Late delivery

The BIB editor (retired) writes:

On 31 Aug. it was announced that news that came in during my absence (14-19 Sept.) would be dealt with on my return. Here it is:

Dark Shadow Recording announce that Chicago's Henhouse Prowlers, Bluegrass Ambassadors to the world, and headliners of the bluegrass section of the 2022 Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, released on Friday 15 Sept. their latest album, Lead and iron, comprising eleven tracks, all written or co-written by Prowler members. Full details are on the Dark Shadow press release.

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South London's The Vanguards (Jack Baker, mandolin; Alex Clarke, guitar; Chris Lord, banjo; Laura Nailor, fiddle; and Pete Thomas, bass) are interviewed by Lee Zimmerman in 'England’s Vanguards take their name seriously', the latest in his 'Bluegrass beyond borders' series on Bluegrass Today. The feature includes two videos and an audio track. The Vanguards played at the 2017 Westport festival, and followed this with a 2019 tour of Ireland centred on the festival's launch party. Chris Lord is also editor of British Bluegrass News, to which Jack Baker contributes the regular 'Tab corner', which always includes solid helpings of bluegrass history.

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More bluegrass history: the good things in the Bluegrass Unlimited weekly newsletter no. 149 include an invaluable article from BU archives on Ola Belle Reed by Rhonda Strickland, published in the June 1983 issue under the title 'Preserving traditional music without killing it'.

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Rick Faris, singer, songwriter, recording artist, and luthier, who toured Ireland several times during his eleven years on mandolin and guitar with the Special Consensus, will be moving his Faris Guitar Co. to an 1800-sq.-ft workshop at the Kentucky Guitar Works in Owensboro, Ky, More details and a statement from Rick are in John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today.

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East Nash Grass (USA; see the BIB for 7 Apr.), who have not yet visited Ireland, are young musicians who embody well-established bluegrass practices: individually they've all played in different bands, and as a band they've held down a long residency at a particular venue - in their case, weekly at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge in Madison, TN. On the Bluegrass Situation (BGS) Thomas Cassell interviews the ENG's James Kee (mandolin) and Cory Walker (banjo) about the experience of their residency, their rapport with audiences, their new album, and more. The interview includes three videos - one of them a two-hour live performance at Dee's.

© Richard Hawkins