The Bluegrass Ireland Blog

The BIB editor (retired) writes : My warmest thanks to Tony O'Brien and Uri Kohen for the way in which they have marked my retiremen...

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 o...

My mother was classically trained, but she could play anything on piano by ear, and my father sang with her. But for them music was not abou...

The BIB editor writes : A substantial part of Well of souls is dedicated to showing the development of the cultures of black enslaved peo...

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announce that this year's IBMA World Of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC, will present f...

Playing in bars is traditionally part of the bluegrass life. Doing it in this country can carry the additional burden that - even more than ...

For those who saw Nickel Creek at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on 30 August - and also for those who didn't but wish they had - B...

The Deering Banjo Company announce episode 4 of Michael J. Miles 's online clawhammer banjo workshop. In this 36-minute episode Michael,...

The Morris Public Relations press release explains how the title was chosen for 'Get lost', the instrumental composed and recorded...

Dear friends and fans, Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival has been running for the past 17 years and it has played an integral part i...

Ray Barron of Two Time Polka sends news of the band's forthcoming gigs: Sun. 17th Sept.: Crane Lane Theatre, Cork city, midnight-2.0...

Thanks to JIm MacArdle of the Watery Hill Boys of Drogheda, Co. Louth, for the news that the band will be playing at The Moorings (also ...

The BIB editor writes : Two of the main themes of Well of souls are: (1) the banjo is essentially a ' spiritual device ', an expr...

The staff of the Bluegrass Situation ( BGS ) online magazine present, under the title 'See photos from the Earl Scruggs Music Festival ...

Events on the scene in the Mother Country are amply covered by the US bluegrass media, so the BIB doesn't usually draw attention to them...

First, the views. In photo features from US festivals that have appeared on Bluegrass Today over the past week, you can see numerous excelle...

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announce that this year's IBMA World Of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC, will open on T...

US singer, songwriter, activist, and organiser Si Kahn announces in his latest e-newsletter that his one-woman musical play 'Mother J...

Michael J. Miles (USA) announces in his latest e-newsletter that the concert for the release of his new album American Bach revisited wil...

Mountain Fever Records announce a new single from Cedar Hill , the fine traditional-oriented band from the Ozark region who have made many...

The FOAOTMAD news blog , organ of the UK's old-time music and dance association, carries news of a show on 21 Sept. in Narberth, Wales, ...

The September 2023 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine has Bobby Osborne on the cover, and much of the contents of the issue is devoted ...

Thanks to Gary Ferguson (USA), acclaimed songwriter and veteran of a dozen tours of Ireland, for news of the latest fruit of a close and lo...

Woodbine's original lineup (l-r: Tony, Mel, Paddy, Liam) Dunmore East, 2002 BIB editor's note: Woodbine played their final offic...

Thanks to John Lawless on Bluegrass Today for news of a project that should be a classic for anyone interested in the links between the fo...

The BIB editor reports: Please note that though my impending retirement as editor will take effect from 18 Sept., family matters will caus...

The Yonder Boys (USA/AUS/CHL), who were part of the 2022 Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival and toured for a week in Ireland in January ...

The Deering Banjo Company announces the second episode of their new 'Pete's Place' feature, in which Pete 'Dr Banjo' Wer...

Many thanks to Patrick Simpson for news of another great night at one of the weekly Dublin bluegrass jam sessions. Patrick writes: Just ...

JigJam announce that their new single, 'Take me high', will be released on Friday 8 Sept.: We are so excited to share the first o...

The Deering Bajo Company present a video (also on YouTube ) of Alison Brown playing the Cyndi Lauper hit 'Time after time' on a ...

Carlow guitar maestro Shane Hennessy sends his Aug.-Sept. 2023 newsletter from Peoria, IL, where he has just played the Peoria Irish Fest....

The 146th Bluegrass Unlimited weekly newsletter includes a link to the BU archives for a forty-year-old article by Doug Hutchens , bluegr...

The BIB editor writes : Kristina R. Gaddy 's book Well of souls: uncovering the banjo's hidden history can be seen as a companion...

On No Depression Noah Berlatsky reviews Jubilee , the latest album from Old Crow Medicine Show , who were 'discovered' by Doc Wat...

Danny Burns , born and raised in the north-west of this island, released yesterday (Fri. 25 Aug.) his new album Promised land , with guest a...

Thanks to Jeremy Westby of 2911 Media for the news that the Kody Norris Show (whose headlining the bluegrass section of this year's We...

The BIB editor writes : There is one week left for BIB readers to take advantage of the discount offered to them (see the BIB's sideba...

The Deering Banjo Company announce episode 3 of Michael J. Miles 's online clawhammer banjo workshop. In this 37-minute episode Michael,...

Following the BIB posts of 7 and 8 August , thanks to Colette Lawless for this reminder that the Caleb & Reeb Country Band will be p...

Dark Shadow Recording announce that Chicago's Henhouse Prowlers released on Friday last (18 Aug.) 'My last run', the fourth si...

Canada's Lonesome Ace Stringband (above, l-r: John Showman, Max Heineman, Chris Coole ) have released a video of a new single, 'Pr...

On Friday 18 Aug. a major feature by Richard Thompson marked the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Jan Jerrold (1941-93), of whom Rich...

The Local Honeys ( Linda Jean Stokley and Montana Hobbs ) from east Kentucky, who made a big impact at the 13th Westport Folk and Bluegra...

Thanks to Mick Daly , director of the Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival at Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, for these images from the Festival f...