From a group of pickers at the 1984 Diamond Lure Bluegrass Festival in Ellijay, GA, SEBA has grown to more than 800 members, with 9 chapters in 3 states (GA, TN, SC). Their web site contains an exhaustive listings of events near their chapter cities, including SEBA sponsored jams and pickings, appearances by local (member) bands, and festivals, workshops and concerts throughout the southeastern US.

Their Silver Anniversary Superstar concert will be held on October 24 at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center in Duluth, 30 miles north of Atlanta. Headlining are two award-winning bluegrass acts that despite their many successful recordings, are only rarely found performing live: Longview and The Daughters of Bluegrass.

Longview consists of top bluegrass artists JD Crowe on banjo, Ron Stewart on fiddle, Don Rigsby on mandolin and vocals, Lou Reid on guitar and vocals, James Kinhg on guitar and vocals, and Marshall Wilborn on bass. They have 3 albums on Rounder Records, most recently Deep In The Mountains in 2008. Membership has varied substantially since the band launched in 1995, designed to showcase traditional bluegrass.

Similarly, Daughters Of Bluegrass formed to showcase the many talented ladies who pick and sing. They have 3 CDs, also featuring a large varied cast of characters, primarily organized by North Carolina band leader Lorraine Jordan. More than 4 dozen top female artists have recorded with this group, tanging from fresh-faced teens to, well… highly-experienced women. For the 10/24 show, the band will consist of Dale Ann Bradley on guitar, Gena Britt-Tew on banjo, Frances Mooney on bass, Tina Adair Dishman on mandolin, Lisa Ray on fiddle, Lorraine Jordan on mandolin, Jeanetta Williams aon bass, and Mindy Rakestraw on guitar – all contributing as vocalists.

Before the show, SEBA will sponsor a full day of workshops, including sessions with Ron Stewart on banjo and fiddle, Don Rigsby on mandolin and vocals, and Dale Ann Bradley on guitar. You can see the full workshop schedule online.

Congratulations to SEBA for their Silver Anniversary – here’s to 25 more!

Bands interested in showcasing at the EWOB festival can apply between now and November 20. A total of 42 showcase spots are available and though bands are not paid for these appearances, some travel expenses are offered to European bands. Event producers and music press from all over Europe are typically on hand for these shows.

The festival also hosts a European Bluegrass Band Awards competition, with winners chosen on two separate tracks. The primary award is chosen by the other musicians in attendance, and a second trophy is awarded by the fans, an Audience Popularity Award. The winner of the European Bluegrass Band Award each year is offered the opportunity to perform at the following year’s IBMA convention in Nashville.

Application details can be found on the European Bluegrass Music Association web site, where you can also find sponsor, vendor and volunteer information.

Here’s Sam backstage at the Opry contemplating the award and its implications…

Donna Hughes, Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse each won in different categories. Hughes took Bluegrass Album for Gaining Wisdom, Ulisse, Bluegrass Song for I’m Calling Heaven Down, and Smith Gospel Album for Wash Away Your Troubles.

Congratulations, ladies!

Just Plain Folks is a web-based community of musicians, songwriters, artists, publishers, producers, labels and other music business folks. They bill their annual awards as the world’s largest independent awards, with over 560,000 songs and  42,000 albums considered for recognition in the 2009 cycle.

They describe their mission as follows:

1. To provide a networking environment of inclusion and cooperation between our members for the benefit of the group and individuals involved.
2. To share wisdom, ideas and experiences with others who have been there, and to help educate those who have yet to make the journey.
3. To form long term relationships with a myriad of other industry professionals whose talents and efforts need a venue to be enjoyed and benefited from.
4. To set the example for the world of the power of the Internet and total freedom of communication, when it is not restricted by the boundaries of the corporate world, or damaged by the adversarial nature of the music industry in general.
5. To show others that deep down, we are all much more alike than different. The thoughts and hopes and dreams we all share are much the same whether we are Grammy Winners, Hit Songwriters, Industry leading Superstars in our fields, or we are an 11 year old kid with a new dream, or a 78 year old who still dares to dream!
6. And the most important goal: To have a lot of fun doing it!

The Awards Show was held on Saturday (August 29) at The Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville. You can see the complete list of winners (including runner ups) at the JPF web site.

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.

The nominees for Male Vocalist Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Female Vocalist Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Song Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Album Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

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

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Recorded Event Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Gospel Recorded Performance Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Emerging Artist Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Banjo Player Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

Review past recipients of this award.

Review past recipients of this award.

Review past recipients of this award.

Review past recipients of this award.

Review past recipients of this award.

Bluegrass Broadcaster Of The Year – This award recognizes outstanding service to bluegrass music in the field of broadcasting. The recipients must be judged by the committee for their:

• contributions to the field of endeavor
• professionalism – work in their community
• demonstrated ability to foster bluegrass music’s image

.

The nominees for Bluegrass Broadcaster Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

• overall contributions to the field of event production.
• professionalism and quality of presentation.
• work furthering bluegrass in their area of service.
• demonstrated ability to foster bluegrass music’s image.

The nominees for Bluegrass Event Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

• contributions to the field of endeavor
• professionalism
• work in their community
• demonstrated ability to foster bluegrass music’s image.

Because this is not a lifetime achievement award, longevity of service alone is not a factor.

The nominees for Print Media Personality Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

• ability to enhance the message of the recorded work
• quality and professionalism

The nominees for Best Graphic Design – Album Project for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

• ability to enhance the message of the recorded work
• quality and professionalism
• ability to foster bluegrass music’s image
• contribution to the field of writing

The nominees for Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

There aren’t any surprises among this list of worthies, with perennial favorites like Doyle Lawson, Del McCoury, Blue Highway, IIIrd Tyme Out, Dailey & Vincent, Dan Tyminski and Rhonda Vincent scooping up a large share of the nominations.

I do see that Lonesome River Band gets a nod in several categories. It’s good to see them listed here once again.

Comedian and banjo picker Steve Martin is also nominated as Banjo Player of the Year, a first for the wild and crazy guy.

You can see the complete list at ibma.org. Congratulations to all the nominees!

The Foundation is trying to raise sufficient funds to purchase the Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground in Bean Blossom, IN, once owned and operated by Big Mon himself. The fate of the park has been uncertain in recent years as current owner (and former Blue Grass Boy) Dwight Dillman has announced plans to sell the property.

The wall is being erected near the music stage. A brick can be personalized with 3 lines of text for $100 prior to construction, going up to $125 after the wall is up. The fee is fully tax deductible and proceeds go to the Foundation’s goal of taking over the park and Bill Monroe Museum on site.

To purchase a brick and support the The Bean Blossom Jamboree Foundationup, you may contact them by phone (877-989-BBJF),or email them from their web site. You may also download the PDF order form for a mail-in donation.

Primarily known for his work on fiddle and mandolin, Bush has earned many awards through the years since he had his first mandolin at the age of 11. These include 3 first place prizes in the junior division of the National Oldtime Fiddler’s Contest in Weiser, Idaho. He was one of, if not the, leading light in the progressive bluegrass movement, being a member of both the Bluegrass Alliance and New Grass Revival, a group that he co-founded in 1971.

For two years Newgrass Revival toured with Leon Russell. Bush recorded a seminal album with Strength In Numbers, playing with Bela Fleck, Mark O’Connor, Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer. When the New Grass Revival disbanded in 1989, Bush joined Emmylou Harris’ band the Nash Ramblers, with whom he stayed for five years.

Sam has collaborated with many prominent names, playing in a wide range of styles with the likes of Doc Watson, Linda Ronstandt, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Dolly Parton, Ann Savoy and Tony Rice.

He has several solo albums, most of which were released on the Sugar Hill label.

The Sam Bush Band are regulars at Merlefest, Rockygrass and the Telluride Bluegrass Festivals as well as other large festivals throughout the US. His new album, Circles Around Me, will be released October 20, also on Sugar Hill Records.

In 2007, he won the IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year, as he had previously in 1990, 1991 and 1992. He had also been chosen as “Best Mandolin Player” for four consecutive years (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989) in the Frets Magazine Reader’s Poll when they were still in publication.

This Americana award is well-merited.

There have been a few years where hosting duties were split between a number of co-hosts, but this marks the first year that a full band has served in that capacity. Hot Rize consists of Pete Wernick, Tim O’Brien, Nick Forster and Bryan Sutton.

Professional members of the IBMA are through the second round of three ballots in 17 categories, with awards announced and distributed at the show. It will be held on October 1 at the Ryman Auditorium during IBMA’s week long World Of Bluegrass event.

This is always a gala affair, and a feel-good night for bluegrass music. The Bluegrass Blog will be on hand again this year providing live blog coverage, and posting photos from the show.

We encourage anyone who cares about bluegrass music to make a point to attend the Awards Show when you can make it fit your schedule.

The magazine is published quarterly by the British Bluegrass Music Association, and this issue is the first under the guidance of new editor Thompson, who we are fortunate to also have as a semi-regular correspondent for The Bluegrass Blog.

Richard shares a few details…

“Monroe’s Revenge are the subject of the cover story, as former mandolin player with the group, John Baldry, looks back to when he was with the band.

In addition, there are feature stories about the Scottish quartet Longway; a Mountain Heart piece from Ted Lehmann; and Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa, whose UK tour starts at the end of September.

Tom Travis reveals his ‘Favourites’ and The Story Behind The Song looks at Hazel Dicken’ ‘Mama’s Hand’.

All this plus the usual What’s On, Tour details and 2009 Festival Dates, CD reviews, Light in the Window, SmallTalk and the Area reports.

Finally, there is news about three BBMA business matters; the announcement concern the AGM, an introduction from the new membership team and brief information regarding the new Touring Agency managed by Dave Bresnen and Penny Joubert.”

British Bluegrass News is sent to members of the BBMA. Memberships can be established or renewed from their web site.

Richard is always interested in receiving information from British bands, festivals or other bluegrass events. You can contact him by email.

We will publish some of Richard’s mini-reviews from this issue later in the week.

Fisher had worked in both artist management and music publishing before joining the Opry team in 1999. He has also served on the board of NARAS (The Recording Academy – formerly the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences) and is a current board member of both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

As Opry GM, Fisher manages the operations of the Opry House in northeast Nashville, including it’s thrice-weekly live shows, radio and television broadcasts and various private events on site.

His address will be delivered on the opening night of the IBMA conference, Monday September 28, just prior to that evening’s music showcases.

You can register online 24/7, or call the office in Nashville during business hours (888-438-4262).

See you there?

From IBMA’s press release…

• Alison Brown, an executive with Compass Records and an award winning artist from Nashville, Tennessee was re-elected to represent members involved in recording, distribution and marketing.
• Mike Bub, an award-winning musician from Nashville, Tennessee, was re-elected to represent artists, composers and music publishers.
• Craig Ferguson, a festival producer with Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado was elected by members involved in event production.
• Jim Roe, of Roe Entertainment from Owensboro, Kentucky was elected to represent agents, managers and publicists.
• Neil Rosenberg, an author and historian from St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada was re-elected by all professional members to an at-large post.

Emily fills us in on what is happening with the Scruggs Center since we last posted about their efforts in July of 2008.

Progress is being made though as many museum experts tell us, “museum time is slow time.” A foundation of the project, the master plan, has been completed with input from local citizens led by Cissy Foote Anklam of museumconcepts.com. The “Stories” piece is underway as our volunteer oral historians, initially led by UNC-CH graduate students, capture and preserve stories of the people to bring life to the Center in four key areas: textiles, music, the untold African American story and the 21st Century. How enriching to hear stories of folks impacted by Earl or who shared the seemingly mundane daily life at the textile mill where he worked (and sometimes played). Each story brings a new dimension to who Earl Scruggs is and what elements of our region may have impacted him.

The Earl Scruggs Center will be a remarkable showcase for the history and cultural traditions of the Carolina Foothills, as well as the unique musical contributions of Earl Scruggs, the region’s most pre-eminent ambassador of music. Planned as a cultural crossroads, the Earl Scruggs Center stands to become a model for fostering community understanding, cultural tourism and regional pride.  DCC’s efforts on two projects, The Earl Scruggs Center and The Don Gibson Theatre (opening Fall 2009) have gained recognition regionally and beyond as catalyst projects for economic development.

We are so excited to have Earl and his sons coming home again for a benefit concert on June 19, 2009. Earl performed in his home county on October 11, 2007 to a sold-out crowd at Malcolm Brown Auditorium. What a concert! There are no words to describe how Earl electrified and mesmerized his audience with his incredible banjo playing. Concert tickets for this year are on sale at www.destinationclevelandcounty.org.

In The Charlotte Observer, Earl was quoted in connection with DCCs project as saying “I think it’s a high honor.  I’m real proud of it.”

Earl and his sons slip into town from time to time to visit with relatives. They were here as recently as March 18, 2009. On that trip, we took the opportunity to have our museum film director, Robert Gordon, fly in from Memphis. With the able assistance of Earl’s nephew, J.T. Scruggs, filming for the future center continued over several days. We all loved hearing Earl tell stories about his childhood and his journeys since leaving here after World War II. His sons chipped in with a story or two-ask them about eating the famed “livermush” or the time Ravi Shankar called their father and asked if he could come to their home and play with Earl. We have heard disks of Earl with artists of many genres and we can just imagine the thrill of the universal language of music that those two created.

We are proud to have Earl Scruggs as a native of our county and feel honored and humbled by his willingness to come here once again for a benefit concert. We hope to see you at the concert. If you can’t join us but are interested in supporting the efforts of Destination Cleveland County, please contact us at info@destinationclevelandcounty.org.

After June 12, IBMA members can register to attend for $25.

The Summer NAMM show runs from July 17-19 at the Nashville Convention Center, the same site as the annual IBMA World of Bluegrass event in the Fall. It is hosted primarily for the sake of music retailers with manufacturers of all sorts of music gear and services exhibiting their wares.

NAMM also hosts a myriad of educational seminars over the weekend, and the whole event offers the same sort of networking opportunities in the wider musical instrument, sound reinforcement and recording worlds that IBMA conference does in the bluegrass community.

To register through IBMA, contact Jill Crabtree by email or phone (888-438-4262). The space alloted to IBMA members is limited, so get your registration in soon if you would like to attend.

Thanks Jan!

            

            

            

            

We have been privileged to publish much of Richard’s writing here on The Bluegrass Blog this past few years, and congratulate both he and the British Bluegrass Music Association, who publishes BBN, for his being elevated to the editor’s desk.

Richard was a former editor in the mid 1990s, and has been serving recently as Features Editor of the quarterly magazine.

Thompson says that his plan is brandish the editor’s pencil more so than the author’s…

“I am hoping to actually reduce the amount that I write for the magazine, aiming to gather together a pool of quality writers to contribute stories on an occasional basis.”

Interested writers can reach Richard by email.

The two buildings involved, both former textile mills valued at more than $500,000, are located in the complex where banjo player Charlie Poole worked. They were built in the 1920s and 1930s, the former containing 4 floors and the latter 6, with a total square footage of about 220,000. While the organization has been working on the development of the National Banjo Center for a couple of years, this donation brings considerable benefits to the project.

The gift is key towards the anticipated development of the a center comprising an exhibition, performance, education and recording complex that would be dedicated to this uniquely American musical instrument.

Lynwood Lunsford, banjo player with Big Country Bluegrass, sees this as welcome news for two reasons …….

Having a National Banjo Center in Eden, North Carolina will accomplish two things; 1) it gives people a permanent location where they can go to learn about the banjo, specifically the 5-string banjo, being a true American instrument, 2) it gives the city of Eden something not only to brag about and be proud of, but something that will generate much needed income, through tourism created by the Center – income that this region has lost since the decline of the textile industry in America.

Having the Center housed in one of the old textile mills, in effect, completes a circle, because many of the workers (Charlie Poole being perhaps the most famous) were also musicians. The sharing of music was a means the workers used to help lift the hardships of the times and the burden of the labor-intensive work in the textile mills.

So, in my opinion, I think that it is not only important to learn about the different banjo playing techniques born of the region, but also the underlying cause and effect that helped the banjo achieve popularity, and ultimately fame, in 20th century America. I believe that is why it is important to have a National Banjo Center and that it should be located in Eden, North Carolina, the virtual heart of the textile industry in the southeast.

Piedmont Folk Legacies already honors their native son through its acclaimed Charlie Poole Music Festival. Now in its fourteenth year, the summer festival celebrates Poole’s international reputation with concerts and competitions in old-time and bluegrass music. Scheduled this year for June 12th through to June 14th, the festival’s headline act will be Dom Flemon of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an African-American string band. The annual Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to legendary African-American string band musician Joe Thompson.

The Charlie Poole Music Festival is currently held at the Eden Fairgrounds, but the Piedmont Folk Legacies dream is to one day host the event at the National Banjo Center.

While understandably elated by recent developments Louise Price, President of Piedmont Folk Legacies, Inc., doesn’t loose sight of the practicalities involved ‚Ķ..

"Much work remains to be done. We welcome any thoughts and suggestions as we move forward."

The announcement and the unveiling of the DC Bluegrass Festival logo was the focal point of the 1st annual DCBU Fundraiser Gala where, following a festive sit-down dinner in the home of Regina and Jim Derzon, fifty people were treated to an intimate acoustic concert by Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band.

DCBU President and Chairperson Randy Barrett is very clear in his intent ……

“Washington, DC, has a rich, 60-year history of bluegrass music. But it has never had its own festival. We’re going to change that by creating a first-rate event that will help put this town back on the map, musically.”

Founded in 2003, the DCBU is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting bluegrass music in the Washington, D.C. area, which they define as anywhere within a 2-3 hour drive of D.C.

DCBU helps connect new and existing bands with community music resources; broadens the audience for Bluegrass; reaches out to new fans, burgeoning musicians, and potential supporters; promotes and supports a wide range of bluegrass-oriented activites and DCBU events.