One of the many wonderful facets of Merlefest is the various competitions that take place each year during the festival.

Firstly, there is the annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest in which there are four categories.

This year’s winners are Love Gone By by Carol Hausner and Colin McCaffrey of Montpelier, Vermont (in the Bluegrass Category), Man of Few Words by Dennis K. Duff of Kuttawa, Kentucky (in the Country Category), Beyond the Rain by Brink Brinkman of Pickerington, Ohio (in the Gospel Category) and Unmarked Pavement by Miles and Letha Costin of Raleigh, North Carolina (in the General Category).

Secondly, there are the three instrumental competitions, one each for mandolin, banjo and guitar. This year’s prize winners are ‚Ķ.

MerleFest Mandolin Contest

• 1st Place – Bryan McDowell, Canton, North Carolina
• 2nd Place – Jesse Daniel, Pisgah, Alabama
• 3rd Place – Caleb Courtner, Butler, Tennessee

Merle Watson Bluegrass Banjo Championship

• 1st Place – Seth Taylor, Bryson City, North Carolina
• 2nd Place – Johnathan Dillon, Wirtz, Virginia
• 3rd Place – Owen Piatt, Springfield, Tennessee

Doc Watson Guitar Championship

• 1st Place – Tyler Grant, Nashville, Tennessee
• 2nd Place – Tony Watt, Schenectady, New York
• 3rd Place – Fred Duggin, Nashville, TN

Congratulations to all concerned.

The four-day Merlefest took place on the campus of the Wilkes Community College, Wilkesboro, North Carolina, from 23 to 26 April. It is hosted by Doc Watson and staged in memory of his son Merle. This year’s attendance has been reported at 70,000.

Fiddler Casey Driessen has presented to the music world as something of a stylistic enigma. As a fiddler he is equally well trained in the bluegrass and old time traditions, and he has a music degree from The Berklee College Of Music.

He has toured as a solo artist and band leader, as well as a sideman. He is a member of Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet and is touring now with Darrell Scott.

Driessen’s latest CD, Oog, is scheduled for release on May 12. It offers a wealth of beautiful and fascinating music, but isn’t much help in pinning him down or boxing his sound into any neat classification. Casey handles fiddle and vocal chores, with help from Darrell Scott on guitar and pedal guitar, Viktor Krauss on bass, Brian Siskind on lap steel and synth, and Matt Chamberlain on percussion.

For a glimpse into Driessen’s musical personality, he created this video fiddle quiz for our readers…

The resulting track on Oog is a hoot. The backwards melody played in reverse takes it the first time through, with a back’ards accompaniment used throughout, duet style.

Casey also agreed to let us include samples of a couple other tracks from the CD, which we offer here, along with his comments from the liner notes.

Uncontinental Breakfast  -  Listen now:   

While teaching at Mark O’Connor’s Strings Conference I had a life changing musical experience‚Ķand those don’t come along often. One of the other instructors was Dr. M. Manjunath, a South Indian violinist. He played a solo concert, cross legged, on top of a table, improvising nonstop for 30 minutes. He took me on a ride that was one of the most beautiful and amazing performances I’ve ever witnessed, playing in ways I had not imagined possible. The next day I took a lesson with him. Soon afterwards while on the road, hungry and stuck in a hotel room one morning, I wrote this melody. Thank you Dr. M. Manjunath. (more…)

John Miller, who has most recently been playing mandolin and singing tenor with Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice, tells us that he is leaving the group. No word yet about a replacement.

John says that his future plans are in flux, but it’s clear that someone will get a strong guitar and tenor man out of the deal.

For the short term, Miller is working with Jesse Brock (mandolinist with Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper) on a new Gospel project for singer/songwriter Rick Lang. John and Jesse are both producing and playing on the CD, Look To The Light, which will feature 14 Lang originals and co-writes.

Rick’s songs have been recorded by a number of prominent bluegrass artists, including Lonesome River band, IIIrd Tyme Out, Front Range and Paul Adkins.

Assisting will be Ron Stewart on banjo and fiddle, Wyatt Rice on guitar, and Mike Cleveland on fiddle. Additional vocals will be provided by Junior Sisk, Russell Moore, Jeff Parker and Dale Ann Bradley.

Should be a good’n.