain, and our audience was not increasing enough to cover the financing of headline bands from the US or Europe.

To fill the gap, Woodbine will host two concerts on the same weekend in July with support band on each night. This will take place on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th July 2016 with a pickin’ session on Saturday afternoon, venues to be confirmed.

I wish to thank all our loyal fans who supported us over the years, and look forward to you still supporting the Woodbine shows and making many more new and happy memories over the coming years.

Looking forward to 2016,

Tony

The 2015 festival was a marvellous end to this chapter of the story. Thank you, Tony.

Update: Messages from members of the bluegrass community and some fine photos of Bill Andrews can be seen on the Athy Festival Facebook.

Banjo tuition WILL be available at Lisburn on Saturday

Thanks to Dangem Banjos for a news flash to supplement their notice about this month's Bluegrass Get-Together at Lisburn tomorrow (Sat. 28 Nov.) - banjo lessons for beginners will be available, as Tony Curran has offered to stand in for Howard Walker.

Anyone who saw the Down and Out Bluegrass Band in action during the summer and autumn of 2013 will recall that Tony - a longstanding stalwart of the Ulster bluegrass scene - was doing an excellent job of picking banjo for the band while Howard was recovering from a wrist injury. Banjo beginners will be in safe hands with Tony at Lisburn.

Five years of Belfast Bluegrass - next on 1 Dec. 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 session will be on this coming Tuesday, 1 December 2015.

The Belfast Bluegrass session is held on the first Tuesday of each month, upstairs at the Errigle Inn, 312-320 Ormeau Rd, Belfast, starting about 9.00 p.m. All are welcome. The coming session will be specially noteworthy, as the very first Belfast Bluegrass session was held there five years ago (see the BIB for 29 Nov. 2010). Congratulations to Richard, the Belfast bluegrass community, and the Errigle.

As mentioned in the BIB's last post, the Down and Out Bluegrass Band will be playing at St George's Market, Belfast, tomorrow (Sat. 28 Nov.) from noon to 3.00 p.m.

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

DanGem Bluegrass in Craigavon, Co. Armagh, announce in their latest e-newsletter that the next monthly Bluegrass Get-Together, incorporating jam session and instruction, will be held this coming Saturday, 28 Nov., at the usual place and time (the Lagan Valley Island Civic Centre, Lisburn, Co. Antrim BT27 4RL, from 9.30/10.00 a.m. to noon) and with the usual schedule:

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

Howard Walker will not be available to give banjo lessons, as he is playing with the Down and Out Bluegrass Band;* but any beginners are still welcome to join in and will be helped as far as possible.

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 add: 'Bring along your banjos, guitars, mandolins, fiddles, dobros, and bass, or just come along and enjoy. Look forward to seeing as many of you who can attend.' A location map for the Centre is on Dangem's website.

*The Down and Out Bluegrass Band will be providing musical entertainment at St George's Market, Belfast, on Saturday from noon to 3.00 p.m.

7th Bluegrass Jamboree! now on the road

Nearly six years ago the BIB drew attention to the success of Rainer Zellner's first Bluegrass Jamboree!, a venture based on the concept of a 'travelling bluegrass festival' - the first of its kind in Europe - bringing three acts in bluegrass and closely related acoustic music to a score of select venues throughout central Europe.

Rainer (a very capable bluegrass mandolinist) runs the Music Contact agency, handling a wide range of 'Roots and World Music & Diverse Thrills'. On Monday his seventh Bluegrass Jamboree! began a full three weeks (23 Nov.-13 Dec.) of touring - twenty dates in German cities, and one in Switzerland under the auspices of the Bluegrass in Basel association. The full itinerary is on the Jamboree website, where you can see an eleven-minute preview video (also on YouTube) featuring the three acts on this year's bill - Richie Stearns & Rosie Newton, the Howlin' Brothers, and the Railsplitters (who made a successful tour in Ireland this year).

At lunchtime today, the Jamboree's Facebook added the photo below, showing Jamboree! artists enjoying the Christmas Market in Bonn. Congratulations to Rainer (standing on the right of the group) for creating this pillar of the European bluegrass calendar.

High-altitude bluegrass from the Rocky Mountains, Jan.-Feb. 2015

L-r: Greg Blake, Jeff Scroggins, Tristan Scroggins

Readers of the last Thursday's BIB post on the next Shannonside Winter Music Festival in January will have seen that the bluegrass part of the lineup includes two US groups who helped to make May 2015 the mensis mirabilis for fans over here, both of them from the state of Colorado - Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (above) and Martin Gilmore and Nick Amodeo. Both groups enjoyed their time here and were keen to come back for more.

Thanks to the indispensable John Nyhan: first, for correcting an important point in our earlier post. The main bluegrass concert of the festival, on Sunday 24 January featuring both groups, is in Durty Nelly's, Bunratty, Co. Clare, at 3.00 p.m., not 5.00 p.m. as formerly printed.

Secondly, thanks to John's efforts, both groups will be touring in Ireland for the two weeks after the festival, and appearing together in a couple of shows. Arrangements for the tours are nearly complete, and John will send full details when all is finalised. He adds: 'I can only describe the upcoming visit of these musicians as High Altitude Bluegrass from the Rocky Mountains. What a treat it will be for bluegrass fans!'

The Martin Gilmore Trio that toured here in May: (l-r) Ian Haegele (bass, vocals), Martin Gilmore (guitar, banjo, vocals), Nick Amodeo (mandolin, guitar, vocals)

Lee Valley String Band, Stargazers in concert for Médecins Sans Frontières, 10 Dec. 2015

The Lee Valley String Band: (l-r) Mick Daly, Brendan Butler, Mick
O'Brien, Hal O'Neill (photo: Eddie Hennessy)

Thanks to Tina Darb of the Triskel Christchurch Arts Centre in Cork city for the news that a fund-raising concert for Médecins Sans Frontières will be held there on Thursday 10 December 2015, with a double bill compered by Philip King of RTÉ's ‘Other voices’ and RTÉ Radio One's ‘The south wind blows’.

The Lee Valley String Band, Ireland's longest-lived bluegrass and old-time group, perform to huge audiences annually through their regular gigs with the Lee Sessions (Facebook). Formed in 1968 by the late Chris Twomey and the Toner brothers, Niall and Colm, the LVSB have been through several permutations in their forty-seven (and counting) years, and now comprise Mick O'Brien (guitar, vocals), Brendan Butler (mandolin, vocals), Mick Daly (banjo, vocals), and Hal O'Neill (fiddle).

Some of their highlights to date include hosting their own TV show from Cork Opera House; appearing at the prestigious Tønder Festival in Denmark; and making three classic recordings, the EP At last (mid 1980s) and the CDs Cornerboys (1998) and Prolific or what (2008), both of which were produced by the legendary Jim Rooney.

The Stargazers made their debut on RTÉ TV in 1983 and have since appeared regularly on all major RTÉ radio and TV shows and travelled widely abroad with their close harmony renditions of Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Randy Newman, and others, and the instrumental style of string swing on guitars and bass. Founder members Johnny 'Fang' Murphy and Chris Ahern are joined by arranger Ursula O’Sullivan (bass, vocals). Their new single Paper moon should be released in Jan. 2016.

There will be a reception at 7.30 p.m. before the concert (8.00 p.m.). Tickets are €20, available from the Centre online or by 'phone (021 4272022). The evening is also a farewell event for Michael O’Connell who has been on the board of the Centre for over thirty years, including several as its chairman.

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley in Ireland next spring?

Thanks to Gerry Fitzpatrick for the news that Rob Ickes (left), who has won the IBMA Dobro Player of the Year award a record fifteen times, will be teaching the dobro course at Sore Fingers in England next spring (28 Mar.-1 Apr. 2016).

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley (below) will also be touring in Europe (hopefully including Ireland) in the first week of April. More information will follow as soon as this becomes available. A week ago Rob announced that he is leaving Blue Highway, a band with which he has performed and recorded since 1994, including a headline appearance at the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Longford in 2012.

Gerry Fitzpatrick organises the monthly Cabin Sessions in Dundrum, Dublin, of which the next will be this coming Thursday (26 Nov.); a video of Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley can be seen on the Cabin Sessions Facebook. Gerry is also a member of Minnie & the Illywhackers, one of the bands taking part in January's Shannonside Winter Music Festival.

Forty years now...

Going back further than the foundation of the BIB: it was almost exactly forty years ago that the Sackville String Band began playing in public. Thanks again to Niall Toner for this photo (almost certainly taken by Niall's wife Moira) of the band at its second public appearance, in the basement of Hartigan's in Leeson Street, Dublin, early in December 1975.

As noted when this photo first appeared on the BIB nearly five years ago, it shows your editor with his Jedson 6006 'Symphonic' with tunnel 5th string, and Niall with his recently acquired 'The Gibson' A-model mandolin. The banjo just visible behind them is almost certainly being played by Mick Daly. Hairstyles are moderate by the standards of that time.

To reach all the posts mentioning the Sackville String Band that have so far appeared on the BIB, click on the 'Sackville' label below.

The BIB is ten years old today

The BIB editor writes:

On 21 November 2005 the Bluegrass Ireland Blog (BIB) was revealed to an astonished world. For the first time bands, event organisers, and anyone else in the bluegrass and old-time communities in this island could have news made available to anyone online, anywhere in the world, nearly as soon as it reached me. I'm glad of this new opportunity to thank Alice Toner for building this house and Eamonn Quigley for his cordial assistance, without which the BIB might never have existed.

Since that date, communications systems have vastly developed. Formerly, very few bands here had even a promo pack to post out; most now have a website and/or Facebook, and some are on ReverbNation, YouTube, and Twitter. With such resources a band can at once make its news known to the world, and anyone who already knows of it can at once find out what it's doing. The BIB still aspires to give the reader a wider picture of what's happening across the scene.

The picture it gives is necessarily very incomplete: masses of information are out there, and what the BIB handles is only a small part. To remedy that slightly, a list of bands, with links to websites and Facebooks, should soon be published.* If the two words 'bluegrass' and 'Ireland' are Googled, the BIB - limited as it is - comes up first, and it will keep trying to deserve that position.

Update 25 Nov.: The comment below by our distinguished contemporary the Prescription Bluegrass Blog is specially welcome and appreciated.

*Update 5 Oct. 2016: A list of bands was added to the right-hand sidebar of the BIB earlier this year, and has been amended and supplemented since then.

Storm season ticket sale at the Seamus Ennis Centre

'You will be blown away with what's on offer this weekend!' says the latest e-newsletter from the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre in Naul, Co. Dublin.

Tomorrow (Fri. 20th) Donal O'Connor, John McSherry, and Sean Óg Graham give a presentation of the development of Gaelic music up to the present; and on Saturday 21 Nov. Alyssa and Doug Graham (USA; see the BIB for 6 Nov.) will be showing their documentary film Rattle the hocks and performing live music from their latest album, Glory bound.

For either of these concerts, you can buy two tickets for €20 - a saving of 40% off the listed ticket price.

PS: The Grahams' film is about the railroad and American roots music; as a footnote, have a look at this little video from the Down and Out Bluegrass Band, posted two years ago.

Shannonside Winter Music Festival, 21-5 Jan. 2016

Thanks to Brendan Walsh and the organising team at the Sixmilebridge Folk Club for the good news that their well established Winter Music Weekend. with its wide-ranging programme, is now expanded into the Winter Music Festival, to be held in Sixmilebridge and Bunratty, Co. Clare, from Thurs. 21 Jan. to Mon. 25 Jan. 2016.

Over the five days, eighty events - concerts, pub gigs, sessions, and shows - will take place at twenty venues, with a core of traditional music (Irish and English) complemented by classical, mariachi, jazz, blues, bluegrass and Appalachian, poetry and humour, and more. Full details, with artist bios, location maps, website links, and more, are on the Festival website and in the 32-page full-colour brochure which is now available.

Of special interest to BIB readers are the bluegrass concert at 3.00 p.m. on Sunday 24 Jan., with Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (USA) and Martin Gilmore with Nick Amadeo (USA) (both acts will be playing other shows during the Festival); and shows by Rackhouse Pilfer from Sligo and Meascán, an Irish classical ensemble who tackle Appalachian music and Texas fiddle tunes. Keep a check, too, on the Festival Facebook.

Update 23 Nov.: Thanks to John Nyhan for pointing out that the Sunday bluegrass concert (in Durty Nelly's) will be at 3.00 p.m., not 5.00 p.m. as originally shown here.

Get your EWOB application in!

The European World of Bluegrass (EWOB) Festival Facebook carried this warning two weeks ago today, and now there are just under two weeks to go before the deadline (1 December) for band applications to play at the 19th EWOB Festival (5-7 May 2016). An application form can be downloaded here.

The title of #1 European Bluegrass Band is currently held by the outstanding Czech band Monogram - regular Athy festival attenders will remember them sharing the top of the bill with Red Wine in 2004.

Update 29 Nov.: Thanks to 'Bluegrass in Ireland' for drawing attention to this - the deadline has been extended to 15 December.

From White Mansions to new pastures

The Belfast-based band The White Mansions (above) have been active on the scene for several years now, playing their blend of honky-tonk and other tough country music on the bluegrass instruments, at many festivals and other events including 'Bluegrass on the Walls' at Derry and the Ulster American Folk Park bluegrass festival. Their album Don't get too close can be heard on ReverbNation.

We learn with regret that the White Mansions will be retiring as a band next month, though we doubt that their members will quit picking. Bassist Mark Skillen, for one, is looking for a new project to work on - ideally, in a context similar to that of the White Mansions. Mark is 49 and based in Banbridge, Co. Down, so groups based in Belfast or south Down would be perfect for him. Contact Mark by e-mail.

High times at Huddersfield

Last week the BIB announced: 'A great time seems to have been had by all last Saturday (7 Nov.) at the Eagle Music Shop's Annual Banjo Event...' Yesterday this was confirmed (in a comment on the BIB post) by personal testimony from one who was present.

Today the European Bluegrass Blog carries a major report on the Event, with photos and videos, including one of JigJam performing 'Oh boy!', and one of massed banjos (5-string, plectrum, and tenor) playing 'Oh! Susanna', led by the Kruger Brothers. The whole report is strongly recommended.

The Bluegrass Patriots - playing THIS WEEKEND!

(L-r) Danny Rogers, Dan Mitchell, Willie McDonald,
Ken Seaman, Glenn Zankey

Not in Ireland, unfortunately, but it's still good news. Thanks to the Prescription Bluegrass Blog (PBB) for news of the Bluegrass Patriots, one of the most distinguished Colorado bands, with many friends and fans in Ireland.

The Patriots (thanks to Gerry Madden of Waterford) were headliners at the very first Dunmore East bluegrass festival back in 1995 and played many shows in Ireland since then, the last being in July 2009 when they played at the Athy and Ardara festivals and several other dates. In 2011 they officially retired as a band, but - as Ken Seaman has told the PBB - they never ruled out reunions; have been playing three to five such shows a year since the beginning of 2013; and are on the bill this very weekend at a bluegrass festival in Wickenburg, Arizona.

Read the full PBB story, which ends on a tantalising note: 'Try to catch them if you can somewhere between California and Ireland.' Does that mean...?

First EBMA youth scholarships go to this island

The European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) has made the first two awards under its new Youth Scholarship programme - and they have gone to two young banjo players from this island, Evan Lyons from Co. Tipperary and Tabitha Agnew (of Cup O' Joe) from Co. Armagh. As a result, both will be going to Sore Fingers Week in England next Easter: Tabitha to study with Ron Block of Alison Krauss & Union Station, and Evan to study with Greg Cahill of the Special Consensus. The BIB sends our warmest congratulations to them.

As set out on the EBMA's Support Programme page, its Youth Scholarships are awarded on merit and are open to any young musician based in Europe who wants to learn and develop as a performer. One need not be an EBMA member to apply, but a successful applicant will be expected to join the EBMA. More details are on the European Bluegrass Blog and the EBMA Facebook.

What have Red Wine been up to?

Bluegrass Today reports that 'our favourite bluegrass winos',* Red Wine from Genoa in northern Italy, held their very successful 7th Bluegrass Party last Saturday (7 Nov.) before a packed house at the Teatro della Tosse in their home city.

The Party was designed to show the various musical strands that have gone to make up bluegrass and contribute to its further development. Extra instruments played by guest artists included not just dobro (Henrich Novak) and fiddle (Jiří 'George' Králík) but diatonic organet and flute, with a horns section and a tap dancer.

Read more, including a message from Martino Coppo, in the Bluegrass Today feature. More photos of the Party (including this view of the audience from the stage, below) are on the band's Facebook.

*Ours, too.

Ireland well represented at the Eagle's Banjo Event 2015: update

L-r: Daithi Melia, Jens Kruger, Joel Landsberg, Steve Noon,
Cathal Guinan, Jamie McKeogh, Uwe Kruger

A great time seems to have been had by all last Saturday (7 Nov.) at the Eagle Music Shop's Annual Banjo Event at Armitage Bridge, Huddersfield, West Yorks., England. It was an epoch-marking occasion, as the Eagle Music Shop (run by Steve and Joan Noon) is the world no. 1 dealer for Deering banjos, and Greg and Janet Deering were attending to mark forty years of the Deering company.

As the BIB announced a month ago, the Event's musical lineup was headed by the phenomenal Kruger Brothers, with very strong representation from the scene in Ireland: JigJam (seen above with the Krugers and Steve Noon), who played two acclaimed full sets; Pat Kelleher (right) of Dripsey, Co. Cork, who gave a workshop on the long-neck banjo; and Bill Forster (who plays with the Banjaxed Bluegrass Band and Gone to Grass), who gave an intermediate-to-advanced bluegrass banjo workshop.

In addition, the leader of the Old Grey Dogs, who led jams during the event, is Joe McIlvenny - a name that has something of an Ulster ring to it...

UPDATE: See Bluegrass Today for news of 'Beautiful nothing', a new documentary film about the Kruger Brothers made by Dames Don't Care (the duo of Gabriele Weber and Brigitte Bernhard).

Red Hat Acoustic Music Club at Naas, 13 Nov. 2015

Thanks to Paul and Anne McEvoy, organisers of the Red Hat Acoustic Music Club, for the news that the Club's next meeting will be held this coming Friday (13 November).

The Red Hat meets every month at the Harbour Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare. Music is expected to start around 8.30 p.m., and a donation of €3.00 covers coffee/ tea and sandwiches at the interval.

BU: next year's festivals, and more

Following from the BIB post of last Friday: the Nov. 2015 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited does include a request to festival organisers for details of their events, to appear in BU's annual festival list; and the deadline for the Jan. 2016 issue was Monday last week (2 Nov.). That shouldn't deter anyone from sending in data, as BU publishes supplementary lists in the following months. The details needed are:

• City [town, village] of event
• State [county and country] of event
• Name of event
• Location (brief directions)
• Name of one contact person
• Postal address
• Phone number, e-mail address, and website URL (one only of each)

This issue is rich in content: Derek Halsey's cover feature on Hot Rize can be read in full on the BU website (he gives their new album a Highlight review as well). And Chris Stuart reviews the book High lonesome below sea level (see the BIB for 28 Aug.), 'perhaps the most professionally made book I've ever reviewed', and goes on:

You may be asking, what does a book about bluegrass in the Netherlands have to do with me? I would answer: everything, because this is a book not just about Dutch people, but about all of us who live within the geography of music. And if that's too esoteric, I have another reason for you to buy this book: inspiration. This is a model for what might be possible in regional histories of bluegrass everywhere.

Read the whole review here.* Another piece of good news is that Dr Michael D. Doubler, who has already published Uncle Dave Macon: a photo tribute, is preparing a full biography of Uncle Dave which should be out about a year from now.

*Update 13 Nov.: The authors of High lonesome below sea level are now giving a Christmas Special offer of a free Red Herring CD with each copy of the book for the rest of this year, plus free shipping (even international)! Full details on their Facebook.

British Bluegrass News, Nov. 2015 issue

The BIB editor reports:

The latest British Bluegrass News reached me today and, as always, is a pleasure to see for its organisation, production, design, and content. Specially valuable, of course, for BBMA members and anyone interested in the UK scene, it projects a strong impression of an active, well organised association with a network of twenty-nine area representatives, headed by capable administrative and editorial teams and offering touring and tuition support services. As one would expect, BBN also carries excellent features on British bands, British recordings, and British bluegrass history.

Features that ought to interest bluegrassers in the Mother Country, or anywhere else in the world, include Heather Bristow's interview with Dr Ralph Stanley, and Jack Baker's account of his experiences at this year's Monroe Mandolin Camp. The high quality of British-made instruments is exemplified in this issue by the feature on the Cornish Banjo Company; the content is largely the same as what's on the company's fine website, and I highly recommend a look at that. Don't miss the videos of CBC banjos being tested by such players as Tony Trischka, Ned Luberecki, and Jürgen Biller of 4 Wheel Drive. If I were in the market for a banjo (and if the euro were a bit stronger), I'd be strongly tempted.

BBN always seems to have something that will resonate with the reader in Ireland: this time, there's a two-page feature on the scene today by Hubert Murray (of Galway, the Hot Rock Pilgrims, and Lands End), who recently brought his own band to the 7th Balla Bluegrass Festival. And - coming conveniently after the BIB post about the Red Room - there's a two-page feature by Chris Aggs on house concerts.

The Cabin Sessions - next on 26 Nov. 2015

Gerry Fitzpatrick, organiser of the Cabin Sessions series, 'Acoustic Music at its Finest', announces that the next in the series will be held on Thursday 26 November, with the Cabin Crew (the house band) comprising Spats Davenport (gtr), Aisling Davenport (voc), Con Butler (bs), Gerry Fitzpatrick (dob), Cathy McEvoy (fdl), Richard Hawkins (bjo), Dave Hardy (sax), Christian Volkmann (hca), and Enda O'Connor (cajón).

Special guests are Andrew Basquille (singer/songwriter), Elga Fox (folk), and the Dublin City Rounders (contemporary).

The Sessions are held on the last Thursday of every month at Uncle Tom's Cabin in Dundrum, south Dublin (not far from Dundrum Luas station in the city direction). Shows run 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.

The Red Room: a success story

Ferguson, Holmes, & Henry play for the Barn's opening night, 
8 July 2012

On 6 July 2009 Arnie and Sharon Loughrin held the first concert in their house near Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, presenting Gary Ferguson (USA) and Colin Henry. Three years later Gary, Colin, and Janet Holmes played for the opening of the Barn that Arnie built as a dedicated auditorium. In those first three years the Red Room had already become Ireland's premier house-concert venue for bluegrass, old-time, and related music; and it keeps a firm grip on the title, hosting an impressive roster of bands, both touring and home-grown, and giving enormous pleasure to audiences and musicians alike.

This brings, however, its own problems - though they're problems that most venues would be only too glad to have. Rackhouse Pilfer from Sligo are due to play at the Red Room on Thursday 17 December, and the show was booked out virtually as soon as the news reached those on the Red Room mailing list. Sharon reports:

We have accepted more people than we can comfortably cope with (well over seventy at last count) and are still regrettably turning people away! We had the same thing happening last weekend when the Lost Brothers played: within hours of texting our regulars we were fully booked, we didn't even get a chance to offer it to Facebook Red Roomers.

On the one hand this is great news, but the downside is that we hate turning people away and it's now difficult for new people to get the chance to hear the fabulous bands who come here. We're also having to continually turn down great bands who want to come and play here, as a lot of bands want to come back each year - and we want to have them back, as they have all been the very best of people in addition to being talented musicians.

If there's anyone out there who would like to do what we do but don't know where to start, feel free to get in touch - there's no money in it (in fact each night costs us) and it involves quite a bit of work, but we get so much from it that money can't buy!

Update 8 Nov.: See Colin Henry's comment (and tribute to the Red Room and its makers), below.

Urgent for festival organisers!

The November issue of Bluegrass Unlimited, the mother of all bluegrass magazines, hasn't reached us yet, but we expect it to include an ad asking festival organisers to send in details of their event, for inclusion in the Jan. 2016 issue with the latest version of the annual register of festivals.

For all we know, the deadline may be already past; last year it was 3 Nov., but in former years it wasn't quite so early. Some of our main festival organisers will have already sent details of their 2016 event to BU in any case - especially if they've acted on the BIB post of 23 Oct. about sending similar news to the EBMA and BBMA. However, even late entries are likely to be included in BU's supplementary lists in Feb. or Mar. next year.

The Grahams (USA) at Naul, Sat. 21 Nov. 2015 - and elsewhere

The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre at Naul, Co. Dublin, a good friend to bluegrass and related music, announces 'a unique roots-country-Americana music and cinema experience with The Grahams' on Saturday 21 November.

Alyssa and Doug Graham (above) have been performing together since they were New York teenagers, and have shaped their two albums (so far) around the main means of transport in early America: Riverman’s daughter (2013) and their new album Glory bound, with songs written from their own experience of river and railroad. Riverman’s daughter spent eleven weeks in the Americana Radio Top 40, and the Grehams have appeared on 'Woodsongs', ABC TV, and CBS Morning, and had good reviews from American Songwriter, USA Today, and the New York Times. They write:

There is a special connection between American folk music and the railroad that has no parallel elsewhere in the world. Rail lines stitch together the sprawling fabric of American song. As writers of Americana music, our goal is to draw on the deep, recurring sources of American folk culture, giving them new shape.

The Grahams began on Tuesday (3 Nov.) a tour of the UK, where they are playing eleven shows before coming to Ireland. Naul is the last of five shows over here, the others being:

Tues. 17th: Levi's Cornerhouse, Ballydehob, Co. Cork
Wed. 18th: Dolan's, Limerick city
Thurs. 19th: Monroe's Live, Galway city
Fri. 20th: The Errigle Inn, Ormeau Rd, Belfast

At Naul they will be showing their documentary film Rattle the hocks and performing live music from Glory bound. Doors open at 8.00 p.m., and the show begins at 8.30. Tickets (in advance €13 / €10; at the door €15 / €12) can be booked on the event web page, where you can also see a trailer for Rattle the hocks and link to their YouTube videos.

Fleck & Washburn in Dublin, 18 Nov. 2015

Thanks to Fiddlin' Tim Hawkins for the news that the unique marital and musical partnership of Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn will be playing at Whelan's, 25 Wexford St., Dublin 2, two weeks from now - on Wednesday 18 November.

The Whelan's show is the last in a European tour that has included Sofia, Prague, Milan, Barcelona, and four dates in the UK. Two videos - one of over twenty minutes - can be seen on the event web page. Whelan's add that the show will include a guest.

Doors open at 8.00 p.m. Tickets (€35.00) can be bought here; online bookings can also be made through the Washburn and Fleck websites.

Atlantic Sessions weekend, 12-15 Nov. 2015

Cup O' Joe

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin for this news of a wide-ranging music festival up north beginning next week:

The Atlantic Sessions weekend in the Portrush /Portstewart area on the North Antrim coast is coming up soon. Bluegrassers may be interested in Armagh band Cup O' Joe's gig in the New York Inn, Portstewart, at 9.00 p.m. on Thursday 12 Nov. Sligo old-time band Old Hannah are playing in the Portstewart Arms at 8.00 p.m. and the Quays Bar, Portrush, at 10.30 p.m. on Saturday 14 Nov. Details on www.atlanticsessions.com. I think these are all free gigs.

Dublin Bluegrass in full bloom

Dublin Bluegrass reports an outstanding session last week (27 Oct.) in the series held every Tuesday in Sin É on Ormond Quay, Dublin - a location map is on the bar's Facebook.

A record number of pickers were taking part, with musicians from Alaska, France, Wexford, and other remote localities, and all instruments fully covered and in some cases over-subscribed - can you believe five banjo players, including Paddy Kiernan? Congratulations to all concerned in building up this vigorous focal point for bluegrass in the metropolis.

Pilgrim St Xmas tour, Dec. 2015

Thanks to Pilgrim St from Navan, Co. Meath, for news of their tour in the weeks before Christmas this year. More dates are expected - those so far confirmed for December are as follows:

Sun. 6th: Whelan's, Dublin 2, with Declan O'Rourke
Sun. 13th: Lobinstown, Co. Meath, church concert 7.00 p.m.
Sat. 19th: Beggy's, Navan, Co. Meath
Sun. 20th: INEC, Killarney, Co. Kerry, with Declan O'Rourke
Mon. 21st: Dolan's, Limerick city, with Declan O'Rourke

You can see these dates on their Facebook and also in this e-newsletter, which includes a video of them performing 'How can a man be happy'.