Wookalily: 'The Devil is a woman' video release

Just in time to post before Halloween passes - the news that Wookalily have released their official video of 'The Devil is a woman' as a Halloween gift to the world. They send this spiritual health warning:

The footage, after disappearing in an old haunted mill for years, has just been uncovered. The contents have never before been seen. Scary happenings have haunted this video as two crew members mysteriously disappeared without any trace. Some of the scenes were filmed at said mill in a room that many staff still refuse to enter.

Strangely the theme of the video and the odd occurences surrounding it seem to be in direct correlation. The only way to fully grasp this is to watch it.

And you can do this on YouTube.

Your festival - in BU

The deadline for getting details of your bluegrass festival published in the January 2018 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine is almost upon us. Festival organisers are requested to submit completed entry forms as soon as possible and send them in by post (P.O. Box 771, Warrenton, VA 20188), e-mail, or fax (001-800-258-4727). Here's what should be entered about your event:

• CITY of Event
• STATE of Event
• DATES in 2018
• Name of Event
• Location (name of park, brief directions)
• CONTACT PERSON (1 only) NAME
• ADDRESS
• CITY.................STATE.................ZIP....
• Phone (1 only)
• E-mail (1 only)
• Web (1 only)

These categories are devised for the USA, of course, but giving equivalent information for here shouldn't be hard. If you run more than one event, a separate entry should be made out for each of them. If you can't complete a form in the next few days, it's not the end of the world: a supplementary list will appear in the following BU issue. Please let the BIB know your 2018 dates too!

The 9th Balla Bluegrass Festival

Woodbine with Roger Green (USA) on mandolin (far right);

video from Roger's YouTube channel

Thanks again to Uri Kohen for this report:

For the last nine years, the Balla Bluegrass Festival marks the end of the Irish bluegrass festival season. This year was no different and a great weekend was had by all. From the crowd's perspective, it was wonderful to see some of the very familiar faces alongside newcomers enjoying the music, alongside the local people of Balla and the resounding area.

As for the music, we were lucky enough to have the Munich String Band who played two fantastic concerts as well as taking part in the daily sessions. Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay (Texas, USA) were special guests to the festival and played one of the best gigs in their tour to a crowd who just couldn't get enough of them.

Dublin band The Big Muddy brought some louder country and folk sounds to the event, only to be followed by the festival's favourite - Woodbine, who always fill the house and play one of their best shows here. The festival was wrapped up by Tommy Lyons (Festival founder) and his band Colonel Bullshot Rides Again in what was an amazing session.

As next year will be the festival's tenth anniversary, we are already planning a special event. Thanks for all who came along and took part. See you again in October Bank Holiday 2018!

Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay (USA): looking back on their Irish tour

Brennen Leigh, Uri, Noel McKay

Thanks to Uri Kohen, the moving spirit of the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, who writes:

Last March, I was lucky enough to take part in the IBMA Leadership Bluegrass programme in Nashville. Over there, I met Brennen Leigh who participated in the programme too. After hearing her music, and falling in love with it, I invited her to perform in Ireland.

In the number of months that followed, we planned the first ever Irish tour for herself and her music and life partner Noel McKay. Under the umbrella of the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, and with the great help of some of the good people of Ireland, we got ten tour dates together.

The tour started with six gigs over one weekend in Bunratty Bluegrass Festival. From there they travelled to Limerick and then to a brilliant gig in Tipperary, which was organised by Michael Lyons (father of Evan Lyons). Before the gig, they played a live session in Tipp Fm, and the show was followed by a late-night session with Evan and Brennen's brother, who flew specially from the US. The duo then went to Sligo and then to Castlebar (Mayo), where they played one of the tour's outstanding gigs in a wonderful new music venue - Bridge St.

The Mayo leg of the tour continued with a small gig in Westport and then to the Balla Bluegrass Festival. At the festival they played at The Olde Woods, and for the first time (probably ever) the pub was silent for the full length of the show as the duo mesmerised the crowd with their unique songs, harmonies, and superb guitar playing. They finished the tour with an early gig in Headford (Galway).

The tour was held as a huge success and they were showered with love by the people who came to see them. I am already looking forward to bring them back to our shores in 2018. Thanks again for everyone who helped make this tour a success, and I am looking forward to bring more amazing talents from overseas to our island.

You gave me a song: progress update

Following on the BIB report of Monday last week, the production team of the film You gave me a song: the life and music of Alice Gerrard send a progress report on all things connected with the project. This includes the induction of Alice Gerrard and the late Hazel Dickens into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame - Alice is shown above being photographed during the recent IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC.

More details, news, and photos are in the progress report, which also includes an appeal for further support to reach the Crowdfunder campaign's target.

The Lowest Pair available for dates in Ireland, 28 Mar.-1 Apr. 2018

Following on from the BIB post of 6 October, Loudon Temple of the UK's Brookfield Knights agency sends further news of the proposed tour in Ireland next spring by The Lowest Pair (USA), the duo of Kendi Winter and Palmer T. Lee. Loudon writes:

Hi, folks - following their successful month-long UK tour earlier this year, we will be sending The Lowest Pair to Ireland for a run of dates at the end of March in 2018 when they return to this side of the Atlantic, and have one or two slots still to fill. Please let us know if you would like to grab them on any of the following nights (an afternoon show might be a possibility on the Sunday): Wed. 28 March, Sat. 31 March, and Sun. 1 April.

This year, they were one of the main visiting attractions at Shetland Folk Festival bookers and Edinburgh's TradFest. The duo were signed to hip and happening New York label Team Love, who have a strong roster of artists including acts of the stature of the Felice Brothers.

When the label embarked on a big European push, it paid dividends with rave reviews flowing in after they released TWO albums in the UK last year. [...] We strongly recommemnd them. Find out more at their Our Artistes page at the www.Brookfield-Knights.com website, where there are also sample tracks and video clips.

Contact Loudon by e-mail or through the Brookfield Knights website.

A tonic

The BIB editor writes:

Those of us who didn't manage to get to IBMA's World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC, last month can take comfort from the marvellous YouTube channel 946459, with literally scores of videos made there at workshops, jams, meetings, and performances on and off stage ranging from single numbers to full sets of twenty minutes or more. These include a tribute to the late James King in eight parts.

As a sample of the channel, see the video above of the set by David Davis and the Warrior River Boys, crackling with energy, at the Bluegrass Country Radio showcase. It was good to hear the second song dedicated to the memory of Judith McCulloh, former editor of the Illinois University Press (see the BIB for 8 Dec. 2014).

Woodbine at 9th Balla Bluegrass Festival THIS WEEKEND

Tony O'Brien announces on Woodbine's Facebook:

Heading to Mayo this weekend to play the 9th Balla Bluegrass Festival. We play Mannion's Bar Sunday night at 10.00 p.m. - always one of our favourite gigs of the year. We hope to have a special guest, Roger Green from the US, join us on mandolin for the gig.

BIB editor's note: Roger (right), who brought his Annapolis Bluegrass Coalition to Ireland several times some years ago, was a featured artist at last weekend's Bunratty Bluegrass Festival.

An unrivalled opportunity...

... to have one of the world's supreme banjo players perform in your house. The BIB a week ago announced that banjo maestro Michael J. Miles (USA) will be playing in concert at Clarinbridge, Co. Galway, on Saturday 4 Nov., as part of a tour that will take him to Spain a week later. Two other dates in Ireland were announced, the last being at Athy, Co. Kildare, on 8 Nov.

The arrangements previously planned for Monday 6 Nov. have unfortunately been cancelled, leaving a gap in Michael's calendar. Anyone who can offer a booking, or a house concert, for this or the other free dates in his week here - that is, Friday 3 Nov., Monday 6 Nov., or Tuesday 7 Nov. - should ring 087 3877409.

Gerry Madigan and George Kaye: pioneers return to Ireland

Tonight (26 Oct.) the dynamic duo of Gerry Madigan and George Kaye - who, playing in leading showbands, brought the sounds of bluegrass fiddle and 5-string banjo to audiences throughout Ireland - can be seen and heard as very special guests at the Cabin Sessions in Dundrum, Dublin 14.

On Saturday 28 Oct. they will be playing a full concert at the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin (where the Slocan Ramblers played last Friday). Doors open at 8.00 p.m., the show starts at 8.30, and tickets are €16 / €13 (booked in advance) or €18 / €15 at the door. Next week they have two dates in Cork and another in Dublin; all details are on the BIB calendar.

Celtic Connections 2018 programme now online

The 25th Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow will run from 18 January to 4 February 2018. The programme and list of artists were announced this evening at 8.00 p.m. and can now be seen on the festival website. Among those taking part are Molsky's Mountain Drifters (USA), who will be playing two dates in Ireland a month from now (see our recent post).

Bunratty Bluegrass Festival 2017: report and photos

Thanks to Des Butler for this report and photos:

Well for those who braved the rigours and risks and the portents of disaster that we were told were associated with 'Storm Brian' and travelled to the South West to the Bunratty Bluegrass Festival - last weekend they were duly rewarded with a great weekend of bluegrass and Americana.

The Friday night opening concert saw Roger Green (USA) delivering some early bluegrass classics, who was then joined by Bill Forster on banjo in what made a great combo [above].

This performance was followed by the Garret Family Trio comprising of the father and son members of the Grove Band from Leeds and Bill Forster - what a performance of straight, no-nonsense bluegrass.

The Propane Brothers, which include the two male members of Cup 0' Joe, despite their return from an exhaustive tour in the US and UK, delivered a superb performance to conclude the event.

Saturday night concert was highlighted by the Slocan Ramblers from Canada, a young band who play and deliver a performance way beyond their years.

Sunday evening concert was opened by Brennnen Leigh & Noel McKay from Texas. The warm, dulcet tones this duo can manufacture need to be heard to be believed. From their twin guitar instrumentals to their soft vocal tones and tight harmonies, which included some of their own fine compositions, would melt the heart. All thanks to Uri Kohen of Westport Festival fame for providing us with this duo's superb performance.

The evening concert finale was provided by the Munich String Band, a five-man outfit of American and Bavarian musicians who delivered some fine bluegrass interspersed with a tribute to Tom Petty and some powerful renditions of classics by Levon Helm & The Band.

Between concerts, organised sessions were taking place before and after these events in all the local hostelries and throughout the Bunratty Folk Park with some excellent and very enjoyable sessions both organised and impromptu. The music was continuous throughout the entire weekend with some fine performances given by John Nyhan & friends, the Kellehers, et al. The only impact the bad weather reports had was to deter a lot of people from travelling, given the low attendance at some performances. But the weather had no impact on the festival other than a strong wind on Saturday and some intermittent showers, the rain only lasting for short periods, and all venues are within a short walking distance.

Of all the great performances over the weekend my personal most enjoyable performances was from the Garret Family Band, with a lot of hard-driving, in-your-face bluegrass, performed with close harmonies and great musicianship with the ex-Grove Band father and son on guitar and mandolin, interspersed with dobro and the great bluegrass banjo playing of Bill Forster.

All thanks to Brendan Walsh and his team, and John Nyhan (who gave some excellent performances himself throughout the festival), for making this festival a most enjoyable and pleasurable event.

Banjo Babes Calendar for 2018 now available

Bluegrass Today reports that the fifth annual Banjo Babes Calendar (BBC) and compilation CD is ready for ordering. The BBC website says:

The Banjo Babes Calendar & Album (and Tour!) is a collective, grassroots celebration of professional women banjo players. Each year, we produce a lighthearted thematic calendar, professional compilation album, and exciting annual tour!

The range of merchandise now includes T-shirts. Order by 22 November 2017, and you could win a Deering Good Time banjo! Full details on the BBC website and Bluegrass Today.

IBMA WOB 2017 breaks records

The International Bluegrass Music Association announces that this year's World of Bluegrass convention in Raleigh, NC (26-30 Sept.) was the most successful to date, with over 220,000 people attending the week's events, over 200 bands taking part, and a direct economic impact on the area of nearly $12 million in revenue from visitors. Read the full details in the IBMA's press release.

Molsky's Mountain Drifters (USA) in Ireland, 25-6 Nov. 2017: UPDATE

Thanks to Tim Hawkins for the news that Molsky's Mountain Drifters will be playing two dates in Ireland a month from now, as part of a tour of these islands.

The Drifters, consisting of Bruce Molsky (fiddle, banjo, guitar), Allison de Groot (banjo), and Stash Wyslouch (guitar), represent the pinnacle of old-time ensemble playing today. The dates they are scheduled to play in Ireland are:

Sat. 25th Nov.: Leap Castle, Co. Offaly (near Roscrea, Co. Tipperary), 9.00 p.m.
Sun. 26th: Coughlan's, 7 Douglas St., Cork city, 9.00 p.m.

Location maps and (in the case of Coughlan's) an online booking link are on the Drifters' online calendar.

Update 14 Nov.: See the BIB post of this date for more info, including this additional show:

Mon. 27th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, 8.00 p.m.

Often Herd Kickstarter campaign: progress report

The Often Herd (formerly the Kentucky Cow Tippers), based in Newcastle (UK), report that the support from subscribers to their Kickstarter campaign (see the BIB for 10 Oct.) has enabled them to enlist the help of Josh Clark of Get Real Audio and illustrator Phoebe Stephenson in producing their six-track debut EP. The campaign has reached its target with five days still to go.

Update 25 Oct.: The band, celebrating the successful campaign, point out:

If you haven't donated yet, there is still time! You can still pre-order the CD and help us make the CD packaging and mastering the best it can be. Any extra money raised from this point onward will also enable us to invest more into our PR campaign, allowing us to reach more people with our music and expand our fan base. We hope that this could lead to more tour dates around the UK and further afield- hopefully we'll be performing soon at a venue near you!

Front Country - for Ireland in 2018-19?

In the latest e-bulletin from the UK's Brookfield Knights agency, Loudon Temple writes:

Hi, folks - we are delighted to confirm that Front Country [above], one of our most highly-regarded acts, just wrapped up their latest visit to these shores and it has been a totally triumphant tour with glowing reviews from the media and much praise from music promoters, venues and their fans. It is rewarding to watch the band's steady rise in popularity and we wish to let you know that there will be plans to bring them back again either in the last few months of 2018 or early in 2019. Please let us know if you'd like to express interest in grabbing the band for a show when they return.

Loudon also gives this link to a review of the band's show last night in Aberdeen.

CMP focuses on bluegrass

Thanks to Richard Thompson for the news that the current issue of the UK magazine Country Music People is devoted to bluegrass music. The contents include interviews with Rhonda Vincent and Doyle Lawson, Tom Travis's overview of bluegrass developments through the decades, with a selection of milestone recordings, and much more. More details are supplied by Richard Thompson on Bluegrass Today.

Old Time Crowdfunder update

Three weeks ago the BIB drew attention to the Old Time Crowdfunder campaign set up to support the making of Kenny Dalsheimer's documentary film You gave me a song: the life and music of Alice Gerrard. At that time, the campaign had raised 10% of the $20,000 target: it's good to learn that very nearly 75% of the total is now pledged (see the 'Banjometer' above), with forty days to go. So success is a great deal nearer, but contributions are still needed. You can see at this link (and on Vimeo) an enjoyable three-minute 'teaser' of the film.

More cooking in the Acoustic Kitchen

Liam Kennedy's 'Acoustic Kitchen' YouTube channel (see the BIB for 11 Sept.) has just added a fifteen-minute video of Ben Keogh and his son Caolán Keogh playing five old-time duets for fiddle, banjo, and harmony vocals. Warmly recommended.

Country blues at Ballymore Acoustic Gigs (Mon. 23 Oct. 2017), etc.

The BIB editor writes:

The BIB is supposed to be devoted to bluegrass and old-time music in Ireland, but a lot of gigs that don't fit either category seem to get mentioned on it. No apologies, however, for mentioning that Catfish Keith (USA) will be playing at Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, from 8.30 p.m. on Monday 23 October, as part of the Ballymore Acoustic Gigs (BAG) programme. He plays and sings country blues, a genre with a deep influence on bluegrass and old-time. BAG recommend this video as a sample.

His tour in these islands began on 6 Oct. and ends on 19 Nov. Dates in Ireland, as shown on his online tour schedule, are:

Mon. 23rd: Ballymore Acoustic Gigs, Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, 8.30 p.m.
Thurs. 26th: Tinahely Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow, 7.30 p.m.
Fri. 27th: Coughlan's, 7 Douglas St., Cork city, 8.00 p.m. (part of Guinness Cork Jazz Festival)
Sat. 28th: Solely Blues Club, Arthur's, 28 Thomas St., Dublin 8, 9.00 p.m.

*

And getting back to bluegrass in no uncertain terms, we note with pleasure that the Po' Ramblin' Boys (USA), who are expected to tour Ireland in spring 2018, have been chosen as the host band of the Vine Grove Bluegrass Festival in Kentucky. Full details on Bluegrass Today.

Al Batten commemorated

Irish fans and friends of the late Alton Tharse 'Al' Batten (see the BIB for 22 Nov. 2016) will be glad to learn of the Friends of Al Batten Bluegrass Jam that took place last Sunday (15 Oct.) in Selma, NC, as reported on Bluegrass Today by Laura Ridge. As well as special guests, among the bands taking part were the Garrett Newton Band, the Malpass Brothers, and members of Al's band, the Bluegrass Reunion, including David Turnage, the last original member, who had played with Al for over forty-five years. Many more details and many photos from the event are on Bluegrass Today.

Two Time Polka: Cork Jazz Festival gigs

Ray Barron of Two Time Polka sends news of the band's gigs during the Cork Jazz Festival

Fri. Oct. 27th: Hamlets Bar, The Blue Haven, Pearse St., Kinsale, Co. Cork. Start 6.00 p.m. Adm. free. Tel. 021 4772209

Sat. 28th: The Blue Haven, Pearse St., Kinsale, Co. Cork. Start 4.00 p.m. Adm. free. Tel. 021 4772209

Sun. 29th: The Blue Haven, Pearse St., Kinsale, Co. Cork. Start 4.30 p.m. Adm. free. Tel. 021 4772209.
Sun. 29th: The Briar Rose Bar, Douglas Rd., Cork. Start 10 p.m. Adm. free. Tel. 021 4291686.

Mon. 30th: The Briar Rose Bar, Douglas Rd., Cork. Start 6.00 p.m. Adm. free. Tel. 021 4291686

Regards & thanks,
Ray & TTP

Michael J. Miles (USA) in Ireland and Spain, 4-11 Nov. 2017 (update)

Thanks to Tom Cussen of Clareen Banjos in Clarinbridge, Co. Galway, for news of an upcoming visit to Clarinbridge by banjo maestro Michael Miles of Chicago on Saturday 4 November, when he will be doing a concert in Paddy Burke’s in Clarinbridge - not for the first time. The concert is sponsored by Clareen Banjos, with some help from the Clarinbridge Arts Group, and is the first show in a tour (see details below). Here is the press release for the tour, with special reference to the Clarinbridge show.

Folk & blues: a concert of American music

Michael is regarded as one of the most innovative clawhammer banjo players in the world. He's a fine singer and fingerstyle guitarist. His musical background is steeped in the folk and blues of Chicago, in J.S. Bach and Motown, rock and roll, and the American Songbook hits that his blue-collar father sang in the car.

For this 2017 tour to Ireland and Spain, Michael has prepared a special mix of American music - folk songs, pop songs, blues, and originals that he'll be playing on his open back 5-string banjo and his 19th century fretless banjo that has a growl like you've never heard before!

And Michael sings like he means it, and he tells heartfelt stories because he's been around the world a few times and tells stories of people he's met and places he's been.

'Michael’s protean talents and musical mastery extend from traditional folk and old-time, through the blues, and into pop and jazz, but his rendering of the Bach suites is a brilliant tour-de-force that effectively obliterates the limits of what was thought possible on clawhammer banjo.' (Banjo Newsletter)

'This is one of the most beautiful recordings I've heard in all my seventy years... It is enough to make me want to learn the banjo all over again.' (Pete Seeger)

Michael, who hails from Chicago but has family all over Ireland (including Galway), came to Clarinbridge in the spring of 2013, with his acclaimed one-man show 'From Senegal to Seeger'. The overflowing crowd at Paddy Burke’s gave Michael a standing ovation and he's delighted to be returning to the town that made him feel so very welcome!

The tour schedule is currently:

Sat. 4th: Concert, Paddy Burke's, Clarinbridge, Co. Galway
Mon. 6th: Concert: details TBA
Wed. 8th: 'From Senegal to Seeger', Athy Community Arts Centre, Co. Kildare
Sat. 11th: Al Ras Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival, Barcelona

Update 21 Oct.: Michael's latest e-newsletter, with video and other links, has just arrived. Please note that details for the 6 Nov. concert remain TBA at present.

Tom Chapin at the Unitarian Church, Dublin, this Saturday (21 Oct. 2017)

Thanks to Andrew Basquille for the news that he and Language and Leisure are presenting the three-time Grammy-Award-winning American singer/ songwriter Tom Chapin in two concerts at the Dublin Unitarian Church, St Stephen’s Green, on Saturday 21 October 21st: one show at 3.00 p.m. for children (plus parents and grandparents) and the second at 8.00 p.m. for grown-ups. Tickets are on sale at www.tickets.ie. Contact Andrew by mobile (086 8092313) or e-mail.

From the press release:

The New York Times calls Tom Chapin 'one of the great personalities in contemporary folk music'. Tom says: 'Mine is not a traditional music, but it comes from a tradition. My musical heroes are people like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie who wrote and sang real songs for real people.'

Billboard calls Tom Chapin 'The best family artist around'. 
For the kids’ show, Tom Chapin presents a lively, interactive, and fun-filled performance which engages the hearts, minds, and imaginations of young listeners. For the adult show, Chapin serves up a tasty mix of story songs, ballads, comedic and political songs, sing-alongs, old-time folk classics, and a favourite song or two of his late brother Harry Chapin ('The cats in the cradle', 'W.O.L.D.'.

EBMA newsletter, October 2017

Supporting European Bluegrass and Bluegrass in Europe

The European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) has issued the seventh of its new monthly e-newsletters. The main feature is a video interview with Jerry Douglas (above), made specially for the EBMA.

This is followed by a replay of the 1974 radio interview with Bill Monroe by Wim Bloemendaal; a long illustrated report on the second Barjols Bluegrass Festival, held in Provence this past July; a schedule of upcoming concerts, festivals, tours, gigs, and workshops in the rest of 2017; and ads by EBMA-affiliated artists and organisations, including the 16th Al Ras Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival (9-11 Nov.) at Barcelona. You can arrange to receive the newsletter by contacting the EBMA board, without having to be an EBMA member.

A bonus from Mala & Fyrmoon

After their recent tour of Ireland, our friends Mala & Fyrmoon are back home in Switzerland. They clearly enjoyed the trip - Mala Gassmann writes:

Had a great time in Ireland, intense, colourful, lots of good music, two great sessions, having short ocean baths ;), and meeting lovely people.

And this comes from Stefan Behler:

We had such a great time with M&FM on our third tour in ireland (Belfast, Dublin, Waterville, Listowel, Cork, Cloonacool); enjoyed the October winds (not storms) on the Kerry coast, a lot of great jams in Cork, Kenmare, Portmagee, Doolin, and Listowel.

Stefan also sends as a bonus this video from the band's Facebook, showing them playing while crossing the Shannon on the Tarbert-Killimer ferry; and another video from YouTube of their performance of Mala's original song 'Uisce' (in English, and on land) - played, incidentally, into an Ear Trumpet Labs microphone.

Bluegrass at the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre, 20 and 28 Oct. 2017

The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre at Naul, Co. Dublin, is presenting two events of special interest to BIB readers in the next ten days. On this coming Friday (20 October) the Slocan Ramblers from Canada are playing the second show in their tour of Ireland (having warmed up at Castlerock the night before). A performance video and links to YouTube and the band's website, together with online booking facility, are on the Centre's website.

On Saturday 28 October, the dynamic duo of Gerry Madigan and George Kaye, true pioneers of bluegrass in Ireland, will be playing at the Centre. On both nights, doors open at 8.00 p.m., the show begins at 8.30 p.m., and tickets are €16 / €13 (booked in advance) or €18 / €15 at the door.

TuneFox: an impressive and growing learning aid for pickers

Thanks to Bennett Sullivan of Listen & Learn, Inc. for news of the latest development in an acclaimed high-tech learning aid for pickers.

The original Pocket Lick Banjo app for iPhones and iPads came out over three years ago, with an equivalent app available for guitar. The Pocket Lick Banjo 2, offering thirty-five new licks taken from banjo masters such as Earl Scruggs, Scott Vestal, and Noam Pikelny, was released in 2015. TuneFox, released late last year, added a new dimension of creative learning; the app became a free download, with access to a large library of songs and licks through a subscription method. Bennett writes:

In a nutshell: Tunefox is an original method for learning that teaches not only how to proficiently play your instrument but also inspires creative learning practices that help students develop way quicker than other online learning resources.

The latest version of TuneFox is also available for mandolin and guitar. All the stages in the development of Pocket Lick and TuneFox so far have received the warmest of welcomes on Bluegrass Today, where there are fuller details and illustrative video examples. The best way to grasp the possibilities is to visit Listen & Learn, Inc. and TuneFox online.

New nickel-plated banjo strings from GHS

GHS Strings announce today two new sets of nickel-plated 5-string banjo strings, having a wound, nickel-plated steel 4th string complementing the standard plain steel strings for a warmer sound and a smoother feel.

GHS has developed these sets through their long-standing relationship with the bluegrass and country music communities. The PF115 set (see image) is in medium gauge (10-12-16-24-10) and the PF110 in light (9-10-12-20-9). Both sets come standard with 42” long strings, larger loops to fit a variety of tailpieces, and GHS’s LockTwist to ensure strings stay in tune longer.

Updated Bunratty Bluegrass Festival programme - and a bonus

Thanks to Brendan Walsh, head of the organising team of the Bunratty Bluegrass Festival, for this updated programme for the coming weekend. As well as minor corrections, please note that owing to a double booking the 11.00 p.m. session in the Bunratty Manor Hotel has had to be dropped at short notice. On the plus side, Brendan adds:

A little bit of breaking news is that Kateřina García will guest with the Malina Bros [below] at their concert on Saturday night.

Cup O' Joe featured on Bluegrass Today

John Lawless of Bluegrass Today has written a major feature on Cup O' Joe from Co. Armagh, whose development he has been following with interest since first encountering them on YouTube. This year he made a point of catching their performance as an invited official showcase act at IBMA's World of Bluegrass, and followed that up with a long-distance interview.

Cup O' Joe (also on Facebook) mention in the interview that 'getting to hang out with some of our good friends from Mile Twelve (as well as many other wonderful people!) was great.' Boston's Mile Twelve, who were touring here last year, have expressed an interest in coming back, so perhaps we can hope to see the two bands on stage together some time.

PS: Lisa Kay Howard (see the BIB for 13 Oct.) has recently posted a compilation video of Cup O' Joe on Facebook.

Gary McMahan on film (and in person) in Cork TODAY

John Nyhan sends this special news:

The presentation on Bill Monroe [see the BIB for 10 Oct.] went very well. There was a great crowd. There was a special guest, Gary McMahan from Colorado. Garry is a genuine cowboy singer /poet / performer. He did some yodelling. He is in a band in Colorado with Ron and Julie Lynam (Ron was here with High Plains Tradition).

He is in Cork for the Indie Film Festival. A film on his life, Everything in the song, will be shown tomorrow [i.e. today, 15 Oct.] in the Gate Cinema, North Gate Bridge, at 2.00 p.m. There will be lots of music in it. John Moore (the great mandolin player etc.) is the musical director; lots of his playing will be featured. It comes recommended. Gary gave a short concert last night and was excellent. He is the real deal. I know it is short notice but maybe some people may support it.

Then of course next weekend it is the Bunratty Bluegrass Festival. It promises to be a great Festival. There is no shortage with things to do.

BIB editor's note: Gary's website describes him as 'Singer, Songwriter, Yodeler, Humorist, Cowboy Poet, and General Nuisance'.

Valerie Smith & LIberty Pike planning tour, Aug.-Sept. 2018

Valerie Smith (front) with Liberty Pike: (l-r) Tom Gray, Joe Zauner, 

Wally Hughes, Lisa Kay Howard

In spring this year Lisa Kay Howard on mandolin and her husband Wally Hughes on fiddle and dobro were touring in Ireland as Round Hill, accompanying singer Brooksie Wells. Lisa Kay and Wally are both also members of Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike - a band which over the last two decades has been known for Valerie's exuberant vitality and the excellence of her band members (the present bassist Tom Gray, for instance, is a member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame). Longtime BIB readers may remember Valerie bringing a dynamic earlier version of the band to an Athy Bluegrass Festival some years back.

Thanks to Lisa Kay for the good news that Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike are planning to be back in Ireland less than a year from now, as part of a tour of these islands beginning on or around 31 August 2018 and ending on 16 September. Event organisers and venue operators who would be interested in presenting them should contact Lisa Kay by e-mail or 'phone (001-540 270-2875).

The Paperboys (CAN) in Ireland, 13-15 Nov. 2017

The award-winning and highly eclectic Paperboys from Vancouver, Canada, will be briefly in Ireland at the end of a tour that begins on 28 Oct. with two dates in Germany, followed by twelve in Britain. Their bio calls them

the only multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-generational, multi-lingual, multi-instrumental, genre bending, co-ed band you will hear today. [...] This multicultural mix is hardly surprising from a bilingual band whose founding member is Mexican-Canadian and whose players cover a range of musical backgrounds from bluegrass to funk to traditional Scots and Irish music.

Their booking agent for Ireland is Frontier Promotions. The Paperboys (also on Facebook) will be playing the following dates in Ireland:

Mon. 13th Nov.: Black Box, 18-22 Hill St., Belfast; (028) 90 24 44 00
Tues. 14th: Bronte Music Club, Rathfriland, Co. Down
Wed. 15th: Raheen House Hotel, 10 Raheen Rd, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary (Clonmel World Music); 052 6122140

Aubrey Holt

The BIB learns with regret of the death of Aubrey Holt, singer, songwriter, and founder member of the influential and respected Boys from Indiana band, at the age of 79. An appreciation appeared on Monday's Bluegrass Today. It includes a video of the Boys from Indiana singing Aubrey's most celebrated composition, 'Atlanta is burning', followed by a medley of old gospel songs. Bluegrass Today's archive of recent news about him includes this feature by Richard Thompson about the writing of 'Atlanta is burning'.

Gerry Madigan and George Kaye in Ireland, Oct.-Nov. 2017

To the best of the BIB's knowledge, Gerry Madigan of Dublin was the first person to make the sound of bluegrass 5-string banjo playing widely heard throughout Ireland in his fifteen years as a founder member of the Cotton Mill Boys, one of the most successful and most devotedly 'country' of Irish showbands. At the same time George Kaye was bringing the sound of bluegrass fiddling to Ireland with another leading showband, the Smokey Mountain Ramblers.

Gerry and George, 'two pioneers of bluegrass music in Ireland coming together and bringing it all back home on their first Irish reunion tour', will be returning to Ireland (Gerry from Canada, George from Germany) for a brief tour beginning later this month at the Cabin Sessions in Dundrum, Dublin. The full schedule for this historic tour is:

Thurs. 26th Oct.: The Cabin Sessions, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Dublin Rd, Dundrum, Dublin 14
Sat. 28th: Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin
Sat. 4th Nov.: Rockies GAA Club, Church Rd, Blackrock, Cork city
Sun. 5th: DC Music Club, 20 Camden Row, Dublin 2
Mon. 6th: Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork

IBMA news

In the 2017 set of IBMA awards, John Lawless of Bluegrass Today received a Distinguished Achievement Award; read more here. The BIB offers special congratulations on this award, for without the encouragement given by John Lawless back in 2005, and the example of the original Bluegrass Blog founded by him and Brance Gillihan, it is unlikely that a Bluegrass Ireland Blog would ever have come into existence.

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Limerick woman speaks out

The keynote address given at IBMA WOB 2017 by Rhiannon Giddens was one of the most talked-about events of the week. It can be read in full here, and a twenty-four-and-a-half-minute video of her delivering it can be seen and heard here. She will be in Dublin, performing at Vicar Street, on 25 November.

[Update 23 May 2018: The transcript of the address is no longer on the IBMA website. Nor is the video, but that can still be seen on Vimeo, via the link above.]

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The deadline for applying for the 2018 IBMA Leadership Bluegrass (LBG) course is 31 October; all the details are here. As anyone who has been on it can testify, it's a potentially life-changing experience.

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The dates for next year's IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC, are Tues. 25th-Sat. 29th Sept. 2018.

Cup O' Joe at IBMA WOB

Friends and admirers of Cup O' Joe, from Co. Armagh, can see by the showcase schedule on the left that they had a busy time at the 2017 IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC, last month. As further evidence, four fine photos of them (with Niall Murphy on fiddle), taken by Frank Baxter, can now be seen on Bluegrass Today.