Australian Bluegrass News

Bluegrass Music Now Eligible in TSA Competition

16 Aug, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

We have just been advised that the Tamworth Songwriters Association songwriting competition is now open for entries and will close on 7th October 2018.

This year organisers have restructured the various categories and given Bluegrass Music its own section. It no longer matters whether songs entered in the competition have been released or not all are eligible.

Visit www.songcentral.net.au/tsa for more information and to enter.

Lyrics Only- open section
Traditional – Bev Daniel Commemorative Award- open section
Bluegrass – open section
Gospel/Spiritual – open section
Country Rock – open section
Country Ballad – open section
Country Blues -open section
Alt. Country – open section
Novice – only unreleased material from a writer/team of which all the members have never won a songwriting contest and are not released/published writers.

ANZAC – open section
Youth – John P Toomey Commemorative Award for under 18 entrants. U18 as at close of competition date.
Comedy/Novelty- The Geoff Mack Commemorative Award – open section
APRA AMCOS/ TSA New Songwriter of the Year- date restricted for first ever commercial release.
Country Song of The Year of the YEAR – No entries are received for this section. The winner is selected from any section by a panel appointed by the TSA.

Also TSA newsletter is on the TSA website www.tsaonline.com.au.
Any questions on anything email tamsongwriters@gmail.com.

Blue Ridge Broadcasters Head to MountainGrass 2018

11 Aug, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Start with some of the most hard-driving and blue ribbon winning younger old-time musicians on the scene. Add their time spent visiting and learning at the feet of older masters. Combine a love of tradition with a desire to create fresh, meaningful old-time music, and you get the Blue Ridge Broadcasters.

Comprised of some of the most inspiring, innovative, and engaging young musicians on the old-time scene, the Blue Ridge Broadcasters perform a mix of driving fiddle tunes and traditional songs. The members of the Broadcasters have been working together for over a decade, teaching, recording, performing, and competing. They have appeared together at The Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia, winning multiple first place prizes in the traditional band and fiddle contests.

The Broadcasters build on their deep reverence for Appalachian old-time music to create compellingly new sounds. They can crank out blistering fiddle tunes made to move dancers or draw out the mystery from a crooked, haunting melody. They can tease out the funkiness from a country blues. They can blend their voices into sweet harmonies, breathing new life into old songs. Building on a decade of making music together at fiddlers conventions, in bands, and on the road, the Broadcasters have combined their skills as multi-instrumentalists to share their love and knowledge of old-time music of the American South and the people and places behind it.

Emily Schaad: Known for a complex and powerful fiddling style, Emily has taken first place in numerous stringband and fiddle contests, including the Appalachian Stringband Music Festival in Clifftop, WV. She came to the music of the southern Appalachians as a classical violist and public school string teacher, and once the archaic and driving sound of the fiddle and banjo found her, she never looked back. Originally from the Hudson Valley of New York State, she relocated to western North Carolina to study Appalachian culture and music at Appalachian State University. She was fortunate enough to spend time visiting with such old-time music greats as Clyde Davenport, Benton Flippen, Joe Thompson, and Chester MacMillian. From these seasoned musicians came a varied repertoire, a feel for Round Peak rhythm, and cherished stories and memories.

Joseph Decosimo: Raised in East Tennessee, Joseph keeps the musical traditions of his region alive. In his teens, he spent much of his time with the region’s older fiddlers and banjo players, learning their music and stories. His time with fiddlers Charlie Acuff, Clyde Davenport, and other local players profoundly shaped his sense of the music. Drawing inspiration from these encounters and from the region’s deep musical well, he injects new life into the old tunes. A sought after performer and teacher, he has shared his music at festivals, camps, and venues throughout the country and abroad. His fiddling and banjo playing have won blue ribbons at the most prestigious fiddle contests in the South, including the Appalachian Stringband Festival. He is a National Old Time Banjo Champion. He served on the faculty in ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies Program. A trained folklorist, he is currently writing a dissertation on old time music.

Joe DeJarnette: Raised in Virginia’s piedmont and residing in the Blue Ridge, Joseph “Joebass” DeJarnette brings both rocksteady, driving bass playing and deep experience to the Mules. He has been playing and recording traditional American music for over a decade and knows how to draw audiences into performances of traditional music. As a founding member of The WIYOS, he toured the US, Canada and Europe. The only member of the band to have played dates on a Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson tour, he has connected with diverse audiences from stages at the Newport Folk Festival, to the Lincoln Center, to the Appalachian String Band Festival in West Virginia. Joe’s tasteful bass playing, musical acumen, and joyous stage presence put him in a category all his own. A veteran of festivals and camps, he directs the Augusta Heritage Center Old Time Music Week.

Doug Sharkey: Doug Sharkey was born in central Illinois, where he studied classical guitar and began teaching music full time. After playing in a variety of bands, he found old-time music and became obsessed with the haunting vocals and syncopated clawhammer banjo. He moved to Boone, North Carolina to study with the masters of the region and became immersed in the old-time scene. While in Boone, he earned his Master’s in Appalachian Studies from Appalachian State University. He performed for a variety of dances and concerts and eventually taught banjo and for the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program, an after school program that teaches traditional mountain music to young adults.

Jeff Scroggins and Colorado Headed for MountainGrass in Beechworth

10 Aug, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Jeff Scroggins and Colorado are headed for to Australia for this year’s MountainGrass Festival.

MountainGrass 2018 – 9th – 11th November in Beechworth Victoria.

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado is a high-energy five-piece bluegrass band from the Western Frontier state of Colorado. Their distinctive sound reflects an eclectic range of influences that marry second and third generation bluegrass. Their unique sound captivates audiences and keeps them guessing. It’s a powerful, high mountain “bluegrass explosion” that features world-class banjo and mandolin playing, incredible vocals, a solid and energetic rhythm and an easy stage banter that has delighted listeners all over the world.

Fronted by internationally acclaimed two-time National Banjo Champion Jeff Scroggins, their distinct style is immediately recognisable due to Jeff’s unique and diverse range of influences, which include Alan Munde, Don Reno, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. His fiery style and lightning-fast licks have earned him worldwide recognition and have left many a first-time listener in stunned disbelief.

The band also features the award-winning mandolin playing of Jeff’s son Tristan Scroggins. At only 21 years old, Tristan is an award-winning instrumentalist and accomplished songwriter in his own right while the instrumentals he shares with Jeff play a large role in the band’s unique and energetic style. In 2016, Tristan was nominated for the Instrumental Momentum Award by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

West Virginia native Greg Blake provides powerful bluegrass vocals steeped in country heritage, bringing a truly authentic sound developed from a lifetime of singing bluegrass, gospel, and country. Twice nominated for the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America’s (SPBGMA) “Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year” award, Greg’s phenomenal guitar playing has earned him nine nominations and five consecutive wins as SPBGMA’s Guitarist of the Year.

Oregon native, 2016 Rockygrass Fiddle Champion, 2016 Arizona State Fiddle Champion, and 2017 IBMA Momentum Award Nominee is Ellie Hakanson on fiddle and vocals.

In addition to their individual accomplishments, the band was featured as the California Bluegrass Association’s Emerging Artist of the year, an honour given into the past to bands such as Della Mae, and Chris Henry & the Hardcore Grass.

Jeff Scroggins and Colorado have a wonderful emotional intensity that immediately grabs the listener. Though well rooted in tradition, they can also stretch the boundaries without taking them to the breaking point. I’ve known Jeff for many years, and it’s great to hear how fabulous his playing has become. Taste and technical brilliance abound. The bands vocals are also smooth and inviting and the arrangements are inventive. Give these guys a listen and you’ll be amply rewarded with their rich musical tapestry – Tony Trischka.

Jan Dale Hosts Kristy Cox on PBS FM.

8 Aug, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Kristy Cox will be touring later this year, and just before the start of her tour, she will be in the PBS Studios with Jan Dale on talking about her highly successful new album Ricochet, which recently went to number one in both the USA and Australia.

Kristy Cox and Jan Dale on Melbourne PBS FM 21st August 2018.

Jan Dale’s radio show, Southern Style, can also be streamed to your computer via the PBS website.

Southern Style with Jan Dale – PBS FM 106.7
Tuesdays 1:00pm to 3:00pm or online at www.pbsfm.org.au.

Kristy Cox on Tour:

Fri 17 Aug – Saints & Sailors, Portarlington VIC
Sat 18 Aug – Sale Greyhound Club, Sale VIC
Sun 19 Aug – Goldmines Hotel, Bendigo VIC
Mon 20 Aug – Bittern House Concert, Bittern VIC
Wed 22 Aug – Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan NSW

Thu 23 Aug – Royal Theatre, Quirindi NSW
Sat 25 Aug – Gympie Muster, Gympie QLD
Sun 26 Aug – Gympie Muster, Gympie QLD
Fri 31 Aug – Trinity Sessions, Adelaide SA
Sat 1 Sep – The Barn, Wombat Flat, Neale Flat SA

About Kristy Cox:

Kristy Cox is the new voice in Australian bluegrass. Adored for her youthful energy infused acoustic country/bluegrass, she has been awarded with radio success and accolades for her talent. Having moved to the USA in 2013, Kristy has just released her album ‘Ricochet’ which debuted on 6 different Billboard charts including #1 for Bluegrass Album. The first single from the album the title track ‘Ricochet’ hit #1 on the US Bluegrass Radio Chart and #1 on the Australian Country Radio Chart. Her previous album ‘Part of Me’ saw her receive three nominations and bring home the Bluegrass Recording of the year at the 2017 Australian Country Music Awards.

With a string of number 1 hits on Radio and Country Music Television in Australia, Kristy was named Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the year at the Australian Independent Country Music Awards with her release ‘Miles and Timezones’.

Credited for her performance and song writing capabilities, Golden Guitar winner Kristy has been shortlisted in the International Bluegrass Music Awards the past two years for New Artist of the Year.

From a young age, Kristy has captured attention with her distinct singing style and positive outlook, seeing her go on to open shows for major acts and appearing on Television and major Festivals across Australia, Europe and the USA, including an official showcase at the International Bluegrass Music Convention in the USA in 2015.

ABOTMA’s Young Performer Grant for Rhodeworks

4 Aug, 18 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

Rhodeworks collects the inaugural ABOTMA Young Performer Grant for 2018

Rhodeworks is a young bluegrass folk band who play fast paced, high energy folk music, presenting a set of traditional and well-loved bluegrass along with their original material. Laurence (17), Sam (15) and Nate (12) are largely self-taught multi-instrumentalists and vocalists. They have performed at festivals throughout NZ and Australia including, MountainGrass, Auckand Folk Festival, WellyFest, HamsterFest, Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, and Aongatete. In 2017 they were recipients of the Frank Winter award for their Outstanding Musical and Vocal talents.

As well as their dedication to creating unique roots-conscious music they love nothing more than heading to the workshop to craft their own stringed instruments.

Learn more of Rhodeworks from:

Their Website
Facebook

About the ABOTMA Young Performer Grant:

The ABOTMA Young Performer Grant was instituted in 2018. The Grant is for $1500 and is funded from the proceeds of the ABOTMA raffle held each year at MountainGrass.

The Grant is the result of ABOTMA’s desire to encourage young Bluegrass and American Old Time acts to continue playing these styles. The funds are intended to be used by the recipient towards the costs involved in travelling to and staying at the MountainGrass festival. Season tickets are also part of the award. It is intended that by attending MountainGrass the recipient will obtain tuition, performing experience, and exposure to a larger community of bluegrass and old-time musicians and music lovers.

In 2018 the ABOTMA Executive committee awarded the Young Performer Grant to Rhodeworks but from January, 2019, there will be an open process to invite applications from both individuals and groups, who are:

from anywhere in the world,
under 30 years of age,
in an existing Bluegrass band, or are a member of an existing Bluegrass band, and/or
either in an American Old Time act or a member of an existing American Old Time act, and are
trying to forge a career playing either Bluegrass or Old Time music.

Requirements:
Applicants must provide evidence of their ability to play either Bluegrass or Old time music by including links to existing recordings and videos, and an indication of previous gigs where they have performed in these styles.

The successful applicant(s) will be expected to attend workshops at MountainGrass and give at least one blackboard or stage concert performance during the festival.

Applications for the 2019 ABOTMA Young Performer grant will open via the MountainGrass website in January 2019.

Tickets On Sale for MountainGrass 2018

2 Aug, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Australia’s national bluegrass and old-time music festival MountainGrass continues the tradition of bringing U.S. Bluegrass and Old-Time acts to the concert stage. Other festival features include slow jams, blackboard concerts, gospel concert, an instrument makers display and sales tents plus workshops for fans and players of all levels.

MountainGrass also showcases a selection of acts from Australia and New Zealand. Most of all, the festival offers two and a half days of non-stop picking and jamming and lots of opportunities to improve your chops.

MountainGrass has a new venue for 2018. It will be held at the George Kerferd Hotel at Mayday Hills, Beechworth, Victoria.

Some of the international acts to feature in this year’s festival include:

Jeff Scroggins and Colorado, Blue Ridge Broadcasters, Bryant & Brown, Rhodeworks, Pipi Pickers.

Tickets to this national event are available from – www.mountaingrass.com.au/tickets.

John Duffy Tribute on Southern Style.

25 Jul, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Just heard from Jan Dale who she is planning to feature the new John Duffy tribute album, Epilogue released by Smithsonian Folkways.

Jan will be interviewing the producer Atkira Otsuka (ex the Japanese band Bluegrass 45). He’ll be calling from U.S. during the Southern Style show.

Atkira Otsuka was a long time friend and collaborator with Duffy and even plays Duffey’s mandolin on this tribute album. He has a great many stories and the album is the culmination of years of labour.

The new album comes with a comprehensive 39 page booklet with track notes and an essay by Katy Daley and recollections by Dudley Connell. Many musicians took part incl. Dudley Connell, Sam Bush & Bela Fleck, John Cowan, Tim O’Brien, James King etc.

Jan Dale’s radio show, Southern Style, can also be streamed to your computer via the PBS website.

Southern Style with Jan Dale – PBS FM 106.7
Tuesdays 1:00pm to 3:00pm or online at www.pbsfm.org.au.

An Interview with Clay Hess

24 Jul, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The Clay Hess Band have released their new album Just Another Story this month. I got to interview Clay Hess just before the album’s release. Here is that interview:

_______________

One of the things I like to hear people talk about is not just who may have influenced on their current music styles but more specifically how that influence has manifested in your own music?

My main influence was Tony Rice when I was learning. This was true of almost every bluegrass guitarist of my generation. That has manifested itself in my choice of material, my rhythm guitar playing, my lead guitar playing, technique, and vocal phrasing.

What is it about the bluegrass genre that you enjoy?

The power! There is nothing like that power when everything clicks together. There is also nothing like playing acoustic instruments with no effects or anything to hide behind. It is the ultimate “working without a net” in music.

It would be inappropriate to interview someone who has played in Kentucky Thunder and not ask about that experience, given Ricky Skaggs’ reputation and the high calibre of his band Kentucky Thunder.

Playing with Ricky Skaggs was an experience that is worth more musically than anyone could imagine. For a bluegrass musician, it’s akin to taking painting lessons from Van Gogh. I learned so much in my time there that I use every day in the studio or on stage. I was truly blessed with that opportunity.

Your website bio reflects on your “syncopated sense of timing.” Where did that evolve from and what impact do you see it having on your music and your band?

I think that mostly revolves from listening to artists like Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, the piano playing of Moon Mullican, Leon Rhodes and many western swing musicians.

________________

Congratulations to Clay Hess and The Clay Hess Band on the new album and on behalf of your Australian fans we hope it does well. Enjoy a preview of Anita You’re Dreaming on video below.

Performer Applications Open for National Folk Festival

1 Jul, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Applications for the 2019 National Folk Festival are now open and will close on 31st July 2018. Successful applicants will be notified by email no later than the first week of November 2018.

The featured State or Territory is a big part of the National Folk Festival and is inspired by the days when the National was held in a different location each year. From last year the festival staff began pairing States and Territories on a four year cycle.
This year they are looking for performers from Western Australia and Australian Capital Territory to contribute to next year’s program. This does not exclude people from other states from applying.

The National Folk Festival aims to be a culturally relevant, creative and diverse event celebrating the folk arts in all their forms while keeping the Festival fresh and vibrant. If you have something to offer they’d love to hear from you.

Please note: There is a new management system so there will be changes. Please ensure you read all the relevant information before starting your application.

More information is available from the NFF Website.

Hot Rize to Host 2018 IBMA Awards

21 Jun, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

IBMA Awards – 27th Sep 2018 at North Carolina’s Duke Energy Centre.

The excitement of the 29th annual IBMA Awards Show will take on a special glow with Hot Rize at the helm. Celebrating their 40th anniversary, Hot Rize won the very first IBMA Entertainer of the Year Award back in 1990.

The four members of Hot Rize – Nick Forster, Tim O’Brien, Bryan Sutton and Pete Wernick – will host bluegrass music’s biggest night, where the music community acknowledges the year’s outstanding achievements, honours new Hall of Fame inductees, and waves the worldwide flag for bluegrass music.

This is a big deal for us! – Hot Rize.

Known as the biggest night in bluegrass, the IBMA Awards Show delivers

top shelf performances,
powerhouse collaborations,
and touching moments you’ll never forget.

The International Bluegrass Music Awards is part of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass brought to you by Chiesi USA, which takes place September 25 – 29 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hot Rize is honored to host what I call the night, Big Bluegrass Smiles, where the community that’s supported us all these years comes together, and cheers each other on – Tim O’Brien.

The Awards Show’s theme this year is The Oak Tree. “The oak tree symbolises strength, endurance and is viewed as the ‘great protector’,” said Armbruster. “The ‘City of Oaks’, Raleigh, NC, uses the iconic image of the oak tree because it grows there in great abundance. Bluegrass music may perhaps be symbolized by the mighty oak as it has experienced many changes over the past eighty or so years, yet the genre has endured as it continues to branch out and grow.”

Hot Rize is the great modern bluegrass band. They’re the connective tissue that links the great founders of bluegrass with the modern tradition – Steve Martin.

The International Bluegrass Music Association’s very first Entertainers of the Year, Hot Rize’s sound is steeped in bluegrass tradition while equally informed by a taste for the music of Leadbelly and Freddie King, swing, old-time Appalachia and more in ways that mirror the broad sweep of Bill Monroe’s influences. Their critically acclaimed albums include Hot Rize, Untold Stories, Traditional Ties, Radio Boogie, Take it Home and their most recent, When I’m Free. The band continues to tour, with 2018 performances being scheduled through the end of the year.

The IBMA Awards Show is the biggest night in bluegrass music, with brilliant performances and long lasting memories. Having Hot Rize host this year’s show will create an extraordinary night of unpredictable fun. Hot Rize was the IBMA’s first Entertainers of the Year and now they are celebrating their 40th anniversary. They clearly embody the IBMA’s focus on ‘Honouring Tradition and Encouraging Innovation’. Now let’s just hope they leave that other group from Wyoming, Montana on the bus – Paul Schiminger, executive director of the IBMA. (the other group being Hot Rize’s alter ego Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers.

Information about the 28th IBMA Awards Show, including ticket availability, can be found at the IBMA Website.

More info about World of Bluegrass:

IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, whose principal sponsor is Chiesi USA, is a five-day annual bluegrass music homecoming and convention. World of Bluegrass encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference, September 25-27; the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 25-27 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center; the 29th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, September 27; and PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, September 28-29, a two-day festival. The ticketed Wide Open Main Stage features the best of the best in bluegrass today, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Bluegrass Trust Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies. The free Wide Open StreetFest brings bluegrass into the community and introduces the music to thousands of new fans every year.

As in years past, events during World of Bluegrass will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the Red Hat Amphitheater and at various venues in town.

The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau reported that last year’s World of Bluegrass events generated $11.7 million in direct visitor spending for that region, with total attendance for the week’s activities estimated to be a record-breaking 221,000 people. Over 220 acts performed throughout the entire week of World of Bluegrass.

About IBMA:

IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional organization for the global bluegrass music community. The organisation’s nine-year run in Raleigh is the product of their successful partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Raleigh Convention Centre, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organizing committee.