australianbluegrass.com

The Bluegrass Hotel Project which has made headlines on bluegrass networks across the globe has the following message displayed on their website this week:

Due to recent issues involving filming schedules, and a high risk assessment of civil disorder at the venue caused by some fans upset that Sam Bush removed himself from the line-up, The Bluegrass Hotel concert & festival is being re-scheduled for a fall 2009 concert to coincide with the broadcast of the film on PBS Television and the release of a DVD and Coffee Table Book at retail locations.
The Bluegrass Hotel project will be making an announcement soon regarding the re-scheduled date, which will feature a talent line-up of Newgrass era stars and artists. This concert will be free of charge for all the fans, and promises to be a once in a lifetime event, with special incentives. The Bluegrass Hotel is a Film and DVD project about the Newgrass music era of the 1970s in Kentucky, featuring original members of The Bluegrass Alliance and other bands from Louisville.
A segment of the Project involved a March 20 benefit concert for the American Cancer Society at the Galt House Hotel & Suites.
The Producers and the participating Newgrass era artists have been working on this Project since 2008, starting with a launch announcement event at the IBMA Convention in Nashville, and a major segment of filming and production with all of the artists in Kentucky last December.
Fans who purchased general admission tickets for the March 20 concert should contact www.ticketweb.com for refunds.   Guests of the Galt House Hotel & Suites who reserved rooms for the March 20 concert & festival should contact www.galthouse.com for refunds.

For more info contact: – The Bluegrass.. Hotel LLC – www.thebluegrasshotel.com – thebluegrasshotel@yahoo.com

What started out as a project of promise is heading towards ever growing difficulty.

The ongoing saga of the now ill fated Bluegrass Hotel Project has turned more difficult for all involved.

The following extract from the Bluegrass Hotel Website cited difficulties with contract negotiation between Tony Rice and Sam bush management: -

To my friends and fans March 14, 2009. I apologize to you all.  I cannot perform in Louisville on March 20.  I promise you I will work fervently to restore my reputation and earn your trust that Bill Millet has stolen from me.
To say this situation is out of control is a major understatement.  The duplicity with which self-titled executive producer Bill Millet has and continues to conduct himself towards you the fans, the performers, vendors and participants of the Bluegrass Hotel Project has undermined the foundation, principal and loyalty of those involved.
For those that ask how this could happen?  so do I.  I couldn’t stop him from using my name before and I can’t stop him now.  What he continues to do to me and others through the anonymity of the internet makes him, among many nasty things, a cyber stalker.  He has hurled so many lies at all of us.  Only some have been addressed in the Cease and Desist letter to Bill Millet from my attorney; that you can read on this site.
What Bill Millet continues to do to you, me, my friends and my family is ethically immoral and morally reprehensible.  Not to mention expensive.  In my 40 years in the music business, I have never been placed in a more despicable situation than this. I apologize to all of you. - Sam.

The following statement appears on the Bluegrass Hotel website:

The Bluegrass Hotel Project has been attempting to negotiate agreements with Sam Bush and Tony Rice since Jan. 2008 to appear in the film, but paying those artists a fee to perform at a benefit event for the American Cancer Society was not included in the terms. Part of the process was negotiating a broadcast of the film on PBS Television, which was recently completed. Therefore it came as a surprise to receive notification from Bush and Rice informing the benefit event that unless they were paid fees of $10,000 and $3000 respectively, they would not perform on March 20 at the Galt House Hotel.
After consultation with our charitable partner, it was agreed that paying these artists fees would take money the organization expected to make from the event. Paying Mr. Bush and Rice, but not the other artists would also create an inequitable situation for all the other performers.
Based on that directive, we have declined to pay Bush and Rice fees to perform at The Bluegrass Hotel benefit concert on March 20 in Louisville, KY. Sam Bush is a cancer survivor and his father recently passed away from the diseases. New Grass Revival founder Courtney Johnson also died from cancer. And Tony Rice is ill and presently not in good health.
The Bluegrass Hotel concert on March 20 at the Galt House in Louisville, KY features the original members of Kentucky’s greatest Newgrass era bands, The Bluegrass Alliance, New Grass Revival and J.D. Crowe & the New South. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. – Bluegrass Hotel.

Tony Rice’s website contains the following statement from his management company:

This is an official notification that Tony Rice will not be part of the “Bluegrass Hotel” presentation in Louisville next weekend, March 20, 2009. The proper arrangements were never agreed upon and I never officially said that Tony would be part of this presentation.  The organizer never completed negotiations with me and has been out of touch with me for more than a month – Keith Case

One thing is becoming clear. The Bluegrass scene, while growing in strength year to year, remains a small player in music’s  global marketplace. We can ill afford this division.

Previously:

• Bluegrass Hotel Project Stumbles
• Tribute to Bluegrass Alliance and Newgrass Revival

Sam Bush and others withdraw from the project.

In October last were we were advised of the Bluegrass Hotel Project aimed at a New Grass Revival & Bluegrass Alliance. The proposed project features Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Dan Cary, Curtis Burch and other former members of the New Grass Revival & Bluegrass Alliance who were to participate in The Bluegrass Hotel Film & Recording Project. which was launched at the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) convention.

In 1973 to 1981, the Bluegrass Hotel was the residence of Mr Harry Bickel a dentist and banjo picker. Harry rented rooms out to bluegrass musicians during the  Newgrass era, in Louisville.  During this time the hotel was visited and lived in by, among others, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, J.D. Crowe, Curtis Burch, Courtney Johnson, Dan Crary, Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, Tony Williamson and Jack Lawrence.

This press release – dated 11th March 2009 – was posted on Sam Bush’s website:

Sam Bush announced last week that he will not be participating in the Bluegrass Hotel Project and will not be performing at the festival in Louisville, KY on March 20, 2009. 
There has been considerable misinformation and falsehoods disseminated regarding Sam’s decision, and it is time to set the record straight. First, Sam will not be performing at the festival.  For many weeks, the Producer of the Project has used Sam’s name and likeness without his permission.  Despite being advised of Sam’s decision on March 5th, the Bluegrass Hotel website continues to list Sam as one of the featured performers.  The website’s information is not correct.
Further, Sam’s decision not to perform had absolutely nothing to do with money.  Contrary to statements posted on the internet by the Project’s Producer, Sam has never requested to be paid anything, including what is being fraudulently reported as requiring a $10,000.00 fee as an executive producer.  Any statements to the contrary are false.
For several weeks, now months, Sam had been unsuccessful in his attempts to obtain information relating to the Project’s financial and legal structure and unable to substantiate that all necessary agreements, clearances, and approvals had been obtained for completion of the Project.  Accordingly, after extensive consultation with legal council, Sam reluctantly decided he could not go forth in such a manner of chaos and liability. – Sam Bush Website 11 Mar 09

Various news outlets including The Bluegrass Blog, Cybergrass and The Bluegrass Journal have all delivered the news of Sam Bush’s withdrawal from the project. Others are also now rumoured to be with drawing from the project.  Cybergrass and The Bluegrass Blog report that Jack Lawrence, Tony Rice, John Cowan have  announced that they have withdrawn from the project.

The Bluegrass Hotel Website has this notice posted atop its homepage:

Sam Bush will not be able to perform at The Bluegrass Hotel concert for personal reasons. All of the other performers are confirmed, including the addition of New Grass Revival member Pat Flynn. The Bluegrass Hotel All Star band performance features Dan Crary, John Cowan, Curtis Burch, J.D. Crowe, Tony Rice, Pat Flynn and Tony Williamson. – Bluegrass Hotel Website, 13 Mar 09.

Louisville, Kentucky – There were two enigmatic Bluegrass bands in Kentucky whose recordings, concerts, and band members have become part of the folkloric history of the state and major forces within the music industry; The Bluegrass Alliance and the Newgrass Revival. Indeed a history full of yarns, tall tales, hijinks, strife, highs and lows, with a cast of characters that made Kentucky the center of the Bluegrass universe during the 1970s. These two bands were instrumental in changing the course of Bluegrass music forever.

Another key component of the Bluegrass scene in Kentucky and a unifying part of the narrative during those halcyon days of the 70s, was the old Victorian mansion in Cherokee Park near downtown Louisville. The infamous Bluegrass Hotel, whose proprietor Harry Bickel and Harry Sparks – luthier of renown – made life more stable and pleasant for its residents and super pickers that included Dan Crary, Tony Rice, Vince Gill, Jerry Douglas, J.D. Crowe, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Williamson and many others who were making their way though the treacherous waters of the music business. “The Bluegrass Hotel was Louisville, Kentucky’s equivalent of the Buena Vista Social Club in Havana, Cuba (the award winning film by Ry Cooder); a music breeding ground, half-way house, and scene of stellar all-night jam sessions, world class pickers and vintage instruments galore”, reflected Fred Bartenstein, Bluegrass music historian and consultant to the project.

“If it wasn’t for The Bluegrass Hotel, I don’t know how a lot of young Bluegrass musicians could have moved to a different city to learn how to play music”, said Sam Bush, former member of The Bluegrass Alliance, founder of NewGrass Revival and Bluegrass Hotel perennial. “It was like that old song, ‘The door is always open”, said Bush. “You were always free to stop by.” As the recognized Father of Newgrass, Sam Bush was the engineer driving the Newgrass train.

As Newgrass turns 40 in 2009, alumni of both bands have launched am ambitious year long project celebrating the Newgrass era in Louisville, Kentucky, titled “THE BLUEGRASS HOTEL”. The centerpiece of the project will entail a documentary film, which includes a 2009 live concert with the alumni and special guests, reality based footage of storytelling, vintage instruments, jam sessions filmed at the legendary Bluegrass Hotel, and archival performances of The Bluegrass Alliance and Newgrass Revival during the 1970s. A Book, DVD and CD will be launched in conjunction with the broadcast of film, anticipated for the Fall of 2009. Proceeds of the DVD and CD will benefit the Foundation for Bluegrass Music educational initiatives.

“There is very little documentation about this era”, said guitarist and Bluegrass Alliance co-founder Dan Crary. “We are happy to announce the Launch of this very significant and important project during the 2008 IBMA World of Bluegrass conference in Nashville later this month.”

Immediately following the announcment will be a private pre-screening of Dan Crary’s film “Primal Twang – the Legacy of the Guitar”, a work in progress. There will also be raffle/prize drawing for a Taylor Guitar.

For more information email: thebluegrasshotel@yahoo.com

Websites:

• The Bluegrass Hotel
• The Bluegrass Alliance
• The Newgrass Festival
• Newgrass History