Greg McGrath

2020 IBMA Showcase Applications

18 Jan, 20 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The IBMA Official Showcase applications open on 3rd February and remain open until 29th February.

Performers selected for the Showcase will have the opportunity to perform on multiple stages during the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble and IBMA Business Conference. With countless stages and thousands of attendees, this is the premier platform to share your music with talent buyers, industry leaders, and fellow world-class musicians during IBMA World of Bluegrass 2020.

Who Should Apply?

IBMA celebrates a diverse lineup of artists/bands from all over the world playing across the stylistic spectrum. Emerging acts, established acts with new music or personnel, and bluegrass legends come together to create a well-rounded music experience. The bottom line is, no matter where you are from, what style of bluegrass you play, or where you are in your career, if you are ready to get your music out to bluegrass lovers, the official IBMA showcase opportunity is for you.

How To Apply

All applications will be completed online (click here). Up to 30 artists/bands will be selected to participate in the Official Showcases.

Materials you will need to provide include:
Contact information
At least one (1) studio recorded track (mp3 format)
High resolution Artist/Band photo
Stage Plot
Payment information
A bio including location, band personnel, and note of any recent press or music releases.

All applicants are required to submit a $25 fee to help defray selection process costs. If invited to participate as an official showcase artist/band, there is an additional fee of $500 to offset costs of services and showcase production.

The Official Showcase Package

If selected, artists/bands will receive two (2) showcase opportunities plus the following:

Full conference registration package for performers (value $1000+)
Priority access to Gig Fair appointments
Complimentary Exhibit Hall booth space (value $700+)
Up to three (3) Individual Memberships (value $225+)
Featured promotion on IBMA social media channels ahead of the events
Featured profile in conference program, schedules, and mobile app
Featured pre-event promotion to DJs and talent buyers via our IBMA Bluegrass Ramble playlists on Noisetrade and Spotify

Bluegrass Music Introduced to US Schools

15 Jan, 20 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum has announced the Bluegrass Assemblies program. This program is introduced into local elementary (primary) schools and is led by the Hall of Fame’s education director, Randy Lanham. The program will feature bluegrass bands from Glenville State College in West Virginia and East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. As part of the Bluegrass in the Schools (BITS) initiative, the assemblies are presented to further the Hall of Fame’s mission of education in bluegrass music. The programs will occur in elementary schools within Daviess County Public Schools, Owensboro Public Schools, and Owensboro Catholic Schools.

The school-wide assembly programs are made possibly in part by the Michael E. Horn Family Foundation, the Lester E. Yeager Charitable Trust, and Champion Ford Lincoln Owensboro.

Students from Glenville State College are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Bluegrass Music and have experience leading educational programs designed for students. The university worked with the Hall of Fame in 2019 at ROMP Fest assisting with workshops and performing for visitors downtown. Megan Darby, Director of the program at GSC commented, “It’s an incredible honor to collaborate and work alongside Chris Joslin, Randy Lanham, and everyone at the Hall of Fame. What the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum is doing aligns perfectly with the Glenville State College Bluegrass Program’s mission.”

Students from East Tennessee State University are working toward a BA in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies. The director of the ETSU program, Dan Boner said, “The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum reflects all that we love about bluegrass music. There is great respect for all of those who have shaped our music through history, and a strong sense of community and sharing through education. We are so proud to join the Hall of Fame by taking bluegrass into Kentucky’s schools.”

Accompanied by the Hall of Fame’s education director, Randy Lanham, the university bands are set to perform for all elementary students in Daviess County, in both public and private school systems, with Glenville State College students featured the week of January 6 and ETSU students leading the week of January 13. The goal of the program is to educate children about the history of bluegrass music and to encourage budding musicians to enroll in the Saturday Lesson Program at the Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame’s Saturday Lesson Program begins February 8th meeting every other Saturday through the end of June. The lessons focus on fiddle, guitar, banjo, and mandolin and are offered at an affordable rate, which includes a free instrument loan if needed based upon availability. Registration also includes a t-shirt and the opportunity to perform on the main stage at ROMP Festival in June. The fee for the entire session of Saturday Lessons is $90, and $50 for each additional family member. Parents are encouraged to take lessons alongside their children. Lessons are available to anyone age six to adult, no previous skills required.

KiwiGrass 2020

14 Jan, 20 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

Kiwigrass – New Zealand’s National Bluegrass Festival.

Kiwigrass is set for 31st Jan to 2nd Feb 2020. In addition to an outstanding line-up of music concerts there will also be great food on hand, with the Podium Café providing meals, ice creams, and coffee. And food trucks: Roam Catering and Greek Souvlaki are returning and will be joined this year by the lovely ladies of the Beach Hutt.

Inside the Sir Don Rowlands Centre, you will find Peter Madill and Johan van der Gaag in the luthiers room with their wares on display, along with a selection of musical necessities from Shearer’s Music of Hamilton. The luthier room will also be the site of the instrument care and repair workshops on Saturday.

Check out the Festival Program here.

Kiwigrass is not just for bluegrass lovers by the way. Lake District Adventures will be at the venue between 10:00am and 4:00pm on Saturday and Sunday with mountain bike and kayak rentals for folks who would like to get out and get out on the water or explore the Te Awa River Trail.

If you haven’t done so already, now is a good time to book your camping site at Lake Karapiro. The campground is very comfortable, with level, marked out sites, and clean, up-to-date facilities. They’ve got plenty of powered and unpowered sites still available.

There is still a variety of AirBnB options, quite a lot of which are reasonably priced and close to the venue. If you’re having trouble finding something, check in with Karina at the Cambridge iSite, and she’ll sort you out.

Auckland Folk Festival

Look for the KiwiGrass folk at the Auckland Folk Festival over Auckland Anniversary Weekend. We’ll be in the white marquee right near the main entrance with the Kiwigrass banner and Pipi Pickin’ Parlour sign. Stop in for a chat or a jam.

Some Cajun From Les Saules Pleureurs

11 Jan, 20 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

One of the great things I enjoy about hosting the AustralianBluegrass.com.au is the many opportunities to see and hear new artists. I came across this duo this week who are seeking some publicity for their latest releases Wine Straight From The Bottle and Sadness. due out 4th February 2020.

Sadness and Wine Straight From the Bottle will be available on very limited edition 7″ vinyl (just 20 copies individually cut on a lathe in the UK) and download.

Listen and to and share the songs here:

With Robert Paul (Severed Limb) on vocals, guitar and double bass, and Sophie Loyer (Urban Voodoo Machine) on violin, Les Saules Pleureurs (pronounced Lay Soul Plurer) have been playing their own brand of stripped-back country and Cajun in London for the past decade. Sam Soper produced the session, also adding lap-steel guitar.

These are songs about sadness or even depression. But we wanted them to be consoling, to give a feeling of not being alone. It took me a long time to realise it’s okay to reach out to people when you’re feeling low and there’s no shame in that – Robert Paul.

Kristy Cox – No Headlights

11 Jan, 20 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Mountain Fever Records has announced the third single and title track from the upcoming new album from Kristy Cox. The single, No Headlights is now available.

Australian Golden Guitar winner and all around bluegrass favorite, Kristy Cox, brings yet another incredible song to bluegrass fans. No Headlights was written by Liz Hengber, Tammy Rogers, and Jerry Salley. Kristy’s delivery is perfect as she sings the tale of a friend who vows to make sure her friend is never abused again. It’s dark, it’s sassy – the perfect song for Kristy to sing.

The track features Kristy Cox with lead vocal, Jason Roller on guitar and fiddle, Mike Bub on bass, Justin Moses on mandolin and resonator guitar, Aaron McDaris on banjo, and Tammy Rogers and Jerry Salley with harmony vocals.

Kristy’s last album, Ricochet debuted as a Billboard #1 in 2018. Those who have listened to her new album, due out on February 28th, agree this project will be no different.

How the superstar singer, songwriter, small business owner, and mother of two does it, is mystery to the common human, but Kristy waltzes through her life with a joy and energy that is nothing short of addicting. Enjoy her single, No Headlights today and look for her new album with the same name out 28th February.

The Sad Reality of Bluegrass

5 Jan, 20 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

Hey Ozzie,
My friends (not musicians) tell me that the bluegrass songs I sing are too dark for them. They say bluegrass is a sad genre, often about bad people. Are they right?

Ozzie:
I think they’re being too hard on the music. Sure Poor Ellen Smith is a song about a woman shot through the heart lying cold on the ground. And yes, Lost and I’ll Never Find a Way is about a manic depressive. I agree that ‘Gold Watch and Chain’ is about a lover dumping his girl at the wharf and sailing away never to think of her again. And it’s true that Jesse James is about a psychopathic killer. Recall Wildwood flower? It’s an agonising song about a boy who promises a pretty virgin that he’ll always be true then dumps her at the first opportunity, and she swears vengeance. Then there’s Bill Monroe’s classic, My Last Days on Earth is all about his fear of death. That black man’s moan, Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad might be all about slavery, but white boys still suffer too, as that bouncy little number Pain in My Heart explains.

But there are compensations in the repertoire. For example, We Live in Two Different Worlds is a jaunty piece about a man who realises that he and his girlfriend are so different morally, ethically and financially, that they must split up before the real damage occurs. All he suffers is a badly broken heart and a lifetime of mourning regret. Or there’s that all-round classic All the Good Times are Dead and Gone about a man so blue he looks like he’s been out on the freezing ice pack all night in only a pair of jocks. Of course, you’ve got to choose your stuff carefully. Search for happy stuff. Pig in a Pen is popular, but keep it away from social media. That bit about the guy wanting a pretty little girl to hang around and feed his pig while he’s gone might prompt a bit of negative chatter.

35th Illawarra Folk Festival Program

23 Dec, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The 35th Illawarra Folk Festival scheduled for 16th to 19th Jan 2020 is now just 5 weeks away.

Festival organisers have amassed some 150 acts from all over the world and Australia to provide four exciting summer days of folk, world, roots, bluegrass, gypsy and Celtic music, as well as poetry, comedy and dance.

2020 will herald a new era of new emerging and established acts. The Illawarra Folk Festival has been renowned for recognising new talent but also not forgetting its traditional folk roots.

Early Bird 4 Day Tickets will close midnight 23 December to save $70 on the full price here.

The 72 page full colour 2020 Illawarra Folk Festival souvenir program includes all the artist biographies, images, program grids, Folk School, Music Train, Festival help guide and is ready to view online.

Hard copies will be available at the festival for $2.

You can also download and print the program pdf here.

High On a Mountain – Fontanna Sunset

22 Dec, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

People talk about staples in the industry, veterans of the business, so on and so forth all the time. With Frances Mooney, nothing could be closer to the truth. Her history in bluegrass and country music runs deep and wide and her sweet soul has touched many lives for more than four decades. Now with a band backing her, that she claims she has waited her whole career to have come together, they have released the first single from their forthcoming album, High On A Mountain, written by David Stewart.

Fontanna Sunset is comprised of Frances Mooney on bass; Rickey Rakestraw on guitar; Matthew Mundy on mandolin; Brian Morgan on banjo, and Glen Crain on resonator guitar. All of the members hail from Georgia, except, Crain, who is as close to the Georgia border as South Carolina can get.

High On A Mountain had a great story behind the inspiration of the song, coming to David Stewart as he pulled over on the side of the road and sat gazing out at the beauty of Big Horn Mountains one evening on his drive home where he lives near Buffalo, WY. In fact, Frances loved the story so much that she added a stop on her summer vacation to visit with Stewart in Wyoming and have him take her to that very spot. She even visited with her husband, and performed, at the famed, historic Occidental Hotel, where David Stewart is the Proprietor. Frances and her husband recently shared the band’s new single with long time friends Emory Gordy and Patty Loveless, who had this to say about the music:

For those fans, as we are, who have followed Fontanna Sunset over the years, you’re in for a treat. This set of songs is the culmination of hard work and dedication that they have honed toward perfection over the years. Listen and enjoy – Emory Gordy and Patty Loveless.

Since 1975, Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame Member, Frances Mooney has traveled and played music on stage with the likes of former Bluegrass Boy and Goins Brothers band member Danny Jones, and recorded with greats like Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill, and also is a founding member of the IBMA Award winning, Daughters of Bluegrass. The band where she got her start, The Bluegrass Generation was recognized by the Governor, as Kentucky Colonels. Frances later formed Cherokee Rose, one of the first all female bluegrass bands to the circuit, setting forth an example that little did she know then would become so very prominent in the years to come. In 1981, she formed the popular Indian Summer, a band that would perform for many years, winning awards and gracing Nashville stages, like the Station Inn, Opryland and more. The highlight for Indian Summer came in October 1990, when the band was invited by the Chinese Government to Shanghai, China to perform for the Grand Portman Hotel representing the music of the United States of America.

Fontanna Sunset was officially born, in 1998, with long time friends, Mindy Rakestraw and Brenda Nation. Acclaimed singer/songwriter, Louisa Branscomb was also a member of the band in the early years. Since then, and after many member changes and sound evolutions, Fontanna Sunset has come forth with what they feel is a great reflection of their flavor and blend of bluegrass and country music.

The full album, titled Wild and Free, will release in early 2020. Stay tuned online with Fontanna Sunset for all the details.

2020 Leadership Bluegrass Class Announced

20 Dec, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has announced the 2020 class of Leadership Bluegrass, an intensive three-day program of advanced-level interactive learning experiences designed to build commitment, motivate talents, and instill enthusiasm for addressing the future of the bluegrass music industry.

Since its inception in 2000, Leadership Bluegrass boasts more than 400 graduates, and each year a small group of skilled industry professionals are invited to take part in this one-of-a-kind experience.

This year’s Leadership Bluegrass class is as strong as any I’ve seen. The large number of diverse and high-quality applicants is quite a statement about the impressive qualifications of those selected and the reputation of the program. Our association’s mission is to connect, educate, and empower bluegrass professionals, and IBMA’s Leadership Bluegrass continues to be one of the most important professional development programs in the bluegrass music industry. Participation in this class and future alumni activities is an impactful commitment to one’s career, the IBMA, and the bluegrass community. Congratulations to the Class of 2020 – IBMA Executive Director Paul Schiminger.

The members of the class of 2020 are:
(name/affiliation/hometown)

Jake Blount Washington, D.C.	David Brower PineCone / WUNC Carrboro, NC
Thomas Cassell Circus No. 9 Johnson City, TN	Ethan Charles International Bluegrass Music Association Nashville, TN
Jennifer Danielson Pandora Nashville, TN	Worth Dixon D’Addario & Company, Inc. Farmingdale, NY
Rick Faris Special Consensus Topeka, KA	Rebecca Frazier Rebecca Frazier and Hit & Run Nashville, TN
Greg Garrison Leftover Salmon / University of Colorado – Denver Lakewood, CO	Dave Howard Louisville Folk School Louisville, KY
Fred Knittel Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Washington, D.C.	Marianne Kovatch Blue Ridge Music Center Winton-Salem, NC
Evie Ladin Evie Ladin Band Oakland, CA	Michelle Lee WOBL / Bluegrass Borderline / Smoked Country Jam Sheffield Lake, OH
Ed Leonard Billy Blue Records Hendersonville, TN	Ned Luberecki Becky Buller Band / SiriusXM Nashville, TN
Didier Philippe La Roche Bluegrass Festival Etaux, France	Lauren Price Napier The Price Sisters Hyden, KY
Angela Sommers Rees Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival Dorrigo, NSW, Australia	Brian Swenk Big Daddy Love / Midwood Entertainment Glen Allen, VA
Abi Tapia Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Nashville, TN	Suzy Thompson Berkeley Old Time Music Convention Berkeley, CA
Amanda Thompson Frankfort Bluegrass Festival Mokena, IL	Roxanne Tromly Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum / ROMP Fest Owensboro, KY
Natalya Weinstein Miller Zoe & Cloyd / Warren Wilson College Fairview, NC	Benjamin Wright Henhouse Prowlers / Bluegrass Ambassadors Chicago, IL

Leadership Bluegrass 2020 will take place from 2nd to 4th March, at BMI in Nashville. The course will be facilitated by Kathy Hanson and is made possible through the generous support of its Platinum Sponsors: BMI and Williams Mullen.

Darin and Brooke Aldridge Streaming on Crook and Chase.

19 Dec, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Released 17th Dec, 2019 • 35 min – Now Streaming.

Darin and Brooke Aldridge, award-winning husband and wife entertainers, share their story of love and music as they begin their journey into superstardom. Brooke is now a three-time Female Vocalist award winner from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Darin has already received the IMBA’s coveted Mentor Award for using his extraordinary talents to cultivate the gifts of more than 1,000 aspiring singers and musicians. A seemingly low-key and seriously talented couple, Darin and Brooke explode with personality and unexpected humor on-stage AND at the microphones with Crook & Chase.