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The Infamous Stringdusters Win a Grammy

30 Jan, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The Infamous Stringdusters have won Best Bluegrass Album for Laws of Gravity at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. The awards were held last night in New York City by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Watch the band on the GRAMMY© red carpet on GRAMMY.com.

The Infamous Stringdusters are Andy Hall on Dobro, Andy Falco on guitar, Chris Pandolfi on banjo, Jeremy Garrett on fiddle and Travis Book on upright bass. The band recordedLaws of Gravity in Nashville at Compass Sound Studio and co-produced it with Billy Hume (Ludacris, Ying Yang Twins).

This win was very well deserved. The Infamous Stringdusters are a band with a tireless work ethic and tremendous talent. They are making some of the most forward-thinking and accessible music in the genre. It was our pleasure to partner with them on this release – Garry West, Compass Records co-founder.

This is the band’s third Grammy nomination and first win. The Infamous Stringdusters will share their win with Rhonda Vincent And The Rage as the Best Bluegrass Album category was a tie.

The band will be back on the road for an extensive tour starting in Louisville, KY on February 7th. Tour dates below.

Tour Dates:

Th 3/1 The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT
Fr 3/2 Knitting Factory Concert House – Boise, ID
Sa 3/3 The Wilma – Missoula, MT
Su 3/4 OK Theatre – Enterprise, OR
Tu 3/6 Domino Room – Bend, OR
We 3/7 Ashland Armory – Ashland, OR
We 2/7 Headliners Music Hall –Louisville, KY
Th 2/8 The Vogue –Indianapolis, IN
Fr 2/9 Old Rock House – St Louis, MO
Sa 2/10 Marathon Music Works – Nashville, TN
Su 2/11 The International – Knoxville, TN
Tu 2/13 Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
We 2/14 Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
Th 2/15 Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
Fr 2/16 Park West – Chicago, IL
Sa 2/17 Park West – Chicago, IL
Tu 2/27 Sheridan Opera House – Telluride, CO
We 2/28 Sheridan Opera House – Telluride, CO
Th 3/8 HiFi Music Hall – Eugene, OR
Fr 3/9 Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
Sa 3/10 The Showbox – Seattle, WA
Sa 3/17 Pot of Gold Music Festival – Chandler, AZ
Fr 4/6 Winter Wonder Grass Tahoe – Mccloud, CA
Th 4/12 Bender Jamboree – Las Vegas, NV
Sa 4/14 Plaza Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, NV
Fr 4/20 South Side Arts & Music Festival – Bethlehem, PA
Sa 4/21 Sweetwater 420 Festival – Atlanta, GA
Su 4/22 Tuck Fest – Charlotte, NC
Fr 5/25 The Haw River Ballroom – Graham, NC
Sa 5/26 Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que – Evans, GA
Su 5/27 – 7th Annual Dark Star Juilee – Thornville, OH
We 5/30 John Hartford Memorial Festival – Morgantown, IN
Th 6/14 4th Annual Blue Ox Music Festival – Eau Claire, WI
Th 6/21 Telluride Bluegrass Festival – Telluride, CO
Fr 6/29 Kate Wolf Music Festival – Laytonville, CA
We 7/25 Floyd Fest – Floyd, VA

2018 Jam Camps Australia Jam Camps

22 Jan, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Jam Camps Australia has announced three jam camps for 2018. The first jam camp is scheduled for Burleigh Heads on Queensland’s Gold Coast, the second in Quorn, South Australia’s gateway to the Flinders’ Ranges and the third in Victoria’s popular Phillip Island.

Dates for the 2018 Jam Camps are:

Burleigh Heads – Fri. 20th to Sun. 22nd July
Quorn – Fri. 7th to Sun. 9th September
Phillip Island – Sat.15th to Mon. 17th September

Bookings can be made through the Jam Camps Australia Website or clicking on the preferred location below.

What do you need to participate in a jam camp?

It’s simple:

You must be able to tune your instrument (electronic tuning devices welcome)
Be able to change smoothly between G, C, D, and A
Fiddles and basses need to know which notes work with which chords

A full list of requirements can be found on the Jam Skills Check List page.

Andrew Clermont’s Supper Club – Tamworth 2018

22 Jan, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The Tamworth Country Music Festival is more than a music festival where people gather to hear and play country music. As it happens, Andrew Clermont, musician of many styles, has arranged for a number of events this year ranging from his usual Supper Club offering at the North Tamworth Bowls Club to the Golden Fiddle Show and Tamworth’s Capital Theatre and others.

Some of the shows on offer this year:

One show at Murrurundi on Fri 19th @ The Chicken in the Window Barn
The Supper Club at North Tam Bowlo 20th – 27th Jan.
Supuer Book Launch 11am Tue 23rd Jan – Tamworth Library
The Golden Fiddle Show 10am The Capitol Theatre, in Tamworth

The Tamworth Supper Club is a week-long affair offering two shows from 6:00pm and 9:00pm each night except for the 26th with just one 9:00pm event.

The 6:00pm shows offer a variety of performances and artists while the late evening show (9:00pm) is a themed event.

Special guests at this year’s Supper Club include

Tommy Chandler (USA) with very authentic Bluegrass vocals and guitar
Jude Iddison (Denmark – WA) on Fiddle
Sophie Raymondm(Long Gone Lonesome Cow Girl & The Oscars with Harvy Krumpet),
Leslie Avril in Piano Bar mode
Louise Adams (X-Factor)
The Narrow Necks (USA) with David Hoffman
Banjo pickers Montz Matsumoto, Taylor Pfeiffer and Paul Cooper
The Golden Fiddle Show at The Capitol

The Golden Fiddle Show at The Capitol Theatre is a huge celebration of fiddle music featuring:

Jess Randall in “Devil on the Rooftop”,
Pixie Jenkins with some multi-fiddle Bluegrass of Uncle Pen.
String Loaded Family Band with Blissett Sisters
Jude Iddison (WA)
Rob Long on drums,
Garry Steel – Piano & Accordion,
The fiddle show will also feature Paddy Montgomery, Peter Fidler on Dobro & Mandolin and Andrew Clermont’s

We have a special bonus of some triple mandolin section pieces, a grab of some Stephan Grappelli swing, Old-time to modern Bluegrass, Scandinavian adventure and the simply un-expected – Andrew Clermont.

A full program is set out on Andrew Clermont’s website for those wanting to delve into the machinations and intricacies of the weeks offerings.

IBMA Showcase Applications Now Open

17 Jan, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Here is an opportunity for bluegrass bands and artists to showcase their talents before an audience of bluegrass industry professionals.

IBMA’s Official Showcase Artists at 2018’s World of Bluegrass receive a package of promotional support and opportunities valued at over $2000. You don’t want to miss this.

It’s a competitive process and applications are accepted today through February 28. Only 30 acts are selected.

Official showcase performances at the IBMA annual Bluegrass Ramble during World of Bluegrass week form the premier platform for introducing talent to the bluegrass community. The Bluegrass Ramble will take place September 25-27, 2018 in Raleigh, North Caroliona, and all emerging bluegrass bands, as well as established bands with new music or new personnel, are encouraged to apply.
Each showcase band will perform at least twice during World of Bluegrass Week; once on a convention centre stage and once on a local Bluegrass Ramble venue.

In addition to the two showcase opportunities, the IBMA showcase package includes:

Full conference registration package for performing members of group (value $1000+)
Complimentary booth space during business conference (value $600+)
One organizational membership for group (value $205)
Featured profile in conference program and on the WOB smart phone app
Inclusion of one mp3 on the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble Mixtape via Noisetrade. (Download mixtapes from prior years for free.)
Featured promotion on social media by IBMA
Priority access to Gig Fair appointments
Scheduled consultation in advance of events on maximising showcase opportunities

Learn more here.

Rare Stanley Brothers Recording Needs Restoration

16 Jan, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Your Votes Could Help Secure Preservation Grant.

A rare transcription disc containing a live broadcast performance of The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys on the former WCYB Radio Farm and Fun Time show has been listed among the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) Top 10 Endangered Artifacts.

Over time, the degradation of the fragile, lacquer disc recording has made it unplayable and its content inaccessible. A public vote will determine if this rare recording by the Stanley Brothers can be restored through grant funds from VAM. The museum is asking for your help in securing enough votes to help them win $5,000 to preserve this valuable piece of American music history.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Blandford Rees Foundation, VAM’s renowned program will for the first time be able to provide conservation awards totaling nearly $19,000 to the honorees, which will be granted by the Selection Committee or by outcome of an online public voting competition. The pubic is invited to help bestow $9,000 of these conservation awards by voting for their favorite endangered artifact. The two artifacts garnering the most votes will be recognized as the People’s Choice Awards and will receive $5,000 and $4,000 respectfully to conserve their artifacts and care for their continued preservation.

To view the entire list of artifacts and to vote in the People’s Choice Awards, please visit the 10 artifacts website. Voting starts on January 15 and ends January 24, 2018 at midnight.

The People’s Choice Awards recipients and remaining honorees will be recognised during a special reception at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, Virginia, on February 21, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. following Virginia Museums Advocacy Day at the General Assembly. They will additionally be acknowledged at VAM’s Statewide Annual Conference on March 12, 2018 during an awards luncheon to be held in Norfolk, Virginia.

Footnote: This disc holds never-heard music of Ralph & Carter Stanley from early-career broadcasts on WCYB-Bristol’s historic Farm & Fun Time. As radio stations began reaching an expanding audience, live performances of regional artists became a fixture of programming on stations across the country. At the same time in 1946 that Bill Monroe took the Grand Ole Opry by storm with what is considered to be the first bluegrass music, WCYB began broadcasting from Bristol. This powerful station reached a 5-state area and was home to Farm & Fun Time, a midday music program which featured advertising jingles, community announcements, and a farm report. From 1946 through the late 1950s, the show was a platform for first-generation bluegrass musicians such as the Stanley Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, Mac Wiseman, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, and the Sauceman Brothers. Because it gave the first generation of bluegrass a platform on which to grow, WCYB’s Farm & Fun Time was an integral part of American roots music history.

37th Yarra Junction Fiddlers’ Convention

11 Jan, 18 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

The Yarra Junction Fiddlers’ Convention is drawing near. Now in its 37th year, the convention is set for 16th to 18th February and held at Camp Eureka, Tarrango Road, Yarra Junction., Victoria.

This year’s event will host 20 Bluegrass, traditional country, Cajun and Old-Timey bands, including guests from New Zealand & the USA in concert. The event also features loads of workshops and dances.

Just one hour from Melbourne the 37th Yarra Junction Fiddlers’ Convention will feature:

The Sqirrely Bills – Liam McKenny, Abie Horrocks, Naomi Middleton & Johnno Hopley
Don Milne – Old time banjo player & luthier
Richard Klein – Cajun fiddler extraordinaire.
as well as a host of local Aussie pickers.

Visit the website for information on the great concert and workshop program.

More About Yarra Junction Fiddlers’ Convention:

The Convention is held at the historic and Heritage listed Camp Eureka – www.campeureka.org.au. We couldn’t think of a better place for it. There is a huge concert hall with open sides, a smaller hall, large kitchen/dining room (communal cooking encouraged), a covered barbeque area and 35 acres of bush, with a small creek. Be nice to the hard-working Camp Eureka Working Collective folk who work the gate. Ask them about the Camp, and how you can get involved in maintaining this icon of the old Victorian left and an Australian founding place of the “folk revival”.

Camping:
Most people camp. There are no powered sites, but electricity can be arranged only if needed for medical equipment. To get a good spot, come early. No extra charge. No admission to the site until 2.00pm Thursday. Campfires should be OK, unless there is a total fire ban.

Bunkhouses:
There are single sex bunk house beds available. Contact Ken on 0451 680 266 by early February to reserve bed. The bunk houses have electric lights, but no power points. No extra charge. Cabins are (pretty much) full – phone Ken.

Toilets and Showers
Notorious pit toilets, of usual good bush camping standard, recently upgraded. Two are wheelchair accessible, though assistance may be required. The showers are wood-heated, so hopefully someone will have lit the water heaters before you arrive.

Food:
Fine fast food from Friday evening on from Spud Shack ,who filled in last year for Terry Palmer’s café de wheels, with extremely good veg and non-veg food, including Thai snacks. Terry died in ahead-on collision with another motorcyclist just after Christmas.Good espresso coffee and hot chocolate.

For more information, program etc. go to the Yarra Junction Website.

Slow Jams Back in Doncaster

10 Jan, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Doncaster Jam After a busy Christmas there is no more relaxing way to celebrate the start of the new year than sitting down with friends and fellow pickers to play some music – that is if you play bluegrass music.

For those in the Melbourne area the first slow jam for 2018 will be Sun afternoon 21st Jan 2018.

These slow jams kicked off in July 2015 and are hosted by Mike Clark of Doncaster in Melbourne. Mike was inspired by the 2015 Wernick Jam Camp he attended in Forrest Victoria that year and has organised for like-minded musicians starting out on their jam exploits to meet on a monthly basis and play bluegrass music together.

The first jam attracted five people including Mike and have continued ever since. If you’d like to attend, you can contact Mike using the contact form below. He will notify you of the location and time of this months jam and future jams.

Contact Mike:

Farewell to Harrietville

6 Jan, 18 by Greg McGrath 3 Comments

MountainGrass to Move to Beechworth.

For many bluegrass and old-time music enthusiasts in Australia and New Zealand Harrietville has been the home of music for almost 30 years. Indeed many people have had their first exposure to the genre through their attendance at a Harrietville festival as far back as 1989 I believe.

I will always fondly recall my first experience wandering around the grounds of the old Bon Accord, watching and marvelling at the music being played. When it came time to sit in on a concert there were folks there from the USA playing along with our own musicians. It was an extraordinary experience for me back in the early 90’s.

The festival organisers of old had just about run out of puff in late 2012 and announced that Harrietville was to be no more. A group of extremely dedicated folk banded together and created a formal association called the Australasian Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association (ABOTMA). It was under the banner of this new entity that many people set about doing their best to present a festival the following year 2013. It was and amazing a success and continues to this day some five years later under the steady direction of ABOTMA.

Today MountainGrass continues the tradition of bringing U.S. Bluegrass and Old-Time acts to play concerts and run workshops for fans and players of all levels. This festival continues to showcase a selection of fine acts from Australia and New Zealand and runs instrument and other workshops for players of all levels.

We learn this week that Harrietville will no longer be the location for future MountainGrass Festivals. At the final Mountaingrass concert for 2017, festival organisers announced that the venue – Feathertop Chalet in Harrietville – would no longer be available for MountainGrass in the future. While there are several reasons for this decision, the over-riding issue is that the size of the festival today outweighs the facilities available at Feathertop and indeed across the Harrietville region.

Organisers have announced this week that they have moved the MountainGrass Festival to the George Kerferd Hotel at Mayday Hills in Beechworth. The dates for the event are the second weekend in November – Friday 9th to Sunday 11th November 2018.

In addition, organisers have been conscious of the benefits of moving the festival closer to festival dates in New South Wales – the Dorrigo Bluegrass and Folk Festival – with the aim of amortizing the costs of travel for international acts which have over time been a major draw-card for both festivals.

About the New Venue:

The George Kerferd Hotel has a restaurant, bar and a large function room with seating for over 400. There is also a smaller 100 theatre available as well as a small chapel in the hotel grounds. The hotel is surrounded by acres of beautiful grounds, full of huge shady trees. The accommodation at the George Kerferd Hotel also includes the recently refurbished Linaker Lodge, previously the nurse’s quarters for the hospital that was located there. There are many open air and under-cover spaces for picking and conducting workshops. Mayday Hills is close to the centre of Beechworth, where there is a variety of accommodation, including two large caravan parks. Best of all, the proprietors of the hotel are very keen to host Mountaingrass.

We are very grateful for the many suggestions provided by our members regarding possible future locations for Mountaingrass. We are confident that our choice of the change of date and location will meet with approval.

We would like to thank the Alpine Shire Council and all our supporters and sponsors of ABOTMA’s Mountaingrass in Harrietville over the past five years. We also recognise the assistance and support provided by Harrietville over many years the festival has been running there prior to the inaugural Mountaingrass in 2013 – – ABOTMA Committee.

Congratulations to those hard-working folk at ABOTMA, and thanks for working to continue the tradition of a major Bluegrass and Old-Time music festival in Australia. On behalf of the thousands of bluegrass and old-time music aficionados across Australasia – thank you.

You can show your thanks and support by joining the association.

Curly Seckler – 25 Dec 1919 – 27th Dec 2017.

31 Dec, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Curly Seckler has died this week aged 98.

Curly Seckler, multi-instrumentalist and tenor singer was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2004 as well as the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. He is known for his work with several influential bluegrass acts including Flatt and Scruggs, Mac Wiseman, Jim and Jesse McReynolds and the Stanley Brothers.

Curly was the fourth of eight children, born John Ray Seckler in December 1919. He inherited the nickname “Curly” as a young child where he was raised on a farm in China Grove, North Carolina. His parents were Calvin and Carrie Seckler.

Curly’s musical interests started as a child. He played in a band with his brothers as early as 1935, called the Yodeling Rangers. The band played a radio show on North Carolina radio. In 1939, Curly then met Charlie Monroe and was offered a spot singing harmony in the band then called Kentucky Partners.

In 1949, Curly joined the Foggy Mountain Boys with Lester Flatt with Earl Scruggs. Curly was part of the recording program playing on 130 songs for the band. These included, Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Salty Dog Blues and I’ll Go Stepping Too.

Curly Seckler went on to co-write several songs including That Old Book of Mine and No Mother or Dad which were first recorded by Flatt and Scruggs. He’d then recorded his own solo album, Curly Seckler Sings Again, in 1971. Curly and continued to record music long after his retirement in 1994. His final album, Bluegrass, Don’t You Know, was released in 2006.

Curly Seckler is one of the most beloved and revered of all the first generation country and bluegrass music pioneers – Marty Stuart, from Curly Seckler’s biography, Foggy Mountain Troubadour.

The 12th annual Girgarre Moosic Muster

6 Dec, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Girgarre Moosic Muster is four exciting days of workshops, concerts, singalongs and all the jamming and walk-up opportunities you could ever want and is scheduled for January 11th – 14th, 2018.

The festival, set in the parkland around Girgarre at a beautiful time of year, has great facilities, air-conditioned halls, shady camping spots, hot showers and every venue within walking distance. The final touches are being put to the 2018 program now and organisers would like to give you a heads up on what to expect.

All the usual workshops and sessions you’ve come to expect will be there plus many new ones. Including – Djembe with Annie; flax weaving with Sally (out under the trees); Sea Shanties with Shane; beginners Big Band; setting up your Uke; tin whistle; learn a simple (piano) accordion base pattern with Lawrence and Irene for beginners; open tuning guitar with Rodney and finger style guitar with Evan; not to mention Wiggly Bits and M.A.M.

‘Under the Canvas’ has been expanded again; singalongs and jams will be there; the gospel in the supper room on Sunday morning and a great kids program. There are too many to list here, just keep an eye on the web-page for updates.

Workshops are designed for entry-level participants. This is a chance to either learn something for the first time in a safe environment or to diversify by trying a new instrument or add to your repertoire and skills with the help of talented musicians who all give their time free. It’s a wonderful, friendly weekend with so many opportunities to get together with like-minded folk. The workshop program starts in earnest Saturday followed by a dinner in the evening. You’ll need to book for this if you’re not camping, numbers are strictly limited.

Camping:

Camping is over the road from the park. There’s a small registration fee for campers which includes food, (Friday night BBQ, Saturday evening 2-course dinner. Sunday breakfast at the market). Girgarre is a small community with shopping limited to the Post Office/store. They sell ice, ice-cream, milk, bread. Stanhope, 10 minutes south, has a small supermarket and food shops.

Food:

Food vans will be available from Friday 12th. There will also be, morning and afternoon teas, tea/coffee/cake/scones and sandwiches and there is a BBQ Friday evening.

Accommodation:

Available in Kyabram, Tongala and Rochester.

Keep an eye on the web page, for final details. And don’t forget there are two free concerts out in the park and in the hall Friday and Saturday night.