Bluegrass has always been a highly participatory genre, with a higher than average number of fans being amateur or part time players as well, something we share with jazz and folk music.

One of the surest signs of the continuing growth of interest in bluegrass music is the success of the many new instructional camps and workshops held each year. Some are instrument specific, while others offer classes for many or all bluegrass instruments at the same time. They are gaining in number and popularity all over the US and Europe as pickers seek to learn more about the music they love.

St. Louis Flatpick is one hosted by guitarist Bull Harman, who developed the concept and started the weekend workshop event to help boost interest in flatpicking in the Midwest.

My wife, Tammy, and I attend workshops throughout the U.S. and have noticed that our area was severely lacking in a weekend workshop type event. So based upon on our experience with others’ weekends, we decided to start St. Louis Flatpick. We are proud to say that this is our 4th year, of hopefully many. We planned the 3 day event months before it’s actual time to allow for preparation and advertising. Our Exhibit Hall hosts several of our sponsors throughout the weekend and our Saturday evening concert has become the highlight of the weekend. Students are thrilled at the opportunity to sit back and watch their instructors shine.

Our goal was to bring a workshop of this kind to the Midwest area, where there aren’t classes available of this type. We outgrew our first hotel after the first year moved to the Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel in St. Louis where we have lots of room to grow including a ballroom for the concert.

This year’s event will be March 7, 8 & 9th in St. Louis, MO. Featured instructors will be Clay Hess and David Grier

David Grier has released his latest album of solo flatpicked guitar.

Live At The Linda was recorded in concert at the Linda Norris Auditorium in Albany, NY in September of 2006. It showcases David in his element - performing his unique improvised guitar style before an appreciative audience.

The 13 tunes are drawn from David’s own compositions, traditional fiddle music (Red Haired Boy, Red Wing, Bonaparte’s Retreat), bluegrass instrumentals (Randy Lynn Rag, Old Ebeneezer Scrooge) and pop hits (Killing Me Softly, Yesterday).

There are no audio samples up yet online, but David says that you’ll be able to find them on his web site soon.

Jon Glik’s fiddle playing can be heard on some of my favorite records. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge Del McCoury fan. Don’t Stop The Music may be my all time favorite McCoury album, and Glik’s fiddle plays an important roll in the band’s sound on that recording.

Over the years Jon has recorded with a number of other bluegrass legends including David Grisman, Frank Wakefield, Peter Rowan, the Forbes Family, Dave Evans, Paul Adkins, Walter Hensley, Bob and Danny Paisley, and more.

Sadly, Jon is now in the hospital due to liver failure. This makes the third time this year he has been hospitalized. Like many other musicians, Jon does not health insurance and is faced with rising medial bills. In the midst of this, he is in need of a liver transplant if he is to survive.

The bluegrass community is coming together in an effort to assist this beloved fiddle player. A fund has been started to raise money for the transplant and to help offset his medical expenses.

Several things are being done to raise money for the fund.

A benefit concert is being held on Friday, October 19, from 7:00-11:00 PM. The concert takes place at The Arcadia Fire Hall, in Arcadia, MD. Admission is $35 at the door. Performers include The Del McCoury Band, David Grisman, David Grier, and The Forbes Family.

Eastman Strings has kindly donated a beautiful 904 D Mandolin to be raffled off at the concert, with all proceeds going directly to Jon’s medical fund.

James Reams, Walter Hensley & The Barons of Bluegrass are donating all proceeds (during the month of October) from the sale of the CD Wild Card, featuring Jon Glik on fiddle, to Jon’s medical fund. To order the CD, they ask that you mail a check for $15, made out to Jon Glik Medical Fund, to Mountain Redbird Music, 565 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215. They ask that you also include $1 in cash or postage stamps to cover shipping costs.

You may also contribute directly to the fund by sending a check to Jon’s sister, Barbara Glik. Again, the check should be made out to Jon Glik Medical Fund, and mailed to:

Barbara Glik
P.O. Box 4005
Annapolis, MD 21403

Let’s all pull together and help one of our own in his time of need.

We just discovered that David Grier’s instructional video Superchared Flatpicking is now available on DVD. This video has been around for a number of years on VHS only. For all the flatpickers out there this is a classic must have.

The video is 60 minutes long and includes David teaching 11 of his original tunes. David explains the techniques involved as well as the musical choices made on each tune. A good number of close-ups are included so you can really see what he’s doing with each hand. A tab book is included with the DVD.

The instruction level seems oriented toward intermediate or above levels to me. A beginner would probably struggle with much of it.

Songs include:

• Wheeling
• Engagement Waltz
• The Old Hotel Rag
• Lone Soldier
• Smith Chapel
• Bluegrass Itch
• That’s Just Perfect
• Eye of the Hurricane
• Impulsive
• Shadowbrook
• Porkchops and Applesauce

The inclusion of Eye of the Hurricane makes this video worth having for me. That is my all time favorite David Grier tune.

The DVD is available for purchase from David’s website at “>DavidGrier.com

We found a couple of recent online articles that may be of interest to our readers.

The Canadian Press has an AP piece on Rhonda Vincent which focuses on her musical upbringing in The Sally Mountain Show with her family, including some discussion of her attempts to find success with mainstream country in the 1990s.

“It was very confusing because they were saying, ‘Can you take the bluegrass out of your voice?”‘ she recalled. “And then we were looking at songs, and I said, ‘I would never sing that song.’ It had something about beer, and it was kind of suggestive. I said I would never sing that, but they would bring it to me and say this is the song you’re going to do.”

Read the full article online.

There is also an article on David Grier in the folk music section of Bella Online. It spends time on David’s musical immersion as a child as well.

David was quick to correct me when I asked him if it was true that he had began playing guitar at the age of 5 under his dad’s direction. He stated it “wasn’t so much under his direction. I mean at first I had little plastic guitars which I played around with. My dad would show me things but let me go on my own. If he’d pushed, I would have rebelled.” He did admit, his dad had suggested the guitar because of its versatility. David’s dad, Lemar Grier, played banjo for Bill Monroe; thus, David was immersed in acoustic music by virtue of his heritage.

Find the full article online.

Last January, both Brance and I had the chance to attend the Pickin’ at the Paramount all star concert in Bristol, TN. The show was an offshoot of one that I helped organize in 2000 (reprised in 2001) to celebrate the release of Knee Deep In Bluegrass - The AcuTab Sessions. You can read my report on last year’s show here.

The show has been scheduled again this year, and will be held next weekend (1/20/07) at The Paramount Center on historic State Street in Bristol.

The format of the current show is similar to the one we started in 2000, and reminiscent of the old “package tour” shows popular in the 1950s and 60s. An all star cast of prominent bluegrass pickers and singers will rotate on and off the stage in a variety of configurations, generally performing material outside of what you might normally hear them doing.

This year’s lineup includes Bobby Hicks, Ronnie Bowman, Mike Bub, David Talbot, Larry Cordle, Rob McCoury, Don Rigsby, Kim Fox, Darrell Webb, Steve Gulley, Jason Carter, Barry Bales, Paul Williams, Kenny & Amanda Smith and David Grier.

There will be two shows on January 20, at 3:00 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets and show details can be found at the Pickin’ at the Paramount site, or the Paramount Center site.

Information on the 2006 Roanoke Bluegrass Weekend is now available on the RBW web site. The event will be held November 10-12 in Roanoke, VA and offers three days of intensive instruction in the fine points of playing bluegrass music.

This year’s faculty includes the members of BlueRidge, along with first time instructors Eddie Adcock and George Shuffler, plus returning favorites Kenny Baker, Jack Lawrence, Allen Shelton and Roland White.

The biggest news for RBW ‘06 is the inclusion this year of classes and workshops in bluegrass singing. Both individual vocal tips and workshop instruction in bluegrass harmony will be offered throughout the weekend, spearheaded by noted singer and vocal instructor Don Rigsby.

The 2006 faculty includes both legendary bluegrass pioneers and actively touring artists.

Once again, Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments will be donating a new instrument to be offered in a raffle to fund the RBW Scholarship for deserving young bluegrass students. Four full scholarships (tuition and accommodations) will be awarded to outstanding bluegrass musicians between the ages of 13-24, selected based on demonstrated ability through an application process.

This year, a new RB-250 banjo will be raffled, with chances to win sold at $10. Find all the details about the raffle and the scholarship on the RBW site.