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Some good news for all you Bluestone Junction fans in Victoria, is that will be playing support for Uncle Earl at the East Brunswick Hotel, next Thursday, 11th March.

Pete Fidler tells us that the show kicks off at 8.30pm and that Donal Baylor is coming down from the ACT to join them. They will be playing a tune or two from Donal’s new CD.

It will be a great night of home-grown bluegrass and all-girl old timey music.
Tickets are available from Brunswick Music Festival office on ph: 03 93881460.

Bluegrass News, Promotions Bluestone Junction, Donal Baylor, Uncle Earl

Here’s an update from Donal Baylor’s fiddle workshop in Melbourne next month. Two space have become available due to a late cancellation.  If you are interested you can contact Sean Kenan on  Phone: (03) 9380 5643  or email: seankenan@hotmail.com. The workshop fee is $60.

The workshop is at Fancy Yourself Fiddling located at 316 Park St., Carlton. The workshop will run from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on Saturday 13th March.

Workshop Donal Baylor

News from Donal Baylor is that he will be presenting a fiddle workshop in Melbourne next month that might be of interest.

The workshop is at Fancy Yourself Fiddling located at 316 Park St., Carlton. The workshop will run from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on Saturday 13th March.

Workshop space is limited to a maximum of six students participating.  The workshop fee is $60.  If you are interested you can contact Sean Kenan on  Phone: (03) 9380 5643  or email: seankenan@hotmail.com.

Sean is a great fiddle teacher for anyone in the Melbourne area.  He is particularly good with adults who want to take up the instrument.  Here’s a link to a recent article in The Age about him and his success with students.  The Age Newspaper link

Bluegrass News, Workshop Donal Baylor, Fiddle

Donal Baylor has been a sideman for acts as diverse and Mic Conway and Slim Dusty and also been an integral part of such bands as the Dancehall Racketeers and Bluegrass Parkway.  He’s been a two-time Australian fiddle champion and a recipient of a Kentucky Colonel honorary award.   Now, finally, he’s released his first solo CD.  This momentous bluegrass and old timey event features Donal on fiddle and guitar as well as some of our best pickers lending a hand.

I’m really proud that all the pickers are Victorian and it shows that we do have something meaningful to say – and hopefully it is worth hearing – Donal Baylor

The album, Town and Country Fiddler features Donal Baylor on fiddle and guitar with Steve Gilchrist – mandolin, Pete Fidler – Dobro, Mick Harrison – banjo, Hamish Davidson – banjo, Lachlan Davidson – mandolin, Andy Baylor – guitar, Mike St.Clair-Miller – double bass, Chris Jacobs – vocals, Ruth Hazleton – harmony vocals.

You’ll find “Donal Baylor – Fiddle” on a lot of albums produced over the last 25 odd years. This is Donal’s first attempt at one of his own. One may ask why this has taken so long. But when dealing with a man of Donal’s calibre, where there is an exceptional ability, there is also a countervailing humility and Donal would simply not be so presumptuous. His many, many fans – everyone who has played with him or sat in the audience, have clearly worn him down. So here we have it, Town and Country Fiddler, from one of the best of those that we know - John Taylor.

Track listing:

1. Daybreak in Dixie
2. Southern Aristocracy
3. White Rose Waltz
4. Goodbye to the Blues
5. Laughing Boy/Old Bell Cow
6. Farewell to Long Hollow
7. Town and Country Fiddler
8. Elzick’s Farewell
9. Fourteen Days in Georgia
10. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow
11. Jekyll Island
12. The Waltz You Saved For Me
13. My Father’s Footsteps
14. Kansas City Railroad Blues
15. When I Grow Too Old to Dream

My Father’s Footsteps

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Farewell To Long Holow

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Goodbye To The Blues

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CD Release Donal Baylor

Here’s some news from Donal Baylor. I caught up with Donal when he made a brief appearance at this year’s Harrietville Festival playing with Bluegrass Parkway’s Tribute Show.

Donal is about to release a new CD which features him on fiddle and guitar. He is also joined by Hamish and Lachlan
Davidson, Steve Gilchrist, Chris Jacobs,  Mick Harrison, Mike St. Clair Miller, Ruth Hazleton, Andy Baylor and Pete Fidler. Pete Fidler also produced the CD.

As well as a new CD in the offing, Donal also announces that he will be playing at this year’s Cobargo Folk Festival with the reunion of Canberra’s The Department of Bluegrass and the Brunswick Music Festival with Bluestone Junction who are supporting US band Uncle Earl.

I was only able to make the Thursday night show at Harrietville recently, but I was amazed how big the crowd was on that night. It seems to get bigger every year and shows that the scene is in great shape.

I am presently putting the final touches to my CD, which should be released early in 2010. I am pretty pleased with it and think it has something that will please bluegrass and old timey music lovers and yet offers something a little different. It’s been a lot of fun planning, recording, and putting it all together and I’m really grateful for the help I have received from my friends - Donal Baylor.

Artists Dept of Bluegrass, Donal Baylor

Chris Jacobs from Bluestone Junction dropped us a line this week to let us know that Bluestone Junction are taking to the roads next month, making their way north to play the Escape ArtsFest in Shoalhaven on New South Wales’ southern coast.

We’re hitting the highway and heading north to meet up with our fiddle player, Donal Baylor, in Canberra. 
While we’re in Canberra, we’ll be performing at the Manuka Services Club on the afternoon of Saturday 3rd of October.  
We hope to see our many Canberra friends there for a great Bluegrass session.

The following day, Sunday 4th October, we’ll drive up to the South Coast of NSW for the Escape ArtsFest ‘09. 
This amazing festival runs from the 30th September to the 11th October at venues throughout the Southern Shoalhaven region.

Our show will be at the historic Milton Theatre, located at 69 Princes Hwy, Milton on Sunday 4th of October.

Kicking off the evening at 8:00pm will be Jonno Zilber , with his solo take on swing, blues and gospel. 
Bluestone Junction will follow with a performance that will be part concert, part workshop and 100% Bluegrass!
 It’s going to be an amazing night.  The acoustics in the Milton Theatre are said to be incredible and we’re all looking forward to it – Chris Jacobs, Bluestone Junction.

Artists, Bluegrass News, Events Bluestone Junction, Donal Baylor

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

Donal Baylor will be presenting a two day Bluegrass Fiddle Workshop in Melbourne over the Australia Day weekend 2009.

Donal is highly regarded as a teacher and performer of both Bluegrass and Swing fiddle styles. Donal’s workshop will be conducted at the Fancy Yourself Fiddling headquarters 316 Park St Carlton.

Places are all taken for Donal’s workshop but if you would like to put your name down for future fiddle Masterclasses ring Sean on 03 9380 5643.

Workshop Donal Baylor

National Folk Festival – Easter 2008

Donal Baylor will explore tunes, solos, techniques and the classic Monroe sound of twin fiddling at this year’s National Folk Festival and part of the festival’s ever growing bluegrass music component. Donal is one of Australia’s finest bluegrass fiddlers and highly regarded as both a player and teacher.
I spoke to Donal this week and asked what is in store for master class participants at his workshop.

Who is the workshop aimed at?

Fiddle players from any background at an intermediate to advanced level. It is a class for those fiddlers who are curious as to the intricacies of bluegrass but haven’t yet fully explored it. It is also for those who do have an understanding of the music, but want to significantly build on their abilities with an experienced guide.

What should we bring?

Your fiddle obviously! – it is very much a hands-on session – pen and notepaper is also handy for any notes and personal recording devices are welcome.

What will be covered in your workshop sessions?

My workshops focus heavily on playing and active participation by participants rather than a lecture. Throughout the sessions, participants are encouraged to ask questions and raise any issues that are relevant.

• Brief history of the style and its development over time. Influence of Bill Monroe and key players.
• Stylistic characteristics; Tempo, Keys, Back up, Shuffles, Blue notes, Double stops and chords, Up the neck (second and third positions), Playing breaks to songs, kick-offs and endings, Fiddle tune repertoire building, Playing variations.
• Fiddle set up, Strings, Bridge, Rosin, Bow tension.
• How to practice, Organisation, Space/time, Tuning up, Focussing a session, Practice tools. Bluegrass Licks – learning the language and developing a personal style.
• Improvising – when, where and how.
• The shuffle and the double shuffle – how to build it up – and use tastefully.
• Playing in Harmony – the bluegrass wall of sound.
• Playing in a band or jam session – Etiquette, What to play, What not to play.
• Tunes used in examples – Can’t You Hear Me Calling – a classic solo from a bluegrass pioneer, Sally Goodin – how to make a tune come to life, Florida Blues – improvising and tasteful variations, Texas Gallop – twin fiddles, Bill’s Dream – triple fiddles, Back up and Push – double shuffle and more….

By the end of the week the participant will have a good understanding of the bluegrass fiddle style, a greater appreciation for the music and be well placed to advance further. I provide written material and a CD, recommendations for further listening and a guide to books and other useful resources.

Feel free to contact me with any queries: Donal Baylor.

Workshop Donal Baylor, National Folk Festival