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.

Earl Scruggs is a national treasure. He is one of the greatest musicians in American history, and seeing him live is a thrill. If you are a banjo player it’s extra special.

Our friend Cindy Baucom of Knee-Deep In Bluegrass, has teamed up with JohnBoy & Billy to produce an Earl Scruggs – Family & Friends concert in Charlotte, NC on Saturday April 11, 2009. To celebrate the event, Cindy has graciously given us 4 tickets to share with our readers.

Here’s the concert info.

JohnBoy & Billy and Knee-Deep In Bluegrass present:

The Legendary EARL SCRUGGS with Family & Friends

Saturday April 11, 2009
Ovens Auditorium
2700 East Independence Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28205

Tickets: $26 – $46.50 (available through TicketMaster and these locations)

Doors open at 7PM, Show starts at 8PM

Here’s how this is going to work. We have 4 tickets to give away, so we’re going to give away two pairs of tickets. That means you have two chances to win.

Between now and April 7, 2009 we’ll place the following text somewhere on the main page of The Bluegrass Blog, in blue.

FREE EARL SCRUGGS TICKETS

When you see that text, be the first to email us at giveaway@thebluegrassblog.com with the exact location of the text, and the tickets are yours. You must specify the location in order to win. For example, the text might appear directly below the search box in the left sidebar, or at the top of a particular post (in which case you will need to specify the title of the post).

We’ve used random.org to preselect the dates and times for the two appearances of the winning notice.

Have fun, and keep an eye out for that winning text!

The 2008 Christmas special from Knee Deep In Bluegrass, hosted by Cindy and Terry Baucom, is now available to radio stations worldwide. Each year, this 2 hour special is offered to any station free of charge, not only to the 76 affiliates who air the show weekly. It can be downloaded online and broadcast at each station’s discretion.

The 2008 show features interviews with Blue Highway, Alison Brown, Steep Canyon Rangers, Vince Gill and The Infamous Stringdusters along with Christmas bluegrass music from Bill Monroe, Rhonda Vincent, Josh Williams, Ricky Skaggs and many others.

To get the download, the stations should contact Premiere Radio Networks (818-377-5300) for a user name and password.

More details on the 2008 Knee Deep In Bluegrass Christmas Special can be found online.

Cindy Baucom, host of the syndicated radio program Knee Deep In Bluegrass, is profiled in the November issue of All About Women magazine, a regional publication in Boone, NC.

The piece, From the Runway to the Airway, She’s Still The Queen by Sherrie Norris, talks with Cindy about her role as co-producer of the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Awards show in October, and how her growing up in a bluegrass family prepared her for a career in radio.

On Oct. 2, 2008, Cindy actually produced the 2008 IBMA Awards Show at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville ‚Äì the biggest and "bluest" night of the year for the industry — showcasing every top-billed bluegrass entertainer in the business today.

"It was really neat to call people like Ricky Skaggs and ask him to be on the show and then, on that night, to see it all come together ‚Äì months of planning with the highest achievers in the industry surrounded by their fans and affiliates ‚Äì all in one place. Wow! I can’t describe what it all means to me! "

No small feat for a country girl who says her love for the music began to take shape early in life. "My father, a bluegrass musician and instrument builder, always had the music playing in the house or in the car, and frequently had band practices at our home as I was growing up. As a child, I attended fiddlers’ conventions and bluegrass festivals, giving [me] the opportunity to hear some of the best music anywhere." More importantly, she stresses, were the many life-long friendships she made.

Over the years, her love for and knowledge of the music, as well as her outgoing personality and public speaking abilities, won her favor in the industry. She quickly became a highly sought-after emcee for many top events including Merlefest, (she has been affiliated since its beginning, missing only one year since), Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Bluegrass Festival, Bass Mountain Bluegrass Festival, the IBMA FanFest in Nashville, and many others. She also has been a contributor to Bluegrass Unlimited magazine as both a writer and photographer.

Read the full piece online.