Smith & Jones in Europe, Sept.-Oct. 2010

Thanks to FOAOTMAD, the UK old-time music association, for the news that Beverly Smith & Carl Jones (who were part of the first Bluegrass Jamboree! package tour in December 2009) will be playing several dates in England and Wales on either side of the week which they spend teaching at the old-time music camp in Andalusia, Spain (see the EBB for 28 Jan. 2010):

Sept. 2 The Wolf Folk Club, Wolferton, near Kings Lynn
Sept. 3 The Milkmaid, Bury St Edmunds
Sept. 4 The Cellar, London
Sept. 6 Galeri, Caernarfon
Sept. 9 The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge
Sept. 10 The Floor, St Michaels, Tenbury Wells
Sept. 11 Presteigne, Powys
Sept. 15 What's Cookin', London
Sept. 16 The Prom, Bristol
Sept. 17-20 Cornish Bluegrass Festival
Sept. 25-Oct. 2 Old-time week in Andalusia
Oct. 5 Dartford Folk Club, Dartford

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.

La Fuente de Musica in Spain, 2010

Following the 'wonderfully successful and fabulously fun' old-time music weeks in Andalucia of the past three years, Kate Lissauer is pleased to announce that:

Spainmusic Old-Time weeks (La Fuente de Musica!) are happening again, as follows:
Saturday through Saturday, 24 April-1 May 2010
Sunday through Sunday, 2-9 May 2010
Saturday through Saturday, 2-9 October 2010

Dave Bing will be our leader for each of the first two weeks, teaching fiddle and banjo along with his faithful assistant Kate Lissauer, OR, if enrollment is sufficient, he will be joined by his brother Tim Bing.

Beverly Smith and Carl Jones will return for the October week.

It would help greatly in the planning if people enroll early. Return participants in particular should let Kate know of their intentions as soon as possible.

The residential weeks are held in a beautiful and remote part of mountainous southeastern Spain, near the village of El Fonte, Sorbas, an hour’s drive north of Almeria. The site is self-contained, all meals are provided and rooms are shared with one or two other people. Double rooms for couples are available. Non-playing spouses, friends and family members are welcome but they must charge the same fee to everyone. £475 per person, £240 per child 14 or under, and £375 for participants who are camping on site.

There is plenty to do in the area and nearby, including sightseeing in the national park, visits to beaches, rock climbing, hill walking, and visits to Granada or other places of cultural interest. (Although they have found in the past that no one particularly wants to go anywhere else once they have arrived!) Room, full board, tuition and use of all facilities, including a 20-meter swimming pool, are included in the price. Participants must provide their own transportation, and Kate can help and advise with that, and can arrange transport from Almeria airport, which can normally be shared with other participants.

A deposit of £100 will secure a place on the course. For more information, please e-mail Kate Lissauer.

Casey Joe Abair & Hunter Robertson: new CD

Hunter Robertson (USA), whose appearances in Europe during 2009 included the major festivals at Voorthuizen and La Roche, reports:

I'm pleased to announce the release of a new album: Casey Joe Abair & Hunter Robertson, If you want to go to sleep, go to bed (Yodel-Ay-Hee 074), an album of old-timey banjo-and-fiddle duets. It comprises seventeen traditional songs and tunes, learnt from a variety of sources - mainly musicians long gone.

Samples and more information on the album are here. It is available from CDBaby and Menzies Stringed Instruments and shortly from County Sales and Elderly Instruments, and will soon be available through iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, eMusic and other purveyors of fine mp3s as well.

Mike Seeger Passes

We are sorry to report that Mike Seeger passed away on Friday evening, August 7.

A true and dedicated musician, historian and teacher if ever there was one. Mike is responsible (along with his good friend Alice Gerrard) for many of the live concert recordings of the most influential pioneers in folk & bluegrass music history. He has been a major force in the preservation of traditional American music all of his life, from blues to bluegrass. His most recent gig was as a band member with the Alison Krauss & Robert Plant tour last year. He has surely seen and done it all in his music career.

In truth, his accomplishments are far too many to include in this blog. Please read about Mike Seeger and his legacy via the links in the previous article. To see Mike in action you may click on this link: Mike Seeger Video.

Better yet, review this short promotional video of a one-hour documentary, released on DVD July 21, 2009 by Arhoolie Records. ALWAYS BEEN A RAMBLER is an hour-long documentary that celebrates 50 years of the New Lost City Ramblers (Mike Seeger, John Cohen, Tracy Schwarz and Tom Paley.)

Emails, cards & letters may be sent to Mike's wife Alexia using the contact information in the yesterday's post.

A Personal Note from Alexia: "Dear family, dear friends… Mike has completed his passage. He died this evening, August 7, some time before 9 pm. Family, home, peace. It’s what he wanted, and he did it so gracefully. It went too fast for me to comprehend–but he always said 'I don’t want to linger!' Clear in what he’s about, as always.

The love coming from you and from friends all over is just amazingly helpful, sustaining.
Thank you. Love——–A"