Yesterday, the nominees for the 2009 International Bluegrass Awards were announced in Nashville. Winners will be announced on October 1 at the International Bluegrass Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

The list is comprised of the most celebrated artists in bluegrass music today, presenting a difficult challenge to the professional members of the IBMA, who will need to vote for only one winner in each of 22 categories.

To aid in that effort, here is a complete list of the nominees, along with links to their web sites and audio samples.

Entertainer Of The Year – This award is for the performing act who displayed the greatest competence in all aspects of the entertainment field. Voters should give consideration to recorded and in-person performance, public acceptance, attitude, leadership, and over-all contributions to the bluegrass music image. The award recognizes the performing act.

The nominees for Entertainer Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Vocal Group Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Instrumental Group Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

(more…)

As we reported earlier (12/31), WAMU’s Bluegrass Country DJ Lee Michael Demsey saw in the New Year with his Top 40 Countdown computed on the same basis as the Bluegrass Unlimited National Survey.

The full list of 40 songs is shown below, but first there are a couple of observations made by Demsey during the program. The #1 song, Through The Window Of A Train, had been, at the end of 2008, at the top of the Survey for five months. The second song, Alison’s Band, was only a couple of points away from reaching the top spot on the Survey during its 13 month stay on the Survey.

The placement of these two songs mirrors the choices made by IBMA members in the Song Of The Year award in October with both songs being on the final ballot and Through The Window Of A Train triumphing there as well.

A rough assessment of the Top 40 shows that Rhonda Vincent and the Gibson Brothers both had three titles on the chart, Blue Highway, Dailey & Vincent, The SteelDrivers, Cherryholmes and Steep Canyon Rangers all had two entries.

Allocating points for a song relative to its position on the chart makes Dailey & Vincent the top band with 71pts, by virtue of their two top five entries. They are followed by The Gibson Brothers, with 64pts, Steep Canyon Rangers (63pts) third, Blue Highway (54pts) fourth and Rhonda Vincent, fifth with 51pts.

Dailey & Vincent were in the final five on the IBMA ballot for Vocal Group Of The Year as were Blue Highway, who featured in the final five choices for Instrumental Group Of The Year also.

The top albums are, in descending order, Dailey & Vincent, Iron & Diamonds, Lovin’ Pretty Women, Through The Window Of A Train and Good Thing Going.

Dailey & Vincent, Lovin’ Pretty Women and Through The Window Of A Train were in the last five albums on the IBMA ballot for the Album Of The Year award. The sixth placed band, The SteelDrivers, had its album, also called The SteelDrivers, in the final ballot for the Album Of The Year award.

The top record label is Rounder with 14 entries. They are followed by Sugar Hill (with five titles), then Pinecastle, Rebel, Rural Rhythm and Skaggs Family each with three songs on the chart.

See the complete Top 40 listing after the jump. (more…)

Our own intrepid correspondent, Richard Thompson [bluegrassmercury], spent a week in Nashville in early October, having traveled from the UK to attend the IBMA convention. It was his first trip to IBMA in 20 years, and we thought that his post-IBMA impressions and reflections would be of interest both to others who were likewise in attendance, and our many readers who would love to have been there.

bluegrassmercury Travelogue # 8
By Richard F Thompson
Nashville, Tenn. Thursday, October 2

Thursday was dominated by the prize-giving events, a Special Awards Luncheon and, in the evening, The IBMA Awards Show at the Ryman Auditorium.

Firstly though, I attended the Town Hall Meeting, one of about 60 people. There was a lively discussion about a number of issues, including requests for handouts before or at WOB sessions; the structure of showcases, official and unofficial, and their timing; the new strategic plan; Leadership Bluegrass; the International Summit; the impact of US economic downturn; and constituency meetings.

After the meeting Karen and I went up to the Renaissance Ballroom to join others who were already seated at tables ready for the luncheon and awaiting the announcement of the winners of the special awards.

Among the awards given were those to the five individuals or organizations that were, in the eyes of the IBMA, deserving of a Distinguished Achievement Award. Those five were, in order of receipt – Art Menius (presented by Lance LeRoy), Bill Harrell (presented by former band member of Harrell’s, Larry Stephenson), The Banjo Newsletter (presented by Tony Trischka to the Nitchie family, who run the magazine following founder Hub Nitchie’s passing), The Ernest Tubb Record Shop (presented to the current owner of the business, David McCormick, by Eddie Stubbs) and, jointly, Joe Carr and Alan Munde for their work as educators at the
at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, and as musicians (presented to Alan Munde by Mike Bub). More information about these recipients can be found at the IBMA website.

Interspersed with the presentations of the Distinguished Achievement Awards were presentations of some special category awards. The winners this year were, again in order of receipt, my friend Gary B. Reid (presented by Alison Brown) for Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project – The Stanley Brothers: The Definitive Collection (1947-1966), The Stanley Brothers, Time Life. There wasn’t any surprise there; Gary is an undisputed expert on the Stanley Brothers’ music and he writes well. It’s the third time that he has won this particular award.

Following that was the announcement that Greg Carr and Sarah Holman had won the Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project award for What The, Pete Wernick & Flexigrass, Niwot Records. Chris Stuart won the Print Media Person of the Year award (presented by last year’s winners, Brance and John, hosts of this website). Stuart’s award is extremely well merited in my opinion. (more…)

Del McCoury has been in the news a lot recently. He’s just released a controversial new CD. He was just announced as the host for this year’s IBMA Awards Show. Now comes news of a new CD by GrooveGrass Records titled The Best Of Del McCoury: The GrooveGrass Years.

The CD is a compilation of recordings made during a period of time beginning in the in the mid-late 90’s. I clearly remember the first time I heard the GrooveGrass version of the Macarena. Then I heard GrooveGrass 101 and I was hooked. I already liked Del as a vocalist, and hearing him in this context was just too fun. GrooveGrass is the original mash-up of Hip Hop and Bluegrass. Somehow, it works.

During that time though, a number of strait up, hard driving bluegrass tracks were cut as well. They were released as part of various albums GrooveGrass Records was putting out. Now these tracks have been gathered into one place on The Best Of Del McCoury: The GrooveGrass Years.

The CD is scheduled to be released tomorrow, August 12, 2008, on all digital formats.

An “Online Limited Edition” version on disc is currently available at TheBestOfDelMcCoury.com. This limited edition CD contains 2 bonus tracks (12 tracks instead of the 10 the regular album will contain). There are only 3,500 available so order yours today.

I’ve had a chance to listen to the CD and I’ve got to say that these newer recordings are infinitely better than the originals in many respects. Engineered and mixed by Gary Paczosa, this CD could appropriately be labeled as an audiophile recording. As a long time fan of Del McCoury’s sound, I thouroughly enjoyed his remakes of these classic tunes. Some of these were orignially recorded somewhat early in his career, and these newer recordings showcase Del as a more matural vocalist with great pitch and phrasing.

The ten tracks include:

1. Get Down On Your Knees And Pray
2. I Feel The Blues Movin’ In
3. I’ve Endured
4. Speak To Me Little Darlin’
5. I Wonder Where You Are Tonight
6. Beauty Of My Dreams
7. I’ll Sail My Ship Alone
8. White House Blues
9. Can’t You Hear Me Calling
10. More Pretty Girls Than One

Some of the tracks are Del and his band, some are collaborations with Doc Watson, Mac Wiseman, and others. The most unusual pairing, and the one track that is not straight up bluegrass is Bill Monroe’s Can’t You Hear Me Calling. This is the only GrooveGrass track on the CD, featuring Del and Bootsy Collins. It’s an enjoyable track and showcases the best of the GrooveGrass style.

GrooveGrass Records has set up a Bluegrass Room in Google’s new virtual world, Lively, where you can hear some of the tracks. Lively currently only supports Windows XP and Vista, and you will need to install the Windows client to enter the room.

To celebrate the release of this best of recording, GrooveGrass Records has graciously offered to let us give away 10 copies each week for the next few weeks. Enter the drawing below and each week we’ll randomly select 10 winners to receive a free copy of The Best Of Del McCoury: The GrooveGrass Years.

This promotion has been closed. Thanks to all who participated, and a big thanks to the folks at GrooveGrass Records for making it possible!