australianbluegrass.com

James King and his band have announced a new website featuring band bios and merchandise pages.

James King was born Sept. 9, 1958, in Martinsville, Virginia, and grew up in Carroll County, one of thof the most fertile breeding grounds for bluegrass and old-time musicians. James is known as The Bluegrass Storyteller. His most moving recordings being songs such as Echo Mountain, and Bed by the Window.

The James King Band features a different lineup to those who visited Australia a few years ago. They are apart form James himself, Ron Spears on  mandolin and tenor vocals, Greg Moore on  fiddle and vocals and Tony Mabe on banjo and vocals.

Visit James King Website

Artists, New Website James King

The official Randy Kohrs website, www.randykohrs.com, has received a virtual makeover to reflect a much more contemporary image in keeping with today’s ever-evolving online capabilities and stylistic standards.

Randy is confident the final results accurately represent the innovatively progressive sound of his unique musical style.  Notably, anxious fans will be able to ensure they receive a first copy of the highly-anticipated Quicksand with the convenient pre-order form on the Store page of the website.

New Website Randy Kohrs

Harrietville Bluegrass and Traditional Country Music Convention 19th – 22nd November

The folks from the Harrietville Bluegrass and Old Time Music Convention have launched a new website delivering all of the details of this year’s convention.

The site includes news and information of the festival including details of the overseas acts secured for the 2010 convention.

Renowned bluegrass banjo master Ross Nickerson (banjoTeacher.com) returns to Harrietville with his bluegrass band Hungry Hill– featuring Jenny Lester on Fiddle, Bob Hamilton on Mandolin, Mark Thibeault on Resophonic guitar, Nadine Landry on Double Bass.

Making another welcome return to Harrietville is Joe Dobbs who was born in Mississippi, where his grandfather also was a fiddler. After moving to Louisiana, Joe started playing the instrument when he was 10 years old. Joe lived in many locations throughout the South and Southwest over the years, finally moving to West Virginia in 1967 and staying there ever since. He has been active in the Mountain State’s folk music scene for 30 years as a fiddler, recording artist, instructor and lecturer.

Kim Johnson is from Kanawha County, WV, and has played banjo for more than 25 years. She performed and recorded with Wilson Douglas, one of West Virginia‘s foremost old-time fiddlers. Joined by Rob McNurlin who was raised in Eastern Kentucky, the hymns in church, his parents records and a guitar on his ninth Christmas set him on a very musical path. You can hear them both on Kim’s latest CD Keepers.

Pigeonwing Strings – Multi instrumentalists Pria Schwall-Kearney (voice, fiddle, banjo, feet) and Greg Fair (voice, mandolin, guitar, banjo, percussion) play the music of the Appalachian Mountains not according to a formula but with passion and energy. They incorporate styles as diverse as American old-time music from the 1920-30s, Québécois fiddle, close (brother-style) vocal harmonies & early bluegrass instrumentals.

The new site also features a program of events across the weekend and convention booking form and a page on Bluegrass Parkway who will be presenting their Radio Show program on the Thursday night of the festival.

Visit the Harrietville website

Festivals, New Website Harrietville

New Girgarre Website

The team at Girgarre have launched a new website – girgarre.com.au. which provides an overall view of the festival’s focus, the details of the weekend’s activities including concert and workshop programs.

The other great feature of the weekend is the now famous Girgarre Farmer’s Market which sees thousands of people through the small town over the course of the weekend to pick up a bargain.

The Girgarre Moosic Muster is one of those festivals that, unless you’ve been there, you will continue to wonder about.

Visit  Girgarre Moosic Muster Website to download a festival program.

Festivals, New Website Girgarre Muster

Donal Baylor has just advised us that he has launched his new website at donalbaylor.com.

Donal also advises that he is working on a new cd project and will post us details on this as work develops. Thanks Donal, we also enjoyed the ongoing updates from your recent trip with Bluegrass Parkway to the USA.

We look forward to hearing about your upcoming CD.

New Website Donal Baylor

Richard Hawkins from the European Bluegrass Blog has alerted us to a new online bluegrass resource for music fans.

Carl Carlson of the SouthEastern Bluegrass Association,  in Atlanta, Georgia, has created a new website called  Bluegrass On The Tube. The site features a library of over 250 videos from a wide variety of bluegrass artists to which you may subscribe. New videos are added weekly.

Just for fun, I put together Bluegrass on the Tube, a free website that is designed to promote bluegrass music among bluegrass fans and ‘friends’ of bluegrass fans. In addition to direct access to the entire library, I have incorporated a Subscription Service, also free, which delivers a new video each day (no spam, easy opt-in, easy opt-out).- Carl Carlson

New Website General News

Tom Thomas  grew up listening to Flatt and Scruggs who by then had their own TV Show and were making regular appearances on the Beverly Hillbillies.  A long time fan of  Flatt and Scruggs’ music Tom created Flatt and Scruggs Preservation Society several years ago and then begun a quest to see a museum established to honor both Lester and Earl and the Foggy Mountain Boys. Earlier this month Tom launched the Flatt and Scruggs Blogsite.

I have a fairly large collection of their recordings and photos as well as some autographed items I will be displaying on this site. Please feel free to contact me regarding any information that would help me in showcasing this group of musicians – Tom Thomas

The blogsite also features a large collection of Flatt and Scruggs photographs which make up part of the Flatt and Scruggs exhibition launched at the Josh Graves fundraiser in Tarrant Alabama a few years ago.

New Website Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt

Acoustic Guitar Magazine launches the Acoustic Café Online.

Here’s a place to find videos of performances by talented acoustic musicians, and to see product demonstrations from some of the leading manufacturers of guitars and related gear.

Currently featured artists include Sarah Jarosz, Fred Eaglesmith, Phil Keaggy and Brad Davis. Check out their performances today.

New Website Promotions

While surfing the bluegrass Internet scene last week I ran a cross a story on Fred Robbins who has, over the years, taken many photographs of bluegrass events and people. I recalled the name from my old subscriptions to Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine.

Nevertheless, Fred has begun to scan these photos to share with us all through the Internet and what an amazing collection it is turning out to be.

He has a great pictorial history on his trip to the Martin Guitar factory among many others. Well worth a look.

Visit Fred’s Website and trawl through his slide shows.

New Website General News

Rhonda Vincent has launched her new website heralding the release of her new CD project titled, Destination Life.

The project Destination Life, features members of Rhonda’s band The Rage, and only members of the band. No guest artists. The Rage, includes new members, Ben Helson on guitar and Aaron McDaris on banjo, as well as  members for some eight years, Mickey Harris on bass, and Hunter Berry on fiddle.

Destination Life Website

New Website

News from the D’Addario stables this week is that the company has launched a new webtite. The website is called D’Addariobowed.com, and is one of eight new websites for all of D’Addario’s brands.

The bowed-instrument site features news and information on D’Addario products, artist and instructional videos, and a host of other goodies. You can also subscribe to receive a range of newsletters, depending on your instrument and music style.

I’ve signed up for the Fret Buzz Newsletter the newsletter for guitar, bass, bluegrass and other fretted instrument players. It comes monthly with hot artist videos, new gear, lessons, giveaways and more…

New Website General News

Penni McDaniel of Hope River Entertainment has advised us that in acknowledging the many great albums they have worked with this year, Hope River Entertainment has decided to run a “Best Songs of 2008″ series on the Hope River Entertainment Blog.

They invite you to comment on these songs and post your favorites as well.

There will be a New Category posted to the site every day until December 30th. So check back daily to see “Best Bluegrass Gospel Songs,” “Best Duets” and many more.

Today’s post – “Our Favorite Tearjerker Songs of 2008“.

New Website Hope River

Skaggs Family Records has announced their YouTube Site is now completed.
Fans can now access videos from Skaggs Family Records artists such as Ricky Skaggs, Cadillac Sky and the Cherryholmes.
Visit their YouTube Site

New Website Promotions

Casey Driessen’s top tips
Last month on the Gippsland Bluegrass Blog I published some information on the new online Bluegrass College. Feedback from locals suggested that this is something that should be posted to the Australian Bluegrass Blog. So here it it:

The Bluegrass College website is the brainchild of American fiddle player, Brian Wicklund, and three British musicians: Ian Nicholls, Andy Metcalfe, and Peter Earle.
Take a Bass Lesson with Mark Schatz, a Dobro Lesson with Brad Talley, a Fiddle Lesson with Luke Bulla, a Banjo Lesson with Tony Trischka, a Guitar Lesson with Tyler Grant or a Mandolin Lesson with Matt Flinner.

Today we’re publishing the first part of Casey Driessen’s top tips. Don’t forget that all the tips and advice already published remain up on the site. Go to the news page, scroll down, and you ‘ll find tips from Mark Schatz (bass), Matt Flinner (mandolin), Luke Bulla (fiddle), Tyler Grant (guitar), Brad Talley (dobro). Visit the College
Submitted by Andy, Brian, Ian & Peter

New Website General News

In October 1978 David Grissman launched his variation of bluegrass music called Dawg Music. The early album also featured soon to be legendary, Tony Rice on guitar, Mike Marshall on mandolin and jazz-great Eddie Gomez on bass.

In the same week came the aJerry Garcia, David Grisman, Peter Rowan and John Kahn. This vinyl album the status of highest selling bluegrass recording and remained so for many years.

Grisman is launching a new music download Web site called AcousticOasis.com,. this site features digital versions of the music produced by Grisman to commemorate two important landmarks in his 45-year career as mandolinist, composer, band-leader and record producer.

More releases are forthcoming from Acoustic Oasis.com. They include previously unissued live and studio recordings, videos, and “Acoustic Encounters” all from the amazing archives of David Grisman spanning 40 years of acoustic music making. Acoustic Oasis will also serve as the on-line distributor for many other projects developed by some of the great practitioners of the acoustic arts – past, present and future.

Visit the website Acoustic Oasis!

New Website Acoustic Oasis