Geez… It seems like everyone in bluegrass but me and Brance are heading for Europe this summer.

Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe are in Holland and Norway this week with five shows scheduled.

• Wednesday July 9 - Turfschip, Nieuwkoop
• Thursday July 10th - Nordfjord Folkemuseum, SANDANE (Norway)
• Friday July 11th- Private Event
• Saturday July 12th - Little White Church in REED
• Saturday July 12th - Norsk Country Treff

Do you love bluegrass music and have a creative, artistic streak? If so, Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe are hoping you’ll enter their T-shirt and logo design contest.

The contest ends on April 30, and winners will receive prizes including $200 in GHS strings and signed band merchandise.

This is actually two separate contests - t-shirt and band logo - but multiple entries are acceptable in either.

You’ll find all the details and contest rules online.

UPDATE 4/29:  I just got a note from Rick Briggs, banjo picker with Santa Fe, with some band news of note.

“We’re announcing two new members of Jimmy Bown & Santa Fe: Bobby Nicholas (of the ‘Sidemen’) on guitar and Ollie O’Shea on fiddle, both of Nashville.

The first performance of the reformed band will be at the Mountaineer Opry House in Milton, WV this Saturday night.”

In addition to plugging away on the bluegrass circuit, we understand that mandolinist, vocalist and band leader Jimmy Bowen is shopping a country project to record companies in Nashville.

Steve Brooks mentioned recently in his Music Biz and Broadcast Beat column in Country Music Report that…

Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe are working with Music Row maven Gary Lamb to land a record deal. Word has it that Big Machine Records is giving Bowen’s new album a spin to see what develops. I’ve listened to the album…and it’s good.

Bowen’s group, Santa Fe, includes Rick Briggs on banjo, Daniel Dingeldein Ron Lane on guitar and Blake Bowen on bass. All the members play a variety of instruments, and can perform in either a bluegrass or country format.