Bands interested in showcasing at the EWOB festival can apply between now and November 20. A total of 42 showcase spots are available and though bands are not paid for these appearances, some travel expenses are offered to European bands. Event producers and music press from all over Europe are typically on hand for these shows.

The festival also hosts a European Bluegrass Band Awards competition, with winners chosen on two separate tracks. The primary award is chosen by the other musicians in attendance, and a second trophy is awarded by the fans, an Audience Popularity Award. The winner of the European Bluegrass Band Award each year is offered the opportunity to perform at the following year’s IBMA convention in Nashville.

Application details can be found on the European Bluegrass Music Association web site, where you can also find sponsor, vendor and volunteer information.

This year’s trade show exhibit hall seems to have noticeably fewer booths than in past years. (This picture labeled “Where’s Gibson?” demonstrates this point admirably. Other long-time exhibitors notably absent are Huber Banjos and The Murphy Method.) Walking through the hall on Tuesday also revealed many booths with people’s names on them, but no one there. The mystery of those deserted spots was solved on Wednesday when the one-day exhibitors set up. A one-day option is new this year and we’ll have to wait until the dust settles to find out whether these businesses felt it was worth their while to come set up for just one day.

This year is also the first year that the official showcase bands received their own booths, which no doubt helped to fill up the available (unsold) booth space.

Vendors’ impressions of hall traffic varied. Bob Fehr at Martin Guitars said that business was very slow; Rienk Janssen of The European Bluegrass Music Association, who was reading a book at his booth when I stopped to talk, agreed that things were slow, but perhaps not more so than last year. I told him he should get a really good book and that would guarantee that people would be constantly interrupting him. Laurie Matheson from the University of Illinois Press said that business wasn’t exactly booming, but it was steady.

The single exception to this trend is Bluegrass Unlimited, which is offering a tote bag stuffed full of truly great stuff for renewing your subscription. They’ve sold more than 175 subscriptions and renewals so far and have around 70 left, so if you want yours, act fast!

The winner of the first award will be invited to perform at next year’s (2010) IBMA World of Bluegrass in Nashville, TN.

Here are this year’s winners.

#1 European Bluegrass Band 2009:
1. Downtown Ramblers, Sweden
2. G-Runs ‘n Roses, Czech Republic
3. Kreni, Czech Republic

Audience Popularity Award 2009
1. Blackjack, CZ
2. Bluegrass Stuff, Italy
3. Sunny Side, Czech Republic

The summit considered in depth six topics, namely ‚Ķ‚Ķ

1. Associations and their relationships
2. Internet-based, inclusive networking (hub)
3. The involvement of young people in bluegrass
4. Lobbying, fund raising, and marketing on a continental scale
5. The use and significance of the term ‘European World of Bluegrass’
6. Continent-wide booking

Other aspects relating to bluegrass in Europe were set aside due to lack of time during the two-day event.

In concluding, the attendees provided a country-by-country review of the current European market for bluegrass and gave their individual impressions of what had been achieved

A full report, in the form of the minutes of the meeting, is now available online at the European Bluegrass Music Association website (opens as a PDF).

One of the first fruits of this conference has been announced, the work of the ‘booking issues’ group. They have created a notice board, posted on the EBMA web site, where bands planning a tour in Europe can announce their tour dates in a central place for promoters and venues to view them.

John Sheldon, secretary of the Scottish Bluegrass Association, has written an open letter to any artists who might be interested in this service:

Planning a European tour?  Do you have a European festival booking and are you looking for some more follow on gigs? Do you have a gig offer in Europe and are you looking to build up a tour?

If you are acting as your own agent and organizing your own tour you can put your dates forward to me with a request for enquiries to be routed  to your e-mail/telephone number etc. This will be placed on the On Line Notice Board. This can be accessed from a button on the EBMA site, and more links are being established with bluegrass promoters, European Music Festivals and European National Bluegrass Associations.

What I am looking for is a fairly concise notice about your tour with links to your own site. You can put this notice forward to me as your own representation, or if you have an agent/manager I’m happy to accept information from your representative.

Information can be submitted to Sheldon by email.

Other members of the booking issues group who worked on this project include Christopher Howard-Williams, organizer of the
European Bluegrass Festival at La Roche-sur-Foron, Chris Keenan, organizer of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival at Longford, Ireland, Dagfinn Pedersen, organizer of the Ris??r Bluegrass Festival in Norway, and Rienk Janssen, International IBMA Board member, EBMA board member, and coordinator of events throughout Europe during European World of Bluegrass.

Anyone within the bluegrass community in Europe is invited to attend. Specifically the organizers would like to see participation from bluegrass association staff, event organisers and promoters.

The summit has four stated goals.

• To provide an opportunity for a wide audience of up to forty participants to meet face to face, bond, and get to know each other
• To highlight some of the issues affecting the promotion of bluegrass music in Europe
• To explore the issues facing different countries and different cultures in Europe
• To motivate people to work together more closely and to communicate more effectively

The European Bluegrass Blog has more details and application information for any interested in attending.

Applications must be received by November 20th for consideration.

The festival is scheduled to take place May 21-23, 2009 in Voorthuizen, Netherlands. Organized by the European Bluegrass Music Association, promoters, agents, DJs, music press, fans and bands from across Europe will attend, making this an ideal showcase opportunity for any band looking to perform in Europe. American bands are welcome to apply, and take advantage of this opportunity.

European bands will compete in the European Bluegrass Band Awards. The voting takes place on site at the event. The showcasing musicians vote to award the best European band of the year, making this a truly peer award process. A separate set of Audience Popularity Awards are given in 5 categories, bringing the award total to 6. I’m told the festival attendees really enjoy participating in the process of award giving.

The #1 European Bluegrass Band is sent to IBMA the following October (the 2009 winner will come to IBMA in 2010). Since EWOB occurs in May, and IBMA in October, it seems odd that the winning band would have have to wait 17 months before making the trip to IBMA, but Liz Meyer explains.

The delay is necessary to allow time to process all visas etc. which can be slow in some countries, and also because FanFest is booked before EWOB takes place & we always hope our band will get a FanFest spot. I think this has only happened once in 11 years!!! IBMA tends to put the #1 EBB onstage at the Awards show, presenting an award, which is REALLY a pity. Hard to fathom having them do what they do least well, talk in English – though some have perfect English, it is a stretch for others. Makes far more sense to have them playing and showing what European bluegrass bands do, and what they do best!

2009 marks the 12th European World of Bluegrass Festival held in Voorthuizen, the Netherlands.

If your band is interested in applying, visit this page for more information concerning the application process and materials.

The festival runs from May 21-23, 2009 in Voorthuizen, Netherlands and is a rough equivalent to the IBMA Fan Fest held at the conclusion of their annual convention in Nashville. EWOB is seen as the big wrap up of the European Bluegrass Music Association’s month-long celebration of May as Bluegrass Music Month throughout Europe.

To be considered for ‘09, applications (including 4 audio CDs, band bios and a band photo) must be received by November 20, 2008.

Application details and forms can be found on the EWOB web site.

The New Essex Bluegrass Band has been in existence since 1994 and has been one of the UK’s most popular traditional bluegrass acts from the beginning. Typical of bluegrass the band has experienced many personnel changes in its 14 year existence. The present line-up is Paul Brewer (guitar, lead and baritone vocals), Terry Hymers (mandolin, tenor vocals), Mike Stanhope (bass, lead and baritone vocals), Grahame Turner (banjo) and Greg Smith (fiddle). However, the banjo player heard on Hot Off The Press is Dixon Smith, currently back in his native USA, playing with GrassKickers from Fresno, California.

The CD has been more than a year in the making and contains a mixture of the songs that the New Essex Bluegrass Band has played since it was founded, plus some more recently learned material.

All the material, except for the Louvin Brothers’ song The Angels Rejoiced Last Night, has been part of the bluegrass catalogue for some time or other. There are a couple of Monroe numbers, one from the early days, True Life Blues, and a tune from the Kenny Baker era, Lonesome Moonlight Waltz. Two other classics are The Lonesome River and I’ll Take The Blame. Alongside these are two songs associated with Jimmy Martin, Pretending I Don’t Care and That’s How I Can Count On You.

Of more recent vintage are Keith Little’s Till The Day I Die, the Jonathan Edwards song that he recorded with the Seldom Scene, How Long Have I Been Waiting For You, the quartet written by Keith Whitley and learned from Chris Jones, Zion’s Hill and another Gospel song, Solid Rock, from the Lonesome River Band’s repertoire.

The album begins with a favorite from Joe Val, a very popular visitor to the UK, namely Cold Wind. Strangely, the most obscure song to be included is the title track, brought to the band by Smith, who had recorded when with an earlier band, Hybrid Grass.

In all the CD features 18 tracks and samples of some can be accessed from the band’s web site, from whence more information about the band can also be found.

Here is a You Tube video of them performing the aforementioned Till The Day I Die.

That evening they performed songs from the CD at a release party at The Roadhouse, their regular venue in the city.

The creative core of The Toy Hearts is dad Stewart Johnson (banjo/Dobro®) and his two young daughters Sophia (guitars/vocals) and Hannah (mandolin/vocals). Together they write most of their songs and the girls are the most prominent vocally. They are supported by Howard Gregory (fiddle) and Lauren Rogers (double bass/vocals).

I spoke to Sophia Johnson about the new album …………..

How many songs are there on the album and who wrote them?

“There are eleven songs on the album and they are all original. We feel very strongly about writing our own songs. Not only is song writing a personal creative impulse/compulsion, which we simply cannot ignore, but writing is key in defining the Toy Hearts sound and we hope it will allow us to make our own mark on the bluegrass genre with its fine heritage of song writing.

Me, (Sophia), dad and Hannah tend to write as a unit, one usually brings the initial idea but we all play a part in the song’s completion. We always credit the songs Johnson/Johnson/Johnson. Our bass player Lauren wrote the lyrics for one track on the new album; I’ll Keep Waiting.”

Who sings lead on the various tracks?

“Hannah sings all the lead. She has worked very hard training her voice and listens incessantly to singers like Lefty Frizzell, Hank Williams and her current favourite Bradley Walker. The harmonies are all done by me and Lauren.”

Are there any instrumentals?

“There are no instrumentals on this album. We put Piccadilly Special on the first CD; it was named after the Piccadilly Theatre where dad was working as an actor and musician in West End show Jailhouse Rock. We kept meaning to write one for the new album, we started writing Creekbluff Drive while we were in Texas, but we never finished it in time to record. I guess it turns out Hannah and I have a lot of things to say, ha ha!”

Where and when were the recordings done?

“We recorded it at Gighouse Studios in Leamington Spa. It’s a lovely studio out in the country with no distractions, unless you count the two goats in the field next door! We recorded all the instruments live, in separation booths, along with a guide vocal. We then overdubbed the vocals and some solos. We wanted to keep as live a feel as possible, as we did not have the facility to do so on our last album, so we did minimal editing and overdubbing to the live tracks!”

What label is it on and what distribution do you have?

“We have put the album out on our own label Woodville Records, as we did with our first one. You can buy the album at our gigs, on our MySpace and website (website currently under construction…. grr!… will be up and running as soon as possible) and in most of the independent record shops in our home town of Birmingham, eg Polar Bear and Jibbering. We are currently negotiating for American distribution with Genuine Recordings, Austin, Texas.”

When I Cut Loose was mastered in Nashville and features the band’s trademark mixture of traditional and contemporary bluegrass, swing and country.

Four songs from When I Cut Loose, namely Sly North Wind, The Angels Sing To Me, Montpelier Street and Giving You Back You can be heard by visiting the band’s MySpace page.

A quick look at their gig guide suggests that The Toy Hearts are Britain’s hardest working bluegrass band at the moment, having toured Texas in March and acted as the sole UK representative at The European World of Bluegrass Music in Holland in May. They are just back from appearances at a festival La Roche-sur-Foron in the French Alps near Geneva, a production promoted by the France Bluegrass Musique Association. Additionally, they have dates in various parts of the Midlands as well as one in Bristol and another in London

They plan to be at the IBMA World Of Bluegrass convention where they will showcase at the International Suite, September 30, 0:30am

The band’s first release, If The Blues Come Calling received a very favourable review in the October 2007 edition of Bluegrass Unlimited and similarly positive comment from the British Americana music publication Maverick that same 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!

     

     

     

 

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.

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.

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.

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 ‚Äì last year’s contest winner ‚Äì 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 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

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

Read their articles at ukbluegrass.com.

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.

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.

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.