Recently the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) announced details of this year’s World of Bluegrass business conference, the Awards Show and Fan Fest, three events which will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, in a continuous period from Monday, September 29 September through to Sunday, October 5, 2008.

On the 2008 itinerary is an IBMA-sponsored summit for international bluegrass music enthusiasts to facilitate discussion about international matters. That said, it isn’t the first occasion on which international members have met under the IBMA umbrella to talk about global bluegrass music matters.

I was a member of the panel for the International Bluegrass Seminar at the IBMA’s World Of Bluegrass convention at Owensboro, Kentucky, in September 1988. Jan Johansson (originally from Sweden, but then, as now, from North Carolina) chaired what was, as I recall, a five person panel with representatives from Canada and Japan, as well as Europe.

Since the early days of the organisation, the board of directors of the IBMA periodically included leaders with international connections such as Saburo Watanabe Inoue (from Japan) and Tony DeBoer (Canada) who were elected or appointed to serve, although not as special “international” representatives. However, in 2001, the organisation’s bylaws were amended to create a dedicated representative seat on the board to be elected by non-US based members, thus always assuring a voice among the leadership from this important constituency.

Throughout the 1990s the IBMA was continually active in the international fields. The organisation arranged for the presentation of a complete set of top quality instruments, provided by Gibson Instruments and Martin Guitars, to the Red River Valley Boys, a Russian band that had previously played at the IBMA Fan Fest with homemade instruments. In 1992 the IBMA released Long Journey Home, an 18-track CD that features bands from countries across Europe, from Japan, Australia and Canada.

Three years later the IBMA held its first meetings in Europe. In 1998 the first European World of Bluegrass events were hosted in The Netherlands. Much of the ground work for these mile stone events was facilitated through the chair for IBMA’s International Committee, Dick Kimmel, who was, as the leader of his own band, a regular visitor to Europe. (more…)

We posted earlier in the week concerning the possibility that John A. Brown, convicted for the brutal murders of Dave Akeman (a.k.a Stringbean) and his wife Estelle, might be released on parole.

That piece prompted a note from Sandy Rothman, a prominent west coast picker and former Blue Grass Boy, suggesting that we share a bit more information about how String’s many fans and friends could become involved in helping to thwart Brown’s release.

Specifically, Sandy suggests that letters sent to the Parole Board might help sway the two remaining votes on the parole application.

“Letters may influence these board members who have not heard from people who remember String and know his history, not only as a country music entertainer but as the first banjo picker in Bill Monroe’s band.”

Communication can be sent to:

Last month we told you about plans for the production of the IBMA Awards Show, with top bluegrass DJs Ned Luberecki and Cindy Baucom being entrusted with the task.

We also mentioned briefly that the 19th International Bluegrass Music Awards would be held at the Ryman Auditorium once again.

Greg Cahill, IBMA President/Board Chair spoke about the show’s return to the Ryman Auditorium ………

“The decision by the IBMA Board of Directors to move the Awards Show back to the Ryman Auditorium was twofold. Attendees at the annual World of Bluegrass convention, which includes the Awards Show, have consistently mentioned that they appreciated seeing the Awards Show in the hallowed Ryman Auditorium hall and the Board saw moving the show back to the Ryman as both a response to the wishes of the fans as well as an opportunity to make the show more conveniently accessible to the World of Bluegrass attendees, who can simply walk across the street from the convention center to the Ryman. Although there were more available seats at the Grand Ole Opry House, Awards Show attendees had to either drive to the facility or pay to take a shuttle from the convention center.

We are excited about once again having the IBMA Awards Show in the historic Ryman Auditorium and look forward to another wonderful show that will honor our award recipients and will include dynamic musical performances by many of the nominees.”

The award ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, October 2, 8:30pm CST.

Del McCoury and Kathy Mattea will announce final nominees for the 19th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards at a Press Conference on Thursday, August 14, at the Ford Theater, Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, in Nashville. The IBMA Hall of Fame inductees and Distinguished Achievement Award honorees will also be announced.

Rounder Records duo Dailey & Vincent will perform at the beginning and conclusion of this press conference.

We will have full coverage of the nominees announcements on The Bluegrass Blog as soon as the press conference has concluded, by noon on August 14.

Jack Sanbower passed away on Tuesday (7/30) at 12:30pm. He had cancer of the esophagus and had been ill for a long time.

Born September 14, 1960, and raised in the shadow of South Mountain, right in the heart of the Appalachian range, he led his own group, The No Leeway Band, one of the tightest and freshest sounding bands in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area, for 15 years. The band produced several albums for the Buck Hollow label.

The latest was the compilation CD entitled Echoes Of A Legacy. The album features 13 original songs penned by Jack Sanbower for the banjo and one classic number, Lady of Spain, made famous by Don Reno and Allen Shelton.

The compilation was recorded at several studios in Maryland over the past 15 years. Over this period, The No Leeway Band released seven projects that included banjo instrumentals written by Jack Sanbower. Buck Hollow Records has taken this previously released material, re-mastered, and added two new tracks with the current No Leeway Band to highlight Sanbower’s banjo abilities.

Sanbower joined Rattlesnake Hill in March of 2006 and continued to dazzle audiences with his lightning fast and tasteful 5-string playing.

Here’s what some essayists had to say ……

“Jack Sanbower, is a real master of the five-string banjo. Sanbower’s personalized banjo style stands out as daring and clever, yet sturdy and sound. He’s a picker as good as they make ‘em.”
– Joe Ross, Bluegrass Now

“Of the younger generation of bluegrass entertainers… Jack Sanbower is one of the great ones of this generation. Definitely an under-rated banjo player, look for great things from this gentleman.”
– Lee Michael Demsey, WAMU

[an] “imaginative banjo player, and his picking is bold and adventurous and often exciting” and called his picking “Stellar Renoesque.”
– Bluegrass Unlimited

His visitation will be this Thursday, July 31, at Davis Funeral Home, in Smithsburg, MD, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The burial will be on Friday, August 1, at 1:00pm in nearby Ringgold, MD.

Cards and donations can be sent to:

Here’s a YouTube clip of Jack performing a version of Don Reno’s classic banjo tune, Dixie Breakdown.

The July 26 edition of The Tennessean, Nashville’s hometown paper, has a story sure to be of interest to the many fans of Dave Akeman, a.k.a. Stringbean, one of the most beloved entertainers in the history of traditional string music.

He was senselessly murdered on Nov. 10, 1973 along with his wife, Estelle, when they returned from a Grand Ole Opry show to find intruders lying in wait for them in their home. The bodies were discovered by close friend and fellow Opry star, Grandpa Jones.

John A. Brown and his cousin, the late Doug Marvin Brown, were convicted of their murders and sentenced to 198 years in prison, but it seems Brown may be on his way home from prison in the near future.

The piece in The Tenessean by Kate Howard tells the tale…

As country music changed and Nashville generations passed, the fame of slain Hee Haw star Dave “Stringbean” Akeman faded.

This week, the state parole board heard all the reasons why the man who shot Akeman and his wife deserves a second chance, 34 years later. About a half-dozen spoke on behalf of convicted killer John A. Brown.

But the killer’s name didn’t ring a bell with anyone in the district attorney’s office when the possibility of Brown’s freedom came up. Most of the loved ones who spoke up in the past, Opry legends Roy Acuff and Porter Wagoner among them, have passed on. They had no children. And the friends who remain were never told a hearing was coming.

So, nobody stood to talk about the lasting impact of the day an unassuming country star named Stringbean was killed for his money, and his wife was silenced with a bullet while she begged for her life.

According to Howard, there are two parole board members who have yet to vote on this matter, and Brown will be freed should they vote in favor. You can read the full piece on the Tennessean site.

Here is a YouTube clip of String (as he was known to his many friends) appearing on television in 1971 on the Del Reeves Country Carnival show.

The New York Times ran a story yesterday about the demise of CD inserts. Using Teddy Thompson (son of English folk-rocker Richard Thompson who wrote the Del McCoury hit 1952 Vincent Black Lightning) as an example, the article relates that Thompson’s newest CD has one line of liner notes which refers readers to the artist’s website for details.

Thompson did indicate that he had jumped the gun a bit by not including the liner notes, and the British version of the CD, due out next month, will include them. Even so, he still thinks this is the eventual direction the industry is taking.

With downloads comprising a larger and larger percentage of overall sales, there will be both less demand for printed liner notes, and less incentive for labels to lay out the cash for that printing. The internet does provide a less expensive channel for distributing this information, but there is a downside.

For all the frivolity to be found in album notes, they can also provide a valuable education. Credits don’t merely inform listeners of the names of musicians, producers, songwriters and recording studio employees toiling behind the scenes; they teach listeners music history and allow them to make connections.

The same can all be communicated via the internet, but will it? And will people take the time to find it and read it? If it’s in their hand after purchasing a CD they’ll likely read them, at least while listening for the first time.

This also presents a problem for radio DJs who rely on the liner notes for information while spinning a CD. They’re busy folks and many won’t have the time to go online searching for info. If a band did effective and thorough radio service with full liner notes, included as much of that information as possible embedded in the MP3 ID tags, along with a PDF file downloaded with the album, then maybe they could forgo the printed version with the retail CD.

I know as a consumer, I would read the notes if they were easily found online while listening the CD for the first time, as it’s being imported into iTunes.

We heard over the weekend from reader Linda Wright, who runs the LocalGrass.com web site in Kingsport, TN. She sent along a report on the surprise birthday bash for Bobby Hicks which Brance had posted about earlier this month.

“I read the posting on The Bluegrass Blog about a birthday party that was being thrown for Bobby Hicks on Sunday July 20th in Marshall, NC, and decided to take the short trek from home to attend since it was open to the public.

The party was held at Marshall High Studios on what is called Blannahassett Island in Marshall, and is an old converted High School there. With the large gathering, the event was held in the building’s old gymnasium, and man-o-live! I bet it never rang out like that in all it’s life!

There were around 150-200 people there, all friends and family of Bobby’s, and the guest of honor was just about the happiest I have ever seen - his suprise and expressions were priceless. The invitation said to bring your instruments, and everyone did! There were so many fiddles and guitars, it was more of an orchestra than a ‘band.’

It was truly a wonderful gathering, and his family is to be commended for one of the best celebrations ever. I shot some video with my camera and it can be viewed on YouTube for anyone who might like to see it.”

We first met artist Karen Cannon when she contacted us about advertising on The Bluegrass Blog several months back. As we spoke, I realized that I had seen a number of her images of bluegrass instruments or themes, including a clever image of Santa Claus tuning his mandolin which she has licensed as a Christmas card.

Her latest painting is a striking portrait of Bill Monroe, entitled Goin’ Home. Karen describes this stirring image as imagining Bill Monroe tuning up for his final journey.

It is now available as a limited edition print, taken from the original pastel painting. These are high quality, fine art Giclee prints that measure 22 x 28” (outer mat dimensions). The run is limited to 100 prints, each of which is signed and numbered by the artist, and will be shipped in a bevel cut mat with a certificate of authenticity.

Each print is priced at $175 with complimentary shipping to any US address. Full details on this limited offering can be found on Karen’s web site.

Karen’s art is published through Art Strings Publishing LLC, and distributed internationally by Hal Leonard Corporation. Music lovers worldwide have begun collecting her pieces, and the signed prints are rapidly gaining in value.

She also invites IBMA attendees to visit with her during Fan Fest where many examples of her bluegrass themed art will be on display.

Mickey Harris, bass player with Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and his wife Crystal celebrated the birth of their first son last week.

Jackson Cooper Harris was born on July 14, coming in at 8 lbs, 4 oz.

He joins his big sister Mikayla (almost 2) in the family, and all are healthy and hale.

Congratulations to the Harrises on this happy news!

Your blog authors have been busy in the studio all week working on a couple of new AcuTab projects that were mentioned earlier. I managed to snap a couple of photos of the action.

I thought I’d share them here for those that are interested.

The sessions have gone well and we’re excited about the results.

We just received word that Josh Williams has announced his engagement to Jennifer Harper.

The two are scheduled to be married later this month, July 26, 2008, in Burns, TN where the couple plans to live.

Here’s the text of the engagement announcement that Josh sent out.

Kevin & Debbie Harper of Dickson, TN. announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Jennifer Lynsey Harper, to Joshua Seth Williams, son of Tony & Terri Williams of Benton, KY. Jenny Lyn is the granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. William S. Chapman of West Monroe, LA and Mr. & Mrs. Sam Stutts of Pioneer, LA, and the late James R. Harper of Pioneer, LA. She is a 2001 graduate of Simsboro High School in Simsboro, LA and attended East Tennessee State University. She is currently employed with Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort.

Josh is the grandson of the late E. G. “Lightning” and Mary Neale Williams and the late Philip G. Farnum and Pauline Farnum and Roland E. Culp and Sarah Hyde. He is a 1999 graduate of Marshall Co. High School. He is currently the lead singer and guitar player for The Josh Williams Band.

Jamie Johnson, of The Grascals, and his wife, Suzanne Mumpower-Johnson, are very proud to announce the birth of Jackson Cole (Cole Train) Johnson.

Little Cole Train was born on Saturday, July 12. Cole Train is 20 ½ inches long and weighed in at 8 lbs, 2 ½ oz.

Both Mommy and baby are doing great and so is Jamie since he was able to make it home from California where The Grascals were on tour in time for the birth!

Congratulations to Jamie on the birth of his son!

Wildfire bassist Curt Chapman tells us that Vicki Simmons has been hospitalized in Lexington, KY to treat a brain anueurism.

She is undergoing surgery this morning to locate and stop any bleeding that may be occurring.

Vicki played bass for many years with The New Coon Creek Girls and Dale Ann Bradley, and has many friends and fans in the bluegrass community. She also is featured on the Daughters of Bluegrass Back To The Well CD, and has been a Renfro Valley stalwart for some time.

Cards and well wishes can be sent to:

St. Joseph Hospital
1 Saint Joseph Drive
Lexington KY , 40504

Curt promised to update us once the results of her surgery are known. He said that the family deeply appreciates the prayers and kind thoughts.

UPDATE 7/17: Curt says that Vicki’s surgery went well, and that no problems were found. She is still in the ICU, but should be released in a few days.

Wonderful news.

You can send an email greeting via the St. Joseph Hospital web site.

We’ve been in contact this past weekend with the administrators of a new web site devoted to the Ibanez mandolins made in Japan during the 1970s.

IbanezMandolin.com publishes exclusive editorial content that explores the history of the mandolins and is compiling a serial number database and a collectors journal online.

These mandolins - and a companion line of four and five string banjos - were marketed worldwide, and endorsed by Bill Monroe himself, the definitive creator of bluegrass mandolin. The Ibanez instruments were based on classic designs and mixed styling of then-contemporary and vintage Gibson products.

IbanezMandolins.com would also like the help of mandolin and Bill Monroe fans worldwide…

IbanezMandolin.com is currently seeking information on Bill Monroe’s Ibanez Mandolins and Ibanez endorsement details for a future article. Anyone with pictures of Bill playing an Ibanez mandolin, pictures of Bill’s personal mandolins themselves (from a museum or auction display), or first-hand accounts of the events related to his endorsement deal and the current whereabouts of these instruments is encouraged to contact 527@ibanezmandolin.com.

They are also interested in having any owners of Ibanez mandolins visit the site to contribute photos and details about their instruments.

The site operators also sent along a few Ibanez posters from 1975 that featured Bill Monroe, and images of the Ibanez model 527 mandolin. This was the most costly of the vintage Ibanez Mandolin catalog, of which they tell us only two examples have been documented so far.

We have word that Doc Watson is home and recovering nicely from his recent surgery.

In spite of a slight problem on the way home that caused a return to the hospital, Doc arrived at home last night and is healing up nicely. At 85 years old, the legendary guitar picker is quite strong and his doctors expect a quick return to health.

Thank you to everyone who sent cards and letters, they have been forwarded to Doc and I’m sure he’ll enjoy being able to look through them at his leisure as he recuperates.

Bobby Hicks has been a fixture in the world of bluegrass and swing fiddle playing for quite some time. I wouldn’t have guessed that he was approaching his 75th birthday though!

Next Sunday, July 20, 2008, a surprise party will be held for him at Marshall High Studios. The studios are located in the old Marshall High school on the island in downtown Marshall, NC. The event is free and open to the public. If you plan to attend, you should be there no later than 2 PM. If you can’t make it by 2 PM and still want to attend, the organizers ask that you wait till after 3 PM before showing up. Bobby will be brought in sometime between 2 and 3 PM and they don’t want anyone spoiling the surprise.

The party will, of course, including some picking and fiddling so bring your stringing instrument with you if you decide to attend.

Cathy asked that we post this to announce it, knowing that Bobby doesn’t get online that often. She did request that no one mention anything to him, it is a surprise party after all!

Earl Scruggs is being honored in Shelby, NC. Destination Cleveland County is a nonprofit organization led by citizens of the county. The organization seeks to increase tourism by celebrating the county’s rich musical heritage.

In accordance with that goal, the DCC is currently working on development of The Earl Scruggs Center: Songs and Stories of the Carolina Foothills.

The center will be housed in the old county courthouse in downtown Shelby. The old courthouse already serves as a museum. The Earl Scruggs Center will inhabit one of the historic courtrooms, and will also include an exterior courthouse porch for music and storytelling. Plans are underway for renovation now.

The DCC has already put together a National Advisory Board consisting of 15 members, including many professors and two museum curators with the Smithsonian.

Also being put together right now is a musician and entertainment board. No word yet on who might be on that board.

Visit the organization’s blog for updates on progress.

* Photo by Jim Ford *

CMT News ran in interesting story yesterday concerning the relationship between fuel costs, festival attendance, and CD sales. The story’s primary focus is the affect on artists’ bottom line produced by increasing fuel costs. The story is primarily based on an interview conducted with Keith Case, but also includes quotes from Ricky Skaggs and Sharon McGraw, managing editor of Bluegrass Unlimited.

Case sees the situation from the perspective of a booking agent trying to book, schedule, and route shows for bluegrass artists. He talked about the increased price of fuel for tour busses, the increased cost of airfare and the decreased availability of flights, and the increased cost of rental vehicles.

Case relates the story of a recent short, three show tour, for Ralph Stanley.

He went from home [in southwest Virginia], played three dates that were all closely routed in Texas. He came back and his [roundtrip] fuel bill was almost $2,000.

Since these dates were all booked a year or more ago, the artists are really feeling the financial crunch from these fuel costs. My own conversations with artists indicate that many acts are unable to increase their asking price for a festival date because the promoters are simply unwilling to invest more in artist fees for next year while uncertain what attendance will look like a year from now.

Case ties a decline in CD sales to the increase fuel costs as well. Indicating that it not only costs the band more to get to the show, it also costs the fans more. Having spent much of their available cash on gas, the fans are buying less once they reach the festival.

…people are spending so much to go to festivals, as far as fuel costs go, that they are not spending as much at the festivals.

Interestingly, the author of the article then converses with a tour buss rental company manager concerning attendance at a couple of country music festivals. He then returns to bluegrass with Skaggs and Sharon McGraw.

Sharon shared that her research indicates no noticeable decline in bluegrass festival attendance, this year.

I think people have been a little more selective in how far they’ve gone [to attend festivals]. But attendance-wise, from what I’ve seen, it seems to be steady.

I think next year is when it’s all going to trickle down, when artists will say, ‘Well, we were just going to bite the bullet. Now we’ve bitten it, and it’s biting us.’ That may be where some of it comes apart.

We’ve run two polls this year, one at the beginning of the festival season, and one just recently, asking our readers if increased fuel costs would have an affect on their festival attendance this year. The results show 60% of readers indicating they are/have attending fewer festivals this year as a result of the increase in fuel costs.

If Ralph Stanley and Ricky Skaggs are feeling a financial crunch, it must be even more difficult for bands with lower booking fees, as fuel costs eat a larger percentage of their revenue. What all this means for he future of bluegrass is yet to be seen. Perhaps more bands and fans will take some advice from the title of the new Grascals CD!

I just received the news this morning that one of bluegrass music’s elder statesmen, Herb Mayfield, passed away recently, on May 29, 2008 in Amarillo, TX.

Herb (mandolin) and his brothers, Ed (guitar) and Smokey (fiddle), performed as family bluegrass band and frequently opened for Tennesse Ernie Ford. The brothers turned down a recording contract because of responsibilities on the family ranch. Ed later joined Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, serving three different terms with Monroe, the first after Carter Stanley left the group in 1951. Ed Mayfield recorded a total of 19 songs with Monroe during his times in the band.

Meanwhile, Herb settled down in Dimmitt, TX to a quite life of welding and participating in local and regional bluegrass events and organizations. In recent years he was active in providing scholarships for students in the bluegrass program at South Plains College. I was lucky enough to be the recipient of that scholarship during my time at the school, and had the opportunity to visit Herb at his home and jam with him several times.

I remember Herb as a very warm, welcoming old gentlemen who patiently tolerated unskilled bluegrass students like myself. He and his wife, Dorothy, were kind enough to open their home at least once a year and host a pickin’ party for some of the students. They would feed us and treat us like family, Herb hosting the jam session in the living room. These were always great times. I remember feeling overwhelmed to be jamming with Herb and Alan Munde at the same time, thinking it was really special to have that opportunity.

Just a few weeks prior to his passing, the IBMM visited Herb in his Dimmitt, TX home and video taped interview footage with him for their Video Oral History program. The footage should be available for viewing at the museum soon.

If you’d like to hear Herb and his brothers Ed and Smokey, you can here four songs on this MySpace page.

Roger Brown, President of the Berklee College of Music, has agreed to deliver the Keynote address at the 2008 Business Conference during the IBMA World Of Bluegrass event this fall. He will speak towards the end of the first day of the Business Conference, which runs from September 29 through October 4 in Nashville.

Brown’s career had spanned the worlds of music, business, non-profits and philanthropy before taking over as president of the Boston-based music school in 2004. He will surely have much wisdom to share with the IBMA attendees, all of whom share Brown’s love of bluegrass music.

Berklee has recently started accepting students who have banjo and mandolin as their primary instruments and allowing them to pursue their degrees focusing on the bluegrass instruments. Even prior to that time, a good number of currently successful acoustic music artists have begun their careers studying at Berklee, including Chris Pandolfi and Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters, and fiddlers Casey Driessen and Nate Leath among many others.

You can read our interview with Roger from last summer on The Bluegrass Blog, and find out more about the World of Bluegrass online.