Jan de Mooy from The Netherlands sent along a number of terrific photos he took during the European World of Bluegrass festival in Voorthuizen earlier this month.

He captured images of of 12 different bands on stage, from 9 different European countries.

Here are the photos, tagged with his comments. Thanks Jan!

     

     

     

 

The European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) has a very comprehensive European festival schedule online on their new website. The listing provides information regarding each concert, including the date, location, name of the event, appropriate website or email link, and additional comments about the event. Listings are provided through the end of calendar year 2008.

In addition to the listing of events, the site also has a thorough guide for US bands interested in touring Europe. The guide includes information regarding venues, travel logistics, lodging, traveling with instruments, merchandise sales, and tips on the various cultural differences you might encounter.

If you’re in Europe, or considering a summer vacation there, and would like to take in a bluegrass festival or concert, be sure to consult their listing of events.

If you think you’d like to take your band to Europe on a performance tour, this guide should provide valuable information.

It seems that we are still playing catch-up, trying to make mention of the great many new CDs that have come our way this fall. Once again, I’ll try to get to several more over this long holiday weekend.

Time After Time, the latest CD from Lilly Of The West, was actually released several months ago, but we had waited for it to become widely available outside of Europe before posting about it on The Bluegrass Blog. Lilly is Lilly Drumeva, the Bulgarian singer and guitarist who not only fronts the band, but also hosts country and bluegrass music programming on Bulgarian TV and radio, and serves on the board of the European Bluegrass Music Association.

On this project, her approach is a bit different than in the past, with respect to both the material and the musicians. The songs are drawn from the repertoire of pop and folk classics, but the arrangements, and Lilly’s distinctively understated delivery, clearly distinguish these versions from the familiar original - and many subsequent - recordings.

The title track was a major pop hit for Cindy Lauper, with other selections like Leaving On A Jet Plane, Just Once in A Very Blue Moon, The End Of The World and All I Have To Do Is Dream having also been radio hits over roughly a fifty year span. Folk favorites The Water Is Wide and A Walk In The Irish Rain are also included, along with one traditional Bulgarian folk song, Oblache Le Bialo.

Instead of putting together a band from among Europe’s top bluegrass players, Drumeva picked prominent classical musicians and gave them a crash course in the ways of acoustic/bluegrass string music. American grasser Jesse Brock, who spent much of 2006 in Europe, plays mandolin, with Drumeva on guitar, Svoboda Bozduganova on bass, Yassen Vassilev on nylon string guitar, and in another departure from the norm, Vladimir Michailov on viola.

The arrangements have a subtle, almost restrained feel throughout; you might even describe it as parlor string music. With no banjo, the music is less aggressive than more traditional bluegrass-influenced music, but the impact of where Mr. Monroe’s music has gone this past 60 years is clear.

You can hear audio samples from all but one of the CD’s 11 tracks on CD Baby, where you can also purchase the album as either digital downloads or an audio CD.

The European World of Bluegrass (EWOB) Festival is currently seeking submissions from bands that would like to showcase at the 2008 event. The event will take place in Voorthuizen, Netherlands on May 1-3, 2008.

Showcase opportunities are open to bands from Europe, the United States, or anywhere else. You can download a pdf application by visiting www.ewob.eu. Click on the US flag in the lower left for an english version of the page, then select “Contact” from the menu and “Bands” from the submenu. EWOB askes that you fill out the pdf and send it in with your CD, and band photos, to the address provided. They also ask that you fill out the online form so they know to expect your application package.

2008 will be the 11th EWOB. The deadline for application is November 20, 2007, so you’d better hurry.

Much like the IBMA, many European promoters attend the EWOB looking for bands to hire for the coming season. This is a unique opportunity for US bands to play for these promoters, meet them, and book some dates in Europe.

The three days of EWOB are the climax of a month of festivals and concerts held in the Netherlands every May (bluegrass month). During these three days, over 40 bands, including 4-5 from the USA and Canada, will perform. The festival is accompanied by a trade show featuring luthiers, music shops, event promoters, press, radio DJs, and more.

The musicians who play at EWOB choose their favorite European band to send to Nashville the following year to perform at IBMA. This year’s winner is G2. Be sure you read this recent post by John about G2.

This post is a contribution from Lilly Pavlak, who runs Lilly’s Bluegrass Agency in Switzerland. She also works as a music journalist in Europe. We thank her for sharing this report, and the photos from the festival.

Last week I returned from 10th European Bluegrass Music Festival and Band Contest, a unique European event, held for the second time in La Roche-sur-Foron, a pretty little medieval town in the French Alps, near Mont Blanc.

It was a festival of superlatives !

Organised by Christopher Howard-Williams, the chairman of FBMA and supported by the town’s mayor, the Tourist Bureau and many others (120 volunteers!). After the rain last year, this time the weather was beautiful.

Thirty bands came to play from eleven different countries: France, Czech Republic, Spain, Estonia, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Russia, Slovakia and U.S. - over twenty hours of free concerts.

The whole city beat to the rhythm of Bluegrass music with bars hosting bands for a “fringe” festival on Thursday evening and the local movie theater playing Deliverance. Friday was a gala concert with French bluegrass comedy act Zip Code 2025, Bluegrass Stuff from Italy – last year’s contest winner – and headliners from the U.S. Hickory Project.

Saturday and Sunday was the European band competition and, on Saturday, this year’s winners of the European Bluegrass Pioneer Awards were proclaimed. The beautiful hand-made wooden awards went to Jaanus Vainu from Estonia, Loek Lamers from Holland and Petr Kus from Czech Republic.

The winners of the band contest are :

• 1st place Kralik & his Rowdy Rascals from Czech Republic
• 2nd place Country Saloon from Russia (for the second year running)
• 3rd place G-Runs & Roses, a young hot band from Czech Republic

As well as the music several other attractions were organized to suit all tastes and ages, such as the festival market, music market, pony rides, climbing wall, masterclass workshops, bluegrass gospel singing at Sunday Mass and so on. An estimated 10,000 spectators came to the festival this year and enjoyed this great event over three days !!

If you are planning to be in Europe for the first weekend of next August, don’t forget to stop by www.larochesurforon.com.

For me it was the event of the year 2007!!!!!!!!!!

     

The European Bluegrass Music Association has released some numbers on their recent European World Of Bluegrass events, which took place May 17-19 in Voorthuizen, the Netherlands. In this, their tenth annual festival, ticket sales were up by 20% over 2006, with similar impressive gate increases at other European bluegrass festivals during the month of May.

The official post-event press release from EBMA lists several otehr newsworthy items about EWOB ‘07, many of which have already been reported here on The Bluegrass Blog.

They also show the dates for the 2008 festival as being May 1-3, again in Voorthuizen.

You can access the rest of the details on the EBMA site.

ukbluegrass.com has first hand reports on the recently-concluded European World Of Bluegrass in The Netherlands. Two British bands traveled to Voorthuizen to participate in the EWOB, and each wrote of their time at the convention.

Both EWOB veterans, The New Essex Bluegrass Band, and newcomers, The Carrivick Sisters have posted their reports online.

Read their articles at ukbluegrass.com.

This past weekend saw the awarding of the prizes for European bluegrass bands at the European World of Bluegrass festival, and we are delighted to see that G2, a young Swedish band we recommended to you all last fall, came away with the top honors.

They were selected as the European Bluegrass Band for 2007, with Meantime from Slovakia in second, and Kreni from the Czech Republic in third.

G2 will represent the European Bluegrass Music Association at next year’s IBMA World Of Bluegrass in Nashville, giving them the opportunity to showcase their music before the throng of bluegrass industry folks in attendance. Congratulations guys!

The Audience Popularity Award was also announced last weekend at EWOB, with Wheel Drive from Netherlands taking first, G2 again in second, and Rawhide from Belgium in third.

As always, you can keep tabs on the European bluegrass scene by reading The European Bluegrass Blog.

Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens invaded the US bluegrass scene last fall at the IBMA World Of Bluegrass in Nashville. Having been selected as the top European Bluegrass Band in 2005 by the European Bluegrass Music Association, this Irish group represented the EBMA as an official showcase act at the annual IBMA event in 2006.

Now in 2007, they are headed back to the US to tour on their own. The band consists of vocalist Carmel Sheerin, and her brothers Danny (guitar), Des (bass) and Tom (mandolin), along with Jonathan Toman on banjo.

Their debut CD, Runaway, was produced by Bil VornDick, who is currently putting the finishing touches on their second project in Nashville. It was favorably reviewed in the August 2006 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited.

The Ravens’ 2007 US summer tour is being managed and promoted by Hope River Entertainment, and you can contact them for booking or publicity.

The European Bluegrass Blog has a post from Rienk Janssen this morning noting that submissions for the 2007 European World Of Bluegrass Guide must be received by March 15 to be included in the official publication.

This would include European bluegrass events occuring during the month of May (listed free of charge), or advertisements or sponsor information.

Details and contact information can be found on The European Bluegrass Blog.

The European Bluegrass Blog has posted the lineup of entertainers for this year’s European World Of Bluegrass festival in Voorthuizen, The Netherlands. It will be held May 17-19, 2007 and includes a trade show, a performance festival, a business conference for the European Bluegrass Music Association and a great many workshops for musicians, singers and songwriters.

You can see the band list on The European Bluegrass Blog, and find more event details at the EWOB site.

Our friends at The European Bluegrass Blog have noted that Claire Lynch has scheduled a one-week European tour for the first week of May ‘07.

She’ll perform in Austria, Holland and Germany, and promoter Karl Heinz Siber indicates particular excitement about the final show, at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater in Oldenberg, Germany. It has received corporate sponsorship and he is hopeful of having an annual bluegrass concert in this classic hall designed and built for superior acoustics.

These European shows are not yet listed on Claire’s site, but more details can be found on The European Bluegrass Blog.

Our friends over at The European Bluegrass Blog have a post up about a pair of new releases from Slovakia.

They are Light In The Storm from The Tomáš Peško Band, and Kvapky rosy from Bluegrass Time. Both feature Tomáš Peško on banjo, and show the Slovak take on bluegrass, both vocally and instrumentally.

Find out more on the EBB site.

The European Bluegrass Blog has an interesting piece up about an historic concert at the renowned Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

This past October, noted French violinist Gilles Apap was featured in concert with the Pas-de-Loup Philharmonic Orchestra. Though recognized primarily as a classical violinist, Apap has a fondness for a variety of folk music styles, including bluegrass.

The abovementioned concert in Paris began with a classical repertoire, only to conclude with a number of bluegrass tunes performed with the members of Blue Railroad Train. The grand finale was an arrangement of Bill Monroe’s Old Dangerfield with the full orchestra.

You can find more details (and a larger image) on The European Bluegrass Blog, which is an official publication of the EBMA (European Bluegrass Music Association).

Our friends at the European Bluegrass Music Association have launched their own blog, The European Bluegrass Blog.

It is intended to replace the EBMA’s email newsletter, and will be updated regularly with news of interest to the European bluegrass community. Bands, festivals, concerts, workshops and, of course the work of the EBMA, will be covered.

The site is administered by Richard Hawkins (who also manages The Bluegrass Ireland Blog) and Angelika Torrie, the EBMA’s webmaster.

That is the title of a new section on the European Bluegrass Music Association’s web site, designed to offer some tips and guidelines for bluegrass bands considering the feasibility of a European tour.

Included is information on obtaining EBMA’s European Bluegrass Directory, and an quick overview of some of the logistical issues to be evaluated, like transportation, accomodations, currency exchange, cultural differences, merchandise sales and how to estimate total expenses.

The guide is not meant as a complete step-by-step manual, but will surely give any artist (or their management) some questions to ponder when thinking about a performance trip to Europe.

The European Bluegrass Music Association has just posted details and information for the 2007 European World Of Bluegrass Festival and Trade Show. It is scheduled for May 17-19 in Voorthuizen, NL.

Information in PDF form is available for bands interested in showcasing, potential sponsors and exhibitors, and for anyone who simply has an interest in attending the event next spring.

Find all the info on the EBMA site.

We posted a number of times of late about the recently-concluded European World Of Bluegrass events held in May across the continent. The European Bluegrass Music Association celebrates May as Bluegrass Music Month, with coordinated festivals and events that ran this year from April 27 through June 5, highlighted by the EWOB festival and convention in The Netherlands in late May.

EBMA has announced the numbers for this year, and they have reason to celebrate. A total of 18 festivals were listed during May (up from 16 in ‘05), and ticket sales at the EWOB were up by 25% over last year’s festival. They also report that the Spring Festival at Willisau, Switzerland saw sales up by 30%, and that new events were added this year in Bratislava, Slovak Republic and Switzerland.

The trade show during EWOB sold out all available exhibit space, with a number of US companies making the trip across the ocean to display their wares along with their European counterparts. The EBMA also made note of the number of artists who travelled from the US/Canada to showcase for the Europeans.

North American artists performing at the EWOB Festival included Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen, Greasy Beans, the Hunger Mountain Boys, and the Abrams Brothers. Bill Keith, living legend of bluegrass banjo, was again present. American artists performing in EWOB events elsewhere in Europe included Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Randy Kohrs & Band, Neil Rosenberg & Terri Thomson, the Gordons, David Grier (with the UK’s Hootenanny Three), the Moonlighters, Mike Bella & the Blue Boys, Prickly Pair, and Tim & Mollie O”Brien.

As we mentioned when it was first announced, Mideando String Quintet from Italy was named as the #1 European Band for 2006, as chosen by their peers. Last year’s winner, Carmel Sheerin and the Ravens (from Ireland) will represent the EBMA this fall at the IBMA convention in Nashville.

The June/July issue of Bluegrass Europe is available. This bimonthly, English language magazine is distributed to members of the European Bluegrass Music Association, and is bound with two additional European bluegrass publications, Bluegrass Buhne (German) and Strictly Country (Dutch). Editor Paolo Dettwiler encourages anyone who might enjoy the magazine to email for a free sample issue.

The new edition includes coverage of May as Bluegrass Music month in Europe, and the recently concluded European World Of Bluegrass trade show and festival. The three magazines also feature their regular concert and CD reviews, plus news of European bluegrass artists and visits by US acts.

We also hear from the editors that they are in need of some volunteer editors to assist them with getting the magazine out every two months. Specifically, they are looking for people who can write comfortably in English to help with editing of the news and concert calendar, and an assistant to the editor. Anyone with an interest in volunteering is encouraged to contact the editors by email.

Bluegrass Europe is a bi-monthly print publication which is sent to members of the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA). Written in English, it is also bound together with two other European bluegrass journals, the German language Bluegrass Buhne, and the Dutch Strictly Country. All three are delivered together, and the April/May issue is now out.

The English section contains an overview of the 35 year history of its sister publication, Strictly Country magazine, a guest editorial from Rienk Janssen, plus their concert and festival calendar. The Dutch section also highlights their 35th anniversary and the Bill Monroe post office, while the German pages cover Alison Krauss in London, the passing of Charles Wolfe and concerts, festivals and CD reviews.

You can request a sample issue by email if you would like to enjoy this multilingual overview of bluegrass music in Europe.

The EBMA also wants to remind everyone that May is International Bluegrass Music Month, which will be celebrated in Europe with more than 80 concerts, festivals and other events under EBMA auspices. A listing of these events is included in the April/May issue of Bluegrass Europe, and separate copies of the guide can be obtained by emailing EBMA.

The month ends with a bang in The Netherlands as EBMA hosts the 9th annual European World of Bluegrass Festival and Trade Show, May 25-27. Designed as a European version of IBMA’s annual World Of Bluegrass event in the US, the EWOB seeks to foster cooperation among European artists, promoters and event producers while also expanding the audience for and interest in bluegrass music.