Erynn Marshall and Dan Levenson: workshops in UK, Nov. 2018

Many old-time enthusiasts in Ireland (not to mention visitors from abroad) attended fiddle or banjo workshops given by Erynn Marshall and Dan Levenson in February this year during the First Annual Irish Old Time Appalachian Music Gathering in Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare. For those who would be glad to see, hear, and learn from them again, the FOAOTMAD news blog announces that both of them will be in Britain in November, giving two workshop weekends together.

The beginner/ improver workshops will be held at the Wye Valley youth hostel at Goodrich, near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR69 6JJ, on the weekend 16-18 Nov. The intermediate/ advanced workshops will be held at YHA Blaxhall, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2EA, on the weekend 23-5 Nov. All details are on the poster image, which appears larger on the FOAOTMAD blog. No information on any other appearances in these islands is at present on their online schedules.

New single from this year's Omagh headliners

As announced on the BIB on 1 May, Darin and Brooke Aldridge (USA) are scheduled to perform later this year at the 27th Annual Bluegrass Festival in the Ulster American Folk Park near Omagh, Co. Tyrone, on Saturday and Sunday, 1-2 September. Thanks to Mountain Home Music Company for the news that they have released their latest single, the Louvin Brothers song 'Every time you leave'. Their stunning harmony singing of this number can be heard on YouTube.

Darin and Brooke Aldridge are on the cover of the May issue of Bluegrass Unlimited, with a substantial article on them inside by Ted Lehmann.

New sounds making waves at Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival

Thanks again to Karen Cheevers for this news and the accompanying photos:

With some top international bands lined up for the 24th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, the homegrown musical talent is also making serious noises on the bluegrass and country scenes.

Mayo’s Vickers Vimy [above] is a folk and Americana band that have worked with the late John Martyn, as well as the Hothouse Flowers, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and Mundy. They released their first album, Vol. 1: That vinyl scratch in 2013 and since the release of their second album, Atlas of hearts, in March 2018 this four-piece have regularly graced radio airwaves across the country.

Comprising Ed Drea (vocals and acoustic guitar), Fintan Hanley (electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, harmonies), Eamonn Mulderring (drums, percussion, piano, accordion, midi, harmonies), and Ciarán Byrne (bass, guitars), Vickers Vimy will play a series of free gigs throughout the Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival filled with rich eclectic sounds that anchor lyrical themes of scratched vinyl nights and hazy Sunday mornings.

Fintan Hanley said: 'We’re delighted to be included in the lineup this year. There is so much good original Irish music at the moment and it’s great to see the Dunmore East Bluegrass festival enthusiastically supporting the Irish music scene.'

Another Irish act to make their Dunmore East Bluegrass debut is Navan-based Pilgrim St [above]. The seven-piece outfit bring a broad range of Americana, country, folk, and bluegrass to their concerts across the country. Having been together for over four years, Pilgrim St have played some of the finest arenas in Ireland including Vicar Street and Electric Picnic, and Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival-goers can expect a lively and energetic performance from Navan’s finest.

Mick Daly, festival organiser, is delighted to welcome homegrown talent to the festival this year. 'Bands like Vickers Vimy, Pilgrim St, Woodbine, and Mons Wheeler have been pioneering bluegrass, Americana and blues in Ireland for years and have lifted the profile of what once was a very niche music genre.'

'They’ve introduced this type of music to a cohort of new fans and that’s what rejuvenates the festival year after year. We’re looking forward to hearing them on the stages over the four days and they certainly will make a big impression on anyone who likes a good lively, toe-tapping tune.'

The 24th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, Co. Waterford, kicks off on Thursday evening, 23 August, at the Spinnaker Bar and Restaurant, and heralds the start of fourteen bands, playing almost forty free gigs throughout the village.

For more information visit www.discoverdunmore.com or keep up to date on the Discover Dunmore East Facebook page.

Mick Daly is available for interview on 051 878 832 / 087 256 2899 or e-mail.

McLain Family Band tour now begins 8 July 2018

L-r: Daxson Lewis, Alice White, Raymond W. McLain,
Ruth McLain, Al White

Thanks to John Nyhan for the news that the McLain Family Band from Berea, KY, will now be arriving in Ireland on Sunday week (8 July 2018), as part of a tour in Europe throughout the whole of July to mark fifty years since the family began playing as a band led by the late Raymond K. McLain, father of Raymond, Ruth, and Alice.

In those fifty years, the McLain Family Band have played in sixty-two countries, in all fifty states of the USA, and in some of the most prestigious venues. They have just released a book, The McLain Family Band: 50 years of music, a pictorial history, and their most recent album Celebrate life. Multi-instrumentalist Al White has toured in Ireland before more than once, as leader of the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble.

The McLains' schedule in Ireland from 15 July, culminating in the 11th Ardara Bluegrass Festival, Ardara, Co. Donegal (20-21 July), is already on the BIB calendar. Dates for the extra week (9-14 July) will be announced as soon as possible. For bookings and further info, contact John Nyhan by e-mail.

Rye River Band - regular gigs and a special show (16 Aug. 2018)

Thanks to Pat Burgess of the Rye River Band, based in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, who sends:

Just a short email to let you know that founding members of the Rye River Band - myself (vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica) and accordionist Paddy Faughnan will be joined by Kenmare-based fiddle player Joe Thoma in Crowley’s Bar, Henry St., Kenmare, on Thursday night 16 August. Folk/roots - both originals and standards music.

The full current Rye River Band - Pat, Patsy Treacy (electric guitar), Don Knox (violin, harmonica, vocals), Eugene Burns (drums), and either Michael 'Smithy' Smith or Ciaran Broughan on bass guitar and vocals - took part in the 2nd BAND Festival in Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal, last weekend. They have a regular fortnightly residency at the celebrated Brazen Head, 20 Bridge St. Lower, Dublin 8. The next three appearances on their online schedule are all at the Brazen Head: on Saturday 30 June, Saturday 14 July, and Saturday 28 July, all at 10.00 p.m. On Saturday 4 August they will be playing at Blessington Lakes, Blessington, Co. Wicklow, starting at 9.00 p.m.

Blue Light Smugglers at the Cabin, Thurs. 28 June 2018

The sixth Cabin Session of 2018 will take place tomorrow night (Thursday 28 June) at Uncle Tom's Cabin, Dundrum, Dublin 14, with the usual format of the Cabin Crew as house band and three guest spots.

The guests include the Blue Light Smugglers (above), who have a residency every Monday night at the Blue Light pub in Barnacullia, about two miles south of the Cabin and much higher above sea level (see the view from the Blue Light, below). The Smugglers describe themselves on their Facebook as 'an acoustic harmony group' who play a wide range of music (thus fitting the Cabin Sessions' eclectic policy very well); in fact, they feature some of the best and most original bluegrass picking on the current Dublin scene. Recommended for any bluegrass fan within reach.

Leap Castle gigs: a break for summer

Veteran promoter Tom Stapleton sends this message to all patrons of his shows at Leap Castle (above), Co. Offaly, between Birr and Roscrea, Co. Tipperary:

Lucy and myself thank you for support and interest in Leap Castle gigs and hope you continue to enjoy them. We are taking a break for the summer and will return with the great Joe Henry 15 Sept. Have a lovely summer.

Happy birthday, Eddie Adcock; rest in peace, Delia Bell

The evening of 21 June has yet to come in the USA, so it's not too late to wish a happy 80th birthday (what remains of it) to Eddie Adcock, one of the most original and inventive 5-string banjo players in or out of bluegrass, not to mention his prowess on guitar. The picture, from the front cover of Vintage banjo jam (Patuxent CD-300), shows Eddie Adcock and his Epiphone banjo in the early 1960s as a member of the 'classic' Country Gentlemen, who were collectively inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1996.

Update: Richard Thompson's major feature on Bluegrass Today gives much more detail of the many aspects of Eddie Adcock's career and life, and includes tributes from his fellow musicians - among them Greg Cahill of the Special Consensus.

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The BIB also records with regret the death of Delia Bell, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, who died last Friday at the age of 83. One of the most powerful women singers of her time, she performed and recorded for years with Bill Grant of Oklahoma. They made several tours outside the US, and on one trip in the 1970s played at Belfast in a show presented by promoter and record-shop owner John McCourt. On that occasion they were supported by a version of the Sackville String Band, with Dermot O'Connor as mandolin player.

Much more on Delia Bell, together with YouTube recordings, is on Richard Thompson's obituary on Bluegrass Today. Thanks to Frank Robinson of Derry for this memory of John McCourt:

I MC'd a show for him which featured Doc and Chickie Williams and Bill Clifton and Red Rector. John lost money running those shows but he was a pioneer in promoting American old-time artists over here.

Whiskey Deaf (USA) in Ireland, 23 Aug.-4 Sept. 2018

As reported in the BIB on 15 June, the lineup for the 24th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival includes Whiskey Deaf from California. The duet configuration of the band, consisting of Annie Staninec (fiddle) and John Kael (guitar, mandolin, banjo), was here in 2015. John writes that he and Annie are excited to be returning to Ireland:

Annie has been busy touring with various bands in the US and teaching at camps and festivals, and the last time she was in Ireland was when she was touring with Rod Stewart for a year in 2016 and played Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. We're expecting smaller crowds for our modest venture ;-). I continue playing with our Whiskey Deaf group and teaching here and there as usual.

As in 2015, Annie and John will be giving workshops at the Dunmore East festival. Moreover, at Dunmore East Whiskey Deaf will be a four-piece band, augmented by Yoseff Tucker (guitarist, singer, and songwriter, who plays in several bands in the US) and Katya Polovina, 'a great bass player and singer who used to be more in the jazz and singer-songwriter world, but has been focusing on traditional bluegrass the last few years' (John).

After Dunmore East, Annie and John will take a break in Ennis before playing as a duet at the Sunflower Folk Club, Belfast, on Thursday 30 August and for the whole weekend (31 Aug.-2 Sept.) at the Omagh Bluegrass Festival. Their last scheduled gig will be on Monday 3 Sept. at the Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. They will be in Dublin on Tuesday 4 September, which just happens to be the day of the weekly Dublin Bluegrass Jam at Sin É on Ormond Quay...

Their full schedule in Ireland is:

Thurs. 23rd-Sat. 25th Aug.: Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, Co. Waterford (4-piece). John and Annie will give two traditional bluegrass guitar and fiddle workshops on Friday 24 August. Places are €10 and pre-booking is essential.

Sun. 26th-Wed. 29th: Ennis, Co. Clare (off)

Thurs. 30th: Sunflower Folk Club, Belfast (duet)

Fri. 31st-Sun. 2nd Sept.: Bluegrass Music Festival, Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone (duet)

Mon. 3rd: Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone (duet)

Tues. 4th: in Dublin...

John can be contacted by 'phone (+1 831 239 7742) or e-mail. Workshop places can be booked with Mick Daly by 'phone (051 878 832 / 087 256 2899) or e-mail.

Po' Ramblin' Boys (USA) on a roll

The Po' Ramblin' Boys from east Tennessee (see the BIB for 17 April 2017 and several later posts) have had to postpone coming to Ireland this year, but back home their career is advancing by leaps and bounds in the meantime.

A warmly worded feature by John Lawless on Bluegrass Today announces that the Boys are now signed up with Rounder Records, Rainmaker Management, and Crossover Touring: 'All three companies represent only top entertainers in niche markets, with a record of success in bringing them to their full potential that has few peers.'

Read more on Bluegrass Today, where a half-hour video of the Boys on stage shows that we can look forward to welcoming a band that sounds, looks, and feels like bluegrass of the first generation.

Kudos for Tristan Scroggins

The latest IBMA newsletter includes this tribute to Tristan Scroggins, who will be here with his father's band Jeff Scroggins & Colorado next month (Tristan is second from right in the photo above). The context is the ballot procedure for IBMA members to vote for this year's awards:

We were impressed here at the IBMA office to see this Facebook post by IBMA member Tristan Scroggins. Like most voting members, it looks like he was doing his homework and listening to all the musicians on the second round ballot before casting his vote.

But he took it one community-building step further: he made playlists for all the categories, and shared them on social media, sending out kudos to all the artists nominated. In one fell swoop he has honored his peers, helped voters find the music they need to make informed choices, and quite likely introduced bluegrass lovers to new music. Well done, Tristan.

'Roots Freeway' back on the air from 2 June

Apologies to all for a late announcement that the new three-month series of Niall Toner's show 'Roots Freeway' began on RTÉ Radio 1 on Saturday 2 June, and has already gone through three episodes. Niall announced on his Facebook on 30 May:

Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes today, but what I'm really excited about is that ROOTS FREEWAY returns to RTE RADIO ONE on SATURDAY next, June the 2nd, for a three month run. This is the radio show on the national airwaves where you can hear loads of great ROOTS music, including so much of the amazing stuff that's being produced locally! Listen out for new releases from UNWANTED, MULES AND MEN, BLUE LIGHT SMUGGLERS, FREDDIE WHITE, RACHEAL GRACE, JOHN PRINE, and loads more! Spread the word...

3rd Woodbine Bluegrass Jamboree: video previews

Since April the Woodbine Bluegrass Jamboree has been running a series of video previews on Facebook of artists who will be taking part in the third Jamboree (Fri. 13 July, Sat. 14 July) in Athy, Co. Kildare. The list so far includes Clem O'Brien, the Prairie Jaywalkers, Gary Ferguson & Colin Henry, Pat & Ricky Kelleher, and Evan & Amy Lyons. The Jamboree has also updated the cover picture of its Facebook - see above.

New recordings from the Punch Brothers

Following the BIB post of 7 June about the concert by the Punch Brothers (USA) in Dublin this coming November, John Lawless has published on Bluegrass Today a feature on the band's new album All ashore, due for release on 20 July. The feature includes two videos: one showing the band performing the song 'It's all part of the plan' (also on YouTube), and one an audio recording of the instrumental track 'Three dots and a dash'.

Evan Lyons Collective at Tamworth Bluegrass Festival this coming weekend

Thanks to Michael Lyons for this poster image from the Tamworth Bluegrass Festival, which will be held this coming weekend (22-4 June) in the heart of the English midlands. The lineup includes the outstanding young banjo player Evan Lyons of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, leading the Evan Lyons Collective (Noel Dashwood (dobro) and Max Vizard (guitar), both based in England). Evan's name is third on the list in the poster image. A link to a YouTube video of his trio playing at last year's Westport festival is on the Tamworth website.

G-runs 'n Roses (CZ) and the Buffalo Gals (USA/UK) will be playing at Tamworth (both bands were at the 12th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival eight days ago); so will premier English bands such as the Down County Boys, the New Essex Bluegrass Band (headliners at the 24th Athy festival in 2014), the Morris Boys, and many more. The full lineup is here.

Chris & Sally Jones (USA/CAN) in Ireland, 3 July 2018

Thanks again to John Nyhan for the very welcome news that Chris Jones (touring here last March with his Night Drivers band) and his wife Sally Jones (singer, songwriter, and bandleader in her own right) will be making a brief visit to Ireland early next month, as they will be attending a wedding in Scotland.

They will be doing only two shows in Ireland, both on 3 July, joined by their daughter Joanna, who will be making a guest appearance.

Tues. 3rd July: Mallow Library, Thomas Davis St., Mallow, Co. Cork, 3.00 p.m. Tel. 087 792 1771

House concert, Buttevant, Co. Cork, 8.30 p.m. (places limited). Tel. 087 792 1771

Support act at the house concert will be Pat Horgan of the Dizzy Blues Band, who will be doing a solo gig.

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado (USA) in Ireland, 19-22 July 2018

July looks like being a rewarding month. Thanks again to John Nyhan for this news of a bonus visit from an outstanding band. John writes:

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado will also be here for a few days as they will be nearby playing England and Scotland. They could not miss out on the opportunity of coming to Ireland. Here are the details of their tour.

Thurs. 19th July: Clashmore, Co. Waterford, 8.00 p.m. Weather permitting, this will be an outdoor concert with barbecue in a beautiful area which has a seventh-century well. If weather not suitable, it will take place in the Old Schoolhouse. Tel. 087 414 8651

Fri. 20th: Mannion's Pub, Balla, Co. Mayo, 9.00 p.m., tel. 087 229 6018

Sat. 21st-Sun. 22nd: Ardara Bluegrass Festival, Ardara, Co. Donegal. Tel. 087 690 0714

Ardara Festival definitely has some heavy hitters. It should be great to see and hear the McLains and Jeff Scroggins and Co. performing in the headline concert on the Saturday of the festival. Also the jamming between them should be great.

The photo above shows Jeff Scroggins (banjo) and his son Tristan (mandolin), Greg Blake (guitar), Ellie Hakanson (fiddle), and Isaac Callendar (bass). Mark Schatz, who has recently played bass with the band, is currently caring for his wife Eileen Carson (see the BIB for 24 May 2018). John will confirm who will be on bass with the band as soon as possible. 

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado begin their tour in Norway on 10 July and will then play three dates in Britain before coming to Ireland.

McLain Family Band (USA) in Ireland, 15-21 July 2018

L-r: Daxson Lewis, Alice White, Raymond McLain, Ruth McLain,
Al White

Thanks to John Nyhan for this photo of the McLain Family Band from Berea, KY, and the following details of their tour in Ireland a month from now. This will be part of a tour in Europe throughout the whole of July, marking the fiftieth anniversary of when the band began playing as a family.

In those fifty years, the McLain Family Band have played in sixty-two countries, in all fifty states of the USA, and in some of the most prestigious venues. They have just released a book, The McLain Family Band: 50 years of music, a pictorial history, and their most recent album Celebrate life. Multi-instrumentalist Al White has played in Ireland before, as leader of the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble. The McLains' full schedule in Ireland is as follows:

Sun. 15th: Church of Ireland, Bruff, Co. Limerick, 8.00 p.m., tel. 086 302 7976
Mon. 16th: Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co. Cork, 8.15 p.m., tel. 087 792 1771
Tues. 17th: O Gliasan's Pub (concert room), Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, 8.30 p.m., tel. 086 846 4509 (A Sixmilebridge Folk Club Presentation)
Wed. 18th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, 8.00 p.m., tel. 068 22566
Thurs. 19th: Market House, Miltown Malbay, Co .Clare, 9.00 p.m., tel. 087 688 1650
Fri. 20th-Sat. 21st: Ardara Bluegrass Festival, Ardara, Co. Donegal, tel. 087 690 0714

12th Westport Festival: on photo and video

For everyone who was at last weekend's 12th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival and wants reminders, or who wasn't at it (or was, but couldn't get round to everything) and wants to find what they missed - photos and videos are being added to the Festival's Facebook page and YouTube channel. The latter includes footage from the official launch party on 28 April with music by Mules & Men. Official videos on the channel are by Pervege Free Films.

The Honeycutters make a beeline for the 24th Dunmore East International Bluegrass Festival

Thanks to Karen Cheevers of B2B Communications for this press release:

Now in its 24th year, the Dunmore East International Bluegrass Festival is still proving as alluring as ever for top music acts, as some of the industry’s greatest bluegrass and country music acts line up for the free four-day festival in the Co. Waterford village from 23 to 26 August.

Fans of bluegrass, honky-tonk, blues, country, Americana and rhythm ‘n’ roots are in for a real musical treat as the picturesque village’s International Bluegrass Festival will feature fourteen artists playing almost forty free gigs throughout the village.

Headlining this year’s festival is Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters, an old-school country roots band that effortlessly blends rock, folk, and country. Hailing from North Carolina, Amanda Anne Platt has earned a reputation as an assertive yet gentle and unassuming singer whose 'voice and the interplay of the guitar and mandolin gives this band their unique complex sound, a clear-sounding mash-up of Americana, bluegrass, folk, and honky-tonk', according to Elmore magazine. At 2015 MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the US, the Honeycutters received fantastic reviews.

Making a return to Dunmore East is California’s Whiskey Deaf. Fiddle player Annie Staninec was born and bred on bluegrass music, has toured the world and featured on countless albums with renowned country, Cajun and blues artists, while John Kael, an established songwriter, has been playing bluegrass guitar, mandolin, banjo, and bass for over twenty years.

Having taught in some of the most prestigious music camps in the country, John and Annie will give two traditional bluegrass guitar and fiddle workshops on Friday 24 August. Places are €10 and pre-booking is essential.

Some perennial favourites returning to Dunmore East’s Bluegrass Festival include Demolition String Band, Woodbine, Mons Wheeler Band, and the Backyard Band. New acts to line up in 2018 are Brothers Parker, Pilgrim Street, Kiss My Grass, Bert and Henry, Charlie Reader, Vickers Vimy, and Whistle.

Mick Daly, festival organiser, is delighted with the calibre of both first-time and returning bands playing at the festival. 'We have a great lineup of bluegrass, country, rockabilly, roots, and Americana acts this year. We are excited about welcoming the Honeycutters to Dunmore for the first time, but also equally excited about the return of some of the big names that have appeared over the years. Many of the bands that play the Dunmore Bluegrass Festival feed off the fantastic energy of the crowd, and the fact that it is set to a stunning coastal backdrop is a bonus.'

'Over the past decade or so the festival has evolved organically and while bluegrass is still at the very heart of the festival there is a more eclectic offering of music, such as rockabilly, country, and Americana. A lot of the young, up-and-coming acts are making waves on the bluegrass scene and we’re thrilled to have an exciting line up bringing their energy and vibrancy to the festival.'

'The festival appeals to die-hard bluegrass fans who have been visiting Dunmore for decades, but it also has a broader appeal to those who simply like good toe-tappin’ music, in a beautiful seaside setting, under the sun!'

The 24th Dunmore East International Bluegrass Festival, Co. Waterford, kicks off on Thursday evening, 23 August, at the Spinnaker Bar and Restaurant, and heralds the start of fourteen bands, playing almost forty free gigs throughout the village.

For more information visit www.discoverdunmore.com or keep up to date on the Discover Dunmore East Facebook page.

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Mick Daly is available for interview on 051 878 832 / 087 256 2899 or e-mail.

Venue info for Ferguson, Henry, & Henry gig 11 July 2018

Thanks to singer/ songwriter Gary Gene Ferguson (USA) for new information on one of the shows in his tour next month with Colin Henry (dobro) and James Henry (banjo). The Roots Room gig on 11 July will be at the Bourbon Bar next to Kennedy's, Rockwood Parade, Sligo town, 8.00 to 11.00 p.m. More on the tour can be seen here.

Hot Rock Pilgrims to Rotterdam

Following the BIB's feature three months ago about the free-admission 8th Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival, John Lawless has posted about the festival on Bluegrass Today, with special attention to the US headliners Tony Trischka and Mike Marshall. The many other acts taking part include the Hot Rock Pilgrims, now on tour in Ireland after wowing last weekend's Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival.

The Rotterdam festival will be held on 22-4 June on the Pijnackerplein in Rotterdam-Noord, the Netherlands. The founder and chief organiser is Guido de Groot, shown (right) in Marieke Odekerken's photo published in High lonesome below sea level: faces and stories of bluegrass music in the Netherlands (2015; text by Loes van Schaijk).

The Cabin Session, Dundrum, 28 June 2018

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

We're back with you on Thursday 28 June. Special guests are Elga Fox, Gillian Tuite, and the Blue Light Smugglers. Hope to see you there!

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The Sessions are held on the last Thursday of every month at Uncle Tom's Cabin in Dundrum, south Dublin (not far from Dundrum Luas station, in the city direction). Shows run from 9.30 to 11.30 p.m. and admission is FREE. If you or someone you know would like to perform at the Cabin Sessions, let Gerry know by e-mail. The Sessions are particularly interested in featuring local musicians and singers.

Another great weekend in Westport

Gold Heart Sisters (USA) at the Clew Bay Hotel, Friday night

Thanks to Des Butler for this report and photos of last weekend's 12th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival:

Well, another Westport Festival has come and sadly gone for another year, leaving us begging for more. From the opening sessions in Blouser's bar to the final folk concert in Matt Molloy's, attendees were treated to some great bluegrass, old-time, swing, and folk ballads throughout the three days and nights of the festival.

The bluegrass and swing being provided by the very talented Tennessee Hennessees, the Thunderbridge Bluegrass Band, the Gold Heart Sisters, and many more very talented and enjoyable bands.

Old time was provided by the Buffalo Gals, Ben Paley, Tab Hunter, and Ben Edwards, and numerous other musicians at the many jamming sessions throughout the weekend. The folk and ballads were provided at the final concert on Sunday night by the excellent balladeer and masterly bouzouki playing of Daoiri Farrell.

This festival's popularity speaks for itself, as I understand that all official concerts were booked out and all venues practically full to capacity. Well done to Uri Kohen and his team for developing this festival to be one of the many enjoyable bluegrass festivals taking place annually in the country. Can't wait for next year's Festival, Uri!

Saturday afternoon session at McGing's, here led by the
Invisible Jug Band (left) and G-runs 'n Roses (CZ)

Tennessee Hennessees get down to it

Hot Rock Pilgrims open the Saturday night concert...

... followed by the Gold Heart Sisters,

... and G-runs 'n Roses top the bill

Saturday concert finale with all three bands taking part

Jammed! Sunday afternoon old-time jam in Blouser's: Kate Lissauer
and Tim Rogers with fiddles, right of centre; Ben Keogh, guitar

Daoiri Farrell in Matt Molloy's

News of past visitors

Mountain Home Music Company announces that Chris Jones & the Night Drivers (USA), who were here on tour in the bad weather of early March, have released an optimistic new single, Chris's song 'Bend in the road' (not to be confused with his 'Fork in the road', IBMA Song of the Year in 2007). Hear the new song and see the related video here.

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The Slocan Ramblers (CAN), who toured Ireland last October, will release a new album, Queen City jubilee, this week. The track 'Through and through' can be heard on Bluegrass Today.

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Tony Williamson of Mandolin Central has received a 2018 North Carolina Heritage Award. Richard Thompson's feature on Bluegrass Today gives ample details on Williamson's life in music, his development as a mandolinist, the influence of Bill Monroe, and much more. There is a five-and-a-half-minute video about his life and values (also on YouTube), the last part of which shows him picking with our friends from Red Wine (I).

Mean Mary (USA) in Ireland, 11-19 Aug. 2018

Thanks to Geraint and Deb Jones of GPromo PR for the news that multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and author 'Mean Mary' James (left) from Alabama, who toured in Ulster in April 2016, will be back in Ireland in mid August this year with her new album Blazing, which is due for release in Europe on 6 July. Videos can be seen on YouTube of the title track, 'Harlequin', and 'I face somewhere', among more of her music.

The dates in Ireland will be part of a tour of these islands and continental Europe lasting till early October and including eighteen shows in Britain, four in the Netherlands, three in Denmark, three in the Czech Republic, and two in France. Her full schedule in Ireland is:

Sat. 11th Aug.: Limavady, Co. Londonderry (part of Stendhal Festival)
Wed. 15th: Bridge St., Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Thurs. 16th: The Cobblestone, Smithfield, Dublin
Fri. 17th: Crusoe's Coffee Shop, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry
Sat. 18th: Market Place Theatre, Armagh city
Sun. 19th: Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast

For further information, interview, session or guest list requests, please contact Geraint or Deb Jones at GPromo PR by phone (01584 873211), mobile (07855 724798), or e-mail.

The Archduke and the accidental dobroist

Thanks to Colin Henry, Belfast dobro maestro, for this memory of Stacy Phillips (left: photo by Marcia Goodman), who died last week:

I owe my existence as a dobro player to two people. The first is our own Frankie Lane and the second is Stacy Phillips, the 'Archduke of the Dobro'. I used to play the banjo (badly) and I was heading into town one day in the distant past to buy banjo strings. The car radio was playing and on came the sound of a wonderful slide instrument being expertly played. I was immediately taken by the sound. When the tune finished the announcer said that it was a track from Frankie Lane's new CD Dobro. Of course I had heard a dobro before on Flatt & Scruggs recordings, but I didn't really pay much attention. Frankie's playing, however, completely captivated me.

I went into the shop to buy the banjo strings and on the way out I stopped at the books. I was going through the banjo section when I came across The dobro book by Stacy Phillips, the 'Green Book' as it is known. I thought 'well, that is that instrument Frankie Lane was playing', so I bought the book. I went home, converted an old guitar, and began to go through the book. Within a very short space of time I realised that I understood this instrument better than the banjo or the guitar. You could play fast tunes like a banjo and you could play the slow tunes with plenty of feeling, and it allowed me to express the sounds in my head that refused point blank to emerge from my throat and mouth!

Roll on six months. I had been practising hard and trying (with varying degrees of success) to copy the tunes off Frankie's CD. I bought a recorder and recorded myself for the first time. Oh dear! Every note was slightly off - all just a bit flat. I was totally disheartened and concluded that, try as I might, I just did not have the musical ear to play the dobro. As it happened I had just got a computer with internet access for the first time. On the back of the Green Book was an e-mail address for Stacy Phillips, so I thought I would just e-mail him. I doubted if I would get a response, but I said in the e-mail that I was starting out playing and that I had just heard myself recorded and all the notes were out of tune. I asked if it was worth continuing, or did I just not have the aptitude for the instrument?

Within half an hour he replied - all the way from New York - and his words have been with me ever since. He said: 'You are half way there; you know you are out of tune! Practise, practise, practise and you will get there.' He went on to explain the issue (a story for another time). So I did practise, and then some, and he was right, it came good. If anything I'm obsessed with being in tune now!

Stacy Phillips literally wrote the book on learning the dobro; in fact he wrote several classic books. He was a unique player and from all reports a unique character. I have thanked Frankie Lane in person, but I never had the chance to meet Stacy and thank him; but without his sage words I would still be trying to master the banjo. (I leave that to my son James now!) So thank you Frankie but, on this occasion, a particular thank you to Stacy. I tried in tribute to do a couple of his complex slant/pulls at Westport over the weekend and failed miserably; as he said, practise, practise, practise!

Colin and James Henry will be joining singer/songwriter Gary Ferguson (USA) for a ten-day tour of Ireland in the first half of next month. All dates are on the BIB calendar.

Punch Brothers at the NCH, Dublin, 19 Nov. 2018

The National Concert Hall (NCH) in Dublin announces as part of its 2018/19 schedule that the Punch Brothers (USA) - Chris Thile, Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert, Noam Pikelny, Gabe Witcher - will be in concert at the NCH on 19 November 2018, at 8.00 p.m. in the Main Auditorium. Tickets (€30, €27.50, and €25, with 10% discount for Friends of the NCH) will be on pre-sale from tomorrow, 8 June. Full details, together with bio notes on the band and the projects of individual members, and a 21-minute performance video, are on the NCH event page.

The concert in Dublin will come as part of a tour in Europe; they will have played in Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, and the UK beforehand.

Stacy Phillips

Stacy Phillips (photo: Marcia Goodman)

The BIB learns with great regret of the death of Stacy Phillips (73), performer, teacher, and prolific writer on the dobro and fiddle in American traditional music, bluegrass, and a range of other genres. From the urban north-eastern USA like such banjoists as Pete Wernick and Tony Trischka, he also (like them) was not only a master of the instruments but an expert, industrious, scholarly, and humorous communicator of knowledge about them.

More details are on his website and on Bluegrass Today.

Update 10 June: See these details of memorial celebrations today, as shown on Bluegrass Today.

The Small Glories at Leap, Sat. 9 June 2018

A second reminder from Tom Stapleton that Canadian folk powerhouse pair The Small Glories - Cara Luft (clawhammer banjo, guitar) and J.D. Edwards (guitar, harmonica) - will be playing at Leap Castle, Co. Offaly (near Roscrea, Co. Tipperary) this coming Saturday (9 June).

Seats can be reserved by phoning or texting 087 2238040. Eight videos are on the Small Glories website. Tom draws the show specially to the attention of lovers of Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, the Wailin' Jennys, and Shovels & Rope.

The Small Glories' tour in Ireland, which begins tonight (6 June), comes at the end of a tour including Germany, the Netherlands, and Britain. All dates are on the BIB calendar.

11th Ardara Bluegrass Festival, 20-22 July 2018

Pat McGill has again assembled a very strong programme for the 11th Ardara Bluegrass Festival in Ardara, Co. Donegal, on the weekend Friday 20th-Sunday 22nd July 2018, with two powerful and respected American bands - Jeff Scroggins & Colorado from Colorado, and the McLain Family Band from Kentucky - and a rapidly rising young Dublin-based band, Mules & Men, who are launching their debut single 'Procrastination blues' in Belfast next week (see the last post on the BIB).

The McLain Family Band are scheduled to tour in Europe throughout July. The BIB hopes to publish as soon as possible the dates that they and Jeff Scroggins & Colorado will be playing in Ireland.

'Procrastination blues' from Mules & Men: launch 13 June in Belfast

Thanks to Mules & Men for this press release:

Acid Celtgrass band Mules & Men are pleased to announce the release of their debut single 'Procrastination blues' on 13 June. The offical video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpIV8v7OzVE.

To celebrate their introduction to the world proper, they will be performing a show at the American Bar, Belfast, on 13 June at 8.30 p.m. June also sees them performing at the Dunfanaghy BAND Festival, and July at the Ardara Bluegrass Festival.

'See you on the road folks. Keep up to date on our Facebook page' - John Denby 2018

'Mules & Men have been reinterpreting bluegrass and folk styles into a style of their own. With three-part harmonies, blazing string playing, and solid songwriting, this band has been bringing audiences to a standstill all over the country.'

The deep secrets of bluegrass music

The BIB editor writes:

Watching short films of Jimmy Martin in later life from the SkitRichards YouTube channel brought me to another channel and the video 'Carlton Haney, Jimmy Martin, and Bluegrass Pythagoras', made c.1998.

In this video the legendary bluegrass promoter Carlton Haney talks for almost a solid twenty minutes, with interjections by Jimmy Martin, about the features that make the music of Bill Monroe unique, and the occasion that inspired the idea of the first three-day bluegrass festival.

Just to watch the faces of these two members of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame is worth the time in itself, but one can also get some feel of the cement, gravel, and iron that went into the foundations of the music.

Red Hat Acoustic Music Club at Naas, 8 June 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 (8 June).

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.