australianbluegrass.com

For the first time ever, the Sunday Morning Gospel Concert fromthis year’s Harrietville estival was to be broadcast on WAMU’s legendary Bluegrass Country . WAMU is a major broadcaster of bluegrass in the Eastern USA and is a trailblazer of internet broadcasting. The station is owned by American University in Washington DC and broadcasts bluegrass round the clock on digital radio in Washington DC, on FM105.5 in Reston, Virginia, and on the internet on one of the world’s most listened-to internet stations, http://bluegrasscountry.org. WAMU has been broadcasting bluegrass for more than 40 years.

I asked Mike Kear one of the WAMU presenters to give us some insight into the concert. His story follows.

The original plan was to broadcast live over the internet but insurmountable technical issues required the concert be recorded and sent to WAMU to be broadcast on the ‘Open Mic’ program this week.

Presenting a live radio show presents quite a few challenges that don’t impact on a normal studio-based show. For example, getting bands on and off the stage quickly without having ‘dead air’ required quite a lot of planning. I selected the bands for the show carefully, and put them in a sequence in the show taking account of the way the bands normally behave when they come on stage. We allowed for the different mic setups of the bands, so they could have their normal configuration and feel comfortable on the stage.

Before the bands came on stage, they were briefed by Jacinta Connery on the special requirements of a radio show and that they be prepared to play as soon as they are signaled, even though I might still be talking, and that I might want to talk to the band leader about some aspect of the music.

It is important in a radio show to avoid gaps in the content. Listeners don’t want to wait listening to bands checking their tuning and getting mics set up and adjusted etc. So when the bands came on stage, I had a fill-in of some kind such as a live read of a promotion for WAMU, or some other spoken content, a joke or an interview with someone at the festival – and told the bands to make sure the band leader was set up first. Then I could talk on the air with the bandleader, while the rest of the band got their mics set up. A couple of questions to the band leader about a new CD or something and when I saw the rest of the band was ready to go, I introduced them and they started playing.

Every song that is played on the radio must be logged to ensure the correct royalty is paid to songwriters, so it was essential to get this information from the performers while it was still fresh in their minds. So I had Doug Richardson meet them as they came off stage and make a list of all the songs they’d sung, and the author information. This was also used to make the playlist on our show’s web site at http://atalkingdog.com so listeners on the internet can click on the artist’s link and go to the artists’s websites to see more about the artists they’re listening to.

Ian Fisk and Frances Kear were also taking photos, so I could put images from the concert on the show’s web site,  for listeners to see the scene as the show progressed. I think it’s important to give listeners a choice of something to look at while they’re listening, to make the whole thing as real and as close as possible.

One guarantee of every live show is that something’s going to go wrong. The only trouble is you never know what that’s going to be. I planned for as many different disaster scenarios as I could imagine, with fallback strategies in every case. I was confident that when we started the show, every possibility was taken care of. Little did I know! As it turned out, there was a 20 minute gap where 2 bands didn’t make it on the Sunday morning. One because a band member was ill, and another because the bandleader was called away on Saturday night by a family emergency. We learned with about 10 minutes to go that there was no band to follow the break at the half way point Jacinta Connery proved to be even more resourceful than I had imagined. She raced off and found Nadine Landry, from the Hungry Hill band , having breakfast. Hungry Hill weren’t scheduled to be in the Gospel Concert, because they had plenty of other commitments during the day. But Jacinta persuaded Nadine to leave her breakfast and come to the back stage area with minutes to spare. Jacinta thrust a guitar into Nadine’s hands, gathered some other pickers around, appointed them the title of the Nadine Landry Band, and pointed them towards the stage saying ‘Sing Sing!’ And it’s to Nadine’s credit that with seconds to prepare, she supplied a terrific set with a band she didn’t know until walking on stage with them. Nadine stood there on the stage looking a bit perplexed, getting a big laugh from the audience saying “I don’t know why I’m here – I only came out to get some breakfast!” The laughter was louder from backstage, where we knew the whole story.

The show will be broadcast in BluegrassCountry’s ‘Open Mic’ program slot 4 times during the week of 5th December to a very large worldwide audience of bluegrass fans, who for the first time ever will get to hear some of the best Australian acoustic gospel music. Bands appearing in the show are: Bluestone Junction , Heather Robin Mandich , Coolgrass , Hunter & Suzie Owens, the Nadine Landry Band , Karen Lynne , and Bluegrass Parkway – Mike Kear WAMU.

Times for the Open Mic show are as follows:

• (AUST Eastern Daylight Time): Sat 10pm, Mon 9pm, Thurs 7pm, Sat 10am or
• (US Eastern Time): Sat. 6 a.m., Mon. 5 a.m., Thurs. 3 a.m., Fri. 6 p.m.

WAMU is a major broadcaster of bluegrass in the Eastern USA and is a trailblazer of internet broadcasting. The station is owned by American University in Washington DC and broadcasts bluegrass round the clock on digital radio in Washington DC, on FM105.5 in Reston, Virginia, and on the internet on one of the world’s most listened-to internet stations, http://bluegrasscountry.org. WAMU has been broadcasting bluegrass for more than 40 years.

Bluegrass News Bluestone Junction, Harrietville, WAMU

God willing and the creeks don’t rise.

Thanks to Ed Lowe from Western Australia for providing a run down on the 2009 Harrietville Festival.

Leaving aside theological issues, I think that everyone would agree that the creeks did rise at Harrietville this weekend. The rain was not quite of biblical proportions, but it sure did come down steadily. Timely re-arrangement of a couple of tents and distribution of straw in the damp areas certaintly helped. Just another example of the hard work put in by the organisers and volunteers. My thanks to all of you.

A quick survey of the West Australian contingent found most of us agreeing that about the only effect of the rain was to curtail any opportunity for leisurely chats in the festival area. Mind you, we’re all old enough not to care what we look like in raincoats. My youngest daughter would rather drown than wear a raincoat or carry an umbrella.

Concerts and Program

There was a significant change to the program this year with the blackboard concerts moved to end of each day’s program. This seemed to be aimed at the increasing number of people who attend to listen rather than jam. It also allowed the organisers to schedule a large number of acts in the main tent. I heard no adverse comment with regard to this change. It certainly didn’t get in the way of jamming!
The “Hub tent” and re-located food area worked much better, in my opinion, and provided a place for informal jams when not in use for blackboard concerts.

Concert highlights for me were Hungry Hill, Pigeon Wing Strings and Bluestone Junction’s set in the Gospel Concert. Garry Brown’s resophonic guitar playing was just wonderful in a number of settings.

I was particularly taken with the energy and passion for the music apparent in Pigeon Wing Strings Friday night set.

Workshops

Festival workshops can be unsatisfying. It’s very hard for the presenters to know where to pitch their presentation. That said, some manage it very well. Bluegrass Parkway’s harmony workshop is very well thought out and works well. From all reports the harmony workshop run by Hungry Hill was very good too. So much so that Jenny’s DVD on bluegrass harmony singing sold out immediately after the workshop.

I attended two workshops.

Mandolin -  Bob Hamilton

This was a well presented workshop for both players just starting out and those who some experience. Well presented and easy to understand. Bob has thought about his playing and is good at explaining things.

Banjo Styles – Ross Nickerson

Sometimes in a workshop the presenter explains something in a way that suddenly joins up the dots for you. Ross Nickerson’s comments about playing in the key of D did that for me in this workshop. I didn’t see his beginners workshop, but I found this one to be valuable.

As it has been every year that I have been to the festival, it was the informal and unplanned interaction with other pickers, some of whom have become friends over the years, that was the best part of the festival.

So I’ll see you next year. Qantas willing; and the creeks don’t rise – Ed Lowe.

You can see  Ian Fisk’s pictorial review of the festival on the Harrietville page.

Festivals Bluestone Junction, Harrietville

Thanks to the organisers, artists and volunteer workforce for this year’s Harrietville Bluegrass and Ol’ Timey Music Convention. It was certainly one of the biggest and best events I have attended in recent years. The new grounds are readily accessible, well laid out and the line up of talent was extraordinary. Congratulations from the Australian Bluegrass Blog.

We hope to have a review posted up shortly. In the mean time visit Ian Fisk’s Photo Website for a great host of high quality photos.

Bluegrass News Harrietville

The 21st Harrietville Bluegrass and Ol’ Timey Convention is underway in downtown Harrietivlle.

The unofficial part of the weekend commenced on Thursday night with a performance on the main stage by Hungry Hill from the Canada followed by Bluegrass Parkway from WA presenting their Radio Show. The evening then saw jam sessions across the length and breadth of Harrietville. The weekend continues with countless music concerts, workshops and jam sessions.

The five day event is growing bigger each year to the point that it’s been noted by many that the number of acts and venues this year is the largest ever. The weekend continues.

We hope to bring you a full review once people have gone through the return home and recovery process..

Bluegrass News, Festivals Harrietville

Brief Listing On-Site Concerts

Here’s a brief rundown on the 2009 Harrietville program. This is s very impressive lineup.

Thu 19th Nov.

• 7:30pm  Hungry Hill, then Bluegrass Parkways +WSM 1945– 9:30 Old time Mountain Square dance (Community Hall) The West Virginia String Band

Fri 20th Nov. in the Marquee

• 3:00 – 3:55 West Virginia Stringband( USA)
• 4:00 – 4:55 Hungry Hill – (Canada)
• 7:00 – 7.25 Senile Delinquents (Vic)
• 7:30 – 7:55 Fatchance & The Bluegrass Playboys (Vic)
• 8:00 – 8:25 Burnt Creek Deviation (NSW)
• 8:30 – 8:55 Chilly Strings (Vic)
• 9:00 – 9:25 Hunter & Suzy Owens Band
• 9:30 – 9:55 Pigeonwing Strings – (Aust & USA)
• 10:00 – 10:25 The Bridgeland Brothers ( SA)
• 10:30 – 11:00 The Acoustic Shock Reunion Band (NSW)

Fri 20th Nov. in The Hub restaurant

• 11:00 – 1:00 Hungry Hill; Jimmy Martin Half Hour

Fri 20th Nov. in the Community Hall

• 11:00 pm  – 1:00 am Mike Seegar Memorial Old Time Country Show – M.C. Ken Mc Master (see him for spot)
• 1:00 am til late Craig Woodward’s Friday Night Band

Sat 21st Nov. Evening in the Marquee

• 1:30 – 1:55 The Cowrippers (SA)
• 2:00 – 2:25 Archer (Vic)
• 2:30 – 2:55 Appalachian Heaven (Vic)
• 3:00 – 3:25 Bluestone Junction (Vic)
• 3:30 – 3:55 My-T-Fine Sringband (NSW)
• 4:00 – 4:25 Coolgrass ( Vic)
• 4:30 – 4:55 High Times String Band (Vic)
• 7:00 – 7:25 Davidson Brothers (Vic)
• 7:30 – 7:55 Pigeonwing Strings(Aus & USA)
• 8:00 – 8:25 Karen Lynne & Blue Mountain Rain (NSW)
• 8:30 – 9:10 West Virginia String Band (USA)
• 9:15 – 9:40 Hardrive (Vic)
• 9:45 – 10:20 Hungry Hill (Canada)
• 10:30 – 11:00 Redlands Bluegrass Boys

Sat 21st Nov. in The Restaurant

• 11:00 pm – late Jack Johnson Memorial Show (see Nick Dear for 15 min spot)

Sun 22 Nov. in the Marquee

• 9:00am – 1:00pm Radio Gospel Show—Live over WAMU-FM Washington.DC and internet over Bluegrasscountry.org
• 2:30 – 4:30 Overseas Guests Farewell Show
• 4:35  All-night Longers
• 7:00 – 7:25 Guitar Pickers Spectacular (National)
• 7:30 – 7:55 Hill Williams ( Vic)
• 8:00 – 8:25 The Pecking Order ( Vic)
• 8:35 – 9:15 Bluegrass Parkway (WA)
• 9:20 – 9:45 The Wayward Sisters (Tas)
• 10:00 Host Paul Duff ( Walkup—15 min spots-see Paul at Weekend)

Workshops Saturday and Sunday: vocals, harmony, banjo, fiddle, guitar, dobro and bass
There is a detailed program available  at www.harrietvillebluegrass.com.au

Bluegrass News Bluestone Junction, Davidson Bros, Harrietville, Hungry Hill, Karen Lynne, Redland's Bluegrass Boys

The Harrietville Convention has confirmed that nearly 30 bands will be performing over the convention weekend this year. The weekend starts on Thursday and runs through to Sunday.

Some changes this year include the Sunday Night Concert begining at 7:00pm featuring a mixture of programmed and impromptu bands. This is a slight change from previous years when it was more casual. In addition, there are some alternate indoor venues secured for workshops in the event inclement weather. These include Casbak and Mountain View which are both just a short walk from the main venue.

The Community Hall will be available this year for all night jamming sessions with tea coffee and snacks available close by at the HUB. Also late night operation of the Tinny beverage bar.

This year’s convention one of our biggest lineups ever with groups from Vic, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia.   There will be plenty of open mic opportunities also especially in the Hub restaurant tent on the Saturday and Sunday.  The Saturday Afternoon Evening Concert will commence at 1.30pm on Saturday, with a dinner break from 5:00pm ’til 7:00pm, and evening concert continuting until around 11:00pm.
We had a number of requests to have the Sunday Special Guest concert a little earlier to give more people a chance to hear the show and still leave in time to get back home for work Monday. Following their requests, the Sunday afternoon Special Guests Concert will now begin around 2:00pm. This will be followed later in the day by the open mic sessions. Rod Jones

Festivals Harrietville

News just in from the folks at BTCMSA is that people have been having problems locating the Harrietville booking form, So Rod and Judy Jones have advised that the date for  discounts  has been extended to Wednesday 21st. October 2009.

Here’s a link to download this year’s booking form.

Festivals Harrietville

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

Thursday Night Program – 19th Nov 2009

Harrietville organisers have announced an early bird special which includes the opening night concert on Thursday 19th November. The Thursday night concert is free if you register and pay your registration by 1st October 2009.

The Thursday night concert program:

• 7.30pm – Hungry Hill Bluegrass Band – USA/Canada
• 8.15pm – Bluegrass Parkway’s -  WSM’s – Grand Ole Opry Radio Show
• 9.30pm – Welcome and Old -Time Dance in the Hall String Bands with special USA guests & callers

Visit the Harrietville website.

Events, Festivals Harrietville

International Artists List

One of our Western Australian readers has given us the heads up on the recently announced international line up for this year’s Harrietville Festival.

Banjo player and teacher Ross Nickerson will return to Harrietville this year with his band Hungry Hill. Featuring in Hungry Hill is Jenny Lester on fiddle, Bob Hamilton on mandolin, Nadine Landry on bass and fiddle, Mark Thibeault on dobro and guitar and of course Ross Nickerson on banjo. This group appears in Harrietville and then will travel on to Queensland to be the instructors and guests for Peter Nayhusan’s 2nd Australian Banjo Conference.

Other artists appearing at the festival include:

• Pigeonwing String featuring Pria Schwall-Kearney on fiddle and banjo along with Greg Fair on mandolin, banjo and guitar.
• Kim Johnson, a native of West Virginia on old time banjo
• Joe Dobbs, an old time fiddle player
• Rob McNurlin from Eastern Kentucky on guitar.

Events, Festivals Harrietville

This was the 20th Harrietville Bluegrass and Traditional Country Music Convention, but no-one seemed to make too much fuss over its anniversary milestone. I found that encouraging, because it suggested to me, that the organisers were looking forward to what they can do in the future, rather than feeling complacent about their past achievements.

This year the convention was hosted within the confines of the public hall grounds, centrally located on the main street of Harrietville. I thought this was an improvement on times past. Indeed, it seemed that someone had given a lot of thought to how the various tents and marquees should be set out. South Australian luthier John Liddy was enthusiastic about the location of the instrument maker stands, which was more visible than in some previous years.

The series of tents located side by side meant that there was the occasional problem of isolation. Sound from one tent was at times intruding into another.

The festival this year presented three visiting American bands. I found the Petuxent Partners to be a bit disappointing, from my point of view, they seemed more like a “team of stars” rather than a “star team”. No doubt there will be many who disagree, but I felt that there was something missing.

The RFD Boys were fun and I enjoyed their sets. But, the Bing brothers and Charlie Walden were my favourites this year. They were very professional, relaxed, loaded with talent and played well with each and off other.

One of the great things about the Harrietville Convention is that there are actually several festivals running concurrently. There is a wide variety of activities to choose from between the hotels, caravan parks, and the common rooms within the many accommodation sites, the festival tents. There is something for everyone. Some people like to see all the concerts, some haunt the many workshops, others spend the whole weekend jamming and rarely attend any of the formal performances or presentations. The great thing is, it works, and I love it.
See you all again next year.
Sumbitted by Ed Lowe – Western Australia

Artists, Festivals Charlie Walden, Harrietville

Nate Leath

The 2008 Harrietville Bluegrass Convention is scheduled for 14th to 16th November now in its 20th continuous year, the ‘early bird’ USA guest concert is scheduled for the evening of Thursday 13th from 8:00pm – 10:30pm.

The Harrietville Convention is presented by ‘Pickin’at the Piggery’, the Melbourne branch of the Bluegrass and Traditional Country Music Society of Australia, which was formed back in 1985. The small town of Harrietville was chosen as the site for the first convention as it was close enough to attend the weekend from Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne and attracting pickers from far further afield.

The Harrietville Bluegrass & Traditional Country Music Convention or Harrietville (as most festival goers call it) had its humble beginnings in the Bon Accord Resort, now called Mountain View Lodge. About 10 years ago, as attendances continued to grow, the convention was moved to the Feathertop Chalets. The move to Feathertop’s larger facilities provided workshop space, plenty of common rooms for jamming and a range of other facilities for children. Feathertop also featured a gymnasium, which was utilized as the convention’s concert hall in the early years. In more recent years, further growth in attendance required a larger concert venue, which was provided in the form of a Marquee. This was upgraded last year to the no-pole, insulated 600-seat capacity marquee with the extra cost being funded by a Thursday evening concert featuring a guest artist from the USA.

The RDF Boys

The convention continues to grow and conveners, Nick and Janet Dear advise that the convention venue is now planned for the Community Hall grounds opposite the General Store, where the same no-pole Marquee will be erected. There will be ample outdoor seating and shaded picking areas under the trees and down by the river. The format should be very much the same as in previous years, although the new site will be fenced to allow for one entrance gate where you can purchase convention passes. This will mean that the Marquee can be opened up at the sides (weather permitting). Conveners believe that this change of venue is timely and secures the future growth of the convention for the next few years.

Jorden Tice

Harrietville has featured a range of high profile bluegrass bands during its 20 year history. These have included many of our Australian bands along with international acts including, Bob Black, James King Band, Lonnie Hoppers, Dan Paisley and Southern Grass, Wayne Lewis, Joe Isaacs and many more – see full list below.

The change of venue will see workshops conducted in marquees, the Community Hall, Harrietville Hotel/Motel’s back dining room and other areas yet to be advised. This year’s convention will see marquees on site for all-night picking.

Patuxent Partners

We can expect to see the usual sales tent for performer’s CD’s and an additional one for the instrument makers display. The new convention site will also feature a food van and EFTPOS facilities for convention pass sales ill be available at the Community Hall grounds gate entrance.

For those who have not yet reserved their accommodation, there’s camping at the town of Freeburgh Tel: (03) 5750 1306 only 10kms down the road, and further accommodation is still available at Bright, which is 25kms from Harrietville.

Harrietville Guest Artist History Roll:

• 1994 – Lynn Morris and Marshall Wilborn
• 1995 – Barry and Holly Tashian, Ken Perlman
• 1996 – West Virginia String Band, Joe Dodds, Sallie Sublette, Rick McCracken, Greg Shupe, Frank Wakefield.
• 1997 – Roland White, Diane Bouska, Tony and Bill Ellis.
• 1998 – Jim Buchanan and Tom Saffell
• 1999 – Reed Martin, Scott Ainslie and Terry Burtyk
• 2000 – Balfa Toujours, Christine Balfa, Dirk Powell, Kevin Wimmer, CourtneyGranger, Joe Newberry.
• 2001 – Bob and Kirstie Black, Brad Leftwich, John and Michelle Law.
• 2002 – Lonnie Hoppers and BobLovitt, Dave O’Dell.
• 2003 – Wayne Lewis, Joe Isaacs and Kentucky, Aaron Till Scott Shipley, Rafe Steffanini.
• 2004 – The James King Band, Kevin Prater, Ben green, Adam Hayes, Jerry McNeely, Tom Sauber.
• 2005 – Lonnie Hoppers Joe Isaacs, Dan Jones, Bobby Taylor and Adnrew Dunlap.
• 2006 – Audie Blaylock and Redline with Daren Nicholson, Patrick McAvinue, Evan Ward, Barry Reed and Dave Bing, Dave O’Dell
• 2007 – Dan Paisley and Southern Grass

This years International artists: (pictured above)

• Nate Leath
• RFD Boys
• Jordan Tice
• Patuxent Partners

Festivals Harrietville, Jorden Tice, Nate Leath, Patuxent Partners, RDF Boys