More news from past visitors

Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers announce that their merchandise now includes some new items: a 'Joe Cool' T-shirt pattern, the Country faith bluegrass compilation album by A-list artists, plus a free hand sanitiser with every purchase. Plus, you can book to ride in the same bus with the band on a five-day tour from Nashville to Branson, MO, in early April 2022. Full details are in their latest e-newsletter.

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Becky Buller, who toured Ireland earlier this century as a member of Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, released The Christmas 45 last Friday (26 Nov.), comprising two new holiday tracks: 'The box' (which she co-wrote with April Verch) and 'Mary rocked her baby', featuring the Fairfield Four. More details, and photos, are on the Dark Shadow Recording press release.

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Things she couldn't get over, the latest album by Dale Ann Bradley, is reviewed highly favourably by John Curtis Goad on Bluegrass Today. All ten tracks can be heard on Apple Music, and 30-second samples of all of them are in a playlist at the end of the review.

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Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver played their final show at the Station Inn, Nashville, on Saturday night, where David Harvey of Gibson Mandolins (and himself a fine mandolinist) presented the maestro with a new Bill Monroe Hall of Fame Gibson F5 mandolin, worth about $25,000. John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today includes four photos, a video of the presentation, and two performance videos from the evening.

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(Also on the subject of expensive kit, Bluegrass Today features the new Paige Pro capo with Enhanced Tone Innovation. The first into production are for acoustic 6-string guitar, expected to be ready early next year at $230; they can be pre-ordered now for $200. Models for banjo and 12-string guitar will follow. The price reflects a great deal of thought in design, materials, and manufacturing processes.)

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Fred Kosak of the Stillhouse Junkies, who should have toured Ireland eighteen months ago (see the BIB for 20 Nov.), has had a custom Yamaha FG guitar built for him. An interview, in which he gives his detailed requirements for an instrument, can be read here. A video of the Colorado trio in action, with the new guitar, is on YouTube. Thanks to the Bluegrass Situation online magazine for the news.

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Darin and Brooke Aldridge, recent headliners at Omagh, have a new single on Billy Blue Records: 'He's getting me ready', featuring the Oak Ridge Boys gospel quartet. A video of the single (which is on their latest album, This life we're livin') can be seen on Bluegrass Today and YouTube. Powerful singing and picking.

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The '2021 No Depression Guide to Holiday Music That Doesn’t Suck' (sic) includes the albums On this Christmas day by April Verch and Joe Newberry (see the BIB for 3 Nov.) and We Banjo 3's A winter wonderful.

© Richard Hawkins

Remembering Jason Moore

Russ Carson, banjo player with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, has posted today on his YouTube channel a video of a jam session at the IBMA World Of Bluegrass in 2015. The four musicians taking part are Russ himself on banjo, Dustin Benson on guitar and Rick Faris on mandolin (both of whom have toured Ireland with the Special Consensus), and the late Jason Moore on bass. Jason, who died just over a week ago, toured Ireland as a member of Sideline in 2019. Russ Carson writes in his note on the YouTube video:

This is going to be a tough one because I still can not believe that Jason has been taken from us so soon. I traveled to different states and countries with that man playing the best live music imaginable, shared laughs and stories till the sun came up, had many deep conversations full of wisdom and respect... and had some adventures that I’ll treasure until it’s my time to go home.

For Russ's ancestral connections with Ireland, see the BIB for 21 Aug. 2020.

© Richard Hawkins

Good things from BU

The many good things in the 55th newsletter issued by Bluegrass Unlimited magazine include a podcast featuring West Coast bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Laurie Lewis (headliner at the 2003 Omagh festival), together with a fifty-track Spotify playlist taken from her recorded repertoire.

The Archive section includes reprints from 1970-71 of two articles by Gary Henderson on the Bailey Brothers of Tennessee, prominent members of the generation of musicians who were playing bluegrass before it had a name. The fourth instalment in the special series of articles by Dan Miller on the late Bill Emerson is 'Between the Country Gentlemen and Jimmy Martin (1958-62)', which, like the Bailey Brothers articles, gives a detailed picture of the working life of a professional recording and performing musician in the early decades of bluegrass.

BIB editor's note: Among the recordings Bill Emerson made in this stage of his career was the 1962 Prestige album by Harry and Jeanie West, Country music in bluegrass style, on which Harry West's version of 'Sitting on top of the world' has a more complete and coherent text than any other I've heard.

© Richard Hawkins

We Banjo 3: Black Friday discount and 'A Winter Wonderful 2021' tickets (updates)

Galway's We Banjo 3, originators of 'Celtgrass', announce that for today ('Black Friday') only they are offering a discount of 25% on purchases of two or more items from the 'Winter Wonderful' collection of their impressive merchandise catalogue, which includes a calendar for 2022. Their second annual holiday livestream performance will be on 18 December 2021; tickets are now available through their website.

Update 29 Nov.: We Banjo 3 are now offering a 15% Cyber Monday discount, with opportunities through Tuesday to build your own bundle of WB3 merchandise.

Update 1 Dec.: We Banjo 3 began a US tour tonight in Denver, Colorado. See John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today.

© Richard Hawkins

Is there a Tranjo in the island?

The Gold Tone Music Group send Thanksgiving Day greetings (right); the image shows a banjo, but Gold Tone also supply other bluegrass instruments and the accompanying message says 'We are grateful for all of you!', so non-banjoists should not feel excluded.

Gold Tone have also sold (under licence) instruments built to the specifications of other makers (such as Beard resonator guitars). Instruments in this category have included the Tranjo, devised by the Farris Travel Banjo Company of Tennessee.

The BIB editor would be glad to hear from any BIB reader in the island of Ireland who has a Tranjo that they might be willing to part with. The main requirement is that it should be capable of taking the silent practice option kit - that is, any Tranjo model (including the Gold Tone version) except the Tranjo Express III. If you have one (with or without that option), please e-mail the editor, attaching photos of it if possible.

© Richard Hawkins

Live bluegrass returns to Dublin!

Thanks once again to Patrick Simpson (on the left above) of the Bluestack Mountain Boys for this selfie taken at last night's successful relaunch of weekly bluegrass jamming in public in central Dublin - the first in a series of 'Bluegrass Wednesdays'. The venue (Sin É on Ormond Quay) and the jam format (participants take breaks in turn, passing round the circle) are familiar from the pattern set up by the Dublin Bluegrass Collective, as are many of the faces. Patrick will be posting more about the jam on the Bluestack Mountain Boys Facebook.

© Richard Hawkins

We Banjo 3 at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, 18 Mar. 2022

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum announce (links added, and house rules applied, by the BIB):

Join us 18 March 2022 for ROMP Festival favorite We Banjo 3! Debuting in the US in 2012, We Banjo 3 has since emerged as fast-rising touring darlings in the country that two of the members now call home. The Galway, Ireland, and Nashville-based quartet - comprised of two sets of brothers, Enda & Fergal Scahill and Martin & David Howley – continually push musical boundaries while maintaining an unwavering devotion to the essential audience experience.

Doors open at 6.00 pm, concert begins at 7.00 p.m., and bar and concessions will be available. Get your tickets today.

More is on the ticket purchase page. Tickets (VIP seating $45; reserved seating $38) are now on sale.

© Richard Hawkins

Bill Holden, 25 July 1950-15 Nov. 2021

The BIB learns with regret of the death of banjo-player William O'Neal 'Bill' Holden, as reported by Richard Thompson on Bluegrass Today. In the 1970s he was a member of the Country Gentlemen, recording on two of the band's albums on the Rebel label, and later (Sept. 1976-Aug. 1977) a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. In both bands he contributed his own compositions to the repertoire, and YouTube videos of two of his tunes, 'Texas chili' and 'Pinewood Valley', can be seen in the Bluegrass Today feature, which includes a discography. Richard concludes: 'For those who knew him, he will be remembered for his larger-than-life personality as well as his musical talent and a love for the history of bluegrass music.'

BIB editor's note: Michael Corcoran has added to the obituary the following note: 'When Bill Keith joined the BGB in 1963, Mr Monroe renamed him 'Brad' because there could be only one 'Bill' in the BGB. By the time Bill Holden joined the band, however, Monroe’s position had evidently softened. As far as I know, Bill Holden was the only 'Bill' other than Monroe himself in the BGB.'

However, as I wrote on 4 Oct., Keith himself has made it clear that calling him 'Brad' was not imposed in any 'I'm-the-only-Bill-around-here' spirit; Monroe suggested it to him because of possible confusion in the band from having two people with the same first name.

© Richard Hawkins

Dan Eubanks and the Travel Bass

When live gigs return here, bass players will again be faced with the demands of transporting their instrument - quite enough of a challenge even over the distance from the car to the stage, and potentially a nightmare when it comes to flying. Dan Eubanks, well known to bluegrass audiences in Ireland from successive tours with the Special Consensus, reviews in Bluegrass Today the Travel Bass, made in Italy. Dan makes very specific demands of a bass, and his full account of how the Travel Bass meets those demands is well worth reading for all bassists who travel. As can be seen from the image above of the instrument in its case, it is not only compact but elegant, and the Travel Bass website is also a treat for the eyes.

Update 24 Nov.: See also the 'Fold-a-bassist' item in Chris Jones's post on gift ideas in his 'From the side of the road' series.

© Richard Hawkins

Jason Moore, 1974-2021

The BIB learns with regret of the death yesterday (Sun. 21 Nov.) of Jason Moore, bass player and founder member of the powerful North Carolina band Sideline, from a heart attack. Jason toured Ireland with Sideline in the summer of 2019, a tour organised by the mygrassisblue.com team; the photo (right) was taken on 11 July 2019 at the Mullingar Centre, Co. Westmeath, and is taken from Facebook, where the mygrassisblue.com team have posted a moving tribute to him. More tributes and further detail are in David Morris's article on Bluegrass Today, and in a statement released by the Mountain Home Music Company.

© Richard Hawkins

US news - past visitors, almost-visitors, and more

The Colorado trio Stillhouse Junkies (left), who would have toured Ireland in the spring of 2020 but for the pandemic, have joined the artist roster of the Dark Shadow Recording label, which also handles Rick Faris, luthier, songwriter, and former Special Consensus member. More details are on the Dark Shadow press release.

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The next two Zoom lessons in the present season of banjo 'clinics' by Ken Perlman, godfather of 'melodic clawhammer banjo', are on 'Techniques of the great 20th century roots clawhammer banjoists' (6 Dec.) and 'Melodic fingering shapes in double-C and G modal tunings' (10 Jan.). All Ken's previous lessons are available as videos at $25 each from his Encore Collection.

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The Del McCoury Band are releasing today a new single, 'Once again', from the album Almost proud, which is scheduled for release on 18 Feb. 2022 on their own McCoury Music label. More details are on the press release.

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The Mountain Home Music Company announce that Chris Jones & the Night Drivers (right) are releasing today recordings of two traditional songs for the Christmas season, 'In the bleak midwinter' and 'Rise up shepherd and follow'. Guest artists include Chris's singer/ songwriter wife Sally and fiddler, dancer, and bandleader April Verch.

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The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, TN/ VA, will present on 9 Dec. 2021 Radio Bristol's 'Farm and Fun Time' variety show, live from the Museum, featuring the Tim O'Brien Band, the Slocan Ramblers, and house band Bill and the Belles. The show will also stream live on Radio Bristol's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel.

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Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road are releasing today their new twelve-track gospel album I can go to them, featuring the single 'Lessons of the Book'. The album, which includes some powerful a cappella quartet singing, can be bought, downloaded, or streamed here. Full details, including a complete track listing, are on the Pinecastle press release.

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The 54th weekly newsletter from Bluegrass Unlimited magazine includes a 59-track Spotify playlist of original recordings of bluegrass standards, on which Tony Rice and his colleagues based the six Bluegrass Album Band albums.

The newsletter also includes the third instalment of the special series of articles on the late Bill Emerson, covering the founding of the highly influential Country Gentlemen band, which Bill first organised and in which he played banjo for the band's first year (1957-8). One notable feature is a reproduction of a poster for the 18 Aug. 1957 show at Watermelon Park in Berryville, VA, which included 'Charlie Waller & Bill Emerson and the Country Gentlemen'. Immediately after them, the poster lists Eddie Adcock, who would later be banjo-player in the 'classic' Country Gentlemen lineup - though on the poster he appears as 'Norfolk, Virginia's New and Great Rock-'N'-Roll Singer and TV Star'.

© Richard Hawkins

John Bullard on Deering Live, Thurs. 18 Nov. 2021

The Deering Banjo Company announce that this week on Deering Live the featured artist to be interviewed will be John Bullard, with this introduction:

John is a classically trained musician and has published several books including Bach for the banjo. Come listen to him play and share in a transformative revelation: to experience the artistic marriage of banjo and classical music. As always you can ask him questions in the live chat.

The term 'classical banjo' is commonly used to mean the repertoire and performance style of light music published in standard notation for the 5-string banjo from the mid nineteenth century onward, and played without finger picks on open-back instruments. John Bullard plays music written for other instruments by Bach, Handel, Grieg, Schumann, and other composers on a Mastertone-type resonator banjo with finger picks. He was the subject of a two-part interview in Bud Bennett's 'Banjo masters interview' video series. The coming interview can be seen at 10.30 p.m. Irish time on Thursday 18 Nov., on Deering Live or YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

More on the new Béla banjo

Following on from the BIB posts of 10 Sept., 17 Oct., and 5 Nov., Bluegrass Today now carries a feature by John Lawless on the forthcoming Mastertone™ 'Bluegrass Heart' Béla Fleck signature model banjo from the Gold Tone Music Group.

The feature includes two long quoted passages by Marc Horowitz on Béla Fleck's personal prewar Gibson and on the meticulous development of the new banjo, which - like other Gold Tone banjos - is being built in China. There is also a video of it being played by Béla Fleck in concert. The first four off the production line are expected in the USA next week, with a full batch of seventy scheduled for delivery in January.

© Richard Hawkins

Bluegrass of the first decade

The BIB editor writes:

The BIB reported on 5 Nov. that Bluegrass Unlimited magazine had launched a special series of web-based articles on the late Bill Emerson. The second article in the series, 'Bill Emerson, part 2: the early years', written by BU editor Dan Miller, does a fine job of covering Bill's life up to the age of 19, when he had been playing banjo professionally for a year - having previously auditioned unsuccessfully for Bill Monroe.

In association with the series on Emerson, BU's 53rd e-newsletter presents a major article, 'Buzz Busby: a lonesome road' by Rhonda Strickland, originally published in the Nov. 1986 issue of the magazine (vol. 21, no. 5). Bernarr Graham Busbice ('Buzz Busby') gave Bill Emerson his first professional gig, and it was a car crash involving Buzz's band that led to Bill (not Charlie Waller, as stated in the Wikipedia article on Buzz) assembling a scratch band that evolved into the Country Gentlemen. The crash was one of many downs in the ups and downs of Buzz's life, which were a major factor in the emotional power and intensity of his music. Strickland's article (written when Buzz still had seventeen years to live) explains exactly why he deserves to be remembered. It is strongly recommended to any lover of bluegrass music.

The image above comes from the cover of a compilation of Buzz's recordings from 1956-7, including the period when Bill Emerson was playing banjo for him. A Buzz Busby session discography is on Tom Mindte's Patuxent Records website.

© Richard Hawkins

Early music gems for banjo

Many BIB readers who attended the much-missed Johnny Keenan Banjo Festivals will remember Lluís Gómez leading the Barcelona Bluegrass Band, who became regular favourites with the festival's audiences. Lluís has recently brought out Banjo picking tunes: early music gems, published by Mel Bay as a book with online audio ($16.99 for a physical book, $12.99 for an e-book).

It comprises thirty-four tunes taken from medieval and renaissance sources, all arranged in regular open G tuning; read the extract from Jake Schepps's preface that appears on Bluegrass Today, where there is also a brief video of Lluís playing the English tune 'Wilson's wilde'. His other Mel Bay publications in the 'Banjo picking tunes' series include Christmas in the British Isles, a collection of twenty carols.

The vigorous bluegrass and old-time community centred on Barcelona held the twentieth Al Ras Bluegrass & Old Time Festival on 5 November; the report by Michael Luchlan on Bluegrass Today indicates that despite the limitations imposed by Covid restrictions it was vigorous and successful.

© Richard Hawkins

'Plain old country boy' from Fast Track (USA)

The Engelhardt Music Group (EMG) announce the release of a new single today (15 Nov.) from Fact Track, the 'emerging' band of seasoned bluegrass campaigners, of whom Ron Spears (bass, vocals) and Jesse Brock (mandolin, vocals) have both separately performed in Ireland in the past.

The single features the whole band - Ron, Jesse, Duane Sparks (guitar, lead vocals), Dale Perry (banjo, vocals), and Steve Day (fiddle, vocals) - on the song 'Plain old country boy', written by the late Gerald Evans of Traditional Grass. As you would expect from the title, the writer, and the band, this has the vital energy of old-style bluegrass. More details are on the EMG press release.

© Richard Hawkins

'The fighter' - new single from Kyle O'Brien (USA)

Kyle O'Brien of Colorado, the former Hen House Prowler on whom the BIB reported in the post of 19 Aug., announces his new single, 'The fighter', which will be available from 20 November. Kyle writes:

This song tells the story of a young boxer, fighting the odds stacked against him. I’m proud to have Chance McCoy (of Old Crow Medicine Show) produce this track as well as play on it.

A video of 'The fighter' can be seen on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

'Bluegrass Wednesdays!' at Sin É Dublin, starting 24 Nov. 2021

Following last Tuesday's BIB post 'Dublin bluegrass lives!', thanks again to Patrick Simpson for this news:

Dublin Bluegrass Collective will be back in Sin É Dublin from Wednesday 24 November 2021 from 5.00 to 11.30 p.m. for 'Bluegrass Wednesdays!' for the next few weeks. Musicians are welcome with a discounted rate at the bar for Guinness and Heineken. Open Jam Session will be from 6.00 to 11.00 p.m. Stand-up comedy will be on downstairs, with live music on the main stage upstairs. A TIP JAR will be handy for those who feel the need to contribute to our success and well-being! Looking forward to seeing a few there! Jeff Spotify will be on hand, and we hope a few musicians will turn up?! All the best! Love and Rockets...

NB: under present rules, COVID certificates are required. Sin É Dublin is at 14-15 Upper Ormond Quay, Dublin 7.

© Richard Hawkins

Banjos from Dave Stacey; Diversity and the EFDSS

The news blog of FOAOTMAD, the UK old-time music and dance organisation, has several new items of interest, among which are the two unique banjos for sale (see ad above), made by the highly regarded UK luthier Dave Stacey; and a major event this coming Saturday (13 Nov.) at Cecil Sharp House in London, home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS).

The annual Library Conference will this year be devoted to the theme 'Diversity in Folk', with papers being delivered both in person and online, and ranging over a very wide area, as can be seen from the detailed programme. Of special interest to old-time enthusiasts are a talk by Rose Ardron on the Southern Folk Cultural Revival Project - 'an ambitious and controversial initiative in the 1960s to bring black and white musicians together in tours of the South', and a presentation by Brian Peters on 'Racial crosscurrents in Appalachian folk music'.

© Richard Hawkins

Doyle Lawson steps away; award for Michael Cleveland

The BIB reported on 1 July that Doyle Lawson, who brought his band Quicksilver to top the bill at the 2006 Omagh festival, had announced his intention to withdraw from touring at the end of 2022 or early in 2023, after sixty years as a professional bluegrass musician, and over forty as one of the most respected and influential bandleaders in bluegrass history. He was inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2012.

In an interview by Garrett K. Woodward on the Bluegrass Situation, Doyle now announces that he will retire as a bandleader at the end of 2021. It's a good and very quotable interview; he speaks of his early years with Jimmy Martin and J.D. Crowe, the decision to go full-time, the responsibilities of a bandleader, his friendship with Tony Rice - 'one of the most dedicated men to his craft that I’ve ever met' - and much more, ending with his decision 'to step away when I’m still happy with what I just did'.

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Michael Cleveland, who has played more than once at Omagh and topped the bill there with his band Flamekeeper, recently received the Governor's Arts Award of the state of Indiana; see John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today, with four videos from different times in Michael's career, starting at the age of 9. He was about 13 when he played on the IBMA stage as one of the Bluegrass Youth All-Stars (the concept, like many other things, originated with Pete Wernick), and in the video the excitement of the audience is palpable.

© Richard Hawkins

Mike Munford on Deering Live TONIGHT (11 Nov. 2021)

The Deering Banjo Company announce that this week on Deering Live, the featured artist to be interviewed will be Mike Munford, with this introduction:

Mike is a past IBMA Banjo Player of the Year winner and currently plays with the Grammy-nominated band Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen. Besides being one of the top banjoists on the scene today, Mike is also a very highly regarded banjo setup technician. Don't miss this episode and be sure to come armed with your bluegrass banjo or banjo setup questions that you can post in the live chat!

The interview, at 11.00 p.m. Irish time, can be viewed on Deering Live and YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

More US news - mostly about past visitors (updates)

Dale Ann Bradley (right), five times IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, and headliner at several past Omagh festivals, recently released a video of the Jill Gilliam song 'In the end', which can be seen and heard on YouTube and in John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today. It's a moving performance, especially with Lawless's account of how the song came to be recorded.

One of the accompanying musicians in the video is guitar wizard Jim Hurst, who last played in Ireland two years ago. Jim has recently released a new single, the song 'Back to the one', written by himself and Jack Shannon, and with Dale Ann Bradley singing harmony. The single is from his forthcoming album From the ground up, due for release next year. More details, including links to streaming, are on the Pinecastle Records press release.

Update 12 Nov.: 'Back to the one' is now featured by John Lawless on Bluegrass Today, with an audio of the song.

Dark Shadow Recording announces that The next mountain, the new twelve-track album by Rick Faris (left; see the BIB for 26 Oct.), is now out and available on all digital platforms. More details are on the Dark Shadow press release. NB: the link we give for Rick is to his Facebook, not the old website address used in the press release.

The Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC, presents a diverse programme of events and resources, including podcasts which should be of interest to BIB readers. In 'The breakdown' on 15 Nov., fiddler Patrick McGonigle and music journalist Emma John (see the BIB for 4 Jan.) deal with Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall for 52 minutes in their series on iconic bluegrass recordings. Similarly, Sandy Carlton, in his podcast 'Big sound, small town', interviews local banjo-player Dean Jenks, from Earl Scruggs's home town, who knew Earl and learned from his brother Horace Scruggs.

Like Rafe Stefanini from Italy, fiddler George Jackson from New Zealand is a musician from a long way outside the USA and now based there, who has become a recognised master of American traditional music. His new album Hair & hide comprises fourteen duets with seven banjo-players from old-time and bluegrass. Matt Ruppert reviews the album on the No Depression website, including two videos of duets on tunes from the album. These, and more tunes from Hair & hide, can also be seen on George Jackson's YouTube channel.

Update 12 Nov.: George Jackson has just won the DC Bluegrass Union's 2021 Mike Auldridge Instrumental Contest with his fiddle-and-banjo tune 'Neighbour Mike', which can be heard on Bluegrass Today.

Finally, No Depression magazine has launched its year-end fundraising campaign, aiming to reach $20,000 by Thanksgiving (Thurs. 25 Nov.). Four days ago the campaign had raised 56% of the target sum. You can help No Depression by taking out a subscription or making a donation.

© Richard Hawkins

A neat arrangement

The BIB editor writes:

Thanks again to Bluegrass Today for the news that the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, Massachussetts, centre of live bluegrass activity in the Boston area for many years, is resuming weekly bluegrass shows and jam sessions, with improved facilities, after closure during the pandemic. The Grand Reopening Party is scheduled for Tuesday 7 December. 'Bluegrass Tuesdays' are being organised by musician Tony Watt, who is quoted as saying:

As in the past, Bluegrass Tuesdays at the Cantab will consist of three different groups playing music upstairs, as well as all-night jamming downstairs.

When Carol and I were taken there by our Boston host in 2002, the Cantab had a different programme: the evening began with an open jam of up to an hour, with between ten and twenty assorted pickers. This was followed by an onstage set by the house band using a sound system, and then by two sets from the guest band who headed the bill. This struck us as a neat arrangement, giving participation time to pickers on different levels. The later system described by Tony Watt, however, certainly caters both for those whose main interest is in jamming, and for those who want to spend the evening at a formal show - or to switch between the two.

© Richard Hawkins

The return of EWOB, 26-28 May 2022!

Thanks to Bluegrass Today for the news that the European World of Bluegrass (EWOB) festival will be held again, at the traditional time of year and in the traditional area of Voorthuizen, in the central Netherlands - though not in the familiar Trefpunt, where it was held from 1999 to 2017. The organising team announce, on the attractive and completely remade website, that they have been

working behind the scenes to explore options for a restart of our annual bluegrass festival and convention. Crucial in our search was to find a location that meets our needs. A venue for stage performances and a suitable location nearby to set up our campsite, with the possibility of organising gigs at local bars and restaurants.

The great news now is that we have found a new location... in Voorthuizen!

The new venue 'De Eng' in Voorthuizen, that replaces our previous venue 'Het Trefpunt', meets all our specifications and a campsite can be set up across the street. Local gigs can be organised in Voorthuizen and Barneveld, just as we did in the past.

Over the summer we have been working hard getting finances in place and now we can announce that we can decide to go ahead! EWOB 2022 will take place on May 26-27-28.

It is time for your band to apply!

That means that bands can now apply for showcasing at the festival. For all information and to apply go to the application page.

And of course we welcome back the fans!

We are now working on finalising details on finances. That means that admission and campsite ticket prices yet have to be determined. We will publish ticket information as soon as we can.

A number of bands from this island have played at EWOB since its launch in 1998, including Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens (featuring Tom Hanway), who won the title of #1 European Bluegrass Band in 2005.

© Richard Hawkins

Dublin bluegrass lives!

Following on from the BIB post of two days ago, thanks to Patrick Simpson (centre in the photo above of the Bluestack Mountain Boys) for this very welcome news:

We are still waiting for our return to residency in Sin É Bar, Dublin. We were told they would have us back, possibly January or maybe before Christmas, due to the fact that they are currently operating as a venue only. We look forward to having an Open Jam Session once again and will let you know when that is happening. You can follow us on Facebook at The Bluestack Mountain Boys Facebook page as the Dublin Bluegrass page was sadly Aran Sheehan's page RIP.

We've had an exciting summer of garden picks with great food and drink and banter. New bluegrassers and visitors are always welcome to join us in the meantime for kitchen pickin' at our respective households.

The BIB will be gladly publishing in due course further news of the return of live bluegrass in public in Dublin.

© Richard Hawkins

'Steps from the heart' presentation, performance, and workshop, 8-9 Jan. 2022

In addition to the Christmas album with Joe Newberry (see the BIB for 3 Nov.), April Verch sends news of the special new step-dance project which she is working on with UK dancer Simon Harmer:

Our 'Steps from the heart' presentation, performance, and workshop will be the culmination of our collaboration, celebrating two of our greatest influences, the Ottawa Valley’s own Donnie Gilchrist and Alex Woodcock of England.

Simon has been performing and teaching step dance for over thirty years, from English clog to Appalachian styles. We’ve been working on new choreography which will be filmed later this year, and we look forward to sharing that performance with you and talking about our research. We’ll also be leading a Zoom workshop to teach key parts of the new piece. We hope this will be a special treat for our fellow step dance lovers!

The presentation and performance premiere, lasting from 75 to 90 minutes, will be on Saturday 8 Jan. 2022; the workshop (60-75 minutes) will be on Sunday 9 Jan. Both events will be live on Zoom, starting at 11.00 a.m. EST/4.00 p.m. UK time. Tickets are on a 'name your price' basis. Much more information, together with online booking, is here.

© Richard Hawkins

Shane Hennessy in concert at Carlow, 2 Dec. 2021

Acoustic guitar maestro from Carlow Shane Hennessy (right), who was in the showcase schedule at this year's IBMA World Of Bluegrass (WOB), has bad and good news in his November 2021 e-newsletter. The bad news is that illness has prevented him from performing at the Viernheim Guitar Night in Germany this weekend; it is hoped that the show can be rescheduled.

The good news is that he will be playing in the Traditional Music Academy weekend (27-8 Nov.) in Milan, Italy. A few days later, he will be back in concert in the George Bernard Shaw Theatre in Carlow town on Thursday 2 Dec. Tickets will be going on sale soon via the Carlow Live & Local Festival website. Shane continues to add a wide variety of music, instruction, and other guitar-related material to his Fretboard Atlas channel.

© Richard Hawkins

Wanted - news of bluegrass activity in Dublin (update)

The BIB editor writes:

The BIB has received an inquiry from Debbie Splash, who joined Blogger this month, and asks: 'Any blue grass in Dublin in November/ December?'

The inquiry came in the form of a comment on the calendar for 2020-21, so there is no return address. We hope Debbie is keeping an eye on the calendar, where we've posted the following reply:

If there is to be any, no public announcement of it has yet (7 Nov.) been made. The likeliest place to see news of bluegrass activity in Dublin is the Dublin Bluegrass Collective Facebook - see the BIB's sidebar. If the BIB receives any news, it will go on our calendar, with a corresponding post on the front page.

Update: Here's the welcome sequel to this post.

© Richard Hawkins

Collections of two iconic guitarists

John Lawless reports on Bluegrass Today that a week from now (13 Nov.) the life and music of Doc Watson will be celebrated with a concert in his home state of North Carolina, followed shortly afterwards by the Craft Recordings release of Doc Watson - LIfe's work: a retrospective, a 4-CD box set priced at $74.99 with 101 tracks (including collaborations with many other major musicians) and an 88-page booklet. The set can now be pre-ordered; it will be available digitally from 12 Nov. and physically from 1 Dec. More details, including a full track listing, are on Bluegrass Today and the Craft Recordings website.

The BIB reported on 22 Oct. the release by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings of Norman Blake's latest album, Day by day. Smithsonian now announce that Norman Blake's earlier albums on the Plectrafone label (see cover images below) are now part of their catalogue, and can be heard and bought on the Smithsonian Folkways Bandcamp website.

© Richard Hawkins

Get a neck like Béla's! (and other banjo stuff)

The BIB doesn't really regard the tenor as a banjo; but this is Ireland after all, and the player above is Tristan Scroggins, who last played in Ireland as mandolinist with Chris Jones & the Night Drivers two years ago, after several previous tours with his father's band Jeff Scroggins & Colorado. Since then he has devoted himself to instruction, to writing (receiving the 2021 IBMA Writer of the Year award), and to playing the tenor banjo, a vintage Paramount.

The results can be heard on his new eight-track solo album One-ring circus, which the BIB warmly recommends - don't miss reading the notes on Bandcamp. The only fault in this recording is that Tristan's 'Angeline the baker' ends after just under two minutes, and there really is no good reason to stop playing 'Angeline', especially when it sounds as good as this. The album (and much more) is discussed on a Fretboard Journal podcast.

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Speaking of vintage tenors, John Lawless reported two days ago on Bluegrass Today on an auction coming next week in Germany of fine tenor banjos from the 1930s, with illustrations which, in his words, are 'pure banjo porn'.

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As a by-product of their meticulous development of the Mastertone™ 'Bluegrass Heart' Béla Fleck signature model 5-string banjo (see the BIB for 10 Sept. and 17 Oct.), which is scheduled for release early next year, the Gold Tone Music Group announce that mahogany banjo necks identical with those on the new model are now available. Among the features are a wider, radiused ebony fingerboard, ZeroGlide nut, jumbo frets, and Béla's custom inlay pattern. Prospective buyers should note that no hole has been drilled in the neck for a fifth-string tuner, and the heel needs to be cut to fit the pot of the buyer's banjo, which can be done at the factory for an extra charge.

The price of the new neck is $749.99. Gold Tone state: 'This neck will enhance the low and midrange frequencies of any Mastertone-style pot and can help you achieve a fuller and more expressive tonal palette.' A heart-shaped clip-on tuner is also available, designed (like the banjo) to meet Béla Fleck's requirements.

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The next two Zoom lessons in the new season of banjo 'clinics' by Ken Perlman, godfather of 'melodic clawhammer banjo', are on melodic fingering shapes in open G-tuning, up to the ninth fret (15 Nov.), and 'Techniques of the great 20th century roots clawhammer banjoists' (6 Dec.). The latter ties in with the talk Ken will be giving tomorrow (6 Nov.) at the 24th Annual Banjo Gathering in Williamsburg, VA. The talk is entitled 'Banjo rappers: comparing & contrasting styles of some well-known pre-"revival" 20th-century downpickers', a category that includes Tom Ashley, Fred Cockerham, Kyle Creed, Rufus Crisp, Hobart Smith, and Wade Ward. All Ken's previous lessons are available as videos at $25 each from his Encore Collection.

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The 52nd weekly newsletter from Bluegrass Unlimited magazine includes (among other good things) a focus on the late Bill Emerson, with a 37-track Spotify playlist selected from recordings over his long career. There is also the first in a special series of web-based articles on Bill Emerson; BU judged that 'With a career in bluegrass that lasted over sixty years, we feel that a single article in the print magazine would not be sufficient to address all of Bill’s influence and accomplishments.' The first article consists of tributes and memories from many prominent banjo-players who knew him, and is immensely informative.

© Richard Hawkins

You gave me a song merchandise ready to ship

Thanks to the organising team of You gave me a song: a film about Alice Gerrard for this fine photo of four-fifths of the Strange Creek Singers (Lamar Grier, banjo; Hazel Dickens, bass; Mike Seeger, mandolin; Alice Gerrard, guitar), plus Tex Logan (fiddle), probably some time in the 1970s. The film team also report that they have no supply chain problems and are ready to sell CD/ DVD bundles and T-shirts with discounts.

© Richard Hawkins

Deering heads on Deering Live, Thurs. 4 Nov. 2021

The Deering Banjo Company announce that this week on Deering Live, they are giving us the chance to put questions to their panel of guests from Deering - CEO Jamie Deering, COO Jamie Latty, and Master Builder Chad Kopotic, who

... are ready (and slightly nervous) for your questions! Anything about the company, the banjos, maintenance, and them as people. Favorite foods, musical tastes, hobbies, sports teams... almost anything goes.

The question session, at 10.00 p.m. Irish time, can be viewed on Deering Live and YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

Christmas album and artwork from April Verch and Joe Newberry

Photo by Thomas Beck; artwork by Martha Kelly

April Verch (CAN) and Joe Newberry (USA) have played separately in Ireland in the past - April touring several times with her own band, and Joe as a member of Big Medicine - but not yet as a duo, though they have been performing together in this format for a long time. The chemistry of this combination can be felt from the twenty-eight videos on their YouTube playlist. Their first album together, Going home, was warmly received.

April and Joe have now completed an eleven-track Christmas album, On this Christmas day, scheduled for release on 3 December 2021 on Slab Town Records. April describes it as a 'holiday folk album [...] full of heartwarming originals, fiddle & banjo duets, and deeply rooted traditional material Joe and I have been performing live on holiday tours for a number of years.' A live performance of the title track can be seen on YouTube.

From today (3 Nov.) the album can be pre-ordered/ pre-saved.
Note: April and Joe decided that it should not take the form of a physical CD; instead, they worked with Memphis artist Martha Kelly to create the beautiful, frameable winter scene shown above, with information about the project and a download code on the back. Frames will be available for sale, so that fans can have a framed piece of art for their own walls or to give as a present.

© Richard Hawkins

National Native American Heritage Month

The commemorative period now known as National Native American Heritage Month began yesterday (1 Nov.) in the USA. The BIB combines marking the occasion with remembering Raymond Fairchild (left) of Cherokee, NC, who died two years ago (see Bluegrass Today for 14 Oct. 2019, the BIB post of the following day, and Banjo News Letter). A phenomenal banjo-player, he was also proud of his Cherokee ancestry.

The account the BIB gave in 2019 can be amended by watching the first two-and-a-half minutes of Alan Lomax's 1991 film 'Appalachian journey' on YouTube. At 1:55 Lomax asks Raymond 'Are you proud of your Indian blood?'; he replies 'Yes sir. Definitely', and shortly afterwards is shown saying 'I'm proud to be a mountain man; and I'm proud to be a banjo-picker. I don't care what you say about it!'

© Richard Hawkins

A new act - the Stanley Brothers

Bluegrass Today has published a major article by Richard Thompson, 'Stanley Brothers got their start 75 years ago', focused on the brothers' forming their first band around 1 November 1946 (a very short time after Ralph got his discharge from the US Army) and on their early recordings on the Rich-R-Tone label. YouTube audio recordings are included for 'Mother no longer awaits me at home' and 'The girl behind the bar', from their first recording session in mid 1947.

The image above, based on a 1960 photo of Carter and Ralph, is the jacket design of Gary Reid's book The music of the Stanley Brothers, published early in 2015 by the University of Illinois Press as part of its 'Music in American Life' series. As a study of the brothers and their music together, it is unlikely ever to be superseded.

Gary Reid writes (ibid., p. 7): 'When the Stanley Brothers first began their professional career, they were very much in the old-time camp.' However, their admiration for Bill Monroe led them to model their sound on his - something which at first annoyed him, but which has since been seen as a decisive step in the transition of bluegrass from the sound of one band to the sound of a genre of music.

© Richard Hawkins

A Winter Wonderful 2021 from We Banjo 3

Galway's We Banjo 3, chieftains of Celtgrass, announce on their latest e-newsletter that discounts of up to 25% are available on bundles of WB3 merchandise. The offer is open till 1 December, when they will begin a campagin of touring in the USA with dates booked up to the middle of March 2022. On 2 Dec. tickets will go on sale for their 'Winter Wonderful' livestream event, to be premiered on 18 Dec. (remaining accessible online till New Year's day), and on 3 Dec. their new holiday album will be released. More details are on their website.

© Richard Hawkins