Bluegrass Row Contest 2010

Thanks to Erio Meili of the São Paulo Bluegrass Music Association for the invitation to participate in a very creative project:
The “Bluegrass Row Contest 2010”, a new international feature for bluegrassers to serve as opportunity to show their talents across the worldwide YouTube scenario.
For this contest a medley of three tunes in a row has to be played to become eligible for the Best Bluegrass Row Arrangement 2010, where creativity will draw the parameters for a winner’s election.
The tunes are to be played with all 6 rooted bluegrass instruments (mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle, bass, dobro) also allowing some inserts, within certain rules, for vocals and other instruments. The tune sequence of the medley has to be:
a) The Crow (Californian Steve Martin’s 2010 Grammy Winner)
b) The Frobee Watch (Brazilian Erio Meili’s public domain composition)
c) None Finer (from AcuTab and TheBluegrassBlog editor John Lawless from Roanoke, VA)
This is a project running for 6 months, the winner will be announced on September 30, 2010.
Please take a look now at the contest rules (various language options) and listen to an embedded midi sample of the medley at the Sao Paulo Bluegrass Music Association homepage
Please do not hesitate to incentivize yourself and any of your bluegrass picking friends to enter this first and unique bluegrass world contest challenge with creativity and with a full bluegrass instrument line-up.
Bluegrass will keep growing!
Erio Meili
Sao Paulo Bluegrass Music Association
Bluegrass Row

Lovin' you on CD Baby and YouTube: update

Lilly Drumeva writes from Bulgaria:

Dear friends,

My new album Lovin’you is now available on the internet through CD Baby.

You may watch a video on YouTube of the song 'If I needed you', duet with Jakub Racek (CZ).

Lilly Drumeva
Lilly of the West
e-mail
M: +359 888 660 990

Update 12 Mar.: Erio Meili of the Sao Paulo Bluegrass Music Association in Brazil sends his translation from Portuguese into English of a short original review of Lovin' you, written by Quesia Nunes, singer for the Brazilian band Bluegrass 4 union (MySpace):

I enjoyed the CD overall. It is the first time I am listening to a CD of that singer, and enjoyed it very much. Her smooth voice timbre is pleasant, and the choice of repertoire has a very good taste! I found the tracks in Bulgarian being different and bold!... and it shows the pride from her roots. The music that I liked most on the CD was 'Red clay halo'... and also the Bill Monroe song 'Cry, cry darlin''. I think it's wonderful to hear bluegrass from other regions of the world. Each country and interpreter is giving its touch. I loved the CD and I will recommend it to bluegrass lovers... and I will do more follow up on Lilly Drumeva's career.

The original review by Quesia Nunes can be read here.

Kathy Kallick Band in Europe, May 2010: update

As posted last month and on 3 Feb., 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: TBA
May 18: Hoofddorp, Netherlands
May 20: Aubinges, 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.

'If I needed you': video clip

Hi all,

Below is a link to the clip of 'If I needed you' from my new album [see the EBB post of 21 Jan.]: 'If I needed you'

Kind regards,

Lilly Drumeva
Lilly of the West
e-mail
M: +359 888 660 990
website

Thanks to Richard F. Thompson of the BBMA for the news that issue #37 (Oct. 2009) of Vagabond, an English-language monthly publication, includes an article by Ani Ivanova about Lilly Drumeva and bluegrass in Bulgaria. It can be read here.

Lovin' you - new album from Lilly Drumeva

Lilly Drumeva has released a new album entitled Lovin' you, featuring Monogram (CZ) and Lilly of the West (BG). It contains fifteen tracks of traditional bluegrass, country, and swing; among them two duets with Monogram's singer/guitarist Jakub Racek. A video to the song 'If I needed you' will be posted shortly on YouTube.

A new website is being designed to launch the new album. Lovin' you will be soon available through cdbaby. Samples of tracks from the new album can be heard on MySpace, till the physical CD is out.

Bluegrass on the Tube

EBMA board member Dagfinn Pedersen reports:

I have just been thrilled by Alison Krauss singing 'A living prayer' for me on a professional video with very good sound. The last couple of weeks I have enjoyed videos by IIIrd Tyme Out, Jimmy Martin, Lester Flatt, Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vincent, Bill Monroe, Doyle Lawson, and a number of other bluegrass greats. All thanks to Bluegrass On The Tube, a website dedicated to bring you the best bluegrass videos on YouTube.

Anyone can have free access to their extensive bluegrass video library; but in addition they will send you a link to a new song every day. All you have to do is become a member, that is signing up with your first name and your e-mail address. A great inspiration every day in your mailbox. Here is the Alison Krauss video, and here you find the Norwegian artist Jonas Fjeld and Chatham County Line (USA).

Tony Trischka School of Banjo online

The Tony Trischka School of Banjo makes it possible for pickers anywhere in the world to register ($60 for three months) for online lessons at beginning, intermediate, or advanced level from one of the greatest living banjoists. The student body now includes pickers from England, Germany, Spain, and Australia.

The website already has over 160 video lessons, and more are being added - clawhammer lessons from Bob Carlin are coming soon. In addition, a student can get personal banjo instruction by sending Tony Trischka a video via the site and receiving his response.

The many features of the site are well worth checking out. A YouTube video taken at IBMA's World of Bluegrass 2009 includes a lot of good music: the 'blazing Czech player' mentioned is Martin Fridrich of COP (CZ). Thanks to Lilly Pavlak for forwarding news of the TTSB.

G2 on the Tube

Subscribers to Bluegrass on the Tube receive by e-mail a video every day of bluegrass music, chosen from a very wide assortment of performers. Today, subscribers received 'Where the tall grass grows' by the G2 Bluegrass Band from Sweden (#1 European Bluegrass Band 2007), who are making a big impact in the USA.

The song can also be heard on Cosmos Records' YouTube channel, together with G2's 'All I need'. Other videos of the band at live shows can be seen on their MySpace site. G2 have recently been spending time in the recording studio.

Editors' note: With the publication of this post, there are now 1,000 posts on the European Bluegrass Blog.

New Acoustic Gallery Mandolin Festival Trailer

Mandolin workshop

Oliver Waitze of the New Acoustic Gallery (NAG) has published two video trailers from the first NAG Mandolin Festival in Solingen, Germany, on YouTube and on the NAG website under the link 'News'. There are also 66 photos taken at the Festival. Oliver reports:

We had overwhelming concerts with Mike Marshall, Caterina Lichtenberg, Don Stiernberg Trio, Trio Vibracao, and very successful workshops. I hope you like it! The atmosphere of the festival was fantastic and a highlight so far. I try to do it again next year....

New Acoustic Gallery
Neuenhofer Str. 122
D-42657 Solingen
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 212/2474007
e-mail

First European band to play on IBMA Awards Show

The original Bluegrass Blog carried yesterday a post on the forthcoming appearances in the USA by the G2 Bluegrass Band (Sweden), #1 European Bluegrass Band 2007. These include playing on the IBMA Awards Show, where they will be the first European band ever to do so.

The post also includes sound clips from their next CD (still in preparation) and a video from the band's show at the Station Inn in Nashville during their 2008 visit.

New Toy Hearts video

Today the Bluegrass Blog features a new video on YouTube by the Toy Hearts (UK), who were featured in the latest issue of Bluegrass Europe. The video shows the band performing their contribution to the 'train song' genre - the title track from their last album, When I cut loose - at the Ely Folk Festival in England on 11 July.

It also includes powerful guitar work by Sophia Johnson, who is featured in the current issue of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. More info, including details of the Toy Hearts' coming tour in the US, is on the Bluegrass Blog.

Lilly of the West on YouTube

Following our post of 17 June, Lilly Drumeva of Bulgaria reports that five performances from the Budapest concert on 13 June have now been added to the thirty-eight already on her YouTube channel. The songs featured are 'Nelly Kane', 'Molly and Tenbrooks', 'How mountain girls can love', 'Can't you hear me calling', and 'Sto mi e milo'.

The new videos show Lilly (guitar, vocals) with Slovak musicians Lubos Yurkovic (guitar, vocals), Michal Barok (mandolin), Peter Szabados (resonator guitar), Richard Cifersky (banjo), and Anton Naroda (bass), as shown in the photo above.

Homespun Tapes: new delivery system

Music has historically brought us through hard times, bringing enjoyment to those who play it and to those who listen. What better way to lift spirits and create a sense of community?

Homespun Tapes continue to make their massive catalogue of prime instructional material available in innovative ways. The new Homespun Instant Access Delivery System makes it possible for anyone with a high-speed internet connection to receive a Homespun DVD and tab/music booklet delivered directly to their computer, with no waiting or postal charges. More information is here.

Keep in touch with Homespun Tapes for future offers. An article on Homespun by David McCarty appeared in the March 2009 ('Instruments') issue of Bluegrass Unlimited.

Bluegrass on the Tube

Thanks to Carl Carlson of the SouthEastern Bluegrass Association, located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, who sends this news of a resource he has created for the enjoyment of bluegrass:

Just for fun, I put together Bluegrass on the Tube, a free website that is designed to promote bluegrass music among bluegrass fans and 'friends' of bluegrass fans. The website currently has over 250 videos in the library, representing a wide variety of artists and styles of bluegrass. New videos are added weekly.

In addition to direct access to the entire library, I have incorporated a Subscription Service, also free, which delivers a new video each day (no spam, easy opt-in, easy opt-out).

Hopefully this new website resource might be of interest to your membership community. Please take a look. Give it a try. I would appreciate your feedback.

Carl adds that several of the videos on his website were shot at European venues (including the Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival at the Ulster American Folk Park, Northern Ireland), and one is from Japan.

Greens go bluegrass

Thanks to Rainer Zellner, of Roots Music Booking and Production in Tübingen, Germany, for news of the Green Party TV promotion for the forthcoming elections to the European Parliament (4 June).

The video shows the collapse of a small American family home, initiating the collapse - like rows of dominos - of banks, businesses, currencies, etc. all over the world. But the soundtrack is bluegrass! See the video here.

4th Coastline Bluegrass Music Event, 5-7 June 2009

4 Wheel Drive at the 2nd Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Ireland (2008) with Uri Kohen (centre), festival organiser. This photo shows the band's present line-up, with Ulli Sieker (far right) on mandolin

The fourth Coastline Bluegrass Music Event, in north Wales, will include extended workshops for all the acoustic bluegrass instruments, starting with an introduction to bluegrass for beginners and those who have come from other genres, right through to the advanced levels.

The workshops will be given by experienced teachers from among the bands performing at the Festival. Headliners at this year's Event are 4 Wheel Drive (NL/D/BE), with the Toy Hearts (UK), Chill Until Blue (UK), and the Jay Walkers.

Chill Until Blue

A promotional video for this year's Event (5-6-7 June 2009) is on YouTube and MySpace. A gallery of pictures from last year's Event can be seen here. A full press release is here.

Among British newspapers, the Event has appeared on the Guardian's list of Top Ten UK Folk Festivals and the Daily Telegraph's lists of Top Ten Festivals for 2009 and Best Events for the summer of 2008. UKBluegrass.com ranked the Event as one of the favourite festivals in 2007.

Coastline Bluegrass Music Event
Plas Uchaf Farm, near Llandudno Junction
North Wales LL28 5PD, UK

Hot corn, cold corn

Matthias and 4WD at Banjoree 2007

Matthias Malcher of the Looping Brothers (D) reports:

Hallo und viele Grüße an alle Bluegrass-Freunde, die Sorefingers-Woche in England war wieder ein Schauplatz der Superlative. Anl. 2 interessante Links!

Greetings from ole Germany! It has been said - but not by everybody yet: Wasn't that a great time at Sorefingers 2009? I just wanted to say Hello and thank everybody for this BG-Mega-Happening (close to Woodstock, ain't it? - or was it Churchill...?).

Some of you might wanna take a look at the site of the new Grevengrass Festival we're launching in north-western Germany.


I also just heard I was posted at YouTube, jamming with my friends of 4 Wheel Drive at the Banjoree 07. Here's a link in case you're interested.

See also several other videos on the YouTube channel set up by Jan Michielsen of 4 Wheel Drive.

Bononia Grass win again on OurStage

Bononia Grass (Luca Naldi, banjo; Giovanni Stefanini, mandolin; Luca Bartolini, guitar; Paolo Ercoli, resonator guitar; Pedro Judkowski, bass) have again won the #1 spot in the live performance category on OurStage.

In March 2009 their performance of 'Six feet under the ground' during the Street Art Festival in their home town of Bologna, Italy, came first among 482 competing videos in many styles of music. More details and their winning video can be seen on the original Bluegrass Blog.

Major appearances by Bononia Grass during 2009 include the 21st International Bluegrass Music & Dance Festival at Conwy, North Wales, UK (July), and the European Bluegrass Festival at La Roche-sur-Foron, Haute Savoie, France (August).

Bluegrass Newsletter online

Jim Moss's online Bluegrass Newsletter for March 2009 is now available, including film of a show by the Frank Wakefield Band (above) at the Freight & Salvage venue in California, with guest artist Marty Varner (above, left).

The newsletter also includes photos, interviews, and other material relating to Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Ralph Stanley, Jimmy Martin, Jesse McReynolds, and other great figures in bluegrass, not to mention many of the musicians and others who knew them; together with access to Jim Moss's own bluegrass fiddle website. This and further issues can be received FREE.

O brother, Norwegian style

Dagfinn Pedersen reports that the celebrated audition scene from O brother, where art thou? has been reinvented by the Norwegian band Ila Auto. It can be viewed either at the first video link on the Norwegian Bluegrass Music Association website, or here.

Celts, bluegrass, and the Czech connection

Peter O. Ruby with All Bells & Whistles at the 2008 European Bluegrass Festival at La Roche-sur-Foron, France

Peter O. Ruby, leader of the hard-driving Czech bluegrass band All Bells & Whistles, runs an excellent website which uses joomla! software to present information in several languages. It deals with many things besides his own band (for example, video footage of a very young Ricky Skaggs playing on TV with Flatt & Scruggs). One section is devoted to the Celts in central Europe - Peter says:

The Celts, a topic 'hiding' far right as a last top menu item, is dedicated to the topic of the amazing and obscure world of Central European Celtic population, and as the bluegrass has also sprung basically from the Irish music of the early American immigrants, I do not consider this topic to be so remote that it should not stay here.

Check out the Celtic links section of the website here.

Lilly of the West on YouTube

Thanks to Lilly Drumeva, who brought her band Lilly of the West to the Czech Cultural Centre in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 15 January (see the European Bluegrass Blog for 19 January), for this link to a YouTube video of one of the numbers Lilly and the band performed that evening - 'Loving you'.

European bluegrass videos welcome on ZGrass

Following the European Bluegrass Blog post of 29 Nov. 2008, Kris Trump, director of the ZGrass internet TV channel, reports:

The ZGrass website is up and running with some audio of our friends the Country Gentlemen, and we are still refining it each day. ZGrass will be streaming by 1 April 2009 and we look forward to getting video and promoting bluegrass artists from Europe. Any assistance you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

We can color correct, audio correct, and clean up a lot of old footage, but would prefer to have Beta SP or Pal to edit for broadcast. We can also convert a DVD for broadcast; but remember, the quality is not as good as tape.

ZGrass is the trade name of Bluegrass Music Channel, LLC ('The Company'). It is an innovative music video marketer and television programming service, with a niche focus on Bluegrass Music Worldwide. The Company has successfully developed partnerships with both local and national artists to provide a premier national showcase for their performances. ZGrass will deliver a programming impact to a grass-roots community of more than 76 million dedicated fans.

ZGrass develops, markets, and supports bluegrass music intensive video programming service for the IPTV industry. The Company owns, or has the right to exhibit, many hours of bluegrass video footage.

We hope you enjoy our dream of presenting the Bluegrass Music Channel to IPTV in the US, Europe, and Asia. Zgrass will change the way television is programmed forever. With our emphasis on the smaller, lesser-known groups, all music, all day, and all the time, you have video of your group; Zgrass will broadcast your music 24/7 throughout the World. 'Lil' Stars' are ZGrass's biggest stars.

Contact Kris Trump, director of ZGrass, by e-mail.

Videos of European bluegrass wanted for US TV

Does your band or event have video footage which could be made available for airing in the USA?

A new channel - ZGrass, The Bluegrass Channel, LLC - will launch in March 2009, presenting 'all bluegrass, all day, all the time'. And its managing director, Harold Brown, is looking for all the video he can find from European bluegrass bands. Contact:

Harold Brown, Managing Director
The Bluegrass Channel, LLC
Telephone: +1-305-890-6843
e-mail

Europe challenged on banjo speed record

In response to yesterday's mention of Johnny Butten (UK) as world's fastest banjo player, Erio Meili (originally of Switzerland, but now head of the Sao Paulo Bluegrass Music Association in Brazil and leader of the South American Bluegrass Network), reports:

Howdy folks,

Here comes our Southern challenge for a new record for world fastest banjo player, pre-qualified in the Livro da Guineia (Guineia Book) and hopefully running now for Guinness. Check it out on YouTube. The tune is 'Sunday', home-made and faster than Johnny Butten's 'Duelling banjos'. For our alternative duelling banjos spot, watch our 'Titanic deviation medley' here.

And only last week, all we had to worry about was that the world might be destroyed by the Large Hadron Collider...

Niall Toner Band videos: Live at Omagh

The Niall Toner Band: Dick Gladney, Niall Toner, Clem O'Brien

The Niall Toner Band, who appeared at the EBMA's EWOB Festival this year, have just added a new series of videos to their MySpace page. These were filmed during live performances at the 2004 Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival at the Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Songs include 'Climbin'', 'The Master's resting place', 'The promise', 'The cheatin' side of town' and 'Chainsaw country blues'. Sound and visuals are both high-quality.

Bononia Grass all-acoustic in Bologna

From Gian Luca Naldi of Bononia Grass:

Hi guys, here is Luca from Italy, how are you?

Past July we have played at a Street Art Festival edition, near Bologna, my city. The cool thing is we played in front of people without mics! So, without typical amplification problems we have played relaxed, with a lot of fun, and sound was so natural!

I'll be happy if you could post two short videos of that performance: 'Big Mon' and 'Bononia Grass live on the road'

See also this story on the Bluegrass Blog, where Luca says more about playing bluegrass in Europe.

The Chapmans on video

The Chapmans (USA), who made a big impact with their appearance at the EBMA's European World of Bluegrass Festival in 2005, are putting three new videos on line for the enjoyment of their fans. The videos can be seen here.

Website
MySpace site
ReverbNation site

Stringdusters in Europe on YouTube

Incidents from the current month-long tour of Europe by the multiple-award-winning Infamous Stringdusters (USA) are being recorded on video and posted on YouTube on behalf of the band. The fourth and latest instalment - including footage from Fredericia, Denmark, and Lievelde, the Netherlands - can be viewed on the Bluegrass Blog.

Carolina Chocolate Drops concert on video

For anyone who missed the Carolina Chocolate Drops on their recent tour in Europe, or who can't wait till their next tour -- their concert at the Paradiso in Amsterdam was recorded on video and can now be seen on FabChannel.

Picture quality is excellent, and eighteen numbers are performed. View it here. Thanks to FOAOTMAD for the news.

Beppe Gambetta: news bulletin

In his latest newsletter Beppe Gambetta introduces a new videoclip based on his red shoes. Also included are:

* dates for his tours in North America (21 March-12 April, 4-22 June, 18 Sept.-25 Oct.) and Europe (22 May-1 June, 31 July-2 August);
*a long list of Beppe's favourite eating places in different countries;
*news of his 16th Annual Residential Workshop at Ambroz in the Slovenian Alps (3-10 August), with special guest Steve Kaufman, and of his next recording project; and
* links to several other videos, including 1985 footage of Red Wine when he was their guitarist.

Read more here.

Chris Stuart & Backcountry tour, 2007: photos & video

The band in Germany with Herbert Schildhammer and Monika & Eberhard Finke

The January 2008 newsletter from Chris Stuart & Backcountry reports:

We have photos of our November tour of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland. And a bunch of videos of us playing in Wognum, the Netherlands, for the gig that our good friend Loek Lamers presented.

The newsletter includes a photo of the gig at the Dolder 2 in Switzerland, and CSB with agent Lilly Pavlak. Other photos and the videos are on the CSB 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

Uncle Earl on video and blog

For everyone who did not get enough of the neo-old-time all-girl string band Uncle Earl during their recent tour in the Netherlands and the UK - the band's long-awaited 'kung-fu clogging video', to the tune 'Streak o' lean, streak o' fat', can now be seen on YouTube here. Cameo appearances are made by Casey Driessen, John Paul Jones, and others whom you may recognise.

And thanks to FOAOTMAD for the news that American bluegrass writer and photographer MaryE Yeomans, now living in Wales, has posted on her blog a long and enthusiastic illustrated account of the last Uncle Earl show in the tour - in Bristol, England.

Since the end of the tour, Abigail Washburn (banjo) has gone to spend Thanksgiving with American friends in Switzerland; Kristin Andreassen (guitar) will be going to Paris to rehearse with the Irish band Grada; K.C. Groves (mandolin) will be on the Mediterranean littoral; Laura Cortese (bass) is going to a dance workshop in Newcastle, England, before touring with her solo project in Ireland and the UK in December.

Rayna Gellert (fiddle) is offering a fiddle workshop at 7.00-9.00 p.m. on 13 December in Chiswick, west London. £35. Contact her by e-mail.