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

Last chances to see Leroy Troy & his Hillbilly Trio

Leroy Troy & his Hillbilly Trio (USA) are now nearing the end of their tour in Ireland. Tonight (Saturday) they are playing in Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick; tomorrow night they finish the tour with their show in Paul Lee's DC Music Club, 20 Camden Row, Dublin 8.

Once again, we're grateful to the mygrassisblue.com team for organising in every detail a tour for prominent US musicians - who in this case are also dedicated entertainers and carriers of tradition. By 'tradition' we have specially in mind the gymnastic armoury of banjo-twirling developed by Uncle Dave Macon (1870-1952), of which Leroy is now the acknowledged master. All the fine poster images designed by the Trio's Mike Armistead can be seen on the tour website.

The final tour to be presented in 2019 by mygrassisblue.com will be the 12-20 Oct. tour by the powerful duo of Brandon Lee Adams and Johnny Staats: see the BIB for 4 Sept. and our calendar.

Leroy Troy & his Hillbilly Trio (USA): tour begins 5 Sept.

A reminder that the forthcoming tour by Leroy Troy & his Hillbilly Trio will begin this coming Thursday (5 Sept.) when they play at Mickey Finn's, Redcross, Ballygillaroe, Co. Wicklow (on the R754, not far off the M11).

Leroy 'The Tennessee Slicker' Troy needs no introduction to anyone who attended the much-missed Johnny Keenan Banjo Festivals earlier this century. Full details of the Hillbilly Trio, which can be considered an A-Team of the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, are here.

One of the splendid posters designed by the Trio's Mike Armiatead for every date in the tour is shown above left. Thanks to Dave Byrne Jr of the mygrassisblue.com team for another (right) which Mike designed specially for the show in Gerry Lawless's Clonmel World Music series at the Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, a week into the tour (Thursday 12 Sept.). All dates on the tour, together with their poster images, can be seen in the calendar of events in the next few weeks, which appears in the BIB's right-hand column.

New album from the Henry Girls

The Henry Girls announce that they will be launching their new album, Far beyond the stars, at An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, on 10 March, followed by dates all over Ireland from March to May. The opening act at the launch show will be Donegal fiddler Damien McGeehan. Tickets and info here.

The cover art is by Ciaran Harley and Richard Walsh in Zoocreative, Derry city.

A good night - but not goodbye!

Thanks to Tony O'Brien, who has just posted this on Woodbine's Facebook:

Woodbine host a special retirement night for Richard on Sat. 18th Feb. in Athy GAA Centre @ 8.30 p.m. Many guest musicians will attend and we hope to see many of our loyal supporters there for a great night of bluegrass.

Fashion note: The 'blazer' is a cowboy shirt cut down into a short jacker. 'Keep on the Bluegrass' T-shirt by Anne Steel of Maui Waui Graphic Design. Taken at Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival 2015.

Keeping on the Bluegrass - in style

Thanks to professional graphic designer and illustrator Anne Steel of © Maui Waui Design in Norfolk, England, whose 'Keep on the Bluegrass' range of designer bluegrass T-shirts in black and white, featuring all the bluegrass instruments and printed on heavyweight premium-quality 'Fruits of the Loom' T-shirts, was featured on the BIB on 7 June 2012.

Anne now announces a new 'Keep on the Bluegrass' style, in navy blue, and including a V-neck 'Ladyfit' model (see image).

Full details and online purchase and ordering facilities, giving postage for all countries, are on the Keep on the Bluegrass website. Anne - who also plays guitar and ukulele in the Darling Coreys (GB) - can be contacted by e-mail or telephone (+44 (0)1508 530934).

Cool Stuff for Bluegrass Players

Appreciation of bluegrass - the importance of design

Niall Toner writes:

An aspect of bluegrass and country music that's often overlooked is the overall appearance and image of how the music is presented, and I'm thinking here mainly of the images on CD covers and insert booklets. Some notable recent examples, and indeed winners of design awards, have been the CD sleeves and booklet inserts for Steve Martin, Pete Wernick, Noam Pikelny, the Punch Brothers, and Dailey & Vincent, to mention a few. In some quarters the emphasis on appearance has diminished, mainly due to the fact that so much music is now available online, as downloads, but if, like me, you are one of those who treasure the detail of sleeve notes and information, you will agree that design and image are not only desirable, but vital.

In this regard, I want to pay tribute to a talented young designer and photographer, Fiaz Farrelly, who is responsible for both the design and the photography for my Pinecastle album, Onwards & upwards. Fiaz, who specialises in photographing and cataloguing heavy-metal bands (yes,there are many parallels between the two musics: a high degree of energy, a high level of skill, and a low level of money, to name but three!) has a natural ability to get the best from his subject when taking pictures, and a great sense of understanding when it comes to the portrayal of an image.

My new logo on the front of my album, in which the mandolin takes the place of the 'I' and the 'O' in my name, was created by Fiaz, with the assistance of Laura Hale, and was universally praised in the US during my launch and recent tour, as was the overall appearance and design of my CD. My sincere thanks goes out to Fiaz and Laura, and I would like to recommend that if any of you out there are contemplating a release in 2013, you owe it to yourself to make the best impression that you can, in terms of your visuals. And in this regard, you could do a lot worse than to consult with Fiaz Farrelly. He can be reached by e-mail.

BIB editor's note: We mentioned two weeks ago that Lee Marcus in the USA has founded an International Bluegrass Music Appreciation Day, the first of which is due to be held this coming Wednesday (12 December). Thanks again to Brian McNeal of the Prescription Bluegrass Blog for the news. Brian initially offered free advertising on the PBB on that day to any bluegrass business, and has since extended that offer up to the end of 2012 for all ads supplied as finished artwork. Niall Toner comments on his own blog:

What a great opportunity to spread the word, and everyone who is in any way connected to bluegrass music should be included. Anyway, here's my strip for the project [see above, at top of post], reminding folks to check out my Pinecastle release.

Also, here's another great photo by Fiaz Farrelly, taken in Ballymoon Castle, near Bagenalstown in Co. Carlow.

New Cabin Sessions T-shirt - in a good cause

Latest news of the Cabin Sessions, 'Acoustic Music at its Finest', at Uncle Tom's Cabin (not far from Dundrum Luas station in the city direction); Gerry Fitzpatrick announces:

Tomorrow night (25 Oct.) we will be selling a specially designed Cabin Sessions T-shirt. This has the Cabin Sessions logo on the front and a list of all our guests on the back. Price €12 each or two for €20.

All proceeds go to the Children's Cancer Fund, Our Lady's, Crumlin.

T-shirts sponsored by Uncle Tom's Cabin, Pat McGonagle, and Kevin Cray.

A new range of bluegrass T-shirts from Maui Waui

Thanks to Anne Steel of © Maui Waui Design in Norfolk, England, for news of her new range of designer bluegrass T-shirts in black and white, printed on heavyweight premium-quality 'Fruits of the Loom' T-shirts, and featuring all the bluegrass instruments (banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass, Dobro). Anne writes:

I am a graphic designer and illustrator who has been designing products and illustrations for the gift trade and other businesses for over twenty-five years. This range of bluegrass designs is a result of my passion for bluegrass and country music and wanting to design the kind of T-shirt that I would like to buy - having seen nothing at festivals that really grabbed my attention!

I play the banjo, guitar, and ukulele and I am working on more designs to add to this range and other bluegrass/ country music designs, so please keep checking the website. Whilst I cannot offer a huge range of colours or T-shirt styles, it's possible, if you have a specific request (e.g for an alternative colour) that I can accommodate this, so please call me or e-mail with any enquiries.

The shirts come in sizes M, L, XL, and XXL at £12 each. Postage in the UK is £2.50 (check with Anne by e-mail for rates to other countries). Purchase can be made by telephone, e-mail, or online. The photo above shows the banjo design on a black shirt; the white banjo shirt and designs for the other instruments are shown on the 'Keep on the Bluegrass' web page.

And do look at the © Maui Waui Design website, illustrating all aspects of Anne's career as a designer and illustrator.

Anne Steel
© Maui Waui Design
2 Moor Cottages, The Green
Morningthorpe
Norfolk NR15 2RZ
T +44 01508 530934
M +44 07868 613537
e-mail