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National Folk Festival  1st to 5th April 2010.

There is a variety of bluegrass and old time music offerings at this years National Folk Festival.

For five days, Exhibition Park in Canberra becomes a venue filled with colour and sound. Hundreds of the world’s best musicians perform each day on more than twenty stages, offering continuous entertainment across twenty two fabulous venues.

Every day also offers a range of workshops and sessions, where you can join in the dancing, singing and playing and become part of the celebration.

The line up from the bluegrass and old time music camp this year features The Davidson Brothers, Blue Mountain Rain, Beppe Gambetta, Charlie Walden & Mike Bing, Whitetop Mountaineers, Appalachian Heaven and Bluegrass Souls.

Bluegrass News, Festivals Blue Mountain Rain, Charlie Walden, Davidson Bros, National Folk Festival, Whitetop Mountaineers

From Virginia, USA, The Whitetop Mountaineers are returning to Australia this week for their third Australian tour. They are playing numerous festivals throughout their tour, including Port Fairy, Blue Mountains, Brunswick, Yackandandah, Apollo Bay and the National Folk Festival.

For Sydney residents there is only one opportunity to see this world class act – at The Harp Hotel in Tempe, on Tuesday the 16th March.

The Whitetop Mountaineers bring with them a new album, released in the USA only weeks ago, called Go Away With Me. Described as the real McCoy when it comes to ol’ timey music, The Whitetop Mountaineers are an act not to be missed by fans of old time, bluegrass and mountain music & dance.

Where to see them:

• 5 – 8 Mar – Port Fairy Folk Festival
• 12 – 14 Mar – Blue Mountains Folk, Roots and Blues Festival
• 16 Mar – The Harp Hotel, 900 Princes Hwy, Tempe, NSW, Ph. 02 9559 6300
• 18 Mar – Brunswick Music Festival
• 19 – 21 Mar – Yackandandah Folk Festival
• 24 Mar – Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs, Vic
• 25 Mar – Bendigo Folk Club
• 26 – 28 Mar - Apollo Bay Music Festival
• 31 Mar – The Yinnar Hotel, Main Street Yinnar ,Vic
• 1 – 4 Apr National Folk Festival, Canberra Rock’n'Blues festival

Artists, Promotions Whitetop Mountaineers

Having already endeared themselves to many Australian audiences last year, The Whitetop Mountaineers, Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham from Virginia, USA,  are set return to Australia by popular demand. This year they are taking in a host of Australian dates and festivals courtesy of their Australian agent, Across the Borders, based in Melbourne.

At the 2008/09 Woodford Folk Festival, unknown and unheralded, the duo stunned and delighted audiences with their performance of American mountain music and song and dance. The group also performed to audiences in Gippsland, taking in the region’s famous Yinnar Hotel a popular acoustic music venue.

Both musicians are skilled multi-instrumentalists – Jackson plays guitar, mandolin and clawhammer banjo, while Martha plays fiddle, guitar and banjo and dnaces. They are both strong vocal performers and their close harmonies are indicative of the old time and bluegrass traditions from which they draw their repertoire.

Martha and Jackson will be appearing at the following confirmed destinations in 2010:

• 5th – 8th March – Pt Fairy Folk Festival, Vic
  
• 12th – 14th March – Blue Mountain Festival, NSW
  
• 18th March – Brunswick Music Festival, Vic
  
• 19th – 20th March – Yakandanda Folk Festival, Vic
  
• 25th March – Bendigo Folk Club, Vic
  
• 26th – 28th March – Apollo Bay Folk Festival, Vic
  
• 31st March – Yinnar Hotel, Gippsland, Vic
  
• 1st – 4th April – National Folk Festival – ACT

Artists, Festivals National Folk Festival, Whitetop Mountaineers, Yinnar

Those fortunate enough to catch performances from the Whitetop Mountaineers, Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham, last year will remember energy and enthusiasm of the duo and the ease with which they presented their old time mountain style music, not to mention Martha’s dance steps while playing the fiddle. The Whitetop Mountaineers played a number of gigs around the country including the popular Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland.

The Whitetop Mountaineers are featured on Cybergrass Profiles this month.

Artists Cybergrass, Whitetop Mountaineers, Woodford Festival

The Whitetop Mountaineers have been touring Oz playing Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Our friend Stephen Loss from WA, when he is not playing double bass for Bluegrass Parkway, seems to be tripping around the Australian festival circuit taking in the best on offer.

Stephen caught the Whitetop Mountaineers in concert at Woodford Folk Festival earlier this month. Here’s what he had to say: -

I had the pleasure of attending several performances of The Whitetop Mountaineers at the Woodford Folk Festival last week. From the first note of their show, I was left in no doubt that Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham are the real McCoy when it comes to Old Timey music. I imagined their high lonesome mountain voices and tasteful guitar, claw-hammer banjo, fiddle and mandolin accompaniment could have come straight out of Appalachia 80 or 90 years ago. It was obvious that this music has been in their blood for many generations, and this couple have been immersed in it since their conception.
Each performance included a good mix of secular and gospel songs, plus banjo, fiddle and mandolin instrumentals, all executed with ease and simple charm. Despite a heavy workload with at least two performances every day of the six day festival, plus the high temperatures and humidity, Martha treated the audiences to her energetic and flamboyant clogging. It seemed her legs, arms and hair each had a mind of their own – she was sheer joy in motion.
If you like Old Timey music and get a chance to see The Whitetop Mountaineers as they tour NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, I would recommend it highly. It’s not often we get to see the real McCoy here in Australia. You won’t be disappointed Stephen Loss.

Review Whitetop Mountaineers, Woodford Festival

Over a hundred people enjoyed the performance last Sunday night by the Whitetop Mountaineers, direct from the Blue Ridge Mountain’s of the USA.

It was a full house at Gippsland’s ARC Yinnar, as the crowd was treated to the talents of Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham, a young ol’ timey duo, whose performance consisted of close-harmony, country singing, bluesy mandolin and guitar, old time fiddle and clawhammer banjo tunes, and flatfoot dancing which amazed the crowd.

The support act for the night was the Strzelecki Stringbusters, and the night concluded with a hearty singalong, with Martha and Jackson joining the Stringbusters to lead You are my Sunshine and I’ll Fly Away.

The Mountaineers continue their tour of Australia and are booked for many music festivals around the country.

See our previous post on The Whitetop Mountaineers

Submitted by Carolyne Boothman – Gippsland Acoustic Music Club

Artists Whitetop Mountaineers

The Whitetop Mountaineers is made up of Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. They are both members of the Whitetop Mountain Band. As a duet act, Martha and Jackson have toured across the United States and abroad (Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England and Australia) playing concerts, festivals, workshops, and dances. Their shows consist of ol’timey country harmony singing, bluesy mandolin/guitar, old time fiddle/clawhammer banjo tunes, and flatfoot dancing.

The Whitetop mountaineers have just finished a series of performances at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland and are now continuing their tour.

Artists Whitetop Mountaineers