Competition answers

Last Monday the BIB drew attention to the new programme for events at the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin (a good friend to bluegrass and related music in the Dublin region), which can be read here.

By the courtesy of the Centre, the BIB was able to offer two seats for each of this weekend's shows at Naul in response to correct answers to two questions. NO answers were received; but here are the answers that were expected. For the Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (USA) show on Friday, the question was:

Name three other bluegrass bands from Colorado who have played in Ireland before 2015.

Answer: Hot Rize, the Bluegrass Patriots, High Plains Tradition.

And for the Gordie Tentrees with Jaxon Haldane (CAN) show last night:

One of the most influential bluegrass albums featured two songs by a Canadian songwriter. Name the writer.

The writer was Gordon Lightfoot, whose 'Ten degrees and getting colder' and 'You are what I am' were recorded by J.D. Crowe & the New South on Rounder 0044. The album also includes Ian Tyson's 'Summer wages', so an answer pointing out that it featured three songs by Canadian writers would have been valid.

The Centre also draws attention to the return of Woody Pines (USA) on Sat. 12 Mar. in what is expected to be a sell-out gig. Other shows likely to interest BIB readers are in the planning stage.

Colorado comes to the Beehive, 31 Jan. 2016

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for passing on news from Pat McGill of the Beehive Bar, Ardara, Co. Donegal. Pat organises the annual Ardara Bluegrass Festival; the Beehive, on the east side of the main street in central Ardara, serves as the festival club and has hosted some memorable sessions in its bar, yard, and upstairs function room.

Tomorrow night (Sunday 31 Jan., from 8.30 p.m.) the splendid band Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (USA) will be playing at the Beehive. No bluegrass enthusiast who lives within range should miss it. They were in tremendous form last night at the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre in Naul, Co. Dublin, and are playing tonight at the Pikers Lodge Hotel in Lough Gowna, Co. Cavan. Details for the rest of the tour - they're playing every night till Thursday 4 Feb. - are on the BIB calendar.

Support for an Irishwoman in need

Bluegrass Today published yesterday news of Annie Nice, born in Ireland and resident in Raleigh, NC, the city that has generously hosted IBMA's annual World of Bluegrass (WOB) for the last few years. John Lawless writes:

Bluegrass artists and fans will recognise Annie as the long time manager of Tír na nÓg, an Irish pub in downtown Raleigh that regularly featured live bluegrass music in the restaurant. They also served as a Bluegrass Ramble venue during IBMA’s World of Bluegrass week, and many WOB attendees will recall the lively, friendly atmosphere she maintained at the club. [...] She is a fierce advocate for all things Irish, including notably, the traditional music of her homeland.

Artists from the bluegrass scene in Ireland who have played at Tír na nÓg include Niall Toner and Cup O' Joe from Co. Armagh. The bar recently closed, since when Annie has been a managing partner of the Hibernian Pub in Raleigh and has set up Irish Mother Productions as an event agency.

On Tuesday this enterprising Irishwoman, who has been a good friend to bluegrass, was violently attacked and injured in the street in Raleigh. She is out of hospital, and a GoFundMe page was set up to raise $10,000 to support her and her daughter during recovery. We're glad to report that $10,263 was raised in one day by 163 people.

Update 2 Feb.: The target has now been set at $20,000, of which $17,521 has been raised in five days by 290 people.

Update 6 Feb.: The total raised is now $19,188.

More music in Clare, 1 and 5 Feb. 2016

Thanks to Brendan Walsh of the Sixmilebridge Folk Club in Co. Clare - and also director of the Shannonside Winter Music Weekend - for this news:

We have Jeff Scroggins & Colorado playing in the Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, next Monday night [1 Feb.] at 9.00 p.m.; lots of seats and tickets €15 on the door.

Also, we have the Whileaways doing a gig in Kilkishen Cultural Centre on 5 Feb. Book tickets at 086 846 4509.

The photo (by Carol Hawkins) shows Jeff Scroggins & Colorado working close in the Main Guard, Bunratty Castle, on 23 Jan.

Commemorating Tommy Jarrell

The BIB editor reports:

A year ago today was the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Thomas Jefferson 'Tommy' Jarrell (b. 1 Mar. 1901) of Surry County, NC. I missed that opportunity of commemorating one of the best-known figures in the history of old-time music, and this post is a small attempt to make up for the neglect.

A good biographical account is on the Blue Ridge Heritage website. The 'Round Peak' sound, created by the musicians of that area of Surry County, is now practically the default setting of old-time music as it is played today, and this is largely due to the influence of Tommy Jarrell - felt both through his music and through the warmth and openness of his character.

The first record by him that I owned was the solo fiddle LP Sail away ladies (County 756), released in 1976, and I was (and still am) knocked out by its vitality. The phrase 'Round Peak' is so familiar these days that it is a surprise now to see that the sleeve notes use it only for his home area; he was seen then as a 'Galax style' musician. Alice Gerrard, friend both to Tommy Jarrell and to Bill Monroe, and musical partner of Hazel Dickens, will be among the instructors at the Old-Time Workshop Week in Andalusia in April/May this year.

Since 2002 Tommy has been commemorated with an annual festival in Mount Airy, NC, on the last weekend in February. On Friday 26 Feb. 2016 the Surry Arts Council will hold in his memory a Youth Competition at 5.30 p.m. and a Tommy Jarrell Birthday Concert and Dance at 7.00 p.m., both in the Earle Theatre on Main St., Mount Airy, which also holds the Old Time Music Heritage Hall.

Plenty of footage of Tommy Jarrell is on YouTube; here, from the Alan Lomax archive, is the first of two videos of him playing 'John Brown's dream' with friends. A question to be answered by scholars - how much of the klezmer revival is due to Tommy's asking Hank Sapoznik: 'Don't your people have music?'

Shannonside Winter Music Festival: report and photos

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado warming up in the 
Bunratty Castle Hotel

Thanks to Des Butler for this report on the 17th Shannonside Winter Music Festival (21-25 Jan.), and for the photos. Des writes:

No doubt you enjoyed Jeff Scroggins & Colorado as much as I did; what a performance, from their impromptu session at lunchtime in the Bunratty Castle Hotel, where I actually got to meet them, through their performance at the Creamery Bar on Saturday night, their concert in Durty Nelly's on Sunday afternoon, and the jamming session in the Bunratty Castle Hotel on Sunday night, where they were still playing at approximately 2.00 a.m. as I headed up for bed.

On fire in the Main Guard, Bunratty Castle

I could not get enough of this band.

Jam at Bunratty Castle Hotel: (l-r) Nick Amodeo, Jeff Scroggins, 

Martin Gilmore, Greg Blake

The entire festival was a musical extravaganza and is a credit to all the organisers. If as a music lover one did not find a genre to one's liking here, one really needs to check one's pulse. Personally I have not come across any festival catering for almost all musical tastes and genres as this one does.

Pepper and the Jellies: songs of the swing era

The Mariachi San Patricio

John Nyhan, Nick Amodeo

John Nyhan, Jeff Scroggins, Martin Gilmore

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado in Belfast, 3 Feb. 2016

Greg, Jeff, Tristan, Sebie, and Ellie at the
Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival

Thanks to Richard Leeman of Belfast Bluegrass for news of the forthcoming concert by Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (USA) in Belfast, in the penultimate show of their present tour. The concert is a Belfast Bluegrass production, and Richard has issued an attractive press release, based on the bio page of the band's website.

[Update: Thanks to DanGem Bluegrass, the full text of the release, with original illustration, can be seen here.]

Note: Tristan Scroggins (mandolin and vocals) turned 21 earlier this month (see the BIB for 7 Jan.); and since this year's SPBGMA convention will begin on 4 Feb. in Nashville, it's worth remarking that lead singer Greg Blake from West Virginia has won the SPBGMA Guitarist of the Year award five times and been nominated twice for the SPBGMA Traditional Male Vocalist award.

The band began their tour of Ireland on 23 January at the Shannonside Winter Music Festival, Co. Clare, and will play a date at the​ Sunflower Pub, 65 Union St., Belfast, ​on Wednesday 3 February. Doors are at 8.00 p.m., show starts 8.30 p.m. Tickets are £10 and are available now online and on the door, subject to availability. Richard adds:

This promises to be a fantastic night of music that will appeal not just to fans of bluegrass, but all lovers of country, Americana, and folk music. Don’t miss your chance to see the best in American bluegrass in one of Belfast’s best live music venues!

For further info, please contact Richard on 07779 721 643 or by e-mail.  BIB readers will already be aware that this band is highly recommended. By all means buy their new CD (not yet released in the USA); but you'll be missing a lot if you don't see them in action.

Gordie Tentrees with Jaxon Haldane - in Ireland

Our post last night on the BIB competition included Gordie Tentrees with Jaxon Haldane, who will be playing at Naul on Saturday 30 Jan. Their tour has already begun; the remaining dates, starting tonight, are:

Tues. 26th: The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, 8.30 p.m.
Wed. 27th: Balor Arts Centre, Main St., Ballybofey, Co. Donegal, 8.00 p.m.
Thurs. 28th: Monroe's Live, Dominick St., Galway city, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 29th: An Tain Arts Centre, Dundalk, Co. Louth, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 30th: Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin, 8.00 p.m.

Séamus Ennis Arts Centre - into 2016 with a bang / And a BIB competition!

The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre at Naul, Co. Dublin, announces the Centre's new programme for the year as far as the end of April, which can be read here. The Centre has been a good friend to bluegrass and related music in the Dublin region, and its latest e-newsletter begins:

Following on from the success of last year, everyone at the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre is really excited at what we have in store for you in 2016. [...] The year kicks off with some fantastic bluegrass tunes from Jeff Scroggins & Colorado [Fri. 29 Jan.], followed by the amazing Gordie Tentrees with Jaxon Haldane [Sat. 30 Jan.]. We are delighted to continue to showcase the very best of North American folk, bluegrass and country music and this season sees the return of Woody Pines [Sat. 12 Mar.] in what will be an amazing sell-out gig.

Read the whole e-newsletter here.

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By the courtesy of the Centre, the BIB is delighted to be able to offer two seats for each of this weekend's shows at Naul in a competition. The prizes will be awarded for the first correct answers we receive to the following questions. First, for the Jeff Scroggins & Colorado show on Friday:

Name three other bluegrass bands from Colorado who have played in Ireland before 2015.

Secondly, for the Gordie Tentrees with Jaxon Haldane show (they being from Canada) on Saturday:

One of the most influential bluegrass albums featured two songs by a Canadian songwriter. Name the writer.

Answers by e-mail, please.

Two Time Polka at Ballincollig, 30 Jan. 2016

Ray Barron of Two Time Polka announces:

Our next gig is on

Sat. Jan. 30th: The White Horse Winter Music Festival, Ballincollig, Co. Cork. Start 11.45 p.m. Adm. free. Tel. 021 4871388

Regards,
Ray & TTP

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado: a must-see

The BIB editor reports:

On the basis of seeing them at the Shannonside Winter Music Festival, I believe Jeff Scroggins & Colorado are the most exciting bluegrass band I have seen in this country; and that's said with no disrespect to the many fine bands that have played here. Passion, precision, drive, humour, choice of material, and the interaction that blends so much energy from all over the band into a powerful unified whole - nothing of what I like to hear in a bluegrass band is lacking.

Any bluegrass enthusiast who can reach one or more of their shows should do so. This applies equally to musicians - there is no band playing bluegrass in Ireland at present that can't learn something by seeing these guys.

First DanGem Bluegrass Get-Together of 2016 - Sat. 30 Jan.

DanGem Bluegrass in Craigavon, Co. Armagh (with the largest range of banjos for sale on this island), announce in their latest e-newsletter that the first monthly Bluegrass Get-Together of the new year, incorporating jam session and instruction, will be held this coming Saturday, 30 Jan., 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 of the Down and Out Bluegrass Band will be there to give banjo lessons. DanGem announce: 'Also we may have Paul Lyttle who many of you will know from Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in Scotland.'

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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.

A new gate on to Memory Lane

Almost three years ago, thanks to a photo and information supplied by Brian Trench, the BIB published a post on the House of David Jug Band, a musical conglomerate active in Dublin in 1965-6. The central member of the band, and a prominent figure on the Dublin folk scene in the '60s, was Trevor Crozier (1944-95).

We're delighted to learn, from his comment on that 2013 post, that Laurent Quevilly has set up a handsome, well organised, and very informative website about Trevor and his wide-ranging career, including a comprehensive discography and lyrics of Trevor's compositions. Laurent also operates 'Le Canard de Duclair', a blog that is 'le site des passionnés d'histoire des boucles de la Seine normande', so his excellent site on Trevor is entirely in French except for direct quotations from English, Breton, and other non-French sources.

Anyone with memories or photos of Trevor is invited to send them in through the 'Contact' page of the website.

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado live on the Ray D'Arcy show, 22 Jan.

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

Thanks to John Nyhan for the latest on the tour by Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (above), which begins with their appearances this coming weekend, headlining the bluegrass section of the Shannonside Winter Music Festival in Sixmilebridge and Bunratty, Co. Clare.

John confirms that the latest news is that they have arrived in Ireland, and can be heard live on RTÉ Radio 1 tomorrow (Friday 22 Jan.) on the Ray D'Arcy show sometime between 3.00 and 4.30 p.m.

Their complete tour schedule can be seen on the BIB for 29 Dec. 2015; all the dates are on the BIB calendar. Tristan Scroggins had his twenty-first birthday two weeks ago today. In the band but not shown above: Ellie Hakanson (fiddle, vocals) and Isaac Callender (bass, vocals).

Bluegrass opens the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival, 2 Mar. 2016

Thanks to Colin Henry, who sends strongly bluegrass news of the 12th United Airlines Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival and Convention (2-6 Mar.):

GorseFire and Cup O' Joe are kicking off the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival 2016 on Wednesday 2 March at the Clayton Hotel, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast. The theme for the concert, in line with the festival, is 'Bluegrass Songwriters'. Should be a good night, the young'uns and the old'uns grace the same stage! Tickets here.

The Horsenecks in Ireland, 5-10 Feb. 2016

Thanks to Uri Kohen for this release on the imminent visit by the Horsenecks (also on Facebook):

Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival are delighted to promote another tour for a great international act.

Horsenecks are a hard-hitting transcontinental old-time and early bluegrass string band. Irish bluegrass fans might remember some of the band members, as they were part of the Loose Moose String Band who headlined the Westport festival in 2014.

The band will tour around the country in the first weeks of February:

Fri. 5th: The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, 8.30 p.m.
Sat. 6th: The Greyhound Bar, Kilkee, Co. Clare, 9.30 p.m.
Sun. 7th: Levis Corner House, Ballydehob, Co. Cork, 7.30 p.m.
Mon. 8th: Matt Molloy's, Bridge St., Westport, Co. Mayo, 7.00 p.m.
Tues. 9th: Matt Molloy's, Bridge St., Westport, Co. Mayo, 7.00 p.m.
Wed. 10th: Myles K. McCann's, 6 Bridge St., Omagh, Co. Tyrone, 10.00 p.m.

Uri also sends a YouTube taste of what is to come: the Trevor Stuart composition 'Henry King's reel' played by half the band, Gabrielle and Barry. The Horsenecks will also take part in this year's FOAOTMAD old-time festival at Gainsborough in England (12-14 Feb.).

Locust Honey back in Ireland, 22-29 Mar. 2016

Thanks to the European Bluegrass Blog (EBB) for news of the coming return visit by Locust Honey of Swannanoa, North Carolina, with their latest CD, Never let me cross your mind.

Locust Honey first toured Ireland in October 2013 as the Locust Honey String Band; as well as the slight name change, they now comprise Chloe Edmonstone and Meredith Watson, with John Miller on upright bass, though on the album the two women are joined by Hilary Hawke of Dubl Handi.

Their tour begins on 25 Feb. in Britain, where they are scheduled to play twenty-one dates (listed on the EBB) before coming to Ireland in March. Their dates here are:

Tues. 22nd Mar.: The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone
Thurs. 24th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry
Sat. 26th: Séamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin
Sun. 27th: JJ Harlows, Roscommon town
Tues. 29th: Sixmilebridge Folk Club, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare

The Whileaways at Westport, 4 Feb. 2016

Thanks to the indefatigable Uri Kohen, who adds to our last post with this photo and the following news:

The Whileaways, who were part of the main show at the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival 2013, will return to Westport for their own headline show on Thursday 4 February 2016, at Matt Molloy's yard bar. Doors open at 8.30 p.m. and admission is €10.

The photo shows the Whileaways (l-r: Nicola Joyce, Noriana Kennedy, Noelie McDonnell) on the main stage at the Wyatt Hotel, Westport, Co. Mayo, during the 2013 festival. Uri also supplies this link to a seven-minute video by Pervege Free Films, showing them performing two of the songs from that show. More footage is on YouTube.

Tim O'Brien in Ireland - and the Whileaways

Thanks to Carol Hawkins for drawing our attention to a gig announcement by the Whileaways (right) which revealed, in turn, that the celebrated Tim O'Brien (USA) will play four dates very soon in Ireland with Arty McGlynn before continuing his tour in Britain. The shows are:

Sun. 17th: Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo town
Mon. 18th: Campbell's Tavern, Headford, Co. Galway, 9.00 p.m.
Wed. 20th: The White Horse, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
Thurs. 21st: Kenny's Bar, Lahinch, Co. Clare

The Whileaways (Noriana Kennedy, Nicola Joyce, Noelie McDonnell) will be supporting O'Brien and McGlynn at the Headford show on Monday; later this month (Thurs. 28th) they will be taking part in the Temple Bar Trad Fest, playing at St Werburgh's Church, Dublin 8. February will be a busy month for them:

Fri. 5th: Kilkishen Cultural Centre, Kilkishen, Co. Clare, 8.30 p.m.
Thurs. 11th: Coughlans Bar, 7 Douglas St., Cork city, 9.00 p.m.
Sat. 13th: Galway Youth Alliance Workshop, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 19th: The Tearoom Sessions, Brewery Lane Theatre & Arts Centre, Carrick on Suir, Co. Tipperary, 9.00 p.m.
Fri. 26th: Cleeres, Kilkenny city, 8.30 p.m.

Going places

For bands who reckon they are going places - or even just for people who are ready to travel to hear fine bluegrass in exceptional surroundings - three items of news have come up this week.

On Monday the European World of Bluegrass Festival announced on its Facebook that bands have been selected for this year's event (5-7 May) at Voorthuizen in the Netherlands, and they will by now have been informed. More news will follow shortly.

Applications are open for playing at this year's La Roche Bluegrass Festival (4-7 Aug.). At La Roche-sur-Foron on the edge of the French Alps, this is one of the biggest bluegrass events in Europe, supported by the municipality and with no admission charges. New developments are outlined in a very informative post on the European Bluegrass Blog. The BIB attended the 2009 festival and enjoyed it immensely, as indicated here. In 2011 the festival team prepared a seven-minute video 'brochure', which can be seen on their website, on the European Bluegrass Blog, and on YouTube.

Finally, the IBMA issues an announcement for new bands, or established bands with new material, who wish to play on the showcase programme at this year's World of Bluegrass (27 Sept.-1 Oct.) in Raleigh, NC. One illustration in the release shows the Railsplitters, who toured in Ireland last summer.

Clyde and Shannonside

The Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, Scotland, begins today and lasts till the end of the month, with 2,000 musicians taking part in 300 events at twenty-six venues in that time, as well as a large workshop programme. The organisers are keen to receive feedback, as announced on their latest e-newsletter.

Allowing for some disparities of scale, the BIB considers that the Sixmilebridge Folk Club's Winter Music Festival, to be held in Sixmilebridge and Bunratty, Co. Clare, in a week's time (Thurs. 21 Jan.-Mon. 25 Jan.) stands up well in comparison, with eighty events - concerts, pub gigs, sessions, and shows - at twenty venues in the five days, and a core of traditional music (Irish and English) complemented by classical, mariachi, jazz, blues, bluegrass and Appalachian, poetry and humour, and more.

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 are 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. 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. Keep a check, too, on the Festival Facebook.

Open House hits the road again with Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys

Following on the BIB post of 30 Dec. 2015 on Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys (USA), thanks to Lesley Richardson of the Open House Festival team in Belfast for this release. The dates are all on the BIB calendar:

Following the success of last year’s inaugural tour, Open House Festival is hitting the road again. This time the headline act will be US band Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, who were one of the standout hits of last summer’s month-long festival in Bangor.

'Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys were one of the first music acts to sell out when we launched our summer programme last June', says Festival director Kieran Gilmore. 'Their show in Ballyholme Yacht Club received rave reviews, and a lot of people were disappointed not to see them, so when we were planning this tour, they were our number one choice. We are thrilled to be bringing the band back to Northern Ireland, and this time more audiences will have the opportunity to see their fantastic live act.'

With a magical blend of bluegrass and Americana, the Michigan band, who now call Nashville their home, have a unique style and a captivating stage presence. Their latest album, Ionia, has received widespread critical acclaim. Supporting the Flatbellys is renowned local musician Stephen Macartney. Singer-songwriter Stephen, who comes from Bangor, is known for being part of Farriers and as a prolific solo performer. He has garnered a dedicated fan base thanks to his mesmerising live performances.

The tour runs over five consecutive nights in February, in five unusual and bespoke venues. First up is the smart new Space Theatre in Bangor on Wednesday 3rd, followed by the beautiful setting of Holywood Yacht Club on Thursday 4th. On Friday 5th the tour travels to the Brown Trout Inn in Aghadowey. This will be the first time the popular family-run hotel has featured on Open House’s ever-expanding list of special places. Saturday 6th sees another new venue in the form of the beautifully renovated Victorian tea rooms in Portrush, now known as the Arcadia building. The road trip finishes in Lisburn on Sunday 7th with a return to the Hilden Brewery, one of last year’s most popular venues.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, who are supporting the tour, commented: 'The Northern Ireland Music Touring Programme has already delivered a range of impressive tours to new audiences and venues across the region since its introduction in 2014 with names such as the Quercus Ensemble, Neil Cowley Trio, David Little, Iarla Ó Lionáird, and Beoga, among others, taking to the stage. We are delighted to support Open House with this current tour through the programme as they continue to bring the best music to new audiences in unique locations.'

For tickets and further information, go to the Open House Festival website.

The Colorado invasion continues: Martin Gilmore and Nick Amodeo, 22-30 Jan. 2016

Thanks to John Nyhan for the following complete schedule for bluegrass and country duo Martin Gilmore and Nick Amodeo from Colorado, USA, who will begin a tour of Ireland ten days from now. On three of the shows they will be supporting their fellow Coloradans Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (see the BIB for 29 Dec.). John writes:

Martin Gilmore (guitar, vocals) and Nick Amodeo (mandolin, guitar) previously toured Ireland as part of the Martin Gilmore Trio - you can expect bluegrass and country from this excellent duo. A highlight of their last visit was Nick's playing of the Telecaster guitar and Martin's singing of classic country and swing.

The photo above, from Martin's Facebook, shows the Trio with John (second from right) in Ireland in May 2015. (If all you see is a little blue square with a question mark, click on that or on the Facebook link.)

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Fri. 22nd-Sun. 24th: Shannonside Winter Music Festival, Sixmilebridge and Bunratty, Co. Clare: various sessions on Fri. and Sat.; Sun. 24th, main bluegrass concert as support to Jeff Scroggins & Colorado at Durty Nelly's, Bunratty, 3.00 p.m.; 086 8464509

Mon. 25th: Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork, 8.15 p.m. (as support to Jeff Scroggins & Colorado); 087 7921771

Wed. 27th: Schoolyard Theatre, Charleville, Co. Cork, 8.15 p.m. (as support to Jeff Scroggins & Colorado); 087 7921771

Thurs. 28th: Tigh an Cheoil, Ring, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, 9.30 p.m.; 087 9898560

Fri. 29th: O'Donovan's Hotel, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, 9.30 p.m., with folk/old-time duo Gordon & Rosie; 087 6723156

Sat. 30th: O'Neill's Bar, Buttevant, Co. Cork, 9.30 p.m.; 087 8168692

For further details on any of the above,  'phone John (087 7921771) or e-mail.

A foretaste of April and August

Following the BIB posts of 22 Nov. 2015 and 16 Dec. 2015, here's some recent news of Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley (above), who may be in Ireland in April 2016 and will be headlining the Guinness International Bluegrass Festival at Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, in August, with a special concert in a ticketed venue.

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley have been nominated for the 2016 Grammy awards for their album Before the sun goes down on Alison Brown's Compass Records label. Last week, while on tour in Florida, they played four numbers in a fifteen-minute set on the TV news show presented by the Sarasota Herald Tribune. The set was preserved on video and can be seen on Bluegrass Today.

Roni returns! (2)

More about the good news announced yesterday by the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival committee - Roni Stoneman, First Lady of the 5-String Banjo, will return to Ireland this summer, combining a friendly visit with select performances including (as in 2013) a set at Westport.

Advance news of Roni's first visit appeared on the BIB on 23 November 2012, where you can find an outline of her family's historic role in old-time, bluegrass, and country music, and some salient points of her own unique career. Everything there still applies* - and after that first trip, Roni is keen to see Ireland again, meet and pick with and for the friends made last time, and make (and pick with and for) new friends. This video of her on a festival stage in 2015 shows that she has lost none of her dynamism.

The BIB has drawn attention to Roni's own story, Pressing on, published (2007) by the University of Illinois Press. Murphy Henry's Pretty good for a girl: women in bluegrass (2013) describes her as 'this immensely gifted woman'. As the BIB wrote in 2012,

This will be a unique opportunity for lovers of bluegrass music over here to hear, and meet, someone who is both a historic musician and entertainer in her own right, and has a family background that sets her only one generation away from the beginnings of recorded country music.

The visit is planned to last about a month, beginning in Dublin in the last week of May, with the Westport festival at mid-point, and rounding off in Munster in late June. Event organisers who are interested in presenting Roni, local groups of bluegrass enthusiasts who would like to meet her, and media people who would like to interview her, should contact the BIB editor and/or Tom Connor, Roni's husband and manager. Roni and Tom will be accompanied on this trip by guitarist and singer Bill Biber - from Long Island, and now based in Nashville.

*Update: While Roni was here in 2013, her family was being inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame (see the BIB for 8 June 2013); and fifteen months ago the Reunion of Professional Entertainers in Nashville, TN, awarded her the title of Musician of the Year (see the BIB for 3 Oct. 2014).

Roni returns! (1)

Thanks to the organising committee of the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Westport, Co. Mayo, for this great news to begin the year:

Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival are honoured and delighted to announce the return of the First Lady of Banjo of the US, Roni Stoneman, for her own headline show at this year's festival [10-12 June 2016].

Roni amazed the crowd in 2013 and was without a doubt one of that festival's highlights. She will play Matt Molloy's yard bar on Sunday 12 June.

Here are two videos of Roni's last performance in Westport at the 7th festival: 'Goin' down the road feelin' bad' and 'Foggy Mountain breakdown'.

In the pictures: 1 (above) Roni; 2 (below) Roni with Uri Kohen (festival producer) and Tumbling Bones, who supported her on stage.

BIB editor's note: More information on Roni and this year's visit will be posted very shortly. The videos mentioned above can also be seen on the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival Facebook.

The Cabin Sessions, Dundrum, 28 Jan. 2016

Gerry Fitzpatrick, organiser of the Cabin Sessions series, 'Acoustic Music at its Finest', announces:

We're back on Thursday 28 Jan. We have the usual Cabin Crew + guests Tom Horan (country/folk) and We Went Down (contemp- orary), and this month Con Butler will perform a few of his own compositions. Hope you can make it along !

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.

Update from Celtic Connections: downloadable brochure

Thanks to the organising team of the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, Scotland, for their latest e-newsletter, announcing that the brochure for this year's event - which begins a week from now (14-31 Jan. 2016), with Rayna Gellert, Abigail Washburn & Béla Fleck, Rhiannon Giddens, and many more artists - can be downloaded here.

Happy birthday, Tristan!

Thanks to John Nyhan for the news that Tristan Scroggins is twenty-one today (7 Jan. 2016). Tristan plays mandolin with his father's band, Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (USA), who will be touring Ireland in two weeks' time, beginning with the Shannonside Winter Music Festival at Bunratty and Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare.

The BIB wishes Tristan a very happy birthday on behalf of bluegrass enthusiasts throughout this island, who are looking forward to hearing him and the whole band. (Tristan is also on Facebook.) Full details of the tour are on the BIB for 29 Dec., and all the dates are on the BIB calendar.

Ireland in the BU festival listings

The January 2016 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine includes the annual register of bluegrass festivals - a twelve-page section, with US festivals taking up ten and a half. Of the festivals outside North America, Ireland again scores high with four events - Bunratty/Sixmilebridge (Jan.), Kilkenny, Wesport (sic), and Dunmore East - coming second to England, with six.

As always, this gives a completely unreal picture of the number of actual festivals in each country - for instance, only the Banjo Jamboree is listed for the Czech Republic - but it's good to see Ireland doing well...

Scotland is represented by the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival - in 2016 this will be held on 23-25 September, with a powerful lineup of bands of whom several have played, or will play, at major Irish festivals. Indeed, two of the performance videos of the headline acts were shot in Ireland. Intrigued? Full details are on the MMBF website.

Belfast Bluegrass: next session Tues. 5 Jan. 2016

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 (in fact tomorrow, at the time of writing), 5 January 2016.

Belfast Bluegrass sessions are 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.

Ken Perlman: winter 2016 news

Thanks to Ken Perlman (on the left in the CD cover photo) for his latest e-mail newsletter, which leads with the news that a week today (Sun. 10 Jan. 2016) Ken will reprise his performance of 'Concerto for banjo and orchestra' by Harold Schiffman at 3.00 p.m. at Christ & St Stephen’s Church on West 69th St., Manhattan, NYC, with the North/South Chamber Orchestra under conductor Max Lifchitz. Admission is free!

This coming spring (13-15 May) Ken will return to teaching at Banjo Camp North, held at Prindle Pond Conference Center, Charlton, MA, after a gap of ten years or so. He will also be teaching at the Suwannee Banjo Camp and American Banjo Camp, both of which have websites that have been completely refurbished, like Ken's own.

In connection with Ken's recently published book Couldn’t have a wedding without the fiddler: the story of traditional fiddling on Prince Edward Island, the PEI Traditional Fiddling website Bowing Down Home, based on Ken's field recordings in 1991-92 and 2006, is online with over 1500 musical selections and 400 oral history selections, hundreds of photographs and video clips, and much additional material. His highly influential book Melodic clawhammer banjo is also back in print. Much more news is on Ken's website and Facebook.