More news of past visitors

The latest Dark Shadow Recording company press release announces that Rick Faris (singer, songwriter, luthier, and IBMA New Artist of the Year 2022) is releasing today a new single, 'The power of love', a hit song in the pop world of the 1980s. It will appear on his third Dark Shadow album, Uncommon sky, which is due for release in June 2023.

Rick was a member of Special Consensus for eleven years on mandolin and (later) guitar, and toured Ireland several times with the band. As the press release says, 'Under Greg Cahill, he learned the meaning of professionalism and giving back to the bluegrass community.' More details are in John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today, where you can see a video of the song being recorded (also on YouTube).

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The BIB mentioned in June 2020 an important album, The John Hartford fiddle tune project, involving many outstanding musicians. Two of them - Megan Lynch Chowning (fiddle) and Tristan Scroggins (mandolin), both of whom have toured here - have joined with Adam Hurt (banjo) to form a touring trio playing the tunes live on stage. They can be seen and heard on Bluegrass Today and YouTube playing a sprightly Hartford composition, 'Tennessee politics'. Warmly recommended.

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Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Omagh headliners in 2019, will have their new twelve-track album Let time ride released on St Patrick's day, a single 'Black and white' released a week today (3 Mar.), and a 'fun concept video' on 10 Mar. More details are on the East Public Relations press release.

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Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, who also played Omagh 2019 as part of their last tour here, have a new single, 'The price of falling', on Mountain Home Music. Chris says: 'We really had fun with this one in the studio.' It can be heard on Bluegrass Today and SoundCloud.

Update 11/16 Mar.: The band have now released a video of 'The price of falling', which can be seen on Bluegrass Today, on YouTube, and on this Mountain Home Music Company press release.

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Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass have a new single on Pinecastle, the song 'What crosses your mind', written by David Stewart and Sage Palser and featuring Palser herself (lead singer and mandolin player of the Wyoming-based band Prairie Wildfire). More details are on the Pinecastle Records press release, and on John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today.

© Richard Hawkins