Henhouse Prowlers (USA) in Dublin, Sat. 3 Mar. 2018 - and more

The Henhouse Prowlers: (l-r) Kyle O'Brien, Jon Goldfine, Ben Wright, Chris Dollar

Thanks to Luke Coffey for the news that Chicago's Henhouse Prowlers, who were briefly in Ireland last August as part of a European tour, are back for another regrettably short stay and will be playing in the Leeson Lounge at 148 Leeson St. Upper, Dublin 4, from 10.00 p.m. this coming Saturday (3 Mar.). Contact Luke at 087 2395566 for more information.

The Prowlers play over 175 shows a year and have toured in more than twenty-five countries, often going to places where traditional American music has never previously been heard. After leaving Ireland they will be touring for a further two weeks in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. Their dates in Ireland are:

Fri. 2nd Mar.: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry
Sat. 3rd: Leeson Lounge, 148 Leeson St. Upper, Dublin 4
Sun. 4th: Enler Delta Blues Club, Newtownards, Co. Down

New 'world music' shop in Dublin 2

The BIB editor writes:

Following a sale and a move to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, the premises of Walton's long-established music shop on South Great George's St. in Dublin are now empty. A few doors away, however, there is a new shop, Gandharva Loka, for the instruments of 'world music', the range of which is more easily seen than described - details are on the website.

The fan of American traditional music will, for instance, be able to find mountain dulcimers and hammered dulcimers among the stock. The staff are very helpful: I came away with the name of a craftsman who should be able to put a new skin on my tack-head 'minstrel' banjo, and if this is successful I'll pass on the details. Meanwhile, if you're in or near Dublin - and especially if you're able to give instruction on any of their range of instruments - have a look at Gandharva Loka.

Old-time events in Britain during 2018

FOAOTMAD, the UK organisation promoting American old-time music and dance, announced yesterday on its news blog the dates of thirteen events of interest to the old-time music enthusiast in Britain, coming between the end of March and the middle of September this year. The list is short on specific locations, but anyone with contacts in the old-time scene in Britain should be able to find out where these events are being held. They have not yet appeared on the FOAOTMAD online calendar.

Update 5 Mar.: Two further dates have now been added.

Sam Wilson, 31 Dec. 1948-25 Feb. 2018

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for this sad news:

Just passing on the news that Sam Wilson passed away on Sun. 25th aged 69. Sam played the Athy festival with his band, the Kentucky Cardinals, in 1994. They were a great traditional bluegrass band.

Tony also sends this photo of Sam with Clem O'Brien at Athy, together with this YouTube link to a recording of Sam singing the gospel song 'How long has it been'. As well as leading his own bands, Sam (of Wolfe county, eastern Kentucky) played from time to time with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, as shown in other examples of his singing on YouTube.

Update 2 Mar.: A detailed obituary by Richard Thompson is now on Bluegrass Today.

Baltimore Fiddle Fair, 10-13 May 2018 (update)

With seventy-two days still to go, the Baltimore Fiddle Fair organisers have announced the ticket menu for this year's event (10-13 May 2018). Three- and four-day season tickets, with guaranteed seating, range from €120 to €150; single-day tickets range from €15 to €35, depending on venue and seating.

The lineup is still being fine-tuned, so the schedule page will give full details of the artists in a few days. It will include Rhiannon Giddens, Brittany Haas, and Natalie Haas.

Update 28 Feb.: The detailed lineup and schedule can now be seen here.

Wow! - bluegrass outside the USA?

The BIB editor writes:

Lee Zimmerman began on 9 January this year the twice-monthly series 'Bluegrass beyond borders' for Bluegrass Today, designed to explore music made by artists from outside the USA, since 'what many have considered an inherently American form [bluegrass] has spread across the world, a sound that’s now considered practically universal and enjoyed from the Far East to the Middle East, in Europe and all points in between'.

The first instalment featured Ireland's We Banjo 3 (as noted by the BIB), and the series so far has covered the Russian band Bering Strait (24 Jan.), the Kruger Brothers (8 Feb.), and most recently (22 Feb.) the Slocan Ramblers from Canada, who toured Ireland last October. The opening words of the Bering Strait feature caught my attention:

Even 20 years ago, the notion of a band from another country specializing in bluegrass was somewhat startling.

It wasn't always like that. Go back to 1969-70, and Bluegrass Unlimited magazine was featuring on its cover the Bluegrass Specials from Vienna, Austria; the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band from New Zealand; and the UK's Down County Boys. It's hard to imagine a band from outside the USA being given such prominence nowadays. Could this be because the scene in the USA is now so lively? The end of the 1960s was an anxious time for bluegrass in the States, and its supporters at home may have been glad to hear that the music was alive in other countries. In 2018 such reassurance may no longer be wanted. All the more reason to thank Lee Zimmerman and 'Bluegrass beyond borders' for drawing attention to the world outside, and thanks, moreover, to John Lawless of Bluegrass Today, who has always been ready to publish news from the bluegrass diaspora.

US fans can now simply enjoy bluegrass from outside: a good example is Tara Linhardt's recent article on the Joe Val Festival, where our Italian friends Red Wine were playing. The feature includes a video of their version of 'Somewhere between' (with some neat modulations in the last chorus), which can also be seen on YouTube. Tara Linhardt writes:

Red Wine [...] were a blast both on the stage and off. It is so great to see how bluegrass has become a globally-played and appreciated music. Looks like there are bluegrass buddies to be found all over the world these days.

I Draw Slow at Ballymore Acoustic Gigs, 5 Mar. 2018

Ballymore Acoustic Gigs (BAG)) announces:

After releasing their critically acclaimed fourth album Turn your face to the sun last year, the five good folks of I Draw Slow have continued to tour the planet, bringing their unique Irish take on an old-time/ folk/ bluegrass string band sound to its four corners.

It's a pleasure to welcome the band back to BAG, where, just like the last time, we'll set them up around a couple of good condenser microphones, and let you hear them just as nature intended.

So come along to Mick Murphy's Bar, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, on Monday 5 March. Doors will open at 8.30 p.m. Admission is €15. Patrons are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Chris Jones & the Night Drivers - last tour show, 10 Mar. 2018

Thanks to veteran promoter Tom Stapleton for a reminder that the last opportunity to see Chris Jones & the Night Drivers (USA) in their approaching tour of Ireland will be on Saturday 10 March at Leap Castle, between Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, and Birr, Co. Offaly. The show will begin at 9.00 p.m. Tom adds this description:

Steve Martin referred to the Night Drivers as '... some of the best players in bluegrass! Chris Jones’ voice is there with the great masters.'

Founded by guitarist Jones in 1995, the Night Drivers feature four distinct personalities who bring a multitude of talents to each performance: Chris Jones who hosts Siriux XM’s Bluegrass Junction, bassist Jon Weisberger, who co-hosts Del McCoury’s Sirius XM show, Mark Stoffel on mandolin, and the group’s newest member Gina Clowes on banjo. Chris is a two-time IBMA Broadcaster of the Year. The band is also becoming known as a songwriter’s bluegrass band, with Weisberger and Jones now co-writing many of the band’s current songs, and all four members contributing material. Chris and Jon are both IBMA award-winning songwriters, Jon being the 2012 Songwriter of the Year, and Chris taking home the trophy for the 2007 Song of the Year for 'Fork in the Road'. In total, Chris and the band members have won eight IBMA awards.

The band is led by Chris’ soulful lead-singing and solid rhythm and lead guitar. Chris boasts extensive performance credits as a sideman with artists like Lynn Morris, Vassar Clements, Special Consensus, Dave Evans, Earl Scruggs, and the acclaimed Irish band The Chieftains. Mark Stoffel, who is originally from Munich, Germany, has a mandolin style that perfectly fits the band sound with his beautiful tone, taste, and rhythmic sense. Jon Weisberger, whose playing has made him a sought-after fill-in bass player in Nashville with the Del McCoury Band, the Roland White Band, Larry Cordle, and others, anchors the band’s strong rhythmic foundation. Newest member Gina Clowes, a very talented banjo player, and another contributor of original material, hails from Winchester, VA. As a young banjo player, Gina was a frequent finalist in the prestigious Galax banjo contest, and came to The Night Drivers after a long stint with the the popular West Virginia/Virgina band Bud’s Collective.

Chris Jones & the Night Drivers (USA) at Naul, 3 Mar. 2018

Following last weekend's show by Chris Luquette and the Old American Folk Trio, the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre at Naul, Co. Dublin, announces another treat for bluegrass fans - on Saturday 3 March Chris Jones & the Night Drivers will be playing there. Doors open at 8.00 p.m., and the show starts at 8.30. Tickets are €16 / €13 (booked in advance) and €18 / €15 (on the door). Online booking facilities, links to performance videos, and other details are on the Centre's event page.

The band consists of Chris (guitar, lead vocals), Mark Stoffel (mandolin), Gina Clowes (banjo), and Jon Weisberger (bass). The show at Naul is the fourth in the schedule of this tour, their first tour in Ireland (28 Feb.-10 Mar. 2018). All dates for the tour (organised by Nigel Martyn's Old Flattop agency) are on the BIB calendar.

More news from Crossover (GB)

Following the BIB post of 5 Feb., thanks to the organising team of the Crossover Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival in England for their February newsletter, with a reminder that entries for the Showcase Competition (right) must be received by 28 Feb.

Each issue of the newsletter includes video footage of artists who will be taking part, and this month's includes this video of Paddy Kiernan and Richie Foley (also members of the Niall Toner Band) playing the Ricky Skaggs tune '1st Corinthians'. The newsletter also has links to some of the luthiers and other traders who will have stands at the festival, including Chris Pritchett Mandolins, Slim Jim Banjos, and Griffin Banjos.

The festival will be held in the Clonter Opera Theatre, Congleton, Cheshire, England (fairly accessible from Ireland) on 4-7 May this year. On Saturday 5 May Molly Tuttle (IBMA Guitarist of the Year, 2017) will give a guitar workshop, while Rachel Baiman, touring with her, will give a fiddle workshop.

Old-time music workshop in Dublin with Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones, 26 Feb. 2018

Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones

Following the BIB post of 13 Feb., thanks to Derek Copley of the Greasy Coat String Band and Old Time Music Dublin for the news that Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones (USA) will give old-time music workshops in Sin É, Ormond Quay, Dublin, on Monday 26 February, beginning at 6.30 p.m. Workshops are €10 each and last one hour. The schedule will be:

6.30 p.m. Fiddle (Erynn Marshall)
6.30 p.m. Mandolin (Carl Jones)
7.30 p.m. Break
8.00 p.m. Flatfoot dancing (Erynn)
8.00 p.m. Clawhammer banjo (Carl)
9.15 p.m. Mini-concert with Erynn and Carl ('pass-the-hat' donations appreciated), followed by a jam for all workshop participants.

Please contact Derek Copley ASAP on 087 2726007 or at copirl@yahoo.com if interested and let him know your preferences.

Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones took a very active part teaching, jamming, and performing in the First Annual Irish Old Time Appalachian Music Gathering in Lisdoonvarna last weekend (16-18 Feb.), and played at the American Bar, 65 Dock St., Belfast, last night (Monday 19 Feb.).

The Lowest Pair (USA) in Ireland, 29-31 Mar. 2018

The UK's Brookfield Knights agency announces that The Lowest Pair (USA) will be making a three-week tour of these islands, opening with three shows in Ireland:

Thurs. 29th: Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co. Louth
Fri. 30th: High Tide Club, Castletownbere, Co. Cork
Sat. 31st: Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin

The Lowest Pair (also on Facebook) are Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee; they take the name of their duo from a piece of irreverent word-play by the late John Hartford. More details are available through the links given above.

News from the Mother Country (update)

Thanks to Deborah Fillman of the International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM) and Hall of Fame located in Owensboro, Kentucky, for exciting news about the Grand Opening of the IBMM in autumn of this year, when IBMM will complete construction on a $15-million, state-of-the-art museum dedicated solely to the preservation and history of bluegrass music.

There is still ample opportunity for individuals, companies, associations, industry, and other donors to contribute. One opportunity, called 'Take Your Seat!', allows your name or that of your organisation to be engraved on a permanent brass plate on a seat in the IBMM theatre. Deborah writes:

It would be so great to see brass plates with the names of individuals and bluegrass associations from all over the world in support of bluegrass music! Please visit www.bluegrassmuseum.org for an update on the museum and for additional information.

*

The IBMA's February newsletter includes a report on their successful fundraising campaign; IBMA's partnership with Béla Fleck's Blue Ridge Banjo Camp project; deadlines over the next two months for this year's World of Bluegrass; an obituary of Curly Seckler (see the BIB for 28 Dec. 2017) by his biographer Penny Parsons, who has also contributed one to the February issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine; and the news that Michael Cleveland (who has played more than once at Omagh festivals) is now a member of the National Fiddler Hall of Fame.
*
Update: That was the early-February short newsletter from IBMA; a 'jumbo edition' has now been issued, with much more news, including one item of potentially great interest to anyone intending to play in the States (particularly in showcases at World of Bluegrass 2018, for which the deadline to apply is 28 Feb.). On Tuesday 13 Feb. the IBMA held a free webinar on current visa requirements for performing in the US. The webinar, including expert legal comment, can be heard on YouTube.

The Often Herd launch a video

Following their successful Kickstarter campaign (see the BIB for 10 and 24/5 Oct. 2017) The Often Herd (formerly the Kentucky Cow Tippers), based in Newcastle (UK), announce:

The official music video for the single from our debut EP, Debt to the king, is out now! Why not have a watch and let us know what you think?

Best wishes,

Rupert, Evan, Niles and Sam
The Often Herd
Newgrass from Newcastle
Facebook - Twitter - YouTube

Jake Landers, 14 Aug. 1938-13 Feb. 2018

The BIB reports with regret the death of Jake Landers of Alabama, well known as a performing and recording artist and especially as a songwriter. Bands might consider performing one or more of his songs as a tribute - 'Walk softly on my heart', recorded by Bill Monroe and in a country-rock version by the Kentucky Headhunters, is an example. More details appear on Bluegrass Today.

Chris Luquette and the Old American Folk Trio at Naul, 17 Feb. 2018

The BIB editor writes:

I'll be at Lisdoonvarna this coming weekend for the First Annual Irish Old Time Appalachian Music Gathering, but I strongly advise bluegrass enthusiasts in the Dublin area and surrounding counties to make the trip to Naul in Fingal on Saturday 17 February for a show that has only just appeared on the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre schedule.

Chris Luquette (USA; photo) is the guitarist in Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, the powerful band that won the IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year award in 2014 and 2016. On this show he leads the Old American Folk Trio; which may be a misleading title, as all the members - Brian Duffy (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Andrea Westerinen (bass, vocals), and Jeff Westerinen (mandolin, fiddle, banjo, vocals) - serve their time in bluegrass bands. The Centre's blurb says:

They are bringing their music back across the Atlantic Ocean, returning these fiddle tunes and country songs to their roots by performing them for Irish audiences.

The Centre also says 'Don't miss them!' and I cordially agree, especially as Chris Luquette's online schedule shows no other performances in Ireland. Plenty of his playing can be found on YouTube, including this performance of the Norman Blake tune 'Widow's Creek' from the Fretboard Journal channel.

Old-time music workshop and jam planned for Dublin, 26 Feb. 2018 (UPDATE)

Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones (USA)

Thanks to Derek Copley of the Greasy Coat String Band and Old Time Music Dublin for this news:

Old-time musicians Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones will be in Dublin on Monday 26 February and are hoping to host a workshop followed by a jam on that evening, following on from a great night had last year when they were in town.

There are a number of possibilities from these two amazing musicians, and options are two of the following: flat-footing, fiddle, guitar, clawhammer banjo, or mandolin.

Please contact Derek Copley ASAP on 087 2726007 or at copirl@yahoo.com if interested, and let me know your preference. The workshop will likely be held at 7.00 p.m. in a Dublin city centre venue TBC.

[Update: The workshops have now been confirmed: see the BIB for 20 Feb..]

Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones will be taking part in the First Annual Irish Old Time Appalachian Music Gathering in Lisdoonvarna this coming weekend, and will be playing at the American Bar, 65 Dock St., Belfast, on Monday 19 Feb.

Strong Irish presence at Eagle Music's 'Banjo 11', 24 Feb. 2018

Thanks to Pat Kelleher, 'Mr Long Neck Banjo', of Co. Cork for news of the 'Banjo Event of the Year' at the Eagle Music Shop, near Huddersfield, northern England - the world's leading dealers in Deering Banjos and practically everything else for the banjo, guitar, and traditional music enthusiast.

'Banjo 11' will be held at Eagle Music on Saturday 24 Feb. 2018, just eleven days from now. Guests of honour are Greg, Janet, and Jamie Deering, and the list of performers is as usual headed by the astounding Kruger Brothers. The rest of the programme has a strong Irish presence, with Pat himself and Bill Forster on 5-string, together with trad tenor players Angelina Carberry, Brian Mooney, and Brian McGrath, while Jonny Hulme will give a workshop on playing Celtic music on the 5-string. The Deerings will also be launching their new 'Erin' range of tenor banjos. The 22-fret plectrum banjo is not forgotten, with Howard 'Shep' Shepherd celebrating fifty years as a professional player.

The Eagle Music blog on 'Banjo 11' gives all the details.

Old Time Music Week in Spain (19-26 May 2018); a few places still open

Following the announcement in Dec. 2017 of the forthcoming Old Time Music Week (19-26 May 2018) in La Fuente, Andalusia, southern Spain, thanks to Kate Lissauer for the news that a great crowd of people has already enrolled. There are still a few places left for those who want to sign up for this delightful week. Instrumental classes for fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and ukulele - as well as group and individual singing classes - will be taught by a faculty headed by Dave Bing (of the Bing Brothers of West Virginia), with Alan Green, Johnny Whelan, Lucy Ray, Kate Lissauer, and other tutors. More details are here.

East of Monroe (USA) in Ireland, 7-14 Apr. 2018

Lisa Kay Howard (mandolin) and Wally Hughes (fiddle, dobro), who were on tour over here in April last year as 'Round Hill', accompanying singer Brooksie Wells, are both members of the highly regarded Virginia-based band East of Monroe (above); and the whole band will be coming to Ireland early this coming April for a tour of selected venues. All the members have years of experience in many bands alongside some of the most renowned bluegrass artists. The full lineup includes Gary Alan Ferguson (lead guitar), who was here in 2014 as musical partner to Gary Gene Ferguson on his tenth tour of Ireland. Confirmed dates are:

Fri. 6th Apr.: Private engagement
Sat. 7th: Moy River B&B, Cloonacool, Co. Sligo, 8.00 p.m.
Sun. 8th: The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, 8.30 p.m.
Mon. 9th-Wed. 11th: Off (sightseeing)
Thurs. 12th: Matt Molloy's, Bridge St., Westport, Co. Mayo, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 13th: St John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 14th: Blackrock National Hurling Club ('The Rockies'), Cork city

Full information on the band is on their website and Facebook. Lisa Kay now presents her 'The old home place' show on Bell Buckle Radio out of Bell Buckle, TN.

BIB editor's note, 13 Feb.: The photo originally published with this post did not show the current lineup of the band. Thanks to Lisa Kay Howard for the updated photo.

Ken Perlman's Frails & frolics released

Following on from the post of 29 Dec. 2017, the BIB is happy to draw further attention to Ken Perlman's first all-banjo recording and his first solo project in years: Frails & frolics: fiddle tunes from Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, & elsewhere on clawhammer banjo, which is just out. It looks like a real treasure-house for the clawhammer player in search of tunes.

Ken has collected reels, hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, waltzes, and airs (mainly from his field research on Prince Edward Island, though some Southern numbers are included), arranged them for banjo (accompanied by Janine Randall, piano, or Jim Prendergast, guitar), and crafted them into entertaining 'sets' or medleys. Over forty-five different tunes are presented in seventeen tracks, and the CD includes an eight-page booklet featuring introduction, notes on all tunes, keys, and banjo tunings. More details - including audio samples and a full playlist - are here.

Red Hat Acoustic Music Club at Naas, 9 Feb. 2018

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 (9 February).

The Red Hat meets on the second Friday of every month at the Harbour Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare. Music starts around 8.30 p.m.; a donation of €3.00 covers coffee/ tea and sandwiches at the interval.

New video from Midnight Skyracer

The hot and hard-driving all-female UK band Midnight Skyracer, with Tabitha Agnew of Cup O' Joe from Co. Armagh on banjo, have released a video of the song 'Fuel to my fire' from their debut album Fire. More about the band and the song can be seen on Bluegrass Today, where you can see the video - also on YouTube.

3rd Woodbine Bluegrass Jamboree, 13-14 July 2018: update

Following on from the BIB post of 25 Jan. on this year's 3rd Woodbine Bluegrass Jamboree in Athy, Co. Kildare, Tony O'Brien sends the news that the Jamboree page on Woodbine's website is now fully updated with photos and details of all the artists taking part in the concerts, and a list of accommodation in the Athy area with 'phone numbers. The lineup and schedule for the evening concerts (held in the Athy GAA Centre) are:

Friday night: Evan & Amy Lyons (Tipperary); the Prairie Jaywalkers (Cork); Woodbine (Athy)
Saturday: Pat Kelleher (Cork) with Joe Zejac (USA); Gary Ferguson (USA) with Colin & James Henry (Belfast); the Clem O'Brien Unit (Athy)

Jam sessions will be held each night after the concerts, and in Pat Dunne's lounge, Woodstock St., Athy, on Saturday 14 July from 2.00 p.m.

When Johnny met Sally...

Following yesterday's news from Colin Henry, thanks to Niall Toner and the Niall Toner Band (NTB) for this photo and the story behind it:

We couldn't let Colin Henry grab all the attention! The above photo is titled 'When Johnny met Sally', to paraphrase a well known movie, and shows an adoring Johnny Gleeson, the master dobro player with the NTB, worshipping at the altar of one of his heroes, Sally Van Meter. Sally played previously with the NTB at the Harcourt Hotel in Dublin, twenty-three years ago, with Butch Waller and Kathy Kallick, who went on to fame and fortune...

The occasion this photo was taken was during the recent Greg Blake Band show at the Clonmel Folk Club in the restored Town Hall [30 Jan.]. If ever there was an occasion to demonstrate to a listener what bluegrass is all about, then this was it! Incidentally, the entire NTB were in the expensive seats with their mouths agape, all night. Back to the rehearsal room...

Po' Ramblin' Boys tour held back till 2019 - and a new source of bluegrass news

Last week the BIB drew attention to the Po' Ramblin' Boys from east Tennessee - as it has done several times since 17 April 2017, when we announced that a tour for the Boys was being arranged for May 2018. We now learn with regret that owing to domestic reasons the band will be unable to come to Ireland this year; but they are planning to come in 2019.

The Po' Ramblin' Boys are the subject of a two-page illustrated feature by Kara Martinez Bachman in the current issue (vol. 2, no. 2) of The Bluegrass Standard online magazine. In the same issue, Susan Marquez contributes a three-page feature on Co. Armagh's Cup O' Joe, mentioning their recent EP release Bluebirds.

The Bluegrass Standard (also on Facebook), launched by Keith Barnacastle in June last year, appears monthly in issues of about 80 pages, profusely illustrated in full colour. Aimed at the expanding bluegrass audience and featuring many bands in each issue, it's a valuable counterpart to Bluegrass Unlimited, the premier bluegrass print magazine. Vol. 1, no. 5 has a four-page feature on the Special Consensus, a band with a special place in the affections of fans over here.

Music legends at Leap Castle, 17 Feb. 2018

Thanks to Tom Stapleton of Mount Heaton, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, for the news that on Saturday 17 Feb. at 9.00 p.m., he will present at Leap Castle, Co. Offaly (between Roscrea and Birr) a group of music legends: Jim Rooney, vocals, guitar (Bill Keith, New Blue Velvet Band, Nancy Griffith, Iris DeMent, John Prine); Arty McGlynn, guitar (Van Morrison, Makem & Clancy); Nollaig Casey, violin (Coolfin, Elvis Costello, Liam O’Flynn); and Mick Daly, vocals, guitar, banjo (Four Men and a Dog, Any Old Time, Lee Valley String Band, Sackville String Band).

Tom (who can be contacted by e-mail) sends an extract from Jim Rooney's Wikipedia entry:

Jim Rooney is an American music producer whose credits include Nanci Griffith's Other voices, other rooms, Hal Ketchum's Past the point of rescue, Iris DeMent's Infamous angel, John Prine's Aimless love, and many other widely hailed albums.

More detail appeared on the BIB in July 2016, when Jim was nominated for (and later received) an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award. His autobiography, In it for the long run: a musical odyssey, was published in 2014 by the University of Illinois Press. Read the blog on his website for memoirs of such friends as Bill Keith, Jean Ritchie, and Tex Logan - or if you want to see a photo of Pete Seeger at the age of 2. A video of Jim, with backing band, singing 'Tennessee blues' can be seen here.

Update: Two other dates by the ensemble (16 and 18 Feb.) are shown on the BIB calendar.

Picking with one's hero

Many thanks to Colin Henry for the photo above and the story behind it; Colin explains:

I had the great honour and privilege of being invited by Sally Van Meter to play a tune with her and the Greg Blake Band on Saturday night [3 Feb.] at Ardara. She is a very long time hero of mine and a big influence on me and the sound I want to try and get on the dobro.

As you can see from the smile on my face (which is a rarity for me on stage) I was having the time of my dobro life. She is the best of the best, not only as a dobro player but as a person as well. To cap it all we played 'Gold rush' and the tune was kicked off by Blaine Sprouse on the fiddle. I never thought I would have an instrumental kicked off by a Blue Grass Boy and a great one at that!

No North Wales Bluegrass Festival in 2018 - but...

Gill Williams, John Les, and the organising team of the North Wales Bluegrass Festival report that after much discussion they have again decided not to proceed with the festival this year, owing to large increases in costs together with the withdrawal of support by Conwy County Borough Council. They add:

We would like to thank all our loyal friends who have supported us throughout the past 28 years, and we are constantly reviewing the options to organise a North Wales Bluegrass Festival in the future.

And they draw attention to the Rockytop Bluegrass Picking Weekend, which is being organised by their friend John Blissitt at Llandudno, north Wales, on the weekend 19-22 July. Designed for musicians who want to pick, it features three bands and many facilities. Details of camping and tickets are on the website.

Win a main-stage appearance at Crossover 2019

Thanks to T.J. Screene (co-organiser of Bluegrass Camp Ireland and resident bassist at the weekly Dublin Bluegrass jam session) for news of the Crossover Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival, to be held in the Clonter Opera Theatre, Congleton, Cheshire, England (fairly accessible from Ireland) on 4-7 May this year. T.J. met the organisers at Sore Fingers Week.

The news is specifically of the Crossover Showcase Competition, as shown on the poster image. Submit a video of your act to the YouTube link to info@crossoverfest.com before 28 February. Eight acts will be chosen for a 'Facebook vote'; the four semi-finalists will perform in a live competition at this year's event on 7 May; and the winner will get a main-stage performance slot at the 2019 festival.

This year's event has a powerful lineup (headed by Molly Tuttle (USA), who after Crossover will play at the Kilkenny Roots Festival) with several wholly or partly Irish acts (Paddy Kiernan, Cup O' Joe, Midnight Skyracer, Propane Brothers, Hot Rock Pilgrims) and others who have played over here.

Coming very soon, and coming soon

The year got off to an explosively good start for bluegrass enthusiasts in Ireland with the tour by the Greg Blake Bluegrass Band (USA), which ended last night. Everyone concerned must be very pleased with the outcome; thanks again to the indefatigable John Nyhan for organising the tour.

The next major event on the calendar is the First Annual Irish Old Time Appalachian Music Gathering (Facebook), to be held in the Roadside Tavern, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, on 16-18 Feb. Guests from abroad who are featured on the programme include Dan Levenson and Erynn Marshall & Carl Jones. This is the first multi-day event devoted to old-time music to be held in this island.

The next big bluegrass treat begins two weeks later, when Chris Jones & the Night Drivers (USA; photo above right) play the Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone - 'Ireland's welcoming hug to visiting bands', as the BIB has called it - on 28 February as the first show in a tour lasting to 10 March. The band excels in traditional and contemporary bluegrass, with conspicuously strong original material. All dates in the tour are on the BIB calendar.

John Hartford's legacy continues

Richard Thompson contributes a major feature on Bluegrass Today about the late John Hartford (1937-2001) - most widely known as a banjo player, songwriter, and maker of several influential recordings, though these were only a fraction of his activities. A quotation on his website reads:

He had one foot deeply rooted in the past and the other always at least a few steps into the future - and both were dancing.

Richard Thompson draws particular attention to the reissue as a two-CD set of Hartford's complete Warner Bros recordings, plus eight previously unreleased tracks; AND the forthcoming publication this summer of John Hartford's mammoth collection of fiddle tunes: over 170 of his original tunes in his calligraphic notations, with much ancillary material.

Hartford was largely responsible for reviving knowledge of the music of the highly regarded old-time fiddler Ed Haley (1885-1951) of West Virginia, and this publication of his own fiddle music should be of great interest to fiddlers.

Bluegrass at Voorthuizen lives!

Thanks to our good friend Thierry Schoysman (of the premier Belgian bands Rawhide and Sons of Navarone) for the news that the place of the venerable European World of Bluegrass Festival (EWOB) - of which the twentieth and final edition was held last year at Voorthuizen in the central Netherlands - is being taken by the European Bluegrass Festival Voorthuizen. This is to be held on 10-12 May 2018 in 't Trefpunt, the same location as before, but is being organised by Bluegrass Voorthuizen on a different basis from the old EWOB.

Bluegrass Voorthuizen announced on 21 Jan. on their Facebook that important steps have been made by the selection and programming committee; bands taking part are still to be confirmed, and the programme will probably not be published before March. This month there will be full sound and technical checks in 't Trefpunt. The team announces:

So far everything goes according to plan. We are looking forward to a great festival and hope to see many of you in Voorthuizen in May, enjoying the music, jamming and making new bluegrass friends!

Thierry will be at Mannion's in Balla, Co. Mayo, tonight (Thursday) for the show by the Greg Blake Bluegrass Band. His picture appeared on the BIB on 8 Jan., so say 'Howdy' if you see him there.