Tommy Edwards's life celebrated

Following on from the BIB's report of 24 May on the death of Thomas Shelton 'Tommy' Edwards, who performed with his band Bluegrass Experience at a past Omagh festival, Sandy Hatley reports on Bluegrass Today a gathering to celebrate Tommy's life that took place in central North Carolina last Sunday (27 June). It's a comprehensive report, showing how he touched the lives of many people in many spheres of life.

Tommy's friends had managed to ensure that he received before his death the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, 'the most prestigious award that the governor of North Carolina can bestow upon a citizen'. The text of the award includes a verse of the 'North Carolina toast', which is movingly sung by the Red Clay Ramblers (who follow it with a fine fiddle-and-banjo rendition of 'North Carolina breakdown') on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

American Banjo Camp online, 11-12 Sept. 2021

Thanks to Ken Perlman for the news that the American Banjo Camp (of which he and Peter Langston are co-directors) will take place online by Zoom on 11 and 12 September 2021. On each day four back-to-back classes in bluegrass banjo and four back-to-back classes in old-time banjo will be held, and there is a stellar set of instructors, including Greg Cahill and Jeff Scroggins on the bluegrass side. Each class will teach a different set of skills. The cost to attend the full two-day schedule is $180; you can also sign up for any one day (Saturday or Sunday) for $100. Full details are on the ABC website.

© Richard Hawkins

Art, magic, and country music history

The Bitter Southerner online magazine has published a set of writings collectively titled 'Summer voices', with the main focus on artist and puppeteer Wayne White, raised in the South and subsequently based in New York and Los Angeles, who will be guest editor of the BS for a month.

BIB readers may be specially interested in 'Art & magic: a conversation between Wayne White & Tyler Mahan Coe'. Coe, a musician and writer, hosts the 'Cocaine & rhinestones' podcast series on country music history. The BS feature includes reproductions of artworks by Whyte: paintings of Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Buck Owens & the Buckaroos, and Lightnin' Hopkins, all of these having the names of the subjects underneath.

No name is under the picture that heads the article; it's given right at the end, but bluegrassers will recognise it as based on a 1939 photo of the original Blue Grass Boys lineup, showing (l-r) Art Wooten (fiddle), Bill Monroe (mandolin), Cleo Davis (guitar), and Amos Garen (bass). As with Robert Crumb's book R. Crumb's heroes of blues, jazz & country (2006), the painting tells the viewer less about the subject than the original photo does. No matter; it's a work of art by Wayne White (or Robert Crumb).

© Richard Hawkins

'Streaming across the Sea' - part 1 this coming Sunday

The BIB mentioned on 22 June that Maria Wallace of the True North Music agency in Britain will be presenting a 'Streaming across the Sea' online festival for 'Americana, bluegrass, folk & roots music' in two parts (4 and 10 July) on the agency's YouTube channel.

The FOAOTMAD news blog today gives ample details of the schedule. Note that part 1 (Sun. 4 July) will be devoted to the transatlantic artists, and will include participatory Zoom workshops for Ottawa Valley step dancing with April Verch and bluegrass banjo with BB Bowness. The live stream can also be watched on True North's Facebook.

© Richard Hawkins

Gold Tone's OB-3 'Twanger' test-driven

In October 2019 the BIB reported on a new banjo model from the Gold Tone Music Group - the OB-3 'Twanger', which has since received the designation 'Mastertone' (see the BIB for 22 July 2020) and represents the top of Gold Tone's bluegrass banjo range.

Gold Tone now announce that Gabe Hirshfeld, banjo player with Boston's Lonely Heartstring Band, has made a YouTube video in which he puts the OB-3 through its paces, and a further video in which he compares the OB-3 directly with a pre-war Gibson RB-3, #9580-4.

© Richard Hawkins

Tim O'Brien releases He walked on

Thanks to No Depression magazine for news of He walked on, the latest album from Tim O'Brien (USA), which is reviewed for No Depression by Mike Elliott: 'Tim O’Brien searches for humanity and connection on "He walked on"’. Two videos are included of tracks from the album; all thirteen tracks can be heard on the Tim O'Brien YouTube channel.

© Richard Hawkins

Calling 'The Counsellor'

The BIB editor writes:

Rhiannon Giddens was interviewed on Deering Live five months ago. I missed seeing the live stream, but can recommend watching the whole hour on YouTube. Giddens was speaking from Ireland, which brought favourable comments from contributors to the live chatroom. One contributor, based in Ireland and identified only as 'The Counsellor', wrote in:

ask her is there a bluegrass community in Ireland I can't find them anywhere I need to find my tribe

Rhiannon Giddens had no opportunity to answer this question; and it seems unlikely that any BIB reader will know who The Counsellor may be. We can only regret that he or she has lost out on the last thirty years, for most of which there have been at least three annual bluegrass festivals in this island, and innumerable smaller events, tours, concerts, and gigs. The good news for The Counsellor is that the tribe is here!

© Richard Hawkins

Midnight Run, the Andrea Roberts Agency, and the Station Inn

Seth Mulder & Midnight Run of Tennessee were among the last US bluegrass visitors to tour Ireland before the pandemic struck; a highlight of their tour (organised by John Nyhan) was the powerful performances they delivered at the Shannonside Winter Music Festival in January 2020. The photo above, taken at the set they played in the Main Guard of Bunratty Castle, Co. Clare, has since then been the cover photo of the band's Facebook.

The latest news about them on Bluegrass Today is that they have signed up with the Andrea Roberts Agency of Murfreesboro, TN, for exclusive booking representation. This puts them in the same stable with the A-list Grascals - and it also links up to one member of a particular US band that began coming to Ireland a quarter-century ago.

Andrea Roberts had a distinguished career as a musician with some of the biggest names in bluegrass before becoming a booking agent. The image above shows Andrea as bassist of the Special Consensus when they toured Ireland with what was then their latest album, Our little town (1998). Also shown: Greg Cahill (banjo), Colby Maddox (mandolin), Chris Walz (guitar).

Seth Mulder & Midnight Run will also be playing live at the Station Inn, Nashville, TN, this coming Saturday (26 June) at 8.00 p.m. Nashville time. The show will be streamed live on Station Inn TV, which broadcast this year's online Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival (11-13 June). Tickets for the show are now on sale here.

© Richard Hawkins

Wes Corbett on Deering Live TONIGHT

The Deering Banjo Company announce that the featured artist on Deering Live tonight will be Wes Corbett, formerly instructor at Boston's Berklee College of Music, and banjo-player for the Sam Bush Band. As usual, the interview will begin at 11.00 p.m. Irish time, and can also be watched on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

We Banjo 3: 'Light of summer' tomorrow night (24 June 2021)

Galway's We Banjo 3, originators of 'Celtgrass', send a reminder that their live streaming 'Light of summer' event will take place tomorrow (24 June). Tickets and merchandise bundles can be bought here. Each ticket purchase includes on-demand streaming access for seven days after the event. A new item of merchamdise is the 750ml WB3 Sunflower Bottle.

© Richard Hawkins

Official video released for Greg Blake single

On 18 Feb. the BIB relayed the news that 'People, places, and songs', the new single by Greg Blake (USA) on Turnberry Records, had been released to radio. Greg is well known over here from his tours (organised by John Nyhan) as guitarist and lead singer with Jeff Scroggins & Colorado, as a bandleader, and as a solo artist. Since then, he has joined the Special Consensus as replacement for Rick Faris, and appears in the lead photos on the band's website and Facebook.

Turnberry Records now announce that Greg has released the official video of 'People, places, and songs', which is the title track from his forthcoming album. The song was written by Dawn Kenney and David Morris; assisting Greg on the recording are Jesse Brock (mandolin), Jacob Metz (resophonic guitar), Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Claire Lynch (harmony vocal), and Mark Schatz (bass, banjo, harmony vocal). The video can be seen on Turnberry's e-newsletter or on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

Rotterdam and Čáslav

Following on from the BIB post of 4 May, we learn from John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today that the Kito Events Foundation, organisers of the big Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival in the Netherlands, have kept their promise to provide a substitute for the live festival that should have taken place this coming weekend (25-27th June).

The Foundation is issuing Pickin', hammerin', & hollerin', a limited edition album with nineteen tracks of the best recordings from the past nine years at Rotterdam. It is available up to 27 June, in three formats: CD (€12.50), LP (€29.95), and as part of a €65.43 bundle comprising CD, LP, and 'much more damn good Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival stuff'. In addition, over this weekend three live-stream concerts will be shown, on successive days at 8.00 p.m.:

• Fri. 25th: Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley
• Sat. 26th: Henhouse Prowlers
• Sun. 27th: Delaney Davidson

*

This year's Banjo Jamboree at Čáslav in the Czech Republic - the oldest bluegrass festival in Europe took place last weekend (18-19 June), with stringent safety precautions as required by health authorities. Twenty-two bands are shown on the lineup - some of the cream of the well established bluegrass scene in central Europe.

© Richard Hawkins

The scene begins to reopen in Britain

The latest issue (no. 94, summer 2021) of British Bluegrass News (BBN), journal of the British Bluegrass Music Asociation, maintains its high standard of presentation and solid content. The cover story, 'A bluegrass girl in a folky world' is Abbey Thomas's account of playing bluegrass for a degree in folk music at Leeds Conservatoire.

The many other features include Chris Courogen on the US group Gangstagrass; French maestro Francois Vola on Tony Rice, his 1935 D-28, and his playing; an obituary of banjoist Roger Blackbourn (72) of the band Monroe's Revenge; a review of the EP Put all your troubles away from The Foreign Landers; and the Gospel Corner, featuring Gillian Welch's 'Orphan girl'. Jack Baker's 'Tab Corner' feature gives tabs of Bill Monroe's 'Old Daingerfield' for banjo, fiddle, and mandolin, together with details of how Monroe's original compositions evolved over time.

There are also indications of the revival of live music in Britain. Maria Wallace of the True North Music agency is presenting a 'Streaming across the Sea' online festival next month (4 and 10 July) on the agency's YouTube channel, but later in July the Battlefield Bluegrass Festival is to be held in Northamptonshire, and a month later the Banjo in the Holler gathering in Surrey. The big news is that the 25th Sore Fingers Summer School, Europe's leading organisation for bluegrass and old-time music camps, has now been rescheduled for the week Sunday 24 to Thursday 28 October 2021. Full details of tutors and courses are given here.

Guitarist Hubert Murray of Tullamore appears again in BBN's list of music teachers, and his Hot Rock Pilgrims band is on the page of band and media members, together with Navan's Pilgrim St.

© Richard Hawkins

Memories, and more

The BIB editor writes:

BIB readers are aware that in the first months of this year the bluegrass and old-time music scenes in this island lost two of their most outstanding and irreplaceable members: Mel Corry (56) of Lurgan, Co. Armagh, who died of Covid-19 on 13 January; and George 'Geordie' McAdam (82) of Bangor, Co. Down, who died of cancer on 28 February. For the further material presented here, I am very grateful to two fine musicians who were for many years close friends and musical partners, respectively, of Mel and Geordie.

Thanks to Sean McKerr for this evocative photo of Mel (above). To the tributes to Mel noted or posted on the BIB in January, Micheal McKenna's article 'Shock and sadness at passing of tireless trade unionist and talented musician Mel Corry', posted on the Armaghi website the day after Mel's death, can be added.

Thanks to Wilson Davies for a copy of Julie Waters' full-page article 'Geordie McAdam, the local man who lived for his music', published on Thursday 18 March on page 22 of the Newtownards Chronicle & Co. Down Observer. This contains more factual detail about Geordie's life than any other printed source I have yet seen, together with a stunning photo of him in youth, with shades, biker jacket, and quiff.

That photo, unfortunately, is not in the Chronicle archive; but the recent main photo accompanying the article, showing Geordie with a ukulele he had built, can be seen, and a copy bought, here and here. I wish the whole article could be read on line; but copies of the paper may be obtainable by applying to the Chronicle editor at editor@ardschronicle.co.uk.

© Richard Hawkins

An important new history of old-time music

Thanks to Oldtime Central (OTC) for news of Tony Russell's new book Rural rhythm: the story of old-time country music in 78 records, published by Oxford University Press on 27 May, and reviewed on OTC by fiddler and scholar Harry Bolick on 20 May.

In 352 pages, with 268 illustrations, this is an immensely informative (and entertaining) study of all aspects of old-time music as it was recorded up to 1940. Russell writes in his introduction:

Fine work has been done on songs about coal mines, railroads, and textile mills. But the subjects and meanings of early country music as it is represented on record are immensely varied, and many have passed without commentary. In this book, I identify some of those subjects and meanings, and explore what they tell us about the musicians who expressed them, the listeners who absorbed them, and the development of the genre, old-time music, in which they found a home. So too with the context: I look at the circumstances in which these songs and tunes were recorded, the intentions and interventions of the companies that commissioned those recordings, and their fates after they were issued.

Briefly, this is a book which should be read by everyone seriously interested in old-time music and where it comes from. The contents are listed on the OUP website. Oxford's price is £22.99 for the hardback edition; it is also available as an e-book. The price on Amazon.co.uk is £21.84 for hardback, which however is currently out of stock; the Kindle edition (£18.85) is available now. The Book Depository's euro price is €35.71.

© Richard Hawkins

JigJam release new single 'Jolene'

JigJam (above), originators of 'I-Grass', announce the release of their new single, 'Jolene'. Links to all streaming channels - Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and Amazon - for purchase can be found here. The band will soon be setting out their US summer tour dates and EU winter tour dates, together with more music and 'big announcements', and gratefully acknowledge the continual support of Take2 Promotions and Culture Ireland.

© Richard Hawkins

Greg Cahill in shorts

Short videos, that is: Deering Banjos announce that short excerpts from last week's interview with the founder and leader of the Special Consensus (which can be seen in its entirety on YouTube) can also be viewed on this web page.

At present there are four of these shorts, under the titles 'Beginnings', 'On the road again', 'Proper preparation', and 'Five string instrumentals', each of which can also be viewed on Deering's YouTube channel. Deering also provide a link to details of the low-tuned Julia Belle model banjo, which Greg used during much of the interview.

© Richard Hawkins

Two minor notes on Westport 2021

The BIB editor writes:

This year's Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival began a week ago today. Among everything there was to enjoy, the BIB congratulates in particular the Festival organising team and the Town Hall Theatre at Westport for the quality of sound, lighting, and camera work. A prominent role was played by the Festival's own 'Edwina' model microphone, made by Ear Trumpet Labs and bought in 2019, as Uri Kohen, the Festival's director, has described on Facebook.

One happy slip of the tongue came at the end of Saturday night's concert. C.J. Lewandowski, mandolin player and spokesperson of the Po' Ramblin' Boys (USA), expressed their thanks to the Festival and its director, whom he named at first as 'Uri Geller'. In view of Uri Kohen's other achievements, it wouldn't be surprising if he could bend spoons as well.

© Richard Hawkins

Happy birthday, André Dal! Beyond the Tagus River release today

In April the BIB reported that André Dal, the prime mover of bluegrass music in Portugal, had launched a Crowdfunding campaign for his long-awaited solo album Beyond the Tagus River. The campaign achieved its target within two weeks; and the album is released today (Thurs. 17 June), which is also André's birthday.

In April the launch of the funding campaign was marked by John Lawless in a Bluegrass Today feature that included a descriptive video and outlined the background to the album (shown in more detail in Tom Nechville's article and interview in the Dec. 2018 Banjo News Letter, 'Andre Dal: persistance and adaptation in adversity'). André was also interviewed on Lynne Nash's 'Bands in the boudoir' podcast on Buzzsprout.

In the May 2021 issue of Banjo News Letter Tony Trischka called the album

a fantastic project, worthy of many repeated listenings [...] a global potpourri of acoustic excellence.

This alludes to the sixteen musicians from ten different countries who took part - including Reuben Agnew, guitarist of Co. Armagh's Cup O' Joe. Each of them is described, together with a photo, in the attractive twelve-page full-colour booklet accompanying the album.

Two singles are already on YouTube: the title track 'Beyond the Tagus River' and Dal's breakdown'. The complete album can be heard on CDBaby's Hearnow.com website, with links to other digital platforms (such as Spotify) for purchase.

© Richard Hawkins

News of past visitors (and an almost-visitor)

Congratulations to Aaron Jonah Lewis of the multi-instrumentalist trio the Corn Potato String Band, and Grace van 't Hof, banjoist with Chris Jones & the Night Drivers. They were married last Friday (11 June), as reported on Bluegrass Today. Aaron has toured Ireland several times with the Corn Potatoes; Grace had just become a Night Driver at the time of their 2019 visit to Ireland, but Gina Furtado, the band's banjo-player for the previous four years, stayed with them for the tour.

*

Gina Furtado and her band, the Gina Furtado Project, recently released 'Kansas City railroad blues' as a single. Among other treatments of the tune, solo banjo versions have been recorded by Butch Robins and Russ Carson. All are a good deal faster than the 1927 recording 'K.C. railroad blues' by Andrew and Jim Baxter.

*

John Nyhan arranged several tours in Ireland for Boston's Mile Twelve in previous years, so many will have seen their bass-player Nate Sabat. He has now produced an instruction book for beginning bassists, Dirt simple upright bass, published by Mel Bay at $14.99 for book with fifty online audio recordings; an e-book version is $5 less. More details are on the Mel Bay website and in John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today.

*

In his latest e-newsletter, Michael J. Miles, master of eclectic clawhammer banjo, reports that his project Mississippi River suite reached the rank of #9 on national folk charts.

*

Nu-Blu from Siler City, NC, who were on tour here in October 2019 in a trio configuration, are delighted to be back on the road again in the US with a busy touring schedule. Their new virtual album Where you've been can be pre-ordered from their website, and they have an 'Encounter Ireland' trip announced for this year.

*

Back in October the BIB reported on Lorraine Jordan of North Carolina - leader of her band Carolina Road - who visited Ireland three years ago and played at the 2017 Ardara Bluegrass Festival and other venues with the Garrett Newton Band. We mentioned then that she is known as one of the most business-focused people in bluegrass, citing John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today, which featured her musical coffee house in Garner, NC. She responded to Covid restrictions by expanding the coffee house into a café, which opened in April; see yesterday's feature by Sandy Hatley on Bluegrass Today.

© Richard Hawkins

New old-time tracks from J.P. Harris (USA)

The BIB mentioned on 26 Apr. the news from Hearth Music that J.P. Harris (USA), who played seven dates in Ireland in 2015 with his honky-tonk country band the Tough Choices, will bring out on 25 June Don't you marry no railroad man, a ten-track album of old-time songs with banjo and fiddle, under the name 'JP Harris' Dreadful Wind & Rain', a duo comprising J.P. and his old friend Chance McCoy (Old Crow Medicine Show).

Hearth Music announced a week ago the release of 'House carpenter', a new single from the album. The official audio can be heard on YouTube. The Fretboard Journal has also released on its website the video premiere of another track from the album, 'Mole in the ground', which can now be seen on YouTube. The album, in either CD or LP format, can be pre-ordered here for $15.

© Richard Hawkins

'Black Rock City' by Jesse Brock

Since late last year the BIB has been reporting on releases on the Sound Biscuit label by mandolin maestro Jesse Brock (who is now a member of Fast Track) from his forthcoming album. More details are on his own website.

Sound Biscuit now announce a new single by Jesse of the Mark Brinkman and Aaron Bibelhauser song 'Black Rock City' - a title that will resonate with residents of Dublin, Cork, and Kilkenny. The release was last Friday (11 June). Following Jesse's aim of having top-flight musicians on the project, those taking part include Greg Blake (guitar), Russ Carson (banjo), Josh Swift (dobro), and Barry Reed (bass), with Jason Carter singing baritone. More detail is on the Sound Biscuit press release. The recording can be heard on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival 2021 begins TONIGHT

A reminder that this year's three-day Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, streamed on the Station Inn TV channel - yes, the Nashville TN Station Inn, the world centre for live bluegrass music throughout the year - begins TONIGHT.

One concert is held each night, starting at 8.00 p.m. (Irish time), each featuring four or five acts. All concerts are pay-per-view; tickets are available for each individual night at €10, or all three nights at €25. For tickets and more festival information, visit the festival's website, http://westportfolkbluegrass.com/.

The concert programme for each night is shown on the image below.

© Richard Hawkins

Greg Cahill on Deering Live TONIGHT - 11.00 p.m. Thurs. 10 June

The BIB editor writes:

The Deering Banjo Company announce that the featured artist interviewed on Deering Live tonight (Thurs. 10 June) will be Greg Cahill, founder and leader of the Special Consensus for over forty-five years. I've given prominence to the image above because of the unique relationship with Ireland that Greg and the band have established from their first visit in 1995, through the many tours they have since made (thanks to Nigel Martyn of Belfast). In addition, it's a good photo of Greg! (Note, by the way, the tuner clipped to the strap. Yes, it works.)

The interview will be shown on Deering Live and on YouTube from 11.00 p.m. (Irish time). A basic (but necessarily extensive) list of Greg's achievements is in the bio section of the Special C. website. He was interviewed by Scott Anderson for Banjo News Letter in 2009 and by Richard Thompson for Bluegrass Today in 2018. Deering say of tonight's interview: 'This will be a fun one!'

© Richard Hawkins

Chris Thile interviewed on BGS - and more

The BIB posted news two days ago of Chris Thile, chosen as Artist of the Month for June by the Bluegrass Situation (BGS) online magazine, and the BGS feature about his latest Nonesuch album, Laysongs. The BGS has since added an interview with Thile by Dacey Orr Sivewright in two parts, 'Chris Thile considers his community and Christian upbringing in "Laysongs"' and 'For Chris Thile, instrumental music excels in the cracks of language'. Both parts include videos of songs from the album, and photos by Josh Goleman.

*

The BGS also published last week a feature by Jonny Therrien, 'In a hypnotic video, Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrissi add life to 'O Death"'. The video can also be seen on YouTube. A recording by Bessie Jones from the Georgia Sea Islands (an example can be heard here) prompted the way Giddens sings 'O Death'; the visual aspect of the video is a 'crankie roll', a continual stream of images painted by Maeve Clancy. BIB readers may have seen 'crankies' as part of performances by Anna (Roberts-Gevalt) & Elizabeth (LaPrelle).

© Richard Hawkins

Shall we hope from Tony Trischka

Tabitha Benedict contributes to Bluegrass Today a comprehensive overview and track-by-track assessment of Shall we hope, the latest recorded project from Tony Trischka. It's an ambitious and visionary project, aimed at conveying or representing the experiences of people caught up in the American civil war, through music (mostly newly composed) and readings from contemporary or later writers. Its scope is varied and wide-ranging, and Benedict's meticulous appraisal comes down warmly in favour. Half-minute samples of the eighteen tracks can be heard on a player at the end of the review.

© Richard Hawkins

Change and tradition in Appalachia

The Bitter Southerner online magazine publishes today 'The Mountain Traditions Project', a report by Michael O. Snyder on the project he is conducting to document the experiences of the diversity of people who live in Appalachia and their varied responses to change. So far, nearly sixty individuals have been consulted; extracts from the stories of thirty or so of them (all with photographs) are in the article, and more can be heard on the project's podcast.

The informants, who come from many aspects of life in Appalachia, include Amy Lough, ballad singer and dulcimer player; the Mountain Anthems, a shape-note-singing congregation; Slim Harrison, dance caller; and the Rev. Frankie Revell, banjo-player, who says:

... everything good that's ever happened in my life has happened as a result of the banjo. I think it's just a part of my calling; I'm going to preach, and I'm going to pick.

He also says, however, 'I don't know why we closely guard these traditions. For me, it's another thing that hurts us.' The photo of his instrument collection is well worth seeing in itself.

Update 7 Sept.: The Bitter Southerner has reissued this article, without Frankie Revell's last quoted words, whioh may have seemed out of harmony with the purpose of the Mountain Traditions Project.

© Richard Hawkins

Westport headliners to take the IBMA WOB stage

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announces that tickets for this year's IBMA World Of Bluegrass, 'the most important week in bluegrass', will go on sale today (8 June) to IBMA members, and a week later (15 June) to the general public. More information is on the IBMA Facebook and press release and on Bluegrass Today.

World Of Bluegrass 2021 returns to the host city of Raleigh, NC, as an in-person event over five days (28 Sept.-2 Oct.), with a virtual component and adjustments to meet contemporary health and safety guidelines. The final two days are devoted to the IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival, headed by many of the biggest names in bluegrass music. One of the headline acts that will be particularly significant for BIB readers is the Po' Ramblin' Boys, who as part of this year's Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival will top the bill at the online concert this coming Saturday (12 June) (see the BIB for 1 June).

© Richard Hawkins

Tony Rice, 1951-2020

David Anthony 'Tony' Rice, who died on Christmas day last year, was born seventy years ago today (8 June 1951). Much has since been published about him, on the internet and elsewhere, some of which has been mentioned on the BIB earlier this year. The image above shows a Santa Cruz Tony Rice Professional guitar.

Update: Thanks to the IBMA Facebook for a reminder that Tony Rice's early hero and mentor, Clarence White, was born seven years and one day earlier - 7 June 1944.

© Richard Hawkins

From the BGS: Chris Thile's Laysongs, the Foreign Landers

Chris Thile is chosen as Artist of the Month for June by the Bluegrass Situation (BGS) online magazine. The BGS staff provide a feature focused on Thile's latest Nonesuch album, Laysongs, incorporating the official video (also on YouTube) of 'Laysong' from the album, and adding 'The essential Chris Thile playlist' with thirty-seven tracks from his previous recordings. More detail on the album is on Chris Thile's website.

*

Also on the BGS, Tabitha Benedict contributes 'Mixtape: the Foreign Landers' transatlantic story', listing thirteen songs that are favourites of herself and her husband David Benedict, who form the duo The Foreign Landers. The songs can be heard on a playlist at the end of the feature, which also contains three videos of songs performaed by the Foreign Landers.

Update 8 June: Spiritual and religious themes are dealt with at greater length on No Depression by Henry Carrigan in his 'On "Laysongs", Chris Thile explores community and communion'.

© Richard Hawkins

We Banjo 3 to tour with Infamous Stringdusters, Oct. 2021

Enda Scahill of Galway's We Banjo 3 announces in the band's latest e-newsletter that they are looking forward to playing four dates in the USA this coming autumn (20 to 23 Oct. inclusive) together with the Infamous Stringdusters. Tickets are already on sale for this tour.

We Banjo 3 are bracing themselves for the experience of resuming live shows and touring, and look forward also to the support of their fans. Meanwhile, tickets are on sale for their live streaming 'Light of summer' event on 24 June. More details are in the e-newsletter.

© Richard Hawkins

Mike O'Reilly

The BIB editor writes:

I learn with great regret of the death from liver cancer of Mike O'Reilly of Ottawa, Canada, on Tuesday last (1 June) at the age of 76.

When Carol and I first went to the USA in 1996, Mike was the first bluegrass person we met there, and we could not have wanted a friendlier reception. Together with Dick Smith, a fine banjo-player from Virginia, Mike led a successful and entertaining bluegrass band that toured Ireland some years back. His long career is set out in Richard Thompson's feature on Bluegrass Today, and in this page, posted four months ago on the website of the Country Music Association of Ontario.

© Richard Hawkins

Mules & Men release A tribute to Johnnie Whisnant

More good news from Mules & Men, who send this press release:

Mules & Men, the Dublin-based bluegrass band, have just released a new record, and this one is a minor detour from what we've heard so far. Titled A tribute to Johnnie Whisnant (and other bluegrass legends), the band have recorded this with a traditional sentiment as a nod to masters of the past.

This deviates considerably from their debut album, Thinking sideways, and follow-up Roscommon County Line, which mostly contain self-penned songs and tunes and feature a progressive, experimental approach.

Songs from Buzz Busby, Joe Val, Benny & Vallie Cain, and plenty others have made the cut on this comprehensive 20-track record. But it's not all cover songs either. Several new compositions have been featured such as 'New girl', 'On my hunkers', and 'M50 Breakdown'. These sit just as easily alongside the old standards as in a modern-day jam setting.

Featuring the usual quartet of Luke Coffey (banjo), Lily Sheehan (guitar), Paddy Cummins (mandolin), and Niall Hughes (bass, guitar), they are joined for a guest appearance by Danielle Titley of the French Jack Danielle's String Band.

Mules & Men are looking forward to getting back to gigging as society slowly opens up again and they will be playing at Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival on 28 and 29 August. As always, they are available for all kinds of bookings: concerts, festivals, weddings, golf tours, swimming galas, gender reveal parties... you get the idea.

A tribute to Johnnie Whisnant (and other bluegrass legends) is available now on all major digital distribution platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

A Patrick Cummins-penned song, 'On my hunkers', has been released with an accompanying music video alongside the album release.

'On my hunkers' video; Spotify; Apple Music

The original cover of Rebel R-SLP-1484 (1969): (l-r) Paul Cain (bass), Benny Cain (mandolin), Johnnie Whisnant (banjo), Vallie Cain (guitar)

John Hartford, 1937-2001

John Hartford, one of the most influential, wide-ranging, and well-liked musicians of his generation in bluegrass and related music, died twenty years ago today. He made his first recordings as a bluegrass banjo-player, composed one of the most successful popular songs ever recorded ('Gentle on my mind'), qualified as a riverboat pilot, was featured in Trischka & Wernick, Masters of the 5-string banjo, has been proposed as a progenitor of 'newgrass' music, resurrected the music of the legendary old-time fiddler Ed Haley, and was a prolific composer of fiddle tunes. All this gives only a very bare idea of his career. He was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2010.

Today Mountain Home Music releases 'Cumberland River shore', a new single by the Lonesome River Band, written by Billy Smith and Matt Combs as a tribute to John Hartford. You can hear the recording, together with details on the release, on Bluegrass Today. The artwork (right) incorporates the outline of the hat that became Hartford's trademark as a solo performer.

© Richard Hawkins

JigJam on Deering Live at 8.00 p.m. TONIGHT

Deering Banjos announce that JigJam, originators of I-Grass, will be featured and interviewed on Deering Live at 8.00 p.m. tonight (note the earlier-than-usual time). The interview can also be watched on YouTube.

Galway's We Banjo 3, originators of Celtgrass, appeared on Deering Live three weeks ago; their full 46-minute interview can be seen here. In addition, there are several short excerpts from it on the Deering YouTube channel, which has similar shorts from other interviewed artists (e.g. Bruce Molsky).

© Richard Hawkins

César Benzoni - how to sing harmony in bluegrass and country music (update)

Thanks to César Benzoni (left; see the BIB for 6 Apr. and 21 Apr.), who sends this news from Galway:

I'm putting a series of videos on my YouTube channel on how to sing harmonies, and I'm trying to find a sweet spot in being bluegrass but also country music, to get a wider range of people.

This is number one, and this is the full performance of the song mentioned in the lesson ['I don't believe you've met my baby', as sung by the Louvin Brothers].

BIB editor's note: César's first video, twelve minutes long, deals with the fundamentals of harmony, and demonstrates duet singing with 'I don't believe you've met my baby' and 'When I stop dreaming', ending with an opportunity for the viewer to sing both parts of the first of these.

His skill as a video editor makes it possible to show him accompanying himself, and this is taken a stage further in the shorter second video, where two Césars perform the duet with guitar and mandolin. The following videos on trio and quartet harmony should be equally well worth watching.

Update 8 June: César has now added the third video in the series, on three-part harmony, to his YouTube channel. Eight minutes long, it can be seen here. The song 'Cool water' is used for examples.

© Richard Hawkins

High-quality open-back banjos for sale - and raffle

FOAOTMAD, the UK's organisation for old-time music and dance, announces on its news blog today that several high-quality open-back banjos, vintage and new-build alike, are offered for sale. Stu Weetman (for photos and info, e-mail) has

• a banjo built (c.1910?) by Alfred Weaver (1857-1939) and fully restored by Dave Stacey, £500, with quality gig bag;
• a Bart Reiter Standard fretless model, with side dots added by Dave Stacey, £600 with hard shell case.

James Bowen of Griffin Banjos (for photos and info, e-mail) has

• a Griffin 'Titania', 12" pot, 100-year-old mahogany, unique titanium Whyte Laydie tone ring, £1575. 
• a Griffin 'Thunderballs', 11" pot, hard maple, brass tone ring. £1375.

The FOAOTMAD blog also carries announcements of several old-time events to be held in Britain during the latter half of 2021. The organisers of the Sweet Sunny South festival in Sussex, England, have decided to hold the event live on 10-12 Sept. 2021. Full details are on the website and the FOAOTMAD blog. Note that each all-inclusive ticket automatically enters the buyer into a raffle for an Islander Ash Leaf open-back banjo. The raffle will be drawn even if, for whatever reason, the festival does not take place.

© Richard Hawkins

Tickets for the 15th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival (11-13 June 2021)

Thanks to Uri Kohen and his organising team at Westport, Co. Mayo, for the following details on tickets for this year's Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, now only ten days away:

As reported before [see the BIB for 15 May], the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival will stream on line via the Station Inn TV platform. There will be one concert each night, starting at 8.00 p.m. (Irish time) and each will feature four or five acts.

All the concerts are pay-per-view; tickets are available for each individual night at €10, or all three nights at €25. For tickets and more festival information, please visit the festival's website, http://westportfolkbluegrass.com/.

BIB editor's note: The four images below are only representations of the links used for ticket purchase; the real things are on the Festival website.


© Richard Hawkins

More on the Tullamore session

With reference to the BIB post of 26 May, we hope Eibhlin is reading this. Hubert Murray - who along with Dave Hawkins originated the Tullamore monthly session that had just got off to a good start when Covid restrictions began - tells us that as yet there are no plans to restart the session, but it would be nice to link in with Eibhlin and other pickers who would be interested. Hubert can be contacted by e-mail or through his website.

© Richard Hawkins

Red Wine (I) to headline La Roche 2021

Our old friends of Red Wine (above) - premier bluegrass band of Italy and in the front rank of bluegrass in Europe - will top the bill at this year's La Roche Bluegrass Festival, to be held on 30 July-1 August in Haute Savoie, on the edge of the French Alps.

La Roche is the biggest European bluegrass festival; with free admission and impressive international lineups, it provides a showcase for the best bluegrass talent from all over Europe. Presenting such a festival in the face of changing Covid restrictions has been especially challenging for the organising team, but the programme on the festival website shows the thought and effort that has gone into putting live high-grade bluegrass on stage with due concern for artists and audiences.

Videos of past performances at La Roche can now be seen on the festival's YouTube channel. Christopher Howard-Williams, head of the organising team, received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the IBMA in 2018.

© Richard Hawkins