Sons of Navarone UK tour February 2010

Richard F Thompson of the BBMA forwards this news:

You are invited to an evening of bluegrass music with the Sons of Navarone, one of Europe’s top bands.

This Belgium-based bluegrass band have been in existence since 2001 and since then they have successfully taken part and left their mark in many parts of the European music scene. These guys stand for WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). Well played acoustic bluegrass music, with outstanding close harmony singing that has become their trademark.

The tour starts off with a private concert at RAF Headley Court – the Armed Forces Medical Rehabilitation Centre - and then moves on to:

Tues. 16 Feb. Sutton Scotney Village Hall, Winchester, Hampshire
Wed. 17 Feb. The Castle Inn, Swansea Road, Pontlliw, Swansea
Thurs. 18 Feb. The Grove Inn, Back Row, David Street, Leeds
Fri. 19 Feb. Wellington Arts Centre, Eight Acre Lane, Wellington, Somerset (with Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys)

The Sons put on a great show with their interactive rapport with the audience and their onstage humour keeps the audience sharp and on the edge of their seats. As well as traditional and contemporary bluegrass, the SONS also perform songs from other musical genres but giving them their own special bluegrass arrangements.

Full details on the Sons' website.

BBMA e-newsletter #7

Thanks to Richard F Thompson, editor of British Bluegrass News, the magazine of the British Bluegrass Music Association, for the news that BBN has issued the seventh (February 2010) in its series of e-newsletters to BBMA members, carrying news that breaks between issues of the quarterly magazine.

The newsletter, which can be read here, includes several news items concerning Europe outside Britain.

Those interested in joining the BBMA can do so by contacting the Membership Team, Clare and David Rozzell, 26 Martin Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO3 6JZ; e-mail.

Radio playlists

Kabel 87.5 MHz - Omroep Venray - Ether 90.2 MHz:
Peelgrass playlist 2615 (31 Jan.) Country Programme
PeelGrass is now also broadcast on Huissentv (the Netherlands)

Radio Vrolek, 107.7 MHz; local cable 105.5 MHz; Information TV-channel 2:
Country Music Round-up playlists, Tues. 19.00-20.00, Sat. 12.00-13.00

Radio Free FM Ulm, UKW 102.6:
Americana playlist* 312 (1 Feb. 2010)
Antistatic Country Time playlist 25 Jan. 2010

* Programmes in this series are broadcast live on Radio Free FM and Countrymusic24.com and repeated the following day at 17:30-20.00 European Continental time on Countrymusic24.com.

Antistatic Country Time can be heard on Radio Free FM's live streaming Digital Audio Lounge.

Jerry Alsford (UK)

Thanks to Dave Morris of the MORRIS BOYS writing to our organisation informing us all of the death of Jerry Alsford.

'Jerry was in our bluegrass band from the early 1970s until a few years ago. Jerry was one of the best bluegrass fiddle players in the UK until his untimely passing only a few weeks ago. He was a player that came out from the classical field into bluegrass with honors. He did his bluegrass apprenticeship with our band under the guidance of Trevor and Glyn Morris and Dave Hatfield and myself. He worked with the SOUTHERN RAMBLERS, another of the early British bluegrass bands in the 1960s who helped shape bluegrass in the UK for a period of time. He rejoined the MORRIS BOYS after being a pro fiddle player with a country band on the circuit, but his love of playing bluegrass with our band led the way for the Morris brothers minus Trevor, who is currently with MATCHING TIES by the way, to play at all the major UK festivals and US festivals in Rosine, Kentucky.

He found happiness in his retirement after being a technical-commercial artist in his new canal boat called 'Roanoke', in which he traveled the UK until his passing. Jerry will be sadly missed by the many friends in the business who played alongside him and not forgetting his family and close friends in Leigh-on Sea, Essex, England.
Yours, Dave Morris

PS: I think this letter will carry the sentiment of all UK bluegrass players and the audiences who Jerry played for.'

Sore Fingers Week (5-9 April 2010): latest news

If you're thinking of attending Europe's premier bluegrass/old-time instrument instruction course, here's an update from the Sore Fingers Week organisers:

The old-time classes are doing reasonably well but are still low on numbers, especially the fiddle. If you are planning to book, please let us know of your commitment as soon as possible please. We could do with about seven fiddle students and five banjo students to make things work out.

Bluegrass fiddle is looking a bit sad as well this year, and if you fancy learning how to play the fiddle without retuning every five minutes (no offence intended towards the OT fiddlers!), why not have a go with Brian Wicklund on the bluegrass fiddle course. Brian is a great teacher.

Other courses that could do with a boost are singing (Chris Stuart and Janet Beazley), Bass (with Eric Thorin) and Autoharp (with Cathy Britell).

Stewart Williams has had to pull out of teaching this year due to personal reasons outside of his control. We will be replacing him with a small team of tutors but the course will be taught as a group.

Finally, I’m pleased to announce that Mike Compton has agreed to take on a second class of mandolin players. Mike is probably one of the best exponents of 'old-time' mandolin playing around; and if you play the instrument in an old-time setting, he comes highly recommended.

In closing, I just want to remind people that we are able to run classes with low numbers as those that fill up (like bluegrass banjo for instance) allow us to offset the losses. That is what has happened in the past when old-time classes have not attracted enough students. But with a recession and people quite understandably worried about their jobs, bookings are generally down across the board, that cross subsidy is less available to us. So we do need your continued support.

Thanks in advance,

John & Moira

Unique Americana fusion band planning 2011 European tour

Thanks to Adrian Trbovich of the Turbo Pro Project for this information about an upcoming tour next year.


The Turbo Pro Project, a cutting-edge act that features a banjo player and DJ, is planning a 2011 tour of Switzerland, Germany, and possibly France. They are open to festivals, house concerts, and other venues. Solicitations are welcome from venues and promoters. For more information visit the Project website.

All inquiries can be submitted to Adrian by e-mail.

Kathy Kallick Band in Europe, May 2010

As posted last month, the Kathy Kallick Band bring their brand of 'hot bluegrass & cool originals' to Europe in May, 2010. Kathy previously toured Europe four times with the Good Ol' Persons and twice with the Kathy Kallick Band. Kathy and the band will bring with them a brand-new album, Between the hollow & the high-rise, with a number of new Kathy compositions and significant contributions from everyone in the band.

Their European tour now includes shows in these places:

May 6: Denmark
May 7: Copenhagen, Denmark
May 8: Spring Bluegrass Festival - Willisau, Switzerland
May 9: Basel/Binningen, Switzerland
May 10: La Roche sur Foron, France               
May 11: Leipheim/Danube, Germany
May 12: Dortmund, Germany
May 13: Valthermond, Netherlands
May 14: European World Of Bluegrass, Voorthuizen, Netherlands
*May 15-17, May 19: unconfirmed
May 18: Hoofddorp, Netherlands
May 20: Vierzon, France
May 21: Preaux, France
May 22: Arleuf, France

For this tour, Kathy is joined by band members Dan Booth (bass, vocals), Greg Booth (dobro, banjo, vocals), and Annie Staninec (fiddle), plus special guest Martino Coppo (mandolin, vocals).

The band performs Kathy's song 'Wildflowers' on 30 Aug. 2009 on YouTube. The band's electronic press kit (with five tracks from their forthcoming album) is here.

Thank you & please don't hesitate to contact me for additional information and/or to inquire about bookings.

Peter Thompson (e-mail)

Suzanne and Jim on YouTube

Suzanne and Jim (USA), whom many will remember from their appearances at the EWOB Festival and elsewhere in Europe during 2007, send Glorious Ground Hog Day greetings to their friends, together with the news that they can be seen playing 'Si bheag, si mhor' here - the first upload on their own YouTube channel.

Music Contact: February newsletter

Uncle Earl

Rainer Zellner sends the February 2010 newsletter for his Music Contact agency, which now has Mike Marshall (USA) and the Toy Hearts (UK) on its roll of artists.

Tours are being planned for Uncle Earl (May 2010), the Wilders (October 2010), the Infamous Stringdusters (Jan.-Feb. 2011), and Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike (May 2011). Dates currently scheduled for Uncle Earl are:

30 Apr. Wodan Halle, 79098 Freiburg
1 May Jegelscheune, 90530 Wendelstein, 20:00
2 May Marburg KFZ, 20:00
6 May KULT, 97996 Niederstetten, 20:00
7 May Club Bastion, 73230 Kirchheim/T., 21:00
8 May Schweizer Landwirtschaftsmuseum Burgrain, CH-6248 Alberswil (bei Willisau), Switzerland, 20:00
9 May Ev. Kirche, 56335 Neuäusel, 17:00
10 May Neue Welt, 85049 Ingolstadt, 20:30
14 May Bürgerhaus, 77815 Bühl, 20:00
15-16 May Karl May Fest, 01445 Radebeul
17 May AmVieh-Theater, 07616 Beulbar, 19:30 (with Fox Tower Bluegrass Band)
20 May Ratssaal, 28816 Stuhr, 20:00
21 May Aula der Emsschule, 26789 Leer, 20:00
22 May Jazztime Open Air Festival, 31141 Hildesheim, 16:00
23 May Hamawe Roots Festival, B-6760 Virton, Belgium, 20:30

The Wilders are at present booked for

2 Oct. Country Festival, CH-Grindelwald
9 Oct. Albert Einstein Forum, 41564 Kaarst, 20:00

Rainer Zellner
Music Contact Roots Music Booking and Production
e-mail
Sign in here for Music Contact's USA Roots e-newsletter. YouTube, video, and other media links on the artists presented are on the Music Contact website.

IBMA asks (and answers): 'Where are we?'

Thanks to Dan Hays, executive director of IBMA, who has issued the following figures:

Top 10 Locations of IBMA Professional Members in countries other than the US:

Canada - 47
Japan - 15
Australia - 13
England - 13
Italy - 9
Denmark - 7
Germany - 7
Switzerland - 7
Netherlands - 6
Ireland - 6

Norway, France, and the Czech Republic would tie for the top 10 with just a couple more pro members.

We have pro members in 22 countries and are especially proud of our 1 member in South America (Brazil). I believe he has more square miles to cover than anyone!

The EBB cordially supports the South American member, Erio Meili of Brazil's Sao Paulo Bluegrass Music Association, who replies to Dan Hays: 'Cheers and keep up with your good job.'

Mike Compton and David Grier in Finland, June-July 2010

Thanks to Timo Hannula, artist director of Haapavesi Folk, for the news that Mike Compton (USA) and David Grier (USA) will be at the Festival from 28 June to 4 July 2010, teaching and performing.

Mike Compton is the acknowledged master of mandolin music in the style of Bill Monroe, and David Grier is a three-time winner of the IBMA Guitar Player of the Year award.

Contact Timo Hannula
Haapavesi Folk
Haapaveden Kamariorkesteri
Haapaveden Pikkupelimannit
Lallunniementie 2
86600 Haapavesi
Finland
+358 447591298; +358 84591298; e-mail

Irish Flatpicking

EBB editor's note: The following message from Frank Simon has been received, under the above title:

Please find attached, message for European Bluegrass blog.

To users of the EBB in general: Unfortunately, although e-mails can come through the link shown at the top of the blog, attachments to them do not, and nor does the address of the sender; so please put any text and contact data in the main body of the e-mail if you are using this link.

Frank, we look forward to receiving and publishing your news.

Ivor Ottley to move from Ireland to Sweden

Ace fiddler Ivor Ottley - originally from England but resident in western Ireland for the past seven years - is expected to move from Ireland to Sweden in the near future. His last performance in Ireland is likely to be in two weeks' time, as a member of Gone to Grass (see photo; Ivor is on the extreme left), during the Kinvara Area Music Collective's annual Mardi Gras celebration, which this year will take place on Saturday 13 February at the Kinvara Community Centre, Co. Galway.

Thanks to Pete Lamb (organiser of the Galway Americana Festival) for this news. Pete is in the centre of the above photo.

Crooked Still in Europe, 21-27 Mar. 2010

Thanks to FOAOTMAD for the news that alternative bluegrass band Crooked Still have a few dates this side of the Atlantic in March - five in England, and the last in Sweden:

Sun. 21 Mar. St Bedes's, Chorley, Lancashire
Mon. 22 Mar. St Bonaventure's Club, Bristol
Tues. 23 Mar. The Borderline, London
Wed. 24 Mar. The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Thurs. 25 Mar. City Memorial Hall, Sheffield
Sat. 27 Mar. Folk Music Gala 2010, Uppsala, Sweden

More details are on the band's website.

Sue Thompson and the Brandejs Band

A unique band put together (so far) just for this summer is called Sue Thompson and the Brandejs Band. The Band consists of a guitarist and vocalist (and a vocal teacher!) Sue Thompson (USA), Petr and Pavel Brandejs (banjo, bass), and a multi-instrumentalist, Ondra Kozák (all CZ).

The group is now accepting dates for the period of May–July 2010. So far they are booked at the Banjo Jamboree (the Czech Republic) and Risor Bluegrass Workshop and Festival in Norway. For booking and more info, contact Petr Brandejs by e-mail.

La Fuente de Musica: change in autumn 2010 date

Kate Lissauer (left, with fiddle, as leader of the Buffalo Gals (USA/UK) old-time string band) reports that a change has been made in the 2010 schedule of old-time music workshops in Spain, announced on the EBB on 19 November 2009.

Beverly Smith & Carl Jones (who were part of the successful Bluegrass Jamboree! tour in Germany and Switzerland in December) will host the autumn course from Sat. 25 September to Sat. 2 October 2010 instead of the following week, as originally announced.

Durango: new Coal Porters CD

The Coal Porters (UK), who claim to be the world’s first alternative bluegrass band, launched their latest album, Durango (Prima Records, distributed in the UK by Proper and in the USA by Burnside) with a party at the Arts Theatre Club, in London’s West End, on 25 January.

Durango is the Coal Porters’ ninth album – although the band’s been through a number of incarnations since it was formed in Los Angeles back in the late 'eighties. The new album was recorded in the southern Colorado town bearing the same name and was produced by the legendary Ed Stasium, who has worked with the Ramones, Talking Heads, Gladys Knight, and Mick Jagger.

Naturally, their set was almost completely made up from tracks on the new album, with the foot-stomping 'Roadkill breakdown', the very moving 'Permanent twilight' and 'No more chains' being highlights among their own original material along with a cover of the Undertones’ 'Teenage kicks'.

Currently the Coal Porters are Sid Griffin (mandolin, harmonica, autoharp and vocals), Neil Robert Herd (guitar, sporran and vocals), Andrew Stafford (bass), Carly Frey (fiddle), and Dick Smith (banjo).

Among other dates on their schedule, the Coal Porters will head the bill at this year's Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival in Ireland at the end of June.

Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum in Europe, March 2010

(photo: Hali McGrath)

Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum (USA) are scheduled to play at least four shows in Europe in March 2010. As a duo, they will be at the Rathaus, 71171 Murr, Germany, on Friday 5 March, beginning at 20:00.

Three major shows in Italy follow, in all of which they will be playing with Red Wine (I):

Fri. 12 Mar. Folk Club, Turin (Torino), 21:30

Sun. 14 Mar.: Bluegrass Jamboree, Amigdala Theatre, Viale Lombardia 31, 20056 Trezzo sull'Adda (between Milan and Bergamo). As the poster (left) shows, the lineup features Once in a While (Milan) and Bononia Grass (Bologna/Genoa). Doors open at 19:00 and the show starts at 20:00. Admission is €15; a 'Country Barbeque), for an extra €10, can be booked in advance at 331 966 3821. Thanks to Paolo Ercoli of Bononia Grass, who sends us the information of this great event.

Fri. 19-Sat. 20 Mar.: 2nd Red Wine Bluegrass Party, Teatro della Gioventù, Via Cesarea, 16121 Genoa (Genova). Tel. 0108936326; fax 0105848721. Further details TBC.

UK concert for Haiti earthquake relief

The Sutton Acoustic Music Club in southern England announces a concert to raise funds for relief in Haiti. Half the programme will be bluegrass, and prominent bands and musicians from the British bluegrass scene will take part.

The concert will be held in the Good Shepherd Hall, Station Approach, Tadworth, Surrey, on Sunday 28 February 2010. The lineup is:

A Band like Alice (Bluegrass) TBC
The Andy Smythe Band (Folk and Americana)
Biggin Hillbillies (Bluegrass)
Monroe's Revenge (Bluegrass) TBC
Acoustic Astronauts (Americana)
International Men of Mystery (South American and Folk)
The Grasshoppers (Bluegrass and Americana)
Butt of Lewis (Folk)

Also featured are Bob Winquist (fiddle) & Mike Aston (mandolin), Geoff Chapman (singer/ guitarist), and Fr Michael Elfred (guitar), priest in charge of the church.

The concert begins at 7.00 p.m. and continues to 11.00 p.m. Admission is £10 on the door; donation boxes are also available, and there will be a raffle. All collections and ticketing are arranged by the church. For further info, contact Mike of the Acoustic Astronauts (+44 (0)7545326534).

Thanks to Richard F. Thompson of the BBMA for forwarding this news.