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