For Halloween

Before Halloween became a festival of animated corpses, necromancers, and assorted horrors, it was part of a time of commemorating saints, martyrs, and the souls of the departed. In this video, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road remember the departed, singing a cappella 'I cannot bring them back (but I can go to them)'.

© Richard Hawkins

Jake Blount on Black music - and bluegrass

The BIB editor writes:

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings released last month the album The new faith by Jake Blount, who conceived it as 'a field recording from the future'. He has now recorded for the Vox YouTube channel a nine-minute video, entitled 'Why this instrument explains Black American folk music'. 'This instrument' is the banjo, and banjos (including Blount's own) are often on screen. The first two minutes of the video deal with the banjo's passage from being identified with black people to its present identification, through bluegrass, with white people; the second two minutes deal with the musical segregation ('hillbilly'/ 'race') imposed by the recording industry; and the rest with African American musical traditions and their application in the album. It's a concise and well presented exposition.

About a minute into the video we hear a snatch of the music of Murphy Gribble (banjo), John Lusk (fiddle), and Albert York (guitar), whom Blount introduces with the words:

They were a black string band, they recorded in the 1940s, and by most definitions they're actually an early bluegrass band, but for a variety of reasons I would consider their race to be probably the main reason they aren't really embraced as part of the bluegrass story.

Whatever definition might allow them to be seen as 'an early bluegrass band', it would clearly not be that definition which actually explains why bluegrass music is called 'bluegrass': because it either is, or derives from, or resembles in its basic characteristics, the music of Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys. On 14/18 Aug. 2020 I wrote on the BIB that Gribble, Lusk, and York

... were a fine old-time string band, full of vitality, but do not sound like any bluegrass band I (or, I'll bet, you) ever heard. Why are they not mentioned in bluegrass history? For the same reason that the white musician J.C. Sutphin isn't mentioned; they didn't play bluegrass.

I would similarly resist any suggestion that Charlie Poole & the North Carolina Ramblers might be considered 'early bluegrass'. If you want an example of fast, fancy 5-string playing from the 1940s, which in some ways is closer to bluegrass than the playing of Murphy Gribble or Charlie Poole, but which no one would ever consider calling 'bluegrass', try this.

*

Jake Blount includes very rewarding lists of resources on black stringband music on his website; for instance, all the recordings of Gribble, Lusk, and York can be heard here. Listen and form your own conclusions.

© Richard Hawkins

For banjo players in particular

The BIB editor writes:

John Lawless on Bluegrass Today reports on a real treat for bluegrass banjo players - Daniel Duffin, photographer, writer, and banjo enthusiast, has created the Banjo Legends website, displaying a treasury of superb photographs which he took of Earl Scruggs and J.D. Crowe, none of which has ever been previously published.

The Scruggs archive comprises seventy black-and-white photos taken in 1973-4, of which the first ten are in an informal home setting. Of the remaining sixty, four show the members of the Earl Scruggs Revue (including Josh Graves, Vassar Clements, and Earl's sons) in an Opry dressing room, and the rest during the subsequent performance. The Crowe archive comprises ninety-eight photos in black-and-white and twenty-four in colour, all taken at J.D.'s home in 1983. Many photos of both men are taken specifically to show their hands on the instrument. A minor revelation is that J.D. is always shown playing with picks on, while Earl at home plays without them.

Daniel Duffin is also editing three hours of tape of an interview he conducted at Earl's home, and plans to add the audio files to the Banjo Legends website.

*

Pamm Tucker's Bluegrass Today article 'Banjo Hall of Famer Alan Munde looks back on the early days' is a valuable account of the early career of Alan Munde (right) - performer, teacher, and writer, outstanding in his ability to integrate Scruggs-style and 'melodic' playing, and (I believe) the first high-profile professional player to use a Stelling banjo. The article, which throws light on the part played in his career by the great fiddler Byron Berline, who died last year, includes a YouTube link to the whole of A traitor in our midst (1972), the first album by Country Gazette, with Alan on banjo, Byron on fiddle, and outstanding harmony vocals.

© Richard Hawkins

The Foreign Landers: new single and forthcoming new album

The Foreign Landers (David Benedict and Tabitha (Agnew) Benedict) are bringing out a new ten-track album, Travelers rest, expected on 12 November, and are releasing a single from it today: 'Garden', which can be heard on SoundCloud and Bluegrass Today (where it is warmly reviewed by John Lawless), and bought online from all the usual outlets. The album can be pre-ordered at the Foreign Landers' BandCamp, with a bonus of two tracks from the album.

© Richard Hawkins

Michael J. Miles celebrates 'The circle' - and more

Michael J. Miles's latest e-newsletter leads with two concerts he will be playing with John McEuen to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the epoch-making Will the circle be unbroken album: on 3 Nov. in Milwaukee and the following night in Chicago. Next, on 6 Nov. he and Jill Kaeding (cello) will be playing an 'American Bach' concert.

Michael's programme of one-song, one-time-only Zoom workshops for clawhammer banjo and fingerstyle guitar will run each Monday from 7 Nov. to 12 Dec., teaching songs by J.S. Bach, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Turlough O'Carolan, and others. Full details and links are on the newsletter, which is also linked to a video of his guitar arrangement for 'Both sides now'.

© Richard Hawkins

Podcast interview with Béla Fleck

Marc Maron, Béla Fleck (photo: Amy Reitnouer Jacobs)

The staff of the Bluegrass Situation online magazine recently published 'Béla Fleck talks banjo, bluegrass gatekeepers on WTF with Marc Maron', with this introduction:

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to bluegrass, you’ll want to hear this conversation between Béla Fleck and Marc Maron. They cover everything from the banjo, to Tony Rice, to Fleck's personal approach to music.

There follows a ninety-four minute podcast, with the Béla Fleck section followed by Maron interviewing film director Michael Morris.

© Richard Hawkins

Complete Special C. tour schedule for Ireland and Britain, 25 Feb.-14 Jan. 2023 (UPDATE)

Thanks to Nigel Martyn of the Old Flattop agency and Dock Street Recording, Belfast, for the news that the full schedule for the Special Consensus tour of Ireland and Britain in January and February 2023 is now on the band's website, where there are also links to venues and facilities for online ticket-booking.

Nigel has (among his work with many other artists) been organising tours in these islands for the Special C. for well over twenty years. He can be contacted by e-mail or 'phone (+44 7545 020938).

Update 1/3 Dec.: Thanks to Anonymous for pointing out that the show on 6 Feb. is to be held in Banteer, Co. Cork, instead of Kilworth. It will be in the Glen Theatre; tickets can be booked online through the link in the band's tour schedule.

© Richard Hawkins

Mark Schatz on Deering Live, 27 Oct. 2022

The Deering Banjo Company announce (links added by BIB):

Old Time Music with Mark Schatz: Mark is most well known for being one of the most in-demand bass players in bluegrass but he is also an outstanding clawhammer banjoist! In 2021 Mark put out a fantastic new recording with fellow old-time musician Bryan McDowell entitled Grit & polish. We're excited to feature Mark & Bryan on Deering Live this Thursday [...]. Get a taste of their music by watching the video below with Mark on his Vega #2 banjo!

The video can be seen on Deering Live or on YouTube. For Halloween, Deering are also marketing long-sleeve T-shirts with an image of a witch riding a banjo instead of a broomstick, and wooden earrings with either a similar witch motif or a banjo with a 'jack-o'-lantern' in the middle of the head.

Update 28 Oct.: The 67-minute interview with Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell can be seen on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

Billy Strings in Cologne, 5 Dec. 2022

Thanks to Stephen Forster up North for this helpful suggestion:

The response to the Billy Strings tour has been absolutely amazing; nearly everywhere seems to be sold out. However I see that there are tickets available in Cologne, Germany. The Ryanair flights are cheap and with suitable date: tickets pretty cheap (30 euros), hotels good value. I’m heading over with Sean McKerr... we weren’t quick enough off the mark for Dublin. You might want to bring this to the attention of any of your friends who missed out in Dublin... nice city too. I’ll bet the promoters are kicking themselves that they didn’t book bigger venues. Looking forward to a great show.

The Cologne show is at Die Kantine, Neusser Landstrasse 2, 50735 Köln, with a location on Google Maps here.

© Richard Hawkins

Danny Burns: video of 'Someone like you'

On 1 June the BIB reported on the release by the Bonfire Music Group/ Pinecastle Records of the single 'Someone like you' recorded by Danny Burns; the song was previously a hit for Adele, but has solid bluegrass instrumentation here.

Danny Burns, born and raised in the north-west of this island, has been based in the USA for years and made a mark on the scene there with his 2019 debut project, North country, recorded in Nashville with artists such as Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski, and Critter Fuqua. 'Someone like you' is from his new album Promised land, featuring additional vocals by Tim O'Brien. The video can be seen on John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today or on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

Bill Clifton - bluegrass ambassador to the world

Bill Clifton, born William August Marburg in 1931, was inducted in 2008 both into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and into America’s Old-Time Country Music Hall of Fame, having previously received an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award in 1992 and induction into SPBGMA's Preservation Hall of Greats in 1993. His biography, Bill Clifton: America's bluegrass ambassador to the world, written by Bill C. Malone, doyen of country music historians, was published in 2016 by the University of Illinois Press in their 'Music in American Life' series. Gary Reid's biographical article on him for the Bluegrass Hall of Fame - indeed, even just the brief list of Bill's achievements at the end of it, under the title 'Led the way' - makes it clear how varied and important his career has been.

Weekly newsletter 102, issued by Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, includes a reprint from the magazine archives of a very substantial 1967 interview with Bill Clifton by Dick Spottswood, originally published in BU in three instalments in 1968 - when Bill was in his thirties, resident in England, touring on the Continent, and about to travel to the Philippines. Also taking part in the interview was England's Andrew Townend (1952-98), then 15 years old and already a mandolin prodigy. Warmly recommended.

The BU newsletter also provides what is presented as a Spotify playlist of Bill Clifton recordings. It is fair to say that this has not been carefully compiled.* Of the forty-seven tracks, eight (at least) are not recordings by 'our' Bill Clifton, and seven of these are definitely not bluegrass - the fact that six come from an album entitled Piano moods should have sounded an alarm bell somewhere. The title 'Blue Ridge Mountain blues' appears twice, but one of these is in fact Ralph Stanley singing 'Let me rest on a peaceful mountain' in tribute to his brother Carter.

*Update 26 Oct.: It can now be stated that (as one would expect) these faults did not originate with BU.

© Richard Hawkins

Billy Strings

Thanks to Uri Kohen, director of the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, who writes:

On 9 December, Billy Strings will play a sold-out concert in The Academy, Dublin. It is hard to believe that we are going to be lucky enough to see the biggest star of the bluegrass scene of today in such a relatively small venue.

Meanwhile there are people in the bluegrass community that don't like him, simply because he is too popular. Here is a great video about this weird phenomenon of 'hating' Billy Strings. Very well worth a watch.

BIB editor's note: We agree. The video (and the case against hating Billy) is well presented by Marcel Ardans, musician, teacher, and 'bluegrass nerd'.

© Richard Hawkins

Al Ras Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association - deserving support

Michael Luchtan, who reported on this year's Dunmore East bluegrass festival for Bluegrass Today back in September, is resident in Barcelona and a member of the Al Ras Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association. He has now reported in Bluegrass Today on the work of the Association in presenting not just the annual Al Ras Festival (coming very soon this year, on 3-6 Nov.) but the programme of regular jams, held three times each month; the annual spring Bluegrass Camp (due next on 3-4 Mar. 2023); and events organised to support visiting artists.

The Association invites support for its activities, which can be made through its Teaming website for a base rate of €1 a month, and/or through its raffle (€5 a ticket). The report includes three videos from the Association's events. BIB readers may recognise, among other musicians, Lluís Gómez and members of his Barcelona Bluegrass Band, who enlivened the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival concerts some years back.

© Richard Hawkins

Detached notes

Fiddler Jason Carter, who first played here in Galway in 1994 when he was a relative newcomer to the Del McCoury Band, will soon be releasing a solo album (recorded with a supporting galaxy of leading musicians), Lowdown hoedown. A month ago (14 Sept.) a single was released from it, 'King of the hill', a 1998 Bruce Hornsby composition. You can now hear Jason perform the song with two sets of colleagues:

• Russ Carson (banjo), Sam Bush (mandolin), Cody Kilby (guitar), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Dennis Crouch (bass), from the studio recording, on Bluegrass Today; and
• Cory Walker (banjo), Ashby Frank (mandolin), Cody Kilby (guitar), Alan Bartram (bass), videoed in a backstage warmup session at the Station Inn, Nashville, TN, which can be seen on the Bluegrass Situation or on YouTube.

More details of the album are on the latest McCoury e-newsletter.

*

Tom Nechville, the most innovative banjo-designer/ builder of the last half-century (and a frequent presence and exhibitor at successive Johnny Keenan Banjo Festivals), has retired from direct management of Nechville Musical Products and set up a shop, Banjos West, in Oregon. More details are in John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today. Tom's stock includes banjos from other makers; the Nechville instruments include a custom 6-string which can be set up either as a banjo-guitar or as a 5+1 banjo.

The website also has a link to a 17-minute video from YouTube in which the members of We Banjo 3 share 'Irish folk tips' on their playing techniques. In the last four minutes, Enda Scahill's section, entitled 'Creating the ideal banjo', shows the details of his custom Nechville instrument, with a longer neck to give more mellowness and resonance than a normal Irish tenor, and its unique turquoise inlays.

*

Sandy Hatley has posted on Bluegrass Today an obituary of Willie Elisabeth Burton Daniel, 'Little Billie Briarhopper', who died on 1 October at the age of 98. She was the last survivor of the original members of the WBT Briarhoppers, founded in 1934 as the radio station's 'hillbilly family band', and was an important contributor to the published history of the band, The WBT Briarhoppers: eight decades of a bluegrass band made for radio (2008) by Thomas and Lucy Warlick. Her career, both as a Briarhopper and later, is part of the major developments in American music, radio, and advertising in the mid twentieth century. Our condolences go out to her family and friends.

*

Finally, if you're well acquainted with traditional bluegrass song lyrics, we recommend the latest piece in Chris Jones's 'From the side of the road' series: 'Find your true bluegrass spirit animal'. Happy weekend!

© Richard Hawkins

Wookalilly - new single and video 'Ghost' for Halloween

Belfast's five-woman band Wookalily (also on Facebook) announce the coming release - just in time for Halloween - of their new single 'Ghost', described as a 'dark hymn telling the sorry tale of a psychopathic spirit'. As a bonus for all who pre-save or pre-order the single, there will be an exclusive 'first look' at the music video of 'Ghost', which is also due for release on 31 October 2022.

The band also express their appreciation for every person who comes to their gigs, buys a CD, streams them on Spotify, and likes and shares their posts: 'We need to come up with a name for our fans... Wookettes??? Wookies ??? Oops that one's already taken...'

© Richard Hawkins'

Tickets on sale for Special C. Sligo show, 8 Feb. 2023

The Hawk's Well Theatre in Sligo announces that tickets are now on sale for the concert by the multi-award-winning Special Consensus (USA) on Wednesday 8 Feb. 2023. Tickets at €20 (€10 for under-18s) can be bought here. Other dates in the Special C.'s 2023 tour are on the BIB calendar. The Seeger Sessions Revival show at the Hawk's Well tomorrow night (21 Oct.) is sold out.

© Richard Hawkins

'The gold-plated beauty' - Gold Tone's new OB-300

Following their recent release of the Mastertone™ 'Bluegrass Heart' Béla Fleck signature banjo, the Gold Tone Music Group announce their latest banjo model, the Mastertone™ OB-300 - a curly-maple banjo with gold-plated and engraved metal parts, ebony fingerboard with luxuriant 'tree-of-life' inlay, and more pearl and abalone inlay on resonator, peghead, and purfling, all for $2499.99 RRP. A two-minute video demonstration by Scott Cockerham and a thirty-minute review by Canadian maestro J.P. Cormier can be seen on the Gold Tone website or on YouTube (Cockerham, Cormier).

© Richard Hawkins

JigJam to launch The Back Porch sessions at Dollywood, 23-4 Oct. 2022

JigJam. originators of I-Grass, head their latest e-newsletter, 'Dollywood 2022', with this selfie from the Grand Canyon. It isn't as close to Dollywood as the band will be on 23-4 Oct., when they are scheduled to play four sets a day at the Back Porch Theatre in Pigeon Forge, TN. They will also be launching their album The Back Porch sessions (cover below), recorded in 2020 in anticipation of a Dollywood engagement that was cancelled by the pandemic. The album will only be available at JigJam live shows, not online.


© Richard Hawkins

The Big SHEbang Singer-Songwriter Spectacular

Thanks to Pam Gadd and Irene Kelley for separately sending information on the Big SHEbang Bluegrass Singer-Songwriter Spectacular, a three-and-a-half-hour show to be held in Dallas, GA (not TX), on 30 Oct. 2022, starting at 2.00 p.m., and featuring (see photo above, l-r) Irene Kelley, Donna Ulisse, Pam Gadd, and Becky Buller, four of the foremost women bluegrass singer/ songwriters.

The BIB sent Pam an e-mail (she is also a very talented banjoist), and she replied that she would personally love to visit Ireland, and that if anyone here would be interested in a visit by the Big SHEbang members, she could run it past them and see whether it could be done.

Passed to our major event organisers, promoters, and agencies for their consideration and (we hope) action, please.

Update 22 Oct.: The Big SHEbang has now been featured on Bluegrass Today in a detailed article by John Lawless.

© Richard Hawkins

Greg Blake: 'From me to we'

A month ago the BIB mentioned that Turnberry Records had just released Greg Blake's latest single, 'From me to we'. At that time John Lawless wrote on Bluegrass Today that Greg (right) 'has certainly got to be in the running for busiest man in bluegrass for 2022'. On this Monday just past, Lawless wrote on Bluegrass Today that

Greg Blake’s may soon be the primary voice you hear on bluegrass radio. With new songs featuring Blake releasing from Special Consensus, Greg’s own solo project People, places, and songs, and a new recording from Greg Blake & Hometown all hitting this season, one might wonder if he were the only guy singing bluegrass.

The new single has a country feel, with tasteful electric guitar, steel guitar, and drums, as well as Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Jesse Brock (mandolin), and Mark Scharz (bass). An official video, giving the complete lyrics (though with the clarity of Greg's diction, no one should have the slightest difficulty in learning the words), is on Bluegrass Today and YouTube. On the Turnberry press release Greg has explained how he came to write this song about 'the importance of relationships and how precious, yet fragile, they can be'.

© Richard Hawkins

Halloween Special night coming at Dublin bluegrass jam

Thanks again to Patrick Simpson of the Bluestack Mountain Boys / Dublin Bluegrass Collective , who reports on last night's weekly Dublin bluegrass jam at Mother Reilly's, 32 Rathmines Rd Upper, Dublin 6:

Once again it was a great night in Mother Reilly's, Rathmines: we had Karl from Whistle, and Marty Gilroy on mandolin from the Harold's Cross Hillbillies in the Bluestack Mountains, Donegal. He's my new No. 1! DBC you did great, Harold's Cross Hillbillies!

Marty Gilroy, mandolin

We're having a fund-raiser (on 30 Oct., Bank Holiday weekend) for my birthday; you can search for us on MySpace or Jeff Spotify! Fancy dress is required. Thanks for the exposure. We are an Open Circle Jam band with the purpose of keeping Country, don't go changing!
Left, TJ 'Scream'; right, fancy dress from Aidan Mulloy of the Sun Shakers

© Richard Hawkins

Tony Friel remembers Joe Bussard (1936-2022)

Jolly Joe's Jug Band

BIB editor's note: Two weeks ago Richard Thompson posted on Bluegrass Today an obituary of the 'king of record collectors', Joe Bussard. The sad news inevitably brought to mind Ireland's own world-class collector of country music records, books, and memorabilia, the late Rodney McElrea of Omagh, Co. Tyrone, who died five years ago. At that time Tony Friel - record collector, radio presenter, and friend of Rodney for forty-seven years - recalled his memories of Rodney for the BIB. We asked Tony whether he or Rodney knew Joe, and he replied:

I never met Joe but we were Facebook friends and we used to have the wee odd FB chat. He told me some interesting stories about record collecting. He said he would in his younger day go on record-collecting tours across the country, asking everywhere he went if people had records for sale.

He told me one time that he went to this old farmhouse in the hills of Virginia to look at records. He said that there were so many he was walking on them, scattered across the floor, to get to a shelf where the unbroken records were. He often went collecting with David Freeman of County Records fame. He also knew Rodney, as he recalled Rodney was on one record-collecting trip with him and Dave Freeman.

I have known over this past two years that Joe's health was fading, and he cut back from letting people visit his home for record sessions. I often wished I had made that trip. I have some of the old Fonotone 78rpm records that he sent me. He had a cutting lathe in his den and he would cut 78s for sale. Joe also had his own band called 'Jolly Joe's Jug Band' [photo above] and I have some recordings of them somewhere which I must dig out. Also for your information, which you might already know about: Joe put out a 5-CD box set of rare music and featuring the Jug Band. The box set is packed with postcards, record labels, a bottle-opener, and a 164-page booklet telling us a brief history of the music enclosed.

© Richard Hawkins

Rhiannon Giddens: a new book series on American music

A major interview with Rhiannon Giddens appeared a week ago on the Bluegrass Situation (BGS) online magazine: 'Through the lens of American music, Rhiannon Giddens tells her story'. As the interviewer, David Menconi, (author of Step it up and go: the story of North Carolina popular music (2020)) points out in his introduction, the number of fields in which she is both active and outstanding is remarkable.

On the telephone from Ireland, she speaks about what moves her in her recent projects, notably her new book for children, Build a house, published this month at a RRP of $17.99. The book includes a link to a recording of her song 'Build a house', performed with her minstrel-style banjo and with the great cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The video of it can be heard and seen on BGS and on YouTube. Build a house is the first book in a series, of which the second will be We could fly; the third, Joe's first fiddle, based on what she learned from Joe Thompson (1918-2012); and the fourth is to be about the banjo.

© Richard Hawkins

Jake Xerxes Fussell (USA) back in Dublin, 26 Oct. 2022

Whelan's Live of Dublin 2 announce that Jake Xerxes Fussell (right) of North Carolina, who in spring this year played at the Kilkenny Roots Festival and several other gigs, will be playing on their main stage on Wed. 26 Oct. from 8.00 to 10.45 p.m. Tickets are €21.50 (a 50c per ticket service charge applies on all bookings through Whelan's). This is the final show in a European tour now in progress, with six shows still to come in Britain, two in the Netherlands, one in Germany, and two in Denmark.

© Richard Hawkins

Hank Smith (USA) demonstrates the Goodtime Blackgrass Special

Hank Smith (right), whose videos of banjo advice and instruction on the Deering Live channel have often been mentioned on the BIB, demonstrates the Deering Goodtime Blackgrass Special banjo in a two-minute video, playing the tune 'Daybreak of spring', which can also be watched on YouTube. The banjo features a patented Goodtime tone ring, made by Deering; all the wood is maple with a pure black stain, matte black hardware, and a black head, which (say Deering) 'combine to put a dark twist on an otherwise traditional instrument'.

Hank is co-leader, with Pattie Hopkins, of the progressive bluegrass band Hank, Pattie & the Current. He is also a friend of Dublin's own Paddy Kiernan. He and Billie Feather (the Current's guitarist) are expected to be in Dublin from 29 Dec. to 7 Jan. As the Current's YouTube channel and Spotify playlist show, they are masters of a variety of genres as well as bluegrass - folk, jazz, classical, etc. Hank and Billie hope to learn of any gig or workshop opportunities in the Dublin area in that time frame. He can be contacted by e-mail.

© Richard Hawkins

Compass Records: 60% off in Fall Cleaning sale (updates)

Compass Records announce their Fall Cleaning sale, with 60% off selected records, including some of the leading artists in bluegrass and in Celtic musics. The records on offer can be seen here.

Update 18 Oct.: Titles in the Compass and Red House Records catalogues are still being added to the sale.

Update 25 Oct.: The sales from the Compass and Red House Records catalogues end tonight at midnight.

© Richard Hawkins

JigJam: a tour completed, a single released, new tour preparing

In their latest e-newsletter, JigJam (above) write:

After 10 weeks of great shows, 400 boiled eggs, thousands of miles and over 20 states travelled, the dust has finally settled on our 2022 summer tour. We would like to thank everyone who came out to see a show and support our band. We really appreciate your continued support as it gives us the opportunity to continue to do what we love. Also a huge thanks to Culture Ireland whose continued support helps to make all of this possible.

They have just released a single, a bluegrass version of the Fleetwood Mac song 'Everywhere', which can be heard on Spotify. A video of it, using footage taken while touring in the USA, can be seen on the band's Facebook. Some upcoming tour dates for JigJam in the States will be announced soon.

© Richard Hawkins

No Depression: IBMA WOB photos, and a new tribute to Hobart Smith

The latest bulletin from No Depression online magazine includes two items of likely interest to BIB readers: first, Amos Perrine's feature 'THROUGH THE LENS: Bluegrass rules inside or out at IBMA’s big event' includes thirty-nine photos from several photographers at IBMA World Of Bluegrass, and sums up: 'The fest demonstrated two things to me: 1) bluegrass just keeps becoming more vibrant every day; and 2) a shining new talent is on the horizon, Hillary Klug'. Hillary Klug is a dancing fiddler who is thoroughly attuned to the world of social media, and puts all her considerable talents in the shop window. The photo heading the article shows her with fellow fiddlers Jason Carter and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes.

*

Stacy Chandler's 'With banjo and dance, Allison de Groot and Nic Gareiss chase "The thrill" of music' reviews a video album by two artists who have separately performed in Ireland: banjoist Allison de Groot and percussive dancer Nic Gareiss (photo above). The album, The thrill, selects six tunes from the repertoire of the legendary Virginia traditional musician Hobart Smith (1897-1965), and can be heard, seen, and bought on BandCamp. Two videos are shown in the article.

© Richard Hawkins

Forthcoming Ken Perlman 'Clawhammer Clinics'

Ken Perlman, master of 'melodic claw-hammer' banjo, announces that the next two online live instructional workshops in the new season of his 'Clawhammer Clinics for old-time banjo' series will be 'Movable major & minor chord shapes in double-C / double-D tuning' (Mon. 24 Oct.) and 'Playing hornpipes in "hornpipe style" on clawhammer banjo' (14 Nov.). Each clinic lasts an hour and a half. All of Ken's twenty-four previous Clinics are available as videos from his website at $25 each, and he can also be contacted for private lessons by Zoom.

© Richard Hawkins

Some of the 'Americana' artists in Celtic Connections 2023

The organisers of Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scotland, announce the release of their thirtieth anniversary programme for next year's event (19 Jan.-5 Feb. 2023). Tickets can be bought today by anyone in the festival's 'Celtic Rover' supporters club, and will go on sale to the general public tomorrow (12 Oct.).

The festival's roster of 'Americana' (which includes the Chris Thile and Sam Amidon concert on 13 Nov.) lists shows by Sierra Hull and Rachel Baiman (20 Jan.), the Lonesome Ace Stringband and the Magpies (21 Jan.), and Nickel Creek and Lau Noah (29 Jan.).

Update 12 Oct.: Three weeks ago the BIB reported that the Special Consensus (USA) would be at the festival, and the band's online tour schedule shows them as playing there on 29 Jan.

Update 1 Nov.: The latest Celtic Connections e-newsletter includes the Special C. in the lineup, along with many others.

© Richard Hawkins

Second String Band Summit in Tennessee, 10-12 Feb. 2023

The IBMA Foundation announces the holding of the second annual String Band Summit on 10-12 Feb. 2023 at East Tennessee State University, aimed at bringing together 'musicians, teachers and scholars engaged in string band music across the Americas to explore string band traditions, histories, practices, instruments and pedagogy, seeking to foster collaboration and understanding'.

A selection committee will select proposals of three kinds: (1) scholarly presentations, each twenty minutes long + ten minutes for questions and discussion; (2) teaching presentations or workshops, each thirty to sixty minutes long + fifteen minutes for questions and discussion; (3) organised 'roundtables', each with a panel of three or four members + a moderator, for discussions. Proposals for any of these events should be sent in by 30 October, using the form given in a link on the Foundation newsletter. NB: the link is to a copy of last year's form, in which the deadline was 15 Oct. 2021.

© Richard Hawkins

Crossover Festival (GB): change of date and venue for 2023

The UK's Crossover Festival of bluegrass, old-time, and Americana music and dance (nominated for Bluegrass Event of the Year in this year's IBMA awards) will be held next year at a new venue and a new date. The 2023 event will be on the weekend 14-16 July at Sherbrooke Scout Camp, Calverton, Nottingham, in the English midlands.

The change of date was made for special reasons affecting an essential member of the organising team. The old venue was held in high regard, but had become too small and expensive; the new venue is easily accessible and has good facilities and ample space. The organisers announce: 'For future years, we may look to go back to the first May bank holiday weekend, if the venue can accommodate us.' More details are in the latest Crossover e-newsletter.

© Richard Hawkins

'Of the people, from the people, for the people' - Westport 2022: the documentary film!

Uri Kohen, director of the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Co. Mayo, announces on the Festival Facebook:

Rickie O'Neill and BackHouse Film Production spent a few days with us during this year’s festival and made this great movie which we are very excited to present to you.

The movie explores the past, present, and future of our festival, and features music by some of the acts who played at this year’s event.

We hope you will enjoy it and share it with your friends.

Thanks to Uri for the YouTube link; the documentary can be watched below.

Update 11 Oct.: read John Lawless's report on the film (with added information) on Bluegrass Today.

© Richard Hawkins

Something for the weekend

The BIB recommends this link to a 2018 performance by David Parmley & Cardinal Tradition of the gospel standard 'I'm working on a building'. It's a fine example of traditional bluegrass harmony singing, ensemble work, and stagecraft. Singing lead and playing bass is Ron Spears, who toured Ireland as msndolinist with the Special Consensus in 2007.

*

Here's a couple of more recent recordings by artists who've played in Ireland:

• Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass in their new release from Pinecastle Records, playing 'May I sleep in your barn tonight, Mister?' - another fine example of how a traditional bluegrass band should look and sound; and
• Ashby Frank, another former Special C. mandolinist, now a respected songwriter and session musician, singing 'Make your mama proud' on SoundCloud; it can be heard on Bluegrass Today.

© Richard Hawkins

Billy Strings, Brittany Haas on the BGS

The latest Weekly Dispatch, issued by the Bluegrass Situation (BGS) online magazine, carries a feature on IBMA award-winning Billy Strings, who is scheduled to begin on 29 November in Oslo a European tour, finishing on 11 December in Glasgow. The penultimate show in the tour will be on 9 Dec. in Dublin; like other shows in the tour, this is shown as sold out, but Billy Strings's online tour schedule includes a link to a waiting list.

Eleven days before the tour begins, Rounder Records will release ME/AND/DAD, a fourteen-track album by Billy Strings with his father Terry Barber, supported by a band comprising Rob and Ronnie McCoury, Mike Bub, and Michael Cleveland, with guest appearances by Jerry Douglas, Jason Carter, and Billy's mother Debra Barber. The BGS feature includes a video of the ensemble recording 'Long journey home' (plus home photos of Billy in childhood), which can also be seen on YouTube.

Update 18 Nov.: The album is reviewed by Grant Britt on the Bluegrass Situation (BGS), including videos (also on YouTube) of 'Life to go' and 'Long journey home'.

*

Brittany Haas and her sister Natalie came to Ireland in 2018 for the Baltimore Fiddle Fair, and their additional show at Naul gave your editor his peak musical experience of that year. You can now hear Brittany talk about her life in music on a fifty-five minute podcast, interviewed by Cindy Howes in the BGS's 'Basic Folk' series. Among other things, she talks about coming to clawhammer banjo from her fiddle background.

© Richard Hawkins

Enda Scahill on Deering Live tonight (6 Oct.)

The Deering Banjo Company announces that Enda Scahill of Galway's We Banjo 3 is being interviewed tonight on Deering Live. The announcement naturally focuses on his Irish tenor banjo playing (a twelve-minute video by him on cross-picking for Irish tenor banjo has been on YouTube since May), but some attention will very likely be paid to his custom-built instrument and the band's popularity at bluegrass festivals in the USA. The interview can also be watched on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

Tommy Cordell, 2 Mar. 1957-30 Sept. 2022

The BIB editor writes:

Tommy Cordell, an outstanding bluegrass fiddler, died at the end of last week. Both his own music and the music of the bands in which he played exemplify the combination of toughness, power, and sensitivity that mark bluegrass at its best. Richard Thompson has posted an obituary-cum-discography on Bluegrass Today, with ample contributions from close friends and fellow musicians.

The images above are from the covers of his 1987 solo album and the 1981 Dave Evans album Goin round this world. It was on the latter that I first heard Tommy Cordell's fiddling, and Kevin Williamson's words, as quoted by Richard Thompson, sum up the album perfectly:

Nowadays when I listen to it, I’m struck by the raw energy and emotion of the project. We were all playing as though our lives depended on it, and in some ways they did. Tommy found such joy in playing music and it rubbed off on the rest of us.

Goin round the world was chosen by Daniel Mullins as Album of the Week #36 on Bluegrass Today in 2014. The 1985 album by Big Timber Bluegrass, Bluegrass on my mind, can be heard in full on the BT obituary and on YouTube.

© Richard Hawkins

Looking for a jam session in Belgium?

If you're likely for any reason to be in Belgium, with leisure to look for a bluegrass jam session, monthly jams are held in the cities of Antwerp (Antwerpen) and Ghent (Gent). Our friends at Bluegrass in Belgium announce that in the rest of 2022 jams will be held at Den Hopsack, Grote Pieter Potstraat 24, 2000 Antwerpen, from 3.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. on 16 Oct., 20 Nov., and 18 Dec.; and at the Muzikantenhuis, Dampoortstraat 50, 9000 Gent, from 8.00 p.m. on 25 Oct. and 29 Nov. (The Muzikantenhuis also runs monthly sessions for other genres of national music, including an Irish session on the first Tuesday of the month.)

Chris Thile will also be playing in De Roma, Turnhoutsebaan 329, 2140 Borgerhout (Antwerp), in the course of a European tour of which the last concert will be on the main stage at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on Tuesday 15 November, where tickets will be €30, €26, and €22.

© Richard Hawkins

Loretta Lynn, 1932-2022

Thanks to Des Butler for this sad news:

We have lost another legend of country music, namely Loretta Lynn who died today (4 Oct. 2022). A family statement published in US media today said the beloved songwriter died of natural causes.

Loretta Lynn was an American singer-songwriter. In a career which spanned six decades in country music, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had hits such as 'You ain't woman enough', 'Don't come home a-drinkin'', 'One's on the way', 'Fist City', and 'Coal miner's daughter'.

Lynn saw a number of her edgy tracks banned by country music stations, but over the course of more than six decades in the business, she became a standard-bearer of the genre and its most decorated female artist ever.

Born Loretta Webb on 14 April 1932 in smalltown Kentucky, Lynn was the eldest daughter in an impoverished family of eight kids, a childhood she immortalised in her iconic track 'Coal miner's daughter' - a staple on lists of all-time best songs. She won virtually every arts honour available, including the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, given to her by Barack Obama in 2013.

Quote: 'When they lay me down six feet under, they can say, "Loretta's quit singing".'

'R.I.P.

Des. Butler

BIB editor's note: BIB readers who have a copy of Pressing on: the Roni Stoneman story will recall Roni's story of her friend 'Retta' and the boots (pp 186-9).

Shane Hennessy in Germany - and Ireland

Carlow guitar maestro Shane Hennessy will be playing tonight the first of a series of dates in Germany - three in what remains of this week, and a further eight beginning on 15 Oct. In the interval, on Mon. 10 Oct. he will take part, together with Eimear and Inni-K, in an unusual collaborative performance: 'Live at the Local' in Gregory's Tavern, Kilcock, Co. Kildare, at 9.00 p.m. On 27 Nov. at 8.00 p.m. he will be playing in the Dean Crowe Sessions series (free admission) in the theatre of that name in Athlone, Co. Westmeath. See his e-newsletter for more details.

*

Now that Germany has been mentioned, Rainer Zellner's Music Contact agency has the Henry Girls from Co. Donegal on tour there from tomorrow (6 Oct.) up to 15 Oct. And from 16 Nov. to 14 Dec. Rainer's 'travelling festival' of bluegrass and Americana music, the Bluegrass Jamboree, will be on tour through Germany with three fine US acts: the Blue Ridge Girls from Virginia, the Stillhouse Junkies (veterans of this year's Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival) from Colorado, and the Tennessee Bluegrass Band from...

© Richard Hawkins

Dale Ann Bradley in hospital

Dale Ann Bradley, who among her many accomplishments has made several memorable appearances at Omagh bluegrass festivals over the years, was admitted to the Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, KY, at the weekend, after attending the IBMA World Of Bluegrass at Raleigh, NC. She was diagnosed as having suffered a heart attack, and will need to undergo triple bypass surgery later this week.

Her bandmates Kim Fox and Matt Leadbetter have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to meet medical expenses and loss of income till she is back on her feet. At the time of writing this post, the appeal has been a great success, and the funds raised are only $25 short of the original target of $15,000. More details are on the Pinecastle Records press release and John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today.

© Richard Hawkins

Dom Flemons and 'Shultz's Dream' (update)

Last Saturday, as part of the events of the final day of IBMA's World Of Bluegrass 2022, Dom Flemons (right) presented a commemoration of Arnold Shultz (1996-1931), the black Kentucky musician whose playing strongly influenced the young Bill Monroe. Beforehand, Dom Flemons was interviewed by Stacy Chandler for No Depression; the edited interview can now be read as 'Dom Flemons to bring bluegrass history to life with "Shultz’s Dream" performance'. 'Shultz's Dream' is both the name of the group of musicians in the presentation, and the name of a song by Flemons, telling Shultz's story. Near the end of the interview, Flemons says:

There’s no reason for people to believe that the African American influences on bluegrass music are any way in conflict with the story everyone in this community already knows.

Update 5 Oct.: In Frank Baker's gallery of fifty-seven photos from Saturday's shows at World Of Bluegrass. images 11-19 are of the 'Shultz's Dream' set.

© Richard Hawkins

Keith Whitley commemorated in Oct. 2022 BU (update)

In the October 2022 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, the cover story is about Keith Whitley (1954-89), in connection with his induction to the Country Music Hall Of Fame this year. In addition to Chris Smith"s six-page feature on the bluegrass part of Keith's career, Scott Napier contributes a further six pages on Keith's banjo-playing elder brother Dwight, and David Carroll reports on a concert tribute to Keith at the CAMFEST festival in Kentucky in August this year.

Update 18 Oct.: The induction of Keith Whitley into the Country Music Hall Of Fame took place on Sunday 16 Oct. The ceremony is reported by John Lawless on Bluegrass Today, together with two videos and fifteen photos.

The many other features include Mike England's article on The Foreign Landers; Derek Halsey's article on Peter Rowan, Norman Blake, and Paul 'Moon' Mullins, all of whom were inducted this year into the International Bluegrass Music Hall Of Fame; an article on the new Mastertone™ 'Bluegrass Heart' Béla Fleck signature banjo by Ross Nickerson, who toured Ireland earlier this century; and the magazine's review section, which assesses new recordings, books, and guitar strings.

© Richard Hawkins