The 2008 European Bluegrass Band Awards

The weather was almost perfect for the 11th European World of Bluegrass Festival, sponsored by the European Bluegrass Music Association on 1-3 May. Attendance remained at peak level, the little Dutch town of Voorthuizen bursting with bluegrass music for 3 days as bands performed throughout the village, and musicians jammed in every corner of the festival venue. The EWOB 2008 Festival featured 41 wonderful bands from 15 countries, including special USA guests Sally Jones & the Sidewinders, Appalachian Uprising, and Dick Staber & Judith Chasnoff, and EWOB's first groups from Norway (Ile Auto and The Holstein United Bluegrass Boys) and Spain (Lluis Gomez Quartet and Autopista 6).
The EWOB 2008 Festival in the Netherlands is the apex of the 30-day European World of Bluegrass, fostering the growth of bluegrass music in cooperation this year with 195 European festivals and events taking place during the "International Bluegrass Month" of May. The EWOB Festival is a music festival and professional convention with trade show and workshops, and hosts the annual European Bluegrass Band competition. In 2003, EWOB became the only European festival ever to win the International Bluegrass Music Association's prestigious Bluegrass Event of the Year Award.
We are very pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 European Bluegrass Band Awards, chosen by the EWOB 2008 Festival musicians as their reigning champions:
#1 European Bluegrass Band 2008: Acousticure, Hungary
#2 European Bluegrass Band 2008: Petr Brandejs Band, Czech Republic
#3 European Bluegrass Band 2008: Four Wheel Drive, NL/G/B
In addition to the professional band awards, the EWOB Festival audience always elects its own favorite groups from the three days of showcase performances:
#1 Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: Bluegrass Cwrkot, Czech Republic
#2 Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: Blackjack, Czech Republic
#3 Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: Sunny Side, Czech Republic

The #1 European Bluegrass Band 2008, Acousticure, is the first bluegrass band from Hungary to appear at this colorful international gathering, performing at the past 2 European World of Bluegrass Festivals. An energetic 4-piece group of impressive multi-instrumentalists, Acousticure keeps the sound crew hopping with frequent instrument changes. Their young spokesman, mandolin-fiddler-guitarist Zsolt Pinter, has spent enough time in the USA to speak English like a native, and has a remarkable command of bluegrass-country vocals. Acousticure's musical vision playfully fuses bluegrass influences from old-time to newgrass, often incorporating their native Hungarian folk music. (An example of the latter, Kis Kece Lanyom, can be heard on the European World of Bluegrass 2007 CD from Strictly Country Records.) The US bluegrass scene will get a chance to experience Acousticure onstage in Nashville at the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) World of Bluegrass convention in October 2009, where they will perform as the #1 European Bluegrass Band.
ACOUSTICURE:
Zsolt Pinter: fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocal
Geza Kremnitzky - mandolin, banjo, vocal
Peter Gyergyadesz - bass, vocal
Andras Toth - guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin, vocal
Congratulations to all the EWOB 2008 award winners, and many thanks to all the talented musicians who traveled to Holland to share their music at the EWOB 2008 Festival. It was unforgettable.
www.ewob.eu

New website for Sons of Navarone

It's well worth a visit to the website of the Sons of Navarone from Belgium, which has been completely redesigned with a more classical look. It retains all its power to surprise: underwear (although not the underwear of band members) is on display.

Take care of those hands

The Bluegrass Blog today carries a post entitled 'Why banjo and extreme sports don’t mix'. It's based on the hard experience of Jens Koch, banjo-player for the G2 Bluegrass Band (Sweden). Jens broke his left wrist badly while snowboarding three years ago, and the process of recovery was long and painful. Read the details on the Bluegrass Blog.

G2, who won the title of #1 European Bluegrass Band at the EWOB Festival 2007, will represent Europe this year at the IBMA's World of Bluegrass.

Nechville News: the Spanish connection

Nechville Musical Products reports that the spring issue of Nechville News is now available for download. Banjo tablatures by Lluís Gómez (SP) have been a regular feature of Nechville News for some time now, and in this issue the tab is of the Russ Barenberg tune 'Magic foot'.

Nechville are present, as always, at MerleFest this year (24-27 April 2008). Lluís Gómez and his Quartet will be appearing at the EWOB Festival at Voorthuizen, the Netherlands (1-3 May). A full list of shows by the Quartet is on their MySpace site.

Bluegrass on the air and on CD in Ireland

Niall Toner reports that NTB 3, the new CD by the Niall Toner Band, will be launched on Sunday 25 May over the national broadcasting station, at Studio One, RTE Radio Centre, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland, starting at 7.30 p.m. Niall says:

NTB3 is another collection of original material, and includes songs co-written with Barry and Holly Tashian and Peter Rowan. Ten songs and two instrumentals, as well as a video interview/documentary shot by Kate Bradbury at Athy 2007, with comprehensive sleeve notes explaining the background to all the tracks, and a beautiful sleeve design by bass-totin' graphic artist Kelvin Busher.

Sample tracks can be heard on the NTB MySpace page. At the launch, two programmes in Niall's 'Roots Freeway' series will be recorded in front of a live audience, with NTB as the house band, and special guests Prison Love, Bray Vista, and Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens (#1 European Bluegrass Band 2005). Admission on the night will be by ticket only; seats can be booked by e-mailing Roots Freeway or the show's producer, Aidan Butler. Niall adds:

RTE are also celebrating May as International Bluegrass Music Month by broadcasting a series of radio shows on Thursday nights during May, called 'The Bluegrass Sessions'. Among the artists featured will be Bela Fleck, Ricky Skaggs, the Punch Brothers, the Paperboys, Steve Kaufman, and Greg Cahill. These shows are hosted by Niall Toner and Sandy Harsch.

Also during May, each edition of 'Roots Freeway', which is broadcast on Tuesdays at 9.00 p.m., will contain a twenty-minute segment telling the story of bluegrass music, from its beginnings with Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers, right up to today's modern masters like Chris Thile, Tony Trischa, Pete Wernick, and Peter Rowan. These mini-documentaries are intended as an introduction to bluegrass music.

The Niall Toner Band can be heard live at the EWOB Festival in Voorthuizen, the Netherlands, on 1 May, and elsewhere in the Netherlands on 2 and 3 May.

Chris Jones and Four Wheel Drive at the Turfschip, 1 May

Cor and Greet Sanne of CMS Productions announce that Chris Jones (USA) will perform in concert on 1 May at 20:30 in Turfschip, Zuideinde 15, in Nieuwkoop, Holland. Tickets (€12.50 each) can be reserved via the CMS e-mail address.

As well as being a fine singer and guitarist, Chris won the IBMA Song of the Year Award last October with his song 'Fork in the road'. On the programme with him at the Turfschip will be the Netherlands' own Four Wheel Drive, featuring master fiddler Joost van Es, whose set will include material from their new CD, Another town.

Chris is also scheduled to play at Zugenhaus 562, Teufen, Switzerland, on 15 and 16 May at 19:00.

International lineup at Orwell Bluegrass Festival, 25-7 April

Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain

Will Burchnall reports from eastern England:

The Orwell Bluegrass Festival at Hallow Trees, Ipswich, Suffolk, opens on Friday 25 April and runs until Sunday 27 April. This year's festival has a truly international lineup with G2 Bluegrass Band (Sweden; current #1 European Bluegrass Band), the Dick Smith and Mike O'Reilly Band (USA/Canada), and Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain (USA) headlining over the weekend, with a further 10 British bands on the Main Stage, plus special guests and impromptu performances on the Open Mic Stage.

For more information go to the Festival website. A copy of the Festival flyer is here.

Al Ras Festival: 14 June 2008

The Al Ras Bluegrass and Old-Time Festival at Mollet del Vàlles, Barcelona, Spain, will be held this year on 14 June (not 7 June as originally stated in our post of 9 February, which has now been corrected). Thanks to Angel Matesanz for sending the correct date.

The festival lineup includes Sedo & Adrià García, Autopista-6, Montnegres, NATT, Toni Giménez, Tin Horn Hank, the Lluís Gómez Bluegrass Quartet, and the R.C. Brothers. Pictures, samples, slideshows, and more information can be found on the Al Ras MySpace site.

10 years of EWOB on internet radio

Peter Thompson, who hosts the 'Bluegrass Signal' show for KALW radio in San Francisco, has prepared a tribute to European bluegrass for Bluegrass Country on WAMU 88.5, the station that has broadcast bluegrass in the Washington, DC, area for over forty years.

Peter has recorded a show made up of seventeen cuts from the new double-CD compilation on Strictly Country Records, 10 years of European World of Bluegrass (SCR-66).

His choice includes seven winners of the #1 European Bluegrass Band award, and comprises (in playing order) the Petr Brandejs Band, Monogram, Kreni, Relief, Fragment, Meantime, Four Wheel Drive, Nugget, Liz Meyer, Fifty Fingers, Red Wine, the Mideando String Quartet, Bononia Grass, Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens, the Stroatkliners, Footprints, and the Looping Brothers.

The show will be broadcast by Bluegrass Country on the five consecutive days ending on 1 May, the first day of the EWOB Festival. Times shown are US Eastern Standard Time; the 30 April broadcast is likely to be easiest for European listeners to hear:

Sun. 27 Apr. 10.00 p.m.
Mon. 28 Apr. 7.00 p.m.
Tues. 29 Apr. 1.00 a.m.
Wed. 30 Apr. 6.00 a.m.
Thurs. 1 May 8.00 p.m.

Peter will broadcast more cuts from 10 years of EWOB on KALW radio.

Scottish Bluegrass Association UK tours

Roll's Boys

Tours in Britain during the next month, arranged by the Scottish Bluegrass Association, include three dates in Scotland (Thurs. 17 April, Fri. 18 April, Sat. 19 Apr.) by Roll's Boys from the Czech Republic, returning to Scotland by popular demand. The band also have a MySpace site, which carries tracks from their new CD.

The Scottish Bluegrass Association has also arranged eleven dates in England, Wales, and Scotland (25 Apr.-5 May) for the Smith O’Reilly Band (USA/Canada), comprising Dick Smith (banjo), Mike O'Reilly (guitar), Doug Bartlett (fiddle, mandolin), and Randy Graham (bass).

Full tour details and other info are on the Scottish Bluegrass Association website.

IBMM's ROMP, 26-8 June

The International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM) holds its annual River Of Music Party (ROMP) by the Ohio River in Owensboro, KY, on the last weekend in June. ROMP 08 begins at 11 a.m. on Thursday 26 June at the Riverpark Center, Owensboro, which also hosts the Legends Concert at 7.00-10.00 that evening, featuring the Sullivans, the Lewis Family, and the Isaacs.

The shows at Yellow Creek Park on Friday 27 June and Saturday 28 June feature twenty-one top-notch bands, including Red Wine (Italy) and G2 Bluegrass Band (Sweden), the current #1 European Bluegrass Band. Full details of the programme can be seen here or here.

Mideando String Quintet news

The Mideando String Quintet from Padova, Italy, report that they are promoting their new CD, Tutte le direzioni ('Every direction') with gigs, and shows at best prices. The MSQ add:

If you have interest about our music, please contact us without any doubt! Thank you very much, and a big Italian CIAO.

The MSQ, who were #1 European Bluegrass Band 2006, and represented Europe at the IBMA's World of Bluegrass 2007, also have a MySpace site. Contact them at

Associazione Musicale MIDEANDO
Via P. Vergerio 6 - 35126 PADOVA - Italy
tel. (+39) 049 8021556 - cell. 338 8227001
e-mail

Vote for the Carrivick Sisters!

The European Bluegrass Blog carried news on 6 February of the success of the Carrivick Sisters on the BBC TV show 'Upstaged'. Having won their heats, they are due to compete in the final stages next week.

This success for bluegrass is more than just a UK matter, and international votes count in the final result. So - especially if you enjoyed the Sisters' set at the EWOB Festival 2007 - keep up with events at the show's website and support them with your votes.

Thanks to UKBluegrass.com for the news.

Waterflow - Perfect match for trouble

Waterflow (NL/SK) are proud to announce the release of their first full-length CD, Perfect match for trouble. You can:

- listen to the music on the band's website or MySpace site;
- buy the CD at one of their concerts (€10);
- order it via e-mail; or
- ask for a free CD for promotional purposes (booking or press).

Loes van Schaijk, lead singer with Waterflow, adds:

I'd like to ask all of you who have MySpace webpages to befriend us. MySpace is a great way to get in touch with other musicians, and it would be great if we could check out each other's music before we meet in person (for example, at the EWOB festival). And last but not least, here's a list of the concerts we have lined up so far. If you're in the neighbourhood, be sure to stop by!

Sat. 28 Mar.: Blue Velvet Night, CD release party, Pezinok (Slovakia)
Sun. 27 Apr.: Café Cambrinus, Horst (the Netherlands)
Tues. 29 Apr.: Café Camelot, Nijmegen (the Netherlands)
Wed. 30 Apr.: Queen's Day Market, Den Bosch (the Netherlands)
Wed. 30 Apr.: Stadsbrouwerij De Hemel, Nijmegen (the Netherlands)
Sat. 3 May: European World of Bluegrass Festival, Voorthuizen (the Netherlands)
Fri. 25 July: Bohunice fest, Jaslovske Bohunice (Slovakia)
Sat. 26 July: Bluegrass fest Pisek, Pisek (Czech Republic)
11 Oct.: Bluegrassfest Bratislava, Bratislava (Slovakia)

We hope to see you somewhere this year, and don't hesitate to keep us up to date about your own musical activities. Warm greetings,

Loes van Schaijk
Muldersweg 195
6532 WZ Nijmegen
06-14362134

Waterflow's bio sheet can be seen here.

Westport Festival now on MySpace

The second annual Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland (27-9 June), has just established a MySpace site. Details shown at present include links to the websites of artists taking part, among whom are Four Wheel Drive (NL/D/B) and Woodbine, the host band for the Athy festival, Ireland's oldest annual bluegrass event.

There is also a link to the website of the Westport Inn Hotel, which is the main venue for the event, and offers package deals for the Festival weekend. For more details or ticket booking, contact Uri Kohen by e-mail or at 087 7570958.

Coastline Bluegrass Music Event, 6-8 June

The song 'Sleepy Hollow' by G2 Bluegrass Band from Sweden is the sound-track for a promotional DVD for the Third Coastline Bluegrass Music Event, which will be held at Plas Uchaf Farm, near Llandudno Junction, North Wales LL28 5PD, on 6-8 June.

The DVD shows the site and its picturesque setting looking over the Conwy estuary; photos of all members of bands taking part; and shots of the open mike stage, jam sessions, and other features of the festival. It proves that a DVD need not be an expensive technical miracle to be a completely effective promotional tool.

G2 (the current #1 European Bluegrass Band) are at the top of the bill for the Event, together with the Sons of Navarone (Belgium), Longway (Scotland), and two Appalachian dance teams, Mind the Step and Wicked Soles. The Event also has a MySpace site.

New CD from the Coal Porters: sold out!

Kentucky-born Sid Griffin and his London-based band the Coal Porters have released their latest album, Turn the water on, boy!, featuring former Byrds member (and longtime pillar of the West Coast bluegrass scene) Chris Hillman. It is now available in stores and through Amazon.

The Coal Porters, who claim to be the first alt.bluegrass band, will launch the album at a free party in London on Wednesday 2 April. Full details are on Sid's website.

That was our original post of 6 March. Sid Griffin now reports that the first pressing of 2,200 copies is completely sold out.

News from Matching Ties

Paul Stowe reports on behalf of Matching Ties:

In the next few weeks we will have our St Patrick’s Day concerts, culminating in my solo concert on Mon. 17 Mar. in Bad Aibling, Germany. Our summer season is beginning to shape up with some nice festival dates as a trio (with fiddler Georg Bähr) or as a quartet (with Georg and Thomas Kärner on upright bass). For US fans, we will tour the northwestern US as a duo with dates in Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana from 17 October to 3 November. We hope to see you at a Matching Ties or Paul Stowe concert soon.

Many of you received an e-mail from me at the beginning of February with the sad news that our friend and music colleague, Scotsman Dave Bell, passed away. Dave can be heard on our most recent CD Across the sea on bodhran and percussions. We continue to mourn his passing, and miss him. He shall not be forgotten. You can read a post about him on our Blog or News page on the Matching Ties website. Please check the news page for updates, news, and pictures, and of course our tour schedule, which will be constantly updated.

Samples of Across the sea and details of how to buy any of the four Matching Ties CDs are here. The complete March/April Matching Ties newsletter, in German, Italian, and English, with schedule of dates, is here.

Bluegrass events in Belgium this week

Bluegrass in Belgium announces:

A very interesting band, the Hickory Project (USA), will be playing in Kozen (near St Truiden) this Thursday, 6 March. Address: Buurthuis Ter Cose in 3850 Nieuwerkerken-Kozen, Opcosenstraat 1; starts at 20:00.

The Sons of Navarone are giving a free bluegrass concert this Friday, 7 March, at 21:00 to celebrate the release of their CD At Last! Address: 't Ey, Koutermolenstraat 6b, 9111 Belsele (St-Niklaas). See you all there!

On Saturday 8 March, we allow you to stay home.

For further concert info, see the Bluegrass in Belgium website. Other dates in the Hickory Project tour are here. A post on the Sons' new CD appeared on the European Bluegrass Blog on 22 February.

Jamboree 2008 at Strakonice, 29-31 May

Petr Kuklík reports that Jamboree 2008, the largest bluegrass festival in Central Europe, will be held from Thursday 29 May to Saturday 31 May in Strakonice, Czech Republic.

Concerts will be held at the Summer Cinema Scene at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday evening, 7.30 p.m. on Friday evening, and 4.00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Artists and bands taking part will include Tony Trischka (USA), Rawhide (B), and the Infamous Stringdusters (USA), with many of the leading Czech and Slovak bands, introduced by Zdeněk Schwager, Rosťa Čapek, and Míša Leicht.

Events at the Riding Horse Scene include a 'Celtic Afternoon' from 4.00 p.m. on Friday and 'Bluegrass Session No. 8' from 10.30 a.m. on Saturday. In the Free Area there will be horse riding, a dance show, an Old American Cars Exhibition, and Rest and Jam Sessions. Details of the schedule can be seen here. For further info contact Petr Kulik.

Seventh Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival

The lineup for the Seventh Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, to be held on 25-28 September in Longford town, Co. Longford, Ireland, has just been announced. The Americana side of the programme includes:

Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
Tony Trischka
Tom Russell
Don Rigsby
Pete & Joan Wernick
Carter Brothers Band
Lluis Gomez Quartet (E)
Ranch House Favourites (NL)
Niall Toner Band
Rough Deal String Band

Irish traditional music is represented by Barney McKenna, Gerry O'Connor, At the Racket, and Thom Moore & Seamie O'Dowd; others TBC. Full details are on the Festival website.

Third Navacerrada Bluegrass Festival, 12 July

Javier Julian Sánchez of the committee organising the Third Navacerrada Bluegrass Festival, reports that the Festival will be held this year on 12 July. The organisers will be glad to hear from all European bands who are interested in taking part in the Festival. The terms offered are: expenses of travel by car, and accommodation. Contact - through the Festival website, or by e-mail.

For posts on the European Bluegrass Blog on last year's Navacerrada festival, see here and here. The Festival also has a MySpace site.

The Ebony Hillbillies fill the gap

At the start of a European tour by the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the Bluegrass Blog carries a feature on how the Ebony Hillbillies from New York City stepped in to fill a gap in the recent Wintergrass Festival programme when the Chocolate Drops had been unable to come. The feature includes a link to a story in the Tacoma News Tribune.

The Hillbillies appeared at Wintergrass as a quartet: as a duo, comprising Norris Bennett (guitar, banjo, dulcimer, etc.) and Rique Prince (fiddle) they appeared at the EWOB Festival at Voorthuizen a few years ago.

Former Niall Toner Band member wins Oscar

At the 80th annual Academy Awards ceremony on 24 February, the Music (Song) Award went to 'Falling slowly' from Once. The music and lyrics are by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who also played the leading roles as a Dublin busker and a Czech immigrant. Their acceptance speeches can be seen here.

Glen Hansard was formerly a long-time member of the Niall Toner Band and of Niall's country-rock band, Hank Halfhead and the Rambling Turkeys. The Niall Toner Band are scheduled to play at the forthcoming EWOB Festival on 1 May 2008.

New window display for 4WD

Four Wheel Drive (NL/D/B) have reorganised, rebuilt, and redecorated their MySpace site, which can be reached at this new address.

Wonder why: new CD by Janet Holmes

Northern Ireland singer/songwriter Janet Holmes launched her new CD, Wonder why (Big Bear Hug Music BBH1), on 20 February in Belfast as part of the Belfast Nashville Songwriting Festival. Nine of the thirteen tracks are original compositions. On the following night - also as part of the Festival - Janet played support to Nanci Griffith.

In addition to Janet (lead and harmony vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar), musicians on the CD include Colin Henry (guitar, resonator guitar, Weissenborn guitar, banjo, harmonica), Ivan Muirhead (lead guitar), and Jonathan Toman (banjo), among others. Janet, Colin, and Ivan performed at two early EWOB Festivals in the band Birddog, and Jonathan can be heard on the Banjo influences CD produced by legendary French banjoist Jean-Marie Redon.

At last! - the Sons on CD

At last! The Sons of Navarone have released their first CD.
Available worldwide from Guido. For details, visit the Sons' website.

Thanks to Bluegrass in Belgium for the news. The Sons recently played two dates in the UK, as mentioned on an earlier post on the European Bluegrass Blog.

A chance to play in Branson, MO: correction

Nancy Cardwell of IBMA reports:

An event producer friend of mine at Silver Dollar City, in Branson, Missouri, is exploring the idea of having an international bluegrass stage (where he would present bluegrass bands from outside the US) at a multi-day festival, the latter part of May 2009. If you know of any bands already planning to tour in the US in that time, please let me know and I'll pass along the info. This gig wouldn't pay enough to be the only reason for a band to fly over here, but if they're in the neighborhood anyway, it would be a great thing to pick up. Rhonda Vincent and I both played at this theme park in the 1970s - it's a nice place. (You work a lot, but the sound is good, you're treated well by management, the park is beautiful, the quality of bands is excellent, and it's definitely a chance to sell a lot of CDs - although a percentage of sales usually goes to SDC.)

Contact Nancy by e-mail if you're interested. The proposed date was originally, and wrongly, shown as May 2008 on this post.

First Barcelona Bluegrass and Old-time Festival, 23 Feb.

The First Barcelona Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival will be held at the Sala Monasterio, Barcelona, on 23 February 2008. The organisers are proud to be able to launch bluegrass and old-time music in Barcelona, in a central venue, with four bands:

RC Brothers: four-piece band playing classic bluegrass (Monroe, Stanley...)
Tin Horn Hank: Scots trio (guitar, banjo, mandolin) living in Barcelona
Lluís Gómez and his band, with songs and instrumentals from his first CD (featured on the Bluegrass Blog)
Aaron Pell: songwriter from North Carolina, now living in Barcelona

The Seventh Al Ras Festival of Bluegrass and Old-Time Music will be held at Mollet del Vàlles on 14 June 2008.

Two Krüger Brothers concerts at New Acoustic Gallery, Solingen

The concert to be given by the Krüger Brothers Band at the New Acoustic Gallery in Solingen, Germany, on Tuesday 11 March is already sold out.

The good news is that another concert by the Krügers has been arranged - on Monday 10 March at the same time, 19:30, and for the same price, €25. Book early! Tel.: 0212/2474007 or e-mail.

Oliver Waitze
New Acoustic Gallery
Neuenhofer Str. 12
42657 Solingen - Höhscheid
Germany

Another town on CD Baby

Since last night, Another town, the latest CD by Four Wheel Drive, has been available through CD Baby. All fourteen tracks can be sampled here.

Bluegrass wins in BBC TV talent show

Katherine Selby of UKBluegrass.com reports that the Carrivick Sisters, from Devon in south-west England, have won their round of a new BBC TV talent show, 'Upstaged'. To win, they had to perform for six hours inside a glass box at the Millennium Square in central Bristol on two successive days, and will be continuing today. Anyone within reach has been able to join them for a jam inside the box. They can be seen playing in video footage on the 'Upstaged' website.

Charlotte and Laura Carrivick are only 18. Their singing and playing of mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and dobro made a great impression at last year's European World of Bluegrass Festival in the Netherlands. Thanks to UKBluegrass.com for the news, and to Jan Michielsen of Four Wheel Drive for bringing it to our attention.

G2 on Swedish TV

The Bluegrass Blog reports that G2, the current #1 European Bluegrass Band, performed and were interviewed on Monday 21 January on 'Nyhetsmorgon' (The Morning Show), the highest rated morning television program in Sweden, broadcast on the TV4 national channel.

They played 'What would I say' and 'Where the tall grass grows' from their debut CD, Where the tall grass grows. The publicity section at their label Cosmos Records arranged the appearance on 'Nyhetsmorgon' - a major coup for a young band. Video clips can be found on the TV4 website.

Four Wheel Drive at Westport in June

Four Wheel Drive will be the headliners at the second annual Folk and Bluegrass Festival on 27-9 June at Westport, Co. Mayo, in the west of Ireland.

Friday 27 June will be dedicated to folk music, with a concert lineup headed by Gavin Glass. Saturday 28 June is bluegrass day; Four Wheel Drive will be in concert at the Westport Inn Hotel, which is offering a special package rate for the weekend.

Four Wheel Drive have played several times at most of the major bluegrass festivals in Ireland. Their new CD, Another town, will soon be available through CDBaby.

Bonne année, y'all!

Blue Railroad Train dans le studio de KTBC/ in the KTBC studio (Austin, Texas, USA): Philippe Perrard, Jean-Marie Redon, Sharon Lombardi, James Field, Thierry Lecoq

Pour un merveilleux 2007, plein d'aventures musicales, nous vous disons Merci. Et nous vous souhaitons un très heureux 2008, plein de bonheur, de joie, et de la musique !

For a wonderful 2007, full of musical adventures, we say Thanks. And we wish you a very happy 2008, full of joy and music!

A new bluegrass artist

The Petr Brandejs Band, portrayed by 9-year-old Zuzanka Brandejs. Congratulations to Zuzanka for her assured and sensitive use of colour and form, and for the way in which the composition centres on the banjo (played by her Daddy).

Mideandos on Ludomentis

The Mideando String Quintet from Italy (#1 European Bluegrass Band 2006) report:

Hi and Happy New Year!

You can buy our new CD Tutte le direzioni ('Every direction') on the Ludomentis website... a preview is on our MySpace site.

We want to inform you that we are also available for gigs.

L.Bow Grease: new folk/bluegrass trio

'Singing Banjoman' Andy Glandt of Germany reports that he has joined UK-born Dave Jackson (guitar, vocals) and Guntmar Feuerstein (mandolin, vocals) to form a new trio configuration of the folk/country/bluegrass band L.Bow Grease.

Dave and Guntmar have had long careers as performers and songwriters, including hit-parade success. Their two earlier L.Bow Grease albums, Pickin’ on the porch (ruhrfolk 4003) and Greased lightning (ruhrfolk 4004), bridge the gaps between Celtic and American folk, traditional music, and modern pop. Andy is a respected international bluegrass musician and entertainer who has released eight albums under his own name and appeared on several compilations.

The new trio are scheduled to tour the USA from 25 September to 15 October 2008 and are also available for all other parts of the world. Their one-sheet flyer can be seen here. Contact:

L.Bow Grease, c/o Kopfhörer Studio, Harpener Feld 11, D-44805 Bochum, Germany; e-mail.

Andy Glandt, Emil-Wölk-Str.29, D-07747 Jena, Germany, +49-3641-331001; e-mail.

Krüger Brothers at the New Acoustic Gallery

Oliver Waitze reports that the outstanding Krüger Brothers (CH/USA) will be performing in concert at the New Acoustic Gallery, Solingen, Germany, on 11 March 2008 at 7:30 p.m. Admission: €25. Tickets can be reserved by 'phone (+49 (0)212/2474007) or e-mail.

The Flatpicker's tunebook is available from the NAG. For more details, see the European Bluegrass Blog post of 24 November.

The first news has been received of one of the many instruments stolen from the NAG in February 2006. A Prucha Elban banjo was seen in Hank's Guitar Shop, Denmark Street, London, in June 2007, but it has since disappeared.

The NAG is also offering reductions ranging from €200 to €1,300 on several Deering banjos. For more details, see the NAG website.

Another town: new CD from Four Wheel Drive

Four Wheel Drive officially released their new CD, Another town, during the weekend of 7-9 December. The album is on the band's own label, Stoney Man Records, named in honour of 4WD's former bass player and lead singer, the late Theo Lissenberg, composer of the song 'Stoney Man Mountain'.

Four Wheel Drive consists of Joost van Es (fiddle, vocals), Jürgen Biller (banjo, vocals), Jan Michielsen (guitar, vocals), Alfred Bonk (upright bass, vocals), and Edu Grin (mandolin, vocals). A preview of Another town can be heard on the 4WD MySpace site. Jan Michielsen reports:

We gave three concerts on that weekend, one in Belgium for our Belgian fans on Friday 7 December in a place called 'The Singer' in Rijkevorsel. On Saturday night there was a CD party/concert at the Waldorfschool in Utrecht; it was a full house, and every fourth visitor bought a CD.

On Sunday afternoon we played a gig in 'De Amer', a prestigious venue in Amen (Holland). The concert was videotaped and put on YouTube (type in 'Four Wheel Drive Bluegrass'). That first weekend we sold about 100 CDs.


Jürgen Biller and Joost van Es at The Singer

Season's greetz from Holland!

Season's greetings from Lucy (above), Ciska, and Arnold Lasseur! Arnold (lead singer and mandolin player of the Blue Grass Boogiemen) adds: 'I'd like to take any opportunity to wish as many folks well as possible, anytime, any place and anywhere!'

Belgian band in demand in the UK

Ron Stevens of the Heart of England Bluegrass Venue reports that the HOEBV's schedule for 2008 opens on Friday 8 February with a concert by the Sons of Navarone - Thierry Schoysman, Guido Bos, Benjamin Steegen, and Eugene O’Brien, from Belgium. Tickets £5.00 on the door. The HOEBV is at Kenilworth Sports and Social Club, Upper Rosemary Hill, Kenilworth CV8 2PA. For tickets and info, contact Ken Harris: +44 (0)2476 312258. (The HOEBV spring schedule also includes shows by two fine USA groups: Ken Orrick and Lost Highway, and the Dick Smith-Mike O'Reilly Band.)

The Sons of Navarone will be playing on the previous night (Thursday 7 February) at the Windmill Acoustic Music Club, Windmill Public House, Church Lane, Ewshot, near Farnham, Surrey GU10 5BJ, England. Contact Gary and Sherryl Payne: +44 1276 609954 or e-mail.

In the early summer the Sons return to the UK to take part in the Coastline Bluegrass Music Event (MySpace site) at Plas Uchaf Farm, near Llandudno Junction, North Wales LL28 5PD, on 6-8 June.

The current #1 European Bluegrass Band, the G2 Bluegrass Band from Sweden, will be headliners at the Coastline festival.

Lluís Gómez Quartet CD now out in USA

The new instrumental CD Lluís Gómez Quartet, announced in the EBB on 24 November, is now available in the USA, and can be bought on CDBaby, on the Trad Music website (Scotland), and from Nechville Musical Products.

Lluís wishes everyone a merry Xmas and a happy new year.

Red Wine with Tony Trischka in 2008

Tony Trischka (photo by Angelika Rinnhofer)

Martino Coppo reports:

As we are getting ready to celebrate Red Wine's thirtieth birthday with a show in Genova on 28 February 2008, we're also working on a few Italian/European dates around April/May 2008 to present our new CD Winter's come & gone; and it seems like we're gonna have a special guest who already toured with us in 1989 for the release of our first LP, Full taste - banjo wizard and three times IBMA 2007 Bluegrass Awards winner Tony Trischka!

If by chance you know someone who could be interested in booking Red Wine & Trischka for that time, please let us know.

Red Wine
P.O. Box 13, 16032 Ruta (GE) ITALY
Tel.: +39 010-5702353; +39 348-7805876

Broadcast interviews from World of Bluegrass 2007

Niall and Steve Huber

Niall Toner reports that on 27 and 28 December 2007, at 6.00-7.00 p.m. each evening (Irish time), the Irish national station RTE Radio One will broadcast the first two programmes in the 'Nashville Sessions' series. These will feature writers, performers, and instrument-makers interviewed by Niall and his producer Aidan Butler during their visit to the IBMA convention in Nashville during October 2007. Guests include Greg Cahill, Pete Wernick, Barry and Holly Tashian, Steve Huber, Goldheart, Broken Wire, Si Kahn, Steve Kaufmann, Keith Sewell, Wendy Buckner, and many more. Details of further interviews with bluegrass people will be announced in early 2008.


Niall and David Harvey of Gibson

The NTB are currently working on CD #3, provisionally titled We believe in clean endings, featuring again all original material. Recording should be completed before mid-January, with hopes of a release date in early February. The NTB schedule for 2008 includes the Athy Bluegrass Festival; see details here.

Country Cocktail in the USA

Country Cocktail (CZ) made a successful autumn tour in the USA. Personnel for the tour were Eduard Kristufek (mandolin, harmony vocals), Pavel Kristufek (5-string banjo), Jarda Chmel (upright bass, harmony vocals), and Dennis Schut (lead vocals, guitar). The Kristufek brothers are also well known luthiers, and Dennis (NL) is also lead singer of the Dutch band Spruce Pine. Mirka Musilova (banjo, harmony vocals) guested on some songs.

The band played seven shows, including the highest saloon in the USA (10,000 ft plus) at Leadville, CO; the Station Inn and Gibson Showcase, Nashville, TN; and Byron Berline's Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival in Guthrie, OK.

Country Cocktail are preparing to record a new CD in spring 2008, and hope to tour the UK in the summer. They are booked for the SBA's Guildtown Bluegrass festival (19-20 July 2008), and are looking for extra UK dates between 10 July and 1 August. Photos and a video from the Guthrie festival can be seen here. Contact the band via e-mail (1), (2), or (3).

Robirohi keep their word despite tragedy

Richard Hurst of the Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, reports:

Dear friends,

I write to inform you of the tragic news that Robirohi's fine violinist and vocalist, Tarmo Vardja, was killed in a car crash in Estonia on Saturday last, 8 December, whilst on his way to meet the rest of the band members for a performance that nig