The following is an account from Wayne Taylor, describing his tour this past September in England and Scotland with his group, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa.

On September 21, 1995 in Rosine, Kentucky, the US Navy’s Country Current bluegrass group performed for the birthday celebration and plaque dedication ceremony for Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music. At that ceremony, as the leader of Country Current, I had a conversation with John Sheldon, the Secretary of the Scottish Bluegrass Association from Penicuik Scotland. As we were talking, John inquired about the possibility of Country Current performing in the United Kingdom but, at that time, the possibility of a performance would not come to fruition.

John spoke face to face with the Father of Bluegrass Music on that day and made a vow that he would do all he could to promote bluegrass music in the United Kingdom. Bill boasted with pride that his music would continue to grow around the globe. Since that ceremony in 1995, John has worked feverishly to fulfill his promise by hosting tours for over 100 USA, Canadian, and European bluegrass bands in the UK.

Upon my retirement from Country Current, I contacted John Sheldon to get the wheels rolling toward getting my new group, Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa to the UK. John arranged a thirteen-day tour, a series of performances ranging from state of the art theaters in Newcastle, England to Moniaive’s first annual bluegrass festival in the south of Scotland. We also did a pair of Music in the Schools performances for 500+ children in grades Kindergarten through 6th grade, which was funded by the International Bluegrass Music Association and the Scottish Bluegrass Association. Our schedule also included group and individual workshops.

Throughout the 13-day tour WT and Appaloosa traveled many miles, performing 18 shows for hundreds of bluegrass enthusiasts as ambassadors of bluegrass music and as US citizens. The tour was highly successful. John continues to fulfill his promise to Bill Monroe with other groups lined up for next year.

I would highly recommend this adventure for any bluegrass group who would like to experience the trip of a life time to see some of the most amazing scenery, landscapes, castles and meet some of the friendliest people anywhere.

Here are a few photos from our trip.

To see more photos and information regarding the tour, visit our web site, or to contact John Sheldon visit www.scottishbluegrass.com.

I Hear A Voice Calling: A Bluegrass Memoir, by Gene Lowinger

Gene Lowinger, a New Jersey boy by birth, was the first northerner to play the fiddle for Bill Monroe. He first played with Monroe in 1964, filling in on shows in the northeast. In June 1965 he was hired as a regular Blue Grass Boy and stayed for about eight months.

Lowinger oscillated between playing bluegrass fiddle and classical violin, mastering both in a highly-driven pursuit  for perfection. As well as being a talented fiddler/violinist, Lowinger is an excellent photographer. I Hear A Voice Calling is Lowinger’s photographic tribute to the Father of Bluegrass music. However, it is not designed for the coffee table. The black and white photographs are placed in two sections with Lowinger’s own story framing them.

Lowinger’s narrative takes the reader through his life, in which he always had a penchant for music, beginning in 1942 in the Greenwich Village (New York) bluegrass scene and his friendship with David Grisman, the visits, while a college student, to the early bluegrass festivals, through to the passing of Bill Monroe and beyond. As well as relating his own story of his trials and tribulations, he shares a personal account of his experiences with Bill Monroe on and off the road. In the process we learn a lot about both  individuals and the relationship between the two; one the mentor, the other a willing student, both friends.

After a ten year hiatus working on Wall Street Lowinger overcame a serious neck injury, recreational drugs and alcohol to return to music. He doesn’t discuss his dependencies, but his return to playing bluegrass fiddle just prior to Monroe’s passing is most welcome.

I Hear A Voice Calling is a vivid, sometimes emotional, record of a very significant era in bluegrass music.

Highly recommended.

Note: Gene Lowinger is a freelance photojournalist based in New York and New Jersey. Lowinger is also the author of Bluegrass Fiddle (Oak Publications), one of the first books to accurately capture the bluegrass fiddle style in standard musical notation.

After posting yesterday about the anniversary of Bill Monroe’s passing in 1996, we heard from Richard Crowson, a regular reader of The Bluegrass Blog, who is the editorial cartoonist for The Wichita Eagle newspaper in Kansas.

Richard offered to share this cartoon he drew for the paper at the time of Monroe’s death, which perfectly captures the no-nonsense, headstrong personality of our Father of Bluegrass (click to enlarge).

Crowson is a banjo player as well as an artist, and performs with his wife Karen on guitar as The Crowsons. He told us that he is such a music nut that he moved from Memphis to Wichita to take the job with the Eagle primarily so that he could be closer to the Walnut Valley festival in Winfield, which is coming up next week.

He also offered to let us post this other cartoon which he drew for the Eagle in 1990 as a promo for the Winfield fest. I think I know that guy!

Richard is semi-retired at this point, but still draws for the paper, and for himself. You can see his many cartoons – including a Winfield retrospective – on his blog at www.richardcrowson.blogspot.com.

Bluegrass fans worldwide recall today’s date (September 9) as the anniversary of Bill Monroe’s passing in 1996. Just four days hence, we celebrate his birthdate in 1911.

WAMU’s Bluegrass Country has a week full of special programming to remember the Father Of Bluegrass, starting on Sunday (9/13). Here are a few highlights to watch for:

• David Peterson: Bluegrass Country Master Class, on the music of Bill Monroe, circa 1946 – Sunday 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
• Dick Spottswood: Happy Birthday Mr. Bill, featuring Monroe’s music as he and other artists — Johnny Cash, Maddocks Brothers, Seldom Scene, Country Gentlemen, Everly Brothers and the Stanley Brothers – have recorded it. Sunday 1:00 p.m.
• Katy Daley – Road To Rosin. Katy tells of her pilgrimage to Monroe’s homeplace. Sunday 6:00 p.m.

These shows will repeat throughout the week, along with many others dedicated to Bill Monroe, his legacy and his music. You can catch Bluegrass Country streaming online 24/7, and see a complete list of programs and airtimes on their web site.