Kruger Brothers specials at the IBMA 2008

Philip Zanon kindly reports:Kruger Brothers with Michael Cleveland and Terry Beaucom

At this years' IBMA the Kruger Brothers were performing in the Deering Banjos Showcase Hall. The line up of Deering Artists included Tony Trischka, a performance of Mark Schatz (playing Banjo) with Jim Hurst and Missy Raines, Mark Johnson and Emory Lester, Eddie & Martha Adcock (who played for the first time in public after his surgery, as reported by Richard Hawkins - The Bionic Banjo Man) and Terry Baucom who has received his own signature Deering Banjo during the event.

More in the article in Bluegrass Journal by Travis Tackett.

Beside all those class acts the Kruger Brothers were performing together with Michael Cleveland and Terry Baucom (Photo) and also Ron Block, long time member of Alison Krauss & Union Station (Photo).

Kruger Brothers with Ron Block

During on Saturday Jens Kruger participated in a huge Banjo workshop including Tony Trischka, Ron Block, Noam Pikelny. (Photo)

Jens Kruger in huge banjo workshop

THE 2008 INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARDS

Congratulation to all the winners of the 2008 IBMA Awards! A list of all Award receipients is shown on the IBMA website.
Please visit The Bluegrass Blog - news at the speed of bluegrass for excellent reports by Brance. The most impressive story of this year's awards is that after only one year together, Jamie Dailey & Darrin Vincent took home SIX AWARDS!
More to follow soon, if you would like to contribute to the European Bluegrass Blog with a report, please send us a note.

New chair of IBMA's International Committee

After fifteen years as the chair for IBMA's International Committee, Dick Kimmel has decided to step down from that post. Richard Hawkins, of the EBMA and the Bluegrass Ireland Blog, will take on the position. Dick, who enjoyed working with the international bluegrass community and especially enjoyed his trips to bluegrass events in Europe, says:

While I will greatly miss chairing the international committee, I feel it is time to have a non-US person at the helm. With the enthusiasm for international bluegrass of the new IBMA president, Greg Cahill, and the new IBMA international board person, Rienk Janssen, it was a good time for me to move on. I feel international bluegrass has made great strides in the past fifteen years and I see even greater success in our future.

On behalf of EBMA, sincere good wishes to Richard in his new role - and also to Dick, who now may have time to consider again bringing his music to Europe.

IBMA Awards Show LIVE

Our friends from The Bluegrass Blog report that they will be carrying the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Awards Show live from backstage the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee tonight (October 5, 2007 - 03.30 am continental European time).

Update 4 (last one): The IBMA website now features the full listing of all 2007 awards recipients and a press release.

Update 3: And if you didn't believe us, here's a photo of Richard Hawkins on stage at the Grand Ole Opry (third photo in the second row; with our good friend Greg Cahill) - don't they look awesome?

Update 2: You can now find the full Awards Show coverage by The Bluegrass Blog here.

Update: The Awards Show is over: congratulations to the winners! One award was presented by the 2006/2007 #1 European Bluegrass Band, Mideando from Italy, and another by our very own Richard Hawkins, EBMA Board member, editor of this blog and the Bluegrass Ireland Blog.

Mideando String Quintet at IBMA

The Mideando String Quintet, #1 European Bluegrass Band 2006, from Padua, Italy, will represent the EBMA and the European World of Bluegrass (EWOB) Festival during the Trade Show at IBMA's World of Bluegrass 2007 in Nashville.

The MSQ comprises Riccardo Targhetta (lead vocal, percussion), Fabiano Guidi Colombi (steel-string & classical guitars, vocal), Mirko Zanzarin (electric bass, fretless bass, vocal), Alessandro Chiarelli (violin, vocal), and Stefano Santangelo (mandolin, octave mandolin, mandocello, harmonica, vocal).

The band's latest CD, Tutte le direzioni, will be unveiled during IBMA's World of Bluegrass 2007. They can be contacted at the EBMA-EWOB + Strictly Country Records booth (table #30) at the Trade Show in the Convention Center. In addition to other appearances during the week, they will be playing the following after-hours showcases:

Tues. 2 Oct. (night): 12.15 a.m., International Suite, Convention Center, Room 201; sponsored by EBMA.

Tues. 2 Oct. (night): 1.30 a.m., Bronzewound Showcase, Convention Center, Room 107; sponsored by Darwin Davidson, Bronzewound Bluegrass, WERU-FM, Blue Hill, Maine.

Wed. 3 Oct. (night): 12.15 a.m., International Suite, Convention Center, Room 201; sponsored by EBMA.

Liz Meyer says:

Mideando String Quintet is far from typical of our European bluegrass bands. The fact that European musicians selected one of our most avant-garde groups to represent them at IBMA this year speaks volumes for the admiration and respect that Mideando has won from their colleagues for their high standards of musicianship and engaging showmanship. We hope the World of Bluegrass will give them a warm welcome!

Read Liz's full press release here.

IBMA's International Outreach Program: Application Deadline April 16

Over the last three years, IBMA has made financial resources available to foster the development of bluegrass music outside of the U.S. Twenty nine grant applications have been funded during that time for a total of $50,000.00.

In 2007, the board has allocated $20,000.00 in additional funds earmarked toward achieving two main goals:

1) Use IBMA World of Bluegrass events to expose international attendees to professional development opportunities and worldwide connections in the music.

2) Offer direct support to bluegrass professionals and organizational development efforts which foster the music's opportunities outside the USA.

Of the total allocated this year, $13,000.00 will be made available as scholarships for World of Bluegrass events (which can be used for registration fees, travel and/or accommodations) as well as other international activities which can be hosted during the convention. The remaining $7,000.00 will be available to fund new bluegrass projects which foster international cooperation and development outside the US.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Any IBMA professional member (organization or individual) based outside the US can apply for these financial resources in 2007 and must do so before April 16, 2007.

A special International Outreach Committee is responsible for the review process and will make decisions regarding grants by May 31.

For a complete set of criteria and application process, contact IBMA at info@ibma.org.

Leadership Bluegrass 2007

The graduating class of IBMA's Leadership Bluegrass 2007, the eighth annual event in a series of intensive, three-day programs of advanced-level, interactive learning experiences that invite participants to examine the challenges and opportunities facing bluegrass music, along with related leadership issues. Full details are on the IBMA website.

The EBMA congratulates all the graduates - and in particular Dagfinn M. Pedersen of Sondeled, Norway, and of Risor Bluegrass, Radio Risor, and the Norwegian Bluegrass Music Association. Dagfinn appears at the back, fifth from the right of the above photo.