australianbluegrass.com

Here’s some news from Country Family Reunion Record Label.

Some of the greatest artists in Bluegrass History gather for an incredible reunion. The Grassroots to Bluegrass Collection from Country’s Family Reunion.
Featuring 27 legends of bluegrass in some 50 performances from artists such  as  J.D Crowe, Jimmy Shumate, Melvin Goins, John Hartford, Jeanette Carter, Charlie Louvin, The Osbourne Brothers, and many more telling stories and singing songs about the history of Bluegrass music on 8 DVD’s or VHS tapes.

Ordering information is available from CFR Videos.

CD Release Promotions

This post just in from Lynn Butler in the UK. Lynn is looking for material to play on her new UK based radio show called Bluegrass Around the World.

I’m just starting up a new show here on www.ukcountryradio.com called ‘Bluegrass Around the World’.  I already have a monthly show called Butler’s Boudoir Bluegrass which concentrates solely on UK and European Bluegrass artists but really want to show the world all the other fine artists around. I have some wonderful Japanese and Chinese bluegrass music to share and I want the best of Australian Bluegrass too. Just to show that it’s not just the US that produce it. I would be most grateful if you could put something about it in your blog or monthly updates so that all your Aussie bluegrass bands are aware of it.  I have contacted many myself personally but it would be lovely they all knew that I would welcome their music for playing.

Many thanks and kind regards from the UK - Lynn Butler

Radio Stations Promotions

Gary ‘Rainbow‘ Roberts of  Strzelecki Stringbusters fame, has given us the heads up on yet another free Internet offer. This one is from the great Americana Rhythm Magazine, and is offering a free download of their current publication.

This is a no strings attached offer. I have a copy downloaded and it’s a winner.

Launched in August of 2005, Americana Rhythm’s mission is one of gathering, into one place, *Americana  music, musicians, and music culture, of the Shanandoah Valley of Virginia, Central Virginia, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, The Virginia Highlands, South West Virginia, the West Virginia Panhandle, and points in, around, and in between, and this is it!
Thanks Gary

Visit the website and grab a copy now.

Publications Promotions

American Made Banjo Co. has announced the release of their own vintage style banjo hardware, manufactured to authentic prewar specifications and made in the USA.

The hardware is available in Nickel or Gold over Copper plating and can be purchased as a complete kit or individual parts.

Over the past few years we have spent numerous hours analyzing, building and trashing prototypes in an attempt to get closer than anybody making 100% authentic 30’s style banjo hardware Made in the USA. From the accurate PW thread design of our hooks and nuts to the exact plating process & color of a new instrument part from the 1930’s, we feel we covered everything – Thomas Mirasola, American Made Banjo Co.

Instrument Makers Promotions

Acoustic Guitar Magazine has brought our attention to a new book called Guy’s Grids, the ultimate chord book—for beginner through advanced.

The fretboard is a maze of possibilities. Mastering a full repertoire of chords can be overwhelming.  Guy’s Grids is a 228-page compendium of chords laid out in the most useful way for memorization.

• Easily expand your chord vocabulary by visualizing chord relationships
• Use the Grids to enhance memory retention while reinforcing understanding of chord theory
• Play the practice progressions with the accompanying CD to refine your playing skills

Visit the GuysGrids.com links above for more details.

Publications Promotions

Cathy Moore plans to visit Australia from mid-November through to mid-December 2009 on a business speaking tour. Cathy has advised us that her itinerary will allow her to attend a few jam sessions or host a few clawhammer workshops while in Australia. The dates she’s looking at are:

• Nov. 15th or 16th in either Adelaide or Tasmania
• Nov. 22th in Perth or Darwin
• Nov. 28th to 29th in either Brisbane or Sydney
• Dec. 6th in Melbourne

Workshop topics proposed by Cathy include: syncopation/beyond bum-ditty, learning by ear, making a tune your own, or similar ideas. Or she could just jam whatever works for you.

Cathy is also planning to take in a bush dance or two while she’s here and otherwise check out the Australian music & dance scene and is open to invitations.

Cathy Moore on Myspace

Contact Cathy via her email address Email

Workshop Promotions

You could earn $50 by referring a student.

Our mandolin mate in Adelaide, Paul Thompson, has devised a way to provide incentive to his guitar and mandolin students and grow his teaching business.

Paul has recently posted his tuition details on to our Classifieds site and is now offering students free lessons or cash for new student referrals. Mandolin tuition covers music fundamentals, bluegrass lead & rhythm, classic Bill Monroe bluegrass style, Jesse McReynolds cross-picking, modern Newgrass style chords, fret-board pathways, and mandolin duet and harmony techniques. Bluegrass guitar lessons include flat-picking and rhythm essentials, quintessential Rodney Dillard walking bass back-up style, Dan Crary and Doc Watson flat-picking lead style, shortcut pathways to the bluegrass high-lead breaks and special considerations for backing banjo, fiddle, another guitar or vocals.

Referral Reward: Refer a new student who takes ten lessons and you will receive a free guitar or mandolin lesson or fifty dollars cash

If you hadn’t yet noticed, Paul is also the magnificent photographer whose work we brought you details of last year in our post titled Paul Thompson Photography.

Contact Paul Thompson:

• Ph:0437-709-456
• Email: Paul Thompson

Bluegrass News Promotions

May is Bluegrass Month

Skaggs Family Records announces Bluegrass Month offers some specials on CD’s from their artists. Skaggs Family Records is offering the following five albums for only US$10.00 each during the entire month of May –

• Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947 (Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder)
• Cherryholmes III: Don’t Believe (Cherryholmes)
• Gravity’s Our Enemy (Cadillac Sky)
• Salt of the Earth (Ricky Skaggs and The Whites)
• Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Instrumentals (Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder).

Record Company Promotions

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

March-April 2009 Featuring Lonesome River Band

In this month’s BMP’s Songwriter Profile: Stan Keach, Lead vocalist Brandon Rickman gets personal with BMP. He talks about his early days with the band, why he left, and his return in 2007. He touches on his songwriting talent, his influences and the band’s new project No Turning Back. www.lonesomeriverband.com

Also inside this issue – Williams & Clark Expedition, Bluegrass Side of Charlie Daniels, Remembering Butch Baldassari, The Poirier Family Band, Shop Talk: Alan Munde, Bluegrass Favorites: Rickey Wasson, and Darren Beachley; DJ Profiles: Bill Hensley; Promoter Profile: C.R. Wilson.

Publications Promotions

Release is first and only all-bluegrass offering in the iTunes App Store

WAMU’s Bluegrass Country announced today the release of its new iPhone application, which enables listeners to directly access Bluegrass Country’s digital music stream with the touch of a button on the iPhone desktop. It is the first and only all-bluegrass music application in the iTunes Store.

The application, which is available to download for $1.99 from the iTunes Store, gives iPhone and iPod touch users 24-hour access to bluegrass and Americana music by artists such as Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley and Nickel Creek; live-hosted programs featuring Ray Davis, Katy Daley and Lee Michael Demsey; and popular national shows such as American Routes, produced by American Public Media.

WAMU’s Bluegrass Country continues to break ground in bringing bluegrass to a wider audience, which now includes iPhone users.  Providing the first all-bluegrass music application to iPhone users expands the listening options for fans of this wonderful music and builds on our four-decade commitment to the genre by bringing it to bluegrass listeners all over the world through the iTunes Store. – General Manager Caryn G. Mathes.

Read more…

Radio Stations Promotions

The Mandolin Cafe has drawn my attention to MandoChords. It’s a new application designed by Charles Dumont for the iPhone. It has just released at the iTunes Store.

MandoChords provides instant access to over 1,000 chord forms in all 12 keys. 25 voicings are available for each key with multiple fingerings up and down the neck. Each chord can also be played to double-check fingering. Select a key, select a modifier (Minor, Maj7, etc.) and it shows you the fingering for multiple positions. You can also hear how it should sound.

Check out the story on Mandolin Cafe

Product Release Promotions

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

A new accessory for mandolins, guitars, banjos and other stringed instruments is quickly finding its way among instrument owners as an item with a unique story—the life story of their musical instrument.

CaseNotesTM is a small diary that fits in the case of most instruments and provides space for instrument information along with handwritten experiences from as many as six different owners. Designed to accompany an instrument as it is passed down to family members or other owners, CaseNotes is printed on archival quality paper which is acid-free.

Read the full story on Mandolin Cafe

Product Release Promotions

Receive a personalized certificate that authenticates the purchase of a Martin guitar during this historic milestone.

As part of our 175th Anniversary celebration, customers who purchase a full-size Martin guitar between January 1 and December 31, 2008 and who successfully complete the warranty registration by March 31, 2009 are eligible. All qualifying purchasers will receive a congratulatory letter from C. F. Martin IV and a personalized “Certificate of Authenticity” commemorating the purchase of their Martin guitar during this historic milestone.

Instrument Makers Promotions