'Early' video by the Special C. on YouTube (updates)

The BIB editor writes:

As announced on the BIB on 15 Mar., Rivers and roads, the latest album by the Special Consensus, has been released today by Compass Records. To mark the release, Compass have issued a YouTube video of the band singing the fourth track on the album: the Greg Brown song 'Early'. The video gives the complete lyrics, against a background of evocative photos sent in by friends and fans of the Special C.

I first heard this song about twenty years ago and it became at once a favourite with me, though my home town doesn't obviously resemble the one in the song. John Brophy, who served through the first world war as a British infantryman, would understand: he wrote that to the troops (who might have very little idea where Texas or Tennessee were but liked songs about them) 'any name sung with feeling was synonymous with home'. This song has a great deal of feeling in it, and the Special C. do it justice.

L-r: Rick Faris, Greg Cahill, Dan Eubanks, Nick Dumas

Update 3 Apr.: The Special Consensus are not letting themselves coast after the album: they're among the guest pickers on Raising the bar, the new CD by dobroist Chad Darou, along with Valerie Smith, Donna Schacher, Alecia Nugent, Ryan Paisley, Dave Adkins, Jim VanCleve, Merl Johnson, Cia Cherryholmes, and others. The CD can be bought from Chad Darou's website.

They'll also be playing on Fri. 20 Apr. at Randy Wood's Pickin' Parlor in Bloomingdale, GA, run by world-class luthier Randy Wood; details are here.

Mara Levine and Gathering Time (USA) in Ireland, 7-10 Apr. 2018: UPDATE

Fifteen days ago the BIB reported that Mara Levine (whose folk-chart-topping record 'You reap what you sow' features Greg Blake and other high-ranking bluegrass musicians) will be playing four dates in Ireland early next month, as the start of a European tour that continues with dates in Germany and the Netherlands.

On all the Irish shows and the two German shows, she will share the bill with regular collaborators, the folk trio Gathering Time (USA), who will support her on her sets to reproduce the intricate harmony arrangements on her recordings. The trio consists of Stuart Markus, Hillary Foxsong, and Gerry McKeveney.

As Mara Levine and Gathering Time are friends of Greg Blake, their tour in Ireland is being organised by John Nyhan. Thanks to John for this updated and augmented schedule; please note that the first two dates are in reverse order to what was previously announced.

Sat. 7th Apr: Old Schoolhouse, Clashmore, Co. Waterford, 8.00 p.m.; tel. 086 045 4458
Sun. 8th.: Muintir na Tire Hall, Buttevant, Co. Cork, 8.00 p.m.; tel. 087 691 3980
Mon. 9th: Village Arts Centre, The Square, Kilworth, Co. Cork, 8.15 p.m.; tel. 087 792 1771
Tues. 10th: O Gliasain's Pub Concert Room, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, 8.30 p.m.; tel. 086 846 4509

For further details on any of the above, tel. 087 792 1771 or e-mail John.

The Lowest Pair (USA) in Ireland, 30 and 31 Mar. 2018

A reminder from the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre (SEAC) in Naul, Co. Dublin, that The Lowest Pair (Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee) will be performing in concert there this coming Saturday (31 March) - the final show in a brief visit to Ireland before they continue to Britain for a further eleven shows. On the night before playing at SEAC they will be at the High Tide Club, Castletownbere, Co. Cork.

Doors open at SEAC at 8.00 p.m., and the show starts at 8.30. Tickets are €13 / €10 (in advance) and €15 / €12 (at the door; book online through the Centre's website, where there is also a performance video of the Lowest Pair.

Les Woodie, 20 Sept. 1931-23 Mar. 2018

The Stanley Brothers c.1950 with Pee Wee Lambert (mandolin) and Les Woodie (fiddle)

Bluegrass Today announces the sad news of the death of Lester Gene 'Les' Woodie, fiddler with the Stanley Brothers during 1949-51, having played country and western music before joining them. He took part in their second and third Columbia recording sessions, contributing his widely admired fiddle work to their first recording of 'I'm a man of constant sorrow'. On their live shows, he took part in comedy sketches and assisted Leslie Keith, an older fiddler for the Stanleys, who gave displays of mastery with a bull-whip.

More details of his career are on Bluegrass Today, together with a video of him playing with Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys in more recent years. His memories make up a chapter of John Wright's Traveling the high way home: Ralph Stanley and the world of traditional bluegrass music (1993).

*

PS: Among the bands Les Woodie played with was Bill and Mary Reid & the Melody Mountaineers - well worth hearing on YouTube.

Woodbine at Tuohy's, Rathdowney, 1 Apr. 2018

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for the news that Woodbine, who are playing at Bob's Bar, Durrow, Co. Laois, this coming Friday 30 March (see the BIB for 25 March) will be following that up by playing Touhy's Bar, Rathdowney, Co. Laois, on Sunday night (1 April) at 10.00 p.m.

Tuohy's is another of Woodbine's favourite venues - they opened 2018 by playing there on Monday 1 January.

East of Monroe (USA): tour begins Friday next week

(Clockwise from top left) Terry Wittenberg, Jackie Frost, Billy Budd,
Wally Hughes, Gary Alan Ferguson, Lisa Kay Howard

Thanks to Roger Ryan for further images and information on the highly regarded Virginia-based band East of Monroe (Facebook), who will be touring selected venues in Ireland from Friday next week (6 Apr.). Confirmed dates for the tour are:

Fri. 6th Apr.: Private engagement
Sat. 7th: Moy River B&B Folk Club, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, 8.00 p.m. (tickets on 071 9121902)
Sun. 8th: The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, 8.30 p.m.
Mon. 9th-Wed. 11th: Off (sightseeing)
Thurs. 12th: Matt Molloy's Acoustic Yard, Bridge St., Westport, Co. Mayo, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 13th: St John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 14th: Rockies GAA Club, Church Rd, Blackrock, Cork city, 9.00 p.m.

Roger's invitation for the last show of the tour reads:

WHAT? Bluegrass Music.

WHERE? Rockies GAA Club, Blackrock.

WHEN? Sat. April 14th 2018.

TIME? 9.00pm ‘til Late. Ceoil agus Craic.

Band (6 piece) East of Monroe Bluegrass Band (USA)

East of Monroe @ Rockies Club, Church Road, Blackrock, Cork. on Sat. April 14th 2018.

East of Monroe's music explores bluegrass, country, folk, pop and swing within tasteful arrangements of contemporary and traditional songs as well as original compositions. Deep experience and tight vocal harmony – together with fresh original songwriting – combine to offer a unique sound on the American acoustic music scene. The group's music features the songwriting of Gary Alan Ferguson and Emily Timberlake.

East of Monroe consists of Billy Budd (upright bass), Jackie Frost (guitar, vocals), Gary Alan Ferguson (lead guitar, mandolin, vocals), Lisa Kay Howard (mandolin, vocals), Wally Hughes (fiddle, dobro, vocals), and Terry Wittenberg (banjo, vocals).

L-r: Terry, Gary, Billy, Lisa Kay, Jackie, Wally

Lisa Kay and Wally are also members of Valerie Smith's band Liberty Pike, whose single 'Something about a train' and CD Small town heroes are included in the top five nominees at the Independent Music Association's Awards to be held at the Lincoln Center, New York City. Valerie writes: 'We will be attending and are very excited to be there!'

Old-time jam resources from Tennessee via Reading

FOAOTMAD, the UK organisation promoting American old-time music and dance, publishes today on its news blog a post about the monthly old-time session in Reading, England.

The session, hosted by Stu Weetman and Colm Daly, makes use of two valuable resources put on the internet by the pickers who take part in the weekly jams in Pegram, TN: a guide to jam etiquette (applicable to bluegrass as well as old-time) and comprehensive lists of over 450 tunes, mostly old-time but with some of bluegrass*, Celtic, and other origins, together with a downloadable 78-page book of chord charts for all these tunes.

*Pegram jam participants include distinguished bluegrassers such as Roland White and Alan O'Bryant.

Strong Irish presence at Crossover Festival in England, 4-7 May 2018

Following the BIB posts of 5 and 20 Feb., thanks to the organising team of the Crossover Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival in England for their March newsletter. With the Festival just forty days away (4-7 May) and tickets going on sale on 1 April, the newsletter answers FAQ on buying tickets, camping facilities, arrival and leaving, dogs, alcohol, and more, and gives a programme for the three main days (see above).

Both in the lineup and in the video of entrants for the showcase competition, the names and/or faces of prominent members of the Irish bluegrass community will be visible. The BIB congratulates the Ophelia Trio (Lily Sheehan, Luke Coffey, and Gabriel Faure) on their place among the showcase competition winners.

The festival will be held in the Clonter Opera Theatre, Congleton, Cheshire, England (fairly accessible from Ireland). On Saturday 5 May Molly Tuttle (USA; IBMA Guitarist of the Year, 2017) will give a guitar workshop, while Rachel Baiman (USA), touring with her, will give a fiddle workshop; both will subsequently be playing in Ireland.

Thanks again to T.J. Screene (co-organiser of Bluegrass Camp Ireland and resident bassist at the weekly Dublin Bluegrass jam session) for making the BIB aware of the Crossover Festival.

Woodbine at Bob's, Durrow, Co. Laois, 30 Mar. 2018

Thanks to Tony O'Brien for the news that Woodbine will be playing at Bob's Bar (below) in Durrow, Co. Laois, on this coming Friday, 30 Mar., at 9.30 p.m. It's one of the band's favourite venues, and they have played there many times before.

Bob's Bar, beside the River Erkina at the north end of Durrow, is also the focal point for rallies of the traditional 'High Nelly' upright bicycles, and anyone interested in local history should visit its unique museum.

The Often Herd: EP now available

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:

We are thrilled to announce that The Often Herd [EP] is available to buy/stream/download today! You can purchase a physical copy directly from us, or find us on Spotify, iTunes and many other digital platforms! This record has been a long time in the making, and we’d like to extend our gratitude to everyone who contributed to its production!

Physical CD & Merch: https://www.theoftenherd.com/shop
Digital Download: https://theoftenherd.bandcamp.com/
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2mBob1AK9wzlClHQGSHSFz

Enjoy!

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

More visiting bands on the Brookfield Knights roster

The UK's Brookfield Knights agency (BK) sends two more e-newsletters concerning impressive string bands from Canada who will be visiting these islands in the next ten months. The first introduces The Fretless (photo right; also on Facebook), a multi-award-winning group playing tradition-based music arranged for three fiddles and cello. They played Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival earlier this year and will be back for the Shetland Folk Festival and Edinburgh’s TradFest. BK has just confirmed them for a festival appearance in Ireland in this coming May (no details given), and the band has set aside the first two weeks of that month to be available for add-on dates in both the UK and Ireland. A video of them at the Whitstable Sessions in Kent in February is here. Let BK know if you’d like to book them for a slot in May and (if possible) on what date/s.

The second introduces the Andrew Collins Trio, another multi-award-winning unit with closer links to bluegrass: the BIB editor first met Andrew, a founder member of the Creaking Tree String Quartet, at IBMA's World of Bluegrass. He and Mike Mezzatesta both play fiddle, guitar, and instruments of the mandolin family, with James McEleney on bass, mandocello, and vocals. They will have a new album out before their tour in these islands in the period 4-22 Jan. 2019. Sample tracks can be heard on their page on the BK website. An introductory video is here. Let BK know if you want to book them in the proposed period.

John Caulfield: recovering from a stroke

Bill Whelan reports that John Caulfield (above), fiddler in Dublin's Sackville String Band in the late 1970s and since resident in the USA, has recently suffered a stroke and will need prolonged convalescence and continued treatment. A GoFundMe scheme has been set up by his US friends, which has raised in fifteen days $9,146 of the target sum of $10,000. The BIB sends John all good wishes for his recovery. Donations can be made through the GoFundMe website.

*

Thanks also to Bill for the sad news that singer/ songwriter Thom Moore died on 17 March at the age of 74. He had made important contributions to the music scene here since the '70s, when his bands Pumpkinhead and Midnight Well made a fresh and vital fusion of American and Irish traditions, further enlivened with his own songs. An appreciation from the Irish Times is here.

Update 26 Mar.: The scheme for John Caulfield's benefit has achieved $10,511 in twenty days.

The Whileaways in Belfast tomorrow night (22 Mar. 2018)

Three weeks ago the BIB carried news of The Whileaways (Noelie McDonnell, Noriana Kennedy, and Nicola Joyce) and their busy schedule for March. Five of their dates form a concert tour in Northern Ireland under the auspices of Moving On Music.

They are now halfway through the schedule, and Moving On Music send word of the next show, which takes place tomorrow night (22 Mar.) at the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast. Doors open at 8.00 p.m.; tickets (£13/ £10) can be booked online. The Moving On Music web page includes videos of the Whileaways performing 'Hi Lo rag' on the Late Late Show, and 'Poor Ellen Smith'.

Remaining dates in the tour are:
Fri. 23rd: Courtyard Theatre, Newtownabbey, Co. Down, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 24th: Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre, Armagh city, 8.00 p.m.

More than just Henhouse Prowlers

If you saw and heard the Henhouse Prowlers (USA) on their recent brief visit as part of a European tour, you may have heard about their Bluegrass Ambassadors scheme. The Prowlers are among the most widely travelled of bluegrass bands, and they have made their travels a mission to educate and inspire through cultural exchange and educational programmes. The core values of the project, as shown on the website, are:

• Education should be available to people of all economic backgrounds.
• Music binds us all together as a species.
• Cross cultural collaborations definitively break down misconceptions and misunderstandings between people of all persuasions.
• Diplomacy isn't just for diplomats. We've seen first hand how simple conversations between the people of different cultures fosters understanding and empathy.

Read more about Bluegrass Ambassadors on the website or on this Bluegrass Today feature by John Lawless.

We Banjo 3 at Whelan's, Dublin, 17 Apr. 2018

Whelan's, of 25 Wexford St., Dublin 2, announce that the Kings of 'Celtgrass', We Banjo 3, will be playing in concert in Whelan's main venue at 8.00 p.m. on Tuesday 17 April. Doors will open at 8.00 p.m., and tickets are €16.

Full details are on Whelan's website, where there is a video (also on YouTube) of We Banjo 3 playing 'The fox', featuring Sharon Shannon.

Hazel Smith, 1934-2018

Five weeks ago the BIB reported the death of musician and songwriter Jake Landers of Alabama, and mentioned one of his songs, 'Walk softly on my heart'.

Richard Thompson now reports on Bluegrass Today the death on Sunday 18 March of Hazel Smith (83), country music journalist, radio reporter, TV host, publicist, writer of cookery books, and friend of Bill Monroe - the title of 'Walk softly on my heart' arose from an incident in their relationship. Her memoir 'The Bill I loved', first published in Country Music magazine, is reprinted in Tom Ewing's The Bill Monroe reader (2000), pp 256-8. More details are on Bluegrass Today.

Michael J. Miles: spring 2018 newsletter

In his latest e-newsletter, Michael J. Miles (USA) - the man who showed that Bach could be beautifully played on the clawhammer banjo - reports that he is now represented by Dow Artists Inc. and has a busy programme of concerts and teaching camps for the next few months, including the stellar 'Served hot, on a banjo' show (featuring Greg Cahill, Alan Munde, Ken Perlman, and Michael; see image below). Every newsletter from Michael includes free tablatures for banjo and guitar. Links and more details are here.

Greenshine at Ballymore Acoustic Gigs, Mon. 26 Mar. 2018

Ballymore Acoustic Gigs announce that Greenshine (Noel Shine, Mary Greene, Ellie Shine) will be returning to Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, for their second performance there on Monday 26 March. Doors will open at 8.30 p.m., and admission is €12 at the door. Patrons are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

In addition to their own three albums to date, Greenshine's music is covered by many other artists. A sample can be watched in 'The girl in the lavender dress'.

Tony Trischka, Mike Marshall at Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival, 22-4 June 2018

If you come away from this year's Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival (8-10 June) with an insatiable desire for more, consider the free-admission 8th Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival (22-4 June), held on the Pijnackerplein in Rotterdam-Noord, the Netherlands. Last week the organising team issued their first e-newsletter for this year's event, and they have just followed up with an announcement that Tony Trischka (below) will make a one-off European appearance at the Festival, performing in concert (with Mike Marshall as guest artist on mandolin) and giving a banjo workshop for amateur and (semi-) professional players.

Tony Trischka is one of the most sought-after banjo teachers in the world, giving online instruction on ArtistWorks.com and the Deering Banjos website. The full lineup for the Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival will be announced soon.

Update 10 Apr.: The almost-complete lineup now includes Tony Trischka & Mike Marshall (US), Joseph Huber (US), Local Honeys (US), CC Smugglers (UK), the Urban Voodoo Machine (UK), Lead Beaters & De Likt (NL), the Eskies (IE), the Hooten Hallers (US), Small Time Crooks (NL), the Goon Mat & Lord Bernardo (BE), Blue Grass Boogiemen (NL), Hot Rock Pilgrims (UK), Ruben & Matt and the Truffel Valley Boys (IT), Son of Dave (UK), 44 Shakedown (NL), Blue Mountain Boys (SE), the Freeborn Brothers (PL), Steam Power (NL), Brocks Bluegrass Bunch (NL), Jesus Evil Highway (NL), and Old Ditch Riverhoppers (NL).

Drat the weather...

Two weeks ago a distinguished visiting US band lost nearly half their tour to the Beast from the East; and yesterday (Sun. 18 Mar.) Woodbine announced on their Facebook that their gig for that night at Finn's Ale House, Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary - new territory for bluegrass - had been scrubbed because of snow. The good news is that it will be rescheduled for a date when the weather is kinder.

Anna and Elizabeth at the Sugar Club, Dublin, 9 May 2018

The FOAOTMAD news blog announces that Elizabeth LaPrelle and Anna Roberts-Gevalt (USA) will be touring these islands from 3 May to 16 May this year. Their online tour schedule shows one date in Ireland: they will be performing at the Sugar Club, 8 Lower Leeson St., Dublin 2, on Wednesday 9 May at 8.00 p.m. Online bookings can be made via a link on the tour schedule web page.

The schedule shows nine other dates in Britain, and last September it was announced that Anna Roberts-Gevalt would be one of the workshop tutors and performers at 'From Albion to Appalachia', a weekend residential event (18-20 May) in the Quantock Hills, Somerset, marking the centenary of the final song-collecting trip in Appalachia made by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles.

Music for St Patrick's day

Thanks once again to Donal McKernan in Australia, whose 'Smoky wind' appeared on the BIB last September as an example of the 'browngrass' music being made by his family. Donal now sends us this link to another article by his father Joe, posted two days ago on the Bruderhof community blog. The article describes the life of Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) and includes two audio recordings, 'Lord Inchiquin' and 'Loftus Jones', played beautifully by members of the McKernan family. Mr McKernan also offers to send recordings of two more Carolan compositions and the 'Tarbolton' set of reels, played by the same musicians.

*

Moving to another part of the world, here from among the many examples on YouTube are three versions of 'Paddy on the turnpike': by Bill Monroe and Doc Watson, by Trevor and Travis Stuart, and the non-modal 'Sarah Armstrong's "Paddy on the turnpike"', by Adam Hurt, Emily Schaad, and friends. And as a bonus, here's Charlie Poole's 'Leaving dear old Ireland'.

Bass amp wanted for touring band, 6-15 Apr. 2018

East of Monroe: (l-r) Jackie Frost, Gary Alan Ferguson, Billy Budd,

 Wally Hughes, Lisa Kay Howard, Terry Wittenberg

Roger Ryan reports that the highly regarded Virginia-based band East of Monroe, who will be touring selected venues in Ireland in the second week of next month,

... need to rent/loan a bass amp. The one they are thinking of is a Hartke kickback with 120W and 1X12" speaker or something similar. [...] They will be finishing up in Dublin and can return it there.

If you can help, please contact Roger by e-mail.

*

Full information on the band is on their website and Facebook. Confirmed dates for the tour are:

Fri. 6th Apr.: Private engagement
Sat. 7th: Moy River B&B Folk Club, Tubbercurry, 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 Acoustic Yard, Bridge St., Westport, Co. Mayo, 8.00 p.m.
Fri. 13th: St John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, 8.00 p.m.
Sat. 14th: Rockies GAA Club, Church Rd, Blackrock, Cork city

Looking back on a tour in Ireland

The tour of Chris Jones & the Night Drivers (USA) ended with their last show last Saturday at Leap Castle, and Chris has now given an outline of their experiences in his latest Bluegrass Today column. Despite the effect of the snow on the schedule, Chris's is a thoroughly positive account, with four photos*, some reflections on the addictive composition of Irish tea and beer, and more.

*Can any reader identify the village street shown in one photo?

Rivers and roads: new CD from the Special C. (updates)

Compass Records announce that Rivers and roads, the latest album from the Special Consensus, will be released on 30 March 2018. Greg Cahill (banjo, vocals), Rick Faris (guitar, vocals), Nick Dumas (mandolin, vocals) and Dan Eubanks (bass, vocals) are joined on the recording by a constellation of guests: Bobby Osborne, Molly Tuttle, Becky Buller, 10 String Symphony, John Hartford, Mark Schatz, Alison Brown, and Justin Moses.

John Hartford? Yes: Hartford wrote the opening song, 'Down the river road', which you can hear the Special C. play on YouTube (and read the lyrics); you can watch Mark Schatz, former member of the John Hartford String Band, dance to it; and thanks to recording technology, we'll be able to hear John Hartford play fiddle on 'Squirrel hunters'.

The CD will be available from Compass Records, from the Special C.'s website, and from all regular outlets; and early in 2019 we'll be able to buy it from the band in person on their next tour of Ireland - preparations for which are already well advanced, thanks to Nigel Martyn and his Old Flattop agency.

Update 17 Mar.: On 'Down the river road', Greg is playing the new Deering 'Julia Belle' low-pitch banjo: see here. A warm commendation of the banjo by Greg (he is getting one for himself) appears on the Deering Banjos blog.

Update 21 Mar.: The new album is now available on Airplay Direct.

Another master gone

The BIB in the past has carried news of distinguished musicians from outside the worlds of bluegrass and old-time music; so thanks to Pat Sheeran for passing on the sad news of the death of the great uilleann piper Liam Og Ó Floinn after a long illness, just a month short of his 73rd birthday. He is seen above (second from left) in the original lineup of Planxty. Pat also sends this link to a YouTube video of Ó Floinn, Sean Keane, and Mark Knopfler playing 'An droichead'.

The Lowest Pair (USA): tour updates

Thanks to the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre (SEAC) in Naul, Co. Dublin, for a reminder that The Lowest Pair (USA) (Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee) will be performing in concert there on Saturday 31 March. This is the final show in a brief visit to Ireland before they continue to Britain for a further eleven shows. On the night before playing at SEAC they will be at the High Tide Club, Castletownbere, Co. Cork.

Please note that the gig originally shown on the BIB for Thursday 29 March at the Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co. Louth, has been cancelled: it is not on the Lowest Pair's online tour schedule or on the Spirit Store website, and the Brookfield Knights agency now shows that day as free.

Doors open at SEAC at 8.00 p.m., and the show starts at 8.30. Tickets are €13 / €10 (in advance) and €15 / €12 (at the door; book online through the Centre's website, where there is also a performance video of the Lowest Pair. A bonus comes if you watch the video that follows it, which shows the 12-year-old Little Nora Brown on banjo and Stephanie Coleman on fiddle, playing 'Last chance'. This can also be seen on Vimeo. Stephanie Coleman has already played in Ireland, and the BIB hopes Nora Brown will soon do so as well.

Mara Levine (USA) in Ireland, 7-10 Apr. 2018

On 20 Dec. the BIB mentioned Mara Levine, whose folk-chart-topping record 'You reap what you sow' features Greg Blake and other high-ranking bluegrass musicians. The record has since been on Bluegrass Today’s 'Grassicana' chart for nine consecutive weeks this year, peaking twice at #9.

Thanks to Laughing Penguin Publicity in Nashville for the news that Maria Levine will be playing four dates in Ireland early next month, as the start of a European tour that continues with two dates in Germany and two in the Netherlands. Her shows in Ireland are:

Sat. 7th Apr: Old Schoolhouse, Clashmore, Co. Waterford, 8.00 p.m.; tel. 086 045 4458
Sun. 8th.: Muintir na Tire Hall, Buttevant, Co. Cork, 8.00 p.m.; tel. 087 691 3980
Mon. 9th: Village Arts Centre, The Square, Kilworth, Co. Cork, 8.15 p.m.; tel. 087 792 1771
Tues. 10th: O Gliasain's Pub Concert Room, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, 8.30 p.m.; tel. 086 846 4509

On all the Irish shows and the two German shows, she will share the bill with regular collaborators, the folk trio Gathering Time (USA), who will support her on her sets to reproduce the intricate harmony arrangements on her recordings. The trio consists of Stuart Markus, Hillary Foxsong, and Gerry McKeveney.

Update 29 Mar.: Please note that the schedule shown above is amended from what appeared in the original announcement.

You gave me a song: progress report

The production team of the film You gave me a song: the life and music of Alice Gerrard send their latest e-newsletter, reporting on progress towards production of the film and ending with this appeal:

We have a goal to raise $75,000 in 2018 to finish the film by the end of the year. Can you or someone you know help? Every little bit helps!

Donations can be made through this link. For previous info on the project, see the BIB for 2 Oct. 2017, 23 Oct. 2017, 31 Oct. 2017, and 19 Dec. 2017.

On the edge and over the edge

The UK's Brookfield Knights agency sends two e-newsletters on US bands coming to these islands for tours later this year. The first concerns the Chicago-based Way Down Wanderers (with their own website, Facebook, and YouTube channel). The Wanderers are Austin Thompson (vocals, guitar), Collin Krause (vocals, mandolin, violin, electric guitar), John Williams (vocals, upright bass), John Merikoski (drums, percussion), and Travis Kowalsky (5-string banjo, fiddle). They describe their music as 'alternative folk' - 'Grassicana' would also suit it - and the proposed tour dates are from 10 Oct. to 11 Nov.

The second concerns Martha Fields (website, Facebook), from Texas but touring in a trio comprising Martha (guitar, vocals) and two fine French musicians, Olivier Leclerc (fiddle) and Manu Betrand (dobro, banjo). This is a different kettle of fish altogether - tough country music as it was before rock and pop got hold of it. The proposed tour dates are 1-13 Nov.

Promoters and event organisers interested in booking either band should contact the agency.

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Thanks also to Ann Marie Walsh, of Novatone Music Media and presenter on 8Radio.com, for the news that the Track Dogs 'Americana' band (IRL/GB/USA) will be on tour in Ireland earlier in the autumn of this year. Based in Madrid, the Track Dogs (right) are Garrett Wall (guitars, piano, uke, vocals) of Dublin, Robbie K. Jones (cajón, banjo, vocals) of Vermilion, Ohio, Howard Brown (trumpet, piano, percussion, vocals) of Sheffield, and Dave Mooney (electric & double bass, uke, vocals) of Wicklow. Plenty of their music is on YouTube; the banjo is a 5-string, and some of their songs could well be given a bluegrass treatment. Three dates are confirmed at present, and more are TBA:

30 Aug.: Sugar Club, 8 Lr Leeson St., Dublin 2, €15; booking 01 678 7188
31 Aug.: Electric Picnic, Salty Dog Stage, 8.00 p.m.
1 Sept.: First Fruits Arts Centre, Watergrasshill, Co. Cork, €20.00; book online

Ferguson, Henry, & Henry tour, July 2018: one date required (UPDATE)

Colin (left) and Gary on an earlier tour

Thanks to singer/songwriter Gary Ferguson (USA) for an update on his tour in Ireland this coming July with Belfast dobro maestro Colin Henry. This will be Gary's twelfth tour of Ireland; Colin has been his musical partner on five previous tours, and Colin's son James (photo below) will join them this year on 5-string banjo. More information, including photos and ample bio details, are here. Confirmed dates for the tour are:

Thurs. 5th July: Sunflower Folk Club, Belfast; £5.00; doors 8.30 p.m., show 9.00
Fri. 6th: Moy River Folk Club house concert, Cloonacool, Co. Sligo; bookings 071 9121902; €20 (includes complimentary beer/wine and supper!)
Sat. 7th: Mullarkeys, Clifden, Co. Galway
Sun. 8th: Tech Amergin Arts Centre, Waterville, Co. Kerry; 8.00 p.m.; €15 / €12; prebooking essential, 066 9478956/ admin@techamergin.com
Mon. 9th: The Record Break, Lower Market St. Carpark, Ennis, Co. Clare, 8.00 p.m.; +353 65 670 6817; €15
Tues. 10th: Private party, Westport, Co. Mayo
Wed. 11th: Roots Room, Sligo town, +353 87 274 5389
Thurs. 12th: Sessions in the House, Castledawson, Co. Londonderry; recording session
Fri. 13th: The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone; 8.30 p.m., +44 7747 120659
Sat. 14th: 3rd Woodbine Bluegrass Jamboree, GAA Centre, Athy, Co. Kildare

Update 24 Apr.: The schedule in its complete form is now shown above.

James Henry

The Prairie Jaywalkers

Prairie Jaywalkers: (l-r) Kevin Gill, Geraldine Gill, Dave Riordan

Thanks to a BIB reader for awakening the BIB's conscience; we should long ago have featured the Prairie Jaywalkers of Cork city. Cork has been a hot spring of bluegrass and old-time music in this island for half a century, and the PJs (Kevin Gill, banjo, dobro; Geraldine Gill, rhythm guitar, lead vocals; Dave Riordan, mandolin) come from the deepest and hottest parts. A good basic bio can be found here, dating from 2016 (when they also played at the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival). This year they will be headlining the Friday night concert at the 3rd Woodbine Bluegrass Jamboree (13-14 July) at Athy, Co. KIldare.

The Prairie Jaywalkers play on Sundays from c.6.00 p.m in 'Cork's House of Music', the Corner House, 7 Coburg St., Cork city (also on Facebook), and at other venues in the city.

Woodbine break new ground, Sun. 18 Mar. 2018

Tony O'Brien announces:

Woodbine will break new ground when they play Finn's Ale House, Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary, on Sun. 18 March at 8.30 p.m. This is a new venue for bluegrass music, having hosted a couple of acts from the USA and some sessions with Evan & Amy Lyons. Woodbine ask any bluegrass fans in a radius of Borrisoleigh to support the band and bluegrass in general in this new venue.

5th Cahersiveen Mountain Roots Music Weekend, 4-6 May 2018

Thanks to Céline Kavanagh for this picture and press release for the 5th Cahersiveen Mountain Roots Music Weekend in Co. Kerry:

Now in its fifth year, the annual Cahersiveen Mountain Roots Music Weekend has been gathering momentum and is definitely a spot for the calendar of music lovers. This year it runs from Friday 4 May until the early hours of Monday 7 May. This intimate festival concentrates on class, live performance, and keeping true to the heart of roots music.

This year we have two events at the Ring of Kerry Hotel. The first concert (Sat. 5 May) is the inaugural 'Across the County Bounds' event, featuring John Spillane, Ger Wolfe, Seán Garvey, Tim Dennehy, Mick Power, Patrick Horgan, and Ardú. The second (Sun. 6th May), at the same venue, is a late-night gig with Two Time Polka. These are the only ticketed events; all others are free entry.

Performers over the weekend include the Hank Wedel Trio, Dizzy Blues Band, Jimmy Bozeman & the Lazy Pigs, Mules and Men, John Nyhan, Colm Breathnach, along with many other local performers. We will of course have our open inclusive sessions; so if you want to get involved, do come along.

Cahersiveen itself is a vibrant, welcoming, picturesque town on the Ring of Kerry. Being part of the Wild Atlantic Way, we can ensure the visitor can enjoy its many amenities and attractions.

Further information on the weekend is on the Weekend's Facebook page and the Teacht Thar Saile Folk Club website. The 'Links' page of the website includes links to all performing artists and other sites including Siveen Mandolins.

Fifty-six years of marriage

Thanks to Niall Toner for these evocative photos showing (left) Niall and Moira on their wedding day in April 1962, and (right) a recent picture of Moira. Click on the images to see them enlarged.

Most talented family in Ireland wanted for TG4

Thanks to Fiona Ní Chéirín, casting assistant producer of ADARE Productions in Dublin, for this release:

Could you be the next Clannad or Kíla? If so TG4 would like to hear from you!

We’re looking for Ireland’s most talented family to take part in a brand new TV show. If you and your brother or sister, father, mother, granny has a talent, now is your chance to make your family a household name.

Irish families have made their mark across the world, whether it’s the pop music of the Corrs or the sean-nós dancing of the Cunninghams. Now it’s time to find the next family that will entertain the nation.

This brand new talent show for TG4 will search the country high and low for a new famous performing family. All entries must be made up from immediate family members, i.e. grandparents / parents / children. The act must consist of at least two people. There are no restrictions on what their act could be. They could be singers, dancers, musicians, storytellers, you name it, we want to see it all! Performers of all ages can apply and Irish is beneficial but not essential.

If you and your family would like to audition, please send a short video of your act to our WhatsApp – 083 058 0229
Or
E-mail Fiona (Fiona.nicheirin@gmail.com) for further enquiries.

Wookalily release 'Escort me' for International Women's Day

Wookalily announce the release of the first single ‘Escort me’ (written by Adele Ingram) from their second album Everything is normal… except the little things inside my head to mark International Women’s Day (today, Thurs. 8 Mar.). The download is available on all usual platforms (iTunes, Amazon, Spotify etc.), and they promise 'a genre-breaking music video to follow, with an altogether new type of actor'.

Wookalily will also be releasing the album in June 2018 as part of the Womens Work Festival, accompanied by appropriate celebrations. All the latest updates and news will appear on their Facebook.