Our friend Fred Robbins sent along a note about what he did on his summer vacation – at Grey Fox.

“This year, for the first time in 33 years since I’ve been attending Berkshire/Winterhawk/Grey Fox off and on, I decided to volunteer for the video staff. What a great time I had – plan to do it again. We’re releasing my videos a few at a time.

The Banjo Masters workshop was just made public. The pickers were Eric Gibson, Pete Wernick, and Bill Keith. Earlier, the 6 parts of the Guitar Masters workshop were made public. The pickers were Josh Williams, Chris Eldridge, and Danny Knicely.

There’s also a Hot Air Balloon Flight over the festival! The Mandolin Masters videos will be posted soon.

I shot a lot of other miscellaneous stuff (”B-roll”) that will hopefully be used in a promo video later.”

Here’s a piece from the guitar workshop.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I totally loved Grey Fox this year and I think the new site (Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, NY) is fantastic. I really do prefer it to the old site. I’ve already congratulated Mary Doub and I think they accomplished a miracle by finding a new location and pulling together all the logistics to make the transition so easily.

The biggest highlight for me over the weekend was Hot Rize’s 30th Anniversary concert. They sounded unbelievable. The magic of Nick and Tim’s voices together and their expert MC work is the stuff that legends and the highest level of professionalism is all about. Charles was dearly missed but having Bryan Sutton in on guitar is such a treat. Don’t even get me started on how wonderful Red Knuckles was.

They were in rare form that night. Jerry Douglas was on stage as their manager gesturing to the crowds to applaud following every song. A mystery guest on fiddle who suspiciously looked like Sam Bush came out and they did a cowboy swing version of White Rabbit and Jerry pranced around the stage wearing a rabbit mask. All this and a very rare and exotic red moon emerged in the pitch black sky while they were on. It was magical. Red Knuckles did more than an hour playing for the dance tent later that night and the crowd couldn’t stop dancing and howling for more. Jay Ungar’s former wife (I forget her name) was on stage with them singing some numbers. It was something I’ll remember forever. I must say that Pete Wernick’s Red Knuckles MC work has gotten even funnier over the years – he too was in rare form.

• Abigail Washburn with Bela and the Sparrow Quartet – mindblowing!
• The Infamous Stringdusters – unreal – they converted the unanointed
• The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience – he’s such a master and hearing straight ahead bluegrass was awesome; Jim Nunally is a rhythm machine!
• The Gibson Brothers – they are at the top of their game – they did a vocal workshop with Dan Paisley that was superlative

Really, all the bands were tremendous. It was broiling hot. The surrounding area by the festival is gorgeous mountain ski country in NY State and offered beautiful scenery.

WFDU was one of the sponsors for the festival this year, which was a great honor.

The IBMA offered a seminar that was attended by more than 100 fans/musicians for 2 days. The seminar was entitled “Taking Your Band to the Next Level” and offered advice for bands on how to better market and promote their bands. I was a panelist and my topic was ‘Promoting Your Band to Radio’. Other keynote panelists included Ken Irwin and Bev Paul. Nancy Cardwell of the IBMA put the seminar together.

There are already some great clips all over You Tube from the festival. It was fantastic!

The first three winners will receive an autographed copy of the band’s latest CD release, The Infamous Stringdusters.

• Peter Griffith – Overland Park, KS
• Kathi M Leniski – Bristol, VA
• Michal Hromcik – Brno, Czech Republic

Our big prize winner is Laura Lander of Bethlehem, KY who receives two free tickets to Grey Fox. She will also have an opportunity to meet the band at the festival next month where she will have VIP seating for the ‘Dusters’ set, and receive a sampling of complimentary band merchandise.

Thanks to Ryan Baker at Sugar Hill for his help, and to everyone who participated in this promotion.

Here’s the fifth installment of the video content we’re bringing you as part of our Infamous Stringdusters promotion.

The album The Infamous Stringdusters, will be released tomorrow, June 10, 2008. See our original post for information about the pre-order special.

This video is provided in cooperation with The Infamous Stringdusters, Sugar Hill Records, and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival.

Each episode (5 in total) will be accompanied by either a streaming track or an mp3 download from the new CD. Access to the tracks will be limited to registered users of The Bluegrass Blog, and accessing the track will enter you in a promotional giveaway to win one of three autographed copies of the CD.

We also have one other contest for you – there will only be one winner in this contest, but it’s big. We’re giving away a pair of tickets to this year’s Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, a meet and greet with the band at the festival, and some merchandise the guys will autograph just for you on site.

Enjoy the video, listen to this week’s track, and enter to win free festival tickets!

This fifth installment of the video is a look inside the production of the CD. The tune is Get It While You Can.

Enter to win an autographed CD (and listen to the streaming track)

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

Here’s the fourth installment of the video content we’re bringing you as part of our Infamous Stringdusters promotion.

The album The Infamous Stringdusters, will be released on June 10, 2008. See our original post for information about the pre-order special.

This video is provided in cooperation with The Infamous Stringdusters, Sugar Hill Records, and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival.

Each episode (5 in total) will be accompanied by either a streaming track or an mp3 download from the new CD. Access to the tracks will be limited to registered users of The Bluegrass Blog, and accessing the track will enter you in a promotional giveaway to win one of three autographed copies of the CD.

We also have one other contest for you – there will only be one winner in this contest, but it’s big. We’re giving away a pair of tickets to this year’s Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, a meet and greet with the band at the festival, and some merchandise the guys will autograph just for you on site.

Enjoy the video, download this week’s track, and enter to win free festival tickets!

This fourth installment of the video is a live performance at the 2008 Merlefest. The tune is Lovin’ You, written by Sarah Siskind who wrote Simple Love from Allison Krauss’ A Hundred Miles Or More CD and Goodbye Is All We Have from the last AKUS CD, Lonely Runs Both Ways – and is also engaged to Travis Book of the ‘Dusters. Tim O’Brien joins the guys onstage for the performance.

The free mp3 download this week is the live version of Lovin’ You from the live CD download available only when you pre-order the new CD. This version is over 8 minutes long, featuring extended instrumental sections.

Enter to win an autographed CD (and listen to the streaming track)

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

Here’s the third installment of the video content we’re bringing you as part of our Infamous Stringdusters promotion.

The album The Infamous Stringdusters, will be released on June 10, 2008. See our original post for information about the pre-order special.

This video is provided in cooperation with The Infamous Stringdusters, Sugar Hill Records, and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival.

Each episode (5 in total) will be accompanied by either a streaming track or an mp3 download from the new CD. Access to the tracks will be limited to registered users of The Bluegrass Blog, and accessing the track will enter you in a promotional giveaway to win one of three autographed copies of the CD.

We also have one other contest for you – there will only be one winner in this contest, but it’s big. We’re giving away a pair of tickets to this year’s Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, a meet and greet with the band at the festival, and some merchandise the guys will autograph just for you on site.

Enjoy the video, download this week’s track, and enter to win free festival tickets!

This third installment of the video focuses on the addition of guitar player Andy Falco to the band. This week we also have a free mp3 download from the new CD.

Enter to win an autographed CD (and listen to the streaming track)

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

Here’s the second installment of the video content we’re bringing you as part of our Infamous Stringdusters promotion.

The album The Infamous Stringdusters, will be released on June 10, 2008. See our original post for information about the pre-order special.

This video is provided in cooperation with The Infamous Stringdusters, Sugar Hill Records, and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival.

Each episode (5 in total) will be accompanied by either a streaming track or an mp3 download from the new CD. Access to the tracks will be limited to registered users of The Bluegrass Blog, and accessing the track will enter you in a promotional giveaway to win one of three autographed copies of the CD.

We also have one other contest for you – there will only be one winner in this contest, but it’s big. We’re giving away a pair of tickets to this year’s Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, a meet and greet with the band at the festival, and some merchandise the guys will autograph just for you on site.

Enjoy the video, download this week’s track, and enter to win free festival tickets!

This second installment includes episode two of the video, and a streaming mp3 of a track from the new CD, .

Click here to view the embedded video.

Enter to win an autographed CD (and listen to the streaming track)

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

The CD is available for pre-order now, directly from the band, and those who do so will receive a signed copy of the CD along with immediate access to download a live recording of the April 15, 2008 show the guys put on at the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO. This live recording features 11 tracks, two of which are over 10 minutes in length. It was a great show, the recording is top notch and the music very enjoyable.

So here’s the content we have for you.

Sugar Hill Records has commissioned our friends at String Theory Media to produce a Best of 2007 video about The Infamous Stringdusters. The video will be debuted here on The Bluegrass Blog in 5 episodes, the first of which is embedded below. Each monday for the next four weeks we’ll present another installment. The last episode will be posted on June 9, 2008, the day before the CD hits the streets.

Each episode will be accompanied by either a streaming track or an mp3 download from the new CD. Access to the tracks will be limited to registered users of The Bluegrass Blog, and accessing the track will enter you in a promotional giveaway to win one of three autographed copies of the CD.

We also have one other contest for you – there will only be one winner in this contest, but it’s big. We’re giving away a pair of tickets to this year’s Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, a meet and greet with the band at the festival, and some merchandise the guys will autograph just for you on site.

So enjoy the video, download this week’s track, and enter to win free festival tickets!

This first installment includes episode one of the video, and an mp3 download of the first track from the new CD, Won’t Be Coming Back.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Enter to win an autographed CD (and download a free track)

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

The winner will receive 2 tickets to the festival and 10 runners-up will get a copy of the CD. There is no purchase required to enter and it can all be done online.

The Bluegrass Blog will also be running a special promotion here for Iron & Diamonds next week. Sugar Hill is allowing us to offer a free track download on Monday (4/7) and another on Tuesday. Each track will only be available for a single day, and only to registered users here on The Bluegrass Blog.

You can read more about the new CD in our earlier interview with Eric Gibson. Three full audio tracks can be heard on the Gibsons’ MySpace page.

Pre-release orders can be placed now at www.sugarhillrecords.com.

After an extensive search for a suitable site in eastern New York state, The Independent newspaper from Columbia County, NY is reporting that a new location has been secured for this year’s festival.

Speaking from her home in Baltimore, Md., Friday afternoon February 8, Festival Producer Mary Doub told The Independent she had just inked a deal with farm owner John Walsh to hold the bluegrass festival on his 200-acre property on Route 22 between the towns of Oak Hill and Durham in northern Greene County close to the Albany County border.

Regular attendees know that one of the challenges at Grey Fox over the years had been the terrain, which made traversing the grounds frustrating on occasion for both vehicles and pedestrians, particularly those with handicaps or difficulty walking. The new site is said to be flat, and the organizers feel it will be much safer for children and older adults.

“I’m very sad to leave Columbia County, but I feel it’s the right thing for the festival and it will really help Greene County,” where the economy relies heavily on tourism by “bringing people in from all over the world,” said Ms. Doub.

Unable to contain her excitement, Ms. Doub praised Greene County for the welcome it has extended to her. “The people are so nice, it’s going to be wonderful!

Read the full article on The Independent site.

We’ve already looked at several potential sites and hope to make a decision very soon. It’s really heartening to realize that so many communities and people want us! We are still searching, though, hoping to find the perfect new home.

The festival is still on for this summer, with quite a line up. The dates are set for July 17-20. They just need a venue for the music. The search continues and they invite anyone with a possible location to contact them. Here’s what they’re looking for.

We’re looking for 150-200 acres of grassy fields suitable for about 5000 campers, a lovely natural amphitheater for our main stage and room for all of our other stages (dance, workshop, family, grass roots and kids academy). We’re hoping to find terrain that’s flatter, and therefore more convenient for producing the festival, than the Rothvoss Farm. Of course we’d like the view to be spectacular, too. Our wish list includes access to swimming if at all possible. Of course we want to stay in the Hudson Valley or perhaps the Eastern Catskill Mountain region. Since our two major markets are NYC and Boston, we want to stay conveniently located to those areas.

Anyone with possible new sites should contact Mary Burdette.