Winfield 2021 - an Irish contribution?

Thanks to Rex Flottman of the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS, for news that the 49th Festival is scheduled to be held, as in the past, at the Winfield fairgrounds on 15-19 Sept. 2021. The lineup features the artists previously announced, together with several major additions, and can be examined on the poster image (right; click to enlarge).

The poster itself is the third in a series of posters focusing on campground picking, for which Winfield is famous. It comes from a designer who, according to Rex, is based in London, and according to his website is from Kent, but as his name is Sean de Burca we suspect an Irish connection somwhere. Sean is a graphic designer, illustrator, and typographer (and an accomplished acoustic guitarist) who creates album artwork, logos, posters, and other materials for many musicians and record labels worldwide. He is also on Facebook.

© Richard Hawkins

Rhiannon Giddens on Deering Live tonight, 8.00 p.m. GMT

Deering Banjos announce:

We are very excited to feature Rhiannon Giddens on Deering Live. Rhiannon has been a longtime Deering banjo artist and was a founding member of the Grammy Award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops. She since has forged a very successful solo career. Her latest album, There is no other, featuring Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, was produced by iconic producer Joe Henry and is an astounding work. Tune in to hear Rhiannon play, talk about her artistic process, what she is working on, and more. You can also ask Rhiannon questions in the live chatroom.

The company are also running a photo contest for owners of their instruments: a photo of you with your Deering banjo could be on the front of the next Deering digital catalogue. Find out how to enter here.

And now - for mandolinists

The BIB has carried news about online instruction for banjo and guitar this week, so it's opportune that Bluegrass Today now reports on the new Mandolin skill builder workshops from Tristan Scroggins (right), who has many admirers in Ireland already from his performances as a member of his father's band, Jeff Scroggins & Colorado, and filling in with Chris Jones & the Night Drivers. He also teaches in festival workshops and music camps during the year.

The new online workshops are aimed at players at intermediate level who want to consolidate and develop their skills. Charges and further details are given on the Bluegrass Today feature, which includes a three-minute introductory video that can also be seen on YouTube.

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Also for mandolinists: Bluegrass Today reports that Pinecastle Records are celebrating the success on the charts of the song 'Bill Monroe's old mandolin' with a contest to win a new Loar LM-310F Honey Creek mandolin. The contest will run to 13 February this year, and the four ways of qualifying to enter are detailed here and on Bluegrass Today. John Lawless's feature there has the added bonus of showing again the video of the song, recorded by Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road. Ardara festival attenders will remember Lorraine appearing there in 2017 with the Garrett Newton Band.

PS: Those specifically interested in Bill Monroe's mandolin style might take a look at the video 'Monroe style mandolin - introduction to the lineage' which Chris Henry put on YouTube a year ago.

ROMP (USA) presents Virtual Band Contest for 2021

The ROMP (River Of Music Party) festival is held in June, under the auspices of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, in Owensboro, KY, by the banks of the Ohio. Between now and St Patrick's day 2021, ROMP will be running a Virtual Band Contest in which the winners will perform on the festival's main stage at next year's ROMP, 23-26 June 2021.

A ninety-second video (also on YouTube) shows how to enter, and a further video explains the voting procedures. Full details are on the ROMP e-newsletter, on the website, and in a feature by John Lawless on Bluegrass Today.

World Virtual Bluegrass Banjo Contest results

Steve Kaufman announces the results of the World Virtual Bluegrass Banjo Contest, part of the series of World Virtual Acoustic Contests:

We wrapped up the World Virtual Bluegrass Banjo Contest last weekend and it was a blast.

1st place and $500 went to David Benda of the Czech Republic
2nd place and $250 - Steve Louvat from Belgium
3rd place and $100 - Traj Wellington of TN
4th place - Max Allard of IL
5th place - Frank Evans of TN

This was an exciting contest. You can see it all as it appeared LIVE. We had a few videos hang up, so speed through them to see the finalists. Congratulations to all the contestants from around the world and especially to those top five.

Gold Tone sponsor first ever World Virtual Bluegrass Banjo Contest (UPDATE)

Earlier this month the winners were announced of the 1st World Virtual Flatpicking Contest. Now the Gold Tone Music Group announce:

Gold Tone is proud to sponsor the first ever World Virtual Bluegrass Banjo Contest! Hosted by Marcy Marxer and Steve Kaufman, this contest is the first ever online search for the world's most talented bluegrass banjo player.

See the Gold Tone e-newsletter, where, for anyone wishing to register, there is a link to the contest web page on the Gold Tone website.

Update 2 Nov.: It is now announced that the World Virtual Bluegrass Banjo Contest will begin a week today, with the first round on 9-15 Nov. and a second round on 19-20 Nov. This is now part of a series entitled World Virtual Acoustic Contests. For more details, see Bluegrass Today.

World Virtual Flatpicking Contest winners

Following the BIB post of 21 Sept., Steve Kaufman (USA) sends the results of the first World Virtual Flatpicking Contest, held under the auspices of the Institute of Musical Traditions (IMT). The forty entrants included pickers from Canada, Italy, England, Sweden, and Australia. The winners were:

1st: Brennan Ernst - $500
2nd: Aubrey King - $400
3rd: Daisy Kerr - $300
4th: Eric Wiggs - $200
5th: Adam Miller - $100

Finalists and raffle winners can be seen here - one of the latter is Kathy Barwick, award-winning Californian multi-instrumentalist, who has toured several times in Ireland. Dates and details will soon be announced for the first World Virtual Bluegrass Banjo Contest, to be held next month. Much more information on online flatpicking instruction is on Steve Kaufman's website.

First World Virtual Flatpicking Contest, 21-28 Sept. 2020

Among all the virtual events that have taken the place of the normal calendar in this abnormal year, the Institute of Musical Traditions (IMT) in the USA presents the first World Virtual Flatpicking Contest, which any guitar picker in the world with an internet connection and a way to videotape can enter, for a registration fee of only $20 (though entry is limited to 150 contestants). It has been organised by Steve Kaufman and Marcy Marxer, and runs from today (21 Sept.) to a week from now.

Full details are on the IMT website, with more comment by John Lawless on Bluegrass Today, where you can see the criteria that will be applied in judging entries. As it happens, these are not bad criteria for any players to apply to their own playing on any occasion.

Film your safe bluegrass jam, and win...?

Back on 3 June, the BIB reported how the Barcelona Bluegrass Jam had achieved a fulfilling meeting, under tight restrictions in a country that has suffered particularly badly from COVID-19. Bluegrass Today now announces that Pete Wernick and his Wernick Method Jam Class programme are launching a Safe Jam Contest, in which prizes of Pete's merchandise will be given for the best video of a bluegrass jam conducted in a safe and socially-distanced manner.

Full details, including prizes and how entries will be judged, are on the Bluegrass Today feature. Note that in the photo, the jammers are wisely playing in a bandstand, so the acoustics should be satisfying for them even with what looks like three-metres spacing.

49th Winfield Festival postponed to 2021

THE organisers of the Walnut Valley Festival (USA) have announced that after communicating with local public health and city officials, they have decided with regret to postpone the 49th Festival to September 2021. Tickets already bought for this year will be valid for next year. A series of virtual concerts and events, with an online songwriter's showcase, are being arranged for September 2020 under the tentative title 'WVF 48.5'.

The Festival is traditionally held on the third weekend of September in Winfield, Kansas. It centres on the championship contests: International Autoharp, International Fingerstyle Guitar, National Mountain Dulcimer, National Flat Pick Guitar, National Hammered Dulcimer, National Bluegrass Banjo, National Mandolin, and Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championships.

In addition, 'Winfield' draws a crowd of 10,000-15,000 people to celebrate a blend of all kinds of acoustic music, including bluegrass, folk, Americana, cowboy, Celtic, blues, jazz, swing, and more.

Holiday greetings from Walnut Valley, KS

Thanks to Rex Flottman and the Walnut Valley Association in Winfield, Kansas, home of the Walnut Valley National Guitar Flat-Picking Championships Festival since 1972, for this holiday greeting. The BIB particularly likes the central wreath decoration, evoking the ties worn by Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, and other classic bluegrass artists.

Winfield results, JigJam, and Satan

The 48th Walnut Valley Festival was held over this weekend in Winfield, Kansas, centring on the championship contests: the International Autoharp, International Fingerstyle Guitar, National Mountain Dulcimer, National Flat Pick Guitar, National Hammered Dulcimer, National Bluegrass Banjo, National Mandolin, and Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championships.

The first three to place in any contest receive valuable instruments as prizes. Winners have now been announced, and it's interesting to see what instrument goes to each successful contestant. Our eyebrows rose at seeing that the second place winner in the mandolin contest received a 'Pava F5 Satan Mandolin', but a check on the Pava Mandolins website reassured us - for 'Satan', read 'Satin' (referring to the finish on the instrument).

The many bands and artists playing during the festival included our old friends Special Consensus; new friends Chris Jones & the Night Drivers; Della Mae, who will be in Dublin for Tradfest in January; and Tullamore's own JigJam.

PS: Lists of winners' names appear on Bluegrass Today.

JigJam on the bill for Winfield, Sept. 2019 (and other Irish connections)

JigJam: (l-r) Jamie McKeogh, Gavin Strappe,

Cathal Guinan, Daithi Melia

Following on our JigJam news of 16 May, thanks to Rex Flottman of the Walnut Valley Association (WVA) in Winfield, Kansas, for the news that the Tullamore band (above) will be playing at this year's Walnut Valley Festival (18-22 Sept. 2019). Rex points out that Celtic music has been a part of previous Winfield festivals (the Co. Clare trio Socks in the Frying Pan are current fan favourites), and JigJam will be bringing their distinctive 'I-Grass' style; he also mentions their high energy on stage, their coming album Phoenix, and the single 'Tullamore to Boston'.

The many artists also on this year's lineup include several previous visitors to Ireland: our old friends the Special Consensus, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Betse & Clarke (as part of the Short Round String Band), and Winfield’s own Barry Patton, 'just back from winning an international bones-playing competition in Ireland'.

The WVA was formed in 1972 to produce the Walnut Valley National Guitar Flat-Picking Championships Festival, extended over the years to include National Championships for other bluegrass and old-time instruments. The festival is held every year on the third weekend in September. In 1999 it received the first IBMA Bluegrass Event of the Year award ever presented. 'Most of all', its website says,

the Festival is a homecoming. And a homecoming not just because of the music and how folks act, but a coming home to a place in the soul and the heart with a spirit of celebration.

Flatpick champions of Winfield 2016

The festival widely known as 'Winfield' (Kansas) originated as the Walnut Valley National Guitar Flat-Picking Championships Festival in 1972, and Winfield winners have often become prominent figures in the music.

So the BIB thanks the Walnut Valley Association for this photo of the National Guitar Flat Pick Championship winners: (l-r) second-place winner Jason Shaw of Lincoln, Nebraska; first-place winner Steve Lewis of Jefferson, North Carolina; third-place winner Eric Hardin of West Jefferson, North Carolina.

Steve Lewis wins a Collings Winfield model mahogany/Adirondack spruce guitar; and, as he was also second-place winner in the bluegrass banjo contest, he goes home with a Deering Calico 5-string too. More news of Winfield contest winners can be seen here.

Autoharp news - belated

The BIB apologises to autoharpists here for giving no advance news of the UK Autoharps Autoharp Weekend in Suffolk, England - three days of tuition and jamming in Woodbridge, Suffolk, on last weekend, Friday 11-Sunday 13 September. Saturday was tuition day, with workshops for every level of autoharp player starting with total beginners to advanced, plus song workshops. Loaner harps were available for anyone who wanted to try out the instrument.

And we now learn - too late for anyone here to join in - that the 44th Annual Walnut Valley Festival has begun at Winfield, KS. Held every year on the third weekend in September, the Festival is the home of many national and international instrument championships, including an international championship for autoharp.

The autoharp championship was held this morning (17 Sept.) at 11.30 a.m., and the first-place winner is George Haig of Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, who is shown above between Cindy Harris (2nd) of Pennsylvania and Marti Knauer (3rd) of Missouri. All three win instruments as prizes, with George receiving a d'Aigle Cascade SP G-D diatonic autoharp (photo right).

Update 21 Sept.: Winners of the championships for fingerstyle and flat-pick guitar, mountain and hammer dulcimers, mandolin, bluegrass banjo, and old-time fiddle have now been announced and can be seen on the Walnut Valley Festival newspage.

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Scotland has a further presence in the US this autumn - the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival will have a booth in the Trade Show at the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC, at the end of this month, just after this year's MMBF takes place.

Recognise anyone?

John Lawless reports today on Bluegrass Today on the outcome of the 22nd Annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, the final judging of which took place last weekend at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Three awards were made in each of the categories Bluegrass, Gospel/ Inspirational, Country, and General; the judges this year were Charles R. Humphrey III, Darrell Scott, and Ireland's own Niall Toner.

The above photo (from Bluegrass Today, which also gives full results of the awards) shows award winners and judges, with Niall not too hard to identify - second from left in the front row, with Jim Lauderdale on his left (your right).

Tour news - and Ireland at MerleFest 2014

Thanks to Paul Lee of the Musiclee.ie agency for his latest list of shows, beginning with tomorrow night (10 Apr.), when Tumbling Bones, from Portland, Maine, will bring their mix of traditional bluegrass, old-time, country blues, and expert buck-dancing to Whelan's in Dublin; 8.30 start, €15 (€13 reserved in advance).

On this tour (their third in Ireland) Tumbling Bones will have their new album, Loving a fool. The BIB calendar shows all dates for the tour; it lasts till the end of the month, when they go to Germany for the 12th International Bühl Bluegrass Festival (2-3 May), followed by dates in Britain (8-20 May).

Tangled Roots, the 'Folk the Recession' group including Frankie Lane and Paul Kelly, will be playing just up the lane from Whelan's at the Dublin Conservative Club the following night (11 Apr.). Other artists on Paul's list with a special appeal for BIB readers include the highly acclaimed Cahalen Morrison and Eli West (USA), who will be playing at Whelan's on Thursday 8 May as part of a too-brief tour in Ireland - see the BIB calendar for the rest of their schedule.

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Following the news that appeared on the BIB on 10 Feb. and 9 Mar., the Brookfield Knights agency reports that the period for which Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers (USA) will be available for bookings in Ireland later this year will be from Tues. 4 Nov. to Sun. 9 Nov..

They will have with them Zoe's third album, World of strangers. Promoters and event organisers who are interested should contact Brookfield Knights. The band's live shows can be sampled in this clip from 2012.

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This year at MerleFest, the world's most prestigious acoustic Americana music festival, Ireland will be very actively represented by Niall Toner and I Draw Slow.

On Friday 25 April I Draw Slow will be performing on the Watson (11.45 a.m.-12.30 p.m.), Creekside (1.15-2.00 p.m.), and Dance (7.00-8.15 p.m.) stages. The same afternoon (2.00-3.30 p.m.), on the Austin Stage in Alumni Hall, Niall will be taking part in judging the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest finals, together with contest chairman Jim Lauderdale and fellow judges Darrell Scott and Charles Humphrey III.

On Saturday 26 April the Niall Toner Band plays at Creekside (10.45-11.30 a.m.) and the Cabin stage (1.45-2.15 p.m.), and I Draw Slow at the Americana (1.30-2.15 p.m.). Later that afternoon (3.45-4.45 p.m.), at the Mayes Pit-Cohn Auditorium, Niall and band, together with Dave and Louise Holden from I Draw Slow, will be part of a workshop entitled 'Irish roots music yesterday and today'.

On Sunday 27 April the Niall Toner Band will be at the Autograph MF Mall (9.00-10.00 a.m.) and the Americana (11.45 a.m.-12.30 p.m.) and Traditional (1.45-2.30 p.m.) stages, the latter with a 'Celtic connections' theme.

Thanks also to Pinecastle Records (the US label that both Niall and I Draw Slow are with) and Kim Fowler of Two Dog Media for the news that I Draw Slow's latest album, White Wave Chapel, will be released in the US on 8 July. For more details, including some of the many nice things that have been printed about their previous album, Redhills, see the Two Dog Media e-newsletter.

Stray Birds this week; Jim Lauderdale next month; and MerleFest news

The Stray Birds (photo: Jake Jacobson)

The Stray Birds (see photo above) from Pennsylvania are a three-piece band who present American folk music with hard-edged trio vocals, Monroesque mandolin work, and lyrical clawhammer banjo and fiddle. Their music can be sampled on YouTube, and their schedule is:

Tues. 11 Feb.: The Red Room, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone
Wed. 12 Feb.: The Black Box, Belfast, 7.00 p.m.
Thurs. 13 Feb.: Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary (Clonmel World Music series)
Fri. 14 Feb.: The Lodge, Mallow, Co. Cork
Sat. 15 Feb.: Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Sun. 16 Feb.: Whelan's Upstairs, Wexford St., Dublin 2

The final show is presented by Musiclee.ie, who announce: 'A sold-out show at Celtic Connections is a sign that the news has crossed the Atlantic. Advance booking for their first Dublin concert is recommended.' The show at Whelan's begins at 8.30 p.m.; admission is €15 (€13 if reserved in advance).

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Thanks to Ray O'Brien for forwarding news from Paul Foley of the Ubangi Stomp Club in Dublin, which will present Grammy-award-winning songwriter and performing artist Jim Lauderdale at the same venue, Upstairs at Whelan's, on 3 March. Tickets €12 euro, available in advance from WAV tickets.

As the Ubangi release points out, Jim Lauderdale is one of the most respected artists working on the bluegrass, country, and Americana music scenes; to bluegrassers he is especially well known for his close collaborations on record with Dr Ralph Stanley, and his latest album, Old time angels, received a 'Highlight' review in the Feb. 2014 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited. He will be in Ireland for the 10th Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival (28 Feb.-9 Mar.) No other gigs in Ireland are mentioned on his online schedule, so this is a rare opportunity to see him performing live. A sample of his work can be seen on YouTube.

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Thanks to Niall Toner for forwarding the latest e-newsletter from MerleFest, announcing that Merle Haggard and Ricky Skaggs will be on the bill. Full details are also given of the judges (including Niall) for the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest; the panel will be headed by Jim Lauderdale, and the final round of judging will take place at MerleFest, as already mentioned on the BIB on 5 Feb. Read the full e-newsletter here.

Niall Toner to judge at MerleFest songwriting contest

Niall Toner, who received the European Bluegrass Personality 2012 award a year ago, will be one of the panel of judges at this year's 22nd Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Other members of the panel, chaired by Jim Lauderdale, are Charles Humphrey III (bass-player for the Steep Canyon Rangers) and Darrell Scott.

The panel will conduct the first round of judging in Nashville, and the final round at MerleFest 2014, to be held at Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on 24-7 April, where Niall is also scheduled to play several sets. More details are on the MerleFest website. The deadline for entry in the contest is just two weeks from now - 19 February 2014.

Gone to Grass with Ivor Ottley - December gigs

Thanks to Pete Lamb in Co. Galway for news of the series of shows that Galway-based band Gone to Grass will be playing a month from now, marking the return of former member and master fiddler Ivor Ottley (current West Tennessee Fiddle Champion), who will also be giving fiddle workshops in association with the tour.

The photo shows (l-r) Ivor Ottley (fiddle), Pete Lamb (guitar), and Tom Portman (resophonic guitar). A full Gone to Grass promo sheet, including Paddy Jordan (bass), who will be playing on two of the gigs shown below, can be seen here. Gone to Grass are presently recording a debut release.

Details of fiddle workshops are in preparation. Shows confirmed at the moment are:

Thurs. 13 Dec.: Gallery Cafe, Gort, 8.00 p.m. (with Paul Johnson, bass)

Fri. 14th: Crane Bar, Galway city (workshop followed by show) (with Paddy Jordan, bass)

Sun. 16th: Blackrock GAA Club, Church Rd, Blackrock, Cork (Christmas party for all friends and supporters of the Club), 9.00 p.m., no cover charge (trio Ivor/Pete/Tom)

Tues. 18th: Mill Bar, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare (with Paddy Jordan, bass)