Here, Karen adds her thoughts to those Richard shared in his previous Travelogue entries. Read them all here.

bluegrassmercury Travelogue #14
By Karen Thompson
Nashville, Tenn.  Karen’s Travelogue

We flew into Nashville late Thursday afternoon (9/25), stepping from the airport into the outside after being 2 in two airplanes in pressurised conditions for several hours was short-lived bliss, I hadn’t expected it to be so hot at 5 o’clock. But we were soon on an air-conditioned bus heading towards downtown Nashville. After checking at the Holiday Express Inn on Broadway, unpacking etc, etc we (hubby and I) took to the street to explore. It was still very hot and as we walked down Broadway towards Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge familiar and not so familiar sights greeted me.

The last time I was in Nashville was 1981, and for a short time I was transported back to the early 1980s as so much seemed to be the same as it was back then, I was only a mere slip of a girl, had not been married long, and everywhere looked big and new. But now Nashville in the dark (8 at night) looked as though it hadn’t changed much. The sights, sounds and smells all came flooding back to me.

It was only the next morning in the clear light of day when walking the same streets I realized that some things were very much the same and some things had changed significantly. Now we have the Sommett Center and the AT&M (Batman Building), and the Country Music Hall of Fame is now located downtown and the Nashville Convention Center (where I spent most of my time while in Nashville). It is comforting to know we still have the Ryman, Tootsies and Ernest Tubb’s record store still where they were 27 years ago.

When I first came here it was for a the 1981 Country Music Fan Fair, having a week of country music from dawn to dusk. Now older and slightly wiser, bluegrass music is more to my liking (although I still have a love of what I would call more traditional country music – Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Statler Brothers – but hey, didn’t they probably all grow up listening to bluegrass/old time music????)

So, my next night in Nashville was at the Station Inn, front row, watching Ronnie Bowman and band and my musical extravaganza had begun. Being married to a “Bluegrass Fanatic” for over 32 years I had a pretty good idea what I was letting myself in for, what I didn’t expect was how much I would enjoy it.

The days were long getting up at 7.30 but not getting to bed until 2 or 3 in the morning didn’t give me much beauty sleep, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Being able to see old favorites alongside newer acts gave everyone the chance to see what’s so good in bluegrass music today.

We had paid to attend the first part of the convention week, so we were able to go to some of the seminars that were held during the day, I felt a bit of a fraud as I was really only there for the music, but the ones I attended turned out to be very interesting and so I didn’t feel so out of place.

Having my trusty camera with me at all times I could also get a few pictures of people like Tom T Hall going down an escalator, me running after him and introducing myself. Having first met him back in the 1980s when he was in England – made it seem like I was meeting with an old friend. Surprisingly that’s how it was, I kept meeting with people I had originally met way back when, all of who were happy to stop and chat and catch up, that was really nice. Then going around the stands in the exhibition hall I got to chat to so many people, all of whom were very, very friendly and seemed to be particularly interested to talk to someone from England.

I managed to get out to the Opry for a couple of the shows there, finding it surprisingly easy to make arrangements to get there, I just love the transport system that Nashville has, it makes everything so much easier. At the shows I went to I got to see the likes of Connie Smith, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, The Grascals, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and my personal favorites Dailey & Vincent.

I enjoyed the after-hours shows – seeing some of the performers in a more relaxed setting, performing a few songs was good, fun thing. I fell in love with Josh Williams’ voice before I even saw him. He was performing in one of the rooms and it was so packed. Being a petite thing, I couldn’t get into the room, let alone see him from where I was standing. So, I spent most if the week following him around like a “groupie” just to be able to see one of his performances, preferably being able to sit down to enjoy it.

The highlight of the week was the Awards Show at the Ryman on Thursday 2nd October, which, incidentally, was our 32nd wedding anniversary – so, personally, I think that the pre-awards show party that we were invited to and the whole evening was really in our honor. The show was great, and at one point I was nearly in tears along with Dailey and Vincent with the amount of awards they received. The following day I met Jamie, who had remembered me from taking pictures of them and their families at the end of the Awards Show; that made my day.

On that same Friday morning (first day of the Fan Fest) we got woken at our hotel by the sound of the phone ringing – Gary Reid and his partner Bonnie were on their way over to pick us up at our hotel and take us for breakfast. We got to go and have a meal with them, which was a nice way to start the day.

The Fan Fest gave us the opportunity to see more acts and catch up with old friends from the past. Meeting up with Eddie Stubbs and then being invited to his radio program on the following Monday evening was another highlight.

It was sad that our 12 days in Nashville was soon over and we were heading back to England. If I could I would love to move to live in America, then bluegrass music would be an everyday extravaganza, rather than a once-in-a-while thing. Or maybe more bluegrass acts from the States should come over and tour England more often………………………

Thank you to everyone I met during my stay in Nashville for making me feel so welcome.

bluegrassmercury Travelogue #13
By Richard F Thompson
Nashville, Tenn.  Reflections

Our holiday ended with a delayed flight from Charlotte to London, meaning that we were travelling for almost 23 hours. Jet-lag took a four days to overcome.

However, I enjoyed every minute of our stay in Nashville. The atmosphere at both the IBMA business conference and Fan Fest was as Peter Wernick described; all “hustle and bustle,” I think is what he said.

The programme for the conference was packed and there wasn’t a moment when activity slackened, it seemed. I was able to meet many people that I hadn’t seen in 20 years and spend time with some new friends; put a face to a name, in some instances, as well as meet some who were completely new to me. Networking was a significant element and I am content that in the time available I did as much as I could to make myself known and to promote myself to others.

I wasn’t as tired as I expected I might be. Mind over matter and a good breakfast daily kept stamina up. That said, there was a point on Saturday, maybe very late Friday night, when recovery from lack of sleep began to diminish markedly. On Saturday perhaps I should have just sat and listened to the music, instead of looking for any photographic opportunity and going for it, so to speak. Our investment included expenditure on photographic equipment and taking photographs was one of the reasons for attending. Karen and I have a reasonable catalogue of pictures. I hope that some of them may even find their way into a magazine at some time in future.

I took advantage of as many learning opportunities as were relevant to me as journalist. Another year there may have been more seminars etc. that could have been useful to me, but you can only grasp the opportunities that present themselves.

Where there were choices to be made was in sampling the music during the showcases and at FanFest. Here personal taste won over education, ie watching and listening to a band with whom I had very limited acquaintance. Some may recall that I had spent a bit of time assessing bands before leaving home. Armed with a mental note of the bands that I wanted to see, I attempted to plan my week by making references in the programme. I must say the pocket version of the programme is an exceptionally good idea. Kudos to whoever thought of the format and arranged for it to be printed. Despite the careful planning, I still missed bands that I wanted to see. Offsetting that are the many wonderful surprises that I enjoyed by just making random choices or sitting where I was to see what the next band was like. Ultimately, an attendee has to make the best of what is on offer.

As a ‘once-in-a-life-time’ adventure, it is the elder statesmen of bluegrass that I regret not seeing; Paul Williams, Melvin Goins and JD Crowe come to mind. From the younger generation, I had planned to see/listen to Kody Norris, but‚Ķ didn’t.

The highlight of the week has to be the Awards Show. The atmosphere was electric to start with and it became more super-charged as the evening progressed. With that in mind I make no excuses for having another picture of Dailey & Vincent to illustrate this last Travelogue.

I hope that this series has been as enjoyable to read as it has been for me to compose. Now that vast swathes of the world is feeling the cold, economically, as well as, climatically, I hope that your bluegrass memories of 2008, whether jogged by mine or otherwise, will keep you warm until your next fix of live bluegrass music. Happy Holidays!

Since I have mentioned my lovely, little wife Karen so frequently in these travelogues we thought it would be appropriate to invite her to submit a review as she sees it. So, wait for it ……..coming soon!

bluegrassmercury Travelogue # 12
By Richard F Thompson
Nashville, Tenn. Sunday, October 6

Karen and I spent the day relaxing and sightseeing, starting by the Cumberland River and working our way back up Broadway via First Avenue and Second Avenue.

I was disappointed to find that Fort Nashborough – the name of the first settlement – had been moved from its original site. I guess that it was part of the price of progress.

Although, it was largely a day free from music and, therefore, possibly of little interest to those who want to know about my bluegrass experiences, I found a lot of interest in down-town Nashville, if you look beyond the tackiness of NashVegas.

Viewed from the river, First Avenue looked as though the buildings were used as warehousing for goods landed from staging on the river bank. Viewed from Second Avenue, those same buildings appeared to extend through to the depth of the whole of the block. This prompted me to look closely at the buildings along the way.

The three storey Watkins Block along leafy Second Avenue was built in 1875, the two storey premises now occupied by Hatch Show Print was built in 1880, or thereabouts, and the oldest property in down-town Nashville – 102 Fifth Avenue South – was built about 1816. The Ryman Auditorium was built in 1892 and further out, but within our walking range, the Union Station building, an example of late-Victorian Romanesque Revival architecture, was opened n 1900 and the Hume-Fogg High School, a Tudor Revival building, has parts that date from 1855.

Among these older buildings is a variety of examples of more modern, but nonetheless still interesting, architecture, such as that for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Sommet Centre and the Frist Museum. However, the landscape is dominated by the 32-storey AT& T (a.k.a. Batman) building, completed in August 1994.

For the second time during our stay we had a late lunch at Merchants bar/restaurant on Broadway. This is Karen’s favourite place to eat.

We spent the early part of the evening at the Ford Theatre, at the invitation of Eddie Stubbs for his regular monthly Intimate Evening with ‚Ķ… His guest was Michael Martin Murphey, dubbed the “singing cowboy poet,” from Texas. Murphey who was in the city for an appearance on Saturday (10/4) at the IBMA Fan Fest and delayed his return home to accommodate the interview with Stubbs.

As well as talking to Stubbs, Murphey performed a few of the songs from his forthcoming bluegrass-orientated album Buckaroo Blue Grass on Rural Rhythm Records. He was accompanied by his son, Ryan on guitar; Pat Flynn, of New Grass Revival fame, also playing guitar; and Casey Henry, playing banjo. Among the songs that he performed was his classic Carolina in the Pines.

Following that we took a few photographs, capturing parts of Nashville at night, before returning to our hotel for a snack.

Editor’s note: A photo Richard is featured this week on the front page of WAMU’s Bluegrass Country web site as a part of their bumper sticker promotion. They have posted a number of listener photos with their WAMU bumper stcikers on Flickr.

bluegrassmercury Travelogue # 11
By Richard F Thompson
Nashville, Tenn. Sunday, October 5

Earlier in the week, I had been invited by Bob Webster, WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, to join him while he did his Stained Glass Bluegrass show.

Unlike the schedule for other WAMU transmissions from Nashville that week, Bob’s programme was broadcast at its regular Washington DC time. This caused me some problems with my mental arithmetic. What time was that Nashville time? To cut a long story short – I will say it involved trying to think of the time that the show aired London time – I arrived at the studio on the fourth floor of the Renaissance Hotel an hour early. I knew where my body was, but where my tired mind was I don’t know. In an attempt to wake up, I went to have some breakfast and an essential cup of coffee. I can laugh about it now!

Bob and I chatted about the English man John Newton, who wrote the lyrics to Amazing Grace, the bluegrass scene in the UK and played a couple of appropriate recordings, including the Isaacs’ version of the Newton song.

A little while later, I sat in while Larry Stephenson was interviewed by Bob That was a thrilling experience.

Sunday morning at Fan Fest is devoted to bluegrass Gospel with all but one of the bands scheduled having bluegrass Gospel as their forte or their last album featured sacred music (and sometimes that is one and the same thing).

Unfortunately, we missed seeing Paul Williams & Victory Trio; it was one of the few disappointments of the week. However, David Parmley & Continental Divide; Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Band; The Larry Stephenson Band, with Kristin Scott Benson making one of her last, if not the last, appearance with Larry Stephenson before joining The Grascals; and Don Rigsby & Midnight Call all beautifully sang His praises, just as many do on a Sunday.

With the close of Fan Fest, Karen and I expressed our gratitude to Dan Hays for the way in which the week had passed smoothly and to bid farewell to those who we would not see again, before finding a restaurant in which we could have a relaxed lunch.

We didn’t have very far to go! We can recommend Demo’s at the corner of Third Avenue North and Commerce Street. It served good food, the staff were attentive without being overbearing and the atmosphere was restful, despite the restaurant appearing to be busy.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the sunshine, doing some packing and planning for our last full day in Nashville.

bluegrassmercury Travelogue # 10
By Richard F Thompson
Nashville, Tenn. Saturday, October 4

With tiredness clearly taking its toll on our energy levels, we made a slow start to the day and it wasn’t until about 1:00pm that we went into hall where the Fan Fest Main Stage acts were performing.

Audie Blaylock & Redline, with youngsters Patrick McAvinue and Evan Ward on fiddle and banjo respectively, offered a solid set from the traditional bluegrass mould; NewFound Road, supplemented by a guest fiddler; Circuit Riders; Special Consensus; bluegrass songbird Alicia Nugent; and Williams & Clark Expedition, a quartet with very strong pickers that had piqued my interest from afar. Before taking a break for food – a lovely dish of pork and beans – I traded a few jokes with former Blue Grass Boy Blake Williams.

Fan Fest resumed with Ralph Stanley II, who really tugged at the heartstrings with his rendition of Fred Eaglesmith’s song Carter, a tribute to his late uncle; Ronnie Bowman, who we enjoyed as much as when we saw them at the Station Inn, but what was more noticeable, from a different perspective, was Donica Christensen’s strong right hand on the banjo; Dailey & Vincent; with very young mandolin picker — showing that they had remained down-to-earth after their incredible week of much adulation – as well as treating us to some of their stellar vocals.

During a brief break from the music, there was a presentation to Carl Jackson, who was responsible for organising Fan Fest. It was well deserved recognition for a lot of hard work.

Vince Gill, with Deanie Richardson, Charlie Cushman, Mike Bub and Jeff White providing close support. Gill is smooth-voiced, but his set was bluegrass to my ears, with two songs that he did, Cold Gray Light Of Gone and Go Rest High On That Mountain, remaining in the forefront of my memory. Bradley Walker, [Ken, when are we going to get a second CD from this superb singer?]; Kathy Mattea, showcasing songs from her back-to-basics CD Coal; and The Lonesome River Band closed the Saturday evening portion of Fan Fest.

bluegrassmercury Travelogue # 9
By Richard F Thompson
Nashville, Tenn. Friday, October 3

Fan Fest began this morning, almost 12 hours of bluegrass with little break – officially an hour – if you wanted. This was staged in a very large room next to the Exhibit Hall.

Firstly though, Karen and I had a walk through the Exhibit Hall to see what changes there were as the business conference had ended and new vendors were there pitching their wares. Among the new exhibitors was Kevin Kerfoot and, his wife, Lori, of Bluegrass Music Profiles. Apart from the sample copy in the ‘goody bag’, given to us as part of the registration process, I had not seen this magazine. So we had a look through some earlier editions before purchasing a copy of each that looked interesting and bought some pins of the type that Karen was seeking as gifts for her work colleagues. Later we noticed some similar pins at the Bluegrass Unlimited stand. Our acquisitions there included more gifts and some souvenirs.

Having met Casey Henry earlier in the week, it was an added pleasure to meet her mum, Murphy, and thank her for her help, given freely whenever I had asked in the past.

We joined fellow fans part way through the set by the Infamous Stringdusters, for whom I am taking an increasing liking; followed by the young and immensely talented Sierra Hull & Highway 111; and banjo ace Tony Trischka.

As there was then an interval, we grabbed some food and went to see The Grascals providing a break for the competitors in the Grand Master Fiddler Championship, which was taking place on Level 2.

The Fan Fest schedule resumed with a set from Dale Ann Bradley, who, as the newly-crowned Female Vocalist, was very warmly received by the audience. Following her were fine sets from Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out; the splendidly attired Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; Cherryholmes, who provided some family-style entertainment, by a family, for a family; The Dan Tyminski Band, showcasing songs from his excellent album Wheels; The Grascals (yet again!); and Mountain Heart with Tony Rice closed the show. Rice’s appearance triggered a rush of people to the stage for a closer look at the guitar maestro.

En route to the Grand Ballroom, we enjoyed a very brief set from Josh Williams (yet again!) and, subsequently, from Ralph Stanley II. He has come a long way since he was a youngster at the Edale Bluegrass Festival, singing I Ain’t ‘wost’ with his father.

We were doing very well; tiredness wasn’t that much of a problem at midnight. So, I urged Karen to join me to see and hear The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, assuring her that she would like them. She wasn’t sure, but I was right! They are very entertaining and worth a spot at any bluegrass festival wanting a change from straight bluegrass music for 30 minutes or an hour. The Mark Newton Band, with Carl Jackson accompanying them on guitar, followed; Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time; and, very briefly for us, Cadillac Sky.

By 1:30am tiredness did take over and we left early, content that Saturday would feature yet more top bands.

This one comes to us from Larche Hardy, who serves as News Director for WMBB News 13 in Panama City, FL.

Hardy tells the tail of trying to sleep on a jamming floor in the Renaissance Hotel. He light heartedly describes the jammers on his floor as “persistent and pesky.” He laments the fact that official activities kept him to busy to participate.

Expressing a feeling well known to IBMA attendees, Hardy describes the way he feels late in the week.

By Saturday morning, I was a stranger to myself. I can’t remember the last time I had been so sleep deprived.

After relating stories of sleepless nights, unhelpful hotel staff, and exploding eggs, Hardy closes with this paragraph.

Will I go again next year? Heck yeah! IBMA is the epicenter of bluegrass music and I can’t imagine a life without it.

Read the entire entry here.

bluegrassmercury Travelogue # 8
By Richard F Thompson
Nashville, Tenn. Thursday, October 2

Thursday was dominated by the prize-giving events, a Special Awards Luncheon and, in the evening, The IBMA Awards Show at the Ryman Auditorium.

Firstly though, I attended the Town Hall Meeting, one of about 60 people. There was a lively discussion about a number of issues, including requests for handouts before or at WOB sessions; the structure of showcases, official and unofficial, and their timing; the new strategic plan; Leadership Bluegrass; the International Summit; the impact of US economic downturn; and constituency meetings.

After the meeting Karen and I went up to the Renaissance Ballroom to join others who were already seated at tables ready for the luncheon and awaiting the announcement of the winners of the special awards.

Among the awards given were those to the five individuals or organizations that were, in the eyes of the IBMA, deserving of a Distinguished Achievement Award. Those five were, in order of receipt – Art Menius (presented by Lance LeRoy), Bill Harrell (presented by former band member of Harrell’s, Larry Stephenson), The Banjo Newsletter (presented by Tony Trischka to the Nitchie family, who run the magazine following founder Hub Nitchie’s passing), The Ernest Tubb Record Shop (presented to the current owner of the business, David McCormick, by Eddie Stubbs) and, jointly, Joe Carr and Alan Munde for their work as educators at the
at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, and as musicians (presented to Alan Munde by Mike Bub). More information about these recipients can be found at the IBMA website.

Interspersed with the presentations of the Distinguished Achievement Awards were presentations of some special category awards. The winners this year were, again in order of receipt, my friend Gary B. Reid (presented by Alison Brown) for Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project – The Stanley Brothers: The Definitive Collection (1947-1966), The Stanley Brothers, Time Life. There wasn’t any surprise there; Gary is an undisputed expert on the Stanley Brothers’ music and he writes well. It’s the third time that he has won this particular award.

Following that was the announcement that Greg Carr and Sarah Holman had won the Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project award for What The, Pete Wernick & Flexigrass, Niwot Records. Chris Stuart won the Print Media Person of the Year award (presented by last year’s winners, Brance and John, hosts of this website). Stuart’s award is extremely well merited in my opinion.

The Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year award was won by Kyle Cantrell of Bluegrass Junction, XM Satellite Radio, (presented by fellow DJ Chris Jones). I was hoping that Katy Daley would have got that particular prize. But, being in England, I don’t listen to XM Satellite Radio.

Lastly, there was the award for Bluegrass Event of the Year – won by the 29th Annual Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival; Brunswick, Maine; Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2007 (presented by Bob Cornett and received by Patti Crocker).

We had another quick wander around the Exhibit Hall to see if we had missed anything or anybody.

So, since we had an invitation to attend the pre-awards show party we headed to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, four blocks away, to get ‘dolled up.’

The party was lots of fun; we spent most of our time taking pictures, rather than eating what we selected from a fine buffet. Lots of people were dressed in their finest clothes and well-perfumed.

The Awards Show began promptly at 8:30pm with The Steep Canyon Rangers singing their excellent hit song, Loving Pretty Women, and joined towards the end of the performance by three female clog dancers. Great entertainment from the start. The show was hosted this year by one of the stalwarts of bluegrass, Del McCoury, who introduced Seirra Hull and Ron Block to announce the winners of Emerging Artist; Dailey & Vincent.

Following that, Barry Bales was presented with the award for the top bass player of the year. Thereafter there was a musical interlude with performances by Blue Highway, singing Through The Window Of A Train, and The Grascals, with their ‘grassified’ version of Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line.

Then Terry Baucom and Sonya Isaacs announced the winner of the Gospel Performance award; By The Mark, written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and performed by Dailey & Vincent. The presentation of the Fiddle Player of the Year award to Michael Cleveland was followed by a performance by the Steel Drivers’ favorite Drinking Dark Whisky.

Claire Lynch joined Larry Cordle on stage to announce the winner of the Instrumental Album of the Year; Andy Hall’s Sound Of The Slide Guitar and followed that by presenting the award for the top banjo to Kristin Scott Benson. Hearty congratulations are very much in order here, as she is only the second female to capture this particular prize. Very well done!

A nominee for Entertainer of the Year award, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver played a tribute to some of those in bluegrass music in the past 60 years or so with Monroe’s Mandolin.

Although they were not present on stage, the winners of the Distinguished Merit awards were all acknowledged at this point.

The entertainment continued with a performance by The Del McCoury Band of the topical Moneyland. Given the recessionary period in which we are in currently, was the writing and recording of this song prescient also?

Next, the members of the Swedish group G2 Bluegrass Band got to open the envelope to tell the world that the winner of the Recorded Event of the Year was Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother, which featured Everett Lilly, a few members of the Lilly family and their many friends. Following that they announced that Josh Williams had won the Guitar Player of the Year award.

One of the highlights of the evening was the performance by Dailey & Vincent of the award-winning song By The Mark. This was followed by the acknowledgment of the winners of the special awards, presented at lunch time.

At this point, Alecia Nugent and Bradley Walker announced the winner of Female Vocalist; Dale Ann Bradley, who was already the queen of bluegrass, having won this same award last year. Subsequently the duo heralded the already nine-times winner of the Dobro ® Player of the Year; Rob Ickes.

An audience favorite, the Dan Tyminski Band came on stage and sang the Patrick McDougal song and the title track from their 2008 CD release, Wheels.

Another of the highlights of the evening was the introduction of the first of the two inductions into the IBMA Hall of Fame, namely to the late Charles K Wolfe. The honor was acknowledged by his brother, Gary, accompanied by Wolfe’s wife and two daughters.

Carrie Hassler and Josh Williams announced two awards, firstly for Male Vocalist, with the winner not being a great surprise; a very emotional Jamie Dailey, and then that for the Mandolin Player of the Year; Adam Steffey.

Next there was a performance by The Infamous Stringdusters of Three Days In July, a great song about the Civil War battle at Gettysburg written by Jon Weisberger and Mark Simos.

Following that, Kathy Mattea and Tony Trischka announced the winners of the Song of the Year award won by Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford for Through The Window Of A Train as recorded by Blue Highway. Then for the Instrumental Group; Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper.

Eddie Stubbs returned to the stage to honour the second inductee of the night to the Hall of Fame, the original bluegrass ambassador, Bill Clifton. During the introduction we had the pleasure of listening to a short medley of some of Clifton’s best recorded work. Since there had been an International Summit during the week, honoring Clifton at this time was a masterstroke, coincidental or not.

My great friends Lynn Morris and Marshall Wilborn announced the winners of the Album of the Year award and the winners were Dailey & Vincent for their eponymous release. Dailey and Vincent were called back immediately to receive Vocal Group of the Year. It wasn’t the last time that they were to return to stage!

At this point Dale Ann Bradley gave a stellar performance of Julia Belle, the Chris Stuart song written for the banjo player in his band, Backcountry, Janet Beazley.

Vince Gill announced the winner of Entertainer of the Year award, after quipping that it was “a good year to be called Vincent.” Inevitably, I think, the prize went to Dailey & Vincent.

Del McCoury closed with a comment and to introduce a finale from Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, who played a medley in a tribute to the Holy Trinity of bluegrass music.

As can be seen above Dailey & Vincent took an unprecedented six awards. Was the acclamation louder with each award that they received? Maybe, it was unrestrained at the announcement of the Entertainer of the Year award.

And so to party …. Since Karen and I were celebrating our 32nd wedding anniversary we thought that we would mark the occasion with a drink. Thus we ventured into the bar of the Renaissance Hotel, had a couple of glasses of wine each and enjoyed listening to the jammers, chatting and enjoying the craic.

Moonshiner (translated page) is the premier bluegrass and acoustic music magazine in Japan. Featuring product reviews, interviews, and lots of articles about vintage and custom instruments, the magazine has long been the source for information to those who live in Japan and are fascinated by bluegrass music.

This 301st issue features some familiar cover art for anyone who paid attention to this year’s IBMA World of Bluegrass. It seems our friend Robert Yonke has gone international with his art!

bluegrassmercury Travelogue # 7
By Richard F Thompson
Nashville, Tenn. Wednesday, October 1

Today’s activities meant that I didn’t have to rise as early as yesterday, but I had to have my wits about me if I was going to benefit from the mentor sessions that I had booked.

My first session was with Ted Lehmann and Dobro ¬Æ player Mike Witcher, both there for tips on photography, rather than writing. I remember that Ted was rather envious of my 200mm lens, but it was interesting to see some samples of his photographic work. Witcher’s work includes the picture on the cover of the Lonesome River Band CD ‘No Turning Back’; their latest release.

Jon Weisberger had a look at some of my writing from the 1980’s and 1990’s and we had a very good in-depth chat about writing and interviewing people. Weisberger has just released his first solo CD, If This Road Could Talk. The common factor is Weisberger wrote or co-wrote all 12 songs; rather than having him sing on all tracks, he plays upright bass.

Deb Bledsoe and Caroline Wright (both of Bluegrass Now magazine) guided me through the styles suitable for the Internet contrasting that with those for the printed page.

Although each session was short, I came away with some very good food for thought.

In a break in my session schedule I was able to have brief chat with Jamie Dailey, telling him that I expected him to be taking home lots of awards on Thursday night. Isn’t fortune telling easy?

The showcase brunch began at 11:00am, so Karen and I met and waited to be directed to a table. I was absolutely delighted to find already seated there another long-time friend, the lovely Penny Parsons, who was next to Mark Freeman of Rebel Records. I hadn’t seen either earlier in the week. It was great to see Penny again.

Brunch was good and I had my first taste of Moon Pies; delicious, but fattening.

The bands showcasing at this time were the incredibly slim Alecia Nugent, Sawmill Road, a Nevada-based group led by Steve Spurgin, and Lonesome River Band. I noticed Valery Smith, Miss Dixie Hall, Pete Kuykendall, Ken Irwin, John Sheldon (of the Scottish Bluegrass Music Association), John and Brance, and Shin Akimoto all enjoying the entertainment, apparently as much as we did at our table.

Before leaving England I enquired of Mike Lawing of the International Bluegrass Music Museum (in Owensboro) whether he would be in Nashville at the same time as me and whether would like me take some old copies of British Bluegrass News magazine with me to Nashville. He was very receptive to the suggestion. Now, about 40 magazines are heavy and I had been carrying them since I left the hotel! So, at this point my main objective was to see whether he was at the IBMM booth in the Exhibit Hall. He wasn’t there, but Gabrielle Gray was. Initially, she was unclear about what I had for her, but sat down together and told her about the magazines as she made notes. I was taken aback by her statement that those who make donations to the IBMM are made members for a year. Aren’t bluegrass people so very gracious?

We decided to have a meal in Commerce Street Grille, which is actually part of the Renaissance Hotel. Having had lots of snacks during the week, it was a welcome change. Our choice was enhanced remarkably when we noticed two fellow diners; Lynn Morris and her husband, Marshall Wilborn, both long-standing friends. We were delighted to see that Lynn was well enough to participate in the Awards Show the following evening.

The evening official showcases featured The Farewell Drifters, Balsam Range, Blue Highway and Kathy Mattea. Disappointingly, Ernie Thacker was not well enough to play a set, but Special Consensus filled in admirably.

At the after hours showcases we enjoyed sets by Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass; Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper; Josh Williams Band; Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out; Don Rigsby & Midnight Call; Audie Blaylock & Redline; Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein; and Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice. I guess that you can tell where my preferences in bluegrass music lie.

One of the highlights of the evening – and it comes under the category of being in the right place at the right time – was Gaudreau and Klein’s rendition of a Bill Clifton song When You Kneel At Mother’s Grave, dedicated to an enraptured Clifton, who was in the audience.

For the second night running we missed seeing Steep Canyon Rangers. Oh well! Another day?

bluegrassmercury – Travelogue #6

by Richard F Thompson

Nashville, Tenn Tuesday, September 30

Karen and I woke early to another wonderfully hot, sunny day with only a few clouds in the sky, thinking that late nights aren’t a problem. Learning quickly, we stoked up with breakfast and I set off to sign up for some mentor sessions, leaving Karen to attend to some very important technical tasks such as download yesterday’s photographs and re-charging camera batteries. Teamwork, just like with a well-oiled bluegrass band!

I was able to book an appointment for three Mentor Sessions, each giving me the opportunity to talk to experts in my chosen subjects, writing and photography.

My next ‘appointment’ was in the Music City Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel to observe proceedings at the International Summit. I spent a good two hours learning about bluegrass music as it has developed around the world. The 29 participants reviewed the history of the music, swapping facts at a fast lick. Effectively, they were building a solid foundation from which to move on. As is often said to students of bluegrass, “You can’t go forward if you don’t know where you have been.”

After introducing myself to Fred Bartenstein, who has helped me with information or a comment so many times in the past, I left them to enjoy lunch; it had been a long session for them, having started at 8:30am.

Karen and I grabbed a sandwich and a drink and took a moment to reflect, before heading to the Print Media and Education constituency meeting, where we got to meet our new board representative, Craig Havighurst, who was taking over from Stephanie Ledgin. Stephanie was there to ensure the smooth transition of duties.

From there I visited the Exhibit Hall where we splashed the cash by buying a stack of CDs and DVDs. Well bluegrass music reminds me of warm summertime breezes, a perfect antidote to the long, dark and cold winter nights that will be here very soon. On some DVDs you can even see the summertime sun!

Up on Level 2 (the Exhibit Hall is down on Level 1, for those that have never been to the Nashville Convention Centre) Sierra Hull, Cia Cherryholmes and Ron Block were hosts to a quickly rotating roster of bluegrass songwriters. I remember seeing Louisa Branscombe and Keith Harden & Rick Alan Carpenter. Each of the hosts performed one of their own songs.

Back in the Renaissance ballroom activity resumed with the evening’s artists showcases (8:30pm to 11:00pm). Leading off was the fine Italian quintet, Red Wine; with former country singer and songwriter Donna Ulisse and her band; the Charlie Sizemore Band, performing many of the great songs from his much heralded recent CD release, Good News; Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice; and the effervescent Valerie Smith with her fiddle-playing band-mate Becky Buller, with whom Ms. Smith has a new album, Here’s A Little Song.

Karen made a forlorn attempt to see and hear Dailey & Vincent, but too many people had the same idea and she could barely hear the band let alone see them. So she joined me in enjoying Country Current retiree Frank Solivan with his band, Dirty Kitchen; the very recently formed Summertown Road, resplendently dressed from head to toe in black; David Peterson & His Old Time Country Review, providing an alternative to bluegrass music with a classic country music act; the show stealing Gold Heart, with some very mature music that belied their predominantly very youthful ages; the Claire Lynch Band, whose set of swing numbers was interrupted by a broken guitar string, thus providing Mark Schatz an opportunity to ham bone Get Along Home, Cindy. Great entertainment!

Larry Cordle/Carl Jackson/Jerry Salley closed the evening’s entertainment for us with some of their fine original songs.

If you missed them earlier, these are videos we shot during the pre-awards show party at the 2008 IBMA convention on October 2. Katy Daley of WAMU’s Bluegrass Country was our charming hostess and she spoke briefly with many of the bluegrass stars before they headed into The Ryman for the big show.

It was fun to see our favorite artists dressed to kill and taking a turn on The Bluegrass Blog Red Carpet.

Here are direct links to the videos:

• Red Carpet interview #1 – Dailey & Vincent, Cadillac Sky
• Red Carpet interview #2 – Del McCoury, Dan Tyminski
• Red Carpet interview #3 – Eddie & Martha Adcock, Chris Eldridge
• Red Carpet interview #4 – G2, Missy Raines
• Red Carpet interview #5 – Russell Moore, Josh Williams
  
• See all 5 Red Carpet interviews

You can see all of our IBMA 2008 videos by following this link.

So here’s the question. Did you watch the recent videos we posted? Did you enjoy them? Would you like to see more? (OK that was three questions!)

[poll:10]

If you have any ideas for video features you’d like to see, we’d be interested in your ideas (just leave a comment on this post). We can’t promise you we’ll do them, but if there is enough interest, we’re considering making videos a regular feature here on The Bluegrass Blog.

In this episdoe: The Steeldrivers, Russell Moore, Josh Williams, and David Grier.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video is brought to you in part, by Huber Banjos.

We had a blast with these Red Carpet videos and we’d like to thank our hostess Katy Daley for making the red carpet experience so enjoyable. Until next year…

In this episdoe: G2 Bluegrass Band, Alan Bartram (Del McCoury Band), Danny Roberts (Grascals), Missy Raines, and Steve Gully & Alan Bibey of Grasstowne.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video is brought to you in part, by Huber Banjos.

In this episdoe: Eddie & Martha Adcock, Chris Jones & Ned Luberecki, Adam Steffey, Alecia Nugent, Terry & Cindy Baucom, Danny Paisley, and Chris Eldridge.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video is brought to you in part, by Huber Banjos.

This is a somewhat unusual instrument. It’s a Knilling Thinline Jazz Bass. It looks much the same as any other upright bass, only much thinner.

The store where I bought it has a number on the Bass of 67188. I am not sure if that is the model number or the Serial number. It has some dings around the bottom edge of the back of the bass and some nicks on the Scroll. It also was equipped with a Realist pickup.

The bass was in a gig bag case when it was stolen.

Here are a couple photos of Bryan playing the instrument to give you an idea of what it looks like and where some of the dings he’s talking about are located.

You’ll see Del McCoury, Dan Tyminski, Nicky Sanders (Steep Canyon Rangers), Pete & Kitsy Kuykendall, Larry & Dreama Stephenson, Nancy Cardwell of IBMA, and Casey Henry, all grace our Red Carpet. Enjoy…

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video is brought to you in part, by Huber Banjos.

A few weeks before the event, Katy Daley, of BluegrassCountry.org, approached us with the idea of doing a Red Carpet event and offering the video footage here on The Bluegrass Blog. We loved the idea, and so did all the bluegrass artists who stopped by our red carpet during the pre-show reception.

Each day this week we’ll be publishing another episode of the Red Carpet videos. Here’s the first installment…

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video is brought to you in part, by Huber Banjos.

His speech addressed two main themes: that the period when bluegrass music emerged was a time of uncertainly in the music business, and that many parallels could be drawn between the development of bebop jazz and bluegrass music in the 1940s and ’50s.

An ASCAP strike in 1941 meant that radio and TV were prohibited from using most compositions and the composers were not being paid royalties. An AFM strike in 1942-43 meant that instrumental musicians were largely out of work. The jukebox was seen as a disruptive technology that might well destroy the market for live performance. Some estimates are that as many as half the working musicians quit. Big bands which had been ascendant took a body blow and never fully recovered.

Out of the rubble of this period the vocalists (who were not covered by the AFM strike by the way) got the upper hand on the bandleaders and have ruled popular music ever since—Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee and Nat King Cole sold an unprecedented number of records in the immediate post-war period.

Be-bop, with its radical harmonic and rhythmic complexity emerged from the work of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk and others who had been creating this innovative new sound in New York City under the cloud cover of the recording ban.

At almost the same moment, Bill Monroe added Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs to his Blue Grass Boys, juiced up the tempos, tightened up the strings and let fly. And a new genre in American music was born.

You can read the address in its entirety online.

Brown also spoke with us just after delivering this speech on September 29, and the video of that interview is posted below. He condenses the content of his longer address, and discusses what Berklee has been doing with bluegrass music of late.

Click here to view the embedded video.