The Media

The November 2022 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine includes major features on Sam Bush, father of 'newgrass', and his friendship with John Hartford; on Darol Anger; on Tray Wellington; on Hawktail; and on the Stillhouse Junkies, one of the star acts at this year's Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival (there's also a big photo of them elsewhere in the magazine).

Update 9 Nov.: Stacy Chandler reviews Sam Bush's new album Radio John: songs of John Hartford on No Depression, with two videos, photos, and a good deal on what Hartford's songs and friendship meant to Bush.

The other good things in this issue of BU include a substantial article by Prof. Jack Bernhardt on the work of PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music - one of the prime movers in hosting the IBMA World Of Bluegrass in North Carolina. Jack gives a special mention to the period (1996-2007) when Susan Newberry was its executive director, and the close partnership of PineCone with the Ulster American Folk Park at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, in bringing artists to the annual Omagh bluegrass festivals. He mentions Richard Hurst as the Park's festival director - but not his own role as presenter, for years, of the festival's McAuley Lectures series.

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The cover story in the Bluegrass Standard for Nov. 2022 is on Garrett Newton, whom many will remember from 2017 when he (in his teens) and his band visited Ireland together with Lorraine Jordan, and contributed to a memorable Ardara Bluegrass Festival in Co. Donegal (see Colin Henry's report on the BIB for 18 July 2017). Garrett, who is still only 22, is now dedicating himself to keeping alive the music of Hank Williams and the era of classic country, but remains a member of the Tomorrow's Bluegrass Stars organisation.

© Richard Hawkins