Here’s another in our series of 2009 Red Carpet videos. These were filmed immediately prior to the IBMA Award Show.

This one features Katy Daley interviewing Terry & Cindy Baucom.

Cindy Baucom, co-producer of the 2009 International Bluegrass Music Awards show, has posted some terrific behind-the-scenes photos on her Knee Deep In Bluegrass blog. Cindy managed the show along with Chris Stuart.

She has shots from the rehearsals and sound checks for the awards show, plus some back stage and hallway shots from the Renaissance Hotel. Access to the rehearsal is always tightly controlled, but Cindy took advantage of her status to snap a few pictures during the proceedings.

You can see all the photos in this gallery online.

I had a nice chat last night with Cindy Baucom, who along with Chris Stuart, is producing Thursday’s International Bluegrass Music Awards show at The Ryman Auditorium. From her description – and level of enthusiasm – it sounds like it will be a good’n.

Cindy was especially complimentary of Steve Martin, who will be lending his considerable star power to the event. She said that he has been very generous with his time, and while he offered to do anything in the show that she thought would be helpful, he had made a particular point of ensuring that he would not be getting stage time that should be going to “someone more deserving,” as he put it more than once.

One change this year is that our good buddy Ned Luberecki will be serving as backstage announcer, a job that Eddie Stubbs has handled for many a year. Eddie was unable to slip away from his WSM Thursday night duties this year, and Ned jumped at the chance to fill in.

Cindy also mentioned how proud she was to get some of the acts that haven’t performed on the show in some time back for 2009. Both Lonesome River Band and IIIrd Tyme Out return this year.

The show will open with a performance from Dale Ann Bradley, and will also include songs from Sierra Hull & Highway 111 and a very special “band duet” appearance from Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice and Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on October 1. Sirius-XM subscribers can listen to the show live on Bluegrass Junction, and of course, The Bluegrass Blog will offer live blog coverage here in real time.

We found some more great Merlefest coverage online.

Cindy Baucom has posted a number of photos she took during the festival on her Knee Deep In Bluegrass blog. She has shots from stage shows, from backstage and some in the vendors’ area.

Tom Bibey has extensive Merlefest commentary available on his blog as well. Tom is a physician (now semi-retired) who also writes fiction, and is a bluegrass picker to boot.

His Merlefest posts primarily convey his impressions of the weekend’s events, including comments about two of our favorite bluegrass artists.

“Kristin Scott Benson shows she didn’t win the IBMA banjo player of the year just cause she’s young and a pretty face; the kid can burn up the five string. She not only blisters the breakdowns as well as any man alive, but plays the backup with uncommon sensitivity. Maybe it is from years of nurture, but women seem to know how to be supportive and make a man look better. I know my Marfar does. The Grascals are fine players, but Kristin sure did brighten up the stage when she joined the group.

I like a female in the mix. As Sierra said, bluegrass was once a boy’s club. I remember when it was that way, and the change is good. Why have a refrigerator limited to bologna and beer when it can be everything from tofu and casseroles to chops for the grill? “

Bibey has a book of bluegrass fiction in the works, The Mandolin Case, due for publication in 2010.